Skip to main content

Full text of "History of Vernon County, Wisconsin, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens; history of Wisconsin.."

See other formats 


NYPL  RESEARCH  LIBRARIES 


3  3433  08192303  3 


\^v 


fc 


V\^. 


HISTORY 


OF 


VERNON  COUNTY, 


WISCONSIN, 


rOGETHBR  WITH  SKETCHES  OF    ITS   TOWNS,    VILLAGES    AND    TOWNSHIPS,    BDU('ATIONAL,    CIVIL,    MILI- 
TARY AND  POLITICAL  HISTORY;  POKTHAITS  OF  PROMINENT  PERSONS,   AND 
BIOGRAPHIES  OF  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


HISTORY    OF    WISCONSIN. 


EMBRACING  ACCOUNTS  OF  THE  PKE-HISTORIC  RACES,  AND  A  BRIEF  ACCOUNT 
OF  ITS  TERRITORIAL  AND  STATE  GOVERNMENTS. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


SPRINGFIELD,    ILL. 
UNION  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 

1884^ 


ASTOR,  tENOX  AND 
TIUDEN  FOUr'DAT.0NS. 

R       1901       I- 


TO  THE  PIONEERS 
OF 

THIS  VOLUME  IS 

RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED, 

WITH  THE  HOPE  THAT  YOUR  VIRTUES  MAY  BE  EMULATED  AND  YOUR  TOILS 

AND  SACRIFICES  DULY  APPRECIATED  BY  COMING 

GENERATIONS. 


1=  !?>  E  IF  J^  O  E  . 

The  importance  of  local  history  is  appreciated  to-day  more  than  ever  before.  A  general  de- 
sire is  being  manifested  by  the  people  to  preserve  the  records  made  by  the  pioneers.  Old  Set- 
tlers' Associations  and  Historical  Societies  are  being  organized  in  almost  every  city  and  county 
throughout  the  land.  The  interest  in  local  history  is  not  confined,  as  some  suppose,  to  men  of 
second  and  third  rate  ability,  but  men  like  Hon.  John  Wentworth,  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburn,  Hon. 
Isaac  N.  Arnold,  and  others  of  that  class,  show  as  much  interest  in  pioneer  reminiscences  and  the 
various  little  incidents  that  go  to  make  up  the  record  of  a  new  country,  as  could  be  shown  by  any 
who  think  the  world  is  comprised  in  that  scope  of  territory  in  their  own  immediate  neighborhood. 
Hon.  Daniel  Durkee,  Librarian  Wisconsin  State  Historical  Society,  has  delivered  a  lecture,  which 
has  been  printed  and  scattered  broadcast  throughout  the  land,  urging  the  people  to  perpetuate 
their  local  history,  and  every  county  history  that  is  published  is  purchased  by  him  for  that  insti- 
tution, of  which  he  is  Librarian.  In  that  vast  library  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin,  no 
historical  works  are  more  referred  to  than  the  local  histories  of  the  various  counties  of  the  States 
of  the  Union. 

Believing  that  the  county  of  Vernon  afforded  material  for  a  good  history,  the  Union  Publish- 
ing Company  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  sent  a  corps  of  experienced  historians  into  the  field  under 
the  supervision  of  Prof.  C.  W.  Butterfiold  with  instructions  to  spare  no  pains  in  compiling  a  com- 
plete and  reliable  work.  As  preliminary  to  the  work,  and'  in  order  to  insure  correctness  and  a 
work  in  which  every  citizen  of  the  county  might  feel  a  just  pride,  committees  were  appointed  to 
read  and  revise  the  general  history  of  each  county,  and  a  like  committee  in  each  township  to  ex- 
amine and  correct  the  history  of  their  respective  townships.  With  but  one  or  two  exceptions, 
every  man  thus  appointed  served  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  choice  of  tiie 
committees  is  shown  in  the  work  performed.  We  feel  confident  that  we  here  present  to  our  pa- 
trons a  history  that  is  correct  as  possible  for  human  beings  to  make  it.  Special  care  has  been 
taken  in  its  compilations,  hundreds  of  men  and  women  being  interviewed,  and  every  source  of  in- 


PREFACE. 


formation  canvassed  that  facts  alone  sboulcl  be  incorporated  in  it.  The  manuscript  was  then 
read  to  the  committees,  and  time  given  to  make  such  corrections  as  they  deemed  necessary,  and 
each  member  was  urged  to  exercise  care,  and  not  be  backward  in  making  such  corrections  or  such 
suggestions  as  might  be  deemed  necessary  to  insure  con-ectness  and  add  to  the  value  of  the 
work.  Our  thanks  are  certainly  due  to  these  men,  a  number  of  whom  spent  much  time,  with  no 
thought  of  reward  than  that  received  in  the  consciousness  of  a  duty  well  performed.  Among 
others  specially  entitled  to  our  thanks  are:  Henry  Casson,  Jr.,  Capt.  D.  W.  C.  Wilson,  Judge  W. 
F.  Torhune,  Capt.  R.  S.  MoMichael,  John  R.  Casson,  James  E.  Newell,  N.  C.  Nichols,  Hon.  CM. 
Butt,  P.  J.  Layne,  Col.  Earl  M.  Rogers,  Hon.  H.  P.  Proctor,  Hon.  O.  B.  Wyman,  Rev.  John 
Whitworth,  William  Haughton  and  others.  Every  county  officer,  and  every  deputy  employed  in 
the  various  offices  showed  a  perfect  willingness  and  an  earnest  desire  to  aid  us  in  obtaining  infor 
mation. 

The  press  of  the  county  is  also  entitled  to  our  special  gratitude.  Without  an  exception,  we 
have  received  the  kindest  treatment  from  each  newspaper,  their  files  being  placed  at  our  disposal, 
and  from  which  we  obtained  much  of  the  information  contained  in  this  volume 

In  conclusion,  we  will  say  that  our  work  is  done;  the  History  of  Vernon  County  is  placed  in 
your  hands.     We  trust  that  you  will  be  pleased  with  it. 

Yours  Truly, 

Union  Publishing  Company. 


TABLE  OP  CONTENTS. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


CHAPTER  1 . 

PAQB. 

PRE-HISTORIC  AND  SETTLEMENT 17 

First  Exploration  of  the  Northwest 18 

Wisconsin  visited  by  fur  traders  ft.nd  Jesuit  mission- 
aries  19 

Foundins:  of  Jesuit  missions  in  Wisconsin 20 

Wisconsin  under  French  domination 21 

Wisconsin  undeT  English  supremacy 33 

Wisconsin  as  a  part  of  the  Northwest  Territory 35 

Wisconsin  as  a  part  of  the  Territory  of  Indiana 37 

Wisconsin  as  a  part  of  Illinois  Territory 39 


CHAPTER  11. 

PAGE 

WISCONSIN  AS  A  TERRITORY 3t 

Secretaries 35 

United  Stales  Attorneys 35 

United  States  Marshals 35 


CHAPTER  III. 
WISCONSIN  AS  A  STATE a 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY,  WISCONSIN. 


CHAPTER  I. 


PAGE 


AREA,  POSITION  AND  SURFACE  FEATURES 

Area ()» 

Geographical  Position 69 

General  Surface  Features 7'i 

Mississippi  River • 71 

The  Baraboo  Kiver 73 

The  Kickapoo  River 13 

CHAPTER  H. 

TOPOGRAPHY  AND  GEOLOGY 73 

Geological  Formation 77 

CHAPTER  HI. 

ANCIENT  INHABITANTS 79 

The  Mound  Builders...   79 

The  Indians 80 

The  Sioux  81 

The  Sacs  and  Foj-.es 81 

The  Winnebagoes 83 


CHAPTER  IV. 


EARLY  EXPLORATIONS 

Expedition  of  Michael  Accau. 


86 


P.IGE 

Expedition  of  Duluth 87 

The  Mississippi  visited  by  Le  Sueur 87 

Ferret's  voyage  to  the  West..; 87 

Le  Sueur  again  on  the  Mississippi 87 

LaPerriere  builds  a  fort  on  Lake  Pepin 87 

The  journey  of  Jonathan  Carver 88 

Observations  bv  Malor  Pike 93 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  WINNEBAGO  WAR 91 

Murder  of  Gagnier  and  Lipcap 92 

A  Winnebago  debauch         92 

First  battle  of  Bad  Ax 93 

Great  alarm  upon  the  border , 93 

Arrival  of  Governraeut  Troops 94 

De  Kauray's  imprisonment 93 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 95 

Battle  of  Stillman's  Run 95 

Battle  of  Pecatonioa 96 

Pursuit  of  Black  Hawk 96 

Battle  of  Wisconsin  Heights 101 

Black  Hawk  pursued  to  the  Mississippi 103 

Battle  of  Bad  Ax 105 

Official  report  of  the  battle 106 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE 

UNITED  STATES  LAND  SURVEYS 107 

How  Vernon  County  was  surveyed 108 

Civil  Towns  and  surveyed  Townships 109 

Area  ot  each  Township 100 

Dates  of  surveys  and  notes  of  surveyors 110 

Land  Districts  113 

Wisconsin  Land  Distiict H-i 

La  Crosse  Land  District 115 

La  Crosse  Land  Offlce 115 

CHAPTER  VHI. 

FIR'iT  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  COUNTY 116 

The  First  Settlers 110 

Vernon  County  In  May,  1847 117 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PIONEERLIFE 118 

TheLogCabin ; 118 

Pioneer  Furniture 110 

Primitive  Cookery 119 

Primitive  Threshing 130 

GoingtoMlll 130 

WildAnlmals 121 

CHAPTER  X. 

FIRST  THINGS  123 

First  preaching  in  the  county 12:1 

First  Church  organized 123 

CHAPTER  XI. 

FORMATION  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COUNTY  134 

Bad  Ax  County  125 

Origin  of  "Bad  Ax"  unknown 130 

Unpopularity  of  "Bad  Ax" 130 

Changing  the  name  to  Vernon 131 

Efforts  to  form  a  new  county 135 

CHAPTER  XII. 
TERRITORIAL,  STATE  AND  CONGRESSIONAL    REPRE- 
SENTATION   136 

Territorial 136 

State J36 

Congressional 13i 

Members  of  Congress 138 

CHAPTER  Xm. 

COUNTY  GOVERNMENT 138 

County  Commissioners '45 

Supervisors  again 147 

County  Buildings 160 

Matrimonial J°0 

Abstract  of  Assessment  Rolls 103 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
CIVIL  SUB-DIVISIONS  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 164 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  COURTS  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 168 

The  Circuit  Court 168 

The  Battle  of  Klckapoo 176 

County  Court 183 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  BAR  OF  VERNO.\'  COUNTY 183 

The  Bar  of  the  Past 184 

The  present  Bar 193 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  WAR  FOR  THE   UNION 196 

Wisconsin's  Frst  Etlorts 10b 

The  State  Aroused 198 

Vernon  Cnunty  Awakened 10.s 

First  Wiir  M.-cting 100 

War  Meeting  in  De  Soto ■•" 200 

Compnnv  1,  Sixth  Regiment 200 

Sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers 201 

Iron  Brigade 203 


Company  C,  Eighteenth  Regiment.  I 

■  'Bad  Ax  Tigers" j  ' 

Eighteenth  Wisconsin  Volunteers 

Twenty-fifth  Regiment 

Vernon  County's  Roll  of  Honor 

In  Memorlam 

Pensioners  in  Vernon  County 

Company  B,  Fiftieth  Regiment 

Early  Mention  of  the  War 

The  Brave  at  home 


>AaE 

203 

204 
•iOS 
210 
•-•17 
218 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PIONEER    REMINISCENCES.... j^ 32T 

Royal  C.  Blerce 227 

Mrs.  Cyrus  D.  Turner ;.'34 

Flora  De  Frees  Weeden 238 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


ELECTION  RETURNS. 


240 


CHAPTER  XX. 


COUNTY  REPRESENTATION 2,53 

Treasurer *253 

Register  of  Deeds 2.55 

County  Clerk  and  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court 2.56 

Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court 257 

County  Clerk  or  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors . . .  2.57 

Sheriff 258 

County  Superintendent  of  Schools 263 

County  Surveyor 265 

County  Judge 266 

District  Attorney 267 

Coroner, 207 

CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 
Village  ofViroqua — .. 

Town  of  Virofiua 

Hillsborough  Town 

Bloomingdale 

Ontakio. 


2T2 
■2 


268 

:;68 

270 

--'70 

271 

371 

ROCKTON 271 

Town   op  Webster '271 

Seelvburg 271 

SPItlNGVILI.E 271 

De  Soto  271 

Victory 371 

Town  of  Sterling  271 

Newton 273 

ci1aseb0ug   

Genoa 

Readstown  272 

ONTAlilO 273 

CHAPTER  XXII, 

AGRICULTURE      AND     THE    AGRICULTURAL    SO- 
CIETY   274 

Vernon  County  Agricultural  Society 275 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    PRESS 37!) 

Northwestern  Times 2iB 

The  Western  Times 281 

Vernon  County  Censor 281 

Viroc|ua  ExjKi^^itor 286 

De  Soto  Republican 288 

DeSoto  Leader 288 

Vernon  County  Herald -88 

Vernon  County  Leader  "JM 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  GREAT  TORNADO— JUNE -28,  1865 292 

"Brick"  Poraeroy's  Report 292 

Stalcmentof  Dr.  E.  W.  Tinker 298 

Account  written  by    D.  W.C.Wilson 390 

WhiU  happened  to  Mrs.  W.  R.  Purdy -^irji 

W    F.  'Terhune's  Recollection .lOO 

Statement  of  H    M.  Isham  303 

Nathan  Coe's  Narrative y'j 

John  Dawson's  Account I" 

Charles  C.  Brown's  Recollection -'Mi 

Recollections  of  R.  C.  Bieroe 30.> 

A   L.  Russell's  Statement 30S 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


VII 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

PAGE 

PREVIOUSLY  PUBLISHED  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES.  310 

From  the  Western  Times,  Sept.  6,  1856 -310 

By  George  Gale, • 310 

From  the  Milwaukee  Sentinel,  November,  1860 315 

By  Dr.   Lansing,  in  The  Lansing  Chronicle,  Febru- 
ary, 1869 317 

Lute  A  .  Taylor,  in  the  La  Crosse  Leader,  July,  18T0..  818 

By  G.  W.  Nuzum  and  John  K.  Casson,  1875 —  319 

By  W.  F.  Turhune,  1878 320 

From  the  De  Soto  Republican,   1870 323 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

MISCELLANEOUS 325 

Vernon  County  once  Sioux  Territory 335 

Why  the  Fo.x  Indians  left  the  lower  Wisconsin 327 

Concerning  the  Fox  Indians .328 

Treaties  with  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  and  the  Win- 

nebag:ocs 329 

A  sequel  to  the  great  Indian  Treaty  of  1829 333 

The  Winnebagocs  in  1816 338 

The  Winnebagoesiu  1818 338 

Up  the  Mississippi  in  1819 339 

War  be  twee  n  the  Sac  and  Foxes  and  the  Sioux 3il 

Daniel  M.   Parliinson's  Recollections  of  the  Winne- 
bago war 344 

James   H.    Lockwood's  account  of  the  Winnebago 

War 345 

An  interesting  event  of  the  Winnebago  War 354 

Last  act  in  the  Winnebago  War. 356 

Indians  upon  the  Mississippi  in  1825 3.57 

Up  and  down  the  Mississippi  before  the  Black  Hawk 

War 369 

After  the  battle  of  Bad  Ax  375 

Capture  of  Black  Hawk  and  the  Prophet 379 

Death  of  Black  Hawk 382 

Western  Wisconsin  in  1836 384 

CHAPTER   XXVII. 

POETS  AND  POETRY 389 

The  Indian 389 

Suunhino  in  Winter 390 

A    Wish 390 

'Twas  only  a  Shell 391 

John  Brown 391 

Summer  Song 391 

Mount  Reno 892 

CHAPTER  XXVni. 

SCHOOLS  OF    VERNON  COUNTY 393 

Original  School  Code    393 

Agitation  for  Free  Schools 394 

The  School  System  under  the  State  Government 394 

Development  of  Schools  in  Vernon  County 395 

Sehonl  ll.mses 396 

Exainiiiaiion  of  Teachers 398 

County  Supervision 398 

Prosperity  of  the  Schools 399 

General  Statistics 400 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

VARIOUS  THINGS 401 

A  i'ioiieer  incident 401 

Census  of  1847  101 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  from  1851  to  1859. . . .  401 

An  Aerolite 407 

Death  of  Moses  Decker ..  408 

Starting  a  paper  under  diificulties 408 

The  Huelieye  on  Are 408 

Whatwasit? 409 

Wild  cats  and  wolves 409 

A  call  for  fiicts 409 

Bears 409 

Climatology  of  Vernon  county 409 

Ceologicalhistory  of  the  underlying  formations  of 

Vernon  county 415 

.\  n  ea rly  deed  for  Vernon  county  real  estate 418 

An  Indian  scare 418 

Town  of  B^d  Ax 420 

Extracts  from  the  '  'Record  of  the  proceedings  of  the 

Crawford  county  board" 420 

Early  roads  in  Vernon  county 433 

Agriculture  in  the  Vernon  county  region 423 

First  white  men  in  Vernon  county 424 


PAGE 

An  account  of  their  voyage  up  the  Mississippi 429 

Early  experience  in  the  northwest 431 

ThomasG.  Anderson 473 

CHAPTER   XXX. 

TOWN  OP   BERGEN 477 

Early  Settlements 477 

First  Things 479 

Organic 479 

Postoffices 479 

Religious —  479 

Educational .' 479 

Cemeteries 479 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

TOWN  OP  CHRISTIANA 480 

Early  Settlements 480 

Early  Events 481 

Organic 481 

Postoffices 482 

Mill 482 

Educational 48; 

Religious 182 

Cemeteries 484 

ViLljAGE  OF    WeSTBY 484 

Case  of  Murder 484 

Biographical •ISS 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

TOWN  OF  CLINTON 491 

Early  Settlement 491 

First  Events 495 

Organic W3 

Educational l-'o 

Religious 496 

Cemeteries 407 

Mills i9" 

Village  op  Blouminqdalb 498 

Village  of  Pbestonville 498 

Biographical 49!t 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

TOWN  OF  COON  SO') 

Settlement 5o5 

FirstEvents ['0[> 

oi-aiiic ■<0^ 

^<cllool^ ■>06 

Village  OF  Coon  Valley 506 

Postofflce -'07 

CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

TOWN  OF   FOREST 508 

Early  Settlement 508 

First  Things -.''J'' 

Organic '09 

Uc'liaious ■'■'OO 

lOdiicational....:   -'09 

I'usloliices ■■  -.'OO 

Cemeteries -'''O 

Personal  Sketches MO 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


TOWN  OF  FRANKLIN 
Early  Settlement  — 

Oiijanic 

Si-hnols 

Kclitrious 


516 

517 

517 

.518 

LllilvliTYPOLE 518 

(Jcuieterios    ■■U 

Biographical >l'' 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


TOWN  OF  GENOA... 
Early  Settlement. 
Fii-it  Events 

(  >r'.;:illic 

Scllools 


,528 
.528 
528 
528 


Kciiiious        

I'ostdttioes S28 

Village  OF  Genoa >28 

Cemetenes f;^ 

Biographical ■''  'I 


VIII 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

PAGE 

TOWN  OF  GREENWOOD 536 

Early  Settlement 536 

First  Events Bds 

Organic »o° 

Schools g8 

Religious  Societies *jH 

Hansberry's  Aiili 541) 

Cemeteries  — 54() 

Biograpliical 54U 


CHAPTER  XXXVni. 


TOWN  OF  HAMBUKG 5r)l 

Early  Settlement 551 

Organic 5ol 

Religious 52~ 

Schools *^- 

Cemeteries    55- 

ViLLAGK   OF  CHASEBUBG 65~ 

Business  Directory 5oiJ 

Biographical  Sketches       <>5>> 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

TOWN  OF  H.\RMONr 55.5 

BarlT  Sfttk-ment 55.'; 

First  Things 5ob 

Organic  ^™ 

Religious , 5St) 

Educational 5.5^ 

Postolfices 55^ 

Cemeteries 5oji^ 

Mills 55^ 

Village  of  Newton 65^ 

Personal 5oi 

CHAPTER   XL. 

TOWN  OF  HILLSBOROUGH        562 

Settlement fS^ 

FirstEvents  6b4 

Organic ™; 

Schools °°' 

School  Statistics  5bb 

United  Brethren  Church obh 

<  emeteries  .       56H 

Trippvilie  Postofflce 5b'.i 

VlI>LAGE   OF   H  1 LLSBOROCQH 5611 

Business  Interests 670 

Religious ^^J 

Biographical 5iU 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

TOWN  OF  JEFFERSON 580 

Early  Settlers 580 

First  Things 5S1 

Organic 58|- 

PostotHces -  5SJ 

Educational 582 

Religious  Organizations 58- 

Mills 58,5 

Village  OF  Springville 685 

Various  Manufactories 586 

Cyclone 688 

Fish  Ponds..     688 

Cemeteries 588 

Biographical 588 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

TOWN  OP  KICKAPOO 600 

Early  Settlement 600 

Organic 605 

Village  OF  Readstown       605 

Village  OF  Kickapoo 607 

Educational 607 

Personal 609 

CHAPTER  XLHI. 

TOWN  OF  LIBERTV 621 

First  Settlement  621 

Early  Events .' 634 

Organic 624 

Schools 635 

Religious 625 

Cemeteries 625 


page 

Liberty  Postofflce 625 

Mills 625 

Mounds 625 

Biographical  sketches 625 

CBAPTER  XLIV. 

TOWN  OF  STARK 628 

Early  Settlement 6S8 

EarlyEvents 629 

Oi  ganic ,  .  •  ■  ■  829 

Schools... 629 

Religious  Societies 630 

Cemeteries 631 

Village  of  Star 631 

Biographical 631 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

TOWN  OF  STERLING 644 

Early  Settlement 644 

EarlyEvents 646 

Orfjanic  646 

Educational 646 

Chuiehes 647 

Cemeteries 648 

Postoffices 1 648 

Grand  Forks  Neighborhood 649 

Personal 649 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

TOWN  OFUNION 664 

First  Settlers 664 

Earlv  Events 666 

Organic 666 

Schciols 666 

Religious 667 

Discontinued  Postoffices 667 

Cemeteries 667 

Sketches  of  Prominent  Citizens 687 

CHAPTER  XL VII. 

VILLAGE  AND  TOWN  OF  VIROQUA 675 

Early  Days 675 

Bn.siness  Development 677 

Banks...: 684 

H(uels 684 

Iviucational 686 

V in M)ua  Postofflce         686 

I'ratirnal  Societies 687 

Religious 688 

liiiorporation     . 693 

TiiwN  of  Vikoqua 694 

Earlv  Settlement .'. 694 

Kiligious 694 

Educational 695 

Organic 696 

Biographical  Sketches 698 

CHAPTER  XLVra. 

TOWN  OF  WEBSTER 720 

Eurly  Settlement  729 

Organic 721 

First  Things  721 

Educational 721 

Religious 721 

Postoffices 722 

Mills 723 

Village  OF  Avalanche 723 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 

TOWN  OF  WHEATLAND 734 

Settlement 724 

FirstEvents 725 

Organic  726 

Iteligious  Societies 726 

Schools 726 

Red  Mound  Postofflce 736 

Cemeteries 736 

Village  of  DeSoto 726 

Churches 731 

Societies 733 

Disastrous  Fires 734 

Oldest  Shoemaker  in  America 734 

Village  or  Victory 734 

Personal  Histories 736 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


IX 


CHAPTER  L. 

PAGE 

TOWN  OF  WHITESTOWN 744 

Early  Settlement 744 

Organic 747 

Recurd  of  First  Eventa    747 

Religious 747 

Educational 748 

Postofiiees 748 

Cemeteries 748 

Village  OF  Ontario 748 

Business  Directory  for  1881 748 

ReminiseiMice  1)1' Nathan  Culver 749 

Postoftice 750 

Societies 751 

Mills 751 

Village  OP  RocKTON 751 

Business  Directory  for  1884 751 

Secret  Societies  751 

Fostofflce        753 

Biographical 753 

CHAPTER  LI. 

HONORABLE  MENTION 760 

Gen.  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk 760 

William  F.  Terhune 772 


CHAPTER  LH. 


PAGE 

.     774 


MISCELLANEOUS 

Poptoflices  and  Postmasters  in  Bad   Ax   county,    in 

1856andl859 77* 

Postofiiees  ana  Posimastersin  Vernoncounty  in  1883.  774 

Changes  in  Viroqua 774 

Number  of  dwellings  in  Vernon  county  in  1870 775 

Personal 775 

Married 775 

Mrs.  R.  C.  Bierce - 775 

Henry  Nichols 775 

Hiram  De  Lap 776 

Population  of  Vernon  County  according  to  the  State 

and  Federal  Census 776 

Population  of  Vernon  County  in  1880,    according  to 

sex,  nativity  and  color 776 

Population  of  Vernon  County,  in  1^70.  by  towns 776 

Census  of  Vernon  County,    for  1880.    by  towns  and 

villages 776 


Hon.  Henry  Chase. 
Monument  Rock.. 
James  R .  Savage . . . 


i  i  t 
777 


"The  last  shall  be  first" 777 

APPENDIX 780 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


PAGE 

Abbott,   Prentiss 541 

Atirams,  Belus  Shepherd..  i'61 

Adams,  D.  W 501 

Adams,  Josiah      609 

Adams,  L.  G.  P 594 

Adler,  Casper 7.53 

Aiken,  Lorin  A .    ,561 

Aikins,  JohnW T13 

Alderman,  E.  S 496 

Alexander,  Forest    W 51 

Allen,  Hartwell 659 

Allen,  James  720 

Allen,  John  Wesley 577 

Allen,  Josiah  F 

Allen,  J.  W 354 

Allen,  Martin  P 589 

Allison,  Daniel  P 355 

Amunson,  H .598 

Anderson,  John 549 

Anderson,  John  H 683 

Anderson,  Lewis 618 

Anderson,  Thomas  G 47.3 

Appleman,  Jesse 499 

Appleman,  JohnW 499 

Armbruster,  Ambrose .570 

Arntzen,  Ole 756 

Aumock,  Philip 683 

Austin,    William    .     186 

Babeock,  John  D 74; 

Bacon,   William  640 

Bailey,  James  M 2;58-527 

Bailey,  Robert 544 

Bakken,  Andrew 49.S 

Ballsrud.  Christian  11 488 

Barge,  John 681 

Barrie,  David 610 

Bass,  Elijah 514 

Bates,    Paul 639 

Bay,    Reinhold 479 

Ilea',  Charles 577 

Beavers,  W.  P 265 

Bellows,  Hiram  .- 660 

Benn,  Henr.y 614 

Bennett,  John  M  257 

Bennett,  Van  S 755 

Berggum,  John  0 485 

Bergh,  E.  C 490 

Bergh,  M.  C 485 

Betts,  Charles  G 576 


PAGEl 

Bicktord,  I.  B im, 

Biddison,    Philip .52:il 

Bierce,  Koval  Clifton. .     ..  186: 

Blake,  I.  W 713 

Bolstad,    ArneJ 663 

Bond,    Josephs 626 

Bouffleur,  Philip 594 

Bowman,   William 711 

Brandon,  Hugh 5421 

Bratlie,  Erick  C 4891 

Breidung,  Jobann 7.54 

Brieo,   John 589| 

Briee,  Samuel 589 

Brody ,  Patriuk 495 

Brown,  Charles 582 

Brown,  C.  C 712 

Brown,    T.  B  261 

Brown.   William  P 723 

Brvan.   Adam 6;j;) 

Brye,  Peter  O        5.53 

Buchanan,  R.   H 624 

Burlingame,  A        7.58 

Burus,  Andrew 526 

Bu^h,  George  W 524 

Buswell,    H.    Parker        ..  .5.59 

Butcher,  Robert 667 

Butt,  C.  M 194 

Cade,  John  Wesley 661 

Cade,  Thomas .520 

Calkins,  David 5.55 

Carlyle,   Adam 736 

Carpenter,  Amos 641 

Carpenter,  John 534 

Carr,  C.  M 518 

Carter,  W.N        193 

Cary,  Philip  W 503 

Casson,  Henry  Jr 2.'S 

Cassnn,  John  R 258 

Castle,  B.  J 288 

Chase,  Arvin 736 

Chase,    Hcarv  .5.53 

Chase,  Henry  A 269 

Chesbro,  Lorenzo  P .     671 

Christopherson,  Chris 488 

Church,  J<ihn  W 623 

Clancy,  .lames 614 

Clauey,  .lohn RU 

Clarke,  C.  Edward 717 

Clark,  George  C 742 


PAGE 

Clarke,  George  H 717 

'Clarke,  Robert  P 716 

Clark,  William  P 258 

Clawater,  William 52] 

Clay.son,  J.  W 53; 

Clements,  William     525 

Coe,  Nathan 696 

Coffin,  Peleg 725 

Cole,  John  J 

Collins,  Brightraan 646 

Collins,  John 542 

Cone,  Isaac 651 

Conner,  Henry 684 

Conwav,  William 578 

Cook,  James  A 69 

Cooke.  James  A 253 

Cooper,  Joshua  A 742 

Couper,  James  C 572 

Corey,  AdelbertS 611 

Cory,   Albert 

Cowen,  Jesse 560 

Cox,  Edward 531 

Cox,  ^^'illiam 524 

Crevistou.  James 595 

Crook,  William 615 

Culver,  Elvarus 7.53 

CulvGr,   Nathan 749 

Curry,  H.  A 627 

Curry,  ,lohn  W 255 

Curry,  Samuel  Kussell 601 

Cushman,  James  M 610 

Gushing,  William 738 

Dach,  .lacob 522 

Davis,  Jesse  L 65>^ 

Davis,  John  C 740 

Davis,  Miles  G .59) 

Davis,  Samuel 59! 

Davis,    Samuel , 651 

Dawson,  John 'j02 

Decker,  Moses  676 

De  Frees.  Thomas  J 184 

Do  Jean,  Anson  W KW 

De  Jean,  Thomas 6.34 

De  Lacy,  Patrick 734 

Delaney,  Jesse 515 

Demings,  Jedediah 610 

Dennis,  George 717 

De  Witt,  Thomas  P  

Dickson,  James 500 


PAGE 

Dickson,    John 499 

Dickson,  JohnS  500 

Dixon,  William 668 

Doerr,  Adam 593 

Dolen,    William 502 

Douglass,  Elisha  D 572 

Drake,  Lyman  C 617 

Drake,    Reuben 611 

Dunlap,  Rufus 670 

Dustin,  J.  S 661 

Dyson,   C.  W 604 

Eastman.  John  B 668 

Edson,  yeth 613 

Eifleson,    Even 5.51 

Ellefson,    Christian 525 

Engh,    Engrebret 478 

Engler,  Christian .564 

Rnochson,   Enoch 722 

Estes,  Samuel C09 

Favor,  Daniei  W 705 

Favor,  Jerome 593 

Favor,  Jonathan.. 593 

Ferguson,  B.  F 718 

Field,  Albert.. 573 

Field,  Walter  S 193 

Finstad,    Lars 563 

Flanagan,    Thomas 614 

Flick,  Johu 581 

Forbes,    Stewart 563 

i''opper,  John  533 

Foreman,  James 612 

Forsyth,  Henry  Clay 194 

Fortiiey,  c    C 517 

Fortney,  Daniel  T 611 

Foi'tnev,  John 521 

Fortne.y,  Ole 613 

Fosdick,    William 738 

Foster,  James 696 

Fourt,  Charles  S 661 

Fransen,  Christian 757 

Frazier,  William 591 

French,  Noah  E 740 

713 

....  174 
....  253 
....  702 
....  662 
....  613 


Gaines,  Levi  R... 

Gale,  George 

Gardner,  John... 
Garrett,  Jesse.. .. 

Gauper,  Ole  

Geddes,  William. 


TABLE. OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE  PAGE 

Getler,   Ferclinund 525  IngersoU,  C.  L 288 

Getter,  William 658' Jacksnn,  G.  F o'.IT 

Gi'>l>s,   Simeon 657|Jack80u,   VV.  H 5«9 

Gillftt,  Uutiis 258  Jiieobson,  Rev.  O iS] 


Gilinnn.  James  B 

Ghissbdi-n,  .Alfred 

Glenn,  I^aiHli - . 

Glenn,  Jason 

Goclienour,  Harrison  . 

Goode,  William 

Goodell,  E.  S 

Goodell,  Merebant 

Gott.  William  A 

Graham,   (.'aiwon  

Grabam,   Lanieb  ..... 

Graham.  John .. 

Giaves,  Charles  W  .... 
Gray,  Samuel  ... 

Green,  Amos  W  

Greenninn.  J.  W. 

GrilHn,  G.  W 

G  roves,  I .  M 

Groves,  J.  W 

Groves,  William  C 

Giii.-t.  John 

Giillord,  Ole  Peterson. 
Guseelti,  Ferdinand 

Haflich,  Henry 

Hase.  Enjfebret  P 

Hall,  Ralph Ill 


I  Jaf?er,  Ernest  C. 

1  James,  Thomas —     .    .. 

Jenness,    John  S — 

Jerman,  Thomas 

I  Johnson,   Albert  

26)  Johnson,  Andrew 

7U6l  Jobnson,  Andrew  J'. 

.  706  Johnson,  Christopher  N. 


660 

588 
731 
701! 
718 


2eit 
100 

588 
580 
111.-. 

6:i(i 


McGrath,  Timothy 

McGrath.  Timothy  W.. 

McKie,  N 

McKitrick,  A,  James  .. 

-iss:  iMcKitriok,  Samuel 

'f':)2[  iMcLces,  .lohuM 

.1(111  MeMichael,  Robert  S.. 

7(i:>!  .Me.Miilutel.  Samuel 

b:,-:\  .MeMichael,  William  C 

4yu  .MeSbarey.  James 

52;;|McVey,   Eli 

651  Medary,  T.C.. 


Johnson,  David... 

Johnson,   Jacob 

Johnson,    Ole 

Johnson,    Robert 

Johnston,  William.. 
Joseph,  H.  C. 


.  57t 

.  507 

.  254 

,  65; 

.  558 

.  265 

.  265 

.  SiT 

.  670 


Hamilton,  George  W  07 

Hamilton,  J.   1 270 

Hamiliou,  N.  W 5:;7 

Hamilton,    Seth 590 

Hanuuer,  Otto,   Sr 570 

Hammer,  Otto  F 540 

Hammond,  John  J 716 


111  Joseph,  Lemuel 

2."i4:  Jordan,    .Moses 

255  Jordan,  T.  S 

5941 

I'D!  Kauffmau,   Abraham 545 

B-^!  Kejiley,    Elias 538 

657:  Kelland.  O.  0.,Jr «9'.l 

SpIiKerr,  Hugh 669 

S32|  i,^i],.,  James 515 

Kimball,  Moses .504 

Knapp,  Heni-y 501 

Knower,  W.  H 266-.52S 

Kuehn,  Albert  F 53U 


573 
..  560 


Hanson,  Andrew. 
Hanson,    H. 


486 
191 
666 
596 

51  a 


5!l-. 

506 

Hanson,  Hans 49^ 

Hanson,    Hans 

Haiis(m,  Lars 

Harris,  0.  N 

Hai-ris,  Edward 

Harris,  J.  E 

Harris.  Uiehard  J 

Harris.  William 

Hartshorn,  George  W 
Hnughton,  William,.. 

Ha.s'.   Petei- 

Hayden,  Ah'in  M 

Haves,    John     

Hial,  Stephen  G 

Hoaly,  Patriek 

Heinrieh,   Heinrich... 

Hektoen,  P.  P 

Henderson,  John  .... 

HeLiry,  Marvin 

Henry,  Osear  S 

Heniionson,    Hermon 490 

Herrick,  (idbert 60a 

Herron,  William  A .590 

Hewe\',  .Tames   H 1!&2 

Hicok,   HiramA 70S 

Hiikok.  Thomas  J .546 

Higgins,  Jacob 520 

Hill,  Vilentia  B .50S 


261! 
698 
657 
59! 
738 
564 
7.56 


.524 


Laey,  George 573 

Lake,  John  K 61," 

Lamb,  Anthony 74' 

Lamb,   Ransom .517 

Landrum,  Charles 564 

Larkie,   August 56 

Larson,  Hans  723 

Larson,  Hans  K 48; 

Larson,   Helge 615 

Lathrop,   John 514 

Lathrop,  Napoleon  B 515 

Latshaw,  Ale.vander 741 

.  617 
.  617 
.  725 
.  63; 
,.  704 
.  190 
.  257 
.  546 
.  5:6 
.  507 
.  2.55 


Mellen,  Peter  J 

Mellen,  S,  A 

Miehelet,  John 

Miliard.  Henry 

Millard,  O.  H 

Miller,   H.  P 

.Miller,  Reuben 

Milligao,  Robert 

Millison,  J/Cvi... 

Miner,  P.  D 

.Minor,  John  H 

Minor,  Thomas 

Minor,  Watson  W 

Mitchell,   Erastus 

Mockett,  Robert  S 

Mohs,  Augustus 

Mollinger,  John 

Moiiti,  Mathev.' 

Moody,   Hiram 

Moody,  Nathan  E 

Moore,  James 

Morgan,  George  W 

Morgan,  Henry  H 

Morley,  Calviu        

.Morley,  Calvin  E 

Morris,  0.  H 

Morrison,  Nathaniel... 

Morse,  William  A 

.Morterud,  Christian  A. 

MuUin,  David  G 

Mutch,  James 


PAGE 

. ..  630 

. .,  636 

. .  .  715 

...  671 

.  .  257 

..  558 

.  ..  68' 

...  265 

. . .  256 

...  603 

...  6:3: 

...  288 

...  653 
...271 

...  486 

...  043 

...  753 


Latta  George. 

Lattu,  Josiah 

Lawrence,   Thomas . . 
,16  Lawton,  Chaiincey  W 

405  Layue,  James  H 

Lay  lie,   ."Newton    May 

Layne,  P.  J 

Lee,  Henry  h 

Lee,  Lars  Hanson 

Lier,    Simon  P 

Lincoln,  S.  C 

LinJ,  Edward 

14'  Lind,  Henry 

523  Lindeman,  W.  F 706 

700  Lisso,  Joseph •4'i8 

liongley,  John 2.53 

Lowrie,  Alexander 262 

Lowrie,  James 254 

Lowrie,  J.  P , 595 

Lowrie,  William  595 

Lowrie,  W.  W    261 

Ludwig,  Carl 574 

Lyitlc,  0 742 

Maddin,  Patrick.. 


.,  .545 

..  665 

.  643 

..  657 

..  662 

..  662 

..  663 

..  574 

..  640 

..  576 

..  .570 

..  534 

..  70- 

..  T08 

..  639 

.  71.T 

..  739 

..  704 

..  26;: 

..  .57'.l 

..  712 

.,  592 

..  502 

..  ,550 

..  573 


Peterson,  N.  Christian 

Peaslee,    Isaac 

Peek,  P.  Melvin 

Pelton,  EzraO 

Phillips,  W.  F 

Pierce,   Lorenzo  A 
Pickerael,    EliehaW... 

Pinch,  Francis  f 

Pitcher,    Charles  W 

Poir,  O.  M        

Poll',  J.M 

Pollard,  S.  R...... 

Poorraan,  Isaac  D 

Poorman,  Jacob  N 

Porter,  Henry  G 

Potts,   Jonathan 

Potter,  E 

Powell,   Elijah 

Prentice,   George 

I'reus,  H.  N 

Priest,    1).  B 

Proctor,  Alfred 

Proctor,    H.  P 

Pugh,  William 

Pulham,    vNilliam 

Puis,    Christian 

Pulver,  Wendell  H 

Purdy,    William  S 


Naperuu,  Torger  Nelson 

Naprud,   Ellas  H 

Nelson,  Einer 

Nelson,  Hans 

Nepervid,  John  A 

Nesting,  OlcEvenson... . 

Newman,  Alfred  W 

Newman,  D.  B  

Newell,  J.uncs  Evans — 

Newton,  .Vndrt.'W 

New\'ille,   ..Vbraui 

Niciiols,  Henry 

546-576]  Nichols,  Marshall  C 

Nixon,  A  .  M 

Ni.xon,  Irvin  C  

Nixon,  R.  S 

Norris,  John 

Nuziuii.  George  W 
Nuzum,  Isaac  F 


48' 
69' 
.54:1 


Hinkst.  Michael 519 

H."l-i-,  William  A 74o!  Mahr,  Havid.. 

Hollingstad,    Charles...   .    491)  .Mallow,  At'olphus  P. 

Hopkins,  Albert  H 610 

Hopkins,  Henry  B 616 

Hornby,  James 703 

Hornby,  Robert 521 


Horton,  D.  W. 

Hosmer,  Addison  A 

Houghton,  E.   B 

Houghton,  Edmund... 

Hoverson,  Knudt 

Hoverson.  S        

Hoy t,  Joseph  W . . 

Hunt,   Cyrus 

Hurd,   .John 

Hurd,  J.  Alanson  

Hutchison,  B.  C 

Hutchison,    William.   . 


576 
542 
550 

Manhju't,  Joseph 563 

Markle,  J    C 5.54 

Marshall,  J.J 514 

Mastersou,  John 491 

Maxwell,  James ,590 

May,  Alonzo  F... .598 

May,  Kcuben .598 

May,  William  J  ,598 

.524  McAuley,  H.  W 185-7;i5 

589  .McAulev.  R.  M 7:i6 

,5.52,  .MeCaitey,  J ,  J 618 

66"j    MeClurg,  John 

6H9  .M.riurg.  J.    liooth... 
64;!  .Melliiruull,  William  T 

016  McCollough,  John 

617  McGrath,  .John   


5,59 
730 
■271 
731 


70' 
659 
70' 
.516 
636 


48' 
506 
.50' 

18; 
271 
19; 
.560 
.526 
67.S 
701 
594 
610 
.594 
49;i 
732 
T.Si 


Oakes,  E.  L 

Oliicer,  E.  C 

Older,  A.    H. 
Olson,  Christian  C. 
Olson,    Fiederick.. 

Olson,  Hans 

Olson,   I\nudt 

Olson,    Tjars 

Orrison,  Hiram  — 
Osborn,  Mari.iu... 

Ott,  Charles 

Ott,  John 

Otteson,  Solf-st.... 
OuUand,  William.. 
Owen,  Pearly  J 

Parker,  Josei  '.1  O 

Parker,    Robert 

Parr,  John 

Parseh,  Frank  ... . 
Patterson,  Rol:)ert. 

Paiilsen,   .Soren 

Peterson,  Knudt . . . 


P.^QE 
...  526 
. ..  651 
...  663 
...  642 
...  757 
...  184 
. . .  267 
...  579 
...  267 
...  -272 

..  .504 
...  262 
...  670 
..  671 
...  7.^5 
...  499 
...  6:i5 
...  .528 
. ..  753 
. . .  255 
191-281 
...  741 
...  195 
...  605 
...  .5:32 
, ...  6.58 
...  698 
1,89-698 


,531 
.591 
186 
65) 
01 5 1 
486 
651 

497 

,5-32 
631 
6.59 


665 
50:i 

6.35 
642 
.50) 
478 
555 
489 
526 


Rabbitt,  Lemuels 636 

Radcliff ,  Re V,  L.  L 263 

Read,  Daniel 600 

Heed,  Ellis 596 

Keitcr,  Charles 739 

Rentz,  Michael 599 

Revels,  John  513 

libinehart,  Horace  A 545 

Richards,  J.  B 270 

Riley,  Aaron 704 

Riley,  William  S 533 

Roberts,  lienjamiu 510 

Robinson,  H.  A        267 

Rogers,  Uenjarain 6)8 

Rogers,  C.  E 261 

Rogers,  EarlM'. 713 

Rodgers,  J.  C 514 

Rogers,  James  H 737 

Rudie,  NelsJ  699 

Rundlett,  J.  K 270 

Rusk,  Allen 621 

Rusk,  James 268 

[tusk,  Jeremiah  M 760 

Sabin,  David 671 

Sacket,  N.  A 595 

Salt.s,  Milam 576 

Salts,  William   F .574 

Sandou,  Elbert  W 756 

Sandou,  Robert 754 

Sandon,   William 7.52 

Sangstad,  Even  '.I' 487 

Sa.xton,  A.  B  589 

Saxton,  Norris  W 589 

Seal,  .John  H .534 

Socly,  Dempster 639 

Schnell,  Fred .578 

Schneider,  Philip 609 

Schojnberger,   John 6.59 

Scliooley,  J,   H 26.8 

Schreiner,  J.  K 718 

Shattuek,  George  W 641 

S'naw,  JoelT 7:37 

Shaw,  John :..  514 

Shaw,   L.  N -599 

Shear,  Isaac 57o 

Shear,    Peter 577 

Shear,  Thomas  J 576 

Sheets,  John .596 

Sheets,  William  V -596 

Shisler,  Elias 531 

Shreve,  Caleb 540 

Shreve,  Hezekinh 513 

Shreve,  James  H 543 

Shreve,  John  S .541 

Shreve,  William  543 

Sbreve,  William  Smith .541 

Sidvie,    Thomas 653 


XIl 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Page 

Silbaug'h,    Edward 70:.' 

Silbaugli,  Jacob 70.5 

Sims,  .Samuel 477 

Slack.  Nathan  J 5S1 

Small,  John,  Sr 631! 

Small,  John,  Jr G'SG 

Smith,  Ananias 69!l 

Smith,  Charles  E 61ti 

Smith,  D.  T 6.->7 

Smith,  James  C  filii 

Smith,  Samuel 6i(i 

Smith,  William     5S1 

Smith,  William 523 

Smith,  Zachariah 613 

Soloi,  Ole  E .52.1 

Somerby,  J .   A 28- 

Southwick,    Milton T>ia 

Spellum,  John  C 700 

SpODCer,  John 723 

Sperry,  G.  S 27 

Spurrier,    Green 2U.5 

Staley,  John 544 

Stark,  Ethan  A 718 

Starner,  Jonathan fii:" 

Steadman,  M.  W 744 

Stecnson,  Steou 757 

Steinmetz,  Philip  F 6' 

Stelting-,  Dederiek 510 

Stelting:,  .Frederick 513 

Stelting-,  William  C ..  51:! 

Stephenson,  Stephen 701 

Sterling,   Harvey 040 

Sterling,  Le  Grant.  .  6.50 

Sterling,  Lewis 261 

Stevens,  Ira 735 


PAGE 

Stevenson,    James 52s 

Stevens<jn,  John 559 

Stevenson,  William 533, 

Stoddard,  V.  A 758 

Storer,  Hobert .  626,' 

Stout,  Stanley 623 

Strang,  Edmund 3;<3 

Strawn.  David 714 

Slruthcrs,  William 555 

SiKldnth,  John  H        268 

Suttle,   II.  J 370 

Swaiu,  George  A 268-51!) 

Swain,  George  W .553 

Swan,  L.  P .506 

Tainter,  Anson .516 

Tate,  John 62;' 

Tate,  J.Henry 71:' 

Tate,  Robert 035 

Terieriek,  William  H 

Tenney,  Jeremiah  T.   .     ..  TAU 

Tcrhune,  William  F 

Tewalt.  Solomon  W 6.511 

Thompson.  Andrew  T 0.52 

Thompson,  Ellis  P .5!i: 

Thompson,  Lewis 6.5s 

Thompson,  Luther b'.li> 

Thompson,  Sever 613 

Thompson,  Thomas 700 

Thoreson,  Torger.   560 

Thorp,  I.  P 265 

Tilton,  Elijah 714 

Tilton,  Simeon  H 714 

Timerman,  Hiram 7.55 

Tinker,  Elisha  W 208 


PAGE 

Tinker,  Jerome  S 705 

Tollefson,  O 718 

Tollefson,  Louis 195 

Torgar,  Ole  T 52; 

Towner,  Frank  JI 715 

Tripp,  Dier  N 57;! 

Trott.   Benjamin 730 

Turner,  H.  L 621 

Turner,  William 623 

Upham,  Charles  H 74: 

Vance,   Alexander 650 

VanWagner,  Feli.x  K .523 

Vumback,  John  H 626 

Wakeflcld ,  Adelbert 654 

Waketield,  Leonard 6.54 

Wakeman,  Gaylord  S 503 

Wakenian,  William  503 

Walker ,  Perry 755 

Walker,  Samuel 754 

Wallar,  Frank   A 262 

Walloe,  J.  L 270 

Ward,  Cincinnatus 624 

Watterman,  Carlos  F,  .   ..  i 

Waters,  Clark 593 

Waters,   Isaac , 581 

Waters,  W.   S .593 

Watson,  Samuel 541 

Weaver,  Alfred 515 

Weber,    Henry 6.54 

Weber.  Nicholas 6.53 

Webster,  William 272 

Weeden.  Henry  G  268 

Welch,  Michael 708 


PAGE 

Wells,  John  H  515 

Westby,  Ole  T 489 

Westrum,  Arnt 663 

White,  French  B 652 

White,  Giles 753 

White,  John  W 737 

White,  W.  S ..  255 

Whitworth,  John 705 

Widmcr,  Arnold   758 

Wigdahl,  Peter 627 

Wilkinson,  Mons  S 627 

Willey,  Frolard 664 

Williams,  Hcnjamin  .  526 

Wiliams,  Clarke  D 711 

Williams,  Howard  D 711 

Williams,  Israel 708 

Williams,  Hoger 578 

Williamson,  George 590 

Wilson,  De  Witt  Clinton...  290 

Winslow,  Aaron 3/0 

Winslow,  L.  li,  T .575 

Winsor,  Ora 758 

Wise  George  W 623 

Wisel,  Grin 2.58 

Wolfe,    G.  W 287 

Wood,  C.  L 596 

Wood ,  .Tonatban 596 

Wood,   L    J 596 

Wright,  J.   N 263 

Wyman,  O.  It 193 

Yakcy,  D.  C 500 

Zabolie,  Albert     51^ 

Zink,  John 478 


PORTRAITS 


PAGE 

Bennett,  Van  S -.- 331 

Blake,  I.  W 709 

Boufflour,  Philip 295 


Conner,   Menry... 
EUefson,   Chris.. 


691 
313 


Frazier,   William     -   . 
Frazicr,   Mrs.  I'lunia 


McLees,  John  >t. . 
McMiebael,  K.  S, 


PAGE 

...  .584  Millard,  O.  H 

. ..  5.8.5: Morterud,  Christian  A. . 


PAGE  PAGE 

..  746  Sandon,  Kohert 205 

..  493Sterling,   Le  Grant 6.56 

Sterling,  Laura  A 057 

Graham,  Carson 220 1 Nichols,  Marshall  C 1.51 

Ni.von,  Irvln  C 277iTcrhune,  William  F 133 

.547!  iTollefson,  Louis 187 

359] Proctor,  H.   P 169,Tripp,  Dier  N 505 


General  Committee  Vernon  County. 


We  the  uadersigueil  members  of  the  committee  appointed  to  revise  and  correct  the  general  chapters  of  the  History  of 
Vernon  County,  certify  that  we  have  examined  the  same  and  have  made  all  the  corrections  and  additions  that 
we,  in  our  judgment  and  to  the  best  of  our  recollection,  deem  necessary,  and  as  corrected  we  approve  and  are  satisfied  with 
the  same.  Viroqua,  Nov.  16,  1883.  [Signed.]  P.  P.  Hektoen,     1 

H.  Nelson.  I    Com- 

D.  W.  C.  Wilson,  (   mittee. 
Wm.  F.  Terhune.  J 


Town  Committees. 


We,  the  underBigrned  committee,  appointed  by  the  old  settlers,  for  the  purpose  of  correcting-  the  history  of  our  respec- 
tive towns  for  the  History  of  Vernon  County,  hereby  certify  that  the  manuscript  has  been  submitted  to  us  and  that  we 
have  made  such  additions  and  corrections  as  we,  in  our  judgment,  deem  necessary,  and  that  as  corrected,  we  to  the  best  of 
our  reooUectlon,  consider  it  a  true  hi  story  and  approve  of  the  same : 

Committe  uames  with  townships  alphabetically  arranged: 


E.(\  Dudley, 

Alfred  Glassborn, 

William  Patterson, 

Lameh  Graham, 

—Bergen  Town. 

—Jefferson  Town. 

J.  B.  NeweU, 

Matthew  Monti, 

Wm.  F.  Terhune, 

Ole  Niarison, 

William  L.  Kiley, 

Philip  Schneider, 

R.  S.  McMiohael, 

Peter  M.  Johnson, 

—Oenoa  Town. 

Thomas   Flanagan. 

—Viroqua  Town. 

— Voon  Town. 

—Kidaqioo  Town, 

P.  Abbott, 

Isaiah  Glenn, 

Chris.  Morterud, 

James  H.  Shreve, 

H.  L.  Turner, 

Wm.  P.  Brown, 

—Clinton  Town. 

— Greenwood  Town. 

Allen  Rusk, 

Oliver  Brian, 

—Liberty  Toiim, 

—Webster  Toum, 

C.  H.  Ballsrud, 

Gcorg-e  Swain, 

John  Mitchelet, 

Ole  Johnson, 

Le  Grant  Sterling, 

A.  Carlyle, 

— Christiana  Town. 

—Eamhurd  Town. 

A.  Vance, 

Alex.  Latshaw, 

— St&rling  Town. 

John  W.  White, 

Nathan  Sherman, 

Hartwell  Allen, 

D.  A.  Steele. 

Mrs.  Emma  Sherman, 

David  Calkins, 

Ell  McVey, 

—  Wheatland  Town. 

—Forest  Town. 

— Harmony  Tov:n. 

Dempster  Seeley, 

—Stark  Town. 

0.  White, 

Thomjis  Cade, 

D.N.  Tripp, 

George  H.  Eastman, 

Wm.  Sandon, 

Michael  Hinkst, 

Albert  Field, 

Robert  Butcher, 

0.  H.Millard, 

—Franklin  Town. 

—HUlaboronoh  Totvn. 

—Union  Town. 

—Whitestoim  Toum. 

HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


CHAPTER     I 


PRE-HISTORIC  AND  SETTLEMENT. 


AT  a  remote  period  there  lived  in  this  coun- 
try a  people  now  designated  mound  build- 
ers. Of  their  origin  nothing  is  known.  Their 
history  is  lost  in  the  lapse  of  ages.  The  evi- 
dences, however,  of  their  existence  in  Wiscon- 
sin and  surrounding  States  are  numerous. 
Many  of  their  earth  works — the  so-called 
mounds — are  still  to  be  seen.  These  are  of 
various  forms.  Some  are  regularly  arranged, 
forming  squares,  octagons  and  circ'es;  others  are 
like  walls  or  ramparts;  while  many,  especially 
in  Wisconsin,  are  imitative  in  figure,  having 
the  shape  of  implements  or  animals,  resembling 
war  clubs,  tobacco  pipes,  beasts,  reptiles,  fish 
and  even  man.  A  few  are  in  the  similitude  of 
trees. 

In  selecting  sites  for  many  of  their  earth 
works,  the  mound-builders  appear  to  have  been 
influenced  by  motives  which  prompt  civilized 
ilien  to  choose  localities  for  their  great  marts; 
hence,  Milwaukee  and  other  cities  of  the 
west  are  founded  on  ruins  of  pre-existing  struc- 
tures.    River  terraces  and  river  bottoms  seem 


to  have  been  favorite  places  for  these  mounds. 
Their  works  are  seen  in  the  basin  of  the  Fox 
river,  of  the  Illinois,  and  of  Rock  river  and  its 
branches,  also  in  the  valley  of  the  Fox  river  of 
Green  bay,  in  that  of  the  Wisconsin,  as  well  as 
near  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  As  to  the 
object  of  these  eartk  works,  all  knowledge  rests 
upon  conjecture  alone.  It  is  generally  believed 
that  some  were  used  for  purposes  of  defense, 
others  for  the  observance  of  religious  rites  and 
as  burial  places. 

In  some  parts  of  Wisconsin  are  seen  earth 
works  of  a  different  character  from  those  usu- 
ally denominated  "mounds."  These,  from  their 
supposed  use,  are  styled  "garden  beds."  They 
are  ridges  or  beds  about  six  inches  in  height, 
and  four  feet  in  width.  They  are  arranged 
methodically  and  in  parallel  rows.  Some  are 
rectangular  in  shape;  others  are  in  regul.ar 
curves.  These  beds  occupy  fields  of  various 
sizes,  from  ten  to  a  hundred  acres. 

The  mound  builders  have  left  other  evidences 
besides  mounds  and  garden  beds,  to  attest  their 


18 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


presence  in  this  country,  in  ages  past.  In  the 
Lake  Superior  region  exist  ancient  copper 
mines,  excavations  in  the  solid  rock.  In  these 
mines  have  been  found  stone  hammers,  wooden 
bowls  and  shovels,  props  and  levers  for  raising 
and  supporting  mass  copper,  and  ladders  for 
descending  into  the  pits  and  ascending  from 
them. 

There  are,  also,  scattered  widely  over  the 
country,  numerous  relics,  evidently  the  handi- 
work of  these  pre-historic  people;  such  as  stone 
axes,  stone  and  copper  spear-heads  and  arrow 
heads,  and  various  other  implements  and  uten- 
sils. As  these  articles  are  frequently  discov- 
ered many  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
it  argues  a  high  antiquity  for  the  artificers. 
These  relics  indicate  that  the  mound  builders 
were  superior  in  intelligence  to  the  Indians. 
None  of  their  implements  or  utensils,  however, 
point  to  a  "copper  age"  as  having  succeeded  a 
"stone  age."  They  all  refer  alike  to  one  age, 
the  indefinite  past;  to  one  people,  the  mound 
builders. 

There  is  nothing  to  connect  "the  dark  back- 
ward and  abysm"  of  mound-building  times  with 
those  of  the  red  race  of  Wisconsin.  And  all 
that  is  known  of  the  savages  inhabiting  this 
section  previous  to  its  discovery,  is  exceedingly 
dim  and  shadowy.  Upon  the  extended  area 
bounded  by  Lake  Superior  on  the  north,  Lake 
Michigan  on  the  east,  wide-spreading  prairies 
on  the  south,  and  the  Mississippi  river  on  the 
west,  there  met  and  mingled  two  distinct  In- 
dian families,  Algonquins  and  Dakotas.  C<mi- 
cerning  the  various  tribes  of  these  families, 
nothing  of  importance  could  be  gleaned  by  the 
earliest  explorers;  at  least,  very  little  has  been 
preserved.  Tradition,  it  is  true,  pointed  to  the 
Algonquins  as  having,  at  some  remote  period, 
migrated  from  the  east,  and  this  has  been  con- 
firmed by  a  study  of  their  language.  It  indi- 
cated, also,  that  the  Dakotas,  at  a  time  far  be- 
yond the  memory  of  the  most  aged,  came  from 
the  west  or  southwest,  fighting  their  way  as 
ihey  came;  that  one  of  their  tribes  once  dwelt 


upon  the  shores  of  a  sea;  but  when  and  for 
what  purpose  they  left  their  home  for  the 
country  of  the  great  lakes  there  was  no  evi- 
dence. This  was  all.  In  reality,  therefore, 
Wisconsin  has  no  veritable  history  ante-dating 
its  discovery  by  civilized  man.  The  country 
has  been  heard  of,  but  only  through  vague  re- 
ports of  savages.*  There  were  no  accounts  at 
all,  besides  these,  of  the  extensive  region  of 
the  upper  lakes;  while  of  the  valley  of  the 
upper  Mississippi,  nothing  whatever  was  known. 

FIRST    EXPLORATION    OP   THE    NORTHWEST. 

The  history  of  \\  isconsin  commences  with 
the  recital  of  the  indomitable  perseverance  and 
heroic  hravery  displayed  by  its  first  visitant, 
John  Nicolet.  An  investigation  of  the  career 
of  this  Frenchman  shows  him,  at  an  early  age, 
leaving  his  home  in  Normandy  for  the  new 
world,  landing  at  Quebec  in  1618,  and  at  once 
seeking  a  residence  among  the  Algonquins  of 
the  Ottawa  river,  in  Canada,  sent  thither  by 
the  governor  to  learn  their  language.  In  the 
midst  of  many  hardships,  and  surrounded  by 
perils,  he  applied  himself  with  great  zeal  to 
his  task.  Having  become  familiar  with  the 
Algonquin  tongue,  he  was  admitted  into  the 
councils  of  the  savages. 

The  return  of  Nicolet  to  civilization,  after  a 
number  of  years  immured  in  the  dark  forests  of 
Canada,  an  excellent  interpreter,  qualified  him 
to  act  as  government  agent  among  the  wild 
western  tribes  in  promoting  peace,  to  the  end 
that  all  who  had  been  visited  by  the  fur-trader 
might  remain  firm  allies  of  the  French.  Nay, 
further:  it  resulted  in  his  being  dispatched  to 
Nations  far  beyond  the  Ottawa,  known  only  by 
heresay,  with  whom  it  was  believed  might  be 
opened  a  protita'  le  trade  in  furs.  So  he  started 
on  his  perilous  voyage.  He  visited  the  Hurons, 
upon  the  Georgian  bay.  With  seven  of  that 
Nation,  he  struck  boldly  into  wilds  to  the  north- 
ward and  westward  never  before  visited  by  civ- 
ilized man.     He  paddled  his  birch  canoe    along 

•Compare  UhampUiin'8  Voyages.  1632,  and  his  map  of  that 
date;  Sagard's,  Histoire  du  Canada:  Le  Jeune  Relation,  1833. 


HISTOEY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


19 


the  eastern  coast  of  Lake  Huron  and  up  the  St. 
Mary's  Strait  to  the  fall.s.  He  floated  back  to 
the  Straits  of  Mackinaw,  and  courageously 
turned  liis  face  toward  the  west.  At  the  Sault  de 
Ste.  Marie,  he  had — the  first  of  white  men — set 
foot  upon  the  soil  of  the  northwest. 

Nicolet  coasted  along  the  northern  shore  of 
Lake  Micliigan,  ascended  Green  Bay,  andfinally 
entered  the  mouth  of  Fox  river.  It  was  not 
until  he  and  his  swarthy  Hurons  had  urged  their 
frail  canoes  six  days  up  that  stream,  that  his 
western  exploration  was  ended.  He  had,  mean- 
while, on  his  way  hither,  visited  a  number  of 
tribes;  some  that  had  never  before  been  heard 
of  by  the  French  upon  the  St.  Lawrence. 
With  them  all  he  smoked  tlie  pipe  of  peace; 
with  the  ancestors  of  the  present  Cbippewas, 
at  the  Sault;  with  the  Menomonees,the  Wiuneba- 
goes,  the  Mascoutins,  in  what  is  now  the  State 
of  Wisconsin;  with  (he  Ottawas,  upon  the  Man^ 
itoulin  Islands, and  theNez  Perces,upon  the  east 
coast  of  Lake  Huron.  He  made  his  outward 
voyage  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1634,  and  re- 
turned the  next  year  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  He 
did  not  reach  the  Wisconsin  river,  but  heard 
of  a  "great  water"  to  the  westward,  which  he 
mistook  for  the  sea.  It  was,  in  fact,  that  stream, 
and  the  Mississippi,  into  which  it  pours  its 
flood. 

"History  cannot  refrain  from  saluting  Nicolet 
as  a  distinguished  traveler,  who,  by  his  explora- 
tions in  the  northwest,  has  given  clear  proofs 
of  his  energetic  character,  and  whose  merits 
have  not  been  disj)uted,  although,  subsequently, 
they  were  temporarily  forgotten."  The  first 
fruits  of  his  daring  were  gathered  by  the  Jesuit 
fathers,  eve-  oefore  his  death;  for,  in  the  autumn 
of  1641,  those  of  them  who  were  among  the 
Hurons  at  the  head  of  the  Georgian  bay  of 
Lake  Huron,  received  a  deputation  of  Indians 
occupying  the  "country  around  a  rapid  [now 
known  as  the  'Sault  de  Sle.  Marie'],  in  the  midst 
of  the  channel  by  wiiicli  Lake  Superior  empties 
into  Lake  Huron,"  inviting  them  to  visit  their 
tribe.     These  "missionaries  were  not  displeased 


with  the  opportunity  thus  presented  of  knowing 
the  countries  lying  beyond  Lake  Huron,  which 
no  one  of  them  had  yet  traveled;"  so  Isaac 
Jogues  and  Charles  Raymbault  were  detached 
to  accompany  the  Chippewa  deputies,  and  view 
the  field  simply,  not  to  establish  a  mission. 
They  passed  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Huron, 
northward,  and  pushed  as  far  up  St.  Mary's 
strait  as  the  Sault,  which  they  reached  after 
seventeen  days'  sail  from  their  place  of  starling. 
There  they — the  first  white  men  to  visit  the 
northwest  after  Nicolet — harrangued  2,000 
Chippewas  and  other  Algonquins.  Upon  their 
return  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  Jogues  was  captured 
by  the  Iroquois,  and  Raymbault  died  on  the 
22d  of  October,  1642, — a  few  days  before  the 
death  of  Nicolet.* 

WISCONSIN  YISITED  BY  FOR  TBADEES    AND    JESUIT 

MISSIONARIES. 

Very  faint,  indeed,  are  the  gleams  which 
break  in  upon  the  darkness  surrounding  our 
knowledge  of  events  immediately  following  the 
visit  of  Nicolet,  in  what  is  now  the  State  of 
Wisconsin.  That  the  Winnebagoes,  soon  after 
his  return,  made  war  upon  the  Nez  Perces,  kill- 
ing two  of  their  men,  of  whom  they  made  a 
feast,  we  are  assured.*  We  also  know  that  in 
1640,  these  same  Winnebagoes  were  nearly  all 
destroyed  by  the  Illinois  ;  and  that  the  next 
year,  the  Pottawattamies  took  refuge  from  their 
homes  upon  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of  Gieen 
bay,  with  the  Chippewas. f  This  is  all.  And 
had  it  not  been  for  the  greed  of  the  fur  trader 
and  the  zeal  of  the  Jesuit,  little  more, 
for  many  years,  probably,  would  have  been 
learned  of  the  northwest.  However,  a  ques- 
tioning missionary,  took  from  the  lips  of  an 
Indian  captainj  "an  account  of  his  having,  in 
the  mouth  of  June,  1658,  set  out  from  Green 
Bay  for  the  north,  passing  the  rest  of  the  sum- 
mer and  the  following   winter  near  Lake  Supe- 

*  History  of  the  di.-covery  of  the  northwest  by  John  Nico- 
let in  1631,  with  a  sketch  of  his  life,  by  C,  W.  Butterfleld, 
Cincinnati.    RobertClarke  &Co.,  1881. 

♦  LeJeune,  Relation,  ia36. 
tCol.  Hist.  New  York  ix,  161. 

i  Not  '  'captive,"  as  some  local  histories  have  It. 


20 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


rior  ;  so  called  in  consequence  of  being  above 
that  of  Lake  Huron.  This  Indian  informed  the 
Jesuit  of  the  havoc  and  desolation  of  the  Iro- 
quois war  in  the  west ;  how  it  had  reduced  the 
Algonquin  Nations  about  Lake  Superior  and 
Ureen  bay.  The  same  missionary  saw  at  Que- 
bec, two  Frenchmen  who  had  just  arrived 
from  the  upper  countries  with  300  Algon- 
quins  in  sixty  canoes,  laden  with  peltries.  These 
fur  traders  had  passed  the  winter  of  1659  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Superior,  during  which  time  they 
made  several  trips  among  the  surrounding 
tribes.  In  their  wanderings  they  probably  vis- 
ited some  of  the  northern  parts  of  what  is 
now  Wisconsin.  They  saw  at  six  days'  jour- 
ney beyond  the  lake  toward  the  southwest, 
a  tribe  composed  of  the  remainder  of  the  Hurons 
of  the  Tobacco  Nation,  compelled  by  ihe 
Iroquois  to  abandon  Mackinaw  and  to  bury 
themselves  thus  deep  in  the  forests,  that  they 
could  not  be  found  by  their  enemies.  The  two 
traders  told  the  tales  they  had  heard  of  the 
ferocious  Sioux,  and  of  a  great  river  upon  which 
they  dwelt — the  great  water  of  Nicolet.  Thus 
a  knowledge  of  the  Mississippi  began  to  dawn 
again  upon  the  civilized  world."* 

The  narratives  of  the  Indian  captain  and  the 
two  Frenchmen  induced  further  exploration  two 
years  later  when  Father  Rene  Menard  attempted 
to  found  a  mission  on  Lake  Superior,  with  eight 
Frenchmen  and  some  Ottawas.  He  made  his 
way  in  16G0  to  what  is  now  Keweenaw,  Mich. 
He  determined  while  there  to  visit  some  Hu- 
rons on  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of  Green  bay. 
He  sent  three  of  his  companions  to  explore  the 
way.  They  reached  those  islands  by  way  of 
the  Menominee  river,  returning  to  Keweenaw 
with  discouraging  accounts.  But  Menard  re- 
solved to  undertake  the  journey,  starting  from 
the  lake  with  one  white  companion  and  some 
Hurons  ;  he  perished,  however,  in  the  forest,  in 
what  manner  is  not  known,  his  companion 
reaching  the  Green  bay  islands  in  safety. 
White  men  had  floated  upon   the   Menominee, 

*  History  Northern  Wisconsin,  p.  39. 


so  that  the  northeastern  part  of  what  is  now 
Wisconsin,  as  well'as  its  interior  by  Nicolet  in 
1 634,  had  now  been  seen  by  civilized  white  manf . 

FOUNDING  OF  JESUIT  MISSIONS  IN  WISCONSIN. 

In    August,    1665,    Father    Claude    Allouez 
embarked  on'a  mission  to  the  country   visited 
by    Menard.      Early    in     September    he    had 
reached   the    Sault  de    Ste.  Marie,  and  on  the 
first  day   of  October,    arrived    in    the   bay    of 
Chegoimegon,     at    a    village     of    Chippewas. 
Here  he  erected  a  chapel  of   bark,  establishing 
the  first  mission    in    what    is   now   Wisconsin 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
While    Allouez   had   charge   of   this  field,   he 
either  visited  or  saw,  at  Chegoimegon,  scattered 
bands  of  Hurons  and  Ottawas  ;  also  Pottawat- 
tamies  from  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  who  lived  upon  the  waters  of  Fox  river 
of  Green  bay.     He  was  likewise  visited  by  the 
Illinois,  and  at  the   extremity  of  Lake  Superior 
he  met   representatives   of   the   Sioux.     These 
declared  they  dwelt  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
"Messipi."     Father   Jaijies   Marquette  reached 
Chegoimegon    in    September,    1669,   and    took 
charge    of    the    mission    of   the    Holy    Spirit, 
Allouez   proceeding  to  the  Sault  de  Ste.   Marie, 
intending  to  establish  a  mission  on  the   shores 
of  Green   bay.     He  left  the  Sault  Nov.  3,  1669, 
and  on  the  25th,  reached  a  Pottawattamie  cabin. 
On    the  2d  of  December  he   founded    upon    the 
shore  of  Green   bay  the  mission  of  St.    Francis 
Xavier,  the   second    one    established   by    him 
within   what  are  now  the  limits  of   Wisconsin. 
Here    Allouez   passed   the   winter.     In   April, 
1670,   he   founded    .another   mission;    this  one 
was  upon  Wolf  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Fox 
river    of   Green    bay.      Here    the    missionary 
labored  among  the  Foxes,  who  had  located  upon 
that   stream.     The    mission,  the    third   in    the 
present  Wisconsin,  he  called  St.  Mark. 

In  1671  Father  Louis  Andre  was  sent  to  the 
missions  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  and  St.  Mark,  as 
a  co-worker  with  Allouez.     At  what  is  now  the 

+  Bancroft,  in  his  History  of  United  States,  evidently  mis- 
taltes  the  course  pursued  from  Keweenaw,  by  Menard. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


21 


village  of  DePere,  Brown  Co.,  Wis.,  was  located 
the  central  station  of  the  mission  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier.  This  mission  included  all  the  tribes 
inhabiting  the  vicinity  of  Green  bay.  A  rude 
chapel,  the  third  one  within  the  present  limits 
of  Wisconsin,  was  soon  erected.  Allouez  then 
left  for  other  fields  of  labor  ;  but  Andre  re- 
Hiained  here,  working  with  zeal  during  the 
summer  of  1671.  However,  during  a  temporary 
absence  his  chapel  was  burned,  but  he  speedily 
erected  another.  Tlien  his  dwelling  was  de- 
stroyed, but  although  he  erected  another,  it 
soon  shared  the  same  fate.  He  was  at  this 
time  laboring  among  the  Menomonees.  When 
he  finally  left  "the  bay  tribes"  is  not  known. 
In  1676  Father  Charles  Albanel  was  stationed 
at  what  is  now  DePere,  where  a  new  and  better 
chapel  was  erected  than  the  one  left  by  Andre. 
In  1680  the  mission'  was  supplied  by  Father 
James  Eryalran,  who  was  recalled  in  1687. 
When  he  left,  his  house  and  chapel  were  burned 
by  the  Winnebagoes.  It  was  the  end  of  the 
mission  of  St.  Francis  Xaviei'.  The  mission  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  de"serted  by  Father  James 
Marquette  in  1671.  It  was  the  end  for  170 
years  of  a  Uoman  Catholic  mission  at  Che- 
goimegon. 

WISCONSIN    UNDER    FRENCH    UOMINATION. 

In  the  year  1671,  France  took  formal  posses- 
sion of  the  whole  country  of  the  upper  lakes  An 
agent,  Daumont  de  St.  Lusson,  was  dispatched 
to  the  distant  tribes,  proposing  a  congress  of 
Indian  Nations  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  between 
Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Superior.  The  principal 
chiefs  of  tlie  Wisconsin  tribes  were  gathered 
thereby  Nicholas  Perrot.  Wht  i  all  were  assem- 
bled, it  was  solemnly  announced  that  the  great 
northwest  was  placed  under  the  protection  of 
the  French  government.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  French  domination  in  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin. The  act  of  Daumont  de  St.  Lusson,  at 
the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  in  1671,  in  establishing 
the  right  of  France  to  the  regions  beyond  Lake 
Michigan,  not  being  regarded  as  sufficiently  def- 
inite, Nicholas  Perrot,  in   1689,  at  the  head  of 


Green  bay,[  again  took  possession  of  the  country, 
extending  the  dominion  of  New  France,  not  only 
over  the  territory  of  the  upper  Mississippi,  but 
''to  other  places  more  remote;"  so  that  then,  all 
that  is  now  included  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  State  of  Wisconsin  (and  much  more)  passed 
quietly  into  the  possession  of  the  French  king. 

No  fur-trader  or  missionary,  no  white  man, 
had  as  yet  reached  the  Mississippi  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  river.  But  the  time  for 
its  exploration  was  at  hand.  Civilized  men  were 
now  to  behold  its  vast  tribute  rolling  onward 
toward  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  These  men  were 
Louis  Joliet  and  James  Marquette.  Jolietcame 
from  Quebec,  having  been  appointed  by  the  gov- 
ernment to  "discover"  the  Mississippi.  He  found 
Marquette  on  the  north  side  of  the  straits  of 
Mackinaw,  laboring  as  a  missionary  among  the 
Indians.  Tiie  latter  was  solicited  and  readily 
agreed  to  accompany  Joliet  upon  his  expedition.* 
The  outfit  of  the  party  was  very  simple:  two 
bircli-bark  canoes  and  a  supply  of  smoked  meat 
and  Indian  corn.  They  had  with  them  five 
white  men.  They  began  their  voyage  on  the 
1 7th  day  of  May,  1 67.3.  Passing  into  Lake  Mich- 
igan, they  coasted  along  its  northern  shore,  and 
paddled  their  canoes  up  Green  bay  and  Fox 
river  to  the  portage.  They  then  crossed  to  the 
Wisconsin,  down  which  they  floated,  until,  on 
the  I7th  of  June,  they  entered  the  Mississippi. 
After  dropping  down  the  river  many  miles,  they 
returned  by  way  of  the  Illinois  and  Lake  Mich- 
igan to  Green  bay,  where  Marquette  remained 
to  recruit  his  strength,  while  Joliet  returned  to 
Quebec  to  make  known  the  extent  of  his  dis- 
coveries. 

Fontenac's  report  of  Joliet's  return  from  a 
voyage  to  discover  the  South  sea,  dated  Nov. 
14,  1674,  is  as  follows: 

"Sieur  Joliet,  whom  Monsieur  Talon  advised 
me,  on  my  arrival   from  France,  to  disjjatch  for 

♦That  Count  Fontenac,  governor  of  New  France.  andM. 
Tolon,  intendant,  should  have  expressed  a  wish  to  Joliet 
that  Father  Mar(4uette  be  invited  to  accompany  him  in  his 
contemplated  journey,  is  to  be  inferred  from  the  words  of 
the  missionary ;  Imt  noth ing  in theorders  of  these  officers  to  Joliet 
ifi  found  to  confirm  the  statement . 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


the  discovery  of  the  South  sea,  has  returned 
three  months  ago,  and  discovered  some  very 
fine  countries,  and  a  navigation  so  easy  through 
the  beautiful  rivers  he  has  found,  that  a  person 
can  go  from  Lake  Ontario  and  Fort  Fontenac 
in  a  hark  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  there  being 
only  one  carrying  place,  half  a  league  in  length, 
where  Lake  Ontario  communicates  with  Lake 
Erie.  These  are  projects  which  it  will  be  pos- 
sible to  effect  when  peace  shall  be  firmly  estab- 
lished and  whenever  it  will  please  the  king  to 
prosecute  these  discoveries.  Joliet  has  been 
within  ten  days'  journey  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  believes  that  water  communications  could 
be  found  leading  to  the  Vermilion  and  Cali- 
fornia seas,  by  means  of  the  river  that  flows 
from  the  west  [the  Missouri]  into  the  grand 
river  [the  Mississippi]  that  he  discovered, 
which  runs  from  north  to  south,  and  is  as  large 
as  the  St.  Lawrence  opposite  Quebec. 

"I  send  you  by  my  secretary  the  map  he  has 
made  of  it,  and  the  observations  he  has  been 
able  to  recollect,  as  he  has  lost  all  his  minutes 
and  journals  in  the  shipwreck  he  suffered  with- 
in sight  of  Montreal,  where,  after  having  com- 
pleted a  voyage  of  twelve  hundred  leagues,  he 
was  near  being  drowned,  and  lost  all  his  papers 
and  a  little  Indian,  whom  he  brought  from 
those  countries.  These  accidents  have  caused 
me  great  regret.  Joliet  left  with  the  fathers  at 
the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  in  Lake  Superior,  copies 
of  his  journals;  these  we  cannot  get  before  next 
year.  You  will  glean  from  them  additional 
particulars  of  this  discovery,  in  which  he  has 
very  well  acquitted  himself." 

It  is  not  known  that  the  copies  of  Joliet's 
journals,  mentioned  in  Frontenac's  report,  were 
delivered  to  the  French  government;  but  an  ac- 
count of  the  voyage  by  Marquette  was  published 
in  1681  by  Thevenat.  This  fact  has  caused  an 
undue  importance  to  be  attached  to  the  name 
of  the  missionary  in  connection  with  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Mississippi,  and  at  the  expense  of 
the  fame  of  Joliet.* 

*  •  'The  Count  of  Frontenac, "  says  Shea  (Wis  Hist.  Coll.,  Vol. 
VII.  page  119),   "on  the  14th  of  November,   [1671]  inadis 


Explorations  begun  by  Joliet  were  continued. 
La  Salle,  in  1679,  with  Father  Louis  Hennepin, 
coasted  along  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, landing  frequently.  The  return  of  Henry 
de  Tonty,  one  of  La  Salle's  party,  down  the 
same  coast  to  Green  bay,  from  the  Illinois,  fol- 
lowed in  1680.  The  same  year.  Father  Henne- 
pin from  the  upper  Mississippi,  whither  he  had 
gone  from  the  Illinois,  made  his  way  across 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  by  the  Wisconsin  and 
Fox  rivers  to  Green  bay.* 

He  was  accompanied  by  Daniel  Greysolon 
Duluth,  who,on  his  way  down  the  Mississippi  had 
met  Hennepin  in  September,  1678.  Duluth  left 
Quebec  to  explore,  under  the  authority  of  the 
governor  of  New  France,  the  region  of  the  up- 
per Mississippi,  and  establish  relations  of 
friendship  with  the  Sioux  and  their  kindred, 
the  Assiniboines.  In  the  summer  of  1679  he  was 
in  the  Sioux  country  and  early  in  the  autumn 
of  that  year  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  hold- 
ing an  Indian  council.  In  June,  1680,  he  set 
out  from  that  point  to  continue  his  explorations. 
Going  dosvn  the  Mississippi  he  met  with  Henne- 
pin,as  staled  above,journeyed  with  him  to  the  Je- 
suit station,  near  the  head  of  Green  bay,  across 
what  is  now  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  Follow- 
ing the  voyages  of  Hennepin  and  Duluth  was 
the  one  by  Le  Sueur,  in  1683,  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan to  the  Mississippi,  ascending  that  river  to 
the  Sioux  country  in  the  region  about  St.  An- 
thony, and  his  subsequent  establishment,  said 
to  have  been  in  169-3,  at  La  Pointe,  in  the  pres- 
ent Ashland  Co.,  Wis.  He  was,  at  least,  a 
voyageur  stationed  at  Chegoimegon  during  that 
year.  He  continued  to  trade  with  the  Sioux  at 
intervals  to  the  year  1702.f 

patch  to  Colbert  announced  the  successful  issue  of  Joliet's 
expedition -."but  Shea  then  adds:  "They  had  to  wait  forfullde- 
tailstill  the  accountdrawn  up  by  Father  Marquette  should  be 
sent  down,"  as  though  such  an  account  was  really  expected: 
but  the  fact  was,  as  stated  by  Fontenac  himself,  that  copie 
of  Joliet's  journals  were  what  was  looked  for, 

■►Hist,  of  Northern  Wis.,  pag-e  44. 

•Hbed. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


'i^ 


Nicholas  Perrot  was  again  in  the  northwest 
in  1684.  He  was  commissioned  to  have  cliief 
command,  not  only  "at  the  bay,"  but  also  upon 
the  Mississippi,  on  the  east  side  of  which 
stream,  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Pepin,  he  erected 
a  post.  Here  he  spent  the  winter  of  1685-6. 
The  next  year  he  had  returned  to  Green  bay. 
He  vibrated  between  Montreal  and  the  west 
until  1697.  In  1699  St.  Cosme  and  his  com- 
panions coasted  along  the  west  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan.  Other  e.xplorations  followed,  but 
generally  in  the  tracks  of  previous  ones. 
Except  at  "the  bay,"  there  was  not  so  long  as 
the  French  had  dominion  over  the  northwest, 
a  single  post  occupied  for  any  length  of  time  by 
regular  soldiers.  This  post  was  called  Fort  St. 
Francis.  There  were  other  stockades — one  at 
La  Pointe  in  1726,  and,  as  we  have  already  seen 
one  upon  the  Mississippi;  but  neither  of  these 
had  cannon.  At  the  commencement  of  the 
French  and  Indian  Wai-,  all  three  had  disap- 
peared. At  the  ending  of  hostilities,  in  1760, 
there  was  not  a  single  vestage  of  civilization 
within  what  are  now  the  bounds  of  Wisconsin, 
except  a  few  vagrant  Frenchmen  among  the 
Indians;  there  was  no  post;  no  settlement,  west 
of  Lake  Michigan.  But  before  dismissing  the 
subject  of  French  supremacy  in  the  northwest, 
it  is  proper  to  mention  the  hostility  that  for  a 
number  of  years  existed  between  the  Fox  Ind- 
ians and  Frenchmen. 

In  the  year  1693,  several  fur-traders  were 
plundered  by  the  Fox  Indians  (located  upon 
Fox  river  of  Green  bay),  while  on  their  way  to 
the  Sioux;  the  Foxes  alleging  that  the  French- 
men were  carrying  arms  to  their  ancient 
enemies.  We  hear  no  more  of  their  hostility 
to  the  French  until  early  in  the  spring  of  1712, 
when  they  and  some  Mascoutiiis,  laid  a  plan  to 
burn  the  fort  at  Detroit.  It  was  besieged  for 
nineteen  days  by  these  savages,  but  the  besiegers 
were  obliged  finally  to  retreat,  as  their  provis- 
ions had  become  exhausted.  They  were  pursued, 
however,  and  near  Lake  St.  Clair  suffered  a  signal 
defeat  at    the  hands  of  M.   Dubisson  and  his 


Indian  allies.  The  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil,  now 
tliat  the  Foxes  continued  their  hostilities,  de- 
termined on  a  war  of  extermination  against 
them.  De  Lourigny,  a  lieutenant,  left  Quebec 
in  March,  1716.  He  made  his  way  with  alacrity, 
entering  Green  bay  and  Fox  river,  it  is  said, 
with  a  force  of  800  French  and  Indians,  en- 
countering the  enemy  in  a  pallisaded  fort, 
which  would  have  been  soon  reduced  had  not 
the  Foxes  asked  for  peace.  Hostages  were 
given,  and  Lourigny  returned  to  Quebec.  In 
1721  the  war  was  renewed,  and  in  1728  another 
expedition  was  organized  against  these  savages, 
commanded  by  Marchemd  de  Lignery.  This 
officer  proceeded  by  way  of  the  Ottawa  river  of 
Canada  and  Lake  Huron  to  Green  bay,  upon 
the  northern  shore  of  'which  the  Menominees, 
who  had  also  become  hostile  were  attacked  and 
defeated.  On  the  24th  of  August,  a  Winnebago 
village  on  Fox  river  was  reached  by  De  Lignery 
with  a  force  of  400  French  and  750  Indians. 
They  proceeded  thence  up  the  river  to  the 
home  of  the  Foxes,  but  did  not  succeed  in  meet- 
ing the  enemy  in  force.  The  expedition  was 
a  signal  failure.  But  the  march  of  Neyon  de 
Villiers,  in  1730,  against  the  Foxes,  was  more 
successful,  resulting  in  their  defeat.  They 
suffered  a  loss  of  200  killed  of  warriors,  and 
three  times  as  many  women  and  children.  Still 
the  Foxes  were  not  humbled.  Another  expedi- 
tion, this  time  under  the  direction  of  Capt.  De 
Noyelle,  marched  against  them  in  1735.  The 
result  was  not  decisive.  Many  places  have  been 
designated  upon  Fox  river  as  points  where 
conflicts  between  the  French  and  their  allies, 
and  the  Foxes  and  their  allies  took  place;  but 
all  such  designations  are  traditionary  and  un- 
certain. The  Sacs  and  Foxes  finally  became 
connected  with  the  government  of  Canada,  and 
during  the  French  and  Indian  War  were 
arrayed  against  the  English. 

WISCONSIN  UNDER  ENGLISH    SUPEEMACY. 

On  the  9th  day  of  September,  1760,  Governor 
Vaudreuil  surrendered  Canada  to  General  Am- 
herst, of  the  British  army,  andgthe  supremacy 


24 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


over  the  northwest  passed  from  France  to 
Great  Britain.  But  in  what  is  now  Wisconsin 
there  was  little  besides  savages  to  be  affected  by 
the  change.  The  vagrant  fur-trader  represented 
all  that  there  was  of  civilization  west  of  Lake 
Michigan.  Detroit  was  soon  taken  possession 
of;  then  Mackinaw,  and  finally,  in  1*761,  a 
squad  of  English  soldiers  reached  the  head  of 
Green  bay,  to  garrison  the  tumble-down  post, 
where  now  is  Fort  Howard,  Brown  Co.,  Wis. 
This  was  on  October  12  of  the  year  just  men- 
tioned. Lieut.  James  Gorrell  and  one  ser- 
geant, one  corporal  and  fifteen  privates  con- 
stituted the  "army  of  occupation"  for  the 
whole  country  west  of  Lake  Michigan  from 
this  time  to  June  21,  176-3,  when  the  post 
was  abandoned  by  the  commandant  on  ac- 
count of  the  breaking  out  of  Pontiac's  War, 
and  the  capture  of  the  fort  at  Macki- 
naw by  the  savages.  The  cause  of  the 
war  was  this  :  The  Indian  tribes  saw  the  dan- 
ger which  the  downfall  of  the  French  interests 
in  Canada  was  sure  to  bring  them.  They 
banded  together  under  Pontiac  to  avert  their 
ruin.  The  struggle  was  short  but  fierce — full 
of  "  scenes  of  tragic  interest,  with  marvels  of 
suffering  and  vicissitude,  of  heroism  and  en- 
durance;" but  the  white  man  conquered.  The 
moving  incidents  in  this  bloody  drama  were 
enacted  to  the  eastward  of  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin, coming  no  nearer  than  Mackinaw,  but 
it  resulted  in  the  evacuation  of  its  territory  by 
British  troops,  who  never  after  took  possession 
of  it,  though  they  continued  until  1796  a  nominal 
military  rule  over  it  after  Mackinaw  was  again 
occupied  by  them. 

No  sooner  had  the  soldiers  under  Gorrell 
left  the  bay  than  French  traders  seized  upon 
the  occasion  to  again  make  it  headquarters  for 
traffic  in  furs  to  the  westward  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Not  that  only,  for  a  few  determined  to 
make  it  their  permanent  home.  By  the  year 
1760  there  were  some  families  living  in  the  de- 
cayed Fort  Edward  Augustus  and  opposite 
thereto,  on  the  east  side  of  Fox  rivei',  where 


they  cultivated  the  soil  in  a  small  way  and  in 
an  extremely  primitive  manner,  living,  now 
that  peace  was  again  restored,  very  comfort- 
ably. Of  these  French  Canadians,  no  one  can 
be  considered  as  the  pioneer — no  one  is  entitled 
to  the  renown  of  having  first  led  the  way,  be- 
coming, therefore  the  first  settler  of  the  State, 
much  less  the  father  and  founder  of  Wisconsin. 
It  was  simply  that  "the  bay,"  being,  after  Pon- 
tiac's war,  occupied  by  Canadian  French  fur- 
traders,  their  station  finally  ripened  into  a  per- 
manent settlement — the  first  in  Wisconsin — the 
leading  spirits  of  \yhich  were  the  two  Lang- 
lades,  Augiistin  and  Charles,  father  and  son. 
It  had  all  the  characteristics  of  a  French  settle- 
ment. Its  growth  was  very  slow.  The  indus- 
tries were  few  and  simple.  Besides  the  em- 
ployments of  trading  and  transporting  goods 
and  peltries,  the  inhabitants  engaged  in  hunt- 
ing and  trapping.  Attention  was  given  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil  only  incidently.  Gardens 
were  cultivated  to  some  extent  for  a  supply  of 
vegetables.  Gradually,  however,  a  few  persons 
turned  their  chief  attention  to  agriculture.* 

In  1783  four  white  persons  occupied  in  a  per- 
manent manner  the  tract  of  land  where  now  is 
Prairie  du  Chien,  in  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.  They 
were  soon  followed  by  a  number  of  persons 
who  located  there.  These  became  permanent 
traders  with  the  Indians. 

Besides  the  settlement  at  "the  bay"  and  the 
one  at  Prairie  du  Chien  some  French  traders 
were  located  where  Milwaukee  now  is  in  1795, 
but  they  could  hardly  be  called  settlers.  Ten 
years  before  that  date  Laurence  Barth  lived  at 
the  portage  between  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers,  now  the  site  of  Portage,  Columbia  Co., 
Wis.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  carrying 
trade.  But  his  residence  could  not  fairly  be 
termed  a  settlement;  so  that  when,  in  1796,  the 
English  yielded  possession  of  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin to  the  Americans  (a  nominal  one,  how- 
ever,) there  were  really  but  two  settlements — 
Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien. 

*Hist.  Northern  Wis.,  p.  49. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


25 


WISCONSIN  AS  A    PART    OF    THE    NORTHWEST   TER- 
RITORY. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States,  by  their 
act  of  the  6th  clay  of  September,  1780,  recom- 
mended to  the  several  States  in  the  Union  liav- 
ing  claims  to  waste  and  unappropriated  lands  in 
the  western  country,  a  liberal  cession  to  the  gen- 
eral government  of  a  portion  of  their  respective 
claims  for  the  common  benefit  of  the  Union. 
The  claiming  States  were  Connecticut,  New 
York  and  Virginia,  all  under  their  colonial  char- 
ters, and  the  last  mentioned,  in  addition  thereto, 
by  right  of  conquest  of  the  Illinois  country. 
The  region  contended  for  lay  to  the  northwest 
of  the  river  Ohio.  Virginia  claimed  territory 
westward  to  the  Mississippi  and  northward  to  a 
somewhat  indefinite  extent.  New  York,  and 
espeeially  Connecticut,  laid  claim  to  territory 
stretching  away  to  an  unbounded  extent  west- 
ward, but  not  so  far  to  the  south  as  Virginia. 
The  last  mentioned  State,  by  virtue  of  conquests 
largely  her  own,  extended  her  jurisdiction  over 
the  Illinois  settlements  in  1778,  and  the  year 
after,  and  erected  into  a  county  enough  to  in- 
clude all  her  conquests.  But,  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  she  certainly  did  not  exer- 
cise dominion  over.  The  three  States  finally 
ceded  all  their  rights  to  the  United  States,  leav- 
ing the  general  government  absolute  owner  of 
the  whole  country,  subject  only  to  the  rights, 
such  as  they  were,  of  the  Indian  Nations  who 
dwelt  therein. 

Under  a  congressional  ordinance,  passed  in 
1785,  for  ascertaining  the  mode  of  disposing  of 
lands  in  the  western  territory,  the  geographer 
of  the  United  States  was  directed  to  commence 
the  survey  of  them  immediately  beyond  the 
Ohio  river,  upon  the  plan  which  has  ever  since 
been  followed  by  the  general  government,  re- 
sulting in  regular  latitudinal  and  longitudinal 
lines  being  run,  so  as  to  circumscribe  every  640 
acres  of  land,  not  only  in  Wisconsin  but  in  all 
the  west,  wherever  these  surveys  have  been 
brought  to  completion.  Two  years  subsequent 
to  the  passage  of  the  first  ordinance,  was  that  of 


another  and  more  famous  one,  providing  for  the 
government  of  the  territory  northwest  of  the 
river  Ohio.  This  is  familiarly  known  as  the' 
ordinance  of  1787;  and  to  this  day  it  is  a  part  of 
the  fundamental  law  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  the  five  states  since 
formed  out  of  the  region  included  within  the 
limits  affected  by  its  provisions; — an  act  of  Con- 
gress, passed  in  1789,  having  adapted  it  to  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States.  But  neither 
the  treaty  with  Great  Britain  of  1783,  nor  the 
ordinances  of  Congress  which  followed,  gave  the 
United  States  anything  more  than  constructive 
possession  of  the  whole  of  its  western  territory. 
The  mother  country,  it  is  true,  recognized  the 
northern  lakes  as  the  boundary  between  her 
possessions  and  those  of  the  now  independent 
states,  but  finding  an  excuse  in  the  fact  of  some 
of  her  merchants  not  being  paid  their  claims  as 
stipulated  by  the  treaty  of  1783,  she  retained 
possession  of  the  whole  northwest,  including 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  until  1796. 

By  the  ordinance  of  1787,  the  United  States 
in  Congress  assembled  declared  that  the  terri-  . 
tory  northwest  of  the  Ohio,  should,  for  the  pui- 
poses  of  temporary  government,  be  one  district, 
subject,  however,  to  be  divided  into  districts,  as 
future  circumstances  might,  in  the  opinion  of 
Congress,  make  it  expedient.  It  was  ordained, 
that  a  governor,  secretary  and  three  judges 
should  be  appointed  for  the  territory;  a  general 
assembly  was  also  provided  for;  and  it  was  de- 
clared that  religion,  morality  and  knowledge, 
being  necessai'y  to  good  government  and  the 
happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of 
education  should  forever  be  encouraged.  It 
was  also  ordained  that  there  should  be  neither 
slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the  terri- 
tory, "otherwise  than  in  the  punishment  of 
crimes  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly 
convicted."  But  this  organic  law  was  of  course 
nugatory  over  that  portion  of  the  territory  oi - 
cupied  by  the  British,  and  so  continued  until 
the  latter  yielded  possession,  .ind  in  fact,  for 
some  time  subsequent  thereto. 


26 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


By  the  treaty  agreed  upon  in  1 794,  between 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  usually 
known  as  the  Jay  treaty,  tlie  evacuation  of  the 
posts  and  places  occupied  by  British  troops  and 
garrisons  in  the  northwest,  was  to  take  place  on 
or  before  the  1st  day  of  June,  \196.  All  set- 
tlers and  traders  within  the  precincts  or  juris- 
diction of  these  posts  were  to  continue  to  enjoy 
unmolested,  all  their  property  of  every  kind, 
and  to  be  protected  therein.  They  were  at  full 
liberty  to  remain  there,  or  to  remove  with  all 
or  any  part  of  their  effects;  and  it  was  left  free 
to  them  to  sell  their  lands,  houses,  or  effects,  or 
to  retnin  the  property  thereof,  at  their  discre- 
tion. Such  of  them  as  should  continue  to  reside 
there  were  not  to  be  compelled  to  become  citi- 
zens of  the  United  States,  or  to  take  any  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  government  thereof;  but 
were  at  full  liberty  so  to  do  if  they  thought 
j)roper;  and  they  were  to  make  and  declare  their 
election  within  one  year  after  the  evacuation  of 
the  po.sts  by  the  military.  Persons  continuing 
after  the  expiration  of  one  year  without  having 
.  declared  their  intentions  of  remaining  subjects 
of  his  Britannic  majesty,  were  to  be  considered 
as  having  elected  to  become  citizens  of  the 
United  States.  It  is  believed  that  no  citizen  of 
Wisconsin,  either  in  the  settlement  at  "the  bay" 
or  at  Prairie  du  Chien  made  such  a  declaration 
but  that  all  who  remained,  became  thereby  citi- 
izens  of  the  new  government. 

The  Indian  war  in  the  west;  which  followed 
the  Revolution,  was  brought  to  an  end  by  the 
victorious  arms  of  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Maumee  river,  in  what  is  now 
the  State  of  Ohio,  in  the  year  lYQi.  The  treaty 
of  Greenville  was  entered  into  the  next  year 
with  twelve  western  tribes  of  Indians,  none  of 
which  resided  in  Wisconsin.  Nevertheless,  one 
of  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  was  that,  in  con- 
sideration of  the  peace  then  established  and 
the  cessations  and  the  relinquishments  of  lands 
made  by  the  Indian  tribes  there  represented, 
and  to  manifest  the  liberality  of  the  United 
States,  claims  to  all  Indian  lands    northward  of 


the  Ohio,  eastward  of  the  Mississippi,  and  west- 
ward and  southward  of  the  great  lakes  and  the 
waters  uniting  them,  were  relinquished  by  the 
gcncal  government  to  the  Indians  having  a 
right  thereto.  This  included  all  the  lands 
within  the  present  boundaries  of  Wiscont-in. 
The  meaning  of  the  relinquishment  by  the 
United  States  was  that  the  Indian  tribes  who 
had  a  right  to  those  lands  were  quietly  to  enjoy 
them,  hunting,  planting  and  dwelling  thereon 
as  long  as  they  pleased,  without  any  molesta- 
tion from  the  general  government;  but  when 
any  tribe  should  be  disposed  to  sell  its  lands, 
or  any  part  of  them,  they  were  to  be  sold  only 
to  the  United  States;  and  until  such  sale,  the 
general  government  would  protect  all  the  In- 
dian tribes  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  their  land 
against  all  citizens  of  the  country,  and  against 
all  other  white  persons  who  might  intrude  upon 
them.  And  if  any  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
or  any  other  white  person  or  persons  should  pre- 
sume to  settle  upon  the  lands  then  relinquished 
by  the  general  government,  such  citizens  or  other 
persons  should  be  out  of  the  protection  of  the 
United  Slates;  and  the  Indian  tribe  on  whose 
land  the  settlement  might  be  made  might  drive 
off  the  settler,  or  punish  him  in  such  manner  as 
they  might  think  fit;  and  because  such  settle- 
ments made  without  the  consent  of  the  general 
government  would  be  injurious  to  them  as  well 
as  to  the  Indians,  the  United  States  should  be 
at  liberty  to  break  them  up,  and  remove  and 
punish  the  settlers,  as  they  might  think  proper. 
The  titles  of  the  Indians  to  their  lands  were 
thus  acknowledged;  and  they  were  unquestion- 
able, because  treaties  made,  or  to  be  made 
with  the  various  tribes  had  been  declared  by 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  the  su- 
preme law  of  the  land.  But  those  titles  could 
only  be  yielded  to  the  general  government. 
The  principal  question  to  be  afterward  deter- 
mined was,  what  lands  were  each  tribe  the 
rightful  owners  of.  So  long  as  Wisconsin 
formed  a  part  of  the  northwestern  territory,  no 
treaty  was  made  by  the  United  States  with  any 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


27 


tribe  or  tribes  occupying  any  portion  of  the 
the  country  now  lying  within  the  limits  of  Wis- 
consin. 

When,  in  J/Ofi,  Great  Britain  yielded  posses- 
sion of  the  nortliwest  by  withdrawing  its  garri- 
sons from  the  military  posts  therein,  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  Jay  treaty  of  1794,  and  the  United 
States  took  formal  possession  thereof,  the 
change  in  the  political  relations  of  the  few  set- 
tlers of  Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien  was 
not  felt  by  them.  They  had  become  the  adop- 
ted citizens  of  the  United  States  without  any 
realization  further  than  a  bare  knowledge  of 
the  fact.  British  authority  had  been  so  little 
exercised  in  their  domestic  affairs,  that  its  with- 
drawal was  unnoticed,  while  that  of  the  United 
States  only  reached  them  in  name.  Nearly  all 
who  were  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  were  agents 
or  employes  of  the  British  fur  companies,  and 
their  relation  to  these  remained  unbroken.  No 
intercourse  for  several  years  sprung  up  with 
the  Americans. 

Under  the  ordinance  of  1787,  Arthur  St.  Clair 
was  appointed  governor  of  the  northwestern 
territory.  At  different  periods  counties  were 
erected  to  include  various  portions  of  that 
region  of  country.  By  the  governor's  procla- 
mation of  the  15th  of  August,  1796,  one  was 
formed  to  include  the  whole  of  the  present 
area  of  northern  Ohio,  west  of  a  point  where 
the  city  of  Cleveland  is  now  located;  also  all  of 
the  present  State  of  Indiana,  north  of  a  line 
drawn  from  Fort  Wayne,  "west-northerly  to 
the  southern  part  of  Lake  Michigan,"  the  whole 
of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Michigan,  except 
the  extreme  northwest  corner  on  Lake  Superior; 
a  small  corner  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  pres- 
ent State  of  Illinois,  including  Chicago;  and  so 
much  of  what  is  now  Wisconsin  as  is  watered 
by  the  streams  flowing  into  Lake  Michigan, 
which  included  an  extensive  portion  of  its  area, 
taking  in  the  territory  now  constituting  many 
of  its  eastern  and  interior  counties.  To  this 
county  was  given  the  name  of  Wayne.  The 
citizens  at  the  bead  of  Green   bay,  from  1796, 


until  the  4th  of  July,  1800,  were,  therefore,  res- 
idents of  Wayne  county.  Northwest  territory. 
But  the  western  portion  of  the  present  State  of 
Wisconsin,  including  all  its  area  watered  by 
streams  flowing  northward  into  Lake  Superior, 
and  westward  and  southwestward  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi, was  during  those  years  attached  to  no 
county  whatever.  Within  this  part  of  the  State 
was  located,  of  course,  the  settlement  of  Prairie 
du  Chien. 

WISCONSIN    AS    A    PART    OF      THE      TERRITORY      OF 
INDIANA. 

After  the  fourth  day  of  July,  1800,  all  that 
portion  of  the  territory  of  tbeLTniied  States  north- 
west of  the  Ohio  river,  lying  to  the  westwanl 
of  a  line  beginning  upon  that  stream  opposite 
the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  river  and  running 
thence  to  what  is  now  Fort  Recovery,  in  Mer- 
cer Co.,  Ohio,  thence  north  until  it  intersected 
the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  was  for  the  purposes  of  temporary 
government,  constituted  a  separate  territory, 
called  Indiana.  Within  its  boundaries  were 
included  not  only  nearly  all  of  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Indiana,  but  the  whole  of  the  present 
State  of  Illinois,  more  than  half  of  what  is 
now  Michigan,  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
present  State  of  Minnesota,and  the  whole  of  Wis- 
consin. The  seat  of  government  was  estab- 
lished at  "Saint  Vincennes  on  the  Wabash." 
now  the  city  of  Vincennes,Ind.  Upon  the  form- 
ation of  a  State  government  for  the  State  of 
Ohio,  in  1802,  all  the  country  west  of  that  State, 
but  east  of  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  territory 
of  Indiana,  was  added  to  the  latter  ;  so  that 
then  the  area  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river  in- 
cluded but  one  State  and  one  territory.  After- 
ward, civil  jurisdiction  was  exercised  by  the 
authorities  of  Indiana  territory  over  the  Green 
bay  settlement,  in  a  faint  way,  by  the  appoint- 
ment, by  Gov.  William  Henry  Harrison,  of 
Charles  Reanme  as  the  justice  of  the  peace 
therein.  Prairie  du  Chien  was  also  recognized 
by  the  new  territorial  government  by  the 
appointment    of  two  persons  to    a  like   office — 


28 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


Henry  M.  Fisher  and  a  trader  by  the  name  of 
Campbell. 

As  American  emigration  was  now  rapidly 
dotting  the  wilderness  to  the  westward  of  the 
State  of  Ohio  with  settlements,  a  treaty  with 
some  of  the  Indian  tribes  who  claimed 
lands  in  that  region  extending  northward  into 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  was  a  necessity,  for  as 
yet,  none  of  these  Nations  )iad  met  any  au- 
thorities of  the  United  States  in  council.  At 
the  close  of  the  contest  between  France  and 
Great  Britain  so  disastrous  in  North  America  to 
the  former,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  readily  gave  in 
their  adhesion  to  tlie  latter, asking  that  English 
tradcis  might  be  sent  them.  Tne  two  Nations, 
then  about  equally  divided,  numbered  about 
700      warriors.  Neither      of     the      tribes 

took  part  in  Pontiac's  war,  but  they  befriended 
the  English.  The  Sacs  had,  by  that  date  emi- 
grated some  distance  to  the  westward,  while 
the  Foxes,  at  least  a  portion  of  them,  still  re- 
mained upon  the  waters  of  the  river  of  Green 
bay,  which  perpetuates  their  name.  A  few 
years  later,  however,  and  the  Sacs  were  occu- 
pants of  the  upper  Wisconsin  also  to  a  consid- 
erable extent  below  the  portage  between  that 
stream  and  Fox  river,  where  their  chief  town 
was  located.  Further  down  the  Wisconsin  was 
the  upper  village  of  the  Foxes,  while  their 
lower  town  was  situated  not  far  from  its  mouth, 
near  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Prairie  du 
Chien. 

Not  long  after  Wisconsin  had  been  taken 
possession  of  by  the  British,  its  northern  por- 
tion, including  all  that  part  watered  by  the 
streams  flowing  north  into  Lake  Superior,  was 
the  home  of  the  Chippewas.  The  country 
around  nearly  the  whole  of  Green  bay,  was  the 
hun  ing  grounds  of  the  Menomonees.  The  ter- 
ritory of  Winnebago  lake  and  Fox  river  was 
the  seat  of  the  Winnebagoes,  while,  as  just 
stated,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  had  the  region  of 
the  Wisconsin  river  as  their  dwelling  place. 
During  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  these 
two   tribes   continued  the  firm   friends   of  the 


English,  although  not  engaged  in  active  hostili- 
ties against  the  Americans.  When  finally  Eng- 
land delivered  up  to  the  United  States  the  pos- 
session of  the  northwest,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  had 
only  a  small  portion  of  their  territory  in  Wis- 
consin, and  that  in  the  extreme  southwest. 
Their  principal  possession  extended  a  consider- 
able distance  to  the  south  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisconsin,  uj^on  both  sides  of  the  Mississppi 
river. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  1S04,  a  treaty  was 
held  at  St.  Louis  between  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
and  the  United  States.  These  tribes  then  ceded 
to  the  general  government,  a  lage  tract  of  land 
on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi,  extending  on 
the  east  from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  to  the 
head  of  that  river,  thence  to  the  Wisconsin. 
This  grant  embraces,  in  what  is  now  Wisconsin, 
the  whole  of  the  present  counties  of  Grant  and 
La  Fayette,  and  a  large  portion  of  those  of  Iowa 
and  Green.  It  included  the  lead  region.  These 
tribes  also  claimed  territory  on  the  upper  side 
of  the  Wisconsin,  but  they  only  granted  away 
a  tract  two  miles  square  above  that  stream,  near 
its  mouth,  with  the  right  of  the  United  States 
to  build  a  fort  adjacent  thereto.  In  considera- 
tion of  the  cession  of  these  lands,  the  general 
government  agreed  to  protect  the  two  tribes  in 
the  quiet  enjoyment  of  the  residue  of  their 
possessions  against  its  own  citizens  and  all  oth- 
ers who  should  intrude  on  them  ;  carrying  out 
the  stipulations  to  that  eifect  embodied  in  the 
Greenville  treaty,  of  1795.  Thus  begun  the 
quieting  of  the  Indian  title  to  the  eminent  do- 
main of  Wisconsin  by  the  United  States,  which 
was  carried  forward  until  the  whole  territory 
(except  certain  reservations  to  a  few  tribes)  had 
been  fairly  purchased  of  the  original  proprie- 
tors. 

So  much  of  Indiana  territory  as  lay  to  the 
north  of  a  line  drawn  east  from  the  southern 
bend  of  Lake  Michigan  to  Lake  Erie,  and  east 
of  a  line  drawn  from  the  same  bend  through 
the  middle  of  the  first  mentioned  lake  to  its 
northern  extremity,    thence    due    north    to    the 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


29 


northern  boundary  of  the  United  States,  was, 
for  the  purposes  of  temporary  government,  on 
the  30th  of  June,  1805,  constituted  a  separate 
and  distinct  territory,  called  Michigan.  This 
new  territory  did  not  include  within  its  boun- 
daries any  part  of  Wisconsin  as  at  present  de- 
fined. 

WISCONSIN    AS    A    PART    OF   ILLINOIS     TERRITORY. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1809,  an  act  of  Con- 
gress, entitled  an  act  for  dividing  the  Indiana 
territory  into  two  separate  governments,  was 
approved  by  the  President  and  became  a  law. 
It  provided  that  from  and -after  the  1st  day  of 
March  thereafter,  all  that  part  of  the  Indiana 
territory  lying  west  of  the  Wabash  river  and 
a  direct  line  drawn  from  that  stream  and  "Post 
Vincennes"  due  north  to  the  territorial  line  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Canada,  should, 
for  the  purpose  of  temporary  government,  con- 
stitute a  separate  territory  and  be  called  Illinois, 
with  the  seat  of  government  at  Kaskaskia,  on 
the  Mississippi  river,  until  it  should  be  other- 
wise ordered.  By  this  law,  all  of  what  is  now 
Wisconsin  was  transferred  from  Indiana  terri- 
tory to  that  of  Illinois,  except  that  portion  lying 
east  of  the  meriilian  line  drawn  through  Vin- 
cennes. This  fraction  included  nearly  the 
whole  area  between  Green  bay  and  Lake  Mi- 
chigan and  remained  a  part  of  the  territory  of 
Indiana.  When,  in  1816,  Indiana  became  a 
State,  this  narrow  strip,  as  it  was  neither  a  por- 
tion of  Michigan  territory  on  the  east  orlllinois 
territory  on  the  west,  remained  without  any 
organization  until  1818.  In  that  year  it  became 
a  part  of  Michigan  territory. 

In  1809,  an  effort  was  made  by  John  Jacol) 
Astor,  of  New  York  city,  to  extend  tlie  Ameri- 
can fur-trade  by  way  of  the  lakes  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  parts  beyond;  but  the  monopoly 
of  the  British  fur  companies  was  too 
strong.  He  could  only  effect  his  object  by  uni- 
ting with  the  northwest  company  of  Montreal, 
in  1811,  to  form  out  of  the  American  andMack- 
inaw  companies,  a  new  one,  to  be  known  as  the 
Southwest  company,  of  which   Astor   owned  a 


half  intererest,  with  the  arrangement  that,  after 
five  years,  it  was  to  pass  into  his  hands  alto- 
gether, being  restricted  in  its  operations  lo  the 
territories  of  the  United  States.  This  company 
was  suspended  by  the  war  with  Great  Britain, 
which  immediately  followed.  At  the  close  of 
hostilities,  British  traders  were  prohibited  by 
law  from  pursuing  their  calling  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States.  The  result 
was  the  southwest  company  closed  up  its  affairs, 
and  the  American  fur  company  re-appeared  un- 
der the  exclusive  control  of  Astor,  who  estab- 
lished his  western  headquarters  at  Mackinaw, 
operating  extensively  in  what  is  now  Wiscon- 
sin, esj^ecially  a;t  La  Pointe,  upon  Lake  Superior, 
where  large  warehouses  were  erected;  a  stock- 
ade built,  lands  cleared,  farms  opened,  dwell- 
ings and  stores  put  up.  But  English  traders 
evaded  the  law  by  sending  their  goods  into  the 
United  States,  in  the  name  of  American  clerks 
in  their  employ.  These  goods  being  of  supe- 
rior quality  to  those  furnished  by  Astor,  they 
continued  to  command  the  Indian  trade  to  a 
large  extent.  It  was  only  when  the  American 
prince  of  fur-traders  was  enabled  to  import 
goods  to  New  York  of  equal  quality  and  send 
them  by  way  of  the  lakes,  tiiat  he  could  success- 
fully compete  with  his  rivals  and  in  the  end 
drive  them  from  the  field. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war  with  Great 
Britain  the  few  settlers  at  Green  Bay  and 
Prairie  du  Chien  depended  largely  upmi  the 
fur  trade  for  their  living,  monopolized,  as  we 
have  seen,  at  that  period,  by  British  tinders. 
At  the  beginning  of  hostilities  this  dependency 
was  promptly  secured  to  the  latter  by  the  cap- 
ture, from  the  Americans,  of  the  post  at  Macki- 
naw. Naturally  enough  most  of  the  people  of 
Wisconsin,  limited  in  number  as  they  were,  ad- 
hered to  the  English  during  the  continuance  of 
hostilities.  As  to  the  Indian  tribes,  within 
what  are  now  the  limits  of  the  Stale,  it  may  be 
said  that,  in  a  measure,  they,  too,  all  arrayed 
themselves  on  the  side  of  Great  Britain.  The 
Menomonees  aud  Winnebagoes  took  part  in  the 


30 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


capture  of  Mackinaw,  and  subsequently  in  otlier 
enterprises  against  the  Americans.  Indeed, 
all  the  tribes  in  the  northwest  were  firmly  at- 
tached to  the  English  by  reciprocal  interest  in 
the  fur  trade,  from  which  they  derived  their 
supplies.  Great  Britain  had  never  ceased  since 
the  Revolution  to  foster  their  friendship  by  the 
liberal  distribution  annually  of  presents;  hence, 
they  were  ready  when  the  War  of  1812-15  was 
inaugurated  to  take  up  the  hatchet  against  the 
Americans.  Just  before  hostilities  began,  the 
English  traders  were  especially  active  in  excit- 
ing the  Indians  against  the  Americans,  more  es- 
pecially against  American  traders.  Robert 
Dickson,  a  resident  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  an 
Englishman  by  birth,  was  among  the  foremost 
in  stirring  up  the  animosity  of  the  savages. 
Soon  after  the  declaration  of  war  he  collected  a 
body  of  Indians  at  Green  Bay  for  thfe  purpose 
of  rendering  assistance  to  the  British  forces  in 
their  operations  on  the  lakes  and  in  the  north- 
west; they  were  principally  Pottawattaraies, 
Kickapoos,  Ottawas,  Winnebagoes  and  Sacs, 
the  last  mentioned  being  Black  Hawk's  band. 
This  chief  was  made  commander-in-chief  of  the 
savages  liiere  assembled,  by  Dickin'son,  and 
sent  to  join  the  British  army  under  Proctor. 

The  English  early  succeeded  in  securing  the 
Wisconsin  Indian  tribes  as  their  allies  in  this 
war;  and  having  taken  Mackinaw  in  Julj',  1812, 
they  were,  virtually,  put  in  possession  of  what 
is  now  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State.  Early 
in  1814,  the  government  authorities  of  the 
United  States  caused  to  be  fitted  out  at  St. 
Louis  a  large  boat,  having  on  board  all  the  men 
that  could  be  mustered  and  spared  from  the 
lower  country,  and  sent  up  the  Mississippi  to 
protect  the  upper  region  and  the  few  settlers 
therein.  The  troops  landed  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  immediately  proceeded  to  fortify.  Not 
hjng  after.  Col.  McKay,  of  the  British  army, 
crossing  the  country  by  course  of  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin  rivers,  with  over  500  British  and  In- 
dians, received  the  surrender  of  the  whole 
orce.     The  officers  and  men  were  paroled  and 


sent  down  the  river.  This  was  the  only  battle 
fought  upon  Wisconsin  soil  during  the  last  war 
with  England.  The  post  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
was  left  in  command  of  a  captain  with  two 
companies  from  Mackinaw.  He  remained  there 
until  after  the  peace  of  1815,  when  the  place 
was  evacuated  by  the  British. 
'  On  the  3d  of  August,  1814,  an  expedition  of 
about  300  men.  under  command  of  Maj.  Zachary 
Taylor,  left  St.  Louis  in  boats  for  the  upper 
Mississippi.  When  they  arrived  at  Rock  Is- 
land they  found  the  British  there,  apparently 
in  force,  with  a  battery  on  shore  commanding 
the  river.  A  severe  fight  took  place,  but  after 
sustaining  a  loss  of  several  killed  and  wounde<l 
the  Americans  returned  to  St.  Louis.  The 
British  afterwards  left  Rock  Island,  and  upon 
the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  peace  by  the  envoys 
of  the  two  governments,  and  the  ratification  of 
the  same,  the  whole  northwest,  including  Fort 
McKay  at  Prairie  du  Cliien,  was  evacuated  by 
British  forces. 

When  it  was  made  known  to  the  Indian 
tribes  of  the  west  some  of  them  upon  the  Miss- 
issippi were  willing  and  eager  to  make  treaties 
with  the  United  States.  A  lucrative  trade 
sprung  up  between  the  merchants  of  St.  Louis 
and  the  traders  and  Indians  up  that  river. 
Goods  were  periodically  sent  up  the  river  to 
traders,  who  in  turn  transmitted  in  payment,  by 
the  same  boats,  furs  and  lead.  But,  generally, 
the  savages  hovered  sullenly  around  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  settlements  in  the  territories 
of  Michigan  and  Illinois,  and  the  general  gov- 
ernment began  to  consider  in  earnest  how  the 
influence  of  British  intercourse  might  be 
checked,  for  the  savages  were  still  encouraged 
by  English  traders  in  their  unfriendly  disposi- 
tion and  supplied  with  arms  by  them.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  winter  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
Congress  prohibited  foreign  trade  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  United  States;  and,  in  the  summer 
following,  steps  were  taken  to  make  this  policy 
effectual,  by  establishing  a  chain  of  military 
posts  near  the  Canadian   frontier  and  upon  the 


HISTORY  OP  WISCONSIN. 


31 


principal  lines  of  communication  thence  into  the 
interior.  These  posts  were  to  be  occupied  by 
Indiaii  agents,  with  factories,  or  government 
stores,  designed  to  supply  the  place  of  the  pro- 
hibited traffic. 

On  the  21st  of  June,  1816,  United  States 
troops  took  possession  of  the  fort  at  Prairie  du 
Chien.  I)uring  the  next  month  three  schooners 
entered  Fox  river  of  Green  bay,  under  the 
American  flag,  displaying  to  the  astonished 
inhabitants  of  the  small  settlement  upon  that 
stream  near  its  mouth,  their  decks  covered  with 
government  troops.  They  were  under  command 
of  Col.  John  Miller,  of  the  Third  United  States 
Infantry,  whose  purpose  was  the  establishment 
of  a  garrison  near  the  head  of  the  bay.  The 
rendezvous  of  the  troops  was  upon  the  east  side 
some  distance  up  the  river,  and  was  called 
"Camp  Smith."  At  the  end  of  two  months  the 
garrison  was  established  in  barracks  enclosed 
with  a  stockade.  » lamp  Smith  was  occupied 
until  1820,  when  a  more  substantial  struc- 
ture was  erected  on  the  west  side  of  the 
stream  near  its  mouth, and  named  Fort  Howard. 

The  settlement  at  Green  Bay  was  made  up  at 
the  close  o'f  the  war,  of  about  forty  or  fifty 
French  Canadians.  The  inhabitants  (as  at 
Prairie  du  Chien)  were  now  for  a  time  the 
subjects  of  military  rule.  "They  received  the 
advent  of  the  troops  in  a  hospitable  spirit,  and 
acquiesced  in  the  authority  asserted  over  them, 
with  little  evidence  of  discontent,  maintaining 
a  character  for  docility  and  freedom  from  tur- 
bulence of  disposition  remarkably  in  contrast 
with  their  surroundings.  Military  authority 
was,  in  the  main,  exerteii  for  the  preservation 
of  order."  There  was  no  ciyil  authority  worth 
speaking  of.  It  was  at  a  period  when  important 
changes  were  taking  place.  That  sometimes 
military  authority,  under  such  circumstances, 
should  have  been  exercised  in  an  arbitrary 
manner,  is  not  at  all  a  matter  of  surprise.  "The 
conduct  of  the  soldiery  was  also  sometimes 
troublesome  and  offensive  ;  as  a  rule,  how- 
ever,   harmonious    relations    existed    between 


them  and  the  citizens.  The  abuses  were  only 
such  as  were  unavoidable,  in  the  absence  of  any 
lawful  restraint  on  the  one  hand,  or  means  of 
redress  on  the  other."  This  state  of  affairs  did 
not  long  continue,  as  initiatory  steps  were  not 
long  after  taken  to  extend  over  the  community 
both  here  and  at  Prairie  du  Chien  the  pro- 
tection of  civil  government. 

The  Indians  of  Wisconsin,  upon  the  arrival 
of  United  States  troops  at  Prairie  du  Chien  aii<l 
Green  ba^,  gave  evident  signs  of  a  disposition 
to  remain  friendly,  although  some  thought  the 
advent  of  soldiers  an  intrusion.  An  Indian 
agency  under  John  Boyer  and  a  United  States 
factory,  well  supplied  with  goods,  with  Major 
Matthew  Irwin  at  its  head,  were  soon  established 
at  the  bay  ;  a  factory  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
under  charge  of  John  W.  Johnson,  was  also 
started.  The  Menemonee  and  Winnebago  tribes, 
the  former  upon  Green  bay,  the  latter  upon  the 
Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  were  now  brought 
into  nearer  relations  with  the  United  States. 

WISCONSIN    AS    A   PART    OF    MICHIGAN  TERRITORY. 

Upon  the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the 
Union,  in  1818,  all  "the  territory  of  the  I'nited 
States,  northwest  of  the  River  Ohio,"  lying  west 
of  Michigan  territory  and  north  of  the  States  of 
Indiana  and  Illinois,  was  attached  to  and  made 
a  part  of  Michigan  territory;  by  which  act  the 
whole  of  the  present  State  of  Wisconsin  came 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  latter.  At  the 
close  of  the  last  war  with  Great  Britian,  Wis- 
consin began  in  earnest  to  be  occupied  by 
Americans.  But  the  latter  were  still  ftw  in 
number  when  the  country  west  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan was  attached  to  Michigan  territory.  Now, 
however,  that  the  laws  of  the  United  States  were 
in  reality  extended  over  them,  they  began  to 
feel  as  though  they  were  not  altogether  beyond 
the  protection  of  a  government  of  their  own, 
notwithstanding  ihey  were  surrounded  by 
Indian  tribes.  On  the  26th  of  Cctober,  1818, 
the  governor  of  the  territory  erected  by  procla- 
mation three  counties  lying  in  whole  or  in  part 
in  what  is  now   Wisconsin — Brown,  Crawford 


32 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


and  Michilitnackinac.  The  county  of  Michili- 
mackinac  not  only  included  all  of  the  present 
State  of  Wisconsin  lying  north  of  a  line  drawn 
due  west  from  near  the  head  of  the  Little  Noquet 
bay,  but  territory  east  and  west  of  it,  so  as  to 
reach  from  Lake  Huron  to  the  Mississippi  river. 
Its  county  seat  was  established  "at  the  Borough 
of  Miehilimackinac."  The  whole  area  in  Michi- 
gan territory  south  of  the  county  of  Miehili- 
mackinac, and  west  of  Lake  Michigan  formed  the 
two  counties  of  Brown  and  Crawford;  the 
former  to  include  the  area  east  of  a  line  drawn 
due  north  and  south  through  the  middle  of  the 
portage  between  the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay  and 
the  Wisconsin;  the  latter  to  include  the  whole 
region  west  of  that  line.  Prairie  du  Chien  was 
designated  as  the  county  seat  of  [Crawford; 
Green  Bay,  of  Brown  county.  On  the  22d  of 
December,  1826,  a  county  named  Chippewa  was 
formed  from  the  northern  portions  of  Miehili- 
mackinac, including  the  southern  shores  of  Lake 
Superior  throughout  its  entire  length,  and  ex- 
tending from  the  straits  leading  from  that  lake 
into  Lake  Huron,  west  to  the  western  boundary 
line  of  Michigan  territory,  with  the  county  seat 
"at  such  poitit  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Sault  de 
Ste.  Marie,  as  a  majority  of  the  county  com- 
missio-ers  to  be  appointed  shall  designate."' 
Embraced  within  this  county  — its  southern 
boundary  being  the  parallel  of  46  degrees  31  min- 
utes north  latitude—  was  all  the  territory  of  the 
present  State  of  VVisconsin  now  bordering  on 
Lake  Superior.  Brown  and  Crawford  counties 
were  soon  organized,  the  offices  being  filled  by 
appointments  of  the  governor.  County  courts 
were  also  established,  to  which  appeals  were 
taken  from  justices  of  the  peace.  In  January, 
IS23,  a  district  court  was  established  by  an  act 
of  Congress,  for  the  counties  last  mentioned, 
including  also  Miehilimackinac.  One  term 
(huing  the  year  was  held  in  each  county.  James 
Dnane  Doty  was  the  judge  of  this  court  to  May, 
1832,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  David  Irvin. 

1  he  United  States  were  not  unmindful  of  her 
citizens  to  the  westward  of  Lake  Michigan,  in 


several  other  important  matters.  Indian  agencies 
were  established;  treaties  were' held  with  some 
of  the  native  tribes,  and  land  claims  of  white 
settlers  at  Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien 
adjusted.  Postmasters  were  also  appointed  at 
these  two  places. 

In  1825  and  the  two  following  years,  a  general 
attention  was  called  to  the  lead  mines  in  what 
is  now  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  State. 
Different  places  therein  were  settled  with 
American  miners.  In  June,  1827,  the  Winne- 
bago Indians  became  hostile;  this  caused  the 
militia  of  Prairie  du  Chien  to  be  called  out. 
United  States  troops  ascended  the  Wisconsin 
river  to  quell  the  disturbance.  There  they  were 
joined  by  Illinois  volunteers,  and  the  Winneba- 
goes  awed  into  siibmission.  Fort  Winnebago 
was  thereupon  erected  by  the  general  govern- 
ment at  the  portage,  near  the  present  site  of 
Portage,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.  A  treaty  with  the 
Indians  followed,  and  there  was  no  more  trouble 
because  of  mining  operations  in  the  "lead 
region."  On  the  9th  of  October,  1829,  a  county 
was  formed  of  all  that  part  of  Crawford  lying 
south  of  the  Wisconsin,  and  named  Iowa.  In 
1831  tiie  United  States  purchased  of  the  Men- 
omonees  all  their  lands  east  of  Green  bay, 
Winnebago  lake  and  the  Fox  and  Milwaukee 
rivers.  The  general  government,  before  this 
date,  had,  at  several  periods,  held  treaties  with 
the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians.  And  the  time  had 
now  coTiie  when  the  two  tribes  were  to  have 
the  eastern  for  the  western  side  of  the  Misssi- 
sippi  river;  but  a  band  headed  by  Black  Hawk 
refused  to  leave  their  village  near  Kock  Island, 
111.  They  contended  that  they  had  not  sold 
their  town  to  the  United  States;  and  upon  their 
return  early  in  1831,  from  a  hunt  across  the 
Mississippi,  finding  their  village  and  fields  in 
possession  of  the  whites,  they  determined  to 
repossess  their  homes  at  all  hazards.  This  was 
looked  upon,  or  called,  an  encroachment  by  the 
settlers;  so  the  governor  of  Illinois  took  the 
responsibility  of  declaring  the  State  invaded, 
and  asked  the  United  States  to  drive  the  refrac- 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


33 


tory  Indians  beyond  the  Mississippi.  The 
result  was,  the  Indian  village  was  destroyed  by 
Illinois  volunteers.  l^liis  and  the  threatened 
advance  across  the  river  by  the  United  States 
commander,  brought  Black  Hawk  and  his  fol- 
lowers to  terms.  They  sued  for  peace — agree- 
ing to  remain  forever  on  the  west  side  of  tlie 
Mississippi.  Kut  this  truce  was  of  short  dura- 
tion. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1832,  Black  Hawk  hav- 
ing assembled  his  forces  on  the   Mississippi  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  locality  where  Fort  Madison 
had  stood,  crossed   that  stream    and    ascended 
Rock  river.     'I his  was  the  signal  for  war.    The 
governor  of  Illinois  made  a  call  for  volunteers, 
and    in    a    brief     space    of     time     1,800    had 
assembled    at  IJeanlstown,  Cass  county.     They 
marched  for  the  mouth  of   Rock  river,  where  a 
council    of    war  was   held   by  their   officers  and 
Brigadier-General  Henry  Atkinson,  of  the  reg- 
ular forces.     The   Indians  were   sent  word    by 
General  Atkinson  that  they  must  return  and  re- 
cross   the   Mississippi  or  they  would  be  driven 
back  by  force.     When  the  attemj)!  was  made  to 
compel    tlieui    to   go    back   a   collision   occuri-ed 
between  the  Illinois   militia  and  Black  Hawk's 
braves,    resulting    in    tlie    discomfiture    of    the 
former  with  the  loss  of  eleven  men.     Soon  af- 
terward  the   volunteers   were   discharged,    and 
the  first  campaign  of  Black  Hawk's  War  was  at 
an  end      This  was  in   May,  1832.     In  June  fol- 
lowing a   new  force    had    been    raised   and   put 
under  the  command  of    General  Atkinson,  who 
commenced  his  march   up  Rock   river.     Before 
this  there  had  been  a  general   ''forting"  in  the 
lead  region,  in  Illinois,  and  including  the  whole 
country  in  what   is  now  Southwest  Wisconsin, 
notwithstanding   which    a    number   of   setllers 
had  been  killed   by  the  savages,  mostly  in   Illi- 
nois.    Squads  of  volunteers,  in  two  or  three  in- 
stances, had   encountered   the  Indians,  and  in 
one  with  entire  success — upon  the  Pecatonica, 
in  the  present  Lafayette  Co.,  Wis. — every  sav- 
age (and  there  were  seventeen  of  them)  being 
killed.     The  loss  of  the  volunteers  was  three 


killed    and    wounded.     Atkinson's    march    up 
Rock  river  was  attended  with  some  skirmish- 
ing,   when,   being  informed   that  Black  Hawk 
and  his  force  were  at  Lake  Koshkonong,  in  the 
southwest  corner  of   what  is  now  Jefferson  Co., 
Wis.,   he    immediately   moved   thither   with    a 
portion  of  his  army,  where  the  whole  force  was 
ordered    to    concentrate.     But   the   Sac    chief, 
with    his    people,  liad    flown.     Colonels  Henry 
Dodge  and  James  D.  Henry,  with   the   forces 
under  them,  discovered  the  trail  of  the  savages, 
leading  in  the  direction  of  Wisconsin  river.     It 
was  evident  that  the  retreating  force  was  large, 
and  that  it  had  but  recently  passed.     The  pur- 
suing  troops    hastened    their   march.     On   the 
21st  of   July,    IS^a,  they    arrived  at  the   hills 
which  skirt  the    left   bank   of   that   stream,  in 
what  is   now  Roxbury  town   (township),  Dane 
county.     Here  was   Black  Hawk's  whole  force, 
including  women   and   children,  the  aged  and 
infirm,    hastening   by    every   effort    to    escape 
across  the   river.     But  that  this  might  now  be 
effected  it  became  necessary  for  that  chief  to 
make  a  firm  stand,  to  cover  the  retreat.     The 
Indians  were  in  the  bottom  lands  when  the  pur- 
suing whites   made   their  appearance   upon  the 
heights  in  tiieir  rear.     Colonel  Dodge  occupied 
the  front  and  sustained   the  first  attack  of  the 
Indians.     He  was  soon   joined  by  Henry  with 
his  force,  when   they  obtained  a  complete  vic- 
tory.    The  action   commenced  about  5  o'clock 
in    the    afternoon    and    ended   at   sunset.     The 
enemy  sustained  a  loss,  it  is  said,  of  about  sixty 
killed  and  a  large  number  wounded.*     The  loss 
of   the    Americans    was    one    killed    and    eight 
wounded.     During  the  following   night   Black 
Hawk  made  his  escape  down    the  Wisconsin. 
He  was  pursued  and  finally  brought  to  a  stand 
on  the  Mississippi  near  the  mouth   of  the   Bad 
Axe,  on  the  western   boundary  of  wliat  is  now 
Vernon   Co.,   Wis.;  and  on  the  2d  of  August 
attacked  on   all   sides  by  the   Americans,  who 
soon  obtained  a  complete  victory.    Black  Hawk 
escaped,   but   was   soon    after  captured.     This 
ended  the  war. 

*Black  Hawk  jjh-efl  a  vcvy  iliffcrcnt  at-cotint  as  to  his 
loss.  "In  this  skirmish."  says  he.  "with  fifty  braves  1  de- 
feu'lLMl  and  acoomjtlished  my  passage  over  the  Wjseonsiu 
with  a  lose  of  only  siz  men." 


34 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


The  survey  of  public  lands  to  which  the  In- 
dian title  had  been  extinguished;  the  erection 
of  Milwaukee  county  from  the  southern  part  of 
Brown;  the  changing  of  the  eastern  boundary 
of  Iowa  county  to  correspond  with  the  western 
one  of  Milwaukee  county;  the  attaching,  for 
judicial  purposes,  of  all  the  country  west  of  the 
Mississippi  river  and  north  of  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri to  the  territory  of  Michigan  in  1834,  and 
the  division  of  it  into  the  two  counties  of  Des 
Moines  and  Dubuque,  were  the  important  events 
following  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk  war. 
The    prospective    admission    of    the   State   of 


Michigan  into  the  Union,  to  include  all  that 
part  of  the  territory  lying  east  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, caused,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1836,  a  ses- 
sion (the  first  one)  of  the  seventh  territorial 
council,  to  legislate  for  so  much  of  the  terri- 
tory as  lay  to  the  westward  of  that  lake,  to  be 
held  at  Green  Bay,  when  a  memorial  was 
adopted,  asking  Congress  for  the  formation  of 
a  new  territory,  to  include  all  of  Michigan  ter- 
ritory not  to  be  admitted  as  a  State.  This  re- 
quest, it  will  now  be  seen,  was  soon  complied 
with  by  the  National  Legislature. 


CHAPTER      II.- 


WISCONSIN  AS  A  TERRITORY. 


The  Territory  of  Wisconsin*  was  erected  by 
act  of  Congress  of  April  20,  1836,  to  take  effect 
from  and   after  the   3d  day  of  July  following. 

*Wisconsin  takes,  its  name  from  its  principal  river, 
wliich  flrains  an  extensive  portion  of  its  surface.  It  rises  in 
I^ake  Vieux  Desert  (which  is  partly  in  Michigan  and  partly 
in  VVisconsinl,  flows  generally  a  south  course  to  Portage  in 
what  is  now  Columbia  county,  where  it  turns  to  the  south- 
we-it,  and  after  a  further  course  of  118  miles,  with  a  rapid 
cuiTent.  reaches  the  Mississippi  river,  four  miles  below  Prai- 
rie du  Chien.  Its  entire  lenerth  is  about  450  miles,  descending, 
in  that  distance,  a  little  more  than  1,000  feet.  Along  the 
lower  portion  of  the  stream  are  the  high  lands,  or  river  hills. 
Some  of  these  hills  present  high  and  precipitous  faces  to- 
ward the  water.  Others  terminate  in  knobs.  The  name  is 
supposed  to  have  been  taken  from  this  feature;  the  word 
being  derived  from  mi^-is^  great,  and  o.s-.s/k.  a  stone  or  rock. 

Compare  Shea's  Dfemiicrw  and  ExiihnatUinof  the  Missti- 
finpi,  pp.  6  (note>  and  268;  Foster's  Missusippi  Valley,  v.  2 
(note);  Schoolcraft's  Tliirty  Tears  with  the  Indian  TnheJ<,  p. 
2  '0  and  note. 

Two  definitions  of  the  word  are  current— as  widely  differ- 
ing from  eacli  other  as  from  the  one  just  given.  (See  Wis. 
Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,  Vol.  I  ,  p.  Ill,  and  Webster's  Die,  Una- 
hrldged.  p. 1632.)  The  first— "the  gathering  of  the  waters"— 
has  no  corresponding  words  in  Algonquin  at  all  resembling 
the  name;  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  second — "wild  rush- 
ing channel."    (SeeOtchipwe  Die.  of  Kev.  F.  Baraga. 

Since  first  used  by  the  French  the  word  '  'Wisconsin"  has 
undergone  considerable  change.  On  the  map  by  Joliet,  re- 
cently brought  to  light  by  Gravier,  it  is  given  as  "Miskon- 
s'Qg."  In  Marquette's  .iournal,  published  by  Thevenot,  in 
Paris.  1681.  it  is  noted  as  the  "Meskousing."  It  appeared 
there  for  the  first  time  in  print.  Hennepin,  in  1683,  wrote 
■•Onisconsin"  and  "Misconsin;"  Charlevoix.  1743,  "Ouis- 
consin;"  Carver.  1766,  "Onisconsin"  (English— "Wiscon- 
sin"); since  which  lasr  mentioned  date  the  orthography  has 
been  uniform.— Butterfleld's  Dwc<)very  of  the  Northwest  in 
1634. 


It  was  made  to  include  all  that  part  of  the  late 
Michigan  territory  described  within  boundaries 
"commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  running  thence  through  the 
middle  of  Lake  Michigan  to  a  point  opposite 
the  main  channel  of  Green  bay;  thence  through 
that  channel  and  the  bay  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Menomonee  river;  thence  up  that  stream  to  its 
head,  which  is  nearest  the  lake  of  the  Desert; 
thence  to  the  middle  of  that  lake;  thence  down 
the  Montreal  river  to  its  mouth;  thence  with  a 
direct  line  across  Lake  Superior  to  where  the 
territorial  line  of  the  United  States- 1  ast  touches 
the  lake  northwest;  thence  on  the  north,  with 
the  territorial  line,  to  the  White  Earth  river; 
on  the  west  by  a  line  drawn  down  the  middle 
of  the  main  cliannel  of  that  stream  to  the  Mis- 
souri river,  and  down  the  middle  of  the  main 
channel  of  the  last  mentioned  stream  to  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  State  of  Missouri;  and 
thence  with  the  boundaries  of  the  States  of 
Missouri  and  Illinois,  as  already  fixed  by  act  of 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


35 


Congress,  to  the  place  or  point  of  beginning." 
Its  counties  were  Brown,  Milwaulcee,  Iowa, 
Crawford,  Dubuque  and  Des  Moines,  with  a 
portion  of  Chippewa  and  Michiliniackinac  un- 
organized. Henry  Dodge  was  commissioned 
governor  April  80,  1836;  Charles  Dunn,  chief 
justice,  and  David  Irvin  and  William  C.  Frazer 
associate  justices;  by  Andrew  Jackson,  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  The  following  wei'e 
the  secretaries,  attorneys  and  marshals,  with 
the  dates  of  their  commissions  who  held 
office  while  the  territory  was  in  existence  : 

.SBCBETARIES. 

John  S.  Horner,  May  6,  1836;  William  B. 
Slaughter,  Feb.  16,  1837;  Francis  I.  Dunn,  Jan. 
■25,1841;  Alexander  P.  Field,  April  23,  1841; 
George  Floyd,  Oct.  30,  1843;  John  Catlin,  Feb. 
24,  1846. 

UNITED    STATE.S    .ATTORNEYS. 

W.  W.  Chapman,  May  6,  1836;  INIoses  M. 
Strong,  July  5,  1838;  Thomas  W.  Sutherland, 
April  27,  1841;  William  P.  Lynde,  July  14, 
1845. 

UNITEIl    STATES    MAUSHALS. 

Francis  Gehon,  May  6,  1836;  Edward  James, 
June  19,  1838;  Daniel  Hugunin,  March  15, 
1841;  Charles  M.  Prevost,  Aug.  31,  1844;  John 
S.  Rockwell,  March  14,  1845. 

The  first  important  measure  to  be  looked  af- 
ter by  Governor  Dodge  upon  his  assuming,  in 
the  spring  of  1836,  the  executive  chair  of  the 
territory  was  tiie  organization  of  the  territorial 
Legislature.  A  census  showed  the  following 
population  east  of  the  Mississippi  :  Milwaukee 
county,  2,893;  Brown  county,  2,706;  Crawford 
county,  850;  Iowa  county,  5,234.  Total,  11,683. 
The  enumeration  for  the  two  counties  west  of 
the  Mississippi  was — Des  Moines,  6,257;  Du- 
buque, 4,274.  Total,  10,531.  The  population, 
therefore,  of  both  sides  of  the  river  aggregated 
22,214.  The  legislative  apportionment,  made 
by  the  governor,  gave  to  the  territory  thirteen 
councilmen  and  twenty-six  representatives. 
These,  of  course,  were  to  be  elected  by  the  peo- 
ple.    The    election    was    held    Oct.    10,   1836. 


Belmont,  in  the  present  county  of  Lafayette, 
Wis.,  was  appointed  as  the  place  for  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Legislature,  where  the  first  session 
began  October  25.  A  quorum  of  each  house 
was  in  attendance-.  Henry  S.  Baird,  of  Green 
Bay,  was  elected  president  of  the  council,  and 
Peter  IT.  Engle  speaker  of  the  house. 

The  following  persons  served  as  presidents 
of  the  council  while  Wisconsin  was  a  territory  : 

First  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Henry  S.  Baird,  Brown  county. 

Second  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Arthur  R.  Ingraham,  Des  Moines  county. 

Special  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Arthur  R.  Ingraham,  Des  Moines  county. 

First  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
William  Bullen,  Racine  county. 

Second  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
James  Collins,  Iowa  county. 

Third  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
James  Collins,  Iowa  county. 

Fourth  (extra)  session,  second  Legislative 
Assembly,  William  A.  Prentiss,  Milwaukee 
county. 

First  session,  third  Legislative  Assembly, 
James  Maxwell,  Walworth  county. 

Second  session,  tliii-d  Legislative  Assembly, 
James  Collins,  Iowa  county. 

First  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Moses  M.  Strong,  Iowa  county. 

Second  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Marshal  M.  Strong,  Racine  county. 

Third  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Moses  M.  Strong,  Iowa  county. 

Fourth  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Nelson  Dewey,  Grant  county. 

First  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Horatio  N.  Wells,  Milwaukee  county. 

Special  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Horatio  N.  Wells,  Milwaukee  county. 

Second  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Horatio  N.  Wells,  Milwaukee  county. 

The  following  persons  served  as  speakers  of 
the  House  during  the  coritiiiu.uice  of  Wiscon- 
sin territory  : 


36 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


First    session,    first    Legislative    Assembly, 
Peter  H.  Engle,  Dubuque  county. 

Second    session,  first   Legislative    Assembly, 
Isaac  Leffler,  Des  Moines  county. 

Special    session,  first   Legislative    Assembly, 
William  B.  Sheldon,  Milwaukee  county. 

First  session,  second    Legislative    Assembly, 
John  W.  Blackstone,  Iowa  connty. 

Second  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
Lucius  I.  Barber,  Milwaukee  county. 

Tliird  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
Edward  V.  Wliiton,  Rock  county. 

Fourth    (extra)    session,    second    Legislative 
Assembly,  Nelson  Dewey,  Grant  county. 

First    session,   third    Legislative    Assembly, 
David  Newland,  Iowa  county. 

Second  session,  thiid    Legislative    Assembly 
David  Newland,  Iowa  county. 

First  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Albert  G.  Ellis,  Portage  county. 

Second  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
George  H.  Walker,  Milwaukee  coun.ty. 

Third  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
George  II.  Walker,  Milwaukee  county. 

Fourth  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Mason  C.  Darling,  Fond  du  Lac  county. 

First  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assemb'y, 
William  Shew,  Milwaukee  county. 

Special  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Isaac  P.  Walker,  Milwaukee  county. 

Second  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Timothy  Burns,  Iowa  county. 

Each  of  the  three  branches  of  the  infant  gov- 
ernment was  now  (October,  1836)  in  working 
order,  except  that  it  remained  for  the  Legisla- 
tive Assembly  to  divide  the  territory  into  three 
judicial  districts,  the  number  required  bv  the 
organic  act,  and  make  an  assignment  of  the 
judges.  This  was  speedily  done.  Crawford 
and  Iowa  constituted  the  first  district,  to  which 
the  chief  justice  was  assigned;  Dubuque  and 
Dcs  Moines  the  second,  to  which  judge  Irvin 
was  assigned;  and  Judge  Frazer  to  the  third, 
consisting  of  Milwaukee  and  Brown  counties. 
The  principal  matters   engaging   the  attention 


of  the  legislators  were  the  permanent  location 
of  the  eapitol,  the  erection  of  new  counties  and 
the  location  of  county  seats.  Madison  was  fixed 
upon  as  the  seat  of  government;  and  nine  coun- 
ties were  erected  east  of  the  Mississippi:  Wal 
worth,  Racine,  Jefferson,  Dane,  Dodge,  Wash- 
ington, Rock,  Grant  and  Green.  West  of  the 
river  six  counties  were  set  off:  Lee,  Van 
Buren,  Henry,  Louisa,  Muscatine  and  Cook. 
The  Legislature  adjourned  sine  die,  Dec.  9, 
1886.  The  first  term  of  the  supreme  couit  was 
held  at  Belmont  on  the  the  8th  day  of  Decem- 
ber, of  that  year.  The  appointment  of  a  clerk, 
crier  and  reporter,  and  the  admission  of  several 
attorneys  to  practice,  com2>lcted  the  business  of 
the  first  term.  The  following  persons  served 
as  clerks  while  Wisconsin  was  a  territory: 

John  Catlin,  appointed  at  December  term, 
J 836;  Simeon  Mills,  appointed  at  July  term, 
1839;  La  Fayette  Kellogg,  appointed  at  July 
term,  1840.  Gov.  Dodge,  appointed  Dec.  8,  1836, 
Henry  S.  Baird,  as  attorney  general.  His 
successors  were  as  follows: 

Horatio  N.  Wells,  appointed  by  Gov.  Dodge, 
March  30,  1839;  Mortimer  M.  Jackson,  ap- 
pointed by  Gov.  Dodge,  Jan.  26,  1842;  William 
Pitt  Lynde,  appointed  by  Gov.  Tallmage,  Feb. 
22,  184.5;  A.  Hyatt  Smith,  appointed  by  Gov. 
Dodge  Aug.  4,  1845.  Upon  the  organization  of 
the  territory  in  1836,  it  was  necessary  that  it 
should  be  represented  in  the  National  Legisla- 
ture; so  on  the  day  of  tbe  election  of  the  terri- 
torial Legislature,  George  W.  Jones,  of  Iowa 
county,  was  chosen  a  delegate  in  Congress.  His 
successors  were: 

James  Duane  Doty,  elected  Sept.  10,  1838; 
James  Duane  Doty,  elected  Aug.  5,  1840;  Henry 
Dodge,  elected  Sept.  27,  1841;  Henry  Dodge, 
elected  Sept.  25,  1843;  Morgan  L.  Martin, 
elected  Sept.  22,  1845;  John  H.  Tweedy, 
elected  Sept.  6,  1847. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1836,  there  was  no 
land  in  market  east  of  the  Mississippi,  except  a 
narrow  strip  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan, 
and  in  the  vicinity  of   Green  bay.     The  residue 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


37 


of  the  country  south  and  east  of  the  Wisconsin 
and  Fox  rivers  was  open  only  to  pre-emption  by 
actual  settlers.  The  Indian  tribes  still  claimed 
a  large  portion  ot  tlie  lands.  On  the  north  were 
located  the  Chippewas.  The  southern  limits 
of  their  possessions  were  defined  by  a  line  drawn 
from  a  point  on  that  stream  in  about  latitude 
46  degrees  31  minutes  in  a  southeasterly  direc- 
tion to  the  head  of  Lake  St.  Croix;  tlience  in 
the  same  general  direction  to  what  is  now 
Stevens  Point,  in  the  present  Portage  Co.,  W's.; 
thence  nearly  east  to  Wolf  river;  and  thence  in 
a  direction  nearly  northeast  to  the  Menomonee 
river.  Between  the  Wisconsin  river  and  the 
Mississippi,  and  extending  north  to  the  south 
line  of  the  Chippewas  was  the  territory  of  th» 
Winnebagoes.  East  of  the  Winnebagocs  in  the 
country  north  of  the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay 
were  located  the  Menomonees,  their  lands  ex- 
tending to  Wolf  river.  Such  was  the  general 
outline  of  Indian  occupancy  in  Wisconsin  terri- 
tory, east  of  the  Mississippi,  at  its  organization. 
A  portion  of  the  country  east  of  Wolf  river  and 
north  of  Green  bay  and  the  Fox  river;  the 
whole  of  the  area  lying  south  of  Green  bay. 
Fox  river  and  the  Wisconsin,  constituted  the 
extent  of  country  over  which  the  Indians  had 
no  claim.  In  this  region,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
a  populatian  of  about  12,000,  it  was  made  np 
of  the  scattered  settlers  at  the  lead  mines; 
the  military  establishments,  (Fort  Crawford, 
Fort  Winnebago  and  Fort  Howard),  and  settle- 
ments at  or  near  them;  and  the  village  of 
Milw  aukee;  these  were  about  all  the  parts  of 
the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi,  at  that 
date,  occupied  to  any  extent  by  the  white.i. 

The  second  session  of  the  first  Legislative  As- 
sembly of  the  territory  of  Wisconsin,  began  at 
Burlington,  now  the  county  seat  of  Des  Moines 
Co.,  Iowa,  Nov.  6,  1837,  and  adjourned  Jan.  20, 
1838,  to  the  second  Monday  of  June  following. 
The  principal  acts  p.asse  1  were,  one  for  inking 
another  census;  one  abolishing  imprisonment  for 
debt;  another  regulating  the  sale  of  school 
lands  and  to  prepare  for  organizing,  reg- 
ulating and  perfecting  schools.  There 
was,    also     one      passed       incorporating       the 


Milwaukee  and  Rock  River  Canal  Company. 
This  was  approved  by  the  governor,  Jan.  5, 
1838.  By  an  act  of  Congress  approved  June  18 
of  the  same  year,  a  grant  of  land  was  made  to 
aid  in  the  construction  of  the  canal.  The  grant 
consisted  of  the  odd-numbered  sections  on  a 
belt  of  ten  miles  in  width  from  Lake  Michigan 
to  Rock  river,  amounting  to  139,190  acres.  Of 
those  lands  43,447  acres  were  sold  at  public 
sale  in  July,  1839,  at  the  minimum  price 
of  $2.50  per  acre.  Work  was  commenced  on 
the  canal  at  Milwaukee,  and  the  Milwaukee 
river  for  a  short  distance  from  its  outlet  was 
improved  by  the  construction  of  a  dam  across 
the  river,  which  was  made  available  for  manu- 
facturing and  other  purposes.  A  canal  was 
also  built  about  a  mile  in  length  and  foity 
feet  wide,  leading  from  it  down  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  river.  Much  dissatisfaction  subse- 
quently arose;  the  purchasers  at  this  sale,  and 
others  occupying  these  canal  and  i-eserveil 
lands  felt  the  injustice  of  being  compelled  to 
pay  double  price  for  their  lands,  and  efforts 
were  made  to  repeal  all  laws  authorizing  fur- 
ther sales,  and  to  ask  Congress  to  repeal  the  act 
making  this  grant.  The  legislation  on  the  sub- 
ject of  this  grant  is  voluminous.  In  1862  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  passed  an  act  to  ascer- 
tain and  settle  the  liabilities,  if  any,  of  Wis- 
consin and  the  company,  and  a  board  of  com- 
missioners was  appointed  for  that  purpose.  At 
the  session  of  the  Legislature  in  1863,  the  com- 
mittee made  a  report  with  a  lengthy  opinion  of 
the  attorney-general  of  the  State.  The  views 
of  that  officer  were,  that  the  company  had  no 
valid  claims  for  damages  against  the  State.  In 
this  opinion  the  commissioners  concurred.  On 
the  23d  of  March,  1875,  an  act  was  approved  by 
the  governor,  giving  authority  to  the  attorney- 
general  to  discharge  and  release  of  record  any 
mortgage  before  executed  to  the  late  territory 
of  Wisconsin  given  to  secure  the  purchase 
money  or  any  part  thereof  of  any  lands  granted 
by  Congress  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  this 
canal.     The  quantity  of  lands  unsold    was   sub- 


38 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


sequently  made  a  part  of  the  500,000  acre  tract 
granted  by  Congress  for  school  purposes.  It  is 
believed  the  whole  matter  is  now  closed 
against  further  legislative  enactments. 

There  was  another  important  act  passed  by 
the  territorial  Legislature  of  1837-8,  by  which 
fourteen  counties  were  erected,  but  all  of  tliem 
west  of  the  iMississippi.  The  census  having 
been  taken  in  May,  a  special  session  of  the 
first  Legislative  Assembly  was  commenced  June 
11, 1838,  at  Burlington,  continuing  to  June  25,  of 
that  year.  This  session  was  pursuant  to  an 
adjournment  of  the  previous  one,  mainly  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a  new  apportionment  of 
members.  The  population  of  the  several 
counties  east  of  the  Mississippi  was,  by  the 
May  census,  18,149.  By  an  act  of  Congress, 
approved  June  12,  1838,  it  was  provided  that 
from  and  alter  the  3d  day  of  July  following,  all 
that  part  of  Wisconsin  territory  lying  west  of 
that  river  and  west  of  a  line  drawn  due  north 
from  its  headwaters  or  sources  to  the  territorial 
line  for  the  purposes  of  a  territorial  govern- 
ment should  be  set  apart  and  known  by  the 
name  of  Iowa.  It  was  further  enacted  that 
the  territory  of  Wisconsin  should  thereafter 
extend  westward  only  to  the  Mississippi.  Be- 
cause of  the  passage  of  this  act,  the  one  passed 
at  the  special  session  of  the  territorial  Legisla- 
ture making  an  api)ortionment  of  members,  be- 
came nugatory — that  duty  now  devolving 
upon  Gov.  Doty.  On  the  third  Monday  of  July, 
1838,  the  annual  term  of  supreme  court  was 
held  at  Madison  this,  of  course,  being  the  first 
one  after  the  re-organization  of  the  territory; 
the  previous  one  was  not  held,  as  there  was  no 
business  for  the  court.  On  the  18th  of  October, 
Judge  Frazer  died,  and  on  the  8th  of  Novem- 
ber, Andrew  G.  Miller  was  appointed  his  suc- 
cessor, by  Martin  Van  Buren,  President  of  the 
United  States. 

The  Legislature  of  the  re-organized  territory 
of  Wisconsin  met  at  Madison  for  the  first  time 
— it  being  the  first  session  of  the  second  Legis- 
lative Assembly — Nov.  26,  1838.     Its  attention 


was  directed  to  the  mode  in  which  the  commis- 
sioners of  public  buildings  had  discharged  their 
duties.  There  was  an  investigation  of  three 
banks  then  in  operation  in  the  territory — one 
at  Green  Bay,  one  at  Mineral  Point,  and  the 
other  at  Milwaukee.  A  plan,  also,  for  the 
revision  of  the  laws  of  the  territory  was  con- 
sidered. A  new  assignment  was  made  for  the 
liolding  of  district  courts.  Chief  Justice  Dunn 
was  assigned  to  the  first  district,  composed  of 
the  counties  of  Iowa,  Grant  and  Crawford; 
Judge  Irvin  to  the  second,  composed  of  the 
counties  of  Dane,  Jefferson,  Rock,  Walworth 
and  Green;  while  Judge  Miller  was  assigned  to 
the  third  district,  composed  of  Milwaukee, 
Brown  and  Racine  counties — including  therein 
the  unorganized  counties  of  Washington  and 
Dodge,  which,  for  judicial  purposes,  were, 
when  constituted,  by  name  and  boundary,  at- 
tached to  Milwaukee  county.  '!  he  Legislature 
adjourned  on  the  22d  of  December,  to  meet 
again  on  the  21st  of  the  following  month.  The 
census  having  been  taken  during  the  year,  it 
was  found  that  the  territory  had  a  population 
v-f  18,130,  an  increase  in  two  years,  of  0,447. 
The  second  session  of  the  second  Legislative 
Assembly  began  Jan.  21,  1839,  agreeable  to 
adjournment.  An  act  was  passed  during  this  ses- 
sion legalizing  a  revision  of  the  laws  which  had 
been  perfected  by  a  committee  previously;  this 
act  took  effect  July  4,  and  composed  the  princi- 
pal part  of  the  laws  forming  the  revised  statutes 
of  1839.  The  session  ended  March  11,  1839. 
On  the  8th  of  March  of  this  year,  Henry  Dodge,, 
whose  term  for  three  years  as  governor  was 
about  to  expire,  was  again  commissioned  by 
the  President  of  the  United  States.  At  the 
July  term  of  the  supreme  court,  all  the  judges 
were  present,  and  several  cases  were  heard  and 
decided.  A  seal  for  the  court  was  also  adopted. 
From  this  time,  the  supreme  court  met  annu- 
ally, as  provided  by  law,  until  Wisconsin  be- 
came a  State. 

The   next  Legislature  assembled  at  Madison, 
on    the   2d    of  December,    1839.     This  was  the 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


39 


third  session  of  the  second  Legislative  Assem- 
bly of  the  territory.  The  term  for  which  mem- 
bers of  the  house  were  elected  would  soon 
expire  ;  it  was  therefore  desirable  that  a  new 
apportionment  should  be  made.  As  the  census 
would  be  taken  the  ensuing  June,  by  tlie 
United  States,  it  would  be  unnecessary  for  tiie 
territory  to  make  an  additional  enumeration. 
A  short  session  was  resolved  upon,  and  tla-n 
an  adjournment  until  after  the  completion  of 
the  census.  One  of  the  subjects  occupying 
largely  the  attention  of  the  members,  was  the 
condition  of  the  eapitol,  and  the  conduct  of  tiie 
commissioners  intrusted  with  the  money  ap- 
propriated by  Congress  to  defray  the  cost  of  its 
construction.  These  commissioners  were  James 
Duane  DoLy,  A.  A.  Bird  and  John  F.  O'Neill. 
They  received  their  appointment  from  the 
general  government.  Work  began  on  the 
building  in  June,  1837,  the  corner  stone  being 
laid  with  apiiropriate  ceremonies  July  4.  During 
that  year  and  the  previous  one,  Congress  ap- 
piopriated  §40,000,  Dane  county  i!4,00ii,  and 
the  territorial  Legislature,  about  816,000,  for 
the  structure  ;  so  that  the  entire  cost  was  about 
-j;(30,000.  The  building,  when  finished,  was  a 
substantial  structure,  which,  in  architectural 
design  and  convenience  of  arrangement,  com- 
pared favorably  with  the  capitols  of  adjacent 
and  older  States.  The  eapitol  proving  inade- 
quale  to  the  growing  wants  of  the  State,  the 
Legislature  of  1857  provided  for  its  enlarge- 
ment. By  this  act,  the  commissioners  of  school 
and  university  lands  were  directed  to  sell  the 
ten  sections  of  land  appropriated  by  Congress 
"for  tiie  completion  of  public  \)uildings,"  and 
ap])ly  the  proceeds  toward  enlarging  and  im- 
proving the  State  eapitol.  The  State  also  ap- 
propriated $30,000  for  the  same  object,  and 
§50,000  was  given  by  the  city  of  Madison. 
The  governor  and  secretary  of  State  were 
made  commissioners  for  conducting  tlie  work, 
which  was  begun  in  the  fall  of  1857,  and  con- 
tinued from  year  to  year  until  1869,  wlien  the 
dome  was  completed.     The  Legislature  of  1882 


appropriated  $200,000  for  the  construction  of 
two  transverse  wings  to  the  eapitol  building, 
one  on  the  north  and  the  otlier  on  the  south 
sides  thereof,  in  order  to  provide  additional 
room  for  the  State  historical  society,  the 
supreme  court,  the  State  library,  and  for  the 
increasing  work  of  the  State  offices.  The  gov- 
ernor, secretary  of  State,  attorney  general, 
with  others,  representing  the  supreme  court 
and  the  historical  society,  were  made  commis- 
sioners for  carrying  out  the  work.  The  cost 
will  be  within  the  amount  appropriated  by  the 
State.  The  total  appropriations  for  the  en- 
largement of  the  eapitol  and  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  park,  to  the  present  time,  are  -5629, 
992.54.  This  does  not  include  the  sum  of 
$G,500  appropriated  in  1875,  for  macadamizing 
to  the  center  of  the  streets  around  the  park, 
nor  the  $200,000  appropriated  in  1882.  The 
park  is  914  feet  square,  cornering'  north,  south, 
east  and  west,  contains  fourteen  and  four-tenths 
acres,  and  is  situated  on  an  elevation  command- 
ing a  view  of  the  third  and  fourth  lakes  and 
the  surrounding  country.  In  the  center  of  the 
square  stands  the  eapitol.  The  height  of  the 
building  from  the  basement  to  the  top  of  the 
flag  staff  is  2254-  feet,  while  the  total  length  ui 
its  north  and  south  wings,  exclusive  of  steps 
and  porticoes,  with  the  addition  of  the  new 
wings,  is  396  feet,  and  of  the  east  and  west 
wings,  226  feet. 

The  Legislature  of  1839-40,  adjourned  Janu- 
ary 13,  to  meet  again  on  the  3d  of  the  ensuing 
August.  The  completion  of  the  federal  census 
of  1840  showed  a  population  for  the  territory  of 
30,744.  Upon  the  re-assembling  of  the  Legisla- 
ture— which  is  known  as  the  extra  session  of 
the  second  Legislative  Assembly— some  changes 
were  made  in  the  apportionment  of  members  to 
the  House  of  Representatives.  The  session 
lasted  but  a  few  days,  a  final  adjournment 
taking  place  Aug.  14,  1840.  The  first  session 
of  the  third  Legislative  Assembly  began  Dec.  7, 
1840,  and  ended  Feb.  19,  1841,  with  only  three 
members  who  had  served  in  the  previous  Assem- 


40 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


bly.  All  had  recently  been  elected  under  the 
new  apportionment. 

On  the  13th  of  September,  1841,  Gov.  Dodge 
was  removed  from  office  by  John  Tyler,  then 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  James 
Puane  Doty  appointed  in  his  place,  the  com- 
mission of  the  latter  being  dated  the  5th  of 
October  following. 

The  second  session  of  the  third  Legislative 
Assembly  began  at  Madison,  on  the  6th  of 
December,  1841.  Gov.  Doty,  in  his  message  to 
that  body,  boldly  avowed  the  doctrine  that  no 
law  of  the  territory  was  effective  until  expres.sly 
approved  by  Congress.  This  construction  of 
the  organic  act  resulted  in  a  lengthy  warfare 
between  the  governor  and  the  Legislative  As- 
sembly. On  the  11th  of  February,  1842,  an 
event  occurred  in  the  Legislative  council,  caus- 
ing a  great  excitement  over  the  whole  territory. 
On  that  day,  Charles  C.  P.  Arndt,  a  member 
from  Brown  county,  was,  while  that  body  was 
in  session,  shot  dead  by  James  R.  Vineyard,  a 
member  from  Grant  county.  The  difficulty- 
grew  out  of  a  debate  on  a  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table  the  nomination  of  Enos  S.  Baker  to  the 
office  of  sheriff  of  Grant  county.  Immediately 
before  adjournment  of  the  council,  the  parties 
who  had  come  together,  after  loud  and  angry 
words  had  been  spoken,  were  separated  by  the 
by-standers.  When  an  adjournment  had  been 
announced,  they  met  again  ;  whereupon  Arndt 
struck  at  Vineyard.  The  latter  then  drew  a 
pistol  and  shot  Arndt.  He  died  in  a  few  mo- 
ments. Vineyard  immediately  surrendered  him- 
self to  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  waived  an  ex- 
amination, and  was  committed  to  jail.  After  a 
short  confinement,  he  was  brought  before  the 
chief  justice  of  the  territory,  on  a  writ  of  habeas 
cor2)us,  and  admitted  to  bail.  He  was  after- 
ward indicted  for  manslaughter,  was  tried  and 
acquitted.  Three  days  after  shooting  Arndt, 
Vineyard  sent  in  his  resignation  as  member  of 
the  council.  That  body  refused  to  receive  it, 
or  to  have  it  read  even  ;  but  at  once  expelled 
him.     The  second  and  last  session  of  the  third 


Legislative  Assembly  came  to  a  close  Feb.  18, 
1842. 

For  the  next  six  years  there  were  seven  ses- 
sions of  the  territorial  legislature,  as  follows: 
First  session,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Dec.  5,  1842,  ended  April  17,  1843; 
second  sesssion,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Dec.  4,  1843,  ended  Jan.  31,  1844; 
third  session,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Jan.  6,  1845,  ended  Feb.  24,  1845; 
fourth  session,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Jan  5, 1846,  ended  Feb.  3,  1846;  first  ses- 
sion,5th  Legislative  Assembly, commenced  Jan. 4, 
1847,  ended  Feb.  11,  1847;  special  session,  5th 
Legislative  Assembly,  commenced  Oct.  18, 
1847,  ended  Oct.  27,  1847;  second  session,  5th 
Legislative  Assembly,  commenced  Feb.  7,  1848, 
ended  March  13,  1848. 

The  members  of  the  first  session  of  the 
fourth  legislative  assembly  had  been  elected 
unded  a  new  apportionment  based  upon  a 
census  taken  in  June,  showing  a  total  popula- 
tion of  46,678.  In  each  house  there  was  a 
democratic  majority.  Gov.  Doty  was  a 
whig.  It  was  a  stormy  session.  After  the  two 
houses  had  organized,  the  governor  refused  to 
communicate  with  them,  as  a  body  legally 
assembled,  according  to  the  organic  act,  he 
claiming  that  no  appropriation  for  that  object 
had  been  made  by  Congress.  The  houses  cor.- 
tinued  in  session  until  the  10th  day  of  De6ember, 
when  they  adjourned  until  the  13th  of  January, 
1843,  they  having  meanwhile  made  representa- 
tion to  the  National  Legislature,  then  in  session, 
of  the  objections  of  the  governor.  It  was  not 
until  the  -ith  of  February  that  a  quorum  in  both 
houses  had  assembled.  Previous  to  this.  Con- 
gress had  made  an  appropriation  to  cover  the 
expenses  of  the  session;  and  the  governor,  on 
the  13th  of  January,  had  issued  a  proclamation 
convening  a  special  session  on  the  6th  ofMarch. 
Both  houses  in  February  adjourned  to  the  day 
fixed  by  the  governor,  which  ended  the  troubles; 
and  the  final  adjournment  took  place,  as  already 
stated,  April  17,  1843.  Nathaniel  P.  Tallmadge 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


41 


was  appointed  governor  in  place  of  Doty  on 
the  21st  of  June,  1844,  his  commission  bearing 
flate  the  16th  of  September.  James  K.  Polk 
having  been  elected  President  of  tl;e  United 
States  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  Henry  Dodge 
was  again  put  in  the  executive  chair  of  the  ter- 
ritory, receiving  his  appointment  April  8,  1845, 
and  being  commissioned  May  13  following. 

It  was  during  the  fourth  session  of  the  fourth 
legislative  assembly  that  preliminary  stci)s 
were  taken,  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of 
a  State  government.  The  first  Tuesday  in 
April,  1846,  was  the  day  fixed  upon  for  the 
people  to  vote  for  or  against  the  proposition. 
When  taken  it  resulted  in  a  large  majority 
voting  in  favor  of  the  measure.  An  act  was 
passed  providing  for  taking  the  census  of  the 
territory,  and  for  the  apportionment  by  the 
governor  of  delegates  to  form  a  State  constitu- 
tion, based  upon  the  new  enumeration.  The 
delegates  were  to  be  elected  on  the  first  Mon- 
day in  September,  and  the  convention  was  to 
assemble  on  the  first  Monday  in  October,  1846. 
The  constitution  when  formed  vvas  to  be  sub- 
milted  to  the  vote  of  the  people  for  adoption  or 
rejection,  as,  at  the  close  of  the  session,  the 
the  terms  of  members  of  the  council  who  had 
been  elected  for  four  years,  and  of  the  house, 
«  ho  had  been  elected  for  two  years,  all  ended. 
The  legislature  re-organized  the  election  dis- 
tricts, and  conferred  on  the  governor  the  power 
and  duty  of  making  an  apportionment,  based  on 
the  census  to  be  taken,  for  the  next  Legislative 
Assembly,  when,  on  the  3d  of  February,  1846, 
both  houses  adjourned  sine  die.  The  census 
taken  in  the  following  June  showed  a  popula- 
tion for  the  territory  of  155,217.  Delegates 
having  been  elected  to  form  a  constitution  for 
the  proposed  new  State,  met  at  Madison  on  the 
5th  day  of  October.  After  completing  their 
labors,  they  adjourned.  This  event  took  place 
on  the  16th  of  December,  1846.  The  constitu- 
tion  thus  formed  was  submitted    to  a   popular 


vote  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April,  1847,  and 
rejected.  A  special  session  of  the  legislature, 
to  take  action  concerning  the  admission  of  Wis- 
consin into  the  Union  began  Oct.  18,  1847,  ami 
a  law  was  passed  for  the  holding  of  another 
convention  to  frame  a  constitution.  Delegates 
to  the  new  convention  were  elected  on  the  last 
Monday  of  November,  and  that  body  met  at 
Madison  the  15th  of  December,  1847.  A  census 
of  the  teriitory  was  taken  this  year,  which 
showed  a  population  of  210,546.  The  result  of 
the  labors  of  the  second  constitutional  conven- 
tion was  the  formation  of  a  constitution, 
which,  being  submitted  to  the  people  on  the 
second  Monday  of  March,  1848,  was  duly  ratified. 
On  the  29lh  of  May,  1848,  by  act  of  Congress, 
Wisconsin  became  a  State. 

It  may  be  here  premised  that  the  western 
boundary  of  the  new  State  left  out  a  full  or- 
ganized county,  with  a  sheriff,  clerk  of  court, 
judge  of  probate,  and  justices  of  the  peace.  A 
bill  had  been  introduced  at  a  previous  session 
in  Congress, by  Morgan  L.  Martin,  the  delegate 
from  Wisconsin,  to  organize  a  territorial  govern- 
ment for  Mii\nesota,  including  the  district  left 
out  on  the  admission  of  Wisconsin;  but  which 
failed  to  become  a  law.  The  citizens  of  what 
is  now  Minnesota  were  very  anxious  to  obtain  a 
territorial  government,  and  two  public  meetings 
were  held — one  at  St.  Paul,  and  the  otiier  at 
Stillwater — advising  John  Catlin,  who  was 
secretary  of  Wisconsin,  to  issue  a  proclamation 
as  the  acting  governor,  for  the  election  of  a 
delegate  to  represent  what  was  left  of  the 
territory  of  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Catlin  repaired  to 
Stillwater  and  issued  a  proclamation  accordingly. 
IT.  H.  Sibley  was  elected;  nearly  400  votes  hav- 
ing been  polled  at  the  election.  Sii)!ey  was 
admitted  to  his  seat  on  the  floor  of  Congress  by 
a  vote  of  two  to  one.  His  admission  facilitated 
and  hastened  the  passage  of  a  bill  for  the  or- 
ganization of  a  territorial  government  for  Min- 
nesota. 


42 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


CHAPTER     III. 


WISCONSIN  AS  A  STATE. 


The  State  of  Wisconsin  is  bounded  on  tlie 
north  by  Minnesota  and  Michigan;  on  the  east 
by  the  State  last  mentioned;  on  the  south,  by 
Illinois,  Iowa  and  Minnesota;  and  on  the  west, 
by  the  two  last  named  States.  Its  boundaries, 
as  more  particularly  described,  are  as  follows: 
Beginning  at  its  northeast  corner  of  the  State 
of  Illinois,  that  is  to  say,  at  a  point  in  tlie  center 
of  Lake  Michigan,  where  the  line  of  forty-two 
degrees  and  thirty  minutes  of  north  latitude, 
crosses  the  same;  thence  running  with  the  boun- 
dary line  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  through  Lake 
Michigan  [andj  Green  bay  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Menomonee  river;  thence  up  the  channel  of  the 
said  river  to  the  Brule  river;  thence  up  said 
last  mentioned  river  to  Lake  Brule;  thence  along 
the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Brule,  in  a  direct 
line  to  the  center  of  the  channel  between  Mid- 
dle and  South  islands,  in  the  Lake  of  the  Desert; 
thence  in  a  direct  line  to  the  head  waters  of  tlie 
Monti-eal  river,  as  marked  upon  the  survey  made 
by  Captain  Cram;  thence  down  the  main  chan- 
nel of  the  Montreal  river  to  the  middle  of  Lake 
Superior;  thence  through  the  center  of  Lake 
Superior  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Louis  river; 
thence  up  the  main  channel  of  said  river  to  the 
first  rapids  in  the  same,  above  the  Indian  vil- 
lage, according  to  Nicollett's  map,  thence  due 
south  to  the  main  branch  of  the  River  St.  Croix; 
thence  down  the  main  channel  of  said  river  to 
the  Mississippi;  thence  down  the  center  of  the 
main  channel  of  that  river  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  State  of  Illinois;  thence  due  east 
with  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State  of 
Illinois  to  the  place  of  beginning.  The  gen- 
eral   shape     of     Wisconsin     is     that     of     an 


irregular  pentagon.  Its  land  area  is  53,- 
024  square  miles;  and,  in  respect  to  size,  it 
ranks  with  the  other  States  as  the  15th.  It  is 
known  as  one  of  the  North  Central  States,  east 
of  the  Mississippi.  It  extends  from  9  degrees 
50  minutes  to  15  degrees  50  minutes  west  longi- 
tude from  Washington  city,  and  from  42  de- 
grees 30  minutes  to  about  47  degrees  30  minutes 
north  latitude.  It  has  Lake  Michigan  on  the 
east.  Green  bay,  Menomonee  and  Brule  rivers. 
Lake  Vieux  Desert,  the  Montreal  river,  Lake 
Superior  and  the  St.  Jjouis  river;  on  the  north- 
east and  north;  and,  on  the  west,  the  St.  Croix 
and  the  Mississippi  rivers.*  The  average  length 
of  the  State  is  about  260  miles;  its  average 
breadth  215  miles.  The  surface  features  of 
Wisconsin  ])resent  a  configuration  between  the 
mountainous,  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  monoto- 
nous level,  on  the  other.  The  State  occupies  a 
swell  of  land  lying  between  three  notable  de- 
pressions: Lake  Michigan,  on  the  east;  Lake 
Superior,  on  the  north;  and  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  on  the  west.  From  these  depress- 
ions the  surface  slopes  upward  to  the  summit 
altitudes.  Scattered  over  the  State  are  promi- 
nent hills,  but  no  mountains.  Some  of  these 
hills  swell  upward  into  rounded  domes,  some 
ascend  precipitously  into  castellated  towers;  and 
some  reach  prominence  without  regard  to  beauty 

'  '*Tlie  boundary  ot  Wisconsin  Is  commonly  ?iven  as  Lake 
Sujiei-ior  and  the  State  of  Michigan  on  the  north,  and  Michi- 
igan  and  Lake  Michigan  on  the  east,  and  sometimes,  also, 
the  Mississippi  river  is  given  as  a  part  of  the  western  boun- 
dary. These  lioundaries  are  not  the  true  ones.  The  State  of 
Wisconsin  extends  to  the  center  of  Lakes  Michigan  and  Su- 
perior, and  to  the  centerof  the  main  channel  ot  the  Missis- 
sippi river.  .\8  the  States  of  Wisconsin  and  Michigan  meet 
in  the  cenfr  of  Lake  Michigan,  it  is  not  Lake  Michigan  that 
bniinds  Wisconsin  on  the  east,  bntthe State  of  Michigan,  and 
so  on.  The  correct  boundary  of  Wisconsin  in  general  terms, 
is  as  follows:  Wisconsin  is  bounded  north  by  Minnesota  and 
Michigan,  east  by  Michigan,  south  by  Illinois,  and  west  by 
Iowa  and  Minnesota."— jl.  0.  Wright. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


43 


or  form  or  convenience  of  description.  The 
highest  peak,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
State,  is  the  West  Blue  Mound,  1,151  feet  above 
Lake  Michigan;  in  the  eastern  ])art,  Lapham's 
Peak,  824  feet;  in  the  central  part,  Rib  Hill, 
1 ,263  feet;  while  the  crest  of  the  Penokoe  Range, 
in  the  northern  part,  rises  upward  of  1,000  feet. 
The  drainage  systems  correspond,  in  general,  to 
the  topographical  features  before  described. 
The  face  of  the  State  is  the  growth  of  geologic 
ages  furrowed  by  the  teardrops  of  the  skies. 

The  constitution  of  Wisconsin  provided  for 
the  election  of  a  governor,  lieutenant  governor, 
secretary  of  State,  treasurer  and  attorney  gen- 
eral, as  the  officers  of  State.  The  first  State 
election  was  held  May  8,  1848,  when,  not  only 
State  officers  were  chosen,  but  members  of  the 
Legislature  and  members  of  Congress.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  names  of  the  governors  elected 
and  the  terms  they  have  served,  since  Wisconsin 
became  a  State:  Nelson  Dewey,  June  7,  1848 
to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Leonard  J.  Farwell,  Jan.  5, 
1852,  to  Jan.  5,  1854;  William  A.  Barstow,  Jan. 
2,  1854,  to  March  21,  1856;  Arthur  McArthur,  f 
xMarch  21,  to  March  25,  1866;  Coles  Bashford, 
March  25,  1S56,  to  Jan.  4,  1858;  Alexander  W. 
Randall,  Jan.  4,  1858,  to  Jan.  6,  1862;  Louis  P. 
Harvey,  Jan.  6,  1862,  to  April  19,  1862;  Edward 
Solomon,  f  April  19,  1862,  to  Jan.  4,  1864; 
James  T.  Lewis,  Jan.  4,  1864,  to  Jan.  I,  1866; 
Lucius  Farchild,  Jan.  1,  1866,  to  Jan.  1,  1872: 
C.  C.  Washburn,  Jan.  I,  1872,  to  Jan.  5,  1874; 
William  R.  Taylor,  Jan.  5, 1874,  to  Jan.  3,  1876; 
Harrison  Ludington,  Jan.  3,  1876,  to  Jan.  7,  1878; 
William  E.  Smith,  Jan.  7,  1878  to  Jan.  2,  1882, 
Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  Jan.  2,  1882,  and  still  in 
office. 

The  gubernatorial  vote  of  Wisconsin  since  its 
admission  into  the  Union  was  as  follows: 

1848. 

Dewey,  democrat 19,538 

Tweedy,   whig 14,  449 

Dewey's  majority 0.089 

t  Ex-OStcio. 


1849. 

Dewey,  democrat 16,649 

Collins,  whig 11,317 


Dewey's  majority 5,  S'i'i 

1851. 

Farwell,  whig 22,319 

Upham,  dcmocial 21, 812 


Fai well's  majority. 


507 


1853. 


Barstow,  democrat 30,405 

Holton,  republican 21,886 

Baird,  whig 3,334 


Barstow's  plurality 8,5!9 

1855. 

Barstow,  democrat 36,  355 

Bashford,  republican 36,198 


barstow's  majority. 


M.57 


1857. 

Rindall,  republican 44,  693 

Cross,  democrat 44,  239 


Randall's  majority. 


454 


1859. 


Randall,  republican  .59,999 

Hobart,  democrat 53,  539 


Randal I's  majority 7.  460 

1861. 

Harvey,  republican  53,777 

Ferguson,  democrat 45,  4.56 


Harvey's  majority 8, 321 

1863. 

Lewis,  republican 72,717 

Palmer,  democrat 49,  0.53 


Lewis'  majority 23,  664 

1865. 

Faiichild,  republican 58,333 

Hobart,  democrat 48,330 


Fairchild's  majority , 10,  003 

1867, 

Fairchi.d,  republican 73,  637 

Tallmadge,  democrat 68,873 


Fairchild's  majority 4,  764 

•This  certiflcate  was  set  aside  by  the  supreme  court. 


44 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


1869. 

Faiicliild,    republican 69,502 

Kobiason,  democrat 61,  239 

Fairchilds' majority 8,263 

1871. 

VVashl>uni,    republican     78,301 

Dooliltle,  democrat  68,910 

Washburn's  majoiity 9.391 

1873. 

Taylor,  democrat 81, . 599 

Washburn,  republiciin  66.224 

Ta) Id's  majoiity   l.'i,  375 

1875. 

lAidiugton.  republican 85, 155 

Taj  lor,  democrat 84,314 

Ltidinglon's  majority % 841 

1877. 

Smith,  republican 78,759 

Mallory,  democrat 70.486 

Allis,  greenback 26,216 

.Smith's  majority   8.273 

1879. 

Smith,  republican 100,  535 

.Jenkins,  democrat 75,080 

May.  greenback 12.096 

Smith's  majoriiy  over  both 12.509 

1881. 

Husk,    republican 81,754 

Fratt.  democrat 69.797 

Kanouse.  prohibition 13,225 

Allis,  greenback 7.  002 

Rusk's  plurality 11,  957 

The  following  are  tbe  names  of  the  lieuten- 
ant governors  and  tlieir  terras  of  service,  since 
Wisconsin  became  a  State:  John  E.  Holmes, 
June  7,  1848,  to  Jan.  7,  1850;  Samuel  W.  Be.-ill, 
Jan.  7,  1850,  to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Timothy  Burns, 
Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan.  2,  1854;  James  T.  Lewis, 
Jan.  2,  1854,  to  Jan.  7,  1856;  Arthur  McArthur, 
.Ian.  7, 1856,  to  Jan.  4,1858;  E.  D.  Campbell,  Jan. 
4,  1858.  to  Jan.  2,  1860;  Butler  G.  Noble,  Jan. 
2,)  1860  to  Jan.  6,  1862;  Edward  Solomon,  Jan. 
6,  1862,  to  April  19,  1862;  Gerry  W.  Hazelton, 
(«x-officio),  Sept.   10,  1862,    to  Sept.   26,    1862; 


Wyraan  Spooner,  Jan.  14,  1863,  to  Jan.  3,  1870; 
Tliaddeus  C.  Pound,  Jan.  3,  1870,  to  Jan.  1, 
1872;  Milton  H.  Pettit,  Jan.  1,  1872,  to  March 
23,  1873;  Charles  D.  Parker,  Jan.  5,  1874,  to 
Jan.  7,  1878;  James  M.  Bingham,  Jan.  7,  1878, 
to  Jan.  2,  1882;  Samuel  S.  Fifield,  Jan.  2,  1882, 
and  still  in  office. 

The  following  are  the  persons  that  have  been 
elected  secretaries  of  State,  with  their  terms  of 
office,  since  the  State  was  admitted  into  the 
Union: 

Thomas  McHugh,  June  7, 1848,  to  Jan.  7, 1850; 
William  A.  Barstow,  Jan.  7,  1850,  to  Jan.  5, 
1852;  CD.  Robinson,  Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan.  2, 
1854;  Alexander  T.  Gray,  Jan.  2,  1854,  to  Jan. 
7,  1856;  David  W.  Jones,  Jan.  7,  1856,  to  Jan. 

2,  1860;  Louis  P.  Harvey,  Jan.   2,  186v,  to  Jan. 

6,  1862;  James  T.  Lewis,  Jan.  C,   1862,  to  Jan. 

4,  1864;  Lucius  Faircbild,  Jan.   4,  1864,  to  Jan. 

1,  1866;  Thomas  S.  Allen,  Jan.  1,  1836,  to  Jan. 

3,  1870;  Llywelyn  Breese,  Jan.  3,  1870,  to  Jan. 

5,  1874;  Peter  Doyle,  Jan.   5,  1874,  to   January 

7,  1878;  Ham  B.  Warner,  Jan.   7,  1878,  to  Jan. 

2,  1882;  Ernest  G.  Timme,  Jan.  2,  1882  and 
still  in  office. 

The  treasurers,  with  their  terms  of  office, 
have  been  as  follows: 

Jairns  C.  Faircbild,  June  7,  1848,  to  Jan.  5, 
1852;  Edward  H.  Janssen,  Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan. 
7,  1856;  Charles  Kuehn,  Jan.  7,  1856,  to  Jan  4. 
1858;  Samuel  D.  Hastings,  Jan.  4,  1858,  to  Jan. 
1,  i860;WilliamE.  Smith,  Jan.  1,  1866,  to  Jan.  3, 
1870;  Henry  Baetz,  Jan.  3,  1870  to  Jan.  5,  1874; 
Ferdinand  Kuehn,  Jan.  5,  1874,  to  Jan.  7,  187S; 
Richard  Guenther,  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Jan.  2,  1882; 
Edward  C.  McFetridize,  Jan.  2,  1882  and  still  in 
office. 

Attorneys-General,  with  their  terms  of  office, 
have  been  elected  as  follows: 

James  S.  Ih-own,  Jtine  7, 1848,  to  Jan.  7,  1850; 
S.  Park  Coon,  Jan.  7,  1850,  to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Ex- 
perience Estabrook,  Jan.  5, 1852,  to  Jan.  2, 1R54; 
George  B.  Smith,  Jan.  2,  1854,  to  Jan.  7,  1856; 
William  R.  Smith,  Jan.  7,  1856,  to  Jan.  4,  1858; 
Gabriel    Bouck,   Jan.  4,   1858   to  Jan.  2,    1860; 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


45 


James  H.  Howe,  Jan.  2,  1860,  to  Oct.  7,  1862; 
Winfield  Smith,  Oct.  7,  1862,  to  Jan.  1,  18GC; 
Charles  R.  Gill,  Jan.  2,  1866  to  Jan.  3,  1870; 
Stephen  S.  Barlow,  Jan.  3,  1870,  to  Jan.  5,  1874; 
A.  Scott  S'oan,  Jan.  5,  1874,  to  Jan.  7,  1878; 
Alexander  Wilson,  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Jan.  •',  1882; 
Leander  F.  Frisby,  Jan.  2,  1882,  and  still  in 
office. 

The  constitution  divided  the  State  into  nine- 
teen senatorial  and  si.xty-six  assembly  districts. 
In  each  of  these  districts,  on  tlie  8th  of  May, 
1848,  one  member  was  elected. 

The  first  Legislature  of  the  State  began  its 
session  at  Madison,  the  capital,  where  all  subse- 
quent ones  have  convened.  The  commencement 
and  ending  of  each  session,  with  the  names  of 
the  speakers,  were  as  follows. 

Nineaii  E.  Whiteside,  June  5,  1848,  to  Atig- 
ust  21. 

Harrison  C.  Hobart,  Jan.  10, 1849,  to  April  2. 
Moses  M.  Strong,  Jan.  9,  1850,  to  February  II. 
Frederick  W.  Horn,  Jan.  8, 1851,  to  March  17 
James  M.  Shafer,  Jan.    14,  1852,  to  April  19. 
Henry  L.  Palmer,  Jan.  12,  1853,  to  April  4. 
Henry  L.  Palmer,  June  6,  1853,  to  July  13. 
Frederick  W.  Horn,  Jan.  11,  1854,  to  April  3. 
Charles  C.  Sholes,  Jan.  10,   1855,  to  Ai)ril  2. 
Wiliiam  Hull,  Jan.  9,  1856,  to  March  31. 
William  Hull,  Sept.  3,  1856,  to  October  14. 
Wyman  Spooner,  Jan.  14,  1857,  to  March  9. 
Frederick  S.  Lovell,  Jan.  13,  1858,  to  May  17. 
William  P.  Lyon,  Jan.  12,  1859,  to  March  21. 
William  P.  Lyon,  Jan.  11,  1860,  to  April  2. 
Amasa  Cobb,  Jan.  9,  1861,  to  April  17. 
Amasa  Cobb,  May  15,  1861,  to  May  27. 
James  W.  Beardsley,  Jan.  8,  1862,  to  April  7. 
James W.  Beardsley,  June  3,  1862,  to  June  17. 
James  W.  Beardsley,  Sept.  10,  1862,  to  Sept. 
26. 

J.Allen  Barker,  Jan.   14,  1863,  to  April  2. 
William  W.  Field,  Jan.   13,  1864,  to  April  4. 
William  W.  Field,  Jan.  11,  1865,  to  April  10. 
Henry  I).  Barron,  Jan.  10,  1866,  to  April   12. 
Angus  Cameron,  Jan.  9,  1867,  to  April  11, 


Alexander  M.  Thomson,  Jan.  8,  1868  to 
March  6. 

Alexander  M.  Thomson,  Jan.  13,  1869,  to 
March  11. 

James  M.  Bingham,  Jan.  12,  1870,  to  March 
17. 

William  E.  Smith,  Jan.  11,  1871,  to  March  25. 

Daniel  Hall,  Jan.  10,  1872,  to  March  26. 

Henry  D.   Barron,  Jan.  8,  1873,  to  March  20. 

(iabe  Bouck,  Jan.  14,  1874,  to  March  12. 

Frederick  W.  Horn,  Jan.  13,  1875,  to  March  6. 

Samuel  S.  Fifield,  Jan.  12,  1876,  to  March  14. 

John  B.  Cassoday,  Jan;  10,  1877,  to  March  8. 

Augustus  R.  Barrows,  Jan.  9,  1878,  to  March 
21. 

Augustus  R.  Barrows,  June  4,  1878,  to  June  7. 

David  M.  Kelley,  Jan.  8,  1879,  to  March  5. 

Alexander  A.  Arnold,  Jan.  14,  1S80,  to 
March  17. 

Ira  D.  Bradford,  Jan.  12,  1881,  to  April  4. 

Franklin  L.  Gilson,  Jan.  11,  1882,  to  March  31. 

Earl  P.  Finch,  Jan.  10,  1883,  to  April  4. 

«     . 
The    constitution  divided    the  State  into  two 

congressional  districts,  in  each  of  which  one 
member  of  Congress  was  elected  May  8,  1848. 
The  first  district  embraced  the  counties  of  Mil- 
waukec,Waukeslia,  Jefferson,  Racine, Walworth, 
Rock  and  Green;  the  second  district  was  com 
posed  of  the  counties  of  Washington,  Sheboy- 
gan, Manitowoc,  Calumet,  Brown,  Winnebago, 
Fond  du  Lac,  Marquette,  Sauk,  Portage,  Colum- 
bia, Dodge,  Dane,  Iowa,  Lafayette,  (4rant, 
Richland,  Crawford,  Chippewa,  St  Croix  and 
La  Pointe — the  counties  of  RichlaTul,  Chippewa 
and  La  Pointe  being  unorganized.  (It  may 
here  be  stated  that  the  first  Legislature  changed 
the  apportionment,  making  three  districts; 
other  apportionments  have  been  made  at  each 
decade,  so  that  there  are  now  nine  congress- 
ional districts.)  The  first  members  were  elected 
to  the  XXXth  Congress,  which  expired  .March  4, 
1849.  The  members  elected  from  Wisconsin  to 
that  and  subsequent  Congresses  are; 


46 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


XXXth  Congress,  1847-9. 
First  Dlsliict.— William  Pitt  Lynde.  » 
Second  District. — Mason  C.  Darling.  * 

XXXIst  Congress,  1849—51. 
First  District. — Charles  Durkee. 
Second  District. — Orsamiis  Cole. 
Third  District.— James  Dua'nSDoty'. 

XXXIId  Congress,  1851-53. 
First  District. — Charles  Durkee. 
Second  District. — Ben.  0  Eastman. 
Third  District.— John  B.  Macy. 

XXXIIId  Congress,  1853-55. 
First  District  — D.iniel  Wells,  Ji-. 
Second  District  — Ben  C.  Eastman. 
Third  District.— John  B.  Macy. 

XXXIVth  Congress,  1855-57. 
First  District  .—Daniel  Wells,  Jr. 
Second  Dis'rict. — C.  C.  Washburn. 
Third  District. — Charles  Billinghurst. 

XXXVth   Congress,  1857-59. 
First  District— Johu  F.  Potter. 
Second  District. — C.  C.  Washburn. 
Third  District. — Charles  Billinghurst. 

XXXVIth  Congress,  1859-61. 
First  District.— John  F.  Potter. 
Second  Disirict. — C.  C.  Washburn. 
Third  District. — Charles  H.  Lirrabee. 

XXXVIIth    Congress,  lS61-u3. 
First  District.— John  F.  Putter. 
Second  District. — Luther  Hanchett,    f  Walter  Mc- 

Indoe. 
Thiid  District.— A,  Scott  Sloan. 

XXXVIIIth  Congress,  1863-65. 
First  District. — James  S.  Brown.' 
Second  District. —IthamarC.  Sloan. 
Third  District.— Aiuasa Cobb. 
Fourth  District— Charles  A.  Eldredgc. 
Fifth  DIstiiot.— Ezra  Wheeler. 
Sixth  District. — Walter  D.  Mclndoe. 

XXXIXth  Congress,  1865-67. 
First  District— Halbert  E.  Paine. 
Second  District. — IthamarC.  Sloan. 
Third  District  — AraasaCobb. 
Fourth  District.— Charles  A.  Eldiedgc. 
Fifth  District. — Philetus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District.- WalterD.  Mclndoe, 

»  Toolt  their  seats  June  5  and  9,  1848. 

+  Died  Nov.  34,  18ttJ;    Mclndoe  elected   to  All  the  vacancy. 
Pec.  30,  1862. 


XLth  Congress,  1867-69. 
First  District— Halbert  E.  Paine. 
Second  District.— Benjamin  F.  Hopkins. 
Third  District. — AmasaCobb. 
Fourth  District — Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  District. — Philetus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District. — CadwalladerC  Washburn. 

XLIst  Congress,  1 869-7 1 . 
First  District. — Halbert  E.  Paine. 
Second  District. — Benjamin  F.  Hopkins.  \. 

David  Atwood. 
Third  District. — Amasa  Cobb. 
Fourth  District. — Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  District. — Phietus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District — Cadwallader  C.  Washburn. 

XLIId  Congress,  1871-73. 
First  District. — Alexander  Mitchell. 
Second  District. — Gerry  W.  Hazeltoii. 
Third  District.— J.  Allen  Barber. 
Fourth  District. — Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  District. — Philetus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District. — Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 

XLIIId  Congress,  1873-75. 
First  District. — Charles  G  Williams. 
Second  District. — Gerry  W.  Hazelton. 
Third  District. — J.  Allen  Barber. 
Fourth  District. — Alexander  Mitchell. 
Fifth  District.— Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Sixth  District. — Philetus  Sawyer 
Seventh  District. — Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 
Eighth  District.— Alexander  S.  McDill. 

XLIVth  Congress,  1875-77. 
First  District. — Charles  G.  Williams. 
Second  District. — Lucien  B.  C.iswell. 
Third  District. — Henry  S.  Magoon. 
Fourth  District,— William  Pitt  Lynde. 
Fifth  District.— Samuel  D.  Burchard. 
Sixth  District. — Alanson  M.  Kimball. 
Seventh  District. — Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 
Eighth  District.— George  W.  Cate. 

XLVtli  Congress,  1877-79. 

First  District.— Charles  6.  Williams. 

Second  District. — Lucien  B.  Caswell. 

Thiid  District. — GeorgeC.  Hazelton. 

Fourth  District. — William  Pitt  Lynde. 

fifth  District.— Edward  S,  Bragg. 

Sixth  District. — Gabriel  Bouok. 

Seventh  District. — Herman  L.  Humphrey. 

Eighth  Di.sirict.— Thaddeus  C.  Pound. 

t  Died  Jan.  1,1870,  and  David  Atwood  elected  to91  vacancy 
Feb.  15,  1870, 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


47 


XLVIth   Congress,  1879-81". 
First  District.— Charles  G    Williams. 
Second  District —Lucien  B.  Caswell. 
Third  District.— George  C.  Hazeltoa. 
Fourth  District.— Peter  V.  Deuster. 
Fifth  District.— Edwards.  Bragg. 
Sixth  District.— Gabriel  Bouck. 
Seventh  District.— Herman  L.  Humphrey. 
Eighth  Di-trict  — Thaddeus  C.  Pound. 

XLVIIth  Congress,  1881-83. 
First  District.— Charles  G.  Williams. 
Second  District.— Lucien  B.  Caswell. 
Third  District.— George  C.  Hazelton. 
Fourth  District.— Peter  V.  Deuster. 
Fifth  District.— Edward  S.  Bragg. 
Sixth  District.— Richard  Guenther. 
Seventh  District.— Herman  L.  Humphrey. 
Eighth  District  — Thaddeus  C.  Pound. 

XLVIIIth  Congress,  1883-85. 
First  District. — John  Winans. 
Second  District. — Daniel  H.  Sumner. 
Third  District  —Burr  W.  Jones. 
Fourth  District— Peter  V.  Deuster. 
Fifth  District. — Joseph  Rankin. 
Sixth  District  — Richard  Guenther, 
Seventh  District. — Gilbert  M.  Woodward. 

Eighth  District.— William  T   Price. 
Ninth  District. — Isaac  Stephenson. 

Tlie  first  Legislature  in  joint  convention, 
on  tlie  7th  of  .June  1848,  canvassed,  in  accord- 
ance with  tlie  constitution,  the  votes  given  on 
the  8th  of  May,  for  the  State  officers,  and  the 
two  representatives  in  Congress.  On  the  same 
day  the  State  officers  were  sworn  into  office. 
The  next  day  Gov.  Dewey  delivered  his 
tirst  message  to  the  Legislature.  The  first  im- 
portant business  of  the  first  State  Legislatuie 
was  the  election  of  two  United  States  senators; 
Henry  Dodge  and  Isaac  P.  Walker,  both 
democrats,  were  elected.  The  latter  drew  the 
short  term;  so  that  his  office  expired  on  the  4lh 
day  of  March,  1849,  at  the  end  of  the  thirteenth 
Congress;  as  Dodge  drew  the  long  term,  his 
office  expired  on  the  4th  day  of  March,  1851, 
at  the  end  of  thirty-first  Congress.  Both  were 
elected,  June  8,  1848.  Their  successors,  with 
the  date  of  their  elections,  were  as  follows: 
Isaac  P.  Walker,  Jan.  17,  1849;  Henry  Dodge, 
Jan.  20,  1851  ;  Charles   Durkee,  Feb.    1,    1855; 


James  R.  Doolittle,  Jan.  23,  1857;  Timothy  O. 
Howe,  Jan.  23,  1861;  James  R.  Doolittle,  Jan. 
22,  1863;  Timothy  O.  Howe,  Jan.  24,  1867  ; 
Matthew  H.  Carpenter,  Jan.  26,  1869  ;  Timothy 
O.  Howe,  Jan.  21,  1873;  Angus  Cameron,  Feb. 
3,  1875  ;  Matthew  H.  Carpenter,  Jan.  22,  1879; 
Philetus  Sawyer,  Jan.  26,  1881  ;  Angus  Cam- 
eron, March  10,  1881. 

The  constitution  vested  the  judicial  power  of 
the  State  in  a  supreme  court,  circuit  court, 
courts  of  probate,  and  justices  of  the  peace, 
giving  the  Legi-slattire  power  to  vest  such  juris- 
diction as  should  be  deemed  necessary  in  mu- 
nicipal courts.  Judges  were  not  to  be  elected 
at  any  State  or  county  election,  nor  within 
thirty  days  before  or  after  one.  The  State  was 
divided  into  five  judicial  circuits,  Edward  V. 
VVhiton  being  chosen  judge  at  the  election  on 
the  first  Monday  in  August,  1848,  of  the  first 
circuit,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Racine, 
Walworth,  Rock  and  Green  as  then  constituted; 
Levi  Ilubbell,  of  the  second,  composed  of 
Milwaukee,  Waukesha,  Jefferson  and  Dane; 
Charles  H.  Larrabee,  of  the  third,  composed  of 
Wa.'*hington,  Dodge,  Columbia,  Marquette, 
S;iuk  and  Portage,  as  then  formed;  Alexander 
W.  Stow,  of  the  fourth,  composed  of  Brown, 
Manitowoc,  Sheboygan,  Fond  du  Lac,  Winne- 
hngo  and  Calumet;  and  Mortimer  M.  Jackson, 
of  the  fifth,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Iowa, 
LaFayette,  Grant,  Crawford  and  St  Croix,  as 
tl  en  organized  ;  the  county  of  Richland  being 
attached  to  Iowa  counly  ;  the  county  of 
Chippewa  to  the  county  of  Crawford  ;  and 
the  county  of  LaPointe  to  the  county  of 
St.  Croix,  for  judicial  purposes.  In  1850,  a  sixth 
circtiit  was  formed.  By  an  act,  which  took  ef- 
fect in  1854,  a  seventh  circuit  was  formed.  On 
the  1st  day  of  January,  185.^,  an  eighth  and 
ninth  circuit  was  formed.  In  the  same  year 
was  also  formed  a  tenth  circuit.  An  eleventh 
circuit  was  formed  in  1864.  By  an  act  which 
took  effect  the  1st  day  of  January,  1871,  the 
twelfth  circuit  was  formed.  In  1876  a  thir- 
teenth circuit  was   "constituted    and   re-organ 


43 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


ized."  At  the  present  time  John  M.  Went- 
worth  is  judge  of  the  first  circuit,  which  is  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Walworth.  Racine,  and 
Kenoslia;  Cliarles  A.  Hamilton  of  the  second, 
which  includes  Milwaukee  county;  David  J. 
Pulling  of  the  tliird,  composed  of  Calumet, 
Green  Lake  and  Winnebago;  Norman  S.  Gil- 
son  of  the  fourth,  composed  of  Sheboygan, Mani- 
towoc, Kewaunee  and  Fond  du  Lac;  <-ieorge 
Clementson  of  the  fifth,  composed  of  Grant, 
Iowa,  La  Fayette,  Kichland  and  Crawford; 
Alfred  W.  Newmati  of  the  sixth,  composed  of 
Clark,  Jackson,  La  Crosse,  Monroe,  Trem- 
pealeau and  Vernon;  Charles  M.  Webb  of  the 
seventh,  composed  of  Portage,  Marathon,  Wau- 
paca, Wood,  Waushara,  Lincoln,  Price,  and  Tay- 
lor; Egbert  B.  Bundy  of  the  eighth,  composed 
of  Huffalo,  Dunn,  Eau  Claire,  Pepin,  Pierce,  and 
8t.  Croix;  Aha  Stewart  of  the  ninth,  composed 
of  Adams,  Columbia,  Dane,  Juneau,  Sauk, 
M  rquette;  George  IL  Myres,  of  the  tenth, 
composed  of  Florence,  Langiade,  Outagamie,  and 
Shawano;  Solon  C.  Clough  of  the  eleventh, 
composed  of  Ashland,  Barron,  Bayfield,  Burnett, 
Chippewa,  Douglas,  Polk,  and  Washburn;  John 
R.  Bennett  of  the  twelfth,  composed  of  Rock, 
Green,  and  Jefferson;  A.  Scott  Sloan, ot  thethii- 
teenth,  composed  of  Dodge,  Ozaukee,  Washing- 
ton, and  Waukesha;  Samuel  D.  Hastings  of  the 
fourteenth,  composed  of  Brown,  Door,  Mainette 
and  Oconto. 

The  first  Legislature  provided  for  the  re-elec- 
tion of  judges  of  the  circuit  courts  on  tlie  first 
Monday  of  August,  1848.  By  the  same  act  it 
was  provided  that  the  first  term  of  the  supreme 
court  sl]()uld  be  held  in  Madison,  ou  the  sec- 
ond Monday  of  January,  1849,  and  thereafter 
at  the  same  place  and  on  the  same  day, 
yearly  ;  afterward  changed  so  as  to  hold 
a  January  and  June  term  in  each  year. 
Under  the  constitution,  the  circuit  judges ' 
were  also  judges  of  the  supreme  court.  One 
of  their  own  number  under  an  act  of  June  29, 
1848,  was  to  be,  by  themselves,  elected  chief 
justice.     Under  this  arrangement,  the  following 


were  the  justices  of  the  supreme  court,  at  the 
times  indicated:  Alex.  W.  Stow,  C.  J.,  fourth, 
district,  Aug.  28,  1848,  to  Jan.  1,  1851;  Edward 
V.  Whiton,  A.  J.,  first  circuit,  Aug.  28,  1848, 
to  June  1,  1853;  Levi  Hubbell,  A.  J., 
elected  chief  justice,  June  18,  1851,  second 
circuit,  Aug.  28,  1848,  to  June  1,  1853;  Charles 
H.  Larrabee,  A.  J.,  third  circuit,  Aug.  28,  1848, 
to  Jnne  1,  1853;  Mortimer  M.  Jackson,  A.  J., 
fifth  circuit,  Aug.  28,  1848,  to  June  1,  1853; 
Timothy  O.  Howe,  A.  J.,  fourth  circuit,  Jan. 
1,  1851,  to  June  1,  1853;  Wiram  Knowlton,  A. 
J., sixth  circuit,  organized  by  the  Legislature  in 
1850,  Aug.  6,  1850,to  June  1,  1853.  In  1853,  the 
supreme  court  was  separately  organized,  the 
chief  justice  and  associate  justices  being  voted 
for  as  such.  The  following  persons  have  con- 
stituted that  court  during  the  terms  indicated, 
since  its  separate  organization:  Edward  V. 
Whiton,  C.  J.,  June  1,  1853,  to  April  12,  1859; 
Luther  S.  Dixon,  C.  J.,  April  20,  1859,  to  June 
11  1874;  Edward  G.  Ryan,  C.  J.,  June  17,  18T4, 
to  Oct.  19,  1880;  Orsamus  Cole,  C.  J.,  Nov.  11, 
1880,  (in  oflice);  Samuel  Crawford,  A.  J.,  June 
1,  1853,  to  June  19,  1855  ;  Abraham  D.  Smith, 
A.  J.,  June  1,  1853,  to  June  21,  1859;  Orsamus 
Cole,  A.  J.,  June  19,1855,  to  Nov.  11,  1880; 
Byron  Paine,  A.  J.,  June  21,  1859,  to  Nov.  15, 
1864;  Jason  Downer,  A.  J.,  Nov.  15,  1864,  to 
Sept.  11,  1867;  Byron  Paine,  A.  J.,  Sept.  11, 
1867,  to  Jan.  13,  1871;  William  P.  Lyon,  A.  J., 
Jan.  20,  1870,  (in  office);  David  Taylor,  A.  J., 
April  18,  1878,  (in  office);  Harlow  S.  Orton,  A. 
J.,  April  18,  1878,  (in  office);  John  B.  Casso- 
day,  A.  J.,  Nov.  11, 1880,  (in  office). 

The  act  of  Congress  entitled  "An  act  to  ena 
ble  the  people  of  Wisconsin  territory  to  form  a 
constitution  and  State  government,  and  for  the 
admission  of  such  State  into  the  Union,"  ap- 
proved Aug. 6,  1846,  provided  for  one  Inited 
States  judicial  district  to  be  called  the  district 
of  Wisconsin.  It  was  also  provided  that  a  dis- 
trict court  should  be  held  therein  by  one  judge 
who  shotild  reside  in  the  district  and  be  called 
a  district  judge.     The   court   was  to  hold  two 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


49 


terms  a  year  in  the  capital,  Madison.  This  was 
aflerwaril  changed  so  that  one  term  only  was 
held  at  the  seat  of  the  State  government,  while 
the  other  was  to  be  held  at  Milwaukee.  Special 
terras  could  be  lield  at  either  of  these  places. 
On  the  12th  day  of  June,  1848,  Andrew  G. 
Miller  was  appointed  by  the  President  district 
judge.  By  the  act  of  Congress  of  July  15,  1862, 
a  circuit  court  of  the  United  States  was  created 
to  be  held  in  Wisconsin.  The  district  judge 
was  given  power  to  hold  the  circuit  court  in 
Wisconsin  in  company  with  the  circuit  judge 
and  circuit  justice,  or  either  of  them,  or  alone 
in  their  absence.  Wisconsin  now  composes  a 
portion  of  the  seventh  judicial  circuil  of  the 
United  States,  Thomas  Drummond  being  cir- 
cuit judge.  He  resides  at  Chicago.  The  cir- 
cuit justice  is  one  of  judges  of  the  United  States 
supreme  court.  Two  terms  of  the  circuit  court 
are  held  each  year  at  Milwaukee  and  one  term 
in  Madison. 

In  1870  the  State  was  divided  into  two  dis- 
tricts, the  eastern  and  western.  In  the  western 
district,  one  term  of  the  United  States  district 
court  each  year  was  to  be  held  at  Madison  and 
one  at  La  Crosse;  in  the  eastern  district,  two 
terms  were  to  be  held  at  Milwaukee  and  one  at 
Oshkosh.  (Jn  the  0th  day  of  July,  1870,  James 
C.  Hopkins  was  appointed  judge  of  the  western 
district,  Andrew  G.  Miller  remaining  judge  of 
the  eastern  district.  The  latter  resigned  to 
take  effect  Jan.  1,  1874,  and  James  H.  Howe 
was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy;  but  Judge 
Howe  soon  resigned,  and  Charles  E.  Dyer,  on 
the  10th  of  February,  1 875,  appointed  in  liis 
place.  He  is  still  in  office.  Judge  Hopkins,  of 
the  western  district,  died  Sept.  4,  1877;  when, 
on  the  13th  of  October  following,  Romanzo 
Bunn  was  appointed  his  successor,  and  now  fills 
that  office. 

An  act  was  passed  by  the  first  Legislature  pro- 
viding for  the  election  and  defining  the  duties 
of  a  State  superintendent  of  public  instruction. 
The  persons  holding  that  office,  with  the  term 
of   each,    are    as    follows:     Eleazer  Root,  from 


Jan.  1,  1849,  to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Azel  P.  Ladd, 
from  Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan.  2,  1854;  Hiram  A. 
Wriglit,  from  Jan.  5,  1854,  to  May  29,  1855; 
A.  Constantine  Barry,  from  June  26,  1855,  to 
Jan.  4,  1858;  Lyman  C.  Draper,  from  Jan.  4, 
1858,  to  Jan.  2,  1860;  Josiah  L.  Pickard,  from 
Jan.  2,  1860,  to  Sept.  30,  1864;  John  G.  Mc- 
Mynn,  from  Oct.  1,  1864,  to  Jan.  6,  1868;  Alex- 
ander J.  Craig,  from  Jan.  6,  1868,  to  Jan.  3, 
1870;  Samuel  Fallows,  from  Jan.  6,  1870,  to 
Jan.  4,  1874;  Edward  Searing,  from  Jan.  4, 
1874,  to  Jan  7,  1878;  William  C.  Whitford, 
from  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Jan.  2,  1882;  Robert  Gra- 
ham, from  Jan.  2,  1882,  (now  in  office.)  By  the 
same  Legislature,  a  State  University  was  estab- 
lished. The  school  system  of  Wisconsin  em- 
braces graded  schools,  to  be  found  in  all  the 
cities  and  larger  villages,  the  district  schools, 
organized  in  the  smaller  villages  and  in  the 
country  generally,  besides  the  University  of 
Wisconsin,  (located  at  Madison,  the  capita!  of 
the  State).  The  university  has  three  depart- 
ments: the  college  of  letters,  the  college  of  arts, 
and  the  college  of  law.  It  was  founded  upon  a 
grant  of  seventy-two  sections  of  land  made  by 
Congress  to  the  territory  of  Wisconsin.  That 
act  required  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  to  set 
apart  and  reserve  from  sale,  out  of  any  public 
lands  within  the  territory  of  Wisconsin,  "a 
quantity  of  land,  not  exceeding  two  entire  towr.- 
ships,  for  the  support  of  a  university  within  the 
said  territory  and  for  no  other  use  or  purpose 
whatsoever;  to  be  located  in  tracts  of  land  not 
less  than  an  entire  section  corresponding  with 
any  of  the  legal  divisio)is  into  which  the  public 
lands  are  authorized  to  be  surveyed."  The 
territorial  Legislature,  at  its  session  in  1838, 
passed  a  law  incorporating  the  "University  of 
the  Territory' of  Wisconsin,"  locating  the  same 
at  or  near  Madison.  In  1841  a  commissioner 
was  appointed  to  select  the  lands  donated  to 
the  State  for  the  maintenance  of  the  university, 
who  performed  the  d\ity  assigned  to  him  in  a 
most  acceplablu  nKunuM-.  .'^('(•tion  li  of  article 
X  of  the  State  constitution   provides  that  "pro- 


so 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


vision  shall  be  made  by  law  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  State  University  at  or  near  the  seat  of 
government.  Tlie  proceeds  of  all  lands  that 
have  been  or  may  hereafter  be  granted  by  the 
United  States  to  the  State,  for  the  support  of  a 
University  shall  be  and  remain  a  perpetual  fund, 
to  be  called  the  'University  fund,'  the  interest 
of  which  shall  be  appropriated  to  the  support 
of  the  State  University."  Immediately  upon 
the  organization  of  the  State  government  an 
act  was  passed  incorporating  the  State  Univer- 
sity, and  a  board  of  regents  appointed,  who  at 
once  organized  the  institution. 

The  University  was  formally  opened  by  the 
public  inauguration  of  a  chancellor,  Jan.  16, 
1850.  The  preparatory  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity was  opened  Feb.  5,  1849,  with  twenty 
pupils.  In  1849  the  regents  purchased  nearly 
200  acres  of  land,  comprising  what  is  known  as 
the  "University  Addition  to  the  City  of  Madi- 
son," and  the  old  "University  Grounds."  In 
1851  the  north  dormitory  was  completed,  and 
the  first  college  classes  formed.  In  1854  the 
south  dormitory  was  erected.  Owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  lands  comprising  the  original  grant 
had  produced  a  fund  wholly  inadequate  to  the 
support  of  the  university,  in  1854  a  further 
grant  of  seventy-two  sections  of  land  was  made 
by  Congress  to  the  State  for  that  purpose.  In 
1866  tlie  University  was  completely  re-organized, 
so  as  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  law  of  Con- 
gress passed  in  1862,  providing  for  the  endow- 
ment of  agricultural  colleges.  That  act  granted 
to  the  several  States  a  quantity  of  land  equal  to 
30,000  acres  for  each  senator  and  representa- 
tive in  Congress,  by  the  apportionment  under 
the  census  of  1860.  The  objects  of  that  grant 
are  fully  set  forth  in  sections  four  and  five  of 
said  act.  The  lands  received  by  Wisconsin 
under  said  act  of  Congress,  and  conferred  upon 
the  State  University  for  the  support  of  an  agri- 
cultural college,  amounted  to  240,000  acres, 
making  a  total  of  322,160  acres  of  land  donated 
to  this  State  by  the  general  government  for  the 
endowment  and  support  of  this  institution.   Up 


to  the  time  of  its  re-organization,  the  University 
had  not  received  one  dollar  from  the  State  or 
from  any  municipal  corporation.  In  pursuance 
of  a  law  passed  in  1866,  Dane  county  issued 
bonds  to  the  amount  of  $40,000  for  the  pur- 
chase of  about  200  acres  of  land  contiguous  to 
the  University  grounds  for  an  experimental 
farm,  and  for  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings 
thereon.  The  next  winter  the  Legislature  passed 
a  law  which  appropriated  annually  for  ten  years 
to  the  income  of  the  University  Fund,  $7,-308.76, 
that  being  the  interest  upon  the  sum  illegally 
taken  from  the  fund  by  the  law  of  1862  to  pay 
for  the  erection  of  buildings. 

In  1870  the  Legislature  appropriated  $50,000 
for  the  erection  of  a  female  college,  which  is 
the  first  contribution  made  outright  to  the  up- 
buihling  of  any  institution  of  learning  in  this 
State.  In  order  to  comply  with  the  law  grant- 
ing lands  for  the  support  of  agricultural  colleges, 
the  University  was  compelled  to  make  large 
outlays  in  fitting  up  laboratories  and  purchas- 
ing the  apparatus  necessary  for  instruction  and 
practical  advancement  in  the  arts  immediately 
connected  with  the  industrial  interests  of  the 
State,  a  burden  which  the  Legislature  very  gen- 
erously shared  by  making  a  further  annual  ap- 
propriation in  1872  of  $10,000  to  the  income  of 
the  Universitj'  Fund.  The  increased  facilities 
offered  by  improvements  in  the  old  and  by  the 
erection  of  a  new  college  building  proved 
wholly  inadequate  to  meet  the  growing  wants 
of  the  institution.  In  its  report  for  1874,  the 
board  of  visitors  said:  "A  hall  of  natural  sci- 
ences is  just  now  the  one  desideratum  of  the  Uni- 
versity. It  can  never  do  the  work  it  ought  to  do, 
the  work  the  State  expects  it  to  do,  without 
some  speedily  increased  facilities."  'J  he  Leg- 
islature promptly  responded  to  this  demand, 
and  at  its  next  session  appropriated  $50,000  for 
the  erection  of  a  building  for  scientific  pur- 
poses. In  order  to  permanently  provide  for  de- 
ficiencies in  the  University  Fund  income,  and  to 
establish  the  institution  upon  a  firm  and  enJur- 
ing  foundation,  the  Legislature  of  1876  enacted 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


51 


"That  there  shall  be  levied  and  collected  for 
the  year  1876  and  annually  thereafter,  a  State 
tax  of  one-tenth  of  one  mill  for  each  dollar  of 
the  assessed  valuation  of  the  taxable  property  of 
this  State,  and  the  amount  so  levied  and  col- 
lected is  hereby  appropriated  to  the  University 
Fund  income,  to  be  used  as  a  part  thereof." 
This  is  in  lieu  of  all  other  appropriations  for 
the  benefit  of  this  fund,  and  all  tuition  fees  for 
students  in  the  regular  classes  are  abolished  by 
this  act. 

'J"he  fourth  section  of  the  act  of  1876,  to  per- 
manently provide  for  deficiencies  in  the  Uni- 
versity Fund  income,  is  as  follows:  "From  and 
out  of  the  receipts  of  said  tax,  the  sum  of$3,000 
annually  shall  be  set  apart  for  astronomical 
work  and  for  instruction  in  astronomy,  to  be 
expended  under  the  direction  of  the  regents  of 
the  University  of  Wisconsin,  as  soon  as  a  com- 
plete and  well  equipped  observatory  shall  be 
given  the  University,  on  its  own  grounds  with- 
out cost  to  the  State:  Provided,  that  such  ob- 
servatory shall  be  completed  within  three  years 
from  the  passage  of  this  act."  The  astronomi- 
cal observatory  whose  construction  was  provided 
for  by  this  act,  was  erected  by  the  wise  liber- 
ality of  ex-Gov.  Washburn.  It  is  a  beautiful 
stone  building,  finely  situated  and  well  fitted 
for  its  work.  Its  length  is  eighty  feet,  its 
breadth  forty-two  feet,  and  its  height  forty- 
eight  feet.  Over  the  door  to  the  rotunda  is  a 
marble  tablet  bearing  this  inscription:  "Erected 
and  furnished,  A.  D.  1878,  by  the  munificence 
of  Cadwallader  C.  Washburn,  and  by  him  pre- 
sented to  the  University  of  Wisconsin;  a  tribute 
to  general  science.  In  recognition  of  this  gift, 
this  tablet  -is  inserted  by  the  regents  of  the 
University."  The  telescope  has  a  sixteen  inch 
object-glass.  The  size  is  a  most  desirable  one 
for  the  great  mass  of  astronomical  work.  In 
1881  a  students'  observatory  was  erected  and  a 
wing  was  added  to  the  east  side  of  the  Wash- 
burn observatory. 

In  the  fall  of  18  48  there  was  a  Presidential 
election.     There    were    then   three    organized 


political  parties  in  the  State — whig,  democrat 
and  free-soil,  each  having  a  ticket  in  the  field  ; 
but  the  democrats  were  in  the  majority.  The 
successful  electors  for  that  year  and  for  each 
four  years  since  that  date,  were  as  follows  : 

1848.     Elected  November  7. 

At  Large — Francis  Huebschmann. 

Wm.  Dunwiddie. 
First  District— David  P.  M;iples 
Second  District — Samuel  F.  Nichloa. 

1852.     Elected  November  2. 

At  Large — Montgomery  M.   Cotbren. 

Satterlee  Clark. 
First  District— Philo  "White. 
Second  District — Beriah  Brown, 
Third  District— Charles  Billinghurst, 

1856.     Elected  November  4. 

At  Large — Edward  D.  Hoi  ton.  , 

James  H.  Know! ton. 
First  District— Gregor  Meucel. 
Second  District— "Walter  D.  Mclndoe. 
Third  District— Bille  Williams. 

1860.     Elected  November  6. 

At  L;ngL— Walter  D.  Mclndoe. 

Bradford  Rixford. 
First  District— William  W.  "Vaughan. 
Second  District— J.  Allen  Barber. 
Third  District— Herman  Lindeman. 


1864.     Elected  November  8. 

At  Large— William  W.  Field 

Henry  L.  Blood. 
First  District— George  C.  Northrop. 
Second  District — Jonathan  Bowman. 
Third  District— Allen  Warden. 
Fourth  District— Henry  J.  Turner. 
Fifth  District— Henry  F.  Belitz. 
Sixth  District — Alexander  S.  MoDill. 

1868.     Elected  November  3. 

At  Liira-e— Stephen  S.   Harlow. 
Henry  D .  Barron  . 


52 


HISTORY  OP  WISCONSIN. 


First  District— Elihu  Enos. 
Second  District— Charles  G.  Williams. 
Third  District— Alleu  Warden. 
Fourth  District — Leiinder  F.  Frisby. 
Fifth  District— William  G.  Ritch. 
Sixth  District— William  T.  Price. 


1872.     Elected  November  5. 

.\t Large — Wijliam  E.  Cramer. 
Frederick  Fleischer. 
First  District — Jerome  S.  Nickles. 
Second  District — George  G.  Swain. 
Third  District — Ormsby  B.  Thomas. 
Fourth  District^Prederick  Hilgen. 
Fifth  District— Edward  C.  McFetridge. 
Sixth  District — George  E.  Iloskinson. 
Seventh  District — RomanzoBunn. 
Eighth  District — Henry  D.  Barron. 


1S76.     Elected  November  7. 

At  Large — William  H.  Hiner. 
Francis  Campbell. 
First  District— T  D.  Weeks. 
Second  District — T.  D.  Lang. 
Third  District — Daniel  L.  Downs. 
Fourth  District — Casper M.  Sanger. 
Fifth  District — Charles  Luling. 
Sixth  Distriat — James  H.  Foster. 
Seventh  District- Charles  B.  Solberg. 
Eighth  District — JohnH.  Knapp. 


1880.     Elected  November  2. 

At  Ijarge — George  End. 

Knud  Langland. 
First  District — Lucius  S.  Blake. 
Second  District — John  Kellogg. 
Third  District— George  E.  Weatherby. 
Fourth  District — William  P.  McLaren. 
Fifth  District— C.  T.  Lovell. 
Sixth  District — E.  L   Browne. 
Seventh  District— F.  H.  Kribbs. 
Eighth  District — JuhnT.  Kingston. 

The    popular  vote  cast  for  President  at   each 
of  the  Presidential  elections  in  Wisconsin,  and 


the   electoral    vote  cast  for  each  successful  can- 
didate, were  as  follows  : 


1848 
lSr)2 
1856 
1860 

1864 
1868 
1872 

1876 
1880 


CANDIDATES. 


Zachary  Taylor 1.3, 

Lewis  Cass 15, 

Martin  Van  Buren 10, 

Franklin  Pierce  33, 

Winfield   Scott 

John  P.  Hale 

James  Buchanan 

John  C.    Fremont ... 

Millard  Fillmore 

Abraham  Lincoln 

John  C.  Breckinridge 

John  Bell 

S.  A    Douglas 

Abraham  Lincoln  

Geo  B.  McClellan 

Ulyspes  S.  Grant 

Horatio  Sey.nour 

Ulysses  S.  Grant 

H.irace  Greeley  

Charles   O'Connor 

Rutherford  B.   Hayes 

Samuel  J    Tilden 

Peter  Cooper 

G    C.  Smith 

James  A   Garfield   

Wintield  S.   Hancock 1114 

J.  B.    Weaver 7 

Neal  Dow 

J   B.  Phelps I 


o 
•a 

0 


o 


65, 
83, 
65, 

108, 
84, 

104, 
86, 

130, 

133, 

1, 

144, 


747 
001 
418 
658 
240 
814 
843 
090 
579 
118 
888 
161 
021 
458 
884 
857 
707 
997 
477 
834 
668 
927 
509 
27 
398 
644 
986 
68 
91 


tsl 


10 


10 


10 


The  act  of  the  first  Legislature  of  the  State, 
exempting  a  homestead  from  forced  sale  on 
any  debt  or  liability  contracted  after  Jan.  1, 
1849,  and  another  act  exempting  certain  per- 
sonal property,  were  laws  the  most  liberal  in 
their  nature  passed  by  any  State  in  the  Union 
previous  to  that  time.  Other  acts  were  passed 
— such  as  were  deemed  necessary  to  put  the 
machinery  of  the  State  government  in  all  its 
branches,  in  fair  running  order.  And,  by  the 
second  Legislature  (1849)  were  enacted  a  num- 
ber of  laws  of  public  utility.  The  statutes  were 
revised,  making  a  volume  of  over  900  pages. 
The  year  1848  was  one  of  general  prosperity  to 
the  rapidly  increasing  population  of  the  State  ; 
and  that  of  1849  developed  in  an  increased 
ratio  its  productive  capacity  in  every  depart- 
ment of  labor.     The  agriculturist,  the  artisan, 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


53 


the  miner,  reaped  the  well-earned  reward  of 
his  honest  labor.  The  commercial  and  manu- 
facturing interests  were  extended  in  a  manner 
highly  creditable  to  the  enterprise  of  the  people. 
The  educational  interests  of  the  Slate  began  to 
assume  a  more  systematic  organization.  The 
tide  of  immigration  suffered  no  decrease  during 
the  year.  Within  the  limits  of  Wiscon- 
sin, the  oppr.ssed  of  other  climes  continued  to 
find  welcome  and  happy  homes.  There  were 
many  attractions  for  emigrants  from  the  Old 
World,  especially  from  northern  Europe — from 
Germany,  Norway,  Sweden  and  Denmark ; 
also  from  Ireland  and  England. 

The  third  Legislature  changed  the  January 
term  of  the  supreme  court  to  December  and  or- 
ganized a  sixth  judicial  circuit.  The  first 
charitable  institution  in  Wisconsin,  incorporated 
by  the  State,  was  the  "Wisconsin  Institute  for 
the  Education  of  the  Blind."  A  school  for 
that  unfortunate  class  had  been  opened  in  Janes- 
ville,  ill  the  latter  part  of  1849,  receiving  its 
support  from  the  citizens  of  that  place  ami 
vicinity.  By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved 
Feb.  9,  1850,  this  school  was  taken  under  the 
care  of  the  Institute,  to  continue  and  maintain 
it,  at  Janesville,  and  to  qualify,  as  far  a.s  might 
be,  the  blind  of  the  State  for  the  enjoyment  of 
the  blessings  of  a  free  government;  for  obtain- 
ing the  means  of  subsistence;  and  for  the  dis- 
cliarge  of  those  duties,  social  and  political, 
devolving  upon  American  citizens.  It  has  since 
been  supported  from  the  treasury  of  the  State. 
On  the  7th  of  October,  1850,  it  was  opened  f(jr 
the  reception  of  pupils,  under  the  direction  of  a 
board  of  trustees  appointed  by  the  governor. 
The  other  charitable  institutions  of  the  State 
are  the  State  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  located 
near  Madison,  and  opened  for  patients  in  July, 
1800;  Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  located 
near  Oshkosh,  to  which  patients  were  first  ad- 
mitted   in    April,  1873,  and   the  Institution  for 

-      the    Deaf   and    Dumb,  located    at   Delavan,   in 

\    'Walworth  county. 


The  entire  length  of  the  building  of  the  Wis- 
consin State  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  situated 
on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Mendota,  in  Dane 
county,  is  569  feet,  the  center  building  being 
65x120  feet.  The  first  longitudinal  wing  on 
each  side  of  the  center  is  132  feet,  and  the  la.st 
on  each  extremity  is  119  feet.  1  he  transverse 
wings  are  eighty-seven  feet  long.  '^I'his  com- 
modious building  is  surrounded  by  ornamental 
grounds,  woods  and  farming  lands,  to  the  extent 
of  393  acres,  and  is  well  adapted  for  the  care 
of  the  unfortunate  needing  its  protection.  In 
1879,  additional  room  for  180  patients  was 
added,  by  converting  the  old  chapel  into  wards, 
and  by  the  addition  of  cross  wings  in  front  of 
the  old  building.  The  hospital  will  now  accom- 
modate comfortably  550  patients.  In  1870  a  law 
was  passed  authorizing  the  erection  of  the  build- 
ing for  the  Northern  Hospital,  on  a  tract,  con- 
sisting of  337  acres  of  land,  about  four  miles 
north  of  the  city  of  Oshkosh  on  the  west  shore 
of  Lake  Winnebago.  The  necessary  appropri- 
ations were  made, and  the  north  wing  and  central 
building  were  completed.  Further  approj  ri- 
ations  were  made  from  time  to  time  for  addi- 
tional wings,  and  in  1875  the  hospital  was  coim- 
pleted  according  to  the  original  design,  at  a 
total  cost  to  the  State  of  $625,250.  The  build- 
ing has  been  constructed  on  the  most  approved 
plan,  and  is  suited  to  accomodate  600  patients. 

The  land  first  occupied  by  the  V\  isconsiii 
Institution  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  comprising 
11  46-100  acres,  was  donated  by  Hon.  F.  K. 
Phcenix,  one  of  the  first  trustees,  but  the 
original  boundaries  have  since  been  enlarged 
by  the  purchase  of  twenty-two  acres.  The  main 
building  was  burned  to  the  ground  on  the  16th 
of  September,  1879;  but  during  the  year  1880 
four  new  buildings  were  erected,  and  with  the 
increased  facilities  provided,  250  children  may 
be  well  eared  for.  The  new  buildings  are  a 
school  house,  boys'  dormitory,  dining-room  and 
chapel,  with  a  main  or  administration  bui  ding. 
These  buildings  are  plain,  neat,  substantial 
structures,  and  well  fitted  for  the  uses  intended. 


84 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


The  Institution  was  originally  a  private  school 
for  the  deaf,  but  was  incorporated  by  act  of  the 
Legislature,  April  19,  1852.  It  designs  to  educate 
that  portion  of  the  children  and  youth  of  the 
State,  who,  on  account  of  deafness,  cannot  be 
educated  in  the  public  schools.  Instruction  is 
given  by  signs,  by  written  language,  and  by 
articulation.  In  the  primary  department  few 
books  are  used,  slates,  pencils,  crayons,  pictures, 
blocks  and  other  illustrative  apparatus  being  the 
means  employed.  In  the  intermediate  depart- 
ment the  books  used  are  prepared  especially  for 
the  deaf  and  dumb;  more  advanced  pupils  study 
text-books  used  in  our  common  schools.  The 
shoe  shop  commenced  business  in  1867  ;the  print- 
ing office  in  1878,  and  the  bakery  in  1881.  The 
law  provides  that  all  deaf  and  dumb  residents 
of  the  State  of  the  age  of  ten  years  and  under 
twenty-five,  of  suitable  age  and  capacity  to 
receive  instruction,  shall  be  received  and  taught 
free  of  charge  for  board  and  tuition,  but 
parents  and  guardians  are  expected  to  furnish 
clothing  and  pay  traveling  expenses. 

The  taking  of  the  census  by  the  United 
State,  this  year,  1850,  sliqwed  a  population  for 
Wisconsin  of  305,391 — the  astonishing  increase 
in  two  years  of  nearly  95,000.  Many,  as  already 
stated,  were  German,  Scandinavian  and  Irish; 
but  the  larger  proportion  were, of  course, from  the 
Eastern  and  Middle  States  of  the  Union.  The 
principal  attractions  of  Wisconsin  were  the 
excellency  and  cheapness  of  its  lands,  its  valu- 
able mines  of  lead,  its  extensive  forests  of  pine, 
and  the  unlimited  water-power  of  its  numerous 
streams.  In  1860  the  population  had  increased 
to  775,881;  in  1870  to  1,054,670,  and  in  1880  to 
1,315,480.  By  an  act  of  the  fourth  Legislature 
of  the  State,  approved  March  14,  1851,  the  loca- 
tion and  erection  of  a  State  prison  for  Wiscon- 
sin was  provided  for,  Waupim,  Dodge  county, 
being  afterwards  the  point  selected  for  it.  The 
office  of  State  prison  commissioner  was  created 
in  1853,  but  was  abolished  in  1874.  During 
that  time  the  following  persons  held  the  office: 
John   Taylor,  from   March   28,  1853  to   April  2, 


1853;  Henry  Krown,  from  April  2,  1853  to  Jan. 
2,  1854;  Argalus  W.  Starks,  from  Jan.  2,  1854 
to  Jan.  7,  1856;  Edward  McGarry,  from  Jan  7, 
1856  to  Jan  4,  1858;  Edward  M.  MacGraw,  from 
Jan.  4,  1858  to  Jan.  2,  1860;  Hans  C.  Heg,  from 
Jan.  2,  1860  to  Jan.  6,  1862;  Alexander  P.  Hod- 
ges, from  Jan  6,  1862  to  Jan.  4,  1864;  Henry 
Cordier,  from  Jan  4,  1864  to  Jan.  3,  1870; 
George  F.  Wheeler,  from  Jan.  3,  1870  to  Jan. 
4,  1874.  The  State  (Law)  Library  had  its 
origin  in  thegenerousappropriation  of  |!5,000out 
ot  the  general  treasury,  by  Congress,  contained 
in  the  seventeenth  section  of  the  organic  act 
creating  the  territory  of  Wisconsin.  At  the 
first  session  of  the  territorial  Legislature,  held 
at  Belmont  in  1836,  a  joint  resolution  was 
adopted  appointing  a  committee  to  select  and 
purchase  a  library  for  the  use  of  the  territory. 
The  first  appi'opriation  by  the  State,  to  replenish 
the  library,  was  made  in  1851.  Since  that  time, 
several  appropriations  have  been  made.  The 
number  of  volumes  in  the  library  at  the  begin- 
ning of  1883  was  16,285. 

The  fifth  Legislature  —  the  Assembly,  whig, 
the  Senate,  democratic — passed  an  act  authoriz- 
ing banking.  This  was  approved  by  the  gover- 
nor, L.  J.  Farwell,  April  19,  1852.  The  ques- 
tion of  "bank  or  no  bank"  having  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  people  in  November  previous,  and 
decided  in  favor  of  banks;  the  power  was  thereby 
given  to  the  Legislature  of  1852  to  grant  bank 
charters  or  to  pass  a  general  banking  law.  By 
the  act  just  mentioned,  tiie  office  of  bank  comp- 
troller was  created,  but  was  abolished  by  an 
act  of  Jan.  3,  187i>.  During  the  continumce  of 
the  law,  the  following  persons  filled  the  office, 
at  the  time  given:  James  S.  Baker,  from  Nov. 
20,  1852  to  Jan.  2,  1854;  William  M.  Dennis, 
from  Jan.  2,  1854  to  Jan.  4,  1858;  Joel  C. 
Squires,  from  Jan.  4,  1858  to  Jan  2,  1R60;  Gys- 
bert  Van  Steenwyk,  from  Jan  2,  1860  to  Jan.  6, 
1862;  William  H.  Ramsey,  from  Jan  6,  1862  to 
Jan.  1,  1866;  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  from  Jan.  1, 
1866  to  Jan.  3,  1870.  The  sixth  Wisconsin 
Legislature  commenced  its  session,  as  we  have 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


55 


seen,  Jan.  12,  1853.  On  the  26th  of  that  month 
charge.s  were  preferred  in  the  Assembly  against 
Levi  Hnbbell,jiidge  of  the  second  circuit  court,for 
divers  acts  of  corruption  and  malfeasance  in 
office.  A  resolution  directed  a  committee  to  go 
to  the  Senate  and  impeach  Hubbell.  On  tlie 
trial  lie  was  acquitted.  By  an  act  of  the  same 
Legislature,  the  State  Agricultural  Society  was 
incorporated.  Since  its  organization  the  society 
has  printed  a  number  of  volumes  of  transactions, 
and  has  held,  except  during  the  civil  war, 
annual  fairs.  Its  aid  to  the  agricultural  interests 
of  the  State  are  clearly  manifest.  Farming,  in 
Wisconsin,  is  confined  at  the  present  time  to 
the  south  half  of  the  State,  the  northern  lialf 
being  still  largely  covered  by  forests,  'i'lie 
surface  of  the  agricultural  portion  is,  for  the 
most  part,  gently  undulating,  consisting  largely 
of  prairies  alternating  with  "oak  openings." 
The  State  is  essentially  a  grain-growing  one, 
though  stock-raising  and  dairy  farming  are 
rapidly  gaining  in  importance.  Wheat,  the 
staple  product  of  Wisconsin,  is  gradually  losing 
its  prestige  as  the  farmer's  sole  dependence, 
and  mixed  farming  is  coming  to  the  front. 
About  twenty  bushels  of  wheat  are  raised 
annually  to  each  inhabitant  of  the  State.  Much 
more  attention  is  now  paid  to  fertilizers  than 
formerly,  clover  and  plaster  being  looked  upon 
with  constantly  increasing  favor.  While  within 
the  last  ten  years  stock-raising  has  been  a  grow- 
ing interest,  yet  it  has  not  been  a  rapid  one; 
not  so,  however,  with  dairying — no  other 
agricultural  interest  has  kept  pace  with  this. 
The  principal  markets  for  the  farm  products  of 
Wisconsin  are  Milwaukee  and  Chicago. 

My  an  act  approved  March  4,  1853,  the  State 
Historical  Society  was  incorporated,  it  having 
been  previously  organized.  The  society  is 
under  the  fostering  care  of  the  State,  each  Leg- 
islature Voting  a  respectable  sum  for  its  benefit. 
It  lias  published  a  number  of  volumes  of  "Col 
lection.s"  and  of  catalogues.  Its  rooms  are  in 
the  capitol  at  Madison,  where  are  to  be  found 
its  library   of   historical  books  and  pamphlets, 


the  largest  in  the  northwest.  On  the  21st 
of  September,  1853,  Timothy  Burns,  lieu- 
tenant-governor of  the  State,  died  at  La  Crosse. 
As  a  testimonial  of  respect  for  the  dece.v.sed, 
the  several  State  departments,  in  accordance 
with  a  proclamation  of  Gov.  Farwell,  were 
closed  for  one  day,  October  3.  The  year  1850, 
to  the  agriculturalist,  was  not  one  of  much  pros- 
perity in  Wisconsin,  owing  to  the  partial 
failure  of  the  wheat  crop.  The  State  was  vis- 
ited during  the  year  by  cholera,  not,  however, 
to  a  very  alarming  extent.  In  1851  the  State 
was  prosperous.  In  1852  the  citizens  of  Wis- 
consin enjoyed  unusual  prosperity.  There  were 
abundant  harvests  and  high  markets;  an  increase 
of  money  and  a  downward  tendency  of  the  rates 
of  interest.  The  next  year  (1853)  was  also  one 
in  which  every  branch  of  industry  prospered. 
There  was  an  especial  increase  in  commerce 
and  manufactures.  And  here  it  might  be  said 
that  next  to  agriculture  the  most  important 
pursuit  in  Wisconsin  is  manufacturing;  fore- 
most in  this  interest  is  lumber,  of  which  the 
pineries  furnish  the  raw  material.  The  pine 
region  extends  through  the  northern  counties  of 
the  State  from  Green  Bay  to  the  St.  Croix  river. 
The  demand  for  lumber  is  constantly  increas- 
ing, while  the  facilities  for  its  manufacture  are 
continually  enlarging.  Over  one  billion  feet  of 
logs  are  cut  annually.  The  lumber  mills  have 
a  capacity  exceeding  one  and  one-half  billion 
feet.  The  products  of  these  find  their  way  to 
market,  either  by  the  Mississippi  and  its  tribu- 
taries, by  the  various  lines  of  railways,  or 
through  the  great  lakes.  The  other  leading 
articles  of  manufacture  are  flour,  agricultural 
implements  and  malt  liquors. 

The  fourth  administration — William  A.  Bar- 
stow,  governor — was  signalized  by  a  fugitive 
slave  case,  which  greatly  excited  the  people  of 
Wisconsin.  Sherman  M.  Booth,  for  assistintr 
in  the  rescue  of  Joshua  Glover,  a  fugitive  slave, 
was  arrested,  but  discharged  by  the  supreme 
court.  He  was  again  arrested  under  an  indict- 
ment in  the  United   States  district  court,  and  a 


56 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


second  time  discharged  by  the  supreme  court; 
but  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States 
reversed  the  action  of  the  iState  court  in  its 
second  discharge  of  Booth,  and  he  was  re- 
arrested in  1S60;  the  sentence  of  the  district 
court  was  executed  in  part  upon  him,wlienhc  was 
pardoned  by  tlie  President.  The  eighth  Legis- 
lature, of  the  State  (Jan.  10 — April  2,  1855), 
passed  an  act  very  liberal  in  its  provisions  rela- 
tive to  the  rights  of  married  women.  On 
the  27th  of  June,  1855,  Hiiam  A.  Wright, 
superintendent  of  public  instruction,  died  at 
Prairie  du  Chien.  The  State  census,  taken  in 
this  year  (1855),  showed  a  population  of  552,- 
109.  In  1865,  the  number  had  increased  to 
868,325;  in  1875,  to  1,236,729.  Industrial  occu- 
pations in  Wisconsin  were  prosperous  during 
the  years  1854  and  1855.  The  fifth  administra- 
tion began  with  William  A.  Barstow  in  the 
executive  chair,  by  virtue  of  a  certificate  from 
the  board  of  canvassers,  that  he  had  been  a 
second  time  elected  governor  by  a  majority  (as 
previously  shown)  of  157.  But  this  certificate 
was  set  aside  by  the  supreme  court,  giving  the 
office  to  Coles  Bashford,  not,  however,  until 
Barstow  had  resigned,  and  Arthur  McArthur, 
acting,  by  virtue  of  his  office  of  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor, as  governor  from  March  21,  to  March  25, 
1856.  A  dry  season  during  this  year  dimin- 
ished the  wheat  crop.  The  tenth  Legislature  of 
Wisconsin — Jan.  14  to  March  9,  1857 — passed 
an  act  establishing  at  Waukesha  a  house  of 
refuge  for  juvenile  delinquents,  afterwards 
called  the  State  Reform  School;  now  known  as 
the  Wisconsin  Industrial  School  for  boys.  It 
was  opened  in  1860.  The  buildings  are  located 
on  the  southern  bank  of  Fox  river,  in  view  of 
the  trains  as  they  pass  to  and  from  Milwaukee 
and  Madison,  presenting  an  attractive  front  to 
the  traveling  public,  and  furnishing  the  best 
evidence  of  the  parental  care  of  the  State 
authorities  for  the  juvenile  wards  within  its 
borders.  The  buildings  include  a  main  central 
building,  three  stories  high,  used  for  the  resi- 
dence of   the    superintendent's    family,    office 


chapel,  school  rooms,  reading  room  and  library, 
officers  kitchen,  dining  room,  and  lodging,  fur- 
nace room  and  cellar.  On  the  east  of  the  main 
central  building  are  three  family  buildings, 
three  stories  high,  each  with  dining  hall, 
play  room,  bath  room,  dressing  room,  hospi- 
tal room,  officers'  rooms,  dormitory  and  store 
room.  On  the  west  of  the  main  central 
building  are  four  family  buildings  like  those 
on  the  east  in  all  respects,  with  the  exception 
of  the  building  at  the  west  end  of  this  line, 
which  is  a  modern  building  with  stone  base- 
ment. In  the  rear  of  this  line  of  buildings  is 
the  shop  building,  38x258  feet,  three  stories 
high,  which  embrace  boot  factory,  sock  and 
knitting  factory,  tailor  shop,  carpenter  shop, 
engine  room,  laundry  and  steam  dyeing  room, 
bath  rooms,  store,  store  rooms,  bakery  and  cel- 
lar. The  correction  house,  44x80  feet,  (intended 
for  the  most  refractory  boys)  and  will  accommo- 
date forty;  a  double  family  building  38x1 17 
feet  for  the  accommodation  of  two  families 
of  boys  of  fifty  each.  There  is  on  the  farm, 
which  consists  of  233  acres  of  land,  a  com- 
fortable house,  a  stone  carriage  and  horse  barn 
two  stories  high,  built  in  the  most  substantial 
manner. 

The  constitution  of  the  State,  adopted  in  1848, 
provides,  "that  the  revenue  of  the  school  fund 
shall  be  exclusively  applied  to  the  following 
objects:  "1st.  To  the  support  and  maintenance 
of  common  schools  in  each  school  district,  and 
the  purchase  of  suitable  libraries  and  appurte- 
nances therefor.  "2d.  That  the  residue  of  the 
income  of  the  school  fund  shall  be  appropriated 
to  the  support  of  academies  and  normal  schools, 
and  suitable  libraries  and  appurtenances  there- 
for." No  effort  was  made  to  take  advantage  of 
this  provision  of  the  constitution  for  the  endow- 
ment of  normal  schools  until  1857,  when  an  act 
was  passed  providing  "that  the  income  of  twen- 
ty-five per  cent,  of  the  proceeds  arising  from  the 
sale  of  swamp  and  overflowed  lands  should  be 
appropriated  to  normal  institutes  and  academies, 
under  the  supervision  and  direction  of  a  "'board 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


51 


of  regents  of  normal  schools,' "  who  were  to 
be  appointed  in  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of 
that  act.  Under  this  law,  the  income  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  the  regents  was  distributed  for 
several  years  to  such  colleges,  academies  and 
high  schools  as  maintained  a  normal  class,  and 
in  proportion  to  the  number  of  pupils  in  the 
class  who  passed  satisfactory  examinations,  con- 
ducted by  an  agent  of  the  board.  In  1865,  the 
Legislature  divided  the  swamp  lands  and  swamp 
land  fund  into  two  equal  parts,  one  for  drain- 
age purposes,  the  other  to  constitute  a  noimal 
school  fund.  The  income  of  the  latter  was  to 
be  applied  to  establishing,  supporting  and  main- 
taining normal  schools,  under  the  direction  and 
management  of  the  board  of  regents  of  normal 
.schools,  with  a  proviso  that  one-fourth  of  such 
income  should  be  transferred  to  the  common 
school  fund,  until  the  annual  income  of  that 
fund  should  reach  1200,000.  During  the  same 
year,  proposals  were  invited  for  extending  aid 
in  the  establishment  of  a  normal  school,  and 
propositions  were  received  from  various  places. 
In  1866,  the  board  of  regents  was  incorpo- 
rated by  the  Legislature.  In  February,  Platte- 
ville  was  conditionally  selected  as  the  site  of  a 
school,  and  as  it  had  become  apparent  that  a 
productive  fund  of  about  $600,000,  with  a  net 
income  of  over  $30,000,  was  already  in  hand, 
with  a  prospect  of  a  steady  increase  as  fast  as 
lands  were  sold,  the  board,  after  a  careful  in- 
vestigation and  consideration  of  the  different 
methods,  decided  upon  the  policy  of  establish- 
ing several  schools,  and  of  locating  tliem  in 
different  parts  of  the  State.  At  a  meeting  held 
on  the  2d  day  of  May,  in  the  same  year,  the 
board  designated  Whitewater  as  the  site  of  vi 
school  for  the  southeastern  section  of  tlie  Slate, 
where  a  building  was  subsequently  erected;  and 
on  the  16th  permanently  located  a  school  at 
Platteville,  the  academy  building  having  been 
donated  for  that  purpose.  The  school  at  Platte- 
ville wjs  opened  Oct.  9,  1866.  Tlie  school  at 
Whitewater  was  opened  on  the  2!st  of  April, 
1868. 


A  building  was  completed  during  the  year 
1870  for  a  third  normal  school,  at  Oshkosh,  but 
owing  to  a  lack  of  funds,  it  wa.'  not  opened  for 
the  admission  of  pupils  during  that  year.  The 
opening  and  the  ceremony  of  dedicating  the  build- 
ing took  place  Sept.  19,  1871.  A  fourth  noiraal 
school  was  opened  in  September,  1875,  at  River 
Fa'ls,  Pierce  county.  It  is  understood  to  be  the 
policy  of  the  board  of  regents  to  establish 
eventually,  when  the  means  at  their  disposal 
shall  permit,  not  less  than  six  normal  schools, 
but  several  years  must  elajise  before  so  many 
can  go  into  operation.  The  law  under  which 
these  schools  are  organized  provides  that  "The 
exclusive  purpose  of  each  normal  school  shall 
be  the  instruction  and  training  of  persons,  both 
male  and  female,  in  the  theory  and  art  of  teach- 
ing, and  in  all  the  various  branches  that  per- 
tain to  a  good  common  school  education,  and  in 
all  subjects  needful  to  qualify  for  teaching  in 
the  public  schools;  also  to  give  instruction  in 
the  fundamental  laws  of  the  United  States  and 
of  this  State,  and  in  what  regards  the  riglits  and 
duties  of  citizens." 

Subsidiary  to  the  State  normal  schools  are 
teachers'  institutes,  held  annually  in  nearly 
every  settled  county,  and  the  State  teachers' 
association,  which  has  been  organized  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century.  Besides  the  public  schools 
of  tlie  State,  there  are  a  number  of  denomina- 
tional and  other  colleges,  the  principal  of  which 
are  Racine  College,  Beloit  College,  Milton  Col- 
lege, Ripon  College,  Carroll  College,  at  Wau- 
kesha; Lawrence  University,  at  Appleton;  St. 
John's  College,  at  Prairie  du  Chien;  Galesville 
University;  Northwestern  University,  at  Water- 
town;  and  Pio  Nono  College,  at  St.  Francis 
Station,  south  of  Milwaukee.  There  is  also 
quite  a  large  number  of  incorporated  academies 
and  seminaries,  the  more  prominent  ones  beino- 
the  Milwaukee  Academy  and  St.  Mary's  Insti- 
tute, at  Milwaukee;  Kemper  Hall,  at  Kenosha; 
St.  Catharine's  Academy,  at  Racine;  Rochester 
Seminary,  Lake  Geneva  Semiiuiry,  Fox  Lake 
Semin.ary,  Albion   Academy,    Elroy   Seminary, 


68 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


Wayland  Institute,  at  Beaver  Dam,  and  Santa 
Clara  Academy,  at  Sinsinawa  Mound.  Inhere 
are  also  about  TOO  private  schools  in  Wisconsin. 
The  whole  number  of  children  in  Wisconsin 
between  four  and  twenty  years  of  age  is  483,071 ; 
the  number  of  pupils  in  attendance  in  public 
schools,  299,019.  The  aggregate  valuation  of 
school  property  in  the  State  is  15,297,678.24. 

The  sixth  administration,  Alexander  W. 
Randall,  governor,  was  noted  for  its  "long  jiar- 
liament,"  the  eleventh  Legislauuc  of  the  State 
having  been  in  session  12.5  days.  A  report  of 
commissioners  previously  ajipointed  to  revise 
the  statutes,  was  acted  upon  during  the  session, 
the  result  being  the  publication,  in  one  volume, 
of  the  "Revised  Statutes  of  1858."  Tlie 
twelfth  Legislature  (Jan.  12,  to  March  21,  1859) 
was,  like  the  two  previous  Legistatures,  republi- 
can. At  the  commencement  of  the  seventh  ad- 
ministration, Randall's  second  term  as  gov- 
ernor, that  party  not  only  had  control  of  the 
tliirteentli  Legislature,  but  of  all  the  State  offices. 
The  governor,  in  his  message  to  the  fourteenth 
Legislature,  on  the  10th  of  January,  1861,  de 
clared  that  the  right  of  a  State  to  secede  from 
the  Union,  could  never  be  admitted.  '■'■Thegov- 
ernmevt  must  he  sustained,  the  laws  shall  he  en- 
forced/" An  extra  session  of  the  Legislature 
was  convened  on  the  15th  of  May,  at  which,  no 
acts  were  passed  except  such  as  appertained  to 
the  military  exigencies  of  the  times.  Mean- 
while a  demand  made  ujion  the  governor  by  tlie 
President,  for  troops  to  sustain  the  federal  arm, 
met  with  a  quick  response.  During  the  year, 
9,991  men,  in  ten  regiments,  for  three  years' 
service,  and  one  regiment  tor  three  months 
service,  of  810  men,  were  sent  out  of  the  State. 
The  number  of  volunteers  originally  in  the  sev- 
eral military  organizations,  from  Wisconsin 
during  the  war,  were  as  follows: 

First  Infantry,  three  montlis 810 

First  Infantry,  three  years 945 

Second  Infantry,  three  years 1051 

Third  Infantry,  three  years 979 

Fifth  Infantry,  three  years 1058 

Sixth  Infantry,  three  years 1108 


Seventh  Infantry,  three  years 1029 

Eighth  Infantry,  three  years 973 

Ninth  Infantry,  *  three  years 870 

Trnth  Infantry,  three  years 916 

Eleventh  Infantry,  threeyears 1029 

Twelfth  Infantry,  three  year.s 1045 

Thirteenth  Infant'y,*  threeyears 970 

Fourteenth  Infantry,  three  years 970 

Fifteenth  Infantry,  three  years 801 

Sixteenth  Infantry,  three  years 1066 

Seventeenth  Infantry,  threeyears 941 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  three  years 962 

Nineteenth  Infantry,  threeyears 973 

Twentieth  Infantry,  three  years 990 

Twenty-first  Infantry,  threeyears 1002 

Twenty-second  Infantry,  three  years lOOU 

Twenty-third  Infantry,  three  years 994 

Twenty  fourth  Infantry,  three  years 1008 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  three  years 1018 

Twenty-sixth  Infantry,  threeyears 1002 

Twenty-seventh  Infantry,  three  years 865 

Twenty-eighth  Infantry,  three  year.' 961 

Twenty-ninlli  Infantry,  three  }-ears 961 

Thirlietli  Infiintry,  threeyears 906 

Thirty-first  Infantry,  three  years 878 

Thirty-second  Infantry,  threeyears 993 

Thirty-third  Infantry,  three  years 893 

Thirly-fourth  Infantry,  nine  months 961 

Thirty-fifth  Infantry, *  threeyears 1066 

Thirty  sixth  Infantry,  threeyears 990 

Thirty-seventh  Infantry,  one,  two  and  threeyears    708 
Thirty-fiffhth  Infantry,  one,  two  and  three  years.     913 

Thirty-ninth  Infantry,  one  hundred  days 780 

Fortieth  Infantry,  one  hundred  days 776 

Forty-first  Infantry,  one  hundred  days 578 

Forty-second  Infantry,  one  year 877 

Forty-third  Infantry,  one  year 867 

Forty-fourth  Infantry,  one  year 877 

Forty  fifth  Infantry,  one  year 859 

Forty-sixth  Infantry,  one  year 914 

Forty-seventh  Infantry,  one  year 927 

Fortj'-eighth  Infantry,  one  year 828 

Forty-ninth  Infantry,  one  year 986 

Fiftieth  Infantry,  one  year H42 

Fifty-first  Infantry,  one  year 841 

Fifty-second  Infantry,  one  year 486 

Fifty  third  Infantry,  one  year 380 

First  Cavalry,  threeyears 1124 

Second  Cavalry,  three  years 1 127 

Third  Cavalry,  threeyears 1186 

Fourth  Cavalry,  three  years 1047 

Milwaukee 83 

*Nor.  1, 1865. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


59 


First  Battery  Light  Artillery 155 

Second  Bat leiy  Liglit  Artillery ,.  153 

Third  Battery  Light  Artillery 170 

Fourth  Battery  Light  Artillery 151 

Fifth  Buttery  Light  Artillery 155 

Sixth  Battery  Light  Artillery 157 

Seventh  Battery  Ijight  Artillery 158 

Eighth  Battery  Light  Artillery 161 

Ninth  Battery  Light  Artillery   155 

Tenlh  Battery  Light  Artillery 47 

Eleventh  Battery  Light  Artillery 87 

TwelfthBattery  Light  Artillery 99 

Thiitecnth  Battery  Light  Artillery 15fi 

Battery  A,  Heavy  Artillery  129 

Battety  B,  Heavy  Artillery 149 

Battery  C,  Heavy  Artillery 146 

Battery  D,  Heavy  Artillery 146 

Battery  E,  Heavy  Artillery 151 

Battery  F,  Heavy  Artillery 151 

Battery  G,  Heavy  Artillery 152 

Battery  H,  Heavy  Artillery  151 

Battery  L  Heavy  Artillery 150 

Battery  K,  Heavy  Artillery 148 

Battery  1-,  Heavy  Artillery     153 

Battery  M,    Heavy  Artillery 152 

Sharp  Shooter? 105 

Gibbous'  Brigade  Band 13 

On  the  lOth  of  April,  I8G2,  Gov.  Louis  P. 
Harvey,  the  successor  of  AlexanderW.  Randall, 
started,  along  with  others,  from  Wisconsin  on 
a  tour  to  relieve  the  wounded  and  suffering- 
soldiers  from  tliis  State,  at  Mound  City,  Pndu- 
cah  and  Savannah.  Having  completed  his 
mission,  he  made  preparations  to  return,  lie 
went  on  board  a' boat,  the  Dunleith,  at  the 
landing  in  Savannah,  and  there  awaited  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Minnehaha,  which  was  to  convey  liini 
and  his'party  to  Cairo,  111.  It  was  late  in  the 
evening  of  the  19th  of  v\pril  when  the  steamer 
arrived;  and  as  .she  rounded  to,  her  bow  toticliid 
the  Dunleith  precipitating  the  governor  into 
the  river.  Every  effort  was  made  to  save  his 
life,  but  in  vain.  His  body  was  afterward  re- 
covered and  brought  home  for  interment. 

Edward  Salomon,  lieutenant-governor,  by 
virtue  of  a  provision  of  the  constitution  of  the 
State,  succeeded  to  the  office  of  governor.  'J'lie 
enlifting,  organization  and  tnustering  into  the 
United  States  service  during  Randall's  adminis- 


tration of  thirteen  regiments  of  infantry — the 
First  to  the  Thirteenth  inclusive,  and  the  march- 
ing of  ten  of  them  out  of  the  Slate  before  the 
close  of  1861,  also,  of  one  company  of  cavalry 
and  one  company  of  sharpshooters  constituted 
the  effective  aid  abroad  of  Wisconsin  during 
that  year  to  suppress  the  Rebellion.  IJiil  for  the 
year  1862,  this  aid,  as  to  number  of  organiza- 
tions, was  more  than  doubled.  At  the  end  of 
the  year  1863  thirty-three  regiments  left  the 
State — -the  Thirteenth  regiment  being  the  only 
remaining  one  of  the  thirty-four  in  Wisconsin. 
The  ninth  administration,  James  T.  Lewis,  gov- 
ernor, saw  the  close  of  the  Rebellion.  On  the 
10th  of  April,  1865,  Lewis  announced  to  the 
Legislature,  then  in  session,  tlie  surrender  of 
Gen.  Lee  and  his  army. 

Fifty-three  regiments  during  the  war  were 
raised  in  Wisconsin,  all,  sooner  or  later,  mov- 
ing south  and  engaging  in  one  way  or  other  in 
suppressing  the  Rebellion.  Twelve  of  these 
regiments  were  assigned  to  duty  in  the  eastern 
division,  which  constituted  the  territory  on  both 
sides  of  the  Potomac  and  upon  the  seaboard 
from  Baltimore  to  Savannah.  These  twelve 
regiments  were: 

The  First  (three  months).  Second,  'I'hiid, 
Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Nineteenth, 
Twenty-sixth,  Tiiirty-sixth,  Tliirly-seventh  and 
Thirty-eighth. 

Ten  regiments  were  assigned  to  the  central 
division,  including  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
Northern  Alabama  and  Georgia.  Tliese  ten 
were; 

The  Tenth,  Twenty-first,  Twetity-second, 
Twenty-fourth,  Thirtieth,  Forty-third,  Forty- 
fourth,  Forty-iifth,  Forty-sixth  and  Forty- 
seventh.  Added  to  these  was  the  First  (re-or- 
ganized). 

Thirty-one  regiments  were  ordered  to  the 
western  division,  embraci  g  tlie  country  west 
and  northwest  of  the  central  division.  .'Ihese 
were: 

Kiglith,  NintI',  Eleventh, Twelfth,  Thirteenth, 
Fourteenth,   Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  Seventeenth, 


f 


60 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


Eighteenth,  Twentieth,  Twenty-third,  Twenty- 
fifth,  Twenty-seventh,  Twenty-eighth,  Twenty- 
ninth,  Thirty-first,  Thirty-second,  Thirty-lhird, 
Thirty-fourth,  Thirty-fiflli,  Thirty-ninth,  For- 
tieth, Forty-first,  Forty-second,  Forty-eiglith, 
Forty-ninth,  Fiftieth,  Fifty-first,  Fifty-second 
and  Fifty-third. 

During  the  war  several  transfers  were  made 
from  one  district  to  another.  Tiiere  were  taken 
from  the  eastern  division  tlie  Tliinl  and  Twenty- 
sixtli  and  sent  to  the  central  division;  also  tlie 
Fourth,  which  was  sent  to  tlie  de])artment  of 
tlie  gulf.  The  Twelfth,  Tiiirteenth,  Fifteentli, 
Sixteenth,  Seventeenth,  Eighteenth,  'J^»  enty- 
fifth.  Thirtieth,  Thirty-first  and  Thirty-second 
were  transferred  from  the  western  to  the  cen- 
tral department.  The  other  military  organiza- 
tions from  Wisconsin  had  various  assi-^nments 
Recruiting  ceased  in  the  Stale  on  the  13th  of 
April,  1865.  It  was  not  many  months  before 
Wisconsin's  last  soldier  was  mustered  out  of 
service.  The  State  furnished  during  the  war 
over  75,000  men,  of  which  number  nearly  11,000 
died  in  the  service. 

Among  all  the  noble  women  who  gave  them- 
selves  to  the  sanitary  work  of  the  civil  war 
perhaps  few  were  more  peculiarly  fitted  for 
forming  and  carrying  out  plans  tiian  Mrs.  V.  A. 
P.  Darvey,  widow  of  tiie  late  lamented  Gov. 
Louis  P.  Harvey.  She  was  appointed  by  Gov. 
Salomon  one  of  the  sanitary  agents  of  the 
State.  She  soon  procured  the  establishment  of 
a  convalesent  hospital  at  Madison,  Wis.  The 
building  when  no  longer  needed  as  a  hospital, 
Mrs.  Harvey  conceived  the  idea  of  having  it  con- 
verted into  a  home  for  soldiers'  orplians.  On 
Jan.  1,  1866,  the  home  was  opened  with  eighty- 
four  orphans,  Mrs.  Harvey  at  the  liead.  The 
necessary  funds  had  been  raised  by  subsciipiion; 
but  it  soon  became  a  State  institution.  The  or- 
phans were  not  only  maintained  but  brouglit  up 
to  habits  of  industry.  But  it  was  not  long  be- 
fore the  number  of  the  inmates  began  to  de- 
crease, owing  to  the  fact  that  homes  were  found 
or  many,  while  some   were    returned   to    their, 


mothers;  none  were  kept  in  the  institution  after 
they  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen.  At  length 
when  the  number  had  diminished  to  less  than 
forty  children,  it  was  thought  best  to  close  the 
institution.  I'his  was  in  1875.  The  whole 
number  of  orjihans  cared  for  during  the  contin- 
uance of  the  home  was  about  700.  The  Legisla- 
ture then  transferred  the  building  to  the  re- 
gents of  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  who  dis- 
posed of  it;  and  a  Norwegian  seminary  is  now 
established  therein. 

During  the  tenth  administration,  Lucius 
Fairchild,  governor,  the  National  Home  for 
Disabled  Volunteer  Soldiers,  the  northwest- 
ern branch  of  the  National  institution,  was  es- 
tablished in  Wisconsin,  three  miles  from  Mil- 
waukee. It  has  a  capacious  brick  building,  con- 
taining accommodations  for  1,000  inmates.  In 
addition  to  this  building  which  contains  the 
main  halls,  eating  apartment,  offices,  dormitory 
and  engine  room,  are  shops,  granaries,  stables 
and  other  out-buildings.  The  Home  farm  con- 
tains 410  acres,  of  which  over  one-half  is  culti- 
vated The  remainder  is  a  wooded  park  tra- 
versed by  shaded  walks  and  drives,  beautifully 
undulating.  The  main  line  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  runs  through 
the  farm,  and  the  track  of  the  northern  division 
passes  beside  it.  Soldiers  who  were  disabled 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States  in  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion,  the  Mexican  War,  or  the  \Var 
of  1812,  and  have  been  honorably  discharged, 
are  entit  ed  to  admission  to  the  Soldiers'  Home. 

A  law  was  passed  in  1867  creating  the  office 
of  insurance  commissioner,  the  secretary  of 
State  being  assigned  to  its  duties.  But,  in  1878, 
it  was  made  a  distinct  office,  to  be  filled  by  the 
governor's  appointment.  It  was,  however, 
made  elective  in  1881.  Philip  L.  Spooner  has 
served  since  April  1,  1878,  and  is  still  in  office. 
The  joint^stock  fire  insurance  companies  of  Wis- 
consin are  three  in  number,  its  mutual  compa- 
nies also  three.  There  is  but  one  life  insurance 
company  in  the  State.  A  large  number  of  fire 
and  life  insurance  companies  located  outside  of 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


61 


Wisconsin  transact  business   under  State    law 
witliin  its  borders. 

Early    in      1870,     during    Gov.      Fairchild's 
third   term,  was   organized,  and    in    Marcli    of 
that  year  incorporated,  the   "Wisconsin  Acad- 
emy  of    Sciences,    Arts    and  Letters,"    having 
among  its  specific  objects  researches  and  inves- 
tigations in  the  various  departments  of  the  ma- 
terial,  metaphysical,   ethical,  ethnological  and 
social    sciences;    a    progressive    and   thorougii 
scientific   survey  of    the    State,  witli    a  view  of 
determining  its  mineral,  agricultural  and  other 
resources;    the  advancement  of  the  useful  arts, 
through  the  application   of   science   and  by  the 
encouragement  of   original   invention;    the  en- 
couragement of  the  fine  arts  by  means  of  hon- 
ors and   prizes  awarded   to   artists   for  original 
works  of  superior  merit;  the  formation  of  scien- 
tific, economical   and  art  museums;   the  encour- 
agement of  philological  and  historical  research; 
the  collection  and   preservation  of   historic  rec- 
ords and   the   formation   of    a  general  library, 
and  the  diffusion  of  knowledge  by  the  public  i- 
tion    of   original  contributions  to  science,  liter- 
ature and  the  arts.     The   academy  has   already 
published    several  volumes  of    transactions,  un- 
der authority  of  the   State.     On   the   3d  day  of 
July  of  tiiat  year  A.  J.  Craig,  superintendent  of 
public   instruction,    died    of   consumption,   and 
on  the  13th  of   January  following  occurred  the 
death  of  associate  justice,  Byron  Paine,  of  the 
supreme  court.     At  the    twenty-fourth   regular 
session   of  the  Legislature  (January  11 — March 
25,  1871,)  a  commissioner  of  emigration,  to  be 
elected   by  the   people,  was  provided  for.     The 
office  was    abolished  Jan.  3,  1876.     During  this 
time  but  two    persons   held   the  office — Ole  C. 
Johnson,    from   April  3,    1871,   to   Jan.  5,  1874; 
Martin  J.  Argar<l,  from  Jan.  5,  1874,  to  Jan.  3, 
1876.     By  an  act  of   the  Legislature,  approved 
March  4,  1879,  the  board  of  immigration  of  the 
State  of     Wisconsin    was    created,    to   consist 
of   five    members,  of  which     number    two   are 
ex-officio — the  governor  and  secretary  of  State. 
The   principal    office  is  located  in  Milwaukee, 


with  a  branch  office  at  Chicago.  The  object  is 
to  encourage  imigration  from  Europe  to  Wis- 
consin. On  the  23d  of  March,  1871,  the  State 
board  of  charities  and  reforms  was  created,  to 
consist  of  five  members  to  be  appointed  by  the 
governor  of  the  State,  the  duties  of  the  mem- 
bers being  to  investigate  and  supervise  the 
whole  system  of  charitable  and  correctional  in- 
stitutions supported  by  the  State  or  receiving 
aid  from  the  State  treasury.  This  board  have 
since  reported  annually  to  the  governor  their 
proceedings.  The  Wisconsin  State  horticultural 
Society,  although  previously  organized,  first  un- 
der the  name  of  the  "Wisconsin  Fruit  Growers' 
Association,"  was  not  incorporated  until  the 
24th  of  .March,  1871 — the  object  of  the  society 
being  to  improve  the  condition  of  horticulture, 
rural  adornment  and  landscape  gardening.  By 
a  law  of  1868  provision  was  made  for  the  pub- 
lication of  the  society's  transactions  in  connec- 
tion with  the  State  Agricultural  Society;  but 
by  the  act  of  1871  this  law  was  repealed  and  an 
a])propriation  made  for  their  yearly  publication 
in  separate  form.  The  society  holds  annual 
meetings  at  Madison. 

In  October,  1871,  occurred  great  fires  in 
northeastern  Wisconsin.  The  counties  of 
Oconto,  Brown,  Kewaunee,  Door,  Manitowoc, 
Outagamie  and  Shavvano  suffered  more  or  less. 
More  than  l,OOU  men,  women  and  children  per- 
ished. More  than  3,ooo  were  rendered  destitute. 
The  loss  of  property  has  been  estimated  at  14,- 
000,000.  No  other  calamity  so  awful  in  its  results 
has  ever  visited  Wisconsin.  A  compilation  of 
the  public  statutes  of  the  State  was  prepared 
during  the  year  1871  by  David  Taylor  (now 
associate  justice  of  the  supreme  court),  and 
published  in  two  volumes,  known  as  the  "Re- 
vised Statutes  of  1871."  It  was  wholly  a  pri- 
vate undertaking,  but  a  very  creditable  one. 

The  Wisconsin  Dairymen's  Association  origi- 
nated in  a  resolution  offered  in  the  .Jefferson 
County  Dairymen's  Association,  Jan.  26,  1872, 
to  issue  a  call  for  a  meeting  of  Wisconsin 
dairymen,  to  be  held  at  Watertown,  Feb.  15, 


62 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


1872.  A  few  gentlemen  met  and  organized  the 
Wisconsin  Dairymen's  Assooialioii.  Tlie  aim 
of  the  organization  has  been  to  seoure  improved 
methods  of  making  butter  and  cheese  and  the 
best  markets  for  shipment  and  sale,  i  he  asso- 
ciation holds  its  annual  meeting  in  January  of 
each  year  for  the  discussion  of  the  dairy  inter- 
ests. Dairy  fairs  are  held  at  each  meeting. 
There  is  printed  annually  by  the  State  printer 
2,000  copies  of  the  transactions  of  the  associa- 
tion. The  Legislature  receives  600  copies,  the 
State  Historical  Society,  Academy  of  Sciences, 
Arts  and  Letters,  State  Agricultural  Society 
and  Northern  Wisconsin  Agricultural  Associa- 
tion receive  forty  copies  each;  the  remainder 
are  distributed  to  the  members  of  the  associa- 
tion and  generally  over  the  State  to  all  who 
make  application  for  them.  The  association 
receives  its  support  from  members  wiio  join 
eacli  year,  paying  the  sura  of  |1,  and  by 
appiMpriations  from  the  State.  Wisconsin  won 
first  ]iremium  on  butter  in  competition  with  the 
world;  the  second  premium  on  Ciieddar  cheese 
(the  first  going  to  Canada),  and  the  second  on 
fancy  shaped  cheese  at  the  International  Dairy 
Fair,  lield  in  New  York  city  in  December,  1877. 
To  tile  Dairymen's  Association  belongs  the 
credit  of  raising  the  reputation  of  Wisconsin 
cheese  and  butter  from  the  lowest  to  the  high- 
est rank. 

On  the  23d  of  \Iarcli,  187:i,  Lieut.-Gov. 
Milton  H.  Pettitt  died  suddenly  and  unex- 
pectedly. The  Legislature  this  year  passed  an 
act  providing  for  a  geological  survey  of  the 
State,  to  be  completed  within  four  years,  by  a 
chief  geologist  and  four  assistants,  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor,  appropriating  fur  the 
work  an  annual  payment  of  $13,000.  An  act, 
approved  March  25,  1 8.53,  authorized  the  gov- 
ernor to  appoint  a  State  geologist,  who  was  to 
select  a  suitable  person  as  assistant  geologist. 
Under  this  law  Edward  Daniels,  on  the  1st  day 
of  April,  1853,  was  appointed  State  geologist, 
superseded  on  the  12th  day  of  August,  1854,  by 
James  G.  Percival,  who  died  in  office  on  the  2d 


of  May,  1856.  By  an  act  approved  March  3, 
1857,  James  Hall,  Ezra  Carr  and  Edward  Dan- 
iels were  appointed  by  the  Legislature  geolog- 
ical commissioners.  By  an  act  approved  April 
2,  1860,  Hall  was  made  principal  of  the  com- 
mission. The  survey  was  interrupted  by  a  re- 
peal March  21, 1862,  of  previous  laws  promoting 
it.  However,  to  complete  the  survey,  the  mat- 
ter was  re-instated  by  the  act  of  this  Legisla- 
ture, approved  March  29,  the  governor,  under 
that  act,  appointing  as  chief  geologist  Increase 
A.  Lapham,  April  10,  1873.  On  the  16th  of 
February,  1875,  O.  W.  Wight  succeeded  Lap- 
ham,  but  on  the  2d  of  February,  1876,  T.  C. 
Chamberlain  was  appointed  Wight's  successor, 
and  still  holds  the  office.  He  has  published 
four  volumes  of  reports  in  a  very  able  mannei, 
extending  from  1873  to  1879,  inclusive.  Re- 
ports were  also  published  by  his  predecessors. 

And  just  here  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to 
say  a  word  concerning  the  physical  history  of 
Wisconsin.  "This  can  be  traced  back  with 
certainty  to  a  state  of  complete  submergence 
beneath  the  waters  of  the  ancient  ocean,  by 
which  the  material  of  our  oldest  and  deepest 
strata  were  deposited.  Let  an  extensive  but 
shallow  sea,  covering  the  whole  of  the  present 
territory  of  the  State,  be  pictured  to  the  mind, 
and  let  it  be  imagined  to  be  depositing  mud  and 
sand,  as  at  the  present  day,  and  we  have  before 
us  the  first  authentic  stage  of  the  history  under 
consideration.  Back  of  that  the  history  is  lost 
in  the  mists  of  geologic  antiquity.  The  thick- 
ness of  the  sediments  that  accumulated  in  that 
early  period  was  immense,  being  measured  by 
thousands  of  feet.  These  sediments  occupied, 
of  course,  an  essentially  horizontal  position,  and 
were  doubtless  in  a  large  degree  hardened  into 
beds  of  impure  sandstone,  shale  and  other  sedi- 
mentary rock.  But  in  the  progress  of  time  an 
enormous  pressure,  attended  by  heat,  was 
brought  to  bear  upon  them  laterally,  or  edge- 
wise, by  which  they  were  folded  and  crumpled 
and  forced  up  out  of  the  water,  giving  rise  to 
an  island,  the  nucleus  of  Wisconsin.   The  force 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


63 


which  produced  this  upheaval  is  believed  to 
have  arisen  from  the  cooling  and  consequent 
contraction  of  the  globe.  The  foldings  may  he 
imagined  as  the  wrinkles  of  a  shrinking  earth. 
But  the  contortion  of  the  beds  was  a  scarcely 
more  wonderful  result  than  the  change  in  the 
cliaracterof  the  rock  which  seems  to  have  taken 
place  simultaneously  with  the  folding,  indeed, 
as  the  result  of  the  heat  and  pressure  attending 
it.  The  sediments,  that  seem  to  have  previously 
taken  the  form  of  impure  sandstone  and  shale 
for  the  most  part,  underwent  a  change,  in  which 
re-arrangement  and  crystalization  of  the  ingre- 
dients played  a  conspicuous  part.  By  this  met- 
amorphism  granite,  gneiss,  mica  schist,  syenite, 
hornblende  rocks,  chloritic  schists  and  other 
crystalline  rocks  were  formed."*  But  to  pur- 
sue further  an  inquiry  into  the  geological  struc- 
ture of  the  State  would  be  foreign  to  this  brief 
historical  sketch  of  Wisconsin.  The  subject  is 
ably  treated  of  in  the  geological  reports  before 
referred  to. 

The  actual  mineral  resources  of  Wisconsin 
remain  very  largely  to  be  developed,  Itsuseltil 
mineral  material  comes  under  the  head  of  me- 
talic  ores  and  non-metalic  substances.  Of  the 
first  class  are  the  ores  of  lead,  zinc,  iron  and 
copper;  of  the  second  class  ar«  the  principal 
substances  found  in  brick-clay,  kaolin,  cement 
rock,  limestone  for  burning  into  quick  lime, 
limestone  for  flux,  glass-sand,  peat  and  build- 
ing stone.  In  Wisconsin  lead  and  zinc  are 
found  together  ;  the  former  has  been  utilized 
since  1826,  the  latter  since  1860.  The  coun- 
ties of  La  Fayette,  Iowa  and  Grant — the 
southwestern  counties  of  the  State — are  known 
as  the  "  lead  region."  All  the  lead  and  zinc 
obtained  in  Wisconsin  are  from  these  counties. 
The  lead  ore  is  of  one  kind  only — that  known 
as  galena.  A  large  amount  is  produced  yearly 
from  the  various  mining  districts  in  the  lead 
region.  The  number  of  pounds  raised  from 
single  crevices  has    often    been    several    hun- 

*  T.  C.  Chamberlain,    State  Geologist,  in  Illustrated  Hist. 
Atlas  of  WiBconsiD, 


drod  thousand.  The  zinc  ores  werelformerly 
rejected  as  useless,  but  their  value  is,  beyond 
doubt,  very  great,  and  they  will  be  a  source 
of  wealth  to  the  lead  region  for  a  long  time 
to  come,  as  they  are  now  extensively  utilized. 
Iron  mining  in  the  State  is  yet  in  its  infancy. 
Numbers  of  blast  furnaces  liave  sprung  up  in 
the  eastern  portion,  but  these  smelt  Michigan 
ores  almost  entirely.  The  several  ores  in  Wis 
cousin  are  red  hematites,  brown  hematites, 
magnetic  ores  and  specular  hematites  ;  the 
lirst  are  found  in  Dodge  county  ;  the  second 
in  Portage,  Wood  and  Juneau  ;  the  two  last 
in  Bayfield,  Ashland,  Lincoln  and  Oconto 
counties. 

The  thirteenth  administration  (0.  C.  Wash- 
burn, governor)  ended  with  the  year  1873, 
the  republican  party  in  the  State  being  de- 
feated for  the  first  time  since  the  commence- 
ment of  Randall's  administration.  The  session 
of  the  Legislature  of  18'74  was  a  noted  one  for 
the  passage  of  the  "Potter  Law,"  limiting  the 
com]iensation  for  the  transportation  of  passen- 
gers, classifying  freight,  and  regulating  prices 
for  its  carriage  on  railroads  within  Wisconsin. 
Tliree  railroad  commissioners  were  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor  ;  one  for  one  year, 
one  for  two  years,  and  one  for  three  years, 
wliose  terms  of  office  should  commence  on  the 
14th  day  of  May,  and  the  governor,  thereafter, 
on  the  first  day  of  May,  of  each  year,  should 
appoint  one  commissioner  for  three  years.  Un- 
der this  law  the  governor  appointed  J.  H.  Os- 
born,  for  three  years  ;  George  II.  Paul,  for  two 
years;  and  J.  W.  Hoyt,  for  one  year.  Ll'nder 
executive  direction,  this  commiicsion  inaugura- 
ted its  labors  by  compiling,  classifying,  and 
])Ulting  into  convenient  form  for  public  use  for 
the  first  time,  all  the  railroad  legislation  of  the 
State.  In  1876  this  board  was  abolished  and  a 
railroad  commissioner,  to  be  appointed  by  the 
governor  every  two  years,  was  to  take  its  place. 
This  latter  office  was  made  elective  in  1881. 
The  commissioners  who  have  held  office  under 
these  various  laws  are  :   John  W.  Hoyt,    from 


64 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


April  29,  ISH,  to  March  10,  IS'/G;  George  H. 
Paul,  from  April  29,  1874,  to  March  10,  1876  ; 
Joseph  II.  Osborn,  from  April  '9,  1874,  to 
March  10,  1876;  Dana  C.  Lamb,  from  March 
10,  1876,  to  Feo.  1,  1878;  A.J.  Turner,  from 
Feb.  1,  1878,  to  Feb.  15,  1882;  N.  P,  Haugen, 
from  Feb.  15,  1881,  and  now  in  office.  The 
"Potter  Law"  was  resisted  by  tbe  railroad  com 
panies,  but  ultimately  the  complete  and  abso- 
lute power  of  the  people,  through  the  Legisla- 
ture, to  modify  or  altogether  repeal  their  char- 
ters was  fully  sustained  by  the  courts  both  of 
the  State  and  the  United  States.  The  necessity 
for  railroads  in  Wisconsin  began  to  be  felt 
while  yet  it  was  an  appendage  of  Michigan 
territory.  Great  advantages  were  anticipated 
from  their  construction.  Tliere  was  a  reason 
for  this.  Explorers  had  published  accounts  of 
the  wonderful  fertility  of  Wisconsin's  soil,  the 
wealth  of  its  broad  prairies  and  forest  o'ien- 
ings,  and  the  beauty  of  its  lakes  and  rivers. 
From  1836,  with  the  hope  of  improving  their 
condition,  thousands  of  the  enterprising 
yeomanry  of  New  England,  New  York 
and  Ohio  started  for  the  territory.  Ger- 
mans, Scandinavians,  and  other  Nationali- 
ties, attracted  by  the  glowing  accounts 
sent  abroad,  crossed  the  ocean  on  their 
way  to  the  new  world  ;  steamers  and  sail-craft 
laden  with  families  and  their  household  goods 
left  Buffalo  and  other  lake  ports,  all  bound  for 
Wisconsin.  With  the  development  of  the 
agricultural  resources  of  the  territory,  grain 
raising  became  the  most  prominent  interest, 
and  as  the  settlements  extended  back  from  the 
lake  shore  the  difficulties  of  transportation  of 
the  products  of  the  soil  were  seriously  felt. 
The  expense  incurred  in  moving  a  load  of  pro- 
duce seventy  or  eighty  miles  to  a  market  town 
on  the  lake  shore  frequently  exceeded  the  gross 
sum  obtained  for  the  same.  All  goods,  wares 
and  merchandise,  and  most  of  the  lumber  used 
were  hauled  by  teams  from  Lake  Michigan. 
To  meet  the  great  want,  better  facilities  for 
transportation,  railroads  were  an  indispensable 


necessity.  Between  the  years  1838  and  1841, 
the  territorial  Legislature  of  Wisconsin  char 
tered  several  railroad  companies,  but  with  the 
exception  of  the  Milwaukee  &  Waukesha  Rail- 
road Company,  iiicorporated  in  1S47,  none  of 
the  corporations  thus  created  took  any  particu- 
lar shape.  There  are  now  in  Wisconsin  the 
following  railroads,  costing,  in  round  numbers, 
$150,000,000:  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul; 
Chicago  &  Northwestern;  Chicago,  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  »&  Omaha;  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore 
&  Western;  Wisconsin  Central;  Green  Bay  & 
Minnesota;  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul; 
Wisconsin  &  Minnesota;  Chippewa  Falls  & 
Western;  Fond  du  Lac,  Amboy  &  Peoria; 
Prairie  du  Chien  &  McGregor;  Milwaukee  & 
Northern;  Chippewa  Falls  &  Northern,  -uid 
Wisconsin  &  Michigan.  Other  lines  are  still 
needed,  and  present  lines  should  be  extended  by 
branch  roads.  The  questions,  as  we  have  seen, 
upon  which  great  issues  have  been  raised 
between  railway  corporations  in  Wisconsin  and 
the  people,  are  now  happily  settled  by  securing 
to  the  latter  their  rights ,  and  the^  former, 
under  the  wise  and  conciliatory  policy  pursued 
by  their  managers,  are  assured  of  the  safety  of 
llieir  investments.  An  era  of  good  feeling].has 
succeeded  one  of  distrust  and  antagonism. 
The  people  must  use  the  railroads,  and  the  rail- 
loads  depend  upon  the  people  for  sustenance 
and  protection. 

Ill  1874  the  Wisconsin  commission  for  the 
purpose  of  fish  cidture  was  organized.  The 
ucxt  year,  by  reason  of  State  aid,  the  commis- 
sion was  enabled  to  commence  work.  In  1876 
was  completed  the  purchase  of  grounds,  the 
erection  of  the  buildings,  and  the  construction 
of  the  ponds  (seven  in  number)  of  the  Madi- 
son hatchery,  situated  in  the  town  of  Fitch- 
burg,  Dane  county.  A  temporary  hatching 
house  was  continued  for  some  time  in  Milwau- 
kee, for  the  hatching  of  spawn  of  the  white 
fish  and  lake  trout.  The  commission  was  re- 
organized in  1S78,  the  number  of  the  members 
being  increased    from  four  to   seven.     Appro 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


65 


priatioim  by  the  Legislature  have  been  con- 
tiniRMl,  anil  the  work  |)romises  favorable  results 
to  the  Slate. 

Under  an  act  of  IBVo  an  Industrial  School 
for  girls  was  organized  in  Milwaukee,  where 
buildings  have  been  erected,  capable  of  accom- 
modating 150  inmates.  Its  proper  subjects  are: 
(1.)  Viciousl)'  inclined  girls  under  sixteen,  and 
boys  under  ten  years  of  age;  (2.)  The  stubborn 
and  unruly,  wlio  refuse  to  obey  their  proper 
guardians;  (y.)  Truants,  vagrants  and  beggars; 
(4.)  Those  found  in  circumstances  of  manifest 
danger  of  falling  into  habits  of  vice  and  im- 
morality; (5.)  Those  under  the  above  ages  who 
liave  committed  any  offense  punishable  by  fine 
or  imprisonment  in  adult  offenders.  Although 
the  school  was  founded  by  private  cliarity,  and 
is  under  the  control  of  a  self-perpetuating  board 
of  managers,  it  is  incorporated  and  employed 
by  the  State  for  the  custody,  guardianship, 
discipline  and  instruction  of  the  aforenamed 
children.  In  default  of  responsible  and  efficient 
guardianship,  they  are  treated  as  the  minors 
and  wards  of  the  State,  and  by  it  are  committed 
to  the  guardianship  of  this  board  of  ladies 
during  minority. 

The  application  of  Miss  Lavinia  Goodell  for 
admission  to  the  bar  of  Wisconsin,  was  rejected 
by  the  supreme  court  at  its  January  term,  18*76; 
but  as  a  law  subsequently  passed  the  Legisla- 
ture, making  ladies  eligib'e  to  practice  in  the 
several  courts  of  the  State,  she  was,  upon  a 
second  application,  admitted. 

By  an  act  approved  March  13,  1876,  a  State 
board  of  health  was  established,  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  superintendent  of  vital  statistics  pro- 
vided for,  and  certain  duties  assigned  to  local 
boards  of  health.  The  State  board  was  organ- 
ized soon  after,  seven  persons  having  been  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor  as  its  members.  And 
here  it  is  proper  to  say  a  word  as  to  the  health 
of  Wisconsin.  "When  we  compare  the  general 
deatli-rate  of  Wisconsin  with  that  of  the  other 
States  of  the  Union,  we  find  that  it  compares 
most   favoraljly    with    that    of    Vermont,    the 


healthiest  of  the  New  England  States.  The 
United  States  census  of  18.50,  1860  and  1870, 
gives  Wisconsin  ninety-four  deaths  to  10,000  of 
the  population,  while  it  gives  Vermont  101  to 
every  10,000  of  her  inhabitants.  The  census  of 
18*70  shows  that  the  death-rate  from  consump- 
tion in  Minnesota,  Iowa,  California  and  Wis- 
consin are  alike.  These  four  States  show  the 
lowest  death-rate  among  the  States  from  con- 
sumption, the  mortality  being  thirteen  to  fourteen 
per  cent,  of  the  whole  death-rate.  Climatologic- 
ally  considered,  then,  there  is  not  a  more  healthy 
State  in  the  Union  than  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin. But  for  health  purposes  something  more  ' 
is  requisite  than  clim.ate.  Climate  and  soil 
must  be  equally  good.  Men  should  shun  the 
soil,  no  matter  how  rich  it  be,  if  the  climate  is 
inimical  to  health,  and  rather  choose  the  cli- 
mate that  is  salubrious,  even  if  the  soil  is  not  so 
rich.  In  Wisconsin,  generally  speaking,  the 
soil  and  climate  are  equally  conducive  to  health, 
and  alike  good  for  agricultural  purposes."* 

There  was  in  Wisconsin  a  general  feeling  of 
patriotism  (if  the  acts  of  its  citizens,  both  native 
and  foreign  born,  are  to  be  taken  as  an  indica- 
tion of  their  attachment  to  their  country),  mani- 
fested throughout  the  centennial  year,  1876. 
A  board  of  State  centennial  managers  was  pro- 
vided for  by  the  Legislature,  to  represent  Wis- 
consin at  the  Philadelphia  exhibition,  and  |20, 
000  appropriated  for  their  use,  to  make  there  a 
proper  exhibition  of  the  products,  resources  and 
advantages  of  the  State.  LTnder  a  law  of  this 
year,  three  revisors,  afterward  increased  to  five, 
were  appointed  to  revise  the  statutes  of  the 
State.  The  result  was  a  large  volume,  ably  col- 
lated, known  as  the  Revised  Statutes  of  1878, 
wliich  was  legalized  by  act  of  the  June  session 
of  the  Legislature  of  that  year.  On  the  19th  of 
October,  1880,  Chief  Justice  Edward  G.  Ryan 
departed  this  life,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his 
age.  He  was  buried  in  Milwaukee,  with  honors 
becoming  the   position  held  by  him  at  the  time 

*Dr.  Joseph  Hobbins,  in  Elustrated  Historical  Atlas  of 
Wisconsin. 


(jG 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


of  his  death.  His  successor,  as  previously 
stated,  is  Chief  Justice  Orsamus  Cole. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  1881,  a  board 
of  supervision  of  Wisconsin  charitable,  re- 
formatory and  penal  institutions  was  founded. 
The  boards  of  trustees  by  which  these  insti- 
tutions liad  been  governed  since  their  organi- 
zation were  abolished  by  the  same  law.  The 
board  of  supervision  consists  of  Hve  members, 
who  hold  iheir  office  for  five  years,  and  who 
are  apjjointed  by  tlie  governor,  the  Senate  con- 
curring. The  board  acts  as  commissioners  of 
lunacy,  and  has  full  power  to  investigate  all 
complaints  against  any  uf  the  institutions  un  'er 
its  control,  to  send  for  books  and  papers,  sum- 
mon, compel  the  attendance  of,  and  swear  wit- 
nesses. The  powers  delegated  to  this  board 
are  so  extraordinary,  and  its  duties  so  manifold, 
tiiat  a  recital  of  them  will  be  found  of  interest. 
Tile}'  are  as  follows  : 

(I.)  To  maintain  and  govern  the  Wisconsin 
State  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  the  Northern 
Hospital  for  the  Insane,  the  Wisconsin  State 
Prison,  the  Wisconsin  Industrial  School  for 
Boys,  the  Wisconsin  Institution  for  the  Educa- 
tion of  the  Blind,  and  the  Wisconsin  Institution 
for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  ;  and 
such  other  charitable  and  penal  institutions  as 
may  hereafter  be  established  or  maintained  by 
tile  Slate.  (2.)  To  carefully  supervise  and 
direct  the  management  and  affairs  of  said  in- 
stitutions, and  faithfully  and  diligently  promote 
tlie  objects  for  which  the  same  have  been 
established.  (3)  To  preserve  and  care  for  the 
buildings,  grounds  and  all  property  connected 
with  the  said  institutions.  (4.)  To  take  and 
hold  in  trust  for  the  said  several  institutions 
any  land  conveyed  or  devised,  or  money  or 
property  given  or  bequeathed,  to  be  applied  for 
any  purpose  connected  therewith,  and  faithfully 
to  apply  the  same  as  directed  by  the  donor,  and 
faithfully  to  apply  all  funds,  effects  and  property 
which  may  be  received  for  the  use  of  such 
institutions.  (5.)  To  make  on  or  before  Octo- 
ber 1  in  each  year,  full  and  complete  annual  in- 


ventories aud  appraisals  of  all  the  property  of 
each  of  said  institutions,  which  inventories  and 
appraisals  shall  be  recorded,  and  shall  be  so 
classified  as  to  separately  show  the  amount, 
1  kind  and  value  of  all  real  and  personal  property 
belonging  to  such  institutions.  (G.)  To  make 
such  by-laws,  rules  and  regulations,  not  incom- 
patible with  law,  as  it  shall  deem  convenient  or 
necessary  for  the  government  of  the  said  insti- 
tutions and  for  its  own  government,  and  cause 
the  same  to  be  printed.  (V.)  To  visit  and  care- 
fully inspect  each  of  said  institutions  as  often 
as  once  in  each  month,  either  by  the  full  board 
or  by  some  member  thereof,  and  ascertain 
whether  all  officers,  teachers,  servants  and  em- 
ployees in  such  institutions  are  competent  and 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties,  and  all 
inmates  thereof  properly  cared  for  and  governed, 
and  all  accounts,  account  books  and  vouchers 
properly  kept,  and  all  the  business  affairs 
thereof  properly  conducted.  (8.)  To  fi.v  the 
number  of  subordinate  officers,  teachers,  ser- 
vants and  employees  in  each  of  said  institutions, 
and  prescribe  the  duties  and  compensaion  of 
each,  and  to  employ  the  same  upon  the  nomi- 
nation of  the  respective  superintendents  and 
wardens.  (9.)  To  promptly  remove  or  discharge 
any  officer,  teacher  or  employe  in  any  of  said 
institutions,  who  shall  be  guilty  of  any  malfeas- 
ance or  misbehavior  in  office,  or  of  neglect,  or 
improper  discharge  of  duty.  (10.)  To  annually 
appoint  for  the  Wisconsin  State  Hospital  for 
the  Insane  and  for  the  Nortiiern  Hospital  for 
the  Insane,  for  each,  a  superintendent,  one 
assistant  physician,  a  matron,  a  steward  and  a 
treasurer  ;  and  for  the  Institution  for  the  Edu- 
cation of  the  Blind,  and  the  Institution  for  the 
Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  and  the  In- 
dustrial School  for  Boys,  for  each,  a  superin- 
tendent, a  steward,  a  treasurer,  and  all  necessary 
teachers  ;  and  for  the  State  prison,  a  warden, 
a  steward  and  a  treasurer,  who  shall  be  the 
officers  of  said  institutions  respectively  and 
whose  duties  shall  be  fixed  by  said  board, 
except  as  herein  otherwise  jirovided.     (11-)  To 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


61 


maintain  and  govern  the  school,  prescribe  the 
course  of  sUniy  and  provide  the  necessary  ap- 
pnratus  and  means  of  instruction  for  the  Insti- 
tution for  the  Education  of  the  Blind,  and  for 
ilie  Institution  for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb.  (12)  To  prescribe  and  collect 
such  charges  as  it  may  think  just,  for  tuition  and 
maintenance  of  pupils  not  entitled  to  the  same 
free  of  charge,  in  the  Institution  for  the  Educa- 
tion of  the  Blind  and  in  the  Institution  for  the 
Education  of  tlie  Deaf  and  Dumb.  (13.)  To 
fix  the  period  of  the  academic  year,  not  less 
than  forty  weeks,  and  prescribe  the  school 
terms  in  the  Institution  for  the  Education  of 
the  Blind  and  the  Institution  for  tlie  Education 
of  tlie  Deaf  and  Dumb.  (14.)  To  confer,  in 
its  discretion,  upon  meritorious  pupils,  such 
academic  and  literary  degrees  as  are  usually 
conferred  by  similar  institutions,  and  grant 
diplomas  accordingly,  in  the  Institution  for  the 
Education  of  the  Blind  and  in  the  Institution 
for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb. 

On  the  •20th  of  April,  188-3,  a  commissioner 
was  appointed  by  tlie  governor,  for  two  years, 
in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  an  act 
pas-fed  by  the  Legislature  of  that  year  creating 
a  bureau  of  labor  statistics.  The  object  of  this 
office,  now  filled  by  Frank  A.  Flower,  is  to  col- 
lect manufacturing  and  labor  statistics,  report 
violations  of  laws  for  benefit  of  artisans,  and 
generally  to  show  the  manufacturing  condition 
and  resources  of  the  State. 

In  her  political  divisions  Wisconsin  has 
copied,  to  a  considerable  extent,  from  some  of 
her  sister  States.  These  divisions  are  counties, 
towns,  cities  and  incorporated  villages.  The 
county  government  is  in  charge  of  a  county 
hoard  of  supervisors,  consisting  of  the  chairman 
of  each  town  board,  a  supervisor  from  each 
ward  of  every  city,  and  one  from  each  incorpo- 
rated village.  The  county  officers  are  :  Clerk, 
treasurer,  slieriff,  coroner,  clerk  of  circuit  court, 
district  attorney,  register  of  deeds,  surveyor, 
and  one  or  two  superintendents  of  schools,  all 
elected  biennially.     There   are  sixty-five   coun- 


ties in  the  State.  The  government  of  the 
towns  is  in  charge  of  a  town  board  of  super- 
visors. The  other  officers  are  clerk,  treasurer, 
assessors,  justices  of  the  peace,  overseers  of 
highways  and  constables.  The  government  of 
cities  depends  upon  charters  granted  by  the 
State  Legislature.  Generally,  there  is  a  mayor, 
common  council,  clerk,  treasurer,  attorney,  chief 
of  police,  fire  marshal  and  surveyor.  Incorpo- 
rated villages  are  governed  by  a  president  and 
six  trustees.  The  other  officers  are  clerk,  treas- 
urer, supervisor,  marshal  and  constable,  and 
sometimes  a  justice  of  the  peace  or  police  jus- 
tice. 

The  constitution  of  Wisconsin,  adopted  by 
the  people  in  1848,  is  still  "the  supreme  law  of 
the  State  ;"  but  it  has  several  times  been 
amended,  or  had  material  additions  made  to  it  : 

(I.)  Article  V,  section  21,  relating  to  the  pay 
of  the  members  of  the  Legislature.  Thi.s  was 
amended  in  1867. 

(2.)  Article  VI,  sections  5  and  0,  relating  to 
the  salaries  of  the  governor  and  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor.    This  was  amended  in  1869. 

(.3.)  Article  I,  section  8,  relating  to  grand 
juries.     This  was  amended  in  1870. 

(4.)  Article  IV,  sections  31  and  32,  relating  to 
special  legislation.  These  sections  were  added 
in   1871. 

(5.)  Article  XI,  section  y,  relating  to  munic- 
ipal taxation.     This  was  amended  in  1874. 

(6.)  Article  VII,  section  4,  relating  to  the 
number  and  term  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme 
court.  This  was  substituted  for  the  original 
section    in  1877. 

(7.)  Article  VIII,  section  2,  relating  to  claims 
against  the  State.     This  was  amended  in  1877. 

(8.)  Article  IV,  sections  4,  5,  11  and  21,  re- 
lating to  biennial  sessions,  and  a  change  in 
salaries  and  perquisites  of  members  of  the 
Legislature.  These  were  thus  amended  in 
1881. 


68' 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


(9)  Article  III,  section  1,  relating  to  resi- 
dence of  voters  in  election  districts  some  time 
before  the  election,  and  to  registration  of  voters 
in  cities  and  villages.  Amended  to  this  effect 
in  1882. 


(10.)  Article  VI,  section  4,  article  VII,  sec- 
tion 12,  and  article  XIII,  section  1,  all  relating 
to  biennial  elections.  Amended  to  this  effect 
in  1882.* 

*A.  O.  Wright,  in  Exposition  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin. 


HISTORY 


OF 


VERNON  COUNTY, 


"SATisGOisrsiisr. 


CHAPTER     I 


AREA,  POSITION  AND    SURFACE  FEATURES. 


Before  entering  upon  a  consideration  of  the 
history  of  Vernon  county,  past  and  present, 
it  is  a  matter  of  importance  to  understand  its  area 
and  geographical  position;  also  its  general  sur- 
face features.     We  begin  witli  its 

AREA. 

Vernon  is  properly  considered  one  of  the 
large  counties  of  Wisconsin,  it  having  a  total 
area  of  nearly  815  square  miles,  or,  to  be  more 
specific,  it  contains  521,5^2.61  acres  of  land. 
From  east  to  west,  in  its  longest  distance,  it 
measures  forty-eight  miles;  from  north  to  south, 
twenty-one  miles.  It  embraces  eighteen  whole 
congressional  townships;  four  half  townships; 
and  four  fractional  townships,  all  included  in 
twenty-one  towns:  Greenwood,  Hillsborough, 
F"ore8t,  Lincoln,  Stark,  Whitestown,  Clinton, 
Webnter,  Liberty,  Kickapoo,  Franklin,  Viroqua, 


Christiana,  Coon,  Jefferson,  Sterling,  Harmony, 
Hamburg,  Bergen,  Genoa  and  Wheatland. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  POSITION. 

The  county  has  a  position  lying  immediately 
on  the  Mississippi  river,  north  of  Crawford  and 
Richland  counties,  and  south  of  Monroe  and 
La  Cros.se  counties.  It  lies  west  of  the  counties 
of  Richland,  Sauk  and  Juneau.  Its  most 
southei-ly  limits  are  sixty-three  miles  in  a 
straight  line  north  of  the  northern  boundary 
line  of  the  State  of  Illinois;  its  most  easterly 
limits  are  in  a  straight  line  west,  126  miles 
from  Lake  Michigan;  its  most  northerly  limits 
are  in  a  straight  line  south,  198  miles  from  Lake 
Superior.  West  of  the  town  of  Wheatland 
and  a  small  part  of  the  town  of  Genoa,  is 
(across  the  Mississippi  river)  the  State  of  Iowa; 
but   west  of  the   residue    of  the   last  mentioned 


70 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


town,  and  that  of  Bergen  is  (across  the  Miss- 
issippi) the  State  of  Minnesota.  If  the  bound- 
ary line  between  these  two  States  were  ex- 
tended across  the  Mississippi,  it  would  strike 
about  the  center  of  section  21,  in  the  town  of 
Genoa. 

GENERAL     SURFACE     FBATUEES. 

Some  of  the  islands  in  the  Mississippi,  along 
the  west  side  of  the  town  of  Bergen,  are  in 
Vernon  county.  What  is  known  as  "raft  chan- 
nel," in  the  upper  half  of  that  part  of  the 
stieani  which  washes  the  western  side  of  the 
county,  is  the  true  Mississippi  —  the  dividing 
line  between  Wi-consin  and  Minnesota.  This 
extends  down  to  the  southwest  corner  of  Ber- 
gen. Coon  slough  leaves  the  true  Mississippi 
on  section  19,  in  Bergen,  and  extends  south  to 
its  southern  line,  where  it  again  unites  with  the 
parent  stream.  Steamers,  in  low  stages  of 
water,  usually  take  the  slough  in  preference  to 
the  main  or  "raft"  channel.  The  Mississippi, 
on  an  average,  along  the  whole  western  limits 
of  the  county,  is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in 
width;  and  from  blug  to  blufif  on  each  side  of 
tiie  river,  containing  the  basin  proper  of  the 
river,  is  about  five  miles.  The  base  of  the  blufifs 
proper,  of  the  Mississippi,  extends  down  to 
within  one-third  of  a  mile  of  the  water's  edge, 
on  an  average.  These  blufEs  are  indented  by 
ravines,  the  outlets  of  water  courses;  the  princi- 
pal of  the  latter  are  the  Chipmunk  creek.  Coon 
river.  Spring  creek.  Bad  Ax  river  and  Battle 
creek.  Chipmunk  creek  rises  on  section  4,  town 
of  Hamburg,  runs  westerly  and  empties  i  to 
Coon  slough,  on  section  3,  in  Bergen.  It  is  a 
small  stream  and  is  fed  by  springs.  Coon  river 
rises  in  the  town  of  Christiana  on  section  21, 
flows  northeasterly,  westerly  and  southwesterly 
until  it  empties  into  Coon  slough,  on  section  -32, 
in  Bergen.  The  stream  is  rapid  and  is  fed  by 
springs.  It  afifords  water  privileges  for  the 
running  of  several  mills.  There  is  also  one 
flouring  mill  on  Chipmunk.  The  next  streani 
south  is  the  Bad  Ax  river  with  northern  and 
southern  tributaries.     The  north  branch  of   th 


Bad  Ax  rises  on  section  31,  town  of  Christiana; 
the  south  branch  rises  in  the  town  of  Frank- 
lin; the  two  unite  on  section  12,  in  the  town  of 
Genoa,  forming  the  Bad  Ax  proper,  which  thence 
flows  westerly  into  the  Mississippi  on  section  16, 
in  Genoa.  Battle  creek  rises  on  section  2,  town 
of  Wheatland,  runs  southwesterly  and  flows 
into  Winnebago  slough.  Sloughs  are  arms  of  the 
main  river;  some  have  currents  while  others  arc 
simply  formed  of  back  water.  The  term  coolie 
is  still  used  in  this  vicinity  for  valley. 

There  are  ridges  all  nearly  of  the  same  alti- 
tude extending  back  from  the  Mississippi 
between  the  various  streams  before  mentioned, 
having  a  southern  and  northern  slope  to  them. 
On  the  south  side  of  the  South  Bad  Ax  was 
originally  an  undulating  prairie,  named  by  the 
early  sett'ers  of  'he  county,  and  still  called, 
West  Prairie.  This  is  in  the  town  of  Sterling. 
The  residue  of  the  western  half  of  the  county 
was  formerly,  for  the  most  part,  timbered,  and 
had  a  heavy  growth  of  white  and  red  oak, 
interspersed  with  oak  grub-lands,  except  along 
the  streams  where  burr  oak  and  the  different 
varieties  of  elm  and  maple  prevailed.  There  is 
also  in  the  towns  of  Coon  and  Chris  ian:),  and 
extending  into  Viroqua,  and  part  of  Jefferson, 
an  open  country  known  as  Coon  Prairie. 

The  towns  of  Christiana,  Viroqua  and  Frank- 
lin form  the  water-shed  between  the  streams 
flowing  into  the  Mississippi  and  those  empty- 
ing into  the  Kickapoo  and  its  west  branch. 
The  east  central  part  of  the  county  is  drained 
by  the  Kickapoo  and  its  two  branches.  'J'his 
includes  the  towns  of  Clinton,  Webster, 
Liberty,  Kickapoo,  Whitestown  and  Stark  and 
portions  of  Forest,  Uuior,  Christiana,  Viroqua 
and  Franklin.  The  general  course  of  the  west 
branch  of  the  Kickapoo  is  nearly  south,  while 
that  of  the  east  branch  is  southwesterly.  They 
unite  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo,  on  section  o.3  ; 
thence,  the  main  stream  flows  southwesterly 
until  it  crosses  into  the  county  of  Crawford,  on 
section  18.  There  are  numerous  creeks  all 
having   a   southeast  course,   flowing   into    th 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


71 


Kickapoo  and  the  west  branch,  from  the  east- 
ern side  of  the  towns  of  Christiana,  Viroqua 
and  Franklin,  and  the  western  side  of  the  town 
of  Kickapoo.  Geographically  tlien,  it  may  be 
said,  in  general  terms,  that  the  dividing  ridge, 
or  table  land,  runTiing  north  and  south  through 
the  county,  is  situated  about  twenty  milef' east 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  from  six  to  eight  miles 
west  of  the  west  branch  of  Kickapoo  and  the 
Kickapoo  proper,  having  an  altitude  above  the 
Mississippi,  of  about  1,000  feet.  Audit  may 
be  liere  remarked,  that  all  the  waters  which 
drain  Vernon  county  either  flow  directly  into 
the  Mississippi,  or  tind  their  way  thither 
through  the  Wisconsin. 

From  either  side  of  the  ridge  between  the 
east  and  west  branches,  spurs  put  off  but  of  no 
very  great  extent.  15oth  the  branches  head  in 
Monroe  county.  IJetween  the  east  branch  and 
the  head  waters  of  the  Baraboo,  there  is  a  table 
land  known  as  the  dividing  ridge  as  it  divides 
the  waters  of  the  Kickapoo  from  those  of  the 
Baraboo  and  Lcnionweir.  The  whole  of  the 
town  of  Hillsborough  and  the  northern  portion 
of  Greenwood  are  drained  by  the  Baraboo ; 
while  the  southern  portion  of  the  town  last 
mentioned  is  drained  by  Pine  river,  as  well  as 
tlio  southeast  portion  of  the  town  of  Union. 
A  large  part  of  the  town  of  Forest,  the  whole 
of  Wliitestown  and  Stark,  and  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  Clinton  and  Webster  are  drained  by  the 
east  branch  or  main  Kickapoo,  as  it  may  be 
termed,  as  it  carries  more  water  than  the  west 
branch.  It  forms  a  drainage  also  for  the  east 
side  of  Liberty  and  the  northeast  part  of  the 
town  of  Kickapoo.  The  east  sides  of  the 
towns  of  Christiana  and  Viroqua,  and  the  west 
sides  of  Clinton,  Webster  and  Liberty,  are 
drained  into  the  west  branch  ;  while  the  parent 
stream  drains  in  Vernon  county,  only  the  south- 
west portion  of  the  town  of  Kickapoo  and  the 
northeast  corner  of  Franklin. 

The  soil  of  the  east  half  of  Vernon  county 
is  a  clay  loam,  and  is  timbered  with  red  and 
white  oak,  pine,  soft   maple,  sugar  maple    and 


the  elm  ;  also  with  other  less  numerous  varie- 
ties. At  an  early  day  the  Kickapoo  proper  and 
the  east  branch  were  bordered  on  either  side 
within  the  limits  of  the  county  by  a  heavy  pine 
forest,  but  these  have  disappeared  by  the  hands 
of  man. 

On  the  whole,  it  may  be  said  that  the  surface 
of  Vernon  county  along  the  water  courses  is 
rather  broken  and  bluffy  ;  elsewhere,  undulat- 
ing and  favorable  for  tillage.  The  three  prairies, 
Coon  prairie.  Round  prairie  and  West  prairie, 
early  attracted  the  attention  of  the  pioneer  and 
emigrant,  and  invited  occupancy  and  cultiva- 
tion in  the  first  general  settlement  of  we  tern 
Wisconsin.  The  surface  of  these  prairie.? 
and  that  of  the  valleys  throughout  the  county 
form  a  soil  especially  valuable  for  agriculture. 
It  is  rich  in  the  elements  of  vegetable  life  and 
favorably  constituted  for  the  production  ot  all 
the  cereals  and  grasses  adapted  to  this  climate. 
In  other  portions  the  grasses  grow    luxuriantly. 

All  the  western  slope  of  the  county  is  a  deep 
clay  subsoil  except  on  the  prairies,  covered 
with  black  loam  from  four  to  eight  inches  in 
thickness.  The  prairies  are  of  a  deep  vegeta- 
ble loam,  black  in  color  extending  to  the  depth 
of  a  number  of  feet. 

MISSISSIPPI    RIVER. 

But  the  great  and  distinctive  feature  of  the 
county  of  Vernon  is  the  Mississippi  river, 
which  washes  the  whole  of  its  western  bound- 
ary, and  nearly  the  whole  of  the  western 
boundary  of  the  State.  This  river  (Indian 
Miclie  Sepe,  Great  Water,  or  Great  River,) 
is  the  principal  one  of  North  America  ;  and  in- 
cluding its  chief  branch,  the  Missouri,  the  long- 
est in  the  world.  It  rises  in  the  high  lands  of 
Minnesota,  in  a  cluster  of  small  lakes,  and 
near  ti.e  sources  of  the  Red  River  of  the 
North  and  the  rivers  which  flow  into  Lake  Su- 
perior. Its  sources  are  1680  feet  above  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  into  which  it  enters.  It  ranks 
after  the  Amazon  as  the  mightiest  stream  on  the 
world's  surface.  It  drains  a  superficial  area  oi' 
one-seventh   part    of  North   America,   and  con  - 


12 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


stitutes  with  its  numerous  affluents  and  feeders 
Olio  of  the  grandest  riparian  systems  known  to 
to  exist.  From  north  to  south  it  embraces  a 
length  of  4,400  miles,  inclnded  between  the  29th 
and  48th  parallels  of  north  latitude,  and  drains 
a  basin  computed  at   l,2-26,000  square  miles. 

The  actual  rise  of  the  Mississippi  is  in  Lake 
Itasca,  Minnesota,  flowing  thence  south-south- 
east as  far  as  the  point  of  junction  of  the  States 
of  Missouri,  Illinois  and  Kentucky,  where  it  is 
joined  by  the  Ohio — having  previously  received 
the  waters  of  the  Missouri  a  few  miles  above 
St.  Louis.  Its  upper  course  is  broken  in  many 
places  by  considerable  cataracts,  such  as  the 
falls  of  St.  Anthony.  Its  next  great  arm  below 
the  Ohio  is  the  Arkansas,  next  the  Red  river, 
which  unites  with  it  in  Louisiana.  Besides  these 
main  arteries,  it  receives  the  Wisconsin,  Iowa, 
Des  Moines,  Illinois,  Wliite,  St.  Francis  and 
Washita  rivers,  and  finally  emerges  into  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  120  miles  below  New  Orleans,  by  a 
delta  of  several  mouths,  three  of  which  — the 
northeast  pass,  the  main  or  southeast  pass, 
and  the  southwest  pass,  are  the  principal  ones. 
'J"'he  last  300  miles  of  its  course  intersects  a 
country  so  low  and  level,  that  embankments 
called  levees  have  been  constructed  to  protect 
the  lands  on  either  side  from  freshets  and  inun- 
dations. 

The  Mississippi  is  navigable  from  its  mouth 
to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  2,200  miles,  and 
by  smaller  boats  above  the  Falls ;  or  by  the 
Missouri,  3,950  miles,  and  has  many  navigable 
branches,  the  chief  of  which  are  the  Red  River 
:i40  miles  from  its  mouth;  the  Yazoo,  534  miles; 
the  Arkansas,  700  miles  ;  the  Ohio,  1,053  ;  the 
Missouri,  1,253.  The  Mississippi  thus  furnishes 
an  inland  means  of  water  communication  such 
as  no  other  country  in  the  world  can  parallel. 
The  navigation  of  this  great  stream  is,  however, 
impeded  in  many  parts  by  contrary  currents, 
and  by  obstacles  in  the  shape  of  large  trees, 
the  trunks  of  which  are  imbedded  far  below 
the  water's  surface.  'I"he  river  forms  a  portion 
of  the  boundaries   of  ten    States,   having    the 


southern  part  of  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Ar- 
kansas and  most  of  Louisiana  on  the  west  bank; 
and  Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Kentucky,  Tennessee 
and  Mississippi  on  tiie  east.  The  chief  towns 
situated  on  its  banks  are  New  Orleans,  Nat- 
chez, Vicksburg,  Memphis,  St.  Louis,  Quincy, 
Keokuk,    Galena,  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis. 

The  upper  Mississippi,  above  the  junction  of 
the  Missouri,  flows  through  a  picturesque  and 
beautiful  country.  The  great  lower  valley  is 
500  miles  long,  and  from  thirty  to  fifty  miles 
wide.  The  delta,  through  which  flows  its 
numerous  bayous,  is  150  miles  wide.  The 
alluvial  plain  through  which  the  river  winds 
has  an  area  of  31,200  square  miles;  and  the 
delta,  14,000  square  miles,  much  of  which, 
except  a  few  bluffs,  is  protected  by  levees.  The 
descent  of  the  plain  is  320  feet,  or  eight  inches 
per  mile.  The  river  at  high  water  is  higher 
than  the  plain,  and  the  banks  higher  than  the 
swamps  of  the  interior.  The  great  floods  rise 
forty  feet  above  low  water  at  the  head  of  the 
plain,  and  twenty  feet  at  New  Orleans,  and  for 
the  whole  distance  the  river  averages  3,000  feet 
wide,  and  is  from  seventy-five  to  120  deep. 
There  is  no  apparent  increase  from  the  largest 
branches  ;  and  it  is  estimated  that  forty  per 
cent  of  the  floods  are  lost  in  the  great  marshes. 
Thousands  of  acres  of  land  upon  its  banks  are 
annually  carried  away  by  the  current,  with  their 
growth  of  timber.  Such,  in  brief,  is  the  won- 
derful river  which  washes  the  whole  western 
boundary  of  Vernon  county. 

THE  BARABOO  RIVER. 

The  Baraboo  river  rises  in  the  northeastein 
part  of  Vernon  county,  and  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  Monroe  county,  runs  in  a  general  south- 
east course  through  Sauk  county,  where  it 
breaks  into  the  valley  between  the  two  east  and 
west  ranges,  through  a  narrow  gorge  in  the 
northern  range.  Turning  then  east,  it  runs 
along  the  middle  of  the  valley,  between  the 
two  ranges  for  about  fifteen  miles,  and  then 
breaking  northward,  through  the  north  range, 
follows  its  northern  side  in  an  easterly  direction 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


73 


to  the  Wisconsin  river,  into  wliich  it  empties  on 
section  28,  township  12,  range  9  east,  in  the 
town  of  Caledonia,  Columbia  county.  The 
Baraboo  is  a  stream  of  considerable  size,  and 
yields  a  number  of  very  excellent  water-po*  ers. 

THE  KICKAPOO  RIVER. 

The  Kickapoo  rises  in  Monroe  county,  that  is, 
its  main  or  east  branch  ;  which  is  frequently 
termed  the  Kickapoo  proper.  It  runs  a  south- 
west course  after  entering  Vernon  county, 
through    the    towns    of     Whitestown,    Stark, 


touching  Webster,  and  then  after  crossing  into 
Richland,  in  which  county  it  flows  in  a  south 
course,  returns  to  Vernon,  in  the  town  of 
Liberty,  and  at  a  point  on  section  33,  in  the 
town  of  Kickapoo,  receives  the  west  branch. 
The  river  afterward  takes  a  southwesterly 
course,  leaving  Vernon  county  on  section  IG,  in 
the  town  last  mentioned.  The  river  runs 
through  Crawford  county,  in  a  southerly  dinc- 
tion  and  empties  into  the  Wisconsin,  on  section 
17,  in  the  town  of  Wauzeka,  just  below  the 
village  of  the  same  name. 


CHAPTER     II. 


TOPOGRAPHY  AND  GEOLOGY. 


Having  given  the  general  physical  aspects  of 
the  county  so  that  a  correct  idea  can  be  formed 
of  the  surface  features  as  a  whole,  we  now  give 
the  physical  geography  and  surface  geology  of 
each  congressional  township,  beginning  with 
township  13,  of  range  1  east,  (town  of  Green- 
wood). In  these  descriptions  will  be  noticed, 
briefly,  the  principal  characteristics  of  each 
township  in  the  county,  with  reference  to  its 
general  features,  its  water  sheds,  streams, 
springs,  prairies,  forests,  soils  and  subsoils, 
clays  and  underlying  formations. 

Township  13,  range  1  east,  (Greenwood). — 
The  water  shed  or  dividing  ridge  between  Pine 
river  and  the  Baraboo,  passes  through  the 
township  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  from 
sections  36  to  18.  This  causes  considerable 
high,  rolling  land.  The  remainder  of  the  town- 
ship is  very  hilly  and  rough.  It  is  heavily  tim- 
bered with  maple,  elm  and  basswood.  The 
soil  is  a  clay  loam.  The  formations  are  Pots- 
dam and  Lower  Magnesian;  the  former  occupy- 


ing two-thirds  of  the  township.  A  small  one 
of  St.  Peter's  sandstone  exists  in  the  north  half 
of  section  21. 

Township  14,  range  1  east,  (Hillsborough)  — 
This  township  is  well  watered  by  numerous 
branches  of  the  Baraboo  river,  and  contains 
many  tine  springs.  The  country  is  rolling,  but 
the  hills  are  not  so  high  or  so  steep  as  in  Green- 
wood, and  the  valleys  are  quite  wide.  1  lie 
country  is  well  settled.  The  timber  is  chiefly 
white  oak,  and  confined  to  the  ridges.  The 
formations  are  Potsdam  and  Lower  Magnesian; 
the  latter  is  found  only  on  high  ridges,  and 
its  area  does  not  exceed  one-seventh  of  the 
whole. 

Township  13,  range  1  west,  (Union). — The 
divide  between  the  Kickapoo  and  Pine  rivers 
runs  irregularly  through  the  township  in  a 
southwest  direction  from  section  2  to  section 
32.  It  is  generally  narrow,  and  much  cut  up 
with  ravines.  The  soil  is  clay  with  a  subsoil  of 
stifl:  red  clay,  containing  many   flints,  and  often 


74 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


eight  or  ten  feet  deep.  The  valleys  are  wide. 
The  soil  is  sometimes  sandy  and  sometimes  a 
black  and  svpampy  clay.  The  township  is  very 
iieavily  timbered  with  maple,  elm  and  bass- 
wood.  Good  springs  are  numerous;  a  very 
large  one  is  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
2.  The  formations  are  Potsdam  and  ]>ower 
Magneslan;  the  area  of  which  is  about  equal. 

TowxsHip  14,  range  1  west  (Forest). — The 
divide  between  the  Kickapoo  and  Pine  rivers 
runs  nearly  north  and  south  from  section  .35  to 
section  1.  It  is  much  wider  and  better  adapted 
for  farming  than  in  township  13  (town  of 
Union),  and  is  about  all  under  cultivation,  pro- 
ducing heavy  crops  of  wheat  and  oats.  The 
principal  streams  are  Varner  and  Billings 
creeks.  Their  valleys  are  often  half  a  mile 
wide,  with  a  rich  black  soil.  The  valleys  are 
heavily  timbered,  chiefly  with  maple.  The 
Potsdam  sandstone  covers  about  one-third  of 
the  country,  and  the  Lower  Magnesian  the  rest. 

Township  13,  range  2  west  (Stark). — Tiiis 
township  is  very  rough,  hilly,  and  heavily  tim- 
bered. It  is  watered  by  the  Kickapoo,  Otter, 
Hear,  Jug  and  Weister  creeks  and  their  tribu- 
taries. The  Potsdam  covers  about  two-thirds 
and  the  Lower  Magnesian  one-third  of  the 
township. 

Township  14,  range  2  west  (Whitestown). — 
The  principal  stream  is  the  Kickapoo.  T]\e 
best  land  is  on  the  ridges  on  the  western  side  of 
the  township.  The  soil  is  clay,  somewhat 
sandy  in  the  valleys.  The  timber  is  maple, 
elm  and  basswood,  with  occasional  white  oak 
groves  on  the  ridges.  The  formations  are  tlie 
same  as  township  18,  just  mentioned. 

North  half  of  Township  11,  range  3  west, 
(Kickapoo,  in  part). — The  eastern  and  central 
parts  of  this  township,  only  the  north  half  of 
which  is  in  Vernon  county,  consists  of  high, 
wide,  rolling  ridges  ;  and  the  western  part  of 
steep,  rocky  bluffs.  The  township  is  watered 
by  the  Kickapoo  river  on  the  west  and  north. 
Fine  springs  are  very  numerous.  The  valley 
of  the  Kickapoo  averages  about  a  mile  in  width. 


The  soil  throughout  the  township  is  clay,  and 
the  timber  very  heavy.  The  Potsdam  covers 
about  one-third  of  the  township,  the  Lower 
Magnesian  one-half,  and  the  St.  Peters  one- 
sixth.  Many  loose  boulders  of  St.  Peters  are 
found  on  the  ridges,  where  the  formation  can 
not  be  found  in  place.  The  general  character  of 
the  formation  in  this  township,  fromtheridge  to 
the  Kickapoo,  is  as  follows: 

Name.  Feet. 

St.  Peters  sandstone 50 

Lower  Magnesian  limestone 160 

Potsdam  sandstone 300 

From  ridge  to  valle.v,  total 500 

Township  12,  range  3  west,  (Liberty  and  part 
of  Kickapoo). — This  township  is  very  hilly, 
being  cut  up  by  the  Kickapoo,  west  fork  of 
the  Kickapoo,  east  fork  of  the  same  and  the 
Harrison  and  Bishop  branches.  The  interven- 
ing- ridges  are  very  high  and  steep.  The  west 
fork  of  the  Kickapoo  forms  a  dividing  line  as 
regards  the  timber.  Ou  the  east  side  of  the 
stream  the  timber  is  very  dense,  consisting  of 
maple,  elm  and  basswood;  but  in  the  country  on 
the  west  side,  the  timber  is  thin  and  small,  and 
consists  chiefly  of  oak  groves  on  the  ridges.  It 
is  a  very  striking  feature  of  the  country.  The 
formations  are  the  Potsdam  and  Lower  Mag- 
nesian, and  about  equally  divided. 

Township  13,  range  3  west  (Webster). — The 
general  features  of  this  township  are  similar  to 
those  of- township  12,  same  range.  It  is  well 
timbered  and  watered.  Clay  beds  are  fre- 
quently met  with  in  the  valleys  in  the  Pots- 
dam, on  the  surface  of  which  the  water  comes 
out  in  springs  for  long  distances.  There  is  a 
good  deal  of  handsome  scenery  on  the  west 
fork  of  the  Kickapoo.  The  formations  are  the 
same  as  in  township  12,  same  range. 

Township  14,  range  3  west  (Clinton). — The 
ridge  dividing  the  Kickapoo  from  the  west  fork 
runs  from  section  34  to  section  3,  making  con- 
siderable good  farming  land  in  the  center  of  the 
township;  in  otber  parts  the  land  is  very  broken, 
with  steep  hills  and  ravines.     The  soil    is  clay 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


15 


and  the  timber  heavy.  The  formations  are 
Potsdam  and  Lower  Magnesian  in  nearly  equal 
parts. 

North  Half  of  Township  11.  range  4  west, 
(parts  of  Franklin  and  Kiekapoo). — This  town- 
ship is  composed  chiefly  of  high,  rolling,  ridge 
land,  witli  a  cla}'  soil.  In  the  central  part  of 
the  town  the  soil  is  rather  sandy,  owing  to  a 
long  belt  of  St.  Peters,  which  crosses  the  town- 
ship from  section  4,  to  section  34.  The  limber 
consists  of  groves  of  large  white  oak. 
The  formations  are  :  Potsdam,  one-sixth. 
Lower  Magnesian,  two-thirds,  and  St.  Peters 
sand-tone,  one-sixth. 

Township  12,  range  4  west,  ( parts  of  Frank- 
lin and  Viroqua). — The  divide  between  the 
Kiekapoo  and  the  Mississippi  passes  through 
the  township  from  section  30  to  section  5.  The 
land  is  high  and  rolling,  and  covered  witli 
groves  of  small  timber,  chiefly  black  and  white 
oak.  It  is  well  watered  by  numerous  small 
streams  and  is  tine  farming  land.  The  soil  is  a 
sand  clay.  There  are  numerous  mounds  of  St. 
Peters  on  the  ridges.  Small  sink  holes  are  also 
quite  frequent.  Formations  :  St.  Peters  and 
Lower  Magnesian  in  nearly  equal  parts. 

Township  13,  range  4  west,  (Viroqua). — 
The  divide  continues  from  section  32  to  section 
5.  The  greater  part  of  the  township  is  high, 
rolling  prairie,  well  watered  by  numerous  small 
streams  and  springs.  The  soil  is  clay.  The 
timber  is  rather  thin  and  small,  consisting 
chiefly  of  black  oak.  The  country  resembles 
that  of  the  lead  region.  The  formations  are 
the  same  as  in  township  12,  same  range. 

'i'owNSHiP  14,  range  4  west,  (  Christiana  ). — 
The  topographical  features  of  this  township 
greatly  resemble  those  of  township  13,  same 
range.  The  divide  continues  from  section  3") 
to  section  1,  and  is  very  high,  wide  and  level. 
The  soil  is  a  deep  clay,  owing  to  the  absence  of 
any  sandstone  formation.  The  timber  is  a 
small  second  growth  of  black  oak,  and  is 
chiefly  confined  to  the  ravines.  It  is  very  difli- 
cult  to  obtain  water  on  the  ridge,  as  it  lies  from 


fifty  to  150  feet  deep.     The  formation  is  chiefly 
Lower  Magnesian. 

North  Half  op  Township  11,  range  5  west, 
(parts  of  Franklin  and  Sterling). — Thin  is 
chiefly  a  prairie  country,  the  divide  is  high, 
extending  from  section  35,  in  Crawford  county, 
to  section  1,  in  the  town  of  Franklin.  'I  here 
are  no  large  streams  in  the  township,  but  numer- 
ous small  streams  running  east  and  west  from 
the  divide.  Small  springs  are  quite  numerous. 
The  formations  are  St.  Peters  and  Lower  Mag- 
nesian, in  about  equal  parts. 

Township  12,  range  5  west,  (  parts  of  Jeffer- 
son, Sterling  and  Franklin). — The  townshi])  is 
very  hilly  and  broken,  watered  by  the  branches 
of  the  Bad  Ax  river.  The  valleys  average 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width.  The  ridges 
are  wide  ;  soil  is  clay  ;  timber,  small  oak.  The 
formations  are  Potsdam,  Lower  Magnesian  and 
St.  Peters. 

Township  13,  range  5  west,  (Jefferson). — 
The  township  is  well  watered  by  two  branches 
of  the  Bad  Ax  river,  flowing  in  the  central  and 
northern  parts.  The  southern  and  eastern  paits 
are  a  fine  prairie  country;  the  northern,  central, 
and  western  parts,  are  heavily  timbered,  with 
maple,  elm,  oak,  etc.  This  timber  is  confined 
to  the  higher  parts  of  the  ridges,  that  about 
the  streams  being  comparatively  small  and 
sparse.  The  formations  are  the  same  as  in 
township  12,  same  range. 

Township  14,  range  5  west,  (Coon). — The 
country  in  this  township  is  chiefly  rolling 
ridge  land,  but  broken  by  numerous  streams 
and  small  ravines.  It  is  well  watered  by  the 
several  branches  of  Coon  creek.  The  valleys 
of  the  two  principal  branches  are  from  one- 
half  to  one  mile  wide,  with  a  rich  loamy  soil 
and  sandy  subsoil.  Towards  the  head  of  the 
streams  and  on  the  ridges,  the  soil  is  clay  and 
the  timber  large  white  oak.  The  formations 
are  Potsdam,  Lower  Magnesian  and  St.  Peters  ; 
the  second  being  the  principal  one. 

North  half  of  township  11,  range  6  west 
(parts  of  Sterling  and  Wheatland). — This  town 


76 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


consists  chiefly  of  high,  rolling,  ridge  land, 
having  an  elevation  from  400  to  550  feet  above 
the  Mississippi.  The  principal  ridge  is  very 
wide  and  runs  east  and  west  through  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  township,  with  numerous  small 
ridges  running  north  and  south.  The  soil  is 
clay,  in  some  parts  rather  sandy  ;  tiie  timber 
small  but  abundant.  Water  is  very  scarce  on 
the  ridges.  The  formations  are  Potsdam,  Lower 
Magnesian  and  St.  Peters  ;  the  two  latter  pre- 
dominating. 

Township  12,  range  6  west  (parts  of  Sterling, 
Wheatland,  Genoa  and  Harmony). — The  prin- 
cipal stream  is  tlie  Bad  Ax  river,  which,  with 
its  numerous  small  tributaries  and  springs,  sup- 
plies the  township  abundantly  with  water.  The 
valley  averages  about  half  a  mile  in  width, 
with  a  rich. loamy  soil  and  sandy  sub-soil.  The 
timber  in  the  valleys  is  small  and  scattering 
black  oak.  The  ridges  are  wide  and  rolling; 
soil,  clay  ;  and  timber,  large  white  oak.  Ihe 
formations  are  the  same  as  in  township  11, 
same  range. 

Township  13,  range  0  west  (Harmony)— 
There  are  two  high,  rolling  ridges  in  this  town, 
each  about  a  mile  in  width,  running  in  an  east 
and  west  course  ;  one  in  the  northern  and  the 
other  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township.  The 
soil  on  each  is  clay,  'i'he  timber  on  the  south- 
ern ridge  is  small  and  scattering  black  oak  ;  on 
the  northern  ridge,  it  consists  of  groves  of 
large  white  oak.  The  northeast  quarter  of  the 
township  is  especially  heavily  timbered.  Water 
ii  very  scarce  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ridges. 
There  is  but  one  stream,  the  north  fork  of  the 
Bad  Ax,  which  runs  westerly  through  the  cen- 
ter of  the  township.  Its  valley  is  about  half 
a  mile  wide  ;  soil  rather  sandy.  The  formation 
is  Lower  Magnesian,  with  the  exception  of  a 
narrow  strip  of  Potsdam  in  the  valley  of  the 
Bad  Ax. 

Township  14,  range  6  west  (Hamburg)— The 
general  topographical  features  of  this  township 
are  about  the  same  as  in  township  13,  same 
range,    consisting  of   high,  broken    ridges,  and 


one  principal  stream.  The  soil  on  the  ridges  is 
clay  ;  the  timber  is  white  oak  and  black  oak. 
The  valley  of  Coon  creek  varies  from  a  half 
mile  to  a  mile  in  width.  The  soil  is  a  rich 
loam,  with  sandy  sub-soil.  There  are  numer- 
ous small  hills  and  benches  of  alluvium  in  the 
valley,  the  materials  of  which  appear  to  have 
been  derived  from  the  hills  above  during  the 
progress  of  denudation,  and  have  since  been 
partially  cut  away  by  the  changes  in  the  stream, 
so  that  exposures  are  frequently  seen  as  much 
as  fifty  feet  thick,  of  irregularly  stratified  clay 
and  sand.  About  one-third  of  the  township  is 
covered  with  Potsdam  and  the  remainder  with 
Lower  Magnesian. 

jNorth  fkactional  half  of  township  11, 
range  7  west  (part  of  Wheatland) — This  town- 
ship, like  all  of  townships  of  the  same  number, 
lies  in  both  Crawford  and  Vernon  counties, 
and  is  made  fractional  by  the  Mississippi.  Only 
its  north  half  lies  in  Vernon.  As  a  township, 
it  is  hilly,  and  the  best  land  lies  on  a  high  and 
narrow  ridge  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, which  is  parallel  to  the  river,  and  about 
500  feet  above  it.  The  river  runs  close  to  the 
bluffs,  which  are-  high  and  precipitous.  The 
soil  is  clay  and  the  timber  white  oak.  The 
formations  are  Potsdam,  Lower  Magnesian  and 
St.  Peters,  the  second  being  the  prevailing  one. 

Fbactional  Township  12,  range  7  west  (part 
of  Genoa).  —  This,  like  township  II,  same 
range,  is  a  fractional  one.  It  is  well  watered 
by  the  Mississippi  and  Bad  Ax  rivers  and  their 
small  tributaries.  About  the  larger  streams 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  low,  flat,  swampy  land. 
The  soil  is  clay  throughout  the  town,  and  the 
timber  chiefly  small  oak.  The  valley  of  the 
Bad  Ax  frequently  contains  very  large  and 
thick  beds  of  alluvium.  The  ridges  lie  about 
500  feet  above  the  river,  and  form  a  rolling 
prairie  country,  with  small  groves  of  oak.  All 
the  formations  from  the  'I'rwuton  to  the  Pots- 
dam inclusive  are  present.  The  Trenton  con- 
sists of  a  small  outlier  in  the  southeast  part  of 
the    township.     Th«   general  sections    of   this 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


11 


township,    from  the    ridge    to   the    Mississippi 

river,  is  as  follows: 

Name.  Feet. 

St.  Peters  sandstone M 

Lower  Magnesian  limestone 230 

Potsdam  sandstone 150 

Total  from  ridge  to  ralley 460 

There  are  about  twenty-two  square  miles  in 
this  township. 

Fractional  Township  13,  range  T  west,  (part 
of  Genoa  and  Bergen). — There  are  about 
twenty-four  square  miles  contained  in  this 
township,  of  which  the  greater  part  is  hilly 
and  broken.  The  ridge  dividing  Coon  creek 
and  the  Bad  Ax  river  passes  northeasterly 
through  the  township.  It  is  much  cut  up  with 
ravines  and  has  but  little  timber.  The  soil  is 
clay.  The  formation  is  chiefly  lower  magne- 
sian. 

Fkactional  Township  14,  range  7  west, 
(Bergen). — The  western  half  of  this  township 
ties  in  the  immediate  valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  is  an  alluvial  bottom,  consisting  of  swamps, 
hay-meadows  and  timbered  islands.  The  east- 
ern half  comprises  the  valleys  of  Coon  creek 
and  Chipmunk  "coolie,"  each  about  a  mile 
wide,  and  the  intervening  ridge.  The  soil 
is  clay  on  the  ridges;  and  more  sandy  in  the 
valleys.  The  timber  is  small  and  confined 
to  the  ridges.  The  formations  are  Potsdam  and 
Lower  Magnesian,  in  about  equal  quantities. 

GEOLOGICAL    FORMATION. 

Potsdam  Sandstone. — On  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  section  18,  township  11,  range  3  west,  in 
the  town  of  Kickapoo,  this  county,  is  one  of 
the  finest  exposures  of  Potsdam  sandstone  in 
all  this  section  of  country.  The  remarkable 
alterations  of  thin  beds  of  sandstone  and  Mag- 
nesian limestone,  near  the  top  of  the  Potsdam, 
have  not  their  counterpart  in  all  this  part  of 
the  State. 

The  productions  of  the  Potsdam,  which  are 
of  importance  in  an  economical  point  of  view, 
are  iron,  building  stone  and  mineral  waters. 
Iron  is  found  in  Vernon  county,  where  it   usu- 


ally occurs  as  a  hematite.  It  is  found  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  10,  in  township  11, 
range  3  west,  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo;  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  S,  in  tO"  nship  14, 
range  3  west,  in  the  town  of  Clinton;  also  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  20,  and  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section!",  in  the  same  town; 
and  some  very  good  specimens  of  hematite  have 
been  found  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
3,  in  that  town.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
corners  of  sections  15,  16,  21  and  2-2.  This  min- 
eral has  also  been  found  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  21,  in  township  13,  range  3  west, 
in  the  town  of  Webster. 

Loicer  Magnesian  Limestone.  — (}n  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  14,  in  township  1  , 
range  3  west,  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo,  the 
junction  of  the  St.  Peters  and  Lower  Magnesian 
is  clearly  marked  by  a  bed  of  soft,  yellow- 
ish while  clay,  about  four  feet  thick.  This 
clay  resembles  the  pipe  clay  of  the  Trenton 
limestone,  found  in  the  lead  region,  south  of 
the  Wisconsin.  At  De  Soto,  on  the  Mi.s- 
sissippi  river,  the  Lower  Magnesian  limestone 
affords  a  fine,  close-grained  and  durable  Imild- 
ing  stone.  It  is  of  a  very  light  color, and  often 
nearly  white.  In  the  village  of  Springville,  in 
the  town  of  Jefferson,  and  along  the  banks  of 
the  stream  a  short  distance  below  the  village, 
the  Lower  Magnesian  presents  good  outcrops. 
It  occurs  in  beds  from  one  to  four  feet  thick,  of 
a  light  yellow  color,  free  from  flints,  and  makes 
a  very  handsome  building  stone.  Along  Coon 
river,  in  the  town  of  Hamburg,  there  are  numer- 
ous good  exposures  of  the  lower  beds  of  the  form- 
ation. There  are  many  other  exposures  in  the 
county,  but  the  foregoing  are  among  the  best. 
In  general,  they  may  be  found  on  all  streams. 

No  very  extensive  or  valuable  deposits  of 
metallic  ore  are  found  in  the  Lower  Magnesian 
formation,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  Wiscon- 
sin. A  few  localities  of  copper  and  lead  exist, 
which  shows  that  the  formation  is  not  entirely 
destitute  of  metallic  contents.  Economically 
considered,  this  formation  is  most  useful  in    af- 


I 


18 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


fording  good  building  stone  and  lime,  both  of 
which  articles  are  abundant  in  all  parts  of  the 
country  where  the  Lower  Magnesian  limestone 
becomes  the  surface  rock. 

The  only  localities  where  copper  has  been 
found  ill  Vernon  county,  are  in  the  towns  of 
Webster  and  Clinton,  one  in  each,  wliere  only 
a  single  specimen  has  been  discovered;  but 
building  stone  and  lime  are  obtained  in  many 
localities. 

St.  Peters  Sandstone. — In  this  county  the 
St.  Peters  sandstone  becomes  tlie  surface 
rock  in  many  localities.  At  the  village  of 
Coon  Prairie,  section  5,  in  township  13, 
range  4  west,  in  tlie  town  of  Viroqua,  on 
the  ridge  dividing  the  Kickapoo  from  tlie 
Mississippi,  this  formation  foims  the  surface 
rock.  A  spur  of  it  also  extends  in  a  north- 
westerly direction  as  far  as  section  22,  township 
1-i-,  range  5  west  (the  town  of  Coon),  .'orming  a 
belt  averaging  a  mile  and  a  half  in  width. 
Proceeding  south  from  Coon  Prairie  village  to 
Viioqua,  the  sandstone  covers  nearly  all  of  the 
western  half  of  township  13,  range  4  west  (town 
of  Viroqua),  and  presents  a  number  of  fine 
exposures: 

1.  A  mound  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 5,  and  one  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 8,  all  near  the  south  line  of  section  5. 

2.  Three  mounds  in  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  2',  all  near  the  north  line  of  the  section 
and  about  fifty  feet  high. 

3.  A  ridge  consisting  of  ledges  of  sandstone 
fifty  feet  high,  extending  from  near  the  center 
of  section  17,  nearly  to  the  northwest  corner  of 
section  18,  presenting  good  exposures  through 
almost  the  entire  distance. 

At  Viroqua,  a  branch  of  the  main  ridge 
extends  to  the  west,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles, 
between  the  north  and  south  forks  of  the  Bad 
Ax  river.  The  sandstone  on  this  ridge  averages 
a  mile  and  a  quarter  in  width,  with  several 
small  lateral  branches.  Continuing  along  the 
principal  divide  from  Viroqua  to  the  south  line 
of  township  12,  range  4  west  (town  of  Franklin), 


the  St.Peters  covers  nearly  all  the  western  half  of 
that  township. 

In  township  1  ],  range  4  west  (town  of  Frank- 
lin), a  s|)ur  of  the  principal  divide,  covered 
with  sandstone  from  half  a  mile  to  two  miles  in 
width,  occupies  the  central  part  of  the  town- 
sliip,  extending  from  section  4,  in  Vernon 
county,  to  section  34,  in  Crawford  county. 

In  township  11,  i-ange  5  west,  in  Vernon 
and  Crawford  counties,  the  sandstone  on  the 
principle  divide  covers  the  greater  part  of  the 
township,  with  a  fine  exposure  in  two  mounds 
near  the  center  of  section  5,  (town  of  Sterling), 
Vernon  county.  From  the  northeast  corner  of 
this  township  (town  of  Sterling),  a  high  and 
very  irregular  ridge,  with  numerous  lateral 
branches,  extends  west  nearly  to  the  Mississippi 
river,  dividing  Rush  creek  in  Crawford  county, 
from  the  south  fork  of  the  Bad  Ax,  in  Vernon 
county.  This  ridge  is  covered  with  sandstone, 
the  width  of  the  belt  varying  from  one  to  three 
miles.  There  are  two  good  exposures  formed 
by  mounds;  one  a  short  distance  south  of  the 
center  of  section  16,  township  1 1,  range  6  west 
(southwest  section  of  Sterling),  and  the  other 
in  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  same  section. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  stated  areas  in  Vernon  county  of  which 
the  following  may  be  mentioned  : 

1.  In  townshipl2,  range  5  west,  (townships  of 
Jefferson,  Sterling  and  Franklin),  on  sections 
15,  16,21  and  22  there  is  an  area  equal  to  a 
section  and  a  half. 

2.  In  township  14,  range  4  west,  (Christiana), 
on  sections  20,  21,  28  and  29  is  a  sandstone 
area  equal  to  a  little  more  than  half  a  square 
mile;  also,  west  of  the  quarter  post  of  sections 
34  and  3,  on  the  south  line  of  the  township  is 
an  isolated  mound  of  sandstone  forming  a  good 
exposure. 

3.  On  section  3,  township  13,  range  7  west, 
(town  of  Bergen),  an  area  of  sandstone  extends 
into  section  34,  comprising  about  half  a  section. 

4.  In  township  11,  range  4  west,  (towns  of 
Kickapoo    and    Franklin),    is   a   large    area  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


79 


sandstone  lying  on  the  ridge  west  of  tlie  Kick- 
apoo  river.  It  is  situated  on  sections  1,  2,  11, 
12,  13,  14,  and  15  in  Vernon  county,  and  on 
sections  24,  25,  28,  3-3,  35  and  36  in  Crawford 
county,  comprising  an  area  of  about  tive  sections. 

5.  In  township  12,  range  3  west,  (town  of 
Liberty),  on  the  ridge  between  tlie  Kickapoo 
river  and  its  western  branch,  is  a  narrow  ridge 
of  sandstone,  about  four  miles  long  and  a  half 
a  mile  wide,  running  through  sections  2,  3,  10, 
II,  13  and  14,  and  ending  on  sections  34  and  35 
in  township  13,  range  3  west,  (town  of  Web- 
ster). 

6.  In  township  14,  range  3  west,  (town  of 
Clinton),  on  the  ridge  just  mentioned,  is  an 
area  of  sandstone  lying  on  sections  15,  16,  21, 
22,  27  and  2S,  and  covering  a  surface  equal  to 
one  section. 

Trenton  Limestone, — This  formation  forms 
the  surface  rock  in  tlie  following  jilaces  in 
Vernon  county: 


1.  In  township  11,  range  5  west,  (town  of 
Franklin),  on  sections  14  and  15;  and  sections 
21,  22,  23,  26,  27  and  35  in  Crawford  county; 
and  on  the  divide  between  the  Mississippi  and 
Kickapoo  river.s. 


2.  On  the  same  divide  and  on  sections  15,  16 
and  21,  of  township  12,  range  4  west,  (town  of 
Franklin),  is  an  area  equal  to  about  tiiree-qiiar- 
ters  of  a  section.  This  is  the  most  northerly 
point  to  which  tlie  Trenton  formation  has  been 
traced  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

3.  In  township  II,  range  6  west,  (town  of 
Sterling),  on  section  1  is  an  area  equal  to  half  a 
section.  There  is  also  on  section  10  an  area 
equal  to  a  quarter  section.  Tliese  last  two 
areas  are  situated  on  the  high  ridge  which  se]i- 
arates  the  Bad  Ax  river  from  Rush  creek  in 
Crawford  county. 


CHAPTER     111. 


ANCIENT  INHABITANTS. 


The  first  people  of  Vernon  county,  who  were 
they  ?  This  question,  of  course,  can  never  be 
answered.  We  know  that,  scattered  over  it, 
in  vafious  directions,  there  once  lived  a  race 
concerning  which  all  that  has  come  down  to  us 
is  exceedingly  shadowy.  These  people  are 
usually  denominated 

THE   MOUND    BUILDERS. 

Vestiges  of  the  labor  of  the  so-called  Mound 
Builders  still  exist  in  various  parts  of  the  connty 
of  Vernon,  in  the  form  of  earthworks,  consist- 
ing of  mounds,  some  rudely  representing  ani- 
mals ;  others  seemingly  like  low  battlements; 
while  a  third  variety  are  simply  elevations, 
usually  conical  in  shape.     Although  more  plen- 

/ 


tiful  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Mississippi  and  the 
Kickapoo  rivers,  yet  they  are  all  above  tiie  liigh 
watermark.  They  are  numerous  in  the  towns 
of  Liberty,  Sterli'  g  and  Wheatland,  and  are 
in  existence  in  Viroqua,  and  in  other  towns. 
What  all  these  earthworks  were  for — what  uses 
they  subserved — is  absolutely  unknown.  It  is 
probable  tiiat  the  ingenuity  and  research  of  man 
may  never  7-each  beyond  conjecture  in  determin- 
ing the  object  of  these  mounds.  x\nd  of  the 
hands  that  shaped  them,  we  know  nothing. 

The  most  noted  of  these  eartimorks  in  the 
county  are  lliose  to  be  seen  on  the  farm  of  H. 
L.  Turner,  on  section  24,  township  12,  range  3 
west,  ill  tlie  town  of  Liberty.     In  some  respects 


80 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


they  are  the  most  remarkable  of  any  in  the 
State  as  yet  discovered.  We  give  a  sketch  of 
them,  the  first  one  that  has  been  given  to  tlie 
public.  It  is  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Turner  him- 
self : 

"There  are  thirty-two  mounds  on  the  place. 
Scattered  around  in  groups  of  one  or  more  on 
about  100  acres  of  land,  of  a  dry,  sandy  soil, 
being  above  high  water  mark,  the  mounds  are 
always  on  good  dry  land,  'i  lu'y  are  of  an  even 
texture  of  earth  throughout,  sliowing  that  they 
are  built  of  soil  from  the  surface  where  they 
are  constructed.  They  are  of  various  forms 
and  sizes.  Some  are  round,  some  are  long, 
straight  mounds  of  earth  ;  some  are  in  the  form 
of  animals  and  some  are  in  the  form  of  birds  ; 
all  are  very  distinct,  and  show  clearly  what 
they  are.  But  they  vary  from  the  animals  and 
birds  of  the  present  time. 

"The  first  group  consists  of  three  mounds. 
Two  of  these  are  nearly  in  the  form  of  deer 
lying  on  their  sides,  facing  each  other,  their 
heads  about  two  rods  apart.  They  are  about 
six  rods  long  in  their  bodies  ;  their  tails  six  or 
eight  rods  long.  The  knee  joints  of  botli 
forward  and  hind  legs  are  bent  back,  and  the 
tails  are  very  long  for  deer.  The  other  mound 
is  in  the  form  of  a  bear  lying  on  his  side,  and 
is  about  five  rods  long. 

About  fifty  rods  northwest  from  this  is  group 
No  'i.  consisting  of  two  mounds  in  the 
form  of  a  bear  lying  on  his  side,  the  knee  joint 
of  the  fore  and  hind  legs  bending  back  'I'liey 
are  some  six  rods  long  ;  their  legs  are  toward 
each  other.  They  are  about  six  rods  apart, 
one  about  its  length  ahead  of  the  other. 

About  forty  rods  to  the  north  of  this  group 
is  group  No.  3  consisting  of  thirteen  round 
mounds,  in  two  rows  ;  one  of  the  rows 
is  straight — the  largest  mounds  are  in  the  mid- 
dle. The  other  row  is  in  a  curve,  in  which 
there  are  seven  mounds.  From  this  group  of 
mounds  in  a  southwest  direction,  about  forty 
rods,  is  group  No.  4  consisting  of  two 
mounds ;  one  a  straight   mound  of  earth  about 


four  rods  long  ;  the  other  one  is  a  round  mound 
directly  in  line  with  the  other. 

About  fifty  rods  to  the  southeast  of  this  fourth 
group  is  a  large  mound  in  the  form  of  a  bird, 
his  wings  and  tail  extended  as  though  sailing 
in  the  air.  From  tip  to  tip  of  wings  is  about 
thirty  rods.  This  mound  is  called  the  Eagle, 
on  account  of  its  large  size,  being  the  largest  on 
the  place.  About  thirty  rods  to  the  northwest 
of  the  Eagle  is  another  mouad  in  the  form  of  a 
bird,  about  eight  rods  in  length,  of  a  more 
compact  form  then  the  Eagle.  Its  wings  and 
tail  are  extended  like  a  bird  sailing  in  the  air. 
Hawk  is  the  name  of  this  mound.  About  fifty 
rods  to  the  south  of  the  Hawk  is  a  small  round 
mound.  From  this  round  mound  in  a  south- 
west direction  is  group  No.  5,  consisting  of 
two  mounds,  one  is  in  the  form  of  a  beaver 
crouched  on  the  ground,  his  legs  under  him;  the 
other  mound  is  the  same  animal  lying  on  his 
side,  and  forward  of  the  other.  Those  mounds 
are  about  six  rods  in  length.  To  the  north 
of  group  No.  5  about  twenty-five  rods  dis- 
tant, is  group  No.  6  consisting  of  two  mounds 
in  the  form  of  birds.  They  are  alike, 
both  flying  the  same  way.  They  are  side  by 
side,  the  tips  of  the  wings  just  touching  each 
other.  They  are  flying  south.  These  are  called 
the  Wild  Geese.  To  the  northwest  of  the  Wild 
Geese,  about  thirty  rods  distant,  is  a  straight 
mound  about  six  rods  in  length.  To  the  north 
of  the  Wild  Geese,about  thirty  rodsdistant,  is  a 
grouj)  of  four  mounds,  two  of  them  are  in  the 
form  of  a  beaver  crouched  upon  the  ground  with 
his  feel  under  him.  The  two  other  mounds  are 
straight  in  line  with  each  other,  witli  about  two 
rods  between  them;  the  length  of  these  mounds 
are  from  six  to  eight  rods  each. 

On  the  same  section  in  the  Kickapoo  valley, 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  David  Sommers,  are 
numerous  earthworks  of  like  character  as  those 
on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Turner.  The  average  height 
of  these  mounds  was,  when  the  country  was 
first  settled,  from  two  to  three  feet. 

THB  INDIANS. 

The  earliest  record  we  have  of  the  occupation 
of  Vernon  county  and  contiguous  territory,  by 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


81 


the  Indians,  is  that  given  on  the  map  of 
Samuel  C'hamplain,  dated  in  1632.  It  is  there 
seen  that  reports  liad  reached  the  ears  of  the 
French  upon  the  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  of 
a  great  river  to  tlie  westward  of  Lake  Huron 
and  to  the  southward  of  Lake  Superior,  but 
which  it  was  said  flowed  north  into  the  lake 
last  mentioned.  This  was  a  vague  account  of 
the  Mississippi.  Upon  that  river  are  located 
savages,  which,  probably,  were  those  afterward 
known  as 

THE  SIOUX. 

Uands  of  tiiis  Nation  occupied  the  whole 
country  immediately  north  of  the  Wisconsin 
and  adjacent  to  the  Mississippi.  It  is  not 
known  that  they  had  any  village  within  what 
is  now  Vernon  county;  but  this  region  was, 
probably,  their  hunting  grounds,  if  they  did  not 
actually  occupy  it  with  their  wigwams. 

It  was  known  to  the  French,  also,  before  any 
white  man  had  ever  set  foot  upon  any  part  of  Wis- 
consin or  the  northwest,  that  these  Sioux  were 
in  the  habit  of  going  in  their  canoes  to  trade 
with  the  Winnebagoes,  who  were  located  at 
that  time  (before  1634)  around  Lake  AVinne- 
bago.  Fartlier  than  this,  no  knowledge  liad 
been  gained  of  these  savages.  Not  many  years 
afterward  they  must  have  withdrawn  farther 
lip  the  Mississippi,  leaving  the  country  upon 
and  down  this  river  for  some  distance  from  tie 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  without  inhabitants. 
At  this  time,  the  nearest  savages,  eastward, 
were  the  Kickapoos,  Mianiis  and  Mascoutins, 
who  were  loca  ed  on  Fox  river  above  Lake 
Winnebago.  Such  was  the  casein  1634,  when 
John  Nicollet,  the  iirst  man  to  explore  the 
present  State  of  Wisconsin,  reached  that  river. 

THE      SACS     ANI>     FO.XES. 

What  is  now  Vernon  county  and  its  surround- 
ing country  remained  a  derelict  region  until 
finally  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  from  the  east  came 
to  Fox  river  and  then   moved  westward  to  the 


Wisconsin.  Of  all  the  tribes  who  have 
inhabited  this  State,  they  are  the  most 
noted.  The  Sacs  were  sometimes  called  Sauks 
or  Saukies  and  the  Foxes  were  frequently 
known  as  the  Outagamies.  They  are  of  the 
Algonquin  family,  and  are  first  mentioned  in 
1665,  by  Father  Allouez,  but  as  separate  tribes. 
Afterward,  however,  because  of  the  identity  of 
their  language,  and  their  associations,  they  were 
and  still  are  considered  one  Nation.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1669,  Allouez  found  upon  the  shores  of 
Green  bay  a  village  of  Sacs,  occupied  also  by 
members  of  other  tribes;  and  early  in  1670  he 
visited  a  village  of  the  same  Indians  located  up- 
on the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay,  at  a  distance  of 
four  leagues  from  its  mouth.  Here  a  de- 
vice of  these  Indians  for  catching  fish  arrested 
the  attention  of  the  missionary.  "From  one 
side  of  the  river  to  the  other,"  he  writes,  "Ihey 
made  a  barricade,  planting  great  stakes,  two 
fathoms  from  the  water,  in  such  a  manner  that 
there  is,  as  it  were,  a  bridge  above  for  the 
fishes,  who  by  the  aid  of  a  little  bow-net,  e^.sily 
take  sturgeons  and  all  other  kinds  of  fish  which 
this  pier  stops,  although  the  water  does  not 
cease  to  flow  between  the  stakes."  When  the 
Jesuit  father  first  obtained,  five  years  previous, 
a  knowledge  of  this  tribe,  they  were  represented 
as  savage  above  all  others,  great  in  numbers, 
and  without  any  permanent  dwelling  place. 
'I"he  Foxes  were  of  two  stocks — one  calling 
themselves  Oiitaganiies  or  Foxes,  whence  our 
English  name;  the  other,  Musqiiakink,  or  men 
of  red  clay,  the  name  now  used  by  the  tribe. 
They  lived  in  early  times  with  their  kindred 
the  Sacs  east  of  Detroit,  and  as  some  say  near 
the  St.  Lawrence.  They  were  driven  w(sl,aiid 
settled  at  Saginaw,  a  name  derived  fi-om  the 
Sacs.  Thence  they  v\  ere  forced  by  the  Iro(juois 
to  Green  bay;  but  were  compelled  to  leave  that 
place  and  settle  on  Fox  river. 

Allouez,  on  the  24th  of  April,  1670,  arrived 
at  a  village  of  the  Foxes,  situated  on  Wolf 
river,  a  northern  tributary  of  the  Fox.  "The 
Nation,"  he  declares,   "is  renowned    for    heing 


82 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


numerous;  they  have  more  than  400  men  bear- 
ing arms;  tlie  number  of  women  and  children  is 
greater,  on  account  of  polygamy  which  exists 
among  them — each  man  having  commonly  foiii- 
wives,  some  of  them  six,  and  others  as  high  as 
ten.''  The  missionary  found  tliat  the  Foxes 
had  retreated  to  those  parts  to  escape  the  perse- 
cutions of  the  Iroquois.  Allouez  established 
among  these  Indians  his  mission  of  St.  Mark, 
rejoicing  in  the  fact  that  in  less  than  two  years 
he  had  baptized  "sixty  children  and  some 
adults."  The  F'oxes,  at  the  summons  of  De  la 
Barre,  in  1684,  sent  warriors  against  the  Five 
Nations.  They  also  look  part  in  Denonville's 
more  serious  campaign;  but  soon  after  became 
hostile  to  the  French.  As  early  as  1693,  they 
had  plundered  several  on  their  way  to  trade 
with  the  Sioux,  alleging  that  they  were  carry- 
ing arms  and  amunitions  to  their  ancient  ene- 
mies frequently  causing  them  to  make  port- 
ages to  the  southward  in  crossing  from  Lake 
Michigan  to  the  Mississippi.  Afterward  they 
became  reconciled  to  the  French;  but  the  rec- 
onciliation was  of  short  duration.  In  1712, 
Fort  Detroit,  then  defended  by  only  a  handful 
of  men,  was  attacked  by  them  in  conjunction 
with  the  Mascoulins  and  Kickapoos.  However, 
in  the  end,  l)y  calling  in  friendly  Indians,  the 
garrison  not  only  protected  themselves  but  were 
enabled  to  act  on  the  offensive,  destroying  the 
greater  pai-t  of  the  besieging  force. 

The  Nation  continued  their  ill  will  to  the 
French.  The  eonseque.iCe  was  that  their  terri- 
tory in  1716  had  been  invaded  and  they  were 
reduced  to  sue  for  peace.  Hut  their  friendshi]) 
was  not  of  long  continuance.  In  1718  the  Foxes 
numbered  500  men  and  "abounded  in  women 
and  children."  'I'hey  are  spoken  of  at  that  date 
as  being  very  industrious,  raising  large  quanti- 
ties of  Indian  corn.  In  1728  another  expedi- 
tion was  sent  againstthem  by  the  French.  Mean- 
while the  Menomonees  had  also  become  hostile; 
so,  too,  the  Sacs,  who  were  now  tlie  allies  of 
the  Koxes.  The  resu't  of  the  enterprise  was, 
an  attack  upon   and  the   defeat  of  a  number   of 


Monomonees;  the  burning  of  the  wigwams  of 
the  Winnebagoes  (after  passing  the  deserted  vil- 
lage of  the  Sacs  upon  the  Fox  river),  that  tribe, 
also,  at  this  date  being  hostile;  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  fields  of  the  Foxes.  They  were  again 
attacked  in  their  own  country  by  the  French,  in 
17.S0,  and  defeated.  In  17.S4  both  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  came  in  eonilict  with  the  same  foe;  but 
this  time  the  French  were  not  as  successful  as 
on  previous  expeditions.  In  17.36  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes'  were  "connected  with  the  government  of 
Canada;"  but  it  is  certain  they  were  far  from 
being  friendly  to  the  French. 

The  conflict  between  France  and  Great  Brit- 
ain, commencing  in  1754,  found  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  allied  with  the  former  power,  against  the 
English,  although  not  long  previous  to  this  time 
they  were  the  bitter  enemies  of  the  French.  At 
the  close  of  that  contest  so  disastrous  to  the  in- 
terests of  France  in  North  America,  the^e  tribes 
readily  gave  in  their  adhesion  to  the  conquerors, 
asking  that  English  traders  might  be  sent  them. 
The  two  Nations,  then  about  equally  divided, 
numbered,  in  1761,  about  700  warriors.  Neither 
of  the  tribes  took  part  in  Pontiac's  war,  but  they 
befriended  the  English.  The  Sacs  had  emigrated 
farther  to  the  westward;'but  the  Foxes,  at  least 
a  portion  of  them,  still  remained  upon  the  wa- 
ters of  the  river  of  Green  bay,  which  perpet- 
uates their  name.  A  few  years  later,  however, 
and  the  former  were  occupants  of  the  upper 
Wisconsin;  also,  to  a  considerable  distance  be- 
low the  portage,  where  their  chief  town  was 
located.  Further  down  the  same  stream  was 
the  upper  village  of  the  Foxes,  while  their  lower 
one  was  situated  near  its  mouth  at  tlie  site  of 
the  present  city  of  Prairie  du  Chien.  At  this 
date,  176G,  and  even  later,  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  was  within  the  territory  claimed  as 
theirs.  Gradually,  however,  they  retreate<l 
down  the  Mississippi  until,  before  the  close  of 
tlie  century,  all  their  possessions  in  what  is  now 
Wisconsin,  was  in  the  extreme  southwest.  They 
no    longer   had    their   hunting   grounds  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


83 


northward  of  the   Wisconsin    river.     Another 
tribe  V  ad,  as  it  were,  crowded  them  out. 

During  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes  continued  the  firm  friends  of  the 
English.  In  1S04  they  ceded  their  lands  south 
of  the  Wisconsin  river  to  the  United  States;  so 
that  tliey  no  longer  were  owners  of  any  lands 
within  this  State.  From  that  date,  therefore, 
these  allied  tribes  can  not  be  considered  as  be- 
longing to  tilt-  Indian  Nations  of  Wisconsin. 
They  were  generally  friendly  to  Great  Britain 
during  the  War  of  1812-15,  but  they  soon  made 
peace  with  the  United  States  after  that  contest 
ended.  A  striking  episode  in  their  subsequent 
history,  is  the  Black  Hawk  war,  which  will  be 
narrated  in  a  subsequent  chapter.  The  exact 
(late  of  the  Foxes  leaving  the  Wisconsin  river 
country  is  unknown.  They  sold  the  prairie  at 
the  nioutli  of  that  stream,  to  some  Canadian 
French  traders  in  1781,  and  subsequently  va- 
cated their  village.  Probably  about  the  begin- 
ning of  ttie  present  century  they  had  abandoned 
this  region  as  their  home,  although  they  long 
after  visited  it  for  the  purposes  of  trade. 

THE    WINNEBAGOES. 

The  Nation  which  displaced  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  upon  the  Wisconsin  river  and  its  contig- 
uous territory,  including  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  was  the  Winnebagos.  It  is  now  250 
years  since  the  civilized  world  began  to  get  a 
knowledge  of  the  VVinnebagoes— the  "men  of 
the  sea,"  as  they  were  called,  pointing,  possibly, 
to  their  early  emigration  from  the  shores  of  the 
Mexican  gulf,  or  the  Pacific.  The  territory 
now  included  within  the  limits  of  Wisconsin, 
and  so  much  of  the  State  of  Michigan  as  lies 
north  of  Green  bay.  Lake  Michigan,  the  Straits 
of  Mackinaw  and  Lake  Huron  were,  in  early 
times,  inhabited  by  several  tribes  of  the  Algon- 
quin race,  forming  a  barrier  to  the  Dakotas,  or 
Sioux,  who  had  advanced  eastward  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi. But  the  Winnebagoes,  although  one 
of  the  tribes  belonging  to  the  family  of  the 
latter,  had  passed  the  great  river,  at  some  un- 
known   period,   anil    settled    upon    Winneliago 


lake.  Here,  as  early  as  16-34,  they  were  visited 
by  John  Nicolet,  an  agent  of  France,  and  a 
treaty  concluled  with  them.  Little  more  was 
heard  of  the  Winnebagoes  for  the  next  thirty- 
five  years,  when,  on  the  2d  of  December,  1669, 
some  of  that  Nation  were  seen  at  a  Sac  village 
on  Green  bay,  by  Father  Allouez. 

As  early  at  least,  as  1670,  the  French  were  ac- 
tively engaged  among  the  Winnebagoes  trading. 
'•We  found  affairs,"  says  one  the  Jesuit  mission- 
aries, who  arrived  among  them  in  September 
of  that  year,  "  we  found  affairs  there  in  a 
pretty  bad  posture,  and  the  minds  of  the  sava- 
ges much  soured  against  the  French,  who  were 
there  trading;  ill  treating  them  in  deeds  and 
words,  pillaging  and  carrying  away  their  mer- 
chandise in  spite  of  them,  and  conducting 
themselves  toward  them  with  insupportable  in- 
solences and  indignities.  The  cause  of  this 
disorder,"  adds  the  missionary,  "  is  tiiat  they 
had  received  some  bad  treatment  from  the 
French,  to  whom  they  had  this  year  come 
to  trade,  and  particularly  from  the  soldiers,  from 
whom  they  pretended  to  have  received  many 
wrongs  and  injuries."  It  is  thus  made  certain 
th  it  the  arms  of  France  were  carried  into  the 
territory  of  the  Winnebagoen  over  200  years 
ago. 

The  Fox  river  of  Green  bay  was  found  at 
that  date  a  difficult  stream  to  navigate.  Two 
Jesuits  who  ascended  the  river  in  1670,  had 
"  three  or  four  leagues  of  rapids  to  contend 
with,"  when  they  had  advanced  "  one  day's 
journey"  from  the  head  of  the  bay,  "more  diffi- 
cult than  those  which  are  common  in  other 
rivers,  in  this,  that  the  flints,  over  which"  tliev 
had  to  walk  with  naked  feet  to  drag  their  ca- 
noes, were  so  "sharp  and  so  cutting,  tint  one 
h:is  all  the  trouble  in  the  world  to  hold  imc's 
self  steady  against  the  great  rushing  of  the 
waters."  At  the  falls  they  found  an  idol  thai 
the  savages  honored  ;  "never  failing,  in  pas.s- 
ing,  to  make  him  some  sacrifice  of  tobacco,  or 
arrows,  or  paintings,  or  other  things,  to  thank 
him  that,  by  his  assistance,  they  had.  in  ascend- 


< 


84 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ing,  avoided  the  dangers  of  the  waterfalls 
which  are  in  this  stream;  orelse,  if  they  had  to 
ascend,  to  pray  him  to  aid  them  in  this  perilous 
navigation."  The  missionaries  caused  the  idol 
"to  be  lifted  up  by  the  strength  of  the  arm, 
and  cast  into  the  depths  of  the  river,  to  app(>ar 
no  more,"  to  the  idolatrous  savages. 

The  Winnebagoes,  by  this  time,  had  not  only 
received  considerable  spiritual  instruction  from 
the  Jesuit  fathers,  but  had  obtained  quite  an 
insight  into  the  mysteries  of  trading  and  trafBck- 
ing  with  white  men  ;  for,  following  the  foot- 
steps of  the  missionaries,  and  sometimes  pre- 
ceding them,  were  the  ubiquitous  French  fur 
traders.  It  is  impossible  to  determine  precisely 
what  territory  was  occupied  by  the  Winneba- 
goes at  this  early  date,  farther  than  that  they 
lived  near  the  head  of  Green  bay. 

A  direct  trade  with  the  French  upon  the  St. 
Lawience  was  not  carried  on  by  the  Winneba- 
goes to  any  great  extent  until  the  beginning  of 
the  18th  century.  As  early  as  1 679,  an  advance 
party  of  LaSalle  had  collected  a  large  store  of 
furs  at  the  mouth  of  Green  bay,  doubtless  in  a 
traffic  with  this  tribe  and  others  contiguous  to 
them;  generally,  however,  the  surrounding  Na- 
tions sold  their  peltries  to  the  Ottawas,  who 
disposed  of  them,  in  turn,  to  the  French.  The 
commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century  found 
tlie  Winnebagoes  tinnly  in  alliance  with  France, 
and  in  peace  with  the  dreaded  Iroquois.  In 
1718,  the  nation  numbered  600  They  had 
moved  from  the  Fox  river  to  Green  bav.  They 
were  afterward  found  to  have  moved  up  Fox 
river,  locating  n])()n  Winnebago  lake,  which  lake 
was  their  ancient  seat,  and  from  which  they  had 
been  driven  either  by  fear  or  the  prowess  of 
more  powerful  tribes  of  the  west  and  south- 
west. Their  intercourse  with  the  French  was 
gradually  extended  and  generally  peaceful, 
though  not  always  so,  joining  with  them,  as  did 
the  Menorainees,  in  their  wars  with  the  Iro- 
quois, and  subsequently  in  their  conflicts  with 
the  English,  which  finally  ended  in  1760.  i 


When  the  British,  in  October,  1761,  took  pos- 
session of  the  French  post,  at  the  head  of  Green 
bay,  the  Winnebagoes  were  found  to  number 
150  warriors  only  ;  their  nearest  village  being 
at  the  lower  end  of  Winnebago  lake.  They 
had  in  all,  not  less  than  three  towns.  Their 
country,  at  this  period,  included,  rot  only  that 
lake,  but  all  the  streams  flowing  into  it,  espe- 
cially Fox  river  ;  afterward  extended  to  the 
Wisconsin  and  Rock  rivers.  They  readily 
changed  their  course  of  trade — asking  now  of 
the  commandant  at  the  fort  for  English  traders  to 
be  sent  among  them.  In  the  Indian  outbreak 
under  Pontiac  in  1763,  they  joined  with  the  Me- 
nomonees  and  other  tribes  to  befriend  the  Brit- 
ish garrison  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  assisting  in 
conducting  them  to  a  place  of  safety. 

They  continued  their  friendship  to  the  Eng- 
lish during  the  revolution,  by  joining  with 
them  against  the  colonies,  and  were  active  in 
the  Indian  war  of  1790-4,  taking  part  in  the  at- 
tack on  Fort  Recovery,  upon  the  Mauraee,  in 
the  present  State  of  Ohio,  in  1793.  1  hey  fought 
also  on  the  side  of  the  British  in  the  War  of 
lsi-2-ir),  aiding,  in  1814,  to  reduce  Prairie  du 
Chien.  They  were  then  estimated  at  4,5v.O. 
When,  in  1816,  the  government  of  the  United 
States  sent  troop  to  take  possession  of  the  Green 
b;iy  country,  by  establishing  a  garrison  there, 
some  trouble  was  anticipated  from  these  Indians, 
who,  at  that  date,  had  the  reputation  of  being  a 
bold  and  warlike  tribe.  A  deputation  from  the 
Nation  came  down  Fox  river  and  remonstrated 
with  the  American  commandant  at  what  was 
thought  to  be  an  intrusion.  They  were  de- 
sirous of  knowing  why  a  fort  was  to  be  estab- 
lished so  near  them.  The  reply  was  that,  al- 
though the  troops  were  armed  for  war  if  nec- 
essary, their  purpose  was  peace.  Their  response 
was  an  old  one  :  "If  your  object  is  peace,  you 
have  too  many  men;  if  war,  you  have  too  few." 
However,  the  display  of  a  number  of  cannon, 
which  had  not  yet  been  mounted,  satisfied  the 
Winnebagoes  that  the  Americans  were  masters 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


S5 


of  the  situation,  and  the  deputation  gave  the 
garrison  no  farther  trouble. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1810,  at  8t  Louis,  the 
tribe  made  a  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship  with 
the  general  government;  but  they  continued  to 
levy  tribute  on  all  white  people  who  passed  up 
Fox  river.  English  annuities  also  kept  up  a 
bad  feeling.  At  this  time,  a  portion  of  the 
tribe  was  living  upon  the  Wisconsin  river, 
away  from  the  rest  of  the  Nation,  which  was 
still  seated  upon  the  waters  flowing  into  Green 
bay.  In  1820  they  liad  five  villages  on  Win- 
nebago lake  and  fourteen  on  Rock  river, 
lu  1825,  the  claim  of  the  Winnebagoes  was 
an  extensive  one,  so  far  as  territory  was  con- 
cerned. Its  southeast  boundary  stretched  away 
from  the  source  of  Rock  river,  to  within  forty 
miles  of  its  moutii,  in  II  inois,  where  they  had 
a  village.  On  the  west  it  extended  to  the  heads 
of  the  small  streams  flowing  into  the  Missis- 
sii)pi.  To  the  northward,  it  reached  Black 
river  and  the  upper  Wisconsin,  in  other  word.s, 
to  the  Chippewa  territory  including  what  is 
now  Vernon  county,  but  did  not  extend  across 
Fox  river,  although  they  contended  for  the 
whole  of  Winnebago  lake.  In  1829  a  large 
part  of  their  territory  in  southwest  Wisconsin, 
lying  between  Sugar  river  and  the  Mississippi, 
and  extending  to  the  Wisconsin  river  was  sold 
to  the  general  government. 

Just  previous  to  this  time,  occurred  the  Win- 
nebatjo  war,  an  account  of  which  will  be  found 


in  the  next  chapter.  In  1832,  all  the  residue 
of  the  Winnebago  territory  south  and  east  of 
the  Wisconsin  and  the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay, 
was  disposed  of  to  the  United  States. 

Finally,  in  the  brief  language  of  the  treaty 
between  this  tribe  (which  had  become  unsettled 
and  wasteful)  and  the  United  States,  of  the  Ist 
of  November,  1837,  "the  Winnebago  Nation  of 
Indians"  ceded  to  the  general  government  "all 
their  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi."  Not  an 
acre  was  reserved.  And  the  Indians  agreed 
that,  within  eight  months  from  that  date,  they 
would  move  west  of  "the  great  river."  This 
arrangement,  however,  was  not  carried  out 
fully.  In  1842,  there  were  only  756  at 
Turkey  river,  Iowa,  their  new  home,  with  as 
many  in  Wisconsin,  and  smaller  bands  else- 
where. All  had  become  lawless  and  roving. 
Some  removed  in  1848;  while  a  party  to  the 
number  of  over  800  left  the  State  as 
late  as  1873.  The  present  home  of  the 
tiibe  is  in  Nebraska,  where  they  have  a  reser- 
vation north  of,  and  adjacent  to  the  Omahas, 
containing  over  100,000  acres.  However, 
since  their  first  removal  beyond  the  Missis- 
sippi, they  have  several  times  changed  their 
place  of  abode.  The  period  of  Winnebago 
occupancy  of  Vernon  county  and  the  re- 
gion of  country  contiguous  thereto,  properly 
began  about  the  commencement  of  the  present 
century  and  ended,  virtually,  in  1848. 


86 


HISTOHT  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    IV 


EARLY  EXPLORATIONS. 


The  territory  now  included  within  the  limits 
of  Vernon  county,  was  first  visited  along  its 
western  border  over  200  years  ago  by  French- 
men, from  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  in  Canada. 
The  first  to  approach  this  region  of  country 
was  John  Nicolet,  in  1634,  who  came  no  nearer 
than  to  the  village  of  the  Mascoutins,  on  Fox 
river,  supposed  to  have  been  located  somewhere 
oil  that  stream  within  the  present  boundaries  of 
(4reeii  Lake  Co.,  Wis.  A  Jesuit  missionary,  in 
1070,  also  visited  the  Mascoutins.  His  name 
was  Claude  AUouez ;  but  he  came  no  nearer 
what  is  now  Vernon  county,  than  did 
Nicolet,  in  1634.  In  1673,  Louis  Jol let,  accom- 
panied by  a  missionary,  James  Marquette  and 
five  other  Frenchmen,  ascended  the  Fox  river 
to  the  portage,  now  Portage,  Columbia  Co., 
AVis.;  crossed  over  to  the  Wisconsin  river  and 
dropped  down  that  river  to  its  mouth.  Thence, 
Joliet  journeyed  down  the  Mississippi ;  so,  of 
course,  no  part  of  the  present  Vernon  county 
was  seen  by  him. 

EXPEDITION  OF  MICHAEL  ACCAIT. 

In  IdSO  La  Salle,  who  was  then  on  the 
Illinois  river,  was  desirous  to  have  the  Mississ- 
ippi explored  above  the  point  where  it  was  first 
seen  by  Joliet ;  that  is,  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisconsin  river  ;  so  he  dispatched  one  Michael 
Accau,  on  an  expedition  thither ;  with  him 
went  Antoine  Auguel  and  the  Rev.  Louis  Hen- 
nepin, a  recollet  friar.  The  party  proceeded 
d  )wn  the  Illinois  river  in  April  and  up  the 
Mississippi  river.  They  were  the  first  white 
men  who  ever  saw  any  portion  of  what  is,  at 
this  time,  Vernon  county,  or  who  set  foot  upon 
its  territory.     This  was  in  May,  1680. 


The  description  of  the  voyage  along  what  is 
now  the  western  boundary  of  Wisconsin 
(including,  of  course,  Vernon  county)  is  inter- 
esting, as  given  by  Hennepin  : 

"  On  the  eastern  side  ( of  the  Mississippi ) 
you  meet  first  an  inconsiderable  river  {  Rock 
river)  and  then  further  on  another,  called  by 
the  Indians  Ouisconsin  (Wisconsin)  which 
comes  from  the  east  and  east-northeast.  *  * 
*  It  is  almost  as  broad  as  the  river  Seignelay, 
or  Lslinois  (  Illinois  river ),  and  empties  into 
the  river  Colbert  (Mississippi),  100  leagues 
above  the  river  Seignelay. 

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


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


is    wooded  on  both   sides,  and  is  full  as  wide  as 
the  Seignelay. 

"Forty  leagues  above  is  a  river  (St.  Croi.x ) 
full  of  rapids,  bv  which,  striking  northwest, 
you  can  proceed  to  Lake  Oonde  (Lake  Superior) 
as  far  as  Minissakonat  river  (  the  St.  Louis), 
which  empties  into  that  lake.  The  first  river 
(St.  Croix)  is  called  Tomb  rivei',  because  the 
Issati  left  tliere  the  body  of  one  of  their 
warriors,  killed  bj'  a  rattle  snake,  on  whom 
according  to  their  custom,  I  put  a  blanket. 
This  act  of  humanity  gained  me  much  impor- 
tance by  the  gratitude  displayed  b)'  the  men  of 
the  deceased's  tribe,  in  a  great  banquet  which 
they  gave  me  in  their  country,  and  to  which 
nicire  than  100  Lidians  were  invited." 

KXrKDlTIOS  OF   DIIAITH. 

The  next  expedition  independent  of  that  of 
Accau,  and  ilovx  the  Mississippi  from  the  St. 
Croix  to  the  Wisconsin,  river,  and,  therefore, 
along  the  western  border  of  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  was  tliat  of  Daniel  Grcysolon  Du  Lhut, 
generally  known  as  Duluth.  He  and  some 
companions,  in  1680,  made  the  journey  across 
from  Lake  Superior  to  the  Mississippi,  by  way 
of  Bois  l>rule  river  and  the  St.  Croix.  LT])on 
reaching  the  Mississippi,  he  learned  the  fact  that 
some  Frenchmen  had  passed  up  and  had 
been  robbed  and  carried  off  by  the  Sioux.  This 
was  Accau  and  his  party.  These,  however,  he 
tinally  induced  the  Indians  to  liberate,  and  tlie 
whole  party  floated  down  the  river  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  returning  by  that 
stream  to  Mackinaw. 

THE  MISSISSIPPI   VISITED  K\  LE  SUEUR. 

Le  Sueur,  a  Frenchman,  passed  up  the  Missis- 
sippi from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  in  108.3; 
but  of  this  voyage  we  have  no  account,  only 
that  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  Sioux  country. 
perrot's  voyage  to  the  west. 

Nicholas  Perrot  was  the  next  to  ascend 
the  Mississippi  ;  and  his  was  the  fourth  expedi- 
tion that  had  floated  along  the  western  border 
of  what  is  now  Vernon  county.  This  was  in 
1084.     Perrot  had  been    appointed  by   the  gov- 


ernor of  Canada  to  command  in  the  west, 
leaving  Montreal  with  twenty  men.  His  object 
was  the  establishing  of  a  post  on  the  Missis- 
sippi. Me  proceeded  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to 
Green  bay,  and  up  the  Fox  river  to  the  portage; 
tlience  down  the  Wisconsin  and  up  the  Missis- 
sip])i  to  Lake  Pepin,  on  the  east  side  of  which, 
near  its  mouth,  he  erected  a  stockade. 

The  next  year  he  prevented  with  a  good  deal 
of  difficulty  the  capture  of  his  post  by  the  Fox 
Indians  and  their  allies.  He  passed  the  winter 
of  168.5-6  in  his  stockade,  and  then  returned  to 
Green  bay  1)V  the  same  route  traveled  by  him 
when  going  out.  In  1688  he  again  ascended 
the  Mississippi  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peters,  and  returned 
by  the  same  route  to  Green  bay.  This  ended 
the  explorations  of  Perrot  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi. 

LE  SUEUR  AGAIN  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

In  the  year  1700  the  fifth  explorer  ascended 
the  Mississippi.  His  name  was  Le  Sueur,  the 
same  who  had  seventeen  years  before  I'een 
among  the  Sioux.  From  the  1st  of  September 
until  the  5th  he  advanced  but  fourteen  leagues. 
It  is  probable  he  landed  several  times  in  what 
is  now  Vernon  county.  Le  Sueur  was  the  last  to 
ascend  the  Mississippi  until  17-27,  when  Sienr 
LaPerriere  attempted  a  renewal  of  the  fur 
trade  which  the  governor  of  Canada  had  re- 
solved to  abandon  west  of  Mackinaw,  some 
time  previous. 

I,A    PERRIERE  BUILDS  A  FORT  ON  LAKE    PEPIK. 

"Fort  Beauharnais,"  on  Lake  Pepin,  was 
erected  by  LaPerriere,  but  it  was  not  long  oc- 
cupied as  a  military  post.  The  same  year,  a 
Jesuit  missionary,  Louis  Ignatius  Guignas,  at- 
tempted to  found  a  mission  among  the  Sioux 
on  the  U])per  Mississippi,  passing  up  the  river 
for  that  purpose  to  Fort  Beauharnais,  but  it 
proved  a  failure.  He  was  on  the  Mississip])i 
again  in  17-S6,  and  at  Lake  Pepin,  with  M.  de 
St.  Pierre,  but  of  his  latter  voyage  little  i- 
kno\vii.  From  this  time  until  the  war  nf  175.')- 
0(1,  between  France  and  Great  Britain,    Frencli 


S8 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


t) 


traders  at  intervals  passed  up  the  Misssssippi  ; 
but  during  that  conflict  the  river  was  totally 
abandoned  by  Frenchmen. 

THE  JOURNEY  OF  JONATHAN  CARVER. 

'i'he  first  to  ascend  the  river  after  Great 
Britain  had  assumed  control  of  the  country, 
was  Jonathan  Carver.  In  1766  he  reached  the 
month  of  the  Wisconsin,  just  above  which  he 
found  an  Indian  village  called  La  Prairies  les 
Chiens  by  the  French,  the  site  of  the  present 
village  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  in  Crawford  Co., 
Wis.  It  was  inhabited  by  the  Fox  Indians. 
He  says  the  name  meant  Dog  Plains. 

"It  ('Prairies  les  Chiens')  is  a  large  town  and 
contains  about  300  familie.'^;  the  houses  are  well 
built  after  the  Indian  manner,  and  pleasantly 
situated  on  a  very  rich  soil,  from  which  they 
raise  every  necessary  of  life  in  great  abundance. 
I  saw  here  many  horses  of  a  good  size  and 
shape.  This  town  is  the  great  mart  where  all 
the  adjacent  tribes,  and  even  those  who  inhabit 
the  most  remote  branches  of  the  Mississippi, 
annually  assemble  about  the  latter  end  of  May, 
bringing  with  them  their  furs  to  dispose  of  to 
the  traders.  But  it  is  not  always  that  they  con- 
clude their  sale  here;  this  is  determined  by  a 
general  council  of  the  chiefs,  who  consult 
whether  it  would  be  more  conducive  to  their  in- 
terest to  sell  their  goods  at  this  place,  or  carry 
them  on  to  Louisiana  or  Mitchillimackinac. 
According  to  the  decision  of  this  council  they 
either  proceed  further,  or  return  to  their  differ- 
ent homes. 

"The  Mississippi,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Wis- 
consin, near  which  stands  a  mountain  of  consid- 
erable height,  is  about  half  a  mile  over;  but 
opposite  to  the  last  mentioned  town  it  appears 
to  be  more  than  a  mile  wide,  and  full  of  islands, 
the  soil  of  which  is  extraordinarily  rich,  and 
but  thinly  wooded. 

"A  little  further  to  the  west,  on  the  contrary 
side,  a  small  river  flows  into  the  Mississippi, 
which  the  French  call  Le  Jaun  riviere,  or  the 
Yellow  river.  I  then  bought  a  canoe,  and  with 
two  servants,  one  a  French   Canadian   and  the 


other   a  Mohawk   of   Canada,  on   the  19th  pro   , 
ceeded  up  the  Mississippi."  *  *  '     , 

About  sixty  miles  below  this  lake  is  a  mour  • 
tain  remarkably  situated;  for  it  stands  by  it 
self  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  and 
looks  as  if  it  had  slidden  from  the  adjacent 
shore  into  the  stream.  It  cannot  be  termed  an 
island,  as  it  rises  immediately  from  the  brink 
of  the  water  to  a  considerable  height.  Both 
the  Indians  and  the  French  call  it  the  mountain 
in  the  river." 

"One  day,  having  landed  on  the  shore  of  the 
Mississippi,  some  miles  below  Lake  Pepin, 
whilst  my  attendants  were  preparing  my  din- 
ner, I  walked  out  to  take  a  view  of  the  adjacent 
country.  I  liad  not  proceeded  far  before  I  came 
to  a  tine,  level,  open  plain,  on  which  I  per- 
ceived at  a  little  distance  a  partial  elevation 
tliat  had  the  appearance  of  an  intrenchment. 
On  a  nearer  inspection  I  had  greater  reason  to 
suppose  that  it  had  really  been  intended  for 
this  many  centuries  ago.  Notwithstanding  it 
was  now  covered  with  grass,  I  could  plainly 
discern  that  it  had  once  been  a  breast  work  of 
about  four  feet  in  height,  extending  the  best 
part  of  a  mile,  and  sufficiently  ca))acious  to 
cover  5,000  men.  Its  foim  was  somewhat  cir- 
cular, and  its  flanks  reached  to  the  river. 
Though  much  defaced  by  time,  every  angle  was 
distinguishable,  and  appeared  as  regular,  and 
fashioned  with  as  much  military  skill,  as  if 
planned  by  Vauban  himself.  T  he  ditch  was 
not  visible,  but  I  thought  on  examining  more 
curiously,  that  I  could  perceive  there  certainly 
had  been  one.  From  this  situation  also,  I  am 
convinced  that  it  must  have  been  for  this  pur- 
pose. It  fronted  the  country,  and  the  rear  was 
covered  by  the  river;  nor  was  there  any  rising 
ground  for  a  considerable  way  that  commanded 
it;  a  few  straggling  oaks  were  alone  to  be  seen 
near  it.  In  many  places  small  tracks  were 
across  it  by  the  feet  of  the  elk  and  deer,  and 
from  the  depth  of  the  bed  of  earth  by  which  it 
was  covered,  I  was  able  to  draw  cei  tain  conclus- 
ions of  its  great  antiquity.     I  examined  all  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


89 


angles  and  every  part  with  great  attention,  and 
have  often  blamed  myself  since  for  not  encamp- 
ing on  the  spot,  and  drawing  an  exact  plan  of 
it.  To  show  that  this  description  is  not  the  off- 
spring of  a  heated  imagination,  or  the  cl)imeri- 
cal  tale  of  a  mistaken  traveler,  I  find  on  in- 
quiry since  my  return,  that  Mons  St.  Pierre, 
and  several  traders,  have,  at  different  times, 
taken  notice  of  similar  appearances,  on  which 
they  have  formed  the  same  conjectures,  but 
without  examining  them  so  minutely  as  I  did. 
How  a  work  of  this  kind  could  exist  in  a  coun- 
try that  has  hitherto  (according  to  the  general 
received  opinion)  been  the  seat  of  war  to  un- 
tutored Indians  alone,  whose  whole  stock  of 
military  knowledge  has  only,  till  within  two 
centuries,  amounted  to  drawing  tlie  bow,  and 
whose  only  breast  work  even  at  present  is  the 
thicket,  I  know  not.  I  have  given  as  exact  an 
account  as  possible  of  this  singular  appearanc^p, 
and  leave  to  future  explorers  of  these  distant 
regions  to  discover  whether  it  is  a  production 
of  nature  or  art.  Perhaps  the  hints  I  have  here 
given  might  lead  to  a  more  perfect  investiga- 
tion of  it,  and  give  us  very  different  ideas  of 
the  ancient  state  of  realms  that  we  at  present 
believe  to  have  been  from  the  earliest  periods 
only  in  the  habitations  of  savages. 

"The  Mississippi  below  this  lake  flows  with 
a  gentle  current,  but  the  breadth  of  it  very 
uncertain,  in  some  places  being  upward  of  a 
mile,  in  others  not  more  than  a  quarter.  This 
river  has  a  range  of  mountains  on  each  side 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  way,  which  in  par- 
ticular parts  approach  near  to  it,  in  others  lie  at  a 
greater  distance.  The  land  betwixt  the  moun- 
tains, and  on  their  sides,  is  generally  covered 
with  grasSj  with  a  few  groves  of  trees  inter- 
spersed, near  which  large  droves  of  deer  and 
elk  are  frequently  seen  feeding.  In  many 
places  pyramids  of  rocks  appeared,  resembling 
old  ruinous  towers;  at  others  amazing  preci- 
pices, and  what  is  very  remarkable,  whilst  this 
scene  presented  itself  on  one  side,  the  opposite 
side  of  the  same  mountain  was  covered  with  the 


finest  herbage,  which  gradually  ascended  to  its 
summit.  From  thence  the  most  beautiful  and 
extensive  prospect  that  imagination  can  form 
opens  to  your  view.  Verdant  plains,  fruitful 
meadows,  numerous  islands,  and  all  these 
abounding  with  a  variety  of  trees  that  yield 
amazing  quantities  of  fruit,  without  care  or 
cultivation,  such  as  the  nut-tree, the  maple  which 
produces  sugar,  vines  loaded  with  rich  grapes, 
and  plum  trees  bending  under  their  blooming 
burdens;  but  above  all,  the  fine  river  flow- 
ing gently  beneath,  and  reaching  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  extend,  by  turns  attract  your  attention 
and  excite  your  wonder." 

It  was  nearly  forty  years  subsequent  to  Car- 
ver's visit  before  the  Mississippi  was  ascended 
by  any  one  who  left  a  record  of  his  journey. 
In  1805  Major  Z.  M.  Pike  made  a  reconnoi- 
sance  up  the  river.  We  give  his  description  of 
what  he  saw  as  he  passed  from  a  point  just 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  up  to  "a 
prairie  called  La  Cross:" 

"September  4th,  1805,  Wednesday.— Break- 
fasted just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin. 
Arrived  at  the  Prairie  Les  Chiens  about  1  1 
o'clock;  took  quarters  at  Capt.  Fisher's,  and 
were  politely  received  by  him  and  Mr.  Frazer. 

"September  5th,  Thursday. — Embarked  about 
half  past  10  o'clock  in  a  Schenectady  boat,  to  go 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  in  order  to  take 
the  latitude,  and  look  at  the  situation  of  the 
adjacent  hills  for  a  post.  Was  accompanied 
by  Judge  Fisher,  Mr.  Frazer  and  Mr.  Woods. 
We  ascended  the  hill  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Mississijjpi,  and  made  a  choice  of  a  spot  which 
I  thought  most  eligible,  being  level  on  the  top, 
having  a  spring  in  the  rear,  and  commanding  a 
view  of  the  country  around.  A  shower  of  rain 
came  on  which  wet  us,  and  we  returned  to  the 
village  without  having  ascended  the  Wisconsin 
as  we  intended.  Marked  four  trees  with  A,  \i, 
C,  D,  and  squared  the  sides  of  one  in  the  center. 
Wrote  to  the  General. 

"September  6th,  Friday. —  Had  a  small  council 
with  the  Puants  and  Winnebagoes;  and  a  chiaf 


90 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


-^ 


of  the  lower  band  of  the  Sioux.  Visited  and 
laid  out  a  position  for  a  post,  on  a  hill  called 
Petit  Gri's,  ou  the  Wisconsin,  three  miles  above 
its  mouth.  Mr.  Fisher  accompanied  me;  was 
taken  very  sick,  in  consequence  of  drinking 
some  water  out  of  the  Wisconsin.  The  Puaiits 
never  have  any  white  interpreters,  nor  have  the 
Fols  Avoin  (Menomonee)  Nation.  In  my  coun- 
cil I  spoke  to  a  Frenchman,  he  to  a  Sioux,  who 
interpreted  to  some  of  the  Puants. 

"September  Hh,  Saturday. — My  men  beat  all 
the  villagers  hopping  and  jumping.  Began  to 
load  my  new  boats. 

"September      8th.,     Sunday. — Embarked     at 
half  past  11  o'clock  in  two  batteaux.    The  wind 
fair   and    fresb.     I    found   myself   very    much 
embarrassed  and  cramped,  in  my  new  boat-,with 
pi-ovision    and   baggage.     I    embarked   two  in- 
terpreters, one    to    perform   the  whole  voyage, 
whose  name  was  Pierre  Rosseau,  and  the  other 
named  Joseph  ReinuUe,  paid  by  Mr.  Frazer  to 
accompany    me    as   high    as    the    Falls  of    St. 
Anthony.     Mr.  Frazer    is  a  young   gentleman, 
cleik  to  Mr.  131akely,  of  Montreal;  he  was  born 
in  Vermont,  but  has  latterly  resided  in  Canada. 
To  the  attention  of  this  gentleman  I  am  much 
indebted;  he  procured  for  me  everything  in  his 
power  that  I  stood  in  need  of;  dispatched  his 
l)ark  canoes  and  remained  himself  to  go  on  with 
me.     His  design  was   to  winter   with  some  of 
the    Sioux     bands.        We    sailed     well,    came 
eighteen    miles    and    encamped    on    the  west 
bank.     I  must   not  omit    here    to   bear    testi- 
mony   to    the    politeness  of   all    the    principal 
inhabitants  of  the  village.     There  is,  howevt-r, 
a  material  distinction  to  be  made  in  the  nature 
of  those  attentions.       The  kindness  of  Messrs. 
Fisher,  Frazer   and    Woods    (all    Americans), 
seemed  to  be  the  spontaneous  effusions  of  good 
will,  and  partiality  to  their    countrymen;  it  ex- 
tended to  the  accomodation,  convenience,  exer- 
cises and  pastimes  of  my  men;  and  whenever 
they    proved    stxperior    to  the    French    openly 
showed     their     pleasure.       But     the     French 
Canadians  appeared  attentive,  rather  from  their 


natural  good  manners,  the  sincere  friendship; 
however,  it  produced  from  them  the  same  effect 
that  natural  good-will  did  in  others. 

"September  9th,  Monday.— Embarked  early. 
Dined  at  Cape  Garlic,  or  at  Garlic  river,  after 
which  we  came  on  to  an  island  on  the  east  side 
about  five  miles  below  the  river  Iowa,  and 
encamped.  Rained  before  sunset.  Distance 
twenty-eight  miles. 

"September  10th,  Tuesday.— Rain  still  con- 
tinuing, we  remained  at  onr  camp.  Having 
shot  at  some  pigeons,  the  report  was  heard  at 
the  Sioux  lodges;  when  La  Yieulle  sent  down 
six  of  his  young  men  to  inform  me  that  he  had 
waited  three  days  with  meat,  etc.,  but  last 
night  they  had  began  to  drink,  and,  that  on  the 
next  day  he  would  receive  me  with  his  people 
sober.  I  returned  him  for  answer,  that  the 
season  was  advanced,  that  time  was  pressing, 
and  that  if  the  rain  ceased,  I  must  go  on. 
Mr.  Frazer  and  the  interpreter  went  home  with 
the  Indians.  We  embarked  about  1  o'clock. 
Frazer  returning,  informed  me  that  the  chief 
acquiewed  in  my  reasons  for  pressing  forward, 
but  that  he  had  prepared  a  i)ipe  (by  way  of 
letter)  to  present  me,  to  show  to  all  the  Sioux 
above,  with  a  message  to  inform  them  tliat  I 
was  a  chief  of  their  new  fathers,  and  that  he 
wished  me  to    be  treated    with    friendship  and 


respect. 


We  embarked  about    half 


past  3  o'clock,  cime  three  miles  and  encamped 
on  the  west  side.  Mr.  Frazer  we  left  behind, 
but  he  came  up  with  his  two  peroques  about 
dusk.  It  commenced  raining  very  hard.  In 
the  night  a  peroque  arrived  from  the  lodges  at 
his  camp.  During  our  stay  at  their  camp,  there 
were  soldiers  appointed  to  keep  the  crowd  from 
my  boats.  At  my  departure  their  soldiers  said: 
As  I  had  shaken  hands  with  their  chief,  they 
must  shake  hands  with  my  soldiers.  In  which 
request  I  willingly  indulged  them. 

"September  1  I  th,  Wednesday.     Embarked  at 
1     o'clock,     although     raining.       Mr.    Frazer's 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


91 


eanoes  also  came  on  until  9  o'clock.  Stopped 
for  breakfast,  and  made  a  fire.  Mr.  Frazer 
staid  with  me,  and  finding  liis  peroques  not  quite 
able  to  keep  up,  he  dispatched  them.  We  em- 
barked; came  on  until  near  6  o'clock,  and  en- 
camped on  the  west  side.  Saw  nothing  of  his 
peroques,  after  they  left  us.  Sujiposed  to  have 
come  sixteen  miles  this  day.  Rain  and  cold 
winds,  all  day  ahead.  The  river  lias  never  been 
clear  of  islands  since  I  left  Prairie  Les  Chicn. 
I  absolutely  believe  it,  here,  to  be  two  miles 
wide.  Hills,  or  rather  prairie  knobs,  on  both 
sides. 

"September  l-2th,  Thursday.  It  raining  very 
hard  in  the  morning,  we  did  not  embark  until 
10  o'clock.  Mr.  Frazer's  peroques  then  com- 
ing up.  It  was  still  raining,  and  was  very  cold. 
Passed  the  Racine  river,  also  a  prairie  called  La 
Cross,  from  a  game  of  ball  played  frequently  on 
it  by  the  Sioux  Indians.  This  prairie  is  very 
handsome,  it  has  a  small  square  hill,  similar  to 
some  mentioned  by  Carver.  It  is  bounded  in 
the  rear,  by  hills  similar  to  the  Prairie  Les 
Chicn.  Oil  this  prairie  Mr.  Frazer  showed  me 
some  holes,  dug  by  the  Sioux,  when  in  expecta- 
tion of  an  attack  into  which  they  first  put  their 
women  and  children,  and  then  crawl  them- 
selves. They  were  generally  round,  and  about 
ten  feet  in  diameter;  but  some  were  half  moons 
and  quite  a  breastwork.  This  I  understood  was 
the  chief  work,  which  was  the  pi'inciple  redoubt. 
Their  modes  of  constructing  are,  the  moment 
they  apprehend,  or  discover,  an  enemy  on  a 
prairie,  they  commence  digging  with  their 
knives,  tomahawks  and  a  wooden  ladle;  and  in 
an  incredibly  short  space  of  lime,  they  have  a 
hole  sutficiently  deep  to  cover  them.selves  and 
their  family,  from  the  balls  or  arrows  of  the 
enemy.  '1  hey  have  no  idea  of  taking  those  sub- 
terraneous redoubts  by  storm;  as  they  would 
probably  lose  a  great  number  of  men  in  the 
attack;  and  although  they  might  be  successful 
ill  the  event,  it  would  be  considered  a  very  im- 
prudent action.  Mr.  Frazer  finding  his  canoes 
not  able  to  keep  up,  staid  at  this   prairie   to  or- 


ganize one  of  them,    intending  then,  to    over- 
take us." 

[observations  by  maj.  pikk.J 
"The  village  of  the  Prairie  Les  Chiens  is  situ- 
ated about  one  league  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisconsin  river.  *  *  *  *  qjjg  prairie  fin 
which  the  village  is  situated  is  bounded  in  the 
rear  by  high  bald  hills.  It  is  from  one  mile  to 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  river,  and  ex- 
tends about  eight  miles  from  the  Mississippi,  to 
where  it  strikes  the  Wisconsin  at  the  Petit  Grey, 
which  bears  from  the  village  southeast  by  east. 

*  *  *  From  the  village  to  Lake  Pepin,  we 
have,  on  the  west  shore,  first  Yellow  river,  of 
about  twenty  yards  wide,  bearing  from  the 
Mississippi  nearly  due  west.  Second  the  Iowa 
river,  about  100  yards  wide,  bearing  from  the 
Mississippi  about  northwest.  Third,  the  Racine 
river,  about  twenty  yards  wide,  bearing  from 
the  Mississippi  nearly  west,  and  navigable  for 
canoes  sixty  miles.  Fourth,  the  rivers  Enibai  ra 
and  L'Eau  Claire,  which  joins  their  waters  just 
as  they  form  a  confluence  with  the  Mississijipi, 
and  are  about  sixty  yards  wide,  and  bear  nearly 
southwest. 

"On  the  east  shore,  in  the  same  distance,  is 
the  river  de  la  Prairie  la  Cross,  which  empties 
into  the  Mississippi,  at  the  head  of  the  prairie 
of  that  name.  It  is  about  twenty  yards  wide, 
and  bears  north  north-west. 

"We  then  meet  with  the  Black  river.      *      * 

*  *  In  this  division  of  the  Mississippi  the 
shores  are  more  than  three-fourths  prairie  on 
both  sides,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  bald 
hills,  which,  instead  of  running  parallel  with 
the  river,  form  a  continual  succession  of  high 
perpendicular  cliffs  and  low  valleys;  they  ap- 
pear to  head  on  the  river,  and  to  transverse  the 
country  in  an  angular  direction.  Those  hills 
and  valleys  give  rise  to  some  of  the  most  suT»- 
lime  and  romantic  views  I  ever  saw.  But  this 
irregular  scenery  is  sometimes  interrupted  by  a 
wide  extended  plain,  which  brings  to   mind  the 


92 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


verdant  lawn  of  civilized  life,  and  would  almost 
induce  the  traveler  to  imagine  himself  in  the 
center  of  a  highly  cultivated  plantation.  The 
timber  of  this  division  is  generally  birch,  elm 
and  Cottonwood,  all  the  cliffs  being  bordered 
by  cedar." 


After  the  expedition  of  Maj.  Pike,  voyages 
up  the  river  soon  became  common  and  the  pub- 
lished naratives  of  them  are  numerous;  but  noth- 
ing is  elicited  in  such  as  have  been  examined 
that  is  of  particular  importance  not  elsewhere 
given  in  this  history. 


CHAPTER    V 


THE  WINNEBAGO  WAR. 


During  the  winter  of  1825-6,  there  were  con- 
fined ill  the  guard  house  of  Fort  Crawford,  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  because  of  some  alleged  dis- 
honest act,  two  Winnebago  Indians.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1826,  the  fort  was  abandoned  and  the  gar- 
rison removed  to  Fort  Snelling.  The  com- 
mandant took  with  him  the  two  Winnebagoes. 
During  the  spring  of  1827,  the  reports  about 
the  two  Indians,  around  Prairie  du  Chien,  was 
to  the  effect  that  they  had  been  killed.  It  was 
soon  apparent  that  a  spirit  of  enmity  between 
the  tribe  and  the  settlers  in  southwestern  Wis- 
consin was  effectually  stirred  up.  In  addition  to 
this,  were  the  daily  encroachments  of  miners 
in  the  lead  region;  for  these  miners  had,  by  this 
time,  overrun  the  mining  country  from  Galena 
to  the  Wisconsin  river.  Finally  the  difficulties 
led  to  an  open  rupture. 

MURDER  OF  GAGNIER  AND    LIPCAP. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1827,  two  Winnebago 
Indians,  Red  Bird  and  We-Kavv  and  three  ol' 
their  companions,  entered  the  house  of  Rigeste 
Gagnier,  about  two  miles  fiom  Prairie  du 
Chien,  where  they  remained  several  hours.  At 
last,  when  Mr.  Gagnier  least  expected  it,  Red 
Bird  leveled  his  gun  and  shot  him  dead  on  his 
hearthstone.  A  person  in  tiie  building  by  the 
name  of  Lipcap,  who  was  a  hired  man,  was 
slain  at  the  same  time  by  We-Kaw.  Madame 
Gagnier  turned   to  fly    with  her  infant  of  eigh- 


teen months.  As  she  was  about  to  leap  through 
the  window,  the  child  was  torn  from  her  arms 
by  We-Kaw,  stabbed,  scalped  and  thrown  vio- 
lently on  the  floor  as  dead.  The  murderer  then 
attacked  the  woman,  but  gave  way  when  she 
snatched  up  a  gun  that  was  leaning  against  the 
wall,  and  presented  it  to  his  breast.  She  then 
effected  her  escape.  Her  eldest  son,  a  lad  of 
ten  years,  also  shunned  the  murderers,  and  they 
both  arrived  in  the  village  at  the  same  time. 
The  alarm  was  soon  given;  but,  when  the 
avengers  of  blood  arrived  at  Gagnier's  house, 
they  found  in  it  nothing  living  but  his  mangled 
infant.  It  was  carried  to  the  village,  and,  in- 
credible as  it  may  seem,  it  recovered. 

A  WINNRBAGO  DEBAUCH. 

Red  Bird  and  his  companions  immediately 
proceeded  from  the  scene  of  their  crime  to  the 
rendezvous  of  their  band.  During  their  ab- 
sence, thirty-seven  of  the  warriors  who  ac- 
knowledged the  authority  of  Red  Bird,  had  as- 
sembled with  their  wives  and  children,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax  river  in  what  is  now 
Vernon  county.  They  received  the  murderers 
with  joy  and  loud  approbations  of  their  exploit. 
A  keg  of  liquor  which  they  had  secured  was  set 
abroach,  and  the  Indians  began  to  drink  and  as 
their  spirits  rose,  to  boast  of  what  they  had  al- 
ready done  and  intended  to  do.  They  continued 
their   revel  for   two  days,    but  on  the  third  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


93 


source  of  their  excitement  gave  out — their  liquor 
was  gone.  They  were,  at  about  4  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  dissipating  the  last  fumes  of  their 
exciteiaeiit  in  the  scalp-dance,  when  they  de- 
scried one  of  the  keel-boats,  which  had  a  few 
days  before  passed  up  the  river  with  provisions 
for  the  troops  at  Fort  Snelling,  on  her  return, 
in  charge  of  Mr.  Lindsay.  Forthwith,  a  pro- 
posal to  take  her  and  massacre  the  crew  was 
made  and  carried  by  acclamation.  They  counted 
on  doing  this  without  risk,  for  they  had  exam- 
ined her  on  her  way  up  and  supposed  there 
were  no  arms  on  board.  But  in  this  they  were 
mistaken  as  the  sequel  shows. 

FIRST  BATTLE   OF  BAD  AX. 

There  were  indications  of  hostilities  on  the 
part  of  the  Sioux  on  the  upper  Mississippi,  and 
the  boats  when  they  left  Fort  Snelling  had  been 
supplied  with  arms.  In  descending  the  river 
they  expected  an  attack  at  Wabashaw,  wliere 
the  Sioux  were  dancing  the  war  dance,  and 
hailed  their  approach  with  insults  and  menaces, 
but  did  not  offer  to  attack  the  boats,  or  obstruct 
their  passage.  The  whites  now  supposed  the 
danger  over,  and,  a  strong  wind  at  that  moment 
beginning  to  blow  up  stream,  the  boats  parted 
company.  So  strong  was  the  wind  that  all  the 
force  of  the  sweeps  could  scarcely  stem  it;  and 
by  the  time  the  foremost  boat  was  near  the  en- 
campment, at  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax,  the 
crew  were  very  willing  to  stop  and  rest.  One 
or  two  Frenchmen,  or  half-breeds,  who  were  on 
board  observed  hostile  appearances  on  shore, 
and  advised  the  rest  to  keep  the  middle  of  the 
stream  with  the  boat,  but  their  counsel  was  dis- 
regarded. They  urged  the  boat  directly  toward 
the  camp  with  all  the  force  of  the  sweeiis. 
There  were  sixteen  men  on  deck. 

The  men  were  rallying  their  French  cotn- 
panions  on  their  apprehensions,  as  the  boat 
approached  the  shore;  but  when  within  thirty 
yards  of  the  bank,  suddenly  the  trees  and  rocks 
rang  with  the  blood-chilling,  ear-piercing  tones 
of  the  war-whoop, and  a  volley  of  riile  balls  rained 
upon  the  deck.     Happily,  the  Winnebagoes  had 


not  yet  recovered  from  the  effects  of  their 
debauch,  and  their  arms  were  not  steady.  One 
man  only  fell.  He  was  a  little  negro  named 
Peter,  llis  leg  was  dreadfully  shattered,  and 
he  afterward  died  of  the  wound.  A  second 
volley  soon  came  from  the  shore;  but,  as  the'men 
were  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  they  all 
escaped  but  one,  who  was  shot  through  the 
heart.  Encouraged  by  the  non-resistance,  the 
Winnebagoes  rushed  to  their  canoes  with 
intent  to  board.  The  boatmen  having  recov- 
ered from  their  first  panic,  seized  their  guns 
and  the  savages  were  received  with  a  severe 
discharge.  In  one  canoe  two  savages  were 
killed  with  the  same  bullet  and  several 
wounded.  The  attack  was  continued  until 
night,  when  one  of  the  party  named  Mande- 
viile,  who  had  assumed  command,  sprang  into 
the  water,  followed  by  four  others,  who  suc- 
ceeded in  setting  the  boat  afloat,  and  then  went 
down  the  stream. 

Thirty-seven  Indians  were  engaged  in  this 
attack,  which  may  be  called  the  first  "Battle  of 
Bad  Ax;"  the  second  being  fought  just  below 
this  point,  five  years  after,  between  the  Ameri- 
cans and  Indians  of  another  tribe,  of  whicli  an 
account  will  be  given  in  the  next  chapter.  Of 
the  Winnebagoes  seven  were  killed  and  four- 
teen wounded.  They  managed  to  put  693  shots 
into  and  through  the  boat.  Two  of  the  crew 
were  killed  outright,  and  four  wounded — two 
mortally.  The  presence  of  mind  of  Mande- 
ville  undoubtedly  saved  the  rest,  as  well  as  the 
boat.  Mr.  Lindsay's  boat,  the  rear  one,  did  not 
reach  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax  until  midnight. 
The  Indians  opened  fire  upon  her,  which  was 
promptly  returned.  Owing  to  the  darkness  no 
injury  was  done  to  the  boat,  and  she  passed 
safely  on.  Considering  the  few  that  were 
engaged  in  the  attack  on  the  first  boat  and  in 
its  defense,  the  contest  was  indeed  a  spirited 
and  sanguinary  one. 

GREAT  ALARM  UPON  THE  BORDER. 

Great  was  the  alarm  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
when  the  boats  arrived  tlieie.     The  people  left 


!)4 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COTTNTY. 


their  houses  and  farms  and  crowded  into  the 
dilapidated  fort.  An  express  was  immediately 
sent  to  Galena,  and  another  to  Fort  Snelling, 
for  assistance.  A  company  of  upwards  of  a 
luindred  volunteers  soon  arrived  from  Galena, 
and  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  were  quieted. 
In  a  few  days  four  imperfect  companies  arrived 
from  Fort  Snelling.  The  consternation  of  the 
people  of  the  lead  mines  was  great,  and  in  all  the 
frontier  settlements.  This  portion  of  the  coun- 
try then  contained,  as  is  suppo.sed,  about  5,000 
inhabitants — that  is  south  of  the  Wisconsin 
river  and  at  Prairie  du  Cliien,  and  extending 
into  Illinois.  A  great  many  of  these  fied  from 
their  homes. 

ARRIVAL  OF  GOVERNMENT  TROOPS. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1S27,  Maj.  William 
Whistler,  with  government  troops  arrived  at 
the  portage  ( now  Portage,  Columbia  Co., 
Wis.),  and  while  there  an  express  arrived  from 
Gen.  H.  Atkinson,  announcing  his  ap[>roacli, 
and  directing  him  to  halt  and  fortify  himself 
and  wait  -his  arrival.  The  object  of  the  joint 
expedition  of  Gen.  Atkinson  from  Jeft'erson 
Barracks  below  St.  Louis,  and  of  JVIaj.  Whistler 
from  Fort  Howard,  at  Green  Bay,  was  to  cap- 
ture those  who  had  committed  the  murders  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  and  put  a  stop  to  any  further 
aggression.  And  this  march  of  the  two  into 
the  Winnebago  country  from  opposite  directions 
was  well  calculated  to  over-awe  the  disaffected 
among  the  Winnebagoes.  These  Indians  -'ere 
soon  advised  that  the  security  of  their  people 
lay  in  the  surrender  of  the  murdereis  of  the 
Gagnier  family.  Accoidingly,  Red  Bird  and 
AVe-Kaw  were  surrendered  up  to  Maj.  Whistler, 
at  the  portage  and  the  Winnebago  war  was 
ended.  The  two  Indians  were  taken  to  Prairie 
du  Chien  for  safe-keeping,  to  await  their  trial 
in  the  regular  courts  of  justice  for  murder. 

TRIAL  AND  CONVICTION  OF  THE  MURDERERS. 

The  next  spring  (1828),  Red  Bird,  We-Kaw 
and  another  Winnebago  prisoner  were  tried  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  before  Judge  James  Duane 
Doty,  who  went  from  Green  Bay  there  for  that 


purpose.  Thoy  were  found  guilty  and  sen- 
tenced to  death.  Red  Bird  died  in  prison.  A 
deputation  of  the  tribe  went  to  Washington  to 
solicit  from  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
John  Quincy  Adams,  a  pardon  for  the  others. 
President  Adams  granted  it  on  the  implied  con- 
dition that  the  tribe  would  cede  the  lands  then 
tlie  possession  of  the  miners,  in  the  lead  region, 
to  the  general  government.  The  Winnebagoes 
agreed  to  this.  Madame  Gagnier  was  compen- 
sated for  the  loss  of  her  husband  and  the  muti- 
lation of  her  infant.  At  the  treaty  with  the 
Winnebagoes  held  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  in  1829, 
provision  was  made  for  two  sections  of  land  to 
her  and  her  two  children.  The  United  States 
agreed  to  pay  her  the  sum  of  $50  per  annum  for 
fifteen  years  to  be  deducted  from  the  annuity 
of  the  Winnebagoes. 

DKKAORAY's    IMPRISONMENT. 

In  closing  this  account  of  the  "Winnebago 
War"  we  give  an  anecdote,  which  places  the 
Winnebago  character  in  an  amiable  light.  The 
militia  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  immediately  after 
the  affair  of  the  boats  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bad 
Ax  river,  seized  an  old  Winnebago  chief  named 
Dekauray  and  four  other  Indians.  The  chief 
was  informed  that  if  Red  Bird  was  not  given 
up  within  a  certain  time  he  and  the  others  were 
to  die  in  his  place.  This  Dekauray  steadfastly 
believed.  A  messenger,  a  young  Indian,  was 
sent  to  inform  the  tribe  of  the  state  of  affairs, 
and  several  days  had  elapsed  and  no  informa- 
tion was  received  of  the  murderers.  The  dread- 
ful day  was  near  at  hand,  and  Dekauray  being 
in  bad  health,  asked  permission  of  the  officer  to 
go  to  the  river  and  indulge  in  his  long-accus- 
tomed habit  of  bathing  in  order  to  improve  his 
physical  condition,  upon  which  Col.  Snelling 
told  him  if  he  would  promise  on  the  honor  of  a 
chief  that  he  would  not  leave  town,  he  mlglit 
have  his  liberty  and  enjoy  all  his  priviliges  un- 
til the  day  appointed  for  his  execution.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  first  gave  his  hand  to  the  colonel, 
thanking  him  for  his  friendly  offer,  then  raised 
lioth  hands  aloft,  and,  in  the  most  solemn  adjii- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


95 


ration,  promised  that  he  would  not  leave  the 
bounds  prescribed,  and  said  if  he  had  a  liundred 
lives,  he  would  sooner  lose  them  all  than  for- 
feit his  word.  He  was  then  set  at  liberty.  He 
was  advised  to  flee  to  the  wilderness  ami  make 
his  escape.  "Do  you  think,"  said  he,  "I  prize 
life  above  lionor?"  He  then  complacently  re- 
mained until  nine  days  of  the  ten  wliich  lie  had 


to  live  had  passed,  and  still  nothing  was  heard 
of  the  murderers  or  of  their  being  apprehended. 
No  alteration  could  be  seen  in  tlie  countenance 
of  the  chief.  It  so  happened  tiiat  on  that  day 
Gen.  Atkinson  arrived  with  his  troojis  from 
Jefferson  Barracks,  and  the  order  for  the  exe- 
cution was  countermanded  and  the  Indians 
permitted  to  return  to  their  homes. 


CHAPTER     VI. 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR. 


To  the  people  of  Vernon  county  the  brief  con- 
testbetween  a  portion  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians 
and  the  Americans,in  1 8.32,known  from  the  name 
of  the  leader  of  the  savages  as  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  promises  more  than  usual  interest,  for  the 
reason  that,  within  the  limits  of  the  county,  as 
at  present  constituted,  occurred  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal incidents  of  the  war.  In  the  outline  history 
of  Wisconsin,  previously  given,  a  brief  sketch 
of  the  hostile  movements  of  both  pirties  en 
gaged  in  the  work  of  death,  will  be  found; 
but,  at  this  point,  it  is  proposed  to  enter  more 
into  detail,  especially  to  relate  somewhat  copi- 
ously, whaTj  transpired  after  the  belligerents 
entered  the  bounds  of  this  county. 

Black  Hawk's  return  from  the  west  side  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  his  moving  up  Hock  river, 
caused  the  mustering  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  in  Illinois,  of  about  800  volun- 
teers, who  were  sent  in  pursuit.  Gen.  H.  At- 
kinson, brevet  brigadier  general  in  the  United 
States  Army,  followed  the  militia  with  his  reg- 
ulars, Init  at  too  great  a  distance  to  alford  sup- 
port. On  the  12th  of  May  the  volunteers 
reached  Dixon's  ferry,  where  they  were  joined 
by  275  men  from  the  northern  counties  of  the 
State.  The  latter  force,  however,  were  imme- 
diately sent  out  on  scouting  duty.     But  the  two 


battalions  still  moved  along  together  until 
Stillman's  run  was  reached;  the  creek  then  be- 
ing known  as  Kishwaukee,  about  thirty  miles 
above  the  ferry. 

BATTLE    OF    STILLMAn's    RUN^. 

Black  Hawk  now  made  advances  for  peace, 
but  two  of  his  messengers  being  killed,  the  ne- 
gotiations were  broken  off.  That  chief  at  this 
time  had  but  forty  men  under  his  immediate 
command,  mojt  of  his  party  being  some  ten 
miles  away;  nevertheless,  with  his  handful  of 
warriors,  he  starte  d  back  to  meet  his  puisuers. 
Raising  the  war  whoop,  he  rushed  in  upon  the 
volunteers,  and  scattered  them  in  every  direc- 
tion. The  fugitives,  in  their  flight,  did  not 
stop  until  the  ferry  was  reached.  This  was 
afterwari]  known  as  "the  battle  of  Stillman's 
Run,"  of  May  14,18.32.  The  governor  of  Illi- 
nois issued  a  proclamation  immediately  after, 
calling  for  an  additional  force  of  2,000  mounted 
volunteers.  These  incidents  caused  throughout 
the  west  the  greatest  alarm.  The  loss  of  the 
Indians  in  this,  the  first  "battle"  of  the  "war," 
was  none.  Of  the  volunteers,  one  major,  one 
captain  and  nine  of  tlie  rank  and  tile,  were 
killed,  and  live  men  wounded. 

On  the  17th  ot  May,  Gen  Atkinson  reached 
Dixon's  ferry  with  his  regulars  and   a  supply  of 


96 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


provisions;  and  on  the  19th,  with  2,400  men, 
advanced  up  Rock  river.  On  the  27th  and  28th 
of  the  month,  the  volunteers  were  disbanded 
by  tlie  governor,  leaving  the  defense  of  the 
frontiers  in  the  hands  of  the  regular  troops  and 
a  few  citizens  who  had  volunteered  temporarily. 
Meanwhile,  the  sivages  were  waging  war  in 
earnest  against  the  exposed  settlements.  Their 
war  parties  were  scattered  from  Chicago  to 
Galena;  from  the  Rock  river  to  the  lead  mines. 
It  was  a  warfare  in  regular  Indian  style;  there 
was  success  first  on  one  side,  tlien  on  the  other; 
until  on  the  'i4ih  of  June,  Black  Hawk  made  an 
unsuccessful  attack  on  Apple  Hiver  Fort,  near 
the  present  village  of  Elizabeth,  III.  Mean- 
while the  volunteers  called  out  by  the  governor 
of  Illinois  were  assembling  and  ordered  to  ren- 
dezvous at  Dixon's  ferry,  where  they  were  mus- 
tered into  the  service  of  the  United  States  and 
formed  into  three  brigades.  The  contest  now 
began  to  assume  somewhat  llie  appearance  of 
regular  war.  But,  before  we  proceed  to  nar- 
rate the  aggressive  movements  of  the  Ameri- 
cans up  the  Rock  river  valley  in  pursuit  of 
Black  Hawk  and  his  band,  it  is  proper  to  more 
particularly  describe  the  incidents  which  oc- 
curred in  various  localities  where  the  savages 
carried  on  their  depredations  previously. 

In  the  night  of  the  17th  of  June  a  volunteer 
company    encamped    near    Burr    Oak    Grove, 
thirty-five  miles  east  of  Galena,  was  tired  on  by 
the  enemy.     The   next  morning    he   started  in 
pursuit  of  the  savages,  and  succeeded  in  killing 
all  of   them — four  in  number — with    the  loss  on 
his    part  ot    only  one    man.     However,  later  in  | 
the  day  he  was  attacked  by  the  Indians  in  con-  I 
siderable    force,    losing    two    killed    and  one  \ 
wounded;    but  he   beat  off   the   assailants  and  \ 
killed  their  leader. 

HATTLE    OF    PECATONICA. 

On  the  14th  of  June  a  party  of  men  were  at- 
tacked in  a  cornfield  near  the  mouth  of  Spof- 
ford's  creek,  and  five  killed.  Two  days  after 
Col.  Henry  Dodge,  with  twenty-eight  men, 
struck  the  trail  of  the  savages,  overtaking  them 


on  the  bank  of  the  Pecatonica  in  what  is  now 
Lafayette  Co.,  Wis.  The  savages  numbered 
seventeen,  and  all  were  killed.  Dodge's  loss 
was  three  killed.  This  was,  all  things  consid- 
ered, the  most  spirited  and  effective  fighting 
done  during  "the  war."  Capt.  James  W. 
Stephenson,  at  the  head  of  the  Galena  volun- 
teers, being  on  the  lookout  for  Indians  near  the 
head  of  Yellow  creek,  lost  three  of  his  men, 
and  was  obliged  to  retreat.  This  ended  what 
may  be  called  the  irregular  fighting  of  the 
campaign.  We  now  return  to  Rock  river,  up 
the  villey  of  which  Black  Hawk  and  his  force 
had  moved  and  the  Americans  just  commencing 
pursuit. 

THE    PURSUIT    or   BLACK    HAWK. 

A  battalion  of  spies  was  the  first  body  or- 
dered forward.  They  reached  Kellogg's 
grove,  and  were  informed  on  the  morning  of 
the  25th  of  June  that  a  heavy  trail  was  to  be 
seen  of  the  enemy  not  far  away.  Twenty-five 
men  went  out  to  reconnoiter,  and  were  de- 
feated, leaving  five  killed  and  three  wounded, 
though  the  enemy's  loss  is  said  to  have  been 
nine  killed.  The  enemy  now  retired  up  the 
river  in  the  direction  of  Lake  Koshkonong,  in 
Wisconsin;  and  the  fighting  in  Illinois  was 
ended.  The  first  halt  made  by  Black  Hawk 
was  at  what  was  afterward  known  as  "Black 
Hawk  Grove,"  just  outside  of  the  present  city 
of  Janesville,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  where  his  forces 
remained  some  time  in  camp.  It  must  not  be 
understood  that  they  were  now  at  their  former 
homes.  This  was  not  the  case.  It  was  not 
then  the  country  claimed  by  the  Sacs,  but  by 
the  Rock  River  Winnebagoes. 

Gen.  Atkinson  having  arrived  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Pecatonica,  in  pursuit  of  the  savages, 
and  hearing  that  the  Sac  chief  was  further  up 
Rock  river,  determined  to  follow  him,  with  the 
intention  of  deciding  the  campaign  by  a  general 
battle  if  possible.  Black  Hawk,  judging  of  his 
intentions  from  the  report  of  his  spies,  broke 
uj)  his  camp  and  retreated  still  further  uj)  the 
river,  to  the  foot  of  Lake  Koshkonong,  where 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  in  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Milton,  he  again  formed  a  camp. 
Here  he  remained  some  time,  when  he  again 
moved,  this  time  to  an  island  in  the  lake,  still 
known  as  Black  Hawk's  Island.  It  is  in  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  town  of  Sumner,  in  Jef- 
ferson Co.,  Wis.  Black  Hawk  afterward  made 
his  way  still  further  up  the  valley  of  Rock 
river. 

But  now  let  us  return  to  the  army  under 
Gen.  Atkinson,  in  its  march  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Pecatonica  to  Lake  Koshkonong,  where 
he  found  the  Sac  chief  had  eluded  him.  The 
recital  is  best  given  in  the  words  of  one  who 
was  in  the  army  at  the  time  and  marched  under 
Atkinson  : 

"The  30th  of  June,  1832,  we  passed  through 
the  Turtle  village  [now  the  city  of  Beloit,  Rock 
Co.,  Wis.,]  which  is  a  considerable  Winnebago 
town,  but  it  was  deserted.  We  marched  on 
about  a  mile  and  encamped  on  the  open  prairie 
near  enough  to  Rock  river  to  get  water  from  it. 
We  here  saw  very  fresh  signs  of  the  Sac  In- 
dians, where  they  had  apparently  been  fishing 
on  that  day.  Gen.  Atkinson  believed  we  were 
close  to  them  and  apprehended  an  attack  that 
night.  The  sentinels  fired  several  times,  and  we 
were  as  often  paraded  and  prepared  to  receive 
the  enemy,  but  they  never  came,  though  from 
tbe  accounts  given  by  the  sentinels  to  the  ofti- 
cersof  the  day,  there  was  no  doubt  that  Indians 
had  been  prowling  about  the  camp." 

"July  1. — We  had  not  marched  but  two  or 
three  miles  before  an  Indian  was  seen  across 
Rock  river  at  some  distance  off,  on  a  very  high 
prairie,  which,  no  doubt  was  a  spy,  and  likely 
was  one  that  had  been  prowling  about  our  en- 
campment the  night  before.  We  proceeded  a 
few  miles  further,  and  came  to  the  place  where 
the  Indians,  who  had  taken  the  two  Misses  Hall 
prisoners,  had  staid  for  several  days  (  near  the 
site  of  the  present  city  of  Janesville).  It  was 
a  strong  position  where  they  could  have  with 
stood  a  very  powerful  force.  We  afterward 
discovered    they    always    encamped    in    such 


places.  We  had  not  marched  but  a  few  miles 
from  this  place  before  one  of  our  front  scouts 
came  back  meeting  the  army  in  great  haste, 
and  stated  that  they  had  discovered  a  fresh 
trail  of  Indians,  where  they  had  just  gone  along 
in  front  of  us.  Maj.  Ewing,  who  was  in  front 
of  the  main  army  some  distance,  immediately 
formed  his  men  inline  of  battle,  and  marched  in 
that  order  in  advance  of  the  main  army,  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile.  We  had  a  very  thick 
wood  to  march  through,  where  the  under- 
growth stood  very  high  and  thick ;  the  signs 
looked  very  fresh,  and  we  expected  every  step 
to  be  fired  upon  from  the  thickets.  We  marched 
in  this  opiler  about  two  miles,  not  stopping  for 
the  unevenness  of  the  ground  or  anything  else, 
but  keeping  in  line  of  battle  all  the  time,  until 
we  found  the  Indians  had  scattered  ;  then  we 
resumed  our  common  line  of  march,  whic  was 
in  three  divisions.  Soon  after  we  had  formed 
into  three  divisions,  the  friendly  Indians  that 
were  with  us  raised  an  alarm,  by  seven  or  eight 
of  them  shooting  at  a  deer,  some  little  in  ad- 
vance of  the  army.  The  whole  army  here 
formed  for  action  ;  but  it  was  soon  ascertained 
tliat  these  children  of  the  forest  had  been  at 
what  their  whole  race  seems  to  have  been  born 
for,  shooting  at  the  beasts  of  the  woods. 

"  We  here  encamped  by  a  small  lake  (Ston's) 
this  night,  and  had  to  drink  the  water,  which 
was  very  bad,  but  it  was  all  that  could  be 
found.  Here  a  very  bad  accident  happened. 
One  of  the  sentinels,  mistaking  another  that 
was  on  post,  with  a  blanket  w'rapped  around 
him,  for  an  Indian,  shot  him  just  below  the 
groin,  in  the  thick  of  the  thigh.  At  first  the 
wound  was  thought  mortal.  I  understood 
before  I  left  the  army,  that  the  man  was  nearly 
well.  Here  Gen.  Atkinson  had,  on  this  night, 
breastworks  thrown  up,  which  was  easily  done, 
as  we  were  encamped  in  thick,  heavy  timber. 
This  was  a  precaution  which  went  to  show  that 
he  set  a  great  deal  by  the  lives  of  his  men,  and 
by  no  means  was   any  mark  of  cowardice  ;  foi- 


98 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


generalship  consists  more  in  good  management 
than  anything  else. 

"July  2. — We  started  this  morning  at  the 
usual  time,  but  went  only  a  few  miles  befoi'e 
Maj.  Ewing,  who  was  still  in  froflt  with  his 
battalion  (of  scouts),  espied  a  very  fresh  trail, 
making  off  at  about  a  left  angle.  He  dis- 
patched ten  men  from  the  battalion,  in  com- 
pany with  Capt.  George  Walker  and  a  few 
Indians,  to  pursue  it  and  see,  if  possible,  where 
it  went  to.  He  moved  on  in  front  of  his  bat-' 
Lalion  a  short  distance  further,  when  he  came  to 
the  main  Sac  trail  of  Black  Hawk's  whole 
army,  which  appeared  to  be  about  two  days 
old." 

Capt.  Karly,  who  commanded  a  volunteer  in- 
dependent company,  and  had  got  in  advance 
this  morning,  called  a  halt;  so  did  Maj.  Ewing 
with  his  battalion.  Then  Maj.  Ewing  sent 
back  one  of  his  staff  officers  for  the  main  army 
to  call  a  halt  for  a  few  minutes.  He,  with 
Maj.  Anderson,  of  the  Infantry,  ('apt.  Early 
and  Jonathan  H.  Ptigh,  went  a  little  in  advance, 
when  .Maj  Anderson,  with  a  telescope,  took  a 
view  across  the  lake;  as  we  liad  now  got  to 
Tjake  Koshkonong.  [The  army  entered  what  ' 
is  now  Jefferson  county,  very  nearly  where,  in  '• 
going  north,  its  south  line  is  crossed  by  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway.  The  trail, 
after  leaving  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
35,  in  township  5  north,  of  range  1.3  east,  ran 
nearl}'  due  north  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
section  26,  in  the  same  township  and  range, 
where  the  army  reached  the  lake  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Koshkonong].  They  thei 
discovered  three  Indians  apparently  in  their 
canoes. 

"Maj.  Ewing  went  himself  and  informed 
Gen.  Atkinson  what  discovery  was  made,  and 
requested  Gen.  Atkinson  to  let  him  take  his  ' 
battalion  round  through  a  narrow  defile  that 
was  between  two  of  those  lakes,  where  we  sup- 
posed the  Indians  were.  By  this  time  our  scouts, 
wlio  had  taken  the  trail  that  led  off  on  our  left, 
returned,  bringing    with  them  five  while    men's  I 


scalps.  They  followed  the  Indian  trail  until  it 
took  them  to  a  large  Indian  encampment  that 
they  had  left  a  few  days  before.  They  reached 
it ;  the  scalps  were  sticking  against  some  of  the 
wigwams  ;  some  of  them  were  identified  ;  but 
I  do  not  recollect  the  names  of  any,  except  one, 
which  was  said  to  be  an  old  gentlemen  by  the 
name  of  Hall. 

"Maj.  Ewing  then  marched  his  battalion 
about  a  mile,  where  the  pass  on  the  side  of  the 
lake  appeared  so  narrow  that  he  dismounted  his 
men  and  had  the  horses  all  tied,  and  a  few  men 
left  to  guard  them.  The  rest  of  us  marched  on 
foot  about  one  mile  through  a  narrow  defile  on 
the  (east)  bank  of  the  Koshkonong  Lake.  This 
was  considered  a  dangerous  procedure,  but 
Maj.  Ewing,  who  was  in  front  with  Maj. 
Anderson,  would  have  been  first  in  danger. 
He  now  found  that  we  were  getting  too  far 
in  advance  of  our  horses  ;  so  Maj.  Ewing 
sent  a  part  of  the  men  back  for  them.  When 
we  mounted  our  horses,  we  were  joined  by 
("apt.  Early  and  his  independent  corps.  We 
then  marched  some  distance  around  the  (Kosli- 
konong)  lake  and  went  in  between  two  of 
them,  in  a  narrow  defile  until  we  found  another 
deserted  encampment.  W-e  now  saw  clearly 
that  the  Indians  were  gone  from  the  Koshko- 
nong lake  ;  so,  the  next  thing  to  be  done  was 
to  find  in  which  direction  they  had  steered 
their  course. 

Gen.  Atkinson  having  been  re-enforced  by 
Gen.  Alexander,  took  up  his  line  of  march,  ar- 
riving at  the  burnt  village  on  the  6th  of  July. 
Tiiat  evening.  Gen.  Posey's  brigade,  in  com- 
pany with  Col.  Dodge's  squadron,  joined  Atkin- 
son. Col.  John  Ewing  and  his  regiment  came 
within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  main  army  and 
encamped.  On  the  10th,  Gen.  Atkinson  sent 
Col.  Ewing  with  his  regiment  down  Rock  river 
to  Dixon's;  Gen.  Posey,  with  the  rest  of  his 
brigade,  was  dispatched  to  Fort  Hamilton; 
while  Col.  Henry  and  his  brigade,  Gen.  Alex- 
ander's brigade  and  Col.  Dodge's  squadron 
were    sent   to   Fort   Winnebago,  now  Portage, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


99 


Columbia  Co.,  Wis.,  for  provisions.  Atkinson 
dropped  down  a  short  distance  from  the  burnt 
village  and  built  a  stockade  fort,  which  ho 
called  Fort  Koslikonong.  It  was  located  on  the 
south  side  of  Rock  river  ii,  the  eastern  outskirts 
of  tlie  present  village  of  Fort  Atkinson,  Jeffer- 
son Co.,  Wis.  Alexander  returned  from  Fort 
Winr.ebago  by  the  direct  route,  while  Dodge 
and  Henry  took  a  more  easterly  one,  striking 
Rock  river  at  a  point  where  there  was  a  small 
Winnebago  village,  now  Ilustisford,  Dodge 
Co.,  which  point  was  reached  July  18th.  Infor- 
mation was  here  obtained  that  Black  Uawk 
was  at  Cranberry  Lake,  farther  i\p  the  river. 
This  was  believed  to  be  reliable,  and  an  express 
was  started  down  the  stream  at  once,  to  inform 
Gen.  Atkinson  of  the  Sac  chief's  whereabouts. 
The  express  came  very  unexpectedly,  at  a 
distance  not  moi'e  than  eight  miles  from  the 
starting  point,  upon  the  trail  of  Black  Hawk, 
making  his  way  down  the  river.  The  express 
returned  to  the  army  with  the  news,  and  the 
next  morniHg,  July  19th,  the  pursuit  began. 

BLACK     HAWK    PUESUED    TO     THE    WISCONSIN. 

In  the  march  in  jnirsuit  of  the  enemy,  the 
Americans  crossed  the  Crawfish  near  what  is 
now  Azlalan,  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  and  were 
of  course  soon  in  what  is  now  Dane  county.  ]iut 
the  account  of  the  march  is  best  told  by  one  who 
participated  in   the  pursuit: 

•'July  19,  1832. — This  day  we  had  for  about 
twelve  miles,  the  worst  kind  of  a  road.  To 
look  at  it  appeared  impossible  to  march  an 
army  through  it.  Thickets  and  swamps  of  the 
worst  kind  we  had  to  go  through,  but  the  men 
had  somelliing  now  to  stimulate  them.  They 
saw  the  Sac  trail  fresh  before  them,  and  the 
prospect  of  bringing  our  campaign  to  n  end. 
Tliere  was  nomurmuring,  no  excuses  made,  none 
getting  on  the  sick  report.  If  we  came  to  a 
swamp  that  our  horses  were  not  able  to  carry 
us  througli,  we  dismounted,  turned  our  horses 
before  us  and  stepped  in  ourselves,  sometimes 
up  to  our  arm-pits  in  mud  and  water.  In  this 
way  we  marched  with  great  celerity.       In  the 


evening  of  this  day,  it  commenced  thundering, 
lightening  and  raining  tremendously.  We 
stopped  not, but  pushed  on.  The  trail  appeared 
to  be  still  getting  fresherand  the  ground  better, 
which  still  encouraged  us  to  overcome  every 
difficulty  found  in  the  way.  It  continued  rain- 
ing until  dark,  and,  indeed,  until  after  dark. 
We  now  saw  the  want  of  our  tents,  a  great 
number  of  us  having  left  this  necessary  article 
behind  in  the  morning,  in  order  to  favor  our 
horses. 

"The  rnin  ceased  before  day,  and  it  turned 
cold  and  chilly.  In  the  morning  we  rose  early, 
at  the  well-known  sound  of  the  bugle,  and  pre- 
pared in  a  very  short  time  our  rude  breakfast, 
dried  our  clothes  a  little,  and  by  7  o'clock  (July 
20th),  were  on  the  march  at  a  quick  pace.  On 
this  day,  some  of  our  scouts  took  an  Indian  as  a 
prisoner.  On  examination,  he  was  found  to  be 
a  Winnebago.  He  stated  that  Black  Hawk  was 
but  a  little  distance  ahead  of  us,  and  thai  he 
hid  seen  some  of  his  party  not  more  than  two 
miles  ahead.  But  it  was  a  bad  piece  of  conduct 
on  our  part  that  this  Indian  was  not  kept  as  a 
prisonei  of  war,  but  was  set  at  liberty  and  let 
go,  no  doubt,  that  he  might  inform  the  Sacs  of 
our  pursuit. 

"We  halted  and  the  order  of  battle  was 
formed,  as  we  expected  we  would  overtake  them 
this  evening.  The  order  was  as  follows  :  Gen. 
Dodge  and  Maj.  Ewing  were  to  bring  on  the 
battle.  Maj.  Ewing  was  placed  in  the  center 
with  his  spy  battallion,  Capt.  Gentry  and  Capt. 
Clark's  companies  on  our  right,  and  Capt 
Camp  and  Capt.  Parkinson  on  our  left.  Our 
own  battalion  (Maj.  Ewing's)  was  reduced  to 
two  comjtanies  (as  Capt.  Wells  and  his  company 
had  been  left  at  Fort  Dixon);  Capt.  Lindsey, 
of  our  own  battallion,  was  placed  on  the  right 
an<l  Capt.  Huston's  c<jmpany  on  the  left;  Col. 
Fry  and  his  regiment  on  the  right,  and  Col. 
Jones,  with  his  regiment,  on  the  left,  and  Col. 
Collins  in  the  center.  In  this  order  we  marched 
in  quick  time,  with  all  possible  speed,  in  hope  , 
that  we  would    overtake    the    enemv    on    thai 


100 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


evening.  We  were  close  to  the  Four  Lakes  [in 
what  is  now  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,]  and  we  wished  to 
come  up  with  tliein  before  they  could  reach 
that  place,  as  it  was  known  to  be  a  stronghold 
for  the  Indians;  but  the  day  was  not  long 
enough  to  accomplish  this  desirable  object. 

"We  reached  the  first  of  the  F'our  Lakes 
[now  known  as  Lake  Monona,  or  Third  Lake,] 
about  sundown.  Gen.  Henry  here  called  a  halt 
and  consulted  with  Pouquet  [Peter  Pauquette], 
our  j^ilot,  as  to  the  country  we  were  approaching. 
Pouquet,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  this 
country,  told  him  he  could  not  get  through  af- 
ter night;  that  we  had  to  march  close  to  the 
mai'gin  of  the  lake  for  some  distance,  as  the  un- 
derwood stood  so  thick  one  man  could  not  see 
another  ten  steps.  Gen.  Henry  concluded  to 
encamp  here  until  tlie  break  of  day.  Gen. 
Dodge  sent  Capt.  Di.xon  on  ahead  with  a  few 
men  to  see  if  they  could  make  any  discovery  of 
tiie  enemy,  who  returned  in  a  very  short  time 
and  stated  that  they  had  seen  the  enemy's  rear 
guard  about  one  mile  and  a  half  distant.  Gen. 
Henry  gave  strict  orders  for  every  man  to  tie  up 
his  horse,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  start  as  soon  as 
it  was  daylight.  The  order  was  strictly  obeyed; 
and  after  we  took  our  frugal  supper  all  re- 
tired to  rest  e.vcept  those  who  had  to  mount 
guard,  for  we  had  marched  a  great  way  that 
day,  and  many  were  still  wet  by  ihe  rain  that 
fell  the  preceding  night;  but  being  very  much 
fatigued,  we  were  all  soon  lost  in  sleep  e.veept 
those  on  guard. 

"July  21,  at  the  break  of  day,  the  bugle 
si)un<led,  and  all  were  soon  up  and  in  a  few 
minutes  had  breakfast  ready,  and,  after  taking 
a  little  food,  we  mounted  our  horses  and  again 
commenced  the  pursuit.  We  soon  found  that 
the  pilot  had  told  us  no  lie,  for  we  found  the 
country  that  the  enemy  was  leading  us  into  to 
be  worse,  if  possible,  than  what  he  told  us. 
We  could  turn  neither  to  the  right  nor  left,  but 
were  compelled  to  follow  the  trail  the  Indians 
had  made,  and  that,  too,  for  a  great  distance  at 
the  edge  of  the  water  of  the  lake.     We  had  not  I 


marched  more  than  five  miles  before  Dr.  Phil- 
leo  came  back,  meeting  us,  with  the  scalp  of  an 
Indian.  He  had  been  on  ahead  with  the  front 
scouts,  and  came  on  this  Indian,  who  had  been 
left  as  a  rear  guard  to  watch  our  movements. 
'I  here  were  several  shots  fired  at  him  about  the 
same  time,  and  I  suppose  all  hit  him  from  the 
number  of  bullet  holes  that  were  in  him;  but 
Dr.  Philleo  had  scalped  him,  so  he  was  called 
Philleo's  Indian,  which  reminds  me  of  the 
hunters:  'He  who  draws  the  first  blood  is  en- 
titled to  the  skin,  and  the  remainder  to  the  car- 
cass, if  there  are  several  in  the  chase,'  which 
was  the  case  at  this  time." 

Leaving  our  journalist  for  a  moment,  we  will 
describe  the  particulars  of  the  march  from  the 
time  the  Catfish  creek,  or  rather  the  Yahara  as 
it  is  legally  called,  was  reached  until  the  army 
left  the  Fourth  lake,  the  most  northerly  of  the 
Four  lakes,  properly  called  Lake  Mendota.  In 
the  timber  skirting  the  Yahara,  the  Americans 
overtook  the  rear  guard  of  the  flying  foe,  where 
an  Indian  was  wounded,  who  crept  away  and 
hid  himself  in  the  thick  willows  where  he  died. 
A  scouting  party  of  fourteeTi  men  was  sent  for- 
ward and  preceded  the  main  body  about  two 
miles.  When  they  arrived  at  the  point  now 
the  site  of  Madison,  the  capital  of  Wisconsin, 
an  Indian  wa.s  seen  coming  up  from  the  water's 
edge,  who  seated  himself  upon  the  bank,  appar- 
ently indifferent  to  his  fate.  In  a  moment  after 
his  body  was  pierced  with  bullets,  one  of  which 
passed  in  at  the  temple  and  out  of  the  back 
part  of  his  head.  On  examination,  it  was  found 
that  he  was  sitting  upon  a  newly  made  grave, 
probably  that  of  his  wife,  who  had  perhaps  died 
of  fatigue,  hunger  and  exhaustion,  and  her  dis- 
consolate companion  had  resolved  to  await  the 
advancing  foe  and  die  there  also.  The  trail 
was  followed  around  the  southern  end  of  Lake 
Mendota  (or  Fourth  lake),  passing  a  little  north 
of  what  is  now  the  Capital  Park,  and  along  the 
lake  across  the  University  grounds.  A  few 
miles  brought  them  to  what  appeared  an  ad- 
mirable position  for  a  battle  field   with   natural 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


101 


defenses  and  places  of  ambush.  It  had  been 
cliosen  by  the  enemy  and  here  they  had  lain 
apparently  the  previous  night.  This  spot  was 
afterward  laid  out  as  the  City  of  Four  Lakes. 
It  is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  the 
present  village  of  Pheasant  Branch,  in  Dane 
county.  \Ve  now  return  to  the  journal,  from 
which   we  broke  off  to  relate  these  particulars. 

"But  I  am  not  done  with  Dr.  Philleo  yet.  I 
will  show  you  that  he  is  a  good  soldier,  and 
■omething  of  an  Indian  fighter.  The  signs  now 
began  to  get  very  fresh,  and  we  mended  our 
pace  very  much.  We  had  not  proceeded  more 
than  ten  or  fifteen  miles  further  before  our 
fighting  doctor  ran  afoul  of  two  more  Indians; 
he  showed  his  bravery  by  assisting  to  kill  them. 
I  suppose  he  killed  one,  and  Mr.  Sample  Jour- 
ney the  other,  so  there  was  a  scalp  for  each. 
But  one  of  those  miserable  wretches  sold  his 
life  as  dear  as  possible.  He,  in  the  act  of  fall- 
ing, after  he  was  shot,  fired  and  shot  three  balls 
into  a  gentleman  who  himself  was  in  the  act  of 
shooting  at  him.  'I'he  ba  Is  were  all  small;  one 
went  through  his  thigh,  one  through  his  leg, 
and  the  other  through  his  foot.  I  am  sorry  I 
have  forgotten  the  gentleman's  name;  he  be- 
longed to  Gen.  Dodge's  squadron. 

"We  now  doubled  our  speed,  all  were  anx- 
ious to  press  forward,  and  as  our  horses  were 
nearly  worn  out,  we  carried  nothing,  only  what 
was  actually  necessary  for  us  to  eat;  camp  ket- 
tles and  many  such  articles  were  thrown  away. 
The  trail  was  now  literally,  in  many  places, 
strewed  with  Indian  trinkets,  such  as  mats,  ket- 
tles, etc.,  which  plainly  told  us  that  they  knew 
we  were  in  pursuit.  We,  too,  saw  from  the 
face  of  the  country  that  we  were  drawing  close 
to  the  Wisconsin  river,  and  our  object  was  to 
overtake  them  before  they  reached  it;  so  now 
we  went  as  fist  as  our  horses  were  able  to  carry 
us.  But  this  was  too  severe  for  our  poor  horses; 
they  began  to  give  out.  But  even  this  did  not 
stop  a  man.  Whenever  a  horse  gave  out,  the 
rider  would  dismount,  throw  off  his  saddle  and 
bridle  and  pursue    on  foot,  in  a   run,  without   a 


murm.ur.  I  think  the  number  of  horses  left 
this  day  was  about  forty.  The  rear  guard  of 
the  enemy  began  by  this  time  (about  3  o'clock 
p.  M.)  to  make  feint  stands;  and  as  the  timber 
stood  thick,  we  did  not  know  but  what  the 
whole  army  of  Black  Hawk  was  forming  for 
action;  in  consequence  of  which  we  got  down 
and  formed  as  often  as  twice,  before  we  found 
out  that  their  object  was  to  keep  us  back  until 
they  could  gain  some  strong  position  to  fight 
from.  Our  front  scouts  now  determined  not  to 
be  deceived  any  more;  but  the  next  they  came 
to,  they  stopped  not  for  their  feigned  maneu- 
ver, but  pursued  them  to  the  main  body  of  the 
enemy.  They  returned  to  us  in  great  haste  and 
informed  Gen.  Henry  that  the  Indians  were 
forming  for  action. 

BATTLE    OF    WISCONSIN    HEIGHTS. 

"We  all  dismounted  in  an  instant.  The  line 
of  battle  was  then  formed  in  the  same  order 
that  It  had  been  laid  off  the  preceding  day. 
Gen.  Dodge's  corps  and  Maj.  Ewing's  spy  bat- 
talion still  in  front.  The  horses  were  left  and 
every  fourth  man  detailed  to  hold  them;  which 
gave  seven  horses  to  each  man  to  hold.  We  had 
scarcely  time  to  form  on  foot  before  the  Indians 
raised  the  war-whoop,  screaming  and  yelling  fu- 
riously, and  rushed  forward  meeting  us  with  a 
heavy  charge.  Gen.  Dodge  and  Maj.  Henry  met 
them  also  with  a  heavy  charge,  which  produced  a 
halt  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.  Our  men  then 
opened  a  tremendous  volley  of  musketry  upon 
them,  and  accompanied  it  with  the  most  terrific 
yells  that  ever  came  from  the  head  of  mortals, 
except  from  the  savages  themselves.  They 
could  not  stand  this.  They  now  tried  their 
well  known  practice  of  flanking;  but  here  they 
were  headed  again  by  the  brave  Col.  Jones  and 
his  regiment,  who  were  on  our  left,  where  he 
met  them  in  the  most  fearless  manner,  and 
opened  a  heavy  fire  npon  them.  Col.  Fry  was 
placed  on  the  extreme  right.  They  tried  his 
line,  but  were  soon  repulsed.  Their  strong 
position  was  on  the  left,  or  near  the  center, 
where  Cols.  Jones,  Dodge    and    Ewing  kept  up 


102 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


a  constant  fire  upon  them  for  something  like 
half  an  liour. 

"The  enemy  here  had  a  strong  position.  They 
liad  taken  shelter  in  some  very  high  grass,  where 
thej  could  lie  down  and  load  and  be  entirely 
out  of  sight.  After  fighting  them  in  this  posi- 
tion for  at  least  thirty  minutes,  during  which 
time  Col.  Jones  had  liis  horse  shot  from  under 
him,  and  one  of  his  men  killed  and  several 
wounded,  Cols.  Dodge,  Ewing  and  Jones  all 
requested  Gen.  Henry  to  let  them  charge  upon 
them  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  which  Gen. 
Henry  readily  assented  to,  and  gave  the  order 
'Charge!'  wliich  was  obeyed  by  both  men  and 
officers  in  a  most  fearless  manner.  All  were  in- 
tent upon  the  charge.  We  had  to  charge  up  a 
rising  piece  of  ground.  When  we  got  on  the 
top,  we  then  fired  perfectly  abreast.  They  could 
not  stand  this.  They  had  to  quit  their  hiding- 
place,  and  made  good  their  retreat.  When  they 
commenced  reti'eating  we  killed  a  great  num- 
ber. 

"Their  commander,  who,  it  was  said,  was 
Napope,  was  on  a  white  pony  on  the  top  of  a 
mountain  in  the  rear  of  his  Indians;  he  certainly 
had  one  of  the  best  voices  for  command  I  ever 
heard.  He  kept  up  a  constant  yell,  until  his 
men  began  to  retreat,  when  he  was  heard  no 
more.  Col.  Collins  was  kept,  during  the  en- 
gagement, in  the  rear  as  a  reserve,  and  to  keep 
the  enemy  from  flanking  and  coming  in  upon 
us  in  the  rear,  which  was  a  very  good  arrange- 
ment of  Gen.  Henry.  It  was  now  nearly  sun- 
down and  still  raining,  as  it  had  been  all  the 
evening,  but  so  slow  that  we  made  shift  to  keep 
our  guns  dry.  The  enemy  reli'eated  toward  the 
river  with  considerable  speed.  The  ground 
tliey  were  retreating  to,  appeared  to  be  low  and 
swampy,  and  on  the  bank  of  the  river  there  ap- 
peared to  be  a  heavy  body  of  timber,  which  the 
t  iiemy  could  reach  before  we  could  bring  them 
to  another  stand.  So  Gen.  Henry  concluded 
not  to  pursue  them  any  further  that  night,  but 
remain  on  the  battle  ground  until  next  morning, 
and  then  he  would  not  be  in  danger  of  losing  so 


many  of  his  men,  knowing  that  in  the  dark,  he 
would  have  to  lose  a  number;  for  the  Indians 
would  have  the  timber  to  fight  from  while  we 
would  have  to  stand  in  the  open  prairie.  [The 
battle  gi'ound  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  24,  in  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Mazomanie,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.] 

"Next  morning,  July  22,  the  troops  were  pa- 
raded and  put  in  battle  order  on  foot,  except 
Col.  Fry's  regiment,  and  took  up  the  line  of 
march  to  the  river,  leaving  Col.  Collins'  regi- 
ment to  guard  the  horses  and  baggage,  and  take 
care  of  the  wounded.  We  marched  down  to 
the  river,  which  was  about  one  mile  and  a  half 
off;  but,  before  we  reached  the  banks,  we  had  a 
very  bad  swamp  to  go  through,  fifty  or  sixty 
yards  on  this  side  the  timber,  which  stood  very 
high  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  W^e  now  saw 
that  Gen.  Henry  had  acted  very  prudently.  If 
he  had  attempted  to  follow  them  the  evening 
before,  he  would  have  lost  a  great  many  of  his 
men.  When  we  got  to  the  bank,  we  found  they 
had  made  their  retreat  across  the  river  during 
the  night,  leaving  a  great  many  articles  of 
trumphery  behind.  We  also  saw  a  good  deal  of 
blood,  where  their  wounded  had  bled.  We  now 
returned  to  the  camp,  seeing  there  was  no  chance 
to  follow  them  this  day  aross  the  river. 

"We,  in  this  battle  (known  in  history  as  the 
Battle  of  Wisconsin  Heights),  were  very  fortu- 
nate, indeed.  We  had  only  one  man  killed  and 
eight  wounded;  and  we  have  learned  since  the 
battle  that  we  killed  sixty-eight  of  the  enemy 
(but  Black  Hawk  declared  afterward  that  he 
lostonly  fix),  and  wounded  a  considerable  num- 
ber, twenty-five  of  whom  they  report  died  soon 
after  the  battle.  We  now  were  nearly  out  of 
prov^isions,  and  to  take  up  the  line  of  march 
against  them,  in  the  condition  our  horses  were 
in,  told  us  plainly  that  we  would  suffer  for 
something  to  eat  before  we  could  get  it.  We 
buried  the  brave  young  man,  who  was  killed, 
with  the  honors  of  war.  It  was  stated  that  he 
had  just  shot  down  an  Indian,  when  he  received 
the  mortal  wound  himself.     His  name  was  John 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


103 


Short,  and  he  belonged  to  Capt.  Briggs'  company 
from  Randolph  Co.,  Til.  ITe  had  a  brother  and 
a  brother-in-law  in  tlic  same  company,  wlio 
witnessed  his  consignment  to  the  mother  earth. 
Tlie  wounded  were  all  well  examined  and  none 
pronounced  mortal.  We  continued  this  day  on 
the  battle  ground  and  prepared  litters  for  the 
wounded  to  be  carried  on.  We  spent  this  day 
in  a  more  cheerful  manner  than  we  had  done 
any  other  day  since  we  had  been  on  the  cam- 
paign. We  felt  a  little  satisfaction  for  our  toils, 
and  thought  we  had,  no  doubt,  destroyed  a 
number  of  the  very  same  monsters  that  had  so 
lately  been  imbruing  their  hands  with  the  blood 
of  our  fair  se.x — the  helpless  mother  and  un- 
offending infant.  We  dried  our  Mothes,  which 
then  liad  been  wet  for  several  days.  This  day 
we  spent  in  social  chat  between  men  and 
officers.  'I'here  were  no  complaints  made;  all 
had  fought  bravely;  each  man  praised  his  officers; 
and  all  paaised  our  general.  Late  in  the  even- 
ing, some  of  our  men,  who  had  been  out  to  see 
if  there  were  any  signs  of  the  enemy  remaining 
near  us,  returned  and  stated  that  they  saw 
smoke  across  the  river." 

From  this  time  until  the  Wisconsin  river  was 
crossed  there  were  not  many  incidents  of  im- 
portance worthy  of  record;  so  we  leave  the 
journal,  from  which  we  have  been  copying,  to 
relate  only  such  events  as  will  preserve  the 
chain  of  our  narrative  until  that  time.  On  the 
2.3d  of  July  the  army  was  put  in  motion,  not  in 
pursuit  of  Black  Hawk,  but  to  go  to  the  Blue 
Mounds  for  supplies  of  jirovisions.  And  just 
here  we  must  go  back  in  our  relation  to  the  time 
when  the  army  left  the  Rock  river — July  19. 
On  this  day,  the  same  express  that  had  discov- 
ered the  trail  of  Black  Hawk  the  day  previous, 
again  started  for  Gen.  Atkinson's  camp,  or 
Fort  Koshkonong,  where  the  general  was  with 
his  infantry.  That  officer,  as  soon  as  he  was  in- 
formed that  Black  Hawk's  trail  was  discovered, 
directed  the  same  express  to  return  at  once  to 
Gen.  Henry  with  orders  to  the  latter  to  pursue 
on  the  trail  of  the  Sac  chief  until  he  could  over- 


take him,  and  to  defeat  or  capture  him.  How- 
ever, before  these  orders  had  reached  Gen. 
Henry,  they  had  been  anticipated.  Black 
Hawk  had  been  pursued,  overtaken  and  de- 
feated, but  not  captured.  Gen.  Atkinson  also 
notified  Gen.  Henry  that  he  would  start  himself 
with  the  infantry  and  Gen.  Alexander's  brigade; 
that  the  rest  of  the  volunteers  who  were  with 
him  would  be  left  to  guard  the  fort;  and  that 
he  would  go  by  way  of  Blue  Mounds.  He  also 
directed  Gen.  Henry,  if  he  got  out  of  provisions, 
to  go  to  that  place  for  a  supply.  This  explains 
why  the  army,  after  the  battle  of  Wisconsin 
Heights,  marched  for  the  Blue  Mounds.  Not 
only  Gen.  Henry's  command,  but  also  those 
of  Gen.  Atkinson,  reached  the  Blue  Mounds 
without  any  mishap;  so,  also,  a  part  of  Gen. 
Posey's  brigade  from  Fort  Hamilton,  who 
passed  on  to  Helena,  in  what  is  now  Iowa 
Co.,  Wis.,  where  the  Wisconsin  river  was  to  be 
crossed  by  the  whole  army.  By  the  26th  of 
June  all  the  commands  had  reached  that  place 
and  preparations  were  made  to  cross  the  stream 
on  ra4'ts  made  for  that  purpose. 

BLAClv  HAWK    PURSUED  TO  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

On  the  27th  and  28th  of  July,  Gen.  Atkin- 
son with  his  select  body  of  troops,  consisting 
of  the  regulars  under  Col.  Taylor,  400  in  num- 
ber, part  of  Henry's,  Posey's  and  Alexander's 
brigades,  and  Dodge's  battalion  of  mounted 
volunteers,  amounting  in  all  to  1,.300  men, 
crossed  the  Wisconsin  river  and  immediately 
fell  upon  the  trail  of  the  enemy.  They  were 
in  what  is  now  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.  Pursuing  this 
trail  first  down  the  river,  then  to  the  northward, 
they  finally  struck  off  in  a  west-northwest 
direction  through  what  is  now  Richland  county, 
until  the  Kickapoo  river  was  reached  near  the 
present  Soldier's  Grove,  in  what  is  now  Craw- 
ford Co.,  Wis. 

Before  entering  upon  the  particulars  of  the 
march  through  Vernon  county,  as  given  in  the 
journal  from  which  extracts  have  already  been 
so  liberally  made,  it  will  be  well  to  glance  at 
the  route  taken  from  the  Kickapoo  to  the   Miss- 


104 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


issippi.  After  the  Kickapoo  was  crossed,  Black 
Hawk,  followed  closely  by  Gen.  Atkinson,  was 
soon  in  what  is  now  Vernon  county,  passing,  in 
a  direction  north  of  west,  near  the  farm  at 
])resent  owned  by  Anson  G.  Tainter,  in  the 
town  of  Franklin  ;  thence  across  West  Prairie, 
to  the  bi-akes  or  ravines  leading  into  the  head 
of  Battle  creek ;  thence  down  that  creek 
through  sections  2  and  3,  in  township  11,  range 
7,  in  the  town  of  Wheatland,  to  the  point  where 
he  was  overtaken  and  compelled  to  fight  the 
battle  known  in  history  as  the  Battle  of  Bad 
Ax.  Keeping  this  general  description  of  the 
flight  of  the  savages  through  Vernon  county 
and  the  pursuit  of  them  by  the  Americans  in 
view,  the  following  narrative  will  prove  of 
interest  to  the  reader  : 

"  About  12  o'clock  this  day  (August  1,  1832), 
we  came  to  a  small  river  called  the  Kickapoo. 
We  here  found  that  the  country  was  about  to 
change.  A  short  distance  before  we  got  to 
this  stream,  we  came  to  a  beautiful  body  of 
pine  timber,  which  was  tall  and  large.  As 
soon  as  we  crossed  this  stream,  we  found  the 
mountains  were  covered  with  prairie  grass. 
We  here  found  the  Indian  trail  was  getting 
fresher.  They  had  encamped  at  this  creek. 
We  had  now  been  three  days  in  those  moun- 
tains and  our  horses  had  lived  on  weeds,  except 
those  that  became  debilitated  and  were  left 
behind;  for  a  great  number  had  become  so, 
.and  were  left  to  starve  in  this  dreary  waste. 
We  here  for  the  first  time  in  three  days  had 
an  opportunity  of  turning  our  horses  out  to 
graze.  Accordingly  we  left  them  graze  for 
about  an  hour,  which  they  made  good  use  of 
and  during  which  we  took  a  cold  lunch.  About 
1  o'clock  we  started,  at  a  faster  gait  than  usual. 
We  found  from  the  face  of  the  country  that 
we  were  not  a  great  way  from  the  Mississippi. 
The  country  was  still  hilly,  but  hills  of  a  small 
size,  and  almost  barren  ;  so  we  could  get  along 
with  more  speed.  It  gave  the  men  new  spirits. 
We  now  saw  that  our  horses  would  not  have  to 


starve,  as  we  had  begun  to  think  it  probable 
that  they  would. 

"  On  this  evening,  we  came  across  the  grave 
of  an  Indian  chief,  who  was  buried  in  the 
grandest  style  of  Indian  bvirials  ;  painted  and 
otherwise  decorated  as  w^ell  as  those  wretched 
beings  were  able  to  do.  He  was  placed  on  the 
ground,  with  his  head  resting  against  the  root 
of  a  tree  ;  logs  were  placed  around  him  and 
covered  over  with  bark ;  and  on  the  top  of 
which,  green  bushes  were  laid ;  so  intended 
that  we  might  pass  by  without  discovering  the 
grave.  He  was  examined  and  found  to  have 
been  shot.  It  was  now  late  in  the  evening,  and 
we  had  preceded  but  a  short  distance  from  here, 
before  some  of  our  front  spies  came  across  an 
Indian  that  had  been  left  behind  from  some 
cause  or  other.  The  spies  interrogated  him 
about  Black  Hawk  and  his  band.  He  stated 
that  they  would  get  to  the  river  that  day  and 
would  cross  over  on  the  next  morning.  The 
old  sinner  then  plead  for  quarters ;  but  that 
being  no  time  to  be  plagued  with  the  charge  of 
prisoners,  they  had  to  leave  the  unhappy 
wretch  behind,  which  appeared  to  be  a  hard 
case.  But,  no  doubt,  he  had  been  at  the  mas- 
sacre of  a  number  of  our  own  citizens,  and 
deserved  to  die  for  the  crimes  which  he  had 
perpetrated  in  taking  the  lives  of  harmless  and 
unoffending  women  and  children. 

"We  this  day  made  a  tolerable  push,  having 
marched  until  8  o'clock  at  night  before 
we  stopped.  "  We  then  halted  and  formed 
our  encampment.  But  it  was  for  a  short  time 
only.  Gen.  Atkinson  gave  orders  for  all  to  con- 
fine their  horses  and  be  ready  to  march  by  two 
o'clock  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  We  were  now 
all  tired  and  hungry  and  something  to  eat  was 
indispensibiy  necessary.  We  had  a  long  way 
to  go  after  water,  and  the  worst  kind  of  a  preci" 
pice  to  go  down  and  up  to  procure  it.  All 
was  now  a  bustle  for  awhile,  to  prepare  some- 
thing to  sustain  nature,  and  to  do  it  in  time  to 
get  a  little  rest  before  we  would  have  to  march. 
About  9  o'clock  the  noise  began  to  die   away, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


105 


so  tli<at  by  10  o'clock  all  was  lost  in  sleep  but 
the  sentinel  who  was  at  his  post. 

"At  the  appointed  hour  (2  o'clock  in  the 
morning  of  August  2)  the  bugle  sounded; 
all  were  snon  up  and  made  preparations  for  a 
march  at  quickstep  ;  moving  on  to  complete  the 
work  of  death  upon  those  unfortunate  children 
of  the  forest.  General  Atkinson  this  morning 
had  the  army  laid  off  and  arranged  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  General  Dodge,  witli  his 
squadron,  was  placed  in  front,  the  Infantry 
next,  tlie  second  brigade  next,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Gen.  Alexander;  the  first  brigade  next) 
under  the  command  of  Gen.  Posey  ;  the  third 
brigade    next,  under   command  of  Gen.   Henry. 

"In  this  order  the  march  had  commenced. 
We  had  not  proceeded  more  than  four  or  five 
miles  before  there  was  a  herald  sent  back, 
informing  us  that  the  front  spies  had  come 
in  sight  of  the  enemy's  rear  guard  (in 
reality  their  outpost).  The  intelligence  was 
soon  conveyed  to  Gen.  Atkinson,  and  then  to 
all  the  commanders  of  the  different  brigades. 
The  celerity  of  the  march  was  then  doubled 
and  it  was  but  a  short  time  before  tlie  firing  of 
the  front  spies  commenced,  about  half  a  mile 
in  front  of  the  main  army.  The  Indians  re- 
treated towards  the  Mississippi,  but  kept  up  a 
retreating  fire  upon  our  front  spies  for  some 
time,  until  Gen.  Dodge,  who  commanded, 
began  to  kill  them  very  fast.  The  Indians  then 
retreated  more  rapidly  and  sought  refuge  in 
their  main  army,  which  was  lying  on  the  bank 
of  the  Mississippi  (which  river  they  had,  in 
fact,  reached  the  day  before)." 

BATTLE  or  BAD  AX. 

While  Klack  Hawk  and  his  band  and  their 
pursuers  were  traversing  the  rugged  country 
across  what  is  now  Richland  county  into  Ver- 
non, intelligence  was  conveyed  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  by  express,  of  the  battle  of  Wisconsin 
Heights  and  of  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  across 
the  Wisconsin  river.  The  commander  of  the 
American  forces  at  Prairie  du  Chien  at  once 
came   to  the  conclusion  that  the  savages   would 


soon  reach  the  Mississippi,  and  by  crossing 
that  stream  escape  the  army  in  pursuit  of  them; 
so  he  engaged  a  steamboat,  placed  some  regu- 
lars upon  it  and  a  six  pounder,  with  orders  to 
cruise  up  and  down  the  Mississippi  to  cut  off 
the  retreat  of  the  Sac  chief  and  his  people. 
The  steamer  proving  to  be  a  slow  one  was 
withdrawn  and  a  faster  one  armed  in  its  place — 
the  Warrior. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  the  Warrior  discovered 
the  Indians  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississipj)! 
where  they  had  just  arrived,  not  far  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax,  making  prejaarations  to 
cross  to  the  west  side.  A  flag  raised  by  Black 
Hawk  was  not  respected  by  the  Warrior,  but  a 
fire  was  opened  from  the  boat  upon  the  Indians 
with  not  only  the  small  arms  of  the  regulars 
but  the  six-pounder.  The  fire  was  returned  by 
Black  Hawk's  party.  The  contest  was  kept  up 
until  the  steamboat  was  compelled  to  drop 
down  the  river  to  Prairie  du  Chien  for  fuel. 
The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  twenty-three  killed. 
On  board  the  Warrior  none  were  killed  and 
but  one  wounded.  But  the  presence  of  the 
steamboat  and  the  firing  of  course  wholly  in- 
terrupted the  preparations  of  the  savages  to 
cross  the  river,  while  Atkinson  and  his  army 
were  marching  rapidly  upon  their  rear. 

It  was  the  next  morning,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  that  the  Americans  under  Gen.  Atkinson 
came  in  sight  of  what  was  supposed  by  them  to 
be  the  rear  guard  of  the  Indians,  but  which 
was,  in  reality,  one  of  their  out-posts.  It  ap- 
pears that  the  savages  raised  a  white  flag  for 
the  purpose  of  surrendering,  which  was  either 
not  seen  or  was  not  regarded,  and  the  firing  on 
both  sides  soon  became  spirited,  the  Indians  re- 
tiring slowly  to  their  main  force  on  the  bottom 
of  the  river,  where  the  latter  were  busily  em- 
ployed transporting  their  women  and  children 
and  the  aged  and  infirm  across  the  Mississippi 
(the  Warrior  not  having  returned  to  again  cut 
off  their  retreat.) 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  American  army  in 
keen  pursuit  of  the  fugitives.    It  will  beremem- 


106 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


bered  that  Gen.  Henry  had  early  in  the  morning 
been  put  in  the  rear,  but  he  did  not  remain 
there  long.  Maj.  Ewing,  who  commanded  the 
spy  battalion,  sent  his  adjutant  back  to  the  gen- 
eral informing  him  that  lie  was  on  the  main 
trail;  he  at  the  same  time  formed  his  men  in 
order  of  battle  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  tlie 
brigade  which  marched  up  in  quick  time. 
When  they  came  up.  Gen.  Henry  had  his  men 
formed  as  soon  as  possible  for  action;  he  placed 
Col.  Jones  and  Maj.  Ewing  in  front.  Gen.  At- 
kinson called  for  a  regiment  from  Gen.  Henry's 
brigade  to  cover  his  rear.  Col.  Collins  formed 
on  the  right  of  Col.  Jones  and  Maj.  Ewing, 
when  all  were  dismounted  and  marched  on  foot 
in  the  main  trail,  down  the  bluff  into  the  bot- 
tom. Soon  the  tire  was  opened  on  the  main 
force  of  the  enemy,  at  which  time  Gen.  Henry 
sent  back  an  officer  to  bring  up  Col.  Fry  with 
his  regiment.  Col.  Collins  was  by  this  time  in 
the  heat  of  the  action  with  his  regiment.  Capt. 
Gentry,  from  Gen.  Dodge's  corps,  was  by  this 
time  also  up,  and  opened  a  heavy  fire.  He  fell 
into  the  lines  of  Col.  Jones  and  Maj.  Ewing. 
Capts.  Gruer^and  Richardson,  from  Gen.  Alex- 
ander's brigade,  with  their  companies  and  a  few 
scattering  gentlemen  from  Gen.  Dodge's  corys, 
were  also  up;  who  all  joined  Gen.  Henry  and 
fought  bravely.  Col.  Fry  obeyed  the  call  of  his 
general  and  was  soon  where  the  conflict  raged 
with  his  regiment.  By  this  time  the  savages 
were  falling  rapidly. 

It  was  about  half  an  hour  after  the  battle 
commenced  before  Col.  Zachary  Taylor  with 
his  infantry  and  Gen.  Dodge  with  his  s<]iiadr(in 
got  on  the  ground  and  joined  in  the  batile. 
They  had  been  thrown  on  the  extreme  right,  by 
following  the  enemy's  rear  guard  as  was  sup- 
posed, but  which  was,  as  already  explained, 
their  retreating  outpost.  Generals  Posey  and 
Alexander  had  been  stationed  up  the  river  on 
the  extreme  right,  in  order  to  prevent  the  In- 
dians from  making  their  escape  in  that  direc- 
tion, so  they  did  not  participate  in  the  slaughter 
of   the   savages.     The  victory,  of  course,  with 


inch  overpowering  numbers,  was  complete;  but 
those  of  the  Indians  who  escaped  death  from 
the  Americans  had  most  of  them  made  good 
their  retreat  to  one  of  the  islands  in  the  river, 
when,  at  an  opportune  moment  for  tlie  attack- 
ing parties  the  Warrior  appeared  in  the  river 
and  opened  fire  upon  the  fugitives  with  her 
cannon,  at  the  same  time  sending  her  two  boats 
to  the  shore  to  transjjort  troops  to  the  island, 
also  to  attack  the  now  distressed  savages.  Col. 
Taylor  sent  a  detachment  in  the  boats  and  the 
Indians  were  soon  all  killed  on  the  island  but 
one.  There  were  of  Black  Hawk's  entire  force, 
besides  a  few  who  had  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi,  otily  himself 
and  ten  warriors  with  tliirty-five  women  and 
children  who  made  their  escape.  About  150 
were  killed.  The  loss  of  the  Americans  was 
twenty-seven  killed  ancj  wounded.  Such  was 
the  battle  of  Bad  Ax.  Black  Hawk  was  soon 
brought  in  a  prisoner  by  the  Winnebagoes,  and 
the  war  was  ended. 

OFFICIAL    REPORT    OF    TUB    BATTLE. 
"HEAD(iUARTBES,     1  ST  ArMY   CoEPS,  ] 

Northwestern  Army,  Prairie  dv  Chien,   }■ 

.4uGUST  5,  18.32.  j 

"Sir: — I  have  tiie  honor  to  report  to  you  that 
I  crossed  the  Wisconsin  on  the  27th  and  2.sth 
ult.,  with  a  select  body  of  troops,  consisting  of 
regulars  under  Col.  (Zachary)  Taylor,  400  in 
number;  part  of  Henry's,  Posey's  and  Alexan- 
der's brigades;  and  Dodge's  battalion  of 
mounted  volunteers;  amounting  in  all  to  1,300 
men;  and  immediately  fell  upon  the  trail  of  the 
enemy  and  pursued  it  by  forced  marches 
through  a  mountainous  and  difficult  country, 
till  the  morning  of  the  2d  instant,  when  lie 
came  up  with  his  main  body  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Mississippi,  nearly  opposHe  the  mouth  of 
the  Iowa,  which  we  attacked,  defeated  and  dis- 
persed with  a  loss  on  his  part  of  about  I.tO  men 
killed  and  tliirty-iiine  women  and  children  pris- 
oners. The  precise  number  of  the  killed  could 
not  be  ascertained,  as  the  greater  portion  were 
slain    after   being   forced  into   the  river.     Our 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


107 


loss  in  killed  and  wounded,  which  is  stated  be- 
low, is  very  small  in  comparison  with  the  loss 
of  the  enemy,  which  may  be  attributed  to  the 
enemy's  being  forced  from  his  ])ositions  by  a 
rapid  charge  at  the  commencement,  and  through 
the  engagement.  The  remnant  of  the  enemy, 
cut  up  and  disheartened,  crossed  to  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river,  and  has  fled  into  the  in- 
terior, with  a  view,  it  is  supposed,  of  joining 
Keokuk  and  Wapilo's  bands  of  Sacs  and  Foxes. 
"The  horses  of  the  volunteer  troops  being 
exhausted  by  long  marches,  and  the  regular 
troops  without  shoes,  it  was  notthouglit  advisa- 
ble to  continue  the  pursuit.  Indeed  a  stop  to 
the  further  effusion  of  blood  seemed  to  be 
called  for,  until  it  might  be  ascertained  if  tiie 
enemy  would  not  surrender. 

"It  is  ascertained  from  our  prisoners,  that 
the  enemy  lost  in  the  battle  of  the  Ouisconsin 
(Wisconsin  Heights),  sixtj'-eiglit  killed,  and  a 
very  large  number  wounded.  His  whole  loss 
does  not  fall  short  of  three  hundred.  After  the 
battle  of  the  Ouisconsin,  the  enemy's  women 
and  children,  and  some  who  were  dismounted, 
attempted  to  make  their  escape  by  descending 
that  river,  but  judicious  measures  being  taken 
here  by  Capt.  Loomis    and    Gen.    Street,  an  In- 


dian agent,  thirty-two  women  and  children,  and 
four  men  have  been  captured,  and  some  fifteen 
killed  by  the  detachment  under  Lieut.  Ritner. 

"The  day  after  the  battle  on  this  river  I  fell 
down  with  the  regular  troops  to  this  place  by 
water,  and  the  mounted  men  will  join  us  to-day. 
It  is  now  my  purpose  to  direct  Keokuk  to  de- 
mand the  surrender  of  the  remaining  principal 
men  of  the  hostile  party  ;  which,  from  the  large 
number  of  women  and  children  we  hold  as 
prisoners,  I  have  ever)'  reason  to  believe  will 
be  complied  with.  Should  it  not,  they  should 
be  pursued  and  subdued;  a  step  Maj.  Gen.  Scott 
will  no  doubt  take  on  his  arrival. 

"I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  the  conduct  of 
the  regular  and  volunteer  forces  engaged  in  the 
last  battle  (Bad  Ax),  and  the  fatiguing  march 
that  preceded  it. 

"As  soon  as  the  reports  of  the  officers  of 
brigades  and  corps  are  handed  in,  they  shall 
be    submitted  with  further  remarks. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect, 
your  obedient  sei-vant, 

H.  Atkinson, 
B't-Brig.  Gen.  U.  S.  A. 
Ma.j.  Gen.  Macomb, 

Commander-in-Chief,  Washington  City. 


CHAPTER    VII 


UNITED  STATES  LAND  SURVEYS. 


The  first  surveys  by  the  general  government 
of  lands  in  Wisconsin,  were  made  south  of  the 
Wisconsin  river  and  the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay. 
The  northern  boundary  line  of  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois, fixed  April  11,  1818,  on  the  parallel  of  42 
degrees  30  minutes  north  latitude,  became,  prop- 


erly enough,  the  base  line  of  these  surveys,  (as 
indeed  of  all  the  surveys  afterward  made  by 
the  United  States  in  this  State).  A  principal 
north-and-south  line,  known  as  the  fourth  meri- 
dian, was  run  at  right  angles,  of  course  with  the 
base  line,  and  extending  from    it   to   Lake  Su- 


; 


108 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


perior.  Tliis  meridian  line  is  east  of  all  the 
territory  in  Vernon  county,  except  what  is  in- 
cluded in  the  towns  of  Hillsborough  and  Green- 
wood. It  runs  south  from  this  county,  through 
the  center  of  Richland,  and  continues  on  to  the 
base  line  on  the  east  boundary  of  Grant  and  on 
the  west  boundary  of  Lafayette  and  Iowa  coun- 
ties. It  extends  north,  from  Vernon  county, 
through  the  eastern  part  of  Monroe,  Jackson, 
Clark  and  other  counties,  until  it  strikes  Lake 
Superior  a  short  distance  to  the  westward  of  the 
mouth  of  Montreal  river. 

Parallel  lines  to  the  fourth  meridian  were 
run  every  six  miles,  on  the  east  and  west  sides 
of  it.  The  intervening  six  miles  between  these 
lines  are  called  ranges.  Range  1  east,  is  the 
first  six  miles  of  territory  east  of  the  fourth 
meridian;  range  2  east,  is  the  second  six  miles; 
and  so  on,  to  Lake  Michigan.  However,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  fourth  meridian,  the  ranges  are 
numbered  consecutively  westward.  Range  1 
west,  is  the  first  six  miles  of  territory  west  of 
that  line;  range  2  west,  is  the  second  six  miles; 
and  so  on,  to  the  Mississippi  river.  Therefore 
it  is,  that  Vernon  county  lies  in  ranges  1,  2,  3, 
4,  5,  6  and  7  w«'St,  and  in  range  1  east. 

HOW  VERNON  COUNTY  WAS  SURVEYED. 

Parallel  lines  north  of  the  base  line  (the  north 
boundary  line  of  the  State  of  Illinois)  were  run 
every  six  miles,  which,  crossing  the  ranges  at 
right  angles,  cut  the  whole  into  blocks  six  miles 
square,  called  townships.  These  townships  are 
numbered  by  tiers  going  north,  from  the  base 
line;  the  first  tier  being  known  as  township  1 
north,  the  second  tier,  as  township  2  north,  and 
so  on  until  the  extreme  north  boundary  of  the 
State  (not  covered  by  water)  is  reached,  which 
is  of  course  the  extreme  north  side  of  the  most 
northern  of  the  Apostle  Islands  in  Bayfield 
county.  Now,  if  we  begin  at  the  base  line  and 
count  the  tiers  of  townships  unlil  Vernon  county 
is  reached,  we  discover  that  we  have  numbered 
eleven  of  them.     We  find,  therefore,  that  some 


of  the  count}  is  in  the  i  1th  tier;  or,  what  is  the 
same  thing,  in  townships  11;  but  only  the  north 
half  of  townships  11,  are  in  Vernon  county,  and 
these  are  in  ranges  3,  4,  5,  6  and  7  west,  that  is 
west  of  the  fourth  meridian.  The  next  tier  of 
townships  are  numbered  1 2,  and  except  the  one  on 
the  Mississippi,  are  all  six  miles  square.  They 
arc  in  the  same  ranges  as  the  townships  num- 
bered I  I . 

We  now  come  to  tier  numbered  13.  These 
townships  are  all,  except  ihe  one  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi, six  miles  square.  There  are  eight  of 
them  and  they  are  in  ranges  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  G  and 
7  west,  and  in  range  1  east.  Townships  num- 
bered 14,  form  the  northern  tier  of  Vernon 
county  and,  of  course,  they  are  the  farthest 
from  the  base  line.  There  are  eight  in  this  tier 
and  all  are  whole  townships  except  the  one  on 
the  Mississippi.  '1  hey,  like  the  tier  immedi- 
ately south  of  them,  are  in  ranges  1,  2,  3,  4,  5, 
(3  and  7  west,  and  in  range  1  east. 

From  what  has  been  said,  we  see  that  town- 
ships 13  and  14,  in  range  1  east,  are  whole  town- 
ships; that  townships  13  and  H,  in  ranges  1,  2, 
3,  4,  5  and  B  west,  are  also  whole  townships; 
and  that  townships  12,  in  ranges  3,  4,  5  and  6 
west,  are  likewise  complete;  so  that  Vernon 
county  contains  eighteen  congressional  town- 
ships, that  are  each  six  miles  square.  Then, 
there  are  the  half  townships,  numbered  11,  in 
ranges  3,  4,  5  and  6  west,  equal  to  two  more 
whole  ones;  and  the  fractional  townships  num- 
bered I  I,  12,  13  and  14,  in  range  7,  equal  to  over 
three  townships  more,  making  the  whole  terri- 
tory in  Vernon  county  comprehend  over  twenty- 
three  townships  of  six  miles  square,  each,  or 
more  than  828  square  miles,  territory  sufficient 
for  two  good  sized  counties. 

After  the  several  township  lines  were  run, 
then  each  township  was  sub-divided  into  sections 
and  quarter  sections.  As  a  section  is  a  mile 
square,  there  is  of  course,  in  every  whole  town- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


109 


ship,  tliirty-six  sections  of   land.     For   conven- 
ience, these  are  always  numbered  as  follows: 


6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

i 

V 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

18 

17 

16 

15 

U 

13 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

30 

29 

28 

27 

26 

25 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

In  each  whole  section,  there  are  640  acres; 
and,  when  a  section  is  divided  into  four  parts, 
each  quarter  section  contains  160  acres.  It  is 
usually  in  quarter  sections  that  the  land  of  the 
United  States  is  disposed  of;  although,  if  de- 
sired, it  will  be  divided  into  eighty  acre  tracts, 
or  even  forty  acres. 

CIVIL   TOWNS    AND    SURVEYED    TOWNSHIPS. 

Only  eleven  of  the  towns  of  Vernon  county 
contain  each  a  surveyed  township.  These  are 
Hillsborough,  Greenwood,  Forest,  Union, 
Whitestown,  Stark,  Clinton,  Webster,  Chris- 
tiana, Coon  and  Hamburg.  Seven  contain  each 
more  than  what  would  form  a  whole  township. 
These  are  Bergen,  Harmony,  Sterling,  Jeifersoii, 
Franklin,  Viroqua  and  Kickapoo.  The  towns 
of  Genoa,  Wheatland  and  Liberty,  contain  each 
less  than  a  full  township,  of  land. 

The  town  of  Hillsborough  is  organized  of 
township  14,  range  1  east;  Greenwood,  of  town- 
ship 13,  range  1  east;  Union,  of  township  13, 
range  1  west;  Forest,  township  14,  range  1  west; 
Whitestown,  township  14,  range  2  west;  Stark, 
township  13,  range  2  west;  Kickapoo,  north 
half  of  township  11,  range  3  west;  the  east  one- 
third  of  the  north  half  of  township  11,  range  4 
west,  the  south  third  of  township  12,  range  3 
west,  and  the  south  oue-third  of  the  east  third 


I  of  township  12,  range  4  west;  Liberty  north 
two-thirds  of  township  12,  range  3  west;  Web- 
ster, township  13,  range  3  west;  Clinton,  town- 
ship 14,  range  3  wesi;  Christiana,  township  14, 
range  4  west;  Viroqua,  township  1  i,  range  4 
west,  the  north  third  of  township  12,  same 
range,  and  the  middle  third  of  the  east  third 
of  the  same  township  and  range;  Franklin,  the 
west  two-thirds  of  the  south  two-thirds  of  town- 
ship 12,  range  4  west,  west  two-thirds  of  the 
north  half  of  township  11,  same  range,  east 
half  of  the  north  half  of  township  11,  range  5 
west,  and  the  south  live-sixths  of  the  east  half 
of  township  12,  same  range;  Jefferson,  town- 
shiplS,  range  5  west,  the  north  one-sixth  of  the 
east  half  township  12,  same  range,  and  the  west 
half  of  the  north  half,  same  township  and 
range;  Coon,  township  14,  range  5  west;  Ham- 
burg, township  14,  range  6  west;  Harmony, 
township  12,  range  6  west,  and  the  north  half 
of  the  north  half  of  the  east  two-thirds  of 
township  12,  same  range;  Sterling,  the  west 
half  of  the  north  half  of  township  II,  range  5 
west,  the  east  two-thirds  of  the  north  half  of 
township  11,  range  6  west,  the  west  half  of  the 
south  half  of  townsliip  12,  range  5  west,  the 
east  two-thirds  of  the  south  half,  and  the  south 
half  of  the  east  two-thirds  of  the  north  half  of 
township  12,  range  6  west;  Wheatland,  the 
west  one-third  of  township  II,  range  6  west, 
the  west  one-third  of  the  south  third  of  town- 
ship 12,  same  range,  the  fractional  nortli  half 
of  township  11,  range  7  west,  and  the  fractional 
south  two-thirds  of  townsliip  12,  same  range; 
Genoa,  the  north  two-thirds  of  the  west  two- 
thirds  of  township  12,  range  6  west,  the  frac- 
tional north  two-thirds  of  township  12,  range  7 
west,  and  the  fractional  south  half  of  township 
13,  same  range,  and  Bergen,  township  14,  range 
7  west,  and  the  fractional  south  half  of  town- 
ship 13,  same  range,  also  fractional  sections  24 
and  25,  in  township  14,  range  8  west. 

AKEA    OF  EACH  TOWNSHIP. 

The  number  of  acres  in  each  of  the  whole, 
half  and  fractional  townships,  in  Vernon  county, 


110 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


according  to    the    United    States   surveys   are 
as  follows: 


1. 

North  half  township 

11,  rang 

e 

3  west. 

,   11,573,84 

3. 

4 

11,516,76 

3. 

'■ 

'■ 

" 

5 

11,433.46 

4. 

" 

" 

•■ 

6 

" 

11.477.'.^ 

5. 

" 

7 

6.  .581.37 

6. 

Townsh 

pl2, 

ninge 

3 

WPst 

33,287,23 

7. 

4 

23,218,68 

8. 

" 

" 

_5 

23,032,51 

9. 

6 

23,818.41 

10 

7 

13,891.55 

11. 

13, 

1 

east 

23,035,33 

13, 

1 

We.st 

23,023.31 

13. 

2 

33,994.71 

14. 

" 

3 

23,963.06 

15. 

4 

33.987.50 

16. 

'• 

5 

32,885.43 

17, 

" 

6 

22,874.61 

18. 

" 

t 

17.925.78 

19. 

14, 

1 

east 

23, 583.  76 

30. 

1 

west 

23. 092. 59 

21. 

2 

23,066.16 

23. 

3 

23,139.31 

34. 

4 

22,942.20 

25. 

5 

23, 178.51 

26. 

6 

23,343.28 

27, 

7 

21,644.86 

•i8. 

Total  acieuge 

of  the 

8 
couutv. 

51,33 

..531,. 582. 61 

DATES  OF  SURVEYS  AND  NOTES  OF  SURVEYORS. 

The  township  lines  of  Vernon  county  were 
run  by  William  Burt,  Joshua  Hathaway,  J.  E. 
Mitchell,  Uriah  Biggs,  John  Brink,  and  Stuntz 
and  Sargent,  in  the  years  1839,  1840  and  1845; 
mostly  in  the  latter  year. 

'llie  first  surveying  was  done  by  Joshua 
Hathaway,  who  ran  the  west  township  lines  of 
township  13  north,  range  1  east  (Greenwood), 
and  township  14  north,  range  1  east  (Hills- 
borough). 

The  last  surveying  was  done  by  A.  L.  Brown 
in  1847,  who  ran  the  section  lines  west  of  Coon 
slough,  in  the  township  13  north,  range,  7  west 
(southern  part  of  Bergen)  and  township  14 
north,  range  7  west  (northern  part  of 
Bergen).' 


From  the  field  notes  of  the  surveyors  and  the 
government  plats,  many  items  of  interest  are 
obtained.  These  sources  furnish  the  following 
facts: 

TowxsHiP  13  north,  range  1  east  (Green- 
wood) was  surveyed  in  sections  by  James  M. 
Marsh,  United  Stales  Deputy  Surveyor,  in 
the  first  quarter  of  the  year  1845,  assisted  by 
William  M.  Cleveland,  Joseph  Slone,  chain- 
men,  and  James  Anderson,  marker.  The  sur- 
veyor says: 

"The  face  of  the  country  in  this  township  is 
generally  rough  and  broken.  There  is  but  lit- 
tle level  or  rolling  land  in  the  township.  The 
soil  is  sandy.  There  is  a  heavy  growth  of  tim- 
ber, consi.'^ting  of  white  and  black  oak,  sugar, 
hickory,  etc.,  with  a  heavy  undergrowth  of 
plumb,  prickly  ash,  grape  vine,  green  briar, 
etc.  The  country  is  well  watered  by  excellent 
springs." 

Township  14  north,  range  1  east  (Hills- 
borough).— This  township  was  surveyed  in  sec- 
tions by  J,  E.  Davidson,  United  States  Deputy 
Surveyor,  who  commenced  his  survey  Dec,  24, 
1851,  and  completed  it  Jan.  10,  1852.  He  was 
assisted  by  Andrew  L.  Thompson,  John  Otis, 
chainmen,  and  Robert  Evans,  axeman.  Tlie 
notes  of  the  survey  are  as  follows: 

"Surface  generally  hilly.  Soil  first  rate. 
Timber  heavy  aud  of  a  good  quality.  Well 
watered  by  numerous  brooks  of  pure  water  run- 
ning from  springs,  with  rapid  currents,  over 
rock  bed." 

Township  13  north,  range  1  west  (Union), 
was  surveyed  by  A.  L.  Brown,  United  States 
Deputy  Surveyor,  who  commenced  the  survey 
of  this  township  Jan.  3,  1846,  and  completed  it 
Jan.  13,  1846.  He  was  assisted  by  James 
Anderson,  Joel  M.  Higgins,  chainmen,  and 
Nathaniel  Higgins,  marker. 

Township  14  north,  range  1  west  (Forest). — 
This  township  was  surveyed  by  Noah  Philps, 
in  the  last  quarter  of  1847.  He  was  assisted  by 
William  Jones,  David  P.  Hoyt,  chainmen,  and 
Alfred  L.  Cleveland,  marker. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


in 


Township  13  north,  range  2  west  (Stark), 
was  surveyed  by  A.  L.  Brown,  who  commenced 
his  survey  of  this  township  Jan.  13,  1«46,  a  d 
completed  it  Jan.  22,  1846.  He  was  assisted 
by  Alexander  Anderson,  Joel  II  iggins,  chain- 
men,  and  J.  Anderson,  marker.  Surveyor's 
notes:  "This  township  has  a  good  deal  of  bot- 
tom land  on  the  Kickapoo  river,  some  of  which, 
particularly  the  second  bottom  or  highest  and 
farthest  from  the  river,  is  very  ricii,  with  oak 
and  elm  timber,  prickly  ash  and  reed  willow 
undergrowth;  but  some  of  the  flats  are  too  wet 
for  cultivation." 

Township  14  north,  range  2  west  (Whites- 
town)  was  surveyed  by  Noah  Phijps,  in  the 
eleventh  month  of  1847,  assisted  by  William 
Jones,DavidP.  Hoyt,  chainmen,  and  A.L.  Cleve- 
land, marker:  "This  township  is  very  broken.  Is 
valuable  chiefly  for  its  pines." 

Township  11  north,  range  3  west  (central 
and  southeastern  part  of  Kickapoo)  was  sur- 
veyed by  W.  Barrows,  who  began  this  survey 
July  23,  1843,  and  finish'ed  August  the  same 
year.  He  was  assisted  by  William  Anderson 
and  Edward  Fitzpatrick,  chainmen;  also  by 
William  P.  Easley,  marker. 

Township  12  north,  range  3  west  (Liberty 
and  the  sections  25-36,  inclusive,  of  the  town 
of  Kickapoo  as  now  organized),  was  surveyed 
by  Samuel  D.  Dixon,  who  began  this  survey 
May  24,  1845,  and  finished  it  on  June  4  of  the 
same  year.  He  was  assisted  by  Napoleon  Gra- 
ham, B.  C.  Russell,  chainmen,  and  James 
Bailey,  Eli  Derr,  markers.  Mr.  Dixon  says: 
"This  township  is  composed  of  a  succession  of 
hills  of  almost  every  size  and  shape.  The 
springs  are  inhabited  by  speckled  trout  of  the 
finest  quality." 

Township  13  north,  range  3  west  (Webster) 
was  surveyed  by  Samuel  D.  Dixon,  assisted  by 
Napoleon  Graham,  B.  C.  Russell,  chainmen, 
and  Eli  Derr,  James  Bailey,  markers.  Notes  : 
"Soil  rolling  and  of  first  quality  between  the 
east  and  west  forks  of  the  Kickapoo  river;  the 
balance  is  mostly  broken  and  hilly;    soil   light; 


timber  the  same.  The  whole  is  well  watered 
by  springs  and  their  branches.  There  are  some 
valuable  well  sites  on  the  Kickapoo." 

Township  14  north,  range  3  west  (Clinton) 
was  surveyed  by  Henry  Maddin,  United  States 
Deputy  Surveyor,  who  commenced  Oct.  27, 
1846,  and  completed  Dec.  12,  1847;  was  assisted 
by  Samuel  M.  Derr,  George  VV.  Lee,  chainmen, 
and  Christopher  Jacobs,  axeman. 

Township  14  north,  range  4  west  (Chris- 
tiana), was  surveyed  by  Henry  Maddin  in  the 
last  month  of  1846.  He  was  assisted  by  Samuel 
M.  Derry,  George  W.Lee,  chainman,  and  Chris- 
topher Jacobs,  marker. 

Township  13  north,  range  4  west  (northern 
and  central  part  of  Viroqua),  was  surveyed  by 
Samuel  D  Dixon,  who  commenced  this  survey 
June  30,  1845,  and  completed  it  July  10  of  the 
same  year.  He  was  assisted  by  Napoleon  Gra- 
ham, James  Bailey,  chainmen,  and  B.  C.  Rus- 
sell, Eli  Derr,  markers. 

Township  12  north,  range  4  west  (sections 
1-12,  13,  14,  23,  24,  Viroqua;  sections  15-22, 
27-23,  the  northeastern  part  of  Franklin.)  'I'his 
township  was  surveyed  by  Samuel  D.  Dixon  in 
June;  1845.  He  was  assisted  by  Napoleon  Gra- 
ham, Eli  Derr,  chainmen,  and  B.  C.  Russell, 
James  Bailey,  markers. 

Township  1 1  north,  range  4  west  (sections 
1,  2  and  1 1  to  14,  are  in  the  central  and  south- 
ern part  of  Kickapoo;  sections  3-10,  15-18,  the 
southeastern  part  of  Franklin);  was  surveyed 
by  Samuel  C.  Wiltse  in  August,  1843.  He 
was  assisted  by  J.  R.  McLadin,  M.  T.  Cur- 
tiss,  chainmen,  and  E.  D.  Smith,  markers. 

Township  14  north,  range  5  west  (Coon), 
was  surveyed  by  A.  L.  Brown  in  Octol)er,  1846, 
assisted  by  William  H.  Weidman,  ^^'illiam 
Higgins,  Joseph  E.  Fales,  Joel  M.Smith,  chain- 
men,  John  M.  Smith,  Reuben  W.  Ford,  mark- 
ers. The  surveyor  says  :  "Timber  almost  uni- 
versally black  and  white  oak;  some  of  it  very 
good;  some  elm;  Lincoln  and  ash  in  northeast 
corner  on  Raccoon  creek.     There  are  many  fine 


112 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


springs  of  pure  water,  plenty  of  deer  and 
grouse." 

Township  1.3  north,  range  5  west  (northern 
and  central  part  of  JeflFerson),  was  surveyed 
July,  1845,  by  Samuel  D.  Dixon,  assisted  by 
Napoleon  Graham,  B.  C.  Russell,  ehainmen, 
and  James  Bailey,  Eli  Derr,  markers. 

Township  1-2  north,  range  5  west  (sections 
1-9,  16-1  ft,  of  the  southern  part  of  Jefferson, 
10-15,  22-27,  34-86,  the  northwestern  and  cen- 
tral part  of  Franklin,  19-21,  28-33,  the  north 
eastern  part  of  Sterling),  was  surveyed  in  1846 
by  A.  E.  Whiteside,  deputy  surveyor,  assisted 
by  U.  Gales,  B.  L.  Eaton,  ehainmen,  and  A. 
Hetzler,  marker.  Mr.  Whiteside's  notes  are 
as  follows:  "The  soil  of  this  township  is 
tbird-rate,  rough,  hilly  and  broken,  sparsely 
timbered  with  black  and  white  oat.  There  is, 
however,  in  the  southeast  corner  a  small  portion 
of  beautifully  undulated  prairie,  second  rate 
soil,  and  lit  for  cultivation.  The  township  is 
well  watered  by  the  finest  quality  of  springs; 
tops  of  the  highest  hills  are  covered  with  rocks, 
flint  and  iron  rust." 

Township  11  north,  range  5  west  (sections 
1-3,  10-  5,  the  southwestern  part  of  Franklin; 
4-9,  16-18,  the  southern  part  of  Sterling),  was 
surveyed  July,  1843,  by  A.  L.  Haren,  assisted 
byC.  C.  Carter,  Austin  Wilder,  ehainmen,  and 
Louis  Davis,  marker.  Notes  of  the  surveyor  : 
"The  surface  of  this  township,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  afew  sections  in  the  southwestern  part 
and  sections  24  and  25,  in  the  eastern  part,  is 
rolling,  first-rate  land.  The  soil  is  sandy  loam, 
excepting  the  prairie;  it  is  thickly  timbered  and 
brushy.  The  eastern  part  is  watered  by  spring 
brooks,  which  run  into  the  Kickapoo  river. 
The  southwestern  part  of  the  township  is  very 
broken,  well  timbered  and  watered  by  streams 
of  pure  water,  which  run  into  the  Mississip])i." 

Township  14  north,  range  6  west  (Hamburg), 
surveyed  by  A.  L.  Brown  October,  1846,  as- 
sisted by  William  H.  Weidman,  William  Hig- 
gins,  Joseph  Fales,  Joel  Higgins,  ehainmen, 
and  John  M.   Smith,  Reuben  W.  Ford,  mark- 


ers. "The  best  land  in  this  township,"  gays 
the  surveyor,  "is  in  the  third  bottoms  (so- 
called)  on  Raccoon  creek,  which  are  located 
about  forty  feet  above  the  creek,  are  dry  and 
level.  Other  parts  of  this  bottom  are  much 
lower,  and  where  not  marshy  subject  to  inun- 
dations. After  leaving  the  bluffs  on  the  north 
side  of  the  creek  the  land  is  a  high,  rolling 
ridge;  in  some  places  well  timbered,  and  gen- 
erally second-rate.  Some  of  the  long  ravines 
which  make  toward  the  creek  are  well  adapted 
to  cultivation,  with  timber  convenient  and  the 
purest  water.  The  cliffs  are  generally  about 
250  to  300  feet  high,  terminating  toward  Rac- 
coon creek  in  precipices  of  sandstone  in  almost 
every  picturesque  form  imaginable.  Along  the 
sides  of  the  steepest  hills  may  be  found  many 
curious  silicious  and  calcareous  formations,  but 
no  appearances  of  anything  more  valuable." 

Township  13  north,  range  6  west,  (main 
part  of  Harmony )  was  surveyed  by  N.  C. 
Whiteside,  assisted  by  U.  Gales,  A.  L.  Eaton, 
chainman  and  A.  Hetzler  marker.  Notes  : 
"  This  township  in  general  is  hilly  and  broken, 
the  soil  third  rate  and  poor.  There  is  however 
a  portion  of  it  on  the  north  and  a  small  por- 
tion on  the  south,  rolling  and  second  rate  and 
well  supplied  with  white  and  black  oak  timber. 
The  remainder  of  the  timber  on  the  hills  is 
scattering  burr,  white,  black  and  jack  oak.  The 
river  through  this  township  affords  many  valu- 
able hydraulic  privileges,  and  is  abundantly 
supplied  with  fine  fresh  water,  springs  out- 
breaking from  the  base  of  the  hills." 

Township  12  north,  range  6  west,  (sections 
1-4,  and  northern  half  of  9-12,  is  the  southern 
part  of  Harmony;  5-8  and  17  and  20,  is  the 
eastern  part  of  Genoa;  29-31  the  northeastern 
part  of  Wheatland  ;  southern  half  of  9-12  and 
sections  13-16,  21-28,  33-36,  the  northwestern 
and  central  part  of  Sterling  ). — This  township 
was  surveyed  by  N.  E.  Whiteside,  in  1845.  He 
was  assisted  by  U.  Gales,  A.  L.  Eaton,  chain- 
men,  A.  Hetzler,  marker.  "  This  township," 
says   Mr.    Whiteside,  "as    regards  its   soil    is 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


113 


mostly  third  rate  and  poor,  presenting  an 
abrupt  hilly  broken  surface,  covered  in  many 
places  with  rocks,  flint  and  iron  rust.  North 
of  the  river  there  are  a  few  bodies  of  good 
white  and  black  oak  timber.  The  surveyor 
says:  "This  township  in  general  is  well 
watered  and  the  river  presents  in  many  places 
valuable  water  privileges." 

TowN'SHiP  II  north,  range  6  west,  (sections 
1-4,  9-16,  the  southwestern  part  of  Sterling, 
5-9,  17,  18,  the  southeastern  part  of  Wheat- 
land )  was  surveyed  by  A.  L.  Haren,  who  com- 
menced this  survey  July  18,  1S4-3,  and  com- 
pleted it  July  31,  the  same  year.  He  was 
assisted  by  C.  0.  Carter,  Austin  Wilder,  chain- 
men  and  Louis  Davis,  marker.  Notes:  "The 
northeast  part  of  this  township  is  extremely 
broken  and  hilly.  The  bluffs  of  the  creeks, 
springs,  brooks  and  dry  ravines  are  from  250  to 
350  feet  high,  and  have  an  elevation  from  20  to 
30  degrees." 

TowN.sHip  14  north,  range  7  west,  (the  main 
part  of  Bergen  )  was  surveyed  by  A.  L.  Brown, 
who  commenced  the  survey  Dec.  27,  1846,  and 
completed  it  Jan.  4  1847.  He  was  assisted  by 
Wm.  H.  Weidman,  Joel  M.  Higgins,  Joseph 
V.  Haley,  chainmen,  and  Joshua  M.  Smith, 
ReuVien  W.  Ford,  markers. 

Township  13  north,  range  7  west,  (sections 
1-18,  the  southern  part  of  Bergen,  21-28, 
33-36,  the  northern  part  of  Genoa,  was  sur- 
veyed by  W.  E.  Whiteside,  assisted  by  U. 
Gates,  A.  L.  Eaton,  chainmen,  and  A.  Hetzler, 
marker,  no  dates  given. 

Township  12  north,  range  7  west,  C  sections 
1-4,  9-16,21-24,  is  the  central  and  southwestern 
part  of  Genoa,  25-28,  H3-36,  is  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  Wlioatland),  was  surveyed  in  the 
first  quarter  of  18 16,  by  N.  E.  Whiteside, 
assisted  by  IJ.  Gales,  A.  L.  Eaton,  chainmen 
and  A.  Hetzler,  marker.  "This  township," 
says  the  surveyor,  "is  measurably  unfit  for 
cultivation,  being  hilly  and  broken.  Soil 
mostly  third  rate  and  poor.  In  general,  the 
timber  is  of  an  inferior   growth  of  burr,  white 


and  black  oak.  The  hills  fronting  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Bad  Ax  rivers,  are  in  places  entirely 
shorn  of  vegetation,  covered  with  rock,  flint 
and  iron  rust.  It  is  in  all  parts  well  supplied 
with  springs  of  finest  quality.  The  bottom  of 
Bad  Ax  river  ( although  wider  in  this  town  ■ 
ship  than  any  place  else,  is  limited  and  mostly 
low  and  wet.  The  Mississippi  river  above  and 
be'ow  the  mouth  of  Bad  Ax,  has  little  or  no 
bottom,  bounded  by  a  perpendicular  ledge  of 
sandstone,  ranging  from  3  to  10  chains  from 
the  river  and  falling  abruptly  from  the  base  of 
the  perpendicular,  to  the  water's  edge,  covered 
with  large  tumbling  rocks,  scattering  burr, 
white  and  black  oak  trees." 

Tow.vsHip  11  north,  range  7  west,  (sections 
1-4,  9-15,  the  southwestern  part  of  Wheat- 
land).— The  survey  of  this  township  was  com- 
menced Sept.  28,  1843,  and  completed  Oct.  10, 
1843,  by  A.  r>.  Haren,  assisted  by  S.  P.  Folsom, 
S.  N.  Laster,  chainmen,  and  L.  Davis,  marker. 

LAND    DISTRICTS. 

The  first  land  oflices  in  Wisconsin  were  es- 
tablished under  an  act  of  Congress  ajtproved 
June  26,  1831,  creating  additional  land  districts 
in  the  States  of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  and  in 
the  territory  north  of  the  State  of  Illinois.  The 
first  section  provides  "that  all  that  tract  lying 
north  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  west  of  Lake 
\  Michigan,  south  and  southeast  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin and  Fox  rivers,  included  in  the  present 
territory  of  Michigan,  shall  be  divided  by  a 
north  and  south  line,  drawn  from  the  northern 
boundary  of  Illinois  along  the  range  of  town- 
ship line  west  of  Fort  Winnebago  to  the  Wis- 
consin river,  and  to  be  called — the  one  on  the 
west  side,  the  Wisconsin  land  district,  ami 
that  on  the  east  side  the  Green  bay  land 
district  of  the  territory  of  Michigan,  which 
two  districts  shall  embrace  the  country  nortli 
of  said  rivers  when  the  Indian  title  shall 
be  extinguished,  and  the  Green  bay  district 
may  be  divided  so  as  to  form  two  districts, 
when  the  President  shall  deem  it  proper  ;"  and 
by  section  three  of  said  act,  the  President  was 


114 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


authorized  to  appoint  a  register  and  receiver  for 
such  office,  as  soon  as  a  siifficent  number  of 
townships  are  surveyed. 

An  act  of  Congress,  approved  June  15,  183", 
divided  the  Green  bay  land  district,  as  estab- 
lished in  1834,  "by  a  line  commencing  on  the 
western  boundary  of  said  district,  and  running 
thence*  east  between  townships  10  and  II  north, 
to  the  line  between  ranges  IV  and  18  east,  thence 
north  between  said  ranges  of  townships  to  the 
line  between  townships  12  and  13  north,  thence 
east  between  said  townsnips  12  and  13,  to  Lake 
Michigan  ;  and  all  the  country  bounded  north 
by  the  division  line  heie  described  ;  south  by 
the  base  line,  east  by  Lake  Michigan,  and  west 
by  the  division  line  between  ranges  8  and  9  east," 
to  be  constituted  a  separate  district,  and  known 
as  the  "Milwaukee  land  district."  It  included 
the  present  counties  of  Racine,  Kenosha,  Rock, 
Jeffeison,  Waukesha,  Walworth  and  Milwau- 
kee, and  parts  of  Green,  Dane,  Washington, 
Ozaukee,  Dodge  and  Columbia. 

An  act  was  approved  March  3,  1847,  creating 
an  additional  land  district  in  tlie  territory.  All 
that  portion  of  the  public  lands  lying  north  and 
west  of  ihe  following  boundaries,  formed  a 
district  to  be  known  as  the  Chippewa  land  dis- 
trict :  commencing  at  the  Mississippi  river  on 
the  line  between  townships  22  and  23  north, 
running  thence  east  along  said  line  to  the  fourth 
principal  meridian,  thence  north  along  said 
meridiaii  line  to  the  line  dividing  lownsliips 
29  and  30,  thence  east  along  such  township 
line  to  the  Wisconsin  river,  thence  up  the  main 
channel  of  said  river  to  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween the  State  of  Michigan  and  the  territory 
of  Wisconsin.  The  counties  now  included  in 
this  district  are  Pepin,  Clark,  Eau  Claire,  Dunn, 
Pierci',  St.  Croix,  Polk,  Barron,  Burnett,  Doug- 
las, Bayfield,  Ashland,  Taylor,  Chippewa,  and 
parts  of  Buffalo,  Trerapeleau  and  Jackson. 

An  act  of  Congress,  aproved  March  2,  1849, 
changed  the  location  of  the  land  office  in  the 
C'hppewa  district  from  the  falls  of  St.  Croix  to 
Stillwater,  in   the  county  of  St.  Croix,  in  the 


proposed  territory  of  Minnesota  ;  and  by  sec- 
tion two  of  the  act,  an  additional  land  office  and 
district  was  created,  comprising  all  the  lands  in 
V\'isconsin  not  inc'uded  in  the  districts  of  land 
subject  to  sale  at  Green  Bay,  Milwaukee,  or 
Mineral  Point,  which  was  to  be  known  as  the 
We.itern  land  district,  and  the  President  was 
authorized  to  designate  the  site  where  the  office 
sliould  be  located,  Willow  river,  now  Hudson, 
was  selected.  The  district  was  usually  known 
as  the  St.  Croix  and  Chippewa  district,  and  in- 
cluded St.  Croix,  La  Pointe,  and  parts  of  Chip- 
jiewaand  Marathon  counties. 

By  an  act  of  Congress,  approved  July  30, 1852, 
so  much  of  the  public  lands  in  Wisconsin  as  lay 
within  a  boundary  line  commencing  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  township  15  north,  of  range 
2  east  of  the  fourth  principal  meridian,  thence 
running  due  east  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
township  15  north,  of  range  1  1  east,  of  the 
fourth  principal  meridian,  thence  north  along 
such  range  line  to  the  north  line  of  the  State 
of  Wisconsin,  thence  westwardly  along  said 
north  line  to  the  line  between  ranges  1  and  2 
east  of  fourth  principal  meridian,  thence  south 
to  the  place  of  beginning,  were  formed  into  a 
new  district,  and  known  as  the  >tevens  Point 
land  district,  and  a  land  office  located  at  that 
p'ace.  The  boundaries  enclosed  the  present 
counties  of  Juneau,  Adams,  Marquette,  Green 
Lake,  Waushara,  Waupacca,  Portage,  Wood, 
Marathon,  Lincoln,  and  Shawano. 

WISCONSIN    LAND    DISTRICT. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Wisconsin 
land  district,  by  the  organic  act  of  the  territory, 
was  to  l)e  extended  north  of  the  Wisconsin 
river  "  when  the  Indian  title  should  be  extin- 
guished." Now,  as  that  event  took  place  in 
1 837,  it  follows  that  when  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  was  surveyed  into  townships  by  the 
United  States  surveyors  in  the  years  1839,  1840 
and  1845,  it  was  in  the  Wisconsin  land  district, 
the  land  office  being  at  Mineral  Point.  It  was 
usually  called  the  "Mineral  Point  land  district." 
The  surveys  into  sections  and  quarter  sections 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


116 


were  nearly  all  made  while  in  the  same  dis- 
trict ;  hence,  the  early  settlers  went  to  Mineral 
Point  to  enter  their  land.  Among  the  earliest 
entries  are  noted  those  of  Alfred  Glassburn, 
.lune  6,  1S47,  of  the  south  half  of  the  north- 
west quarter  and  the  northwest  quarter  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  28,  township  13, in 
range  4  west,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Viro- 
qua;  of  Michael  Hinkst,  Sept.  1.3,  1847,  of  the 
nortii  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  and  the 
northwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter,  of 
section  31,  and  the  southwest  quarter  of  the. 
southwest  quarter  of  section  32,  in  township  12, 
of  range  4  west,  in  the  present  town  of  Frank- 
lin ;  t»rriii  Wisel,  June  17,  1848,  of  the  south- 
east quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
25,  township  ]  2,  range  5  west,  in  the  town  of 
Franklin  also;  of  LeGrand  and  Lewis  Sterling) 
Aug  10,  1848,  of  the  south  half  of  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  2,  in  township  11,  of 
range  6  west,  in  the  town  of  Sterling. 

LA  CROSSE  LAND    DISTRICT. 

An  act  of  Congress,  approved  March  2,  1849, 
formed  the  La  Crosse  land  district,  including 
within  its  limits  the  following  territory: 

'■Commencing  at  a  point  where  the  line  be- 
tween the  townships  10  and  11  touches  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  [in  the  present  county  of  Craw- 
ford,] and  running  thence  due  east  of  the  fourth 
princip.il  meridian;  thence  north  to  the  line  be- 
tween townships  14  and  15  north;  thence  east 
to  the  southeast  corner  of  township  15  north,  or 
range  1  east  of  the  fourth  principal  meridian; 
thence  north  on  tiie  range  line  to  the  south  line 
of  township  31  north;  thence  west  on  the  line 
between  townships  30  and  31  to  the  Ch  ppewa 
river;  thence  down  said  river  to  the  junction 
with  the  Mississippi  river  thence  down  said 
river  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

This  included,  though  it  has  since  been  les- 
sened, all  of  the  present  county  of  Vernon,  like- 
wise that  of  La  Crosse,  Monroe,  Buffalo,  'I'rem- 
pealeau,  Eau  Clair,  Clark  and  parts  of  Juneau 
and  Chippewa  counties,  Vernon  county  is  still 
in  the  same  districts. 


By  act  of  Congress,  approved  Feb.  24,  1855, 
an  ad  iitional  district  was  formed  of  all  that  por- 
tion of  the  Willow  river  land  district  lying 
north  of  the  line  dividing  townships  40  and  41, 
to  be  called  the  Fond  du  Lac  district,  the  office 
to  be  located  by  the  President  as  he  might 
from  time  to  time  direct.  The  pr-  sent  counties 
of  Douglas,  Bayfield,  Ashland  and  part  of  Bur- 
nett were  included  within  its  boundaries. 

By  an  act  of  Congress,  approved  March  3, 
1867,  so  much  of  the  districts  of  land  subject  to 
sale  at  La  Crosse  and  Hudson,  in  the  State  of 
Wisconsin,  contained  in  the  following  bound- 
aries, were  constituted  a  new  district,  to  be 
known  as  the  Chippewa  land  district:  North  of 
the  line  dividing  townships  24  and  25  north; 
south  of  the  line  dividing  townships  40  and  41 
north;  west  of  the  line  dividi  g  ranges  1  and  2 
east;  and  east  of  the  line  dividing  ranges  1 1  and 
1::!  west.  The  location  of  the  office  was  to  be 
designated  by  the  President  as  the  public  inter- 
est might  require.  The  present  counties  of 
Chippewa,  Taylor,  Eau  Claire  and  Clark  were 
in  this  district. 

LA    CROSSE    LAND    OFFICE. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  six  land  offices 
in  the  State.  They  are  located  at  Menasha,  Falls 
of  St.  Croix,  Wausau,  La  Crosse,  Bayfield  and 
Eau  Claire.  By  the  provision <  of  law,  when 
the  number  of  acres  of  land  in  any  one  district 
is  reduced  to  1'  0,000  acres,  subject  to  private 
entry,  the  secretary  of  the  interior  is  required 
to  discontinue  the  office,  and  the  lands  remain- 
ing unsold  are  transferred  to  the  nearest  land 
office,  to  be  there  subject  to  sale.  The  power 
of  locating  these  offices  lies  with  the  President 
(unless  otherwise  directed  by  law),  who  is  also 
authorized  to  change  and  re-establish  the  bound- 
aries of  land  districts  whenever,  in  his  opinion, 
the  public  service  will  be  subserved  thereby. 
As  the  county  of  Vernon  is  in  the  La  Crosse 
land  district,  the  land  office  for  this  county,  is 
at  La  Crosse.  All  the  lands  that  have  been 
entered  since  the  opening  of  that  office,  by  set- 
tlers and  others  in  Vernon  county,  have,  of 
course,  been  entered  there. 


116 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER     VIII 


FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  COUNTY. 


Among  the  questions  which  naturally  interest 
the  citizens  of  Vernon  county  of  to-day  is  tliis: 
"Who  was  the  first  settler  within  its  limits?" 
There  is  a  curiosity  always  manifested  by  those 
who  come  after  the  pioneers,  to  leave  his  name, 
where  he  settled  and  the  date  of  his  arrrival. 
Especially  is  the  time  of  his  coming  a  matter 
of  interest.  The  county  itself,  so  far  as  the 
people  constitute  it,  begins  then,  although  its 
formation  and  organization  date  a  number  of 
yeai-s  thereafter. 

THE    FIRST    SETTLERS. 

The  town  of  Franklin  has  the  honor  of  being 
the  one  in  which  was  located  the  first  sett'er. 
His  name  was  John  McCullough. 

'I"he  exact  date  of  his  coming  is  unknown, 
only  tiiat  it  was  in  the  spring  of  1844.  He 
built  a  house  on  the  west  half  of  tlie  southeast 
quarter  of  section  25,  township  ]2,  range  5 
west,  during  the  summer  of  that  year.  It  was 
near  what  was  afterward  Bad  Ax,  now  Liberty 
Pole.  Tiie  place  is  now  owned  by  Thomas 
Siieridan.  He  also  did  some  breaking,  and 
made  other  preparations  to  bring  on  his  family, 
which  he  effected  in  the  following  spring. 

The  section  upon  which  McCullough  located 
was  not  afterward  entered  by  him,  nor  any  part 
of  it.  Orrin  Wisel  entered  forty  acres  of  it 
June  1",  1848,  Charles  Wiedeman,  a  quarter 
section,  Nov.  13,  1849;  Alexander  C.  Davis, 
eighty  acres,  Nov.  19,1849;  H.  L.  Dousman, 
forty  acres,  May  2,  1850;  Jacob  Higgins,  forty 
acres,  July  17,  1851;  Julia  Hart,  forty  acres, 
April  1,1852;  Thomas  J.  Gosling,  a  quarter 
section,  July  27,  18.'i2;  Thomas  J.  Gosling,  forty 
acres,  Oct.  2.3,  1852,  and  Francis  Sanford,  fortj' 
acres,  Aug.  11,1855;  in  all  640  acres;  the  en- 
tire section. 


McCullough  remained  on  his  place  until  the 
year  1852,  when,  in  company  with  a  number  of 
others,  he  started  for  California.  He  arrived 
there  safely,  and,  after  a  sojourn  there  of  a  year, 
he  wrote  his  brother  that  he  was  on  the  eve  of 
returning  home;  that  he  would  start  in  a  day 
or  two,  but  he  was  never  after  heard  of.  The 
general  impression  is  that  he  started  on  his 
homeward  trip  and  died  on  the  plains. 

The  next  to  make  claims  and  erect  a  cabin 
(for  houses  in  those  days  were  little  else),  were 
two  brothers,  Samuel  and  Hiram  Rice.  This 
was  in  the  spring  of  1845.  They  settled  at  what 
was  afterward  Bad  Ax,  now  Liberty  Pole,  in  the 
town  of  Franklin,  near  McCullough.  Samuel 
Rice  brought  his  family  with  him.  Mrs.  Rice 
was  a  most  excellent  woman;  a  devoted  Chris- 
tian.    She  died  in  the  fall  of  1847. 

McCullough  and  the  Rice  brothers  were  soon 
followed  by  Henry  Seifert,  George  P.  Taylor 
and  George  Pike.  Seifert  was  a  bachelor.  He 
settled  at  the  place  afterward  known  as  the 
"Dowhower  farm,"  but  now  owned  by  Benja- 
min Williams,  on  section  18,  township  12,  in 
range  4  west,  in  the  town  of  Franklin.  Taylor 
located  on  section  .30,  township  12,  of  range  4 
west,  also  in  the  town  of  Franklin.  The  place 
is  now  owned  by  J.  C.  Adkins.  Mr.  Taylor  is 
not  now  a  resident  of  the  county. 

Harvey  Sterling  came  to  what  is  now  the  town 
of  Sterling  in  July,  1846,  and  settled  on  section 
10,  in  township  11,  of  range  6  east.  His  family, 
consisting  of  his  wife  and  two  sons,  Lewis  and 
Le  Grand,  came  on  in  the  spring  following. 
Le  Grand  Sterling  is  still  a  resident  of  the 
county. 

In  the  same  month  (July,  1846),  that  Harvey 
Sterling  settled   iu   what  is   now  the  town  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Ul 


Sterling,  John  Graham,  with  his  three  sons — 
Thomas,  Baker  and  Lamach,  all  grown — settled 
in  the  present  town  of  Jefferson,  on  section  23, 
in  township  13,  of  range  5  west,  at  what  is 
now  Springville. 

In  1846  Moses  Decker  settled  at  what  is  now 
Viroqua  ;  T.  J.  DeFrees,  at  the  head  of  "De 
Frees'  Branch,"  and  James  Foster  on  Round 
Prairie.  Mr.  DeFrees  was  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  seven  children,  Jacob  .lohnson,  John 
(rraham  and  family,  and  Saul  Decker. 

Those  just  mentio)ied  were  soon  followed  by 
others.  Thomas  Gillett  and  his  sons,  Nicho- 
las Vought,  James  A.  Cooke,  George  Dawson, 
and  J.  Shields — all  took  up  claims  near  the 
present  site  of  Viroqua  ;  and,  about  this  time, 
(1846),  Ira  Stevens  located  at  what  is  now 
Victory.  William  C.  McMichael,  Samuel  Mc- 
Michael  and  Robert  McMichael,  Charles  Waters 
and  Henry  Waters — these  located  at  or  near 
Springville. 

Those  who  came  during  the  year  1846,  or 
previous  to  that  time,  to  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  were,  indeed,  "ye  ancient  pioneers." 
"They  were  subject  to  all  the  inconveniences 
and  privations  attending  the  establishment  of 
new  communities  in  remote  sections  of  the 
country.  They  had  at  first  to  go  to  Prairie  du 
C'hien  for  their  provisions  and  supplies." 

VERNON  COUNTY  IN  MAY,   1847. 
B]i  Alerander  Latuhaiv. 

"I  settled,  on  the  14th  of  May,  1847,  on  West 
Prairie,  in  the  present  town  of  Sterling.  There 
were  before  me,  George  Nichols,  LeGraiid 
Sterling,  Lewis  Sterling,  and  their  father, 
Harvey  Sterling,  and  James  A.  Clark.  The 
whole  of  the  present  county  of  Vernon  was 
then  the  town  of  Bad  Ax,  Crawford  county. 
Tliere  were  some  Frenchmen  at  DeSoto,  then 
called  Winneshiek.  Tiiere  were  three  who  had 
families  and  one  who  had   none.     Two  lived  in 


what  was  afterward  Bad  Ax  county  ;  the  others 
in  Crawford  county.  They  had  comfortable 
log  houses  and  carried  on  trade  with  the  Indians. 
Two  of  them  had  Indian  wives ;  they  were 
brothers  by  the  name  of  Godfrey.  They  left 
not  lo  g  after  the  Winnebagoes  went  away. 
They  would  chop  a  little  wood  for  steamers 
sometimes. 

"Where  the  village  of  Victory  now  is,  there 
was  one  Frencliman  named  Potwell,  a  trader. 
He  was  married  to  a  squaw  and  had  a  family  of 
children.  Just  above  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax, 
there  was  another  Frenchman ,  but  he  had  no 
family.  He,  too,  was  a  trader.  Both  left 
about  the  same  time  as  the  others  who  lived  at 
Winneshiek  (De  Soto). 

"At  tills  time  (May,  1847)  there  were  no 
settlers  in  going  east  from  West  Prairie  until 
the  settlement  that  was  afterwards  called 
Liberty  Pole  was  reached.  The  first  settler  one 
came  to,  in  going  east  and  north,  was  John 
McCollough;  the  next,  Samuel  Rice,  and  Hiram 
Rice  lived  with  him.  The  next  directly  east 
was  George  P.  Taylor.  A  little  north  and  west 
from  Samuel  Rice's  lived  George  Pike.  In 
about  two  miles  north  of  Rices  (now  in  the 
town  of  Franklin),  on  the  road  from  Liberty 
Pole,  as  often  called,  to  what  is  now  Viro- 
qua, was  the  home  of  Heary  Seifert.  About  a 
mile  further  north,  on  the  same  road,  lived 
Jacob  Johnson  and  T.  J.  DeFrees. 

"At  what  is  now  Springville,  lived  John 
Graham  and  his  family.  William  C.  McMichael 
was  living  on  Taylor's  place  at  that  time. 
George  A.  Swain  came  soon  after  and  settled 
on  section  21,  township  1-2,  range  4  west  (town 
of  Franklin).  Abram  Stiles  and  James  A. 
Cooke  came  with  him.  Cooke  settled  on  section 
4,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Viroqua.  Stiles 
found  a  home  on  section  15,  township  12,  range 
4  west,  in   the  present  town  of  Franklin." 


1115 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


PIONEER  LIFE. 


Records  of  pioneer  times  are  interesting, 
and  they  are  not  without  their  lessons  of  in- 
struction. By  the  light  of  the  past,  we  follow 
in  the  foot-prints  of  the  adventurous  and  enter- 
prising pioneer.  We  see  him,  as  it  were,  amid 
the  labors  and  struggles  necessary  to  convert 
the  wilderness  into  a  fruitful  field.  We  sit  by 
his  cabin  tire,  partaking  of  his  homely  and 
cheerfully-granted  fare,  and  listen  to  the 
accounts  which  he  is  pleased  to  give  us  of  fron- 
tier life,  and  of  the  dangers,  trials,  hardships 
and  sufferings  of  himself  and  others,  in  their 
efforts  to  make  for  themselves  homes  in  regions 
remote  from  civilization.  Through  these 
pioneer  records,  we  make  our  way  along  to  the 
present.  From  small  beginnings  we  come  to 
the  mighty  achievements  of  industry,  the  com- 
plex results  of  daring  enterprise,  subduing  and 
creative  energy  and  untiring  perseverance. 

Following  on  in  the  path  of  progress  and 
improvement,  we  see  once  waste  places  rejoic- 
ing under  the  kindly  care  of  the  husbandman; 
beautiful  farms,  with  all  the  fixtures  and  appur- 
tenances necessary  to  make  the  tillers  of  the  soil 
and  their  families  contented  and  happy,  are 
spread  out  before  us;  villages  are  built  up  as  if 
by  magic,  and  by  hundreds  human  souls  are 
congregated  within  their  precincts;  the  marts 
of  trade  and  traffic  and  the  workshops  of  the 
artizans,  are  thronged;  common  schools,  union 
schools  and  high  schools  have  sprung  up; 
young  and  ardent  minds — children  of  the  rich 
and  the  poor — may  press  forward  together  in 
the  acquisition  of  science,  literature  and  art; 
churches  are  built  and  a  Christian  ministry  is 
sustained  for  the  inculcation  of  religious  senti- 
ments and  the   promotion  of   piety,  virtue  and 


moral  goodness;  the  press  is  established, 
whence  floods  of  light  may  emanate  for  the 
instruction  and  benefit  of  all  ;  railroads  are 
built  to  bring  the  products  of  every  clime,  and 
the  people  from  afar,  to  our  doors;  and  the 
the  telegraph  "upon  the  lightning's  wing"  car- 
ries messages  far  and  near.  Let  the  records 
of  the  pioneers  be  preserved;  in  after  years  our 
children  and  our  children's  children  will  look 
over  them  with  pleasure  and  profit. 

THE  LOG  CABIN. 

-  'I'lie  first  important  business  of  the  pioneer 
settler,  upon  his  arrival  in  Vernon  county,  was 
to  build  a  house.  Until  this  was  done,  some 
had  to  camp  on  the  ground  or  live  in  their 
wagons — perhaps  the  only  shelter  they  had 
known  for  weeks.  So  the  prospects  for  a  house, 
which  was  also  to  be  a  home,  was  one  that  gave 
courage  to  the  rough  toil,  and  added  a  zest  to 
the  heavy  labors.  The  style  of  the  home 
entered  very  little  into  their  thoughts — it  was 
shelter  they  wanted,  and  protection  from  stress 
of  weather  and  wearing  exposures.  The  poor 
settler  had  neither  the  money  nor  the  mechanical 
appliances  for  building  himself  a  house.  He 
was  content,  in  most  instances,  to  have  a 
mere  cabin  or  hut.  This  was  made  of  round 
logs  light  enough  for  two  or  three  men  to  lay 
up.  The  house  would  generally  be  about 
fourteen  feet  square — perhaps  a  little  larger  or 
smaller— roofed  with  bark  or  clapboard,  and 
floored  with  puncheons  (logs  split  once  in  two  and 
the  flat  side  laid  up).  For  a  fire-place,  a  wall 
of  stones  and  earth  was  made  in  the  best  practi- 
cable shape  for  the  purpose,  in  an  opening  in 
one  end  of  the  building,  extending  outward, 
and  planked    on  the  outside  by  bolts  of  wood 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


119 


notched  together  to  stay  it.  Sometimes  a  fire- 
place of  this  kind  was  made  so  large  as  to 
occupy  nearly  the  whole  width  of  the  house. 
In  cold  weather  when  a  great  deal  of  wood  was 
needed  to  keep  the  proper  warmth  inside,  large 
logs  were  piled  in  the  fire-place.  To  protect 
the  crumbling  back  wall  again.st  the  effects  of 
the  fire  and  to  throw  forward  the  heat,  two 
back-logs,  one  on  top  of  the  other,  were  placed 
against  it. 

For  a  chimney,  any  contrivance  that  would 
carry  up  the  smoke  would  do.  They  were 
usually  constrncted  of  clay  and  sticks.  Imagine 
a  cold  winter's  night  when  the  storm  of  wind 
and  snow  was  raging  without,  the  huge  fire 
blazing  within,  and  the  family  sitting  aroundl 
It  might  be  cozy  enough  if  the  cold  was  not  too 
intense;  and,  in  reality,  before  those  fire-places 
there  was  often  something  of  cheer,  as  the 
farmer  sat  smoking — if  he  had  any  tobacco; 
and  the  wife  knitting — if  she  had  any  yarn  and 
needles. 

For  a  door  to  his  log  cabin  the  most  simple 
contrivance  that  would  serve  the  purpose  was 
brought  into  requisition.  Before  a  door  could 
be  made,  a  blanket  often  did  duty  in  guarding 
the  entrance.  But,  as  soon  as  convenient,  some 
boards  were  split  out  and  put  together,  hung 
upon  wooden  hinges,  and  held  shut  by  a  wooden 
pin  inserted  in  an  auger-hole. 

PIONEER     FURNITITEE. 

In  regard  to  the  furniture  of  the  pioneer's 
cabin,  it  may  be  said  that  it  varied  in  propor- 
tion to  the  ingenuity  of  the  occupants,  unless  it 
was  where  settlers  brought  with  them  their  old 
household  supply,  which,  owing  to  the  distance 
most  of  them  had  to  come,  was  very  seldom.  It 
was  easy  enough  to  improvise  tables  and  chairs; 
the  former  could  be  made  of  split  logs;  the 
latter  were  designed  after  the  three-legged  stool 
pattern,  or  benches  served  their  purpose.  A 
bedstead  was  a  very  important  item  in  the 
domestic  comfort  of  the  family;  and  the  fashion 
of  improvising  them  was  as  follows: 


A  forked  stake  was  driven  into  the  ground 
diagonally  from  the  corner  of  the  room,  and  at 
a  proper  distance,  upon  which  poles  reaching 
from  each  side  of  the  cabin  were  laid.  The 
wall  ends  of  the  poles  were  either  driven  into 
auger-holes  or  rested  in  the  openings  between 
the  logs.  Bark  or  boards  were  used  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  cords.  Upon  this,  the  wife  spread 
her  straw  tick;  and  if  she  had  a  home-made 
feather  bed,  she  piled  it  up  into  a  luxurious 
mound  and  covered  it  with  her  sheets  and  bed- 
quilts.  Sometimes  sheets  were  hung  against 
the  wall  at  the  head  and  side  of  the  bed,  which 
added  much  to  the  coziness  of  this  resting-place 
—  this  pioneer  bed-room.  The  sleeping  arrange- 
ment was  generally  called  a  "prairie  bedstead." 

PRIMITIVE  COOKERY. 

if  the  settler  arrived  in  the  early  part  of  the 
season  and  had  not  time  to  plant,  or  had  no 
fields  prepared  for  that  purpose,  he  could,  at 
least,  have  a  truck-patch,  where  a  little  corn 
was  planted,  also  a  few  potatoes  and  turnips, 
and  some  other  vegetables  were  put  in  the 
ground.  Of  course  this  was  only  to  make  his 
small  su|iply,  which  he  had  brought  with  him, 
reach  as  far  as  possible.  His  meager  stores 
consisted  of  flour,  bacon,  tea  and  coffee.  But 
these  supplies  would  frequently  be  exhausted 
before  a  regular  crop  of  wheat  or  corn  could  be 
raised,  and  as  game  was  plentiful,  it  helped  to 
eke  them  out.  But  when  the  corn  was  raised, 
it  was  not  easily  prepared  for  the  table.  The 
mills  for  grinding  were  at  such  distances  away, 
that  every  other  device  was  resorted  to  for 
making  meal. 

Some  grated  it  on  an  implement  made  by 
punching  small  holes  through  a  piece  of  tin  or 
sheet-iron,  and  fastening  it  upon  a  board  in 
concave  shape,  with  the  rough  side  out.  Upon 
this  the  ear  was  rubbed  to  produce  the  meal. 
But  grating  could  not  be  done  when  the  corn 
become  so  dry  as  to  shell  off  when  rubbed. 
Some  used  a  coffee-mill  for  grinding  it  ;  and  a 
very  common  substitute  for  bread  was  hominy, 
a  palatable  and  wholesome   diet,  made  by  boil; 


120 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


ing  corn  in  a  weak  lye  till  the  hull  or  bran 
peeled  off,  after  which  it  was  well  washed  to 
cleanse  it  of  the  lye.  It  was  then  boiled  again 
to  soften  it,  when  it  was  ready  for  use,  as 
occasion  required,  by  frying  and  seasoning  it 
to  the  taste.  Another  mode  of  preparing 
hominy  was  by  pestling.  A  mortar  was  made 
by  burning  a  bowl-shaped  cavity  in  the  end  of 
an  upright  block  of  wood.  After  thoroughly 
cleaning  it  of  the  charcoal,  the  corn  could  be 
put  in,  hot  water  turned  upon  it,  when  it  was 
subjected  to  a  severe  pestling  by  a  club  of  suffi- 
cient length  and  thickness,  in  the  large  end  of 
which  was  inserted  an  iron  wedge,  banded  to 
keep  it  there.  The  hot  water  would  soften  the 
corn  and  loosen  the  hull,  while  the  pestle 
would  crush  it. 

PRIMITIVE  THRESHINf;. 

When  breadstuffs  were  needed,  they  had  to 
be  obtained  from  long  distances.  Owing  to 
the  lack  of  proper  means  for  threshing  and 
cleaning  wheat,  it  was  more  or  less  mixed  with 
foreign  substances,  such  as  smut,  dirt  and  oats. 
And  as  the  time  when  the  settlers'  methods  of 
threshing  and  cleaning  may  be  forgotten,  it 
may  be  well  to  preserve  a  brief  account  of 
them  here.  The  plan  was  to  clean  off  a  space 
of  ground  of  sufficient ,  size,  and,  if  the  earth 
was  dry,  to  dampen  it,  and  beat  it  to  render  it 
somewhat  compact.  Then  the  sheaves  were 
unbound  and  spread  in  a  circle,  so  that  the 
heads  would  be  uppermost,  leaving  room  in 
the  center  for  the  person  whose  business  it  was 
to  turn  and  stir  the  straw  in  the  process  of 
threshing.  Then,  as  many  horses  or  oxen  were 
brought  as  could  conveniently  swing  around 
the  circle,  and  these  were  kept  moving  until 
the  wheat  was  well  trodden  out.  After  several 
"  floorings"  or  layers  were  threshed,  the  straw 
was  carefully  raked  off  and  the  wheat  shoveled 
into  a  heap  to  be  cleaned.  This  cleaning  was 
sometimes  done  by  waving  a  sheet  up  and 
down  to  fan  out  the  chaff  as  the  grain  was 
dropped  before  it ;  but  this  trouble  was  fre- 
quently   obviated    when    the    strong    winds   of 


autumn  were  all  that  was  needed  to  blow  out 
the  chaff  from  the  grain.  This  mode  of  pre- 
paring the  grain  for  flouring  was  so  imperfect 
that  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  a  consider- 
able amount  of  black  soil  got  mixed  with  it, 
and  unavoidably  got  into  the  bread.  This, 
with  an  addition  of  smut,  often  rendered  it  so 
dark  as  to  have  less  the  appearance  of  bread 
than  mud  ;  yet  upon  such  diet  the  people  were 
compelled  to  subsist  for  want  of  a  better. 

GOING  TO  MILL. 

Not  the  least  among  the  pioneers  tribulations, 
during  the  first  few  years  of  the  settlement, 
was  the  going  to  mill.  The  slow  mode  of 
travel  by  ox  teams  was  made  still  slower  by 
the  almost  total  absence  of  roads  and  bridges, 
while  such  a  thing  as  a  ferry  was  hardly  even 
dreamed  of.  The  distance  to  be  traversed  was 
often  as  far  as  sixty  or  ninety  miles.  In  dry 
weather,  common  sloughs  and  creeks  offered 
little  impediment  to  the  teamsters  ;  but  during 
floods  and  the  breaking  up  of  winter,  they 
proved  exceedingly  troublesome  and  danger- 
ous. To  get  stuck  in  a  slough,  and  thus  be 
delayed  for  many  hours,  was  no  uncommon 
occurrence,  and  that,  too,  when  time  was  an 
item  of  grave  import  to  the  comfort  and  some- 
times even  to  the  lives  of  the  settlers'  families 
Often  a  swollen  stream  would  blockade  the 
way,  seeming  to  threaten  destruction  to  who- 
ever «ould  attempt  to  ford  it.  With  regard  to 
roads,  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind  worthy  of 
the  name. 

When  the  early  settlers  were  compelled  to 
make  these  long  and  difficult  trips  to  mill,  if 
the  country  ■  as  prairie  over  which  they  passed, 
they  found  it  comparatively  easy  to  do  in  sum- 
mer when  grass  was  plentiful.  By  traveling 
until  night,  and  then  camping  out  to  feed  ihe 
teams,  they  got  along  without  much  difficulty. 
But  in  winter  such  a  journey  was  attended  with 
no  little  danger.  The  utmost  economy  of  time 
was,  of  course,  necessary.  When  the  goal  was 
reached,  after  a  week  or  more  of  toilsome 
travel,  with  many  exposures  and   ricks,  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


121. 


poor  mail  was  impatient  to  immediately  retiiru 
with  the  desired  staff  of  life,  he  was  often 
shocked  and  disheartened  with  the  information 
that  Ills  turn  would  come  in  a  week.  Iheii  he 
must  look  about  for  some  means  to  pay  ex- 
penses, and  he  was  lucky  who  could  find  em- 
ployment by  the  day  or  job.  Then,  when  his 
turn  came,  he  had  to  be  on  hand  to  bolt  his 
own  flour,  as,  in  those  days,  the  bolting  ma- 
chine was  not  an  attached  part  of  the  other 
mill  machinery.  This  done,  the  anxious  soul 
was  ready  to  endure  the  trials  of  a  return  trip, 
his  heart  more  or  less  concerned  about  the 
affairs  of  home. 

Those  milling  trips  often  occupied  from 
three  weeks  to  more  than  a  month  each,  and 
were  attended  with  an  expense,  in  one  way  or 
another,  that  rendered  the  cost  of  breadstuflfs 
extremely  high.  If  made  in  the  winter,  when 
more  or  less  grain-feed  was  required  for  the  team, 
the  load  would  be  f  )und  to  be  so  considerably 
reduced  on  reaching  home  that  the  cost  of 
what  was  left,  adding  other  expenses,  would 
make  their  grain  reach  the  high  cash  figure  of 
from  $3  to  $5  per  bushel.  And  these  trips 
could  not  always  be  made  at  the  most  favorable 
season  for  traveling.  In  spring  and  summer, 
so  much  time  could  hardly  be  spared  from  other 
essential  labor  ;  yet,  for  a  large  family,  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  avoid  making  three  or 
four  trips  during  the  year. 

WII-l)  ANIMALS. 

Among  other  things  calculated  to  annoy  and 
distress  the  pioneer  was  the  prevalence  of  wild 
beasts  of  prey,  the  most  numerous  and  trouble- 
some of  which  was  the  wolf.  While  it  was 
true,  in  a  figurative  sense,  that  it  required  the 
utmost  care  and  exertion  to  "keep  the  wolf 
from  the  door,"  it  was  almost  as  true  in  a 
literal  sense.  There  were  two  species  of  tliese 
animals,  the  large,  black,  timber  wolf,  and  the 
smaller  gray  wolf  that  usually  inhabited  the 
prairie.  At  first,  it  was  next  to  ini](i)ssil)le  fur 
a  settler  to  keep   small   stock  of  any   kind  that 


would  serve  as  a  prey  to  these  ravenous  beasts. 
Sheep  were  not  deemed  safe  property  until 
years  after,  when  their  enemies  were  supposed 
to  be  nearly  exterminated.  Large  numbers  of 
wolves  « ere  destroyed  during  the  early  years 
of  settlement.  When  they  were  hungry,  which 
was  not  uncommon,  particularly  during  the 
winter,  they  were  too  indiscreet  for  their  own 
safety,  and  would  often  approach  within  easy 
shot  of  the  settlers's  dwellings.  At  certain 
seasons  their  wild,  plaintive  yelp  or  bark  could 
be  heard  in  all  directions  at  all  hours  of  the 
night,  creating  intense  excitement  among  the 
dogs,  whose  howling  would  add  to  the  dismal 
melody. 

It  has  been  found  by  experiment  that  but  one 
of  the  canine  species,  the  hound,  has  both  the 
fleetness  and  courage  to  cope  with  his  savage 
cousin,  the  wolf.  Attempts  were  often  made  to 
capture  him  with  the  common  cur,  but  this 
animal,  as  a  rule,  proved  himself  wholly  unreli- 
able for  such  a  service.  So  long  as  the  wolf 
would  run  the  cur  would  follow  ;  but  the  wolf, 
being  apparently  acquainted  with  the  character 
of  his  pursuer,  would  either  turn  and  place 
himself  in  a  combatative  attitude,  or  else  act 
upon  the  principal  that  "discretion  is  the  better 
part  of  valor,"  and  throw  himself  upon  his 
back  in  token  of  surrender.  This  strategic 
performance  would  make  instant  peace  between 
these  two  scions  of  the  same  house  ;  and  not 
infrequently  dogs  and  wolves  have  been  seen 
playing  together  like  puppies.  But  the  hound 
was  never  known  to  recognize  a  flag  of  truce  ; 
his  baying  seemed  to  signify  "  no  quarters  ;  " 
or,  at  least,  so  the  terrified    wolf  understood  it. 

Smaller  animals,  such  as  panthers,  lynxes, 
wildcats,  catamounts  and  polecats,  were  also 
sufficiently  numerous  to  be  troublesome.  And 
an  exceeding  source  of  annoyance  were  the 
swarms  of  mosquitoes  which  aggravated  the 
trials  of  the  settler  in  the  most  exasperating 
degree.  Persons  have  been  driven  from  the 
lab'-'rs  of  the  field  by  their  unmerciful  assaults. 


122 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  trials  of  the  pioneer  were  innumerable,  with  the  sight  of  beloved  children  failing  in 
and  the  cases  of  actual  suffering  might  fill  a  in  health  from  lack  of  commonest  necessaries 
volume  of  no  ordinary  size.  Timid  women  of  life.  The  struggle  was  not  for  ease  or 
became  brave  through  combats  with  real  luxury,  but  was  a  constant  one  for  the  sustain- 
dangers,  and  patient  mothers  grew  sick  at  lieart  ,  ing  means  of  life  itself. 


CHAPTER    X 


FIRST  THINGS. 


John  McCuUough  was  the  first  settler  in 
what  is  now  Vernon  county.  Where  he  located 
was  then  (1844)  in  Crawford  county. 

The  first  couple  married  in  Vernon  county 
were  George  P.  Taylor  and  Martha  J.  De 
Frees,  April  8,  1847. 

The  first  white  child  born,  of  American  par- 
ents, in  the  county  was  Electa  S.  De  Frees, 
May  10,  1847. 

The  first  death  was  Mrs.  Samuel  Rice  in  the 
fall  of  1847. 

The  first  school  was  opened  in  the  spring  and 
summer  of  1849,  taught  by  Jennie  Clark,  now 
Mrs.  Messerssmith. 

The  first  school  house  was  erected  on  the 
ridge  between  Viroqua  and  Brookville,  built  by 
George  Swain,  Abram  Stiles  and  T.  J.  De  Frees. 
It  was  intended  also  as  a  church. 

The  first  Church  organized  was  a  Methodist, 
at  the  house  of  T.  J.  De  Frees,  in  1848;  the 
services  were  monthly. 

John  Graham  commenced,  in  1846,  the  erec- 
tion of  the  first  grist  mill,  at  Springville. 

The  first  professional  lawyer  in  the  county 
was  William  F.  Terhume,  in  1851. 

The  first  newspaper  was  the  Western  Times, 
started  in  June,  1856. 

The  first  term  of  circuit  court  was  held  at 
Viroqua  by  Judge  Wiram  Knowlton,  commenc- 
ing on  the  third  Monday  of  May,  1851. 


The  first  county  officers  chosen  in  the  county 
were:  Thomas  J.  De  Frees,  county  judge;  Orrin 
Wisel,  clerk  of  the  court  and  county  board  of 
supervisors;  James  A.  Cooke,  county  treasurer; 
Jacob  Higgins,  register  of  deeds;  and  Samuel 
McMichael,  county  surveyor. 

The  first  frame  dwelling  in  the  county  was 
erected  in  Viroqua  by  Messrs.  Terhume  and 
BuUard. 

Orrin  Wisel  was  the  first  blacksmith  in  the 
county;  located  at  Liberty  Pole  in  1848. 

Jolni  Graham  erected  the  first  mill  in  the 
county  at  Springville  in  1847. 

The  first  actual  settlement  in  the  county  was 
near  Liberty  Pole,  in  the  present  town  of 
Franklin. 

The  first  postoffice  in  the  county  was  at 
Liberty  Pole. 

The  first  person  who  held  family  worship  in 
the  county  was  Mrs.  Samuel  Rice. 

The  first  camp-meeting  was  held  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1849  in  the  valley  near  the  place  where 
afterward  resided  Rev.  J.  A.  Cooke.  The  only 
minister  (Methodist)  present  was  Jesse  Per- 
dunn. 

The  first  child  born,  of   Norwegian   parents, 

in  the  county  was  Brown   Ol^on,   in   the  now 

town  of  Christiana  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  .35.     His  birth  was  March  30,  1850. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


123 


The  first  Methodist  class-meeting  in  the 
county  was  led  by  J.  A.  Cooke,  who  afterward 
became  a  Methodist  preacher.  This  was  in  the 
year  1849. 

FIRST    PREACHING    IN    THE    COUNTY. 

Among  (he  first  settlers  of  the  county  there 
was  a  distant,  yet  distinct  form  of  religion,  ac- 
knowledged by  a  few;  but  the  power  thereof 
was  weak.  The  first  settlers  had  left  their  old 
homes  in  other  States  and  emigrated  hither  for 
the  pnrnose  of  improving  their  worldly  condi- 
tion; and,  as  they  located  at  that  time  in,  as  it 
were,  an  isolated  country,  away  from  settle- 
ments to  the  distance  of  fifty  miles,  on  wild  and 
never  before  occupied  prairies  except  by  the  ab- 
originees,  their  minds  would,  very  naturally, 
seem  to  partake  of  the  wilderness  and  the  indif- 
ference which  characterize  the  first  settler  of 
every  new  country.  The  support  of  their 
families  must  of  necessity  be  the  first  desidera- 
tum, and  when  this  is  done,  there  was  but  little 
time  remaining  for  worship,  especially  where 
the  toils  and  difficulties  of  a  pioneer  life  had 
unnerved  the  inc'ination;  and  the  spirit  of  wliat 
is  sometimes  called  luke-warraness  prevailed  to 
some  extent. 

However,  near  the  close  of  the  first  year's  set- 
tlement, the  model  II  pilgrims  in  the  inchoate 
county  of  Bad  Ax,  had  become  somewhat  or- 
ganized; and  as  there  were  but  few  of  tlieni,  a 
spirit  of  warm  friendship  and  congeniality  very 
naturally  arose  between  them;  which  sympathy 
and  kindred  feelings  stole  unobtrusively  over 
the  min<l  and  heart,  inspiring  a  higher  devotion 
and  sense  of  obligation  to  a  higher  Being. 

In  the  summer  of  the  year  1847,  a  Mr.  Lee, 
from  Illinois,  visited  the  settlement,  and 
preached  the  first  sermon  ever  delivered  in  the 
county.  It  was  at  the  dwelling  of  Samuel  Rice. 
There  were  on  this  occasion  not  to  exceed  twelve 
hearers,  mostly  men.  During  the  delivery  of 
this  introductory  sermon  a  huge  black  bear 
passed  by  the  assembly,  whereupon  mostly  all 
the  male  portion  of  the  congregatidu  immedi- 
ately dismissed  themselves  and  went  in  puisuit 


of  the  animal,  leaving  the  minister  to  finish  his 
sermon  in  the  presence  of  the  few  remaining 
females.  Mr.  Lee  preached  occasionally  during 
the  summer  of  184'7  to  the  people  at  their  dwell- 
ings, took  a  claim  of  land  near  the  head  of  the 
branch  afterward  familiarly  known  as  "Lee's 
Branch,"  about  three  miles  northeast  of  where 
the  village  of  Viroqua  now  stands. 

"The  first  religious  service  in  the  county," 
writes  Flora  D.  Weeden,  "was  conducted  by  a 
wandering  miner,  (Mr.  Lee),  who  was  prospect- 
ing through  the  county,  stopped  over  Sabbath 
at  the  house  of  Samuel  Rice.  The  entire  set- 
tlement assembled  to  hear  him  preach.  About 
the  time  the  service  had  fairly  commenced  a 
black  bear  passed  through  the  yard.  All  the 
men  took  their  rifles  and  followed  the  bear, 
leaving  the  women  and  children  to  listen  to  the 
sermon.  I  was  then  twelve  years  old,  but  I  re- 
member the  incident.  This  occurred  in  the 
summer  of  1847." 

FIRST    CHURCH    ORGANIZED. 

The  first  Church  organized  in  what  is  now 
Vernon  county  was  by  the  Methodists.  It  was 
called  the  Bad  Ax  Church,  and  embraced  the 
whole  of  the  county  in  its  district.  In  1847 
Elder  Wood,  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  left  an  ap- 
pointment to  preach  at  the  dwelling  of  T.  J. 
De  Frees,  which  appointment  was  filled  by  Mr. 
Thomas,  formerly  of  Philadelphia,  but  at  that 
time  from  Prairie  du  Chien.  Among  the  set- 
tlers of  the  county  that  are  remembered  at  that 
date,  were  John  McCullough,  Samuel  and  Hi- 
ram Rice,  Henry  Seifert,  Mr.  Pike,  John  Gra- 
ham, T.  J.  De  Frees,  Jacob  Johnson,  John  Har- 
rison, Abram  Stiles,  Solomon  Decker,  James 
Foster,  Thomas  Gillett,  J.  A.  Cooke,  G.  A. 
Swain,  E.  P.  Kelly  and  Robert  Foster  and  their 
families. 

Mr.  Thomas  formed  a  society  of  Church 
members  during  his  labors  among  the  people 
of  the  settlement.  He  warmed  the  hearts  of 
the  hike-warm  Christians,  and  inspired  into 
them  new  life  and  higher  hopes,  encouraged 
their  zeal,  and  placed  their  feet  upon  the  high- 


124" 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


way  whither  many  of  them  continued  to  travel 
so  long  aa  they  lived.  The  first  who  joined 
this  new-born  band  of  Christians  in  the  wilder- 
ness, were  J.  A.  Cook  and  wife,  G.  A.  Swain 
and  wife,  Henry  Seifert  and  his  mother,  and 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Rice;  the  last  mentioned 
being  the  first  person  in  the  county  to  hold 
family  worship.  Ail  who  knew  her  testify  to 
her  deep  and  inward  piety,  her  true  devotion  to 
her  Savior,  and  her  love  for  everything  of  a 
sacred  character.  Mr.  Thomas  continued  preach- 
ing occasionally  in  the  settlement  during  the 
remainder  of  the  year  1847,  and  often  in  the 
following  year. 

During  the  summer  of  1849,  the  number  of 
inhabitants  had  so  increased  in  the  settlements, 
that  it  became  convenient  to  have  schools  as 
well  as  meetings  for  religious  worship;  so  the 
people  of  the  thinly  settled  district,  united  and 
put  up  a  cabin  in  the  grove  through  which  the 
road  passed,  from  Virginia  to  Liberty  Pole, 
then  called  Bad  Ax.  It  was  both  a  school 
house  and  a  church.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
(1849),  Jesse  Perdunn,  from  Grant  county,  vis- 
ited the  settlement,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
the  cabin  school  house  was  his  appointed  place 
to  preach. 

Religion  and  a  general  spirit  of  piety  at  this 
time,  began  to  pervade  the  minds  of  the  settlers 
and  prayer  and  class  meetings   were   held   fre- 


quently, at  the  dwellings  of  the  people.  J.  A. 
Cooke  led  the  first  class-meeting  that  was  held 
in  the  county,  and  from  that  time  others  began 
to  work  more  zealously  in  the  cause.  A  spirit 
of  Christian  freedom  began  to  rest  upon  the 
minds  of  the  community. 

In  the  summer  of  1849,  the  first  camp-meet- 
ing was  held  in  the  county.  It  was  near  the 
place  where  Rev.  J.  A.  Cooke  afterward  re- 
sided. Mr.  Perdunn  was  the  only  minister 
present.  Many  were  converted  and  a  large 
number  were  added  to  the  Church,  which,  at 
this  time,  had  assumed  an  active  power,  and 
wielded  a  strong  influence  throughout  the  com- 
munity; but  there  also  were  many  back-sliders. 

The  Church  continued  to  progress,  and  grad- 
ually increased  in  numbers  during  the  year  fol- 
lowing (1850);  when,  in  the  month  of  August, 
a  large  number  met  at  the  place  occupied  the 
previous  year  and  held  another  camp-meeting. 
At  this  meeting  Elder  Hobart  was  present,  Mr. 
Perdunn,  James  Bishop  and  other  ministering 
brethren.  Elder  Hobart  was  the  first  elder  to 
visit  the  Church,  and  his  district  comprised  the 
entire  State  of  Wisconsin,  north  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin river.  Mr.  Perdunn's  labors  here  closed  for 
a  few  years,  but  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  he  had  been  instrumental  in  building 
up  the  first  religious  denomination  in  the 
county. 


CHAPTER    XI 


FORMATION    AND   ORGANIZATION    OF  THE  COUNTY. 


The  territory  now  included  within  the  limits 
of  Vernon  county  wan  first  a  part  of  Crawford 
county.  The  last  mentioned  county  was  formed 
by  proclamation  of  Lewis  Cass,  governor  of 
Michigan    territory,    Oct.    2G,    1818.     An    east 


and  west  line  passing  near  the  northern  limits 
of  what  is  now  Barron  county,  separated  Craw- 
ford from  the  county  of  Michilimackinac  on 
the  north  ;  a  line  drawn  due  north  from  the 
northern  boundary  of  Illinois,  through  the  mid- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


125 


die  of  the  portage  of  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers, 
was  the  boundary  line  between  it  and  Brown 
county  on  the  east..  It  was  bounded  on  the 
south  by  Illinois,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  the  western  limit  of  the  territory. 


In  1829  Iowa  county  was   formed,  embracing 
all  that  part  of  Crawford  county  south  of  the 
Wisconsin    river,    and    including    the    islands 
therein.     In    18.34  Brown  county  was  extended 
•westward    to    the   Wisconsin    river   above  the 
portage,   leaving   that  stream  the  boundary  of 
Crawford    county  on  the  east,  as  well  as   south. 
These  are    all    the   changes   of  boundary   that 
were   made   while   the  county  remained  within 
the  jurisdiction  of    Michigan    territory.     Wis- 
consin   territory    was    formed    in    1836.      The 
northern    portion    of   it    had    previously   been 
embraced  in   the  counties   of   Michilimackinac 
and  Chippewa.     The  dividing  line  between  the 
State  of  Micliigan  and  the  territoj-y  of  Wiscon- 
sin   left    the    organization    of   those    counties 
within    the  former,  and    extinguished    them  so 
far  as  they  lay  within  the  linuts  of  the  latter; 
and,    in     18.38,    the    district    of    country    thus 
vacated,  lying  east  of  the  Mississijipl  and  Grand 
Fork  rivers  and  north  of  the  original  county  of 
Crawford,  was   attached  to  and  made  a  part   of 
that  county  for  judicial  purposes.     Thus  it  was 
that  Crawford   county   had   its  limits  virtually 
extended    to    Lake    Superior    and    the    British 
dominions,   on  the  north.     Afterward,  counties 
were    formed  at  different  times  out  of  its  terri- 
tory until,  in  1851,  it  was  reduced  to  its  present 
limits  by  the  erection  of  La  Crosse  county,  and 
also  of 

BAD  AX  COUNTY. 

The  acts  by  which  this  county  was  designated 
by  boundaries  and  named,  and  by  virtue  of 
which  it  was  fully  organized,  were  as  follows  : 

"An  act  to  divide  the  county  of  Crawford 
and  organize  the  counties  of  Bad  Ax  and  La 
Crosse . 


"  Tlie.  Pmple  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  repre- 
sented in  the  Senate  and  Assembly,  do  enact 
as  follows  : 

"Sec.  1.  All  that  portion  of  the  county  of 
Crawford  lying  between  sections  19,  20,  21,  22 
2.3  and24  in  township  11  and  township  15  north, 
of  ranges  2,  8,  4,5,  6  and  7  west,  be,  and  hereby 
is  organized  into  a  separate  county,  to  be  known 
and  called  by  the  name  of  Bad  Ax;  and  all 
that  portion  of  Crawford  county  lying  north  of 
township  number  14  north,  of  ranges  2,  3,  4,  6,  6 
and  7  be,  and  hereby  is  organized  into  a  separate 
county,  to  be  known  and  called  by  the  name  of 
La  CroBse. 

"Sec.  2.  On  the   tirst   Tuesday  in  the  month 
of  April  next,  the  electors  of  said  counties    of 
Bad   Ax   and    La    Crosse    shall,  in  addition  to 
electing  their  town  officers,  vote   tor  and   elect 
all  officers  necessary  for  a  complete  county  or- 
ganization,  and   the   county  officers   so  elected 
shall    qualify   by    bond  and  oath   as   presciibed 
by  law,  and  enter  upon   the   duties  of  their  re- 
spective offices  upon  the  third  Monday  of  May, 
and  continue  in  office  until  the  first  Monday  of 
January,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty- 
two,  and  until  their  successors  are   elected   and 
qualified.     It  is   hereby  made  the   duty  of  the 
clerk  of  the  board  of  supervisors   of  the  county 
of  Crawford   to  make  out  notices  of  such  elec- 
tions to  be  posted  in  the  respective  counties  upon 
the  publication   of  this   act;  and  the  sheriff  of 
Crawford  county  shall  cause  the  said  notices  to 
be  duly  posted  as  in  other  general  elections. 

"Sec.  3.  The  county  of  Bad  Ax  shall  remain 
one  town  until  the  board  of  town  supervisors 
shall  divide  the  same  into  three  or  more  towns 
and  the  supervisors,  town  clerk  and  town  treas- 
urer njay  act  as  and  be  county  officers  for  such 
offices  respectively. 

"Sec    4.  (This    section    refers    wholly  to    La 
Crosse  county  and  is,  therefore,  not  given). 

"Sec.  5.  (This  section  has  reference  entirely 

to  Crawford  county;  hence  it,  also,  is  omitted). 

"Sec.  (J.  From  and  after  the  third  Monday  of 

May  next,  the  said  counties  of  Bad  Ax  and  La 


126 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Crosse  shall  be  organized  for  judicial  (and) 
county  purposes,  and  for  all  purposes  and  mat- 
ters whatever,  and  the  county  of  Chippewa 
shall  be  attached  to  the  county  of  La  Crosse 
for  judicial  purposes.  The  circuit  court  shall 
be  holden  in  the  county  of  Bad  Ax  on  the 
third  Monday  of  May  and  fourth  Monday  of 
November  of  each  year,  and  in  the  county  of 
La  Crosse  on  the  fourth  Monday  of  February 
and  the  fourth  Monday  of  August  of  each  year. 
"Sec.  v.  All  writs,  process,  appeals,  suits,  re- 
cognizances, or  other  proceedings  whatever 
already  commenced,  or  that  may  hereafter  be 
commenced,  previous  to  the  third  Monday  of 
May  next,  in  the  county  or  circuit  court  of 
Crawford  county,  shall  be  prosecuted  to  a  final 
judgment,  order  or  decree,  and  execution  may 
issue  thereon  and  judgment,  order  or  decree 
may  be  carried  into  execution  in  like  manner, 
and  ihe  sheriff  of  said  county  shall  execute  all 
process  therein,  in  like  manner  as  if  this  act 
liad  not  passed,  anything  in  tliis  act  to  the  con- 
trary notwithstanding. 

"Sko.  8.  The  returns  of  all  elections  provided 
for  in  this  act  shall  be  made  for  the  county  of 
Bad  Ax  to  the  clerk  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
of  the  present  town  of  Bad  Ax,  who  shall  issue 
certificates,  within  ten  days  from  the  time  of 
holding  sucli  election,  to  the  persons  elected  to 
the  respective  offices.  The  returns  for  tlie 
county  of  La  Crosse,  shall,  so  far  as  county 
officers  are  concerned,  be  made  to  the  clerk  of 
the  board  of  town  supervisors  for  the  town  of 
Albion,  and  said  clerk  shall  issue  like  certifi- 
cates of  election  within  fifteen  days  after  said 
election,  to  the  persons  duly  elected. 

"Sec.  9.  The  county  seat  of  the  county  of 
Bsid  Ax  shall  be  at  such  place  as  the  board  of 
supervisors  shall  designate,  until  a  place  shall 
be  permanently  located  by  election  upon  that 
subject,  and  the  qualified  electors  may  vote  at 
any  election  for  the  permanent  location,  and 
the  place  (designated  by  ballot)  that  shall  have 
a    majority   of   all    the   votes    cast  upon   that 


subject,  shall  be  the  permanent  county  seat   for 
said  county. 

"Sec.   10.     The  location  of  the  county  seat  of 
La  Crosse  county,  is  provided  for  by  this  section. 
George  H.  Walker, 
Speaker  of  the  Assembly.,  j)ro  tempore. 

Samuel  W.  Beall, 
Lt.-Gov.  and  President  of  the  Senate. 
Approved  March  1,  1851. 

Nelson  Dewey." 

IL 

"An  Act  to  amend  an  act  entitled  "An  act  to 
divide  the  county  of  Crawford  and  organize  the 
counties  of  Bad  Ax  and  La  Crosse." 

Tlie  people  of  the  State  oj  Wisconsin,  represented 
in  Senate  and  Assembly,  do  enact  as  follows: 

"Sec.  1.  All  that  portion  of  the  county  of 
Crawford  included  within  the  following  bound- 
aries, shall  form  and  constitute,  and  is  hereby 
organized  into  a  separate  county  to  be  known 
and  called  by  the  name  of  Bad  Ax,  viz:  Begin- 
ning at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county  of 
Richland,  thence  running  south  on  the  range 
line  between  ranges  2  and  3  west,  to  the  north- 
east corner  of  section  24,  of  township  11,  north 
of  range  3  west,  thence  west  on  the  section  line 
to  the  boundary  line  of  this  State,  in  the  main 
channel  of  the  Mississippi  river,thence  northerly 
on  the  boundary  line  of  this  State  in  the  said 
river,  to  the  point  of  intersection  of  said  bound- 
ary line  and  the  township  line  between  town- 
ships 14  and  15  north,  thence  east  on  said 
township  line  to  the  northeast  corner  of  town- 
ship 14  north,  of  range  1  east,  thence  south  on 
the  range  line  between  i-anges  1  and  2  east,  to 
the  southeast  corner  of  township  13,  of  range  1 
east,  thence  west  on  the  township  line  between 
12  and  13  to  the  place  of  beginning.  And  ail 
of  that  portion  of  the  county  of  Crawford  lying 
north  and  northwest  of  the  said  county  of  Bad 
Ax  be,  and  hereby  is  organized  into  a  separate 
county  to  be  known  and  called  by  the  name  of 
La  Crosse. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


121 


"Sec.  2.     Section  1  of  the  act  to  which  this  is 
amendatory  Is  hereby  repealed. 

Feeoerick  W.  ITork, 
Speaker  of  the  Assembly. 
Duncan  C.  Rebi>, 
President,  pro  tempore,  of  the  Senate. 
Approved  March  1,  1851. 

Nelson  Dewey." 

Upon  the  passage  of  these  acts,  the  proper 
steps  were  taken  to  organize  the  county  as  pro- 
vided therein.  An  election  was  held  on  the 
first  Tuesday  of  April,  1851,  to  choose  all  the 
county  officers  necessary  for  a  complete  county 
organization  (a  list  of  which  is  given  in  a  subse- 
quent chapter);  and  the  officers  so  elected  were 
qualified  by  bond  and  oath  as  prescribed  by  the 
the  law  then  in  force,  on  the  third  Monday  of 
May  following,  and  on  that  day  they  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices.  At 
the  same  date,  the  first  circuit  court  was  holden, 
as  will  hereafter  be  more  fully  explained;  so 
that  then  the  wheels  of  the  county  organization 
were  all  set  in  motion.  Vernon  county,  there- 
fore, as  to  its  civil  organization,  dates  from  the 
third  Monday  of  May,  1851. 

As  provided  in  the  organic  acts  of  the 
county,  a  county  seat  was  designated  by  the 
board  of  sujjervisors,  until  a  place  should  be 
permanently  located  by  an  election  by  the  qual- 
ified voters  of  the  county.  The  place  desig- 
nated by  them  was  tlie  village  of  Vivoqua;  and 
it  was  here,  therefore,  that  the  various  officers 
entered  upon  their  duties  and  the  circuit  court 
held  its  first  session. 

It  was  provided  in  the  act  of  March  1,  1851, 
that  "the  qualified  electors  might  vote  at  any 
election  for  the  permanent  location"  of  the 
county  seat;  and  the  place  (designated  by 
ballot)  that  should  have  a  majority  of  all  the 
votes  cast  upon  that  subject,  should  be  the  per- 
manent county  seat  for  the  county.  Some 
thought  the  election,  when  called,  ought  to  be 
by  the  county  board  of  supervisors.  Looking 
to  the  calling  of  such  an  election,  the  following 


petition  was   handed  to    the  clerk  of    the  board 
and  filed  Nov.  1,  1851: 

"We,  tlie  undersigned,  citizens  of  the  county 
of  Bad  Ax,  request  the  supervisors  of  Bad  Ax 
county  to  call  an  election  on  the  10th  day  of 
January,  1852,  *  *  *  for  locating  the 
county  seat. 

R.  Dunlap,  Rufus  Gillet, 

George  S.  McGormick,  L.  A.  Pierce, 

T.  J.  De  Frees,  Eldad  Inman, 

Gyrus  F.  Gillett,  James  M.  Bailey, 

Moses  Decker,  A.  Latshaw, 

J.  A.  Gooke,  Isaac  S.  Decker." 

But  this  petition,  either  because  the  board 
thought  the  day  set  was  too  soon,  or  that  they 
doubted  their  authority  to  call  an  election,  was 
not  acted  upon  by  the  supervisors. 

To  remove  all  difficulties  and  doubts  concern- 
ing the  calling  of  the  election  and  fixing  upon  a 
day  when  it  should  be  held,  the  Legislature 
passed  as  an  act,  which  was  approved  by  the 
governor  on  the  14tli  of  April,  1852,  in  these 
words: 

"An  act  to  permanently  locate  the  county  seat 
of  Bad  Ax  county. 

"  The  pieople  of  the    State   of    Wisconsin,  repre- 
sented in  Senate  and  Assembly,  do  enact  as  fol- 
lows : 
"Sec.   I.  The   qualified  electors  of  the  couTily 

of  Bad  Ax  shall  be  and  are  hereby  authorized 
to  vote  for  the  permanent  location  of  the  county 
seat  of  said  county,  at  an  election  hereby  au- 
tiiorized  to  be  held  therein  on  Tuesday,  the 
25th  day  of  May,  1852,  and  polls  shall  be  opened 
at  the  usual  places  of  liolding  elections,  which 
shall  be  conducted  in  the  same  manner  as  is 
provided  by  law  for  conducting  general  elec- 
tions. 

Sec.  2.  The  sheriff  of  said  couiily  shall  give 
at  least  ten  day's  notice  of  said  election  by  post- 
ing or  causing  to  be  posted  three  written  or 
printed  notices,  in  public  places  in  the  vicinity 
of  each  place  where  the  polls  are  to  be  lield, 
which  notice  shall  state  the  object  and  the  lime 
and  place  of  holding  the  same;  and  the  affidavit 


128 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


of  the  person  or  persons  posting  the  same  shall 
be  filed  with  the  clerk  of  the  board  of  supervi- 
sors previous  to  the  canvass  by  the  board  of 
county  canvassers. 

"Sec.  3.  It  shall  be  competent  and  lawful  for 
each  qualified  elector,  as  specified  in  the  first 
section  of  this  act,  to  vote  at  said  election  for 
such  place  as  he  may  think  proper  to  designate, 
for  the  permanent  county  seat  of  said  county; 
each  ballot  to  contain  the  words  written  or 
printed  or  partly  written  and  partly  printed: 
"For  permanent  county  seat  (naming  the  place)" 
and  no  vote  shall  be  thrown  out  by  the  in. 
specters  for  any  irregularity,  if  the  intention  of 
tliy  elector  is  clearly  specified. 

"Sec.  4.  The  votes  given  at  such  election 
shall  be  canvassed  by  tlie  inspector.";,  and  re- 
turned as  provided  by  law  to  the  clerk  of  the 
board  of  supervisors,  within  one  week  from  the 
time  of  holding  said  election. 

"Sbc.  5.  On  the  Tuesday  next  succeeding  the 
election,  the  board  of  county  canvassers,  as 
chosen  under  the  provisions  of  law,  shall  meet 
at  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors of  said  county,  and  proceed  to  make  an 
estimate  and  statement  of  the  voles  cast,  as 
follows:  They  shall  make  duplicate  statements, 
written  out  in  words  at  length,  of  the  whole 
number  of  votes  given  ai  said  election,  and  the 
names  of  the  places  voted  for  for  county  seat, 
and  the  number  of  votes  each  said  place  re- 
ceived, which  said  statement  shall  be  certified 
as  correct,  and  attested  by  the  signatures  of  the 
said  county  canvassers,  one  of  which  statements 
shall  be  filed  in  the  ofiice  of  the  clerk  of  the 
board  of  supervisors  and  recorded  in  a  suitable 
book  provided  for  that  purpose,  and  the  ether 
shall  forthwith  be  forwarded  to  the  secretary 
of  State,  to  be  by  him  tiled  in  his  office,  and  the 
said  secretary  shall  forthwith  publish  in  the 
newspaper  in  which  the  laws  of  the  State  are 
officially  published,  a  certified  copy  of  such 
statement.  If  it  shall  appear  from  the  state- 
ment so  made,  that  any  one  place  has  received 
a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  at  such  election. 


then  such  place  shall    be  deemed  and   declared 
to  be  the  permanent  county  seat  of  said  county. 

"Sec.  6.  If,  upon,  canvassing  the  votes 
as  provided  for  in  the  preceding  section  of  this 
act,  it  shall  appear  that  no  place  has  received  a 
majority  of  all  the  votes  cast,  then  a  new  elec- 
tion for  choosing  a  location  for  permanent 
county  seat,  shall  be  held  on  Tuesday,  the  29th 
day  of  June,  A.  D.  1852;  and  the  sheriff  shall 
cause  like  notice  to  be  given  of  the  election  so 
ordered,  and  proof  of  the  posting  up  of  such 
notices  shall  be  made  as  is  provided  in  section 
2  of  this  act;  which  notices  shall  also  contain 
the  further  statement  of  the  names  of  the  two 
places  having  the  highest  number  of  votes  for 
permanent  county  seat  at  the  preceding  elec- 
tion, and  no  vote  cast  at  such  second  election 
shall  be  counted  unless  it  designate  the  name 
of  one  of  the  two  places  having  the  highest 
number  of  votes  at  the  previous  election. 

"Sec.  7.  The  votes  cast  at  such  second  elec- 
tion shall  be  canvassed  by  the  inspectors  and 
returned  to  the  clerk  of  the  board  of  supervi- 
sors within  one  week  after  such  election,  and 
on  the  Tuesdiy  next  succeeding  such  election, 
they  shall  be  opened  by  the  county  canvassers, 
and  duplicate  statements  thereof  made,  and  a 
certified  copy  of  such  statements  shall  be  pub- 
lished by  the  Secretary  of  State,  as  provided 
in  section  5,  and  the  place  having  the  highest 
number  of  votes  at  such  election,  shall  be 
deemed  and  declared  to  be  the  permanent 
county  seat  of  said  county. 

"Seo.  8.  This  act  shall  take  effect  from  and 
after  its  passage. 

J.  McM.  Shaftee, 
S2yeaker  of  the  Assetnhlij. 
E.   B.  Dean,  Jr., 
President  pro  tern,  of  the  Senute. 

Approved  April  14,  1852. 

Leonard  J.  Farwell. 

[Published  May  12,  1852.] 

In  accordance  with  the  iirovisions  of  the  act 
just  given,  an  election  was  held  on  Tuesday, 
the  25th  day  of  May,  1852,  to  determine  where 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


129 


the  permanent  county  seat  of  Bad  Ax  county 
shoulfl  be  located.  There  were  but  two  places 
competing  for  the  prize — Viroqua  and  Spring- 
ville.  Viroqua  won;  and  tlie  county  seat  has 
ever  since  remained  there. 

ORICIM  OF  "bad  ax"    unknown. 

The  name  given  to  the  county  by  the  Legis- 
lature wlien  it  passed  the  bill  for  its  for- 
mation was  suggested  by  Thomas  J.  DeFrees. 
Although  it  proved  to  be  an  unfortunate  sug- 
gestion, it  was  one  very  natural  to  be  made  ;  as 
this  part  of  the  county  of  Crawford  previous  to 
the  formation  of  Vernon,  formed  a  part  of  tlie 
town  of  Bad  Ax;besides  the  principal  river  which 
rises  within  its  limits  was  known  by  the  same 
name.  It  was  because  this  stream  was  so  called, 
that  gave  name  to  the  battle  fought  below  its 
mouth  between  the  Americans  and  the  Indians 
under  Black  Hawk — "Battle  of  Bad  Ax" — as 
explained  in  a  previous  chapter.  And  it,  too, 
gave  name  to  the  town  of  Bad  Ax.  It  may  be 
said,  therefore,  that  the  county  was  named  from 
the  Bad  Ax  river,  a  description  of  which  has 
already  been  given. 

We  now  come  to  the  origin  of  the  name;  and 
here  we  are  met  (or  confronted)  by  three  dift'ei-- 
ent  traditions,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  the- 
ories. 

(1.)  It  has  been  claimed  that  the  term  "Bad 
Ax,"  is  derived  from  the  Indian  word  31iiine- 
sheik,  the  Indian  name  of  the  river.  But,  while 
it  is  true,  that  the  Indians  called  what  is  nOw 
known  as  the  Bad  Ax,  by  the  name  Minnesheik, 
it  is  not  true  that  the  meaning  of  the  latter  is 
Bad  Ax.  It  lias  no  such  signification  in  the  lan- 
guage of  any  of  the  tribes  who  have  for  the  last 
200   years,    inhabited    this    region   of    country. 

(2.)  It  has  been  stated  that  the  origin  of  the 
name  was  because  of  the  failure  of  the  Indians 
who  lived  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  to  make 
good  axes  ont  of  the  stone  to  be  found  there,  on 
account  of  their  softness.  But  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  and  the  Wiunebagoes  were  furnished 
with  steel  implements  by  the  fur-traders  long 
before   either    of    these   tribes    lived  upon   the 


Mississippi,  or  any  of  its  branches.  This  tradi- 
tion, therefore,  must  fall  to  the  ground,  for  the 
reason  that  the  name  was  never  applied  to  the 
river  until  the  Winnebagoes  took  possession 
of  the  county,  as  will  hereafter  be  fully 
shown.  But  there  is  another  reason  why  the 
theory  is  an  absurd  one,  and  that  is,  the  pres- 
ent race  of  red  men  do  not  make  stone  axes.  It 
is  the  work  of  a  forgotten  people. 

(.').)  It  has  often  been  stated  that  the  term 
/)«(/ «,r,  as  applied  to  the  river,  is  a  corruption 
of  the  French  bateaux,  the  story  being,  that  a 
French  trader  once  anchored  hjs  bateaux  at  the 
mouth  of  the  stream,  and  the  Indians  ever  af- 
ter applied  the  term  they  heard  him  pronounce 
frequently,  to  the  river.  But,  this  theory  has 
evidently  been  started  by  some  one  who  had  no 
knowledge  how  bateaux  is  pronounced.  No 
French  trader  would  give  the  sound  of  ks  to  the 
.);  in  the  word,  but  would  pronounce  it  bat-oze; 
and  this  certainly,  could  never  have  suggested 
bad  ax.  And  to  make  the  matter  still  more  ab- 
surd, it  is  said  the  Indians  could  not  pronounce 
bateaii.r  at  all,  but  gave  the  word  as  near  as  they 
could,  which  sounded  to  English  ears  a,s  bad  ax. 
Now,  any  one  who  has  heard  a  Sac  or  Fox  In- 
dian or  Winnebago  speak  French,  will  testify 
that  the  word  bateaux  can  be  pronounced  by  an 
Indian  perfectly,  and  with  ease.  It  may  be 
stated,  therefore,  with  certainty,  that  the  ori- 
gin of  the  name,  as  ap]i!ied  to  the  Bad  Ax  river, 
i'i  wholly  unknown. 

Nearly  all  the  early  maps  of  the  upper  Mis- 
sissippi river  have  the  Bad  Ax  noted  on  them, 
but  by  a  different  name.  It  is  always  called 
"R.  au  Canot,"  that  is,  "Canoe  river."  It  is  sh 
marked  on  Senex,  1715;  De  Fer,  1  7]  8;  Howen, 
1752;  Popple,  1773.  On  the  following  maps,  it 
is  noted  as  "Canoe  River;"'  Kitchen,  177:^; 
F.iden,  I  777;  Pownal,  1779;  Jeffrey,  1779;  Lewis, 
1795;  Map  United  States,  1804.  It  first  appears 
as  "Bad  Ax  river,"  on  Farmer's  "Map  of  uuis- 
consin,"  1830.  It  is  also  seen  on  Burr,  If^'iO;  on 
Mitchell,  1838;  and  on  Ilinman,  same  date.  It 
is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  first  name    given 


130 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


to  the  river  was  Canoe,  and  that  the  name  Bad 
Ax,  is  a  modern  one.  one  that  was  not  applied 
to  it  until  after  the  TTinnebagoes  took  posses- 
sion of  this  portion  of  the  State. 

UNPOPULARITY    OF    "BAD  AX." 

The  name  Bad  Ax  proved  to  be  an  unpopular 
one  and  the  project  of  changing  it  had  been 
impressed  on  the  minds  of  some  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  county,  for  a  lengtli  of 
time.  The  word  seemed,  and  in  truth,  did 
sound  "  Bad"-ly  at  home  and  abroad  ;  and,  it 
was  thought,  it  served  to  discourage  emigration. 
The  papers  abroad  took  it  up  and  advocated  a 
change.  The  follow  is  from  the  Chicago  Trib- 
une of  1861  : 

"The  general  impression  gained  of  Bad  Ax 
county  is  an  unfavorable  one.  It  is  looked  upon 
as  a  back  woods  country,  out  of  the  way  and 
out  of  the  world.  It  is  also  looked  upon  as  a 
rough,  hilly  country,  of  rather  poor  soil,  and 
destitute  of  i)rairies  and  water — in  fact  a  country 
where  a  man  must  dig  out  an  existence  by  hard 
labor,  and  get  a  poor  living  at  that.  Such  I  am 
warranted  in  saying  is  the  general  impression, 
for,  having  been  somewhat  of  a  traveler  on  the 
Mississippi,  I  have  heard  its  character  freely 
commented  upon  by  travelers,  as  they  were 
passing  bj  its  western  border.  There  has  been 
much  misapprehension  on  this  point,  and  I 
think  it  has  all  arisen  from  the  'Bad'  in  its  name. 

"Withcuit  going  into  the  history  of  the  name, 
or  why  it  was  given  to  this  county,  and  the  river 
which  runs  through  it,  I  will  say  that  "Minne- 
.sheik"  is  said  to  be  the  Indian  word  for  "Bad 
Ax,"  and  the  probability  'ih,  that  another  year 
will  not  elapse  before  the  name  of  Bad  Ax  will 
be  changed  tor  that  of  the  pretty  sounding  In- 
dian name — "Minnesheik."  The  people  of  this 
county  feel  that  there  is  something  repulsive 
in  the  name  "Bad  Ax,"  and  inasmuch  as  they 
have  just  as  fine  and  as  rich  soil  as  there  is  in 
Wisconsin,  thej' propose  to  have  hereafter,  as 
a  good  name.  They  believe  tliere  is  really 
something  in  a  name,  and  they  want  a  good 
one." 


Exactly  when  the  first  proposition  was  made 
to  have^the  name  of  the  county  (Bad  Ax, 
changed  is  unknown  ;  and  it  would  be  of  little 
importance  if  it  could  be  determined.  It  is  cer- 
tain, however,  that  as  early  as  1856,  it  had 
commenced  to  be  agitated  in  a  public  way. 
A  lady  correspondent  of  the  Western  Times,  in 
a  communication  appearing  in  the  issue  of 
Oct.  '25,  1856,  says  : 

"In  a  July  number  of  the  Times  (not  found), 
I  noticed  a  proposition  to  change  the  name  of 
our  county.  As  the  subject  has  been  broached 
allow  me  to  'agitate'  the  matter  a  little  further. 
I  expected  to  see  the  name  of  Fremont  or  Day- 
ton, or  some  other  hero  proposed  for  a  substi- 
tute. It  is  all  right  and  proper  that  those  men 
should  receive  all  the  honor  their  friends 
would  confer  upon  them.  Indeed,  I  hope  Fie- 
mont  will  be  elected  to  the  Presidential  chair, 
and  I  would  vote  for  him  myself  if  you  men 
would  let  me.  But  while  I  would  give  him 
due  credit  for  his  valor,  there  are  heroines,  or 
one  at  least,  in  your  village  (of  Viroqua)  that 
has  displayed  courage  equal  lo  that  which 
would  .explore  the  Rocky  Mountains  or  face  a 
cannon's  mouth. 

"A  woman  who  would  be  the  first  to  settle  in 
the  wilderness,  among  savages  and  barbaiians, 
without  a  female  companion,  deserves  the 
respect  and  honor  that  would  be  acceded  to  a 
man  that  had  been  'through  the  wars.'  As  a 
tribute  of  our  respect,  I  motion  that  the  name  of 
our  county  be  changed  to  that  of  Ellen.  I 
think  it  would  be  a  pretty  name  ;  at  the  same 
time  it  would  show  to  the  woman  that  we 
appreciate  her  services  in  commencing  a  set- 
tlement in  this  rich  and  beautiful  county. 

"The  name  as  it  now  is,  is  ridiculed  by 
'Yankees,'  only  that  they  think  it  should  be 
'Bad  Acts'  instead  of  'Bad  Ax.'  Give  us  a 
name  that  we  need  not  be  ashamed  of." 

"W#  have  always  been  in  favor,"  says  the 
Northwestern  Times,  of  Nov.  7,  1860,  "of  chang- 
ing the  name  of  this  county — its  present  name 
is  without  any  good  origin  and  without  mean 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


131 


ing.  We  have  used  all  the  means  in  our  power 
to  find  out  the  origin  or  cause  of  its  present 
name,  and  we  think  Judge  Knowlton  the  best 
authority. 

"He  says  that  when  this  whole  region  was 
populated  by  Indians,  a  French  trader  came  up 
to  the  mouth  of  the  stream  known  as  Bad  Ax, 
in  a  bateaux  loaded  with  goods,  anchored  his 
craft  there,  and  opened  trade  with  the  redmen. 
The  Indians  could  not  pronounce  the  name 
bateaux,  and  the  nearest  they  could  come  to  it 
was  to  utter  a  sound  which  degenerated  into 
Bad  Ax.  After  this,  the  stream  which  the 
Indians  called  Minneskeik,  was  called  Bad  Ax*, 
and  when  the  county  was  erected  it  was  called 
Bad  Ax  county;  and  now  we  have  Bad  Ax 
county.  Bad  Ax  city,  Bad  Ax  village.  North 
and  South  Bad  Ax  rivers— Bad  Ax  enough  to 
chop  all  humanity  to  piecesj. 

"If  the  name,''  continues  the  editor,  "of  our 
county  must  correspond  with  tradition,  let  us 
change  it  at  once  back  to  Bateaux,  and  give  it 
a  name  that  has  some  meaning.  But  we  are  in 
favor  of  giving  it  a  good  one  while  we  are 
about  it;  and  we  have  no  particular  objection  to 
calling  it  Minnesheik,  after  its  principal  river, 
though  we  could  select  a  name  that  we  like  bet- 
ter than  this.  But  let  us  have  a  name  that 
strangers  will  not  pronounce  with  a  thrill  of 
horror  as  they  do  the  name  of  Bad  Ax." 

In  November,  1860,  the  Milwaukee  Sentinel 
published  the  following  from  a  La  Crosse  cor- 
respondent : 

"A  few  days  since,  having  received  an  invi- 
tation from  a  friend  to  accompany  him  on  a 
speech-making  trip,  I  turned  my  horses  heads 
towards  the  county  now  known  as  Bad  Ax.  I 
had  been  here  once  before  and  was  then  agree- 
ably surprised  at  the  nature  and  character  of 
the  country  that  was  opened  to  my- vision. 
Judging  from  the  name.  Bad  Ax,  I  had  been 
led    to  believe  that  the  county   was    bad — de- 

*We  have  just  shown  the  fallacy  of  this  supposed  origin  of 
the  term. 

tAt  this  time  (18831  there  is  but  one  "Bad  Ax"  left  in  the 
Bounty,  and  that  one  is  the  original— Bad  Ax  river. 


cidedly  so.  I  had  supposed  that  it  was  not 
only  rough,  but  all  timbered,  and  of  a  rather 
thin  and  poor  soil.  As  to  my  suppositions  and 
conjectures,  erroneous  as  they  have  been,  I 
believed  they  were  the  same  as  entertained  by 
the  community  generally.  I  have  traveled  not 
a  little  on  the  Mississippi  and  have  heard  trav- 
elers express  their  opinions,  and  then  most 
always  given  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  as 
though  there  was  something  repulsive  in  the 
name.  Bad  Ax. 

"The  people  of  this  most  nourishing  county 
feel  that  there  is  something  in  a  name  ;  and 
they  feel  justly  that  they  have  been  entirely 
lost  sight  of;  that  they  are  regarded  as  in  the 
back  woods  and  of  not  much  account  ;  and 
they  are  inclined  to  think  it  is  on  account  of 
the  'Bad'  there  is  in  the  name  of  their  county  ; 
for,  certainly,  there   is  nothing  bad  in    its   soil. 

"Minnesheik  is  said  to  be  an  Indian  word  for 
Bad  Ax  ;  *  and  in  all  probability,  application 
will  be  made  at  the  next  session  of  the  Legis- 
lature for  a  change  of  name;  and,  if  granted, 
Bad  Ax  county  will  follow  the  example  set  in 
other  portions  of  the  State,  of  adopting  and 
retaining  the  more  euphonious  and  prettier 
sounding  Indian  name,  and  of  discarding  such 
a  senseless,  jaw-breaking  appellation  as  'Bad 
Ax.'" 

CHANGING  THE  NAME  TO  "VEBNON." 

Finally,  when  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk  was  in  the 
Legislature,  in  1862,  W.  F.  Terhune  prepared 
petitions  and  circulated  them  throughout  the 
county  for  signatures,  asking  the  Legislature  to 
change  the  name,  but  without  designating  a 
substitute.  And  here  we  introduce  a  letter  of 
Gov.  Rusk,  addressed  to  the  editor,  explan.itory 
of  what  followed  : 

"Executive  Chamber, 
Madison,  Wis.,  October  29,  ISB-S. 
"Dear  Sir  : 
"Mauy    of  the  leading  citizens  of  the   county 
believed   that  the    name    Bad   Ax  was  a  detri- 
*Thi8  is  an  error  ;  it  has  previously  liecn  discussed  in  thi« 
•hapter. 


132 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ment  to  the  future  prosperity  of  the  county. 
The  Hon.  William  F.  Terhune  went  east  about 
1859,  and  when  he  returned  he  was  thoroughly 
convinced  that  the  name  of  the  county  was  a 
great  detriment  to  it,  and  from  that  time  he 
strongly  urged  the  change.  An  eifort  was 
made  to  change  the  name  in  1800.  In  1861  I 
was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  and  a  very  strong 
petition  was  signed  and  presented  tome,  urging 
the  change  to  something  else,  but  not  designa- 
ting what.  At  that  time  I  was  not  very  favora- 
ble to  the  change  ;  but  when  the  Legislature 
convened  I  became  thoroughly  convinced  that 
the  name  was  a  detriment  to  the  county.  When- 
^ever  I  rose  and  addressed  the  chair,  and  the 
speaker  recognized  "the  gentlemen  from  Bad 
Ax,"  every  body  in  the  chamber  turned  to  look 
at  the  member  to  see  if  he  looked  like  the  rest 
of  tlie  members.  I  immediately  wrote  Judge 
Terhune  to  select  a  name  and  I  would  do  what 
I  could  to  make  the  change.  Judge  Terhune 
sent  me  the  name  "Vernon,"  and  the  bill  was 
presented  and  passed  that  Legislature. 

Yours  very  truly, 

J.  M.  RusK.i' 
Mr.  Terbune  found  much  trouble  in  selecting 
a  new  name  that  was  pleasing  to  the  people. 
Some  thought  it  should  be  Wheatland  ;  others 
suggested  Minnesheik,  as  already  noticed  ;  and 
other  names  had  advocates.  Finally,  Mr.  Ter- 
hune hit  upon  the  name  of  Vernon  as  a  kind  of 
compromi-ie.  The  reason  for  its  suggestion  was 
that  the  root  of  the  word  (greenness)  was  appli- 
cable not  to  the  people  but  to  the  general 
appearance  of  the  county,  covered  as  it  was  in 
many  ])lace8  with  green  wheat  fields.  Besides 
this,  the  word  was  eu))honic  and  carried  with  it 
a  pleasing  association  with  Mt.  Vernon  the 
home  (as  is  well  known)  of  the  Father  of  his 
Country,  during  his  lifetime.  These  considera- 
tions induced  Mr.  Terhune  to  believe  that  the 
word  would  be,  as  it  proved,  generally  accepta- 
V)le  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  county  ;  and  he 
sent  it  forward  as  Gov.  Rusk  states  in  his  letter 
just  given. 


The  bill  introdued  by  Hon.  J.  M.  Rusk  and 
which  passed  the  Legislature  was  as  follows  : 
("Published  March  28,  1862). 

"An  Act  to  change  the  name  of  Bad  Ax 
county  to  that  of  Vernon. 

'■'■  The  jteople  of  the    State   of    Wisconsin,   repre- 
sented in  the  Senate  and  Assembly,  do  enact  as 

follows : 

"Sec.  1.  The  name  of  Bad  Ax  county, 
in  this  State,  is  hereby  changed  to  Vernon 
county,  and  by  this  latter  name  tlie  said  county 
shall  be  called  and  known  in  popular  nomencla- 
ture and  in  law,  in  all  places  and  for  all  pur- 
poses ;  and  whenever,  in  any  law  of  this  State, 
and  in  all  deeds,  mortgages  and  public  records, 
the  words  "Bad  An"  occur,  having  reference  to 
said  county  of  Bad  Ax,  (now  county  of  Vernon) 
said  words  shall  be  construed  and  understood  in 
the  same  manner  as  if  the  word  "Vernon"  were 
l)rinted  or  written  in  lieu  thereof. 

"Skc.  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect  and 
be  in  force  from  and  after  the  1st  day  of  May, 
A.  D.  1862. 

"Approved  March  22,  1862." 

A  correspondent  of  the  Vernon  County  Cen- 
sor, in  writing  to  that  paper,  March  10,  1869, 
thinks  the  change  of  name  worked  a  great 
change  in  the  prospects  of  the  county.  He 
says  :      - 

"For  many  years,  the  county,  of  which  Vi- 
rocpia  is  the  county  seat,  labored  under  a  great 
disadvantage  in  consequence  of  her  taking  to 
herself  a  name  that  had  neither  meaning  nor 
sense.  Why  the  settlers  of  the  county  suffered 
the  name  of  Bad  Ax  to  be  fa.stened  on  them 
cannot  now  be  ascertained.  That  the  name 
blasted  the  county  so  long  as  it  was  retained,  is 
a  fact  patent  to  all.  As  soon  as  the  name  was 
ch  nged  to  Vernon,  the  whole  county  began  to 
flourish,  and  now  Vernon  county  has  no  small 
influence  in  the  State.  She  has  quite  an  array 
of  public  men,  too,  whose  names  are  well 
known  throughout  Wisconsin  ;  such  as  Rusk, 
Priest,Purday,  Graham,  Terhune,  Butt,  Newell 
and  others." 


mMJ  ^4^^ 


-rj-li.-  :.     A.  YORK  I 
PUBLIC  Ll3iXKR'f| 

*5T0R,  LENOX  *«• 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


136 


EFFORTS  TO    FORM    A    NEW    COUNTY. 

About  the  ye.ar  1S59  there  began  a  county 
seat  war  of  a  mild  form  in  Crawford  county. 
The  southern  portion  of  thiit  county  wanted  it 
to  remain  at  Prairie  du  Chien  while  the  north- 
erners desired  to  have  it  removed  to  Dagget's 
Knob.  The  result  was  a  ''secession  movement" 
at  the  village  of  De  Soto  which  lies  in  both 
Crawford  and  Vernon  (then  Bad  Ax)  counties. 
The  denizens  of  this  village  and  the  country 
round  about  took  it  into  their  heads  to  form  a 
new  county  out  of  the  northern  part  of  Craw- 
ford and  southern  part  of  Vernon.  Could  this 
be  accomplished,  then  De  Soto  would  be  just 
the  place  for  the  county  seat,  of  course. 

Pursuant  to  notice,  then,  the  citizens  of  tlie 
towns  of  Wlieatiand,  Sterling  and  Franklin,  in 
Bad  Ax  county,  and  of  Freeman  and  Utica  in 
Crawford  county,  held  a  meeting  at  the  school 
house  in  Sterling,  on  Wednesday,  Jan.  2,  1861, 
"to  consider  the  propriety  of  certain  changes  in 
the  dividing  line  of  said  counties,"  but  in  reality 
to  promote  a  new  county  movement.  The  meet- 
ing was  called  to  order  by  Dr.  Bean,  of  Ster- 
ling, in  the  chair,  and  J.  C.  Kurtz,  of  Wheat- 
land, secretary.  The  chairman,  in  some  appro- 
priate remarks,  stated  the  object  of  the  meet- 
ing. He  was  followed  by  Messrs.  Crittenden, 
Carlyle,  Ferguson,  Sterling,  McMinn,  Cate  and 
others;  when,  on  motion,  a  committee  of  three, 
consisting  of  A.  Carlyle,  C.  G.  Allen  and  A. 
Crittenden,  was  appointed  to  draft  resolutions 
expressive  of  the  wishes  of  the  meeting.  The 
committee  submitted  the  following  resolutions, 
which  were  adopted: 

"■Resolved,  That,  in  the  o])inion  of  this  meet- 
ing, the  present  line  dividing  the  counties  of 
Crawford  and  Bad  Ax — -dividing  township  11 
— is  detrimental  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  south  half  of  said  township 
I  1,  now  situated  in  the  limits  of  Crawford  county 
and  that  the  said  county  line  should  be  removed 
to  tlie  line  between  townships  10  and  11. 

"Resolved,  That,  in  the  opinion  of  the  meet- 
ing, the  pecuniary  interests  of  a  portion  of  Bad 


Ax  and  Crawford  counties  would  be  materially 
promoted  by  the  establishment  and  organiza- 
tion of  a  new  county,  with  the  county  seat  lo- 
cated on  the  Mississippi  river." 

A  committee  of  three,  consisting  of  J.  C. 
Beny,  of  Wheatland;  C.  B.  Whiting  &  Co. 
and  D.  A.  Bean,  of  Sterling,  was  then  appointed 
to  draft  a  map  designating  the  boundary  lines 
of  the  proposed  new  county  and  to  a  meeting 
when  practicable  "to  determine  on  the  same." 
But  this  ended  the  new  county  movement  in 
that  region. 

By  the  year  1866,  so  great  was  felt  to  be  the 
inconvenience  of  being  so  far  from  the  county 
seat  as  were  the  inhabitants  of  the  six  eastern 
towns  of  the  county,  that  they  made  a  protracted 
effort  to  have  tlie  county  divided,  so  that  Hills- 
borough, Greenwood,  Forest,  Union,  Whites- 
town  and  Stark,  with  adjoining  towns,  either  on 
the  north,  east  or  south,  as  they  might  be  able 
to  obtain  them  as  companions,  would  form  a 
new  county.  Petitions  were  sent  in  to  the 
Legislature  in  favor  of  a  division.  But  it  was 
soon  found  that  nothing  could  be  got  from  ad- 
joining counties  to  help  on  the  movement — 
nothing  could  be  got  from  the  north;  nothing 
from  the  south;  and  finally  the  two  towns  to 
the  east  which  had  been  confidently  counted 
upon,  could  not  be  had. 

But  the  friends  of  the  new  county  were  not 
disheartened,  and  at  once  concluded  that  they 
would  form  a  county  out  of  Hillsborough, 
Greenwood,  Forest,  Union,  Whitestown  and 
Stark— six  towns— proposing,  however,  to  re- 
main attached  to  Vernon  county  for  judicial 
purposes,  so  as  to  avoid  the  expense  of  erecting 
county  l)uilding8,  and  a  bill  was  introduced  in 
the  Assembly  at  Madison  for  that  purpose.  But 
the  principal  argument  against  the  new  meas- 
ure was  that,  if  the  towns  remained  attached  to 
Vernon  for  judicial  purposes,  they  would  derive 
little  or  no  benefit  from  a  separation,  as  the 
principal  necessity  for  it  was  the  inconvenience 
of   attending   court  so   far  away  as  Viroqua;  so 


136 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  measure  was  strangled  in  its  infancy,  and 
has  never  siace  been  seriously  agitated. 

A  bill,  supported  by  numerous  petitions,  was, 
in  1870,  introduced  into  the  Assembly  by  Mr. 
Bennett,  for  the  erection  of  a  new  county  to  be 
called  Sheridan,  and  to  embrace  the  towns  of 
Hillsborough,  Greenwood,  Union,  Forest, 
Whitestown  and  Stark,  in  Vernon  county;  the 
towns  of  Wellington,  Glendale,  Clifton  and 
Wilton,  in  Monroe  county;  the  town  of  Wone- 
woc,  in  Juneau  county,  and  the  town  of  Wood- 
land, in  Sauk  county.  Petitions  circulated  in 
some  portions  of  the  proposed  new  county  also 
called  for  the  town  of  Sheldon,  in  Monroe 
county,  but  these  received  a  limited  circulation. 

Had  the  bill  passed,  four  counties  would 
vote  on  the  question,  as  all  those  named  came 
within  the  constitutional  provision.  "No 
county  with  an  area  of  900  square  miles  or  less, 


shall  be  divided  or  have  any  part  stricken 
therefrom,  without  submitting  the  question  to 
a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  county,  nor  unless  a 
majority  of  all  the  legal  voters  of  the  county 
voting  on  the  question  shall  vote  for  the  same." 
Vernon,  Monroe,  Juneau  and  Sauk  all  contain 
areas  wliich  make  this  constitutional  provision 
apply  to  them. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  Vernon  county  the 
people  were  quite  generally  in  favor  of  the 
measure;  and  it  is  probable,  that  had  the  scheme 
reached  a  vote,  the  six  towns  in  Vernon  county 
would  have  been  in  favor  of  the  new  county  of 
Sheridan.  But  the  bill  did  not  pass  even  the 
Assembly;  so  the  movement  was  strangled  in  its 
early  infancy;  and  Vernon  county  of  to-day 
(1883),  is  exactly,  in  extent,  the  Vernon  county 
formed  by  the  act  of  March  1,  1851;  but  in  all 
else,  how  changed! 


CHAPTER    XII. 


TERRITORIAL,  STATE  AND  CONGRESSIONAL  REPRESENTATION. 


The  settlers  who  had  located  in  what  is  now 
Vernon  county,  before  Wisconsin  became  a 
State,  were  represented  of  course,  as  citizens  of 
Crawford  county,  in  the  territorial  council  and 
house  of  representatives.  We  commence  the 
record  of  this  representation  with  the  first  year 
of  the  settlement  of  what  afterward  became 
Vernon  county. 

I. TERRITORIAL    REPRESENTATION. 

Council. — Wiram  Knowlton,  1845-46;  Benja- 
min F.  Manahan,  1847-48. 

Representatives.  —  James  Fisher,  1845-46; 
Joseph  W.  Furber,  1847;  Henry  Jackson,  1847- 
48. 

II. STATE    REPRESENTATION. 

Constitutional   Conventions. 
The  first  constitutional  convention  assembled 
at  Madison  on  the  5th  day  of  October,  1846,  and 


adjourned  on  the  16th  day  of  December,  1846, 
having  framed  a  constitution,  which  was  sub- 
mitted to  a  vote  of  the  people  on  the  first  Tues- 
day in  April,  1847,  and  the  same  was  rejected. 
Tlie  member  of  this  convention  from  Craw- 
ford county,  was  Peter  A.  R.  Brace. 

The  second  convention  assembled  at  Madison, 
on  the  15th  day  of  December,  1847,  and  ad- 
journed on  the  1st  of  February,  1848,  having 
framed  a  constitution  which  was  submitted  to  a 
vote  of  the  people  on  the  second  Monday  in 
March  following,  and  the  same  was  adopted. 
The  convention  was  constituted  as  follows: 
Messrs.  Samuel  W.  Beall,  Warren  Chase,  Stod- 
dard Judd,  Theodore  Prentiss,  Garret  M.  Fitz- 
gerald and  Frederick  S.  Lovell,  being  the  only 
members    of    the   first   convention    who    were 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


137 


elected  to  the  second;  the  members  of  the  first, 
in  almost  every  county,  declining  a  re-election. 
The  member  of  the  second  convention,  Daniel 
G.  Fenton,  represented  the  counties  of  Chip- 
pewa and  Crawford. 

Legislatures. 

(1.)  Senate.— 'Y'hud  district,  D.  G.  Fenton, 
1848;  James  Fisher,  1849;  James  Fisher,  1850; 
Hiram  A.  Wright,  1851;  Hiram  A.  Wright, 
1852.  Nineteenth  district,  Benjamin  Allen, 
1853;  Benjamin  Allen,  1854;  William  J.  Gibson, 
1855;  William  J.  Gibson,  1856.  Thirtieth  dis- 
trict, William  T.  Price,  1857;  William  H. 
Tucker,  1858;  William  H.  Tucker,  1859;  B.  E. 
Hutchinson,  1860;  B.  E.  Hutchinson,  1861;  N. 
S.  Gate,  1862;' William  S.  Purdy,  1863;  William 
Ketcham,  1864;  William  Ketcham,  1865;  Benja- 
min Bull,  1866.  Tliirty-first  district,  J.  W. 
Ranney,  1807;  J.  W.  Ranney,  1868;  C.  M.  Butt, 
1869;  C.  M.  Butt,  1870;  Angus  Cameron,  1871. 
B'ourth  district,  William  Nelson,  1872;  William 
Nelson,  1873;  A.  E.  Bleekman,  1874;  A.  E. 
Bleekman,  1875;  J.  Henry  Tate,  1876;  J.  Henry 
Tate,  1877;  George  W.  Swain,  1878;  George  W. 
Swain,  1879;  O.B.  Thomas,  1880;  O.B.Thomas, 
1881;  Van  S  Bennett,  1882;  Van  S.  Bennett, 
1883. 

(2.)  .-l«Ae/ft%.— William  T.  Sterling,  184S; 
James  O'Neill,  1849;  William  T.  Sterling,  1850; 
William  F.  Price,  1851;  Andrew  Briggs,  1852; 
Hiram  A.  Wright,  1853;  William  F.  Terhune, 
1854;  James  Fisher,  1855;  Andrew  Briggs, 
1856;  Buel  E.  Hutchinson,  1857;  James  R.  Sav- 
age, 1858;  Thomas  W.  Tower,  1859;  William 
C.  McMichael,  1860;  Daniel  H.  Johnson,  1861; 
Ole  Johnson,  and  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  1862; 
James  H.  Layne  and  Daniel  B.  Priest,  1863; 
William  H.  Officer  and  Albert  Bliss,  1864; 
William  H.  Officer  and  James  Berry,  1865; 
Newton  F.  Carpenter  and  Alexander  Woods, 
1866;  John  W.  Greenman  and  Albert  Bliss, 
1867;  Henry  Chase  and  Daniel  B.  Priest,  1868; 
John  M.  McLeez  and  Van  S.  Bennett,  1869; 
Rexiben  May  and  Van  S.  Bennett,  1870;  Joseph 
W.  Hoyt  and  Henry   A.  Chase,  1871;  Reuben 


May  and  Henry  A.  Chase,  1872;  Peter  Jerman 
and  J.  Henry  Tate,  1873;  William  Frazier  and 
Edgar  Eno,  1874;  Ole  Anderson  and  James  E. 
Newell,  1875;  John  Stevenson  and  Timothy  S. 
Jordan,  1876;  Peter  J.  Dale  and  Henry  H. 
Wyatt,  1877;  Christian  Ellefson  and  Allen 
Rusk,  1878:  Jacob  Eckhardt,  Jr.,  and  Roger 
Williams,  1 879;  Jacob  Eckhardt,  Jr.,  and  David 

C.  Yakey,  1880;  T.  O.  Juve  and  Allen  Rusk, 
1881;  T.  O.  Juve  and  Thomas  J.  Shear,  1882; 
Christian  Ellefson  and  Marshall  C.  Nichols,  1883. 

III.       CONGRESSIONAL  REPBESKNTATION. 

The  act  of  Congress  approved  April  20,  1836, 
organizing  the  territory  of  Wisconsin,  con- 
ferred upon  the  people  the  right  to  be  repre- 
sented in  the  National  Congress  by  one  dele- 
gate, to  be  chosen  by  the  votes  of  the  qualified 
electors  of  the  territory.  Under  this  authority 
there  were  elected  the  following 
Territorial  Delegates. 

George  W.  Jones,  elected  Oct.  10, 1 836;  James 

D.  Doty,  elected  Sept.  10, 1S38;  James  D.  Doty, 
elected  Aug.  5,  1840;  *  Henry  Dodge,  elected 
Sept '27,  1841;  Henry  Dodge,  elected  Sept.  25, 
1843;  Morgan  L.  Martin,  elected  Sept.  22,  1845; 
John  H.  Tweedy,  elected  Sept.  6,  1847. 

By  the  constitution  adopted  when  the  terri- 
tory became  a  State,  in  1848,  two  representa- 
tives in  Congress  were  provided  for  by  dividing 
the  State  into  two  congressional  districts.  The 
first  district  was  composed  of  the  counties  of 
Milwaukee,  Waukesha,  Jefferson,  Racine, 
Walworth,  Rock  and  Green.  The  second  dis- 
trict was  composed  of  Washington,  Sheboygan, 
Manitowoc,  Calumet,  Brown,  Winnebago,  Fond 
du  Lac,  Marquette,  Sauk,  Portage,  Columbia, 
Dodge,  Dane,  Iowa,  Lafayette,  Grant,  Richland, 
Crawford,  Chippewa,  St.  Croix  and  La  Pointe. 
As  what  is  now  Vernon  county  was  then  a  part 
of  Crawford,  of  course  the  people  therein  were 
in  the  second  district.  Under  this  authority,  an 
election  was  held  May  8,  ■84'^,  and  William  Pitt 
Lynde  was  elected  member  of  Congress  for  the 

♦Doty  afterward  resigned,  he  having  been  appointed  Gov- 
eruor  of  the  Territory  by  President  Tyler,  Sept.  13,  1841. 


138 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


first  district;  Mason  C.  Darling,  of  Fond  duLac, 
for  the  second  district.  The  people  therefore, 
then  living  iu  what  is  now  Vernon  county  were 
represented  in  the  thirtieth  Congress  by  Mason 
C.  Darling.  From  (and  including)  that  election 
there  have  been  chosen  for  the  various  congres- 
sional districts  iu  which  Vernon  county  has 
fallen,  the  following 

MEMBERS    OF  COlfGRESR: 

2d  Dist.— XXXth      Con.   1847^9— Mason  C.   DarliDg; 
2fi  Dist— XXXIst        "     1849-51— Orsamus  Cole; 
2d  Dist.— XXXlId       "     1851-53— Ben  C.  Eastman; 
2d  Dist.— XXXIIId      "     1853-55— Ben  C.  Eastman- 
2d  Dist.— XXXIVth    "      1855-57— C.  C.  Washburn; 


2d  Dist.— XXXVth      "  1857-59- 

2d  Dist.— XXXVIth     '  1859-61- 

2d  Dist  — XXXVIIlh  "  1861-63- 

6tli  Dist.-XXXVIIItli  '•  1863-65- 

6th  Dia.-XXXIXth  "  1865-67- 

6.h  Dist— XLth          ■'  1867-69- 

6th  Dist.— XLIst         "  1869-71- 

6th  Dist.— XLIId        ■'  1871-73- 

7th  Dist.— XLnid       •'  1873-75- 

7th  Dist.— XLlVth     "  1875-77- 

7th  Disl.-XLVth       "  1877-79- 

7thDist.— XLVIth     "  1879-81- 

7th  Dist.-XLVIIth  '■  1881-83- 

7thDist.-XLVIIIth"  1883-8.5- 
*  Died  November  24.  1863. 


-C.  C.  Washburn; 
-C.  C.  Washburn; 
_  j  Luther  Hanchetl* 
I  W.  D.   Mclndoe; 

-W.  D.  Mclndoe; 
-W.  D    Mclndoe; 
-C.  C.  Washburn; 
-C.  C.  Washburn; 
-Jeremiah  M.  Rusls; 
■Jeremiah   M.  Rusk; 
-Jeremiah  M.  Rusk; 
-H.  L.  Humphrey; 
■H.  L.  Humphrey; 
-H.  L.  Humphrey; 
G.  M-  Woodward; 


CHAPTER     XIII 


COUNTY    GOVERNMENT. 


Unlike  many  of  the  western  States,  Wiscon- 
sin's system  of  county  government  has  always 
l)een  that  of  either  the  bnard  of  supervisors  or 
commissioners.  This  system  was  brought  to 
its  present  state  of  perfection  when  the  terri- 
tory became  a  State,  but  this  system  was  in 
vogue  years  prior  to  this,  the  territorial  coun- 
ties being  governed  by  the  same  system.  In 
the  winter  of  1850-1  the  Legislature  passed  an 
act  creating  the  county  of  Bad  Ax.  It  was  set 
off  from  Crawford  county,  and  organization  of 
the  territory  so  set  off  was  authorized.  The  first 
election  was  held  in  April,  issi,  at  which 
county  officers  were  elected. 

It  is  to  be  presumed  that  the  first  meeting  of 
the  board  of  supervisors  was  held  shortly  after 
the  April  election;  but  the  records  do  not  throw 
any  light  upon  it.  According  to  the  record  the 
first  meeting  of  the  board  of  supervisors  was 
held  on  the  11th  of  November,  1851,  at  Viroqua. 
The  only  business  transacted  was  to  canvass  the 
votes  cast  at  the  November  election  of  1851. 
The  following  officers    were   declared  elected: 


County  clerk,  William  C.  McMichael;  sheriff, 
James  M.  Bailey;  register  of  deeds,  Jacob 
Higgins;  di.strict  attorney,  Lorenzo  A.  Pierce; 
coroner,  Clement  Spaulding;  surveyor,  Samuel 
McMichael;  assemblyman,  Andrew  Briggs. 
The  records  were  signed  by  O.  Wisel,  clerk  of 
board,  and  AV.  F.  Terhune,  deputy. 

On  the  nth  of  November,  1851,  the  next 
meeting  of  the  board  of  supervisors  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Moses  Decker.  At  this  time 
taxes  were  levied;  the  whole  valuation  of  tlie 
county  being  $32,897. 

One  month  later  another  meeting  of  the 
board  was  held,  at  which  the  following  bills 
against  the  county  were  allowed:  W.  F.  Ter- 
hune, services  as  deputy  clerk,  $24.86;  Oi'rin 
Wisel,  services  as  clerk,  $5.57;  Oliver  Langdon 
justice  of  the  peace,  $3.87;  James  M.  Bailey, 
deputy  sheriff,  $16.22;  Westfall  Decker,  assist- 
ing sheriff  in  arrest,  $2;  Rnfus  Gillett,  sheriff, 
$25.61;  L.  A.  Pierce,  district  attorney,  $39 — 
donated  to  county;  Abraham  Cyfert,  $4.50; 
Abraham      Stiles,     supervisor,     $9.70;     Moses 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


139 


Decker,  services  of  his  son  Thomas,  75  cents; 
Eldad  Inman,  constable,  $;^;  Peter  La  Morse, 
supervisor,  |3.  It  was  ordered  that  the  office 
of  the  clerk  of  circuit  court  be  kept  at  the 
house  of  William  F.  Terhune  until  further 
notice. 

At  this  time  the  entire  county  was  organized 
as  one  civil  town.  From  the  records,  it  would 
appear  that  the  board  of  town  trustees  also  com- 
posed the  board  of  county  supervisors,  and  fre- 
quently the  board  would  meet  as  town  trustees, 
then  organize  themselves  into  the  board  of  su- 
pervisors and  proceed  to  the  transaction  of 
county  business.  The  records  do  not  disclose 
the  names  of  the  members,  but  from  the  bills 
allowed  it  would  appear  that  Abraham  Stiles 
and  Peter  La  Morse  were  members  of  the  board 
in  1851. 

William  C.  McMichael  succeeded  Orrin  Wisel 
as  clerk. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  supervisors  held 
on  the  3 1st  of  July,  1852,  it  was  ordered  that  the 
clerk  of  the  board  "post  up  notices  for  letting 
the  contract  for  building  a  room  for  the  county 
offices  to  be  kept  in;  also  for  painting  the  out- 
side of  the  court  house,  with  lime  mortar,  and 
further,  that  the  14th  of  August,  next,  beset 
for  hearing  proposals."  In  August  the  contract 
for  building  was  let  to  Orrin  Wisel,  for  $65; 
that  of  painting  the  outside  of  the  court  house 
with  "lime  mortar"  was  let  to  Moses  Decker 
for  17.50. 

At  the  same  session  the  record  states  that 
"Thomas  J.  De  Frees  be,  and  is  hereby  ap- 
pointed a  commissioner,  to  survey  and  sub-divide 
into  a  town  plat,  the  land  which  was  donated 
by  Moses  Decker,  Solomon  Decker  and  Isaac 
Decker  to  Bad  Ax  county." 

On  the  12th  of  November,  1852,  the  board 
examined  the  assessment  rolls  and  ascertained 
that  the  aggregate  valuation  of  real  and  per- 
sonal property  in  the  county  was  $64,432. 

At  this  session  Edmund  Strong  presented 
his  resignation  as  county  treasurer  and  .John 
Longley  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 


On  the  29th  of  March,  1853,  the  board  of 
supervisors  divided  the  county  into  four  town- 
ships named  respectively:  Bergen,  Jefferson, Bad 
Ax  and  Kickapoo.  Up  to  this  time  the  whole 
county  had  constituted  one  township.  This 
matter  is  treated  at  length  in  another   chapter. 

This  increased  the  board  of  supervisors  to 
four,  each  civil  town  being  entitled  to  one 
representative  in  the  county  board. 

In  the  spring  of  1853,  the  name  of  Thomas 
J.  De  Frees  appears  signing  the  records  as 
chairman  of  the  board,  although  it  is  not  dis- 
closed when  he  was  chosen  as  such. 

A  regular  meeting  of  the  board  was  held  on 
the  3d  of  May,  1853,  at  which  Andrew  Briggs 
was  chosen  chairman  of  the  board  upon  motion 
of  William  H.  Austin.  The  minutes  of  this 
meeting  were  signed  by  Andrew  Briggs,  chair- 
man, W.  H.  Austin  and  Orin  Caulkins. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1853,  the  county 
board  divided  the  town  of  Bad  Ax,  and  created 
that  of  Farwell. 

At  the  same  session  they  granted  Orrin 
Wisel  a  license  to  keep  and  maintain  a  toll 
bridge  for  ten  years  across  the  Kickapoo  river, 
on  section  8,  township  11,  range  3.  The  toll 
rates  were  fixed  as  follows  :  Footman,  three 
cents  ;  horse  and  rider,  ten  cents  ;  each  addi- 
tional horse,  mule  or  ass,  five  cents;  two  horses 
and  wagon,  twenty-five  cents;  horse  and  buggy, 
fifteen  cents  ;  yoke  of  oxen  and  wagon,  thirty- 
five  cents  ;  for  each  additional  yoke  of  cattle, 
ten  cents. 

At  the  regular  May  session,  1854,  the  board 
organized  by  the  election  of  Andrew  Briggs  as 
chairman  tor  the  ensuing  year.  The  board  was 
composed  of  Andrew  Briggs,  town  of  Bad  Ax; 
Isaac  Spencer,  Jefferson;  T.  J.  De  Frees,  Viro- 
qua;  Benjamin  Hill,  Kickapoo,  and  John  War- 
ner, Bergen. 

One  of  the  official  acts  at  this  session  was 
the  changing  the  name  of  the  town  of  Farwell 
to  that  of  Viroqua. 

The  board  also  expressed  themselves  in 
favor  of  building  a  court  house  for  the  county 


140 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


during  1S54,  and  suggested  30x38  feet,  two 
stories  high  as  the  size.  T.  J.  De  Frees  drew 
plans  and  specifications  for  the  building  and 
proposals  were  advertised  for. 

At  the  July  session,  1854,  the  proposal  of 
Samuel  McMichael  to  build  the  court  house  for 
$2,100  was  accepted. 

A  special  session  of  the  board  was  held  on 
the  9th  of  March,  1855,  at  which  the  town  of 
Viroqua  was  divided,  and  the  towns  of  Forest 
and  Hillsborough  were  created.  A  petition 
from  the  citizens  of  township  13  north,  of  range 
1  east,  to  be  set  off  as  a  civil  town,  was  re- 
jected. 

On  the  13th  of  November,  1855,  the  board  of 
supervisors  of  "Bad  Ax"  county  convened  in 
annual  session,  and  organized  by  the  election 
of  William  H.  Goode  as^chairman  for  the  ensu- 
ing year.  The  board  was  composed  of  the  fol- 
lowing named  gentlemen  representing  the 
various  towns  in  the  county.  Andrew  Briggs, 
Bad  Ax;  W.  H.  Goode,  Viroqua;  Isaac  Spencer, 
Jefferson;  William  H.  Austin,  Kickapoo; 
Joseph  N.  Martin,  Hillsborough;  John  M.  Mc- 
Lees,  Bergen. 

At  this  session,  the  former  resolution  of  the 
board  creating  th  e  town  of  Forest  was  repealed, 
and  the  town  of  Union  was  created  embracing 
the  territory  of  township  13,  ranges  1  and  2 
west.  Forest  was  again  created  embracing  the 
territory  of  township  14,  ranges  1  and  2  west. 
At  the  same  session  the  towns  of  Webster, 
Christiana,  Greenwood  and  Harmony  were  cre- 
ated. Sections  1,2,  3,  4,  5  and  6  of  township 
12,  range  5,  were  detached  from  the  town  of 
Bad  Ax  and  annexed  to  Jefferson. 

At  the  March  session,  1856,  James  W.  Chaney 
succeeded  Andrew  Briggs  as  supervisor  from 
the  town  of  Bad  Ax. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1856,  the  board  of 
supervisors  convened  for  the  regular  fall  term. 
William  A.  BuUard  was  elected  chairman  for 
the  ensuing  year.  The  record  states  that  the 
board  was  composed  of  the  following  gentle- 
men: 


W.  A.  Bullard,  Viroqua;  James  M.  Bailey, 
Bad  Ax;  J.  R.  Savage,  Jefferson;  Edmund 
Klopfleisch,  Hillsborough;  Uriah  Gregory, 
Greenwood;  Ransom  Bennett,  Harmony;  E. 
Bursett,  Cliristiana;  O.  Wisel,  Kickapoo;  J. 
Allen,  Webster;  G.  White,  Forest;  Josiah 
Newburn,  Union;  R.  Bennett,  Bergen. 

At  this  session  the  board  ordered  that  the 
old  court  house  be  "advertised  for  sale,  and  sold 
to  the  highest  bidder." 

Samuel  McMichael  was  appointed  county 
surveyor  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death 
of  William  F.  Beavers. 

There  seems  to  have  been  quite  a  change  in 
the  the  pei'sonnel  oi  the  board  at  the  November 
term,  1856  :  Engelbrit  Bjorseth  appeared  from 
Christiana;  Giles  White  from  Forest  ;  and  R. 
S.  McMichael  from  Harmony  : 

For  the  first  time  the  question  of  what  should 
be  done  with  the  county  poor  came  to  tiie  no- 
tice of  the  board  at  the  November  term,  1  856, 
audit  was  declared  that  all  distinction  be  abol- 
ished between  county  and  town  poor.  Three 
county  superintendents  of  the  poor  were 
elected,  who  were  to  hold  their  offices  three 
years.  Tliey  were  Isaac  Williams,  Robert  Ad- 
ams and  T.  J.  DeFrees.  It  was  also  ordered 
that  a  tax  of  two  mills  on  the  dollar,  amount 
ing  to  $1876.76  be  levied  for  the  purpose  of 
purchasing  a  poor  farm  and  erecting  suitable 
buildings. 

At  the  December  session,  1856,  one  new  su- 
pervisor took  his  seat — James  Marker,  from 
Jefferson, 

The  superintendents  of  poor  were  authorized 
to  purchase  a  poor  farm.  It  was  to  be  improved, 
and  cost  not  more  than  $5,000. 

At  the  March  session, in  1857,  R.  S.  McMichael 
was  chosen  chairman  of  the  board  to  fill  the 
vacancy  occasioned  by  the  removal  of  William 
A.  Bullard,  the  former  chairman,  from  the  town 
of  Viroqua,  which  he  had  been  elected  to  rep- 
resent. 

At  the  same  time  two  petitions  were  presented 
for  the  division  of  the  town  of  Bad  Ax  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


141 


creation  of  two  new  civil  towns  ;  one  was  from 
William  S.  Purdy  et.  al.;  the  other  from  E.  B. 
Houghton,  et.  al.  The  chairman  appointed 
Aaron  White,  of  Viroqua,  J.  R.  Savage,  of  Jef- 
ferson, and  James  Allen,  of  Webster,  a  commit- 
tee to  investigate,  and  they  reported  in  favor  of 
granting  the  Purdy  petition.  Accordingly  the 
new  town  of  Sterling  was  created  and  ordered 
organized.  The  boundaries  of  the  towns  of 
Bad  Ax,  Jefferson  and  Viroqua,  were  all  changed 
somewhat  ;  the  new  civil  towns  of  Wheatland, 
Whitestown  and  Masterson  were  created,  and 
the  name  of  the  town  of  Bad  Ax  was  changed  to 
"Lockhaven,"  at  the  same  session.  Wheatland, 
White  and  Masterson  (now  Clinton)  was  or- 
ganized at  the  same  session. 

The  regular  fall  session  of  the  board  of 
supervisors,  for  1857,  convened  at  Viroqua  on 
the  ■24th  of  August.  The  organization  of  the 
board  was  effected  by  the  election  of  Aaron 
White,  of  Viroqua,  as  chairman  for  the  ensuing 
year.  The  following  named  gentleman  consti- 
tuted the  board: 

Aaron  White,  Viroqua;  James  Berry,  Jeffer- 
son; R.  S.  McMichael,  Harmony;  J.W.Chaney, 
Bergen;  Adam  Carlisle,  Wheatland;  James 
Allen,  Webster;  W.  H.  Austin,  Kickapoo;  A.  B. 
Donaldson,  Sterling;  Nelson  Cady,  Lock  Haven; 
Charles  A.  Hunt,  Masterton;  David  Wilt, 
Christiana;  Giles  White,  Whitestown;  Jacob 
Noffseniger,  Forest;  George  Sheldon,  Hills- 
borough; Uriah  Gregory,  Greenwood;  Josiah 
Newburn,  Union. 

Among  the  first  acts  of  the  board  at  this  ses- 
sion was  to  change  the  name  of  the  town  of 
Lock  Haven  to  Franklin.  Later  in  the  session 
the  name  of  the  town  of  Masterton  was  changed 
to  Clinton. 

On  the  26th  of  August,  1857,  the  board  author- 
ized the  county  clerk  to  advertise  for  plans 
and  specifications  for  a  jail,  which  was  to  cost 
not  more   than  $4,000   and  not  less  that  $1,500. 

A  bounty  of  $3  was  offered  for  every  wolf 
killed  within  the  county. 


At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  board  in  No- 
vember, 1857,  Joel  T.  Shaw  presented  his  cre- 
dentials and  took  his  seat  as  member  from  the 
town  of  Wheatland. 

At  the  same  session  a  petition  for  the  division 
of  the  town  of  Kickapoo,  from  Chancey  W. 
Lawton  and  others,  was  laid  upon  the  table. 
The  towns  of  Hamburg  and  Coon  were  created 
at  the  same  session. 

In  December,  1857,  the  new  town  of  Liberty 
was  created,  the  territory  being  set  off  from  the 
town  of  Viroqua. 

At  the  same  time  the  board  ordered  that  the 
court  house  be  insured  for  at  least  $1,500. 

At  the  June  session,  in  1 858,  the  board  met  on 
the  7th  and  proceeded  to  organize  for  the  ensu- 
ing year,  by  the  election  of  Alson  Keeler,  of 
Viroqua,  as  chairman.  The  following  members 
elect  appeared  and  qualified,  as  supervisors  from 
their  respective  towns:  Levi  Pierson,  of  Hills- 
borough; C.  A.  Hunt,  of  Clinton;  Allen  Rusk, 
of  Liberty;  George  Spurrier,  of  Kickapoo;  Alson 
Keeler,  of  Viroqua;  Jones  P.  Sawyer,  of  Frank- 
lin; W.  T.  McConnell,  of  Jefferson;  C.  G.  Allen, 
of  Sterling;  O.  Chaney,  of  Hamburg;  Levi 
Shorey,  of  Bergen. 

A  set  of  rules  were  adopted  at  this  session, 
many  of  which  are  still  in  force,  having  been 
adopted  in  each  successive  year,  since  that  time. 
The  committee,  which  drafted  them,  was  com- 
posed of  Adam  Carlisle,  C.  A.  Hunt  and  Uriah 
Gregory. 

Nothing  having  been  done  regarding  the 
building  of  a  jail  for  the  county,  since  their 
former  resolution  regarding  it,  the  board  on  the 
second  day  of  the  session  resolved  that  a  jail 
be  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  An  effort  was  made 
to  raise  the  amount  to  $2,500,  but  the  motion 
was  out-voted.  W.  T.  McConnell,  Charles  A. 
Hunt  and  A.  Keeler,  were  appointed  a  commit 
tee  to  attend  to  building  the  jail. 

The  sum  of  $500  was  appropriated  for  the 
purpose  of  building  a  fire  proof  vault  for  the 
safe  keeping  of  the  county  records. 


142 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  annual  fall  meeting  of  the  county  board, 
began  on  tlie  9th  of  November,  1858,  pursuant 
to  law.  At  this  time  the  board  of  supervisors 
was  composed  of  the  following  gentlemen,  rep- 
resenting the  various  towns  in  the  county: 
Uriah  Gregory,  Greenwood;  J.  B.  Nof singer. 
Forest;  Josiah  Newburn,  Union;  S.  H.  Seanion. 
Hillsborough;  Giles  White,  Whitestown; 
Charles  A.  Hunt,  Clinton;  James  Allen,  Web- 
ster; Allen  Rusk,  Liberty;  George  Spurier, 
Kickapoo;  David  Wilt,  Christiana;  Alson  Keeler, 
Viroqua;  Jonas  P.  Sawyer,  Franklin;  W.  T. 
McConnell,  Jefferson;  C.  G.  Allen,  Sterling; 
John  T.  Brlnkmann,  Hamburg;  R.  S.  MoMichael, 
Harmony;  Adam  Carlisle,  Wheatland;  Levi 
Shorey,  Bergen. 

After  allowing  a  great  many  bills  and 
destroying  several  hundred  county  orders,  upon 
motion  of  W.  T.  McConnell,  the  board  pro- 
ceeded as,  a  committee  of  the  whole  to  examine 
the  jail.  It  was  then  resolved  that  they  "do 
accept  the  county  jail  as  now  completed  by  the 
contractor,  Mr.  Fretwell,  agreeable  to  his  con- 
tract, and  that  a  county  order  do  issue  for  the 
sum  of  12,000  to  said  Fretwell,  and  that  one 
additional  sum  of  $60  be  allowed  and  paid  said 
Fretwell,  for  extra  work  on  said  contract." 

From  the  report  of  the  county  treasurer, 
which  was  presented  to  the  board  at  this  ses- 
sion, it  appears  that  the  total  indebtedness  of 
the  county  was  $6,641;  total  assets,  $4,044;  bal- 
ance against  the  county,  $2,596. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  session  a  petition  was 
presented  from  citizens  in  the  town  of  Union, 
asking  that  congressional  township  13,  range  '2 
west,  be  set  off  and  organized  as  a  civil  town. 
It  was  granted,  and  the  name  of  Stark  was 
bestowed  upon  it.  At  the  same  time  a  petition 
was  presented  from  citizens  in  the  town  of 
Bergen,  asking  that  their  town  be  divided. 

A  report  presented  by  Isaac  Williams  and 
Thomas  J.  DeFrees,  superintendents  of  the 
poor,  stated  that  there  was  $569.25  worth  of 
personal  property  upon  the  county  poor  farm; 
that  there  was   twenty-three    acres  broke;   that 


the  average  number  of  paupers  upon  the  place 
was  twelve. 

It  appears  that  the  town  of  Coon  did  not  take 
advantage  of  the  act  of  the  board,  passed  in 
November,  1857,  creating  and  authorizing  the 
organization  of  that  town.  On  the  13th  of 
November,  1858,  it  was  resolved  as  follows: 

"That,  whereas,  the  town  of  Coon  has  failed 
and  neglected  to  organize  under  a  resolution  of 
this  board,  passed  at  its  last  annual  meeting, 
setting  off  said  town  from  Jeffersoti,  by  not 
electing  officers  pursuant  to  the  statute,  in  such 
cases  made  and  provided;  therefore,  resolved, 
that  this  board  issue  a  warrant  to  the  assessor 
and  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Christiana,  (that 
being  the  town  next  adjoining  Coon),  requiring 
them  to  assess  and  collect  respectively  the 
quota  of  tax  due  from  said    town  of    Coon.     * 

*  *  That  William  F.  Terhune,  Esq.,  be 
employed  as  attorney  and  counsel  in  the  matter 
of  collecting  such  tax." 

It  seems  that  at  this  time  the  board  began  to 
feel  nervous  over  the  county's  finances,  and 
that  the  famous  crash  of  1857  was  affecting 
this  region,  as  they  passed  a  resolution  requir- 
ing the  county  treasurer  to  receive  nothing  in 
payment  of  taxes,  save  gold  and  silver. 

At  the  June  ses.sion,  1859,  the  personnel  of 
the  board  was  but  little  changed  from  the  pre- 
ceding November  :  Levi  Pearson  took  his  seat 
as  member  from  Hillsborough  ;  succeeding  S: 
H.  Seamon. 

At  this  session  J.  P.  Sawyer  presented  a 
resolution  to  the  effect  that  the  county  treasurer 
be  authorized  to  receive  county  orders  in  the 
payment  of  county  tax,  but  after  a  len^^thy 
discussion  the  resolution  was  rejected. 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1859,  Adam  Carlisle 
presented  the  following  bill,  to  modify  what 
had  formerly  been  resolved  concerning  taxes, 
which  was  adopted  : 

"Sec.  1. — That  the  county  treasurer  is 
hereby  authorized  to  receive  county  orders  for 
delinquent  county    tax    up  to   the  time  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


143 


sales  of  the  lands  returned  delinquent  for  the 
taxes  of  the  year  1858. 

"Sec.  2. — The  county  treasurer  is  further 
authorized  to  take  town  orders  for  delinquent 
town  tax  up  to  that  time,  provided,  the  town 
orders  offered  for  payment  of  taxes  shall  be 
applied  to  lands  within  the  town  issuing  tlie 
same. 

"  Sec.  3. — The  treasurer  is  further  directed 
and  required  to  receive  only  gold  and 
silver,  or  currency  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
for  all  delinquent  State,  school,  highway,  dis- 
trict school  and  other  local  taxes. 

"Sec.  4. — The  county  treasurer  is  further 
directed  to  keep  separate  and  disburse  to  the 
several  towns  the  taxes  paid  on  the  lands  in 
each  town  ;  so  that  each  town  shall  receive  its 
quota  of  taxes  paid  on  the  lands  included  in 
the  same." 

At  the  same  session  a  license  was  granted 
to  Cyrus  F.  and  Ransom  P.  Gillett,  to  maintain 
and  operate,  for  ten  years,  a  ferry  across  the 
Mississippi    river,    in    township   12,  range  7. 

On  the  11th  of  July,  1859,  the  board  met 
pursuant  to  law,  and  organized  by  the  election 
of  A.  Carlysle  as  chairman  for  the  ensuing  year. 
The  board  was  composed  of  the  following  gen- 
tlemen :  John  Michelet,  Christiana  ;  Peter 
Olson,  Coon;  J.  B.  Nof singer,  Forest;  E.  Klop- 
Heisch,  Hillsborough  ;  R.  S.  McMichael,  Har- 
mony ;  Elisha  Page,  Bergen  ;  J.  Newburn, 
Union  ;  George  Waltz,  Stark  ;  A.  Carlysle, 
Wheatland;  Giles  White,  Whitestown;  C.  A. 
Hunt,Clinton;  J.  H.  Lay ne, Franklin;  J.Waddell, 
Greenwood  ;  J.  T.  Brinkmanu,  Hamburg;  W. 
H.  Officer,  Jefferson;  S.  Graham,  Liberty  ;  Jo- 
seph Harris,  Kickapoo;  W.  S.  Purdy,  Sterling; 
James  Allen,  Webster;  Thomas  Fretweil,  Vi- 
roqua;  Joseph  O.  Parker,  Stark. 

At  the  November  session  in  1859,  the  matter 
of  electing  superintendents  of  the  poor  came 
before  the  board,  and  resulted  in  the  choice  of 
Thomas  J.  DeFrees  for  one  year;  Thomas  Fret- 
well  for  two  years,  and  John  M.  McLees  for 
three  years.      The  boundaries   of  the  towns  of 


Bergen,  Wheatland  and  Hamburg  were  mate- 
rially altered  at  this  session. 

A  special  session  of  the  board  was  held  in 
June,  I860,  to  take  into  consideration  the 
swamp  lands  donated  to  the  county  by  the  Leg- 
islature. Thomas  Fretweil,  of  Viroqua,  was 
appointed  commissioner  to  investigate,  locate 
and  detetermine  as  near  as  practicable  the 
amount  and  value  of  such  lands.  At  this  ses- 
•ion  Adam  Carlysle,  of  Wheatland,  was  re- 
elected chairman  for  the  ensuing  year. 

Pursuant  to  law  the  board  of  supervisors  con- 
vened for  their  regular  session  on  the  13th  of 
November,  1860.  The  former  chairman,  Adam 
Carlysle,  bad  removed  from  the  county,  leaving 
the  board  without  a  chairman.  This  vacancy 
was  tilled  by  the  election  of  Charles  A.  Hunt, 
of  Clinton.  The  members  at  this  time  were  : 
Ransom  Bennett,  Bergen  ;  John  Michelet, 
Christiana;  Charles  A.  Hunt,  Clinton;  Peter 
Oleson,  Coon;  James  H.  Layne,  Franklin;  Wil- 
liam C.  Steltling,  Forest;  Joseph  M.  Waddell, 
Greenwood;  Edward  Kloplieisch,  Hillsborough; 
John  T.  Brinkmann,  Hamburg  ;  Hartman  Al- 
len, Harmony;  W.  H.  Officer,  Jefferson;  Joseph 
Harris,  Kickapoo  ;  Samuel  Graham,  Liberty  ; 
Alexander  Latshaw,  Sterling;  James  O.  Parker, 
Stark;  C.  W.  Adams,  Union  ;  Thomas  Fret- 
well,  Viroqua  ;  G.  G.  Van  Wagner,  Wheat- 
land ;  James  Allen,  Webster  ;  Giles  White, 
Whitestown. 

At  this  session  Thomas  Fretweil,  who  had 
been  appointed  agent  to  investigate  the  swamp 
land  matter,  reported  that  he  hati  received  no 
maps  or  charts  of  the  land,  and  that  he  had 
learned  nothing  of  importance  concerning  the 
same.  The  chairman  then  appointed  a  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Alexander  Latshaw,  G. 
G.  Van  Wagner,  C.  W.  Adams  and  Hart- 
well  Allen,  to  investigate  the  matters  relating 
to  the  land  grant. 

Under  the  date  of  Nov.  16,  1860,  appears  the 
following  entry,  which  explains  itself  : 

"  Whereas,  The  number  of  Jury  eases  to  be 
tried   at   any   term  of  the  circuit  court  of   Bad 


144 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Ax  county  is  in  general  but  small  ;  therefore, 
resolved,  that  the  lion.  George  Gale,  judge  of 
the  sixth  judicial  circuit,  be  memorialized,  and 
he  is  hereby  memorialized,  to  order  that  the 
clerk  of  the  circuit  court  of  Bad  Ax  county 
draw  but  sixteen  names  of  persons  to  serve  as 
petit  jurors  at  said  court,  and  that  the  order 
remain  in  force  until  otherwise  ordered." 

At  the  same  session  of  the  board  the  follow- 
ing memorial  to  the  Legislature  was  adopted  : 

"The  memorial  of  the  board  of  supervisors  of 
Bad  Ax  county  respectfully  shows  that  the 
present  mode  of  transacting  county  business 
by  means  of  a  county  board  of  supervisors,  as  is 
now  done  throughout  the  State,  is  burdensome 
to  the  people  and  cumbersome  in  its  operations, 
and  we  would  therefore  ask  that  the  present 
system  of  governing  the  counties  be  abolished, 
and  that  known  as  the  commissioner  system,  as 
now  in  use  in  tii©  States  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio,  be  adopted." 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1860,  another 
memorial  to  the  Legislature  was  drawn  and 
adopted  by  the  board.  This  one  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

"The  memorial  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
of  Bad  Ax  county  would  respectfully  show  to 
your  honorable  bo<ly  that  it  would  be  much  to 
the  advantage  of  this  county  to  have  the  south 
half  of  township  1 1,  ranges  3,  4,  5,  6  and  7,  now 
in  Crawford  county,  attached  to  the  county  of 
Bad  Ax,  to  become  a  part  thereof  for  all  pur- 
poses, the  same  as  any  other  portion  of  sai<l 
county  of  Bad  Ax." 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1861,  the  board  of  super- 
visors met  for  the  purpose  of  forming  the  commis- 
sioner districts  and  equalizing  the  assessments  of 
the  county.  Charles  A.  Hunt,  of  Clinton,  was 
elected  chairman  for  the  ensuing  year.  Upon 
calling  the  roll  the  board  was  found  to  be  com- 
posed of  the  following  gentlemen  from  the  va- 
rious towns  in  the  county: 

John  Warner,  Bergen;  John  Michelet,  Chris- 
tiana; C.  A.  Hunt,  Clinton;  Peter  Olson,  Coon; 
James    H.  Layne,    Franklin;  W.    C.  Stelting, 


Forest;  J.  M.  Waddell,  Greenwood;  Edward 
Klopfleisch,  Hillsborough;  R.  S.  McMicbael, 
Harmony;  J.  T.  Brinkmann,  Hamburg;  W.  H. 
Officer,  Jefferson;  Joseph  Harris,  Kickapoo; 
Samuel  Graham,  Liberty;  I.  O.  Parker,  Stark; 
Lewis  Sterling,  Sterling;  Hugh  Kerr,  Union; 
Thomas  Fretwell,  Viroqua;  C.  B.  Whiting, 
Wheatland;  Thomas  S.  Curtis,  Webster;  W. 
W.  Joseph,  Whitestown. 

After  a  great  deal  of  discussion,  wrangling 
and  receiving  the  reports  of  a  number  of  com- 
mittees, the  board  agreed  upon  a  plan  for  the 
division  of  the  county  into  commissioner's  dis- 
tricts as  follows: 

District  No.  1  to  comprise  the  towns  of  Hills- 
borough, Greenwood,  Union,  Forest,  Whites- 
town,  Stark,  Clinton,  Webster  and  Liberty. 

District  No.  2  to  comprise  the  towns  of 
Kickapoo,  Viroqua,  Franklin,  Sterling  and 
Wheatland. 

District  No.  .3  to  comprise  the  towns  of 
Christiana,  Coon,  Hamburg,  Bergen,  Harmony 
and  Jefferson. 

It  seems  that  at  this  session  the  message  of 
the  President  in  relation  to  the  opening  war 
measures  was  brought  before  the  board.  The 
only  action  taken  regarding  the  matter  is 
revealed  by  the  following  entry  upon  the 
records  of  the  board; 

"At  this  time  a  message  from  the  President 
of  the  United  States  arrived,  and  the  business 
of  the  meeting  was  suspended  while  it  was 
read  aloud  to  the  members  of  the  board  by 
Samuel  Graham,  and  received  the  applause  of 
the  board  by  three  hearty  cheers." 

At  the  annual  November  session,  1861,  E.  A. 
Stark  took  his  seat  as  the  member  from  Viro- 
qua succeeding  Mr.  Fretwell. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  session  the  board  cre- 
ated a  new  town  under  the  name  of  Genoa.  It 
was  also  ordered  that  sections  1,  2,  3  and  4  and 
the  norih  half  of  sections  9,10,  11  and  12  in 
township  12,  range  6,  be  detached  from  the  town 
of  Wheatland  and  attached  to  Harmony.  And 
it  was   further  ordered  that  sections  13,  14,  15 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


146 


and  16,  and  the  south  half  of  sections  9,  10,  11 
and  12  of  township  12,  range  6  west,  be  de- 
tached from  the  town  of  Wheatland  and  at- 
tached to  the  town  of  Sterling.  The  commit- 
tee recommending  these  changes  was  composed 
of  John  T.  Brinkmann,  Joseph  M.  Waddell 
and  J.  O.  Parker. 

On  the  16th  of  November,  1861,  the  board 
passed  the  first  resolution  in  the  shape  of  a  war 
measure.  It  was  drawn  up  by  C.  B.  Whiting 
and  read  as  follows: 

"Whekeas,  many  of  the  citizens  of  this 
county  have  gone  to  the  war,  leaving  families 
only  partially  provided  for,  and  we,  believing 
that  if  some  provision  be  made  by  this  board 
for  the  support  of  such  families,  that  many 
more  will  enlist;  and  whereas,  many  of  the 
counties  in  this  State  have  come  up  nobly  to 
the  relief  of  such  families,  we  deem  it  due  to 
Bad  Ax  county  not  to  be  behind  in  this  patri- 
otic w^ork;  in  consideration  of  which  the  boanl 
of  supervisors,  do  order  and  determine,  that 
there  be  an  appropriation  made  of  $1,000  to  be 
distributed  as  follows:  Any  volunteer  who 
has  enlisted,  or  who  shall  hereafter  enlist  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  leaving  a  family 
of  children  under  twelve  years  of  age,  the  wife 
or  head  of  such  familj',  by  making  an  affidavit 
before  some  justice  of  the  peace,  of  the  fact, 
and  presenting  the  same  with  the  certificate  of 
the  chairman  of  the  town  where  the  family  re- 
sides, that  they  are  actually  needy,  to  the 
county  treasurer,  shall  receive  |il  per  month 
for  each  child  under  the  above  mentioned  age. 
The  affidavit  shall  also  contain  the  number  of 
children  and  age  of  each." 

At  the  same  session  the  salary  of  the  county 
superintendent  of  schools  was  fixed  at  $400  per 
annum. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  it  being  made  to 
appear  that  an  efl:ort  was  being  made  to  raise  a 
company  of  volunteers,  and  as  the  county,  with 
her  large  population,  had  the  credit  of  only  one 
company,  it  was  resolved  tliat  the  members  of 
the   board  act  as  a  committee  in  their  respec- 


tive towns  to  give  encouragement  and  assistance 
to  the  proposed  company,  and  to  open  their  resi- 
dences to  the  use  of  all  recruiting  officers  and- 
those  engaged  in  the  work  free  of  charge.  The 
resolution  setting  forth  these  sentiments  was 
drawn  up  and  presented  to  the  board  by  R.  S. 
McMichael. 

The  closing  entry  regarding  the  November 
session,  1861,  reads  as  follows: 

"The  board  having  finished  the  business  of 
the  last  session  to  be  held  under  the  present 
system  of  county  government,  and  having  dili- 
gently attended  to  the  interests  of  the  people 
of  the  county  during  a  most  laborious  session  of 
eight  days,  on  Wednesday  evening,  Nov.  20, 
1"<61,  adjourned  sine  die." 

COUNTY    COMMISSIONEES. 

As  will  be  inferred,  the  system  of  county  gov- 
ernment throughout  the  State  of  Wisconsin  had 
undergone  a  revolution.  The  Legislature,  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1860-61  had  passed  an  act 
abolishing  the  board  of  supervisors  and  creating 
the  board  of  county  commissioners.  Under  the 
former  system  the  county  board  was  composed 
of  one  member  from  each  civil  town  in  the 
county,  while  under  the  new  system  the  board 
consisted  of  three  commissioners.  The  county 
had  been  divided  into  three  districts  (as  has 
been  stated),  and  each  was  entitled  to  one  com- 
missioner. The  election  for  members  of  the 
board  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1862.  The  creat- 
ing act  provided  that  the  annua!  meetings  should 
be  held  on  the  second  Monday  in  January,  of 
each  year. 

Pursuant  to  law,  the  first  meeting  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners,  began  on  the  l'5lh  of 
January,  1862.  The  members  were  John  W. 
Allen,  representing  the  first  district;  C.  G.  Allen, 
the  second;  and  John  T.  Brinkmann,  the  third. 
Organization  was  permanently  effected  by  the 
election  of  John  T.  Brinkmann,  as  chairman  for 
the  ensuing  year. 

From  and  after  the  June  session,  1862,  the 
records  read  "Vernon  county,"  instead  of  "Bad 
Ax  county." 


146 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


On  the  20th  of  November,  1862,  the  board 
ordered  and  determined  that  the  wife  of  every 
volunteer  and  drafted  man,  from  Vernon  county 
in  the  service  of  the  government,  or  State,  be 
entitled  to  draw  from  the  county  treasurer  |!2 
per  month  from  and  after  Jan.  1,  186.3,  and  also 
$1  per  month  for  each  child  under  the  age  of 
twelve  years. 

On  the  22dof  December,  1862,  Cyrus  G.  Allen, 
of  Sterling,  was  elected  chairman  of  the  lioard 
for  the  ensuing  year. 

At  this  session  war  matters  largely  occupied 
the  attention  of  the  board.  It  was  ordered  that: 
"Whereas,  there  had  been  appropriated  the 
sum  of  |2,500  for  the  benefit  of  the  families  of 
volunteers  and  drafted  men,  the  resolution 
in  relation  to  the  distribution  of  that  fund  be 
amended  so  as  to  give  to  the  families  of  deceased 
soldiers  the  benefit  of  the  same,  families  of 
commissioned  oflieers  excepted.''  This  order 
was  modified  somewhat,  however,  by  a  resolu- 
tion, to  the  effect  that  "families  of  deceased 
soldiers,  who  had  already  received  the  $1 
bounty  promised,  or  pension,  from  the  TJnited 
States,  and  also  the  families  of  discharged  sol- 
diers were  not  to  share  in  the  distribution  of  the 
Fund." 

Another  order  of  importance  made  at  this 
session  was  to  authorize  the  issue  of  coiinty 
orders  to  the  amount  of  |!4,000  in  denominations 
from  five  cents  up  to  three  dollars. 

At  the  November  session,  186.3,  Herman 
ftreve  was  elected  commissioner  of  the  poor 
to  succeed  Hartwell  Allen. 

On  the  19th  of  the  same  month,  the  sum  of 
11,000  was  appropriated  to  aid  the  families  of 
volunteers. 

A  special  meeting  of  the  board  was  held  in 
January,  1864.  The  members  at  this  time  were: 
Charles  Searing,  from  the  first  district;  C.  G. 
Allen,  from  the  second  district,  and  John 
Michelet,  from  the  third  district.  C.  G.  Allen 
was  elected  chairman  of  the  board  for  the  en- 
suing year. 


In  November,  1864,  the  board  authorized 
Sheriff  Clayton  E.  Rogers  to  sell  a  number  of 
stolen  horses  which  had  been  captured  from 
horse-thieves. 

W.  H.  Goode  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  in 
the  board  of  commissioners  of  poor,  occasioned 
by  the  absence  of  Herman  Greve.  E.  A.  Stark 
was  re-elected  a  member  of  the  board. 

"Elijah  Powell,  of  Viroqua,  having  been  ap- 
pointed and  cfimmissioned  by  the  governor  to 
serve  a.s  supervisor  from  the  second  district  in 
place  of  C.  G.  Allen,  who  had  removed  from 
the  State  in  1864,  received  the  appointment  on 
the  last  day  ©f  the  session  and  came  in  and  took 
his  seat  with  the  board,  in  time  to  assist  for  one 
day  only." 

At  a  special  session  of  the  board  in  May, 
1866,  the  resignation  of  James  Lowrie,  county 
treasurer,  was  received  and  Col.  C.  M.  Butt  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

The  supervisors  in  1866  were  John  Michelet, 
chairman,  Hugh  McDill  and  C.  M.  Carr.  The 
latter  was  appointed  by  the  governor  to  fill  a 
vacancy  in  the  board  from  the  first  district. 

At  a  session  on  the  1st  of  January,  1867,  C. 
W.  Lawton,  member-elect  from  the  first  dis- 
trict, succeeding  Mr.  Carr,  qualified  and  took 
his  seat. 

In  April,  1867,  it  was  decided  to  submit  to 
the  qualified  electors  of  the  county  the  ques- 
tion of  abolishing  the  county's  system  of  sup- 
porting the  poor. 

In  July,  1867,  by  order  of  the  board,  the 
north  half  of  township  14,  range  7  west,  was 
detached  from  the  town  of  Hamburg  and 
attached  to  Bergen. 

At  the  October  session,  1867,  the  orders  of 
the  board  granting  bounties  for  wild  cat  and 
wolf  scalps  were  repealed. 

In  jNoveraber,  of  the  same  year,  James  H. 
Layne  was  appointed  poor  commissioner  to  suc- 
ceed E.  A.  Stark. 

In  1868  Willard  Morley  succeeded  Mr.  Mc- 
Dill as  member  of  the  board. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


141 


On  the  14th  of  November,  1S68,  the  annual 
salaries  of  variotis  county  ofiicers  were  fixed  as 
follows:  County  treasurer,  $1,000;  county 
clerk,  $1,000;  superintendent,  l^iOO ;  county 
judge,  1500  ;  district  attorney,  $400. 

On  the  ad  of  January,  1869,  the  bounty  for 
killing  wolves  and  wild  cats  was  re-established, 
the  rate  fixed  being  $5  for  each  wolf  and  $2.50 
for  each  wild  cat  killed. 

In  1869  the  board  consisted  of  Willard 
Morley,  chairman  ;  George  W.  Swain  and  B. 
F.  Hany. 

In  November,  1869,  James  E.  Newell  was 
appointed  commissioner  of  the  poor  to  succeed 
Elijah  Powell.  Thus  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners was  made  to  consist  of  J.  11.  Layne, 
Enoch  Enochson  and  J.  E.  Newell. 

In  January,  1870,  Willard  Morley  was  re- 
elected chairman  of  the  board  for  the  ensuing 
-  year. 

SUPERVISORS  AGAIN. 

During  the  year  1868  the  Legislature  passed 
an  act  changing  again  the  system  of  county 
government  throughout  Wisconsin.  This  act 
abolished  the  commissioner  system,  or  board  of 
three,  and  reinstated  the  old  system  of  a  board 
made  up  of  one  member  from  each  civil  town 
and  incorporated  village.  This  law  is  still  in 
force. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  board  under  the  new 
dispensation  was  held  in  the  court  house  at 
Viroqua,  in  May,  1870.  J.  W.  Greenman,  of 
Genoa,  was  elected  chairman  for  the  ensuing 
year.  The  board  consisted  of  the  following 
named  gentlemen,  representing  the  various 
towns  and  villages: 

Henry  Sharp,  Bergen;  E.  C.  Jager,  Chris- 
tiana; Ole  Anderson,  Coon;  W.  C.  b'telting, 
Forest;  William  Clawater,  Franklin;  J.  W. 
Greenman,  Genoa;  Jesse  Warner,  Harmony;  J. 
W.  Hoyt,  Hamburg;  J.  R.  Joseph,  Liberty ; 
Joseph  Fulmer,  Stark;  R.  W.  Jordan,  Sterling; 
Ralph  Hall,  Viroqua;  R.  S.  McMichael,  Village 
of  Viroqua;  C.  C.  Bennett,  Webster;  J.  C. 
Davis,  Wheatland;   Giles  White,  V/'hitestowu. 


Nothing  of  especial  interest  was  tiansacted 
during  this  year,almost  all  the  time  being  spent 
in  attending  to  road  business. 

The  annual  meeting  for  1871  began  on  the 
14th  of  November.  J.  W.  Greenman  was  re- 
elected chairman  for  the  ensuing  year.  The 
following  members  were  present: 

Levi  Shorey,  Bergen;  John  Michelet,  Chris- 
tiana; Hans  Nelson  Coon;  J.  Conaway,  Clinton; 
W.  C.  Stelting,  Forest;  F.  K.  Van  Wagner, 
Franklin;  J.  W.  Greenman,  Genoa;  Martin 
Rodgers,  Greenwood;  A.  J.  Wiard,  Harmony: 
J.  W.  Hoyt,  Hamburg  ;  J.  Manhart,  Hills- 
borough; Joseph  Harris,  Kickapoo;  Allen  Rusk, 
Liberty;  J.  O.  Parker,  Stark;  R.  W.  Jordan, 
Sterling;  G.  S.  Jordan,  Union;  Ralph  Hall, 
Viroqua;  R.  S.  McMichael,  village  of  Viroqua; 
Simeon  Adams,  Webster;  Giles  White,  Whites- 
town;  Alexander Latshaw,  Wheatland. 

At  this  session  the  supervisors  abolished  the 
board  of  commissioners  of  the  poor,  and 
resolved  that  hereafter  the  duties  of  that  board 
should  be  performed  by  a  superintendent  of  the 
poor,  who  should  be  annually  elected  by  the 
board  of  supervisors.  It  was  further  provided 
that  the  superintendent  should  receive  $2  per 
day  for  his  services.  After  these  resolutions 
had  been  adopted,  D.  A.  Barnard  was  elected 
superintendent  of  the  poor  for  the  ensuing  year. 

Gardner  &  Wareham  was  granted  a  license 
to  operate  a  ferry  boat  from  DeSoto  to  Lansing, 
Iowa. 

The  taxes  levied  at  this  session  for  the  ensu- 
ing year,  were  as  follows:  For  county  purposes, 
$18,919.88;  for  State  purposes,  $8,029.24;  for 
school  purposes,  $3,783.97. 

The  sum  of  $4,000  was  appropriated  out  of 
the  general  fund  of  the  county  for  the  support 
of  the  poor  during  the  ensuing  year. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  board  for  1872 
was  held  in  November.  J.  W.  Greenman,  of 
Genoa,  was  elected  chairman  for  the  ensuing 
year.  The  following  members  answered  to 
their  names  upon  the  roll  being  called  :  Thomas 
Kingston,  John  Michelet,   Ole  Anderson,  B.  F. 


148 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Harry,  J.  VV.  Greenman,  Martin  Rodgers,  Wil- 
liam Webster,  J.  T.  Brinkmann,  Joseph  Man- 
hart,  D.  H.  Pulver,  N.  W.  Nelson,  T.  S  Jordan, 
Simeon  Adams,  Van  S.  Bennett,  Elijah  Tilton, 
Allen  Rusk,  William  Clawater,  J.  S.  Dickson, 
Peter  Jerman  and  T.  C.  Ankeiiy. 

A  report  from  D.  A.  Barnard,  superintendent  of 
the  county  poor,  revealed  some  interesting  facts 
regarding  the  poor  farm.  The  following  is  an 
extract  from  the  report : 

"  There  has  been  furnished  at  the  county 
house  during  the  year,  988  weeks  of  board,  at 
an  expense  of  $1,'2'70.02,  embracing  provisions, 
clothing,  bedding,  fuel,  furnitu'-e,  lights,  medi- 
cines, medical  attendance,  and  salary  of  steward 
and  supervision — a  cost  of  $66.84  for  each  pau- 
per a  year,  or  11.27  for  each  pauper  per  week. 
Of  the  number  remaining  at  the  county  house 
at  this  date,  (Nov.  1,  1872)  ten  are  idiotic,  two 
blind,  one  insane  and  four,  the  remainder,  are 
old,  infirm,  or  otherwise  incapable  of  self  sup- 
port.'  The  whole  number  receiviiigaid  from  the 
county,  outside  the  county  house,  during  the 
year,  was  102,  at  an  expense  of  $1,. 321. 02.  'J  he 
whole  number  receiving  aid  outside  the  county 
house  at  the  expense  of  the  county  at  date  of  this 
report  is  twentj;  of  this  number  three  are  in- 
sane, two  are  idiotic,  five  over  eighty  years  of 
age,  seven  under  six  years,  and  three  are  other- 
wise incapable  of  self  support." 

D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  superintendent 
of  the  poor. 

The  salary  of  the  county  judge  was  fixed  at 
$1,000  per  annum  ;  that  of  county  tre.asurer,  at 
$1,000;  county  clerk,  $1,200;  district  attorney, 
$400;  clerk  of  court,  $400  and  fees  ;  superin- 
tendent of  poor  $2  per  day  for  each  day  worked,  I 
and  ten  cents  per  mile  for  each  mile  traveled  ; 
superintendent  of  schools  $4  per  day,  not  to 
exceed  $920. 

An  order  was  passed  granting  a  bounty  of 
$1.50  for  each  fox  killed  in  the  county. 

The  taxes  levied  for  the  ensuing  year  were  as 
follows:  For  county  purposes,   $14,934.39;  fori 


State  purposes,  $11,281.78  ;  for  school  purposes, 
$3,649.65. 

The  long  session  closed  by  the  board  tender- 
ing a  vote  of  thanks  to  chairman  J.  W.  Green- 
man  and  county  clerk  John  R.  Casson. 

The  board  of  supervisors  convened  for  the 
annual  session  of  1873,  on  Tuesday,  November 
11.  Van  S.  Bennett,  of  Rockton,  was  elected 
chairman  for  the  ensuing  year.  The  following 
members  were  present  : 

Ole  Anderson,  Philip  Adams,  Van  S.  Ben- 
nett, Wm.  Clawater,  J.  S.  Dickson,  J.  W. 
Greenman,  C.  L.  Ingersoll,  Peter  Johnson,  G. 
S.  Jordan,  John  Michelet,  Joseph  Manhart, 
Peter  Mclntire,  R.  S.  McMichael,  J.  A.  New- 
man, M.  W.  Nelson,  Martin  Rodgers,  Ellis 
Reed,  Henry  Sharp,  W.  C.  Stelting,  J.  H. 
Smith,  E.  A.  Stark  and  William  Webster. 

At  this  session  D.  A.  Barnard,  superintend- 
ent of  county  poor,  made  his  second  annual 
report.  From  it  the  following  facts  are 
gleaned  :  The  number  of  inmates  at  the 
county  house  at  date  of  last  report  was  seven- 
teen ;  number  admitted  during  the  year, 
twenty-two  ;  total  number  at  county  house  dur- 
ing the  year,  thirty-nine  ;  two  had  died ;  two 
sent  to  the  hospital ;  four  children  were  put 
out ;  four  otherwise  discharged  ;  twenty-seven 
remained  at  the  county  house;  the  average 
number  there  during  the  year  was  twenty-two. 
All  this  was  at  a  total  cost  yearly  per  capita  of 
$63.57,  or  a  weekly  cost  per  capita  of  $1.22. 
The  whole  number  receiving  aid  from  the 
county  outside  the  county  house  was  105,  at  a 
total  cost  of  $1,122.52.  Of  this  number,  four 
were  insane,  and  three  idiotic.  Of  the  twenty- 
seven  in  the  county  house,  Nov.  1,  1873,  nine 
were  idiotic,  one  a  cripple  for  life  ;  one  insane  ; 
two  blind  ;  four  over  seventy  years  of  age  ; 
five  under  seven,  and  the  balance  are  otherwise 
incapable  of  self-support.  Total  value  of  farm 
income  and  on  hand,  $1,747.  D.  A.  Barnard 
was  re-elected  as  superintendent  of  the  poor. 

Taxes  were  levied  at  this  session  of  the 
board  as  follows  :     For   county   purposes,  $10,- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


149 


000  ;  for  State  purposes,  $10,176.25  ;  for  school 
purposes,  $.3,967.51. 

The  b  arc!  resolved  that  all  the  territory 
belonging  to  the  town  of  Genoa,  Ij'ing  on  the 
south  side  of  the  south  fork,  and  the  main 
stream  of  the  Bad  Ax  creek  be  taken  from 
Genoa  and  attached  to  Wheatland.  This,  how- 
ever, was  limited  by  the  proviso  that  the  ques- 
tion be  submitted  to  the  people  of  Genoa,  at 
the  next  election,  and  in  case  a  majority  were 
in  favor  of  tiie  division  it  should  take  effect 
April  15,  1874,  but  it  seems  the  proposition  was 
rejected,  as  the  change  was  never  made. 

The  annual  session  for  1874  convened  on 
the  10th  of  November.  Hon.  W.  F.  Terhune 
was  elected  chairman  for  the  ensuing  year.  The 
following  gentlemen  represented  the  various 
towns  in  the  county  :  Henry  Sharp,  Bergen  ; 
John  Michelet,  Christiana  ;  Anton  VonRudeii, 
Coon  ;  H.  W.  Knapp,  Clinton;  W.  C.  Stelting, 
Forest;  John  Fopper,  Genoa;  Martin  Rodgers, 
Greenwood;  Peter  Johnson,  Hamburg;  William 
Webster,  Harmony  ;  Roger  Williams,  Hills- 
borough; William  Frazier,  Jefferson  ;  George 
Spurrier,  Kickapoo;  J.  H.  Smith,  Liberty;  Ely 
McVey,  Stark  ;  P.  Mclntyre,  Sterling ;  T.  S. 
Jordan,  Union;  J.  E.  Newell,  Viroqua  ;  W.  F. 
Terhune,  Village  of  Viroqua  ;  Philip  Adams, 
Webster;  David  Wilt,  Wheatland  ;  Henry 
O'Connell,  WhitestowD;P.  McManny,  Franklin. 

D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  superintendent 
of  the  poor  for  the  ensuing  year. 

The  board  made  the  following  apportionment 
of  taxes  for  1874:  ForState  purposes,  $8,195.76; 
for  county  purposes,  $13,025  ;  for  county 
school  purposes,  $3,513.  The  total  assessed 
valuation  of  the  county  was  $3,721,583. 

The  long  session  closed  by  giving  a  vote  of 
thanks  to  Chairman  Terhune. 

The  session  for  1875  began  on  the  9th  of  No- 
vember. W.  F.  Terhune  was  re-elected  chair- 
man. The  roll  being  called,  the  following 
members  answered  to  their  names  :  C.  C  Ben- 
nett, J.  T.  Brinkmann,  Jacob  Eckhardt,  Edgar 
Eno,  William  Frazier,  M.  Hinkst,  T.  S.  Jordan, 


H.  W.  Knapp,  W.  L.  Marsha'l,  John  Michelet, 
James  McDonough,  Eli  McVey,  P.  Mclntyre, 
Henry  Oakes,  Henry  O'Connell,  A.  Von  Ruden, 
Henry  Sharp,  John  H.  Smith,  W.  F.  Terhune, 
Elijah  Tilton,  Roger  Williams  and  William 
Webster. 

D.  A.  Barnard  was  again  elected  superintend- 
ent of  the  poor. 

At  this  session  a  resolution  was  passed  to  the 
effect  that  the  county  would  pay  an  additional 
bounty  of  $5  per  head  for  full  grown  wolves 
killed,  making  the  bounty  $10. 

The  taxes  for  the  year  were  apportioned  as 
follows  :  For  State  jmrposes,  $9,150.09  ;  for 
county  purposes,  $15,613.30  ;  for  county  school 
purposes,  $3,760.  The  total  assessed  valuation 
of  the  county  at  that  time  was  $3,903,325. 

A  special  session  of  the  board  was  held  in 
June,  1876.  The  members  were  all  present. 
William  Frazier  was  elected  chairman. 

On  the  14th  of  November  the  board  met  for 
the  annual  session  of  1876.  William  Frazier,  of 
Enterprise,  was  elected  chairman  for  the  ensu- 
ing year.  The  following  comprises  a  list  of  the 
members  of  the  board  for  this  year  :  Goodman 
Olson,  Bergen;  C.  H.  Ballsrud,  Christiana;  H.W. 
Knapp,  Clinton  ;  Anton  VonRuden,  Coon  ;  W. 
C.  Stelting,  Forest  ;  Christian  Ellefson,  Frank- 
lin; F.  A.  Wallar,  Genoa  ;  Mathias  Hansberry, 
Greenwood  ;  John  T.  Brinkmann,  Hamburg  ; 
Simon  Clauson,  Harmony;  Roger  Williams, 
Hillsborough  ;  William  Frazier,  Jefferson  ;  Jo- 
seph Harris,  Kickapoo;  Stanley  Stout,  Liberty; 
A.  W.  De  Jean,  Stark  ;  A.  D.  Chase,  Sterling  ; 
T.  S.  Jordan,  Union  ;  Elijah  Tilton,  Viroqua  ; 
R.  S.  McMichael,  Village  of  Viroqua  ;  John 
Snyder,  Webster;  Jacob  Eckhardt,  Jr.,  Wheat- 
land; Henry  O'Connell,  Whitestown. 

At  this  session  all  orders  previously  passed 
by  the  board  in  relation  to  wolf,  wild-cat  and 
fox  bounties  were  repealed. 

The  salaries  of  the  various  county  officers 
were  fixed  as  follows  ;  County  clerk  $800  per 
annum  ;  county  treasurer,  $800  ;  district  attor- 
ney $300  ;  superintendent  of  poor,  $2  per  day, 


160 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  eight  cents  per  mile  ;  superintendent  of 
schools,  $3  per  day,  (not  to  exceed  267  days) 
and  $50. 

D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  superintendent 
of  the  poor.  The  board  apportioned  the  taxes 
as  follows:  For  State  purposes,  110,186.09; 
for  county  purposes,  $17,138.92;  for  county 
school  purposes,  |3,7'58.  The  total  assessed  val- 
uation of  the  county  for  that  year  was  $3,808,- 
651. 

The  annual  session  for  1877  began  on  the 
13th  day  of  November,  1877,  and  continued  un- 
til the  '21st.  N.  McKie,  of  Viroqua,  was  elected 
chairman  for  the  ensuing  year.  The  members 
of  the  board  were  as  follows  :  Goodman  Olson. 
Bergen  ;  Jeremiah  Conway,  Clinton  ;  C.  H. 
Ballsrud,  Christiana  ;  Ole  Anderson,  Coon  ;  W. 
C.  Stelting,  Forest;  Christian  Ellefson,  Franklin; 
E.  L.  Oakes,  Genoa;  M.  Hansberry,  Greenwood; 
J.  W.  Hoyt,  Hamburg;  Simon  Clauson,  Har- 
mony; Roger  Williams,  Hillsborough;  William 
Smith,  Jefferson;  C.  E.  Smith,  Kickapoo;  Stan- 
ley Stout,  Liberty  ;  H.  H.  VVyalt,  Stark  ;  A.  D. 
Chase,  Sterling;  T.  S.  Jordan,  Union;  E.  Tilton, 
Viroqua;  N.  McKie,  Village  of  Viroqua;  John 
Snyder,  Webster;  Erastus  Cilley,  Wheatland  ; 
Henry  O'Connell,  Whitestown. 

At  this  session  an  order  was  passed  granting 
a  bounty  of  $3  on  each  wolf  killed  in  tlie  county, 
and  $1  for  foxes. 

D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  to  the  office  of 
superintendent  of  the  poor. 

Taxes  were  levied  for  the  year  1877  as  fol- 
lows :  For  State  purposes,  $8,862.74;  for  county 
purposes,  $16,997.26  ;  for  county  school  pur- 
poses, $3,845.50  The  total  assessed  valuation 
of  the  county  was,  $3,777,170. 

The  board  of  supervisors  met  for  the  annual 
session  of  1878  on  the  12th  of  November. 
Van  S.  Bennett,  of  Whitestown,  was  elected 
chairman  for  the  ensuing  year.  The  board  con- 
sisted of  the  following  members  :  Goodman 
Olson,  Bergen  ;  Jeremiah  Conaway,  Clinton ; 
John  Michelet,  Christiana  ;  Ole  Anderson, 
Coon;  R.  S.  Sherman,  Forest ;    Christian  EUef- 


son,Franklin;  E.L.  Oakes,  Genoa;  M.  H.Fitzpat- 
rick,  Greenwood;  J.  W.  Floyt,  Hamburg;  J.  M. 
McLees,  Harmony;  Roger  Williams,  Hillsbor- 
ough ;  William  Smith,  Jefferson  ;  Irvin  Fox, 
Kickapoo;  Allen  Rusk,  Liberty;  A.  W.DeJean, 
Stark;  Joseph  Morgan,  Sterling  ;  T.  S.  Jordan, 
Union  ;  E.  Powell,  Viroqua  ;  R.  S.  McMichael, 
Village  of  Viroqua ;  John  Snyder,  Webster  ; 
D.  H.  Pulver  ,  Wheatland  ;  Van  S.  Bennett, 
Whitestown. 

At  this  session  taxes  were  levied  as  follows  : 
For  State  purposes,  $8,672.16;  for  county  pur- 
poses, $13,275  ;  for  county  school  purposes, 
$3,590;  The  total  assessed  valuation  of  the 
county,  $3,792,999. 

D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  superintendent 
of  the  poor.  The  name  of  the  office  was 
changed  to  "  commissioner  of  poor."  $2,600 
was  appropriated  to  the  poor  departments. 

The  county  clerk  was  authorized  to  execute 
a  deed  of  conveyance  of  right  of  way  to  the 
Viroqua  Railroad  Company. 

The  annual  session  for  1879  began  on  the 
11th  of  November.  Van  S.  Bennett  was  re- 
elected chairman,  and  the  rules  of  order  govern- 
ing the  board  in  1878  were  adopted.  The  board 
was  composed  of  the  following  gentlemen: 
Henry  Schlong,  Bergen;  D.  C.  Yakey,  Clinton; 
C.  J.  Skough,  Christiana;  Ole  Anderson,  Coon; 
R.  S.  Sherman, Forest;  Christian  Ellefson,  Frank- 
lin; E.  L.  Oakes,  Genoa;  Martin  Rodgers, 
Greenwood;  J.  W.  Hoyt,  Hamburg;  J.  M.  Mc- 
Lees, Harmony;  Roger  Williams,  Hillsborough; 
Wm.  Smith,  Jefferson;  Irvin  Fox,  Kickapoo; 
G.  W.  Wise,  Liberty;  Eli  McVey,  Stark;  Joseph 
Morgan,  Sterling;  T.  S.  Jordan,  Union;  E. 
Powell,  Viroqua;  R.  S.  McMichael,  Village  of 
Viroqua;  John  Suyder,Web8ter;  H.  H.Morgan, 
Wheatland;  Van  S.  Bennett,  Whitestown. 

At  this  session  resolutions  were  passed  ask- 
ing the  senator  and  assemblyman  from  this 
district  to  use  their  influence  to  have  the 
Legislature  pass  an  act  providing  for  the  bien- 
nial instead  of  annual  se^ssions  of  the  Legisla- 
ture. 


fe- 


*sro 


^06^ ; ','^°^ ' 


""'--^. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


153 


D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  poor  commis- 
sioner. 

Taxes  were  levied  as  follows:  For  State 
purposes,  $6,085.06;  for  county  purposes,  $15,- 
210.85;  for  count}-  school  purposes,  $3,420. 
The  total  assessed  valuation  of  the  county  this 
year  was  $3,802,714. 

A  special  session  was  held  in  February,  1880, 
to  take  steps  regarding  a  new  court  house. 
Van  S.  Bennett  was  elected  chairman. 

The  following  is  a  transcript  of  the  record  so 
far  as  relates  to  the  county  buildings  : 

Resolved,  That  the  court  house  contemplated 
to  be  built  in  the  county  of  Vernon,  be  built  at 
a  cost  of  seventeen  thousand  dollars  ($17,000), 
and  the  jail  at  the  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars 
($6,000),  and  that  the  committee  to  contract  for 
and  superintend  the  construction  of  the  same, 
be  and  are  hereby  authorized  and  instructed  to 
have  the  same  fully  completed  and  I'eady  for 
occupation,  at  the  prices  above  named. 

That  the  cost  of  said  court  house  and  jail  is 
hereby  limited  to  said  sum  of  twenty-three 
thousand  dollars  ($23,000),  and  the  committee 
hereafter  to  be  elected  shall  not  exceed  said 
amount,  and  that  said  committee  give  a  bond  to 
said  county  in  this  penal  sum  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars  ($50,000)  to  be  approved  by  the  board  of 
supervisors  of  said  county  to  secure  and  indem- 
nify said  county  against  the  payment  of  any 
excess  above  said  sum  of  $-23,000  for  said  couit 
house  and  jail. 

The  special  committee  to  whom  was  referred 
the  petitions  asking  that  the  question  of  build- 
ing a  new  court  house  be  submitted  to  a  vote 
of  the  people,  reported  the  same  back  to  the 
board  without  recommendation.  Received  and 
placed  on  file. 

Mr.  McMichae!  offered  a  resolution  in  rela- 
tion to  accepting  a  loan  of  $23,000  from  the 
State.     Referred  to  committee  on  finance. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Jordan  the  board  adjourned 
until  2  o'clock  p.  m. 

2  o'clock  p.  M.  Board  met.  Called  to  order 
by  the  chairman. 


The  committee  on  finance  made  the  following 
report. 

Your  committee  to  whom  was  referred  pre- 
amble and  resolution  in  relation  to  acceptance 
of  a  loan  of  the  trust  funds  of  the  State,  have 
had  the  same  under  consideration,  and  resj)ect- 
fully  recommend  their  passage. 

J.  W.  HOTT, 

E.  L.  Oakes, 
Roger  Williajus. 

Committee. 
The  report  of  the  committee  was  adopted  and 
the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  passed. 
On  this  question  the  ayes  and  nays  were  called 
for.  Those  voting  in  the  affirmative  were: 
Messrs.  Anderson,  Bennett,  Hoyt,  Fox,  Jordan, 
McLees,  McMichael,  H.  H.  Morgan,  Michelet, 
Oakes,  Powell,  Rogers,  Schlong,  Sherman, 
Smith,  Snyder  and  Williams, — seventeen. 

Those  voting  in  the  negative  were:  Messrs. 
Ellefson,  Hanson,  Joseph  Morgan  and    Wise — 

four. 
Absent  or  not  voting,  McVey— 1. 

PREAMBLE    AND    RESOLtTTIOXS. 

WJiereas,  The  Legislature  of  the  State  of 
Wisconsin,  at  its  annual  session,  A.  D.  1880, 
passed  a  law  approved  Jan.  29,  1880,  author- 
izing the  commissioners  of  public  lands  to  loan 
a  jiortion  of  the  trust  funds  of  this  State  not 
exceeding  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  ($25, 
000),  to  the  countv  of  Vernon,  in  this  State, 
and  authorizing  the  board  of  supervisors  of 
Vernon  county  to  borrow  a  sum  not  exceeding 
the  amount  above  named,  of  said  commis- 
sioners, and  to  issue  to  said  commissioners  cer- 
tificates of  the  indebtedness  so  contracted  ; 
said  indebtedness  to  bear  interest  at  the  rate  of 
seven  per  cent,  per  annum  : 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  board  of  supervisors 
of  Vernon  county,  duly  assembled  according  to 
law,  do  hereby  accept  a  loan  of  twenty-three 
thousand  dollars  ($23,000),  according  to  the 
provisions  of  said  act  and  the  terms  and  limi- 
tations therein  provided  :   and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  said  board  of  siiper\  i- 
ors  of  Vernon  county,  assembled  as    aforesaid, 


10 


154 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


do  issue  to  said  commissioners  certificates  of 
the  indebtedness  so  contracted,  and  that  the 
chairman  and  clerk  of  this  board  be  and  are 
hereby  fully  authorized  and  empowered,  in  the 
name  of  the  county  of  Vernon  to  make,  execute 
and  deliver  to  said  commissioners  of  the  pub- 
lic lands,  the  certificates  of  said  indebtedness, 
in  such  form  as  required  by  said  commissioners, 
for  any  and  all  sums  of  money  that  may  be 
loaned  to  said  county,  hereby  fully  empowering 
the  said  chairman  and  clerk  of  said  board  to  do 
and  perform  all  necessary  things  to  be  done  by 
them  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  said  act  and 
these  resolutions. 

Resolved,  That  a  certified  copy  of  this  pre- 
amble and  resolutions  be  filt'd  by  the  clerk  of 
this  board  with  the  secretary  of  State  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin. 

Adopted  Feb.  11,  A.  D.  1^80. 

Mr.  Ellefson  offered  a  resolution  in  relation 
to  recording  his  vote,  which  the  board  refused 
to  adopt. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Smith  the  board  took  a 
recess  for  one  hour.  The  time  having  expired 
the  board  re-assembled. 

Mr.  Anderson  offered  the  following  resolution 
which,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Schlong,  was  adopted 
under  a  suspension  of  the  rules: 

Resolved,  That  the  new  court  house  be  built 
of  stone,  and  that  the  roof  of  said  court  house 
be  made  of  tin  or  iron,  whichever  to  the  build- 
ing committee  shall  seem  most  proper. 

Mr.Williaras  moved  that  Mr.  Struck,  architect, 
be  invited  to  meet  the  board  to-morrow  morn- 
ing.    Motion  prevailed. 

Mr.  Michelet  moved  that  the  vote  by  which 
the  board  refused  to  adopt  the  resolution  of- 
fered by  Mr.  Ellefson  in  relation  to  recording 
his  vote,  be  re-considered.  Motion  prevailed 
and  the  vote  was  re-considered  and  the  resolu- 
tion adopted  as  follows  : 

Resolved,  by  the  board  of  supervisors  of  Ver- 
non county  that  Christian  Ellefson  have  permis- 
sion to  record  his  vote  on  the  resolutions  rela- 
ting to  building  a  court  house. 


Mr.  Ellefson  recorded  his  vote  in  the  nega- 
tive. 

Mr.  Smith  moved  that  a  committee  of  five  be 
appointed  by  the  chair  to  view  grounds  for 
location  of  new  court  house  and  jail,  and  report 
to  the  board  to-morrow  morning.  Motion  pre- 
vailed. 

Messrs.  Smith,  Hoyt,  Jordan,  Hanson  and 
McLees  were  appointed  such  committee. 

Mr.  Williams  moved  that  a  committee  of 
three  be  appointed  to  examine  the  title  to  the 
lots  on  which  the  old  court  house  and  jail  are 
located.  Motion  prevailed.  Messrs.  Williams, 
Michelet  and  H.  H.  Morgan  were  appointed 
such  committee. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Hoyt  the  board  adjotirned 
until  9  o'clock  to-morrow  morning. 

Thur.sdaj',  Feb.  13,  1880,  9  o'clock  a.  m. 
Board  met,  called  to  order  by  the  chairman. 
Members  all  present  except  Mr.  McVey.  Jour- 
nal of  yesterday  read  and  approved. 

Mr.  Schlong  offered  a  resolution  in  relation 
to  employing  an  architect.  Referred  to  the 
committee  on  finance. 

Mr.  Hoyt  offered  a  resolution  in  relation  to 
building  committee.  Referred  to  committee 
on  ways  and  means. 

The  committee  on  grounds  were  granted 
further  time. 

The  special  committee  appointed  to  examine 
title  to  lots  1,  2,  7  and  8,  block  6,  made  the 
following  report,  which  was  received  and  placed 
on  file  : 

Your  special  committee  to  examine  tiie 
records,  in  the  register's  oflice,  in  rela- 
tion to  the  court  house  lots,  beg  leave  to  report 
that  they  have  made  the  necessary  examination 
and  find  that  the  county  is  the  legal  owner  of 
said  lots. 

RoGEB  Williams,      ) 
John  Michelet,         yCom. 
Henet  H.  Morgan,  ) 

On  motion,  a  recess  of  thirty  minutes  was 
taken.  The  time  having  expired,  the  board  re- 
assembled. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


155 


The  committee  on  ways  and  means  made  the 
following  report: 

We,  your  committee  on  ways  and  means,  to 
whom  was  referred  the  resolution  for  the  elec- 
tion of  a  building  committee,  beg  leave  to  re- 
port that  they  have  had  the  same  under  consid- 
eration and  recommend  its  passage. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Iloyt  the  report  was 
adopted  and  the  resolution  passed  by  a  vote  of 
ayes  and  nays,  all  the  members  ])resent  voting 
aye  except  Messrs.  Sherman  and  Williams,  who 
voted  nay. 

Resolved,  By  the  board  of  supervisors  of  Ver- 
non county,  that  this  board  elect  a  committee 
of  five  persons  to  be  designated  as  a  building 
committee.  Said  committee  shall  have  power 
to  contract  for  the  building  of  a  court  house,  the 
cost  of  which  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  of 
$17,000,  and  for  a  jail  and  jailors'  house,  the 
cost  of  which  shall  not  exceed  $6,000.  Said 
committee  shall  employ  a  competent  architect 
to  prepare  plans  and  specifications,  and  super- 
intend the  work  of  construction  of  said  build- 
ings; they  shall  cause  public  notice  to  be  given 
that  sealed  proposals  will  be  received  for  the 
construction  of  said  buildings,  and  the  material 
of  which  the  same  .shall  be  constructed,  and 
shall  reject  any  and  all  bids  exceeding  the 
amount  above  stated.  Said  building  committee 
shall  require  of  the  party  or  parties  to  whom 
contracts  are  awarded,  to  give  bonds  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  their  contracts,  as  fol- 
lows: For  the  construction  of  the  court  house, 
in  the  sum  of  $34,000,  for  the  construction  of 
the  jail  and  jailors'  house,  in  the  sum  of  $12,000. 
Said  committee  shall  give  bonds  to  Vernon 
county  in  the  sum  of  $50,000,  conditioned  for 
the  faithful  performance  of  their  duties  and  the 
proper  disposition  of  all  moneys  of  the  county, 
placed  in  their  hands,  for  the  construction  of 
said  buildings.  Said  committee  shall  receive 
for  their  services,  the  sum  of  $2  per  day  each, 
for  each  days  time  actually  spent  in  the  per- 
formance of  their  duties,  and  six  cents  per  mile, 
for  each  mile  necessarily   traveled.     Said  com- 


mittee may  elect  a  treasurer  who  shall  give 
bonds  in  the  sum  of  $26,000,  for  the  faithful 
performance  of  his  duties,  and  may  make  such 
rules  and  regulations  for  the  government  of  their 
body  as  they  may  deem  proper,  provided  such 
rules  do  not  exceed  the  authority  granted  said 
committee  by  the  several  resolutions  of  the 
county  board.  All  the  bonds  mentioned  in  this 
resolution  (excepting  the  bond  of  treasurer  of 
the  building  committee)  shall  be  approved  by 
the  chairman  and  two  other  members  of  this 
board,  and  the  bond  of  the  treasurer  of  the 
building  committee  shall  be  approved  by  a  ma- 
jority of  said  building  committee. 

J.    W.    HOYT. 

Mr.  Schlong  introduced  an  order  in  relation 
to  building  commissioner.  Referred  to  com- 
mittee on  finance. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  McMichael,  the  board  pro- 
ceeded to  elect  by  ballot  a  building  committee 
of  five  members.  Messrs.  Hoyt,  Snyder,  Powell, 
McLees  and  Anderson  were  elected  such  com- 
mittee. 

Mr.  Williams  offered  the  following  resolu- 
tion, which  was  passed: 

Jiesolved,  That  Col.  C.  M.  Butt  be  requested 
to  draft  an  order  defining  and  limiting  the  pow- 
ers and  duties  of  the  building  committee,  so 
that  said  committee  shall  not  be  able  to  make 
the  cost  of  court  house,  jail  and  jailors'  residence 
exceed  the  sum  of  $23,000,  without  being  liable 
upon  their  ofiicial  bond,  for  the  excess  of  the 
said  amount  of  $23,000. 

The  committee  on  finance  made  the  following 
report: 

Your  committee,  to  whom  was  referred  the 
order,  in  relation  to  electing  building  commis- 
sioners to  superintend  the  construction  of  county 
buildings,  have  had  the  same  under  considera- 
tion, and  respectfully  recommend  its  passage  as 
amended,  by  inserting  two  in  place  of  one. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  McMichael,  the  report  was 
adopted  and  order  passed. 

The  county  board  of  supervisors,  of  the  county 
of  Vernon,  do  order  as  follows: 


156 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


That  there  be  two  special  commissioners 
elected  by  this  board,  by  ballot,  whose  duty  it 
shall  be,  to  watch  over  and  care  for  the  proper 
erection  of  the  court  house  and  jail,  and  report 
in  writing  to  the  chairman  and  clerk  of  this 
board,  of  any  irregularities  in  the  performance 
of  the  work,  selection  of  the  materials  or  dis- 
bursements from  the  fund  appropriated  for 
building  purposes. 

That  the  said  special  commissioners  shall 
have  the  further  power,  and  it  is  hereby  made 
their  duty  to  inform  the  architect  and  chairman 
of  the  building  committee,  of  any  defects  in  the 
construction  of  said  buildings,  or  deviations  in 
the  work  upon  said  county  buildings,  from  the 
plans  and  specifications  of  the  architect  pertain- 
ing to  the  same. 

Signed,  Henry  Schlong. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  McMichael,  the  board  ad- 
journed until  2  o'clock  p.  m. 

Two  o'clock  P.  M.  Board  met.  Called  to  or- 
der by  the  chairman. 

The  committee  on  finance  made  the  follow- 
ing report,  which  was  adopted  and  the  resolu- 
tion passed. 

Your  committee,  to  whom  was  referred  the 
resolution  in  relation  to  employing  an  archi- 
tect and  superintendent  of  the  new  court  house 
and  jail,  have  had  the  same  under  considera- 
tion, and  respectfully  recommend  its  passage. 

Resolved,  That  we  hereby  elect  C.  F.  Struck, 
of  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  the  architect  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  new  court  house  and  jail,  and 
that  the  building  committee  make  a  written 
contract  with  him  for  his  compensation  as  such. 

Henry  Schlong. 

The  special  committee  on  grounds  for  new 
buildings  made  the  following  report: 

Your  committee  appointed  to  select  a  site  for 
new  county  buildings,  have  looked  at  various 
sites,  and  have  selected  as  the  most  appropri- 
ate place  for  such  buildings,  a  piece  of  land  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Minshall,  seventeen  rods  and 
thirteen  and  a  half  feet  wide,  on  the  east  side, 
running  the  full  width  of  his  land,  back  to  the 


west  line  about  thirty-five  or  thirty-eight   rods, 
for  the  sum  of  ^150  per  acre. 

William  Smith, 

J.    W.    HOTT, 

Peter  Hanson, 
J.  M.  McLees. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Anderson,  the  report  was 
adopted. 

Mr.  Jordan  made  the  following  minority  re- 
port. 

The  undersigned,  a  member  of  your  special 
committee,  to  whom  was  assigned  the  duty  of 
viewing  the  several  locations  in  and  about 
Viroqua,  proposed  as  suitable  places  on  which 
to  erect  the  new  county  buildings,  and  report  to 
this  body,  begs  leave  to  report  that,  in  his  opin- 
ion, the  location  occupied  by  the  present  county 
buildings  is  better  adapted  to  that  purpose, 
and  all  things  considered  preferable  to  any 
other,  and  would  respectfully  recommend  the 
adoption  of  the  resolution  hereunto  attached. 

T.  S.  Jordan. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Ellefson,  the  report  was 
adopted  and  resolution  passed  by  the  following 
vote:     Affirmative,  11.     Negative,  7. 

Itcsolved,  That  the  court  house  and  jail,  to  be 
erected,  be  located  on  the  grounds  occupied  by 
the  present  buildings  used  for   those  purposes. 

Mr.  Williams  moved  to  reconsider  the  vote 
by  which  the  resolution  in  relation  to  building 
committee  was  adopted.  Motion  lost  by  the 
following  vote:     Affirmative,  10.    Negative,  10. 

Mr.  Ellefson  offered  a  resolution  as  to  material 
to  be  used  in  jail,  which  the  board  refused  to 
adopt. 

H.  H.  Morgan  moved  to  reconsider  the 
vote  on  the  resolution  adopted  in  relation  to  lo- 
c  tion  of  new  buildings.  Motion  prevailed  by 
the  following  vote:  Those  voting  in  the  af- 
firmative were:  Messrs.  Anderson,  Hoyf,  Han- 
son, McLees,  H.  H.  Morgan,  Michelet,  SeliJong 
Sherman.  Smith,  Snyder,  Williams  and  Wise 
12.  Those  voting  in  the  negative  were:  Messrs 
Bennett,  Ellefson,  Fox,  Jordan,  Mc.Vlichael 
Joseph  Morgan,   Oakes,  Powell  and  Rodgers,  9 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


157 


Mr.  Williams  moved  that  the  resolution  be 
laid  on  the  table.  Mr.  McMiohael  moved  to 
amend  by  postponing  action  thereon,  until  to- 
morrow morning.  Amendment  lost.  The  origi- 
nal motion  prevailed,  the  resolution  was  tabled. 

Mr.  McMicliael  introduced  an  order  authoriz- 
ing county  treasurer  to  pay  over  funds  to  the 
building  committee.  Referred  to  the  commit- 
tee on  finance. 

Mr.  Williams  moved  to  reconsider  the  vote 
on  the  order  passed  in  relation  to  electing  two 
building  commissioners.  Motion  prevailed. 
The  vote  was  reconsidered  and  the  order  laid 
on  the  table. 

Mr.  Anderson  offered  a  resolution  authoriz- 
ing the  building  committee  to  purchase  ground 
for  new  county  buildings.  Referred  to  oom- 
mittee  on  ways  and  means. 

The  committee  on  ways  and  means  reported 
the  same  back  to  the  board  for  their  action. 
Mr.  McLtes  moved  that  the  resolution  do  now 
pass.  Motion  prevailed.  The  ayes  and  nays 
were  called  for.  Those  voting  in  the  affirma- 
tive were:  Anderson,  Fox,  Hoyt,  MeLees,  Mich- 
elet,  Rodgers,  Schlong,  Sherman,  Smith,  Sny- 
der, Williams  and  Wise,  12.  Those  voting 
in  the  negative  were:  Bennett,  Ellefson,  Han- 
son, Jordan,  McMichael,  Joseph  Morgan,  H.  H. 
Morgan,  Oakes  and  Powel,  9. 

Resolved,  By  the  board  of  supervisors  of  Ver- 
non county,  that  the  building  committee  be  and 
are  hereby  instructed  to  negotiate  with  the 
proper  parties,  for  seventeen  rods,  thirteen  and 
a  half  feet,  by  thirty-five  to  fifty  rods  of  ground 
upon  which  the  new  court  house  and  jail  shall 
be  located  in  the  west  portion  of  the  village 
of  Viroqua,  on  the  site  recommended  by  a 
special  committee  of  this  body  and  upon  the 
lands  of  Mr.  Minshall. 

On  motion,  the  board  adjourned  until  7 
o'clock  p.  ii.  Board  met.  Called  to  order  by  the 
chairman. 

Mr.  Hoyt  offered  a  resolution  authorizing  the 
building  committee    to  sell  lots  1,  2,  7  and  8,  in 


block  6,  Viroqua.  Referred  to  committee  on 
ways  and  irieans. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Williams,  the  board  ad- 
journed until  9  o'clock  to-morrow  morning. 

Friday,  Feb.  13,  1880,  9  o'clock  a.  m.  Board 
met.  Called  to  order  by  the  chairman.  Mem- 
bers all  present  except  Mr.  McVey.  Journal  of 
yesterday  read  and  approved. 

The  committee  on  ways  and  means  made  the 
following  report: 

Your  committee  on  ways  and  means,  to  whom 
was  referred  the  resolution  authorizing  the 
building  committee  to  sell  grounds,  beg  leave 
to  report  that  they  have  had  the  same  under 
consideration  and  offer  the  order  hereto  as  a 
substitute,  and  recommend  its  passage. 

The  report  was  adopted  and  the  substitute 
was  passed  by  the  following  vote.  Those  voting 
in  theaffirmative  were:  Anderson,  Bennett, Ellef- 
son, Hoyt,  Hanson,  Jordan,  McLees,  McMichael, 
H.  H.  Morgan,  Michelet,  Oaks,  Powell,  Rodg- 
ers, Schlong,  Smith  and  Snyder,  16.  Those 
voting  in  the  negative  were:  Fox,  Joseph  Mor- 
gan, Sherman,  Williams  and  Wise,  5. 

It  is  hereby  ordered  and  determined,  by  the 
county  board  of  supervisors  of  Vernon  county, 
that  the  building  committee  of  this  board,  is 
hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  sell  lots 
1,  2,  7  and  S,  in  block  6,  of  the  original  plat  of 
the  village  of  Viroqua,  on  such  terms  as  shall 
seem  to  them  for  the  best  interests  of  the  county, 
and  apply  the  proceeds  of  such  sale  or  sales,  to 
the  payment  for  the  grounds  purchased  from 
Edward  Minshall  and  wife,  for  the  location  of 
the  new  county  buildings,  and  in  constructing 
fences,  walks,  out  houses,  cisterns  and  in  plant- 
ing trees,  or  otherwise  improving  the  grounds. 
Upon  the  committee  making  such  sale,  it  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  county  clerk,  when  notified, 
and  requested  by  the  chairman  of  said  com- 
mittee so  to  do,  to  execute  to  the  purchaser  or 
purchasers,  good  and  sufficient  warrantee  deeds 
in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  Vernon  county, 
for  the  lot  or  lots  so  sold. 


158 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


All  moneys  arising  from  such  sale  or  sales, 
shall  be  paid  over  to  the  building  committee 
who  shall  render  an  account  for  the  same  to  the 
county  board  of  supervisors. 

The  committee  on  finance  made  the  follow- 
ing report: 

Your  committee,  to  whom  was  referred  the 
order  authorizing  the  building  committee  to  re- 
ceive the  |!23,000  of  the  trust  funds,  have  had 
the  same  under  consideration,  and  respectfully 
recommend  that  it  do  not  pass.  The  report  of 
the  committee  was  adopted.  The  board  refused 
to  pass  the  order. 

Mr.  Schlong  moved  to  strike  out  the  words 
"  said  committee  shall  grant  bonds  in  the  sum 
of  $50,000 "  in  the  resolutions  passed  by  this 
board  in  relation  to  building  committee,  which 
motion  prevailed. 

Mr.  Williams  offered  the  following  resolu- 
tion which  was  adopted  under  a  suspension  of 
the  rules  : 

Resolved,  By  the  boaid  of  supervisors  of 
Vernon  county,  that  chairman  of  the  county 
board  shall  have  power  to  fill  any  vacancy  on 
the  building  committee  caused  by  the  death  or 
resignation  of  any  member  of  said  committee. 

Mr.  Schlong  offered  a  resolution  in  relation 
to  bonds  of  building  committee. 

Mr.  McMichael  moved  that  the  rules  be  sus- 
pended and  the  resolution  adopted.  Mr.  Will- 
iams moved  to  amend  by  striking  out  the  words 
"Ten  thousand"  and  inserting  the  words 
"  Twenty-five  thousand." 

The  amendment  was  lost  by  the  following 
vote:  Affirmative,  five  ;  negative,  fifteen.  Mr. 
McMichael's  motion  prevailed,  and  the  resolu- 
tion adopted  as  follows  : 

Hesolved,  By  the  board  of  supervisors  of 
Vernon  county,  that  the  members  of  the  build- 
ing committee  be  required  to  give  a  joint  bond 
for  the  sum  of  110,000  for  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  their  duties,  said  committee  shall  have 
power  to  draw  orders  on  the  treasurer  for  the 
funds  in  his  hands,  said  orders  to  be  signed  by 


the  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors  and 
countersigned  by  the  clerk,  upon  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  building  committee. 

The  annual  session  for  1880  began  on  the 
9th  of  November.  R.  S.  McMichael,  of  Viro- 
qua,  was  elected  chairman  for  the  ensuing  year. 
The  following  gentlemen  represented  the  vari- 
ous towns  and  villages  in  the  county  : 

Henry  Schlong,  Bergen  ;  M.  N.  Hanson, 
Christiana  ;  H.  VV.  Knapp,  Clinton  ;  Ole  An- 
derson, Coon  ;  R.  S.  Sherman,  Forest ;  H.  A. 
Owen,  Franklin  ;  John  Carpenter,  Genoa  ; 
John  Shaughnessy,  Greenwood  ;  J.  W.  Hoyt, 
Hamburg. 

VVm.  Webster,  Harmony  ;  Roger  Williams, 
Hillsborough;  •  William  Frazier,  Jefferson; 
Irwin  Fox,  Kickapoo;  Stanley  Stout,  Liberty; 
Charles  G.  Stebbins,  Stark;  J.  M.  Vance,  Ster- 
ling; Laor  King,  Union;  E.  Powell,  Viroqua; 
R.  S.  McMichael,  village  of  Viroqua;  John 
Snyder,  Webster;  H.  H.  Morgan,  Wheatland; 
Samuel  Sloggy,  Whitestown. 

At  this  session  the  bounty  upon  wolves  was 
raised  as  follows:  On  a  full  grown  female 
wolf,  $15,  bounty;  on  a  full  grown  male  wolf, 
$10    bounty;  all  whelps,  $5  bounty. 

D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  to  tlie  office  of 
commissioner  of  the  poor. 

The  board  fixed  the  salaries  of  the  various 
county  officers  as  follows:  County  clerk,  $800 
per  year;  treasurer,  $S00;  district  attorney, 
$300;  commissioner  of  poor,  $i!  per  day  and 
eight  cents  per  mile;  county  superintendent, 
$3  per  day  not  to  exceed  $800;  clerk  of  circuit 
court,  $300  and  fees;  comity  judge,  $500. 

Taxes  were  levied  as  follows:  For  State 
purposes,  $12,811.29;  for  county  purposes, 
$15,871.88;  for  county  school  purposes,  $3,609. 
The  total  assessed  valuation  of  the  county  at  that 
time  was  $3,967,970. 

On  the  loth  of  November,  1881,  the  board 
met  again  in  annual  session.  J.  W.  Hoyt,  of 
Hamburg,  was  elected  chairman  for  the  ensu- 
ing year.  The  following  members  of  the 
board  were  present:     Henry    Schlong,  Bergen; 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


159 


T.  Madden,  Christiana;  P.  Brody,  Clinton; 
Helge  Larson,  Coon;  R.  S.  Sherman,  Forest; 
H.  A.  Owen,  Franklin;  W.  L.  Riley,  Genoa; 
John  Shaughnessy,  Greenwood;  J.  W.  Hoyt, 
Hamburg;  Simon  Clawson,  Harmony;  Roger 
Williams,  Hillsborough;  Wm.  Frazier,  Jeffer- 
son; C.  M.  PofE,  Kickapoo;  L.  S.  Rabbitt, 
Liberty;  Irvin  Nixon,  Stark;  J.  M.  Vance,  Ster- 
ling;Laor  King,  Union;  E.  Tilton,  Viroqua;  H.A. 
Chase,  Viroqua  village;  Wm.  Hayes,  Webster;ll. 
H.Morgan,  Wheatland;  Samuel  Sloggy,  Whites- 
town.  D.  A.  Barnard  was  re-elected  poor 
comraLssioner. 

Taxes  were  assessed  by  the  board  as  follows: 
For  State  purposes,  $10,242.07;  for  county 
purposes,  818,067.25;  for  countyschool  purpos- 
es, $3,788.  The  total  asse.ssed  valuation  of  the 
county  in  1880  was  44,014,945. 

For  the  annual  session  in  1882,  the  board 
met  on  the  14th  of  November.  J.  W.  Hoyt,  of 
Hamburg,  was  re-elected  chairman.  The  board 
consisted  of  the  following  gentlemen: 

Henry  Schlong,  Bergen;  Patrick  Brody, 
Clinton;  Timothy  Madden,  Christiana;  Ole 
Anderson,  Coon;  W.  C.  Stelting,  Forest;  F.K. 
Van  Wagner,  Franklin;  W.  L.  Riley,  Genoa; 
Martin  Rodgers,  Greenwood;  J.  W.  Hoyt, 
Hamburg;  Jesse  Cowen,  Harmony;  Roger  Wil- 
liams, Hillsborough;  A.  B.  Saxton,  Jefferson; 
W.  N.  Carter,  Kickapoo;  L.  S.  Rabbitt,  Liberty; 
Troy  Evans,  Stark;  J.  M.  Vance,  Sterling;  S. 
Bauman,  Union;  E.  Tilton,  Viroqua;  H.  A. 
Chase,  Viroqua  village;  W^illiam  Hays,  Web- 
ster; H.  H.  Morgan,  Wheatland;  Samuel 
Sloggy,  Whitestown. 

Chairman  Hoyt  appointed  the  following  com- 
mittees: 

On  finance:  H.  A.  Chase,  Roger  Williams 
and  Henry  Schlong. 

On  claims:  Samuel  Sloggy,  E.  Tilton  and 
Ole  Anderson. 

Ways  and  means:  H.  H.  Morgan,  S.  Bau- 
man, "W.  N.  Carter,  F.  K.  Van  Wagner,  A.  B. 
Saxton,  W.  C.  Stelting  and  Martin  Rodgers. 


Roads,  bridges  and  ferries:  William  Hays, 
J.  M.  Vance,  W.  L.  Riley,  Jesse  Cowen  and 
Troy  Evans. 

Equalization:  E.  Tilton,  L.  S.  Rabbitt, 
Patrick  Brody,  H.  H.  Morgan  and  T.  Madden. 
D.  A.  Barnard,  commissioner  of  poor,  pre- 
sented his  report,  in  which  he  stated  that 
there  had  been  forty-two  paupers  at  the 
county  house  during  the  past  year.  The  aver- 
age number  at  the  house  during  the  year  was 
thirty-one.  The  cost  per  capita  of  $1.24  per 
week.  The  number  at  the  house  Oct.  31,  1882, 
was  thirty;  of  this  number  six  were  insane, 
fourteen  idiotic,  one  epileptic,  two  cripples; 
four  over  seventy  years  of  age;  one  under  ten 
years,  and  of  the  others,  two  are  incapable  of  self- 
support.  The  number  receiving  aid  from  the 
county  outside  of  the  county  was  195.  Mr. 
Barnard  was  re-elected  to  the  office  of  poor 
commissioner. 

The  salaries  of  the  various  county  officers 
were  fixed  as  follows:  County  clerk,  $900  per 
annum;  treasurer,  $800;  district  attorney,  $400; 
clerk  of  circuit  court,  $300  and  fees;  county 
judge,  $500;  poor  commissioner,  $2  per  day  and 
10  cents  per  mile;  county  superintendent,  $3  per 
day. 

On  the  13th  of  November  the  board  of 
supervisors  convened  for  the  annual  session  of 
1883.  J.  W.  Hoyt,  of  Hamburg,  was  re-elected 
chairman  for  the  ensuing  year.  The  following 
gentlemen  were  members  of  the  board,  repre- 
senting the  various  towns  and  incorporated  vil- 
lages in  the  county: 

Wesley  Pulver,  Bergen;  T.  Madden,  Chris- 
tiana; P.  W.  Carey,  Clinton;  Helge  Larson, 
Coon;  R.  S.  Sherman,  Forest;  Christian  Ellef- 
son,  Franklin;  W.  L.  Riley,  Genoa;  W.  King, 
Greenwood;  J.  W.  Hoyt,  Hamburg;  Jesse 
Cowan,  Harmony,  G.  J.  Shear,  Hillsborough; 
A.  B.  Saxton,  Jefferson;  P.  L.  Rush,  Kickapoo; 
D.  B.  Sommers,  Liberty;  Troy  Evans,  Stark;  J. 
M.  Vance,  Sterling;  S.  Bauman,  Union;  E.  Til- 
ton, Viroqua;   H.  A.  Chase,    Viroqua    village; 


160 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


William  Hays,  Webster;  H.  H.  Morgan,  Wheat- 
land; Henry  O'Counell,  Whitestown. 

COUNTY   BUILDINGS. 

The  first  building  used  as  a  court  house  stood 
upon  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Masonic  Hall 
in  Viroqua.  It  was  erected  in  1850  by  Moses 
Decker.  This  building  is  fully  described  in  the 
chapter  upon  the  courts  of  Vernon  county,  the 
first  term  of  circuit  court  being  held  in  it.  This 
building  was  used  for  the  purpose  of  a  court 
house  until  1856. 

In  May,  1854,  the  board  of  supervisors  of  the 
county  expressed  themselves  as  in  favor  of  the 
erection  of  a  new  court  house.  T.  J.  De  Frees 
drew  the  plans  and  specifications  of  the  proposed 
building  and  proposals  were  advertised  for.  In 
July,  1854,  the  proposition  of  Samuel  Mc- 
Michael  to  erect  a  building  30x38  feet  in  size, 
and  two  stories  high,  for  the  sum  of  $2,100,  was 
accepted. 

The  erection  of  the  building  was  at  once 
commenced.  It  was  finished  in  1858,  having 
cost  somewhat  more  than  the  original  contract. 
This  building  still  stands  just  back  of  the  store 
of  Rogers,  Williams  &  Henry.  For  several 
years  after  its  erection  it  was  the  finest  county 
building  in  the  sixth  judicial  circuit.  When  it 
was  first  built  the  first  floor  was  divided  into 
six  oflice  rooms;  later  the  partitions  were  taken 
out,  making  four  rooms.  The  upper  story  was 
occupied  by  the  court  room. 

In  1857  the  contract  for  building  a  jail  was 
let  to  Thomas  Fretwell,  of  Viroqua.  It  was 
finished  in  November,  1858,  at  a  cost  of  $2,060. 
It  stands  directly  west  of  the  old  court  house 
building. 

The  court  house  and  jail  were  occupied  until 
November,  1880,  when  the  county  oflices  and 
records  were  moved  into  the  new  court  house, 
the  one  now  in  use. 

The  present  buildings  were  erected  in  1880; 
the  contract  for  building  the  court  house,  jail 
and  sheriff's  residence  being  let  for  $23,000. 
The  actual  cost  only  overrun  this  amount  $168, 
and  this  was  paid  by  the  county.     The   reason 


of  this  excess  was  that  the  sheriff's  residence 
was  veneered  with  brick,  while  the  contract 
called  for  a  frame  building.  This  made  the  en- 
tire cost  of  the  court  house,  jail  and  sheriff's 
residence  $^3,168. 

The  court  house  is  built  of  stone;  about  60x70 
feet  in  size,  two  stories  and  basement.  In  the 
basement  are  two  large  Ruttan  furnaces  which 
heat  the  entire  building.  There  are  half  a 
dozen  large  rooms  in  the  basement  which  are 
used  for  storage  purposes  ;  partitions  are  of 
massive  stone,  making  a  secure  support  and 
foundation  for  the  building.  The  first  story  is 
divided  into  cozy  rooms  which  are  occupied  by 
the  county  officers.  The  upper  story  is  divided 
into  four  rooms — court  room,  consultation  room 
and  two  jury  rooms.  The  court  room  is  42x58 
feet  in  size,  neatly  furnished  and  well  arranged. 

Just  southwest  of  the  court  house  stands  the 
jail  and  sherift"'s  residence.  The  former  is  of 
stone  ;  the  latter  frame,  with  brick    veneering. 

The  buildings  occupy  a  beautiful  square  con- 
taining about  four  acres  of  land,  just  west  of 
the  main  part  of  town. 

MATRIMONIAL. 

The  first  marriage  that  appears  on  the  record 
books  of  Vernon  county  was  solemnized  on  the 
16th  of  May,  1851,  more  than  thirty -two  years 
ago.  The  contracting  parties  were  Nels  Nelson 
and  Martha  Olson,  and  the  marriage  ceremony 
was  performed  by  Oliver  Langdon,  justice  of 
the  peace. 

It  would  doubtless  be  of  interest  to  many  to 
give  the  record  of  marriages  for  the  first  ten 
years  of  the  county's  existence;  but  they  are  too 
numerous,  therefore,  only  the  first  four  years 
are  given  as  taken  from  the  records  in  the  office 
of  the  register  of  deeds. 

Samuel  Nelson  and  Sophia  Flick,  by  justice 
of  the  peace  Orrin  Wisel,  on  Aug.  25,  1851. 

Job  Brown  and  Mary  Ann  Davison,  by  Henry 
Waters,  Esq.,  on  Sept.  10,  1851. 

Ingebright  Homstead  and  Sophia  Clemetson, 
by  Oliver  Langdon,  Esq.,  on  Dec.  20,  1851. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


161 


Leroy  B.  Bundy  and  Hannah  H.  Taylor,  by 
Rev.  Daniel  Parkison,  on  the  4th  of  .luly, 
1852. 

Ander  Anderson  and  Oleand  Oleson,  by 
Oliver  Langdon,  Esq.,  on  Aug.  -Jl,  1852. 

Nel.s  E.  Olson  and  Anna  M.  Hansdatter,  by 
Oliver  Langdon,  justice  of  the  peace,  on  Oct. 
17,  1852. 

Jacob  Lavold  and  Johannah  E.  Han.sdatter, 
by  Oliver  Langdon,  Esq.,  on  Oct.  17,  1852. 

Lewis  Graham  and  Caroline  E.  Sliowan,  by 
Henry  Waters,  Esq.,  on  Nov.   16,  1852. 

Lafayette  Everson  and  Harriet  Morley,  by 
Edmund  Strong,  Esq.,  on  Nov.  21,  1852. 

John  Clemetson  and  Martha  Ingebright,  by 
Oliver  Langdon,  Esq.,  on  Dec.  15,  1852. 

Philip  Snyder  and  Elizabeth  Guirt,  by  Ed- 
mund Strong,  Esq.,  on  Dec.  28,  1852. 

Franklin  Cooley  and  Mercy  A.  Wilcox,  by 
Rev.  Ira  Wilcox,  on  Jan.  26,  1853. 

John  Lockington  and  Polly  S.  Wright,  by 
Rev.  Daniel  Parkison,  on  Feb.  20,  1853. 

Stephen  0.  Rice  and  Mary  E.  Decker,  by 
Rev.  Daniel  Parkison,  on  the  23d  of  Feb.  1853. 

Henry  Sifert  and  Etna  E.  J.  Siveney, married 
March  !5,  1853,  by  Rev.  Daniel  Parkison. 

Allen  Day  and  Sarah  McGary,  by  Oliver 
Langdon,  Esq.,  on  March  24,  1853. 

Jesse  Ewing  and  Martha  Palmer,  by  Oliver 
Langdon,  Esq.,  on  April  19,  1853. 

Erick  Verack  and  Anna  Siburuson,  on  May 
16,  1853,  by  Oliver  Langdon,  Esq. 

James  Taylor  and  Louisa  Henry,  by  Orrin 
Wisel,  on  May  17,  1853. 

Nels  Jakobson  and  Helena  Paulson,  by  Rev. 
N.  Brandt,  on  the  5th  of  July,  1853. 

Hiram  B.  Patterson  and  Abigal  E.  Harkness, 
by  Henry  Waters,  Esq.,  on  July  17,  1853. 

Gilbert  Herrick  and  Ester  A.  Hale,  by  S.  C. 
Lincoln,  Esq.,  on  Sept.  1,  1853. 

Joseph  B.  Wilcox  and  Jane  L.  Willard,  by 
Rev.  Ira  Wilcox,  on  Sept.  5,  1853. 

Nathaniel  Cox  and  Jane  Teawault,  by  Rev. 
Ira  Wilcox,  on  Sept.  7,  1858. 


Samuel  E.  Burkes  and  Mary  D.  Crume,  by 
Rev.  James  Bishop,  on  Oct.  8,  1853. 

Ingebright  Christenson  and  Matea  Enos,  by 
Oliver  Langdon,  on  Oct.  10,  1853. 

Francis  Davidson  and  Jane  Jones,  by  Oliver 
Langdon,  Esq.,  on  Dec.  9,  1853. 

William  Finnell  and  Catharine  Moreley,  by 
Oliver  Langdon,  Esq.,  on  Nov.  30,  1853. 

Nathan  Coe  and  Mary  Lawrence,  by  Rev. 
Nicholas  Mayne,  on  Dec.  25,  1853. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  those  who 
were  married  during  1854,  without  going  into 
particulars  as  to  dates  : 

Isaac  VV.  Waters  and  Martha  Price. 

George  B.  Taylor  and  Esther  E.  Spring. 

Lucius  Bundy  and  Cordelia  B.  Moore. 

C^hristian  Peterson  and  Anna  Olesdaughter. 

George  Hastings  and  Lavina  Caswell. 

Christopher  N.  Johnson  and  Mary  Nelson. 

Samuel  McMichael  and  Julia  Cook. 

Daniel  Busbee  and  Hannah  Groves. 

Robert  S.  McMichael  and  Osla  Ann  Sperry. 

Lorenzo  Hill  and  Jemima  Wilson. 

Daniel  Day  and  Mary  Hill. 

Joshua  0.  Richardson  and  Eliza  Brown. 

Marshall  T.  Butts  and  Nancy  L.  White. 

James  S.  Medlicott  and  Emily  Barrie. 

Moses  Wheeler  and  Betsy  Targer. 

Nirom  R.  Wells  and  Sarah  A.  Wright. 

Samuel  Brice  and  Mary  Spradling. 

Leonard  C.  Gillett  and  Emily  Dunlap. 

Cyrus  F.  Gi'lettand  Sarah  Jane  Norris. 

A.  W.  Gillett  and  Rebecca  J.  Glen. 

Kidel  Byron  and  Susan  Halverson. 

Michael  Larson  and  Rachel  Knudson. 

Ransom  P.  Gillett  and  Rebecca  Smith. 

William  Rogers  and  Margaret  Maiian. 

Peter  Malhiason  and  Karen  Jacobstaller. 

Enoch  Enochson  and  Sarah  Oleson. 

Andrew  Evenson  and  Martha  Nelsdatter. 

Sylvester  Nelson  and  Anna  Hanson. 

Sidney  Harding  and  Anna  C.  Older. 

Ben  Gulbrandson  and  Abelena  Oleson. 

Elias  Torgeson  and  Mrs.  Algood  Christen- 
son. 


162 


HISTOBY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  names  and  titles  of  those  who  performed 
the  marriage  ceremonies  during  1854,  in  the 
cases  mentioned,  are  as'follows  : 

County  judge,  William  Terhune;  Revs.  James 
Bishop,  Daniel  Parkison  and  H.  A.  Stub ; 
justices  of  the  peace,  Sylvester  C.  Lincoln, 
Henry  Waters,  J.  P.  Harkness,  N.  W.  Saxton, 
Robert  Nelson,  Orrin  Wisel,  Augustus  H. 
Older,  C.  Cheatham,  Oliver  Langdon  and  A. 
Nelson. 

During  the  last  few  years  the  records  of  mar- 
riages, show  the  names  of  many,  both  ladies  and 
young  gentlemen,  who  are  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  the  parties  mentioned  above,  who  have 
themselves    taken   partners    to   their   joys  and 


sorrows, 
front. 


Thus  a  new  generation  steps  to  the 


The  following  table  shows  the  number  of 
marriages  recorded  from  the  year  1851  to  1883, 
inclusive  : 


1851. 

1852. 

1853. 

1854.. 

1855. 

1856. 

1857. 

1858. 

1859 

1860. 

1861. 

1862. 

1863. 

1864. 

1865. 

1866. 

1867. 

1868. 


.  18 
.  31 
.  59 
.  66 
.  69 
.  88 
.  71 
.  82 
.  84 
.  50 
.  39 
.  13 
.  47 
.  61 
.  62 
117 


1869 

1870 

1871 

1873 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878 

L879 

1880 

1881 

1882 

1883  to  Oct. 


25,. 


160 
181 
181 
138 
150 
191 
150 
184 
155 
216 
206 
152 
182 
308 
126 


Total 3,499 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


168 


I 
I 


00 

00 

i 


f 

s 


Value  of 
City  and  Vil- 
lage Lota.. 


No.  Acres  of 
Land 


Value  of  the 
aforesaid 
Acres  of 
Land 


COfM 


-  Cfc-f  CO  « 


010lC0C0O:DC-^^-^«0»0TP»t3^--^m"2C0ir5r-t 

.    ._ -ci-'^tcot-rsxoroof-too 


w^  X  =:  X  ii 


tm  t-Ci  X  CO 


■=si^n%^?iT 


-.  rr  —  ■--;  ^  =-.  o  It:  o 

-X-fi^lX^It-OCO 
f  r:  :=■  :z;  X  L-  ii  o  oi 


Total  val.  of 
al!  personal 
property  as 
aforesaid  . . . 


N  <C  -^  "*  ?!  X  Ol  ?D  m  CO  >i 


Value  of  all  > 
oth  e  r  Per- 
sonal Prop-  I 
erty | 


If;  ■X!  -^  ;C  X!  I-  I-  -XJ  I-  ^  t- 

X  iC  c;  t-  t-  -*  o  «  ^  -^  ? 
(-  'tf-  -a- 1'  -^  ?:  o  t-  o  u  i; 


CO  X  O  T—  X  X  1*1 


ZO-.X.ftl'^ 


Val.  of  Mer. 

chants,  and 
Manufactur- 
ers' Stock... 


O  ^f  O  ?I  uO  t—  1.0  O  i-  n  X  tl  O  t—  t-  t— 


*  °  2 

2^5 


•O       to 
d  b<  4) 

^  >  ^ 

1^^ 


Ed 


o 

a: 


S    XI 


o 


fi.     m 

0)  a  d 

i3  (ri  Pi 


o 


C3 


-^DiOOiooio-^mooccoin 


^S3 


COKS-^CO^^ffiCl-^COClt-     -irtC'I^ 


o  ITS  oi    -  o  o  a 


^X     'rHO-^O        I— HDNlO^t-t-OtOlOXiX 
"     "  O-^O     'COiftCONSOi-tt-COCOl-C^O 


«0  01X00 


t— CpiOiOrHiOO^lf5COiO'*OiOOT-^iX»t5'^CO^ 
xoic;:D«0'*'ioosCJOjcou7CO<ot-i—  xeooSo 
f— i-HOicX'ffitSi-ixo^i— CJ<;Dt-co-*-*t--*ao 


t-iccxj:i— •»oci'*'cooicc;>-Hurr3omcocjcOTf<ci 
oix  x-rxomx-^czox'!— iai-(OJcoO"'*<:ooi 

r--r-"->        r-tOli-Hr-t— 't-lCOCtr-l        r-(0»r-l-*rHr-fr-l 


cpwi~-*<xic:-Hi-'*aiai'--"OL--»*':Di->joocox 

Ot-COX«--t-OIO<Or-ieOcni-COOlt-t-CO'-'i-' 

u5CO-*'"<»'co«u3t--oi-i»nrtOi">*'^Mc-io>t-oix 

r£cO*  oi" 01  of  V  ^i-Toio*  i-i' « ' 


iCOOl:OCOr- 


j'X-*^  ssoib- 


tr-oii—  orocicc-^oi-^^-t-oo— ■^ 


M  X  "Tf  CDC:  >Ct 


cio^iccot-oeoox^scot-ot-^osoir.      _,  ^ 
r- iioxx^-cot-t— eo'»icm-rfi--^i—  oit-com-^ 


CO-*-M        CO'-'OiCOOi        i-< 


0;>C^0;Ot—  Ot-t—  >— <N!DliOt-<DCO-*^'Xr 

lr-i»Oi:Ot.---fu3COOXi-iX-wOit--^l- ' 

— "'^  —  —  Oit-t-io^eooico!©-*!^'    - 
"■*—        —  COOtr-'        — 


—.,-,,_,  Ui  rl 


•OOJOl    -oo-^-^cot- 


iffl— JO 

oox 


OOOiOiAiOiO 
»OC0Oi  Nt-Olt- 
t-       O*  CO  Ol       Ol 


*CO      -COl-H^ffit-r 


»01 

oto 

to  31 


a5x:oxcjcO'— ioao-*i:DOico-^xi( 
cot^  —  I—  ca:ot-Oiu?OsXidooiT— 't 

ooic;ooi»o«»ocor-.oiocoeDfc-c: 


■io--< 

»<T— "lO 

ft  •*  X 


COT-HCOOt-t-t-COOOai-ilOOiaOiOOCOtr-'*t- 


■:  •♦"  01  r^  CI  -*<  -^  I-  CT>  CO  01  o  t-  (X  "*  "*  c 
oc  3iOOI-l-^r-l-*Xxco';oa:C5Cp^ 
301XCiOit-"^r-ii-(COCOOS-*lr--*0« 


I   iC  t—  in  O  U^  OJ  O  O  O  — I  c 

I— I  if  to  'C  I—  X  oi  m  o  1-  ^ 

,   rH  ^  i-H  X  iC  O  CI  01  CO  1.0  : 


■  z:  X  o  01  lO  lO  CO  o  CO 

-  —  ~  —  ;-•  lO  t-  -^  i~  t- 


t>     ISS 


cctr-inco^ooiOi-*'i.--co«axxi-"eix«t-pioi 

CO--*"Ct5cQOlt.-COCO"*-*^«'COrHCO»01XC05lOl 


to 

m 

Z 

:  si  : 

W 

^ 

S 

g 

o-^  o 

■?■ 

^  t:  c 

fH 

®x::= 

o 

CQOO 

.  .J  •   • 
:  :  6«  .  :  ; 

^ '  =  §  s  £  a& 


3  Or;  tfi 


164 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER      XIV 


CIVIL   SUB-DIVISIONS  OF   VERNON    COUNTY. 


When  the  territory  now  comprising  the 
county  of  Vernon  was  organized  as  Bad  A.x 
county,  in  April,  1851,  it  constituted  one  civil 
town.  This  was  called  by  the  same  name  as 
the  county — Bad  Ax.  Its  oiganization  was  ef- 
fected at  the  same  time  as  was  that  of  the 
county. 

In  this  shape  the  county  remained  until  tlie 
29th  of  March,  1853,  when  the  board  of  super- 
visors got  together  and  divided  the  county  into 
four  civil  towns.  These  towns  were  named 
Bergen,  Jeflferson,  Bad  Ax  and  Kickapoo. 

The  town  of  Bergen  was  made  to  embrace 
the  territory  now  comprising  the  towns  of  Ham- 
burg and  Bergen,  and  all  of  Harmony  and 
Genoa  lying  north  of  the  dividing  line  between 
townships  1-2  and  13.  It  was  further  ordered 
that  the  first  to^vn  meeting  in  Bergen  be  held 
at  the  house  of  John  Warner. 

The  town  of  Jeflerson  embraced  the  territory 
of  townships  13  and  14,  range  5  west,  now 
com]>rising  the  civil  towns  of  Jefferson  and 
Coon.  The  creating  resolution  provided  that 
the  first  town  meeting  of  Jefferson  be  held  at 
the    school  house  in  the  village  of  Springvillc 

The  town  of  Bad  Ax  was  the  largest  in  the 
county.  Tiie  records  state  that  its  boundaries 
were  as  follows  :  "Beginning  at  the  norlhwest 
corner  of  township  14,  of  range  4  west  ;  run- 
ning thence  south  on  the  range  line  to  the 
southwest  corner  of  township  13,  range  4  west  ; 
thence  west  on  the  township  line  between  town- 
ships 12  and  13,  to  the  middle  of  the  main 
channel  of  the  Mississippi  river  ;  thence  down 
the  river  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  county; 
thence  east  on  the  county  line  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  section  15,  township  11,  range  4  west; 
thence  north  on  the  section  line  to   the    north- 


east corner  of  section  21,  township  12,  range  4 
west;  thence  east  on  the  section  line  to  the 
southeast  corner  af  section  24,  township  12, 
range  3  west  ;  thence  north  on  the  range  line 
to  the  northeast  corner  of  township  12,  range  3 
west;  thence  east  on  the  township  line  between 
12  and  13  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
township  13,  range  1  east;  thence  north  on  the 
range  line  to  the  northeast  corner  of  township 
14,  range  1  east  ;  thence  west  on  the  township 
line,  between  townships  14  and  15,  to  the  place 
of  beginning."  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
town  of  Bad  Ax  embraced  about  sixteen  Con- 
gressional townships. 

The  town  of  Kickapoo  embraced  exactly  the 
same  territory  as  it  does  to-day.  Its  boundaries 
were  described  by  the  supervisors  as  follows: 
"Beginning  at  the  northwest  corner  of  section 
20,  township  12,  range  4  west,  thence  south  on 
the  section  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  sec- 
tion 14,  township  11,  range  4  west,  thence  east 
on  the  section  line  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
section  13,  township  11,  range  3  west,  thence 
north  on  the  range  line  to  the  northeast  corner 
of  section  25,  township  12,  range  3  west,  thence 
west  on  the  section  line  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning." This  made  in  all  forty  sections.  It  was 
ordered  that  the  first  town  meeting  of  Kickapoo 
be  held  at  the  house  of  Orrin  Wisel. 

The  indebtedness  of  the  town  of  Bad  Ax  was 
apportioned  in  fair  ratio  between  the  new 
towns,  and  the  records  and  documents  belong- 
ing to  the  original  town  were  to  remain  with 
Bad  Ax. 

In  a  few  months  it  became  apperant  that  the 
town  of  Bad  Ax  was  altogether  too  large. 
From  the  northeast  to  the  southwest  corner  was 
a  distance  of  over  sixty  miles.      On  the  29th  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


165 


November,  1853,  the  board  of  sapervisors  made 
another  division,  and  created  the  town  of  Far- 
well.  This  change  threw  the  town  of  Bad  Ax 
into  the  southwest  corner  of  the  county.  Its 
boundaries  were  described  as  follows:  Com- 
mencing where  the  township  line  between  12 
and  13  intersect  the  Mississippi  river,  thence 
down  the  river  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
county,  thence  east  along  the  county  line  to  the 
southeast  corner  of  section  15,  township  11, 
range  4,  thence  north  on  the  section  line  to  the 
northeast  corner  of  section  15,  township  12, 
range  4,  tlience  west  on  the  section  line  to  the 
range  line  between  ranges  4  and  5  west,  thence 
north  to  the  southeast  corner  of  township  13, 
range  5,  thence  west  to  the  place  of  beginning. 
The  town  of  Farwell  was  created  from  the  re- 
mainder of  the  territory  which  had  constituted 
the  town  of  Bad  Ax,  according  to  the  division 
of  March,  1853.  The  first  town  meeting  for 
the  new  town  of  Bad  Ax  was  ordered  to  be  held 
in  "the  school  house  near  the  postofKce  of  Bad 
Ax,"  wherever  that  was.  The  iirst  town  meet- 
ing for  Farwell  was  to  be  held  at  the  court  house 
in  Viroqua. 

*  The  town  of  Farwell  was  short-lived.  On 
the  25th  of  May,  1854,  its  name  was  changed  to 
"Viroqua." 

O  the  3d  of  July,  1854,  section  1  of  town- 
ship 12,  range  5  west,  was  detached  from  the 
town  of  Bad  Ax  and  made  a  part  of  Viroqua. 
This  section  adjoins  the  village  of  Viroqua 
upon  the  southwest,  and  the  change  was  made 
through  the  influence  of  that  place. 

A  special  session  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
was  held  on  the  9th  of  May,  1855,  at  which  the 
town  of  Viroqua  was  divided,  and  Forest  and 
Hillsborough  were  created.  Forest  embraced 
four  congressional  townships;  described  as 
township  14,  ranges  1  and  i  west,  and  township 
13,  ranges  1  and  2.  This  territory  is  now 
embraced  in  the  towns  of  Forest,  Union,  Stark 
and  Whitestown.  The  first  town  meeting  in 
Forest  was  ordered  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
James  F.  Brown. 


The  town  of  Hillsborough  embraced  the  ter- 
ritory of  congressional  townships  13  and  14, 
range  1  east,  which  now  comprises  the  towns 
of  Hillsborough  and  Greenwood.  The  first 
town  meeting  in  Hillsborough  was  ordered 
held  at  the  house  of  Albert  Fields. 

In  this  shape  as  to  sub-divisions  the  county 
remained  until  the  13th  of  November.  1855, 
when  a  general  reconstruction  was  ordered  by 
the  board  of  supervisors.  The  act  of  May  9, 
1855,  creating  Forest,  was  repealed,  and  the 
boundaries  of  most  of  the  other  towns  were 
materially  altered.  The  new  towns  created  at 
this  time  were  Union,  Webster,  Christiana, 
Forest,  Greenwood  and  Harmony. 

The  town  of  Union  then  consisted  of 
congressional    township   13,  range  1   west  and 

13,  range  2  west,  now  known  as  civil  towns 
Union  and  Stark.  The  first  town  meeting  of 
Union  was  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  Joseph 
Bean. 

The  town  of  Webster  then  embraced  the 
same  territory  that  it  does  to-day — township  13, 
range  3  west.  The  first  town  meeting  was 
ordered  to  be  held  at  John  Richardson's  resi- 
dence. 

The  town  of  Christiana  embraced  the  territory 
which  now  comprises  the  towns  of  Clinton  and 
Christiana;  or,  in  other  words,  township  14, 
ranges  3  and  4  west.  The  board  provided  that 
the  first  town  meeting  be  held  at  Hunt  &  Ol- 
son's mill  on  the  west  branch   of  the  Kickapoo' 

The  town  of  Forest  was  re-created,  embrac- 
ing, under  this  act,  the  territory  of  township  13, 
ranges  1  and  2  west,  which  is  now  civilly  organ- 
ized as  Forest  and  Whitestown.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  Ben- 
jamin Van  Vleet. 

The  town  of  Hillsborough  was  also  remodeled 
and  made  to  embrace  the  territory  of  township 

14,  range  1  east.    It  still  retains  that  shape. 
From  the  south  half  of  what  had  before  con- 
stituted   Hillsborough  was  created  Greenwood. 
As  to-day,  it  then  comprised  township  13,  range 


lt)6 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


1  east.  The  store  of  Treve  &  Smith  was  desig- 
nated as  the   place    for  the  first  town  meeting. 

Sections  I,  2,  3,  4,  5  and  6  were  detached 
from  the  town  of  I5ad  Ax  and  attached  to  Jef- 
ferson. 

Harmony  was  another  of  the  towns  created 
in  November,  18.55.  The  territory,  as  then  em- 
braced, is  probably  best  described  by  tracing  its 
boundaries  as  follows:  Commencing  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  township  13,  range  6  west; 
thence  west  on  the  township  line  to  the  north- 
west corner  of  said  township;  thence  south  on 
the  range  line  to  the  northeast  corner  of  section 
13,  township  13,  range  7;  thence  west  on  the  sec- 
tion line  to  tlie  main  channel  of  the  Mississippi 
river;  thence  down  the  river  to  a  point  opposite 
the  southwest  corner  of  section  in,  township  12, 
range  7  west;  thence  east  on  the  township  line 
to  the  southwest  corner  of  section  13,  township 
12,  range  6;  thence  north  on  the  range  line  to 
the  place  of  beginning.  The  first  town  meet- 
ing for  Harmony  was  ordered  held  at  the  house 
of  John  Ruwalt. 

The  indebtedness  of  the  original  towns  was 
appropriated  out  among  the  new  towns  created. 
This  made  eleven  towns  in  the  county — Bad 
Ax,  Bergen,  Jefferson,  Kickapoo,  Forest,  Hills- 
borough, Union,  Webster,  Christiana,  Green- 
wood and  Harmony. 

On  the  27th  of  Marcli,  1857,  by  authority  of 
the  board  of  supervisors  the  town  of  Bad  Ax 
was  divided  and  Sterling  was  created.  This 
town  then  embraced  the  following  territory: 
Sections  19,  20,  21,  30,  29,  28,  31,  32  and  33, 
township  12,  range  5  west;  sections  4,  5,  6,  7,  8, 
9,  16,  17  and  18,  township  11,  range  5  west:  sec- 
tions 1,  2,  3,  4,  9,  10,  11,  12,  13,  14,  15  and  16, 
township  11,  range  6  west;  sections  21,  22,  23, 
24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  33,  34,  35,  36,  19,  20,  29,  30, 
3)  and  82,  township  12,  range  6  west;  the  north 
half  of  township  11,  range  7;  and  the  south 
half  of  township  12,  range  7.  It  was  ordered 
that  the  first  town  meeting  of  Sterling  be  held 
at  the  house  of  Lewis  Sterling  on  the  7th  of 
April,  1857. 


At  the  same  time  the  board  ordered  that  sec- 
tions 7,  8,  9,  16,  17  and   IS,  township   12,  range 

5  west,  be  detached  from  Bad  Ax  and  attached 
to  Jefferson.  Section  1,  township  12,  range  5, 
was  taken  from  the  town  of  Viroqua,  and  made 
a  part  of  Jefierson. 

On  the  28  of  March,  1857,  the  towns  of  Wheat- 
land and  Masterson  were  created,  and  ordered 
organized.  Provision  was  made  for  holding  the 
first  town  meeting  of  Wheatland  at  the  house 
of  Jonathan  Law,  April  7,  1857.  The  first  town 
meeting  of  Masterson   was  to  be  held  at  Hunt 

6  Oleson's  mill,  on  the  same  date. 

Tiie  town  of  Wheatland  then  embraced  the 
following  territory:  The  north  half  of  town- 
ship 11,  range  7  west,  and  the  south  half  of 
township  12,  range  7;  also  sections  19,  20,  29, 
30,  31  and  32,  township  12,  range  6;  and  sec- 
tions 5,  6,  7,  8,  17  and  18,  township  11,  range  6 
west. 

The  town  of  Masterson  embraced  territory 
which  was  taken  from  Christiana:  Township 
1  4,  range  3  west. 

Whitestown  was  created  at  the  same  time, 
embracing  township  14,  range  2  west — the  same 
as  at  the  present  time.  The  first  town  meeting 
was  ordered  held  at  Prentice's  store,  April  7, 
1857. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  1857,  an  important  act 
was  passed  by  the  board  of  supervisors.  It 
changed  the  name  of  the  town  of  Bad  Ax  to  Lock- 
haven.  Thus  it  remained  until  the  24th  of  No- 
vember, 1857,  when  the  name  of  Lockhaven  was  ■ 
abolished,  and  Franklin  took  its  place.  At  the 
seme  time  the  name  of  the  town  of  Masterson 
was  changed  to  Clinton. 

On  the  lOlh  of  November,  1857,  C.  W.  Law- 
ton  and  others,  presented  a  petition  to  the 
board  asking  that  Kickapoo  be  divided,  but  it 
was  rejected. 

The  town  of  Bergen  was  divided  Nov.  10, 
1857,  and  Hamburgh  was  created,  embracing 
the  territory  of  township  14.  range  6  west.  It 
still  embraces  the  same  territory,  although  the 
final  "h"  has  been  discarded,  the  name  now  be- 


HISTORY  OF  VEEVoN  COUNTY. 


^61 


ing  f5penefi  "Hamburg."  The  residence  of  An- 
drew Nelson  was  designated  as  the  place  for  the 
first  town  meeting,  and  April,  1858,  was  set  as 
the  time  for  it.  It  was  ordered  that  the  town 
of  Bergen  retain  all  the  records  and  pay  its  own 
indebtedness. 

The  town  of  Coon  was  created  at  the  same 
time,  composed  of  township  14,  range  5  west, 
formerly  a  part  of  Jefferson.  The  first  town 
meeting  was  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  H. 
Gelbrunson,  in  April,  1858. 

Harmony  was  re-arranged  so  as  to  embrace 
township  13,  range  6. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  185T,  the  lown  of 
Viroqua  was  divided,  and  Liberty  was  created. 
Liberty  still  letains  the  size  and  shape  it  then 
did,  embracing  the  first  twenty-four  sections  of 
land  in  township  12,  range  3,  west.  The  first 
town  meeting  of  Liberty  was  to  be  held  at  the 
school  house  on  section  9,  in  April,  1858. 

On  the  10th  of  November,  1858,  township  13, 
range  2,  was  set  off  from  Union,  and  its  organi- 
zation, as  the  town  of  Stark,  was  authorized. 
The  first  town  meeting  was  to  be  held  at  tiie 
house  of  Morrison  Wilson,  in  April,  1859. 

A  petition  was  presented  from  citizens  of 
Bergen  asking  for  the  division  of  that  town, 
but  it  was  rejected  by  the  board. 

At  the  same  session  the  organization  of  Coon 
was  again  authorized.  It  seems  that  Coon  had 
failed  to  take  advantage  of  the  former  act  of 
the  board,  and  had  not  elected  town  officers. 
This  matter  is  treated  at  length  in  the  chapter 
upon  county  government. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1859,  the  board  of 
supervisors  ordered  that  the  south  half  of 
township  13,  range  7  west,  be  taken  from  the 
town  of  Bergen  and  annexed  to  Wheatland. 
And  further  that  the  north  half  of  congressional 
township  14,  range  1  west,  be  taken  from  the 
town  of  Bergen  and  attached  to  Hamburg. 

On  the  12th  of  November,  1861,  the  town  of 
Genoa  was  created.  The  territory  embraced 
by  Genoa  is  probably  best  described  by  tracing 
the  boundaries,  commencing  at  tbe  southwest 


corner  of  section  16,  township  12,  range  6  west, 
thence  south  of  the  west  line  of  the  town  of 
Sterling  to  the  northeast  corner  of  section  29, 
township  12,  range  6  west,  thence  west  on  the 
section  line  to  the  Mississippi  river,  thence 
up  the  river  to  the  north  line  of  section  19, 
township  13,  range  7,  thence  east  on  the  sec- 
tion line  to  the  northeast  corner  of  section  24, 
township  13,  range  7,  thence  south  on  the  line 
to  the  township  line  between  townships  12  and 
13,  thence  east  along  that  line  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  section  5,  township  12,  range  6  west, 
thence  south  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

During  the  same  session  of  the  board  of 
superrisors,  at  which  Genoa  was  created, 
changes  were  made  in  the  l)Oundaries  of  several 
towns.  Sections  1,  2,  3  and  4,  and  the  north 
half  of  sections  9,  10,  11  and  12,  township  12, 
range  6  were  detached  from  the  town  of 
Wiieatland  and  attached  to  Harmony.  Sections 
13,  14,  15  and  16,  and  the  south  half  of  sections 
9,10,  11  and  12,  township  12,  range  6  west, 
were  detached  from  Wheatland  and  annexed  to 
Sterling.  The  committee  which  recommended 
these  changes  was  composed  of  John  T.  Brink- 
mann,  Joseph  M.  Waddell  and  J.  O.  Parker. 

For  a  number  of  years  no  change  was  made  in 
the  shape  of  the  towns. 

On  the  12th  of  July,  1867,  the  norih  half  of 
township  14,  range  7,  was  taken  from  Ham- 
burg and  attached  to  Bergen. 

At  the  November  session  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  in  1873,  it  was  ordered  that  the  fol- 
lowing question  should  be  submitted  to  the 
voters  of  the  town  of  Genoa:  Whether  all  the 
territory  belonging  to  Genoa,  lying  on  tlie 
south  side  of  the  Bad  Ax  creek  should  be  taken 
from  Genoa  and  attached  to  Wheatland.  It 
seems  that  the  proposition  was  rejected  at  the 
polls,  for  the  change  never  went  into  effect. 

All  these  creations  and  alterations  have  been 
necessary  to  bring  the  county  into  its  present 
shape — as  to  sub-divisions.  The  county  now 
has  twenty-one  civil  towns.  They  are  as  fol- 
lows, commencing  at  the  northeast  corner: 


168 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Hillsborough,  embracing  township  14  north, 
range  1  east. 

Forest,  township  14,  range  1  west. 

Whitestown,  township  14,  range  2  west. 

Clinton,  township  14,  range  3  west. 

Christiana,  township  14,  range  4  west 

Coon,  township  14,  range  5  west. 

Hamburg,  township  14,  range  6  west. 

Bergen,  township  14,  range  7  west;  and  the 
north  half  of  township  13,  range  V. 

Greenwood,  township  13,  range  1  east. 

Union,  township  13,  range  1  west. 

Stark,  township  13,  range  2  west. 

Webster,  township  13,  range  3  west. 

Viroqua,  township  13,  range  4  west;  and  six- 
teen sections  of  township  1:^,  range  4  west. 

Jefferson,  township  13,  range  5  west;  and 
twelve  sections  of  township  12,  range  4  west. 

Harmony,  township  13,  range  6  west;  and 
six  sections  of  township  12,  range  6  west. 

Liberty,  sections  1  to  24  inclusive,  township 
12,  range  3  west. 


Franklin,  sixteen  sections  of  township  12, 
range  4  west;  fifteen  sections  of  township  12, 
range  5  west;  twelve  sections  of  township  11, 
range  4  west;  and  nine  sections  of  township  11, 
range  5  west. 

Sterling,  nine  sections  of   township  12,  range 

5  west;  eighteen  sections  of  township  12,  range 

6  west;  nine  .sections  of  township  11,  range  5 
west;  and  twelve  sections  of  township  11,  range 
6  west. 

Genoa,  the  south  half  of  township  1 3,  range 
1  west;  and  twenty-four  sections  of  township 
12,  range  7  west. 

Kickapoo,  the  north  half  of  township  1  i ,  range 
3  west;  twelve  sections  of  township  12,  range  3 
west;  four  sections  of  township  12,  range  4 
west;  and  six  sections  of  township  11,  range  4 
west. 

Wheatland,  four  sections  of  township  12, 
range  6  west;  six  sections  of  township  1 1 ,  range 
6  west;  the  north  half  of  township  11,  range  7 
west,  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi  river;  and  the 
two  southern  tiers  of  sections  of  townshiji  12, 
range  7,  lying  east  of  the  river. 


CHAPTER    XV 


THE  COURTS  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


THE    CIRCUIT    COUET. 

Circuit  courts  were  created  by  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  State  adopted  upon  its  admission  to 
the  Union  in  184s.  They  were  to  have  general 
original  jurisdiction  in  all  matters  civil  and 
criminal,  not  exclusively  cognizable  by  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  or  some  other  inferior  court. 
They  were  to  have  all  the  powers  according  to 
the  usages  of  courts  of  law  and  equity  necessary 
to  tlie  full  and  complete  jurisdiction  of  the 
causes  and  parties,  and  the  full  and  complete 
administration  of  justice.     Their  acts  and  pro- 


ceedings were  made  subject  to  a  re-examination 
l)y  the  supreme  court,  as  provided  by  law. 

The  constitution  divided  the  State  into  five 
judicial  circuits,  and  provided  for  the  election 
of  a  judge  in  each.  The  first  circuit  comprised 
the  counties  of  Racine,  Walworth,  Rock  and 
Green;  the  second  circuit,  the  counties  of  Mil- 
waukee, Waukesha,  Jefferson  and  Dane;  the 
third  circuit,  the  counties  of  Washington,  Dodge, 
Columbia,  Marquette,  Sauk  and  Portage;  the 
fourth  circiut,  the  counties  of  Brown,  Manitowoc, 
Sheboygan,  Fond  du  Lac,  Winnebago  and  Calu- 


'>.;' 


■t  P  NEV/  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY. 

ASTOR,  LENOX  «N0 
TILOtN   F0UNP«110^*8. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


171 


met;  the  fifth  circuit,  the  counties  of  Iowa, 
Lafayette,  Grant,  Crawford  and  St.  Croix.  At 
that  time  Vernon  county  hnd  not  yet  been  or- 
ganized, its  territory  being  embraced  in  Craw- 
ford county. 

In  1851  the  territory  now  comprising  Vernon 
was  organized  as  Bad  Ax  county,  and  became  a 
part  of  the  newly  organized  sixth  judicial  cir- 
cuit. Arrangements  were  made  to  liold  the  first 
term  of  court  at  Viroqua,  the  tenijiorary  county 
seat,  in  the  spring  of  185).  Accordingly  cir- 
cuit court  convened  for  the  first  time  in  Bad  Ax 
county,  on  the  9th  of  May,  1851,  in  a  little  log 
building  which  stood  upon  the  site  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Masonic  Hall, 
and  H.  D.  NV'illiams'  building,  in  Viroqua.  The 
building  had  been  erected  the  previous  year  by 
Moses  Decker,  aided  by  the  settlers  in  a  "rais- 
ing bee."  It  was  18x22  feet  in  size,  one  story 
high,  and  covered  with  oak  shakes.  The  floor 
was  made  of  hewn  puncheons;  the  seats  of  the 
same  with  legs  inserted;  the  desks  and  bencheti 
also  of  puncheons,  nailed  to  the  log  wall.  In 
fact,  what  was  not  made  of  the  proverbial 
"shakes  or  puncheons"  was  almost  unnecessary 
in  the  constiuction  of  a  building  or  the  manu- 
facture of  its  furniture  in  those  days.  This 
cabin  had  been  used  for  almost  every  conceivable 
purpose;  dances,  schools,  church  services,  de- 
bating .societies,  terms  of  court  and  political 
conventions,  each  in  turn  lioiiored  the  dingy 
little  room  with  their  gaieties  or  sober  deliber- 
ations. The  cabin  was  used  for  the  purpose  of 
a  court  house  until  about  185G,  when  it  was  su- 
perseded by  a  better  building,  and  then  torn 
down.  'J''he  clerk  of  court  during  these  years 
held  his  office  in  it. 

Hon.  Wiram  Knowlton,  of  Crawfoid  county, 
pi-esided  over  tlie  first  term  of  court  held  in 
Bad  Ax  county,  and  was  the  first  judge  of  the 
sixth  judicial  circuit.  At  the  first  term  there 
was  but  little  business  to  transact.  In  fact  the 
only  tiling  done  was  the  admission  of  Lorenzo 
A.  Pierce  to  the  bar,  upon  motion  of  Francis 
J.  Dunu.      The  county  officers  who  bad  been 


elected  qualified  before  Judge  Knowlton  at 
this  time. 

The  second  term  of  circuit  court  for  Bad 
Ax  county  was  held,  in  November,  1851,  in 
the  same  log  cabin  as  the  previous  term  had 
been  held.  By  this  time  the  little  "court 
house"  had  been  chinked  up  with  mud  for 
plastering.  Judge  Knowlton  was  still  on  the 
bench.  At  this  term  of  court  William  F.  Ter- 
hune,  Thomas  J.  DeFrees,  Norris  W.  Saxton 
and  Rufus  Dunlap  were  all  admitted  to  the 
bar. 

The  first  case  to  come  before  the  court 
was  entitled  Samuel  H.  Sheffield  vs.  George 
Dascey  and  John  Allen,  for  trespass  on  the 
case,  according  to  the  old  time  method  of 
pleading.  The  case  was  continued  until  the 
succeeding  term  of  court,  when  it  was  dis- 
missed. James  Cadwell  was  one  of  tlie  attor- 
neys in  this  case — the  only  one  revealed  by  the 
records. 

The  first  grand  jury  was  impanneled  and 
sworn  at  this  term  of  court,  consisting  of  the 
following  named  gentlemen  :  Isaac  Spencer, 
foreman  ;  Andrew  Briggs,  Isaac  Coe,  Ransom 
Gillett,  Eldad  Inman,  John  Snyder,  Samuel 
McMichael,  John  Graham,  A.  H.  Older,  West- 
fall  Decker,  Orrin  Wisel,  William  Reed,  Daniel 
Gardner,  Lemick  Graham,  Nicholas  Murphy, 
Charles  Waters  and  William  Spencer. 

The  petit  jurors  who  were  in  attendance  at 
this  term  of  court  were  as  follows  :  James 
Clark,  John  Longley,  Cyrus  Gillett,  George 
Dascey,  John  Allen,  William  C.  McMichael, 
Lewis  Graham,  Jacob  Johnson,  Henry  Waters, 
Samuel  Nelson,  Andrew  Henry,  Everett  Eaton, 
Barney  C.  Hutchinson,  James  McCormic, 
George  P.  Taylor,  John  McCullock,  George 
Pike,  C.  B.  Brown,  A.  Southwick,  Michael 
Hinkst,  James  Foster,  Nicholas  Vought,  Wil- 
liam Coe,  Nelson  DeFrees  and  Oliver  Langdon. 

The  first  State  case  to  be  tried  by  the  circuit 
court  of  Bad  Ax  county,  was  against  Joseph 
and  Joseph  M.  Heck,  upon  an  indictment  for 
assault  and  battery  with  intent  to  commit  mur- 


u 


1V2 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


der.  The  case  came  before  Judge  Knowlton 
upon  a  change  of  venue  from  Crawford  county. 
It  was  continued  until  the  spring  term  of  court 
in  1852,  when  the  district  attorney  entered  a 
nolle  prosequi — a  refusal   to  further  prosecute. 

The  grand  jury  which  had  been  impanneied, 
as  stated,  returned  three  bills  of  indictment 
before  the  close  of  the  fall  term  in  1851.  The 
first  was  against  William  S.  Tippits  for  assault 
with  intent  to  kill;  a  nolle  prosequi  was  entered 
in  this  case.  The  second  was  against  L.  D. 
Smith  for  the  same  crime  as  Tippits  was 
charged  with.  The  third  was  against  Isaac 
Wright  for  an  assault  upon  a  peace  officer. 
In  the  two  last  cases  the  indictments  were 
quashed. 

This  concluded  the  work  of  the  fall  term  of 
1851.  At  this  time  Orrin  Wisel  was  clerk  of 
court,  and  William  F.  Terhune,  deputy  ;  the 
latter  attending  to  the  business  of  the  office. 

The  third  term  of  circuit  court  convened  at 
the  little  log  court  house,  in  May,  1852.  Judge 
Knowlton  was  still  on  the  bench. 

The  first  matter  to  engage  the  attention  of 
the  court  was  an  indictment  which  the  grand 
jury  returned  against  John  Myers,  for  assault 
with  intent  to  kill  Eldad  Inman. 

At  the  September  term  of  court,  in  1853,  one 
of  the  most  important  criminal  cases  that  have 
ever  been  tried  in  the  county,  came  before  Judge 
Knowlton.  Its  title  was,  "  State  of  Wisconsin 
vs.  William  Watti-:."  Watts  had  been  indicted 
for  murder  in  the  first  degree,  by  the  grand 
jury  of  LaCrosse  county,  and  the  case  came  to 
Bad  Ax  county  upon  a  change  of  venue.  The 
particulars  of  the  afEairwere  as  follows  :  Some 
time  during  1852,  William  Watts  and  a  man 
named  Deurst  came  from  Illinois  and  settled 
upon  a  piece  of  land  in  Mormon  Coolye.  La- 
Crosse county.  Watts  being  in  the  employ  of 
Deurst,  as  a  hired  man.  In  the  fall  of  1852, 
Watts  went  to  LaCrosse  city,  taking  with  him 
several  head  of  cattle  and  other  articles  which  had 
belonged  to  Deurst.  He  got  upon  a  drunken 
spree  and  sold  the  property.     For  several  days 


he  hung  around  LaCrosse,  and  then  disappeared. 
At  that  time  the  country  in  the  region  of  Mor- 
mon Coolye  was  very  sparsely  settled,  and  it 
was  some  days  before  Deurst  was  missed  ;  but 
in  time  suspicions  were  aroused  from  the  action 
of  Watts,  and  the  continued  absence  of  Deurst, 
that  all  was  not  right.  The  premises  were  ex- 
amined, and  it  was  found  that  Deurst  had  been 
murdered,  and  his  body  dragged  some  distance 
and  hid  in  in  a  thicket.  Watts  was  still  absent. 
A  reward  of  $500  was  offered  for  his  apprehen- 
sion. It  subsequently  transpired  that  Watts 
came  to  Bad  Ax  county  and  hired  out  to  work 
for  Anson  G.  Tainter.  For  several  months  he 
continued  work,  gaining  the  confidence  of  his 
employer.  Finally  a  man  from  La  Crosse 
county,  who  came  to  Tainter's  upon  business, 
recognized  Watts,  and  told  Tainter  that  he  be- 
lieved Watts  was  the  murderer,but  would  make 
further  examination  while  the  family  were  eat- 
ing  dinner,  and  report  the  result. 

After  dinner  he  told  Tainter  that  it  was  a 
mistake  and  the  suspicion  was  unfounded.  The 
La  Crosse  man  than  proceeded  on  his  way  to 
Prairie  du  Chien,  and  upon  his  arrival  at  that 
place  wrote  the  sheriff  of  La  Crosse  county  in- 
forming him  of  the  whereabouts  of  Watts.  The 
sheriff  at  once  came  down  to  Tainter's,  arrested 
Watts  and  took  him  to  La  Crosse,  where  the 
grand  jury  had  found  a  true  bill  of  indictment 
against  him  for  the  murder  of  Deurst.  Before 
)ilea  he  secured  a  change  of  venue  to  Bad  Ax 
county,  where  the  case  came  to  trial  in  Sejitem- 
ber,1853.  The  counsel  were  among  the  most  dis- 
tinguished lawyers  in  this  part  of  the  !?tate  and 
both  gentlemen  afterwards  became  circuit 
judges.  Edwin  Flint  was  for  the  prosecution 
and  George  Gale  for  the  defense.  Both  were 
then  residents  of  La  Crosse.  The  trial  excited 
great  interest.  The  theory  of  the  prosecution 
was,  of  course,  all  circumstantial;  but  this  evi- 
dence and  the  chain  of  circumstances  was  most 
convincing.  No  one  had  seen  him  strike  the 
blow,  but  his  subsequent  actions,  selling  the 
cattle,  running  away  and  assuming  a  different 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


173 


name  plainly  proved  his  guilt.  The  theory  of 
Watts'  defense  was  self  protection.  Deurst 
was  a  rough,  violent  tempered  man.  Watts 
claimed  that  he  had  loaned  Deurst  money,  and 
worked  for  him  until  his  due  amounted  to  a 
considerable  sum.  So  one  day  they  got  to- 
gether for  a  final  settlement,  and  while  looking 
over  accounts,  they  got  into  a  quarrel.  Deurst 
in  a  fit  of  anger  drew  a  knife  and  attacked 
Watts,  who,  in  defense,  struck  Deurst  with  an 
ax  handle  which  he  was  engaged  in  making. 
Watts  claimed  he  struck  a  harder  blow  than  he 
intended  and  when  he  found  it  resulted  fatally 
he  was  very  much  troubled;  and  finally  adopted 
the  only  course  he  thought  left  to  him,  of 
hiding  the  body  and  making  his  escape. 

When  the  case  was  called  for  trial  the  pris- 
oner plead  "not  guilty"  and  a  jury  was  impan- 
neled.  After  a  long  trial  the  jury  re- 
turned a  verdict  of  guilty,  and  on  the  last  day 
of  the  term  Judge  Knowlton,  after  making 
eloquent  and  touching  remarks  concerning  the 
heinousness  of  the  crime,  sentenced  the  prisoner 
to  hard  labor  in  the  State  pententiary  for  life. 
The  affecting  remarks  and  severe  sentence  of 
Judge  Knowlton  brought  tears  to  tlie  eyes  of  all 
present,  except  the^  prisoner,  who  maintained  a 
stoic  and  indifl'erent  expression  which  had  char- 
acterized his  behavior  throughout  the  entire  trial. 
William  Watts  was,  accordingly,  placed  in  the 
penitentiary,  where  he  remained  at  hard  labor 
until  the  21st  of  December,  1861,  when  he  was 
pardoned  unconditionally  bj^  the  governor, 
through  the  influence  of  George  Gale,  then 
circuit  judge.  The  petition  for  pardon,  which 
was  prepared  by  Judge  Gale,  contained  the  sig- 
natures of  all  the  jurors  before  whom  the  case 
was  tried  save  one,  who  swore  the  sentence  was 
just  and  he  would  never  sign  a  prayer  for  the 
pardon  of  the  convicted  man. 

Judge  Wiram  Knowlton 's  term  of  office 
expired  with  1856,  and  he  was  succeeded  as 
judge  of  the  sixth  judicial  circuit  by  Hon. 
George  Gale,  of  Trempealeau  county,  former- 
ly  of    La  Crosse.    Jadge  Kuowltou  was  a  man 


of  splendid  endowments,  both  natural  and 
acquired.  He  had  a  warm,  genial  disposition, 
and  made  friends  among  all  classes  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  As  a  lawyer,  he  was  a 
good  one  for  those  days,  and  was  an  able  jurist. 
His  great  fault  was  his  irregular  habits.  He 
lived  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  several  years  ago. 

The  following  article,  which  was  written  by 
one  of  the  pioneer  lawyers  of  Vernon  county, 
rt'ill  serve  to  show  some  of  the  peculiarities  and 
characteristics  of  Judge  Knowlton: 

"At  one  of  Judge  Kiiowlton's  terras  of  court 
at  Viroqua,  there  was  a  suit  pending  between 
Daniel  Lowry,  plaintiff,  and  Stephen  Marston, 
defendant.  Lowry  had  rented  Marston's 
farm  to  work  on  shares,  and  had  put  in  the  ordi- 
nary crops.  Along  in  the  summer  Lowry  began 
to  pull  roasting  ears  and  dig  potatoes  for  family 
use.  This  alarmed  Marston,  who  feared  Lowry 
would  get  more  than  his  share  of  the  crops;  so 
he  cut  up  all  the  corn  and  hauled  it  home.  Lowry 
thereupon  brought  suit  against  him  for  trover 
and  conversion,  in  a  justice  court,  and  obtained  a 
judgment.  Marston  appealed  to  the  circuit 
court.  Terhune  was  engaged  on  behalf  of 
Marston;  Bierce  looked  after  the  interest  of 
Lowry.  The  action  came  up  for  trial  before 
Judge  Knowlton  and  a  jury.  After  the  plaintiff 
had  produced  all  his  evidence  and  rested,  Ter- 
hune moved  to  non-suit  Lowry  on  the  ground 
that  the  testimony  showed  that  the  parties  to 
the  suit  were  tenants  in  common  of  the  crops, 
and  that  one  tenant  in  common  could  not  sue 
his  co-tenant  for  trover  and  conversion  of  the 
common  property. 

"The  argument  of  Terhune  was  a  lengthy  one, 
and  was  concluded  at  noon,  when  the  court 
adjourned  for  dinner.  In  the  afternoon  Bierce 
was  to  reply.  At  the  opening  of  court  it  was 
plainly  to  be  seen  that  something  was  wrong  witk 
the  judge;  he  was  overcome  with  drowsiness. 
Nevertheless  Bierce  began  his  argument;  but 
he  had  not  spoken  many  minutes  before  "his 
hoaor'M'ell  quietly  into  the  aruis  of   Morpheus, 


174 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


so  to  speak;  in  other  words,  he  was  sound 
asleep!  But  Bierce  kept  on  with  his  argu- 
ment— why  should  he  not?  Court  was  in  ses- 
sion; the  judge  was  upon  the  bench;  the  jury  in 
the  box,  and  the  sheriff  on  hand  to  preserve 
order.  There,  too,  was  the  clerk  at  bis  desk; 
and  the  parties  to  the  suit  sat  near  their  respect- 
ive advocates, — it  was  a  scene  for  a  painter! 

"It  is  asserted  by  one  who  was  present  that 
it  was  exceedingly  difficult  to  tell  that  after- 
noon exactly  where,  in  the  old  log  court  house, 
the  majesty  of  the  law  was  ensconced.  It 
seemed  as  if  justice,  for  the  nonce,  had  dropped 
her  sword  and  scales,  torn  from  her  eyes  the 
bandage,  and  incontinently  fled!  Bierce,  after 
a  good  long  hour  of  forensic  effort,  reached  his 
peroration  in  eloquent  style!  But,  if  the  court 
was  convinced,  there  was  no  outward  sign,  fur 
the  judge  still  slept.  An  adjournment  'took 
place.'  The  judge,  like  the  lords  after  the 
celebrated  speech  of  Sheridan,  was  too  much 
'affected'  to  calmly  weigh  the  matter;  at  least, 
the  matter  was  then  and  there  not  weighed. 
Judge  Knowlton  retired  half  unconscious  to  iiis 
room.  Jurors,  parties,  witnesses,  officers — all 
staid  around  the  seat  of  justice  for  a  day  or 
two,  but  the  judge  came  not.  Then,  they  took 
themselves  every  man  unto  his  own. home. 

"Nothing  more  was  heard  of  the  suit  for 
some  three  or  four  months,  when  the  judge, 
who  had  by  this  time  recovered  his  equanimity, 
wrote  to  the  clerk,  directing  him  to  put  the 
case  on  the  calender  for  trial  at  the  next  term, 
as  he  had  over-ruled  Terhune's  motion.  Tlie 
eloquence  of  Bierce  had  done  its  perfect  work!" 

Hon.  George  Gale  held  his  first  term  of  cir- 
cuit court  for  Bad  Ax  county  in  June,  1857.  He 
was  succeeded  in  1861  by  Hon.  I.  E.  Messmore, 
of  La  Crosse,  through  some  change  in  the 
boundaries  of  the  district;  but  only  for  a  short 
lime  did  Me;smore  continue  on  the  bench,  the 
county  being  again  thrown  into  Gale's  district. 

George  Gale  was  a  native  of  Burlington,  Vt., 
born  Nov.  30,  181 G.  He  had  the  advantages  of  a 
good  cowjuon  sciiool  education,  and  in  March, 


18.S9,  commenced  reading  law.  In  1841  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  emigrated  west,  and  settled 
at  Elkhorn,  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.  Here  he 
opened  an  office  and  entered  into  successful 
practice  of  his  profession.  Besides  holding 
other  offices  in  the  fall  of  1847  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  convention  to  form  a  State 
constitution,  serving  in  that  body  on  the  judici- 
ary committee.  The  same  fall  he  was  elected 
district  attorney  and  a  year  later  a  member  of 
the  State  Senate.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1851, 
Mr.  Gale  received  from  Gov.  Dewey  the  ap- 
pointment of  brigadier  general  of  militia.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year  he  removed  to  the  upper 
Mississippi,  locating  at  La  Crosse.  He  was 
soon  elected  county  judge  for  the  term  of  four 
years.  Jan.  1,  1854,  he  resigned  this  office  and 
in  April,  1856,  was  elected  judge  of  the  sixth 
judicial  circuit,  then  composed  of  the  counties 
of  Bad  Ax,  Buffalo,  Clark,  Jackson,  Monroe, 
Trempealeau,  La  Crosse  and  Crawford.  He 
served  the  full  term  of  six  years.  During  1857 
he  removed  from  La  Crosse  to  Galesville,  Trem- 
pealeau county,  where  he  lived  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  April  18,  1868.  Judge  Gale 
was  best  known,  however,  as  a  friend  of  educa- 
tion. Seeing  that  all  northwestern  Wisconsin 
was  without  college  advantages,  he  first  urged 
upon  the  people  of  La  Crosse  the  importance  of 
founding  an  institution  near  that  village.  Fail- 
ing in  this,  he  decided  to  remove  to  the  Trem- 
pealeau valley,  start  a  village  and  found  a  col- 
lege. Accordingly,  in  1853,  he  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  where  Galesville  now  stands, 
and  in  1854  secured  the  organization  of  Trem- 
paeleau  county,  with  the  county  seat  located 
upon  his  land.  He  also  obtained  a  charter  for 
the  Galesville  University.  The  board  of  trus- 
tees was  organized  in  1855,  and  the  college 
building  was  commenced  in  1858.  Judge  Gale 
was  president  of  this  college  until  1865.  He 
was  not  a  college  graduate  but  from  his  great 
interest  in  education,  he  was  made  master  of 
arts  by  the  Vermont  University  in  1857,  and 
doctor  of  laws  by  the  Galesville  University  in 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


175 


1863.  Judge  Gale  was  a  man  of  great  energy 
and  worth,  and  his  death  was  much  mourned 
by  a  hirge  circle  of  friends.  While  Judge  Gale 
was  upon  the  bench  William  H.  Tucker,  a  law- 
yer from  La  Crosse,  who  at  one  time  had  a  very 
large  practice  in  the  sixth  circuit,  often  at- 
tended terms  of  court  at  Viroqua.  He  acquired 
quite  a  reputation  for  wit  and  oratory,  and,  be- 
ing somewhat  cheeky  frequently  got  into  a  dis- 
cussion with  the  judge.  On  one  occasion  a  dis- 
pute arising  between  Gale  and  the  lawyer,  they 
both  became  somewhat  "warmed  up,"  and  the 
judge  in  his  excitement,  compromised  his  dig- 
nity by  offering  to  bet  $100  upon  the  point  of 
law  involved  in  the  dispute.  Mr.  Tucker,  quick 
to  take  advantage  of  the  judge's  forgetfulness 
of  his  position,  exclaimed:  "Hold  on,  Judge! 
you  oversize  my  pile;  call  it  $1  and  I'll  cover 
it." 

At  the  October  term  of  circuit  court,  in  1860, 
John  Kellard,  an  Irish  shoemaker,  about  sixty 
years  old,  a  nervous  voluable  fellow  who  evi- 
dently prided  himself  upon  having  "licked  the 
Blarney  stone,"  was  indicted  for  selling  liquor 
without  a  license.  He  was  very  deferential  to 
his  superiors,  and  very  lavish  in  applying  and 
repeating  titles.  Tiie  indictment  was  in  the 
old  common  law  form,  charging  that  "on  the  day 
of  — ,  18 — ,  at  the  town  of  Franklin,  in  the  county 
of  Bad  Ax,  State  of  Wisconsin,  the  defendant 
did  wrongfully  and  wWUnUy  with  force  and  m-ms 
sell  and  traffic  in  strong,  spirituous  and  intoxi- 
cating liquors  and  drinks."  *  *  *  The  case 
being  pretty  strong  against  Kellard,  he  was 
advised  by  his  lawyers  to  plead  guilty.  When 
the  indictment  was  read  to  liim  in  court,  and  he 
was  solemnly  asked  the  usual  question  of:  "Are 
you  guilty  or  not  guilty;"  he  sprang  to  his  feet 
and  replied  earnestly:  "May  it  plaze  this  most 
honerable  coorti  I  be — believe  I  am  a  leetle 
guilty;  Init,  may  it  plaze  your  most  honerable 
honer  I  plade  not  guilty  to  the  force  and  arms, 
aforesaid." 

Speaking  of  the  oddities  of  practice  in    early 
days,   Judge   Terbune    relates  an  anecdote  re- 


garding the  case  of  State  vs.  Holt   Bugbee,  for 
assault  and  battery.      The  defendant  was  a  tall 
six-footer    who    had    been    biought   up   in    the 
back  woods,  who  had    a  very  loud    voice  and 
extremely  large  feet.     It   seems  that   the   com- 
plaining witness  was  a  nephew  of  the  defend- 
ant. One  day  while  passing   along  the  highway 
in    front  of   the    defendant  s   house   he    began 
tantalizing  the  latter,  calling  opprobrious  names 
and   casting  slurs  upon  Bugbee  and  his  family. 
Finally  Bugbee  came  out  and  gave  the  fellow  a 
"booting"     Bugbee  was  arrested  and   tried  for 
assault  and  battery  before  justice  court.     W.  F. 
Terhune    was    employed    as    counsel    for   the 
defense.     R.  P.  Gillett,one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Viroqua,  appeared  for  the  prosecution.       He 
was  an  odd,  rough   and  ready  genius,  and  was 
possessed  of   a  good    deal    of   natural  wit   and 
originality.       It  should  be  stated  by  way  of  ex- 
planation that  the  settlers  in  that  region  made 
a  good  deal  of  maple  syrup,  catching  the  sap  in 
large  sap-troughs  made  from  linn  trees.      After 
the  witnesses  had  been  examined  the  argument 
of  the  counsel  was  heard.     The  defendant  had 
nothing  to  offer  save  that   the    act    was   justifi- 
able, was   brought  about  by  great  provocation 
and  was  necessary  to  teach  the  boy  better  man- 
ners.    Mr.  Gillett,  for  the  prosecution,  in    sum- 
ming up  the  evidence  and  laying  down  the  law, 
stated  that  "the  boy  was  in  the  highway  where 
he  had  a  perfect  right  to  be,  and  that  no  words 
could    constitute    a   provocation    whicii    .v^"':' 
justify  Holt  Bugbee  in  coming  out  and  booting 
the  boy  with  a,  pair  of  sap  troughs."     Continu- 
ing, partly  in  replication,    he  stated  that  "noth- 
ing   argued  on  the  part  of  the  defense,  would 
justify    the    defendant    in    starting   out  on  the 
highway  and    kicking   a   poor   boy  with    a   big 
pair  of  "fourteen  boots."     "Its  an  infernal  lie!" 
yelled  Holt;  "I  only  wear  twelves!"  holding  up 
his  foot.     The  boots  were  fined  fifty  cents. 

Hon..  Edwin  Flint,  of  La  Crosse  county,  was 
elected  judge  of  the  sixth  judicial  circuit  in 
the  spring  of  1862.  He  served  for  six  years. 
Judge  Flint  was  a  good  lawyer,  and  a  thorough 


lie 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


master  of  all  the  detail  knowledge  relating  to 
the  profession.  He  now  lives  in  Mason  City, 
Iowa,  having  retired  from  the  active  practice  of 
law. 

The  case  of  State  vs.  John  Tibbetts,  upon 
indictment  for  murder,  came  up  at  the  fall  term 
of  circuit  court  in  186-t.  The  killing  took 
place  early  in  April,  18C4.  August  Nifenecker, 
a  former  resident  of  Bad  Ax  city,  was  shot  by 
Wm.  S.  Tibbitts,  and  died  in  about  five  hours. 
The  substance  of  the  testimony  of  witnesses 
was,  that  during  a  melee  between  Nifenecker 
and  two  men  named  Fopper  and  Moreville,  Tib- 
bitts seized  the  heart  of  a  stave  cut  about  thirty 
inches  long  and  three  or  four  inches  tiirough, 
and  struck  Nifenecker  a  heavy  blow  with  both 
hands,  cutting  a  deep  gash  in  the  center  of  the 
head  from  near  the  edge  of  the  hair  on  the 
forehead,  two  inches  long,  toward  the  back  of 
the  head.  In  a  few  moments  Nifenecker  re- 
covered and  asked  who  struck  him.  On  being 
told  that  it  was  Tibbitts,  he  looked  around,  and 
seeing  him,  gave  chase.  Tibbitts  r^n  for  the 
store,  where  his  gun  was  standing  behind  the 
counter,  and  seizing  it  he  shot  Nifenecker  in 
the  breast,  while  the  latter's  hand  was  upon  the 
latch,  pushing  open  the  door,  with  one  foot  on 
the  door  sill  or  top  step.  Tibbitts  was  seen  to 
load  his  gun  in  the  store  previous  to  the  shoot- 
ing. From  the  evidence  it  did  not  appear  that 
there  had  been  any  quarrel  between  Nifenecker 
and  Tibbitts  previous  to  the  time  of  TibViitts 
using  the  stave  cut.  The  preliminary  examina- 
tion took  place  before  Judge  Graham  and  Jus- 
tice J.  E.  Newell,  and  bail  was  fixed  at  $1,500, 
for  want  of  which  the  prisoner  was  placed  in 
jail.  Before  trial  in  circuit  court,  the  defend- 
ant obtained  a  change  of  venue  to  Crawford 
county.  He  was  tried,  found  guilty  of  man- 
slaughter and  sentenced  to  two  years  in  the 
penitentiary.  He  served  his  term,  and  after- 
ward became  so  demented  that  he  was  placed  in 
the  insane  asylum  where  he  still  remains. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  a  number  of  rufiians 
belonging  to  a  band  of  horse  theives  were  cap- 


tured and  brought  to  trial  before  the  circuit 
court.  The  following  account  of  the  affair 
was  published  by  the  Northwestern  Times,  of 
Viroqua,  in  its  issue  of  May  25, 1864  : 

THE  BATTLE    OF    KICKPAPOO. 

"On  Saturday  morning  last,  under  Sheriflf  Po- 
land, ex-Sheriff  Goode,  and  Messrs.  A.  P.  Bliss, 
A.  Smiili,  L.  C.  Gillett,  C.  P.  Richardson  and 
H.  A.  Robinson,  upon  information  received 
from  a  reliable  source,  made  a  descent  on  some 
horse  thieves,  who  had  congregated  at  one  Dr. 
Hills,  in  a  secluded  place  on  the  west  side  of 
Kickapoo  river,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  above 
the  little  village  of  Kickapoo  Center,  in  Ver- 
non county ;  and  after  a  night  ride  of  about 
fifteen  miles,  came  upon  them  suddenly,  about 
half  an  hour  after  sunrise.  The  two  horse 
theives  started  for  the  bushes.  Hill  was  or- 
dered to  open  the  gate,  which  he  did  upon 
threat  of  being  shot  by  Mr.  Goode.  Some  got 
through  the  gate,  and  others  got  into  the  field 
through  which  the  thieves  were  running,  some 
other  way.  They  quickly  gathered  round  the 
skedadlers,  and  seized  one  of  them,  but  the  ring- 
leader shot  Mr.  Goode  in  the  fleshy  part  of  the 
shoulder,  and  in  the  melee  caused  by  the  falling 
of  Mr.  Goode,  Graves,  alias  Eno  got  out  of  and  a 
little  ahead  of  the  crowd.  Several  followed 
Eno  and  two  of  the  party,  Bliss  and  Poland, 
each  fired  two  shots  at  him,  and  he  fired  two 
shots  at  Bliss,  one  of  which  passed  through  the 
right  ear  of  the  horse  on  which  he  was  riding. 
The  party  here  run  out  of  ammunition  and  it 
being  impossible  to  ride  horses  into  the  thick 
brush  and  over  the  logs,  he  was  not  taken.  But 
the  other  thief  and  three  horses  were  brought 
to  Viroqua.  Since  that  time  Dr.  Hill  an<l  other 
pai'ties  supposed  to  belong  to  the  gang,  or  know 
something  about  them,  have  been  brought  to 
Viroqua,  also,  Eno's  rifle  and  a  fine  mare  and 
colt,  that  he  claims  as  his  property,  that  was 
probably  stolen.  Eno  shot  the  sheriff  of  Fay- 
ette county,  sometime  since  and  a  reward  of 
$150  is  offered  for  his  body." 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


177 


The  same  paper  in  its  issue  of  Dec.  7,  1864, 
under  the  head  of  "  Vernon  County  Court," 
said  : 

"The  last  terra  of  court  closed  on  Wednesday 
after  a  session  of  two  and  a  half  weeks.  'Jlie 
members  of  the  Kickapoo  horse  thief  gang 
were  convicted.  Dr.  Hill  and  Millison,  for  rob- 
bing old  man  Roger  and  Pitzeiiherger,  (  usu- 
ally called  Spitzenberger)  for  horse  stealing 
and  all  three  were  sentenced  to  States' prison 
for  three  years  ;  and  all  three  were  escorted  to 
Waupun,  by  our  wide  awake  sheriff,  Rogers, 
and  his  efficient  deputy,  T.  B.  Brown.  The 
La  Crosse  Republican  says  : 

"  A  tough  gang  of  robbers  and  horse  thieves 
who  have  for  years  committed  serious  outrages 
in  the  valley  of  the  Kickapoo  river,  in  Vernon 
county,  recently  had  their  arrangements  dis- 
turbed. Three  of  the  ring  leaders  were  con- 
ricted  last  week  in  the  circuit  court  after  an 
exciting  trial  of  several  days  duration  ;  and 
were  sentenced  by  Judge  Flint  to  three  years 
imprisonment  in  the  penitentiary.  Dr.  Hill, 
who  has  been  a  man  of  considerable  note  in 
that  region,  and  a  man  named  Millison,  who 
was  his  near  neighbor,  were  convicted  of  rob- 
bery. A  man  named  Jacob  Pitzenberger  was 
convicted  for  horse  stealing.  Their  conviction 
was  secured  by  Millison  turningStates-evidence 
against  Pitzenberger,  which  so  exasperated  the 
latter's  wife  that  she  turned  States-evidence 
against  Hill  and  Millison.  The  good  work  of 
caging  such  villains  is  not  completed,  as  others 
of  the  same  sort  will  be  brought  to  justice. 
The  trial  ot  these  men  was  conducted  with 
great  ability  by  Mr.  Priest,  of  Viroqua,  and 
Mr.  Montgomery,  of  La  Crosse,  for  the  State, 
and  Judge  W.  F.  Terhune,  of  Viroqua,  for  the 
prisoners." 

The  case  of  State  vs.  Charles  Skippens,  was 
of  marked  importance.  It  came  before  the 
circuit  court  at  the  spring  term  of  1865.  The 
particulars  of  the  occurrence  through  which 
the  defendant  was  indicted  were  briefly  as 
follows  :     One  Friday  night,  early  in  January, 


1865,  John  Good  and  James  E.  Newell,  Jr., 
went  into  the  only  saloon  in  Viroqua,  at  the 
Dunlap  House.  Charles  Skippens,  the  proprie- 
tor, was  holding  a  light  for  Mr.  Stroup,  who 
was  fixing  a  bedstead  for  Skippens.  Good 
called  for  some  beer  and  Skippens  said  he  had 
no  time  to  get  it,  as  he  was  busy.  Good  started 
behind  the  counter  and  Skippens  seized  him 
and  was  pulling  him  out  as  Newell  put  his  hand 
on  Skippens'  shoulder,  and  said,  "don't  hurt 
John,  he  is  drunk."  Skippens  and  Newell 
clenched  and  Skippens  pushed  the  latter  to  the 
floor  over  a  chair.  Newell  then  turned  upon 
Skippens  and  struck  him  several  times  in  the 
face,  when  Newell  was  pulled  oif  and  Skippens 
went  into  the  otiier  part  of  the  basement  and 
then  up  stairs.  Newell  went  out  and  stood  at 
the  corner,  a  few  steps  from  the  stairs  leading 
down  into  the  saloon.  A  few  minutes  later 
another  disturbance  between  Good  and  Skip- 
pens'  step-son  began  and  Newell  started  to  go 
into  the  saloon.  L.  C.  Gillett  and  others  tried 
to  persuade  Newell  not  to  go.  He  kept  on 
until  he  stood  on  the  second  step  leading  down 
into  the  saloon.  At  this  instance  Skippens  dis- 
charged his  shot  gun  at  Newell's  head,  through 
the  window,  just  over  the  steps  leading  to  the 
saloon  The  muzzle  of  the  gun  was  only  about 
five  feet  from  Newell's  head  when  discharged. 
The  charge  of  shot  took  effect  on  the  right 
side  of  the  head,  tearing  away  the  lacerated 
scalp  and  pushing  it  down  over  the  right  eye, 
and  fracturing  the  scull.  Newell  sank  to  the 
steps  apparently  dead.  He  was  taken  to  his 
father's  house  and  Drs.  Rush  and  Tinker  were 
summoned  to  his  aid,  but  it  was  all  in  vain,  for 
the  unfortunate  man  died  on  the  14th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1865. 

James  E.  Newell,  Jr.,  was  a  native  of  Morgan 
Co.,  Ohio;  son  of  Hon.  James. E.  Newell,  Sr. 
He  came  to  Viroqua  with  his  parents  in  1854, 
and  was  thirty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  had  just  completed  his  three  years 
army  service  in  the  sixth  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteers,  and  came  home  in   perfect   health, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


received  a  warm  greeting  and  looked  forward 
to  a  quiet  life  in  the  midst  of  friends. 

Immediately  after  the  fracas,  Skippens  was 
arrested  and  taken  to  jail  the  back  way,  as  the 
peojjle  were  terribly  excited  and  further  vio- 
lence was  feared.  Upon  a  preliminary  exam- 
ation  he  was  bound  over  and  in  the  spring  the 
grand  jury  found  a  true  bill  of  indictment 
against  him.  His  first  trial  was  had  at  the 
April  term  of  circuit  court  in  1865.  The  jury 
found  him  guilty  of  willful,  deliberate  murder. 
For  technical  reasons  the  verdict  was  set  aside 
and  a  new  trial  was  granted.  The  defendant 
then  applied  for  a  change  of  venue,  and  tlie 
cause  was  removed  to  Monroe  county,  where,  at 
the  March  term,  1806,  it  was  again  tried,  and 
the  jury  failed  to  agree.  At  the  November 
term,  1866,  the  final  trial  was  had,  resulting  in 
the  acquittal  of  the  accused  upon  the  ground  of 
self  defense.  Thus  ended  one  of  the  most  ex- 
citing cases  that  has  ever  been  tried  in  the 
county. 

In  June,  1867,  Charles  Shippens  was  again 
arrested,  this  time  for  rape  and  adultery.  He 
was  placed  in  jail  at  Viroqua  together  with 
Charles  Shannan,  who  was  charged  with  burg- 
lary. On  the  night  of  July  11,  1867,  both  of 
the  prisoners  escaped  jail.  The  two  were  locked 
up  in  the  same  cell,  and  during  the  night  in 
question  they  began  operations  by  removing 
their  bed  and  prying  up  a  flat  stone  which  was 
part  of  the  floor  of  the  cell.  This  stone  was 
under  the  bed  and  next  the  jail  wall.  The  in- 
strument used  was  a  short  stick  sharpened  in 
crowbar  form  at  one  end.  The  stick  had  been 
taken  into  the  cell  for  firewood,  and  had  been 
there  since  cold  weather.  After  the  stone  was 
pried  up  they  began  to  dig,  using  wooden  pad- 
dles and  an  old  case  knife,  which  had  come  into 
their  possession  by  some  means.  About  two 
feet  below  the*  stone  first  pried  up,  they  came  to 
the  loose  stones  in  the  bottom  of  the  jail  wall, 
and  removing  some  of  these,  they  had,  so  far, 
a  sufficient  opening  through  which  to  escape. 
And  now  the  help  of  good  friends  on  the  outside 


came  into  play,  and  some  right-handed  shoveler, 
(as  was  evident  from  the  direction  the  dirt  was 
thrown),  dug  a  hole  with  a  spade  to  communi- 
cate with  the  aperture  inside.  The  opening  was 
then  complete  and  the  birds  flew.  Skippens 
was  traced  to  Ohio,  where  he  had  died. 

The  murder  of  Robert  Lange,  which  took 
place  early  in  January,  1865,  was  one  of  the 
the  most  shocking  and  cold-blooded  affairs  that 
have  disgraced  tlie  history  of  the  State.  '1  he 
murdered  man  and  his  murderer  were  both  resi- 
dents of  Vernon  county  although  the  foul  deed 
was  committed  on  the  prairie  three  miles  south- 
east of  the  city  of  LaCrosse.  Robert  Lange 
kept  a  store  and  saloon  on  Coon  Prairie.  On 
the  evening  of  Jan.  4,  1865,  he  left  his  place 
for  LaCrosse,  in  company  with  Jacob  Clear,  a 
soldier  of  company  K,  18th  Wisconsin  regi- 
ment, whose  furlough  had  just  expired,  and  ije 
claimed  to  be  on  his  way  back  to  the  regiment. 
This  Jake  Clear,  as  he  was  generally  called,  had 
heretofore  clerked  for  Lange,  when  his  estab- 
lishment was  further  north  on  the  same  prairie. 
He  had  been  hanging  around  Lange's  for  several 
days  previous  to  Jan.  4,  1865.  When  about  six 
miles  from  their  starting  place,  the  two  stopped 
and  got  some  coffee,  and  while  there  the  woman 
saw  Lan^e  take  out  his  money  and  count  it, 
when  Clear  asked  how  much  money  he  had  and 
received  as  an  answer  "  over  a  thousand  dol- 
lars." IJetweeii  10  and  1 1  o'clock  that  evening 
Lange  and  Clear  stopped  at  the  Greenfield 
House,  five  miles  from  LaCrosse,  and  drank 
some  beer  ;  Clear  keeping  his  facc  hid  as  much 
as  possible  and  drinking  with  his  face  away 
from  the  counter.  About  3  o'clock  in  the 
morning  of  the  following  day  Lange's  team  was 
found  standing  at  the  Bloomer  House.  About 
one  quart  of  blood  was  found  on  the  seat  of  the 
sleigh.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  search 
was  made,  and  Lange's  body  was  found  about 
eighty  rods  from  the  track,  with  the  back  of  the 
head,  side  of  the  head  and  jaws  smashed  in  with 
the  head  of  an  ax.  The  bloody  ax  lay  near  the 
body.     The    murderer  set   up   two  empty    beer 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


M9 


kegs,  one  on  each  side  of  Lange's  dead  body. 
Clear  at  once  returned  to  his  regiment  and  ac- 
companied it  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  arrested. 
He  fully  confessed  his  guilt  and  was  taken  to 
LaCri'sse  and  placed  in  jail  ;  but  was  soon 
taken  to  Milwaukee  to  save  him  from  being 
bung  by  Lange's  friends.  He  plead  guilty,  and 
was  sentenced  to  the  penitentiary  for  life  ;  but 
through  some  influence  he  was  pardoned  in  1880 
by  Gov.  Smith,  and  is  now  at  large. 

At  the  spring  term  of  court  in  1868  the  case 
of  State  vs.  Alonzo  Mitchell  and  others,  evoked 
a  good  deal  of  interest.  A  lot  of  young  fel- 
lows from  Hillsboro  and  vicinity  were  arrested 
at  the  instance  of  Julia  A.  Betts,  for  taking 
part  and  engaging  in  a  charivari.  After  a 
a  lengthy  and  exciting  trial,  the  boys  were 
found  not  guilty.  The  lady,  however,  after- 
wards commenced  a  civil  action  against  the  de- 
fendants and  recovered  damages. 

In  the  spring  of  1868  Hon.  Romanzo  Bunn, 
of  Sparta,  Monroe  county,  was  elected  judge  of 
the  sixth  circuit.  His  term  of  office  began  Jan. 
1,1869.  In  1874  he  was  re-elected  and  served 
until  appointed  United  States  district  judge,  in 
in  18*75,  vvhen  he  resigned  the  circuit  judgeship. 

In  December,  1868,  the  grand  jury  returned 
five  indictments  against  Warren  Dennison, 
who  lived  at  what  was  called  Coon  slough, 
in  the  town  of  Bergen,  Vernon  county.  Den- 
nison was  an  offender.  He  was  charged  with 
horse  stealing,  and  many  other  criminal  acts. 
In  the  fall  of  1868  deputy  sheriff  William  W. 
Lowrie,  of  Newton,  went  after  him  on  a  jus- 
tice's warrant  and  found  him  at  home  ;  but  he 
was  sitting  by  the  tire  covered  with  blankets 
and  pretended  to  have  the  rheumatism  so  that 
he  could  not  walk.  So  he  was  left  upon  the 
promise  on  his  part  to  come  to  Viroqua  as  soon 
as  he  was  able.  But  in  a  day  or  two  suspicions 
were  entertained  that  he  was  merely  playing  a 
dodge  ;  so  Lowrie  went  after  him  again,  but 
the  bird  had  flown.  Two  or  three  times  during 
the  winter  there  were  reports  that  Dennison  had 
come  back,  but   when   he   was    searched  for,  it 


was  found  that  he  was  still  skulking.  Hear- 
ing again  that  Dennison  was  at  home,  Mr. 
Lowrie  and  Gates  Page,  on  the  1st  of 
May,  1869,  started  out  to  capture  him. 
They  found  him  near  home,  but  when  he  saw 
them  he  started  to  run  toward  the  river,  where 
he  had  a  skiff,  and  his  pursuers  followed.  While 
running,  Lowrie  fired  a  shot  in  the  air  to  warn 
Dennison  to  stop.  He  did  so,  and  turned  back 
on  his  pursuers,  having  his  hand  behind  him. 
Lowrie  asked  what  he  had  in  his  hand.  Den- 
nison replied,  a  revolver.  Lowrie  told  him  to 
drop  it,  which  Dennison  refused  to  do.  Lowrie 
then  told  him  of  the  warrant  for  his  arrest,  and  in- 
formed him  that  if  he  would  surrender,  he  should 
not  be  hurt.  Dennison  refused  to  surrender, 
and  said  that  if  shooting  was  the  game  he  could 
shoot  as  well  as  any  man,  and  started  toward 
Page,  who  levelled  his  shot  gun  on  him.  Then 
Dennison  turned  toward  Lowrie,  revolver  in 
hand,  and  the  two  fired  at  each  other  about  the 
same  instant,  although  Lowrie  was  a  little  too 
quick  for  Dennison,  his  ball  hitting  the  latter  in 
the  thigh,  and  probably  disturbing  his  aim. 
Dennison  did  not  fall,  but  was  getting  ready  to 
shoot  again  when  Page  shot  him,  the  load 
taking  effect  under  the  right  shoulder.  Denni- 
son then  dropped  his  revolver  and  tried  to  pick 
up  a  sled  stake,  but  failed,  falling  back  with  the 
words  "I'm  dead."  When  he  fell,  Lowrie  car- 
ried water  to  him  from  the  river  and  washed 
his  face.  In  a  short  time  he  died.  A  coroner's 
inquest  was  held,  and  after  an  examination  the 
jury  rendered  the  following  verdict  :  "That 
the  deceased  came  to  his  death  by  a  wound 
from  a  shot  gun  in  the  hands  of  I.  G.  Page  ; 
that  the  killing  was  justifiable." 

The  case  of  State  vs.  Josiah  Dennison  for  the 
murder  of  John  Oliver,  came  before  Judge 
Bunn  at  the  fall  term  of  the  circuit  court  in 
1869.  The  facts  of  the  case,  as  developed  by 
the  evidence,  were  as  follows:  There  was  a 
dance  at  John  Brill's  saloon,  Genoa,  formerly 
Bad  Ax  city,  on  Christmas  eve,  1868,  wliich 
the  Olivers  and  Dennisons  attended.     It  seems 


180 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


that  there  had  been  trouble  between  John 
Oliver  and  Warren  Deunison,  father  of  the 
Dennison  boys.  Late  in  the  night  of  the  dance 
John  Oliver  began  to  talk  to  James  Dennison 
about  this  old  grudge;  but  the  latter  told  him 
that  he  did  not  want  to  have  anything  to  say 
about  liis  father's  quarrels,  and  so  the  two 
parted  without  hard  feeling.  John  Britt  then 
got  Oliver  over  to  his  house  with  the  design  of 
keeping  him  there  and  preventing  a  fracas.  In 
the  meantime  Josiah  Dennison  had  taken  his 
partner  home.  After  Oliver  left,  two  friends 
of  his  began  to  boast  that  Oliver  "could  wliip 
any  Dennison,"  and  oflFered  to  bet  twenty-live 
dollars  on  it.  This  to  James  Dennison.  When 
Josiah  came  back,  James  told  him  what  had 
been  said,  and  added  that  the  men  seemed  de- 
termined to  bring  on  a  tight.  Josiah  then  went 
to  the  men  who  had  been  talking  of  betting, 
but  they  denied  the  oflfei'  of  twenty-five  dollars, 
offering  a  wager  of  five  dollars  instead.  It  ap- 
pears that  there  was  then  a  match  made  up  for 
Josiah  Dennison  to  fight  John  Oliver,  the  next 
day,  it  being  stipulated  by  Denni^on  that  he 
and  Oliver  should  both  be  searched  for  weapons 
before  the  fight  begap.  After  it  was  settled 
that  the  two  men  were  to  fight,  some  one  went 
over  to  Britt's  and  told  John  Oliver,  who  at  once 
became  enraged,  put  himself  in  fighting  trim, 
and  ran  to  the  saloon  in  which  the  Deiinisons 
were,  calling  out  loudly  for  "that  d d  Denni- 
son wha  is  to  fight  me."  Those  in  the  saloon 
rushed  out,  Josiah  Dennison  among  the  first. 
Tie  two  men  met  on  the  steps,  Dennison  say- 
ing, "Wait  till  I  pull  off  my  coat."  While  lie 
was  in  the  act  of  pulling  off  his  coat  the  fight 
began,  probably  by  Oliver  striking  at  him. 
Almost  as  soon  as  they  closed,  Dennison  called 
out  that  he  was  stabbed,  broke  loose  and  ran 
down  the  street,  Oliver  after  him.  Not  over- 
taking Dennison,  Oliver  soon  came  back  toward 
the  crowd.  Meeting  a  man  in  the  street  he 
asked  if  he  was  a  Deunison,  which  was  de- 
nied. Passing  on  he  came  to  George  Dennison 
•  and    with    the   words,  "God  d d   you,    you 


are  a  Dennison,"  closed  with  him.  George  at 
once  began  to  cry  out  to  take  him  off  that 
Oliver  was  "cutting  him  all  to  pieces."  With 
that,  Henry  Dennison  ran  up,  took  hold  of 
Oliver's  shoulders,  and  jerked  him  off.  Just  at 
this  instant,  and  while  Oliver  was  in  the  attitude 
of  striking  with  his  knife,  Josiah  Dennison 
came  up  and  shot  him  in  the  back  of  the  head, 
about  the  base  of  the  brain,  causing  almost  in- 
stant death.  The  stabs  inflicted  upon  the  Den- 
nison boys  were  not  serious.  Josiah  Dennison 
gave  himself  up  and  upon  preliminary  examina- 
tion was  bound  over  to  the  fall  term  of  circuit 
court  in  the  sum  of  $1,000.  A  change  of  venue 
was  taken  to  La  Crosse  county,  where  the  case 
was  finally  dismissed,  the  killing  having  been  so 
plainly  justifiable. 

At  the  June  term  of  court  in  IS'iO  there  were 
two  horse  thieves  tried  upon  indictment,  Marion 
Robinson  and  J.  W.  Grubb. 

Marion  Robinson  had  stolen  a  horse  from  a 
Norwegian  in  Hamburg  township.  He  sold  the 
horse;  was  followed  by  the  owner;  arrested;  in- 
dicted; plead  guilty  and  was  sentenced  to  the 
penitentiary  fortiiree  years. 

J.  W.  Grubb  stole  a  horse  which  belonged  to 
H.  W.  Haskell,  from  a  hotel  barn  in  Viroqua. 
He  was  actuated  more  from  the  spirit  of  revenge 
than  gain.  He  was  arrested  in  Grant  county 
and  while  Sheriff  Brown  was  bringirg  him  back, 
he  escaped  and  took  to  the  fields,  running  like  a 
deer.  The  sheriff  brought  him  down  by  shoot- 
ing him  in  the  thigh,  and  they  then  proceeded 
on  their  journey.  Grubb  was  indicted  by  the 
grand  jury,  plead  guilty  and  was  sentenced  to 
one  year  in  the  penitentiary. 

Another  interesting  case  which  was  tried  at 
the  June  term,  1871,  was  that  of  the  State  vs. 
Chester  Barrett,  upon  indictment  by  the  grand 
jury.  There  were  three  counts  in  the  indict- 
ment "for  bigamy,  adultery  and  lewd  and  las- 
civious conduct."  It  seems  that  many  years 
prior  to  this  time  Barrett  had  been  married,  in 

Vermont,  to  a  woman  named  Olive . 

The  ceremony    was  performed   by    a   minister 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


181 


who  lived  in  an  adjoining  State,  and  the  stat- 
utes provided  that  all  marriages  should  be  per- 
formed by  magistrates  who  were  residents  of 
Vermont.  A  few  years  after  the  marriage, 
Barrett  came  west  and  located  in  the  town  of 
Liberty,  Vernon  county.  Here  he  was  married 
again,  to  Jeanette  Wood,  on  the  supposition 
that  the  former  marriage  was  illegal.  In  1871, 
his  first  wife,  Olive,  prosecuted  him  and  he  was 
indicted  as  stated.  Upon  the  first  two  counts 
in  the  indictment  Barrett  was  acquitted;  but 
was  convicted  upon  the  last,  and  sentenced  to 
six  months  in  the  county  jail.  This  was  the 
man  that  was  afterward  shot  and  killed  by 
Comfort  Starr. 

On  the  night  of  Oct.  3,  1871,  James  Butler 
burglarized  the  saloon  of  Peter  Bartholomew, 
at  De  Soto,  with  intent  to  steal.  The  grand 
jury  system  had  just  been  abolished,  and  in- 
formation was  filed  against  the  defendant  by 
Carson  Graham.  He  was  arrested,  and  upon 
])reliminary  examination  was  bound  over  to  the 
circuit  court.  He  plead  guilty  and  asked  to  be 
sentenced  by  the  county  court.  This  tribunal 
sentenced  him  to  one  year's  hard  labor  in  the 
penitentiary. 

The  case  of  State  vs.  Nathaniel  and  Martha 
Cummings  was  tried  at  the  May  term  of  circuit 
court,  in  187.3.  This  was  for  assault  upon  the 
father  of  Nathaniel  Cummings.  While  there 
was  nothing  of  especial  interest  in  the  facts  con- 
stituting the  cause  of  action,  yet  the  case  in- 
volved a  proposition  of  law  which  made  it  more 
than  an  ordinary  one.  It  seems  that  the  father 
and  children  had  had  some  trouble  regard inff 
land,  and  the  difficulty  finally  terminated  in 
their  coming  to  blows.  They  met,  got  into  an 
altercation,  and  the  woman  seized  a  stick,  and, 
in  the  words  of  the  evidence,  "hammered  the 
old  man."  Nathaniel  and  Martha  were  arrested 
and  tried.  Nathaniel  was  convicted  and  fined 
$50  and  costs,  while  Martha  was  acquitted. 
This  was  ujjon  the  principle  that  the  wife  hav- 
ing struck  the  blows  in  the  presence  of  her  hus- 
band,  she  was  acting  under  his  authority    and 


coercion,  and  he  was  therefore  responsible  for 
her  acts.  The  attorneys  were  Terhune  &  Gra- 
ham for  defense,  and  C.  M.  Butt  for  prosecu- 
tion. 

The  fall  term  of  circuit  court  in  187.3  was 
disgraced  by  another  murder  trial.  It  was  that 
of  Comfort  Starr,  charged  with  the  murder  of 
Chester  Barrett.  These  men  lived  in  the  town 
of  Liberty.  For  a  long  time  they  had  been  at 
outs,  and  in  constant  quarrels  regarding  fences 
and  easements  belonging  to  real  estate.  On  the 
9th  of  June,  1873,  Starr  attempted  to  drive 
across  a  certain  piece  of  land  in  the  town  of 
Jefferson.  Barrett  came  from  his  house  with  a 
gun  in  hand  and  forbade  his  crossing.  After  a 
few  words  and  threats  Starr  seized  the  gun  he 
had  brought  with  him  and  shot  Barrett,  killing 
him.  Starr  was  arrested  and  bound  over  to  the 
circuit  court.  The  case  was  tried  at  the  fall 
term  in  1S73,  and  was  ably  conducted  by  C.  M. 
Butts,  district  attorney  for  the  State,  and  Car- 
son Graham  and  O.  B.  Thomas  for  the  defense. 
Starr  admitted  the  shooting,  but  plead  self  de- 
fense, and  upon  this  ground  was  acquitted  by 
the  jury. 

The  spring  term  of  court  in  1875  was  made 
memorable  by  the  trial  of  the  notorious  case  of 
State  vs.  J.  P.  Larry  the  defendant  being 
charged  with  shooting  John  Downie.  Larry 
and  Downie  were  half  brothers  living  near 
each  other  in  the  town  of  Liberty.  On  the  9lh 
of  November,  1S74,  while  plowing  in  his  field, 
Downie  was  shot  by  some  unknown  person  and 
for  a  long  time  laid  at  the  point  of  death. 
Isaiah  Guist,  a  neighbor  with  whom  Downie 
was  not  on  very  friendly  terms,  was  arrested  o)i 
suspicion  of  being  the  perpetrator  of  the  foul 
and  cowardly  deed,  but  he  clearly  proved  his 
innocence  and  was  immediately  discharged. 
As  time  went  by  the  suspicion  that  Larry  had 
done  the  shooting  gained  ground,  and  he  was 
finally  arrested.  He  plead  not  guilty  and 
based  his  defense  upon  proving  an  alibi.  The 
trial  was  a  long  and  interesting  one,  and  at 
one  time  a  crowd  from  the  neighborhood  of  the 


)82 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


town  of  Liberty  collected  and  threatened  to 
lynch  the  prisoner,  so  strong  was  the  circum- 
stantial evidence  against  him.  But  they  were 
prevailed  upon  to  desibt.  One  strong  point 
made  by  the  prosecution  was,  that  Downie's 
gun  had  been  missing  for  several  weeks  prior 
to  the  shooting  and  this  gun  was  found  under  a 
log  near  by  where  tlie  man  who  did  do  the 
shooting  stood.  But  Larry  proved  an  alibi  to 
the  complete  satisfaction  of  the  jury,  and  was 
tlierefore  acquitted.  The  fact  as  to  who  was 
the  criminal  is  still  shrouded  in  mystery. 

Hon.  Alfred  William  Newman  was  elected 
judge  of  the  sixth  judicial  circuit,  to  succeed 
Judge  Bunn,  in  the  fall  of  1875,  and  is  the  pres- 
ent incumbent.  Judge  Newman  was  born  in 
Durham,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  5,  1>S8+.  His 
parents  resided  on  a  farm  near  the  village, 
where  Judge  Newman  remained  until  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age,  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  during  the  summer,  and  attending 
school  in  the  winter.  In  1854  he  entered 
Hamilton  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1857,  and  continued  the  study  of  law,  which  he 
had  commenced  while  in  college.  On  the  8th 
of  December,  1857,  the  judge  was  examined  at 
Albany  and  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  Janu- 
ary, 1858,  he  came  west,  settling  in  Kewaunee 
Co.,  Wis.  Two  months  later  he  removed  to 
Trempealeau,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He 
held  various  local  offices  and  was  State  senator 
prior  to  his  election  to  the  circuit  bench. 

The  case  of  State  vs.  Nancy  C.  Wiseman  for 
rssault  with  intent  to  kill,  came  before  the  cir- 
cuit court  of  Vernon  county,  at  the  November 
term,  1878.  It  was  really  the  termination  of  a 
series  of  occurrences  which  had  before  this 
received  the  attention  of  the  district  attorney. 
It  seems  that  a  single  woman  named  Mary  J. 
Sneed,  living  in  the  town  of  Stark,  became  the 
mother  of  a  child,  which  she  swore  upon  Mr. 
Wiseman,  the  husband  of  the  defendant  in  the 
case  in  question.  Bastardy  proceedings  were  | 
commenced  against  Wiseman,  and  he  fled  the  ! 
State.     A  comprom.ise  was  effected  with  the  in-  I 


jured  woman,  by  mortgaging  one-half  of  Wise- 
man's farm  for  $500,  and  the  proceedings  were 
abandoned.  When  the  pay-day  of  the  mortgage 
came  Mrs.  Wiseman  had  concluded  that  her  hus- 
band was  not  guilty, and  refused  to  pay  the  same. 
The  parties  came  to  Viroqua,  and  counsel  was 
secured.  Mrs.  Wiseman's  attorney  found  that 
her  defense  was  untenable,  and  it  was  accord- 
ingly abandoned.  When  she  found  that  the 
money  must  be  paid,  she  seemed  to  go  into  a 
perfect  frenzy.  Seeing  the  author  of  her 
troubles,  as  she  thought  Mary  Sneed  to  be,  she 
followed  her  into  a  store,  where  some  trading 
was  being  done.  While  Mary  Sneed  was  talk- 
ing to  a  clerk,  Mrs.  Wiseman  rushed  up,  and 
drawing  a  revolver  pointed  it  at  the  girl's  head 
and  pulled  the  trigger!  As  good  fortune  would 
have  it,  the  clerk  threw  up  Mrs.  Wiseman's 
hand  and  wrenched  the  weapon  from  her  grasp 
before  it  was  discharged.  Mrs.  Wiseman  was 
at  once  arrested,  and  was  tried  for  assault  with 
intent  to  kill;  but  the  jury  acquitted  her  on  the 
ground  of  insanity.  The  mortgage  was  foi'e- 
closed,  and  thus  the  case  was  finally  settled. 
The  attorneys  were  H.  P.  Proctor,  of  Viroqua, 
for  the  prosecution,  and  C.  M.  Butt,  of  the  same 
place,  and  Morrow  &  Masters,  of  Sparta,  for  the 
defense. 

Another  murder  trial  engaged  the  attention 
of  the  circuit  court  and  the  interest  of  all  Ver- 
non county,  at  the  spring  terra,  1880.  It  was 
that  of  the  State  vs.  Carl  Olson  for  man- 
slaughter. The  case  was  ably  conducted  by  H. 
P.  Procter,  district  attorney,  for  the  State,  and 
Butt  &  Graves  for  the  defense.  Carl  Olson 
kept  a  shoe  shop  at  Westaby,  a  few  miles  north 
of  Viroqua.  One  night  during  the  winter  pre- 
ceding the  trial,  a  number  of  persons,  among 
whom  was  Ole  A.  Johnson,  gathered  at  Olson's 
shop,  and  a  quarrel  arose,  during  which  Olson 
ordered  some  of  the  otiiers  out  of  his  sliop. 
During  a  fight  which  ensued  Johnson  received 
two  blows  upon  the  head,  one  of  which  pene- 
trated the  skull,  and  the  wound  had  the  ap- 
pearance   of   having  been  inflicted  with  a  ham- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


1S3 


raer.  The  following  morning  Johnson  returned 
to  his  home,  some  distance  from  Westaby,  and 
shortly  afterward  hauled  some  wood  from  the 
timber.  A  few  days  after  the  occurrence  he 
was  taken  very  ill,  went  crazy,  and  soon  died. 
Olson  was  arrested,  charged  with  the  crime  of 
manslauhter.  He  denied  that  he  knew  any- 
thing about  who  struck  the  blow,  and  plead 
"not  guilty."  The  trial  excited  great  interest. 
Sixty  witnesses  were  summoned  and  examined 
and  tlie  jury  found  Olson  "not  guilty." 

The  case  of  State  vs.  Bradly  G.  Emmons  and 
Sally  L.  Tripp,  for  adultery,  came  before  the 
circuit  court  at  the  fall  term,  1880.  Emmons 
was  the  hired  man  of  Mr.  Tripp,  the  husband 
of  the  co-defendant,  in  the  town  of  Hillsboro. 
She  plead  guilty,  and  was  sentenced  by  the 
county  judge  to  pay  a  fine  of  $200.  It  was 
paid  by  her  husband.  Emmons  was  tried  by 
circuit  court,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to 
two  years  in  the  penitentiary. 

In  the  summer  of  1881  Thomas  and  James 
Riley   were   arrested  for  burglary.     They   had 


entered  the  store  building  of  Albert  and  Au- 
gust Zabolio,  at  Genoa,  and  stole  |92.  They 
were  bound  over  to  the  circuit  in  the  sum  of 
$200  each,  and  upon  depositing  the  amount 
with  the  sheriff  they  were  released  upon  their 
own  recognizance.  Upon  gaining  their  free- 
dom they  both  fled  to  some  of  the  western  ter- 
ritories and  forfeited  their  bail. 

COUNTY    COURT. 

County  courts,  oras  they  are  generally  termed, 
probate  courts,  were  created  by  the  constitution 

of  the  State,  adopted  in  1848.  For  a  time  they 
were  vested  with  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction 
but  this  was  soon  taken  from  them.  The  name 
probate  court  expresses  the  jurisdiction  which 
county  courts  now  possess.  Terms  of  this  court 
are  held  monthly.  In  connection  with  the  chap- 
ter upon  county  representation,  the  office  of 
county  judge  is  treated  at  length,  showing  who 
h  ve  filled  the  position  since  the  reorganization 
of  the  county. 


CHAPTER      XVI 


THE  BAR  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


There  is  no  class  or  profession  which  has 
more  influence  in  social  or  political  matters 
than  the  bar.  Even  the  press,  which  wields  a 
mighty  power  among  the  masses,  does  not  sur- 
pass it,  as  matters  treated  are  generally  local 
and  varying.  The  pulpit,  a  great  worker  of 
good,  is  more  devoted  to  the  moral  and  spirit- 
ual welfare  of  man.  But  the  profession  of  law 
embraces  all  under  one  grand  aim.  Upon  the 
few  principles  of  natural  justice  is  erected  the 
whole  superstructure  of  civil  law,  tending  to 
relieve  the  wants  and  meet  the  desires  of  all 
alike.    The  grand  object  of  law  is  equal  justice 


to  all.  Laws  ai-e  formed  as  exigences  arise  de- 
manding them,  by  the  representatives  of  the 
people.  Change  is  necessary.  The  wants  of 
the  people  of  to-day,  and  the  lawful  restraints 
to  be  thrown  around  us  of  the  present  age  differ 
from  those  of  past  years.  They  are  either  too 
lenient  or  too  severe;  in  one  case  to  be  strength- 
ened, in  the  other  modified.  The  business  of 
the  lawyer  does  not  call  upon  him  to  form  laws; 
but  it  lies  with  him  to  interpret  them  and  make 
their  application  to  the  daily  wants  of  men. 
Every  matter  of  importance,  every  question  of 
weight  auiong  all  classes  aud  grades  of  society, 


r^4 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


come  before  him  in  one  form  or  another  for 
discussion.  Hence,  the  lawyer  is  a  man  of  to- 
day, posted  upon  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
age  in  which  he  lives.  His  capital  is  his  ability 
and  individuality,  and  he  cannot  bequeath  them 
to  his  successors.  They  die  with  him  or  live 
in  the  memory  of  his  deeds  and  sayings. 

In  the  early  days  of  Wisconsin,  business  was 
not  so  great  in  extent  as  to  occupy  the  full  time 
of  the  lawyer.  Suits  were  not  so  numerous  or 
remunerative  as  to  afford  him  a  living  for  him- 
self and  family,  and  often  other  occupations 
were  taken  in  connection  to  swell  the  slender 
income.  As  a  rule  the  lawyer  became  a  politi- 
cian, and  more  of  the  prominent  lawyers  of 
those  days  went  to  Congress  and  the  State  Leg- 
islature than  at  present.  The  people  demanded 
their  services  and  they  were  glad  to  accommo- 
date the  people.  To-day  the  profession  stands 
at  the  head,  almost,  of  all  others,  and  the  good 
lawyer  must  always  be  prominent,  as  he  is  one 
of  the  forces  which  move,  control  and  protect 
society. 

THE     BAR    OF    THE    PAST. 

The  bar  of  Vernon  county  has  numbered 
among  its  members  many  who  have  been  an 
honor  to  the  county  and  to  the  profession,  as 
well.  So  far  as  material  was  accessible, 
sketches  are  given  of  each  attorney  who  has 
practiced  before  the  courts  of  the  county.  If 
any  are  omitted,  it  is  because  their  names  have 
been  forgotten,  not  from  intention.  The 
peculiarities  and  personalities  which  form  so 
pleasing  and  interesting  a  part  of  the  lives  of 
the  members  of  the  bar,  and  which,  indeed, 
constitute  the  charm  of  local  history,  are,  in  a 
great  measure  wanting.  Unlike  the  fair  plain- 
tiff in  the  famous  Bardell  vs.  Pickwick,  there 
has  been  no  "painstaking  sergeant  to  relate  the 
facts  and  circumstances  of  the  case." 

Of  those  attorneys  who  resided  in  the  county 
at  one  time,  and  are  now  dead  or  have  quit 
practice  or  left  the  county,  the  historian  will 
speak  first,  later  of  the  present  bar.     .   , 


Among  those  who  have  practiced  before  the 
courts  of  Vernon  county,  or  who  have  been 
licensed  resident  lawyers,  are  the  following: 
Lorenzo  A.  Pierce,  T.  J.  De  Frees,  Rufus  Dun- 
lap,  H.  W.  McAuley,  A.  H.  Older,  W  illiam 
Austin,  R.  C.  Bierce,  John  J.  Cole,  W.  S.  Purdy, 
Carson  Graham,  O.  O.  Phillips,  Newton  M. 
Layne,  D.  B.  Priest,  E.  H.  Harding,  T.  C. 
Ankeny,  H.  H.  Natwick,  T.  J.  Vinje,  C.  N. 
Harris,  A.  W.  Campbell,  D.  E.  Hatlestad,  R.  J. 
Chase,  John  Nicholson,  E.  J.  Steele,  A.  A. 
Hosmer  and  David  Briggs. 

Lorenzo  A.  Pierce  was  the  first  licensed 
lawyer  in  Vernon — then  Bad  Ax — county. 
Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  county  he  had 
come  from  Dane  county  and  located  upon  a 
piece  of  land  about  two  miles  north  of  Viroqua 
and  was  engaged  at  farming.  He  had  a  fair 
common  school  education,  and  had  been  a 
school  teacher.  When  the  county  was  or- 
ganized he  was  elected  district  attorney,  so  he 
began  reading  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  at  the  first  term  of  circuit  court  held  in  the 
county,  on  the  9tb  of  May,  1851.  He  remained 
in  the  county  but  a  short  time,  leaving  it  is 
thought  to  return  to  Dane  county. 

Thomas  J.  De  Frees  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  the  county,  and  among  the  first 
licensed  attorneys.  Mr.  De  Frees  was  born 
Nov.  4,  1804,  in  Rockbridge  Co.,  Va.,  four 
miles  from  Lexington,  the  county  seat.  When 
seven  years  of  age  he  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Miami  Co.,Ohio,near  the  present  city  of  Piqua. 
Here  he  re.=ided  until  May,  1837,  when  he 
moved  with  his  family  to  the  State  of  Illinois; 
thence  to  Wisconsin,  in  the  present  Vernon 
county,  in  1846,  where  he  arrived  on  the  last 
day  of  July.  He  located  upon  a  farm  about  one 
mile  and  a  half  south  of  town,  and  a  few  years 
later  moved  to  town.  At  the  second  term  of 
the  circuit  court  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar^ 
and,  for  a  time,  did  his  share  of  what  little 
legal  business  there  was  to  do.  About  1856  he 
sold  his  farm  to  a  Mr.  Beabout,  and  moved  to 
Victory,  where  be  was  engaged  in  tuerchaudisr 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


IRS 


ing  for  a  short  time;  then  came  back  to  Viroqna 
and  bought  some  property  on  Bishop  branch  of 
Wolf  creek.  Here  he  put  up  a  little  grist  mill. 
Several  years  later  he  and  his  son-in-law,  O.  C. 
Weeden,  bought  a  steam  engine  and  put  that 
into  the  grist  mill.  They  sold  to  Joshua  and 
James  Ady.  In  1874  both  Mr.  De  Frees  and 
his  son-in-law  removed  to  Kansas,  where  they 
still  live.  Mr.  De  Frees,  it  is  claimed,  gave  the 
first  name  to  the  county — Bad  Ax — from  the 
river  of  that  name.  He  was  the  first  probate 
judge  of  that  county;  served  out  the  term  for 
which  he  was  elected,  and  was  appointed  by 
the  governor  to  serve  part  of  another  term. 
He  was  also  the  third  district  attorney  of  the 
county. 

Rnfu.s  Dunlap  wasamong  the  first  settlers  in 
the  county.  He  came  from  Ohio;  was  a  man  of 
about  forty  years  of  ag©  and  was  genial  and 
pleasant  in  disposition.  He  went  to  keeping 
hotel  at  Viroqua.  In  November,  1&51,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  but  never  attempted  the 
practice  of  law.  He  remained  here  until  the 
time  of  his  death. 

H.  W.  McAuley  was  for  many  years  an  active 
and  prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  Vernon 
county.  He  came  to  Viroqua  in  1853  from 
Lancaster,  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  and  opened  a  gen- 
eral merchandise  store  in  company  with  George 
McCormick.  Later  he  opened  a  regular  law 
office  and  pursued  the  profession  for  several 
years.  He  still  lives  in  the  county,  now  mak- 
ing his  home  in  the  town  of  Wheatland. 

H.  W.  McAuley  is  one  of  the  well  known  early 
settlers  of  Vernon  county,  and  has  been  inti- 
mately connected  with  its  progress  since  its  or- 
ganization. He  was  an  early  attorney  of  the 
county  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  ]8i2. 
He  commenced  practice  in  Jackson  Co.,  Iowa, 
in  March,  1843,  where  he  remained  four  years. 
He  was  admitted  to,  and  practiced  in  all  the 
courts  of  the  territory  (Iowa  then  being  a  terri- 
tory) and  practiced  successfully  with  such  law- 
yers as  Platte  Smith,  of  Dubuque,  Judge  Leil- 
ingwell  and  Timothy  Davis.     He  was  a  student 


of  the  old  common  law  practice  of  Blackstone, 
Chitty,  Starkie,  Maddox,  Rosco,  Comyn,  Jones, 
etc.,  but  never  was  a  willing  devotee  to  the  code 
practice  (or  Gunter's  rule)    of  cut  and  try.     A 
native  of  North  Carolina,  his  ancestors  belonged 
to  the  Mecklenberg  colony  and  emigrated  from 
Scotland  to  North  Carolina,    in    1'774.     He  was 
born  Sept.  9, 1816.  His  father, Daniel  McAuley, 
emigrated  to  Mythe  Co.,  Va.,  when  H.  W.,  was 
but  three  months  old.  In  1830  the  family  moved 
to  Hendricks  Co.,  Ind.     Mr.  McAuley    came  to 
the  territory  of  Wisconsin,  in  1S35,  and  located 
at  Mineral  Point,  in  what  is  now    Iowa   county, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  mining  for  a  time.  He 
was  in  Grant  county  when  it    was  organized,  in 
May,  1835.     In  August  of   that   year,   he    went 
back  to  Mineral  Point.     Mr.  McAuley,    at    this 
time,  was  quite  a  young  man  and  not  permanently 
located.  He  went  back  to  the  State  of  Indiana  in 
the  fall  of  1835,  but  returned  to  Wisconsin  again, 
the  following  year.     In  1838  he  again  returned 
to  Indiana  and  was  married  at   Lebanon,  Boone 
county,  in  1839,  and  in  1840,  returned  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  located  at  Lancaster,  Grant  county.  He 
had  built  the  first  house  in    the  present   village 
of  Lancaster,  two  years    previous,  in    1838.     In 
1852   he  came  to  the  town    of   Wheatland,  and 
assisted  in  laying  out  the  village  of  Victory,  as 
will  appear  in  the    history   of    that   town.     He 
was  the  first  man  who  sold  goods  in  that  village, 
and  has  been  a  resident  of  Vernon  county  since 
1852.     In  November,  of  that   year,   he  went  to 
Liberty  Pole  and  engaged    in    mercantile    busi- 
ness.    In  the  fall  of  1853   he  moved  his  goods 
to  Voroqua,  where    he    continued    business    for 
some  time.     In  1854,  owing  to  the   difficulty  of 
finding  a  store  room,  lie  removed  to  the  town  of 
Sterling  and  located  on  section  16.     On  the  Bad 
Ax,  he  built  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  which  was  the 
second  mill  built  on  the    south    branch    of    this 
river,    Ira    Wisell    having    erected    the    first. 
Mr.    McAuley    was  engaged    in    milling   until 
1871,  when  he  sold  out  to  his    sons,  William  H. 
H.  McAuley  and  R.  M.  McAuley,  and  removed 
to  Viroqua,  jn  J872;  in  1873  removed  to  Sparta, 


186 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


where  he  was  engaged  in  the  patent  business  for 
a  time.     In    1869  he  patented   a  turbine  water- 
wlieel,  and  in  1870,  a   nut  lock  of   great   merit, 
but  never  introduced  it;  then    again    located  in 
the  village  of  De  Soto  in  1875    and    sold    goods 
for  a  time.     He    now    resides  in    the    town    of 
Wheatland  on  section    31,    town    12,    range    6, 
west,  where  he  is  engaged  in  farming,    making 
a  specialty  of   raising  sorghum.     Mr.  McAuley 
has  been  three  times  married,  his  first  wife  was 
Eliza  A.  Richie,  born  in  Nicholas  Co.,  K>.;  the 
second  wife  was  Rebecca  A.  McConnell,    a    na- 
tive  of   Ohio;    his    present    wife    was    Melvina 
Sloan,  born  in  Clarion  Co.,  Pa.     Mr.    McAuley 
has  had  twelve    children,    seven    of  whom    are 
living,  three  sons  and  four  daughters.     In  18.34 
he  wrote  his  first  letter,  which   was    badly   exe- 
cuted, he  not  having  had  any  instruction,  being 
now  away  from  home,   at  tlie  age  of   seventeen, 
because  of   shame  for  his  ignorance.     But  July 
.5,  18;i4,  he  started  to  school  at  the  Wabash  Col- 
lege, at  Crawfordsville,  Ind.,    where  he    contin- 
ued at  intervals,  as  his  health  would  permit,  un- 
til the  spring  of  1836,    having   visited    Wiscon- 
sin, in  1835,  as   before   stated,   for   his   health. 
Poor  health  from  1833  to    1851,    prevented  his 
entrance  into  public  life,  so  he    contented   him- 
self with  an  in  \'estigation   into    the    matters  of 
science,  history,  political  economy  and  religion. 
He  was  always  slow  in  taking  a  position  on  any 
new  question,  and  as    slow    to   yield    to    public 
sentiment  which  so  often  leads  the    unthinking 
man  astray.     He  is  an  ardent  lover  of   machin- 
ery, and  firmly  believes  that    the  day  is  close  at 
hand,  when  machinery  will  do  all  the  work  and 
leave  the  human  hand  and  brain    nothing  to  do 
but  control;  when  the  air  like  the  water,  will  be 
navigated  by  vehicles  as  safely,  the  one    as  the 
other,  as   nature's   elements   are    equal    to   the 
gratification  of  every  desire  of  an  elevated  civ- 
ilization.    Development  and    maturity   are  the 
result  of  circumstances   over   which    no   finite 
hand  or  mind  has  any  control. 

A.  H.  Older  came  to  Bad  Ax  county  from  the 
eastern   part  of  the  State  in   1849,  and  settled 


upon  a  farm  near  Viroqua.  He  was  a  man  of 
about  thirty-five  years  of  age  and  had  a  family. 
Whether  he  was  ever  admitted  to  the  bar  is  a 
question,  but  he  practiced  considerable  before 
justice's  court  in  early  days,  and  for  a  time  was 
justice  of  the  peace.  He  remained  here  until 
1850,  when  he  sold  his  ]ilace  to  N.  Morrison, 
and  moved  to  the  Slate  of  Iowa,  where,  when 
last  heard  from,  he  still  lived. 

William  Austin  came  to  the  county  in  1853, 
from  Marquette  county,  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  State,  and  settled  at  Readstown,  where  he 
built  a  little  brewery,  which  burned  down  a 
few  years  later.  While  there  he  began  the 
practice  of  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  ai 
Viroqua.  He  remained  in  the  county  until  just 
before  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he 
moved  to  Iowa,  and  when  last  heard  from  was 
in  California.  Austin  never  amounted  to  any 
thing  as  a  lawyer;  nor,  in  fact,  was  he  suc- 
cessful in  anything  else  he  undertook.  He  was 
a  pleasant  appearing,  oily  tongued  fellow,  and 
many  of  his  transactions  while  here  betokened 
unsavory  principles. 

Royal  Clifton  Bierce  became  a  member  of  the 
Vernon  county  bar  in  1853.  He  was  born  in 
Cornwall,  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  on  the  3d  of 
October,  1818  ;  being  the  next  to  the  youngest 
of  eleven  children.  His  father  died  when  he 
was  five  years  old,  and  the  following  year,  the 
mother,  with  such  of  the  children  as  were  still 
living  at  home,  moved  to  Nelson,  Portage  Co., 
Ohio.  Royal  C.  received  his  education  at  the  dis- 
trict schools  in  Cornwall  and  Nelson,  and  in 
the  academies  of  Tallmadge  and  Farmington, 
Ohio.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  entered 
the  law  office  of  Hon.  John  Crowell,  of  War- 
ren, Ohio,  and  having  read  law  the  statutory 
length  of  time,  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He 
did  not  attempt  to  practice  law  in  Ohio,  save 
now  and  then  in  justice  court,  but  taught  school 
for  two  years  and  then  came  west,  landing  at 
Burlington,  Iowa.  He  taught  school  near  there 
one  year,  and  not  being  satisfied  with  the 
country,  came    to    Wisconsin    and    located   at 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


18f) 


Patch  Grove,  Grant  county,  in  May,  1845.     For 
a  time  he  worked  for  a  farmer  and  in  November 
began    teaching    tlie    district    scliool    at   Patch 
Grove.     In    May,   1846,    he    tore   up    his    Ohio 
diploma,   went    to    Lancaster   and   entered    the 
law  othce  of  Barber  &■  Dewey,  remaining  with 
tliem  until  the  fall   term  of  court,  when  he  was 
admitted   to   the  bar.     After  his  admission  he 
practiced      law     for    two    years    in     company 
with  Oran   I.  Spencer,  when    his    health    failed 
and  he  abandoned  his  practice.     In   the  fall  of 
1853  his  health  having  improved   he  located  at 
Viro<|ua,  and  settled  down   to  steady   practice. 
He  held  the    office  of  district  attorney   of  Bad 
Ax,  Vernon  county,  for  two   terms  ;  the  first  in 
IS54-5,    the    second    in    1858-9.      In    1858    the 
Legislature  passed  an  act  requiring  a  thorough 
enrollment    of    the   militia,  organizing   it   into 
divisions,  brigades    and    regiments,  and   requir- 
ing the  governor  to    appoint  all  necessary  field 
<  fficers.     Under    this    law.    Gov.    Randall    ap- 
pointed   Mr.     Bierce    colonel.     The    enrolled 
militia  of  Bad  Ax  county  constituted  the   16th 
regiment,  third  brigade,  fourth  division.     Isaac 
Spencer,  of  Springville,  was  appointed  general 
of  the  brigade.     In  the  summer  of  1859    Mr. 
Bierce  formed  a  partnersliip    with    Newton  M. 
Layne,  but  in  the   summer  of  1861,  Mr.    Layne 
went  into   the    service.     This  partnership  con- 
tinued in  name  until    the    death  of  Mr.   Layne, 
in  18G4.     In  September,  1870,  Mr.   Bierce,  feel- 
ing  broken    up    in   mind    and    body  in    conse- 
quence of  losses  sustained  in  the  great  tornado, 
sold    his     property     in     Vernon     county    and 
bought  a  half  interest  in  the  Sparta  Eagle.    He 
moved  his  family    to    Sparta,  and    remained  in 
sole  editorial  control  of  the    paper   until    May, 
1871,  when  he  sold  his    interest   in    the   Eagle, 
and   removed    to    Menomonee,   Dunn    county, 
where  he  at  once  opened  a  law  office.     lie  held 
the  office  of  district  attorney  of  Dunn   county 
for  three  successive  terms,  from  January,  1872, 
to    1878,    and   upon    the    expiration  of  his   last 
term  of  office,  retired  from  practice.     When  J. 
M.   Rusk    was   elected    governor,    Mr.    Bierce 


accepted  an  office  in  the  adjutant  general's 
department  of  the  State  government,  which  he 
still  retains.  Mr.  Bierce  was  married  in  1856, 
to  Emily  Ann  Green,  of  Holyoke,  Mass., 
by  whom  he  had  three  children,  one  of 
whom  is  still  living.  The  mother  died  July 
25,  1874,  and  in  November,  1875,  Mr.  Bierce 
married  Mrs.  Elvira  M.  Doerr,  of  Springville, 
a  daughter  of  Rev.  Luther  Kendall.  They 
have  one  child — Flora  Emily. 

John  J.  Cole  came  to  Vernon,  then  Bad  Ax 
county,  from  Massachusetts  and  located  at  Vir- 
oqua,  in  1856.  He  had  been  admitted  to  the 
bar  and  in  practice  before  coming  here,  and  up- 
on his  arrival  formed  a  partnership  with  Hon. 
W.  F.  Terhune.  He  was  well  read  in  law,  a 
hard  student  and  had  good  success  at  the  bar. 
He  remained  for  several  years  when  he  re- 
moved to  La  Crosse,  where  he  still  lives. 

William  S.  Purdy  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1859,  but  was  never  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law.  W.  S.  Purdy  was  born  in  Car- 
lisle, Sullivan  Co.,  Ind.,  Aug.  28,  1822.  His 
father  died  when  he  was  eleven  years  of  age.  • 
Previous  to  this  time  his  opportunities  were 
limited,  so  far  as  getting  an  education  was  con- 
cerned, to  subscription  schools.  From  this  time 
he  assisted  his  mother,  who  was  left  wdth  insuf- 
ficient means,  to  swpport  a  large  family  of  chil- 
dren. At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  commenced  to 
learn  the  saddler's  trade,  which  vocation  he  fol- 
lowed for  about  eleven  years.  In  1845  he  came 
to  the  territory  of  Wisconsin.  After  spending 
all  Ins  money  in  raining,  he  worked  in  Mineral 
Point  at  his  trade  for  about  six  months.  Mr. 
Purdy  married  in  Indiana  and  settled  in  High- 
land, Iowa  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  for 
one  year.  He  then  removed  to  Bad  Ax,  Craw- 
ford county,  now  in  the  county  of  Vernon.  For 
ten  years  he  followed  farming,  when  he  was 
elected  clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  which  office 
he  retained  for  eight  years.  He  represented 
the  counties  of  Crawford,  Richland  and  Vernon 
in  the  State  Senate  one  term.  While  living  up- 
on his  farm  he  held  almost  all  of  the  local  town 


12 


19ii 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


offices  at  various  times.  In  1869  he  was  elected 
county  judge  and  served  for  two  terms  in  this 
capacity.  He  was  married  in  1846  to  Jane  E. 
Lemon.  Tiiey  buried  two  children  and  have 
two  girls  and  six  boys  still  living.  Mr.  Purdy 
was  a  whig  in  early  days,  but  since  its  organi- 
zation he  has  affiliated  with  the  republican 
party  and  has  always  been  an  active  politician. 
He  made  Vernon  county  his  home  until  1873 
when  he  moved  to  Pratt  Co.,  Kan.,  where  he 
still  lives. 

Judge  Carson  Graham,  for  many  years  a 
prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  Vernon  county, 
was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  Dec.  25,  1815.  He 
acquired  his  education  at  the  common  schools 
and  academies  of  his  day.  His  father  was  a 
farmer,  and  his  labor  was  upon  a  farm  until  the 
age  of  seventeen,  when  he  went  to  Pittsburg  to 
learn  the  printer's  trade,  where  he  worked  for 
a  short  time,  and  not  liking  the  business  re- 
turned home.  He  then  taught  school  for  some 
time.  In  1 835  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  and 
on  the  18th  day  of  December,  1837,  he  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar.  Soon  after  he  was  appointed  as- 
sistant attorney  general,  of  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  also  deputy  United  States  Attorney  for  the 
western  district  of  the  same  State  for  six  years 
when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  to  look  the  country 
over.  Failing  to  find  a  location  to  suit  him,  he 
returned  to  Pennsylvania.  In  1849  he  deter- 
mined to  return  to  Wisconsin,  and  accoi'dingly 
he  located  at  Fond  duLac,  where  he  remained 
three  years,  when  he  moved  to  Dubuque,  Iowa. 
After  a  short  stay  in  Dubuque,  he  located  at 
LaCrosse  ;  but  being  broken  down  in  health,  he 
returned  to  Erie,  Penn.,  and  resumed  practice 
there  until  185'?.  At  this  time  the  desire  to  go 
west  again,  returned,  and  accordingly  he  went 
to  La  Crosse  where  he  remained  until  Septem- 
ber, 1859,  when  he  visited  Viroqua  on  business 
and,  as  there  seemed  to  be  an  opening  here,  he 
remained  during  the  winter.  In  the  spring  of  1860 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  F.  Terhune, 
and  a  year  later  was  elected  county  judge,  and 
this  settled  the  question  of  his  permanent  loca- 


tion. In  the  spring  of  1864,  he  was  re-elected, 
holding  the  office  eight  years.  He  was  also  dis- 
tr'ct  attorney  two  years.  He  was  appointed  reg- 
ister of  bankruptcy  for  the  sixth  congressional 
district  by  President  Grant  and  held  that  office 
until  it  was  abolished.  Judge  Graham  continued 
in  active  businsss  at  Viroqua  until  the  time  of 
his  death,  Jan.  30,  1881.  He  was  a  man  of  fine 
social  qualities.  Possessing  a  wonderful  fund 
of  anecdote,  with  a  splendid  memory  of  past 
historical  events,  he  was  a  most  interesting  con- 
versitionalist  and  public  speaker.  His  widow 
still  survives  him. 

O.  O  Phillips  came  to  Viroqua  in  1860,  and 
read  law  with  R.  C.  Bierce.  When  the  war 
broke  out  he  left  the  county,  and  his  where- 
abouts are  now  unknown. 

Newton  May  Layne  became  a  member  of  the 
bar  of  Vernon  county  in  1860.  He  was  born  in 
Prestonsburg,  Ky.,  March  19,  1839;  being  the 
eldest  son  of  James  H.  and  Sarah  M.  Layne. 
He  came  with  his  parents  to  what  is  now  Ver- 
non county,  in  March,  1854.  In  1857  he  was 
licensed  as  a  local  preacher  in  the  Methodist 
Church.  In  1859  he  began  the  study  of  law  in 
the  office  of  Terhune  &  Cole,  at  Viroqua,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Bad  Ax  county 
circuit  court,  at  the  May  term,  1860.  He  spent 
thg  following  summer  at  Madison,  Wis.,  in  the 
office  of  Lawyer  Rollins,  returning  in  the 
autumn  to  Viroqua,  where  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  Col.  R.  C.  Bierce,  and  began 
practice.  In  1861  he  was  the  republican  nomi- 
nee for  district  attorney.  In  December,  186 1, 
he  was  commissioned  captain  of  the  "Bad  Ax 
Tigers,"  a  company  recruited  by  himself  and 
Lieuts.  Goode  and  Charles  W.  Pitcher,  which 
in  January  following  was  mustered  into  service 
as  company  C,  of  the  18th  regiment.  In 
March,  1862,  they  left  Camp  Trowbridge,  Mil- 
waukee; went  South,  and  was  in  Prentiss'  bri- 
gade at  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing.  On 
the  6th  of  April  Mr.  Layne  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  in  company  with  Gen.  Prentiss  and  some 
sixty    other    officers,    was    held    about     seven 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


191 


months,  when  he  was  exchanged.  He  returned 
to  his  regiment  in  November,  and  continued  in 
active  service  until  after  the  fall  of  Vicksb'irgin 
July,  1803,  when,  being  prostrated  with  chronic 
diarrhfpa,  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Vernon 
county — came  back  to  suffer,  and  finally,  on  the 
28th  of  February,  1864,  to  die.  Newton  M. 
Layne  was  a  young  man  who  will  long  be 
remembered.  He  was  a  hard  student  from 
childhood;  possessed  of  rare  gifts  of  oratory; 
great  personal  magnetism  and  lofty  aspirations, 
anchored  to  a  strong  Christian  character.  Few 
have  stood  upon  the  threshold  of  life's  career 
with  brighter  prospects,  and  none  have  laid  a 
more  noble  and  willing  sacrifice  upon  the  altar 
of  their  country. 

D.  B.  Priest  was  a  native  of  Posey  Co.,  Ind. 
When  quite  young  lie  began  reading  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  At  an  early  day  he 
came  north  and  located  at  Richland  Center, 
Wis.,  where  he  opened  a  law  office  and  also  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  ti-ule.  He  remained  there 
until  lie  broke  up  in  the  mercantile  business, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1861  came  to  Viroqua.  He 
opened  a  law  office  andbecame  a  prominent  man 
here;  holding  the  office  of  district  attorney  for 
several  years,  and  represeTiting  the  county  in 
the  Legislature  at  different  times.  He  was  also 
interested  in  the  VernonC'ounty  Censor  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  I  86s  he  was  appointed  United 
States  revenue  collector  for  this  district,  and  re- 
moved to  Sparta,  Monroe  county,  where  he  lived 
until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1872. 

E.  H.  Harding  came  here  shortly  after  the 
war  and  read  law  with  Col.  C.  M.  Butt.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1869,  but  never  prac- 
ticed any  here.  He  had  been  teaching  school 
at  Hillsborough,  and  returned  to  that  place.  He 
became  sick  from  the  effects  of  a  sun  stroke  re- 
ceived while  in  the  army,  was  sent  to  Chicago 
to  be  treated  and  later  returned  to  Wisconsin 
and  died. 

T.  C.  Ankeny  was  a  member  of  the  bar  of 
Vernon  county  for  a  number  of  years.     About 


1877   he  moved   to  Tennessee,  where    he    still 
lives. 

H.  H.  Natwiek  was  a  Norwegian  boy  who 
was  brought  up  in  Vernon  county.  He  studied 
law  with  Col.  C.  M.  Butt,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  and  engaged  in  practice.  He  is  now  some- 
where in  Dakota  territory. 

T.  J.  Vinje  came  to  Viroqua  in  1877  and  be- 
came a  partner  of  L.  J.  Rusk.  He  had  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  but  had  never  had  much  ex- 
perience of  law.  He  was  well  read,  full  of  en- 
ergy and  push,  and  being  a  Norwegian,  he  be- 
came quite  popular  among  that  people  and  did 
a  good  business.  He  lived  here  until  the  time 
of  his  death  several  years  ago. 

C.  N.  Harris  was  brought  up  from  childhood 
in  the  town  of  Kickapoo,  Vernon  county.  He 
attended  the  law  department  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity, graduating  in  1879,  and  at  once  came 
to  Viroqua.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  H. 
P.  Proctor,  which  continued  one  year,  after 
which  he  practiced  alone  until  the  spring  of 
1882,  when  he  went  to  Aberdeen,  D.  T.,  where 
he  still  lives,  being  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Harris  &  Campbell.  Harris  was  a  smart  fellow, 
and  has  excellent  prospects.  A.  W.  Campbell 
was  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  coming  to  Viroqua 
in  June,  1879,  from  Tomah.  He  was  about 
twenty-three  years  old  ;  had  read  law  in  Madi- 
son and  spent  one  year  in  the  State  University. 
Upon  his  arrival  here  he  became  a  partner  of 
Judge  Carson  Graham,  which  relation  was 
maintained  until  November,  1880,  when  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  W.  S.  Field.  In 
March,  1883,  this  partnership  was  dissolved  and 
Mr.  Campbell  removed  to  Aberdeen,  D.  T., 
where  he  became,  and  still  remains,  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Harris  &  Campbell.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell was  a  good  office  lawyer.  He  was  a  hard 
student,  and  was  careful  and  painstaking  in  all 
the  work  he  undertook.  He  was  among  the 
best  pleaders  that  have  ever  been  in  the  county, 
his  papers  rarely  being  disturbed. 


192 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


D.  E.  Hatlestad  came  to  Viroqua  on  the  16th 
of  July,  1880.  He  was  a  native  of  Norway  ; 
had  been  educated  at  the  Norwegian  school  at 
Decorah,  Iowa,  graduated  from  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  Iowa  State  University,  and  was 
sdmitted  to  practice  before  the  courts  of  that 
Slate.  Upon  his  arrival  at  Viroqua  he  at  once 
became  the  partner  of  H.  C.  Forsyth.  This 
relation  continued  until  October,  1881,  when 
Mr.  Hatlestad  went  to  Crookston,  Minn.,  where 
he  is  still  in  practice.  He  was  a  steady,  indus- 
trious fellow  and  a  fair  lawyer. 

R.  J.  Chase  was  brought  up  in  Vernon  county 
from  boyhood.  He  read  law  with  Terhune  & 
Graham,  went  to  Madison,  and  for  several 
years  was  the  law  partner  of  J.  H.  Carpenter, 
becoming  a  successful  practitioner.  He  now 
lives  in  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  having  become  quite 
wealthy,  and  retired  from  practice. 

.John  Nicholson  came  to  Viroqua  from  Mon- 
roe county,  and  read  law  with  Rusk  &  Wyman. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1881,  and  after- 
wards opened  an  office  in  Hillsborough,  and  a 
short  time  later  went  to  Dakota. 

E.  J.  Steele  read  law  in  the  office  of  Rusk  & 
Wyman,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the 
spring  of  1883.     He  is  now  in   Dakota. 

Addison  A.  Hosmer,  a  graduate  of  tiie  law 
school  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  was  the  first 
practicing  lawyer  to  locate  at  De  Soto.  He 
settled  there  in  185*7.  In  1860  he  returned  to 
Massachusetts.  During  tlie  war  he  served  as  an 
officer  in  one  of  the  Massachusetts  regiments, 
and  became  quite  distinguished.  After  the 
close  of  the  war  he  was  made  judge  advocate, 
and  it  was  he  who  sentenced  the  notorious  Wirz 
of  Andersonville  infamy  to  death. 

David  J3riggs  located  at  De  Soto  as  a  Con- 
gregational preacher  shortly  after  the  wa  r.  He 
came  from  Illinois.  He  had  been  licensed  as  a 
lawyer  some  years  previous  to  his  coming,  and 
finally  gave  up  the  pulpit  f  r  the  bar.  He  was 
somewhat  unfortunate  in   the   profession,   and 


returned  to  Illinois   after  a  sojourn  of  a  few 
years. 

THE     PRESENT    BAR. 

In  1 883  the  bar  of  Vernon  county  was  com- 
posed of  the  following  named  gentlemen:  W. 
F.  Terhune,  James  E.  Newell,  C.  M.  Butt,  H. 
r.  Proctor,  L.  J.  Rusk,  C.  W.  Graves,  O.  B. 
Wyman,  H.  C.  Forsyth,  C.  A.  Roberts,  W.  N. 
Carter,  L.  Tollefson  and  W.  S.  Field,  of  Viro- 
qua and  G.  L.  Miller,  of  De  Soto. 

Hon.  James  Evans  Newell  is  the  second 
oldest  attorney  at  law,  in  point  of  practice,  in 
Vernon  county.  He  came  to  Viroqua,  Oct.  21, 
18.54,  and  during  his  long  residence  in  the 
county  has  possessed  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow  citizens.  He  is  a  worthy  representa- 
tive of  the  pioneer  element  of  Vernon  county, 
who  are  rapidly  and  quietly  passing  away  from 
'the  scenes  of  their  toils  and  privations.  James 
E.  Newell  was  born  in  Belmont  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1809.  He  is  a  son  of  David  and  Sarah  Newell, 
natives  of  Ireland,  near  Dublin.  Upon  coming 
to  this  country,  they  first  settled  in  Washington 
Co.,  Penn.,  and  subsequently  removed  to  Bel- 
mont Co.,  Ohio.  In  1822  they  located  in  Mor- 
gan Co., Ohio,  where  James  E.  was  reared  to  man 
hood.  In  early  life  he  served  an  apprentice- 
ship at  the  carpenter  trade,  but  commenced 
reading  law  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  with 
John  Welch,  Esq.,  of  Athens,  Ohio.  In 
1854  he  came  to  this  county,  and  the  following 
year  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  bar.  He 
thinks  he  was  the  third  attorney  to  locate  at 
Viroqua,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  has 
secured  a  goodly  shave  of  practice.  In  1856 
Mr.  Newell  was  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  with  the  exception  of  two  years  has  since 
officiated  in  that  capacity.  The  same  year  he 
was  elected  judge  of  Bad  Ax  (now  Vernon) 
county,  and  held  the  office  four  years.  He  has 
served  in  various  local  offices  in  the  village, 
town  and  cointy,  and  represented  his  district  in 
the  State  Assembly  during 'the  session  of  1875- 
76.  During  the  war  he  was  a  first  lieutenaut  in  a 
Wisconsin  regiment.       Judge  Newell  has  been 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


]93 


three  times  married.  His  first  wife,  Arm  Wood, 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  also  tlie  second  wife,  who 
died  in  Viroqua.  His  present  and  third  wife 
was  Matilda  Longmere,  a  native  of  New- 
foundland. Eight  children  were  born  to  the 
first  union,  six  of  whom  are  living — William, 
in  Missouri;  Isaac,  in  Iowa;  Ann,  in  Kansas; 
David,  in  Iowa;  Kate,  in  Fargo,  Dak.,  and 
Martha  W.,  in  Kansas. 

W.  N.  Carter  is  an  attorney  at  hiw  of  Viro- 
qua.  He  was  born  at  Catskill,  on  the  Hudson, 
in  New  York,  in  184.5,  and  passed  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  life  among  the  scenes  of  Rip  Van 
Winkle's  legendery  e.xploits.  His  father,  W. 
N.  Carter,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Green  Co.,N.  Y., 
born  in  1811,  at  Durham,  and  his  mother,  Mary 
MacFarland,  was  also  a  native  of  Green  county, 
having  been  born  at  Catskill  in  1813.  In  185-t 
his  father,  with  his  family,  removed  to  Illinois, 
and  in  I85.")  he  removed  his  family  to  Vernon 
Co.,  Wis.,  settling  at  Readstown,  in  the  town  of 
Kickapoo.  He  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  but  owned 
a  farm  and  tilled  the  soil  during  a  goodly  por- 
tion of  his  life,  lie  died  at  Readstown  Dec.  6, 
1880,  and  his  beloved  wife  followed  him  to  the 
great  beyond,  Dec.  10,  1882.  When  the  civil 
war  commenced  the  Carter  family  were  among 
the  first  to  respond  to  the  call  of  duty,  although 
having  passed  the  age  in  which  a  man  may  en- 
list as  a  soldier.  W.  N.  Carter,  Sr.,  became  a 
sergeant  in  the  18th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Vol 
unteer  Infantry;  was  promoted  to  alieutenantcy, 
but  forced  to  resign  from  ill  health,  before  the 
war  closed.  There  were  four  sons  in  the  family, 
and  three  of  them,  all  that  were  old  enough, 
entered  the  service.  Sherwood  E.,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  an  Illinois  regiment,  and  served  four 
years.  He  now  resides  at  Lanark,  in  Illinois. 
W.  N.,  Jr.,  enlisted  Nov.  22,  1861,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years,  in  the  18th  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteers,  and  served  till  Aug.  1,  ls05.  He 
was  in  active  service  during  the  whole  period 
of  his  enlistment,  and  was  promoted  to  sergeant, 
lieutenant  and  cajitain,  holding  the  latter  rank 
at  the  time  of    his   discharge.     Charles    A.   en- 


listed when  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  com- 
pany I,  I7th  regiment  Wisconsin,  Volunteer 
Infantry.  He  was  severely  wounded  at  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  and  died  of  his  injuries.  W.  N.  Carter 
learned  the  cooper  trade,  as  did  his  brother^-, 
with  his  father,  but  after  the  war  taught  school 
for  some  years  in  Vernon  county.  He  com- 
menced the  study  of  law  in  1872,  and  three  years 
later,  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Terhune. 
He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1875,  and  was  a 
law  partner  of  H.  C.  Proctor  until  November, 
1877.  He  then  went  to  Readstown,  but  returned 
to  Viroqua  in  January,  1883,  and  has  since  re- 
sided there.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  town 
clerk,  treasurer  and  chairman,  in  the  town  of 
Kickapoo,  and  was  in  1880,  the  nominee  of  the 
democratic  party,  for  State  senator  in  the  dis- 
trict composed  of  the  counties  of  Vernon  and 
Crawford,  and  in  1882  ran  as  an  independent 
democrat  for  the  Assembly,  in  the  second  as- 
sembly district  of  Vernon  county,  but  the  sen- 
ate and  assembly  districts  being  largely  repub- 
lican,he    was  defeated  in  both  instances. 

Walter  S.  Field,  a  practicing  attorney  of 
Viroqua,  is  a  life  resident  of  Vernon  county. 
He  was  born  in  Hillsborough  town  in  the  fall 
of  1856.  His  father,  Albert  Field,  was  a  pion- 
eer of  that  town,  locating  in  1851.  Walter  was 
graduated  from  the  Wisconsin  State  Univeisity, 
at  Madison,  in  the  class  of  1878,  and  from  the 
law  department  of  the  same  institution  in  the 
spring  of  1880.  In  the  October  following  he 
came  to  Viroqua,  and  became  associated  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  with  A.  W.  Campljell, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Campbell  &  Field. 
The  former  is  now  in  Aberdeen,  Dak.,  aad  a 
member  of  the  law  firm  of  Harris  &  Cam])bell. 
Mr.  Field  has  been  alone  in  the  practice  of  law 
since  March,  1883.  He  married  Emma  Tourjee, 
a  native  of  Lafayette  Co.,  Wis.  Her  father, 
Charles  Tourjee,  is  deceased,  and  her  mother  is 
the  wife  of  H.  D.  Williams,  of  Viroqua. 

O.B.  Wyman,  of  thefirm  of  Rusk  &  Wymun, 
attorneys  at  law,  Viroqua,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Vernon  county  for  over  a   quarter  of   a  cen- 


194 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


tury.  He  was  born  in  Windsor  Co.,Vt.,  July  7, 
1847,  and  when  seven  years  of  age,  his  parents 
removed  to  Stoughton,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  In 
1856  they  removed  to  Hillsborough,  in  this 
county,  where  they  made  a  permanent  settle- 
ment, and  now  reside.  Mr.  Wyman  grew  to 
manhood  in  Vernon  county,  and  in  early  life 
prepared  himself  for  the  teacher's  profession. 
He  taught  for  several  years,  then  attended 
the  State  University  at  Madison,for  three  years, 
and  subsequently  held  the  office  of  county 
superintendent  of  schools  in  Vernon  county,  for 
three  terms  from  Jan.  1,  1874.  He  studied  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  March  29,  1877. 
He  was  elected  district  attorney  for  Vernon 
county  at  the  general  election  in  1881,  and  was 
village  president  of  Viroqua  in  1882,  where  he 
has  resided  since  1871.  The  present  law  co- 
partnership of  Rusk  &  Wyman  was  formed  in 
January,  188U.  He  married  Emma  Hammer,  of 
Hillsborough,  Dec.  28,1875.  They  have  one  son — 
Bernard  M.  Mr.  Wyman  is  a  man  of  fine  at- 
tainments, well  versed  in  his  profession,  and  is 
an   able  and  popular  lawyer. 

Col.  C.  M.  Butt,  county  judge  of  Vernon 
county,  and  senior  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Butt  &  Graves,  has  been  a  resident  here  since 
the  spring  of  1858.  He  was  born  in  Morgan 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1833,  and  began  the  study  of 
law  at  the  county  seat,  McConnellsville,  in  May, 
1856.  In  the  fall  of  1857  he  went  to  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  and  the  following  spring  came 
to  Viroqua,  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  had  pro- 
gressed far  enough  in  his  studies  to  be  admitted 
to  practice  in  1859,  and  at  once  opened  a  law 
office  in  his  new  home.  During  the  summer  of 
1862,  he  was  chiefiy  instrumental  in  raising 
company  A,  of  the  25th^  regiment,  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  at  the  date  of  its 
organization  was  made  first  lieutenant.  In 
March,  1864,  he  was  promoted  as  captain,  and 
in  February,  1865,  was  chosen  major  of  the  48lh 
regiment,  and  in  February,  1866,  was  elected 
lieutenant  colonel  of  the  regiment.  Col.  Butt 
was  in  active  duty  during  his    entire    service  of 


nearly  four  years.  After  the  close  of  the  war 
he  was  elected  treasurer  of  Vernon  county,  and 
served  four  years.  He  was  elected  from  this 
district  to  the  State  Senate,  and  served  during 
the  session  of  1869-70.  In  1871  he  was  elected 
district  attorney  of  his  county,  and  re-elected 
in  1873,  serving  four  years.  In  1878  he  was 
elected  county  judge,  and  has  since  officiated  in 
this  capacity.  Col.  Butt  is  an  able  lawyer,  a 
valuable  public  officer,  and  a  man  highly, 
esteemed.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  240  acres  in 
this  town,  adjoining  the  village  where  he 
resides.  Mrs.  Butt's  maiden  name  was  Mar- 
garet E.  McAully,  a  native  of  Indiana,  coming 
to  Lancaster,  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  with  her  par- 
ents. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butt  have  a  family  of  five 
children — two  sons  and  three  daughters. 

Henry  C'lay  Forsyth  is  a  young  and  rising 
attorney  of  Viroqua,  where  he  located  for  prac- 
tice in  August,  1879.  He  was  born  in  Mus- 
kingum Co.,  Ohio,  May  22,  1847.  His  parents 
were  William  and  Eliza  Forsyth.  His  paternal 
grandparents  were  natives  of  Ireland,  and  emi- 
grated to  Pennsylvania,  and  afterward  moved 
to  Ohio.  His  maternal  grandparents  were 
reared  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  rem  ved 
from  Chester  Co.,  Penn.,  to  Ohio,  where  they 
became  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Forsyth  came  to  Vernon  county 
from  Ohio,  in  1865,  and  made  his  home  with 
an  uncle,  Ellis  Reed,  of  Springville,  in  the 
town  of  Jefi'erson.  On  the  3d  of  August  1867, 
his  father  was  stung  to  death  by  bees,  and  a 
day  later  his  mother  died  of  a  lung  disease  ; 
thus  throwing  the  burden  of  caring  for  seven 
orphan  brothers  and  sisters,  who,  at  his  request, 
emigrated  to  Wisconsin.  He  received  an  ac- 
ademic education  ;  was  graduated  at  the  fsorth- 
western  Commercial  College,  at  Madison,  and 
for  a  year  was  a  student  in  the  law  department 
of  the  Wisconsin  State  University  ;  but  owing 
to  illness,  was  unable  to  be  present  on  com- 
mencement day.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
at  the  session  of  the  circuit  court  held  at 
Madison    in    July,  1878,  Judge  Alvah    Stewart 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


195 


presiding.  In  August,  1879,  Mr.  Forsyth  came 
to  Viroqua,  as  before  stated,  and  was  in  part- 
nership with  Judge  William  F.  Terhune  for 
about  six  months.  On  July  Iti,  1880,  lie  formed 
a  co-partnership  with  D.  E.  Hatlestad,  which 
was  dissolved  in  October,  1881.  Mr.  Forsytli  is 
now  alone  in  the  practice,  and  has  been  a 
justice  of  the  peace  since  August,  1878. 

H.  P.  Proctor  is  a  member  of  the  law  firm 
of  Procter  &  ToUefson,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
promising  legal  lights  that  luminate  the  bar  of 
Vernon  county.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 
Viroqua  since  1869,  and  from  Jan.  1,  1876,  to 
Jan.  1,  1882,  served  the  people  in  the  responsi- 
ble position  of  district  attorney.  He  has  beeti 
three  times  honored  with  the  presidency  of 
the  village  board,  a  position  which  he  was 
satisfactorily  filling  in  1883.  Mr.  Proctor  was 
born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  in  184.3,  and  in  1862 
accompanied  his  father's  family  to  this  county. 
They  located  in  the  village  of  Newton,  where 
they  still  reside.  In  1864  Mr.  Proctor  enlisted 
in  company  D,  43d  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  participated  in  the  various  fortunes 
of  that  regiment  till  the  close  of  the  strife. 
After  returning  home  he  entered  the  law  office 
of  H.  C.  Bierce,  and  afterward  that  of  Judge 
Carson  Graham.  He  was  admitted  to  practice 
Dec.  13,  1871,  and  a  short  time  afterward 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  legal  preceptor. 
This  relationship  continued  until  1876,  and 
since  that  period  he  has  been  successively  in 
law  partnership  with  the  following  named  at- 
torneys :  W.  N.  Carter,  C.  N.  Harris  and 
Louis  ToUefson,  the  latter  co-partnership  being 
formed  Oct.  1,  1879.  The  firm  of  Proctor  & 
'I'ollefson  are  found  in  the  front  ranks  among 
the  business  firms  of  the  county,  both  in  point 
of  legal  business  and  deserved  esteem.  Mr. 
Proctor  was  united  in  marriage  with  Augusta, 
daughter  of  the  late  John  W.  Allen,  ex-county 
treasurer,  who  died  Aug.  31,1881.  Of  their 
four  children,  three  are  living — Walter  S., 
Harold  P.  and  Celia  M.  Their  second  son  is 
deceased. 


Louis  ToUefson,  junior  member  of  the  law 
firm  of  Proctor  &  ToUefson,  Viroqua,  was  born 
in  Norway,  in  1851.  In  1861  he  accompanied 
his  parents  to  America,  and  to  Allamakee  Co., 
Iowa,  where  they  made  a  settlement.  In  1868 
Mr.  ToUefson  went  to  La  Crosse,  Wis.,  where 
he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  for  five  years,  and 
also  took  a  full  course  in  the  commercial  college. 
In  1874  he  came  to  Viroqua  and  obtained  em- 
ployment as  a  clerk  with  J.  Henry  Tate,  with 
whom  he  continued  one  year.  The  following 
summer  he  went  to  Lansing,  Iowa,  nnd  was  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  trade  with  a  brother  lor 
a  short  time.  Returning  to  Viroqua  he  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  trade,  which  he  con- 
tinued till  the  spring  of  1880.  He  then  entered 
the  law  office  of  H.  P.  Proctor,  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  October,  1881,  and  has  been  a  partner 
with  his  preceptor  since  that  date.  Mr.  ToUef- 
son is  the  only  Norwegian  attorney  in  Vernon 
county,  and  the  firm  enjoy  an  extensive  and  lu- 
crative practice.  Mr.  ToUefson  married  Celia, 
daughter  of  J.  W.  Allen,  ex-treasurer  of  Vernon 
county.  She  died  March  12,  1883,  leaving  one 
son. 

Charles  W.  Graves  is  the  pioneer  member  of 
the  law  firm  of  Butt  &  Graves,  and  located  here 
for  practice  in  May,  1879.  His  father,  Lewis 
W.  Graves,  Esq.,  was  for  twenty-five  years  a 
prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  Monroe  Co., 
Wis.  Charles  W.  was  born  at  East  Aurora,  in 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  29,  1854,  and  was  a  law 
student  under  his  father  for  many  years.  He 
also  studied  a  short  time  with  A.  E.  Bleekman, 
Esq.,  of  Sparta,  Wis.,  and  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  circuit  court  at  Sparta,  Jan.  5,  1876. 
He  there  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Fred 
T.  Condit,  which  continued  through  1876,  and 
afterward  with  A.  E.  Bleekman.  This  latter 
tie  was  severed  in  1879,  and  Mr.  Graves  came 
to  Viroqua,  where  he  has  been  in  active  prac- 
tice since.  His  wife  was  formerly  Ida  Rea,  a 
native  of  Oshkosh,  Wis.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren— Earl  W.  and  Ray. 


190 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER     XVII. 


THE  WAR  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Before  entering  upon  a  consideration  of  tbe 
part  taken  by  the  citizen  soldiers  of  Vernon 
county,  in  the  great  contest  between  the  slave 
owners  of  the  south  and  the  lovers  of  freedom 
in  the  north,  it  is  proper  to  dwell  for  a  brief 
period  upon  the  causes  leading  to  the  conflict 
ot  arms  and  the  incipient  steps  taken  by  the 
general  and  State  governments  in  arousing  and 
marshalling  the  hosts  of  liberty-loving  men 
who  afterward  so  grandly  kept  step  to  the 
music  of  the  Union. 

Wisconsin's  first  efforts. 

When  Wisconsin  was  first  called  upon  to  aid 
the  general  government  in  its  efforts  to  sustain 
itself  against  the  designs  of  the  secession  con- 
spirators, tbe  commercial  affairs  of  the  State 
were  embarrassed  to  a  considerable  degree  by 
the  depreciation  of  the  currency.  The  designs 
of  the  secessionists  were  so  far  developed  at 
the  ending  of  the  year  1860,  as  to  show  that 
resistance  to  the  National  authority  had  been 
fully  determined  on.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  won- 
der, then,  that  Gov.  Randall  in  his  message  to 
the  Legislature,  early  in  January,  1861,  should 
have  set  forth  the  dangers  which  threatened 
the  Union,  or  should  have  denied  the  right  of 
a  State  to  secede  from  it. 

"Secession,"  said  he,  "is  revolution  ;  revolu- 
tion is  war  ;  war  against  the  government  of  the 
United  States  is  treason."  "It  is  time,"  he  con- 
tinued, "now,  to  know  whether  we  have  any 
government,  and  if  so,  whether  it  has  any 
strength.  Is  our  written  constitution  more  than 
a  sheet  of  parchment  V  The  Nation  must  be 
lost  or  preserved  by  its  own  strength.  Its 
strength  is  in  the  patriotism  of  the  people.  It 
is  time  now  that  politicians  become  patriots  ; 
that  men  sliow  tlieir   love    of  country    by  every 


sacrifice,  but  that  of  principle,  and  by  unwaver- 
ing devotion  to  its  interests  and  integ- 
rity." "The  hopes,"  added  the  governor,  most 
eloquently,  '*of  civilization  and  Christianity  are 
suspended  now  upon  the  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion of  dissolution.  The  capacity  for,  as  well 
as  the  right  of,  self-government  is  to  pass  its 
ordeal,  and  speculation  to  become  certainty. 
Other  systems  have  been  tried,  and  have  failed; 
and  all  along  the  skeletons  of  Nations  have  been 
strewn,  as  warnings  and  land  marks,  upon  the 
great  highway  of  historic  government.  Wis- 
consin is  true,  and  her  people  steadfast.  She 
will  not  destroy  the  Union,  nor  consent  that  it 
shall  be  done.  Devised  by  great,  and  wise,  and 
good  men,  in  days  of  sore  trial,  it  must  stand. 
Like  some  bold  mountain,  at  whose  base  the 
great  seas  break  their  angry  floods,  and  around 
whose  summit  the  thunders  of  a  thousand  hur- 
ricanes liave  rattled — strong,  unmoved,  immov- 
able— so  may  our  Union,  be,  while  treason 
surges  at  its  base,  and  passions  rage  around  it, 
unmoved,  immovable — here  let  it  stand  forever." 
These  are  the  words  of  au  exalted  and  genu- 
ine patriotism.  But  the  governor  did  not  con- 
tent himself  with  eloquence  alone.  He  came 
down  to  matters  of  business  as  well.  He  urged 
the  necessity  of  legislation  that  would  give 
more  efficient  organization  to  the  militia  of  the 
State.  Tie  warned  the  legislators  to  make 
preparations  also  for  the  coming  time  that 
should  try  the  souls  of  men.  "The  signs  of  the 
times,"  said  he,  "indicate  that  there  may  arise 
a  contingency  in  the  condition  of  the  govern- 
ment, when  it  will  become  necessary  to  respond 
to  a  call  of  the  National  government  for  men 
and  means  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the 
LTnion,  and  to   thwart   the    designs    of  men  en- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


191 


gaged  in  organized  treason.  While  no  unnec- 
essary expense  should  be  incurred,  yet  it  is  the 
part  of  wisdom,  both  for  individuals  and  States, 
in  revolutionary  times  to  be  prepared  to  defend 
our  institutions  to  the  last  extremity."  It  was 
thus  the  patriotic  governor  gave  evidence  to  the 
members  of  both  houses  that  he  "scented  the 
battle  afar  off." 

On  the  16th  of  January  a  joint  resolution  of 
the  Legislature  was  passed,  declaring  that  the 
people  of  Wisconsin  are  ready  to  co-operate 
with  the  friends  of  the  Union  everywhere  for 
its  preservation,  to  yield  a  cheerful  obedience 
to  its  reqirements,  and  to  demand  a  like  obedi- 
ence from  all  others  ;  that  the  Legislature  of 
Wisconsin,  profoundly  impressed  with  the  value 
of  the  Union,  and  determined  to  preserve  it 
unimpaired,  hail  with  joy  the  recent  firm,  dig- 
nified and  patriotic  special  message  of  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States  ;  that  they  tender  to 
him,  through  the  chief  magistrate  of  their  own 
State,  whatever  aid,  in  men  and  money,  may  be 
required  to  enable  him  to  enforce  the  laws  and 
uphold  the  authority  of  the  Federal  government 
and  in  defense  of  the  more  perfect  Union, 
which  has  conferred  prosperity  and  happiness 
on  the  American  people.  "Renewing,"  said 
they,  "the  pledge  given  and  redeemed  by  our 
fathers,  we  are  ready  to  devote  our  lives,  our 
fortunes  and  our  sacred  honors  in  upholding 
the  Union  and  the  constitution." 

The  Legislature,  in  order  to  put  the  State  upon 
a  kind  of  "war  footing,"  passed  an  act  for  its 
defense,  and  to  aid  in  enforcing  the  laws  and 
maintaining  the  authority  of  the  general  gov- 
ernment. It  was  under  this  act  that  Gov.  Ran- 
dall was  enabled  to  organize  the  earlier  regi- 
ments of  Wisconsin.  By  it,  incase  of  a  call 
from  the  President  of  the  United  States  to  aid 
in  maintaining  the  Union  and  the  supremacy 
of  the  laws  to  suppress  rebellion  or  insurrection, 
or  to  repel  invasion  within  the  United  States, 
the  governor  was  authorized  to  provide  in  the 
most  efficient  manner  for  responding  to  such 
call — to   accept  the  services  of  volunteers  for 


service,  in  companies  of  seventy-five  men  each, 
rank  and  file,  and  in  regiments  of  ten  compa- 
nies of  seventy-five  men  each,  and  to  commis- 
sion officers  for  them.  The  governor  was  also 
autliorized  to  contract  for  the  uniforms  and 
equipments  necessary  for  putting  such  compa- 
nies into  active  service.  $100,000  was  appro- 
priated for  war  purposes  ;  and  bonds  were  au- 
thorized to  be  issued  for  that  amount,  to  be 
negotiated  by  the  governor  for  raising  funds. 
It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  exigencies 
of  the  times — for  Fort  Sumter  had  not  yet  been 
surrendered — were  fully  met  by  the  people's 
representatives,  they  doing  their  whole  duty, 
as  they  then  understood  it,  in  aid  of  the  per- 
petuity of  the  Union. 

Having  defended  Fort  Sumter  for  thirty-four 
hours,  until  the  quarters  were  entirely  burned, 
the  main  gates  destroyed,  the  gorge-wall  seri- 
ously injured, the  magazine  surrounded  by  tlames, 
and  its  door  closed  from  the  efl:'ects  of  the  heat, 
four  barrels  and  three  cartridges  of  powder 
only  being  available,  and  no  provisions  but  pork 
remaining,  Robert  Anderson,  major  of  the  first 
artillery,  Uniied  States  army,  accepted'terms  of 
evacuation  offered  by  Gen.  Beauregaid,  marched 
out  of  the  Fort  on  Sunday  afternoon,  the  1  +th  of 
April,  1861,  with  colors  flying  and  drums  beat- 
ing, bringing  away  company  and  private  prop- 
erty, and  saluting  his  flag  with  fifty  guns.  This 
in  brief,  is  the  story  of  the  fall  of  Sumter  and 
the  opening  act  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

"Whereas,"  said  Abraham  Lincoln,  President, 
in  his  proclamation  of  the  next  day,  "the  laws 
of  the  United  States  have  been  for  some  lime 
past,  and  now  are,  opposed,  and  the  execution 
thereof  obstructed,  in  the  States  of  South  Caro- 
lina, Georgia,  Alabama,  Florida,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana,  and  Texas,  by  combinations  too  pow- 
erful to  be  suppressed  by  the  ordinary  course  of 
judicial  proceedings,  or  by  the  powers  vested  in 
the  marshals  by  law."  Now,  in  view  of  that 
fact,  he  called  forth  the  militia  of  the  several 
States  of  the  Union,  to  the  aggregate  number 
of  75,000,  in  order  to  suppress   those  combina- 


198 


HISTOBY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


tions,  and  to  cause  the  laws  to  be  duly  executed. 
"A  call  is  made  on  you  by  to-night's  mail  for 
one  regiment  of  militia  for  immediate  service," 
telegraphed  the  secretary  of  war  to  Randall,  on 
the  same  day. 

THE    STATE    AROUSKD. 

In  Wisconsin,  as  elsewhere,  the  public  pulse 
quickened  under  the  excitement  of  the  fall  of 
Sumter.  "The  dangers  which  surrounded  the 
Nation  awakened  the  liveliest  sentiments  of  pa- 
triotism and  devotion.  For  the  time,party  fealty 
was  forgotten  in  the  general  desire  to  save  the 
Nation.  The  minds  of  the  people  soon  settled 
into  the  conviction  that  a  bloody  war  was  at 
hand,  and  that  the  glorious  fabric  of  our  Na- 
tional government,  and  the  principles  upon 
which  it  is  founded,  were  in  jeopardy,  and  with 
a  determination  unparalleled  in  the  history  of 
any  country,  they  rushed  to  its  defense.  On 
every  hand  the  National  flag  could  be  seen  dis- 
played, and  the  public  enthusiam  knew  no 
bounds.  In  city,  town  and  hamlet,  the  burden 
oTi  every  tounge  was  war."  "We  have  never 
been  accustomed,"  said  Gov.  Randall,  "to  con- 
sider the  military  arm  as  essential  to  the  main- 
tenance of  our  government,  but  an  exigency  has 
arisen  that  demands  its  employment."  "The 
time  has  come,"  he  continued,  "when  parties  and 
platforms  must  be  forgotten,  and  all  good  citi- 
zens and  patriots  unite  together  in  putting 
down  rebels  and  traitors."  "What  is  money," 
he  asked,  "what  is  life,  in  the  presence  of  such 
a  crisis?" 

Such  utterances  and  such  enthusiasm  could  but 
have  their  effect  upon  the  Legislature,  which, 
it  will  be  remembered,  was  still  in  session.  So, 
although  that  body  had  voted  to  adjourn,  sine 
die,  on  the  15th  of  April,  yet,  when  the  moment 
arrived,  and  a  message  from  the  governor  was 
received,  announcing  that,  owing  to  the  extra- 
ordinary exigencies  which  had  arisen,  an  amend- 
ment of  the  law  of  the  thirteenth  of  the  month 
was  necessary,  the  resolution  to  adjourn  was  at 
once  rescinded.  The  two  houses  thereupon  not 
only  increased  the  amount  of  bonds  to  be  issued 


to  ^200,000,  but  they  also  passed  a  law  exempt- 
ing from  civil  process,  during  the  time  of  ser- 
vice, all  persons  enlisting  and  mustering  into 
the  United  States  army  from  Wisconsin.  When, 
on  the  seventeenth,  the  Legislature  did  adjourn, 
the  scene  was  a  remarkable  one.  Nine  cheers 
were  given  for  the  star  spangled  banner  and 
three  for  the  Governor's  Guard,  who  had  just 
then  tendered  their  services — the  first  in  the 
State — under  the  call  for  a  regiment  of  men  for 
three  months  duty. 

"For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  this  Fed- 
eral government,  are  the  words  of  the  gov- 
ernor, in  a  proclamation  issued  on  the  1 6th  of 
April,  "organized  treason  has  manifested  itself 
within  several  States  of  the  Union,  and  armed 
rebels  are  making  war  against  it."  "The  treas- 
urers of  the  country,"  said  he,  "must  no  longer 
be  plundered;  the  public  property  must  be  pro- 
tected from  aggressive  violence;  that  already 
seized  must  be  retaken,  and  the  laws  must  be 
executed  in  every  State  of  the  Union  alike."  "A 
demand,"  he  added,  "made  upon  Wisconsin,  by 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  for  aid  to 
sustain  the  Federal  arm,  must  meet  with  a 
prompt  response."  And  it  did,  and  nowhere 
with  more  genuine  enthusiasm  than  in  Vernon 
county. 

VEENON  COUNTY    AWAKENED. 

The  county  of  Vernon  was  not  slow  to  move 
when  it  was  clearly  seen  by  her  citizens  that  the 
Union  was  in  deed  and  in  truth  threatened  by 
armed  rebellion  and  avowed  secession.  "The 
rebellion  of  the  slave  holders,"  said  the  North- 
western Times,  of  April  24,  1861,  "of  the  seced- 
ing Slates  has  now  reached  actual  war  against 
the  loyal  citizens  of  the  United  States.  The 
projierty  of  every  citizen  of  this  great  republic 
has  been  attacked,  because  every  citizen  is  a 
])art  of  the  government  which  has  a  property 
interest  in  Fort  Sumter,  which  fort  has  been 
cannonaded  and  probably  taken  by  the  rebels  at 
Charleston." 

"The  President  of  the  United  States,"  con- 
tinues the  Times,  "has  called  for   75,000  volun- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


199 


teers,  and  will  probably  need  more;  and  Gov. 
Randall  of  this  State  calls  ou  all  loyal  citizens 
to  sustain  the  laws.  He  also  calls  for  volun- 
teers in  companies  of  seventy-five  men  each  to 
enroll  themselves  and  report  to  him  their  readi- 
ness to  serve."  "Every  lover  of  free  institu- 
tions," concludes  the  writer,  "the  world  over, 
every  loyal  citizen  of  the  United  States,  expects 
every  man  to  do  his  whole  duty,  in  the  war  that 
has  just  been  commenced  by  the  South  Carolina 
traitors." 

VEENON  county's  FIKST  WAR    MBETING. 

The  first  war  meeting  in  Vernon  county  was 
held  at  Viroqua,  on  Wednesday,  April  24,  1861, 
in  the  evening,  at  the  court  house.  At  this 
meeting,  the  following  gentlemen  were  appoint- 
ed to  collect  funds  to  procure  music  for  the 
company  being  organized  in  Viroqua,  and  to 
maintain  their  families  while  they  were  gone 
to  help  the  General  Government  put  down  the 
secession  rebellion  at  the  south:  Thomas  Fret- 
well,  J.  A.  Somerby,  J.  E.  Newell,  Dr.  J.  Rusk, 
Dr.  E.  W.  Tinker,  Justice  Smith  and  Calvin 
Morley. 

The  meeting  adjourned  to  Saturday  evening, 
April  27th,  when  a  very  enthusiastic  time  was 
had.  Henry  Nichols  was  elected  president, 
William  Clawater,  vice-president,  and  T.  C. 
Ankeny,  secretary. 

On  Motion,  Col.  R.  C.  Bierce,  J.  Somerby  and 
Wm.  H.  Goode  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
draft  and  report  resolutions  expressive  of  the 
sentiments  of  the  people  of  Bad  Ax  county,  on 
the  subject  of  the  present  State  of  the  Union. 
The  committee  appointed  at  a  previous  meeting 
to  obtain  subscriptions  to  support  a  volunteer 
company  and  their  families,  reported  1117 
already  obtained  and  that  progress  was  making 
for  additional  sums. 

On  motion,  enough  funds  were  appropriated 
to  purchase  a  good  fife  and  snare  drum  and 
the  committee  were  instructed  to  purchase  the 
same  at  their  earliest  convenience.  It  was  fur- 
ther ordered  that  20  per  cent  be  paid  in  at  once 
on  subscription. 


The  committee  on  resolutions  reported  the 
following  which  were  unanimously  adopted: 

"We  the  people  of  Bad  Ax  county,  in  war 
meeting  asaembled,  irrespective  of  party,  for 
the  purpose  of  declaring  our  sentiments  on  the 
present  state  of  the  affairs  of  the  Nation,  do 
hereby  declare  as  follows: 

1.  Mesolved,  That  secession  is  not  a  consti- 
tutional right,  and  that  we  look  upon  the  pres- 
ent attitude  of  the  pretended  seceded  States  as 
one  of  rebellion  coupled  with  the  fixed  deter- 
mination to  crush  out  the  spirit  of  liberty  and 
substitute  in  its  place,  the  spirit  of  slavery. 

2.  Resolved,  That,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, we  believe  in  allowing  the  utmost  free- 
dom of  speech  and  the  press,  but  in  the  present 
hour  of  our  country's  peril,  we  declare  we  will 
not  permit  any  man  in  our  midst  to  openly  de- 
clare in  favor  of  the  right  of  secession,  or  ad- 
vocate the  cause  of  traitors  and  rebels  against 
the  Federal  government. 

:3.  Resolved,  That,  to  our  old  flag  of  stars 
and  stripes,  we  owe  all  our  property  and  our 
honor,  and  we  hereby  renew  our  allegiance  and 
fidelity  to  it,  and  express  our  determination  to 
never  stand  idly  by  and  see  it  trailed  in  the 
dust. 

4.  Resolved,  That,  like  our  fathers  of  old,  we 
here  pledge,  in  support  of  our  constitution  and 
our  flag,  our  lives,  our  fortunes  and  our  sacred 
honor. 

5.  Resolved,  That  we  sympathize  with  the 
Union  men  of  the  south,  and  will  do  all  in  our 
power  to  ameliorate  their  condition. 

The  meeting  was  then  warmly  addressed  by 
William  Clawater,  R.  C.  Bierce,  T.  C.  Ankeny, 
Gen.  Spencer,  Adj't.  J.  Berry,  William  F.  Ter- 
hune,  II.  Greve  and  others.  The  utmost  una- 
nimity of  feeling,  sentiment  and  enthusiasm 
prevailed  among  the  speakers,  and  they  were 
enthusiastically  cheered  by  the  large  audience 
present. 

On  motion,  William  Clawater,  C.  A.  Hunt, 
Gen.  Spencer,  C!.  M.  Butt,  J.  Berry,  J.  C.  Berry, 
William  Joseph,  Albert  Bliss  and    Capt.    C.  B. 


3on 


PIISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Worth,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  receive 
the  names  of  volunteers  and  report  immedi- 
ately. 

On  motion,  Gen.  Spencer,  T.  C.  Ankeny,  W. 
S.  Purdy  were  appointed  a  committee  to  pro- 
cure martial  music  for  the  next  meeting. 

On  motion,  William  Clawater,  R.  0.  Bierce 
and  C4eorge  Pollard  were  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  procure  a  cannon  and  have  it  at  the  next 
meeting. 

Oh  motion,  J.  Berry  was  appointed  to  drill 
the  volunteers  on  Saturday  next. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned.  The  names  of 
persons  enrolled  as  volunteers  were  as  follows: 
C.  M.  Butt,  T.  0.  Ankeny,  J.  L.  Somerly,  H.  E. 
Pettit,  W.  E.  Minshall,  John  Allison,  L.  M. 
Boughton,  Villiam  Clawater,  H.  M.  Richard- 
son, C.  S.  Lisenbee. 

The  movement  at  Viroqua,  was  followed  on 
May  1,  1861,  by  a 

WAR    MEETING    IN    DE    SOTO. 

Pursuant  to  a  call  issued,  a  meeting  was  held 
at  the  Bay  State  house  by  the  citizens  of  De 
Soto,  and  the  following  business  transacted: 
The  meeting  was  called  to  order  b\  C  B.  Whit- 
ing, and  on  motion,  N.  S.  Gate  was  cliosen  chair- 
man and  Frank  Huntington,  secretary.  Mr. 
Gate,  upon  taking  the  chair,  slated  the  object  of 
the  meeting  to  be  for  the  purpose  of  enrolling 
a  company  for  active  service  in  the  cause  of  our 
country,  and  also  to  take  measures  thought  best 
to  get  up  au  independent  company,  for  drill  and 
military  exercise,  subject  to  the  military  laws 
of  the  State. 

Remarks  were  made  by  C.  ii.  Whiting,  C  L. 
Ingersoll,  D.  S.  Mulhern  and  others.  There- 
upon George  Gale,  George  H.  Mead,  Andrew 
Miller,  James  Davenport,  George  McDill  and 
M.  Godfrey  expressed  their  willingness  to  vol- 
unteer immediately.  A.  Cooley  offered  his 
drum  to  Mr.  Godfrey,  if  he  did  not  conclude  to 
go  himself. 

On  motion  of  Capt.  C.  B.  Worth,  a  commit- 
tee of  three  were  chosen  to  draw  up  a  paper  and 
solicit  subscriptions  for  the  relief  of   the  fami- 


lies of  those  who  may  volunteer  from  this  place. 
The  committee  drew  up  a  paper  which  was  read 
and  accepted,  and  ordered  to  be  circulated. 

On  motion  of  George  McDill,  a  committee  of 
three  were  appointed  to  make  arrangements  to 
form  a  volunteer  company.  C.  L.  Ingersoll,  H. 
Miller  and  J.  C.  Kurtz  were  appointed.  On 
motion  of  J.  C.  Kurtz,  C.  B.  , Whiting  and  A. 
Carlyle  were  added  to  the  committee.  The 
committee  on  subscriptions  soon  reported  $],- 
•396,  subscrilied.     Meeting  adjourned. 

On  the  4tli  of  May,  the  Viroqua  Expositor 
said:  "The  greatest  enthusiasm  prevails  here 
among  the  people  in  reference  to  preserving  the 
Union,  enforcing  the  laws  and  subduing  re- 
bellion. It  is  commendable  on  the  part  of  some 
of  our  good  citizens,  who  are  taking  an  active 
part  in  shaping  every  advantage  in  their  power 
to  raise  and  equip  a  company  in  this  county,  to 
be  ready  to  do  or  die  at  their  country's  bidding." 
"A  meeting  has  been  called  to  take  place  to-day," 
continues  the  editor,  "for  the  purpose  of  enlist- 
ing soldiers,  and  further,  to  do  their  duty  as 
loyal  citizens  of  a  commonwealth  and  patriots 
in  a  common  cause." 

From  this  time  onward,  frequent  meetings 
were  held  in  different  parts  of  the  county.  Fi- 
nally, the  result  was  the  formation  of  the  first 
company,  wholly  within  the  county  for  the  war, 
known  afterward  as 

COMPANY  I,  SIXTU    REGIMENT. 

'i'his  company  was  organized  at  Viroqua,  in 
June,  1861,  and  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  in  Madison,  on  the  21st  of  July, 
with  the  t\)llowing  roster  of  offices  and  enlisted 
men  : 

Captain. — Leonard  Johnson. 

1st  Lieutenant. — F.  A.  Haskell. 

•>d  Lieutenant. — A.  T.  Johnson. 

Ist  Sergeant. — Levi  N.  Tongue. 
2d  "  James  E.  Newell. 

3d  "  William  Clawater. 

4th         "  Henry  Didiot. 

5th        "  J.  S.  Driggs. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


L'Ol 


1st  Corporal. — William  Fox. 

2d         "  John  Luke. 

3d         "  Clayton  E.  Rogers. 

4th       "  John  M.  Brigham. 

5th       "  Andrew  Miller. 

6th       "  C.  A.  Green. 

7th        "  Thomas  W.  McClure. 

8th       "  Edwin  T.  Fearn. 

Musicians.— Robert  N.  Smith, 
Samuel  Walker. 

Wagoner. — James  R.  Lyon. 

Privates. — Thomas  W.  Allen,  Gilbert  L. 
Allen,  George  W.  Atwood,  Charles  F.  Bohn, 
Elias  C.  Burdick,  Charles  Birnbaura,  Nathan 
Burchell,  Lewis  M.  Boughton,  Thoinas  W. 
Barcus,  Edward  L.  Briggs,  Daniel  Campfield, 
Charles  E.  Carnes,  Wra.  S.  Cashing,  Charles  A. 
Conklin,  Lawson  Davis,  George  W.  Douglas, 
Franklin  Elsworth,  Charles  Evritt,  Oliver  P. 
Fretwell,  Rodolph  Fine,  Abijah  Fox,  Dewitt 
V.  Fenton,  James  Fairman,  Chester  A,  Green, 
.John  M.  Goodwin,  Alexander  Graham,  John 
Harland,  John  F.  Harding,  Wm.  H.  Haiick- 
aboiit,  Icliobod  B.  Plill,  Lewis  Hart,  Abel  FL 
Johnson,  Joseph  Johnson,  Henry  Jones,  Charles 
O.  Jones^  John  W.  Longmire,  Charles  Lind, 
Edward  Lind,  Alexander  Lowrie,  Sidney  B. 
Lovlii),  Wm.  Lawrence,  Wm.  Moore,  Peter  S. 
Markle,  Wm.  A.  Mattison,  Wm.  E.  Minchell, 
James  McClain,  Hugh  F.  McClure,  George  D. 
McDill,  Thomas  Newton,  Wm.  H.  Nichols, 
Daniel  W.  Nutting,  Levi  Pearson,  Charles  F. 
Page,  Aldrich  W.  Rodgers,  Earl  M.  Rogers, 
Hiram  M.  Richardson,  Wm.  L.  Riley,  George 
Robins,  Daniel  Remington,  Gabriel  A.  Ruby, 
Levi  Steadman,  George  W.  Sutton,  Gotfriel 
Shriver,  Caleb  Shrieves,  John  L.  Somerby,  Wm. 
H.  Sweet,  Wm.  Se.irs,  Edward  E.  Sears,  Milton 
South  wick,  Alfred  Thompson,  George  W. 
Thompson,  Reuben  Thompson,  George  W. 
Thurber,  Levi  Tongue,  John  T.  Willey,  Fro- 
lan  Willey,  Chester  A.  Wyman,  Joseph  Wood, 
Isaiah  Williams,  James  C.  Wallace,  Caleb 
Wright,  Samuel  G.  Wallar,  Francis  A.  Wallar 
and  Richard  A.  Warrahara. 


Recruits. — William  Balden,  James  0.  Bur- 
rell,  Albert  E.  Fosdick,  Henry  A.  Fosdick, 
John  H.  Hendriekson,  Wm.  H.  Johnson,  Wm. 
L.  Lindsley,  Eli  Rockwell,  James  A.  Stalker 
and  Valentine  Warner 

This  company  was  made  a  part  of 

THE  SIXTH  V7ISC0NSIN  REGIMENT, 

which  was  organized  at  Camp  Randall,  Madi- 
son, in  July,  1861,  and  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States  on  the  10th  of 
that  month,  and  left  the  State  for  Washington 
on  the  28th.  The  following  was  the  roster 
of  the  regiment : 

Colonel. — Lysander  Cutler. 
Lieutenant  Colonel. — J.  P.  Atwood. 
Major.— B.  F.  Sweet. 
Adjutant. —  Frank  A.  Haskell. 
Quartermaster. — I.  N.  Mason. 
Surgeon. — C.  B.  Chapman. 
First  Assistant  Surgeon. — A.  W.  Preston. 
>'econd  Assistant  Surgeon. — A.  P.  Andrews. 
Chaplain. — Rev.  N.  A.  Staples. 
Captain  Co.  A. — A.  G.  Mallory. 
"    B— D.  J.  Dill. 
"    C— A.  S.  Hove. 
"    D— J.  O'Rourke. 
"    E— E.  S.  Bragg. 
"    F— William  H.  Lindwurm. 
"    G— M.  A.  Northrup. 
"    H— J.  F.  Houser. 
"  "    I — Leonard  Johnson. 

"    K— R.  R.  Dawes. 
First  Lieutenant  Co.  A — D.  K.  Noyes. 
"  "     B— J.  F.  Marsh. 

"  "  "     C— P.  W.  Plumer. 

"     D— John  Nichols. 
"    E— E.  A.  Brown. 
"     F— Fred  Schumacher. 
"  "     G— G.  L.  Montague. 

"     •         "     II— J.  D.  Lewis. 
"     I— F.  A.  Haskell. 
"     K— J.  A.  Kellogg. 
2d    Lieutenant  Co.  A — F.  C.  Thomas. 
"     B— Henry  Serrill. 
"     C— J.  W.  Plummer. 


202 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


2d         Lt.         Co.     D— P.  H.  McCauley. 
"     E— /.  II.  Marston. 

"  "  "     F— Werner  Von  Bacheli. 

"  "  "     G— W.  W.  Allen. 

"  "  "     H— J.  A.  Tester. 

"  "  "     I— A.  T.  Jobnson. 

"  "  "     K— John  Crane. 

The  regiment  arrived  at  Washington  on  the 
Vth  of  August,  and  was  immediately  assigned 
to  King's  brigade  and  went  into  camp  on 
Meridian  Hill,  where  it  remained  until  the  3d 
of  September,  when  it  marched  with  the 
brigade  to  Chain  Bridge,  and  was  employed  in 
picket  and  guard  duty  at  Camp  Lyon,  until  it 
was  joined  by  the  2d  Wisconsin,  tiie  9th  Indi- 
ana, and  the  7th  Wisconsin  about  the  1st  of 
October.     These,  afterward,  formed  the  famous 

IRON  BRKiADE. 

Early  in  the  war  Gen.  Rufus  King,  a  gradu- 
ate of  West  Point,  tendered  his  services  to  the 
government  and  was  appointed  brigadier  gen- 
eral, with  authority  to  form  a  brigade  composed 
of  regiments  from  Wisconsin.  In  this  he  only 
partially  succeeded,  as  the  5th  Wisconsin  wai 
transferred  to  another  brigade.  He,  however, 
succeeded  in  permanently  attaching  the  2d, 
6th  and  7th  to  the  brigade  ;  these,  with  the 
19th  Indiana,  afterward  received  the  name  of 
the  "Iron  Brigade,"  in  the  history  of  which  is 
merged  that  of  the  6th  Wisconsin. 

The  brigade  assigned  to  McDowell's  di- 
vision remained  in  camp  at  Fort  Tillinghast 
until  March  10,  1862,  when  they  took  part  in 
the  advance  on  Manassas,  Col.  Cutler,  of  the 
6th  Wisconsin,  being  in  command  of  the 
brigade.  The  month  of  July  found  them  at 
Falmouth, opposite  Fredericksburg.  Thebrigad* 
afterward  took  part  in  the  celebrated  retreat  of 
Gen.  Pope. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1862,  the  battle  of 
Gainesville  was  fought.  This  was  one  of  the 
bloodiest  battles  of  the  war,  and  wa^  fought  by 
the  "Iron  Brigade"  alone  ,  it  only  receiving  aid 
after  the  heaviest  of  the  fighting  was  over.  In 
this   battle    company    I    lost    Privates  Henry 


Didiot,  Charles  Burnham,  Franklin  Ellsworth 
and  George  Robbins,  killed.*  On  the  29th  of 
August  the  brigade  was  present  on  the  battle 
field  of  Bull  Run,  engaged  as  support  to  a 
battery,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  the  30th 
and  in  the  retreat  which  followed.  Company  I 
lost  Private  Rodolph  Fine,  killed  :  the  wounded 
were  Sergeant  E.  F.  Fearn,  Corporal  R.  War- 
ham,  Privates  Alexander  Lowrie,  E.  C.  Burdick, 
J.  B.  Hill,  E.  Lind,  F.  Page,  J.  L.  Somerby,  C. 
C.  Wyman,  Caleb  Wright,  S.  G.  Waller,  Gil- 
bert Allen,  Hugh  McClure,  G.  Ruby,  George 
Sutton  and  Lewis  Broughton. 

The  "Iron  Brigade"  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
South  Mountain,  Sept.  14,  1862,  in  which  con- 
test Privates  William  Lawrence  and  John  Har- 
ding, of  company  I,  of  the  6th  Wisconsin,  were 
killed.  The  wounded  in  this  company  were: 
Corporal  C.  Green,  Privates  M.  Richardson,  G. 
Ruby,  L.  Steadman,  C.  Bohn  and  H.  McClurc. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  battle  of  Antietam 
(which  contest  was  participated  in,  among 
others,  liy  the  "Iron  Brigade"),  a  shell  fell  into 
the  ranks  of  the  6th  regiment,  killing  or  wound- 
ing thirteen  men  and  officers.  In  this  battle 
company  I,  of  the  6th  regiment,  lost  Privates 
George  W.  Atwood,  George  Douglas  and  Wil- 
liam Fo.v,  killed,  and  Corporals  J.  Williams 
and  C.  O.  Jones,  and  Privates  N.  Burcbel,  W. 
T.  Barcus,  C.  Carnes,  L.  Davis,  L.  Hart,  C. 
Lind,  D.  W.  Nutting  and  H.  M.  Richardson, 
wounded. 

General  Hooker  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  Array  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  campaign  of 
186  i  was  begun,  on  the  28th  of  April.  The 
"Iron  Brigade"  proceeded  on  that  day  to  Fitz- 
hugh's  Crossing  below  Fredericksburg,  and 
was  attached  to  the  first  division  of  the  first 
army  corps.  A  fight  occurred  the  ne.xt  day  at 
the  crossing,  but  the  6lh  Wisconsin,  followed 
by  the  24th  Michigan,  crossed  over  in  face  of 
the  enemy  and  carried  their  works.  In  this 
daring  exploit  company  I  lost  Corporal  Gabriel 

*In  this  battle,  anrl  in  those  hcieafter  mentioned,  in  which 
company  T  were  engaged,  tlie  number  given  as  killed  in- 
cludes also  such  as  died  of  wounds. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


203 


A.    Ruby,   and  Privates   Charles   A.  Conklin, 
killed,  and  J.  L.  Stedman,  wounded. 

The  "Iron  Brigade"  was  in  the  terrible 
battle  of  Gettysburg,  where  company  I,  of  the 
6th  regiment,  lost  in  killed  :  First  Sergeant 
Andrew  Miller,  privates  S.  M.  Boughton,  John 
Hailand,  George  W.  Sutter,  Richard  Gray  and 
Levi  Stedman  ;  wounded,  Corporal  S.  Good- 
win, Privates,  J.  B.  Hill,  C.  O.  Jones,  E.  Lind, 
William  Sweet,  G.  Shriver,  G.  Thurbur  and  S. 
Walles.  But  it  was  in  the  battle  of  the  Wil- 
derness that  the  6th  regiment  suffered  more 
than  in  any  other  of  the  war.  The  loss  of  com- 
pany I  was  as  follows  :  killed — Corporal  Wil- 
liam H.  Nichols  ;  Privates,  Leroy  L.  Benedict, 
William  R.  Carnes,  C.  F.  Dibble,  John  P. 
Johnson,  Reuben  Thompson,  William  M.  Col- 
lins, Dewitt  C.  Fenton,  Richard  Gray,  Peter  S. 
Markle,  Clark  Smith  and  Caleb  C.  Wright ; 
wounded — Sergeant  W.  H.  Hockabout;  Corpo- 
rals J.  S.  Driggs,  William  S.  Cashing  and  Icha- 
bodB.  Hill;  Privates,  Gilbert  L.  Allen, Nathan 
Birehe'l,  Hiram  M.  Richardson,  Isaac  W. 
Roberts,  John  C.  Barry,  Harman  Cole,  John  C. 
Moody,  Edward  Willard,  John  C.  Campbell, 
Abraham  Searles,  David  Lind,  John  W.  White 
and  John  D.  Oliver. 

The  severity  of  the  service  engaged  in  by  the 
6th  Wisconsin  from  this  time  until  it  was  miis- 
tured  out,  can  be  judged  of  hy  the  lists  of  the 
killed  and  wounded  at  different  periods  ;  but 
we  must  be  confined  to  a  statement  of  those 
who  suffered  in  company  I.  This  company, 
from  June  11  to  July  1,  1864,  had  Sergeant 
Chester  A.  Green  ;  Privates,  Christian  Hopp, 
Joseph  A.  Johnson  and  Charles  Cuppernall, 
killed  ;  and  in  August  following,  Private 
Thomas  White.  In  the  battle  of  Dabneys' Mill, 
on  the  6th  aiul  7th  of  February,  1865,  company 
I  lost,  in  killed.  Privates  Caleb  C.  Ellis  and 
Marcus  D.  Carter. 

In  the  short  campaign  from  March  29  to 
April  9,  company  I,  of  the  6th,  for  a  wonder, 
had  none  killed,  though  other  companies  in 
the  same  regiment  did  not  fare  so  well. 


The  6th  regiment  was  mustered  out  on  the 
t4th  of  July,  IS65,  and  arrived  at  Madison 
on  the  16th  of  that  month,  and  were  publiclj' 
received,  paid,  and  the  regiment  disbanded. 

Having  briefly  traced  the  fortunes  of  company 
I,  of  the  6th  Wisconsin  during  the  war,  we  now 
proceed  to  give  some  facts  concerning  the  second 
company  raised  wholly  in  Vernon  county.  This 
was 

COMPANY  C,   IbTH  KBGIMENT. 

"Bad  Aje  Tigers:' 

This  company  was  organized  at  Viroqua,  in 
December,  1861,  and  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  at  Milwaukee  Jan.  19, 
1802,  with  the  following  roster  of  officers  and 
enlisted  men: 

Captain — Newton  M.  Layne. 

1st  Lieutenant — John  H.  Graham. 

2d  "  — Allen  A.  Burnett. 

1st  Sergeant — Samuel  Swan. 

2d  "  William  N.  Carter,  Sr. 

3rd        "  Robert  S.  McMichael. 

4th         "  John  S.  Dickson. 

5th        "  Calvin  Morley. 

Ist    Corporal — Danford  J.  Spear. 

2d         "  Joseph  H.  Brightman. 

3rd       "  Ranson  J.  Chase. 

4th       "  William  Cox. 

5th       "  Roswell  F.  Corey. 

6th       "  Gould  Hickok. 

^th       "  Samuel  McMichael. 

8tli       "  Joseph  Buckley. 

Musicians — John  M.  Stokes,  Aaron  Cooley. 

Wagoner. — Thomas  J.  Decker. 

Privates. — David  Aarnott,  Levi  E.  Baker, 
Henry  S.Baker,  Daniel  D.  Bates,  Levi  B.  Bug- 
bee,  Nathan  Bankes,  Lawrence  Broderick, 
Azariah  Brown,  William  Clarey,  Edwin  E. 
Crandall,  William  N.  Carter,  Jr.,  tieorge 
Chadeayne,  Peter  S.  Campbell,  Henry  Clarey, 
Travers  Day,  William  W.  Dickeman,  William 
Downie,  Leonard  C.  Davis,  William  M.  Delap, 
Martin  V.  Day,  William  Daily,  Thomas  J. 
Davis,  Samuel  Fish,  Bardett  Fletcher,  Elijah 
Forsythe,  Thomas  Fretwell,  Joseph  G.  Gander, 


JII4 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Robert  E.  Graham,  Noah  Garrett,  Benjamin 
Greenman,  Cleason  B.  Gnist,  John  S.  Gray, 
William  Hunter,  Benjamin  F.  Harris,  Henry 
Johnson,  John  Jones,  John  Kii-kpatrick,  Wil- 
liam Kettle,  John  Kingston, Christopher  Koher. 
Harvey  D.  Lindley,  William  Loucks,  John  C. 
Metcalf,  Hiram  Moody,  John  B.  Merrill,  Wil- 
liam A.  Masterson,  Patrick  Mooney,  James  Mc- 
Clelland, Daniel  Mosliolder,  Nelson  Mills, 
Archer  J.  Morrison,  Bazzle  Munion,  Julius  C. 
Morley,  Isaac  C.  Newell,  Walter  W.  Odell, 
Lawrence  H.  Page,  Jasper  N.  Powell,  Sanford 
C.  Prince,  Lauphlin  Quinn,  Daniel  Rantz,  Ben- 
jamin F.  Rantz,  Charles  H.  Raynor,  John  J. 
Ross,  Henry  V.  Swain,  Allen  L.  Swain,  John  J. 
Swain,  Samuel  Sayer,  Augustus  Singer,  Philip 
Singer,  John  Stokes,  Norris  W.  Saxton,  John 
H.  Singles,  William  P.  Starrick,  George  W. 
Taylor,  Orrin  Tooker,  William  H.  Thompson, 
James  Williams,  Parley  Whitney;  making  total 
original  membership  ninety-seven. 

The  company  was  recruited  by  volunteers  and 
draft  as  follows: 

John  Carpenter,  David  Caulkins,  John  L. 
Cheney,  Robert  Campbell,  Edward  Carey, 
Cliarles  Rrown,  Leonard  Bankes,  William  Den- 
nison,  Benjamin  Evans,  Elijah  S.  Frazier, 
James .  Garber,  Legrand  Hickok,  William  M. 
Hall,  Jolin  M.  Ilerron.  Theodore  F.  Hart, 
Byron  W.  Johnson,  James  Kingston,  Alfred  S. 
Soper,  Peter  D.  Soper,  Charles  W.  Miller,  Sam- 
uel W.  Moore,  Richard  Miers,  Edward  Owens, 
Samuel  Pokrand,  Simeon  Powell,  John  Pennell, 
Edward  Rogers,  George  M  Rogers,  Merrick 
Rogers,  Harrison 'Sayer,  Nathaniel  Shepherd, 
Henry  Sharpe,  Isaac  Sliarpe,  Gilbert  Stewart, 
Evan  Thomas,  Isaac  Taylor,  Albert  D.  Welsh, 
James  Young. 

The  following  members  of  this  company  were 
killed  in  action:  William  Kettle,  Shiloh; 
Norris  W.  Saxton,  Shiloh;  John  H.  Singles, 
Allatoona;  William  Downie,  Corinth. 

The  following  died  of  disease:  Captain  N. 
M.  Layne;  Sergeant  Samuel  Swan;  Sergeant 
Thomas  Fretwell;  Corporal  Samuel  McMichael; 


Corporal  John  B.  Merrill;  Privates:  Levi  E,  Al- 
len, George  Chadeayne,  Travers  Day,  Elijah 
Forsyth,  Joseph  G.  Gander,  John  S.  Gray,  Noah 
Garrett,  William  Hunter,  Byron  W.  Johnson, 
James  McClelland,  Lawrence  Page,  William  P. 
Starbuck,  Nathaniel  Shepherd,  Wra.  H.  Thomp- 
son, Orrin  Tooker,  Isaac  Taylor,  Julius  C.  Nur- 
ley. 

Company  C  formed  a  part  of 

THE    18th    WI.S0ONSIN     REGIMENT. 

was  organized  at  Camp  Trowbridge,  Milwa  - 
kee,  under  the  supervision  of  Colonel  James  . 
Alban,  early  in  the  year  1862,  and  its  muster 
into  the  United  States  service  was  completed 
on  the  15th  of  March  of  that  year.  The  regi- 
ment left  the  State  on  the  .30th,  with  orders  to 
report  at  St.  Louis.  The  following  was  the 
regimental  roster: 

Colonel. — James  S.  Alban. 
Lieutenant-Colonel.- — Samuel  W.  Beall. 
Major. — J.  W.  Crain. 
Adjutant. — Gilbert  L.  Park. 
Quartermaster. — Jeremiah  D.  Rogers. 
Surgeon. — George  F.  Huntington. 
First  Assistant  Surgeon. — Larkin  G.  Mead. 
Chaplain. — Rev.  James  Delany. 
Captain  Co.  A. — James  P.  Millard. 
"  "  B.— Charles  A.  Jackson. 

"  "  C— Newton  M.  Layne. 

"  D.— George  A.  Fisk. 
"  E.— William  Bremmer. 
"  F.— Joseph  W.  Roberts. 
"  G.— John  H.  Compton. 
"  H.— David  H.  Saxton. 
"  I.— William  A.  Coleman. 
"  K.— William  J.  Kershaw. 
First  Lieutenant  Co.  A. — Edward  Colman. 

"    B.— Thomas  A.  Jackson 
"    C— John  H.  Graham. 
"    D.— D.  W.  C.  Wilson. 

"  E.— G.  R.  Walbridge. 

"  "  "  F.— George  Stokes. 

"  G.— Frederick  B.  Case. 

"  H.— S.  D.  Woodworth. 

"  I.— Ira  II.  Ford. 

"  "  "  K. — Alexander  Jackson. 


/^^xy-T.^^L^^^^^'-^^ 


THE  NKVv'  YOhK 

j PUBLIC  U?'^.K?y. 


ASTC 
TILOt 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


207 


2d  Lieutenant,  Co.  A — Thomas  J.  Potter. 
"    B— Samuel  B.  Boynton. 

"  "  "    C— Allen  A.  Burnett. 

"  "  "    D— Peter  Sloggy. 

"  "  "    E—  Luman   H.  Carpenter. 

"  "  "    F—  George  A.  Topliff. 

"  "  "    G— James  R.  Scott. 

"  "  "    H— Thomas  H.  Wallace. 

"  "  "     I— Ogden  A.  SoutliTOayd. 

"  "  "    K— Phineas  A.  Bennett. 

The  regiment  arrived  at  St.  Louis  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  -31  St  of  March,  1862,  and  next  day 
were  ordered  to  proceed  up  the  Tennessee  river 
to  Pittsburg  Landing.  Arriving  at  the  landing 
about  noon  of  Saturday,  April  5,  they  were  as- 
signed to  the  command  of  Gen.  Prentiss,  which 
was  then  in  the  extreme  advance,  about  four 
miles  on  the  Corinth  road. 

No  sooner  had  the  18th  Wisconsin  reached 
its  position  on  the  Corinth  road  under  Gen. 
Prentiss,  than  they  found  themselves  confronted 
by  the  enemy.  In  brief  they  had  a  position  of 
extreme  danger,  as  the  enemy  were  marching 
in  force  against  the  Union  army,  and  early  on 
Sunday,  the  day  after  the  arrival  of  the  regi- 
ment, the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing  began. 
The  result  is  far  more  than  a  "twice  told  tale." 
C"ol.  James  A.  Alban  was  shot  through  the  body, 
and  Maj.  J.  W.  Crain  was  killed  with  eight 
wounds  on  his  person.  Lieut.-Col.  Samuel  W. 
Beall  and  Acting  Adjutant  Colman  were  both 
severely  wounded,  and  Capt.  John  H.  Compton, 
company  G,  was  killed.  Company  C  lost  its  cap- 
tain, Newton  M.  Layne,  taken  prisoner;  privates 
William  Kettle  and  N.  W.  Saxton,  killed;* 
and  privates  A.  Clary,  W.  W.  Dielhman,  Sam- 
uel Fisk,  John  Kirkpatrick,  Hiram  Moody,  Pat- 
rick Mooney,  Laughlin  Quinn,  Benjamin  Rantz, 
J.  J.  Swain,  Samuel  Sager  and  Augustus  Singer, 
wounded. 

Capt.  Gabriel  Bouck,  of  the  2d  Wisconsin, 
succeeded  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  18th  Wiscon- 
sin, and  the  regiment   was  assigned  to  the  sec- 

*  In  this  battle  and  in  those  hereafter  mentioned,  in  which 
Company  C  were  engaged,  the  number  given  as  Isilled  in- 
clude such  as  died  of  wounds. 


ond  brigade,  commanded  by  Colonel  Oliver.  In 
the  vicinity  of  Corinth,  Col.  Bouck,  early  in 
Cctober,  1862,  was  attacked  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing force  of  the  enemy,  but  the  ISth  escaped 
though  with  some  loss.  Company  C  had  pri- 
vates Robert  E.  Graham  and  William  Downie 
wounded.  The  18th  left  Corinth  on  the  2d  of 
November. 

In  May,  1863,  the  18th  regiment  had  been 
assigned  to  the  first  brigade,  commanded  by 
Col.  Sanborn,  in  Gen.  Crocker's  division,  of  the 
seventeenth  army  corps.  At  the  battle  of  Cham- 
pion Hills,  private  Bent  Markison  was  wounded. 
The  regiment  acted  as  sharpshooters  in  the  as- 
sault of  the  22d  of  May,  at  Vicksburg,  to  hold  a 
position  in  front  of  a  rebel  fort,  and  cover  the 
advance  of  the  assaulting  column.  In  this  move- 
ment company  C  met  with  no  casuality. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1864,  Col.  Bouck  re- 
signed. Lieut.-Col.  Beall  had  resigned  the  pre- 
vious August.  The  regiment  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service  at  Louisville,  July  18,  1865,  and 
reached  Madison  on  the  29th,  where  they  were 
public'y  received  and  disbanded. 

The  next  Vernon  county  company  was  the 
one  subsequently  known  as 

COMPANY   A,  TWENTY-FIFTH    WISCONSIN. 

This  company  was  organized  at  Viroqua,  in 
August,  1862,  and  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service  as  a  part  of  the  25th  Wisconsin 
regiment,  in  La  Crosse,  on  the  14th  of  Septem- 
ber,  1862. 

The  following  was  the  muster-in  roll  of  com- 
pany A  : 

Captain — James  Berry. 

1st  Lieutenant — Cyrus  M.  Butt. 

2d  Lieutenant — (John  R.  Casson  was  promo- 
ted to  this  office  Sept.  15,  1862). 

1st  Sergeant — Warren  G.  Davis. 

2d  "  John  R.  Casson. 

3d  "  Isaiah  Ferrill. 

4th         "  John  Williams. 

5th         "  Robl)  E.  McCrellis. 

1st  Corporal — James  Miller. 

2d  "  Henry  Waters. 


13 


208 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


3d    Corporal,  Justus  Smith. 

4th        "  David  C.  Yakee. 

5th         "  Amasa  B.  Sexton. 

6th         "  Isaac  L.  Smith. 

1th         "  John  W.  Church. 

8th         "  John  A.  Ferguson. 

Privates  —  Jonathan  Adams,  Alfred  Adams, 
Orrin  Ames,  Alexander  M.  Asberry,  Peter  D. 
Bartholomew,  Jason  Baldwin,  Christopher  C. 
Baker,  Charles  Barstow,  Alfred  Bartholomew, 
Abraham  Benn,  Mitchel  Beck,'Amon  Beddison, 
Russell  S.  Bundy,  Isaac  M.  C.  Burcham,  William 
M.  Chambers,  Henry  Chandler,  William  F.  C. 
Coard,  Philo  Curley,  William  T.  Chimmings, 
George  W.Curamings,  Lysander  Dalton,  Joshua 
Douglas,  John  E.  Davis,  Charles  W.  Delap, 
John  Dewitt,  Thomas  E.  Engle,  Robert  L.  Fer- 
guson, William  H.  Foreaker,  John  Garrett, 
Philip  Gieser,  James  W.  Gilman,  Britton  L. 
Gillett,  Perley  Grubb,  George  F.  Green,  John 
Graham,  Henry  N.  Hadley,  Moses  E.  Hadley, 
Nelson  D.  Hale,  AVilliam  F.  Hanchett,  George 
W.Hope,  David  C.  Hope,  Edward  F.  Hunting- 
ton, Henry  Humphrey,  William  B.  U.  Hunter, 
Peter  Jacobus,  William  Jonas,  James  L.  Jordan, 
James  H.  Layne,  Edwin  K.  Loring,  James 
Mains,  John  Marshall,  Manasah  McClurg,  James 
Mason,  Peter  S.  Moore,  Alexander  Morrison, 
Eli  Osborn,  William  Pidoock,  George  T.P  id- 
cock,  George  J.  Pierce,  George  Pulver,  Frank- 
lin Ranger,  William  R.  Rees,  William  C.  Reed, 
Thomas  H.  Reed,  Martin  V.  B.  Richards, 
Amos  A.  Richardson,  Ezra  A.  Roberts,  Benja" 
min  F.  Roberts,  Frederic  S.  Roe,  Merritt  Rowe, 
James  H.  Rogers,  James  F.  Rhoe,  John  R. 
Rundle,  Ira  H.  Sanford,  Harvey  Sewell,  Nicho- 
las V.  Sharp,  Finley  Smith,  Nathaniel  H.  Smith, 
Hiram  Steadman,  Silas  H.  Strieker,  Freeman 
Sutton,  Gilman  Tenney,  Charles  H.  Tilden, 
Vesparian  W.  Whitney,  Ira  Wisel,  William 
S.  Waters,  Samuel  Darnell,  Arthur  Gill. 

Tile  history  of  company  A,  is,  of  course, 
merged  in  that  of 

THE  25th  regiment. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Solo- 
mon, La  Crosse,  in  September,  1862,   and   mus- 


tered into  the  United  States  service  on  the  14th 
of  that  month,  and  was  ordered  to  report  to 
Gen.  Pope,  at  St.  Paul,  to  aid  in  suppressing  the 
Indian  difficulties  in  the  State  of  Minnesota. 
They  left  the  State  on  the  15th,  with  the  fol- 
lowing roster: 

Colonel — Milton  Montgomery. 
Lieutenant  Colonel — Samuel  J.  Nasmith. 
Major — Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 
Adjutant — George  G.  Symes. 
Quartermaster — William  H.  Downs. 
Surgeon — Martin  R.  Gage. 
1  st  Assistant  Surgeon — .Jacob  McCreary. 
2d  Assistant  Surgeon — William  A.  Gott. 
Chaplain  -  Rev.  T.  C.  Golden. 
Captain  Co.  A — James  Berry. 

"     B— William  11.  Joslyn. 
"     C— H.  D.  Faryuharson. 
"     D— James  D.  Condit. 
"     E— John  D.  Scott. 
"  "     F— James  C.  Farrand. 

"  "     G— Viruz  W.  Dorwin. 

"     H— Ziba  S.  Swan. 
"      I— Robert  Nash. 
"  "     K— Robert  M.  Gordon. 

First  Lieutenant  Co.  A — Cyrus  M.  Butt. 
"  "  "     B— William  Roush. 

"     C— L.  S.  Mason. 
"  "     D—M.  E.  Leonard. 

"  "  "     E— John  W.  Smelker. 

"     F— Parker  C.  Dunn. 
"  "  'i     G— John  W.  Brackett. 

"  "  "     H— Chas.F.  Olmstead. 

"  "  "      I— Daniel  N.  Smalley. 

"  "  "     K— Charles  A.  Hunt. 

John  R.  Casson. 
William  H.  Bennett. 
C — Thomas  Barnett. 
D — Charles  S.  Farnam. 
E— John  M.  Shaw. 
F— Oscar  E.  Foote. 
G— Robert  J.  Whittletoii. 
H — Henry  C.  Wise. 
I— John  T.  Richards. 
K- — Lewis  F.  Grow, 


Second  Lieut.  Co.  A- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


209 


Arriving  at  St.  Paul  on  the  20th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1862,  the  regiment  was  divided,  five  com- 
panies under  Lieut.-Col.  Nasmith,  being  sent  to 
Sauk  Center,  Painsville  and  Acton;  the  re- 
mainder, under  the  command  of  Col.  Mont- 
gomery, was  sent  to  Leavenworth,  Fairmount, 
Winnebago  City  and  New  Ulm,  where  regi- 
mental headquarters  were  established. 

After  service  in  Minnesota,  the  regiment 
returned  to  Wisconsin,  reaching  Camp  Randall 
onthel«thof  December,  1862.  On  the  Hth 
of  February,  1863,  the  regiment  left,  under 
orders  to  report  at  Cairo,  111.,  where  they  arrived 
on  the  19th,  and  moved  next  day  to  Columbus, 
Ky.,  and  encamped.  Here  the  regiment  was 
attached  to  the  16th  army  corps.  From  this 
time  until  August,  which  month  found  the  regi- 
ment at  Helena,  they  were  variously  employed. 
Lieut.-Col.  Samuel  J.  Nasmith  died  of  disease 
contracted  in  the  service  on  the  I7th  of  August, 
and  Maj.  Rusk  was  appointed  lieutenant  col- 
onel in  his  place.  '1  he  regiment  remained  at 
Helena  until  the  1st  of  February,  1864,  when 
they  moved  down  the  river  to  Vicksburg. 

The  regiment  reached  Chattanooga  May  5lh 
and  immediately  proceeded  to  join  the  forces 
of  Gen.  Sherman.  The  sixteenth  corps  formed 
part  of  the  "Army  of  the  Tennessee"  under 
Gen.  McPherson.  On  the  9th  of  the  month 
they  took  part  in  a  movement  against  Resaca, 
which  was  renewed  on  the  1-ith,  with  the  fol- 
lowing casualities  to  company  A: 

Private  Perley.  B.  Grubb  killed;  Sergt.  J. 
Williams  and  Private  A.  A.  Richardson 
wounded.  In  attacking  the  enemy  at  Peach 
Orchard  on  the  15th  of  June  Lieut.-Col.  Rusk 
was  wounded  in  the  right  arm. 

On  the  19th  of  July  the  sixteenth  army  corps 
was  at  Decatur.  About  noon  on  the  22d  three 
regiments  commanded  by  Col.  Sprague  were 
attacked  by  two  divisions  of  Wheeler's  dis- 
mounted cavalry.  Col.  Montgomery,  with  a 
force  composed  of  companies  B,  E,  F  and  I  of 
the  25th  Wisconsin,  and  four  companies  of  the 
63d  Ohio,  was  ordered  out  to  ascertain  the  po- 


sition of  the  enemy.  They  advanced  about 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  up  a  road,  on  the  west 
of  which  was  a  narrow  but  impassable  swamp, 
and  on  the  other  a  deep,  miry  ditch.  The 
enemy  were  met  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
swamp,  by  the  skirmishers,  consisting  of  coip- 
pany  F  and  an  Ohio  company,  under  command 
of  Lieut.-Col.  Rusk.  The  enemy  opened  a  se- 
vere fire  and  the  skirmishers  were  driven  down 
the  road  back  to  the  reserve,  which,  under  Col. 
Montgomery,  was  in  position  to  the  left  of  the 
road. 

The  enemy  advancing  in    strong   force.    Col. 
Montgomery   moved   the    reserve    by  the    left 
flank,    and    in    attempting  to  cross  the  ditch  to 
reach  the  battery  in  the  rear,  his  horse  sank  in 
the  miry  ground,  and  he  was  shot  by  the  enemy 
and    captured.       Lieut.-Col.    Rusk,    with    the 
skirmishers,  held  the  enemy  in  check  for  a  short 
time  on  the   road,  but   were  soon  obliged  to  re- 
tire.    In  attempting  to  do  this  Lieut.-Col.  Rusk 
was   surrounded   by  six   or  eight    rebels,    who 
came  at  him  with  bayonets   at  a   charge.     One 
of   tliem    made  a  dash    at   him  and  caught  his 
sword,  which  hung  in  its  scabbord  by   his  side, 
the  squad  crying  out  for  the  "Yankee"  to  sur- 
render.    The  lieutenant-colonel  made  a  charac- 
teristic reply  and  very  coolly  pressed  his  revol- 
ver to  the  side  of  the  head  of  the  rebel  and  gave 
him  its  contents.     In   f.alling,   the    fellow    still 
held  to  the  sword,  which  broke  from  its  fasten- 
ing.    Putting  spurs  to  his  horse,  the  lieutenant- 
colonel  dashed  down  the  road,  under  the  fire  of 
the  rebels,  to  which  he  replied  with  his  revolver 
and  succeeded  in  rejoining   his   regiment   near 
the  battery  in  the  rear,  not,  however,   until  he 
had  his  horse  shot  from  under  him. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  \8>M,  the  seven. 
teenth  army  corps  left  Atlanta  on  the  grand 
march  to  the  sea,  the  21st  acting  as  a  train 
guard,  as  far  as  Monticello,  when  they  rejoined 
their  brigade.  At  Beaufert,  Col.  Montgomery, 
who  hail  been  exchanged,  returned  to  the  army 
and  was  phiced  in  command  of  the  brigade. 


210 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


On  the  Salkahatchie  river,  on  the  20th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1865,  the  25th  encountered  the  enemy, 
drove  in  his  pickets  and  dislodged  a  small  force 
behind  temporary  breastworks.  A  shell  from 
the  enemy  grazed  the  head  of  the  horse  of 
Lieut.-Col.  Rusk,  knocking  the  animal  down, 
and  the  colonel  was  dismounted,  the  orderly  in 
the  rear  having  his  head  carried  away  by  the 
missile.  The  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service  on  the  7th  of  .Tune  and  set  out  for  home, 
arriving  at  Madison  on  tne  11th  of  that  month, 
where  they  were  soon  paid  off  and  disbanded. 

VERNON  county's  ROLL  OF  HONOR. 

The  following  are  all  the  citizen  soldiers  of 
Vernon  county,  so  far  as  they  can  now  be  ascer- 
tained, arranged  under  the  towns  in  which  tliey 
lived  at  the  time  of  their  enlistment: 

[Those  marked  (a)  were  killed  in  action;  (b),  died  of 
wounds  received  in  action;  (c),  died  of  disease;  (d),  died 
prisoners  of  war;  (e),  killed  by  accident  on  railroad.] 

TOWN     OF    BERGEN. 

Eighth  Infantry,  Co.  F:  John  W.  Greenman, 
Corporal. 

yinth  Infantry,  Co.  C,  Fef.."  Joseph  Broockech. 
Twelfth  Infantry,  Co.  A:     Philip  Berry. 

Fourteenth  Infantry,  Co.  D:  John  B. 
Glenn,  (a),  Frederick  W.  C.  Kock,  (i),  Patrick 
Asley. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  John  Kings- 
ton, Sergeant;  John  L.  Cheney,  John  S.  Gray, 
(d),  Benjamin  Greenman,  Simon  Powell. 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Philip  Berry, 
Robert  T.  McClurg. 

Thirty-Fourth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Thomas 
Briss,  Emanuel  Briss. 

Forty- Second  Infantry,  Co.  F:  George 
Bawkus,  Edwin  Drew,  Listen  B.  Waller. 

Forty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  K:  Isaiah  G. 
Page. 

First  Heavy  Artillery,  Co.  H:  William  C. 
Ilallenbeck,  Isaac  Quackenbush. 

TOWN  OF  CHRISTIANA. 

Third  Infantry,  Co.  H:  Thomas  Slagg 
Captain. 


Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  John  C.  Barry,  cor- 
poral; Mollis  W.  Bishop,  {d),  William  R. 
Carnes,  Albert  Emons,  (c),  Daniel  Taylor. 

TIdrteenth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Hans  O.  Hanson. 
Fifteenth  Infantry,  Co.  B:  Ole  P.  Olsen, 
Sergeant;  Peter  O.  Larson,  Co.  E;  Simon 
Anderson,  {d),  Thorger  Erickson,  Peter  John- 
son, (c),  Ole  Kjostilson;  Co.  G,  Charles  Black, 
Tositere  Larsen,  Erick  Olsen,  Johannes  Simen- 
sen. 

Seventeenth  Infantry,  Co.  B:  Andrew  Jan- 
son;  Co.  I:     Amos  H.  Hanse,  (c). 

Twenty-Fifth,  Co,  F:  Even  T.  Songsted; 
Co.  K,  Even  T.  Songsted;  Fifth  Corporal; 
James  Ever.son,  Simon  C.  Rerstad,Corporal;  (a), 
Erick  Anderson,  (c),  Ole  Peterson,  (c). 

Fiftieth  Infantry,  Co.B:  Torgee  Jansen, 
Peter  C.  Hoonreon,  Ole  A.  Knudson,  Peter 
Maiinson,  John  S.  Rogers,  Christopher  Trubon. 

Fifty  Third  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Andres  Ander- 
son, Christian  Everson. 

TOWN    OF    COON. 

Thirty-Fourth  Infantry,  Co  A:  Peter 
Olsen,  George  Stregle. 

Fifty-Third  Infantry,  Co.  B :  John  Matte- 
son. 

TOWN    OF     CLINTON. 

Tcelfth  Infantry,  Co.   I:  Alexander  Hays,  (c). 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  John  S.  Dick- 
son, Corporal;  Harvey  D.  Lindley,  Daniel 
Mossholder. 

Twentieth  Infantry,  Co.  F:  Isaac  M.  Adams, 
James  Waggoner. 

Twenty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  David  C. 
Yakey,2d  Sergeant;  John  W.  Appleman,* 
Mitchell  Beck,  George  W.  Brown,  Henry 
Humphrey,  James  Mains,  Jonathan  Adams, 
(c)  Menasiah  McClurg,  (c),  George  J.  Pierce, 
(c),  James  F.  Rhoe,  (c);  Co.K:  Peter  Hanson, 
5th  Corporal;  John  J.  Bergh,  Iver  Peterson, 
Lewis  M.  Hanson,  Sergeant,  (c);01eS.  Johnson, 
Ole  P.  Karterna,  Simon  Erickson,  (c),  James 
Everson,  (c),  Ole  J.  Johnson,  (c). 

Thirty- Seventh  Infantry,'  Co.  F:  Lorenzo  T. 
Adams,  Valentine  E.  Appleman,  Oscar  Burdick, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


211 


(a),   Charles   R.    Forsyth,    (a),   Elias     Stocks, 
Thomas  Chambers,  (c),Cortez  B.  Taylor. 
Thirteenth  Battery:     William  Sheets. 

TOWN    OF      FOREST. 

Twelfth  Infantry  Co.  I:  Edgar  Eno,  Cor- 
poral; James  Adams,  James  Jeffries. 

Fifteenth  Infantry,  Co.  E:     George  Pepper. 

Twenty-Third  Infantry,  Co.  K:  James  liiirii- 
ham,  (c). 

Twenty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Samuel 
Darnell,  Corporal;  Arthur  Gill,  (c). 

Forty- Seco7id  Infantry,  Co.  E:  James  C. 
Gorden,  Corporal;  Wm.  H.  Hart. 

Forty-Tldrd  Infantry,  Co.  F:  Rufus  S. 
Sherman,  1st  Corporal;  George  Durkee,  5th 
Corporal;  George  W.  Hawkins;  Co.  K:  John 
S.Malosh. 

First  Cavalry,  Co.  F:  James  Combest,  (c), 
Jesse  Irwin. 

TOWN    OF     FEANKLIN. 

Second  Infantry,  Co.  G:     John  Vantassell. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I :  Earl  M.  Rogers, 
1st  Lieutenant;  Edward  L.  Briggs,  William 
Clanter,  Sergeant;  George  W.  Thompson,  {<■). 

Seventh  Infantry,   Co  B:io\va.  Christopher. 

Eighth  Infantry,  Co  F:  Richard  Perkinson. 

Tenth  Infantry,   Co.  i^.-Frederick  Sallander. 

Tenth  Infantry,  Co.  E :  Abner  B.  Allen, 
Silas  W.  Allen,  Albert  Bliss. 

Fifteenth  Infantry,  Co.  If:  Ole  T.  Trestby, 
Josiah  Adams. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Newton  M. 
Layne,  Capt.,  Samuel  Swan  (c),  Gould 
Hickok,  Serg't,  Henry  W.  Swain,  Allen  L.  Swain, 
John  J.  Swain.  Co.  D,  Charles  French,  Corp'l, 
Wm.  H.  French,  Ferdinand  Getter,  Sr.,  Ferdi- 
nand Getter,  Jr.,  Ezra  Hanckabout,  George  J. 
Hornby,  (e),  Joseph  Hornby,  (f/),  Francis  M. 
Littleton,  Hugh  Littleton,  George  P.  Melvin  (c), 
Peter  Slatter,  John  C.  Williams,  Corp'l;  Wm. 
Wright  (c). 

Nineteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Wm.  Davis, 
Corp'l;  John  Myer,  David  A.  Bundy,  John  A. 
Deaver,  Theodore  Garrell,  Henry  Gosling, 
George     Johnson,    Eli     Mason,     John     Riley 


Thomas    Savage    (c),     John     C.     Wilkinson, 
George  W.  Baker. 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  John  Wil- 
liams 2d  Lieut.;  Nelfon  D.  Hale,  5th  Serg't; 
Russell  S.  Bunday,  Vth  Corp'l;  Wm.  Chambers, 
James  Mason,  Corp'l  (c);  Joseph  Wood,  (c). 
Co.  F,  Caleb  C.  Lane. 

Thirty-sixth  Infaritry,  Co.  II:  Mathias 
Mettick. 

Forty-second  Infantry,  Co.  I :  George  B. 
Cade,  David  Dowhower,  Seth  Hart,  Josiah  W. 
Lamb,  Corp'l;  James  O.  McCullock,  Pelaliah  J. 
Richards,  Martin  V.  B.  Richards,  Serg't;  Felix 
K.  Van  Wagoner,  John  Wanek,  Wm.  Young, 
(c). 

Forty-third  Infantry,  Co.  F :  Jacob  Gia- 
nera. 

Eighth  Battery  :     Ole  Castleson. 

TOWN  OF  GENOA. 

Eighth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Alex  P.  Shaw,(c), 
Casper  Fopper. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C :  Harrison 
Sayre. 

Forty-second  Infantry,  Co.  F:  Thomas  H. 
Ashbury,  George  W.  Bartholomew,  (c). 

Forty-third  Infantry,  Co.  F:  Joseph  A. 
Heck,  Florentine  Heck,  Samuel  Kennedy, 
James  Sandlin. 

TOWN  OF  GREENWOOD. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Charles  Bohn, 
Alex  Graham,  Aldridge  W.  Rogers,  Dilman 
Saunders,  Corp'l. 

Eighth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Rudolph  Martin, 
John  Sullivan,  Joseph  Watson,  (c). 

Tenth  Infantry,   Co.  H:     Robert  M.  Bailey. 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A  :  John  S. 
Shieve,  Hezekiah  Shieve. 

Forty-second  Infantry,  Go.  B :  Samuel 
Cammack,  Francis  M.  Cammack,  Clement  J. 
Cherington. 

Forty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  K:  Leonard  G.  Mc- 
Cauley  (c),  Edwin  M.  Winslow. 

Forty-ninth  Infantry,  Go.  A  :  James  Bun- 
dy, Edson  Daly,  Andrew  Johnson,  Byer  Knudt- 
son. 


212 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Tenth  Battery  :     Hezekiah  Wilds. 
First  Heavy  Artillery,  Go.  H:     Jacob  Rich- 
ards. 

TOWN  OF    HAMBURG. 

Eifflith  Infantry,  Co.  I:  James  Mellor,  (b) 
Go.  F.     Samuel  Fox  (c). 

Ninth  Infantry,  Vet.  Co.  <J:  Andreas 
Moenick. 

Fifteenth  Infantry,  Co.  E :  Laurence  An- 
derson {b),  John  Hoff,  Lars  Ingebirgtson,  {<•), 
Nels  Nelson,  Bore  Peterson  (c),  John  H. 
Stokke. 

Twenty -fifth  Infantry,  Co.  K:  John  Peter- 
son, Peter  liandson  (a),  Peter  A.  Lendall  (  r), 
Ole  A.Nelson  (c). 

Thirty-fourth  Infantry,  Co.  A  :  Wm.  Bam- 
berg, Ole  Everson,  Hans  Olsen,  George  Stregle. 

Forty-third  Infantry,  Co.  F:  Andrew  Sal- 
endar. 

Forty-Ufth  Infantry,  Co.  H :  Mathias  Bag- 
stad,  Corp'l;  John  I.  Huff,  Simon  Lunlokken, 
John  C.  Moilin  Co.  K,  Hans  Anderson,  Chris- 
tian E.  Sveen. 

TOWN    OF    HAEMONT. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  G  .L.  Allen,  Walker  I. 
Barcus,  Abel  A.  Johnson,  Joseph  Johnson,  («), 
Alfred   Thompson,  William  Stevenson. 

Twelfth  Infantry,  Go.  A:     Elisha  Warner. 

Seventeenth  Infantry,  Co.  H:  Daniel  W. 
Horton . 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Robert  L.  Mc- 
Michael,  Captain,  John  M.  Heron,  William  Do- 
wine,  (/>),  James  Garbee,  Byron  W.  Johnston, 
(c),  Edward  Rogers,  George  M.  Rogers. 

Twenty-lifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Alfred  Adams, 
2d  Corporal;  Vespasian  W.  Whitney,  Milton  R. 
Wood,  Isaac  L.  Smith,  Corporal;  Elisha  H.  War- 
ner, Christopher  Baker,  (c),  Nicholas  Sharp,  (c), 
Sampson  A.  Vance,  (c). 

■Fortieth  Infantry,   Co.    C:     A.  J.   Bingham. 

Forty- Second  Infantry,  Co.  B:  Augustus 
Fetzlaff.  Co.  I,  Harlan  P.  Procter. 

First  Battery:  Monroe  Crawford,  Hiram 
Buswell,  Elijah  Caulkins,  Peter  Carson,  Calvin 


C.  Hagerman,  Levi  Noble,  Roland  Reid,  Jabez 
Y.  Spaulding. 

First  Heavy  Artillery,  Co.  H:  Walker  T. 
Barcus. 

TOWN    OF    HILLSBOROUGH. 

Sixth  Infantry,  3Insi<:ians:  Wenzel  G. 
Hanzlik,  Levi  W.  Tonge.  Co.  I,  Amos  John- 
son, 2d  Lieut;  T.  W.  Allen,  Nathan  Burchill, 
Sylvester  Brill,  William  Church,  George  W. 
Douglas,  («),  George  W.  Daniels,  (a),  Henry 
Didiot,  Bradly  Emons,  Rudolph  Fine,  (</),  Abi- 
jah  B^ox,  (c),  William  Fox,  {b),  Ichabod  B.  Hill, 
Sergt;  Charles  Lind,  Thomas  W.  McClure,  (c), 
Hugh  F.  McClure,  William  A.  Mattison,  Levi 
Pearson,  Daniel  A.  Pierce,  Gotfried  Shriver, 
Hiram  Sanders,  Corp'l;  Abraham  Searles,  Levi 
N.  Tongue,  1st  Sergt;  Levi  L.  Tongue,  Sergt; 
George  W.  Thurber,  Reuben  Thompson,  Corp'l. 
(c);  Chester  A.  Wyman,  Froland  Willey,  Corp'l; 
John  Willey,  Henry  Wheeler. 

Seventh  Infantry,  Co.  A:  George  M.  Bur- 
kel. 

Eighth  Infantry   Co.  I:     Henry  Grilley. 

Twelfth  Infantry  Co.  E:  Benjamin  Kauff- 
man. 

lioenty-first  Infintry,  Co.  D:  Norris  Grilley. 

Twenty-fiftJi.  Injantry  Co.  F:  Benjamin  Huff- 
man. 

Forty-seventh  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Chester  A. 
Wayman,  Sergt;  Charles  W.  Bailey,  Christian 
Bauer,  Christian  Engles,  Ephriam  D.  Greeley, 
Andrew  J.  Greeley,  Pinckney  Hayden,  Jacob 
M.  Heacock,  Samuel  VV.  Hoy  I,,  Charles  Lin- 
drum,  Charles  Lind,  William  A.  Matteson, 
Corp'l;  Alonzo  Mitchel, Thomas  J.  Shear,  Jona- 
than W.  Shear,  Daniel  W.  Sliear,  George  W. 
Shaler,  Charles   H.  Skillings,  Anthony  Winter. 

Forty-ninth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Daniel  D.  Jar- 
vis,  John  C.  McClure. 

First  Cavalry,  Co.  F:     Darius  Reynolds. 
Tenth  Battery:     Jacob  Dodge. 

TOWN    OF   JEFFERSON. 

Second  Infantry,  Go.  A:  Marshall  L.  Kinney. 
Go.  F,  William  Kelock. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


213 


Third  Infantry,  Co.  A:     Lockwood  George. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Alexander  Lowrie, 
Capt. 

Highth  Infantry,  Co.  F:  James  Berry,  2d 
Lieut;  Henry  W.  Allen,  Seymour  M.  Cummings, 
(c),  George  M.  Drum,  (c),  Jeremiah  L.  Joseph, 
John  P.  Joseph,  (c),  John  L.  Smith,  (e). 

Twelfth  Infantry,  Co.  A:     John  W.   Pulver. 

Thirteenth  Infantry,  Co.  T:   Erick  Asbemson. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  0:  Allen  A.  Bur- 
nett, 2d  Lieut;  Henry  Johnson,  Archibald  J. 
Morrison,  Elijah  S.  Frazier,  Burdett  Fletcher, 
(c),  Walter  W.  Odell,  (e),  Norris  W.  Saxton, 
(a).  Co.  D,  George  N.  Esler.  Joseph  G.  Hunter, 
{(l),  William  Hunter,  (c),  Isaac  H.  Odell,  Jona- 
than Townsend,  Waldron  Townsend. 

Twentieth  Infantry,   Co.  A:  Austin  Fletcher. 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Allen  Fran- 
cis, Isaac  W .  C.  Burcham,  George  Pulver,  Wil- 
liam S.  Waters,  James  Berry,  Capt;  Henry 
Waters,  Sergt;  Amasa  B.  Saxton,  Corp'l;  Wil- 
liam R.  Reese,  John  W.  Pulver,  John  Graham, 
(r),  Franklin  Ranger,  (r),  Marion  F.  Fleck, 
William  Powell,  (a),  Peter  Rantz,  Morris  W. 
Saxton,  [r). 

Thirty-eiyJdh  Infantry,  Co.  F:  William  F. 
Riley. 

Forty-second  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Augustus  Wier. 

Forty-third  Infantry,  Co.  F;  John  N.  Pul- 
ver. 

Fiftieth  Infantry,  Co.  B:  Charles  C.  Has- 
kell, Albert  Johnson,  David  S.  Kyes,  Daniel  M. 
Moore, Robert  J.  Moore,  Andrew  Molley,  Dan- 
iel W.  Seals,  William  Shult,  Benjamin  F. 
Schriver.  Co.  K,  Goelk  Olesen. 

First  Heavy  Artillery,  Co.  L:  H.  N.  M. 
Rayner. 

TOWN    OF   KICKAPOO. 

Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  II:  Benjamin  Lawton, 
Serg;  George  W.  Lawton.  Co.  A,  Henry  T. 
Lawton. 

iSixth  Infantry,   Co.    I:     Michael    Sallenter. 

Eighth  Infantry,  Co.  F:  Philander  S.  Groes. 
beck,  Louis  Groesbeck,  Stewart  Groesbeck. 

Tenth  Infantry,  Co.  H:     John  Boyl. 


Eleventh  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Edwin  Medla- 
cott. 

Twelfth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Irwin  Gribble,  2d 
Lieut;  Joshua  Hutchinson,  Sergt;  Ransom 
Kellogg,  Corp'l;  Rudolph  Foreman,  Corp'l; 
Wallace  B.  Pugh,  Corp'l;  Emery  L.  Clark, 
Corp'l;  Charles  A.  Toptine,  (c),  Eugene  Bald- 
win, {(i),  Jacob  Benu,  Francis  B.  Clark,  Henry 
II.  Dupu,  (h).  Lumen  S.  Kellogg,  Lewis  D.  Kel- 
logg, Peter  Nuby,  Ephriam  Sandford,  Daniel 
Sandford,  (c),  John  W.  Sutherland,  James  C. 
Toptine,  (c). 

Sixteenth  Infantry,  Co. -B."  Francis  Dupu,  (c). 

Seventeenth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  John  W.  Taylor, 
William  Hutchinson,  Corp'rl;  Abram  Y.  Banta, 
Robert  L.  Banta,  Reuben  G.  Drake,  Edward  P. 
Dailey,  Lewis  F.  Day,  Joseph  L.  Dunlap,  David 
Haggerty,  Eli  Hooks,  Nelson  Kendall,  Doctor 
F.  Kumrine,  Carl  A.  Shermer,  Robert  W.  Ten- 
ney  and  Andrew  T.  Vance. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  William  N.  Car- 
ter, Sr.,  Ist  Lieut;  William  N.  Carter,  Jr.,  2d 
Lieut;  Roswell  F.  Corey,  Corp'l.,  John  James, 
John  C.  Mitcalf,  Travis  Day,  (c).,  Martin  V. 
Day,  William  P.  Starbuck,  (c).,  Co.  Z>.,  Nathan 
Hale,  2d  Corp'l;  William  Miller,  Andrew  Per- 
kinson,  Corp'l;   Ambrose  Osborn. 

Twenty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Eli  Osborn, 
Ira  II.  Sanford,  John  W.  Church,  {h),  Jason 
Baldwin,  (c),  Abraham  Benn,  (c). 

Thirty-  Third  Infantry,  Co.  F:  James  B.  Con- 
nolly, (c). 

Tliirty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  David  M. 
Pugh,  (c..). 

Forty-Second  Infantry,  Co.  £:  Eugene  C. 
Gill.  Co.  I:  David  G.  Bliss,  1st  Lieut;  John 
Clancy,  William  H.  Lowny,  Peter  Vanalstine. 

Forty-Third  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Henry  Benn, 
Jonathan  Kyser,  Thomas  McQueen,  (c),  William 
J.Neely,  George  W.  Wilder. 

Forty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  II:  Lewis  Ilibbard, 

Marien  Osborn. 

Fiftieth  Infantry,  Co.  B:  Joseph  Harris. 

TOWN-   OF    LIBERTY. 

Second  Infantry,  Co.  E:  Ripley  J.  Richards. 
Twelfth  Infantry  Co.  I:  George  W.  Wise. 


214 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Forty- Seco7id  Infantry,  Go.  I:  Samuel  Pal- 
mer, Henry  M.  Rusk,  Allen  Rusk,  Corp'l.;  Cyrus 
J.  Smith,  Alfred  Stedman,  Robert  Tate,  George 
W.  Wise. 

Forty-Third  Infantry,  Co.  F:  Robert  McKee. 

TOWN    OF    STAEK. 

Twelfth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  J.  Emry  Payii, 
Serg't.,  Moses  Powell,  Corp'l.;  James  W.  Dean, 
James  Moore,  Andrew  J.  Tompkins,  (  c). 

Tv^enty-Fiftlt.  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Henry  W. 
Hadley,  Chauncey  Lawton,  J.  D.  Orrison,  James 
Miller,  Serg't.;  (c),  Justin  Smith,  Corp'l.;  (c), 
John  Garrett,  (c),  Moses  Hadley,  (c),  Peter  S. 
Moore,  (c),  Findley  Smith,  (c),  Nathaniel  H. 
Smith,  (c). 

Thirty- Seventh  Infantry,  Co.  I:  William  A. 
Lease,  (a),  John  J.  Lease. 

Forty-Second  Infantry,  Go.  B:  Merritt  W. 
Dean,  {(■),  Orsumus  Farnham,  Corp'l. 

Forty-Third  Infantry,  Co.  K:  Martin  Corsaw, 
2d  Serg't.;  Gilmond  Eno,  5th  Serg't.;  Samuel  W. 
Grey,  George  T.  Thomas. 

Forty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co  H:  George  W.  Law- 
ton,  1st  Serg't.;  Francis  G.  Lawton. 

TOWN    OF    STERLING. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  William  M.  Collins(i) 
John  C.  Campbell,  John  W.  Elliott,  Christian 
Hopp,  («)  John  D.  Oliver,  Henry  W.  Phillips, 
Clark  Smith  (i)  Thomas  H.  White  {b). 

Fourteenth  Infantry,  Co.  H :  Peter  Erick- 
son,  (c). 

Fifteenth  Infantay,  Co.  B  :  Loren  L.  Hange, 
Ludwig  L.  H.  Hange. 

Seventeenth  Infintry,  Co.  B  :  Peter  Mel- 
lam.     Co.  I.     James  McClurg,  (c.) 

Fiffhteenlh  Infantry,  Co.  G :  Ransom  J. 
Chase,  2d  Lieut.;  Danford  J.  Spear,  Corp.;  Le- 
grand  Hickock,  Julius  C.  Morley,  (c).  David 
Cunlkins,  Isaac  C.  Newell,  George  W.  Taylor, 
(c).  Orrin  Tooker,  (c).  Go.  D.  Charles  Ames, 
(c)  William  H.  White,  Sergeant. 

Tu'enty-fifth  Infantry,  Go.  A.  Henry  Chan- 
dler. 

Forty-second  Infantry,  Go.  B.  Wright  S. 
Crane,  Perry  Curtiss,    George  P.  Griffin,   Sam- 


uel Hasbrook,  Samuel  W.  Pitts,  Edward  S. 
Riggs,  William  Tewall,  {<■)  Alvin  Wakefield, 
Elijah  Wakefield,  Lafayette  Wakefield,  (c).  Or- 
son Whitney,  John  Whitney,  James  Whitney. 
Sergeant.  Go.  I.  Samuel  Davis,  John  W.  Da- 
vis, Benjamin  S.  King,  Wilson  Mills,  James  A. 
Tewall,  John  S.  Tewall,  Benjamin  I.  Witcraft. 

TOWN    OF    UNION. 

Eleventh  Infantry,  Co.  I).  Francis  W.  Mor- 
rison, James  Pannell,  Joshua  Vanduson,  Henry 
Widner,  Mathias  Widner,  Martin  I.  Widner(t). 

Seventeenth  Infantry  Co.  F.  Herman  Shoepp. 

Forty-second  Infantry  Co.  E.  William  R. 
Bundy,  Thomas,  II.  Daniel. 

Forty-thh-d  Infantry,  Co.  K.  Archibald 
Calloway. 

TOWN    OF    VIROQUA. 

Third  Infantry,  Co.  A.     Charles  Verley. 

Sixtli.  Infantry,  Go.  C.  James  Burrell, 
Charles  A.  Conklin  {h)  Charles  Emett,  O.  P. 
Fritnell,  Corporal;  John  F.  Harding,  {b)  Wil- 
liam C.  Ilockabout  Sergeant;  John  W.  Long- 
min  (c)  William  C.  Minshall,  James  E.  Newell, 
Hiram  M.  Richardson,  William  L.  Riley,  Edwin 
E.  Sears,  George  W.  Sutton  («)  John  L.  Som- 
erby,  James  Wallace,  Valentine  Warner. 

Eighfh  Infantry,  Co.  F.  Benjamin  F.  Alli- 
son, Sergeant;  Samuel  McColaugh,  Corporal  ('.), 
John  W.  Allison,  Amos  W.  Bickfield,  William 
Burns,  Benjamin  F.  Groves,  William  C.  Groves, 
Isaac  N.  Groves,  Eli  M.  Groves  (c)  Josiah  S. 
Groves,  Alfred  Lore,  Cornelius  A.  Marston  (a) 
George  S.  Nichols,  Wilson  Pitcher,  John  W. 
Shell,  Corporal,  (</);  Michael  Sallander,  William 
Sallauder  (c) 

Ninth  Infantry,  Co.  11.  Bernard  Harlfield, 
Sergt.  Major. 

Twelfth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Robert  M.  Leighty, 
Co.  I,  Archibald  Lee,  Jerome  S.  Tinker  2ud 
Lieutenant;ThomasF.  Bryant,  John  W.  Carton, 
Daniel  Cox,  George  Everett,  Henry  II.  Hull, 
Henry  G.  Honey,  Daniel  Jennings,  Jared  Jen- 
nings, Ore  Lind  (  a),  John  Munyon  (c),  Seth 
McClurg,  John  A.  Moore,  George  C.  Richards) 
(c),  Benjamin  F.  Rider,  Thomas  Skinner,  Mil- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


215 


ton  Sample  («),  Samuel  Smith,  James  Silbough 
(a),  William  L.  Tate,  Joel  Winters,  Samuel  D. 
Yakey(c). 

-Fourteenth  In/antry,  Co.  J):  AutliurP.  Allen, 
Oscar  P.  Allen  (c),  James  Foster,  Milton 
Owen,  Joseph  Snodgrass. 

Fifteenth  Infantry,  Co.  E:  Peter  Erickson 
(  d),  Knud  Johnson,  Treo  Romsads  (c),  John 
Christenson,  Sergeant  (c). 

Sixtee7ith  Infantry  Co.  E:  Lewis  Connelly. 

Seventeenth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Charles  W. 
Pitcher,  2d  Lieutenant;  Richard  Anderson, 
Arthur  B.  Haskell. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Calvin  Mosley, 
1st  Sergeant;  Thomas  J.  Decker,  Sergeant;  Wil- 
liam Cox,  sergeant;  Samuel  McMichael,  cor- 
poral; Joseph  Buckley,  coi'poral;  Hiram  Moody, 
Bazzle  Munyon,  Noah  Ganatt  (c),  Thomas 
Fretwell  (  d),  Robert  E.  Graham,  C.  B.  Guist, 
John  Parnell,  Laughlin  Quime,  Daniel  Rantz, 
Benjamin  F.  Rantz,  Charles  Raymer,  John  J. 
Ross,  Augustus  Singer  (c),  Phillip  Singer, 
Nathaniel  Sheppard,  (c),  William  H.  Thomp- 
son (c),  Benjamin  F.  Wells.  Co.  I>,  Byron 
Carey.  Co.  K,  George  Williams   (  c  ). 

Nineteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Henry  B. 
Nichols,  captain. 

Twentieth  Infantry,  Co.  F:    Gabriel  Olson. 

Twenty-first  Infantry,  Go.  D:  John  E.  Green. 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Jeremiah  M. 
Rusk,  Lieut.  Col.,  William  A.  Gott,  Surgeon, 
David  C.  Hope,  Lieut,  and  Reg.  Qr.  Master,  John 
R.  Casson,  Cap't.,  Alex.  Morrison,  4th  Corp'l., 
Britton  L.  Gillett,  Harmon  Jennings,  George 
T.  Pidcock,  Amos  A.  Richardson,  John  R. 
Rundle,  Cyrus  M.  Butt,  Cap't.,  William  F. 
Cummings,  John  De  Witt,  James  W.  Gillman, 
AVilliam  F.  Hanchett,  James  H.  Lane,  Thomas 
H.  Reed,  Martin  V.  B.  Richards,  John  E.  Davis, 

David  C.  Hope,  Edward  Minshall,  Isaiah  Fer- 
rell,  (e),  Serg't.,  William  Jonas,  Corp'l,  (c), 
Charles  Barston,  (c),  Amon  Biddison,  (c), 
George  W.  Cummings,  (e),  James  A.  Douglass, 
(f),  Charles  W.  Delap,  (c),  William  H.  For- 
eaker,  (c),  Purley  B.  Grubb,  (  a),  George  W. 
Hope,  (c),  William  B.  H.    Hunter,    (c),   John 


Marshall,  (c),  William  Pidcock,  (c),  William 
C.  Reed,  (c),  Hiram  Steadman,  (c),  Silas  H. 
Strieker,  (  c).  Freeman  Sutten,  (c),  Philip  Sil- 
bough, (  0 ),  Ira  Wisel,  (  o  ). 

Twenty- Seventli  Infantry  Co.  K:  Charles  H. 
Raymer,  Ist  Lieut. 

Thirty-Fifth  Infantry.  Co.  C:  William  Box- 
ley,  Lemuel  Lieurance,  Corp'l.,  Frederick  Lieu- 
rance,  Serg't;  Nathaniel  Morrison,  David  Lieu- 
rance, Richard  Pidcock,  Augustus  Smith,  Serg't., 
Samuel  Stroud,  (  c  ).  Co.  Z>.,  Joseph  C.  Harrison, 
Corp'l;  Edward  D.  Brigham,  Orrin  Dickson, 
Jasper  W.  Grubb.  Co.  E,  Daniel  J.  Gibson,  (  c), 
Orrille  Dickson,  (c).  Co,  0,  A.  F.  Smith,  Ist. 
Lieu't.,  Eren  Dalton,  John  W.  Saubpert,  Corp'l.. 
George  Martin,  David  E.  Lawton,  Thaddeus 
Conklin,  Joseph  Hadley,  Corp'l.,  Joseph  Pan- 
nell.  Burr  W.  Serley,  Amos  F.  Schilling,  Elisha 
Smith,  Henry  Salander,  John  H.  Small,  James 
Small,  Edward  Everett. 

Thirty- Seventh  Infantry,  Co.  F:  William  P. 
Hayter. 

Forty-Second  Infantry.  Co.  I:  Marshall  C. 
Nichols,  Capt.,  Samuel  V.  Allison,  Serg't.,  Wil- 
liam H.  Burlen,  Corp'l.,  Joseph  D.  Brothers, 
Corp'l.,  Henry  H.  Blodgett,  Corp'l.,  Thomas  P. 
Dewitt,  Joshua  Lieurance,  Albert  J.  Rusk,  Wil- 
lard  W.  Rusk,  Oscar  J.  Stilhvell,  John  Welch. 

Forty-Eighth  Infantry:  M.  Butt,  Maj. 

Fiftieth  Infantry  Co.B:  Clay  ton  E.  Rogers, 
Captain;  James  E.  Newell  1st  Lieut.,  George 
II.  Burlin,  John  L.  Groves,  James  W.  (-iillman, 
William  Getter,  Alexander  Gorsline,  Fi-ancis 
M.  Haskell,  Simeon  A.  Hicok,  James  Kontner, 
Hans  Jesperson,  James  H.  Johnson,  John  Kirk- 
patrick,  Selucas  C.  Miller,  David  Miller,  John 
Myers,  Leonard  Morley,  John  Slater,  Abraham 
Smith,  Harrison  Smith,  William  P.  Shannon, 
Ezra  W.  Shrive,  Ebenezer  S.  Stretsberry,  Ole 
T.  Severson,  J.  H.  Swain,  Francis  Southwick, 
James  J.  Taylor,  Elijah  Tilton,  Edward  S.  Tut- 
tle,  Cliaiicy  Vanduson,  Nelson  W.  Winters, 
William  B.  Williams. 

Fifty  Second  Infantry,  Co  C;  Samuel  Pencil, 
Peter  Shult. 


2  Hi 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


First  Caralry,  Co.  E:  Jacob  M.  Snyder. 
Third    Cavalry    Co.    A:    James   F.   Palmer, 
Sergeant  (e),  Charles  Marston,  Davis  Onstat. 
Fourth  Cavalry,  Co.  I:  Alexander  B.  Smith. 

TOWN  OF  WEBSTER. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  James  Mc  McLane. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.    C  Samuel  Fish,  (c). 

Thirty-Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  I):  Harry  M.  Al- 
len, Jacob  Jones. 

Forty- Secowl  Infantry,  Co  /:ArmerL.  Wood, 
John  Wood. 

Company  F:  Joseph  M.  Ames,  Oliver  Brown, 
William  Bryson  (c). 

Forty-Third  Infantry  Co.  F :  Lewis  Gral.am, 
Ezekiel  Jackson,  Thomas  M.  McCollough, 
Henry  E.  Pettet. 

Forty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  H:  Levador 
Green,  David  Hancock. 

TOWN    OF    WHEATLAND. 

Fifth  Infantry,  Go.  K:     Charles  S.  Foust. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Francis  A.  Wallei-, 
Ist  Lieut.;  L.  S.  Benedick  («),  Albert  E.  Fos- 
dick,  Henry  A.  Fosdick  (c),  William  Lawrence, 
Corporal  («);  Edward  Jjind,  George  A.  Mc- 
Dill,  Corporal;  Andrew  Milles,  1st  Sergt.  (a); 
Charles  A.  Page,  Richard  H.  Phillips  (c),  Ga- 
briel A.  Ruby,  Daniel  Remington,  Robert  N. 
Smith,  Drum  Major;  William  Sears  (c),  Francis 
A.  Walker,  1st  Lieut.;  Samuel  G.  Walker,  Cor- 
poral; Richard  A.  Warham,  Corporal;  Richard 
A.  Warren,  Corporal;  John  W.  White. 

Elglitli,  Infantry,  Go.  F:  Francis  Shumway('). 

Twelfth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  William  H.  Ash- 
berry,  Franklin  Buchannan,  William  Puiham, 
Henry  T.  Roberts. 

Seventeenth  Infantry:  F.  James  Ethelbert, 
Com.  Sergt.  Go.  I:  Ethelbert  F.  James. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  Peters  S.  Camp- 
bell, Corporal;  Parley  Whitney.  Co.  K;  Mel- 
vin   Brayman. 

Tn-enty-fiffh  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Warren  G. 
Davis,  1st  Lieut.;  James  H.  Rogers,  3d  Sergt.; 
James  L.  Gordan,  4th  Sergt.; Thomas  E.  Engle, 
1st  Corpl.;  Robert  L.  Ferguson,  5th  Corp'l;  Ed- 
win   K.    Loring,  8th    Corp'l;    Peter   Jacobus, 


Charles  H.  Tilden,  William  F.  O.  Coard  (c), 
Phillip  Geiser  (c),  George  F.  Green  (c),  Harvey 
Sewell  (c),  Gillman  Tenpy  (c). 

Twenty  seventh  Infantry,  <Jo.  I:  George  W. 
Furman. 

Twenty-first  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Thomas  De- 
lacy. 

Forty-second  Infantry,  Co.  B:  Zeans  T. 
Clark,  Henry  P.  Kendall,  Orrin  D.  Wilson. 

Forty-third  Infantry,  Co,  F:  Frederick 
Stode,  James  Voisey. 

Forty-fifth  Infantry,  Co.  K:  Charles  A. 
Tenny,  4th  Sergt. 

Fiftieth  Infantry,  Go.  B:  Rezin  Z.  Ball, 
Joseph  F.  Huntington,  Eleazer  G.  Miller,  Silas 
E.  Phillips,  George  S.  Sperry,  Albert  A.  Sum- 
ner, Seymour  G.  Waite;  Co.  K:  Cary  H.  Jos- 
lyn,  Milo  M.  Whitney. 

TOWN    OF    WHITESTOWN. 

Fifth  Infantry,  Go.  H:  Christopher  Ostran- 
deo,  Corp'l. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  Clayton  E.  Rogers, 
1st  Lieut.;  George  W.  Atwood  (a),  Elias  C. 
Burdick,  William  L.  Bodden,  Franklin  Els- 
worth  {<(),  Edward  Fearn,  Sergt.;  Chauncey  A. 
Grune,  1st  Sergt.;  Lewis  Hart,  Daniel  W.  Nut- 
ting, Joseph  Words,  Isaiah  Williams,  Corp'l. 

Eighteenth  Infantry,  Co.  C:  William  Mas- 
terton,  Patrick  Mooney,  James  McClelland  (c), 
.John  Stokes,  (c),  Peter  Sloggny,  Capt.  Co.  D: 
Adolphus  King,  Henry  J.  Phelps,  Joshua  W. 
Sheldon.  Go  K:     Nathan   Culver. 

Twenty-first  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Hiram  Bugbee. 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry.  Co  A:  Joseph  Heck- 
ley,  Samuel  Wilkinson,  Merriatt  Rowe,  Freder- 
ick S.  Rowe. 

Forty-third  Infantry,  Co.  E:  Charles  E. 
Critchitt,  2d  Corp'l;  George  W.  Delap,  Corp'l; 
Robert  W.  Delap,  William  F.  Finnell. 

Forty-ninth  Infantry,  Go.  A:  Abraham 
Bugbee. 

First  Cavalry,  Co.  F:  Lewis  Clute,  Francis 
Ciialvin  (c),  Hiram  J.  Cronde,  Charles  W.  Cute 
(r),  Thomas  Cox. 

Third  Cavalry,  Co.  A:     William  Fennell. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


211 


Fourth  Cavalry,  Co.  I:  Joseph  A.  Walker, 
M  ilan  Graham,  Alonzo  D.  Sabine. 

VERNON  COUNTY-  AT  LARGE. 

Fifth  Infantry,  Co.  H:  James  M.  Dean; 
Co  A:     Henry  Osgood. 

Sixth  Infantry,  Co.  I:  William  S.  Gushing, 
James  C.  Moody,  John  G.  Moody. 

Seventh  Infantry,  Co.  G:  George  Allen, 
Harrison  C.  Joseph,  Thomas  E.  Joseph. 

Eighth  Infantry,  Co.  I:     John  Olson  (c). 

Tenth  Infantry,  Co  B :     Albert  Moses. 

Twelfth  Infantry,  Co.  C:     Charles  Fish  {<■). 

Thirteenth  Infantry,  Co  I:     Louis  Erickson. 

Fifteenth  Infantry,  Co.  A:  Tobias  Ingbret- 
ser,  Niets  P.  Olsen,  Mecal  Olsen,  Amuud  Ulsen 
(c);  Co.  D:  Jacob  Nelson;  Co  F:  Hans  H. 
Leium. 

Ninteenth  Injantry,  Co.  C:  Judson  Phelps, 
Frederick  Guist,  Chantey  Hamar. 

Twentieth  Infantry,  Co  A:  Henry  C.  Thomp- 
son. 

Forty-third  Infantry,  Co.  F:  John  F.  Hofins, 
d  Corp'l. 

IN    MEMOKIAM. 

When  Pericles  was  called  upon  to  deliver 
the  oration  over  those  who  had  fallen  in  the 
first  campaign  of  the  Peloponnesian  war,  he  be- 
gan by  extolling  Athens  ;  and,  having  ex- 
patiated upon  her  glories,  her  institutions  and 
her  sciences,  he  concluded  by  exclaiming:  "For 
such  a  republic,  for  such  a  Nation,  the  people 
whom  we  this  day  mourn  fell  and  died."  It  is 
"for  such  a  republic — for  such  a  Nation"  as  the 
United  States  of  America,  that  the  people  of 
the  North,  by  thousands,  "fell  and  died"  during 
the  war  for  the  Union  ;  and,  to  those  thous- 
ands, Vernon  county  contributed  her  share. 

Vernon  county's  war  record  is  of  such  a  char- 
acter that  her  people  may  ever  refer  to  it  with 
pride  and  satisfaction.  One  of  the  early  coun- 
ties in  the  State,  as  we  have  seen,  to  respond 
with  volunteers  in  the  hour  of  gravest  peril,  she 
never  faltered  during  the  entire  struggle,  weary 
and  disheartening  as  it  oft  times  was.  Her  old 
men  were  not  wanting  in  counsel,  nor  her  young 


men  or  middle-aged  in  true  martial  spirit. 
With  a  firm,  unswerving  faith  in  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  Union  cause,  her  citizens,  with  scarce 
a  distinction  in  age  or  sex,  were  imbued  with  a 
determination  to  conquer  or  die  rather  than 
survive  defeat.  It  was  this  kind  of  patriotism 
that  bore  the  Union  cause  through  defeat  as 
well  as  victory,  whenever  the  oft-repeated  news 
was  brought  home  of  depleted  and  scattered 
ranks.  Vernon  county  valor  is  attested  upon 
every  street  of  her  hospitable  villages ;  upon 
her  broad  sections  of  fertile  land  ;  and  last,  but 
not  least,  within  the  silent  enclosures  of  her 
dead.  It  is  here  that,  with  each  recurring  anni- 
versary, the  graves  of  her  heroes  are  moistened 
with  the  tears  of  sorrow,  as  loving  fingers  be- 
deck them  with  beautiful  flowers. 

Although  there  are  in  the  preceding  pages 
some  facts  which  may  remind  the  citizens  of 
Vernon  county  of  the  deeds  of  those  who 
fought  the  good  fight  until  the  end,  yet  without 
these  records,  those  days  of  peril,  of  suffering, 
and  of  victory  at  last,  would  not  be  forgotten 
by  the  present  generation  ;  they  are  too  deeply 
engraved  in  the  hearts  of  all.  Each  of  the  citi- 
zen-soldiers from  this  county  who  stood  loyally 
by  the  country's  standard  through  the  war,  has 
wrought  his  name  in  characters  that  live  as  mon- 
uments to  the  memories  of  men. 

Many  gallant  sons  of  Vernon,  who  went  out 
from  home  to  battle  for  the  Union,  with  only 
the  benediction  of  a  mothers'  tears  and  prayers, 
came  back  to  those  mothers'  arms  with  a  glo- 
rious record.  Many  returned  having  left  a  limb 
in  the  swamps  of  Chickahominy  ;  on  the  banks 
of  the  Rapidan  ;  at  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg 
Vicksburg,  or  in  the  Wilderness.  Many  still 
bear  the  marks  of  that  strife  which  raged  at 
Stone  River,  luka,  Chickaraauga,  or  on  the 
heights  of  Lookout  Mountain,  whence  they 
thundered  down  the  defiance  of  the  skies  ;  or 
of  that  strife  which  was  waged  before  Atlanta, 
Savannah  and  in  the  Carolinas. 

But  there  were  many  who  came  not  back. 
They  fell  by  the  wayside,  in  the  prison,  on    the 


218 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


battlefield,  or  in  the  hospital.     Their  memory, 
however,  is  held  in    the   most   sacred    keeping. 
Some  sleep  beside  their  ancestors  in  the  village 
churchyard,   where  the  violets  on   their  graves 
speak  not  alone  of  womanly   sweetness,  but    in 
tender  accents  of  the  devotion  of  those  beneath 
the  mounds  of  earth.     All,  al',  whether   buried 
in  the  distant  South  or  at  home,  are  remembered 
as  they  slumber  on  in  a  peaceful,  glorified  rest. 
''Winds  of  Summer,  Oh  whisper  low, 
Over  the  graves  where  the  violets  grow. 
Blossoming  flowers  and  sonps  of  bees, 
Sweet  ferns  tossed  in  the  summer's  breeze. 
Floating  shadows  and  golden  lights, 
Dewy  mornings  and  radiant  nights, 
All  the  bright  and  beautiful  things 
That  gracious  and  bountiful  summer  brings. 
Fairest  and  sweetest  that  earth  can  bestow, 
Brighten  the  graves  where  the  violets  grow." 


Many  of  the  brave  soldiers  who  battled  for 
the  Union — many,  very  many  —  "have  gone 
before;"  and  they  now  wait  upon  the  threshold 
of  Paradise  for  the  coming  of  those  loved  ones 
left  behind,  when  they,  too,  shall  have  ex- 
changed the  feeble  pulses  of  a  transitory  exis- 
sence  for  the  ceaseless  throbbing  of  eternal  life. 
Faithful  and  fearless,  on  the  march,  in  the  strife, 
at  victory  or   defeat,  they   at  last  laid  down  at 

the  mysterious  frontier,  leaving  the  exalted 
hope  behind  that,  though  the  world  was  lost 
forever,  there  would  be  unfurled  another  realm 
of  unimaginable  glory,  where  they,  and  all 
whom  they  loved  on  earth,  might  realize  the 
promise  which  the  great  Ruler  of  the  universe 
has  made  to  the  just. 


PENSIONERS  IN   VERNON  COUNTY. 


No.  of 

certifl- 

eate. 


Name  of  Pensioner. 


Po8t-ofi9ce  ad- 
dress. 


Cause  for  which  Pensioned. 


Monthly 
rate. 


I  Date  of  origi- 
nal allow- 
ance. 


10,252 


107,179 


33,147 
20i,8l6 
181,900 


133,955 


Burns.   Hannah 

Cummings.  William  T. 

Peavy,  Belinda 

Soper,  Darius 

Waliey,  David  C 

McDaniels,  Samuel 

Smith,  Alexander  B 

Headley,  James  C 

Maines,  Eliza    

Welch,  Mary 

Lathrop,(,'hapaleon  B.. 
Stokke, Johannes  H... 

Oleson.Mathias 

Chancy,  Charles  H  

Markle,  Jacob 

Shrcve,  Caleb 

Shreve.John  S 

Hyne.  Tammy 

Palmer,  Priscilla  K 

Barton,  Anthony 

Rose,  Wm.  K 

Pennel,  Robert 

Green,  Phebe . . 

White.John  W 

Coffin,  Peleg 

Dains.  Andre  w 

Rogers,  James  It 

Page,  Charles  F 

Davenport,  Nelson 

Partridge,  Susan  L 

Gushing,  Wm.  S    

Dixon,  James  C 

Landin, James 

Salsberry,  Robert  S 

Eaelus,  Henry  W 

Knowles,  Thomas 

Dodge.  Darius 

Tongue,  Levi 

Sullivan,  James  P 

Schriber,  Gottfred 

Calkel.v,  Catherine 

Crary,  Milton  E 

Salts,  WlUiam  F 


Avalanche 

. .     do        

....  do 

Bergen 

Bloomingdale 

....  do   

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

Burr 

Chaseburgh 

...    do  

....  do 

....  do 

Debello 

...  do 

....  do 

Dell 

DeSoto 

...    do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do    

Genoa 

Gocle 

....do 

Hillsborough.. 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do    

..  .  do 

....  do 


mother 

varicose  veins  and  ulcer  left  leg 

widow  1812  

w.  1.  arm  and  thigh 

ch.  diarrhea  &  dis.  abd.  vis 

lossl.  leg 

w.  r.  chest 

w.  1.  ankle,  1.  hip 

widow 

widow  1812 

dis.  heart 

wd .  right  thigh " 

w.  1.  leg 

minor 

w.  1.  elbow  &  r.  arm 

chr.  bnmchuis 

chr.  diarrhea 

mother 

widow 

rheum 

chr.  rheum 

chr.  diarrhea 

mother 

w.  nates '. 

surv.  1812 

..  .do 

injury  to  abdomen 

w.  1.  foot 

w.  1.  groin 

mother 

w.  1.  leg  &  r.  thigh 

frac.  skull.. 

minor  of 

loss  r.  arm 

loss  sight  1 .  eye 

chr.  diarrhea 

...  do 

epilepsy 

w.  1.  shoulder,  inj.  to  r.  band.    . 

wd.  1.  hip 

widow  1812 

dis.  chest    

par.  deafness  &  dis.  of  eyes 


$8  00 
6  00 
800 
8  00 
6  00 

24  00 
4  00 

10  00 
8  00 


800 
2  00 

2  00 
10  00 

8  00 
8  00 
4  00 
8  00 
8  00 
4  OO 
8  00 
4  00 
8  00 
6  00 
8  00 
8  00 

3  00 
6  00 
6  00 
8  00 
6  00 
6  00 

10  00 
24  00 

4  00 
8  00 
6  00 

12  00 
8  00 
6  00 
b  00 
6  00 
4  00 


June,  1881. 
Feb.'."l8'r9.' 
Fei)'.',  1882^^ 
May,'    issi.! 

s'ept!,"i886! 

Dec.','  1882'. 
June,    1882. 

July,"'i88i!! 
Jan.,  1881.. 
June,  1889.. 

March,'  i882. 
Feb..  1881 
July,     1881 . 

Ap'r'ii,"i8'r9! 

Oct.,  "1882! 

July,   "1880'! 

July,"  1879!. 
Jan.,     1881.. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


219 


PENSIONERS  IN  VERNON  COUNTY. —  Continued. 


No.  of 
certifi- 
cate. 

Name  of  pensioner. 

Post-office  ad- 
dress. 

Cause  for  which  pensioned. 

Monthly 
rate. 

Date  of  origi- 
nal allowance. 

. . . .  do 

400 
8  00 
16  00 
4  00 
6  00 

1  00 
6  00 

18  00 
6  00 
4  00 
6  00 

2  00 
8  00 

12  00 
4  00 
8  00 
4  00 
8  00 

2  00 
4  00 
8  00 

19  00 
800 

15  00 
8  00 
8  00 

3  00 

n  00 

18  00 

4  00 
4  00 
6  00 
8  00 
4  00 

$    6  00 
12  00 
8  00 
24  00 
4  00 
400 
8  00 
800 

8  00 
2  00 

2  00 
6  00 

12  00 
800 

3  25 

8  00 
18  00 
2  00 

4  00 
8  00 
K  00 

17  00 
8  00 

4  00 

5  00 

6  00 
800 
8  00 
8  00 
6  00 
6  00 
8  00 
8  00 
8  00 
6  00 

12  00 
6  00 
800 
800 
2  00 

10  00 

20  00 

April,  1878.... 

(Jo 

widow 

..    do 

ohr.  diarrhea 

....  do 

Jan.,     1881  ... 

. . .    do  

do 

. . . .  do 

Sept.,  1880.... 

, .    do 

wd.  r.  thigh 

.  .do 

Wattison.  William  A 

Greeley,  Ephraim  D 

Burchill  Nathan 

do 

deafness  both  ears 

Oct  ,     1880 

.     do 

chr.  diar.  &  res    inj.  to  abd 

Aug.,  1882  .. 

. .  do    

wd.  both  hands 

Inj. tor.  index  finger,  felon 

...    do 

March,  1881.... 

. ...  do 

July,     1880.... 

Lind  Charles 

do    

wd .  of  face,  loss  1 .  eye,  Inj .  to  r.  eye. . . 

do 

Staley  Rachel 

.    .  do   

.do    

widow                     

.    do 

....  do    

36,603 

.do        

injury  to  abdomen,  &c  

La  Farge 

do 

Aug.,  1880.... 

anchylosis  1.  knee  joint,  inj.  to  abd 

Liberty  Pole 

....  do 

....  do 

. .  do            

Slack,  Harrison 

Peterson,  Christopher 

chr   diarrhea,  dis.  of  abd.  vis 

widow 

loss  of  great  toe  of  1.  foot 

Dec,     1882.... 

Mount  Tabor.    . 
....do 

Nov.,    1877.... 

164,330 

Newton 

Ontario 

....  do 

dis.  of  heart 

wd .  of  back 

June,    1878.... 

Stednian  Horace             

Culver,  Nathan 

chr.  diarrhea 

dis  of  eyes    

March,  1882.... 

Smith  Ruben  S 

do             ... 

Aug.,    1882 

Walker  Perry           

....  do 

do.. 

June,    1881 

....  do 

....  do 

w.  1.  leg 

dis.  of  eyes 

surv.  1812 

July,     1878.... 

....  do 

....  do 

....  do    

Glenn   Lewis  B  

....  do 

w.  r    thigh  

Gordon,  James  C 

....  do 

ch.  diar  ,  resul.  dis.  abd'l  vis 

Apr.,  1882 

Lumlev    David  E 

do 

w.  1   arm  

do 

dis.    lungs,  diarr.,   with  resit,  dis.   of 
abdominal  viscera. 

inc'sd  r.  foot  &  dis.  lungs 

w   1    foot 

.May,    1882 

Oct.,  1880.     .. 

Boldon,  William  L 

....  do 

MeVav.  Allen 

....  do 

....  do 

July,   1881 

....  do 

Kelly,  James 

Lamb.  Lydia  A. 

....  do 

....  do 

widow 

....  do 

w.  f.  thigh  &  necrosis  &  resulting  par- 
alysis. 

widow 

g.s.w.r.arm 

w.  1.  arm 

Thompson,  Shora  0 

Greek   Wm   E             

...    do 

...do          

108, 089 

133,911 

Strait,  Wm 

....  do 

Roberts,  Willis  J 

....  do 

Lind,  Elizabeth 

Purdy 

widow     

Readstown 

....  do 

..  do 

Starner,  Elizabeth 

mother                                        .... 

May,    1880 

....do    

ch.  rheumatism 

Sutherland    Briggrs                

...  do 

Salmon,  Cutler        

do 

w.r.  thigh 

widow 

Jan     1881 

Anderson,  Elizabeth 

....  do        

Elmendorf,  John  F 

....  do 

...    do 

surv.  1812 

widow 

Curlev.  George 

Poff,  "Charles  M 

Powell,  Sarah 

...    do 

.    .do    

Nov     1879 

....  do 

mother         

Sept.,  1878.... 

Cooley,   Prudia 

Fiek    Lucinda 

Retreat 

.    do 

do      . 

Gibbs.  John  S  

...  do 

dis    eyes 

Oct    1882 

Fourt,  Charles  S 

....  do 

....  do 

w.  1.  leg 

w.  neck,  chest 

....  do    .  . 

Apr.,  1881.   ... 

Sutherland,  George  W 

Socktown 

do 

father 

Bryant,  Thomas  F  

inj.  r    ankle 

May,  1878 

....  do 

Bennett,   EUza 

...  do 

mother 

220 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


PEKSiONEEBS  IN  VERNON  couMTY. —  Continued. 


No.  of 

certifl- 

cate. 


Name  of  Pensioner. 


Post-otflce  ad- 
dress. 


Cause  for  which  Pensioned. 


Monthly 
rate. 


Date  of 
original  al- 
lowance 


151,459 


185,102 
151,831 


35,848 


Holf,  Albert  H 

McDonald.  David.  . 
RonisaH,  Karen  E  . . . 
Williams,  George  N.. 

Buchanan,  Sarah 

Slocum,  Abraham 

Graham,  Lemach..  . 

Groves,  Isaac  N 

Driskill,  (Jbadiah 

Sinclair,  John  W 

Parker,  Robert 

McHenry,   Elizabeth. 

Drake,  Janette 

Dupee,  Sarah 

Koher,  Christopher.. 
Wyman,  Chester  A... 
Blanchard,  Allen  E... 

Blanchard,  Job 

Snodgrass,  Joseph... 

Critchet.   Thomas 

Owens,  Milton 

Olden,  Edward 

Casson,  John  R 

Watson,  Amy  K 

Hussell,  Andrew 

Toney,  Squire 

Fish,   Nancy 

Waer.  Robert 

Reed,  Thomas 


Foster,  James 

Goman,  Eugene... 
Hodge,  William  A  . 

Morley,  Calvin 

Mason,  Eli 

Berlin,  Irwin 

Hunter,  George  D. 

Hoflns.JohnT 

Kahle,  Earnest 

Allen,  Henry  W 
Anian,  George  ... . 

LattJi,  .losiah    

Hiiiilcr.  I'ollv  

Nirks,.liiliii  D 

Chase,  Henrv  A. . . . 
Clark. Samuel  W... 
Stul)b.s,Thii>za  B  .. 
Ervini?,  Samuel  K.. 

Hogi'rs,  Earl  M 

Rogers.  Benjamin  . 

Kastrue.Ole  P 

Andrews,  Simon. . . 


.do 

Springville — 

.  do 

.do 

.do 

.  do 

.  do 

.  do 

Star 

....  do 

....do 

....  do 

Sugar  Grove. 

....  do  

....  do 

Tripville 

Victory 

.do 

Viroqua 

.  do 

.do 

.  do 

.do 

.  do 

.  do 

.do 

.  do 

.  do 

.do 


....  do  .. 
....  do  ... 
Virogua  . 
....  do  .. 
..  .  do  ... 
....  do  ... 
....  do  ... 
....  do  .  , 
....  do  .. 
....  do  .. 
....  do  .. 
....  do  .. 
...  do  . 
do  .. 
....  do    . 

. . .  do  . . 

..    do  .. 

...  do  .. 

do  .. 

...    do  .. 

Westby.. 

...    do  .. 


w.  1.  foot  &  1 .  thigh 

wd.  head 

widow 

wd.  1.  thigh. 

widow  181 

dis.  of  heart 

w.  r.  breast  &  r.  arm 

injury  to  abdomen 

dis.  of  abdominal  viscera 

w.  1  foot  and  hand 

chr.  diar 

mother 

...  do 

widow - 

ch.  diarrhea 

wd.  r.  thigh 

rheum 

dis.  kidneys 

injury  to  abdomen 

lossr.  leg 

dis.  of  eyes,  total  blindness 

lumbago 

wd .  1.  hand 

mother 

dis.  of  eyes  

...  do 

widow  

loss  pt .  r.  middle  finger 

inj.    to   abd.    and    digestive   organs, 
fever  &  torpid  liver. 

eh.  diarr.  result,  dis.  abd.  vis 

w.  r.  ankle 

w.  of  1.  shoulder,  inj .  to  abdomen 

injurv  to  abdomen 

. ...  do    

w.  of  1.  leg 

chr.  diarrhea  .-   

dis.  of  eyes  and  throat 

asthma,  dis.  of  heart 

w.  1.  breast 

w.  1.  arm  and  hand 

ulcers  r.  leg 

mother 

dis.  of  lungs 

w.  r.  thigh 

opethalniia,  dis.  of  eyes,  Inj.  to  abd.. 

widow . 

wd.  1    thigh  

....  do 

w   1.  knee 

injuryto  abdomen 

w .  r.  breast 


4  00 
6  00 
8  00 
4  00 
8  00 
6  00 
2  00 

2  00 
4  00 
6  00 
4  00 
8  00 
8  00 
8  00 

18  00 
6  00 
fi  00 
8  00 
4  00 

18  00 

72  00 
400 
8  00 
8  00 

12  00 
4  00 
8  00 

3  00 

12  00 

fi  00 

4  00 
$10  00 

4  00 
8  00 

13  00 
4  00 
6  00 

13  00 
2  00 
8  00 
6  00 
8  00 
4  00 

2  00 

16  00 
8  00 
200 

17  00 
200 

10  00 

3  00 


June,  1881. 
Mar.,  1878. 


July,  1883. 
Nov.,  1879. 
Sept.,  1881. 
May,  1883.. 
Sept.,  1881. 
Dec,  1881. 


Aug.,  1881. 
Apr.,  1880.. 
Oct.,  1880... 


Mar.,  1881., 
Mar.,  1878. 
Aug.,  1881. 


Mar.,  1881. 


July,  1881. 


Dec,  1880. 
May,  1880. 


Feb. 
Dec, 


1880. 
1882. 


Aug.,  1881. 

Sept.,  18,S3. 

April,  1881. 

June,  1878. 


April,  1880. 
Oct.,     1886! 


Oct.,  1880.. 
April,  1878. 
Dec.  ,  1882 


50th      REGIMENT,      WISCONSIN     VOLUNTEERS      IN- 
FANTRY, CO.  B. 

The  roll  of  Co.  B,  of  the  50lh  regiment  "Wis- 
consin volunteers,  on  May  30,  1866,  was  made 
uplarifely  of  Vernon  county  men.  It  was  as  fol- 
lows: 

Company  Officer — Second  lieutenant,  J.  W. 
Allen,  Brodhead,  Green  county. 

Reijimental  Quartermaster  Sergeant — Siles  E. 

Phillips,  De  Soto,  Vernon  county. 
First  Sergeant — L.  Morley,  Viroqua. 


Sergeants — E.  S.  Tuttle,  Glen  Haven,  Grant 
county;  H.  J.  Phelps,  Ontario;  J.  Harris,  New- 
ville;  L.  S.  Daniels,  Ontario. 

Corporals — P.  C.  Hoverton,  Soldiers'  Grove, 
Crawford  county;  F.  M.  Haskell,  Viroqua;  C.  C. 
Haskell,  Ontario;  J.  S.  Gibbs,  De  Soto;  S. 
Turner,  Newville;  E.  Tilton,  Viroqua;  E.  G. 
Miller,  De  Soto. 

Drummer — F.  Southwick,  Franklin. 

Privates — George  H.  Burlin,  Sparta,  Monroe 
county;  Henry  Bacon,  Pole  Grove,  Jackson 
county;  R.  Z.    Ball,   De  Soto;    L.  Christianson, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


221 


Springville;  Michael  Eckhardt,  De  Soto;  Wil- 
liam Getter,  Franklin;  M.  D.  Holcomb,  Ontario; 
Jonathan  Hay,  Viroqua;  J.  F.  Huntington,  De 
Soto;  Torger  Johnson,  Coon  Prairie;  Albert 
Johnson,  Rising  ?un,  Crawford  county;  Hans 
Jesperson,  North  Cape,  Racine  county;  James 
Konlner,  Viroqua;  David  D.  Kyes,  Ontario;  Ole 
A.  Knudson,Mt.  Pisgah,  Monroe  county;  James 
Bright,  La  Crosse,  La  Crosse  county;  R.  J. 
Moore,  La  Crosse,  La  Crosse  county;  D.  M. 
Moor,  Ontario;  J.  R.  Miller,  De  Soto;  Ole  H. 
Notwick,  Coon  Prairie;  John  Slay  tor,  Goole; 
H.  Smith,  Viroqua;  William  Shult,  Viroqua; 
Jonathan  H.  Swain,  Viroqua;  E.  S.  Stretsbery, 
Ontario;  Charles  Schied,  De  Soto;  William  L. 
Tallman,  PoleGrove,  Jackson  county;  J  .B.  Tall- 
man,  Perry  Walker,  Ontario. 

Commissioned  Officers  Resigned — Captain,  C. 
E.Rogers,  Jan.  4,  lf66;  1st  Lieutenant,  J.  E. 
Newell,  Feb.  -3,  1866. 

Discharged — First  Sergeant,  C.  C.  Brown, 
May  .3,  1865. 

Privates — H.  M.  Bean,  May  3,  1865;  J.  Cum- 
min.s.  May  3,  1865;  S.  A.  Hicock,  May  3,  1805; 
L.  D.  Prentice,  May  3,  1865;  O.  L.  Severson 
May  3,  1865;  B.  F.  Schriever,  May  3, 
1865;  T.  E.  Taylor,  May  3,  1865;  C.  A, 
Vandusen,  May  3,  1865;  J.  R.  Lake,  May  3, 
1865;  J.  S.  Rogers,  May  27,  1865. 

Sergeants — L.  H.  Walker,  June  15,  1805. 

Privates — W.  B.  Williams,  June  15,  1865; 
John  Knight,  June  6,  1865;  E.  W.  Threve,  May 
6,  1865;  E.  A.  Webber,  May  6,  1865;  S.  Wait, 
July  27,  1865;  A.  Smith,  Oct,  21,  1865;  C.  A. 
Green,  Nov.  27,  1865;  David  Miller,  May  27, 
1865;  G.  S.  Sparry,  May  27,  1865;  J.  S.  Groves, 
Feb.  13,  1866;  E.  H.  Ames,  Feb.  22,  1866;  P. 
Martinson,  Feb.  22,  1866;  A.  A.  Summer,  Feb. 
28,  1S66;  H.  K.  Miller,  Feb.  28,  1866. 

Died — H.  F.  Downing,  May  10,  1865,  Benton 
Barracks,  Mo.;  J  O.  Fox,  .June  9,  1865,  Boone- 
ville.  Mo.;  P.  Kyser,  Aug.  2,  1865,  St.  Louis 
Mo. 


Absent  sick — J.  P.  Davenport,  Calvin  Boyer, 
Seth  Edson,  H.  J.  Smith. 

VERNON    COUNTY    CAPTAINS  AND    FIKLD  OFFICEKS. 

Nine  of  the  citizens  of  Vernon  county  were 
honored  with  commissions  as  captains  during 
the  war  as  follows:  James  Berry,  C.  M.  Butt, 
W.  N.  Carter,  John  A.  Carson,  Newton  M. 
Layne,  Alexander  Lowrie,  William McMichael, 
C.  E.  Rogers  and  E.  N.  Rogers,  the  last  men- 
tioned having  been  breveted  major. 

Two  Vernon  county  men  received  commis- 
sions as  field  officers:  C.  M.  Butt,  major,  after- 
ward promoted  to  lieutenant-colonel,  and 
Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  major,  also  promoted  to 
lieutenant-colonel;  but  subsequently  brevetted 
colonel    and  brigadier-general. 

Gen.  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk  was  born  in  Morgan 
Co.,  Ohio,  June  17,  1830;  removed  to  Wisconsin 
and  settled  in  Bad  Ax  (now  Vernon)  county  in 
1853;  held  several  county  offices;  was  a  member 
of  the  Assembly  in  1862;  was  commissioned 
major  of  the  25th  Wisconsin  Volunteer Lifantry 
in  July,  1862;  was  soon  after  promoted  to  the 
lieutenant-colonelcy.  Served  with  Gen.  Sher- 
man from  the  siege  of  Vieksburg  until  mustered 
out  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  breveted 
colonel  and  brigadier-general  for  bravery  at 
the  battle  of  Salkehatchie;  was  elected  bank 
comptroller  of  Wisconsin  for  1866  and  1867, 
and  re-elected  for  1868-9;  represented  the  sixth 
congressional  district  in  the  42d  Congress,  and 
the  seventh  district  in  the  43d  and  44th  Con- 
gress; was  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
invalid  pensions  in  the  43d  Congress  ;  was  a 
member  of  the  congressional  republican  com- 
mittee for  several  years;  was  a  delegate  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago,  in 
1880;  was  appointed  by  President  Garfield  and 
confirmed  by  the  Senate,  as  Minister  to  Paraguay 
and  Uruguay,  which  appointment  he  declined; 
was  also  tendered  by  President  Garfield  the 
mission  to  Denmark  and  the  position  of  cliief  of 
the  bureau  of  engraving  and  printing,  both  of 
which  he  declined;  was  elected  governor  at  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


annual  election  in  1881, as  a  republican,  receiving 
81,754  votes  against  69,797  for  N.  D.  Fratt,  demo- 
crat,and  13,225  votes  for  1'.  D.  Kanouse,  prohibi- 
tionist, and  7,002  for  E.  P.   Allis,  greenbacker. 

EARLY    MENTION      OF     THE     WAE. 
[From   Vernon  county  papers.] 

1861,  May  15.  At  a  meeting  of  enrolled 
volunteers  at  De  Soto,  T.  C.  Ankeny  was 
called  to  the  chair,  when  the  following  resolu- 
tions were  adopted: 

^^-Resolved,  That  we  unite  with  the  enrolled 
volunteers  of  Bad  Ax  county  to  form  a  com- 
pany for  active  service. 

"liesolced,  That,  for  the  purpose  of  organiz- 
ing said  company  a  meeting  be  called  at  the 
residence  of  C.  G.  Allen,  in  the  town  of  Ster- 
ling, at  12  o'clock  M.,  on  Saturday,  the  18th 
inst.,  and  invite  all  volunteers  of  this  county  to 
meet  us  on  that  day  to  elect  officers  " 

May  18.  A  meeting  was  held  at  Debello  for 
the  purpose  of  enrolling  volunteers  for  active 
service  to  join  a  company  started  at  Hillsbor- 
ough a  short  time  since;  about  MOO  were 
present.  The  United  States  flag  was  raised 
amidst  the  greatest  enthusiasm. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Rev.  E. 
Smith.  On  motion,  T.  B.  Brown  was  chosen 
chairman  and  U  Gregory  secretary.  Speeches 
were  made  by  Messrs.  Smith,  Johnson,  of 
Hillsborough:  Daniels,  of  Wonewoc;  O'Rourke, 
of  Glendale,  and  Baker  of  Plymouth.  After 
the  speaking,  a  call  was  made  for  volunteers, 
and  seven  enrolled  their  names.  The  company 
now  numbers  seventy,  ten  of  whom  are  from 
the  town  of  Greenwood. 

June  26.  The  Anderson  Guards  who  paid 
Viroqua  a  visit  on  Friday  and  Saturday  last,  are 
a  fine  body  of  energetic,  wide-awake  men. 
(.'apt.  L.  Joiinson  is  a  man  who  is  full  of  mili- 
tary zeal;  has  done  good  service  in  Mexico,  and 
wore,  while  here,  a  Mexican  military  jacket, 
with  pure  silver  buttons,  which  he  took  from 
a  Me.xican  whom  he  shot  while  in  the  act  of 
robbing  him  (the  Captain),  while  he  lay  on  the 
field  of  battle  wounded. 


They  (the  Anderson  Guards),  added  twenty- 
six  recruits  to  their  number  from  Viroqua  and 
vicinity.  They  had  a  fine  band,  consisting  of 
three  brass  instruments  and  a  drum  and  fife 
with  them.  The  Guard  will  be  mustered  into 
the  service  of  Uncle  Samuel  at  this  place  (Viro- 
qua), on  Monday  next. 

July  3.  The  Bad  Ax  county  volunteers,  "The 
Anderson  Rifles,"  arrived  here  (Viroqua),  on 
Sunday  evening,  having  been  brought  in  from 
Hazen's  by  teams  from  Viroqua,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  teams  that  came  from  the  eastern  part  of 
the  county,  where  most  of  the  company  reside.  D. 
H.  Johnson,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  McKinney  were  here 
(Viroqua)  before  them  for  the  purposes  of 
swearing  them  in  and  making  the  necessary 
physical  examination. 

Some  were  too  old,  some  too  young,  or  could 
not  get  consent  of  parents;  some  were  unsound, 
but  ninety-three  or  four  were  put  on  the  roll. 
We  believe  that  before  they  leave  the  county 
their  ranks  will  be  full.  Leonard  Johnson  is 
captain,  and  Messrs.  Baker  and  Johnson  first 
and  second  lieutenants.  Among  the  non-com- 
missioned officers  we  noticed  J.  E  Newell,  Jr., 
and  Henry  Osgood. 

The  people  from  Viroqua  and  vicinity  fur- 
nished teams  to  carry  them  to  the  Mississippi 
river,  at  Bad  Ax  City,  and  they  were  to  take 
a  steamer  to  Prairie  du  Chien  and  thence  by 
rail  to  Camp  Randall  at  Madison.  Two  out  of 
three  of  our  (the  Northwestern  Times')  type  set- 
ters are  members  of  the  company—John  L. 
Somerby  and  William  E.  Minshall;  also  a 
former  apprentice,  J.  W.  Longmire,  and  a 
dozen  or  two  of  our  subscribers. 

September  11.  The  volunteers  from  this  (Bad 
Ax)  county,  headed  by  Capt.  James  Berry  of 
the  Home  Guards,  arrived  safely  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  where  Capt.  Berry  was  elected  second 
lieutenant  of  the  Crawford  county  company  that 
our  boys  have  united  with,  and  the  company 
has  gone  on  to  Madison. 

September  25.  Lieut.  Berry  was  in  town  (Vi- 
roqua) Sunday  one    week  ago,  and   on   Monday 


OiAy^-uMJ 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


225 


the  following  sons  of  Bad  Ax  county  went  with 
him  to  join  Capt.  Green's  Crawford  county  vol- 
unteers— thev  are  all  good  and  true  men  :  Wil- 
liam Burns,  William  Stevenson,  Wilson  Pitcher, 
Michael  Sallander,  William  Sallander,  Henry 
W.Allen,  George  M.  Drum,  James  S.  Groves, 
S.  M.  Cummings,  and  McDowell  Groves.  George 
Nichols,  one  of  the  first  squad  that  joined  Capt. 
Greene,  left  here  (Viroqua)  on  Sunday,  after  a 
short  stay  with  his  family,  full  of  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  liberty. 

November  13.  A  most  energetic  movement 
is  now  on  foot  to  raise  a  new  company  of  volun- 
teers. Men  of  indomitable  perseverance  are 
active  at  the  work.  A  liberal  fund  has  been 
already  donated  by  the  citizens  of  this  place 
(Viroqua).  The  members  of  the  county  board 
now  in  session  here,  have  formed  themselves 
into  a  committee  to  give  assistance  in  their  re- 
spective towns.  Any  one  who  wishes  to  volun- 
teer, can  go  into  quarters  in  this  place  immedi- 
ately. 

November  '20.  Now  is  the  time  to  enlist.  The 
Bax  Ax  county  board,  who  have  just  adjourned, 
have  passed  an  order  to  pay  to  all  children 
of  volunteers  under  twelve  years  of  age  $1  a 
month.  This  added  to  the  $100  bounty  and 
$13  a  month  from  the  United  States,  and  $5  a 
month  from  the  State  to  the  wife  of  each  volun- 
teer, makes  the  pay  of  the  Union  soldier  ample 
whether  he  has  a  family  or  not. 

December  IH.     Poetry  : 

THE    BRAVE    AT   HOME. 
The  maid  who  binds  her  warrior's  sash, 

With  smile  that  well  her  pain  dissembles. 
The  while  beneath  her  drooping  lash, 

One  starry  teardrop  hangs  and  trembles  ; 
Tho'  heaven  alone  records  the  tear. 

And  fame  shall  never  know  her  story — 
Her  heart  has  shed  a  drop  as  dear, 

As  ever  dewed  the  field  of  glory. 

The  wife  who  girds  her  husband's  sword, 

'Mid  little  ones  who  weep  and  wonder. 
And  bravely  speaks  the  cheering  word 

Wh;it  though  her  he.irt  be  rent  asunder — 
Doomed  niglitlv  in  her  dreams,  to  hear 

The  bolts  of  war  around  him  rattle. 
Has  shed  as  sacred  blood  as  e'er 

Was  poured  upon  the  plain  of  battle  ! 


The  mother  who  conceals  her  grief, 

While  to  her  breast  her  son  she  presses, 
Then  breathes  a  few  brave  words  and  brief, 

Kisses  the  patriot  brow  she  blesses  ; 
With  no  one  but  her  secret  God 

To  know  the  pain  that  weighs  upon  her— 
Sheds  holy  blood  as  ere  the  sod 

Received  on  Freedom's  field  of  honor, 

December  25.  We  (The  Northwestern  Times) 
publish  this  day  the  muster  roll  of  the  Bad  Ax 
Tigers  as  it  now  stands.  Some  who  enlisted 
have  backed  out,  and  a  number  of  new  ones  have 
been  added.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  no  member 
whose  name  is  now  on  the  revised  list  will  show 
the  white  feather.  The  company  now  numbers 
116  hardy  men,  whose  average  weight  runs  up 
to  167  pounds.  This  we  believe  is  the  heaviest 
company  yet  raised  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

1862 — January  15.  Last  Friday  morning  the 
company  of  Capt.  Layne  (the  "Bad  Ax 
Tigers"),  took  its  departure  for  Milwaukee 
(from  Viroqua).  The  morning  was  very  severe, 
but,  notwithstanding  that,  the  boys  seemed 
anxious  to  lest  the  breeze  and  face  the  storm. 
Quite  early  in  the  morning  some  fifty  women — 
wives,  sweethearts  and  children — thronged  the 
North  Star,  to  bid  farewell  to  those  they  loved; 
and  with  some  of  them,  a  farewell  forever. 

We  were  here  and  there  among  the  assembled 
crowd  and  frequently  witnessed  scenes — sad 
scenes,  but  endearing— that  portrayed  the  gen- 
erous and  noble  feelings  of  mature  manhood, 
in  parting  with  the  partners  with  whom  they 
had  traveled  through  the  sunshine  and  shade 
of  life's  rough  road.  We  witnessed  the  meet- 
ing and  the  parting  of  loving  hearts,  throbbing 
with  youthful  vigor  and  ardent  attachments; 
young  men,  impetuous  in  their  desire  to  wipe 
out  the  accursed  stain  put  upon  our  National 
banner  by  the  hand  of  treason,  and  young 
female  hearts  swell  with  patriotic  pride  to  see 
those  whom  they  love  so  dearly  and  so  well, 
eager  to 

"Strike  for  their  altars  and  their  fires, 
God  and  their  native  land." 


U 


226 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


IfSIN,  j 


CoTTNTT  Treasurer's  Office 
ViEOQUA,  Bad  Ax  County,  Wisconsin 

January  23,  1862. 

I,  James  Lowrie,  county  treasurer,  hereby 
certify  that  I  will  discharge  all  costs  that  may 
accrue  on  the  tax  of  1861,  on  all  lands  belong- 
ing to  any  person  who  may  enlist  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States,  in  the  1st  regiment  of 
Wisconsin  Cavalry,  until  such  times  as  they 
receive  their  first  payment  for  such  service  per- 
formed, if  it  is  not  longer  than  three  months 
from  this  date  ;  and  provided  further,  that  the 
person  enlisting  shall  furnish  me  a  list  of  lands. 

James  Lowrie, 
County  Treasurer. 

February  19.  Lieut.  T.  C.  Ankeny  started 
on  Monday  morning  for  camp  at  Kenosha,  with 
the  following  recruits  for  Col.  Daniel's  1st 
Wisconsin  Cavahy.  They  went  off  in  good 
spirits  :  Orin  Wisel,  D.  A.  Davis,  Charles  K. 
Chaney,  A.  W.  Partridge,  Samuel  Ilutchins, 
Henry  Turner,  Wall.ace  Winn,  John  Seward, 
John  L.  Adams,  Benjamin  H.  Rogers,  William 
Davenport,  James  W.  Curtis,  Aaron  Cooley, 
Parley  Newton,  Jonathan  Willard,  Napoleon 
B.  Sterling,  George  Davenport,  Thomas  Turner, 
Thomas  C.  Rutter,  Daniel  Lawrence,  Everett 
Van  Vlack,  Leland  Brown,  George  W.Hancock, 
Jr.,  and  Daniel  Frohawk. 

Camp  Trowbridge,  Milwaukee, 
February  18,  1862. 

*  *  *  It  is  reported  by  some  of  the  boys 
recently  returned  from  Bad  Ax,  that  Caleb 
Ellis,  Esq.,  offers  120  acres  of  good  prairie  land 
to  the  person  from  Bad  Ax  county  who  kills 
Jeff  Davis;  I  wish  to  say  to  him  that  the  boys 
appreciate  the  patriotism  that  prompted  the 
offer,  and  while  kindly  thanking  him  for  its  ex- 
pression, would  say  that  no  reward  of  a  pecun- 
iary nature  can  increase  their  desire  to  do  their 
whole  duty.  He  may  rest  assured  that  the 
boys  will  endeavor  to  merit  the  approval  of 
their  friends  at  home,  C, 


July  2.  Mr.  Aaron  Cooley,  of  the  town  of 
Freeman,  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  died  June  9,  aged 
sixty  years.  Mr.  Cooley  was  a  member  of  the 
18th  Wisconsin,  company  C,  (''Bad  Ax  Tigers") 
and  was  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  His  exposure 
in  connection  with  that  dreadful  engagement 
brought  on  the  disease  of  which  he  died. 

August  27.  Gone  to  La  Crosse.  The  com- 
pany lately  recruited  in  this  county  (afterward 
known  as  company  A,  25th  Wisconsin),  went 
to  La  Crosse  on  Monday,  130  strong.  The  com- 
pany consists  of  as  noble  a  set  of  men  as  ever 
went  to  war. 

September  ]7.  Twenty-fifth  Regiment.  This 
regiment  is  expected  to  leave  La  Crosse  to- 
morrow. They  are  as  fine,  muscular  and  good- 
looking  a  body  of  men  as  has  left  for  the  war. 
This  county  has  furnished  about  130  men  for 
the  regiment,  101  of  whom  are  in  Capt.  Berry's 
company,  (A).  The  Vernon  county  patriots 
are  not  surpassed  by  any  company  in  the  regi- 
ment. 

We  find  the  following  interesting  statement 
in  the  La  Crosse  Democrat: 

"Maj.  J.  M.  Rusk  was  born  in  Deerfield, 
Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1830.  In  1853  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  located  at  Viroqua,  Bad  Ax  county, 
•ince  which  time  he  has  mostly  been  engaged 
in  hotel  keeping.  In  1854  he  was  elected  sher- 
iff, and  has  filled  that  oflice  or  been  under 
sheriff  ever  since  till  the  fall  of  1861,  when  he 
was  elected  to  the  State  Assembly  by  a  large 
majority.  In  July,  1862,  he  was  appointed 
major  of  the  25th  regiment,  and  at  once  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  his  new  position.  He  leaves 
a  wife  and  children  at  Viroqua.  Maj.  Rusk  is 
large  enough  for  any  office  within  the  gift  of 
the  administration,  weighing  230  pounds  with 
great  ease.  He  is  social  and  true  to  a  friend, 
and  bids  fair  to  make  as  popular  an  officer  as  is 
in  the  service." 

September  24.  One  week  ago  yesterday  Ciipt. 
Berry,  of  Company  A,  Vernon  county  patriots, 
(25th     Wisconsin),  committed   matrimony,   by 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COITNTY, 


22T 


taking  to  himself  the  daughter  of  our  respected 
citizen,  William  Spencer,  for  life.  May  happi- 
ness be  their  portion. 

1st  Lieut.  C.  A.  Hunt  and  twenty-two  men 
of  the  Adams  county  company,  (a  part  of  the 
25th  Wisconsin),  were  recruited  in  this  (Ver- 
non) county,  mostly  among  the  Norwegians. 

Oct.  29.  Immediately  after  the  departure  of 
Capt.  Berry's  company,  the  ladies  of  New 
Brooksville  and  vicinity  called  a  meeting  for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  a  Soldiers'Aid  Society. 
and  Mrs.  S.  Minerva  Layne  was  chosen  presi- 
dent; Mrs.  Eleanor  Williams,  secretary;  and 
other  officers  were  elected.  The  following  con- 
tributions have  been  made  at  the  various  meet- 
ings:  14  sheets,  3.3  pillow  cases,  15  pillow  ticks, 

1  bed  tick,  12  new  shirts,  5  new  pair  drawers, 
25  towels,  45  handkerchiefs,  20  splintbandages, 

2  pounds  lint,  32  pads,  175  bandages,  2  cans  of 
honey,  2  cans  pie  plant,  2  cans  tomato  butter,  1 
can  plum    preserves,  10   pounds    dried  fruit,    1 


pound  sage,  and  2  boxes  grated  horseradish, 
besides  numerous  books  and  illustrated   papers. 

March  4,  1863.  J.  L.  Somerby,  Co.  I,  of  the 
6th  Wisconsin,  has  returned  to  Viroqua  in  good 
health,  although  he  was  twice  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  Gainesville.  He  is  still  hoarse  from 
the  effects  of  a  secret  bullet  sent  through  his 
neck  from  a  Texan  rifle. 

August  5.  Capt.  N.  M.  Layne,  Co.  C,  of  the 
18th  Wisconsin,  arrived  home  very  much 
reduced  by  protracted  illness.  The  seats  were 
removed  in  the  stage,  and  a  bed  prepared  by 
James  Morton,  and  he  came  through  from 
Sparta  in  a  day,  without  injury.  Deputy  Pro- 
vost Marshal  Poland  and  Mr.  Thomas  Decker, 
who  is  a  member  of  the  captain's  company,  and 
who  arrived  at  home  three  or  four  days  before 
him,  made  him  a  call  a  few  days  since,  and 
found  him  in  good  spirits  and  improving. 
What  a  world  of  murder,  wounds,  sickness  and 
sorrow  the  villainous  leaders  of  this  causeless 
rebellion  will  have  to  answer  for. 


CHAPTER     XVIII 


PIONEER   REMINISCENCES. 


I.    BY    ROYAL    C.    BIEECE. 

When  I  landed  at  Prairie  du  Chien  on  the 
l7th  day  of  June,  1845,  I  looked  up  north  over 
the  country  that  now  contains  the  counties  of 
Crawford,  Vernon,  Monroe,  La  Crosse,  Jackson, 
Clark,  Dunn,  Pepin,  Eau  Claire,  Buffalo,  Bar- 
ron, St.  Croix,  Polk,  Price,  Burnett,  Wash- 
burn, Ashland,  Bayfield  and  Chippewa,  only 
two  of  which,  Crawford  and  Chippewa,  had 
existence.  The  cities  of  La  Crosse,  Eau  Claire, 
Hudson,  Chippewa  Falls,  St.  Paul  and  Minne- 
apolis, were  not.  The  years  in  which  their  ex- 
istence was  to  commence  had  not  come  around. 
The  spring  before,  1844,  as  I  stood  on  the  deck 


of  a  steamer  at  St.  Louis,  that  was  taking  on 
pas.?engers  and  cargo  for  a  trip  up  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  I  noticed,  fixed  around  on  the  bow  of 
the  boat,  painted  signs  bearing  the  names  of 
Nauvoo,  Keokuk,  Dubuque,  Prairie  La  Crosse, 
Reeds'  Landing  and  St.  Peters,  denoting  that 
the  boat  was  to  touch  at  those  points.  These 
were  about  all  the  cities  there  were  at  that  time 
between  St.  Louis  and  St.  Peters,  the  head  of 
navigation,  or  supposed  to  be  then,  on  the  Father 
of  Waters.  While  the  name  of  St.  Peters  has 
been  lost  sight  of  as  a  "local  habitation,"  and 
Prairie  La  Crosse  has  been  changed  to  poetic  La 
Croise,  we  have  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the 


32S 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Mississippi,  the  two  magnificent  cities,  St.  Paul 
and  Minneapolis,  containing  together,  a  popula- 
tion of  150,000  souls,  and  each  having  a  reputa- 
tion that  is  as  wide  as  the  commercial  world. 

In  1845,  when  the  wintry  winds  came  whist- 
ling down  from  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior,  the 
great  inland  sea  whose  wide  stretch  of  waters 
were  there  hardly  looked  on  by  the  eye  of  the 
white  man,  they  swept  over  immense  and  unex- 
plored forests  of  pine  and  hard  wood  timber, 
unvex'd  by  the  woodman's  ax,  and  the  table- 
lands, the  valleys  and  the  patches  of  prairie  that 
are  now  full  of  human  habitations  and  of  life, 
lay  in  silence  awaiting  the  coming  of  the  hardy 
pioneer.  True,  on  the  Chippewa,  the  Black, 
the  Red  Cedar  and  the  St.  Croix,  there  were  a 
few  small  saw  mills  running  single  saws,  and  a 
few  woodmen  engaged  in  cutting  logs  for  the 
mills,  and  this  is  all  there  was  to  break  the  si- 
lence from  the  mouth,  of  the  Wisconsin  river  to 
the  shores  of  Lake  Superior. 

In  1855,  two  years  after  my  settlement  in  Bad 
Ax  county,  when  the  census  was  taken,  Craw- 
ford county  had  a  population  of  3,323;  Bad  Ax 
county,  4,823;  La  Crosse  county,  3,904;  Monroe 
county,  2,407;  St.  Croix  county,  2,040;  Trem- 
pealeau county,  493;  Buffalo  county,  832;  Chip- 
pewa county,  838.  The  other  counties  of  north- 
western Wisconsin  were  not  then  in  existence. 
The  whole  population  that  was  scattered  from 
the  Wisconsin  river  to  Lake  Superior,  even  so 
late  as  in  1855,  was  but  18,660.  Probably  ten 
years  before,  in  1845,  when  I  landed  at  Prairie 
du  Chien,  the  population  did  not  exceed  1,000 
suuls  in  all  northwestern  Wisconsin. 

In  1851  the  counties  of  Bad  Ax  and  La  Crosse 
were  organized  from  portions  of  the  territory  of 
Crawford.  In  what  manner  Bad  Ax  county  got 
its  name,  no  one  seemed  to  know.  The  oldest 
settlers  did  not  know.  Even  the  late  Judge 
Wiram  Knowlton,  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  who  was 
(]uite  an  archaeologist  did  not  know.  There 
were  various  theories  on  the  matter.  Some  con- 
tended that  the  name  was  a  corruption  of  the 
f'rench  word  bateaux;  that  some  French  trader 


loaded  bateaux  with  goods  to  trade  to  the  In- 
dians for  furs,  and  that  he  anchored  his  boats 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax  river,  and  estab- 
lished a  trading  post  there;  that  the  Indians 
could  not  say  bateaux;  that  the  nearest  they 
could  come  to  the  pronunciation  of  the  word, 
was  bada.r,  and  that  thus  the  name  of  Bad  Ax 
got  fastened  on  the  river,  and  the  river  gave  the 
name  to  the  county.  I  do  not  know  how  cor- 
rect this  theory  may  be,  one  thing  is  certain,  the 
waters  of  that  river  have  ever  been  cool,  clear 
and  sparkling,  and  bright,  and  the  trout  that 
darted  through  its  crystal  waters,  very  large, 
lively  fellows,  and  of  superior  flavor.  That 
stream  deserves  a  better  name.  Another  theory 
of  the  older  settlers  was,  that  in  the  long,  long 
ago,  when  Prairie  du  Chien  was  nothing  but  a 
French  trading  post,  a  trader  loaded  his  bateaux 
with  goods  of  various  kinds  to  trade  to  the  In- 
dians for  furs;  that  he,  too,  moored  his  boats 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax,  and  that  he  had, 
among  other  articles,  a  large  quantity  of  axes 
which  he  traded  off  to  the  Indians;  that  the  axes 
all  proved  to  be  bad,  worthless,  and  that  the 
trader  and  the  river  near  whose  mouth  he 
traded,  got  the  name  of  Jiad  Ax,  and  the  lattei 
gave  the  name  to  the  county.  These  traditions 
will  prol:)ably  soon  be  lost,  and  the  origin  of  the 
name  will  be  concealed  in  eternal  mystery. 

But  whatever  may  have  been  the  origin  of 
the  name,  it  was  from  the  first  a  blight  to  the 
county,  although  the  old  pioneers  seemed  to  be 
a  long  while  in  learning  the  fact.  What  has 
even  been  a  source  of  wonder  to  me,  is,  that  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  ever  gave  such  a  name 
to  the  county,  but  after  it  was  done,  successive 
Legislatures  seemed  to  take  delight  in  making 
fun  of  it,  and  of  its  inhabitants.  For  many 
years  the  Legislature  held  annually,  what  was 
called  a  "Session  of  the  Sovereigns,"  the  whole 
thing  being  a  huge  burlesque,  and  in  those 
sessions,  in  one  form  or  another.  Bad  Ax  would 
be  wrung  in.  On  such  occasions,  the  "Gentle- 
man f rom  ^afZ  ^cfe,"  would  figure  conspicu- 
ously. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


It  is  a  fact  that  letters  came  to  the  postoffice  in 
Viroqua  with  the  figures  of  broken,  bruised,  bat- 
tered, bent  and  twisted  axes  preceding  the  word 
county,  tlius  by  caricature  indicating  the  county 
in  which  Viroqua  was  located.  Soon  after  I 
settled  in  Viroqua,  I  saw  enough  to  convince 
me  that  the  name  was  retarding  the  settlement 
of  the  county.  Still,  many  of  the  old  pioneers 
seemed  to  like  the  name,  and  were  satisfied  with 
it.  There  were  those  who  thought  the  very 
oddity  of  the  name  would  attract  settlers.  In 
.  1859  I  made  a  move  towards  getting  the  name 
changed.  I  drew  up  a  petition  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, leaving  a  blank  for  the  new  name,  as  I 
had  no  particular  choice,  but  would  have  been 
satisfied  with  any  good  name  that  would  be  ac- 
ceptable to  the  people  of  the  county.  I  pre- 
sented the  petition  to  many  of  the  old  settlers, 
not  so  much  for  the  purpose  of  gettitig  their 
names  to  it,  as  for  the  purpose  of  getting  an 
expression  of  opinion  on  the  expediency  of  hav- 
ing the  name  changed.  I  saw  from  the  manner 
in  wliich  my  petition  was  received,  that  the 
time  for  getting  the  name  changed  had  not 
then  come.  Thei-e  were  those  who  said  they 
would  ride  through  the  county  to  get  signatures 
to  remonstrances  against  changing  the  name  if 
I  pressed  my  petition.  I  did  not  press  my  peti- 
tion, for  I  felt  assured  the  changing  of  the 
name  was  only  a  question  of  time.  There  were 
voung  people  growing  up  all  around  to  whose 
ears  the  name  Bad  Ax  sounded  uncouth,  and  I 
knew  the  sturdy  pioneer  would  have  to  bend  to 
"young  America."  The  change  came,  however, 
a  little  sooner  than  I  expected,  for  in  1861  Judge 
Terhune  came  into  my  office  one  day  with  a  pe- 
tition to  the  Legislature,  asking  that  the  name 
be  changed  to  Vernon,  and  with  a  bill  that  he 
had  drawn  making  the  change.  The  bill  was  well 
and  carefully  drawn,  and  bill  and  petition  were 
sent  to  Gov.  Rusk,  who  then  represented  one  of 
the  Assembly  districts  in  Bad  Ax  county,  in  the 
Legislature.  He  at  once  introduced  the  bill,  it 
was  soon  passed,  approved  and  became  a  law, 
and  the  name  Bad  Ax  went  into — not  oblivion, 


unfortunately,  but  "into  the  flood  of  things  that 
are  past" — at  least  so  far  as  applicable  to  the 
county.  But  there  was  even  then  too  much  bad 
ax  in  the  county  ;  there  was  Bad  Ax  City  (now 
Genoa),  Bad  Ax  postoffice  (now  Liberty  Pole), 
and  the  Bax  Ax  river.  All  have  passed  away 
but  the  river,  and  let  that  remain,  it  is  a  roman- 
tic remembrancer  of  the  past. 

In  1853  the  population  of  the  county  was 
small  and  scattering.  To  the  north  of  the  vil- 
lage [Viroqua]  I  believe  no  house  was  visible 
until  the  hollow  near  what  is,  or  used  to  be, 
known  as  the  Mead  school  house.  In  this  hol- 
low were  two  small  log  cabins  occupied  by  Nor- 
wegians. What  became  of  the  Norwegians  I  do 
not  know.  The  next  house  was  occupied  by  Oli- 
ver Langdon.  It  was  on  the  farm  owned  by  the 
late  merchant  Goodell.  Langdon  moved  to  the 
southern  part  of  Crawford  county  many  years 
ago.  He  was  one  of  the  justices  of  the  county 
in  the  early  days.  In  the  extreme  north  of 
Coon  prairie  Peter  La  Mois  and  George  Smith 
had  opened  farms.  These  two  old  pioneers  left 
the  county  many  years  ago,  Smith  going  to  Kan- 
sas and  La  Mois  moving  down  into  Crawford 
county.  Then  ten  miles  north  from  Viroqua, 
was  the  hospitable  cabin  of  the  late  Ingebregt 
Homestead.  On  cold,  blustering  wintry  eve- 
nings, any  belated  traveler  that  came  near  his 
humble  home  would  see  a  bright  light  of  wel- 
come shining  in  all  the  windows.  Homestead 
was,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  a  model  pio- 
neer. Six  miles  further  north,  and  just  in  the 
edge  of  Monroe  county,  although  there  was  no 
Monroe  county  then,  Jonathan  Hazen  had  es- 
tablished himself.  Hazen's  father  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Crawford  county,  and  when  the 
country  between  Viroqua  and  Sparta  became 
too  thickly  settled  to  suit  Jonathan's  tastes,  with 
true  pioneer  instincts, he  pulled  up  his  stakes  and 
moved  farther  west.  East  of  Viroqua  one  half 
mile  was  the  farm  of  Thomas  Gillett,  Sr., 
familiarly  called  "Father  Gillett."  There  was 
no  other  settler  in  that  direction  except  James 
Foster  and  William  Reed,  until  the  woods   bor- 


230 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


dering  the  west  Kickapoo  was  reached.  Old 
father  Gillett  was  a  marked  character.  West  of 
the  village  Ananias  Smith  was  laying  the 
foundations  for  those  large  farming  operations 
he  afterwards  carried  on  so  successfully. 

There  were  no  pther  settlers  in  that  direction 
until  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Springville  was 
reached.  Here  the  late  John  Graham,  an  imi- 
grant  from  Indiana,  had  located  and  built  a 
flouring  mill,  and  the  late  Hon.  James  A.  Savage 
was  keeping  a  dry  goods  store.  South  of  Viro- 
qua  were  Nicholas  Vought,  Ashley  Ensign, 
Judge  De  Frees  and  Henry  Seifert.  Beside 
these  I  think  there  were  no  other  settlers  until 
Liberty  Pole  was  reached. 

Almost  all  pioneers,  in  whatever  direction 
their  lot  may  be  cast,  whether  north  or  south, 
east  or  west,  are  marked  characters.  It  will  be 
diflicult  to  do  full  justice  to  such  old  pioneers 
as  Father  Gillett,  who  for  years  saw  the  sun 
rise,  circle  over  and  set  beyond  Round  Prairie 
when  it  lay  in  primeval  beauty,  waiting  for 
other  hardy  pioneers  to  come  and  take  posses- 
sion of  it;  to  the  Rev.  James  A.  Cooke,  whose 
great  sympathizing  heart  went  out  in  the  full- 
ness of  love  to  everybody;  to  the  saintly  Dea- 
con Patterson,  who,  in  the  purity  of  his  life, 
made  the  whole  valley  of  the  Bad  Ax  lovely  be- 
cause his  home  was  in  it;  to  the  venerable 
Father  Nichols, whose  pilgrimage  extended  over 
four  score  years;  whose  hands  dispensed  bless- 
ings; whose  voice  spoke  continual  benedictions; 
whom  none  knew  but  to  love  and  none  loved 
but  to  praise;  to  Samuel  McMichael,  of  Spring- 
ville, a  bold,  out-spoken,  uncompromising  pat- 
riot, who  was  among  the  first  of  the  Vernon 
county  hosts  to  enlist,  and  who  went  into  the 
bloody  battle  of  Shiloh,  unflinchingly,  only  to 
be  taken  prisoner  by  the  rebels  and  to  languish 
and  die  a  patriot's  death  in  a  rebel  prison.  But 
I  cannot  name — I  wish  I  could  — nor  even  allude 
to  all  the  pioneers  of  much  maligned  Bad  Ax 
county,  but  now  glorious  old  Vernon  county. 
A  large  proportion  of  them  have  fought 
life's    battle,    laid    off    the    armor   and   fallen 


"asleep  with  the  fathers."  Many  died  and  are 
buried  in  the  county  whose  foundations  of 
future  prosperity  they  helped  to  lay;  many 
moved  away  and  died  in  other  counties  and 
States  and  some  still  live  either  in  Vernon  or 
elsewhere. 

In  1853  there  were  but  three  towns  in  the 
county — Viroqua,  then  known  as  the  town  of 
Farwell,  in  honor  of  Gov.  Farwell;  Jefferson 
and  the  town  of  Franklin,  then  called  the  town 
of  Bad  Ax.  From  these  three  all  the  other 
towns  that  now  compose  the  county  have  been  . 
organized.  There  were  at  that  early  day  many 
prominent  men  in  the  county.  There  were 
Griggs,  Lawrence  and  Higgins  in  the  southern 
part;  W.  S.  Purdy'  in  the  southwestern  part; 
Berry  and  Ira  Stevens  at  Victory;  Savage,  Sud- 
derth,  Spencer  and  Cale  in  Springville  and  vi- 
cinity: Homestead  and  Ole  A.  Running  in  the 
northern  part  and  H.  C.  Sayres  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Genoa.  At 
Readstown  there  were  Orrin  Wisel  and  William 
H.  Austin. 

The  late  Hon.  Andrew  Briggs  was  supervisor 
of  the  town  of  Bad  Ax;  Edmond  Strang  of  the 
town  of  Jefferson,  and,  I  think,  Oliver  Langdon 
was  the  supervisor  for  the  town  of  Viroqua,  or 
Farwell,  rather,as  it  was  then  called.  Those  three 
gentlemen  constituted  the  county  board  of 
supervisors,  and  the  late  Hon.  William  C.  Mc- 
Michael was  the  clerk. 

None  of  these  men  are  now  alive,  unless  it  be 
Strang  and  Langdon;  but,  living  or  dead,  this 
may  be  said  of  that  county  board  and  of  its  t 
clerk,  in  all  their  oflicial  acts:  They  worked 
for  the  best  interests  of  the  county;  they  all  had 
faith  in  the  future,  that  the  county  had  a  pros- 
perous and  influential  future  before  it,  and  they 
shaped  their  legislation  accordingly.  Indeed,  it 
was  one  of  the  strong  arguments  of  the  men  who 
opposed  the  changing  of  the  name  of  the  county, 
that  it  was  so  favored  with  rich  soil,  fine  prairies, 
splendid  timber  lands,  wholesome  waters  and 
quarries  of  stone,  that  let  the  name  of  the 
county  be  what  it  might,  it  was  destined  to  be  a 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


231 


populous,  rich,  intelligent,  influential  and 
strong  county  in  the  State  in  the  near  future. 
And  the  faith  of  the  old  pioneers  was  well 
founded.  Vernon  was  somewhat  late,  perha])s, 
in  coming  to  the  front,  but  when  she  came,  she 
came  to  stay.  Like  every  other  newly  settled 
portion  of  the  country,  she  has  had  at  various 
times  within  her  borders  some  exceedingly  hard 
cases.  Her  soil  has  been  stained  with  blood 
shed  by  murderous  hands,  and  private  property 
has  been  at  times  at  the  mercy  of  thieves  and 
robbers.  But,  undoubtedly,  during  all  the 
years  of  her  existence,  she  has  maintained  as 
healthy  a  tone  of  public  and  private  morals  as 
any  other  county  or  community  of  the  same  age. 
Surely,  considering  her  years,  she  can  boast  as 
many  churches  and  schools,  as  many  pleasant 
hearthstones  and  strong  young  men  and  lovable 
young  women  as  any  of  her  sister  counties  in 
northwestern  Wisconsin. 

In  1855-6  I  was  assessor  and  collector  of 
taxes  tor  the  town  of  Viroqua,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  new  town  of  Hillsboro,  which 
embraced  the  two  townships  east  of  the  meri- 
dian line.  The  town  of  Viroqua  embraced  all 
the  territory  of  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
county,  including  the  present  town  of  Chris- 
tiana. In  the  winter  when  I  was  collecting 
taxes,  it  was  hard  to  tell  which  were  most 
proprietors,  white  people,  Indians,  or  bear 
and  deer.  I  certainly  had  many  dreary 
walks  through  the  forests,  where  are  now  the 
towns  of  Webster,  Whitestown,  Clinton,  For- 
est, etc.  Tiie  humble  log  cabins  of  the  early 
settlers  were  very  few  and  very  far  between,  and 
considered  myself  very  fortunate  in  being  near 
some  pioneer  cabin  when  night  overtook  me.  It 
will  not  be  amiss,  perhaps,  for  me  to  relate  one 
little  incident  that  transpired  while  I  was  per- 
forming the  duties  of  assessor  and  collectoi-. 
I  was  assessing  the  property  of  an  honest  Nor- 
wegian farmer,  in  the  north  part  of  what 
is  now  Christiana,  and  in  assessing  his 
personal  property  he  told  me,  as  I  understood 
him,  that  he  had  eighty  head  of  sheep.     I  won- 


dered where  in  creation  he  could  keep  so  many 
sheep,  and  I  asked  him  several  times  about 
them,  but  I  understood  him  every  time  to  give 
the  number  as  eighty.  So  I  assessed  him  eighty 
sheep.  In  the  winter  when  I  went  to  him  to  col- 
lect his  taXjhe  thought  it  was  very  high,ao  he  sent 
for  a  neighbor  who  could  talk  good  English  to 
come  in  and  see  how  it  happened  that  his  tax 
was  so  high.  The  neighbor  came,  and  wanted 
me  to  read  over  the  man's  assessment,  and  I 
read  it  over,  and  everything  was  satisfactory 
until  I  came  to  the  sheep,  then  I  learned  that  it 
was  eight  sheep  he  had  instead  of  eighty. 

For  eighteen  years  I  watched  the  growth 
and  development  of  the  county,  from  its  chry- 
salis state  in  185.3,  until  it  had  broadened  out 
into  an  influental  county  in  1877,  commanding 
the  respect  of  the  other  counties  in  the  State. 
It  will  be  well  to  notice  a  few  things  that  trans- 
pired during  that  period  of  time,  and  that 
materially  aided  the  county  in  its  social,  moral 
and  intellectual  development. 

And  the  first  that  I  will  notice  is  a  great 
debate  that  occurred  in  the  winter  of  1854,  that 
not  only  called  out  all  the  home  talent,  but 
called  in  several  speakers  from  outside  the 
county.  The  subject  of  debate  was  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Bible  on  the  question  of  human 
slavery.  I  cannot  tell  now  how  the  debate  origi- 
nated, further  than  that  it  grew  out  of  a  sermon 
preached,  or  a  lecture  delivered,  by  the  Rev  Iia 
Wilcox,  who,  I  believe,  still  lives,  enjoying  a 
venerable  old  age.  He  wa.s  in  active  service 
there  as  a  VVesleyan  minister,  and  was  a  strong 
anti-slavery  man.  Who  it  was  that  first  took 
the  positiovi  that  the  Bible  justified  African 
slavery  as  it  existed  in  the  southern  States,  and 
maintained  it  in  a  public  address  in  reply  to 
Mr.  Wilcox,  I  do  not  now  remember;  but  it  was 
done  by  some  one.  This  called  out  a  reply, 
either  from  Mr.  Wilcox  or  his  son-in-law,  the 
Rev.  Aaron  Cooley,  and  the  result  was  a  debate 
that  extended  through  several  weeks.  I  recol- 
lect very  well  of  Judge  Terhune,  Cyrus  F.  Gil- 
lett,    K.    P.    Gillett,    Rev.  Daniel    Parkinson, 


232 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


George  McCormick,  H.  W.  McAuley,  Revs.  Ira 
Wilcox  and  Aaron  Cooley,  of  the  county,  speak- 
ing in  the  debate,  and  I  remember  that  I  spoke 
once  myself.  There  was  also  a  gentleman  who 
came  down  from  Monroe  county  by  the  name  of 
Rathburn,  and  who  was,  I  believe,  at  that  time 
the  county  judge  of  Monroe  county,  to  speak  in 
the  debate,  and  one  or  two  other  gentlemen 
whose  names  I  have  forgotten,  likewise  where 
they  came  from,  participated  in  the  discussion. 
The  debate  was  held  in  the  old  log  court  house, 
which  was  filled  night  after  night  to  its  utmost 
capacity  with  eager  listeners,  who  came  from 
far  and  near.  Probably  such  a  debate  would 
not  create  much  excitement  in  Vernon  county 
now,  but  then  it  was  something  new  to  have  such 
a  debate  there;  it  was  the  topic  of  conversation 
by  the  fireside,  in  the  workshop  and  on  the 
streets.  People  came  from  Springville,  from 
Liberty  Pole,  and  from  the  Kickapoo  woods 
to  listen.  It  was  the  first  time  that  a 
subject  had  arisen  that  called  out  such  a  univer- 
sal expression  of  opinion,  and  it  made  the  peo- 
ple acquainted  with  the  scope  of  home  talent  in 
debate.  In  this  respect  it  set  the  people  for- 
ward. I  shall  be  pardoned  for  relating  one  in- 
cident that  transpired  during  the  progress  of 
the  discussion. 

Capt.  O.  C.  Smith,  then  a  resident  of  the 
county,  but  now  a  citizen  of  Dodgeville,  was  at 
the  first  a  strong  anti-slavery  man.  He  was 
raised  in  southern  Ohio,  and  so  near  the  line  of 
the  "underground  railroad"  that  every  fibre  was 
imbued  with  hatred  of  slavery.  But  in  the 
course  of  the  discussion  he  became  converted  to 
the  doctrine  that  the  Bible  justified  slavery,  and 
he  proposed  to  maintain  his  views  with  a  speech. 
So  he  came  in  one  evening  with  a  large  Bible 
under  his  arm,  and  when  the  meeting  was  called 
to  order,  he  ascended  the  platform  that  was 
"desk"  for  the  school  teacher,  "pulpit"  for  the 
clergyman  and  "bench"  for  the  court,  and  pre- 
faced his  argument  by  reading  this  extract  from 
Job:  "I  am  young,  and  ye  are  very  old;  where- 
fore I  was  afraid,  and  durst  not  show   you  my 


opinion.  I  said,  days  should  speak,  and  multi- 
tude of  years  should  teach  wisdom.  But  there 
is  a  spirit  in  man,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Al- 
mighty giveth  them  understanding.  Great  men 
are  not  always  wise;  neither  do  the  aged  under- 
stand judgment;  therefore,  I  said,  hearken  to 
me;  I  also  will  show  my  opinion.  Behold,  I 
waited  for  your  words;  I  gave  ear  to  your  rea- 
sons, whilst  ye  searched  out  what  to  say.  Yea, 
I  attended  unto  you,  and,  behold,  there  was 
none  of  you  that  convinced  Job,  or  that  consid- 
ered his  words."  And  applying  the  quotation 
from  the  Bible  to  those  who  had  maintained  in 
debate  that  the  Bible  did  not  sanction  human 
slavery,  he  went  on  and  made  a  strong  argu- 
ment that  it  did.  Whether  the  captain  was 
really  convinced  as  he  pretended  to  be,  or  not, 
I  cannot  say. 

Another  thing  I  will  mention  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  newspaper  in  the  county.  Al- 
though the  Western  Times  did  not  do  much 
towards  leading  public  opinion,  and  did  less 
towards  forming  it,  still  the  columns  of  the 
Times  afforded  the  people  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
press publicly  their  opinion  ou  the  current 
topics  of  the  day,  if  they  desired  to  do  so,  and 
it  gave  local  tradesmen  and  mechanics  a  chance 
to  advertise  their  wares  and  their  trades.  By 
means  of  the  exchanges  in  the  printing  office, 
Bad  Ax  county  was  brought  into  connection 
with  the  rest  of  the  world.  The  editor,  as  a 
general  thing,  made  a  judicious  selection  from 
other  papers  of  articles  for  his,  and  the  Western 
Tim,es  became  quite  a  factor  in  the  work  of  ed- 
ucating, bringing  together  and  assimilating  the 
pioneers  of  the  county.  It  had  a  tendency  to 
make  the  settlers  one  people.  When  they  be- 
gan to  assimilate  they  began  to  improve,  raorally> 
socially  and  intellectually. 

Another  event  that  greatly  aided  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  county  was  the  organization 
of  the  county  agricultural  society.  I  look  upon 
the  county  agricultural  society  as  one  of  the 
great  educators  of  the  day.  It  gives  the  farm- 
ers and  mechanics  and  tradesmen,  their  wives, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


233 


sons  and  daughters,  an  opportunity  to  come  to- 
gether and  exhibit  with  just  pride,  the  products 
of  their  fields,  warehouses  and  shops,  their  gar- 
dens, looms  and  spinning  wheels  and  needles. 
It  is  not  easy  to  measure  the  extent  of  the  in- 
fluence tor  good  that  the  winning  of  a  premium 
at  such  an  exhibition  has.  We  may  not  feel 
that  influence,  but  it  is  potent  in  some  breast. 
To  the  honor  of  Vernon  county  be  it  said  that 
she  has  not  failed  to  hold  an  exhibition  every 
year  since  the  society  was  organized.  For  a 
few  years  when  the  society  was  weak,  it  was  a 
burden  to  some  to  carry  it  along.  But  tlie 
right  men  had  hold  of  it  and  clung  to  it,  and 
knowing  the  great  advantage  to  the  county  it 
would  ultimately  prove  to  be,  when  of  suflicient 
age  and  vigor  to  go  alone,  they  never  faltered. 
Charles  Waters,  Capt.  Cade,  Ananias  Smith,  J. 
A.  Somerby,  Ralph  Hall,  F.  K.  Van  Wagoner, 
Alson  Keeler  and  others  whose  names  might 
be  mentioned,  carried  it  along  till  the  time 
came  around  when  it  did  not  have  to  struggle 
for  existence. 

Another  event  that  put  Vernon  county  a  long 
step  forward  was  the  elevation  of  George  Gale 
to  the  bench  as  judge  of  the  sixth  circuit.  There 
were  dignity,  sobriety,  legal  knowledge  and 
learning  all  combined  in  the  judge. 

The  old  lawyers  who  had  been  admitted  to 
the  bar  by  courtesy,  because  they  had  been  or 
were  justices  of  the  peace,  gradually  disap- 
peared. The  people  knew  full  well  that  the 
public  safety — the  protection  of  life,  of  prop 
erty,  and  all  the  rights  that  grow  out  of  the 
domestic  relations — rests  securely  only  in  the 
prompt,  impartial,  yet  stern  administration  of 
the  laws  of  the  land,  and  universal  satisfaction 
followed  the  election  of  George  Gale.  Since 
his  time  the  sixth  circuit  has  had  a  superior 
class  of  judges  in  the  persons  of  Flint,  Bunn 
and  Newman. 

But   Vernon  county  lifted  itself  up  to  a   very  i 
high  position    in  the  sight  of  the   world  when 
she   gave   her   stalwart   men   so    freely    to  the 
Nation    in    defense    of   its    unity   against   the 


assaults  of  rebels  and  traitors.  The  county  was 
intensely  radical  in  its  devotion  to  the  Union. 
She  hhd  been  for  some  years  growing  up  to  a 
very  high  standard.  There  are  some  yet  living 
in  Viroqua  who  will  recall  the  time  and  place, 
and  remember  with  what  zeal  a  large  majority 
of  the  people  united  one  night  in  burning  in 
effigy  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  on  the  repeal  of  the 
Missouri  compromise.  Staid,  sober  men  became 
fairly  wild  with  enthusiasm  as  the  effigy,  which 
had  been  carefully  prepared  by  Thomas  Craw- 
ford and  others,  lit  up  the  whole  heavens  as  it 
hung  burning  from  the  high  limb  of  a  stately 
oak — one  of  hundreds  that  shadowed  all  the 
ground  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street.  Equal 
zeal  was  manifested  when  a  mass  meeting  was 
called  to  organize  the  republican  party  out  of 
the  ruins  of  the  old  whig  party,  with  the  help 
of  such  democrats,  who,  foreseeing  the  storm 
that  was  sure  to  come,  arraigned  themselves 
distinctively  with  the  party  whose  fundamental 
principle  was;  "no  further  extension  of  slavery." 
But  I  would  not  by  any  means  intimate  that  the 
democrats  of  Vernon  county  were  less  loyal  to 
the  government  than  the  republicans  were. 
The  county,  at  the  time  of  its  organization,  was 
democratic,  and  remained  so  until  1856.  And 
while  during  the  war  the  democratic  party  in 
that  county  barely  maintained  its  existence,  yet 
some  of  the  best  men  of  the  county  were  demo- 
crats all  the  time.  They  were  staunch  but 
loyal  in  their  democracy,  and  they  never  voted 
under  any  other  name.  It  was  no  copperhead 
democracy  ;  it  was  the  democracy  of  Jefferson 
and  Jackson.  It  was  their  political  religion 
and  they  lived  true  to  their  faith. 

The  people  of  Vernon  county  watched  with 
anxiety  the  clouds  that  flitted  athwart  the  polit- 
ical horizon  from  1854  up  to  1861  ;  and  when 
Sumter  was  fired  on,  all  the  patriotism  of  the 
people  was  aroused.  In  June  and  July,  1861, 
company  I  of  the  immortal  6th  regiment  was 
recruited  principally  in  Vernon  county.  It 
was    the    first   opj)ortunity   the   county   had  of 


234 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


showing   in    a   tangible   way   her   readiness  to 
throw  herself 

"!'  the  imminent,  deadly  breach." 

And  her  young  men  came  thickly  forward, 
" forming  iu  the  ranks  of  war." 

While  I  do  not  suppose  Vernon  county  out- 
ran her  sister  counties  in  her  devotion  to  the 
Union,  and  while  I  suppose  her  sons  did  not 
display  any  greater  readiness  to  volunteer  than 
did  the  men  of  other  counties  ;  yet  she  was  not 
t)ehind  in  any  respect.  She  kept  her  quotas  so 
well  filled  under  everv  call  for  volunteers,  that 
few,  very  few,  had  to  be  drafted.  The  county 
was  represented  in  almost  every  regiment  that 
went  out  of  the  State,  and  it  may  be  said  of 
her,  changing  somewhat  the  language  of  Web- 
ster: "The  bones  of  her  sons  falling  in  the  great 
struggle  of  the  Union  with  the  armed  hosts  of 
rebels,  now  lie  mingled  with  the  soil  of  every 
State  from  Virginia  to  Texas,  and  there  they 
will  lie  forever." 

11 

BY    MRS.    CYEUS    D.    TURNER. 

Three  young  men,  Hartwell,  Cyrus  and  Jerry 
Turner  left  Stykeesville  and  Sheldon,  W^yom- 
ing  Co.,  N.  Y.,  about  the  1st  of  May,  1854,  and 
came  west,  making  explorations  for  government 
lands,  intending  to  go  into  the  Bad  Ax  river 
valley;  but,  way-worn  and  weary  from  many 
miles  of  travel,  they  stopped  for  a  time  at  Mr. 
Wilson's,  at  Kickapoo  Center,  to  rest.  Mr. 
Wilson  told  the  boys  there  was  government 
land  up  the  Kickapoo  three  or  four  miles.  So 
here  they  came,  and  after  looking  over  the 
valley  as  best  they  could,  they  concluded  to 
enter  lands  here.  Hartwell  took  lands  on  Camp 
creek  and  some  in  Vernon  county.  Cyrus  took 
lands  in  Richland  and  some  in  Vernon.  Jerry 
took  a  tract  in  Vernon,  where  Mr.  Gill's  resi- 
dence now  is,  which  he  afterwards  traded 
for  the  farm  of  Mr.  Richards  near  the  town 
plat  of  Viola. 

These  men  returned  to  New  York,  where 
Cyrus  and  Jerry  remained  until  September. 
While  they  were  here  they  located  a  site  for  a 


mill  and  town.  The  mill  now  owned  by  A.  C. 
Cushman  stands  where  they  located  the  town 
plat  across  and  higher  up  the  river,  and  in 
Richland  instead  of  Vernon. 

A  short  time  after  they  had  returned  home, 
Hartwell  again  came  back  and  entered  more 
lands,  and ^with  him  came  Lyman  Jackson. 
Mr.  Jackson  entered  lands  where  Mr.  Sommers' 
residence  now  is,  and  Hartwell  and  Jackson 
both  built  log  buildings,  Jackson  on  said 
premises  and  Hartwell  near  the  mouth  of  Camp 
creek.  Then  Hartwell  again  returned  to  New 
York,  Mr.  Jackson  remained  here  expecting  his 
family  to  come  on  in  company  with  the  Tur- 
ners. The  1st  of  September  five  families  came: 
William  'I'urner  and  wife;  Hartwell,  wife  and 
two  children;  Cyrus  Turner  and  wife  and  two 
boys;  Salma  Rogers  and  wife  and  two  children; 
Lyman  Jackson's  wife  and  two  children;  Jerry 
Turner,  John  Fuller  and  AsaPetten.  AsaPetten 
soon  returned  to  New  York.  Boxes  were  con- 
structed for  household  goods  and  merchandise 
and  labeled  Viola,  Wis.,  of  which  place  we  all 
had  about  as  much  real  knowledge  as  we  have 
of  the  "man  in  the  moon." 

We  came  around  the  lakes  to  Milwaukee,  and 
from  there  with  our  own  teams.  Our  journey 
was  altogether  a  pleasant  one  until  we 
left  Richland  Center,  then  a  town  invisable,  and 
entered  the  woods,  with  sometimes  a  road  and 
sometimes  not.  Crying  children,  tipped  over 
wagons  and  camping  out,  sitting  uj)  on 
chairs  for  fear  of  snakes,  helped  fill  the  pro- 
gramme of  our  journey;  many  walked  as  long 
as  strength  lasted  rather  than  peril  the  lives  of 
the  little  ones  which  they  carried  in  their  arms 
and  on  their  shoulders. 

Well  we  did,  after  spending  two  nights  in 
the  woods,  arrive  at  a  jumping  off  place,  which 
proved  to  be  Kickapoo  Center;  poles  had  to  be 
placed  in  the  upper  hill  wheels  of  the  wagons 
to  prevent  the  wagons  from  turning  summer- 
sault, and  going  down,  down,  down,  we  did  not 
know  where  to,  but  in  due  time  the  roof  of  a 
small  low  log  building  greeted  our  view.    Here 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


235 


Cyrus  Turner  left  his  family  for  a  few  days,  for 
his  youngest  son,  Winett  C.  Turner,  was  quite 
sick.  The  rest  of  the  colony  moved  on  up  the 
river  to  establish  them.selves  in  the  log  man- 
sions prepared  for  them,  which  Mr.  Jackson  and 
Hartwell  had  built;  in  the  intervening  time  of 
absence  Laal  Clift  and  family  from  Illinois, 
formerly  'of  New  York,  moved  into  the 
pioneer  mansion  of  Camp  creek  until  he  had 
built  one  for  himself,  where  his  residence  is 
now. 

Cyrus  Turner  looked  over  his  land  entries 
and  jjroceeded  to  lay  out  a  town  line,  his  iirst 
survey  did  not  please  him,  and  he  again  made 
another  plat  which  is  now  a  part  of  the  city 
property,  although  some  of  the  streets  have 
been  fenced  up  for  many  year.  The  first  thing 
to  be  done  was  to  excavate  a  log  for  a  canoe 
with  which  to  transfer  travelers  from  shore  to 
shore  of  the  Kickapoo,  which  was  fordable 
where  the  Waggoner's  mill  now  stands.  The 
next,  a  double  log  building,  was  erected  just  in 
front  of  the  horseshoe  bend  on  the  east- 
ern bank  of  the  river  fronting  the  river,  and  the 
maple  trees  now  there  mark  the  spot  in  front  of 
the  house,  and  where  all  the  road  there  was 
then. 

Into  this  double  log  house  he  moved  his 
family  and  merchandise  about  the  middle  of 
December;  with  John  Fuller's  help  he  built 
stables,  and  thus  was  made  as  comfortable  for 
winter  as  circumstances  would  admit. 

Part  of  the  pioneer  building  was  used  for  a 
store,  and  in  the  store  the  next  summer  a  school 
was  taught — this  being  the  first  school  —  by 
Helen  Jackson.  The  winter  of  1854 — 5 
was  mostly  spent  in  hauling  provision,  mak- 
ing roads,  and  trying  to  get  enough  timber 
cleared  away  to  enable  the  sun  to  shine  in  upon 
us. 

House  building  was  yet  in  its  infancy  here. 
The  Gotliic,  Ionic,  Doric  orders  of  architecture 
are  but  little  known;  the  style  of  which  all  the 
principal  buildings  here  are  composed  may  be 
termed  "Kickapooric,"  for  several   sprang  into 


existence  about  this  time,  which  consisted  of  rol- 
ling logs  up  on  to  each  other  so  as  to  enclose  a 
square  pen  until  the  required  height  was  obtained 
when  the  structure  was  covered  with  split 
boards,  called  shakes  in  western  vernacular, 
which  are  nailed  on  by  placing  poles  across 
them,  thus  making  a  very  picturesque  roof  and 
a  well  ventilated  attic.  The  space  usually  in- 
closed is  about  1 8x'20  feet  or  about  the  size  of 
your  dining-room.  This  is  the  house  of  the 
pioneer,  this  little  room  is  the  kitchen,  dining- 
room,  pantry,  bed-room,  nursery,  and  frequently 
the  up-stairs  and  down  cellar  for  a  family  of 
about  a  dozen  members;  into  this  are  stowed 
beds,  chests,  dishes,  boxes,  babies,  pots,  kettles, 
and  all  the  trumpery  and  paraphenalia,  and  you 
can  easily  imagine  what  a  paradise  of  commo- 
tion it  is,  there  cannot  be  much  of  coveting  for 
all  are  on  an  equality  even  in  taking  pleasure 
rides  after  ox  teams  and  faring  sumptuously 
upon  wild  game  or  mush  and  milk,  or  the  most 
dainty  dish  of  all,  batter,  warm  griddle  slap, 
pan  cakes  with  pumpkin  butter  or  wild  honey. 
Our  first  religious  sermon  was  preached  in  this 
pioneer  building  by  Mr.  Neher,  of  Forest,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1855  a  little  log  school  house 
was  erected  near  the  county  line,  and  in  a  re- 
mote part  of  the  town  plat.  Here  our  Sabbath 
school  was  organized,  a  library  fi'ora  the 
America  Sunday  School  Union  was  procured,  and 
we  did  well,  notwithstanding  all  our  difficulties; 
trees  were  chopped  down,  corn  and  potatoes 
planted,  if  disposed  to  indolence  the  melodious 
music  of  tlie  mosquito  or  the  silent  aches  of  our 
limbs  reminded  us  of  action,  by  fighting  mosqui- 
toes or  rubbing  our  rhneumatic  limbs,  or  pass 
the  time  in  shaking  our  superfluous  flesh  off. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1855,  Mr. 
Algees  and  family  came,  and  with  him  Sarah. 
John  Fuller  saw  fit  to  take  to  himself  a  wife,  and 
said  Sarah  was  the  bride.  The  marriage  cere- 
mony was  performed  by  Mr.  Wilson,  J.  P.  of 
Vernon  Co.,  and  the  guests,  bride  and  groom 
marched  down  the  river  over  the  county  line, 
as    supposed  (but  didn't),    that  the    ceremony 


236 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


might  be  valid,  and  there  under  the  canopy  of 
Heaven,  cheered  by  the  rippling  music  of  the 
waters,  by  a  large  log  on  the  bank  of  the  Kicka- 
poo,  the  sacred  pledges  were  taken.  This 
was  the  first  wedding.  Andrew  Hall  came 
this  year  and  located  lands,  where  the  old 
pioneer  building,  above  or  on  where  the 
Richards  farm  now  stands,and  returned  to  New 
York,  and  now  the  winter  is  upon  us,  and  we 
prepare  to  clear  up,  and  tlie  exercises  are 
changed — land-lookers  cease  to  come  among  us, 
and  the  Indians  take  their  places  for  company. 
And  now  we  have  to  exert  ourselves  considera- 
bly in  order  to  keep  from  freezing,  which  can 
only  be  done  by  stirring  rapidly  about,  rubbing, 
robed  in  buffalo  robes  or  bear  skins.  If  we  can 
survive  the  night  the  sun  may  shine  in  upon  us 
at  about  10  o'clock,  and  relieve  us  of  some  of 
the  intense  cold,  by  jilacing  the  thermometer 
in  a  position  to  receive  its  most  direct  rays,  or 
as  the  little  boy  says,  "Papa,  bring  in  the  ther- 
mometer, and  it  will  thaw  out!"  In  1856,  Mr. 
Hull  and  family  came  and  moved  into  the  log 
house  above  Mr.  Richards',  which  he  soon  ex- 
changed with  D.C.  Turner  for  the  lands  he  now 
owns,  and  where  he  has  so  long  kept  hotel.  The 
day  that  he  moved  here  his  son,  Jasper  C.  Hull, 
was  born,  thus  the  first  birth — but  not  on  the 
town  plat — Oct.  1,  1850.  This  same  fall  C'.  D. 
Turner  built  a  small  plank  house — where'  Mr. 
Cushman's  house  now  stands,  and  moved  into 
that. 

William  Mack,  a  half  breed  from  Picatonic 
country,  now  appears  among  us.  lie  bougiit  out 
the  store  of  D.  C.  Turner,  and  built  a  wooden 
structure,  which  is  now  attached  to  Mr.  Tate's 
store.  Witli  Mr.  Mack  came  Mr.  Goodrich  and 
family.  Mr.  Goodrich  built  a  plank  house  on 
block  three,  which  is  still  standing.  Here  his 
little  daughter,  Libbie  Goodrich  died.  This 
was  the  first  death.  She  was  buried  near  the 
house  on  the  said  lot,  near  the  southern  line  of 
the  street,  where  her  grave  is  indistinct. 

In  the  fall  of  1857  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keith, 
teachers  in  the  Brown  school  of   Chicago,  spent 


their  summer  vacation  in  Viola  with  the  family  of 
D.C.  Turner.  In  three  days  after  their  return  to 
Chicago,  Howey  Willie  Turner,  D.  C.  Turner's 
oldest  son,  was  a  corpse.  Here  appears  Dr. 
Gott,  of  Viroqua,  for  the  first  time;  yet  his  skill 
was  of  no  avail.  This  child's  death  was  a 
crushing  calamity  upon  his  family. 

Mr.  Keith,  Howey  Willie  and  Freddie 
Turner  were  buried  on  the  mound  between  the 
residence  of  Charley  Tate  and  Nelson  Buegor's 
store  for  several  years,  but  disinterred  in  1869, 
and  removed  to  the  Viroqua  cemetery,  along 
with  the  remains  of  William  Turner. 

In  the  year  1857  Viola  Mack  was  born,  and 
received  a  lot  in  block  three  for  her  name. 
This  year  also  D.  C.  Turner  bought  out  Mr. 
Mack,  and  commenced  buying  ginseng,  which 
business  he  followed  for  eight  successive  years. 
Buying  and  clarifying  and  drying  was  also 
largely  carried  on  by  James  Turner  and  Henry 
Livingston,  from  Kentucky. 

D.  C.  Turner  built  another  store,  and  the  old 
Mack  building  was  used  for  a  dry  house.  The 
store  then  built  is  now  a  part  of  H.  C.  Cush- 
man's. 

Our  teachers  were  Salma  Rogers,  Helen 
Jackson,  Jennie  Loveless,  Marion  Gill,  (after- 
wards Mrs.  Dr.  Gott,  of  Viroqua),  and 
Miss  Dailey,  of  Readstown. 

Mr.  George  Nutzem  preached  here  often,  and 
general  good  feeling  prevailed  under  his  super- 
vision. 

Our  postoflice  was  established  as  a  side  office, 
and  the  mail  was  carried  from  Viola  to  Kicka- 
poo  Center  by  some  one  hired  by  private  per- 
sons. At  one  time  D.  C.  Turner  gave  the  mail 
carrier  (^20)  twenty  dollars  to  get  the  office  on 
the  route,  which  was  done  for  one  week  only, 
and  again  thrown  off. 

Lots  were  sold  and  given  away.  Salma 
Rogers  was  offered  (10)  ten  acres  of  land 
adjoining  the  town — where  Mr.  Cushman's  resi- 
dence, Waggoner's  store  and  many  other  build- 
ings are  now — if  he  would  only  build  himself  a 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


2^1 


house  on  it;  but  he  would  not  heed  the  Mac- 
edonian cry  of  come  and  help  us. 

The  fall  of  1856  Harry  Turner  and  family, 
Mr.  Gill  and  family,  Mr.  Loveless  and  family, 
Amos  Fuller  and  family  came  on.  Harry 
Turner  bought  out  Lyman  Jackoon;  Mr.  Gill 
bought  out  the  tract  of  land,  Jerry  Turner  had 
entered  and  now  resides  there.  Amos  Fuller 
went  to  blacksmithing,  got  sick  of  the  country, 
and  went  back  in  the  fall  of  1857.  In  the  fall 
of  1859  Henry  M.Keith  and  family  came  here  and 
bought  the  pioneer  home  of  Mr.Hull.  Mr.  Keith 
had  been  obliged  to  resign  his  situation  in  the 
Brown  school  of  Chicago  on  account  of  ill  health. 
He  received  a  death  blow  from  a  band  of  ruffians 
in  that  school  building  of  which  account  the 
papers  of  Chicago  detailed  in  full  particulars. 
Mrs.  Keith  taught  our  school  one  summer, 
before  her  husband's  deatli,which  occurred  Feb. 
18,  1861.  In  the  winter  of  1859-60  our  school 
house  was  made  lively  frequently  from  time  to 
time,  in  which  Jerry  Turner  and  Van  S.  Ben- 
nett figured  largely. 

1858-9.  About  this  time  several  acres  of 
land  were  given  by  C.  D.  Turner  for  a  cemetery 
on  the  mound  east  of  the  new  school  house, 
where  Mr.  Clark  now  resides.  This  did  not 
suit  and  became  outlawed.  Mr.  Keith,  con- 
sequentlj-,  was  buried  and  removed,  as  before 
mentioned. 

1860-1.  The  second  pioneer  house  was  re- 
moved, and  the  residence  Mr.  Cushman  now 
occupies  was  erected.  John  Fuller  left  for 
California.  Mrs.  Keith  left  for  the  Chicago 
school  again.  General  political  excitement  pre- 
vailed :  the  war  was  upon  us  ;  consequently  no 
improvements  were  made  for  some  time. 

Jerry  Turner  enlisted  ;  was  second  lieutenant, 
then  first,  then  captain  of  company  H,  5th  Wis- 
consin Infantry.  Here  is  an  extract  from  Hen- 
jamin  Lawton's  letter,  as  written  to  Harry 
Sherme's  family  :  "He  fell  while  charging  on 
Mary's  hill,  back  of  the  city  of  Fredericksburg. 
He  was  struck  in  the  head  by  a  large  ball  ;  I 
think   it   must  have  been  a  canister  shot,  for  it 


made  a  hole  about  the  size  of  a  canister  shot. 
He  was  shot  so  dead  that  he  did.  not  move.  He 
was  a  brave  and  noble  soldier.  We  mourn  his 
loss  and  always  will.  He  has  been  the  main 
stay  of  company  H  ever  since  we  came  out. 
When  the  captain  fell  I  staid  with  him  and 
took  care  of  his  body,  which  I  agreed  to  do 
when  I  first  came  out  ;  I  told  him  I  should 
stand  by  his  side  until  the  last,  and  I  have  done 
so.  I  tried  my  best  to  get  his  body  embalmed 
and  sent  to  you  ;  but  I  could  not  for  want  of 
an  ambulance  to  get  it  carried  to  Falmuoth.  Our 
quarter-master  assisted  me  all  he  could,  but  it 
could  not  be  got,  for  every  thing  in  the  shape 
of  wagons  was  used  to  bring  the  wounded  off 
the  field,  so  we  had  to  bury  him  in  the  city." 
He  was  killed  May  3,  1863. 

He  made  us  his  last  visit  on  his  thirty-first 
birth-day,  the  16th  of  February  before  his 
death. 

Company  I,  of  the  l'2th  Wisconsin  Infantry, 
was  organized  and  drilled  here  until  ordered  to 
headcjuarters.  Hartwell  Turner  was  captain 
of  tliis  company.  While  this  regiment  was  in 
Leavenworth  he  was  very  sick.  C.  D.  Turner,  his 
brother,  went  to  and  staid  with  him  till  he 
could  be  brought  home. 

From  1861  to  1864  it  was  only  tear,  war,  rear, 
until  scarcely  an  able  bodied  man  was  left 
in  the  town  of  Forest  in  1865.  D.  C.  Turner 
was  quite  sick,  was  drafted,  and  Dr.  Terhune,  of 
Viroqua,  reported  for  him,  as  he  was  under  the 
doctor's  care  for  sometime,  until  he  was  able 
to  go  to  Boscobel,  prepared  to  furnish  a  substi- 
tute, but  was  not  accepted.  From  this  time 
more  or  less  sickness  followed.  He  gave  up 
the  mercantile  business  and  sold  out  to  Mr. 
Tate.  In  1865  Mr.  Harrington  and  fiimily, 
John  Bryan  and  C.  Ward,  came.  N.  D.  Ward, 
of  the  2d  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  returned  from 
Texas. 

1866 — The  new  school  building  was  erected 
in  1867.  D.  C.  Turner  built  the  store  Mr. 
Waggoner  now  occupies,  and  commenced  the 
mercantile    business    again ;    bought    out    the 


238 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


steam  mill  and  sold  it  again — hardships  of 
pioneerlife  told  by  failing  health —  and  in  1868 
the  farm  was  sold,  the  store  closed  out  and  the 
building  sold  to  Alonzo  Clark.  Every  line  of 
business  was  settled  up  and  closed  out,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1869  he  looked  over  the  south- 
west Missouri  country,  and  purchased  lands  in 
Dade  county,  two  and  one  half  miles  west  of 
Greenfield.  To  this  home  he  moved  hii 
family  in  the  spring  of  1870.  His  health  im- 
proved by  this  change  of  climate  ;  he  built  a 
house,  planted  on  orchard,  and  made  improve- 
ments, for  about  two  years,  when  he  gave  up 
work  entirely,  each  day  taking  a  little  less 
exercise,  until  November,  1873  ;  then  he  could 
no  more  move  around  with  us,  to  cheer  us  by 
his  loving,  patient  endurance.  He  was  con- 
fined to  his  bed  for  three  months,  when,  on  the 
5th  day  of  March,    1874,  he  passed 

"As  a  summer  cloud  away — 
As  sinks  the  gale  when  slorms  are  o'»r, 
Or  dies  the  wave  along  the  shore," 
in  his  fifty-first  year. 

His  remains  were  sent  to  Viroqua,  and  there 
the  last  solemn  rites  were  given  him  by  the 
Masonic  Order.  He  had  many,  many  friends 
in  his  new  home  in  Missouri.  He  is  gone 
from  us,  but  his  life  still  lives,  for  he  was  a 
kind  husband  and  an  indulgent  father. 

By  his  son — an  only  child — Dewitt  C.  Turner, 
will  the  name  of  that  particular  Turner  family 
be  perpetuated  or  become  extinct. 

Of  the  five  original  families  that  came  to 
Viola  in  1854,  only  two  are  here  now — Salma 
Rogers'  and  H.  L.  Turner's.  Of  the  twenty 
persons,  or  children,  of  that  time,  these  are 
still  living  :  Salma  Rogers  and  wife  and  two 
children  ;  Mary  Bews,  of  Deadwood  ;  Frank 
Rogers,  of  Viola  ;  Hartwell  Turner  and  wife, 
Lyman  Jackson,  wife  and  son,  of  Oregon,  Wis.; 
Helen  Jackson  Drenn,  of  Centralia,  111.;  Dewitt 
C.  Turner  and  his  mother,  Greenfield,  Mo. 

These  are  deceased  :  William  Turner  and 
wife,  Cyrus  D.  Turner  and  son,  George  Turner, 


Alice    Turner   Waggoner,   Jerry   Turner   and 
John  Fuller. 

Ill BY  FLORA    DE  FREES  WEEDEN 

I  wrote  lately  to  an  old  friend,  living  at  a 
distance  for  information,  and  have  just  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  her,  and  learn  that  the 
first  death  in  Vernon  county  was  a  child  of  Wil- 
liam C.  McMichael;  it  died  February,1847,  at  the 
spring  afterward  known  as  the  Silver  Springs 
Mill,  two  miles  east  of  Viroqua.  The  mill 
burned  down  four  or  five  years  since.  The 
next  death  was  that  of  Mrs.  Rice,  who  died 
September,  1847. 

Jacob  Johnson,  a  brother-in-law  of  T.  J.  De- 
Frees,  emigrated  to  Vernon  county  with  the 
latter.  He  died  in  1870,  and  is  buried  at  Viro- 
qua. His  wife  is  living  in  southern  Iowa  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight  years,  is  still 
enjoying  reasonable  health,  reads  the  news, 
and  keeps  up  with  the  times.  Mrs.  Nancy  B. 
DeFrees,  my  mother,  died  March  14,  1882,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven,  is  buried  in  the  ceme- 
tery in  this  city.  I  noticed  in  a  sketch  of  Ver- 
non couuty  a  short  time  ago,  that  Dr.  Tinker 
was  mentioned  as  the  first  physician.  Such 
is  not  the  case.  Dr.  H.  G.  Weeden  was 
the  first  regular  practicing  physician  in  the 
county.  He  located  there  in  the  fall  of  1851. 
Dr.  Tinker  arrived  two  or  three  years  later.  Dr. 
Weeden  was  a  man  of  culture  and  refinement, 
had  received  a  finished  education  in  the  east. 
For  many  years  he  was  the  leading  physician 
in  the  county.  The  fearful  tornado  which 
visited  Viroqua  June  28,  1865,  killed  one  of  his 
children — a  little  girl  three  years  old — and  in- 
jured himself  and  wife  very  seriously.  It  also 
destroyed  their  nice  home  and  much  valuable 
property.  The  doctor  never  recovered  entirely 
from  the  shock.  He  went  to  Montana  in  the 
spring  of  1866,  and  died  there  in  the  fall  of 
1872.  His  wife  and  daughter  still  reside  in  that 
remote  territory. 

The  Sterlings  were  a  prominent  family  in  the 
early  settlement  of  the  county.  They  located 
on  West  Prairie,  in  the  fall  or  winter  of    1846. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


23» 


The  old  gentleman  died  there  many  years  after, 
and  his  two  sons,  Louis  and  Lee  Grant  lived  in 
the  locality  till  after  the  close  of  the  war  of  the 
rebellion,  when  the  former  emigrated  to  Mis- 
souri. The  latter  still  resides  in  the  county,  I 
believe. 

William  IL  Purdy  was  also  a  leading  citizen 
in  early  time.  lie  held  various  offices  in  the 
county,  is  now  a  resident  of  Pratt  Co.,  Kansas. 
George  A.  Swain  and  James  Cook  settled  there 
in  the  spring  of  1847,  the  former  at  what  is 
now  Brookville,  the  latter,  on  his  farm  east  of 
Viroqua.  They  were  leading  members  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  and  in  early  times  did  much  to- 
ward the  support  and  permanent  organization 
of  that  society.  The  have  both  died  within  the 
last  year.  Mr.  Cook  at  his  home  near  Viroqua, 
and  Mr.  Swain  in  eastern  Kansas. 

James  Bailey  was  an  early  settler.  He  came 
with  his  wife,  to  what  is  now  Liberty  Pole,  in 
tlie  autumn  of  1846,  soon  returned  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  where  his  wife  died,  he  came  back  to  Ver- 
non county,  and  soon  married  a  Miss  Clark,  re- 
siding on  West  Prairie.  She  and  her  sister,  who 
married  a  Mr.  Chandler,  were  wedded  at  the 
same  time.  My  father  officiated,  he  being  then 
county  judge,  making  one  ceremony  do  for  both 
couples. 

I  also  remember  a  couple  in  Vernon  county 
— I  purposely  omit  names — for  whom  my  father 
obtained  a  divorce.  A  few  weeks  after  they 
again  presented  themselves  for  the  purpose  of 
being  married.  He  performed  the  ceremony 
which  again  made  them  husband  and  wife.  But 
only  a  short  time  elapsed,  before  they  again  ap- 
peai-ed  asking  for  another  divorce,  and  it  was 
again  procured  for  them.  Subsequently  both 
p.arties  married,  it  is  to  be  hoped  with  happier 
results. 

I  al.w  remember  a  woman  who  came  there 
leaving  a  husband  in  the  east.  She  soon  mar- 
ried a  dashing  widower.  It  afterward  trans- 
pired that  she  had  never  obtained  a  divorce 
from  her  first  husband.  The  last  husband  had 
promised  to  get  one   for   her   after   their  mar- 


riage. But  he  failed  to  keep  his  promise,  and 
she  appealed  to  my  father  for  redress.  He  se- 
cured for  her  a  divorce  from  the  first  husband, 
and  then  she  was  again  married,  or  rather  re- 
married to  the  second. 

Among  the  early  settlers  in  Springville  were 
Isaac  and  William  Spencer,  Charles  and  Henry 
Waters,  Dr.  Sudduth,  Mr.  Strange,  the  Cheat- 
ham brothers,  and  others  that  might  be  men- 
tioned. Isaac  Spencer  was  a  man  of  culture  and 
ability.  When  he  came  to  Springville  he  was 
a  wi<lower.  He  soon  after  married  a  Mrs. 
Thompson,  a  widow,  from  Bad  Ax  city.  Her 
first  husband  was  drowned  from  off  a  steamboat 
near  that  place.  The  lady  was  young  and  in- 
teresting, and  vei*y  much  attached  to  her  hus- 
band. The  evening  she  was  expecting  him 
home  she  went  to  neighbor's  to  borrow  a  candle, 
said  she  wanted  to  burn  it  out  looking  at  Mr. 
Thompson,  as  she  had  not  seen  him  for  some 
time.  An  hour  or  two  after,  his  dripping  corpse 
was  borne  into  her  presence. 

In  the  spring  of  1853  0.  C.  Weeden  came  to 
Viroqua,  from  Vermont,  and  soon  followed  a 
number  more  of  New  England  people,  making 
valuable  additions  to  society. 

During  the  years  of  1846-7,  the  residents  of 
the  county  all  went  to  Prairie  du  Chien  for 
their  mail  matter,  and  it  was  understood  that 
any  peison  going,  was  to  bring  the  mail  for  the 
entire  neighborhood.  Even  with  that  arrange- 
ment, sometimes  weeks  would  elapse  between 
the  times  of  receiving  the  mail.  That  hardly 
compares  with  this  age  of  steam  and  daily  mails. 

In  those  first  years  the  inlial)itants  of  the 
county  were  obliged  to  go  to  Prairie  du  Chien  for 
all  their  supplies,  and  many  of  them  went  with 
ox  teams. 

Neighborhood  dances  were  at  that  lime  a 
favorite  amusement  with  many  of  the  settlers. 
Spelling  schools  were  also  a  jjleasant  and  profit- 
able pastime.  The  young  people,  and  some 
who  were  not  so  young,  would  gather  at  the 
log  school  house,  or  at  the  cabin  of  some  resi- 
dent, choose  sides  and  spell.     Those  who  stood 


240 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


longest  without  missing  a  word  were  the  vic- 
tors ;  and  many  times  there  would  be  three  or 
four,  perhaps  half  a  dozen,  who  would  not  be 
spelled  down  at  all.  W.  W.  DeFrees,  Milton 
Southwick,  Esther  A.  Bishop  and  Lida  P.  De- 
Frees  were  almost  invariably  on  the  floor  last 
and  were  considered  the  champion  spellers. 
Lida  P.  DeFrees  died  March  11, 18H9;W.W.  De- 
Frees,  Feb.  7,  1870.  They  both  lie  buried  in 
the  cemetery  of  Viroqua.  Milton  Southwick,  I 
think,  is  still  a  resident  of  the  county,  and 
Esther  A.  Bishop,  long  since  married,  has  for 
many  years  resided  in  Nebraska. 

Michael  Hinkst  was  an  early  settler.     He  lo- 
cated near  the  Liberty  Pole,  was  remarkable  for 


being  an  original  and  eccentric  character.  He 
was  for  a  time  school  superintendent,  and 
taught  one  or  two  terms.  Some  amusing  stories 
are  told  of  his  novel  methods  of  governing. 

Isaac  Spencer  was  the  first  school  superin- 
tendendent.  That  was  when  the  town  system 
prevailed.  Rev.  L.  L.  Radcliff  was  the  first 
county  superintendent.  After  him  came  Hart- 
well  Allen,  who  is  doubtless  still  a  resident  of 
Vernon  county.  He  served  a  number  of  terms, 
was  a  popular  and  eflicient  officer.  He  is  a 
man  of  much  natural  ability,  a  great  reader 
and  a  deep  thinker.  I  think  he  has  long  since 
retired  to  the  shades  of  private  life. 


CHAPTER    XIX 


ELECTION  RETURNS. 


In  this  connection  is  given  the  official  vote  of 
Vernon  county  for  every  year  from  1851  to  1883 
inclusive  as  far  as  could  be  ascertained  from 
the  records  in  the  clerk's  office.  In  some  years 
the  number  of  votes  cast  could  not  be  found  and 
where  this  is  the  case,  the  names  of  the  officers 
elected  are  given: 

ELECTION,  APRIL.   1S.51. 

County  Judge. 

T.J.  Defrees,  (elected  tor  four  years  J No  Opposition 

Stierifl. 

Rufus  GiUett No  Opposition 

District  Attorney. 

Lorenzo  A.  Pierce No  Opposition 

Clerk  of  County  and  of  Circuit  Court. 

Orrin  Wlsel No  Opposition 

Treasurer. 

James  A.  Coolse No  Opposition 

Register  of  Deeds. 

Jocob  Higgins No  Opposition 

Surveyor. 

Samuel  McMichael No  Opposition 

ELECTION,    NOVEMBER,  1851. 
Governor. 

D.   A.  J.  Upham 45—15 

Leonard  J.  FarweU 30 


Lieutenant  Governor. 

Timothy  Burns 55—35 

James  Hughes 20 

Secretary  of  State. 

Charles  D.  Robinson 47-18 

RobertW.  Wright 29 

State  Treasurer. 

Edward  H.  Janson 47—19 

Jetterson  Crawford 28 

Attorney  General. 

Exprience  Bstabrook a — 21 

John  Trasdale 27 

State  Superintendent. 

AhelP.Ludd 58—57 

E.  Root    1 

Scattering  1 

District  Attorney. 

Lorenzo  A .  Pierce  (majority! 78 

Clerk  of  County  and  Circuit  Court. 

William   McMichael 113 

Treasurer. 

John  Longley No  Opposition 

•  Register  of  Deeds. 

Jacob  Higgins 132 

Sheriff. 

James  SI.  Bailey  (majority) 53 

County  Surveyor. 

Samuel  McMichael 38—36 

Isaac  Spencer 2 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


243 


ELECTION,  NOVEMBER,  1853. 
Sheriff. 

J.  M.   Bailey NoOpposition 

Cnunty  Clerk  and  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court 

W.  C.  MoMichael NoOpposition 

District  Attorney. 

T.  J.  DeFrees No  Opposition 

Treasurer. 

John  Gardner  No  Opposition 

Register  of  Deeds. 

S.  C.   Lincoln NoOpposition 

Surveyor. 

Samuel  McMichael No  Opposition 

ELECTION,  SEPTEMBER  6,  1855. 
Governor. 

Coles  Bashtord 306—108 

William  A.  Barstow 298 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

Arthur  McArthur 317—15 

CharlesC.   Sholes 303 

Secretary  of  State. 

David  W.  Jones 317—16 

Samuel  D.  Hastings 301 

State  Treasurer. 

Charles  Kuehn 318—109 

Charles  Roeser 209 

Attorney  General. 

William  R.  Smith 317—1-1 

Alexander  W.  Randall  303 

State  Superintendent. 

A.  Constantino  Berry 318—16 

John  G.  McMynn 303 

Bank   Comptroller. 

William  N.  Dennis n 318—16 

Francis  U.    West 302 

Prison   Commissioner. 

Edward  McGarry 318-15 

James  Gidding 303 

County  Judge. 

William  F.  Terhune No  Opposition 

Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court. 

William  C.  McMichael NoOpposition 

Sheriff 

J.  M.  Rusk No  Oppostion 

Treasurer. 

John  Gardner No  Opposition 

Register  of  Deeds. 

William  F .  Terhune No  Opposition . 

County  Clerk. 

A ,  K .  Burrell No  Opposition . 

District  Attorney. 

Thomas  J.  DeFrees NoOpposition. 

Surveyor. 

W.  P.  Beavers NoOpposition. 

ELECTION,  APRIL  1,  1856. 

Circuit  Judge. 

George  Gale 279—31 

W.KnowIton 215 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  3,    1857. 
Governor. 

Alexander  W.  Randall 549—104 

James  B.Cross 445 


ELECTION,  NOVEMBER,  1856. 
President. 

John  C.  Fremont,  (Majority) 387 

Congressman. 

C.  C.  Washburn,  (Majorityi 38T 

State  Senator. 

William  T.  Pierce,  (Majority) 347 

Assemblyman. 

Buel  E.  Hutchinson,  (Majority) 883 

Surveyor,  (To  All  Vacancy.) 

Samuel  McMichael No  Opposition 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  3,  1857 
Governor. 

AleianderW.   Randall       549—104 

James  B.  Gross 445 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

Carl  Schurtz  539—91 

Erosmus  Campbell 448 

Secretary  of  State. 

John  L.  V.  Thomas 528—63 

David  W.  Jones 465 

State  Treasurer 

SamuelD.  Hastings 549—104 

CarlHabich 445 

Attorney  General. 

Mortimer  M.  Jackson 554—136 

GabielBouck 418 

State  Superintendent. 

John  G.  McMynn 546—102 

Lyman  C.  Draper 444 

Bank  Comptroller. 

John  P.  McGregor 538—95 

JoelC.  Squires 443 

Prison  Commissioner. 

EdwardM.  McGraw 986 

State  Senator. 

Edwin  Flint 514—4 

W.  H.  Tucker 510 

Assemblyman. 

William  C.  McMichael 523—63 

James  R.  Savage 461 

Clerk  of  Circuit  Court. 

John  R.  Casson  507—25 

William  C.  McMichhel 482 

County  Clerk. 

Samuel  McKitrick 576—201 

William  F.  White 375 

District  Attorney. 

R.  C.  Bierce 563—171 

William  H .  Austin 392 

Sheriff. 

WilliaraP.  Clark 386-111 

Hugh  McDill 275 

A.R.  Burrell 234 

Scattering CO 

Heglster  of  Deeds. 

Daniel  P.  Allison 324—60 

William  F.  Terhune 274 

Treasurer. 

John  Gardner S70— 120 

W.  F.  White 250 

Surveyor. 

Greene  Spurrier 514 — 42 

James  Brown 472 


15 


244 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Coroner. 

J.M.Rusk 500—48 

Mark 152 

ELECTION,  APRIL,  1858. 

County  Judge. 

James  E.  Newell No  Opposition 

ELECTION,   NOVEMBER,  1858. 
Congressman. 

C.  C.Washburn 434—239 

Judge  Dunn 185 

Assemblyman. 

T.W. Tower 421—246 

Huffman ■• 1"5 

ELECTION,   NOVEMBER  8,  1859. 
Governor. 

Ale.^ander  W.  Randall 995—376 

Harrison  C.  Hobart 619 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

Ale.xandor  S.  Palmer 991—359 

ButlerG.  Noble 633 

Secretary  of  State. 

Loula  P.  Harvey 997—328 

Marvin  B.  Alden 619 

State  Treasurer. 

Samuel  D.  Hasting 970—354 

Lion  Silverman 636 

Attorney  General. 

Samuel  Crawford 635 

James  Howe 989-344 

State  Superintendent. 

Joaiah  Pickard 968—316 

Lyman  C.  Draper 652 

Bank  Comptroller. 

Gysbert  Van  Steenwick 975—329 

JoelC.  Squires 646 

Prison  Commissioner. 

HansC.  Heg 988-355 

Henry  C.  Fleck 633 

Assemblyman. 

William  C.  McMichael 989-375 

Daniel  D    Barnard 614 

State  Senator. 

B.  E.  Hutchinson 946—275 

W.  H.  Tucker 671 

County  Treasurer. 

James  Lnmsio 997—526 

R.  S.  Riley 471 

Thomas  Fietwell 105 

WilliamT.  McConnell 14 

Sheriff. 

William  Goode 991—374 

S.  McKitrick 617 

P.Curtis 7 

Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

J.  M.  Bennett  957—297 

Thomas  B.  Brown 660 

J.B.Brown 1 

Clerk  of  the  Court. 

W.S.  Purdy 938—260 

B.  F .  Hartshorn 678 

J.  M.  MoCes 1 


Register  of  Deeds. 

D.  P.  Allison 901—20 

William  Terhune 701 

District  Attorney. 

CM.  Butts 962-454 

K.  C.  Bierce 608 

H.  W.McAUey 25 

County  Surveyor. 

L.Joseph 965-334 

A.  A.  Baldwin 635 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER,  1860. 
President. 

Abraham  Lincoln 1145-670 

Stephen  A.  Douglas 405 

John  C.  Breckenridge 22 

Congressman. 

Luther  Hanchet 1126-615 

James  D.  Ramert 511 

Assemblyman. 

D.  H.  Johnson 1111—612 

O.   B.   Thomas 499 

Chief  Justice   Supreme   Court. 

A.  Scott  Sloan 697—198 

Luther  S.  Dixon 497 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER,  1861. 
Governor. 

LouisP.  Harvey 976—699 

FmB?son 277 

Lieutenant   Governor. 

Edward  Soloman 968—682 

Billings 286 

Secretary  of  State. 

James  T.  Lewis 947—650 

Benton .297 

State  Treasurer. 

Samuel  D.  Hastings 970—686 

Miller 284 

Attorney  General. 

James  H.Howe 988-682 

Horton 286 

State  Superintendent. 

J.L.  Pickard 970-686 

Winslow 284 

Bank  Comptroller. 

W.  H.  Ramsey 937—652 

VoUmer 285 

Prison  Commissioner. 

Hodges 970-688 

Crilly 282 

State  Senator. 

C.  M.  Butt 653-79 

Cate 574 

Assemblyman.  (1st  District). 

OleJohnson 366-141 

WilUam  McConnell 225 

(2d  District). 

J.M.Rusk 361-113 

Searing 248 

Sheriff. 

Lewis  Sterling 650—113 

W.  a.  Officer 638 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


245 


Clerk  of  the  Court. 

William  S.  Piirdy 785-375 

Vandwall 410 

County  Treasurer. 

James  Lowrle 82*1 — 473 

Nickler 353 

Register  of  Deeds. 

William  S.  S.  White 670-44 

Nuzeman 576 

District  Attorney. 

W.  F.  Terhune 655—121 

N.  M.  Layne 534 

Surveyor. 

Samuel  Joseph 746-  307 

Adams 439 

Coroner. 

C.  W.  Pitcher 709—236 

Herick 473 

School  Superintendent. 

L.  L.  RadcUff 636—103 

Irish 533 

ELECTION.  NOVEMBER  4,  1862. 

State  Senator. 

W   S.  Purdy 892—553 

Charles  Rodolf 339 

Assemblyman. 

D.  B.  Priest  431—201 

George  Walby 230 

Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

John  M.  Bennett  893—507 

Lucius  Chase 386 

SPECIAL  ELECTION,  DECEMBEH  30,  1863. 
Congressman,  (2d  District). 

Walter  D.  Mclndoo 770—337 

N.  S.  Ferris 433 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  3,  1863. 
Governor. 

JamesT.  Lewis 1155—795 

Henry  L.  Palmer 360 

Lieutenant-Governor. 

Wyman  Spooner 1163—812 

Nelson  Dewey 351 

Secretary  of  State. 

Lucius  Fairchild 1165—817 

Emil  Rothe 348 

State  Treasurer. 

Samuel  D.  Hastings 1165-814 

Charles  S.  Benton 351 

Attorney-General. 

WInfleld  Smith 1163—811 

Eleazer  Wakeley 352 

State  Superintendent. 

Joslah  Pickard 1166—815 

Volney    French 351 

Bank  Comptroller. 

William  H.  Ramsey 1165—814 

Henry  S.  Pierpont 351 

Prison   Commissioner. 

Henry  Cardier 1163 812 

JohnB.  Bohan 351 

Assemblyman. 

(1st  District.) 

William  H.  Offloer No  opposition 


(2d  District.) 

Albert  Bliss No  opposition 

State  Senator. 

William  Ketchum 1164-1160 

Scattering 4 

Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Luther  S.  Di.xon 1071—588 

Montgomery  M.Cothren 483 

Soldier's  Vote. 
State  Senator. 

W.  Ketchum 122 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

W.  H.  Officer 10 

(2d  District.) 

Albert  Bliss 87—36 

Robert  Bliss 1 

W.  H.  Officer 1 

County  Supervisor. 
(District  No.  1.) 

Charles  Learing 19—18 

T.   L.  Lindley 1 

(District  No.  2.) 

C.  G.Allen 27—28 

Alexander  Latshaw 2 

(District  No.  3.) 

John  Michelet 12 

School  Superintendent. 

Hartwell  Allen 78 66 

J.C.Kurtz 12 

Sheriff. 

(^  E.  Rogers 63—62 

Samuel  Henry 1 

Register  of  Deeds. 

William  S.H.  White 78 

County  Treasurer. 

James  Lowrie 80 

District  Attorney. 

D.  B.  Priest  80 

Surveyor. 

Lemuel  Joseph 80 

Coroner. 

E.  W.  Pickerill 76 

Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court. 
William  S.  Purdy 80 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  8,   1864. 
President. 

Abraham  Lincoln 1336—885 

George  B.  McCleUen 451 

Congressman. 

Walter  D.  Mclndoe 1329—871 

Henry  Reed 458 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

William  H.  Officer 663 — 473 

James  R.  Savage 195 

(2d  District.) 

James  Berry 642—373 

James  A.  Cook 270 

State  Superintendent. 

ohnG.  McMynn 1242—786 

John  B.  Parkinson 457 


246 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ELECTION,   April4.  1S65. 

Associate  Justice  of  lUe  Supreme  Court. 

Jason  Downer 1268 

County  Judge. 

Carson  Graham 710—158 

Royal  C.  Bierce  552 

Soldier's    Vote. 

Carson  Graham 65—56 

Royal  C.  Bierce 9 

Scattering i 

ELECTION,  NOVEMDER  7,  1865. 

Governor. 

Lucius  Fairchild 1161—1044 

Harrison  C.  Hobert 120 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

Wyman  Ppooncr 1190—1098 

Deusmore  W.  Maxon 93 

Secretary  of  State. 

Thomas  S.  Alien  1193—1099 

Levi  B.  Vilas 93 

State  Treasurer. 

WilliamE.  Smith 1184—1085 

John  W.Davis 99 

Attorney  General. 

Charles  R.  G ill 1176—1071 

Milton  Montgomery 105 

State  Superintendent. 

JohnG.  McMynn 1201—1113 

John G.  Parkinson 89 

Banli  Comptroller. 

J.  M    Rusk 1146—1055 

Thomas  McMahon 91 

Prison  Commissioner. 

Conrad  Horneffer 90 

State  Senator. 

Benjamin  Bull No  Opposition. 

Assemblyman. 
(District  No.  1.) 

Carpenter S95— 252 

G.D.  McDill 143 

(District  No.  2.) 

A.  Woods 654 

Clerk  of  the  Court. 

W.S.Purdy '. 1055—872 

W.  G.  Davis 183 

John  R.  Casson 23 

Sheriff. 

R.  S.  Mcilichael  1236—33 

James  O.  Burrell 1203 

W.  W.  Lowrie 32 

Register  of  Deeds. 

W.S.  White 1067—879 

G.  Griffin 168 

Peter  Hecton 6 

District  Attorney. 

D.  B.  Priest 1035-812 

J.  E.  Newell 223 

County  Treasurer. 
James  Lowerie 1018—778 

E.  M.  Rogers    240 

County  Surveyor. 

B.S.  Moore 1162—1136 

Boattering gg 


Coroner. 

H.  A.  Robinson 801—607 

E.  Minshail 194 

Superintendent  of  Schools. 

Hartweil  Allen 1257—1251 

William  F.  Terhune 6 

Supervisors. 
(District  No   1.) 

J.  J.  Durol 442 

(District  No.  2.) 

HughMcDill 460—415 

Scattering 45 

(District  No.  3.) 
John  Michelet 284 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  6,  1866. 
Congressman. 

C.  C.  Washburn 1233—995 

G.  L.  Parks 238 

Banking  Law. 

For  Amendment 949-843 

Against  Amendment ..  106 

Constitutional  Convention. 

Against 925—809 

For 116 

Assemblyman. 
(District  No.  1.) 

John  W.  Greenman  .529—436 

Henry  W.  McAuley 93 

(District  No.  2.) 

Albert  Bliss 691—563 

Timothy  S.  Paul ..    128 

State  Senator. 

Justin  W.  Raney 1231-991 

John  C.  Kurtz 240 

County  Treasurer. 

CM.  Butt  1229—1007 

Joseph  Norris 222 

Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

John  R.  Casson 1246—1041 

JesseL.  Davis 205 

Supervisor  1st  District. 

C.N.  Lawton 407—317 

Edward  Klopffeiseh 90 

Supervisor2d  District. 

John  Michelet 362—343 

J.M.  Conaway  19 

JUDICIAL  ELECTION,   APRIL  2,  1867. 
Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Orsmas  Cole 1228-119 

I.  C.  Witherby 29 

ELECTION  NOVEMBER  5,  1867. 
Governor. 

Luoian  Fairchild 1443—1059 

John  J.  Talmage 384 

Lieutenant   Governor. 

Wyman  Spooner 1446—1062 

GilbertPark 384 

Secretary  of  State. 

Thomas  S.  Allen 1440—1055 

ErnstRoth SSR 

State  Treasurer. 

WilliamE.  Smith 1445—1060 

Peter  fiupp 385 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


247 


Attorney  General. 

Charles  R.  GUI 1445—1060 

Lucius  P.  Westerby 385 

State  Superintendent. 

Alexander  J.  Crai? 1446—1063 

William  Peck 383 

Bank  Comptroller. 

Jeremiah  Rusk 1440— lOTl 

Richard  J.  Harvey 369 

Prison  Commissioner 

Henry  Cordier 1455—1085 

Ole  Heg 370 

Assemblyman. 
(First  District.) 

Henry  Chase 456—200 

W.H.Offlcer 256 

Assemblyman. 
(2d  District.) 

D.  B.  Priest 882 

County  Treasurer. 

CM.  Butt 1562 

Sheriff. 

T.B.  Brown 1546 

Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Ceurt. 

H.  N.  Preus 1640 

District  Attorney. 

J.E.NeweU  1545 

Register  of  Deeds. 

G.  W.  Griffln 1B09 

County  Superintendent. 

T.J,  Shear 911—183 

Hartwell  Allen 728 

Surveyor. 

H.C.  Joseph 1555 

Coroner. 

H.  A.  Robinson 1570 

County  Poor  System. 

For 862—269 

Against 693 

JUDICIAL  ELECTION  April  7,  1868. 

Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Luther  S.  Dixon 1561—958 

Charles  Dunn 603 

Associate  Justice  of  Supreme  Court. 
Byron  Payne 1565—959 

E.  Holmes  Ellis.   ..  606 

Judge  of  (ho  Circuit  Court. 

Romanzo  Bunn , 1130—371 

Milton  Montgomery 759 

Edwin  Flint ,  283 

ELECTION  NOVEMBER  3,  1868. 
President. 

U.S.  Grant 2248—1627 

Horatio  Seymour 621 

Congressman. 

C.C.Washburn 2240—1615 

A.G.  ElUs 625 

Banking  Law. 

For 1987—1912 

Against 75 

State  Senator. 

C.  M.  Butt 2321—1624 

James  H.  Lambert 697 


Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

John  McLees 684-238 

H.Allen 451 

Assemblyman. 
(2d  District) 

Van  S.  Bennett 764 

County  Supervisor. 
(District  No.  1.; 

B.  H.  Harry 764 

County  Supervisor. 
(District  No.  3.) 

G.  W.Swain 762 

JUDICIAL  ELECTION,  APRIL  6,  1869. 

Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Luther  S.  Dixon 1082—1654 

S.W.  Pitts 28 

County  Judge. 

Williams.  Purdy 1587—1466 

Hugh  McDill.... 121 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  2,  1869. 

Governor. 

Lucius  Fairchild 1426— 1128 

CharlesD.  Robinson 298 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

ThaddeusPond 1434—1142 

HamlltonS.  Gray 293 

Secretary  of  State. 

S.  Breese ; 1390—1095 

AmasaG.  Cook 295 

State  Treasurer. 

HenrvBaitz 1434-1142 

John  Black 292 

Attorney  General. 

S.  S.  Barlow 1435—1143 

S.  W.  Pinny 292 

State  Superintendent. 

A.J.Craig 1432-1140 

P.  K.  Gannon 292 

Prison  Commissioner. 

George  F.  Wheeler 1434—1141 

Carl  Bordoe 293 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

R.  May 601—530 

D.A.  Steele 71 

Assemblyman. 
( 2d  District. ) 

Vans.  Bennett 921 

County  Superintendent. 

J.  N.  Wright 1092—542 

George  W.  Nuzum 550 

County  Supervisor. 
(2d  District.) 

Willard  Morley 381—128 

J.  C.Davis 263 

County   Treasurer. 

J.  W.  Allen 1148—669 

William  Frazier 479 

Sheriff. 

W.  W.  Lowrie 1196— 72T 

R.S.  McMichael 469 


248 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


County  Surveyor. 

Isaac  F.  Tharp 1237—836 

H.C.Joseph ^Ol 

Coroner. 

H.D.Williams 1637-1636 

Scattering ^ 

District  Attorney. 

Carson  Graham 1032— «3 

J.  E.  Newell 819 

Scattering 

Register  of  Deeds. 

H.  N.  Preus 890—133 

C.  H.  Ballsrud '•'•'^ 

Scattering 

Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court. 

P.  J.  Layne  1273-887 

John  Harding ^^ 

Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

JohnR.  Casson 1664—1663 

Scattering ^ 


6 


ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  8,  1870. 
Congressman. 

J.M.Rusk 1347-1132 

Alexander  Meggett 215 

Scattering " 

State  Superintendent. 

Samuel  Fallows 1329—1095 

H.  B.Dale 231 

Constitutional  Amendment. 

Against 1303-1235 

For 68 

State  Senator. 

Angus  Cameron 1298—998 

William  McConnell 300 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

J.  W.  Hoyt 365-40 

Ruben  May  325 

John  T.   Brinkmann 173 

Assemblyman. 
(2d  District.) 

H.  A    Chase  706-704 

Scattering 2 

Sheriff. 

Nathan  Coe 1594—1592 

Scattering 2 

JUDICIAL  ELECTION,  APRIL  4,  1871. 
Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
(To  All  Vacancy.) 

W.P.Lyon 1599-1396 

D.J.  PuUng 203 

(To  fill  full  term.) 

W.  P.  Lyon 1641—1416 

D.  J.  Puling 225 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  7.  1871. 
Governor. 

C.  C.  Washburn 1686-1270 

J.  R.  Doolittle 416 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

M.  H.  Pettit 1669-1240 

JohnA.  Rice 429 


Secretary  of  State. 

L.  Breese 1682-1257 

Milton  Montgomery *25 

State  Treasurer. 

Henry  Baitz 1698-1289 

Anton  Klaus ■409 

Attorney  General. 

S.S.  Barlow 1684-1439 

Edward  S.  Bragg 245 

W.  F.  Vilas l™ 

State  Superintendent. 

S.  Fallows  1684-1259 

W.D.Parker *25 

Prison  Commissioner. 

George  F.Wheeler 1688—1275 

Louis  S.  Johnson  — <13 

Commissioner  of  Immigration. 

Ole  C.Johnson 1700—1295 

Jacob  Badden ^Oo 

State  Senator. 

William  Nelson 1598—1102 

T.  C.  Ankrey <86 

Assemblyman,  (Ist  District). 

R.   May 592-538 

C.C.Olson 54 

(2d  District). 

H.  A.  Chase 736—521 

A.  Bliss 215 

County  Superintendent 

Hartwell  Allen 1960—1907 

Scattering  —  , 59 

County  Treasurer. 

J.W.Allen 1686-1293 

W.  T.  McConneU 393 

District  Attorney. 

C.  M.  Butt 2084-2083 

Scattering ^ 

County  Clerk. 

John  K.  Casson 2104 

Clerk  of  the  Courts. 

P.  I.  Layne 2078 

County  Surveyor. 

B.S.Moore  544—36 

J.F.  Tharp 508 

Coroner. 

H.D.Williams 2077-2073 

Scattering * 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  5,  1872. 
President. 

U.S.Grant 2415-1903 

Horace  Greeley,  Lib  642 

Charles  O'Connor,  Dem 7 

Congressman, 

J.M.  Rusk 2567-3124 

S.   Marston •■  ^^^ 

Assemblyman,  (Ist  District). 

Peter  Jerman 1089—632 

William  Clawater ' *57 

(2d  District). 

J.  Henry  Tate 802-177 

Robert  Sandon 626 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


249 


Sheriff. 

T.  B.  Brown 2109—1210 

H.  H.  Furgeson 899 

JUDICIAL  ELECTION.  APHIL  1,  1873. 
Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Orsamas  Cole 2415 

County  Judge. 

J.  E.  Newell 1240-23 

William  S.  Purdy 1217 

GENERAL  ELECTION,  NOVEMBEK  4,  1873. 

Governor. 

CO.  Washburn 1706—1159 

William  E.  Taylor  547 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

Hobert  H.  Baker 1597-954 

Charles  D.  Parker 643 

Secretary  of  Stale. 

E.  W.Young 1702—1159 

Peter  Doyle 513 

State  Treasurer. 

Die  C.Johnson 1700—1153 

Ferdinand  Kuchn 547 

Attorney  General. 

Leander  Frisby 1700—1152 

A.  Scott  Stoane 548 

State  Superintendent. 

Robert  Graham 1700-1153 

Edward  Seaving 647 

Commissioner  of  Immigration. 

George  P.  Lindman  1690—1159 

M.  S.  Argard  531 

State  Senator. 

A.  E.  Bleckman 2150—2103 

J.  U.  Reep 47 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

William  Frazier 1144 

Assemblyman. 
(2d  District.) 

EdgarEno 774—538 

D.W.Adams 236 

County  Superintendent. 

0.  B.  Wyman 2179 

County  Treasurer. 

John  W.  Greenman 1307—432 

William  McConnell 875 

County  Surveyor. 

J.  F.  Tharp 2204 

Coroner. 

C.  E.Morlcy 2190—2186 

Scatteiing 4 

District  Attorney. 

C.  M.Butt 2106—2095 

Scattering 11 

Register  of  Deeds. 

Edward  Lind 1435-678 

W.  S.  S.  White 757 

Clerk  of  the  Court. 
P.  J.  Layne 2143 

County  Clerk. 
JohnB.  Casson 3140 


JUDICIAL  ELECTION.  APRIL  T,  1874. 
Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court. 

RomanzoBunn 2272—2265 

Scattering 16 

ELECTION,    NOVEMBER  3,  1874. 
Congressman. 

J.  M.  Rusk .....1916-1362 

David  C.Fulton 654 

Assemblyman. 
(District  No.  1.) 

Ole  Anderson 807—331 

Hartwell  Allen 476 

Assemblyman. 
(District  No.  2.) 

JamesE.  Newell , 743-243 

W.  W.  Joseph 500 

Sheriff. 

Alexander  Lowrie 1774—1031 

G.  J.  Thomas 743 

R.  F.  Lemen  41 

JUDICIAL  ELECTION,  APRIL  6,  1875. 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

JamesE.  Newell* 165 

ELECTION,    NOVEMBER,  2,  1875. 
Governor. 

Harrison  Luddington 1784—1088 

William  R.  Taylor 696 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

Henry  L.Eaton 1797—1112 

Charles  D.  Parker 685 

Secretary  of  State. 

HansB.  Warner 1797—1114 

Peter  Doyle 683 

State  Treasurer. 

Henry  Baitz 1800-1217 

Ferdinand  Kuehn  683 

Attorney  General. 

JohnR.  Bennett 1801—1119 

A.  Scott  Sloan 682 

State  Superintendent. 

Robert  Graham 1795—1108 

Edward  Searing 687 

State  Senator. 

Reuben  May 1193—41 

J.  Henry  Tate 1152 

Scattering 5 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

John  Stevenson 633—120 

J.  F.  Tharp 613 

Assemblyman. 
(2d  District.) 

T.  S.  Jordan 1282 

Register  of  Deeds. 

Edward  Lind 1804—1194 

Johns.  Dixon  610 

County  Treasurer. 

Ole  Johnson 2451—2449 

Scattering  2 


250 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


District  Attorney. 

H   P.  Proctor 1880-1352 

CM.  Butt 528 

Scattering U 

County  Clerk. 

John  R.  Casson 2455 

Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court. 

P.J.  Layne 2450 

Surveyor. 

Egbert  Wyman '. 2449—2447 

Scattering 2 

Coroner. 

B.J.  Castle 2079-2059 

Scattering 20 

Superintendent  of  Schools. 

O.  B.  Wyman 2456—2453 

Scattering 3 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  T,  1876. 

President. 

Rutherford  B.  Hayes        2764—1647 

Samuel  Tilden.Dem 1117 

Peter  Cooper.Gr 110 

Congressman. 

H.   L.  Humphry 2116-1494 

Martin  R.  Gage 933 

K.  May 635 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

Peter  J.  Dale  1017—295 

Fred  Eckbart 722 

John  Micheiet  200 

(2d  District) 

H.  H.  Wyatt 1260-501 

A.  W.  De  Jean 759 

Scattering 3 

Sheriff. 

C.  E.  Morley 2688-1451 

R.  H.  Buchanan 1237 

ELECTION,  APRIL  3,  1877. 
Associate  Justice  of  Supreme  Court. 

William  P.  Lyon 2557— 25J8 

Scattering 9 

County  Judge. 

CM.  Butt 2542—2520 

Scattering 22 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  6,  1877. 
Governor. 

W.  E.  Smith  1678-832 

Edward  P.  Allis 846 

James  A.  Malory ■ 416 

Scattering 2 

Lieutenant-Governor. 

James  M.  Bingham 1681—840 

E.  H.  Burton 841 

Romanzo  Davis 470 

Secretary  of  State. 

Hans  B.Warner 1730-938 

Joseph  H.  Osborn 792 

JamesB.  Hajes - 419 

State  Treasurer. 

Richard  Guenther 1722—921 

Willium  Schwartz 801 

John  Ringle 418 


Attorney-General. 

Alexander  Wilson 1611—847 

Henry  Hayden 764 

J.  M.  Morrow D70 

State   Superintendent. 

W.  C.  Whitford 1692—944 

GeorgeM.  Steele V58 

Edward  Searing  479 

Amendment  of  Constitution. 

For 1411-1305 

Against 106 

State  Senator. 

George  W.  Swain 1804—828 

A.D.Chase 1076 

Allemblyman. 
ast  Dtstrict.) 

Chris  EUefson 829-139 

F.  K.  Van  Wagoner 690 

Assemblyman. 
(2d  District.) 

Allen  Rusk 800-240 

Marion  Henry 560 

Register  of  Deeds. 

C.  C.  Olson  1521—165 

C.  H.  BaUsrud 1356 

Scattering * 

County    Treasurer. 

Die  Johnson 1911—1034 

Lenord  Mosley 977 

District  Attorney . 

H.P. Proctor 1707—526 

Carson  Graham 1155 

County  Clerk. 

John  B.Carson 1981—1059 

Isaiah  Glenn 9-2 

Clerk  of  Circuit  Court. 

P.J.  Layne 2052-2050 

Scattering -■■      -* 

Surveyor. 

W.  H.  Knower 1691—484 

I.  J.  Tharp --^ 1207 

Coroner. 

H.C.  Gosling 1671-602 

W.  W.  Dunlap 1009 

Superintendent  of  Schools. 

O.B.  Wyman 1683-470 

Hartwell  Allen 1213 

Scattering  .  - 4 

ELECTION,  APRIL.  1878. 
Associate  Justice  (fuU  term). 

Harlow  S.  Orton  1435—1430 

Scattering B 

Associate  Justice  (to  flU  vacancy). 

David  Taylor 1450—1349 

Scattering 1 

ELECTION,  November  5.   1878. 
Congressman. 

Charles  D.  Parker I'lS 

Herman  L.  Humphry 1T18 

Assemblyman. 
(1st   District.) 

Jacob  Eckhart ..939—125 

Chris  EUefson 804 

Scattering 1 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


251 


Assemblyman. 
(2d  District.) 

Hoger  Williams 919—129 

James  A.  Cook  790 

Sheriff. 

JamesH.  Hewey 1908—346 

William  Frazier 1562 

ELECTION  APRIL,  1879. 
Associate  Justice  of  Supreme  Court. 

OrsamusCole 2133-1327 

Montgomery  M.  Cothren 806 

Scattering 10 

ELECTION  NOVEMBER  4.   1879. 
Governor. 

William  E.  Smith 2093—1383 

Reuben  May 707 

James  G.Jenkins 377 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

James  M.  Bingham 2104—1411 

WUliamL.  Utley 693 

George  H.King 382 

Secretary  of  State. 

HansB.  Warner 2108-1418 

George  W    Lee 690 

Samuel  Ryan 380 

State  Treasurer. 

Richard  Guenther 2109—1420 

Peter  A.  Griffith. 689 

Andrew  Haven 380 

Attorney  General. 

Alexander  Wilson 2109—1419 

EdwardG.  Nye 690 

J.  Montgomery  Smith  380 

State  Superintendent. 

William  C.  Whitford 2098—1416 

William  H.  Searles 682 

Edward  Searing 398 

State  Senator. 

O.B.Thomas.  1999-1219 

P.N.Peterson 780 

W.N.Carter 394 

Scattering 1 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

J.  Eokert - 944^417 

P.J.Dale  527 

E.  Schilling 93 

Scattering 7 

Assemblyman. 
(2d  District.) 

D.C.Takey  977—590 

G.W.Gregory 387 

H.O'Connell 199 

Scattering 38 

Register  of  Deeds. 

J.  W.  Curry 1680—386 

C.C.  Olson.  1294 

W.  T.  McConnell 192 

Scattering 8 

County  Treasurer. 

Ole  Johnson 2239-1501 

J.Conway 728 


Calvin  Morley 193 

Scattering 2 

District  Attorney. 

H.  P.  Proctor 2029—1073 

C.W.  Groves 956 

Scattering.  6 

County  Clerk. 

J.  R.  Casson  2308—1496 

Joseph  Harris  812 

Clerk  of  Circuit  Court. 

P.J.  Layne 2308—1496 

W.  McClaren  812 

Superintendent  of  Schools. 

William  Haughton 2333— IBIO 

H.  A.  Bemis 823 

Scattering i 

Surveyor. 

William  H.  Knower    2139—1108 

J.  F.  Tharp 1031 

Scattering 2 

Coroner 

C.  E.  Morley 2170—1171 

Robert  Wilson 999 

Scattering 3 

ELECTION  NOVEMBER  2  1880. 
President. 

James  A.  Garfield  (Rep) 2774—1760 

Winfleld  S.  Hancock  (Dem) 1014 

James  B.  Weaver  (Gb) 525 

Neal  Dow  (Pro.) 3 

Congressman. 

Herman  L.  Humphrey 2770—1762 

G    Y.  Freeman  1008 

Joel  Foster 632 

Assemblyman. 
(1st  District.) 

T.  O.  Juve 1618—1592 

Scattering       26 

Assemblyman, 
(2d  District.) 

Allen  Rusk...    1309—326 

C.  B.Slebins 983 

Sheriflf- 

Frank  Wallar 2236—174 

Michael  Rents 2062 

ELECTION,  APRIL  5,  1881. 
Chief  Justice  of  Supreme  Court. 

Orsamus  Cole  (to  fill  vacancy) 2616—3115 

G.W.Cate 1 

Chief  Justice  of  Supreme  Court. 

Orsamus  Cole  (full  term) 2116—2115 

G.W.Cate 1 

Associate  Justice. 

John  B.  Cassacy 2616—2616 

M.  M.  Cothren  1 

County  Judge. 

C.  M.  Butt 2501—2437 

N.  E.  NeweU  64 

G.D.  Wallar 23 

Scalteriag 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  8,  1881. 
Governor. 

Jeremiah  Susk 2032—1664 

Michael  Fratt 358 

EdwardP.  AlUs 326 

T.  G.  Kanouse 153 

Scattering 5 

Lieutenant  Governor. 

S.  S.  Fifleld  1994—1581 

WendallA.  Anderson 413 

David  Giddings  336 

HarveyS.  Clapp  134 

M.  Johnson 1 

Secretary  of  State. 

Ernest  G.  Timmie Ii39— 1041 

Michael  Johnson     698 

Wilson  Hopkins.  312 

Edmond  Barilett 126 

State  Treasurer. 

Edward  C.  McFetridge 2003— 159» 

Frank  U.  Falk 410 

Gerhart  Lammers 335 

John  J.  Sutton 126 

Attorney   General. 

LeanderF.  Frisby 3002—1589 

Melanthon  Briggs     413 

Joel  Foster 335 

E.  J.  Comstock 125 

State  Superintendent. 

Robert  Graham 2530—2193 

J. A.  Gaynor 337 

N.  N.  Brickson  1 

Railroad  Commissioners. 

Nilla  P.  Hangen 2011—1604 

Ambrose  Hoffman      .     407 

T.G.  Brunson 333 

John  Nader  119 

T.  O.  Juve 2 

Commissioner  of  Insurance. 

Philip  L .  Spooner 2008 

Louis  Ivemper 412 

Lorenzo  Merrill 337 

Thomas  Bracken  116 

Chris  EUefson 1 

State  Senator. 

Van  S.  Bennett 2166 — 447 

Chris  EUefson  1719 

J.  A.  Hobb  B03 

Scattering 7 

Assemblyman. 

( 1st  District. ) 

T.  O.  Juve 783—225 

Henry  Schlong 657 

Scattering 7 

Assemblyman. 

(  2d  District. ) 

T.J.  Shear lliP— 831 

J.  L.  Joseph 308 


Register  of  Deeds. 

T.  W.  Curry 1951—1096 

Joseph  Omundson 855 

County  Treasurer. 

Ole  Johnson 2117—1465 

T.M.  Vance 662 

District  Attorney. 

O.  B.  Wyman 2207—2190 

Scattering 17 

County  Clerk. 

John  R.  Casson 2249—2244 

Scattering .• 5 

Clerk  of  Circuit  Court. 

P.J.  Layne 2180— 1D81 

M.  Monti 619 

Surveyor. 

W.  H.  Knower 2028—1338 

J.  F.  Tharp 690 

W.  L.  HUey 1 

Coroner. 

Stanly  Stout  2170—1546 

E.  H.  Morrison  674 

Scattering 2 

Superintendent  of  Schools. 

William  Haughton 2170-1544 

Hartwell  Allen 624 

Scattering 6 

ELECTION,  APRIL,  1882. 

Judge  of  Circuit  Court 

Alfred  W.  Newman 2173—2157 

GeorgeG.  Wallar 16 

ELECTION,  NOVEMBER  7,  1882. 

Congressman. 

C.  M.  Butt 2042—996 

G.  M.  Woodward 1046 

B.  F.  Parker 1-9 

R.  May 97 

Scattering l 

Assemblyman. 

( 1st  District. ) 

Chris  EUefson 916—287 

HenryH.  Morgan 628 

Assemblyman. 
( 2d  District. ) 

M.  C.  Nicholas ('68—112 

W.  N.  Carter 666 

William  Landon 464 

J.  C.  Spellum  153 

William  McMichael 2 

A.  MoCaU 1 

Sheriff. 

S.  R.  Pollard 1751— 12B 

G.  H.  Hewey 1626 

Scattering i 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


853 


CHAPTER    XX 


COUNTY  REPRESENTATION. 


In  this  chapter  the  various  county  officers  are 
treated  of.  It  is  the  design  to  trace  the  history 
of  each  county  office,  from  the  organization  of 
the  county,  in  1S5]  to  1884,  giving  in  connec- 
tion slietches  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  filled 
the  various  offices. 

The  records  of  the  elections  held  in  Vernon 
county,  prior  to  the  war,  are  very  meagre  and 
deficient,  and  of  some  of  the  elections  there  is 
no  record  at  all.  Therefore,  if  the  name  of 
any  one  who  has  held  a  couuty  office  is  omitted, 
it  is  because  the  omission  occurs  in  the  record. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  election  of  1882  is 
the  last  one  referred  to.  The  reason  of  this  is 
that  the  laws  of  the  State  have  been  changed 
so  that  the  election  of  cou;ity  officers  will  here- 
after be  held  "in  even  years."  There  was  no 
election  in  November,  1883.  The  officers 
elected  in  1881  hold  three  years. 

TKEASURER. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  county,  in 
April,  1851,  James  A.  Cooke  was  elected  first 
county  treasurer.  Mr.  Cooke  came  from  Illi- 
nois in  1848  or  1849,  and  settled  with  liis  fami- 
ly upon  land  about  two  miles  east  of  the  vil- 
lage, in  the  town  of  Viroqua.  He  remained 
there  until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1881,  and 
his  widow,  who  survives  him,  still  lives  upon 
the  old  homestead.  Mr.  Cooke  was  a  promi- 
nent man  here.  He  was  a  man  of  integrity 
and  much  intelligence;  he  was  a  local  Metho- 
dist preacher,  and  after  working  hard  all  day 
upon  his  farm,  whenever  occasion  demanded, 
would  fill  appointments  in  the  evening. 

In  Noveraber,lS61,  John  Langley  was  elected 
county  treasurer;  but  it  seems  there  was  some 
change  in  the  county  affairs  at  this  time;  for 
shortly  after,  it  appears  from  the   records,  that 


Edmund  Strang  resigned  the  office  of  county 
treasurer,  and  John  Longley  was  appointed  to 
fill  the  place.  Edmund  Strang  was  a  native  of 
the  State  of  New  York.  He  came  west  in  1848, 
and  settled  at  Springville,  in  the  town  of  Jeffer- 
son, where  he  opened  a  farm.  When  elected 
or  appointed  treasurer,  he  did  not  move  to  the 
county  seat,  and  it  is  thought  never  performed 
a  single  official  act.  He  was  a  genial,  pleasant 
man  socially;. was  well  educated  for  those  days, 
and  this  made  him  very  popular;  in  fact,  it  is 
said,  that  the  time  was  when  he  could  have  been 
elected  to  any  office  in  the  county  by  merely 
expressing  the  desire  for  it.  He  lived  in  the 
town  of  Jefferson  until  about  1875,  when  he 
moved  to  Osceola,  Neb.,  where  he  still  lives. 

John  Longley  was  really  the  first  to  perform 
the  duties  of  the  office  of  county  treasurer. 
Longley  came  to  Bad  Ax  county  at  an  early 
day,  and  located  at  Viroqua,  where  he  followed 
the  business  of  a  carpenter  and  joiner.  He  was 
a  lively,  jovial  fellovv,  and  made  friends.  He 
left  about  1854,  and  it  is  thought  returned  to 
Illinois.  While  he  was  treasurer,  there  was  but 
little  to  do.  It  is  said  that  atone  time  he  carried 
all  the  records  of  his  office,  including  the  tax 
lists,  in  his  pocket,  upon  sheets  of  foolscap. 

In  November,  1853,  John  Gardner  was  elected 
treasurer.  He  was  re-elected  in  September, 
1855,  and  again  in  November,  185'7,  serving  in 
all  six  years.  John  Gardner  came  from  Ohio 
in  1852  and  settled  in  the  village  of  Viroqua 
with  his  family.  He  wjis  a  house  carpenter  and 
cabinetmaker  by  trade;  and  an  excellent  work- 
man. He  followed  this  business  until  elected 
to  office.  After  serving  his  term  of  office  as 
treasurer  he  moved  to  a  piece  of  land  two  miles 
southeast  of  the  village   and   opened   a  farm. 


254 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Several  years  later  he  sold  his  place  and  re- 
moved to  Missouri,  where  he  still  lives.  He 
was  a  steady,  sober,  industrious  man,  and  held 
the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact. 

In  November,  1859,  James  Lowrie  was  elected 
treasurer  of  Bad  Ax  county.  In  1861,  18G3  and 
1865  he  was  re-elected,  serving  until  May,  1866, 
when  he  resigned  and  Col.  C.  M.  Butt  was  ap- 
pointed to  fill  the  office.  James  Lowrie  was  a 
brother  of  the  Lowries  who  held  the  office  of 
sheriff  of  the  county  at  different  times.  He 
came  to  the  county  with  the  rest  of  the  family 
in  1855,  and  located  in  Springville  in  the  town 
of  Jefferson,  where  he  rented  and  run  the  grist 
mill  imtil  elected  county  treasurer,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Viroqua.  His  popularity  as  an  official 
is  evident  by  the  many  times  he  was  re- 
elected. As  stated,  he  resigned  in  May,  1866, 
and  removed  to  Monroe  county,  dying  in  Sparta 
several  years  ago.  His  widow  still  survives 
him.  Mr.  Lowrie  made  many  friends  by  his 
genial,  pleasant  disposition;  he  was  a  promi- 
nent man  here  and  his  worth  was  also  recog- 
nized in  Monroe  county,  where  he  held  some 
county  office. 

In  May,  1866,  C.  M.  Butts,  of  Viroqua,  was 
appointed  treasurer  to  till  the  vacancy  occa- 
sioned by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Lowrie.  In 
November,  1866,  he  was  elected  to  the  position, 
and  was  re-elected  in  1867,  serving  until  Jan.  1, 
1870. 

J.  W.  Allen  succeeded  Col.  Butt  as  county 
treasurer,  being  elected  in  November,  1869,  and 
re-elected  in  1871.  Mr.  Allen  was  a  native  of 
New  York;  but  came  to  Vernon  county  from 
Lake  Mills,  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  at  an  early  day 
and  settled  at  Hillsborough.  Here  he  erected 
a  saw  mill  and  followed  the  milling  business 
until  elected  county  treasurer,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Viroqua.  While  at  the  county  seat 
he  erected  what  is  known  as  the  Proctor  &  Tol- 
lefson  block.  Subsequently  he  returned  to 
Hillsborough  and  engaged  at  farming,  which 
he   continued,   with   the   exception    of  a  short 


time  spent  at  Odd  Fellows  work,  until  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  a  few  years  ago. 
His  widow  still  survives  him,  living  upon  the 
old  homestead. 

In  November,  1873,  J.  W.  Greenman  was 
elected  county  treasurer  and  served  one  term. 
Mr.  Greenman  came  to  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  from  Illinois,  and  located  upon  a  farm 
in  the  town  of  Genoa.  Upon  his  election  to  the 
office  he  moved  to  Viroqua.  About  the  time 
that  his  term  of  office  expired  he  received  the 
appointment  of  deputy  United  States  marshal 
for  Utah,  when  he  moved  to  Salt  Lake  City, 
where  he  still  lives.  He  still  holds  that  office. 
Greenman  was  a  prominent  man.  He  had  made 
a  good  officer  in  the  8th  regiment  during  the 
war;  was  genial,  pleasant,  capable  and  intelli- 
gent. He  was  not  much  of  a  politician,  but  he 
iiad  so  many  friends,  it  was  easy  for  him  to  get 
into  office.  He  served  one  term  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, representing  the  western  district  of  Ver- 
non county,  while  Senator  Cameron  was 
Speaker  of  the  House,  and  that  gentleman  took 
a  strong  liking  to  Greenman,  aiding  afterward 
in  securing  for  hiiu  the  appointment  which  he 
now  holds. 

In  November,  1875,  Ole  Johnson  was  elected 
treasurer.  Having  been  re-elected  in  1877,  1879 
and  1881,  he  is  the  present  incumbent. 

Ole  Johnson,  who  is  serving  his  fourth  term 
as  treasurer  of  Vernon  county,  resides  in  the 
town  of  Hamburg,  where  he  owns  a  fine  farm 
of  250  acres.  Mr.  Johnson  was  born  in  Norway, 
in  1820,  and  came  to  tlie  United  States  when 
twenty-nine  years  of  age.  He  resided  about  a 
year  in  Iowa  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1850, 
went  to  La  Crosse.  In  1855  he  settled  per- 
manently in  the  town  of  Hamburg.  He  located 
on  section  22,  where  he  has  a  pleasant  home. 
Mr.  Johnson  is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of 
Hamburg  town,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1861,  was 
elected  to  represent  this  district  in  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  State,  serving  one  term.  His 
wife  is  also  a  native  of  Norway,  and  three  chil- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


355 


dren  liave  been  born  to  them— Henry,  Martin 
and  Mary,  all  natives  of  Hamburg  town. 

EEGISTER    OF    DEEDS. 

The  first  to  fill  this  oftice  for  the  county  of 
Bad  Ax— now  Vernon—  was  Jacob  Higgins.  He 
was  elected  upon  the  organization  of  the  county 
in  April,  1851,  and  re-elected  in  November,  1851. 
Jacob  Higgins  was  among  the  early  settlers  in 
the  region  of  Liberty  Pole  in  the  town  of  Frank- 
lin, locating  upon  a  farm  where  he  lived  until 
the  time  of  his  death. 

In  November,  1853,  S.  C.Lincoln  was  elected 
and  served  one  term.  He  came  from  New  York 
in  1851,  and  settled  at  Viroqua.  He  had  no 
regular  business  until  elected  to  office.  He  made 
a  good  register.  For  a  number  of  years  he  ran 
a  hotel,  and  was  postmaster  at  Viroqua,  remain- 
ing until  1879,  when  he  received  the  apjioinl- 
mentof  railroad  mail  agent  on  the  Northwestern 
Railroad,  which  position  he  still  occupies. 

In  September,  1855,  Hon.  W.  F.  Terhune,  was 
elected  to  succeed  Mr.  Lincoln.  He  kept  the 
registers  office  in  his  law  office. 

Daniel  P.  Allison  was  elected  register  in 
November,  1857,  and  was  re-elected  in  1859. 
Allison  came  from  Illinois  and  settled  at  Viro- 
qua, becoming  deputy  postmaster  and  re- 
taining that  position  until  elected  register.  He 
was  only  able  to  do  such  work  as  this,  on  ac 
count  of  having  one  cork  leg,  which  crippled 
him  badly.  He  remained  until  the  war  broke 
out,  when  he  left,  turning  up  later  at  Johnsons- 
burg,  Mo.  He  was  a  steady,  sober  fellow,  and 
an  excellent  scribe. 

In  November,  1861,  W.  S.  White  was  elected 
and  being  I'e-elected  in  186-3  and  1865,  served 
six  years.  W.  S.  White  came  from  the  State  of 
New  York,  at  an  early  day,  and  settled  on  West 
Prairie  in  the  town  of  Sterling.  When  elected 
to  office,  he  removed  to  Viroqua  and  remained 
until  1876,  when  he  moved  to  Hutchinson,  Kan., 
where  he  still  lives.  When  last  heard  from, 
his  wife,  who  was  an  excellent  milliner,  was 
running  a  store  in  Hutchinson,  while  he  was 
doing  some  kiud  of  railroad  work. 


G.  W.  Griffin  succeeded  Mr.  White.  He  was 
elected  in  the  fall  of  1867,  and  served  one  term. 
G.  W.  Griffin  came  to  Vernon  county  with  his 
parents  about  1852.  When  the  war  broke  out 
he  enlisted,  and  after  its  close  came  back  "all 
shot  to  pieces."  He  was  elected  register  of 
deeds,  and  after  serving  his  term,  was  renomi- 
nated,  but  withdrew  and  went  to  Madison. 
Later,  he  went  to  Kansas,  where  it  is  believed, 
he  was  killed  by  the  Indians.  His  widow  is 
now  Mrs.  Daniel  Wise,  of  Viroqua. 

In  November,  1869,  H.  N.  Preus  was  elected 
register,  and  served  one  term.  He  was  a  Nor- 
wegian; came  here  from  Madison,  and  settled 
upon  Coon  Prairie.  In  1867  he  was  elected 
clerk  of  circuit  court,  and  moved  to  town,  and 
two  years  later,  was  elected  register.  He  is 
n()w  railway  mail  agent  on  the  railroad  between 
Viroqua  and  Sparta,  and  lives  at  the  latter  place. 

Edwai-d  Lind  was  elected  register  in  Novem- 
ber, 1873,  and  re-elected  in  1875.  He  was  a 
young  Norwegian  who  had  settled  in  the  town 
of  Harmony.  When  elected  to  office,  he  re- 
moved to  Viroqua,  and  remained  several  years 
when  he  went  to  Nebraska  where  he  still  lives. 

C.  C.  Oleson,  of  Viroqua,  succeeded  Mr.  Lind, 
being  elected  in  November,  1877. 

In  November,  1879,  J.  W.  Curry  was  elected 
register  of  deeds.  In  1881  he  was  re-elected, 
and  is  the  present  incumbent. 

John  W.  Curry,  register  of  deeds  of  Vernon 
county,  was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1840. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  among  the  hills  of 
southeastern  Ohio,  and  in  1862,  the  second  year 
of  the  civil  war,  he  enlisted  in  the  86th  regi- 
ment, Ohio  Volunteers,  serving  three  months. 
In  the  summer  of  1863  he  took  part  in  the  cap- 
ture of  Morgan's  famous  brigade,  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  came  to  Vernon  county, 
and  located  in  the  town  of  Webster.  In  March, 
1865,  he  enlisted  in  the  53d  regiment,  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteers,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  then  retui-ned  to  Vernon  county,  and 
from  that  period,  until  1879,  was  engaged  in 
farming  during  the  spring  and  summer  seasonB, 


256 


HISTOET  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  in  teaching  during  the  winter  months.  In 
1879  he  was  elected  to  his  present  position.  Mr. 
Curry  married  Harriet  Adams,  also  a  native  of 
Morgan  Co.,  Ohio.  They  have  one  son — 
Arthur  B. 

COUNTY    CLEEK    AND    CLERK    OF      CIRCUIT    COURT. 

For  several  years  after  the  organizaiion  of 
the  county  the  offices  of  county  clerk  and  clerk 
of  the  circuit  court  were  merged  together  and 
the  duties  of  botli  offices  were  performed  by 
one  official.  Orrin  Wisel  was  the  first  to  fill 
the  offices  for  Bad  Ax  county.  He  was  elected 
in  April,  1851.  W.  F.  Terhune  was  the  deputy 
and  did  all  the  business.  Orrin  Wisel  came  to 
Bad  Ax  county  from  the  eastern  part  of  the 
State  in  1849  and  settled  at  Liberty  Pole,  in  the 
town  of  Franklin.  In  1850  he  moved  to  Viro- 
qua,  and  here  opened  a  blacksmith  shop. 
Shortly  after  his  term  of  office  expired  he  went 
to  near  Readstown,  on  the  Kickapoo,  and  there 
remained — losing  his  wife  meantime — until  the 
war  broke  out,  when  lie  enlisted  in  a  cavalry 
regiment  and  went  into  the  service.  Upon  his 
return  from  the  army  he  married  his  brother's 
widow,  the  brother  having  died  in  the  service. 
Later  he  had  trouble  with  his  second  wife,  ac- 
cusing her  of  attempting  to  poison  himself  and 
children  by  his  first  wife,  and  he  refused  to  live 
with  her.  They  parted  and  he  removed  to 
Montana,  where,  it  is  reported,  he  has  since 
died.  Like  all  pioneers  Wisel  was  a  hale,  jovial, 
rollicking  fellow;  but  he  was  rude,  uncultured 
and  ignorant.  He  was  an  ardent  democrat  and 
this  fact  was  the  ground  upon  which  he  was 
elected  clerk. 

In  November,  1851,  William  C.  McMichael 
was  elected  to  succeed  Wisel  in  the  two  offices. 
In  November,  1853,  he  was  re-elected.  Mr. 
McMichael  was  born  in  Richhill,  Muskingum 
Co.,  Ohio.  He  removed  from  Ohio  March  4, 
1840,  and  subsequently  settled  in  Mercer  Co., 
111.,  where  on  the  10th  of  February,  1842,  he 
was  married  to  Eleinor  Graham,  daughter  of 
John  Graham,  afterward  of  Springville,  Vernon 
county.     In  the  month  of  October,  1846,  he  re- 


moved to  Bad  Ax  Co.,  Wis.  At  the  time  of 
his  removal,  however,  all  the  country  north  of 
the  Wisconsin  river  was  embraced  in  Crawford 
county.  About  1851  Mr.  McMichael  moved  to 
Viroqua  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  Feb.  18,  1861.  He  was  about  forty- 
two  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In 
speaking  of  Mr.  McMichael,  the  N'orthtoestern 
Times,  in  its  issue  of  Feb.  20,  1861,  said: 

"In  lo.sing  William  C.  McMichael  Bad  Ax 
county  has  lost  one  of  her  oldest  and  most  respect- 
ed citizens.  Having  held  numerous  offices  in  the 
county,  he  in  all  acquitted  himself  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  build  up  a  reputation  for  stern  in- 
tegrity. In  all  his  business  transactions  we 
have  never  known  him  to  be  accused  of  dishon- 
esty, and  few  men  have  lived  more  universally 
respected.  His  early  education  was  limited, 
but  he  had  improved  his  mind  and  enlarged  his 
understanding  by  reading,  and  he  took  a  deep 
interest  in  all  the  questions  of  the  day.  Natu- 
rally possessed  of  strong  percejJtive  faculties,he 
could,  perhaps,  to  a  greater  extent  than  most 
persons,  foresee  the  order  of  events,  and  be 
prepared  to  meet  them.  His  heart  was  a  benev- 
olent one,  and  his  mantle  of  charity  was 
broad;  and  suffering  humanity  never  appealed 
to  him  in  vain  for  aid.  He  was  strong  in  his 
att.achments  to  his  personal  friends,  but  all  who 
approached  him  were  received  with  kindness  of 
manner,  which  eminently  charactized  him.  He 
was  always  ready  to  take  an  active  part  in  what- 
ever concerned  the  village  of  Viroqua,  or  of 
Bad  Ax  county,  and  even  the  whole  Stale  of 
Wisconsin  was  embraced  in  his  warm  heart. 
Asa  professor  of  religion,  as  a  member  of  the 
Church,  as  a  citizen  in  our  community,  he  occu- 
pied a  conspicuous  position,  and  all  h.ave  been 
accustomed  to  look  to  him  for  advice,  counsel 
and  encouragement.  To-day  the  tomb  receives 
him  out  of  our  sight.  As  the  clods  of  the  val- 
ley fall  upon  his  coffin,  we  shall  feel  indeed 
that  we  are  burying  a  friend, one  in  whom  we  all 
had  an  interest.  But  though  a  man  die,  he 
shall  live  again,  and  we  will  not  forget  that  oux 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


85T 


friend  expressed  confidence  that  he  should  sleep 
in  Jesus,  who  is  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life. 
The  wife  that  is  left  to  mourn,  and  the  five  lit- 
tle children  that  are  left  fatherless,  shall  have 
our  sympathy,  our  aid,  and  our  prayers." 

Upon  the  expiration  of  William  C.  Mc- 
Michael's  second  term  the  two  offices  were 
divided,  and  an  officer  elected  to  attend  to  the 
duties  of  each  separately. 

CLEEK  OF   THE  CIRCUIT  COURT. 

William  C.  McMichael  was  elected  clerk  of 
the  circuit  court  in  September,  1855,  and  served 
for  two  years. 

John  R.  Casson  succeeded  Mr.  McMichael, 
being  elected  in  November,  1857,  and  serving  a 
like  term.     He  is  the  present  county  clerk. 

In  November,  1S59,  W.  S.  Purdy  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  circuit  court.  In  1861,  1863  and 
186.;  he  was  re-elected,  serving  eight  years  in 
all. 

H.  N.  Preus  succeeded  Mr.  Purdy,  by  the 
election  in  November,  1867,  and  served  one 
term.     He  afterwards  became  register  of  deeds. 

In  November,  1869,  P.  J.  Layne  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  circuit  court,  and  being  re-elected 
in  1871,  1873,  1875,  1877,  1879  and  1881,  is  the 
present  incumbent. 

P.  J.  Layne  is  the  efficient  clerk  of  the  cir- 
cuit court,  of  Vernon  county.  He  is  a  son  of 
James  H.  Layne,  who  came  to  Viroqua  in  the 
spring  of  1 854.  A  personal  sketch  of  this  worthy 
pioneer  will  be  found  in  this  work.  P.  J.  Layne 
was  born  in  Floyd  county  in  the  grand  old  com- 
monwealth of  Kentucky,  noted  for  its  fine  hor- 
ses, beautiful  women  and  large  quantity  and  ex- 
cellent quality  of  its  whiskey.  He  was  but  eight 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Wis- 
consin, and  he  was  mostly  reared  and  educated 
in  his  adopted  county.  When  a  young  man,  he 
was  elected  town  clerk,  and  served  as  such  a  num- 
ber of  terms.  In  the  fall  of  1869,  he  was  elected 
clerk  of  courts  of  Vernon  county,  and  his  long 
continuance  in  this  position  is  satisfactory  evi- 
dence of  his  ability  and  faithfulness  as  a  county 
officer.    la  1872  Mr  Layne  married  Alice  Gor. 


don,  born  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  and  daughter  of 
John  H.  Gordon,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Grant  county,  but  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Layne 
bore  her  husband  two  children,  and  departed 
this  life  in  1868.  His  present  wife  was  Alvira 
Meade,  a  native  of  Waukesha,  Wis.,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Meade.  She  is  the  mother  of  one 
child.  Mr.  Layne  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  for  years 
has  been  an  active  temperance  worker. 

COUNTY   CLERK     OK     CLERK     OF      THE      BOARD     OF 
SUPERVISORS, 

Upon  the  division  of  the  offices  of  county 
clerk  and  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  in  Septem- 
ber, 1855,  A.  K.  Burrell  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  county  clerk.  Mr.  Burrell  came  from  New 
York  in  1852  and  settled  upon  a  piece  of  school 
land  in  the  town  of  Viroqua,  south  of  the  village. 
He  tried  to  farm  but  soon  gave  it  up  and  moved 
to  the  village.  After  serving  his  term  of 
office  he  was  deputy  sheriff  for  some  time;  then 
went  into  the  office  of  Graham  &  Terhune  to 
read  law,  and  was  elected  and  served  one  term 
as  justice  of  the  peace.  In  1875  he  went  to 
Kansas  where  he  again  tried  farming  but  soon 
gave  it  up  and  is  now  in  the  grocery  trade  at 
Hutchinson. 

Samuel  McKitrick  was  elected  county  clerk  in 
November,  1857,  and  served  two  years.  Sam- 
uel McKitrick  came  from  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1856  and  settled  with  his  family  in  the  village  of 
Viroqua.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  builder.  He 
lost  his  first  wife,  and  married  his  second  wife 
in  Viroqua,  remaining  until  about  1861  when  he 
went  to  La  Crosse  and  there  followed  his  trade. 
Subsequently  he  returned  to  Vernon  county  and 
settled  at  Readstown,  where  he  started  a  little 
steam  saw  mill.     He  has  since  moved  west. 

John  M.  Bennett  was  elected  county  clerk  in 
November,  1859,  and  being  re  elected  several 
times  served  until  Jan.  1,  1867.  John  M. 
Bennett,  now  of  Viroqua,  settled  in  the  town  of 
Hillsborough  in  1856.  He  was  born  at  Stock- 
bridge,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  where  he  lived  until 
he  settled  in  Vernon  county.     Mr.  Bennelt  waa 


258 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


brought  up  on  a  farm  also  teaching  school  while 
a  young  man.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Ver- 
non Legislature  in  1858-9.  He  has  lived  in  Ver- 
non county  since  1856,  except  two  seasons  spent 
in  Minnesota  and  two  years  spent  in  Juneau  Co., 
Wis.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Lucia  Thomas, 
she  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.  They 
have  four  children:  Harriet,  wife  of  William 
Mutch;  Mrs  Cornelia  Williams;  William  T.,  of 
Hastings,  Minn.,  and  J.  M.  Jr.,  of  Dakota  terri- 
tory. 

In  November,  1866,  John  R.  Casson  was 
elected  county  clerk.  He  has  been  re-elected 
seven  times— in  1869,  1871,  1873,  1875,  1877, 
1879  and  1881,  and  is  the  present  incumbent, 
having  served  the  county  a  greater  number  of 
years  than  any  other  man  who  has  ever  held 
office  here. 

John  R.  Casson  was  first  elected  county  clerk 
in  November,  1866,  and  has  served  continu- 
ously in  that  capacity  since  Jan.  1,  1867.  Mr. 
Casson  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  March  2, 
1833.  His  parents,  Henry  and  Mary  Casson, 
removed  with  their  family  to  Brownsville, 
Penn.,  in  the  summer  of  1833,  and  in  1848 
again  sought  a  new  home,  this  time  in  the  "far 
west."  'Jhey  located  at  Hennepin,  Putnam 
Co.,  111.,  where  the  father,  brother  and  sister 
still  live ;  the  mother  died  in  1872.  When 
thirteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Casson  obtained  em- 
ployment as  a  clerk,  and  was  engaged  alter- 
nately in  clerking  and  attending  school  for 
some  years.  He  finally  went  to  Freeport,  111., 
and  a  short  time  after,  in  December,  1854, 
came  to  Viroqua.  He  was  employed  as  a  clerk 
until  August,  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  com- 
panj-  A,  25th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  com- 
pany, Mr.  Casson  was  made  2d  sergeant ;  was 
promoted  to  a  2d  lieutenantcy  Sept.  J  3,  1862  ; 
elected  as  1st  lieutenant,  Jan.  20,  1864,  and 
chosen  as  captain  of  his  company  April  11, 
1865.  He  participated  in  all  the  skirmishes 
and  battles  of  '"the  25th,"  "and  with  Sherman 
marched  down  to  the  sea."    He  formed  one  in 


that  glorious  review  of  western  troops  at  Wash- 
ington, at  the  close  of  the  rebellion,  and  was 
mustered  out  of  service  June  7,  1865.  He  re- 
turned to  Vernon  county,  and  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  J.  H.  Tate,  as  a  clerk,  from  Sep- 
tember, 1865,  till  December,  1866.  In  the  fall 
of  the  latter  year  he  was  elected  to  his  present 
position,  and  his  character  and  actions  as  a 
citizen,  a  soldier,  and  a  public  official,  have 
won  for  him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the 
community  and  the  county  at  large.  Mr.  Cas- 
son married  Lydia  A.,  daughter  of  Dr.  E.  W. 
Tinker,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  children 
— Harry  I.,  a  clerk  in  the  pension  department 
of  the  United  States,  at  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
Lulu  E.,  wife  of  A  W.  Campbell,  of  the  law 
firm  of  Harris  &  Campbell,  Aberdeen,  Dak. ; 
William  E.  and  John  E. — all  natives  of  Viroqua. 

SHERIFF. 

Rufus  Gillett  was  the  first  sheriff  of  the 
county,  being  elected  in  April,  1851.  Riifus 
Gillett  came  from  Illinois,  in  1847,  and  settled 
upon  a  farm  in  township  13,  range  4,  now  the 
town  of  Viroqua.  He  remained  upon  the  place 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  a  few  years  ago, 
and  his  widow  still  survives  him.  Mr.  Gillett 
was  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  integrity. 
He  held  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 

James  M.  Bailey  was  elected  sheriff  in 
November,  1851,  and  re-elected  in  November, 
1853.  Bailey  was  a  Kentuckian  by  birth,  but 
came  to  Bad  Ax  county,  from  Grant  Co.,  Wis., 
where  he  had  been  engaged  at  mining.  He 
settled  upon  land  on  West  Prairie,  which  is 
now  included  in  the  town  of  Sterling.  About 
1873  he  removed  to  near  Victory,  in  the  town 
of  Wheatland,  where  he  still  lives. 

In  September,  1855,  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk  was 
elected  sheriff  and  served  for  two  years.  He 
is  the  present  governor  of  Wisconsin. 

William  P.  Clark  succeeded  J.  M.  Rusk  as 
sheriff,  being  elected  in  November,  1857.  Clark 
was  a  relative  of,  and  came  from  the  same 
place    as    did  J.    M.   Bailey.     He,  also,  settled 


/^.^  ?^^  .i^d.^ 


*STOR,  tENOK  *N«> 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


261 


upon  West  Prairie,  and  remained  until  about 
the  time  the  war  broke  out,  when  he  removed 
to  Victory.  In  1882  he  went  to  Tomah,  Wis., 
where  he  still  lives. 

By  the  November  election,  1859,  William 
Goode  succeeded  Mr.  Clark.  Goode  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky.  He  came  to  Bad  Ax  county 
from  Illinois,  in  1852,  and  located  upon  land  in 
township  13,  range  5  west.  He  was  a  single 
man  at  the  time,  but  married  within  a  few 
years.  Several  years  later  he  bought  the  old 
Decker  place,  which  was  the  original  site  of 
the  village,  and  moved  to  Viroqua.  He  re- 
mained in  Viroqua  until  a  short  time  before 
the  war  broke  out,  when  he  removed  to  Mel- 
vina,  Monroe  county,  where  he  still  lives. 
Goode  was  a  prominent  man  in  early  days,  and 
held  various  offices  of  trust. 

Lewis  Sterling  was  elected  sheriff  in  Novem- 
ber, 1861,  and  served  two  years.     Mr.    Steiling 
was  also  a  Kentuckian,  and    one  of  the  earliest 
pioneers   of    western    Wisconsin.     He    located 
upon    a   piece   of  land   on   West   Prairie,    now 
included  in  the   town  of  Sterling,  which    town 
was    named   after  the    family   of    that    name. 
Lewis   Sterling   remained  upon  Ihe  land  which 
he  first  selected  until  after  tlie  close  of  the  war, 
when  he  sold   out   and    removed    to  Cass  Co., 
Mo.,  where  he  still  lives.     He  was  a  man  of  a 
great  deal  more  than  ordinary  ability  and  intel- 
ligence.    In    fact,    in    pioneer    days,    he    was 
among  the   most  prominent  men  in  the  county. 
C.  E.  Rogers  was  elected    sheriff  in   Novem- 
ber, 1863.     Mr.  Rogers  was  born  in  Wayne  Co., 
Penn.,  in  1834.     In  1840  he  came  west  to  Wis- 
consin and   settled  at  Ontario,  now    in    Vernon 
county,  where  he  was  subsequently  engaged  in 
milling.     When  the  war  broke   out  he  enlisted 
in    company    I,  6th    Wisconsin    regiment,  and 
became    lieutenant,    serving    as    aid     to    Gen. 
Wadsworth'     In  the    summer  of  1863,   he    re- 
signed, came  home  and  was  elected  sheriff.    He 
soon   abandoned  the   office,  raised   a   company 
for  the   50th    regiment,  and  went  into  the  ser- 
vice as  capUin.     In  J  see  he  was  mustered  out 


and  settled  at  Monomonee,  Wis.  He  now 
lives  at  Chij^pewa  Falls,  where  he  is  foreman 
for  the  Mississippi  Valley  Lumber  Company. 
C.  E.  Rogers  was  married  in  1856  to  Emily 
Tuttle.     They  have  seven  children. 

In  November,  1865,  Capt.  R.  S.  McMichael 
was  elected  sheriff  and  served  for  two  years. 
He  is  the  present  postmaster  at  Viroqua,  and  is 
noticed  elsewhere  at  length. 

T.  B.  Brown  succeeded  Capt.  McMichael  as 
sheriff,  being  elected  in  November,  1867.  Mr. 
Brown  came  from  Ohio  in  1854  and  settled 
upon  a  farm  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Green- 
wood, Vernon  county.  Subsequently  he  moved 
to  Viroqua,  where  he  lived  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1881.  Mr.  Brown 
was  among  the  most  respected  of  old  settlers. 
He  was  a  prominent  man  ;  ran  the  postoffice 
during  the  war,  and  served  as  sheriff  of  the 
county  more  years  than  any  other  man  who  has 
ever  filled  the  office. 

In.  November,    1869,    W.    W.    Lowrie     was 
elected  sheriff.     YT.  W.  Lowrie  came  from  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  in  1855  located  upon  a 
piece    of  land    in    the  town  of  Jefferson,  Ver- 
non   county.      He  was    a  single   man    at    the 
time,   but   later    married   Mrs.    Shaw.     When 
he   was  elected    to    office  he    moved    to     town, 
where    his    home    remained     until    the    time 
of  liis  death,    which   occurred   while  he  was  at 
LaCrosse,  Sept.  19,  ISIO.     His  disease  was  con- 
tracted while  he   was  in   the  array.     He   had  a 
gallant    soldier's     record.      He     was    in    the 
Chicago  board  of  trade  battery.     At   Shiloh  he 
was  the  only  man  who    stayed  uninjured    with 
the  guns,  and  with   the   repulse   of  the    enemy, 
he  arose,  and  without  any  help  loaded  a  cannon 
and  sent  a  shot  flying  after  the  rebels. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lowrie,  deputy  sheriff 
Nathan  Coe,  of  Viroqua,  became  sheriff  ex- 
officio  until  the  November  election,  1870,  when 
he  was  elected  for  'he  balance  of  the  term. 

In  November,  1871,  T  B.  Brown  was  again 
elected  sheriff,  and  served  for    three   years,  the 


le 


262 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


law  at  this  time  being  changed  so  that  sheriffs 
were  thereafter  to  be  elected  in  "  even  years." 
Alexander  Lowrie  succeeded  Mr.  Brown, 
being  elected  in  November,  1874.  He  was  a 
brother  of  the  former  sheriff,  W.  W.  Lowrie  ; 
came  here  with  the  old  folks  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Jefferson,  where  Alexander  made  his 
home  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred a  few  years  ago.  He  was  an  excellent 
citizen  and  made  a  faithful  and  satisfactory 
official. 

Ill  November,  1876,  Calvin  E.  Morley  was 
elected  sheriff  and  served  one  term.  Calvin 
E.  Morley  was  born  in  Irving,  Chautauqua  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  12,  1843.  His  parents  came  west 
in  1858,  settling  in  the  town  of  Franklin,  Ver- 
non, then  Bad  Ax  county.  In  February,  1862, 
he  enlisted  in  company  C,  19th  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  three 
years  and  four  months.  On  the  27th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1871,  he  was  married  to  Louisa  J.  Bliss, 
daughter  of  Hon.  Albert  Bliss.  In  1879  Mr. 
Morley  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  but 
owing  to  failing  health,  in  1880  he  sold  out  and 
accepted  a  position  as  traveling  salesman  for 
Ricker,  Crombie  &  Co.,  of  Milwaukee.  On  the 
16th  of  April,  1883,  he  was  appointed  aid-de- 
camp, with  the  rank  of  colonel,  on  the  staff  of 
Gov.  J.  M.  Rusk. 

James  H.  Hewey,  of  Viroqua,  was  elected 
Sheriff  in  November,  1878,  and  served  for  one 
term.  He  is  now  proprietor  of  a  livery  at  Vi- 
roqua, and  also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Russell 
&  Hewey,  dealers  in  agricultural  implements. 
He  was  born  in  Kennebec  Co.,  Maine,  in  1830, 
and  in  1855,  located  at  Janesville,  Wis.  The 
year  following  he  came  to  Bergen  town,  in  this 
county,  where  he  purchased  land.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering  on 
tlic  Black  river,  and  subsequently  owned  a 
wagon  shop  at  Chaseburg  for  five  years.  Dur- 
ing the  war  he  served  one  year  as  a  member  of 
company  L,  1st  Wisconsin  Heavy  Artillery.  In 
1877,  he  became  a  resident  of  Viroqua,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1879  was   elected  sheriff  of  Vernon 


county,  serving  in  that  capacity  one  term.  Mr. 
Hewey  enjoys  a  very  fair  trade,  both  in  the 
livery  and  implement  business.  He  married 
Phebe  Davis,  a  daughter  of  Jesse  Davis,  who 
lost  his  life  by  drowning,  in  1855.  Mrs.  Davis 
and  family  came  to  Vernon  county  after  the 
death  of  her  husband,  and  settled  in  Bergen 
township.  She  now  resides  in  La  Crosse,  Wis. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hewey  are  the  parents  of  three 
children,  two  living — Hannah  and  Effie.  Ida 
died  April  26,  1865. 

Frank  A.  Wallar,  succeeded    Mr.  Hewey    as 
sheriff  being  elected  in  November,    1880.     He 
came  here  with  his  parents  in   1854,  from  Ohio 
and  settled  in  the  town  of  Sterling.     Later  they 
moved  to  the  town  of  Genoa.     When    he    was 
elected  sheriff,  he  moved  to  Viroqua,  where  he 
lived  until  the  spring  of  1883    when    he  moved 
to  Spink  Co.,  D.  T.,  where  he  still  lives.     Mr. 
Wallar  was  in  the   service  as  lieutenant  of  com- 
pany I,  6th  Wisconsin.     The  following  mention 
of  his  army  record  was  made  by   Maj.  Earl  M. 
Rogers  :     "  Lieutenant  F.  A.  Wallar,   the  only 
soldier  who  never  missed  a  'battle  or  a  meal,' 
mustered    out   with    the    company  after     four 
years  of  active  service,    as    brave   a   soldier   as 
ever  fought  in  the  ranks.     In  the  charge  at  Get- 
tysburg July  1,  1863,  on  the  rebel  General  Arch- 
er's brigade,  in  the  railroad  cut  where  the   fight 
was  hand  to  hand, Wallar  sprang  into  rebel  ranks 
seized  the  colors  of  the  2d  Mississippi  regiment, 
wrenched   them    from  the   hands   of  the   color 
bearer,  and    jumped  back   to   the  ranks  of  his 
own  company  with  his  trophy  of  war.     For  that 
act   of  conspicuous   gallantry,    example    of  un- 
daunted bravery,    courage   and    coolness,  Con- 
gress, by  a  joint  resolution  voted  him    a    medal 
of  honor,  which  was  presented   to  him  in   pres- 
ence of  the  brigade,  in  February,  1865." 

In  November,  1882,  S.  R.  Pollard  was  elected 
sheriff  of  Vernon  county,  and  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent. He  was  born  in  1841,  at  Newark 
township,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  enlisted  Feb. 
22,  1862,  at  Binghampton,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  the  16th  New  York  Battery,  an  independent 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


263 


regiment,  serving  three  years  in  tlie  armj.  He 
participated  in  both  attacks  on  Fort  Fisher,  was 
at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  and  was  in 
front  of  Petersburg  during  Grant's  siege  of 
that  city.  Mr.  Pollard  was  married  in  1S65  to 
Amanda  Bullard,  born  in  New  York  State.  He 
came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1866,  locating  in 
Franklin  township,  and  engaging  in  farming 
until  elected  sheriff.  During  the  re-union  of 
the  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  organization  Mr.  Pollard 
is  a  member,  Sept.  4,  18B2,  at  Viroqua,  he 
lost  liis  arm  by  an  accident.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pollard  have  two  children — Dora  B.,  born  May 
30,  1866,  and  Mancil  E.,  born  in  March,  1870. 

COU.NTY    SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS. 

When  the  county  of  Bad  Ax  was  organized, 
the  oducalional  system  of  Wisconsin  differed 
much  from  that  of  the  present  day.  Then  each 
civil  town  had  a  superintendent  of  schools. 
In  the  winter  of  1860-1  the  Legislature 
abolished  the  old  system,  and  created  the  office 
of  the  county  superintendent  of  schools. 

While  the  county  was  organized  as  the  civil 
town  of  Bad  Ax,  the  first  town  superintendent 
was  Michael  Ilinkst.  He  «  as  sncccedcd  by  ^^^ 
F.  Terhune. 

Tlie  first  county  superintendent  of  schools 
wa-;  Uev.  L.  L.  Radcliff,  who  was  elected  in 
Ncivcmber,  1861.  He  came  to  Viroqua  as  a 
Congregational  preacher  ;  he  was  a  thoroughly 
educated,  industiious,  methodical  man  and  made 
a  good  superintendent.  Upon  him,  as  the  first 
snpcrintendent,  devolved  the  hard  task  of  in- 
augurating and  setting  in  motion  the  wheels  of 
the  new  system. 

In  November,  186-3,  Hartwell  Allen,  of  the 
town  of  Harmony,  was  elected  county  superin- 
tendent. He  was  re-elected  in  1865,  serving 
until  Jan.  1,  1868. 

In  November,  186T,  T.  J.  Shear,  of  Hillsbor- 
ough, was  elected  to  succeed  Mr.  Allen,  and 
served  one  term. 

J.  N.  Wright  was  elected  in  November,  1869, 
and  served  two  years.  Mr.  Wright  came  to 
Vernon  county  at  an  early  day  from  Oh'  o,  and 


located  in  the  town  of  Webster.  He  was  a 
school  teacher  by  profession  and  taught  school 
in  various  parts  of  the  county.  A  few  years 
ago  he  removed  to  one  of  the  northern  Wiscon- 
sin counties. 

Succeeding  Mr.  Wright,  Hartwell  Allen  was 
again  elected  and  served  another  term  as  super- 
nte  ndent. 

In  November,  1873,  O.  B.  Wyman  was  elect- 
ed county  superintendent.  In  1875  and  1877 
he  was  re-elected,  serving  in  all  six  years.  He 
is  now  district  attorney  for  Vernon  county. 

William  Haughton  succeeded  Mr.  Wyman, 
being  elected  in  November,  1879,  and  re-elected 
in  1881.  William  Haughton  moved  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Wisconsin  in  the  year  1865  from  western 
Canada,  whei-e  his  parents  had  settled  with  a 
large  family  while  he  was  still  a  boy.  Brought 
up  on  a  farm  with  an  only  brother  two  years 
younger  than  himself,  his  thoughts  turned 
rather  to  books  than  to  the  plow.  By  wood 
and  lake  and  breezy  hills  he  became  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  poetry  and  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen was  a  com  ributor  to  a  local  paper  published 
at  Barrie  on  the  shores  of  the  beautiful  lake 
Simcoe,  north  of  the  city  of  Toronto.  Soon 
after  he  wrote  for  the  Morning  Chronicle^  of 
Quebec,  and  for  the  Times  ol  Owen  Sound,  on 
the  borders  of  Huron,  in  Grey  county,  occa^ion- 
ally  finding  a  welcome  and  a  corner  in  Gra- 
ham's and  other  American  magazines,  always 
writing  under  the  nmn  de  i^hnne  of  Sylvicola, 
or  the  Woodsman.  As  his  parents  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  England,  whose  gorgeous 
liturgy  captivated  his  young  heart,  he  prepared 
himself  both  by  home  study  under  the  direc- 
tion and  assistance  of  the  pastor  of  his 
Church,  and  by  the  aid  of  public  schools  for  the 
ministry  of  the  establishinent.  While  yet 
young  he  became  a  fair  classical  and  mathemati- 
cal scholar  and  soon  began  the  study  of  theol- 
ogy. Circumstances,  however,  prevented  his 
entering  the  ministry  of  the  Church  of  England. 

Instead  thereof  he  married  the  girl  of  his 
heart's  choice,  whom  he  had  known  from  child- 


264 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


hood,  and  ere  he  was  yet  twenty-one  or  she  sev- 
enteen years  old  they  took  upon  themselves  the 
cares  and  burdens  of  housekeeping,  settling  in 
western  Canada,  where  he  taught  school  and 
gave  private  instructions  for  a  living.  He  has 
never  had  cause  to  regret  his  early  marriage. 
His  companion  has  been  a  faithful  and  loving 
wife  through  all  these  years;  at  this  writing  the 
mother  of  twelve 'children,  four  boys  and  eight 
girls.  Three  of  the  tmmber  sleep,  and  nine 
are  living.  One  girl  is  married  to  Henry 
Carson,  Jr.,  of  the  Viroqua  Censor;  another  to 
Theodore  Brown,  of  Canada,  but  who  now 
resides  near  Viroqua;  and  one  has  been  for 
some  years  a  teacher  in  the  graded  schools  of 
Viroqua. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Haughton  settled  in 
Wisconsin  the  year  of  Lincoln's  martyrdom  in 
1865.  He  loved  America  long  before  he  came 
to  it.  He  wrote  of  her  liberties  and  noble  in- 
stitutions, and  at  last  received  a  welcome  and  a 
home  in  the  land  he  loved.  Soon  after  coming 
he  published  the  lines  that  have  since  appeared 
in  book  form  under  the  caption  of  Ad  Meam 
Musam,  which  perhaps  we  will  be  pardoned  in 
reproducing  here: 

Come  my  old  harp,  in  other  days 
We  trilled  some  wild  and  stirring  lays, 
Though  rude  our  songs,  yet  full  and  free 
We  poured  untaught  our  minstrelsy; 
And  there  were  hearts  that  heard  and  felt 
Our  music  oft  could  soothe  and  melt; 
Could  fall  entranced  on  beauty's  ear. 
And  wake  the  sigh  and  win  the  tear. 
Through  Kippel's  shades — by  Huron's  strand — 
I  swept  thee  with  inspiring  hand; 
By  Elva's  lonely  stream  I  gave 
Thy  music  to  the  trembling  wave. 

Here  still  the  morn  thy  songs  invite. 
The  parting  eve— The  starry  night — 
The  fragraut  vale— The  leafy  hill. 
The  lake,  the  mountain  and  the  rill. 
Here  where  Itasca's  gorgeous  lake 
With  glory  burns— awake — awake! 
Where  Mississippi's  waters  roll 
Are  scenes  to  warm  and  nerve  the  soul. 
We  love  the  land  whose  kindly  breast 
A  welcome  gave  and  bade  us  rest. 


Her  patriot  songs,  her  birds  and  flowers, 
Her  mountains  and  her  lakes  and  ours. 
No  stranger  wanders  to  her  heart 
Then  longs  to  leave  it  aiid  depart. 
Her  generous  grasp  is  round  him  thrown 
She  wins  and  wears  him  as  her  own. 
O,  heaven  blessed  land!  from  sea  to  sea, 
From  isle  to  isle  they  throng  to  thee — 
They  come  thy  noblest  boons  to  share — 
Enough  for  all,  and  yet  to  spare. 

In  boyhoods  years  we  loved  to  tell 
Of  how  her  heroes  fought  and  fell; 
How  met  the  dark  oppressors  pride — 
Beat  back  his  hosts  and  conquering  died. 
We  loved  to  trace  her  history  o'er, 
And  longed  to  tread  her  sacred  shore; 
To  feel  the  liberty  she  gave 
And  find  near  her  great  heart  a  grave. 
For  me,  when  I  her  name  forget^ 
The  welcome  on  these  shores  I  met — 
May  I  an  ingrate,  wandering  roam, 
An  outcast  from  the  joys  of  home. 

Mr.  Haughton  moved  from  La  Crosse  county 
to  Newton,  in  Vernon  county,  in  I8'i'2,  where  he 
took  charge  of  the  Harmony  Baptist  Church, 
and  where  he  accepted  ordination  to  the  minis- 
try. In  the  fall  of  the  following  year,  he  took 
charge  of  the  Viroqua  Graded  School,  and  af- 
terward, of  the  High  School,  of  which  schools 
he  continued  in  charge  for  four  years.  For 
some  eight  years  he  served  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Viroqua,  as  acting  pastor,  giving  up 
that  charge  in  1881.  He  has  by  continued  and 
close  attention  to  his  duties,  won  the  good  will 
and  confidence  of  the  public,  laboring  amongst 
the  schools  during  the  week  days  and  preach- 
ing at  some  point  on  Sundays,  when  Churches 
and  people  are  in  need  of,  and  willing  to  hear 
the  gospel.  For  several  years,  he  was  a  con- 
tributor to  the  Viroqua  Censor,  and  from  which 
office  a  small  collection  of  some  of  his  poems 
were  given  the  public  in  book  form.  He  con- 
tinued for  many  years  to  write  for  the  Canadian 
papers  and  is  State  contributor  to  the  Milwau- 
kee Wisco7isin,  where  he  is  retained  upon  the 
staff  of  correspondents  to  that  widely  circula- 
ted and  very  popular  publication.  Mr.  Haugh- 
toQs  heart  and  soul  are  eolisted  in  the  cause  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


265 


education  and  this  fact  eiiables  him  to  be  a  faith- 
ful servant  of  the  public,  which  has  seen  fit  to 
continue  him  so  far  in  his  present  work  and  for 
which  his  early  training  and  predelictions  fit 
him. 

COUNTY    SUEVETOK 

Samuel  McMichael  was  the  first  surveyor  of 
Bad  Ax  county,  being  elected  at  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  county  in  April,  1851.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1851,  and  again  in  1853,  he  was  re-elected. 
Samuel  McMichael  was  born  in  Crawford  Co., 
Penn.,  in  1815,  and  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1850  he  came  west 
with  his  family  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
settled  at  Springville,  in  the  town  of  Jeflferson. 
There  he  lived  until  1854,  when  he  moved  to 
Viroqua,  which  place  remained  his  home  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  When  the  war  broke 
out  he  enlisted  in  company  C,  18th  regiment, 
Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and  was  taken  prisoner 
at  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862,  with  Prentiss' division. 
He  was  placed  in  the  rebel  prison  at  Macon, 
Ga.,  and  died  on  the  27th  of  June,  1862 
Samuel  McMichael  was  a  much  respected  man 
among  the  pioneers,  and  his  sad  death  was 
widely  mourned  in  Vernon  county. 

In  September,  1855,  W.  F.  Beavers  was 
elected  surveyor,  but  only  served  a  short  time 
when  he  died  and  Samuel  McMichael  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  thus  occasioned. 
Beavers  came  from  Indiana  in  1S53,  and  settled 
at  Springville,  in  the  town  of  Jefferson.  He 
was  a  professional  surveyor,  following  that  busi- 
ness for  a  living.  He  was  well  thought  of  by 
all  who  knew  him,  and  gave  excellent  satisfac- 
tion as  a  surveyor. 

Samuel  McMichael  was  elected  in  November, 
1856,  to  serve  out  the  balance  of  Beavers' 
term. 

In  November,  1857,  Green  Spurrier  was 
elected  surveyor  and  served  one  term.  Mr. 
Spurrier  came  from  Ohio  in  1854,  and  settled 
with  his  family  at  Viroqua.  He  was  a  profes- 
sional surveyor.  He  remained  at  Viroqua  until 
during  the  war,  when  he  moved  to  near  Sparta, 


Monroe  county,  and  died  there  in  1881.  He 
was  a  pleasant,  social  fellow,  quite  a  politician 
and  made  many  friends  here. 

Lemuel  Joseph  was  elected  surveyor  in 
November,  1859,  and  was  re-elected  in  1861 
and  1863,  serving  six  years.  He  came  here 
with  his  family  from  Ohio,  in  1855,  and  settled 
upon  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Webster.  He 
lived  there  until  he  died,  about  1873. 

B.  S.  Moore,  of  Readstown,  succeeded  Lem- 
uel Joseph,  as  surveyor.  He  was  elected  in 
November,  1865,  and  served  one  term. 

H.  C.  Joseph  became  a  surveyor  by  virtue  of 
the  election  in  November,  1867.  He  was  a  son 
of  the  former  surveyor,  Samuel  Joseph.  He 
remained  upon  his  father's  farm  until  about 
1876,  when  he  removed  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and 
is  now  engaged  in  farming  near  that  place.  He 
was  an  excellent  citizen,  conscientious  and  hon- 
orable in  all  of  his  dealings  with  men. 

In  November,  1869,  I.  F.  Thorp,  of  the  town 
of  Jeflferson,  was  elected  surveyor  and  served 
one  term..  I.  F.  Thorp  became  a  resident  of 
Vernon  county  in  the  fall  of  1856,  and  has  since 
resided  in  Jefferson  township.  He  was  born 
May  1,  1832,  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio,  his  p  r- 
ents  being  Morgan  and  Mary  A.  Thorp. 
When  eight  years  old  he  was  left  motherless, 
and  resided  until  fifteen  years  of  age  with 
Daniel  Murphy,  a  farmer,  at  which  time  he 
began  life  for  himself.  He  subsequently 
worked  for  different  parties,  at  various  employ- 
ments, attending  school  at  intervals,  and  thus 
obtaining  a  good  education.  In  1854  he  was 
married  to  Mary  E.  Joseph,  and  two  yeais  later 
came  to  Wisconsin,  making  the  trip  with  a 
team.  His  wife  died  in  the  fall  of  1866,  leav- 
ing one  daughter — Sarah,  who  died  July  4,  1879. 
In  the  spring  of  1857  Mr.  Thorp  and  Archibald 
Morrison  succeeded  John  M.  Goldrich  in  the 
manufacture  of  fanning  mills.  They  continued 
in  partnership  one  season,  since  which  time  Mr. 
Thorp  has  given  his  attention  to  farming.  He  is 
a  republican,  and  has  held  the  office  of  township 
clerk,  was  county  surveyor  two   terms,  and  has 


266 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  several 
years. 

B.  S.  Moore,  of  Readstown,  succeeded  Mr. 
Thorp  and  served  oue  term. 

In  November,  1873,  I.  F.  Thorp  was  again 
elected  surveyor. 

Egbert  Wyman,  of  Hillsborough,  was  elected 
.surveyor  in  November,  1875,  and  served  two 
years.  He  is  now  reading  law  in  the  office  of 
Rusk  &  Wyman  at  Viroqua. 

W.  H.  Knower,  of  Genoa,  was  elected  in  No- 
vember, 1877,  and  being  re-elected  in  1879  and 
1881,  is  the  present  surveyor.  Mr.  Knower  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  county  since  1855.  He 
was  born  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  in  1830,  and  lived 
there  until  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  when  he 
went  to  the  city  of  New  York  with  his  parents. 
He  received  a  good  education  and  was  engaged 
in  teaching  many  years,  both  before  and  since  he 
came  west.  He  first  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1850, 
but  returned  to  Brooklyn  and  engaged  in  busi- 
ness. In  1855  he  came  west  to  stay.  He  was 
married  in  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  to  Mary  Elliott. 
They  have  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

COUNTY  JUDGE. 

Thomas  J.  De  Frees  was  the  first  county 
judge  of  Bad  Ax  county.  He  was  elected  upon 
the  organization  of  the  county  in  April,  1851, 
and  served  four  years. 

Hon.  William  F.  Terhuue,  of  Viroqua,  suc- 
ceeded T.  J.  De  Frees  as  county  judge.  He 
was  elected  in  September,  1855. 

In  April,  1858,  Hon.  James  E.  Newell,  of  Vir- 
oqua, was  elected  county  judge,  serving  a  term 
of  four  years. 

Hon. Carson  Graham  succeeded  Judge  Newell. 
He  was  elected  in  April,  1861,  and  re-elected  in 
April,  1865,  serving  eight  years. 

In  April,  1860,  Hon.  W^illiam  S.  Purdy,  of 
Viroqua,  was  elected  county  judge. 

Through  the  election  of  county  judge,  in 
April,  1873,  there  arose  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant lawsuits  that  has  ever  been  decided  by  the 
supreme  court  of  Wiiconsin.  The  candidates 
for  county  judge    were    William  S.  Purdy,  the 


incumbent,  and  James  E.  Newell.  Mr.  Purdy 
received  1,217  votes  and  Mr.  Newell  1,240,  a 
majority  for  the  latter  of  twenty-three  votes. 
The  salary  of  the  county  judge  had  been  fixed 
at  $1,000  per  annum,  by  the  board  of  supervi- 
sors. During  the  campaign  J.  E.  Newell  pub- 
lished a  card  addressed  to  the  voters,  stating 
that  he  would  attend  to  the  duties  of  the  office 
for  the  sum  of  1600  per  annum.  After  the  result 
of  the  election  was  declared,  Mr.  Purdy  refused 
to  give  up  the  office.  Both  parties  claimed  to 
be  elected,  and  both  filed  the  official  oath  and 
bond  required  by  law.  Whereupon  an  action  in 
the  nature  of  qiio  warranto  was  brought  in  the 
supreme  court  by  the  attorney  general  at  the 
relation  of  J.  E.  Newell,  to  determine  which  of 
the  parties  had  been  elected  to  the  office.  The 
grounds  upon  which  the  plaintiff,  or  relator, 
stood,  was  that  he  had  received  a  majority  of 
twenty-three  votes  over  his  opponent,  and  was 
therefore  entitled  to  the  office.  The  defendant, 
W.  S.  Purdy,  based  his  defens*  upon  the  ground 
that  the  offer  of  J.  E.  Newell  to  perform  the 
work  of  the  office  for  $600,  and  thus  donate 
$400  to  the  county,  was  a  species  of  bribery  and 
tended  to  a  corruption  of  the  ballot  box.  He 
further  named  100  voters  and  tax  payers  who 
it  was  claimed  "intended  to  vote  for  the  defend- 
ant, but  were  unlawfully  and  wrongfully  induced 
by  said  corrupt  offers  of  the  relator,  J.  E.  Newell, 
to  change  their  purpose  and  vote  for  said  relator." 
The  points,  made  in  the  argument,  supporting 
the  grounds  taken  by  the  defense  were  :  "I.  It 
is  bribery  to  pay  money  to  a  voter  or  to  prom- 
ise him  money  or  any  other  pecuniary  consider- 
ation whereby  he  is  induced  to  vote,  or  to  for- 
bear voting,  or  whereby  he  is  induced  to  vote 
for  a  particular  candidate.  2.  Though  the  offer 
here  was  to  pay  the  county,  and  not  the  voters 
directly,  yet  it  was  an  offer  of  pecuniary  benefit 
to  the  voter  and  tax  payer  by  diminished  taxa- 
tion if  he  would  vote  for  the  relator  and  secure 
his  election.  3.  All  votes  obtained  by  the  pe- 
cuniary inducement  offered  by  the  relator  are 
illegal  and  must  be  disregarded  by  the  court  in 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


267 


this  action."  After  a  lengthy  argument  the  su- 
preme court  decided  in  favor  the  defendant,  and 
held  that  W.  S.  Purdy  was  entitled  to  the  office 
of  county  judge  of  Vernon  county  for  another 
four  years. 

In  April,  1877,  Hon.  C.  M.  Butt,  of  Viroqua, 
was  elected  county  judge.  In  April,  18(^1,  he 
was  re-elected. 

The  gentlemen  who  have  held  the  office  of 
county  judge,  having  all  been  lawyers,  are 
treated  at  length  in  the  bar  chapter. 

DISTEICT   ATTORNEY. 

As  all  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  held  this 
office  are  treated  at  length  in  the  chapter 
devoted  to  the  bar,  in  this  connection  it  will 
only  be  necessary  to  give  their  names  and  the 
years  in  which  they  were  elected  : 

Lorenzo  A.  Pierce,  1851;  T.  J  DeFrees,185T, 
1855;  Ro^al  C.  Bierce,  1857;  C.  M.  Butt,  1859; 
W.  F.  Terhune,  1861;  D.  B.  Priest,  1863,  1S65; 
J.  E.  Newell,  1867;  Carson  Graham,  1869;C.  M. 
Butt,1871,  1873;  H.  P.  Proctor,  1875,  1877, 1879; 
O.  B.  Wyman,  1881. 

CORONER. 

This  office  was  not  filled  at  the  organization 
of  the  county.  From  the  records  it  would  ap- 
pear that  the  office  was  vacant  a  good  many 
years. 

Clement  Spaulding  was  the  first  coroner  of 
the  county,  being  elected  in  November,  1851. 

In  November,  1857,  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk  was 
elected  coroner.  He  is  the  present  governor 
of  Wisconsin. 

In  November,  1861,  Charles  W.  Pitcher  was 
elected  coroner.  Pitcher  came  from  Illinois  in 
1855  and  settled  at  Liberty  Pole,  in  the  town  of 


Franklin.  He  remained  there  a  number  of 
years,  then  moved  to  Viroqua.  From  the  latter 
place  he  went  to  Sparta,  where  his  wife  died. 
He  has  since  moved  to  Iowa. 

Elisha  W.  Pickerael  succeeded  Mr.  Pitcher 
as  coroner,  being  elected  in  1863.  Mr.  Pickerael 
came  from  Ohio  in  1856  and  settled  in  Viroqua, 
where  he  was  married  a  few  days  later  to 
Rachel  White.  He  was  a  school  teacher  by 
profession.  He  remained  in  the  village  for 
several  years;  then  purchased  a  farm  east  of 
town  where  he  moved  and  lived  until  his  death 
in  1872.  He  was  a  good  citizen;  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  him. 

In  November,  1865,  H.  A.  Robinson  was 
elected  coroner.  In  1867  he  was  re-elected. 
Robinson  was  a  blacksmith  who  settled  at 
Liberty  Pole,  town  of  Franklin,  at  an  early  day. 
About  1856  he  moved  to  Viroqua,  and  opened  a 
shop  there,  remaining  until  the  time  of  his 
death. 

H.  D.  Williams,  of  Viroqua,  was  elected  cor- 
oner in  1869  and  re-elected  in  1871. 

C.  E.  Morley  succeeded  Mr.  Williams,  being 
elected  in  November,  1873. 

B.  J.  Castle,  a  newspaper  man  from  De  Soto, 
was  elected  coroner  in  November,  1875,  and 
served  two  years. 

H.  C.  Gosling,  of  Viroqua,  was  elected  coro- 
ner in   1877. 

Succeeding  Mr.  Gosling,  in  November,  1879, 
C.  E.  Morley  was  again  elected  coroner  and 
served  one  term. 

Stanley  Stout,  of  the  town  of  Liberty,  was 
elected  coroner  in  November,  1881,  and  is  the 
present  incumbent.   • 


268 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


The  first  physician  to  locate  within  the  limits 
of  the  tenitory  now  constituting  Vernon  county 
was  Dr.  John  H.  Suddiitii.  Ho  was  a  Kentuck- 
ian  by  birlh;  but  came  from  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
1847  or  1848,  and  located  upon  a  farm  in  what 
is  now  the  town  of  Jefferson.  In  1850  he  moved 
to  tlie  village  of  Springville,  where  he  remained 
until  just  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  war, 
when  lie  moved  to  St.  Charles,  Minn.  He  is 
still  in  practice  at  that  place,  having  become 
very  wealthy. 

The  second  physician  in  the  county  was  Dr. 
George  A.  Swain.  Some  of  the  early  settlers, 
however,  claim  that  Dr.  Swain  came  full  as 
early  as  Dr.  Sudduth.  Dr.  Swain  came  from  Ohio 
and  located  upon  a  farm  near  where  Brookville 
now  is  in  the  town  of  Franklin.  There  he  re- 
mained until  a  few  years  ago,  when  he  removed 
to  Kansas,  where  he  died  in  1883. 

The  first  physician  in  the  county  educated  for 
the  profession  was  Dr.  Henry  G.  Weeden. 

VILLAGE    OP    VIROQUA. 

The  most  prominent  physicians  who  have 
been  located  at  Viroqua  in  the  past  are  Drs. 
Henry  G.  Weeden,  Elisha  W.  Tinker,  J.  H. 
Sohooley  and  James  Rusk.  Among  those  who 
have  studied  medicine  and  really  began  their 
professional  career  here,  the  most  of  them,  how- 
ever, attending  and  graduating  from  some  med- 
ical college,  are  the  following  named:  Drs.  W. 
W.  Rusk,  now  deceased;  Cass  Purdy,  now  of 
Iowa;  VV.  B.  Morley,  now  of  NealsviUe,  Wis.; 
Albert  Cory,  of  Chaseburg;  J.  B.  Trowbridge, 
now  of  Minnesota;  Frank  Johnson  of  Browns- 
dale,  Minn.;  and  Dr.  Chase. 


Dr.  Henry  G.  Weeden  was  the  first  physician 
to  locate  at  Viroqua.  Dr.  Weeden  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Washington,  Orleans  Co.,  Vt.,  on 
the  29th  of  October,  18 ii.  He  was  educated  at 
Burlington,  in  his  native  State,  and  came  to 
Viroqua  in  1852.  He  remained  here  until  1866, 
when  he  removed  to  Montana,  where  he  died 
on  the  26th  of  August,  1871.  His  family  still 
live  in  Montana.  Dr.  Weeden  was  one  of  the 
sufferers  by  the  terrible  tornado  of  1865.  One 
of  his  children  was  killed,  he  was  severely  in- 
jured and  his  buildings  were  destroyed.  Dr. 
Weeden  was  a  man  of  education,  both  generally 
and  professionally.  He  improved  the  farm  ad- 
jacent to  Viroqua,  now  occupied  by  Nathan 
Coe. 

Dr.  Elisha  W.  Tinker  was  the  second  physi- 
cian to  locate  at  Viroqua.  He  came  here  from 
Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1854,  and  at  once  began 
practice.  He  remained  until  May,  188.3,  when 
he  removed  to  the  State  of  Missouri,  where  he 
still  lives  and  follows  his  profession.  He  was  a 
good  physician  and  an  excellent  man. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Schooley  came  from  Ohio  in  1855, 
and  locat'ed  with  his  family  at  Viroqua.  He 
was  not  a  graduate  of  any  medical  school,  but 
was  a  man  of  "good,  sound  sense  and  had  had 
some  experience"  in  the  profession.  He  was 
about  fifty  years  of  age.  He  remained  iiere  for 
a  number  of  years  and  then  removed  to  Mis- 
souri. 

Dr.  James  Rusk  came  to  Viroqua  in  1857. 
He  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Rusk,  Sr.,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  where  James 
was  born  Sept.  14,  1815.     When   he  was  about 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


269 


thirteen  years  of  age  his  father  removed  to 
Morgan  county,  where  until  early  manhood 
James  remained;  and  there,  while  aiding  in 
carving  out  a  home  for  his  parents,  he  laid  the 
foundation  of  those  principles  of  uprightness 
and  integrity  which  characterized  him  in  after 
life.  His  education  was  such  as  patient,  un- 
aided individual  effort  gives  those  who  honestly 
yearn  for  knowledge.  He  began  life  as  a 
teacher,  but  after  some  months  thus  spent  he 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Lyman  Little,  of  Deav- 
ertown,  witli  whom  be  remained  until  he  com- 
pleted the  then  required  course.  In  1838  he  be- 
gan the  practice  of  medicine  at  Nelsonville, 
Ohio.  During  this  year  he  was  married  to 
Anna  M.  Little,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Little, 
of  Roseville.  In  1839  he  removed  to  Morgan 
county,  and  until  1855  continued  practice  in 
that  county.  In  the  meantime,  1849,  he  gradu- 
ated at  the  Sterling  Medical  College,  of  Colum- 
bus. In  1855  ho  removed  to  McConnelsville, 
Ohio,  and  remained  there  until  coming  to 
Viroqua  in  1857.  Here  he  remained  until  the 
time  of  his  death,  April  15,  1872,  aged  fifty-six 
years.  He  was  an  esteemed  and  respected  citi- 
zen. His  widow  still  resides  in  Viroqua.  Their 
eight  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living, 
were  as  follows — Sarah  J.,  now  wife  of  N.  Mc- 
Kie,  of  Viroqua;  Elizabeth,  died  when  eighteen 
years  of  age;  Hettie  M.,  now  wife  of  M.  C. 
Nichols  of  Viroqua:  Albert  married  Clar.i 
Chase,  and  now  lives  upon  a  farm  near  Viroqua; 
Dr.  W.  W.  died  March  29,  1882;  Susan  J., 
now  Mrs.  Edson  Leavitt,  living  near  Bangor; 
and  David  L.,  of  Viroqua. 

In  1883  the  medical  profession  was  repre- 
sented at  Viroqua,  by  the  following  named 
gentlemen  :  Drs.  William  A.  Gott,  H.  A. 
Chase,  J.  B.  Richards,  J.  H.  Suttle  and  J.  K. 
Schreiner. 

Dr.  Wm.  A.  Gott  came  to  Vernon  county  in 
the  spring  of  1857,  and  located  at  Readstown. 
He  was  born  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1830,  where 
he  was  brought  up.  He  began  the  study  of 
medicine    in    1849;  attended   two   courses   of 


lectures  at  the  Albany  Medical  College,  and 
graduated  at  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Philadelphia, 
in  1852.  After  his  graduation  he  was  surgeon 
in  the  Albany  City  Hospital,  for  three  years. 
He  came  to  this  county,  as  stated,  in  the  spring 
of  1857.  In  1862  he  entered  the  army  as  assist- 
ant surgeon  of  the  25th  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry,  was  promoted  surgeon,  in 
wliich  capacity  he  served  during  the  last  year 
of  the  war.  He  located  at  Viroqua,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1865.  Dr.  Gott  is  a  thoroughly  educated 
physician,  and  by  his  long  and  successful  prac- 
tice as  a  physician  and  surgeon,  has  secured  an 
enviable  reputation  in  his  profession.  The 
doctor  has  been  twice  married;  his  first  wife  was 
Marion  S.  Gill,  born  at  Strykersville,  Wyoming 
Co.,  N.  Y.  She  died  in  the  spring  of  1880. 
His  present  wife  was  Mrs.  Lydia  R.  (  Ruggles) 
Peck.  She  was  for  many  years  a  teacher  in  the 
High  School,  at  Chippewa  Falls,  in  this  State. 
The  doctor  has  two  daughters  by  his  first  mar- 
riage— Florence  and  Helen. 

Dr.  Henry  A.  Chase  located  at  Viroqua  in 
the  spring  of  1868.  He  was  born  in  Windsor 
Co.,  Vt.,  in  1844.  He  removed,  when  a  boy, 
with  his  father,  S.  A.  Chase,  to  Fond  'du  Lac, 
Wis.,  where  the  father  still  resides.  Dr.  CHiase 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  1860,  and 
ill  1862  entered  the  service  of  the  United 
States  as  a  surgeon's  steward,  in  the  Navy.  In 
1863,  when  less  than  twenty  years  of  age,  he 
re-entered  the  service  as  hospital  steward  in 
the  38th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. He  was  severely  wounded  in  front  of 
Petersburg,  in  June,  1864,  from  the  effects  of 
which  he  has  never  fully  recovered.  He  grad- 
uated from  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chicago, 
in  the  class  of  1868,  and  soon  after  located  in 
Viroqua  Dr.  Chase  is  an  excellent  physician 
and  an  esteemed  citizen.  Politically,  he  is  an 
ardent  republican,  and  was  chosen  to  represent 
the  second  assembly  district,  in  the  State 
Legislature,  during  the  session  of  1871  and 
1872.     Dr.    Chase  was    united    in   marriage  to 


270 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Emma  Tiffany,  a  native  of  New  York.  Tliey 
are  the  parents  of  two  children — Henry  A.  Jr., 
and  Mary  E. 

Dr.  J.  B.  Richards  located  at  Viroqua,  July 
26,  1879.  He  was  born  in  Bristol,  Maine,  in 
18.32,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  went  to  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  and  was  employed  as  a  druggist 
clerk.  He  also  devoted  his  spare  time  to  the 
study  of  medicine,  and  finally  attended  four 
courses  of  lectures  at  Harvard  Medical  College, 
of  Boston.  He  began  the  practice,  of  medicine 
in  1856,  and  in  18.58  located  at  La  Crosse,  Wis., 
where  he  practiced  his  profession  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  trade  for  twenty  years.  Dr. 
Richard's  long  e.vperience  as  a  pharmacist,  and 
skill  as  a  physician,  have  won  for  liim  a  sub- 
stantial practice,  and  his  upright  character  and 
social  attainments  during  his  residence  in  Viro- 
qua have  gained  for  him  a  host  of  friends.  Dr. 
Richards  m.arried  Ellen  E.  Washburn,  of 
O.xi'ord,  Maine.  They  have  been  blessed  with 
four  children — J.  W.,  a  druggist  of  Minto, 
Grand  Forks  Co.,  Dak.;  J.  B.,  Jr.,  an  attorney- 
at-law  at  Frederick,  Brown  Co.,  Dak;  Jessie,  an 
only  daughter,  and  Frank,  at  home. 

Dr.  H.  J.  Suttle,  homeopathic  physician, 
located  at  Viroqua  on  the  5th  of  May,  1883. 
He  was  the  first  physician  of  his  school  to  locate 
here.  He  was  born  at  Hazel  Green,  Grant  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1852.  He  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine at  Lancaster,  in  1878,  with  Dr.  S.  E.  Ilus- 
sell,  and  graduated  at  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  in  the  class  of  1883,  coming 
here  soon  afterward. 

TOWN  OF    VIEOQUA. 

Dr.  J.  L.  Walloe,  a  Norwegian  physician, 
located  upon  a  farm  about  four  miles  north  of 
the  village  of  Viroqua  at  an  early  day  ami  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  was  a 
good  physician  and  secured  a  very  large  prac- 
tice, remaining  until  the  time  of  his  death  in 
1881. 

TOWN    OF     HILLSB0R</UGH. 

Dr.  Aaron  Winslow  was  the  first  physician 
to  locate  here.     Those  who  have  practiced  here 


in  the  past  are:  Dr.  Leonard,  J.  I.  Hamilton, 
J.  R.  Dundlett,  Dr.  Worthy  and  D.  B.  Newman. 
In  1883  the  medical  profession  was  represented 
by  Drs.  F.  R.  Pinch  and  A.  C.  Morris,  in  the 
village  of  Hillsborough,  and  Dr.  R.  Shear,  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  town. 

Dr.  Aaron  Winslow  came  from  Maine  in 
1848  and  located  near  Warren,  111.  In  1856  he 
came  north  and  settled  upon  a  farm  south  of 
the  village,  where  he  resumed  his  practice  of 
medicine.  In  1870  he  moved  into  the  village 
and  remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  the  spring  of  1883.  Soon  after  moving  into 
the  village  Dr.  Winslow  engaged  in  the  drug 
trade,  and  later  his  son  became  associated  with 
him.  The  business  is  still  carried  on  under  the 
name  of  A.  Winslow  &Son.  Dr.  Winslow  was 
a  graduate  of  the  Bowdoin  Medical  College, 
Maine.  He  had  been  engaged  in  practice 
prior  to  coming  west,  and  had  been  physician 
on  a  line  of  sailing  vessels  for  a  number  of 
years.     He  was  an  excellent  practitioner. 

Dr.  Leonard,  an  allopathist,  came  from  Wone- 
woc,  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.,  just  before  the  war  and 
settled  in  the  village  of  Hillsborough.  He  re- 
mained for  a  few  years,  then  left,  and 
has  since  turned  up  at  Wonewoc,  where  he  still 
lives.     He  was  a  good  doctor. 

Dr.  J.  I.  Hamilton  was  raised  here,  his 
t)arents  being  among  the  very  first  settlers  in 
the  town.  He  went  upon  the  road  as  agent  for 
a  Dr.  Dodge,  learned  the  business  and  then 
started  out  for  himself.  He  never  settled  here 
for  steady  practice.  The  most  of  his  business 
was  obtained  abroad,  and  he  made  money  at  it. 
He  is  now  located  at  Vanville,  near  Augusta, 
Eau  Claire  Co.,  Wis. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Rundlett  located  in  the  village  of 
Hillsborough  in  1872,  shortly  after  graduating 
from  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago.  He  re- 
mained until  1880,  when  he  went  to  Augusta, 
Eau  Clair  county,  where  he  still  lives.  He  was 
a  good  physician  and  had  a  very  fair  practice 
while  here. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


271 


Dr.  Worthy  came  here  from  Iroutown,  Wis., 
in  \8'i5.  lie  remained  about  six  months  and 
then  returned  to  his  former  home.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Rush  Medical  College,  and  when 
sober  was  a  good  physician. 

Dr.  D.  B.  Newman  was  raised  in  the  town  of  i 
Forest,  Vernon  county,  where  his  parents  were 
among  the  first  settlers.  He  graduated  at  the 
Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  and  then  lo- 
cated at  Kendall,  Wis.,  remaining  for  a  year  or 
two,  when,  in  1876,  he  located  in  the  village  of 
Hillsborough.  He  remained  until  ]  880,  when 
he  went  to  Cumberland,  Barron  Co.,  Wis., 
where  he  still  lives.  He  was  a  good  physician, 
and  a  man  who  was  respected  and  esteemed  by 
all. 

BLOOMINGDALE. 

The  first  physician  to  locate  here  was  Dr. 
Amos  Carpenter,  now  of  Seelyburg.  Others 
were  Drs.  Hamilton  and  Lewis.  The  only  phy- 
sician located  here  in    188-3  was  Dr.   J.  M.  Poff. 

ONTARIO. 

The  medical  profession  is  represented  at  this 
point  by  Drs.  Manning  and  Johnson. 

ROCKTON. 

Dr.  Frederick  Moffitt  was  located  at  this  point 
for  several  years,  leaving  in  1882  for  Dane  Co.^ 
Wis.,  where  he  still  lives. 

TOWN  OF  WEBSTER. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Le^is  is  the  representative  of  the 
medical  profession  in  this  town. 

SBEI.YBURG. 

At  this  point,  Dr.  Amos  Carpenter  is  the  only 
phvsician. 

SPRINGVILLE. 

Dr.  James  H.  Hockenberry  was  the  only  rep- 
resentative of  the  medical  profession  at  Spring- 
ville,  in  1883. 

DE  SOTO. 

The  first  regular  physician  to  locate  at  De- 
Soto  was  Dr.  G.  S.  Sperry,  who  came  here  from 
St.  Paul  in  the  summer  of  1856.  He  was  an 
excellent  physician.  He  died  in  1873.  Others 
who  were  regular  physicians,  were  Drs.  G.  W. 
Brooks,  F.  Worth,  Dr.  Dunlap  and  Dr.  Hunting- 
ton.    Among  those  who  have  borne  the  title  of 


"  doctor,"  although  not  educated  physicians, 
were  Dr.E.  B.  Houghton,  the  original  proprie- 
tor of  the  village  of  De  Soto,  who  removed 
from  here  to  LaCrosse,  and  thence  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  died  ;  and  Dr.  .James  Osgood,  who 
came  in-  1854,  and  assisted  in  laying  out  the  vil- 
lage. 

In  1883  the  representative  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession at  De  Soto  was  Dr.  Orlando  Ewers. 

VICTORY. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Wiard  was  the  only  regular  physi- 
cian that  has  been  located  at  Victory.  He  left 
for  Nebraska  in  1878. 

TOWN   OF    STERLING. 

Dr.  S.  A.  Mellen  is  located  at  Retreat,  in  the 
town  of  Sterling,  and  has  a  good  practice. 

Dr.  D.  A.  Bean,  located  at  Red  Mound,  is  also 
one  of  the  physicians  of  this  town.  He  has  a 
large  and  increasing  practice. 

S.  A.  Mellen,  M.  D.,  came  to  Vernon  county 
in  1871.  He  lived  for  one  year  on  section  14, 
of  township  11  north,  of  range  6  west,  and  in 
1872  bought  the  place  that  he  now  oceHi)ies  at 
Retreat.  He  has  built  up  a  large  practice,  his 
drives  extending  into  Crawford  county.  He 
was  born  at  Ellisburg,  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan. 
2,  1839.  When  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  his 
father  emigrated  to  Wisconsin,  and  became  a 
pioneer  of  Sheboygan  county.  He  bought 
government  land,  improved  a  farm,  and  still 
makes  that  his  home.  In  early  life,  Mr.  Mellen 
attended  school  at  the  Lawrence  University, 
Appieton,  Wis.,  and  in  1863,  entered  the  med- 
ical department  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
at  Ann  Arbor,  where  he  prosecuted  his  studies 
until  the  fall  of  1864.  He  then  went  to  Hing- 
ham,  Sheboygan  Co.,  Wis.,  and  commenced 
practice.  He  received  a  diploma  from  the  She- 
boygan County  Medical  Society,  and  remained 
in  Uinghani  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Ver- 
non county.  Dr.  Mellen  was  married  July  7, 
1863,  to  S.  Adelia  Lombard,  a  native  of  Otsego 
Co.,  N.  Y.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children 
— Hattie  A.  and  Willie  A.  Since  Dr.  Mellen 
located  in  Sterling  township,  his  excellent  repu- , 


373 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COTJNTT. 


tation  as  a  skilled  physician  has  gained  for  him 
an  extensive  patronage,  and  by  his  gentlemanly 
behavior  and  kind  manners  has  won  a  host  of 
warm  friends. 

NEWTON. 

Dr.  William  Webster  was  the  first  physician 
to  settle  in  the  town  of  Harmony.  He  came 
from  Waupon,  Wis.,  in  1858,  and  remained 
here  until  the  time  of  his  death  a  few  years 
ago. 

Dr.  Marshall  came  to  the  village  of  Newton 
from  Vermont,  in  1871  or  1872.  lie  remained 
about  two  years. 

Dr.  Tucker  was  the  next  physician.  He  came 
from  Chickasaw  Co.,  Iowa,  about  1876,  re- 
mained a  few  years,  and  then  went  to  Clear 
Lake,  Iowa. 

The  present  practicing  physician  at  Newton 
is  Dr.  Mussey,  who  located  there  in  the  spring 
of  1883. 

CHASEBURG. 

The  first  physician  to  locate  at  Chaseburg 
was  Dr.  W.  W.  Rusk,  who  died  March  29,  1882. 
In  1833  the  medical  profession  was  represented 
at  this  point  by  Dr.  Albert  Cory. 

Albert  Cory,  the  only  physician  in  the  town 
of  Hamburg,  was  born  at  Janesville,  Wis.,  in 
1855.  The  following  year  his  parents  removed 
to  the  town  of  Kickapoo,  in  this  county,  where 
the  doctor  was  i-eared.  He  spent  four  years  at- 
tending school  in  Pennsylvania,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Viroqua,  where  he  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  Chase.  In  1880  he  entered  Rush 
Medical  College,  at  Chicago,  111.,  from  which 
he  graduated  Feb.  25,  1882.  He  then  located 
at  Batavia,  where  he  built  up  a  large  and  lu- 
crative practice  ;  but  under  the  urgent  solici- 
tation of  his  former  preceptor.  Dr.  Chase,  he 
came  to  Chaseburg,  and  the  success  he  has 
attained  is  proof  that  his  move  was  in  the 
right  direction.  The  doctor  is  a  very  pleasant 
gentleman  and  well  esteemed  as  a  citizen  and 
neighbor.     On  Christmas  day  of  the  centennial 


year  (Dec.  25,  1876)  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Ida  Bennett.  They  have  three  sons — Walter, 
Stanley  and  Arthur. 

GENOA. 

The  first  physician  to  locate  at  Genoa  was 
Dr.  Bugaizy,  an  Italian,  who  came  here  from 
Galena,  111.,  in  1856.  He  secured  a  good  practice 
among  his  people  and  remained  for  about  four 
years,  when  it  is  thought  he  went  back  to  his 
former  home  in  Galena. 

READSTOWN. 

Dr.  C.  M.  Poff,  eclectic  physician  at  Reads- 
town,  Kickapoo  township.  Wis.,  was  born 
March  21,  1840,  in  Jay  Co.,  Ind.,  being  a  son  of 
J.  J.  and  Eliza  J.  (Miller)  Poll,  natives  of 
Ohio.  His  father  was  a  physician  and  an  early 
settler  of  Jay  county.  When  Dr.  Poff  was  five 
years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Howard  Co., 
Ind.,  where  he  commenced  the  study  of  medi- 
cine with  his  father.  On  June  8,  1861,  he  en- 
listed in  company  E,  K^th  Indiana  Volunteers, 
and  went  south.  He  was  severely  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Rich  Mountain,  West  Va.,  on  July 
11,  1861,  and  as  soon  as  able  went  home 
on  furlough.  In  August,  1862,  he  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  disability.  In  1865,  by 
advice  of  his  physician,  he  came  west  in  search 
of  health,  first  settling  in  Richland  Co.,  Wis., 
where  he  bought  a  tract  of  land  and  built  a 
house,  and  finished  the  study  of  medicine.  In 
1867  he  came  to  Readstown  and  opened  an 
oflice  for  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  has 
been  very  successful,  his  practice  extending 
into  Richland  and  Crawford  counties.  Dr. 
Poff  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  first 
eclectic  medical  society  in  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin, in  1875.  He  is  also  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  an  ordained  min- 
ister of  that  denomination.  Dr.  Poff  was  mar- 
ried April  25,  1863,  to  Rachel  C.  Armstrong, 
born  at  Dnpont,  Jefferson  Co.,  Ind.  Six  chil- 
dren blessed  this  union,  three  of  whom  are 
livng — Rosella  Belle,  Ada  Florence  and  Lil- 
lian  May.     Rosella  Belle,  the  oldest  daughter, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


273 


is    now    in    Republic    Co.,    Kansas,    teaching 
school. 

ONTARIO. 

H.  P.  Miller,  the  leading  physician  of  the 
eastern  part  of  Vernon  county,  was  born  in 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840.  He  resided  there 
till  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  then  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  was 
in  attendance  at  the  Viroqua  High  School  and 
the  Allamakee  College,  of  Allamakee,  Iowa,  and 
then  commenced  the  study  of  medicine.  He 
had  for  his  preceptors  Drs.  Tinker,  of  Viro- 
qua, and  Taylor,  of  Lansing,  Iowa,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  a  three  years'  study,  went  to  Chi- 
cago, III.  He  there  entered  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  attended  that  famous  medical  institu- 


tion during  the  winter  of  1865-6.  Shortly  after 
graduation,  he  returned  to  Vernon  county,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the 
village  of  Ontario.  Since  locating  there  five 
other  physicians  have  opened  offices,  but  the 
tireless  energy  and  determination  of  our  sub- 
ject, and  his  growing  popularity  among  all 
classes  of  people,  forced  them  to  retire  from  the 
field,  leaving  Dr.  Miller  in  complete  possession. 
The  doctor  has  also  prospered  in  a  worldly  point 
of  view,  and  now  owns  a  residence  and  two 
village  lots,  and  135  acres  of  land  on  section  10. 
He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1866,  to  Hattie, 
daughter  of  Stephen  and  Cynthia  Cotterell.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Miller  have  five  children  living — How- 
ard C,  Bessie  P.,  Mary  H.,  Bertha  Orpha  and 
Harvey  C.     One  son,  Lester  D.,  died  in  1872. 


274 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 


AGRICULTURE    AND    THE    AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY. 


The  trend  of  the  earliest  industries  of  a 
country  is  the  result  of  the  circumstances  under 
wliicli  those  industries  are  developed.  The  at- 
tention of  pioneers  is  confined  to  supplying  the 
immediate  wants  of  food,  shelter  and  clothing. 
Hence,  the  first  settlers  of  a  country  are  farm- 
ers, miners,  trappers  or  fishermen,  according  as 
they  cm  most  readily  secure  the  means  of  pres- 
ent si-itneance  for  themselves  and  their  fami- 
lies. In  the  early  history  of  Wisconsin,  this 
law  is  well  exemplified.  The  southern  part  of 
the  State  consisting  of  alternations  of  prairie 
and  timber  was  first  settled  by  farmers.  As  the 
country  has  developed,  as  wealth  has  accumu- 
laled,  and  as  me  ins  of  transportation  have  been 
furnished,  farming  h.as  ceased  to  be  the  sole  in- 
terest. Manufactories  have  been  built  along 
the  river-i  and  tlie  mining  industry  of  the  soutli- 
wcstern  part  of  tlie  State  has  grown  to  be  one 
of  considerable  importmce.  The  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  was  first  mainly  sett  ed  by  fishermen, 
but  the  later  growth  of  agriculture  and  manu- 
factories has  nearly  overshadowed  the  fishing 
interest;  as  has  the  production  of  lumber  in  the 
north  half  of  the  State  eclipsed  the  trapping  and 
fur  interests  of  the  first  settlers. 

As  Vernon  county  consists  of  timber  land, 
oak  openings  and  prairie,  it  is  now,  and  was 
originally,  settled  by  farmers  almost  exclusively. 
As  yet,  manufactories  may  be  said  to  be  prac- 
tically unknown.  The  farming  interests  are 
paramount  to  all  others  and  doubtless  will  be 
for  generations  to  come.  There  are  no  pineries 
or  great  lakes  on  its  borders  and  the  Mississippi 
is  only  available,    so    far  as  the  county  is  con- 


cerned, to  aid  in  transporting  to  market  its  sur- 
plus farming  products.  That  manufactories 
will  rise  up,  upon  the  introduction  of  greater 
railway  facilities,  is  certain,  but  that  they  will 
overshadow  the  farming  interests  of  Vernon  ' 
county  before  the  ending  of  a  century  from  this 
time  or  even  longer,  is  exceedingly  doubtful. 

The  Chicago  Tribune  had  this  to  say,  in 
1861,  of  Vernon  (then  Bad  Ax)  county: 

"Of  this  county  nearly  one-third  is  prairie, 
quite  rolling  and  very  rich,  I  do  not  know 
where  I  have  ever  seen  any  prairie  soil  that 
looks  richer,  or  that  bears  heavier  wheat  It  is 
a  rich  black,  vegetable  mould,  of  a  clayey  tex- 
ture and  basis,  and  such  as  has  been  tested  seems 
to  be  enduring  and  wears  well.  Near  one-third 
is  oak  opening  or  ridge  laud,  covered  with  oak 
undergrowth  or  grubs.  These  ridges  are  quite 
broad  in  many  places,  furnishing  good  locations 
for  farms.  There  has  been  opened  up  many 
ridge  farms.  The  land  where  cultivated  appears 
to  be  a  clayey  loam — a  good  wheat  soil,  and 
wliich  has  so  far  turned  out  excellent  crops  of 
wheat. 

The  balance  of  the  country  is  covered  with 
heavy  timber — oak  being  the  predominating 
kind.  This  timber  is  valuable  because  of  its 
nearness  to  good  prairie,  and  the  land  is  as 
good,  even  better  for  corn.  Though  the  tim- 
ber is  heavy,  the  land  is  easily  tilled,  owing 
probably  to  the  fact  that  the  roots  of  the  trees 
lie  deep  in  the  ground,  which  admits  of  the  soil 
being  plowed  close  to  the  stumps.  Taken  as  a 
whole  there  is  scarcely  an  acre  of  waste  land  in 
this    county.      Though    somewhat    rough,    its 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


2V5 


slopes    and  hillsides  admit  of  cultivation  nearly 
to  the    top. 

Such  parts  of  this  county  as  are  unfit  for  the 
plough  are  most  admirably  adapted  to  the  rear- 
ing of  sheep.  In  fact,  to  my  mind,  much  of 
northwestern  Wisconsin  is  admirably  adapted 
to  sheep  husbandry. 

The  population  of  this  county  is  11,500.  In 
18.5.5,  it  numbered  a  little  over  4,000.  La  Crosse 
was  then  about  4,000,  as  was  Monroe,  lying  east 
of  La  Crosse.  These  latter  have  had  the  bene- 
fit of  railroads  to  stimulate  their  growth.  La 
Crosse  being  possessed  of  much  good  farming 
lands  and  several  small  villages,  as  well  as  the 
city  of  Lx  Crosse,  numbers  13,500,  while  Mon- 
roe, with  a  smart  village  or  two,  with  more 
poor  land,  has  but  8,400.  To  my  mind  Bad  Ax 
has  more  than  kept  pace  with  her  neighbors, 
considering  her  secluded  position. 

There  is  estimated  to  be  in  this  county  this 
year,  at  least  1,000,000 bushels  of  surplus  wheat 
seeking  a  market.  Of  pork,  there  will  be 
enough  for  home  consumption,  and  possibly  a 
little  for  sale.  Cattle  and  sheep  are  beginning 
to  receive  attention,  and  but  a  few  years  will 
elapse  before  the  hill-sides  will  be  covered  with 
large  herds  of  lowing  cattle  and  flocks  of  bleat- 
ins  sheep. 

Some  attention  is  being  paid  to  fruit.  Here 
and  there  were  to  be  seen  newly  set  orchards. 
In  time,  after  the  trees  have  become  acclimated 
it  is  my  impression  that  the  hillsides,  and  es- 
pecially the  northern  slopes  of  Bad  Ax  county 
will  be  covered  with  orchards  heavily  laden 
with  rich  and  luscious  fruit. 

The  numerous  streams  in  this  county  furnish 
ample  water  power,  which  combined  with  its  ex- 
cellent timber,  will  supply  numerous  openings 
for  the  emploj'ment  of  capital  in  manufacturing 
agricultural  implements,  and  also  for  the  pur- 
pose of  building  mills,  to  flour  their  own  wheat. 
The  people  of  this  county  look  forward  with 
no  small  degree  of  interest  to  the  day  wIkmi 
they    shall   be   favored  with  railroad  facilities 


such    as   will  place   them    on  an    equal  footing 
with  their  more  favored  neighbors." 

VERNON    COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL    SOCIETY. 

Bad  Ax  County  Agricultural  Society  was  or- 
ganized and  chartered  April  11,  1857.     The  so- 
ciety in  1859  had   seventy  members,  each   pay- 
ing an  initiation  fee  of  one  dollar,  and  an  equal 
sum    per    annum.     The   payment  of  ten  dollars 
constituted  a  life  membership.     Other  modes  of 
obtaining  funds  were  from  admission  fees  into 
the  fair  grounds.    The  society  possessed  in  real 
estate  ten  acres  of  land   enclosed  with   a   board 
fence  seven   feet     high,    and    valued   at  8800. 
Here  an  exhibition  is  held  annually,  when  ^iilOO 
are    paid   for   premiums,  the    largest  being  ^5 
for  the   best  address;  a  similar  sum,  each,   for 
the  best  stallion  and  best  acre  of  wheat,  and  $i 
for  the  best  bull.     The    library   then    consisted 
of  forty-seven  volumes,  worth  $100.     Since  the 
fair  of   1857   there  was,  up  to   1859,  a  great  im- 
provement in  domestic  animals  and  an  increase 
in  crops.     The  desire    for   agricultural   knowl- 
edge had  become  general. 

In  1883  the  society  was  in  excellent  financial 
condition.  The  fair  grounds  were  located 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  the  court 
house.  They  embraced  about  fifteen  acres  of 
land,  valued  at  about  $30  per  acre.  They  were 
well  supplied  with  buildings,  and  well  fenced. 
The  old  |!10  life  membership  fee  had  been  abol- 
ished, and  the  by-laws  provided  th.-Jl  "*;l  pay 
for  a  membership,  and  each  member  should  buy 
a  $1  family  ticket  each  year."  There  were  $300 
in  the  treasury  of  the  society  in    1883. 

In  1883  the  officers  of  the  society  were: 
President,  F.  K.  Van  "Wagoner;  secretary,  O.  B. 
Wynian;  treasurer,  E.  Powell;  vice-presidents, 
H.  H.  Morgan,  of  Wheatland;  P.  Brody,  of 
Clinton;  J.  H.  Stevenson,  of  Harmony.  Execu- 
tive committee,  E.  A.  Stark,  of  Viroqua,  chair- 
man; E.  Tilton,  ot  Viroqua;  John  M.  Vance,  of 
Sterling;  Edward  Minshall,  of  Viroqua;  and 
F.  W.  Alexander,  of  Franklin. 

At  the  last  fair  held  at  Viroqua,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1883,  the  whole  number  of  entries  w;is  5Ci3. 
The  total  receipts  from  the  sale  of  tickets  were 
$696;  receipts  from  entrance  fees  were  $174.60; 
from  stand  licenses,  $153.50;  from  rent  of 
ground,  etc.,  $24.60.     Total  receipts,  $l,048.7o. 


276 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


THE  PRESS. 


Bad  Ax  county  had  been  organized  over  five 
years  before  there  was  a  newspaper  publislied 
within  its  limits.  This,  of  course,  be.-ides  tlie 
inconvenience  to  its  citizens  individually, 
tended,  in  a  considerable  degree,  to  retard  the 
progress  of  the  county  generally.  The  neces- 
sity for  a  printing  press  and  the  publication  of 
a  paper,  to  be  located  at  the  county  seat,  finally 
became  so  urgent  as  to  induce  the  establishment 
of  the 

NORTHWESTERN   TIMES. 

The  first  issue,  then  called  the  Western  Times, 
was  dated  June  1,  1856.  J.  A.  Somerby  was 
editor  and  proprietor.  It  was  a  weekly,  and 
was  started  as  "an  independent  family  news- 
paper, devoted  to  news  and  miscellaneous  read- 
ing." The  salutatory  of  the  editor  was  as  fol- 
lows.- 

TO    OUR   READERS. 

"We  take  pleasure  in  presenting  to  you  the 
first  number  of  the  Western  Times.  We  should 
have  been  able  to  issue  it  sooner  and  improved 
its  appearance,  but  circumstances  have  pre- 
vented our  having  a  decent  office,  and  the 
rainy,  tedious  weather  that  we  encountered  in 
getting  here,  the  disarrangement  and  injury  to 
material,  have  imposed  upon  all  concerned  a 
heavy  task,  considerable  ill  health  and  a  great 
deal  of  vexation. 

"But  here  it  is,  without  very  late  news,  be- 
cause we  have  no  exchanges,  and  had  to  borrow 
such  papers  as  we  could  get. 

"The  Times  w'lW  be  independent  of  all  party 
organisations,  and  will  reserve  the  right  to  ex-  I 


press   the  opinion    of   its   editor,  and  leave  its 
readers  to  judge  of  their  correctness. 

"  We  invite  the  co-operation  of  all  who  wish 
correct  information  disseminated  through  the 
community,  and  all  those  who  are  willing  to 
furnish  literary  articles  or  items  of  news,  are 
respectfully  solicited  to  devote  a  little  time  to 
keeping  us  posted  up  in  relation  to  all  that  is' 
new  and  useful.  We  have  only  time  to  say 
that  we  will  continue  this  subject  in  our  next, 
when  there  will  be  less  "noise  and  confusion" 
than  we  are  subject  to  in  getting  out  this  num- 
ber. 

"  I^"  We  regret  very  much  that  the  '"vari- 
ous hindrances  we  met  in  getting  out  this  num- 
ber delayed  us  until  Saturday  night,  instead  of 
getting  out  as  we  intended  to  at  1  o'clock." 

The  following  announcement  appears  at  the 
head  of  the  editorial  column  of  the  first  num- 
ber of  the  paper: 

POSTPONEMENT. 

"The  sale  of  the  first  copy  of  the  Western 
Times,  (being  the  first  copy  of  a  newspaper  ever 
printed  in  Bad  Ax  county),  to  have  been  sold 
on  the  31st  day  of  May,  will  now  be  sold  loith- 
outfail,  on  Saturday,  the  7th  day  of  June.  The 
first  copy  is  now  printed  and  safely  locked  up, 
ready  for  the  highest  bidder.  We  were  extremely 
chagrined  and  mortified  [sic),  that  we  were  un- 
able to  issue  the  first  number  on  the  31st  ult.; 
but  a  variety  of  hindrances  and  disappoint- 
ments rendered  it  impossible.  The  eagerness 
that  has  been  manifested  to  obtain  a  copy  of 
the  first  number,  and  particularly  the  first  copy, 
was  very  gratifying,  and  partioulajrly   so   when 


^Ayu-c 


''^"ctla^-, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


2T9 


the  heavy  expense  and  multitude  of  difficulties 
that  have  been  encountered,  are  considered. 
The  prospect  is  that  the  bidding  on  the  7th  of 
June  will  be  very  animated,  and  may  even  ex- 
cell  the  sale  of  the  first  paper  ever  printed  in 
Newport,  Wis.,  last  year." 

Following  this  "postponement"  is  a  notice  in 
these  words:  "We  have  dated  this  number  a 
few  days  ahead  of  its  appearance,  in  order  to  be- 
gin with  June,  and  to  have  ample  time  to  book 
our  subscription  list,  and  perfect  all  our  arrange- 
ments." 

Another  brief  paragraph  containing  informa- 
tion concerning  the  paper  is  found  in  the  same 
column,  and  is  as  follows:  "We  shall  soon  be 
in  possession  of  our  exchange  list  and  become 
familiar  enough  with  our  location  to  complete 
our  arrangements  for  receiving  late  news.  We 
can  then  make  our  paper  more  interesting  and 
acceptable." 

In  his  prospectus  the  editor  says:  "The 
Times  will  be  what  its  name  indicates,  a  record 
of  pissing  events  at  home  and  containing  for- 
eign news,  miscellaneous  and  literary  rending 
matter.  It  will  be  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
Bad  Ax  county  and  the  surrounding  region 
The  limex  will  labor  ardently  for  the  prosperity 
of  all  its  patrons  without  partiality  for  any 
particular  location,  and  independent  of  party 
organizations. 

"  The  people  of  Bad  Ax  county  and  the  adja- 
cent country,  are  respectfully  invited  to  send  in 
their  own  and  the  names  of  their  friends  and 
neighbors,  as  subscribers,  and  also  prepare  and 
send  in  such  advertising  as  they  wish  to  have 
inserted. 

"  1^"  All  letters  and  communications  should 
be  addressed  to  J.  A.  Somerby,  Viroqua,  Bad 
Ax  Co.,  Wis.  Terms,  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents 
in  advance." 

Under  "deaths,"  we  find  in  the  first  number, 
the  following: 

"In  Viroqua,  Wis.,  May  15,1856,  Aurelia 
Louisa,  daughter  of  Hon.  Wm.  F.  and  Margaret 
Terhune,  aged  four  years  and  two  months. 


"  Little  'Spec,'  as  she  was  familiarly  called, 
was  a  universal  favorite  in  Viroqua,  making 
friends  alike  by  the  sweetness  of  her  disposition 
and  the  brilliancy  of  her  intellect.  Her  head 
and  her  heart  were  older  than  her  years;  and 
could  she  have  lived,  a  bright  career  would  un- 
doubtedly have  been  hers.     But   she   died;  for 

'  All  that's  brightest  must  fall. 
The  brightest,  still  the  fleetest.' 

"  Death  left  its  sweetest  impress  on  her  face; 
and  standing  by  her  coffin,  and  looking  on  her 
as  she  lay  there;  one  of  earth's  loveliest  flowers 
blighted;  the  following  lines  are  brought  to 
mind: 

'I've  seen  death  on  the  infant  lie 
So  sweet,  it  seemed  a  bliss  to  die; 
The  smiling  lip,  the  placid  brow, 

Seemed  fan'd  by  some  bright  angel's  wing; 
And  o'er  the  face  a  brighter  glow 

Than  aught  of  earthly  joy  can  bring!  " 
In  another  column  is  seen  the  following: 

NOTICE. 

Bad  Ax,  Bad  Ax  Co.,  Wis.,  May  23,  1856. 
Whereas,  my  wife,  Christiana  Orritta,  has  left 
my  house  and  protection,  without  any  just 
cause  or  provocation,  this  is,  therefore,  to  warn 
all  persons  from  harboring  or  trusting  her  on 
my  account,  as  I  will  not  pay  any  debts  of  her 
contracting,  unless  compelled  by   law   and   not 

^^'  James  Siedyie 

The  first  number  of  the  paper  has  but  one 
local  ;  but  that  one  was  probably  read  by  the 
patrons  of  the  Times  with  a  considerable 
degree  of  interest  and  indignation.  It  was  in 
these  words  : 

A  VILLAIN  IN  CUSTODY. 

Columbus  B.  Brown,  who  has  for  some  time 
been  attempting  in  a  bungling  manner  to  play 
the  Daguerrean  Artist  in  this  place,  was 
arrested  at  the  Buckeye  House,  on  the  29th  of 
May,  by  officer  John  P.  Delarne,  from  Janes- 
ville.  Rock  county,  assisted  by  sherifif  J.  M. 
Rusk,  of  this  place. 

He  was  arrested  on  a  warrant,  for  violating 
the  person  of  Diana  Blake,  in  October  last,  at 


17 


280 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Fulton,  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  where  Mr.  Brown  was 
then  keeping  tavern.  Mr.  Brown's  wife  having 
been  dead  some  three  or  four  years,  he  had  em- 
ployed Miss  Blake  as  his  cook,  and  another  lady 
had  charge  of  the  other  departments,  who 
happened  to  be  absent  for  a  night,  when  the 
foul  outrage  was  committed.  Miss  Blake  hav- 
ing been  dangerously  ill  the  next  day,  Mr.  Brown 
carried  her  home  to  Pleasant  Springs,  Dane 
county,  where  she  expired  in  a  few  hours,  mor- 
tification having  taken  place,  but  not  until  she 
had  given  evidence  under  oath  before  the  pro- 
per authority  respecting  Brown's  barbarity. 

Miss  Blake  was  a  beautiful  young  lady  of  only 
sixteen  years,  and  has  thus  been  brutally  mur- 
dered by  a  miserable  apology  for  a  human  being. 

We  are  informed  that  Mr.  Brown  had  previ- 
ously committed  a  similar  crime  and  when  an 
officer  undertook  to  arrest  him,  shot  him  in  the 
arm.  Mr.  Brown  has  kept  concealed  a  portion 
of  the  time  since  the  last  crime  was  committed. 
Justice  though  slow  is  .^ure,  and  the  stone  cut- 
ting artists  of  Waupun  will  no  doubt  ere  long 
receive  one  more  accession  to  their  numbers. 
Mr.  Brown  at  first  refused  the  wrist  ornaments 
but  finally  made  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  they 
were  put  on. 

Officer  Delarne  is  entitled  to  the  thanks  of  the 
community  for  his  perseverance  in  this  case,  in 
bringing  an  old  and  daring  offender  to  justice. 
May  he  always  have  as  good  luck  in  furnishing  re- 
cruits for  the  stone  brigade  at  Waupun." 

In  the  second  issue  of  the  paper,  June  14, 
1 S56,  an  account  is  given  of  the  success  in  sell- 
iug  to  the  highest  bidder  the  first  copy  printed 
of  the  TimeH.  "The  sale  commenced"  says  the 
editor,  "at  half  past  1  o'clock,  on  Tuesday 
last,  and  lasted  about  one  hour,  R.  C  Bierce, 
Esq.,  acting  as  auctioneer.  Mr.  E.  S.  Fowler,  of 
the  firm,  of  Keeler,  Fowler  <fe  Co.,  was  the  suc- 
cessful man,  his  bid  being  |!'21.  It  is  a  very 
respectable  sum,  but  not  more  than  one-fifth  of 
what  it  would  have  brought  had  the  sale  taken 
place  on  the  last  day  of  May,  as  first  appointed; 
80  say  the  knowing  ones. 


"Every  printer  who  has  started  a  newspaper," 
continues  the  editor  "in  a  locality  far  removed 
from  the  great  thoroughfares,  and  from  the  vi- 
cinity of  machine  shops,  can  readily  appreciate 
the  difficulties  we  encountered  in  attempting  to 
get  into  operation  at  an  appointed  time." 

The  reader,  doubtless,  has  noticed  that  in  the 
extracts  given  from  the  Western  Times,  the 
two  words  forming  the  county  are  consolida- 
ted into  one,  thus,  Badax.  Before  the  issue  of 
the  third  number  of  the  paper,  the  editor  was 
taken  to  task  for  this  by  the  Richland  county 
Ohserrer.  "The  disfiguration,"  says  X\\eObserver 
"of  the  words  Bad  Ax  by  the  compound, 
Badax,  which  strangers  are  apt  to  read  Ba-dax 
is  a  sorry  formation,  and  should  be  restored  to 
the  original."  But  Mr.  Somerby  did  not  see  it 
in  that  light,  and  the  "disfiguration,"  was  con- 
tinued in  the  Western  limes. 

No  marriage  notices  appeared  in  the  first 
issue  of  the  paper;  but,  in  the  second,  are  the 
following: 

"In  this  town,  Viroqua,  on  Wednesday  the 
4th  inst.,  by  Rev.  A.  D.  Low,  Mr.  Dennis  Pow- 
ers, of  De  Soto,  to  Miss  Clara  E.  Ilanchett,  of 
this  town.  The  usual  fee  of  cake  received. 
May  they  enjoy    a  continual  honey  moon. 

"In  this  town,  June  8,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Parkin- 
son, Mr.  Augustus  Ray  to  Miss  Sarah  Good." 

On  the  26th  of  the  next  month,  July,  a  citi- 
zen of  "Badax"  county,  comes  to  the  relief  in 
the  Western  Times,  of  suffering  humanity,  ac- 
tual and  prospective,  in  this  matter: 

"Late  Discovery. — To  those  that  have  chil- 
dren or  ever  expect  to  have.  If  you  ever  should 
have  a  child  get  anything  in  his  or  her  nose, 
such  as  a  bean,  pea,  gooseberry  or  anything  of 
of  the  kind,  just  clap  your  mouth  to  theirs,  and 
blow  as  hard  as  you  can.  The  thing,  whatever 
it  may  be,  will  fly  out.  Experience  is  the  best 
teacher.  Iea  T.  Hunter." 

At  the  end  of  one  year  the  "times"  were  get- 
ting so  hard  with  the  editor  of  the  Times,  that 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


281 


he  assayed  to  bring  his  derelect  subscribers   to 
"time"  in  this  "'time-ly"  manner: 

THE    WESTERN^   TIMES 

Will  be  discontinued  after  this  number  to 
all  who  have  not  paid  in  advance,  or  who  have 
not  paid  for  the  past  year,  unless  it  is  satisfac- 
torily known  to  us,  that  it  is  their  intention  to 
renew  their  subscription  immediately.  "Times" 
are  hard  and  we  must  have  pay  for  the  Times, 
or  we  cannot  buy  paper  to  print  the  Times  on, 
and  the  TH.mes'  readers  will  get  no  Times.  We 
shall  give  our  readers  a  page  more  of  reading 
matter  when  long  evenings  come  again. 

We  have  printed  fifty-two  numbers  of  the 
Timex,  while  dozens  of  newspaper  establish- 
ments have  broke  down  under  the  pressure  of 
hard  "times,"  knocking  at  the  door.  With  less 
patronage  than  any,  we  have  lived  through  the 
year,  and  yet,  expect  to  continue  on,  combatting 
error,  and  inspiring  with  more  life  and  energy 
the  progressive  tendencies  of  the  county,  than 
all  other  institutions  combined.  We  are  duly 
thankful  for  past  patronage  and  liope  to  merit 
its  continuance. 

Mr.  Somerby  continued  the  publication  of  the 
Wis*crn  Times,  until  Jan.  6,  1858,  when  its 
name  was  cKanged  to  the  North  Western  Timex. 
R.  C.  liierce  was  co-editor  with  Mr.  Somerby, 
from  Dec.  14,  1859,  to  Sept.  IS,  1861;  James 
Osgood,  of  De  Soto,  having  for  about  a  year 
previous,  also  been  associate  editor.  On  the  Vth 
of  May,  1862,  the  iVor^/i  Western  Times  appenred 
for  the  first  time,  as  being  printed  in  Vernon, 
instead  of  Badax  county.  The  paper  was  con- 
tinued until  the  28th  of  June,  1865,  when  the 
office  was  wrecked  by  the  terrible  tornado  of 
that  year.  A  portion  of  the  material  was  saved 
which  Mr.  ^oraerby  disposed  of,  to  Daniel  B. 
Priest,  J.  M.  Rusk  and  William  Nelson,  who 
issued,  Aug.  2.3,  1865,  the  first  number  of  the 
Vernon  County  Censor,  as  a  continuation  of  the 
Times.  The  first  issue  was  printed  as  volume 
10,  number  34.  In  their  bow  to  the  public,  the 
three  gentlemen  just  mentioned,  have  th's  to 
say: 


The  undersigned  having  purchased  the  old 
Northwestern  Timss  office,  propose,  with  the 
support  of  the  citizens  of  Vernon  county,  to 
piiblish  the  Vernon  County  Censor.  The  Censor 
will  be  a  continuation  of  the  Times,  and  will  be 
in  politics  true  to  the  constitution,  the  Union 
and  the  upholding  of  the  National  authority 
against  all  rebellion  or  uprising,  whether  State 
or  individual.  We  expect  to  act  with  the  re- 
publican or  union  party  on  all  political  ques- 
tions of  the  day.  And  while  we  so  act,  we 
shall  feel  free  to  condemn  any  course  adopted  by 
that  party  which  we  deem  to  be  wrong  ;  believ- 
ing that  it  is  every  man's  privilege  to  hold  his 
own  opinions  and  advocate  them  to  the  best  of 
liis    ability,    being    responsible    for   the    same. 

The  two  senior  members  of  the  firm  are  well 
known  to  the  people  of  this  county,  and  all  that 
il  will  be  necessary  for  them  to  say  is  that  they 
expect  to  advocate  the  principles  they  have 
heretofore  been  known  to  profess.  The  junior 
is  a  stranger  among  you,  but  he  expects  to 
ihow  himself  worthy  of  your  confidence. 

Financially,  we  believe  the  Censor  to  be  in  a 
Jair  condition.  The  subscription  list  is  not  as 
large  as  it  should  be,  but  what  there  is  of  it  is 
jrofitable.  The  legal  advertising  is  good,  and 
will  prob.ably  increase.  But  the  local  adver- 
tising in  Viroqua  and  the  smaller  towns  of  the 
county  is  not  what  it  should  be.  The  job 
work  is  not  large  in  amount.  But,  taking  the 
business  altogether,  it  will  probably  not  un- 
favorably compare  with  any  country  paper  in 
the  State.  And  our  friends  should  recollect 
that  the  better  support  they  give  us,  the  better 
paper  we  can  afford  to  give  them. 

The  military  interest  is  pretty  well  repre- 
sented in  the  firm.  The  senior  member  has 
.seen  service  for  his  country,  and  the  junior  has 
served  some  also,  and  (though  much  against 
his  will)  has  also  drawn  rations  from  the  'Con- 
federacy.' But  the  least  said  about  the  said 
r.ations  the  better.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  all 
the  eighteen  months  stay  among  the  chivalrous 
and  high-spirited  southrons,  he  did  not  witness 


282 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


any  over-feeding.  But  that  is  pretty  well 
underi5tood  in  the  north  now,  and  it  is  not 
necessary  to  give  a  new  recital  of  what  was 
seen  there. 

In  reference  to  dealings  with  patrons,  it  will 
be  our  wish  generally  to  do  business,  as  far  as 
possible,  on  a  cash  basis.  This  we  deem  to  be 
the  best  for  all  concerned,  and  it  will  certainly 
be  the  best  for  us.  The  great  bane  of  the 
newspaper  business  in  the  west  is  credit — long 
credit,  which  often  runs  to  repudiation. 

It  will  be  understood  that  Messrs.  Priest  and 
Nelson  will  have  the  editorial  management  of 
the  Censor.  It  will  be  their  aim  to  give  the 
people  of  the  county  a  readable  paper  and  one 
which  shall  be  'up  to  time'  on  all  current  news 
and  questions  of  the  day.  With  our  editorial 
brethren  we  hope  to  keep  on  terms  of  amity, 
and  if  we  shall  ever  have  any  differences  with 
any  of  them,  we  shall  endeavor  to  discuss  all 
points  in  a  courteous  and  friendly  manner. 

The  paper  we  get  out  to-day  must  not  be 
taken  as  a  specimen.  There  are  several  neces- 
sary ciianges  to  make  in  the  advertising  depart- 
ment. We  intend  to  take  out  of  the  paper  all 
job  type,  although,  of  course,  any  advertiser 
may  occupy  all  the  space  he  pays  for,  but  we 
shall  not  use  flaming  type.  There  are  also 
several  foreign  advertisements  to  come  out  in 
a  few  weeks,  which  we  shall  replace  with  local 
paying  advertising,  or  not  at  all. 

When  we  get  into  our  new  room  we  shall 
have  better  facilities  for  doing  work,  and  then 
we  hope  to  receive  calls  fi"om  our  patrons. 

J.  M.  Rusk, 
D.  B.  Priest, 
William  Nelson. 

What  became  of  Mr.  Somerby,  who  first 
established  the  Times,  which,  as  we  have  stated, 
afterward  became  the  Censor,  is  seen  by  an 
article  published  in  the  last  named  paper,  Nov. 
20,  1867,  entitled  : 

ABOUT  TO  MOVE. 

Mr.  J.  A.  Somerby,  an  old  resident  of  this 
place  [Viroqua]  is  selling  out,  preparatory,  we 


understand,  to  moving  to  Faribault,  Minn. 
Mr.  Somerby  is  the  man  who  first  begun  the 
publication  of  a  newspaper  in  this  county, 
under  the  title  of  the  "  Western  Times."  'J  hat 
was  in  June,  1856.  The  paper  was  published 
continuously,  part  of  the  time  under  the  name 
of  the  ^^Northwestern  Times,"  until  the  middle 
of  August,  1865,  when  Mr.  Somerby  sold  the 
establisliment,  and  the  new  proprietors  changed 
the  name  to  that  which  this  paper  now  bears. 
In  the  early  days  the  struggle  was  hard  to 
make  a  paper  live  in  such  a  sparsely  settled 
county  as  this  one  was,  and  Mr.  Somerby  has 
seen  many  disheartening  days  ;  but,  ever 
cheerful  and  hopeful,  he  pressed  on,  part  of  the 
time  under  the  discouragement  of  having  to 
divide  a  business  not  more  than  enough  for  one 
paper,  with  a  rival. 

It  is  a  feast  to  get  hold  of  the  old  numbers  of 
the  "Times''''  published  in  the  first  years,  and 
read  of  the  old  actions  done,  the  old  prophesies, 
fulfilled  and  unfulfilled,  an-d  the  way  the  people 
felt  on  various  subjects.  In  fact,  it  seems  little 
less  than  mediajval  reading,  for  the  war  has 
I  placed  a  great  gulf  between  those  times  and 
now,  which  in  ordinary  times,  it  would  take 
generations  to  make.  The  war  settled  so  many 
questions  ;  it  made  every  one  feel  so  differently 
on  National  issues ;  and  it  has  made  us  all 
so  fervently  realize  the  benefits  of  our  institu- 
tions, that  it  is  no  wonder  all  seems  changed. 

"There  is  no  time  like  the  old  time;  "  and 
the  departure  of  an  old  pioneer  like  Mr.  Som- 
erby recalls  vividly  the  times  past  and  gone. 
Let  their  memory  be  kindly  cherished,  for 
we  are  not  likely  soon  to  see  warmer  hearts, 
more  ready  sympathy,  or  heartier  succor  to  the 
needy,  than  were  common  in  those  days. 

Mr.  Somerby  goes  from  among  us  with  the 
respect  and  kindly  remembrance  of  his  old 
friends.  May  his  lot  be  prosperous  and  pleas- 
ant in  his  new  home. 

The  Censor  was  continued  under  the  same 
management   which   started   it   until    Nov.  29 


HISTORYfOF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


283 


1865,  when  J.  M.  Rusk,  on  his  election  to  the 
office  of  bank  comptroller  of  Wisconsin, 
retired  from  the  firm.  The  remaining  proprie- 
tors upon  his  retirement  published,  in  their 
paper,  the  following; 

A    CHANGE. 

With  this  number  of  the  Censor,  Col.  J.  M. 
Rusk  retires  from  his  position  as  partner  in  the 
proprietorship  of  this  office.  The  colonel  hav- 
ing been  elected  to  the  office  of  bank  comp- 
troller of  the  State  at  the  late  election,  this 
change  is  deemed  expedient.  The  business  of 
the  office  will  be  conducted  as  heretofore,  and 
our  patrons  will  not  experience  any  change  in 
our  mutual  transactions. 

In  parting  with  Col.  Rusk,  we  feel  it  just  to 
say  that  our  relations  with  him  have  been  of  the 
most  harmonious  character.  No  difPerences  or 
misunderstandings  have  occurred  in  our  short 
period  of  doing  business  together,  and  in  all 
probability  never  would  have  occurred  if  the 
time  had  been  lengthened.  He  goes  to  a  scene 
of  wider  usefulness  and  responsibility  to  which 
he  has  been  chosen,  and  the  people  may  well 
consider  that  they  have  elected  an  upright, 
honorable  man  to  fill  the  office  of  bank  comp- 
troller for  the  next  two  years.  Where  Col. 
Rusk  is  best  known  he  is  best  liked,  and  this 
was  shown  in  the  vote  in  different  sections  of 
the  State.  In  towns  where  the  members  of  his 
old  regiment  reside,  he  ran  in  nearly  every  case 
ahead  of  the  remainder  of  the  State  ticket. 
This  is  a  showing  of  which  he  may  well  be 
proud.  He  will  be  faithful  to  the  trust  com- 
mitted to  his  charge,  and  will  do  the  State  and 
himself  honor  in  his  new  position.  *  *  * 
Daniel  B.  Priest. 
William   Nelson. 

The  Censor  was  edited  and  published  from 
this  time  until  May,  1869,  by  Messrs.  Priest  and 
Nelson,  when  the  former,  with  the  issue  of  the 
12th  of  that  month,  withdrew  from  the  paper, 
leaving  the  latter  as  sole  editor  and  proprietor. 


In  leaving  the  paper,  Mr.  Priest  had  the  follow- 
ing to  say  concerning  the       v 

CHANGE    OF    OWNERSHIP. 

It  is  customary  when  an  editor  retires  from 
a  paper,  for  him  to  say  words  of  farewell  to  his 
patrons.  As  I  now  retire  from  the  Censor,  I 
may  be  indulged  while  following  the  usual 
custom: 

In  August,  1865,  Messrs.  J.  M.  Rusk,  William 
Nelson  and  myself  bought  the  Times  office 
from  J.  A.  Somerby.  At  once  changing  the 
name  of  the  paper  to  the  one  it  now  bears,  we 
began  the  building  up  of  an  establishment 
which  should  be  a  credit  to  the  county,  and 
aimed  at  the  issuing  of  a  paper  which  should 
reflect  no  shame  upon  its  patrons.  To  this  end 
no  labor  has  been  spared,  and  with  what  success 
that  labor  has  been  crowned,  we  leave  others 
to  say.  In  our  work,  we  have  been  cheered  by 
the  faithful  and  steady  support  of  a  large  circle 
of  warm  friends,  who  have  taken  advantage  of 
every  occasion  to  help  us,  both  with  business 
and  encouragement.  To  such  we  can  only  say, 
that  their  kindnesses  have  been  received  with 
with  heartfelt  thankfulness. 

On  his  election  to  the  office  of  bank  comp- 
troller, in  November,  1865,  Gen.  J.  M.  Rusk 
retired  from  the  Censor,  and  from  that  time 
until  the  present  there  has  been  no  change  in 
proprietorship.  For  more  than  three  years  and 
a  half  this  paper  has  been  published  prompt'y 
on  time,  no  mishap  of  any  kind  having  delayed 
our  issue  beyond  the  Wednesday  morning 
mails. 

I  also  return  thanks  to  my  editorial  friends 
in  the  State  who  have  uniformly  treated  me 
with  the  greatest  courtesy.  In  bidding  them 
farewell  from  the  Censor,  it  is  only  to  resume 
my  connection  with  them  in  a  neighboring 
county.  May  our  relations  ever  be  as  pleasant 
as  they  have  been  in  the  past. 

In  conclusion,  I  take  pleasure  in  recommending 
to  the  friends  and  patrons  of  the  Censor,  my 
successor  and  former  partner,  Mr.  William  Nel- 
son,  to  whom   they   are   mainly   indebted    for 


384 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


whatever  they  have  found  in  the  Censor,  worthy 
of  approval,  as  one  whom  I  have  tried  and  know 
is  in  every  way  worthy  of  their  confidence  and 
support;  and  with  the  earnest  hope  that  the 
liberal  patronage,  confidence  and  support  ex- 
tended to  this  paper  during  the  time  I  have 
been  connected  with  it  may  be  continued,  and 
with  best  wishes  for  old  friends,  we  bid  them 
good-by.  D.  B.  Priest. 

In  parting  from  Mr.  Priest  in  a  business 
capacity,  it  is  with  feelings  of  the  warmest 
friendship,  cemented  by  years  of  close  business 
relationsliip.  Our  intercourse  has  always  been 
marked  by  the  utmost  good  will  on  either  side. 
While  losing  his  personal  weight  in  the  Cen- 
sor, to  which  he  has  brought  great  support,  I 
am  glad  to  be  able  to  say,  that  he  does  not 
retire  from  the  editorial  profession.  May  his 
days  be  prosperous  ones. 

To  the  patrons  and  friends  of  the  Censor,  I 
will  say  that,  in  future,  this  paper  shall  be  equal 
to  what  it  has  been  in  the  past.  No  change  will 
be  observed  in  its  management.  It  will  strive 
to  be  fully  up  to  all  the  occurrences  of  the  day, 
and  to  give  a  reasonable  amount  of  reading 
every  week,  hoping  for  a  continuance  of  the 
approval  and  support  of  my  friends,  I  subscribe 
myself,  William  Nelson. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  1869,  the  Censor  published 
the  following: 

THE    HON.    D.    B.  PRIEST. 

This  gentleman  has  moved  to  Sparta,  where 
he  will  keep  his  oftice  of  collector  of  internal 
revenue  for  this  congressional  district.  He  has 
also  bought  the  Sparta  Ert(/fe  office;  and,  assisted 
by  Mr.  Malcom  Graham,  son  of  Judge  Graham, 
of  Viroqua,  he  proposes  to  enlarge  that  paper  to 
a  nine  column  journal,  and  make  other  material 
improvements  in  it.  From  what  we  know  of 
the  new  conductors,  we  anticipate  a  great  im- 
provement in  the  Eagle  in  every  respect.  The 
first  number  of  the  paper  under  its  new  auspi- 
cies  will  appear  this  week. 

In  the  departure  of  Mr.  Priest,  this  county 
suffers  a  loss  which  will  not  easily  be  repaired. 


He  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  the  county 
in  all  things,  and  played  his  part  well  in  every 
capacity  which  he  undertook  to  fill.  Of  a 
friendly,  open  disposition,  courteous  manners, 
unselfish  character,  genial  humor,  and  fine 
attainments,  his  like  is  not  often  met  with.  He 
has  the  warmest  wishes  of  hundreds  of  friends 
in  this  county  for  his  abundant  prosperty. 

Says  the  Censor  of  Sept.  7,  1870:  "With  feel- 
ings of  sadness,  we  learn  just  as  we  go  to  press, 
of  the  death  of  Hon.  D.  B.  Priest,  of  Sparta." 

In  1875  Mr.  Nelson  admitted  to  a  partnership 
Henry  Casson,  Jr.,  who  had  managed  the  paper 
since  July,  1873,  Mr.  Nelson  having  assumed 
charge  of  the  La  Crosse  Rep ublifMu- Leader  in- 
March  of  that  year.  In  January,  1877,  his  in- 
terest was  purchased  by  Mr.  Casson,  and  he 
became  its  editor  and  owner.  The  first  issue 
of  the  paper  under  the  management  was  on 
Jan.  17,  1877— volume  22,  No.  3.  The  salu- 
tory  of  Mr.  Casson  was  as  follows: 

TO  THE  PATRONS  OF  THE  CENSOR. 

On  the  11th  inst.,  the  undersigned  purchased 
of  Hon.  William  Nelson  the  Censor  office;  and 
will  continue  the  publication  of  the  paper  as 
heretofore.  For  the  past  three  years  the  paper 
has  been  under  our  management,  Mr.  Nelson 
having  been  occupied  in  another  field  of  labor. 
The  past  course  of  the  paper  may  therefore  be 
taken  as  a  precursor  of  the  future.  So  long  as 
the  republican  party  shall  continue  to  make  a 
history  of  freedom  and  justice  to  all  men  with- 
out respect  to  race  or  color,  we  shall  advocate 
its  cause  and  candidates  with  what  little  abili- 
ty we  may  possess.  When  the  grand  old  party, 
ceases  to  do  this,  it  will  cease  longer  to  exist. 
Our  faith  in  the  principles  we  have  so  long 
advocated  is  to-day  stronger  than  ever,  and  we 
firmly  believe  that  National  prosperity  and  an 
undivided  Republic  depend  upon  the  continued 
ascendancy  of  the  republican  party.  Believing 
thus,  we  shall  earnestly  advocate  its  principles. 

"We  shall  not  at  this  time  indulge  in  any 
promises  of  great  things  we  propose  to  do,  but 
simply    say   that  it  is   our  desire  to   make  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


285 


Censor  a  local  paper;  and  to  this  end,  we  invite 
correspondence  from  every  locality  in  the 
county. 

"With  'malace  toward  none  and  charity   for 
all,'  and  asking  the  kind  indulgence  of  the  pub- 
lic for  any  lack  of  ability,  we  subscribe  ourself. 
The  public's  obedient  servant, 

Henet  Casson,  .Jr." 

Henry  Casson,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Brownsville, 
Fayette  Co.,  Peun.,  Dec.  13,  1843.  He  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Hennepin,  HI.,  in  1847, 
where  he  resided  until  1860,  removing  in  that 
year  to  Peoria.  In  1856  he  was  ap- 
prenticed to  the  printing  business  in 
the  office  of  the  Hennepin  Tribune.  In 
1865  he  became  one  of  the  publishers  of  the 
Henry  County  (jhronide,  at  Cambridge, 
111.,  where  he  remained  until  1867, 
when  he  received  an  appointment  in  the  New 
Orleans  Custom  House,  through  the  influence 
of  the  late  Hon.  Ebon  Clark  lugersoll.  He 
resigned  in  July,  1868,  and  purchased  the  Ct^i- 
2e?i  office  at  Chillicothe,  111 .,  which  he  sold  in 
1872,  and  accepted  a  position  on  the  Peoria 
Daily  Review,  ^'heve  he  continued  until  1873, 
coming  to  Viroqua  in  July  of  that  year,  to  take 
charge  of  the  Vernon  County  Censor.  In  1880, 
he  was  appointed  by  Supervisor  Lottridge  as 
clerk  of  the  census  district.  He  has  always 
been  a  republican  since  he  became  of  voting 
age,  and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
politics.  He  was  married  to  Ethel  Haugh- 
ton,  daughter  of  Rev.  William  Haughton,  Nov. 
7,  1874,  and  has  one  child,  a  son.  As  a  news- 
paper writer,  Mr.  Casson  holds  a  ready  pen. 
His  descriptive  powers  are  much  above  the 
average.  Who  will  say  that  the  following 
picture  is  not  true  to  life: 

THE  TRAMP. 

Eighteen  years  ago,  while  serving  his  appren- 
ticeship to  the  printing  business,  the  writer  of 
this  was  a  little  startled  by  hearing  a  terrific 
knock  on  the  office  door,  made  with  a  hickory 
walking-stick,   and  immediately  afterwards,  a 


man  apparently  about  sixty  years  of  age,  opened 
the  door  and  yelled: 

"With  the  seat  of  my  breeches  all  ragejed  and  tore, 
Here's  Old  G.  W.  Matchett  from  Baltimore!" 

"Gimme  a  chaw  of  terbacker.     Who's  going 
to  give  me    a   quarter   to    help   him    over   the 
bridge?"     By  which  he  meant  that  be    wanted 
the    wherewithal  to   buy  a    drink    of   whisky. 
Matchett     staid      around      the      town     about 
a      week,    wrote    articles    for   all    who     were 
kind  enough  to  give  him  an    occasional    dime; 
and,  finally,  becoming  restless,   skipped  out  for 
St.  Louis,  a  distance  of  400  miles,  on  foot.     He 
is  constantly    on   the  go — never   riding,  for  the 
reason,  as  he  says,  that  it  hurts  his  corns  to  ride 
so  fast!     He  has   visited    nearly  every   town  in 
the  United  States  ou  foot,  and  once  took  a   trip 
to    South  America,    which  came    near   ending 
him,  on  account  of  his  having   to  be  in  sight  of 
water  so  long.       Matchett   once  went    into    a 
fashionable  restaurant  in  Savannah,    Ga.,   and 
seating  himself  at  one  of  the   tables,  ordered   a 
sumptuous  meal — about  a    dollar   and    seventy- 
five   cents  worth.     He    was    terribly    hungry, 
having  been  without  food  for   several  days,  and 
he  didn't  have  a   cent.     He    finished  his  meal, 
and  was  walking  out,when  the  proprietor,  who 
judged  from  his  personal    appearance    that  he 
wasn't  the  kind  of  a  chap  to  be  eating  high-priced 
meals,  collared  him  and  asked  him  if  he  wasn't 
going   to  pay  his  bill.     "My  initials  are  G.  W., 
and    I    can't    tell    a    lie,"    said  Matchett.     "I 
haven't  got  a  cent."     This  angered  the    restau- 
rant man,  and  he  jerked  a  revolver  from  behind 
the  counter  and  pointed  it  at  Matchett.     "Pay 
me      for      my      meal!"       shouted     the    boni- 
face.      "What    you   got  there?"    coolly  asked 
Matchett.     "I've    got   a    revolver,    and    if  you 
don't   pay   me    I'll    use   it!"     "Oh,  a   revolver, 
eh? — that's  all.     I  was  afraid  it  was  a  stomach 


pump! 


Matchett     got     oflP    with      a    kick. 


M  atchett  must  be  eighty  years  of  age,  but  he 
still  sticks  to  the  "turf,"  as  he  calls  it,  and  gets 
away  with  as  much  poor  whisky  as  ever.  He 
is  a  splendid  scholar,  an  able  writer,  and  a  man 


386 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


who  is  well  qualified  to  fill  a  high  position;  and 
yet  he  will,  ere  long,  fill  a  pauper's  grave,  "un- 
wept, unhonored  and  unsung."  It  is  true  he 
will  be  missed,  for  the  old  man  has  warm 
friends  among  the  craft  who  admire  his  talents, 
and  are  always  glad  to  see  him. 

VIROQUA   EXPOSITOR. 

On  the  28th  of  August,  1858,  the  Viroqua 
Expositor  issued  its  first  number,  O.  C.  Smith, 
Jesse  Smith  and  Justus  Smith,  proprietors — 0. 
C.  Smith,  editor.  The  following  was  the 
editor's 

S  ALITTATORT. 

In  appearing  before  the  public  as  a  journal- 
ist, we  have  but  one  apology  to  make,  and  that 
one  is  very  general.  When  reason  errs,  reason 
corrects  the  error  ;  so,  should  we  be  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  err  in  one  point,  we  are  willing, 
and  would  be  any  time,  happy  to  make  correc- 
tion. But  should  we  err  in  many  respects,  as 
others  laboring  in  like  capacity  do,  we  are  still 
more  ready  to  rectify  errors.  And  while  we 
keep  a  steady  eye  upon  the  truth,  even  the  great 
truths  of  the  spirit  of  reform  that  is  at  present 
agitating  the  world,  we  hope  every  sentiment 
written  by  us  may  be  candidly  investigated  be- 
fore it  be  utterly  denounced  ;  that  it  be  im- 
partially weighed  before  the  sca'e  be  turned 
against  us. 

"The  great  social,  political  and  religious  re- 
forms have  stirred  the  turbid  waters  of  Na- 
tional corruption,  whose  vapors  have  poisoned 
the  minds  of  the  people,  and  are  rushing 
with  fury  upon  the  temples  of  the  despoilers  of 
our  happiness,  liberties,  and  institutions  ;  con- 
suming the  bigotry  of  Churches,  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  statesmen,  and  is  at  present  presenting 
to  us  the  government — rites  and  ceremonies  of 
the  different  branches  of  the  Church  in  a  wider 
and  more  equitable  form. 

"The  political  economy  of  our  National  fath- 
ers is  also  assuming  an  enviable  standard  among 
the  Nations  of  the  earth  ;  and  while  all  are 
working  so  harmonious  together,  there  is  left 
but  little  room  for  those  who  would  falsify   the 


truth  of  this  spirit  of  progress  or  throw  a 
stumbling-stone  beneath  its  wheel. 

"While  we  endeavor  to  lend  a  helping  hand 
to  every  movement  that  has  for  its  object  the 
elevation  of  the  character  of  mankind,  we  will 
steadily  endeavor  to  push  on  the  western  reform 
by  advocating  the  cause  of  the  agriculturist, 
mechanic,  educator,  and  every  member  of  the 
great  school  of  religious  civilization  of  the  west- 
ern world.  Our  pen  and  midnight  lamp  shall  be 
agents  in  recording  and  testifying  to  the  busy 
scenes  of  our  prosperous  county,  so  long  as  the 
oxen  shall  low  upon  the  plow-beam,  the  horse 
be  muzzled  in  the  cornfield,  the  grating  saw  and 
screeching  plane  of  the  mechanic  keep  music 
to  the  the  touch  of  our  pen,  or  the  merchant's 
goods  hang  outside  the  door  to  brighten  the 
face  of  business. 

"We  hope  in  the  prosecution  of  our  new  duty 
to  always  be  found  upon  the  side  of  justice, 
wooing  not  the  smiles  of  friends,  or  depreciating 
the  displeasures  of  foes.  Our  aim  is  beyond 
personal  aggrandizement,  but  the  character  of 
mankind  in  all  its  capabilities  will  receive  our  at- 
tention. The  aged  will  be  honored,  the  middle- 
aged  respected,  and  the  youth  of  our  country 
encouraged. 

"We  have  naught  to  promise  our  readers  in 
the  publication  of  our  sheet,  save  that  as  night 
is  opposite  of  day,  and  as  right  is  the  opposite 
of  wrong,  our  soul  detests  the  thought  of  giving 
to  the  fathers  of  families  and  especially  to  the 
youth  of  our  land,  a  fabric  of  fictitious  novel- 
lettes,  that  will  destroy  their  usefulness,  and 
choke  the  moral  sensibilities  of  the  giant  mind 
in  embryo,  thereby  plunging  them  into  the 
vortex  of  temptation. 

"Now,  as  we  enter  upon  the  first  number  and 
volume  of  our  paper,  we  hope  you  may  all  have 
a  pleasant  and  profitable  journey  with  us  to  the 
end  of  the  year." 

In  some  respects,  this  salutation  is  unique. 
On  the  whole,  its  peculiarities  of  diction  and 
thought  are  of  a  most  unusual  cast.  As  the 
greeting  of  an  editor  to  the  public  in  assuming 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


281 


the  responsibilities  of  editorship,  it  is  certainly, 
a  novelty. 

With  the  issue  of  November  6,  following,  G. 
W.  Wolfe,  became  associate  with  O.  C. 
Smith,  in  editing  the  Expositor.  He  launches 
his  bark  upon  the  sea  of  journalism,  with  "A 
Word  Introductory ;"  but  that  "  Word"  ex- 
tended over  a  column  in  length.  This  was  his 
peroration  : 

"Residents  of  Viroqua  and  Bad  Ax  county, 
'grow  not  weary  in  well  doing,'  but  push  along 
the  ball  of  improvement ;  throw  aside  your 
sectional  strife,  for  'a  house  divided  against  it- 
self cannot  stand  ;'  put  forth  all  your  energies 
toward  accomplishing  and  sustaining  a  high 
reputation  for  your  county,  and  you  will  not 
only  merit,  but  receive,  a  rich  reward  for  pos- 
terity." But,  on  the  7th  of  May,  1859,  Mr. 
Wolfe  gave  notice  that  with  that  issue  of  the 
paper,  his  connection  with  the  £Jxpositor  ceased. 
The  proprietors,  on  the  11th  of  December,  1858. 
were  O.  C.  Smith,  A.  F.  Smith  and  Justus 
Smith  ;  on  the  10th  of  April  this  was  changed 
to  O.  C.  and  J.  Smith. 

The  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the 
Viroqua  £Jxpositor  and  Bad  Ax  Heporter,  Aug. 
27,  1859,  and  in  the  next  issue,  September  3,  O. 
C.  and  J.  Smith  appeared  as  both  editors  and 
proprietors.  The  Bad  Ax  Reporter  was  subse- 
quently dropped.  Afterward,  G.  W.  Wolfe 
again  became  editor  ;  but  the  latter  died  on  the 
19th  of  October,  1862,  when  the  Expositor 
paid  the  fellowing  graceful  tribute  to  his 
memory  : 

"  Died,  on  Sunday  morning  last,  very  sud- 
denly, of  apoplexy,  G.  W.  Wolfe,  Esq.,  of  this 
village. 

"Mr.  Wolfe  was  just  emerging  into  the  prime 
of  life,  with  an  inriting  prospect  of  a  useful 
and  honorable  futtire  before  him.  He  was  near 
twenty-seven  years  of  age,  and  was  in  apparent 
good  health  up  to  the  hour  of  his  death.  lie 
had  been  attacked  twice  before  with  apoplexy, 
from  which  he  soon  recovered,  and  it  was 
thought    by     many     permanently,    but   every 


moment  of  life  is  uncertain.  He  arose  in  the 
morning  apparently  in  good  health,  drove  some 
cattle  from  his  garden,  and  returned  to  the 
house  after  an  absence  of  but  a  few  moments, 
and  said  he  was  getting  blind.  He  sat  on  the 
side  of  his  bed  but  a  moment  when  he  went 
into  convulsions  from  the  effects  of  the  disease. 
Before  he  fully  recovered  from  the  attack,  he 
was  again  convulsed,  and  so  it  was  repeated  the 
fourth  time,  and  he  was  dead  ! 

"  The  announcement  of  his  sudden  death 
startled  the  community,  and  they  hurried  to 
the  house  of  mourning,  but  human  skill  was 
unavailing;  he  has  trodden  the  dark  path 
through  the  valley  and  shadow  of  death,  and 
leaves  behind  him  an  affectionate  wife  and  very 
many  relatives  and  friends  who  mourn  the  loss 
of  a  kind  and  affectionate  husband,  a  dutiful 
and  amiable  son,  a  loving  brother,  and  a 
devoted  and  faithful  friend.  We  deeply 
sympathize  with  all  who  are  called  to  mourn 
over  the  loss  of  him  whom  the  gifts  of  earth 
can  never  replace. 

"The  deceased  was  born  in  Athens  Co., 
Ohio,  was  early  educated  and  learned  the  print- 
ing business  in  his  native  county.  He  was 
editor  of  this  paper  for  the  past  year,  and  was 
a  careful  and  vigorous  writer,  as  all  who  read 
must  know. 

"  He  was  buried  in  the  village  church-yard 
on  Monday  last,  at  3  o'clock,  with  Masonic 
honors." 

Mr.  Wolfe  was  succeeded  by  O.  C.  Smith  as 
editor.  The  Expositor  was  finally  merged  into 
the  Northwestern  Times,  the  materials  having 
been  purchased  by  J.  A.  Somerby,  of  the 
county  treasurer,  to  whom  they  had  been  sold, 
by  Mr.  Smith,  as  appears  by  the  following  : 

"  To  the  subscribers  of  the  Expositor. 
Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Times''  editor,  I 
am  permitted  to  say  that  I  have  disposed  of  all 
my  right,  title  and  interest,  in  the  office  of  the 
Krpositor,  and  the  same  now  rests  in  James 
Lowrie,  Esq.,  county  treasurer,  who  has  agreed 
to  complete  all  my  contracts  for  subscription  to 


288 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  Expositor.  All  those  who  have  paid  for 
Bubscription  wijl  receive  a  paper  to  the  end  of 
the  time  for  which  they  have  paid,  exclusive  of 
the  time  for  which  the  paper  has  been  stopped. 

O.  C.  Smith." 
Thereupon    the    Northwestern     Times    pub- 
lished the  following 

NOTICE. 

"  Having  purchased  of  James  Lowrie,  the 
Expositor  printing  office,  and  the  subscription 
list  and  all  the  accounts  due  to  the  old  proprie- 
tor of  said  office  for  advertising  and  .subscrip- 
tions, *  *  *  J  wig]i  to  give  the 
following  notice  : 

"  That  the  Northicestern  Times  newspaper 
will  be  enlarged  to  a  seven  column  sheet,  with 
pages  two  inches  longer  than  those  of  the 
Expositor  some  time  during  the  month  of  July, 
and  that  the  price  will  be  increased  to  |il  50 
per  annum.         *         *         » 

J.   A.  SOMERBT. 

ViEOQUA,  July  1,  1863." 

But  the  Times  was  not  enlarged  until  the 
issue  of  Aug.  5,  186.3.  For  a  while  in  1861, 
the  Expositor  was   published  as  a  semi-weekly. 

OTHER    PAPERS. 

In  1871  T.  C.  Medary  commenced  the  publi- 
cation of  the  De  Soto  Republican,  and  con- 
tinued it  for  one  year,  when  he  removed  to 
Lansing,  where  he  published  a  paper.  He  was 
an  able  writer. 

In  18'72  the  De  'Aoto  Leader  was  established. 
G.  L.  IngersoU  moved  the  material  from  Lan- 
sing, Iowa,  across  the  river  on  the  ice,  and  was 
the  founder.  He  conducted  the  paper  for  a 
time,  then  sold  it  to  B.  J.  Castle.  IngersoU 
was  a  merchant  there,  and  is  still  a  resident. 

H.  J.  Castle  ran  the  paper  for  several  years, 
then  sold  out  and  removed  toPrairie  du  Chien, 
where  he  was  proprietor  of  the  Unioit  for  some 
time.  He  has  since  moved  to  Black  River 
Falls,  where  he  still  makes  his  home.  He  is 
publishing  a  paper  there  ;  but,  for  the  past 
few  years,  has  held  a  clerkship  in  one  of  the 
State  departments  at  Madison. 


Succeeding  Clastic  in  charge  of  the  Leader, 
came  G.  L.  Miller,  a  lawyer.  He  still  owns  the 
material,  although  publication  has  been  sus- 
pended. Others  were  at  times  connected  with 
the  paper,  but  merely  temporarily. 

In  1872  A.  L.  Ankeny  began  in  Viroqua,  the 
publication  of  the  Wisconsin  Independent,  con- 
tinuing it  until  January,  1876,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Black  River  Falls.  In  August,  1875, 
the  Viroqua  Vidette  was  started  by  Jacob 
Teuney  and  Hartwell  Allen.  At  the  end  of 
three  months,  Mr.  Tenney  retired,  leaving  Mr. 
Allen  sole  proprietor.  The  Vidette  closed  its 
career  Nov.  11,  1876.  There  was  now  but  one 
paper  published  in  the  county,  the  Vernon 
County  Censor. 

VERNON  COUNTY  HERALD. 

The  first  number  of  the  Vernon  County 
Herald  was  issued  at  Viroqua,  Feb.  1  (,  1878, 
by  Jacob  Tenney  and  Hiram  Moody,  editors 
and  proprietors.  Its  platform  of  principles  is 
given  to  its  readers  in  the  following  saluta- 
tory : 

"  In  presenting  to  the  people  the  first  num- 
ber of  the  Herald,  perhaps  it  is  proper  to 
announce  some  of  the  principles  that  will  be 
advocated  in  its  columns.  We  believe  that  the 
time  has  come  when  a  change  should  be  made 
in  the  National  administration  and  the  policy 
pursued  by  the  government,  and  so  believing, 
we  shall  use  whatever  influence  we  may  com- 
mand to  bring  about  such  change.  The  gov- 
ernment for  many  years  has  been  under  the 
control  of  the  wealthy  bond-holders,  corpora- 
tions and  partisan  office-holders,  who  have 
influenced  legislation  for  their  selfish  purposes, 
to  the  neglect  of  the  welfare  of  a  large 
majority  of  the  people. 

"The  industries  of  the  country  have  been 
languishing  and  dying,  and  millions  of  indus- 
trious people  have  been  suffering  from  the 
effects  of  enforced  idleness,  while  the  bond- 
holder has  been  adding  to  his  hoarded  wealth. 
Taxation  has  been  unequal,  working  injustice 
to  a  large  class  of  the  people.     The  Nation  has 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


289 


become  subject  to  the  rule  of  the  money  power 
and  must  seek  deliverance  through  the  ballot 
box.  The  principles  advanced  by  the  green- 
back party,  should  they  prevail,  will,  we 
believe,  relieve  the  people  of  much  of  the 
distress  that  has  been  caused  by  a  false  policy 
and  misrule." 

The  terms  of  the  Herald  were  $1.50  a  year. 
In  the  first  number,  the  editors  seem  to  have 
had  some  idea  that  the  publication  of  their 
paper  would  stir  up  animosities.  They  con- 
soled themselves  in  this  way  :  "A  man  cannot 
expect  to  publish  a  newspaper  and  escape 
having  some  enemies.  Jesus  Christ  and  George 
Washington  had  enemies,  and  we  don't  pretend 
to  be  better  than  either  of  them.  In  fact,  we 
are  willing  to  admit  that  they  possessed  some 
virtues  that  we  cannot  claim."  The  Herald  was 
discontinued  in  the  early  part  of  August,  1880. 

VERNON  COUNTY  LEADEK. 

The  first  number  of  the  Vernon  county  Leader 
was  issued  Aug.  20,  1880,  by  D.  W.  C.  Wilson, 
as  editor  and  proprietor,  he  having  purchased 
the  presses,  printing  material  and  fixtures  of  the 
Vernon  county  Herald.  But  the  Leader  is  not 
in  any  respect  a  continuation  of  the  Herald. 
"From  our  knowledge  of  Vernon  county,"  says 
Mr.  Wilson,  in  his  salutatory,  "we  feel  confident 
that  its  broad  and  fertile  area  presents  an  invit- 
ing field  for  newspaper  enterprise,  and  that  its 
industrious,  intelligent  and  enterprising  people 
will  award  to  another  paper,  the  support  its 
merits,  as  a  local  newspaper  shall  justly  deserve. 
With  the  advent  of  railroad  facilities,  of  which 
Vernon  county  has  so  long  been  deprived,  the 
most  casual  observer  cannot  fail  to  note  a  new 
and  healthy  activity  in  all  branches  of  business, 
and  a  corresponding  development  of  the  vast 
resources  of  one  of  the  best  counties  of  the 
State. 

"To  aid  and  encourage  this  new  activity," 
continues  the  editor,  "and  a  full  development  of 
the  resources  of  the  county,  as  well  as  to  chron- 
icle the  current  events  transpiring  around  us, 
will  be  our  aim,  hoping  thereby  to  furnish  such 


a  paper  as  will  be  felt  to  be  a  necessity  in  every 
household  within  its  borders.  Politically,  the 
Leader  will  be  democratic,  giving  its  hearty 
and  unqualified  support  to  the  candidates  of  the 
party  already  in  the  field,  and  such  local  candi- 
dates as  may  from  time  to  time  be  selected  as 
its  standard  bearers. 

"While  we  shall  be  firm  and  uncompromis- 
ing," concludes  Mr.  Wilson,  "in  support  of  the 
principles  and  the  candidates  of  the  democratic 
party,  we  shall  cheerfully  accord  to  those  op- 
posed to  us  politically,  the  same  degree  of  hon- 
esty and  consistency  we  ask  for  ourselves  and  for 
those  politically  in  accord  with  us,  and  shall 
treat  all  opponents  with  the  same  degree  of 
courtesy  and  fairness  that  we  ask  for  ourselves, 
appealing  to  the  reason  and  good  judgment  of 
men,  rather  than  to  their  passions  or  their 
prejudices.  We  have  come  to  Vernon  county 
to  stay,  and  proudly  throw  our  banner  to  the 
breeze,  soliciting  such  patronage,  and  such  only, 
as  our  conduct  and  efliciency  shall  justly  merit." 

The  Leader  is  still  published  and  is  an  ably 
conducted  paper.  There  are,  indeed,  indica- 
tions of  fun — of  genuine  humor — in  some  of 
Wilson's  editorials  that  stamp  him  as  a  genius 
in  that  line.  It  will  be  difficult  to  find  any- 
thing more  excessively  humorous  in  all  the 
range  of  American  newspaper  editorials  than 
the  following  from  his  pen,  in  the  issue  of  Aug. 
27,  1880: 

"A  party  has  been  camping  out  just  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  pleasant  little  village  of  Mel- 
vina,  during  a  portion  of  last  week,  and  most  of 
this.  The  party  consisted  of  the  Rev.  L.  W. 
Ijrigham,  the  genial  and  popular  Universalist 
clergyman  of  La  Crosse,  his  wife  and  son.  Miss 
Hammond,  Miss  Dudley  and  Miss  Kingsley,  of 
that  city,  A.  Enny  and  wife,  'By'  Wright  (the 
genial  and  popular  conductor  of  the  Viroqua 
branch)  and  wife,  and  Mrs.  A.   Ellis,  of  Sparta. 

"They  had  a  great  deal  of  fun  and  a  pleasant 
time  generally;  but  they  made  a  serious  mistake 
when  they  let  Wright  into  the  party.  They 
only  took  one  car  load  of   provisions,    thinking 


390 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


that  would  be  sufficient  for  a  week's  camping. 
The  moment  'By'  was  turned  loose  among  the 
edibles,  they  discovered  their  mistake.  The 
second  day's  sun  went  down  upon  as  hungry  a 
crowd  as  ever  sought  shelter  of  a  wood,  and 
Elder  Brigham  and  Enny  had  to  start  out  on  a 
foraging  expedition.  Chickens  and  turkeys 
were  roosting  high;  as  they  seemed  instinctively 
to  dread  that  crowd.  Over  hills  and  through 
valleys,  Enny  and  the  elder  plodded  nearly  all 
night  long,  and  just  at  peep  of  day,  come  'the 
drop'  on  a  couple  of  old  geese,  which  had  the 
appearance  of  having  stole  out  under  the  rail- 
ing when  Noah's  shallop  was  scooting  over  this 
portion  of  the  creation.  These,  they  brought 
into  camp. 

"Hunger  and  weariness  had  done  its  work 
upon  all  the  inmates  of  the  camp  except  Wright; 
and  all  save  him  were  in  the  tightly  clasped 
arms  of 

'Tired  Nature's  sweet  restorer,  balmy  slepp!' 
or  words  to  that  effect.  'By'  was  on  picket  duty; 
and  no  sooner  did  he  get  sight  of  the  geese, 
than  he  claimed  the  high  prerogative  of  mak- 
ing a  breakfast  of  them,  as  a  compensation  for 
watching  over  the  sleepers  all  night.  Enny  and 
the  elder  were  too  nearly  exhausted  to  enter 
into  a  muscular  contest,  and  sank  down  ex- 
hausted. The  sleepers  slept  on;  and  when  they 
awoke,  a  few  scattering  feathers  were  all  that 
told  the  story  of  the  lost  geese,  while  'By'  sat 
by  the  camp-fire  looking  as  portly  as  an  alder- 
man, and  indulging  in  a  sardonic  smile  as  he 
looked  upon  the  sunken  faces  of  the  starving 
party. 

"But  for  the  kind  hospitality  of  Capt.  Hunt, 
who  sent  to  camp  a  barrel  of  pork  and  a  load  of 
potatoes,  the  bleaching  bones  of  the  whole  party, 
Wright  excepted,  would  have  been  whitening 
beneath  the  scorching  rays  of  an  August  sun. 
Such  conduct  caused  unpleasantness;  and  Tues- 
day's afternoon  train  took  Wright  on  board,  af- 
ter which,  the  rest  of  the  party  went  to  work 
and  filled  up  sufficiently  to  make  their  clothes 
fit,  and  had  Several  days  of  genuine  fun.     Elder 


Brigham  says,  it  is  the  last  time  he  will  ever 
undertake  to  camp  out  with  'By'  Wright,  unless 
he  can  first  get  a  contract  with  the  United 
States  government  to  furnish  rations,  and  a 
company  of  regulars  to  stand  guard  over  them 
between  meals.  And  still,  on  general  princi- 
ples, Wright  isn't  a  bad  fellow." 

De  Witt  Clinton  Wilson  was  born  in  Wake- 
man,  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  May  24,  1827.  His 
parents  were  James  Wilson  and  Amarilla  White 
Wilson,  who  were  Connecticut  people.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  received  his  early  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  town.  He  after- 
ward attended  the  Norwalk  Seminary  one  year, 
and  the  two  succeeding  years  atOberlin  College, 
having  gone  through  the  Freshman  and  Sopho- 
more years.  He  left  school  at  twenty  years  of 
age,  going  to  Indiana,  and  subsequently  return- 
ing to  his  native  State.  At  twenty-one,  Mr. 
Wilson  was  married  at  Wakeman  to  Jane  Mc- 
Cumber,  of  that  place.  Remaining  there  two 
years  in  farming  his  father's  place,  he  then 
moved  to  McDonough  Co.,  111.,  going  into  a 
railroad  office,  on  the  Quincy  division  of  the  C. 
B.  &  Q.,  railroad,  where  he  remained  three 
years.  In  consequence  of  ill  health,  he  then  re- 
moved to  Sparta,  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he 
soon  recovered, — he  having  at  that  time  a  tract 
of  land  near  by. 

Mr.  Wilson  occupied  his  land  nearly  a 
year.  This  was  in  1859.  The  next  year  he 
moved  into  Sparta,  when  he  was  elected  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  the  jurisdiction  of  the  office 
being  then  co-extensive  with  the  county.  His 
official  business  was  large — more  lucrative  than 
any  county  office  of  Monroe  county.  The  war 
coming  on,  he  was  called  upon  to  go  abroad 
through  the  counties  of  Monroe,  Jackson,  Ver- 
non and  La  Crosse,  to  make  war  speeches.  In 
October,  1861,  entered  the  service  as  first  lieu- 
tenant of  company  D,  18th  Wisconsin  regiment, 
G.  S.  Alban,  colonel.  Lieut.  Wilson  was  in 
the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  where  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  remaining  such  for  seven 
months,  when  he  was  exchanged,  and  returned 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


291 


to  his  company  and  regiment,  where  he  re- 
mained until  March,  1863,  when  he  was  made 
captain  of  company  A,  of  the  9th  Louisiana 
(colored)  regiment,  afterwards  changed  to  the 
United  States  47th  (colored)  regiment. 

Capt.  Wilson  remained  with  the  47th  until 
Aug.  18,  1864,  when  he  resigned.  During 
the  time  of  his  connection  with  that  regiment 
he  commanded  the  same  at  the  battle  of  Yazoo 
City,  in  connection  with  Col.  Ransom  of  the 
11th  Illinois.  This  was  a  very  severe  conflict, 
resulting  in  driving  the  rebels  out  of  the  city, 
and  in  rescuing  Col.  Ransom's  regiment 
which  had  been  surrounded  and  shut  up  in  a 
fort. 

Capt.  Wilson  reached  his  home  at  Sparta  about 
the  1st  of  September,  1864.  The  coming  winter 
he  was  chosen  assistant  aergeant-at-arms  of  the 
Wisconsin  Senate.  The  following  winter  he 
represented  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  As- 
sembly, and  the  winters  of  1867  and  1868  he 
represented  the  ninth  senatorial  district  of  his 
State,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Monroe,  Ju- 
neau and  Adams. 

Before  this  date  Capt.  Wilson  had  been  a 
regular  writer  for  the  Sparta  Eagle.  Before 
leaving  the  Senate,  he  was  employed  by  the 
Milwaukee  /iS'e?i<meZ to  travel  as  their  traveling 
correspondent  during  the   year    1869.     At  the 


end  of  that  time,  he  purchased  one-half  of  the 
Sparta  Eagle,  which  paper  he  continued  to 
run  with  two  different  partners  ;  and  in  1872, 
purchased  the  entire  office,  changing  the  name 
of  the  paper  to  the  Monroe  County  Republican, 
making  it  an  independent  democratic  sheet. 
That  paper  he  edited  until  1878,  when  he  sold 
it  to  F.  A.  Brown,  and  went  to  Montevideo, 
Chippewa  Co.,  Minn.,  where  he  established 
the  Chippewa  County  Leader,  which  he  sold  on 
account  of  his  wife's  sickness,  in  1879. 

Capt.  Wilson  lost  his  first  wife  in  1872,  at 
Sparta.  He  afterward  married,  in  1873,  the 
widow  of  Lute  A.  Taylor,  who  died  in  1880. 

After  the  death  of  his  second  wife,  Capt. 
Wilson  came  to  Viroqua  and  purchased,  as 
already  stated  the  materials  of  the  Herald,  and 
started  the  Vernon  County  Leader.  Mr.  Wil- 
son has  three  children — Mrs.  Mary  Booth,  of 
Wakeman,  Ohio;  James  A.  Wilson,  telegraph 
operator,,  at  Sparta,  Wis.;  and  Miss  Frank  Wil- 
son, now  at  school,  at  that  place.  "  Capt.  De- 
Witt  C.  Wilson,  editor  of  the  Vernon  County 
Leailer,"  says  the  Milwaukee  Sunday  Telegraph, 
of  Aug.  26,  1883,  "  is  one  of  the  ablest  and 
clearest  political  writers  and  speakers  in  the 
State.  His  rhetoric  is  always  good  ;  and  his 
ideas  are  clear,  and  his  reasoning  pointed  and 
able." 


292 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XXIV 


THE  GREAT  TORNADO. 


Nearly  forty  years  have  elapsed  since  the 
first  white  American  settler  located  within  the 
limits  of  what  is  now  Vernon  county.  From 
that  date  to  the  present  time,  there  has  never 
been  an  event  of  such  magnitude— an  occur- 
rence so  destructive  and  far-reaching  in  its 
results — within  the  boundaries  of  the  county, 
as  the  great  tornado  of  June  28,  1865.  It  was 
a  great  and  overshadowing  calamity — particu- 
larly to  the  village  of  Viroqua.  It  is  eighteen 
years  and  past,  since  "death  rode  upon  that  sul- 
phury siroc,"  but  there  are  numbers  still  living 
who  have  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  sudden 
and  awful  visitation  I  Their  recitals  of  what 
they  saw  convey  to  the  reader  in  graphic  lan- 
guage the  terrors  of  that  never  to  be  forgotten 
day. 

It  is  easy  to  draw  from  the  "Recollections" 
which  follows,  an  outline  of  the  whole  picture. 
It  is  this  :  Suddenly  there  came  on,  with  little 
or  no  warning,  a  horrible  screeching  sound  ; 
and,  to  the  westward,  as  the  awe-stricken 
farmei-,  a  few  miles  west  of  Viroqua,  looked 
out  uiioii  the  scene,  there  came,  as  if  "upon  the 
lightning's  wing,"  an  immense,  rolling,  whirl- 
ing, frightfully  dark-looking  cloud  ;  and  the 
next  instant,  almost,  a  crash  I  The  wind  swept 
everything  in  its  path  along  the  line  between 
townships  12  and  13,  through  Viroqua,  and  a 
number  of  miles  to  the  east  of  the  village.  In 
that  path,  was  death  and  dire  destruction  such 
as  has  seldom  been  witnessed,  in  so  narrow  a 
space,  on  this  earth.  But  we  let  the  spectators 
now  tell  their. stories  ;  yet  the  half   can   never 


be  told.     We  begin,  however,  with   the  cotem 
poraneous  account  of  an  editor. 

I. BRICK  POMEROT's  REPORT,  JULY,  1865. 

Thursday  afternoon  we  received  notice  that 
on  Wednesday  a  storm  of  wind  had  swept 
over  a  portion  of  the  village  of  Viroqua,  the 
county-seat  of  Vernon  county,  and  that  several 
were  killed,  a  large  number  wounded,  and  that 
a  large  portion  of  the  village  was  destroyed. 
At  half  past  six  in  the  afternoon,  we  started  by 
team,  drove  to  the  "Mills"  on  Coon  creek,  put 
up  with  Andrew  Anderson  for  the  night,  reach- 
ing Viroqua  at  9  on  Friday  morning,  arriving 
home  Friday  afternoon,  having  in  twenty-three 
hours  driven  seventy  miles  and  witnessed  the 
most  terrible  effects  of  wind  we  ever  saw  in 
this  country,  the  particulars  of  which  we  hasten 
to  lay  before  our  readers. 

The  county  of  Vernon,  until  lately  Bad  Ax, 
adjoins  La  Crosse  county  on  the  south  and 
southeast.  Viroqua,  distant  thirty-five  miles 
from  La  Crosse,  is  the  county-seat  and  contains 
about  1000  inhabitants.  It  is  a  pleasant  inland 
village,  on  high  table  land  in  the  center  of  a 
valuable  farming  district  largely  under  cultiva- 
tion. The  village  has  always  been  a  quiet, 
steadily  prospering  place.  The  buildings  not 
large  but  in  good  taste  and  repair,  and  es- 
pecially in  the  south  part  of  the  place,  charac- 
terized by  an  air  of  ease  and  refinement  desira- 
ble to  behold. 

At  4  o'clock  (on  the  afternoon  of  June  28, 
1865)  black  clouds  rolling  heavily  in  the  sky 
betokened  a  storm.  In  a  few  moments  the 
wind  sprang  up,  and  almost  immediately  could 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


2»3 


be  seen  coming  from  the  northeast  a  cloud  of 
wind,  rolling  at  times  close  to  the  earth — dust, 
sticks,  etc.,  filling  the  air.  At  the  same  time, 
there  appeared  another  cloud  of  like  nature, 
coming  directly  toward  the  village  from  the 
icest.  The  first  current  was  passing  to  the 
southwest,  and  the  points  or  ends  met  half  a 
mile  west  of  the  village,  when  it  seemed  as  if  a 
mighty  strife  was  going  on  between  millions  of 
invisible  spirits  in  the  two  currents.  People 
ran  for  their  houses  in  terror — the  whirlwind, 
with  a  shriek  and  a  howl,  kept  on  its  easheard 
course,  the  larger  current  turning  the  smaller 
one  back,  the  two  going  on  together  in  their 
spork  of  destruction.  In  two  minutes  its  fury 
was  spent  at  Viroqua,  and  the  southern  portion 
of  the  place  (and  the  most  beautiful)  was  made 
a  scene  of  wilder  and  more  terrible  devastation 
than  we  ever  witnessed  before. 

The  first  house  struck  was  that  of  William 
Vought,  which  was  totally  destroyed.  Before 
attempting  to  depict  scenes  or  itemize  incidents 
we  give  a  list  of  the  killed  :  J.  G.  Barstow  and 
wife,  wbose  house  was  crushed  like  an  eggshell 
and  themselves  so  injured  that  they  both  died 
in  an  hour.  A  three-year-old  child  of  H.  G. 
Weeden  was  found  dead  in  the  ruins  of  his 
house,  which  was  demolished.  Lydia  Gillett 
was  killed  while  shutting  a  door.  The  house 
was  carried  some  distance  and  dashed  to  frag- 
ments. The  wife  of  Dr.  Dean  and  her  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Moon,  were  killed  ;  Mr.  Dean,  seri- 
ously injured.  Eliza  Derby,  a  girl  twelve  years 
old,  was  killed  ;  so,  also,  two  children  of  James 
Daniels  ;  two  children  of  James  Cook  ;  one 
child  of  Nelson  Rhodes,  and  Mrs.  Good,  killed 
and  mutilated. 

The  following  were  severely  wounded  :  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Drake  and  son,  Phineas.  Mr.  Drake 
is  eighty-four,  his  wife  seventy-six,  and  Phineas 
thirty-five  years  of  age.  We  doubt  if  either  of 
the  three  are  now  alive.  Mrs.  Decker  had  her 
thigh  broken.  John  Gardner's  wife  was  se- 
riously injured.  A  servant  girl  working  for 
W  S.  Purdy  was  fatally  injured.   J.  M.  Bennett 


had  his  leg  broken.  Mrs.  J.  Buckley  was  se- 
riously hurt  ;  Dr.  Dean  badly  injured  ;  also 
Dr.  Weeden  and  wife.  Peter  Hays,  wife  and 
four  children  were  badly  wounded.  Mrs.  W. 
S.  S.  White,  daughter  and  grandchild,  fatally 
injured.  O.  C.  Smith  was  seriously  injured  ; 
J.  Dawson,  badly  hurt.  Besides  these  there 
are  others  wounded,  but  their  names  we  couM 
not  learn  in  the  limited  time  set  apart  for  this 
purpose.  Dr.  Tinker  informed  us  that  over  100 
persons  were  hurt,  forty  of  whom  are  seriously 
injured  and  about  twelve  of  whom  must  soon 
die.  In  the  school  house  there  were  twenty- 
four  children  and  the  teacher.  Eight  children 
were  killed  and  all  more  or  less  cut,  bruised  or 
mangled. 

Twenty-six  houses  and  barns  were  completely 
demolished,  and  about  forty  buildings,  more  or 
less  injured.  Below  we  give  a  list  of  buildings 
destroyed   within  easy  reach  of  a  man's  voice  : 

William  Vought,  house  destroyed. 

Mr.  Russell,  house  destroyed. 

H.  Green,  house  and  two  barns.  No  one 
living  in  the  house.  C.  F.  Gillett,  house  de. 
stroyed  ;  young  lady  killed. 

John  Gardner,  house  destroyed ;  wife  se- 
riously injured. 

W.  S.  Purdy,  house  destroyed. 

D.  Ouston,  house  and  blacksmith  shop  de- 
stroyed. 

J.  Buckley,  house  and  shop  destroyed. 

Dr.  Dean,  house  destroyed. 

J    M.  Bennett,  house   and  barn  destroyed. 

John  Barstow,  house  destroyed. 

Dr.  Weeden,  house  and  barn  destroyed. 

W.  S.  S.  White,  house  and  barn  destroyed. 

O.  C.  Smith,  house  unroofed  and  otherwise 
injured. 

R  C.  Bierce,  house  and  barn  destroyed. 

John  Everett,  house  unroofed  and  barn  de- 
stroyed. 

J.  A.  Somerby,  house,  including  printing 
office,  destroyed. 

Court  house  unroofed. 

N.  C  Nichols,  store  demolished. 


294 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Col.  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk's  house  somewhat 
injured. 

Dr.  Rusk's  house  injured  and  barn  destroyed. 

O.  J.  Stillwell,  barn  destroyed  and  house 
slightly  injured. 

J.  Dawson,  dwelling  destroyed  and  store 
badly  injured. 

C.  W.  Pitcher,  house  injured. 

D.  B.  Priest,  storehouse  ruined;  occupied  by 
Mr.  Lindley,  whose  goods  were  injured  and 
himself  badly  hurt. 

Masonic  Lodge  destroyed. 

Dr.  Tinker,  kitchen,  woodshed  and  barn  de- 
stroyed. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church  entirely  demol- 
ished. 

W.  F.  Terhune,  barn  and  house  injured. 

John  Cummings,  house  destroyed. 

Messrs.  Russell,  Riley,  Gillett,  Bennett, 
Purdy,  Barstow,  W.  S.  S.  White  and  O.  C. 
Smith,  were  occupying  rented  premises;  all  the 
others  were  occupying  their  own  buildings.  Mr. 
Fretwell,  Mr.  Lindley,  Mr.  Jones,  Levi  Games, 
A.  R.  Burrell,  W.  F.  White,  J.  H.  Tate,  H. 
Trowbridge  and  others  had  their  houses  more 
or  less  injured.  Fences  and  outhouses,  orchards 
and  shrubbery  were  swept  away  on  the  route, 
and  a  large  number  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs 
destroyed. 

Those  who  have  not  witnessed  this  scene  of 
devastation  can  form  no  idea  of  the  terrible 
power  of  the  whirlwind.  The  ground  is  torn 
as  if  plowed,  Huge  rocks  ten  feet  square  were 
hurled  a  distance  of  forty  rods.  Dwellings 
were  razed  to  the  ground,  and  hurled  rods 
away.  Huge  oak  trees  were  twisted  from 
stumps  like  reeds.  Timbers  sixteen  inches 
square  and  sixty  feet  long  were  hurled  through 
the  air  as  though  they  were  feathers.  The 
scene  of  desolation  is  beyond  description.  The 
ground  over  which  the  whirlwind  passed  looks 
as  if  a  mighty  stream  of  water  had  carried  flood- 
wood  over  it.  Houses,  outhouses,  trees,  shrubs, 
fences,  etc.,  were  swept  away  as  if  God  had,  in 
his   anger,   rubbed    his    hand   over   the    spot. 


Houses  were  lifted  a  hundred  feet  into  the  air; 
horses  were  whisked  ofiP  like  swallows;  rocks 
were  broken  down  like  dry  bread! 

The  dwelling  of  John  Gardner,  a  large  two 
story  frame  house,  was  whirled  up  into  the  air. 
An  oak  tree,  standing  near  by,  sixty  feet  from 
the  ground  to  its  top,  was  stripped  of  every 
leaf,  and  resembles  a  dead  tree.  A  gentleman 
saw  from  a  lower  part  of  the  town,  out  of  the 
course  of  the  storm,  the  house  of  Gardner  rise 
in  the  air  till  its  lower  part  was  far  above  the 
top  of  the  oak  tree.  It  came  down,  the  corner 
struck  in  the  garden  some  distance  from  its 
foundation.  It  was  whirled  up  again  higher 
than  before,  and  came  down  the  second  time, 
striking  on  the  roof,  and  dashing  the  building 
to  atoms.  A  large  portion  of  the  ruins  were 
carried  away.  Mrs.  Gardner  was  in  the  house 
all  the  time  with  an  infant  in  her  arms.  She 
was  taken  from  the  ruins  badly  injured,  but 
the  child  was  unhurt/ 

Mr.  Bennett's  fine  house  was  blown  in  every 
direction.  Some  of  the  ruins  fell  in  the  cellar. 
Mr.  Bennett  was  hurled  in  a  corner  of  the  cel- 
lar. A  little  girl  was  blown  in  beside  him.  A 
few  seconds  after  a  horse  was  blown  in  upon 
him,  breaking  Mr.  Bennett's  leg.  The  horse 
struggled  to  get  up  but  could  not;  and  lest,  in 
struggling,  it  might  kill  Mr.  Bennett  and  the 
little  girl,  he  tried  to  get  a  knife  from  his 
pocket  with  which  to  cut  the  throat  of  the  ani- 
mal and  so  quiet  him,  when  two  more  horses 
were  hurled  in  upon  him.  He  was  got  out  with 
a  leg  badly  broken.  The  little  girl  was  badly 
injured.  When  the  blow  began  a  man  had  just 
started  from  a  store  to  go  home  with  his  team 
and  lumber  wagon.  He  was  whirled  from  his 
wagon,  falling  in  the  brush  thirty  rods  south. 
The  wagon  box  has  not  been  found.  The  run- 
ning gears  were  broken  and  scattered  in  every 
direction.  The  horses  were  the  ones  thrown  in 
upon  Mr.  Bennett. 

Herman  Greeve  lost  a  splendid  house  and  two 
large  barns.  One  of  the  barns  was  fitted  up 
for   holding  wheat,  with   a  capacity  of   50,000 


■J 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


297 


bushels.  It  was  a  large,  heavy,  "Pennsylvania" 
barn,  on  a  stone  foundation.  The  barn  was 
whirled  to  atoms.  The  stone  and  mortar  under- 
pinning, two  feet  thick  and  five  feet  deep,  was 
torn  out.  $1,000  dollars  worth  of  wool  was 
blown  into  the  trees  for  miles.  A  large  thresh- 
ing machine  was  torn  to  fragments;  bolts,  cyl- 
inder teeth,  iron  and  wood  work  being  torn 
apart  and  whirled  no  one  knows  where.  His 
loss  is  about  $16,000. 

Mr  Gillett's  family  took  refuge  in  a  cellar. 
Lydia  Gillett,  aged  twenty,  ran  up  stairs  to 
shut  a  door.  In  an  instant  the  house  was 
dashed  into  the  woods  and  demolished.  Miss 
Gillett  was  found  dying  in  a  plowed  field. 
Those  in  the  cellar  escaped  with  slight  bruises. 

Mr.  Barstow's  residence  has  disappeared. 
Himself  and  wife  were  killed.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Drake,  Mrs.  Barstow's  parents,  he  aged  eighly- 
four,  and  she  seventy-six,  ■were  found  near  by 
so  badly  bruised  we  doubt  if  they  are  alive  now. 
Their  son,  Phineas  Drake,  was  sawing  wood 
for  Ool.  Bierce,  and  was  found  twenty  rods 
from  the  remains  of  the  wood  pile,  in  n 
plowed  field,  so  badly  injured  he  cannot  sur- 
vive. 

Col.  Bierce  was  at  his  office  in  the  nortli  end 
of  the  town.  Mrs.  Bierce  was  ironing  when 
the  storm  came  up.  The  house  and  barn  a  few 
rods  east  were  lifted  into  the  air,  sucked  to- 
gether, demolishing  both  buildings,  and  fairly 
whirled  no  one  knows  where.  Fire  from  the 
stove  caught  in  the  hay  in  the  barn.  The  upper 
and  ground  floors  of  the  house  were  carried 
across  the  street,  and  between  the  two  Mrs. 
Bierce  was  found,  badly  bruised  and  insens- 
ible, and  the  broken  timbers  nearly  satur- 
ated with  blood.  She  was  got  out  and  will  prob- 
ably live.  Col.  Bierce  had  the  handsomest 
residence  in  the  village.  His  house  was  a  beau- 
tiful model,  well  furnished.  A  splendid  yard 
filled  with  flowers;  a  large  garden  filled  with 
choice  fruit,  grape  arbors,  etc.,  now  looks  as 
though  it  had  been  the  bed    of  an  Alpine  tor- 


rent.    The  house,  barn,  fences,  trees;  all  were 
torn  up  and  scattered  far  and  wide. 

Dr.  Tinker  lost  a  portion  of  his  house,  but 
saved  himself  and  family.  He  lost  a  valuable 
horse.  His  house  was  in  the  edge  of  the  whirl. 
A  boy  ten  years  old  was  rolled  past  in  the  street; 
he  ran  out  and  saved  his  life.  After  adminis- 
tering to  the  sufferers  in  the  village  till  nearly 
dark,  he  left  Dr.  Rusk  to  attend  to  village  calls, 
and  working  all  night  within  three  miles  of 
the  place  had  cared  for  thirty-two  wounded, 
some  of  them  terribly  and  fatally,  when  sunrise 
came  next  morning. 

Dr.  Weeden  lost  a  fine  house  and  large  barn 
stored  full  of  tobacco.  A  lumber  wagon  was 
lifted  from  the  front  of  Judge  Terhune's  barn 
and  set  down  uninjured  behind  it.  A  buggy  in 
the  barn  was  sucked  through  the  roof  and 
dashed  to  pieces  against  the  ground  near  by. 
A  fence  board  from  a  garden  fence  forty  rods 
away  was  driven  into  .Tudge  Terhune's  house, 
one  end  of  the  board  protruding  about  five  feet 
into  the  parlor  through  the  ceiling.  A  pitch 
fork  was  carried  a  half  a  mile  and  the  end  of 
the  handle  driven  into  an  oak  stump,  where  it 
was  found. 

The  store  of  Mr.  Nichols  disappeared  so  quick 
no  one  saw  it  go,  and  |o,000  worth  of  goods 
are  not  to  be  found.  A  mill  pond  six  miles 
east  of  Viroqua  was  emptied  of  logs  and  water, 
as  the  wind  dipped  in  the  pond.  The  mill  is 
gone;  the  logs  were  whirled  over  the  country. 
The  store  of  D.  B.  Priest,  in  the  upper  part  of 
which  was  a  fine  Masonic  lodge  room,  was 
churned  up  and  down,  and  so  racked  and  torn 
that  no  one  dare  enter  it.  Horses,  cows,  dogs, 
sheep,  hogs,  cats,  fowls,  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren were  hurled  to  great  distances.  Dead 
cattle  and  other  stock  are  to  be  found  ail  about. 
Fragments,  such  as  broken  furniture,  torn 
clothes,  books,  papers,  contents  of  book  cases, 
wai'drobes  and  libraries,  arc  being  brought  in 
from  the  country,  so  torn  and  broken  as  to  be 
worthless  and  unclaimable. 


18 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Log  chains,  harnesses,  dead   hogs,  pieces  of 
furniture,  broken  plows  and   other  agricultural 
implements,  feather  beds  badly  ripped,  picket 
fences,  rails,  fence  posts,  door  frames  and  barn 
timbers,  dead  chickens,  calves,  sheep,  cats,  and 
all   the  things  imaginable  hang  in  the  tops  of 
trees,  bushes,  etc.    The  scene  is  one  which  beg- 
gars description,    and    one    which    was    never 
equalled  in  this  country.     The    air   was    filled 
with    fragments    of    houses,    entire   outhouses, 
broken  timbers,  log  chains,  rocks,  cellar  walls, 
stoves,    fanning   mills,    hoes,    plows,     wagons 
and  horses.     People  half  a  mile  away  say  the 
cloud  of  ruin  which  swept  on  east  was  grand, 
terrible,  awful  and  indescribably  terrific. 

J.  A.  Somerby  had  his  dwelling  blown  away; 
his  printing  office  "pied",  and  the  contents  of  a 
book  store  distributed  for  miles.  The  house 
of  Col.  Rusk  was  in  the  edge  of  the  whirl; 
the  front  of  the  house  was  torn  out  and  all 
the  furniture  in  the  room  carried  miles  away. 
People  ran  wild  with  terror.  Men,  women 
and  children,  horses  and  cattle  were  nearly 
frightened  to  death.  The  terror  was  inde- 
scribable. People  thought  death  and  the  final 
destruction  of  the  earth  had  come,  and  gave 
themselves  up  for  lost.  Had  it  been  in  the 
night  time,  imagination  can  only  dwell  on  the 
scenes  of  horror  the  darkness  would  have 
augmented.  There  was  neither  rain,  thunder 
or  lightning  at  the  time,  though  it  rained  the 
night  following.  150  persons  are  left  wounded 
and  entirely  destitute. 

Many  of  the  houses  could  be  hauled  off  in 
a  handcart,  so  badly  were  buildings  and  con- 
tents torn  to  pieces.  The  labor  of  years  was 
annihilated  in  two  minutes,  and  everything 
was  swept  from  many  who  must  have  relief 
or  die.  Tate's  Hall  has  been  made  into  a  hos- 
jiital  where  several  are  being  cared  for  by 
the  good  citizens  of  the  place.  Nearly  every 
house  in  town  has  one  or  more  wounded  there- 
in, some  more  or  less  injured. 


Fourteen  miles  the  storm  extended,  destroy- 
ing everything  before  it.  Farm  houses,  barns, 
school  houses,  fences,  cattle,  crops,  trees,  etc., 
etc.,  all  being  swept  away  from  spots  as  the 
clouds  rose  and  fell  from  the  earth. 

II.    STATEMENT   OF  DR.  E.  W.  TINKER. 

I  was  on  the  main  street  of  Viroqua  when 
the  storm  first  appeared.  There  was  first  an  ap- 
pearance of  a  great  mass  of  rubbish  in  the  air 
coming  from  the  northeast,  although  where  I 
stood  everything  was  calm  and  quiet;  then 
there  came  a  roaring  of  wind  from  the  west. 
The  two  currents  appeared  to  have  met  a  little 
west  of  the  village.  I  went  immediately  to  my 
house,  east  one  block  from  the  street,  as  I  felt 
considerable  alarm  owing  to  the  unusual  ap- 
pearance and  noise  in  the  air.  As  I  reached 
home  the  fences  and  other  material  were  flying 
about  me,  caused  by  the  current  from  the  north- 
east. I  ran  into  the  house,  where  I  found  my 
wife  and  my  m^>rried  daughter,  with  her  two 
children.  I  hurried  them  into  the  cellar  as 
quickly  as  possible.  My  wife  ran  back  to  shut 
the  kitchen  door,  which  had  blown  open.  Just 
as  she  came  back  out  of  the  kitchen  into  the 
hall,  my  daughter  said:  "Pa,  your  kitchen  has 
blown  away!"  I  paid  little  attention  to  the 
kitchen,  but  hurried  my  daughter  into  the  cel- 
lar. I  then  ran  back  and  met  Mrs.  Tinker  and 
got  her  about  half  way  down  the  cellar  steps, 
when  I  heard  a  child  cry  on  the  porch.  I 
rushed  up,  found  the  hall  door  blown  open,  and 
a  little  boy  on  the  veranda.  He  was  crying  and 
asked  if  he  could  come  in.  I  took  him  by  the 
hand  and  led  him  into  the  house;  how  the  little 
fellow  came  there  he  could  never  tell;  but  the 
last  he  remembered  he  was  at  the  place  where 
Goodell's  livery  stable  now  stands,  nearly  a 
block  away.  By  this  time,  the  tornado  was 
over,  and  I  went  out  of  the  house,  and  the  rest  of 
the  family  came  out  of  the  cellar.  Mrs.  'J'inker, 
on  looking  out  where  the  kitchen  had  been,  ex- 
claimed: "Oh,  the  barn  is  gone,  and  the  horses 
are    killed!"     I  answered:    "I  am  inclined   to 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


299 


think  it  has,  and  the  kitchen,  too."  One  of  my 
horses  was  so  badly  injured  that  I  had  him  shot. 
Mine  was  the  most  northerly  house  injured — the 
the  damage  being  south  of  mc  I  told  my  black 
servant  to  kill  the  horse  that  was  injured,  while 
I  started  immediately  for  my  daughter's— Mrs- 
John  R.  Casson — and  to  see  who  of  my  neigh- 
bors were  injured.  I  met  my  daughter  on  the 
way,  with  hair  dishevelled  and  covered  with 
mud,  but  not  injured.  I  then  went  on  toward  Col. 
Bierce's  residence,  when  I  met  Mr.  Casson  and 
Mr.  Lowrey  and  some  others  carrying  Mrs. 
Bierce  on  a  litter,  they  supposing  her  to  be 
dead.  I  directed  that  she  be  taken  into  Mr. 
Trowbridge's  near  by,  where  I  dressed  her 
wounds,  as  she  was  not  dead. 

Dr.  Dean  and  Dr.  Weeden   were   both  badly 
hurt,  this  left  Dr.    Rusk   and  myself    to  attend 
to  the  wounded.     There  was,  of  course,  an  im- 
mediate   rush.     Before    I    had    Mrs.    Bierce's 
wounds  dressed  more  than   a  dozen  were  after 
me.     I  then   was  busy  until  dark    attending  to 
the  wounded — bruises,  cuts  and  fractures,  some 
mortal,   others  very  serious   and    some    slight. 
Before  the  wounded  in  the  village  had  .".11  been 
cared  for,  the  people  began  to  come  in  from  the 
country,  imploring  me  to  go  and  look  after  their 
wounded.   This  induced  me  to  leave  as  soon  as 
I  could  and  leave  those  who  were  injured  in  the 
village  in  the   care   of    Dr.   Rusk.     I  traveled 
all  night  within  three    miles  of  town.     I   went 
east  first  to  the  school  house   three-fourths  of  a 
mile  distant,  where   I  found   two,  Mrs.   Good 
with    a  broken  thigh,  and  her  daughter-in-law. 
Mrs.  Good   survived,   but   her   daughter-in-law 
soon    died.      Then     I    went    to    Mr.    Cook's, 
beyond  the  school  house  about  one  mile,  where 
I    found    two    children    dead    that    had  been 
killed   at   the   school    house,  and   two  persons 
severely    wounded;   then   to    Mr.  Sands',  about 
a  mile  from  Mr.  Cook's;  there  I  found  two  chil- 
dren dead,  also  killed  at  the  school  house,  and 
one   or   two    wounded.     From   there  I  went  to 
Mr.  Derby's,  where  I  found  one  dead  and   oth- 


ers injured.     The  next  place  visited  was  at  Mr. 
Morley's,  where  there  was  one  wounded. 

III. — ACCOUNT     WRITTEN     BY    DR.    W.    C.    WILSON, 

1880. 
The  great  tornado  came  on  the  28th  day 
of  June,  and  at  a  time  when  nature  had  assumed 
her  most  bewitching  attitude,  and  was  dressed 
in  her  most  gorgeous  robes  of  summer  verdure. 
Little  did  any  of  its  (Viroqua's)  inhabitants 
apprehend  that  before  the  close  of  that  event- 
ful day,  the  angry  elements,  at  the  beck  of  an 
invisible  power,  would  lay  in  waste  the  faii'est 
portion  of  the  village,  strewing  its  streets  with 
bruised  and  mangled  victims  of  its  fierce  ra- 
pacity, and  weave  a  funeral  pall  for  seventeen 
of  its  helpless  citizens. 

About  4  o'clock  of  the  fatal   day,  dark  and 
|)  irtentous    clouds    were  being  marshalled    be- 
n  jath    the    dome    of  Heaven's    high    arch,  as 
t'lough    the    invisible   spirits    in  the   realms  of 
space  were  about  to    contend   with   each    other 
far  the  mastery.     To  the  westward,  black  clouds 
aarched  and   countermarched,  with    noticeable 
.nd  alarming  rapidity.     To  the  eastward  a  simi- 
ir  phenomena    was    observed,  not   unlike    the 
novement  of  two  vast  armies  manoeuvering  for 
idvantageous  positions,  pending  a  bloody   con- 
diet.     At  length    they  came    nearer,    and  still 
nearer  to    each  other,  until  they  met  in  deadly 
embrace,    a   short    distance  above  the    western 
limits  of  the  village  of  Viroqua. 

The  western  division  of  the  contending  forces 
seemed  the  stronger  of  the  two,  and  back  to 
the  eastward  hurled  their  antagonists  with  tre- 
mendous and  death-dealing  force.  On  and  on 
came  the  victorious  power,  crushing  buildings  in 
its  maddened  march,  and  ever  and  anon  demand- 
ing a  human  life,  to  satiate  its  thirst  for  con- 
quest. When  its  savage  fury  had  been  spent  a 
scene  of  horror,  such  as  mortals  seldom  behold, 
presented  itself  to  the  terror-stricken  survivors 
of  the  great  disastei-.  Seventeen  persons  were 
killed,  including  those  who  died  soon  after,  as 
the  result  of  the  injuries  they  had  received. 


300 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Many  buildings  were  demolished,  including 
private  residences,  stores,  barns,  and  the  M.  E. 
church,  which  occupied  the  site  of  their  present 
place  of  worship.  Nearly  200  people  were  left 
houseless  as  the  result  of  the  great  tornado, 
many  of  whom  lost  every  vestige  of  their  house- 
hold goods  and  clothing  save  that  npon  their 
backs  ;  and  the  condition  of  many  others  was 
such  as  to  move  the  stoutest  heart. 

The  generous  aid  so  freely  rendered  to  the 
sufEerers  by  surrounding  localities,  will  ever  be 
remembered  by  the  people  of  Viroqua,  who 
themselves  vied  with  each  other  in  acts  of 
kindness  to  the  unfortunate.  The  fairest  por- 
tion of  the  town  was  laid  in  ruins  and  a  less 
industrious  and  self-reliant  people  would 
have  seen  good  cause  for  depression  and 
discouragement.  But  the  energetic  citizens 
i)f  Viroqua,  bent  their  whole  energies  to 
repair  the  damage  done  to  property ;  and 
while  they  mourned  the  terrible  calamity  which 
had  overtaken  them  and  their  still  more  un- 
fortunate neighbors,  they  were  assiduous  in 
building  up  the  waste  places  of  their  beautiful 
village  ;  and  removing  all  traces  of  the  terrible 
scourge  which  had  so  sorely  afflicted  them. 

IV. WHAT   HAPPENED  TO   MES.   W.   R.  PUEDT. 

Mrs.  W.  R.  Purdy,  then  a  little  girl,  eight 
years  of  age,  with  her  sister  two  years  older, 
were  returning  from  school,  and  when  but  a 
few  rods  from  the  school  house,  the  latter,  realiz- 
ing more  distinctly  the  danger  of  attempting 
to  go  farther,  caught  hold  of  a  tree,  entreating 
her  sister  to  do  the  same,  which  she  did  not 
do,  but  ran  on  towards  their  home,  a  couple  of 
blocks  distant.  When  between  where  the 
waterworks  are  now  located  and  Smith  &  Ly- 
tle's  hardware  store,  (then  I.  K.  Buck's  store) 
on  Jefferson  street,  she  was  taken  up  by  the 
storm  and  tossed  back  and  forth  from  one  side 
of  the  street  to  the  other.  Timbers  were  flying 
promiscuously  around,  and  once,  after  she  had 
been  blown  against  the  store,  and  while  lying 
there,  apiece  of  timber,  or  board  was  sent  whiz- 
zing  through   the  building   directly   over   her 


head.  She  was  finally  carried  by  the  wind  across 
Main  street,  and  on  to  the  porcli  of  Nichols  Bros' 
drug  store,  then  in  ruins.  I.  K.  Buck  seeing  her 
from  his  door,  ran  across  in  the  storm,  picked 
her  uj),  aud  carried  her  into  his  store,  keeping 
her  there  till  the  storm  had  subsided.  Mrs. 
Purdy  received  injuries  from  which  she  will 
probably  never  recover. 

V. — w.  F.  teehune's  p.ecollectiov. 
On  the  afternoon  of  June  28,  1865,  I  was  at 
the  intersection  of  Main  and  Jefferson  streets 
in  Viroqua  village,  when  I  saw  a  great  agita- 
tion of  the  clouds  in  the  west.  It  was  about  4 
o'clock.  There  seemed  to  be  an  unusual  quiet 
and  stillness  all  around,  a  dead  calm  prevailed  ; 
meantime  the  disturbance  appeared  to  increase 
in  the  westward.  I  heard  a  roaring  sound, 
deep  and  approaching.  I  then  observed  that 
the  air  was  filled  with  limbs  and  trunks  of  trees, 
having  the  appearance  in  the  distance  of  birds 
rapidly  flitting  about.  I  very  well  knew  what 
was  coming,  that  a  tornado  was  rapidly  ap- 
proaching; and  I  hesitated  whether  to  endeavor 
to  reach  my  residence  or  return  to  my  office, 
which  was  near ;  as  I  was  fearful  I  might  be 
struck  by  the  storm  if  I  ventured  to  attempt  tc. 
reach  my  home. 

Just  at  that  moment  some  one  took  me  by 
the  arm  and  proposed  we  should  go  into  the 
office ;  there  were  several  standing  around. 
We  thereupon  stationed  ourselves  at  the  doors 
as  the  storm  struck,  in  order  to  hold  them 
shut.  By  this  time  the  noise  became  very  loud 
and  ear-piercing,  like  a  thousand  steamboat 
whistles  all  blowing  at  the  same  time,  sharp, 
shrill  and  vicious.  Two  of  the  office  windows 
were  at  once  blown  in,  and  one  of  the  doors 
was  blown  open  which  three  strong  men  tried 
in  vain  to  close  again,  until  the  force  of  the 
wind  was  somewhat  spent.  An  unusual  gloom 
and  darkness  pervaded  the  atmosphere  at  this 
time.  The  whole  duration  of  the  shock  was 
not  to  exceed  a  minute  and  a  half,  probably  not 
so  long.  No  one  was  hurt  in  my  office,  because 
of  the  building  being  sheltered  by  another  and 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


301 


higher  building,  the  store  of  J.  Henry  Tate. 
There  was  a  girl  writing  in  the  office  at  the 
time,  Alice  Goode,  who  was  terrified  and 
shrieked  with  fear.  Mrs.  Susan  Graham,  wife 
of  the  late  Hon.  Carson  Graham,  had  run  into 
the  office  and  assisted  in  trying  to  keep  the 
doors  shut.  My  own  sensation  was  a  very 
great  concern  for  my  family,  so  much  that  I 
had  little  if  any  personal  fear. 

My  residence  was  about  three  blocks  distant. 
As  soon  as  the  storm  permitted,  I  started  for 
home  in  great  haste.  I  at  once  noticed  -that 
the  street  ahead  of  me  was  filled  with  the 
debris  of  ruined  buildings,  and  I  heard  around 
me  as  I  advanced,  cries  and  shrieks  of  pain  and 
alarm  ;  children  and  female  voices  mostly.  I 
had  gone  but  a  few  rods  when  1  passed  a  Mr. 
Langley,  who  was  holding  on  to  a  tree  and 
bleeding  from  wounds  he  had  received  on  the 
liead  and  face.  1  also  observed  the  two-story 
building  of  J.  H.  Somerby,  where  the  North 
western.  Times  had  been  printed,  lay  in  ruins 
before  me,  and  I  was  compelled  to  run  over 
them.  I  likewise  noted  that  the  store  occupied 
by  the  Nichols',  was  leveled  to  its  foundation. 
I  did  not  of  course  take  much  time  for  observa- 
tion, as  I  was  runni;]g.  I  saw  persons  here  and 
there  darting  about,  but  I  have  no  recollection 
who  they  were.  I  soon  came  in  sight  of  my 
house,  which,  with  a  feeling  of  very  great  relief, 
I  saw  was  still  standing  and  the  thought  flashed 
across  my  mind  that  my  family  was  safe.  My 
building  stood  in  a  native  grove,  and  as  I 
approached  it  I  found  all  the  larger  trees  blown 
down  or  torn  up  by  the  roots  or  their  trunks 
twisted  off  above  ground  ;  while  the  smaller 
hickory  and  oak  trees  lay  bent  over,  with  their 
tops  upon  the  ground. 

I  made  my  way  through  them  as  rapidly  as  I 
could  and  found  that  my  building  had  been  in 
appearance  bombarded.  The  heavier  timbers 
from  the  demolished  houses  of  my  neighbors, 
and  from  tlie  M.  E.  church  building  had  been 
hurled  with  great  force  into  the  air,  some  of 
them  striking  upon  the  north  side  of  my  house, 


driving  in  the  windows  and  doors  and  making 
holes  like  cannon  shot,  through  the  siding, 
knocking  down  the  supporting  pillars  of  the 
porches  on  that  side,  and  carrying  away  the 
blinds  and  sash  of  the  observatory. 

On  entering  my  dwelling,  I  found  my  family 
in  the  cellar  all  unhurt,  but  in  a  great  state  of 
alarm  and  terror,  from  the  effects  of  which  my 
wife  was  rendered  very  ill  and  has  never  fully 
recovered.  I  got  my  family  up  from  below  as 
soon  as  I  could  re-assure  them  and  prevail  upon 
them  to  come.  I  found  my  son  Leonard,  then 
ten  years  of  age,  was  missing,  and  I  at  once 
started  to  find  him.  He  had  found  shelter  in  a 
neighbor's  house  and  was  safe. 

My  wife's  experience  was  that,  when  she 
discovered  the  darkness  coming  on,  she  and  the 
hired  girl  went  up  stairs  to  close  the  windows  ; 
and  after  they  had  closed  them,  she  observed, 
through  the  window,  the  trees  bending  their 
tops  to  the  very  ground.  Frightened  by  the 
noise  of  the  storm,  she  reached  the  head  of  the 
stairs  in  haste  to  descend  to  the  cellar  ;  when 
the  girl,  in  a  paroxysm  of  fear,  grasped  and 
held  on  to  her.  They  both  descended  into  the 
kitchen  where  our  two  children  were  and  she 
hurried  them  all  into  the  cellar,  she  being  in 
great  fright  and  trepidation  during  the  time  ; 
and  it  was  there,  as  I  have  said,  that  I  found 
them. 

When  I  had  time  to  look  about  me,  I  found 
my  young  orchard  and  all   the    fences   around 
destroyed  and  my  barn  unroofed.     I  then  went 
immediately  to  the  assistance  of  others.     I  saw 
all  the  buildings  south  of  Terhune  street^  were 
either    shattered   or    blown  down,    except    my 
own.     By  this  time  I  began  to  realize  the  awful 
nature  of  the  disaster  and  became    agitated.     I 
threw    open    my    doors    for    the     dying    and 
wounded    in    my    immediate    vicinity     to    be 
brought  in.     It  was  a  most  sickening  spectacle, 
heart-rending  in  the  extreme.      The    first  to  be 
assisted  in  was  the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  W.  Weeden. 
She  was  only  slightly  itijured  but  her  child  was 
killed.     Their  house  h  ad  been  blow  Ji  away  and 


302 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY, 


the  little  one  was  found  buried  in  the  ruins. 
There  was  also  a  young  lady  in  the  bloom  of 
youth  brought  in  a  corpse  ;  it  was  a  Miss 
Gillett. 

A  family  named  Barstow,  consisting  of  six 
persons,  received  a  terrible  visitation.  Mr. 
Barstow  himself  and  wife  and  mother-in-law, 
Mrs.  Drake,  were  brought  in  mortally  injured, 
the  brother-in-law,  a  Mr.  Drake,  was  found  dead 
in  a  field  near  the  destroyed  residence  of  R.  C. 
Bierce,  and  little  boys  were  left  homeless 
orphans.  Mr.  Barstow  died  the  same  night, 
and  the  wife  and  Mrs.  Drake  were  removed  to 
the  hospital  improvised  by  the  citizens  the  next 
day,  where  after  lingering  in  great  pain  for 
several  days,  they  died.  Places  were 
found  for  the  boys,  I  think,  with  some  distant 
relatives.  Mrs.  VV.  S.  S.  White,  wife  of  the 
register  of  deeds,  was  brought  in  with  a  broken 
leg  and  remained  in  great  bodily  suffering  for 
ten  days,  when  she  also  died.  On  every  side 
were  heard  the  cries  of  suffering  and  distress, 
and  for  a  week  were  seen  the  tears  of  lamenta- 
tion and  woe.  The  loss  and  destruction  of 
property  was  at  first  little  considered,  so  great 
were  other  calamities.  The  blow  fell  so  sud- 
denly and  unexpectedly  that  those  who  escaped 
had  time  only  to  feel  emotions  of  grati- 
tude for  their  own  safety  and  that  of  their 
families  and  sympathy  for  the  afflicted  and  dis- 
tressed. 

There  was  a  silk  dress  found  near  New  Lis- 
born,  in  Juneau  county,  belonging  to  Mrs.  Dr. 
H.  G.  VVeeden.  A  dwelling  house  door  of 
Joseph  Buckley  was  found  in  the  mill-pond  at 
the  village  of  Hillsborough  ;  and  his  army  dis- 
charge was  picked  up  two  miles  from  Viroqua, 
near  the  residence  of  J.  Wallace.  Articles  of 
clothing  and  pieces  of  damaged  furniture  were 
found  miles  away  from  the  scene  of  the 
disaster. 

VI. STATEMENT  OP    H.  M.  I8HAM. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  at  about  half  past  3 
in  the  afternoon,  I  was  in  my  brother's  house, 
on  section  3,  in  township  12,  range    5    west,    in 


the  town  of  Jefferson,  where  my  brother,  Cas- 
sius  B.  Isham,  came  in  pretty  brisk,  saying:  "It 
is  the  worst  storm  coming  I  ever  saw  in  the 
west,"  when  just  at  th.at  moment  the  house  (a 
log  one)  began  to  go.  The  roof  went  first,  and 
then  a  good  part  of  the  logs.  Besides  my 
brother,  there  were,  in  the  house  at  the 
time,  his  wife  and  four  children,  and  Mary 
Rowe.  My  brother  was  some  hurt,  and 
one  or  two  of  the  children.  His  wife,  also,  was 
slightly  injured.  A  few  logs  were  left  remain- 
ing. We  all  had  all  we  could  do  to  hold  on  to 
the  logs  that  were  remaining,  to  keep  from  be- 
ing blown  away.  It  rained  considerably  at  the 
time. 

I  had  ten  or  a  dozen  steel  traps  up  in  the  loft, 
and  they  were  all  blown  away  and  never  found. 
A  trowel  was  found  a  mile  and  a  half  away  be- 
longing to  me.  The  clothing,  bed-clothes  and 
articles  were  blown  out  of  the  house  and 
never  recovered.  A  spinning-wheel  spindle, 
found  sticking  in  the  siding  of  a  house  in  Viro- 
qua, was  recognized  as  belonging  to  my  brother. 
This  was  the  first  house  struck  by  the  tornado. 
It  was  repaired  afterward,  and  stood  several 
years,  but  is  now  demolished.  It  stood  about 
100  rods  south  of  the  town  line,  which  runs  to 
the  south  part  of  Viroqua.  The  roaring  of  the 
wind  was  very  loud,  and  the  clouds  very  black. 
The  air  was  full  of  leaves  and  vegetation,  that 
seemed  to  be  whirled  up  from  off  the  ground. 

The  next  house  east  of  my  brother's  that  was 
struck  was  on  section  2, in  the  same  town,  belong- 
ing to  Morgan  Neff.  It  was  blown  to  the  ground. 
I  went  to  Viroqua  immediately  after  the  tornado 
passed.  I  stopped  at  Neff's  on  the  way.  I  had 
to  walk  about  three  miles  and  a  half  in  a 
straight  line  before  reaching  Viroqua.  Arriv- 
ing at  the  village  I  assisted  the  sufferers  the 
best  I  could  the  rest  of  the  day. 

VII. NATHAN  COe's   NARRATIVE 

I  was  living  in  Viroqua  on  the  28th  of  June, 
1865,  when  the  great  tornado  devastated  a  large 
part  of  the  village.  My  dwelling  was  on  Main 
street,  where  Joseph  Buckley  now    lives — that 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


303 


is,  on  the  same  lot.  I  was  in  the  court  house 
when  I  first  noticed  a  strange  appearance  of  the 
clouds.  There  seemed  a  very  black  cloud  in 
the  south,  but  a  white  one  in  the  north.  James 
Lowrie  was  county  treasurer,  and  William 
Keir  was  at  the  moment  paying  his  taxes.  He 
and  I  were  looking  west,  and  the  treasurer  was 
^attending  to  his  books  facing  us.  I  saw  the 
two  clouds  through  the  west  window,  which 
was  up  at  the  time,  .  come  together.  They 
whirled  around,  presenting  an  appearance  of  a 
white  streak  and  a  black  one  in  a  spiral  form. 
I  remarked,  "Those  clouds  are  getting  pretty 
badly  twisted  up."  Lowrie  looked  around,  and 
shutting  up  his  book,  exclaimed:  "I  am  going 
home,"  at  the  same  time  closing  the  window. 

Of  course  we  had  to  go  out,  as  he  locked  the 
door  of  the  office.  Lowrie  went  west  to  his 
home,  but  Keir  and  I  came  into  the  tavern, 
then  called  the  North  Star,  kept  by  Luther 
Polan,  now  the  Tremont  House.  However, 
before  we  reached  the  tavern,  it  appeared  as  if 
it  was  raining;  it  was  the  water  from  the 
Skippen's  pond,  which  we  mistook  at  first  for 
rain.  When  we  reached  the  North  Star,  we 
had  hard  work  to  get  in,  there  were  so  many 
inside  holding  the  door.  Keir  got  in  first,  and 
when  I  tried  I  was  successful,  but  my  coat-tail 
was  caught  in  the  door,  and  the  pressure  agvinst 
it  was  so  great  from  those  who  were  holding  it, 
that  I  could  not  get  loose.  Just  then  I  looked 
out  of  the  south  window,  and  saw  the  east  side 
of  the  court  house  roof  go  off. 

Just  at  this  moment  some  one  said  to  me, 
"Tiiere  are  two  of  your  horses  coming  down  the 
street,  and  one  with  a  piece  of  board  hanging  to 
the  halter."  It  was  a  part  of  the  manger  where 
the  horse  had  been  tied  in  the  barn.  I  had, 
at  that  time,  seven  horses  in  my  barn.  I  then 
pulled  myself  out  of  my  coat, the  garment  being 
left  in  the  door.  I  then  turned  around,  gave 
my  coat  a  jerk,    and    the  door  came  open. 

I  looked  out  toward  the  south,  and  I  saw  the 
buildings  were  pretty  much  all  down.  I  then 
went  directly  home.     I   found  the   east   of   my 


house  gone,  and  the  windows  blown  in  on  the 
north  side.  I  asked  my  wife  if  any  of  the 
family  were  hurt,  and  she  replied  that  there 
were  none.  Then  I  started  to  go  to  my  mother's 
home — Mrs.  Margaret  Coe's.  On  my  way 
there  I  met  a  boy  who  told  me  that  all  my 
horses  were  piled  up  in  aheap  on  the  brtrn  floor 
— the  barn  was  all  gone  and  the  floor  too,  except 
where  the  horses  were.  I  had  a  new  wagon 
standing  beside  the  barn.  It  was  blown  away, 
and  I  never  saw  any  part  of  it  afterward.  Still 
I  went  on  to, my  mother's.  I  found  her  and  my 
two  sisters  and  Emily  and  Edward  W.  Hazen,not 
any  of  them  injured.  My  brother,  William 
Coe,  had  been  in  the  house.  My  mother  and  the 
four  children  went  into  the  cellar  kitchen;  but 
my  brother  refused  to  go  down,  and  was  blown 
away  with  the  house. 

I  found  him  a  short  distance  away  from 
where  the  house  had  stood;  the  rest  of  the  family 
by  this  time,  had  come  out  of  the  cellar.  My 
brother  was  fast  under  one  of  the  sills.  Mr. 
Keir  went  all  the  way  with  me  from  the  tavern, 
and  he  helped  me  get  my  brother  out,  who  was 
badly  hurt.  It"  was  eight  or  nine  days  before 
we  knew  whether  he  would  recover  or  not;  but 
he  finally  got  well.  Five  sacks  of  wheat  and 
some  kitchen  furniture  were  blown  away  from 
the  cellar  kitchen,  and  the  clothes  of  my  mother 
and  of  the  children  were  pretty  badly  torn. 
The  chickens  around  the  house  were  all  killed, 
and  most  of  them  had  their  feathers  off  quite 
as  clean  as  if  stripped  by  hand.  One  of  the 
family  garments — a  cloth  circular — was  after- 
ward found  about  forty-five  miles  away,  to  the 
eastward. 

VIII — JOHN  DAWSON's  ACCOUNT. 

Before  the  approach  of  the  storm,  the  day 
was  very  hot,but  the  weather  was  threatening,and 
we  could  hear  thunder  for,  perhaps,  an  hour 
before.  I  was  very  busily  engaged  at  the  time 
in  my  store,  which  was  located  nearly  opposite 
my  residence,  and  took  little  notice  of  the  dan- 
gerous aspect  of  the  storm  until  it  was  very 
near  the  village.     When  I  first  noticed  it,  some 


304 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


one  calling  my  attention  to  it  from  my  store 
door,  it  appeared  to  be  a  confused  mass  of 
timbers,  branches,  stones,  leaves,  driven  among 
tliemselves  in  every  direction.  The  track  of 
the  storm  appeared  to  be  about  one  hundred 
rods  wide,  and  the  noise  was  like  the  rumble 
of  thunder.  In  sound  and  in  the  dread  that  it 
inspired,  it  was  like  to  a  score  of  giant  locomo- 
tives driving  abreast. 

It  came  from  the  west,  and  I  watched    its 
approach  until  it  reached  the  nearest  dwelling  of 
the  village  that  I  discovered.  This  was  the  Gard- 
ner dwelling.  It  lifted  the  building  from  its  base, 
tossed  it  in  air  like  a  toy,  and  rent  it  in  pieces, 
scattering   the    fragments    on    every    side.       I 
watched  its  course  among  the  houses  until  it 
neared  my  own  home.       I  then  saw  a  two-story 
building  north  of  my  dwelling  picked  up  and 
thrust  over  upon  my  house.    There  was  no  time 
from  the  first  real  comprehension  of  the  peril- 
not  a   moment   to   think.     There  was   but  one 
thought,  and  that  was  to  hug  the  earth  where 
alone  lay  our  safety.    With  this  intent  I  leaped 
from  the  door  and  ran  out  into  the   street,  only 
to  be  knocked  down  by  the  flying  timber.  When 
I  recovered  myself,  the  storm  was  past,  and  I 
rose  and  walked  to  the  ruins  of  my  house  and 
took  my  child   from  its  mother's  arms  and  ran 
back  to  the  store.       My  wife  remained,  saying 
she  would  see  if  she  could  find  Mrs.  Somerby. 
My    injuries,    which,  in    the    excitement   were 
hardly  noticed,  overcame  me  in  a   few  minutes, 
and   I   became    unconscious.      Because    of   my 
wounds   and  the   consequent   illness,  I   did  not 
see  the  ruins  for  some   time,  and  can  give  no 
account  of  them.     It  was  a  number  of   weeks 
before  I  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  around  and 
attend  to  business.  I  have  never  fully  recovered. 
The  whole   number  killed    outright    and   who 
afterward  died  from  the  injuries  received,  were 

twenty. 


My  house  was  destroyed  in  this  way:  The 
floor  was  left;  all  above  that  a  wreck.  My  wife 
was   slightly  injured,  but  the  boy  was  unhurt. 


Their  escape  was  a  wonder,  considering  the  tim- 
ber and  other  debris  which  fell  around  them. 

IX._CHARLE8    C.    brown's    KECOLLECTION. 

I  was  about  one  mile  east  of  Viroqua  at 
Green's.  I  was  helping  Amos  Green  frame  his 
barn.  It  was  a  blustering  afternoon;  there  were 
strong.indications  of  a  storm.  It  appeared  so 
threatening  that  we  coiiclu  led  to  quit  work.  It 
thundered  heavily,  and  there  was  vivid  light- 
ning. I  suggested  to  the  boys,  as  we  had  so 
many  steel  tools,  that  I  felt  uneasy  about  work- 
inc  there.  We  had  no  more  than  quit  fairly, 
before  the  storm  came  on.  All  but  myself  went 
into  Green's  house;  I  did  not  go  in  because  I 
felt  uneasy  about  home.  I  discovered  the  storm 
coming— the  ground  trembled.  We  could  have 
seen  the  storm  sooner  had  it  not  been  that  we 
were  behind  a  heavy  grove. 

The  tornado  passed  about  200  yards  south  of 
me.  It  had  the  appearance  of  a  huge  top;  it 
was  cone  shaped.  It  looked  as  though  it  was 
made  up  of  tar— it  was  a  black  mass.  The  noise 
was  deafening.  Immediately  after  it  passed  it 
was  quite  calm.  I  immediately  started  for  town. 
I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  discovered  the  frag- 
ments of  a  school  house.  Children  were  run- 
ning wild  in  every  direction.  I  was  then  close 
to  old  Mr.  Green's  residence.  He  asked  nie  to 
go  over  and  render  assistance  to  those  children 
who  might  be  found  in  the  rubbish.  I  went  and 
helped  take  out  six  children,  some  already  dead 
and  the  residue  soon  expired.  Other  help  now 
came  and  I  hurried  home. 

Most  of  the  children  that  I  met  before  reaching 
the  ruins  of  the  school  house  were  more  or  less 
injured;  many  had  blood  on  their  faces.  They 
were  frantic  and  were  running  for  home.  I 
found  the  school  teacher,  a  young  lady,  sitting 
on  the  ground  with  a  child's  head  resting  on 
her  lap  with  very  bad  gashes  in  her  face.  She 
was  so  covered  with  blood  as  not  to  be  recog- 
nized. She  appeared  very  cool  and  rational. 
The  child  she  held  was  already  dead  or  was  dy- 
ing.    She   said  all   but  the  six  had  gone  home. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


305 


I  wondered  how  she  could  know;  but  she  was 
correct. 

When  I  got  home  (I  was  then  living  with  my 
brother,  T.  B.  Brown,  now  dead,)  the  iloor  of 
our  house  was  covered  with  the  wounded  lying 
about.  There  were  none  dead  thei-e  however. 
I  reached  Viroqua  not  far  from  5  o'clock.  It. 
was  the  afternoon  of  June  28,  186.5. 

In  coming  in  from  the  country  I  saw  many 
strange  sights.  Chickens  with  their  feathers 
nearly  all  blown  off;  cats  wandering  half  dead; 
horses  lying  down  with  their  legs  broken. 
Wagons,  household  furniture  and  other  articles 
strewed  in  every  direction.  I  should  think  from 
all  I  saw  and  have  since  learned,  the  tornado 
traveled  at  the  rate  of  about  a  mile  a  minute  on 
the  ground. 

BECOLLECTIONS  OF  K.  C.  BIEECE. 

As  I  now  recall  the  facts,  it  was  at  a  point 
about  four  and  one-half  miles  west  from  the  vil- 
lage of  Viroqua,  that  the  wind  had  gathered 
sufficient  force  to  begin  to  break  down  and  tear 
up  trees.  My  recollection  is  to  the  effect' that 
the  first  building  destroyed  or  partially  des- 
troyed, was  the  residence  of  Benjamin  Pierce. 
This,  I  think,  was  a  log  house,  and,  probably, 
was  not  very  large.  I  think,  too,  that  the 
dwelling  of  a  man  whose  name  is  Cassius  B. 
Isham,  was  either  wholly  or  partially  destroyed 
before  the  storm  reached  the  village.  As  the 
tornado  seemed  to  move  straight  to  the  east 
from  the  west,  as  straight  as  a  line  could  be 
drawn,  and  as  its  track  was  oi^y  about  twenty 
rods  wide,  it  did  not  happen  to  strike  many 
buildings  until  it  reached  the  village.  Then  its 
ruin  was  triumphant  and  eomplete.  A  Mr. 
William  Vought  was  living  about  one-half  mile 
west  from  the  village  limits,  and  in  the  very 
pathway  of  the  storm,  but  I  think  his  house 
was  not  injured  at  all. 

I  do  not  remember  now  the  last  building  that 
was  destroyed  east  of  the  village.  But  after 
the  all-destroying  column  ceased  to  hug  the 
ground  so  closely  as  to  suck  up  buildings  and 
everything  else  that  stood  in  its  way,  it  still  had 


force  enough  to  scatter  fences,  tear  up  trees  by 
the  roots  or  break  them  off.  Writing  to  Prof. 
Henry,  when  all  the  facts  were  fresh  in  my 
mind,  I  remember  now  very  distinctly  that  I 
made  the  distance  about  nine  miles  from  the 
point  where  it  began  to  destroy  trees  west  of  the 
village  to  the  point  where  its  destruction  ceased 
east  of  the  village.  Like  a  bird  of  evil  omen 
with  black,  wide-spreading  pinions,  it  seemed  to 
swoop  down  from  the  regions  above,  smiting 
first  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  descending  lower 
and  lower  until  it  reached  the  ground,  when  it 
swept  everything  away  with  rushing  wings,  and 
when  fully  glutted  and  satisfied  with  the  ruin  it 
had  wrought,  of  both  life  and  property,  it  grad- 
ually lifted  itself  up  again,  destroying  as  it  rose 
until  it  reached  the  very  clouds.  A  great  many 
acres  of  valuable  timber  standing  east  of  Viro- 
qua was  almost  wholly  destroyed.  John  White 
was,  perhaps,  one  of  the  severest  sufferers  in 
this  respect. 

As  the  tornado  passed  through  the  village, 
and  it  may  have  been  so  outside  the  village, 
there  seemed  to  be  side  currents  coming  in 
from  the  northwest  that  proved  destructive. 
The  court  house  stood  two  blocks,  or  more, 
north  of  the  direct  track  of  the  storm,  but  it  was 
unroofed.  Dr.  E.  W.  Tinker  occupied  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Capt.  John  R.  Casson,  and  to 
the  rear  of  it  stood  his  barn.  The  barn  was 
destroyed  and  a  valuable  horse  was  killed;  but 
I  do  not  remember  now  that  either  his  house 
or  other  houses  in  that  immediate  vicinity  were 
much,  if  any,  injured.  Probably,  the  current 
that  unroofed  the  court  house  struck  the  old 
Buckeye  house,  then  occupied  by  J.  M.  Rusk's 
family,  and  tore  off  the  north  wing  of  the  build- 
ing; and  either  this  current  or  the  one  that 
st^ruok  Dr.  Tinker's  barn,  struck  the  residence 
of  A.  K  Burrell,  it  being  the  house  more  re- 
cently, and,  perhaps,  now  occupied  by  H.  P. 
Proctor,  Esq.,  and  moved  it  from  its  founda- 
tions some  six  feet  northeast,  so  that  when  Mrs. 
Burrell,  after  the  storm  was  over,  went  to  the 
door,    and    looking   out,  saw  where  the  cistern 


306 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


was,  she  exclaimed;  "I  declare  if  the  storm 
didn't  blow  our  cistern  away!" 

As  for  my  own  individual  experience  in  that 
trying  time,  I  can  well  say  that  I  dislike  to  re- 
call it;  but,  if  it  will  add  anything  to  the  value 
of  the  history  you  ai'e  comjiiling,  I  will  give  it. 

My  office  at  that  period  was  on  tiie  lower 
floor  of  the  south  wing  of  Tate's  store 
building  as  it  stood  at  that  time.  I 
was  very  busy  that  day  drawing  complaints 
for  the  foreclosure  of  some  tax  deeds,  and  I 
noticed  nothing  peculiar  abt)Ut  the  temperature 
of  the  atmosphere  or  of  the  douds  until  the 
wind  began  to  blow  so  hard  through  a  south 
window  that  was  open  as  to  scatter  my  ))apers 
all  about  my  office  and  I  got  up  and  closed  tlie 
window  and  sat  down  to  writing  again.  So  lit- 
tle was  I  anticipating  a  violent  storm,  I  did  not 
even  take  the  time  nor  the  trouble  to  look  out 
and  see  wliat  the  clouds  were  like.  It  was  but 
a  moment,  however,  apparently,  before  a  gust 
of  wind  came  in  at  the  door  which  opened  to 
the  east,  and  blowing  the  papers  all  off  my 
table  a  second  lime.  I  got  up  and  closed  tie 
door,  gathered  up  my  papers  and  sat  down  to 
my  writing  again.  At  this  time  my  son  Fred- 
die, then  seven  years  old,  came  running  into  my 
oifiee,  just  dismissed  from  school,  and  plead 
with  me  to  go  home  with  him.  He  said  there 
would  be  a  dreadful  storm,  and  most  all  tlie 
scliool  children  had  run  into  the  jail.  I  tried 
to  quiet  him  down  by  telling  him  I  thought  the 
storm  would  be  over  in  a  very  few  minutes  for 
my  position  in  my  office  was  such  that  I  saw 
nothing  of  the  fearful  gathering  of  the  clouds 
that  held  within  them  such  terrific  power  for  de- 
struction. It  was  growing  dark  in  my  office  and 
I  told  Freddie  we  would  go  into  the  store  and 
stay  until  the  storm  was  over.  We  passed  into 
the  store  and  found  a  good  many  people  in  there 
and  more  came  running  in.  I  passed  back  to 
the  farther  end  of  the  store  building  where 
there  was  a  window  overlooking  the  courthouse 
square.  Then  I  noticed  for  the  first  time  how 
dark,  threatening  and  heavy  the  clouds  were.  In 


a  moment  more  other  men  came  rushing  into 
the  store;  all  of  a  sudden  there  was  a  terrible 
roar,  and  amidst  it  I  could  hear  the  shrieks  of 
women  and  the  frenzied  calls  of  men;  the  store 
was  full  of  people  that  had  rushed  in;  the 
stiong  building  began  to  tremble  and  creak; 
some  sprang  to  the  doors  and  others  to  the 
windows  to  hold  them  in;  a  wave  of  blackness 
almost  as  impenetrable  as  the  blackness  of  deep 
midnight  swept  along.  In  that  blackness  I 
could  bare  y  see  the  tall  liberty  pole  that  stood 
in  the  court  house  square  bending  and  sweeping 
round  and  round  until  the  ball  on  the  top 
seemed  to  touch  the  ground;  the  shurbbery  all 
seemed  to  lie  flat  on  the  ground  and  to  twist 
round  and  round  in  circles;  the  air  was  full  of 
flying  boards,  shingles  and  rubbish  that  «'ent 
sweeping  by  the  window  where  I  was  standing 
and  looking  out  on  the  dire  drama  that  was  be- 
ing |jlayed  outside;  I  could  hear  them  striking 
against  the  building,  but  over  and  above  all  was 
that  indescribable,  that  unearthly  roar,  and 
brooding  over  and  around  all  was  the  almost 
impenetrable  darkness. 

All  this  was  but  for  a  moment,  comparatively 
speaking.  The  spirit  of  the  storm  was  as  swift 
as  it  was  terrible,  in  passing  over  the  doomed 
village.  The  winds  died  away,  the  clouds  lifted, 
and  from  the  window,  where  I  stood  through  it 
all,  I  could  see  that  the  court  house  was  un- 
roofed, the  lioerty  pole  was  gone,  the  shrub- 
bery had  all  disappeared,  and  the  trophies  of  the 
storm  were  lying  around  everywhere.  The 
store  doors  were  opened  and  the  people  began 
to  pass  out.  I  went  to  the  door  and  looked  out, 
and  at  a  distance,  apparently  of  two  miles  east 
of  the  village,  I  could  see  the  whirlwind,  tor- 
nado, cyclone,  or  whatever  people  might  see 
proper  to  call  it.  It  was  a  dark,  perpendicular 
column,  in  fact,  it  was  intensely  black  and  im- 
penetrable, moving  steadily  on  to  the  east,  roar- 
ing as  it  went.  Of  its  diameter,  I  had  no  means 
of  judging,  but  it  reached  from  the  ground  to 
the  clouds,  and  I  could  see  the  clouds  coming 
from  every   direction   like  race  horses,  and   all 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


30V 


were  drawn  down  into  the  terrible  vortex.  One 
moment,  tliat  awtul  black,  moving  column 
would  sink  down  and  down,  drawing  every 
thing  from  above  witli  it,  and  anon  it  would 
rise  up  and  up  into  the  heavens,  and  then  it 
would  spew  out  its  gathered  stomach  full  of 
rubbish  which  would  go  scattering  off  on  the 
the  wings  of  the  wind. 

I  do  not  remember  that  it  rained  while  the 
storm  cloud  was  passing  over,  but  soon  after, 
the  rain  began  to  fall.  As  the  thought  that  my 
properly  had  been  touched  by  that  dark  mon- 
ster, I  had  seen  so  plainly,  did  not  once  enter 
my  mind,  I  was  in  no  hurry  about  leaving  the 
store,  but  I  remained  there  with  Freddie  until 
the  rain  ceased,  then  we  started  for  the    house. 

When  I  got  out  of  the  store,  the  first  thing  I 
noticed,  was  the  ruins  of  J.  A.  Somerby's  house 
piled  up  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  in  front  ot 
where  McKee's  store  stands,  and  somebody 
stood  there  looking  at  them,  then  I  saw  that  the 
store  of  II.  Nichols  &  Sons  was  gone,  all  there 
was  left  of  it  was  the  lower  floor,  and  L.  W. 
Nichols  stood  there  surveying  the  ruins.  The 
ne.xt  evidence  of  loss  that  I  noticed,  was  when 
I  reached  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Thomas  Fret- 
well;  she  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  cry- 
ing and  wringing  her  hands.  Her  house  was 
very  badly  demoralized. 

From  Mrs.  Fretwell's  I  went  directly  home, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  as  though  I  saw  my  house 
standing  there,  intact,  until  I  got  on  to  the  very 
grounds.  Like  every  one  else,  I  was  dazed, 
bewildered,  thrown  off  my  balance.  The  fact 
is,  no  two  persons  saw  things  just  alike  then. 
The  first  thing  that  recalled  me  to  a  sense  of  the 
real  situation  of  things,  meeting  my  little  son, 
Arthur,  then  just  over  three  years  of  age,  run- 
ning around  and  calling  for  "Ma!"  His  clothes 
were  nearly  all  torn  from  his  body,  he  had  a 
great  swelling  on  his  forehead,  where  he  had 
been  hit  by  something;  he  was  plastered  all 
over  with  dirt  and  blood  was  on  his  face,  his 
hands  and  his  feet.  When  he  saw  me  he  cried 
out,   "Pa,   Where's    Ma."     I   replied,   "I    dont 


know,  my  son;  dont  you  know  where  Ma  is?" 
and  he  answered  in  his  childish  way,  "No; 
where  is  her?"  Then  I  began  to  realize 
the  true  condition  of  things.  For  a  moment 
the  inexpressible  silence  of  complete  desolation 
reigned.  My  house  was  gone,  my  wife  was 
gone,  buildings,  fences,  trees,  all  were  gone. 
Only  two  hours  before,  I  had  left  that  home,  a 
place  bright  and  lovely  to  me;  then  all  darkness, 
silence  and  desolation.  Owing  to  my  slowness 
in  leaving  the  store  after  the  storm  was  over, 
many  of  the  villagers  had  rescued  from  the 
ruins  of  several  destroyed  houses,  the  injured, 
dead  and  dying,  before  I  got  to  where  my  house 
stood,  and  several  men  Wfere  there  looking  for 
my  wife  when  I  got  there.  It  was  an  hour  per- 
haps, before  my  wife  was  found.  She  was  found 
at  last,  by  Comfort  Richardson,  lying  insensible 
between  two  floors  of  the  central  portion  of  the 
house.  These  floors  had  been  carried  bodily 
from  where  the  house  stood,  in  a  southeasterly 
direction  from  the  street  and  on  to  the  lands  of 
Dr.  Weeden.  The  finding  was  in  a  measure 
accidental.  As  we  were  threading  through  the 
ruins  that  lay  thick  all  around.  Comfort,  being 
near  the  floors  thought  he  heard  a  groan.  For 
some  time  we  looked  around  without  finding  her, 
when  Comfort,  noticing  that  the  upper  floor  pro- 
jected some  over  the  under  floor,  he  stooped 
down  and  looked  under,  and  he  saw  a  portion 
of  the  skirt  of  her  dress  hanging  down.  By 
calling  a  number  of  men  to  our  aid,  we  raised 
the  upper  floor  sufficiently  to  get  her  out.  She 
was  taken  to  the  residence  of  Deacon  Trow- 
bridge where  Dr.  Tinker  dressed  her  wounds. 
It  was  some  hours  before  she  was  restored  to 
consciousness,  and  several  days  before  she  so 
far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  help  herself.  A 
wound  she  received  on  her  head,  was  the  final 
cause  of  her  death,  so  her  attending  j)hysician8 
said.  She  never  fully  recovered  from  the  ef- 
fects of  that  wound,  and  I  could  see  that  yearly 
and  monthly,  she  was  growing  weaker  physi- 
cally, and  her  mind,  too,  suffered  some,  towards 
the  last,  and  on  Monday  evening  July    19,  1874, 


308 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


as  she  was  sitting  by  my  side  in  church,  she 
was  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  she  lingered 
until  twenty  minutes  past  4  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  of  Saturday,  July  25,  when  she 
breathed  her  last. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  relate  briefly  what  my 
wife  told  me  she  saw  and  felt  before  she  be- 
came uuconcious.  It  was  a  very  warm  day,  and 
she  was  engaged  in  ironing,  in  the  kitchen, 
when  the  wind  began  to  blow  quite  hard,  an<l 
she  saw  from  the  appearance  of  the  clouds  that 
quite  a  storm  was  like  to  hap])en.  She  went  up 
stairs  and  into  oilier  rooms  below,  to  put  down 
windows  that  were  up;  as  there  were  several 
rooms,  this  occupied  Some  time.  Having  closed 
all  the  windows  she  started  for  the  kitchen 
again,  and  l)y  the  time  she  reached  the  door 
opening  from  the  dining  room  into  the  kitchen, 
the  wind  was  blowing  so  hard  that  the  house 
began  to  tremble  She  noticed  that  Arthur  had 
crawled  under  the  kitchen  table  and  was  lying 
flat  on  his" face.  Phineas  Drake,  a  man  lliat  was 
sawing  and  splitting  wood  in  the  wood  house, 
had  come  into  tiie  kitchen  and  stood  with  his 
liands  against  one  of  the  windows,  and  he  re- 
marked that  he  "thought  the  wind  would  blow 
in  the  windows."  At  that  moment  she  heard  a 
jingling,  as  of  breaking  glass,  and  she  knew 
nothing  more  until  she  came  back  to  conscious- 
ness, after  having  been  carried  to  Mr.  Trow- 
bridge's house.  She  fell  where  she  stood,  by 
the  door  between  the  dining  room  and  kitchen. 

Poor  Drake  was  found  in  Dr.  Weeden's  field, 
some  three  or  four  rods  beyond  where  my 
wife  was  found.  His  head  was  terribly  bruised 
and  he  lay  as  lifeless,  apparently,  as  a  corpse. 
He  lived,  however,  until  the  eighth  day  after  he 
was  hurt,  but  I  always  understood  that  he  passed 
away  without  ever  giving  a  single  sign  of  life. 
He  was  taken  to  Tate's  Hall,  where  so  many 
other  wounded  and  dead  were  taken.  His  aged 
father  and  mother  lived  on  the  second  block 
west  from  me,  and  were  botli  killed. 

I  learned  from  those  who  first  reached  the 
ruins  of   my  place,  that  my  little  boy,    Arthur, 


was  thrown  intothe  cellar,  where  he  was  so  com- 
pletely covered  with  the  debris  of  the  storm, 
that  the  people  who  were  looking  around  could 
not  see  him.  Some  of  his  playmates  finally 
came  along,  and  as  he  looked  up  through  the 
rubbish  and  saw  them,  he  called  to  them.  Men 
were  then  called  and  he  was  taken  out. 

There  are  a  great  many  incidents  connected,  not 
only  with  the  destruction  of  my  home,  but  with 
the  destruction  of  the  finest  portion  of  Viroqu.i, 
as  it  stood  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  day  of 
June,  1865,  and  before  the  tornado  struck  it, 
that  possess  a  sad,  yet  sacred  interest  to  me,  but 
it  will  not  be  proper  for  me  to  allude  to  them 
here. 

The  whole  face  of  that  portion  of  the  village 
that  was  swept  by  the  tornado  was  changed. 
Every  well  known  landmark  was  gone.  The 
familiar  things  that  I  had  looked  on  every  day 
were  blotted  out  of  existence.  The  fond  care, 
the  hopeful  toil,  the  pleasant  labors  of  years, 
vanished  in  a  moment,  and  all  that  was  left  was 
memory.  The  track  of  the  storm  looked  as 
though  it  had  been  the  deep  bed  of  a  water 
course,  for  ages,  from  which  the  water  had 
been  suddenly  drawn,  leaving  nothing  pleasant 
for  the  eye  to  look  on.  Every  where  was  cold, 
silent,  gray  ruin  and  desolation.  Every  green 
thing  was  gone  from  garden  and  from  door  j'ard, 
and  dry,  hard,  scorched  earth,  alone  remained. 
The  ruins  seem  to  be  all  plastered  over  with 
mud, and  the  scene  of  the  ruins  was  most  dread- 
ful and  ajipalling. 

XI. — A.  L.  Russell's  statement. 
I  came  from  Sparta  the  day  on  which  the 
disaster  occurred.  I  noticed  several  times  that 
it  threatened  rain  before  I  arrived  home.  I 
reached  my  house  about  half  past  3  o'clock. 
About  that  time  there  appeared  to  be  a  heavy 
shower  gathering  in  the  northwest  and  south- 
west. The  clouds  in  the  northwest  had  a  white 
look,  as  if  the  sun  was  shining  on  them,  but 
those  in  the  southwest  were  intensely  black — 
black  as  ink. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


309 


When  I  came  home  (I  had  my  wife  with 
me)  I  left  her  at  the  house  and  I  went  to  put 
out  my  horse.  When  I  got  back  to  the  house 
it  was  unusually  calm  ;  there  did  not  seem  to 
be  any  air  stirring  at  all.  The  two  storms 
seemed  at  this  time  to  have  come  together  in 
the  west ;  there  was  a  great  deal  of  thunder 
and  lightning.  My  wife  was  standing  in  the 
door  and  called  ray  attention  to  the  whirling 
appearance  of  the  clouds. 

About  that  time  the  wind  commenced  to 
blow  hard  from  the  east ;  then,  in  a  moment,  it 
changed  to  the  west.  We  were  both  in  the 
house  looking  out  at  the  west  door.  The  storm 
seemed  now  to  be  approaching  very  rapidly  ; 
every  thing  seemed  to  be  lapped  up  as  it  came 
on.  My  wife  suggested  that  we  had  better  go 
out  doors.  I  told  her  to  wait  a  moment,  to  see 
which  way  the  storm  was  going.  I  then  told 
her  there  was  nothing  that  could  stand  before 
that  storm  ;  that  she  should  get  her  heaviest 
shawl   and    that    we   go   across   the    road    to  a 


thicket.  My  house  was  in  the  extreme  west 
end  of  the  town. 

We  ha(l  barely  reached  the  brush  when  the 
storm  was  upon  us.  We  came  near  being 
caught  by  a  tree  falling  on  us.  We  both  then 
knelt  down  in  the  brush  as  close  to  the  ground 
as  we  could  get.  By  that  time  the  wind  blew 
so  hard  that  the  brush  was  all  blown  flat  to  the 
ground.  We  just  got  sight  of  the  house  as  it 
was  struck  by  the  tornado.  It  was  sucked  right 
up  into  the  clouds  with  a  whirling  motion  ; 
but  almost  instantly  it  was  total  darkness. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  small  balls  of 
fire,  which  seemed  about  the  size  of  a  hen's 
egg.  It  was  only  a  few  seconds  before  it 
passed  by. 

Both  my  wife  and  I  were  badly  hurt  ;  my 
wife  soon  became  unconscious  after  getting  her 
to  a  neighbor's  house  ;  one  of  her  wrists  was 
fractured  ;  she  has  never  got  the  full  use  of  it 
since.  I  soon  followed  out  on  the  track  of  the 
tornado,  and  the  sight  was  appalling  ! 


310 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XXV 


PREVIOUSLY  PUBLISHED  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES. 


There  have  been  printed  at  different  periods 
historical  sketches  of  a  part  or  of  the  whole  of 
the  county.  These  are  reproduced  in  this  chapter 
because  of  their  value  for  comparison,  as  show- 
ing the  changes  which  have  taken  place  in  the 
county,  and  its  increase. 

I.  FROM  THE  WESTERN    TIMES,    SEPT.   6,   1856. 

Tlie  fall  emigration  has  commenced  coming 
in,  and  new  houses  and  other  buildings  are 
going  up  in  all  parts  of  the  county.  New  vil- 
lages are  springing  uj)  and  new  roads  are  being 
laid  and  worked.  Tiie  crops,  already  harvested, 
are  good.  The  corn  crop,  although  much  of  it 
was  put  in  late,  will  not  be  below  an  average 
crop.  Potatoes  are  excellent  and  very  abundant. 
In  short.  Bad  Ax  county  is  going  forward  in 
fine  style  with  every  descrijition  of  improve- 
ments. The  Messrs.  Gillelts'  and  Mr.  Goode's 
steam  mills  will  make  lumber  more  plentiful  for 
building. 

Land  in  this  county,  generally,  we  think,  is 
very  cheap,  comparing  the  quality  and  con- 
venience to  good  markets,  with  other  counties. 
And  there  is  just  as  good  land  as  ever  a  plow 
was  used  in,  to  be  pre-empted  yet,  in  the  county, 
or  entered  as  soon  as  the  land  office  opens. 
And  mechanics  who  wish  to  obtain  good  homes 
and  plenty  of  business  cannot  do  better  than 
come  to  Bad  Ax  county.  In  Viroqua  there  are 
the  very  best  kind  of  openings  for  a  large  car- 
riage shop,  a  jeweller's  shop,  a  tailor's  shop,  a 
harness  shop,  a  bakery,  a  machine  shop  and 
foundry,  and  many  others. 

And  in  Viroqua  and  vicinity  are  excellent 
locations   for   a   paper  mill ;    dozens    of  good 


locations  for  water  and  steam  power  of  every 
description,  and  plenty  of  timber.  Numerous 
springs  are  scattered  over  the  county,  from 
which  flows,  bright  and  sparkling,  through 
trout  brooks,  plentiful  supplies  of  the  "nectar 
that  Jupiter  sips."  On  the  ridge,  where  wells 
have  to  be  dug,  the  water  is  generally  obtained 
at  less  than  forty  feet  on  an  average,  and  un- 
failing water  has  been  obtained  near  this  place 
(Viroqua),  on  top  of  a  ridge,  at  a  depth  of 
twelve  feet  only. 

Now  is  the  time  for  those  who  wish  to  get 
good  homes  cheap,  to  obtain  them  in  just  as 
good  a  country  as  there  is  in  the  wide  world. 

II. — BY  GEOEGE  GAI.K,  I860.* 

Had  Ax  county,  notwithstanding  its  uncouth 
name,  is  an  excellent  county  of  land.  The  most 
part  of  the  county  along  the  Mississippi  river  is 
quite  broken,  being  cut  up  by  many  large  and 
small  streams  that  flow  west  into  the  Mississippi, 
but  the  central  part  rises  on  to  the  high  table 
prairie,  and  is  now  covered  with  fine  farms 
under  a  good  state  of  cultivation..  The  eastern 
part  of  the  county,  including  the  Kickapoo  val- 
ley, is  covered  with  heavy  hardwood  timber. 
There  is  no  poor  soil  in  the  county.  The  bluffs 
on  the  Mississippi  and  the  heavy  timber  of  the 
Kickapoo,  are  equally  as  rich  in  soil  as  the  high 
prairie  of  the  central  portion,  but  it  is  not  as 
thickly  inhabited.  The  origin  of  the  name  of 
the  county  I  will  here  give  you  as  I  obtained 
it  from  an  Indian  trader  and  sutler  in  the 
army,  nine  years  ago. 

'From  the  Gales ville  TranscHpt.  The  errors  in  this  ac- 
count by  Mr.  Gale  will  be  sTifficieotly  apparent  to  the  reader 
from  what  has  been  said  inpreviouschapters.  We  have  not, 
therefore,  attempted  to  correct  them. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


311 


The  Winnebago  Indians  at  an  early  time,  at- 
tempted to  manufacture  axes  and  arrow  lieads 
out  of  the  rocks  near  the  mouth  of  Bad  Ax 
river,  but  the  rock  being  too  soft  the  articles 
manufactured  proved  to  be  worthless.  From 
that  time  the  Indians  applied  the  name  of  Bad 
Ax  to  the  bluff,  and  also  the  river  or  creek  near 
the  point.  The  Winnebagoes  called  the  creek 
Mar-she-rah-she-shiek  Ne-shun-ugh-arah,  which 
literally  signifies  Ax  bad  little  river.  Notoriety 
was  given  to  the  name  by  the  battle  that  was 
fought  with  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  by  the  United 
States  army  in  3  83'2,  two  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  the  Bad  Ax  creek.  To  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  the  battle,  the  State  Legislature,  at 
the  organization  of  the  county  in  1S51  applied 
to  it  the  name  of  Bad  Ax,  with  the  Webster 
spelling.  Ax,  without  a  terminating  letter — e  of 
some  authors. 

The  village  sites  of  Bad  Ax  city.  Victory, 
DeSoto,  and  some  other  points  on  the  Missis- 
si|)])i  river,  had,  for  many  years  before  the 
organization  of  the  county,  been  occupied  by 
Canadian  Indian  traders,  who  for  many  years 
weie  supplied  witli  goods  by  Col.  Dousnian, 
agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  but  as 
their  residence  was  temporary,  they  are  not 
generally  recognized  as  the  first  permanent  set- 
tlers of  tlie  county.  The  last  of  these  traders 
who  occupied  these  points  at  the  ingress  of  the 
American  population,  was  John  Verdon,  (called 
Battise),  at  Bad  Ax  city  ;  Mr.  Palwell,  at  Vic- 
tory, and  John  Roberts,  at  DeSoto  ;  none  of 
which  are  now  lesiding    in    the    county. 

The  first  permanent  American  settlers,  were 
Hiram  Rice,  Samuel  Rice  and  John  McCullock, 
who  settlcii  on  Round  Prairie,  at  what  is  now 
Liberty  Pole,  in  the  town  of  Bad  Ax,  in  the 
summer  of  1S4-3.  In  the  year  1846  their  num- 
ber was  increased  by  the  addition  of  John  Gra- 
ham, Thos.  J.  DeFrees,  Jacob,  Johnson,  John 
Harrison,  Dr.  Tinker  and  William  C.  .Mc- 
Michael.  In  184'?  Moses  Decker  settled  the 
present  site  of  Viroqua,  and  in  1848  John  War- 
ner settled  at  Warner's  Landing.     In  1847  and 


and  the  following  years  new  settlers  came  in 
rapidly  and  now  Bad  Ax  county  contains  a 
more  numerous  population  than  any  county 
north  of  the  Wisconsin  river,  excepting  only, 
the  county  of  La  Crosse.  The  county  is  well 
watered  by  the  Bad  Ax  and  Coon  rivers,  run- 
ning west  into  the  Mississippi  and  the  Kicka- 
poo,  running  south  through  the  whole  county 
having  its  source  in  the  county  of  Monroe. 

The  new  county  was  organized  by  an  act  of 
the  Legislature  approved  March  1st,  1851,  and 
the  first  election  for  county  officers  was 
held  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April  of  that 
year.  At  that  election,  Thomas  J.  DeFrees  was 
elected  county  judge,  Lorenzo  A.  Pierce,  dis- 
trict attorney,  William  C.  McMichael  register 
of  deeds,  and  Orrin  Wisel,  clerk  of  the    court. 

The  first  term  of  the  circuit  court.  Hon.  Wi- 
ram  Knowlton,  presiding,  was  held  in  the  old 
log  school  house  at  Viroqua,  on  the  third  Mon- 
day in  May,  1851.  The  second  term  of  the 
court  was  held  on  the  fourth  Monday  of  Novem- 
ber of  the  same  year,  at  the  same  place,  and  by 
the  same  judge,  at  which  latter  term  the  writer 
attended  as  an  attorney  from  La  Crosse.  This 
term  beat  the  West  for  its  rich  scenes, 
many  of  which  were  so  supremely  ridiculous, 
that  by  common  consent  they  never  got  into  the 
papers.  I  doubt  if  any  one  will  ever  have  the 
temerity  to  reduce  them  to  writing. 

The  present  county  officers  are  Hon.  J.  E. 
Newell,  county  judge;  C.  j\l.  Butt,  Esq.,  district 
attorney  ;  William  S.  Purdy,  clerk  of  the  court; 
William  H.  Goode,  sheriff  ;  J.  M.  Bennett, 
clerk  of  the  board  of  supervisors  ;  James  Low- 
rie,  treasurer  ;  D.  P.  Allison,  regis'er,  and 
Charles  Pitcher,  coroner.  'hey  are  all  very 
efficient  officers,  and  are  creditable  to  the 
county.  At  the  general  election  last  fall,  Wil- 
liam C.  McMichael  was  elected  to  the  Assembly 
from  the  district  composed  of  the  counties  of 
Crawford  and  Bad  Ax,  and  made  an  influential 
member  of  that  body.  Mr.  McMichael  has  held 
some  of  the  county  offices  nearly  all  the  time 
since  the  organization  of  th6   county,   and  con- 


312 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


tinues  to  occupy  a  high  position   in  the  esteem 
of  the  inhabitants  of  that  county. 

The  old  log  court  house  has  now  given  place 
to  a  large  commodious  two  story  frame  biiildinc, 
being  the  largest  court  house  in  the  si-xth  judi- 
cial district. 

VIROQUA. 

The  land  on  which  this  village  was  laid  out, 
was  first  settled  upon  and  improved  by  Moses 
Decker,  in  the  fall  of  1847.  The  name  was  de- 
rived from  the  name  of  a  young  squaw  found  in 
a  novel,  but  had  no  reference  to  any  of  the  ab- 
origines of  this  region  of  country.  It  was  first 
laid  out  into  village  lots  the  3d  of  Sept.  1852. 
A  county  addition  was  laid  out  the  1 3th  of  May, 
1863. 

Under  the  act  of  the  1st  of  March,  1851,  the 
board  of  supervisors  established  the  county  seat 
at  Viroqua,  and  subsequently,  the  question  hav- 
ing been  submitted  to  a  vote  of  tlie  electors  of 
the  whole  county,  this  village  was  retained  as 
the  permanent  capital  of  the  county. 

The  village  is  located  on  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  31,  and  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  32,  in  township  number  13,  of  range  4 
west  of  the  4th  principal  meridian.  It  is  distant 
thirty-six  miles  southeast  from  La  Crosse,  forty- 
seven  miles  northeast  of  Prairie  du  Chien  and 
twenty  miles  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  It 
is  situated  in  a  pleasant  grove  nearly  surround- 
ed by  prairies  and  upon  high  rolling  land.  As  a 
healthy  location  it  cannot  be  easily  exceeded  in 
the  western  country. 

The  village  now  contains  a  court  house,  jail, 
one  bank,  one  postoflice,  four  dry  goods  and 
grocery  stores,  two  blacksmith  shops,  two  wagon 
shops,  one  cabinet  shop,  one  steam  grist  mill, 
one  school  house,  two  churches,  one  harness 
shop,  one  boot  and  shoe  shop,  two  hotels,  one 
tailor,  and  several  carpenter  shops,  five  practic- 
ing lawyers,  and  two  physicians,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  about  700  inhabitants.  No  spirituoui- 
liquors  sold  in  town. 

DE  SOTO. 

This  village  is  named  after  the  distinguished 
discoverer  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  is  loca- 


ted principally  on  section  15,  township  11,  range 
1    west,    on    the    east    bank     of    the    Father 
of     Waters.       The    village    is    divided      into 
the  upper  and  lower  town,  the  latter  of  which 
is  in  Crawford  county.     The  original  owners  of 
the  soil  in    the    lower  town   were   Joseph    and 
Michael  Godfrey,    Canadian    French,  who  sold 
out  in  1855  to  Gustarus  Cheney,  who  purchased 
it    for  the    Boston    Company.     That   company 
have  now  a   store,  grist   mill,  boarding  house, 
and  the  best  and  most  extensive  steam  saw  mill 
I    have   noticed    on    the    Mississippi  river.     It 
is  run  with  three  engines,  and  besides  many  sin- 
gle saws,    it  has  two  gangs     of    twenty  saws 
each. 

E.  B.  Houghton,  Dr.  Osgood  and  Dr.  Powers 
purchased  the  upper  town    in    1854  and  moved 
there    in   1855.     Dr.    Osgood  put   up  the    first 
frame    building   in    the    spring   of  1855.      Dr. 
Houghton  put  up  the  second    house  very  soon 
after— the  same  spring.     The   village   was  laid 
out  in  the  summer  of  1855,  by  Dr.  E.  B.  Hough- 
ton as  its  proprietor.     The  upper  town    of   De- 
Soto  proper,  contains  two  stores,  two  warehouses, 
postofBce,  one  steam  saw  mill,  one   three-story 
public  house,  called  the  Bay  State  House,  kept 
by  Mr.  C.  H.Allen,  and  a  few  shops.     The  land- 
ing on  the  Mississippi  is  good. 

This  town  has  been  the  river  deposit  of  a 
large  amount  of  wheat  for  shipment  during  the 
past  winter  and  does  considerable  business  with 
the  south  part  of  Bad  Ax  and  north  part  of 
Crawford.  It  was  originally  called  Winneshiek, 
after  the  Indian  Chief  of  that  name  who  died 
at  Lansing  Iowa  about  1848.  The  population 
of  the  whole  village  is  about  500  inhabitants. 

VICTORY. 

This  village  is  situated  five  miles  above  De- 
Soto,  on  the  Mississippi  river,  and  received  its 
name  from  the  victory  which  was  obtained  over 
the  Indians  at  the  battle  of  B.id  Ax,  which  was 
fought  only  a  mile  below  the  village.  Ira  Ste- 
vens originally  pre-empted  the  land  in  1849,  and 
entered  it  in  1850.  He  sold  out  part  of  his  in- 
terest  to   Hon.  William  F.  Terhune,  John  Ca- 


^•t. 


^Z-z^  ^^ 


,5T0R,  '-tNO'^ 


TaO£N   f'W 


Jk«« 


np.iiot**- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


315 


vana  and  H.  M.  McAuley,  who  laid  out  a  small 
village  plat  July  21st,  1852. 

George  Gale,  then  of  La  Crosse,  in  the  spring 
of  1853  purchased  105  acres  of  government  land 
on  the  north  side  of  the  present  village  plat 
but  sold  it  in  1854.  for  $1,000  cash,  to  Hon. 
John  A.  Rockwell,  of  Connecticut,  who  is  the 
present  proprietor  thereof.  The  plat  is  located 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  28  township 
1  -i,  range  1  west. 

The  village  has  an  excellent  landing  on  the 
Mississippi,  a  postoffice,  one  store,  one  hotel, 
one  blacksmith  shop,  one  shoe  shop,  one  school 
house  and  does  considerable  business  as  a  ship- 
ping point  of  grain.  It  contains  about  300  inhab- 
itants. Judge  Berry  is  now  the  principal  pro- 
jirietor. 

l^ad  A.K  City,  located  on  section  28,  township 
13,  range  7  ;  iiritl's  Landing,  onseclion  9,  town- 
ship 13,  range  7  ;  and  Warner's  Landing  on 
section  4,  township  13,  range  7;  all  contain 
good  landings  on  the  Mississippi,  and  aie  pointr 
of  some  business  with  the  b.ack  country. 

Newton,  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  o( 
section  23,  township  13,  range  6,  is  situated  on 
the  Bad    Ax    river,    about   nine  miles  from  the 

Mis-issippi.     It  has  mills,  postoffice  and   hotel. 

SPRIXfJVILLE. 

The  village  was  laid  out  in  1847,  by  John 
Graham,  the  proprietor.  It  derives  it  name 
from  an  enormous  spring  of  water  that  comes 
out  of  the  hill  at  that  point.  The  water  of  the 
spring,  alone,  runs  a  grist  mill  a  few  rods  be- 
low. This  is  a  delightful  little  village  of  about 
400  inhabitants,  with  the  usual  number  of 
stores,  shops,  hotels,  etc.  Hon .  James  R.  Savage 
is  postmaster,  and  one  of  the  principal  proprie- 
tors, at  this  time,  of  the  village. 

The  eastern  part  of  Bad  Ax  county  contains 
several  villages  of  some  importance,  but  your 
correspondent  does  not  possess  sufficient  data  to 
give  them  a  proper  notice  at  this  time.  The 
whole  county  is  now  rapidly  recovering  from 
the  embarrassment  of  the  bard  times,  and  at  no 


distant   day  it  will  become    one   of  the  largest 
populated  counties  of  the  State. 

III. FROM  THE  MILWAUKEE  SENTINEL,  NOV.    1860. 

[The  writer  names  the  county  Minnesheik.] 
Minnesheik  (Bad  Ax)  county  lies  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  between  the  counties  of  La 
Crosse  and  Crawford,  and  also  midway  between 
the  La  Crosse  and  Milwaukee  and  Mississippi 
railroads.  It  comprises  about  twenty-seven 
townshijis  of  land,  being  over  half  a  million  of 
acres,  a  much  larger  area  than  either  the 
counties  of  Rock  or  Walworth,  and  believe  me, 
it  contains  just  as  good  land  as  lies  out  of  doors 
in  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  I  am  well  aware 
that,  ill  saying  this,  I  am  saying  a  good  deal, 
and  many  will  think  it  hard  to  believe. 

I  have  seen  something  of  the  counties  of 
Dane,  Rock,  Walworth,  Dodge  and  others  of 
the  many  "  garden  spots"  in  good  old  Wiscon- 
■lin  ;  but,  after  all,  there  is  not  a  county  in  the 
State  that  contains  any  better  land  than  Minne- 
sheik (Bad  Ax).  Probably  one-third  of  this 
is  prairie,  fine,  rolling  prairie,  the  soil  being  a 
rich  clayey  vegelablt'  mold.  Another  portion, 
say  one-third,  is  oak-openings  and  ridges 
covered  with  oak  under-growth  or  "grubs."  In 
many  places  farms  have  been  opened  up,  and 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil  reveals  tons  a  clayey 
loam,  well  adapted  to  wheat ;  and  on  these 
broad  ridges  wheat  does  remarkably  well. 

The  balance  of  the  land  in  this  county  is 
timbered,  and  that  pretty  heavily.  This  is  an 
advantage,  as  the  timber  is  needed  in  other 
portions.  The  soil  in  the  timber  country  is  a 
rich  clay  loam,  thoroughly  impregnated  with 
vegetable  mold.  When  cleared  of  its  timber, 
it  produces  as  line  wheat,  corn,  potatoes,  etc., 
as  can  be  raised.  The  roots  of  the  trees  run 
deep,  allowing  of  the  plow  being  run  close  to 
the  stumps. 

The  recent  ( Federal )  census  developes  a 
heavier  population  than  had  been  anticipated, 
the  number  being  about  11,000  (1  1,007).  Five 
years  ago  the  counties  of  Li  Crosse  and  Bad 
Ax  had  each  a  little  over  4,0(>0  people  (Bad  Ax, 


19 


316 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


4,823).  Now,  the  former  has  13,500  and  the  latter 
11,500.  Consiilerlug  the  absence  of  large  towns, 
railroads,  etc.,  coupled  with  its  bad  name,  I 
think  Bad  Ax,  or  Minnesheik,  has  done  well. 
Large  portions  of  the  inhabitants  are  from 
Ohio  and  the  New  England  States,  though  in 
some  parts  there  is  a  good  sprinkling  of  Nor- 
wegians. 

The  great  crop  now  is  wheat,  though  the 
raising  of  stock  is  being  taken  hold  of.  There 
is  not  a  finer  region  in  the  world  for  mixed 
husbandry  ;  grain,  cattle,  horses,  hogs  and 
sheep,  cannot  do  otherwise  than  well  here  ; 
and  I  will  venture  the  opinion  that  the  hill 
sides  and  northern  slopes  of  this  county  will 
yet  become  noted  for  their  fruit,  as  well  as  for 
their  sheep  and  cattle.  The  fine  corn  raised, 
of  course,  will  tell  you  that  before  long  pork 
will  form  a  leading  article  of  export. 

For  the  year  1860  the  surplus  wheat  of  this 
county  must  amount  to  not  less  than  1,000,000 
bushels.  By  some,  it  is  estimated  at  a  much 
higher  figure.  How  to  get  rid  of  this  is  the 
main  question  now.  Go  in  what  direction  you 
will,  it  takes  from  thirty-five  to  fifty  miles  of 
teaming  to  get  to  markets.  The  people,  in 
thinking  of  this,  are  led  to  inquire  if  their 
condition  cannot  be  bettered.  Thev  ask  "why 
cannot  we  have  railroad  facilities?"  Their 
homes  are  between  what  is  to  be  the  terminus 
of  Minnesota's  railroad  system  at  La  Crosse, 
and  the  roads  at  the  southeast.  The  people 
begin  to  see  that  it  will  be  of  some  advantage 
to  them  to  have  a  railroad  from  La  Crosse  to  a 
f.ivorable  point  of  junction  on  the  Milwaukee 
&  Mississippi  Railroad.  They  see  that  such  a 
road  would  not  only  give  them  an  ouilet  south- 
castwardly  for  their  produce,  but  that  it  would 
carry  through  their  county  a  large  stream  of 
travel,  and  that  thus  their  many  advantages 
would  become  known  to  the  world  about  them  ; 
their  property  would  become  enhanced  in  value 
and  their  position  be  one  of  importance  in  the 
State. 


If  Minnesheik  county  will  be  but  true  to 
herself,  she  can  soon  rank  second  to  no  county 
in  point  of  wealth  and  population  (I  except,  of 
course,  Milwaukee),  for  she  has  elements  within 
her  limits  to  make  her  such,  if  she  will  but 
develope  them  ;  and  I  believe  if  she  will  take 
the  initiatory  steps,  capital  will  be  induced  to 
take  hold  and  help  her.  She  must,  however, 
show   others  that  she  has  confidence  in  herself. 

There  is,  in  Minnesheik  county,  an  abun- 
dance of  water  power,  which,  taken  in  connec- 
tion with  its  fine  timber,  will  give  it  a  front 
rank  as  a  locality  favorable  to  manufactures  of 
wliatever  nature,  as  well  as  for  the  purpose  of 
flouiing  her  vast  crop  of  wheat. 

Being  on  the  liighway  between  important 
systems  of  railway,  a  liberal  charter  for  a  rail- 
road was  procured  nearly  two  years  ago.  A 
company  has  been  organized  under  this  charter, 
which  now  proposes  to  survey  the  road  and 
prosecute  the  work  of  its  construction.  It  was 
proposed  at  first  to  build  the  southern  half  of 
the  road  from  Viroqua  to  some  point  on  the 
Milwaukee  &  Mississippi  Railroad  at  or  near 
Muscoda.  This  road  constructed  will  provea 
very  important  feeder  to  the  Milwaukee  & 
Mississippi  Railroad,  giving  it  the  business 
which  now  goes  down  the  Mississippi  or  over 
the  La  Crosse  road. 

Will  not  the  Milwaukee  &  Mississippi  Rail- 
road interests  see  their  interests  in  this  matter 
and  help  in  this  work  ?  If  some  outside  help 
were  to  be  furnished  it  is  believed  the  counties 
of  Richland  and  Minnesheik  (Bad  Ax)  will  take 
hold  manfully  and  help  to  push  the  road  along. 
That  this  road  will  ultimately  be  constructed 
there  is  but  little  doubt.  The  country  througli 
which  it  is  to  pass,  needs  it.  Can  Milwaukee 
help  secure  this  trade  to  herself  ?  Will  she  do 
it  ?  Or,  shall  it  be  left  to  Chicago  to  furnish 
the  necessary  capital  to  develope  this  country, 
and  thus,  by  affinity,  secure  this  business  to  her- 
self ?  These  are  matters  worthy  of  the  earnest 
consideration  of  the  business  men  of  Milwaukee, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


31 V 


IV. BY     DR.      LANSING,    IN     LANSING    CHRONICLE 

FEB.  1869. 

Viroqna,  the  county  seat  of  Vernon  Co.,  Wis., 
is  pleasantly  situated  in  the  geographical  cen- 
ter of  the  county,  near  the  head  waters  of  the 
Bad  Ax  and  Kickapoo  rivers.  The  nearest 
shipping  points  on  the  Mississippi  river  are  De 
Soto  and  Victory,  thirty  miles  west.  The  loca- 
tion is  about  equal  distances  from  La  Crosse, 
Sparta  and  Bo.scobel.  Tlie  town  is  beautifully 
located  at  a  point  where  the  timber  handsomely 
opens  into  prairie  on  either  side,  as  if  designed 
by  the  creator  for  a  thriving,  healthy  and  popu- 
lous city.  The  private  dwellings  are  mostly 
very  neat  and  tasty  in  design,  and  would  not 
discredit  the  taste  of  places  of  much  larger 
pretensions. 

A  fine  public  school  building  has  been  erected, 
large  and  commodious,  possessing  architectural 
beauty  and  attractions.  Two  very  line  church 
edifices,  with  lofty  spires,  convince  the  stranger 
that  a  high  sense  of  moral  feeling  pervades  the 
community.  The  only  thing  that  mars  the 
beauty  of  tiie  place  is  the  court  house.  Nothing 
inspires  an  attractive  feeling  or  an  appreciation 
of  the  public  spirit  of  a  t'twn  more  than  the 
beauty  and  taste  displayed  in  her  public  build- 
ings. But  we  are  sorry  to  say  in  this  the  Vii-o- 
quians  are  somewhat  deficient  as  can  easily  be 
tested  by  a  look  at  the  present  court  house  and 
hall  of  justice. 

The  Vernon  County  Censor,  a  lively,  first-class 
paper,  edited  by  Priest  &  Nelson,  is  printed 
here,  and  we  are  pleased  lo  note  its  usefulness 
and  general  circulation.  Judge  Terhune  and 
Judge  Graham  are  among  the  first  lawyers  of 
the  place,  and  are  looked  upon  as  possessing  legal 
talent  not  inferior  to  any  in  the  State.  Among 
her  mercantile  establishments  we  find  J.  Henry 
Tate,  who,  for  the  past  few  years  has  been  do- 
ing a  fine  business;  but  hops  and  other  specula- 
tions compelled  him  to  go  into  bankruptcy.  By 
the  assistance  of  friends  he  has  again  com- 
menced business,  and  hopes  in  a  few  years  to 
regain  what  he  has  lost. 


W.  F.  Linderman  is  the  wide-awake  merchant 
of  the  place,  and  is  doing  a  fine  business  in  dry- 
goods,  groceries,  etc. 

I.  K.  Buck  is  the  principal  hardware  mer- 
chant, and  has  an  extensive  trade  in  stoves,  tin- 
ware, etc. 

E.  Wise,  the  principal  grocer  of  the  place 
keeps  a  large  assortment  of  confectioneries  and 
Yankee  notions. 

John  Dawson,  the  main  boot  and  shoe  man, 
is  carrying  on  quite  an   extensive  manufactory. 

C.  C.  Brown  is  the  dealer  in  furniture  and 
cabinet  ware. 

Dr.  Ely,  surgeon  dentist,  is  a  man  of  science, 
and  understands  his  profession,  and  withal 
possessing  a  fair  amount  of  good  nature,  and 
has  an  extensive  practice. 

S.  C.  Lincoln  is  the  worthy  P.  M.,  which  ac- 
cording to  Nasby,  means  postmaster;  and  as 
s  ime  have  hinted  has  a  faint  resemblance  of 
the  original. 

Tlu'  Sherman  House,  H.  W.  Haskell,  pro- 
[jrietor  is  kept  in  good  style,  and  is  well  pat- 
ronized. 

John  R.  Casson,  the  gentlemanly  clerk  of  the 
l)oard  of  supervisors,  and  George  W.  Griffin, 
the  county  recorder,  are  among  the  leading 
men  of  the  town. 

One  of  the  oldest  mercantile  houses  in  the 
village,  is  that  of  M.  Nichols,  dealer  in  dry 
goods,  groceries,  drugs  aiid  medicines. 

Several  years  ago  a  terrible  hurricane  swept 
through  the  village  and  destroyed  a  great  por- 
tion of  it.  Although  many  new  buildings  have 
since  been  erected,  still  traces  are  to  be  seen  of 
the  devastation  and  desolation  occurring  at  that 
eventful  period. 

Many  things  we  would  like  to  mention  in 
these  few  jottings,  but  time  and  space  will  not 
permit,  and  we  shall  pass  on  to  Ijiberty  Pole, 
five  miles  in  a  southwesterly  direction  from 
Viroqua.  It  is  a  small  post  village  located  on 
Round  Prairie,  one  ol'  the  most  feitile  gardens 
of  Vernon  county. 


SIR 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  agricultural  resources  of  the  surrounding 
country  are  probably  unsurpassed  in  the  State. 
There  is  a  broad  belt  of  excellent  timber  skirt- 
ing the  prairie  on  the  south  and  east.  Good 
stone  for  building  purposes  is  abundant.  The 
general  surface  of  the  country  is  gently  undu- 
lating, with  no  lands  either  too  hilly  or  too 
level  for  farming.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam, 
and  is  well  adapted  to  the  different  cereals, 
grapes,  etc.  What  was  but  a  few  years  ago  an 
unbroken  wilderness,  now  presents  to  the  eye 
of  the  beholder  pleasant  thoroughfares,  well- 
fenced  and  highly  cultivated  farms,  nice,  com- 
fortable dwellings,  and  a  busy  and  industrious 
class  of  people. 

At  the  "Pole,"  stores,  machine-shops  and 
artisans  of  different  kinds  are  open  for  busi- 
ness; and  a  lively  trade  is  carried  on  at  this 
point  throughout  the  year. 

Williams  &  Rogers,  dealers  in  dry  goods, 
groceries,  crockery,  boots,  shoes,  etc.,  are  doinj; 
a  good  business,  and  have  a  fine  stock  and  well 
selected  for  the  present  wants  of  the  commun- 
ity. Courteous,  attentive  and  wide-awake,  they 
are  bound  to  succeed. 

H.  A.Owens,  dealer  in  dry  goods,  groceries,  has 
also  a  fine  stock,  and  is  doing  a  good  business.  He 
also  keeps  a  good  hotel,  is  active  and  attentive, 
and  makes  everything  pleasant  and  agreeable 
for  his  guests. 

William  Crume  is  the  principal  blacksmith 
and  Peter  Jacobson  cabinet  maker.  Dr.  De 
Lap,  a  young  man  of  talent  and  ability,  has  re- 
cently located  here.  Andrew  Henry,  stage  pro- 
prietor, runs  a  line  of  stages  to  De  Soto  once  a 
week,  arriving  on  Wednesdays  and  leaving  the 
same  day.  Passengers  are  conveyed  to  all 
points  in  the  country. 

One  mile  south,  on  the  road  leading  to 
Prairie  du  Chien,  is  a  natural  curiosity  known 
as  "Monument  Rock."  This  huge  mass  of  grey 
limestone  rising  above  the  level  of  the  prairie 
to  a  height  of  sixty  or  seventy  feet,  it  is  im- 
possible to  pass  within  sight  of  without  being 
attracted  by  its  singular  appearance.    From  the 


base  to  the  top  its  seems  gradually  crumbling 
away  under  the  influence  of  various  causes,  and 
this  unequal  decomposing  gives  rise  to  a  great 
variety  of  interesting  forms,  and  presents  a 
singularly  picturesque  character,  having  the 
appearance  of  some  lofty  watch-tower,  or  a 
castellated  form  like  the  half  ruined  wall  of 
some  ancient  fortified  city.  This  lofty  pile  has 
withstood  the  storms  of  centuries;  and  from  its 
weather-beaten  crest,  one  would  imagine  ages 
have  rolled  over  it,  and  still  it  stands  a  silent 
monument  of  the  past  to  guide  travelers,  and  a 
land-mark  to  the  inhabitants  in  all  the  region 
round  about. 

The  people  have  all  the  comforts  and  busi- 
ness common  to  an  older  and  more  densely  set- 
tled country.  They  are  intelligent,  enterprising 
and  hospitable,  just  such  communities  as  our 
western  domain  needs  to  be  populated  with. 

v.— LUTE    A.    TAYLOR,  IN    THE  LA  CEOSSH  LEAlJEE, 
JULY,    1870. 

This  portion  of  the  west  is  popularly  supposed 
to  be  a  prairie  country,  but  the  visitor  from  the 
east  wlio  should  land  here  (La  Crosse),  and  ride 
from  this  city  to  Viroqua  by  the  way  of  Morman 
Cooley  and  Coon  valley,  expecting  to  find  a 
prairie  country,  would  think  he  had  mistaken 
his  location  and  by  some  legerdemain  had  been 
transported  to  the  Adirondack  region  of  New- 
York,  or  to  the  Green  Mountains  of  Vermont. 
But  he  would  be  easily  reconciled  to  the  disap- 
pointment, for  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  excels 
that  possible  in  any  prairie  country. 

The  road  from  this  city  (La  Crosse)  to  Mor- 
man Cooley,  four  miles,  is  as  uninteresting  as  a 
sandy  prairie  can  be;  but  the  moment  you  tui-n 
from  the  river  bottoms  and  enter  the  broad 
bluff-bordered  cooley,  the  scene  changes  to  one 
of  absorbing  interest  and  enchanting  beauty. 
The  comfortable  dwellings,  the  finely  cultn-ated 
farms,  lying  in  the  valley  and  stretching  far  up 
the  hillsides,  the  frequent  groves  of  woodland, 
and  the  stream  bordered  with  an  abundant 
growth  of  vegetation,  all   combine   to   form  a 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


319 


charming  picture  of  country  comfort  and  rural 

life. 

Six  or  eight  miles  up  the  valley  and  you 
climb,  on  an  excellent  road,  to  the  far  summit 
of  the  bluff,  and  after  a  few  miles  of  mingled 
woodland  and  clearing,  descend  into  Coon 
valley,  where  a  similar  beautiful  landscape 
meets  the  eye.  The  ascent  and  descent,  slow 
but  not  difficult,  abound  in  the  most  picturesque 
situations;  and  for  beauty  and  sublimity  com- 
bined, can  fairly  rank  with  many  of  the  much 
admired  mountain  views  in  the  east.  This  ex- 
perience is  repeated,  until,  at  Springville,  three 
miles  this  side  of  Viroqua,  you  strike  the  border 
of  the  rich,  rolling  prairies,  which  form  a  large 
portion  of  the  surface  of  Vernon  county. 

Viroqua,  the  county  seat  of  Vernon  county, 
sits  on  the  crest  of  one  of  the  undulating  swells 
of  the  prairie,  and  is  pleasant  with  the  abund- 
ant shade  of  natural  trees.  It  suffers  from  the 
lack  of  running  water,  but,  being  the  county 
seat  of  so  large  and  productive  a  country,  its 
prosperous  future  is  assured,  either  witli  or 
without  railroad  facilities. 

VI. BY  G.  W.  NUZUM  AND  JOHN  E.  CASSON,    1875. 

(From  TuthiU's  History  of  Wisconsin.) 
Vernon  county  is  situated  in  the  western  part 
of  the  State,  between  the  forty-third  and  foi'ty- 
fourth  degrees  of  latitude  ;  its  western  border 
of  twenty-two  miles  being  watered  by  the 
Mississippi  river.  The  soil  is  good  and  covered 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  hard-wood  timber,  such 
as  is  usually  found  in  timbered  countries.  The 
product  of  small  grain  is  equal,  per  acre,  to  any 
part  of  the  State  ;  and  in  vegetables  it  excels 
the  prairie.  The  surface  of  the  country  is 
rolling,  and  in  some  places  hilly,  but  all  valua- 
ble for  timber  on  such  portions  as  cannot  be 
cultivated.  It  is  well  watered  by  springs  and 
brooks,  and  well  adapted  for  grazing  purposes, 
for  which  it  will  soon  become  noted.  Like  all 
timbered  land,  it  is  natural  for  grass  ;  and, 
having  abundance  of  water,  it  will  soon  become 
the  dairying  ])ortion  of  the  State.  With  an 
abundance   of  water-power   furnished    by   the 


Baraboo  and  Kickapoo  rivers,  and  a  superior 
quality  of  timber  that  could  be  used  for  the 
manufacture  of  furniture  and  agricultural  im- 
plements, this  part  of  Vernon  county  offers 
inducements  equal  to  any  part  of  the  State. 

The  county  contains  534,040  acres  of  land, 
one-third  under  cultivation.  Of^^the  balance, 
about  one-half  is  capable  of  being  worked. 

The  raising  of  stock  has  become  a  prominent 
feature  with  the  husbandman,  producing  the 
best  quality  of  grass-fed  stock  that  finds  its  way 
to  Milwaukee  or  Chicago  markets.  The  first 
attempt  to  raise  fruit  was  attenrled  with  Utile 
success.  Many  were  disheartened  and  gave  up, 
others  persevered,  and  have  met  'with  success. 
We  have  a  few  "  iron-clad  "  varieties  of  pears 
that  do  well.  The  first  is  the  Haas ;  next, 
Tetofsby  and  Duchess  of  Oldenburg.  Some 
others  have  proved  valuable.  Of  grapes,  the 
Concord  and  Delaware  have  done  nobly. 

The  principal  kinds  of  timber  are  maple,  oak, 
basswood  and  elm.  Plenty  of  game  and  fish 
are  found  in  the  forests  and  streams. 

Among  the  principal  settlements  is  Viroqua, 
a  thriving  village  and  the  county  seat.  It  has 
three  churches,  and  one  union  school  with  three 
departments,  which  is  well  supported,  botii 
as  regards  attendance  and  the  interest  mani- 
fested by  the  inhabitants.  De  Soto,  Victory, 
and  Geneva,  on  the  Mississippi  river,  are  the 
principal  markets  for  the  western  portion  of 
the  county,  and  are  also  well  supplied  with 
schools  and  churches. 

There  are  about  120  school  houses  in  the 
county,  mostly  of  wood,  but  some  are  built  of 
stone  or  brick  which  are  very  fine  structures. 
The  one  at  Viroqua  cost  $14,000.  Tiie  average 
wages  paid  to  male  teachers,  is  $35,  and  female 
teachers  $25  per  month. 

The  population  is  about  one-third  Norwegian, 
one-half  American  and  the  balance  German, 
The  county  is  increasing  fast  in  wealth  and 
population.       It    is    estimated    that    2,000,000 


320 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


bushels  of  wheat  were  raised  in  the  county,  in 
1873. 

VII. — BY  W.  F.  TERHUNB,  I8l8. 
(  From  the  Illustrated  Historical  Atlas  of  Wisconsin.) 
The  territory  of  this  county  was  set  off  from 
Crawford  and  christened  Bad  Ax  county,  com- 
prising all  that  part  of  the  present  territory  of 
Vernon,  lying  north  of  Crawford.  On  the 
same  day,  March  1,  1851,  an  amendatory  act  was 
passed  assigning  the  county  all  that  part  of  its 
present  territory  lying  north  of  Richland 
county.  Since  that  time  there  have  been  no 
territorial  changes.  In  1862  many  of  the 
inhabitants,  imagining  that  its  name  was  calcu- 
lated to  give  a  wrong  impression  outside,  both 
as  to  its  territory  and  people,  tending  to  hinder 
immigration,  petitioned  the  Legislature  for  a 
change  of  name.  This  was  granted,  and  the 
county  has  since  been  known  as  Vernon.  It 
lies  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  having 
the  counties  of  La  Crosse  and  Monroe  on  the 
north,  parts  of  Richland,  Sauk  and  Juneau  on 
the  east,  and  Crawford  and  a  part  of  Richland 
on  the  south.  Its  area  embraces  about  820 
square  miles,  or  about  twenty-three  congres- 
sional townships,  at  present  comprised  in 
twenty-one  civil  towns.  The  population  in  1860 
numbered  11,007,  which  had  increased  to  21,- 
5'i4  in  the  year  1875.  The  Baraboo  and  Kicka- 
poo  rivers,  emptying  into  the  Wisconsin,  drain 
the  eastern  portion  of.  the  county.  The  Mis- 
sissippi and  Bad  Ax  and  Coon  rivers,  emptying 
into  it,  water  and  drain  the  western  part. 
Abundant  water-powers  are  numerous  on  all 
these  streams,  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  enter- 
prise and  capital  to  be  utilized  and  thus  ren- 
dered available  and  profitable. 

GENERAL  FEATURES. 

The  surface  of  the  county  is  broken  and 
bluffy  along  the  water  courses  ;  elsewhere, 
undulating  and  favorable  for  tillage.  Three 
beautiful  prairies,  named,  respectively.  Coon, 
Round  and  West  Prairie,  early  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  pioneer  and  emigrant,  and 
invited   occupancy  and   cultivation  in  the  first 


general  settlement  of  western  Wisconsin.  The 
eastern  portion  of  the  county,  from  and  includ- 
ing the  valley  of  the  Kickapoo  and  its  tributa- 
ries, is  heavily  timbered  with  red  and  white 
oak,  pine,  soft  and  sugar  maple,  and  the  elm  ; 
also  with  other  less  numerous  varieties.  The 
western  portions  of  the  county  have  the  same 
varieties  of  timber,  but  in  much  less  abundance, 
except  along  the  Mississippi  river,  and  upon 
some  of  its  islands,  where  timber  is  found  in 
larger  quantity.  The  prairies  above  named, 
and  extensive  oak  openings,  interspersed  with 
grass  and  thickets,  mostly  occupy  the  surface 
of  the  western  portion. 

Tlie  surface  formation  is  a  deep,  rich  vegeta- 
ble mold,  forming  a  soil  especially  valuable  on 
the  prairies  and  in  tlie  valleys,  resting  upon  a 
clay  sub-soil  of  varied  thickness,  frequently 
very  deep  ;  a  formation  in  itself  rich  in  the 
elements  of  vegetable  life,  and  favorably  con- 
stituted for  the  production  of  all  the  cereals 
and  grasses  adapted  to  this  climate.  This  sub- 
formation  is  frequently  intermixed  with  sand. 
Ihe  underlying  rock  is  chiefly  the  strata  of  the 
lower  magnesian  limestone.  Underneath  this 
the  bluff  ranges  display  the  Potsdam  sandstone, 
especially  along  the  Mississippi  and  the  Kicka- 
poo, where  it  forms  the  principal  portion  of  the 
elevation,  capped  by  the  magnesian.  The  prin- 
cipal water  courses  have  eroded  their  channels 
through  tlie  limestone,  and  in  many  places, 
deep  into  the  sandstone,  which  readily  yields 
to  their  action.  The  county  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best  agricultural  districts  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State.  The  acreage  of  its  principal 
productions  in  1876  was:  wheat,  49,080  ;  oats, 
22,463  ;  corn,  17,045  ;  barley,   3,370. 

The  great  hindrance  to  a  more  rapid  develop- 
ment of  tills  county  has  been,  and  is,  the  want 
of  railroad  facilities  ;  but  these  will  doubtless 
be  afforded  in  time.  The  present  mode  of  com- 
munication with  the  outer  world  is  by  stage 
lines,  which  center  at  Viroqua  and,  diverging 
thence,  traverse  almost  every  part  of  the 
county.     There   are   two    lines  of  stages  to  La 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


321 


Crosse,  which,  running  alternate  days  from 
Viroqua,  make  a  daily  connection  with  that 
city.  Stages  three  times  a  week  to  Sparta, 
De  Soto,  Prairie  du  Chien  and  Richland  Center. 
A  narrow-guage  railroad  is  contemplated  from 
La  Crosse  to  Viroqua,  which  will  doubtless  he 
pushed  through  within  a  few  years.  Another 
is  talked  of  up  the  valley  of  the  Kickapoo, 
which,  when  completed,  will  open  a  market 
for  the  valuable  timber  and  the  great  surplus  of 
agricultural  products  of  the  county.  With  its 
abundant  water-power,  its  forests  and  rich  and 
luxurious  soil,  Vernon  county  may  justly  antici- 
pate a  bright  future. 

BAELT  HISTORY. 

Upon  the  approach  of  civilization  this  region 
was  in  possession  of  the  Winnebago  Indians. 
Their  title  was  extinguished  by  treaty  of  No- 
vember, 1837,  by  which  they  ceded  all  their 
lands  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  most  of  them 
were  removed  to  Iowa  prior  to  1840.  Before 
its  settlement,  the  county  was  frequently 
traversed  along  an  inland  route  called  the 
Black  river  road,  from  Prairie  du  Chien  to  the 
jjineries  on  Black  river,  along  the  dividing 
ridge  upon  which  Viroqua  is  situated,  by  men 
upon  lumbering  expeditions.  Traders'  cabins 
had  been  erected  at  Winneshiek,  where  De  Soto 
now  is;  also  on  the  sites  of  Victory  and  Genoa 
villages  at  a  very  early  date. 

In  1844  John  McCuUough  and  the  brothers, 
Samuel  and  Hiram  Rice,  made  the  first  claims 
and  erected  the  first  cabins,  within  what  are 
now  the  limits  of  the  county,  near  Liberty  Polo, 
in  the  present  town  of  Franklin.  These  were 
soon  followed  by  Henry  Sifert  and  Anson  G. 
Tainter,  who  settled  near  them.  West  Prairie 
was  first  settled  by  the  brothers,  Levi  and 
Lee  Grant  Sterling,  in  1845,  who  were  not  long 
after  followed  by  Alexander  Latshaw,  James 
H.  Bailey,  A.  Vance,  Widow  Clark  and  family, 
George  Nichols  and  W^illiam  S.  Purdy.  These 
formed  the  nucleus  for  the  settlement  of  the 
town  of  Wheatland. 


In  1846,  Moses  Decker,  T.  J.  DeFrees  and 
John  Graham  from  Mineral  Point,  located — 
Decker  on  the  site  of  Viroqua,  DeFrees  at  the 
head  of  the  DeFrees  branch,  on  the  Black 
river  road,  and  Mr.  Graham,  at  Springvile, 
where  he  commenced  the  erection  of  the  first 
grist-mill.  James  Foster  also  came  at  the  same 
time  and  located  on  Round  prairie.  These  were 
soon  followed  by  other  settlers,  among  whom 
were  Thomas  Gillett,  with  his  sons,  William, 
Rufus,  Jerome,  Ransom  P.  and  Abram  ;  also, 
Nicholas  Vought,  James  Cook,  George  Dawson 
and  J.  Shields,  all  of  whom  took  up  claims 
near  the  site  of  Viroqua  ;  and  by  the  brothers, 
William  C,  Samuel  and  Robert  S.  McMichael, 
Charles  and  Henry  Waters,  who  settled  at  or 
near  Springville. 

About  this  time  (1846)  Ira  Stevens  located 
at  Victory.  Willard  Spaulding  built  the  first 
dwelling  where  the  village  of  Genoa  now 
stands,  and  Daniel  Reed  erected  the  first  saw- 
mill at  Readstown,  in  the  present  town  of 
Kickapoo,  about  the  year  1849.  Albert  Field 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  of 
Hillsborough,  in  the  year  1850  or  1851.  A  Mr. 
Gill  first  located  on  Coon  Prairie.  He  was 
soon  followed  by  a  few  enterprising  Norwe- 
gians, among  whom  were  Even  Olson,  'J'orsten 
Olson,  Gabriel  Nelson,  P.  Peterson  and  Peter 
Oleson  Brye,  who  were  the  pioneers  of  a 
class  of  citizens  whose  industry  and  perse- 
verance have  done  much  to  Jevelope  the  re- 
sources of  the  county. 

The  early  settlers  were  subject  to  all  the 
Inconveniences  and  privations  attending  the 
establishment  of  new  communities  in  remote 
sections  of  the  country.  They  had  at  first  to 
go  to  Prairie  du  Chien  for  provisions  and  sup- 
plies, and  were  obliged  to  perform  a  journey 
of  100  miles  for  that  purpose. 

The  state  of  society  then,  though  not  cul- 
tured or  fashionable,  was  far  from  being  rude 
or  unpleasant.  A  cordial  feeling  pervaded  the 
little  settlements.  The  settlers  were  always 
ready  to  assist  each  other,  and  always  extended 


322 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  hand  of  "welcome"  to  new  arrivals.  The 
"latch-string"  was  always  outside  the  cabin 
door,  and  hos  pitalily  was  a  characteristic  of  all. 
These  early  settlers  were  not  without  their 
amusements,  and  social  intercourse  was  not  re- 
strained by  fashion  or  organization  divided  by 
distinctions. 

The  act  which  created  Bad  Ax  county  pro- 
vided also  for  its  organization,  to  take  effect  on 
the  third  Monday  in  May,  1851.  An  election 
was  authorized  to  be  held  on  the  first  Tuesday 
in  April  of  that  year,  for  town  and  county 
officers.  The  entire  county  was  erected  into 
one  town,  to  remain  such  until  the  board  of 
supervisors  should  see  tit  to  divide  it  into 
three  or  more  towns,  and  the  persons  who 
should  be  elected  supei'visors,  clerk,  and  treasu- 
rer for  the  town  thus  established  were  directed 
to  act  as  county  officers  in  a  corresponding 
capacity.  The  first  county  officers  chosen  in 
accordance  with  these  provisions  were  :  Thomas 
J.  DeFrees,  county  judge  ;■  Orrin  Wisel,  clerk 
of  the  court  and  county  board  of  supervisors  ; 
John  Lougly,  county  treasurer  ;  Jacob  Higgins, 
register  of  deeds;  Samuel  McMichael,  surveyor. 

The  first  term  of  circuit  court  was  held  in  a 
log  school  house  at  Viroqua,  by  Judge  Wiram 
Knowlton,  commencing  on  the  third  Monday 
of  May,  1851,  before  whom  the  county  officers 
elect  were  duly  qualified,  thus  perfecting  the 
organization. 

COUNTY  SEAT. 

The  act  of  1851  provided  that  the  county 
seat  should  be  at  such  place  as  the  board  of 
supervisors  should  designate,  until  permanently 
located  by  vote  of  the  people.  Viroqua  was 
thus  designated,  and  became  the  permanent 
county  seat,  by  vote  of  the  people  at  an  election 
held  May  25,  1852,  in  pursuance  of  the  laws  of 
that  year.  A  voting  precinct  was  established 
at  Round  Prairie  in  1847,  by  the  commissioners 
of  Crawford  county,  which  was  the  only  civil 
organization  within  its  limits  previous  to    1851. 

The  first  lawyer  who  established  himself  in 
this    county    was    William    F.   Terhune.     He 


came  to  Viroqua  in  August,  1851,  where  he  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  Orrin  Wisel's  deputy, 
and  kept  the  records  of  the  clerk  of  the  circuit 
court  and  county  clerk's  offices.  Soon  after 
liim  came  Dr.  H.  G.  Weeden,  the  first  physician 
who  located  within  its  limits.  Drs.  Houghton 
and  Osgood,  from  Boston,  Mass.,  settled  in 
De  Soto  in  1854,  where  they  found  three  French 
traders,  by  the  name  of  Godfrey.  James 
Lawrence  came  about  the  same  time,  from 
England,  and  settled  at  Liberty  Pole.  Dr. 
Osgood  built,  in  the  fall  of  1855,  the  first  frame 
house  in  De  Soto.  Dr.  Houghton  opened  a 
store  there,  and  in  the  fall  of  1855  Whiting  & 
Valentine  built  and  opened  another.  The  fir!«t 
school  in  this  section  of  the  county  was  kept 
by  Dr.  Osgood's  daughter,  Eutli,  now  Mrs. 
Wait,  of  Viroqua.  The  largest  immigration 
into  the  county  took  place  in  1854  and  1855, 
the  majority  of  the  settlers  being  from  Ohio. 
In  1845  a  delegation  of  Mormons,  looking  for  a 
future  home,  passed  through  the  county,  and 
cut  out  what  is  known  as  the  Black  river  road, 
extending  into  La  Crosse  county,  to  what  is 
known  as  Mormon  coulee  (ravine),  where  they 
settled  for  a  short  time.  In  1849  Judge  Purdy 
blazed  a  road  to  Port  Andrew,  on  the  Wiscon- 
sin river,  having  started  with  a  companion  from 
the  Kickapoo  river.  The  land  was  occupied  in 
those  early  days  under  the  "squatter  sovereignty 
law." 

The  closing  engagement  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war  of  1831,  known  as  the  battle  of  Bad  Ax, 
took  place  within  the  limits  of  Vernon  county, 
a  short  distance  below  the  mouth  of  Bad  Ax 
river,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  where 
there  empties  into  it  a  small  stream,  since 
known  as  Battle  creek. 

SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES. 

The  district  schools  of  this  county,  under  the 
charge  of  O.  B.  Wyman,  county  superintend- 
ent, are  in  a  very  flourishing  condition.  There 
are  145  school  houses,  valued  at  ^45,000,  and 
nearly  all  good,  substantial  buildings — each  of 
the  145  districts  of  the  county  having  one. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


323 


There  are  two  high  schools  iu  the  county, 
one  at  Hillsborough,  at  present  under  the  man- 
agement of  Mr.  Setzenfand  ;  the  other  at  Viro- 
qua,  Rev.  William  Houghton,  principal.  These 
schools  have  been  only  recently  opened  ;  but 
they  are  already  doing  a  good  educational  work 
in  the  county. 

There  are  Congregational  churches  at  De- 
Soto,  Mt.  Sterling,  Bishop's  corners  and  Viro- 
qua  ;  Methodist,  at  De  Soto,  Red  Mound,  West 
Prairie,  Liberty  Pole,  Mt.  Sterling,  Viroqua 
and  Hillsborough  ;  Baptist,  at  De  Soto,  Har- 
mony and  Hillsborough  ;  Catholic,  at  Rising 
Sun  ;  Advent,  at  Liberty  Pole  ;  Disciples,  at 
Viroqua  ;  United  Brethren,  at  Harmony  ;  and 
two  Lutheran — (1.)  the  Norwegian  Evangelical 
Lutiieran  Church,  on  Coon  Prairie,  town  of 
Viroqua,  and  (2.)  the  Northern  Norwegian 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  on  Coon  Prairie, 
town  of  Christiana.  The  first  has  about  250 
families,  and  church  property  valued  at  $25,000. 
The  second  has  about  10  families,  and  church 
property  valued  $3,000. 

VILLAGES. 

Viroqua,  the  county  seat,  i&  situated  on  the 
"divide"  between  the  waters  of  the  Kickapoo 
and  the  Mississippi, on  sections  31  and  32,  town- 
ship 12  range  4  west.  It  is  distantfrom  Sparta, 
thirty  miles  ;  from  LaCrosse,  thirty-five  miles, 
and  from  Prairie  du  Chien  forty-eight  miles, 
and  has  about  600  inhabitants.  It  was  incorpo- 
rated by  act  of  the  Legislature  approved  March 
31,  1866.  The  village  was  laid  out  in  1850,  by 
Moses  Decker,  proprietor,  and  Samuel  Mc- 
Michael,  surveyor.  Here  was  built  the  first 
frame  dwelling  in  the  county,  by  Messrs.  Ter- 
hune  and  Ballard  and  here  was  opened  the  first 
school  taught  in  the  county,  by  Mrs.  Margaret 
Terhune.*  The  school  was  started  by  subscrip- 
tion at  a  certain  price  per  pupil,  there  being  th«n 
no  school-district  organization.  The  village 
was  visited  in  1865  by  a  terrible  tornado,  which 
entirely  wwept  away    the    lower   portion  of  the 

•  This  should  read,  the  first  taught  in  the  village. 


town,  and  in  which  a  large  number  of  lives 
were  lost.  It  has  now  two  hotels,  three 
churches,  a  high  school  and  graded  district 
school,  six  stores,  three  wagon  and  blacksmith 
shops  and  one  furniture  manufactory.  Its 
growth  has  been  slow,  but  substantial,  and  its 
progress  has  scarcely  equalled  tbat  of  the 
surrounding  country.  The  other  villages  in  the 
county  are  Chaseburg,  Hillsborough,  DeSoto, 
Springville  and  Victory,  all  of  which  have  made 
moderate  but  substantial  progress. 

VIII. — FROM   THE  DK  SOTO  REPUBLICAN,   1870. 

The  village  of  De  Soto  has  the  honor  of  being 
situated  in  portions  of  two  counties,  namely  : 
the  southwest  corner  of  Vernon  and  the  north- 
west corner  of  Crawford  counties.  Whether  or 
not  the  boundaries  were  thus  extended  with  the 
expectation  that  at  some  future  day  the  village 
would  expand  to  such  immense  magnitude  that 
one  county  alone  could  not  contain  it,  we  are 
not  informed. 

At  a  remote  period,  when  steamboats  were 
looked  upon  by  the  dirty-faced  ignoramuses  of 
the  forest  as  an  evil  spirit  from  the  dark  regions 
of  the  other  world,  which  came  forth  to  walk 
upon  the  water,  and  with  its  thundering  voice 
awake  the  echoes  of  the  valley,  and  disturb  the 
slumbers  of  the  little  ignoramuses,  commonly 
caled  papooses,  the  place  was  called  "Winne- 
shiek Landing."  This  name,  we  presume,  was 
bestowed  in  order  to  the  better  perpetuation  of 
the  memory  of  an  antiquated  Indian  chief,  who 
had  undoubtedly,  displayed  much  of  the  bravery 
so  characteristic  of  his  race,  by  murdering 
hundreds  of  white  men  and  women,and  knocking 
tiie  bark  off  the  trees  with  the  heads  of  little 
innocent  children  as  an  after-dinner  amusement. 
Tlie  bones  of  this  proud  and  haughty  copper- 
colored  individual  .are,  we  are  happy  to  an- 
nounce, mouldering  to  dust  on  the  summit  of  an 
adjacent  bluff,  and  the  name  of  the  village  was 
long  since  changed  to  De  Soto,  in  honor  of  the 
the  renowned  voyager  who  first  discovered  the 
mighty  Mississippi  river. 


324 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  village  of  De  Soto  is  beautifully  located 
in  a  wide  valley,  with  majestic  bluffs  towering 
toward  the  sky  on  the  north  and  south  sides.  A 
spring  branch  of  pure  and  sparkling  water 
courses  its  way  down  through  the  valley.  There 
are  good  roads  leading  into  the  country,  and 
they  are  extensively  traveled  by  those  who  do 
their  marketing  at  this  point.  The  village  was 
laid  out  in  the  spring  of  1854,  by  Dr.  E.  13. 
Houghton,  a  former  resident  of  Lansing,  Iowa, 
who  purchased  the  land  from  John  Mobley. 
The  first  settlers  were  Dr.  Houghton,  J.  Osgood, 
S.  D.  Powers,  and  C.  B.  Worth,  the  latter  being 
theonly  one  of  the  first  families  now  (1870)  re- 
siding here. 

At  that  time,  the  only  building  here  was  an 
old  log  cabin  previously  built  by  a  French 
trader.  This  was  called  a  hotel,  and  named 
the  Winneshiek  House.  Here  the  pioneers 
boarded  and  spent  their  leisure  time  in  play- 
ing euchre  and  other  games  for  the  hickory 
nuts.  Capt.  J.  B.  Wilcox  built  what  could  really 
be  called  the  first  house,  in  the  fall  of  1854. 
Mr.  S.  G.  Wait  now  (1870)  resides  in  the  house 
Dr.  Houghton  opened  the  first  store  ;  Capt. 
Worth  the  second  ;  and  if  the  tales  which  are 
told  ot  those  primitive  days  are  to  be  believed, 
we  are  led  to  the  conclusion  that  a  more  roys- 
tering,  jolly  lot  of  hardy  pioneers  never  got 
together. 

In  1855,  other  eastern  people  began  to  arrive, 
and  new  buildings  were  put  up,  and  the  place 
began  to  assume  the  appearance  of  a  lively  set- 


tlement.    The  principal  steamboat  landing  was 
at  Victory,    where   old   Uncle    Berry   used    to 
charge  twenty  cents  a  pound  for  mou'dy  crack- 
ers, and  fifty  cents  for  storing  a  trunk  a  few  hours  ' 
in  a  building  without  siding,  roof  or  floor. 

The  large  steam  saw  mill  built  by  S.  N.  Cate 
&  Co.,  of  Maine,  was  put  up  in  1858,  and  run 
until  the  fall  of  1861,  when  the  company  failed. 
This  mill  furnished  settlers  building  materials. 
Stores,  dwellings,  and  warehouses  were  erected, 
and  De  Soto,in  her  prosperity  became  noted  as  an 
active  business  point.  Like  all  new  towns,  there 
came  a  day  when  prosperity  for  a  time  ceased, 
and  little  or  no  advancement  was  made.  But  that 
time  has  passed  and  "  progression"  is  now  the 
watchword. 

DeSoto  is  about  equi-distant  between  Prairie 
du  Cbien  and  LaCrosse.  The  principal  busi- 
ness part  of  the  town  is  in  Vernon  county, 
the  county  seat  of  which  is  Viroqua,  twenty- 
five  miles  distant  in  the  interior.  A  drive  of 
about  three  miles  over  a  tine  valley  road, 
brings  you  to  a  nice  upland  farming  country, 
which  contains  many  highly  cultivated  farms. 
Wood  and  water  is  abundant;  and  better  facil- 
ities for  making  a  good,  comfortable  home,  can- 
not be  found  anywhere.  Lansing,  Iowa,  is  sit- 
uated on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  about 
four  '  miles  down  stream,  connections  with 
which  place  are  made  during  navigation,  by  a 
steam  ferry-boat,  and  in  the  winter,  nature  sup- 
plies a  bridge  of  ice  for  crossing. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


825 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


VEBKON'    COU>fTY    OITCE    SIOU.^    TERRITORY. 

[A  paper  read  by  Alfred  Bruuson  before  the  Minister- 
ial Association  of  the  Methodist  Church,  held  al  Viro- 
qua,  Sept.  7, 1858.  ] 

History  is  among  the  most  pleasing  and  en- 
tertaining of  human  studies.  By  it  we  converse 
and  become  familiar  with  men  and  things  of 
ages  long  in  the  past,  and  live,  as  it  were,  from 
the  beginning  of  time  to  the  present  hour;  but 
we  cannot  extend  our  researches  into  the  future. 
History  relates  to  the  past.  Prophecy  to  the 
future. 

History  embraces  the  biography  of  men  and 
Nations;  their  ups  and  downs,  rise  and  fall,  de- 
tailing the  incidents  which  have  been,  the 
changes  which  have  occurred,  the  improve- 
ments which  have  been  made,  and  when  known, 
the  reasons  therefor,  which  is  the  philosophy  of 
history. 

There  are,  however,  many  things  of  interest 
on  the  face  of  the  earth  of  which  we  have  no 
history,  for  the  reason  that  none  has  reached 
us,  if  any  was  ever  written;  of  stich  we  can 
can  only  draw  infefences  of  their  causes  from 
the  effects  which  lie  before  us.  Such  is  the 
case  in  reference  to  the  ancient  tumuli  which 
abound  to  an  unknown  extent  in  the  western 
States,  but  in  none  of  them  more  numerously 
than  in  our  own. 

Their  forms,  and  the  materials  of  which  they 
are  made,  clearly  indicate  the  work  of  human 
hands,  and  intelligence  and  design  on  the  part 
of  the  builders.  The  forts  and  fortifications 
indicate  the  existence  o'  wars  among  them, 
and  that  the  combatants  had  more  or  less  knowl- 
edge   of    military   science.     In  some  of   them 


the  existence  of  something  like  brick  or  pottery 
indicates  some  advances  in  the  arts  of  civiliza- 
tion, much  more  so  than  anything  found  among 
the  aborigines  wkich  the  Anglo-Saxon  race 
found  in  the  country.  But  the  present  race  of 
Indians  have  no  traditions  of  the  people  who 
made  these  mounds  nor  of  the  design  for  which 
they  were  built. 

The  age  in  which  these  builders  lived,  or  the 
distance  of  time  from  the  present,  is  inferred 
from  the  age  of  trees  found  growing  in  the 
mounds,  some  of  which,  from  their  annual  rings, 
are  supposed  to  be  40U  years  old.  But  who 
were  the  builders,  whence  they  came,  whither 
they  went,  or  by  what  means  they  became  ex- 
tinct, lies  in  the  impenetrable  darkness  of  the 
past,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  known  in  time.  But 
there  is  an  interest  excited  in  the  mind  on  see- 
ing these  ancient  works,  a  written  history  of 
which  would  highly  gratify,  if  it  were  authen- 
tic, or  believed  so  to  be.  This  interest  in  us 
shows  the  duty  to  the  future,  to  record  what 
we  know  of  the  past  or  present,  for  its  edifica- 
tion, as  we  would  that  others  should  have  done 
unto  us,  even  so  we  should  do  to  those  who  are 
to  follow  us. 

As  the  matter  relative  to  these  mounds  now 
stands,  conjecture  alone  can  answer  the  inquiries 
of  the  antiquarian,  which  in  most  cases  is  as 
unsatisfactory  as  the  total  darkness  in  which 
the  history  of  those  times  is  now  enveloped. 
Some  have  thought  that  these  mounds  were 
thrown  up  as  monuments  over  the  distinguished 
dead,  and  have  inferred  this  from  the  fact  that 
in   so?ne  of  them  relics  have  been  found.     But 


326 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


as  the  most  and  the  larn;est  of  them,  on  exam- 
ination, are  found  to  contain  no  such  remains, 
the  inference  is  not  well  founded. 

That  human  bones  and  Indian  relics  have 
been  found  in  .some  of  them  of  late  years  is  no 
proof  that  they  were  erected  for  places  of  in- 
terment; for  since  the  whites  have  been  in  the 
country,  our  modern  Indians  have  been  in  the 
habit,  more  or  less,  of  burying  their  dead  in 
them,  and  frequently  guns,  axes,  kettles,  etc., 
have  been  found  with  the  bones — and  some- 
times without  them — which  shows  that  the  inter- 
ment took  place  since  the  whites  came  to  the 
continent,  and  the  fact  that  such  metallic  sub- 
stances have  been  found  without  the  bones, 
shows  that  if  men  were  buried  there  at  first, 
their  bones  could  not  have  continued  in  a  state 
of  preservation  until  this  time. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  while  in  Ohio  the 
most  prominent  of  these  tumuli  were  forts  or 
fortifications  in  Wisconsin,  but  few  of  that  de- 
scription are  found.  I  can  now  call  to  mind 
but  one  such,  that  at  Aztalan,  and  in  traveling 
extensively  in  the  State  for  twenty-two  years,  I 
have  noticed  but  few  of  these  mounds  south  of 
a  line  drawn  east  from  the  mouth  of  tlie  Wis- 
consin river  to  the  lake,  while  m  rth  of  this 
line  and  between  the  Wisconsin  and  Mississippi 
rivers  there  are  probably  1000  of  them. 
In  Crawford  county  alone  there  are  at  least 
500,  one  hundred  of  which  can  be  found  in  the 
towns  of  Prairie  du  Chien  and  Wauzeka. 

The  evidence  of  ancient  mining  found  in  the 
Lake  Suj)erior  copper  region,  with  trees  ^  n 
them  of  400  years'  growth  or  more,  indicating 
some  degree  of  intelligence  and  skill,  makes  it 
probable  that  those  mines  were  wrought  by  the 
same  race  of  people  who  made  the  mounds,  and 
at  about  the  same  time;  and  yet,  their  being  no 
copper  relics  found  in  these  mounds,  makes  it 
probable  that  either  they  had  no  commerce  with 
each  other,  or  that  they  were  few  in  number  and 
emigrated  from  place  to  place,  to  avoid  their  pur- 
suing enemies,  and  that  those  mines  were  their 
last   retreat,  from  which  they  disappeared  from 


this  country,  either  by  emigration  or  by  being 
destroyed.  The  latter,  I  think,  is  the  most 
probable. 

The  earliest  inhabitants  of  the  district  now 
included  within  this  State  of  whom  we  have 
positive  knowledge,  were  the  ancestors  of  pres- 
ent Indians  of  this  vicinity,  and  from  -the  best 
light  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  upon  the  sub- 
ject, from  Indian  traditions,  and  the  earliest 
history  of  the  country,  the  Dakota  or  Sioux 
were  the  occupants  and  owners  of  the  soil  of 
what  is  now  our  entire  State,  together  witli 
Minnesota  and  the  northern  parts  of  Iowa  and 
Illinois.  This  occupancy  we  can  trace  back 
about  150  years,  and  if  the  growth  of  trees  on 
the  mounds  and  mines,  which  indicate  at  least 
400  years  to  the  time  of  the  mound  builders,  be 
a  true  index,  it  is  very  strange  that  the  Sioux 
have  no  traditions  of  them,  as  there  would  have 
been  but  150  years  between  them.  This  makes 
it  probable  that  the  time  of  the  mound  builders 
was  farther  back  in  the  world's  history  than  is 
generally  supposed. 

Of  the  origin  of  the  Sioux,  or  how  long  they 
had  inhabited  and  hunted  over  this  country  be- 
fore the  whites  came  to  it,  we  have  no  means 
of  determining.  They  claim,  and  their  tradi- 
tions, together  with  the  traditions  of  the  Chip- 
pewas  and  the  earliest  history  of  both  by  the 
whites,  sustain  the  claim;  the  earliest  occupancy 
of  the  country  to  which  any  known  history  or 
tradition  refers. 

In  1639,  (1634),  Nicholet  (John  Nicolet), 
found  the  Pottawottomies  in  the  vicinity  of 
Green  Bay.  But  in  1641  they  were  at  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  fleeing  before  the  Sioux,  who  claiming 
the  country  as  far  at  least  as  to  that  point,  were 
driving  tiie  intruders  from  their  soil  and  coun- 
try. In  1642  a  missionary  was  killed  near  Ke- 
wee-we-na,  by  the  Sioux,  as  an  intruder  upon 
their  territory.  From  1652  to  1670  the  Uurons 
appear  to  have  been  wandering  about  the  coun- 
try between  Green  Bay  and  La  Pointe,  when 
they  were  expelled  by  the  Sioux.  In  1667  the 
Kiskasons,  a  band  of  the  Ottawas,  were  driven 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


327 


by  the  Sioux  from  the  western  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  south  of  Green  Bay. 

In  1660  Father  Maret  and  others  established 
a  mission  among  the  Sioux,  on  the  Che-goi-me- 
gon  bay,  wliich  lies  south  of  La  Pointe.  In 
1668  there  appears  to  have  been  a  large  gather- 
ing of  the  floating  bands  of  the  Algonquin 
or  Chippewa  race,  who  were  encroaching 
upon  the  territory  of  the  Sioux,  at  this 
mission,  amounting  to  800  warriors,  for  a 
kind  of  protracted  religious  meeting.  The 
Jesuit  missionaries  coming  to  the  country 
through  Canada,  first  became  acquainted  with 
the  Algonquins,  and  being  kindly  received  by 
them,  of  course  felt  partial  to  them;  and  know- 
ing that  the  Sioux  and  they  were  enemies,  it 
woidd  be  natural  for  them  to  favor  their  early 
friends,  and  gathered  them  around  their  mission 
notwithstanding  they  were  intruders  in  tlie 
country. 

Not  a  Sioux  appears  to  have  been  there  at  the 
meeting,  and  the  preaching  was  in  the  Algon- 
quin tongue.  But  this  meeting  of  the  enemies 
of  the  Sioux,  in  their  own  territory,  seems  to 
have  aroused  them  to  a  defense  of  this  right; 
and  in  1670  they  drove  all  these  intruders,  with 
the  missionaries  who  had  been  the  means  of 
gathering  them  at  that  place,  as  far  as  Sault 
Ste.  Marie.  This  proves  that  the  Sioux  claimed 
and  exercised  jurisdiction  over  the  country  as 
far  east  as  Lake  Michigan  and  St.  Mary,  as 
late  as  that  period,  which  they  did  upon  a  more 
ancient  right  and  occupancy  of  the  country. 

In  1681  Hennepin  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Sioux,  on  the  Mississippi,  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Wisconsin  river,  as  an  intruder  upon  their 
country.  This  shows  their  claim  to  the  country 
in  that  direction. 

WHY    THE    FOX    INDIANS    LEFT    TUB      LOWER     WIS- 
CONSIN. 

[5,y  Jonathan  Carver,  1766.] 

On  the  8th  of   October,    (1766)    we    got   our 

canoes  into  the  Ousconsin  river,  which    at  this 

place  is  more  than  a  hundred   yards  wide;    and 

the  next  day  arrived  at   the  great  town  of    the 


Saukies.  Thi  s  is  the  largest  and  best  built 
Indian  town  I  ever  saw.  It  contains  about 
ninety  houses,  each  large  enough  for  several 
families.  These  are  built  of  hewn  plank, 
neatly  jointed  and  covered  with  bark,  so  com- 
pactly as  to  keep  out  the  most  penetrating  rains. 
Before  the  doors  are  placed  comfortable  sheds, 
in  which  the  inhabitants  sit,  when  the  weather 
will  permit,  and  smoke  their  pipes.  The  streets 
are  regular  and  spacious,  so  that  it  appears 
more  like  a  civilized  town  than  the  abode  of 
savages.  The  land  near  the  town  is  very  good. 
On  their  plantations,  which  lie  adjacent  to  their 
houses,  and  which  are  neatly  laid  out,  they 
raise  quantities  of  Indian  corn,  beans,  melons, 
etc.,  so  that  this  place  is  esteemed  the  best 
nuirkets  for  traders  to  furnish  themselves  with 
provisions,  of  any  within  800  miles  of  it. 

The  Saukies  can  raise  about  300  warriors, 
who  are  generally  employed  every  summer 
in  making  excursions  into  the  territories  of  the 
Illinois  and  Pawnee  Nations,  from  whence 
they  return  with  a  great  number  of  slaves. 
But  those  people  frequently  retaliate,  and,  in 
their  turn,  destroy  many  of  the  Saukies,  which 
I  judge  to  be  the  reason  why  they  increase  no 
faster. 

Whilst  I  staid  here  I  took  a  view  of  some 
mountains  [Blue  Mountains],  that  lie  about 
fifteen  miles  to  the  southward,  and  abounded  in 
lead  ore.  I  ascended  one  of  the  highest  of 
these,  and  had  an  extensive  view  of  the  coun- 
try. For  many  miles  nothing  was  to  be  seen 
but  lesser  mountains,  which  appeared  at  a  dis- 
tance like  haycocks,  they  being  free  from  trees. 
Only  a  few  groves  of  hickory  and  stunted  oaks, 
covered  some  of  the    valleys. 

So  plentiful  is  lead  here,  that  I  saw  large 
quantities  of  it  lying  about  the  streets  in  the 
town  belonging  to  the  Saukies,  and  it  seemed 
to  be  as  good  as  the  produce  of  other  countries. 

On  the  10th  of  October  we  proceeded  down 
the  river,  and  the  next  day  reached  the  first 
town  of  the  Ottigaumies.  This  town  contained 
about  fifty  houses,  but  we  found  most  of   them 


32S 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


deserted,  on  account  of  an  epidemical  disorder 
that  had  lately  raged  among  them,  and  carried 
off  more  tlian  one-half  of  the  inhabitants.  The 
greater  part  of  those  who  survived  had  retired 
into  tlie  woods  to  avoid  the  contagion. 

On  the  15th  we  entered  that  extensive  river, 
the  Mississippi.  The  Ouisconsin,  from  the  car- 
rying place  to  the  part  where  it  falls  into  the 
Mississippi,  flows  with  a  smooth  but  strong  cur- 
rent; the  water  of  it  is  exceedingly  clear,  and 
through  it  you  may  perceive  a  fine  and  sandy 
bottom,  tolerably  free  from  rocks.  In  it  are  a 
few  islands,  the  soil  of  which  appeared  to  be 
good,  though  somewhat  woody.  The  land  near 
the  river  also  seemed  to  be,  in  general,  excel- 
lent; but  that  at  a  distance  is  very  full  of  moun- 
tains, where,  it  is  said,  there  are  many  lead 
mines. 

About  five  miles  from  the  junction  of  the 
rivers,  I  observed  the  ruins  of  a  large  town,  in 
a  very  pleasing  situation.  On  inquiring  of  the 
neighboring  Indians  why  it  was  tlius  deserted,  I 
was  informed  that,  about  thirty  years  ago,  the 
Great  Spirit  appeared  on  the  top  of  a  pyramid 
of  rocks,  which  lay  at  a  little  distance  from  it 
toward  the  west,  and  warned  them  to  quit  their 
habitations;  for  the  land  on  which  they  were 
built  belonged  to  him,  and  he  had  occasion 
for  it.  As  a  proof  that  he,  who  gave  them  these 
orders,  was  really  the  Great  Spirit,  he  further 
told  them  that  the  grass  should  immediately 
spring  up  on  those  very  rocks  from  whence  he 
now  addressed  them,  which  they  knew  to  be 
bare  and  barren.  The  Indians  obeyed,  soon  af- 
ter discovered  that  this  miraculous  alteration 
had  taken  place.  Tliey  showed  me  the  spot, 
but  the  growth  of  the  grass  appeared  to  be  no 
ways  supernatural.  I  apprehended  this  to  have 
been  a  strategem  of  the  French  or  Spaniards  to 
answer  some  selfish  view;  but  in  what  manner 
they  affected  their  purpose  I  know  not.  This 
people,  soon  after  their  removal,  built  a  town 
on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Ouisconsin,  at  a  place  called  by  the  French 
La  Prairies  las  Chiens,  which  signifies  the  Dog 


Plains;  it  is  a  large  town,  and  contains  about 
300  families;  the  houses  are  well  built,  after  the 
Indian  manner,  and  pleasantly  situated  on  a 
very  rich  soil,  from  which  they  raise  every  ne- 
cessary of  life  in  great  abundance.  I  saw  here, 
many  horses  of  a  good  size  and  shape.  This 
town  is  a  great  mart,  where  all  the  adjacent 
tribes,  and  even  those  who  inhabit  the  most  re- 
mote branches  of  the  Mississippi,  annually  as- 
semble about  the  latter  end  of  May,  bringing 
with  them  their  furs  to  dispose  of  to  the  traders. 
But  it  is  not  always,  that  they  conclude  their 
sale  here,  this  is  determined  by  a  general  coun- 
cil of  the  chiefs,  who  consult  whether  it  would 
be  more  conducive  to  their  interest,  to  sell  their 
goods  at  this  place,  or  carry  them  on  to  Louis- 
iana, or  Michillimackinac,  according  to  the  de- 
cision of  this  council,  they  either  proceed  far- 
ther, or  return  to  their  different  homes. 

The  Mississippi,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Ouis- 
consin, near  which  stands  a  mountain  of  con- 
siderable height,  is  about  half  a  mile  over;  but 
opposite  to  the  last  mentioned  town,  it  appears 
to  be  more  than  a  mile  wide,  and  full  of  islands, 
the  soil  of  which  is  extraordinary  rich,  and 
but  thinly  wooded. 

CONCBKNING    THE     FOX    INDIANS. 

(By  Schoolcraft,  1830.) 
The  first  we  hear  of  these  people  (the  F'oxes) 
is  from  early  missionaries  of  New  France,  who 
call  them,  in  a  list  drawn  up  for  the  govern- 
ment in  1736,  "Gens  du  Sang,"  and  Miskaukis. 
The  latter  I  found  to  be  the  name  they  apply  to 
themselves.  We  get  nothing,  however,  by  it. 
It  means  red  earth,  being  a  compound  from 
7nisk-irau,  red,  and  ai/kie,  earth.  They  are  a 
branch  of  the  great  Algonquin  family.  The 
French,  who  formed  a  bad  opinion  of  them 
as  their  history  opened  bestowed  on  them  the 
name  of  Renouard,  from  which  we  derive  th'^ir 
longstanding  popular  name.  Their  traditions 
attribute  their  origin  to  eastern  portions  of 
America.  Mr.  Gates,  who  acted  as  my  inter- 
preter, and  is  well  acquainted  with  their  lan- 
guages and  customs,  infoi'ms  me  that  their  tradi- 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY 


329 


tions  refer  to  their  residence  on  the  north  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  near  the  ancient  cataraqui. 
They  appear  to  have  been  a  very  erratic, 
spirited,  warlikeand  treacherous  tribe,  dwelling 
but  a  short  time  at  a  spot,  and  pushing  west- 
ward as  their  affairs  led  them,  till  they  finally 
reached  the  Mississippi,  which  they  must  have 
crossed  after  1766,  for  Carver  found  them  liv- 
ing in  villages  on  the  Wisconsin.  At  Saginaw 
they  ajjjieared  to  have  formed  a  fast  alliance 
with  the  Saus,  a  tribe  to  whom  they  are  closely 
allied  by  language  and  history.  They  figure  in 
the  history  of  Indian  events  about  old  Michili- 
mackinac,  where  they  played  pranks  under  the 
not  very  definite  title  of  Muscodainsug,  but  are 
first  conspicuously  noted  while  they  dwelt  on 
the  river  bearing  their  name,  which  falls  into 
Green  bay.  Wis.  *  The  Chippewas,  with 
whom  they  have  strong  afiiuity  of  language, 
call  their  Otagami,  and  ever  deemed  a  sanguin- 
ary and  unreliable  tribe.  The  French  defeated 
them  in  a  sanguinary  battle  at  Butte  de  Mort, 
and  by  this  defeat  drove  them  from  Fox  river. 

Their  present  numbers  cannot  be  accurately 
given.  I  was  informed  that  the  village  I  visited 
contained  250  souls.  They  have  a  large  village 
at  Rock  Island,  where  the  Foxes  and  Sauks 
live  together,  which  consist^  of  sixty  lodges,  and 
numbers  300  souls.  One-half  of  these  may  be 
Sauks.  They  have  another  village  at  the  mouth 
of  Turkey  river;  altogether  they  may  muster 
from  460  to  500  souls.  Yet,  they  are  at  war 
with  most  of  the  tribes  around  them,  except 
the  lowas,  Sauks  and  Kickapoos.  They  are  en- 
gaged in  a  deadly,  and  apparently  successful 
war  against  the  Sioux  tribes.  They  recently 
killed  nine  men  of  that  Nation,  on  the  Terre 
Blue  river,  and  a  party  of  twenty  men  are  no-v 
absent,  in  the  same  direction,  undera  half-breed 
named  Morgan.  They  are  on  bad  terms  with 
the  Osages  and  Pawnees  of  the  Missouri,  and 
not  on  the  best  terms  with  their  neighbors,  the 
Winnebagoes. 

•  This  name  was  first  applied  to  a  territory  In  1838, 


I  again  embarked  at  4  o'clock  a.  m.  (8th). 
My  men  were  stout  fellows,  and  worked  with 
hearty  will,  and  it  was  thought  possible  to  reach 
the  prairie  during  the  day  by  hard  and  late 
pushing.  We  passed  Turkey  river  at  2  o'clock, 
and  they  boldly  plied  their  paddles,  sometimes 
animating  their  labors  with  a  song;  but  the 
Mississippi  proved  too  stout  for  us,  and  some- 
times after  night-fall  we  put  ashore  on  an 
island,  before  reaching  the  Wisconsin. 

In  ascending  the  river  this  day,  observed  the 
pelican,  which  exhibited  itself  in  a  flock  stand- 
ing on  a  low  sandy  spot  of  an  island.  This  bird 
has  a  clumsy  and  unwieldly  look,  from  the  dupli- 
cate membrane  attached  to  its  lower  mandible, 
which  is  constructed  so  as  when  inflated  to  give 
it  a  bag-like  appearance.  A  short  sleep  served 
to  restore  the  men,  and  we  were  again  in  our 
canoes  the  next  morning  (9th)  before  I  could 
certainly  tell  the  time  by  my  watch.  Daylight 
had  not  yet  broke  when  we  passed  the  influx  of 
the  Wisconsin,  and  we  reached  the  prairie  under 
a  full  chorous  and  landed  at  6  o'clock. 

TREATIES    WITH    THE    SAC    AND    FOX    INDIANS    AND 
THE    WINNEBAGOES. 

Twelve  treaties  were  held  at  different  times 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Sac  and  Fox 
Indians  and  the  Winnebagoes,  affecting,  im- 
mediately or  remotely,  the  territory  now  inclu- 
ded within  the  limits  of  Vernon  county,  as  fol- 
lows: 

1.  A  treaty  was  held  at  St.  Louis,  Nov.  ;^, 
1804,  between  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  and  the 
United  States.  William  Henry  Harrison  was 
acting  commissioner  on  the  part  of  the  govern- 
ment. By  the  provisions  of  the  treaty,  the  chiefs 
and  head  men  of  the  united  tribes  ceded  to  the 
United  States  a  large  tract  on  both  sides  of  the 
Mississippi,  extending  on  the  east  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  to  the  head  of  that  river, 
and  thence  to  the  Wisconsin;  and  including  on 
the  west  considerable  portions  of  Iowa  and 
Missouri,   from   the   mouth    of  the   Gasconade 


330 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


northward.  In  what  is  now  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin, tliis  grant  embraced  the  whole  of  the  present 
counties  of  Grant  and  Lafayette  and  a  large 
portion  of  Iowa  and  Green  connties.  The  lead 
region  was  included  in  this  purchase.  In  con- 
sideration of  this  cession,  the  general  govern- 
ment agreed  to  protect  the  tribes  in  the  quiet 
enjoyment  of  their  land,  against  its  owns  citizens 
and  all  others  who  should  intrude  on  them.  The 
tribes  permitted  a  fort  to  be  built  on  the  upper 
side  of  the  Wisconsin  river  near  its  mouth,  and 
granted  a  tract  of  land  two  miles  square  adjoin- 
ing the  same.  The  government  agreed  to  give 
them  an  annuity  of  |1,000  per  annum.  The 
validity  of  this  treaty  was  denied  by  one  band 
of  the  Sac  Indians,  and  this  cession  of  land 
became,  twenty-eight  years  after,  the  alleged 
cause  of  the  Black  Hawk  War. 

2.  Another  treaty  was  held  at  Portage  des 
Sioux,  now  a  village  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  Mo.,  on 
the  Mississippi  river,  Sept.  13, 1815,  with  certain 
chiefs  of  that  portion  of  the  Sac  Nation  then 
residing  in  Missouri,  who,  they  said, were  com- 
pelled since  the  commencement  of  the  late  war, 
to  separate  themselves  from  the  rest  of  their 
Nation.  They  gave  their  assent  to  the  treaty 
made  at  St.  Louis  in  1804,  and  promised  to 
remain  separate  from  the  S.acs  of  Rock  river, 
and  to  give  them  no  aid  or  assistance,  until 
peace  should  be  concluded  between  the  United 
States  and  the  Foxes  of  Rock  river.     ' 

3.  On  the  14th  of  September,  a  treaty  was 
made  with  the  chiefs  of  the  Fox  tribe  at  the 
same  place.  They  agreed  that  all  prisoners  in 
their  hamls  should  be  delivered  uj)  to  the  govern- 
meiit.  They  assented  to,recognized, re-established 
and  confirmed  the  treaty  of  1804  to  the  full 
extent  of  their  interest  in  the  same. 

4.  A  treaty  was  held  at  St.  Louis,  May  13, 
1816,  with  the  Sacs  of  Rock  river,  who  affirmed 
the  treaty  of  1801,  and  agreed  to  deliver  up  all 
the  property  stolen  or  plundered,  and  in  failure 
todoso,  to  forfeit  all  title  to  their  annuties.  To 
this  treaty,  Black  Hawk's  name  appears  with 
Others.       That  chief    afterward   affirmed   that 


though  he  himself  had  "touched  the  quill"  to 
this  treaty,  he  knew  not  what  he  was  signing, 
and  that  he  was  therein  deceived  by  the  agent 
and  others,  who  did  not  correctly  explain  the 
nature  of  the  grant;  and  in  reference  to  the 
treaty  of  St.  Louis  in  1804,  and  at  Portage  des 
Sioux  in  1815,  he  said  he  did  not  consider  the 
same  valid  or  binding  on  him  or  his  tribe,  inas- 
much as  by  the  terms  of  those  treaties;  territory 
was  described  which  the  Indians  never  intended 
to  sell,  and  the  treaty  of  1804,  particularly,  was 
made  by  parties  who  had  neither  authority  in 
the  Nation  nor  power  to  dispose  of  its  lands. 
Whether  this  was  a  true  statement  of  the  case 
or  otherwise,  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  grant 
of  lands  referred  to  was  often  confirmed  by  his 
Nation,  and  was  deemed  conclusive  and  binding 
by  the  government.  The  latter  acted  in  good 
faith  to  the  tribes,  as  well  as  to  the  settlers,  in 
the  disposition  of  the    lands. 

5.  A  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship  was 
made  at  St.  Louis,  June  3,  1816,  between  the 
chiefi  and  warriors  of  that  part  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes  residing  on  the  Wisconsin  river.  In 
this  treaty  the  tribe  state  that  they  have  separ- 
ated themselves  from  the  rest  of  their  Nation; 
that  they,  for  themselves  and  those  they  repre- 
sent, confirm  to  the  United  States  all  and  every 
cession  of  land  heretofore  made  by  theirNation, 
and  every  contract  and  agreement,  as  far  as 
their  interest  extended. 

6.  On  the  19th  of  August,  1825,  at  Prairie 
<iu  Cliien,  a  treaty  was  made  with  the  Sioux, 
Chippewas,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  Winnebagoes, 
Ottawas  and  Pottawattamies,  by  which  the 
boundary  between  the  two  first  Nations  was 
agreed  upon;  also  between  the  Chippewas, 
Winnebagoes  and  other  tribes. 

7.  Another  treaty  was  held  August  5,  1826, 
at  Fond  du  Lac  of  Lake  Superior,  a  small  settle- 
ment on  the  St.  Louis  river,  in  Itaska  Co.,  Minn. , 
with  the  same  tribes,  by  which  the  previous 
treaty  was  confirmed  in  respect  to  boundaries, 
and  those  of  the  Chippewas   was  defined,  as  a 


0'- 


"s?- 


,  THE  N.' 


HISTORY  OF  YERNON  COUNTY. 


338 


portion  of  the  same  was  not  completed   at   the 
former  treaty. 

8.  A  treaty  was  made  and  concluded  Aug  1, 
1827,  at  Butte  des  Morts,  between  the  United 
States  and  the  Chippewa,  Menomonee  and  Win- 
nebago tribes,  in  whicli  the  boundaries  of  their 
tribes  were  defined;  no  cession  of  lands  was 
made. 

9.  A  treaty  was  made  at  Green  Bay,  Aug. 
25,  1828,  with  the  Winnebagoes,  Potiawattamies 
and  other  tribes.  This  treaty  wiis  made  to 
remove  the  difficulties  which  had  arisen  in  con- 
sequence of  the  occupation  by  white  men  of 
that  portion  of  tiie  mining  country  in  the  south- 
western part  of  Wisconsin  which  had  not  been 
ceded  to  the  United  States.  A  provisional 
boundary  was  provided,  and  privileges  accorded 
the  government  to  freely  occupy  their  territory 
until  a  treaty  should  be  made  for  the  cession  of 
the  same.  This  treaty  was  simply  to  difiiie  the 
rights  of  the  Indians,  and  to  give  the  Uniied 
States  the  right  of  occupation. 

10.  Two  treaties  were  made  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  on  the  29th  of  July,  1829,  and  Aug.  1, 
1829.  At  the  first  date,  with  the  Chii)pei<as, 
Ottawas  and  Pottawattamies,  by  whicli  these 
Nations  ceded  all  their  lands  which  they  claimed 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  Illinois;  and  at  the 
latter  date  with  the  Winnebagoes,  by  which 
that  Nation  ceded  and  relinquished  all  their 
right,  title  and  claim  to  all  their  lands  south  of 
the  Wisconsin  river,  thus  confirming  the  pur- 
chase of  the  lead-mine  region.  Certain  grants 
were  made  to  individuals,  which  grants  were 
not  to  be  leased  or  sold  by  the  grantees. 

By  this  important  treaty,  about  8,000,000  of 
acres  of  land  were  added  to  the  public  domain. 
The  three  tracts  ceded,  and  forming  one  whole, 
extended  from  the  upper  end  of  Rock  river  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  from  latitude  41 
degrees  .30  minutes  to  latitude  43  degrees  1.5  min- 
utes on  the  Mississippi.  Following  the  meander- 
ings  of  the  river,  it  was  about  240  miles  from  west 
to  east,  extending  along  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox 
rivers,  affording  a  passage  across  the   country 


from  the  Mississippi  to  Lake  Michigan.  The 
south  part  of  the  purchase  extended  from  Rock 
Island  to  Lake  Michigan. 

11.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  Black  Hawk  War, 
in  1832,  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  up  the 
Indian  title  of  the  Winnebago  Nation  in  the 
country,  a  treaty  was  made  and  concluded  at 
Fort  Armstrong,  Sept.  15,  1832.  All  the  terri- 
tory claimed  by  this  Nation  lying  south  and 
east  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  river  of  Green 
ba}',  was  ceded  to  the  United  States,  and  no 
band  or  party  of  Winnebagoes  was  allowed  to 
reside,  plant,  fish  or  hunt  on  these  grounds, 
after  June  1,  1833,  or  on  any  part  of  the  country 
therein  ceded. 

12.  The  Winnebago  Nation,  by  the  chiefs  and 
delegates,  held  a  treaty  with  the  government  at 
Washington,  Nov.  1,  1837.  That  Nation  ceded 
all  their  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
obligated  themselves  to  remove,  within  eight 
uKiiiths  after  the  ratification  of  the  treaty,  to 
certain  lands  west  of  the  river  Mississippi  which 
•vere  conveyed  to  them  by  the  treaty  of  Sept. 
21,  1832. 

A    SEQUEL    TO    THE    GREAT    INDIAN    TREATY 
OF    1829. 

{By  Caleb  Atwater.) 
On  the  day  we  delivered  the  goods  to  the 
Winnebagoes,  after  the  Indians  were  all  seated 
on  the  ground  in  rows,  tlie  chiefs  on  the  highest 
spot  in  the  center,  on  lienches,  clothed  in  the 
most  sumptuous  niatiner;  where  they  could  see 
and  be  seen  to  the  best  advantage;  every  tribe 
by  itself;  the  half-breeds  in  one  place;  the  full 
whites  in  another.  As  I  passed  through  the 
open  spaces  between  the  ranks,  my  attention 
was  forcibly  drawn  to  a  particular  spot  by  a 
constant  snarling,  hissing  noise  of  some  miser- 
able human  being,  whom,  on  approaching  her, 
I  ascertained  to  be  an  Indian  woman,  shriveled, 
haggard  and  old,  though  remarkably  neat  in  her 
person  and  dress.  She  appeared  to  be  about 
sixtjf  years  of  age,  and  scolded  incessantly. 
Some  of  the  goo<ls  placed  before  her,  as  her  share 
of  them,  she  complained    of   as    beiny  too  fine; 


to 


S34 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


others  as  being  too  coarse;  some  cost  too  much, 
while  others  were  quite  too  cheap,  and  none  of 
them  seemed  to  please  her.  Wishing,  if  possi- 
ble, to  please  all  of  them,  and  especially  the 
ladies;  actuated  by  the  best  of  motives,  I  en- 
deavored by  every  argument  in  my  power  to 
satisfy  her,  that  so  far  as  I  could  do  anything 
towards  it,  great  care  had  been  taken  in  the 
distribution  to  do  justice  to  every  individual.  I 
told  her  that  her  great  father,  the  President, 
had  specially  ordered  me,  so  far  as  in  me  lay, 
to  please  all,  and  to  see  that  no  one  went  home 
dissatisfied.  At  that  moment  she  returned 
upon  me  a  volley  of  epithets  too  degrading  to 
be  repeated,  even  though  applied  to  myself,  as 
I  felt  conscious  of  not  deserving  them.  Turn- 
ing around  to  some  females  who  were  politely 
sitting  ou  the  ground  behind  me,  I  learned  the 
fault  finder  was  an  old  maid,  (unmarried  men 
at  sixty  years  of  age  I  will  call  bachelors,  but 
ladies  never),  and  tliat  the  only  distinguishing 
mark  of  attention  she  had  ever  received  from 
any  man  was  a  smart  blow  with  a  flat  hand  on 
her  right  ear. 

As  there  is  no  law  regulating  taste,  and  some- 
times no  rational  way  of  accounting  for  some 
of  its  freaks;  and  as  some  sights  are  the  aver- 
sion of  some  persons,  while  the  appearance  of 
other  objects  is  equally  disagreeable  to  others; 
and  as  I  never  could  endure  the  ideas  convened 
to  my  mind  by  a  rattlesnake,  a  heartless  poli- 
tician, an  iceberg  and  a  cold  hearted  woman, 
I  turned  away  from  her  in  disgust,  and  never 
saw  her  more  nor  inquired  her  name,  for  fear  I 
should  remember  it.  She  was  the  only  person 
who  left  the  treaty  ground  dissatisfied  with  the 
commissioners.  To  please  her  it  was  utterly 
impossible. 

Seated,  as  I  said,  upon  rising  ground  on 
benches,  clad  in  blankets,  either  green  or  red; 
covered  with  handsome  fur  hats,  with  three 
beautiful  ostrich  plumes  in  each  hat;  dressed 
in  ruflied  calico  shirts,  leggins  and  mocasins, 
all  new,  and  faces  painted  to  suit  the  fancy  of 
each  individual,  who   held   in  his  hand   a  new 


rifle,  adorned  too,  with  silver  broaches,  silver 
clasps  on  every  arm,  and  a  large  medal  sus- 
pended on  each  breast;  the  chiefs,  principal 
warriors  and  head  men ,  to  the  number  of  f oi'ty- 
two,  sat  during  the  two  hours  after  all  the  goods 
had  been  delivered  to  the  Nation. 

Every  individual  of  both  sexes  in  the  Nation 
had  lyingdirectly  before  the  person  on  the  ground 
the  share  of  the  goods  belonging  to  the  individ- 
ual. Great  pains  had  been  taken  to  give  each, 
such,  and  just  so  many  clothes  as  would  be  suit- 
able for  the  owner  to  wear  during  the  year  to 
come.  The  clothes  were  cut  so  as  to  correspond 
exactly  with  the  size  of  the  owner.  The  pile 
of  clothes  for  each  person  was  nearly  two  feet 
in  thickness,  the  sight  of  which  entirely  over- 
came with  joy,  our  red  friends,  and  they  sat, 
during  two  hours,  in  the  most  profound  silence, 
not  taking  off  their  eyes  one  moment  from  the 
goods,  now  their  own.  For  the  first  time  dur- 
ing my  constant  intercourse  of  several  weeks 
with  these  interesting  sons  and  daughters  of 
the  forest,  as  I  passed  repeatedly  through  their 
ranks,  not  an  eye  appeared  to  see  me,  not  an 
ear  to  hear  my  heavy  tread,  not  a  tongue,  as 
always  heretofore,  repeated  the  endearing  name 
of  "Oconee  Kairake,"  (the  good  chief),  which 
their  kind  partiality  had  given  me  on  my 
first  landing  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  Their  minds 
were  entirely  overcome  with  joy. 

The  day  being  far  spent,  and,  as  the  loading 
of  the  canoes,  in  which  they  were  about  to  de- 
part, would  necessarily  occupy  some  little  time, 
I  informed  the  chiefs  and  principal  men  thai 
the  time  had  arrived  when  we  should  part  to 
meet  no  more;  that  the  great  gun  at  the  fort 
would  soon  be  fired  to  do  them  honor.  With 
one  accord  they  all  arose,  and  shaking  me 
heartily  by  the  hand,  many  of  them  shedding 
tears  on  the  occasion,  they  one  and  all  invited 
me  to  visit  them  at  their  respective,  places  of 
abode.  In  a  shrill  tone  of  voice  Nankaw 
issued  his  orders  for  every  individual  to  arise, 
take   up    his    or    her  goods,  and   repair  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


3P-5 


beach  of  the  river  near  at  hand,  and  there  await 
the  signal  from   the  fort  for  their  embarkation. 

In  fifteen  minutes  they  were  all  seated  on  the 
sands  hy  the  river's  edge,  where  they  all  sat  in 
breathless  silence  awaiting  the  signal,  which 
was  soon  given.  As  .soon  as  that  was  given 
each  chief  came  forward,  shook  me  again  cor- 
dially by  the  hand,  accompanied  by  the  warm- 
est protestations  of  friendship.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments more  they  were  off,  covering  a  consider- 
able surface  with  their  canoes,  each  one  of 
which  carried  its  flag  of  some  sort  floating  in 
the  gentle  breeze,  wliich  ruffled  the  surface  of 
the  Mississippi. 

The  Chippewas,  Ottawas  and  Pottawatta- 
mies  had  received  their  goods  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  Winnebagoes;  had  been  treated  pre- 
cisely in  the  same  way,  and  three  guns,  one  for 
each  Nation,  had  given  tliem  signal  to  depart, 
and  they  had  parted  with  nie  in  the  same  kind 
and  affectionate  manner. 

After  the  departure  of  tlie  above  named  In- 
dians, we  had  the  Sauks  and  Poxes  still  with 
us,  with  whom  we  had  orders  to  hold  a  council 
to  ascertain  from  them  "if  they  would  sell  theii 
mineral  lands,  situated  west  of  the  Mississippi?'" 
— and  if  they  would  sell  them,  upon  what 
terms?" 

(4en.  M'Neil,  who  was  in  command  as  a  mili- 
tary officer  in  this  section  of  country,  addressed 
these  tribes  and  was  answered  by  Keokuk  on 
the  [lart  of  the  Sauks,  and  by  Morgan  for  the 
Foxes.  I  regret  that  tlie  injunction  of  secrecy 
rests  on  these  speeches  in  tlie  United  States 
Senate;  otherwise  I  should  take  great  pleasure 
in  laying  them  before  the  reader,  Keokuk,  in 
particular,  made  one  of  the  best  speeches  I  ever 
heard,  and  it  was  admired  as  such  by  several 
members  of  the  Senate.  Keokuk,  on  the  part 
of  these  Indians,  complained  to  us  of  certain 
white  men  who  had  settled  on  the  Indian  lands 
along  the  Mississippi  in  order  to  supply  per- 
sons navigating  the  river  with  necessaries,  such 
as  poultry,  milk,  butter,  eggs,  and  above  all, 
cordwood  for  the  steamboats.     He  complained 


that  the  United  States  had  cultivated  lands  as  a 
garden  for  the  garrison  at  Prairie  du  Chien-had 
erected  a  mill  without  leave^  on  Indian  land — 
and  had  not  fulfilled  former  treaties  with  them. 

Making  them  liberal  presents,  we  naturally 
deferred  the  whole  subject  in  discussion  for  the 
consideration  of  the  government  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  to  act  on  it;  and  I  take  pleasure  in 
saying  the  government  has,  since  that  time 
done  its  duty  to  these  sons  of  the  forest. 

After  arranging  all  matters  with  them  as  well 
as  we  could,  which  occupied  several  days,  they 
were  dismissed  in  a  very  friendly  manner,  as  all 
other  Indians  had  been  already,  and  they  im- 
mediately descended   the  river  for  their  homes. 

Before  leaving  this  place  I  wish  to  make  a  few 
remarks  of  a  general  nature. 

Though  I  neither  am,  nor  ever  pretended  to 
he,  a  military  man,  yet  I  venture  a  few  remarks 
•  in  some  of  the  military  establishments  in  the 
Miirtliwest. 

'I'lie  fort  on  Rock  Island  is  commanded  by 
hills  on  both  sides  of  it,  and  could  not  stand  an 
hour  against  an  enemy  with  cannon  posted  on 
the  heights. 

Why  this  fort  was  placed  here  where  it  is,  no 
man  of  sense  can  tell,  if  the  British  were  to  be 
the  attacking  enemj'.  If  this  work  was  intended 
to  protect  this  frontier  against  Indians  it  is 
in  so  dilapidated  a  state  that  by  crossing  on  the 
island  above  the  fort,  or  gliding  along  in  their 
canoes  under  the  western  side  of  the  island, 
which  forms  the  outside  of  the  fort,  the  Indians 
could  in  any  dark  night  make  themselves  mas- 
ters of  the  garrison  in  fifteen  minutes.  When- 
ever they  please  they  can  collect  at  this  point  in 
ten  days  4,000  warriors,  to  contend 
with  400  soldiers.  There  is  no  regu- 
lar mail  connecting  this  post  with  the  United 
States  and  war  might  be  declared  for  three 
months,  in  some  seasons  of  the  year,  without 
the  garrison's  knowing  it. 

There  is  a  postoffice  established  here,  and  in 
summer  the  officers  sometimes  go  to  Galena  tor 
their  papers  and    letters,  luO  miles  above  thtm 


536 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


— and  sometlmps  they  go  to  Springfield,  in  the 
Sangamo  country,  a  distance  of  seventy  miles 
perhaps,  for  tlieir  letters.  The  oiBcers  must  go 
themselves,  as  the  soldiers,  if  permitted  to  go, 
would  desert  the  service.  Cut  ofp  from  all  the 
world,  that  is,  the  civilized  world,  during  six 
months  of  the  year,  the  officers  and  soldiers 
lead  a  life  as  dull  as  need  be.  The  officers 
who  have  families  have  established  a  school  for 
their  children,  which  is  doing  very  well. 

Ascending  the  Mississippi,  200  miles  or  more 
above  Rock  Island,  we  arrive  at  Fort  Crawford, 
at  Prairie  Du  Chien.  This  post,  like  that  at 
Rock  Island,  stands  near  the  Mississippi  on  its 
eastern  shore,  and  is  entirely  and  completely 
commanded  by  the  hills  on  each  side  of  the 
river.  It  enjoys,  too,  a  situation  so  low  that 
nearly  every  summer,  during  the  dog  days,  its 
site  is  under  water  from  six  to  ten  feet  in  depth, 
from  the  overflowing  of  the  river. 

This  work  is  in  so  dilapidated  a  state  that  I 
presume  it  is  now  abandoned  for  another  site 
somewhat  more  elevated  but  nearer  the  high 
hill  that  will  forever  command  it,  just  east  of 
it.  Maj.  Garland  pointed  out  to  me  the  spot 
where  he  supposed  a  new  fort  would  be  erected. 

There  is  a  propriety  in  placing  a  military  post 
somewhere,  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  the  Wis- 
consin, in  order  to  form  a  line  of  posts  situated 
on  Green  bay,  where  there  is  a  fort— and  in  the 
interior,  at  the.spot  where  Fort  Winnebago  is; 
but  wliat  consideration  could  have  induced  the 
government  to  place  a  garrison  at  St.  Peters, 
300  miles  and  more  beyond  a  single  white  set> 
tlement — unconnected,  too,  with  any  other  post 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  Indian  country,  I  am 
unable  to  determine.  If  this  post  was  intended 
to  strengthen  this  frontier,  it  certainly  weakens 
it  to  the  amount  of  the  force  stationed  there 
added  to  an  amount  of  force  enough  to  succor 
and  defend  it.  If  the  object  was  to  station  a 
garrison  where  an  intercourse  with  the  Indians, 
for  the  purposes  of  trade,  was  sought,  Lake 
Pepin,  far  below  it,  is  the  place  where  it  should 
have  been  located.     As  it  is,  it  so  happens  often 


that  the  officers  and  others  who  pass  and  repast 
between  Prairie  Du  Chien  and  St.  Peters  are 
taken  prisoners  on  the  route  by  the  Indians. 
Unless  some  one  wished  to  get  a  good  govern- 
mental job  by  getting  this  post  established, 
then  I  cannot  account  for  this  strange  location, 
and  I  am  equally  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the 
continuance  of  this  worse  than  useless  establish- 
ment where  it  is. 

All  the  officers  in  the  Indian  countrv,  who 
have  been  there  ten  years,  ought  instantly  to  be 
relieved  by  others.  Lieut.  Col.  Z.  Taylor,  has 
been  in  the  Indian  country  constantly  with  his 
family,  about  twenty  years.  Here  he  and  his 
lady,  who  were  bred  in  the  most  polished 
and  refilled  society,  have  been  compelled  to 
rear  as  well  as  they  could,  a  worthy  and  most 
interesting  family  of  children.  Col.  Taylor 
commands  Fort  Crawford,  at  Prairie  Du  Chien. 
Dr.  Beaumont  and  his  amiable  and  accomplished 
lady;  Maj.  Garland  and  his,  belonging  to  this 
garrison,  are  doing  the  same.  It  is  an  interest- 
ing sight,  to  see  such  persons,  located  as  they 
are,  in  a  fort,  on  the  very  verge  of  civilized  life, 
educating  a  family  of  young  children.  The  sit- 
uation of  delicate  females,  belonging  to  some 
of  the  best  families  in  the  Nation,  reared  in 
tenderness,  amidst  all  the  luxuries  and  refine- 
ments of  polished  society,  now  living  in  a  fort, 
calls  for  our  sympathy  and  admiration  of  their 
fortitude,  which  enables  them  to  bear  with  all 
the  ills,  and  overcome  all  the  difficulties  attend- 
ant on  their  mode  of  living.  When  I  was  very 
unwell,  from  exposure,  miserable  water,  and  the 
worst  of  cookery,  and  worn  down  too  by  fatigue 
of  body  and  mental  suffering,  I  always  found 
sympathy,  food  that  I  could  eat,  and  smiles 
and  kindness  which  touched  ray  heart,  in 
the  families  I  have  named,  nor  can  I  ever 
forget  the  females  belonging  to  the  families 
of  Mr.  Rolette  and  of  Judge  Lockwood,  at 
Prairie  Du  Chien.  Without  their  kindness 
towards  me,  I  must  have  per  ished.  I 
do  not  deny  my  fondness  for  woman,  be- 
cause   I    know  that   in   cases    of   distress    and 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


837 


suffering,  her  sympathy  and  cheering  voice,  in- 
fuse into  man  new  life,  new  vigor,  and  new 
fortitude,  and  he  marches  onward  with  redoub- 
led energy,  to  climb  over  every  alps  that  is 
placed  in  his  way.  Living,  as  these  ladies  do, 
amidst  dangers,  in  an  Indian  country,  they  are 
familiarized  with  them  and  their  animating 
voice  is  worth  an  army  of  men.  I  never  can 
forget  them,  nor  their  families  while  I  live. 
Would  the  government  hear  my  feeble  voice, 
such  officers  would  not  be  compelled,  with  tlieir 
families,  to  spend  all  their  days,  in  an  Indian 
country,  while  others  who  have  known  no  suf- 
fering in  the  service,  are  attending  levees  and 
gallanting  about  the  ladies  at  Washington  City. 

There  is  something  wrong  in  all  this,  that  I 
hope  will  be  rectified  yet. 

At  each  of  the  military  posts,  the  officers  have 
established  a  library  and  a  reading  room,  at 
their  own  expense.  Their  books  consist  of  use- 
ful works,  connected  with  their  pursuits.  His- 
tory, geography,  mathematics,  chemistry  and 
scientific  books,  are  in  the  library,  and  the  offi- 
cers and  their  families  are  well  read  in  them  all. 
Though  they  may  be  uninformed  as  to  the  pass- 
ing events,  at  the  very  moment  they  occur, 
yet,  at  unequal  periods,  their  regular  files  of  all 
the  best  newspapers  published  in  the  United 
States,  are  received  and  read  with  care.  Tiie 
The  National  Intelligencer,  National  Gazette,  all 
the  literary  periodicals,  worth  reading,  are  care- 
fully perused. 

The  younger  officers  were  all  educated  at 
West  Point  Academy,  and  wherever  I  met  one 
of  them,  I  always  found  a  gentleman,  and  man 
of  science,  brave,  active,  vigorous,  energetic, 
high  minded,  honorable,  strictly  honest  and 
correct  in  all  his  deportment.  He  claimed  all 
that  belonged  to  him,  and  not  one  tittle  more, 
of  any  one.  These  officers,  belonging  to  the 
first  families  in  the  Nation,  educated  in  the  very 
best  manner,  are  induced  by  their  self  respect, 
to  conduct  themselves  in  the  veiy  best  manner 
on  all  occasions.  They  fear  nothing  but  dis- 
grace, originating  in   their   own   bad   conduct, 


and  they  scrupulously  avoid  it  every  where,  and 
at  all  times.  As  officers,  as  gentlemen  and  as 
men,  I  feel  proud  of  them  as  my  countrymen. 

I  pray  them  to  accept  this  "testimony  in  their 
favor,  as  a  small  payment  towards  a  large  sum, 
justly  due  to  them,  for  their  good  conduct,  in 
every  part  of  the  Union,  where  I  have  liad  the 
pleasure  of  meet^g  with  them.  My  only  re- 
gret is,  that  this  honest,  heartfelt  approbation 
of  them,  is  all  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  bestow, 
upon  persons  so  worthy.  Tliose  who  are  in  ac- 
tual service  on  the  Indian  frontier,  deserve  more 
pay  than  they  receive,  in  a  country  where  every 
thing  is  so  extravagantly  dear.  Congress  ought 
to  remember  these  worthy  men,  and  make  fu- 
ture provision  for  them,  and  to  Congress,  I 
submit  their  case.  While  those,  who  shine  in 
every  fashionable  circle  at  Washington,  under 
the  eye  of  Congress,  are  well  paid  foi-  their  ser- 
vices, it  is  to  be  hoped  that  others,  who  undergo 
nothing  but  hardships,  will  not  be  forgotten, 
as  I  know  they  will  not  be  by  the  Senate. 

Having  completed  all  our  business,  of  a  pub- 
lic nature,  so  far  as  we  could  at  this  place,  about 
the  middle  of  August,  as  near  as  I  now  remem- 
ber, we  concluded  to  give  our  friends  here  a 
ball  on  the  evening  preceding  our  leaving  them. 
It  was  attended  by  a'l  of  the  respectable  part  of 
the  people,  in  the  garrison  and  in  the  village. 
It  was  a  most  interesting  scene.  Within  the 
counsel  house,  where  the  civilized  people  were 
assembled,  might  be  seen,  persons  of  both  sexes, 
as  polished  and  as  refined  in  their  manners,  as 
well  bred,  and  educated  as  well  too,  as  any  per- 
sons in  the  United  States;  and  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, might  be  seen  on  the  outside  of  the  house, 
at  the  doors  and  windows,  looking  on  and  occa- 
sionally dancing  by  themselves,  by  way  of  ex- 
periment, or  to  show  what  they  couLd  do  as 
dancers  in  the  open  air,  as  motley  a  group  of 
creatures  (I  can  scarcely  call  them  human  be- 
ings) as  the  world  ever  beheld.  They  are  a 
race  peculiar  to  those  parts  of  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi, where  settlements  were  originally 
made  by  the  French,  soon  after  the  conquest  of 


338 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Canada  by  the  English,  under  Gen.  Wolf.  They 
are  of  a  mixed  breed,  and  probably  more  mixed 
than  any  other  human  beings  in  the  world;  each 
one  consisting  of  negro,  Indian,  French,  English, 
American,  Scotch,  Irish  and  Spanish  blood;  and 
I  should  rather  suspect  some  of  them,  to  be  a 
little  touched  with  the  prairie  wolf.  They  may 
fairly  claim  the  vices  and  faults  of  each,  and 
all  the  above  named  Nations  and  animals,  with- 
out even  one  redeeming  virtue. 

The  reader  will  see  that  we  were  on  the  very 
confines  of  civilized  and  savage  life. 

The  officers  «nd  their  families  from  Fort 
Crawford,  and  the  best  families  in  the  Prairie, 
were  all  very  happy,  and  we  parted  with  them 
all  in  friendship,  and  retired  to  rest  at  about 
midnight. 

THE    WINNEBAGOES    IN  1816. 

In  1816  the  Menomonees  inhabited  the  country 
about  Green  bay,  and  their  women  occasionally 
married  Winnebagoes,  but  not  often.  The 
Menomonees  were  a  quiet  and  peaceful  race, 
well  disposed  and  friendly  to  the  whites.  To- 
mah,  the  acting  chief  of  the  Nation,  was  well 
spoken  of  by  all  the  traders  who  knew  him. 

The  principal  villages  of  the  Winnebagoes 
were  at  the  lower  and  upper  end  of  the  lake  of 
that  name,  with  an  occasional  lodge  along  the 
Fox  river.  At  the  season  that  traders  generally 
passed  the  Portage  of  Wisconsin,  they  would 
find  old  grey  headed  Day-Kau-Ray  at  the 
Portage  with  his  band.  Iheir  village  was  a 
short  distance  from  there  up  the  Wisconsin, 
and  the  Winnebagoes  had  villages  up  the  Bara- 
boo  river,  and  several  small  ones  along  down 
the  Wisconsin  to  near  its  mouth  and  up  the 
Mississippi.  They  were  estimated  at  that  time 
by  the  traders  best  acquainted  with  them,  to  be 
about  900  warriors  strong.  Of  the  Day-Kau- 
Rays,  there  were  four  or  five  brothers,  who 
were  all  influential  men  in  the  Nation.  One 
sister  had  a  family  of  children  by  a  trader 
named  Lecuyer,  who  had  married  her  after  the 
Indian  manner.  Tradition  says  that  their 
father  was   a   French    trader,  who,   during  the 


time  the  French  had  possession  of  the  country, 
married  a  Winnebago  woman,  the  daughter  of 
the  principal  chief  of  the  Nation,  by  whom  he 
had  these  sons  and  daughter;  that  at  the  time 
the  country  was  taken  possession  of  by  the 
English,  he  abandoned  them,  and  they  were 
raised  among  the  Indians,  and  being  the  de- 
scendants of  a  chief  on  the  mother's  side,  when 
arrived  at  manhood  they  assumed  the  dignity 
of  their  rank  by  inheritance.  They  were  gen- 
erally good  Indians,  and  frequently  urged  their 
claims  to  the  friendship  of  the  whites  by  saying 
they  were  themselves  half  white. 

THE    WINNEBAGOES IN     1818. 

The  locations  of  the  different  tribes  of  Indi- 
ans in  the  vicinity  of  Vernon  county,  in  1818, 
including  also  the  homes  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
is  clearly  pointed  out  in  the  narrative  of  Ed- 
ward Tanner,  published  in  the  Detroit  Gazette 
of  Jan.  8,  and  15,  1819: 

"The  first  tribe  of  Indians  after  leaving  St. 
Louis  is  the  Oyiwayes  (lowas).  This  tribe  live 
about  100  miles  from  the  west  side  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, on  the  Menomonee,  and  have  about 
400  warriors.  The  next  tribe  are  the  Sauks, 
who  live  on  the  Mississippi,  and  about  400 
miles  above  St.  Louis.  They  emigrated  from 
the  Ouisconsin  (Wisconsin)  about  thirty-five 
years  ago.  Their  military  strength  is  about  800 
warriors,  exclusive  of  old  men  and  boys,  and 
are  divided  into  two  divisions  of  400  men. 
Each  division  is  commanded  by  a  war  chief. 
The  first  are  those  who  have  been  most  distin- 
guished for  deeds  of  valor,  and  the  second  the 
ordinary  warriors.  They  have  also  two  village 
chiefs  who  appear  to  preside  over  the  civil 
concerns  of  the  Nation.  The  next  tribe  is  the 
Fox  Indians.  This  tribe  have  a  few  lodges  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  near  Fort  Arm- 
strong and  about  four  miles  from  the  Sauk  vil- 
lage. Thirty  miles  above  this,  at  the  mine  De 
Buke  (Dubuque,)  on  the  west  side,  they  have 
another  village,  and  another  on  Turkey  river, 
thirty  miles  below  Prairie  Du  Chien.  Their 
whole   military  strength  is  about  400  warriors. 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


339 


They  are  at  this  time  in  a  state  of  war  with  the 
Sioux;  and  as  the  Sauks  are  in  strict  amity  with 
the  Fox  Indians,  and  have  the  influence  and 
control  of  tliem,  tliey  are  also  drawn  into  the 
war.  This  war  was  in  consequence  of  depreda- 
tions committed  by  the  Fox  Indians  on  the 
Sioux. 

"Prairie  du  Chien,  on  which  the  villaj^e  of 
that  name  stands,  is  a  handsome  plain,  about 
half  a  mile  wide  from  the  bank  of  the  river  to 
the  bluff  or  commencement  of  the  rising  ground, 
and  out  of  danger  from  inundations.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  serpentine  course  of  the  river, 
the  plain  widens  above  and  below  the  village. 
The  soil  is  a  black  sand  about  fifteen  inches 
deep,  appearing  to  be  very  productive.  Tlie 
foundation  is  gravelly,  containing  amber  stones 
susceptible  of  a  handsome  polish.  Timber  is 
scarce.  The  upland  in  the  vicinity  is  very 
broken,  poor  and  nearly  barren.  In  the  settle- 
ment are  about  1,500  inhabitants,  exclusive  of 
the  military,  who  are  principally  Creoles.  Asa 
place  of  business,  it  now  appears  on  the  de- 
cline. 

"The  river  Ouisconsin  (Wisconsin)  is  about 
half  a  mile  wide — common  depth  one  to  four 
feet — no  falls,  but  generally  a  brisk  current. 
The  channel  is  subject  to  change,  from  the 
numerous  bars  of  sand  which  lie  in  it,  and  fre- 
quently alter  their  position.  In  the  river  are 
numerous  islands,  on  which  grow  the  principal 
timber  of  the  country.  The  banks  are  generally 
low  and  sandy — some  plains  lined  with  the  com- 
mon granite  stone.  The  bordering  country  is 
very  broken,  sandy  and  barren.  In  the  interior 
the  same  description  will  answer.  Barren, 
broken  and  destitute  of  vegetation,  few  places 
can  be  found  that  will  admit  of  settlements. 
The  Winnebago  Indians  inhabit  the  country 
bordering  on  the  tributary  streams  of  both  sides 
of  the  river.  They  appear  to  go  abroad  for 
their  game,  and  have  no  conveniences  for 
dwellinir,  except  a  kind  of  lodges  which  they 
carry  with  them  wherever  they  go.  Their  ter- 
ritory extends    from  the    Mississippi  to  the  vi- 


cinity of   Green  Bay,  and  the   number  of  their 
warriors  is  '700." 

UP   TUB    MISSISSIPPI  IN    1819. 

[Fnim  a  "Jouruil  of  a  vf>3'as('  from  St.  Louis  lo  tlie 
Falls  of  St.  Autliony  in  181t),"'by  Maj.  Tliomas  For- 
syth, ludiau  Agent.] 

I  set  out  this  morning  with  a  view,  if  possible, 
to  reach  Prairie  du  Chien,  but  having  no  wind 
in  our  favor,  and  current  strong,  we  could  get 
no  further  than  the  mouth  of  the  Ouisconsin. 
Distance  to-day,  twenty-four  miles. 

Monday  July  5,  1819.— I  arrived  to-day  at 
9  a.m.,  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  immediately 
the  wind  .sprang  up  and  blew  a  fresh  breeze. 
This  was  vexing,  as  I  had  experienced  five  days 
of  head  winds  successively.  I  found  here 
awaiting  my  arrival,  the  Red  Wing's  son,  a 
Sioux  Indian,  who  wished  to  be  considered 
something,  with  a  band  of  followers.  He  invi- 
ted me  to  a  talk,  and  after  relating  the  loss  of 
one  of  his  young  men  who  was  killed  by  the 
Chippewas,  he  expressed  a  wish  that  I  would 
take  pity  on  all  present,  and  give  them  some 
goods.  All  this  was  a  begging  speech.  I  told 
him  that  1  meant  to  go  up  with  the  troops  to  tlie 
river  St.  Peters,  and  on  my  way  up  I  would 
stop  at  their  different  villages,  where  I  would 
speak  to  them,  and  give  them  a  few  goods. 
Here  I  had  nothing  to  say,  as  I  could  not  give 
any  goods  at  this  place,  because  it  required 
goods  to  give  weight  to  words,  and  make 
them  understand  me  well.  Yet  be  is  such  a 
beggar,  that  he  would  not  take  any  refusal.  I 
got  up  in  an  abrupt  manner  and  left  him  and 
band,  to  study  awhile.  The  Leaf,  the  principal 
chief  of  the  Sioux,  arrived  this  evening. 

Tuesday,  Cth.— The  Kettle  Chief,  with  a  band 
of  Foxes,  arrived  here  to  day,  to  make  arrange- 
ments with  Mr.  Partney  about  selling  him  the 
ashes  at  the  different  mines.  A  boat  belonging 
to  the  contractor,  arrived  to-day,  loaded  with 
provisions  for  the  troops,  in  twenty-five  days 
from  Wood  river. 

Wednesday,  7th. — The  contractor's  boat  left 
this  day  to  return  to  Wood  river. 


340 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Thursday,  8th. — A  young^  Folle  Avoine  (Me- 
nomonee)  stabbed  a  young  Sioux  in  a  fit  of 
jealousy  to-day,  near  tiie  fort.  He  was  in 
liquor. 

Friday,  9th — The  Sioux  Indians  yesterday 
seized  on  the  Folle  Avoine  Indian  who  had 
stabbed  the  young  Sioux,  and  kept  him  in  con- 
finement, well  tied  and  guarded  by  a  few  young 
Sioux;  but  the  Sioux  chiefs  sent  for  the  Folle 
Avoine,  and  made  him  a  present  of  a  blanket 
and  some  other  articles  of  clothing,  and  made 
him  and  the  young  Sioux  whom  he  had  stabbed, 
eat  out  of  the  same  dish  together,  thus  forgiv- 
ing and  forgetting  the  past. 

Sunday,  11th. — Every  day  since  my  arrival  at 
this  place,  the  wind  has  blown  up  the  river  ; 
to-day  it  came  around  south  and  with  rain  ; 
wind  settled  at  the  northwest. 

Monday,  12th.— The  Red  Wing's  son  is  still 
here  a  begging.  He  invited  me  to  talk  with 
him  in  council  yesterday.  This  I  refused  as  I 
did  not  wish  to  be  troubled  with  such  a  fellow. 

Tuesday,  1.3th — Much  rain  this  morning  ; 
wind  southwest. 

Wednesday.  14th. — Some  Winnebagoes  ar- 
rived from  headwaters  of  Rocky  river,  and 
Portage  of  Ouisconsin.  These  fellows  are  sci- 
entific beggars.     Wind  north. 

Thursday,  15th. — Yesterday  evening  the  Red 
Wing's  son's  band  of  Sioux  Indians  set  out  for 
their  homes,  and  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  they  are  a 
troublesome  set  of  beggars.  The  wind  blows 
hard  from  the  north  to  day,  which  makes  it  much 
cooler  than  it  has  been  for  many  days  before. 

Friday,  16th. — The  wind  continues  to  blow 
hard  from  the  north,  and  the  weather  is  still 
cool.  Two  men  arrived  this  evening  from  Green 
Bay  in  a  canoe. 

Saturday,  ITtli. — Mr.  Boutillier  (Francois  Bou- 
tillier)  arrived  here  to-day  from  Green  Bay. 
Mr.  Shaw  also  arrived  here  to-day  from  St. 
Louis  in  a  canoe,  having  left  his  horses  at  Rocky 
Island.  He  informs  me  that  he  left  Belle  Fon- 
taine on  the  15th  ult.,  that  the  recruits  destined 


for  the  Mississipj)i  set  out  on  the  day  before 
and  may  be  expected  shortly. 

Sunday,  18th.  —  Took  a  ride  out  in  the 
country.  Found  some  of  the  situations  hand- 
some, but  the  farmers  are  poor  hands  at  cultiva- 
tion. Flour  $10  per  cwt.;  corn,  $3  per  bushel  ; 
eggs,  $1  perdozen;  chickensH  to!|1.25  a  couple, 
Butter  none  made. 

Monday,  19th — A  little  rain, and  cool  all  day. 
Mr.  Shaw  left  to-day  to  return  home. 

Tuesday,  20th — A  little  rain  to-day. 

Wednesday,  21st — Winds  fair  for  boats  com- 
ing up  the  river,  and  little  rain  to-day. 

Thursday,  22d — A  fine  wind  up  the  river  to- 
day, with  much  rain.  The  old  Red  Wing,  a 
Sioux  chief,  with  about  twenty  of  his  followers, 
arrived  to-day.  This  is  another  begging  expe- 
dition. 

Friday,  23d — The  wind  is  still  up  the  river, 
with  some  rain.  The  old  Red  Wing  and  I  had 
a  long  talk,  and,  as  I  supposed,  the  whole  pur- 
port was  begging. 

Saturday,  24th — Having  heard  much  talk 
about  Carreis'  claim  to  land  at  or  near  St.  Peter's 
river,  and  understanding  that  the  Red  Wing 
knew  or  said  something  about  it  last  year,  curi- 
osity led  me  to  make  inquiries  of  him,  having 
now  an  opportunity.  He  told  me  he  remem- 
bered of  hearing  his  father  say  that  lands  lying 
on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Pepin,  known  by  the 
name  of  the  old  wintering  places,  were  given  to 
an  Englishman;  that  he  is  now  an  old  man 
(about  sixty  years  of  age),  and  does  not,  him- 
self, remember  the  transactions.  I  wished  to 
continue  the  conversation,  but  the  old  man  did 
not  like  it  and  therefore  I  did  not  press  it. 

Sunday,  25th — Wind  north,  and  a  warm  day. 

Monday,  26th — Capt.  Hickman  and  family 
left  this  place  to-day  in  an  open  boat  for  !?t. 
Louis.     Wind  north,  and  another  warm  day. 

Tuesday,  27th — Another  warm  day.  No  news 
of  any  kind. 

Wednesday,  28th — A  boat  arrived  here  from 
Green  Bay. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


141 


Thursday,  29th — This  is  the  warmest  day  I 
have  experienced  this  season,  although  there 
blew  a  hard  wind  up  the  river  all  day. 

Friday,  30th — Yesterday  evening  the  war 
party  of  Foxes  who  had  been  on  a  hunt  of 
some  of  the  Sioux  of  the  interior,  returned 
without  finding  any.  Much  wind  and  rain  this 
morning.  I  returned  Mr.  Moore  $">,  which  Mr. 
Aird  gave  me  last  September  to  buy  him  some 
articles,  which  could  not  be  procured. 

Saturday,  31st — Wind  light  up  the  river;  no 
boats,  no  recruits,  no  news,  nor  anything  else 
from  St.  Louis. 

Sunday,  August  1st — Maj.  Marston  set  out  to- 
day early  with  twenty-seven  troops  in  three  boats 
to  garrison  Fort  Armstrong,  at  Rocky  Island. 
The  boat  which  brought  the  settler's  goods  from 
Green  Bay  a  few  days  since,  set  out  to-day  to 
return  home.    Some  rain  to-day;  weather  warm. 

Monday,  2d — Thank  God,  a  boat  loaded  with 
ordnance  and  stores  of  different  kinds  arrived 
to-day,  and  said  a  provision  boat  would  arrive 
to-morrow,  but  no  news  of  the  recruits. 

Tuesday  3d — Weather  warm,  with  some  rain. 

Wednesday,  4th — This  morning  the  provision 
boat  arrived.  No  news  from  St.  Louis.  This 
boat  brings  news  of  having  passed  a  boat  with 
troops  on  board  destined  for  this  place.  Some 
of  the  men  say  two  boats.     Some  rain  to-day. 

Thursday,  5th — Much  rain  last  night.  Col. 
Leavenworth  is  determined  to  set  out  on  the  7th, 
if  things  can  be  got  ready  for  the  expedition  to 
St.  Peters.  The  colonel  has  very  properly,  in 
my  opinion,  engaged  the  two  large  boats  now 
here,  with  as  many  men  belonging  to  the  boats 
as  will  remain  to  accompany  the  expedition, 
their  contents  being  wanted  for  the  new  estab- 
lishment at  St.  Peters.  Without  the  assistance 
of  these  two  boats,  it  would  appear  impossible 
for  the  expedition  to  go  on. 

Friday,  6th — Yesterday  evening  some  French- 
men who  would  not  agree  to  go  any  further  up 
the  Mississippi,  set  out  for  St.  Louis  in  a  bark 
canoe.  This  morning  eight  discharged  soldiers 
set  out  from  this  place  for  St.  Louis    in    a  skiff. 


Saturday,  7th — Every  exertion  was  made  to 
get  off  to-day,  but  impossible.  A  fine  wind  up 
the  river. 

Sunday,  8th — This  morning  the  colonel  told 
me  that  he  would  be  ready  in  an  hour,  and 
about  8  oclock  we  set  out  for  river  St.  Peters. 
The  troops  consisting  of  ninety-eight  rank  and 
file,  in  fourteen  bateaux  and  two  large  boats 
loaded  with  provisions  and  ordnance,  and  stores 
of  different  kinds,  as  also  my  boat;  and  a  barge 
belonging  to  the  colonel,  making  seventeen 
boats;  and  in  the  wlole  ninety-eight  soldiers 
and  about  twenty  boatmen.  I  felt  myself  quite 
relieved  when  we  got  under  way.  We  made 
to-day  eighteen  miles. 

WAR    BETWEEN    THE    SACS    AND    FOXES    AND    THE 

SIOUX. 

1 1.— By  Mrs.  H.  S.  Baird,  of  Green  Bay.) 

During  the  first  half  of  the  present  century, 
there  existed  between  different  Indian  tribes  of 
the  north  and  west,  a  succession  of  sanguinary 
wars.  The  conflicts  between  the  contending 
parties  were  marked  by  the  characteristic  traits 
of  cruelty  and  ferocity  of  a  barbarous  race. 
The  tribes  engaged  in  these  hostilities  were  the 
Sioux,  Cbippewas,  Sacs,  Foxes  and  Winneba- 
goes.  Their  battles  were  not  always  fought  in 
their  own  country,  nor  on  their  own  lands. 
Whenever  and  wherever  a  hostile  party  met,  a 
contest  was  sure  to  be  the  result ;  and  many 
incidents  connected  with  this  warfare  were 
observed  by  the  early  settlers  of  Wisconsin, 
one  of  which  I  witnessed,  and  will  relate. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1830,  with  my  family, 
I  visited  Prairie  du  Chien,  on  the  Mississippi  ; 
we  were  guests  of  the  late  Joseph  Rolette, 
then  a  trader,  and  agent  of  the  American  Fur 
Company.  One  evening,  a  few  days  after  our 
arrival,  we  were  startled  by  hearing  the  con- 
■tinual  and  successive  reports  of  fire-arras, 
apparently  on  the  Mississippi  below.  The 
firing  continued  for  an  hour  or  more,  and  was 
succeeded  by  sounds  of  Indian  drums  and 
savage  yells,  with  an  occasional  discharge  of 
guns. 


342 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  family  having  retired  at  the  usual  time, 
were  aroused  from  their  slumbers  about  mid- 
night, by  hearing  foot-steps  on  the  piazza,  con- 
versation in  the  Indian  language,  and  finally  by 
knocking  on  the  door  and  window  shutters. 
Mr.  Rolette  immediately  arose  and  went  out  to 
ascertain  the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  when  he 
was  informed  that  a  bloody  battle  had  been 
fought,  and  the  visitors  were  the  victors,  and 
had  called  up  their  trader  to  inform  him  of 
their  victory,  and  to  obtain  the  necessary  spirit 
water  to  celebrate  the  glorious  event  in  regular 
savage  style.  Their  wants  were  supplied,  of 
course,  when  they  took  their  leave,  but  not  to 
sleep  ;  neither  could  we  sleep  as  the  warriors 
kept  up  through  the  night  a  most  horrible  pow- 
wow, enlivened  by  savage  yells,  all  plainly 
within  our  hearing. 

In  the  morning,  we  heard  the  particulars  of 
the  savage  fight,  and  during  the  day  witnessed 
one  of  the  most  disgusting  and  revolting  exhi- 
bitions that  human  beings  could  display. 

On  the  day  before  the  battle,  or  rather  mas- 
sacre, a  war  party  of  some  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  Sioux  encamped  on  an  island  opposite 
Prairie  du  Chien.  They  were  there  joined  by 
a  few  Menomonees,  who  volunteered  to  assist 
their  friends,  the  Sioux.  It  appears  that  the 
latter  had  previously  received  information  that 
on  that  day  a  party  of  Sacs  and  Foxes,  their 
inveterate  enemies,  would  leave  their  village, 
situated  on  the  Mississippi,  some  distance  below 
Prairie  du  Chien,  intending  to  visit  the  latter 
place ;  and  that  tiiey  would  encamp  for  the 
night  at  a  regular  camping  ground,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  river. 

In  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  the  Sioux  war 
party  embarked  in  several  canoes,  and  descend- 
ed the  river.  Arriving  near  the  spot  where 
they  knew  their  intended  victims  would  en- 
camp, they  drew  their  canoes  on  laud,  and  care- 
fully hid  them  in  the  thick  woods,  and  then 
selected  a  spot  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of 
bushes,  and  within  a  short  gun-shot  of  the 
landing  place  on  the   camping  ground.     Here, 


with  true  Indian  cunning,  they  lay  in  ambush, 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  unsuspecting  Sacs 
and  Foxes.  No  fire  was  made,  and  the  still- 
ness of  death  reigned  in  the  forest.  Nor  had 
they  long  to  wait   for  the    arrival  of  their  foes. 

Between  sunset  and  dark  the  party,  in  three 
or  four  canoes,  arrived  at  the  fatal  landing 
place,  and  dis-embarked.  It  consisted  of 
eighteen  persons,  one  old  chief,  one  squaw,  one 
boy  about  fourteen  years  old  and  fifteen 
warriors.  Upon  landing,  the  party  commenced 
unloading  the  canoes.  The  concealed  war 
party  remained  perfectly  quiet,  scarcely  breath- 
ing, so  that  their  victims  might  be  completely 
surprised.  After  all  had  landed,  and  while 
carrying  their  effects  on  shore,  leaving  their 
guns  and  war-clubs  in  the  canoes,  the  party  in 
ambush  bounded  to  their  feet,  with  a  horrible 
yell,  and  fired  a  murderous  volley  at  the  sur- 
prised party,  by  which  all  fell  except  one  man 
and  the  boy.  The  former  reached  a  canoe, 
seized  a  loaded  gun,  and  discharged  it,  mortally 
wounding  one  of  the  Sioux ;  but  the  poor  Sac 
was  soon  despatched,  and  the  only  one  of  the 
eighteen  who  survived  was  the  boy,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  in  a  canoe.  He  seized  a  paddle, 
pushed  into  the  stream,  and  made  his  escape 
down  the  swift  current  of  the  river. 

After  the  massacre,  all  who  yet  breathed 
were  despatched,  and  horribly  mutilated. 
Hands,  feet,  fingers,  ears  and  scalps  were  cut 
off,  and  more  horrible  still,  the  heart  of  the 
aged  chief  was  cut  from  his  breast,  and  all 
taken  by  the  victors  as  trophies  of  the  bloody 
conflict. 

On  the  day  succeeding  the  murder,  the  victo- 
rious party  assembled,  and  accompanied  by  a 
few  squaws,  p  raded  the  streets  of  Prairie  du 
Chien,  with  the  monotonous  sounding  drum 
and  rattle,  and  displaying  on  poles  the  scalps 
and  dismembered  human  fragments  taken  from 
the  bodies  of  their  victims.  The  whole  party 
was  painted  with  various  colors,  wore  feathers, 
and  carried  their  tomahawks,  war-clubs  and 
scalping-knives.      Stopping    in    front    of     the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


S4S 


principal  houses  in  the  village,  they  danced  the 
war-dance  and  scalp-dance,  ending  with  yells 
characteristic  of  incarnate  devils. 

The  mangled  limbs  were  still  fresh  and 
bleeding  ;  one  old  squaw  had  carried  on  a  pole 
tlie  entire  hand,  with  a  long  strip  of  skin  from 
the  arm  of  cue  of  the  murdered  men,  elevated 
above  her  bead,  the  blood  trickling  down  upon 
her  hair  and  face,  while  she  kept  up  the  death- 
song,  and  joined  in  the  scalp-dance.  After  this 
exhibition,  which  lasted  two  or  three  hours, 
the  warriors  went  to  a  small  mound,  about  200 
yards  from  Mr.  Rolette's  residence,  and  in 
plain  sight  made  a  fire  and  roasted  the  heart  of 
the  old  murdered  chief,  and  then  divided  it 
into  small  pieces  among  the  several  warriors, 
who  devoured  it,  to  inspire  them  with  courage, 
and  "  make  their  hearts  glad." 

The  whole  scene  was  shocking  and  disgust- 
ing in  the  extreme,  and  such  a  one,  we  hope, 
never  again  will  be  witnessed  in  a  civilized 
community. 

The  incidents  just  related,  occurred  in  a  town 
containing  a  civilized  (?)  population  of  600  or 
800  inhabitants,  under  the  walls  of  the  U. 
S.  garrison,  and  within  musket  shot  of  the  fort. 
Neither  civil  nor  military  authorities  made  any 
effort  to  prevent  the  exhibition  of  the  revolt- 
ing and  savage  trophies  of  the  sanguinary 
battle.  In  the  afternoon,  the  party  of  Sioux 
warriors  embarked  in  their  canoes,  and  ascend- 
ed tlie  Mississippi,  on  their  return  to  their 
own  village,  leaving  on  the  minds  and  memo- 
ries of  those  who  witnessed  these  horrible  and 
frantic  orgies,  recollections  not  soon  to  be  for- 
gotten. 

II. —  BY    JAMES    H.    LOCKWOOD. 

In  1830  a  party  of  Sauks  and  Foxes  killed 
some  Sioux,  on  or  about  the  head-waters  of  Red 
Cedar  river,  in  the  now  State  of  Iowa;  and  the 
same  season  a  band  of  Fox  Indians,  who  resided 
about  where  Dubuque  now  is,  had  occasion  to 
visit  Prairie  du  Chien  on  business  with  the 
agent,  whom  they  had  previously  informed  that 
they  would  arrive  on  a  certain  day.     An  Indian 


called  the  Kettle  was  their  chief.  It  was  gener- 
ally believed  that  John  Marsh  gave  the  Sioux 
information  of  the  coming  of  the  Foxes,  and  of 
the  time  they  were  expected;  and  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  day  appointed  for  the  arrival  of  the 
Foxes  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  a  small  war  party  of 
young  k^ioux  made  their  appearance  here,  and 
joined  by  a  few  of  the  Menomonee  young  men, 
proceeded  down  tlie  Mississippi  to  the  lower 
end  of  the  Prairie  du  Pierreaux,  some  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles  below  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  a 
narrow  channel  of  the  Mississippi  runs  close  to 
that  end  of  the  prairie,  fringed  with  small  trees, 
bushes  and  grass.  They  knew  the  custom  of 
the  Indians  in  going  up  stream  to  avail  them- 
selves of  all  such  side  channels,  as  there  was 
less  current  in  them  than  in  the  broad  river;  and 
secreting  themselves  among  the  bushes,  trees 
and  grass,  awaited  their  unsuspecting  victims. 
When  the  Foxes  came  within  point  blank  shot, 
they  all  fired  upon  them,  killing  their  chief 
Kettle  and  several  others.  The  Foxes  finding 
their  chief  killed,  returned  down  the  river  to 
carry  the  news  of  their  misfortunes  to  the  tribe, 
while  the  Sioux  and  Menomonees  returned  home 
with  the  tidings  of  their  victory  and  to  dance 
over  it.  They  passed  through  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  remained  a  short  time  here,  but  for  some 
unaccountable  reason,  no  notice  whatever  was 
taken  of  it. 

The  signs  of  several  war  parties  of  the  Foxes 
were  reported  to  have  been  seen  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river  during  the  year;  but  they 
effected  nothing  until  sometime,  I  think,  in 
June,  1831,  when  a  considerable  number  of 
Menomonees  had  collected  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  encamped  on  an  island  near  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  Mississippi,  about  one-fourth  of  a 
mile  from  the  old  Fort  Crawford.  They  had 
obtained  whisky  enough  for  all  to  get  socially 
drunk  upon — and  it  is  rare  to  find  a  Menomonee 
who  will  not  get  drunk  when  he  has  a  chance; 
and  they  had  carried  their  revels  far  into  the 
night,  until  men,  women  and  children  were 
beastly  drunk.     About  two  hours  before  day,  a 


344 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Fox  war  party,  that  liad  been  watching  their 
movements,  fell  upon  them  in  that  helpless 
state  and  killed  about  thirty  ot  them.  By  this 
time  some  of  the  more  sober  of  them  were 
aroused,  and  commenced  firing  upon  the  Foxes, 
who  fled  down  the  river,  pursued  a  short  distance 
by  the  Menomonees. 

Thomas  P.  Burnett,  the  Sub-Indian  Agent, 
was  sleeping  with  me  in  my  store,  and  it  being 
very  warm  weather,  we  had  made  a  bed  of 
blankets  on  the  counter,  when  about  two  hours 
before  daylight,  we  were  awakened  by  the  cries 
of  a  Menoraonee  woman  at  the  store  door.  We 
let  her  in,  when  she  told  us  of  the  disaster  to 
the  Menomonees.  Mr.  Burnett  took  my  horse 
and  went  to  inform  Gen.  Street,  the  Indian 
Agent,  who  lived  about  four  miles  above  this, 
and  who  arrived  about  day-light  and  gave  the 
first  information  to  the  fort.  Although  there 
had  been  a  great  firing  of  guns  and  hallooing 
among  the  Indians,  the  sentinels  had  reported 
nothing  of  it  to  the  ofiicers;  but  on  hearing  of 
the  affair,  the  commandant  immediately  dis- 
patched a  company  of  men  in  boats  after  the 
Foxes,  but  they  did  not  overtake  them.  The 
government  demanded  of  the  Sauks  to  deliver 
up  the  perpetrators  of  this  deed.  The  Foxes 
fled  to  the  Sauks,  and  their  chief.  Kettle,  being 
dead,  they  remained  among  and  amalgamated 
with  them,  and  have  not  since  continued  a 
separate  Nation  or  tribe.  I  have  always 
believed  this  to  be  the  origin  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War.  There  were,  I  suppose,  other  causes  of 
discontent,  but  I  believe  that  this  transaction 
was   the  immediate  cause  of  the  movements  of 

Black  Hawk. 

DANIEL  M.  Parkinson's  recollections  of  the 

WINNEBAGO        WAR. 

[From  '  'Colleclinns  of  ihe  State  Historical  Society  of 
Wisoousin,"  Vol.  II,  1856]. 

In  the  year  1822  considerable  excitement  was 

created    in    relation    to    the    lead  mines  near 

Galena,  and   a  number  of  persons   went  there 

from  Sangamon  county,  among  whom  was   Col. 

Ebenezer  Brigham,  now  of  Blue  Mounds,  Dane 

Co.,  Wis.     In  1828  the  excitement  and  interest 


relative  to  the  lead  mine  country  became  con- 
siderably increased,  and  in  1827,  it  became 
intense,  equalling  almost  anything  pertaining 
to  the  California  gold  fever.  People  from 
almost  all  portions  of  the  Union  inconsiderately 
rushed  to  the  mining  region. 

With  Col.  Wm.  S.  Hamilton,James  D.  Brents 
and  two  others,  I  arrived  at  Galena  on  the  4th  of 
July,  1827,  and  on  the  same  day  arrived  also  a 
a  boat  from  St.  Peters,  which  had  been  attacked 
by  the  Indians  a  short  distance  above  Prairie  du 
Chien,  bringing  on  board  one  man  killed  and 
two  men  wounded.  In  the  encounter  with  the 
Indians  they  killed  two  of  them.     *      *     * 

Upon  the  reception  of  the  alarming  intelli- 
gence of  the  attack  on  this  boat,  and  also  upon 
some  of  the  inhabitants  near  Prairie  du  Chien 
and  the  reports  being  spread  over  the  country, 
a  scene  of  the  mostalarming  and  disorderly  con- 
fusion ensued  —  alarm  and  consternation  were 
depicted  in  every  countenance — thousands  flock- 
ing to  Galena  for  safety,  when  in  fact  it  was 
the  most  exposed  and  unsafe  place  in  the  whole 
country.  All  were  without  arms,  order  or  con- 
trol. The  roads  were  lined  in  all  directions 
with  frantic  and  fleeing  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, expecting  every  moment  to  be  overtaken, 
tomahawked  and  scalped  by  the  Indians.  It 
was  said,  and  I  presume  with  truth,  that  the 
encampment  of  fugitives  at  the  head  of  Apple 
river  on  the  first  night  of  the  alarm  was  four 
miles  in  extent,  and  numbered  3,000  persons. 

In  this  state  of  alarm,  confusion  and  disorder, 
it  was  extremely  difficult  to  do  any  thing;  almost 
every  man's  object  was  to  leave  the  country,  if 
possible.  At  length  a  company  of  riflemen  was 
raised  at  Galena,  upon  the  requisition  of  Gov. 
Cass  of  Michigan,  who  arrived  there  on  the 
second  day  after  the  alarm.  This  company  was 
commanded  by  Abner  Fields,  of  Vandalia,  111., 
as  captain,  and  one  Smith  and  Wm.  S.  Hamil- 
ton as  lieutenants,  and  was  immediately  put  in 
motion  for  Prairie  du  Chien,  by  embarking  on 
board  the  keel-boat  Maid  of  Fevre  river.  On 
our  way  up  the  river,  I  acted  as  sergeant  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


345 


company,  and  we  made  several  reconnoitering 
expeditions  into  the  woods  near  the  river,  where 
Indian  encampments  were  indicated  by  the  ris- 
ing of  smoke.  In  these  reconnoissanoes  we  run 
the  hazard  of  some  danger,  but  fortunately  all 
the  Indians  that  we  met  were  friendly  disposed, 
and  did  not  in  the  least  sympathize  with  those 
who  had  made  hostile  demonstrations. 

When  we  arrived  at  Prairie  du  Cbien  we  took 
possession  of  the  barracks,  under  the  prior 
orders  of  Gov.  Cass,  and  remained  there  for 
several  days  until  we  gave  way  to  Col.  Snelling's 
troops  who  arrived  from  Fort  Snelling.  While 
we  remained  there,  a  most  serious  difficulty  oc- 
curred between  Col.  Snelling,  of  the  regular 
army,  and  Capt.  Fields  and  Lieut.  Smith  of  our 
volunteers,  wliich  eventuated  in  Lieut.  Smith 
sending  Col.  Snelling  a  challenge,  and  Capt. 
Fields  insisted  upon  doing  so  likewise,  but  Col. 
Hamilton  and  I  at  length  dissuaded  him  from  it. 
Col.  Snelling  declined  accepting  Lieut.  Smith's 
challenge,  and  immediately  sent  a  corporal  with 
a  file  of  men  to  arrest  Mr.  Scott,  the  bearer  of 
Smith's  communication.  The  volunteers  refused 
to  surrender  Scott  into  the  hands  of  the  guard 
but  Col  Hamilton  wrote  a  note  to  Col.  Snelling, 
stating,  in  effect,  that  Scott  should  immediately 
appear  before  him.  Accordingly  Col.  Hamilton 
and  I  conducted  Mr.  Scott  into  the  presence  of 
Col.  Snelling,  who  interrogated  him  as  to  his 
knowledge  of  the  contents  of  Lieut.  Smith's 
communication;  and  upon  Mr.  Scott's  assuring 
the  colonel  that  he  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the 
subject-matter,  he  was  dismissed. 

Col.  Snelling  then  addressed  the  vo'unteers 
in  a  pacific  and  conciliatory  manner,  which 
seemed  to  dispose  of  the  matter  amicably;  but 
the  colonel,  nevertheless,  refused  to  furnish  us 
with  any  means  of  support,  or  any  mode  of  con- 
veyance back  to  Galena — as  the  boat  in  which 
we  came,  returned  there  immediately  after  our 
arrival.  But  for  the  noble  generosity  of  Mr. 
Lockwood,  who  kindly  furnished  us  with  a 
boat  and  provisions,  we  would  have  been  com- 
pelled to  have  made  our  way  back  to  Galena  on 


foot,  or  as  best  we  could,  without  provisions. 
During  our  entire  stay  at  the  garrison,  we  re- 
ceived the  kindest  treatment  and  most  liberal 
hospitality  at  the  hands  of  Mr.  Lockwood.  At 
the  time  of  our  arrival  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  the 
citizens  had  in  their  custody  as  hostages  for  the 
good  conduct  of  their  Nation,  three  Indians, 
one  of  whom  was  the  well-known  Chief  Day- 
kau-ray.  He  disclaimed  on  the  part  of  his 
Nation  as  a  whole,  any  intention  to  engage  in 
hostilities  with  the  whites;  he  was,  however^ 
retained  some  time  as  a  hostage  before  being 
released. 

During  our  absence,  another  volunteer  com- 
pany was  raised,  commanded  by  Gen.  Dodge, 
who  was  constantly  in  the  field  with  his 
mounted  force,  keeping  in  check  the  approach 
of  the  enemy.  During  his  rangings,  he  took 
young  Win-ne-shiek,  son  of  the  chief  Win-ne- 
shiek,  who  was  detained  as  a  hostage  for  some 
time.  No  farther  disturbances  of  a  serious 
character  took  place  that  season;  and  in  the  suc- 
ceeding autumn,  Gens.  Atkinson  and  Dodge 
held  a  council  or  treaty  with  the  Winnebagoes. 
After  this  we  had  no  more  Indian  troubles  till 
1832. 

JAMES  H.    LOCKWOOd's    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    WINNE- 
BAGO   WAR. 

In  the  winter  of  1825-26,  the  wise  men  at 
Washington  took  it  into  their  heads  to  remove 
the  troops  from  Fort  Crawford  to  Fort  Snelling, 
and  abandon  the  former.  This  measure  was 
then  supposed  to  have  been  brought  about  on 
the  representation  of  Col.  Snelling  of  Fort 
Snelling,  who  disliked  Prairie  du  Chien  for 
xiifficulties  he  had  with  some  of  the  principal 
inhabitants.  During  the  winter  there  were 
confined  in  the  guard-house  of  Fort  Crawford 
two  Winnebago  Indians,  for  some  of  their  sup- 
posed dishonest  acts  ;  but  what  they  were 
charged  with,  I  do  not  now  recollect.  At  that 
time,  as  already  mentioned,  our  mails  from  St. 
Louis,  the  east  and  south,  came  via  Springfield 
to  Galena,  and  the  postmaster  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  sent  to  Galena  for  the  mails  of  that  place 


346 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  Fort  Snelling.  An  order  would  frequently 
arrive  by  steamboat  countermanding  a  previous 
order  for  the  abandonment  of  the  fort,  before 
the  arrival  of  first  order  by  mail,  and  this  mat- 
ter continued  during  the  summer  of  1826,  and 
until  October,  when  a  positive  order  arrived, 
directing  the  commandant  of  Fort  Crawford  to 
abandon  the  fort,  and  proceed  with  the  troops 
to  Fort  Snelling  ;  and  if  he  could  not  procure 
transportation,  to  leave  the  provisions,  ammu- 
nition and  fort  in  charge  of  some  citizen. 

But  a  few  days  previous  to  this  order,  there 
had  been  an  alarming  report  circulated,  that  the 
Winnebagoes  were  going  to  attack  Fort  Craw- 
ford, and  the  commandant  set  to  work  repairing 
the  old  fort, anil  making  additional  defenses.  Du- 
ring this  time  the  positive  order  arrived,  and  the 
precipitancy  with  which  the  fort  was  abandoned 
during  the  alarm  was  communicated  to  the 
Indians  through  the  half-breeds  residing  at  or 
visiting  the  place,  which  naturally  caused  the 
Winnebagoes  to  believe  that  the  troops  had  tied 
tiirough  fear  of  them.  The  commandant  took 
with  liira  to  Fort  Snelling  the  two  Winnebagoes 
confined  in  Fort  Crawfori),  leaving  behind  some 
provisions,  and  all  the  damaged  arms,  with  a 
brass  swivel  and  a  few  wall  pieces,  in  charge  of 
John  Marsh,  the  then  sub-agent  at  this  place. 

The  Winnebagoes,  in  the  fall  of  1826,  ob- 
tained from  the  traders  their  usual  credit  for 
goods,  and  went  to  their  hunting  grounds; 
but  early  in  the  winter  a  report  became  current 
among  the  traders  that  the  Winnebagoes  had 
heard  a  rumor  that  the  Americans  and  English 
were  going  to  war  in  the  spring  ;  and  hence 
they  were  holding  councils  to  decide  upon  the 
course  they  should  adopt,  hunting  barely  enough 
to  obtain  what  they  wanted  to  subsist  upon  in 
the  meantime . 

Mr.  M.  Brisbois  said  to  me  several  times 
during  the  winter,  that  he  fe.ired  some  outrages 
from  the  Winneb.igoes  in  the  spring,  as  from 
all  lie  could  gather  they  were  bent  on  war,  which 
I  ought  to  have  believed,  as  Mr.  Brisbois  had 
been  among  them  engaged    in  trade  over  forty 


years.  But  I  thought  it  impossible  that  the 
Winnebagoes,  surrounded,  as  they  were  by 
Americans,  and  troops  in  the  country,  should 
for  a  moment  seriously  entertain  such  an  idea. 
I  supposed  it  a  false  alarm,  and  gave  myself 
very  little  uneasinesss  about  it ;  but  in  the 
spring,  when  they  returned  from  their  hunts, 
I  found  that  they  paid  much  worse  than  usual, 
although  they  were  not  celebrated  for  much 
])unctuality  or  honesty  in  paying  their  debts. 
It  was  a  general  custom  with  the  traders,  when 
an  Indian  paid  his  debts  in  the  spring  pretty 
well,  on  his  leaving,  to  let  him  have  a  little 
ammunition,  either  as  a  present  or  on  credit. 
A  Winnebago  by  the  name  of  Wah-wah-peck-ah, 
had  taken  a  credit  from  me,  and  paid  mo  but  a 
small  part  of  it  in  the  spring ;  and  when 
I  reproached  him,  he  was  disposed  to  be  impu- 
dent about  it ;  and  when  his  party  were  about 
going,  he  applied  to  me  as  usual  for  amunition 
for  the  summer,  and  insisted  upon  having  some, 
but  I  told  him  if  he  had  behaved  well,  and  paid 
me  his  credit  better,  that  I  would  have  given 
him  some,  but  that  he  had  behaved  so  bad  that 
I  would  not  give  him  any,  and  he  went  away 
in  a  surly  mood. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Methode,  I  think,  a 
half-breed  of  some  of  the  tribes  of  the  north, 
had  arrived  here,  sometime  in  the  summer  of 
1826,  with  his  wife,  and,  I  think,  five  children  ; 
and,  sometime  in  March  of  1827,  he  went  with 
his  family,  up  the  Yellow  or  Painted  Rock  creek, 
about  twelve  miles  above  the  Prairie,  on  the 
Iowa  side  of  the  Mississippi  river,  to  make 
sugar.  The  sugar  season  being  over,  and  he 
not  returning,  and  hearing  nothing  from  him, 
a  party  of  his  friends  went  to  look  for  him,  and 
found  his  camp  •consumed,  and  himself,  wife 
and  children  burned  nearly  to  cinders,  and  she 
at  the  time  enciente.  They  were  so  crisped 
and  cindered  that  it  was  impossible  to  deter- 
mine whether  they  had  been  murdered  and  then 
burned,  or  whether  their  camp  had  accidentally 
caught  on  fire  and  consumed  them.  It  was 
generally  believed    that   the   Winnebagoes  had 


HTSTORT  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


347 


murdered  and  burnt  them,  and  Red  Bird  was 
suspected  to  have  been  concerned  in  it;  but  I  am 
more  inclined  to  think,  that  if  murdered  by 
Indians,  it  was  done  by  some  Fox  war  party 
searching  for  Sioux. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year,  1827,  while  a  Chip- 
pewa chief  called  Hole-in-the-day,  with  a  part 
of  his  band,  visited  Fort  Snelliug  on  business 
with  the  government,  and  while  un'ler  the  guns 
of  the  fort,  a  Sioux  warrior  shot  one  of  the 
Chippewas.  The  Sioux  was  arrested  by  the 
troops,  and  confined  in  the  guard-house.  The 
Chippewas  requested  Col.  Snelling  to  deliver 
the  Sioux  to  them,  to  be  dealt  with  after  their 
manner  ;  to  which  he  agreed,  provided  they 
would  give  him  a  chance  to  run  for  his  life.  To 
this  they  acceded.  The  Sioux  was  sent  outside 
of  the  fort,  where  the  Chippewas  were  armed 
with  tomahawks  and  war  clubs.  He  was  to  be 
allowed  a  fair  start,  and  at  a  signal  started, 
and  one  of  the  swiftest  of  the  Chippewas 
armed  with  a  club  and  tomahawk  after  him,  to 
overtake  and  kill  him  if  he  could,  which  he  soon 
effected,  as  the  Sioux  did  not  run  fast,  and  when 
overtaken  made  no  resistance.  The  Winneba- 
goes  hearing  a  rumor  of  this,  got  the  news 
among  them  that  the  two  Winnebagoes  con- 
fined there  (for  the  murder  of  Methode  and 
family)  had  been  executed. 

During  the  spring  of  1827,  the  reports  about 
the  Winnebagoes  bore  rather  a  threatening  as- 
pect; but,  as  I  said  before,  situated  as  they 
were  I  did  not  believe  they  would  commit 
any  depredations.  Under  this  belief,  and  hav- 
ing urgent  business  in  New  York  to  purchase 
my  goods,  I  started  for  that  city  on  the  25th  of 
June;  it  then  took  about  six  months  to  go  and 
return.  Mine  was  the  only  purely  American 
family  at  the  Prairie,  after  the  Garrison  left. 
There  was  Thomas  McNair,  who  had  married  a 
French  girl  of  the  Prairie,  and  John  Marsh,  the 
sub-Indian  agent,  who  had  no  family,  and  there 
were  besides  three  or  four  Americans  who  had 
been  discharged  from  the  army.  Without  ap- 
prehension of  danger  from  the  Indians,  I  left 


my  family,  which  consisted  of  Mrs.  Lockwood, 
and  her  brother,  a  young  man  of  between  six- 
teen and  seventeen  years  of  age,  who  was  clerk 
in  charge  of  the  store,  and  a  servant  girl  be- 
longing to  one  of  the  tribes  of  New  York  civi- 
lized Indians  settled  near  Green  Bay. 

I  started  to  go  by  way  of  Green  Bay  and  the 
lakes  for  New  York,  in  a  boat  up  the  Wiscon- 
sin, and  down    the    Fox   river   to  Green    Bay; 
thence    in  a  vessel  to    Buffalo,  and    down    the 
canal   to  Albany,  and  thence  by  steamboat   to 
New  York    city.     About  4  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon of  the   first  day's  journey  up  the  Wiscon- 
sin, I    came    to    an    island    where    were  sitting 
three  Winnebagoes  smoking,  the  oldest  called 
Wah-wah-peck-ah,  who  had  a  credit  of  me  the 
the  fall  previous  and  had  paid  but  little  of  it  in 
the  spring;  the  other  two  were  young  men  not 
known  to  me  by  name.     They  had  some  venison 
hanging  on  a  pole,  and  we  stopped  to  purchase 
it.     As  I  stepped  on  shore  I  discovered  an  ap- 
pearance of   cold  reserve  unusual  in  Indians  in 
such  meetings,  and  as  I  went  up  to  them  I  said, 
^bon  jour''  the    usual    French   salutation,  which 
they  generally  understood;    but  Wah-wah-peck- 
ah  said  that  he  would  not  say  '■honjour''  to  me. 
Upon   which  I  took  hold  of  his  hand  and  shook 
it,  asking  him  why  he  would  not  say  bon  jour  to 
me?     He    inquired  what  the  news  was.     I  told 
him  I  had  no  news.     He  told  me  that  ihe  Win- 
nebagoes   confined  at    Fort  Snelling  had  been 
killed.     I  assured  hira  that  it  was  not  true,  that 
I   had  seen  a  person  lately  from  that  fort,  who 
told   me  of  the  death  of  the  Sioux,  but  that  the 
Winnebagoes  were  alive.     He  then  gave  me  to 
understand  that  if  such  was  the  case,  it  was  well; 
but  if  the  Winnebagoes  were  killed,  they  would 
avenge  it.  I  succeeded  in  purchasing  the  venison, 
giving    them    some    powder    in   exchange,   and 
as  I  was  about  to   step   on  board  of  my  boat, 
Wah-wah-peck-ah  wanted  some  whisky,  know- 
ing that  we  always  carried   some  for  our  men. 
I  directed  one  of  the  men  to  give  them  each  a 
drink,    which     Wah-wah-peck-ah    refused,   and 
taking    up    his    cup   that   he    had    by    him,    he 


348 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


showed  by  signs  that  he  wanted  it  filled;  and 
believing  that  the  Indians  were  seeking  some 
pretense  for  a  quarrel  as  an  excuse  for  doing 
mischief,  I  thought  it  most  prudent  under  the  cir- 
cumstances to  comply. 

There  were  among  the  boats'  crew  some  old 
voyageurs,  well  acquainted  with  Indian  manners 
and  customs,  who,  from  the  conduct  of  these 
Indians,  became  alarmed.  We,  however, 
embarked,  watching  the  Indians,  each  of  whom 
stood  on  the  bank  with  his  gun  in  his  hand. 
As  it  was  late  in  the  day,  we  proceeded  a  few 
miles  up  the  river  and  encamjted  for  the  night. 
As  soon  as  the  boat  left  the  island,  the  three 
Indians  each  got  into  his  hunting  canoe,  and 
the  two  young  Indians  came  up  on  either  side 
opposite  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  continued 
thus  up  the  river  until  we  encamped  while 
VVah-wah.peck-ah  kept  four  or  fiye  rods 
behind  the  boat.  They  encamped  with 
us,  and  commenced  running  and  playing 
with  the  men  on  the  sand  beach;  and  after  a 
little  the  young  Indians  proposed  to  go  hunting 
deer  by  candle-light,  and  asked  me  to  give  them 
some  candles  to  hunt  with,  which  I  did,  with 
some  ammunition,  and  they  promised  to  return 
with  venison  in  the  morning.  After  they  had 
gone,  Wali-wah-peck-ah  proposed  also  to  go 
hunting,  and  begged  some  candles  and  ammuni- 
tion, but  remained  in  camp  over  night.  Morn- 
ing came,  but  the  young  Indians  did  not  return, 
and  I  saw  no  more  of  them.  In  the  morning, 
after  Wah-wali-peck-ah  had  begged  something 
more,  he  started,  pretending  to  go  down  the 
river,  and  went,  as  we  supposed;  but  about  an 
hour  afterward,  as  we  were  passing  on  the  right 
of  the  upper  end  of  the  island  on  which  we 
had  encamped,  I  saw  Wah>-wah-peck-ah  coming 
up  on  the  left.  He  looked  very  surly,  and  we 
exchanged  no  words,  but  we  were  all  satisfied 
that  he  was  seeking  some  good  opportunity  to 
shoot  me,  and  from  the  singular  conduct  of  the 
Indians,  I  and  my  men  were  considerably 
alarmed.  But  about  9  o'clock  in  the 
morning,      meeting       a      band      of      Indians 


from  the  Portage  of  Wisconsin,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  glad  to  see  me,  and  said  they 
were  going  to  Prairie  Du  Chien,  my  fears  with 
those  of  the  men  were  somewhat  allayed.  I 
wrote  with  my  pencil  a  hasty  line  to  my  wife, 
which  the  Indians  promised  to  deliver,  but  they 
never  did,  as  they  did  not  go  there. 

This  day,  the  26th  of  June,  we  proceeded  up 
the  Wisconsin  without  seeing  any  Indians  until 
we  came  near  Prairie  Du  Bale,  when  an  Indian, 
alone  in  a  hunting  canoe,  came  out  of  some  nook 
and  approached  us.  He  was  sullen,  and  we 
could  get  no  talk  out  of  him.  We  landed  on 
Prairie  Du  Bale,  and  he  stopped  also;  and  a  few 
moments  thereafter,  a  canoe  of  Menomonees 
arrived  from  Prairie  Du  Chien,  bringing  a  bi-ief 
note  from  John  Marsh,  saying  the  Winnebagoes 
had  murdered  a  man  of  mixed  French  and  ne- 
gro blood,  named  Rijeste  Gagnier,  and  Solo- 
mon Lipcap,  and  for  me,  for  God's  sake,  to  re- 
turn. I  immediately  got  into  the  canoe  with 
the  Menomonees,  and  directed  my  men  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  portage,  and  if  I  did  not  overtake 
them  to  go  on  to  Green  Bay.  I  proceeded  down 
the  river  with  the  Menomonees,  and  when  we 
had  descended  to  the  neighborhood  where  we 
had  fallen  in  with  the  Indians  the  day  before, 
we  met  Wah-wah-peck-ah  coming  up  in  his  hunt- 
ing canoe  alone,  having  with  liim  his  two  guns. 
He  inquired  if  I  was  going  to  the  Prairie.  I 
told  him  I  was.  He  then  told  me  that  the 
whisky  at  the  Prairie  was  shut  up,  but  did  not 
tell  rae  of  the  murders,  and  asked  me  that 
should  he  come  to  the  Prairie  whether  I  would 
let  him  have  some  whisky?  I  told  him  I  cer- 
tainly wou'd  if  he  brought  some  furs,  not  wish- 
ing then  to  make  any  explanation,  or  to  enter 
into  any  argument  with  him. 

About  this  time,  we  heard  back  of  an  island, 
and  on  the  southern  shore  of  the  Wisconsin,  the 
Winnebagoes  singing  their  war  songs  and  danc- 
ing, with  which  I  was  familiar;  and  so  well  sat- 
isfied was  I  that  Wah-wah-peok-ah  was  only 
seeking  a  favorable  opportunity  to  shoot  me, 
that  if    I   had  had  a  gun  where  he  met  us,  I  be- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


351 


lieve  that  I  should  have  shot  him.  After  talk- 
ing with  him  the  Meiiomonees  moved  down  the 
river,  and  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wis- 
consin about  dark  without  seeing  any  more 
Winnebagoes.  It  was  so  dark  that  the 
Monomonees  thought  that  we  had  better 
stop  until  morning,  and  we  accordingly 
crawled  into  the  bushes  without  a  fire  and 
fought  mosquitoes  all  night,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing, the  27th,  procetded  to  the  Prairie.  I  went 
to  my  house  and  found  it  vacant,  and  went  to 
the  old  village  where  I  found  my  family  and 
most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Prairie,  assem- 
bled at  the  house  of  Jean  Brunet,  who  kept  a 
tavern.  Mr.  Brunet  had  a  quantity  of  square 
timber  about  him,  and  the  people  proposed 
building  breast-works  with  it. 

I  learned  on  my  arrival  at  the  Prairie  that  on 
the  preceeding  day,  the  26th,  Red  Bird,  (who, 
when  dressed,  always  wore  a  red  coat  and  I'iilled 
himself  English,)  went  to  my  house  with  two 
other  Indians,  and  entering  the  cellar  kitchen, 
loacle(l  their  gnus  in  the  presence  of  the  servant 
girl,  and  went  up  through  the  hall  into  Mrs. 
Lockwood's  bed-room  where  she  was  sitting 
nlone.  The  moment  the  Indians  entered  her 
room  she  believed  they  came  to  kill  her,  .liid  im- 
mediately passed  into  and  through  the  parlor, 
and  crossed  the  hall  into  the  store  to  her  broth- 
er, where  she  found  Duncan  Graham,  who  had 
been  in  the  country  about  forty  years  as  a  trader, 
and  was  known  by  all  the  Indians  as  an  English- 
man. He  had  been  a  captain  in  the  British 
Indian  Department  during  the  War  of  ]81'2,  and 
a  part  of  the  time  was  commandant  at  Prairie 
Du  Chien.  The  Indians  followed  Mrs.  Lock- 
wood  into  the  store,  and  Mr.  Graham  by  some 
means  induced  them  to  leave  the  house. 

They  then  proceeded  to  McNair's  Coulee,  about 
two  miles  from  the  village,  at  the  lower  end  of 
Prairie  Du  Chien,  where  lived  Rijeste  Gagnier; 
his  wife  was  a  mixed  blood  of  French  and  Sioux 
extraction,  with  two  children;  and  living  with 
him  was  an  old  discharged  American  soldier  by 


the  name  of  Solomon  Lipcap.  The  Winneba- 
goes commenced  a  quarrel  with  Gagnier,  and 
finally  shot  him,  I  believe,  in  the  liouse.  Lip- 
cap,  at  work  hoeing  in  the  garden  near  the 
house,  they  also  shot.  During  the  confusion, 
Mrs.  Gagnier  siezed  a  gun,  got  out  at  the  back 
window  with  her  boy  about  three  years  old  on 
her  back,  and  proceeded  to  the  village  with  the 
startling  news.  The  cowardly  Indians  followed 
her  a  part  of  the  way,  but  dared  not  attack  her. 
On  her  arrival  at  the  village  a  party  went  to  the 
scene  of  murder,  and  found  and  brought  away 
the  dead,  and  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Gagnier, 
about  one  year  old,  whom  the  mother  in  her 
fright  had  forgotton.  The  Indians  had  scalped 
her  and  inflicted  a  severe  wound  in  her  neck, 
and  left  her  for  dead,  and  had  thrown  her  un- 
der the  bed,  but  she  was  found  to  be  still  alive. 
She  got  well,  and  arriving  at  womanhood  got 
married, and  has  raised  a  family  of  children; 
-he  is  yet  alive  and  her  eldest  daughter  was  but 
recently  married. 

The  people  had  decided  not  to  occupy  the  old 
,Dit,  as  a  report  had  been  circulated  that  theln- 
lianshad  said  that  they  intended  to  burn  it  if  the 
inhabitants  should  take  refuge  there.  During  the 
lay  of  the  27th,  the  people  occupied  themselves 
in  making  some  breast-works  of  the  timber 
about  Mr.  Brunet's  tavern,  getting  the  swivel 
and  wall  pieces  from  the  fort,  and  the  con- 
demned muskets  and  repairing  them,  and  con- 
cluded they  would  defend  themselves,  each 
commanding,  none  obeying,  but  every  one  giv- 
ing his  opinion  free'y. 

About  sunset  one  of  the  two  keel-boats  arrived 
that  had  a  few  days  previously  gone  to  Fort  Snel- 
ling  with  supplies  for  the  garrison,  having  on 
board  a  dead  Indian,  two  dead  men  of  the  crew 
and  four  wounded.  The  dead  and  wounded  of 
the  crew  were  inhabitants  of  Prairie  Du  Chien 
who  had  shipped  on  the  up-bound  trip.  They 
reported  that  they  had  been  attacked  the  even- 
ing  before,    about  sunset,  by    the    Winnebago 


21 


R52 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


*Inrlians,  near  the  mouth  of  Bad  Ax  river,  and 
the  boat  received  about  500  shots,  judging  from 
the  marks  on  its  bow  and  sides.  The  Indians 
were  mostly  on  an  island  on  the  west  of  the 
channel,  near  to  which  the  boat  had  to  pass, 
and  the  wind  blowing  strong  from  the  east, 
drifted  the  boat  towards  the  shore,  where  the 
Indians  were,  as  the  steering  oar  had  been 
abandoned  by  the  steersman.  During  this  time, 
two  of  the  Indians  succeeded  in  getting  on 
board  of  the  boat.  One  of  them  mounted  the 
roof,  and  fired  in  from  the  fore  part;  but  he  was 
soon  shot  and  fell  oi5  into  the  river.  The  other 
Indian  took  the  steering  oar  and  endeavored  to 
steer  the  boat  to  the  island.  He  was  also  shot 
and  brought  down  in  the  boat  where  he  fell. 
During  all  this  time  the  Indians  kept  up  a  hot 
fire.  The  boat  was  fast  drifting  towards  a  sand 
bar  near  the  shore,  and  they  would  all  have  been 
murdered  had  it  not  been  for  the  brave,  resolute 
conduct  of  an  old  soldier  on  board,  called  Saucy 
Sack  (his  surname  I  do  not  retnember),  wlio,  dur- 
ing the  hottest  of  the  fire,  jumped  over  at  the  bow 
and  pushed  the  boat  oif,  and  where  he  must 
have  stood  the  boat  was  literally  covered  with 
ball  marks,  so  that  his  escape  seemed  a  miracle. 
They  also  reported  that  early  the  day  before  the 
attack,  they  were  lashed  to  the  other  boat 
drifting,  and  that  they  had  grounded  on  a  sand 
bar  and  separated,  since  which  time  they  had 
not  seen  or  heard  anything  of  the  other  boat, 
and  thought  probably  that  it  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  Indians. 

This  created  an    additional  alai-m  among  the 
inhabitants.      The    same   evening  my  boat  re- 

*Ex-Gov.  Reynoldg,  of  Illinois,  in  his  volume  of 
his  Life  and  Times,  thus  states  the  immediate 
cause  of  this  attack.  That  somewhere  above 
Prairie  Du  Chien  on  their  upward  trip,  they  stopped 
at  a  large  camp  of  Winnebago  Indians,  gave  them 
some  liquor  freely  and  got  them  drunk,  when  they  forced  six 
or  seven  squaws,  stupelied  with  liquor,  ou  board  the  boats, 
fiir  cnmipt  and  brutal  purposes,  and  kept  them  during  their 
voyage  to  Fort  Snellingand  on  their  return.  When  the  Win- 
nebago Indians  became  sober,  and  fuUy  conscious  of  the  in- 
jury done  tbera,  they  mustered  all  their  forces,  amounting  to 
several  hundred  and  attacked  the  foremost  of  the  descending 
boats  in  which  their  squaws  were  confined.  But  this  story 
has  since  been  proven  to  be  without  foundation. 


turned,  the  men  becoming  too  much  alarmed 
to  proceed.  That  night  sentinels  were  posted 
by  the  inhabitants  within  the  breast- works, 
who  saw,  in  imagination,  a  great  many  Indians 
prowling  about  in  the  darkness;  and  in  the 
morning  there  was  a  great  variety  of  opinion 
as  to  what  was  best  to  be  done  for  the  safety  of 
the  place,  and  appearances  betokened  a  great 
deal  of  uneasiness  in  the  minds  of  all  classes. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th  I  slept  rather 
late,  owing  to  the  fatigue  of  the  preceding 
day.  My  brother-in-law  awakened  me,  and  told 
me  the  people  had  got  into  some  difficulty,  and 
that  they  wished  me  to  come  out  and  see  if  I 
•could  not  settle  it.  I  went  out  on  the  gallery, 
and  inquired  what  the  diflieulty  was;  and  heard 
the  various  plans  and  projects  of  defense  pro- 
posed by  diflFerent  persons.  Some  objected  to 
staying  in  the  village  and  protecting  the 
property  of  the  villagers  while  theirs,  outside 
the  village,  was  equally  exposed  to  the  pillage 
of  the  Indians.  Others  were  for  remaining  and 
fortifying  where  they  were,  and  others  still 
urged  the  repairing  the  old  fort.  As  the  emi- 
nence on  which  my  house  stood  overlooked  the 
most  of  the  prairie,  some  were  for  concentrat- 
ing our  people  there  and  fortifying  it.  After 
hearing  these  different  projects,  I  addressed  them 
something  as  follows:  "As  to  your  fortifying 
ray  house,  you  can  do  so,  if  it  is  thought  best, 
but  I  do  not  wish  you  to  go  there  to  protect  it; 
I  have  abandoned  it,  and  if  the  Indians  burn  it, 
so  be  it;  but  there  is  one  thing,  if  we  intend  to 
protect  ourselves  from  the  Indians,  we  must 
keep  together,   and  some  one  must  command." 

Some  one  then  nominated  m^e  as  commander, 
but  I  said:  "No,  I  would  not  attempt  to  com- 
mand you,  but  here  is  Thomas  McNair,  who 
holds  from  the  governor  a  commission  of  cap- 
tain over  the  militia  of  this  place,  and  has  a 
right  to  command;  if  you  will  agree  to  obey 
him  implicitly,  I  will  set  the  example  of  obedi- 
ence to  his  orders,  and  will,  in  that  case,  furnish 
you  with  powder  and  lead  as  long  as  you  want 
to  shoot  (I  being  the  only   person  having  those 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


36? 


articles  in  the  place);  but  unless  you  agree  to 
obey  McVair,  I  will  put  my  family  and 
goods  into  my  boats  and  go  down  the  river,  as 
I  will  not  risk  myself  with  a  mob  under  no  con- 
trol." Upon  this  they  immediately  agreed  to 
acknowledge  Mr.  McNair  as  commander,  and  I 
was  satisfied  that  he  would  take  advice  upon  all 
measures  undertaken.  Joseph  Brisbois  was 
lieutenant,  and  Jean  Brunet  was  ensign,  both 
duly  commissioned  by  the  governor.  Capt.  Mc- 
Nair ordered  a  move  of  all  the  families,  goods, 
with  the  old  guns,  to  the  fort,  and  it  was  near 
sunset  before  we  had  all  got  moved  there. 

About  that  time  we  discovered  the  skiff  of 
the  other  keel-boat  coming  around  a  point  of  an 
island  near  Yellow  river,  about  three  miles  dis- 
tant; but  we  could  not  discover  whether  they 
were  white  men  or  Indians  in  the  canoe,  and  of 
course  it  created  an  alarm,  but  in  a  few 
moments  thereafter,  the  keel-boat  hove  in 
sight  and  the  alarm  ceased.  It  soon  arrived, 
reporting  that  they  had  received  a  few  shots  in 
passing  the  places  where  the  other  boat  had 
been  attacked,  but  had  received  no  injury.  On 
tliis  boat  Jose])h  Snclling,  son  of  Col.  Sni'lling. 
returned  to  Prairie  du  C'hien.  Joseph  Snelling 
and  mvselt  acted  as  supernumeraries  nnderCa|it. 
McNaii'.  The  government  of  F'ort  Crawfoid 
was  conducted  by  a  couiicil  of  the  captain  and 
those  who  acted  under  him.  It  was  immedi- 
ately resolved  to  repair  the  old  fort  as  well  as 
possible  for  defense,  and  the  fort  and  block- 
house were  put  in  as  good  order  as  circum- 
stances and  materials  would  admit.  Dirt  was 
thrown  up  two  or  three  feet  high  around  the 
bottom  logs  of  the  fort,  which  were  rotten  and 
dry,  and  would  easily  ignite.  Joseph  Snelling 
was  put  in  command  of  one  of  the  block-houses, 
and  Jean  Brunet  of  the  other,  with  a  few  picked 
men  in  each,  who  were  trained  to  the  use  of  the 
swivel  and  wall  pieces  tiiat  were  found  and 
mounted  therein;  and  a  number  of  barrels  were 
placed  around  the  quarters  filled  with  water, 
with  orders,  in  case  of  an  attack,  to  cover  the 
roof  of  the  buildings  with  blankets,  etc.,  and  to 


keep  them  wet.  All  the  blacksmiths  were  put 
in  requisition  to  repair  the  condemned  muskets 
found  in  the  fort,  and,  mustering  our  force,  we 
found  of  men  and  women  about  ninety  that 
could  handle  a  musket  in  case  of  an  attack. 

The  next  day  after  taking  possession  of  the 
fort,  J.  B.  Loyer,  an  old  voyageur,  was  engaged 
to  cross  the  Mississippi  and  go  back  through 
the  country,  now  the  State  of  Iowa,  to  inform 
Col.  Snelling,  commanding  Port  Snelling,  of 
our  situation.  For  this  service  Loyer  was 
promised  fifty  dollars,  and  furnished  with  a 
horse  to  ride  and  provisions,  and  Duncan  Gra- 
ham was  engaged  to  accompany  him,  for  which 
he  was  to  receive  twenty  dollars,  provisions  and 
ahorse  to  ride;  and  for  these  payments,  I  be- 
came personally  responsible. 

Gov.  Cass,  who  had  come  to  Butte  des  Morts, 
on  the  Fox  river,  to  hold  a  treaty  with  the 
Winnebagoes,  learning  from  rumor  that  there 
was  dissatisfaction  among  them,  started  in  his 
,-anoe,  and  arrived  at  Prairie  du  Chien  on  the 
morning  of  the  4th  of  July.  He  ordered  the 
company  of  militia  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  and  appointed  me  quarter-master 
and  cmnmissary,  willi  the  request  that  I  would 
use  my  own  funds  for  the  supply  of  the  depart- 
ment, and  that  he  would  see  it  refunded;  and, 
furthermore,  assumed  the  debt  for  ammunition 
and  provisions  already  advanced,  and  also  the 
expenses  of  the  exi)ress  to  Fort  Snelling,  and 
directed  me  to  issue  to  the  troops  a  keel-boat 
load  of  flour,  that  I  previously  receipted  for  to 
one  of  the  agents  of  the  contractors  for  Fort 
Snelling,  who  feared  to  go  farther  with  it. 

After  these  arrangements  had  been  made, 
Gov.  Cass  proceeded  in  his  canoe  to  Galena, 
and  raised  a  volunteer  company  under  the  late 
Col.  Abner  Fields  as  captain,  and  assigned  him 
to  the  command  of  Fort  Crawford.  Lieut.  Mar- 
tin Thomas,  of  the  United  States  ordnance  de- 
partment, and  then  stationed  at  the  arsenal 
near  St.  Li.uis,  w  ho  happened  to  be  at  Galena, 
came  up  and  mustered  the  two  companies  of  the 
niilitia    into   tiie  service    of   the  United  States; 


354 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  contracted  with  Phineas  Black,  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Louisiana,  in  Missouri,  whom  he  found 
at  Galena,  for  a  quantity  of  pork  which  was 
sent  up  by  the  boat  that  brought  the  volunteer 
company.  Gov.  Cass  proceeded  from  Galena  to 
St.  Louis  to  confer  with  Gen.  Atkinson,  then 
in  command  of  Jefferson  Barracks,  and  of  the 
western  military  department.  This  resulted  in 
Gen.  Atkinson's  moving  up  the  Mississippi  with 
the  disposable  force  under  his  com.mand  at  Jef- 
ferson Barracks.  During  this  time,  Col.  Snel- 
ling  came  down  the  Mississippi,  with  two  com- 
panies of  the  5th  regiment  of  United  States  In- 
fantry, and  assumed  the  command  of  Fort 
Crawford,  and  soon  after  discharged  the  Galena 
volunteer  company,  as  they  could  not  well  be 
brought  under  military  discipline.  But  the 
Prairte  du  Chien  company  was  retained  in  ser- 
^■ioe  until  some  time  in  the  month  of  August, 
for  which  service,  through  the  fault  of  some 
one,  they  never  received  any  pay. 

During  this  time  Gen.  Atkinson  arrived  with 
the  troops  from  Jefferson  Barracks,  having  on 
his  way  up  dispatched  a  volunteer  force  under 
Gen.  Dodge  from  Galena,  to  proceed  hy  land 
to  the  Portage  of  Wisconsin.  When  Gen.  At- 
kinson, with  great  difficulty,  owing  to  the  low 
state  of  the  water  in  the  Wisconsin,  arrived  at 
the  Portage,  he  met  old  grey-headed  Day-Kau- 
Ray  with  his  band,  who  finding  himself  sur- 
rounded by  the  volunteers  in  the  rear,  and 
Gen.  Atkinson's  force  of  regulars  in  front,  and 
a  company  of  volunteers  from  Green  Bay,  con- 
cluded to  disclaim  any  unfriendly  feelings  to- 
wards the  United  States,  and  disavowed  any 
connection  with  the  murders  on  the  Mississippi. 
Gen.  Atkinson,  on  these  assurances  of  Day- 
Kau-Ray,  returned,  but  ordered  the  occupation 
of  Fort  Crawford  by  two  companies  of  troops. 
Notwithstanding  these  murders  of  our  citizens 
;ind  movements  of  troops,  the  wise  men  at 
Washington,  with  about  as  much  judgment  as 
ihey  generally  decide  upon  Indian  affairs,  de- 
i;ided  that  this  was  not  an  Indian  war. 


After  the  people  had  taken  possession  of  the 
fort,  and  before  the  arrival  of  Gen.  Cass,  Indi- 
ans were  seen  in  the  village,  and  a  guard  was 
sent  out  to  take  them  and  bring  them  to  the 
fort.  They  made  no  resistance,  but  surrendered 
themselves,  and  were  'brought  to  the  guard 
house.  One  proved  to  be  the  famous  Red  Bird, 
who  headed  the  party  that  murdered  Gagnier 
and  Lipcap;  another  was  Wah-wah-peck-ah,  the 
Indian  I  had  met  up  the  Wisconsin  river,  and 
whose  conduct  had  so  much  alarmed  ine  and  my 
men;  the  other  was  a  young  Indian  whose 
name  I  do  not  recollect.  There  being  no  charge 
of  crime  against  Wah-wah-peck-ah  and  the 
young  Indian,  after  the  United  States  troops 
were  stationed  at  Fort  Crawford,  they  were  dis- 
charged; and  Red  Bird  was  retained  in  the 
guard  house,  where  he  died  before  he  was  tried 
for  the  murder  of  Gagnier  and  Lipcap. 

AN    INTERESTING     EVENT      OF      THE      WINNEBAGO 
WAR. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1827,  Maj.  Wil- 
liam Whistler,  with  government  troops,  arrived 
at  the  portage;  and,  while  there,  an  express 
arrived  from  Gen.  Atkinson,  announcing  his  ap- 
proach, and  directing  him  to  halt  and  fortify 
himself,  and  await  his  arrival.  The  object  of 
the  joint  expedition  of  Gen.  Atkinson  from  Jef- 
ferson Barracks,  below  St.  Louis,  and  of  Maj. 
Whistler,  from  Fort  Howard,  at  Green  Bay, 
was  to  capture  those  who  had  committed  the 
murders  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  put  a  stop  to 
any  further  aggression.  The  Winnebagoes 
were  advised  that  the  security  of  their  j>eople 
lay  in  the  surrender  of  the  murderers  of  the 
Gagnier  family.  While  Maj.  Whistler  was  at 
the  portage  he  received  a  call  in  a  mysterious 
way.  An  Indian  came  to  his  tent  and  informed 
him  that,  at  about  3  o'clock  the  next  day,  "they 
will  come  in."  In  reply  to  the  question,  "who 
will  come  in?"  he  said,  "Red  Bird  and  We 
Kau."  After  making  this  answer,  he  retired  by 
the  way  he  came.  At  3  o'clock  the  same  day 
another  Indian  came  and  took  position  in  nearly 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


355 


the  same  place  and  in  the  same  way,  when  to 
like  questions  he  gave  like  answers;  and  at  sun- 
down a  third  came,  confirming  what  the  two 
had  said,  adding,  that  he  had,  to  secure  that 
object,  given  to  the  families  of  the  murderers 
nearly  all  his  property. 

There  was  something  heroic  in  this  voluntary 
surrender.  The  giving  away  of  property  to  tlie 
families  of  the  guilty  parties  had  nothing  to  do 
with  tlieir  determination  to  devote  themselves 
for  the  good  of  their  people,  but  only  to  recon- 
cile those  who  were  about  to  be  bereaved  to  the 
dreadful  expedient.  The  heroism  of  the  pur- 
pose is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  murders  com- 
mitted at  Prairie  du  Chien  were  not  wanton, 
but  in  retaliation  for  wrongs  committed  on 
this  people  by  the  whites.  The  parties  mur- 
dered at  the  prairie  were  doubtless  innocent  of 
tlie  wrongs  and  outrages  of  which  the  Indians 
complained;  but  the  law  of  Indian  retaliation 
does  not  require  that  he  alone  who  commits  a 
wrong  shall  suffer  for  it.  One  scalp  is  held 
due  for  another,  no  matter  whose  head  is  taken, 
provided  it  be  torn  from  the  crown  of  the  family 
or  people  who  may  have  made  a  resort  to  this 
law  a  necessity. 

About  noon  of  the  day  following  there  were 
seen  descending  the  mound  on  the  portage  a 
body  of  Indians.  Some  were  mounted  and 
some  were  on  foot.  By  the  aid  of  a  glass  the 
Americans  could  discern  the  direction  to  be 
towards  their  position.  They  bore  no  arms, 
and  no  one  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  that  the 
promise  made  by  the  three  Indians  was  about 
to  be  fulfilled.  In  the  course  of  half  an  hour 
they  liad  approached  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  crossing  of  Fox  river,  when  on  a  sudden 
singing  was  heard.  Those  who  were  familiar 
with  the  air  said,  "  it  is  a  death  song."  When 
still  nearer,  some  present  who  knew  him  said, 
"  it  is  Red  Bird  singing  his  death  song."  The 
moment  a  halt  was  made,  preparatory  to  cross- 
ing over,  two  scalp  yells  were  heard.  The 
Menomonees  and  other  Indians  who  had  accom- 
panied the  troops  were    lying   carelessly    about 


the  ground,  regardless  of  what  was  going  on; 
but  when  the  "  scalp  yells  "  were  uttered,  they 
sprang  to  their  feet  as  one  man,  seized  their 
rifles,  and  were  ready  for  battle.  They  were 
at  no  loss  to  know  what  these  yells  were;  but 
they  had  not  heard  with  sufficient  accuracy  to 
decide  whether  they  indicated  scalps  to  be  taken 
or  given,  but  doubtless  inferred  the  first. 

Barges  were  sent  across  to  receive  and  .in 
escort  of  military  to  accompany  them  within 
the  lines.  The  white  flag  which  had  been  seen 
in  the  distance   was  borne  by  Red  Bird. 

And  now  the  advance  of  the  Indians  had 
reached  half  uj)  the  ascent  of  the  bluff  on  which 
was  the  encampment.  In  the  lead  was  Car-i- 
mi-nie,  a  distinguished  chief.  Arriving  on  the 
level  upon  which  was  the  encampment  of  the 
Americans,  an  order  being  called,  Car-i-mi-nie 
spoke,  saying,  "They  are  here.  Like  braves 
they  have  come  in  ;  treat  them  as  braves  ;  do 
not  put  them  in  irons."  This  address  was  made 
to  Col.  MoKenney.  The  latter  told  him  he 
was  not  the  big  captain.  His  talk  must  be 
made  to  Maj.  Whistler,  who  would  do  what 
was  right.  Mr.  Marsh,  the  sub-agent,  being 
there,  an  advance  was  made  to  him,  and  a  hope 
expressed  that  the  prisoners  might  be  turned 
over  to  him. 

The  military  had  been  previously  drawn  out 
in  line.  The  Menomonee  and  Wabauckie 
(Oneida)  Indians  were  in  groups  upon  their 
haunches,  on  the  left  flank.  On  the  right  was 
the  band  of  music,  a  little  in  advance  of  the 
line.  In  front  of  the  center,  about  ten  paces 
distant,  were  the  murderers.  On  their  right 
and  left  were  those  who  had  accompanied  them, 
forming  a  semi-circle ;  the  magniticeut  Red 
Bird  and  the  miserable  looking  We-Kau,  a  little 
in  advance  of  the  center.  All  eyes  were  fixed 
on  Red  Bird.  In  height  he  was  about  six  feet, 
straight,  but  without  restraint.  His  proportions 
were  those  of  most  exact  symmetry  ;  and 
these  embraced  the  entii'e  man  from  his  head 
to  his  feet. 


35ri 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY, 


He  and  We-Kaii  were  told  to  sit  down.  At 
this  moment  the  band  struck  up  Pleyel's  hymn. 
Every  thing  was  still.  Red  Bird  turned  his 
eyes  toward  the  band.  The  music  having 
ceased,  he  took  up  his  pouch,  and,  taking  from 
it  kinnikinnic  and  tobacco,  cut  the  latter  in  the 
palm  of  his  hand,  after  the  Indian  fashion  ; 
then,  rubbing  the  two  together,  filled  the  bowl 
of  his  calumet,  struck  fire  on  a  bit  of  punk  with 
his  flint  and  steel,  lighted  and  smoked  it.  All 
sat  except  the  speaker.  The  substance  of  what 
they  said  was  as  follows  : 

They  were  required  to  bring  in  the  mur- 
derers. They  had  no  power  over  any  except 
two  ;  the  third  had  gone  away  ;  and  these  had 
voluntarily  agreed  to  come  in  and  give  them- 
selveij  up.  As  their  friends  they  had  come 
with  them.  They  hoped  their  white  brother 
would  agree  to  accept  the  horses,  of  which 
there  were  perhaps  twenty ;  the  meaning  of 
which  was,  to  take  them  in  commutation  for 
the  lives  of  their  two  friends.  They  asked 
kinil  treatment  for  them,  and  earnestly  besought 
that  they  might  not  be  put  in  irons,  and  con- 
cluded by  asking  for  a  little  tobacco  and  some- 
thing to  eat. 

They  were  answered  and  told  in  substance 
that  they  had  done  well  thus  to  come  in.  By 
having  done  so  they  had  turned  away  our 
guns  and  saved  their  people.  They  were  ad- 
monished against  placing  themselves  in  a  like 
situation  in  the  future,  and  advised,  when  they 
were  aggrieved,  not  to  resort  to  violence,  but  to 
go  to  their  agent,  who  would  inform  the  Great 
Father  of  their  complaints,  and  he  would 
redress  their  grievances  ;  that  their  friends 
should  be  treated  kindly,  and  tried  by  the  same 
laws  by  which  their  Great  Father's  white  chil- 
dren were  tried  ;  that  for  the  present  Red  Bird 
and  We-Kau  should  not  be  put  in  irons  ;  that 
they  should  all  have  something  to  eat  and 
tobacco  to  smoke. 

Having  heard  this,  Red  Bird  stood  up;  the 
commanding  officer,  Maj.  Whistler,  a  few  paces 
in  front  of  the   center    of    the    line   facing  him. 


After  a  moment's  pause  and  a  quick  uurvey  of 
the  troops,  he  spoke,  saying,  "  I  am  ready." 
Then  advancing  a  step  or  two,  he  paused,  say- 
ing, "  I  do  not  wish  to  be  put  in  irons;  let  me 
be  free.  I  have  given  away  my  life;  it  is  gone" 
(stooping  and  taking  some  dust  between  his 
thumb  and  finger  and  blowing  it  away),  "like 
that,"  eying  the  dust  as  it  fell  and  vanished 
from  his  sight,  adding,  "  I  would  not  take  it 
back,  it  is  gone."  Having  thus  spoken,  he 
threw  his  hands  behind  him  and  marched  up  to 
Maj.  Whistler,  breast  to  breast.  A  platoon 
was  wheeled  backward  from  the  center  of  the 
line,  when,  the  major  stepping  aside,  Red  Bird 
and  We-Kau  marched  through  the  line,  in 
charge  of  a  file  of  men,  to  a  tent  provided  for 
them  in  the  rear,  where  a  guard  was  set  over 
them.  The  comrades  of  the  two  captives  then 
left  the  ground  by  the  way  they  had  come,  tak- 
ing with  them  our  advice  and  a  supply  of  meat, 
flour  and  tobacco. 

We-Kau,  the  miserable  looking  being  the  ac- 
complice of  Red  Bird,  was  in  all  things  the 
opposite  of  that  unfortunate  brave.  Never  were 
two  persons  so  totally  unlike.  The  one  seemed 
a  prince,  and  as  if  born  to  command  and  wor- 
thy to  be  obeyed;  the  other  as  if  he  had  been 
born  to  be  hanged;  meager,  cold,  dirty  in  his 
person  and  dress,  crooked  in  form  like  the 
starved  wolf;  gaunt,  hungry  and  blood  thirsty; 
his  entire  appearance  indicating  the  presence  of 
a  spirit  wary,  cruel  and  treacherous.  The  pris- 
oners were  committed  into  safe  keeping  at 
Prairie  du  Chien  to  await  their  trial  in  the  reg- 
ular courts  of  justice  for  murder. 

last  act  in  the  winnebago  war. 
John    Quinct    Adams,     President   of   the  United 

States  op  America; 
To  all  who  shall  see  these  presents,  Greeting: 

Whereas,  at  a  court  of  Oyer  aud  Terminer,  held  at 
the  village  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  iu  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember, A.  D.,  1838.  Wa-uiga,  otherwise  called  the 
Sun,  and  Chick-hong-sic,  otherwise  called  Little 
BeufEe,  were  convicted  of  the  ofEense  of  murder  in  the 
second  degree,  and  the  said  Chick-hong-sic,  otherwise 
called  Little  Beuffe,   was  also   convicted   of  another 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


357 


offense  of  murder  in  Ihe  second  degree:  And,  whereas, 
also  it  appears  satisfactorily  lo  me  tbat  the  clemency 
of  the  executive  may  be  extended  to  the  said  convicts 
without  injury  to  the  public: 

Now,  therefore,  I,  John  Quincy  Adams,  President 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  consideration  of 
the  promises,  divers  other  good  and  sufficient  causes 
one  hereunto  moving,  have  granted  and  do  hereby 
grant  to  the  said  Wa-ni-ga.  otherwise  called  the  Sun, 
and  to  the  said  Chickh-ong-sic,  otherwise  called  Little 
Beuffe,  my  full  and  free  pardon  for  the  offenses  afore- 
said, 

In  testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  subscribed  my 
name,  and  caused  the  seal  of  the  United  States  to 
be  affixed  to  these  presents.  Given  at  the  City  of 
Washington  this  third  day  of  November,  A.  D.,  1838 
and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  State.s  the 
fifty-third.  J.Q.Adams. 

By  the  President; 

H.  Clay,  Secretary  of  State.  * 

INDIANS  UPON  THE  MISSIS.SIPPI  IN   1825. 
(By  Sclioolcraft.) 

Trip  to  Prairie  du  Cliieii  on  the  Mississippi. — 
Large  assemblage  of  tribes.— Their  appearance 
and  character.— Sioux,  Winiiebagoes,  Chippe- 
was,  etc. — Striking  and  extraordinary  appear- 
ance of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  of  the  lowas, 
Keokuk,  Mongazids'  speech.— Treaty  of  limits. 
NVhi.sky  question.- A  literary  impostor.— Jour- 
ney through  the  valleys  of  the  Fox  and  Wis- 
consin rivers.— Incidents.— Menomonies.—  A 
big  nose. — Wisconsin  Portage. 

June  23d.  1825.  The  whole  village  was  alive 
with  the  excitement  of  the  surrender  of  the 
murderers.  The  agency  office  had  been  crowded 
with  spectators  during  the  examination  ;  and 
both  white  and  red  men  saw  in  their  voluntary 
delivery  into  the  hands  of  the  agent,  an  evi- 
dence of  the  power  of  the  government  in  watch- 
ing over  and  vindicating  the  lives  and  interests 
of  its  citizens  in  the  wildest  wilderness,  which 
was  gratifying  to  all. 

To  Gitche  lauba,  the  chief  at  the  bay  of 
Kewywenon,  in  Lake  Superior,  who  had  been 
instrumental  in  producing  the  delivery,  I  pre- 
sented a  silver  medal  of  the  first  class,  with  a 
written  speech  approbatory  of  the  act,  and  com- 
plimentary of  himself.     In    the    meantime,  my 

•  Copied  from  the  orig-inal  pardon. 


preparations  for  attending  the  general  convoca- 
tion of  tribes,    at  Prairie  du  Chien,  were   com- 
pleted.    I  placed  the  agency  under-  the    charge 
of  Capt.  N.  S.  Clark,  2d  Infantry,  who  had  sat- 
isfactorily and  ably  performed  its  duties  during 
my  absence  at    New    York.     I  had    selected    a 
delegation  of  the  most  influential  chiefs    to   at- 
tend the  contemplated    council,   and  all  things 
being  ready,  and   my  canoe-allege  in   the  water, 
with  its  flag  set.     I    embarked   for  the    trip  on 
the  24th.     I  descended  tlie  straits  that  day,  and  . 
having  turned   Point   Detour  reached    Michili- 
mackinac  the  next   morning.     The    party  from 
Detroit    had    reached    that     point    the    .same 
morning,  after  traversing  the  Huron    coasts  for 
upwards  of  .300  miles,  in  a  light  canoe.     Con- 
gratulations on  the  success  that  had    attended 
the  demand  for  the  Chippewa  murderers,awaited 
me.     Some  practical    questions,    deemed   indis- 
pensable   respecting  that  transaction,   required 
my  immediate  return  to  St.  Mary's,  which  was 
effected  on  the    27th,    and   I  again  embarked 
at  St.  Mary's  on  the  28th,  and  rejoined  the  party 
at   Mackinack  on  the  -SOth.     The  distance  trav- 
ersed is  about  ninety  miles,  which  was  four  times 
passed  and  repassed  in  six  days,  a  feat  that  could 
only  have   been  accomplished    in    the  calms  of 
summer. 

We  finally  left  Mackinack  for  our  destination 
on  the  Mississippi,  on  the  1st  of  July.  The 
convocation  to  which  we  were  now  proceeding, 
was  for  the  purpose  of  settling  internal  dis- 
putes between  the  tribes,  by  fixing  the  bounda- 
ries to  their  respective  territories,  and  thus  lay- 
ing the  foundation  of  a  lasting  peace  on  the 
frontiers.  And  it  marks  an  era  in  the  policy 
of  our  negotiations  with  the  Indians,  which  is 
memorable.  No  such  gathering  of  the  tribes 
had  ever  before  occurred,  and  its  results  have 
have  taken  away  the  necessity  of  any  in  future, 
so  far  as  relates  to  the  lines  on  the  Mississippi. 
We  encountered  head  winds,  and  met  with 
some  delay  in  passing  through  the  straits 
into  Lake  Michigan,  and  after  escaping  an 
imminent    hazard  of    being  blown  off  into   the 


358 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


open  lake,  iu  a  fog,  reached  Green  Bay  on  the 
4th.  The  journey  up  the  Fox  river,  and  its  nu- 
merous portages,  was  resumed  on  the  14th,  and 
after  having  ascending  the  river  to  its  head,  we 
crossed  over  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  portage, 
and  descending  the  latter  with  safety,  reached 
Prairie  du  Chien  on  the  2lBt,  making  the  whole 
journey  from  Mackinack,  in  twenty-one  days. 

We  found  a  very  large  number  of  various 
tribes  assembled.  Not  only  the  village,  but 
the  entire  banks  of  the  river  for  miles  above 
and  below  the  town,  and  the  island  in  the  river, 
was  covered  with  their  tents.  The  Dakotahs, 
with  their  hig)i-pointed  buffalo  skin  tents,  above 
the  town,  and  their  decorations  and  implements 
of  flags,  feathers,  skins  and  personal  "brave- 
ries," presented  the  scene  of  Bedouin  encamp- 
ment. 

Wanita,  the  Yankton  chief,  had  a  most  mag- 
nificent robe  of  the  bufl:alo,  curiously  worked 
with  dyed  porcupine's  quills  and  sweet  grass, 
a  kind  of  war  flag,  made  of  eagles' and  vultures' 
large  feathers,  presented  quite  a  martial  air.  War 
clubs  and  lances  presented  almost  every  imag- 
inable device  of  paint ;  but  by  far  the  most 
elaborate  thing  was  their  pipes  of  red  stone, 
curiously  carved,  and  having  flat  wooden  handles 
of  some  four  feet  in  length,  ornamented  with 
the  scalps  of  the  red-headed  woodpecker  and 
male  duck,  and  the  tail  feathers  of  birds  artifi- 
cially attached  by  strings  and  quill  work,  so  as 
to  hang  in  the  figure  of  a  quadrant.  But  the 
most  elaborately  wrought  part  of  the  devices 
consisted  of  dyed  porcupines'  quills,  arranged 
as  a  kind  of  aboriginal  mosaic. 

The  Winnebagoes  who  speak  a  cognate  dia- 
lect of  the  Dacotah,  were  encamped  near  ;  and 
resembled  them  in  the  style  of  lodges,  arts,  and 
geneal  decorations. 

The  Chippewas  presented  the  more  usually 
known  traits,  manners  and  customs  of  the  great 
Algonquin  family — of  whom  they  are  indeed 
the  best  representatives.  The  tall  and  warlike 
bands  from  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi — 
from  LaPoint,  in  Lake    Superior — fi'om  the  val- 


leys of  the  Chippewa  and  St.  Croix  rivers, 
and  the  Rice  lake  region  of  Lac  du  Flambeau, 
and  of   Sault  Ste.  Marie,  were  well  represented. 

The  cognate  tribe  of  the  Menomonees,  and 
Pottawottamies  and  Ottpwas  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan, assimilated  and  mingled  with  the  Chippe- 
was. Some  of  the  Iroquois  of  Green  Bay  were 
present. 

But  no  tribes  attracted  as  intense  a  degree  of 
interest  as  the  lowas,  and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes — 
tribes  of  radically  diverse  languages,  yet  united 
in  a  league  against  the  Sioux.  These  ■  tribes 
were  encamped  on  the  island,  or  opposite  coast. 
They  came  to  the  treaty  ground,  armed  and 
dressed  as  a  war  party.  They  were  all  armed 
with  spears,  clubs,  guns  and  knives.  Many  of 
the  warriors  had  a  long  tuft  of  red  horse  hair 
tied  at  their  elbows,  and  bore  a  necklace  of 
grizzly  bears'  claws.  Their  head  dress  con- 
sisted of  red-dyed  horsehair,  tied  in  such  man- 
ner to  the  scalp  lock  as  to  present  the  shape  of 
the  decoration  of  a  Roman  helmet.  The  rest 
of  the  head  was  completely  shaved  and  painted. 
A  long  iron-shod  lance  was  carried  iu  the  hand. 
A  species  of  baldric  supported  part  of  their 
arms.  The  azian,  moccasin  and  leggins  consti- 
tuted a  part  of  taeir  dress.  '1  hey  were,  indeed, 
nearly  nude  and  painted.  Often  the  print  of 
a  hand  in  white  clay,  marked  the  back  or 
shoulders.  They  bore  flags  of  feathers. 
They  beat  drums.  They  uttered  yells  at 
definite  points.  They  landed  in  compact 
ranks.  They  looked  the  very  spirit  of  de- 
fiance. Their  leader  stood  as  a  prince,  ma- 
jestic and  frowning.  The  wild,  native  pride  of 
man,  in  the  savage  state,  flushed  by  success  in 
war,  and  confident  in  the  strength  of  his  arm, 
was  never  so  fully  depicted  to  my  eyes,  and  the 
forest  tribes  of  the  continent  maybe  challenged 
to  have  ever  presented  a  spectacle  of  bold  dar- 
ing, and  martial  prowess,  equal  to  their  landing. 

Their  martial  bearing,  their  high  tone,  and 
whole  behavior  during  their  stay  in  and  out  of 
council,  was  impressive,  and  demonstrated,  in 
an   eminent   degree,  to   what   a   high    pitch  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


359 


physical  and  moral  courage,  bravery  and  success 
in  war  may  lead  a  savage  people.  Keokuk, 
who  led  them,  stood  with  his  war  lance,  high 
crest  of  feathers,  and  daring  eye  ;  like  another 
Coriolanus,  and  when  he  spoke  in  council,  and 
at  the  same  time  shook  his  lance  at  his  enemies, 
the  Sioux,  it  was  evident  that  he  wanted  but  an 
opportunity  to  make  their  blood  flow  like 
water.  Wapelo,  and  other  chiefs  backed  him, 
and  the  whole  array,  with  their  shaved  heads 
and  high  crest  of  I'ed  horse  hair,  told  the  spec- 
tator plainly,  that  each  of  these  men  held  his 
life  in  his  hand,  and  was  ready  to  spring  to  the 
work  of  slaughter  at  the  cry  of  their  chief. 

Gen .  William  Clark  from  St.  Louis,  was  asso- 
ciated with  Gen.  Cass  in  this  negotiation.  The 
great  object  was  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a 
permanent  peace  by  establishing  boundaries. 
Day  after  day  was  assigned  to  this,  the  agents 
laboring  with  the  chiefs,  and  raakingthemselves 
familiar  with  Indian  bark  maps  and  drawings. 
The  thing  pleased  the  Indians.  They  clearly 
saw  that  it  was  a  benevolent  effort  for  their 
good,  and  showed  a  hearty  mind  to  work  in  the 
attainment  of  the  object.  The  United  States 
asked  for  no  cession.  Many  glowing  harangues 
were  made  by  the  chiefs,  which  gave  scope  to 
their  peculiar  oratory,  which  is  well  worth  the 
preserving.  Mongazid,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  Lake  Su- 
perior, said  .•  "^Yhen  I  heard  the  voice  of  my 
Great  Father  coming  up  the  Mississippi 
valley  calling  me  to  this  treaty,  it  seemed 
as  a  murmuring  wind  ;  I  got  up  from  my  mat 
where  I  sat  musing,  and  hastened  to  obey  it. 
My  pathway  has  been  clear  and  bright.  Tiuly 
it  is  a  pleasant  sky  above  our  heads  this  day. 
There  is  not  a  cloud  to  darken  it.  I  hear  noth- 
ing but  pleasant  words.  The  raven  is  not  wait- 
ing for  his  prey.  I  hear  no  eagle  cry,  come  let 
us  go.  The  feast  is  ready — the  Indian  has  killed 
his  brother." 

When  nearly  a  whole  month  had  been  con- 
sumed in  these  negotiations,  a  treaty  of  limits 
was  signed,  which  will  long  be  remembered  in 
the  Indian  reminiscences.     This  was  on  the  10th 


of  August  1825,  vide  Indian  Treaties' p.  371. 
It  was  a  pleasing  sight  to  see  the  e.xplorer  of 
the  Columbia,  in  1806,  and  the  writer  of  the 
proclamation  of  the  army  that  invaded  Canada 
in  1812,  uniting  in  a  task  boding  so  much  good 
to  the  tribes  whose  passions  and  trespasses  on 
each  others  lands  kept  them  perpetually  at  war. 

'Tis  war  alone  that  gluts  the  Indiau's  raiud. 
As  eating  meats,  inflames  the  tiger  kind. 

— Ilute . 

At  the  close  of  the  treaty,  an  experiment  was 
made'  on  the  moral  sense  of  the  Indians, 
with  regard  to  intoxicating  liquors,  which  was 
evidently  of  too  refined  a  character  for  their 
just  appreciation.  It  had  been  said  by  the 
tribes  that  the  true  reason  for  the  commission- 
ers of  the  United  States  government  speaking 
against  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  by  the  Indians, 
and  refusing  to  give  them,  was  not  a  sense  of 
its  bad  effects,  so  much,  as  the  fear  of  the  ex- 
pense. To  show  them  that  the  government  was 
above  such  a  petty  principle,  the  commi.ssioner 
had  a  long  row  of  tin  camp  kettles,  holding  sev- 
eral gallons  each,  placed  on  the  grass,  from  one 
end  of  the  council  house  to  the  other,  and  then, 
after  some  suitable  remarks,  each  kettle  was 
spilled  out  in  their  presence.  The  thing  was 
evidently  ill  relished  by  the  Indians.  They 
loved  the  whisky  better  than  the  joke. 

Impos,tor. — Among  the  books  which  I  pur- 
chased for  Gen.  Cass,  at  New  York,  was  the 
narrative  of  one  John  Dunn  Hunter.  I  remember 
being  introduced  to  the  man,  at  one  of  my  vis- 
its to  New  York,  by  Mr.  Carter.  He  appeared 
to  be  one  of  those  anomalous  persons  of  easy 
good  nature,  without  much  energy  or  will,  and 
little  or  no  moral  sense,  who  might  be  made  a 
tool  of.  It  seems  no  one  in  New  York  was  taken 
in  by  him,  but  having  wandered  over  to  Lon- 
don, the  booksellers  found  him  a  good  8ul)ject 
for  a  book,  and  some  hack  there,  with  consider- 
able cleverness,  made  him  a  pack-horse  for  car- 
rying a  load  of  stuff  about  America's  treatment 
of  the  Indians.  It  was  called  a  "captivity,"  and 
he  was  made  to  play  the  part  of   an  adventurer 


360 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


among  the  Indians,  somewhat  after  the  manner 
of  John  Tanner.  Cass  reviewed  the  book  on 
our  route  and  at  the  Prairie  for  the  North 
American,  in  an  article  which  created  quite  a 
sensation,  and  will  be  remembered  for  its  force 
and  eloquence.  He  first  read  to  me  some  of 
these  glowing  sentences  while  on  the  portages 
of  the  Fox.  It  was  continued,  during  the  leis- 
ure hours  of  the  conferences,  and  finally  the 
critique  was  finished,  after  his  visiting  the  place 
and  the  person,  in  Missouri,  to  which  Hunter 
had  alluded  as  his  sponsor  in  baptism.  The 
man  denied  all  knowledge  of  him.  Hunter  was 
utterly  demolished,  and  his  book  shown  to  be 
as  great  a  tissue  of  misrepresentation  as  that  of 
Salmanazar  himself. 

August  21st  the  party  separates.  I  had  deter- 
mined to  return  to  the  Sault  by  way  of  Lake 
Superior,  through  Chippewa  river.  But,  owing 
to  the  murder  of  Finley  and  liis  men  at  its 
mouth  in  1824,  I  found  it  impossible  to  engage 
men  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  take  that  route.  I 
determined,  therefore,  to  go  up  the  Wisconsin, 
and  by  the  way  of  Green  bay.  For  this  pur- 
pose, I  purchased  a  light  canoe,  engaged  men 
to  paddle  it,  and  laid  in  provisions  and  stores 
to  last  to  Green  Bay.  Having  done  so,  I  em- 
barked about  3  o'clock  p.m.,  descending  the  m,a- 
jestic  Mississippi,  with  spirits  enlivened  by  the 
hope  of  soon  rejoining  friends  far  away.  Attlie 
same  time,  Mr.  Ilolliday  left  for  the  same  des- 
tination, in  a  separate  canoe.  On  reaching  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  we  entered  that  broad 
tributary,  and  found  the  current  strong.  We 
passed  the  point  of  rocks  called  Petit  Gris,  and 
encamped  at  G-rand  Gris. 

Several  hours  previous  to  leaving  the  Prairie, 
a  friend  handed  me  an  enveloped  packet,  say- 
ing, "Read  it  when  you  get  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisconsin."  I  had  no  conception  what  it  re- 
lated to,  but  felt  great  anxiety  to  reach  the 
place  mentioned.  I  tlien  opened  it,  and  read  as 
follows:  "I  cannot  separate  from  you  without 
expressing  my  grateful  acknowledgements  for 
the  honor  you  have  done  me,  by  connecting  my 


name  with  your  Narrative  of  Travels  i7i  the  Cen- 
tral Portions  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  dtc." 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  gratifying  or  un- 
expected. 

22d.  A  fog  in  the  valley  detained  us  till  5 
o'clock  A.  M.  After  traveling  about  two  hours, 
Mr.  Holliday's  canoe  was  crushed  against  a  rock. 
While  detained  in  repairing  it,  I  ordered  my 
cook  to  prepare  breakfast.  It  was  now  9  o'clock, 
when  we  again  proceeded,  till  the  heat  of  noon 
much  affected  the  men.  We  pushed  our  canoes 
under  some  overhanging  trees,  where  we  found 
fine  clusters  of  ripe  grapes. 

In  going  forward,  we  passed  two  canoes  of 
Menomonies,  going  out  on  their  fall  hunt,  on 
the  Chippewa  river.  These  people  have  no 
hunting  grounds  of  their  own,  and  are  obliged 
to  the  courtesy  of  neighboring  Nations  tor  a 
subsistence.  They  are  the  most  erratic  of  all 
our  tribes,  and  may  be  said  to  be  almost  no- 
madic. We  had  already  passed  the  canoes, 
when  Mr.  Lewis,  the  portrait  painter,  called 
out  stoutly  behind  us,  from  an  island  in  the 
river,  "Oh!  ho!"  I  did  not  know  but  there  was 
some  other  breaking  of  the  canoe,  or  worse  dis- 
aster, and  directed  the  men  to^put  back.  "See, 
see,"  said  he,  "that  fellow's  nose!  Did  you  ever 
see  such  a  protuberance?"  It  was  one  of  the 
Menomonees  from  Butte  des  3Iorts,  with  a  glob- 
ular irregular  lump  on  the  end  of  liis  nose,  half 
as  big  as  a  man's  list.  Lewis'  artistic  risibles 
were  at  their  height,  and  he  set  to  work  to  draw 
him.  I  could  think  of  nothing  appropriate,  but 
Sterne  and  Strasbourg. 

23d.  A  heavy  fog  detained  us  at  Caramanis 
village  till  near  6  a.  m.  The  fog,  however,  still 
continued,  so  thick  as  to  conceal  objects  at 
twenty  yards  distance.  We  consequently  went 
cautiously.  Both  this  day  and  yesterday  we 
have  been  constantly  in  sight  of  Indian  canoes 
on  their  return  from  the  treaty.  Wooden 
canoes  are  exclusively  used  by  the  Winnebagoes. 
They  are  pushed  along  with  poles. 

We  passed  a  precipitous  range  of  hills  near 
Pine  creek,  on  one  of  which  is  a  cave,  called  by 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


861 


our  boatmen,  L'diabh  an  Port.  This  supersti- 
tion of  peopling  dens  and  other  dark  places 
with  the  "arch  fiend,"  is  common.  If  the  "old 
serpent"  has  given  any  proofs  to  the  French 
boatmen  of  his  residence  here,  I  shall  only  hope 
that  he  will  confine  himself  to  this  river,and  not 
go  about  troubling  quiet  folks  in  the  land  of 
the  lakes. 

At  Pine  river  we  went  inland  about  a  mile  to 
see  an  old  mine,  probably  the  remains  of  French 
etiterprise,  or  French  credulity.  But  all  its 
golden  ores  had  flown,  probably  frightened  off 
by  the  old  fellow  of  L'diable  au  Port.  We  saw 
only  pits  dug  in  the  sand  overgrown  with  trees. 

Near  this  spot  in  the  river,  we  overtook 
Shingabowossin  and  his  party  of  Chippewas. 
They  had  left  the  prairie  on  the  same  day  that 
we  did,  but  earlier.  They  had  been  in  some 
dread  of  the  Winnebagoes,  and  stopped  on  the 
island  to  wait  for  us. 

In  passing  the  channel  of  Detour,  we  observed 
many  thousand  tons  of  white  rock  lying  in  the 
river,  which  had  lately  fallen  from  the  bank, 
leaving  a  solid  perpendicular  precipice.  This 
rock,  banks  and  ruins  is  like  all  the  Wisconsin 
valley  rocks — a  very  white  and  fine  sandstone. 

We  passed  five  canoes  of  Menomonees,  on 
their  way  to  hunt  on  Chippewa  river,  to  whom 
I  presented  some  powder,  lead  and  flour.  They 
gave  me  a  couple  of  fish,  of  the  kind  called 
j)e-can-o  by  the  Indians. 

24th.  We  were  again  detained  by  the  fog, 
till  half  past  5  a.  m.,  and  after  a  hard  day's 
fatiguing  toil,  I  encamped  at  8  o'clock  p.  m.  on 
a  sandy  island  in  the  center  of  the  Wisconsin. 
The  water  in  the  river  is  low,  and  spreads 
stragglingly  over  a  wide  surface.  The  very  bed 
of  the  river  is  moving  sand.  While  supper  was 
preparing  I  took  from  my  trunk  a  towel,  clean 
shirt  and  cake  of  soap,  and  spent  half  an  hour 
in  bathing  in  the  river  upon  the  clean  yellow 
sand.  After  this  grateful  refreshment,  I  sank 
sweetly  to  repose  in  my  tent. 

25th.  The  fog  dispersed  earlier  this  morning 
than  usual.     We  embarked  a  few  minutes  after 


4  A.  M.,  and  landed  for  breakfast  at  10.  The 
weather  now  was  quite  sultry,  as  indeed  it  has 
been  during  the  greater  part  of  every  day  since 
leaving  Tipe&age —  i.  e.  the  Prairie.  Our  route 
this  day  carried  us  through  the  most  picturesque 
and  interesting  part  of  the  Wisconsin,  called 
the  Highlands  or  River  Hills.  Some  of  these 
hills  are  high,  with  precipitous  faces  towards 
the  river.  Others  terminate  in  round  grassy 
knobs,  with  oaks  dispersed  about  the  sides. 
The  name  is  supposed  to  have  been  taken  from 
this  feature.  *  Generally  speaking,  the  country 
has  a  bald  and  barren  aspect.  Not  a  tree  has 
apparently  been  cut  upon  its  banks,  and  not  a 
village  is  seen  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  an  unim- 
proved wilderness.  The  huts  of  an  Indian 
locality  seem  "at  random  cast."  I  have  already 
said  these  conical  and  angular  hills  present 
masses  of  white  sandstone  wherever  they  are 
precipitous.  The  river  itself  is  almost  a 
moving  mass  of  white  and  yellow  sand,  broad, 
clear,  shallow,  and  abounding  in  small  woody 
islands  and  willowy  sandbars. 

While  making  these  notes  I  have  been  com- 
pelled to  hold  my  book,  pencil  and  umbrella, 
the  latter  being  indispensible  to  keep  off  the 
almost  trophical  fervor  of  the  sun's  rays.  As 
the  umbrella  and  book  must  be  held  in  one 
hand,  you  may  judge  that  I  have  managed 
with  some  difliculty;  and  this  will  account  to 
you  for  many  uncouth  letters  and  much  dis- 
jointed orthography.  Between  the  annoyance  of 
insects,  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  the  difficulties 
of  the  way,  we  had  incessant  employment. 

At  '6  o'clock  p.  M.  we  put  ashore  for  dinner 
in  a  very  shaded  and  romantic  spot.  Poetic 
images  were  thick  about  us.  We  sat  upon  mats 
spread  upon  a  narrow  carpet  of  grass  between 
the  river  and  a  high  perpendicular  cliff.  The 
latter  threw  its  broad  shade  far  beyond  us.  This 
strip  of  land  was  not  more  than  ten  feet  wide, 
and  had  any  fragments  of  rock  fallen,  they 
would  have  crushed  us.     But  we  saw  no  reason 

*Sin,  the  terminal  syllable,  is  clearly  from  the  Alg-onquin— 
Os-sin,  a  stone.  The  French  added  the  letter  o,  which  is  the 
reirular  local  form  of  the  word,  agreeably  to  the  true  Indian. 


362 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


to  fear  such  an  event,  nor  did  it  at  all  take  from 
the  relish  of  onr  dinner.  Green  moss  had 
covered  the  face  of  the  rock  and  formed  a  soft 
velvet  covering,  against  which  we  leaned.  The 
broad  and  cool  river  ran  at  our  feet.  Overhang- 
ing trees  formed  a  grateful  .bower  around  us. 
Alas,  how  are  those  to  be  pitied  who  prefer 
palaces  built  with  human  hands  to  such  seques- 
tered scenes.  What  perversity  is  tiiere  in  the 
human  understanding  to  quit  the  delightful 
and  peaceful  abodes  of  nature,  for  noisy  towns 
and  dusty  streets. 

To  me  more  dear,  congeniiil  to  my  hearl, 
One  native  cbarm  than  all  the  gloss  of  art." 
At  a  late  hour  in  the  evening  we  reached  the 
Wisconsin  portage,  and  found  Dr.  Wood,  U.  S. 
A.,  encamped  there.  He  had  arrived  a  short 
time  before  us,  with  four  Indians  and  one  Cana- 
dian in  a  canoe,  on  his  way  to  St.  Peter's.  He 
had  a  mail  in  his  trunk,  and  I  had  reason  to 
believe  I  should  receive  letters,  but  to  my  sore 
disappointtiient  I  found  nothing.  I  invited  Dr. 
Wood  to  supper,  having  some  ducks  and  snipes 
to  offer  in  addition  to  my  usual  stock  of  solids, 
such  as  ham,  venison  and  buffalo  tongues. 

ALONG  THE  MISSISSIPPI  IN   1829. 

Galena  stands  on  the  land  we  afterwards  pur- 
chased of  the  Indians,  and  is  the  largest  town  in 
Illinois.  When  we  arrived  there  it  had  been 
settled  about  three  years.  It  contained  several 
taverns,  a  considerable  number  of  stores,  about 
a  dozen  lawyers,  and  four  or  five  physicians,  with 
little  to  do,  as  the  country  is  healthy.  Tiiere 
were  three  religious  congregations  in  the  place 
_ — Methodists,  Riman  Catholics  and  Presbyte- 
rians. Tiie  town  is  built  on  the  side  hill, 
in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  on  the  north  side 
of  Fever  river,  and  contains,  perhaps,  1,000 
inhabitants.  It  is  a  seat  of  justice  of  Jo 
Daviess  Co.,  111.,  and  is  situated  in  latitude 
about  42  degrees,  30  minutes  north.  It  con- 
tains at  all  times,  very  large  quantities  of  lead, 
brought  here  either  as  rent  to  the  government, 
or  for  sale  to  the  merchants.  The  superintend- 
ent of  the  mines  and  his  assistant,  Maj.  Camp- 


bell, live  here.  The  latter  gentleman  and  his 
amiable  and  interesting  lady  had  been  with  us 
on  our  passage  from  St.  Louis,  and  they  were 
happy  to  find  themselves  at  the  end  of  as  dis- 
agreeable a  journey  as  was  ever  made  on  these 
waters. 

Numerous  groceries  appeared  in  the  town,  to 
us,  and  two  billiard  tables  were  occupied  by 
persons  who  wished  to  amuse  themselves  at 
billiards. 

Mr.  James  Barnes,  formerly  of  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  kept  an  excellent  boarding  house,  and 
I  found  many  old  acquaintances  in  the  town, 
enjoying  the  best  of  health,  and  they  ai)peared 
cheerful   and  happy. 

Here  we  learned  that  a  large  body  of  Indians 
had  already  been  assembled  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  for  some  time,  and  were  in  readiness  to 
meet  us.  Knowing  the  necessity  of  supplying 
them  with  food,  tliat  ours  would  not  reach  us 
for  some  time  yet,  and  knowing  this  to  be  the 
last  opportunity  we  should  find  to  purchase  any 
food,  we  purchased  500  bushels  of  corn,  and 
loading  all  we  could  convey,  we  left  this  beauti- 
ful town  on  the  next  day,  and  departed  for  our 
final  destination,  where  we  arrived  about  the 
middle  of  July,  1829. 

As  soon  as  we  were  discovered  by  our  red 
friends,  a  few  miles  below  the  fort,  opposite  to 
their  encampment,  they  fired  into  the  air  about 
1,500  rifles,  to  honor  us.  Our  powder  had 
become  wet,  and,  to  our  extreme  mortification 
and  regret,  we  could  not  answer  them  by  our 
cannon.  Having  fired  their  arms,  some  ran  on 
foot,  some  rode  on  their  small  horses  furiously 
along  over  the  prairie  to  meet  us  where  we 
landed.  Amidst  the  motley  group  of  thousands, 
of  all  ages,  sexes,  classes  of  society,  colors  and 
conditions  of  men,  women  and  children,  who 
met  us  on  the  wharf — Nawkaw  and  Hoochope- 
kab,  with  their  families,  eagerly  seized  my 
hand,  and  I  was  happy,  indeed,  to  meet  them 
here.  During  twenty  years  I  had  seen  them 
several  times,  and  they  recognized  me  in  a 
moment,  among  the  crowd,  and  assured  me   of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


303 


their  friendship  and  good  wishes.  These  chiefs 
of  the  Winneb.agoes  and  their  families  pressed 
around  me,  and  continued  close  by  me  until  we 
readied  the  tavern  where  we  went.  There  we 
entered  into  a  long  conversation,  and  they  in- 
troduced me  to  their  red  friends.  I  assured 
them  of  my  ardent  friendship,  and  that  they 
and  their  people  should  be  dealt  with,  not  only 
justly  but  liberally  ;  that  the  President,  their 
great  father,  was  their  friend,  a  warrior  like 
them,  and  never  would  do  them  any  injury  : 
that  I  wished  them  all  to  remember  what  I 
now  told  them,  and  when  we  finally  parted,  if 
my  solemn  promises  thus  voluntarily  made  to 
them  had  not  been  kept  to  the  very  letter,  I 
wished  them  to  publicly  tell  me  so.  Shaking 
me  heartily  by  the  hand,  and  assuring  me  of 
their  friendship,  they  then  appealed  to  Col. 
Menard,  who  heartily  agreed  with  me,  in 
assuring  them  of  our  good  intentions  towards 
them. 

Dr.  Wolcott,  the  agent  for  the  Chippewas, 
Ottawas  and  Pottawattamies,  here  met  us,  and 
he  had  been  at  incredible  pains  to  get  his 
Indians  here,  where  they  had  been  for  nearly  a 
month,  perhaps.  Mr.  Kinzy,  the  sub-agent  of 
the  Winnebagoes,  whose  sub-agency  is  located 
at  Fort  Winnebago,  had  also  come,  and  with 
iiim  all  the  principal  persons  of  that  Nation, 
residing  in  that  direction. 

All  the  Indians  with  whom  we  were  sent  to 
treat,  were  represented  on  the  ground,  and  all 
that  was  wanting  to  begin  our  councils  we 
urged  forward  with  all  the  energy  that  the 
officers  of  the  government  and  their  numerous 
friends  could  muster.  The  next  day,  in  com- 
pany with  Gen.  Street,  the  agent  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes, resident  here,  several  sub-agents  and 
interpreters,  I  met  the  principal  men  of  the 
Winnebagoes,  and  we  impressed  upon  them 
the  necessity  of  keeping  their  youngmen  under 
subjection,  and  arranged  with  them  the  outlines 
of  the  manner  in  which  our  business  should  be 
conducted.     The    talk    was  a  long  one  and   oc- 


cupied the  afternoon.  Gen.  Street  was  very 
zealous  in  the  service  of  the  government. 

Gen.  McNeil  and  his  officers  at  the  fort 
erected  a  council  shade,  near  the  fort,  and  in 
about  three  days  we  were  ready  to  hold  a  pub- 
lie  council,  when  Dr.  Wolcott's  Indians  informed 
me  that  they  could  not  meet  in  public  council 
until  an  Indian  was  buried,  and  inquired  of  me 
if  I  objected  to  the  burial,  to  which  I  replied 
that  I  could  not  object  to  the  buri  il,  certainly. 
On  the  nextdav,  to  my  regret,  I  learned  they 
would  not  assemble  in  council  until  the  Indian 
was  buried,  and  again  inquired,  whether  I  was 
willing  to  have  the  person  buried,  to  which 
question  I  replied  in  the  affirmative,  when  I  was 
informed  that  the  relatives  of  the  deceased 
would  not  consent  to  the  burial  of  the  murdered 
person  until  they  had  received  a  horse,  as  the 
compensation  for  his  death.  Understanding  the 
difficulty  at  last,  the  commissioners  gave  the 
horse,  the  deceased  was  buried,  and  the  Indians 
agreed  to  meet  in  council  next  day. 

I  took  some  pains  to  get  the  murderer  and  the 
relatives  of  the  deceased  together,  in  order  to 
have  a  perfect  reconciliation  between  them. 
They  shook  hands  very  cordially  in  appearance, 
bat  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  person  informed 
me  privately  afterwards,  that,  as  soon  as  the 
murderer  got  home  with  his  horse  and  goods, 
they  would  kill  him  and  take  bis  property,  which 
he  could  better  keep  than  they  could  until  then. 
If  I  am  correctly  informed,  they  did  as  they 
assured  me  they  would,  after  their  arrival  in 
their  own  country.  So  that  compounding  for 
the  murderer  only  procrastinated  for  a  time  the 
punishment  of  the  crime. 

When  everything  was  in  readiness  for  the 
opening  of  the  council,  the  Indians  of  all  the 
tribes  and  Nations  on  the  treaty  ground  attended, 
and  requested  to  have  translated  to  thein,  st-ver- 
ally,  what  we  said  to  each  tribe,  which  heing 
assented  to  on  our  part,  the  Winnebagoes,  the 
Chippewas,  Ottawas,  Pottawattamies,  Sioux, 
Sauks,  Foxes  and  Monomonees,  half-breeds,  the 
officers  from  the  fort,  the  Indian  agents,  sub- 


304 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


agents,  interpreters,  and  a  great  concourse  of 
strangers  from  every  city  in  the  Union;  and 
even  from  Liverpool,  London  and  Paris,  were 
in  attendance.  The  commissioners  sat  on  a 
raised  bench  facing  the  Lidian  chiefs;  on  each 
side  of  them  stood  the  officers  of  the  army  iti 
full  dress,  while  the  soldiers,  in  their  best 
attire,  appeared  in  bright  array  on  the  sides  of 
the  council  shade.  The  ladies  belonging  to  the 
officers'  families,  and  the  best  families  in  the 
Prairie,  were  seated  directly  behind  the  com- 
missioners, where  they  could  see  all  that  passed 
and  hear  all  that  was  said.  Behind  the  princi- 
pal Indian  chiefs  sat  the  common  people — first 
the  men,  then  the  women  and  children,  to  the 
number  of  thousands,  who  listened  in  breathless 
and  death-like  silence  to  every  word  that  was 
uttered.  The  spectacle  was  grand  and  morally 
sublime  in  the  highest  degree  to  the  Nations  of 
red  men  who  were  present,  and  when  our  pro- 
position to  sell  all  their  country  to  their  Father 
had  been  delivered  to  them,  they  requested  an 
exact  copy  of  it  in  writing,  the  request  was 
instantly  complied  with,  and  the  council  broke, 
up.  Next  day  we  addressed  the  Winnebagoes, 
as  we  had  the  Chippewas,  etc.  the  day  before, 
and  at  their  request  gave  them  a  copy  of  our 
speech. 

After  counciling  among  themselves,  the  Chip- 
pewas, etc.,  answei'ed  favoralily  as  to  a  sale, 
though  they  would  do  nothing  yet  until  they 
had  fixed  on  their  terms. 

The  Winnebagoes  appeared  in  council  and 
delivered  many  speeches  to  us.  They  demanded 
the  $20,000  worth  of  goods.  "Wipe  out  your 
debt,"  was  their  reply,  "before  you  run  in  debt 
again  to  us." 

Our  goods,  owing  to  the  low  stage  of  the 
water,  had  not  arrived  yet,  and  the  Indians 
feared  we  did  not  intend  to  fulfil  Gov.  Cass' 
agreement  of  the  year  before.  When  our  goods 
did  arrive,  and  they  saw  them,  they  then 
changed  their  tone  a  little;  but  in  the  meantime, 
great  uneasiness  existed, and  I  was  often  seriously 
advised   by  Nawkaw  and    other   friends    to  go 


into  the  fort,  as  Gen.  McNiel  had  done.  Col. 
Menard's  ill  health  had  compelled  him  to  leave 
the  ground  and  go  to  Gen.  Street's,  five  miles 
(the  General  calls  it  three),  from  the  council 
house.  Unless  we  left  the  ground,  we  were 
told  by  the  Winnebagoes,  that  they  "would  use 
a  little  switch  upon  us."  In  plain  English,  they 
would  assassinate  the  whole  of  us  out  of  the 
fort.  Two  hundred  warriors  under  Keokuk  and 
Morgan,  of  Sauks  and  Foxes,  arrived  and  began 
their  war  dance  for  the  United  States,  and  they 
brought  word  that  thirty  steamboats  with  can- 
non and  United  States  troops,  and  400  warriors 
of  their  own,  were  near  at  hand.  The  Winne- 
bagoes were  silenced  by  this  intelligence,  and 
by  demonstrations,  not  misunderstood  by  them. 

When  Keokuk  arrived,  he  brought  two 
deserters  from  the  garrison  here,  whom  he  had 
made  prisoners  on  his  way  up  the  river.  Quas- 
quavvma  and  his  son-in-law,  Tia-ma,  came  with 
Keokuk.  It  was  a  season  of  great  joy  with  me, 
who  placed  more  reliance  on  these  friendly 
warriors  than  on  all  our  forces.  Good  as  our 
officers  were,  our  soldiers  of  the  army  were  too 
dissipated  and  worthless  to  be  relied  on  one 
miiment.  Taking  Keokuk  aside  and  alone,  I 
told  him  in  plain  English  all  I  wanted  of  him, 
what  I  would  do  for  him,  and  wliat  I  expected 
from  him  and  his  good  officers.  He  replied  in 
good  English:  "I  understand  you  sir,  perfectly, 
and  it  shall  all  be  done."  It  was  all  done 
faitlifully,  and  he  turned  the  tide  in  oui'  favor. 

The  goods  arrived  and  also  our  provisions; 
Col.  Menard's  and  Gen.  McNiel's  health  were 
restored  and  they  appeared  again  at  the  council 
house,  and  everything  wore  a  new  aspect.  They 
approved  of  all  I  had  done  in  their  temporary 
absence. 

On  the  29th  day  of  July,  1S29,  we  concluded 
our  treaty  with  the  Chippewas,  Ottawas  and 
Pottawattamies. 

On  the  1st  day  of  August  a  treaty  was  con- 
cluded with  the  Winnebagoes. 

So  the  treaties  were  executed  at  last,  and 
about  8,000,000   of  acres  of   land   added  to  our 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


365 


domain,  purchased  from  the  Indians.  Taking 
the  three  tracts,  ceded,  and  forming  one  whole, 
it  extends  from  the  upper  end  of  Rock  Island 
to  tlie  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin;  from  latitude 
41  degrees,  30  minutes,  to  latitude  48  degrees, 
15  minutes,  on  the  Mississippi.  Following  the 
meanderings  of  the  river,  it  is  called  240  miles 
from  south  to  north.  It  extends  along  the  Wis- 
consin and  Fox  rivers,  from  west  to  east,  so  as 
to  give  us  a  passage  across  the  country  from 
the  Mississippi  to  Lake  Michigan.  The  south 
part  of  the  purchase  extends  from  Rock  Island 
to  Lake  Michigan  south  of  the  Wisconsin,  the 
Indians  now  own  only  reservations,  where  they 
live,  which,  as  :;oon  as  the  white  people  settle 
on  all  the  ceded  lands,  will  be  sold  to  us,  and 
the  Indians  will  retire  above  the  Wisconsin,  or 
cross  the  Mississippi,  where  the  bear,  the  beaver, 
the  deer  and  the  bison  invite  them.  The  United 
States  now  own  all  the  country  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin. 

When  I  have  crossed  Rock  river,  after  hav- 
ing passed  over  the  interior  of  the  ceded  coun- 
try, I  wifl  describe  it  more  particularly. 

It  remains  for  me  to  make  a  few  remarks 
upon  the  country  along  the  Mississippi  from 
Fort  Edwards  upward,  and  briefly  describe 
Prairie  du  Chien. 

Ascending  the  Mississippi,  the  country  ap- 
peared to  rise  up  out  of  the  river  at  Fort  Ed- 
wards, and  the  hills  assume  a  greater  elevation, 
still,  at  Du  Buque's  mine  and  tomb  not  far 
from  Galena.  From  ihence  upwards,  the  l>ot- 
tom  lands  are  narrow,  tlie  river  turns  towards 
the  northwest  and  becomes  very  crooked, 
bounded  by  high  hills.  Cassville,  thirty  miles 
below  Prairie  du  Chien,  stands  on  a  narrow 
bottom,  where  an  opening  into  the  mineral 
country,  in  the  direction  of  Mineral  Point,  pre- 
sents itself.  This  easy  passage  down  to  the 
river  has  located  a  town  here  of  a  few  houses, 
consisting  of  a  tavern,  a  storehouse  for  the  lead, 
belonging  to  the  United  States;  and  here  a  gov- 


ernment sub-agent   to    collect  and    receive  the 
government's  share  of   lead  resides,  Maj.    Beal. 

Opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin 
stands  Pike's  hill,  lofty  and  abrupt,  and  just 
above  this  place,  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
river,  begins  the  low  prairie  ground  on  which 
Fort  Crawford  and  the  village  of  Prairie  du 
Chien  stand.  The  town  begins  to  show  itself 
three  miles  above  the  Wisconsin,  and  extends 
upwards  about  nine  miles,  where  it  ends.  The 
river  is  full  of  islands,  and  when  at  its  highest 
altitude  in  a  freshet  is  three  miles  in  width, 
from  hill  to  hill.  Originally  settled  by  the 
French,  it  was  once  a  place  of  some  importance, 
as  the  remains  of  old  cellars  and  chimneys 
show.  That  importance  is  no  more,  and  proba- 
bly never  will  be  again.  Overflowed  by  high 
waters,  and  but  little  good  land  near  it,  with- 
out water  power,  I  see  little  inducement  to 
build  up  a  town  here.  On  the  north  side  of 
the  Wisconsin  there  is  no  land  on  which  a  town 
can  be  located  near  the  Wisconsin,  and  the 
south  side  is  preferable  for  it,  where  one  will, 
one  day,  rise  up.  The  town,  though,  is  a  seat  of 
justice  for  a  county  of  Michigan,  and  perhaps 
thirty  families,  besides  those  belonging  to  the 
garrison,  reside  here.  No  Indians  reside  near 
here,  and  there  is  no  sort  of  need  of  nor  pro- 
priety in  having  an  agency,  etc.,  here  for  the 
Winiicbagoes,  because  Fort  Winnebago  is  the 
proper  place  for  the  agency. 

Gen.  Street,  the  agent  and  near  relative  of 
Mr.  Barry,  the  postmaster  general,  is  the  pres- 
ent agent,  and  his  I'e^'idence,  I  consider  to  be 
about  five  miles  above  the  fort,  though  I  am 
aware  that  Gen.  Street's  estimated  distance  is 
only  three  miles. 

The  water  found  by  digging  in  this  prairie  is 
not  always  good,  and  that  in  our  well  was  the 
worst  I  ever  tasted,  operating  upon  the  bowels 
like  glauber  salts,  and  I  sufl^ered  excessively 
from  using  it.  Even  the  food  cooked  in  it  af- 
fected me  seriously.  The  well  in  the  fort  is 
better,  and  some  persons  obtain  water  from 
springs  in  the  river  when  it  is  low.     The    river 


366 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


covers  all  the  town  and  where  the  fort  is  in 
high  water.  The  Mississippi  rising  late  in  the 
season,  and  subsiding  in  the  summer  solstice, 
this  place  must  be  sickly  in  summer  every  year, 
when  a  freshet  takes  such  a  time  to  appear.  In 
1829  there  was  no  such  rise  in  the  river,  of  any 
amount,  and  the  place  was  healthy. 

The  only  Indians  living  on  this  river  below 
this  place  and  near  it,  are  the  Sauks  and  Foxes. 
The  principal  town  of  the  former,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  is  situated  on  the  north 
side  of  Rock  river,  near  its  mouth,  and  in  sight 
of  the  Mississi,ppi.  Not  many  years  ago  this 
town  contained,  it  is  said,  4,000  or  .5,000  inhabi- 
tants. They  have  sold  all  the  country  east  of 
the  river  Mississippi,  and  are  withdrawing  from 
it  to  a  new  town  some  ten  miles  west  of  the 
old  town,  and  about  the  same  distance  from 
Rock  Island. 

The  principal  town  of  the  Foxes  is  on  the 
brink  of  the  river  near  Du  Buque's  mine,  and 
in  sight  of  his  tomb,  which  is  erected  on  a  high 
hill,  where  the  cross  on  his  grave  can  be  seen 
from  the  river  to  a  considerable  distance  from 
it.  Du  Buque  was  an  Indian  trader  and  lived 
and  died  here. 

The  Fox  town  contains  twenty  wigwams  or 
upwards,  and  I  presume  some  200  Indians.  I 
saw  but  a  few  acres  of  poorly  cultivated  corn 
near  the  town,  and  the  wigwams  looked  shabby 
enough.  Morgan  is  the  principal  warrior  of 
this  village,  as  Keokuk  is  of  the  Rock  river 
town. 

The  Sauks  and  Foxes  were  so  useful  to  us  as 
auxiliaries,  that  I  feel  grateful  to  tiiem  and 
make  a  few  remarks  on  their  principal  men  who 
were  with  us. 

Keokuk,  the  principal  warrior  of  the  Sauks, 
is  a  shrewd  politic  man,  as  well  as  a  brave  one, 
and  he  possesses  great  weight  of  character  in 
their  national  councils.  He  is  a  high-minded,  lion- 
or  able  man,  and  never  begs  of  the  whites. 

While  ascending  the  Mississippi  to  join  us,  at 
the  liead  of  his  brave  troops,  he  met,  arrested 
and  brought  along  with  him  to  Fort   Crawford, 


two  United  States  soldier,  who  were  deserting 
irom  the  garrison  when  he  met  them.  I  in- 
formed him  that  for  this  act  he  was  entitled  to 
a  bounty  in  money;  to  which  he  proudly  replied, 
that  he  acted  from  motives  of  friendship  towards 
the  United  States,  and  would  accept  no  money 
for  it. 

Morgan  is  the  principal  warrior  of  the  Foxes, 
and  resides  at  Du  Buque's  mine  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  Mississippi.  Though  less  versatility 
of  talent  belongs  to  him  than  Keokuk  possesses, 
yet  he  is  a  brave  man  and  fond  of  war.  More 
than  a  year  before  we  were  in  this  country, 
this  Indian  general  had  gone  to  the  Sioux 
country  and  killed  a  woman  and  three  children 
of  that  Nation,  which  act  produced  the  war, 
then  raging  between  the  two  Nations.  This 
act  has  since  been  dreadfully  avenged  by  a 
large  party,  on  some  twenty  individuals  of  the 
Foxes. 

Tiama,  a  principal  civil  chief  of  the  same 
tribe,  is  an  excellent  man,  and  son-in-law  of 
Quasquawma.  Their  village  is  already  noti(ted 
as  being  located  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
opposite  where  we  lay 'on  an  island,  at  the  head 
of  the  lower  rapids. 

Quasquawma  was  the  chief  of  this  tribe  once, 
but  being  cheated  out  of  the  mineral  country, 
as  the  Indians  allege,  he  was  degraded  from 
his  rank  and  his  son-in-law,  Tiama,  elected  in 
his  stead.  The  improvisatori,  whose  name  has 
escaped  my  recollection,  is  a  shrewd  wit  and  a 
very  good  man,  certainly  a  very  amiable  and 
agreeable  one.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  ail 
his  people. 

Tom,  a  half-blood,  is  a  great  pet  among  the 
whites.  He  speaks  prairie-wolf  French  and  a 
little  English,  in  addition  to  his  knowledge  of 
Indian  languages. 

Of  the  above  named  individuals,  and  several 
others  belonging  to  these  brave  and  generous 
allies,  I  brought  away  with  me  as  correct  a 
likeness  as  I  ever  saw  drawn.  Gratitude 
towards  them  was  my  motive  for  being  at  the 
expense  of  these  beautiful  paintings  which  have 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


369 


gone  to  London  a  year  since.  Like  many  other 
expenses  I  was  necessarily  put  to,  I  have  never 
received  even  one  cent  from  the  government 
towards  tliem,  nor  have  I  received  one  cent, 
eitlier  for  my  expenses  or  my  services  at  St. 
Louis,  the  lovver  rapids,  Rock  Island,  or  Galena. 
I  say  this  because  it  has  been  stated,  very 
differently,  even  on  tlie  floor  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  It  is  not  true,  tliat  all  my 
expenses  were  paid  by  the  United  States; 
nor  is  it  true  that  my  services  have  been  paid 
for  by  the  government  at  all.  In  saying  this,  I 
do  it  in  justice  to  myself  as  I  would  to  do 
justice  til  any  other  injured  individual,  liowever 
humble  in  the  Nation.  I  am  even  yet  unpaid, 
but  I  never  will  condescend  to  beg  for  my  pay 
,at  the  doors  of  Congress.  1  did  once  expect 
very  different  lieatnicnt  from  my  country. 

UP  AND  DOWN   THE  MISSISSiri-I  BEFOKE  THE  liLAfK 
HAWK  WAR. 

In  .May,  1831,  Joseph  M.  Sti'eet,  Indian  agent 
at  Prairie  du  Ciiien,  left  the  agency  in  care  of 
sub-agent,  Thomas  P.  Burnett  The  Latter 
reported  to  Gen.  William  Clark,  s\i|ierinlondent 
of  Indian  affairs,  at  St.  Louis,  on  the  ISih  of 
that  month,  that  "the  Indian  relations  among 
the  different  tribes  of  this  quarter,  have  not  a 
very  ;  raicable  appearance.  The  threatenings 
of  the  Sauks  and  Foxes,  and  occasional  acts  of 
inLscliief  committed  by  them  against  the  whites, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Rock  Island,  have  doubtless 
l)een  communicated  lo  you  liefore  this  time. 

"The  Sioux  chief,  Wabashaw,  and  a  consid- 
erable number  of  his  tribe,  are  now  here  (at 
Prairie  du  Chien).  A  small  party  of  them  who 
came  across  the  country  from  Red  Cedar,  state 
that  within  their  country  north  of  the  line  of 
tlie  purchase  of  last  summer,  they  came  upon  a 
war  road  of  the  Sanks  and  Foxes.  They  fol- 
lowed the  trail  leading  out  of  the  country  sev- 
eral days,  and  from  the  signs  remaining  at  their 
camps,  they  have  no  doubt,  that  three  or  more 
of  the  Sioux  have  been  murdered  by  the  Sauks 
and  Foxes.  Among  other  appearances  that 
confirmed  them  in  this  belief,  was  a  painted  buf- 


falo robe,  such  as  no  Indians  in  this  quarter  but 
the  Sioux  make  or  use,  cut  in  pieces  at  one  of 
their  camps.  They  pursued  their  trail  until 
they  came  upon  their  camp,  a  few  miles  north 
of  the  old  Red  Cedar  fort;  but  finding  them 
double  their  own  number,  did  not  make  an  at- 
tack. They  say  that  they  have  made  peace  and 
promised  to  keep  it,  and  will  not  in  any  case  be 
the  aggressors. 

"Col.  Morgan  informed  me,  two  days  since, 
that  he  had  sent  down  to  the  Sauks  and  Foxes 
to  send  up  ten  or  twelve  of  their  men  to  see 
him,  and  have  a  talk  with  him.  They  were  ex- 
pected here  on  yesterday,  but  have  not  yet  ar- 
rived. The  Sioux  are  waiting  their  arrival,  and 
are,  I  believe,  ready  to  meet  them,  either  as 
friends  or  enemies.  When  they  were  informed 
that  the  Foxes  were  coming,  they  put  their  arms 
in  order.  They  say  that  if  the  Sauks  and  Foxes 
come  and  deport  themselves  peaceably,  they 
\v\\\  not  molest  them,  but  if  they  .see any  hostile 
manifestations,  they  will  strike  them.  My  own 
ijpiiiion  is,  that  if  the  Sauks  and  Foxes  have  had 
a  war  jiarty  out  against  the  Sioux, they  will  not 
jome  here  upon  Col.  Morgan's  invitation,  know- 
ing as  they  do,  that  the  Sioux  always  visit  this 
place  about  this  season  in  considerable  numbers. 

"A  part  of  the  Monomonees  have  been  to  see 
me  since  Gen.  Street's  departure.  They  re- 
newed their  promise  not  U,  go  against  the  Chip- 
pewas  for  the  present,  but  to  wait  a  while 
longer  to  hear  from  their  Great  Father." 

The  squally  appearance  of  Indian  affairs 
called  for  the  watchful  attention  alike  of  agents 
and  officers  of  the  army,  l^ut  it  became  a  ques- 
tion of  etiquette,  which  should  take  the  lead  in 
the  mattei-.  The  military  seems  to  have  claimed 
that  right,  while  the  agents  claimed  at  least  to 
know  what  had  been  done  in  the  premises;  both 
being  then  under  the  superintendence  of  the 
War  Department,  the  military  considered  the 
Indian  Department  as  subordinate  to  theirs. 
But  Mr.  Burnett  thought  otherwise,  claiming 
that  eacli  branch  of  the  ])ubli(!  service  had  its 
appropriate  <lnties    with  which  the  other  should 


22 


S70 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


not  interfere,  while  in  case  of  necessity  one 
should  assist  the  other,  both  acting  in  unison. 
And  as  the  Sauks  and  Foxes  alluded  to  in  his 
letter  to  Gen.  Clark,  did  come  to  the  place,  with 
whom  Col.  Morgan  held  a  council,  without  the 
knowledge  or  co-operation  of  ihe  agent,  Mr. 
Burnett  claimed  to  be  informed  of  the  nature 
and  extent  of  the  proceedings,  and  addressed  a 
note,  dated  May  23,  1831,  to  Col.  Morgan,  as 
follows: 

"Sir — I  was  informed  yesterday  that  you  held, 
on  the  morning  of  that  day,  a  council  with  a 
]iarty  of  Sioux  and  a  party  of  Fox  Indians  which 
you  had  assembled  in  the  village  of  Prairie  du 
Cliien.  As  the  acting  Indian  agent  at  this  place, 
it  properl}'  concerns  me  to  know  what  takes 
place  at  this  post  in  relation  to  Indian  affairs. 
I  should  therefore  be  glad  to  be  informed  of 
the  circumstances  that  required  such  council. 
The  objects  to  be  effected,  and  the  results  ac- 
complished; also  the  names  of  the  chiefs  ormen 
of  influence  of  either  tribe,  who  were  present. 
Will  you  please  to  communicate  to  me  as  early 
as  may  be  convenient,  the  desired  information, 
and  likewise  whether  Gen.  Street  was  apprised, 
previous  to  his  departure,  of  the  contemplated 
meeting  of  those  Indians." 

This  brought  from  Col.  Morgan  the  following 
tart  reply,  and  raised  the  question  of  preroga- 
tive: 

"Sir — I  acknowledge  in  you  no  right  to  call 
on  me  to  render  an  account  of  my  proceedings 
to  you,  though  if  you  will  do  me  thfe  favor  to 
call  at  my  quarters  on  my  return  from  St. 
Peter's,  for  which  place  I  am  just  about  to  set 
out,  I  will  explain  to  you  the  object  of  the 
pouncil  and  tell  you  what  passed.  You  were 
apprised  yourself  of  the  Foxes  having  been  in- 
vited, and  you  knew  they  had  arrived.  Why 
stay  four  or  five  miles  off?  I  stated  to  the  In- 
iliansthat  you  should  have  been  to  the  council, 
if  you  had  lieen  here." 

Mr.  Burnett  informed  Gen.  Clark  of  the 
transaction  of  Col.  Morgan,  May  28,  1831:  "In 
my  letter  of  the  18th  inst.,  1  informed  you  that 


Col.  Morgan  had  sent  for  the  Sauks  and  Foxes 
to  visit  this  post.  On  the  21st  inst.,  about 
fifteen  men  of  the  Foxes,  of  Dubuque  mines,  ar- 
rived at  the  village,  and  on  the  next  day  Col. 
Morgan  held  a  council  with  them  and  the  Sioux, 
who  were  here.  I  presume  that  whatever  took 
place  at  the  council,  or  was  effected  by  the 
meeting  of  the  Indians,  of  any  importance,  will 
be  communicated  to  you  through  the  proper 
channel,  by  Col.  Morgan  who  acted  alone  in  the 
measure. 

"I  he  Sioux    had  been  waiting  the  arrival   of 
the  Foxes  for  several  days.     The  Foxes  landed 
at  the  village  on  Saturday  evening,   not  later  I 
think  than  4  o'clock.     The  council  was  opened 
the    next  morning,  as    I    am    informed,  at   10 
o'clock;  yet  no    intimation  of    either    time  or 
place  of  meeting,  or  that  my  presence  was  at  all 
desired,  was   given,   although   there  was  ample 
time   to   do  so.     Throughout   the    transaction, 
there  has  been  no  consultation  had,  or  co-opera- 
tion had  with  the  agency.      The  only  communi- 
cation upon   the  subject  previous  to  the  council 
and  departure   of  the  Indians,   was  the  simple 
fact  that  he  had  sent  for  the  Foxes,  of  which  I 
apprised    you.     I  suppose  that  if  anything  oc- 
curred of   sufficient  importance    to   found  a  re- 
port upon,  he  will  communicate   the  facts,  and 
in  that   case,  it   must   appear  that  the  measure 
was  undertaken    and  carried  through    without 
any  connection  or  co-operation  with  this  agency. 
I  have,  therefore,  given  the  above  statement  of 
facts  to    show   that  the  absence  of  co-operation 
in   this    affair   was  not  from    neglect  of  duty  or 
inattention  on  the  part  of  this  agency." 

The  information  that  I  have  collected  on 
the  subject,  is  this:  "Some  fifteen  Foxes  from 
Dubuque  mines,  all  young  men  except  one  or 
two,  came  up  and  had  a  talk  with  the  Sioux  and 
Col.  Morgan,  in  which  each  expressed  a  desire 
to  continue  the  peace  which  had  been  concluded 
between  them  the  last  year.  The  Foxes  denied 
any  knowledge  of  a  war  party  having  gone 
against  the  Sioux.  They  said  they  wished  to 
be  at  peace,  and  would  not   do  any  act  of  bos- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


STl 


tilitj',  but  they  could  not  answer  for  those  be- 
low— tliey  spoke  for  themselves  enly.  They 
smoked  and  danced  together  and  parted  in  ap- 
parent friendship  and  harmony." 

The  extent  of  the  frontier  and  the  number  of 
tribes  within  the  agency  kept  up  an  almost  in- 
cessant excitement  as  to  their  affairs,  and  to 
keep  the  government  advised  of  all  their  move- 
ments, required  constant  vigilance  and  the  writ- 
ing of  numerous  letters.  Under  date  of  June 
13,  1831,  Mr.  Burnett  writes  to  Gen.  Clark:  "I 
have  -i-eceived  since  the  last  mail  from  this 
]>Iace  information  which  I  consider  entitled  to 
credit,  that  a  war  party  of  Sioux  is  now  being 
organized  among  Washaba's  band  to  go  against 
theCiiippewas,  by  a  warrior  of  some  note  in  that 
Viand.  I  have  also  understood  that  there  are  a 
tew  Menomonees,  relatives  of  those  who  were 
killed  by  the  Chippewas  in  the  fall  and  winter 
past,  now  with  the  band  of  Sioux.  Hut  I  have 
not  been  able  to  learn  whether  theyinteml  join- 
ing the  Sioux  in  their  expedition  or  not,  but 
think  it  probable  that  some  of  them  will  do  so." 

Under  date  of  June  29th  he  wrote:  "I  am  in- 
foruicd  by  Maj.  Langham,  wlio  arrived  lieie 
from  below  a  few  days  since,  that  the  Winne- 
bagoes  of  the  Prophet's  village  on  Rock  river, 
have  I'nited  with  the  Sauks  and  Foxes.  The 
Witinebagoes  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Upper  Mis- 
sissippi are  still  peaceable.  They  are  most 
likely  waiting  to  see  the  first  results  of  the 
movements  below,  and  intend  to  act  afterwards 
according  to  circumstances. 

"Until  within  two  or  three  weeks  past,  very 
few  of  those  Indians  have  visited  this  place  for 
a  length  of  time,  fewer,  I  am  told,  than  usual  at 
this  season  of  the  year.  Lately  a  great  many 
of  them  have  been  here,  the  most  of  whom  came 
down  the  Wisconsin  and  have  gone  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi. A  great  portion  of  them  are  old  men, 
women  and  children.  They  continue  to  pass 
by  daily.  Many  rumors  are  in  circulation  as  to 
their  present  disposition  and  intention;  very  few 
of  which  are,  perhaps,  entitled  to  implicit  belief. 
They  have  served,  however,  to  give  considerable 


alarm  to  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  prairie, 
and  many  of  them  begin  to  think  themselves  in 
danger.  I  have  spared  no  pains  to  ascertain 
the  disposition  of  the  Winnebagoes  here  and 
have  found  no  evidence  of  a  disposition  to  hos- 
tilities on  their  part,  unless  their  sending  so 
many  of  their  old  men,  women  and  children  up 
the  river  and  purchasing  powder  in  larger 
quantities  than  usual  for  ordinary  hunting, 
should  indicate  something  of  the  kind. 

"I  also  learned  a  few  days  since  that  the  one- 
eyed  Decori  had  left  his  village  at  Prairie  La 
Crosse  and  gone  down  to  the  Sanks  and  Foxes. 
This  was  accidentally  communicated  tomy  in- 
formant by  a  Winnebago  and  is  probably  true. 
Decori  was  down  about  two  weeks  since  and 
called  to  see  me  on  his  return  home.  His  de- 
portment was  as  usual;  I  saw  no  change.  In 
fact  I  have  not  discovered  any  change  in  the 
deportment  or  appearance  of  any  of  them  that 
I  have  seen.  They  all  appear  to  be  perfectly 
friendly.  None  of  the  traders  here  think  they 
have  any  hostile  intentions. 

"Col.  Morgan  left  the  fort  for  Rock  Island  on 
the  morning  of  the  27th  inst.,  with  two  compa- 
res from  his  jiost,  and  two  more  from  Fort 
Winnebago,  under  Maj.  Twiggs.  He  had  pre- 
viously called  in  all  fatigue  parties  and  put  his 
whole  force  under  a  course  of  training.  Much 
alarm  prevails  iti  the  mines.  The  people  are 
arming  and  preparing  for  their  defense.  I  do 
not  consider  that  there  is  any  immediate  dan- 
ger either  here  or  in  this  vicinity.  Much,  how- 
ever, will  doubtless  depend  on  the  result  below. 
The  Sionx  and  Menomonees  are  certainly 
friendly,  and  against  the  Sauks  and  Foxes, 
would  willingly  unite  with  the  whites  if  per- 
mitted to  do  so.  I  have  heard  nothing  since 
my  last  of  a  war  party  of  those  Indians  against 
the  Chippewas." 

In  February,  1832,  Mr.  Burnett  was  in  Ken- 
tucky, when  Gen.  Street  wrote  him  that  "the 
Menomonees  and  Sioux  are  preparing  for  a  re- 
taliatory war  against  the  Sauks  and  Foxes  in 
the  spring.    The  Menomonees  have  made  peace 


372 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


with  the  Chippewas,  in  order  to  have  no  fears 
from  that  quarter.  The  two  tribes  met  above 
the  mill  on  the  Chippewa  and  made  their  peace. 
I  have  advised  the  bunerintendent  so  as  to  have 
the  earliest  interferance,  if  any  is  intended.  The 
Sauks  and  Foxes,  I  learn,  expect  retaliation  and 
will  be  prepared  to  meet  them.  If  the  govern- 
ment is  not  early  in  stopping  them,  they  will 
certainly  go  in  considerable  force,  and  a  bloody 
contest  may  be  expected." 

About  the  1st  of  April  Mr.  Burnett  received 
instructions,  while  yet  in  Shelbyville,  to  "pro- 
ceed to  the  agency  at  Prairie  du  Chien  by  way 
of  St.  Louis,  and  call  on  Gen.  Clark  for  the 
funds  allotted  to  the  agency  for  1832,  or  such 
portion  thereof  as  he  shall  determine  to  for- 
ward. The  receipts  will  be  forwarded  to  you 
at  St.- Louis  as  soon  as  a  conveyance  by  steam- 
boat shall  occur."  Mr.  Burnett  reached  the 
agency  about  tiie  1st  of  May.  At  that  time  the 
Sauks  and  Foxes  under  Black  Hawk  were  in 
hostile  movements  on  Rock  river,  with  Gen. 
Atkinson  in  pursuit.  To  aid  in  the  defense  of 
the  country.  Gen.  Atkinson,  from  Dixon's  ferry, 
May  26,  1832,  addressed  Gen.  Street  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  Sir: — I  have  to  request  that  you  send  me  at 
this  place,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  as 
many  Menomonee  and  Sioux  Indians  as  can  be 
collected,  within  striking  distance  of  Prairie  du 
Chien.  I  want  to  employ  them  in  conjunction 
with  the  troops  against  the  Sauks  and  Foxes, 
who  are  now  some  fifty  miles  above  us  in  a 
state  of  war  against  the  whites.  I  understand 
the  Menomonees,  to  the  number  of  300  warriors, 
who  were  with  you  a  few  days  ago,  are  anxious 
to  take  part  with  us.  Do  encourage  them  to  do 
so,  and  promise  them  rations,  blankets,  pay,  etc. 
I  have  written  to  Capt.  Loomis  to  furnish  them 
some  arnis,  if  they  can  be  spared,  and  ammuTii- 
tion.  If  there  are  none  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  I 
must  procure  some  in  this  quartei.  Col.  Ham- 
ilton, who  has  volunteered  his  services  to  lead 
the  Indians  to  this  place,  will  hand  you  this  let- 
ter; and  if  the  Indians  can  be   prevailed   on  to 


come,  will  perform  the  duty.  I  have  to  desire 
that  Mr.  Marsh  may  be  sent  with  Col.  Hamilton 
and  the  Indians,  and  an  interpreter  of  the  Me- 
nomonee language."  In  accordance  with  this 
requirment,  Gen.  Street  gave,  on  May  30,  to 
Mr.  Burnett  the  following  instructions: 

"Sib: — You  will  please  proceed  with  Mr. 
John  Marsh,  who  goes  express  to  the  nearest 
Sioux  village,  and  render  him  such  aid  as  may 
be  necessary  in  obtaining  as  many  Indians  as 
possible,  to  come  down  with  you,  and  proceed 
under  the  command  of  Mr.  Marsh  to  join  Gen. 
Atkinson.  The  letter  of  Gen.  Atkinson  will  be 
your  guide  in  the  business.  Use  every  means 
to  expedite  the  object;  and  hasten  your  return, 
as  much  depends  upon  the  expedition." 

The  nearest  Sioux  village  was  130  miles  up 
the  river  from  the  seat  of  the  agency,  which 
had  to  be  ascended  in  canoes,  there  being  no 
steamer  then  to  he  had.  Yet  in  six  days  after 
receiving  the  order,  Mr.  Burnett  made  the  fol- 
lowing report  to  Gen.  Street: 

"Sir: — In  obedience  to  your  order  of  the 
30th  ult.,  I  set  out  immediately  from  this  place, 
in  company  with  Mr.  INIarsh,  in  a  canoe,  with 
eight  hands,  to  visit  the  nearest  village  of  ihe 
Sioux  Indians.  From  recent  indications  among 
the  Winnebagoes  of  the  upper  Mississippi  of  a 
disposition  to  engage  in  hostilities  with  the 
Sauks  and  Foxes,  Mr.  Marsh  and  myself  thought 
best  to  call  at  their  village  on  the  river  La 
Crosse,  and  invite  so  many  as  might  be  disposed 
to  join  us  on  our  return,  and  go  with  the  Sioux 
and  Menomonees  to  join  Gen.  Atkinson's  army 
on  Rock  River.  We  arrived  at  the  Winnebago 
village  on  the  evening  of  the  next  day  after 
leaving  this  post,  and  that  night  had  a  talk 
with  the  chiefs  and  braves  upon  the  subject. 
Win-o-a-she-kan  was  opposed  to  the  measure, 
and  declined  having  anything  to  do  with  it.  He 
said  the  Sauks  had  twice,  this  season,  presented 
the  red  wampum  to  the  Winnebagoes  at  Port- 
age, and  that  they  had  as  often  washed  it  white, 
and  handed  it  back  to  them;  that  he  did  not 
like  that  red  thing,  he  was  afraid  of  it.  Waudgh- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


3Y3 


lia-ta-kan  took  the  wampum,  and  said  that  he 
with  all  the  young  men  of  the  village  would  go; 
that  they  were  anxious  to  engage  in  the  expe- 
dition, and  would  he  ready  to  accompany  us  on 
our  return. 

"  The  next  day  we  reached  Prairie  Aux  Ailes 
(Wabasha),  and  found  the  Sioux  extensively 
anxious  and  ready  to  go  against  the  Sauks  and 
Foxes.  They  were  intending  to  make  a  de- 
scent upon  them  in  a  few  days,  if  they  had  not 
been  sent  for.  They  engaged  with  alacrity  in 
their  preparations,  but  we  found  it  necessary  to 
wait  till  Monday  morning  to  give  them  time. 
We  left  their  village  on  our  return,  at  9  o'clock 
in  the  forenoon,  accompanied  by  the  whole  ef- 
fective force  of  the  band,  and  at  La  Crosse  were 
joined  by  twenty  warriors  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
the  remainder  of  their  village  to  follow  the 
next  day,  and  reached  this  place  to-day,  at  2 
o'clock  p.  M.,  with  100  warriors,  eighty  of  whom 
are  Sioux  and  twenty  Winnebagoes.  I  think 
from  the  disposition  manifested  by  the  Winne- 
bagoes, tliat  fifty  or  sixty  more  of  them  will  be 
here  before  the  expedition  leaves  the  prairie, 
making  a  force  of  of  1  MO  or  140.  The  Indians 
with  whom  I  have  met,  appear  well  effected 
towards  the  whites,  are  in  fine  spirits  and  seem 
anxious  to  engage  with  the  Sauks  and  Foxes. 

"  I  made  the  promise  authorized  to  the  In- 
dians of  subsistance,  pay,  etc.,  and  told  them 
that  their  families  should  be  supplied  with  pro- 
visions during  their  absence  from  home.  The 
most  of  the  families  of  the  warriors  have  accom- 
panied them  thus  far,  to  take  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions home  with  them,  when  the  expedition 
shall  have  left  this  place.  It  is  due  to  Mr. 
Marsh  to  say  that  he  has  displayed  great  zeal 
and  energy  in  efi'ecting  the  object  of  our  visit, 
and  that  his  exertions  had  the  effect  of  bring- 
ing out  the  greatest  possible  force  from  the 
bands  we  have  called  upon." 

Mr.  Burnett  greatly  desired  and  strongly 
urged  Gen.  Street  to  allow  him  to  accompany 
these  Indians  and  take  part  in  the  war.  But 
the  general    thought   his  services  were  needed 


at  and  near  the  agency,  and,  therefore,  declined 
to  comply  with  the  request. 

In  the  meantime  tlie  Sauks  and  Foxes  re- 
treated from  the  Rock  river  to  the  Wisconsin, 
where  they  were  routed,  "  horse,  foot  and 
dragoons."  The  news  of  this  defeat  of  the  In- 
dians soon  reached  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  it  was 
thought  probable  that  if  the  Sauks  and  Foxes 
could  get  canoes  or  even  rafts,  that  they  would 
attempt  to  escape  from  their  pursuers  by  de 
scending  the  Wisconsin  river.  To  prevent  this, 
some  volunteer  troops  were  stationed  on  that 
yver  at  the  ferry,  now  Barrett's.  But  the  In- 
dians took  across  the  country   towards  Bad  Ax. 

AN    EPISODE    or     TUE   BLACK     HAVt'K    VFAE. 

As  soon  as  it  was  ascertained  that  the  hostile 
Indians  under  Black  Hawk  were  wending  their 
way  to  the  Mississippi,  after  the  battle  of  Wis- 
consin Heights,  Joseph  M .  Street,  Indian  agent, 
wrote  to  Thomas  P.  Burnett,  sub-Indian  agent, 
with  a  view  to  adopt  means  to  intercept  tlie 
savages,  the  following  letter,  on  the  25th  of 
July,  1832: 

"Sir: — You  will  proceed  up  the  Mississippi  to 
the  Winnebagoes,  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles 
above  this  place,  and  inform  them  *  *  *  of 
the  crossing  of  the  Sauks  to  the  north  side  of 
the  Wisconsin,  and  that  their  chiefs  Carramana 
and  Deeori  are  here,  and  that  I  want  all  of  the 
Winnebagoes  to  come  down  with  you  immedi- 
ately; tell  them  it  is  the  wish  of  their  chiefs 
also.  One  object  of  this  is,  to  get  them  out  of 
tlie  way,  with  their  canoes,  to  prevent  their 
crossing  the  Sauks  over  the  river.  Send  on 
word,  if  you  can,  to  the  upper  villages,  that  the 
Sauks  have  been  defeated,  and  have  crossed  the 
Wisconsin.  And  should  the  Winnehagoes  hesi- 
tate, tell  them  that  if  they  do  not  come,  I  will 
not  pay  the  annuity  to  any  who  refuse.  The 
time  is  now  near  and  they  will  lose  their  money. 
Hasten  back  as  soon  as  possible." 

The  next  day,  July  26th,  Mr.  Burnett  reported  : 
"Sir: — In  obedience  of  your  order  of  yesterday, 
I  set  out  from  this  place  in  a  bark  canoe  late 
last  evening  to  visit  the  Winnebagoes,  supposed 


874 


HISTORY[.OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


to  be  encamped  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles 
above  Prairie  du  Chien.  This  morning  before 
day  the  steamboat  enterprise,  with  a  military 
command,  came  by  my  encampment  and  took 
myself  and  crew  on  board.  Before  arriving  at 
the  place  where  the  Indians  had  been  encamped, 
we  found  that  they  had  been  gone  for  several 
days,  and    had  removed    some    distance    above. 

"We  therefore  continued  on  up  a  considerable 
distance,  passing  several  lodges  at  different 
points  until  we  came  to  the  principal  camp,  on 
the  east  side  ot  the  river,  supposed  to  be  sixty 
miles  above  Prairie  du  Chien.  I  communicated 
your  message  to  all  the  Indians  I  saw  on  the 
way,  who  readily  promised  to  obey  your  in- 
structions. 

"At  the  principal  camp  I  found  Washington 
Decori  with  a  considerable  part  of  the  tribe 
from  the  Wisconsin  and  Kickapoo  rivers.  I 
immediately  informed  them  of  your  request,  and 
desired  them  to  get  ready  as  soon  as  possible 
and  go  to  the  agency.  They  manifested  entire 
willingness  to  do  so,  but  said  some  of  their 
party  were  out  hunting,  and  would  be  in  at 
night,  for  whom  they  wished  to  wait,,  so  that 
all  might  come  together.  They  promised  very 
positively,  that  they  would  start  as  soon  as  the 
hunters  should  arrive,  and  would  certainly  see 
you  by  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  to-morrow. 
Alter  some  conversation  about  their  starting 
this  evening,  and  their  still  objecting  to  do  so 
until  the  hunters  came  in,  Lieut.  Abercrombie 
told  them  that  he  would  wait  until  sunset  for 
them  to  get  ready,  and  if  they  did  not  start  by 
that  tune,  he  would  take  all  their  canoes  and 
bring  them  down  with  the  steamboat.  About 
two  hours  after  this  they  concluded  to  start  and 
let  the  hunters  come  on  after  them;  and  after 
seeing  all  the  canoes  move  off,  we  started  on 
our  return,  and  reached  this  place  at  9  o'clock 
this  evening.  The  Indians  whom  I  saw  will 
be  here  to-morrow  by  12  o'clock.  They  had 
not  heard  of  the  battle  on  the  Wisconsin,  but 
appeared  to  be  highly  gratified  and  pleased  at 
the  news." 


The  next  day,  July  2'7th,  Gen.  Street  ordered 
Mr.  Burnett  to  "proceed  with  Washington 
Decori  to  LaCrosse,  and  such  other  points  as 
you  may  deem  important,  and  tell  the  Winne- 
bagoes  I  wish  to  see  them  at  the  agency.  I 
wish  Winneshiek  certainly  to  come.  Much 
must  be  left  to  your  own  judgment  in  the  case. 
The  object  is  to  get  what  information  you  can 
relative  to  the  Sauks  and  Foxes,  and  to  draw 
all  the  Winnebagoes  from  the  Upper  Mississippi, 
and  with  them  the  means  of  passing  the  river. 
If  you  can,  extend  the  news  to  the  Sioux." 

The  following  day  Mr.  Burnett  reported  to 
Gen.  Street:  "In  obedience  to  your  order  of 
yesterday,  I  went  on  board  the  steamer  Enter- 
prise last  evening,  and  started  for  LaCrosse. 
We  arrived  early  this  morning  at  the  entrance 
of  the  lower  mouth  of  Black  river  and  found 
the  Winnebagoes  encamped  on  the  shore.  I 
took  Wekon  Decori,  and  went  oti  shore  immedi- 
ately to  see  the  Indians.  I  found  the  one- 
eyed  Decori  and  the  Litte  Thunder  at  the 
lodges,  but  found  that  most  of  the  band  had 
left  the  village  sometime  since.  Winneshiek 
and  Waumarnarsar,  with  about  fifteen  men  and 
their  families,  had  been  gone  near  a  month  to 
hunt  and  dry  meat  about  fifty  miles  up  LaCrosse 
and  Black  rivers.  The  rest  of  the  band  were  in 
the  camp.  I  told  them  that  you  wished  to  see 
them  immediately;  that  the  Americans  under 
Gen.  Dodge  had  defeated  the  Sauks  and  Foxes 
on  the  Wisconsin,  and  after  killing  a  great 
many,  bad  driven  them  across  the  river;  that 
the  defeated  Indians  were  endeavoring  to  make 
their  escape  to  the  Mississippi  for  the  purpose 
of  crossing  it  and  regaining  their  own  country; 
and  that  it  was  probable  they  would  attempt 
to  reach  that  point,  that  they  might  get  tlie 
Winnebago  canoes  to  cross  in,  and  that  they 
must  get  away  from  that  place  before  the  Sauks 
and  Foxes  arrived. 

"They  said  they  would  come  down  immedi- 
ately on  the  return  of  the  absent  party;  that 
they  were  afraid  of  the  Sauks,  and  did  not  wish 
to  leave  a  small  part  of  their  band  behind,  who 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


375 


were  too  few  to  resist  if  they  would  meet  them. 
I  then  told  thera  to  send  two  of  their  best 
young  men  on  horseback  to  bring  ,in  the  hunt- 
ing party.  They  very  promptly  complied,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  young  men  were  mounted 
and  on  their  way.  I  charged  the  express  to 
carry  to  the  absent  Indians  the  message  I  had 
delivered,  and  to  tell  Winneshiek  especially, 
that  his  presence  was  i-equired  at  the  agency. 
The  chiefs  present  told  me  that  they  thought 
they  would  all  be  here  certainly  in  six  days, 
and  probably  sooner.  I  told  them  it  was  of 
great  importance  to  them  to  come  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  bring  all  their  canoes  on  the  river; 
that  it'  the  Sauks  should  come  to  that  point  they 
were  not  strong  enough  to  prevent  them  from 
taking  their  canoes  (if  they  did  not  kill  them), 
and  crossing  over  the  river;  that  should  they 
eflEect  a  passage  to  the  west  side  of  the  river,  at 
any  point  above  this  place,  within  their  country, 
they  would  be  suspected  of  assisting  them,  and 
if  it  sliould  be  known  that  they  had  done  so, 
they  would  lose  tlieir  annuities  and  be  treated 
as  allies  of  the  Sauks  and  Foxes.  They  promised 
to  start  for  this  place  on  the  return  of  the 
absent  party  and  bring  all  their  canoes  with 
them.  From  their  apparent  anxiety,  I  think 
they  will  be  here  in  three  or  four  days  at  the 
farthest,  though  they  said  it  might  be  six. 

"The  Sioux  chief,  L'Ark,  w^ho  left  this  place 
on  the  evening  of  the  25tli  inst,  passed  Black 
river  this  morning  before  our  arrival,  and  will 
reach  his  people  with  the  news  (which  he  re- 
ceived from  here)  to-day.  Having  done  all  we 
could,  we  left  LaCrosse  at  10  a.  M.,and  reached 
this  place  at  3  p.  sr.,  making  ninety  miles  in 
five  hours." 

It  was  but  a  few  days  after  this,  the  'id  of 
August,  1832,  that  Gen.  Atkinson  over-hauled 
the  broken  fragments  of  Black  Hawk's  army, 
fatigued,  hungry  and  dispirited,  and  attacked 
them  on  the  bottoms  of  the  Mississippi,  a  few 
miles  below  the  mouth  of  Bad  Ax  river,  about 
forty-five  miles  above  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  to- 
tally defeated  and  scattered  them,  as  related  in  a 


previous  chapter.      Black  Hawk  was  soon  after 
taken  prisoner  by  a  company  of  Winnebagoes. 
Mr.  Burnett  met  them  soon  after  the  capture, 
to  whom   Black  Hawk  gave  a  piece  of  red  rib- 
ron  which  was  tied  to  his  hair. 

AFTER  THE  BATTLE  OF  BAD  AX. 

(By  John  A.  Wakefield,  1838.) 
As  .soon  as  the  battle  was  over  all  the 
wounded  were  collected  to  one  place,  and, 
with  those  of  our  enemy,  were  examined 
and  their  wounds  dressed;  there  was 
no  difference  here  between  our  men  and 
our  enemy.  The  different  surgeons  did  their 
best  for  both.  They  were  no  longer  able  to  do 
us  any  harm,  but  were  in  our  power  and  beg- 
ging for  mercy,  and  we  acted  like  a  civilized 
people,  although  it  was  with  the  worst  kind  of 
enemies,  and  one  that  had  done  so  much  mis- 
chief and  had  taken  away  so  many  of  the  lives 
of  our  fellow  citizens. 

We  had  killed  and  wounded  a  great  many  of 
these  wretched  wanderers,  that  have  no  home 
in  the  world,  but  are  like  the  wild  beasts,  more 
than  man — wandering  from  forest  to  forest,  and 
not  making  any  improvement  in  the  natural 
mind.  All  their  study  is  how  to  proceed  in  the 
chase,  or  take  scalps  in  time  of  war.  But, 
although  they  are  a  miserable  race  of  people, 
and  live  a  wretched  life,  they  are  much  fright- 
ened when  they  see  death  staring  them  in  the 
face,  which  was  the  case  at  this  time.  When 
we  came  upon  the  squaws  and  children, 
they  raised  a  scream  and  cry  loud  enough 
to  affect  the  stoutest  man  upon  earth.  If 
they  had  shown  themselves  they  would  have 
come  off  much  better,  but  fear  prevented  them, 
and  in  their  retreat,  trying  to  hide  from  us, 
many  of  them  were  killed,  but  contrary  to  the 
wish  of  every  man,  as  neither  officer  nor  private 
intended  to  have  spilt  the  blood  of  those  squaws 
and  children.  But  such  was  their  fate;  some 
of  them  were  killed,  but  not  intentionally  by 
any  man,  as  all  were  men  of  too  much  sense  of 
honor  and  feeling  to  have  killed  any  but  those 
who  were  able  to  harm  us.     We  all   well   knew 


376 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  squaws  aud  children  could  do  us  no  harm 
and  could  not  help  what  the  old  Black  Hawk 
and  the  other  chiefs  did. 

The  prisoners  we  took  seemed  to  lament 
their  ever  having  raised  arms  against  the  Uni- 
ted States,  and  appeared  to  blame  the  Black 
Hawk  and  the  Prophet  for  the  miserable  con- 
dition that  their  tribe  was  then  in, but  at  the  same 
time  appeared  to  rejoice  that  they  were  prison- 
ers of  war,  which  plainly  showed  that  they  had 
some  faith  in  our  humanity  and  that  they  would 
exchange  the  life  they  were  then  living  for  any 
other.  They  appeared  to  manifest  every  token 
of  honesty  in  their  examination.  They  stated 
that  Black  Hawk  had  stolen  off  up  the  river  at 
the  commencement  of  the  battle,  with  some  few 
of  his  warriors  and  a  few  squaws  and  children. 
I  think  the  number  of  warriors  was  ten,  and 
thirty-five  women  and  children,  or,  in  other 
words,  four  lodges,  which  is  the  Indian  phrase, 
as  they  do  not  know  how  to  count  by  numbers. 
They  were  examined  respecting  the  first  battle 
we  had  with  them  on  the  Wisconsin  and  they 
stated  that  we  killed  sixty-eight  on  the  field  of 
action,  and  that  twenty-five  had  died  since  from 
their  wounds,  making  in  all  ninety-three  that 
we  are  certain  we  killed  in  that  battle,  besides 
a  number  more  that  there  is  no  doubt  still  lin- 
gered and  died  with  their  wounds. 

Putting  together  what  were  killed  in  the  two 
battles,  and  all  the  little  skirmishes,  we  must 
have  destroyed  npwards  of  400  of  these  un- 
happy and  miserable  beings,  which  was  occa- 
sioned, no  doubt,  by  the  superstitious  ideas 
which  were  instilled  into  tlieir  minds  by 
the  Prophet.  Although  I  have  already  stated 
that  those  unhappy  wanderers  make  no  imjjrove- 
ment  in  the  natural  mind,  they  still,  by  in- 
stinct, believe  in  an  overruling  Providence,  and 
are  the  most  credulous  people  upon  earth.  They 
pay  much  attention  to  their  dreams, and  if  one  of 
their  Nation  dreams  much, he  soon  takes  the  name 
of  iH'ophet,  as  they  believe  it  to  be  a  visitation 
of  tiie  Great  Spirit.  One  morning  I  chanced  to 
rise  very  early,  and  taking  a  walk  through    the 


encampment,  accidentally  wandered  to  where 
the  Indians  were  encamped.  It  was  just  at 
the  dawn  of  day,  and  they  were  just  beginning 
their  morning  worship  of  the  Great  Spirit.  I 
had  often  heard  that  these  uninformed  children 
of  the  forest  believed  that  there  was  a  God, 
and  tried  to  worship  him,  which  made  me  call 
a  halt  to  see  if  what  I  had  heard  respecting  this 
unhappy  people  was  true.  They  commenced 
by  three  of  them  standing  up  with  their  faces 
to  the  east ;  one  of  them  commenced  a  kind  of 
talk,  as  though  he  was  talking  to  some  person  at 
a  distance,  at  the  same  time  shaking  a  gourd, 
which  from  the  rattling,  I  should  have  taken  to 
be  full  of  pebbles  or  beans.  The  other  two 
stood  very  still,  looking  towards  the  east  ;  the 
others  were  all  sitting  around  in  the  most  perfect 
silence,  when  the  old  prophet,  priest,  or  what- 
ever they  called  him,  commenced  a  kind  of 
song,  which  I  believe  is  the  common  one  sung 
by  the  Indians  on  all  occasions.  It  was  as  near 
as  I  could  make  it  out,  in  the  following  words  : 
"Ile-aw-aw-he-aw-how-he  aw-hum,"  with  a  great 
many  elevations  and  falls  in  their  tone,  and 
beating  time  with  the  gourd  of  pebbles.  When 
this  song  was  sung,  they  commenced  a  kind  of 
l)rayer,  which  I  thought  the  most  solemn  thing 
I  had  witnessed.  It  was  a  long,  monotonous 
note,  occasionally  dropping  by  a  number  of 
tones  at  once,  to  a  low  and  unearthly  murmur. 
When  he  had  done  he  handed  the  gourd  of  peb- 
bles to  one  of  the  two  that  stood  by  him,  who 
went,  as  near  as  I  could  ascertain  through  the 
same  ceremony,  still  shaking  the  gourd.  When 
he  had  done,  he  handed  it  to  the  third,  who 
went  through  the  same  motions,  and  making 
use  of  the  same  words  that  the  first  two  had 
done,  which  I  suppose  was  a  supplication  or 
prayer  to  the  Great  ."Spirit  to  give  them  plenty 
to  eat,  and  strength  to  conquer  their  enemies. 
It  is  stated  by  those  who  are  acquainted  with 
this  race  of  people,  that  they  are  very  much 
afraid  of  offending  the  Great  Spirit.  If  they 
have  bad  luck  in  hunting,  they  think  it  is 
caused  by  their  havingoffended  the  Great  Spirit, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


311 


and  they  make  an  atonement,  by  offering  up  or 
making  sacrifice  of  something  that  they  set 
much  store  by,  siicli  as  burning  their  tobacco,  or 
something  else  that  they  dote  upon  very  much, 
but  there  is  nothing  in  this  world  tliat  they 
think  more  of  than  tobacco,  as  smoking  they 
think  is  almost  as  indispensably  necessary  as 
eating. 

I  must  now  return  to  the  battle  ground  with 
my  subject.  After  tlie  battle  was  all  over, 
and  the  wounded  all  attended  to,  the  prisoners 
and  the  wounded  of  both  parties  were  put  on 
board  of  the  steamboat  Warrior,  and  taken  down 
to  Prairie  du  Cliien,  where  the  wounded  were 
taken  to  the  hospital  and  the  prisoners  put  in 
confinement. 

The  boat  returned  to  us  the  next  morning. 
We  are  still  at  the  battle  ground,  or  near  it; 
whilst  we  lay  there  our  men  were  still  picking 
up  scattering  Indians.  They  brought  in  an  old 
chief  who  was  wounded.  He  was  very  poor, 
was  between  six  and  seven  feet  high,  what  hair 
was  on  his  head  was  gray,  but  that  was  not 
much,  as  the  most  of  it  was  shaved  off,  just 
leaving  enough  foi-  hand-bold  to  scalp  him  by, 
as  these  superstitious  beings  think  it  would  be 
a  mark  of  cowardice  to  cut  off  this  tuft  of  hair, 
which  they  call  their  scalp.  These  superstitious 
beings  believe  that  if  they  are  maimed  or  disfig- 
ured in  this  world  they  will  appear  in  the 
next  in  the  same  form,  which  is  the  reason  they 
scarcely  ever  bury  their  dead.  If  he  should 
chance  to  lose  his  scalp  they  think  that  it  would 
show  in  the  next  world  that  he  had  been  con- 
quered and  scalped  by  an  enemy  which  would  go 
to  show  that  he  was  not  a  great  warrior. 

Gen.  Atkinson  now  thought  that  he  had  taken 
just  retribution  for  the  blood  these  Indians  had 
spilt  on  our  frontiers,  and  saw  that  it  would  be 
useless  to  cross  the  river  in  pursuit  of  those 
wretched  beings,  for  they  were  now  scattered 
and  hid  in  the  swamps,  so  that  it  was  an  impos- 
sible thing  to  take  many  of  them.  He  finally 
came  to  the  conclusion  to  drop  down  to  Prairie 
du  Chien   and   have   a  talk  with  the  Winneba- 


goes,  for  it  was  now  manifest  that  they  had 
been  allies  to  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  for  the  prison- 
ers that  we  took  in  this  action  put  all  doubts  to 
rest  on  this  score.  We  had  a  long  time  be- 
lieved that  they  were  acting  treacherously  and 
Gen.  Atkinson  now  thought  that  it  was  time  to 
bring  them  to  an  account  for  their  conduct. 
He  accordingly  on  the  second  day  after  the  bat- 
tle, which  was  the  4th  of  August,  took  up  the  line 
of  march  for  Prairie  du  Chien,  but  before  Gen. 
Atkinson  left  the  battle  ground  he  provisioned  a 
number  of  Sioux  and  some  Winnebagoes  and 
sent  them  in  search  of  Black  Hawk  to  see  if  they 
could  not  capture  him,  and  bring  him  in  as  a 
prisoner,  which  the  Sioux  appeared  to  be  anx- 
ious to  do  as  the  Sacs  and  they  had  been  at  vari- 
ance along  time  and  they  saw  that  there  was  no 
chance  of  taking  revenge  for  the  many  injuries 
the  Sacs  had  done  them.  Gen.  Atkinson  and 
the  infantry  went  down  on  the  steamboat  War- 
rior and  reached  Prairie  De  Chien  the  same 
day  we  started.  'I'he  mounted  men,  baggage 
and  all  went  down  by  land  and  reached  Prairie 
du  Chien  the  next  day,  which  was  the  olh  of 
August.  On  entering  the  settlement  of  F'rairie 
du  Chien  we  witnessed  a  very  novel  scene. 
The  Monomonee  Indians  were  rejoicing  at  the 
defeat  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  were  express- 
ing it  by  music  and  dancing.  They  had  ob- 
tained several  scalps,  amongst  which  were 
some  of  the  squaws,  which  they  always 
gave  to  their  squaws.  They  had  given  their 
squaws  several  of  them  and  were  making  music 
for  them  to  dance  around  tliem.  It  was,  as  near 
as  I  could  observe,  in  the  following  way:  The 
men  all  stood  in  a  row  with  gourds  in  their  hands, 
shaking  them  in  a  very  regular  order,  while 
one  old  fellow  was  beating  on  the  head  a 
kind  of  drum,  which  is  generally  a  deer  skin 
stretched  over  a  hollow  gum,  sawed  to  the 
length  of  our  drums.  They  never  use  but  one 
stick  and  that  very  slow.  The  squa\fs 
were  all  paraded  in  front  of  the  men,  facing 
them,  and  the  squaws,  who  were  related  to  those 
whom  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  killed  in  1831,  held 


378 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


scalps  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  squaws,  on  long 
poles  and  stood  in  tLe  center  between  the  two 
lines,  shaking  them  while  the  other  squaws 
and  the  men  danced  around  them,  ap- 
parently trying  to  keep  time  with  the 
rattling  of  the  gourds  and  the  sound  of  the 
drum  and  all  at  the  same  time  singing  the  song 
usually  sung  by  all  Nations  of  Indians,  consist- 
ing only  of  a  few  simple  words  that  I  have  al- 
ready repeated;  but  they  rise  and  fall  very  sin- 
gularly and  always  beat  time  to  the  song  with 
their  feet;  when  the  song  gets  to  the  highest 
pitch  they  jump  up  very  high  and  sometimes 
stamp  with  iheir  feet.  They  generally  bend 
forward  toward  each  other,  sometimes  with 
their  noses  so  close  as  to  touch.  The  squaws 
appeared  to  exert  all  the  power  they  were  mas- 
ter of  in  shaking  the  scalps,  and  using  their  feet 
at  the  same  time  with  the  drummer  and  the 
gourd  shaker,  and  from  their  countenances  they 
appeared  to  be  perfectly  happy. 

Gen.  Atkinson,  on  the  second  day  after  we 
arrived  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  had  the  principal 
chiefs  of  the  Winnebagoes,  and  a  few  of  the 
Menomonees,  at  Gen.  Street's,  the  Indian  agetit 
at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  had  a  talk  with  them. 
He  told  them  that  they  had  given  him  reason  to 
think  they  were  not  true  to  him,  as  he  had 
caught  them  in  many  lies,  which  they  tried  to 
deny.  lie  then  accused  Winneshiek  of  aiding 
the  Sacs,  and  inquired  of  him  where  his  two 
sons  were.  The  answer  of  Winneshiek  vvas, 
that  he  did  not  know  where  they  were.  Gen. 
Atkinson  then  asked  him  if  they  were  pot  with 
Black  Hawk.  His  answer  was  that  one  had 
been  with  him,  but  he  did  not  know  where  he 
was  then.  Gen.  Atkinson  then  ordered  him  to 
be  put  in  prison  until  his  sons  could  be  pro- 
duced. He  then  had  a  talk  with  the  Menomo- 
nees, who  had  never  been  at  war  with  the 
United  States.  They  professed  all  the  friend- 
ship in  the  world  for  our  government;  and  stated 
that  they  had  never  done  us  any  harm,  and  did 
not  tell  lies,  and  that  if  they  wanted  to  do  any 
harm  now  that  they  would  not  know  how.  This 


was  a  little  Menomonee  chief,  whose  name  I 
do  not  recollect.  Gen.  Atkinson  talked  very 
friendly  to  him  and  advised  him  to  pursue  the 
same  friendly  course  towards  the  United  States, 
and  they  would  be  well  treated.  When  this 
chief  was  done,  he  made  a  request  of  Gen.  At- 
kinson, whom  he  termed  father,  to  give  each  of 
his  young  men  a  pair  of  shoes,  and  stated  that 
their  feet  were  worn  out  with  walking.  He 
then  went  on  to  explain  that  when  he  said  shoes 
he  meant  horses,  and  stated  that  his  young 
men  had  been  promised  a  horse  apiece,  and  had 
not  got  them.  Gen.  Atkinson  promised  that 
they  should  have  them,  or  that  he  would  see  to 
it,  I  do  not  recollect  which.  On  the  next  day, 
about  11  o'clock,  Winneshiek's  sons  were 
brought  in,  both  badly  wounded,  which  went 
to  confirm  that  he  and  his  sons  were  allies  to 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes.  They  had  been  wounded 
in  the  battle  on  the  Mississippi.  They  were 
put  in  confinement  August  Tth. 

Gen.  Scott  and  suite  arrived  this  morning  in 
the  steamboat  Warrior,  and  assumed  the  com- 
mand of  the  whole  army,  to  which  station  he 
had  been  appointed  some  time  previous,  but 
was  unable  to  come  on  sooner,  in  consequence 
of  cholera  breaking  out  in  his  army.  He  came 
past  several  posts  and  discharged  the  men 
wherever  he  found  them. 

Gen.  Scott  concluded  to  discharge  the  army 
(or  the  mounted  volunteers)  that  were  then  in 
the  field,  and  demanded  Black  Hawk,  of  Keo- 
kuk, as  both  men  and  horses  were  nearly  worn 
out  with  fatigue.  Accordingly,  on  the  8th  day 
August,  we  left  the  tented  fields  and  took  up 
our  line  of  March  to  Dixon's,  on  Rock  river,  the 
place  appointed  for  us  to  be  discharged  at  (or 
mustered  out  of  the  service  of  the  United  States). 
All  now  were  eager  to  press  forward.  We  had 
turned  our  faces  toward  our  respective  homes, 
and  not  ■»  ithstanding  that  we,  as  well  as  our 
horses,  were  nearly  worn  out  with  the  fatiguing 
inarches,  through  the  swamps  and  over  the 
mountains,  yet  all  were  cheerful,  and  every 
heart  seemed  to  leap  for  joy,  at  the  thought  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


•79 


being  free  from  the  toils  and  hardships  of  a 
soldier,  to  return  again  to  the  embraces  of  a 
wife  and  children,  or  a  father  and  mother, 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  to  mingle,  once  more, 
in  the  walks  and  society  of  the  fair  sex,  which 
appears  to  be  a  sovereign  balm  to  man  in  all 
his  afflictions. 

On  this  day,  just  at  night,  we  met  about 
300  Menomonee  Indians  in  company  of  an 
American  officer  from  Green  Bay,  coming 
to  join  in  pursuit  of  the  Sac  and  Fox 
Indians.  We  happened  to  meet  them  in  a 
prairie.  The  officer  advanced  and  met  us,  or 
we  certainly  would  have  fired  upon  them.  When 
we  came  up  to  them  they  appeared  almost  to 
lament  that  they  had  not  got  in  before  we  had 
the  last  battle,  in  order  that  they  could  have 
had  an  opportunity  of  assisting  us  in  the  work 
of  death  to  our  common  enemy.  For  they  are, 
as  I  have  already  stated,  great  enemies  to  the 
Menomonee  Indians.  When  they  left  us  they 
seemed  to  press  forward  with  more  vigor,  as  it 
was  their  object  to  pursue  the  balance  of  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes,  who  had  made  their   escape. 

On  the  next  day  we  began  to  reach  the  set- 
tlements in  the  mining  country.  This  was 
again  a  solemn  scene.  The  farms  had  mostly 
been  sown  in  grain  of  some  kind  or  other. 
Those  that  were  in  small  grain  were  full  ripe 
for  the  sickle  ;  but  behold  !  the  husbandman 
was  not  there  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  his 
former  labor  by  thrusting  in  the  scythe  and 
sickle  and  gathering  in  his  grain  ;  which  was 
fast  going  to  destruction.  All  appeared  to  be 
solitary,  and  truly  presented  a  state  of  mourn- 
ing. But  as  we  advanced  a  little  further  into 
the  more  thickly  settled  parts  we  would  oc- 
casionally see  the  smoke  just  beginning  to 
make  its  appearance  from  the  tops  of  the  chim- 
neys ;  as  some  of  the  inhabitants  thought  that 
it  would  be  as  well  to  risk  dying  by  the  toma- 
hawk and  scalping  knife  as  to  lose  their  grain 
and  die  by  famine  ;  and  others  had  received 
information  that  we  had  slain  in  battle  their 
troublesome  enemy,  who  had  driven  them  from 


their  homes  and  had  slain  many  of  their  neigh- 
bors. W^henever  we  approached  a  house  theie 
is  no  telling  the  joy  it  would  give  to  the  deso- 
late man  who  had  lately  emerged  from  some 
fort,  and  had  left  his  wife  and  children  still  in 
it  while  he  ventured  to  his  home  to  save  some- 
thing for  them  to  subsist  upon. 

I  must  confess  that  it  filled  my  heart  with 
gratitude  and  joy  to  think  that  I  had  been  in- 
strumental, with  many  others,  in  delivering 
my  country  of  those  'merciless  savages,  and 
restoring  those  people  again  to  their  peaceful 
homes  and  firesides,  there  to  enjoy  in  safety 
the  sweets  of  a  retired  life  ;  for  a  fort  is  to  a 
husbandman  what  jail  is  to  a  prisoner.  The 
inhabitants  of  this  district  of  country  had  been 
shut  up  in  forts  for  the  last  three  months, 
through  fear  of  becoming  a  prey  to  Indian 
barbarity. 

Nothing  very  interesting  occurred  on  our 
march  to  Dixons.  Lieut.  Anderson,  of  the 
United  States  army,  met  us  at  this  point,  and 
by  the  17tli  of  August  mustered  us  all  out  of 
the  service  of  the  United  States.  We  sheathed 
our  swords  and  buried  our  tomahawks  and 
each  man  again  became  his  own  commander 
and  shaped  his  own  course  towards  his  home, 
to  enjoy  the  social  society  of  his  relatives  and 
friends,  in  the  pursuit  of  their  different  avoca- 
tions in  life. 

CAPTURE     OP     BLACK     HAWK.     AND    THE    PROPHET. 

After  the  Battle  of  Bad  Ax  when  Black 
Hawk's  band  was  totally  defeated.  Brevet 
Brigadier-General  H.  Atkinson,  of  the  United 
States  Army,  and  Joseph  M.  Street,  agent  for 
the  Winnebagoes  at  Prairie  du  Cliien,  told  the 
principal  chiefs  of  that  Nation,  that  if  they 
would  bring  in  the  Black  Hawk  and  the  Prophet, 
it  would  be  well  for  them,  and  that  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  would  hold  them  in 
future  as  friends  and  treat  them  kindly,  and 
that  they  would  not,  by  so  doing,  be  considered 
any  longer  the  friends  of  the  hosti'e  Sacs  and 
Foxes. 


380 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


On  this  declaration,  the  one-eyed  chief,  called 
the  Decori,  and  Cheater  took  some  of  their 
men  with  them  and  went  in  pursuit  of  these 
Sacs  chiefs,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  take  them 
prisoners  and  bring  them  and  deliver  them  up 
to  the  Indian  agent  at  Prairie  du  Cliien.  On 
the27tli  of  August, these  two  Winnebago  chiefs 
returned,  bringing  with  them  the  Black  Hawk 
and  the  Prophet,  the  principal  movers  and 
instigators  of  the  war.  The  interview  with 
them  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  I  have  been  told,  was 
a  very  interesting  scene.  I  will  give  the  reader 
the  substance  of  their  talk  with  Indian  Agent 
Street  and  Col.  Zachary  Taylor,  which  will  go 
to  show  how  vigilant  and  with  what  perseverence 
these  Winnebago  chiefs  acted  to  take  these 
prisoners.  They  were  upwards  of  twenty  days 
gone,  after  they  left  Prairie  du  Chien,  before 
they  returned  with  them. 

When  they  arrived.  Black  Hawk  desired  to 
speak  to  Indian  Agent  Street.  The  amount  of 
what  he  said  was,  that  he  was  not  the  originator 
of  the  war;  that  he  was  going  where  he  would 
meet  Keokuk,  and  then  he  would  tell  the  truth; 
that  he  would  then  tell  all  about  this  war  which 
had  caused  so  much  trouble;  that  there  were 
chiefs  and  braves  of  his  Nation  who  were  the 
cause  of  the  continuance  of  the  war;  that  he  did 
not  want  to  hold  any  council  with  him;  that 
when  he  got  where  Keokuk  was  he  would  tell 
the  whole  of  the  origin  of  the  difficulties  and  of 
those  who  committed  "it;  that  he  wanted  to 
surrender  long  ago,  but  others  refused;  that  he 
wanted  to  surrender  to  the  steamboat  Warrior, 
and  tried  to  do  so  until  the  second  fire;  that  he 
then  ran  and  went  up  the  river  and  never  re- 
turned to  the  battle  ground;  that  his  determin- 
ation then  was  to  escape  if  he  could;  that  he 
did  not  intend  to  surrender  after  that,  but  that 
when  the  Winnehagoes  came  upon  him,  he  gave 
up;  and  that  he  would  tell  all  about  the  disturb- 
ance when  he  got  to  Rock  Island. 

The  one-eyed  Decori  and  the  Cheater  both 
in  like  manner  addressed  Mr.  Street,  whom 
they  term  their  father;   which   almost  all   the 


Indians  do  their  agents.  The  one-eyed  Decori 
rose  first  and  addressed  him  in  the  following 
manner: 

'•My  father,  I  now  stand  before  you.  When 
we  parted  I  told  you  we  would  return  soon;  but 
I  could  not  come  any  sooner.  We  had  to  go  a 
great  distance  (to  the  Dale,  Dells,  on  the  Wis- 
consin river  above  the  portage);  you  see  we 
have  done  what  you  sent  us  to  do.  These  are 
the  two  you  told  us  to  get  (pointing  to  Black 
Hawk  and  the  Prophet).  We  always  do  what 
you  tell  us  to  do,  because  we  know  it  is  for  our 
good.  My  father,  you  told  us  to  get  these  men, 
and  it  would  be  the  cause  of  much  good  to  the 
Winnehagoes.  We  have  brought  them,  but  it 
has  been  very  hard  for  us  to  do  it.  That  one — 
Macatamish  Kakacky — was  a  great  way  off.  You 
told  us  to  bring  them  alive;  we  have  done  so.  If 
you  had  told  us  to  bring  their  heads  alone,  we 
would  have  done  so;  and  it  would  have  been 
less  difficult  for  us  to  do,  than  what  we  have 
done.  My  father,  we  deliver  these  men  into 
your  hands;  we  would  not  deliver  them  even  to 
our  brother,  the  chief  of  the  warriors,  but  to 
you,  because  we  know  you  and  believe  you  are 
our  friend.  We  want  you  to  keep  them  safe. 
If  they  are  to  be  hurt,  we  do  not  wish  to  see  it; 
wait  until  we  are  gone  before  it  is  done.  My 
father,  many  little  birds  have  been  flying  about 
our  ears  of  late,  and  we  thought  they  whispered 
to  us  that  there  was  evil  intended  for  us;  but 
now  we  hope  the  evils  birds  will  let  our  ears 
alone. 

"My  father,  we  know  you  are  our  friend, 
because  you  take  our  part;  this  is  the  reason  we 
do  what  you  tell  us  to  do.  My  father,  you  say 
you  love  your  red  children;  we  think  we  love 
you  as  much  or  more  than  you  love  us.  My 
father,  we  have  been  promised  a  great  deal  if 
we  would  take  these  men,  that  it  would  do  much 
good  for  our  people;  we  now  hope  to  see  what 
will  be  done  for  us.  My  father,  we  have  come 
in  haste,  and  are  tired  and  hungry;  we  now  put 
these  men  in  your  hands.  We  have  done  all 
you  told  us  to  do." 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


381 


Mr.  Street,  the  agent  of  the  Winnebagoes 
then  said  : 

"My  children  I  you  have  done  well.  I  told 
you  to  bring  these  men  to  me,  and  you  have 
done  so.  I  am  pleased  at  what  you  have  done. 
It  will  tend  to  your  good  ;  and,  for  this  reason, 
I  am  well  iileascd.  I  assured  the  great  chief  of 
the  warriors  that,  if  these  men  were  in  your 
country,  you  would  find  them  and  bring  them 
to  me  ;  that  I  believed  you  would  do  what  I 
directed  you  to  do.  Now  I  can  say  much  for 
your  good.  I  will  go  down  to  Rock  Island  with 
the  prisoners  ;  and  I  wish  you  who  have 
brought  these  men  especially  to  go  with  me, 
and  such  other  chiefs  and  warriors  as  you  may 
select.  My  children  I  the  great  chief  of  the 
warriors,  when  he  left  this  place,  directed  me 
to  deliver  these  and  all  other  prisoners  to  the 
chief  of  the  warriors.  Col.  Taylor,  who  is  by 
my  side. 

"Some  of  the  Winnebagoes  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Wisconsin  river  have  befriended  the 
Sacs,  and  some  of  the  Indians  of  my  agency 
have  given  them  aid  ;  this  was  wrong  and  dis- 
pleased the  great  chief  of  the  warriors  and 
your  great  father,  the  President,  and  was  calcu- 
lated to  do  much  harm.  My  children  I  yoi'r 
great  father,  the  President,  at  Washington, 
has  sent  a  great  war  chief  from  the  far  east — 
Gen.  Scott — with  a  fresh  army  of  soldiers,  who 
is  now  at  Rock  Island. 

"Your  great  father  has  sent  him  and  the 
governor  of  Illinois  to  hold  a  council  with  the 
Indians  at  Rock  Island  ;  he  has  sent  a  speech 
to  you  ;  and  he  wishes  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
of  the  Winnebagoes  to  meet  him  in  council  on 
the  10th  of  September  next.  I  wish  you  to  be 
ready  to  go  along  with  me  to  Rock  Island. 

"My  children  I  I  am  well  pleased  that  yen 
have  taken  Black  Hawk  and  the  Prophet  and 
so  many  others,  because  it  willenable  me  to 
say  much  for  you  to  thegreat  chief  of  the  war- 
riors and  your  great  father,  the  President.  I 
shall  now  deliver  these  two  men.  Black  Hawk 
and   the  Prophet,  to  the  chief  of  the    warriors 


here.  Col.  Taylor,   who  will  take  good   care    of 
them  until  we  start  to  Rock  Island." 
Col.  Taylor  then  said  : 

"The  great  chief  of  the  warriors  told  me  to 
take  the  prisoners  when  you  should  bring  them 
and  send  them  to  Rock  Island  to  him.  I  will 
take  them  and  keep  them  safe,  but  use  them 
well,  and  will  send  them  by  you  and  Mr.  Street 
when  you  go  down  to  the  council,  which  will 
be  in  a  few  days.  Your  friend,  Mr.  Street, 
advised  you  to  get  ready  and  go  down  soon, 
and  so  do.  I  tell  you  again,  I  will  take  the 
prisoners  and  keep  them  safe,  but  will  do  them 
no  harm.  I  will  deliver  them  to  the  great 
chief  of  the  warriors,  and  he  will  do  with  them 
in  such  manner  as  he  may  be  ordered  by  your 
great  father,  the  President." 

Cheater,  a  Winnebago,  said  to  Mr.  Street, 
the  .Tgent  : 

"My  father  !  I  am  young  and  don't  know  how 
to  make  speeches.  This  is  the  second  time  I 
ever  spoke  to  you  before  the  people.  My 
father  !  I  am  no  chief.  I  am  no  orator,  but  I 
have  been  allowed  to  speak  to  you.  My  fatherl 
If  I  shall  not  speak  as  well  as  others,  still  you 
must  listen  to  me. 

"My  father  I   when   you  made   the  speech  to 

the  chiefs,  Waugh-kan-decorri    Carimanee,  the 

one-eyed    Decorri,  and  others,  the  other  day,  I 

was  there.     I  heard  you.      I  thought    what  you 

said  to  them  you  also  said  to  me.     You  said    if 

these    two    (pointing  to    Black  Hawk  and  the 

Prophet)  were  taken  by  us  and  brought  to  you 

there  would  never  any  more  a  black  cloud  hang 

over    your    Winnebagoes.     My    father  1    your 

words    entered    into    my    ears,    into    my  brain 

and    into    my    heart.      I    left    here    that    very 

night,    and    you   know  you  have  not    seen  me 

since,  until  now.     My   father  I    I  have  been  a 

!  great   way.     I  had  much  trouble  ;  but  wlien  I 

1  remembered  what   you    said  I  knew    von   were 

I  right.      This  made  me  keep  on   and   do    what 

1  you  told   me.      Near   the   dale    (dells)    on    the 

i  Wisconsin  river  I  took  Black    Hawk.     No  one 

I  did   it  but  me.     I  say  this   in  the  ears   of    all 


3.S2 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


present,  and  they  know  it ;  and  I  now  appeal 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  our  Grand  Mother,  for  the 
truth  of  what  I  sa}.  My  father  !  I  am  no  chief, 
but  what  I  have  done  is  for  the  benefit  of  my 
own  Nation,  and,  I  hope,  for  the  good  that  lias 
been  promised  us.  My  father  !  that  one,  Wa- 
boki-shick,  is  my  relation.  If  he  is  to  be  hurt 
I  do  not  wish  to  see  it.  My  father  !  soldiers 
sometimes  stick  the  ends  of  their  guns  (btiyo- 
nets)  into  the  back  of  Indian  prisoners  when 
they  are  going  about  in  the  hands  of  the  guard. 
I  hope  this  will  not   be    done  to  these  men." 

DEATH      OF    BLACK    HAWK. 

Black  Hawk  was  sent  as  a  prisoner  from 
Prairie  du  Chieii  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  under 
charge  of  Lieut  Jefferson  Davis — then  in  the 
United  States  army  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and 
thirty  years  later  Presivient  of  the  Confederate 
States.  Black  Hawk  was  kept  a  close  prison- 
er until  April,  1833,  when  he  was  taken  to 
Washington,  together  with  some  of  his  family 
and  the  Prophet.  After  an  interview  with 
President  Jackson,  and  being  emphatically  told 
by  him  that  the  government  would  compel  the 
red  men  to  be  at  peace,  they  were  sent  as  prison- 
ers to  Fortress  Monroe,  for  "levying  war,"  as 
Davis  was,"  thirty-two  years  later,  for  the  same 
offense.  On  June  4,  1833,  by  order  of  the  Pres- 
ident, Black  Hawk  and  his  fellow  prisoners 
were  liberated  and  sent  home,  under  officers  ap- 
pointed to  conduct  them  through  the  principal 
cities  of  the  Union,  in  order  to  impress  them 
with  a  proper  sense  of  the  power  of  the  whites 
and  of  the  hopelessness  of  any  conflict  on  the 
part  of  the  Indians  with  the  government  of  the 
United  States.  Black  Hawk  ever :  fter  remained 
quiet.  He  died  Oct.  3,  1838,  and  was  buried 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  in  the  State  of 
Iowa,  near  the  head  of  the  Des  Moines  rapids, 
where  the  village  of  Montrose  is  located. 

The  Indian  trade  carried  on  for  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Missouri  and  their  tributaries  was  from 
Mackinaw.  Until  1816  goods  came  mostly  from 
Montreal  in  bateaux  or  canoes,  mostly  by  the 
Mackinaw   or  its  successor,  the  Southwest  Com- 


pany, or  by  some  private  traders.  But  early  in 
1815  Mr.  Astor  purchased  out  the  interest  of 
the  Southwest  Company  at  Mackinaw  and  its 
dependences,  and  in  August  of  that  year  Ram- 
sey Crooks,  as  already  mentioned,  went  to  Mack- 
inaw as  agent  for  Mr.  Astor  to  comptlle  the 
arrangements.  In  the  spring  of  1816  the  goods 
of  the  American  Far  Company  were  imported 
to  New  York,  and  thence  by  way  of  the  lakes  to 
Mackinaw.  During  that  spring  several  Montreal 
traders  arriving  at  Mackinaw  with  Indian 
goods,  probably  not  aware  of  the  law  of  Con- 
gress prohibiting  British  subjects  from  trading 
within  the  American  territories,  now  took 
advantage  of  the  order  of  the  secretary  of 
the  treasury,  and  sent  their  goods  into  the 
Indian  country,  under  the  nominal  direction  of 
a  hired  American  clerk,  to  whom  the  goods 
were  invoiced  and  who  took  the  license  in  his 
name,  and  gave  proper  bonds  with  security  to 
the  traders  who  owned  them,  who  went  along 
ostensibly  as  interpreters,  until  the  boat  passed 
all  the  American  forts  and  agencies,  when  they 
assumed  the  ownership,  and  proceeded  as  usual 
in  their  business — these  clerks'  bonds  were  con- 
sidered as  a  mere  formality  to  evade  the  law, 
and  were  worth  so  much  brown  paper,  and  no- 
more. 

In  the  spring  of  1817  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany brought  a  large  number  of  American 
clerks  from  Montreal  and  the  United  States, 
some  of  whom  made  good  Indian  traders  and 
are  yet  in  the  country,  but  nearly  one-half  of 
them  were  found  not  qualified  for  the  business, 
and  in  the  following  spring  many  of  them  were 
discharged  from  Mackinaw,  which  was  then 
the  grand  depot  of  the  Indian  trade. 

The  American  Fur  Company,  as  had  been  the 
practice  of  the  Mackinaw  and  Southwest  com- 
panies, made  their  outfits  to  Lake  Superior,  to 
the  Mississippi,  the  head  of  St.  Peters,  and  the 
Missouri.  The  boats -for  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri  trade  passed  through  the  north  end  of 
Lake  Michigan  from  Mackinaw,  thence  through 
Green    bay    to    the    settlement  of    that   name 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


383 


thence  up  the  Fox  river  to  the  Little  Kaukalin, 
where    they   made    a   portas;e    of  about  three- 
fourtlis    of   a    mile.     Augustin    Grignon   had  a 
trading  house  at   tliis    point  and  kept  teams  to 
transport   the    goods  and  furs,  (the  men  taking 
the  boats    erapt}'    up  or  down  the  rapids,  as  the 
ease  might  be,  for  which  he  charged  about  twe.n- 
ty    cents    per   one  hundred  pounds.     I'he  boats 
then  proceeded  to  Grand  Chute,  where  the  men 
made  another  portage  of  the  goods  or  furs,  and 
passed    the  boat  over  the  Grand  Chute  empty. 
Thence  they  proceeded  to  the  rapids  at  the  low- 
er end  of  Winnebago  lake,  where  they  usually 
made  half  loads  over  the  rapids  into  the  lake. 
Thence  they  proceeded  upward  to  where  the  Fox 
river     enters    the   lake,    thence   up    Fox  river 
through  Puckawa   lake,  and    Lac    de  Boeuf,  or 
Buffalo  lake,  and  some  smaller  lakes  to  portage 
of  Wisconsin,  where  a  man  by  the  name  of  Roy 
resided,  who  kept  teams  and  hauled  goods,  furs 
and   boats  across   the   Portage  of  one  and  one- 
fourth    miles    from    the   Fox    to  the  Wisconsin 
river,  for  which  he  charged  forty  cents  per   one 
hundred  pounds,  and    ten  dollars  for  each  boat. 
The    boats  then  went  down  the  Wisconsin  to 
its   mouth,  and  thence  up  the  Mississippi  about 
three  miles  to  Prairie  du  Chien;  the  traders  of 
the  lower  Mississi]ppi  and  Missouri  never  going 
down    without  a  short  stop  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
where    they   generally  spent  some  days  in  con- 
viviality, dinners,  dancing,  etc.     Tradition  says 
that   many   years  since,  when  there  were  many 
wintering   traders  in  both  the  upper  and  lower 
Mississippi,  it  was    the   custom  of  every  trader 
visiting  Prairie  du  Chien  to  have  in  store  a  keg 
of  eight   or  nine  gallons  of  good  wine  for  con- 
vivial purposes   when   they   should  again   meet 
in   the    spring,  on    which   occasions  they  would 
have   great  dinner  parties,  and,  as  is  the  Eng- 
lish custom,  drink   largely.     But  in  1816  there 
were  but  few  of  the  old  traders  remaining,  and 
the  storing  of  wine  at  Prairie  du  Chien  had  be- 
come   almost    obsolete,    although    the    traders 
were  then  well  supplied  with  wine,  and  that  of 
the  beet  kind,  of  which  they  made  very  free  use. 


It  was  then  thought  that  a  clerk  in  charge  of  an 
outfit  must  have  his  keg  of  wine,  but  after  the 
American  Fur  company  got  fairly  initiated  into 
the  trade  they  abolished  the  custom  of  furnish- 
ing their  clerks  with  this  luxury  at  the  expense 
of  the  outfit.  As  has  already  been  said,  the  In- 
dian trade  of  the  Mississippi  and  Mis.souri  and 
their  tributaries  was  carried  on  from  Mackinaw 
as  the  grand  depot  of  the  trade  of  the  north- 
west. 

The    traders    and  their   clerks  were  then  the 
aristocracy  of   the  country;  and  to  a  Yankee  at 
first  sight,  presented  a  singular  state  of  society. 
To  see    gentlemen    selecting    wives    of  the  nut- 
brown    natives,  and    raising   children  of  mixed 
blood,  the  trader.s    and  clerks  living  in  as  much 
luxury    as   the    resources  of  the  country  would 
admit,  and  the  engagees  or  boatmen  living  upon 
soup    made  of  hulled    corn    with  barely  tallow 
enough    to   season  it,  devoid  of  salt,  unless  they 
purchased  it   themselves    at   a   high  price — all 
this  to  an  American  was  a  novel  mode  of  living, 
and    appeared  to  be  hard  fare;  but  to  a  person 
acquainted  with  the  habits  of  life  of  the  Canadian 
peasaTitry,  it  would  not  look  so  much  out  of  the 
way,  as    they  live  mostly  on  pea  soup,  seasoned 
with  a  piece  of  pork  boiled  down  to  grease;  sel- 
d<jm  eating  pork  except  in  the  form  of  grease  that 
seasons  their  soup.  With  this  soup,  and  apiece 
of  coarse  bread,  their  meals  were  made;  hence  the 
change  from  pea   soup   to  corn  is  not  so  great, 
or   the  fare   much    worse  than  that  which  they 
had    been   accustomed,  as  the  corn  is  more  sub- 
tantial  than  peas,  not  being  so  flatulent. 

These  men  engaged  in  Canada  generally  for 
five  years  for  Mackinaw  and  its  dependencies, 
transferable  like  cattle  to  any  one  who  wanted 
them,  at  generally  about  .5(10  livres  a  year,  or  in 
our  currency,  about  $83. .3-3;  furnished  with  a 
yearly  equipment  or  outfit  of  two  cotton  shirts, 
one  three  point  or  triangular  blanket,  a  jiortage 
collar  and  one  pair  of  beef  shoes;  being  obliged, 
in  the  Indian  country  to  purchase  their  moccas- 
ins, tobacco,  pipes  and  other  necessaries  at  the 
price    the   trader  saw    fit  to  charge   for  them. 


384 


HISTORY  .OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Generally  at  the  end  of  five  years  these  poor 
ooyaffeurs  were  in  debt  from  fifty  to  150  dollars 
and  could  not  leave  the  country  until  they  had 
paid  their  indebtedness;  and  the  policy  of  the 
traders  was  to  keep  as  many  of  them  in  the 
country  as  they  could;  and  to  this  end  they  al- 
lowed and  encouraged  their  engagees  to  get  in 
debt  during  the  five  years,  which  of  necessity 
required  them  to  remain. 

Tiiese  new  hands  were  by  the  old  voyugeurs 
called  in  Aerision,  mangeurs  de  lard — pork-eaters 
as  on  leaving  Montreal,  and  on  tlie  route  to 
Mackinaw,  ihey  were  fed  on  pork,  hard  bread, 
and  pea-souj),  while  the  old  voyageurs  in  the 
Indian  country  ate  corn  soup,  and  such  othei' 
food  as  could  convenietly  be  procured.  These 
mnngexcrs  de  lard  were  brought  at  considerable 
expense  and  trouble  from  Montreal  and  other 
parts  of  Canada,  frequency,  deserting  after 
they  had  received  some  advance  in  money  and 
their  equipment.  Hence  it  was  the  object  of 
the  traders  to  keep  as  many  of  the  old  voyageurs 
in  the  country  as  they  could,  and  they  generally 
permitted  the  tnangeurs  de  lard  to  get  largeij- 
in  dibt,  as  they  could  not  leave  the  country  and 
get  back  into  Canada,  except  by  the  return 
boats  or  canoes  which  brought  the  goods,  and 
they  would  not  take  t'  em  back  if  they  were  in 
debt  anywhere  in  the  coiintiy,  wiiich  could  be 
easily  ascertained  from  the  traders  at  Mackinaw. 
JiUt  if  a  man  was  prudent  enough  to  save  his 
wages,  he  could  obtain  j)assage,  as  he  was  no 
longer  wanted  in  the  country. 

WESTERN  WISCONSIN  IN  lo8(i. 
vBy  S.  M.  Palmer.) 
Desirous  of  visiting  Cassville,  Prairie  du 
ChicM  and  that  part  of  the  territory  bordering 
on  the  Mississippi,  I  accepted  a  cordial  invita- 
tion from  Col.  Daniels,  of  Cassville,  to  take 
a  seat  in  his  carriage  for  that  place.  It 
wa-<  a  delightful  morning  in  September,  when, 
with  an  agree.ible  party,  consisting  of  the  col- 
onel, Mr.  Latham,  of  Mineral  Point,  and  a  Mr. 
Payne,  of  Boston,  we  bade  adieu  to  the  noble, 
generous   people    of    Mineral   Point,  and    pro- 


ceeded over  a  rough,  uncultivated,  hilly,  and 
tolerably  well  timbered  country,  some  six  or 
ten  miles  to  a  pretty  spot  called  Diamond  Grove, 
near  which  was  the  residence  of  Col.  John  B. 
Terry.  Here  it  was  proposed  to  stop,  but  on 
approaching  the  house,  it  was  evident  that  the 
family  were  not  at  home,  and  I  proposed  to 
pass  on,  but  was  overruled  by  Col.  Daniels,  who 
insisted  that  it  was  the  seat  of  genuine  hospit- 
ality, where  the  latch  string  was  never  drawn  in 
— which  proved  to  be  the  case  on  that  occasion, 
at  least,  and  the  whole  party  entered  the  house. 
And  although  no  member  of  the  family  was  at 
home.  Col.  Daniels,  presuming  upon  his  friend- 
ship with  the  proprietor,  opened  the  cupboard, 
and  set  out  an  excellent  cold  collation,  to 
which  was  added  a  bottle  of  something  stronger 
than  milk,  on  which  the  party  regaled  them- 
selves most  satisfactorily. 

Proceeding  across  a  fine  rolling  prairie,  beau- 
tiful as  a  garden,  though  almost  in  a  state  of 
nature,  with  at  rare  intervals  a  small  agricul- 
tural improvement,  or  a  hamlet  of  miners'  huts, 
we  struck  the  military  road,  which  traverses  the 
dividing  ridge  extending  across  the  territorj', 
the  western  terminus  being  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
along  which  we  continueii  through  a  succession 
of  natural  landscapes,  the  most  rich  ind  gor- 
geous that  can  be  imagined,  until  we  reached 
the  intersection  of  the  Cassville  road  ;  near 
which,  but  a  short  distance  along  the  last  named 
road,  we  stopped  for  the  night,  at  a  small  log 
hut,  the  only  building  of  any  description  in  the 
vicinity,  excepting  a  small  one  on  a  recent  im- 
provement, said  to  have  been  commenced  by 
Hon.  Thomas  P.  Burnett,  near  where  we  di- 
verged from  the  military  road. 

We  were  generously  welcomed,  and  as  com- 
fortably entertained  as  the  limited  means  of  our 
kind  host  and  hostess  would  admit.  The  ride 
from  this  point  to  Cassville  was  through  a 
country  of  extraordinary  beauty,  with  a  soil  of 
unrivaled  richness  and  fertility,  though  with 
the  exception  of  a  very  few  small  buildings  and 
improvements,  untouched  by    the  hand  of  man. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


387 


The  people  of  Cassville,  proverbially  intelligent, 
accomplished  and  enterprising — proud  of  what 
they  considered  the  great  beauty  and  immense 
natural  advantages  of  the  location  of  their 
tovvn — were  all  bustle  and  excitement  in  view 
of  many  grand  and  important  improvements 
already  projected  or  in  progress  ;  first  among 
which  was  a  magnificent  hotel,  the  foundation 
for  which  was  already  being  laid.  All  classes 
appeared  prosperous,  happy  and  contented, 
looking  forward  with  confidence  to  a  brilliant 
future  for  themselves  and  their   favorite    town. 

After  remaining  a  short  time  here,  I  took 
passage  (kindly  accompanied  by  Capt.  Estin, 
and  Mr.  Latham)  on  board  the  steamboat  Ad- 
venturer,a  very  small  dilapidated  and  filthy  boat, 
(for  at  that  time  there  were  comparatively  few 
steamers  of  any  description  plying  on  the  Miss- 
issippi, above  Dubuque),  for  Prairie  dii  Chien. 
This  town,  located  on  a  beautiful  prairie,  some 
four  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin 
river,  would  have  been  fully  equal  in  appearance 
to  any  other  site  on  the  Mississip])i,  but  for  a 
slough  or  bayou  which  van  through  it  nearly 
parallel  with  the  river,  thus  dividing  the  town, 
and  giving  to  that  portion  next  to  the  river,  or 
Old  Town,  as  it  was  called,  the  appearance  of 
an  island,  which  was  exclusively  occupied  by 
the  store  and  warehouse,  a  large  and  elegant 
stone  structure,  and  other  buildings  of  the  North 
American  Fur  Company,  with  a  few  mean  huts 
tenanted  by  a  miserable  set  of  French  and  In- 
dians. It  was  here  that  John  Jacob  Astor,  the 
New  York  millionaire,  as  a  member  or  chief  of 
that  mammoth  fur  company,  made,  it  has  been 
said,  a  considerable  portion  of  his  immense 
wealth. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  bayou,  or  Ne.w 
Town,  was  Fort  Crawford,  in  which  were  about 
300  United  States  troops.  It  occupied  a  high, 
airy  and  commanding  position  on  the  prairie, 
and  comprised  four  substantial  stone  buildings, 
each  some  200  feet  long,  forming  a  hollow 
square,  in  the  center  of  which  was  a  spacious 
parade  ground.     The  officers  .and  ladies  of  the 


garrison  were  exceedingly  courteous  p.nd  agree- 
able, exerting  themselves  to  render  our  visit  in 
every  respect  pleasant  and  satisfactory.  The 
New  Town  contained  but  few  dwelling  houses, 
and  those  of  a  very  ordinary  character,  the 
only  one  of  any  pretensions,  which  I  recollect, 
being  that  occupied  by  Judge  Lockwood. 

Returning  to  Cassville  I  took  passage  on 
board  the  steamer,  Missouri  Fulton,  and  bid- 
ding adieu  to  that  delightful  territory,  in  the 
fond  hope  of  be'ng  permitted  to  visit  it  again 
in  after  years,  set  out  cheerily  for  my  eastern 
home,  at  Rock  Island,  in  which  stood  Fort 
Armstrong,  a  handsome  and  truly  formidable 
fortress.  The  captain  kindly  landed  to  afford 
the  passengers  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  the 
formalities  of  concluding  a  treaty  which  was 
being  held  between  Gov. .Dodge,  acting  for  the 
United  States,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  Sauk  and 
Fox  Indians,  during  which  the  latter  ceded  to 
the  government  their  immensely  valuable 
reservati'in  situated  on  the  Iowa  river,  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  nearly  opposite  to  Rock 
Island,  tlie  sum  stipulated  for  the  jjurchase 
lieing,  as  it  was  then  understood,  seventy-five 
oents  per  acre.* 

The  acquisition  of  this  domain  was  consid- 
ered of  great  importance  to  the  country  ;  not 
so  much  on  account  of  its  intrinsic  value,  as  to 
get  rid  of  those  mischievous  tribes  of  Indians, 
who  up  to  a  period  very  recent,  had  kept  up  a 
continual  warfare  with  their  white  neighbors, 
at  the  instigation  of  Black  Hawk,  who  strenu- 
ously maintained  to  the  last,  that  they  had  been 

♦This  is  substantially  corieet.  The  Saiiks  and  Fo.xes  ceded 
at  this  treaty,  -100  sections,  or  2jB,  000  acres,  in  consideration 
of  which  the  sura  of  $30,000  was  to  be  paid  them  the  foUow- 
insyear,  a  nd  $10,  OiX)  a  year  tor  te  i  yeara  thereafter,  making 
altogether  $1.30, 000.  In  addition,  the  government  agreed  to 
pay  certain  debts  due  to  traders,  and  other  claims,  amount- 
inif  in  the  aggregate  to  $50,39-1.67  ;  and  still  farther  provided 
to  pay  certain  annuities  for  several  half-breed  children  for 
their  education,  etc,  the  total  amountof  which  cannot  be  well 
estimated.  This  would  show  the  cost  of  the  ceded  lands  at 
between  seventy  and  seventy-five  cents  per  acre.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  notice  thjit  Rlack  Hawk,  wlin  was  present  at  the 
treaty,  had  no  oflicial  connection  with  it,  having  been 
practically  deposed  by  our  government  at  the  close  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War,  by  the  recognition  of  Keokuk,  as  head 
chief.  L.  c    D. 


388 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


unjustly  deprived  of  the  lands  and  homes 
inherited  from  their  fathers,  and  which  ended 
only  with  the  capture  of  that  brave  old  chief, 
and  the  consequent  termination  of  war  in 
August,  1832. 

Pending  the  treaty,  some  400  of  the  Sauk 
and  Fox  tribes,  old  and  young,  male  and  female, 
were  encamped  on  the  western  bank  of  the 
river,  opposite  the  island,  who,  contrary  to  the 
supposed  proverbial  taciturn  and  stoical  dis- 
position of  that  people,  were  engaged  in  all 
manner  of  sports,  including  horse  racing  and 
gambling  of  every  description.  The  men, 
many  of  them,  were  painted  after  a  variety  of 
grotesque  fashions,  their  heads  ornamented  and 
decked  out  in  scarlet  cloth  or  flannel,  with  a 
profusion  of  feathers,  beads  and  other  finery. 
They  appeared  decidedly  happy,  and  at  times 
were  boisterous  in  their  mirth.  After  the 
passengers  returned  to  the  boat,  they  were 
visited,  among  others,  by  the  co-chiefs,  Black 
Hawk  and  Keokuk,  who  exhibited  evident  signs 
of    pleasure  and  gratification    at   being   intro- 


duced to  them,  particularly  the  ladies,  toward 
whom  they  were  decidedly  gallant.  This 
treaty  was  considered,  and  justly  too,  a  highly 
important  one,  settling,  as  it  did,  forever,  the 
difliculties  and  misunderstandings  which  had  so 
long  subsisted  with  those  Indians,  who  were 
the  original  owners  and  occupiers  of  all  that 
beautiful  country  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  for 
a  considerable  distance  above  and  below  Rock 
Island,  and  Gov.  Dodge  was  highly  compli- 
mented for  the  skillful  and  successful  manner 
in  which  he  conducted  the  negotiations  for  the 
final  result. 

Thus  have  I  hastily  and  imperfectly  jotted 
down  the  reminiscences  of  a  brief  residence  in 
the  territory,  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago; 
and  if,  among  them  all,  there  shall  be  found  a 
single  fact  worthy  of  preservation  as  con- 
nected with  its  early  history,  I  shall  feel  amply 
recompensed  for  the  little  time  and  labor  it  has 
cost  me  in  its  preparation. 

PoTTsviLLE,  Pa.,  November,  1868. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


389 


CHAPTER    XXVII 


POETS  AND  POETRY. 


In  the  domain  of  literature,  there  are  not, 
nor  have  there  been,  any  citizens  of  Vernon 
county  who  have  been  rewarded  with  a  world- 
wide reputation;  nevertlieless,  the  efforts  of 
not  a  few  have  been  creditable,  and  some  have 
achieved  a  success  that  has  attracted  attention 
both  at  home  and  abroad.  But  this  success  has 
been,  in  a  marked  degree,  confined  to  versifica- 
tion. No  prose  work  has  ever  been  printed  in 
Vernon  county.  Efforts  in  that  line  have  been 
confined  to  now  and  then  an  article  published 
in  some  one  of  the  county  papers.  Not  so, 
however,  in  poetry.  Ever  since  newspapers 
have  been  printed  in  the  coiinty  there  have 
been  frequent  poetical  contributions  to  them; — 
and  an  unusual  number  of  these  have  been  of  a 
high  order  of  merit.  These  effusions  have,  b\ 
no  means,  been  confined  to  school  girls  and  love- 
sick swains;  but  many  of  the  older  and  most 
substantial  citizens  of  the  county  have  thought 
it  not  beneath  them  to  court  the  muses;  and 
they  have  done  this  sometimes  over  a  nam  de 
plume,  but  more  frequently  with  their  own  sig- 
natures attached.  Occasionally  an  anonymous 
piece  of  poetry  has  been  given  to  the  public, 
through  the  medium  just  mentioned,  deserving 
of  particular  notice;  but  these  are  few. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Northwestern  Times 
contributed  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  "Esma- 
relda,"  more  than  a  score  of  years  ago,  some 
fugitive  poems  that  were  meritorious.  We 
copy  one,  entitled 


THE    INDIAN. 

Oh!  lone  Winnebago, 

How  sadly  you  weep 
O'er  the  bones  of  thy  loved  ones 

In  their  desolate  sleep; 
The  white  man  hath  robbed  thee 

Of  thine  own  native  soil, 
And  the  graves  of  thy  fathers 

Are  sunk  neath  their  toil. 

How  sad  is  thy  joiirney, 

As  thou  goest  alone 
Through  these  wide  rolling  prairies, 

That  were  once  all  thine  own, 
'Mid  the  homes  of  the  white  man 

No  more  ihou  art  free; 
Scarce  a  grave  -for  thy  dead 

Will  they  grant  unto  thee. 

No  more  o'er  these  bluffs 

Shall  thou  roam  with  delight. 
Nor  chase  the  wild  deer 

With  fleet  step  and  light, 
Nor  'round  the  great  council  fire 

Recline  at  thine  ease, 
Nor  smoke  with  thy  kindred 

The  calumet  of  peace. 

No  more  shall  thou  fish 

In  this  bright,  silver  stream, 
No  more  shall  the  blade 

Of  the  tomahawk  gleam; 
No  more  shall  thine  arrow 

The  water-fowl  cleave; 
At  the  bidding  of  white  men. 

All  these  thou  must  leave. 

Oh!  sad  Winnebago. 

We  grieve  for  thy  fate, 
Thy  wrongs  by  the  white  man 

Hath  earned  them  thy  hiile. 
May  the  spirit  thou  woiship 

Yet  grant  unto  thee 
A  portion  with  braves 

And  home  with  the  free. 


391) 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Ill  the  following  poetical  contribution  to  tte 
Censor  of  Dec.  20,  1865,  the  cumulative  meas- 
ures are  striking,and  the  poetic  images  decidedly 
above  mediocrity.  It  is  anonymous  and  is 
entitled 

SUNSHINE  IN  WINTER. 

Sweet  is  tbe  sunshine, 

The  golden  sunshine, 
When  in  the  winter  time. 

The  cold  winter  time, 
Through  long  dreary  days, 

Earth's  dreary  days, 
Storm  clouds  on  storm  clouds — 

Such  dark  storm  clouds — 
Have  thickly  veiled  the  sky. 

Veiled  the  whole  skj'. 

Oh!  it  bursts  gloriously, 

Most  gloriously, 
On  our  glad  vision, 

Kavish'd  vision. 
Like  a  pure  angel, 

A  wing'd  angel. 
From  Heaven's  clear  blue 

The  sapphire  blue. 
The  deep,  deep  blue  above, 

Arched  blue  above! 

It  strikes  on  our  heart-strings. 

Our  chil'd  heart-string. 
As  the  last  zephyr. 

Eve's  last  zephyr. 
Smites  the  silk'cord, 

The  silken  cord, 
Of  alone,  lone  harp. 

A  lost,  lost  harp, 
Found  among  the  flowers, 

Earth's  sweet  flowers. 
And  oh,  the  charming  music, 

The  soul's  own  mufic, 
That  laughs  upon  the  air, 

The  wintry  air, 
When  the  sweet  sunshine. 

The  charming  sunshine, 
Breaks  from  the  storm  clouds. 

Wrathful  storm  clouds. 
And  floods  the  whole  world. 

The  whole,    whole  world ! 

Who  in  Vernon  county  does  not  know  Wni. 
F.  Terhune,  one  of  the  oldest  of  its  lawyer  and 
citizens?  Few  would  suspect  from  his  matter- 
of-fact  way  of  talking   that   his    thoughts  ever 


ran  in  a  poetic  groove;  yet,  he  has  published  a 
number  of  fugitive  pieces,  of  which  he  may 
well  be  proud.  We  select  from  the  Vernon 
county  Censor  of  April  21,  1874, 

A  WISH. 
When  summer's  sun  pours  down  its  ardent  rays. 
And  nature  withers 'neath  their  scorching  blaze, — 
See,  'mid  the  landscape,  yonder  crystal  stream 
Glide  on  its  way  toward  the  deep  ravine. 
Calm  o'er  their  pebbled  bed  the  waters  go. 
No  eddying  ripples  agitate  their  flow; 
While  peaceful  murmuring  as  they  glide  along. 
They  blend  with  birds  in  sweet  harmonious  song: 
On  each  fair  bank  a  fresher  verdure  blooms. 
There,    sweetest  flowers  breathe  their  rich  perfumes, 
Sunbeams,  reflected  from  the  surface  gleam, 
And  shimmering  dance  in  gladness  o'er  the  stream. 
Trace  its  bright  course  along  the  meadow's  side. 
And  breathe  delicious  coolness  from  its  tide; 
Mark  how  the  herds  the  crystal  liquid  lave. 
While  verdure  springs  luxuriant  near  the  wave; 
Gentle  and  calm,  its  life-diffusing  flow 
Spreads  soft  enchantment  through  the  vale  below. 
So,  do  I  wish  with  me  would  ever  glide, 
'Mid  haunts  of  peace,  life'  fast  descending  tide, 
so,  might  it  move  in  an  unruffled  stream. 
Where  blessings  linger  and  enchantments  gleam; 
So,  might  its  waves,  with  lustred  virtues  shine. 
Reflecting  brightness  from  their  source  divine; 
So,  on  its  banks  perennial  flowers  fair, 
Of  worth  and  goodness  bloom  forever  there; 
So,  might  it  flow,  my  fellow  men  to  bless 
With  light  and  joy  and  increased  happiness. 

By  far  the  most  prolific  of  Vernon  county 
poets  is  the  Rev.  William  Haughton. 
His  contributions,  at  home  and  abroad,  to 
various  papers,  have  been  numerous.  He  is, 
indeed,  a  true  poet.  He  has  an  exhuberance 
of  fancy,  and  his  style  is  picturesque  and  attrac- 
tive. He  paints  a  pen-picture  with  a  masterly 
hand.  He  has  published  a  collection  of  his 
poems,  entitled,  "Sylvicola,  or,  Songs  from  the 
Backwoods."  The  book  is  a  beautiful  speci- 
men of  the  printer's  art.  It  was  published  in 
1878  at  Viroqua,  by  Henry  Casson,  Jr. 

The  author's  preface  is  brief  and  we  give  it 
entire: 

PREFACE. 

"I  know  not  what  may  be  the  fate  of  this 
little  book,       I  make  no  appeal  to  the  hearts  or 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


891 


sympathies  of  a  kind  public,  well  knowing  that 
it  must  stand  or  fall  on  its  own  merits  or 
demerits  alone. 

"I  have  been  solicited  to  collect  in  book  form 
the  fugitive  pieces  already  published  in  the 
local  papers,  and  I  have  done  so  without  taking 
time  to  correct  faults.  Many  of  these  pieces 
were  written  in  early  boyhood  and  published  in 
the  Canadian  papers  under  the  nom  de  plume 
'Sylvicola.'  So  sweet  is  the  impression  left  on 
my  heart  of  their  reception,  that  I  have  given  as 
the  title  of  my  little  book  a  name  still  dear  to  me. 
May  these  songs — faulty  as  they  are — bring 
to  your  heart  a  tithe  of  the  joy  they  have  given 
mine. 

William  Haughton. 

Viroqua,  Wis.,  1878." 

From  "Sylvicola,"  we  select  the  following  as 
a  fair  average  of  the  whole: 

'TWAS  ONLY  A  SHELL. 
'Twas  only  a  shell  by  the  river-side — 

A  tiuy  and  delicate  shell; 
But 'twas  kiased  by  the  lips  of  the  tinted  tide. 
As  it  slept  where  the  pearly  waters  hide, 

And  the  sunbeam  loved  it  well . 

But  alas  for  the  gem  with  the  delicate  dye, 
'Twas  crushed  by  the  foot  of  a  passer-by; 
No  more  will  it  blusli  to  the  tinted  wave 
In  its  Siuded  bed  by  the  whispering  cave. 

'Twas  only  a  flower  by  the  streamlet's  brim. 

And  it  grew  in  the  valley  deep; 
But  'twas  kissed  by  the  dews  when  the  day  grew  dim 
In  the  meltihg  fall  of  the  robin's  hymn,      , 

And  the  night  wind  sang  it  to  sleep. 
But  alas  for  the  gem  with  its  violet  dye! 
'Twas  plucked  by  the  hand  of  a  passer  by; 
No  more  will  it  blush  to  the  tinted  tide 
In  its  grassy  bed  by  the  streamlet's  side . 

'Twas  only  the  heart  of  a  lowly  one— 

A  heart  that  was  tender  and  true. 
So  little  were  left  when  its  trust  was  gone. 
Yet  sweet  was  the  hope  that  it  leaned  upon, 

And  strong  was  the  love  that  it  knew. 
But  alas  for  its  life!    On  a  cruel  day 
A  shadow  fell  and  it  withered  away: 
'Twas  a  faithless  love — 'twas  a  trust  betrayed, 
And  the  broken  heart  of  a  lowly  maid. 


O  red-lipped  shell  by  the  sanded  cave! 

O  violet  gem  by  the  tinted  wave! 

O  trusting  heart  of  a  lowly  one! 

Away  and  away  from  my  dreams  you've  gone . 

Sad  tj'pes,  when  the  spoiler's  hand  is  nigh. 

Or  the  careless  foot  of  a  passer  by. 

JOHN    BROWN. 
[written  in  I860.] 

Wail  for  the  hero  gone, 
O  slave! 

Wail  for  the  hero  gone! 
Like  a  rock  which  the  tempest  breaks  upon 
He  stood,  while  the  might  of  his  heart  alone 

Beat  back  the  giant  wave. 

Weep  for  the  hero  dead, 
0  slave ! 

Weep  for  the  hero  dead! 
Sublime  was  the  dream  for  which  he  bled. 
Be  a  martyr's  crown  on  the  hoary  head 

Asleep  in  a  felon's  grave. 

Mourn  for  the  hero  lost, 
O  slave! 

Mourn  for  the  hero  lost! 
By  that  awful  line  in  the  landmark  crossed 
Will  freedom  rise  where  the  gage  is  tossed 

To  burst  thy  bonds  and  saye! 

Wake  for  the  bold  heart  hushed, 
O  song! 

Wake  for  the  bold  heart  hushed, 
For  the  victim's  blood  that  nobly  gushed, 
For  the  captive  wounded,  chained  and  crushed. 

For  a  people's  shame  and  wrong! 

SUMMER  SONG. 

The  breathing  balm,  the  soft  perfume 
Of  beauty  bursting  into  bloom  ; 
The  dewy  morn,  the  starry  night, 
The  blending  waves  of  shadowy  light ; 
The  cloud  of  everchanging  hue, 
The  tranquU  heavens  so  deeply  blue, 
The  blushing  buds  upon  the  spray— 
These  are  thy  gifts,  O,  Summer  day  ! 

Sweet  Spring,  in  all  her  glory  dressed — 
Young  Summer  leaning  on  her  breast. 
Crowned  with  a  wreath  of  opening  flowers, 
Fanned  by  the  breath  of  southern  bowers  ; 
The  birds'  wild  carol  from  the  bough, 
The  haze  upon  the  mountain's  brow, 
The  peace,  the  joj',  the  flooding  light 
Thrill  the  rapt  heart  and  charm  the  sigkt. 


392 


HISTORY' OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


What  hand  but  thine,  O,  thou  Supreme  ! 
Could  paint  the  sunbeam  on  that  stream  ? 
Could  giTe  the  pearly  dew  its  light, 
Or  flood  with  gems  the  starry  night  ? 
Could  wake  the  myriad  joys  that  throng 
In  breeze  or  bower,  or  wild  bird's  song, 
More  rapturous  than  a  seraph's  dream  ? 
What  hand  but  thine,  O  thou  Supreme  ? 

Thou  comest  in  the  rushing  storm. 
When  terrors  robe  thine  awful  form  ; 
When  quivering  lightnings  rouud  thee  meet 
And  thunder  crouches  at  thy  feet  ; 
When  at  thy  beck  wild  tempests  sweep 
And  shriek  along  the  howling  deep, 
And  the  mad  waves  in  terror  rise, 
Their  white  lips  pleading  with  the  skiei. 

Less  glorious,  but  how  fair,  art  thou. 
When  robed  and  crowned  as  thou  art  now; 
Not  the  wild  anthem  of  the  storm. 
Nor  pitchy  darkness  round  thy  form. 
But  light  and  joy  and  peace  serene,  — 
The  heavens  so  blue,  the  earth  so  green. 
What  hand  but  thine,  O  thou  Supreme  ! 
Could  paint  that  flower  or  gild  that  stream  ! 

He  loves  not  heaven  who  loves  not  thee, 
O  wealth  of  Summer  scenery  ! 
From  whose  cold  breast  no  echoes  start 
Responsive  to  thine  own  full  heart. 
To  me,  that  land  where  angels  throng 
Is  rich  wilh  verdure  and  with  song, 
And  every  dream  of  heaven  is  bright 
With  earth's  dear  love,  its  life  and  light. 

William  Clawater,  of  the  town  of  Franklin, 
a  member  of  the  6th  Wisconsin  in  the  Iron 
Brigade  of  the  late  war,  has  written  (and  is 
still  writing,)  some  creditable  poetry.  The  fol- 
lowing is  especially  to  be  commended  : 

MOUNT   RENO. 

'Tis  morn,  the  night  wind  seems  whispering  rest. 
Hills  dotting  the  valley^with  borders  of  green. 

Huge  frowning  clifls  guard  the  gates  to  the  west, 
Dark  shadows  o'erlappingthe  valleys  between. 

Bright  rose  the  sun  on  that  calm  Sabbath  morn. 
On  South  Mountain's  top  shimmering  light. 

By  the  farm-house  and  cottage  green  waved  the  corn, 
Where  Hooker  was  resting  the  right. 

On  the  left  stood  a  gray,  hoary  giant. 
Battle-scarred  by  the  storms  and  by  time  ; 


Beneath  its  dark  shade,  rock-girt  and  defiant, 
Lay  a  path  where  the  bravest  might  climb. 

At  its  bas«  lies  a  cordon  that's  deep, 
Rent  banners  inscribed  '  'Gaines'  Mill;" 

No  braver  men,  living  or  asleep. 
Than  bore  them  at  Malvern  Hill, 

Up  from  each  flank  moved  the  line. 

Their  arms  at  a  right  shoulder  shift. 
The  center  stands  still  as  the  pine, 

That  covered  the  mountain  and  rift. 

In  the  center's  a  deep  yawning  grave. 
Where  Nature  seems  holding  her  breath, 

Palor  whitens_the  check  of  the  brave. 
As  the  eye  scans  this  valley  of  death. 

There's  a  dtep  wave  of  blood  on  the  heart  ; 

Describe  it  ? — it  canuot  be  told  ; 
Slow,  aye,  and  worthless  the  pencil  of  art, 

Were  it  lightning  and  letters  of  gold  ! 

Now  tnis  death-chilling  silence  is  o'er. 
Dark  the  cloud  that  foreshadows  the  hail, 

The  fierce  storm  that  bursts  with  a  roar. 
The  rocks  echo  back  on  the  gale. 

The  iron  line  rush  to  the  charge, 

Bragg.Fairchild,  and  Gibbon  are  breasting  the  shell, 
No  braver  line  trusting  in  steel. 

Than  surged  up  that  valley  of  hell. 

Now,  high  above  the  roar  of  the  guns, 
Piercing  wave,  'tis  the  Soiitherners'  yell 

Falling  chill  on  the  hearts  of  our  sons, 
For  it  tells  when  the  brave  Reno  fell. 

The  dark,  gray  rocks  are  now  crimsoned  with  blood. 
Locked  banners  trail  their  folds  o'er  the  dead  ; 

Ebbing  tides  of  the  heart  swell  the  flood. 
And  ea«h  throb  dye's  the  green  heather  red. 

Darkens  the  mountain  with  Northern  blue. 
Roll  tne  Rebel  gray  like  a  fast-ebbing  tide. 

Their  darkened  crime  and  their  falser  dream. 
Mingle  earth  and  blood  on  the  mountain's  sii  e. 

With  the  dark  blue  lines  came  the  flashing  steel. 
Planting  stars  and  stripes  on  the  crown. 

And  the  haughty  chivalry  backward  reel. 
The  stars  and  bars  with  the  sun  go  down. 

Setting  sun,  'twas  thy  last  fading  ray. 
That  painted  death's  shade  at  the  sever  ; 

Round  its  brow  twines  the  laurel  and  bay, 
And  Motmt  Reno  is  f anwus  forever  ! 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


393 


CHAPl'Ji.R     XXVIII 


THE  SCHOOLS  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


From  the  time  of  the  earliest  advent  of  the 
families  of  French  traders  into  the  region  now 
known  as  Wisconsin,  to  the  year  1818,  when 
that  region  became  part  of  Michigan  territory, 
education  was  mostly  confined  to  private  in- 
struction, or  was  sought  by  the  children  of  the 
wealthier  in  the  distant  cities  of  Quebec,  Mon- 
treal and  Detroit.  The  early  Jesuit  mission- 
aries, and — subsequently  to  1816,  when  it  came 
under  the  military  control  of  the  United  States 
— representatives  of  various  other  religious  de- 
nominations sought  to  teach  the  Indian  tribes 
of  this  section.  In  1823  Rev.  Eleazar  Williams, 
well  known  for  his  subsequent  claim  to  be  the 
Dauphin  of  France,  and  who  was  in  the  employ 
of  the  Episcopal  Missionary  Society,  started  a 
school  of  white  and  half-breed  children  on  the 
west  side  of  Fox  river,  opposite ''Shanty-Town." 
A  Catholic  mission  school  for  Indians  was  or- 
ganized by  an  Italian  priest  near  Green  Bay,  in 
1830.  A  clause  of  the  treaty  with  the  Winne- 
bago Indians,  in  1832,  bound  the  United  States 
to  maintain  a  school  for  their  children  near 
Prairie  du  Chien  for  a  period  of  twenty-seven 
years. 

THE    OEIGINAL    SCHOOL    CODE. 

From  1818  to  1836,  Wisconsin  formed  a  part 
of  Michigan  territory.  In  the  year  183V  Mich- 
igan was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State 
and  Wisconsin,  embracing  what  is  now  Minne- 
sota, Iowa,  and  a  considerable  region  still  fur- 
ther westward,  was,  by  act  of  Congress  approved 
April  20th  of  the  year  previous,  established  as 
a  separate  territory.  The  act  provided  that  the 
existing  laws  of  the  territory  of  Michigan  should 


be  extended  over  the  new  territory  so  far  as 
compatible  with  the  provisions  of  the  act,  sub- 
ject to  alteration  or  repeal  by  the  new  govern- 
ment created.  Thus  with  the  other  statutes, 
the  school  code  of  Michigan  became  the  orig- 
inal code  of  Wisconsin,  and  it  was  soon  form- 
ally adopted,  with  almost  no  change,  by  the 
first  territorial  Legislature,  which  met  at  Bel- 
mont. Although  modified  in  some  of  its  pro- 
visions almost  every  year,  this  imperfect  code 
continued  in  force  until  the  adoption  of  the 
State  constitution  in  1848.  The  first  material 
changes  in  the  code  were  made  by  the  territo- 
rial Legislature  at  its  second  session,  in  1837,  by 
the  passage  of  a  bill  "to  regulate  the  sale  of 
school  lands,  and  to  provide  for  organizing,  reg- 
ulating and  perfecting  common  schools." 

It  was  provided  in  this  act  that  as  soon  as 
twenty  electors  should  reside  in  a  surveyed 
township,  they  should  elect  a  board  of  three 
commissioners,  holding  office  three  years,  to  lay 
off  districts,  to  apply  the  proceeds  of  the  leases 
of  school  lands  to  the  payment  of  teachers' 
wages,  and  to  call  school  meetings.  It  was  also 
provided  that  each  district  should  elect  a  board 
of  three  directors,  holding  office  one  year,  to 
locate  school  houses,  hire  teachers  for  at  least 
three  months  in  the  year,  and  levy  taxes  for  the 
support  of  schools.  It  was  further  provided 
that  a  third  board  of  five  inspectors  should  be 
elected  annually  in  each  town  to  examine  and 
license  teachers  and  inspect  the  schools.  Two 
years  subsequently  (1839)  the  law  was  revised 
and  the  family,  instead  of  the  electors,  was 
made  the  basis  of  the  town  organization.     Every 


394 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


town  with  not  less  than  ten  families,  was  made 
a  school  district  and  required  to  provide  a  com- 
petent teacher.  More  populous  towns  were  di- 
vided into  two  or  more  districts.  The  office  of 
town  commissioner  was  abolished,  its  duties 
with  certain  others,  being  transferred  to  the  in- 
spectors. The  rate-bill  system  of  taxation,  pre- 
viously in  existence,  was  repealed,  and  a  tax  on 
the  whole  county  for  building  school  houses  and 
supporting  schools,  was  provided  for.  One  or 
two  years  later  the  office  of  town  commission- 
ers was  restored,  and  the  duties  of  the  inspect- 
ors were  assigned  to  the  same.  Other  some- 
what important  amendments  were  made  at  the 
same  time. 

In  18+0,  a  memorial  to  Congress  from  the 
Legislature,  represented  that  the  people  were 
anxious  to  establish  a  common  school  system, 
with  suitable  resources  for  its  support.  From 
lack  of  sufficient  funds  many  of  the  schools  were 
poorly  organized.  The  rate-bill  tax  or  private 
subscription  was  often  necessary  to  suppliment 
the  scanty  results  of  county  taxation.  Until  a 
State  government  should  be  organized,  the  fund 
accruing  from  the  sale  of  school  lands  could  not 
be  available.  Congress  had  made  to  Wisconsin, 
as  to  other  new  States,  for  educational  purposes, 
a  donation  of  lands.  These  lands  embraced  the 
sixteenth  section  in  every  township  in  the  State, 
tire  500,000  acres  to  which  the  State  was  enti- 
tled by  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  Congress 
passed  in  1841,  and  any  grant  of  lands  from  the 
United  States,  the  purposes  of  which  were  not 
specified.  To  obtain  the  benefits  of  this  large 
fund  was  a  leading  object  in  forming  the  State 
constitution. 

AGITATION    FOE  FREE  SCHOOLS. 

Shortly  before  the  admission  of  the  State  the 
subject  of  free  schoolsbegan  to  be  quite  widely 
discussed.  In  February,  184.5,  Col.  M.  Frank, 
of  Kenosha,  a  member  of  the  territorial  Legisla- 
ture, introduced  a  bill,  which  became  a  law, 
authorizing  the  legal  voters  of  his  own  town  to 
vote  taxes  on  all  the  assessed  property  for  the 
full  support  of  its  schools.     A  provision  of  the 


act  required  its  submission  to  the  people  of  the 
town  before  it  could  take  effect.  It  met  with 
strenuous  opposition,  but  after  many  public 
meetings  and  lectures  held  in  the  interests  of 
public  enlightenment,  the  act  was  ratified  by  a 
small  majority  in  the  fall  of  1845,  and  thus  the 
first  free  school  in  the  State  was  legally  organ- 
ized. Subsequently,  in  the  Legislature,  in  the 
two  constitutional  conventions,  and  in  educa- 
tional assemblies,  the  question  of  a  free  school 
system  for  the  new  State  soon  to  be  organized 
provoked  much  interest  and  discussion.  In  the 
constitution  framed  by  the  convention  of  1846, 
was  provided  the  basis  of  a  free  school  system 
similar  to  that  in  our  present  constitution. 

The  question  of  establishing  the  office  of 
State  superintendent,  more  than  any  other  fea- 
ture of  the  proposed  school  system,  elicited  dis- 
cussion in  that  body.  The  necessity  of  this  of- 
fice, and  the  advantages  of  free  schools  sup- 
ported by  taxation,  were  ably  presented  to  the 
convention  by  Hon.  Henry  Barnard,  of  Con- 
necticut, in  an  evening  address.  He  afterward 
prepared,  by  request,  a  draft  of  a  free  school 
system,  with  a  State  superintendent  at  its  head, 
which  was  accepted  and  subsequently  embodied 
in  the  constitution  and  the  school  law.  In  the 
second  constitutional  convention,  in  1848,  the 
same  questions  again  received  careful  attention, 
and  the  article  on  education  previously  pre- 
pared, was,  after  a  few  changes,  brought  into 
the  shape  in  which  we  now  find  it.  Immedi- 
ately after  the  ratification  by  the  people,  of  the 
constitution  prepared  by  the  second  conven- 
tion, three  commissioners  were  appointed  to  re- 
vise the  statutes.  To  one  of  these.  Col.  Frank, 
the  needed  revision  of  the  school  laws  was  as- 
signed. The  work  was  acceptably  performed, 
and  the  new  school  code  of  1849,  largely  the 
same  as  the  present  one,  went  into  operation 
May  1st,  of  that  year. 

THB    SCHOOL   SYSTEM    UNDER  THE  STATE    GOVERN- 
MENT. 

In  the  State  constitution  was  laid  the  broad 
foundation  of   our  present  school  system.     The 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


395 


four  corner  stones  were:  (1)  The  guaranteed 
freedom  of  the  schools;  (2)  the  school  fund 
created;  (3)  the  system  of  supervision;  (4)  a 
State  University  for  higher  instruction.  The 
school  fund  has  five  distinct  sources  for  its  cre- 
ation indicated  in  the  constitution:  (1)  Pro- 
ceeds from  the  sale  of  lands  granted  to  the 
State  by  the  United  States  for  educational  pur- 
poses; (2)  all  moneys  accruing  from  forfeiture 
or  escheat;  (3)  all  fines  collected  in  the  several 
counties  for  breach  of  the  penal  laws;  (4)  all 
moneys  paid  for  exemption  from  military  duty; 
(5)  five  per  cent,  of  the  sale  of  government 
lands  within  the  State.  In  addition  to  these 
constitutional  sources  of  the  school  fund,  an- 
other and  sixth  source  was  open  from  1856  to 
1S70. 

By  an  act  of  the  State  Legislature  in  the 
former  year,  three-fourths  of  the  net  proceeds 
of  the  sales  of  the  swamp  and  overflowed  lands, 
granted  to  the  State  by  Congress,  Sept.  28, 1850, 
were  added  to  the  common  school  fund,  the 
other  fourth  going  into  a  fund  for  drainage, 
under  certain  circumstances;  but  if  not  paid 
over  to  any  town  for  that  purpose  within  two 
years,  to  become  a  part  of  the  school  fund.  The 
following  year  one  of  these  fourths  was  con- 
verted into  the  normal  school  fund,  leaving  one- 
half  for  the  common  school  fund.  In  1858  an- 
other fourth  was  given  to  the  drainage  fund, 
tlius  providing  for  the  latter  one  half  the  income 
from  the  sales,  and  leaving  for  the  school  fund, 
until  the  year  1865,  only  the  remaining  one 
fourth.  In  the  latter  year  this  was  transferred 
to  the  normal  school  fund,  with  the  provision, 
however,  that  one-fourth  of  the  income  of  this 
fund  should  be  transferred  to  the  common 
school  fund  until  the  annual  income  of  the  lat- 
ter fund  should  reach  1200,000.  In  ] 870  this 
provision  was  repealed,  and  the  whole  income 
of  the  normal  fund  left  applicable  to  the  sup- 
port of  normal  schools  and  teachers'   institutes. 

At  the  first  session  of  the  State  Legislature  in 
1848,  several  acts  were  passed  which  carried  out 
in  some  degree   the    educational  provisions  of 


the  constitution.  A  law  was  enacted  to  provide 
for  the  election,  and  to  define  the  duties  of  a 
State  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  A 
district  board  was  created,  consisting  of  a  mod- 
erator, director  and  treasurer;  the  office  of  town 
superintendent  was  established,  and  provision 
was  made  for  the  creation  of  town  libraries,  and 
for  the  distribution  of  the  school  fund.  The 
present  school  code  of  Wisconsin  is  substan- 
tially that  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  1848,  and 
which  went  into  operation  May  1,  1849.  The 
most  important  change  since  made  was  the 
abolition  of  the  oflice  of  town  superintendent, 
and  the  substitution  therefor  of  the  county  su- 
perintendency.  This  change  took  effect  Jan.  1, 
1862.  *• 

DEVELOPMENT    OF    SCHOOLS     IN    VERNON    COUNTY. 

From  small  beginnings  indeed,  education  has 
developed  in  Vernon  as  in  other  counties,  step 
by  step,  growth  upon  growth,  ever  widening 
and  deepening  to  meet  the  wants  of  an  increas- 
ing population,  until  to-day  our  schools  stand 
abreast  with  the  times,  and  are  not  far  behind 
the  foremost  in  Wisconsin. 

Here  and  there  some  fifteen  to  twenty  years 
ago  the  traveler  might  meet  on  some  cross  road 
or  deep  in  the  head  of  some  cooley,  the  old- 
time  log  cabin,  poorly  lighted,  largely  ventilated, 
wretchedly  constructed  and  furnished,  where 
grown  boys  and  girls  with  little  children  were 
taught  from  old  fashioned  and  various  text 
books,  and  often  indeed,  without  even  these 
poor  aids.  Educated  and  trained  teachers  were 
hard  to  obtain.  There  was  little  attempt  at 
classification  or  any  uniformity  of  method.  One 
teacher  spent  part  of  his  term  in  pulling  down 
the  work  which  the  former  teacher  had  built 
up,  or  in  carrying  the  pupil  over  the  same 
ground  traveled  by  his  predecessor,  leaving  the 
boy  or  girl  at  compound  numbers  or  at  frac- 
tions, to  begin  again  the  same  process  on  the 
re-opening  of  the  school  and  arrival  of  the  next 
teacher. 

♦"Educational  History."  by  Prof.  Edward  Searing-,    in  the 
Illustrated  Historical  Atlas  of  Wisconsin. 


396 


HISTORY  OF  VERN0N;C0UNTY. 


The  "programme  and  curriculum  of  these 
palmy  days  were  the  time  worn  reading  and 
arithmetic  in  the  forenoon;  geography,  reading 
and  spelling  in  the  afternoon.  Language  les- 
sons or  grammar  were  seldom  or  never  taught. 
Penmanship  was  a  scarcity.  The  benches  and 
desks  were  rude;  the  ceiling  low;  the  floor 
rough  and  rickety.  No  outbuildings  were  visible 
and  on  the  whole  the  aspect  looked  uninviting. 
Yet  here  and  there  some  good,  solid  work  was 
accomplished,  owing,  perhaps,  rather  to  the  de- 
termination and  patience  of  the  pupil  than  to 
the  ability  of  the  teacher  and  the  aid  of  books, 
and  out  from  even  these  poorscbools  have  gone 
earnest  hearted  youths  and  maidens  equipped 
and  harnessed  fairly  for  the  struggle*  of  life. 
So  true  is  it  that  talent  will  finally  manifest 
itself  in  spite  of  lack  of  aid  from  extensive 
sources. 

Vernon  county  had  several  superintendents 
of  schools  in  these  days  known  as  township  su- 
perintendents. 

By  and  by  instead  of  die  log  cabin  might  be 
seen,  along  the  public  roads,  here  and  there, 
the  neat  frame  building;  sometimes  roomy  and 
well  lighted,  with  seats  and  desks  in  keeping,  and 
occasionally  a  good  blackboard  and  a  map  or 
two  on  the  walls.  Some  system,  too,  was  at- 
tempted in  the  examination  of  teachers,  and 
also  in  thediscipline  of  the  school  room.  Schol- 
arship became  a  necessary  factor  in  the  teach- 
er's fitness.  The  schools  were  more  frequently 
visited;  better  order  prevailed;  the  tests  of  suc- 
cessful work  sought  out  both  by  superintend- 
ents and  district  boards,  and  the  attention  of 
the  public  now  closely  turned  to  the  conditions 
of  the  schools. 

The  township  system  of  superintendents 
closed  and  that  of  county  supervisors  begun. 

One  of  the  first,  if  not  the  first  county  super- 
intendent was  JVlr.  Hartwell  Allen,  who  held 
the  office  for  some  years.  Mr.  N.  Wright,  of 
Bloomingdale,  carried  on  the  work  for  two 
years,  and  Mr.  O.  B.  Wyman,  then  of  Hillsbor- 
ough, continued  it  for  six  years  longer.     These 


gentlemen  did  earnest  and  successful  work  and 
helped  to  bring  up  the  character  of  Vernon 
county  schools  to  their  present  condition.  At 
the  close  of  Mr.  Wyman's  term  of  office  Mr. 
William  Haughton,  a  former  principal  of  Viro- 
qua  High  School  and  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  at  same  place,  was  elected  and 
again  elected  to  the  office  in  the  last  county 
election. 

From  a  small  beginning  the  schools  now  num- 
ber 160.  Many  of  the  buildings  are  commodi- 
ous and  comfortable,  respectably  furnished  and 
well  ventilated.  Quite  a  number  are  very 
pleasantly  located,  and  some  of  the  towns  have 
entered  so  heartily  into  educational  matters 
that  they  have  spared  no  cost  and  no  pains  in 
buildings  and  surroundings. 

XUMBER    OF    SCHOOLS    IN    THE    COUNTY. 


Bergen          number 

Ciiristianii 

7            In  good 
6 

condition  5 
3 

Clinton 

7 

3 

Coon                   " 

6 

5 

Forest 

10 

9 

Fiauklin            " 

10 

8 

Genoa                 " 

6 

4 

Greenwood        '" 

7 

6 

Hamburg 
Harmony 
Hillsborough     " 
JefEeraon 

7 

6- 

9 

10 

6 

5 
5 

7 

Kickapoo           " 
Liberty               " 

7 
4 

3 

1 

Staik 

7 

5 

Sterling 

Union                  " 

10 
6 

8 
6 

Viroqua 

14 

5 

Webster             " 

7 

3 

Wheatland         " 

6 

5 

Whitestowu       " 

8 

5 

Total  21  towns,        160  In  good  condition.   107 

SCHOOL  HOUSES. 

A  few  of  these  buildings  are  of  brick  and 
stone.  The  balance  of  those  in  good  condition, 
quite  a  credit  to  the  county. 

Thirteen  new  school  houses  were  built  dur- 
ing the  year.  One  in  Christiana,  costing  $745 
in  the  pleasant  and  thriving  village  of  Westby, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


8J>7 


on  the  Viroqua  &  Sparta  Railroad.  The  ladies 
of  this  village  deserve  much  credit  for  the 
active  part  they  took  in  helping  forward  this 
building,  having  gotten  up  entertainments  to 
help  therein.  The  building  is  neat  and  roomy 
and  contains  two  departments,  one  in  each 
story. 

Coon  has  a  very  neat  brick  building  in  the 
striving  village  of  Coon  valley,  standing  near 
the  beautiful  brick  church  edifice  of  the  Lu- 
theran faith.  Our  Norwegian  friends  show 
great  zeal  in  the  cause  of  education.  All  these 
public  school  buildings  are  a  credit  to  them. 
Of  the  six  school  houses  in  this  town,  every 
one  is  neat  and  well  kept.  The  same  can  be 
said  of  Christiana. 

Forest  put  up  a  building  costing  1600.  One 
cannot  but  be  pleased  with  the  character  and 
condition  of  the  school  houses  in  this  town, 
trim,  neat,  presenting  an  exterior  that  merits 
praise  and  an  interior  helpful  to  both  teacher 
and  student.  The  same  may  be  said  of  other 
towns,  but  when  we  consider  the  rough  nature 
of  many  parts  of  Forest  and  lack  of  wealth 
amongst  its  people,  one  is  compelled  to  give 
large  credit  to  its  education  loving  residents 
which  are  chiefly  American. 

Ontario,  a  very  beautiful  village  in  Whites- 
town,  on  the  waters  of  the  Kickapoo ;  if  not 
the  city  of  palms,  is  at  least  of  evergreens, 
orderly,  quiet  and  serene  ;  has  a  graded  school 
of  two  departments,  over  which  Prof.  D.  O. 
Mahoney  has  reigned  for  some  years,  doing 
good  work.  The  people  feel  the  need  of  a  new 
building  and  a  High  School.  We  trust  to  see 
one  there  ere  long. 

Newton,  in  the  town  of  Harmony,  owns  a 
large  two  story  building,  a  credit  to  its  people, 
especially  to  Mr.  Hartwell  Allen,  an  ex-superin- 
tendent of  Vernon  county,  whose  zeal  and 
spirit  helped  on  the  good  work. 

Newton  has  been  noted  for  its  special  and 
select  schools  conducted  by  Mr.  Allen,  Mr. 
Haughton  and  one  or  two  others.  The  former, 
especially,  has   done  good  work  here,  so  good 


that  his  influence  has  been  felt  to  this  day 
among  teachers  and  pupils. 

Readstown  school,  in  Kickapoo,  has  a  re- 
spectable history.  Able  teachers  have  left  their 
marks  there. 

De  Soto,  in  town  of  Wheatland,  owns  a 
building  which  is  a  credit  to  the  place.  It  was 
erected  by  I.  W.  Blake,  of  Viroqua.  It  is 
two  story,  commodious,  airy,  neat  and  well 
furnished.  It  is  appraised  at  upwards  of 
$3,000,  but  who  can  estimate  the  value  of  its 
work  or  rather  the  work  done  therein  to  the 
community.  Formerly  they  ran  three  depart- 
ments, at  present  owing  to  the  exit  of  people  to 
the  far  west,  only  two   departments   are   open. 

Victory,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
owns  a  good  and  commodious  building.  So  of 
other  places  along  or  neaf  the  same  shore 
between  De  Soto  and  the  northwestern  boundary 
of  Vernon.  Time  we  trust  is  near  when  this  shore 
will  be  alive  with  activity  and  business  enter- 
prise and  crowds  of  children  shall  seek  the  school 
house.  In  tiie  common  course  of  things  and  the 
nature  of  events  that  day  is  not  far  distant. 
Hillsborough,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county  has  a  beautiful  building.  In  fact  two 
buildings  very  nearly  side  by  side.  Three 
departments  are  kept  open  the  greater  part  of 
the  year,  one  of  them  a  High  School.  The 
buildings  are  pleasantly  located,  apart  from  the 
village,  yet  commanding  a  view  of  it.  There 
are  here  excellent  and  numerous  accommo- 
dations, good  airy  rooms,  and  the  general 
aspect  of  the  place  is  delightful.  The  good 
citizens,  many  of  whom  are  Germans,  spare 
no  cost  in  and  for  the  well-being  of  their 
schools. 

Rockton  school  has  also  a  good  history.  The 
people  have  lately  put  the  building  under 
repairs  and  have  neatly  and  commodiously 
furnished  and  seated  it.  To  the  Hon.  Samuel  S. 
Bennett  much  credit  is  due.  His  helpful  hand 
and  large  influence  have  done  much  for  educa- 
tion, as  well  as  for  other  good  things  in  this 
place  and  amongst  this  community. 


398 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Chaseburg,  on  the  Coon  river,  owns  a  pretty 
school  building.  We  are  tempted  again  into 
calling  attention  to  a  name  interwoven  with  the 
history  of  this  place.  The  Hon.  Mr.  Swain,  a 
true  friend  to  every  good  work.  His  influence 
has  been  very  helpful  to  education  in  this 
place. 

Viroqua  schools  have  prospered  in  the  past 
few  years,  especially  those  in  the  village.  A 
large  stone  building  of  four  departments, 
costing  some  114,000,  was  erected  some  years 
ago,  but  was  found  not  ample  enough  foi-  the 
rapidly  increasing  school  population.  Last 
year  a  very  elegant  and  commodious 
brick  building  was  erected.  And  yet  they 
come.  Before  long  another  wing  will  have  to 
be  added  to  this  edifice.  The  schools  both 
high  and  graded  have,  for  two  years  past  been 
under  the  charge  of  Prof.  I.  C.  Smith,  a  very 
able  and  zealous  teacher,  and  a  graduate  of 
Platesville  Normal  School.  Mr.  Smith  isdoing 
good  work,  as  are  also  his  staff  of  teachers. 
Emma  Howett,  Lena  Washburn,  Hatlie 
Ferrett,  Eliza  Haughton,  Ida  Coe  and  Hattie 
McKie.  The  attendance  is  large.  The  curric- 
ulum very  respectable  and  the  work  done  is 
really  valuable.  The  schools  have  won  the 
confidence  of  the  general  public,  so  much  so 
that  now  resident  pupils  are  seeking  to  avail 
themselves  of  its  benefits  in  large  numbers. 

EXAMINATION    OF   TEACHERS. 

Two  semi-annual  public  examinations  for 
teachers  are  held,  one  in  March  and  one  in 
September  of  each  year,  at  eight  dift'erent 
points  in  the  county,  most  available  to  teachers. 
About  250  to  .300  applicants  attend  these 
examinations,  some  write  only  for  their  grad- 
ing, others  for  certificates,  180  to  200  of  which 
have  been  annually  granted,  chiefly  of  the 
third  class  grade.  We  have  been  gradually 
reducing  the  corps  of  teachers  and  raising  the 
standard  of  qualification.  During  the  past 
year  fewer  certificates  have  been  granted  than 
ever  before,  and  the  result  is,  naturally  higher 
salaries  and  a  better  class  of  instructors.     We 


seek  everywhere  and  on  all  occasions  to  give 
encouragement  and  promise  to  do  faithful  and 
eflicient  work.  Teachers  are  requested  to  give 
reports  to  county  superintendent  as  to  their 
location  and  work,  name  of  school  board,  order 
of  exercises,  progress  and  punctuality  of  pupils, 
average  attendance  at  school,  methods  of 
instruction,  visitations  at  homes  of  pupils  and 
preparations  for  school  room  work  after  school 
hours. 

COUNTY     SUPERVISION. 

The  effect  of  this  supervision  and  discipline 
is  manifest  in  the  better  order  of  the  schools 
and  the  progress  of  the  pupils.  Not  only  is  it 
sought  to  have  the  intellect  developed,  but 
likewise  the  heart  of  kindness  and  courtesy,  in 
the  school  room  and  on  the  play  grounds.  A 
constant  visitation,  when  not  engaged  in  office 
work,  is  kept  up  by  the  superintendent,  when 
methods  of  instruction  are  examined,  suggested 
or  recommended,  and  faithful  work  encour- 
aged. 

Public  lectures  are  frequently  given  ;  talks 
to  the  children,  also,  on  the  beauty  and  nobil- 
ity of  education,  self  government  and  a  pure 
life,  self-giving  and  unselfish  like  the  Great 
Master — for  we  all  know  that  mere  intellectual 
power  without  moral  guidance  and  strength  is 
a  failure  for  this  life  and  for  the  next.  Teach- 
ers and  pupils  everywhere  welcome  the  super- 
intendent, and  he  has  always  a  place  in  the 
hearts  and  homes  of  our  generous  people. 

There  is  held  each  year  two  normal  insti- 
tutes, under  the  management  of  a  normal 
school  conductor,  assisted  by  the  county  super- 
intendent and  most  able  and  prominent  teachers. 
These  institutes  are  of  incalculable  benefit. 
They  present  the  best  and  standard  methods  of 
teaching  ;  experiences  of  the  most  successful 
in  tlie  profession  ;  the  drill,  the  discipline  and 
the  elementary  nature  of  the  work,  and  are  cal- 
culated to  fit  the  teacher  for  abler  methods  of 
greater  uniformity  and  of  larger  results  in  the 
school  room. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


399 


School  boards  and  school  patrons  are  of  late 
turning  their  attention  to  the  providing  of  text 
books  for  their  districts  of  greater  uniformity, 
and  of  school  furnishing  in  maps,  globes,  seats 
and  desks.  The  outlay  in  this  direction  during 
the  last  school  year  has  been  large.  The  pro- 
fession is  becoming  less  and  less  an  itineracy, 
good  teachers  being  retained  in  the  old  places 
at  an  increased  salary.  An  extract  is  here 
offered  from  State  superintemlent  Whitford's 
report  for   1880-1  : 

"The  returns  from  Vernon  county  are  pecu- 
liarly satisfactory.  Here  an  earnest  and  general 
attention  has  been  given  to  the  compulsory 
law.  The  present  county  superintendent,  Wil- 
liam Haughton,  as  well  as  his  immediate  prede- 
cessor, has  labored  faithfully  to  enlist  tlie 
interest  of  the  teachers,  school  boards  and  other 
prominent  citizens  in  the  different  districts,  in 
securing  a  hearty  compliance  with  the  terms  of 
the  law. 

'In  my  opinion,  its  power  to  influence  parents 
and  guardians  in  sending  their  children  to 
school  has  been  tested  in  this  county  as 
thoroughly  as  in  any  other  section  of  the  State. 
The  increase  in  the  attendance  of  children  of 
school  age  the  past  year  was  841,  while  the  in- 
crease in  school  population  was  only  100.  The 
percentage  of  attendance  of  these  children 
upon  public  schools  was  eighty,  and  of  the 
children  between  seven  and  fiiteen  years  of  age 
it  was  ninety-one.  These  are  excellent  results  ; 
and  if  the  same  could  be  readied  in  other  lo- 
calities the  State  would  have  no  reason  to  com- 
plain of  the  "neglect  of  very  many  of  the  citi- 
zens to  furnish  their  children  the  advantages 
of  an  elementary  education." 

"Mr.  Haughton,  the  present  superintendent, 
writes   in    reference    to  the  facts  above  stated  : 

"Doubtless,  the  compulsory  law  has  much  to 
do  with  this  increase  of  attendance,  and  yet  I 
find  that  Vernon  county  people  are  steadily 
awakening  to  the  necessity  of  giving  their  chil- 
dren  all    the   benefits  of  our  common  schools." 


There  is  yet  much  to  do.  The  battle  has  not 
yet  been  won.  May  the  time  soon  come  when 
the  school  houses  will  adorn  the  county,  when 
the  last  log  cabin  will  have  disappeared  and  in 
its  place  will  stand  the  neat  edifice  with 
pleasant  surroundings,  calculated  to  train  and 
elevate  the  ideas  of  the  beautiful  in  the  hearts 
and  minds  of  the  children,  and  when  every 
man  and  woman,  every  youth  and  maiden  in 
this  beautiful  country  will  have  risen  to  a 
larger  conception  of  what  America  offers  them 
and  expects  from  them  in  return.  A  great 
people,  a  grand  future,  to  be  reached  not  so 
much  by  wealth  or  by  victory  on  the  battle 
field  as  through  the  agency  and  power  of  the 
common  schools. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  following  figures  that 
the  schools  are  still  steadily  though  slowly  in- 
creasing : 

PROSPERITY  OF  THE  SCHOOLS. 

There  are  four  towns  in  which  there  are  pub- 
lic school  libraries  containing  about  250  vol- 
umes, cash  value  of  which  is  supposed  to  be 
$110  to  $120. 

One  hundred  and  forty-three  schools,  in 
which  are  good  blackboards,  twenty  hav- 
ing charts,  \0i  having  good  maps,  forty-one  hav- 
ing globes,  and  ^■^0  supplied  with  Webster's 
large  dictionary.  There  have  been  employed  250 
teachers,  of  both  sexes,  during  the  year,  about 
seventy  of  whom  were  males. 

The  salaries  of  the  males  averaged  $28  per 
month,  and  that  of  females,  $22. 

Average  number  of  months  in  which  school 
kept,  about  seven  and  a  half.  There  has  been 
a  very  decided  gain,  both  in  length  of  school 
term  and  in  teachers'  wages,  in  the  past  few 
years. 

Average  scholarship  on  authorized  standard 
about  seventy-five  per  cent,  on  females  and 
seventy-seven  and  a  half  on  males.  A  few  re- 
ceived only  a  six  months  license,  but  the 
greater  part  a  year's  certificate. 

About  fifty  of  the  schools  have  adopted  the 
course  of  study  arranged  and  recommended  by 


400 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


State  superintendent.  Others  have  in  part  tried 
it.  The  difficulties  in  the  way  are  numerous, 
but  persevering  teachers  are  overcoming  them. 
The  list  of  studies  as  prescribed  by  the  State 
is  as  follows  : 

Orthoepy,  orthography,  reading,  penman- 
ship, arithmetic,  grammar,  geography,  United 
States  history,  civil  government,  and  theory 
and  art  of  teaching.  In  these,  third  grade  ap- 
plicants are  examined.  In  addition,  for  second 
grade,  candidates  are  examined  in  elementary 
algebra,  higher  grammar,  physical  geography 
and  physiology.  For  first  grade,  in  addition 
thereto,  higher  algebra,  geometry  and  natural 
philosophy  or  physics. 

But  few  of  the  teachers  have  obtained  first 
grade  certificates,  and  of  these  few  the  males 
])reponderate.  A  larger  number  obtain  second 
grade,  and  these  certificates  are  held  almost 
wliolly  by  females. 

A  teachers'  association  has  been  held  at 
Ontario  during  the  winter.  The  state  of  the 
roads  and  the  distance  to  available  points  are 
such  as  to  make  such  gatherings  less  frequent 
and  more  sparsely  attended  than  they  ought  to 
be.  It  is  to  be  hoped  they  will  in  time  be 
more  numerous  and  better  attended  than  they 
are  now. 

Ray's  and  Robinson's  arithmetics  ;  McGuf- 
fey's,  Sander's  and  the  Union  readers  ;  Mon- 
teith's.  Harper's,  and  Swinton's  geographies  ; 
Kerl's,  Harvey's  and  Swinton's  grammars,  have 
of   late   been    the   popular    text   books   in    the 


county  :  yet  of  late,  too,  Appleton's  series, 
especially  the  reader,  is  working  its  way  into 
the  schools.  So,  also,  is  Fish's  arithmetic  and 
Olney's  algebra.  Evan's  little  work  on  geom- 
etry is  growing  into  favor  in  the  high  and 
graded  schools. 

One  thousand  dollars  and  twenty  cents 
has  been  expended  in  private  schools  during 
the  year,  the  whole  for  teachers'  wages.  There 
are  nineteen  of  these  schools. 

The  expenditure  over  any  former  year  in 
amount  of  outlay  for  teachers'  wages  is  upward 
of  $6,000  while  that  of  amount  total  for  school 
purposes  is  110,000  to  ^10,500.  The  extra  cost 
of  school  buildings  the  past  year,  excluding  any 
other  year,  is  some  $6,000  to  $7,000.  The 
county  having  spent  $11,322  for  building  dur- 
ing the  last  year. 

GENERAL  STATISTICS  FOB  1882    TO    1883. 

Whole  number  of  children  of  school  age  In  county 9038 

Whole  number  who  have  attended  school 6790 

Whole  number  of  days  school  has  been  taught 24148 

Number  of  teachers  required  to  teach  the  schools 160 

Whole  number  of  public  American  schools  in  county..    160 

Number  of  private  schools  in  county 19 

Average  wages  paid  teachers  per  month  $24, 81V4 

Number  of  visits  paid  by  the  county  superintendent. .  133 
Number  of  addresses  and  lectures  given  on  education  25 
Nu  mber  of  distt  lets  which  have  adopted  list  text  books     8.5 

Pei  centage  of  enrollment  of  children  of  school  age 78 

Percentage  of  enrollment  of  children  between  7  and  15      8714 

Number  of  new  school  houses  built  during  the  year 13 

Amount  of  cost  of  these  school  houses $11,. 322 

Amount  of  outlay  for  teachers'  wages $2.5,326 

Total  amount  for  all  school  purposes $38,168 

Number  of  graded  schools  in  the  county 4 

Number  of  high  schools 2 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


401 


CHAPTER    XX  IX. 


VARIOUS    THINGS. 


As  tlie  years  pass  away  there  are  transpiring 
continually  in  the  county  incidents  of  import- 
ance, wliich,  in  their  nature,  only  require  brief 
mention,  hut  which  cannot  well  be  overlooked. 
Some  of  these  are  so  transient  in  their  character, 
that,  by  much  the  larger  portion  of  the  people, 
they  are  soon  forgotten;  but  what  may  seem 
unimportant  now  may  become  exceedingly  im 
portant  to  future  generations.  It  is  the  office 
of  this  chapter  to  preserve  these  small  things, 
awaiting  the  time  when  each  shall  no  longer 
seem  like  "an  insubstantial  pageant  faded." 

A.  PIONEEE    INCIDENT. 

Lee  Grant  Sterling,  in  1847,  carried  his  plow 
on  his  shoulders  from  West  Prairie  to  Mt.  Ster- 
ling, in  Crawford  county,  on  his  way  to  Prairie 
du  Chieu  to  get  it  sharpened.  At  Mt.  Sterling, 
his  load  getting  rather  heavy,  he  hired  a  horse 
and  rode  the  residue  of  the  distance.  On  hi.s 
way  back  he  overtook  Alexander  Latshaw, 
whose  wife  was  a  relative,  and  a  joyful  meeting 
was,  _^of  course,  the  result.  Mr.  Latshaw  was 
just  then  on  his  way  out  to  settle  in  the  county. 

CENSUS    OF    1847. 

As  the  present  county  of  Vernon  before  its 
formation  by  the  Legislature  in  1851,  as  Bad  Ax 
county,  was  a  part  of  Crawford  county,  the  set- 
tlers up  to  that  date  were,  of  course,  residents 
of  the  last  mentioned  county.  On  the  1st  day 
of  December,  1847,  an  enumeration  of  the  heads 
of  families,  the  number  of  males  in  each  family, 
Iso  the    number  of  females   was   taken  in  the 


Mt.    Sterling  precinct.    No.  2,    by    the  census 
taker  of  that  year,  with  the  following  result: 


Heads  of  Families  ob  Prin- 
cipal Person. 


White 
Males. 


Ira  Stevens 

John  Miller 

Philander  Green . . . . 
William  T.  Sterling 

George  Nichols 

John  Teavalt 

James  A.  dark 

Alexander  Latshaw 

Joseph  Heck 

S.  Bacon 

Thomas  Lewis 

Hugh  Moore 

Esau  Johnson 

J.  D.  Gaj- 

Ezeklel  Tainter 

James  A.Cooke 

John  Hemerson 

Thomas  Gillett 

Elisha  Seeley 

John  Graham 

Clemant  Spaulding. 

M.  Cheatham 

Elisha  Jinks 

William  Spencer  ... 

John  Hii'd 

Samuel  Ingraham.. 
Thomas  J.  Defrees. 

Jacob  Johnson 

Henry  Seitert 

Abraham  Stiles 

George  A .  Swain . . . 
George  P.  Taylor. . . 

Michael  Hinkst 

Samuel  G.  Rice 

George  Pike 

Owen  Whigyle 

Philip  Snydor 

J.  Warner 

Bangui  Roberts 

Andrew  Neiborn... 

Francis  Patnell 

Joseph  Godfry 


White 
Females. 


134 


3 
16 


4 

4 
14 
6 
5 
3 
9 


233 


THE    M.    B.    CHURCH    FROM    1851    TO      1859. 

In  the  year  1851  a  Mr.  Stevens  was  appointed 
by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Conference  to  the 
Bad  Ax  charge,  as  it  was  called,  and  he  labored 
zealously  in    the    cause,  preaching   in    turn    at 


402 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Viroqua,  the  Bad  Ax  school  house,  occasionally 
at  the  dwelling  of  James  Foster,  and  at  other 
private  dwellings  throughout  the  district,  whicli 
included  the  whole  of  the  present  Vernon 
county. 

In  the   year    1852    the   conference  appointed 
Nicholas  Mayne  to  the  charge.     Mr.  Mayne  was 
a  quiet,  zealous    Christian,  patient  under  all  cir- 
cumstances; not  a  very  fluent  speaker,  but   cor- 
rect and  impressive.  He  resided  under  the  same 
roof  with  D.  G.  A.  Swain,  and  had  for  his  places 
of  preaching,  the  dwelling  of    Mr.  Swain,  Viro- 
qua, Bad  Ax,  Springville  and  Coon  Prairie.  Mr. 
Mayne  was  also  appointed  to  the  same  charge 
for  tlie  ensuing  year,  and  his  field  of  labor  before 
the  close  of    the    second    year    became     much 
enlarged,  the  Church  increased  in   numbers  and 
his   services    were    well   attended.       The  camp 
meetings    were    still    carried    on    during    the 
specified  period  in  each  year  in  the    valley  near 
the   riisidence  of   .J.    A.  C)oke,  with    increased, 
additions  to  the  Church.       It  was  about  at  the 
time  of  the  closing  labors  of  Mr,  Miyiie    when, 
in    cousequence  of    the  great  additions    to  the 
Church,  both  by  new  converts  and  those  coming 
in   by  .etter,  that  it  became  necessary  to  make 
preparations    for   the    building  of    a    meeting 
house. 

Upon  the  close  of  Mr.  Mayne's  appointment 
to  the  Bad  Ax  circuit,  the  conference  sent  Mr. 
Cooley  to  the  charge.  Mr.  Cooley's  places  of 
preaching  were  the  same  as  those  of  Mr.  Mayne. 
We  cannot  find  from  the  facts  collected  in 
reference  to  Mr.  Cooley's  labors  among  tlie 
brethren  of  the  Bad  Ax  circuit,  that  lie  formed 
any  new  societies,  though  many  additions  were 
made  to  those  already  formed. 

At  the  close  of  the  labors  of  Mr.  Cooley  on 
the  circuit,  Mr.  Perdunn,  who  had  preached  to 
the  first  Church  at  Bad  Ax,  was  sent  back  on 
the  charge.  Mr.  Perdunn  was  a  warm-hearted 
speaker  and  a  zealous  Cliristian.  lie  lab*  red 
earnestly  among  the  brethren  near  half  his  ap- 
pointment, when  sickness  in  his  family  called  him 
home.     He  left  the  charge  with  the  blessings  of 


the  Church  resting  on  him  and  returned  to  his 
home  to  witness  the  expiring  moments  of  his 
beloved  wife,  who  died  triumphantly  in  the 
faith  which  her  husband  had  so  zealously 
preached  for  many  years. 

At  the  calling  away  of  Mr.  Perdunn  from  the 
charge,  it  was  left  without  any  minister,  until 
James  Bishop  and  Mr.  Mclndoe generously  prof- 
fered their  services  to  the  brethren  for  the 
remaining  portion  of  Mr.  Perdunn's  appoint- 
ment. They  labored  zealously  in  the  good  work 
of  building  up  the  societies  and  consolidating  the 
energies  of  the  Church  in  general;  and  the  cause 
received  a  lively  impetus  from  their  labors. 

The  Church  considering  its  infancy  and  the 
adverse  circumstances  which  its  supporters  had 
to  encounter  in  the  wilderness;  the  sacrifice 
which  was  necessary  to  be  made  on  the  part 
of  the  ministers,  by  leaving  their  homes  in 
distant  places  and  coming  among  the  brethren 
to  preach,  receiving  but  a  pittance  for  their 
labors  except  the  warm  friendship  and  hospi- 
tality of  the  members;  notwithstanding  all 
tills,  the  Church  prospered  and  increased  continu 
ally;  prayer  meetings  began  to  be  held  in  many 
places,  and  a  general  spirit  of  piety  and  devo- 
tion was  diffused  among  the  settlers;  and  few 
new  countries  have  ever  witnessed  a  more 
general  reign  of  religious  freedom  during  its 
first  settlement  than  did  the  county  of  Bad  Ax. 

In  the  summer  of  1850  Elder  Hobart,  of 
Prairie  du  Chien,  visited  the  Church  in  Bad  Ax, 
in  his  official  capacity,  and  presided  at  the 
second  camp  meeting.  This  camp  meeting  was 
held  under  more  favorable  circumstances  than 
the  one  the  previous  year.  When  the  elder  and 
many  "f  his  ministering  brethren  made  their 
appearance  -among  the  members  and  resident 
ministers  of  the  circuit,  there  was  great  rejoic- 
ing. It  was  to  them  as  the  re-enforcement  of 
the  army  in  the  days  of  Wellington.  Blucher 
had  come  and  victory  hailed  his  approach;  and 
he  appeared  as  one  "born  out  of  due  time." 

Elder  Hobart  appeared  as  the  first  elder  in 
the    Bad    Ax    charge,  and    at  the    second  camp 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


405 


meeting  held  on  the  old  ground  in  the  year 
1860.  Some,  perhaps,  may  think  this  is  not  the 
fact,  that  he  was  not  the  first  one  that  visited 
the  Church  in  an  offiicial  capacity,  that  Elder 
Wood  visited  the  charge  prior  to  the  coming  of 
Elder  Ilobart.  It  is  true  that  Elder  Wood,  as 
has  heretofore  been  mentioned,  visited  the  set- 
tlement, leaving  an  appointment  to  preach, 
which  appointment  was  filled  by  Mr.  Thomas,  at 
the  house  of  T.  J.  DeFrees,  but  Mr.  Wood, 
afterwards  elder,  was  not  elder  at  that  time, 
but  was  minister  in  cliarge  on  the  Black  river 
circuit 

One  fact  should  have  been  mentioned  in  the 
account  of  the  itinerant  ministers,  in  relation  to 
the  visits  of  Wra.  Tascar,  who  visited  the  Bad 
Ax  Church  in  the  spring  of  1349.  Mr.  Tascar 
was  more  theoretical  than  practical  in  his 
preaching,  and  lacked,  apparently,  the  physical 
energy  necessary  to  surmount  all  difliculties  to 
be  encountered  in  a  new  country.  However, 
on  his  departure,  his  place  was  ably  filled  by 
other  ministers  whose  names  have  alrealv  been 
ment'oned,  which  brings  this  narra'ivc  down  to 
the  date  of  1856,  and  tlie  a])pointiuent  ol 
George  W.  Hartshorn,  of  Lafayette  county,  to 
the  Viroqua  circuit. 

It  became  necessary  about  this  time  to  divide 
the  district,  which  was  done  the  fall  previous 
to  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Hartshorn. 

The  circuit  was  divided  north  and  south, 
leaving  about  one-third  or  one-half  lying  alons; 
the  Mississippi  river  and  the  remainder  to  com- 
prise the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  which  re- 
ceived the  name  of  the  "Viroqua  charge,"  and 
the  river  charge  that  of  "Newton." 

To  the  Newton  circuit  G.  W.  Nuzum  was  ap- 
pointed first  minister  in  the  year  1856  and  he 
made  his  place  of  residence  the  village  of  New- 
ton, situated  on  the  Bad  Ax  river.  His  places 
of  preaching  were  Newton,  Springville,  Bad  As 
City  (now  Genoa)  and  several  private  dwellings. 
Mr.  Nuzum  was  a  man  of  diminutive  stature, 
young  and  not  of  suflicient  physical  ability  to 
carry  out  the  yearnings  of  his  soul  and  the  ac- 


tivity and  energy  of  his  mind.  He  was  a  lively 
and  active  worker  in  the  Church,  much  devoted 
to  the  cause  and  his  every-day  life  a  continuous 
sermon. 

Mr.  Hartshorn  was  a  man  of  heavy  and  ap- 
parently robust  stature,  a  good  scholar,  but  not 
classical;  a  good  physician  and  minister,  compe- 
tent to  cure  both  body  and  soul.  He  labored  eai-- 
nestly  on  his  charge,  filling  his  place  creditably, 
and  the  next  year  was  appointed  to  a  district  in 
Grant  county,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  the 
quiet  and  pleasant  village  of  Boscobel,  on  the 
Wisconsin  river. 

As  early  as  the  year  of  1850  so  many  societies 
had  been  organized  throughout  the  district,  and 
these  societies  liad  to  be  visited  by  the  minis- 
ter, and,  as  yet,  dwelling  houses  being  scarce, 
at  least  unoccupied  ones,  that  it  was  difficult  to 
find  one  wherein  the  minister  might  live  and  en- 
joy his  leisure  hours  in  seclusion — devoted  to 
his  work.  To  remove  this  difficulty  Mr.  Per- 
dunn  granted  to  the  Church,  to  be  used  as  a 
parsonage,  one  acre  of  land  off  his  farm  which 
lay  two  miles  northeast  of  the  village  of  Viro- 
qua. This  parsonage  was  situated  opposite  the 
dwelling  of  George  Dacy,  in  a  beautiful  grove 
of  hickory  and  ash,  on  the  skirts  of  the  prairie. 
When  Mr.  Stevens  was  sent  to  the  charge, 
he  erected  a  cabin  on  the  parsonage,  the  people 
of  the  neighborhood  lending  a  very  generous 
aid.  Mr.  Stevens  cut  away  the  underbrush 
from  the  ground,  trimming  the  shrubbery  and 
creating  (piite  an  attractive  appearance  about 
the  premises 

Mr.  Cooley  afterwards  occupied  the  parson- 
age during  his  appointment,  but  some  time  after 
he  retired  from  the  charge  the  house  and  ground 
came  into  dispute,  arising  from  the  sale  of  the 
farm  from  which  it  was  taken,  and  the  Church 
tacitly  relinquished  its  claim  and  the  premises 
ceased  to  be  used  for  its  benefit.  After  the  re- 
linquishment of  the  claim  on  this  tenement,  the 
ministers  took  up  their  residence  with  the  fami- 
lies of  the  members,  or  were  provided  other- 
wise with  dwellings  of  some  kind  by  them. 


34 


406 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


At  the  time  when  Mr.  Bishop  and  Mr.  Mcln- 
doe  were  filling  the  place  of  Mr.  Perdunn,  they 
conceived  the  idea  of  building  a  house  for  wor- 
ship in  Viroqua. 

During  the  years  1853,  1854  and  1855,  the 
rush  of  emigration  was  so  great  to  Bad  Ax 
county  and  accessions  to  the  Methodist  Church 
were  so  numerous  that  it  became  difficult  to 
find  a  house  large  enough  to  contain  the  at- 
tendants; and  to  remove  this  inconvenience, 
Mr.  Mclndoe  started  a  subscription  paper  for  the 
purpose  of  building  a  meeting  house.  This 
subscription  was  dated  May  29,  1856.  The 
members  all  subscribed  liberally.  Some  as 
high  as  $100  and  many  who  were  members  of 
other  Churches  donated  lumber,  and  some  la- 
bor, and  others  who  were  not  members  of  any 
Church  aided  materially  in  building  the  house. 
During  the  coming  summer  D.  S.  Connelly 
put  in  a  bid  for  the  erection  of  the  building  and 
got  the  contract.  He  prosecuted  the  work  with 
vigor  and  the  following  year  services  were  held 
in  the  new  church. 

Mr.  Mclndoe's  subscription  list  footed  up 
$.343.22.  After  this  another  subscription  paper 
was  circulated  for  the  purpose  of  completing 
the  building — painting  and  plastering  and  other 
work. 

This  w^s  the  first  building  for  public  worship 
erected  by  the  Methodist  Church  in  the  county; 
and  having  a  building  for  the  general  meeting 
of  the  Church,  the  different  classes  were  at- 
tended at  dwellings  and  school  houses  until  it 
became  necessary  to  erect  buildings  in  other  lo- 
calities. Mr.  Hartshorn  preached  the  first  ser- 
mon in  the  new  church  in  Viroqua. 

No  doubt  the  annual  camp-meeting  did  much 
toward  the  building  up  and  strengthening  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Bad  Ax  county. 
They  were  held  three  years  successively  on  the 
same  grounds,  with  the  exception  of  the  last 
year  of  the  three,  when  they  located  a  site  with- 
in a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  former  grounds, 
holding  the  meeting  once,  after  which  they  pre- 
pared new  grounds  in  the  grove  about  one  mile 


east  of  Viroqua,  where  they  held  their  meetings 
successively  for  three  year,  which  brings  this 
narrative  to  July,  1S58. 

Many  hundreds  of  new  converts  were  made 
at  these  meetings;  members  were  strengthened 
in  the  faith;  prayer  meetings  and  revival  meet- 
ings followed;  and  thus  a  religious  spirit  went 
forth  perhaps  without  a  parallel  in  any  newly 
settled  country  in  the  west.  Other  Churches 
caught  the  fire  of  their  zeal  and  crowded  on 
their  own  work,  sometimes  joining  with  them 
in  the  great  labor  of  Christianizing  the  land. 

In  the  fall  of  1857,  during  the  first  year  of 
the  appointment  of  J.  E.  Fitcli  to  the  Viroqua 
circuit,  a  union  meeting  was  held  at  the  new 
church  in  Viroqua,  wherein  Mr.  Dean,  Baptist 
missionary,  and  J.  E.  Fitch,  minister  in  charge 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  united  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  to  the  world  how  well 
Christians  could  agree,  and  to  show  their  love 
for  the  churches;  and  a  revival  ensued  whereby 
many  were  saved  from  the  sin  of  the  world, 
taken  into  the  Churches.  About  200  were  added 
to  the  M.  E.  Church  during  the  first  year  of  the 
labors  of  Mr.  Fitch  throughout  the  circuit. 

New  Brookville,  a  pleasant  little  village  had 
in  the  meantime  sprung  up,  four  miles  south  of 
Viroqua,  at  which  place  Dr.  G.  A.  Swain  re- 
sided, who  had  already  done  much  toward  build- 
ing up  a  Church  in  that  place.  He  first  built  a 
neat  little  dwelling  in  the  village  to  be  occu- 
pied by  the  circuit  ministers;  but  during  the 
appointment  of  Mr.  Hartshorn  a  slight  difficulty 
arose  between  him  and  the  doctor,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  removal  of  Mr.  Hartshorn  to  Viro- 
qua. What  the  difficulty  was  it  is  needless  to 
mention.  Mr.  Hartshorn  found  in  Viroqua 
many  warm  friends  and  a  comfortable  dwelling. 

The  Church  at  New  Brookville  so  increased 
that  it  became  necessary  to  have  a  Imilding 
larger  than  any  already  there  for  the  attendants 
to  meet  in;  and  Dr.  Swain  went  to  work  in 
his  usual  persevering  style,  and  a  meeting  house 
was  soon  erected. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


407 


Previous  to  the  building  of  tiie  churcli  at 
New  Brookville,  on  account  of  the  inconven- 
ience of  so  many  in  one  class,  it  was  di- 
vided, one  part  still  meeting  at  the  parsonage 
in  the  village,  and  the  other  class  meeting  at 
the  school  house,  known  to  many  as  the  Robin- 
son school  house,  two  miles  northeast  of  the 
village.  The  place  of  meeting  of  the  new  class 
became  a  regular  place  of  preaching,  and  Wil- 
liam Cox  was  appointed  leader  of  the  class. 
During  the  winter  of  1857  a  revival  took  place 
among  the  new  class,  under  the  preaching  of 
John  Whitworth  and  J.  A.  Cooke,  and  many 
were  converted  and  the  class  greatly  increased 
and  strengthened. 

About  this  time  was  the  great  revival  through- 
out the  United  States.  Never  before  in  its  his- 
tory was  there  known  to  be  such  a  general  turn- 
ing to  the  Lord ;  and  the  Methodist  Church  in 
Bad  Ax  county  took  an  exceeding  active  part 
and  had  a  bountiful  share  of  new-born  souls  as 
a  reward  for  her  Christian  zeal.  New  societies 
sprang  up  in  every  direction.  New  minister- 
took  up  the  sword  and  helmet  and  battled  val- 
iantly, and  peace  was  multiplied  in  the  C'hurcli. 
The  era  of  the  revival  of  1-57  will  never  bi 
erased  from  the  annals  of  the  Church  in  Bad 
Ax  county,  or  from  the  memories  of  the  people. 

In  the  spring  of  1858,  the  Church  in  New 
Brookville  commenced  the  erection  of  a  build- 
ing for  public  worship  at  that  place,  under  the 
superintendence  of  Dr.  G.  A.  Swain,  as  already 
intimated.  The  building  was  situated  on  a 
beautiful  eminence  in  the  outskirts  of  the  vil- 
lage. It  was  finished  the  following  fall,  and 
the  dedicatory  sermon  preached  by  Elder  A. 
H.  Walters,  Tuesday,  Oct.  10,  1858.  The  build- 
ing was  well  finished,  and  was  an  ornament  to 
the  village  and  neighborhood  where  it  was 
erected,  and  an  honor  to  the  Church  in  general. 

In  the  spring  of  1859  conference  made  an 
appointment  at  New  Brookville,  and  sent  thither 
J.  J.  Walker.  This  was  the  first  appointment 
at  that  place  and  the  third  one  in  the  county. 
Mr,  Walker's   places  of  preaching   were  New 


Brookville,  Bad  Ax,  and  in  few  school  houses 
and  dwellings  throughout  the  circuit  of  his  ap- 
pointment. 

After  the  expiration  of  Elder  Hobart's  term 
of  office  as  presiding  elder,  Elder  R.  Wood 
was  appointed  to  the  upper  district.  About 
the  year  1853,  Elder  A.  Brunson  was  appointed 
and  following  him  was  Elder  A. H.  Walters,  who 
was  afterward  presiding  elder,  by  re-appoint- 
ment. 

The  next  church  building  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  was  erected  in  the  town  of 
Webster  near  the  residence  of  Simeon  Adams, 
who  for  many  years  was  a  leader  of  the  class  at 
that  place.  They  had  occasional  preaching 
there  by  J.  Whitworth,  J.  A.  Cooke  and  Robert 
Adams.  In  June,  1859,  the  ministerial  appoint- 
ments for  Bad  Ax  county  were  :  A.  Foster,  sta- 
tioned at  Viroqua;  H.  H.  Smith,  at  Newton  ; 
and  J.  J.  Walker  at  New  Brookville. 

AN    AEROLITE. 

"We  will  not  announce,"  says  the  Western 
Tii/ie!'\  i'i  Aug.  16,  1856,  "as  an  item  of  news,  the 
f:KM  that  a  few  days,  since  a  fire-ball  or  meteor 
w.is  sec  11  to  fall  near  this  village  (Viroqua), and 
that  the  stone  or  mass  of  native  metal  which 
caused  the  phenomenon,  was  afterwards  found 
on  the  surface  of  the  earth.  But  the  occur- 
rence has  given  rise  to  the  question,  what  is  the 
cause  of  so  strange  an  appearance  ?  Several 
theories  h;ive  been  advanced  to  account  for 
these  bodies,  the  scientific  name  of  which  is 
aerolites.  They  are  composed  of  metal  in  an  ig- 
neous spongy  form,  showing  the  action  of  heat, 
and  apparently  of  volcanic  origin  ?  They  cannot 
proceed  from  any  volcano  upon  the  earth  ;  but 
one  of  the  theories  is  that  they  are  projected 
from  volcanoes  of  the  moon  with  such  force  as 
to  be  cast  beyond  the  sphere  of  the  moon's  at- 
traction and  within  that  of  the  earth. 

"Others  supi^ose  they  are  fragments  of  a  planet 
or  comet,  or  matter  existing  in  space  between 
the  planets;  and  as  the  earth  meets  them  in  her 
orbit,  they  are  brought  within  the  sphere  of 
her  attraction  and   to    her  surface.     In  passing 


408 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


from  a  rarer  to  a  denser  atmosphere,  they  are 
heated  and  form  sometimes  shooting  stars  and 
sometimes  asrolites  or  meteoric  stars.  In  the 
latter  form,  they  fall  to  the  ground,  and  produce 
the  curious  phenomenon  which  has  called  our 
attention  to  the  subject." 

DEATH  OF  MOSKS  DECKER. 
(From  the  Northwestern  Times,  Aug.  8 1860.) 

It  is  with  sincere  regret  we  record  the  death 
of  Moses  Decker,  Esq.,  which  occurred  in  this 
village  (Viroqua)  on  Saturday,  the  4th  inst. 

Mr.  Decker  had  reached  his  three  score  years 
and  ten,  being  in  his  seventy-second  year.  He 
was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  portions 
of  his  life  were  spent  in  that  State,  in  Ohio, 
Illinois  and  Wisconsin.  During  the  War  of 
1812-15,  he  was  living  in  Ohio,  was  drafted  as  a 
soldier  and  served  one  campaign. 

In  January,  184'7,  he  removed  with  his  family 
on  to  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  village 
of  Viroqua,  cutting  his  way  with  an  ax.  He 
had,  previous  to  the  moving  of  his  family  here, 
selected  his  lands,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  they 
were  entered.  When  Bad  Ax  county  was  or- 
ganized, Mr.  Decker  laid  out  the  village  of  Viro- 
qua, and  as  an  inducement  to  locate  the  county 
seat  here,  offered  to  donate  forty  acres  to 
the  county,  adjoining  the  village  plat,  to  aid  in 
the  erection  of  county  buildings.  Viroqua  be- 
came the  county  seat  and  Mr.  Decker  conveyed 
to  the  county  board  of  supervisors  the  forty  acre 
tract. 

Since  his  removal  here  Mr.  Decker  has  seen 
Bad  Ax  county  organized  and  its  population 
increase  from  a  few  families  to  10,000 
.souls.  He  has  seen  churches  and  school  houses 
spring  up  all  around  him,  and  the  wilderness 
made  to  bloom  like  a  garden.  Amid  all  the 
changes  and  improvements  that  have  been  made 
Mr.  Decker  has  stood  in  our  midst  like  one  of 
tlie  ancient  landmarks.  But  at  last  he  is  gone! 
"Your  fathers,  where  are  they?  and  the  pro- 
phets, do  they  live  forever?"  No;  one  by  one, 
the  links  that  bind  the  present  to  the  past  are 
sundered,  and  we  look  with  sadness  for  a  mo- 


ment on  the  vacancy  made  by  their  removal, 
and  then,  hurried  along  by  the  waves,  we  float 
down  the  stream  of  time,  soon  forgetting  the 
forms  and  faces  that  have  been  borne  away  from 
us  forever. 

Mr.  Decker's  first  wife  died  Jan.  3, 1 859.  He 
was  married  again  to  Mrs.  Anna  Goode,  widow 
of  the  late  Thomas  Goode,  Esq.,  who  survives 
him. 

Eleven  children  scattered  through  the  States 
of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  California 
mourn  his  loss. 

STARTING  A  PAPER  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES. 

J.  A.  Soraerby,  of  Madison,  Wis.,  early 
in  the  spring  of  1856,  walked  through  from  his 
home  to  Viroqua  to  look  up  the  prospects  for 
establishing  a  paper  at  the  county  seat  of  Ver- 
non county.  After  his  arrival  he  made  arrange- 
ments with  prominent  men  of  the  village  to 
raise  money  to  assist  in  getting  his  family,  print- 
ing press  and  printing  materials  from  Madison; 
this  was  effected  by  employing  three  teams  which 
brought  the  whole  to  Viroqua.  The  first  issue 
of  the  paper  (the  Western  Times)  was  gotten 
out  in  the  building  then  used  as  a  court  house — 
a  hewed  log,  one-story  edifice. 

THE  BUCKEYE  ON  FIEB. 

On  Sunday  morning,  about  7  o'clock  our  citi- 
zens were  alarmed  by  the  cry  of  '■'■Fire  at  the 
Buckeye.''''  Fire  had  communicated  to  a  bed  in  a 
room  in  the  second  stoi'y.  When  discovered 
the  room  was  full  of  smoke  and  flame;  but  Mr. 
(Jeremiah  M.)  Rusk  rushed  into  the  room  and 
succeeded  in  partially  stiflling  the  fire,  when  he 
fell  from  the  effects  of  suffocation  and  exhaus- 
tion and  crawled  to  the  door,  when  he  again 
rushed  in  and  brought  out  a  burning  trunk. 
Mr.  Rusk's  hands  are  very  badly  burned,  so 
much  so  that  he  will  not  have  the  use  of  them 
for  several  weeks. 

The  flames  were  effectually  subdued  in  a  short 
time  by  the  citizens  who  collected  in  a  few  mo- 
ments and  showered  snow  upon  the  fire.  Dam- 
ages about  $300.  We  bespeak  a  liberal  patron- 
age for  our  popular  high  sheriff,  the  keeper  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


409 


the  Buckeye  House,  who  is  thus  suddenly  crip- 
pled for  a  second  time  within  a  few  months,  he 
having  had  the  misfortune  to  put  his  knee  out  of 
joint  early  in  the  spring  in  landing  from  a  Mis- 
sissippi steamer. —  Western  Times,  Dec.  13,  1865. 

WHAT   WAS    IT? 
[From  the  Viroqua  County  Censor,  April!,  ISBIS] . 

A  Strange  noise  was  heard  by  many  people  in 
this  vicinity  last  Thursday.  Some  say  it  was  in 
the  air  and  resembled  the  noise  made  by  the 
rush  and  whirl  of  a  tornado;  while  some  think 
the  noise  was  in  the  earth,  and  that  there  was 
a  shock  similar  to  the  shock  of  an  earthquake. 

The  noise  was  heard  in  other  places;  we  have 
intelligence  that  it  was  noticed  in  Richland  and 
Crawford  counties.  It  seems  to  have  been  a 
somewhat  mysterious  noise;  for  no  one  can  tell 
just  what  it  was  like,  or  where  it  seemed  to  be. 
If  it  was  a  light  shock  of  an  earthquake,  and 
will  never  be  any  more  serious  than  it  was  on 
this  occasion,  no  one  will  care  much  about  it; 
but  if  it  was  a  tornado,  our  people  must  be  ex- 
cused for  having  a  wholesome  terror  of  it,  the 
one  last  year  having  been  such  a  fearful  visitor 
that  we  do  not  like  to  think  that  we  can  possibly 
have  another. 

WILD  CATS  AND  WOLVES. 
[From  the  Vernon  County  Censor,  Jan.  1,  18B8.] 
Mr.  John  R.  Casson,  clerk  of  the  board  of 
supervisors,  informs  us  that  he  has  received 
during  the  month  of  December,  1867,  applica- 
tions for  bounty  on  forty-three  wild  cats  and 
one  wolf.  The  county  bounty  being  abolished, 
the  hunters  get  only  the  $10,  the  State  bounty, 
which,  however,  will  bring  $-l-10  on  this  account 
— a  handsome  sum.  The  wolves  seem  to  be 
about  all  killed  out.  During  the  summer  and 
fall  they  were  much  more  numerous  for  wolf 
bounties;  but  they  have  gradually  dwindled 
away  to  one  a  month. 

A    CALL     FOR    FACTS. 
[From  the  Vernon  County  C«iwor,  Feb.  26,  1868.] 

To  the  friends  and  relatives  of  deceased  s"ldiers: 
It  is  more  than  probable  that  at  some   future 
day  Vernon  county  will  erect  a  suitable  monu- 
ment to  the  memory  of  her  soldiers  slain  in  the 


late  war  or  who  died  from  disease  contracted  in 
the  service. 

It  is  probable,  too,  that  some  person  may 
undertake  to  preserve  in-  book  form  a  short 
history  of  the  part  performed  by  Vernon  county 
soldiers  in  suppressing  the  rebellion. 

I  wish,  therefore,  that  the  friends  of  deceased 
soldier  would  send  to  me,  if  they  can,  the  full 
name  of  such  deceased  soldier,  the  date  of  en- 
listment, the  various  actions  in  which  such 
soldier  engaged,  etc.,  and  such  other  facts  con- 
cerning the  history  of  the  soldier  as  the 
friends  may  see  proper. 

I  wish,  too,  that  all  of  Vernon  county  soldiers 
who  had  commissions  in  the  service  would 
furnish  me  with  the  date  of  their  various  com- 
missions, their  first  enlistment,  the  principal 
actions  in  which  they  engaged,  etc. 

Now,  friends  of  soldiers,  do  not  be  afraid  to 
write  me  and  write  at  once.  I  do  not  care  how 
poor  your  penmanship  is,  nor  how  bad  your 
spelling  is.  I  only  ask  you  to  write  all  your 
communications  on  good,  clean  paper.  If  I 
should  not  use  the  materials  myself,  I  will 
carefully  preserve  them,  so  that  they  can  be 
used  by  somebody. 

R.  C.    BlERCE. 
BEARS. 
[From  the  Vernon  County  Censor,  July  29, 1868.1 

Just  east  of  this  village  (Viroqua),  two  or 
three  bears  seem  to  have  taken  up  their  (juar- 
ters,  making  themselves  quite  at  home.  Not 
long  since,  Mr,  Brothers,  on  rising  in  the  morn- 
ing, found  several  of  these  animals  composedly 
sitting  on  their  haunches  at  his  door-step,  and 
he  being  unarmed  was  not  able  to  secure  the 
prize  thus  almost  within  his  reach.  The  other 
day  we  hear  Mr.  "Put"  White  was  chased 
from  his  field  to  his  house  by  an  old  bear  with 
two  cubs.  Unless  the  "varmint"  are  careful  our 
market  will  soon  be  supplied  with  bear  meat. 

CLIMATOLOGY    OP   VERNON    COUNTY. 

The  climate  of  a  country,  or  that  peculiar 
state  of  the  atmosphere  in  regard  to  heat  and 
moisture   which    prevails   in  any  given  place, 


410 


HISTORY' OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  which  directly  affects  the  growth  of  plants 
and  animals,  is  determined  by  the  following 
causes  :  1st.  Distance  from  the  equator.  2d. 
Distance  from  the  sea.  3d.  Height  above  the 
sea.  4th.  Prevailing  winds  ;  and  5th.  Local 
influences,  such  as  soil,  vegetation  and  prox- 
imity to  lakes  and  mountains. 

Of  these  causes,  the  first,  distance  from  the 
equator,  is  by  far  the  most  important.  The 
warmest  climates  are  necessarily  those  of 
tropical  regions  where  the  sun's  rays  are  verti- 
cal. But  in  proceeding  from  the  equator 
toward  the  poles,  less  and  less  heat  continues  to 
be  received  by  the  same  extent  of  surface, 
because  the  rays  fall  more  and  more  obliquely, 
and  the  same  amount  of  heat-rays  therefore 
spread  over  an  increasing  breadth  of  surface  ; 
while,  however,  with  the  increase  of  obliquity, 
more  and  more  heat  is  absorbed  by  the  atmos- 
phere, as  the  amount  of  air  to  be  penetrated  is 
greater.  If  the  earth's  surface  were  either 
wholly  land  or  water,  and  its  atmosjjjiere 
motionless,  the  gradations  of  climate  would 
run  parallel  with  the  latitudes  from  the  equa- 
tor to  the  poles.  But  owing  to  the  irregular 
distribution  of  land  and  water  and  the  prevail- 
ing winds,  such  an  arrangement  is  impossible, 
and  the  determination  of  the  real  climate  of  a 
given  region,  and  its  causes,  is  one  of  the  most 
difficult  problems  of  science. 

On  the  second  of  these  causes,  distance  from 
the  sea,  depends  the  difference  between  oceanic 
and  continental  climates.  Water  is  more 
slowly  heated  and  cooled  than  land ;  the 
climates  of  the  sea  and  the  adjacent  land  are 
therefore  much  more  equal  and  moist  than 
those  of  the  interior. 

A  decrease  of  temperature  is  noticeable  in 
ascending  high  mountains.  The  rate  at  which 
the  temperature  falls  with  the  height  above  the 
sea  is  a  very  variable  quantity,  and  is  influenced 
by  a  variety  of  causes,  such  as  latitude,  situa- 
tion, moisture,  or  dryness,  hour  of  the  day  and 
season    of  the    year.     As    a   rough   approxima- 


tion, however,  the  fall  of  1  deg.  of  the  ther- 
mometer for  every  300   feet  is  usually  adopted. 

Air  in  contact  with  any  part  of  the  earth's 
surface,  tends  to  acquire  the  temperature  of 
that  surface.  Hence,  winds  from  the  north  are 
cold  ;  those  from  the  south  are  warm.  Winds 
from  the  sea  are  moist,  and  winds  from  the 
land  are  usually  dry.  Prevailing  winds  are  the 
result  of  the  relative  distribution  of  atmos- 
pheric pressure  blowing  from  places  where  the 
pressure  is  highest,  toward  places  where  it  is 
lowest.  As  climate  practically  depends  on  the 
temperature  and  moisture  of  the  air,  and  as 
these  again  depend  on  the  prevailing  winds 
which  come  charged  with  the  temperature  and 
moisture  of  the  regions  they  have  traversed,  it 
is  evident  that  charts  showing  the  mean  pres- 
sure of  the  atmosphere  give  us  the  key  to  the 
climates  of  the  different  regions  of  the  world. 
The  effect  of  j^revailing  winds  is  seen  in  the 
moist  and  equable  climate  of  western  Europe, 
especially  Great  Britain,  owing  to  the  warm 
and  moist  southwest  winds  ;  and  in  the  ex- 
tremes of  the  eastern  part  of  North  America, 
due  to  the  warm  and  moist  winds  prevailing  in 
summer  and  the  Arctic  blasts  of  winter. 

Among  local  influences  which  modify  climate, 
the  nature  of  the  soil  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant. As  water  absorbs  much  heat,  wet, 
marshy  ground  usually  lowers  the  mean  tem- 
perature. A  sandy  waste  presents  the  greatest 
extremes.  The  extremes  of  temperature  are 
"also  modified  by  extensive  forests,  which 
prevent  the  soil  from  being  as  much  warmed 
and  cooled  as  it  would  be  if  bare.  Evapora- 
tion goes  on  more  slowly  under  the  trees,  since 
the  soil  is  screened  from  the  sun.  And  as  the 
air  among  the  trees  is  little  agitated  by  the 
wind,  the  vapor  is  left  to  accumulate,  and 
hence  the  humidity  of  the  air  is  increased. 
Climate  is  modified  in  a  similar  manner  by 
lakes  and  other  large  surfaces  of  water.  Dur- 
ing summer  the  water  cools  the  air  and  reduces 
the  temperature  of  the  locality.  In  winter,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  opposite  effect  is  produced. 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


411 


The  surface  water  which  is  cooled  sinks  to 
lower  levels  ;  the  warmer  water  rising  to  the 
surface,  radiates  heat  into  the  air  and  thus 
raises  the  temperature  of  the  neighboring 
region.  This  influence  is  well  illustrated,  on  a 
great  scale,  in  our  own  State  by  Lake  Michigan. 

It  is,  lastly,  of  importance  whether  a  given 
tract  of  country  is  diversified  by  hills,  valleys 
and  mountains.  Winds  with  their  warm  vapor 
strike  the  sides  of  mountains  and  are  forced 
up  into  higher  levels  of  the  atmosphere,  where 
the  vapor  is  condensed  into  clouds.  Air  com- 
ing in  contact,  during  the  night  or  in  winter, 
with  the  cooled  declivities  of  hills  and  rising 
grounds  becomes  cooled  and  consequently 
denser  and  sinks  to  the  low-lying  grounds,  dis- 
placing the  warmer  and  lighter  air.  Hence, 
frosts  often  occur  at  these  places,  when  no 
trace  of  them  can  be  found  at  higher  levels. 
For  the  same  reason  the  cold  of  winter  is  gen- 
erally more  intense  in  ravines  and  valleys  than 
on  hill  tops  and  high  grounds,  the  valleys  being 
a  receptacle  for  the  cold-air  currents  which 
descend  from  all  sides.  These  currents  give 
rise  to  gusts  and  blasts  of  cold  wind,  which  are 
simply  the  out-rush  of  cold  air  from  such 
basins.  This  is  a  subject  of  great  practical  im- 
portance to  fruit-growers. 

In  order  to  understand  the  principal  features 
of  the  climate  of  Vernon  county,  and  the  con- 
ditions on  which  these  depend,  it  is  necessary 
to  consider  the  general  climatology  of  Wis- 
consin, particularly  of  the  western  portion  of 
the  State,  of  which  Vernon  county  is  a  part ; 
and  from  this,  the  reader  can  readily  deduce 
the  character  of  the  climate  in  the  county. 

The  remarkable  manner  in  which  so  large  a 
body  of  water  as  Lake  Michigan  modifies  the 
temperature  has  been  carefully  determined,  so 
far  as  it  relates  to  Wisconsin,  by  the  late  Dr. 
Lapham,  of  Milwaukee.  It  is  seen  by  the  map 
that  the  average  summer  temperature  of  Racine 
is  the  same  as  that  of  St.  Paul.  The  weather 
map  for  July,  1875,  in  the  signal  service  report 
for  1876,  shows  that  the  mean  temperature  for 


July  was  the  same  in  Rock  county,  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  State,  as  that  of  Brecken- 
ridge,  Minn.,  north  of  St.  Paul.  The  moderat- 
ing effect  of  the  lake  during  hot  weather  is 
felt  in  the  adjacent  region  during  both  day  and 
night. 

Countries  in  the  higher  latitudes  having  an 
extreme  summer  temperature  are  usually  charac- 
terized by  a  small  amount  of  rain-fall.  The 
Mississippi  valley,  however,  is  directly  exposed 
in  spring  and  summer  to  the  warm  and  moist 
winds  from  the  south,  and  as  these  winds  con- 
dense their  moisture  by  coming  in  contact  with 
colder  upper  currents  from  the  north  and  west, 
it  has  a  profusion  of  rain  which  deprives  the 
climate  largely  of  its  continental  features.  As 
already  stated,  the  average  amount  of  rain-fall 
in  Wisconsin  is  about  thirty  inches  annually. 
Of  this  amount  about  one-eighth  is  precipitated 
in  winter,  three-eights  in  summer,  and  the  rest 
is  equally  distributed  between  spring  and 
autumn — in  other  words,  rain  is  abundant  at 
the  time  of  the  year  when  it  is  most  needed. 
In  Wisconsin  the  rainfall  is  greatest  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  State  ;  the  least  on 
and  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  This 
shows  that  the  humidity  of  the  air  of  a  given 
area  can  be  greater,  and  the  rainfall  less  than 
that  of  some  other. 

In  comparison  with  western  Europe,  even 
where  the  mean  temperature  is  higher  than 
in  the  Mississippi  valley,  the  most  striking  fact 
in  the  climatic  conditions  of  the  United  States 
is  the  great  range  of  plants  of  tropical  or  sub- 
tropical origin,  such  as  Indian  corn,  tobacco,  etc. 
The  conditions  on  which  the  character  of  the 
vegetation  depends  are  temperature  and  mois- 
ture, and  the  mechanical  and  chemical  compo- 
sition of  the  soil. 

The  basis  of  this  great  capacity  (the  great 
range  of  plants)  is  the  high  curve  of  heat  and 
moisture  for  the  summer,  and  the  fact  that  the 
measure  of  heat  and  of  rain  are  almost  or  quite 
tropical  for  a  period  in  duration  from  one  to 
five  months,  in  the  range   from   Quebec    to  the 


412 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


coast  of  the  Gulf.  Indian  corn  attains  its  full 
perfection  between  the  summer  isotherms  72 
deg.  and  77  deg  ,  in  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri  and 
Kansas  ;  but  it  may  be  grown  up  to  the  line  of 
65  degs.,  which  includes  the  whole  of  Wiscon- 
sin. The  successful  cultivation  of  this  impor- 
tant staple  is  due  to  the  intense  heat  of  summer 
and  a  virgin  soil  rich  in  nitrogen. 

While  Milwaukee  and  central  Wisconsin  have 
a  mean  annual  temperature  of  45  deg.,  that  of 
southern  Ireland  and  central  England  is  50  deg.; 
the  line  of  72  deg,  the  average  temperature  for 
July,  runs  from  Walworth  county  to  St.  Paul, 
while  during  the  same  month  Ireland  and  Eng- 
land have  a  mean  temperature  of  only  60  deg. 
In  Wisconsin,  the  thermometer  rises  as  high  as 
90  deg.  and  above,  while  the  range  above  the 
mean  in  England  is  very  small.  It  is  the  trop- 
ical element  of  our  summers,  then,  that  causes 
the  grape,  the  corn,  etc.,  to  ripen,  while  Eng- 
land, with  a  higher  mean  temperature,  is  unable 
to  mature  them  successfully.  Ireland,  where 
southern  plants  may  remain  out-doors,  unf  rosted 
the  whole  winter,  cannot  mature  those  fruits 
and  grasses  which  ripen  in  Wisconsin.  In 
England  a  depression  of  2  deg.  below  the  mean 
of  60  deg.  will  greatly  reduce  the  quantity,  or 
prevent  the  rijaening  of  wheat  altogether,  00 
deg.  being  essential  to  a  good  crop.  Wheat  re- 
quiring a  lower  temperature  than  corn,  is  better 
adapted  to  the  climate  of  Wisconsin.  This 
grain  may  be  grown  as  far  north  as  Hudson 
bay. 

Autumn,  including  September,  October  and 
November,  is  of  short  duration  in  Wisconsin. 
North  of  the  42d  parallel,  or  the  southern 
boundary  line  of  the  State,  November  belongs 
properly  to  the  winter  months,  its  mean  tem- 
perature being  about  32  deg.  The  decrease  of 
heat  from  August  to  September  is  generally 
from  8  deg.  to  9  deg.;  11  deg.  from  September  to 
October,  and  14  deg.  from  October  to  November. 
The  average  temperature  for  these  three  months 
is  about  45  deg.  A  beautiful  season,  commonly 
known  as  Indian  siimmer,  frequently  occurs  in 


the  latter  part  of  October  and  in  November. 
This  period  is  characterized  by  a  mild  temper- 
ature and  a  hazy,  calm  atmosphere.  According 
to  Loomis,  this  appears  to  be  due  to  "an  uncom- 
monly tranquil  condition  of  the  atmosphere, 
during  which  the  air  becomes  filled  with  dust 
and  smoke  arising  from  numerous  fires,  by 
which  its  transparency  is  greatly  impaired." 
This  phenomenon  extends  as  far  north  as  Lake 
Superior,  but  it  is  more  conspicuous  and  pro- 
tracted in  Kansas  and  Missouri,  and  is  not  ob- 
served in  the  southern  States. 

Destructive  frosts  generally  occur  in  Septem- 
ber, and  sometimes  in  August.  "A  temperature 
of  36  deg.  to  40  deg.  at  sunrise  is  usually  attended 
with  frosts  destructive  to  vegetation,  the  posi- 
tion of  the  thermometer  being  usually  such  as 
to  represent  less  than  the  actual  refrigeration 
at  the  open  surface."  In  1875,  during  October, 
at  Milwaukee,  the  mercury  fell  seven  times  be- 
low the  freezing  point,  and  twice  below  zero  in 
November,  the  lowest  being  14  deg. 

The  winters  are  generally  long  and  severe, 
but  occasionally  mild  and  almost  without  snow. 
The  mean  winter  temperature  varies  between 
23  deg.  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State, 
and  16  deg.  at  Ashland,  in  the  northern.  For 
this  season  the  extremes  are  great.  The  line 
of  20  deg.  is  of  importance,  as  it  marks  the  av- 
erage temperature  which  is  fatal  to  the  growth 
of  all  the  tender  trees,  such  as  the  pear  and 
the  peach.  In  the  winter  of  1875-'76,  the 
mean  temperature  for  December,  January  and 
February,  in  tlie  upper  lake  region,  was  about 
4  deg.  above  the  average  mean  for  many  years, 
while  during  the  previous  winter  the  average 
temperature  for  January  and  February  was 
about  12  deg.  below  the  mean  for  many  years, 
showing  a  great  difference  between  cold  and 
mild  winters.  In  the  same  winter,  1875 — 76, 
at  Milwaukee,  the  thermometer  fell  only  six 
times  below  zero,  the  lowest  being  12  deg., 
while  during  the  preceding  winter  the  mercury 
sank  thirty-six  times  below  zero,  the  lowest  be- 
ing 23  deg.     In  the  northern  and  northwestern 


HISTORYf'.OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


413 


part  of  the  State  the  temperature  sometimes 
falls  to  the  freezing  point  of  mercury.  During 
the  exceptionally  cold  winter  of  1872-3,  at 
LaCrosse,  the  thermometer  sank  nearly  fifty 
times  below  zero  ;  on  December  24,  .it  indi- 
cated 37  deg.  below,  and  on  January  18,  43  deg. 
below  zero,  averaging  about  1  i  deg.  below  the 
usual  mean  for  those  months.  The  moderating 
effect  of  Lake  Michigan  can  be  seen  by  observ- 
ing how  the  lines  indicating  the  mean  winter 
temperature  curve  northward  as  they  approach 
the  lake.  Milwaukee,  Sheboygan,  Manitowoc, 
Two  Rivers  and  the  Grand  Traverse  region  of 
Michigan,  have  the  same  average  winter  tem- 
perature. The  same  is  true  regarding  Ga- 
lena, 111.,  Beloit  and  Kewaunee.  A  similar  in- 
fluence is  noticed  in  all  parts  of  the  State.  Dr. 
Lapham  concludes  that  this  is  not  wholly  due 
to  the  presence  of  Lake  Michigan,  but  that  the 
mountain  range  which  extends  from  a  little  west 
of  Lake  Superior  to  the  coast  of  Labrador  (from 
1,100  to  2,240  feet  high)  protects  the  lake  re- 
gion in  no  inconsiderable  degree  from  the  ex- 
cessive cold  of  winter. 

According  to  the  same  authority,  the  time  at 
which  the  Milwaukee  river  was  closed  with  ice, 
for  a  period  of  nine  years,  varied  between  No- 
vember 15  and  December  1  ;  the  time  at  wliich 
it  became  free  from  ice,  between  March  3  and 
April  13.  In  the  lake  district,  snow  and  rain  are 
interspersed  through  all  the  winter  months,  rain 
being  sometimes  as  profuse  as  at  any  other  sea- 
son. In  the  northwestern  part  the  winter  is 
more  rigid  and  dry.  Northern  New  York  and 
the  New  England  States  usually  have  snow  ly- 
ing on  the  ground  the  whole  winter,  but  in  the 
southern  lake  district  it  rarely  remains  so  long. 
In  1842-43,  however,  sleighing  commenced 
about  the  middle  of  November,  and  lasted  till 
about  the  same  time  in  April — five  months. 

The  average  temperature  for  the  three  months 
of  spring,  March,  April  and  May,  from  Wal- 
worth county  to  St.  Paul,  is  about  45  deg.  In 
central  Wisconsin  the  mean  for  March  is  about 
27  deg.,  which  is  an    increase   of   nearly  7  deg. 


from  February.  The  lowest  temperature  of 
this  month  in  1876  was  40  deg.  above  zero. 
April  shows  an  average  increase  of  about  9  deg. 
over  March.  In  1876  the  line  of  45  deg.  for 
this  month  passed  from  LaCrosse  to  Evanston, 
Illinois,  touching  Lake  Erie  at  Toledo,  showing 
that  the  interior  west  of  Lake  Michigan  is 
warmer  than  the  lake  region.  The  change 
from  winter  to  spring  is  more  sudden  in  the 
interior  than  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lakes.  "In 
the  town  of  Lisbon,  fifteen  miles  from  Lake 
Michigan,"  says  Dr.  Lapham,  "  early  spring 
flowers  show  themselves  about  ten  days  earlier 
than  on  the  lake.  In  spring,  vegetation  in 
places  remote  from  the  lakes,  shoots  up  in  a 
very  short  time,  and  flowers  show  their  petals, 
while  on  the  lake  shore  the  cool  air  retards 
them  and  brings  them  more  gradually  into  ex- 
istence." The  increase  from  April  to  May  is 
about  fifteen  degrees.  In  May  1876  Pembina 
and  Milwaukee  had  nearly  the  same  mean  tem- 
perature, about  55  degrees. 

The  extremes  of  our  climate  and  the  sudden 
changes  of  temperature  no  doubt  have  a  marked 
influence,  both  physically  and  mentally,  on  the 
American  people.  And  though  a  more  equable 
climate  may  be  more  conducive  to  perfect 
health,  the  great  range  of  our  climate  from 
arctic  to  trophical.  and  the  consequent  variety 
and  abundance  of  vegetable  products,  combine 
to  make  the  Mississippi  valley,  perhaps,  one  of 
the  most  favorable  areas  in  the  world  for  the 
development  of  a  strong  and  wealthy  Nation. 

During  the  months  of  summer,  in  the  interior 
of  the  eastern  United  States,  at  least  three 
fourths  of  the  rainfall  is  in  showers  usually  ac- 
companied by  electrical  discharges  and  limited 
to  small  areas.  But  in  autumn,  winter  and 
spring,  nearly  the  whole  precipitation  takes 
jjlace  in  general  storms  extending  over  areas  of 
300,  500  and  sometimes  over  1,000  miles  in 
diameter,  and  generally  lasting  two  or  three 
day.  An  area  of  low  atmospheric  pressure 
causes  the  wind  to  blow  toward  that  area  from 
all  sides,  and  when  the  depression  is  sudden  and 


414 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


great,  it  is  accompanied  by  much  rain  or  snow. 
On  account  of  the  earth's  rotation,  the  wind 
blowing  toward  this  region  of  low  pressure  is 
deflected  to  the  right,  causing  the  air  to  circulate 
around  the  center  with  a  motion  spirally  inward. 
In  our  latitude  the  storm  commences  with  east 
winds.  When  the  storm  center,  or  area  of 
lowest  barometer,  is  to  the  south  of  us,  the  wind 
gradually  veers,  as  the  storm  passes  from  west 
to  east  with  the  upper  current,  round  to  the 
northwest  by  the  north  point.  On  the  south 
side  of  the  storm  center  the  winds  veer  from 
southeast  to  southwest  by  the  south  point.  The 
phenomena  attending  such  a  storm  when  we  are 
in  or  near  the  part  of  its  center  are  usually  as 
follows:  After  the  sky  has  become  overcast 
with  clouds,  the  wind  from  the  northeast  gener- 
ally begins  to  rise  and  blows  in  the  opposing 
direction  to  the  march  of  the  storm.  The  clouds 
which  are  now  moving  over  us  discharge  rain 
or  snow  according  to  circumstances.  The  barome- 
ter continues  to  fall,  and  the  lain  or  snow  is 
brought  obliquely  down  from  the  northern 
quarter  by  the  prevaling  wind.  After  a  while 
the  wind  changes  slightly  in  direction  and  then 
ceases.  The  thermometer  rises  and  the  barome- 
ter has  reached  its  lowest  point.  This  is  the 
center  of  the  storm.  After  the  calm  the  wind 
has  changed  its  direction  to  northwest  or  west. 
'I'iie  wind  blows  again,  usually  more  violently 
than  before,  accompanied  by  rain  or  snow, 
which  is  now  generally  of  shoit  duration.  The 
.sky  clears,  and  the  storm  is  suddenly  succeeded 
by  a  temperature  10  or  20  degrees  beh^w  the 
mean.  Most  of  the  rain  and  snow  falls  with 
the  east  winds,  or  before  the  center  passes  a 
given  point.  The  path  of  these  storms  is  from 
west  to  east,  or  nearly  so,  and  only  seldom  in 
other  directions.  These  autumn,  winter  and 
spring  rains  are  generally  first  noticed  on  the 
western  plains,  but  may  originate  at  any  point 
along  their  path,  and  move  eastward  with  an 
average  velocity  of  about  twenty  miles  an  hour 
in  summer  and  thirty  miles  in  winter,  but  some- 
times  attaining   a  velocity  of   over  fifty  miles, 


doing  great  damage  on  the  lakes.  In  predicting 
these  storms,  the  signal  service  of  the  army  is 
of  incalculable  practical  benefit,  as  well  as  in 
collecting  data  for  scientific  conclusions. 

A  subject  of  the  greatest  importance  to  every 
inhabitant  of  Wisconsin  is  the  influence  of 
forests  on  climate  and  the  effects  of  disrobing  a 
country  of  its  trees.  The  general  influence  of 
forests  in  modifying  the  extremes  of  tempera- 
ture, retarding  evaporation  and  the  increased 
humidity  of  the  air,  has  already  been  mentioned. 
That  clearing  the  land  of  trees  increases  the 
temperature  of  the  ground  in  summer,  is  so 
readily  noticed  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
mention  it;  while  in  winter  the  sensible  cold  is 
never  so  extrenje  in  woods  as  on  an  open  surface 
exposed  to  the  full  force  of  the  winds.  The 
lumbermen  in  Canada  and  the  northern  United 
States  labor  in  the  woods  without  inconvenience 
when  the  mercury  stands  many  degrees  below 
zero,  while  in  the  open  grounds,  with  only  a 
moderate  breeze,  the  same  temperature  is 
almost  insupportable.  In  the  State  of  Michi- 
gan it  has  been  found  that  the  winters  have 
greatly  increased  in  severity  within  the  last 
forty  years,  and  that  this  increased  severity 
seems  to  move  along  even-faced  with  the  de- 
struction of  the  forests.  Thirty  years  ago  the 
peach  was  one  of  the  most  abundant  fruits  of 
that  State;  at  that  time  frost,  injurious  to  corn 
at  any  time  from  May  to  October,  was  a  thing 
unknown.  Now  the  peach  is  an  uncertain  crop, 
and  frost  often  injures  the  corn.  The  precise 
influence  of  forests  on  temperature  may  not  at 
present  admit  of  definite  solution,  yet  the  me- 
chanical screen  which  they  furnish  to  the  soil, 
often  far  o^  to  the  leeward  of  them, is  sutticiently 
established,  and  this  alone  is  enough  to  encour- 
age extensive  planting  wherever  this  protection 
is  wanting. 

With  regard  to  the  quantity  of  rain-fall,  we 
cannot  positively  aflirm  that  the  total  annual 
quantity  of  rain  is  even  loolaly  diminished  or 
increased  by  the  destruction  of  the  woods, 
though  both  theoretical  considerations   and  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


415 


balance  of  testimony  strongly  favor  the  opinion 
that  more  rain  falls  in  wooded  than  in  open 
countries.  One  important  conclusion,  at  least, 
upon  the  meteorological  influence  of  forests  is 
certain  and  undisputed;  the  proposition,  namely, 
that,  within  their  own  limits,  and  near  their  own 
borders,  they  maintain  a  more  uniform  degree 
of  humidity  in  the  atmosphere  than  is  observed 
in  cleared  grounds.  Scarcely  less  can  it  be 
questioned  that  they  tend  to  promote  the  fre- 
quency of  showers,  and,  if  they  do  not  aug- 
ment the  amount  of  precipitation,  they  probably 
equalize  its  distribution  through  the  different 
seasons. 

There  is  abundant  and  undoubted  evidence 
that  the  amount  of  water  existing  on  the  surface 
in  lakes  and  rivers,  in  many  parts  of  the  world, 
is  constantly  diminishing.  In  Germany,  obser- 
vations of  the  Rhine,  Oder,  Danube  and  the 
Elbe,  in  the  latter  case  going  back  for  a  period 
of  142  years,  demonstrate  beyond  doubt  that 
each  of  these  rivers  has  much  decreased  in 
volume,  and  there  is  reason  to  fear  that  they 
■will  eventually  disappear  from  the  list  of  navi- 
gable rivers. 

The  Blue-Grass  region  of  Kentucky,  once 
the  pride  of  the  west,  has  now  districts  of  such 
barren  and  arid  nature  that  their  stock  farmers 
are  moving  toward  the  Cumberland  mountains, 
because  the  creeks  and  old  springs  dried  up, 
and  their  wells  become  too  low  to  furnish 
water  for  their  cattle.  In  our  own  State 
"such  has  been  the  change  in  the  flow  of  the 
Milwaukee  river,  even  while  the  area  from 
which  it  receives  its  sujiply  is  but  partially 
cleared,  that  the  proprietors  of  most  of  the  mills 
and  factories  have  found  it  necessary  to  resort 
to  the  use  of  steam,  at  a  largely  increased 
yearly  cost,  to  supply  the  deficiency  of  water- 
power  in  dry  seasons  of  the  year.  What  has 
happened  to  the  Milwaukee  river  has  happened 
to  all  the  other  -water-courses  in  the  State  from 
whose  banks  the  forest  has  been  removed;  and 
many  farmers  who  selected  land  upon  which 
there  was  a  living   brook  of   clear,  pure   water. 


now  find  these  brooks  dried   up  during  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  year. 

Districts  stri  pped  ot  their  forest  are  said  to 
be  more  exposed  than  before  to  loss  of  harvests, 
droughts  and  frost.  Hurricane-i,  before  un- 
known, sweep  unopposed  over  the  regions  thus 
denuded,  carrying  terror  and  devastation  in 
their  track.  Parts  of  Asia  Minor,  North 
Africa,  and  other  countries  bordering  on  the 
Mediterranean,  now  almost  deserts,  were  once 
densely  populated  and  the  granaries  of  the 
world.  And  there  is  good  reason  to  believe 
that  it  is  the  destruction  of  the  forests  which 
has  produced  this  devastation.  From  such 
facts  Wisconsin,  already  largely  robbed  of  its 
forests,  should  take  warning  before  it  is  too 
late. 

GEOLOGICAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    UNDERLYING    FOR- 
MATIONS OF  VERNON  C)UNTY. 
IBy  T.  C.  Chamberlin,  State  Geologist.] 

I. — Potsdam  Sandst07ie. 
After  the  great  Archrean  upheaval,  there  fol- 
lowed a  long  period,  concerning  which  very  lit- 
tle is  known — a  lost  interval  in  geological  his- 
tory. Itisonly  certain  that  immense  erosion  of 
the  Archaean  strata  took  place,  and  that  in  time 
the  sea  advanced  upon  the  island,  eroding  its 
strata  and  redepositing  the  wash  and  wear  be- 
neath its  surface.  The  more  resisting  beds 
withstood  this  advance,  and  formed  reefs  and 
rocky  islands  off  the  ancient  shore,  about  whose 
bases  the  sands  and  sediments  accumulated,  as 
they  did  over  the  bottom  of  the  surrounding 
ocean.  The  breakers,  dashing  against  the  rooky 
clifl^s,  threw  down  masses  of  rock,  which  imbed- 
ded themselves  in  the  sands,  or  were  rolled  and 
rounded  on  the  beach,  and  at  length  were  buried, 
in  either  case,  to  tell  their  own  history,  when  they 
should  be  again  disclosed  by  the  ceaseless 
gnawings  of  tlie  very  elements  that  had  buried 
them.  In  addition  to  the  accumulations  of 
wash  and  wear  that  have  previously  been  the 
main  agents  of  rock  formations,  abundant  life 
now  swarms  in  the  ocean,  and  the  sands  become 
the  great  cemetery  of  its  dead.   Though  the  con- 


416 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COXJNTY. 


tribution  of  each  little  being  was  small,  the  myri- 
ad millions  the  waters  brought  forth,  yielded  by 
their  remains,  a  large  contribution  to  the  accu- 
mulating sediments.  Among  plants  there  were 
sea-weeds,  and  among  animals,  protozoans, 
radiates,  mollusks  and  articulates,  all  the  sub- 
kingdoms  except  the  vertebrates.  Among 
these,  the  most  remarkable,  both  in  nature  and 
number,  were  the  trilobites,  who  have  left  their 
casts  in  countless  multitudes  in  certain  locali- 
ties. The  result  of  the  action  of  these  several 
agencies  was  the  formation  of  extensive  beds  of 
sandstone,  with  interstratificd  layers  of  lime- 
stone and  shale.  These  surrounded  the  Arch- 
aean nucleus  on  all  sides,  and  reposed  on  its 
flanks.  On  the  Lake  Superior  margin,  the  sea 
acted  on  the  copper  and  iron-bearing  series, 
which  are  highly  ferruginous,  and  the  result  was 
the  red  Lake  Superior  sandstone.  On  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  island,  the  wave-action  was 
mainly  upon  quartzites,  porphyries  and  granites 
and  resulted  in  light-colored  sandstones.  The 
former  is  confined  to  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Lake  Superior;  the  latter  occupies  abroad,  irreg- 
ular belt  bordering  on  the  Archaean  area  on 
the  south,  and,  being  widest  in  the  central  part 
of  the  State,  is  often  likened  to  a  rude  crescent. 
The  form  and  position  of  the  area  will  be  best 
apprehended  by  referring  to  the  accompanying 
map.  It  will  be  understood  from  the  foregoing 
description,  that  the  strata  of  this  formation  lies 
in  a  nearly  horizontal  position,  and  repose  un- 
conformably  upon  the  worn  surface  of  the  crys- 
talline rocks.  The  close  of  this  period  was  not 
marked  by  any  great  upheaval;  there  was  no 
crumpling  or  metamorphism  of  the  strata,  and 
they  have  remained  to  the  present  day  very 
much  the  same  as  they  were  originally  deposited, 
save  a  slight  arching  upward  in  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  State.  The  beds  have  been  some- 
what compacted  Ijy  the  pressure  of  superincum- 
bent strata  and  solidified  by  the  cementing  ac- 
tion of  calcareous  and  ferruginous  waters,  and 
by  their  own  coherence,  but  the  original  charac- 
ter of  the  formation,  as  a  great  sand-bed,  has  not 


been  obliterated.  It  still  bears  the  ripple-marks, 
cross-lamination,  worm-burrows,  and  similar 
markings  that  characterize  a  sandy  beach.  Its 
thickness,  is  very  irregular,  owing  to  the  un- 
evenness  of  its  Archtean  bottom,  and  may  be 
said  to  range  from  ]  ,000  feet  downward.  The 
strata  slope  gently  away  from  the  Archfean 
core  of  the  State  and  underlie  all  the  later  forma- 
tions, and  may  be  reached  at  any  point  in  south- 
ern Wisconsin  by  penetrating  to  a  sufficient 
depth,  which  can  be  calculated  with  an  approx- 
imate correctness.  As  it  is  a  water-bearing  for- 
mation, and  the  source  of  fine  artesian  wells, 
this  is  afact  of  much  importance.  The  interbed- 
ded  layers  of  limestone  and  shale,  by  supplying 
impervious  strata,  very  much  enhance  its 
value  as  a  source  of  fountains. 

II.  Lower  Mag nesian  Limestone. 
During  the  previous  period,  the  accumulation 
of  sandstone  gave  place  for  a  time  to  the  forma- 
tion of  limestone,  and  afterward  the  deposit  of 
sandstone  was  resumed.  At  its  close,  without 
any  very  remarked  disturbance  of  existing  con- 
ditions, the  formation  of  limestone  was  re- 
sumed, and  progressed  with  little  interruption 
till  a  thickness  ranging  from  fifty  to  2.50  feet 
was  attained.  This  variation  is  due  mainly  to 
irregularities  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  for- 
mation, which  is  undulating,  and  in  some  local- 
ities may  appropriately  be  termed  billowy,  the 
surface  rising  and  falling  100  feet  in 
in  some  cases,  within  a  short  distance.  This, 
and  the  preceding  similar  deposit,  have  been 
spoken  of  as  limestone  simply,  but  they  are 
really  dolomites,  or  magnesian  limestones,  since 
they  contain  a  large  proportion  of  carbonate  of 
magnesia.  This  rock  also  contains  a  notable 
quantity  of  silicia,  which  occurs  dissseminated 
through  the  mass  of  rock;  or,  variously,  as  no- 
dules or  masses  of  chert;  as  crystals  of 
quartz,  filling  or  lining  drusy  cavities,  forming 
beautiful  miniature  grottoes;  as  the  nucleus 
of  oolitic  concretions,  or  as  sand..  Some  argilla- 
ceous matter  also  enters  into  its  composition, 
and   small    quantities   of   the  ores  of  iron,  lead 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


41-7 


and  copper,  are  sometimes  found,  but  they  give 
little  promise    of  value.     The  evidences  of  life 
are  very   scanty.     Some  sea-weeds,  a  few  mol- 
lusks,   and   an    occasional    indication    of  other 
forms    of   life,  embrace    the  known  list,  except 
at  a  few    favored  localities  where  a  somewhat 
ampler     fauna      is    found.       But    it     is     not, 
therefore,  safe    to  assume  the  absence  of  life  in 
the   depositing   seas,  for  it  is  certain  that  most 
limestone    has   originated   from  the  remains  of 
animals  and  plants  that  secrete  calcareous  mate- 
rial, and   it   is   most  consistent   to  believe  that 
such  was    the    case  in  the  present  instance,  and 
that  the  distinct  traces  of  life  were  mostly  oblit- 
erated.    This    formation    occupies  an  irregular 
belt  skirting  the  potsdam  area.     It  was,  doubt- 
less,   originally    a    somewhat     uniform     band 
swinging  around  the  nucleus  of  the   state    al- 
ready   formed,  but  it  has  since  been  eroded  by 
streams  to  its  present  jagged  outline. 
Ill- — St.  Peter's  Sandstone. 
At  the  close  of  this  sandstone-making  period 
there  appears  to  have  been  an  interval  of  which 
we  have  no  record,  and  the  next  chapter  of  the 
history  introduces   us  to  another  era  of  sand  ac- 
cumulation.    The   work   began  by  the  leveling 
up  of  the  inequalities  of  the  surface  of   the  low- 
er  magnesian  limestone,  and  it   ceased  before 
that    was   entirely    accomplished  in  all  parts  of 
tlie  State,  for   a  few  prominences  were  left  pro- 
jecting  through  the  sand  deposits.      The  mate- 
rial   laid  down  consisted  of  asilicious  sand,  of 
uniform,  well-rounded — doubtless   well-rolled — 
grains.     This  was  evidently  deposited  horizon- 
tally upon  the  uneven  limestone  surface,  and  so 
i-ests  in  a  sense unconformably  upon  it.     Where 
the     sandstone    abuts     against    the     sides     of 
the     limestone    prominences,    it     i^     mingled 
with      material      derived     by       wave      action 
from    them,    which    tells      the     story     of     its 
formation.     But   aside   from    these    and    other 
exceptional  impurities,  the  formation  is  a  very 
pure  sandstone,  and  is  used  for   glass   manufac- 
ture.    At  most  points  the   sandstone  has  never 
become  firmly  cemented  and    readily  crumbles, 


so  that  it  is  used  for  mortar,  the  simple  handling 
with  pick  and  shovel  being  sufficient  to  reduce 
it  to  a  sand.     Owing  to    the    unevenness  of  its 
bottom,  it  varies  greatly  in  thickness,  the  great- 
est yet  observed  being   212    feet,  but  the   aver- 
age is   less  than    100    feet.     Until  recently,  no 
organic  remains  had  ever  been  found  in   it,  and 
the  traces  now  collected  are  very  meagre  indeed, 
but  they  are  sufficient  to  show  the   existence  of 
marine  life,  .and  demonstrate  that  it  is  an  oceanic 
deposit.     The  rarity  of  fossils  is  to  be  attributed 
to   the   porous    nature    of   the    rock,    which  is 
unfavorable  to  their  preservation.  This  porosity, 
however,  subserves  a  very  useful  purpose,  as  it 
renders    this    pre-eminently    a     water-bearing 
horizon,  and    supplies    some  of  the   finest  arte- 
sian fountains  in  the  State,  and  is  competent  to 
furnish  many  more.     It  occupies  but  a  narrow 
area  at  the  surface,  fringing  that  of  the  lower 
magnesian    limestone  on  the  south.     See    map. 
IV— Trenton    lAniestone. 
A  slight  charge  in    the    oceanic    conditions 
caused  a  return  to  limestone  formation,    accom- 
panied with  the  deposit  of  considerable  clayey 
material,  which    formed   shale.     The   origin  of 
the    limestone  is    made    evident    by    a    close 
examination    of     it,    which    shows    it     to    be 
full     of     fragments      of    shells,     corals,     and 
other    organic     remains,    or    the     impressions 
they    have    left.     Countless    numbers    of     the 
lower   forms   of  life    flourished    in    the    seas, 
and  left  their   remains   to  be  comminuted  and 
consolidated    into    limestone.     A   part  of  the 
time   the   accumulation    of  clayey   matter  pro- 
dominated,    and  so    layers    of   shale    alternate 
with  the  limestone  beds,  and  shaly  leaves  and 
partings  occur  in  the  limestone  layers.     Unlike 
the  calcareous  strata  above  and  below,  a  portion 
of   these  are  true  limestone,    containing  but  a 
very  small    proportion    of   magnesia.     A    suffi- 
cient amount  of  carbonaceous  matter  is  present 
in  some  layers  to  cause  them  to  burn  readily. 
This  formation    is  quite  highly    metalliferous 
in    certain    portions    of    the    lead  region,  con- 
taining   zinc  especially,  and  considerable  lead. 


418 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


with  less  quantities  of  other  metals.  The  for- 
mation abounds  in  fossils,  many  of  them  well 
preserved,  and,  from  their  great  antiquity,  they 
possess  uncommon  interest.  All  the  animal 
sub-kingdoms,  except  vertebrates,  are  repre- 
sented. The  surface  area  of  this  rock  borders 
the  St.  Peter's  sandstone,  but,  to  avoid  too 
great  complexity  on  the  map,  it  is  not  distin- 
guished from  the  next  formation  to  which  it 
is  closely  allied.  Its  thickness  reaches  120 
feet. 

AN  EARLY   DEED   FOB  VEKNON   COUNTY   REAL 
ESTATE. 

This  Indenture,  made  this  seventeenth  day  of 
May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  forty-eight,  between  Samuel 
Read,  of  the  county  of  Crawford  and  territory 
of  Wisconsin,  of  the  first  part  and  John  Mc- 
Culloch,  of  the  county  and  territory  aforesaid, 
of  the  second  part,  witnesseth,  that  the  said 
party  of  the  first  part  for  and  in  consideration 
of  the  sum  of  thirty  dollars  to  me  in  hand  paid, 
by  the  said  party  of  the  second  part,  the  receipt 
whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged,  have  remised, 
released,  sold,  conveyed  and  quit-claimed  and 
by  these  presents  do  remise,  release,  sell,  con- 
vey and  quit-claim,  unto  the  said  party  of  the 
second  part,  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  all 
the  following  described  lot  or  parcel  of  land, 
situate,  being  and  lying  in  the  county  of  Craw- 
ford, and  known  and  designated  as  follows: 
Twenty-four  acres  of  (oif)  the  west  side  of  the 
the  northwest  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  number  thirty-six,  in  township  num- 
ber twelve  north,  of  range  number  five  west  of 
the  fourth  principal  meridian.  To  have  and  to 
hold  the  same,  together  with  all  and  singular, 
the  appurtenances  and  privileges  thereunto  be- 
longing, or  in  any  wise  appertaining,  and  all 
the  estate,  right,  title,  interest  and  claim  what- 
soever of  the  said  party  of  the  first  part,  either 
in  law  or  equity,  in  and  to  the  above  described 
jjremises  to  the  only  proper  use,  benefit  and  be- 
hoof of  the  said  party  of  the  second  part,  his 
heirs  and  assigns  forever,  and  the  said  party  of 


the  first  part  for  himself,  his  heirs,  executors 
and  administrators,  do  covenant  and  agree  to 
and  with  the  said  party  of  the  second  part,  his 
heirs  and  assigns,  that  he  will  warrant  and  for- 
ever defend  the  aforesaid  premises  to  be  free 
and  clear  of  all  claim  or  claims  of  all  and  every 
person  or  persons  claiming  or  to  claim  the  whole 
or  any  part  thereof,  by,  through,  or  under  him, 
and  none  other. 

In  witness  whereof,  the  said  party  of  the  first 

part  have  hereunto  set  his  hand  and  seal,  the 

day  and  year  first  above  written. 

Daniel  Read. 

Sealed  and  delivered  in 

presence  of 
Thomas  J.  DeFrees, 
Hiram  G.  Rice. 

Territory  of  Wisconsin,  ) 

'  }■  ss. 

CEAVFFORD  COUNTY.         ) 

I,  Thomas  J.  DeFrees,  a  justice  of 
the  peace  of  said  county,  do  certify  that  Daniel 
Read,  whose  signature  appears  to  the  foregoing 
deed,  and  who  is  personally  known  to  me  to  be 
the  person  described  in  and  who  executed  the 
same  and  acknowledged  that  he  executed  the 
said  conveyance,  for  the  uses  and  purposes 
therein  mentioned. 

Given  under  my  hand  [and]  seal,  this  seven- 
teenth day  of  May,  1 848. 

Thomas  J.  DeFrees, 

Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Office  of  Register  of  Deeds, 

crawford  county,  wis. 

March  1st,  1850. 

I  hereby  certify  that  the  within  deed  of  con- 
veyance, from  Daniel  Read  to  John  McCulloch, 
was  this  day  produced  to  me,  in  my  oflice,  at  12 
o'cliick  noon,  and  there  upon  duly  recorded  in 
Book  F  of  Deeds,  [on]   pages    408,  409. 

Thomas  Bugbeb. 
Beg's  of  Deeds,  C.  i'.  Wis. 

AN    INDIAN    SCARE. 

In  1846  the  citizens  living  contiguous  to  the 
Wisconsin  river  were  treated  to  a  genuine  "In- 
dian scare,"  and,  as  the  Winnebagoes  were  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


419 


supposed  enemies,  an  account  in  this  history   is 
properly  given  of  the  event. 

In  the  winter  of  1844-5,  and  while  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  State  was  in  session  at  Madison, 
the  capital,  a  rumor  that  an  Indian  war  had 
broken  out,  came  to  the  ears  of  the  legislators 
with  a  thousand  fearful  forebodings,  and  pro- 
ducing intense  excitement.  At  this  time  the 
militia  laws  had  all  been  repealed,  probably 
with  a  view  to  counteract  the  supposed  influ- 
ence of  Gov.  Doty,  and  the  capital  he  might 
have  made  by  the  organization  of  the  militia, 
and  the  appointment  of  the  officers  from  among 
his  friend;,  the  majority  of  the  Legislature  be- 
ing opposed  to  Doty.  At  this  juncture,  however 
a  change  in  the  administration  of  the  general 
government  had  changed  governors,  and 
Gen.  Dodge  was  again  at  the  helm  of  the  terri- 
tory. But  the  law  which  abolished  the  militia 
service  with  a  view  to  liamper  and  trammel 
Doty,  was  now,  in  a  time  of  need,  found  to 
trammel  and  hamper  Dodge,  for  though  great 
fear  was  excited,  tliat  plunder  and  murder 
would  be,  or  were  actually  being  committed  by 
the  ludians,  the  governor's  hands  were  tied  by 
the  law,  which  he  had  himself  approved.  The 
representations  ot  the  Indian  disturbances  made 
to  the  governor  he  communicated  to  the  Assem- 
bly. 

The  emergency  of  the  case  was  such  as  to 
call  the  two  Houses  together  at  an  evening  ses- 
sion, to  receive  the  governor's  message  on  the 
subject,  and  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  the 
public  defense.  And  while  one  was  looking  at 
another,  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do,  a  mem- 
ber penned  and  offered  a  bill  to  repeal  the  act 
by  which  the  militia  organization  had  been  abol- 
ished, and  to  restore  the  former  laws  upon  the 
subject.  In  oifering  the  bill  which  contained 
only  a  few  lines,  he  moved  a  suspension  of  the 
rules,  so  that  the  bill  passed  at  once,  and  was 
sent  to  the  council;  and,  by  the  same  process,  it 
was  passed  there,  and  in  about  half  an  hour 
from  the  time  it  was  first  offered,  the  governor 
had  approved  of  it,  and  tlie  whole  militia  of  the 


territory  was  organized,  officers  and  all,  and 
measures  were  said  to  be  taking  to  call  out  a 
portion  of  it,  to  chastise  the  supposed  maraud- 
ers, when  a  second  communication  to  the  gov- 
ernor showed  that  there  was  no  occasion  for  it. 
The  first  report  had  grown  out  of  exaggerated 
statements  of  some  white  hunters,  who  had 
come  in  contact  with  some  Indians  in  the  same 
pursuit,  and  who  probablv  took  some  game 
which  the  whites  would  have  been  glad  to  have 
taken;  and  possibly  some  pigs  had  been  taken 
on  the  credit  of  the  Indians,  but  this  was  never 
proven  against  them. 

By  reference  to  the  Legislative  journals,  it  ap- 
pears that  this  matter  happened  on  the  last 
evering  of  Feb.  3,  1846.  The  governor  com- 
municated the  proceedings  of  a  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  Muscoda,  on  the  Wisconsin  river,  in 
Grant  county,  dated  Sunday  night,  Feb.  1,  1846, 
stating  as  follows:  "The  citizens  of  this  prai- 
rie and  surrounding  country,  having  been  for 
the  last  several  months  annoyed  and  harrassed 
by  the  depreda'ions  of  the  Winnebago  Indians, 
and  submitted  to  their  bullying  and  insults, 
have  at  length  been  forced  to  the  dernier  re- 
sort; to  take  up  arms  for  our  protection.  This 
evening  a  skirmish  took  place  between  the  In- 
dians and  the  citizens,  in  which  four  of  the 
former  were  severely,  if  not  mortally  wounded; 
and  from  the  known  character  of  the  Indians, 
we  may  naturally  expect  more  serious  conse- 
quences to  ensue.  A  true  and  correct  state- 
ment of  the  occurrences  of  the  day  is  substan- 
tially as  follows:  A  number  of  the  Indians 
came  down  the  north  side  of  the  Wisconsin 
river  to  Capt.  Smith's,  and  stole  his  canoe.  He 
discovered  them  and  called  to  them  to  bring  it 
back,  which  they  refused  to  do.  The  captain, 
with  several  other  men,  came  over  to  this  shore, 
found  the  Indians  who  took  his  boat  and  chas- 
tised one  or  two  of  them  with  a  stick,  and  in 
the  melee  one  of  his  men  was  severely  hurt 
with  a  club  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  Indians. 
The  Indians  then  ran,  and  the  citizens,  a  num- 
ber of  whom  had  by  this  time  collected,  followed 


4:i0 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


them  a  little  way  and  returned.  In  a  short 
time  the  Indians  came  back  also.  All  the 
citizens  having  by  this  time  assembled, 
Capt.  James  B.  Estes  and  Booth  advanced 
towards  them,  unarmed,  and  in  a  peaceable 
manner,  making  friendly  manifestations,  all  of 
which  time  the  Indians  threatened,  by  drawing 
their  knives,  throwing  off  their  blankets,  wav- 
ing their  guns  in  the  air,  and  pointing  them 
toward  the  whites.  Finding  it  impossible  to 
pacify  or  appease  them,  they  separated,  and  in  a 
moment  they  fired  upon  the  citizens;  the  next 
minute  their  fire  was  returned,  and  four  of  them 
fell."  They  then  add,  that  the  Indians  have 
sent  their  runners  to  collect  their  scattered 
bands,  and  the  whites  have  sent  for  aid;  that 
they  want  the  governor's  assistance,  and  are  de- 
termined to  kill  or  drive  every  Indian  on  the 
Wisconsin  over  the  Mississippi;  have  upwards 
of  forty  men  under  arms,  and  have  chosen 
James  B.  Estes  for  captain. 

Gov.  Dodge  recommended  the  adoption  of  a 
memorial  to  the  secretary  of  war,  asking  for  a 
corps  of  dragoons  to  protect  the  frontier  settle- 
ments. "In  the  course  of  half  an  hour,"  says 
the  Madison  Argus  of  that  period,  "resolutions 
were  adopted  to  that  effect,  and  the  militia  law 
of  the  territory  revived  ;  "  and  on  the  adjourn- 
ment of  the  Legislature,  the  governor  set  out 
immediately  for  the  scene  of  disturbance,  but 
the  excitement  had  died  away  and'  no  more 
troiible  was  apprehended. 

TOWN  OF  BAD    AX,   1849. 

Aggregate  valuation  of  the  taxable  real  and 
personal  property  in  the  town  of  Bad  Ax  in 
November,  1849:      • 

(1)    Valuation  of  lands.including  improvements  $17,451 
(3)     Valuation  of  pergonal  property 6,135 

Total $23,586 

1850. 
Assessed  valuation  of  real  and  personal  estate  $30,320 

EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  "RECCED  OF  THE  PROCEED- 
INGS OF  THE  CRAWFORD  COUNTY  BOARD." 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  for  the  county  of    Crawford,  W. 


T.,  held  pursuant  to  law  on  the  3d  day  of  April, 
1843,  present:  David  Clark,  Jr.,  Samuel  Gilbert, 
I.  P.  Perret  Gentil;  the  board  proceeded  to  set 
off  and  divide  and  name  the  different  precincts 
in  the  county  of  Crawford,  viz.:  No.  1.  First 
precinct  to  be  called  the  "The  Prairie  du  Chien 
precinct,"  bounded  as  follows:  On  the  south 
and  east  by  the  boundaries  of  said  county  of 
Crawford;  on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi  river, 
and  on  the  north  by  a  line  drawn  due  east  from 
the  mouth  of  Coon  river,  so  called;  and  the 
following  named  persons  are  hereby  appointed 
judges  of  election:  Stephen  G.  Tainter,  H.  L. 
Dousman  and  Daniel  G.  Fenton.  *  *  *  * 
(An  assessment  district  was  included  in  the 
same  boundaries.) 

The  clerk  of  the  board  laid  before  the  said 
board  his  certificate,  stating  therein  the  com- 
pensation to  which  the  judges  and  clerks  of 
election  are  entitled  for  their  services  at  the 
annual  election  held  Sept.  7,  1846,  which  was 
allowed,  and  the  following  orders  issued  in 
numerical  order  for  the  same,  to  wit  :  Mt. 
Sterling  precinct  (No.  2)  :  William  T.  Sterling, 
$2 ;  S.  G.  Rice,  $2 ;  E.  Tainter,  $2  ;  John 
McCulloch,  $2;  Lewis  Sterling  (mileage),  $4.60. 

The  board  on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1847, 
proceeded  to  select  from  the  poll  book  the  fol- 
lowing named  persons  (from  what  is  now  Ver- 
non county)  to  serve,  along  with  others,  as 
grand  and  pettit  jurors,  for  the  year  1847  : 
grand  jurors,  Hiram  G.  Rice,  Lewis  Sterling, 
Ezekiel  Tainter  ;  pettit  jurors,  Henry  Seifert, 
John  Miller,  George  P.  Taylor  and  Lee  Grant 
Sterling. 

The  statement  of  the  clerk  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  of  Crawford  county,  showing  the 
compensation  to  which  the  judges  and  clerk  of 
the  election  in  the  Mt.  Sterling  precicnt  (No.  2) 
are  entitled  for  their  services  at  the  annual 
election  held  on  the  first  Monday  (the  6th 
day)  of  September,  1847,  which  was  allowed 
and  orders  issued  for  the  same,  as  follows  : 
W.  T.  Sterling,  judge,  one  day,  $2  ;  S.  G. 
Rice,    judge,    one    day,    •12  ;    Ezekiel   Tainter, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


423 


judge,  one  day,  $2  ;  Orrin  Wisel,  clert,  one 
day,  $2  ;  John  McCulloch  clerk,  one  day,  $2, 
and  forty  miles  travel  (by  said  McCulloch)  in 
making  returns,  |4. 

The  following  petition  signed  by  twenty- 
three  citizens,  was  presented  to  tlie  board  of 
commissioners  of  Crawford  county,  on  the  4th 
day  of  October,  1847  :  "We,  the  undersigned, 
citizens  of  Crawford  county,  respectfully  ask 
for  an  order  authorizing  the  location  of  a 
county  road  beginning  at  Winochick  (Winne- 
shiek, now  De  Soto)  on  the  Mississippi,  and  in- 
tersecting the  Black  river  road  at  or  near  John 
McCulloch's.  We  further  ask  that  S.  G.  Rice, 
Lewis  Sterling  and  George  Nichols  be  ap- 
pointed viewers  to  locate  said  road ;  and  the 
petitioners  further  state  that  they  will  be  at  all 
expense  in  locating  and  building  said  road. 
(Petitioners'  names  not  given). 

Said. petition,  after  due  consideration,  granted 
by  the  board  and  ordered  by  said  board  that 
the  said  S.  G.  Rice,  Lewis  Sterling  and  George 
Nichols  be  and  hereby  are  appointed  viewers 
to  view  and  establish  said  road  agreeable  to 
said  petition  ;  and  it  is  further  ordered  by  said 
board  that  said  viewers  report  their  proceed- 
ings to  the  next  regular  session  of  said  board, 
to  be  held  on  the  first  Monday  in  .January, 
1848. 

At  a  session  of  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners for  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  begun  and  held 
at  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  said  board  on  the 
9th  day  of  January,  1849,  in  pursuance  of  law, 
Thomas  J.  De  Frees  and  Jacob  Spaulding  ap- 
peared and  filed  their  certificates  and  oath  of 
office  as  county  commissioners  of  said  county  ; 
and  the  board  proceeded  to  elect  their  chair- 
man ;  and,  on  examining  the  votes,  Jacob 
Spaulding  was  found  duly  elected. 

The  board  then  proceeded  to  divide  the 
county  into  four  towns  ;  and  the  following  is 
the  description  of  said  towns,  to-wit : 

Prairie  du  Chien  ( town  No.  1  )  comprises 
that  part  of  the  county  lying  south  of  the  line 
between  townships  number  9  and  10  north. 


Bad  Ax  ( town  No.  2  )  comprises  that  portion 
of  the  county  lying  north  of  township  number 
9,  and  south  of  the  line  between  townships 
number  16  and  17  north,  including  not  only  the 
whole  of  what  is  now  Vernon  county,  but  parts 
of  the  present  counties  of  La  Crosse  and  Craw- 
ford. 

Albion  ( town  No.  3  )  comprises  that  part  of 
the  county  lying  north  of  the  line  between 
townships  number  16  and  17  north,  and  south 
of  the  line  between  townships  22  and  23  north. 

Pine  Valley  (town  No.  4)  comprises  all  of 
the  county  north  of  township  22. 

The  board  then  proceeded  to  designate  the 
places  in  said  towns,  at  which  the  first  town 
meetings  shall  be  held  to-wit : 

Prairie  du  Chien  (town  No.  1  )  at  the  court 
house  in  the  village  of  St.  Firiole. 

Bad  Ax  ( town  No.  2  )  at  the  residence  of 
Hiram  G.  Rice. 

Albion  (tfiwn  No.  3)  at  t'ae  residence  of 
Jacob  Spaulding,  at  Rock  River  Falls. 

Pine  Yalley  (town  No.  4  )  at  the  residence  of 
James  O'Neill. 

BARLY  EOADS IN  VERNON  COUNTT. 

At  the  date  of  creating,  in  Crawford  county, 
the  town  of  Bad  Ax,  Jan.  9,  1849,  which 
included  not  only  the  whole  of  Vernon  county, 
as  at  present  constituted,  but  part  of  what  is  now 
La  Crosse  county  on  the  north,  and  part  of  the 
present  Crawford  county  on  the  south  there 
were  in  tli.at  town  the  following  laid  out  roads 
within  what  is  now  Vernon  county  : 

( 1  ).  A  road  leading  north  from  W.  T.  Ster- 
ling's residence,  by  the  home  of  S.  G.  Rice,  on 
through  where  Viroqua  is  now  located,  until 
the  north  line  of  the  town  was  reached. 

(  2  ).  A  road  leading  from  Warner's  Landing 
on  the  Mississippi,  through  Springville,  where 
it  branched  ;  one  leading  to  Thomas  J.  De 
Frees'  and  the  other  northeast. 

(  3  ).  A  road  leading  from  Winneshiek,  De 
Soto,  to  McCulloch's  and  Rice's,  now  Liberty 
Pole. 


25 


424 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


(4).  A  road  leading  from  what  is  now  Lib- 
erty Pole,  in  southeasterly  direction  to  Reed's 
mill  on  the  Kickapoo. 

AGRICULTURE    IN    THE    VERNON     COUNTY    REGION. 
[By  Alfred  Brunson,  1851.] 

The  general  formation  of  the  country  is  hilly. 
Some  portions  of  our  original  county,  (including 
what  ij  now  Crawford,  Vernon,  La  Crosse  etc.,) 
is  level,  but  more  of  it  undulating.  The  level 
portions  of  it  are  at  the  heads  of  the  largest 
streams,  where  it  is  apt  to  be  swampy  and 
marshy.  Near  the  Mississippi  the  hills,  or 
bluffs,  rise  in  some  places  500  feet  above  the 
river;  but  as  you  ascend  the  streams  the  hills 
lessen  down  to  a  gentle  undulation  on  the  small 
streams,  and  to  a  level  or  marsh  and  swamp 
on  the  larger  ones.  In  the  present  limits  of  the 
county  the  land  is  generally  hilly  or  rolling. 
The  level  or  marshy  portions  are  on  the  margins 
or  bottoms  of  the  great  rivers.  The  whole  of 
the  original,  as  well  as  the  present  county, 
abounds  in  streams  of  pure  water,  and  abundance 
of  water  power.  The  purity  of  the  waters  in 
the  smaller  streams  and  lakes — those  that  are 
fed  entirely  from  springs — may  be  judged  of 
from  the  fact  that  they  abound  with  speckled 
trout.  But  those  larger  streams,  which  rise  in 
swamps  and  marshes,  many  of  them  being  tam- 
erack  swamps,  show  the  effects  thereof  in  the 
highly  colored  state  of  the  water. 

The  prairie  region  extends  from  the  Wiscon- 
sin, north,  by  a  width  of  from  thirty  to  fifty 
miles  from  the  Mississippi,  to  within  ten  miles 
of  Lake  Superior  at  its  western  extremity,  with 
sufficient  timber  for  farming  purposes  the  most 
of  the  way.  Between  the  Black  and  Chippewa 
rivers,  on  the  present  mail  route,  the  timber  is 
too  scarce  to  encourage  a  general  settlement; 
but  along  the  river  hills,  and  also  east  of  the 
mail  route,  timber  is  more  abundant.  East  of 
the  Kickapoo,  and  on  the  head  waters  of  the  St. 
Croix,  Chippewa  and  Black  rivers,  and  on  the 
weiitorn  branches  of  the  Wisconsin,  all  within  the 
original  county  of  Crawford, there  is  no  lack 
of  timber;  indeed  it  is  generally  a  dense  forest 
of  Pine,  mixed  with  hard  wood.     Within  the 


present  limits  of  the  county,  except  a  dense  for- 
est on  the  east  side  of  the  Kickapoo,  the  county 
is  divided  between  prairie  and  timber,  and  open 
woodland,  so  that  no  portion  of  it  can  suffer  for 
want  of  timber;  and  except  along  the  precipi- 
tous bluffs  of  the  river,  there  is  but  little  waste 
land.  It  can  mostly  be  ploughed,  grazed,  or 
kept  for  timber;  and  is  not  more  uneven  than 
some  of  the  best  cultivated  portions  of  western 
Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  Ohio,  along  the 
Ohio  river. 

The  general  character  of  the  soil  is  good; 
within  the  present  limits  of  Crawford  county, 
in  Bad  Ax,  La  Crosse,  the  western  portions  of 
Chippewa,  and  southern  parts  of  St.  Croix,  it 
may  be  considered  as  first  rate.  Indeed,  it  is 
hard  to  imagine  how  it  can  be  improved.  Fur- 
ther east  and  north,  when  you  reach  the  pine  re- 
gion, the  soil  becomes  of  less  value,  except  in 
places  where  the  pine  doesnot  grow. 

The  soil  in  that  portion  of  the  country  first 
named  is  mostly  a  vegetable  mould,  formed 
from  the  decay  of  vegetable  matter,  or  its  ashes, 
when  burnt  over.  It  is  mixed  with  sand  suffi- 
cient to  give  it  warmth;  and  this  seems  to  in- 
crease as  we  go  north,  showing  that  nature,  or 
nature's  God  has  provided  against  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  the  climate.  The  poorer  soils  spoken  of 
are,  in  the  pines  too  sandy,  and  in  the  marshes 
too  wet,  and  in  a  few  instances  a  cold  clay. 

Of  the  crops  and  the  general  yield,  it  would 
be  difficult  for  me  to  speak,  because  I  have  not 
sufficient  data.  Much  depends  on  the  mode  of 
cultivation  and  the  season;  50,  40,  30  and  20 
bushels  of  wheat  to  an  acre  have  been  raised. 
So  far  as  I  know,  30  of  wheat,  50  of  corn  and 
oats,  and  from  100  to  200  bushels  of  potatoes, 
are  considered  an  average  crop. 

In  the  cranberry  marshes,  which  are  found  at 
the  head  of  the  larger  streams,  the  crops  in  good 
seasons  are  said  to  average  several  hundred 
bushels  per  acre. 

Of  the  manner  of  cultivation,  and  of  its  de- 
fects, I  can  say  but  little.  The  old  French  set- 
tlers, when  the   Americans   first  came   among 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


425 


them,  wrought  things  as  their   fathers   did  200 
years  before. 

To  yoke  oxen,  they  tied  a  pole  across  the 
backs  of  their  horns.  They  had  no  wagons, 
and  their  one-horse  carls  were  without  tires, 
boxes  or  skeins  on  the  axles.  They  usually  put 
in  only  spring  crops.  Their  wheat,  oats,  barley 
and  peas  were  sown  on  the  ground  with  no 
other  preparation  than  burning  off  the  weeds, 
stubble  and  grass  of  the  last  years  growth,  and 
plowed  in — the  ploughing  being  usually  in  the 
same  direction— no  crossing  and  no  manuring. 

The  ground  cultivated  was  in  a  narrow  strip 
at  the  foot  of  the  bluffs,  where  was  the  best 
soil,  say  from  forty  to  eighty  rods  wide,  and  en- 
closed in  one  common  field  from  five  to  seven 
miles  long,  having  but  one  fence  on  the  west 
side  and  across  each  end,  the  bluffs  on  the  east 
answering  for  a  fence  on  that  side.  The  corn 
plante'd  was  of  the  early  Indian  variety,  which 
ripens  in  the  early  part  of  September,  yielding 
from  thirty  to  fifty  bushels  per  acre,  according 
to  the  mode  of  cultivatiop.  The  whent,  ■  ais. 
barley  and  peas  being  harvested  in  August,  and 
the  corn  in  September;  the  field  was  usually 
thrown  open  in  October,  as  soon  as  the  potatoes 
were  gathered,  as  common  pasture.  If  wood 
was  scarce  in  the  ensuing  winter,  or  before  the 
ice  became  good  for  procuring  it  from  the 
islands  and  bottom  lands  of  the  river,  most 
likely  the  fence  would  be  used  in  their  stores, 
being  dry,  and  the  place  of  the  rails  would  be 
supplied  before  spring  by  new  and  green  ones. 
These  annual  changes  of  the  rails  rendered  it 
of  little  consequence  whether  they  were  made 
of  oak,  ash,  maple  or  willow,  the  three  latter 
being  usually  the  easiest  obtained,  composed 
the  most  of  the  fencing  material  of  the  farms. 

The  grain  cradle  was  not  known  here  until 
the  arrival  of  Americans,  the  scythe  and  sickle 
being  the  only  instruments  used  for  that  purpose. 
The  French  bind  their  grain  with  willow  withs 
to  this  day.  In  other  respects,  they  have 
availed  themselves  of  the  improvements   intro- 


duced by  the  American   immigrants,  and   some 
of  them  are  now  among  our  best  farmers. 

Most  of  the  new  inventions  for  ploughs, 
harvesters  and  threshing  machines  are  now  in 
use. 

The  markets  are  good,  and  also  the  facili- 
ties for  reaching  them.  From  the  earliest 
settlement  of  the  country  the  military  and 
Indian  departments,  including  the  fur  trade, 
always  furnished  a  good  market  for  our  surplus 
produce  until  a  short  time  since,  when  the 
amount  produced  has  been  greater  than  the  de- 
mand from  that  source.  To  supply  the  defi- 
ciency, the  lumber  trade  since  1838  has  kept  the 
demand  more  than  equal  to  the  supply;  add  to 
this  the  demand  growing  out  of  the  immigra- 
tion, so  that  hitherto  the  demand  for  every 
thing,  except  wheat,  in  the  two  last  years,  has 
much  more  than  equalled  the  home  supply. 
And  our  prospects  for  a  market  are  good  for  a 
long  time  to  come  in  our  own  country, and  nearly 
at  our  own  doors.  The  lumber  trade;  the  Indian 
trade  and  annuties;the  military  posts  at  the  north 
and  west  of  us,  together  with  the  continued 
tide  of  emigration;  to  which  may  also  be  added 
llie  mining  interests;  all  together  bid  fair  to 
consume  the  most  of  our  surplus  produce, 
except,  perhaps,  wheat. 

Within  two  or  three  years  past,  the  produce 
of  wheat  has  been  larger  than  the  demand  in  the 
country.  But  the  facilities  for  transportation 
by  steamboat  on  the  Mississippi  has  sup- 
plied us  with  a  market  in  St.  Louis.  Our 
merchants  purchased  the  wheat,  cleaned  it 
thoroughly,  had  sacks  made  of  coarse  domestic 
cotton,  holding  over  a  bushel  each,  and  sent  it 
to  St.  Louis,  where  its  superior  quality  and 
clean  state  commanded  the  highest  price,  mak- 
ing it  profitable  for   both  the  producer  and  the 

merchant. 

The  opening  of  the  navigation  of  the  Wis- 
consin and  Fox  rivers,  already  gives  us  a  choice 
of  markets,  between  St.  Louis  and  the  lakes, 
for  all  we  have  to  spare  over  and  above  the  up 
river  and  home  demand.  And  if,  as  is  expected, 
the  Milwaukee  and  Mifsissippi  Railroad  should 


426 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


reach  the  river,  we  should  have  an  additional 
facility  for  reaching  an  eastern  market.  Nor 
will  it  make  much  difference,  if  any,  whether 
the  road  reaches  that  river  at  this  point  or  not, 
so  far  as  the  surrounding  country  is  concerned. 
The  road  must  reach  the  river  somewhere,  hut 
if  not,  some  other  one  will,  within  a  short  dis- 
tance, by  steam;  so  that  before  one  surplus 
produce  gluts  the  market  on  this  great  river, 
we  shall  have  the  double  facility  of  steamboat 
and  railroad  whereby  to  reach  an  eastern  mar- 
ket, and  that  too  at  but  a  trifling  expense.  As 
it  is  well  known  that  the  average  of  our  crops 
exceed  that  of  the  eastern  part  of  our  State, 
after  deducting  the  expense  of  reaching  the 
lake,  we  shall  have  equal,  if  not  greater  profit 
per  acre  than  will  our  more  eastern  neighbors. 

Our  stock  is  that  which  is  most  common 
to  the  country.  We  have  no  animals  of  special 
note,  unless  it  is  the  pony  breed  of  horse  ;  and 
not  many  of  them.  Our  early  French  settlers 
came  to  the  country  by  water,  and  in  bark  ca- 
noes or  Mackinaw  boats,  and  could  not  bring 
with  them  the  real  Canadian  or  Norman  horse. 
Indeed  I  do  not  remember  of  seeing  one  of 
that  breed  in  this  country.  If  there  is  one  or 
more,  they  must  have  come  by  land  from  some 
States  bordering  on  lower  Canada  The  original 
stock  of  horses  here  probably  came  from  the 
south  and  west,  and  were  from  the  stock  intro- 
duced by  the  Spanish  into  Mexico,  Santa  Fe, 
etc.,  and  from  thence  spread  among  the  Indians. 
Carver  mentions  an  expedition  of  theWinneba- 
goes  towards  Santa  Fe,  and  the  capture  of 
eighty  horses  at  one  time,  which  they  brought 
home  with  them.  The  French  settlers  here 
may  have  obtained  horses  from  their  brethren 
at  Kaskaskia,  or  in  Missouri.  But  in  either 
case  they  were  originally  obtained,  most  prob- 
ably, from  the  Indians  to  the  south  and  west  of 
them. 

The  present  breed  of  horses  or  ponies  are 
not  generally  of  an  extraordinary  character. 
Only  a  few  very  great  travelers  have  been  found 
among  them.     I  have,  however,  seen  one  of  but 


moderate  size,  which  is  said  to  have  traveled 
before  a  light  train  on  the  ice,  from  Mount 
Tremj)eleau  to  this  place,  120  miles,  between 
sunrise  and  sundown,  in  February,  and  that 
without  any  visible  injury.  But  whether  any 
of  such  bottom  can  be  now  obtained,  I  am  una- 
ble to  state.  Our  stock  of  horses  has  greatly 
improved  of  late  from  immigration. 

The  horned  cattle  in  this  country  originally 
came  from  the  States  of  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
and  were  not  of  the  first  quality.  Some  few  of 
a  good  quality  were  obtained  from  the  droves 
brought  up,  but  generally  they  were  of  the 
ordinary  character.  Immigration  has  lately 
brought  some  of  good  quality  among  us,  but  I 
know  of  none  of  the  imported  breeds  of  the 
day,  though,  no  doubt,  we  have  some  of  mixed 
bloods,  which  are  quite  valuable. 

Sheep  have  done  remarkably  well,  so  far  as 
they  have  been  tried  ;  they  are  very  hariiy,  and 
produce  good  and  heavy  fleeces.  To  show  their 
hardiness  and  the  adaptation  of  the  climate  to 
their  growth,  I  will  give  the  following  fact : 
In  1837  a  drove  of  sheep  was  brought  to 
this  place  for  slaughter.  One  of  them,  a 
wether,  strayed  from  the  flock  and  took  up 
its  abode  in  the  hills  east  of  this  prairie,  and 
within  three  fourths  of  a  mile  of  my  house  and 
strange  to  tell,  but  nevertheless  true,  he  es- 
caped notice  of  juen,  dogs  and  wolves,  through 
two  winters,  and  was  discovered  and  killed  in 
the  spring  of  1839,  in  good  eating  order.  His 
hoofs  were  so  worn  by  traveling  over  the  rocks, 
that  they  were  but  square  stubbs.  We  know 
that  he  must  have  strayed  from  the  said  flock, 
because  there  had  been  at  that  time  no  other 
such  drove  on  the  prairie,  from  which  he  could 
have  strayed.  At  this  time  there  are  a  few  small 
flocks  of  sheep  which  do  exceeding  well,  and 
show,  most  conclusively,  that  our  hilly  and 
healthy  country  is  well  adapted  to  raising  them 
on  a  large  scale.  I  have  never  heard  of  any 
disease  among  them. 

As  for  hogs,  we  have  some  Berkshires,  but 
they  have  become   so   mixed   and  crossed  with 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


42'? 


other  kinds,  that  but  few  of  them  can  be  dis- 
tinguished.    Poultry  of  all  kinds  do  well. 

The  adaptation  of  the  country  to  grazing,  as 
compared  with  tillage,  is  a  question  I  am  not  as 
well  prepared  to  decide  as  are  those  of  more 
experience.  A  few  facts,  however,  may  serve 
to  show  the  grazing  qualities  of  the  country. 
The  French  here  who  usually  own  large  droves 
of  horses,  seldom,  and  some  of  them  never,  feed 
them  in  winter,  except  such  as  they  use  ;  and, 
in  the  spring,  they  are  in  tolerable  order.  In 
our  low  bottoms  and  ravines  where  the  wild 
grasses  grow  high  and  rank,  they  are  some- 
times beaten  down  by  the  fall  rains  and  snow; 
in  which  case  the  snow  usually  covers  a  large 
quantity  of  green  substance  which  the  horses 
reach  by  pawing  away  the  snow,  if  snow  there 
is.  If  the  grass  is  not  beaten  down  by  the 
snow,  but  stands  up  and  reaches  above  it  then 
they  eat  off  the  tops.  And  what  is  remarkable 
in  this  country,  this  dry  grass,  reaching  above 
the  snow,  is  eaten  with  avidity  by  the  horses  ; 
and  from  the  fact  that  they  keep  in  good  order 
on  it,  it  must  have  considerable  nutrition  in 
it,  even  in  that  dead  and  dry  condition. 

Tliere  are,  however,  other  means  of  grazing 
in  the  country.  On  some  of  the  islands  and 
river  bottoms,  there  are  not  only  thickets  of 
underbrush  on  «  hich  the  animals  browse,  but 
rushes  abound  in  many  places  on  which  horses 
and  cattle  will  even  thrive  through  the  winter. 
These  rush  beds  are  not  very  numerous;  they 
abound  most  in  the  thick  timbered  regions  where 
the  wild  grass  is  thin,  or  does  not  grow  at  all. 
In  the  winter  of  1842 — 3,  when,  the  hay  failed  at 
the  falls  of  the  Chippewa,  the  cattle  not  wanted 
for  immediate  use  were  driven  to,  and  watched 
in  the  rush  bottoms. 

In  the  same  winter  a  party  of  us  voyaging 
with  horses  through  to  Lake  Superior  and 
back,  our  hay  and  oats  having  failed,  we  were 
obliged  to  resort  to  the  rushes,  on  which  our 
horses  subsisted  three  days  before  we  reached 
tlie  settlement. 

The  quality   of   our  prairie  hay  is  said  to  be 


better  than  the  same  article  further  south. 
Those  who  have  lived  in  the  southern  parts  of 
Illinois  and  Missouri  say  that  they  can  winter 
cattle  easier  in  this  region  than  in  the  former 
places.  They  think  the  grass  here  makes  more 
substantial  hay,  probably  from  not  being  so 
much  drenched  in  summer  by  the  rains. 

But  a  principal  reason  why  catttle  can  be 
easier  wintered  is  the  character  of  our  winters. 
We  are  not  one  day  in  mud  and  wet  snow,  nor 
being  drenched  with  rain,  and  the  next  day 
frozen  into  icicles.  Cattle,  under  such  sudden 
and  repeated  changes,  cannot  do  as  well  as  with 
us,  where  but  few  changes  occur,  probably  not 
more  than  one  or  two,  and  sometimes  not  one 
through  the  whole  winter.  Dry  snow,  and  dry 
cold  weather,  even  if  somewhat  severe,  when  it 
comes  on  gradually  and  is  uniform,  does  not  ef- 
fect man  or  beast  as  does  the  contrary  kind  of 
weather.  If  it  requires  much  labor  to  provide  a 
winter's  stock  of  provender,  wehayegood  liealth 
and  physicial  strength  to  perform  it,  and  we  are 
satisfied  to  work  if  we  have  health,  rather  than 
get  along  without  it,  and  shake  half  the  year 
with  the  ague  and  fever.  If  our  cattle  cost  us 
more  to  raise  and  keep  they  bring  a  better  price 
when  raised  than  do  those  that  come  up  them- 
selves in  sickly  regions. 

As  between  grazing  and  tillage  I  think  there 
is  but  little  to  choose  if  either  is  to  be  pursued 
by  itself.  But  both  together  is  certainly  prefera- 
ble; because  the  straw  and  stalks  from  tillage 
go  far  in  wintering  cattle,  which  would  be  a  loss 
if  we  had  no  cattle  to  eat  them. 

Of  dairies  we  cannot  say  a  gre^t  deal,  having 
but  few;  but  we  could  say  much  in  favor  of 
their  establishment.  What  few  dairies  we 
have  are  on  a  small  scale,  but  have  been  and 
are  very  profitable,  and  would,  no  doubt,  be 
more  so  on  a  larger  scale.  I  have  already 
stated  the  facility  we  have  for  raising  and  win- 
tering cattle ;these,  of  course,  are  necessary  to  a 
dairy,  and  so  far  it  is  an  encouragement.  The 
next,  and  indeed  the  great  question  is,  as  to  the 
market  for  the  products  of   the  dairy   and  of 


428 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


this,  let  facts  answer.  The  most  of  the  cheese 
consumed  in  our  mines,  our  pineries  and  on  this 
entire  frontier,  is  made  on  the  western  reserve  in 
Ohio,  and  transported  2,0(i0  miles  by  the  rivers; 
and  having  changed  hands  several  times,  each  of 
which  must  have  some  profit  to  pay  for  freight, 
storage,  commission,  etc.,  the  price  realized  by 
the  producer  cannot  equal  more  than  half  the 
cost  to  the  consumer.  Having  lived  myself  on 
that  reserve,  and  having  some  knowledge,  by 
experience,  of  the  cost  of  clearing  land,  and 
getting  it  into  grass,  the  crops  obtained,  etc.,  I 
am  certain  that  cattle  can  be  raised  and  kept  in 
this  region  for  one-half  the  expense  necessary 
to  be  incurred  for  the  same  purpose  in  that 
country;  and,  of  course,  if  the  products  of  the 
dairy  here  equal  the  products  there,  per 
head  of  cattle,  and  the  producer  here  realizes  no 
more  than  the  producer  does  there,  the  busi- 
ness must  be  much  more  profitable  here  than 
there;  but  if  the  producer  here  realizes  double 
what  the  producer  does  there,  and  that  too  at 
one-half  the  expense  for  raising  and  keeping 
cattle,  then  the  business  is  proportionately  more 
profitable.  The  only  difEerence  and  the  only 
drawback  in  this  country  to  this  business  is  the 
difference  in  the  wages  of  hired  help.  But  the 
difEerence  in  costs  and  prices  in  favor  of  this 
country  will  more  than  balance  the  difference 
in  wages. 

The  extent  of  our  horticultural  experiments 
are  but  limited.  That  the  country  is  adapted 
to  the  growth  of  fruits  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  the  wild  fruits  indigenous  to  this  climate 
are  very  abundant;  such  as  crab  apple,  plums  of 
some  dozen  or  twenty  varieties,  grapes,  cher- 
ries, currants,  raspberries,  blackberries,  straw- 
berries and  several  other  varieties. 

The  French  who  first  settled  Detroit  planted 
apple  trees,  pear  trees  and  various  other  kinds 
of  fruits,  and,  judging  from  that  fact,  I  expected 
to  find  such  trees  in  abundance  in  this  region. 
But  in  this  I  was  disappointed;  finding  of  their 
planting  but  a  few  apple  trees  and  these  of  an 
indifferent  quality. 


About  the  year  1830  Gen.  Street,  the  Indian 
agent,  brought  a  lot  of  apple  trees  from  Ken- 
tucky to  this  place,  and  set  them  out  on  a  lot  at 
the  north  end  of  this  prairie.  They  have  had 
but  little  care  and  are  natural  fruit,  yet  they 
have  grown  well  and  are  very  fruitful  when  not 
injured  by  the  frost.  In  1838  I  procured  fifty 
grafted  fruit  trees  from  Kentucky,  the  nearest 
place  from  which  I  could  then  procure  them. 
But  the  distance  of  transportation  and  change 
of  climate  must  have  affected  them.  Further- 
more the  warmth  of  the  steamboat  caused  them 
to  bud  in  the  moss  in  which  they  were  done 
up  so  that  but  four  or  five  of  them  lived.  I  have 
since  tried  seedlings  of  this  country's  growth, 
and  though  I  have  had  bad  luck,  the  mice  and 
careless  ploughman  injuring  the  trees,  yet  there 
ai'e  some  fine  and  very  promising  orchards  in 
the  country.  What  is  wanted  is  a  nursery  in 
the  country,  so  that  the  trees  will  become  ac- 
climated, and  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that 
apples,  pears  and  plums  will  do  as  well  as  in 
any  country  as  far  north  as  this. 

As  for  peaches  our  hopes  and  prospects  are 
not  so  flattering.  In  1846  1  had  twenty  peach 
trees,  which,  in  March,  showed  buds  for  as 
many  bushels  of  fruit;  but  a  severe  frost  in 
April  killed  them  down  to  the  very  roots.  A 
neighbor  of  mine  had  beat  me,  in  that  he  had 
thirty  or  forty  bushels  of  the  fruit  the  season 
before,  and  had  ho]>es  of  a  hundred  at  the  time 
but  his  shared  the  fate  of  mine,  or  nearly  so.  A 
few  sprouted  and  made  a  great  effort  to  live. 
We  could  raise  peaches  here  if  we  could  prevent 
the  sap  from  starting  before  the  late  severe 
frosts  in  the  spring.  I  do  not  agree  with  the 
theory  that  hard  freezing  before  the  sap  has 
started  kills  these  trees.  For  forty  years  I  have 
watched  these  trees  in  the  west,  and  I  have 
never  been  satisfied  that  either  the  fruit  or  the 
tree  has  been  injured  by  the  frost  before  the 
sap  starts  in  the  spring.  But  invariably  if  the 
sap  has  started,  and  is  followed  by  a  black 
frost,  that  is,  something  harder  than  a  mere 
white  frost,  the  fruit,  if   not   the  tree,  is  killed. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


429 


Various  remedies  have  been  tried  and  recom- 
mended for  this  evil— a  northern  declivity,  cov- 
ering the  roots  with  straw  when  the  ground  is 
frozen,  etc.  But  the  best,  as  I  think,  is  engraft- 
ing the  peach  upon  the  wild  plum.  The  plum 
we  know  seldom  fails  of  bearing  fruit  on  ac- 
count of  frost,  because  it  is  late  in  putting  forth 
its  sap;  and  if  the  peach  top  is  dependent  on 
the  plum  root  for  sap  it  cannot  get  it,  nor  start 
its  buds,  until  the  plum  root,  according  to  the 
law  of  its  nature,  gives  it.  And  as  that  period 
is  so  late,  the  frost  usually  does  not  injure 
the  plum,  neither  can  it  injure  the  peach. 
Another  advantage  of  this  mode  of  grafting 
is,  that  the  worm  has  sometimes  killed 
the  peach  by  goring  its  roots;  but  that  occur- 
rence, as  far  as  I  know,  never  happened  to  the 
plum. 

The  raising  of  peaches  in  this  climate  is  a 
desideratum  of  which  most  persons  despair.  It 
is  laid  to  the  climate;  but  in  this  I  think  tliey 
are  mistaken.  Lower  Canada,  Vermont,  New 
York,  northern  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  I  think 
Michigan  once  were  favored  with  abundance  of 
of  this  delicious  fruit.  In  1812,  when  I  first 
emigrated  to  northern  Ohio,  those  farms  which 
had  been  long  enough  cleared  to  have  peaches 
on  them  abounded  in  this  fruit,  and  the  trees 
and  fruit  continued  to  grow  and  do  well  until 
about  the  year  18.30,  when  the  late  spring  frosts 
began  to  kill,  not  merely  the  fruit,  but  the  trees 
themselves.  And  what  is  singular,  the  frost 
took  those  in  the  valleys  in  one  year,  and  those 
on  the  hills  in  another;  and  so  on  from"  one  lo- 
cation to  another;  until,  in  1836,  when  I  left 
that  country,  there  were  but  few  peaches  left, 
and  from  the  newspapers  I  learn  that  since  then 
this  same  cause  has  worked  farther  and  farther 
south  until  fears  are  entertained  of  the  loss  of 
this  fruit  as  far  as  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore. 

Now,  from  all  this,  the  evil  appears  to  be  in 
the  changes  ofthe  seasons  and  not  in  the  climate. 
The  climate  in  the  same  place  must  be  the 
same.  But  seasons  have  changed  and  re-changed 


since  the  settlement  of  America  and  favorable 
seasons  may  yet  come  round  to  us  again  in  this 
matter. 

FIRST    WHITE    MEN  WHO  WERE  EVER    IN    VERNON 

COUNTY AN    ACCOUNT  OF  THEIR  VOYAGE  UP 

THE    Mississippi.* 

We  set  out  from  Fort  Creve  Coeur  (on  the  Illi- 
nois river)  the  29th  of  February,  1680,  and  to- 
ward evening,  while  descending  the  river  Seig- 
nelay  (Illinois)  we  met  on  our  way  several 
parties  from  Illinois  returning  to  their  village  in 
their  periguas  or  gondolas  loaded  with  meat. 
They  would  have  obliged  us  to  return,  our  two 
boatmen  were  strongly  influenced,  but  as  they 
would  have  had  to  pass  by  Fort  Creve  Coeur, 
where  our  Frenchmen  would  have  stopped 
them,  we  pursued  our  way  the  next  day,  and 
my  two  men  afterward  confessed  the  design 
which  they  had  entertained. 

The  river  Seignelay  on  which  we  were  sail- 
ing, is  as  deep  and  broad  as  the  Seine  at  Paris, 
and  in  two  or  three  places  widens  out  to  a 
quarter  of  a  league.  It  is  skirted  by  hills, 
whose  sides  are  covered  with  tine,  large  trees. 
Some  of  these  hills  are  half  a  league  apart,  leav- 
ing between  them  a  marshy  strip,  often  inun- 
dated, especially  in  the  autumn  and  spring,  but 
producing,  nevertheless,  very  large  trees.  On 
ascending  these  hills  you  discover  prairies 
further  than  the  eye  can  reach,  studded, 
at  intervals,  with  groves  of  tall  trees,  apparently 
planted  there  intentionally.  The  current  of 
the  river  is  not  perceptible,  except  in  time  of 
great  rains;  it  is  at  all  times  navigable  for  large 
barks  about  a  hundred  leagues,  from  its  mouth 
to  the  Illinois  village,  whence  its  course  almost 
always  runs  south  by  west. 

On  the  7th  of  March  we  found,  about  two 
leagues  from  its  mouth,  a  Nation  called  Tama- 
roa,  or  Maroa,  composed  of  200  families.  They 
would  have  taken  us  to  their  village  lying  west 
of    the   river   Colbert,   six    or    seven    leagues 


*  The  leadei  of  this  party,  it  will  be  remembered,  waB 
Acau;  with  him  went  Father  Louis  Hennepin,  who  wrote  the 
account  here  given.    It  was  first  published  in  1683. 


430 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


below  the  mouth  of  the  river  Seignelay  ;  but 
our  two  canoemen,  iu  hopes  of  still  greater 
gain,  preferred  to  pass  on,  according  to  the 
advice  I  then  gave  them.  These  last  Indians 
seeing  that  we  carried  iron  and  arms  to  their 
enemies,  and  unable  to  overtake  us  in  their 
periaguas,  which  are  wooden  canoes,  much 
heavier  than  our  bark  one,  which  went  much 
faster  than  their  boats,  despatched  some  of 
their  young  men  after  us  by  land,  to  pierce  us 
with  their  arrows  at  some  narrow  part  of  the 
river,  but  in  vain  ;  for  soon  discovering  the 
fire  made  by  these  warriors  at  their  ambuscade, 
we  promptly  crossed  the  river,  gained  the  other 
side,  and  encamped  on  an  island,  leaving  our 
canoe  loaded  and  our  little  dog  to  wake  us,  so 
as  to  embark  more  expeditiously,  should  the 
Indians  attempt  to  surprise  us  by  swimming 
across. 

SooH  after  leaving  these  Indians,  we  came  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river  Seignelay,  fifty  leagues 
distant  from  Fort  Creve  Coeur,  and  about  100 
leagues  from  the  great  Illinois  village.  It  lies 
between  36  deg.  and  37  deg.  north  latitude,  and 
consequently  120  or  thirty  leagues  from  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

In  the  angle  formed  on  the  south  by  this 
river,  at  its  mouth,  is  a  flat  precipitous  rock, 
about  forty  feet  high,  very  well  suited  for 
building  a  fort.  On  the  northern  side,  opposite 
the  rock,  and  on  the  west  side  beyond  the  river, 
are  fields  of  black  earth,  the  end  of  which  you 
can  not  see,  all  ready  for  cultivation,  which 
would  be  very  advantagious  for  the  existence 
of  a  colony.  The  ice  which  floated  down  from 
the  north  kept  us  in  this  place  till  the  12th  of 
March,  whence  we  continued  our  route,  travers- 
ing the  river  and  sounding  on  all  sides  to  see 
whether  it  was  navigable.  There  are,  indeed, 
three  islets  in  the  middle,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  river  Seignelay,  which  stop  the  floating 
wood  and  trees  from  the  north,  and  form 
several  large  sand-bars,  yet  the  channels  are 
deep  enough,  and  there  is  suflicient  water  for 


barks  ;  large  flat-boats  can  pass  there  at  all 
times. 

The  river  Colbert  (Mississippi)  runs  south- 
southwest,  and  comes  from  the  north  and  north- 
west ;  it  runs  between  two  chains  of  mountains, 
very  small  here,  which  wind  with  the  river,  and 
in  some  places  are  pretty  far  from  the  banks, 
so  that  between  the  mountains  and  the  river, 
there  are  large  prairies,  where  you  often  see 
herds  of  wild  cattle  browsing.  In  other  places 
these  eminences  leave  semi-circular  spots 
covered  with  grass  or  wood.  Beyond  these 
mountains  you  discover  vast  plains,  but  the 
more  we  approach  the  northern  side  ascending, 
the  earth  did  not  appear  to  us  so  fertile,  nor 
the  woods  so  beautiful  as  in  the  Illinois 
country. 

This  great  river  is  almost  everywhere  a  short 
league  in  width,  and  in  some  places,  two 
leagues ;  it  is  divided  by  a  number  of  islands 
covered  with  trees,  interlaced  with  so  many 
yines  as  to  be  almost  impassable.  It  receives 
no  considerable  river  on  the  western  side  except 
that  of  the  Olontenta  and  another,  which  comes 
from  the  west-northwest,  seven  or  eight  leagues 
from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  of  Padua.  On 
the  eastern  side  you  meet  first  an  inconsider- 
able river,  and  then  further  on  another,  called 
by  the  Indians  Ouisconsin,  or  Wisconsin,  which 
comes  from  the  east  and  east-northeast.  Sixty 
leagues  up  you  leave  it,  and  make  a  portage  of 
half  a  league  to  reach  the  bay  of  the  Puans 
(  Green  bay  )  by  another  river  which,  near  its 
source,  meanders  most  curiously.  It  is  almost 
as  broad  as  the  river  Seignelay,  or  Illinois,  and 
empties  into  the  river  Colbert,  100  leagues 
above  the  river  Seignelay. 

Twenty-four  leagues  above,  you  come  to  the 
Black  river,  called  by  the  Nadouessious 
(Sioux),  or  Islati,  Chabadeba,  or  Chabaoudeba, 
it  seems  inconsiderable.  Thirty  leagues  higher 
up,  you  find  the  Lake  of  Tears  ( Pepin  ),  which 
we  so  named  because  the  Indians  who  had 
taken  us,  wishing  to  kill  us,  some  of  them 
wept  the  whole  night,  to  induce  the  others  to 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


431 


consent  to  our  death.  This  lake  which  is 
formed  by  the  river  Colbert,  is  seven  leagues 
long,  and  about  four  wide  ;  there  is  no  consid- 
erable current  in  the  middle  that  we  could 
perceive,  but  only  at  its  entrance  and  exit.  Half 
a  league  below  the  Lake  of  Tears,  on  the  south 
side,  is  Buffalo  river,  full  of  turtles.  It  is  so 
called  by  the  Indians  on  account  of  the  num- 
bers of  buffalo  found  there.  We  followed  it 
for  ten  or  twelve  leagues  ;  it  empties  with 
rapidity  into  the  river  Colbert,  but  as  you 
ascend  it,  it  is  always  gentle  and  free  from 
rapids.  It  is  skirted  by  mountains,  far  enough 
off  in  some  places  to  form  prairies.  The  mouth 
is  wooded  on  both  sides,  and  is  full  as  wide  as 
that  of  the  Seignelay- 

EABLY   EXPERIENCE   IN   THE    NOETHWEST. 
By  Thomas  G.  Anderson.* 

About  the  beginning  of  March,  1800,  I  left 
Cornwall  for  Montreal,  to  join  my  bourgeois, 
Robert  McKinzie,  who,  by  the  by,  was  bred  a 
tailor,  but  had  made  a  pile  of  money  by  the  In- 
dian trade,  which  as  a  matter  of  course  en- 
abled him  to  take  rank  among  the  "big  wigs" 
of  society.  I  was  nearly  a  month  too  early  for 
the  canoe  start  to  commence.  I  had,  therefore, 
in  the  meantime,  to  live  an  idle,  lonely  life  at  a 
boarding  house.  My  boss  was,  however,  fully 
employed  laying  in  his  goods  and  engaging  his 
men  and  canoes. 

My  personal  outfit  consisted  of  a  corduroy 
roundabout,  pants  and  vest,  four  striped  cotton 
shirts,  four  pair  socks,  and  four  "two  and  a  half 
point  blankets"  sewed  up  in  canvass,  with  two 
pair  of  blankets  to  cover  me,  forming  my  bed 
and  bedding.  A  gun,  powder-horn  and  shot- 
bao-  filled,  fitted  me  for  the  hunt;  and  a  travel- 
ing  basket,  containing  a  boiled  ham,  some  sea 
biscuit,  salt,  tea,  sugar  and  pepper,  with  a  tea- 
pot, a  small  tin  kettle  in  which  to  boil  tea  water, 
a  tin  cup  for  tea  drinking,  two  tin  plates,  two 
knives  and  forks,  two  iron  spoons,  and  a   small 


*  A  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Anderson  will  be  found  ap- 
pended to  this  narrative. 


canvas  tent  for  fair  weather.  These  articles, 
with  $200  salary,  formed  the  usual  outfit  and 
wages  for  a  clerk  in  the  Mississippi  Indian 
trade  for  the  first  year.  During  the  long  eve- 
nings of  that  youthful  period,  lots  of  youngsters 
sought  my  acquaintance,  but  a  kind  providence 
kept  me  from  their  evil  ways. 

The  3d  of  April  being  now  arrived,  I  was  con- 
veyed to  Lachine,  our  starting  point  from  civil- 
ization. I  took  a  look  at  the  bark  canoe  which 
was  to  transport  me  to  savage  wilds.  These 
canoes  are  about  forty  feet  long,  over  five  feet 
wide  and  three  feet  deep,  and  made  of  the  bark 
taken  from  the  white  birch  tree,  and  sewed  to- 
gether with  the  small  roots  of  the  hemlock  tree. 
The  strips  of  bark  were  cut  into  the  proper 
shape  and  stretched  upon  a  strong  frame,  com- 
posed of  split  cedar,  and  firmly  sewed  to  it  with 
the  hemlock  fibres.  It  is  now  ready  for  pitch- 
ing, or  rather,  "gumming,"  which  is  performed 
by  spreading  on  the  seams  a  kind  of  resin  pre- 
pared from  the  sap  extracted  from  the  pine 
tree,  carefully  laid  on,  and  pressed  firmly  with 
the  thumb.     It  hardens,  and  stops  every  leak. 

Next  morning  at  daylight  we  were  prepared 
to  load.  The  canoe  was  placed  in  the  water, 
when  four  nicely  smoothed  cedar  poles,  the 
length  of  the  canoe,  were  laid  in  the  bottom,  in 
order  that  the  cargo  may  bear  equal  pressure 
on  the  frail  vessel  throughout;  and  the  most 
weighty  packages  laid  on  them  to  bind  and  con- 
fine them  to  the  shape  of  the  canoe.  On  these 
the  heavier  articles  were  placed,  such  as  shot, 
axes,  powder;  then  the  dry  goods  to  the  brim. 
Over  all  was  piled  a  month's  provisions  for  all 
hands,  consisting  of  pork,  peas  and  sea  biscuit, 
the  latter  contained  in  canvas  sacks,  which, 
when  filled,  were  five  feet  long  and  two  feet  in 
diameter. 

About  10  o'clock  all  was  ready,  and  we  era- 
barked.  On  leaving  the  wharf  I  was  near  caus- 
ing the  canoe,  now  top  heavy,  to  turn  over  and 
send  all  down  the  Lachine  rapids.  Wishing  to 
give  all  the  eclat  ou  my  departure,  I  fired  off  my 


432 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


gun,  which  so  surprised  and  startled  all  hands, 
that  the  canoe  was  nearly  going  over,  which 
taught  me  to  confine  my  rejoicings  on  future 
occasions  to  terra  finnu. 

After  proceeding  a  few  miles  the  guide,  who 
is  commodore,  and  is  responsible  for  all  dur- 
ing the  journey,  ordered  a  halt  and  all  hands  to 
debark.  A  lieavy  rapid  was  before  us,  which 
must  be  surmounted.  Among  other  necessary 
articles  of  the  outfit  was  a  rope  about  twenty 
yards  long,  one  end  of  which  was  securely  fast- 
ened to  tlie  prow  of  the  canoe.  Two  of  the 
men  were  ordered  to  strip  to  their  shirts,  whose 
duty  it  would  be  to  wade  to  their  middles  up 
the  rapids,  one  at  the  prow,  the  other  at  the 
stern  of  the  canoe,  to  keep  it  clear  of  the  rocks. 
Theprowman  or  guide  and  steersman,  each  with 
a  long  pole  to  ward  off,  while  the  remaining 
five  men,  sometimes  in  the  water,  and  some- 
times on  shore,  to  pull  at  the  rope. 

When  all  was  ready  the  guide  directed  me  to 
a  very  narrow  path,  which  led  me  by  the  verge 
of  a  precipice,  from  which  I  had  a  view  of  the 
poor  men  below  struggling  against  the  cold 
rapids,  which  for  two  miles  ran  at  the  rate  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  an  hour.  At  the  end  no 
fire  was  made  to  dry  the  men's  clothes  and 
warm  their  feet;  but  all  was  hurry  and  away  to 
the  camping  ground,  about  three  miles.  'J  he 
paddling  was  brisk,  the  song  loud  and  lively, 
the  water  smooth,  and  the  hungry  mouths  soon 
reached  the  end  of  their  first  day's  journey. 

The  guide  and  all  hands  were  very  attentive 
to  me,  in  carrying  me  in  and  out  of  tlie  canoe, 
setting  my  tent  in  order,  boiling  my  kettle,  etc. 
I  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  drudgery  of  cook- 
ing. The  men's  practice  in  the  culinary  art 
was  very  simple,  but  good.  '1  he  tin  kettle  in 
which  they  cooked  their  food  would  hold  eight 
or  ten  gallons.  It  was  hung  over  the  fire  nearly 
full  of  water,  then  nine  quarts  of  peas, one  quart 
per  man,  the  daily  allowance,  were  put  in;  and 
when  they  were  well  bursted,  two  or  three 
pounds  of  pork,  cut  into  strips,  for  seasoning, 
were  added,  and  all  allowed  to  boil  or  simmer 


till  daylight,  when  the  cook  added  four  biscuits, 
broken  up,  to  the  mess,  and  invited  all  hands 
to  breakfast.  The  swelling  of  the  peas  and 
biscuit  had  now  filled  the  kettle  to  the  brim, 
so  thick  that  a  stick  would  stand  upright  in 
it.  It  looked  inviting,  and  I  begged  for  a 
plate  full  of  it,  and  ate  little  else  during  the 
journey.  The  men  now  squatted  in  a  circle, 
the  kettle  in  their  midst,  and  each  one  plying 
his  wooden  spoon  or  ladle  from  kettle  to  mouth, 
with  almost  electric  speed,  soon  filled  every 
cavity.  Then  the  pipes  were  soon  brought  into 
full  smoke. 

Our  encampment  being  at  the  foot  of  a  small 
fall  or  cascade,  over  which  canoes  and  all  had 
to  be  transported,  the  guide  would  not  allow 
talking;  so  all  was  bustle,  each  man's  duty  be- 
ing at  every  trip  to  carry  two  packages  of 
eighty-four  pounds  each  over  the  portages;  and 
six  men  to  carry  the  canoe,  which  counted  for 
one  trip  for  each  of  them,  it  remaining  for 
them  to  carry  a  package  afterwards.  All  was 
soon  over,  the  boats  re-loaded,  when  the  paddle 
would  again  resume  its  strokes  with  the  merri- 
est songs  accompanying  its  play.  I  conclude 
that  the  breakfast  on  pea  soup,  with  the  con- 
dition of  the  atmosphere,  so  affected  the  nasal 
organs  that  the  men  suffered  intensely  the  first 
few  days. 

With  respect  to  camping,  cooking  and  scen- 
ery, there  was  little  variation  during  the  jour- 
ney. I  may,  however,  mention  the  beautiful 
sheet  of  water  falling  about  forty  or  fifty  feet 
into  the  Ottawa  near  the  present  city  of  that 
name,  where  at  the  time  of  which  I  write,  sev- 
enty years  ago,  there  was  not  even  a  shadow  of 
a  mansion.  This  fall  was  very  properly  called 
Le  Ridean,  for  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  beau- 
tiful curtain. 

At  length  we  reached  the  Portage  de  Vause, 
three  miles  from  Lake  Nipissing.  At  the  end 
of  the  portage  was  a  log  hut,  with  three  or  four 
Canadians;  a  northwest  trading  post;  the  only 
house  or  human  beings  we  had  seen  since  leav- 
ing Lachine.     The  people  were  very  kind,  giv- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


433 


ing  me  some  fish  and  offering  me  lodgings  for 
the  night;  the  former  I  thankfully  received, 
but  preferred  my  tent  to  the  latter.  Parts  of 
two  days  were  spent  in  getting  all  things  over 
this  long  portage,  while  the  peas,  pork  and 
cakes  had  been  considerablv  lessened.  The 
second  day,  however,  we  crossed  the  lake  and 
pitched  our  tents  on  the  French  River. 

We  had  mounted  seventeen  portages,  and  we 
had  to  descend  seventeen  more  to  Lake  Huron. 
Tlie  poor  men  were  sadly  worn  out  with  the 
roughness  of  the  last  carrying  place,  and  the 
guide  considerately  brought  to  an  hour  earlier 
than  usual  to  give  them  a  good  rest  and  an  op- 
portunity to  wash,  a  business  in  which  they  had 
thus  far  spent  little  time  and  lesser  soap.  The 
only  time  I  tried  the  experiment  of  carrying 
packages  was  at  the  last  long  portage,  whei-e  I 
got  the  guide  to  tie  a  pair  of  strings  to  a  bag 
of  biscuits  and  load  me  with  it;  but  it  swayed 
about,  and  being  top  heavy,  I  could  not  walk 
steady.  Before  proceeding  twenty  yards  down 
I  came  with  the  bag  in  the  mud.  The  men  ran 
to  unharness  me,  and  laughed  to  see  me  enjoy 
the  fun. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  stepped  forth,  and 
with  our  paddles  and  songs  we  merrily  left  the 
lake  behind  us.  How  many  days  it  took  to 
reach  Lake  Nipissing  from  Lachine,  or  from 
Nipissing  to  Lake  Huron,  I  know  not,  neither 
is  it  of  any  importance  to  past  generations;  but 
of  this  I  am  sure,  that  in  due  time  we  reached 
Lake  Huron,  and  the  keenness  of  the  air  of  that 
broad  sheet  of  pure  water  was  felt  night  and 
day;  and  even  at  this  distant  period  of  seventy 
years,  my  probocis  takesoffenae  at  its  sufferings 
at  that  time. 

After  getting  over  those  seventeen  portages, 
and  running  sundry  rapids,  at  times  going  at 
the  rate  of  ten  knots  an  hour,  we  at  length 
reached  the  big  lake;  and  again,  after  paddling 
and  working  many  days,  we  landed  on  Grosse 
island,  within  nine  miles  of  Mes-she-mic-ka- 
nock,  the  Big  Turtle;  corrupted  into  Michili- 
mackiuac,  and  finally  into  Mackinaw. 


The  traverse  being  long  and  dangerous,  it 
was  deemed  imprudent  to  undertake  it  with  our 
full  load;  and  it  being  late  in  the  day,  the  guide 
concluded  to  encamp,  and  have  everything 
ready  for  an  early  start  in  the  morning.  When 
the  morning  came  I  volunteered  to  guard  the 
baggage  at  one  end  of  the  portage,  enabling  all 
hands  to  engage  in  the  transportation  of  the 
goods  and  canoes;  but  here  I  was  too  desirous 
of  reaching  the  end  of  this  long  journey,  and 
would  not  stay.  In  this  I  was  wrong,  for  one 
of  the  men  had  to  remain  in  charge  of  the  half 
loads  necessarily  left,  thereby  weakening  the 
carrying  force,  which  might  have  proved  seri- 
ous had  a  high  wind  occurred.  However,  all 
was  safe  over  and  in  store  by  sunset. 

Here,  then,  I  was  in  Mackinaw,  truly  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land.  I  knew  no  one,  and 
my  only  care  was  to  perform  such  duties  as 
might  be  allotted  to  me  without  a  murmur. 
Mr.  McKinzie's  two  outfits  or  equipments  had 
arrived  from  their  trading  posts.  They  called 
to  see  me,  and  I  was  informed  by  them  that  the 
furs  they  had  brought  on  here  were  to  be  packed 
in  a  certain  way  for  transportation  by  canoe  to 
Montreal.  At  it  I  went,  and  before  Mr.  Mc- 
Kinzie  arrived  in  a  light  canoe,  the  forty  or 
fifty  packs  were  pressed,  marked  and  the  bills  of 
the  contents  of  each  pack  all  ready.  The  men 
complained  of  being  given  little  time,  hut  Mr. 
McKinzie  was  surprised  and  pleased  to  find  all 
in  readiness  for  those  who  wanted  to  return 
without  delay  to  Montreal,  yet  would  stay  to 
distribute  the  goods,  which  were  brought  under 
my  supervision,  into  the  three  outfits  he  in- 
tended to  send  to  trade  with  the  Mississippi  In- 
dians the  ensuing  winter. 

Two  of  the  outfits  were  assigned  to  two 
brothers  named  Lagortroin,  and  the  third  to 
myself.  There  was  also  a  lot  of  old  remainders 
of  goods  from  a  retail  shop  Mr.  McKinzie  had 
for  long  years  before  kept;  these,  not  suitable 
for  the  Indian  trade,  I  was  directed  to  pack  up 
and  take  to  St.  Louis  and  make  the  most  of 
them.     My  orders  were  all   verbal.     My    hour- 


434 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


geois,  laboring  men,  were  gone;  my  work  was 
(light);  but  it  being  too  early  in  the  season  for 
me  to  start,  I  amused  myself  profitably  in  going 
out  daily  shooting  pigeons  for  my  pot.  As  my 
larder  had  nothing  but  hulled  corn,  tallow,  and 
a  small  quantity  of  salt  pork;  this  latter  was 
kept  as  a  luxury  for  rainy  days,  when  the 
feathered  tribe  were  permitted  to  rest. 

As  I  had  seen  my  dear  mother  make  croxen- 
yoles  or  curly  cakes,  of  which  I  was  very  fond, 
so  I  thought  I  would  try  my  hand  at  it.  I  ac- 
cordingly procured  two  pounds  of  flour,  put  it 
into  a  wooden  bowl,  not  over  scoured,  after  fish, 
poured  in  cold  water,  not  too  much,  lest  I  should 
drown  and  lose  my  flour,  adding  a  little  salt, 
and  handled  it  until  to  fancy  it  appeared  to  be 
first  rate  dough.  My  next  care  was  to  clean  the 
pot  of  cobwebs,  and  put  it  over  the  tire  with  a 
good  lot  of  tallow,  wiiich,  by  the  way,  had  no 
small  share  oi  musty  smell  about  it;  but  this,  I 
thought  would  evaporate  by  the  heat.  While 
this  heating  process  was  going  on,  I  busied  my- 
self in  cutting  up  my  beautiful  dough  into  all 
kinds  of  fancy  shapes,  cats,  dogs,  snakes,  mice, 
etc.  These  eftigies  I  now  committed  to  their 
hot  bath;  and  in  a  few  seconds  they  were  so 
nicely  browned  that  my  mouth  fairly  watered 
to  overflowing,  and  I  could  wait  no  longer  for  a 
taste.  I  found  the  fork  rather  dull,  so  scooped 
them,  out  with  a  wooden  ladle.  On  their  touch- 
ing the  cold  plates,  to  my  horror,  though  refined 
by  the  action  of  the  fire,  the  tallow  became  as 
hard  as  a  candle.  To  eat  my  tine  looking  cakes 
was  impossible,  as  they  had  become  hard  and 
tough  as  sole  leather.  However,  I  gave  them 
to  the  men,  who  dissolved  them  in  their  next 
choice  corn  cooking;  and  thus  ended  my  cake 
frying  for  all  time  to  come. 

My  path  to  the  pigeon  ground  lay  immedi- 
ately past  a  notary  public's  door,  and  I  had  no- 
ticed sweet  faces  peering  at  the  nice,  hand- 
some young  sportsman  as  he  passed  daily  with 
his  gun.  At  length  I  was  watched  on  my  return; 
a  young  widow  lady,  standing  in  the  door,  as  I 
touched  my  hat,  said:    "You  appear  to  be   a 


stranger?"  I  replied:  "Yes;  just  from  Mon- 
treal." "Will  you  walk  in  and  rest  yourself?" 
"No,  I  thank  you,  I  must  give  the  men  their 
corn."  "Wlienever,"  said  she,  "you  feel  lonely 
we  shall  be  glad  to  see  you."  I  thanked  her 
for  her  kindness.  The  notary's  hopeful  son 
called  upon  me  and  confirmed  the  invitation. 

The  next  day  my  best  Montrealers  saw  the 
light  and  got  an  airing,  fitted  for  an  after- 
noon's call.  No  pains  were  spared  to  prove  that 
I  was  recently  from  civilized  society.  At  4 
o'clock  I  was  formally  introduced  by  the  no- 
tary's son  to  his  aged  father,  ditto  mother,  his 
widowed  sister,  Mrs.  La  Frambois,  his  other 
sisters  and  Miss  Cowan.  The  engage  of  the 
latter's  father  was  killed  by  an  Indian,  who  was 
taken  for  his  trial  to  Kingston,  on  board  the 
scliooner  Speedy,  Capt.  Paxton,  when  she  foun- 
dered, and  all  on  board  were  lost,  judges,  law- 
yers and  all.  I,  of  course,  remained  to  tea,  and 
in  the  evening  a  "hop"  was  gotten  up.  This 
kind  of  fun  was  kept  up  almost  daily  during  the 
remaining  ten  days  of  my  stay.  My  canoe  was 
at  length  ready,  and  I  took  a  run  up  for  good 
bye.  I  did  not  join  in  the  general  boo-hoos, 
but  I  felt  pretty  badly. 

I  have,  perhaps,  got  ahead  of  my  story,  as  I 
ought  to  have  said  that,  having  departed  from 
Mackinaw,  I  was  now  on  a  coasting  jour- 
ney on  Lake  Michigan,  exposed  to  storms,  or 
calms,  or  burning  suns,  and  eighty  leagues  of 
uninhabited  wilderness  to  travel  before  I  could 
reach  Green  Bay,  or  see  any  but  savage  faces. 
Tenting,  sleeping,  etc.,  were  the  same  as  on 
Grand  river  ;  certainly  the  air  had  improved — 
whether  caused  by  the  wide  expanse  of  water, 
I  cannot  positively  affirm  ;  but  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  the  influence  of  the  hulled  corn  on 
the  human  system  produced  a  less  repugnant 
feeling  to  the  nasal  organs. 

After  many  days  rowing,  sailing  and  storm- 
bound, I  landed  at  Green  Bay,  where  were 
about  a  dozen  settlers,  scattered  within  the 
limits  of,  perhaps,  four  miles — little  farmers, 
none  cultivating    more   than   five  acres,   their 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


435 


crops  consisting  of  corn  and  potatoes.  An  old 
man  lived  here  named  Langlade,  who  bad, 
until  ,the  Americans  got  possession  of  the 
country,  been  in  the  employment  of  the  British 
government,  whose  daughter  bad  married  a 
trader  named  Grignon,  from  whom  had  sprung 
very  many  branches. 

An  English  gentleman,  Jacob  Frank,  and  his 
nephew,  John  Lawe,  Jews,  were  extensively 
embarked  in  the  fur  trade  here.  At  this  time, 
and  for  years  after,  I  became  very  familiar 
with  them  ;  for,  on  this  occasion,  they  tendered 
me  much  friendly  advice  how  to  conduct  myself 
with  the  Indians,  to  beware  of  the  cunning 
deceit,  treachery,  etc.,  of  the  traders,  with 
whom  I  was  about  to  mix  up.  This  was  the 
first  good  counsel  I  had  heard  on  commercial 
business  ;  and,  to  this  day,  it  has  been  of  ser- 
vice to  me. 

Here  it  became  nesessary  to  engage  an  in- 
terpreter, to  perform  also  the  duties  of  steers- 
man. Only  one  suitable  person  could  be  found, 
and  he  must  feed  with  the  bourgeois.  That 
was  well  enough,  but  he  had  an  overgrown 
squaw  wife,  with  too  papooses  not  long  hatched, 
and  they  must  join  the  same  mess.  In  stating 
to  Mr.  Frank  my  awful  predicament,  he  laughed 
at  me  and  said  :  "You  san't  better  yourself  ; 
besides  you  will  find  that,  in  many  cases,  two 
or  three  incumbrances,  or  even  half  a  dozen, 
such  as  your  delicate  ideas  abhor,  luxuriate  in 
the  same  canoe."  I  could  not  help  myself,  so 
the  next  day  was  fixed  for  a  start. 

To-morrow  came.  I  took  my  breakfast  with 
my  friends.  I  found  a  nicely  fitted  place  for 
me,  immediately  over  six  kegs  of  powder,  of 
300  pounds  weight — plenty  to  end  our  terres- 
trial journey  by  adding  a  spark.  Contrary  to  a 
very  old  custom,  and  much  to  the  annoyance  of 
the  smokers,  I  absolutely  prohibited  lighted 
pipes  on  the  canoe.  A  nice  location  was  fixed 
for  Mrs.  Bartrara  near  her  husband,  Mons.  Bar- 
tram,  the  interpreter.  All  this  added  no  little 
incumbrance  to  the  canoe. 


We  embarked,  and  away  we  started  for  the 
Portage  du  Ouisconsin,  sixty  leagues  distant. 
Proceeding  three  miles,  we  came  to  the  begin- 
ning of  a  six  mile  rapid,  the  greater  part  of 
which  Lady  Bartram  and  I  had  to  take  dry 
land  to  overcome,  in  order  to  relieve  the  canoe 
of  surplus  weight,  as  the  men  had  to  wade  and 
carefully  avoid  the  rocks,  in  dragging  the 
canoe  up  this  toilsome  obstruction.  The 
slow  process  of  working  up  the  rapids  gave 
time  for  splendid  fishing  sport.  Black  bass 
were  very  abundant,  and  I  caught  enough  for 
supper  and  breakfast  for  all  on  board. 

Having  at  length  overcome  all  the  rapids, 
the  water  being  low,  the  men  were  well  tired, 
and  I  said  "camp."  The  tents  were  soon  up, 
the  interpreter  having  one  for  himself  and  fam- 
ily; and  the  loading  of  the  canoe  being  refixed, 
ready  for  the  morning's  start.  Meanwhile 
Lady  Bartram  busied  herself  in  cleaning  the 
fish,  at  which  she  appeared  perfect — indeed, 
she  might  have  secured  a  professorship  any- 
where for  superiority  in  this  line.  Well,  the  fish 
are  at  length  in  the  kettle,  Lady  Bartram  fixing 
all  the  dishes,  plates,  etc.,  I  had.  on  the  mats  in 
my  tent.  The  fish  were  presented  in  a  big  tin 
dish,  boiling  hot — all  Lady  Bartram's  volunteer 
work,  having  assumed  entire  control  over  the 
kitchen  department. 

Now,  reader,  you  may  wish  for,  but  you  won't 
get  a  taste.  You  may,  however,  take  a  peep  at 
our  tea  party,  all  squatting  flat  on  the  mats; 
Mr.  Anderson,  the  writer,  presiding,  with  Lady 
Bartram  on  the  right,  Sir  Bartram  on  his  left, 
ready  to  bring  the  tea  kettle  and  then  Master 
and  Miss  Bartram  in  front,  scrambling  for 
the  fish  eyes  in  the  dish,  at  which  their 
progenitors  exult  to  witness  their  activity  Mr. 
Frank  had  said,  "You'll  get  used  to  it."  But  I 
never  will. 

Crossing  Winnebago  lake  with  difliculty,  we 
pushed  on  through  the  Rice  lakes.  Now  we  are 
fairly  on  Fox  river,  passing  Butte  des  Morts. 
Here,  many  years  since,  a  French  Jesuit  and 
his   men  had   been  murdered  by  the  Winneba- 


466 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


goes.  Camping  and  tea-ing  with  no  variety; 
however,  after  some  days  we  got  used  to  it. 

Ill  due  time  we  reached  Portage,  Ouisconsin, 
(Wisconsin)  a  carrying  place  of  three  miles 
across  the  Ouisconsin  river.  All  over  in  two 
days.  This  river  has  a  smooth,  strong  current 
with  many  shifting  sand  banks.  On  this  Port- 
age I  first  became  acquainted  with  rattle-snakes, 
and  from  all  I  had  heard,  I  was  not  desirous  of 
getting  used  to  them. 

Eigliteen  hours'  travel,  sixty  leagues,  brought 
us  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  on  the  Mississippi.  Here 
was  a  little  village  of  perhaps  ten  or  fifteen 
houses;  and  at  the  distance  of  three  miles  were 
three  farmers.  Except  one  framed  one  the 
houses  were  all  built  of  logs,  plastered  with 
mud,  and  covered  either  with  cedar,  elm  or 
black  ash  bark.  The  people  were  nearly  all 
lower  Canadians,  carrying  on,  with  small  or 
large  stocks,  the  Indian  trade.  Without  excep- 
tion, they  were  kind  and  hospitable,  and  prided 
themselves  on  their  honesty  and  punctuality  in 
paying  their  debts,  and  keeping  their  engage- 
ments. Very  little  money  was  iti  circulation. 
There  were  no  lawyers  to  excite  strife.  Not- 
withstanding all  this  fair  appearance,  there 
were  those  among  them,  regarded  as  otherwise 
honorable,  fair  and  clever,  who  would  defraud 
and  over-reach  I'is  neighbor,  even  to  despoiling 
him  of  his  last  copper. 

After  making  the  necessary  arrangements,  I 
started  down  the  Mississippi  for  my  wintering 
ground  with  the  8auk  Indians.  On  arriving  at 
the  place  I  found  a  house  empty,  in  which 
some  trader  had  wintered  the  year  before. 
Possession,  I  thought,  being  nine  points  in  law, 
I  set  all  hands  to  making  repairs,  and  stowed 
my  goods  into  it.  The  next  business  was  to 
give  a  portion  of  my  goods  on  credit  to  a  pe02:)le 
I  never  before  had  seen.  However,  it  was  the 
mode  of  carrying  on  trade,  and  I  must  "get 
used  to  it."  My  house,  which  was  now  all 
right,  had  four  good  rooms  and  two  fire-places 
— one  in  my  room,  and  one  in  the  rear  or  kitch- 
en  which   also   warmed   Lady   Bartram  on  her 


east  wing,  and  the  shop  or  store  in  the  west 
wing.  Although  neither  papered  nor  carpeted, 
it  was  compact,  warm  and  comfortable,  in  this 
unchristian  country,  and  uninhabited  except  by 
savages. 

All  being  thus  fixed  I  embarked  my  retail 
shop  goods,  under  the  impression  of  making  a 
haul,  with  my  laces,  muslins,  satin  slippers, 
etc.  One  day  and  a  half  (probably  from  about 
the  locality  of  Quincy)  on  the  swift  current  of 
the  Mississippi,  brought  me  to  the  Spanish 
town  of  St.  Louis.  I  cal'ed  on,  and  obtained 
leave  from  the  Spanish  regal  authority,  to  open 
shop,  hired  a  bouse  and  exposed  my  precious 
finery  in  the  dress  line.  Many  called,  admired, 
and  would  call  again;  some  would  go  in  for 
fifty  or  one  hundred  francs,  if  I  would  take  dairy 
in  pay — which  was  there  understood  to  include 
cabbage,  turnips  and  other  vegetables,  but  no 
silver.  We  could  not  dicker,  so  after  many 
days  rent  at  one  shilling  and  eight  cents  per 
day,  to  pay  which  made  a  hole  in  my  stock  of 
muslin,  therefore,  I  must  pack  up  and  go.  The 
only  money  I  got  or  saw  was  one  York  shilling, 
and  this  from  Mrs.  Myers,  a  Jewess,  from 
Montreal,  for  a  ball  of  cotton  wickiug. 

When  I  got  back  to  my  trading  post  I  found 
four  opposition  traders — Monsieurs  St.  John, 
Blondeau,  Berthelot  and  Carron.  They  were 
all  old  hands,  and  viewed  me  as  an  intruder, 
and  would  spare  no  pains  to  ruin  the  mangeur 
de  lard,  or  pork  eater,  as  those  in  infancy  in  the 
trade  were  roughly  called.  But  a  blessed 
guardian,  who,  with  shame  I  say  it,  I  knew  not, 
and  he  it  was  who  told  me  that  swilling  hot 
stufl:  and  gambling  night  and  day  with  cards, 
was  not  right.  I  had  not  seen  a  book  of  any 
kind  since  I  left  my  dear  Cornwall  in   March. 

Lady  Bartram  had  kindly  taken  control  of 
the  cuisine  department,  and  separated  me  from 
her  own  family,  for  which  I  rejoiced.  I  could 
not,  however,  get  used  to  the  marks  left  on  my 
floor  by  the  papooses.  The  long  winter,  from  No- 
vemljer  until  spring,  had  to  be  worn  out;  and  I 
did  my  share  of  rambling  with  my  gun,  shooting 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


437 


paroquets,  picking  and  eating  pecans,  and  break- 
ing through  the  ice  with  narrow  escapes. 

My  interpreter  being  an  old  hand  at  intrigue 
and  trickery,  and  naturally  suspicious,  became 
aware,  by  frequently  visiting  my  neighbors,  of 
their  vile  plots  against  me,  and  enabled  me  to 
thwart  their  designs.  The  Indians  returned 
from  their  hunt,  paid  about  twenty-five  per  cent, 
on  their  debts,  and  commenced  trade.  When 
this  was  over,  my  friends  (the  traders)  sent 
thirty  or  forty  Indians,  half  drunk,  with  a 
worthless  bear  skin,  and  demanded  from  me  a 
keg  of  rum — a  gallon — therefor;  and,  on  my 
refusal,  they  threatened  to  break  the  shop  door 
and  take  it.  I  stepped  into  my  room,  took  from 
under  my  pillow  a  brace  of  brass  pistols,  and 
came  back  to  the  kitchen,  only  a  minute's 
walk.  I  desired  the  interpreter  to  say,  that  the 
first  man  who  strikes  the  door  will  be  shot.  In 
the  bustle  to  clear  out,  the  fellows  took  a  loaf 
from  the  bake-kettle,  and  another  took  a  brand 
from  the  fire,  and  stuck  it  into  the  straw,  with 
which  the  building  was  covered.  On  hearing  of 
it,  I  rushed  out  and  fired  after  them;  but  they 
fortunately  had  made  good  time,  and  were  out 
of  reach. 

The  trade  being  over,  I  quietly  packed  my 
furs,  baled  my  goods,  and  got  ready,  without 
my  neighbors  knowing  my  object.  By  daylight 
canoes  and  cargo  were  at  the  landing  place. 
While  the  boats  were  being  loaded  Mrs.  Bart- 
ram  prepared  breakfast,  and  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  never  again  to  winter  near  to  people  worse 
than  savages.  I  set  fire  to  my  house,  and  em- 
barked, having  ordered  an  extra  rowing  place, 
where,  if  necessary,  I  could  pull  an  oar,  and 
keep  ahead  of  my  friends. 

In  order  to  reap  the  trade  from  such  Indians 
as  usually  came  from  their  hunts,  and  encamped 
along  the  river  where  no  trader  wintered — with 
these,  the  first  who  came  were  first  served.  I 
had  cause  to  rejoice  that  my  cunning  friends  did 
not  leave  for  two  days  after  me;  consequently 
the  extra  oar  was  not  needed,  and    my  trading 


friends  had  to  take  my  leavings  with  the  scat- 
tered bands  en  route  for  Prairie  du  Chien. 

A  few  days  rest  for  all  hands,  and  following 
the  fashion  I  one  day  got  senselessly  drunk, 
which  was  the  first  and  last  time  during  ray 
Indian  trade  tours.  While  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
I  punctually  attended  all  the  best  nightly  balls. 
We  sometimes  kept'Sunday;  but  whether  on  the 
right  day  was  doubtful.  My  friends  (the  traders) 
at  length  arrived,  who  represented  me  as  a  fear- 
less and  dangerous  person  to  be  let  loose  amongst 
the  Indians — always  carrying  gun  and  pistols, 
and  would  shoot  any  one  who  quarreled  with 
me.  This  reputation  was  soon  made  known  far 
and  near — no'  a  very  favorable  one  under  most 
circumstances.  But  it  had  a  good  effect  with 
that  class  of  traders  who  would  get  beastly 
drunk  and  fight  like  dogs  at  night,  and  be  good 
friends  and  love  each  other  in  the  morning. 
Though  I  was  far  from  deserving  such  a  cliarac- 
ter  as  they  gave  me,  it  preserved  me  from  the 
gross  insults  to  which  the  meek  and  retiring 
were  subject. 

After  our  few  day's  sojourn,  I  started  for 
Mackinaw.  The  journeying  seemed  to  agree 
with  Lady  Bartram  and  family,  for  they  were 
in  as  good  health  on  our  return  to  Green  Bay  as 
M'hen  we  departed.  Mr.  McKinzie  had  arrived 
when  I  reached  Mackinaw,  and  was  quite  pleased 
with  ray  returns  and  doings  generally;  but 
as  he  was  about  to  be  married,  he  gave  up  the 
trade,  aud  pressed  me  verv  hard  to  go  back 
with  him,  as  they  were  wanting  me  to  fill  my 
old  place  at  Kingston.  But  my  destiny  was 
not  so  ordered,  and  I  would  not  be  persuaded. 
The  offer  was  good;  but  something,  I  could  not 
tell  what,  held  me  back. 

At  my  master's  in  Kingston  I  never  saw  a 
Bible,  nor  heard  a  word  about  religion,  except 
in  Church,  and  when  good  old  Dr.  John  Stuart, 
the  forraer  Mohawk  raissionary  attended  to 
prepare  rae  for  confirmation — so,  I  now  think, 
that  my  blessed  guardian  influenced  ray  decis- 
ion. It  is  true  it  often  occurred  to  my  mind 
with  what  devotion  ray  ever  dear  father  and 
mother  read  their  Bibles  on  Sundays,  and  ab- 


438 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


stained  from  all  week-day  employments  which 
were  not  absolutely  necessary.  They  were  now 
very  old,  and  I  would  be  delighted  to  see  them; 
but  my  mind  was  fixed.  There  were  no  pleas- 
ures and  enjoyments  in  the  society  and  occupa- 
tion which  lay  before  me;  I  cared  not  for  money, 
nor  had  I  a  desire  to  heap  up  riches.  When  my 
old  master,  Mr.  Markland,  wrote  to  me,  while 
I  was  spending  my  last  winter  in  Cornwall,  re- 
questing me  to  go  back  to  him^  my  reply  was, 
"I  am  engaged  to  Mr.  McKinzie,  and  I  shall 
look  in  future  to  my  gun,  knife  and  tomahawk 
for  a  support."  This  decision  influenced  me  to 
refuse  Mr.  McKinzie's  offers  at  Mackinaw  to 
return  to  Kingston;  for,  from  my  boyhood,  I 
felt  proud  of  keeping  my  word. 

I  therefore  engaged  with  my  friend  Mr. 
Frank,  of  Green  Bay,  and  went  and  wintered 
(1801-1802),  on  the  Riviere  des  Moines.  This 
river  empties  into  the  Mississippi  from  the  west, 
about  forty  miles  above  where  I  wintered  last 
year.*  I  ascended  the  Des  Moines  about  fifty 
miles,  to  the  loway  tribe  of  Indians-  a  vile  set. 
A  Frenchman  named  Julien  f  was  my  only  com- 
petitor this  year  for  the  Indian  trade  at  this 
point.  These  Indians  hunted  near  the  Missouri, 
about  ninety  miles  across  the  country  from 
where  we  located. 

It  would  have  been  an  easy  matter,  though 
somewhat  expensive,  to  have  sent  goods  around 
by  and  up  the  Missouri  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
hunting  grounds  of  the  loways;  but  to  avoid 
this  expense,  for  which  there  seemed  no  neces- 
sity, Julien  and  I  agreed  that  neither  would 
send  outfits  there,  but  trust  to  our  own  exertions 
in  the  spring,  when  the  Indians,  we  concluded, 
would  bring  their  furs  to  our  shops.  I  con- 
sidered myself  quite  away  from  trickery;  but  as 
time  hung  heavily  upon  me,  I  wore  it  away  as 
well  as  I  could  by  hunting,  making  oars,  pad- 
dles and   other  whittlings,  until   about  Christ- 


♦  This  would  place  the  former  trading  post  not   very  far 
from  the  present  city  of  Qulncy. 

+  Doubtless  Julieu  Dubuque. 


mas.  Then  Mons.  Julien  and  his  interpreter, 
had  a  quarrel;  and  following  the  vile  conduct  of 
his  master  in  deceit,  he  told  me  that  Julien  had 
deceived  me,  having  sent  goods  up  the  Missouri 
last  fall. 

This  was  a  thunder-clap  to  me.  An  immedi- 
ate explanation  from  Mr.  Julien  was  demanded. 
I  was  furious,  and  showered  all  the  abuse  I  could 
muster  on  his  cringing  head.  My  mind  as  to 
what  was  best  to  do  under  the  circumstances 
was  soon  made  up.  I  called  my  interpreter 
into  council,  and  said,  "Now,  boy,  you  know 
how  Mr.  Julien  has  deceived  me;  are  you  will- 
ing and  ready  to  carry  a  load  on  your  back 
across  to  the  house  near  the  Missouri,  which  Mr. 
Julien  has  treacherously  put  there,  with  the 
intention  of  stealing  all  the  credits  I  made  to 
those  Indians  last  fall."  All  were  willing. 
"Tit  for  tat"  said  I;  "he  wanted  to  ruin  me,  I 
will  only  injure  him.  Some  of  you  ask  his 
interpreter  to  go  with  us  and  carry  a  load."  He 
accepted  the  invitation.  Then  my  party,  in- 
cluding myself,  became  nine  strong. 

I  left  my  own  interpreter  in  charge  of  the  Des 
Moines  trading  post,  and  started  the  next  day 
with  seven  loaded  men,  taking  provisions  for 
one  day  only,  depending  on  game  for  our  supply. 
The  little  islands  of  wood  scattered  over  the 
boundless  plains  were  swarming  with  wild 
turkeys,  so  that  we  had  plenty  of  poultry.  At 
the  end  of  six  days  we  reached  our  destination 
safe  and  sound,  taking  Mr.  Julien's  two  engages 
by  surprise.  My  party  soon  fitted  up  a  tempo- 
rary shop.  Not  long  after,  the  Indians  came  in, 
made  a  splendid  season's  trade,  managed  for 
the  transportation  of  my  packs  of  fur  by  leaving 
a  man  to  help  Mr.  Julien's  two  engages  down 
with  their  boat.  Thus  I  completed  my  winter, 
and  Mr.  Julien  found  his  trickery  more  costly 
than  he  anticipated. 

My  next  winter  (1802-1803)  was  spent  with 
the  Winnebagoes,  on  Rock  river.  They  were 
the  most  filthy,  most  obstinate,  and  the  bravest 
people   of   any  Indian    tribe   I  have   met  with. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


441 


Here   I  had  a   half-breed   in  opposition   in  the 
trade.     Our  houses  were  about  half  a  mile  apart, 
and  between  us  was  a  very  high  liill,  over  which 
we  had    to  pass    by  a   little   path    through   the 
bushes.     On   one    occasion,  returning   from  my 
neighbor's,  on  a  very  dark  night,  I  lost  the  path. 
The   hill,  I  was  aware,  terminated  on  my  right 
in  a  precipice  at  least  300  feet  from  the  river 
below,  and   that   the    path    ran  within    fifty  or 
sixty  feet  of  the  precipice.  I  was  at  a  loss  what 
to  do.     If  I  sat  down  to  await  the  return  of  day- 
light I   would   surely   go   to   sleep,   and   in    a 
dream,  perhaps,  walk  to  my  destruction.     So  I 
determined  to  walk  about,  feeling    carefully 
with  my  feet  for  the  path;  but,  as  people  gener- 
ally do  when  they  become  confused,  I  went  the 
wrong  way,  and  soon  found  by  my  steps  that  I 
was  going  down  hill.  I,  therefore,  lay  down  on 
my  stomach,  to  get  at  the  level  of  the  ground, 
placing  my  head  up  hill,  intending  to  work  my- 
self along  in  that  way  until  I  could  get  into  a 
thicket,  and  there  remain  until  morning.     I  got 
on  the  path.  However,  before  I  found  a  thicket. 
My  house  was  soon  found;  and  this  was  my  last 
visit  after  nightfall.       On  examining  my  trail 
the     next    morning,    I     found    I     had      been 
within  six  feet  of  the  precipice,  which,  had  I 
reached  it,  must  have  proved  fatal  to  me.       I 
had  a  good  season's  trade  during  this  winter  of 
(1802-1S03),    and  had  plenty  of  venison,  wild 
fowls  and  wild  or  natives  potatoes  to  eat,  but 
awful  human  brutes  to  deal  with. 

My  short  sojourn  at  Prairie  des  Chiens,  the 
rendezvous  of  the  Mississippi  traders,  pre- 
sented but  little  variation  ;  and  our  journeying 
from  and  to  Mackinaw  only  differed  in  this 
respect,  that  in  the  summers  the  rivers  were 
low  and  sluggish,  and,  in  returning  to  Macki- 
naw, we  could  not  make  more  than  from  three 
to  ten  miles  a  day  in  ascending  the  Ouisconsin. 

Having  had  enough  of  the  Lower  Missis- 
sippi, I  would  not  try  it  over  again.  Min-na- 
wack  ( or  Mill-wack-ie  )  was  offered  to  me  for  a 
trading  po.st,  and  I  went  among  the  Kickapoos. 
About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  entrance  of 


the  river  I  observed  a  nice  green  and  level 
spot.  There  I  landed,  and  pitched  my  tent, 
towards  the  close  of  1803;  and,  in  a  short  time, 
we  had  a  three-room  house  over  our  heads,  no 
up  stairs  ;  but  all  the  timbers  above  the  floor 
exposed  to  view.  The  river  here  is,  perhaps, 
sixty  yards  wide.  On  the  opposite  side  were 
two  traders,  Le  Claire  and  La  Fromboise,  who 
had  been  settled  there  several  years,  and  each 
had  two  or  three  relatives,  or  other  hangers  on, 
which  formed  quite  a  society  of  its  kind.  I 
had  bought  a  horse,  and  considered  it  my  duty 
to  ride  over  the  plains  and  pick  up  skins  from 
the  scattered  Indian  camps. 

My  neighbors  had  been  very  kind,  and  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  exercise  my  best  en- 
deavors in  the  cooking  line,  and  tender  them 
a  rare  feast  on  Christmas  day,  which  was  now 
near  at  hand.  On  Christmas  eve  my  invita- 
tions were  extended  to  my  friends.  I  had 
secured  the  fattest  raccoon  the  Indians  could 
tree  ;  and  defied  any  one  to  procure  a  fatter 
one,  for  there  was  no  lean  about  it.  Towards 
sunset,  I  set  my  cook  to  chop  any  quantity  of 
venison  for  stuffing.  My  raccoon  was  unusu- 
ally large,  weighing  about  thirty-two  pounds, 
requiring  a  large  quantity  of  stuffing  to  fill  it 
out  plump.  In  the  meantime,  I  had  the  pepper 
in  a  piece  of  deer  skin,  pounding  it  into  pulver- 
ized form,  cutting  up  onions,  and  a  little  cedar 
leaves,  to  give  my  viand  a  pleasant  taste.  No 
coonship's  body,  I  am  sure,  was  never  so  cram- 
full  before.  About  8  o'clock  it  was  stitched 
up,  and  ready  for  placing  on  the  spit  early  the 
next  morning.  Then  where  should  it  be  placed 
for  safety  during  the  night  to  prevent  it  from 
freezing  ?  Of  course  by  the  fire.  I  went  to 
bed,  and  my  mind  was  on  the  raccoon  subject 
all  night.  But  what  was  my  mortification 
when  I  got  up  at  day  light  to  hang  my  coon  up 
to  roast  to  find  it  putrid  and  stinking.  Oh, 
misery  !  sympathize  with  me  for  my  lost  labor, 
and  with  my  friends  for  their  lost  dinner. 
I  had  no  cook  book.  So  ended  my  second 
attempt  at  cooking.     Of  course,  I  went  without 


26 


442 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


my   dinner,  and   got  laughed  at  by  my  half- 
famished  friends. 

The  Indians,  Pottawatamies,  in  this  locality, 
were  docile,  and  easily  managed  ;  and  doing  a 
fair  trade,  I  remained  here  three  years,  fre- 
quently going  on  horse-back  to  Chicago,  a 
distance  of  sixty  (  eighty-five )  miles  ;  but  the 
route  was  a  hard-sand  beach  ;  and  having  a  fleet 
pony,  and  a  cool  breeze  from  the  lake,  the 
distance  was  soon  overcome  without  fatigue  to 
my  young  bones. 

During  my  second  year  at  Min-na-wack,  or 
Mill-wack-ie  (  1804-1805  ),  Capt.  Whistler  with 
his  company  of  American  soldiers,  came  to 
take  possession  of  Chicago.  At  this  time 
there  were  no  buildings  there  except  a  few 
dilapidated  log  huts,  covered  with  bark.  Capt. 
Whistler  had  selected  one  of  these  as  tempo- 
rary, though  miserable  residence  for  bis 
family,  his  officers  and  men  being  under 
canvas.  On  being  informed  of  his  arrival,  1 
felt  it  my  duty  to  pay  my  respects  to  the 
authority  so  much  required  in  the  country. 

On  the  morrow  I  mounted  Kee-gekah,  or 
Swift-Goer,  and  the  next  day  I  was  invited  to 
dine  with  the  captain.  On  going  to  the  house, 
the  outer  door  opening  into  the  dining-room,  I 
found  the  table  spread,  the  family  and  guests 
seated,  consisting  of  several  ladies,  as  jolly  as 
kittens.  The  gents  had  not  yet  arrived.  I  had 
not  been  seated  ten  minutes  before  the  door 
opened,  and  in  rushed  a  host  of  Indian  war- 
riors, hideously  painted,  scantily  dressed,  orna- 
mented with  feathers,  bear's  claws,  deer's  horns, 
snake's  rattles,  etc.,  etc.  The  ladies  almost 
fainting,  ran  off,  leaving  the  captain  and  my- 
self to  see  the  end. 

The  first  act  of  the  war  chiefs  was  to  walk 
around  the  table  and  pick  up  the  pieces  of 
bread  which  had  been  placed,  after  the  old 
fashion,  beside  the  plate  of  each  guest,  which 
he  handed  to  his  young  men  in  attendance. 
Being  acquainted  with  the  chief,  and  knowing 
something  of  the  language,  I  asked  him  : 
"  What  brings   you  here  in  this  garb  ?     Your 


great  Big  Knife  father  has  sent  his  soldiers 
here  to  protect  you,  and  to  encourage  more 
traders  to  come  among  you  ;  and  instead  of 
being  thankful,  you  come  to  insult  them.  You 
had  better  go  to  your  camp  and  bring  them 
some  venison,  and  be  kind  to  them."  He  shook 
hands  with  me,  and  went  off  with  his  followers. 
I  have  ever  considered  my  having  been  present 
on  that  occasion  to  have  been  providential,  in 
saving  the  lives  of  this  detachment ;  for,  in  all 
probability,  had  not  some  one  been  present 
acquainted  with  the  Indian  character,  Capt. 
Whistler  would  have  called  in  some  of  his  men 
to  expel  the  war  party,  in  which  case  it  is  easy 
to  imagine  what  the  consequences  might  have 
been. 

In  1804,  while  trading  with  the  Pottawatamie 
Indians  at  Min-na-wack,  or  Mill-wack-ie,  having 
no  society,  and  little  to  do,  I  was  naturally 
enough  very  lonely.  I,  therefore,  undertook  a 
journey  along  the  lake  shore,  to  visit  my  friend, 
Jacob  Frank,  at  Green  Bay.  The  first  day's 
journey  brought  me  to  an  encampment  of  Pot- 
tawatamies, at  Two  Rivers,  nearly  seventy 
miles  distant,  reaching  there  before  night.  I 
put  up  at  the  lodge  of  an  old  Indian  chief, 
named  Na-na-bou-jou,  who  gave  the  following 
account  of  the  origin  of  his  tribe,  in  answer  to 
my  inquiry  on  the  subject : 

"  I  take  my  name,"  said  he,  "  from  my  origi 
nal  ancestors,  who  were  the  first  living  man  and 
woman.  They  found  themselves  in  a  big 
canoe  ;  all  the  animals  were  also  in  the  same 
canoe,  floating  on  thick  water.  After  a  while 
the  ancestors  insisted  that  there  must  be  some- 
thing much  more  substantial  beneath  the  water. 
To  test  it,  they  wanted  the  deer  or  some  other 
animal,  to  dive  down  and  ascertain.  None 
would  venture  on  so  perilous  and  uncertain  an 
undertaking.  At  length  a  beaver  volunteered 
to  make  the  effort,  and  jumped  overboard, 
plunging  beneath  the  waters.  After  a  long 
time  he  rose  to  the  surface,  almost  dead,  with- 
out being  able  to  relate  anything  satisfactory. 
But  the  ancestors  still  persisted  that  there  must 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


443 


be  a  hard  substance  upon  wliich  the  waters 
rested.  Finally  they  persuaded  the  musk-rat  to 
go  on  a  trip  of  discovery.  He,  too,  was  gone 
a  long  time  on  his  sub-watery  exploration  ;  but 
at  length  he  emerged  from  the  flood  of  waters 
quite  exhausted.  The  woman  ancestor  took 
him  up  in  her  arms,  and  on  nursing  and  drying 
him  to  bring  him  to,  found  a  little  clay  adher- 
ing to  one  of  his  fore-paws.  This  she  care- 
fully scraped  off,  worked  it  between  her  thumb 
and  finger,  and  placed  it  on  the  water  to  see  if 
it  would  float.  It  immediately  began  to  in- 
crease in  size,  and  in  three  days  it  was  more 
than  three  fathoms  broad. 

"The  wolf  now  began  to  grow  very  trouble- 
some, snarling  and  growling  at  all  the  other 
animals,  so  that  the  woman  ancestor  scolded 
him  sharply,  but  to  no  purpose.  At  length  she 
got  angry  and  threw  him  out  upon  the  little 
island,  which  was  yet  too  small  to  bear  him 
up  in  one  position.  He,  therefore,  had  to  run 
round  and  round  the  edge  of  the  little  island, 
which  is  the  cause  of  the  shores  of  lakes  and 
rivers  being  harder  than  the  rest  of  the  land. 
The  island  continued  to  grow,  herbs  sprang  u]i 
on  it,  so  that  they  could  send  other  animals  out 
of  the  canoe  to  find  a  lodgment  there. 

"The  woman  ancestor  said  to  her  husband  : 
What  a  pity  we  have  no  trees  growing  on  the 
island,  and  proposed  to  paddle  around  some- 
where to  find  a  tree.  They  soon  found  a  nice 
little  balsam  flower,  which  they  brought  and 
planted  in  the  center  of  the  island.  It  grew  in 
a  very  short  time  till  it  reached  the  sky.  They 
then  observed  an  object  over  their  heads,  mov- 
ing east  and  west,  day  after  day.  The  woman 
ancestor  was  quite  captivated  with  it,  and  she 
sent  her  husband  up  the  tree,  to  set  a  snare  to 
catch  this  beautiful  object.  He  went  up  and 
found  it  had  the  appearance  of  an  old  woman. 
However,  he  set  a  snare,  and  descended.  The 
beautiful  object  was  caught  in  the  net,  and 
there  it  stuck.  The  woman  ancestor  was  per- 
fectly outrageous  because  it  was  stopped  in  its 
course  ;  and  scolded  her  husband   for  setting 


the  trap.  She  then  desired  her  husband  to 
ascend  the  tree,  and  let  the  beautiful  object  go 
on  its  course  again  ;  but  he  declined  to  do  so. 
She  then  tried  to  get  the  deer  and  other  animals 
to  go  up,  but  they  could  not  climb.  At  last  she 
induced  a  raccoon  to  make  the  effort.  The 
heat  was  so  great  when  he  got  near  the  object, 
that  it  scorched  him,  and  he  came  tumbling 
down  through  the  branches  of  the  tree.  The 
good  woman  was  now  in  a^  greater  rage  than 
ever,  when  she  found  she  could  not  have  her 
curiosity  gratified,  and  the  object  loosened  from 
its  captivity.  After  a  long  time  a  mole  volun- 
teered to  go  up.  All  the  other  animals  began 
to  laugh  at  him  for  his  temerity ;  but  up  he 
went,  and  when  he  got  near  the  object,  finding 
it  very  hot,  he  managed  to  burrow  along  till  he 
reached  the  snare,  and  cut  the  object  loose.  But 
in  doing  so,  he  scorched  his  nose,  and  that  is 
the  reason  why  moles  have  brown  noses  and 
small  eyes  ;  and  the  sun  once  loosened  from  its 
trap  has  been  going  ever  since." 

Such  was  Na-na-bou-jou's  legend.  The 
earlier  portion  of  this  Pottawatamie  legend 
evidently  refers  to  the  general  deluge.  Other 
tribes  have  also  had  handed  down  to  them, 
more  or  less  vaguely,  traditions  of  the  deluge. 
Some  of  these  traditions  are  related  by  School- 
craft in  his  History  of  the  Indian  Tribes,  Vol. 
I,  p.  17;  Vol.  VI,  pp.  571-72,  as  preserved 
variously  by  the  Algonquins,  Iroquois,  Chero- 
kees,  Muscogees  and  Chickasaws,  all  agreeing 
that  there  was  a  general  cataclism,  and  that  but 
few  persons  were  saved.  The  Algonquins,  he 
says,  relate,  that  when  the  deluge  began  to 
submerge  the  mountains,  a  benevolent  God, 
called  Manabo,  ascended  a  high  elevation, 
climbed  a  tree,  and  as  the  waters  rose,  he  com- 
manded the  tree  from  time  to  time  to  grow 
taller,  which  obeyed  the  injunction  ;  when  at 
length  he  directed  successively  the  loon,  the 
beaver,  otter,  and  mink,  to  dive  down  and  find 
bottom ;  but  none  of  them  succeeded.  At  last 
he  sent  the  musk-rat  ;  for,  said  he,  your  ances- 
tors   were    always    famous    for    grasping   the 


444 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


muddy  bottoms  of  pools  with  their  claws. 
The  animal  succeeded  in  bringing  up  a  morsel 
of  earth  in  its  claw  ;  and  from  this  new  chaotic 
mass,  the  Algic  deity  re-created  the  earth. 

A  recent  Des  Moines  correspondent  of  the 
St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press  gave  this  statement, 
which  embodies  the  same  idea  :  "  Several  of 
the  leading  men  of  the  Musquakie  tribe  of 
Indians,  from  their  reservation  in  Tama  county, 
were  here  recently.  They  were  in  charge  of 
George  Davenport,  their  agent,  who  was  born 
among  the  Indians  at  Rock  Island,  and  in  whom 
they  have  great  confidence.  Mr.  Davenport 
related  many  incidents  in  the  history  of  the 
Sacs  and  Foxes,  who  formerly  occupied  this 
territory.  The  Musquakies  are  the  remnants  of 
these  tribes.  Mr.  Davenport  says  they  observe 
religious  rites  which  closely  resemble  those  of 
the  ancient  Hebrews.  They  have  a  Bible,  of 
which  there  are  several  copies  among  the  tribe, 
which  are  ancient,  and  preserved  with  great 
care.  Each  Bible  consists  of  twenty-seven 
parts.  It  is  written  in  characters  and  signs 
known  only  to  them.  They  utter  prayers  to  a 
Supreme  Being  in  a  language  entirely  different 
from  that  in  which  they  converse  usually. 
What  it  is,  Mr.  Davenport  has  never  been  able 
to  learn,  nor  has  he  been  able  to  get  a  copy  of 
their  Bible.  They  get  from  their  Bible  a 
tradition  which  corresponds  to  our  accounts  of 
the  deluge  ;  for,  one  day,  when  Mr.  Davenport 
was  attempting  to  e.xplain  to  them  the  existence 
of  a  God,  and  his  relation  to  man,  and  also  of 
Niiah  and  the  deluge,  one  of  the  chiefs  replied: 
'Ugh!  We  know  that  longtime.  We  was  all 
in  canoes  tied  together.  On  top  heap  water. 
We  put  do»  n  musk-rat,  one,  two,  good  many 
times.  He  come  up.  Last  time  he  go  down, 
he  come  up  he  bring  mud.  We  know  water  go 
down.'  Their  religious  rites  are  held  in  secret." 
After  its  relation,  I  closed  my  eyes  in  sleep. 
Next  morning  at  day-break,  I  journeyed  on  my 
snow  shoes,  cutting  across  a  point  of  land,  and 
after  a  hard  days  tramp,  I  at  length  reached  my 
destination. 


After  my  third  years'  winter  at  Min-na-wack 
( 180.5-1806  )  and  return  to  Mackinaw,  the  for- 
eign markets  requiring  a  better  quality  of' 
peltry,  I  was  solicited  to  go  to  the  Upper  Mis- 
sissippi to  the  Sioux  country.  I  wintered  ( in 
1^06-1807)  on  the  St.  Peter's  river,  about  fifty 
miles  above  its  mouth.  I  took  up  my  station  in 
a  delightful  part  of  the  wood-fringe.  Each 
bank  of  the  river  was  enriched  with  a  strip  of 
timber,  which  in  some  places  extended  back  a 
mile  from  the  stream.  Here  the  deer,  wild 
fowl,  and  other  game  were  in  abundance  ;  and 
as  I  had  dismissed  the  Indians  to  their  hunting 
grounds  before  reaching  this  spot,  I  had  all  the 
hunting  to  myself,  and  had  plenty  of  meat, 
roasted  geese,  ducks,  prairie  hens,  etc.,  but  no 
vegetables.  My  French  Canadian  cook  would 
occasionally  treat  me  with  a  cake,  baked  in  the 
ashes,  from  my  scanty  allowance  of  flour. 
As  a  treat,  I  would  sometimes  have  veni- 
son fried  in  deer's  tallow  in  the  kettle, 
or  in  the  long  frying  pan.  These  steaks  I  could 
not  eat  hot  enough  to  prevent  their  congealing 
in  their  progress  to  their  throat;  consequently 
the  roof  of  my  mouth  would  become  so  thickly 
cased  over  with  tallow  as  to  necessitate  the  use 
of  my  knife  to  remove  it.  About  the  begin- 
ning of  March  (1807),  the  Indians  came  in  from 
their  hunt,  encamped  around  my  trading-house 
and  began  to  pay  their  debts  and  trade  for  the 
surplus.  A  crust  had  formed  on  the  snow,  and 
all  the  young  Indians  and  boys  went  off,  and, 
for  amusement,  wantonly  tomahawked  every 
deer  they  could  find,  as  the  poor  creatures, 
breaking  through  the  crust,  could  not  get  out  of 
the  way.  Deprived  of  venison,  the  wild  fowl 
came  in  abundance.  I  made  up  my  packs,  and 
got  ready  for  a  start,  trading  off  the  remnant  of 
my  goods  with  scattered  bands  on  my  way  down 
to  Prairie  des  Chien. 

My  returns  for  the  season's  trade  were  good; 
and  I  concluded  to  operate  with  the  Sioux  as 
long  as  I  should  remain  in  the  business.  The 
following  winter,  (1807-1808,)  I  re-occupied  my 
last   year's   trading  post  on  the  St.  Peter's,  but 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


445 


under  very  different  circumstances.  The  wan- 
tons recklessly  killing  off  the  deer  last  March, 
brought  a  judgment  upon  all.  There  was  not 
a  deer  to  be  seen.  The  winter  was  a  very  mild 
one,  and  the  buffalo  did  (not)  travel  so  far  south 
as  we  were — consequently  all  were  without  pro- 
visions. The  nearest  tribe  of  Indians  to  me 
were  fifty  or  sixty  miles  away,  on  the  trail  the 
buffalo  usually  took  in  the  winter  season,  and 
they  were  in  a  starving  state. 

I  had  consumed  every  article  I  had  of  the 
eatable  kind,  including  several  packs  of  deer 
skins.  I  and  my  men  roamed  about  in  quest  of 
game  without  success.  We  set  traps  of  all 
kinds,  in  which  we  occasionally  caught  wolves, 
fishers,  martens,  and.  minks,  all  of  which  went 
to  the  pot,  and  I  could  take  my  share  of  all  ex- 
cept of  the  wolf.  My  cook  said  he  would  dress 
a  piece,  and  dish  it  up  so  I  would  like  it;  so  he 
cut  off  a  choice  bit  from  one  just  brought  in 
and  put  it  into  the  bake-kettle,  seasoning  it 
with  pepper,  salt  and  mustard,  adding  some 
Stoughton  bitters  and  a  glass  of  high  wines  to 
give  it  the  taste  of  chicken.  But  with  all  this 
knowledge  of  refined  cookery,  I  could  not  stom- 
ach what  tasted  to  me  like  a  mouse-nest;  for 
when  better  food  cannot  be  had,  the  wolves  live 
on  mice.  The  men,  however,  devoured  it  as 
voraciously  as  cats  would  their  victims. 

Foxes  were  in  great  abundance,  but  they 
were  too  cunning  to  be  caught  in  the  traps.  They 
would  take  the  bait,  and  spring  and  turn  over 
the  traps,  but  were  careful  to  keep  their  toes  out. 
So  I  thought  I  wou'd  trick  them  and  show  them 
my  cunning.  I  took  six  steel  traps,  and,  with 
the  aid  of  my  tomahawk,  set  them  in  such  a  way 
that  they  would  have  to  walk  over  them  to  get 
at  the  bait  which  I  placed  in  the  circle  formed  by 
the  traps.  On  visiting  my  device  the  next  morn- 
ing, I  found  one  fox  had  been  out-witted.  I 
discovered  him,  crouched  behind  a  bunch  of 
grass,  as  if  ashamed  of  having  been  over- 
reached. 


On  my  way  home  I  met  a  deer,  walking  leis- 
urely toward  me  on  the  ice;  on  seeing  me,  he 
bolted  up  the  bank,  and  after  a  few  bounds  in 
the  deep  snow  he  stuck  fast,  and,  coming  up  to 
him,  I  soon  relieved  him  from  his  dilemma  by 
sticking  my  knife  into  his  vitals. 

I  left  him  on  the  ice  with  my  traps,  and,  re- 
turning to  the  station,  sent  a  couple  of  men  for 
them,  and  great  was  our  rejoicing.  But  I  was 
saving  of  the  venison;  all  the  inwards  were 
cleaned,  and  served  to  give  a  relish  to  wolf,  or 
such  other  meat  of  the  kind  as  Providence  was 
pleased  to  throw  in  our  way.  Time,  under  such 
circumstances,  I  scarcely  need  say,  hung  heav- 
ily upon  me.  March,  however,  at  length  came, 
and  my  hunting  host  brought  in  their  rich  re- 
turns, and  the  wild  fowl  were  with  us  again  in 
clouds,  and  in  due  time  we  recovered  our  lost 
flesh. 

News  reached  me  that  the  (Indians)  who  had 
gone  in  the  fall  to  winter  on  the  route  usually 
taken  by  the  buffalo,  had  been  starving;  many 
had  died  from  want.  In  a  small  lake  in  their 
vicinity,  it  was  said,  that  forty  bodies  of  men, 
women  and  children  had  been  found.  It  ap- 
peared that  as  soon  as  the  ice  was  out  of  the 
lake  they  waded  in,  feeling  with  their  feet  for 
turtles  and  roots  for  food;  but  being  too  weak 
to  return  to  land,  they  would  fall  down  in  the 
water,  and  there  remain.  Some  were  found 
dead  on  the  plains. 

My  return  to  Mackinaw  was  as  in  former  years. 
The  next  season  [1S08-1809J,  I  wintered  higher 
up  the  the  river,  at  Lac  qui  Parle.  All  went 
well  here.  I  arrived  unusually  early  at  my  post, 
so  that  I  went  with  a  party  of  Indians  on  a  buf- 
falo hunt  to  the  source  of  the  St.  Peter's,  the 
Big  Stone  Lake,  perhaps  thirty  miles  in  circum- 
ference. We  went  up  in  canoes;  but  long  be- 
fore a  buffalo  could  be  seen  on  the  plains,  my 
attention  was  directed  to  a  rumbling  noise,  like 
rolling  thunder  at  a  distance,  which  seemingly 
caused  the  whole  country  to  quiver  and  shake; 
and  as  we  drew  nearer,  the  awful  bellowing  of 
10,000     enraged    bulls     was    truly    frightful. 


446 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


We  were  now  skulking  noiselessly  along,  en- 
deavoring to  reach  a  few  acres  of  wood-land 
before  us.  A  short  distance  above  this  was  a 
bay,  which  was  crowded  with  buffalo  swimming 
in  all  directions.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
the  prairie  was  black  with  these  animals. 

On  reaching  the  woods,  I  was  permitted  to 
raise  up  a  little,  and  peep  into  the  bush,  which 
was  also  full  of  them,  and  some  of  them  within 
ten  yards  of  us.  But  I  was  forbidden  to  fire. 
My  guides  said,  when  I  got  on  the  hill  some 
fifty  yards  off  where  there  were  no  trees  then 
I  might  go  ashore,  and  kill  all  I  could.  How 
the  guide  got  to  his  place  without  disturbing 
them,  I  know  not,  for  the  little  bush  was  swarm- 
ing with  them;  but  when  I  made  my  appearance, 
they  were  so  excited,  running  off  towards  the 
plains,  and  I  so  astonished,  that  I  could  not 
take  aim  at  any  one  of  them;  but  I  fired  into  a 
batch,  which  were  brought  to  bay  for  a  second 
by  my  friend  on  the  hill,  who  had  shot  three 
fat  cows  in  as  many  minutes. 

The  squaws  now  went  to  their  work  of  cut- 
ting up  the  meat.  The  hides  were  not  cared 
for,  so  they  only  took  the  skin  off  of  such  parts 
as  they  wanted  for  immediate  use,  or  to  slice  up 
and  dry  or  smoke,  the  only  means  they  had  for 
preserving  it  even  for  a  few  days. 

My  friend,  Wy-o-be-gah,  the  marksman,  in- 
vited me  to  accompany  him  a  couple  of  miles  to 
a  little  lake,  where  he  said  we  would  find  lots 
of  buffaloes  drinking  and  washing  themselves. 
We  did  not  want  meat;  but,  savage-like,  we 
wanted  to  kill  game.  On  nearing  the  lake,  we 
could,  as  he  said,  see  large  numbers  of  animals 
drinking  and  washing.  A  fringe  of  strong  grass, 
four  feet  high,  surrounded  the  water.  We  ap- 
proached carefully  on  all  fours;  he  leading  the 
way  in  front,  reached  the  grass-fringe,  which  he 
divided  with  his  gun,  and,  at  length,  made  sign 
for  me  to  look  through  the  opening.  Within 
five  yards  of  us  stood  a  monster  bull,  which  ap- 
peared to  my  astonished  eyes  twenty  feet  high. 
I  wanted  to  shoot  him;  but  Wy-o-be-gah  shook 
his  head,  at  the  same  time  giving  an  un-buffalo 


grunt,  when  the  monster  animal  reared  on  his 
hind  legs,  gave  a  whirl  around,  and  away  he 
went.  Wy-o-be-gah's  aim  was  to  kill  a  cow, 
but  he  missed  his  object,  and  ran  off  leaving  me 
to  look  out  for  myself,  which  I  did  by  securing 
a  position  behind  a  large  tree,  where  I  intended 
to  attack  some  lonely  passer-by. 

I  had  not  remained  there  long  before  a  big 
bellower  came  towards  me;  but  I  observed  by 
his  line  of  approach,  that  he  would  be  too  far 
from  the  reach  of  my  gun,  so  I  went  nearer  to 
where  he  would  pass.  Putting  two  balls  in  my 
gun,  and  hiding  in  the  grass,  I  waited  his  com- 
ing, for  he  approached  within  twenty  yards  of 
me.  I  took  deliberate  aim  at  his  heart.  He 
stopped,  and  furtively  cast  about  for  his  enemy. 
I  wished  my  tree  was  nearer,  for  I  was  sure  he 
would  be  after  me,  and  my  plan  was  to  get  the 
start  of  him.  I  was  soon  on  my  legs,  and  he 
after  me;  but  I  beat  him,  and  got  safe  to  the 
tree  before  him.  But  I  was  too  shaky  to  load 
my  gun,  and  he  passed  on  not  noticing  my  dodg- 
ing behind  the  tree,  and  he  was  soon  out  of 
sight. 

Returning  to  camp,  a  plentiful  supply  of  mar- 
row bones  were  ready  for  the  hunters.  The 
mode  of  cooking  the  marrow  is  to  hold  the 
bones  over  the  fire  until  they  are  nicely  browned; 
then  break  or  split  them  in  two  with  the  toma- 
hawk, and  dig  the  marrow  out.  It  is  very  nice, 
and  does  not  clog  the  stomach  like  other  fat,  or 
congeal  in  the  mouth  like  deer's.  In  fact,  if  we 
had  salt,  bread,  or  vegetables  of  any  kind  to 
eat  with  it,  it  would  have  been  doubly  delicious. 
All  this  time  I  had  not  killed  a  single  buffalo  of 
the  thousands  I  had  seen,  and  all  because  I  did 
not  know  how;  while  Wy-o-be-gah  had  killed 
seven,  and  all  we  took  away  did  not  amount  to 
the  meat  of  one  animal.  We  returned  home 
the  next  day. 

My  principal  occupation  during  the  winter, 
was  making  oars,  paddles,  etc.,  ready  for  an 
early  spring  start.  March  at  length  came,  and, 
to  my  grief,  I  got  word  from  my  hunters  that 
they  were  not  coming  to  the  trading-house;  but 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


447 


would  pass  about  two  days' journey  to  the  south, 
on  the  route  for  Santa  Fe,  to  get  wild  horses,  etc. 
The  next  morning,  my  interpreter  and  four  men 
were  on  their  way  to  their  camp,  to  collect  all 
they  could  on  account  of  goods  advanced  to  the 
hunters  on  credit  the  preceding  fall.  They  col- 
lected twenty-five  per  cent,  less  than  was  due; 
but  I  had  a  chance  of  making  up  the  nominal 
loss  by  trade  with  those  who  did  come  to  my 
post,  and  I  sent  word  to  the  band  who  had 
cheated  me,  that  I  would  not  give  them  any 
credit  next  fall. 

In  the  autumn  (of  1809),  I  delayed  reaching 
my  wintering  grounds,  in  the  Big  Stone  Lake 
region,  until  the  middle  of  November,  and  suf- 
fered much  inconvenience  in  consequence,  be- 
ing obliged  to  assist  the  men  in  breaking  the 
ice  in  many  places,  and  sometimes  to  wade  up 
to  our  middles  in  water  to  drag  the  boat  through 
the  ice.  We  at  length,  however,  reached  our 
old  trading-post  about  4  o'clock  of  an  after- 
noon, found  fifty  or  sixty  lodges  there;  and  we 
had  just  time  to  stow  away  my  goods  in  the 
house,  where  the  men  slept.  My  interpreter, 
his  wife,  and  I,  preferred  to  spend  our  nights  in 
my  large  leathern  lodge,  or  markee,  until  the 
necessary  repairs  should  be  made  in  the  house 
for  our  winter's  comfort. 

Some  of  the  Indians  inquired  whether  I  in- 
tended to  give  them  credit  as  formerly;  and  I, 
reminding  them  of  their  ill  treatment  of  me  in 
only  partially  paying  their  last  year's  debts, 
said  I  should  not  trust  them  again.  We  got  our 
supper  as  usual;  and  as  was  the  custom,  my 
lodge  was  soon  filled  with  Indian  visitors,  smok- 
ing and  telling  stories.  The  interpreter  and 
his  wife  lay  down,  and  I  soon  followed  suit,  and 
hardly  closed  my  eyes  when  the  interpreter 
spoke  to  me  in  a  low  voice,  not  calculated  to 
awaken  suspicion,  saying  his  wife  informed  him, 
that  the  Indians  were  talking  of  killing  us,  and 
seizing  the  goods.  I  turned  over  quietly  and 
took  a  smoke,  and  intimated  to  my  interpreter 
to  do  the  same,  meanwhile  joking  with  the  In- 
dians around  us  in  the  lodge  about  swan  shoot- 


ing, etc.  We  took  down  our  guns  on  pretence 
of  getting  them  ready  for  the  morning's  shoot- 
ing; but,  in  truth,  for  our  defense,  if  necessary. 
I  had  my  tomahawk  and  knife  all  ready  to  kill 
before  being  killed. 

While  the  Indians  were  still  smoking  their 
pipes,  and  I  stretched  in  a  sleeping  position,  a 
bustle  was  heard  at  the  door,  and  in  popped  a 
tall,  good-looking  Indian,  painted,  feathered, 
and  armed  in  full  war  costume.  My  time  has 
come,  I  thought;  but,  being  a  law-abiding  person, 
it  would  be  wrong  in  me  to  break  the  peace,  so 
I  sat  on  the  defensive.  But  I  was  soon  all  right, 
for  my  war  friend  was  asked  by  one  of  my 
smoking  visitors  what  was  up,  that  he  was  thus 
attired  at  this  late  hour?  "lam  come,"  he  re- 
plied, "to  die  with  the  white  people;  if  they 
must  be  killed,  I  must  first  be  put  out  of  the  way, 
for  they  shall  not  be  hurt  while  I  live.  You 
had  better  go  to  your  lodges,  and  let  this  man, 
who  has  brought  us  ammunition,  etc.,  to  save 
our  lives,  go  to  his  rest.  I  am  going  to  guard 
him."  They  all  hurried  off.  He  said  to  me, 
"go  to  sleep,"  and  I  did  so  without  delay. 

At  daylight  I  was  preparing  a  present  for  the 
band,  as  they  could  not  hunt  without  ammuni- 
tion, etc.  I  put  up  powder,  ball  and  shot  to 
match,  tomahawks,  knives,  and  other  needful 
articles.  When  I  had  them  all  in  readiness,  I 
said  to  the  principal  men  who  were  seated 
around  :  "You  cheated  me  last  year  in  not 
paying  your  debts  as  you  promised;  and  for 
that  reason  I  will  not  trust  you  again;  but 
knowing  that  you  cannot  live  without  my  help, 
take  these  articles,  and  divide  them  among  your 
band.  If  you  have  the  hearts  of  men,  you 
will  think  of  me  next  sj)ring."  The  whole 
camp  was  shortly  moving,  and  I  got  my  gun, 
and  was  just  starting  for  shooting  swan,  which 
were  flying  over  in  large  flocks;  and  while 
emerging  from  the  door  of  my  lodge,  I  met  my 
guardian,  who  asked  me  where  I  wa's  going. 
When  I  informed  him,  he  bade  me  go  back, 
and  stay  there  until  he  should  ascertain  that  it 
was  safe  forme  to  expose  myself.     Now,  for  the 


448 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


first  time,  I  really  felt  that  my  life  was  in  danger, 
and  had  only  escaped  the  assassin  by  God's 
good  providence  in  sending  this  man  to  save 
me.  Not  here  and  there  individuals,  but  the 
entire  band  became  my  deadly  foes  because  I 
would  not  give  them  my  goods  on  credit,  as  all 
former  traders  had  done. 

This  man,  who  had  so  opportunely  come  to 
my  relief,  was  of  course  my  guest  for  the  time 
being.  The  next  morning,  about  10  o'clock,  he 
had  walked  quite  a  circuit  around  my  house,  ex- 
amining for  tracks,  in  case  there  should  be  any 
one  of  the  band  lurking  about  for  mischief  ; 
but  finding  all  safe,  he  told  me  I  could  go  and 
shoot  swan.  I  had  never  seen  this  man  before; 
and,  on  inquiry,  my  interpreter  informed  me 
that  he  was  a  half  breed,  the  son  of  a  gentle- 
man from  Montreal,  who  had  been  in  the  trade 
many  years  before,  named  Ance,  and  had  re- 
tired. I  went  to  my  shop,  opened  some  pack- 
ages and  gave  him  a  present,  of  which  he  was 
proud,  and  was  as  heavy  as  he  could  con- 
veniently carry.  I  never  saw  him  again.  This 
proved  to  be  the  hardest  winter  I  ever  met 
with  in  my  iourney  through  life. 

Old  Wack-haw-en-du-tah,  or  Red  Thunder, 
was  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  universally 
respected  chiefs  among  all  the  numerous  Sioux 
bands.  What  brought  him  into  such  high  es- 
teem may  be  worth  noting.  An  Ottawa 
Indian,  from  Lake  Michigan,  had  by  some 
means  wandered  away  from  his  own  country 
and  joined  Red  Thunder's  band,  where  he  re- 
ceived the  kindest  hospitality;  but  his  tribe,  in 
Michigan,  were  at  war  witli  the  0-ma-haw 
Indians,  on  the  Missouri.  In  their  rambling  or 
pleasure  seeking  during  the  summer  season, 
though  their  homes  might  be  widely  separated, 
strange  tribes  would  often  come  in  contact, 
and  have  great  fun,  horse-racing,  ball-playing 
and  very  many  other  means  of  amusement, 
with  wliich  the  whites  are  not  familiar. 

On  the  occasion  in  question,  about  200  lodges 
each  of  Sioux  and  0-ma-haws  encamped  on  the 
great  plains   within    visiting  distance    of  each 


other.  This  happened  many  years  before  I 
saw  Red  Thunder.  It  soon  became  known  in 
the  0-ma-haw  camp  that  Red  Thunder  was 
harboring  one  of  their  enemies,  and  a  party  was 
immediately  sent  to  bring  the  Ottawa,  dead  or 
alive.  Red  Thunder  used  every  argument  in 
his  power  to  save  his  protege,  but  to  no  purpose. 
Then  taking  his  gun  he  said  :  "Since  you  will 
not  permit  me  to  keep  the  Ottawa,  you  shall 
not  kill  him,  but  I  will,"  and  shot  him,  the 
same  ball  accidentally  killing  a  young  O-ma- 
haw  who  was  behind  the  Ottawa.  The  O-ma- 
haws  took  the  two  bodies  away  with  them! 
War  was  now  imminent  in  consequence  of  this 
mishap  of  Red  Thunder's ;  and,  in  order  to 
avert  the  impending  outbreak,  early  the  next 
morning  the  Sioux  chief  mounted  his  horse,  and 
rode  alone  to  the  0-ma-haw  camp,  singing  his 
death  song,  and  with  his  knife,  as  he  rode 
among  their  lodges,  cut  pieces  of  flesh  from 
his  thighs,  and  throwing  them  to  the  dogs, 
said  :  "My  friends,  I  fed  my  dogs  with  your 
flesh  yesterday,  and  am  now  come  to  feast  your 
dogs  on  my  poor  flesh,  in  hopes  that  we  may 
continue  brethren."  Red  Thunder  was  care- 
fully taken  from  his  horse,  his  wounds  dressed, 
and,  in  time,  he  was  loaded  with  presents  and 
sent  home,  thus  preserving  the  harmony  of  the 
two  war-like  tribes. 

In  1813  old  Red  Thunder  and  part  of  his 
band  volunteered  to  go  with  Col.  Dickson 
against  the  Americans,  and  were  present  at  the 
battle  of  Fort  Meigs,  on  the  Maumee.  On  his 
return  home  he  had  many  marvelous  stories  to 
relate,  such  as  the  folly  of  the  English  soldiers 
running  up  to  cut  down  the  pickets,  and  being 
themselves  shot  down  in  the  attempt.  Another 
great  piece  of  folly  was,  in  his  estimation,  "that 
the  English  had  placed  their  great  big  guns — 
cannons  — a  long  way  from  the  pickets  ;  and 
they  took  little  tin  kettles,  filled  them  with 
rifle  balls,  and  put  these  kettles,  one  at  a  time, 
into  the  big  gun,  and  fired  it  off  at  the  clouds, 
as  if  they  were  ducks.  I  told  them"  said  Red 
Thunder,    "to    shoot    at    the    fort ;    but   they 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


449 


laughed  at  me,  and  I  left  them  in  disgust  and 
came  home." 

Having  mentioned  and  described  this  old 
chief,  who  shared  with"  me  the  hard  winter  (of 
1809-10)  before  us,  I  will  proceed  in  my  narra- 
tive. Old  Red  Thunder,  with  two  other  lodges 
of  his  band,  after  Ance  had  been  gone  a  few 
days,  arrived  and  encamped  quite  close  to  my 
house.  A  few  Indians,  in  this  way,  generally 
wintered  about  the  traders'  houses.  They  had 
no  store  of  provisions,  but  hoped,  as  I  did,  that 
buffalo  meat  would  abound.  Warned  by  a 
former  year's  sufferings,  I  kept  in  store  five  or 
six  bushels  of  corn.  I  and  the  Red  Thunder's 
boys  killed  more  of  the  wild  fowl  than  fed  us 
all  for  awhile.  But  the  marshes  were  soon 
frozen  over,  and  that  supply  was  cutoff.  There 
were  no  wolves  or  small  game  of  any  kind  in 
this  part  of  the  country ;  so  Red  Thunder's 
people  were  soon  reduced  to  subsist  on  the  old 
buffalo  hides  they  had  used  to  sleep  upon, 
perhaps  for  years. 

Under  these  circumstances,  common  humanity 
induced  me  to  share  my  corn  with  them,  which 
was  becoming  daily  reduced.  In  the  meantime 
I,  with  my  men  and  the  Indian  boys  were  con- 
stantly roaming  about,  in  hopes  of  finding  some- 
thing we  could  convert  into  meat.  One  day 
one  of  the  men  found  the  head  of  an  old  buf- 
falo, which  some  of  his  race  had  lost  last  sum- 
mer, and  with  difficulty  brought  it  home.  We 
all  rejoiced,  in  our  straitened  circumstances,  at 
this  piece  of  good  luck.  The  big  tin  kettle  was 
soon  filled  and  boiling,  with  a  view  of  softening 
it  and  scraping  off  the  hair  ;  but  boiling  water 
and  ashes  would  not  stir  a  hair.  We  then  dried 
it, in  hopes  we  might  burn  the  hair  off;  but  in 
vain.  We  felt  sadly  disappointed,  as  we  were 
on  short  rations,  our  corn  supply  drawing  near 
an  end. 

In  this  dilemma,  Mrs.  Red  Thunder,  almost  in 
despair,  took  her  ax,  and  started  in  quest  of 
bitter  sweet,  or  wild  ivy  ;  and  succeeded 
in  bringing  home  all  she  could  carry,  and  re- 
ported that  there  was  plenty  more.     This  vine 


is  readily  prepared  for  food.  It  is  cut  into 
chunks  from  one  to  three  inches  long,  and 
boiled  until  the  coarse,  thin  bark  easily  sepa- 
rates itself  from  the  stem.  The  bark  then 
makes  at  least  three  fourths  of  the  original 
quantity  ;  it  is  spongy,  and  of  a  bitter  sweet 
taste.  It  is  quite  nutrious;  and  though  one 
might  not  fatten  on  it,  still  it  would  preserve 
life  for  a  long  time. 

I  now  took  three  of  the  men,  and  started  in 
the  direction  the  buffaloes  usually,  in  mild  win- 
ters, travel.  We  followed  the  river,  and  witliin 
four  or  five  miles,  we  discovered  a  buffalo. 
Two  of  the  men,  being  old  hunters,  said  at  once, 
"That's  a  scabby  old  fellow,  not  worth  shooting." 
However,  as  he  was  not  far  off,  I  said  I  would 
try  my  hand  at  him.  So,  taking  advantage  of 
the  wind,  and  skulking  through  the  tall  grass, 
his  time  was  come.  Crack  !  went  my  rifle,  and 
he  was  down  and  well  out  of  misery.  On  ex- 
amination, it  was  found  that  his  back  and  the 
upper  part  of  his  sides  were  a  mass  of  scabs 
and  blood,  where  the  magpies  and  other  carniv- 
erous  birds  had  pecked  and  fed,  as  they  do 
when  these  animals  become  too  old  and  feeble 
to  defend  themselves. 

Proceeding  on  our  journey,  we  came  to  a  hole 
in  the  ground  made  by  an  otter,  around  which  he 
had  deposited  ever  so  many  poly-wogs,  of  which 
it  would  have  been  unkind  to  liave  deprived 
him  of  his  food  supply.  We  soon  after  came 
upon  the  tracks  of  a  ground-hog,  and  soon  found 
his  cave.  We  then  went  to  work  to  exhume 
the  body,  for  purposes  well  known  to  hungry 
people  in  these  parts. 

As  we  neared  the  end  of  our  day's  journey — 
a  dreadfully  cold  day  it  was — one  of  the  hunters 
called  my  attention  to  a  black  spot  on  the  hill- 
side, fully  a  mile  beyond  our  intended  camping 
place.  He  thought  it  was  a  buffalo,  and  said, 
"Let's  go  and  see."  So  I  sent  the  other  two 
men  to  prepare  our  night's  lodging,  while  St. 
Maurice,  the  best  hunter,  and  I  started  off  with 
the  murderous  intent  of  bagging  a  big  game. 
We  availed  ourselves  of  every  means  of  avoid- 


450 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ing  observation  by  our  intended  victim,  so  we 
might  get  within  a  safe  shot  of  the  apparently 
sleeping  buffalo.  At  length  we  reached  a  little  hil- 
lock,within  twenty  yards  of  what  we  regarded  as 
more  meat  than  we  could  carry  home.  Putting  in 
fresh  priming,  St.  Maurice  whispered,  "I'll  Kre 
as  he  rises,  and  vou  reserve  3'our  charge  for  use 
in  case  he  runs  at  us."  "All  right,"  said  I;  and 
St.  Maurice,  not  to  cause  too  much  excitement 
in  the  poor  buffalo,  whom  he  regarded  as  about 
drawing  his  last  breath,  gave  a  gentle  whistle, 
but  no  movement  ;  he  whistled  louder  and 
louder,  then  gave  a  yell,  but  still  he  stirred  not. 
We  then  went  up  to  him  ;  he  was  dead,  but  not 
quite  stiff. 

We  managed  to  take  his  tongue  and  heart  to 
our  camp,  which  was  in  some  old  trader's  winter- 
ing house.  The  ground-hog  was  ready  for  supper 
and  before  bed-time,  was  nearly  all  gone.  The 
tongue  and  heart  were  nicely  cut  up,  and  washed, 
ready  for  early  cooking  in  the  morning. 
Whether  ground-hog  meat  acted  as  an  opiate 
or  not,  I  cannot  say  ;  but  this  I  know,  we  all 
slept  later  than  we  intended,  and  the  wonder 
was,  that  some  of  us  were  not  frozen,  for  it  was 
bitter  cold,  and  our  bedding  consisted  only  of 
each  man's  blanket,  which  it  was  his  privilege 
to  carry,  with  e.xtra  moccasins,  etc.,  on  his  back, 
when  not  otherwise  in  use 

When  I  turned  out  in  the  morning,  the  cook 
had  got  up  a  rousing  fire,  and  the  tongue — the 
most  dainty  part  of  the  buffalo — and  a  part 
of  the  heart,  were  in  the  kettle,  ready  to 
hang  on  the  fire. 

Of  course  I  had  no  washing  tools  at  hand; 
pants  and  socks  were  found  where  I  left  them 
when  I  retired  to  rest — that  is,  on  my  legs  and 
feet.  A  very  slight  rub  of  snow  on  the  hands 
and  eyes  finished  my  toilet  for  the  expected  de- 
licious repast.  "Which  will  you  have,  sir, 
tongue  or  heart?"  This  directed  my  eyes  to 
the  kettle,  boiling  over  with  a  black  bloody 
froth,  with  a  sickening,  putrid  smell.  I  bolted 
out   of  the   house,  leaving  the   men   to  smack 


their  lips  on  heart  and  tongue,  while  I  took  the 
remnant  of  the  ground-hog  to  the  open  air. 

Breakfast  over,  it  was  concluded  that  the 
non-hunter  and  St.  Maurice  should  strike  out 
on  the  plains,  while  Beaubien,  an  old  hunter, 
and  I  should  go  up  the  river,  all  parties  to  meet 
at  a  certain  point.  When  I  had  reached  the 
place  indicated,  I  cast  my  eyes  around  to  see  if 
the  others  were  coming,  and  I  noted  instead  a 
pair  of  frightful,  infuriated  monster  eyes —  a 
buffalo  of  the  scabby  kind,  lying  half  way  up 
the  bank  of  the  stream;  his  breath  had  turned 
to  white  frost,  enveloping  his  body,  so  that  not 
a  particle  of  him  was  visible  save  his  eyes, 
which  were  greatly  dilated,  and  apparently  bent 
on  mischief.  I  jumped  up  on  the  opposite  bank 
and  took  vay  stand  behind  a  tree.  In  those 
days  I  was  a  good  shot.  I  took  deliberate  aim 
and  hit  him  in  the  temple.  He  did  not  appear 
to  feel  it.  I  fired  four  shots,  which  brought  St. 
Maurice,  and  to  my  delight,  a  strange  Indian 
with  him.  I  now  advanced  to  old  scabby,  and 
hit  him  to  no  purpose;  one  more  shot,  placing 
the  muzzle  of  my  gun  to  his  ear,  gave  him  mo- 
tion, for  he  shook  his  head,  and  rolled  down  the 
bank  dead. 

The  strange  Indian  was  one  of  a  band,  about 
four  days' journey  distant,  in  the  buffalo  range. 
The  chief's  name  was  Whoo-way-hur,  or  Broken 
Leg.  I  had  never  before  seen  him.  He  was 
chief  of  Les  Gens  des  Perches  band;  and  his 
fame  for  bravery  and  love  for  the  whites  was 
known  far  and  near.  He  had  come  all  that  dis- 
tance with  peltry  to  buy  a  few  trifling  articles, 
worth,  in  fact,  a  dollar,  perhaps;  but  to  him  of 
more  value  than  the  most  costly  dinner  set. 

I  with  my  party  went  home,  and  my  customer, 
of  course,  with  us.  Less  than  half  a  peck 
measure  would  now  hold  all  the  corn  I  had  to 
depend  on;  and  it  was  worth  more  to  me  than 
the  same  measure  of  golden  eagles.  I  knew  the 
perils  of  long  journeys  through  the  prairies  in 
the  winter  season,  I,  therefore,  asked  all  my  men 
if  any  of  them  would  go  with  our  visitor  to  get 
some   meat.     They   would   all  volunteer;  but  I 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


451 


said  two  must  remain  with  me,  and  four  go — to 
settle  among  themselves  who  should  go  and  who 
should  remain.  They  carried  some  goods  to 
pay  for  the  meat,  and  two  quarts  of  corn  were 
roasted  and  pounded  for  their  journey. 

Before  daylight  the  next  morning  tliey 
were  on  their  way,  and  were  to  be  back 
in  nine  long,  anxious  days.  The  Yankton 
band,  to  which  Ance  belonged,  had  left  in 
Red  Thunder's  charge  a  horse  with  a  dis- 
located shoulder,  and  could  not  recover. 
The  corn  was  all  now  but  gone;  the  bitter 
sweet  within  a  reasonable  distance  had  been 
devoured,  and  I  brought  to  poverty  and  to  my 
wit's  end;  and  yet  four  days  before  the  men 
could  return. 

Hard  is  the  task  my  poverty  compels, 
To  get  my  living  amid  savage  yells. 

I  sent  for  Red  Thunder  to  consult  about  our 
future.  His  only  hope,  however,  lay  in  the 
chanceof  the  coming  of  the  buffalo;  but  I  was  not 
of  his  way  of  thinking,  and  suggested  the  killing 
of  the  horse.  But  he  said  no — he  dared  not, 
for  the  Yankton  would  be  very  angry.  Before 
I  was  up  the  next  morning,  however,  Red 
Thunder  came  thumping  at  my  door  and  calling 
at  the  top  of  his  voice,  my  Sioux  name — "Wee- 
yo-te-huh!  (The  Meridian  Sun)  the  horse  is 
dead."  The  old  chap  had  stuck  the  horse,  and 
when  I  got  to  the  spot,  he  had  skinned  the  ani- 
mal's head  and  part  of  the  neck;  and  parts  of 
it  were  soon  stuck  on  sticks  roasting,  and  parts 
being  made  into  broth  in  the  Indian  lodges.  I 
got  for  my  part  a  piece  of  the  upper  portion  of 
the  neck;  it  was  eatable,  but,  in  truth,  I  would 
have  preferred  roast  lamb.  My  Indian  fiiends 
kept  cooking  and  eating  without  relaxation, 
night  or  day,  until  the  old  horse,  save  hoofs 
and  bones,  had  been  consumed. 

The  nine  days  for  the  men's  return  had 
passed,  and  they  came  not.  On  the  eleventh 
day  I  went  six  or  eight  miles,  in  hopes  to  meet 
them,  but  returned  disappointed  and  grieved. 
When  within  a  mile  of  the  house,  about  dusk, 
I    met    with    one    of    those   scabby    buffaloes 


and  managed  to  end  his  misery;  and 
reporting  my  success  to  Red  Thunder,  his  In- 
dian friends,  with  knives,  tomahawks  and 
torches,  were  soon  on  their  way  to  this  lucky 
God-send,  in  their  estimation.  To  partake  of 
such  meat,  I  knew  I  could  not.  My  last  pint  of 
corn  was  being  roasted.  I  had  some  apprehen- 
sions that  my  absent  men  had  been  killed,  which 
was  the  least  of  my  fears;  but  there  was  greater 
danger  that  they  had  been  lost  or  buried  in  the 
snow — particularly  the  latter;  thoughts  of  such 
accidents  had  often  occurred  to  my  mind.  In 
any  case,  if  they  failed  to  return  with  supplies, 
my  only  alternative  was  to  write  an  account  of 
matters  and  things,  and  make  up  my  last  bed. 

On  the  twelfth  day  of  their  abscence,  I  had 
been  straining  my  eyes  with  melancholy  reflec- 
tions till  about  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when 
I  retired  to  the  house  to  smother  care  and 
anxiety  in  smoke.  I  had  not  long  been  at  the 
pipe  when  a  general  shout  of  joy  was  raised  at 
the  Indian  camps — "The  white  men  are  com- 
ing!" I  was  not  slow  to  see  for  myself;  and 
here  they  came,  loaded  with  dried  bufl'alo  meat, 
and  the  welcome  news  that  Broken  Leg  with  a 
lot  of  his  young  men  would  bring  ample  sup- 
plies in  a  few  days.  This  was  good  news. 
When,  with  marks  of  reproach,  I  asked  them 
why  they  had  not  returned  sooner,  they  told  me 
they  had  been  two  and  a  half  days  buried  in  the 
snow.  I  could  not  doubt  them,  for  I  was  aware 
that  such  things  happened  every  winter  on 
these  jjlains. 

Not  many  winters  before  this,  an  Indian, 
with  eight  white  men,  saw  astorm  a])proaching, 
and  with  all  haste  made  for  a  little  clump  of 
trees  for  shelter.  But  when  within  half  a  mile 
of  the  goal,  they  were  compelled  by  the  severity 
of  the  storm,  to  lie  down  and  be  covered  with 
the  avalanche  of  snow  falling.  The  wind  and 
drift  are  so  powerful  that  people  cannot  face 
them  and  breathe.  These  nine  persons  remained 
under  snow  for  three  days;  and  but  for  the 
Indian,  the  whites  would  all  have  perished. 
He   had  been   caught  before;   he  kept  himself 


452 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


raised  to  near  the  surface  by  packing  the  snow 
under  him,  which  also  kept  liim  in  a  cooler 
atmosphere, so  the  place  where  he  was,  continued 
dry,  though  warm.  He  could,  moreover,  being 
near  the  surface, with  only  a  thin  layer  of  snow, 
over  liim  discern  when  the  storm  had  abated. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  day,  he  went  to  the 
little  bush  or  wood,  made  on  a  rousing  fire,  and 
cutting  a  ten  foot  pole,  returned  to  hunt  up  and 
liberate  his  imprisoned  companions.  This  he 
accomplished  by  thrusting  the  pole  at  random, 
until  one  would  seize  it,  when  the  Indian  would 
dig  him  out.  He  found  them  all  dripping  wet; 
and  the  wind  having  rendered  the  snow  firm, 
he  packed  each  one,  as  he  brought  him  from  his 
cave,  to  the  fire,  otherwise  they  would  have  soon 
frozen,  coming  out  of  their  warm  bath  into  so 
chilly  an  atmosphere.  For  unless  a  person  thus 
buried  scrapes  the  snow  from  above,  and  packs 
it  below  or  under  him,  the  heat  of  his  body 
melts  the  snow,  and  he  finds  himself  in  a  pool 
of  water. 

As  promised,  at  the  end  of  four  days  Broken 
Leg  arrived,  with  ten  of  his  young  men,  loaded 
witli  dried  meat,  pelican,  buffalo's  bladders  filled 
with  marrow,  and  a  few  furs.  I  paid  them  well, 
and  all  were  pleased,  except  one  young  fellow, 
who  had  a  wolf  .skin  to  trade;  but  he  wanted  four 
times  its  value,  which  I  would  not  give.  He 
then  drew  his  robe  about  him.  and  leaning  on 
the  counter,  as  is  the  Indian  habit,  with  inten- 
tion of  tiring  me  out.  I,  however,  wrapped 
myself  also  in  a  rol)e,  and  laughingly  lay  down 
on  another  robe,  when  my  lad  finding  he  was 
beaten  at  his  own  game,  went  ofl:'  in  a  rage,  and 
I  went  to  trading  with  the  others.  Broken  Leg 
:was  soon  informed  that  Master  Wolf  was  pre- 
paring his  bow  and  arrows  to  shoot  me  on 
emerging  from  the  shop.  The  chief  was  up 
instantly,  and  going  from  my  apartment  to  the 
men's  room,  found  Master  Wolf  ready  to  bleed 
me,  and  took  his  bow  and  arrow  from  him.  He 
then  gave  him  a  few  thiimiis  over  the  head, 
threw  his  weapons  into  the  fire,  and  turned  him 
out   of  the  room.     On    their    going  away  the 


next  morning,  I  gave  the  chief  a  keg  of  rum  ; 
and  not  expecting  it,  they  were  all  the  more 
delighted.  This  was  the  last  I  saw  of  this 
tribe  of  Les  Gens  des  Perches. 

Now  we  all — Red  Thunder  *and  his  people 
included — lived  luxuriously  on  roast  and  boiled 
meat — rather  tough  and  smoky,  to  be  sure,  but 
the  best  that  the  country  afforded,  or  money 
could  buy.  March  was  now  close  at  hand  ;  the 
wild  fowl  would  then  afford  me  amusement, 
hut  first  of  all  I  must  look  after  the  fur  hunters. 
At  length  they  came,  well  loaded  too,  only  to 
stay  one  night,  consequently  all  of  Red  Thun- 
der's, as  well  as  my  own,  spare  rooms  and  beds 
were  occupied.  They  paid  me  amjjly.  I  made  a 
splendid  trade,  gave  them  two  kegs,  each  con- 
taining three  gallons  of  high  wines  and  six  of 
water.  True,  they  might  have  gotten  the 
water  at  their  camp  ;  but  carrying  it  on  their 
backs  twenty-five  miles  would  mix  it  better. 
They  made  a  little  speech,  hoping  I  would  come 
again  ;  but  my  heart  might  have  said  :  "My 
face  you  shall  see  no  more."  Pack-making, 
boat-fixing,  bird-shooting,  and  patiently  waiting 
for  the  ice  to  melt  out  of  the  streams,  were  now 
the  objects  that  occupied  my  attention. 

The  Sioux,  from  about  forty  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  the  river  St.  Peter's  to  its  sources, 
and  away  over  the  plains,  are,  or  were  then, 
known  as  the  Upper  Sioux,  and  those  below 
that  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  the  Lower  Sioux,  and 
were  widely  different  in  their  character.  The 
latter  were  more  reasonable,  and  more  easily 
managed,  being  less  savage.  This  may,  per- 
haps, be  attributed  to  their  chiefs  having  re- 
peatedly, in  the  early  days  of  Canada,  visited 
Quebec,    and     got   large    presents,   parchment 


*  Lieut.  Pike,  when  on  liis  public  mission  up  the  Missis- 
sippi, in  1S05— 1806,  did  what  he  could  to  repress  the  sale  of 
liquor  to  the  Indians.  When  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  in  April, 
180!),  he  thus  spoke  of  Red  Thunder  :  '  '1  was  sent  for  by 
Red  Thunder,  chief  of  the  Yanktons,  the  most  savage 
baud  of  the  Sioux.  He  was  prepared  with  the  most  elegant 
pipes  and  robes  I  ever  saw.  Shortly  after,  he  declared, 
•that  white  blood  had  never  been  shed  in  the  village  of  the 
YanKtons,  even  when  rum  was  permitted;  that  Mr  Murdoch 
Cameron  arrived  in  his  village  last  Autumn  ;  that  he  invited 
him  (Cameron)  to  eat,  and  gave  him  corn  as  a  bird  ;  and 
that  he,  Cameron,  informed  him  of  the  prohibition  of  rum, 
and  was  the  only  person  who  afterwards  sold  it  in  the  vil- 
lage."" 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


453 


commissions,  and  silver  medals — one  side  of 
which  was  the  king's  head,  and  the  British 
coat  of  arms  on  the  other,  presented  to  them, 
through  the  Indian  department,  from  Gen. 
Haldimand  and  Lord  Dorchester,  and  other 
early  Canada  governors.  In  those  days  the 
Indians  were  strong,  hut  yet  treated  the  Eng- 
lish with  kindness,  and  placed  full  confidence 
in  them.  Do  we  reciprocate  their  friendship 
and  liberality  now  that  we  are  strong  and  they 
weak  ? 

Ice  gone  and  boat  loaded,  good-bye  forever 
to  the  Yankton  band  of  Sioux  Indians,  now  des- 
tined to  the  Mississippi,  Prairie  du  Chien  and 
Mackinaw.  While  at  Mackinaw  this  year  (18]  0) 
in  passing  through  Robert  Dicksons  room  one 
day,  I  saw  several  books  on  his  table,  among 
which  were  two  copies  of  the  Bible.  Recollect- 
ing the  interest  my  parents  appeared  to  take  in 
this  book,  I  at  once  concluded  I  must  have  one 
of  them.  To  ask  Mr.  Dickson  for  one  would  be 
useless;  and  my  good  friend  Parson  Stuart,  the 
old  Mohawk  missionary,  had  so  impressed  upon 
my  mind  that  stealing  would  be  a  breach  of  one  of 
the  commandments — therefore  I  dared  not  take 
it.  My  conscience  was  quieted  with  the  sug- 
gestion that  I  could  borrow  it,  which  I  did, 
faithfully  returning  it  the  next  year;  but  like 
many  other  things  I  have  left  undone,  I  did  not 
read  it  with  the  attention  I  should  have  done. 

The  remainder  of  my  Indian  trading  years 
was  spent  with  the  Lower  Sioux  Indians.  One 
season  at  Lake  St.  Croix  (1810-11).  This  year 
the  much-respected  Sioux  Chief  Onk-e-tah  En- 
du-tah,  or  Red  Whale,  while  spending  part  of 
the  summer  (of  1810)  with  many  of  his  people 
at  Prairie  du  Chien,  lost  his  only  daughter 
there.  He  determined  to  take  her  remains  up 
to  his  village  and  bury  them  with  those  of  her 
relatives — a  distance  of  about  200  miles,  and  in 
the  burning  hot  month  of  August.  He  placed 
the  corpse  in  his  canoe  and  started,  two 
other  families  following  in  their  respect- 
ive canoes.  When  they  had  accomplished 
about     half     their     journey      on    the    eighth 


day,  they  reached  lake  Pepin;  he  landed, 
and  threw  the  putrid  body  into  the  water,  say- 
ing: "I  cannot  carry  my  child's  body  any  far- 
ther; but  her  bones  must  be  buried  with  her 
mother  and  sisters.  Will  any  one  help  me  sep- 
arate the  bones  from  the  decayed  and  decaying 
flesh."  No  one  responded.  He  threw  off  his 
covering;  and  sitting  down  on  the  beach,  went 
to  work  and  cleaned  the  flesh  from  every  bone, 
throwing  the  decayed  parts  into  the  lake.  He 
then  got  some  grass,  tied  them  up  carefully, 
placed  them  in  his  canoe,  and  renewed  his  jour- 
ney. During  this  operation,  as  well  as  occas- 
ionally when  on  his  route  home,  he  would  sing 
the  death  song,  accompanied  with  loud  wail- 
ings  and  tears,  producing  an  indescribable  mel- 
ancholy, and  echo  from  the  surrounding  hills, 
well  calculated  to  turn  the  most  joyous  heart 
into  mourning. 

I  have  much  to  say  about  the  Red  Whale, 
and  his  strange  story  of  his  origin — an  inven- 
tion by  which  he  acquired  the  most,  if  not  all, 
of  his  popularity  over  his  superstitious  follow- 
ers. He  was  a  great  orator,  as  well  as  success- 
ful war  chief,  and  a  friend  of  the  whites. 

When  he  was  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  so 
I  was  informed,  he  made  a  feast,  and  invited  the 
principal  men  of  his  tribe,  and  thus  addressed 
them :  "  My  friends,  you  all  know  that  as 
soon  as  I  could  use  the  bow  and  gun  well,  I 
placed  myself  under  a  warrior  and  a  medicine 
man,  to  learn  all  they  knew  ;  I  blackened  my 
face  ;  I  fasted  many  days,  and  dreamed  many 
dreams.  I  then  followed  you  on  the  war  path. 
Few  of  you,  on  our  return,  made  the  women 
and  children  dance  and  sing  more  than  I  have 
done,  for  coming  home  with  even  one  scalp, 
causes  days  of  dancing  and  rejoicing. "  Then 
referring  to  his  trophied  head,  he  added  : 
"  You  know  how  I  got  this  hair  and  these 
feathers  from  your  enemies'  heads.  I  love  the 
Sioux,  and  will  now  tell  you  where  I  came  from, 
and  how  I  became  one  of  your  people. 

"  When  this  world  was  small,  and  only  a  few 
camps  upon  it,  a  long  way  from  here  I  was  born 


454 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


in  a  land  where  the  people  were  all  black  ;  and, 
on  growing  up  to  manhood,  I  hated  this  black 
meat.  My  father  would  not  let  me  travel  to 
see  other  tribes,  so  I  told  him  I  would  die. 
Mother  wanted  to  keep  me  ;  but  no,  I  was  un- 
happy amongst  this  black  people,  and  I  died. 
It  is  a  fact  that  all  the  Indian  tribes  I  have  met 
with  hate  negroes.  "I  laid  there,'"  he  continued, 
"about  600  years.  At  last  I  became  weary,  so 
I  got  up  one  night,  very  carefully,  for  fear  of 
disturbing  the  old  people  ;  for  had  they  heard 
me,  they  would  not  have  permitted  me  to  go 
and  travel.  It  was  a  good  night ;  the  moon  was 
bright;  I  could  only  see  a  little  piece  of  it. 
I  started.  No  one  could  hear  my  -wings  or  see 
my  bodv.  In  crossing  over  the  great  Salt  Lake, 
I  got  very  tired  ;  but  I  did  not  like  to  die  in 
the  water,  and  took  courage.  I  got  to  a  tree 
where  I  took  a  good  sleep.  After  that,  I 
traveled  to  many  places,  looking  out  for  a  good 
camp  where  I  would  be  happy  ;  but  the  camps 
I  saw  were  mostly  white,  with  some  blacks — I 
did  not  like  them.  At  last  I  got  here  one  day, 
when  the  sun  had  gone  down  out  of  sight. 
Hearing  singing  and  dancing  at  the  Falling 
Water  (St.  Anthonys  Falls),  I  perched  myself 
on  that  big  oak  tret  where  your  people  encamp. 
From  my  elevated  place,  I  could  see  through 
the  tops  of  the  lodges  all  things  within  as  well 
as  without.  A  war  party  had  just  returned 
with  the  scalps  of  their  enemies.  They  were 
the  most  merry  people  I  had  ever  seen,  feast- 
ing, singing,  dancing,  and  engaged  in  all  kinds 
of  sports.  So  I  concluded  to  try  your  way  for  a 
while. 

"Wiien  all  was  quiet  and  the  fires  burned 
down,  I  crept  into  the  lodge  of  Cut-Thumb,  the 
war  chief,  and  became  by  choice  a  Sioux.  Now, 
my  friends,  you  know  my  history  ;  and  I  now 
tell  you,  I  want  to  be  your  war  chief.  If  you  say 
'no,'  I  will  soon  die,  and  travel  to  some  other 
country  ;  but  if  you  say  'yes,'  I  will  lead  you 
on  the  war-path  until  my  legs  get  too  old  and 
frail   to  carry  me."      There  was  no  opposition  ; 


he  did   not  leave  the  lodge  a  common    warrior, 
but  head  chief  of  the  tribe. 

The  first  time  I  saw  him,  in  1806,  he  ap- 
peared to  be  about  fifty  years  of  age.  I  think, 
in  180*7,*  Lieut.  Pike,  of  the  American  army, 
afterwards  Gen.  Pike,  of  Little  York  fame,  was 
on  his  way  to  discover  the  source  of  the  Missis- 
sii)pi.  He  slept  for  the  night  on  an  island, 
immediately  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Peter's.  It  was  late  in  November.  The  Red 
Whale,  with  part  ot  his  band,  was  encamped  on 
the  island  at  the  time.  An  awful  storm  of 
wind,  snow,  hail  and  rain  came  up,  with  thun- 
der and  lightning.  The  storm  had  abated  in 
the  morning,  and  Lieut.  Pike  missed  his  flag. 
After  the  usual  military  invitation,  the  man 
who  was  on  sentry  at  the  time  was  pinioned  to 
be  flogged.  Red  Whale,  hearing  a  rumpus  in 
the  camp,  went  up  to  see  what  it  was  all  about. 
He  found  the  man  tied  to  a  tree,  ready  to  be 
scored,  and  the  chief  was  told  by  the  American 
commander  that  the  man  had  lost  the  flag,  and 
must  be  flogged. 

Red  Whale  said  "No,"  and  added:  "Fll  send 
my  young  men  for  it,'  as  it  must  have  caught  in 
the  brush."  But  Lieut.  Pike  persisted  in  his 
determination  to  punish  the  negligent  soldier. 
Red  Whale  drew  his  knife,  and  said  :  ''I  will 
stick  the  first  one  that  strips  that  soldier."  The 
"stars  and  stripes"  were  brought  forward, 
the  man  released,  and  Red  Whale  lectured  the 
lieutenant  for  having  been  himself  the  cause 
of  the  flag's  loss.  "You  knew,"  said  he  to  Pike, 
"that  it  was  a  black  night  ;  we  could  not  see  the 
length  of  my  arrow.  Any  one  might  have 
taken  it  away.  You  knew  the  wind  was  strong 
enough  to  tear  it  to  pieces,  and  you  should 
have  taken  it  into  your  tent." 

With  this  cutting  reproof  Red  Whale  thought 
all  was  settled,  and  he  went  to  his  camp  ;  but 
soon  another  rumpus  was  heard  in  the  American 


*Capt.  Anderson  is  somewhat  at  fault  as  to  the  date  when 
Lieut.  Pike  camped  on  the  island  at  the  mouth  ot  the  bt. 
Peter's.  According  to  Pilie's  Travels,  page  34,  it  was  Sept. 
21,  180.5  ;but  nothing  is  related  by  the  lieutenant  as  to  the 
incident  of  the  Red  Whale. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


455 


encampment,  and  he  ran  there  with  all  haste. 
He  found  the  man  again  tied  to  the  tree,  ready 
for  the  nine  tails.  "I  told  you,"  said  Red 
Whale,  not  to  hurt  this  man.  You  have  got 
your  flag.  What  more  has  he  done  ?"  "Noth- 
ing," was  the  reply,  "but  he  must  be  punished." 
"I  say  no,"  retorted  the  Sioux  chief  ;  "white 
man's  blood  shall  not  stain  my  land — unloose 
him."  "No,"  replied  Pike,  he  must  be  flogged." 
"I  say  he  must  not,"  said  Red  Whale,  and  gave 
the  shrill  war  whoop.  A  portion  of  his  war- 
riors were  quickly  at  his  side,  whom  he  ordered 
to  cut  the  strings  and  let  the  soldier  go.  It  was 
soon  done,  and  Red  Whale  turning  to  the 
officer,  said  : 

"Young  man  !  my  name  is  Onk-e-tah  En-du- 
tah.  I  know  all  that  happens  for  many  a  day's 
journey  around  me.  It  was  your  fault,  and  not 
the  soldier's,  that  your  flag  floated  down  the 
river.  Now  I  warn  you,  if  you  hurt  this  man 
during  the  winter,  I  will  make  a  hole  in  your 
coat  when  you  come  back  in  the  spring.  Go 
now  ;  you  may  tell  all  the  Sioux  you  meet  that 
Ked  Whale  desires  them  to  be  kind  to  you  and 
your  soldiers,  and  give  you  plenty  to  eat ;  but, 
as  I  have  warned  you,  beware  of  hurting  that 
man's  back." 

The  Lower  Sioux  at  this  time  consisted  of  six 
bands,  to  wit :  That  of  Wau-be-shaw,  or  The 
Leaf,  the  most  respected,  as  he  had  been  twice 
to  Quebec,  where  he  had  received  medals,  flags 
and  other  presents,  which  the  Sioux  remember 
with  gratitude  to  this  day.  Their  offspring  are 
at  this  moment  as  fond  of  and  loyal  to  the 
British  government  as  their  ancestors  were. 
Whoo-pah  En-du-tah,*  or  Red  Wing,f  who  was 
famed  for  foretelling  events,  was  at  the  head 
of   one    of   the  bands  ;    Red  Whale,  anothei'  ; 


*En-du-tah,  red— whoo-pah,  wing  ;  onk-e-tah,  whale,  and 
en-du-tah,  red  ;  Wack-haw,  thunder— en-du-tah,  red  ;  hence. 
Red  Wing,  Red  Whale  and  Ked  Thunder. 

+Pike,  in  his  Travels,  page  2.3,  mentions  Red  Wing,  in 
September,  1805,  as  the  "eecondwar  chief  in  the  nation.  He 
made  me  a  speech  and  presented  a  pipe,  poueh  and  buffalo 
skin.  He  appeared  to  be  a  man  of  sense,  and  promised  to 
accompany  me  to  St.  Peter's  ;  he  saluted  me,  and  had  it 
returned.    I  made  him  a  small  present." 


Shock-0-pe,  or  The  Six,  another  ;  Kah-hai-ge- 
gad,  or  Little  Crow,  and  Thunder,  ihe  remain- 
ing two  bands.  Red  Thunder,  in  fact,  was  not 
considered  as  fixedly  attached  to  any  particular 
band  or  locality  ;  but  his  was  a  roving,  friendly 
band,  welcome  any  and  everywhere. 

About  the  year  1810,  whether  from  a  pros- 
pect of  war,  or  what,  I  know  not,  the  Americans 
would  not  permit  British  traders,  though  we 
were  willing  to  pay  the  duties  on  them  as  usual, 
to  carry  goods  into  the  Indian  country  within 
the  territory  of  the  United  States.  This  was 
bad  news.  The  Montreal  merchants  had  landed 
their  goods,  as  formerly,  at  the  island  of  St. 
Joseph,  a  British  garrisoned  outpost,  forty-five 
miles  distant  from  Mackinaw  ;  and  Indian 
traders  were  waiting  for  their  outfits,  without 
which  the  Indians  would  be  great  sufferers. 
All  arguments  failed  ;  "Jonathan"  would  not 
])ermit  us  to  enter  his  territory. 

After  a  brief  consultation,  eight  of  us  (in  the 
autumn  of  1810)  formed  a  league  or  partnership, 
with  the  intention  of  running  the  blockade,  or 
sinking  our  all  in  the  adventure.  The  parties 
to  this  arrangement  were  :  Robert  Dickson  of 
Queeiistowu,  U.  C,  head  man  ;  Allen  Wilmot, 
T.  G.  Anderson,  Jacob  Franks,  Joseph  Rolette, 
John  Lawe,  James  and  George  Aird,  of  Prairie 
du  Chien.  Seven  well  filled  boats,  contain- 
ing, altogether,  about  £10,000  worth  of  goods, 
were  in  a  few  days  in  readiness,  with  about  100 
guns,  all  loaded  and  distributed  conveniently 
on  the  boats  for  ready  use,  in  case  of  an  attack 
by  American  soldiers  fiom  the  Mackinaw  gar- 
rison. We  started  early  in  the  morning, 
and,  about  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  came  in 
sight  of  the  dreaded  fort,  nine  miles  in  front  of 
us.  Prudence  directed  the  shoving  of  our  boats 
into  the  rushes  and  await  the  night.  We  hailed 
an  Indian  passing  and  impres,»ed  him  as  our 
guide  or  pilot.  In  a  straight  line  it  was  fifteen 
miles,  which  would  require  us  to  pass  immedi- 
ately under  the  garrison's  guns,  and  beneath  the 
high  bank,  so  as  to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  reve- 
nue officer;  but,  to  be  on  the  safe  side  we  took 


456 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  deep  bay  route  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
island — increasing  our  night's  worli  five  miles, 
no  trifling  matter  for  people  in  a  hurry. 

About  daylight  it  blew  hard,  a  heavy  sea 
arose  and  my  boat  sprang  a  leak.  Had  not  the 
guard  kept  a  good  look-out,  we  would  have  been 
discovered;  but  another  and  a  strong  pull  took 
us  out  of  view  around  Point  St.  Ignace,  where 
we  repaired  my  boat,  boxed  up  the  guns  and 
proceeded  fearlessly  on  our  journey.  At  Green 
Bay  we  spent  two  days  giving  Mr.  Jacob  Franks 
and  Mr.  John  Lawe  their  outfits  of  goods.  Mr. 
Dickson  and  the  two  Airds  went  above  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony  for  their  trading  grounds;  Mr. 
Wilmot,  second  in  command  of  the  combina- 
tion, chose  for  himself  Rolette  and  Anderson 
to  winter  on  the  island  where  Red  Whale  pre- 
vented Lieut.  Pike  from  whipping  one  of  his 
soldiers.  Wilmot  and  Rolette  had  never 
wintered  with  the  Sioux  before,  and  thought  it 
would  be  safer  to  have  the  protection  of  a  fort 
for  a  trading-post;  and  though  a  novel  notion 
in  this  part  of  the  country,  it  must  be  done.  It 
nearly  cost  me  my  life.  The  necessary  stores  and 
dwellings  forming  three  sides  of  a  square  and 
stout  oak  pickets  the  other. 

This  year,  following  the  custom  of  the 
country,  which  I  had  hitherto  resisted,  I  took  to 
live  with  me  a  little  half-breed.  When  the  In- 
dians came  out  from  their  winter  huntinsr 
grounds  in  spring,  they  formed  ab  ut  300 
lodges.  They  encamped  immediately  about  the 
fort;  and  after  the  trading  was  over,  the  usual 
b(5nus  of  high  wines  was  issued  to  them.  This 
was  done  in  the  morning;  and,  immediately 
after,  our  head  man  (Wilmot)  started  to  visit 
another  band  of  Indians,  taking  with  him 
twelve  out  of  our  full  strength — sixteen  in  all; 
thus  leaving  me  with  two  white  men  and 
a  negro,  to  meet  the  storm  which  generally 
took  place  at  the  close  of  these  drunken 
carousals,  when  they  were  particularly  thirsty, 
and  their  supply  was  cut  off. 

All  were  jolly  in  the  camp  during  the  day, 
dancing,   singing   and   hair-pulling    prevailed; 


and  sometimes  an  attempt  at  stabbing.  One 
poor  fellow  was  stabbed  over  the  right  eye, 
following  the  skull  around  till  it  reached  the 
left  ear.  An  old  man  had  his  skull  fractured 
by  a  heavy  stroke  from  a  fire-brand.  On  sober- 
ing off  next  morning,  and  fearing  the  fracture 
would  result  in  his  loss  of  hearing,  as  had  been 
the  case  with  his  brother  before  him;  and  firm 
in  the  conviction  that  after  his  departure  he 
should  join  his  brother  in  the  land  of  happy 
spirits,  he  used  a  stiff  straw,  probing  the  wound 
and  preventing  all  chance  of  healing  and  re- 
covery, and  soon  died. 

About  12  o'clock  at  nigjit  the  supply  of  grog 
became    scanty.     The    empty    kegs   had  been 
heated  over   the   fire,  and  rinsed  till  even  the 
smell  of    liquor  was  no  longer  perceptible;  and 
to  obtain  more  of  the  fiery  beverage,  one  reck- 
less fellow,  with  gun  in  hand,  scaled  our  fortifi- 
cation, while  the  four  guardsmen  were  sleeping 
in  supposed  security.     The  interpreter  slept  in 
a   room,  the   door  of    which    opened  into    the 
yard;  and  my  room  was  adjoining.     The  noise 
of  the  drunken    Indians  outside  had  awakened 
him;  and    he  called  to  me  saying  there  was  an 
Indian    in    the  yard  with   his  gun.     I  threw  on 
my  clothes  as   quickly   as  I    could;  got  to  the 
door,  with  my  hand  on  the  latch,  standing  with 
my  full  front  to  the  door.     The  interpreter  now 
said  something  to   me   which  I   did  not  under- 
stand; and   on   turning  to    ask  an   explanation, 
the  Indian   fired,  the  ball  passing  through    the 
door  at   the  very  spot   where  I    had  just  been 
standing.     The   concussion   nearly  knocked  me 
down.     I  looked   on    the  floor   and    felt  of  my 
body    but    found    no  blood.     I  then  rushed  out 
and  caught  the  fellow  by  the  hair  before  he  had 
finished    re-loading   his  gun  for  a  second  shot. 
I  threw  him  on  his  back  before  he  had  time  to 
think    of  what   was  transpiring,  and  drew  him 
inside,  placing  him  in  charge  of  the  negro.     All 
this  did  not  consume  five  minutes,  including  my 
merciful  preservation,  through  God's  providen- 
tial care  of  me.      Mr.  Rolette,  the  third  white 
man,   pretended    that     he     did   not    hear   the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


459 


firing,  and  when  I  knocked  at  his  door  and  bid 
him  get  ready  for  a  fight,  he  would  not  move 
until  I  threatened  to  break  into  his  room  ;  and, 
in  loading  his  gun,  he  so  shook  with  fear,  that 
he  broke  his  ram  rod.  When  we  were  all 
ready,  I  took  the  interpreter  to  the  pickets  and 
had  him  call  to  the  Indians  and  say,  that  they 
need  not  send  away  their  women  and  children, 
as  they  commenced  doing,  for  we  did  not  wish 
to  kill  them,  but  let  the  warriors  come  on,  if 
they  desired  to  do  so. 

In  an  instant  the  whole  Indian  camp  was  in 
motion,  women  screaming,  children  crying, 
dogs  howling.  Some  of  the  Indians  were  in 
search  of  their  guns,  which  their  women  had 
hid  away  before  the  spree  began,  lest  in  their 
drunken  orgies  they  might  kill  one  another. 
Every  few  minutes  I  called  out  to  them,  inquir- 
ing if  the  women  and  children  were  gone,  and 
if  the  warriors  were  ready  for  the  fray.  At 
length  I  discerned  some  one  very  cautiously 
approaching  the  fort ;  and  on  challenging  him 
as  to  who  he  was,  and  what  he  wanted  ?  He 
replied:  '"I  am  Red  Whale;  let  me  in.  I  want 
to  take  care  of  the  whites."  This  was  good 
news.  I  knew  we  were  safe  under  his  protec- 
tion. He  insisted  on  my  releasing  my  prisoner, 
which  I  did,  and  all  became  quiet. 

By  10  o'clock  the  next  morning,  the  would 
be  murderer  invited  all  to  a  feast.  On  the 
receipt  of  this  invitation,  we  all  concluded  that 
our  end  had  come,  and  my  companions  were 
indisposed  for  the  breakfast  tendered.  But  we 
must  show  pluck;  so  placing  my  two  pistols 
in  my  belt,  I  led  the  way  ;  and,  to  our  great 
relief,  on  reaching  the  door  of  the  lodge,  the 
pipe  of  peace  was  presented  to  us,  which  was  a 
confession  and  atonement  for  the  culprit's 
drunken  folly.  I  always  found,  that  to  be 
truthful,  honest  and  unflinching,  where  justice 
was  demanded,  invariably  gained  respect  and 
confidence  with  all  Indian  tribes. 

In  two  days  the  Iildians  were  all  gone,  Mr. 
Wilmot  and  party  had  returned,  our  packs  were 
made  up,  and  our  friend   Dickson,  from  above 


the  St.  Anthony  Falls,  had  arrived.  A  council 
of  the  partners  was  held,  at  which  it  was  deter- 
mined, as  a  quantity  of  goods  remained  over, 
to  carry  on  a  summer's  trade  for  deer  skins,  and 
I  was  requested  to  take  charge  of  the  post,  and 
conduct  the  trade.  I  consented  to  do  so,  on 
condition  of  their  leaving  with  me  one  of  the 
boats,  an  interpreter  and  four  men.  This  was 
acceded  to,  and  I  was  left  in  sole  charge  of  the 
Sioux  trade. 

In  case  this  narrative  should  fall  into  the 
hands  of  any  French  cooks,  which  is  not  very 
likely,  I  must  enlighten  him  touching  the  mode 
in  which  we  prepared  a  Christmas  dinner  in 
Onke-tah  En-du-tah's  dominions,  in  the  year 
1811.  Our  stock  of  wild  fowl,  which  our  fall 
sport  had  laid  in,  was  consumed.  The  Indians, 
on  whom  we  had  depended  for  venison,  were  a 
great  distance  from  us  ;  and  we  had,  for  some 
time,  been  feasting  on  dried  and  smoked  musk- 
rats,  a  Vjale  of  which  savory  meat  had  been 
secured  from  the  Indian  autumnal  hunting 
season.  Christmas  day  had  arrived;  and,  as  on 
former  festival  days,  I  was  minded  to  prepare 
something  new  for  myself  and  friends  to  eat, 
and  to  talk  about  for  awhile. 

So,  immediately  after  breakfast,  I  called  my 
servant  and  told  him  we  intended  to  have  a 
"sea-pie"  for  dinner;  and  that  it  must  be 
made  under  ray  own  inspection,  as  I  wanted  it 
particularly  nice.  "So,"  said  I,  "go  and  wash  your 
hands  very  clean  and  bring  Red  Whale's  large 
wooden  bowl  full  of  flour,  to  be  made  into  a 
paste."  That  being  done  and  set  by  the  fire  to 
raise,  I  directed  that  six  of  the  fattest  musk- 
rats  that  could  be  found  in  the  bale  be  brought; 
cut  off  the  head  and  hairy  part  of  the  feet, 
throwing  them  away.  Divide  each  musk-rat 
into  six  parts  and  wash  them  in  warm  water. 
Then  put  into  a  piece  of  deer-skin,  a  dozen 
grains  of  pepper  and  powder  it,  by  pounding, 
as  fine  as  snuff,  and  pulverize  some  salt  also. 

"Is  the  bake-kettle  clean  ?"  "Yes,  sir,"  replied 
the  servant,  "  I  baked  bread  in  it  yesterday." 
"  All  right,"  said  I ;  "  now   roll  out  some  paste 


87 


460 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  size  of  the  bake-kettle,  not  more  than  half 
an  inch  thick  ;  grease  the  bottom  of  tlie  kettle 
with  that  lump  of  tallow  ;  fit  the  paste  to  the 
bottom  of  the  dish.  Then  lay  on  the  paste  a 
layer  of  musk-rat  meat ;  pepper  and  salt  it ; 
then  some  strips  of  paste  over  the  meat,  and  so 
alternate  the  courses  till  the  kettle  is  nearly 
full."  After  filling  the  dish  with  water,  cover- 
ing it  tight  with  plenty  of  live  coals  on  the  top, 
it  was  left  to  cook  by  a  slow  fire.  But 
pepper  and  .salt  did  not  save  it,  nor  savory 
crust  convert  musk-rat  into  relishable  food.  On 
opening  the  pie,  so  sickening  was  the  eflluvia 
emanating  from  it,  that  all  were  glad  to  rush  to 
the  door  for  fresh  air.  Nor  have  I  ever  since 
voted  in  favor  of  smoked  musk-rat  pies. 

Fishing  and  shooting  were  now  out  of  season, 
Indians  were  away  at  their  summer  villages, 
and  time  began  to  hang  heavily  on  ray  hands. 
No  books,  no  news  from  the  outside  world,  no 
exchange  of  ideas  with  my  fellow  men,  except 
an  occasional  visit  from  some  old  chief,  who, 
pleased  to  find  me  amused  with  his  supersti- 
tious and  long-tailed  stories  of  the  pre-adamite 
period,  only  interesting  from  the  dreams  and 
vagaries  of  his  forefathers,  would  sit,  drink  tea, 
smoke  and  talk  by  the  hour. 

To  kill  time,  I  planted  a  few  potatoes  and 
some  corn  around  the  fort,  and  they  produced 
marvelous  crops  on  which  I  and  my  men  made 
marvelous  meals.  The  Indians  have  capacious 
stomachs.  One  old  fellow  offered  a  wager  that 
he  could  eat  at  one  sitting  sixty  of  the  largest 
potatoes  I  could  produce,  and  would  have 
weighed  at  least  thirty  pounds;  but,  knowing 
that  he  had  lately  eaten  a  full  grown  ground- 
hog, and  drank  a  pint  of  oil  to  keep  it  down,  I 
declined  the  bet. 

The  Indians  were  now  collecting  for  their 
summer's  hunt  on  the  upper  Mississippi,  and  I 
prepared  to  accompany  them,  to  encourage  their 
hunting;  but  how  to  get  my  boat  over  St.  An- 
thonys Falls  was  a  serious  consideration.  I, 
however,  set  the  men  to  work  to  make  four 
wheels,  with   a  temporary   rigging,  not  having 


tools  to  do  more.  As  the  Indians  were  going 
in  the  direction  of  their  Chippewa  enemies,  I 
took  with  me  a  pound  swivel,  in  case  of  acci- 
dents. On  reaching  the  falls,  I  got  my  boat  on 
the  truck,  but  a  break-down  soon  followed. 
My  hunters  turned  out  with  willing  hands  and 
the  boat  was  soon  over. 

From  this  point  a  narrow  fringe  of  timber 
shades  the  river  above.  A  few  miles  onward, 
Rum  river,  from  the  east,  and  a  few  miles  far- 
ther. Crow  river,  from  the  west,  both  powerful 
tributaries,  largely  swell  the  Mississippi.  Above 
them  the  river  narrows  gradually,  as  far  as  I 
went,  until  it  becomes  a  small  stream  of  eighty 
or  100  yards  wide.  In  this  fringe  of  timber  the 
deer  retire  from  the  .scorching  sun  of  summer; 
and  if  the  mosquitoes  are  troublesome,  the  pes- 
tered animals  plunge  into  the  river. 

Our  first  day's  hunt  was  not  very  successful. 
It  was  confined  to  one  side  of  the  stream,  with 
our  camp  at  Crow  river.  The  next  and  succeed- 
ing days  we  were  on  both  sides,  and  the  shots 
were  frequent.  Tbe  hunters  were  in  their 
canoes,  gaily  and  leisurely  paddling  and  chat- 
ting, while  the  children  were  squalling  and 
yelling  lustily — occasionally  stopping  to  pick 
berries — while  the  hunters  were  keeping  abreast 
of  the  navigators,  outside  the  wood,  and  shoot- 
ing the  deer  as  the  noisy  paddlers  frightened 
them  from  their  coverts. 

We  always  laid  by  every  third  day  to  stretch 
and  dry  the  skins.  The  meat  of  the  slaughtered 
deer  was  very  little  cared  for;  I  do  not  believe 
that  more  than  one  in  ten  of  those  killed  was 
taken  from  the  spot  where  they  were  skinned. 
On  these  resting  days,  the  old  trappers  would 
go  up  quietly  to  the  place  indicated  for  the 
next  two  days'  journey,  and  set  their  traps  for 
the  beaver,  otter,  musk-rats,  etc.,  which  would 
be  collected  as  we  journeyed  on  for  the  next 
ensuing  two  days. 

On  one  occasion,  the  hunters  had  nearly  all 
reached  the  place  of  rendezvous  before  I  did. 
On  arriving  there,  my  attention  was  drawn  to 
a  large  group  of  men,  women  and  children  at  <* 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


401 


short  distance  away;  and  on  reaching  the  spot, 
I  saw  a  a  stout  woman  lying  on  her  back,  with 
a  leather  strap  drawn  tight  about  her  neck,  and 
she  black  in  the  face.  Many  of  the  by-standers 
were  making  jocular  remarks  at  the  folly  of  tak- 
ing so  slender  a  cord  "to  hang  so  hig  a  meat  to." 
I  cut  the  strap  and  dashed  water  in  her  face, 
and  she  revived;  when  she  jawed  me  roundly 
for  bringing  her  back  to  her  cruel  sister.  On 
inquiry,  I  found  that  she  and  her  elder  sister 
were  married  to  a  fellow  called  "Cut  Thumb," 
and,  in  a  fit  of  jealousy,  the  elder  had  struck  the 
younger  with  a  hoe.  Out  of  revenge  and  spite 
to  her  rival  and  husband,  she  found  and  climbed 
a  convenient  tree,  to  a  limb  of  which  she 
fastened  one  end  of  a  strap,  and  the  other 
to  her  neck,  and  jumped  off;  but  as  many  of 
tlie  sight-seers  unfeelingly  said,  the  leather 
was  uniortunately  not  strong  enough. 

At  length  our  Sioux  hunters  had  reached  the 
borders  of  their  Chippewa  enemies,  and  conse- 
quently alarms  were  frequently,  though  falsely 
reported.  The  scouts,  who  hunted  no  longer 
abreast  of  the  navigators,  but  took  an  early 
morning  start  in  advance  of  the  canoes.  At 
length  a  trap  had  been  lost ;  and  the  only  pos- 
sible way  of  accounting  for  it  was,  that  it  had 
buen  stolen  by  their  thieving  enemies. 

We  had  now  reached  a  sandy  plain,  a  beauti- 
ful spot  for  our  resting  day.  The  war  chief, 
who  had  now  command  of  the  expedition,  had 
blackened  his  face  and  sung  his  war  song  in 
expectation  of  an  attack  from  the  Chippewas 
the  next  morning.  He  increased  the  number 
of  scouts,  directing  them  not  to  fire  a  shot,  and 
to  exercise  every  care  in  discovering  traces  of 
the  enemy.  About  4  o'clock  the  scouts  came 
in  reporting  having  heard  and  seen  sorts  of 
imaginable  things  their  superstitious  fancies 
could  invent — foot-prints,  gun  reports,  indica- 
tions where  fire  had  been  made,  the  glistening 
from  looking-glasses — for  young  Indian  dandies 
often  carry  small  looking-glasses  attached  to 
their  belts,  which  in  the  sun,  reflect  the  glaring 
light  a  great  distance.     Other   signs  were  also 


reported — buffalo,  deer,  ducks,  geese,  etc.,  going 
in  all  directions,  as  if  escaping  from  the  hunter, 
and  smelling  the  enemy. 

Not  one  word  of  any  of  these  reports  was 
true.  It,  however,  accorded  with  our  Gen.  Cut- 
Thumb's  prediction,  that  the  enemy  were  at 
hand.  A  council  of  war  was  forthwith  called, 
by  which  it  was  concluded  that  we  had  been 
discovered  by  the  Chippewas,  and  they  would 
be  upon  us  during  the  night.  The  warriors 
were  directed  to  sharpen  their  knives,  clean 
their  guns,  and  have  everything  in  readiness 
for  battle.  The  women  were  ordered  to  ex- 
tinguish the  fires,  and  carry  their  children  back 
to  the  bush;  and  the  old  and  infirm  to  guard  the 
lodges.  The  excitement  was  too  great  for  me 
to  describe;  it  was,  however,  confined  to  the 
women  and  children,  for  the  warriors  were 
quietly  preparing  their  weapons  for  great 
slaughter. 

At  length  Cut-Thumb  requested  me  to  do  him 
the  favor  to  join  him  in  a  raid  he  was  about  to 
make  on  the  terrible  Chippewas,  aud  take  my 
artillery  with  me.  To  this  I  readily  consented 
on  condition  that  he  would  provide  transporta- 
tion for  my  gun,  which  he  promised.  I  was 
told  that  we  were  immediately  to  proceed  about 
a  mile  up  the  river,  to  a  place  where  we  could 
not  fail  to  annihilate  the  expected  war  party. 
My  gun  having  been  well  swabbed  out,  and 
charged  with  twenty-five  fusil  balls,  and  a 
novel  kind  of  port-fire  constructed  of  dry  cedar 
bark,  crushed  fine,  and  rubbed  with  a  coat  of 
tahow — the  construction  of  which  occupied  me, 
perhaps,  five  minutes.  Meanwhile,  I  was  re- 
minded by  my  chief  every  ten  seconds,  that 
delays  were  dangerous. 

All,  at  length,  being  ready,  one  of  my  gun- 
ners shouldered  my  cannon,  the  other  its  car- 
riage— they  were  very  Samsons  ;  and  all  on  tip- 
toe marched  off  for  the  selected  battle-ground — 
"conquer  or  die,"  and  '"no  quarters,"  were  our 
mottoes.  The  artillery  commander  had  neither 
paint  nor  feathers ,  but  his  braves  were  dressed 
in  their  best,  so  that  in  the  event  of  the  enemy 


462 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


taking  one  of  their  scalps,  the  Chippewa  women 
might  say  :  "What  a  handsome  fellow  he  must 
have  been  !" 

When  the  words  "halt  !  prepare  for  action," 
were  whispered,  I  found  myself,  gunners,  port- 
fire, a  1,  on  the  edge  of  a  perpendicular  sand- 
bank, which  terminated  at  the  water's  beach, 
sixty  feet  below;  and,  immediately  opposite,  an 
island,  which,  at  this  season  of  the  year  con- 
tracted the  stream  to  about  thirty  yards  wide, 
the  main  channel  being  on  our  side.  It  was 
now  getting  dark,  and  I  had  much  diflicnlty  in 
adjusting  the  royal  artillery,  so  as  to  fire  a  per- 
pendicular shot  downward  to  destroy  the  ex- 
pected fleet  of  Chippewa  canoes. 

The  plan  of  attack  was  so  arranged  that  on 
the  canoes  arriving  within  common  range,  I  was 
to  discharge  my  one  pound  artillery,  which,  it 
was  supposed,  would  throw  the  fleet  ito  confu- 
sion, when  the  general  discharge  of  small  arms 
would  cause  many  to  fall,  and  throw  the  enemy 
into  still  further  dismay.  The  Sioux  braves 
would  jump,  roll  or  tumble  down  hill,  plunge 
into  the  grand  old  Father  of  Waters,  and  stab, 
tomahawk  or  drown  every  Chippewa  son  of 
them  who  should  have  the  temerity  to  invade 
the  country  of  the  Wau-be-shas,the  Red  Whales 
and  the  Cut-Thumbs.  The  dry  grass  was  to  be 
fired,  to  throw  light  on  the  massacre,  and  to 
distinguish  friend  from  foe.  I  was  to  remain 
on  the  bank,  and  witness  the  extreme  horrors  of 
Indian  war,  or  to  retire  to  the  woods,  should  I 
desire  to  avoid  the  murderous  scene. 

All  was  "hush,"  and  if  any  one  wished  to 
smoke  he  must  retire  to  the  rear  and  hide  the 
light  of  his  pipe.  All  was  extreme  anxiety.  At 
length  the  supposed  paddling  was  heard  at  a 
distance,  and  as  it  became  more  distinct 
I  confess  I  fully  believed  the  noise  pro- 
ceeded from  the  action  of  paddles,  the 
braves  threw  off  every  incumbrance  of  dress, 
except  a  well  secured  belt  around  the  waist,  in 
which  to  carry  the  carnage  knife  and  tomahawk. 
The  critical  moment  had  now  arrived;  one  of 
the  supposed  canoes  had  reached  the  boundary. 


But  one  of  the  braves  who  had  stealthily  gone 
down  to  the  beach  to  appropriate  to  himself 
the  first  scalp  and  the  earliest  glory,  yelled  out, 
^'' Sha-teck/ "  the  Sioux  word  for  pelican;  and 
up  flew  a  hundred  or  more  affrighted  pelicans 
that  had  been  innocently  swimming  down  the 
river  on  a  leisure  foray  against  the  little  fishes. 
Thus  suddenly  and  ludicrously  was  brought  to 
a  termination  my  first  and  bloodless  war  ad- 
venture. 

Cut-Thumb's  ambition  was  only  increased  by 
this  disappointment.  He  dreamed  dreams  which 
were  predictions  of  great  success,  and  two  days 
after  we  had  reaped  our  pelican  glories,  he 
blackened  his  face,  gave  the  war-whoop,  and 
sang  his  war  song.  All  the  braves  danced  the 
war-dance  around  him.  Wishing  to  see  all  of 
their  folly  I  accepted  the  invitation  courteously 
tendered  me  to  join  the  party.  They  were  now 
to  invade  the  enemy's  country,  and  glorious 
success  would  be  the  certain  result.  At  day- 
light the  next  morning  all  were  astir,  and  scouts 
sent  in  advance;  and  by  10  o'clock  the  remain- 
ing braves  were  in  their  canoes  and  under,  way. 
The  warlike  Cut-Thumb  was  standing  in  his 
canoe  singing  of  the  prowess  and  glories  of  the 
Sioux,  and  invoking  his  familiar  spirit  to  be 
with  them  and  crown  their  adventure  with 
bountiful  success. 

Our  progress  was  very  slow,  and  made  with 
studied  precaution.  When  we  had  proceeded 
five  or  six  miles  we  arrived  at  a  place  appointed 
to  arrange  the  general's  staff.  It  was  an  im- 
portant appendage  to  a  grand  army.  It  con- 
sisted of  two  cooks  or  messengers;  it  would, 
perhaps,  be  more  in  military  parlance  to  call 
them  aids-de-camp.  A  band  of  music,  too,  must 
needs  be  provided.  It  consisted  of  a  bass-drum, 
improvised  from  an  empty  nine  gallon  keg,  one 
head  out  and  a  deerskin  tightly  drawn  over  it, 
with  a  small  wooden  hammer  for  a  drum  stick; 
a  tamborine  and  two  dried  gourds,  partly  filled 
with  pebbles,  together  with  a  variety  of  rattles 
of  minor  importance.  These  made  up  the  band. 
A   little  concert  was  given  in  the  evening   to 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


463 


test  the  ability  of  the  performers.  This  ended 
the  first  day's  progress  of  tlie  campaign.  Sen- 
tries being  posted,  each  one  wrapped  in  his 
blanket,  lay  down  on  the  soft  grass,  covered  by 
a  deer  skin,  and  bespangled  with  brilliant  stars, 
to  make  the  most  of  a  short  night. 

Daylight  next  morning  brought  our  pickets 
to  camp,  when  pipes  were  cleaned  out  and  the 
first  smoke  of  the  new-born  day  went  round. 
Teeth  were  taxed  to  their  uttermost  to  munch 
the  stone-hard  dried  venison;  after  which  we 
were,  scouts  and  all,  at  our  respective  posts,  en 
route  for  our  anxiously  looked  for  field  of  battle. 
The  taking  of  a  single  scalp  would  have 
crowned  the  whole  party  with  lasting  honor,  in 
their  estimation.  We  went  forward  with  muf- 
fled paddles,  carefully  scrutinizing  every  noise, 
the  course  of  every  deer  or  bird,  which  might 
indicate  an  approaching  foe;  and  withal,  care- 
fully weighing  the  frequent  reports,  however 
improbable,  of  the  principal  scouts. 

About  noon  we  were  called  to  halt,  to  have 
a  big  war  dance.  On  landing,  and  stepping  for- 
ward a  few  yards  from  the  canoes,  I  found  my- 
self in  a  beautiful  patch  of  prairie  land,  forming 
a  circles  of  forty  paces  in  diameter,  as  regular 
as  if  drawn  by  a  compass.  It  was  enclosed  by 
thick  shrubbery,  with  here  and  there  a  tall 
balsam  and  other  evergreens.  Nature  had  pro- 
vided a  splendid  locality,  eminently  fitted  for  a 
social,  enjoyable  pic-nic,  where  boys  and 
girls  could  romp  and  hide  and  go  seek;  dance, 
eat  and  grow  fat.  But  it  was  not  to  be  so  hon- 
ored now.  On  the  contrary.  Old  Nick  himself 
was  to  be  invoked,  and  the  most  beastly  cere- 
mony to  be  performed  I  ever  witnessed. 

After  all  were  landed  from  their  canoes,  a 
party  of  five  or  six  were  dispatched  to  the  bush 
for  a  pole,  while  the  others  were  employed  in 
removing  all  impediments  from  within  the  cir- 
cle. The  bushmen  soon  returned  with  a  bal- 
sam pole  about  forty  feet  long,  denuded  of  its 
limbs  and  bark,  except  within  about  four  feet 
of  the  top,  which  was  left  in  its  natural  state. 
This  pole  was  planted  in  the  center  of  the  am- 


phitheatre. Up  to  this  time  all  conversation 
was  carried  on  in  an  under-tone,  and  all  noise 
avoided  as  much  as  possible;  but  this  restric- 
tion was,  I  thought,  now  inconsistently  removed, 
so  that  all  were  at  full  liberty  to  yell  to  the  ut- 
most capacity  of  their  lungs,  and  to  smoke  to 
their  heart's  content  without  restraint  or  fear 
of  being  smelt  by  an  unseen  enemy,  and  thus 
betraying  their  presence. 

Gen.  Cut-Thumb  and  his  band  were  seated  in 
the  shade,  tuning  their  instruments,  and  trying 
their  dis-harmony,  while  the  braves  were  dress- 
ing and  primping  for  the  dance.  Finally  the 
big  drum  gave  its  warning  voice  of  tum-tum- 
tum,  while  the  minor  rattles  joined  in  the  rude 
chorus.  Now  the  living  actors,  with  deafening 
yells,  frightful  threats,  and  inhuman  contor- 
tions commenced  their  circuitous  jumping 
dance.  A  spectator  was  kindly  invited  to  take 
a  seat  out  of  the  way  and  near  the  music. 
Scarcely  fifteen  minutes  had  elapsed  of  this 
yelling  gesticulation  fandango,  when  an  inno- 
cent dog  attempted  to  run  across  this  conse- 
crated ground,  but  was  suddenly  arrested  in  his 
desecrating  career  by  being  pierced  at  mid-cir- 
cle by  half  a  dozen  arrows.  His  body  was  in- 
stantly removed  outside  the  dance  ground, 
ripped  open,  the  pluck  taken  out  and  hung  on  a 
stake  about  five  feet  high,  which  had  been 
planted  near  the  balsam  pole. 

The  dance  was  now  resumed,  and  sickening 
to  relate,  that  many  of  the  dancers  in  their 
rounds,  would  step  up  and  take  a  bite  out  of 
this  bleeding  pluck,  which  they  would  either 
swallow  themselves,  or  transfer  it  from  their 
teeth  to  Cut-Thumb's  mouth,  who,  being  so  am- 
ply fed  with  so  delicious  a  repast,  soon  became 
so  sick  that  he  had  to  retire  from  the  concert, 
and  the  scene  changed. 

They  were  to  fire  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
pole,  above  where  the  peeled  and  unpeeled 
parts  met.  He  whose  shot  would  bring  the 
green  branches  to  the  ground  would  take  the 
first  scalp.  All  this  beastly  humbug  lasted 
about  four  hours.     Then  we  again  embarked, 


464 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


scouts  were  sent  out,  and  "hush"  was  the  word, 
which  seemed  useless  after  the  recent  noisy 
carousal.  At  dusk  our  canoes  were  drawn  into 
the  grass  skirting  tlie  shore,  and  the  whole 
party,  except  the  out-pickets,  were  snugly  en- 
sconced in  a  shrubbery  thicket. 

I  had  gotten  a  sufficient  insight  into  their 
mode  of  warfare,  and  was  completely  disgusted 
with  their  savage  performances.  We  were  now 
about  thirty  miles  from  our  camp.  So  next 
morning  I  asked  Cut-Thumb  for  a  small  canoe, 
which  they  could  well  spare,  which  he  readily 
turned  over  to  me.  The  weather  was  fine,  and 
with  a  strong,  smooth  current  I  made  rapid 
progress,  and  might  have  shot  several  deer  that 
were  in  the  water  to  escape  from  the  flies  and 
gnats;  but  it  would  have  been  wanton  cruelty, 
as  I  could  not  carry  them  with  me.  I  reached 
my  camp  about  4  o'clock,  my  men  rejoicing  to 
see  that  I  had  not  lost  my  hair. 

On  the  next  day  I  began  packing  and  pre- 
paring for  my  return  home,  as  there  was  no 
more  prospect  of  further  hunting,  and  the  war 
party  was  not  expected  back  for  six  or  eight 
days.  But,  to  my  astonishment,  Cut-Thumb 
and  his  party  hove  in  sight,  singing  their  tri- 
umphant song  of  having  been  six  days  on  the 
war  path  without  losing  so  much  as  a  solitary 
scalp.  In  the  evening  a  dance,  called  a  ball, 
was  given  in  celebration  of  the  proud  and  happy 
event.  Early  the  next  morning  all  was  bustle; 
and  by  5  o'clock  my  boats  and  all  were  over 
the  portage  and  below  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony. 
Here  I  had  another  proof  of  the  care  of  a 
blessed  providence  over  me.  I  had  not  noticed 
my  cannon  since  the  ever-to-be-remembered 
"pelican  scare."  It  had  been  resting  with  its 
twenty-five  ball  charge,  and  wishing  to  notify 
my  men  whom  I  had  left  at  the  fort,  I  extracted 
the  balls,  primed  it  anew,  and  placed  a  piece  of 
punk  wood,  lighted  on  one  side,  so  that  it 
would  not  ignite  the  powder  until  I  had 
reached  a  safe  distance  away.  The  breeze, 
however,  hastened  the  punk  burning,  and  the 
gun  went  off,  bursting  and  scattering  it  so  that 


one  fragment  only  was  ever  found,  and  that 
close  to  my  feet.  This  happened  in  the  midst 
of  a  group  of  at  least  300  souls,  and  not  one 
hurt.  I  thought  in  extracting  the  balls, 
some  of  the  paper  wadding  must  have  remained 
in  the  gun  which  caused  the  mishap. 

I  was  well-tired  of  Indian  war  humbug,  and 
deer  slaughtering.  It  appeared  that  Cut- 
Thumb,  in  his  dreams,  pretended  to  have  found 
out  that  the  little  Englishman — We-yo-te-hun, 
the  Meridian  Sun — became,  in  some  way,  aware 
of  danger  ahead,  which  caused  him  to  take  his 
departure;  and  the  war-party  became  so  im- 
pressed with  this  foolish  idea,  that  they  hurried- 
ly jumped  into  their  canoes,  and  returned  to 
We-yo-te-hun  and  his  big  gun.  I  must  do  the 
Sioux  the  justice  to  say,  that  on  the  whole, 
they  were  the  most  cleanly — had  the  best 
regulations  as  a  tribe,  though,  like  most  others, 
governed  by  superstition — were  the  swiftest 
pedestrians — the  best  bow  and  arrow  men — the 
most  enormous  eaters  at  their  feasts,  yet  could 
abstain  longer  without  food,  than  any  of  the 
numerous  tribes  I  have  met. 

I  at  length  reached  home  after  four  weeks 
sporting,  glad  of  the  change,  and  happy  to  rid 
myself  of  the  many  insects  which  nip  so  sharp- 
ly in  Indian  camps.  The  remaining  summer 
days  of  perfect  idleness  in  my  isolated  situation, 
were  long  and  tedious,  varied  only  by  accom- 
panying a  party  of  two  canoes  of  hunters  in 
search  of  buffaloes  at  the  Great  Stony  Lake, 
the  source  of  the  river  St.  Peter's.  When,  on 
the  fourth  day,  within  eight  or  ten  miles  of  our 
destination,  we  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  bulls, 
like  the  rumbling  of  distant  thunder;  and 
when  within  a  mile  of  it,  we  could  see  thou- 
sands of  them  swimming  about  in  the  water. 
In  fact,  the  whole  lake  was  literally  full  of 
huge  buffaloes,  cooling  themselves.  The  wind 
being  favorable— /row,  not  towards  them — we 
went  on  quietly  until  we  reached  a  clump  of 
ten  or  fifteen  acres  of  timber,  where  it  was  our 
intention  to  camp.     At  length  my  guide  drew 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


465 


my  attention  to  the  bush,   which  was    also    full 
of  them. 

He  was  the  only  hunter  -with  ua;  I  wanted  to 
fire,  but  he  shook  his  head  as  a  veto  on  my 
wishes.  Wrapped  in  a  buffalo  robe,  he  got 
quietly  out  of  the  canoe,  passed  unheeded 
through  the  crowd  to  the  edge  of  tlie  prairie 
land,  about  fifty  yards,  and  immediately  shot 
one.  At  this  signal,  I  was  at  once  in  the  bush 
among  the  host;  but  they  were  so  frightened, 
running,  jumping  and  bunting,  that  I  was  so 
confused  that  I  could  not  take  aim  at  any  one 
in  particular,  so  let  fly  at  the  flock,  to  no  pur- 
pose. Within  fifteen  minutes,  my  guide  had 
three  fat  cows  lying  at  his  feet.  When  I 
reached  the  prairie,  the  whole  scene  before  us 
was  one  black,  living,  undulating,  moving  mass 
— tens  of  thousands  of  heavy,  powerful  beasts 
were  fleeing  from  their,  hated  enemies.  But 
all  had  been  put  under  Adam's  control.  I  had 
not  had  a  fair  shot.  In  due  time  we  returned 
home. 

The  wild  fowl  season  came,  and  I  practiced 
on  them  until  the  ice  shut  them  off,  and  they 
disappeared;  then  followed  a  few  days  of  musk- 
rat  hunting,  when  winter  shut  me  in.  Not  a 
book  or  paper  of  any  ki»d  to  beguile  and  shorten 
the  tedium  of  the  season;  a  little  trapping,  and 
one  snow-shoe  trip  of  sixty  miles  to  visit  my 
nearest  neighbor;  then  making  oars  and  paddles 
to  wear  off  the  winter.  Finally  the  Indian 
hunters  came  in,  trade  was  soon  over;  my  lit- 
tle half-breed  took  off  my  little  boy  and  girl  to 
her  friends,  and  I  never  saw  her  again .  My 
boat  was  repaired,  and  about  the  20th  of 
March,  1814,  I  left  the  river  St.  Peter's,  with 
full  intent  to  return  to  the  trade,  not,  of  course, 
knowing  what  a  kind  Providence  had  in  store 
for  me. 

Arriving  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  I,  as  usual, 
deposited  such  articles  as  I  would  require  for 
the  next  winter's  trade;  and  after  feasting  eight 
or   ten  days   at  my   friend,   Mens.  Brisbois',  on 


thickened  milk  and  sugar,  I  started  for  Macki- 
naw. It  being  early  in  the  season,  and  hard 
work  for  the  men  to  stem  the  strong  current  of 
the  Ouisconsin  river,  I  permitted  them  to  go  on 
leisurely,  stopj^ing  along  the  sand  banks  to 
collect  turtles'  eggs,  which  were  excellent 
eating,  and  to  kill  rattle-snakes,  some  of  which 
were  very  beautiful  to  behold — at  a  respectful 
distance — being  about  four  feet  long,  with  skin 
of  a  bright  golden  color,  interspersed  with 
ebony  black  heart-shaped  spots. 

But  the  eating  of  turtle's  eggs  was,  after  a 
few  days,  brought  to  a  sudden  termination. 
These  eggs  are  somewhat  less  in  size  than  a 
pigeon's.  My  cook  brought  me,  as  usual,  a 
dozen  for  breakfast.  On  opening  the  first  one, 
I  observed  something  coiled  in  it,  like  a  black 
hair ;  but  how  a  hair  could  get  inside  of  an 
egg,  I  could  not  make  out.  So  I  summoned 
the  men  to  examine  the  phenomenon.  They  at 
once  called  out,  "a  snake."  I  was  not  aware 
till  then  that  turtles'  and  rattlesnakes'  eggs 
were  quite  similar,  and  that  they  both  made 
their  deposits  in  the  sand,  for  the  warmth  of 
the  sun  to  hatch  ;  nor  did  I  know  how  many 
young  snakes  I  may  have  eaten.  We  had  col- 
lected of  the  mixed  kinds,  and  eaten  at  least  a 
peck  a  day  for  the  last  five  days,  and  I  now  re- 
gretted the  discovery,  for  they  were  very  good. 
But  our  stomachs  revolted  against  them  for  fur- 
ther indulgence. 

I  spent  a  few  days  at  Green  Bay,  with 
my  friend,  John  Lawe.  In  short,  I  so  daw- 
dled away  my  time  that  nearly  all  the  traders 
had  arrived,  and  I  did  not  reach  Mackinaw  un- 
til about  the  10th  of  June.  I  made  a  splendid 
return:  3-30  buffalo  robes,  and  ten  packs  of  bea- 
ver and  other  furs  and  peltries.  For  the 
robes  I  was  offered,  by  the  commanding  of- 
ficer of  the  fort,  ten  dollars  each;  but  I  had  re- 
ceived a  circular  from  my  equipperin  Montreal, 
Touissant  Portier,  advising  me  not  to  sell  be- 
fore his  arrival,  as  he  would  give  the  highest 
market  price. 


466 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  garrison  at  Mackinaw  was  commanded 
by  Lieut.  Col.  Robert  McDouall,*  of  the  Glen- 
garies,  with  detachments  of  the  Royal  veterans, 
the  81st  and  Newfoundland  regiments,  and  a 
sergeant's  command  of  the  royal  artillery.  Be- 
ing a  poor  Indian  trader,  it  was,  of  course,  not 
my  business  to  seek  acquaintance  with  such 
great  men  as  army  officers.  However,  before 
the  end  of  a  week  after  my  arrival,  I  was  roused 
up  one  morning  by  a  gentleman,  who  informed 
me  that  two  men  in  a  little  bark  canoe  had  just 
arrived  express  from  Prairie  du  Chien,  with 
the  information  that  three  boat  loads  of  Ameri- 
can soldiers  had  arrived  there  and  were  building 
a  fort  at  that  place. 

I  jumped  up,  exclaiming,  "We  must  go  and 
take  the  fort."  I  dressed,  and,  on  reaching  the 
street,  I  found  all  astir,  and  alive  to  my  views. 
I  said:  "All  those  who  are  willing  to  go,  give 
me  your  names."  By  sun-down  I  had  more 
than  eighty  volunteers,  all  traders'  clerks  .and 
engages,  save  one,  who  had  large  interests  at 
stake  on  the  Mississippi.  It  is  true  our  enter- 
prise appeared  unwise,  and  very  doubtful  of 
success,  for  our  private  means  were  too  limited 
for  a  big  job  of  this  kind.  We  had  no  stores  of 
any  description  for  such  an  undertaking — no 
boats,  provisions,   arms    nor  ammunition. 

When  Col.  McDouall,  in  the  course  of  the 
the  day,  became  aware  of  my  success,  he  was 
much  pleased,  and  offered  me  any  military 
stores  he  could  spare  from  his  scanty  stock. 
This  good  news  inspired  our  ambition.  I  was 
made  a  captain,  mounted  a  red  coat,  mustered 
a  couple  of  epaulettes  and  an  old  rusty  sword, 
with  a  red  cock  feather  adorning  my  round  hat. 
I  was  once  a  captain  of  pompous  dimensions, 
and  lucky  it  was  was  for  Napoleon  and  his  hosts 
that  they  were  beyond  the  Teach  of  Anderson^ 
Mississippi   Volunteers. 

t  McDouall  was  a  Scotchman,  entered  the  British  army  in 
17%,  became  a  lieutenant  the  following  year,  a  captain  in 
1804,  a  major,  June  24th,  1818;  a  lieutenant  colonel,  July  29th, 
1813;  a  colonel  in  1830;  and  a  majorgeneral  in  1841.  He  suc- 
cessfully defended  FortMackinaw,  Aug.  4, 1814,  when  attacked 
by  Col.  Croghan  and  Maj .  Holmes.  He  died  at  Stranrawer, 
Scotland,  Not.  15th,  1848. 


I  was  an  entire  stranger  to  the  commandant, 
and  it  would  not  have  been  soldier-like  in  him  to 
have  entrusted  valuable  military  i3tores  to  a 
man  without  credentials.  So  the  command  of 
the  expedition  was  placed  nominally  under  a 
volunteer  officer  from  lower  Canada,  Lieut.  Col. 
McKay.  Well,  the  island  of  Mackinaw  was,  in 
fact,  under  blockade,  and  in  daily  expectation  of 
a  formidable  attack.  It  would,  therefore,  have 
been  unwise  in  the  commandant  to  have  grant- 
ed us  very  many  supplies  from  his  limited 
stores;  but  knowing  the  va?t  importance  of  se- 
curing the  services  of  the  northwestern  tribes, 
and  witnessing  also  the  devoted  enthusiasm  of 
a  jolly  band  of  Canadian  voyage  urs,  embodied 
in  so  short  a  time — and  that,  too,  by  an  old  vol- 
unteer of  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  defense  of 
their  country,  inspired  him  with  confidence  in 
us,  and  we  were  joyfully  mustered  into  service 
as  a  part  of  his  command. 

Col.  McDouall  assigned  three  gun-boats  for 
our  use^open  vessels  which  had  been  con- 
structed at  Not-ta-wa-saw-gun  the  winter  before; 
one  having  a  platform  near  the  prow  for  a  gun. 
A  brass  three-pounder,  and  such  other  stores  as 
he  could  prudently  spare,  also  one  artillery  man 
for  a  bombardier,  and  a  worn  out  soldier  from 
the  veteran  battalion.  ^Finally  we  were  ready, 
and  started  about  the  20th  of  June,  1814,  on  our 
expedition  against  Prairie  du  Chien,  with  many 
a  cheer  and  hearty  wish  for  our  success.  We 
made  all  haste  to  get  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
expected  enemies'  fleet  from  below.  At  Green 
Bay  some  of  the  Menomonee  tribe  volunteered, 
and  following  us  in  their  canoes,  joined  us  at 
Winnebago  lake.  In  fact,  when  we  reached 
Prairie  du  Chien,  about  the  20th  of  July,*  we 
had  a  host  of  followers  of  all  Nations,  ages  and 
sexes. 

We  reached  there  about  noon,  and  pitched 
our  camp  at  a  convenient  place;  and  I  went 
immediately  with  a  flag  of  truce,  demanding 
their  surrender.  This  they  refused  to  do.  I 
noticed  that  they  had  built   houses,  and    fenced 


*It  waa  Sunday,  July  17th. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


467 


them  in  with  strong  oak  pickets,  ten  feet  high, 
with  two  substantial  block-houses,  with  chevaux 
de-frise,  and  two  gun-boats  at  anchor  near  by. 
On  ray  return  to  camp,  we  opened  fire  on  the 
fort,  but  to  little  effect  upon  their  earthed-oak 
pickets.  Their  six-pound  shot,  because  of  their 
bad  powder,  did  not  reacli  our  camp.  Mean- 
while, under  shelter  of  the  village  buildings, 
the  Indians  kept  up  a  constant  firing  at  the 
fort,  cutting  down  their  flag,  and  wounding  two 
of  their  men  through  the  port-holes.  Two  of 
our  Indians  were^lso  wounded,  but  slightly. 
Thus  ended  the  first  day. 

The  next  morning  we  re-opened  our  fire  upon 
the  fort.  Our  shots  hit  them,  but  they  did  not 
return  the  fire.  So  I  ordered  the  bombardier 
to  run  his  gun  up  and  attack  the  gun-boats. 
Only  one  returned  the  fire,  the  other  being 
empty.  They  gave  shot  for  shot  merrily.  At 
length  my  gunner  cried  out:  "For  God's  sake, 
come  and  help  me!"  I  ran  to  him  and  found  all 
his  men  had  left  him,  and  I  said,  "what  can  I 
do?"  "Take  the  trail  of  the  gun,  please,  and 
enable  me  to  lay  it,"  he  replied.  The  next  shot 
from  the  boat  rolled  in  between  the  wheels  of 
our  gun,  being  a  three  pound  shot,  having 
taken  aim,  saying:  "Will  you  return  us  this 
ball,  sir?"  "Yes,"  we  replied;  and  loading  our 
gun  with  it  shot  it  off,  and  with  it  cut  off  their 
gunner's  two  legs.  This  shut  them  up;  they  cut 
cable,  and  I  ran  to  camp,  ordering  our  gun-boats 
ready  to  follow  and  capture  their  vessel,  as  it 
had  all  their  valuable  stores  on  board. 

But  our  commander.  Col.  McKay,  rose  from 
his  snooze,  came  along  rubbing  his  eyes,  peremp- 
torily ordering  me  to  desist.  One  word  from 
me  would  have  caused  mutiny.  The  American 
boat  turned  a  point  about  a  mile  below,  and 
landed  to  stop  leakage  and  prevent  their  sink- 
ing. 

Our  cannon  shot  were  now  nearly  all  gone. 
Sol  got  a  quantity  of  lead  from  the  village,  and 
with  a  couple  of  brick  made  a  mould,  and  cast 
a  number  of  three-pound  leaden  balls.  Mean- 
while the  Indians  were  bringing  in  balls  which 


the  Americans  had  by  their  short  shots  scat- 
tered about  the  prairie  without  effect.  Our 
stores  of  provisions  were  getting  low,  our  am- 
munition exhausted,  but  the  fort  and  its  con- 
tents we  came  to  take,  and  must  have  them. 

At  day  light  next  morning  our  gun  was  within 
150  yards  of  the  pickets,  with  a  small  fire  mak- 
ing an  iron  shot  red  hot.  When  they  found  them- 
selves in  a  fair  way  to  be  burnt  out,  they  sur- 
rendered. We  took  sixty-five  prisoners,  several 
iron  guns,  a  small  quantity  of  pork,  flour,  etc., 
together  with  a  quantity  of  whisky.  The  casks 
containing  the  liquor,  I  stove  in,  fearing  the 
Indians  might  get  it.  As  they  were  thirsting 
for  the  blood  of  their  enemies,  and  required 
some  tact  to  keep  their  hands  off  from  the 
American  prisoners,  we  could  not  trust  any 
of  them  inside  the  fort.  The  American  empty 
boat  was  fitted  up,  and  next  morning  at  day 
light,  the  prisoners  were  on  their  way  to  St. 
Louis,  on  parole ;  escorted  by  one  of  our 
lieutenants,  (Brisbois)  for  a  short  distance. 

Now  began  the  novel  and  mucli  needed 
instruction  as  to  guard-mounting,  etc.  The 
bombardier  and  the  old  veteran  were  the  only 
two  persons  in  the  whole  batch  that  had  any 
correct  knowledge  of  the  science  of  war.  Our 
commander,  an  o'd  northwestern,  boiling 
inside  and  roasting  outside,  for  the  thermome- 
ter stood  at  ninety-eight  in  the  shade,  con- 
stantly cursing  and  blaspheming  all  above  and 
below,  now  took  a  bark  canoe,  with  four  men, 
and  after  giving  his  own  name,  McKay,  to  the 
fort,  and  transferring  the  command  to  me,  took 
his  leave  to  the  joy  of  all  concerned. 

I  am  now,  on  a  smaller  scale,  a  Wellington, 
commanding  all  around  me.  Some  of  the 
Indians  in  this  quarter  had  been  induced 
by  exaggerated  stories  from  the  enemy, 
to  surrender  the  Royal  George  medals 
which  they  had  received  with  other  tokens 
of  friendship  from  Gen.  Haldimand,  Lord 
Dorchester  and  other  prominent  command- 
ers in  the  early  days  of  Quebec,  for  those 
of    the  American  eagle.     However,  they  soon 


468 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


returned  to  their  old  flag,  with  the  exception 
of  one  Sioux  Chief,  Hoo-pah  En-du-tah,  or  Red 
Wing,  who  was  the  head  of  a  large  band,  and 
a  numerous  family  connection.  He  was  famed, 
too,  as  a  great  prognosticator.  After  ray 
repeatedly  pressing  the  subject,  he  came  to  me 
one  morning  ;  and  after  the  nsual  smoke,  he 
took  my  hand.  Then  standing  up,  he  addressed 
me  by  my  Sioiu;;  name,  saying  : 

"  We-yo-te-hun,  or  Meridian  Sun,  I  liave  ha<l 
another  dream.  You  know  all  tlie  blood  in  my 
heart  is  English  ;  but  I  will  not  now  fight  the 
Big  Knives  (Americans  ).  I  have  given  to  you 
my  band,  and  my  children.  They,  with  all  the 
otlier  Indians,  are  your  soldiers,  and  will  fight 
for  you  ;  but  Red  Wing  will  not  raise  his  war- 
club.  I  saw  tlie  future  in  my  dreams  three 
times."  He  then  took  his  seat,  having  evi- 
dently spoken  in  opposition  to  his  outward 
man. 

After  another  smoke,  I  said  :  "  Will  you 
tell  me  your  reasons  for  your  fixed  and  strange 
determination  ?  " 

"  Its  no  use,"  he  said  ;  "  I  liave  told  you  I 
will  not  now  fight  the  Big  Knives." 

"Very  well,"  I  replied,  "  but  I  would  like  to 
know  the  reason  for  such  action." 

"I  cannot  and  will  not  change  my  thoughts," 
answered  Red  Wing. 

"  Well,  tell  me  why,  and  I'll  say  no  more." 

"You  tell  me,"  said  the  chief,  "  that  the  lion 
on  this  medal  is  the  most  powerful  of  all 
animals  I  have  never  seen  one,  but  I  believe 
what  you  say.  This  lion,  like  our  tiger,  sleeps 
all  day ;  but  the  eagle,  who  is  the  most  power- 
ful of  birds,  only  sleeps  at  night;  in  the  day 
time  he  flies  about  everywhere,  and  sees  all  on 
the  ground.  He  will  light  on  a  tree  over  the 
lion,  and  they  will  scold  at  each  other  for  a 
while  ;  but  they  will  finally  make  up  and  be 
friends,  and  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace.  Tho 
lion  will  then  go  home  and  leave  us  Indians 
with  our  foes.  That  is  the  reason  for  not  cak- 
ing up  my  war  club.  Your  enemies  will  believe 
me  when  I  speak   good    words  to  them."     And 


so  things  turned  out  ;  we  left  them   to  care  for 
themselves. 

I  had  now  about  5,000  Indians  at  my  com- 
mand, and  the  least  expensive  troops  known, 
for  they  fed  and  clothed  themselves.  I  had 
now  to  look  around,  deteimine  upon  the  means 
for  defense,  and  drill  the  volunteers  to  the 
exercise  of  small  arms.  I  had  not  the  means, 
nor  under  existing  circumstances  would  it  be  of 
any  use,  beyond  guard-mounting,  etc.  If  a 
force  should  be  sent  against  us,  it  must  be  by 
water,  and  our  dependence  would  rest  on  our 
artillery.  I,  therefore,  selected  the  best  men 
for  the  purpose.  I,  myself,  at  the  head,  and 
directing  my  bombardier  to  select  two  iron 
three-pound  field  pieces,  and  placing  myself 
under  his  command,  the  drilling  began.  Our 
hearts  were  in  the  work.  The  words  of  com- 
mand were  few,  the  mancEUvering  for  our  pur- 
pose was  simple.  Twice  a  day,  and  four  hours 
each  time,  under  a  broiling  sun,  was  no  boy's 
play.  At  the  end  of  a  week,  half  of  the  garri- 
son were  vvell  able  to  manage  the  guns,  but 
needed  full  practice,  which  I  could  not  allow, 
as  our  stores  were  small.  To  keep  up  the  ex- 
citement, we  had  sham  fights  twice  a  week, 
scampering  over  the  prairie  like  so  many  real 
combatants. 

In  SejUember,  a  Sauk  Indian  courier  arrived, 
by  a  short  cut  across  the  country  from  Rock 
River,  informing  me  that  eleven  gun-boats  had 
been  seen  some  distance  below  that  stream, 
making  slow  progress  up  the  Mississippi,  sup- 
posed to  be  designed  for  the  re-capture  of 
Prairie  du  Chien.  I  immediately  got  ready 
Capt.  Graham  and  six  sturdy  volunteers,  in  two 
large  wooden  canoes,  with  a  one-pound  swivel, 
and  some  ammunition  for  the  famous  Black 
Hawk,  who,  with  his  warriors,  was  at  the  place 
of  rendezvous,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Rock 
and  Mississippi  rivers.  There  for  about  four 
miles,  is  a  very  strong  current,  the  navigable 
channel  is  narrow  and  very  serpentine. 

'I  he  obstruction  at  this  point  causes  the 
water  to  flow  about  two  feet  deep,  over  a  gravel 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


469 


beach  ;  and  if  the  boatmen  are  not  very  care- 
ful, the  current  will  force  the  boat  upon  this 
treacherous  gravel  bank,  and  give  no  small 
trouble  to  get  it  again  into  the  proper  channel. 
Mj'  orders,  therefore,  to  Capt.  Graham  were,  to 
remove  the  Indians  out  of  sight,  and  leave 
nothing  that  could  alarm  the  Americans,  until 
they  should  be  well  upon  the  difficult  part  of 
the  rapid  ;  then  a  single  shot  would  throw 
them  into  confusion,  when  they  could  not  well 
escape. 

Capt.  Graham  reached  the  place  in  time  to 
effect  his  arrangements.  The  enemy  arrived  at 
the  foot  of  the  rapids  too  late  in  the  day  to 
imdertake  to  ascend  the  difficult  channel.  They 
accordingly  anchored  in  the  stream,  and  thus 
my  plan  was  thwarted.  A  young  Indian,  whose 
brother  had  been  killed  by  the  enemy  a  few 
days  before,  took  the  first  chance  which  offered 
for  revenge.  He  made  his  way  at  night  to  one 
of  the  gun-boats,  and  drove  his  lance  through 
one  of  the  sentries,  killing  him  on  the  spot,  and 
then  making  his  escape,  singing  his  war  song, 
and  thus  arousing  friends  and  foes. 

The  next  morning  the  American  commodore 
had  at  the  mast  head  of  his  vessel,  the  ominous 
words,  "  No  Quarters.''''  So  our  swivel  began 
to  play  upon  them  ;  they  took  the  alarm,  cut 
their  cables,  and  the  whole  fleet  was  soon  on  its 
back  track  for  f~'t.  Louis. 

It  was  necessary  to  make  extensive  repairs  at 
Fort  McKay  to  render  our  position  comfortable 
for  the  winter.  Provisions  were  to  be  previ- 
ously supplied  by  the  traders  and  farmers  ;  the 
meat  rations  of  game  and  fish.  I  had  no 
military  chest  ;  but  my  credit  was  unbounded. 
I  did  not  know  anything  about  the  mode  of 
keeping  army  accounts,  nor  was  I  practiced  in 
military  regulations.  I,  therefore,  reported 
these  circumstances,  and  at  the  same  time, 
recommended  the  bombardier,  who  had  con- 
tributed so  much  to  our  success,  for  promotion. 
I  sent  off  an  express,  in  a  light  canoe,  with  this 
report,  addressed  to  Lieut.  Col.  Robert  Mc- 
Douall,    commanding    at    Mackinaw    and     its 


dependencies.  Within  a  month,  I  received  a 
very  satisfactory  reply  ;  Capt.  Bulger,  of  the 
Newfoundland  regiment,  was  sent  to  relieve 
me  in  the  command  ;  and  James  Keating,  late 
bombardier,  was  promoted  to  Fort  Adjutant, 
and  a  contractor  was  appointed  to  supply 
rations. 

Capt.  Bulger  set  to  work,  and  in  a  very  few 
days  had  all  my  accounts  properly  prepared  ; 
and  though  he  commanded  the  garrison,  I  was 
the  prime  mover  of  all.  Everything  passed  off 
with  much  glee  ;  the  officers  and  traders  gave 
balls  at  least  three  times  a  week,  until  about  the 
latter  part  of  December,  1814,  when  a  me'an- 
choly  event  transpired.  The  contractor's  meat 
stores  were  low,  and  he  requested  me  to  spare 
him  two  of  my  interpreters  to  go  about  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  to  a  Sioux  camp  for  venison. 
They  procured  more  meat  than  the  two  could 
carry,  when  an  Indian  volunteered  to  transport 
the  surplus.  One  of  the  interpreters  was  a 
Canadian,  the  other  a  half-breed.  The  latter 
said  to  his  comrade:  "We  must  beware  of 
this  fellow,  for  he  is  a  very  treacherous 
Indian."  The  Canadian  replied,  while  putting 
a  second  ball  in  his  gun  :  "  If  he  makes  any 
fuss,  he'll  get  these  two  balls  to  keep  him 
quiet."  They  started  with  their  loads,  having 
but  the  one  gun,  which  was  carefully  carried  by 
its  owner,  the  Canadian. 

Night  came  on,  and  they  encamped  about 
eight  miles  from  the  fort.  All  this  time  the 
suspected  Indian  had  been  very  good  in  his 
behavior;  and  in  preparing  their  bed,  he  quite 
won  their  confidence,  carefully  drying  their 
socks  and  moccasins,  and  carrying  straw  for 
their  bed.  The  two  interpreters  lay  down 
under  the  same  covering,  with  the  gun  at  their 
heads,  leaning  against  a  tree.  They  were  soon 
sound  alseep.  Not  so  the  deceitful  Indian  ;  for 
80  soon  as  he  found  them  unconscious,  he 
quietly  took  their  gun  and  shot  them  both. 
The  Canadian,  who  was  next  to  him,  was 
instantly  killed  ;  and  one  of  the  balls  passing 
through  him,  entered  the  half-breed   just  above 


470 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  navel.  Not  feeling  his  wound,  he  jumped 
up ;  but  the  murderer  and  gun  were  gone. 
Finding  his  companion  dead,  and  that  he  himself 
was  wounded,  he  covered  tip  the  corpse  and 
started  for  the  fort,  which  he  reached  about 
8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  quite  faint  from  the 
loss  of  blood. 

Immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  wounded 
man,  I  dispatched  a  party  of  volunteers  for  the 
murderer;  but  he  had  fled.  Failing  to  find 
the  guilty  outlaw,  they  apprehended  the  chief 
of  the  village  (Le  Corbeau  Francois),  who  was 
an  uncle  of  the  escaped  culprit,  brought  him  to 
Prairie  du  Chien,  and  he  was  locked  up  in  the 
IJlack  Hole  of  the  fort.  The  next  day,  on 
being  informed  that  if  the  murderer  was  not 
immediately  produced,  he  would  be  shot 
instead,  he  sent  off  a  message  to  his  band,  ex- 
plaining to  his  people  the  alternative.  Search 
was  made  and  the  guilty  fellow  found  in  another 
tribe,  a  hundred  miles  away,  and  he  was 
brought  to  the  fort  after  only  eight  days 
absence.  The  chief  was  forthwith  released 
from  confinement,  and  his  nephew  put  in  his 
place,  where  he  remained  a  couple  of  days. 
Capt.  Bulger  was  ignorant  of  Indian  character, 
and  Col.  Diajon,  a  nobody,  wished  to  save  the 
prisoner  on  the  ground,  that  in  case  he  should 
be  executed,  it  would  turn  all  the  Indians 
against  us;  while  I,  on  the  contrary,  insisted 
that  it  would  produce  a  feeling  of  respect,  and 
it  so  resulted.  I  believe  fear,  among  Indians, 
to  be  a  means  of  securing  their  friendship. 
The  culprit  was  shot  as  he  deserved. 

The  commandant  ordered  a  court-martial  to 
try  the  prisoner.  The  wounded  interpreter 
identified  the  murderer.  The  old  chief  said, 
"kill  him;  he  is  a  bad  man,  and  has  murdered 
two  Indians  of  his  own  family."  The  prisoner 
confessed  his  crime,  saying  his  object  in  shoot- 
ing them  was  to  secure  the  gun.  The  court 
brought  in  the  prisoner  guilty,  and  sentenced 
him  to  be  shot.  Capt.  Bulger  approved  the 
sentence,  and  ordered  his  execution  the  next 
day   at   10   o'clock,    when    the    sentence     was 


carried  into  effect — his  death  instantly  followed 
the  crack  of  the  volley  of  rifles.  Indians, 
whites,  and  all  appeared  satisfied  at  the  result. 
The  wounded  interpreter  died  in  my  arms  a 
few  days  after. 

All  was  now  quiet,  until  the  latter  end  of  May, 
1815,  when  we  received  news  of  peace,  and 
orders  to  evacuate  the  post,  and  return  with  all 
haste  to  Mackinaw.  Capt.  Bulger,  who  was 
heartily  tired  of  the  secluded  situation,  was  off 
within  two  hours,  leaving  me  to  settle  the  ac- 
counts, and  bring  away  the  Volunteers.  At 
12  o'clock  the  next  day,  all  was  in  readiness, 
and  I  was  about  getting  on  board,  when  a 
batteau  full  of  Sauk  Indians,  with  Black  Hawk 
at  their  head,  was  seen  coming  up  the  river,  and 
near  at  hand.  After  landing,  and  the  usual 
formal  smoke,  I  informed  them  of  the  conclu- 
sion of  peace,  and  that  they  must  now  bury 
their  war  clubs,  and  be  good  friends  with  the 
Bia  Knives — Americans.  The  whole-hearted 
man  and  unflinching  warrior,  Black  Hawk, 
cried  like  a  child,  saying  our  Great  Mother, 
Great  Britain,  has  thus  concluded,  and  farther 
talk  is  useless.  I  gave  them  some  ammunition, 
provisions,  with  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand, 
and  we  parted  sorrowfully. 

At  Green  Bay,  I  met  dispatches  from  Col. 
McDouall,  directing  me  to  institute  an  inquiry 
to  ascertain  if  any,  and  what,  public  accounts 
remained  unpaid  at  that  place.  This  detained 
me  for  some  time;  I,  however,  reached  Macki- 
naw in  July.  Not  many  days  after  my  arrival, 
I  received  orders  to  return  to  the  Mississippi 
with  three  batteaux,  loaded  with  Indian  goods 
for  distribution  among  the  Indians,  and  to  for- 
mally announce  to  them  the  conclusion  ot 
peace. 

I  did  not. return  from  this  mission  until  Sep- 
tember, when  I  found  Mackinaw  had  been  given 
up  to  the  Americans;  and  Col.  McDouall  had 
taken  up  a  position  on  Drummond  Island,  with- 
in our  own  limits,  and  which  was  an  entire  bush 
— never  a  stick  had  been  cut  there.  I  arrived 
there  on  the   15th  September,  1815.     In  a  few 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


471 


days  my  volunteers  were  paid  off,  and  I  was 
ordered  by  Mr.  Askin,  of  the  Indian  depart- 
ment, to  take  charge  of  the  new  station,  and 
all  its  stores.  There  was  no  houses,  and  every 
mechanic  and  laborer  was  engaged  in  erecting 
barracks  and  store-houses  for  the  troops,  con- 
sistingof  detachments  of  artillery  and  engineers, 
two  companies  of  the  STth  regiment,  and  also 
for  the  commissariat,  field  train,  ordnance, 
store-keepers,  medical  and  Indian  departments 
— the  latter  numbering  three  officers,  four  in- 
terpreters, one  doctor,  and  a  black-smith. 

Each  one  had  to  prepare,  as  best  he  could, 
winter  quarters  for  himself.  Not  being  able  to 
provide  a  shelter  for  my  use  without  an  effort, 
I  took  off  my  coat  and  went  to  work;  my  inter- 
preter coming  to  my  aid,  I  soon  had  a  house.  A 
fire  had  passed  through  the  bush,  and  the  logs 
at  hand  were  all  blackened,  so  it  became  neces- 
sary to  frequently  wash  our  hands  and  faces. 
My  building  was  24x18  feet  in  size,  six  feet 
and  six  inches  between  the  upper  and  lower 
stories,  spaces  between  logs  filled  with  chinks 
and  clay,  cedar  bark  roof,  with  a  clay  chimney. 
Though  of  novel  construction,  it  was  comforta- 
ble, and  received  the  dignified  name  of 
"■  PotiavKitamie  IlalV  from  Col.  McDouall. 

I  divided  my  house  into  three  apartments, 
two  bed  rooms,  and  a  drawing  room,  the  latter 
serving  also  for  my  office  and  dining  room.  One 
of  the  bed-rooms,  I  invited  Mr.  Keating  to  occupy. 
My  furniture  consisted  of  a  small  pine  table, 
three  chairs,  a  bench,  and  a  little  cupboard  in 
one  corner,  in  whicli  were  three  cups  and 
saucers,  and  three  plates,  with  knives,  forks 
and  spoons  to  match.  A  small  kitchen  was 
located  outside,  in  which  a  big  fat  soldier,  our 
servant,  prepared  our  breakfast  and  blackened 
our  boots.  As  we  dined  with  the  other  officers 
of  the  mess,  my  servant  had  no  pastry  to  cook. 
Thus  we  were  settled  for  the  winter. 

Late  in  the  fall  two  schooners  arrived  from 
the  naval  depot  at  Kingston,  to  winter  here — 
one  commanded  by  Lieut.  Adam  Gordon,  after- 
wards the  "Laird  of  Kenmure,"  the  other  by 


Lieut.  Keane,  afterwards  an  admiral.  In  the 
winter  they  got  lonely  on  board  and  solicited 
from  me  permission  to  stretch  their  hammocks 
in  my  drawing  room,  which  was  freely  granted. 
A  jolly  and  comfortable  winter  passed  off,  and 
spring  opened  to  the  joy  of  all,  bringing  us  six 
months'  news  from  the  civilized  world.  The 
issue  of  Indian  presents  commences  in  June, 
and,  at  the  end  of  October,  I  had  made  issues 
to  5,000  Indians  from  all  points  of  the  compass, 
including  the  Mississippi  and  Red  river  coun- 
tries. 

Col.  McDouall  and  the  37th  were  relieved 
by  a  detachment  of  the  Ylst,  under  Maj. 
Howard,  a  tyrant.  It  had  been  a  custom  to 
give  as  presents  to  the  Indians  a  large  amount 
of  silver  ornaments,  which  I  considered  as  a 
kind  of  luxury,  not  adding  to  the  comfort  of 
those  people,  but  materially  increasing  the 
expense  of  the  King's  bounty.  I,  therefore, 
consulted  with  the  major  on  the  subject — for 
the  Indian  department  to  which  I  was  attached 
was  still  under  military  rule ;  and,  at  my 
request,  he  issued  a  garrison  order  directing 
me  to  confine  my  estimate  for  the  supply  of 
Indian  presents,  for  the  ensuing  year,  to  such 
articles  only  as  would  prove  a  comfort  to  them, 
and  not  a  luxury.  This  little  job  proved  to  be 
a  big  saving;  for  I  have  been  told  that,  at  this 
very  time,  there  were  1,500  pounds  of  these 
silver  ornaments  ready  for  distribution  at  the 
Niagara  depot.  But  their  issue  was  forbidden. 
I  have  no  good  words  to  say  for  .Maj.  Howard, 
so  I  leave  him  in  silence,  except  to  add  that  he 
was  peremptorily  ordered  to  headquarters,  on 
the  opening  of  navigation,  to  be  court-martialed. 

Col.  Maule,  of  the  100th  regiment,  now  took 
command,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
her  sister,  Miss  Belle  Jarvis,  together  with 
a  jolly  batch  of  officers.  We  now  began  to 
as-iume  the  rank  of  civilized  life.  "Pottawata- 
mie  Hall"  being  irconveniently  situated  for 
my  Indian  business,  I  erected  a  building  rather 
more  commodious.  About  this  time  Miss  Ham- 
ilton and  Miss  Upsher  arrived — the   former  a 


472 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


daughter  of  Capt.  Hamilton,  of  the  regiment, 
and  grand-daughter  of  Dr.  Mitchell,  surgeon- 
general  of  the  Indian  department ;  while  the 
other  young  lady  was  the  daughter  of  Capt. 
Upsher.  They  were  cousins,  and  were  living 
with  Dr.  Mitchell.  Miss  Hamilton  was  a  well 
educated  and  very  pious  young  lady. 

During  the  winter  our  almost  daily  amuse- 
ment was  snow-shoe  walking,  and  in  the  evening, 
tea-ing  somewhere,  for  the  whole  garrison  was 
living  like  one  happy  family,  each  seeking  the 
others'  comfort.  A  growing  preference  for  each 
other's  society  became  evident  between  Miss 
Hamilton  and  myself ;  and  the  next  cutter 
drive,  for  I  kept  a  horse,  settled  the  matter. 
On  the  20th  of  February,  1820,  I  was  married 
to  Elizabeth  Ann  Hamilton,  daughter  of  the 
late  Capt.  James  Mathew  Hamilton,  of  the 
army,  her  grandfather.  Dr.  Mitchell,  who  was 
a  magistrate,  performing  the  service  from  the 
Church  of  England's  prayer  book  ;  and  Mr. 
George  Mitchell  was  at  the  same  time  married 
to  Miss  Harriet  Upsher.  My  marriage  is  duly 
recorded  in  the  register's  office  at  Sandwicii, 
Upper  Canada. 

Maj.  James  Winnett,  of  the  68th  regiment, 
was  at  this  time  in  command  of  the  garrison. 
It  had  up  to  this  period  been  a  rule  in  the 
Indian  department  to  accept  from  the  Indians 
presents  of  maple  sugar,  corn,  mats,  etc.,  re- 
paying them  amply  from  the  Indian  store. 
These  presents  from  the  Indians  were  intended 
to  be  converted  into  money  and  placed  to  the 
credit  of  the  department,  but  this  was  never 
done.  Who  profited  by  these  operations  is  not 
my  business  to  state.  In  the  first  year  of  my 
agency  I  shipped  600  or  800  pounds  of  sugar  to 
the  headquarters  of  the  Indian  department,  sup- 
posing it  would  be  received  and  disposed  of  for 
the  benefit  of  that  dejjartment ;  but  its  receipt 
was  never  acknowledged.  Consulting  Maj. 
Winnett  on  the  subject,  he  directed  me  to  turn 
over  all  such  articles  as  I  had  in  store  to  the 
commissariat  of  the  garrison,  and  not  in  future 
receive  presents — practically   exchanging  com- 


modities with  the  Indians.  Thus  a  few  more 
thousands  of  savings  were  added  to  the  silver 
ornaments. 

Prior  to  this  I  had  been  appointed  a  magis- 
trate, collector  of  customs,  postmaster  and 
issuer  of  licences,  giving  me  plenty  to  do.  I 
must  now  return  to  my  new  order  of  things.  It 
was  delightful  to  have  one  so  much  beloved  to 
handle  the  old  teapot  and  assist  digestion  by 
pleasant  chit-chat.  From  the  moment  of  our 
union  we  had  perfect  confidence  in  each  other, 
and  to  the  day  of  my  precious  wife's  death,  at 
Coburg,  Upper  Canada,  June  30,  1858,  not  a 
thought  had  originated  in  one's  mind  that  was 
not  communicated  to  the  other. 

My  wife  instructed  me  in  religious  matters, 
and  induced  me  to  establish  family  worship. 
From  a  place  of  Sunday  resort  to  while  away 
time,  on  the  part  of  the  officers,  our  home  be- 
came a  place  of  prayer;  and  at  my  companion's 
suggestion,  I  read,  on  Sundays,  the  morning 
church  service  and  one  of  Burder's,  or  of  such 
other  sermons  as  we  could  get.  During  the 
twelre  years  we  were  at  Drummond  Island,  we 
received  only  four  short  visits  from  Protestant 
clergymen;  one  from  Rev.  Mr.  Short,  of  the 
Church  of  England,  from  Amherstburg,  and 
three  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ferry,  a  Presbyterian 
missionary,  from  Mackinaw.  Most  of  the  offi- 
cers, with  their  wives,  attended  services  every 
Sunda}'.  Not  only  did  we  continue  these  regu- 
lar Sabbath  services,  but  commenced  to  in- 
struct the  Indians  in  religious  duties;  and, 
though  my  explanations  of  Scripture  were  im- 
perfectly imparted,  yet  they  became  so  inter- 
ested that  they  would  come  a  distance  of  nine 
miles  to  hear  my  evening  readings. 

Now  my  wife  insisted  on  my  sending  for  my 
two  little  Sioux  children.  Though  she  had  one 
of  her  own,  she  felt  bound  to  care  for  the 
others.  Tlie  boy  was  sent  to  Sandwich,  where 
he  received  a  good  English  education;  then 
kept  store  for  sometime  at  Coldwater,  Canada; 
but  thinking  he  could  do  better,  he  went  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  sickened  and  died  of  fever.  The 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


473 


girl  was  educated  in  the  United  States,  and  in 
1833  was  a  teaclier  in  our  school  at  Coldwater, 
where  she  married  a  highly  respectable  Eng- 
lish gentleman  named  Andrew  Robertson.  She 
being  entitled  to  what  was  called  by  the  Amer- 
icans a  "Sioux  land  claim,"  it  was  thought  by 
Mr.  Robertson  worth  looking  after;  so  they 
went  to  St.  Paul,  where,  after  a  few  years,  he 
died,  leaving  his  wife  and  three  children,  all 
boys,  who,  I  am  informed,  are  doing  well. 

In  the  fall  of  1828  I  had  occasion  to  visit 
Toronto,  accompanied  by  the  old  Fort  Adju- 
tant Keating;*  and  shortly  after  the  Indian 
agency  was  removed  from  Drummond  Island 
to  Penetanguishine,  some  ninety  or  100  miles 
nearly  north  of  Toronto. f 

THOMAS    G.    ANDERSON. 

Thomas  Gummersall  Anderson  was  born  at 
Sorel,  in  Lower  Canada,  Nov.  12,  1779.  His 
father,  Samuel  Anderson,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  American  Revolution,  sympathizing  with 
the  mother  country,  received  a  commission  in 
the  King's  Royal  Regiment,  of  New  York,  was 
wounded  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  subsequently 
served  under  Sir  John  Johnson.  Settling  in 
Cornwall,  Upper  Canada,  after  the  war,  he  held 
many  local  offices,  and  died  in  1832  at  the  ven- 
erable age  of  ninety-seven  years. 

When  the  son,  Thomas,  was  but  a  mere  child, 
the  father  procured  for  him  a  commission  as  a 
cadet  in  his  father's  company,  in  the  King's 
Royal  Regiment.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  be- 
came a  clerk,  in  1V95,  in  the  store  of  Thomas 
Markland,    in    Kingston,  remaining  with    him 


*  This  brave  man,  James  Keating,  deserves  special  notice. 
He  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Templeshort,  county  of  Wex- 
ford, Ireland,  in  178fj.  His  father  was  a  country  squire,  and 
was  murdered  at  an  early  period.  The  son,  at  eif?hieen, 
joined  the  Koyal  Regiment  of  Artillery,  in  1804,  under  Col 
John  Smith;  and  received  a  medal  for  his  good  services  at 
Martinique.  In  1814  he  had  the  command  of  a  volunteer  bat- 
tery on  the  Prairie  du  Chien  expedition,  and  distinguished 
himself  in  an  especial  manner.  In  1M15  he  was  promoted  to  a 
lieutenancy,  and  was  made  fort  adjutant  at  St.  Joseph'.^; 
and  was  then  stationed  at  Drummond  Island  till  it  was  given 
up  to  the  American  government,  then  at  Amherstbnrg,  and 
finally  at  Penetanguishine.  He  was  here  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  captain  and  adjutant  in  charge  of  that  garrison  till 
his  death,  in  1849,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three.  His  son,  bearing 
the  same  name,  resides  at  Oil  City,  Canada. 

+  The  notes  to  the  foregoing  narrative  are  from  the  pen  of 
L.  C.  Draper,  corresponding  secretary  of  the  State  Histori- 
cal Society  of  Wisconsin. 


five  years,  when  he  resolved,  as  he  expressed  it, 
to  enter  upon  the  "battle  of  life"  in  the  wild, 
and  almost  trackless  forests  of  the  great  north- 
west. 

After  the  removal  of  the  Indian  agency  from 
Drummond  Island  to  Penetanguishine  and  that 
vicinity  in  November,  1828,  Capt.  Anderson 
continued  in  the  employ  of  his  government,  at- 
tending to  the  wants  of  the  Indians  of  his 
charge,  providing  comfortable  houses  for  their 
use,  and  the  necessary  means  of  education  and 
civilization.  In  1836  the  plan  of  settling  the 
Indians  in  that  part  of  Canada,  on  the  great 
Manitoulin  Island  on  the  northern  border  of 
Lake  Huron,  was  inaugurated;  and  Capt.  An- 
derson was  placed  in  charge  of  the  establish- 
ment, where  he  remained  until  1845,  when  he 
was  appointed  visiting  superintendent  of  In- 
dian affairs  and  payer  of  annuities,  which  he 
held  until  June  30,  1858;  thus  serving  fifty- 
eight  years  on  the  frontiers  as  a  trader  and  in 
the  Indian  department. 

His  experiences  in  Indian  life  were  large  and 
various.  He  thoroughly  studied  the  Indian 
character,  treating  the  red  men  with  kindness 
when  leniency  was  the  wiser  course,  and  with 
severity  when  the  occasion  demanded  it.  It  is 
related  of  him,  that  one  day  while  lying  in  his 
tent,  a  drunken  Indian  came  in  uninvited,  and 
bending  over  him,  knife  in  hand,  made  several 
pretended  stabs  at  the  prostrate  trader;  and 
would  have  done  so  in  good  earnest  had  not 
the  captain,  with  his  cu-tomary  coolness  and 
knowledge  of  the  Indian  character,  assumed 
the  semblance  of  sleep,  and  refrained  from  mak- 
ing the  slightest  movement.  After  amusing 
himself  in  this  way  for  several  minutes,  the 
Indian  left;  when  Capt.  Anderson  called  to  his 
men  to  inquire  of  the  fellow  what  he  wanted? 
"Rum,"  was  the  reply.  Anderson  asked  for  a 
bottle,  and  on  its  being  handed  to  him,  knocked 
the  Indian  down  with  it,  gave  him  a  sound 
beating,  and  never  saw  him  again. 

While  Capt.  Anderson  was  himself  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  of   England,  yet   in    the  dis- 


414 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


charge  of  his  duties  as  Indian  superintendent, 
he  uniformly  respected  alike  the  opinions  and 
labors  of  Methodist,  Presbyterian,  Episcopal 
and  Catholic  missionaries.  The  welfare,  spirit- 
ually and  temporarily,  of  the  red  man,  appeared 
to  be  his  controlling  desire,  from  his  engage- 
ment in  the  service  of  the  Indian  department  to 
the  time  of  his  death.  He  frequently  com- 
plained of  what  he  considered  the  injustice 
done  the  Indians  by  the  British  government; 
and  the  neglect  of  them  by  the  Church   of   his 


fathers;  to  him  causes  of  great  anxiety.  He 
was  universally  respected  by  the  Indians  under 
his  supervision,  and  received  from  them  many 
tokens  of  their  affectionate  regard.  He  was  in 
every  sense  a  good  man.    His  death  occurred  at 

Port  Hope,  on  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  On- 
tario, Feb.  16,  1875,  in  the  ninety-sixth  year  of 
his  age,  leaving  two  daughters  and  a  son;  the 
latter.  Rev.  G.  A.  Anderson,  of  Penetanguishine, 
Ontario. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ill 


CHAPTER    XXX. 


THE  TOWN  OF  BERGEN. 


This  territory  is  located  in  the  -western  part 
of  Vernon  county,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  county  of  La  Crosse;  on  the  east  by  the 
towns  of  Hamburg  and  Harmony;  on  the 
south  by  the  town  of  Genoa,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Mississippi  river.  The  town  com- 
prises forty-five  full  congressional  sections  of 
land,  and  nine  parts  of  sections,  containing  al- 
together about  30,000  acres. 

The  Mississippi  river  washes  the  western  lint- 
of  the  town,  and  along  its  entire  length,  anc" 
inland  for  two  or  three  miles.  Innumerabli 
sloughs  and  water  courses  are  seen,  all 
finding  an  outlet  in  the  mighty  "Father  o' 
waters."  These  sloughs  are  called  Coon,  Mor- 
mon, Middle,  etc.,  and  some  are  navigable,  at. 
Warner's  Lauding  is  located  on  one  of  thi 
larger  ones,  just  north  of  Bergen  postoffice.  The 
Coon  river  enters  the  town  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  25,  and  takes  a  westerly 
course  through  sections  26,  27,  28  and  33,  emp- 
tying into  Coon  slough  on  section  32.  The 
northeastern  and  southeastern  portions  of  the 
town  are  not  as  well  supplied  with  water  courses 
as  the  central  and  western  parts,  but  furnishes  to 
the  settlers  an  abundant  supply  of  good  spring 
water. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENTS. 

In  1852  two  natives  of  Norway,  coming  to 
this  western  country,  met  by  chance,  and  both 
concluded  to  locate  in  what  is  now  the  town 
of  Bergen.  Halver  Jorgenson  selected  his  future 
home  on  the  south  side  of  Coon  river,  on  section 
26,  and   has   since   resided   there.     The  other, 


Andrew  Emberson,  settled  on  section  33,  where 
he  now  lives. 

They  were  followed  the  same  year  by  Chris- 
tian Allison,  also  a  native  of  Norway,  who  lo- 
cated on  section  13,  and  lived  there  till  his 
death, in  1868. 

In  1853  there  were  three  new-comers  in  the 
town,  all  natives  of  Norway.  Peter  Olson  set- 
tled on  section  14,  where  he  died  in  1873;  Wil- 
liam Nelson  located  on  section  26  and  died  some 
years  ago;  John  Peterson  made  his  home  on  sec- 
tion 22,  where  he  still  resides. 

A  year  later  (1854),  S.  C.  Stetson  and  family, 
natives  of  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  located  on  section 
11,  town  13,  range  7  west — in  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  town,  where  Mr.  Stetson  was 
engaged  in  farming  until  1880,  the  date  of  his 
death.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stetson  were  the  parents 
of  one  child — Huldah — who  is  now  postmis- 
tress at  the  Rest  postoffice. 

Great  Britain  also  furnished  a  settler  in  1855. 
Samuel  Sims,  who  resides  on  section  10,  was 
born  in  Derbyshire,  England,  in  1821.  In  1847, 
when  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  manhood,  he 
came  to  the  United  States  and  first  settled  in 
New  York.  In  1851  he  went  to  New  Jersey; 
and  in  1853  he  went  to  Pennsylvania,  and  in 
1855  came  to  the  town  of  Harmony,  entering 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  6.  In  1863  Mr. 
Sims  enlisted  in  the  United  Statei  navy,  and 
was  assigned  to  duty  on  the  gunboat  Shamrock, 
where  he  served  until  his  discharge  in  1864. 
He  was  married  in  1848  to  Mary  Egal. 
Three  children  were  given  them — Elizabeth, 
wife   of  Samuel   McKown,  John  W.,  who  mar- 


28 


478 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ried  Miss  Estella  Henry,  and  Theodore.  Mrs. 
Sims  departed  this  life  May  7,  1883,  since  which 
time  Mr.  Sims  has  made  his  home  with  his  son, 
John  W. 

Joel  F.  Outcelt  settled  in  the  town  in  1855, 
on  sections  22  and  23,  town  13,  range  7.  In 
1868  he  moved  to  the  town  of  Harmony. 

Engrebret  Engh  made  a  settlement  in  the 
same  year. 

Engrebret  Engh,  who  located  here  in  1855, 
was  born  in  Norway  in  1817.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1853,  and  first  settled  in  the 
eastern  part  of  this  State,  In  1855  he  came  to 
Vernon  county  with  his  family  and  purchased 
from  the  government  a  farm  of  forty  acres, 
which  he  has  since  increased  to  120  acres,  lo- 
cated on  sections  26  and  27.  He  devotes  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  to  his  farm,  and  takes 
especial  pride  in  the  raising  of  good  grain.  In 
1848  he  married  Martha  Hanson,  and  four 
children  have  been  born  to  them — Isaac,  who 
married  Thea  Rorernd,  and  is  a  clerk  in  the 
postoffice  at  La  Crosse;  Hagbarth,  who  is  a 
minister  by  profession.  He  graduated  from 
Luther  College,  at  Decorah,  Iowa,  in  1878; 
from  the  University  of  Christiana,  in  Norway 
in  1882,  and  from  Luiher  Seminary,  Madison, 
Wis.,  in  1883.  In  1884  he  will  take  charge  of 
the  Lutheran  church,  at  Portland,  Oregon. 
John  M.  married  Lena  Rindal,  and  at  present 
is  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Bergen.  Emma 
is  the  fourth  and  youngest  child. 

Austria  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  Norway, 
and  in  1856  gave  to  Vernon  county  a  sturdy  pio- 
neer. Frank  Parsch,  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
farmers  in  the  town  of  Bergen,  was  born  in 
Austria,  in  1831.  In  1856  he  came  to  America, 
and  the  same  year  followed  the  tide  of  emigra- 
tion to  Wisconsin.  He  came  into  Vernon 
county  and  bought  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  11,  which  he  has  since  increased  to  100 
acres.  Mr.  Parsch  is  an  intelligent  and  enter- 
prising citizen,  and  for  eight  continuous  years 
was  selected  by  his  neighbors  and  friends  to 
serve   them  in  the  capacity  of  town    treasurer. 


He  was  married  in  1861  to  Frances  Heikel. 
Six  children  have  been  sent  to  bless  this  union 
— Amelia,  wife  of  Peter  Graw  ;  Charles,  Gus- 
tave,  Henry,  Anna  and  John. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1856  was  A.  Davis, 
who  came  from  Columbia  countv  and  located 
on  section  14,  town  13,  range  7,  where  he 
was  still  living  in  1883. 

In  1860  and  1861  several  new  comers  made 
their  appearance,  and  the  following  named  set- 
tlers have  made  energetic  farmers  and  highly 
respected  citizens  : 

Joseph  Lisso,  who  resides  on  section  14,  was 
born  in  1846,  in  Germany,  and  when  ten  years 
of  age  his  parents  came  to  the  United  States, 
and  first  settled  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  but  two  years.  In  1858  they  re- 
moved to  LaCrosse,  Wis.,  where  they  remained 
two  years,  and  then  came  to  Vernon  county 
and  settled  on  section  14,  of  Bergen  town, 
where  the  father  entered  120  acres  of  land. 
The  father  died  a  few  years  later,  and  the  farm 
was  given  to  Joseph,  which  he  has  increased  to 
200  acres.  Mr.  Lisso  was  married,  in  1869,  to 
Elizabeth  Dengeline,  by  whom  he  has  four 
children — Elizabeth,  Mary,  Anna  and  Emma. 
Mr.  Lisso's  mother  and  step-father,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dettove,  are  now  residing  with  him.  Mr. 
Lisso  is  one  of  the  wide  awake,  enterpi-ising 
and    accommodating  farmers  of  Bergen    town. 

John  Zink,  a  prominent  German  farmer,  of 
the  town  of  Bergen,  was  born  in  Germany  in 
1843.  He  received  a  very  fair  education,  and 
in  1861  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  to 
this  town'  in  the  same  year.  He  entered 
forty  acres  of  laud  on  section  33,  but  left  his 
farm  in  1864  to  join  the  7th  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  He  served  till  the  close  of  the 
Rebellion,  when  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. He  returned  home  and  has  since  been 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  His  farm  has 
been  increased  to  1  (iO  acres  and  he  has  lately 
erected  thereon  a  commodious  and  substantial 
dwelling  house,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500.  Mr. 
Zink     was     united     in    marriage,    in    1863,   to 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


479 


Mary  Kissejl,  of  Vernon  county.  Nine  children 
were  born  to  tbera — John,  Joe,  Sarah,  Mary, 
George,  Rhoda,  Frank,  Charles  and  Anna.  Mrs. 
Zink  departed  this  life  in  1882. 

Reinhold  Bay,  who  resides  on  section  23,  was 
born  in  Prussia,  in  1838.  In  1861,  when  but 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  came  to  America, 
and  the  westward  tide  bore  him  to  the  State  of 
Wisconsin.  He  founded  a  new  home  in  the 
town  of  Bergen,  where  he  purchased  117  acres 
of  land.  This  has  been  increased  to  177  acres, 
and  Mr.  Bay  is  known  as  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  this  town.  In  ISl'i  he  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  school  clerk,  and  at  present  is 
clerk  of  Bergen  town.  In  1S64  he  married 
Huldah  Will,  and  the  result  of  this  union  has 
been  the  birth  of  ten  children — Emil,  August, 
Reinhold,  Matilda,  Emma,  Theodore,  Gustave, 
Ida,  Bertha,    and  Albert. 

FIRST  THINGS. 

The  first  settlers  were  Halver  Jorgenson  and 
Andrew  Emberson,  who  located  in  1852. 

The  first  school  was  taught  on  section  12,  b\ 
Polly  Sprague. 

The  first  marriage  was  Peter  Olson  to  Mar- 
tha Olson,  in  1854,  Rev.  Sylbrant  perfoi-minc 
the  ceremony. 

The  first  person  that  died  was  Ellen,  daughtei 
of  Christian  and  Caroline  Olson. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  on  section 
12,  in  1850. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at 
Britt's  landing  in  1857,  by  Revs.  Smith  and 
Nuzum. 

The  first  postoffice  was  at  Bergen  ;  estab- 
lished in  1856. 

ORGANIC. 

In  1853  the  board  of  county  commissioners 
granted  permission  to  organize  a  new  town,  to 
be  known  as  the  town  of  Bergen,  nine  miles 
long,  from  north  to  south,  and  six  miles  wide 
at  its  widest  part,  from  east  to  west.  The  first 
election  was  held  at  the  residence  of  John 
Warner,  and  the  following  oflicers  were  chosen 
conduct  the  affairs  of  the  new  town  for  the 


ensuing  year  :  Chairman,  Orin  Calkins  ;  assist- 
ants, Philander  Bartlett  and  Ransom  Burnett; 
clerk,  J.  P.  Harkness;  superintendent  of  schools, 
John  Ray  wait  ;  assessor,  Lafayette  Everson. 
The  present  officers  of  the  town  are  as  fol- 
lows: Chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors, 
Wesley  Pulvei;  assistants,  Mathias  Bryn  and 
Peter  Grow;  clerk,  Reinold  Bay;  treasurer, 
John  Engh;  assessor,  Torger  Olson. 

POSTOFFICES. 

There  are  located  in  the  town  of  Bergen, 
three  postoffices. 

Bergen  postofiice  was  located,  in  1856,  on  sec- 
tion 4  and  John  Warner  was  the  first  postmaster. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  present  postmaster, 
John  Cumniings. 

The  second  oflice  established  was  on  section 
21,  and  called  Stoddard.  Mr.  Bochee  was  the 
first  postmaster,  and  subsequently  Peter  Wan- 
denskie,  the  present  incumbent. 

Rest  postoffice  was  first  .opened  in  1873,  on 
section  11,  and  S.  E.  Stetson  was  made  postmas- 
ter. At  his  death  his  daughter  Huldah  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

The  settlers  of  the  town  of  Bergen  are  a 
steady,  industrious  and  unassuming  class  of 
citizens,  consequently  the  history  of  the  town  is 
as  yet  of  a  rather  limited  character.  It  will  in- 
crease, both  in  volume  and  interest  in  the  years 
to  come. 

EELIGIOUS. 

In  1883  there  were  two  religious  societies 
within  the  town  of  Bergen — the  Methodist 
Episcopal  and  German  Lutheran.  The  former 
was  cirganized  by  a  class  of  twelve  members,  in 
1860,  and  have  always  held  their  services  at  the 
Dudley  school  house,  on  section  25. 

The  German  Lutheran  Church  was  organized 
in  1807  by  Rev.  Barts,  who  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Rhine,  and  the  latter  by  Rev.  Ording,  the 
present  pastor.  Some  twenty  members  consti- 
tuted the  organizing  congregation,  and  since 
then  the  membership  has  been  increased  to 
thirty-five. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

There  are  six  school  houses  in  the  town  of 
Bergen,  with  an  aggregate  valuation  of  $1,325. 
About  356  children  attend  these  schools. 

CKMETEKIES. 

The  oldest  burying  ground  in  the  town  is  the 
one  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town,  near  the 
German  church,  on  section  16.  There  are  also 
several  small  private  cemeteries  throughout  the 
the  town. 


480 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CHRISTIANA. 


This  town  takes  its  name  from  the  capital  of 
Norway,  its  first  settler  being  of  that  nation- 
alit}'.  It  is  situated  on  the  north  line  of  Ver- 
non county,  and  comprises  congressional  town- 
ship 14,  range  4.  Itis  bounded  on  the  north 
by  LaCrosse  county,  on  the  east  by  the  town  of 
Clinton,  on  the  south  by  the  town  of  Viroqua, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  town  of  Coon. 

The  population  of  this  town  is  largely  Nor- 
wegian, and  in  1883  it  contained  some  of  the 
choicest  farms  within  the  county.  There  is  per- 
haps more  tillable  land  in  Christiana  than  al- 
most any  other  in  the  northern  tier  of  towns  in 
the  county. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  town  was  made 
in  September,  1848,  by  Hans  Olson  Libakken, 
who  with  his  family  located  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  35. 

About  the  same  time  or  a  little  later,  an 
American  named  Carrier  settled  on  sections  22 
and  27,  where  he  took  up  State  lands.  He 
lived  there  but  a  short  time,  but  did  a  small 
amount  of  breaking  and  then  sold  out  to  a 
Norwegian  and  moved  from  the  town. 

In  1849  and  1850  a  large  number  of  settlers 
located  in  this  town.  Ole  Syverson  came  in 
1849,  and  the  following  spring  settled  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  35.  Soon  after  he 
sold  out  to  John  Michelet  and  purchased  other 
land  on  section  34,  where  he  lived  for  a  time, 
and  then  bought  the  forty  acres  where  the 
village  of  Westby  is  now  situated,  and  remained 
there  till  his  death. 


Lars  Christopherson  was  another  settler  of 
1849;  he  located  on  section  35,  which  land  he 
afterwards  exchanged  for  160  acres  on  section 
34.  He  had  been  a  soldier  of  the  Mexican  War; 
he  was  living  in  1883  at  Bloomingdale,  Vernon 
county. 

Evan  Peterson  came  the  same  year  and  set- 
tled on  section  36,  where  some  years  afterwards 
he  died. 

Ole  Thorstenson  also  settled  in  1849  on  sec- 
tion 30.  He  was  born  in  Norway  in  1785,  and 
died  a  few  years  after  coming  to  this  town.  His 
wife  was  born  in  March,  1788;  died  Aug.  27, 
1863.  Their  son,  Henry  O.  Gulord,  in  1883, 
was  living  on  the  land  claimed  by  his  father. 

Hans  K.  Larson  came  in  1849  and  claimed 
land  on  sections  22,  23,  26  and  27;  his  tract  was 
made  up  of  forty  acres  from  each  section.  His 
final  purchase,  however,  was  confined  to  eighty 
acres,  forty  on  section  22  and  forty  on  section 
26.  In  1883  he  was  comfortably  surrounded  at 
his  home  on  section  22. 

John  Michelet  settled  on  section  35  in  June, 
1850.  Another  early  settler  was  Hans  K.  Rams- 
rud,  who  located  on  section  28. 

John  Olson  Bergum  settled  on  section  33  in 
the  spring  of  1850,  and  was  a  resident  of  the 
same  place  in  1883. 

Lars  H.  Galstad  came  the  same  year,  locating 
on  section  34.  Among  other  settlers  of  1850 
were  Iver  P.  Hegge,  who  settled  on  section  29 
with  his  father,  Peter  Olson  and  Ingebreth 
Homsted,  who  located  on  section  11.  He  was 
a  prominent  and  well-known    citizen,  respected 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


481 


by  all  his  neighbors.     He  died  about  1875,  quite 

suddenly. 

In  1851  Ingebreth  Homstad  settled  on  section 
11.  He  was  a  native  of  Norway,  but  came  to 
this  vicinity  from  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  He  remained 
on  this  section  till  his  death.  His  sons  were 
yet  occupyint;  it  in  1884. 

Clement  Bergh  located  the  same  year  on 
section  35,  where  he  resided  till  his  death. 

Ole  Running,  another  settler  of  1851,  settled 
on  section  27,  from  there  moved  to  Viroqua,  and 
still  later  left  the  county  and  in  a  short  time 
died. 

Lars  O.  Olson  settled  on  section  23  in  1857. 
He  was  born  in  Norway  in  1830;  came  to 
America  with  his  two  brothers. 

EARLY    EVENTS. 

The  first  school  house  in  the  town  was  built 
on  section  35,  in  1851.  During  this  year  the 
first  term  of  school  was  also  taught. 

The  first  tavern  for  the  accomodation  of 
travelers  was  the  residence  of  Engebreth  Homs- 
tad, on  section  11,  who  settled  therein  1851. 
This  was  a  popular  stopping  place  for  travelers 
for  many  years.  Mr.  Homstad  died  March  14, 
1879. 

The  first  death  known  in  the  town  was  that 
of  a  man  named  Ole  Anderson,  a  non-resident 
who  was  on  his  way  from  Dane  county  to  the 
Black  River  lumber  region.  He  got  as  far  as 
the  house  of  a  German  settler  near  the  present 
village  of  Westby,  and  was  unable  to  proceed 
further.  After  a  few  days  painful  illness  he 
I  died.  This  was  about  the  middle  of  September, 
1849.  He  was  buried  on  the  farm  where  he 
died.  The  deceased  had  a  family  living  in 
Dane  county. 

The  first  white  child  born   in  the  town  was 
Brown  Olson,  a  son  of  Hans  and  Caroline  Olson, 

who  were  the  first  settlers  of  the  town.       This 

birth  occurred  March  30,  1850.     In  1884  he  was 

living  on  the  same  farm  on  which  he  was  born. 
The  parties   to  the  first   marriage  were  John 

Clemenson    and    Martha    Ingebrethson.    They 

were  married  in  1851. 


The  first  religious  services  were  held  by  the 
early  Norwegian  settlers,  at  private  houses. 

The  following  incident  illustrative  of  pioneer 
hardship,  is  given  in  the  language  of  the  writer, 
Hans  Nelson,  of  Westby,  Christiana  town: 

"In    1849,   there   being   no   grist  mill  nearer 
than  Prairie  du  Chien,  the  settlers  had  to  go  to 
that  place   for  theif    milling   and    to  purchase 
their   flour.     Upon    one    occasion,    I  remember 
T.  Unseth    went   to    Prairie    du    Chien  to  buy 
flour  and   other   necessaries  of  life;  but  unfor- 
tunately the  store  keeper  made  a  grand  mistake 
and   loaded   up   a  barrel  of  white  sugar  instead 
of   a  barrel    of  flour.     When  Mr.    Unseth    got 
home  his  daughter  at  once  climbed  up  into  her 
fathers  wagon  to  open  the  supposed  flour  barrel, 
the    family  being   entirely    out  of  any  kind  of 
bread  stuff,  at  the  time.     But   upon    her  taking 
out  the  head  of  the   barrel,  what   was  the   sur- 
prise at  finding  the  contents  to  be  white  sugar, 
instead    of  flour.     Imagine   the    situation!     No 
flour  in  the  house — white   sugar,  however  good 
in  its  place,  would  not  make  bread.     The  woman 
then  began  to  cry   as  she    thought  of  their  con 
dition — fifty  miles  away    from  a  mill  and  not  a 
morsel  of  bread  to  eat. 

"What  was  to  be  done?  The  only  way  was  to 
thresh  some  grain  out  of  the  stalk.  And  how 
was  this  to  be  done,  unaided  by  machinery? 
Why  they  simply  made  a  round  ring  twenty- 
five  feet  across  on  the  ground  and  let  oxen  tread 
it  out,  in  the  good  old  fashioned  way!  After 
"threshing,"  came  the  grinding.  This  was  not 
by  the  modern  "roller  process,"  but  by  turning 
an  old  country  coffee  mill. 

"There  were  many  of  the  settlers  of  that  year 
who  lived  on  salt  and  potatoes,  literally  speak- 
ing too." 


ORGANIC. 

In  1855,  the  territory  now  constituting  the 
towns  of  Clinton  and  Christiana  were  set  off 
from  the  town  of  Viroqua,  by  the  county 
board  of  Bad  Ax  county.  To  this  territory  was 
given  the   name    of  Christiana.     In    1856  this 


482 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


territory  was  divided  into  thepresent  towns  of 
Cliristiana  and  Clinton. 

The  first  election  in  the  present  town  of 
Christiana  was  held  at  the  house  of  Nels  Han- 
son Napurd,  on  section  33,  April  7,  1856.  The 
following  were  the  officers  elected:  J.  R.  Bjor- 
seth,  (chairman),  David  Wilt  and  llendrick 
Johnson,  supervisors.  Lars  Christopherson 
was  elected  town  clerk,  but  did  not  except  the 
ofBce  and  William  McKnight  was  appointed  in 
his  stead.  Hendrick  Johnson  was  elected 
assessor;  no  other  town  officers  are  recorded  as 
being  elected  at  that  date. 

The  town  officers  for  1883  were:  Timothy 
Madden,  chairman;  Jacob  Olson  and  Ole  Bent- 
son,  supervisors;  A.  J.  Moen,  clerk;  E.  C. 
Bratlie,  assessor;  Julius  Johnson,  treasurer. ' 

Andrew  J.  Moen,  the  present  town  clerk  of 
Christiana,  resides  on  section  33,  where  he 
settled  in  January,  1869.  He  was  born  in  Nor- 
way in  1844;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1867.  He  lived  in  Minnesota  two  years,  coming 
here  from  that  State.  His  father,  who  came  to 
Vernon  county,  several  years  later,  now  lives 
in  the  town  of  Coon. 

Timothy  Madden  resides  on  section  15.  He 
is  the  present  chairman  of  the  town  board.  He 
came  to  the  town  in  1855,  was  born  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  in  1818,  of  Irish  parentage.  Mr. 
Madden  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1852  ;  spent 
some  time  in  the  pinery  regions  and  came  to 
this  town  in  1858. 

POSTOFFICES. 

In  1884  the  town  was  accommodated  by  three 
postoffices,  Westby  and  Newry,  on  section  14, 
and  Lovass  on  section  8.  The  first  posloffice  in 
the  town  was  established  in  1857,  and  was 
called  Coon  Prairie.  The  first  postmaster  was 
George  Smith,  who  had  the  office  on  section  5, 
town  13,  range  4.  It  was  then  removed  to 
the  house  of  John  Benson,  on  the  same  section, 
and  subsequently  removed  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Whittaker.  It  was  then  moved  to  across  the 
town  line  into  Christiana  and  kept  at  the  house 
of  Robert  Lange.     Later  it  vibrated  across  the 


line  from  one  town  to  another,  until  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  postoffice  at  Westby,  in  1879, 
when  the  Coon  Prairie  office  was  discontinued. 
The  first  postmaster  at  Westby  was  Andrew 
Johnson,  who  was  shortly  succeeded  by  Nicho- 
las Nelson,  who  still  held  the  office  in  1884. 

Newry  postoffice  was  established  in  1868. 
This  office  was  first  kept  by  Peter  Bredle,  at 
his  house  on  section  11.  The  second  postmaster 
was  Frank  Delle,  who  kept  the  office  at  his  store 
on  section  14.  In  1884  the  office  was  kept  by 
Christopher  Christopherson,  who  received  his 
appointment  in  the  spring  of  1872. 

Lovass  postoffice  is  so  called  from  Jacob 
Lovass,  the  first  settler  of  that  part  of  the 
town.  It  was  established,  March  15,  1875, 
when  Christian  Olson  was  appointed  post- 
master and  was  still  in  charge  in  1884.  Mr. 
Olson  keeps  a  small  general  store  at  this  point, 
which  is  located  on  section  8. 

MILL. 

The  only  mill  in  the  town  of  Christiana  is  a 
saw  mill  built  in  1862,  on  the  south  branch  of 
Coon  creek,  on  section  8.  It  was  erected  by 
Iver  A.  Amunson.  The  oVjject  in  view,  by  the 
builder  of  this  saw  mill,  was  to  cut  lumber  from 
the  fine  hard  wood  found  in  tliis  section  of  the 
county.  After  running  a  few  years  it  was 
taken  down  and  replaced  by  one  of  a  greater 
capacity,  which  was  propelled  by  steam  power. 
In  1883  this  was  removed  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  section  7. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  advantages  for  schooling  in  this  town 
have  always  been  fair,  though  perhaps  below 
the  average  town  of  the  county. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  1851  in  a 
building  erected  that  year  on  section  35.  It 
was  22x26  feet  and  at  the  time  it  was  built  was 
among  the  best  in  the  county.  A  few  year.s 
later  this  building  was  burned. 

In  1884  there  were  seven  school  houses  in  the 
town,  located  in  seven  sub-districts. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


483 


In  district  No.  1  the  population  are  nearly  all 
Norwegians  who  send  their  children  to  school 
more  in  the  winter  season  than  in  the  summer. 
This  district  affords  a  fair  school  building, 
though  quite  small. 

In  district  No.  2  about  the  same  interest  is 
manifested  and  also  nearly  the  same  advantages 
given  in  way  of  school  property. 

In  district  No.  3  the  school  population  is 
made  up  largely  of  Germans,  Irish  and  Nor- 
wegians; the  latter  nationality  being  in  the 
majority,  however.  Much  interest  has  been 
manifested  in  school  matters. 

Timothy  Madden,  clerk  of  the  school  district, 
has  held  the  office  for  many  years,  during  which 
time  -he  has  ever  looked  after  the  well  being  of 
the  schools.  The  school  liouse  in  this  district 
is  a  large,  well-planned  frame  structure,  pro- 
vided with  the  best  improved  seats,  maps, 
charts,  etc. 

District  No.  4  is  situated  near  Lovass  post- 
office.  Jacob  Olson  is  the  leading  man  in  school 
matters  here.  The  school  building  is  not  firsts 
class,  but  is  rather  an  index  of  by-gone  days, 
when  the  common  school  was  slighted  more 
than  it  is  now-a-days.  Notwithstanding  this  dif- 
ficulty the  patrons,  who  are  nearly  all  Norwe- 
gians, evince  a  deep  interest  in  their  schools. 

In  district  No.  5  the  Norwegian  element  pre- 
dominates largely.  The  school  house  is  a  log 
building  which  is  fairly  comfortable.  Schoolis 
usually  held  five  months  in  the  year. 

District  No.  6  is  situated  on  the  north 
line  of  the  town  and  county  and  embraces 
a  portion  of  Portland  town  in  La  Crosse 
county.  This  district  is  also  provided  with  a 
log  house.  The  Americans  have  the  majority 
in  this  locality  and  great  interest  is  manifested 
in  the  schools,  which  are  generally  taught  by 
first-class  teachers. 

In  1884  district  No.  7  was  comparatively  a 
new  district,  which  embraced  the  village  of 
Westby.  Here  a  large  comfortable  school  house 


stands,    furnished    after   the    latest  plans    and 
methods. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  Norwegians  were  the  first  to  maintain 
religious  services  in  this  town.  They  hold 
meetings  at  a  very  early  date,  sometime  prior 
to  1850. 

In  1884  there  were  three  religious  denomina- 
tions having  organizations  within  the  town. 

A  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  was  located 
on  section  2  and  one  of  the  same  sect  situated 
on  the  northeast  corner  of  section  28. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination  has 
for  many  years  been  represented  by  the  Nor- 
wegians of  that  faith,  who  have  held  their 
meetings  of  late  years  in  their  church  building 
on  section  26;  but,  in  1884,  had  discontinued 
services  and  were  preparing  to  build  a  new 
church  in  the  village  of  Westby. 

The  Norwegian  Lutheran  church  on  section 
2  was  erected  about  the  same  time  that  the 
Coon  Prairie  church  was  erected  in  the  town  of 
Viroqua.  These  two  Churches  were  formerly 
one,  but  owing  to  the  large  membership  and 
the  great  distance  apart  it  was  deemed  neces- 
sary to  build  a  second  church  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  town.  This  structure  is  a  frame 
one,  costing  about  |2,500.  These  two  Churches 
are  supplied  by  the  same  minister. 

Rev.  O.  Jacobson,  of  Viroqua,  pastor  of  Coon 
Prairie  M.  E.  Church,  was  born  at  Taunsburg, 
Norway,  Feb.  12,  1849.  Came  to  the  United 
States  in  1871,  lived  in  New  York  city  some 
time,  where  he  began  preparation  for  the  min- 
istry. He  began  preaching  in  1875  ;  was  or- 
dained deacon  at  Faribault,  Rice  Co.,  Minn.,  in 
1877  by  Bishop  Andrew  ;  was  ordained  elder 
at  Winona  in  1879  by  Bishop  Peck.  Was  as- 
signed to  the  Deer  Park  circuit  where  he  re- 
mained two  years  ;  came  here  in  1881.  Before 
his  ordination,  Mr.  Jacobson  had  charge  of  the 
Churches  of  bis  denomination  at  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis,  and  afterward  at  Faribault.     His 


484 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


wife  is  a  native  of  Sweden.     They   have   three 
children. 

CEMETERIES. 

In  1884  there  were  three  burying  grounds 
within  the  town  of  Christiana.  The  one  first 
located  and  used  was  on  section  33.  This  was 
finally  removed  to  the  village  of  Westby.  One 
known  as  the  Methodist  cemetery  is  situated  on 
section  26,  and  one  used  especially  by  the  Re- 
formed Lutherans,  is  situated  on  section  28. 

VILLAGE  OF    WBSTBT. 

The  forty  acres  upon  which  this  village  was 
laid  out  was  purchased  of  the  State  by  the 
Lutheran  Church,  with  the  intention  of  build- 
ing a  church  thereon.  A  portion  of  the  land 
was  used  by  this  sect  as  a  cemetery  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  The  Church,  however,  decided 
to  build  on  Coon  prairie,  and  they  then  ex 
changed  the  property  with  Nels  Hanson,  for 
that  of  their  present  location  on  Coon  prairie. 
Subsequently  Mr.  Hanson  sold  the  land  to  Jens 
Johnson  who  in  turn  disposed  of  the  property 
to  Ole  Syverson,  and  before  the  village  was  laid 
out,  the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  a 
son  of  the  latter — Anton  Syverson.  The  plat 
was  surveyed  by  the  railroad  company  in 
August,  1879,  and  a  little  later  the  survey  was 
confirmed  by  the  county  surveyor,  with  a  slight 
change.  The  village  is  the  outgrowth  of  the 
railroad,  which  reached  this  point  at  about  the 
same  time  the  plat  was  being  surveyed.  The 
place  derived  its  name  from  O.  T.  Westby,  who 
was  then  running  a  small  store  at  this  point. 

The  first  act  toward  business  development  in 
the  place  was  the  erection  of  a  store  by  Hans 
Nelson,  soon  after  the  village  was  platted  ;  this 
was  still  used  as  a  store  by  Mr.  Nelson  and  his 
son,  in  1884.  The  postoffice  was  also  in  this 
building  at  that  date. 

The  first  regular  train  of  cars  reached  this 
point  Aug.  13,  1879.  The  station  was  opened 
for  the  transaction  of  business  the  day  follow- 
ing. Andrew  Johnson  was  appointed  agent, 
which  place  he  was  still  filling  in  1884.  The 
same   season  the  warehouse   of  W.  E.  Coats  & 


Co.,  was  erected.  Andrew  Johnson  purchased 
the  first  load  of  grain  shipped  from  the  village. 
John  Michelet  erected  a  second  grain  ware- 
house, the  same  fall. 

The  first  lumber  dealer  was  Peter  E.  Peterson, 
who  later  engaged  in  trade  with  O.  T.  Westby. 
Cargill  &King,  of  Sparta,  were  the  first  stock 
dealers  of  the  place  ;  John  Humphrey  was  their 
buyer.  John  Steig  had  a  blacksmith  shop  at 
this  point  when  the  railroad  was  built  through 
and  continued  in  the  business  for  some  time 
thereafter.  The  first  hotel  was  built  in  the 
autumn  of  1879,  by  Berut  Gilbertson,  who  con- 
tinued to  operate  it  for  about  three  years.  It 
was  owned  by   E.  C.  Bergh  in  1884. 

The  business  directory  of  the  village  in  July, 
1883,  was  as  follows:  Hanson  &  Son,  general 
merchants;  C.  H.  Ballsrud,  E.  C.  Bergh  and 
Thoreson  «fe  Co.,  lumber  dealers;  John  Michelet 
and  W.  E.  Coats  &  Co.,  grain  dealers ;  E.  C. 
Bergh,  hotel  ;  Jens  Skugstad,  harness  maker  ; 
M.  J.  Lindahl,  tin  shop ;  Miss  Ballsrud  and 
Josephine  Michelet,  milliners  ;  Theodore 
Thorson  and  Anton  Syverson,  furniture  dealers; 
B.  Hanson  and  A.  Peterson  shoemakers;  Charles 
Thorson,  foundry  and  machine  shop. 

CASE    OF   MURDEK. 

A  brutal  case  of  murder  of  one  of  the  citi- 
zens of  the  town  of  Christiana  occurred  on  New 
Years  night,  1864.  Robert  Lange  resided  on 
section  33,  where  he  kept  a  store.  Jack  Clear 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army,  whose  father 
lived  in  the  town  of  Viroqua.  At  the  time  of 
the  murder  Clear  was  at  home  on  a  furlough, 
which  had  about  expired.  He  and  Lange  were 
well  acquainted  and  personal  friends. 

Lange,  having  business  at  La  Crosse,  an  ar- 
rangement was  made  with  Clear,  by  which  the 
latter  was  to  ride  to  La  Crosse  with  Lange,  on 
his  way  to  join  his  regiment.  Lange  was  not 
again  seen  alive  by  any  of  his  friends.  At 
about  midnight,  his  team,  with  the  wagon,  ap- 
peared in  front  of  the  City  Hotel,  where  Lange 
was  accustomed  to  call. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


48S 


The  team  was  without  a  driver.  An  examin- 
ation revealed  blood  stains  in  the  wagon;  a 
search  was  instituted  and  the  body  of  Lange 
was  found  about  three  miles  south  of  La  Crosse. 
He  had  been  killed  and  his  head  terribly  man- 
gled with  an  ax.  It  seems  that  the  parties  had 
stopped  at  a  place  where  beer  was  fold,  and 
Clear  had  improved  the  opportunity  of  secret- 
ing an  ax  in  the  wagon.  The  day  was  very 
cold  and  after  they  had  resumed  their  ride, 
Clear  pretending  to  be  cold,  jumped  out  of  the 
wagon  and  ran  along  behind  it  for  some  dis- 
tance, and  then  quietly  getting  in  behind,  picked 
up  the  ax,  and  struck  his  unsuspecting  compan- 
ion, mangling  him  in  a  terrible  manner  and 
doubtless  killing  him  instantly.  He  then  drove 
into  the  timber,  threw  the  body  from  the  wagon, 
drove  the  team  into  town,  and  as  it  appears, 
left  it  to  take  care  of  itself.  The  object  of  the 
murder  was  to  secure  several  hundred  dollars 
that  Lange  had  upon  his  person  at  the  time. 
Clear  succeeded  in  reaching  Chicago  where  he 
was  arrested  by  Elias  Solberg,  sheriff  of  La 
Crosse  county.  The  murder  produced  intense 
excitement  and  when  Clear  returned  to  La 
Crosse,  with  the  sheriff,  a  desperate  effort  was 
made  to  lynch  him,  which  was  finally  prevented 
by  strategy.  Clear  was  tried  for  the  murder 
and  sent  to  Waupun  for  life,  where  he  remained 
till  recently,  when  he  was  pardoned  by  Gov. 
Smith,  at  about  the  close  of  his  administration. 

BIOGBAPHICAL. 

Nearly  thirty-six  years  have  passed  since  the 
first  settlement  was  made  in  the  town,  and  the 
following  named  citizens  are  early  settlers,  sons 
or  descendants  of  pioneers,  or  men  prominent 
in  town  affairs,  at  the  present  writing. 

Hans  K.  Larson,  has  the  honor  of  being  one 
of  the  first  settlers  in  this  town.  He  was  born 
in  Norway,  in  December,  1803,  and  went  direct 
to  Koshkonong,  Dane  county  in  1848,  and  to 
Vernon  county  in  1849.  He  made  a  claim  of  a 
quarter  section  of  land,  forty  acres  on  each  of 
the  four  sections  numbered  22,  23,  26  and  27. 
He  finally  purchased  the  eighty  acres  which  lie 


on  sections  22  and  26.  Mr.  Larson  was  married 
in  Norway,  and  three  children  were  there  born, 
one  daughter  and  two  sons.  The  daughter  died 
in  Norway,  and  in  1849,  Mr.  Larson's  family  ac- 
companied him  to  America.  Another  son  was 
born  on  the  vessel  while  enroute  to  this  country. 
Mr.  Larson  has  been  peculiarly  unfortunate  with 
his  family.  His  wife  died  in  1859,  and  his 
eldest  son,  Lars,  reached  maturity  and  then  died, 
leaving  a  family.  His  second  son,  Mathias, 
died  at  Westby,  in  I  881.  He  was  a  man  of  in- 
telligence, and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
chairman  of  the  town  board  and  justice  of  the 
peace.  The  son,  Andrew,  born  on  board  the 
vessel,  only  lived  to  be  fourteen  years  old.  A 
grand-son  of  Mr.  Larson,  Henry  Hanson,  son  of 
Mathias,  lives  with  his  grand-father.  He  was 
the  only  son  of  his  parents,  and  born  in  this 
town,  April  7,  1870.  He  is  a  boy  of  intelli- 
gence and  much  promise. 

M.  C.  Bergh  is  a  son  of  Clement  Clementson 
Rergh,  who  settled  in  Christiana  town  in  1849. 
He  was  born  in  Norway,  in  December,  1816, 
and  emigrated  to  America  with  a  wife  and 
three  children  the  same  year  he  settled  in 
Vernon  county.  He  purchased  forty  acres  of 
land  from  the  government,  and  a  like  amount 
from  Lars  Christopherson,  and  lived  thereon 
till  his  death,  which  occurred  May  24,  1878. 
Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bergh,  after  their  arrival  in  this  county.  The 
widow  still  occupies  the  old  homestead  with 
her  son,  M.  C.  Bergh.  The  latter  was  born  in 
Norway,  in  1846,  and  married  a  daughter  of 
Ole  Olson,  who  is  now  deceased.  These  par- 
ents have  been  blessed  with  the  following 
named  children:  Clara  Menneli,  Oscar  Melvin, 
Tilda  Maline,  Nelle  Bolette  and  Alma  Char- 
lotte.    The  home  farm  contains  120  acres. 

John  O.  Berggum  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Christiana  town.  He  was  born  in  Norway, 
Feb.  13,  1802.  In  October,  1836,  he  married 
Nellie  Johnson,  and  with  his  wife  and  one 
daughter,  also  an  adopted  daughter  named 
Martha  Larson,  left  their   home   April  3,  1849, 


486 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


in  a  sailing  vessel  for  America.  When  five 
weeks  out,  a  son  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Berggum.  At  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the 
captain,  this  boy  was  named  after  himself  and 
his  vessel,  Wittus  Johaii  Benedictus.  After  a 
ten  weeks  voyage,  they  reached  New  York. 
They  went  up  to  Albany  in  a  vessel,  and  from 
thence  to  Buffalo  by  the  Erie  canal.  Then 
boarded  a  steamer  for  Milwaukee,  and  thence 
to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  by  team.  This  was  their 
first  halting  place  after  five  and  a  half  months 
of  constant  travel.  The  family  stopped  with 
friends  in  Dane  county  the  following  winter, 
and  the  father  traveled  on  foot  '200  miles  north 
to  find  work  in  the  pineries.  He  succeeded, 
and  by  spring  had  earned  about  $100,  but  the 
failure  of  his  employers  deprived  him  of  his 
earnings,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  dollars. 
On  his  return  to  Dane  county,  he  passeo 
through  the  northern  part  of  Vernon  county, 
and  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  country  called 
Coon  Prairie,  that  he  resolved  to  locate  there. 
He  purchased  a  yoke  of  steers  and  two  cows 
and  with  a  sick  wife  and  three  small  children, 
made  the  long  and  tedious  journey  to  the  town 
of  Christiana.  He  settled  on  a  farm  on  section 
33,  and  in  the  summer  of  1851,  erected  his 
present  dwelling  house.  This  is  the  oldest 
house  now  in  the  town.  Mr.  Berggum  had  to 
go  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  fifty-five  miles  distant 
after  provisions.  He  has  two  living  children 
—  Elizabetii,  wife  of  J.  M.  Rusk,  and  the  son 
born  on  ship-board,  W.  J.  B.  Johnson. 

John  Michelet  is  a  grain  merchant  of  West- 
by,  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Christiana 
town.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1880,  and 
in  1850,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty,  set  sail 
for  America.  He  came  direct  to  Vernon 
county,  and  from  thence  to  Prairie  du  Chien, 
where  he  engaged  in  clerking.  The  following 
Christmas  he  returned  by  invitation  to  attend 
the  wedding  of  Evan  Olson  and  a  Miss  Nelson, 
which  was  among  the  first  marriages  in  the 
county.  When  he  first  came  to  the  town,  he 
purchased  a  claim  on  section  35,  of    Ole  Syver- 


son,  but  did  not  settle  there — after  leaving 
Prairie  du  Chien,  he  engaged  with  Frank 
Dunn  (a  brother  of  Judge  Dunn  )  as  clerk  in  a 
store  at  Tibbet's  Landing.  This  store  was  the 
first  at  that  point ;  building  of  frame,  and  con- 
tained a  complete  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise. The  parents  of  Mr.  Michelet  came  to 
Vernon  county  in  1851,  and  located  on  their 
son's  farm.  After  again  clerking  in  Prairie  du 
Chien  for  a  short  time,  he  joined  his  parents  on 
the  farm,  and  remained  there  until  1819.  In 
the  fall  of  the  latter  year,  he  came  to  Westby 
village,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the 
grain  trade.  Mr.  Michelet  is  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  Christiana  town,  and  a 
man  highly  esteemed. 

Hans  Olson  was  born  in  Norway  Dec.  24, 
1814.  He  married  Karn  Bakkam  March  28, 
1841.  She  was  born  June  9,  1817.  They  emi- 
grated to  America  in  the  spring  of  1847,  and 
located  in  the  town  of  Christiana  in  1848,  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  35.  Mr.  Olson 
was  accidentally  killed  Dec.  22,  1864,  by  a 
stroke  on  the  head  from  the  limb  of  a  tree  he  was 
felling.  He  died  within  fifteen  hours  from  the 
time  of  the  accident.  He  was  the  father  of  six 
children,  two  of  whom  died  before  him--Minna 
and  Martinus.  The  oldest  daughter,  Agnethe, 
was  born  in  Norway,  married  Markus  Montgom- 
ery and  lives  at  Chicago,  111.  A  son,  Brown, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Christiana,  March  30, 
IS.iO,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  town 
and  probably  in  the  county.  He  was  married 
to  Sophia  Nelson  June  25,  1878,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  was  born. 
A  sister,  Helene,  was  born  March  24,  1852,  and 
married  to  Ole  Bentson  and  is  living  in  this 
town.  Olave  was  born  April  13,  1854,  and  died 
in  Chicago,  111.,  Dec.  13,  1871. 

Lars  Hanson  resides  on  section  34.  He  was 
born  in  Norway,  in  1817,  and  there  resided  dur- 
ing the  earlier  years  of  his  life.  In  184  9  he  emi- 
grated with  his  family  to  the  United  States 
and  settled  in  Vernon  county  in  1850.  The 
year  following  he   came  into  the  town  of  Chris- 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


48'; 


tiana  and  located  on  his  present  farm,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanson  are  the 
parents  of  four  children.  The  eldest  child, 
Evan,  was  born  in  Norway  Dec.  12,  1845.  The 
others  are  natives  of  this  town — Johanes,  born 
Dec.  23,  1853,  Louis  L ,  born  Aug.  1,  1856, 
married  Carrie,  daughter  of  Andrew  Peterson, 
Otto,  born  Feb.  10,  1859. 

Torger  Nelson  Naperud  is  one  of  the  oldest 
settlers  of  Christiana  town.  He  came  to  Ver- 
non county  in  1852  and  purchased  his  farm  of 
Lars  Christopherson  the  same  year.  The  farm 
now  contains  280  acres,  the  greater  portion  of 
which  is  under  cultivation.  This  land  is  situa- 
ted on  section  34  and  only  six  acres  were  im- 
proved when  it  came  into  possession  of  its  pres- 
ent owner.  Torger  N.  Naperud  was  born  in 
Norway  in  1814  and  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  with  his  family  and  parents.  His  father 
was  born  in  1778,  and  died  in  1858.  The 
mother  was  born  in  1788,  and  died  in  1865. 
Mrs.  Naperud's  father,  John  Pederson,  was 
was  born  in  1791  and  died  in  1869.  Her  mother, 
Berte  Pederson,  was  born  in  1803,  and  died  in 
1876.  These  parents  died  at  Mr.  Naperud's 
house  and  all  are  buried  in  the  same  cemeteiy. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Naperud  have  five  children,  two 
sons  and  three  daughters — Bergete,  Necoline, 
Julia,  John  and  Carl.  Mr.  Naperud  is  one  of 
the  most  wealthy  and  respected  citizens  of  the 
town. 

Hans  Nelson,  of  H.  Nelson  &  Son,  merchants 
at  Westby,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  citi- 
zens of  Christiana  town.  He  is  a  native  of 
Norway,  where  he  was  born  in  1835.  His  par- 
ents had  five  children— two  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters. One  daughter,  Ingeborg,  died  in  Nor- 
way. Another  daughter,  Helene,  married  Nels 
Jacobson,  and  with  her  sister  Penele  came  to 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1849,  where  both  daughters 
died  of  cholera.  Mr.  Jacobson  afterward  came 
to  Vernon  county  and  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  the  town  of  Hamburg.  Mr.  Nelson 
came  to  this  State  in  1852,  and  located  the  same 
year   in   the    town    of   Hamburg,   Vernon    Co., 


Wis.  In  1854  he  sent  to  Norway  for  the  re- 
mainder of  his  father's  family.  His  mother 
died  in  Dane  county  when  coming  through  that 
section  of  country,  and  was  buried  in  tlie 
same  graveyard  with  her  two  daughters. 
The  father  and  a  brother  Ole  located  in  the 
town  of  Hamburg,  and  there  the  fathei  died 
Nov.  22  of  the  same  year;  aged  sixty-three  years. 
This  was  the  first  death  in  the  town  of  Ham- 
burg. Ole  enlisted  in  the  25th  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  died  at  Col- 
umbus, Ky.,  while  in  the  service.  Mi*. 
Nelson  is  the  only  surviving  member  of 
of  the  family.  He  settled  in  the  town  of  Ham- 
burg on  section  12,  in  1852,  and  fourteen  years 
later  removed  to  the  town  of  Coon  and  farmed 
on  section  8.  But  on  the  advent  of  the  railroad 
into  the  town  of  Christiana,  he  removed  to 
Westby  and  engaged  in  his  present  business. 
Mr.  Nelson's  wife  is  also  a  native  of  Norway. 
Thev  have  two  sons — Necolai  and  Anton,  both 
natives  of  Vernon  county.  The  former  is  the 
!  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  H.  Nelson  &  Son 
i  and  the  present  postmaster  at  Westby;  the  lat- 
;  ter  resides  on  his  father's  farm  in  the  town  of 
Coon. 

Even  T.  Sangstad,  junior  member  of  the  firm 
!  of  Thorreson  &  Co.,  lumber  merchants,  Westby, 
was  born  in  Norway,  in  1835.  His  father  came 
to  Wisconsin  in  1850,  and  the  mother  and  two 
sisters  followed  him  in  1851.  The  family  lo- 
cated on  section  26,  in  the  town  of  Christiana, 
where  the  mother  died  in  1854.  The  father  is 
now  in  his  ninety-second  year,  and  is  the  oldest 
person  in  the  town.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  ch'ldren,  four  sons  and  five  daughters. 
Two  sons  and  four  daughters  are  still  living. 
The  eldest  daughter  died  in  Norway.  Even  T. 
remained  in  his  native  land  until  eighteen  years 
of  age.  In  1853  he  joined  his  j)arents  in  this 
town,  and  has  since  made  it  his  home.  On 
Aug.  12,  1862,  he  resolved  to  assist  his  adopted 
country  in  suppressing  the  Rebellion,  and  there- 
fore enlisted  in  company  K,  25th  regiment, 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  till 


488 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  government  triumphed.  In  the  spring  of 
1864  the  regiment  was  at  Helena,  Ark.,  where 
Mr.  Sangstad  was  taken  sick,  and  during  the 
remainder  of  his  term  of  service,  when  able  to 
work,  he  was  assigned  to  detached  duty.  Since 
the  war  he  has  been  mostly  engaged  in  cultivat- 
ing the  soil,  and  at  present  owns  a  good  farm  on 
section  21.  In  18S1  he  became  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Thorreson  «fc  Co.,  in  the  lumber 
trade  at  Westby.  Mr.  Sangstad  married  Bertha 
M.,  daughter  of  Thore  Olson  Bakkedahl,  who 
settled  here  in  1854.  They  have  been  blessed 
with  seven  children,  two  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, all  living. 

Christian  H.  Ballsrud  is  one  of  the  prominent 
merchants  of  Westby.  He  was  born  in  Norway, 
June  30,  18;^4,  and  came  to  the  United  States 
when  twenty  years  of  age,  and  direct  to  the  town 
of  Christiana.  He  was  young  and  vigorous,  and 
for  the  first  four  or  five  years  readily 
secured  employment  in  the  lumber  camps  on  the 
Black  river.  In  1855  he  bought  a  piece  of  land 
on  section  27  of  this  town,  but  worked  two 
years  more  before  making  a  permanent  settle- 
ment. He  still  owns  the  farm  which  he  first 
purchased,  and  it  now  comprises  ^80  acres. 
Mr.  Ballsrud  came  to  Wisconsin  the  same  year 
the  republican  party  was  first  formed  at  Jack- 
son, Mich.,  and  when  he  had  been  here  long 
enough  to  understand  the  different  principles 
that  characterized  the  parties  then  in  existence, 
he  attached  himself  to  the  new  party,  and  has 
proven  a  strong  and  earnest  member  to  the 
present  time.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent  citi- 
zens of  Christiana  town,  and  has  served  in  the 
greater  number  of  its  ofiices.  He  was  town  clerk 
for  seven  years,  six  of  them  in  succession;  was 
chairman  of  the  board  three  years;  assessor 
three  years,  and  treasurer  two  years;  was  also 
justice  of  the  peace  for  nine  successive  terms. 
He  embarked  in  his  present  business  in  1879, 
and  now  enjoys  a  good  trade.  He  was  married 
in  1859,  and  is  the  father  of  seven  children,  two 
sons  and  five  daughters.  Mrs.  Ballsrud's 
parents  came  to  America  in  1854.     The  father. 


mother  and  two  children  died  of  cholera  soon 
after  reaching  this  country.  Two  sons  and  one 
daughter  (Mrs.  Ballsrud)  are  the  only  survivors. 
Mr.  Ballsrud  was  once  a  nominee  for  register  of 
deeds  of  Vernon  county,  and  only  lacked  132 
votes  of  being  elected.  When  he  first  came  to 
America  he  acted  as  interpreter  for  his  country- 
men for  some  time. 

Ernest  C.  Jager  is  one  of  the  most  industrious 
farmers  of  this  town.  He  became  a  resident  of 
Vernon  county  in  1855,  and  of  Christiana  town 
in  1871.  He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
in  le40.  In  1854  his  parents,  Christian  and 
Wilhelmina  Jager,  with  their  family,  started 
for  America,  but  the  father  sickened  and  died 
while  they  were  yet  in  Europe.  The  widow  and 
family  came  on  and  settled  in  Waukegan,  111. 
In  1855  Mrs.  Jager  removed  to  Vernon  county, 
and  settled  in  the  town  of  Liberty.  She  died  at 
Viroqua.  There  were  six  children  in  the  family, 
four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Two  of  the  sons 
were  in  the  Union  army.  Henry  enlisted  in 
the  9th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteerlnfantry, 
and  died  in  Arkansas  while  a  prisoner  of  war. 
Louis,  the  other  soldier,  is  now  residing  in  Cali- 
fornia. Mr.  Jager  came  to  Christiana  town  in 
1871,  and  bought  a  farm  of  Elias  Johnson, 
whose  father  was  the  original  settler  on  the 
land.  This  farm  comprises  160  acres,  and  is 
well  improved.  Mr.  Jager's  wife  is  a  native  of 
Norway.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  children 
— Carl,  Eda,  Josephina  and  Henry. 

Chris  Christopherson  resides  on  section  N, 
where  he  settled  in  1857,  and  has  made  all  the 
improvements  on  his  farm.  He  was  born  in 
Norway,  in  November,  1823,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in  July,  1856.  He  first  lived  in 
Racine,  Wis.,  one  year,  and  then  came  to  Ver- 
non county.  His  father,  Christopher  Olson, 
died  in  Norway  when  his  son  was  twenty-three 
years  of  age.  His  mother  still  lives  in  her 
native  land.  Five  of  the  family  came  to  this 
country  all  of  whom  live  in  Vernon  and  Monroe 
counties,  Wis.  Mr.  Christopherson  has  been 
twice  married.     He    has    four   sons  by  his  first 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


489 


marriage,  and  seven  children  by  present  wife. 
His  farm  contains  1*50  acres  besides  timbered 
land.  Mr.Christopherson  is  postmaster  of  Newry 
postoffice,  and  is  also  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile trade. 

Erick  C.  Bratlie  was  another  settler  of  1855. 
He  purchased  a  farm  on  section  36,  of  Simeon 
Peterson,  the  latter  of  whom  bought  it  of  a  Mr. 
Woodman,  a  non-resident.  .  Five  acres  of  this 
land  was  improved  when  it  was  purchased  by 
Mr.  Bratlie,  and  he  has  placed  it  under  a  good 
state  of  cultivation,  and  erected  substantial 
farm  buildings.  E.  C.  Bratlie  was  born  in  Nor- 
way in  1842.  He  accompanied  his  father, 
Christopher  Bratlie,  to  this  country,  in  1854. 
The  father  lived  with  his  son  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1860.  He  was  twice  married; 
his  first  wife  the  mother  of  E.  C,  died  in  Nor- 
way. His  second  wife  died  here  in  187'7. 
There  were  four  children  in  the  family,  one 
son  and  three  daughters,  E.  C,  Bertha,  wife  of 
Elias  Neperud,  Mrs.  Katherine  TJnseth,  now  a 
a  widow,  and  Karine  wife  of  Wilhelm  Fleicher 
of  the  town  of  Viroqua.  Eric  C.  Bratlie  mar- 
ried Olavi  Peterson.  They  have  been  blessed 
with  eight  children,  one  son  and  seven  daugh- 
ters. Mrs.  Bratlie's  father,  Evan  Peterson, 
came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  from  Norway,  in  1847, 
and  the  following  year  settled  on  section  Si^  in 
this  town,  where  he  died  June  10,  1877.  His 
wife  died  in  1871.  There  were  one  son  and 
eight  daughters  in  the  family.  Three  of  the 
latter  live  in  the  town  of  Christiana,  and  all 
the  surviving  children  are  residents  of  Wiscon- 
sin. 

Soren  Paulsen  has  been  a  resident  of  Vernon 
county  since  1858,  and  of  this  town  since  1872. 
He  is  a  native  of  Norway,  where  he  was  born  in 
June,  1827.  He  there  learned  the  carpenter  and 
milling  trades  and  in  1854  came  to  the  United 
States.  He  resided  a  short  time  in  each  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  Racine,  Wis.,  and  La  Crosse,  Wis. 
From  the  latter  place,  in  1858,  he  came  to  Ver- 
non county,  and  purchased  a  farm  of  Mons. 
Anderson,  of  La  Crosse.     He  engaged  in  farm- 


ing for  nine  years.  He  sold  his  farm  to  John 
Bergh,  of  Richland  county,  and  removed  to 
Sparta,  Wis.  He  there  worked  at  the  carpenter 
trade  for  three  months.  Then  returned  to 
Vernon  county,  and  purchased  an  interest  in 
the  grist  mill  at  Bloomingdale,  in  the  town  of 
Clinton.  He  was  there  engaged  in  milling, 
with  various  partners,  until  1872,  when  he  sold 
his  interest,  and  purchased  of  Fred  Olson  a 
farm  on  section  35,  of  this  town.  Mr.  Paulsen 
owns  160  acres,  well  improved,  and  his  farm 
buildings  will  compare  favorably  with  any  in 
the  town.  Politically,  he  is  a  republican,  and 
a  firm  adherent  to  the  principles  of  that  party. 
Mr.  Paulsen's  wife  is  also  a  native  of  Norway. 
They  have  eleven  children,  two  sons  and  nine 
daughters.  • 

Ole  T.  Westby,  in  whose  honor  the  village  of 
Westby  was  named,  was  a  merchant  on  the  site 
of  the  village  for  fifteen  years.  His  uncle, 
Evan  Olson,  came  to  Viroqua  at  a  very  early 
day,  and  in  1849  his  father,  Tosten  Olson 
Westby,  came  to  Vernon'  county  from  Norway, 
and  stojiped  with  his  brother  Evan  for  a  time. 
The  following  win'er  he  left  his  family  at  Evan 
Olson's,  town  of  Viroqua,  and  worked  in  the 
lumber  regions  along  the  Kickapoo  river.  In 
1850  he  settled  on  160  acres  of  land  on  section 
34,  Christiana  town,  where  he  resided  till  his 
death  in  March,  1871.  His  widow  still  resides 
at  Westby.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children  when  tbey  arrived  in  Vernon  county — 
Rigene,  who  was  born  in  Norway  in  ]83«,  and 
now  resides  at  Westby;  Olen  T.  and  Evan  T., 
the  latter  of  whom  resides  at  Bloomingdale,  in 
the  town  of  Clinton.  One  child,  born  in  this 
town,  is  now  deceased.  Ole  T.  was  born  in 
Norway  in  1840.  He  was  nine  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  came  to  Vernon  county,  and 
was  here  reared  and  educated.  When  the  war 
commenced  he  enlisted  in  company  H,  15th 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  over  three  years.  Returning  home,  he 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  his  father's  farm,  and 
was  engaged  in  farming   until    1869.     He   then 


490 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


embarked  in  the  mercantile  trade,  and  con- 
tinued it  until  1881.  He  married  Sarah  Duhl. 
They  are  the  parents  of  nine  children,  six  liv- 
ing, two  sons  and  four  daughters.  Three 
daughters  are  dead. 

Hermon  Hermonson,  a  baker  by  trade  and  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  resides  on  section  26.  He 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Toiisberg,  Norway,  Nov. 
20,  1831,  and  lived  there  till  fifteen  years  of 
age.  He  emigrated  to  the  United  Status  in 
1865,  and  joined  his  countrymen  in  Dane  Co., 
Wis.,  where  he  lived  for  a  short  time.  He  then 
went  to  Racine  and  there  worked  at  liis  trade 
until  1869,  when  he  came  to  Vernon  county  and 
located  in  this  town.  He  was  the  only  one 
of  his  father's  family  who  came  to  Vernon 
coun  y.  He  was  married  in  Norway  in  1857  to 
Louise  Harmonson,  a  native  of  Sarpborg.  They 
have  two  adopted  children — Peter,  who  was 
born  in  Norway,  May  20,  1853,  and  Hilda, born 
Jan.  15,  1877.  Mr.  Hermonson  is  an  industri- 
ous and  intelligent  citizen,  and  both  parents  are 
members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

E.  C.  Bergh  is  proprietor  of  the  Westby 
House,  also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at 
Westby.  He  is  a  son  of  C.  C.  Bergh,  a  pioneer 
of  this  town,  whose  personal  history  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  woik.  Mr.  Bergh  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Christiana,  Jan.  4,  1855,  and  here 
grew  to  manhood,  receiving  as  good  an  educa- 
tion as  the  district  school  afforded.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1879,  he  came  to  tiie  village  of  Westby, 


about  the  time  the  railroad  was  first  opened  to 
the  village,  and  embarked  in  his  present  busi- 
ness. He  is  an  active  buriness  man,  and  his 
hotel  is  highly  spoken  of  by  the  traveling 
public.  Mr.  Bergh  married  Matilda  Gilbert- 
son,  and  two  daughters  have  been  given  them — 
Martha  Florence  and  Rebecca. 

Andrew  Johnson  is  agent  of  the  railroad  at 
Westby  station,  in  the  town  of  Christiana.  He 
was  born  in  Norway,  Feb.  1,  1851,  where  he  was 
reared  and  educated  in  his  native  language. 
When  seven  years  of  age  his  father  died  and 
his  mother  subsequently  married  John  Jurgen- 
son  Steen.  The  family  came  to  the  United 
States  in  June,  1867,  and  lived  one  year  in 
Jackson  Co.,  Wis.  Then  the  step-father  took 
up  a  homestead  in  the  town  of  Preston,  Trera- 
peleau  Co.,  Wis.,  and  there  settled.  Both  par- 
ents are  now  deceased.  There  were  four  chil- 
dren in  the  family,  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 
The  latter,  Mrs.  Caroline  Anderson,  resides  on 
the  old  homestead.  Charles  E.  is  agent  of  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway,  at  Zembrota, 
Minn.,  and  his  brother  Christian  is  with 
him.  Andrew  is  the  elder  child  and  accepted 
his  present  position  when  the  railroad  was  fin- 
ished to  Westby.  He  is  an  industrious  and  in- 
telligent citizen,  and  his  oflicial  services  are 
very  satisfactory  to  the  company  by  which  he 
is  employed.  He  married  Sarah  Ramstad,  a 
native  of  Norway.  They  have  two  sons — 
Leonard  I.  and  Carl  O. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


4S1 


CHAPl'h.R    XXXII. 


THE  TOWN  OF  CLINTON. 


Clinton  is  situated  on  the  northern  line  of 
the  county  and  comprises  congressional  town- 
ship 14,  range  ^  west,  containing  23,1.39  acres 
of  land.  The  general  surface  of  this  town  is 
very  broken  and  hilly,  composed  largely  of  val- 
leys and  ridges.  The  bluffs  along  the  streams 
present  almost  per|>etidicular  fronts,  rising  in 
many  instances,  to  a  great  height  from  the 
rivers'  bed.  The  soil  in  the  valleys  is  of  a  black 
sandy  character,  and  very  productive;  the  up- 
land in  the  northern  part  of  the  town,  produces 
excellent  crops  of  wheat,  oats  and  other  cereals. 
In  the  southern  part  of  the  town  is  found  a 
black  loam  with  a  clay  sub-soil.  All  of  this 
town  was  originally  covered  with  timber,  ex- 
cept about  forty  acres  in  the  northeast  corner; 
this  was  on  section  11,  and  was  included  in  the 
original  entry  of  John  Masterson,  the  first  set- 
tler of  tlie  town.  The  chief  varieties  of  timber 
are  the  white,  red  and  burr  oak,  with  some  hard 
maple,  bass  wood  and  butternut.  The  heaviest 
growth  of  timber  extends  in  a  belt  from  the 
northwest  to  the  southeast  corner  of  the  town, 
and  embraces  about  four-fifths  of  the  entire  area 
of  the  town. 

The  principal  stream  flowing  through  Clin- 
ton, is  the  west  branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river, 
which  rises  on  section  6,  its  source  being  a  large 
spring  pond,  on  the  farm  of  Charles  Jersey;  it 
runs  south  from  its  source,  to  the  middle  of 
section  7,  then  flows  west  into  the  town  of 
Christiana,  re-entering  the  town  of  Clinton  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  19,  thence  in  a 
southeasterly  direction,  leaving  the  town  from 
section  31.     This  river  has   several  branches  in 


the  town.  The  first  in  importance,  of  these,  is 
the  "Chaplain  branch,"  consisting  of  two 
streams,  one  rising  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
section  4,  and  the  other  on  section  15;  they 
unite  on  section  8,  and  taking  a  southwesterly 
course,  enter  the  main  stream  on  section  30. 
What  is  known  as  the  "Gillett  branch"  of  the 
Kickapoo  river,  rises  on  section  16,  runs  south- 
west, and  unites  with  the  main  stream  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  30.  Tlie  "Pierce 
branch"  takes  its  rise  on  section  3  t,  and  leaves 
the  town  from  section  32,  entering  the  main 
stream  in  the  town  of  Webster.  Weister  creek 
is  a  smaller  stream,  which  also  has  a  number  of 
small  l)ranches,  which  unite  in  the  southeast 
part  of  the  town,  thus  forming  a  good  sized 
stream  before  they  leave  the  borders  of  the 
town,  from  section  36.  Another  smaU  stream, 
a  branch  of  Brush  creek,  has  its  rise  on  the 
west  side  of  section  2,  and  leaves  the  town  from 
section  1. 

EARLY    SETTLKMENT. 

The  first  man  to  make  an  actual  settlement 
in  the  town  of  Clinton  was  John  Masterson, 
who  in  May,  1854,  located  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  1 1  He  was  an  Irishman  by 
birth,  born  in  the  county  of  Mayo.  He  went 
to  Canada,  when  young,  and  from  there  to 
Ohio,  from  which  State  he  came  to  this  locality. 
At  the  time  he  settled  here  his  family  consisted 
of  his  wife  and  four  children — Mary  Jane,  Wil- 
liam, Michael  and  Eliza.  He  resided  ^here  he 
first  located  till  his  death,  about  twenty  years 
later.  He  was  twice  married  ;  his  second  wife 
survived  him,  and  in  1884  was  a  resident  of  La- 


492 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Crosse.  Michael,  the  only  one  of  the  family 
in  the  town,  was  born  in  Ohio,  May  27,  1838. 
He  served  in  the  12th  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  during  the  Rebellion. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  town 
of  Clinton,  an  effort  was  made  by  Mr.  Master- 
son  and  his  friends  to  have  the  town  named 
after  his  father,  as  he  was  the  first  settler  within 
the  bounds  of  the  town.  This  name  was  ap- 
plied for  several  years,  and  the  clerk's  records 
in  the  early  history  of  the  town  so  gives  the 
name  ;  but  the  later  board  of  supervisors  failed 
to  sustain  the  claim  of  Mr.  Masterson  and  his 
friends,  and  the  name  Clinton  was  adopted  by 
that  body. 

Later  in  the  year,  1854,  Ingebret  Bjorseth 
and  Lars  Morterud,  two  Norwegians,  began  the 
improvement  of  the  water  power  at  Blooming- 
dale,  and  a  little  later  still,  Ole  Hallingstad 
located  on  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  31. 

In  1855  the  population  was  increased  by  a 
number  of  settlers  ;  C.  A.  Hunt,  afterward  of 
Monroe  county,  located  that  year,  at  what  was 
afterward  Bloomingdale.  He  was  one  of  the 
active    men  of  the  town  in  those  early  days. 

Others  came  in  that  year,  attracted,  doubtless, 
by  tlie  prospective  mill  and  other  improvements 
that  had  began  to  develop  themselves. 

In  other  portions  of  the  town,  in  1855,  set- 
tled Thomas  Seaman  and  John  Stokes  on  sec- 
tion 13.     Mr.  Stokes  died,  March  26,  1878. 

A  man  named  Dunn,  a  son-in-law  of  John 
Masterson,  came  with  the  latter,  remained  a 
short  time  and  moved  to  LaCrosse. 

L.  B.  Perkins  came  in  October,  1854  and 
made  an  entry  of  land,  on  section  12,  but  did 
not  settle  on  the  same  till  in  March,  1856  ;  he 
afterward  sold  to  T.  J.  Seaman  and  moved  to 
section  9. 

Another  settler  of  1855  was  John  Norris, 
who  settled  on  section  26.  His  father,  James 
Norris,  came  to  Vernon  county  in  1854,  spent 
two  years  in  the  town  of  Viroqua,  and  then 
removed  to  the  town  of  Webster,  where  he 
died  in  February,   1883.     He    was  a   native  of 


Maryland,  born  in  1799,  and  moved  to  Ohio, 
with  his  parents,  when  a  mere  boy,  where  he 
lived  till  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Vernon 
county.  His  wife,  Susan  (Hudson)  Norris,  died 
in  1881.  There  were  six  children  in  the  family 
when  they  came  to  Vernon  county.  John  was 
born  in  Ohio,  in  1823.  He  was  married  in  Ohio, 
his  wife  bore  him  seven  children — Clarissa 
Alraira,  Phoebe,  Cyrus,  Susan,  Margaret,  Jas-' 
per  and  Lydia. 

Hans  Hanson,  another  pioneer  of  1855,  came 
in  June,  and  settled  on  section  31,  where  he 
lived  till  1871,  when  he  exchanged  his  farm  for 
a  half  interest  in  the  mill  property  at  Blooming- 
dale.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1822,  and 
came  to  America  in  1850.  He  lived  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  this  State,  till  he  came  to  the  town 
of  Clinton.  His  family  consists  of  a  wife  and 
seven  children,  three  boys  and  four  girls — 
Maren  O.,  Peter,  Karen,  Hannah  M.,  Charley  G. 
and  Ida  M. 

Among  the  number  who  settled  in  the  town 
during  1856  were:  Samuel  H.  Bugbee,  Samuel 
and  Alexander  Currier  and  Jeremiah  Conaway. 

Samuel  H.  Bugbee  settled  on  section  1 2,  in 
March.  He  was  from  the  State  of  New  York. 
He  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  from  his 
brother,  Elijah  L.  Bugbee.  He  died  Nov.  21, 
1872. 

Luke  Bugbee,  a  brother  of  Samuel,  was  also 
an  early  settler. 

The  Currier  brothers,  Samuel  and  Alexander, 
in  1884,  were  occupying  land  claimed  by  their 
father,  Abner  Currier,  in  June,  1856.  Abner 
Currier's  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and  six 
children,  all  of  whom  had  grown  to  manhood. 
The  father  died  in  November,  1872. 

A.  J.  Gift  and  B.  Banker  settled  in  1857. 
The  latter  located  on  section  1.  He  was  after- 
ward a  soldier  of  the  25th  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  After  the  close  of  the  Rebellion 
he  moved  to  the  town  of  Whitestown,  where 
he  died  in  November,  1882, 


f.' 


^/4^,  ^,  ^^<^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


495 


James  K.  Boyd  also  settled  on  section  1  in 
1857,  and  moved  to  Missouri  in  1871,  where  be 
died. 

Patrick  Brody  came  to  the  town  of  Clinton 
in  1S59.  He  purchased  his  first  eighty  acres  of 
land  of  Jonathan  Adams.  By  birth  he  was  an 
Irishman.  He  came  to  America  in  1847.  He 
lived  in  Columbia  and  Ontario  counties,  N.  Y., 
till  he  came  to  this  town  in  1859.  In  1884  he 
possessed  480  acres  of  land  and  was  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock  raising. 

During  the  years  1856,  1857  and  1858,  the 
increase  of  population  was  rapid.  In  1880  the 
United  States  census  gave  the  nuipber  of  in- 
habitants of  the  town  as  1008,  including  the 
village  of  Bloomingdale,  which  was  given  as 
ninety-six. 

FIEST    EVENTS. 

The  first  house  built  in  the  town  of  Clinton 
was  erected  on  section  .31,  on  the  present  plat 
of  Bloomingdale.  It  was  built  by  Ingebret 
Bjorseth,  in  1851.  Here  the  first  school  in  tlu 
town  was  taught  in  the  summer  of  1857  b_\ 
Mrs.  Sarah  Roy. 

The  first  sermon  was  preached  in  this  house 
also,  by  Rev.  John  Whitworth,  a  Methodisi 
c'ergyman.  This  was  some  time  before  the 
village  of  Bloomingdale  was  platted. 

C.  A.  Hunt  did  the  first  blacksmithing,  in 
1855. 

The  first  store  was  kept  by  H.  B.  Nichols, 
who  opened  up  a  general  stock  in  1856,  and 
dealt  about  two  years. 

The  first  shoe  shop  was  carried  on  by  T. 
Brown. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  built  by  L.  Morterud, 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  31,  town  14, 
range  7. 

ORGANIC. 

Clinton  was  set  off  from  the  town  of  Chris- 
tiana, in  1856.  The  first  election  was  held  in 
the  village  of  Boomingdale,  when  the  following 
named  were  elected  as  town  officers:  C.  H.  Hunt, 
(chairman)  T.  J.  Seaman,  and  B.  F.  Vanduzee, 
supervisors;     Dr.       Amos      Carpenter,      town 


clerk;  P.  C.  Taylor,  treasurer.  These  are 
the  only  oflicers  whose  names  appear  on  the 
earliest  record  of  this  town.  The  ofiicers  in 
1883  were:  P.  W.  Cary,  (chairman)  D.  C. 
Yakey  and  Timothy  Dwyer,  supervisors; 
Jeremiah  Conaway,  clerk;  E.  E.  Rustad,  treas- 
urer; H.  M.  Davis,  assessor;  Marion  Osborne, 
J.  C.  Smith,  G.  C.  Taylor  and  A.  C- Cl.ary, 
justices   of  the  peace;  S.  W.  Perkins,  constable. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

In  1884  the  town  of  Clinton  had  seven  school 
houses,  some  of  which  were  within  joint 
districts. 

District  No.  1  was  then  using  a  log  house, 
which  was  situated  in  a  picturesque  place,  with 
fine  play  grounds  adjoining.  The  population 
is  made  up  of  American,  Irish  and  a  few  Norwe' 
gians. 

No.  2  also  contained  a  log  building,  which 
was  situated  in  the  heart  of  a  fertile,  well  de- 
veloped farming  community.  Here  the  Irish 
predominate;  they  send  to  school  mostly  in  the 
winter  season.  This  district  while  they  are 
ahiindantly  able  to  erect  a  school  house  which 
would  be  an  ornament  to  the  community  and 
befitting  their  actual  needs,  seem  to  prefer  the 
old  half  decayed  log  cabin,  which  has  served 
them  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

The  school  house  in  district  No.  3  is  located 
near  Dell  postoflice,  near  Weister  creek.  This 
is  another  pioneer  landmark;  a  log  structure,  old 
and  dilapidated;  most  of  the  pupils  in  this  dis- 
trict are  American. 

District  No.  5  is  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Kickapoo  river,  a  few  miles  from  Bloomingdale. 
This  is  provided  with  a  log  school  house.  The 
population  are  mainly  Americans  with  an  oc- 
casional Norwegian  family.  In  the  summer  of 
1883  the  old  log  house  was  being  superceded 
by  a  neat  frame  building,  more  in  keeping  with 
the  times. 

District  No.  6  is  composed  chiefly  of  an 
American  settlement.  The  school  house  known 
as  "North  Clinton,"  is  pleasantly  located, 
much  interest  is  manifested  in  this   district   in 


29 


496 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


school  matter,  and  their  is  a  good  average 
attendance  both  summer  and  winter. 

District  No.  7  or  "Sugar  Grove"  school  has 
a  good  frame  building,  well  furnished  and 
stands  in  a  beautiful  location.  The  American 
element   predominates. 

Joint  district  No.  13,  is  situated  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Bloomingdale.  Here  a  frame  house  is 
provided,  located  on  a  hill  near  the  village. 
This  district  is  composed  largely  of  Norwe- 
gians. 

RELIGIOUS. 

In  1884  there  were  three  Church  organizations 
in  the  town  of  Clinton — the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal, the  United  Brethren  and  Roman  Catholic. 

The  church  building  of  the  Methodists  is 
located  on  section  28.  It  is  a  log  house  erected 
in  1871.  A  class  was  organized  the  same  year 
in  which  this  house  was  built.  Rev.  William 
McMillan  officiated,  and  the  following  named 
comprised  the  first  membership:  M.  D.  Adams, 
P.  J.  Owen  and  wife,  S.  R.  Curry  and  wife, 
Samuel  Wakeman  and  wife,  Joseph  Hughes 
and  wife,  'Squire  H.  Mossholder  and  wife,  Mrs. 
Harry  Hall,  Mrs.  Betsy  Hughes,  Mrs.  E.  Cary, 
Mrs.  Headly,  Mrs.  Frances  Wakeman,  Mrs. 
Fidelia  Calhoun,  Mrs.  Ellen  Wakeman  and, 
perhaps,  a  few  whose  names  are  not  here  men- 
tioned.. Rev.  McMillan  preached  for  this 
Church  a  year,  and  was  succeeded  in  their  turn 
by  the  following  named  ministers  :  Rev.  N.  C. 
Bradley,  Rev.  Thompson,  Rev.  Smith,  Rev. 
Frank  Nuzum,  Rev.  R.  S.  Mockett,  Rev.  C.  A. 
Cliff  and  Rev.  L.  N.  Wooley.  M.  D.  Adams 
was  the  first  class  leader,  and  continued  to  fill 
that  office  till  his  death,  which  took  place  Feb. 
26,  1883.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  classes  on 
the  Viola  circuit,  and  was  greatly  increased  by 
a  revival  held  early  in  1883. 

The  first  meetings  held  in  the  town  by  the 
United  Brethren  were  at  the  house  of  James  C. 
Smith,  on  section  25,  in  1857.  A  class  was  then 
formed  by  Rev.  R.  Powell,  composed  of  James 
C.  Smith  and  wife,  Laor  King  and  wife,  Cor- 
nelius Blower  and  wife,  Mrs.  Ann  Fish,  Robert 


Campton  and  wife,  besides  a  few  others  whose 
names  are  now  forgotten.  Meetings  were  held 
at  private  houses  about  a  year,  and  then  at  the 
school  house  in  district  No.  3,  till  the  church 
on  section  35  was  erected. 

Rev.  E.  S.  Alderman  is  the  pastor  in  charge 
of  the  United  Brethren  congregation  of  Clin- 
ton town,  and  owns  and  resides  on  an  eighty 
acre  farm  on  section  35.  He  is  a  son  of  Elijah 
and  Mary  Alderman,  and  was  born  in  Morgan 
Co.,  Ohio,  April  12,  1830.  He  received  a  good 
common  school  education,  supplemented  with 
an  academic  course  of  study  at  Galena,  Dela- 
ware Co.,  Ohio.  He  was  married  Sept.  5,  1852, 
in  Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  to  Miss  F.  D.  Wakeman, 
and  in  1859  both  united  with  the  United  Breth- 
ren Church.  In  1860  Mr.  Alderman  was  li- 
censed to  preach,  and  traveled  as  an  itinerant 
minister  in  the  Sciota  conference  of  Ohio  for 
two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Wisconsin  and  joined  the  conference 
of  that  State.  He  finally  made  a  permanent 
settlement  in  Vernon  county,  and  has  there  re- 
sided during  the  greater  portion  of  his  minis- 
terial work.  His  labors  in  the  cause  of  his 
Master  have  been  mostly  confined  to  Vernon, 
Richland,  Sauk,  Jefferson,  Monroe  and  Dane 
counties.  He  has  been  the  direct  means  of  re- 
ceiving 500  converts  into  the  Church,  and  ad- 
ministering the  rite  of  baptism  to  over  400; 
also  solemnizing  111  marriages.  He  has 
preached  an  average  of  twice  each  week  for 
twenty-three  years,  and  is  still  an  earnest  worker 
in  the  vineyard  of  Christ.  Himself  and  wife 
have  had  six  children  born  to  them,  losing  one 
in  infancy. 

Anotiier  class  of  this  denomination  was 
formed  in  the  town  at  a  later  period,  and  a  log 
church  was  built  on  section  28,  and  called 
"Hughes'  Chapel."  Meetings  were  held  in  this 
till  about  1882,  when  many  of  the  members  had 
removed,  while  others  had  united  with  the 
Weister  Church. 

The  Catholic  church,  located  on  section  13, 
was  built  in  1867.    It  is  a  frame  structui-e  32x42 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


401 


feet,  with  an  18  foot  ceiling.  The  first  services 
held  by  the  Catholics  in  this  town  were  at  pri- 
vate houses  in  1862.  The  eurliest  officiating 
pastor  was  Rev.  Patrick  Murphy,  who  was  also 
pastor  at  Rising  Sun.  The  following  named 
pastors  have  since  served  the  Church:  Rev. 
Father  Marco,  Rev.  Nicholas  Steeley,  Rev. 
Michael  Ileiss,  Rev.  H.  Grosse,  who  was  pas- 
tor when  the  church  was  erected;  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  W.  Hackner,  then  came  Rev. 
Father  Wicker.  The  trustees  at  the  time  the 
church  was  built  were:  Patrick  Brody,  Michael 
Navin,  John  Masterson,  Hugh  Donahue  and 
Timothy  Dwyer.  The  entire  cost  of  the  church 
building  was  $2,000. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  first  cemetery  in  the  town  was  situated 
near  Bloomingdale  and  was  open  in  1857, 
fenced  and  improved.  The  next  was  the  Catho- 
lic burying  ground  near  their  church  on  section 
13.  The  third  was  located  on  Weister  creel> 
and  owned  by  the  United  Brethren  Church 
Another  cemetery  is  situated  in  school  district 
No.  6,  known  'is  "North  Clinton  Cemetery.' 
'I'here  is  also  one  at  Sugar  Grove  by  the  United 
Brethren  Church. 

MILLS. 

The  numerous  streams  throughout  this  town 
which   have  an   abrupt  descent,  afford     ample 
water-power  privileges,  which  have  been    quite 
well  improved  and  made  a  great  source  of  interest 
to  the  town,  even  from  its  earliest  history. 

The  first  mill  was  beguji  by  I.  Bjorsetli  and 
L.  Morterud,  in  1854;  but  before  its  completion 
the  site  with  the  half  finished  mill  was  sold  to 
Evan  Olson,  who  in  1855  sold  a  half  interest  to 
C.  A.  Hunt.  The  mill  was  finished  and  put  in 
operation  by  this  gentleman,  in  1856.  In  1884 
this  property  was  owned  by  Marion  Osborn. 

Marion  Osborn  is  owner  and  proprietor  of 
the  grist  mill  at  Bloomingdale,  and  also  of 
saw-mill  in  the  town  of  Webster,  on  this  branch 
of  the  Kickapoo  river.  He  bought  the  grist 
mill  in  August,  1877,  of  Hans  Hanson  and 
Frederick    Olson.     Mr.  Osborn    is    a   native  of 


Indiana.  He  came  to  this  county  with  his 
father  in  1858.  He  has  had  large  experience  in 
the  milling  business.  He  learned  the  trade  of 
his  father  who  owned  a  mill  in  the  town  of 
Kickapoo.  He  ptirchased  the  mill  of  his  father 
in  1866,  and  run  it  for  seven  years,  and  then  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo, 
which  he  continued  four  years,  when  he  sold 
his  farm  and  bought  this  mill  property  as 
stated.  The  mill  at  Bloomingdale  has  two  run 
of  stone,  and  does  all  kinds  of  custom  work. 
Mr.  Osborn  was  a  member  of  the  46th  Wiscon- 
sin regiment,  Volunteer  Infantry  in  the  war  of 
the  Rebellion,  serving  about  one  year.  Mrs. 
Osborn  was  formerly  Miss  Hannah  McKettrick. 

From  time  to  time  there  has  been  a  number 
of  saw  mills  in  operation,  within  this  town,  in- 
cluding some  run  by  steam,  the  principal  one  of 
which  was  brought  in  and  set  up  by  Ransom 
and  A.  P.  Gillett,  about  1855.  This  mill  was 
located  on  the  "Gillett  branch"  of  the  Kickapoo 
river,  on  section  20;  it  was  operated  at  that 
point  a  number  of  years,  and  then  moved  to 
various  points  in  the  town  as  occasion  seemed 
to  require,  and  was  finally  discontinued.  The 
engine,  by  which  the  mill  was  propelled,  was 
afterward  used  in  the  Springville  flouring  mill 
of  the  town  of  Jefferson. 

The  first  saw  mill  operated  by  water  power, 
was  erected  by  John  and  John  S.  Dickson,  father 
and  son,  on  section  30;  it  was  on  the  west 
branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river.  James  Dickson, 
another  son,  did  the  carpenter  work,  and  after- 
ward owned  the  premises.  This  mill  was  fitted 
up,  for  work,  in  1856,  and  was  run  till  July,  1881 , 
when  the  dam  was  washed  away  aiid  never  re- 
built. 

A  saw  mill  was  operated  by  Alexander  Swim, 
on  section  30,  in  1865  or  1866.  In  1884  it  was 
owned  by  H.  W.  Knapp,  and  was  still  doing  a 
good  business. 

Still  another  saw  mill  was  built,  in  1867,  on 
section  26;  only  ran  for  a  few  years. 

The  object  of  these  various  saw  mills  was  to 
convert  into    lumber   the    oak    and    bass    wood 


498 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


timber,  with  which  the  town  abounded.  There 
was  also  a  considerable  amount  of  pine  timber 
on  sections  1*?  and  21,  which  had  mostly  disap- 
peared prior  to  ISSO.  A  large  amount  of  hard 
maple  was  also  cut  into  lumber,  by  these  mills; 
this  was  mostly  used  for  the  manufacture  of 
furniture  and  wagon  axles. 

Another  important  enterprise  is  the  bedstead 
factory  of  Andrew  Bakken,  which  was  erected 
in  1881,  but  not  fully  completed  to  its  present 
capacity  till  1883.  This  is  situated  on  the  west 
branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river,  on  the  south  part 
of  section  30.  Here  Mr.  Bakken  manufactures 
all  kinds  of  turned  bedsteads.  The  dimensions 
of  this  factory  are  24x36  feet.  The  machinery 
is  propelled  by  a  fine  turbine  water  wheel,  which 
transmits  its  power  to  the  various  machinery  by 
means  of  a  wire  cable  150  feet  in  length. 

Andrew  Bakken  is  the  owner  of  the  bedstead 
and  turning  works  on  section  30,  near  Bloom- 
ingdale.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1848.  His 
father  having  died  in  Norway,  he  came  to  this 
country  with  his  mother  in  1869.  He  lived 
about  one  year  in  the  town  of  Viroqua,  and  then 
removed  to  Richland  Center,  Richland  county, 
where  he  worked  in  a  bedstead  factory  about 
three  years;  thence  to  Milwaukee,  where  he 
worked  for  a  time,  as  turner  in  a  sash  and  door 
factory.  He  was  then  for  a  time  engaged  as 
turner  in  a  furniture  establishment  at  Chicago, 
111.  He  then  returned  to  Richland  Center, 
and  came  to  the  town  of  Clinton  in  1879.  He 
married  Eliza,  daughter  of  Nels  Larson.  Mrs, 
Bakken  died  in  December,  1876,  leaving  one 
daughter,  Amelia,  born  in   1875. 

THE  VILLAGE  .OF   BLOOMINGDALE. 

This  beautiful  place  was  laid  out  in  October, 

1857,  by  Charles  A.  Hunt,  Evan  Olson  and  J.E. 
Palmer,  whose  names  have  already  been  men- 
tioned among  the  pioneers  of  this  town.  The 
Bloomingdale    postoffice    was    established    in 

1858.  Dr.  Amos  Carpenter  was  the  first  post- 
master; he  was  succeeded  by  C.  A.  Hunt  and 
he  by  Tobias  Brown,   who  was  aj^pointed  Dec.  I 


11,  1865,  and  served  till  1871,  when  E.  E.  Rus- 
tad  was  appointed. 

The  first  physician  was  Dr.  Amos  Carpenter; 
he  was  not  a  graduate,  but  a  fair  doctor.  In 
1884  he  was  living  at  Seelyburg,  this  county. 

Drs.  Hamilton,  Lewis  and  C.  M.  PofiE  have 
practiced  in  the  vicinity  of  Bloomingdale  for  a 
number  of  years;  the  latter  being  the  only  one 
there  in  1884.  His  biography  appears  in  the 
Medical  Chapter. 

Bloomingdale  has  always  been  a  good  busi- 
ness point.  The  mill  which  was  the  first 
erected  in  the  town  aids  in  drawing  a  large 
trade  to  the  village. 

In  November  1883  the  business  of  this  jjlace 
was  represented  as  follows: 

Christian  A.  Morterud,  general  merchant  and 
grain  dealer;  C.  W.  Dyson,  general  merchant; 
E.  E.  Rustad,  general  store,  also  keeps  the  post- 
ofiice;  H  Gihle  and  Peter  Hanson,  blacksmiths; 
Henry  A.  Hanson,  tannery;  G.  O.  Myburg, 
shoemaker. 

VILLAGE  OF  PBESTONVILLE. 

This  little  village  is  located  on  section  26;  it 
was  laid  out  by  Obadiah  S.  Preston  in  1866.  At 
about  this  time  R.  R.  Jenness  put  up  a  store 
and  sold  goods  for  about  two  years.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Thomas  Campton,  who  remained 
in  trade  a  year  and  was  succeeded  by  James 
Wagner,  who  ran  a  store  for  three  years;  then 
came  Dr.  Dennis  W.  Adams,  who  continued 
three  years,  and  was  then  followed  by  Harry 
Pierce,  who  operated  a  general  store  till  the 
time  of  his  death.  His  wife  then  carried  on 
the  business  and  was  thus  engaged  in  1884. 

Mr.  Preston  built  a  saw-mill  on  Weister 
creek,  at  this  point,  in  1867,  and  ran  it  until 
1873,  when  the  property  passed  into  the  hands 
of  J.  Ogg,  who  rebuilt  the  dam,  which  had  been 
washed  out,  and  repaired  the  mill.  He  sold  to 
Martin  B.  Mills,  who  ran  it  till  1881,  when  its 
use  was  discontinued. 

In  the  fall  of  1879  a  second  store  was  started 
by  William  Mack  and  Jake  Streeton,  of  Sparta, 
who  operated  only  a  year. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


499 


A  postoffice  was  established  lieve  in  1874  called 
Dell.  Dr.  D.  \V.  Adams  was  postmaster  and 
still  acted  in  that  capacity  in  1884. 

While  this  village  never  has  assumed  any 
great  pretensions  as  a  business  point,  yet  it  has 
afforded  a  handy  place  for  the  farming  commu- 
nity to  trade  in  a  small  way. 

BIOGEAPHICAL. 

The  following  personal  sketches  represent  a 
goodly  number  of  those  who  have  settled  in  the 
town  since  1855,  and,  by  their  energy,  enter- 
prise and  moral  influence  have  advanced  and 
kept  at  a  high  standard  the  agricultural,  manu- 
facturing and  business  interests  of  the  entire 
community. 

Charles  Hollingstad  has  resided  on  secti(>n  31 
since  he  was  seven  years  of  age.  His  father, 
Ole  Hollingstad,  was  a  native  of  Norway,  and 
emigrated  with  his  family  to  America  in  1854, 
He  came  direct  to  this  town,  and  entered  eighty 
acres  of  government  land  on  section  31,  which 
farm  he  subsequently  increased  by  the  purchase 
of  another  eiglity.  He  was  the  father  of  seven 
cliildren,  of  five  whom  are  living.  Charles  was 
born  in  Norway,  in  1847,  and  has  been  reared 
and  educated  in  this  county.  He  married  Mar- 
garet, the  daughter  of  John  Olson  Melby.  Mr. 
Hollingstad's  farm  is  tlie  greater  portion  of  the 
old  homestead  and  contains  120  acres. 

Jonathan  Potts  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Ver- 
non county.  He  entered  120  acres  of  govern- 
ment land,  in  the  town  of  Webster,  May  5, 
1854,  and  after  living  on  that  farm  twenty-two 
years  sold  it  to  Franklin  Woods,  with  sixty  five 
acres  improved.  He  came  to  Clinton  town  in 
1870,  and  bouglit  of  Silas  Calhoun  his  present 
farm  on  section  23, which  was  originally  entered 
by  Le  Koy  Jenness.  Mr.  Potts  was  born  in 
Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Margaret  (Kinder)  Potts,  who  came  to 
Wisconsin  witli  their  two  sons,  Jonathan 
and  George  Wesley,  in  1854.  The  fatiier 
settled  on  section  21,  town  of  Webster,  where 
he  lived  till  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred Nov.  9,  1876.  His  wife  had  departed 
this   life    several  years   previous.     George    W. 


settled  in  Webster  town,  and  still  resides  there. 
Jonathan  Potts  married  Theressa  Norris,  who 
died  June  25,  1883.  They  have  four  children 
— Phebe  A.,  Thomas,  William  S.  and  Fannie. 
William  S.,  who  resides  with  his  parents,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Webster,  in  December, 
1854. 

John  W.  Appleman  one  of  the  energetic  and 
successful  farmers  of  this  town,  is  also  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers.  His  farm  and  residence 
are  on  section  22,  where  he  has  160  acres  of 
land;  he  also  owns  eighty  acres  on  section  18. 
He  bought  his  farm  of  John  Color  in  1870. 
Mr.  Appleman  has  made  good  improvements 
on  his  land,  the  most  of  which  he  has  made 
iiimself.  He  is  a  son  of  Jesse  Appleman,  his 
residence  in  the  county  dating  from  1856.  He 
was  born  in  Deerfield  township, Morgan  Co., 
Ohio,  in  J  844.  He  enlisted  in  company  A,  25th 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry  and 
served  one  year.  Company  A  was  firsi  com- 
manded by  Col.  Butt,  and  afterward  by  Capt. 
J.  R.  Casson.  The  first  farm  Mr.  Appleman 
owned  was  on  section  29.  His  wife  was  Sarah 
Parr,  a  sister  of  John  Parr,  of  this  town.  They 
have  seven  children,  two  boys  and  five  girls — 
James  W.,  Ida  J.,  Elizabeth  E.,  Marietta, 
Charles  H.,  Clara  L.  and  Olive  L. 

Mr.  Appleman's  father,  Jesse  Appleman,  re- 
sides just  across  the  line  in  the  town  of  Web- 
ster. He  is  one  of  the  largest  land  owners  in 
the  county.  The  maiden  name  of  his  mother, 
who  has  been  dead  many  years,  was  Beulah 
Peltet. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  two  brothers,  John  S., 
and  Hiram  Dickson,  came  to  Vernon  county 
from  Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  being  natives  of  Morgan 
county.  They  located  at  Viroqua,  where  the 
former  worked  at  his  trade  of  blacksmithing. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  their  father,  John 
Dickson,  followed  them  and  in  the  spring  of 
1856,  the  three  located  on  section  30,  in  town  14 
north,  range  3  west,  where  they  erected  a  saw- 
mill on  the  Kickapoo  river.  The  father  lived 
on  that  farm  until  his  death,  which   occurred  in 


500 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  fall  of  1861.  One  son,  John  S.,  is  living  at 
Springville  in  the  town  of  Jefferson,  and  Hiram, 
the  other  son,  is  a  resident  of  Richland  county. 
In  1856  these  three  were  joined  by  another  son, 
James,  but  he  soon  after  returned  to  Ohio  and 
did  not  make  a  permanent  settlement  here  until 
the  fall  of  1860.  James  Dickson  was  born  in 
Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1831,  and  went  to  Athens 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1837,  and  there  resided  until  he 
he  came  to  "Vernon  county  in  the  fall  of  1860. 
In  1861  he  purchased  the  farm  which  now  con- 
tains 1 20  acres.  He  married  Nancy,  daughter 
of  James  Maxwell.  They  have  eight  children  — 
Edwin  M.,  Thaddeus,  Myra  A.,  Sarah  J.,  Cynthia 
J.,  James  Emmett,  Ira  C.  and  Hattie  M.  One  son, 
George,  is  deceased.  Mrs.  Dickson's  father, 
James  Maxwell,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
but  when  a  child  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio.  He  came  to  Vernon 
county  with  his  family  in  the  fall  of  1854  and 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Jefferson  town.  He 
located  about  one  mile  north  of  Springville, 
where  he  lived  till  his  death  in  February,  1875. 
He  was  the  father  of  nine  children,  one  son  and 
eight  daughters.  The  latter  are  all  living,  but 
the  former  died  when  six  years  old. 

John  S.  Jenness  has  been  a  resident  of  Wis- 
consin nearly  thirty  years.  His  father,  Thomas 
Jenness,  was  one  of  the  settlers  of  1856,  in 
Vernon  county.  He  was  born  in  Orange  Co., 
Vt.,  where  he  was  reared  and  married.  In 
April,  1855,  he  came  to  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  and  the 
following  fall  to  Vernon  county.  He  located 
on  section  14,  where  he  lived  till  his  death. 
His  wife  was  formerly  Clarissa  McGlouthin,  a 
native  of  Massachusetts.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  four  children  that  reached  maturity — 
three  sons  and  one  daughter — John  S.,  in  this 
town,  Thomas  L.  and  Robert  R.,  at  Windom, 
Cottonwood  Co.,  Minn.,  and  Abbie,  a  resident 
of  Denver,  Colorado.  John  S.  was  born  in 
Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1834,  and  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  September,  ]  855.  He  learned  the  carpenter 
and  mill-wright  trades  and  worked  at  them  for 
fifteen  years.  In  1865  he  bought  of  Thomas  Lind- 


ley  a  farm  on  section  17,  now  containing  about 
200  acres.  Mr.  Jenness  married  Minerva  Max- 
well, and  five  children  have  been  given  them — 
Ida  M.,  Mettle,  Elsie  M.,  James  V.  and  Nancy 
J. 

James  C.  Smith  came  in  with  the  settlers  of 
1856.  He  located  160  acres  of  government 
land  on  section  25,  in  18.:9,  where  he  still  re- 
sides. Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Guernsey  Co., 
Ohio,  in  1818.  His  father,  Nathaniel  Smith, 
was  a  native  of  Maryland,  but  located  in  Ohio 
at  an  early  day  in  the  history  of  the  Buckeye 
State.  James  C.  was  reared  to  manhood  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  his  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethern  Congregation 
for  forty-four  years,  and  has  ever  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  interests  of  that 
denomination  iu  this  town.  Mr.  Smith  has 
been  married  three  times.  His  tii'st  wife  was 
Catharine  Wandling,  who  died  previous  to  his 
coming  to  Wisconsin,  leavingone  son, Nathaniel 
B.  His  second  wife  was  Sarah  Ben,  who  came 
here  with  her  husband,  and  died  in  1862.  His 
third  wife  was  Alzina  Merrick,  who  departed 
this  life  in  March,  1870.  Mr.  Smith  has  two 
living  children  by  his  second  wife — Leonard 
W.  and  Mary  C. 

Hon.  D.  C.  Yakey  was  one  of  the  early 
teachers  of  southwestern  Wisconsin.  He  was 
born  in  Loudoun  county,  in  the  good  old  State  of 
Virginia,  the  home  of  Washington,  in  1830. 
When  two  years  of  age,  his  parents  sought  a 
new  home  in  Ohio,  and  D.  C.  grew  to  manhood 
in  Perry  and  Muskingum  counties  of  the  Buck- 
eye State.  His  father,  Jacob  Yakey,  is  living, 
and  still  resides  in  Ohio.  Mr.  Yakey  received 
fair  educational  advantages  in  his  youth,  and 
being  of  an  enquiring  turn  of  mind,  thought 
to  see  what  advantage  the  famous  western 
country  afforded  for  a  young  man.  On  Oct.  6, 
1856,  he  arrived  in  Bad  Ax  (now  Vernon) 
county.  Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  was  em- 
ployed to  teach,  and  followed  that  profession 
for  some  years,  the  greater  portion  of  the  time 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


501 


in  Vernon  county.  He  was  a  thorough  teacher 
and  firm  disciplinarian,  and  his  success  was 
good.  In  1861  he  was  elected  superintendent 
of  the  scliools  of  Clinton  town,  but  subse- 
quently enlisted  in  company  A,  '25th  regiment, 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  partiaipated 
in  the  varied  fortunes  of  that  regiment  through 
its  long  and  tedious  three  year's  service.  In 
1866  Mr.  Yakey  settled  on  his  present  farm  on 
section  20.  Mr.  Yakey  married  Julia  Adams, 
and  seven  children  have  been  born  to  them — 
Clara,  Luna,  Laura,  Ira,  Hattie,  Lucy  and 
Byron. 

Samuel  Russell  Curry  resides  on  section  28. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  this  town  since  the 
spring  of  1860,  when  he  settled  on  his  present 
farm,  which  was  entered  by  his  father,  William 
Curry,  several  years  previous  to  that  time. 
Mr.  Curry  was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1837,  and  there  lived  until  1860,  when  he  came 
to  Vernon  county.  A  sister  of  Mr.  Curry,  Mrs. 
Abi  Adams,  wife  of  Mordecai  Adams,  was  the 
first  member  of  the  family  who  came  to  the 
county  to  reside.  Mr.  Curry  married  Martha 
A.  Griffin,  a  daughter  of  John  Griffin,  of  Viro- 
qua,  born  in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1844,  and 
came  to  Vernon  county  with  her  parents  in 
1859.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curry  have  three  children 
—Albert  U.,  Sarah  E.  and  John  W.  They 
have  lost  three  children — George  W.,  their  first 
child,  Edward  B.  and  Ida  F.  Mr.  Curry's  farm 
contains  188  acres.  Himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
the  town  of  Clinton. 

Henry  Knapp  is  one  of  the  well  known 
pioneers  of  this  town.  He  came  here  in  1860, 
and  located  on  section  19,  where  he  still  resides. 
His  farm  contains  220  acres,  and  he  also  owns 
and  operates  a  saw  mill  on  section  30.  Mr. 
Knapp  was  born  in  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  in 
182J.  His  father,  Henry  W.  Knapp,  was  also  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  and  died  when  his  son 
Henry  was  a  child.  Henry  was  reared  on  a 
farm,  and  also  learned  a  mechanical  trade.  He 
was   married   in   his   native  State,  to  Lois  A. 


Rood,  whose  father,  Augustus  B.  Rood,  died  in 
Norfolk,  Conn.  Mr.  Knapp  finally  concluded 
to  locate  in  one  of  the  western  States,  and  with 
his  wife  and  family  came  direct  to  Madison, 
Wis.,  in  1855,  with  his  brother-in-law,  W.  F. 
Webster,  who  had  preceded  him  westward 
only  a  few  mouths.  Mr.  Knapp  went  to  Beaver 
Dam,  in  January,  1856,  and  the  two  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  siding  lumber.  In  the  fall 
of  1856,  in  company  with  C.  P.  Clark,  Mr. 
Knapp  erected  a  steam  plaining  mill,  which  the 
firm  operated  for  two  years.  Mr.  Knapp  then 
sold  liis  interest  in  the  business,  rented  a 
farm,  and  was  engaged  in  farming  until  he 
came  to  Vernon  county.  He  has  held  nearly 
all  of  the  town  offices,  and  was  chairman  of 
the  town  board  for  several  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Knapp  have  been  blessed  with  three 
children — Emma,  wife  of  G.  W.  Martin,  Wal- 
cott  H.  and  William  E. 

John  Parr  came  to  the  town  of  Clinton,  in 
1867,  bought  a  farm  of  Martin  Flemming  and 
James  Wagner,  and  settled  on  section  33.  He 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  since  1860. 
He  was  born  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  Parr.  He  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Jesse  Appleman.  She  was  born  in 
Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  and  accompanied  her  father  to 
Vernon  county  in  1855.  They  have  seven 
children  living — Charles  E.,  Cora  E.,  Nellie  C, 
Beulah  J.,  Jesse  J.,  Arthur  O.  and  Gracie  P. 
One  daughter,  Mary  E.,  is  dead.  Mr.  Parr's 
farm  contains  eighty  acres,  on  which  he  has 
made  various  improvements. 

Dr.  D.  W.  Adams,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Prestonville,  in  Clinton  town,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Vernon  county  since  1861.  He  was 
born  in  Washington  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1818,  but 
mostly  reared  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Mor 
gan.  He  there  commenced  the  study  of  medi 
cine  in  1845,  and  prosecuted  his  studies  until 
1848,  when  he  commenced  practicing.  In  1861 
lie  removed  to  this  county  and  located  on  sec- 
tion 36,  of  Clinton  town.  He  abandoned  the 
practice    of    medicine    and    imjjroved    a  farm, 


502 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


which  he  sold  in  the  fall  of  1870.  He  then 
engaged  in  the  jnercantile  trade  at  Prestonville. 
He  resunaed  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profes- 
sion in  18/2,  anil  also  owns  another  farm 
located  near  liis  former  one.  Dr.  Adams  mar- 
ried Catharine  Bailey,  a  native  of  Louisiana. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  but  when 
a  young  man  went  to  Louisiana,  and  was  there 
married.  His  wife  died  shortly  after  their 
union,  leaving  one  child,  now  Mrs.  Dr.  Adams. 
The  father  was  absent  at  the  time  of  her 
decease,  and  the  mother  gave  her  child  in 
charge  of  whom  she  supposed  was  a  true  friend. 
This  person,  a  Mrs.  Blanchard,  was  a  slave 
owner,  and  soon  compelled  the  little  girl  to 
associate  with  the  slaves,  with  the  evident 
intention  of  reducing  her  to  slavery.  The 
father  knew  nothing  of  this,  but  the  facts 
reached  the  ears  of  the  Lady  Superior  of  the 
Orphans'  Asylum  of  New  Orleans,  who  rescued 
the  child,  and  placed  her  in  that  Catholic  insti- 
tution. She  remained  there  six  months,  and 
then  her  father  learned  of  her  residence  and 
had  her  removed  to  the  home  of  Dr.  Norton, 
with  whom  she  lived  until  the  latter's  death. 
She  was  then  twelve  years  of  age,  and  went  to 
Ohio  with  her  father,  where  she  was  married. 
Dr.  Adams  and  wife  have  live  living  children — 
Nerana  D.,  Mary  J.,  James  Q.,  Alice  A.  and 
Nelson  H.  D.  The  eldest  son,  Isaac  M.,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  20th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Vol- 
unteers, during  the  late  war,  and  while  assist- 
ing with  a  battery,  at  the  taking  of  Spanish 
Fort,  was  severely  injured  by  the  recoil  of  a 
cannon,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  in 
the  spring  of  1870.  A  daughter,  Harriet  F., 
lost  her  life  by  the  accidental  explosion  of  a 
kerosine  lamp.  She  was  married,  and  left  one 
child.  Another  married  daughter,  Elvira,  died 
at  Prestonville.  Several  children  died  in 
infancy. 

William  Dolen  resides  on  section  .34,  where 
he  settled  in  the  fall  of  1863.  He  purchased  a 
quarter  section  of  land  of  William  Bryson,  who 
located  it  from  the  government.    .He  was  born 


in  York  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1814,  and  there  lived 
until  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  manhood.  He 
then  removed  to  Ohio,  and  worked  as  a  laborer 
for  five  years,  and  subsequently  married  Susan 
Forest,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing on  a  piece  of  land  which  lay  both  in  Wash- 
ington and  Morgan  counties.  He  lived  there 
until  1S6.3.  In  1862  his  wife  died,  leaving  him 
with  two  children — Mary  E.  and  William,  Jr. 
He  lived  on  the  farm  one  year  after  his  wife's 
death,  and  then  came  to  Clinton,  Vernon  Co., 
Wis.  Mary  E.  was  married  in  1866  to  James  F. 
Wakeman,  a  native  of  Ohio.  They  resided  on 
the  homestead  until  1875,  and  then  removed  to 
Curry  Co.,  Oregon.  William  Jr.,  married  Sarah 
A.,  daughter  of  Lawrence  Smith,  a  native  of 
Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  and  now  resides  on  the  old 
homestead.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
three  children — Hattie  M.,  Jennie  M.  and 
Bertha  E. 

Christian  A.  Morterud  is  the  oldest  estab- 
lished merchant  in  the  village  of  BloomingJale. 
He  is  a  native  of  Norway,  where  he  was  born  in 
1833.  He  was  well  educated  in  his  native 
tongue,  and  reared  to  a  mercantile  life.  In 
1865,  when  thirty-two  years  of  age,  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  and  for  a  short  time  clerked  for  H. 
Pierce,  then  a  merchant  of  Bloomingdale,  now 
deceased.  He  soon  after  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  employer,  but  in  a  few  months  bought 
out  Mr.  Pierce's  interest  in  the  stock,  and  has 
since  conducted  the  business  alone.  Mr.  Mor- 
terud has  put  into  practice  all  the  business  qual- 
ifications he  was  taught  in  his  youth,  and  in 
connection  with  years  of  practical  experience, 
has  succeeded  in  building  vip  a  large  and  lucra- 
tive trade  and  winning  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  all  his  acquaintances.  His  trade  will  aggre- 
gate $12,000  to  $15,000  annually,  and  the  profits 
of  his  past  business  has  enabled  him  to  accumu- 
late a  tine  property.  In  1880  he  erected  his 
present  store  building.  It  is  of  frame,  24x65 
feet  in  size,  and  cost  about  $1,500.  Mr.  Mor- 
terud has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board    for    several  years,  treasurer  of  the  town 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


S03 


nine  years;  was  justice  of  the  peace  two 
years  and  declined  to  serve  longer,  and  has 
been  a  notary  public  since  February,  1874. 
He  married  Sina,  daughter  of  Ole  Sveiid- 
son.  They  have  five  children — Anna,  Gustavus, 
Clara,  Oscar  and  Matilda. 

Pearly  J.  Owen,  a  native  of  Ohio,  came  in 
1866  He  bought  a  farm  on  section  28,  of  Henry 
Pettit,  and  put  up  a  log  cabin  in  which  he 
lived  until  1871,  when  he  erected  his  present 
residence.  The  farm  was  covered  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  first  timber,  and  Mr.  Owen  has  al- 
ready cleared  about  100  acres  out  of  a  total  of 
212^  acres.  Pearly  J.  Owen  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington Co.,  Ohio,  in  1826.  He  was  reared  in 
Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  and  lived  there  until  1866, 
the  date  of  his  removal  to  this  county.  His 
father,  James  Owen,  and  his  mothtr  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  none  of  whom  are 
residents  of  Wisconsin  excei^t  our  subject.  P. 
J.  Owen  married  Rosa  Ann  Hughes,  formerly 
of  Ohio.  They  have  two  children — Mary  E., 
wife  of  Edward  Allen,  and  Viola  A.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Owen  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church  of 
this  town. 

Gaylord  S.  Wakeraan  came  to  Vernon  county 
with  his  father,  Samuel  Wakeman,  in  1866.  He 
was  born  in  Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1848.  In  1869 
he  settled  on  his  present  farm  on  section  22, 
which  he  bought  of  William  Merrill,  who  en- 
tered the  farm  as  government  land.  Mr.  Wake- 
man's  farm  contains  eighty  acres,  well  im- 
proved He  married  Phebe,  daughter  of  John 
Norris,  and  four  children  have  been  given  to 
them — Tessa  A.,  Huldali  A.,  Myrta  E.  and 
Charles  H. 

William  Wakeman  is  a  son  of  Samuel  S. 
Wakeman,  who  came  to  Vernon  county  from 
Ohio,  in  March,  1866,  and  entered  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  section  28,  of  Clinton  town. 
Samuel  Wakeman  and  wife  were  the  parents  of 
six  children,  five  of  whom  have  resided  in  Ver- 
non county — William,  Mrs.  Fidelia  Calhoun, 
wlio  subsequently  returned  to  Ohio,  Mrs.  Eve- 
line Snyder,  who,  at  the  time  the  family  located 


here,  was  Mrs.  Patterson  Carey.  The  two 
youngest  were  Gaylord  and  Francis  H.,  the  lat- 
ter of  whom  returned  to  Ohio  in  1881,  and  now 
resides  with  the  eldest  daughter,  Mrs.  Sabra  A. 
Morris,  in  Athens  county.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  in  this  county,  Feb.  1,  1881.  The 
father  is  still  a  resident  of  Clinton  town.  Wil- 
liam Wakeman  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1839,  and 
made  his  first  visit  to  Wisconsin  in  1861.  He 
was  here  when  the  war  commenced,  and  imme- 
diately enlisted  in  the  19th  regiment,  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  three  years  and 
three  months,  and  participating  in  all  the  bat- 
tles and  skirmishes  in  which  his  regiment  was 
engaged.  After  an  honorable  discharge,  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  his  native  Slate,  and  in  1866 
made  a  permanent  settlement  in  Clinton  town, 
purchasing  his  present  farm  of  Smith  Messer, 
in  1867.  i\'lr.  Wakeraan  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried. His  first  wife  was  Ellen,  daughter  of 
Jesse  Appleman.  Two  children  were  born  to 
them.  His  present  wife  was  Elizabeth  Silbaugh, 
a  daughter  of  Isaac  Silbaugh.  Tliis  union  has 
been  blessed  with  three  children.  Mi'.  Wake- 
man's  farm  comprises  eighty  acres  of  land,  on 
which  he  has  made  various  improvements. 

Philip  W.  Cary  resides  on  section  15,  where 
he  settled  in  the  fall  of  1868.  He  purchased  a 
heavily  timbered  farm  of  120  acres  of  Patrick 
Brody,  eighty-five  acres  of  which  Mr.  Cary  has 
well  improved.  He  is  considered  one  of  the 
substantial  citizens  of  Clinton  town;  was  as- 
sessor three  terms;  has  been  a  member  of  the 
board  of  town  trustees  for  several  years,  and  is 
its  present  chairman.  He  was  born  in  "Morgan 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1848.  His  grand-father  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  Isle  of  Guernsey,  and  emigrated  to 
America  in  1848.  Mr.  Cary's  parents,  Henry 
A.  and  Dolly  (Newton)  Cary,  were  natives  re- 
spectively of  Philadelphia  and  M.issachusetts. 
Mrs.  Cary's  ancestors  have  been  residents  of 
New  England  for  several  generations  past. 
They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  two  of 
whom,  Philip  W.  and  James  P.,  are  the  only 
members  of  the   family   that   ever   located   in 


504 


HISTORYfOF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Wisconsin.  James  P.  served  in  the  18th  reg- 
iment, Ohio  Volunteers;  was  in  the  army  of  the 
Cumberland,  and  participated  in  several  import- 
ant engagements.  After  the  war,  he  returned 
to  Ohio  and  married  Eveline  Wakeman.  He 
came  to  Vernon  county  in  1866,  and  settled  in 
Clinton  town,  where  he  died  Sept.  5, 1869,  leav- 
ing a  wife  and  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daugh- 
ter. Philip  W.  married  Clarissa  Norris,  a 
daughter  of  John  H.  Norris.  They  are  the 
parents  of  one  son — Cyi'us  Seward,  born  Jan. 
14,  1873. 

C.  W.  Dyson  is  engaged  in  the  general  mer- 
cantile trade  at  Blooraingdale.  He  was  born 
in  Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1842,  and  was  married 
to  Lucy  A.  Danes,  also  a  native  of  that  county. 
During  the  civil  war,  Mr.  Djson  was  subject  to 
the  orders  of  the  3d  regiment,  Kansas  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  served  one  and  a  half  years, 
guarding  the  frontier.  In  1874  he  came  to  the 
town  of  Clinton,  and  purchased  a  farm  of  S.  A. 


Matson,  on  sections  17  and  20,  with  a  dwelling 
house  on  the  latter  section.  This  farm  was  first 
settled  by  Mr.  Matson's  father-in-law,  John 
Adams.  In  1876,  Mr.  Dyson  came  to  Bloom- 
ingdale,  and  is  enjoying  a  fair  trade. 

J.  M.  Poff,  eclectic  physician  and  surgeon, 
Blooraingdale,  located  here  in  1882.  His  father. 
Dr.  J.J.  Poff,  came  to  Wisconsin  from  Indiana 
some  years  ago.  He  first  settled  atTomah,  and 
subsequently  in  Richland  county,  at  Belle  Cen- 
ter, Crawford  county,  where  he  died  July  6, 
1875.  Dr.  Poff  commenced  the  study  of  medi- 
cine with  his  brother.  Dr.  C.  M.  Poff,  of  Reads- 
town,  and  at  present  is  attending  lectures  at 
the  Bennett  Medical  College,  Chicago,  111., 
from  which  he  will  graduate  in  the  class  of 
1884.  Dr.  Poff  has  been  in  Bloomingdale  about 
one  year,  and  has  secured  an  extensive  and  in- 
creasing practice.  He  married  Lellah  Gates, 
daughter  of  Willian  Gates,  of  Readstown. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


505 


CHAPTER    XXXI  I  I 


THE  TOWN  OF  COON. 


The  town  of  Coon  is  in  the  northern  tier  of 
congressional  townships  of  Vernon  county.  It 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  La  Crosse  county, 
on  the  east  by  Christiana,  on  the  south  by  Jef- 
ferson, and  on  the  west  by  Hamburg  towns, 
and  comprises  township  14,  range  5,  having  an 
area  of  23,040  acres.  Coon  river  flows  through 
the  northern  part  of  the  town,  entering  on  sec- 
tion 1,  passing  through  sections  2,  3,  4,  5,  7 
and  8.  This  stream  has  several  tributaries, 
which  water  the  entire  northern  portion  of  the 
town.  Coon,  in  common  with  all  the  territory 
embraced  within  the  county,  has  a  rolling  and 
in  some  places  a  very  rough  hilly  surface.  The 
soil  is  of  a  sandy  loam,  which  produces  the 
finest  crops  of  grain,  corn  and  vegetables  known 
to  this  part  of  the  State. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  was  effected  by  Norwe- 
gians, iu  1848,  and  in  1884  they  owned  nearly 
every  farm  within  its  borders. 

Helgar  Gilbronson  was  the  first  actual  settler 
of  the  town.  He  came  in  1848  and  located  on 
section  8,  where  he  died  a  few  years  later. 
His  widow  was  still  living  in  the  town  in  1884, 
at  the  village  of  Coon  Valley. 

Next  came  Peter  Anderson,  who  settled  in 
1849  on  section  9. 

O.  Martinson  came  in  during  1850,  locating 
on  section  36,  where  he  was  still  living  in  1884. 

Christian  Anderson  came  the  year  following. 

Lars  Helgerson  and  his  son,  Helga  Larson, 
located   in   the   town,  on    section   11,  in  1852. 


Among  the  settlers  who  came  in  during  1854, 
were  the  following  :  Ole  Nearisou,  who  came 
from  Dane  county  and  settled  on   section  33. 

Halver  Asmonson,  who  located  on  section  22, 
where  he  died  in  1873. 

Swen  Thorson  located  in  the  northeast  part 
of  the  town. 

Neary  Nearison  came  to  section  27,  located 
and  was  still  a  resident  of  the  same  farm  in 
1884. 

T.  Seagerson  also  settled  on  section  27,  where 
he  lived  till  1873,  then  moved  west. 

Brea  Erickson,  who  came  from  Dane  county 
the  same  year,  settled  on  section  28,  where  he 
still  lived  in  1884. 

Hans  Hanson  also  came  from  Dane  county, 
and  located  in  1857. 

FIRST    EVENTS. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  town  was  that  of 
Lars  Olson  and  Anna  Onset.  The  ceremony 
was  performed  by  Rev.  Stubbs,  some  time 
during  1853. 

The  first  child  born  was  Mary,  daughter  of 
Helga  and  Agnetta  Gilbronson,  in  1852. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Nels  Olson,  in 
1854. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  1855  by  Peter 
O.  Brye,  in  a  dwelling  belonging  to  John 
Christianson.  The  first  school  house  was  built 
on  section  33,  in  1859. 

The  first  religious  services  was  preaching  at 
the  house  of  Helga  Gilbronson,  in  1859. 

ORGANIC. 

The  town  of  Coon  was  organized  in  1859. 
The  first  election  was  held  April  6,  1859,  at  the 


506 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


old  log  school  house  on  section  33.  The  first 
town  officers  elected  were  :  Peter  O.  Brye, 
chairman  ;  John  P.  Johnson,  clerk  ;  Peter  O. 
Brye,  treasurer ;  Ole  Nearison  and  Amund 
Martinson,  side  board;  Peter  O.  Brye,  superin- 
tendent of  schools  ;  Peter  O.  Brye,  assessor. 
The  officers  of  1883  were  :  Helgar  Larson, 
chairman  ;  E.  O.  Teffre,  clerk  ;  C.  O.  Brye, 
treasurer;  Jacob  Johnson  and  Peter  J.  Johnson, 
side  board  ;  Peter  M.  Johnson,  assessor. 

SCHOOLS. 

Notwithstanding  the  greater  portion  of  the 
population  of  this  town  are  Norwegians,  much 
attention  has  been  paid  to  schools  in  which  the 
English  language  has  been  taught.  The  first 
school  dates  back  to  1855.  In  1884  there  were 
six  school  houses  in  the  town   and  378  scholars. 

VU.LAGK    OF    COON    VALLBT. 

This  village  was  laid  out  and  regularly  plat- 
ted in  1859,  by  Henry  Johnson,  and  is  situated 
on  section  7.  It  was  named  Coon  Valley,  as  it 
is  located  in  the  valley  of  Coon  river.  The 
river  at  this  point  furnishes  an  abundant  water 
power.  The  first  house  was  built  by  Henry 
Johnson.  'J'here  are  no  school  or  church  build- 
ings within  the  village  proper,  but  just  at  the 
edge  of  the  place,  the  district  school  building 
is  located. 

In  1861  or  1S62  the  Evangelical  Lutherans 
organized  a  Church,  and  in  ls78  l»nilt  a  church 
edifice  on  section  8.  In  1884  tliis  was  the  only 
religious  organization  in  the  town. 

The  beginning  of  business  in  the  place  was 
the  opening  of  a  store  by  Henry  Johnson,  in 
1863.  A  saw  mill  was  put  in  operation  in  1858, 
by  Mr.  Johnson,  who  in  1863  erected  a  flouring 
mill.  The  first  blacksmith  shop  was  opened  by- 
Hans  Nelson  in  1866.  The  first  shoemaker  was 
Knudt  Olson. 

In  1884  the  business  of  the  village  was  rep- 
resented as  follows  :  Peter  Swan  &  Co.,  and 
H.  Hanson,  dry  goods  ;  the  same  firms  also 
operated  largely  in  the  hardware  and  grocery 
trades.  Peter  Swan  &  Co.,  were  proprietors 
of  the  flouring  and  saw  mills,  also  a  wool  card- 


ing mill.  Andrew  Smaby  ran  a  blacksmith 
shop,  doing  general  repair  work.  Ole  Lien 
was  the  proprietor  of  a  syrup  manufactory. 

H.  Hanson,  the  leading  merchant  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Coon  Valley,  was  born  in  Norway  in 
1840,  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1850.  He  first  settled  at  La  Crosse,  Wis., 
where  he  remained  until  twenty-two  years 
of  age.  He  then  came  to  the  town  of  Coon 
and  located  in  a  settlement  that  two  years  later 
was  laid  out  and  platted  and  named  Coon  Val- 
ley. Mr.  Hanson  purchased  a  house  and  lot  in 
the  new  village  and  for  a  number  of  years  worked 
for  Henry  Johnson  in  the  saw-mill  and  general 
store.  In  1872  he  opened  a  general  store  at 
Coon  Valley  postoffice,  where  he  carries  a  stock 
valued  at  about  13,500,  and  enjoys  a  large  and 
I)aying  trade.  Mr.  Hanson  was  the  third  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Coon  Valley  and  has 
held  the  position  continuously  for  fourteen 
years.  He  was  married  in  1877  to  Alma  Olson. 
They  are  the  parents  of  three  children — Henry 
Alfred,  William  Howard  and  Christian  Ger- 
hard. 

L.  P.  Swan,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Swan,  Naperud  &  Co.,  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
July  8,  1845.  He  was  induced  to  come  to  the 
United  States  in  1869,  and  first  located  at  Lans- 
ing, Iowa.  He  remained  in  that  place  for  two 
years  and  then  removed  to  La  Crosse,  Wis., 
where  he  was  a  resident  for  four  years.  In 
1875  he  came  to  the  town  of  Coon  and  soon 
after  purchased  a  third  interest  in  the  flouring 
and  saw  mill  and  a  general  store  at  Coon  Val- 
ley. The  firm  is  the  largest  in  the  village  and 
carry  on  an  extensive  business.  Mr.  Swan 
was  united  in  mariage,  in  1876,  to  Lina  Neperud, 
and  two  children  have  been  born  to  them — 
Anna  and  Amanda. 

John  A.  Neperud,  of  the  firm  of  Swan,  Ne- 
perud &  Co.,  millers  and  dealers  in  general 
merchandise,  Coon  Valley  postoffice,  was  born 
in  Norway,  in  1847,  and  when  ten  years  of  age 
came  to  this  country  with  his  parents.  They 
located  in  the  town  of  Hamburg,  where  John  A. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


507 


grew  to  manhood.  He  worked  on  a  farm  in 
early  life,  and  in  1878  came  to  the  vil  age  of 
Coon  Valley  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Swan,  Neperud  &  Co.,  owners  of  the  flour 
and  saw  mill  and  a  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise. Mr.  Neperud  has  prospered  fairly  since 
engaging  in  business.  He  married  Caroline 
Haswald,  and  they  have  one  child — Anna. 

Siniou  P.  Lier,  junior  member  of  Swan,  Ne- 
perud &  Co.,  millers  and  merchants,  was  born 
in  Norway,  in  1842,  and  was  there  educated 
In  1869  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and 
came  direct  to  Vernon  county.  He  located  in 
the  village  of  Coon  Valley,  and  in  1882  rented 
a  one-third  interest  in  the  flour  and  saw  mill  and 
mercantile  trade,  of  which  he  is  now  the  junior 
partner.  The  grist  mill  contains  four  run  of 
buhr  stones,  has  a  capacity  of  fifty  barrels  of 
flour  per  day  and  is  valued  at  $15,000.  The 
saw  mill  has  a  capacity  of  3,000  feet  per  day. 
Their  stock  of  goods  is  valued  at  $2,000  In 
1882  Mr.  Lier  was  married  to  Regina  Frantson. 

POSTOFFICE. 

Peter  O.  Brye  was  instrumental  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  postoffice  in  1861.  The  first  post- 
master was  Henry  Johnson,  who  was  in  time 
succeeded  by  Andrew  Engerbretson,  who  was 
followed   by    H.  Hanson,  the  latter  being  post- 


master in  1884,  having  thus  held  the   oflice  for 
fifteen  years. 

Jacob  Johnson  was  born  in  Norway,  March  6, 
1845.  In  1867  the  family  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  coming  direct  to  Wisconsin 
and  settling  in  Fond  du  Lac  county.  In  1869 
they  came  lo  Vernon  county.  Jacob  Johnson 
was  married  June  17,  1875,  to  Hetta  A.  Berg. 
They  have  three  children — Clara  Isabel,  Cai- 
man Albert  and  Petter.  In  1874  Mr.  Johnson 
settled  in  the  town  of  Coon,  on  section  32, 
where  he  now  resides.  In  1878  he  was  elected 
a  justice  of  the  peace,  which  position  he  still 
holds,  and  is  also  serving  his  third  term  as  mem- 
ber of  the  town  board  of  supervisors. 

Ole  Evenson  Nesting,  a  young  and  prosper- 
ous farmer  of  the  town  of  Coon,  was  born  in 
Norway,  in  1849.  He  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1871,  and  first  came  to  the  town  of 
Coon,  in  this  county.  He  purchased  a  farm  of 
200  acres  from  Christopher  Hanson.  Mr.  Even- 
son  is  an  energetic  and  enterprising  young  man, 
and  not  being  content  with  only  a  farm,  he 
wooed  and  won  Mr.  Hanson's  daughter,  Inge- 
borg,  and  they  were  married  in  1874.  Three 
children  have  been  given  to  them — Eliza, 
Charlie  and  Selmer. 


508 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 


THE  TOWN  OF  FOREST. 


Thi.s  town  is  located  on  the  northern  line  of 
towns  in  Vernon  county,  and  is  the  first  west  of 
Hillsborough,  the  northeastern  town  of  the 
county.  The  town  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Monroe  county;  on  the  east  by  Hillsborough 
town;  on  the  south  by  Union  town,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  town  of  Whitestown.  This  town 
is  known  as  a  congressional  township,  six 
miles  square,  and  containing  23,040  acres.  In 
1880  the  population  of  Vernon  county  was  but 
23,23-7,  and  each  of  these,  with  the  exception  of 
the  surplus  195,  could  have  been  located  in 
Forest  town,  settling  one  person  on  each  acre 
of  land. 

Tlie  town  is  well  watered  by  three  main 
streams  and  their  tributaries.  Warner  creek 
rises  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  27,  and 
flows  southerly  and  westerly  through  sections 
27,  34,  33,  32  and  31.  On  this  latter  section  it 
unites  with  the  northern  branch,  which  finds  a 
head  on  section  29  and  takes  a  southwesterly 
course  till  it  reaches  the  main  channel.  The 
north  branch  of  Billing's  creek  enters  the  town 
on  section  4,  and  passes  through  sections  5,  8 
and  7,  leaving  the  town  on  the  southwestern 
quarter  of  section  7.  The  south  branch  of 
Billing's  creek  rises  near  the  center  of  section 
14,  and  flows  westerly  through  sections  14,  15, 
22,  21,  20  and  19,  leaving  the  town  near  the 
southern  line  of  section  18.  Two  other  streams 
flow  through  the  town.  One  rises  on  sec- 
tion 11,  and  takes  a  northerly  course  through 
section  2,  and  the  other  rises  on  section  26  and 
flows  easterly  through  section  25.  The  surface 
of   the   town    is   very  rolling   and   of   a  rongh 


character,  but  very  fine  farm  lands  are  found 
on  the  bluffs,  while  those  in  the  valleys  are 
better  adapted  to  the  raising  of  stock  on  a  large 
scale. 

EABLY   SETTLEMENT. 

In  May,  1855,  Waldo  Stewart  came  into  what 
is  now  the  town  of  Forest,  and  selected  a  quar- 
ter section  of  land  on  section  26,  which  he 
entered,  and  on  which  he  resided  till  1879.  He 
then  sold  the  old  homestead  and  removed  to 
Illinois,  where  he  departed  this  life  in  1881. 
The  second  settler  was  a  native  of  the  "Green 
Mountain"  State.  This  was  Nathan  Sherman. 
He  located  200  acres  on  section  12,  and  moved 
there  in  the  fall  of  1855,  where  he  still  lives. 
He  has  been  a  prosperous  farmer,  and  in  1856 
was  a  member  of  the  town  board. 

John  C  Tabor  made  a  settlement  here  in 
1855,  entering  land  on  section  1.  The  same 
year  a  Mr.  Eno  and  family  removed  out  here 
from  Connecticut,  and  located  eighty  acres  on 
section  31.  A  son  of  Mr.  Eno,  Edgar  by  name, 
still  resides  in  the  town. 

Germany  furnished  another  oCttler  in  1855 
in  the  person  of  Henry  F.  Stelting.  He  entered 
120  acres  of  land  on  section  3. 

Thomas  Andrews  and  Jonas  Hubbard  came 
in  the  early  spring  of  1  ^56,  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 13.  Mr.  Hubbard  yet  resides  there,  but 
Mr.  Andrews  is  deceased. 

Albert  Kies  came  about  the  same  time  and 
entered  land  on  section  12.  Mr.  Kies  is  now 
living  in  the  village  of  Ontario, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


509 


Old  Vermont  again  furnished  a  new  citizen 
and  J.  B.  Nofsinger  made  his  new  home  on 
eighty  acres  of  timbered  land  on  section  33. 
Mr.  Nofsinger  was  made  chairman  of  the  town 
board  in  IBS'?  and  held  that  office  for  eight 
years. 

These  early  settlers  were  s  oon  followed  by 
Cyrenius  Lumbart  and  Matthew  Ellis;  Samuel 
Baldwin,  who  settled  on  section  12;  John  W. 
Williams,  who  located  on  section  15,  and  many 
others  whose  names  cannot  be  recalled. 

FIRST     THINGS. 

The  first  settler  was  Waldo  Stewart,  who  lo- 
cated here  in  May,  1855. 

The  first  person  deceased  was  Albert  Kies  in 
1856  the  same  year  he  came 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  (white)  was  Sarah, 
daughter  of   Philander  and  Miranda  Chandler. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  1856  in  a  log 
house,  thrown  together  to  take  advantage  of 
the  school  fund.  It  was  located  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
12.     Roseldah  Sherman  taught  the  first  school. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  town  was  James 
Morgan  to  Mrs.  Jerusha  Kies  (widow  of  Albert 
Kies,  deceased),  in  185T,  Benjamin  Roberts,  J. 
P.,  ofliciating. 

The  first  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Israel 
Burch  in  Mr.  Sherman's  log  house  in  1856. 

ORGANIC. 

In  the  spring  of  1856  permission  was  asked  of 
the  county  board  of  supervisors  for  the  erection 
of  a  new  town  to  be  called  Forest.  The  re- 
quest was  granted  and  the  town  set  apart.  On 
the  1st  of  April  of  the  same  year  an  election 
was  held  and  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Chairman,  Giles  White;  assistants,  Nathan 
Sherman  and  J  B.  Nofsinger;  clerk,  William 
C.  Sielting;  treasurer,  John  C.  Tabor;  assessor, 
Giles  White;  superintendent  of  schools,  John 
C.  Tabor. 

The  present  officers  of  the  town  are  as  fol- 
lows: 

Chairman  of  the  board,  R.  S.  Sherman;  as- 
sistants,  J.  N.   Ledman  and  L.  Baldwin;  clerk, 


J.    J.   Marshall;    treasurer,    E.    Eno;    assessor, 
William  H.  Stelting. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  first  to  organize  a  religious  society  was 
the  United  Brethren  sect,  who  organized  in 
1856.     The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Doolittle. 

The  Christians  also  formed  a  society  at  an 
early  date,  and  continued  about  four  years, 
holding  meetings  at  the  Forest  school  house. 

The  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  of  Forest 
town,  was  organized  in  1857  at  the  residence  of 
John  Markee  by  Rev.  Cooley,  who  preached 
the  first  sermon.  The  following  named  minis- 
ters have  officiated  in  the  order  they  are  named: 
Rev.  John  Markee,  Rev.  De  Lap,  Rev.  Bray, 
Rev.  De  Lap,  Rev.  Townsend,  Rev.  John 
Markee,  Rev.  De  Lap,  Rev.  Good,  Rev.  Mul- 
in.x.  Rev.  Vandresden,  Rev.  Buckner,  Rev.  Hol- 
comb.  Rev.  Harris  and  Rev.  McNoun,  the  pres- 
ent pastor.  The  present  membership  of  the 
congregation  is  about  thirty,  and  the  present 
trustees  are:  John  Markee,  F.  M  Cleveland 
and  G.  Eastman. 

EDUCATIONAL 

Over  twenty-seven  years  have  elapsed  since  the 
little  log  school  house  was  erected  on  section  12. 
In  these  twenty-seven  years  the  population  of 
Forest  has  increased  between  eight  and 
nine  hundred  per  cent.,  and  in  1880  numbered 
889  souls.  Better  and  more  educational  facili- 
ties are  needed  at  the  present  time,  and  the  442 
school  children  of  Forest  now  meet  in 
nine  school  houses,  scattered  ovei'  the  entire 
town,  with  an  aggregate  value  of  $3,955. 

POSTOFFICES. 

The  town  is  well  supplied  with  postal  facili- 
ties, in  fact,  as  much  so  as  any  town  in  the 
county.  The  first  established  was  at  Mount 
Tabor.  Tiiis  was  located  on  section  1,  in  1856, 
and  J.  Clark  Tabor  was  the  first  postmaster. 

He  was  followed  in  consecutive  order V>y  John 
Howell,  R.  S.  Sherman,  Eli  Sherman,  Nathan 
Sherman,  Eli  Sherman  and  John  Malosh,  the 
latter  of  whom  is  the  present  postmaster. 


510 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  Burr  postoffice  was  established  in  1859, 
on  the  south  line  of  section  23,  aixl  at  the  inter- 
section of  several  important  roads.  Wesley 
Barton  was  appointed  as  postmaste)',  and  he 
was  succeeded  by  J.  Liiich,  who  was  postmas- 
ter in  1884. 

In  1863  it  was  thought  necessary  to  have  an 
office  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  and 
Goole  postoffice  was  therefore  established.  Wil- 
liam Giles,  the  first  postmaster,  was  succeeded 
by  James  Kiel,  incumbent  in  1884. 

Valley  postoffice  was  located  on  section  31, 
in  1865,  for  the  benefit  of  the  settlers  in  the 
western  and  southwestern  portions  of  the  town. 
Fred  Meyers  first  assumed  the  duties  of  the  of- 
fice, and  was  succeeded  by  William  Copley. 
Mr.  Copley  died  while  in  office,  and  his  widow 
remained  in  charge  until  D.  A.  Lawton,  the 
present  official,  took  charge  of  the  office. 

CEMETERIES. 

In  1884  the  town  contained  two  burying 
grounds,  the  oldest  of  which  is  situated  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  I.  The  other  on 
section  26,  near  the  church. 

Earnest  Lodge,  No.  212,  of  tli"  Good  Teraji- 
lar's  order,  was  organizedby  the  following  char- 
ter membership,  Jan.  1,1881:  Mary  Sherman, 
Eli  Sherman,  George  Pepper,  Ann  Pep]ier,  N. 
F.  Sherman,  Emma  Sherman,  Clara  Roberts, 
John  Jeffries,  O.  J.  Jeffries,  Henry  Pepper, 
Harrison  Pepper,  ClarerKje  Sherman  and  A. 
Sherman.  In  1884  this  lodge  had  a  live  mem- 
bership of  thirty-eight. 

PERSOXAL    SKETCHES. 

The  following  notices  include  the  names  of 
the  most  influential  and  respected  citizens  of 
the  town.  Tbey  are  deserving  of  more  than 
passing  notice,  on  account  of  their  prominence 
in  the  different  lines  of  business  in  which  they 
are  engaged. 

Benjamin  Roberts,  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  the  town  of  Forest,  was  born  in  1816,  in 
Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  received  a  com- 
mon school  education.  Mr.  Roberts  resided  in 
bis  native  town  until   1854,    when    he   came   to 


Wisconsin.  He  first  located  in  Walworth 
county,  but  only  remained  one  year,  and  then 
moved  to  Vernon  county,  and  entered  200  acres 
of  land  in  the  town  of  Forest,  on  section  1, 
where  he  still  resides.  At  the  time  Mr.  Roberts 
came  to  Forest  town,  there  were  only  two  fami- 
lies in  the  town,  those  of  Nathan  Sherman  and 
J.  B.  Nofsinger.  The  first  winter,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  sell  his  only  team  to  obtain  money  to 
purchase  pruvLsions,  but  has  since  been  very 
prosperous.  Mr.  Roberts  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Maria  Tabor,  in  1843.  Mrs.  Roberts 
was  born  in  1821,  in  Lower  Canada,  and  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1837.  They  have  had 
six  children,  one  of  which,  Milan,  was  killed  in 
a  railroad  accident,  between  St.  Paul  and  Min- 
neapolis. Five  children  are  living — Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Lewis  Clute,  D.  C,  who  married  Lucinda 
Burris;  Clayton  B.,  married  to  Maria  Fowler; 
Lucias  T.,  who  marriedRose  Vincent,  and  Clara. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  have  nine  grand-children, 
Josie,  Grace  and  Raymond  Clute;  William  and 
Mirtie  Roberts,  and  Linn,  and  an  infant,  the 
children  of  Clayton  B.  Roberts,  and  Edna  and 
Edmond,  children  of  Milan  Roberts,  deceased. 
.Mr.  Roberts  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  in 
1856,  at  the  first  town  election. 

In  the  fall  of  that  same  year,  and  about  the 
time  that  Benjamin  Roberts  had  located  here, 
a  sturdy  German  and  his  family,  including  two 
sons — William  C.  and  Frederick,  came  here 
from  Hendricks  Co.,  Ind.,  and  were  content  to 
begin  life  anew  in  the  wilderness  of  timber 
that  covered  Forest.  Dederick  Stelting  was 
born  in  Germany,  in  1796,  and  emigrated  to 
these  United  States,  in  1838.  He  resided 
several  years  in  Pennsylvania,  and  subsequently 
in  Maryland  and  Hendricks  Co.,  Ind.  In  the 
latter  country,  he  lost  his  wife  Elizabeth,  who 
was  born  in  Germany,  1802,  and  died  in  1S54. 
Soon  after,  Mr.  Stelting  removed  the  remain- 
der of  his  family  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  the 
golden  days  of  October  or  November,  came  to 
the   town   of  Forest,  and  made  a  new  home  for 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


513 


his  children.     He  resided   with  W.  C.  Stelting 
until  his  death,  Feb.  25,  1883. 

William  C.  Stelting,  one  of  the  sons  men- 
tioned, was  born  in  Prussia,  in  1828,  and 
accompanied  his  father  through  to  this  town. 
Mr.  Stelling  entered  for  himself  eighty-nine 
acres  of  land  on  sections  14  and  23,  and  by 
industry  and  economy  has  been  enabled  to 
increase  his  possessions  to  209  acres.  He  is 
one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  the  town,  and 
when  it  was  first  set  off,  served  one  year  as 
town  clerk  Since  that  period  he  has  officiated 
as  chairman  of  the  town  board  fifteen  years, 
and  treasurer  three  years.  In  1860  he  married 
Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  John  and  Permelia 
Markle.  They  have  nine  children — Permelia 
E.,  Lizetta  E.,  Otto  J.,  Witto  A.,  Samary  M., 
Alfrctta  and  Loretta  (  twins,  aged  nine  years), 
Waldo  and  Essie. 

Frederick   Stelting  was   born  in  Prussia,  ii. 
1834,  and  accompanied  his  parents   to  Americr. 
when  quite    small.     In  Hendricks  Co.,  Ind.,  he 
Karned  the  cooper  trade,  and  worked  at  it  unti 
his  removal  to  this  town,   in    1855.     In   connec 
tion    with    a   brother,  he  located   200   acres  o: 
land  on   section    14,  where  he  has    since  lived 
He  has  been  energetic   and   frugal,  and  has  in 
creased  his   farm  to  311    acres,  most   of  whicl. 
is   well    improved.     He   served    as   one   of  the 
town    supervisors   for  one   year,   and  in    1863 
married   Miranda    Markle,    who    was    born    in 
1844.     Seven    children    have  been  given    them, 
but  only    two    survive — Herman  T.  and  Austin 
G.     The  deceased  are  C.  A.,  Bird  C,  Oscar  D., 
Alice  and  Elsie. 

John  Revels  was  but  a  boy  of  ten  years 
when  his  father  came  into  the  town  of  Forest, 
in  1855.  He  was  a  native  Hoosier,  and  born  in 
Orange  Co.,  Ind.,  in  1845.  He  grew  up  to 
manhood  in  the  town  of  Forest,  and  has 
always  made  this  his  home.  He  has  been  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  through  life,  and 
now  owns  forty  acres  of  land  on  section  6.  In 
1863  he  enlisted  in  the  3d  Wisconsin  Cavalry, 
and  was  discharged  in  1865,  on   account  of  his 


eyes  being  injured  by  coming  in  contact  with 
burnt  powder.  Mr.  Revels  was  married,  in 
1865,  to  Tempa  C.  McCord,  of  Vernon  Co., 
Mo.  They  are  the  parents  of  six  children — 
Mary  J.,  Eddie  M.,  John  W.,  Court,  Ettie  and 
Herman.  Mr.  Revels  is  a  member  of  the 
Richland  United  Christian  Conference,  and  is 
trying  to  vindicate  God's  Holy  word. 

C.  M.  Carr,  one  of  the  most  prominent  attor- 
neys at  law,  and  business    men   and   farmers  of 
this    part    of    Vernon    county,    was    born    in 
Thompkins  Co.,  N.    Y.,  in  1817.     When  eleven 
years  of  age,  his  parents    removed    to    Cuyuga 
county,  in    the    same    State,  where    our  subject 
grew  to  be  a  man,  and  was  engaged  in  farming 
and  milling.     In   1855  he   removed  to  Wauke- 
sha Co.,  Wis.,  and  for  two    years  was  engaged 
in  the  saw-mill  business.     He  then    entered  120 
acres  of  land  in  the  town    of  Hillsborough,  in 
this  county,  and  employed  his  time  at  farming. 
He  made  his  home  there  for  twenty-tour  years, 
increasing  his  land  to  140  acres  and   practicing 
the  profession  of  law.  In  1866,  he  was  appoint- 
ed by  the  governor,  to  the    position    of   super- 
visor   for   the    eastern  district  of  the   county, 
when  the    entire    county    board    consisted  of 
but    three      members,     and     held     the      office 
of  justice   of  the    peace    for    two    terms.      In 
1881    he    disposed   of   his  farm,  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land   on    section  23,  in  Forest 
town,    where   he    has    since   resided.     For    the 
past  twenty-live  years,  Mr.  Carr  has  enjoyed  an 
extensive  practice  in  the  justice  courts,  and  is  a 
man  highly  esteemed  by  all.     He  was  married, 
in  the   winter  of  1845,  to  Emily  Pierce.     They 
have  five  children — Isaac   F.,  Harry   B.,  Casion 
M.,  Lucia  M.  and  Nelson  R. 

Richard  J.  Harris,  who  has  been  a  citizen  of 
the  town  of  Forest  for  twenty-one  years,  was 
born  in  Rock  Co,  111.,  in  1848.  In  1853  he 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Stoughton,  Wis., 
and  there  remained  for  two  years.  They  then 
removed  to  the  village  of  Munford,  in  Grant 
county,  and  there  engaged  in  keeping  hotel  for 
two  years.  Their  next  move  was  to  Richland 
Center,  Richland  county,  and  three  years  later 
(in   1860)    to   the   town    of  Forest.     The   elder 


30 


514 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Harris  bought  160  acres  of  land  on  section 
16.  He  now  resides  on  section  14.  He  owns 
480  acres  of  land,  and  is  one  of  the  most  thriv- 
ing and  prosperous  farmers  in  the  town.  On 
Jan.  ],  IS'ZS,  he  married  Harriet  Trail,  and  the 
fruits  of  this  union  have  been  the  birth  of  five 
children.  Ihree  are  living — William  H.,  Nettie 
J.  and  George  T.  Cora,  the  oldest,  died  in 
1874,  and  Franklin  J.  in  1881. 

J.  J.  Marshall,  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State, 
settled  here  in  1865.  He  was  born  in  Jefferson 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1842,  and  in  1856  accompanied  his 
parents  to  the  town  of  Union  in  this  county. 
In  1865  Mr.  Marshall  purchased  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  on  section  31,  and  immediately 
moved  thereon.  He  has  increased  his  farm  to 
220  acres,  and  is  considered  One  of  the  repre- 
sentative men  of  this  town.  During  his  resi- 
dence here  he  has  been  honored  with  the  office 
of  town  supervisor  three  years,  and  town  clerk 
five  years,  was  assistant  postmaster  in  the  State 
Senate,  in  1883.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  in 
1863,  to  Mary  S.  Poorman.  They  have  nine 
children— John  L.,  Elihu  F.,  Mary  E.,  Flora  E., 
Moses  B.,  Sidney  J.,  Nettie,  Esther  A.  and 
Jessie  F. 

John  Lathrop,  one  the  prospering  farmers  of 
the  town  of  Forest,  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Vt., 
in  1838.  He  there  resided  until  1863,  when  he 
went  to  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming  for  five  years.  In  1808  he  came 
to  the  town  of  Forest,  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  section  22,  which  farm  he  has 
increased  to  200  acres.  Mr.  Lathrop  was  mar- 
ried in  1801  to  Delia  Leach,  by  wbom  he  had 
two  children — Charlie  and  Nellie.  He  was  so 
unfortunate  as  to  lose  his  wife  in  1 878.  He  was 
again  married  in  1880  to  Louisa  Woods,  and 
they  have  one  child — Adelia.  His  daughter 
Nellie  is  now  the  wife  of  Lawrence  Gregory. 
Mr.  Lathrop  has  been  one  of  the  constables  of 
Forest  town  for  five  years. 

John  Shaw  was  born  in  1829,  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, where  he  remained  until  1841,  when  he 
removed  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  shortly  after 


to  Waukesha  county,  where  he  lived  twenty- 
seven  years,  and  then  removed  to  the  town  of 
Forest,where  he  engaged  in  farming.  Mr.  Shaw 
now  owns  a  pretty  little  farm  of  forty  acres 
on  section  32,  where  he  resides.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1856  to  Helen  Hay,  by  whom  he  had 
one  child.  Mrs.  Shaw  died  in  1857.  Mr.  Shaw 
again  married  in  1859  Henrietta  Beebe,  and 
they  have  six  children — Helen,  Henry,  Charles, 
William,  Inez  and  Milan.  .Helen  is  now  the 
wife  of  Eli  Sherman.  Mr.  Shaw  was  a  member 
of  the  7th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry ;  enlisted  in  1864,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  in  1865. 

Elijah  Bass  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in 
1836,  and  his  parents  removed  to  Ohio  the  same 
year.  He  lived  in  the  Buckeye  State  until  1870, 
when  he  came  to  the  town  of  Forest  and  purchas- 
ed thirty-two  acres  of  land  on  section  28,  where 
he  now  resides.  Mr.  Bass  has  increased  his 
farm  to  I  52  acres.  Mr.  Bass  was  married  in  1861 
to  Elizabeth  O'Neal,  born  in  1842.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bass  are  the  parents  of  twelve  children — 
Ransom,  aged  twenty-one,  Matilda,  aged 
twenty,  William,  aged  nineteen,  Zachariah, 
aged  seventeen,  Mansfield,  aged  fifteen,  Caro- 
line, aged  eleven,  Ardelia,  aged  nine,  Victoria, 
aged  seven,  Martha,  aged  four,  Jewell,  aged 
three,  and  Simon,  aged  one  and  half  years.  Ma- 
tildais  now  the  wife  of  Warren  Newell. 

J.  C.  Rodgers  was  born  in  1855,  and  is  a  na- 
tive of  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  remained 
until  1860,  when  his  parents  then  removed  to 
the  town  of  Greenwood  in  this  county.  In 
1870.  Mr.  Rodgers  came  to  the  town  of 
Forest,  and  purchased  160  acres  of  land  on 
section  6,  where  he  now  lives.  Mr.  Rodgers 
was  married,  in  1875,  to  Phebe  Gaudy,  who 
became  the  mother  of  one  child —  Myrtle. 
Mrs.  Rodgers  died  in  1878,  and  he  subsequently 
married  Mrs.  Jane  Pointer.  Mrs.  Rodgers  had 
one  daughter  by  her  former  husband — Eliza- 
beth. Mr.  Rodger's  father,  A.  W.,  was  born  in 
1829,  in  New  York.     His   mother,  Sarah,  was 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


515 


born  in  1837,  in  New  York,   and  is  now.  living 
with  her  husband  at  North  Hudson,  Wis. 

Napoleon  B.  Lathrop,  a  brother  of  John  La- 
throp,  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Vt.,  in  1841, 
where  he  resided  thirty  years,  and  having 
learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner  he 
went  to  Canada  in  1871,  to  work  at  his  trade. 
He  remained  there  two  years,  and  in  1873  re- 
moved to  the  town  of  Forest,  where  he  remained 
but  a  short  time,  and  then  went  to  Clayton  Co., 
Iowa,  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  three  years, 
and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  returned  to  For- 
est town,  where  he  has  since  lived.  When  he 
first  came  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land 
on  section  22,  which  he  now  owns.  Mr.  La- 
throp was  married  in  1880  to  Jane  Smith.  They 
have  two  children — Harvey  and  Eliza.  In 
1861  Mr  Lathrop  enlisted  in  the  2d  regiment, 
Vermont  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  at  the  battle 
of  Savage  Station  was  wounded  in  the  left 
shoulder;  and  at  t)ie  battle  of  Fisher's  Hill  he 
was  wounded  in  the  right  side  of  the  face;  and 
at  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  was  shot  out  of  a 
tree  with  wounds  in  the  back  and  riglit  hip. 
At  this  time  he  was  acting  as  a  sharp  shooter, 
having  been  detailed  in  1863  as  one  of  the 
Vermont  sharp  shooters. 

Jesse  Delaney  was  born  in  Vernon  Co.,  Iiul., 
in  1860.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Sarah  De- 
laney. The  latter  died  in  1877,  and  the  former 
in  the  town  of  Forest,  in  1880.  Mr.  Delaney 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  county,  and  in 
1877,  while  a  young  man,  decided  to  come  west 
and  build  up  his  home  among  the  people  of  the 
Badger  State.  He  came  to  Forest  town  in  1877, 
and  owns  forty  acres  of  land  on  section  8,  where 
he  now  resides.  In  1882  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Emma,  daughter  of  William  M.  and 
Mary  A.  Carson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Delaney  have 
one  son — Gideon. 

James  Kile  was  born  in  1820,  and  received 
a  common  school  education.  In  1845  he  re- 
moved to  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  and  there  engaged  in 
farming  for  one  year.  He  then  removed  to 
Wiota,  Wis.,  and  a  year  later  removed  to  Mos- 


cow, in  this  State,  and  lived  there  fifteen  years. 
In  1877  he  came  to  Vernon  county  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  laud  on  section  33,  where 
he  now  resides.  In  1864  Mr.  Kile  and  son 
George  enlisted  in  the  37th  regiment,  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  were  discharged  in 
1866.  Mr.  Kile  was  married  in  1840  to  Huldah 
Van  Norman,  who  was  born  in  1821.  They 
have  font  children — George,  who  married  Laura 
Burdick;  Mary,  wife  of  Wallace  Spears;  John, 
who  married  Julia  Salisbury,  and  Guila,  who 
married  Catharine  Salisbury. 

John  H.  Wells  was  born  in  New  York,  in 
1839,  and  lived  there  until  he  was  eighteen  years 
of  age.  He  then  came  west  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis., 
and  there  engaged  in  farming  until  1862.  In 
the  latter  year  he  enlisted  in  the  23d  regiment, 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  1865.  He  participated  in 
the  following  named  skirmishes  and  battles: 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post,  Port  Gibson, 
Champion  Hill,  Black  River  Bridge,  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  siege  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  Spanish 
Fort  and  Grand  Caton.  At  the  latter  he  was 
taken  prisoner  on  Ivov.  3,  1863,  and  was  con- 
fined until  Dec.  25,  1^63.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  Mr.  Wells  returned  to  Dane  county,  and 
iliere  remained  until  1877,  when  he  removed  to 
the  town  of  Fore-it,  and  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  land  on  section  1,  where  he  now  lives.  He 
was  married  in  I860  to  Maria  Thompson,  who 
was  born  in  1839.  They  have  one  daughter — 
Hattie,  aged  ten  years.  Mrs.  Wells  is  the 
daughter  of  James  and  Lydia  Thompson. 

Alfred  Weaver,  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
became  a  resident  here  in  October,  1879.  He 
was  born  in  1831,  and  in  September,  1844,  ac- 
companied his  father's  family  to  Fayette  Co., 
Ohio.  In  the  fall  of  1848  they  removed  to 
Grant  Co.,  Ind.,  where  Alfred,  was  married  to 
Sarah  D.  Revels  in  the  autumn  of  1851.  In 
1859  he  removed  his  family  to  Sauk  Co.,  Wis. 
and  in  March,  1864,  enlisted  in  the  29th  regi- 
ment, Illinois  Volunteers  (colored),  and  served 
twenty  months.  He  returned  to  Wisconsin, 
and  in  1870  removed  to  Indiana  with  his  wife 
and  ten  children.  In  1873  himself  and  wife 
were  divorced,  and  in  1^77  he  married  Mary 
Certain,  who  is  the  mother  of  one  child.  In 
October,  1879,  he  settled  on  section  8,  in  For- 
est township,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
in  farming. 


616 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTr. 


CHAPTIlR    XXXV 


THE  TOWN   OF   FRANKLIN. 


The  town  of  Franklin  is  situated  in  the 
southern  part  of  Vernon  county,  and  comprises 
parts  of  congressional  townships  11  and  12, 
ranges  4  and  5.  It  has  an  area  of  fifty -two  sec- 
tions or  about  33,280  acres.  It  is  bounded  by 
the  towns  of  Jefferson  and  Viroqua  on  the  north, 
Viroqua  and  Kickapoo  on  the  east,  Crawford 
county  on  the  south,  and  the  towns  of  Sterling 
and  Jefferson  on  the  west. 

The  only  streams  within  the  borders  of  this 
town  are  a  few  small  creeks,  among  which  are, 
Tainters,  a  branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river,  and 
a  branch  of  the  lower  Bad  Ax  river.  The 
general  surface  of  the  country  is  very  rough 
and  hilly.  Among  the  objects  of  natural  curi- 
osity in  this  town  is  "Monumental  Rock,"  which 
is  described  in  another  chapter. 

BARLT  SKTTLKMENT. 

To  John  McOullough  is  ascribed  the  honor 
of  having  made  the  first  actual  settlement  in 
the  town  of  Franklin.  He  came  in  1844  and 
afterward  entered  land  and  did  some  breaking. 
The  next  spring  he  brought  his  family  on.  His 
claim  was  on  section  25  of  township  12,  range 
T)  west.  In  1852  he,  with  a  number  of  others, 
went  to  California,  remained  a  year  in  the  gold 
region,  and  wrote  to  his  brother  that  he  was 
about  to  return,  but  he  was  never  afterward 
heard  of,  and  it  is  supposed  he  perished  on  the 
plains. 

In  1845  George  P.  Taylor  located  on  section 
30  of  township  12,  range  4.  He  remained  till 
1882,  at  which  date  he  sold  to  J.  C.  Adkins. 

Henry  Siefert,  a  bachelor,  came  in  1845  and 
settled   on   section    18,  where    he   built   a   log 


house.  His  mother  soon  came  and  kept  house 
for  him  a  number  of  years,  when  they  removed 
to  Iowa. 

Another  settler  of  1845  was  Samuel  Rice  and 
his  brother  Hiram.  The  former  brought  his 
family  with  him.  His  wife  died  a  year  or  two 
after  their  arrival  and  he  married  again,  but 
left  his  family  and  moved  to  Mackinaw,  Mich. 

Abram  Stiles  settled  at  Brookville  on  section 
15,  in  1846  or  1847. 

Dr.  Swain  and  Rev.  James  A.  Cook  also  came 
the  same  season. 

Edward  Davis,  who  was  among  the  pioneers 
of  the  town,  settled  on  section  35,  township  12, 
range  5.  He  was  a  resident  of  the  county  in 
1884,  but  not  living  on  the  same  land  on  which 
he  first  settled. 

Andrew  Briggs,  a  man  of  considerable  ability, 
and  who  was  afterward  a  member  of  the  State 
Assembly,  settled  in  the  town  at  an  early  time. 
He  removed  to  Readstown,  where  he  died. 

Michael  Hinkst  settled  on  the  north  half  of 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  31,  township 
12,  range  4,  Aug.  6,  1847,  where  he  was  still 
living  in  1884. 

Another  early  settler  was  Anson  Tainter, 
whose  settlement  dates  back  to  1848.  He  was 
born  in  Virginia,  Aug.  19,  1823.  His  father 
was  Stephen  Tainter,  a  native  of  Massachusetts. 
A.  G.  Tainter  married  Rachel  J.  Tobler.  Mr. 
Tainter  is  one  of  the  well  known  and  well  to 
do  farmers  of  this  town  ;  his  residence  is  on 
section  11.  He  owns  over  400  acres  of  land  in 
Vernon  county,  and  160  acres  in  Crawford 
county.      Mr.    and    Mrs.    Tainter    have    been 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


5T7 


blessed  with  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  were 
living  in  1SS4. 

Among  other  settlers  in  the  town  was  Ran- 
som Lamb,  who  removed  from  Virginia,  his 
native  State,  to  Illinois,  and  from  there  to 
Franklin  township  in  1850,  where  he  remained 
till  his  death,  in  1871. 

Besides  those  mentioned  as  being  among  the 
first  settlers  were  :  George  Pike,  L.  D.  Smith, 
John  Britt,  Andrew  Henry,  James  Lawrence, 
William  Utley,  E.  Inman,  Ira  Wixcox,  Isaiah 
Adams  and  Daniel  Read,'who  built  the  Reads- 
town  mill.     All  of  these  came  prior  to  185.3. 

V.  C.  Fortney,  an  early  settler,  was  the  son 
of  Christian  O.  Fortney,  who  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, and  came  to  America  in  1856,  settling  in 
the  town  of  Franklin,  on  section  10,  township 
11,  range  4,  where  he  remained  till  his  death, 
Jan.  11,  1869.  He  left  a  wife  and  two  children. 
C.  C.  is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  was  born 
in  Norway  in  1846.  He  married  Margaret 
Jones,  daughter  of  Filing  Johnson,  an  early 
settler  of  the  town  of  Liberty.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fortney  have  five  children — Christine,  Christo- 
pher, Gustave,  Carrie  and  Eliza. 

ORGANIC. 

The  town  of  Franklin  was  the  last  territory 
in  the  county  to  which  the  name  "Bad  Ax"  was 
applied.  It  was  changed  from  Bad  Ax  to  "Loch 
Haven,"  by  the  board  of  supervisors,  April  8, 
1857.  The  following  year,  1858,  it  was  given 
the  name  of  Franklin. 

No  record  having  been  preserved,  nothing 
certain  can  be  determined  upon  as  to  who  the 
first  officers  were.  Those  of  1883  were  :  Chris 
Ellefson  (chairman),  Arne  Larson,William  Cla- 
water,  supervisors  ;  Knute  Peterson,  treasurer ; 
W.  W.  Johnson,  assessor  ;  Forest  F.  W.  Alex- 
ander, clerk  ;  O.  S.  Henry  and  Sidney  Higgins, 
justices  of  the  peace. 

Forest  F.  W.  Alexander  is  the  present  town 
clerk  of  the  town  of  Franklin.  He  resides  on  sec- 
tion 18,  town  12,  range  4  west.  He  has  fifty 
acres  of  land,  which  he  purchased  of  Harriet 
Dulap.     He  was  born  in  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 


came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  father,  who  settled 
at  Muscoda,  Grant  county.  The  family  came  to 
Vernon  county  in  1869  and  settled  at  Liberty 
Pole.  The  father  is  now  deceased.  Forest  has 
been  generally  engaged  in  clerking.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Crume,  whose  father  was  an  early 
settler  of  the  town  of  Viroqua.  They  have 
three  children — Florence  M.,  Grace  and  Rue  E. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  house  in  this  town  was 
made  of  logs,  and  located  near  New  Brookville 
on  section  17,  town  12,  range  4.  In  it  was 
taught  the  first  school  in  the  town  of  Fraiiklin; 
Lorenzo  Pierce  was  the  first  teacher. 

In  188.3  the  town  was  divided  into  ten  school 
districts,  commencing  to  number  at  "three." 

The  first  school  building  in  district  No.  3, 
which  was  built  at  an  early  day,  served  until 
1877,  when  a  new  frame  structure  was  built. 
From  the  date  of  the  erection  of  this  building, 
the  interest  in  school  matters  has  increased. 

District  No.  4  embraces  the  territory  around 
the  village  of  Brookville.  A  new  building  su- 
perceded the  old  pioneer  house,  in  1878,  which 
has  accommodation  for  about  fifty  pupils. 

In  district  No.  5  the  school  house  is  situated 
in  a  beautiful  grove,  and  is  finely  furnished  with 
the  most  improved  style  of  seats  etc.  The 
scholars  are  mostly  Norwegian,  who  in  winter 
time,  furnish  a  large  attendance  and  manifest 
much  interest. 

District  No.  6  embraces  what  is  known  as 
Liberty  Pole.  Here  a  commodious  school  build- 
ing has  been  erected,  which  is  well  supplied 
with  the  best  of  seats  and  apparatus,  including 
maps  and  charts.  This  school  is  always  well 
attended  and  successfully  conducted. 

District  No.  7  is  chiefly  made  up  of  Germans 
and  Norwegians.  The  school  district  is  pro- 
vided with  a  good  building,  enclosed  by  a  sub- 
stantial fence,  and  being  near  a  fine  grove  is  a 
very  attractive  place. 

District  No.  8,  at  that  date,  had  an  inferior 
building,  in  an  out  of  the  way  place.     However 


618 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  school  usually  has  a  good  attendance.  The 
scholars  are  chiefly  Irish  and  Norwegians. 

District  No.  9  is  in  the  heart  of  the  heaviest 
Norwegian  settlement.  The  school  house  here, 
is  small  but  in  good  repair  and  well  furnished. 
The  winter  school  is  usually  well  attended. 

In  district  No.  10  the  school  building  is  lo- 
cated on  low  flat  ground,  near  a  little  creek. 
Here  the  school  interests  have  been  greatly 
neglected. 

In  district  No.  n  the  building  is  small  and 
poorly  furnished.  The  location  is  a  beautiful 
elevation.  The  attendance  is  small  in  the  sum- 
mer time.  The  school  population  are  chiefly 
Norwegians,  with  a  few  Irish. 

In  district  No.  12  there  is  a  very  good  school 
house,  which  however,  is  ))Oorly  located  on  low 
ground.  This  school  has  a  good  average  at- 
tendance. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  earliest  religious  services  within  Frank- 
lin town  Were  held  at  private  houses  before 
a  school  house  or  church  had  bten  erected  or 
even  contemplated.  The  first  services  were  con- 
ducted by  a  missionary  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal denomination  from  Prairie  du  C'liien. 
This  was  in  1846.  A  little  later  a  log  school 
house  was  built  on  section  17  and  services  were 
then  held  in  that.  The  Rev.  Parkins  was  the 
first  to  preach  regularly  here. 

The  name.s  of  the  first  class  organized  were, 
so  far  as  remembered:  Dr.  George  A.  Swain 
and  wife,  J.  A.  Cooke  and  wife.  The  latter 
named  was  the  leader  of  the  class  and 
later  became  a  local  preacher,  remaining 
such  till  his  death.  As  the  countjr  increased  in 
jiopulation  so  did  this  Church  in  membership 
and  spiritual  strength.  [For  some  years  it  was  in 
what  was  known  as  the  Bad  Ax  mission,  which 
was  afterward  included  in  the  Viroqua  circuit, 
and  is  now  known  as  the  Liberty    Pole   circuit. 

There  are  two  Norwegian  churches  in  the 
town  of  Franklin.  One  is  situated  on  section 
10,  town  11,  range  4  and  belongs  to  what  is 
known  as   Hanges  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod 


of  America.  It  became  detached  from  the  par- 
ent synod  about  1860.  It  numbers  about  thirty- 
five  voting  members.  A  church  building  was 
erected  in  1872.  The  first  trustees  were:  C.  C. 
Fortney,  Ole  Torge  and  Kuute  O.  Fortney. 
The  first  pastor  was  Elling  Eilson. 

The  Norwegian  Evangelical  Lutheran  church 
is  located  on  section  15  ,town  11,  range  4  west 
'i'his  denomination  was  the  first  to  locate  in 
this  town. 

The  first  Norwegian  settler  of  the  town  of 
Franklin  was  Torger  O.  Fortney,  who  came  in 
IS.'iS;  others  came  about  the  same  time  and 
soon  after,  services  of  this  people  were  held 
in  a  church  built  of  logs,  located  just  over  the 
line  in  Crawford  county.  In  1876  they  erected 
a  neat  frame  church  on  section  15.  The  first 
sermon  preached  in  this  building  was  delivered 
by  Rev.  Juve.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J. 
Neilson.  Others  who  have  preached  for  and 
been  pastor  of  this  Church  from  time  to  time 
are:  Rev.  Stubb  and  Rev.  Praus. 

LIBERTY    POLE. 

This  place,  as  an  old  pioneer  remarked  in 
188^1,  "is  an  imaginary  village."  At  a  very 
early  day  some  town  lots  were  staked  off  and 
numbered,  of  which  but  a  very  few  were  ever 
sold.  Yet  this  particular  locality  has  always 
been  a  prominent  land  mark  to  both  the  resident 
and  stranger.  It  derived  its  name  from  the 
fact  that  the  first  liberty  pole  or  flag  staff  in 
Vernon  county  was  erected  at  this  point  July 
3,  1848.  A  postoffice  was  established  there, 
called  Bad  Ax,  which,  in  1870,  was  changed  to 
Liberty  Pole. 

Hiram  Rice  sold  the  first  goods  at  this  point. 

Jacob  Higgins  erected  a  store  at  an  early  day 
and  he,  in  company  with  Capt.  Thomas  Cade, 
ran  a  store  for  about  a  year,  during  a  part  of 
1862  and  1863,  when  Mr.  Cade  witlidrew  from 
the  firm. 

A  Mr.  Smith  also  traded  there  a  little  later, 
as  did  Luther  Nichols. 

In  1 884  there  was  a  small  store  operated  by 
Knute  Peterson. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


519 


Soren  Hanson,  a  native  of  Denmark,  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1873  and  located  in  the 
fall  of  that  year  at  Liberty  Pole.  Here  he 
worked  at  the  blacksmith's  trade  which  he  had 
learned  in  his  native  land. 

CKMETEEIES. 

In  1853  James  Lawrence  buried  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Henry  Williams,  on  land  he  owned 
on  section  19,  and  after  a  few  years  gave  a  piece 
of  land  containing  about  two  acres,  including 
the  spot  where  bis  sister  was  buried,  to  be  used 
by  the  town  of  Franklin  as  a  cemetery.  It  is 
situated  in  a  beautiful  spot  within  the  forest 
near  the  road-side,  and  is  the  principal  burying 
ground  of  the  town. 

There  was,  in  1884,  besides  this  cemetery,  a 
Norwegian  burying  place  near  their  church, 
south  of  Liberty  Pole,  and  also  a  few  private 
burying  grounds. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

We  herewith  present  some  biographical 
sketches  of  Franklin's  most  prominent  citizens. 
They  are  worthy  of  especial  attention. 

Dr.  George  A.  Swain  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Vernon  county.  He  was  a  native  of  Ohio. 
His  parents  were  from  Pennsylvania,  and  his 
paternal  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Continental 
Army  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  Mr. 
Swain's  parents  died  when  he  \\  as  quite  small 
and  he  was  reared  on  a  farm.  He  was  married 
in  Ohio  to  Anna  Hay,  and  a  few  years  after  suf- 
fered the  loss  of  a  leg  by  the  falling  of  a  tree. 
After  this  accident  he  turned  his  attention  to 
tiie  study  of  medicine  and  removed  from  Wood 
to  Wayne  county,  in  the  same  State.  He  sub- 
sequently located  in  Wayne  Co.,  111.,  and  in 
1845  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  settlttd  in 
a  small  settlement  afterward  called  New  JJrook- 
ville,  and  was  engaged  in  farming.  He  was 
probably  the  first  physician  in  Vernon  county, 
and  as  such  his  professional  services  were  much 
in  requisition.  The  county  was  sparsely  settled 
and  a  call  for  the  "doctor"  would  probably 
come  from  the  distant  parts  of  the  county.  A 
long   ride    through  forests  and  underbrush,  and 


small,  if  any,  remuneration  was  often  the  result 
of  such  calls;  but  Dr.  Swain  never  faltered 
when  sickness  demanded  his  attention,  and 
many  an  early  settler  remembers  him  with 
heartfelt  gratitude.  In  1879  he  removed  to 
Kansas.  Himself  and  wife  had  seven  children, 
six  livinsr — Henry  V.,  Jonathan  H.,  John  J., 
Allan  L.,  R.  B  and  William  M.  Their  other 
child,  Julia,  died  at  the  early  age  of 
eight  years.  The  family  are  all  residents 
of  Bourbon  and  Rock  Co's.,  Kansas  with 
one  exception.  Jonathan  H.  resides  on  a  por- 
tion of  the  old  homestead  on  section  21.  He 
was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  Ohio,  March  1,  1835, 
and  accompanied  his  father  to  this  county.  He 
enlisted  in  the  50th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  was  in  the  army  about  one 
year  and  four  months.  He  married  Louisa 
Strieker,  daughter  of  William  Strieker.  They 
have  three  sons  and  ouedaughtei- — Lemard  W., 
Hobart  F.,  Effie  A.  M.  and  Frank  W.  Mr. 
Swain's  farm  contains  114  acres. 

Michael  Hinkst  owns  a  tine  farm  of  240  acres 
onsection  31.  He  was  born  in  YorkCo.,  Penn., 
March  10,1817,  and  when  eight  years  of  age 
removed  to  Oliio  with  his  parents.  When  a 
young  man  he  spent  ten  years  at  various  points 
in  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  engaged  in 
farming  and  mining.  He  was  employed  in  the 
lead  mines  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  as  early  as 
1830.  On  Aug.  6,  1847,  he  came  into  Ver- 
non county  and  located  in  what  is  now  Frank- 
lin town,  and  is  the  earliest  settler  now  re- 
siding in  the  town.  Others  came  before 
he  did,  but  they  have  moved  away  or  have 
died.  Mr.  Hinkst  is  a  man  of  good  edu- 
cation and  possesses  a  valuable  fund  of  general 
information.  He  was  the  second  superintendent 
of  schools  for  the  town  and  held  that  position 
eight  years.  He  has  also  served  as  chairman  of 
the  board  and  clerk  of  the  town.  Mr.  Hinkst 
was  married  Oct.  19,  1852,  to  Eliza  Fisher,  born 
in  Crawford  Co.,  Peun.,  Aug.  13,  1824.  She  re- 
moved to  Wisconsin  with  her  parents  when  quite 
young.     She    died   in  the  town  of  Franklin,  in 


520 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


June,  1863.  Mrs.  Hinkst  was  the  mother  of 
four  children — George,  who  resides  in  Virginia 
City,  Nev.,  and  three  daughters — Jane,  Lydia 
and  May.  All  were  students  at  the  State  Nor- 
mal School  at  Platteville,  and  are  now  engaged 
in  teaching  school. 

Jacob  Higgins  was  one  of  the  earlier  settlers 
of  Franklin  town,  and  is  well  remembered  by 
the  pioneers.  He  was  born  near  Ithica,  N. 
Y.,  Oct.  2,  1802,  and  was  there  reared,  re- 
ceiving a  good  education.  He  taught  school  in 
New  York  in  early  life,  and  then  went  to 
Michigan,  where  he  opened  a  store  and  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  On  Nov.  10, 
1842,  he  there  married  Phebe  Wisel,  and  seven 
years  later  came  to  Vernon  (then  known  as  Bad 
Ax)  co.iiity.  Wis.,  arriving  May  10,  1849.  He 
located  at  Liberty  Pole,  and  immediately 
bought  a  quarter  section  of  land  on  sections  25 
and  26,  town  12  north,  range  5  west.  He 
continued  in  mercantile  pursuits,  was  also  post- 
master of  what  was  then  known  as  Bad  Ax 
postoffice,  and  continued  in  that  office  until  his 
death.  He  held  various  town  offices.  In  March, 
1S57,  ho  removed  his  family  on  his  farm  one 
mile  west  of  Liberty  Pole, where  he  permanently 
settled,  and  was  a  prominent  and  well  respected 
citizen  up  to  his  death,  which  occurred  Sept.  4, 
1858.  Mrs.  Higgins  was  born  at  Parma,  Catta- 
raugas  (Jo.,  N.  Y.,  and  removed  to  Indiana 
with  her  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higgins  have 
two  living  children — Sidney,  who  was  born  in 
Steuben  Co.,  Ind.,  Sept.  2,  1843,  has  always 
lived  on  the  old  homestead,  married  Lucy 
A.,  daughter  of  Jesse  Davis,  an  early  settler  of 
this  town.  They  have  four  children.  Judson 
the  second  son,  was  born  in  St.  Joseph  Co., 
Mich.,  Aug.  11,  1845,  married  Alice  Robson, 
and  has  four  children.  Zuleima,  the  only 
daughter,  was  born  at  White  Pigeon,  Mich., 
Dec.  28,  1847,  and  died  on  the  old  homestead, 
Feb.  16,  1868. 

Milton  Southwick  has  resided  here  since 
1851.  His  father,  Apiasa  Southwick,  was  born 
in  New  York,  and  was  married  at  Jamestown, 


Chautauqua  county,  in  his  native  State,  to 
Permelia  Sherwin.  He  removed  his  family  to 
the  village  of  Harmonsburg,  Crawford  Co., 
Penn,,  and  there  resided  until  1846.  In  the 
latter  year  he  loaded  up  his  family  and  house- 
hold effects,  and  with  a  team  of  oxen  as  the 
motive  power,  started  westward  over  the  moun- 
tains of  Pennsylvania.  He  traversed  the  hilly 
country  of  eastern  Ohio,  and  the  flat  prairies  of 
northern  Indiana,  and  finally  stopped  at  Janes- 
ville.  Rock  Co.,  Wis.  In  1851  Mr.  Southwick 
removed  his  family  to  Vernon  county  and  pur- 
chased a  claim  of  State  land  of  L.  D.  Smith,  at 
that  time  a  merchant  of  Liberty  Pole.  'J  his 
land  was  located  on  section  28,  and  was  farmed 
by  Mr.  Southwick  until  his  decease.  He  died 
July  17,  1860,  leaving  a  wife  and  six  children. 
Mr.  Southwick  learned  the  carpenter  and  joiner 
trade  in  New  York,  and  followed  it  for  some 
years  after  locating  here.  Mrs.  Southwick 
resides  at  Salem,  Oregon,  with  her  three 
youngest  children — Frank,  Mary  and  Ella.  The 
other  children  are  as  follows — Sarah  E.,  wife  of 
David  Cary,  resides  near  Soldier's  Grove;  Mil- 
ton and  Nancy  A.,  wife  of  Myron  Goodell; 
Amy  and  JVIatilda  (Brown)  are  dead.  Milton, 
the  eldest  son,  resides  on  the  home  farm,  which 
now  comprises  130  acres.  He  was  born  in 
Crawford  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1836,  and  was  fifteen 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  came  to  this 
county.  During  the  war  he  enlisted  in  the  6th 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  about  two  years.  He  married  Juliette, 
daughter  of  Ransom  Lamb,  who  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  this  county.  They  are  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  all  living — Aniasa 
R.,  Maria  J.,  Burnham,  Ada,  Emma,  Lucy, 
Myrtia,  Edna,  Vesta,  Helen  and  Frank  B.  Mr. 
Southwick  has  also  served  his  neighbors  and 
fellow  citizens  as  chairman  of  the  board  of 
supervisors,  road  supervisor  and  town  treasurer 
for  several  terras. 

Thomas  Cade,  familiarly  known  as  "Capt." 
Cade,  is  one  of  the  successful  and  enterprising 
farmers  of  Franklin  township.     He  was  born 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


621 


near  Hull,  Yorkshire,  England,  March  9,  1811. 
He  emigrated  to  the  United  States  with  his 
father,  Thomas  Cade,  in  1830.  The  family  set- 
tled in  Michigan,  where  the  father  resided  till 
his  death.  On  Aug.  3,  1853,  Mr.  Cade  came  to 
the  town  of  Franklin,  and  located  on  a  farm  he 
had  purchased  of  James  McCoUoch  the  preced- 
ing June.  Some  five  acres  of  this  farm  were 
improved  when  Mr.  Cade  became  its  owner,  and 
he  immediately  began  to  clear  the  land  and  cul- 
tivate the  soil.  He  was  the  first  person  to  ex- 
periment in  fruit  growing  in  Vernon  county. 
In  1854-55,  he  set  out  300  trees,  consisting 
mostly  of  apples  and  plums.  He  also  set  out 
three  pear  trees  which  bore  large  and  excellent 
flavored  fruit  for  a  few  years,  and  then  stopped 
bearing.  In  1854  he  went  back  to  Michigan 
and  bought  a  flock  of  sheep,  which  he  took  to 
his  new  home.  These  were  among  the  first 
sheep  ever  brought  into  Vernon  county.  His 
farm  now  consists  of  200  acres.  Mr.  Cade  mar- 
ried Lydia  Read,  a  native  of  Tompkins  Co., 
N.  Y.,  and  a  niece  of  Daniel  Read,  in  whose 
honor  the  village  of  Readstown  bears  its  name. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cade  have  had  eight  children,  six 
living — George  B.,  Henry  R.,  Joseph  D  ,  John 
W.,  Isabell  and  David  A.  The  deceased  were 
Elizabeth  and  Jonathan  G.,  the  latter  a  twin  of 
David  A. 

William  Clawater,  of  Liberty  Pole,  is  one 
of  the  early  and  well  known  settlers  of  Vernon 
county.  He  settled  in  this  town  Oct.  21,  1853. 
He  was  born  at  Rock  Haven,  Clinton  Co.,  Penn., 
in  1^25,  and  came  to  the  town  of  Franklin  Oct. 
1,  1853.  He  was  married  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
came  here  with  his  family.  His  father,  Wil- 
liam Clawater,  came  here  at  the  same  time, 
and  lived  with  his  son  until  his  decease.  Mr. 
Clawater  and  father  were  the  only  members  of 
the  family  that  ever  came  to  Franklin  town. 
He  had  five  brothers  and  four  sisters;  two  of 
the  former  and  one  of  the  latter  are  still  living. 
His  oldest  brother,  f  ornelius  H.,  lives  at  Stew- 
artville.  Mo.,  John  F.  in  Donophon  Co.,  Kan., 
and  his  sister  Jane,  wife  of  D.  M.  McDonald, 


resides  at  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  Mr.  Clawater  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  E.  Ilogue,  a  native  of  Indiana. 
They  have  ten  children,  three  sons  and  seven 
daughters — Mary  A.,  wife  of  Lloyd  Coe;  Jessie, 
wife  of  Thomas  Kelly;  Jennie,  Louis,  Kate, 
Belle,  Edna,  Forestine,  Ray  and  Wade.  Mr. 
Clawater's  general  occupation  has  been  farm- 
ing. He  has  236  acres  of  land  in  his  home 
farm,  also  owns  land  elsewhere.  He  has  been 
chairman  and  member  of  the  town  board  of  su- 
pervisors for  about  twenty  years. 

John  Fortney  resides  on  section  33,  and 
is  a  son  of  Thomas  Fortney,  who  became  a 
resident  of  the  town  of  Franklin  in  1856. 
Thomas  Fortney  was  born  in  Lysters,  Bergens 
stift,  Norway,  Feb.  4.  1816.  He  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade  in  his  native  land,  and  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1853.  He  bought  a 
tract  of  land  of  George  P.  Taylor,  and  the  resi- 
due of  his  farm  from  the  State.  He  still  resides 
on  section  4,  where  he  first  settled.  Mr.  Fort- 
ney married  Susan  Ottum,  and  eight  children 
have  been  born  to  them — John,  the  eldest  son, 
was  born  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855.  He 
bought  his  farm,  now  comprising  240  acres,  of 
David  Carrey.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Nor- 
way. The  second  son  is  Ole,  born  in  Vernon 
county  in  1858,  also  married  and  owning  265 
acres  of  land  on  section  32.  The  other  chil- 
dren are  Hans,  Arne,  Katherine,  Thomas, 
Christian  and  Christina. 

Robert  Hornby  came  to  Franklin  with  "Cap- 
tain" Cade  in  1853.  He  was  born  in  Canada 
in  1832,  and  accompanied  his  father's  family  to 
Michigan  in  1841.  Mrs.  Hornby  died  there 
and  Mr.  Hornljy,  in  1851,  went  to  California, 
returned  to  Michigan  in  1856,  and  came  lo 
Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  residing  with  his  son  Robert 
until  his  death,  Oct.  15,  1874.  Robert  has  been 
a  resident  here  for  thirty  years,  and  owns  a 
farm  of  203  acres  on  sections  26  and  35.  He 
married  Margaret  Getler,  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  daughter  of  Ferdinand  Getler.  They  have 
been    given    five    children,  four   sons   and    one 


522 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


daughter — Martin  L.,  William,  George,  May 
and  James. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  the  town  of 
Franklin,  is  Andrew  J.  Johnson,  who  resides 
on  section  19,  of  town  12  north,  of  range  4  west, 
(town  of  Franklin),  where  he  settled  in  Novem- 
ber, 1853,  on  government  land.  Mr.  Johnson 
was  born  in  Albemarle  Co.,  Va.,  in  1819,  where 
he  lived  till  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he 
removed  with  his  parents,  William  R.,  and 
Francis  Johnson,  to  Alton,  111.  In  1846  Mr. 
Johnson  came  to  Lafayette  Co.,  Wis.,  when 
that  State  was  yet  a  territory.  He  came  here 
from  that  county.  His  father  went  to  Lafayette 
county  in  1847,  and  came  here  with  his  son,  in 
1853,  with  whom  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1801, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years.  His 
wife  died  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Johnson  was  married 
in  Alton,  111.,  to  Elizabeth  Brown,  who  died  in 
this  town  July  9,  18'72.  He  has  six  children — 
William  O.,  A.  F.,  Anna,  wife  of  Fayette 
Tainter,  Edwin  K.,  Fannie,  wife  of  Nathaniel 
Bowman,  and  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Burleigh.  Mr. 
Johnson's  farm  contains  170  acres.  He  is  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  town  of  Frank- 
lin. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board 
and  also  a  school  director.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Liberty 
Pole. 

Jacob  Dach  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
this  town.  He  was  born  in  Alsaee-Loraine,  then 
a  province  of  France,  in  1810,  and  lived  there 
during  early  life.  He  was  there  married  to 
Mary  Miller,  and  four  children  were  born  to 
them,  two  daughters  and  two  sons.  The  two 
former  died,  and  in  1854  Mr.  Uach,  wife  and 
two  sons,  emigrated  to  America.  They  came 
directly  to  Vernon  county,  where  they  joined 
Mr.  Dach's  brother.  Christian,  who  had  pre- 
ceded them  a  year.  They  purchased  of  Elisha 
Inman,  a  farm  of  160  acres,  and  both  brothers 
went  to  work  to  improve  the  land.  The  coun- 
try was  new,  also  the  farm,  but  both  wei'e  ener- 
getic and  hopeful,  and  soon  the  land  was  cleared 
and  cultivated.     As  time  progressed,  Mr.  Dach 


added  to  his  first  purchase,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  was  the  largest  land-holder  in  the 
town  of  Franklin,  and  was  successful  beyond  ex- 
pectation. He  first  lived  in  a  log  house,  12x16 
feet  in  size,  and  at  present  the  improvements  on 
the  Dach  lands  are  not  surpassed  by  any  in  the 
town.  'l"he  brother.  Christian,  died  Jan.  26, 
1875,  and  our  subject  April  28, 1876.  The  widow 
and  the  two  sons  reside  on  the  farm,  which  now 
consists  of  557  acres.  Jacob,  the  eldest  son, 
was  born  in  Alsace-Loraine,  Jan.  10,  184  6,  and 
married  Lizzie,  daughter  of  John  A.  Gross. 
They  have  three  children- — Mary,  Lizzie  and 
Jacob.  Daniel,  the  younger  son,  was  born  in 
Alsace-Loraine,  Feb.  15,  1849  and  is  yet  unmar- 
ried. 

Ole  T.  Torgar  resides  on  section  28,  and  is  a 
son  of  Torgar  O.  Fortney,  the  earliest  Norwe- 
gian settler  in  the  town  of  Franklin,  having 
located  here  in  1854.  Torgar  O.  Fortney  was 
born  in  Bergen  stiff,  Norway,  in  April,  1807, 
and  was  married  in  his  native  land.  In  1848 
he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  located 
at  Cottage  Grove,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he 
bought  and  improved  a  farm.  On  June  15, 
1854,  he  came  into  Vernon  county,  and  pur- 
chased of  the  government  a  tract  of  land  lying 
in  the  two  towns,  Franklin  and  Kickapoo.  He 
erected  a  house  on  the  part  that  lies  on  section 
15,  of  Franklin  town,  and  resided  there  until 
his  death,  which  sad  event  occurred  Feb.  18, 
1880.  When  he,  Fortney,  came  to  Vernon 
county  his  family  consisted  of  a  wife  and  four 
cliildren  —  Ole  T.,  Cordelia,  Daniel,  who 
now  resides  on  the  home  farm,  and  Christina, 
the  youngest.  Ole  T.  Torgar  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, Oct.  11,  1838,  and  located  on  his  present 
farm  of  240  acres,  June  6,  1871.  He  has  been 
twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Susan  Larson, 
with  whom  he  lived  for  fourteen  years.  She 
was  the  mother  of  seven  children — 'J'orgar  T. 
O.,  Cai  rie,  Jane  C,  Olena,  Louisa,  Susanna  and 
Soren.  His  present  wife  was  Johanna  Solon- 
son.  They  have  four  children — Ellen  C,  Sam- 
uel O.,  Maria  and  George  A. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


523 


William  Smith,  an  industrious  and  enterpris- 
ing farmer,  owns  a  farm  of  102  acres,  on  section 
17.  He  was  born  in  Vinton  Co.,  Ohio,  March 
19,1851.  His  father,  .lohn  Smith,  came  from 
La  Fayette  Co.,  Wis.,  to  this  county  in  the  fall 
of  1855.  He  first  located  in  the  town  of  Viro- 
qua,  but  in  December,  1866,  removed  to  the 
town  of  Franklin,  where  he  now  resides  on  sec- 
tion 17.  William  Smith  settled  in  Franklin 
town  in  1875,  purchasing  his  farm  of  Daniel 
Aikens.  This  farm  was  first  settled  by  Wil- 
liam P.  Hayter,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  the 
townof  Viroqua.  When  Mr.  Smith  bought  the 
land,  only  twenty  acres  was  improved.  He  has 
developed  fifty-seven  acres  into  fertile  fields, 
and  put  good  and  substantial  improvements 
thereon.  Mr.  Smith  did  not  desire  to  see  the 
great  Smith  family  disappear  from  off  the  face 
of  the  earth.  He  married  Melinda  J.  Aikens, 
also  a  native  of  Ohio.  They  have  two  children 
— Daniel  Elmer  and  Benjamin  F. 

Philip  Biddison  came  to  this  county  in  June, 
1856.  He  resides  on  section  22,  town  12  north, 
of  range  4  west,  and  made  his  location  soon 
after  coming  to  the  county,  purchasing  a  quar- 
ter section  of  State  land.  Mr.  Biddison  was  born 
in  Baltimore  Co.,  Md.,  near  the  city  of  Balti- 
more, in  18 15,  but  was  principally  reared  in  east- 
ern Ohio.  His  father,  William  Biddison,  was  a 
native  of  Maryland,  and  after  removing  to 
Ohio,  located  on  a  farm  where  he  resided  till 
his  death,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years. 
Mr.  Biddison  grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm.  He 
was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  and 
about  that  lime  left  farming  and  settled  in  the 
village  of  Oakfield,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  man- 
ufacturing. Since  he  came  to  Vernon  county, 
he  has  been  engaged  exclusively  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  married  in  Ohio  to  Elizabeth 
McFarland.  They  have  five  children — James 
E.,  Sarah  J.,  Samuel  D.,  Sena  A.  and  Philip,  all 
natives  of  Ohio.  Mr.  Biddison  has  340  acres  of 
land,  about  250  of  which  is  under  cultivation. 

John  Henderson  settled  on  section  35,  in  1856, 
on  the  farm,  where  S.  M.  Honaker  now  resides. 


He  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Dalton,  in  the  south 
of  Scotland,  July  6,  1806,  and  came  over  to 
America  when  a  young  man.  His  father  died 
in  Scotland,  in  1817,  and  his  mother  came  to 
this  country  with  her  son,  and  lived  with  him 
until  her  death,  which  occurred  Oct.  12,  1863, 
at  the  age  of  ninety-seven  years.  Mr.  Hender- 
son finally  settled  at  Monument  Rock,  Franklin 
town,  in  this  county,  where  he  died  Jan.  1, 
1878.  He  was  a  well-read  man,  taking  pride  in 
the  possession  of  a  large  and  well  selected 
library,  containing  mostly  those  works  relating 
to  science  and  religion.  He  was  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  a  punctual  attendant  at  its  service's.  On 
Dec.  9,  1837,  Mr.  Henderson  was  married  in 
Delaware  Co.,  Ohio,  to  Irena  Page,  a  native  of 
Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  Sept.  22,  1819.  The 
fruits  of  this  union  were  the  birth  of  seven  chil- 
dren, only  two  of  whom  are  living-John  W.,who 
owns  the  old  homestead,  and  Irena,wife  of  Wil- 
liam O.  Johnson.  Thomas,  the  eldest  son,  died 
in  1854,  aged  sixteen  years,  while  attending 
school  at  Dubuque,  Iowa.  Alexander  was  a 
member  of  company  F,  8th  regiment,  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Infantry, and  died  at  St.  Louis, Mo., 
July  15,  1863,  of  wounds  received  in  battle. 
John  \V.  married  Ilattie,  daughter  of  Oscar 
Henry,  and  resides  on  the  home  farm  of  160 
acres. 

Felix  K.  Van  Wagner  was  born  in  Ulster 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1827.  He  married  Mary  Gorsline 
in  1848;  removed  to  Calhoun  Co.,  111.,  in  Octo- 
ber of  the  same  year ;  remained  there  until 
1852  ;  removed  to  Grant  Co.,  Wis.  ;  lived 
there  until  1856  ;  moved  to  Vern6n  county  and 
settled  on  section  13,  town  of  Franklin.  Re- 
mained there  until  1864.  Moved  with  his  fami- 
ly to  Viroqua,  in  said  county  of  Vernon  ;  en- 
listed in  the  42d  regiment  as  a  sergeant  and 
was  detached  from  the  regiment  as  chief  of 
military  police.  Remained  in  that  position  until 
discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  came 
home  and  remained  in  Viroqua  until  1867. 
Bought   the   farm   of  120   acres  on   section  18, 


524 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


town  of  Franklin,  of  John  Anderson,  first  set- 
tled on  by  Mr.  Eaton.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Wag- 
ner have  had  eight  children,  of  whom  three 
died  in  infancy,  one,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  and 
four  are  now  living — Sarah,  wife  of  Alexander 
Morrison,  deceased ;  Mary,  wife  of  Daniel 
Wise  ;  Augustus  and  Etta. 

William  Cox  resides  on  section  15,  where  he 
located  many  years  ago.  He  was  born  in  Lin- 
colnsliire,  England,  in  1835,  and  when  quite 
young  was  taken  to  raise  by  his  uncle,  Rev. 
John  Whitworth.  In  1850  Mr  Cox  accompa- 
nied Mr.  Whitworth  and  family  to  the  United 
States.  They  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located 
in  Vernon  county.  Mr.  Cox  purchased  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides  from  Mr.  Whitworth. 
In  the  fall  of  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  ISth  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Champion  Hills, 
Jackson,  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Altoona,  and  with 
"Sherman  marched  down  to  the  sea."  He  mar- 
ried Jane  J.,  daughter  of  Abner  Conkling. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  have  four  children — Lester 
W.,  Edwin  W.,  Erminine  B.  and   Harvey  T. 

George  W.  Bush  is  a  lite  resident  of  Vernon 
county.  His  father,  George  Bush,  Sr.,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  in  1810.  He  was  there  mar- 
ried and  five  children  were  born  to  him.  His 
wife  died  and  he  again  married,  this  time  to 
Mrs.  Eliza  (Suit)  Connor.  They  came  to  Ver- 
non county  in  1853  and  settled  at  Viroqua.  Mr. 
Bush  was  landlord  of  the  old  "Buckeye  House" 
for  several  years,  and  afterward  carried  the 
mail  and  passengers  on  the  stage  route  between 
Viroqua  and  Prairie  du  Chien.  In  1859  he 
came  to  Franklin  town  and  bought  a  farm  on 
section  20,  where  he  lived  till  his  death,  Feb. 
28,  1875.  The  children  by  his  first  wife  were 
named  Elias,  Morris,  Mary,  Emily  and  Theo- 
dore. His  second  wife  was  the  mother  of  throe 
children — Harriet,  Sarah  and  George.  Mrs. 
Bush  died  in  December,  1868.  George  W.  was 
born  on  the  old  homestead,  April  26,  1857.  lie 
married  Bibalonia,  daughter  of  John  Smith, 
born  in  Vernon  county.     They  have  one  son — 


Charles.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Bush 
came  into  possession  of  the  home  farm,  which 
contains  120  acres. 

Oscar  S.  Henry  has  been  a  resident  of  Ver- 
non county  since  1851,  and  is  classed  among  the 
pioneers.  He  resides  on  section  18,  of  this 
town,  on  a  farm  owned  by  II.  D.  Williams,  of 
Viroqua.  Mr.  Henry  was  formerly  a  resident 
of  Illinois,  and  in  the  fall  of  1851  came  to 
Vernon  county  with  his  brother,  Samuel.  In 
the  summer  of  1852  he  bought  some  land  in 
the  town  of  Viroqua  and  converted  it  into  a 
good  farm.  This  farm  he  subsequently  sold  to 
Ralph  Hall,  and  it  is  now  owned  by  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Martha  Hall.  In  1862  Mr.  Henry  came 
into  the  town  of  Franklin,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  has  been  a  justice  of  the  peace 
for  four  years.  While  living  in  Illinois  Mr. 
Henry  married  Lucinda  Bowman,  who  was 
born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  3,  1835.  She 
went  to  Illinois  with  her  father,  Nicholas  Bow- 
man, when  eight  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Henry  are  the  parents  of  three  children — Mary, 
wife  of  Albert  Brott;  Phineas  S.  and  Ilattie, 
wife  of  John  Henderson. 

Knudt  Hoverson  made  a  settlement  in  this 
town  in  1862.  He  was  born  in  Bergen  Stift, 
Norway,  in  1806,  and  came  to  America  the 
same  year,  he  located  in  Vernon  county.  His 
second  son,  Martin,  preceded  him  one  year, 
and  enlisted  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  11th 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
died  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  while  in  the  service. 
The  eldest  son,  Hans,  remained  in  Norway. 
Mr.  Hoverson  first  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  on  section  15,  and  since  then  has  increased 
his  farm  to  320  acres.  Mr.  Hoverson  has  two 
children  living  in  the  town  of  Franklin — 
Martha  and  Einar.  The  latter  was  born  in 
Norway,  in  1845,  and  lives  with  his  father  on 
the  home  farm.  He  married  Betsey  S.  Thomp- 
son, and  they  have  four  children  living — Knudt 
M.,  Johanna,  Sever  and  Rodina.  They  lost  one 
son,  Soren. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


525 


William  Clements  settled  here  in  1863.  He 
was  born  in  Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  Clements,  who  died  in  1880.  His  pater- 
nal grandfather,  James  Clements,  was  the  first 
settler  in  Athens  Co.,  Ohio.  He  was  a  Spaniard 
by  birth,  and  educated  for  the  priesthood.  He 
never  adopted  his  profession.  William  Clem- 
ents located  in  the  town  of  Franklin,  and  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  of  Thomas  Munyon. 
The  remainder  of  his  land  he  bought  from  Eleph 
Divie.  He  married  Jane,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Munyon,  and  they  have  nine  childi'en,  seven 
sons  and  two  daughters. 

Luther  Thompson  resides  on  section  33, 
where  he  settled  in  1863.  He  was  born  in 
December,  1839,  in  Bergen  Stift,  Norway,  where 
he  lived  until  1855,  and  then  came  to  America 
with  his  father,  Andrew  Thompson  ;  the  latter 
died  in  the  town  of  Franklin,  Vernon  county, 
in  March,  1875.  Mr.  Thompson  located  here 
in  1863,  purchasing  a  farm  of  140  acres  of 
Nelson  Cady.  Mrs.  Thompson  came  to  this 
country  with  her  father,  John  O.  Sveen,  in 
1857.  The  latter  died  in  Christiana  town,  in 
December,  1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have 
five  children — Thomas,  Ida  Marie,  Albert 
Julius,  Emma  Jonnete  and  Thea  Chrisdiiie. 
Osten  Johnson  Sveen,  who  resides  with  Mr. 
Thompson,  was  born  in  Gudbrands  Dalen,  Nor- 
way, Feb.  11,  1842,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  father,  John  Anderson  Sveen, 
in  1857.  The  latter  died  in  the  town  of  Chris- 
tiana, Dec.  7,  1878.  Mr.  Osten  J.  Sveen  has 
no  family 

Hon.  Christian  Ellefson  came  to  this  town  in 
1866,  and  now  owns  a  farm  of  280  acres  on 
section  14.  Mr.  Ellefson  was  born  in  Lysters, 
Bergen  Stift,  Norway,  April  20,  1842.  He 
received  a  good  education,  and  in  1860  emi- 
grated to  America.  He  lived  for  a  short  time 
each  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  Dakota,  Sioux  C-ily, 
Iowa,  and  in  1866,  settled  in  the  town  of 
Franklin.  Mr.  Ellefson  has  been  a  prominent 
citizen  for  many  years.  He  has  been  chairman 
of  the  town  board  and  treasurer  and  assessor  of 


the  town.  He  was  committed  to  the  interests 
of  the  republican  party  until  1878,  when  he 
was  the  nominee  of  the  independent  part  for 
assemblyman.  He  was  elected,  and  re-elected 
in  1882,  by  288  majority  out  of  a  total  of  1,543 
votes.  His  wife  was  Lena  Michael,  a  native  of 
Norway.     They  have  six  children. 

Ferdinand  Getler  was  one  of  the  settlers  tliat 
located  in  the  spring  of  1855.  He  leased  a  farm 
for  several  years,  and  finally  bought  land  in  the 
town  of  Sterling.  He  purchased  his  present  farm 
of  James  Hornby  in  February,  1869.  He  now 
owns  179  acres.  Mr.  Getler  was  born  at 
Schoharie,  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1815.  He 
is  a  son  of  William  Getler,  who  was  of  German 
parentage  and  born  on  board  the  vessel  which 
brought  the  famous  La  Fayette  to  our  shores  to 
espouse  the  cause  of  American  libertj-.  He  lo- 
cated with  his  parents  in  eastern  New  York, 
and  died  at  Schoharie  Court  House  at  the  age 
of  over  100  years.  Ferdinand  Getler  learned 
the  tailortrade  in  his  native  town,  and  followed 
it  for  many  years,  both  before  and  after  coming 
to  Wisconsin.  When  he  came  to  Vernon  county 
he  was  very  poor,  and  his  wife  assisted  him  at  his 
trade  for  many  years,  and  to  her  is  entitled  much 
of  the  credit  of  their  success  in  life.  Mrs.  Get- 
ler's  maiden  name  was  Ellen  Van  Dusen,  of 
Holland  descent.  Her  father,  Jacob  Van  Dusen, 
died  when  she  was  quite  a  child,  and  her 
mother  still  resides  with  her  daughter  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Getler  are  the  par- 
ents of  twelve  children,  eight  living — Helen  J., 
divorced  wife  of  James  Hornby;  Margaret,  wife 
of  Robert  Hornby;  Benjamin,  John,  William, 
Samantha,  wife  of  James  Latshaw;  Cornelia, 
wife  of  Willard  Bowman  and  Carrie,  wife  of 
William  Jackson.  Three  of  their  sons  were  in 
the  Union  army.  Ferdinand  was  a  member  of 
the  18th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry and  accidently  killed  at  Jackson,  Miss. 

Ole  E.  Soloi,  who  resides  on  section  33,  and 
is  better  known  as  Ole  Ericson,  was  born  in  the 
village  of  Havslo,  Bergen  Stift,  Norway,  July 
4,  1833.     He  came  to  the  Uuited  Stales  in  1866, 


526 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  located  at  Sparta,  in  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
afterward  at  West  Prairie,  in  the  town  of 
Sterling,  in  this  county.  In  1861  he  married 
Betsey  A.  Thompson,  and  in  March,  1866,  he 
came  to  the  town  of  Franklin,  and  bought  a 
farm  of  Mr.  Richards,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  the  town.  This  farm  now  comprises  120 
acres.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Soloi  have  four  children — 
Edward  E.,  born  at  Sparta,  Wis.,  in  1S62; 
Thorn,  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  in  1864;  Iltnry, 
born  in  1866  and  Peter,  in  the  town  of  Frank- 
lin, in  1869. 

Benjamin  Williams  resides  on  section  18, 
town  12  north,  of  range  4  west.  He  bought  his 
farm  in  1876  of  T.  B.  Appell.  He  settled  in 
Vernon  county  in  1866.  Mr.  Williams  was  born 
in  South  Wales  in  1839.  He  there  learned  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith  and  camo  to  the  United 
States  in  1866,  the  same  year  that  he  settled  in 
the  county.  He  located  first  at  De  Soto,  and 
engaged  in  work  at  his  taade,  and  went  to  Vir- 
oqua  in  1812,  where  he  also  followed  black- 
smithing.  His  farm  contains  ninety-five  acres. 
He  married  in  Wales,  Elizabeth  Deere.  Her 
father  was  John  Deere.  Mr.  Williams'  father 
also  bore  the  Christian  name  of  John.  Mr. 
Williams  at  his  present  location  is  engaged  in 
farming  and  blacksraithing. 

N.  Christian  Peterson  is  the  present  wagon 
maker  at  Liberty  Pole.  He  was  born  in  Den- 
mark, in  IS.35,  and  there  learned  the  wagon 
maker's  trade.  He  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1869,  and  came  direct  to  the  town  of 
Franklin,  succeeding  Peter  Jacobson  in  the 
wagon  business.  Mr.  Peterson  is  an  excellent 
workman,  a  man  of  intelligence  and  highly  re- 
spected by  the  entire  community. 

Knudt  Peterson  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Fortney  <fe  Peterson,  dealers  in  general  mer- 
chandise, at  the  village  of  Liberty  Pole.  He 
was  born  at  LTtica,  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  in  ISS-^i. 
His  father,  Nels  Peterson  Bjorkem,  was  a  na 
tive  of  Norway  and  an  early  settler  in  Crawford 
county.  Mr.  Peterson  came  to  Liberty  Pole  in 
1874  and  was  a  clerk  for,  Williams  Bros.,  until 


1878.  He  was  then  employed  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity by  Geo.  H.  Tate  &  Son,  of  Readstown  and 
remained  with  them  one  and  a  half  years.  Re- 
turning to  Liberty  Pole,  he  clerked  for  C.  D. 
Williams  until  Nov.  1,  1882,  when  the  present 
firm  purchased  the  stock  of  goods  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liams and  have  succeeded  him  in  the  business. 
Mr.  Daniel  T.  Fortney,  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm,  is  a  native  of  Kickapoo  town,  this 
county;  is  a  farmer. 

Andrew  Burns  is  an  old  settler  of  the  State 
of  VV'isconsin,  but  has  resided  in  Vernon  county 
only  a  few  years.  He  was  born  in  county  Kil- 
dare,  Ireland,  about  1822,  and  lived  there  until 
twelve  years  of  age.  His  parents,  Peter  and 
Margaret  Burns,  died  in  Ireland,  and  Andrew 
came  to  the  United  States  when  about  seventeen 
years  of  age,  with  his  brother  Thomas,  who  now 
resides  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Burns  first  stopped  at 
Fall  River,  Mass.,  where  he  worked  in  the  fruit 
factory  ot  Andrew  Robinson  and  made  his 
home  with  his  employer.  In  1846  he  located  in 
the  town  of  Cedaiburg,  now  in  Ozaukee  county 
where  he  lived  seven  years.  In  June,  1854,  he 
removed  to  Crawford  county  and  seven  years 
later  to  the  town  of  Bangor,  La  Crosse  county. 
Inl876  he  came  to  Vernon  county  andboughtof 
Eldad  Rogers,  a  farm  on  section  30,  now  com- 
prising 220  acres  of  land  and  well  improved. 
Mr.  Burns  was  married  iu  New  Jersey  to  Sarah 
Booth,  who  is  a  native  of  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  and  re- 
moved to  New  Jersey  with  her  parents  when 
five  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burns  have 
had  eight  children,  three  living — Sarah,  wife  of 
Edward  Riley,  of  La  Crosse,  Marcella  and  Peter 
J.  Louis  N.,  Mary  A.,  Lucinda  and  two  infants 
are  dead. 

Abrani  Newville  owns  a  farm  of  120  acres  on 
section  14.  He  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  Newville, 
who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Franklin  town. 
Mr.  Newville  was  born  near  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in 
1^10,  where  he  was  reared.  He  married  Ra- 
chel Lawson  and  removed  to  Michigan.  He 
subsequently  located  in  Illinois,  and  went  from 
tliere  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  settled  on  the 
farm  his  son  Abram  now  owns,  where  he  lived 
lill  his  death,  which  occurred  about  1860. 
Abram  was  born  in  New  Vork  and  came  to 
Vernon  county  some  years  after  his  father.  He 
married  Mrs.  Jane  (Davis)  Pidcock,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  I  hey  have  one  son,  Jeremiah, 
who  resides  on  a  farm  near  his  parents.  Mrs. 
Newville  had  three  children  by  her  former  hus- 
band-Hug'h,  Letitia  and  John  C. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


527 


CHAPTER    XXXVI 


THE  TOWN   OF    GENOA. 


Genoa  was  organized  in  the  spring  of  1S70,  a 
portion  of  it  being  taken  from  the  town  of 
Bergen  and  a  part  from  the  town  of  Wheatland. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  nortli  by  the  towns  of  Ber- 
gen and  Harmony,  on  the  east  by  the  towns  of 
Harmony  and  Sterling,  on  the  south  by  Wheat- 
land town,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi 
river.  It  is  seven  miles  in  distance  north  and 
south  and  six  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  com- 
prises territory  embraced  within  congressional 
townships  12  and  LS,  ranges  6  and  7  west.  It 
contains  an  area  of  about  24,000  acres. 

The  town  is  watered  by  two  branches  of  the 
Bad  Ax  river;  the  north  branch  entering  the 
town  on  section  16,  passing  through  a  corner  of 
this  section  into  section  37  of  town  12, 
where  it  unites  with  tlie  other  branch  which 
enters  the  town  on  section  17,  runs  northwest 
through  sections  17,  8,  7  and  12,  where  it  makes 
a  junction  with  the  north  branch.  From  sec- 
tion 12,  the  main  stream  courses  through  sec- 
tions II,  14,  15  and  16  and  there  unites  with 
the  Mississippi  river. 

There  are  many  spring  brooks  arising  along 
the  bluffs  of  the  Bad  Ax  river,  which  are  tribu- 
taries to  this  stream.  The  general  surface  of 
this  town  is  extremely  rolling.  The  valleys  and 
table  lands  being  the  best  farming  lands. 

EARLY    SETTLBMENT. 

The  first  settler  was  William  Tibbitts,  who 
entered  160  acres  of  land  on  section  22,  in  185o. 
He'was  followed  the  same  year  by  Elias  Shisler, 
who  entered  120  acres  of  land  on  section  22, 
where  he  was  still  living  in  1884. 


John  Ott,  one  of  the  wealthiest  farmers  of 
the  town  of  Genoa,  entered  forty  acres  of  land 
on  section  34,  in  1853. 

Ferdinand  Guscatte  settled  where  Genoa  now 
stands,  in  1855,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  wagons. 

William  Stephenson  came  in  1856  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  17,  where 
he  was  still  living  in  1884. 

Charles  Brown  came  the  same  year  (1856), 
and  entered  forty  acres  of  land  on  section  20. 

John  Flipper  came  in  1857  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 28,  of  which  he  purchased  eighty  acres. 

Maj.  N.  W.  Hamilton  was  one  of  the  settlers 
of  1853.  He  was  born  in  Fayette  Co.,  Ind.,  in 
1820,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Jefferson,  this 
county,  in  1854,  where  he  entered  land  which 
he  afterward  sold  to  Ramsey  and  Miller,  and 
then  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  town 
of  Genoa,  on  section  4,  moving  there  in  1858. 
Mr.  Hamilton  was  married  to  Alnudia  Clark,  in 
1853,  by  whom  he  has  four  children — Emla, 
Isabell,  Irila  and  Jenett.  He  was  the  first  school 
treasurer  of  the  town  of  Genoa,  and  held  the 
office  for  eleven  years. 

Among  others  who  settled  in  this  town  at  a 
later  date  were:  James  M.  Bailey,  James 
Stevenson,  W.  H.  Knower  and  Elijah  Powell. 

James  M.  Bailey  was  born  in  1815,  in  Virgina, 
and  settled  in  Vernon  county,  near  Viroqua,  in 
1819.  He  was  under  sheriff,  and  at  the  follow- 
ing election  was  elected  the  second  sheriff  of 
the  county.  He  moved  to  the  town  of  Genoa 
in  1877,  and  settled  on  section  19,  town  12, 
range   7   west.     He  was  married  to  Elizabeth 


528 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Clark  in   1847,   by    whom     he    has   three   chil- 
dren— William,  Jennie  and  Edward. 

James  Stevenson  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1840, 
and  came  to  America  in  1857,  and  to  the  town 
of  Genoa  in  1863,  where  twenty  years  later  he 
was  still  living  on  a  farm  of  200  acres  on  section 
12.  He  was  married  in  1862  to  Isabel  Hamil- 
ton, of  Vernon  county. 

Elijah  Powell,  who  was  born  in  1820,  in 
Mercer  Co.,  Ohio,  came  to  this  town  in  1865, 
and  purchased  160  acres  of  land  on  section  4, 
town  1.3,  range  7.  He  was  married  in  1842 
to  Mary  Rayner,  who  died  in  1843.  In  1814 
Mr.  Powell  married  Martha  McKee,  who  died 
in  1854,  and  in  1862  he  again  married  a  Miss 
Shelby.  Mr.  Powell  has  been  the  father  of 
seven  children. 

W.  H.  Knower,  one  of  the  most  intelligent 
farmers  in  Vernon  county,  was  born  in  1830,  in 
R)ckHeld,  Mass.  At  ten  years  of  age  he  moved 
with  his  parents  to  the  city  of  New  York,  where 
he  received  a  thorough  education,  and  came 
west  in  1850  to  better  his  health.  He  taught 
school  in  Milwaukee  in  the  winter  of  1850-51, 
and  in  1855  came  to  Ve  rnoncounty  and  taught 
school  until  1865,  when  he  settled  on  his  farm 
in  the  town  of  Genoa,  on  sections  1,  2  and  11,  of 
township  12,  range  7  west,  where  he  owns  240 
acres  in  one  tract.  He  was  married  in  1852  to 
Mary  Elliott,  of  Bangor,Maine,  by  whom  he  has 
had  four  children — George,  Charles,  Susie  and 
ITranklin. 

FIBST    EVENTS. 

The  first  cou|)le  married  in  the  town  of 
Genoa,  was  David  Hastings  and  Miss  Kelsie,  in 
1856. 

The  first  birth  of  a  white  child  was  J.  W., 
son  of  Samuel  and  Martha  Kelsie,  in  1854. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  1855  in  a  log 
house,  afterward  used  for  a  hotel. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the 
residence  of  Samuel  Kelsie,  by  Rev.  Delap,  in 
1856. 

The  first  school  house  was  built,  in  1860,  on  sec- 
tion 28,  where  the  village  of  Genoa  now  stands. 


The  first  school  was  taught  by  Sarah  A. 
Bacus,  in  1856. 

The  first  death  in  the  town  was  David  Hast- 
ings, in  1856. 

OEGANIC. 

The  first  election  of  what  is  known  as  the 
town  of  Genoa,  was  held  April  7,  1860,  at  the 
village  school  house  of  Genoa.  The  first 
officers  were  :  E.  Page,  chairman,  Peter  Shum- 
way  and  Willis  Masker,  supervisors  ;  William 
Burlock,  clerk  ;  John  Greeman,  treasurer ; 
Willis  Masker,  assessor.  Officers  of  1883  : 
William  Riley,  chairman,  VVilHam  Hall  and 
August  Vegline,  supervisors;  Mathew  Monti, 
clerk ;  Barnard  Gadola,  treasurer ;  John  Car- 
penter, assessor. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  in  the  town  of  Genoa  was 
taught  by  Sarah  A  Bacus,  in  1855,  on  sec- 
tion 28. 

In  1884  the  town  contained  six  school  build- 
ings, valued  at  ^2,200.  The  town  at  this  date 
had  a  school  population  of  3)7. 

EELIGIOUS. 

The  only  religious  societies  in  Genoa,  in 
1S84,  was  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic,  who 
organized  at  an  early  day.  This  Church  is 
made  up  largely  of  Italians.  Other  denomina- 
tions have  held  meetings  from  time  to  time  at 
school  houses. 

PCSTOFFICES. 

Genoa  postoffice  was  established  in  1854,  on 
section  29,  on  the  site  of  the  village  of  Genoa. 
The  first  postmaster  was  Jacob  Kelsie,  who 
was  after  a  time  succeeded  by  James  McGrath, 
Mathew  Monti,  Wra.  Burlock  and  J.  B.  Bozola, 
who  was  postmaster  in  1884. 

Romance  postoffice  was  established  in  1854, 
on  section  6.  The  first  postmaster  was  John 
Tewalt.  He  was  succeeded  by  William  Fox, 
who  still  held  the  oftice  in  1884. 

THE    VILLAGE  OF  GENOA. 

This  village  was  laid  out  and  platted  by 
Joseph    Monti,  on  section  28,  in  the   year  1854, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


531 


and  was  first  named  Bad  Ax,  after  the  only 
river  in  the  town  of  Genoa.  For  a  time  it  was 
thought  the  name  Bad  Ax  quite  appropriate  as 
the  people  were  for  years  kept  in  fear,  by  the 
bad  characters  that  constantly  infested  their 
vicinity,  from  off  the  Mississippi  river,  as  it 
was  quite  a  .steam-boat  landing  for  steamers, 
plying  up  and  down  the  river.  However,  in 
180S,  the  people  thought  the  name  had  a  tend- 
ancy  to  keep  the  town  from  being  settled  by 
the  better  class  of  people,  and  hence  they 
changed  the  name.  The  original  plat  of  the 
village  contained  twenty-one  blocks.  Block  12 
was  donated  to  the  public,  for  public  uses,  by 
Joseph  Monti,  and  afterward  became  the  public 
square 

1  he  first  house  was  erected  by  David  Hast- 
ings, in  1853.  The  first  store  was  opened  by 
•loseph  Monti,  in  1854.  A  wagon  shop  was 
put  in  operation  at  once;  also  a  blacksmith 
shop  run  by  Ferdinand  Guscetti. 

A  hotel  was  erected  in  1854  by  Sylvester 
Lupi. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  built  by  William 
Ofiicer,  in  1858.  The  business  of  the  place  ii 
1884  was  represented  as  follows:  Mathe-n 
Monti  and  Albert  Zabolia,  dealers  in  dry  goods, 
boots,  shoes,  crockery  and  hardware. 

J.  P.  Monti,  proprietor  of  the  only  hotel. 

Albert  Guscetti,  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop. 

The  St.  Charles  Catholic  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  1862,  and  a  church  edifice  erected  two 
years  later,  in  the  village  of  Genoa.  This 
building  was  24x36  feet,  and  cost  $500.  The 
Church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Father  Marko. 
In  1884  the  Church  numbered  about  300. 

CEMETERIES. 

There  were  two  cemeteries  within  the  town 
of  Genoa,  in  1884.  One  situated  a  half  mile 
from  Bad  Ax  city  (Genoa),  on  land  owned  at 
an  early  day  by  Samuel  Kels  e,  on  section  21. 
The  other  burying  place  was  on  section  28. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Edward  Cox,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Vernon 
county,  was   born  in  Indiana,  in  1832.     In  1848 


he  removed  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis.,  and 
lived  there  for  two  years.  In  1850  he  settled 
near  Springville,  in  the  town  of  Jefferson,  and 
since  then  has  resided  in  several  different  town- 
ships, lie  has  followed  boating  most  of  his 
life.  Mr.  Cox  was  a  member  of  the  1st  Wis- 
consin Battery  during  the  late  war,  and  was 
honorably  discharged  in  1865.  He  was  married, 
in  1855,  to  Matilda  Powell.  Of  their  four 
children,  two  are  living — Sherman  and  Eddie. 
Roscoe  and  Rosa  are  deceased.  Mr.  Cox  lost 
his  wife  in  1871,  and  in  1874  married  Caroline 
Oliver.  He  owns  two  lots  in  the  city  of  La 
Crosse,  Wis  ,  and  his  wife  owns  sixty  acres  of 
land  in  the  town  of  Genoa,  and  three  lots  in 
the  village  of  Genoa. 

John  Ott,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  town  of 
Genoa,  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1820.  When 
ten  years  of  age  he  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  and  they  first  settled  in  Butler  Co., 
Penn.  Mr.  Ott  remained  there  for  twenty- 
three  years,  growing  to  manhood  and  obtaining 
a  good  common  school  education.  In  1853  he 
came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  finally  entered 
forty  acres  of  land  on  section  34,  in  town 
13  north,  and  range  7  west,  which  sub- 
seijuently  became  the  town  of  Genoa.  The 
country  was  new  and  sparsely  inhabited,  and 
the  trials  and  privations  of  a  pioneer  life  were 
many.  ]Mr.  Ott  was  willing  to  accept  his  shaie 
of  hard  work  and  labored  manfully,  early  and 
late,  to  clear  the  farm  and  make  a  home  for  his 
family.  His  landed  possessions  increased 
slowly  and  he  now  owns  200  acres.  In  1840  he 
was  married  in  Pennsylvania  to  Barbara  Smith. 
This  union  was  blessed  with  four  children, 
three  of  whom  are  living — Henry,  Mary,  wife 
of  Lemuel  Gorman,  and  Charles,  who  mariied 
Clementina  Monti.  Samuel  is  deceased.  Mrs. 
Ott  died  in  1877,  and  in  1881,  Mr.  Ott  was  ;igain 
married  to  Catharine  Lupi. 

Elias  Shisler  has  been  a  resident  of  Genoa 
town  for  twenty-nine  years.  He  was  born  in 
Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  Feb.  12,  1827,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Nancy  Barnes  March  27,  1844.  After  this 


31 


532 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON   COirNTTY. 


union  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Allamakee 
Co.,  Inwa,  resided  there  two  years  and  assisted  in 
the  smvey  of  the  county.  He  then  came  to  Bad 
Ax  (now  Vernon)  county,  and  located  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Victory,  town  of  Wheatland,  and  while  a 
resident  there  served  as  chairman  of  the  board 
of  town  trustees,  and  two  years  as  constable. 
He  has  resided  in  the  town  of  Genoa  since  it 
was  organized  as  a  town,  and  after  traveling 
over  fourteen  States  and  three  territories  has  ar- 
rived at  the  conclusion  that  Vernon  county 
meets  his  approval  better  than  any  county  he 
has  ever  visited.  Mr.  Shisler  has  been  thrice 
married.  His  second  wife  was  Eliza  Conroad. 
They  were  married  Nov.  5,  1855.  He  had  one 
child  by  his  first  marriage,  four  by  the  second 
union  and  three  children  by  his  present  wife, 
all  dead  but  one  son  of  the  second  wife,  Amos 
by  name. 

['"erdinand  Guscetti,  who  lives  on  section  28, 
came  to  this  town  in  1855.  He  was  living  in 
Jo  Daviess  Co.,  111.,  and  there  carried  on  the 
manufacture  of  wagons.  At  the  earnest  solici- 
tation of  Joseph  Monti,  of  this  town,  he  was  in- 
duced to  come  to  Genoa  and  became  a  settler  in 
1855.  He  located  in  Genoa  village  when  the 
country  around  was  quite  a  wilderness  and  was 
a  wagon  maker  there  for  many  years.  He 
finally  sold  his  shop  and  bought  eighty-two 
acres  of  land  on  section  28,  where  he  now  lives. 
In  1864  Mr.  Guscetti  enlisted  in  the  1st  Wis- 
consin Heavy  Artillery  and  served  through  the 
war.  He  was  married  in  1840  to  Mary  Buffi. 
Of  seven  children  born  to  them  only  three  are 
living — Matthew,  Juliett,  wife  of  Daniel  Biih, 
and  Catharine. 

Charles  Brown,  who  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tler of  the  town  of  Genoa,  was  born  in  Ireland, 
in  1829,  and  in  1849  emigrated  to  the  United 
Slates,  and  first  settled  in  the  city  of  NewTork. 
lie  followed  boating  from  that  port  to  New  Or- 
Kans  for  two  years  and  then  moved  to  White 
Co.,  Ind.,  but  not  being  satisfied,  went  still 
further  west,  and  located  in  Lake  Co.,  111., 
wliere    he   remained  two  years,    and    then    re- 


moved to  Genoa,  and  entered  forty  acres  of 
land  on  section  20,  where  he  still  resides.  Mr. 
Brown  has  increased  his  farm  to  120  acres.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  in  1855  to  Mary  Camp- 
bell. They  have  seven  children — John,  Isabella, 
.Margaret,  Franklin,  William,  Irena  and  Ro- 
niauso.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  member  of  the  18th 
regiment  of  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  having  en- 
listed in  1864,  ad  discharged  in  1805.  His 
father,  John  Brown,  was  born  in  1800  and  is 
now  living  in  Scotland. 

Charles  Ott,  who  came  to  the  town  of  (-lenoa 
when  but  nine  j'ears  of  age,  was  born  in  Butler 
Co.,  Peiin.,  in  1847.  His  parents,  John  and 
Bai  hara  (Smith)  Ott,  are  natives  respectively  of 
Germany  and  Pennsylvania.  When  si.\  years 
of  age  he  came  to  Vernon  county  with  his 
parents,  and  in  1856  located  here.  Mr.  Ott  has 
always  been  engaged  in  farming,  and  owns  180 
acres  of  land  on  section  23,  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  He  has  been  snpei'vi^or  of  roads 
since  1880.  Mr.  Ott  was  united  in  marriage, 
in  1872,  to  Clementina  Monti,  of  this  town. 
'I'hey  are  the  ]iarents  of  four  children — Ida  V., 
Mary  R  ,  Jessie  E.  and  Charles  M. 

William  Pulham  was  born  in  Suffolkshire, 
England,  in  1880,  and  when  but  six  years  of 
age  emigrated  to  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  and 
there  remained  until  about  the  year  1840,  when 
he  removed  to  Piscataqua  Co.,  N.  H.,  and  was 
a  resilient  there  about  sixteen  years.  He  then 
came  to  Vernon  county  and  entered  land  in  the 
town  of  Wheatland,  which  he  sold  in  1800,  and 
afterward,  in  the  same  year,  purchased  120 
acres  of  land  in  the  town  of  Genoa,  on  sections 
28  and  24,  of  town  12  north,  of  range  7 
west.  Mr.  Pulham  was  married  to  Nisa  E. 
Sandon,  of  Vernon  county,  in  1862.  They  have 
reared  eight  children — Agnes,  Ellen,  Laura, 
George,  David,  Frank,  Mary  and  Margaret. 
Agnes  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Owen,  of  the 
town  of  Jefferson.  Mr.  Pulham  enlisted  in 
January,  1864,  in  the  25th  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteers,  and  was  discharged  in  July,  1865, 
at  the  close  of  the  war.     His  mother,  Elizabeth 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


533 


Pulham,  is  now  living  in  Genoa  town,  at  the 
ripe  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  His  father, 
William  Pulham,  was  also  a  native  of  England, 
and  died  in  New  Hampshire,  about  1840. 

William  Stevenson,  a  native  of  the  "land  of 
Shamrock,"  located  here  in  1856.  He  was 
born  in  Ireland  in  1820,  and  resided  there  till 
iwenty-four  years  of  age.  In  1844  he  em- 
igrated to  the  United  States,  and  first  settled 
in  New  York  city.  In  185.5  he  removed  to 
Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  but  lived  there  only  one  year. 
In  1856  he  came  to  the  town  of  Genoa,  and 
purchased  of  James  McCormick  eight  acres  of 
land  on  section  17,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
Mr.  Stevenson  has  been  industrious  and  ener- 
getic, and  at  present  owns  120  acres  of  land. 
In  1863  he  came  forward  and  enlisted  in  the 
18ih  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  served  faithfully  until  he  was  honorably 
discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  re- 
turned home  and  has  since  devoted  his  time  tc 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  1854  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mary  E.  Davidson,  and  two  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them — John  W.,  who  mai- 
.  ried  Josie  Graham,  and  Sarah  M.  Mr.  Stever 
son  suffered  the  loss  of  his  most  estimable  wifi' 
and  was  again  married,  in  1859,  to  Elizabeth 
-Vliller.  Five  children  have  been  given  to  thif 
union — Lizzie  M.,  Henry  A.,  Ellen  R.,  Anna 
M.  and  James  E. 

John  Fopper,  one  of  the  largest  land  owners 
in  the  town  of  Genoa,  located  here  in  'i?5l.  He 
is  a  native  of  Switzerland,  where  he  was  born 
in  1818.  He  received  a  thorough  education  in 
his  native  land  and  is  able  to  converse  fluently 
iu  five  different  languages,  including  that  of 
Switzerland.  In  1857,  he  resolved  to  see  the 
far  famed  America,  and  accordingly  came  over 
the  same  year.  After  landing  at  New  York,  he 
came  westward  to  Wisconsin,  and  sought  a  new 
home.  He  finally  concluded  to  locate  in  the 
new  settlement,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Genoa,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
section  28,  where  he  resided  nine  years.  Mr. 
Fopper   then   sold    the   eighty  acres    of   laud 


aforesaid  and  bought  400  acres  of  the  Hecks  es- 
tate on  sections  11  and  14,  town  12,  range  7. 
Mr.  Fopper  is  unmarried, but  has  lived  with  and 
supported  his  widowed  mother  during  his  resi- 
dence here.  Mrs.  Fopper  is  now  at  the  advan- 
ced age  of  eighty-four  years,  and  Mr.  Fo]iper 
shows  his  filial  affection  by  trying  to  make  her 
declining  days  pleasant  and  comfortable.  INlr. 
Fopper  has  also  two  widowed  sisters  residing 
in  this  town — Mrs.  Barbara  Gess  and  Mrs. 
Anna  Barbara  Gess. 

William  S.  Riley,  one  of  the  well  known  citi- 
zens of  the  town  of  Genoa,  was  born  at  Mari- 
etta, Ohio,  in  1845,  and  remained  there  until 
1858.  In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Vernon 
Co.,  Wis.,  and  located  at  Viroqua.  In  1861  he 
enlisted  in  company  I,  6th  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  discharged  in  1864. 
He  was  captain  of  the  Vernon  County  Light 
Guards  for  two  years  and  under-sheriff'  for  one 
term.  For  the  past  three  years  Mr.  Riley  has 
been  chairman  of  the  town  board  of  supervisors. 
He  is  a  CO  itractor  and  builder  by  occupation 
and  bus  erected  some  of  the  finest  buildings 
and  residences  in  Vernon  Co.  In  1882  Mi.  Ri- 
ley was  married  to  Anna  Lupi.  They  have  one 
ciiild — Augusta  C. 

Albert  F.  Kuehn,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  tlie  town  of  Genoa,  was  born  in  Prussia  in 
1830  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  left  his  home 
for  a  new  one  in  a  land  that  had  only  been  a 
a  Nation  for  seventy-three  years.  He  spent  two 
years  w.iiiilering  from  place  to  place  over  the 
new  re|]ublic  and  finally  became  satisfied  that 
VenioM  Co.,  Wis.,  wou  Id  be  the  location  for 
a  pi.'rmanent  home,  lie  bought  eighty  acres  on 
section  4,  town  12,  range  7  west,  town  of  Genoa 
in  1800,  and  has  since  increased  his  first  pur- 
chase to  360  acres.  In  1864  he  entered  the  army 
of  his  adopted  country,  enlisting  in  the  6th  leg- 
iment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry.  While 
in  the  service  he  was  wounded  in  the  head  and 
one  shoulder  and  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge at  the  close  of  the  Kebellion.  Mr. 
Kuehn   has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board 


534 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


for  four  years  and  town  assessor  for  ten  years. 
In  \^6Z  he  was  married  to  Julia  Misjahl  and 
nine  children  have  been  sent  to  bless  their 
union — Lina,  Elizabeth,  Bertha,  Albert,  Ernest, 
Huldah,  Sophia,  Edward  and  an  infant  son. 

Mathew  Monti,  a  son  of  Joseph  Monti,  the 
founder  of  the  village  of  Genoa,  and  its  present 
postmaster,  was  born  in  New  York  city  in  1840. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  Switzerland,  born  in 
1811,  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
183-.i,  locating  in  New  York  city.  Mr.  Monti's 
mother  was  boi-n  in  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  in 
1811,  and  died  in  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1880. 
When  Mr.  Monti  was  but  a  year  old  his  parents 
moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  in  1842  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.;  thence  to  Galena,  III.,  where  they 
resided  until  1863.  In  1853  Mr.  Joseph  Monti 
came  to  Vernon  county  and  entered  '-P6  acres 
of  land  in  the  town  of  Genoa.  Being  of  an  en- 
terprising disposition  he  laid  out  and  platted 
the  village  of  Bad  Ax  (now  Genoa),  which  he 
named  after  the  county  of  Bad  Ax  (now  Vernon). 
Mr.  Mathew  Monti  now  owns  twenty  acres  of 
land  on  section  28  and  village  property.  In 
1882  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  and 
now  owns  a  stock  of  goods  valued  at  $2,000. 
Mr.  Monti  has  served  his  neighbors  and  citizens 
as  clerk  of  the  school  district  six  years,  justice  of 
the  peace  ten  years;  was  also  town  treasurer 
and  has  been  town  clerk  and  postmaster,  of 
Genoa  for  seven  years.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage in  1864  to  Almira  Greenman  and  three 
children  have  been  born  to  them — Leona,  Au- 
gustus and  Blanche. 

.John  Carpenter  came  to  this  county  in  1856 
and  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Victory  for  five 
years.  He  then  settled  in  the  town  of  Har- 
mony and  there  resided  until  1868,  then  moved 
to  the  town  of  Genoa,  where  he  owns  278  acres 
of  land.  He  was  born  in  New  York  in  1833, 
and  in  1861  married  Marcia  Ann  Rogers,  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire,  who  accompanied 
her  parents  to  this  coUTity  and  located  in  the 
town  of  Harmony,  in  1853.  In  1864  Mr.  Car- 
penter enlisted  in  the  18th  regiment,  Wisconsin 


Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  the  close  of  the  war.  His  parents 
came  to  this  county  in  1866  and  settled  at  Vic- 
tory, in  Wheatland  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Car- 
penter are  the  parents  of  six  children — Frank, 
Lou'sa,  wife  of  George  Van  VIeet,  Robert,  Rox- 
ania,  Agnes  and  Ross. 

K.  L.  Oakes,  who  became  a  resident  of  the 
town  of  Genoa  in  1861,  was  born  in  "the  good 
old  State  of  Maine,"  (Kennebec  county),  in  1821. 
In  18-i7,  when  he  was  but  six  years  of  age,  his 
parents  removed  to  Penobscot  county,  in  the 
same  State,  and  in  1848  they  located  in  Wor- 
cester Co.,  Mass.  In  1855  Mr.  Oakes  came  out 
to  see  this  western  country,  and  appearing  sat- 
isfied that  the  State  of  Wisconsin  would  de- 
velop ra])idly  and  take  her  place  among  the 
foremost  States  of  the  Union,  (like  his  native 
State),  he  settled  at  Springville,  Adams  county, 
where  he  remained  twelve  years.  A  desire  to 
see  more  of  this  wonderful  cnmitry,  and  per- 
haps to  better  his  fortunes,  led  him  to  seek 
Vernon  county.  He  there  purchased  of  Amos 
Moore  166  acres  of  land  on  sections  4  and  34,  in 
towns  12  and  13  north,  range  1  west.  Mr.  Oakes 
resides  on  liis  farm  on  section  4,  a1)0ut  three 
miles  southeast  of  the  village  of  Genoa.  While 
a  resident  of  Springville,  Adams  county,  Qfe  en- 
listed in  the  3d  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  and  was 
honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
Mr.  Oakes  was  married  in  1848  to  Polly  D. 
Newton.  They  were  the  parents  of  one  child — 
Clara,  now  the  wife  of  Anson  Elliott.  Mrs. 
Oakes  departed  this  life  in  18.=il,  and  two  years 
later  Mr.  Oakes  married  Armanda  S.  Newton. 
They  have  been  given  seven  children,  three 
living — Florence  J.,  wife  of  Charles  F.  Smitli; 
Jessie  S.  and  Horace  E.  Ella  died  in  1859, 
Bertha  in  1861,  Frank  E.  in  1865  and  Alice  in 
1869. 

John  H.  Seal  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  iii 
1840,  and  in  1842  accompanied  his  parents  lo 
Ohio.  In  1845  they  removed  to  Du  Page  Co., 
111.,  and  in  1850  to  Vernon  Co  ,  Wis.  They 
first  settled  at  Springville,  and  in  1870  Mr.  Seal 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


535 


caiuc  to  the  town  of  Genoa  and  pui-cbased  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  3,  of  town  13  north, 
range  7  west,  which  he  has  increased  to  200 
acres  and  all  free  from  incumbrance.  Mr. 
Seal  was  married  in  18'i0  to  Emily  P.  Tainter, 
and  their  union  was  blessed  with  one  child, 
now  living — Edmund.  Mrs.  Seal  died  in  lSt)3, 
on  the  19th  day  of  January.  He  was  again  mar- 
ried in  1869  to  Julia  E.  Shrouf,  who  died  in 
187-2.  Mr.  Seal  the  third  time  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Sarah  J.  Irvin,  by  whom  he  had  five 
children,  all  now  dead.  His  wife  died  in  1S70. 
His  fourth  and  present  wife  was  Paulina  Mund- 
sack,  whom  he  married  in  1882.  Mr.  Seal  is  a 
very  prosperous  farmer.  He  is  the  father  of 
two  living  children — Edmund  and  John  E. 

J.  W.  Clayson  was  born  in  New  York, 
in  1822,  and  in  1855  removed  to  Richland 
Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  entered  land,  which  he 
afterward  sold.  In  1860  he  went  to  Crawford 
Co.,  \\  is.,  where  he  remained  seventeen  years, 
and   then    came   to  the  town  of   Genoa,  where 


he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  from  George 
P.  Griffin,  on  section  24,  of  town  12  north,  of 
range  7  west.  He  has  since  increased  his  farm 
to  101  acres.  He  was  married  to  Margaret  J. 
Davis,  and  two  of  their  children  are  now  living 
— Charles  and  George.  Mrs.  Clayson  died  in 
1857,  in  Richland  county,  and  in  1860  Mr.  Clay- 
son was  married  to  Jane  Mullen.  In  1864  Mr. 
Clayson  enlisted  in  the  52d  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged in  1865. 

Albert  Zabolie  was  born  in  Italy  in  1858, 
and  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  the  United 
States  in  1877,  and  settled  in  the  village  of 
Genoa,  where  his  father  and  himself  opened  a 
dry  goods  and  general  store.  They  now  carry 
the  largest  stock  of  goods  in  the  village,  valued 
at  about  $5,000.  Mr.  Zabolie  was  married  in 
1882  to  Rosa  Starlochi,  of  Vernon  county.  Mr. 
Zabolie';;  father,  August  Zabolie,  is  still  living 
in  the  village  of  Genoa.  Albert  is  doing  a  pros- 
perous business  in  his  line  of  trade. 


536 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTh.i<    XXXVII 


THE  TOWN  OF  GREENWOOD. 


This  town  comprises  township  13,  range  1 
ea.st,  which  is  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
county,  bounded  on  its  north  by  Hillsborough, 
on  its  east  by  Sauk  county,  on  its  south  by  Rich- 
land county  and  on  its  west  by  the  town  of 
Union.  Like  most  of  the  land  in  Vernon  county, 
this  is  rough  and  broken  The  land  that  is 
tillable  is  of  a  fertile  quality.  The  town  is  well 
supplied  with  small  streams,  among  which  are 
Pine  and  Baraboo  rivers,  and  their  numerous 
tributaries.  'J'he  northern  portion  of  the  town 
is  traversed  by  the  Baraboo  and  its  branches, 
wliile  the  southern  part  is  coursed  by  the  Pine 
and  its  branches.  There  are  a  great  number  of 
fine  springs  throughout  the  town.  At  one  time 
the  hop  crop  was  an  important  business  in  this 
section  of  the  county;  but  of  late  years  they  are 
not  so  much  raised.  At  one  time  just  after  the 
war,  when  hops  brought  fifty  cents  a  pound, 
nearly  every  land  owner  went  into  this  specula- 
tion; planted  out  large  hop  yards  and  erected 
the  necessary  buildings.  This,  together  with  a 
big  cro]!,  put  the  price  down  to  a  shilling  a 
pound;  and  by  this  reverse  caused  a  loss  of 
many  thousands  of  dollars  to  this  section  of 
Vernon  county.  In  1884  but  few  hops  were 
produced  within  the  county.  But  at  this  date, 
and  for  two  or  three  years  previous,  tobacco 
culture  has  been  entered  into  extensively  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  county. 

EAKLT    SETTLEMENT. 

'I'his  is  one  of  the  earliest  towns  settled  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county.  The  first  settler 
was  William  Van  Alstine,  who  came  in  as  early 
as  1851,  and  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 


section  23.  In  185^  he  sold  to  Isaac  Meek,  who 
came  from  Indiana.  Meek  only  remained  about 
a  year,  then  sold  out  and  returned  to  Indiana, 
where  he  was  ordained  a  Wesleyan  Methodist 
minister.     Van  Alstine  went  to  Oregon. 

In  1884  the  oldest  settler  living  in  the  town 
was  William  Jordan,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
but  who  came  here  from  Indiana  with  Isaac 
Meek,  and  settled  on  section  23;  a  few  years  later 
he  moved  to  Missouri,  but  soon  returned  to  his 
location  on  section  23. 

The  first  land  entry  in  tlie  town  was  made 
by  James  B.  Avery,  a  resident  of  Baraboo,  who 
entered  the  south  half  of  section  2-i.  The  pat- 
ent bears  date  January,  1852,  but  is  said  to  have 
been  entered  some  time  previous  to  this. 

R.  G.  Story  came,  in  1854,  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 27.     He  sold  out  and   in  1856  moved  away. 

Caleb  and  John  S.  Shreve  came  in  1853. 
Caleb  settled  on  section  22,  where  he  was  still 
living  in  1884.  John  at  first  located  on  section 
23,  but  later  moved  to  section  15. 

There  was  a  vilhige  laid  out,   in   the  fall   of 

1855,  by  James  R.  Strait  and  Richard  Smith, 
called  Debello.  It  was  situated  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
22.  Mr.  Smith  came  here  from  Indiana  in  the 
fall  of  1855,  and  brought  a  stock  of  goods  with 
him  and  opened  a  store,  which  he  operated  a 
year  or  so,  when  he  closed  up  and  removed  to 
Missouri.  He  sold  his  store  to  Morgan  and 
Joseph  Hansbury. 

Daniel  Bates  opened    a   blacksmith    shop    in 

1856.  He  engaged  in  this  about  a  year  and 
then  moved  away. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


537 


A  postoffice  was  establisbed  in  1855.  James 
R.  Strait  was  appointed  postmaster.  In  18.56 
he  was  succeeded  by  Moses  Jordan.  In  1884 
Elias  Kegley  was  postmaster,  keejjing  the  office 
at  his  liouse  on  section  27.  It  is  on  the  route 
from  Hillsborough  to  Rockbridge.  This  vicin- 
ity is  still  known  as  Debello,  although  the  vil- 
lage, once  so  flourishing,  with  lots  selling  for 
$50  each,  is  now  converted  into  farms,  and  corn, 
wheat  and  oats  grow  in  what  was  the  principal 
thoroughfare  of  this  place. 

In  1882  Andrew  Volstad  opened  a  store  on 
section  23,  which  has  jiroved  a  great  conven- 
ience to  the  farmers  in  the  vicinity. 

Below  is  tciven  the  names  of  many  of  the 
pioneers  of  this  town,  together  with  the  date 
and  location  of  their  settlement,  brief  sketches, 
etc.  No  special  attention  is  paid  as  to  the 
exact  order  in  which  they  came,  simply  a  record 
of  the  facts  connected  with  their  settlement: 

Horace  A.  Rhinehart,  of  New  York,  came  in 
1856  and  bought  land  on  section  .34.  He  after- 
ward moved  to  section  27. 

William  Hynes,  an  Englishman  by  birth, 
came  in  1856,  settling  on  section  34. 

George  Jepson,  of  England,  settled  on  sec- 
tion 34,  in  1855  ;  he  sold  the  following  year 
and  moved  to  the  town  of  Union. 

Joseph  Martin,  a  native  of  New  York  State, 
came  in  1854^  and  located  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  26.  He  was  an  unmarried 
man  and  lived  alone,  working  his  place  until 
1864,  when  he  sold  to  Einar  Nelson  and  moved 
to  Iowa. 

William  Shreve,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
in  company  with  his  three  sons,  Eden,  Heze- 
kiali  and  James  H.,  came  to  the  town  from 
Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1855.  The  father  settled 
on  the  northwest  cpiarter  of  section  22,  where 
he  remained  till  the  time  of  his  death,  in  18  0. 
Hezekiah  and  Eden  lived  at  home  several 
years,  after  which  the  former  moved  to  section 
22,  and  the  latter  to  Storm  Lake,  Iowa.  James 
H.  settled  on  section  15. 


James  R.  Strait  came  from  Indiana  in  1855, 
and  purchased  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 22. 

Richard  Simth  came  from  Ohio  in  the  fall  of 

1855,  and  brought  along  a  small  stock  of  goods. 
He  stayed  only  a  few  months,  then  moved 
south. 

Freeman  Webster,  of  New  York,  came  in  the 
spring  of  1855,  and  located  on  section  8,  where 
he  remained  until  1874,  then  moved  to  Hills- 
borough, where  he  was  living  in  1884. 

Morgan   Lloyd,  a  native  of  Ireland,  came  in 

1856,  and  settled  on  section  20,  where  he  died 
in  1882. 

Owen  Conaway,  an  Irishman,  settled  in  1856, 
on  section  17,  where  he  died  in  1881. 

Charles  Landrum,  of  Indiana,  settled  in  1855, 
on  section  23,  built  a  log  house  and  remained 
two  years,  after  which  he  sold  to  Clement  Cher- 
rington,  and  moved  to  Hillsborough,  where  he 
died  in  1882. 

Abraham  Kufi'man,  of  Pennsylvania,  settled 
on  section  15,  in  1856.  Robert  Bailey,  a  native 
of  Canada,  located  on  section  21,  in  1854. 

Reuben  Miller  came  from  Indiana  in  1855, 
and  settled  on  section  14. 

Hugh  Brandon  came  from  New  England,  in 
1855,  and  settled  on  section  13,  where  he  was 
still  livina-in  1884. 

Phineas  Bundy,  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
came  to  the  town  in  J  855,  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 27,  where  he  resided  in  1884. 

Malcom  McMillan,  of  Nova  Scotia,  came  in 
1855,  from  Michigan,  and  located  on  section  20. 

Mike  Farrell,  an  Irishman,  came  in  1855  and 
located  on  section  5,  where  he  was  still  living 
in  1884. 

John  Rice,  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  settled 
on  section  7,  in  the  spring  of  1856. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  1856  who  are  entitled 
to  sketches  in  this  connection  is  Moses  Jordan, 
who  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey;  he  was  born  in 
1801.  When  four  years  old  his  parents  moved 
to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
When  but  thirteen  years  of  age  he  engaged  in 


538 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


a  flour  mill  to  learn  the  milling  business.  In 
181(2  he  removed  to  the  State  of  New  York, 
where  he  remained  until  1838,  when  he  moved 
to  Illinois,  lived  there  five  years  and  moved  to 
Indiana,  where  he  remained  till  1853  and  then 
came  to  Bad  Ax  count}',  and  bought  the  north 
half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  26, 
town  13,  range  1  east,  in  what  is  now  Green- 
wood town  of  Vernon  county.  In  1854  he 
moved  to  Readsburg,  where  he  lived  two  years, 
then  returned  to  Greenwood.  In  1869  he  had 
the  misfortune  to  lose  his  eyesight,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  blind.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1822  to  Mary  Shaner,  who  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1805.  They  have  had  nine 
children,  six  of  whom  were  living  in  1884 — 
William,  Susan,  Elizabeth,  Harriet,  Mary  and 
Louisa.  Mr.  Jordan  has  been  a  prominant  man 
in  town  affairs,  having  been  elected  as  the 
first  justice  of  the  peace,  also  first  town  treas- 
urer. 

Thomas  Brown,  who  lived  in  the  town  of 
Viroqua,  bought  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 22,  in  1857.  His  father  James  Brown  and 
family  lived  here  at  the  time.  '  Mr.  Brown  was 
an  educated  man  and  followed  school  teaching 
and  surveying.     He  died  in  1870. 

Joseph  Hansberry  came  here  from  Indiana 
about  the  same  time,  or  perhaps  a  little  earlier, 
remained  a  few  years  and  then  left  the  county. 

Elias  Kegley  settled  in  the  town  in  1856.  He 
is  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  Wythe  countj^ 
Sept.  3,  1824.  When  fourteen  years  old 
his  parents  moved  to  Johnson  county,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood.  In  1856  he  came  to  Wis- 
•  con  sin,  spent  two  years  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wood and  then  went  to  Missouri,  where  he 
remained  until  1862.  From  there  he  removed 
to  Iowa  where  he  spent  a  year,  then  returned  to 
this  town.  In  1864,  he  went  to  Pine  River, 
Richland  county,  where  he  remained  till  1867, 
and  again  returning  to  this  town  bought  his 
farm  on  which  he  lived  in  1884.  He  was  mar- 
ried in    1856   to   Rebecca  Bundy  by  whom  he 


has  had  five  children — Albert  H.,  Mary  K.,  Ida 
J.  George  A.  and  Ellen. 

FIEST   EVENTS. 

One  of  the  first  marriages,  in  the  town  of 
Greenwood,  was  Joseph  Trean  and  Miss 
Brook.  This  ceremony  was  performed  in 
1855.  They  settled  on  section  22,  remained  a 
few  years  and  moved  to  Indiana. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  James,  a  son 
of  Robert  and  Jane  Bailey,  who  was  born  Oct. 
1,1854.     In  1884  he  was  living   in    Iowa. 

The  first  death  in  the  town  was  a  son  of  John 
S.  and  Caroline  (Beck)  Shreve,  named  Perry, 
who  died  in  March,  1854. 

Tlie  first  town  election  was  held  in  August 
1856. 

The  first  blacksmith  in  the  town  was  John 
Staley,  who  opened  a  shop  in  1855,  which  was 
located  on  section  15.  He  died  while  serving 
in  the  Union  army,  in  18'53. 

ORGANIC. 

The  town  of  Greenwood  was  organized  in 
April.  1856,  and  the  following  officers  elected  : 
U.  Gregory,  chairman;  Caleb  Shreve  and  Ran- 
som Daley,  supervisors,  Joseph  D.  Hansberry, 
clerk  ;  but  as  he  removed  from  the  town  before 
his  term  of  office  expired,  Thornton  Perry  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.  R.  G.  Story  was 
elected  superintendent  of  schools,  but  on  ac- 
count of  his  removal,  C.  A.  Fuller  was  appointed 
in  his  place.  Moses  Jordan  and'Mr.  Knox,  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  ;  John  S.  Shreve,  assessor. 

At  the  annual  town  meeting,  in  1883,  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected  for  the  ensuing  year: 
John  Siiaughnessy,  chairman,  John  Anderson 
and  Joseph  Pliner,  supervisors  ;  William  Bran- 
don, clerk  ;  John  S.  Shreve,  treasurer  ;  J.  W. 
Shreve,  assessor  ;  Horace  Rhinehart,  justice  of 
the  peace;  A.  Hanson  and  Hiram  Sanders,  con- 
stables. 

SCHOOLS. 

In  1884  the  town  of  Greenwood  was  divided 
into  six  school  districts. 

The  first  school  house  in  the  town  was  in 
what  is  now  known    as  district  No.  5,  built  in 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


fi39 


1856,  and  stood  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  22.  Grace  Brooks  was  the  first  teacher. 
This  house  was  used  but  two  or  three  years, 
when  it  was  replaced  by  another  log  house, 
which  was  still  standing  in   18S4. 

The  first  school  in  district  No.  5  was  taught 
in  a  log  house  belonging  to  Calsina  Townsend, 
situated  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  14. 
The  first  term  of  school  in  this  district  was 
taught  by  Jane  Townsend  in  1857. 

A  school  house  was  built  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  14,  in  which  Marie  Smith 
was  the  first  teacher.  This  house  was  in  use 
till  18T7,  wl'.en  a  frame  house  was  erected  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  14.  Marie 
Smith  also  taught  the  first  school  in  this  build- 
ing. 

In  district  No.  4  the  first  school  was  taught 
by  Margaret  Fuller,  in  1858,  at  Morgan  Lloyd's 
house.  In  1859  a  school  house  was  provided 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  20,  in 
which  Sarah  Brown  taught  the  first  term  of 
school.  This  house  was  in  use  for  school  pur- 
poses till  1868,  when  a  new  one  was  erected  on 
the  site  of  the  old  one.  Martin  Shields  taught 
the  first  school  in  this  house. 

In  district  No.  3  the  first  school  house  was 
built  in  1857  or  1858,  and  was  situated  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  8.  Mary  Givens 
was  one  of  the  early  teachers  here.  This  build- 
ing was  afterward  enlarged  and  served  the  dis- 
trict until  1880,  when  a  frame  building  took 
its  place.  Charles  Colier  was  the  first  teacher 
who  taught  in  the  new  building. 

In  district  No.  7  a  school  house  was  built  in 
1859  ;  this  was  located  on  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  :36.  This  was  a  small  log  house 
which  served  the  purpose  until  1866,  when  an- 
other log  building  was  erected,  which  stood  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  36.  Mary 
Rennick  was  the  first  teacher  employed  in  this 
building. 

District  No.  8  was  provided  with  a  school  house 
some  time  in  1866  or  1867,  on  John  Anderson's 
land,  on  section  32.     Susan  Outkelt  taught  the 


first  school  in  this  house,  which  was  moved  in 
1871  to  section  31,  and  used,  till  1880,  when 
another  building  took  its  ]>lace,  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  29.  Kate  Costello  was 
the  first  teacher  in  the  last  named  building. 

EBLIGIOUS    SOCIETIES. 

The  first  religious  services  in  the  town  were 
held  at  the  log  school  house  on  section  22,  in 
1857,  by  Rev.  M.  Clingman,  a  Methodist 
preacher,  who  organized  a  class  of  which 
Josephus  Cherrington  was  leader.  This  class 
continued  to  hold  services  for  about  five  years. 
Revs.  Moore,  Day  and  Holcomb  preached  for 
this  society  as  long  as  it  had  an  existence 

In  1856  the  Uniied  Brethren  organized  a 
class  at  the  same  school  house.  Rev.  Adam 
ShamlJeau,  from  the  Kickapoo,  was  the  preacher, 
and  Horace  A.  Rhinebart  was  class  leader. 

Another  United  Brethren  class  was  formed 
in  1877  at  the  house  of  Samuel  Watson,  by  D. 
K.  Young.  This  class  numbered  forty  mem- 
bers, Joseph  Frank  was  the  first  leader.  Meet- 
ings were  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Watson  till 
the  church  was  built  in  1878  on  section  16.  The 
following  preachers  have  served  this  people: 
Revs.  Charles  Hibbard,  William  Smith,  D.  K. 
Young  and  E.  Casper.  Tillman  Sanders  was 
class  leader  in  1884,  at  which  time  services  were 
held  once  in  two  weeks. 

The  Christian  Church  was  organized  in  1860, 
at  the  log  school  house  on  section  22,  by  Rev. 
Abraham  William.s.  James  H.  Shreve  was  the 
first  deacon.  Rev.  Williams  was  succeeded  by 
Isaac  Lepley  and  he  by  James  II.  Shreve.  In 
1S79  they  completed  a  church,  which  was  built 
of  logs  located  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 15.  John  S.  Shreve  was  deacon  of  the 
Church  in  1884. 

The  Norwegian  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  held  its  first  meetings  in  jirivate  houses. 
Rev.  Preus,  a  missionary, was  their  first  preacher. 
In  .1871  they  built  a  hewed  log  church  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  sect'on  25. 

The  Seventh  Day  Adventists  held  their  first 
meeting  in  this  town  in  June,  1878,  in  a  tent  on 


540 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


section  26.  Elders  O.  A  Johnson  and  P.  L. 
Horn  were  the  preachers.  They  organized  a 
society,  the  following  winter,  at  a  private  house 
owned  by  Jonathan  Hunter,  on  section  25.  Thei'e 
were  about  thirty  members.  B.  F.  Thomas  was 
chosen  first  deacon.  In  1880  a  church  was 
built  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  25. 
Elder  Johnson  preached  for  some  time  and  was 
finally  succeeded  by  Elder  C  W.  0!ds. 

The  first  Catholic  services  in  the  town  of 
Greenwood  were  lield  at  Margin  Lloyd's  house 
on  section  20,  in  1800.  Fatlier  Peter  Montague 
was  the  first  priest,  whose  home  was  over  in 
Juneau  county,  but  lie  supplied  this  settlement 
of  Catholics,  occasionally.  In  1871  a  ohureli 
was  built,  which  was  located  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  9.  Father  Bernard  was  the 
first  regular  priest  in  charge  after  the  house  of 
worship  was  erected. 

hansberry's  mill. 

Tills  mill  was  built  by  Nicholas  Didivt,  in 
1874,  and  is  situated  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  3.  The  power  is  derived  from  the 
Baraboo  river  and  from  a  fifteen  horse-power 
engine.  The  river  at  this  point  give-;  an  eight 
foot  fall.  In  1875  Didivt  sold  to  Mithins 
Hansberry,  wlio  still  operated  it  in   M84. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  first  place  set  apart  for  a  burying  ground 
was  on  section  23,  near  Debello,  on  the  Van 
Alstine  farm.  In  1884  there  was  a  Norwegian 
cemetery  near  their  churcli  on  section  23  and 
one  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  22, 
near  the  Christian  church;  also  a  Catliolic 
cemetery  on  section  9  by  their  church. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

The  following  slfetches  represent  a  large 
number  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Greenwood 
town  in  tlie  order  in  which  they  made  a  settle- 
ment here: 

Otto  F.  is  a  son  of  Otto  Hammer,  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Hillsborough.  He  was  bora  in 
New  York  Oct.  23,1847.  He  was  but  eight  yeais 
of  age  when  liis  parents  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
became  pioneers  of  Bad  Ax  county.    He  received 


his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Hillsbor- 
ough town.  At  seventeen  years  of  age  he  com- 
menced to  learn  the  shoemaker's  trade  and 
worked  at  that  three  and  one-half  years.  He  then 
engaged  with  Carl  Ludwig,  and  was  in  his  em- 
ploy, working  in  the  brewery  and  on  the  farm 
four  years.  He  was  married  Dec.  25,  1870,  to 
Matliilda  Duft.  They  have  five  children — Jo- 
sephine, Emma,  Mathilda,  Mabel  and  Robert. 
The  May  previous  to  his  marriage  he  had  bought 
timber  land  on  section  1,  town  of  Greenwood. 
He  has  since  cleared  a  farm,  built  a  house  and 
now  makes  this  liis  home. 

Caleb  Shreve,  a  pioneer  of  Vernon  county, 
a'ld  son  of^  William  and  Eleanor  (Caleb)  Shreve, 
was  born  in  Miami  Co.,  In<).,  May  29,  18. '3. 
When  but  an  infant  his  parents  removed  to 
Perry  Co  ,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
He  was  there  married,  Sept.  15,  1842,  to  Naomi 
.lennings.  Mr.  Shreve  remained  in  Perry 
county  until  1853,  when  he  started  west  to  seek 
a  home.  Arriving  in  Wisconsin,  he  bought  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  22,  town  13,  range 
1  east,  in  territory  now  known  as  Greenwood 
town,  Vernon  county.  Here  he  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers,  as  there  were  less  than  a  dozen 
families  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  at  this 
time.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  6th  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry,  went  south  and  served  two 
years.  In  1863  he  received  an  injury  and  was 
discharged  on  account  of  disability.  He  also 
lost  his  voice;  but  a  few  years  later  he  fell 
from  a  barn  which  was  the  means  of  restoring 
it  to  him.  He,  however,  again  lost  it  and  now 
converses  only  in  a  whisper.  He  had  no  school 
advantages  and  consequently  is  not  an  educate<l 
man,  Imt  is  endowed  with  a  good  share  of  e  >m- 
inon  sense.  Mr.  Shreve  is  kind. hearted  and 
hospitable,  cheerful  in  his  disposition  and  en- 
joys the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him.  He  is  a  good  judge  of  a  horse;  also  treats 
them  for  diseases.  His  practice  in  this  profes- 
sion is  very  large,  extending  into  Sank  and 
Richland  counties.  On  April  7,  1879,  Mrs. 
Shreve  died,,  leaving  eight   children — Ezra  W., 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


541 


Sarah  E.,  Smith,  John  J.,  Isaac  L.,  Armiiida, 
Lovica  and  Caleb  Perry.  Mr.  Slireve  was  a 
member  of  the  first  board  of  supervisors  of 
Greenwood  town  and  also  has  been  postmaster 
at  Debello. 

William  Smith  Shreve  was  but  six  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  located  in  this  town.  He  was 
born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  Dec.  12,  1847.  Ilis 
parents  were  Caleb  and  Naomi  (Jennings) 
Shreve.  They  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  in 
185.3,  and  were  pioneers  of  Greenwood  town. 
William  S.  grew  to  manhood  on  the  homestead 
farm,  assisting  in  the  farm  labor  during  the 
summer,  and  attending  school  in  the  winter 
season.  He  bought  some  land  in  Sauk  county, 
and  after  his  marriage  traded  this  land  for  a, 
farm  on  section  22  of  this  town,  where  he  lo- 
cated, built  a  log'cabin  and  resided  till  1882.  In 
the  latter  year  he  settled  on  his  present  farm, 
which  is  on  the  same  section,  and  now  includes 
the  plat  of  the  village  known  as  Debello.  Mr. 
Shreve  was  married,  in  1868, to  Susan  Fries,  and 
five  children  have  been  given  them — Mary 
Amanda,  Charles  F.,  Louisa  M.,  Susan  Edith 
and  Myrtie  C.  John  J.,  another  son  of  Caleb 
and  Naomi  (Jennings)  Shreve,  was  born  in 
Boone  Co.,  Ill ,  Oct.  4,  1853.  He  went  to 
Dakota  in  1873,  and  took  up  a  homestead  in 
Turner  county.  Here  he  lived  until  1881,  when 
he  returned  to  the  town  of  Greenwood.  He 
settled  on  his  present  farm  in  1882.  He  was 
married,  in  1876,  to  Ellon  Rogers.  They  have 
two  children-^Ada  J.  and  Edward  O. 

John  S.,  son  of  William  and  E'eanor  (Smith) 
Shreve,  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  Feb.  16, 
1828,  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  In  1850  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Caroli?ie  Beck,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1853  he  came  to 
Wisconsin  to  seek  a  home,  settling  on  section 
23,  of  township  13,  range  1  east.  In  1854  he 
went  to  Sauk  county  and  found  employment 
clearing  land,  for  which  he  was  paid  six  shil- 
lings per  day.  In  this  way  he  raised  money  to 
pay  for  his  land.  In  1855  he  traded  his  land 
on  section  23  for  120  acres  on  section  15,  moved 


there,  built  a  good  log  house,  and  commenced 
clearing  the  land.  Mr.  Shreve  has  been  very 
successful  in  his  endeavours  to  make  a  home, 
and  now  owns  160  acres  of  land,  seventy  acrts 
of  which  is  under  cultivation.  Mrs.  Shreve 
died  Jan.  25,  1858,  leaving  nine  children — 
Mary-  Ellen,  Ilezekiah,  William  A.,  Joseph, 
N'apoleon,  Sarah,  John  E.,  Armilda  and  Isaac. 
William  A.  was  born  March  25,  1856,  and  died 
April  23, ,1880;  Sarah  was  born  Jan.  25,  1860, 
and  died  in  September,  1875.  In  1871  Mr. 
Shreve  was  married  to  Emma  C,  daughter  of 
William  and  Yanca  (.Jenkins)  Ilines,  and 
widow  of  James  Bundy.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren— Charles  and  Amy.  Mr.  Shreve  has  been 
prominent  in  town  affairs.  He  was  the  first  asses- 
sor in  Hillsborough  town,  and  filled  that  office 
in  Greenwood  eleven  consecutive  terms.  He  is 
the  present  treasurer.  Mrs.  Shreve  died  June 
•25,   1858. 

Prentiss  Abbott  is  a  son  of  Aaron  A.  and 
Abesta  (]V[oulton)  Abbott,  was  born  in  Tunbridge 
town,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1822.  When 
four  years  of  age,  his  parents  moved  to  Boston, 
JIass.,  where  his  father  engaged  in  the  boot  and 
shoe  business.  After  remaining  there  one  year, 
they  moved  to  Canada,  settling  in  the  province 
of  Quebec.  At  the  end  of  six  years  they  re- 
moved to  Port  Hope,  province  of  Ontario. 
Here  it  was  that  Prentiss  began  his  career  as  a 
hunter.  Game  was  plenty,  and  he  s]K'nt  a 
greater  part  of  his  time  in  hunting  and  trapping, 
and  made  considerable  money  thereby.  In 
1838  his  parents  moved  to  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
where  they  lived  one  year,  when  his  father 
bought  some  timber  land  from  the  government, 
situated  five  miles  from  Milwaukee,  and  Pren- 
tiss helped  him  to  clear  it.  Game  being  abund- 
ant, Prentiss  spent  much  time  hunting  deer, 
bear,  elk  and  jtanthers,  finding  a  ready  sale  for 
llieni  in  Milwaukee.  When  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age  he,  in  company  with  his  brotlier, 
erected  a  large  frame  house  on  the  farm  and 
opened  a  hotel,  called  the  Kinnekiniek  House. 
One  year  later  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Wau- 
kesha   county,    where  he    purchased    a    farm, 


542 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


erected  a  large  house,  jiait  log  and  part  frame, 
and  engaged  in  farming  and  keeping  hotel. 
Two  years  later  he  removed  to  Washington 
county,  and  in  1854  he  again  changed  his  resi- 
dence, coming  to  Vernon  county,  and  entering 
640  acres  of  land  in  town  13,  range  1  east, 
now  known  as  Greenwood.  He  built  a  log  house 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  10,  and  com- 
menced clearing  a  farm.  In  1861  he  wentto  Hills- 
borough, bought  town  property,  and  opened  a 
hotel.  He  reruained  in  this  business  until 
1875,  when  he  again  returned  to  Greenwood 
and  settled  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
10,  where  he  had  previously  built  aframe  house. 
He  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Jane  Fenton,  by  whom  he  had  three  children — 
Charles,  Prentiss  C.  and  Laura.  He  was  mar- 
May  16,  188:3,  to  Elizabeth  Brill,  a  naiive  of 
VVurtemburg,  Germany. 

John  Collins  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in 
county  Clare  in  1829.  When  thirteen  years  of 
age  he  left  his  native  land  for  America.  He 
landed  in  New  York  city,  from  whence  he  went 
to  Buffalo,  where  he  spent  two  years  in  school, 
thus  acquiring  an  education  that  has  since  been 
useful  to  him.  He  then  came  to  Wisconsin,  set- 
tling in  Milwaukee,  where  he  remained  until 
1849,  at  which  time  he  wentto  Riclilaud  county 
in  the  employ  of  Ira  Harelton,  with  whom  he 
remained  one  year.  He  then  returned  to  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.  After  spending  about  a  year  in  the 
east,  in  various  places,  he  returned  to  Wiscon- 
sin, locating  in  Waukesha.  He  was  there  mar- 
ried, Jan.  2,  1852,  to  Mary  Ann  McMahi.n,  born 
in  county  Meath,  Ireland,  in  May,  183:^.  Slie 
came  to  America  with  her  parents  when 
thirteen  years  of  age.  In  1854  Mr.  Collins 
came  to  Vernon  county  and  entered  land  in  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  21.  He  afterwards 
returned  to  Waukesha  county,  remaining  there 
until  1856,  at  which  time  he  came  with  his 
family  and  settled  on  his  land  in  Vernon 
county,  where  he  commenced  to  improve  his 
farm.  He  now  has  120  acres  on  section  21,  and 
eighty   acres  on   section  4.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Col- 


lins have  nine  children.  Mr.  Collins  has  taken 
a  prominent  part  in  town  affairs,  and  has 
held  offices  of  trust.  He  is  also  clerk  of  the 
district,  having  served  in  that  capacity  for 
several  years. 

Hugh  Brandon  is  one  of  the  early  and 
honored  pioneers  of  Greenwood  town,  locating 
herein  1855,  when  the  face  of  the  country  was 
a  dense  forest  and  unbroken  prairie.  Mr.  Bran- 
don is  a  native  of  the  "Emerald  Isle,"  and  was 
born  in  county  Donegal,  Ireland,  in  1818.  He 
was  there  reared  to  manhood,  and  in  1840  de- 
termined to  seek  a  new  home  in  the  "land  of 
the  free."  He  accordingly  engaged  passage 
in  a  sailing  vessel  and  came  to  America.  Mr. 
Brandon  first  located  in  Connecticut,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  farming,  until  his  removal  to 
IJad  Ax  (now  Vernon)  county,  in  1855.  He 
entered  240  acres  of  land  on  section  13,  of 
town  13  north,  of  range  1  east.  He  built 
thereon  a  little  log  cabin,  in  which  he  lived 
and  reared  a  family,  until  1881,  when  he 
erected  his  present  frame  residence.  Mr.  Bran- 
don was  married,  in  1854,  to  Mary  Sullivan, 
and  six  children  have  been  sent  to  bless  this 
union — William,  Mary,  Annie,  Eliza,  Frank 
and  Agnes.  The  elder  of  this  family,  William, 
is  a  native  of  this  town,  born  Nov.  25,  1855. 
He  has  grown  to  manhood  in  this  county,  and 
received  a  good  education  in  the  district  schools. 
He  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term  as  clerk  of 
Greenwood  town.  Mr.  Brandon  is  unmarried, 
and  still  resides  with  his  parents. 

David  Mahr,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Green- 
wood, is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  March 
16,  1830.  He  received  a  good  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Germany,  attending  them 
until  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  afterwards 
engaged  in  farming.  In  1852  he  left  his  native 
land  and  came  to  America.  He  came  directly, 
with  his  family,  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in 
Washington  county,  where  his  father  bought  a 
farm.  He  remained  with  his  father  one  year, 
then  went  to  live  with  the  Americans,  thereby 
learning   the   English   language.     In  1855  Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


543 


Mahr  came  to  Vernon  county  and  entered  land 
on  section  3,  of  town  13,  range  1  east,  now- 
known  as  Greenwood.  In  March,  1858,  he  re- 
turned to  Washington  county,  where  he  was 
married  to  Friederike  Grouhe,  and  the  next 
month  they  started  for  their  new  liome.  He 
built  a  log  house  on  his  land,  on  section  3,  and 
commenced  to  clear  the  heavy  timber  from  the 
place.  Mr.  Mahr  has  been  a  successful  farmer, 
and  now  owns  165  acres  of  land,  seventy-seven 
of  which  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  In 
1882  he  built  the  large  frame  house  in  which  he 
now  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mahr  are  the  parents 
of  eight  children — John,  Henriette,  Frank, 
Peter,  Sophie,  Annie,  and  Oscar  N.and  Charles 
N.,  twins. 

William  Shreve,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Greenwood  town,  was  born  in  Bedford  Co., 
Penn.,  Sept.  26,  1802.  When  he  was  four  years 
of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio  and  were 
among  the  first  settlers  in  Miami  county.  Here 
William  grew  to  manhood.  He  was  married 
June  15,  1 8-20,  to  Eleanor  Smith,  born  Sept.  15, 
1800.  They  moved  to  Indiana,  settling  in  Mi- 
ami county  After  remaining  here  a  few  years 
they  returned  to  Ohio,  and  settling  in  Perry 
county,  bought  timber  land  and  improved  a 
farm.  ]Mr.  Shreve  remained  there  until,  1855, 
when  lie  started  with  a  team  for  Wisconsin. 
After  traveling  about  three  weeks  he  arrived  in 
Vernon  county  and  entered  land  on  section  22, 
making  tliis  his  home  till  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  Jan.  9,  1880.  Mrs.  Shreve  died 
May  7,  1865. 

Hezekiah  Shreve,  son  of  William  and  Eleanor 
(Smith)  Shreve,  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio, 
Jan.  15,  1840.  When  tifteen  \  ears  "f  age  his 
parents  came  to  W  isconsin,  and  he  assisted  his 
father  in  clearing  a  farm.  He  was  married  Jan. 
28,  1864,  io  Rai-liel  Daniels,  born  in  Allen  Co., 
Ohio.  In  September,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  com- 
pany A,  25lh  Wisconsin  Volunteeis;  went 
south;  joined  Gen.  Sherman  at  Atlanta;  was 
with  him  in  his  march  to  the  sea  and  ihrongh 
the    Carolinas.     He   was  discharged    with    the 


regiment  June  9,  1865,  and  returning  to  Green- 
wood, renewed  farming.  In  18T»j  he  built  a 
t»  o  story  hewed  log  i  ouse  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  22. 
He  still  makes  this  his  home.  He  has  planted 
aTi  orchard  on  his  place  and  cultivates  hops  and 
siirghum.  He  is  also  engaged  in  grain  and 
stock  raising.  He  has  a  mill  and  makes  his 
own  syrup.  He  has  seven  children  living — 
Walter  H.,  Ulysses  S.,  Harriet  E.,  Langley, 
Otto,  Carrie  IJ.  and  William  H.  A  daughter, 
Minnie  F.,  died  when  four  years  of  age. 

James  H.,  son  of  William  and  Eleanor 
(Smith)  Shreve,  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio, 
Dec.  14,  1832.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until 
fourteeen  years  of  age  then  started  in  life  for 
himself.  Leaving  home  he  went  to  Frank'in 
Co.,  Ohio,  and  for  three  years  was  there  en- 
gaged in  farming,  going  from  thence  to  Hock- 
ing county,  where  he  lived  two  years,  farming 
in  the  summer  and  mining  coal  in  the  winter. 
In  1852  he  returned  to  Perry  county,  remaining 
one  year.  In  1853  he  went  to  Lancaster,  Ohio, 
going  from  there  to  Philadelphia  with  a  drove 
of  cattle,  starting  March  31  and  arriving  in 
Philadelphia  on  the  18th  of  May,  having 
traveled  the  entire  distance  on  foot.  He  stopped 
in  Piiiladelphia  but  two  days,  returning  home 
by  way  of  New  York  city,  Buffalo  and  Niagara 
Falls.  He  then  engaged  as  superintendent  of 
construction  on  the  Wilmington  &  Cincinnati 
Railroad  for  one  year.  He  then  took  a  con- 
tract to  construct  a  piece  of  road.  Mr.  Shreve 
was  married  May  4,  1854,  to  Mary  E.  Cheno- 
weth,  born  in  Perry  county.  'J  hey  went  to 
Franklin  Co.,  Ohio,  and  remained  there  until 
1865,  then,  in  company  with  his  father  and  two 
brothers,  started  for  Wisconsin,  settling  in 
town  13,  range  1  east.  He  bought  land  on 
section  15  and  immediately  commenced  to  im- 
prove it.  He  has  since  made  this  his  home. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shreve  have  had  ten  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living — John  W.,  James  T., 
Hezekiah  A.,  Samuel  S.,  Emma,  Mary  A.  and 
Nora.      The    second    child    died    in    infancy; 


•J44 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Floretta  J.,  born  Aug.  26,  1866,  also  died  in  in- 
fancy; Harvey,  born  June  4,  1875,  died  Jan. 
16,  1880.  Mr.  Shreve  has  been  prominent  in 
town  affairs,  having  held  the  offices  of  town 
clerk,  constable  and  treasurer.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  commissioners  to  lay  out  the 
State  road  fiom  Woodstock  to  Wonowac.  Mr. 
Shreve  was  for  some  years  a  preacher  in  the 
Christian  Church. 

John  Staley,  a  pioneer  of  Greenwood  town, 
was  boi-n  in  Lafayette  Co.,  Ind.,  Dec.  25,  1830. 
When  he  was  quite  young  his  parents  moved  to 
Howard  county,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
Wlien  a  boy  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  black- 
smith, and  worked  at  that  in  Howard  county 
until  1852,  when  he  went  to  Cass  Co.,  Ind., 
where  he  was  married  March  21,  1854,  to 
Rachel,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Calsina 
(IngiM-son)  Townsend,  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence 
Co.  N.  Y.  Ill  1855  they  started  west  'to  seek  a 
lionH',  and  came  to  Bad  Ax,  (now  Vernon) 
county,  and  bought  land  on  section  15,  of  town 
l.S  north,  range  I  east,  now  known  as  Green- 
wood. He  here  erected  a  blacksmith  shop  and 
worktd  at  his  trade  in  connection  with  farming. 
In  1864  he  joined  the  25th  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteers,  coni])any  F,  and  went  south;  was 
with  Sherman  in  Georgia,  and  participated  in 
his  march  ti>  the  sea.  He  died  while  in  the  ser- 
vice at  S.ivaiinah,  Ga.,  Feb.  9,  1865.  He  left 
three  children — Ellen  Charles  and  Martin.  The 
two  e'dfst  cliildren  are  married.  The  younger 
son,  .Martin,  is  at  home  with  his  mother,  and 
carries  on  the  farm. 

Samuel  Watson  was  born  in  Darke  Co.,  Ohio, 
.Ian.  16.  1825.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  his 
]i:uents  moved  to  Indiana,  settling  in  Wayne 
c<iiiniy.  lie  was  married  in  1845  to  Rhoda 
Taylor,  a  native  of  Wayne  county.  For  two 
years  he  rentid  land  in  that  county,  moving  in 
1847  to  Grant  county,  same  State,  where  he 
purchased  land.  He  improved  this  place  and 
lived  here  until  1855,  when  he  started  west  to 
seek  a  home.  He  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis., 
and   entered     land    on     section    9,    town     13, 


range  1  east,  and  immediately  began  to  improve 
it.  He  has  since  made  this  his  home.  Soon 
after  arriving  here  he  took  steps  to  secure  a 
school  for  his  children,  and,  in  1858,  at  a  meet- 
ing held  at  his  house,  a  school  district  was  or- 
ganized. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  have  eight 
children  living — George,  born  May  22,  1849; 
Elihu,  born  Nov.  14,  1857;  Sarah  A.,  born  .May 
14,  1853;  Daniel,  born  Nov.  18,  1856;  John, 
born  Aug.  20,  1858;  Ellen,  born  March  17,  1860; 
Lucinda,  born  Nov.  10,  1873,  and  Mary  Etta, 
born  March  14,  1875.  Their  first  son,  Joseph, 
was  born  in  Grant  Co.,  Ind.,  May  7,  1846.  He 
came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents  and  made 
liis  home  with  them  until  1864,  when  he  en- 
listed in  company  I,  8th  Wisconsin  Volunteers, 
and  went  south.  He  died  in  Memphis,  Teiin., 
in  the  spring  of  1865,  while  still  in  the  service. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  are  both  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church. 

Robert  Bailey,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Green- 
wood, was  born  in  Ireland  in  1822,  and  when 
quite  young  his  parents  removed  to  Canada, 
where  he  was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  was  part  of 
the  time  employed  on  public  works.  He  was 
married  in  1844  to  Jane  Scott,  who  was  born  in 
Ireland  in  1822,  but  of  Scotch  descent.  They 
remained  in  Canada  until  1849,  when  they  came 
to  the  States,  locating  in  Boone  Co.,  111.,  where 
they  lived  until  1856,  then  came  to  Wisconsin 
to  seek  a  home.  Coming  directly  to  Vernon 
county,  he  entered  land  on  section  26,  town 
13,  range  1  east,  built  a  log  house  and  com- 
menced clearing  a  farm.  In  1861  he  enlisted 
in  company  II,  10th  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  immediately  went  to  the  front.  He 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chattanooga,  in  1>^63, 
while  gallantly  fighting  for  his  adopted  country. 
He  left  a  widow  and  seven  children  to  mourn 
his  death.  Six  of  these  children  are  now  living 
— Agnes,  Samuel,  William,  James,  Isabelle  and 
.jennie.  Mrs.  Bailey  struggled  with  a  brave 
heart  and  raised  her  family.  She  now  occupies 
the  homestead. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


545 


Abrabara  KaufFman  was  born  in  Lancaster 
Co.,  Penn.,  Jan.  9,  1809,  of  poor,  but  lioiicst 
parents.  He  received  his  education  in  J,be  com- 
mon schools,  and  was  raised  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  married,  Nov.  25,  I82S,  to 
Eliza  Martin.  They  remained  in  Lancaster 
county  seven  years,  then  started  west  to  seek  a 
home.  They  located  in  Posey  county,  where 
Mr.  Kauffman  learned  the  shoemakers  trade. 
He  remained  there  until  1844,  then  came  to 
Wisconsin,  settling  in  Washington  county.  He 
purchased  government  land,  improved  forty 
acres,  and  built  a  log  cabin.  In  1856  he  sold 
out,  and,  again  pushing  to  the  frontier,  came  to 
Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  purchased  land  on  sec- 
tions 10,  1  I  and  15,  built  a  log  house  and  im- 
mediately commenced  to  make  improvements. 
He  occupied  this  house  until  1S79,  then  erected 
the  frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives.  Mrs. 
Kauffman  was  born  in  Lancaster  Co.,  Penn., 
Sept.  10,  1810.  She  died  in  Greenwood,  in 
1857,  leaving  four  children — Starrett,  Benja- 
min, P>etsey  and  Annie.  Mr.  Kauffman  was 
married  April  i3,  1859,  to  Colsina  Ingerson, 
born  in  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  3,  1807.  Her 
first  husband  was  Charles  Townsend,  of  New 
York  Slate,  where  Mrs.  Townsend  lived  with 
her  husliand  a  few  years,  when  they  moved  to 
Oiiio,  and  from  thence  to  Indiana.  Mr.  Town- 
send  died  in  185(5,  just  as  he  was  read\  to  move 
from  Indiana  to  Wisconsin.  He  left  three 
ciiildren — Emma  A.,  Rachel  and  May.  Mr. 
Kauftman's  son,  Benjamin  T.,  was  born  in 
Lancaster  Co.,  Penn.,  Dec.  30,  1835.  He  came 
to  Wisconsin  with  his  ])arents,  and  w  s  married 
in  18' 8  to  Jane  Townsend.  He  now  occupies  a 
portion  of  t' e  old  homestead,  aud  is  engaged 
in  farming. 

Reuben  Miller  was  bom  in  (Jhio,  May  6, 
1829.  .When  quite  young  his  parents  moved 
to  Missouri.  After  living  there  a  short  time, 
they  moved  to  Indiana,  settling  in  Howard 
county,  where  Reuben  grew  to  manhood.  He 
was  married  in  Cass  county,  in  1854,  to  Catha- 
rine Bickill,  born  in  Licking  Co.,  Ohio.     After 


remaining  in  Cass  county  two  years,  he  came  to 
Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  liought  land  on  section 
14,  town  13,  range  1  east,  now  known  as 
Greenwood.  He  built  a  good  log  house  on  hi'* 
place,  set  out  an  orchard  and  commenced  to 
improve  his  farm.  He  made  this  his  home  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  Nov.  5,  1873.  He 
left  seven  children — Benjamin  F  ,  Sarah,  Ida, 
John,  Edson,  Melrssa  and  James.  The  family 
now  occupy  the  homestead. 

Horace  A.  Rhinehart  was  born  in  Madison 
Co.,  N.  i  .,  Feb.  14,  18-27.  When-  six  years  of 
age  his  parents  moved  to  the  western  part  of 
New  York  State,  settling  in  Chautauqua  county. 
Here  his  father  bought  timber  land  and  im- 
proved a  farm.  Horace  A.  here  grew  to  man- 
hood, his  younger  days  being  spent  in  school 
and  on  the  farm.  He  was  married  in  Chautau- 
qua county,  in  1853,  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam and  Tommy  (Jenkins)  Hyne.  She  lived 
but  two  months  and  twelve  days.  He  then 
came  to  Wisconsin,  and  after  spending  a  year 
in  Rock  and  Greene  counties,  returned  to  New 
York.  While  there  he  married  Mary  J.,  a  sister 
of  his  first  wife.  Coming  with  bis  wife  to 
Wisconsin,  he  stopped  for  a  time  in  Greene 
county.  In  the  fall  of  1856  he  moved  to  Ver- 
non Co.,  Wis.,  purchasing  land  on  section  34, 
town  13,  range  1  east,  now  known  as  Green- 
wood. He  spent  the  winter  on  bis  farm  in 
Greene  county,  returning  to  his  land  in  Vernon 
county  the  following  spring.  In  February, 
1857,  he  met  with  an  accident,  by  which  his  left 
leg  was  broken,  and  he  was  laid  up  all  summer, 
thereby  losing  much  valuable  time.  After  re- 
covering, he  resumed  work,  and  began  the  cid- 
tivation  of  his  farm.  In  1865  he  sold  out  and 
purchased  land  on  section  27,  which  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  In  1883,  he  erected  the 
larofe  frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives.  His 
second  wife  died  in  1862,  leaving  him  two 
children — Sarah  M.  and  Lucinda  S  In  1863  he 
married  Sarah  Kegley.  Seven  children  blessed 
ibis  union — Estella,  Edwin,  Franklin,  Rollin, 
EfBe,  William  and  Alvin. 


J46 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Henry,  son  of  Jacob  and  Augusta  Lind,  hon- 
ored pioneers  of  Vernon  county,  was  born  in 
Germany,  in  183-t.  He  attended  school  there 
until  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  then  engaged 
in  teaming  in  the  city  of  West  Baden.  When 
he  was  seventeen  years  old,  in  company  with 
his  parents,  he  left  his  native  land,  and  came 
to  America.  They  landed  at  New  York,  and 
came  directly  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  in 
Washington  county.  Henry  was  there  mar- 
ried in  Fehruary,  1857,  to  Mary  Coe,  born  in 
Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  June  following,  they 
came  to  B.ad  Ax  (  now  Vernon  )  county,  and 
piircliased  timber  land  on  section  12,  of  town 
1  3  north,  of  range  1  east,  and  commenced  to 
clear  a  farm  He  has  built  a  good  log  house, 
to  wiiich  he  lias  made  a  frame  addition.  In 
18S2  he  built  a  frame  barn,  .30x40  feet  in  size, 
witli  II  stone  basement.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren— T.arinda,  Matilda,  Charlie,  Ida  and 
Arthur. 

Thomas  J.,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (  Shear ) 
Ilickok,  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  10, 
1851.  lie  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents 
in  l-'Oi,  and  settled  in  Hillsborough  town.  He 
was  niiicated  in  the  district  schools  of  Erie 
counly  and  Hillsborough  town,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  onr  term  at  Hill's  Prairie.  In  1874  he 
bou  ht  land  in  the  town  of  Greenwood,  and 
here  commenced  farming.  He  was  married,  in 
December,  !87i,  to  Mrs.  Cornelia  (Backus) 
Hickok,  widow  of  liis  brother,  Jacob  M. 
Hickok.  One  cliild  has  blessed  this  union — 
Claule  Iiivin.  Jacob  Manly  Hickok  was  born 
in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  20,  1849.  He  came  to 
Hillsborough  town  with  his  parents,  and  re- 
maini-d  with  them  until  his  marriage,  Sept.  19, 
186rf,  to  Cornelia  Backus.  One  year  later  he 
removed  to  Glendale,  where  he  lived  until  the 
date  of  his  ileath,  April  19,  1875,  leaving  a 
wife  aTid  two  children — James  Almond  and 
Thomas  Earl. 

Lars  Hanson  Lee,  one  of  the  early  Norwe- 
gian settlers  of  Greenwood  town,  was  born 
in  1805.     He  married  Martha  Jensou.     In  1851 


they  came  to  America,  landing  at  New  York 
city,  and  going  from  there  to  Madison,  Wis., 
where  they  remained  until  1853.  Mr.  Lee 
went  from  there  to  Perry  town,  Dane 
county,  and  purchased  some  school  land.  He 
cleared  a  farm,  built  a  log  house  and  remained 
there  until  1863,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to 
Vernon  county.  Here  he  purchased  land  on 
section  25,  Greenwood  town,  since  which 
time  he  has  cleared  a  farm  and  built  a  good 
house.  In  1867  he  sold  this  farm  to  his  son,  but 
has  always  made  his  home  here,  and  is  still 
engaged  in  farming.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  both 
enjoy  good  health.  They  are  the  parents  of 
four  children — Annie,  Lena,  (deceased)  James 
L.  and  Henry  L.  The  oldest  daughter  is  in 
Norway.  James  L.  resides  in  Decorah,  low.i, 
where  he  is  agent  for  the  Lutheran  ])nblish 
ing  house,  and  has  charge  of  the  Decorali  scale 
works. 

Henry  L.,  youngest  son  of  Lars  Hanson  and 
Martha  ( Jenson )  Lee,  was  born  in  Norway, 
Nov.  29,  1838.  He  was  but  twelve  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  emigrated  to  America. 
At  thirteen  years  of  age  he  started  out  to 
make  his  own  living  in  Madison,  first  engaging 
with  a  groceryman,  where  he  made  himself 
useful  in  the  store.  He  remained  with  him  for 
a  year  and  a  half  and  then  engaged  as  clerk  in 
a  grocery  house  one  year,  also  driving  the 
delivery  wagon,  and  then  went  to  work  in  a 
meat  market.  In  the  fall  of  1858  he  went  to 
work  on  a  farm,  continuing  in  that  occu]iation 
until  the  spring  of  1860,  when  he  went  to  St. 
Louis,  and  remained  through  the  summer.  He 
next  went  to  Macon  Co.,  Mo.,  and  engaged  in 
training  fast  horses,  fitting  them  for  the  race 
track  and  taking  them  to  the  different  county 
fairs.  In  the  fall  Mr.  Lee  went  to  New 
Orleans,  where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of 
1861,  then  returned  to  Macon  Co.,  Mo.,  and 
stayed  there  until  the  fall  of  1861,  when  he 
returned  to  Madison,~and  remained  until  lie 
enlisted  Aug.  13,  1862,  in  company  D,  23d 
Wisconsin  Volunteers.     He  served  as  orderly 


'-a 


I  PUBLIC  LirhARY, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


549 


for  the  commanding  officer  in  the  following 
important  battles  :  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkan- 
sas Post,  Champion  Hills,  Black  River  Bridge, 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  Carrion  Crow  Bayou, 
Mansfield,  Pleasant  Hill,  Caue  River,  Jackson, 
i-a.,  Spanish  Fort  and  Fort  Blakely.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Mobile,  Ala.,  July  4, 
18G5,  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Madi- 
son, Aug.  IS,  1865.  November  2,  the  same 
year,  he  came  to  "Vernon  county  and  worked  for 
his  father  one  year,  then  bought  the  farm  of 
him,  and  has  since  made  this  his  home.  He 
was  married  April  19,  1868,  to  Mary  Johnson. 
They  have  seven  children  —Martha  Johanna, 
>[artin  Li-\vis,  .lames  T.,  Bertha  Lena,  Henri- 
ette  C,  J>hn  E.  and  Anna  Maria. 

Einer  Nelson,  one  of  the  early  Norwegian 
settlers,  was  born  in  1810.  His  wife's  name 
was  Gure  Paulson.  In  1855  they  emigrated  to 
America,  landing  at  Quebec.  From  there  they 
went  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  living  near  Stoughton 
one  year,  going  from  thence  to  Perry  town. 
where  Mr.  Nelson  entered  forty  acres  of  lanci 
cleared  a  farm  and  remained  nntil  1864.  He 
then  sold  out  and  came  to  Vernon  county,  buy 
ing  land  on  section  26,  and  making  his  homi 
here  until  1566,  when  he  sold  to  his  son  anc 
bought  land  on  section  34,  which  he  has  sinci 
made  his  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  had  sev- 
en children — ^Nels  E.,  Paul,  Rachel,  Carrie, 
Mary,  Christiana  and  Johanna.  Nels  E.,  the  old- 
est son  of  Einer  and  Gure  (Paulson)  Nelson,  wa.s 
born  in  Norway,  Jan.  18,  1842.  When  thirteen 
years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
America  and  soon  after  commenced  life's  battle 
for  himself.  He  readily  found  employment  as 
a  farm  laborer,  and  on  Nov.  18,  1861,  enlisted 
in  corapany  II,  15th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Vol- 
unteer Infantry  and  participated  in  all  the 
skirmishes  and  battles  of  that  regiment.  He 
was  severely  wounded  on  the  third  day  of  the 
battle  at  Stone  River  and  lay  in  the  hospital  at 
Nashville,  Tenn,  for  six  months.  He  le- 
joined  the  regiment  at  Murfreesboro  and  at 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga  was  taken  prisoner. 


He  was  confined  in  the  enemy's  prisons  atRieh- 
mond  and  Danville,  Va.,  for  seventeen 
months,  and  while  at  the  latter  place  succeeded, 
with  a  few  companions,  in  digging  with  wooden 
shovels  a  hole  under  the  prison  wall  and  escap- 
ing, but  was  soon  recaptured.  From  Danville 
he  was  taken  to  the  renowned  Andersonville 
pen,  where  he  spent  six  months,  and  was  sub- 
sequently taken  to  Charleston  and  Florence, 
South  Carolina,  and  then  to  Richmond  again, 
from  Avhich  latter  p  ace  he  was  paroled.  He 
was  afterward  taken  sick  with  typhoid  fever 
and  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  go- 
ing home  from  thence  on  a  furlough,  and  finally 
musiered  out  at  Madison,  Wis.,  .July  6,  1865. 
When  he  entered  the  army  he  weighed  about 
185  pounds,  and  when  honorably  dischaiged  at 
Madison  four  years  later  he  tipped  the  beam  at 
ninety-five  pounds — the  result  of  sickne.-.s,  ex- 
posure and  prison  life.  As  soon  as  he  had  re- 
covered a  portion  of  his  lost  strength  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  in  18(56  purcliased  his 
fathei's  farm  on  section  26,  of  thi.s  town,  w  here 
he  has  since  resided  In  1869  he  was  married 
to  Betsey  Johnson,  and  nine  children  have  been 
given  to  them,  six  now  living — James  A.,  Ed- 
ward N.,  Clara  P.,  OjerteR.,  Robert  and  George 

.vr. 

John  Anderson,  one  of  the  early  Norwegian 
settlers  of  Greenwood  town,  was  born  in  829. 
His  youth  and  early  manhood  were  spent  in 
school  and  on  a  farm  in  his  native  land.  In 
1857  he  left  home  and  came  to  America  Going 
directly  to  Wisconsin,  he  settled  in  Dane  coun- 
ty, where  he  was  employed  in  farming,  lie  re- 
mained there  until  1865,  when  he  came  to  Green- 
wood and  purchased  land  on  section  -32.  He 
immediately  began  improving  his  land  and  now 
has  a  farm  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  In 
1855  he  was  married  to  Julia  Cliristo})herson. 
Fifteen  children  blessed  this  union,  twelve  of 
whom  are  now  living.  Mr.  Anderson  is  as  wvll 
educated  in  English  as  in  Norwegian.  He  is 
a  leading  member  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Evangelical  Church.     Mr.  Anderson   is   ])r()nii- 


82 


550 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


nent    in    town  affairs  and  is  a  member  of  the 
town  lioard,  now  serving  his  second  term. 

Adiilphus  P.  Mallow  was  born  in  Ross  Co., 
Ohio,  Sept.  29,  18.37.  His  parents  were  early 
settlers  in  Sauk  Co.,  Wis.  In  the  fall  of  1861, 
he  enlisted  for  one  year  in  the  60th  Ohio  Vol- 
unteer>!,  company  C,  and  while  in  that  regiment, 
was  at  New  Creek  Station,  Winchester,  Mc- 
Dowells and  Harpers  Ferry,  where  he  was 
taken  prisoner  and  paroled  with  the  rest  of  the 
Union  soldiers.  Ilis  time  being  nearly  out,  he 
was  sent  to  Camp  Douglas,  at  Chicago,  till  he 
was  mustered  out,  when  he  returned  to  his 
Wisconsin  home,  where  he  remained  one  year, 
forming  the  acquaintance  and  marrying  the 
only  daughter  of  Dr.  Aaron  Winslow,  one  of 
Vernon  county's  oldest  and  most  respected 
aitizens.  They  were  married  the  3d  of  Janu- 
ary, 1864,  and  the  4th  he  left  home  to  enlist  in 
the  I9th  Wisconsin,  and  was  in  battles  of  Fort 
Darling,  Fair  Oaks  and  other  engagements  ot 
that  summer  of  1864,  when  the  Army  of  Poto- 
mac lay  in  the  rifle  pits  in  front  of  Petersburg. 
On  that  memorable  day  in  April,  1865,  when 
the  Union  soldiers  went  into  Richmond,  he 
entered  with  his  regiment  and  remained  on 
duty  at  the  Custom  House  until  August  9, 
when  his  regiment  was  ordered  to  Wisconsin 
to  be  mustered  out.  He  returned  to  Woodland, 
engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1872  purchased  E. 
M.  Winslow's  pl.ace  and  an  interest  in  the  Dr. 
Winslow  farm    in    Greenwood,  on   section    11, 


where  he  now  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mallow  have 
four  children  living — Ralph  W.,  Hattie  Maud, 
Charlie  E.  and  Edith  Lillian,  and  one,  Freddie, 
deceased. 

David  G.  Mullin  settled  on  his  farm  in 
Greenwood  town,  in  1875.  At  that  time  it 
was  heavily  timbered,  but  he  has  cleared  fifty 
acres,  built  a  good  frame  house  and  granary, 
and  is  now  engaged  in  grain  and  stock  raising. 
He  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  9,  1838. 
When  but  three  years  of  age,  his  parents 
moved  to  Lewis  county,  where  his  father 
bought  200  acres  of  timbered  land  in  West 
Turin,  and  cleared  it.  David  here  grew  to 
manliood,  making  his  home  with  his  parents 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he 
went  to  Illinois,  and  from  there  to  Salem,  Neb., 
where  he  remained  about  eighteen  months. 
He  then  returned  to  New  York  remaining 
there  until  1 865,  when  he  went  to  West  Blue 
Mound  and  purchased  a  farm.  Two  years 
later  he  sold  this  place  and  went  to  Dunn 
county,  engaged  in  lumbering  one  season, 
going  from  thence  to  Minnesota,  where  he  pur- 
chased 280  acres  of  government  land  in  Brown 
county.  He  improved  240  acres  of  this  land 
and  remained  there  until  1875,  when,  as  before 
stated,  he  came  trr  Greenwood.  He  was  mar- 
ried, in  1865,  to  Mary  Bohn.  They  have  been 
blessed  with  six  children — Hattie,  Florence, 
Charles,  Clara,  Eda  and  Susie. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


551 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII 


THE  TOWN  OF  HAMBURG. 


This  town,  like  tliat  of  Webster,  is  six  miles 
square,  comprising  townshiji  14,  range  6  west. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  county  of  La- 
C'rosse  ;  on  the  east  by  the  town  of  Coon  ;  on 
ilie  south  by  the  town  of  Harmony;  and  on 
the  west  by  the  town  of  Bergen. 

The  town  is  watered  by  one  river,  which  is 
fe<l  by  a  large  number  of  small  tributaries.  The 
Coon  river  is  formed  by  three  or  four  small 
>treams  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town,  and 
takes  its  course  through  sections  12,  13,  24,  23 
and  27,  and  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
•_'8  flows  into  quite  a  large  liasin.  From  this  il 
continues  its  course  northerly,  then  westerh 
through  sections  28,  20  and  29,  and  leaves  the 
town  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  30. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  very  rollins. 
and  hilly,  but  in  the  valleys  and  on  the  bluffs  i^ 
found  soil  that  when  fully  cultivated  will  pro- 
duce bountiful  crops. 

KAELY    SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settler  in  the  town  was  Ole  Peterson 
Gullord,  a  native  of  Norway,  who  came  to  this 
country  in  1848,  and  to  this  town  two  years 
later  (1850).  He  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
section  13,  which  he  has  since  increased  to  200 
acres.  In  1854  he  married  Caroline  Evenson, 
and  four  children  have  been  born  to  them — Pe- 
ter, Amiel,  Charles  and  Joel. 

Mr.  Gullord  was  followed  in  the  same  year 
by  Mathias  Larson,  who  located  where  he  still 
resides. 

In  1851  Nels  Erickson  became  a  member  uf 
the  pioneer  band,  and  took  up  a  homestead  of 
eighty  acres.     Close    after    Mr.  Erickson    came 


the  present  county  treasurer,  Ole  Johnson,  who 
traveled  nearly  t),000  miles  to  find  a  home  in  the 
town  of  Hamburg. 

Andrew  Evenson  arrived  early  in  1852.  He 
is  now  deceased. 

Peter  Oleson  Brye  made  his  home  here  for  a 
short  time,  but  was  induced  by  the  settlers  of 
the  town  of  Coon  to  pitch  his  camp  in  their 
midst,  that  they  might  have  the  benefit  of  his 
educational  facilities. 

Even  Egleston  came  into  the  town  in  1853, 
and  was  the  first  to  erect  a  house  in  the  vicinity 
of  Chaseburg.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  in 
IS. 5,  and  was  here  married,  the  same  year  he 
settled,  to  Gena  Olson.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren— Belle,  Tliomas,  Eiel,  Anna,  Ole,  Hannah, 
P^leas  and  Halvor.  Mr.  Egleston  entered  100 
acres  of  land  on  section  33,  where  he  still  re- 
sides. 

Knudt  Olson  joined  his  brother  and  fellow- 
countrymen  here  in  1855.  He  entered  100  acres 
of  land  on  section  12,  and  has  since  increased 
his  land  to  200  acres.  He  was  born  in  Norw.ay, 
in  182T,  and  came  to  America  in  1849.  At  the 
age  of  thirty  he  married  Rachel  Sarson,  who 
has  borne  him  six  children.  Three  are  living — 
Lewis  O.,  Elizabeth  S.  and  Olus  M.  The  de- 
ceased are  Albert  A.,  Lewis  O.  and  Anna.  Mr. 
Olson  has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board 
of  supervisors  for  the  past  eight  years. 

.      ORGANIC. 

Tins  town  was  set  apart  early  in  1858,  and 
the  first  town  meeting  held  at  a  school  house 
near  where  Chaseburg  now  stands,  April  6,  1858, 
when  the  fullowiiig   ofticers   were  elected  :     J. 


HISTORY  OF   VERNON  COUNTY. 


W.  ('baney,  chairman,  A.  F.  Ellertson  and 
George  Gemanliardt,  side  board;  A.  Lampreclit, 
clerk;  Ole  Jolinson,  treasurer;  Ole  Jolinson,  as- 
sesssor;  J.  W.  Chaney  superintendent  of  schools. 
The  present  officers  of  the  town  are  as  follows : 
J.  W.  Hoyt,  chairman  of  the  board,  Ole  Nelson 
and  George  Stroel,  assistants,  S.  C.  Steinburg, 
clerk;  G.  M.  Vincent  treasiu-er. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  larger  part  of  the  settlers  of  this  region 
are  Norwegians,  and  those  that  reside  in  the 
t'oon  valley,  and  along  the  Coon  river,  and  its 
ridges  on  either  side,  through  the  towns  of 
Bergen,  Hamburg  and  Coon,  and  from  the  town 
of  Coon  and  northeast  into  La  Crosse  county, 
(a  population  of  about  1,400  souls)  are  members 
of  the  Coon  Valley  Norwegian  Lutheran  con- 
gregations. These  people  worship  at  three  dif- 
ferent churches,  known  as  the  Upper  Coon  Val- 
ley, Middle  Coon  Valley  and  Lower  Coon  Val- 
ley. These  three  congregations,  previous  to 
1874,  together  with  that  at  Fish  Creek,  in  the 
town  of  Monroe,  La  Crosse  county,  were  con- 
nected with  the  Coon  Prairie  parish.  Their 
ministers  were:  Rev.  H.  A.  Stub,  who  officiated 
about  six  years  ;  Rev.  A.  C.  Preus,  about  nine 
years,  and  subsequently  the  Rev.  H.  Halvarson 
who  still  preaches  at  Coon  Prairie,  Viroqua,  and 
other  points.  In  1874  the  four  congregations 
previously  mentioned,  were  formed  into  a  se]>a- 
rate  parish,  and  their  first  minister  was  Rev.  A. 
S.  Meling.  Since  July,  1882,  Rev.  E.  Jensen, 
formerly  of  Jefferson  Prairie,  Wis.,  has  been  in 
charge  of  the  parish. 

The  Middle  Coon  Valley  congregation  is  the 
oidyoneof  the  three  located  in  the  town  of 
Hamburg.  It  was  organized  in  1854,  by  the 
Rev.  H.  A.  Stub,  with  the  following  named 
members :  Ole  Johnson,  Anders  Olson  Tha- 
long.  Even  Eielsen,  Hans  Kongelstad,  Erik  Mar- 
stuen,  Anders  Nilsen  Klonasten,  Nils  Eriksen 
Marking,  and  others.  The  first  services  were  held 
at  the  residence  of  Ole  Johnson.  The  church 
is  of  logs,  30x24  feet  in  size,  and  was  erected  in 
1859,  at  a  cost  of  $500.     The   present  member- 


ship is  about  250,  and  the  Church  is  in  a  good 
financial  condition.  The  present  trustees  are  : 
Christian  Nilson,  Stephen  Nilson  and  John 
Ilagen.  A  parochial,  or  weekly  religious  school 
is  under  the  auspices  of  the  Church,  and  held 
for  about  sixty  days  each  year,  under  Harold 
Iloff,  the  teacher. 

SCHOOLS. 

Hamburg  has  always  had  a  good  class  of  pub- 
lic schools.  In  1884  the  town  was  divided  into 
seven  districts,  each  being  provided  with  a  fair 
building.  The  school  population  was  at  this 
date  one  half  Norwegian  and  the  other  half 
made  up  about  equally  of  German  and  Ameri- 
can children. 

CEMETERIES. 

There  are  three  organized  cemeteries  within 
the  town.  One  located  in  the  village  of  Chase- 
burg,  and  the  other  two  on  sections  3  and  19. 

THE  VILLAGE  OF  CHASEBURG. 

This  village  is  located  on  section  28,  on  the 
east  side  of  Coon  river.  It  was  laid  out  and 
platted  by  George  Swain  and  George  Little,  on 
June  4,  18(56,  and  was  named  in  honor  of  Henry 
Chase,  who  had  been  instrumental  in  founding 
the  village.  The  original  plat  comprised  twelve 
blocks  or  squares,  and  the  first  dwelling  house 
was  erected  by  George  Swain. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  built  and  put  in  run- 
ning order  by  Henry  Chase,  in  1862. 

Mr.  Chase  and  George  Little  erected  the  first 
flouring  mill,  in  1863. 

The  first  store  was  opened,  in  1863,  by  Hon. 
J.  W.  Hoyt,  and  he  now  enjoys  the  largest 
trade  in  the  village. 

Joseph  W.  Hoyt  is  also  postmaster  of  Chase- 
burg,  and  owns  190  acres  of  land  in  this  town. 
In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  1st  regiment,  Ver- 
mont Cavalry,  but  was  discharged  a  little  later, 
on  account  of  sickness.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Hamburg  town  for  five  years,  also 
chairman  of  the  county  board  for  two  years. 
In  1870-71,  he  represented  the  county  of  Vernon 
in  the  State  Legislature.  He  was  married,  in 
1863,  to    Elizabeth    Isham,  and  three    children 


HISTORY   OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


553 


have  been  born  to  them — Russell,  Nina  and 
Harry. 

The  first  sermon  in  the  village  of  Chaseburg, 
was  preached  in  1863,  by  Rev.  H.  A.  Stub,  in 
the  house  of  Henry  Chase. 

Tlie  first  blacksmith  shop  was  erected  by  a 
Mr.  Cogswell,  in  1864. 

The  first  school  was  taught  in  the  village 
school  house  by  Miss  Spence,  in  1865. 

The  first  birth  was  Nellie,  daughterof  George 
S«  ain  and  wife. 

The  first  hotel  was  erected  by  George  W. 
Swain,  who  has  since  conducted  it  in  a  manner 
highly  satisfactory  to  the  traveling  public. 

Tlie  first  shoemaker  i»  the  village  was  Mathias 
Peterson. 

The  first  physician  was  Dr.  Rusk. 

It  is  not  known  who  was  the  first  person  de- 
ceased, or  the  first  couple  married. 

BUSINESS    DIRECTORr. 

Dry  goods,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes — J.  \V. 
Hoyt,  L.  C.  Steinburg;  hardware — J.  W.  lloyt 
and  Thomas  Parkin;  saw  mill — George  Swain; 
grist  mill — Granville  Akin;  harness— -August 
Getting;  blacksmiths — J.  C.  Markle  and  Thomas 
Lattimer;  hardwood  lumber — George  Swain; 
veterinary  surgeon — Monroe  Vincent;  manu- 
facturer of  shoes — Andrew  Peterson. 

The  census  of  1880,  gives  the  population  of 
Chaseburg  as  125. 

A  prominent  man  of  this  village  was  Henry 
Chase,  who  came  from  Vermont  in  180-2,  and 
after  a  short  stay  in  Dane  county,  came  to  this 
place,  and  was  instrumental  in  building  up  the 
village  which  bears  his  name.  He  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  Slate  Assemlily  in  18  i8.  He, 
in  company  with  George  A.  Lyttle,  owned  the 
Coon  River  Mills  at  this  point.  Mr.  Chase  died 
in  March  1872,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren. After  his  death,  Mr.  Lyttle  took  Mr. 
Chase's  interest  in  the  mill. 

BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

Peter  O.  Brye,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  and 
came  to  Racine  Co.,  Wis.,  in  August,  1849.  He 
remained  there  one  year,  and  then  moved  west- 


ward to  liad  Ax  (now  Vernon)  county,  in  the 
fall  of  1850.  Repassed  over  the  present  site 
Of  Viroqua  on  the  31st  of  October,  and  from' 
there  went  straight  to  the  Kickapoo  timber. 
He  worked  there  the  following  winter,  and  in 
the  spring  rafted  the  logs  down  the  Kickapoo 
and  Mississippi  rivers  as  far  south  as  Quincy, 
111.  He  made  his  home  in  the  town  of  Viroqua 
until  June  27,  1857,  when  he  joined  his  brother 
in  Hamburg  town.  He  lived  there  until  the 
spring  of  1859,  when  he  was  persuaded  to  move 
over  the  line  into  what  is  now  the  town  of  Coon, 
for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  the  organization 
of  the  new  town.  The  inhabitants  were  mostly 
Norwegians,  and  did  not  understai.d  English, 
and  Mr.  Brye  enjoying  the  knowledge  of  that 
tongue,  was  elected  to  the  most  imjiovlant 
town  offices,  in  April,  1859.  He  was  re-elected 
to  the  same  offices  each  succeeding  year  until 
1807.  In  the  fall  of  1866,  he  resigned  his  of- 
fices, and  rejoined  his  brother  Knudt  Olson,  in 
Hamburg  town,  with  whom  he  has  .*incc  made 
his  home.  Mr.  Brye  devotes  his  attention  and 
money  to  the  selling  of  lands. 

Lars  Finstad  was  born  in  Norway  in  1823, 
and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  the  year 
1853,  and  settled  in  Hamburg  on  section  28. 
That  same  year  he  entered  eighty  acres,  \\  hich 
he  has  since  increased  to  150  acres. 

Mr.  Finstad  was  married  in  1845,  to  Hellena 
Scholl,  by  whom  he  has  had  eleven  children, 
five  of  whom  are  now  living — Hans,  Christian, 
Edward,  Mebin  B.  and  Jane.  Christian  is  now 
married  to  Ella  Johnson,  and  three  chihh'en 
have  been  given  to  them. 

Hon.  George  W.  Swain,  who  located  in  the 
town  of  Hamburg  in  1863,  was  born  in  the 
Granite  State,  in  1824.  He  theie  received  a 
good  common  school  education,  and  in  1845,  re- 
moved to  the  adjoining  State  of  Vermont, 
where  he  resided  for  eight  years.  In  1853,  he 
came  west  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  ten  years 
later  settled  in  this  town.  He  purchased  a 
saw-mill  and  240  acres  of  land,  lying  on  sections 
28,    14  and  0,   from  Messrs.    Chase  and    Lyttle, 


654 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  in  1866,  surveyed  and  platted  the  village 
of  Chaseburg.  Mr.  Swain  was  in  18*70  a  county 
supervisor.  He  is  a  strong  republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  in  1878  was  tlie  nominee  of  liis  party 
for  State  senator,  against  A.  D.  Chase,  the  can- 
didate of  both  the  democratic  and  greenback 
parties.  Mr.  Swain  was  elected  by  a  handsome 
majority.  He  still  owns  the  saw-mill  and  car- 
ries on  a  large  business  in  getting  out  wagon 
and  plow  stuff  and  hard-wood  lumber.  He  also 
owns  the  only  hotel  in  the  village.  Mr.  Swain 
was  united  in  marriage,  in  1849,  to  Hannah 
Chase.  They  have  reared  four  children — 
Josiah  B.,  who  married  Mary  Lattimer,  Cora 
E.,  wife  of  Frank  E.  Aiken,  Allie  L.  and  Nellie 
J.  Mrs  Swain  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  in 
18-'5,  and  when  five  years  of  age  accompanied 
her  parents  to  Vermont.  Sbe  was  there  married 
to  our  subji.ct,  and  in  1863,  came  to  the  town 
of  Hamburg  with  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
American  woman  in  the  town.  Her  daughter 
Nellie  was  the  first  American  child  born 
in  the  town. 

J.  C.  Markle  was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  Ohio, 
in  1839,  and  when    he    was    two  years   old   his 


parents  removed  to  Putnam  Co.,  Ind.,  where 
they  remained  till  1851,  when  they  moved  to 
LaCroPse  Co.,  Wis.,  and  setled  in  what  is 
called  the  "Ramsey  Cooley,"  where  .Mr.  Markle 
remained  until  he  was  called  to  defend  his  coun- 
try in  1861.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  2d  regiment 
Wisconsin  Volunteers,  company  B,  and  was 
discharged  in  1864.  Mr.  Markle  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  South  Mountain  in  the  left  arm 
and  at  the  battle  of  the  wilderness  was  wounded 
in  the  right  arm.  In  1867,  Mr.  Markle  came  to 
the  village  of  Chaseburg,  where  he  has  carried 
on  the  business  of  blacksmithing  and  manufac- 
turing wagons,  and  now  owns  sixty-two  acres 
of  land  on  section  28,  also  a  house  and  three 
lots  and  a  smith  wagon  and  paint  shop  in  the 
village  of  Chaseburg  Mr.  Markle  was  mar- 
ried in  1869,  to  Neoma  J.  Maxwell,  of  Vernon 
county,  who  has  borne  him  four  children — 
Berthier  E.,  Claud  O.  and  Cora  B.  Charles 
died  in  1883.  Mr.  Markle's  father,  George 
Markle,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1818,  and 
now  resides  in  LaCrosse  Co.,  Wis.  His  moth- 
er, Elizabeth  Markle,  is  also  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, born  in  1818,  and  is  now  living  in  La- 
Crosse Co.,  Wis. 


HISTOKY"  OF  VERNON   COUNTY. 


555 


CHAPTER    XXXIX 


TOWN  OF  HARMONY. 


Tliis  township,  known  as  town  3  5  nortli, 
range  G  west,  was  the  sixth  one  organized  in 
Vernon  co'o-nty.  It  comprisesforty  full  sections 
and  four  half  sections,  of  land  containing  in  all 
26,880  acres,  or  3,840  more  than  a  full  con- 
gressional town.  Tile  land  is  mostly  owned  by 
residents,  who  have  strenuously  endeavored  to 
cultivate  and  improve  it  and  in  comparison  witli 
other  town  in  the  county,  will  prove  that  their 
efforts  have  not  been  in  vain.  The  United 
States  government  still  owns  and  controls  about 
806  acres  of  land  in  the  town.  Only  one 
stream  of  any  note  flows  through  the  town, 
lending  fresh  life  and  strength  to  the  already  fer- 
tile soil.  This  is  the  North  Bad  Ax  river,  whioli 
enters  the  town  in  the  eastern  part  on  sec- 
tion 24  and  takes  a  westerly  course  through  sec- 
tioiLS  23,  22,  21,  20  and  19,  making  a  suddin 
turn  in  the  latter,  and  flowing  southerly  through 
sections  30  and  31.  It  leaves  the  town  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  the  latter  section. 
This  stream  is  well  fed  by  numerous  tributaries, 
flowing  from  all  parts  of  the  town.  Good 
springs  are  also  plentiful  and  supply  pure,  fresh 
water  for  drinking  and  cooking  purposes. 

EARLY    SETTLKMENT. 

The  first  white  settler  in  Harmony  town, 
and  a  resident  here  at  the  present  time,  was 
William  Struthers,  who  came  in  1848,  and  in 
1850  made  the  first  entry  of  land,  of  160  acres, 
''comprising  the  east  half  of  the  northwest  quar- 
ter and  the  north  half  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  24,  town  13  north,  range  6  west." 
Mr.  Struthers  is  a  native  of  Rockbridge  Co., 
Va.,   and   served   with    distinction  in  both  the 


Mexican  and  civil  wars.  At  the  close  of  the 
former  he  located  in  this  town.  Mr.  Struthers 
and  David  Calkins  are  the  only  ones  of  the 
early  settlers  now  living  in  the  town. 

The  Granite  State  furnished  another  pioneer 
in  1850  in  the  person  of  David  Calkins.  He  was 
born  in  the  rock-ribbed  State  of  New  Hamp- 
shire in  1821,  and  in  1844  removed  to  Lowell, 
Mass.  In  1847  he  was  seized  with  that  irresist- 
able  (but  not  fatal)  malady,  the  western  fi  ver, 
and  removed  to  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  manu- 
factured wagons.  In  1849  he  married  Mary 
Craft  and  in  1850  removed  his  family  to  this 
town,  locating  on  section  23,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Calkins  have  eight 
children. 

Between  the  years  1848  and  1852  there  were 
several  persons  located  in  the  new  town, 
among  whom  may  be  mentioned  the  follow  ing: 
James  Harkness,  Orrin  Calkins,  Elias  Rogers, 
Edmond  Rogers,  Edward  Rogers,  John  Ray- 
wait  and  Samuel  Kelsie.  Mr.  Keisie  was,  per- 
haps, the  second  settler  in  the  town  and 
David  Calkins  the  fourth. 

The  county  having  been  opened  up  for  settle- 
ment, new  settlers  were  constantly  arriving, 
and  in  1852  the  town  of  Harmony  welcomed 
several  of  them.  Robert  Patterson  and  liis 
family  came  in  and  located  land  on  section  21. 
Mr.  Patterson  was  born  in  1802  and  dieil  in 
1875.  His  wife  still  survives  him.  Their  son, 
E.  O.  Patterson,  was  born  in  1820  and  now  re- 
sides on  section  15. 


556 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


John  C.  Hagerman  came  from  Galena,  111.,  in 
1852  and  was  a  resident  of  the  town  until  .1875, 
when  he  removed  to  Iowa. 

In  1854  Vermont  contributed  a  settler, 
Horace  Keyes,  who  was  born  in  1800,  and  now 
owns  land  on  sections  20  and  21  of  this  town, 
where  he  has  resided  for  twenty-nine  years. 

Two  years  later  Alvin  Baker  and  wife,  the 
former  a  native  of  New  York  and  the  latter  of 
Pennsylvania,  came  into  the  town  and  set- 
tled with  their  family  on  section  21,  where  the 
family  still  reside.  Mr.  Baker  is  now  deceased. 
Their  cliildren,  men  and  women  grown  are  John, 
Joseph,  Marion,  Hester  and  Lydia 

Another  old  settler  of  Harmony  town  is 
S.  W.  Moore,  who  lias  been  a  resident  here 
since  1858.  He  is  a  native  of  Washington  Co., 
Penn.;  married  Nancy  McClurg;  was  in  the 
Union  army  from  1863  till  1865,  and  now  owns 
360  acres  of  land. 

Among  other  settlers  who  came  in  prior  to 
1860  were:  Philando  Bartlet,  Chester  Morley, 
Harvey  Sheffield,  J.  L.  Smith,  Murray  Chase, 
James  Scott,  Andrew  Ellis,  Daniel  Aiken, 
Powell  Brothers,  Richard  Sylvemut,  Jesse  Es- 
ler,  Henry  Esler  and  George  Esler;  also,  James 
Chauncy,  Levi  Nobles,  Calvin  Allen,  H.  P. 
Buswell,  E.  Crandall,  John  McLees  and  F.  M. 
Moore. 

FIRST     THINGS. 

The  first  religious  services  held  in  the  town- 
ship were  conducted  in  a  dwelling  house,  in 
1856,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Munion. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Mary  Spencer, 
in  1853,  in  an  old  board  shanty,  erected  some 
years  previous  by  David  Calkins. 

.  The  first   couple    married    in  the    town    was 
Hiram  Patterson  to  Abbie  Harkness,  in  1855. 

The  first  election  was  held  in  the  Baker 
school  house,  in  1856. 

The  first  election  for  town  officers  was 
held  in  the  village  of  Newton  in  1856. 

The  first  school  house  was  erected  in  1856  on 
section  23,  and  Miss  S.  L.  Allen,  sister  of  Hart- 
well  Allen  taught  the  first  school. 


The  first  white  child  born  in  the  town 
was  Frank,  son  of  David  and  Mary  Calkins, 
October,  ]851. 

The  first  white  person  who  died  i!i  the  town- 
was  Henry,  son  of  Elias  Rogers,  in  1853. 

The  first  4th  of  July  celebration  in  the  town 
was  held  in  1862,  at  Newton,  in  a  beautiful 
maple  grove.     The  orator  was  Hartwell    Allen. 

ORGANIC. 

Harmony  township  was  organized  in  1855. 
At  that  period  there  were  but  five  townships  in 
the  county,  represented  on  the  board  of  county  ■ 
commissioners  as  follows:  Bergen,  John  M. 
McLees;  Jefferson,  Isaac  Spencer;  Viroqua, 
William  H.  Good;  Bad  Ax,  Andrew  Briggs; 
Kickapoo,  William  H.  Austin.  A  petition  for 
a  new  town  was  offered  to  the  board  by 
John  M.  McLees,  and  after  due  consideration  it 
was  granted,  and  also  an  order  for  an  election 
of  town  officers.  At  this  election  the  follow- 
ing named  persons  were  selected  to  act  in  their 
different  official  capacities:  Chairman,  R.  S. 
McMichael;  clerk,  Harrison  Keyes;  treasurer, 
Horace  Keyes;  side  board,  I.  L  Smith  and 
Daniel  Kelsie;  superintendent  of  schools,  Orin 
Calkins,  succeeded  in  1858  by  Hartwell    Allen. 

RELIGIOUS. 

As  previously  stated,  the  first  religious  ser- 
vices in  Harmony  town  were  conducted  by 
Rev.  Munion,  at  a  private  residence,  in  1852. 
After  this  initial  sei-mon  preaching  was  had  in 
the  different  dwellings  throughout  the  town- 
as  occasion  would  permit,  and  a  Sabbath 
school  was  permanently  organized  in  1863, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Baptist  Church,  with 
D.  W.  Horton  as  superintendent,  assisted  by 
his  wife.  Since  that  period  it  has  been  con- 
ducted by  D.  W.  Horton  and  Jesse  Cowen,  and 
this  present  year  has  an  average  attendance  of 
thirty-five  scholars,  with  A.  Nobles  as  superin- 
tendent. 

BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

In  1869  Rev.  S.  E.  Sweet,  of  De  Soto,  came 
into  the  township  and  preached  the  first  Bap- 
tist sermon.     On  December  4,  of  the  same  year, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


557 


a  few  persons  met  to  consider  the  propriety  of 
organizing  a  Baptist  Church.  Delegates  from 
the  congregations  at  De  Soto,  La  Crosse  and 
Sparta  were  cordially  invited  to  attend  tiie 
meeting,  which  was  held  at  the  Hockley  school 
house  Jan.  29,  1870.  Rev.  Thomas  Slade,  of 
La  Crosse,  was  chosen  moderator,  and  D.  C. 
Jackson,  of  Sparta,  as  clerk.  The  Church  was 
duly  organized,  and  Elder  S.  E.  Sweet  was  their 
first  pastor.  He  remained  with  the  congrega- 
tion until  Dec.  3,  ISYO,  when  he  resigned,  and 
on  Christmas  day  following  Elder  Green,  a 
returned  missionary,  delivered  a  fine  sermon, 
and  remained  about  six  weeks.  During  this 
time  many  were  added  to  the  Church.  On 
April  21,  1872,  Rev.  Houghton  received  a  call 
to  the  pastorate  and  remained  two  years.  He 
then  went  to  Viroqua,  where  he  still  resides, 
but  occasionally  preaches  for  his  old  charge. 
The  congregation  is  quite  small  at  present, 
many  members  having  removed  to  other  locali- 
ties. 

There  is  only  one  church  building  in  the 
town  at  the  present  time.  That  is  yet  un- 
completed, but  is  owned  jointly  by  the  Metho- 
dist and  United  Brethren  congregations,  both 
having  discontinued  their  organizations  some 
time  since  for  want  of  means  to  bear  expenses. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

There  are  at  present  in  Harmony  town 
five  school  buildings,  aggregating  in  value  the 
sum  of  16,000,  with  an  average  enrollment  of 
431  scholars. 

POSTOFFICES. 

The  postoffice  called  Enterprise  was  located 
on  section  11,  in  1866,  and  H.  M.  N.  Rayner 
was  appointed  postmaster.  He  filled  this  posi- 
tion until  1882,  when  the  office  was  discontinued 
for  reasons  unknown. 

The  postoflice  at  Newton  was  located  there  in 
1853,  with  Orin  Calkins  as  postmaster.  Levi 
Noble  is  the  present  incumbent. 

CEMBTEEIES. 

There  are  two  cemeteries  in  the  town — one 
in  the  village  of  Newton,  and  the  other  lo- 
cated on  section  22. 


MILLS. 

The  town  is  supplied  with  a  sawmill  on 
section  22,  and  a  grist  and  saw-mill  combined, 
in  the  village  of  Newton. 

VILLAGE  OP    NEWTON. 

In  1851  Edniond  Rogers  built  a  saw-mill  on 
the  present  site  of  the  village,  and  in  ]^'56, 
Orin  Calkins  erected  the  first  residence.  During 
this  same  year  (1856),  Mr.  Calkins  laid  out  and 
platted  a  village  to  be  known  by  the  name  of 
Newton.  It  is  located  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter,  and  the  south- 
west quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
23,  being  about  twelve  miles  distant  from  Viro- 
qua 

The  first  school  house  in  the  village  was 
built  by  Murray  Chase,  and  Hartwell  Allen's 
sister  taught  the  first  term  of  school. 

The    fiist   physician    in    the   village  was    Dr. 
Marshall,  who  located   therein  in   1872.       The 
present  physicians  are:  Dr.   C.  R.  Muzzy,  who 
came  to  Newton  in  1^82,  and  Dr.  John  Dewitt. 

The  grist  mill  was  erected  by  Martin  Allen, 
in  1866,  and  is  still  standing.  It  is  now 
operated  by  L.  A.  Aiken. 

Xhe  blacksmith  shop  is  owned  by  Andrew 
Newton. 

Simon  Clauson,  a  native  of  Rock  Co.,  Wis., 
located  here  in  1869. 

PERSONAL. 

Under  this  head  will  be  found  pioneer 
settlers  and  well-known  citizens  in  all  the 
different  avocations  of  life. 

John  Guist  was  born  in  Muskingum  Co., 
Ohio,  in  1838,  and  moved  with  his  parents,  in 
1K49,  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  near  Viroqua.  Mr. 
Guist  first  homesteaded  forty  acres  of  land  in 
Harmony  town  in  1865  on  section  11,  where  he 
now  resides.  He  enlisted  in  the  I  8th  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  remained  in  the 
State  on  garrison  duty  from  1861  to  1862,  and 
was  discharged  by  reason  of  his  right  hand 
being  disabled.  Mr.  Guist  was  married  in  1H61 
to  Edith  J.  Sheldon.  Their  two  children  died 
while  quite  small,  and  in   1864,  Mrs.  Guist  fol- 


358 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


lowed  them  "over  the  river."  In  1868  lie  again 
married.  His  second  and  present  wife  was 
Mary  A.  Burcham,  by  whom  he  has  had  six 
children — Robert  E.,  Cynthia  J.,  Mary  E., 
Claudie  J.,  Causie  M.,  and  an  infant  son. 

William  Johnston  resides  on  section  20, 
where  he  pre-empted  100  acres  in  1850.  He 
•was  born  in  Cuyuga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1808.  In 
1817  he  accompanied  liis  parents  to  Ontario, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  received  iiis  education.  In 
1830  he  was  married  to  Jane  Dickworth,  and  in 
1850  they  came  to  Harmony  town.  In  1862 
his  wife  died,  and  in  1863  he  was  married  to 
Betsy  Kish.  By  his  lirst  wife  he  had  nine 
children,  two  of  whom  are  living— Martha,  wife 
of  Edward  Patterson;  Lora,w  ife  of  Lee  Sterling. 
He  had  two  sons  in  the  army,  but  neither  lived 
to  return  home. 

Hon.  John  M.  McLees  came  to  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Harmony,  in  1852.  He  was  born 
on  the  2d  of  March,  1829,  in  Blue  Rock  town- 
sliip,  Muskirigiini  Co.,  Ohio.  His  father, 
Joseph  McLees,  a  native  Irislmiaii,  but  of 
Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  came  to  America  in 
1801.  He  was  a  farmer  and  loc.ited  upon  a 
farm  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio,  !■:  1^17,  where 
he  lived  until  the  time  of  his  dc.lli  in  Decem- 
ber, 1848.  Thus  he  lived  and  did  upon  the 
first  land  he  owned  in  America.  John  Ni's 
mother  was  formerly  Hannah  Morrison,  al.fo  of 
Scotch-Irish  origin.  She  died  in  September, 
1863,  at  Duncan  Falls,  Ohio.  John  M.  re- 
mained at  home,  receiving  a  limited  common 
school  education,  until  twenty-tlnce  years  of 
age,  when  he  came  west,  landing  at  Warrens 
Landing  on  tlie  Mississippi  river,  in  the  town  of 
Bergen,  on  the  Uth  of  April,  1802.  On  the 
20th  of  May,  of  the  same  year,  he  located  upon 
the  farm  which  is  still  his  home,  in  what  now 
constitutes  the  town  of  Harmony.  Mr.  Mc- 
Lees was  married  on  the  13th  of  June,  1849,  to 
Sarah  J.  Ilerron,  a  native  of  Muskingum  Co., 
Ohio,  born  Aug.  7,  1825.  Her  parents  were 
Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (  Myers ;  Herron  ;  the 


father  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  the 
mother  of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  been 
blessed  with  eight  children,  seven  of  whom 
are  living — Joseph  H.,  of  the  town  of 
Jefferson,  Vernon  county;  William  C,  who 
died  Oct.  5,  1870  ;  Neal  D.,  of  the  town  of 
Jefferson,  Vernon  county  ;  James  A.,  now  of 
I5rown  Co.,  Neb.;  Daniel  O.,  John  W.,  Isaac 
S.  and  Abraham  L.  all  of  the  town  of  Har- 
mony. When  Mr.  McLees  came  into  what  was 
then  Bad  Ax  county,  the  primitive  was  all  too 
plainly  apparent.  He  has  passed  through  the 
experience  of  pioneer  privation,  danger  and 
difficulty,  which  is  incident  to  the  first  settle- 
ment of  every  country.  At  that  time  the  entire 
county  comprised  the  civil  town  of  Bad  Ax  ; 
later,  Bergen  was  created,  and  his  home  was 
t  rown  into  its  limits  ;  and  in  185.?,  the  town  of 
Harmony  was  created,  and  was  so  named  after 
the  postoffice  by  that  name  of  which  Mr.  Mc- 
Lees was  postmaster,  at  his  suggestion.  In 
1854  Mr.  McLees  held  his  first  office,  that  of 
assessor  of  the  town  of  Bergen.  In  1855  he 
was  chairman  of  the  board  for  that  town.  He 
was  again  assessor  in  1858.  The  same  year  he 
was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  and,  being  re- 
elected, served  four  years.  In  1867  he  was  a 
member  of  the  town  board,  and  in  1868,  became 
chairman.  The  same  year  he  was  chosen  to 
represent  the  first  district  of  Vernon  county,  in 
the  Assembly.  In  1878  and  1879  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  town  board,  and  therefore  a  mem- 
ber of  the  county  board.  He  was  a  member  of 
liie  committee  of  the  county  board  for  the 
erection  of  the  new  county  buildings,  serving  as 
such  for  two  years,  until  the  work  was  all  com- 
pleted. It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr.  ilcLees 
has  led  an  active,  prominent  life.  He  is  now 
possessed  of  a  competency,  owning  about  800 
acres  of  land,  which  is  well  improved  and  sup- 
plied u  itli  comfortable  buildings.  He  devotes 
his  atteniion  to  the  management  of  his  farm  ; 
raising  grain  and  stock,  and  also  dealing  in  the 
latter.  Personally,  Mr.  McLees  is  a  hale, 
hearty,   jovial  man,  weighing  about  200  pounds 


HISrORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


559 


or    upward;    a  man  of  wide   observation    and 
information  and  a  genial  conversationalist. 

Lars  Olson  is  a  native  of  Norway  and  was 
born  on  the  Rumegan  farm  in  1849  and  in  1851 
emigrated  with  his  parents  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis. 
In  1852  he  came  to  Harmony  town  and  made  a 
permanent  settlement.  Mr.  Olson  was  married 
to  Ellen  Larson,  in  1878,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  one  child — Lina  O.  Mr.  Olson  now 
owns  200  acres  of  land  on  section  15,  with  thir- 
ty-eight acres  under  cultivation.  Mrs.  Olson  is 
also  a  native  of  Norway,  but  has  been  a  resi- 
dentof  Harmony  town  for  thirteen  years. 

Hartwell  Allen  was  born  June  26,  1833,  in 
the  town  of  Richford,  Vt.  where  he  received  a 
thorough  education.  In  1856  he  was  married  to 
Harriet  S.  Phillips,  of  Underbill,  Va.  In  the 
same  year  himself  and  wife  came  to  the  town  of 
Harmony  and  both  have  been  foremost  in  the 
rank  of  education  ever  since.  He  is  employed 
with  his  wife  in  teaching  school  and  superin- 
tending schools  in  the  town,  in  which  capac- 
ity he  served  six  and  a  half  years.  He  was 
chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors  in  1800, 
also  in  1870.  Mr.  Allen,  by  honest  industry 
and  integrity,  has  saved  sufficient  to  purchase 
240  acres  of  land  in  the  town  of  Harmony. 

H.  Parker  Buswell,  son  of  Ebenezer  Busvvell, 
and  one  of  the  most  respected  citizens  of  this 
town,  found  a  home  here  in  1856.  He  was 
born  in  the  good  old  State  of  New  Hampshire, 
in  1831,  and  remained  among  its  granite  hills 
until  1856.  He  received  a  good  education  at 
the  common  schools  and  in  1856  came  to  this 
county,  entering  forty  acres  of  land  on  section 
21.  The  year  following  his  settlement  he  was 
elected  superintendent  of  schools  and  served  for 
three  years.  In  1860  he  was  elected  treasurer 
of  the  town  but  resigned  the  office  in  1861, 
to  enlist  in  the  1st  Wisconsin  Light  artillery 
He  served  nine  months  and  was  forced  to  resign 
on  account  of  ill  health.  Still  wishing  to  lend 
his  feeble  aid  in  defense  of  the  country,  in  1864 
he  again  enlisted,  this  time  in  the  Ist  Wiscon- 
Heavy   Artillery  and  was  honorably  discharged 


in  1865,  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Since  coming 
back  to  his  home  he  has  been  constantly  in  of- 
fice with  the  exception  of  one  year.  Mr.  Bus- 
well  has  increased  his  farm  of  forty  acres  to  one 
embracing  130  acres,  but  he  still  resides  on  the 
old  homestead,  first  entered  from  the  govern- 
ment. He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1858,  to 
to  Mary  E.  Thompson,  who  bore  him  five  chil- 
dren— Loren  A.,  Jackson  P.,  Emma  J.,  Mittie 
A.  and  Lyman  A.  Mrs.  Buswell  departed  this 
life  in  1867,  and  Mr.  Buswell  married  for 
his  second  wife  Josephine  Berais.  She  is  the 
mother  of  five  children,  tliree  of  whom  are  now 
living — Lillian  B.,  Olive  A.  and  Gracie  M. 

John  Stevenson,  who  became  a  resident  of 
Vernon  county  in  1856,  was  born  in  the  Domin- 
ion of  Canada,  in  1835.  Two  years  later  he 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Muskingum  county 
and  in  1842  to  Noble  Co.,  Ohio,  and  there  re- 
sided until  1856,  when  the  family  came  to  Ver- 
non county  and  located  in  Jefferson  town. 
Our  subject  entered  land  in  Hamburg  town, 
and  in  1866  purchased  160  acres  of  Nelson  Ford, 
in  the  town  of  Harmony,  adjoining  his  first  en- 
try, where  he  has  since  resided.  In  September, 
1864,  Mr.  Stevenson  enlisted  in  the  43d  regi- 
ment, Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  participa- 
ting in  the  battle  at  Johnsonville,  Tenn.,  and 
was  honorably  discharged  in  1865.  He  was 
united  in  marriage,  in  1862,  to  Rachel  A. 
McLees,  a  sister  of  John  M.  McLees,  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Harmony  town.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  six  children — Hattie  M.,  James  E.,  Jos- 
eph W.,  Effie  A.,  Walter  J.  and  Nellie  A.  Mr. 
Stevenson  was  a  menibei  of  the  General  As- 
sembly of  Wisconsin  in  1876  from  the  first  as- 
sembly district  of  Vernon  county. 

To  most  of  our  readers  the  name  of  D.  W. 
Horton  is  very  well  known.  He  located  in 
this  county  in  1860,  and  has  been  an  enter- 
prising and  energetic  farmer  since  that  date. 
His  father,  Ebenezer  Horton,  was  boi'n  in  Wal- 
lingsford,  Vt.,  in  1798,  and  in  1835  removed 
his  family  to  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  where  the 
husband  and   father  died,  in  1879.     Five   chil- 


660 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


dreii  were  born  to  Ebenezer  and  Mary  Horton, 
all  of  whom  are  living.  D.  W.  Horton  was 
but  four  years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed 
to  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  and  he  was  there  reared 
and  educated.  In  1860  he  came  to  Harmony 
town  and  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
section.  10,  of  William  Herron,  and  has  in- 
creased this  farm  to  200  acres.  In  1S64  Mr. 
Horton  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  and  served 
with  honor  until  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1S63 
Mr.  Horton  married  Mary  V.  Classon.  Mrs. 
Horton  was  borti  in  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1841, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Clark  Classon,  who  set- 
tled in  Beloit,  Wis.,  May  15,  1836,  when  the 
village  consisted  of  one  log  house.  One  of  his 
daughters,  Emily,  was  the  second  white 
child  born  in  that  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hor- 
ton have  three  children  — Mary,  aged  eighteen, 
Nellie,  aged  fifteen,  and  Hattie  G.,  aged  eight 
years. 

Jesse  Cowen  was  among  the  settlers  who 
located  here  in  1861.  He  i.s  a  native  of  Noble 
Co.,  Ohio,  and  was  reared  and  educated  in 
the  grand  old  "Buckeye  State."  In  1801  he 
came  to  Vernon  county  and  purcliased  ot  his 
mother  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  4  in 
Harmony  t()wnshi|).  In  1863  he  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  not  best  i'li-  man  to  be 
alone,  and  he  accordingly  sought  and  won  the 
hand  of  Lydia  Powell,  who  was  a  year  younger, 
but  also  a  native  of  Noble  Co.,  Ohio.  This 
young  couple  have  been  blessed  with  five  chil- 
dren— Albert  H., Amanda  J.,  EdnaC,  Nancy  C. 
(born  Jan.  10,  1875,  and  died  at  the  age  ot  one 
year)  and  R.  B.  Hays.  Mr.  Cowen  has  been 
honored  with  oflices  of  trust  in  the  township  for 
the  past  fourteen  years,  a  fitting  tribute  to  the 
confidence  and  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by 
his  neighbors. 

Andrew  Newton,  who  located  in  the  village 
of  Newton  in  1863,  was  born  in  Lebanon, 
Penn.,  in  1838.  He  there  received  a  fair  edu- 
cation, and  in  1858  removed  to  Chicago,  where 
he  worked  at  the  blacksmith  trade  for  five 
years.     He     then     came    to    Jefferson    town, 


and  from  the  date  of  his  arrival  until  1872,  was 
engaged  in  farming.  In  1872  he  removed  to 
Harmony  town,  and  since  then  has  been  doing 
a  large  and  prosperous  business,  working  at  his 
trade.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  large  shop,  a  fine 
residence  and  several  vacant  lots  in  the  village. 
In  1865  he  married  Elizabeth  Huoett,  of  this 
town  't'hey  are  the  parents  of  four  children 
— Alice  B.,  Eugene,  Oscar  and  Mattie. 

Torger  Thoreson,  who  became  a  resident 
of  Harmony  town  in  1869,  was  born  in  that 
cool    and    healthy    country    called   Norway,   in 

1825.  He  came  to  these  United  States  in  1867 
and  first  located  on  Coon  Prairie,  but  two 
years  later  bought  1 20  acres  of  land  on  section 
I,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  culti- 
vated this  land  and  now  owns  one  of  the  best 
improved  farms  in  the  county,  and  is  considered 
a  most  prosperous  farmer.  He  was  married  in 
Norway  to  Randi  Olson,  who  has  borne  him 
five  children — Christian,  Ole,  Thomas,  E<lward 
and  Matia.  Mrs.  Thoreson  died  in  188),  and 
Mr.  Thoreson  was  again  united  in  marriage,  in 
18-^2,  to  Carrie  Knudson.  They  have  an  infant 
daughter — Regina. 

Engebret  P.  Hage,  a  well  known  farmer  of 
tills  town  came  in  1869.  He  was  born  in 
Norway,  in  1852,  and  located  in  Vernon  Co., 
Wis.,  when  but  seventeen  years  of  age.  His 
fatlier,  Erlaiid  P.  Hage,  came  to  the  United 
S  ates  in    1S67.     He   was  born   in  Norway,    in 

1826.  He,  with  his  wife  and  six  children,  (En- 
gibret,  his  oldest  boy,  being  left  in  Norway  for 
t>o  years)  located  in  this  town,  on  section 
I,  where  he  died  in  1875.  His  wife,  Marit  P. 
Hage,  was  born  in  Norway  in  1830.  She  is  still 
living,  on  forty  acres  of  land  selected  from  the 
old  homestead,  and  with  whom  our  subject  re- 
sides. E.  P.  Hage  purcha.-ied  210  acres  of  land 
at  tiie  idiuiuistration  sale,  after  his  fathers' 
death  and  has  improved  it  considerably. 
He  has  a  library  containing  over  150  volumes, 
and  a  fine  collection  of  old  coins  and  a  number 
of  old  relics. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


561 


August  Larkie  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1H52, 
and  came  to  Vernon  county  with  his  parents  in 
1870.  Mr.  Larkie  was  married  in  1874  to  Mol- 
lie  Snick,  and  this  union  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children — Aiorena  and  Mena.  Mr.  Larkie 
now  own  sixty-six  acres  of  land  on  suction  4. 

Lorin  A.  Aiken,  proprietor  of  the  grist  mill 
atNei^'ton,  tlie  finest  mill  in  Vei-non  county, 
was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  in  1847.  In  1851 
he  accompanied  his  jtarents  to  Dodge  Co.,  \\  is.; 
in  1855,  to  Waushara  county;  in  1858,  to  Dane 
county;  in  1865,  to  Columbia  county;  in  1867,  to 
Walworth  county;  in  1871,  to  Racine  county;  in 
1876,  to  Chicago;  in  1877,  to  .Milwaukee;  and  in 
1879,  to  the  village  of   Newton.     He  purchased 


the  combined  grist  and  saw  mill  that  was  erected 
in  1868,  by  Martin  Allen,  and  fitted  it  up  with 
the  latest  improved  machinery.  It  is  supplied 
with  four  run  of  buhr  stones,  and  three  sets  of 
roller  mills,  and  has  a  daily  capacity  of  100 
hushels  of  wheat  and  150  bushels  of  feed.  The 
saw  mill  is  operated  by  water  power.  Mr. 
Aiken  also  owns  and  farms  110  acres  of  land, on 
section  J  !.  Ill  1864  he  enlisted  in  .the  Ut  Wis- 
consin Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  till  the 
close  of  the  war — a  period  of  ten  months.  Mr. 
Aiken  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1869,  to  Emma 
Cave,  of  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  six 
children— Albert,  Percey,  Lester,  Elmer,  Eva 
M.,  and  Garfield. 


562 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPl'J^R      XL. 


THE  TOWN  OF  PHLLSBOROUGH. 


Hillsborough  is  in  the  extreme  northeastern 
corner  of  Vernon  county,  and  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Monroe  county,  on  the  east  by 
Juneau  county,  on  the  south  \>y  the  town  of 
Greenwood,  and  on  the  west  by  the  town  of 
Forest.  It  comprises  township  14,  range  1  east, 
which  contains  thirty-six  full  sections  besides 
six  parts  of  sections,  the  northern  line  of  which 
varies  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  being  a  straight 
east  and  west  line,  which  was  occasioned  by  the 
correction  made  in  the  original  survey.  The 
exact  number  of  acres  in  the  town  is  2^,583,76. 
The  town  was  named  in  honor  of  several 
brothers  by  the  name  of  Hill,  one  of  whom, 
Vilenlia  B.  Hill,  made  the  first  claim,  and  also 
the  first  improvement  within  the  town.  The 
surface  of  this  town  is  composed  of  narrow 
ridges  and  valley*,  both  of  which  form  good 
farming  lands.  It  is  well  adapted  to  grass  and 
stock  raising,  and  is  especially  suited  to  sheep 
raising.  Pure  springs  of  clear  cold  water 
are  found  thr  ughout  the  town.  These  pro- 
duce streams  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  afford 
fine  mill  privileges.  Three  branches  of  the 
Baralioo  river,  flow  through  the  town.  The 
south  nnd  most  important  branch  is  formed  of 
two  streams,  one  of  which  has  its  source  in  the 
springs  and  brooks  of  the  western  portion  of 
the  town.  The  other  stream  flows  north  from 
the  town  of  Greenwood.  These  unite  near  the 
center  of  section  35,  flow  northeasterly  and 
leave  the  town  from  section  25,  uniting  with 
the  north  branch  near  Union  Center,  Juneau 
county.  This  branch  of  the  Baraboo  affords  a 
fine  water  power.     The  middle   branch  has  its 


source  in  the  springs  in  the  northwest  part  of 
the  town.  This  stream  affords  a  fine  water 
power  on  section  8.  This  stream  flows  in  a 
southeasterly  course,  leaving  the  town  from  sec- 
tion 24,  and  soon  after  unites  with  the  south 
fork.  The  north  stream  flows  through  what  is 
known  as  the  Mutch  settlement.  It  leaves  the 
town  from  section  12. 

The  timber  of  this  town  is  such  as  is  found 
throughout  the  county.  Excellent  white  oak  is 
found  in  great  quantities  ;  black  oak,  sugar 
ma}ile  and  bass-wood  being  also  common 
throughout  these  vast  forests. 

SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  efforts  toward  the  settlement  of 
this  town  were  made  by  Vilentia  B.  Hill,  who 
located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  14, 
in  1850.  He  also  claimed  forty  acres  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  13,  forty  acres 
on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  23.  His 
making  claims  on  different  sections  is  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  of  the  land  not  having  been 
surveyed.  In  May,  1851,  he  began  making  im- 
provements, and  in  August  of  the  same  year, 
moved  his  family  to  the  place.  Several  other 
families  came  in  about  that  time,  but  it'is  gen- 
erally conceded  that  Mr.  Hill  made  the  first 
claim  and  broke  the  first  land  in  the  town.  .Mr. 
Hill  was  born  in  the  town  of  Coldchester, 
Chittenden  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1810.  He  mairied 
Mary  J.  Johnson  ;  removed  to  Indiana,  a'd 
from  that  State  to  Baraboo,  Wis.  He  followed 
the  business  of  milling  for  many  years.  He 
operated  the  first  saw  mill  at  Baraboo.  After 
coming  to  Vernon  county,  he  turned  his  atten- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


563 


tion  to  farming  ;  made  some  improvements  on 
his  farm,  but  his  health  failed  him  and  he  made 
but  little  progress.  He  died  Feb.  26,  1857, 
leaving  his  wife  and  six  children,  two  sons  and 
four  daughters.  Mrs.  Hill  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire,  in  1814,  but  was  reared  in  New 
York  State. 

Several  claims  V7ere  made  during  the  year 
1851. 

Charles  Fritchie,  a  German,  settled  on  section 
1,  during  the  summer  of  that  year.  Some  three 
years  later  he  sold  to  William  Mutch  and  left 
the  county.  The  same  year  Ambrose  B.  Cole 
settled  on  sections  1  and  12.  He  died  in  the 
Union  army,  during  the  Rebellion.  The  farm 
he  claimed  was  still  owned  liy  members  of  his 
family,  in  1  884. 

William  and  Alonzo  Hill,  brothers  of  V.  B. 
Hill,  the  first  to  settle  in  the  town,  made  claims 
in  1851.  They  settled  with  their  families  on 
section  24. 

Ichabod  B.,  another  brother  of  the  Hills,  and 
a  single  man,  came  at  the  same  time,  but  made 
no  claim.  He  served  in  the  25th  Missouri  Vol- 
unteers during  the  Rebellion.  At  the  close  of 
the  war  he  went  to  Kansas,  where  he  died. 

William  Hill  left  Vermont,  when  a  young  man, 
was  absent  for  a  number  ot  years  ;  returned  to 
his  native  State,  where  he  married  Mary  Ann 
]Meade  and  moved  to  the  State  of  New  York  ; 
from  there  he  moved  to  Indiana,  where  he  re- 
mained a  short  time  and  came  to  Wisconsin. 
In  1884  he  was   a   resident   of  Juneau  county. 

Albert  Field  also  made  a  claim  in  the  fall  of 
1851,  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  35, 
where  he  settled  in  1852. 

N.  W.  Davis  located  on  .<-ections  27  and  34, 
about  1854.  He  sold  out  in  1860,  and  moved 
west  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

Settlements  were  made  very  rapidly  from  this 
date  on. 

Thomas  McClure  settled  early  on  section  4. 
In  1884  he  was  living  at  Elroy. 


Nelson  Brill  located  on  section  27,  remained 
till  1869,  then  removed  to  section  14,  where  he 
died  about  1875. 

John  Fox  settled  on  section  27,  in  1855.  He 
is  deceased,  and  his  widow  and  two  sons  live  in 
this  village. 

Joseph  Man  hart  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the    town    of  Hillsborough.      He    was  born    in 
Vienna,  Austria,  in  1817.     He  learned  the  trade 
of  a  baker,  and   followed   that   occupation    for 
many  years,    visiting   several  of  the    principal 
cities  of  Europe,  j)ursuing  his  trade.     He  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1848,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  German  colony,  which    settled  at  Kosko- 
nong,  in  Jefferson  county.     He  remained  in  that 
county  about  seven  years;  came  to  Hillsborough 
in  the  summer  of  1855  and  settled  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  2.6,  where  has  since  lived. 
Stewart  Forbes   resides  on   section   2,  in  the 
town  of  Hillsborough.     He  has  been  a  resident 
of  this  town    since  the   fall    of    1855.     He  left 
Scotland    April    15,    1854;  landed   at  Quebec, 
lived  in  Montreal  sixteen  months  before  coming 
to  Wisconsin.     He    was   born    in  county  Aber- 
deen, in  1831.     His  father,  Arthur  Forbes,  was 
a  forester  by  occupation  for   fifty  years.     Mr. 
Forbes    was    married    in    Scotland  to  Margaret 
Mutch,  a  sister  of  the    Mutch  brothers  of  this 
town.     Like   matiy  others    of  the    pioneers   of 
Vernon  county,  Mr.  Forbes  possessed  but  little 
of  this  world's  goods  when  he  came  here.     His 
first  land  was  forty  acres  on  section  3,  where  he 
built  a    log    house   and    improved   about  eight 
acres.     He  located  there  about   1860,   where  he 
lived  till  1864,  when  he  sold  out  and  bought  his 
present    farm    of   sixty    acres.     Mr.    and    Mrs. 
Forbes  have  five  children,  three  sons  and   two 
daughters — Stewart   A.,    Ellen    J.,    now    Mrs. 
Lumsden;    Maggie,  Robert   and    Jesse.     They 
lost  one  daughter,  Isabel,  who  died  at   the   age 
of  two  years.     Mr.  Forbes  is   a   man  highly  es- 
teemed in  the  community  in  which  he    lives,  as 
an  excellent  neighbor  and  Christian  gentleman. 
He   and   wife   are   members  of  the    Church   of 
United  Brethren  of  this  town. 


j64 


HISTOEY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Froland  Willey  came  to  the  town  of  Hills- 
borough in  the  fall  of  1855.  He  was  born  in 
Vermont  in  1833.  He  removed  to  Ohio  with 
his  |iarents  when  a  boy,  and  thence  to  Jefferson 
couiily,  tills  State,  in  1852.  He  came  here  from 
Jefferson  county,  and  settled  on  section  24.  In 
1878  he  sold  his  farm  and  removed  to  Kansas, 
but  has  returned  and  is  again  a  resident  of  this 
town.  He  married  Caroline  M.  Hill,  March  9, 
185(5.  This,  as  elsewhere  stated,  was  the  first 
maniago  in  the  town  of  Hillsborough.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Willey  have  four  children — Fidelia, 
who  married  Charles  Newman;  Ida,  wife  of 
George  S.ilts;  Emma  and  Alonzo. 

Charles  Lindrum,  deceased,  who  built  the 
first  store  in  the  plat  of  the  village  of  Hillsbor- 
ougli,  was  Ijorn  in  Knox  Co.,  Tenn.,  Dec.  12, 
1821.  When  seven  years  of  age  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Crawford  Co.,  Ind.,  and  thence  to 
Howard  county,  in  that  State.  He  came  to  Ver- 
non county  in  the  spring  of  1851.  As  already 
stated  he  kept  the  first  store  and  was  the  second 
postmaster  at  Hillsborough.  He  enlisted  in 
1861  in  the  47th,  and  served  till  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  was  regimental  postmaster  in  the 
service.  He  lost  his  health  in  the  army,  which 
continued  poor  until  his  death.  He  married  in 
Indiana,  Lydia  Hansbury,  who  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Hillsborough. 

James  M  Hmsbury,  first  postmaster  at 
Hillsl)')rougIi,  is  a  br  >ther  of  Mrs  Landrum. 
He  removed  from  that  village  to  Iowa,  and 
thence  to  Ohio,  where  he  still  lives. 

John  Berry  settled  on  section  17  in  1856.  In 
1884  he  lived  in  Iowa. 

O.  A.  Shout,  a  stage  driver,  came  to  the  vil- 
lage about  1856.  He  drove  stage  from  Hills- 
borough to  Mansion.  He  died  many  years  ago. 
His  wife  still  lived  in  the  village  in  1884. 

Patrick  Healy  resides  on  section  28,  where  he 
settled  May  10,  1856.  He  came  here  from 
Walworth  county,  and  purchased  his  land  from 
the  government.  He  is  a  native  of  county  Gal- 
way,  Ireland,  born  in  182ti.  He  came  to  the 
United   States   when   twenty-six   years   of  age. 


He  lived  in  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  before  coming 
west  and  removed  thence  to  Ohio,  where  he 
lived  one  year.  His  farm  contains  180  acres  of 
land  well  improved.  His  wife  was  Mary  Ann 
Lloyd.  They  have  nine  children,  five  sons  and 
four  daughters. 

Moses  Kimball  Jeffries  lives  on  section  17, 
where  he  settled  in  1856.  He  purchased  his 
land  of  the  government.  He  was  born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1820.  In  his  younger 
days  he  was  engaged  in  boating  on  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  rivers,  where  he  was  a  fl  it  boat 
pilot  for  many  years.  He  was  married  in  Ohio 
to  Maria  L.  Jones,  who  died  in  Madison  while 
Mr.  Jeffries  with  his  family  was  en  route  to 
Vernon  country.  His  second  wife  was  Rachel 
Cann,  who  died  March  15,  1883.  Mr.  Jeffnes 
is  one  of  the  larger  farmers  of  this  town,  and 
h  as  a  well  improved  farm. 

Christian  Engler  resides  on  section  20,  where 
he  settled  in  October,  1857,  on  a  government 
farm  of  eighty  acres.  He  was  born  in  Switzer- 
land, in  1828;  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1850  and  located  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was 
married  in  Erie  county,  in  that  State,  to  Anna 
Barber,  also  born  in  Switzerland  and  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1852.  After  their  marriage 
they  came  to  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  where  they  lived 
several  years  before  coming  to  Vernon  county. 
They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  one 
daughter.  Mr.  Engler  served  in  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion  in  the  47th  Wisconsin  regiment 
from  February,  1865,  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

Among  other  early  settlers  were  the  follow- 
ing: Henry  Hayfleich,  who  came  in  1855  and 
located  on  section  32,  where  he  still  resides; 
Henry  Link  on  section  36;'  J.  H.  Thompson  on 
section  25;  William  F.  Miland;  P.  W.  Frost, 
who  settled  on  section  34;  A.  R.  Glidden  on  sec- 
tion 35;  James  Madden,  who  settled  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  34. 

FIRST    EVENTS. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  town  was  Froland 
Willey  and  Caroline  .M.  Hill,  a  daughter  of  V. 
B.  Hill,  the  first  settler.     They  were  married  at 


Sf^JT.  of.  y)h 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


007 


the  home  of  the  bride,  March  9,  1856.  The 
ceremony  was  performed  by  Daniel  Kimball, 
Esq. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  Andrew 
Mack,  son  of  James  and  Cornelia  Mack,  who 
was  born  Sept.  13,  1852.  The  next  birth  was 
that  of  Eveline  M.  Hill,  daughter  of  V.  B.  Hill, 
who  in  her  young  womanhood  married  James 
Hamilton. 

The  first  death  which  occurred  was  that  of 
Mrs  Smith,  who  died  Oct.  15,  1855.  She  was 
buried  on  section  1,  where  she  died. 

The  first  school  was  taught  on  the  present 
village  plat  of  Hillsborough. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the 
house  of  Elislia  D.  Douglass  on  section  14,  by 
Ilev.  Joseph  Hanlin,  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist 
denomination. 

ORGANIC. 

The  town  of  Hillsborough  was  organized  in 
1856.  The  first  election  was  held  at  the  hous( 
of  Albert  Field,  April  3,  of  that  year.  H.  H 
Kno.x,  Joseph  M.  Martin  and  Albert  Field  wen 
chosen  inspectors  of  election.  It  was  voted  !■ 
elect  two  assessors  and  two  constables;  also  thn 
a  fund  be  raised  for  contingent  expenses,  of  $10( 
for  the  ensuing  year,  and  the  same  amount  foi 
the  improvement  of  highways.  Joseph  M. 
Martin  was  elected  chairman  of  the  board  and 
Albert  Field  and  H.  H.  Knox,  members  of  the 
side  board;  Daniel  Kimball,  town  clerk;  Edward 
Klopfleisch,  treasurer;  John  S.  Shreve  and  A. 
W.  Rogers,  assessors;  Henry  F.  Daley,  A.  W. 
Rogers,  Edward  Klopfleisch  and  Daniel  Kim- 
ball, justices  of  the  peace;  John  S.  Shreve  and 
James  S  Carley,  constables. 

The  total  number  of  votes  cast  at  this  elec- 
tion was  twenty-one. 

The  following  were  the  town  officers  of  1883: 
Thomas  J.  Shear,  chairman,  C.  F  Waterman 
and  L.  L.  Tongue,  supervisors;  C.  F.  Fine, clerk; 
Benjamin  Salts,  assessor;  August  F.  Mobs,  treas- 
urer; William  McGrath,  D.  N.  Tripp  and  Josiah 


Jameson,  justices  of  the  peace;  Thomas  Sweet, 
Uriah  Fox  and  S.  J.  Messenger,  constables. 

SCHOOLS. 

Hillsborough  has  always  been  fully  up  to 
other  towns  of  the  county  in  educational  mat- 
ters. School  house  after  school  house  has  been 
added  for  the  convenience  of  the  scholars  of 
the  town,  until,  in  1884,  there  were  seven  within 
the  town. 

A  short  and  comprehensive  sketch  of  each 
school  district  is  herewith  given: 

District  No.  1.  A  comfortable  and  commo- 
dious frame,  in  a  very  pleasant  location.  Long 
been  known  and  recognized  as  the  "Blood 
school  house."  So  named  after  one  of  the  early 
settlers.  A  good  attendance  always,  and  large, 
especially  in  winter.  The  district  lies  near  the 
county  line  of  Juneau.  Mr.  Forbes,  living  near 
the  school  house,  is  an  earnest  friend  to  educa- 
tion. This  school  has  done,  and  is  yet  doing 
good  work.     The  people  liberally  support  it. 

District  No.  2.  A  large  frame,  well  furnished 
and  in  a  cheerful  locality,  pleasantly  situated 
among  fertile  farms.  There  is  always  a  large 
attendance  in  the  winter,  and  the  school  has 
been  favored  with  some  able  teaciiers.  It  has 
been  liberally  patronized  and  supported.  The 
people  have  been  abundantly  able  to  do  so. 

District  No.  3.  Comprises  Ilillsborougli  high 
and  graded  schools.  The  high  school  has  not 
of  late  years,  been  as  fortunate  as  its  friends  de- 
sired. While  the  people  have  been  liberal  and 
the  board  public  spirited,  the  school  has  not 
been  a  success.  This  was,  in  part,  owing  to  the 
unwise  selection  of  teachers  of  good  education 
in  each  case,  but  of  poor  executive  ability.  Mr. 
Conway  taught  some  years  ago  and  was  verv 
successful.  Others  as  well  educated,  but  otlier- 
wise  not  as  able,  followed  him.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  gentlemen  selected  in  the  future,  will 
do  much  toward  regaining  for  it,  its  former  rep- 
utation. The  building  is  commodious  and  well 
furnished,  quite  a  credit  to  the  village.  The 
higher  matliematics,  German  and  Latin  have 
been  taught  and  considerable  advaiicementmade 


33 


568 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  people  deserve  to  have  a  good  school.  There 
are  beside  two  graded  schools,  one  an  interme- 
diate and  the  other  a  primary.  Good  work  has 
been  done  in  these  schools  by  a  succession  of 
very  faithful  teachers.  Mr.  George  Mohs,  a 
true  friend  of  education,  is  at  present,  the  dis- 
trict clerk. 

District  No.  5 — A  very  neat  a  nd  comfortable 
frame  building  near  or  at  Trippville,  situated 
on  or  near  the  road  leading  to  Elroy,  as  also  to 
Hillsborough  and  about  seven  miles  from  the 
latter  place.  Mr.  Wyman,  of  Trippville,  as  also 
Mr  Tripp  have  taken  much  interest  in  the 
school.  The  building  is  furnished  with  good 
maps  and  fairly  seated.  Good  work  has  been 
done  in  this  school  by  a  succession  of' very  ex" 
cellent  teachers. 

Di-itriot  No.  6 — School  house  about  three  and 
a  half  miles  from  Hillsborough,  a  fair  and  neat 
frame,  quite  in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  the 
school  buildings  in  this  town  and  a  credit  to 
public  patronage  and  sentiment.  This  building 
is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  highroad  from  On- 
tario to  Hillsborough  and  has  usually  a  good 
attendance. 

District  No.  8— Near  the  former  residence 
and  hard  by  the  farm  of  Mr.  Roger  Williams, 
a  largo  frame  house  and  on  the  road  leading 
from  Viroqua  to  Hillsborough.  It  is  some  four 
miles  from  the  latter  place,  has  ample  accommo- 
dations for  a  large  attendance,  and  yet  this  dis- 
trict is  in  need  of  a  graded  school  with  two  de- 
partments. Sixty  to  seventy  pupils  are  in  dai- 
ly attendance  through  the  winter,  among  whom 
arc  many  Bohemians. 

'I'he  schools  of  Hillsborough,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  No.  8,  are  attended  chiefly  by  Americans, 
but  this  district  has  several  Bohemian  families. 
Good  work  has  almost  always  been  done  in  this 
school  and  tlie  people,  cliief  among  whom  has 
been  Mr.  R.  Williams,  take  an  active  part  in 
school  matters. 

District  No.  4 — Only  a  part  of  this  district  is 
situated  in  the  town  of  Hillsborough. 


SCHOOL       STATISTICS     FOE        1882      AND        1883. 

COMPAEATIVE  STATEMENT. 

The  steady  and  continuous  growth  of  the 
public  schools  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the 
table  following: 

The  year  1882  was  in  advance  of  former  years 
and  the  increase  of  1883  speaks  well  for  the 
public  spirit  which  makes  the  schools  so  suc- 
cessful. 

1882       188ii    Incr. 

Whole  No.  children  of  school  ag-e  in  Co  8, 915  9.038  83. 
Whole  No.  of  flays  school  was  taug-ht  20.238  24.148  3,920 
Whole  No.  of  pupIN  who  attended  school  6.601  6,790  189 
WholcNo.  of  days  attiMi. lane. -of  pupils  364,136  397,1.54  33,028 
No.  of  new  schdol  hoii-<es  built  9  13  4 

Cost  of  school  houses  built  $4,63.5  $11,323  $6,687 

Outlay  for  teacher's  wages  SIS,  921  .?3o,  335    56,404 

Total  ain't  paid  for  school  purposes  §33,013  *38,168  $10,155 
Total  ntimber  of  schools  in  county  157  160  3 

Whole  number  of  licensed  teachers  182 

UNITED  BRETHREN  CHURCH. 

Ill  1884  the  town  of  Hillsborough  had  hut 
two  Churoli  organizations — the  Free  Will 
Baptist,  whiuh  is  in  the  village  of  Hillsborough 
and  the  United  Brethren,  located  on  section  12. 
The  former  haj  been  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  village  history.  The  latter  de 
nomination  was  organized  in  February,  18.59, 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Carter.  The  members  of  the  first 
class  were  as  follows:  Stewart  Forbes  and 
wife,  Henry  Seaman,  Charles  Emniouds,  T.  W. 
Allan,  Mr.  Sweet  and  wife  and  .Michael  Keller. 

The  churcli  building  of  this  denomination 
was  dedicated  Feb.  10,  1&'70,  by  the  Rev.  James 
Johnson,  of  Freeport.  This  edifice  is  situated 
on  the  land  between  the  towns  of  Hillsborough 
and  Wonowoc  in  Juneau  count}';  a  part  of  the 
building  being  in  each  coutity.  The  building, 
which  is  of  an  imposing  appearance,  is  36x50 
feet,  surmounted  by  a  spire  seventy -four 
feet  high.  The  cost  of  this  church  was  about 
82,500.  The  trustees  at  the  time  of  the  erection 
of  the  church  wore:  James  Mutch,  Benjamin  B. 
Thompson,  C.  G.  Thompson,  Frederick  Bab- 
cock,  Lewis  O.  Galley  and  William  Mutch.  The 
pastor  at  that  date  was  Rev.  Elisha  Borce. 

CEMETBEIES. 

There  are  three  cemeteries  within  the  town 
of  Hillsborough.     One  is  situated  near  the   vil- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


lage  of  Hillsborough.  This,  in  1884,  was  a 
pretty  and  well  kept  cemetery.  Another  is  sit- 
uated on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  12,  in 
connection  with  the  United  Brethren  church; 
this  also  has  always  received  much  care  and  at- 
tention.   The  third  cemetery  is  on  section  14. 

TRIPPVILLE  POSTOFFICE. 

Trippville  is  the   name  of  a  postoffice  on  sec- 
tion S,   which  was  established  in  1867.     It  was 
named  after  Dier  Tripp,  who  has   been    post- 
master ever  since   its    establishment.     At  this 
]ioint   there  is  a   store  and    saw-mill,    both   of 
which  were  built  by  Mr.  Tripp.     This  place  is 
located  on  what  is  known  as  the  head  waters  of 
tlie  middle  Hillsborough  branch  of  the  Baraboo 
river.     Mr  'i'l-ipp  began  the  erection  of  a    saw 
mill  here  in  1860,  which    he  completed  in  1862. 
It  was  at   first  operated  by  an  overshot  wheel, 
but  in  the  s|)riiig  of  1883,  he  made  a  change  in 
liie  mill,  substituting  a  turbine  wheel,  and  mak- 
ing other  changes.     The  capacity  of  the  mill  i^ 
10,000  feet  per  twenty-four  hours.  Mr.  Tripp  ei- 
tablished  his  store  in  August,  1871.     He   cani( 
to    the    town    with   Elisha  Douglass  and  A.  1! 
Cole  in  May,  IS.tI.    He  made  a  claim  on  sectioi 
1,  but  while  absent  to   earn    money    to    pay  fo 
the    same,  his   claim    was    jumped.     He   thei 
bought  land  on  sections  3  and  11,  finally  settlei' 
on  the  latter.     In  the  fall  of  1855  he  built  a  log 
house  on  section  8,  which  was  still  standing  in 
1S84.     Mr.  Tripp  was  a  young  man  at  the  time 
and    kept    bachelor's  hall  for   two    years    and 
then  moved   to   section  3  and  from  there  to  sec- 
tion 11  and  a  little  later  still  moved  back  to  the 
mill  site. 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    HILLSBOEOUGH. 

This  village,  which  is  located  on  the  north 
side  of  the  south  branch  of  the  Baraboo  river, 
on  section  35,  takes  its  name  from  that  of  the 
town  of  Hillsborough,  in  which  it  situated. 

A   man    named   Warren,    made    the   original 

entry  of  land  at  this  point,  in  October,  1854,  for 

Albert    Field.      Edward    Klopfleisch,  of  New 

York  city,  when   looking   for   a  location  in  the 

west,  visited  this  site,    and   was  favoral)Iy  im- 


pressed, especially  with  the  mill  power  af- 
forded by  the  Baraboo  river.  He  accordingly 
made  arrangements  with  Albert  Field  for  the 
purchase  of  the  land,  and  with  Otto  Hammer, 
became  proprietor  of  the  village  plat,  including 
the  mill  power.     This   was    in    the    autumn    of 

1854.  Mr.  Klopfleisch,  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  Schlolmilch,  at  once  began  the  erection  of 
a  saw  mill.  Otto  Hammer,  who  was  partner  in 
the  town  site,  came  from  Jefferson  county  in 

1855,  bringing  his  family  and  personal  effects 
with  him. 

In  1857,  while  Mr.  Klopfleisch  was  in  New 
York  city,  the  attention  of  John  MoUinger  and 
Ambrose  Armbruster  was  called  to  the  import- 
ance of  this  point,  and  as  the  result,  Mr.  Arm- 
bruster returned  with  Mr.  Klopfleisch  and  pui- 
chased  the  interest  held  by  Mr.  Schlolmilch. 
Mr.  Mollinger  also,  at  the  same  time  securing 
an  interest  in  the  location.  A  small  grist  mill 
was  erected,  and  sunn  became  a  mill  of  much 
importance.  Mr.  Armbruster  brought  Ids  f:iniily 
here  from  New  York  city  in  1861.  The  follow- 
ing year  Jacob  Sallenbach  took  an  interest  in 
the  business.  In  1S65  a  mill  was  erected  which 
was  still  doing  service  in  1884.  In  1868  Mr.  Klop- 
fleisch retired  and  the  company  has  since  been 
known  as  the  Hillsborough  Mill  Company,  the 
firm  being  composed  of  Ambrose  Armbruster, 
Otto  Hammer  and  John  Mollinger.  This  flour- 
ing mill  has  always  been  an  important  factor  in 
the  growth  and  advancement  of  this  part  of  the 
county,  and  has  always  been  noted  for  nniking 
an  excellent  grade  of  flour  and  also  for  upright, 
honest  dealing  on  the  part  of  its  owners.  For 
many  years  it  was  the  only  mill  throughout  a 
large  scope  of  country  The  mill  buildi)ig  is 
42x50  feet.  At  first  there  were  but  two  run  of 
stone,  but  later  another  run  was  added,  and  still 
later,  another,  making  four  in  all.  This  mill  is 
situated  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Baraboo 
river;  its  pond  contains  fully  a  hundred  acres, 
and  gives  force  to  the  machinei'y  of  tlie  rail! 
through  a  head  of  sixteen  leet, 


570 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Short    sketches   are   here   subjoined,   of  the 
three  gentlemen  who  have  so  long   comprised 
this  mill  company.     Mr.  Mollinger  was  the  only  ! 
one  surviving  in  the  autumn  of  1883. 

Ambrose  Armbruster  was  born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, in  1818,  and  came  to  America  in  1847 
from  Paris.  He  left  Paris  on  account  of  the 
revolution  which  liad  broken  out  in  France,  in 
consequence  of  which  all  Germans  had  been 
requested  to  leave  that  country.  He  was  married 
in  Paris  to  his  present  widow  Caroline  Steurer, 
born  in  Strasburg  in  1826.  Mr.  Armbruster 
died  June  8,  1883.  He  left  three  children — 
Emma,  wife  of  Robert  Hammer,  Anna,  wife  of 
Frank  Kauffmann,  and  Robert,  the  two  later 
natives  of  this  town. 

Otto  Hammer,  Sr.,  died  Aug.  6,  1883.  He 
was  born  at  Altonburg,  Saxony,  April  10,  1816. 
He  came  to  America  early  in  the  year  1846; 
lived  two  years  in  New  York  city  and  came  to 
Wisconsin  in  1848  and  to  Hillsborough,  as  stated, 
in  1 855.  He  was  married  in  New  York  city  to  Eliza 
Belton.  They  have  had  six  children,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters;  five  of  them-Otto,  Jose- 
phine, Robert,  Eddie  and  Minnie-are  now  living 
at  or  near  Hillsborough,  and  one,  Mrs.  O.  B. 
Wyman,  at  Viroqua.  Mr.  Hammer,  was 
a  cabinet  maker  by  trade  and  a  skillful 
workman.  He  pursued  his  occupation  in  sev- 
eral of  the  capital  cities  of  Europe,  including 
Berlin  and  Paris.  He  came  to  New  York  from 
the  latter  city. 

John  Mollinger  was  born  in  the  city  of  Kai- 
serslautern,  on  the  Rhine,  in  the  province  of 
Bavaria,  in  1813.  Like  the  other  members  of 
the  firm,  he  came  to  New  York  from  Paris  in 
1845.  He  worked  eighteen  years  at  his  trade 
in  New  York  city  before  coming  here  in  1865. 

In  July,  1883,  Barney  &  Bailey,  wlio  had 
the  use  of  Albert  Field's  money,  put  in  opera- 
tion a  fine  steam  saw  mill,  together  with  vari- 
ous kinds  of  wood  working  machinery.  This 
mill  is_  located  at  the  upper  end  of  the  mill 
pond  of  the  flouring  mills  of  the  Hillsborough 
Milling  Company.     It  is  propelled   by   a  forty 


horse  power  engine.  This  mill  does  a  large 
business  in  sawing  to  order,  railrond  timber, 
wagon  and  plow  material  and  steamed,  bent 
sleigh  runners  and  wagon  hounds. 

BUSINESS  INTERESTS. 

The  village  was  surveyed  in  the  summer  of 
1856,  by  James  H.  Daniels,  at  that  time  county 
surveyor. 

The  first  store  was  opened  in  1855,  by  Charles 
Landrum,  in  a  log  building  used  for  this  pur- 
pose and  also  for  a  residence.  Mr.  Landrum 
soon  after  took  in  as  liis  partner  Daniel  Bus- 
bee,  who  continued  a  member  of  tlie  firm  but  a 
short  time,  after  which  he  removed  to  the  town 
Greenwood,  and  later  to  the  village  of  Ave- 
lanehe,  where  he  engaged  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness. 

Charles  Landrum  built  the  store  now  occu- 
pied by  Charles  Lind,  in  1857.  A  number  of 
years  later  he  erected  the  store  afterward  used 
by  Roger  Williams,  also  the  dwelling  house 
adjoining,  both  of  which  are  now  owned  by 
his  widow. 

The  first  wagon  maker  of  the  place  was 
Jason  Noyes,  who  was  still  a  resident  of  the 
town  in  1884. 

The  first  blacksmith  was  Albert  Kuersten, 
who  is  now  deceased. 

The  first  shoemakers  were  Lind  Brothers, 
one  of  whom,  Jacob  is  deceased  and  the  other, 
Peter,  is  still  in  trade  in  the  village. 

The  first  school  in  the  village  was  taught  by 
Sobrina  Burwell,  in  the  summer  of  1855.  This 
school  was  held  in  the  log  dwelling  house  of 
Otto  Hammer  ;  the  family  of  Mr.  Hammer 
living  in  the  house  at  the  time.  This  was  the 
first  house  erected  in  the  village. 

The  first  sermon  preached  in  Hillsborough, 
was  delivered  by  Rev.  Joseph  Hanlan,  of  the 
Free  Will  Baptist  Church. 

The   first   and  only   regular   attorney  of  the 
i  place  was  A.  l'.  Jolinson. 

The  first  hotel  was  erected  by  Irving  Thomp- 
son, who  sold  it  to  Prentiss  Abbott,  who  run  it 
as  a  hotel  for  several  years. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


511 


The  hotels  of  1884  were  the  Kuersten  House 
and  the  American  House.  The  former  was 
built  by  Albert  Kuersten,  who  died  before  its 
completion,  and  it  was  finally  finished  by  his 
widow,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Phair. 
This  is  a  log  and  frame  structure,  well  built 
and  cost  about  13,000. 

The  American  House  was  built  in  part  by 
Jacob  Lind,  and  completed  by  Alexander 
Wood.  In  1884  this  was  operated  by  Benja- 
min Salts. 

Tile  Hillsborough  postoffice  was  established 
in  1855.  The  first  postmaster  was  Morgan 
Hansbury,  who  was  succeeded  by  Charles  Land- 
rum,  and  he  by  Tiiomas  J.  Shear,  who  was  still 
holding  the  office  in  1884.  This  became  a 
money  order  oflice  in  1869.  The  first  order 
was  drawn  by  J.  W.  Leverett ;  amount  |5. 
The  first  order  was  paid  to  N.  D.  Beebe,  of 
Warren,  111.  There  were  14,630  orders  drawn 
from  this  office  from  the  time  it  became  a  money 
office  in  1809,  to  Sept.  4,  1883,  a  period  of  a 
little  more  than  fourteen  years. 

The  first  physician  of  Hillsborough  and 
vicinity,  was  Dr.  Winslow.  Other  physicians 
have  been  here:  Dr.  Meritt,  Dr.  Smith,  Dr.  J. 
R.  Rundlett,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Rush 
Medical  College,  Chicago,  practiced  here  about 
ten  years  and  left  in  the  fall  of  1880.  He  is 
now  at  Augusta,  in  Eau  Claire  corinty  ;  Dr.  B. 
B.  Numan  graduated  at  Keokuk  ;  practiced 
here  a  short  time  and  is  now  located  in  tlie 
town  of  Forest.  The  present  physicians  are 
Dr.  Francis  Pinch  and  Dr.  C.  H.  Morris. 

This  village  is  tributary  to  a  large  tract  of 
country ;  it  has  had  a  gradual,  healthful 
growth  and  is  an  excellent  trading  point.  The 
merchants  and  other  business  men  are  doing  a 
thriving  business.  A  number  of  fire  business 
houses  were  erected  in  1881  or  1882.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  place  in  1884  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  following  :  A.  Winslow  <fe  Son  and  Rich- 
ard N.  Pinch,  druggists ;  Shear  &  Mitcher, 
Charles  L.  Lind  and  Charles  Ludwig,  general 
dealers  ;  Charles  F.  Hyde  and  F.  Fine,  grocers; 


M.  E.  Crary,  boots  and  shoes  ;  A.  Mitcher,  fur- 
niture ;  Roger  Williams,  grocery  and  restau- 
rant ;  R.  Hammer,  hardware  ;  George  Chap- 
man, harness  maker  ;  John  P.  Phair,  proprietor 
of  the  Kuresten  Hotel  ;  Benjamin  Salts,  pro- 
prietor of  the  American  House ;  Fred 
Schnell,  brewery  ;  Klaufman  &  Fincher,  wagon 
makers  and  blacksmiths. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  Free  Will  Baptist  Church  was  organized 
Feb.  28,  1869,  by  Rev.  O.  W.  Smith,  of  Men- 
dota.  111.  Those  who  joined  the  first  class 
were  :  Joel  W.  Parker  and  Avife,  Albert  Field 
and  wife,  E.  D.  Douglass  and  wife,  James  W. 
Leverett  and  wife,  Mary  E.  Parker,  James 
W.  Parker,  Mrs.  Vienna  Winslow,  Mrs.  Emily 
Carr  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Mitchell. 

Rev.  O.  W.  Smith  preached  for  the  society  a 
few  weeks  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Isaac  Jack- 
son and  his  wife,  the  Rev.  Mary  Jackson,  both 
of  whom  officiated  till  July,  1871,  when  Rev. 
Jeremiah  Phillips  became  pastor,  and  remained 
for  two  years.  After  this  Rev.  J.  H.  Daniels, 
a  minister  of  the  Church  of  the  Disciples, 
preached  for  the  congregation  for  some  time. 
Among  other  ministers  who  have  supplied  this 
Church  were  :  Rev.  F.  M.  Washburn,  who  was 
principal  of  the  schools  at  Elroy  ;  Rev.  Robert 
Colley  was  pastor  for  a  few  mouths,  and  per- 
haps others   whose   names   have   not  appeared. 

The  church  building  is  a  frame  structure, 
erected  in  187 J,  at  a  cost  of  $1,200. 

I.  O.  0.  F.  Lodge,  of  Hillsborough,  No.  253, 
was  organized  March  ) ,  1876,  by  N.C.  Bradley, 
D.  D.  G.  M.  The  following  were  charter  mem- 
bers :  Roger  Williams,  T.  J.  Batman,  Egbert 
Wyman,  Otto  Hammer  and  Herman  Sheiman. 
The  first  officers  were  :  T.  J.  Shear,  N.  G.  ; 
Roger  Williams,  V.  G.  ;  Egbert  Wyman,  R.  S.; 
Charles  Landrum,  treasurer ;  L.  B.  LTpham, 
secretarj'.  Since  its  organization  this  ledge  has 
lost,  l)y  death,  the  following  :  Henry  Link,  died 
\'arch  12,  1881;  Charles  Landrum,  died  Aug. 
17,  1881,  and  J.  W.  Allen,  Aug.   30,    1881.     In 


572 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


1884  the  lodge  numbered  iifty-four,  and  was  in 
good  condition. 

Rebekah  Lodge,  No.  173,  of  Hillsborough, 
was  organized  Nov  28,  1882,  by  Van  S.  Ben- 
nett, grand  master,  'i  he  following  constituted 
the  charter  membership  :  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  L. 
Tongue,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  J.  Shear,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Roger  Williams,  Mr.  and  Mrs  C.  J.  Lind,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  H.  F.  Myers. 

The  first  officers  of  this  lodge  were  :  Mrs.  L. 
L.  Tongue,  N.  G.  ;  Miss  Helen  Shear,  V.  G. ; 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Fox,  secfetary  ;  R.Williams,  treasu- 
rer. In  188  4  this  lodge  was  in  a  very  flourish- 
ing condition  and  numbered  thirty-one  mem- 
bers. 

BIOGEAPHICAL. 

Among  those  who  have  been  instrumental  in 
clearing  up  the  timbered  land  of  this  town  and 
improving  the  many  farms  within  its  limits, 
together  with  those  who  have  combined  to  in- 
crease the  manufacturing  and  business  indus- 
tries are  the  following  named  citizens: 

Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Couper,  of  Hillsborough,  is  the 
widow  of  James  C.  Couper,  one  of  the  earlier 
settlers  of  Vernon  county.  Mr.  Couper  was 
born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  March  1,  1821.  He 
came  to  New  York  when  a  young  man,  where 
he  was  married  to  his  present  widow,  Sarah 
Ann  Scuts.  They  came  west  to  Dodge  Co., 
Wis.,  soon  after  they  were  married;  thence  to 
Marquette  county.  They  came  to  Vernon  county 
and  located  in  the  town  of  Union  in  1850,  being 
one  of  the  first  families  in  that  town.  Mr. 
Couper  took  up  a  farm  of  government  land  which 
lie  improved.  He  was  a  man  of  some  education 
and  in  early  life  was  very  fond  of  huntingand  this 
part  of  Vernon  county  afforded  ample  opportu- 
nity for  sport  of  that  kind.  He  accumulated 
considerable  property  and  died  Feb.  17,  1883. 
Mrs.  Couper  was  born  March  4,  1828.  She  has 
one  daughter,  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  George  H. 
Blackburn,  of  the  town  of  Union. 

Eiisha  D.  Douglass  located  on  section  14  in 
Norember,  1851.  This  land  he  had  entered  the 
previous  April.     He  was  born   in  Italy,  Yates 


Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1822,  and  lived  there  till  thirteen 
years  of  age.  He  then  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Pennsylvania  and  was  there  married  to 
Mary  J.  Kerr.  In  1847  he  removed  to  Baraboo, 
Wis.,  and  four  years  later  to  his  present  farm. 
In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  16th  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  severely  in- 
jured at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  necessitating  his 
discharge  shortly  after.  Mr.  Douglass  lost  his 
first  wife  Feb.  14,  1872.  His  present  wife  was 
Mrs.  Anna  M.  Edwards,  widow  of  Elias  Ed- 
wards. Ten  children  were  born  to  the  first 
union,  five  sons  and  five  daughters.  Mrs. 
Douglass  had  three  children  by  her  former  hus- 
band. 

Dier  N.  Tripp  is  proprietor  of  what  is  known 
as  Trippville  in  the  town  where  he  has  been 
merchant,  postmaster  and  mill  owner  for  many 
years.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Nassau, 
Renssalaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  27,  1836.  He  is  a 
son  of  Gideon  Tripp,  who  removed  with  his 
family  to  Michigan  in  1837.  Mr.  Tripp  came 
to  Vernon  county  about  the  10th  of  May,  1851. 
At  that  time  he  only  had  ten  cents  wliich  he 
gave  away  and  commenced  work  at  nine  dollars 
per  month  to  earn  himself  a  home  and  has  been 
a  resident  of  Hillsborough  town  since  that 
date.  On  the  8th  of  December,  1856,  he  married 
Sally  L.  Hammond,  a  native  of  Allegany  Co., 
N.  Y.,  and  daughter  of  Charles  C.  Hammond, 
also  a  native  of  New  York,  who  removed  his 
family  to  Juneau  Co.,  Wis.  Mr.  Tripp  built  the 
mill  in  the  years  1861  and  1862  and  commenced 
in  theraercantile  business  in  August,  1871.  On 
the  14th  day  of  November,  1871,  his  mill 
burned — a  loss  of  at  least  $3,000 — with  no  in- 
surance, and  in  fifty-five  working  days  he  re- 
built and  started  the  mill  in  better  shape  than 
it  was  before  it  burnt.  At  the  date  of  Nov.  15, 
1883,  he  is  quite  certain  he  is  the  oldest  resi- 
dent in  what  is  known  as  the  "L"  of  Vernon 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tripp  have  four  chil- 
dren— Gideon,  who  married  Ann  Crary;  Nancy 
L.,  wife  of  Erastus  Mitchell,  Jr.;  Alice  and 
Grace. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


673 


Albert  Field  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Ver- 
non county,  and  one  of  the  very  earliest 
settlers  of  the  town  of  Hillsborough.  He  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Falmouth,  Cumberland  Co., 
Maine,  Aug.  15,  1821.  He  is  a  son  of  Bracket 
Field,  who  was  born  in  the  same  town  and 
lived  there  all  his  life.  Mr.  Field  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  married  Angelina  Hall  April  10, 
1845,  and  in  the  fall  of  1851  went  with  their 
only  child,  Marietta,  aged  eighteen  months,  to 
Sauk  Co.,  Wis  The  following  P^ebruary,  1852, 
he  came  to  Vernon  county  and  entered  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  35,  in  town  14 
north,  range  1  east,  where  he  still  resides.  He 
now  owns  about  2,000  acres  of  land  in  this  and 
adjoining  towns,  and  is  extensively  engaged  in 
farming  and  dealing  in  hard  wood  timber  and 
stock  raising.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Field  have  had 
five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  Their 
only  son,  Walter,  is  an  attorn ey-at-law  at  Vir- 
oqua.  Their  two  daughters  are:  Marietta,  wife 
of  L.  B.  T.  Winslow,  and  Ella  L.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Field  are  members  of  the  Free  Will  Bap- 
tist Church. 

James  Mutch  is  the  elder  of  five  brothers 
who  were  early  settlers  in  the  town  of  Hills- 
borough— John,  Robert,  William  and  Alexan- 
der are  the  other  four.  The  first  three  are  still 
residents  of  the  town.  James  Mutch  was  burn 
in  Scotland,  in  1826,  and  in  1850,  with  his 
brother  William,  emigrated  to  Ohio.  In  1853, 
William  came  to  Wisconsin  to  look  for  land  for 
the  two.  While  he  was  in  this  State,  James  re- 
turned to  Scotland,  and  was  there  married  to 
Jane  Tough.  William  had  bought  a  farm  of  a 
man  named  Fritchie,  in  the  town  of  Hillsbor- 
ough, Vernon  county,  and  in  1854,  James  and 
wife  came  direct  to  the  new  purchase.  Wil- 
liam lived  with  his  brother  and  family  for 
several  years,  and  then  purchased  .320  acres  of 
land  on  sections  1  and  12,  which,  with  some 
subsequent  additions,  comprises  the  farms  of 
the  two  brothers.  James  Mutch  is  a  man  high- 
ly esteemed  in  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 
He  is  liberal    in  his  support  of  Churches   and 


schools,  and,  although  not  a  member  of  that 
body,  assisted  most  liberally  in  erecting  the 
United  Brethern  church  of  the  village,  and  in 
supporting  it.  JNIr.  Mutch  and  wife  have  two 
children — William  and  Clarence.  William,  the 
other  brother,  married  Harriet  Bennett,  and 
nine  children  have  been  sent  to  bless  their  un- 
ion. He  is  also  a  prominent  and  well  known 
citizen  of  Hillsborough  town,  and  at  present  is 
on  a  visit  to  his  native  land  —"Bonnie  Scot- 
land." 

Henry  Haflich  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
1855.  He  was  born  in  Perry  town shijj.  Union 
Co.,  Penn.,  Nov.  7,  1818.  His  parents  were 
Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Yeller)  Hallioh,  both 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  removed  to 
Ohio  about  1824,  and  settled  in  Stark  county, 
where  they  remained  a  few  years,  then  removed 
to  Richland  county,  in  the  same  State,  where 
they  have  died  since  Henry  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Vernon  county.  Mr.  Haflich  was  mar- 
ried in  Richland  Co.,  Ohio,  to  Mary  B.  Miller, 
a  native  of  England.  In  1855,  he  came  to  Ver- 
non county,  and  entered  land  on  section  32,  of 
this  town,  where  he  has  since  resided.  This 
land  was  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  tim- 
ber, and  the  home  of  wild  animals.  Mr.  Haf- 
lich in  his  early  life  remembers  of  killing  ten 
bear  and  over  one  hundred  deer.  His  princi- 
pal meat  for  years  was  wild  game.  He 
worked  earnestly  and  sturdily  for  several 
years  to  clear  his  land,  and  now  rejoices  in  the 
possession  of  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the 
town,  well  supplied  with  good  farm  build- 
ings. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haflich  are  the  parents 
of  four  children — Elizabeth  M.  born  in  Sauk 
county,  Sept.  9,  1851;  Sarah  J.  born  in  Sauk 
county,  Aug.  2,  1853;  Jacob  Z.  born  in  Vernon 
county,  Oct.  14,  1857;  Alice  A.  born  in  Vernon 
county,  July  1  9,  1859. 

George  Lacy  is  a  well  known  farmer,  resid- 
ing on  section  3.  His  father  E.  Urial  Lacy, 
was  born  in  Ohio,  Jan.  1,  1794.  He  was  reared 
in  his  native  State,  and  was  there  married. 
About    1844,  he  emigrated  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis., 


574 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  there  bought  and  improved  a  farm.  In 
1846,  he  lost  his  wife,  and  ten  years  later  came 
to  Vernon  county.  He  purchased  a  farm  of 
Abncr  Dayton,  who  had  entered  the  land  from 
the  government.  This  farm  is  now  owned  by 
his  soil  Geoi'ge,  who  came  into  possession  in 
1805.  Mr.  Lacy  died  on  this  farm  March  19, 
18(57,  aged  seventy-three  years.  Ten  of  his 
children  reached  maturity — Esther,  Henry, 
Cynthia,  Emily,  Clarissa,  Laura,  Martha,  Har- 
rison, George  and  Orlin.  George,  the  ninth 
child  and  tliir'd  son  of  this  large  family,  was 
born  in  Loraine  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1842.  He  was 
but  a  small  child  when  his  parents  removed  to 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  1862,  lie  enlisted  from 
there  in  company  A,  23d  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry.  He  served  till  the  close 
of  the  fratricidal  struggle,  and  was  present  at 
the  following  engagements:  Chickasaw  Bayou, 
Miss.,  Arkansas  Post,  Ark.,  Cypress  Bend, 
Greenville,  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hills, 
Black  River  Bridge,  siege  and  capture  of  Vicks- 
burg,  siege  of  Spanish  Fort  and  Fort  Blakely. 
Since  the  war,  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming. 
Mr.  Lacy  married  Frances  Conley,  and  they 
have  two  children — Mary  L.  M.  and  Enno  II. 

Carl  Ludwig  came  to  Hillsborough  as  early  as 
1854  and  located  permanently  the  following 
year.  At  the  same  time  came  William  Link 
and  Julius  Hohfeldt.  Mr.  Ludwig  made  a 
claim  in  Mr.  Ivinks  name  of  160  acres  on  section 
.S6  and  this  land  was  divided  between  the  two, 
Mr.  Ludwig  receiving  one  hundred  acres  and 
Mr.  Link  sixty  acres.  Mr.  Ludwig  was  born  in 
Mulilhausen  Thueriengen,  Germany,  in  1831,  and 
came  to  the  LTnited  States  in  1851.  He  first 
stopped  in  Ohio  and  went  from  there  to  Dane 
Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  two  years  previ- 
ous to  coming  to  Vernon  county.  He  first  en- 
gaged in  farming  but  in  1858  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  beer  in  a  small  log  building. 
He  afterward  erected  the  present  brewery  and 
eoiiiinued  the  business  until  1874,  when  lie  sold 
to  the  present  proprietor.  He  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  trade  in   1876  and  has  since  contin- 


ued in  that  business.  Mr.  Ludwig  was  married 
in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  to  Rosina  Schuman,  a  native 
of  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ludwig  are  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  are 
living — one  son  and  eight  daughters. 

Erastus  Mitchell  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead on  section  33,  where  his  father,  Royal 
Mitchell,  located  in  1855,  purchasing  his  land 
of  the  government.  Royal  Mitchell  was  a  pio- 
neer settler  of  Hillsborough  town  and  well 
known  to  all  the  early  inhabitants.  He  was  born 
in  New  York  Oct.  14,  1805,  and  was  there  reared 
to  manhood.  He  married  Susan  Shear  and  subse- 
quently removed  to  Michigan,  locating  near  Jack- 
son. He  returned  to  New  York,  and  after  stop- 
ping a  while  in  Erie  county,  came  to  Dane  Co., 
Wis,  in  1852  and  in  1855  to  Vernon  county. 
Mrs.  Mitchell  died  Sept.  13,  1873,  and  her  hus- 
band followed  her  over  the  dark  river  on  March 
20,  1874.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  cliil- 
dren — Erastus  and  Ruth  Ann.  Erastus  was 
born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  16,  1836,  and 
now  resides  on  the  home  farm  of  120  acres.  He 
married  Amanda  Betts,  a  native  of  New  "i  ork. 
They  have  four  children — Harriet  A.,  born  in 
1860,  Erastus,  Jr.,  born  in  1865,  Susan  S.,  born 
in  1871,  and  Julia,  born  in  1876.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mitchell,  are  members  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist 
Church.  Mrs.  Mitchell's  father,  Charles  G. 
Betts,  came  from  Dane  county  to  Vernon  county 
with  his  family  in  1856.  He  located  on  a  gov- 
ei-iiraent  claim  on  section  10,  of  this  town, 
where  he  lived  till  bis  death  in  September,  1806. 
He  was  a  native  of  New  York.  His  wife  still 
survives  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead. 

William  F.  Salts  resides  on  section  24,  where 
he  owns  sixty  acres  and  also  owns  eighty  acres 
just  south  of  the  home  farm  on  section  25.  Mr. 
Salts  is  a  son  of  William  Salts,  who  was  born  in 
Duchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1790,  and  when  three 
years  of  age  removed  to  Columbia  county,  in 
the  same  State,  with  his  parents.  lie  there 
married  Reliance  Ticknor,  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts. They  removed  to  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1829,  where  Mrs.  Salts  died  Aug.  15,  1844.      In 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


575 


1854  he  removed  to  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.  Mr. 
Salts  then  resided  with  his  children  until  his 
death.  He  was  the  father  of  ten  children,  eight 
of  whom  are  living — Mary  J.,  widowed  wife  of 
Q.  A.  Shout,  who  died  in  Hillsborough  in  I  874; 
Angeline,  twice  married,  first  husljand  Levi 
Cooper,  present  husband  Irving  Thompson,  of 
Chippewa  Co.,  Wis.;  William  F.,  Benjamin,  Mi- 
lan P.,  Hannah,  wife  of  Thomas  Knowles,  Julia, 
wife  of  Henry  Brooks,  and  Elijah,  a  resident  of 
of  Chippewa  Co.,  Wis.  William  F.  Salts  was 
born  in  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  14,  182.'?. 
He  married  Hannali  Phillips,  who  died  Feb.  4, 
1862.  His  present  wife  was  Hannah  Bower,  a 
native  of  Germany.  Of  the  eight  children  born 
to  the  first  union,  only  three  are  living.  Mr. 
Salts  came  to  Vernon  county  in  the  spring  of 

1855  and  has  since  resided  here.  He  is  quite 
extensively  engaged  in  the  dairy  business. 

.  Isaac  Shear  resides  on  section  13,  where  he 
settled  in  1855.  Mr.  Shear  is  one  of  the  sev- 
eral brothers  of  that  name,  early  settlers  of  this 
town.  He  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  May, 
1823;  married  Eunice  Kibbie,  also  a  native  of 
that  State.  Mr.  Shear's  farm  contains 
eighty  acres,  forty  of  which  lie  bought  of  the 
government.  Mr  and  Mrs.  Shear  have  four 
children — Isaac,  George,  Lafayette  and  Mary 
Jane.  Mr.  Shear  came  from  Jefterson  county, 
this  State,  to  Vernon  county. 

L.  B.  T.  Winslow,  of  Hillsborough  village,  is  a 
son  of  Aaron  Winslow,  tlie  first  regular  physician 
in  Vernon  county.  Dr.  Winslow  was  born  at 
Falmouth,  Maine,  Jan.  31,  1810.  He  was  of 
English  descent  and  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Edward  Winslow,  the  first  governor  of  Ply- 
mouth colony,  whose  inhabitants  landed  at 
Plymouth  Rock  from  the  good  3Iuyflower,  in 
1621.  Dr.  Winslow  graduated  from  the  medi- 
cal department  of  Bowdoin  College  in  1839, 
and  was  first  located  for  practice  in  New 
Orleans,  and  subsequently  in  Alabama.  He 
was  a  strong  abolitionist,  and  never  hesitated 
to  express  his  sentiments  when  called  upon  to 
do  80.     Such  a  course   naturally   led  to  many 


petty  and  trifling  annoyances,  and  the  doctor 
accordingly  returned  to  Maine.  He  resided  at 
Monmouth  six  years  and  at  Brunswick  (both  in 
Maine),  a  longer  period.  In  1849  he  went  to 
California,  two  years  later  returned  to  Maine, 
and  in  1853  went  westward  to  Illinois.  In 
1855  he  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  located 
in  the  town  of  Greenwood,  and  imjiroved  a 
farm.  He  was  probably  the  only  regular  phy- 
sician in  Vernon  county  for  a  number  of  years. 
In  1872  he  established  himself  in  the  drug 
trade  at  Hillsborough  village,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,Loring  B.  T.,  in  1876.  He  died  March 
28,  1883.  Politically,  Dr.  Winslow  was  a 
whig  and  subsequently  a  republican,  casting 
his  last  two  votes  at  the  general  election  for 
prohibition.  He  was  a  careful  observer,  a  good 
talker,  and  frank  and  open  on  all  questions.  He 
was  not  a  member  of  any  religioii.s  denomina- 
tion, but  a  firm  believer  in  the  Bible,  as  the  re- 
vealed will  of  God.  Dr.  Winslow  was  married 
in  1839  to  Vienna  True,  also  a  native  of  Maine. 
At  his  death  he  left  a  widow  and  three  chil- 
dren— Frances,  wife  of  Adolphus  P.  Mallow; 
Edwin  M.,  in  Winnebago,  111.,  and  L.  B.  T. 
This  latter  son  was  born  at  Monmouth,  Maine, 
as  were  the  other  children.  On  Jan.  1,  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  company  I,  6th  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Infantry,  and  participated  in  many  seri- 
ous engagements,  witnessing  the  final  surrender 
of  Lee  at  Appomattox.  After  the  war  he  re- 
turned home,  and  engaged  in  farming  on  the 
old  homestead  in  the  town  of  Greenwood.  Mr. 
Winslow  was  married  in  1870  to  Marietta, 
daughter  of  Albert  Field,  of  Hillsborough.  Of 
their  four  children  three  are  living — Edwin, 
Vienna  and  Ella  Z.  The  eldest  son,  Albert,  is 
dead. 

Charles  G.  Belts  resides  on  section  16.  He 
is  the  son  of  Charles  G.  Betts,  Sr.,  who  settled 
government  land  on  section  10,  in  1S56.  Charles 
G.  Betts,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
came  with  his  family  to  the  eistern  part  of 
Wisconsin  several  years  previous  to  his  settle- 
ment in  Vernon   county.     lie   resided  till   his 


576 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


decease  on  the  farm  wliere  he  settled.  His 
death  occurred  in  September,  1866.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Samantha  Dor- 
leska  Roza.  She  still  occupies  the  homestead 
farm.  Charles  G.  Belts,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Cortland 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1839.  His  wife  was  Mary  Cor- 
nell.    They  have  four  children. 

Patrick  Maddin  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Hillsborou.Ejh.  He  settled  on  section  34,  April 
18,  1856,  where  he  still  lives.  He  purchased 
"his  farm,  160  acres,  of  the  government.  Mr. 
Maddin  was  born  in  county  Galway,  Ireland, 
Nov.  19,  1820.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
when  thirteen  years  of  age.  His  father,  John 
Maddin,  died  in  Ireland.  Mr.  M.addin  made 
several  trips  between  this  country  arid  Europe 
before  making  his  location  here.  Hefore  com- 
ing to  Wisconsin  he  lived  several  years  in  the 
eastern  States;  thence  to  Ohio,  where  he  lived 
eight  years  and  a  half.  He  married  .Mary  Holly, 
a  native  of  Ireland.  They  liave  seven  children 
living,  and  two  deceased.  Mr.  Maddin's  farm 
was  originally  heavily  timbered,  and  it  required 
many  years  of  constant  work  to  clenr  up  and 
improve  the  excellent  farm  that  .Mr.  ^Maddin 
now  possesses.  When  he  setth  d  here  m  the 
wilderness,  bear,  deer  and  other  wild  game 
were  abundant,  and  many  are  the  stories  lie 
can  tell  of  his  experience  with  these  wild  beasts 
of  the  forest.  Now  all  these  have  passed  away 
and  given  place  to  cultivated  farms  and  a  dense 
population. 

Augustus  Mohs  has  been  a  resident  of  Ver- 
n  on  county  since  1856.  He  was  born  in  Anlia't, 
Germany,  in  1828,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1852.  He  lived  two  years  in  New 
York  and  then  spent  a  like  period  in  Milwaukee 
and  Madison,  Wis.  In  1S56  he  came  to  Hills- 
borough and  worked  for  the  mill  company  for 
two  years.  In  1858  he  bought  a  farm  in  the 
town  of  Forest,  and  after  farming  for  several 
years  returned  to  Hillsborough  in  1865  and  en- 
gaged in  the  saloon  business.  He  sold  out  in 
1867  ami  was  a  farmer  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wood until  1874.     Of  late  years  he  has  been  en-  '< 


gaged  in  mei-cantile  pursuits.  Mr.  Mohs  was 
married  in  1874  to  Mrs.  Sophia  (Busse)  Lind, 
widowed  wife  of  C.  L.  Lind.  They  have  two 
children — I<la  and  Freddie.  Mrs.  Mohs  had 
four  children  by  her  former  marriage. 

Milan  Salts  resides  on  section  25,  on  a  farm 
which  he  entered  in  1856.  He  was  born  in  Col- 
umbia Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  April,  1827;  came  to  Jef- 
ferson Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  spring  of  1845,  but  re- 
turned the  following  year  to  New  York.  He 
married  Janet  Mitchell,  a  daughter  of  Knowl- 
ton  Mitchell,  who  settled  in  Vernon  county  in 
the  spring  of  1856.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Salts  have 
ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters.  His 
I  arm  contains  120  acres.  Mr.  S.alts  went  over- 
land to  California  from  New  York  in  1852;  was 
absent  two  and  one  half  years. 

Henry,  son  of  Jacob  and  Augusta  Lind,  pio- 
neers of  Vernon  county,  was  born  in  Germany 
ill  1834.  He  attended  sciiool  there  until  four- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  engaged  in  teaming 
in  West  Baden,  Germany.  At  seventeen  years 
of  ugc  he,  in  company  with  his  parents,  left  his 
native  land  and  came  to  America.  They  landed 
at  New  York  city  and  came  directly  to  Wis- 
consin, settling  in  Washington  county.  He 
was  there  married  in  February,  1857,  to  Mary 
Coe,  born  in  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  June  fol- 
lowing he  came  to  Vernon  county  and  pur- 
chased timber  land,  on  section  12,  town  13, 
range  1  east,  and  commenced  to  improve  a 
farm.  He  has  built  a  good  log  house,  to  which 
he  has  made  a  frame  addition.  In  1882  he 
Imilt  a  frame  barn,  30x40  feet,  with  a  stone 
basement.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lind  have  five  chil- 
dren— Lorinda,  Matilda,  Ida,  Arthur  and 
Charles. 

Hon.  Thomas  J.  Shear  is  one  of  the  promi- 
nent merchants  of  Hillsborough  village.  He 
was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y  ,  in  1836.  His  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  common  schools  and 
later  at  the  Springville  Academy.  When  about 
eighteen  years  of  age  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school  and  came  to  Vernon  county  in  the 
spring     of     1858     and    located     permanently 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


511 


in  Hillsborougli  in  the  spring  of  1859. 
He  taught  the  village  school  for  several 
winter  terms  and  finally  bought  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 24.  On  Feb.  23,  1865,  he  enlisted  in  the 
47th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry, 
but  ill  health  prevented  him  from  doing  active 
service.  In  the  summer  of  1865  he  was  clerk  of 
a  military  court  in  the  State  of  Tennessee.  In 
1867  he  was  elected  to  the  position  of  sui^erin- 
tcndent  of  schools  of  Vernon  countj',  and 
served  two  years.  On  Oct.  1,  1870,  Mr.  Shear 
engaged  in  mercantile  trade  in  the  village  of 
Hillsborough,  and  the  present  firm  of  Shear  & 
Mitcher  was  formed  in  September,  1882.  Mr. 
Shear  has  been  postmaster  of  the  village  since 
1871,  and  was  town  clerk  for  many  years.  He 
is  the  present  chairman  of  the  town  board.  Mr. 
Shear  was  elected  to  the  Wisconsin  House  of 
Representatives  in  the  fall  of  1881,  and  served 
one  term.  Mr.  Shear  married  Emergen  e 
Woodbury,  also  a  native  of  New  York  They 
have  four  children — Helen,  Myrtle,  W^esley  and 
Byron,  the  three  latter  natives  of  Wisconsin. 
Mr.  Shear's  father  died  in  New  York  and  his 
mother  made  her  home  with  her  son  until  her 
deathi 

Charles  Beal  was  born  April  7,  1823,  in  Ichal- 
sham  parish,  county  Sussex,  England.  He  came 
to  America  when  eighteen  years  of  age  and  set- 
tled at  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  there  engaged  in 
farming  and  tanning.  Charlotte  Buss  came 
over  the  same  year  from  England  and  settled 
in  Waterville,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  Charlotte 
Buss  was  married  to  Charles  Beal  in  New  York 
State,  Oneida  Co.,  in  November,  1846.  The 
family  consists  of  four  daughters,  two  eldest 
daughters  deceased;  the  two  living  are:  Char- 
lotte, the  wife  of  Charles  Fowler,  and  Ade- 
laide. John  Beal,  the  father  of  Charles  Beal, 
came  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1848.  Ile'married  his 
last  wife  when  he  was  eighty  years  of  age,  and 
died  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  when  he  was  ninety  years 
old.  Charles  Beal  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1851, 
locating  in  Dodge  Co.,  afterwards  in  Sauk 
county.     In  1859  he  came  to  the  town  of  Hills- 


borough, Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  located  on  sec- 
tion 3,  where  he  now  resides,  and  owns  eighty 
acres  of  land.  He  purchased  his  farm  of  Thomas 
Linden  in  1859.  Charles  Beal  enlisted  in  the 
49th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

Peter  Shear  is  one  of  several  brothers  who 
are  among  the  earlier  settlers  of  this  town. 
He  came  here  in  1859,  and  engaged  with  bis 
brothers  in  the  manufacture  of  baskets  at  Hills- 
borough. His  father,  Isaac  Shear,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Shear  has  been  twice 
married  ;  his  first  wife,  Ellen  Warnei',  died  in 
New  York.  He  has  six  children,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters. 

Carlos  F.  Waterman  resides  on  section  2. 
His  settlement  dates  from  the  year  1859  He 
was  born  in  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  in  1826,  where 
he  lived  till  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he 
went  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  located  at 
Stoughton  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  came 
here  as  stated  in  1859;  bought  forty  acres  of 
his  farm  of  H.  Seaman,  and  eighty  acres  of 
Marshall  Southwick.  He  resides  on  the  eighty 
acres.  He  was  married  in  Vermont,  to  Maria 
Everett.  His  father,  John  Waterman,  died 
when  his  son  was  but  one  year  old.  His 
mother,  Melinda  ( Knapp )  Waterman,  died  a 
year  later.  Mr.  Waterman  is  the  only  member 
of  his  father's  family  who  settled  in  Vernon 
county.  His  parents  had  nine  children,  seven 
of  whom  settled  in  Wisconsin.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Waterman  have  two  children — Ida, 
wife  of  Elliott  Wyman,  and  Fred,  at 
home.  The  children  were  born  in  Dane  Co., 
Wis.  Mr.  Waterman's  present  farm  contains 
100  acres. 

John  Wesley  Allen  settled  in  the  town  of 
Hillsborough,  on  section  28,  in  1860.  He 
located  on  section  14,  in  1877,  on  a  farm  which 
he  bought  of  John  M.  Bennett.  He  died  Aug. 
31,  1881.  Mr.  Allen  was  born  in  Herjcimer  Co., 
N.  Y.,  January,  1819.  He  was  reared  in  his 
native  State  ;  married  Lavina  Boyer,  who  was 
born  in  the  same  county.     They  came  to  JefFer- 


578 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


son  Co.,  Wis.,  where  they  resided  several  years 
before  settling  in  Vernon  county.  Mr.  Allen 
was  one  of  the  well  known  citizens  of  Vernon 
county.  He  occupied  the  office  of  county 
treasurer  two  terms.  His  widow  still  resides 
at  the  homestead.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  had 
thirteen  children,  three  sons  and  ten  daughters; 
nine  of  the  children  are  still  living.  Their 
two  sons,  Thomas  J.  and  Ethan  A.  reside  on 
the  old  homestead.  The  former  was  born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  185G  ;  married  Alice 
Sheldon,  daughter  of  George  W.  Sheldon,  of 
this  county.  They  have  one  son — Clyde. 
Ethan  A.  was  born  in  the  town  of  Hills- 
borough, in  1864.  The  homestead  farm  now 
owned  by  Thomas  J.  and  Etlian  A.  contains 
185  acres. 

William  Conway  has  lived  in  Hillsborough 
town  for  about  nineteen  years.  He  was  born 
in  county  Tipperary,  Ireland,  in  March,  1810, 
and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1848. 
In  1861  he  came  to  Vernon  county  and  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  William  P.  Frost, 
who  occupied  tlie  farm  for  several  years,  and 
made  some  improvements.  This  farm  lies  on 
section  .S4.  Mr.  Conway  married  JoliaTina 
Gorman,  and  they  have  had  eight  children.  Of 
these,  only  four  are  living — Pal  rick,  who 
resides  on  a  farm  adjoining  his  father,  John 
G.,  who  has  admirably  fitted  himself  for  a  pro- 
fessional career,  Ellen  and  Mary.  The  deceased 
children  died  in  infancy. 

David  Johnson  resides  on  section  25  in  the 
town  of  Hillsborough,  where  he  settled  in  Jan- 
uary, ]  805.  This  land  was  entered  by  .Joseph 
Kimball  who  left  it  to  his  son,  Daniel,  and  he 
sold  it  to  J.  F.  Teeter,  from  whom  Mr.  Johnson 
purchased.  He  now  owns  a  well  improved  farm 
with  good  buildings.  David  Johnson  was  born 
in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1818,  and  lived  there  till 
he  came  to  Vernon  county.  His  father  was 
Kendall  Johnson,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
a  descendent  of  the  Puritan  Pilgrims,  of  1620, 
but  he  never  lived  in  Vernon  county.  David 
Johnson  married   Nancy  Quinn,  a  native  of  Ire- 


land, of  the  county  of  Antrim,  and  eight  chil- 
dren have  been  given  them,  all  having  been 
born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y. — Mary,  (who  died  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years)  John  Q.,  Luther, 
Sarah,  Charles  A.,  a  teacher  by  profession,  who 
received  an  academic  education  at  Elroy,  Wis., 
I  and  is  now  teaching  in  Chippewa  Co.,  Wis., 
William  V.,  Alice  A.,  and  Andrew  L.,  who  have 
all  grown  up  to  manhood  and  womanhood. 

Hon.  Roger  Williams  is  proprietor  of  the  res- 
taurant at  Hillsborough  village.  He  was  born 
at  Oswego,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  21,  1836, 
and  is  a  son  of  Watson  Williams.  When  four- 
teen years  of  age  he  shipped  on  board  a  mer- 
chantman, and  took  a  two  years  cruise.  He 
subsequently  followed  the  lakes  for  some  years, 
and  for  three  years  previous  to  the  war,  was  en- 
g.aged  in  the  grocery  trade.  When  the  civil 
war  commenced,  he  enlisted  in  the  110th  regi- 
ment. New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served 
about  eighteen  months.  He  was  discharged 
from  the  Marine  hospital,  at  New  Orleans,  on 
account  of  disability.  In  August,  1865,  he  came 
to  Hillsborough  town  and  purchased  a  partially 
improved  farm  on  section  29,  where  he  settled 
the  following  October.  He  still  owns  this 
farm  of  120  acres,  seventy-five  acres  of  which 
are  under  cultivation.  In  the  spring  of  188.3, 
Mr.  Williams  removed  into  the  village,  and 
engaged  in  his  present  business.  Mr.  Williams 
was  married,  before  the  war,  to  Ellen  M.,  daugh- 
ter of  Philand  Madison,  who  settled  in  this  town 
about  1863,  but  is  now  deceased.  They  have 
two  children — Ella  R.  and  George  A.  Mr. 
Williams  has  served  as  clerk  of  his  school  dis- 
trict; was  chairman  of  the  town  board,  for  ten 
years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1819,  was  elected  to  the 
State  Legislature  from  this  district. 

Fred  Schnell  is  the  owner  of  the  Hillsbor- 
ough brewefy.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  in 
1849,  and  in  1866,  came  to  the  United  States, 
and  here  learned  the  brewing  trade.  He  came 
to  Vernon  county  in  1866,  and  in  IS'Ty,  bought 
of  Carl  Ludwig,  his  present  brewery,  and  has 
since  conducted  the  business.     He  has  also  en- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


579 


gaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  since  1877. 
The  main  building  of  tlie  brewery  is  a  stone 
basement  with  frame  superstructure,  about 
35x40  feet  in  size.  An  addition  is  of  frame 
20x40  feet  in  size.  The  dimensions  of  the  ice 
house  are  24x32  feet.  The  brewery  has  a  ca- 
pacity of  1500  barrels  annually,  and  in  1882,  Mr. 
Schnell  manufactured  1300  barrels. 

Francis  I.  Pinch,  physician  and  surgeon,  lo- 
cated in  the  town  of  Hillsborough,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1860.  He  was  born  at  Springvale,  Fond  du 
Lac  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855,  and  in  early  life  at- 
tended the  common  schools.  He  subsequently 
entered  Ripoii  College,  where  he  obtained  a 
good  classical  education.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  at  Ripon,  in  1877,  with  Dr. 
F.  Conger  as  liis  preceptor,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  in 


the  spring  of  1880.  Dr.  Pinch  is  a  young  man 
of  promise,  and  during  his  three  years  resi- 
dence here  has  gained  the  esteem  and  respect 
of  the  community,  and  a  comfortable  practice, 
both  of  which  are  essential  to  success. 

C.  H.  Morris,  physician  and  surgeon,  located 
in  the  village  of  Hillsborough,  in  January,  1883. 
Dr.  Morris  is  a  native  of  Rush  Co.,  Ind.,  and 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  1875.  He 
graduated  after  a  two  years  course  at  the  Medi- 
cal College  of  Indiana,  in  1880.  After  two 
years  of  practice  in  Indiana,  he  came  to  this 
State.  Dr.  Morris  is  a  man  of  fine  education 
and  well  versed  in  the  profession  which  he  has 
made  a  life  work.  He  has  made  many  friends 
in  his  new  home,  and  is  rapidly  building  up  a 
large  and  substantial  practice. 


oSi) 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPl'i:LK      XLI 


THE  TOWN  OF  JEFFERSON. 


Jeflferson  is  located  in  range  5,  and  embraces 
congressional  town  13,  and  twelve  sections 
of  town  12,  and  therefore  lias  an  area  of 
about  30,720  acres.  Coon  town  is  on  its  north 
border,  Viroqua  and  Franklin  towns  on  its  east, 
Franklin  and  Sterling  towns  on  its  south,  and 
Harmony  and  Sterling  towns  on  its  western 
border.  One  branch  of  the  Bad  Ax  river  takes 
its  rise  in  the  northern  part  of  this  town. 
Thei'o  is  perhaps  more  than  the  average  amount 
of  farm  land  in  this  town.  The  soil  is  of  the 
very  best  in  the  county,  and  great  care  has 
been  taken  by  the  settlers  to  cultivate  their 
lands  in  a  proper  manner  and  as  a  direct  result, 
the  town  has  more  well  tilled,  highly  improved 
farms  than  almost  any  other  town  within  the 
county.  There  are  many  very  large  beautifully 
designed  farm  houses  throughout  this  town,  a 
large  number  of  which  are  surrounded  by  large 
thrifty  pine  trees,  the  dark  green  foliage  of 
which  is  a  perpetual  beauty,  which  is  even 
increased  in  mid-winter,  when  the  common 
forest  trees  are  leafless. 

EARLY  SETTLERS. 

The  first  settlement  of  this  town  was  made 
by  John  Graham,  in  July,  1846,  who,  in 
company  witii  his  three  sons,  Thomas,  Baker 
and  Lamech  settled  on  section  23,  town  13, 
range  5.  They  moved  from  Mercer  Co.,  111., 
with  four  yoke  of  oxen.  Tliey  left  Illinois  in 
the  montii  of  April  and  came  as  tar  as  Grant 
county,  this  State,  where  the  family  halted, 
while  Mr.  Graham  and  Jefferson  De  Freese 
came  on  to  Vernon  county  in  search  of  lands 
suitable  to  make  homes.     At  that  date  the  only 


settlers  in  Vernon  county  were  Messrs.  Rice 
and  McCol lough.  They  found  lands  adapted 
to  their  wants  and  soon  returned  to  Grant 
county  for  the  family,  and  were  soon  settled, 
after  a  fashion.  In  their  new  frontier  home. 
Mr.  Graham  and  his  sons  erected  a  rude  log 
cabin  and  resided  there  "  monarchs  of  all  they 
surveyed,"  until  that  fall,  when  they  were 
joined  by  William  McMichael  and  family.  Mrs. 
McMichael  was  a  daughter  of  John  Graliam. 
Mr.  Graham  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  with 
his  parents  moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  learned 
the  trade  of  millwright.  He  married  a  Miss 
Lyons,  who  died  leaving  four  children,  two  sons 
and  two  daughters.  He  subsequently  married 
Miss  Reasoner  and  moved  to  Grant  Co.,  Ind., 
where  he  built  a  mill  and  operated  it  till  184C, 
when  he  removed  to  Illinois.  His  wife  died, 
leaving  him  nine  children  to  care  for.  Six  of 
these  children  were  living  in  1884 — !'>aker, 
Lamech,  Mary,  Jefferson,  Casandrew  and 
Vallie.  After  coming  to  Vernon  county,  Mr. 
Graham  married  Mrs.  Mary  Crawford,  uho.«e 
maiden  name  was  McMichael.  By  this  union 
there  were  two  children.  Mr.  Graham  erected 
the  first  mill  in  Vernon  county  ;  he  also  laid 
out  the  village  of  Springville.  He  died  in 
1802. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  those  who 
settled  in  the  town  previous  to  1850  :  John 
Graham  and  his  sons  Lamech,  Thomas  nnd 
Baker,  who  came  in  July,  184fi  ;  William  Mc- 
Michael, Isaac  Spencer,  Edmond  Strong, 
Charles  Waters,  Isaac  Waters,  Henry  Waters, 
William   Spencer,  Edward   Cox,   Daniel    Cox, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


581 


Charles  Cox,  Samuel  Brice,  Jolin  Flick  and 
sons,  Clement  Spaulding,  Clayborn  Cheatham, 
D.  Cheatham,  Dr.  J.  H.  Sudduth  and  Nicholas 
Murphy . 

The  Waters  family,  who  came  in  1858  or 
1859,  were  the  children  of  Isaac  and  Abigal 
(Clark)  Waters,  natives  of  Connecticut,  who 
reared  eight  children,  four  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter of  whom  were  pioneers  of  Vernon  county. 
The  first  to  come  was  Charles,  who  came  on 
at  the  i^ame  tim  e  William  Spencer  did  and 
finally  married  his  daughter — Mary  J.  Charles 
followed  farming  and  the  nursury  business  in 
the  town  of  Jefferson  for  many  years,  but  final- 
ly moved  to  Grant  county  and  later  to  Iowa. 

Henry  Waters  came  previous  to  1850.  He 
farmed  and  run  a  store  at  Springville  for  a  time; 
but  in  1884  was  living  at  Fort  Kearney,  Neb. 
Isaac  Waters,  who  was  an  unmarried  man  at 
the  time  of  his  coming  to  the  county,  soon  after 
mairied  Martha  Price.  He  remained  about  ten 
years  and  moved  to  Minnesota. 

Clark  Waters  was  the  last  to  come  to  the 
the  county  and  settled  on  section  24.  Here- 
sides  there  still. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1S54  was  Isaac  Williams, 
who  settled  on  land  afterward  owned  by  Col. 
May. 

In  1855  William  Smith  became  a  resident  of 
the  town  of  Jefferson  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year  became  associated  with  Seth  Hamilton  in 
the  blaoksmithing  business.  In  the  spring  of 
1856  Mr.  Smith  went  on  the  Mississippi  river  to 
work,  spending  two  years  there.  He  then 
moved  to  La  Crosse,  where  he  lived  till  1860 
and  then  returned  to  Springville  and  resumed 
work  at  his  trade,  continuing  until  1875,  since 
which  time  he  has  given  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing. He  came  west  in  1855  by  railroad  as  far 
as  Madison,  this  State,  and  soon  after  wended 
his  way  overland  to  Vernon  county,  where  his 
brother,  I.  W.  Smith,  had  previously  located. 
In  1859  he  married  Louise  Kowe,  who 
bore  him  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are 


living Sarah,      Clarence,       Willie,      James, 

George,  Earl  and  Bessie. 

Among  other  settlers  of  an  early  date  was 
Nathan  J.  Slack,  who  settled  on  section  30, 
town  12,  range  5,  in  1858.  He  first  located 
at  Liberty  Pole  in  1856.  In  1884  he  was 
counted  among  the  wealthiest  farmers  of  the 
town,  owning  440  acres  of  well  improved  farm 
lands  in  this  town  and  240  acres  on  the  Bad  Ax. 
His  wife  was  Adeline  Rogers,  daughter  of  Hi- 
ram Rogers  She  was  born  in  New  York,  in 
1836.  They  have  two  children — Carrie  and 
Charles. 

John  Flick  and  family,  who  were  quite  early  set- 
tlers, lived  near  where  Lamech  Graham  after- 
ward lived.  They  remained  where  they  first  set- 
tled till  the  time  of  his  death,  Christmas  day, 
1865.  His  remains  lie  buried  on  the  hill  just  north 
of  the  Eureka  Mills.  Mr.  Flick  followed  farming 
and  stone  quarrying;  also  burned  lime.  In 
1884  the  family  were  scattered,  some  in  one 
State,  some  in  another.  The  widow  was  then 
living  in  Minnesota. 

FIRST    THINGS. 

The  first  occurrences  in  the  settlement  of  a 
country  are  ever  of  interest  to  the  reader  of 
local  history;  and  below  is  a  I'ecord  of  many  of 
the  first  events  which  transpired  in  the  town  of 
Jefferson : 

The  first  settler  was  John  Graham,  who  came 
in  1846. 

The  first  marriage  was  Solomon  Flick  and 
Mary  Graham,  which  took  place  in  1850  or 
1851. 

The  first  death  in  the  town,  also  in  the  county, 
was  William  Lewis  McMichael,  son  of  William 
and  Eleanor  McMichael.  This  occurred  in  1846. 
His  remains  were  first  buried  east  of  Viroqua, 
but  later  were  removed  to  Springville  cemetery. 

The  next  death  was  Thomas,  son  of  John 
Graham,  who  died  in  the  winter  of  ]  847-8,  and 
was  the  first  body  interred  in  the  Springville 
cemetery. 

The  first  blacksmith  shop  was  operated  as 
early  as  1848. 


582 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


William  Smith  burned  the  first  stone  coal 
used  in  the  town,  in  1860.  It  was  purchased 
in  Milwaukee  and  used  in  his  blacksmith  shop. 
Before  this  date  charcoal  had  been  exclusively 
used  for  iron  work. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Henry  Waters 
in  1849. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  in  1850,  and 
was  located  just  north  of  Springville. 

ORGANIC. 

This  town  was  organized  in  1855,  and  was 
named  in  honor  of  Thomas  Jefferson.  The 
early  records  are  very  incomplete,  and  the  only 
facts  relating  to  its  early  liistory  is  that  the 
first  supervisors  were:  Isaac  Spencer,  Charles 
Waters  and  James  Marker;  and  N.  W.  Saxton, 
town  clerk. 

In  1856  the  supervisors  were:  .J.  R.  Savage, 
James  Marker  and  William  Evans;  Julius 
Rowell,  town  clerk. 

In  188.3  the  town  officers  were:  M.  Saxon, 
chairman;  E.  P.  Thompson  and  M.  Hovelind, 
supervisors;  Joseph  McLeese,  clerk;  Michael 
Rentz,  treasurer;  I  W.  Thorp  and  E.  Tigue, 
justices  of  the  peace;  Isaac  Groves,  assessor. 

POSTOFFICES. 

In  1884  the  town  of  Jefferson  had  two  post- 
offices  within  its  borders.  The  first  postoffice 
established  in  the  town  was  at  Springville,  in 
1849.  The  mail  was  received  from  Prairie  du 
Chien  twice  a  week.  Edmond  Strang  was  the 
first  postmaster.  Among  the  postmasters  have 
been:  James  Savage  and  P.  Buffler.  The  lat- 
ter was  serving  in  1883. 

The  first  postmaster  of  Esofea  postoffice  was 
Edwin  Larson.  This  office  continued  only  a  few 
years.  In  1870  it  was  again  established  and  M. 
Rentz  made  postmaster.  He  in  time  was  suc- 
ceeded by  A.  K.  Strand,  and  he  by  Nels  John- 
son,  who  was   followed  by  Christian  Schriven. 

The  first  goods  sold  at  or  near  this  postoffice 
were  by  Edwin  Larson,  who,  after  two  years,  was 
followed  by  A.  K.  Strand,  who  engaged  in  trade 
about  1873,  and  continued  till  1880,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Christian  Schriven.     In  1884 


the    place   had   a  store,   a   blacksmith   shop,  a 
shoe  shop  and  a  tannery. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

Educational  matters  in  the  town  of  Jefferson 
have  ever  been  watched  and  cared  for,  even 
from  the  early  pioneer  days,  with  the  greatest 
prudence  and  wisdom.  None  but  the  best 
teachers  have  been  engaged  to  teach  the  schools. 
In  1884  the  town  contained  six  districts  proper 
and  four  joint  districts,  each  of  which  were 
provided  with  a  fair  school  building. 

Joint  school  district  No.  1  owns  a  frame 
school  building  on  section  23,  erected  about 
twenty-five  years  ago. 

District  No.  2  has  a  frame  house  on  section 
15,  which  is  about  twenty  years  old. 

District  No  3  possesses  a  frame  building  on 
section  3,  built  about  1808. 

Joint  district  No.  5  owns  a  frame  building 
on  section  1. 

Joint  district  No.  6  owns  a  very  old  frame 
house  on  section  6. 

District  No.  7  erected  a  frame  house  on  sec- 
tion 34,  about  1868. 

District  No.  8  erected  a  substantial  frame 
structure  on  section  16  in  1878. 

District  No.  9  possesses  a  good  frame  build- 
ing on  section  31,  put  up  about  1875. 

.Joint  district  No.  10  erected  in  the  autumn 
of  1883  a  neat  frame  school  house  on  section  8, 
of  town  12  north,  of  range  5  west. 

District  No.  14  owns  a  very  old  frame  struc- 
ture on  section  36. 

All  of  the  school  buildings  are  in  town  13 
north,  of  range  5  west,  with  the  exception  of 
joint  district  No.  10. 

KELIGIOUS   OEGANIZATIONS. 

Tiie  first  heralds  of  the  Cross  in  this  vicinity 
were  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomina- 
tion. The  first  services  were  held  in  1850,  by 
Rev.  Perdun,  at  the  house  of  Isaac  Spencer. 

The  United  Brethren  organized  a  society  in 
1859,  at  which  date  Rev.  Mr.  Smith  officiated 
as  preacher.  Among  tlie  first  member  were  : 
L.  J.  Wood  and  wife,  J.  Brown  and    wife,  Sam- 


h''-^ 


p^/^'i.-.i 


^r^Jyie^/ 


C/ ^'^^^^^L^'-^^l^c^  ^^A^iuQcM^ 


HISTORY  OF  VEKNON  COUNTY. 


585 


uel  Powell  and  wife,  and  N.  A.  Sackett  and 
wife.  In  1883,  owing  to  various  causes,  the 
society  was  about  discontinued. 

The  Advent  Christian  Church  was  organized 
in  the  summer  of  1869.  Services  were  held  at 
the  Springville  school  house,  where  Rev.  Hig- 
gins  preached  at  intervals,  until  1879,  when 
Rev.  George  Turner  came  to  Springville  and 
organized  a  Church  consisting  of  the  following 
members:  Catharine  Hamilton,  Daniel  Favors, 
Aurilla  Morse,  William  Morse,  A.  Van  Dyke, 
Rebecca  Van  Dyke,  Celestia  Chandler,  Cassie 
Wills,  James  Brooks  and  Jennie  Savage.  Rev. 
Turner  was  succeeded  by  Peter  W.  Hough  dur- 
ing whose  stay  in  1871,  the  society  erected  their 
c'hurcli  edifice,wliich  cost  $1200.  Following  Rev. 
Peter  W.  Hough,  came  Rev.  Job  Brown,  who 
was  followed  by  Charles  A.  Slocum,  who  served 
ti>e  Church  till  1883,  at  which  time  they  had  a 
membership  of  about  forty.  They  have  always 
supported  a  live  Sunday  school,  which  has  been 
I'cgularly  and  largely  attended. 

Among  the  earliest  Congregationalist  minis- 
ters of  Vernon  county  was  Rev.  L.  L.  RatcliflF, 
who  preached  at  various  places  throughout  the 
county  in  1854. 

MILLS. 

The  first  mill  built  in  the  town  was  erected 
in  1848,  by  John  Graham.  This  mill  was  loca- 
ted on  section  23,  and  was  operated  by  water 
power  from  Had  Ax  river.  It  was  24x30  feet 
square  and  three  stories  high  ;  it  was  provided 
with  two  run  of  buhrs.  It  was  run  by  Mr.  Gra- 
ham and  his  sons,  for  six  or  seven  years,  when 
they  took  it  down  and  built  a  new  one  about  a 
hundred  yards  down  the  stream.  This  mill  was 
built  by  John  Graham  and  his  son  Lameh,  and 
was  a  very  good  mill.  It  was  40x40  feet  square, 
three  stories  in  height,  and  contained  three  run 
of  stone. 

Lambert  Graham  run  this  mill  till  1S68,  when 
he  sold  toDelevan  Kief.  It  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  Dec.  31,  1868. 

In  1869  the  Eureka  Mills  at  Springville,  were 
built  by  Alfred  Glassborn  and  Lamech  Gniham, 


and  was  operated  by  them  till  1878,  when  John 
S.  Dixson  was  made  a  member  of  the  company. 
This  mill  was  40x40  feet,  built  of  stone  and 
cost  S9,000.  In  1881  this  mill  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  when  it  was  rebuilt,  this  time  being  run 
by  steam  power. 

Ira  Wissell  erected  a  grist  mill  in  1855,  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  9,  town  12, 
range  5.  He  soon  sold  out ;  but  the  mill  was 
run  by  other  parties  for  about  ten  years,  when 
the  machinery  was  removed  elsewhere. 

Another  saw  mill  was  put  in  operation  at  a 
very  early  day,  probably  about  1852,  by  Daniel 
Cox.  It  was  situated  on  section  4,  town  13,  range 
5,  and  was  run  for  two  years  until  Mr.  Cox  died 
of  the  small  pox.  His  widow  sold  the  mill  in 
1854,  to  N.  W.  Saxton,  who  operated  it  for  sev- 
eral years,  sold  to  Alexander  McConnell,  after 
which  it  passed  through  several  men's  hands, 
and  at  last  was  washed  down  stream. 

A  steam  saw  mill  was  erected  in  1865  by  W. 
H.  Officer,  .at  Springville,  and  operated  at  that 
[mint  fnr  two  years,  when  he  sold  to  parlies  up 
in  the  pineries. 

VILLAGE  or  SPRINGVILLE. 

This  village  is  situated  on  section  2::,  town 
13,  range  5,  on  a  branch  of  the  Bad  Ax 
river.  Some  time  before  1850,  Dr.  J.  H.  Sud- 
duth,  a  practicing  physician,  and  NiclicLas 
Murphy  his  son-in-law,  who  was  a  carjsenter  by 
trade,  located  where  this  place  now  stands. 
The  first  goods  sold  at  this  point  were  handled 
by  a  Mr.  Wright.  N.  D.  Legard,  of  Sparta, 
and  A.  C.  Delap,  also  were  among  the  early 
dealers. 

The  first  regular  store  was  operated  by  James 
R.  Savage,  who  continued  several  years. 

Berry  &  Graham  were  also  early  dealers. 

Bartolf  &  Conant  engaged  in  trade  in  1858. 
Shortly  after  Mr.  Conant  withdrew  and  Mr. 
Bartolf  continued  alone  until  October,  1864, 
when  he  sold  to  Philip  Bouffleur,  who  was  still 
in  trade  in  1884,  at  which  date  his  sales  were 
about  $30,000  annunlly.  In  Se))teniber,  1883, 
he  sold   a   half  interest  iu    his    business  to  H. 


34 


586 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON   COUNTY. 


Amunson,  when  the  firm  iiame  was  changed  to 
H.  Amunson  &  Co. 

L.  N.  Shaw  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  in 
1880. 

The  Springville  hotel  was  built  by  Philip 
Bouffleur,  in  1S60.  He  sold  to  Thomas  Buch- 
annan  and  he  to  L.  G.  P.  Adams,  in  186ti.  In 
1811  he  sold  to  E.  N.  Shaw,  who  was  its  pro- 
prietor in  1884. 

In  1883  the  business  of  the  place  was  repre- 
sented as  follows  : 

Lewis  Shaw,  groceries,  also  the  proprietor  of 
the  Springville  House ;  H.  Amunson  &  Co., 
general  dealers;  Isaac  Hamilton,  harness 
maker  ;  Trumin  Kendall  and  H.  W.  Jackson, 
blacksmiths. 

VARIOUS  MANUFACTORIES. 

In  188.3  the  town  of  Jefferson  supported  the 
following  branches  of  manufacturing  industry: 
tannery  ;  broom  factory  ;  harness  and  shoe 
shops  ;  furniture  factory  and  an  extensive 
sorghum  mill.  The  tannery  was  erected  in 
187-',  by  Michael  Rentz,  at  Esofea,  and  has 
always  done  a  large  business  in  the  production 
of  upper  leather,  lining,  mitten  leather,  etc. 

A  broom  factory  was  put  in  operation  by  J. 
M.  Goldrick,  who  had  the  great  misfortune  of 
losing  his  eyesight  in  1862,  and  as  he  did  not 
recover,  he  was  sent  to  the  Blind  Institute  at 
Janesville,  where  in  the  course  of  five  weeks 
he  learned  to  make  brooms,  and  since  that  time 
has  done  a  good  business  in  that  line. 

In  1854  E.  C  Officer  commenced  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture  at  Springville,  which  he 
followed  about  tliree  years.  This  was  the  only 
attempt  ever  made  in  this  line  of  business. 

Among  the  earliest  shoemakers  of  the  town 
were  Philip  Bouffleur  and  Enoch  Brooks. 

The  first  one  to  engage  in  the  liarness  busi- 
ness was  William  Bouflleur,  who  opened  a 
shop  in  1875,  at  first  using  the  rear  of  his 
father's  store  for  a  shop.  In  the  spring  of 
1880,  he  erected  a  shop  and  continued  in  busi- 
ness till  1883,  when  he  sold  to  Isaac  Hamilton, 
who  learned  his  trade  of  Mr.    BoufHeur.     This 


is  the  only    harness  shop  in  the  town  of  Jeffer- ' 
son. 

In  1857  I.  F.  Thorp  and  Archibald  Morrison 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fanning  mills, 
in  which  they  continued  but  a  part  of  the  year. 
John  M.  Goldrick  had  been  in  the  same  busi- 
ness in  the  town  as  early  as  1855. 

This  town  supports  a  very  important  branch 
of  farm  industry  in  the  way  of  a    Sugar   Cane 
manufactory,  which    was    commenced  in   1863. 
In  18G5  William  Frazier  began   to  grow   cane 
on  an  extensive    plan    and  continued   the  same 
till    !s73,    making   from    800    to    1,000   gallons 
annually,  by  tlie  use  of  a  two  horse  power  mill. 
In  1880  he  again  resumed    the    business,  and  in 
1883,  commenced  to   make  sugar.     He  was  the 
third  man    in   Wisconsin    to    engage   in  sugar 
making  from    sorghum.     The    first  was  at  the 
State   University  at  Madison,  and  the  next,  Mr. 
Decker,  at  Fond  du  Lac,  who  made  about  4,000 
pounds  in  the  fall  of  1882.     In  June,  1882,  the 
agricultural    department  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
issued    a   circular   stating   that    Congress    had 
appropriated   a  certain  amount  of  money  to  be 
used  in   experimenting   in    the    manufactory  of 
sugar  from  cane  grown  in  the  northern    States. 
Of  this    amount   the   department    proposed    to 
divide  $1 -4,000  into  ten  equal  shares,  to  be  given 
to  the  ten   men  who  returned  the  best  report  on 
the  subject  of  growing  sugar  cane  and  making 
sugar     therefrom.      In   December,   1882,   Wil- 
liam Frazier   sent  his    report  in  to  the  commis- 
sioner  of  agriculture  at  Washington,  and    was 
soon  informed  that  he   had   been  awarded  one 
share,  Si, 200,  and    the    same    v\as    received    by 
him  in  May,  1883.     The  following  is  an  extract 
from  his  prize  report : 

Dear  Sir: — -I  send  you  the  following  report. 
I  planted  twenty  aci'es  to  Amber  Cane  ;  yes,  I 
planted  it  all  three  times  !  after  telling  every- 
body and  their  boys  how  to  plant  cane,  failed 
to  get  a  stand  myself.  Planted  five  acres  on 
the  27th  of  April ;  fifteen  on  the  12th  and  13th 
of  May,  used  corn  planters  ;  planted  very  shal- 
low, not  to   exceed    one-half  an  inch  in  depth  ; 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


J87 


my  ground  was  in  splendid  condition  (  finely 
pulverized  and  made  smooth  with  a  "  hunter"), 
planted  in  cheek  rows  three  feet  three  and  one- 
half  inches  eacli  way  ;  deposited  seed  in  south- 
east corner  of  square,  then  roUed  the  ground. 
But  tlie  expectcil  spring  rains  failed  to  come. 
We  did  not  iiave  enough  rain  in  this  locality 
from  the  time  we  commenced  to  plow  in  the 
spring  until  the  24th  day  of  June,  to  wet  the 
plowed  ground  one  inch  deep ;  but  we  had 
some  little  showers,  just  enough  to  start  some 
of  the  plants,  only  to  wither  and  dry  for  want 
of  moisture.  Planted  again  the  last  of  May 
and  forepart  of  June,  which  came  better,  but  a 
little  wire-worm  about  one-half  an  inch  long, 
and  the  white  grub  i)iayed  sad  havoc  with  the 
young  plants.  Planted  again  about  the  middle 
of  June.  After  all  my  pains  failed  to  get  half 
a  stand  on  nineteen  acres  of  the  twenty  acres 
planted. 

Process  of  manufacturing  :  I  have  ten  feet 
(all  from  mill  to  boiling  house  ;  four  feet  from 
level  of  evaporator  to  floor  of  syruj)  iiouse. 
Run  my  juice  through  a  two-inch  pipe,  sixty-six 
feet  from  mill  to  custom  tanks  ;  have  two  of 
them.  Capacity  180  and  200  gallons  respect- 
ively. 

These  tanks  are  made  of  galvanized  iron  and 
wood,  and  hold  just  ten  gallons  to  one  inch  in 
depth.  Here  the  juice  is  allowed  to  settle 
while  the  tank  is  being  filled  ;  here  the  juice  is 
measured,  tested  and  drawn  through  a  swing, 
pipe  and  run  into  one  of  the  two  lime  tanks  ; 
put  enough  of  the  milk  of  good  fresh  lime  so 
the  juice  will  turn  blue  litmus  paper  purple. 
When  the  lime  is  put  in  mix  thoroughly.  It 
will  be  seen  that  I  lime  my  juice  cold. 

Some  successful  manufacturers  do  their  lirst 
boiling  m  batches;  this  I  believe  to  be  unnec- 
essary and  inconvenient.  I  tise  a  pan  (for 
defecating)  seventeen  feet  long,  forty-four 
inches  wide,  with  three  apartments  ;  the  one 
next  to  smoke  stack  is  five  feet  long,  the  next 
one  four  feet,  the  balance  of  pan  is  finished  like 
the  cook    evaporator,   channels    sixteen    ii.clies 


wide.  I  run  the  litned  juice  into  the  apartment 
next  to  chimney.  This  is  made  separate  from 
balance  of  pan  and  placed  higher ;  here  the 
juice  heats  gradually,  but  never  boils.  We 
skim  this  about  once  in  five  or  six  hours  ;  it 
passes  frotn  this  to  the  second  apartment,  where 
it  is  raised  nearly  to  the  boiling  point,  but  not 
allowed  to  boil  ;  here  it  is  skimmed  every  two 
or  three  hours  ;  the  juice  is  passed  through  a 
gate  from  this  to  the  thii'd  division,  almost  as 
clear  as  water,  where  it  is  boiled  as  rapidly  as 
possible  until  the  green  scum  is  all  off,  when  it 
is  drawn  by  a  continuous  flow  into  tanks.  I 
use  two  of  them,  with  a  capacity  of  100  gal- 
lons each,  where  it  is  allowed  to  settle  an  hour 
or  more  from  the  time  it  begins  to  fill  until  it 
is  empty.  Here  we  obtain  a  feccula,  fine  and 
very  tart.  These  settlings  will  ferment  in  a 
very  short  time.  From  these  tanks  the  defe- 
cated juice  is  drawn  through  swing  pipes  into 
the  Madison  pan  (cook  evaporator  fifteen  feet 
long),  where  it  is  kept  boiling  rapidly  until  fin- 
ished. We  run  the  finished  syrup  by  a  continuous 
flow  through  a  wooden  trough,  covered  with 
fine  wire  screen,  thirty-two  feet  to  cooler,  from 
one  cooler  to  another,  when  it  is  usually  cooled 
to  about  140  deg.,  Fahrenheit.  This  sec((nd 
cooler  is  set  on  truck,  and  when  filled  is  drawn 
by  a  windlass  to  top  of  syrup  tank,  which  liiis  a 
capacity  of  2,360  gallons.  A  little  jionis  alum 
water  should  be  used  in  the  semi  syrup  ;  when 
one  of  the  tanks  is  about  three-quarters  full 
put  in  one  pint  of  the  alum  water.     Mix  v  ell. 

To  prepare  the  alum  water,  dissolve  2-^  lbs. 
of  porus  alum  in  ten  gallons  of  water. 

The  settling  tanks  should  be  rinsed  two  or 
three  times  a  day.  Eacli  tank  should  have  a 
3-inch  hole  in  the  bottom  to  expedite  the  cleans- 
ing. 

On  stopping  for  the  day  (we  did  not  run 
much  at  night),  I  always  had  tlie  mill  and  all 
tanks  that  were  emptied  washed  with  milk  of 
lime,  or  rinsed  with  writer  an<l  then  white- 
washed. 


588 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  sooner  and  more  rapidly  the' juice  and 
semi-syrup,  after  being  settled,  can  be  boiled 
the  better.  Too  much  skimming  is  bad.  Any 
attempt  to  remove  the  scum  before  it  has  be- 
come somewhat  firm— has  some  body  to  it — 
will  result  in  mixing  it  with  the  juice,  and  thus 
materially  injuring  the  quality  of  the  syrup.  I 
believe  in  thoroughly  skimming  but  not  a  con- 
tinuous dipping  by  any  means.  I  use  wood  for 
fuel;  have  it  split  fine  for  the  evaporator  and 
then  have  a  trusty  boy  whose  business  is  to 
keep  a  steady  hot  fire  and  skim  front  end  of 
pan.  I  pay  a  man  extra  wages  to  superin- 
tend evaporator  and  keep  running  from  the 
time  it  is  started  in  the  morning  until  we  wish 
to  stop  at  night;  he   did  not  scorch  or  bum  a 

gallon  in  making  almost  4,000  gallons.         * 
********* 

Yours  Truly, 

Wm.  Frazibr. 

The  money  which  Mr.  Frazier  received  from 
this  essay  on  "Sugar  cane  in  the  North,"  added 
to  his  enthusiasm  so  that  the  following  year  he 
planted  twenty-five  acres,  and  went  to  the  ex- 
pense of  putting  in  new  machinery  with  which 
to  make  sugar. 

Henry  Morgan  of  Wheatland  town  is  perhaps 
the  next  largest  producer  of  sorghum,  in  Ver 
non  county. 

CYCLONE. 

June  23,  IS'ZS,  a  small  cyclone  struck  the  res- 
idence of  William  Frazier  on  section  5,  of 
town  1.3,  range  5,  and  completely  demolished 
it.  At  the  time,  there  were  eleven  persons 
in  the  house — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frazier,  and  their 
six  children,  his  sister-in-law  and  child,  and  a 
hired  girl.  None  w^^ere  killed,  but  several  were 
seriously  injured.  The  floor  of  the  house  was 
carried  about  a  mile,  and  trees  were  hurled  a 
distance  of  three  miles  and  forced  bodilj.  into 
the  earth.  No  further  damage  was  done  till 
the  storm  struck  Hazens  Corners  now  known  as 
Cashton. 

FISH    PONDS. 

Near  Esofea  there  are  a  series  of  fish  ponds 
eonstructed  by  Michael  Rentz  in  1881,  for   the 


purpose  of  raising  trout.  Water  is  supplied 
from  a  large  stream  which  gushes  out  of  the 
earth  at  that  point.  Mr.  Rentz  was,  in  1883, 
producing  some  very  fine  fish. 

CEMETERIES. 

In  18^4  there  were  two  regular  cemeteries 
within  the  borders  of  this  town.  The  oldest  of 
these  is  the  one  situated  near  the  village  of 
Springville.  The  other,  which  is  used  by  the 
Norwegians,  is  located  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  14,  town  13,  range  5. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Nearly  forty  years  have  elapsed  since  John 
Graham  and  his  three  sons  first  made  a  settle- 
ment on  the  virgin  soil  of  what  is  now  Jeffer- 
son tt'wn.  The  following  personal  histories 
represent  about  forty  of  tlie  pioneer  settlers 
and  prominent  citizens  of  to-day;  those  who 
have  been  witnesses  and  participators  of  the 
steady  toil  and  innumerable  privations  attend- 
ant on  the  clearing  and  settlement  of  this  por- 
tion of  Vernon  county. 

Lameh  Graham,  the  oldest  settler  in  Vernon 
county  residing  there  in  1884,  was  born  in  Ohio 
April  17,  1828,  came  to  this  county  in  1''46,  in 
company  with  Nelson  De  Frees,  and  has  since 
been  a  resident  of  Springville,  Vernon  county. 
His  principal  business  has  been  milling,  and  is 
at  present  one  of  the  partners  of  the  Eureka 
Mill.  Mr.  Graham  has  made  a  large  amount  of 
money,  but  has  met  with  heavy  losses  by  fire 
and  otherwise.  He  was  married  in  1851  to  Mary 
Kelsey.  She  died,  leaving  two  children,  one  of 
which  is  now  living — Columbus.  In  1862  he 
married  Euphanie  Gambois,  and  by  this  union 
has  had  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now 
living — Lameh,  \A'illiam,  Irwin  M.,  John,  Al- 
fred B.,  Amada,  Anna  M.  and  Mary  M. 

Alfred  Glassborn  is  a  native  of  Virginia, 
born  in  the  year  181.5.  When  one  year  old  he 
removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio.  Here  he  re- 
sided until  1839,  being  raised  to  farm  life.  He 
then  went  to  Lee  Co.,  Iowa,  and  in  1844  cpnie 
to  Wisconsin,  working  for  two  years  in  the  lead 
mines.     In  the  fall  of  1846  he  removed  farther 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


589 


nortli,  and  has  since  resided  within  the  limits 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Vernon  county,  witli 
the  exception  of  tliree  years  spent  in  California. 
Until  1868  he  gave  liis  attention  to  farming.  In 
1861)  he  became  associated,  as  partner,  .with 
Lameh  Graham,  in  the  milling  business,  erected 
the  Eureka  Mill,  at  Springville,  and  has  since 
owned  an  interest  in  the  same.  Mr.  Glassborn 
never  married. 

Samuel  Brice  is  numbered  among  the  pio- 
neers of  Vernon  county,  having  settled  here 
prior  to  1850.  He  pre-empted  land  on  section 
27,  town  13,  range  5,  on  which  he  resided 
until  1883,  when  he  removed  to  Brown  Co., 
Dak.  Mr.  Brice  was  born  in  1820,  in  Kentucky, 
removing  with  his  parents  to  Missouii,  where 
he  married  Mrs.  Mary  Spradling,  nee  Ingram. 
She  bad  two  children  by  her  former  marriage, 
one  of  whom  if  now  living — Anna,  wife  of  J. 
Zuingliens  May.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brice  have  but 
one  child  — John. 

John  Brice,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Brice, 
was  born  in  Jeflft^rson,  Vernon  county,  Aug.  5, 
1855,  now  residing  on  the  homestead.  He  was 
married  in  1876  to  Oliva  Parsons,  daughter  of 
Israel  Parsons.  They  have  four  children — 
Amy,  Maud,  Jessie  and  Effie.  Ann  M.  (Sprad- 
ling) May,  the  daughter  born  to  Mrs.  Samuel 
Brice,  was  born  in  Lincoln  Co.,  Mo.,  in  1850. 
In  1853  she  was  taken  by  her  parents  to  Ver- 
non Co.,  Wis.,  and  Dec.  29,  1868,  married 
Zuingliens  S.  May.  They  have  six  children, 
five  of  whom  are  natives  of  Vernon  county — 
Belle,  Samuel,  Georgia,  Idumea  and  Edna.  In 
18S2  Mr.  May  removed  to  Brown  Co.,  Dak., 
where  a  little  daughter,  named  Bertha,  was 
born  to  them. 

S.  Iloverson  is  numbered  among  the  settlers 
of  1852,  as  on  the  ■27th  of  August,  that  year,  his 
parents  came  to  Vei-non  county,  soon  purchas- 
ing land  on  section  12,  town  13,  range  5, 
and  as  soon  as  suitable  buildings  could  be 
erected  made  this  their  home.  Here  bis  father 
died  in  Sejitember,  1881;  his  mother  makes  her 
home   with   him.     Mr.    Hoverson    was  born    in 


Norway,  May  10,  1835.  He  emigrated  with  his 
parents  to  America  in  1852,  and  has  since,  as 
before  stated,  been  a  resident  of  Jefferson 
town  .He  is  a  republican  in  politics,  and  for 
nine  years  has  been  a  member  of  the  town 
board.     In  religion  he  is  a  Lutheran. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Vernon  county  is 
found  Norris  W.  Sa.\ton,  who,  with  his  wife 
and  three  children  settled  near  Liberty  Pole  in 
IS52.  In  1853  he  removed  to  Springville,  en- 
gaging in  farming,  and  also  for  some  time  in 
running  a  saw  mill.  When  the  civil  war  broke 
out  he  responded  to  the  call  of  his  country  by 
enlisting  in  company  C,  18th  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teers, and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Shilob  in 
April,  1862.  Mr.  Saxton  was  born  in  New 
York  State  in  1813,  and  while  a  resident  there 
married  Maria  L.  Belknap.  lie  then  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  going  from  there  to  Wisconsin. 
Mrs.  Saxton  died  in  1878.  She  had  five  chil- 
dren— A.  B.,  Jennie  E.,  deceased,  N.  W.,  who 
enlisted  in  company  F.,  37th  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teers, dying  while  in  service;  Anna  L.  and  Syl- 
vester S. 

A.  B.  Saxton,  son  of  Norris  W.  Saxton,  was 
born  in  Pike  Co.,  111.,  April  16,  1843.  He  came 
with  his  parents  to  this  county,  and  has  since 
been  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  married  to 
Augusta  C.  Favor,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and 
Mary  Favor,  and  now  resides  on  section  5,  town 
13,  range  5,  owning  120  acres.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Saxton  have  had  six  children,  three  of  whom 
are  living — Clement  S.,  Emma  L.  and  Norton 
F.  Mr.  Saxton  is  a  National  greenbacker.  In 
religion  he  is  a  Methodist  Episcopal. 

Martin  F.  Allen  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  24,  1820.  His  early  life  was 
spent  working  in  saw  mills  and  grist  mills, 
three  years  of  which  time  was  spent  in  Canada. 
He  came  to  Vernon  county  in  October,  1853, 
purchasing  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  28, 
town  13,  range  5.  He  then  returned  to  St. 
Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  the  following  spring 
brought  his  family  to  their  new  home,  the  jour- 
ney being  made  by  way  of  the  great  lakes,  from 


590 


HISTORY  OF    /ERNON  COUNTY. 


Og<lensbiirg,  N.  Y.,  to  Chicago,  111.,  and  thence 
by  team  to  Wisconsin.  In  1858  Mr.  Allen 
traded  his  property  for  a  saw  mill  at  Newton, 
removed  thither  in  1800,  erected  a  new  saw 
mill,  and  four  years  later  built  a  grist  mill  on 
the  place.  He  resided  in  Newton  about  seven- 
teen years,  when  he  sold  his  mills,  returned  to 
.Jefferson,  and  now  resides  on  section  -32.  His 
farm  consists  of  240  acres.  He  was  married  in 
1841  to  Anna  Landon,  of  Canton,  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.  She  died  in  July,  1842,  leaving  one 
son,  wlio  has  since  died.  In  1849  he  married 
Betsy  C.  Ellis,  and  by  this  union  had  eight 
children — Charles,  the  eldest, entered  the  United 
States  service  in  1864,  and  now  fills  a  soldier's 
grave;  Emery  E.,  Julia,  wife  of  Joseph  Baker; 
Elisha,  James  M.,  George  W.,  Hattie  and 
Henry.  He  is  a  strict  republican,  and  adheres 
closely  to  temperance. 

William  A.  Herron  came  to  Vernon  county 
in  April,  1853,  settling  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  14,  town  13,  range  5,  where  he 
now  owns  240  acres.  He  has  given  his  princi- 
pal attention  to  farming,  although  for  a  few 
years  he  was  engaged  in  general  merchandise 
l)usiness,  at  Springville,  in  partnership  witli 
George  E.  Morse.  In  1881  he  went  to  Dakota, 
taking  a  homestead  and  tree  claim,  and  has 
spent  much  of  his  time  since  in  improving  the 
same.  Mr.  Herron  was  born  June  22,  1823,  in 
Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1848  he  married 
Mary  McLees,  and  in  1853,  as  before  stated, 
came  to  Wisconsin,  the  journey  from  Ohio  be- 
ing made  on  steamboat,  by  way  of  St.  Louis. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herron  have  nine  children — Han- 
nah J.,  now  Mrs.  Matthew  Gray,  Sarah  E.,  now 
Mr.1.  George  E.  Morse,  Joseph  M.,  Wary  M., 
now  Mrs.  H.  L.  Rayner,  Martha  W.,  now  Mrs. 
Frank  Warner,  Rachel,  now  Mrs.  Arthur  Ams- 
den;  Charles  T.,  George  W.,  and  Kate.  He  is 
a  republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church. 

Seth  Hamilton  settled  at  Springville,  Jeffer- 
son town,  in  1854,  engaging  in  the  black- 
smith business.     After  continuing  this  business 


for  two  years  lie  engaged  in  carpenter  work- 
in  1859  he  went  to  Pikes  Peak,  but  returned  in 
1862  to  Springville,  and  has  since  been  engaged 
in  farming.  He  was  born  in  Ohio,  Jan.  14,  1833, 
and  resided  in  his  native  State  until  reaching 
maturity.  He  was  married  in  1855,  to  Cathe 
rine  Ann  Van  Dyke,  daughter  of  Alirahani 
Van  Dyke.  She  removing  with  her  father  from 
the  State  of  Ohio  in  1854.  Their  children  num- 
bered six,  in  all,  two  boys  and  four  girls.  Three 
of  them  are  dead  and  three  living — Comentna 
Alice,  the  oldest,  was  born  July  7,  1856,  died 
July  4,  1862;  Loami  Wilber  was  born  April 
23,  1863,  died  Jan.  24,  1865;  Seth  Lorin  was 
born  Jan.  23,  1875,  died  Nov.  18,  1878.  The 
living  ones  are — MelzanaLoretta,Mattie  Leona, 
Mary  Lucy.  Mr.  Hamilton's  politics,  if  any, 
are  democratic,  in  faith  he  is  an  Advent  lieliever. 

George  Williamson  has  been  a  resident  of 
Vernon  county  since  1865.  He  worked  at  the 
cooper  trade  for  three  years,  at  Chaseburg,  the 
remainder  of  the  time  being  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. He  was  born  Jan.  29,  1843,  in  Muskingum 
Co.,  Ohio.  He  learned  his  trade  in  his  native 
State,  and  followed  it  there  until  1861.  He 
then  enlisted  in  company  A,  122d  Ohio  Infantry, 
serving  three  years,  and  participating  in  several 
hard  fought  battles  and  numerous  skirmishes. 
He  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor, 
which  disabled  him  for  three  months.  July  4, 
1868,  he  married  Hettie,  daughter  of  James 
Maxwell.  They  have  three  children — Blanche, 
Lloyd  and  Irwin.  He  is  a  republican,  and  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

James  Maxwell  came  to  Vernon  county  in 
1854,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  purchasing 
fifty  acres  of  land  on  section  15,  town  13, 
range  5,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  Feb.  1,  1875.  He  was 
born  Nov.  10,  1808,  in  Westmoreland  Co.,  Penn., 
and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  where 
he  was  married,  Dec.  22,  1831,  to  Sarah  Joseph, 
born  in  Virginia,  Sept.  25,  1808.  'Ihey  liad 
nine  children,  eight  daughters  and  one  son — the 
latter  deceased.     The   children  living  are — Dy- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  CMJlINTV. 


591 


antha  Irene,  wife  of  John  Goldrick;  Margaret, 
wife  of  Tliomas  Harper;  Mary,  wife  of  Salem 
James;  Racliel,  wife  of  Isaac  Groves;  Nancy, 
wife  of  James  Dixon;  Neoma,  wife  of  Charles 
Markle;  Celestia,  wife  of  David  Stevenson;  and 
Hetty,  wife  of  George  Williamson.  Mrs.  Max- 
well still  resides  on  the  homestead,  whif^t  con- 
tains 140  acres  of  land. 

E.  C.  Officer  settled  at  Springville,  Vernon 
county,  in  1854,  working  at  his  trade,  cabi- 
net maker,  for  about  three  years.  In  185'7  he 
married  Mary  Ann  Spencer,  daughter  of  Isaac 
and  Mary  Ann{McConnell)  Spencer,since  which 
time  he  has  given  his  attention  to  farming.  He 
now  owns  310  acres  of  land,  twenty-one  lots, 
and  the  largest  springs  in  the  county,  from 
which  the  village  of  Springville  derived  its 
name,  are  located  on  his  land,  only  a  few  rods 
from  his  residence.  Mr.  Officer  was  born  Feb. 
8,  1827,  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio,  being  a  son 
of  James  and  Sarah  (Crurabaker)  Officer.  He 
learned  his  trade  and  worked  at  it  in  his  native 
State  until  coming  to  Vernon  county.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Officer  have  had  eight  children,  six  of 
whom  are  living — James,  Irvine,  Flora  M., 
Elmer  H.,  Wyman  L.  and  Lloyd  Spencer. 

Samuel  Davis  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  : 
1801,  learned  the  cooper  trade,  and  removed  to 
Ohio,  residing  there  until  1855," when  he  came 
to  .Jefferson  town  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He 
died  in  September,  1872.  He  was  twice  married. 
His  first  wife  was  Miss  Yours,  by  whom  he  had 
ten  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living.  His 
second  wife  was  Elizabeth  G.  Gladden.  They 
had  seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  living — 
Nancy,  William  I.,  Ilukla  E.  and  Miles  G. 
Mrs.  Davis  is  now  the  wife  of  Thomas  White. 

Miles  G.  Davis  was  born  in  Morgan  Co., 
Ohio,  April  8,  1854.  He  received  a  common 
school  education.  In  March,  1S77,  he  married 
Mary  E.  Thompson,  daughter  of  David  ]i. 
Thompson.  In  November,  1878,  he  moved  to 
Monroe  county,  where  he  resided  until  the  fall 
of  1882.  He  then  returned  to  Vernon  county, 
now  residing  on  the  homestead.     His  children 


are — Winfred  C,  Lloyd  E.  and  Harvey  E.  He 
is  a  republican  and  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U. 
W.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

William  Frazier  was  born  in  Belmont  Co., 
Ohio,  Oct.  6,  1833.  He  assisted  his  father  on 
the  farm  and  received  a  good  common  school 
education.  In  1855  he  married  Plume  Pow- 
ell, also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State.  They 
came  to  Wisconsin  soon  after  marriage,  and 
have  since  resided  in  JefEei'son  town,  Ver- 
non county.  Mr.  Frazier  has  had  many  sad 
experiences.  In  February,  1875,  his  residence, 
one  of  the  best  in  the  town,  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  He  at  once  rebuilt,  but  no  sooner  was  his 
new  residence  built  than  it  was  destroyed  by  a 
cyclone,  which  occurred  June  23,  1875,  and  of 
which  mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
Mr.  Frazier  is  the  largest  grower  of  sugar  cane 
in  Vernon  county,  and  has  the  honor  of  being 
the  third  man  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin  to 
manufacture  sugar  therefrom.  Mr.  Frazier  was 
formerly  a  republican,  but  is  now  somewhat 
independent,  giving  little  attention  to  politics. 
He  has  frequently  been  chosen  to  fill  offices  of 
public  trust  and  honor,  having  served  as  town- 
superintendent  of  schools,  town  assessor 
and  collector,  as  chairman  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors  one  term,  and  of  the  t>wn- 
board  several  terms.  He  also,  in  1874,  rep- 
resented his  district  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly. In  1883  Mr.  Frazier  received  from  the 
agricultural  department  at  Washington,  $1,200 
to  be  us«d  by  him  in  experimenting  in  the 
manufacture  of  sugar.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frazier 
have  had  eleven  children,  ten  of  whom  are 
now  living — Anna  L.,  now  Mrs.  C.  L.  Wood  ; 
Samuel  L.,  cashier  of  the  Wadena  County  Bank, 
Verndale,  Minn.;  William  S.,  book-keeper  in 
La  Crosse,  Wis. ;  Luella  J.,  Dora  II.,  Charles 
R.,  Mary  B.,  Raymond  R.,  Minta  M.  and  Frank 
E. 

John  Hayes  came  to  Vernon  county  in  1855 
and  on  the  26th  of  May  settled  on  section  27, 
town    13,    range   5,    where    he   purchased  land 


592 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


of  Simon  Crawford.  He  still  resides  on  tins 
place,  now  owning  220  acres.  For  the  past  ten 
years  he  has  been  a  dealer  in  live  stock.  Mr. 
Hayes  was  born  in  Ohio,  Oct.  4,  1820.  He 
worked  on  a  faiin  in  his  younger  days,  and  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education.  In  1845 
he  niirriod  Mariam  Williams.  In  1854  he  sold 
his  property  in  Ohio,  and  in  the  following 
spi-iiig  started  westward,  and  became  a  resident 
of  Vernon  county.  Mrs.  Hayes  died  Jan.  21, 
1882.  .  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayes  had  five  children — 
Sarah  A.,  (deceased),  Mary  J.,  Mrs.  John  Mc- 
Kitrick;  Rachel  M.,  Mrs.  W.  J.  May;  Hester, 
Mrs.  Josepli  Forsyth,  and  John  Jr.  Mr.  Hayes 
has  been  successful  in  life,  and  now  has  a  neat 
frame  residence.  He  votes  the  republican 
ticket,  although  he  take.s  but  little  interest  in 
politics. 

Thomas  James,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  1855, 
settled  on  section  10,  town  13  north,  range  5 
west,  where  he  still  resides,  now  owning  195 
acres.  He  was  born  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio, 
July  5, 1812.  He  was  raised  on  a  farm;  but  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  commenced  to  learn  the 
carpenter  trade,  working  at  the  same  for  several 
years.  In  1835  he  built  a  saw-mill  and  operated 
it  until  1848,  when  he  resumed  farming.  He 
was  married  in  1835,  to  Frances  Graham,  a 
native  of  Virginia,  born  Jan.  22,  1817,  and  re- 
moved with  her  parents  while  quite  young  to 
Mu-kingum  Co.,  Ohio,  where  she  was  married. 
Tiiey  lived  together  until  1872,  when  May 
23  she  died,  having  borne  thirteen  children — 
Salem,  Troylus,  Reuben,  Eben,  Maria,  Charles, 
Edwin,  Lucy,  George,  Theodore,  John,  Alta  and 
Thomas.  Ten  are  still  living.  Reuben  died 
Aug.  10,  1840;  Theodore,  Feb.  1,  1808,  and 
John,  Dec.  14,  1878.  Mr.  James  united  with 
the  Baptist  Church  in  April,  1830;  his  wife  in 
1832.  In  politics  he  was  an  "old  line  whig," 
then  a  staunch  republican.  In  June,  1875,  he 
was  married  the  second  time,  to  Mr.s.  Mai-y 
Miller,  widow  of  James  Miller.  She  was  born 
July  20,  1828,  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio;  was 
married   May  20,  1847,  and   removed   with   her 


husband,  in  1854,  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.;  settled 
near  Viroqua,  and  in  1800,  settled  on  a  home- 
stead in  the  town  of  Stark,  on  sections  4  and 
5,  town  13  north,  of  range  2  west.  In  August, 
1802,  her  husband  enlisted  for  the  war  in  com- 
pany A,25th  regiment,Wi8Consin  Volunteers,and 
died  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  Sept.  11,  1803,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-seven  years.  She  had  four  chil- 
dren— Harvey,  Mansfield  L.,  Sarah  E.  and 
Asbury  F.,  two  of  whom  are  dead.  Sarah  E. 
died  May  17,  1874,  and  Mansfield  L.  died  June 
18,  1882.  Both  wife  and  husband  wore  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Church.  He  was  republican 
in  politics. 

William  A.  Morse  was  born  in  Herkimer  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  23,  1817.  His  early  life  v  as  spent 
on  a  farm,  while  he  received  a  good  commer- 
cial education,  and  for  many  years  was  engaged 
in  book-keeping.  While  serving  in  that 
capacity  in  Lockport,  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Orrilla  N.  Hunter,  to  whom  he  was  married 
in  1840.  In  1855  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  engag- 
ing in  mercantile  business  at  Springville,  Ver- 
non county,  which  he  continued  the  greater 
portion  of  the  time  until  his  death,  which  oc 
curred  in  1874.  Mr.  Morse  was  the  first  depot 
agent  at  Lockport,  on  the  New  York  Central 
Railroad,  and  faithfully  served  the  company  a 
number  of  years  in  that  capacity.  Mrs.  Morse 
still  resides  with  her  only  child — George  E.  Mr. 
Morse  possessed  excellent  business  qualifica- 
tions, and  was  well  known  in  the  county.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and 
ranked  very  high.  He  was  a  Royal  Arch 
Mason,  was  connected  with  the  Commandery, 
and  was  a  Knight  Templar.  He  assisted  in 
organizing  the  Masonic' lodge  at  Viroqua.  He 
voted  the  republican  ticket,  but  never  aspired 
to  office.  Religiously,  he  was  an  Advcutist — 
one  of  the  first  in  the  county.  George  E.,  only 
son  of  William  A.  Morse,  was  born  in  Lockport, 
N.  Y.,  June  11,  1841,  coming  with  his  parents 
to  Wisconsin.  He  received  a  good  common 
school  education,  and  was  raised  to  a  mercantile 
life,  assisting  his  father  in  the    store.       He  I'o- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


593 


mained  at  home  until  1871,  at  which  time  he 
was  married  to  Sarah  E.  Herron,  daughter  of 
William  A.  Ilcrron.  They  have  had  live  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  living — Mary  E.  and 
Margaret  E.  Mr.  Morse  has  been  principally 
engaged  in  farming,  being  for  a  time,  how- 
ever, engaged  in  mercantile  business.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  republican,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

Clark  Waters  was  born  Feb.  8,  1805,  in  the 
State  of  New  York.  He  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  Illinois,  from  whence  he  came  to  Wis- 
consin, becoming  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Ver- 
non county.  He  now  resides  on  section  25, 
Jefferson  town.  Mr.  Waters  has  been  mar- 
ried three  times.  His  first  wife  was  Orrilla 
Clark,  by  whom  he  had  eleven  children,  seven 
living  at  the  time  of  her  death.  His  second 
wife  was  Julia  IMack,  from  whom  he  was  di- 
vorced soon  after  marriage.  His  present  wife 
was  Mrs.  Louisa  Derr,  widowed  wife  of  Charles 
Derr,  who  was  killed  while  serving  his  country 
in  the  civil  war.  Five  children  were  born  to 
them,  three  daughters  and  two  sons — the  former 
married,  and  the  latter  still  single.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Waters  were  married  in  1867. 

W.  S.  Waters,  son  of  Clark  and  Orrilla 
Waters,  removed  with  his  parents  to  Vernon 
county.  In  18t>2  he  enlisted  in  company  A, 
25th  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  serving  three  years. 
Mr.  Waters  married  Joam  Older.  They  have 
seven  children  —  William,  Arbelle,  Earnest, 
Hattie,  James,  Burton  and  Lester. 

Adam  Doerr  arrived  at  Springville,  April  11, 
1856,  and  at  once  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Grahams,  who  were  then  repairing  their  mill, 
and  when  it  was  completed,  Mr.  Doerr  was 
placed  in  charge  and  held  the  position  for  three 
years.  On  account  of  being  troubled  with 
rheumatism,  he  was  compelled  to  give  up  steady 
work  in  the  mill,  but  he  still  assists  aljout  the 
mill  occasionally.  When  Mr.  Doerr  first  en- 
tered the  mill  he  was  unable  to  speak  the  Eng- 
lish language,  but  as  he  was  well  educated  in 
German,   he   kept  the   books  at  the  mill,  and 


was  soon  familiar  with  our  native  tongue.  He 
purchased  his  present  farm  in  1859,  and  now 
has  a  comfortable  home.  When  he  bought  his 
land  there  was  but  little  timber  in  the  vicinity, 
as  fires  swept  across  the  country  annually.  l>ut 
now,  where  the  soil  has  not  been  put  under  cul- 
tivation, it  is  covered  with  a  thick  forest.  Mr. 
Doerr  was  born  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  Jan.  1,18^0.  He  learned 
the  milling  business,  and  subsequently  the 
tailor's  trade.  In  1851  he  emigrated  to  the 
LTnited  States,  and  first  stopped  in  Butler  Co., 
Penn.,  where,  in  1853,  he  married  Susanna 
Keonig.  They  have  three  children — Susan, 
Anna  and  John. 

Jonathan  Favor  was  born  in  Grafton  Co.,  N. 
II.,  May  6, 1799.  In  1821  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Pingry,  born  in  the  same 
county,  Aug.  28,  1802.  In  1833  they  moved  to 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  seven  years  later  to  McHenry 
Co.,  111.,  and  in  1854  came  to  Wisconsin,  set- 
tling on  section  10,  town  13,  range  5.  Here 
Mr.  Favor  was  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
death,  Feb.  21,  1875.  Mrs.  Favor  still  resides 
on  the  homestead,  and  is  in  good  health  foi-  (ine 
of  her  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Favor  had  twelve 
children,  ten  of  whom  are  living — Isaac  S., 
Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Ira  Olds  ;  Feletus,  Jane, 
now  Mrs.  Theodore  Wilson;  Minerva,  wid(  wof 
Wallace  W.  DeFrees  ;  Daniel  W.,  Ambrosia, 
nowMrs.  John  Spencer  ;  Augusta,  now  Mrs.  A. 
B.  Soxten  ;  Electa,  now  Mrs.  Joel  Herron,  and 
Jerome.  Mr.  Favor  was  a  loving  husband, 
kind  father,  and  good  neighbor.  He  always 
lived  a  Christian  life,  and  during  his  latter 
years  was  connected  with  the  Advent  Christian 
Church. 

Jerome  Favor  was  born  in  McHenry  Co.,  III., 
June  26,  1846.  He  came  with  his  parents  to 
Wisconsin,  now  owning  and  residing  on  the 
homestead,  which  contains  160  acres  of  land. 
In  1880  he  erected  a  large  frame  house  at  a 
cost  of  |>2,400,  but  it  was  no  sooner  competed 
than  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  Mr.  Favor 
was   compelled  to  rebuild.     Feb.    1,    1869,    he 


394 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


married  Lucy  James,  daughter  of  Thomas  James. 
Tiiey  have  two  cliildren — Fannie  and  Arie. 
Mr.  Favor  is  a  republican.  In  religion  he  is  an 
Advent  Christian. 

I.  M.  Groves  became  a  resident  of  Vernon 
county  in  the  fall  of  1850,  residing  in  Liberty 
town  until  1869,  since  which  time  he  has  lived 
in  Jefferson  town.  He  was  born  in  Perry  Co., 
Ohio,  Sept.  ^0,  1839,  where  he  resided  until 
coming  to  Wisconsin.  He  enlisted  Sept.  6, 
18(51,  in  company  F,  8th  Wisconsin  Volunteers, 
serviuguntil  Sept.  16,  1864.  He  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Frederickstown,  Mo.;  siege  of 
New  Madrid,  Island  No.  10  and  siege  of  Cor- 
inth, when  he  was  taken  sick,  remaining  in  the 
hospital  eleven  months.  He  was  also  (.n  the 
Red  river  expedition.  In  1865  he  married 
Rachel  Maxwell,  daughter  of  James  Maxwell. 
They  had  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  living 
—James  F.,  Ottosia  A.,  Le  Roy  M.,  Mary  E. 
and  Hattie  I.  He  is  a  greenbacker  in  politics, 
but  was  formerly  a  republican.  His  religious 
connections  are  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Groves  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A. 
R. 

R.  S.  Nixon  settled  on  section  34,  town  13, 
range  5,  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  here  he  still  re- 
sides. He  has  given  his  attention  to  farming  and 
now  owns  190  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Nixon  was 
boro  Nov.  10,  1820,  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio.  His 
father,  Hugh  Nixon,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
his  mother,  Rachel  (Wood)  Nixon,  was  born  in 
New  Jersey.  R.  S.  Nixon  received  a  common 
school  education.  In  1843  he  was  married  to 
Jane  Rees,  born  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio.  In 
1856  they  came  to  Wisconsin.  Mrs.  Nixon 
died  in  March,  1881,  leaving  six  children — Mary 
J.,  Amos  M.,  Charles  II.,  Emma,  Eva  and  Sam- 
uel. He  is  a  republican  and  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
dist  Episcopal  Church. 

A.  M.  Nixon,  son  of  R.  S.  and  Jane  (Rees) 
Nixon,  was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  Nov.  3, 
1850.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin 
and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Vernon  countv. 


He  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  and  for  some 
time  had  a  shop  at  Viroqua.  He  settled  on  his 
present  farm  in  1875  and  in  March  of  the  same 
year  married  Sarah  Emma  McKitrick.  They 
have  four  children — Charles  A.,  Roy,  Claude 
and  Howard  W.  In  politics  Mr.  Nixon  is  re- 
publican. 

L.  G.  P.  Adams  was  born  in  Quincy,  Mass., 
Oct.  24,  1S15.  He  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade  and  while  pursuing  the  same  made  boots 
for  Gen.  B.  F.  Butler  and  Dr.  Ayers.  He  was 
married  Dec.  31,  1839,  at  Lowell,  Mass.,  to 
Eliza  S.  Mallon.  Ten  years  later,  he  removed 
to  New  Hampshire  from  whence,  in  1857,  he 
he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  has  since  been  a  res- 
ident of  Vernon  county.  He  was  engaged  in 
farming  at  Viroqua  until  1866,  when  he  removed 
to  Springville,  engaging  in  hotel  business.  He 
was  proprietor  of  the  Springville  House  until 
1877,  when  he  sold  to  L.  N.  Shaw.  Mr.  Adams 
now  leads  a  retired  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams 
have  had  two  children,  one  now  living — Anna 
E.,  wife  of  Samuel  Older,  Springville,  Wis. 

Philip  Bouflleur  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born 
Sept.  7,  18-29.  His  father,  Peter  Bouffleur,  emi- 
grated to  the  LTnited  States  in  1853  and  died  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1854.  His  mother,  Catha- 
rine Bouffleur,  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  I860  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Ver- 
non county.  Philip  learned  the  shoemaker's 
trade  in  his  native  country.  From  1849 
to  1851  he  served  in  the  30th  Infantry  Division 
of  the  Prussian  Army.  In  1854  he  came  to 
America,  first  stopping  at  Butler,  Butler  Co., 
Penn.  On  Nov.  27,  1855,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Mary  Reinlinder.  In  1857  he 
came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  Springville  and 
following  his  trade  until  1864,  when  he  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Bartolf  in  the  general  mercantile 
business  and  by  his  pleasing  manners  and  hon- 
est dealings  so  gained  the  confidence  of  the 
people  that  his  trade  was  on  a  continual  increase 
until  in  1882  his  sales  amounted  to  f 30,000. 
Mr.  I'ouffleur  is  a  republican  in  politics.  He 
served  as  postmaster  at  Springville  from  1864  to 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


895 


18R3.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business  quali- 
fications and  highly  esteemed  by  bis  fellow 
men.  Mr.  Bouffleur  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  His  religious  con- 
nections are  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  so- 
ciety. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bouffleur  have  had  eight 
children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living — Wil- 
liam, Dora,  wife  of  C.  N.  Harris,  Harmon,  Al- 
bert and  Minnie. 

William  Lowrie  was  one  of  the  best  known 
and  most  respected  citizen.s  of  Vernon  county. 
He  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  1799. 
At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  learn  the  carpenters  trade,  at  which  he 
was  occupied  as  an  apprentice  and  journeyman 
until  lie  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one.  Being 
of  a  studious  turn  of  mind,  he  found  time  each 
day  to  spend  a  few  hours  in  study  or  in  reading 
instructive  books,  thus,  with  a  mind  richly 
stored  with  the  beautiful  thoughts  and  precepts 
of  the  grand  old  authors,  with  a  perfect  knowl- 
edge and  mastery  of  his  chosen  trade  ;  being 
possessed  of  honest  principles,  industrious  and 
persevering  habits,  he  was  well  fitted  to  go  out 
into  the  world  among  strangers,  and  win  friends 
and  fortune  for  himself.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years  he  sailed  for  America,  which  became 
the  home  of  his  adoption.  He  first  settled  in 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  invested  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  in  lands,  and  worked 
at  his  trade  as  contractor  and  builder.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  in  New  York,  he  was  married 
to  Christiana  Kerr,  an  amiable  and  beautiful 
young  lady  of  Scotch  parentage,  whose  father 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that  country. 
They  lived  in  that  State  for  a  number  of  years, 
when  enterprise  and  love  for  adventure  prompt- 
ed him  to  remove  with  his  family  to  Vernon 
Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  became  a  resident  of  JeflFer- 
son  town,  in  1856.  He  settled  on  section  30, 
town  13  north,  of  range  5  west,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  farming,  and  lived  prosperous 
and  happy  until  his  death,  which  took  place 
Jan.  20,  1879,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty 
years.     He  was  a  noble  man,  a  loving  and  kind 


husband  and  father,  and  a  true  fiiend.  Mrs. 
Lowrie  still  survives  her  husband.  As  a  true, 
faithful,  loving,  patient  wife  and  mother,  none 
can  excell  her.  She  bore  the  inconvenience 
and  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  with  a  courage 
which  nothing  but  deep  love  for  her  husband 
and  family,  and  a  perfect  trust  in  her  Heavenly 
Father  could  have  sustained.  She  is  now  living 
in  her  seventy-third  year  ;  for  a  lady  of  her 
age,  she  has  retained  remarkable  eye-sight,  still 
being  able  to  read  fine  print,  thread  a  needle 
and  sew  without  spectacles.  Her  miTid  is  unu- 
sually active  and  retentive,  and  she  converses 
fluently  with  friends  upon  the  early  scenes  and 
incidents  of  their  early  life  in  Wisconsin. 

J.  P.  Lowrie,  son  of  William  Lowrie,  was 
born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  2-',  1840. 
He  came  with  his  parents  to  Wisconsin  and  has 
since  resided  in  Vernon  county.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1871  to  Rebecca  Kaden.  They  have 
three  children — Lurana  V.,  Alexander  and 
Lovary.  In  politics,  Mr.  Lowrie  is  a  republi- 
can. 

N.  A.  Sackett  was  born  Nov.  9,  1829,  in 
Duchess  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  Chautauqua  county,  at  the  age  of  seven 
years.  Here  he  grew  to  manhood.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years  he  married  Mary  E. 
Dewey.  Mr.  Sackett  came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis., 
in  July,  1857,  with  his  wife  and  two  of  her 
sisters  with  their  families  ;  visiting  there 
until  spring.  Then  he  came  to  Vernon  county, 
( then  called  Bad  Ax )  where  he  has  since 
resided  on  section  6,  town  13,  range  5,  and 
has  followed  farming  as  an  occupation.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sackett  have  had  three  children.  The 
oldest,  a  son,  died  in  infancy  at  their  former 
home.  Flora  M.  aged  twenty-one,  and  Charles 
A.  aged  nine  years,  are  still  with  their  parents. 
Mr.  Sackett,  wife  and  daughter  are  members  of 
the  U.  B.  Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  repub- 
lican. 

James  Crcviston  came  to  Vernon  county  in 
June,  1855,  living  in  Kiekapoo  valley  one  sum- 
mer,   then    settling    on    section     15,    Jeflierson 


596 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


town,  where  he  died,  Feb.  9,  1883,  of  heart 
disease.  Mr.  Creviston  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania March  5,  1811.  He  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Indiana,  wliere,  in  1850,  lie  was 
married  to  Mary  Jane  Garver,  born  in  Ohio 
Feb.  20,  183i.  They  had  six  children— Ema- 
line,  wife  of  William  V.  Sheets,  Francis,  Henry, 
Leonora,  Ada  and  Lillie.  .Mr.  Creviston  was 
a  kind  father  and  good  neighbor.  His  wife 
still  resides   on   the   homestead. 

John  Sheets  was  born  in  Kentucky;  subse- 
quently he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  was 
married  toEvaline  VanDorn.  He  then  removed 
to  Illinois,  where  he  died,'  leaving  four  children, 
three  of  whom  are  living — William  V.,  Eliza  A. 
and  Isaac.  Mrs.  Sheets  afterward  married 
Daniel  Mossholder,  and  in  1S58  came  to  Wis- 
consin, settling  in   Vernon  county. 

William  V.  Siieets  was  born  in  Iroquois  Co  , 
111.,  Nov.  29,  1844.  He  came  with  his  family 
to  Wisconsin,  in  1858,  and  has  since  resided  in 
Vernon  county.  He  enlisted  Sept.  15,  1863,  in 
the  13th  Wisconsin  Light  Artillery,  serving  un- 
til the  close  of  the  war.  In  1868  ho  mariied 
Emaline  Creviston,  daughter  of  James  Crevis- 
ton. They  have  two  children — Mary  Etta  and 
Erminnie  E. 

Jonathan  Wood  and  his  son,  L.  J.,  came  to 
Vernon  county  in  1854  and  selected  land  on 
section  6,  town  13,  range  5,  not  locating 
thereon,  however,  until  the  spring  of  1s.t8.  In 
the  fall  of  1857  Mr.  Wood  came  from  New 
York  State  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  removing  in  the 
spring,  as  stated,  to  this  county.  That  neighbor- 
hood has  since  been  known  as  Woodville. 
While  in  New  York  Mr.  Wood  operated  a  saw- 
mill, but  after  coming  to  Wisconsin  was 
engaged  in  farming.     He  died  in  1869. 

L.  J.  Wood  was  born  Feb.  17,  1827,  in 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  In  his  younger  days  he 
assisted  his  father  in  the  mill,  and  also  served 
for  two  years  as  clerk  in  a  store.  He  was 
married  in  Cattaraugus  Co.,  N.  Y.  in  1848,  to 
Sarah  Dewey,  also  a  native  of  New  York  State. 
They   have  had   four   children,  two    of   whom 


are  living — Charles  L.  and  Minnie,  wife  of 
Hiram  Bender.  Mr.  Wood  belongs  to  the 
United   Brethren    Church. 

C  L.  Wood  was  born  in  Chautauqua  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1850.  He  came  with  his 
parents  to  Vernon  county,  and  has  since  re- 
sided on  the  same  section  with  them.  In  1874 
he  married  Anna  Frazier,  daughter  of  AVilliam 
Frazier.  They  had  two  children — Winnie, 
deceased,  and  Nellie.  In  religious  views  Mr. 
Wood  is  a  United  Brethren. 

William  Harris  became  a  resident  of  Jeffer- 
son town  October,  1859.  He  was  occupied 
in  farming  a  few  years,  then  engaged  in  the 
milling  business,  at  Newton,  until  1879,  when 
he  removed  to  Nebraska.  He  was  born  in 
Ohio  and  reared  on  a  farm,  lie  was  married 
to  Prudence  Williams,  by  whom  he  had  eight 
children — Thomas,  Elias,  Clarissa,  J.  Enoch, 
Eunice,  Lawson,  Mary  and  Anna. 

J.  E.  Harris,  son  of  William  and  Prudence 
(Williams)  Harris,  was  born  Oct.  22,  1844,  in 
Ohio.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Vernon 
county,  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm.  In 
December,  1866,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mary  E.  Thompson,  daughter  of  E.  P. 
Tliom|tson  In  1869  he  went  to  Dickinson  Co., 
Iowa,  returning  to  Vernon  county  in  1873,  since 
which  time  he  has  resided  on  section  31,  town 
13,  range  5.  His  children  are — Oliver  E., 
Roy  and  Troy.  In  1864  Mr.  Harris  entered 
the  United  States  service,  serving  in  company 
H,  12th  Wisconsin  Volunteers  until  the  close 
of  the  war.     He  is  a  member  of  the  G    A.  R. 

Ellis  Reed  was  born  Nov.  2,  1835,  in  Mus- 
kingum Co.,  Ohio,  where  his  father  was  a 
farmer.  He  was  married  Jan.  13,  1859,  to 
Hannah  McLees,  and  soon  started  for  Wiscon- 
sin, having  previously,  in  1858,  purchased  278 
acres  of  his  present  farm  on  section  14,  town 
lo,  range  5.  He  now  owns  480  acres  of  land. 
His  children  are — Francis  A.,  Harley  Lincoln, 
Maggie,  (deceased),  Katie  M.,  Nellie  D.  and 
an  infant.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  and 
has  been   chairman  of   the  board  of  trustees  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


597 


tho  town.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  IT.  W. 
Mr.  Reed  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Ellis  P.  Thompson  was  born  in  Mount 
Pleasant,  Jefferson  Co.,  Ohio,  April  27,1816, 
and  shortly  after  liis  birth  his  parents  removed 
to  Harrison  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  was  principally 
raised.  He  was  left  fatherless  when  about  the 
age  of  ten  years;  his  mother  being  poor  liis 
educational  advantages  were  limited.  He  was 
one  of  eight  children,  and  was  put  out  to  live 
with  a  neighbor,  and  shifted  from  place  to 
place  till  old  enough  to  maintain  himself.  He 
then  hired  with  the  farmers  by  the  day  and 
month,  at  from  thirty-seven  and  a  half  to  sixty- 
two  and  a  halt'  cents  per  day,  or  from  ten  to 
fourteen  dollars  per  month,  till  about  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years,  then  moved  to  .Morgan  Co., 
Ohio,  wliere  he  contracted  with  John  Bernhard 
to  farm  his  place  on  shares  for  several 
years,  getting  one-third  of  the  grain  only,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  was  married  to  Edith  Meu- 
denhall.  She  died  in  1847,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, one  of  which  is  now  living — Eliza  J.,  wife 
of  Richard  Pidcock,  of  Sullivan  Co.,  Mo.  In 
IS-iS  Mr.  Thompson  was  married  to  Martha 
Rouanzoin,  and  subsequently  rented  a  small 
farm  for  one  year,  then  rented  a  larger  farm  for 
five  years;  then,  having  accumulated  a  small 
amount  of  capital,  bought  a  farm  for  $2,500, 
paying  $1,000  cash.  Crops  failing  for  the 
next  three  years,  he  was  not  able  to  meet  his 
payments,  and  was  obliged  to  make  some  turn. 
Finding  an  opportunity,  he  traded  for  land  in 
Wisconsin,  with  about  eighteen  acres  cleared 
and  a  small  house  erected  thereon,  but  encum- 
bered with  a  mortgage  of  $500.  It  was  located 
on  section  32,  town  13  north,  of  range  5 
west,  in  Vernon  county.  He  started  with  his 
family,  in  1S59,  for  Wisconsin,  the  journey 
being  made  with  team,  requiring  thirty-one 
days.  He  arrived  in  Vernon  a  poor  man,  his 
property  consisting  of  one  team,  a  small  amount 
of  household  goods,  and  sixty  dollars  in  money. 
He  has  giveu  his  principal  attention  to  farming, 


now  owning  440  acres  of  land,  his  improve- 
ments being  among  the  best,  and  is  now  in 
comfortable  circumstances — the  result  of  indus- 
try and  economy.  By  his  second  marriage  he 
liad  eight  children,  six  ot  whom  are  living — 
Mary  E.,  Jacob  A.,  William  P.,  Emaline  H., 
Martin  B.  and  Carrie  A.  In  politics  he  is  a 
National  greenbacker;  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church. 

G.  F.  Jackson  was  born  in  Chittenden  Co., 
Vt.,  Feb.  18,  1810.  His  father  operated  a  saw- 
mill, and  G.  F.  divided  his  time  between  work- 
ing in  the  mill  and  farming.  In  1834  he  mar- 
ried Debora  Cook,  and  subsequently  emigrated 
to  New  York.  In  1852  he  went  to  California, 
leaving  his  family  in  New  York.  After  remain- 
ing there  three  years  he  returned  to  the 
Empire  State.  In  1855  he  went  to  Appleton, 
Wis.,  and  in  the  spring  of  1862,  came  to  Ver- 
non county  and  settled  at  his  present  residence. 
His  children  are — Caroline,  Harriet,  Frank  and 
Alice. 

Andrew  Hanson  was  born  in  Norway,  Nov. 
20,  1841.  He  resided  in  his  native  country  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  emigrated  to 
the  United  States.  He  stopped  first  in  Vernon 
county,  his  brother  having  settled  there  three 
years  previous.  Mr.  Hanson  did  not  settle  down 
at  first,  but  worked  for  sometime  in  Minnesota 
and  also  in  the  pineries  of  Wisconsin.  He  was 
married  Dec.  12,  1874,  to  Elisa  Evenson,  two 
years  younger  than  himself.  They  have  now 
four  children — Hans  Engebret,  born  Sept.  1, 
1875;  Charl  Mathias,  born  June  12,  1877;  Min- 
nie Helena,  born  Nov.  15,1879,  and  Ellen 
Louise,  born  Jan.  26,  1882.  He  started  a  nursery 
and  continued  in  the  business  a  number  of  years, 
but  not  finding  it  profitable,  sold  out  and 
put  his  whole  attention  to  farming,  and  by 
hard  work  and  good  management,  has  now  a 
farm  of  160  acres  of  good  land,  good  buildings, 
and  all  the  implements  to  run  the  same  success- 
fully. He  has  seven  brothers  and  two  sisters 
residing   in    Wisconsin    and    Minnesota.       In 


598 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


politics  he  is  a  republican,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

Alonzo  F.  May,  son  of  Col.  Reuben  May,  was 
born  in  Clay  Co.,  Ky.,  March  12,  1853.  He 
came  with  his  family  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
assisted  his  father  on  the  farm.  May  28,  1883, 
he  was  married  to  Eva  Eckhardt,  daughter  of 
Jacob  Eckhardt.  He  has  since  resided  on  sec- 
tion 36,  Jefferson  town,  where  he  has  a  neat 
home. 

William  J.  May,  a  son  of  Col.  Reuben  May, 
was  born  in  Kentucky,  Jan.  15,  1842.  He  came 
with  tlie  family  to  Wisconsin  in  1863,  and  has 
since  been  a  resident  of  Vernon  county,  with 
the  exception  of  one  year,  when  he  followed 
farming  in  Monroe  county,  this  State.  He  has 
always  tilled  the  soil,  excepting  two  years,  when 
he  had  charge  of  the  grist  mill  at  Newton.  In 
the  fall  of  1882  he  settled  on  section  36,  Jeffer- 
son town,  and  now  owns  sixty  acres  of  land. 
On  Dec.  13,  1866,  he  married  Rachel  M.  Hayes, 
daughter  of  John  Hayes.  They  are  the  parents 
of  one  son — James  F.  Politically  Mr.  May  is  a 
greenbacker.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

H.  Amunson  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born 
June  20,  1846.  He  resided  in  his  native  coun- 
try until  1S64,  at  which  time  he  emigrated  to 
the  United  States,  and  has  since  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Vernon  county.  In  1866  he  began 
clerking  for  Philip  Bouffleur,  with  whom  he 
continued  until  Sept.  1,  1883,  when  he  purchased 
a  half  interest  in  the  business,  the  firm  name 
being  II.  Amunson  &  Co.  In  the  fall  of  1868 
he  was  married  to  Leanna  Latta.  They  have 
had  five  children,  two  of  whom  are  living — 
Philip  and  Carrie.  Mr.  Amunson  is  a  stirring 
business  man  and  is  very  successful.  He  is  re- 
publican in  politics.  In  religious  views  a  Meth- 
odist Episcopal. 

Col.  Reuben  May  is  a  native  of  Pike  Co., 
Ky.,  born  June  23,  1815.  His  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Virginia.  They  had  twelve  children, 
ten  of  whom -are  still  living.  Reuben  spent 
his   early   life   on  his  father's  farm.     He  was 


married  March  5,  1885,  to  Miss  E.  V.  Honaker, 
also  a  native  of  Kentucky.  In  1849  he  removed 
to  Clay  county,  being  engaged  in  making  and 
shipping  salt,  also  working  a  farm  of  400  acres. 
In  1861,  when  State  after  State  was  seceding 
from  the  Union,  Mr.  May  was  found  loyal  to 
his  country,  and  on  the  27th  of  September,  en- 
listed in  the  United  States  service,  and  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  8th 
Kentucky  Volunteer  Infantry.  In  May,  1863, 
he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  Tth  Kentucky 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  as  such  with 
credit  to  himself  and  country  until  Oct.  5,  1864, 
when  tlie  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  ser- 
vice. Mr.  May  participated  in  many  hard 
fought  battles,  and  a  number  of  skirmislies. 
He  commanded  the  8th  Kentucky  in  the  battles 
of  Perryville,  Laurel  Hill,  Stone  River,  Mur- 
freesboro;  and  the  Tth  Kentucky  in  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg,  battle  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  Comut 
River,  La.,  Semmes  Port,  Yellow  Bayou,  etc.  He 
was  wounded  at  Murfreesboro,  and  disabled  for 
four  months.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  ISIay 
came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in  Jefferson  town, 
Vernon  county,  where  his  family  had  previously 
located  in  1863.  He  has  given  his  principal  at- 
tention to  farming.  In  politics  Col.  May  was 
first  a  democrat,  but  in  1360  voted  for  John  Bell 
for  the  Presidency.  And  in  1864  he  cast  his 
ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  In  1870  and  1872 
he  represented  his  district  in  the  General  As- 
sembly. In  1875  he  was  a  candidate  for  State 
senator,  and  it  was  only  after  a  contested  elec- 
tion that  his  opponent,  J.  Henry  Tate,  was  de- 
clared elected  by  a  majority  of  six  votes.  When 
the  National  greenback  party  sprang  into  exis- 
tence. Col.  May  became  one  of  its  advocates, 
and  in  1879  was  their  candidate  for  governor. 
His  wife  died  Jan.  28,  1881,  leaving  ten  chil- 
dren— Louisa  J.,  Mary  D.,  William  J.,  'i'horaas 
H.,  Zuingliens  S.,  Robert  D.,  Alonzo  F.,  Albert 
B.,  Richard  A.,  (deceased),  and  Hugh  L.  Feb. 
28,  1883,  he  married  Mrs.  Phebe  A.  Aiken,  nee 
Dolliver.  Col.  May  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F. 
&  A.   M.,  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  G.  A.  R.  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


599 


State  Grange.     He  is  a  member  of  the    Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church. 

Michael  Rentz  was  born  June  25,  1846,  in 
Norway.  He  learned  the  tanning  business, 
which  he  followed  in  his  native  country,  until 
1868,  at  which  time  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States.  He  first  stopped  in  Decorah,  Iowa,  but 
soon  removed  to  Chicago.  Here  he  worked  at 
his  trade  until  1670,  when  he  came  to  Vernon 
county,  settling  at  Esofea,  where  he  erected  a 
tannery,  and  soon  after  went  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  CJhristian,  which  they  still  continue. 
They  also  own  140  acres  of  land.  In  1870 
Michael  Rentz  married  Agnethe  Olson.  They 
have  five  children — Mathilde,  Agnes,  Henry 
Norman,  Olga  and  Amalie.  Mr.  Rentz  is  an 
independent  greenbacker  in  politics  He  has 
held  ihe  position  of  postmaster,  at  Esofea,  has 
also  been  a  member  of  the  town  board,  and  for 
the  present  holds  the  oflice  of  town  treasurer. 

W.  H.  Jackson,  blacksmith  at  Springville, 
Vernon  county,  became  a  resident  of  the  county 
in  1872,  being  engaged  for  two  years  in  farm- 
ing, since  which  time,  he  has  been  proprietor  of 
a  general  blacksmith  and  repair  shop,  also  man- 
ufacturing a  few  wagons.  Mr.  Jackson  was  born 
Aug.  25,  1846,  in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.  His  parents, 
James  A.,  and  Emily  (Stiles)  Jackson,  are  still 
residents  of  Grant  county.  Mr.  Jack-on's  early 
life  was  spent  at  work  in  the  mines,  but  when 
sixteen  years  of  age,  he  commenced  to  work  at 
his  trade,  which  he  continued  to  do  until  com- 
ing to  Vernon  county,  Sept.  22,  1870.  He  was 
married  to  Sarah  .Vackson,  daughter  of  A.  Jack- 
son, of  Viroqua.  They  have  an  adopted  son — 
Samuel  Lee  Wilson.     Mr.  Jackson  is  a   well  in- 


formed citizen  and  has  many  friends.  He  is  a 
democrat  in  politics.  His  religious  connections 
are  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

L.  N.  Shaw  was  born  in  Quincy,  Mass.,  Aug 
25,  18'^7.  Being  the  son  of  Capt.  John  W.  Shaw, 
he  became  imbued  with  the  life  of  a  sailor  when 
a  small  boy,  and  thus  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years, 
took  to  the  sea,  and  followed  a  sailor's  life  until 
nearly  forty  years  of  age,  when  he  was  obliged 
to  give  up  a  sea-faring  life  on  account  of  ill 
health.  During  those  years  Mr.  Shaw  had  vis- 
ited nearly  all  of  the  navigable  globe, sailing  on 
the  Atlantic,  Pacific  .and  Indian  oceans,  expe- 
riencing the  various  changes  incident  to  a  sail- 
or's life,  and  was  shipwrecked  three  times,  and 
during  these  years  had  been  instrumental  in 
saving  twelve  lives  from  shipwreck.  Mr.  Shaw 
had  passed  through  all  the  grades  of  a  sailor, 
from  the  forecastle  to  the  quarter  deck,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  became  master  of  a  ves- 
sel, sailing  on  the  coast  and  inland  waters  of 
California,  for  eight  years.  In  186.3  Capt.  Shaw 
with  impaired  health,  left  California  for  his 
native  State,  where,  in  the  city  of  Boston,  he 
embarked  in  the  general  provision  business.  In 
1.877  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  succeeding  L.  G.  P. 
Adams  as  proprietor  of  the  Springville  House, 
of  which  he  is  still  landlord,  having  also  added 
to  his  hotel,  a  grocery  business,  which  he  is 
conducting  in  connection  with  the  house.  Capt. 
Shaw  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife 
was  Betsy  C.  Phillips,  to  whom  he  was  married 
in  1853.  She  died  in  1870,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren— Catherine  W.,  Emma  L.,  and  Walter  L. 
In  1872  he  married  Mrs.  Emily  A.  Newcomb,  Jiee 
Adams.  She  had  two  children  by  her  former 
marriage,  one  now  living— Albert  C. 


OuO 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XLII 


THE  TOWN  OF  KICKAPOO. 


Kiokapoo  is  among  the  southern  tier  of  towns 
of  Vernon  county,  and  comprises  a  portion  o 
four  congressional  townships — townships  11  and 
12,  range  3  west,  and  towr ships  11  and  12,  range 
4  west  of  the  fourth  principal  meridian.  The 
surface  is  very  much  broken  having  within  its 
boundary  a  number  of  large  hills.  At  an  early 
day  there  was  a  large  amount  of  heavy  timber  of 
which  there  is  still  standing  a  large  quan- 
tity, consisting  of  white  oak,  rock  maple,  bass- 
wood  and  other  varieties.  Thousands  of  rail- 
road ties  have  been  annually  obtained  from  the 
timber  in  this  town.  The  large  game,  such  as 
deer,  elk  and  bear,  existed  in  great  numbers 
during  the  first  decade  of  the  settlement  of 
the  country,  but  they  are  now  unknown.  Small 
game  yet  abounds. 

The  Kiokapoo  river  runs  through  the  town. 
Its  two  branches — the  east  and  west  forks — make 
confluence  on  section  4.  The  river  is  fed  by 
many  small  streams  which  enter  into  and  help 
swells  the  volume  of  water.  The  smaller  streams 
are  made  up  from  the  many  clear  and  sparkling 
springs  that  exist  in  various  parts  of  the  county. 

The  soil  is  generally  rich  and  productive 
where  tillable,  and  is  well  suited  to  indigenous 
as  well  a-*  native  grass,  which  makes  the  town 
an  excellent  one  for  stock.  Those  that  have,  in 
the  past,  engaged  in  stock  r;iising,  have  been 
nnifornily  successful.  Some  maple  sugar,  of  an 
excellent  quality,  is  annually  made  by  theeiiter- 
|)vi.>ing  citizens.  Bees  thrive  here,  and  many 
of  the  farmers  have  been  quite  successful  in  the 
past  few  years,  in  bee  culture. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT. 

Tbe  first  settler  in  the  town  of  Kiokapoo  was 
Daniel  Read,  who  came  here  in  1849.    lie  was 


a  native  of  'J'ioga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  but  had  lived  sev- 
eral years  in  St.  Joseph  Co.,  Mich.  He  came 
to  Vernon  county  in  1846  or  1847,  settled  near 
Liberty  Pole,  in  the  town  of  Franklin,  and 
opened  up  a  farm.  On  his  arrival  in  Kickapoo 
he  built  a  saw  mill  on  Read's  creek,  as  it  is  now 
called.  He  was  a  bachelor,  and  well  advanced 
in  years  at  the  time  of  his  settlement  here.  He 
was  an  enterprising  man,  as  will'  be  seeti  by 
reference  to  the  village  history.  He  was  a  jovial 
man,  good  hearted,  ar  d  much  esteemed  by  all. 
He  died  here  in  1862.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  made  his  home  with  Gilbert  Herrick. 

Orrin  Wisel  came  with  Mr.  Read,  or  about 
the  same  time.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade, 
and  opened  the  first  shop  in  the  town. 

The  first  farm  in  this  town  was  opened  by 
Philip  Schneider,  who  located  here  in  184^. 
He  was  a  native  of  Bavaria  and  had  lived  near 
Viroqua  the  previous  two  years.  He  settled 
in  the  Kickapoo  valley  on  section  5,  town  ]l, 
range  3  west,  and  still  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead. 

Archibald  and  Daniel  Day,  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky, came  in  1851.  The  former  settled  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarler  of 
section  9,  town  11,  range  3  west.  lie  died 
there  in  1S76.  His  daughter,  now  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Gosling,  occupies  the  homestead. 
Daniel  entered  land  on  sections  17  and  18,  of 
the  same  town  and  range.  He  sold  in  1855,  to 
Seth  Edson,  who  now  occupies  the  place.  Dan- 
iel died  about  1857. 

Henry  B.  Hopkins,  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
came  here  from  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  in   1853,  and 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


G03 


entered  land   on    section  14,  town    11,  range  3 
west,  where  lie  still  lives. 

Abel  C.  Cusliman,  from  Vermont,  came  here 
in  18.53,  and  erected  a  sawmill  on  the  east  fork 
of  the  Kickapoo.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  Jeffer- 
son Co.,  Wis.,  having  lived  there  for  several 
years  prior  to  his  removal  to  this  county.  The 
mill  is  now  operated  by  his  son  James. 

David  Barril,  a  native  of  Scotland,  came  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1S53-4,  and  entered  land  on 
section  35,  town  12.  range  3  west,  where  he  still 
live.s. 

.  R.  F.  Carey  was  from  the  Nutmeg  State.  He 
came  to  Vernon  county,  in  18.54,  and  entered  a 
portion  of  section  10,  town  11,  range  3  west. 
He  settled  on  this  land  the  following  year,  and 
there  made  his  home  until  1883,  when  he  sold 
out  and  left  the  town. 

Samuel  Baldwin  was  a  settler  of  1854.  He 
was  from  New  York.  On  his  arrival  in  Ver- 
non county,  he  made  choice  of  land  on  section 
2,  town  11,  range  3  west,  where  he  located  and 
lived  some  years  and  then  removed  to  Richland 
county.     In  1883  he  went  to  Kansas. 

Daniel  Hill,  a  native  of  Illinois,  by  profession 
a  physician,  came  in  1853,  and  located  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  26.  He  was  after- 
wards convicted  of  horse  stealing,  served  a 
term  in  the  penitentiary,  and  then  returned  to 
ilie  town,  but  finally  removed  to  Kansas. 

The  Keystone  State  furnished  a  settler  in 
1853  in  the  person  of  Peter  Neeley,  He  settled 
on  section  1,  town  11,  range  3,  lived  there  eight 
or  nine  years,  then  returned  to  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  died  a  few  years  later.  His  widow 
now  lives  in  Washington  territory. 

Francis  Lawton,  a  native  of  New  York,  also 
came  in  1853,  from  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  and,  in 
com;  any  with  A. C.Cusbmau,  built  a  saw-mill.  In 
1858  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Rockton,  where 
he  built  a  grist  mill.  He  now  lives  in  Wash- 
ington territory. 

John  Grubbs  was  another  of  the  pioneers  of 
1853.     He  locg,ted  on    the  northeast  quarter  of 


section  36.  He  is  now  dead  and  his  widow 
lives  in  Richland  county. 

Abraham  Benn,  from  England,  came  in  1856 
and  located  on  section  1.  He  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army  during  .the  war  and  died  in  the 
service.  Some  of  the  family  yet  reside  in  the 
town. 

John  Harrison  and  Henry  Glasburn,  originally 
from  Illinois,  came  from  Viroqua  in  1849.  The 
year  following  they  built  a  saw-mill  on  the  west 
fork  of  the  Kickapoo.  About  the  time  of  the 
war  they  sold  out  and  left  the  town. 

William  Austin  settled  in  Readstown  in  1853- 
He  was  something  of  a  pettifogger  and  quite  a 
musician.  Two  of  his  daughters  were  good 
musicians  and  occasionally  gave  public  concerts. 
Mr.  Austin  left  the  county  durng  war  times  and 
now  resides  in  California. 

George  Miller  came  in  1853,  lived  in  Reads- 
town  a  few  years,  then  left  his  family  and  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  from  whence  lie  came. 

Gilbert  Herrick,  a  native  of  New  York  State, 
came  from  Viroqua  in  1853.  He  was  a  carpen- 
ter by  trade  and  worked  at  the  business  together 
with  fanning.  He  made  his  home  ii>  Reads- 
town  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1879. 
His  widow  survived  him  but  a  few  montlis. 
Three  daughters  are  yet  living,  two  of  whom 
reside  in  Iowa,  the  otlier  still  living  at  Reads- 
town. 

In  1854  Daniel  B.  Hale  came  to  Readstown. 
He  is  a  nephew  of  Mr.  Read  and  is  yet  a  resident 
of  the  village. 

James  McSharry,  a  native  of  Ireland,  came 
from  Galena,  111.,  in  1853.  He  entered  land  on 
section  36,  town  12,  range  4.,  where  he  located 
and  remained  three  years,  then  went  to  section 
7,  town  II,  range  3,  where  he  lived  until  1882 
when  he  removed  to  Rising  Sun,  where  he  died 
on  Easter  Sunday,  1883.  His  widow  and  two 
daughters  now  reside  in  Rising  Sun. 

Robert  Wilson,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
came  in  1852  from  Richland  county  and  entered 
land  on  sections  35    and  36,  town   12,    range  3 


SS 


604 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


west.     He  built  a  honse  on  section  35  and  stiW 
resides  there. 

Lorenzo  Hill  was  from  New  York.  He  came 
in  1853  and  located  on  section  25,  town  12, 
range  3.  He  was  a  single  man  at  the  time,  but 
soon  afterwards  married  a  daughter  of  Robert 
Wilson.  His  wife  died  in  1857  and  he  subse- 
quently sold  out  and  left  the  county.  He  is 
now  r.  resident  of  Washington  territory. 

Albert  Bliss,  a  native  of  Vermont,  came  to 
Readstown  in  1854  fr.im  Grant  Co.,  Wis., 
where  he  had  lived  several  years.  He  opened  a 
store  that  fall,  and  the  next  year  embarked  in 
the  hotel  business.  He  was  a  resident  of  the 
town  until  1883,  wlien  lie  removed  to  Viroqna. 
William  Powell  located  on  section  12,  town 
11,  range  3,  in  1854.  He  was  a  minister  of 
the  Christian  or  Disciple  Church,  but  engaged 
in  teaching  the  greater  part  of  his  residence  in 
the  county.  He  remained  here  ten  or  twelve 
years,  but  now  resides  in  Viroqua. 

Charles  Allen,  a  native  of  Virginia,  came 
from  Oliio  in  1854  and  settled  on  section  3, 
where  he  remained  until  his  death  in  1874.  His 
widow  subsequently  married  II,  B.  Hopkins. 

James  Medlicut,  a  native  of  England,  came  in 
1854  and  settled  on  section  1,  town  11,  range 
4  west.  He  lived  there  about  twelve  years, 
when  he  moved  to  Iowa,  where  he  has  since 
died.     Two  of  his  sons  now  live  in  Iowa. 

William  Geddes  settled  in  the  Kickapoo  val- 
ley in  1855,  buying  land  on  section  33,  town  I'i, 
range  3  west,  where  he  still  lives.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio. 

James  Fox,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  came 
in  1854,  first  locating  on  section  4,  town  11, 
range  4,  where  he  lived  two  years,  then  moved 
to  section  8,  town  11,  range  3  west.  He 
died  there  in  August,  1883.  He  was  a  wagon 
maker  by  trade,  and  worked  at  his  trade  the 
greater  part  of  (he  time,  while  a  resident  of  the 
town.  He  was.  an  active  and  influential  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church. 

Rodman  Baker  was  among  the  settlers  of 
1855.     He    was   a   native    of    New    York,   but 


came  here  from  Green  Lake  Co.,  Wis.,  locaiing 
on  section  14.  In  1858  he  removed  to  Marion 
Co.,  Mo.,  and  died  there  in  1879.  His  widow 
still  lives  there.  His  daughter,  the  widow  of 
A.  P.  Bliss,  lives  at  Readstown. 

James  Foreman,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
came  in  1855.  He  bougV.t  village  lots  in  Kicka- 
poo and  built  a  log  house.  He  died  there  in 
1867.  His  widow  now  lives  with  her  daughter, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Ransom  Kellogg.  His  son, 
James,  a  successful  farmer,  lives  on  section  2, 
town  11,  range  3  west. 

O.  C.  Fortney  is  a  native  of  Norway.  He 
came  here  from  Madison  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855,  and 
first  located  on  section  13,  town  11,  range  4 
west.  He  lived  there  about  one  year,  then 
moved  to  section  11,  of  the  same  town. 
In  1882  he  moved  to  section  2,  where  he  died 
in  1883.  His  widow  yet  resides  on  the  latter 
homestead. 

James  Maiben,  by  birt'-,  was  a  Scotchman. 
He  came  here  from  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1854, 
bought  land  on  section  8,  town  II,  range  3. 
He  died  Jan.  8,  1857.  His  family  still  reside 
here. 

Francis  Dupee  came  from  Grant  Co.,  Wis., 
in  1856.  He  enlisted  in  the  army  and  died  in 
the  service.  His  son  Henry  also  died  in  the 
service.  The  family  now  occupy  the  old  home- 
stead. 

Henry  Cumrine    located    on   section  10,  town 

11,  range  3  west,  in  1855.  He  was  a  native 
of  Maryland,  but  came  here  from  Ohio.  He 
built  a  two  story  hewed  log  house  on  his  arrival, 
which  he  still  makes  his  home. 

George  Spurrier  was  from  Jefferson  Co., 
Ohio.  He  came  here  in  1855,  and  entered 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  14,  town  11, 
range  3,  where  he  still  resides. 

John  Crook,  ;i  native  of  England,  was  a 
settler  of  1857.     He  located  on  section  26,  town 

12,  range  4.  In  1870  he  mo^ed  to  the 
town  of  Franklin,  where  he  now  lives.  His, 
son  William  now  lives  on  the  old  hnuiestead. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


C05 


Reuben  Alexander  was  from  Indiana.  He 
located  on  section  11,  town  1 1,  range  3,  in  1857 
where  he  yet  resides. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1855  was  Zachariah 
Smith,  a  native  of  Ohio,  but  who  came  from 
Indiana,  and  located  on  section  18,  town  11, 
range  5,  where  he  still  lives. 

His  brother,  William  A.  Smith,  came  the 
same  year,  and  settled  on  the  same  section.  He 
died  in  1880.  His  family  still  occupy  the  home- 
stead. 

Reuben  Drake,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  came 
in  1855,  from  Indiana,  and  settled  on  section 
12,  town    n,  range  3,   where   he    yet    remains. 

John  (^ribble,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
came  from  Indiana  in  1854,  and  located  on 
section  86,  town  11,  range  3.  In  1871  he 
moved  to  Viola,  where  he  died  in  1875.  His 
widow  now  lives  in  Richland  county. 

One  of  the  pioneers  of  1856,  worthy  of 
special  mention  in  this  connection,  is  William 
Pugh  (  deceased  ),  who  was  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina, in  1781,  and  died  at  Readstown,  in  1869 
When  young,  he  moved  to  Virginia,  where  hi 
married  in  1810,  and  a  few  years  later,  removei 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  remained  until  1845,  a 
which  time  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  spent  '. 
year  in  Grant  county.  He  then  returned  ti 
Kentucky,  and  remained  until  1856,  when  he 
moved  back  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  near 
Readstown,  Vernon  county,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days.  Mrs.  Pugh  was  born 
in  the  State  of  Virginia,  June  26,  1794.  She 
married  Mr.  Pugh  the  January  before  she  was 
sixteen  years  of  age,  and  by  him  had  twenty- 
one  children,  thirteen  of  whom  lived  to  man- 
hood and  womanhood.  The  mother,  when 
ninety  years  of  age,  (1883  )  was  well  preserved 
and  enjoyed  good  health.  The  year  she  was 
ninety,  she  was  out  walking,  when  a  rattle 
snake  came  across  her  pathway,  which  had 
seven  rattles.  Mrs.  Pugh  found  a  stick,  hunted 
the  venomous  reptile  out  from  his  hiding 
place  and  killed  it;  this  took  more  courage 
than    most   of    ht-r  children  or  y-rand-children 


would  have  possessed.  In  1884  she  was  mak- 
ing her  home  with  her  son,  Andrew  J.,  near 
Readstown. 

ORGANIC. 

Kickapoo  town  was  organized  in  1>53.  The 
tirst  election  was  he!d  at  Orin  Wisel's  house, 
May  29  of  that  year.  The  territory  embraced 
forty  six  sections,  and  has  never  been  changed. 
Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  sub-divide 
it,  but  such  attempts  liave  always  failed  No 
record  of  the  first  town  officers  can  be  given,  ex- 
cept that  Robert  Wilson  was  the  first  justice  of 
the  peace. 

Officers  of  1888:  P.  L.  Rush,  Lewis  Ander- 
son and  John  Cianey,  supervisors;  William 
Hutchinson,  assessor;  J.  J.  McCarty,  clerk; 
George  Spurrier,  A.  M.  McClarin  and  Hftury 
Sutherland,  justices  of  the  peace;  A.  S.  Caryi 
constable. 

VILLAGE    OF    EEADSTOWN. 

In  1855  Daniel  Read  had  platted  a  village  to 
which  he  gave  the  name  of  Readstown.  It  is 
situated  on  a  portion  of  sections  7  and  8,  town 
11,  range  3,  and  lies  upon  both  sides  of  the 
Kickapoo  river.  Mr.  Read  built  the  first  house 
upon  the  site  of  the  prospective  village,  in  1848. 
It  was  of  round  logs  and  located  upon  the  east 
side  of  the  river. 

Before  the  village  was  platted  quite  a  settle- 
ment had  been  made,  and  the  first  store  opened 
by  William  II.  Austin,  early  in  the  year  I8.')4 
Mr  Austin  continued  in  the  business  about  one 
year,  when  he  closed  out.  Albert  Bliss  opened 
the  next  store,  in  the  fall  of  1854.  He  contin- 
ued in  the  business  for  several  years,  finally  dis- 
posing of  his  interest  to  his  son,  Parker,  who 
continued  it  until  his  death.  His  widow  still 
carries  on  the  business. 

The  citizens  of  Readstown,  and  those  who  did 
business  at  this  point,  were  without  mail  I'acili- 
ties  until  1857,  when  an  office  was  established 
with  Hiram  Atislin  as  the  fir.-<t  postmaster,  with 
the  office  at  his  residence.  Mr.  Austin  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Hugh  McClarrien.  who  gave  way,  in 
1861,  to  A.  P.  Bliss,  who  continued  todiscbarge 


606 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


the  duties  of  the  office  until  his  death,  when  his 
widow  was  appointed.  In  February,  18S1,  Al- 
bert l>lis8  was  commissioned  and  held  the  office 
until  March,  1883,  when  he  resigned  and  Mrs. 
A.  P.  Bliss  was  again  appointed.  Mail  is  now 
received  three  times  a  week. 

The  "village  smith"  is  celebrated  in  poetry 
and  illustrated  by  th.e  artist,  and  no  well  reg- 
ulated village  is  considered  complete  without  a 
representative  of  this  branch  of  industry.  In 
1850,  five  years  before  the  village  was  platted, 
Orin  Wisel  opened  a  blacksmith  shop  in  the 
place.  He  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  until 
1860,  when  he  closed  the  shop.  It  was  re- 
opened shortly  after,  by  William  Dailey,  who 
continued  until  sometime  during  the  war. 

Albert  Bliss,  who  was  the  second  merchant  in 
the  place,  opened  the  first  hotel  in  1855.  It  was 
a  commodious  frame  building  and  considered  an 
honor  to  the  village.  The  hotel  is  now  run  by 
tlie  widow  of  his  son,  Albert  P.  Bliss. 

In  the  fall  of  1854,  a  distillery  was  erected  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  river,  by  William  II. 
Austin.  Tlie  building  was  washed  away  in  the 
spring  of  1857,  and  never  replaced,  though  Mr. 
Austin  erected  and  run  a  brewery  for  about 
four  years,  upon  its  site.  Tlie  brewery  build- 
ing was  destroyed  l)y  fire. 

In  a  new  country,  and  cut  off  from  general 
markets,  and  where  the  inhabitants  are  gener- 
ally of  the  poorer  class, a  mill  for  sawing  the  na- 
tive lumber,  is  greatly  appreciated.  In  1849 
Daniel  Read  built  a  saw  mill  on  what  has  since 
been  known  as  Read's  creek.  It  was  supplied 
with  a  perpendicular  saw.  The  mill  stood  about 
ten  years,  when  it  was  replaced  by  another  and 
better  one,  erected  near  the  site  of  the  old  one. 
The  new  mill  stood  until  1881,  when  it  was  torn 
down. 

A  greater  blessing,  even  than  the  old  saw  mill, 
was  the  grist  mill,  erected  in  a  new  settlement. 
As  often  narrated,  the  pioneers  of  this  western 
country  often  suffered  great  inconvenience  from 
the  lack  of  milling  facilities,  and  the  man  who 
erected  a  mill  for  the   purpose  of  grinding  the 


corn  and  wheat  of  the  few  settlers,  was  consid- 
ered a  public  benefactor.  In  185  t  Daniel  Read 
built  a  small  mill,  securing  power  from  Read's 
creek,  through  a  race  one-third  of  a  mile  in 
length, and  which  afforded  a  seventeen  font  tall. 
For  two  years  the  mill  was  supplied  with  but 
one  run  of  buhrs,  which  was  sufficient  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  its  patrons.  A  second  run 
of  buhrs  was  added  in  1856.  B.  D.  Hale  was 
the  first  practical  miller  employed  by  Mr.  Read. 
In  1859  the  mill  was  rented  to  Thomas  Hardin, 
who  run  it  two  years  and  was  succeeded  by 
Henry  Lockwood,  who  also  rented  and  run  it 
two  years.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Read  died  and 
his  sister,  Anna  Hale,  inherited  one-third  inter- 
est in  the  mill,  which  went  to  her  son,  B.  D. 
Hale.  Thomas  Cade  purchased  the  two-thirds 
interest.  As  soon  as  Lockwood's  lease  expired, 
Mr.  Hale  took  charge  of  the  mill,  purchasing 
from  Mr.  Cade  an  amount  sufficient  to  give  him 
a  half  interest.  With  the  exception  of  about 
two  and  a  half  ye  irs,  Vhen  it  was  rented,  the 
mill  has  been  run  by  Mr.  Hale,  to  the  present 
time.  It  has  now  three  run  of  buhrs — one  for 
flour,  one  for  middlings  and  the  other  for  coarse 
grinding.  It  has  all  the  machinery  for  making 
first-class  flour.  The  building  is  24x-30  feet,  one 
and  a  half  stories  high,  with  an  addition  12x30 
feet.  In  1883  Francis  H.  Rogers  bought  Mr. 
Cade's  interest,  and  is  now  associated  with  Mr. 
Hale  in  the  management  of  the  mill. 

The  west  side  of  the  river  had  the  nioii'  ])ol)' 
of  the  trade  until  18'76,  when  W.  H.  Aikins 
opened  a  store  on  the  east  side.  The  second 
store    was    opened  in  1882  by  J    J.  McCarty. 

A  blacksmith  shop  was  erected  and  the 
trade  followed,  by  George  Read,  before  the 
war.  In  1868  Mr.  Read  disposed  of  the  shop 
to  George  Kemmel,  who  yet  continues  in  the 
business. 

The  business  of  Readstown  in  the  fall  of 
1883  was  represented  Vty  the  following  named  : 

William  Aiken,  Mrs.  A.  P.  Bliss  &  Son 
and  John  McCarthy,  general  stock. 

James  Treseder,  hardware  dealer. 


lirSTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


607 


Mrs.  A.  P.  Bliss,  bote'. 

George  Kembe'l,  Henry  Wambiirg  .and  Lew 
Kellogg,  blacksmitbs. 

Hale  «fe  Roger.s,  proprietors  of  tbe  mill. 

THE    VILLAGE  OP  KICKAPUO. 

The  little  collection  of  houses  known  as  Kick- 
apoo  was  laid  out  by  Joseph  Wood,  on  land 
owned  by  Robert  Wilson,  in  1857.  It  is  situ- 
ated on  the  west  bank  of  the  Kickapoo  river, 
on     section     35,     town      12,     range      3    west. 

Knox  &  St.  John  opened  the  first  store  in 
11^57;  tliey  kept  a  general  stock,  including  gio- 
ceries.  They  continued  about  a  year  and  clospil 
out.  Then  came  Samuel  Green,  who  moved  a 
stock  into  the  same  building — a  log  house  long 
since  torn  down.  Several  persons  have  traded 
herefrom  time  to  time.  The  trade  in  188  4  was 
left  in  the  hands  of  Ambrose  Osborne. 

Robert  Wilson  kept  the  first  hotel.  He 
began  to  keep  travelers  when  he  first  came  to 
the  county.  In  1857  he  built  a  frame  hotel, 
called  the  "Jackson  House,"  named  in  honor  of 
"Old  Hickory."  They  4iept  this  as  a  public 
house   till   1873. 

A  postoffice  was  established  at  this  point  in 
1853.  Robert  Wilson  was  the  first  postmaster; 
he  served  over  eighteen  years  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Lorenzo  Hill,  and  he,  by  Samuel 
Green.  Next  came  Thomas  Dunning,  who  wa.s 
followed  by  Mr.  Wilson,  who  was  in  charge  a 
year  and  followed  by  L.  S.  Kellogg. 

In  1883  A.  C.  Cushman  and  Frank  Lawton 
erected  a  saw  mill  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Kickapoo  river,  its  power,  however,  being  de- 
rived from  Elk  creek.  This  mill  .was  still  in 
use  in  188  4,  when  it  was  being  run  by  his  son, 
James  M. 

The  first  religious  services  in  this  vicinity 
were  held  at  the  school  house  in  1857.  Preaeher.s 
of  various  denominations  conducted  services  in 
the  place.  A  Methodist  Episcopal  class  was 
organized,  but  |irii)r  to  1880  had  been  discon- 
tinued. 

A  Free  Will  Baptist  society  was  organized 
in    1879,    by   Rev.   F.   B.   Moulton,  which  had 


about  thirty  members.  Robert  Wilson  and  E. 
H.  Bragg  were  chosen  deacons.  In  the  spring 
of  1880,  a  small  church  was  built  which  cost 
about  $600.  In  1883,  owing  to  most  of  the 
membership  having  moved  away,  the  society 
was  disbanded. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  town  of  Kickapoo  is  well  supplied  witli 
school  houses,  and  in  educational  matters  ranks 
.among  the  best  in  the  county. 

The  first  school  at  Readstown  was  taught  by 
Mrs.  Bound  in  a  small  building  erected  for 
other  purposes  in  1854,  but  during  that  year  a 
frame  building  was  erected  for  school  purposes, 
and  the  first  school  taught  therein  was  by  Je- 
mima Wilson.  This  building  was  in  use  until 
1867,  when  it  was  replaced  by  a  larger  and  bet- 
ter one,  which  was  still  in  use  in  the  fall  of 
1883.  Gardner  Bliss  was  the  first  teacher  in 
the  new  building.  Each  district  in  the  town  is 
supplied  with  a  school  house. 

Joint  district  No.  1  secured  its  first  school 
house  in  i860.  It  was  of  logs  and  erected  by 
the  volunteer  contributions  (in  labor)  of  the 
men  in  the  district.  The  building  was  cov- 
ered with  slabs  and  had  slab  seats  provided  for 
the  scholars.  This  building  was  replaced  by 
the  present  one  in  1871.  Helen  Hutchinson  has 
the  honor  of  being  the  first  teacher  in  the  new 
sctool  house. 

The  first  school  in  district  No.  2  was  held  in 
Samuel  Green's  house  in  the  winter  of  1854-5. 
It  was  taught  by  Caroline  McKasha.  In  1857 
a  log  house  was  erected,  in  which  Isaac  Osen- 
baugh  taught  the  first  school.  It  stood  upon 
section  35,  on  the  line  of  section  36.  This 
house  was  used  but  a  short  time  when  a  frame 
house  was  built  on  the  same  section  line. 
Nettie  Cliif  was  the  first  teacher  in  this  house. 
In  1869  the  present  school  building  was  erected 
and  school  was  first  taught  therein  by  Annie 
!  Turner. 

Elizabeth  Williams  taught  the  first  school  in 

;  district  No.  3,  in  1867.     A    rude  log  house  had 

been  erected  that  year  for  school  purposes,  lo- 


608 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


caied  on  section  17,  town  11,  range  3  west.  In 
two  or  three  years  it  was  replaced  by  a  hewed 
log  house,  erected  on  the  same  lot.  William 
Powell  taught  the  first  school  in  tliis  house.  In 
18S2  a  neat  frame  school  house  was  erected  on 
section  11,  in  which  Laura  E.  Smith  taught  the 
first  scliool. 

The  first  school  in  district  No.  4  was  in  a 
building  belonging  to  William  Geddes,  located 
on  section  33.  This  was  in  18.50.  Sarah  Clark 
has  the  honor  of  being  the  first  teacher.  A 
school  house  was  erected  the  same  year  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  33,  town  12,  range 
3  west. 

In  district  No.  5  the  first  school  house  was 
built  in  1857.  It  was  of  logs  and  located  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  9.  It  was  built 
on  the  subscription  plan.  Mrs.  R.  F.  Cory  was 
the  first  teacher.  The  old  log  school  house  was 
used  until  1876,  when  the  present  frame  build- 
ing was  erected.  William  S  Andrews  was  the 
first  teacher  in  the  new  house,  which  is  located 
on  section  10. 

District  No.  6  is  not  provided  with  a  school 
house. 

The  first  school  in  district  No.  7  was  taught 
by  Margaret  McSharry  in  1860.  The  school 
was  held  in  a  log  house  owned  by  Mr.  Banta, 
located  on  section  11.  A  log  house  was  bought 
of  Mr.  Brown  and  is  still  used  as  a  school  house. 
It  is  located  on  section  11.  Alniira  Fox  taught 
the  first  school  in  this  house. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  town  is  not  posi- 
tively known.  In  1855  Abner  Hancock  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Irena,  daughter  of  John 
Harrison.  Orin  Wisel,  justice  of  the  peace, 
officiated  on  the  occasion,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Gillingham, 
at  Readstown. 

George  Baker  was  united  with  Ulialah  Shoults 
about  the  same  time,  at  the  residence  of  the 
bride's  parents.  Henry  B.  Hopkins,  justice  of 
the  peace,  ofliciated. 

The  first  birth  is  also  unknow^n,  or  at  least 
has  not  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  historian. 


An  early  birth  was  that  of  Elsie,  daughter  of 
H.  B.  and  Emeline  (Dean)  Hopkins,  born  July 
28,  1855.  She  is  now  married  and  living  in 
Grant  Co.,  Wis. 

The  first  meetings  of  the  Sugar  Grove  Chris- 
tian Church  were  held  at  the  residence  of  Zac'i- 
ariah  Smith,  in  1857.  Rev.  Daniel  Parkerson 
was  the  first  minister.  This  society  was  organ- 
ized at  the  school  house  on  section  13  in  1857 
by  George  H.  Babb.  Abram  Williams  and 
Zachariah  Smith  were  chosen  elders  and  Wil- 
liam Shore  and  Henry  Davis,  deacons.  'J'he 
original  membership  was  composed  of  about 
fourteen  persons,  among  whom  were  Zachariah 
Smith  and  wife,  George  Spurrier  and  wife, 
Reuben  Drake  and  wife,  Henry  Davis  and  wife, 
William  Shore  and  wife  and  Elmira  Newman. 
Rev  George  H.  Babb  was  the  first  regular 
preacher  after  the  organization  of  the  society. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Hurd,  who,  in  turn, 
was  followed  by  Rev.  Henry  Howe.  The  soci- 
ety has  never  had  a  regular  settled  pastor,  but 
has  been  supplied  by  preachers  from  other 
points.  Worship  was  continued  in  the  school 
house  some  four  or  five  years,  when  seivices 
were  held  in  Richland  county  until  1875,  when  a 
neat  frame  building  was  erected  on  section  13, 
town  11,  range  3,  town  of  Kiekapoo.  A  Sab- 
bath school  was  organized  at  the  school  house 
soon  after  the  organization  of  the  society. 
William  Powell  was  the  first  superintendent. 
The  present  superintendent  is  Rutson  Drake. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Conference  has 
sent  ministers  to  Readstown  since  the  time  the 
village  was  laid  out.  The  first  meetings 'were 
held  in  the  school  house,  Rev.  Schooley  being 
among  the  first  preachers.  No  class  was  organ- 
ized here  until  1876,  when  Rev.  McMillan  or- 
ganized one  with  about  eight  members,  among 
whom  were  James  Treseder  and  wife,  Martha 
McKittrick  and  Mrs.  Sylvia  Bliss.  James 
Treseder  was  appointed  class-leader.  In  the 
winter  of  1881-82  a  revival  was  held,  when  sev- 
eral persons  were  added  to  the  membership. 
In  the  spring  of  1882  a  house  of  worship   was 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


609 


erected  on  a  lot  donated  by  Daniel  Read  in 
1860.  Rev.  R.  S.  Mockett  is  the  present  pastor 
of  the  Church. 

A  union  Sabbath  school  was  oi'ganizcd  in 
1882  with  James  Treseder  as  superintendent. 
It  is  held  in  the  Methodist  Church. 

PERSONAL. 

Josiah  Adams,  one  of  the  settlers  of  Ver- 
non county,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Somerset, 
Somerset  Co.,  Penn.,  Jan.  25,  1822.  Vlicn  he 
was  quite  young  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio  and 
became  early  settlers  of  Stark  county,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood.  In  1845  he  went  to  llie 
Maumee  valley  and  bought  timber  land  in  Henry 
county.  In  1849  he  came  to  Wisconsin  and 
spent  the  summer  in  Lafayette  county.  In  tlie 
fall  of  that  year  he  came  to  Bad  Ax  coun- 
ty and  halted  at  Liberty  Pole,  which  was  at 
that  time  called  Bad  Ax.  He  made  a  claim  on 
section  32,  of  town  12  north,  of  range  5  west. 
In  the  fall  of  1850  he  returned  to  Ohio  and 
spent  the  winter  and  sold  his  land  there,  return- 
ing to  this  county  in  1852.  On  the  3d  of 
April,  1853,  he  started  for  California,  going 
across  the  plains  with  ox  teams.  He  arrived  at 
Spanish  Ranch  the  8th  day  of  September, 
having  been  over  five  months  on  the  way. 
He  engaged  in  mining  and  remained  in  Califor- 
nia until  1855,  when  he  returned  to  Liberty 
Pole,  coming  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama 
and  New  York.  He  then  settled  down  and  en- 
gaged farming,  remaining  in  Franklin  town  un- 
til 1881,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Kick- 
apoo  and  bought  land  on  section  33,  of 
town  12  north,  of  range  -5  west,  where  he  now 
lives.  He  was  married  in  1860  to  Mary 
Wright,  of  Ohio.  They  have  one  child,  named 
Cyrus.  His  second  and  present  wife  was  Ro- 
setta  Hooks,  who  was  born  in  Mercer  Co.,  Ohio, 
Feb.  5,  1833.  Her  father,  Thomas  Hooks,  set- 
tled   in  Lafayette  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1847. 

Philip  Schneider,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Ver- 
non county  and  the  oldest  living  settler  in  the 
town  of  Kickapoo,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Sept. 
15,     1815.       His     younger    days      were    spent 


in  school  and  on  the  farm.  In  \831  he  left  his 
native  laud  and  emigrated  to  America.  He 
landed  at  New  York  and  went  to  New  Jersey, 
where  he  was  employed  at  farming  for  ten 
years.  In  1847  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  lo- 
cated in  what  was  then  called  Crawford  county. 
He  stopped  near  Viroqua  and  helped  Mr.  Deck- 
er put  up  the  first  house  ever  erected  in  Viroqua. 
He  remained  there  two  years;  then  in  1849 
came  to  town  1 1  north,  of  range  3  west,  and  en- 
tered land  on  section  5.  He  first  built  a  small 
log  cabin  in  which  he  lived  until  1862,  when  he 
built  the  frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives. 
iMr.  Schneider's  farm  is  in  the  Kickapoo  valley 
and  contains  200  acres.  It  was  the  first  farm 
opened  up  in  the  town.  He  was  married  in. 
1852  to  Elizabeth  Guist,  born  in  Ohio.  Four 
children  have  blessed  this  union — Jacob,  Aiary, 
George  and  Philip.  Mrs.  Schneider  died  in 
1856.  His  second  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married 
in  1857,  was  a  sister  of  his  first  wife  and  named 
Mai-y.     She  was  the  widow  of  Paul  Sisler. 

Samuel  Estes  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers 
now  living  in  the  county.  He  first  came  here 
in  18i0,  to  hunt  and  trap.  He  camped  on  sec- 
tion 26,  of  town  12  north,  of  range  3  west,  built 
him  a  bark  hut  and  here  lived  in  solitude  two 
years.  He  killed  elk,  deer  and  bear,  and  other 
small  game,  selling  the  pelts  at  Prairie  du 
Cliien.  After  stopping  here  a  few  years,  set- 
tlers began  to  come  in,  and  he  concluded  this 
would  be  a  good  place  to  settle.  He  accord- 
ingly entered  land  on  sections  25  and  26,  and 
built  a  log  house  and  engaged  in  farming.  As 
he  was  the  first  settler  here,  he  made  a  good 
selection  in  the  Kickapoo  valley.  He  has  been 
twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Ruth  Hall, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio.  Four  children  blessed 
this  union,  two  of  whom  are  now  living — Eliza- 
beth and  Rachel.  Mrs.  Estes  died  in  March, 
1866,  aged  twenty-eight  years.  His  second 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  the  fall  of 
1866,  was  Mary  A.  Shaw,  also  a  native  of  Ohio. 
They  have  four  children — Mellisa,  Samuel, 
Annie   and    Henry.      Mr.    Estes    was  born    in 


610 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Adams,  Beiksliire  Co.,  Mass.,  May  28,  1820. 
When  he  was  quite  young,  his  parents  removed 
to  New  York,  and  lived  two  years  ;  then  re- 
moved to  Canada,  and  settled  at  London,  now 
in  the  province  of  Ontario.  At  the  breaking 
cut  of  the  patriot  war,  they  returned  to  York 
State,  and  settled  near  Watertown,  Jefferson 
county.  Tliey  lived  there  but  a  short  time,  when 
they  again  moved  to  Cayuga  county,  and  later 
to  Cortland  county.  In  1846  he  started  west. 
He  first  halted  near  Elk  Horn,  where  he  was 
employed  in  farming  and  teaming  until  1850, 
when  he  came  to  this  county,  as  before  stated. 
He  lived  in  his  log  house  until  1877,  when  he 
built  the  neat  frame  house  in  which  he  now 
resides. 

James  M.,  son  of  Abel  C.  and.  Elizabeth 
(  Lawton  )  Cushman,  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co., 
Wis.,  Sept.  6,  1850.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Vermont,  and  his  mother  of  New  York.  They 
were  early  settlers  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
also  in  Vernon  county,  coming  here  in  1853. 
James  M.  attended  the  district  school  and  the 
public  school  at  Viroqua  for  two  years.  When 
young,  he  commenced  to  work  in  his  father's 
saw-mill,  and  learned  to  be  a  sawyer.  lu  1873 
he  bought  land  on  section  26,  of  town  12  north, 
of  range  3  west,  and  has  since  that  time  en- 
gaged in  farming  summers  and  has  run  the 
saw-mill  the  remainder  of  the  year.  He  was 
married,  in  1868,  to  Maria  J.  Snow,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio.  They  have  three  children — Lil- 
lian, Alta  and  Florence. 

Henry  B  Hopkins,  one  of  the  early  se' tiers 
of  Kickapoo  town,  was  born  in  Newington, 
Hartford  Co.,  Conn.,  May  18,  1817.  He  was 
the  son  of  Horace  and  Fannie  (Root)  Hopkins, 
natives  of  Connecticut.  When  Henry  was  eight 
years  of  age,  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio,  set- 
tling in  Portage  county,  where  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, learning  the  carpenter  trade.  He  was 
married  May  30,  1839,  to  Emeline  Dean,  born  in 
'i'rinnbull  Co.,  Ohio.  They  settled  in  Portage 
county,  where  Mr.  Hopkins  worked  at  his  trade 
until    1848,  when  he  came   to  Wisconsin,  locat- 


ing in  Grant  county.  In  1853  he  came  to  Ver- 
non county,  and  entered  the  land  where  he  now 
lives.  He  built  a  log  house  in  which  he  lived 
until  1873,  when  he  built  the  frame  house  in 
which  he  now  lives.  Mrs.  Ilopkin's  mother 
died  in  December,  1837.  Of  the  seven  chil- 
dren born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hopkins,  four  are 
living — ^Albert,  Delia,  George  and  Elsie. 
Harriet,  born  May  27,  1840,  married  Henry 
Henthorn,  died  Nov.  6,  1873  ;  Eluell  D.,  born 
May  27,  1858,  died  Nov.  2,  1880;  Alfred  H., 
born  Oct.  6,  1852,  died  at  Esofea,  Wis.,  June  18, 
1883.  Mr.  Hopkins  second  wife,  to  whom  he 
was  married  May  6,  1875,  was  Nancy  Holcomb, 
widow  of  Charles  Allen.  He  was  the  first 
justice  of  the  peace  in  the  town,  and  was 
repeatedly  elected  to  that  office  as  long  as  his 
health  was  such  that  he  could  attend  to  the 
duties  of  it.  He  was  also  first  postmaster  of 
Sugar  Grove  postoffice,  holding  the  position 
many  years  and  resigning  on  account  of  his 
ill  health. 

Albert  H  ,  eldest  son  of  Henry  B.  Hopkins, 
was  born  in  Ellenboro,  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  Nov. 
14,  1847.  In  1853  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Vernon  county,  making  his  home  with  them 
until  1868,  when  he  was  married  to  Mary  J., 
daughter  of  William  and  Ann  (Williams)  Shore, 
and  widow  of  Zebulon  Metcalf.  She  was  born 
in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio.  They  have  six  children, 
four  of  whom  are  living — Bertha  A.,  Frances 
E.,  Myrta  C.  and  Guy  F.  Emmet  V.  and 
Willie  H.  died  in  infancy.  Soon  after  marriage 
Mr.  Hopkins  settled  on  his  present  farm,  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  1 1. 

David  Barrie  is  one  of  tiie  oldest  settlers 
now  living  in  Kickapoo  town.  He  is  a  native 
of  Scotland,  born  in  Perthshire,  Feb.  14,  1814. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age  he  commenced  to 
learn  to  weave,  working  at  that  for  some  time, 
after  which  he  was  engaged  for. thirteen  years, 
on  the  river  Tay,  in  the  salmon  fishing  busi- 
ness. He  was  then  employed  for  three  years  as 
gardener.  In  1853  he  came  to  America,  landing 
at  Montreal,  and  going  to   London,   where  he 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


611 


visited  willi  a  brothev-in-law,  two  months,  then 
went  to  Butler  Co.,  Penn.,  where  he  visited  a 
brother.  In  November,  1853,  he  started  west 
to  seek  a  home,  first  stopping  at  Viroqua,  and 
on  the  1st  of  January,  1854,  entering  land  on 
section  35,  town  1 2,  range  3,  Kickapoo  town. 
He  first  built  a  log  cabin,  in  which  he  lived  ten 
years,  then  erected  a  neat  frame  house,  which 
was  burned  in  Occober,  1877.  Mr.  Barrie  then 
erected  the  frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives. 
He  also  has  a  log  and  a  frame  stable  on  his 
place.  lie  made  a  good  selection  for  a  home, 
and  now  has  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  countj'. 
When  Mr.  Bariie  began  pioneer  life,  in  1853, 
he  worked  three  weeks  in  the  dense  wilderness 
without  seeing  a  human  being.  Still  he  was 
not  without  company,  for  there  were  any 
amount  of  deer  in  the  forest  at  that  time.  He 
went  to  LaCrosse,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles, 
with  an  ox  team,  for  his  first  provisions.  It 
took  him  eight  days  to  make  the  trip.  His 
nearest  postoffice  was  Viroqua,  twelve  miles 
distant.  The  nearest  grist-mill  was  at  Spring- 
ville,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles. 

Adelbert  S.  is  a  son  of  Roswell  and  Eliza 
Corey,  pioneers  of  Vernon  county.  He  was 
born  in  Bradford  Co.,  Penn.,  March  29,1851, 
and  was  but  three  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
came  to  Vernon  county.  They  located  land  on 
section  10,  of  town  11  north,  of  range  3  west, 
and  our  subject  was  there  reared  to  nianhood, 
dividing  his  time  between  the  school  and  farm 
He  was  married  in  October,  1871,  to  Hester 
Salmon,  and  soon  after  bought  land  on  sections 
10  and  15,  of  town  11  north,  of  range  3  west, 
but  two  years  later  sold  this  piece  and  purchased 
120  acres  on  section  12,  of  town  II  north,  of 
range  4  west,  where  he  resided  until  1882,  and 
then  removed  to  an  adjoining  farm,  on  the  same 
section.  Mr.  Corey  and  wife  have  been  blessed 
with  five  children — William,  Minerva,  Ernest, 
James  and  Lillie  May. 

Daniel  T.,  son  of  Torger  and  Kari  Fortney, 
pioneers  of  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, April  7,  1 845.     When  three  years  of  age. 


his  parents  emigrated  to  America,  locating  in 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.  His  mother  died  when  he  was 
seven  years  of  age  and  his  father  was  again 
married  within  a  year  after  her  death.  In  1854 
they  started  from  Dane  county  with  two  yoke 
of  oxen  to  each  wagon,  and  settled  in  Vernon 
Co.,  Wis.,  on  section  11,  town  11  north, 
range  4  west.  Here  Daniel  grew  to  manhood, 
receiving  a  good  education  in  the  district 
schools.  He  was  married  June  9, 1868,  to  Anna 
Peterson,  and  settled  on  the  homestead.  This 
union  was  blessed  with  seven  children,  of  which 
three  went  to  the  Eternal  home  while  infants. 
The  four  living  are  Torger,  Nils  Elias,  Anna 
Maria  and  Gerhard  Olaus.  His  father  died  in 
1880,  in  his  seventy-second  year.  Mr.  Fortney 
has  been  prominent  in  town  affairs,  having  held 
offices  of  trust  in  the  town.  In  1882  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business  at  Liberty  Pole, 
in  company  with  his  brother-in-law  Knudt  Pe- 
terson. They  are  doing  an  extensive  business — 
buying  and  selling  live  stock  and  grain. 

Reuben  Drake  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Vernon  county.  He  was  liorn  in  New  Jersey, in 
1824.  When  quite  young,  his  parents  removed 
to  Ohio,  and  settled  on  a  farm.  He  was  there 
married,  in  1846,  to  Matilda  A.  Sanders,  born 
in  Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio.  He  bought  a  jiiece 
of  land  in  Perry  county,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  1851,  when  he  sold  and  went  to  In- 
diana, and  sj^ent  one  and  a  half  years,  lie  then 
returned  to  Perry  county,  and  remained  there 
until  1855.  In  the  spring  of  that  year,  he  came 
to  Vernon  county,  and  entered  land  on  section 
12,  of  town  11  north,  of  range  3  west,  where  he 
still  resides.  He  first  built  a  small  log  cabin  in 
wliich  the  family  lived  five  years,  and  then 
built  a  hewed  log  house.  In  1 870  he  erected  the 
frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives.  His  son 
Benjamin  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1849.  He  came  to  Wisconsin  with  his 
parents.  His  younger  days  were  spent  in  school, 
and  on  his  father's  farm.  He  was  joined  in 
marriage  in  April,  1871,  to  Sarah  Beighle,  a 
native   of  Pennsylvania.      In   the    tall   of  tliat 


612 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


j'ear,  they  went  to  Iowa,  and  he  took  a  home- 
stead in  Lyons  county,  and  there  remained  one 
and  a  half  years  ;  then  returned  to  Kickapoo 
town,  and  bought  land  on  section  13,  of  town 
11  north,  of  range  8  west.  In  1881  he  bought 
another  tract  on  the  same  section,  on  which  is 
the  neat  frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  are  the  parents  of  five 
children — Blanclie,  Elmer  G.,  Epsie  E.,  Jesse 
O.   and  Gertie  J. 

Setb  Edson,  one  of  the  early  settler  of  Kvck- 
apoo,  was  born  in  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  8, 
1827,  and  was  there  reared  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  lived  there  until  1855,  when  he  came 
to  Bad  Ax  county,  as  it  was  then  called,  and 
purchased  land  of  Daniel  Day,  on  sections  17 
and  18,  of  town  11  north,  of  range  3  west. 
There  was  a  log  house  on  this  land  at  the  time. 
He  lived  in  that  a  few  years,  then  built  the 
frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives.  He  was 
married,  in  1859,  to  Caroline  Weybright,  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio.  Five  children  blessed  this  union — 
Almira,  Rhoda,  Ella,  AVilliam  and  Margaret 
Mrs.  Edsoii  died  in  May,  1874,  and  he  was 
again  married  in  ls77,  to  Susan  Anderson. 
They  liave  three  children  — Samuel  L.,  Dora  J. 
and  Nora  May.  His  fatlier's  name  was  Guy 
Edson;  borti  in  Pelham,  Hampshiie  Co.,  Mass., 
March  17,  1794.  He  was  there  married  to 
Rhoda  Packard,  who  was  also  a  native  of  that 
county.  They  moved  to  New  York,  and  settled 
in  Bi'oome  county,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and 
lived  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Wisconsin  to 
ioin  his  children.  He  now  makes  his  home 
with  his  daughter,  in  Crawford  county. 

James  Foreman,  an  early  settler  in  Kickapoo 
Center,  was  born  in  Butler  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1808. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Bortemns,  was  also  a  native  of  Butler  county 
Seven  children  blessed  this  union,  three  livijjg 
— Rudolpli,  now  a  resident  of  Fayette  Co., 
Iowa;  Romania  E.,  wife  of  Ransom  Kellogg, 
who  resides  on  section  14,  and  James.  In 
1855,  in  company  with  his  family,  he  came  to 
Bad  Ax  county  and  located  at  Kickapoo  Center, 


where  he  bought  town  lots.  He  died  here  in 
1857.  His  son  James  was  born  in  Butler  Co., 
Penn.,  Feb.  14,1337.  He  came  to 'Wisconsin 
and  made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  the 
time  of  his  father's  death.  In  185ti  he  bought 
land  on  section  2,  of  town  1 1  north,  of  range  3 
west.  He  was  married  in  1857  to  Marga- 
ret, daughter  of  Robert  Dobson,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  settled  in  Kickapoo  in 
1857.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he 
settled  on  his  land.  He  had  already  com- 
menced improvements,  and  had  built  a  log  house 
in  which  he  lived  until  1864,  when  he  built  the 
frame  house  in  which  he  now  lives.  He  has 
been  a  successful  farmer  and  now  owns  216 
acres  of  land,  a  part  of  which  is  in  the  Kicka- 
poo valley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foreman  are  the 
parents  of  four  children — Sarah  A.,  Cliarles, 
Martha  E.  and  Jane  M. 

Ole  Fortney  was  one  of  the  first  Norwegians 
to  settle  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo.  He  was  born 
June  4,  1823.  He  received  a  liberal  education 
when  young,  and  after  finishing  school,  he  en- 
gaged with  a  carpenter  to  learn  the  trade,  and 
worked  at  that  until  1850,  when  he  came  to 
America.  He  located  at  Madison,  M  is.,  and 
worked  at  his  trade.  He  was  there  married,  in 
1852,  to  Cornelia  Johnson.  They  remained  in 
Madison  until  1855,  when  he  took  an  ox  team 
and  with  his  family  started  for  Bad  Ax  (now 
Vernon)  county.  He  bought  land  on  section  13, 
of  town  11  north,  of  range  4  west;  built  a  log 
house  and  lived  there  one  year,  then  traded  for 
land  on  section  11,  of  the  same  town,  and 
moved  there  with  his  family.  He  built  a  log 
house  and  lived  in  that  until  (882,  when  he 
gave  that  farm  up  to  one  of  his  sons.  He  then 
built  a  neat  frame  house  on  section  2,  of  the 
same  towTi,  and  moved  there  with  his  family. 
He  hail  for  some  time  been  in  feeble  health  and 
did  not  live  long  to  enjoy  his  nice  new  home, 
lie  passed  to  his  rest  April  1,  1883,  leaving  a 
widow  .Tnd  eight  children  to  mourn  his  loss. 
The  children  are — Catharine,  Hans,  Christina, 
John,  Ole,  Martha,  Sophia  and  Mary. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


613 


William  Geddes  was  born  in  Harrison  Co., 
Oiiio,  April  12,  1830.  His  father,  Henry 
Geddes,  was  born  in  Bucks  Co.,  Penn.,  twenty- 
eight  miles  from  Philadelphia,  in  tlie  same 
house  in  which  his  father  was  born.  He  was 
there  married  to  Tamzon  Forst,  born  in  New 
Jersey.  They  settled  in  Ohio  at  an  early  Jay. 
When  William  was  quite  young,  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio.,  where  they  re- 
mained until  the  time  of  their  death.  In  early 
manhood  William  went  to  McConnellsville,  the 
county  seat  of  Morgan  county,  engaging  with  a 
carpenter  to  learn  the  trade.  He  worked  at  his 
trade  until  the  fall  of  1854,  when  he  .started 
west  to  seek  a  home.  He  spent  the  winter 
twelve  miles  from  Columbus,  Franklin  Co., 
Ohio.  In  the  spring  of  1855  he  again  started 
on  his  journey,  and  coming  to  Vernon  county, 
located  on  section  33,  town  12,  range  3,  in  the 
Kiekapoo  valley,  and  builta  frame  house,  16x24 
feet.  Mr.  Geddes  has  since  cleared  a  farm, 
made  a  large  addition  to  his  house,  and  now 
makes  this  his  home.  He  was  married  in  1851 
to  Laura  Ann  Hagerman,  born  in  Washington 
Co.,  Ohio.  Eleven  children  blessed  this  union 
— Henry,  Rhoda  A.,  James  E.,  Julia  A.,  Isabell, 
Fiannah,  Edward  D.,  Ella  and  Nellie,  twins, 
Rosa  and  John  Irving.  Henry  was  born  July  2S, 
1852,  died  Feb.  8,  1881.  John  Irving  died  in 
infancy. 

Zachariah  Smith  was  born  in  Belmont  Co., 
Ohio,  Nov.  25,  1821.  When  fourteen  years  of 
age  his  parents  moved  to  Morgan  county,  where 
they  lived  four  years,  then  moved  to  Perry 
county.  His  father  died  soon  after  and  Zacha- 
riah then  started  in  life  for  himself.  He  mar- 
ried, in  1843,  Amy  Battin,  born  in  Columbiana 
Co.,  Ohio,  March  27,  1822.  They  went  to  Indi- 
ana in  1846,  locating  in  the  western  part  of 
Howard  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  were 
among  the  first  in  starting  the  Disciple  Church 
in  Burlington,  Carl  Co.,  Indiana.  Mr.  Smith 
was  deacon  of  that  Church  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  1855  he  and  his  wife  and  five  small 
children    started  for   the  northwest  with   their 


covered  wagons.  They  traveled  under  many 
hardships,  especially  the  mother  who  had  the 
care  of  the  children,  they  being  sick  most  of 
the  time.  They  forded  the  Tippecanoe  river, 
and  narrowly  escaped  being  drowned.  'J'hey 
landeil  ill  Bid  Ak  (now  Vernon),  Co.,  Wis., 
Nov.  9,  1855.  Mr.  Smith  bought  timber  laud 
and  immediately  commenced  to  cleirafaim. 
There  was  a  small  cabin  on  the  place  where 
they  lived  four  years.  The  country  being  new 
and  no  churches  near,  the  early  settlers  met  in 
his  house  to  worship  God.  Elder  Parkersoii 
was  the  first  preacher  in  this  place.  In  1860 
Mr.  Smith  erected  a  hewed  log  house  in  which 
he  lived  until  1881,  when  he  built  the  neat 
frame  house  where  he  now  resides.  His  farm 
is  in  Sugar  Grove,  one  of  the  most  pleasant 
localities  in  Vernon  county.  Mr.  Smith  was 
one  of  the  first  in  establishing  the  district 
school  and  also  the  Disciple  Church,  in  this 
place,  of  which  he  was  an  elder  for  many  years. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  parents  often  children. 
The  oldest  son  enlisted  in  the  War  of  the  Re- 
belionand  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  1865. 

Sever  Thompson  was  one  of  the  early  Nor- 
wegian settlers  in  Vernon  county.  He  was 
born  in  Norway,  Jan.  14,  1828,  and  in  1853 
came  to  America,  joining  his  countrymen  in 
Dane  Co.,  Wis.  He  remained  there  two  years 
and  in  1855  made  a  settlement  in  Bad  Ax 
(now  this)  county.  He  located  on  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  13,  town  11  north,  of 
range  4  west,  on  which  he  erected  a  log  cabin. 
One  year  later  he  sold  this  land  and  purchased 
the  northwest  quarter  of  the  same  section,  and 
removed  his  primitive  dwelling  house  to  his 
new  farm.  He  subsequently  weather-boarded 
and  painted  his  cabin,  giving  it  the  appearance 
of  a  frame  house.  He  cleared  up  the  farm  and 
lived  there  till  his  death,  whic  i  occurred  April 
24,  1883.  He  left  a  widow  and  five  children 
to  mourn  his  death.  The  children  are — Betsey, 
Ole  Nels,  Emma,  Thomas  and  Soren.  Tlie 
eldest  son,  Ole,  is  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools.     He  was  born  in   this   town,   Nov.    1, 


6U 


fllSTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


1858.  He  received  bis  e.arly  educatinn  in  the 
district  school  and  was  afterward  a  student  at 
the  graded  schools  of  Viroqua. 

Henry  Benn  was  an  early  settler  of  Kicka- 
poo  town.  He  was  born  in  C'umberlandshire, 
England,  Oct.  )  6,  18-29.  In  .January,  1853,  he 
left  his  native  land  for  Amei-ica,  and  located  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  "as  married,  in 
1854,  to  Susan  Holinger,  a  native  of  Ohio. 
In  1856  Mr.  Benn  came  to  Vernon  county  and 
bought  forty  acres  of  laiul  on  section  85.  of 
town  12  north,  of  range  3  we-:t,  erected  a  log 
house,  and  resided,  there  for  three  years.  He 
then  sold  his  property  and  purchased  another 
"forty"  of  unimproved  land,  and  again  erected 
a  substantial  log  cabin.  In  1864  lie  enlisted 
in  company  C,  43d  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teers, and  served  till  the  war  closed  and  re- 
ceived an  honorable  discharge.  In  1S64  he 
purchased  land  on  section  35,  adjoining  the 
town  plat  of  Kickapoo,  on  which  he  has  since 
resided.  In  April,  1882,  he  had  the  misfortune 
to  lose  his  house  by  fire.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  13emi 
have  been  blessed  witli  two  children — Ida, 
wife  of  John  Lowry,  of  Richland  Co.,  Wis., 
and  a  son  that  died  in  infancy. 

James  Claney,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Vernon 
county,  was  born  in  county  Cork,  Ireland,  in 
1815.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  left  home 
and  his  native  land  to  seek  a  home  in  .America. 
After  living  in  Maryland  for  some  years  he 
went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  he  was  married 
to  Maria  Osborne,  born  in  Kentucky.  They 
went  to  Galena,  III.,  where  they  lived  until 
1856,  when  they  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  set- 
tling on  section  36,  town  12,  range  4.  Mr. 
Claney  improved  the  land,  making  this  his 
home  until  his  death  in  1875.  His  widow, 
with  her  son  James,  now  occupies  the  homc- 
ste'ad.  Mr.  Claney  left  four  children — William, 
.Tohn,  Mary  and  James. 

John  Claney,  son  of  James  and  Maria  (O-.- 
borne)  Claney,  was  born  March  20,  1847,  in 
Galena,  111.,  being  but  nine  years  of  age  wlien 
his  parents  settled  in  this  county.     His  younger 


days  were  spent  in  school  and  at  work  on 
the  farm.  In  1867  he  engaged  with  George 
Read  to  learn  blacksmithing  and  has  worked 
at  that  trade  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
since.  Mr.  Claney  also  owns  a  farm  lo- 
cated on  section  1,  town  11,  range  4.  In 
1881  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Baker, 
at  Readstown,  to  do  general  blacksmithing  and 
wagon  making.  In  1882  Mr.  Baker  died  and 
Mr.  Claney  now  has  a  shop  at  his  home.  In 
1870  Mr.  Claney  was  married  to  Catharine 
Joyce,  born  in  Madison,  Wis.  They  have  had 
four  children— Thomas  Francis,  Isabelle  and 
Grace,  twins,  and  Charles.  On  Sept.  1,  1864, 
Mr.  Claney  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  serving 
ten  months  and  receiving  an  honorable  dis- 
charge when  the  war  closed. 

Tiionias  Flanagan  was  born  in  county  Long- 
ford, Ireland,  in  1S2I,  where  his  younger  days 
were  spent  in  school.  In  1841  he  came  to 
America,  landing  at  New  York  city,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  on 
the  Hudson  river.  He  remained  there  until 
1845,  when  he  went  to  Galena,  III.,  and  engaged 
as  clerk  in  the  smelting  furnace  of  Corinth  & 
Co.  In  1851  he  went  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  1o 
California.  He  engaged  in  mining  at  Downie- 
ville  until  winter,  when  he  bought  a  lot  of 
mules  and  with  provisions  started  for  the  moun- 
tains. In  1853  he  returned  by  way  of  Nica- 
ragua to  Galena.  He  remained  there  until  1854, 
when  ho  bought  eight  horses  and  sixteen  head 
of  cattle  and,  in  company  with  seven  others, 
started  across  the  plains  for  California.  He 
was  there  engaged  i  n  the  mines  and  in  a  saw 
mill.  In  1856  he  returned  to  Galena  and  after 
making  a  short  stop  came  to  Wisconsin,  buying 
land  on  sections  1  and  12,  town  11,  range  4, 
and  on  sections  6  and  7,  town  1 1,  range  3,  where 
he  removed  in  the  winter  of  1856-57  with  his 
family.  He  first  built  a  small  frame  house  in 
which  he  lived  until  1871,  when  he  built  tlie 
commodious  one  in  which  he  now  lives.  He 
has  nearly  600  acres  in  Kickapoo  town  and  140 
in   Franklin  town.     Mr.  Flanagan  was  married 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


615 


in  l!S47  to  Bridget  Finley,  who  was  born  in  La- 
fayette Co.,  Wis.  They  liave  had  six  children 
— Edmund  P.,  Maria,  William,  John,  Joseph 
and  Nellie.  Mr.  Flanagan  has  been  prominent 
in  town  aflfair.s  and  has  filled  offices  of  trust. 
He  was  town  clerk  for  eight  successive  years. 

Helge  Larson,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Kioka- 
poo  town,  was  born  in  Norway,  Feb.  16,  182(;. 
His  younger  days  were  spent  in  school  and  on 
the  faim.  lie  was  married  in  1850  to  Carrie 
Svalhein.  In  1855  they  left  their  native  land 
and  came  to  the  United  States.  Tiiey  first  set- 
tled in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  185Gcame  to 
Vernon  county,  p\irchasing  land  on  section 
lo,  to-wn  II,  range  4.  He  built  a  log  house 
and  improved  a  part  of  the  land.  He  sold  this 
farm  in  1807  and  purchased  land  on  sections  28 
and  33,  town  1 2,  range  H.  He  moved  there 
with  his  family  and  made  this  his  home  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1875.  He  left 
five  children — Soin,  Lewis,  Susan,  Emma  and 
Ole.  Soin  was  born  June  17, 1850;  died  June  3, 
1880.  Lewis  was  born  Nov.  9,  1855;  died  May 
29,  1880.  Ole,  the  youngest  son,  was  born  Feb. 
16,  ISGi.  He  received  a  liberal  education  in 
the  public  schools.  He  with  his  sisters,  resides 
on  the  homestead  with  his  mother. 

WiMiam  Crook  is  a  native  of  England,  born 
in  Devonshire,  August,  184-?,  living  there  and 
in  Cornwall  until  1857,  when  he  left  his  native 
land,  with  his  parents,  for  America.  After 
landing  at  New  York  city,  they  came  to  Ver- 
non county,  settling  on  section  26,  town  12, 
range  4.  William  was  married,  in  1869,  to 
Catharine  Hall,  born  in  Ohio.  They  have  had 
three  chiklren — Frank,  Minnie  and  Rosa  A.  In 
1879  he  moved  to  Franklin  town,  buying  a 
farm  on  section  21.  After  remaining  there 
two  years,  he  returned  to  his  former  home  on 
section  26,  Kickapoo  tosvn,  on  which  he 
has  erected  a  good  set  of  buildings,  now  hav- 
ing one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  town,  con- 
laining  200  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Crook's  parents, 
John  and  Charlotte  (Searls)  Crook,  were  both 
natives    of  Devonshire,   England.     His  mother 


die.l  in  1870;  his  father  now  lives  in  Franklin 
town. 

John  R.  Lake,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Vernon 
county,  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England, 
March  20,  1829.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  but 
when  quite  young  John  R.  engaged  with  a 
plasterer  to  learn  the  trade,  at  which  he 
worked,  until  1855,  in  his  native  land,  when 
he  came  to  America.  He  landed  at  Quebec, 
coming  directly  to  Wisconsin,  and  locating  at 
Janesville,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for 
three  years,  then  going  to  Iowa,  spent  one 
year  in  Mitchell,  Mitchell  county.  He  then 
came  to  Vernon  county,  bonght  forty  acres  of 
land  on  section  26,  town  12,  range  4,  and 
commenced  farming.  He  built  a  small  frame 
house  in  which  he  lived  twelve  years,  then 
moved  to  section  2.3,  town  12,  range  4,  in 
Viroqua.  He  has  since  improved  this  land, 
built  a  neat  frame  house,  and  now  makes  it  his 
home.  He  has  been  a  successful  farmer,  now 
having  320  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Lake  was  mar- 
ried, in  1859,  to  Charlotte,  daughter  of  John 
and  Charlotte  (Seajj'ls)  Crook.  They  have  had 
ten  children  —  William  Henry,  Levi  John, 
Augustus  Stockholm,  Amelina  Ann,  Samuel 
Welobee,  Albert,  Clementine,  Frederick,  Ella 
and  Ethel.  Mr.  Lake  was  instrumental  in  the 
organization  of  the  school  district  in  which  he 
lives,  and  was  the  first  clerk,  which  office  he 
has  held  continuously,  with  the  exception  of  a 
short  time  in  which  he  was  not  in  the  district. 
During  the  war,  Mr.  Lake  enlisted  in  company 
B.,  50th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and 
sei'ved  faithfully  until  honorably  discharged. 

Fredrick  Olson  first  visited  this  county  in 
1859.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  Nov.  5,  1834. 
His  younger  days  were  spent  in  acquiring  an 
education.  At  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  was 
apprenticed  to  a  tailor  at  Lilliehammer,  to 
learn  the  trade.  He  served  three  years;  then 
worked  as  a  iourneymen  until  1859, when  he  left 
his  native  land  for  America.  He  came  direct- 
ly to  this  county,  and  spent  the  summer  at 
Coon  Prairie,  where  he  was   employed  in  farm- 


016 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  CCUNTY. 


ing.  In  the  fall,  he  went  to  Freeport,  111.,  and 
worked  at  his  trade.  In  1861,  he  again  visited 
Vernon  county,  and  was  married  here  July 
20  to  Marion  O,  daughter  of  Hans  Hanson, 
who  settled  near  Bloomingdale  in  1855.  He 
returned  to  Freeport  with  his  bride  and  re- 
sumed work  at  his  trade,  remaining  there  until 
1863,  when  he  returned  to  Vernon  county,  and 
purchased  a  farm  of  Nels  Hanson  two  and  one- 
half  miles  from  Bloomingdale.  He  lived  there 
eight  years,  then  traded  his  farm  for  a  grist- 
mill at  Bloomingdale.  He  carried  on  this  mill 
until  1878,  when  he  traded  it  for  a  farm  on 
sections  25  and  26  of  town  1  2  north,  of 
I'ange  4  west,  embraced  in  the  town  of  Kicka- 
poo.  There  was  a  large  frame  barn  on  this 
farm  and  he  has  since  completed  the  farm^ 
houses,  and  is  now  well  provided  with  buildings. 
His  farm  now  contains  202  acres  of  land,  a 
portion  of  which  is  in  the  Kickapoo  valley.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Olson  are  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren— Annie  M.,  Minnie  A.,  Olouf  M.,  Mar- 
cus II.,  John  A.,  Hans  N.,  Hannah  L.,  Ida 
A.  and  Charles  Edwin.  They  are  taking  good 
care  to  educate  their  children.  Their  oldest 
daughter,  Annie,  is  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools. 

Jedediah  Demings  is  a  jirominent  member 
of  the  Seventh  Day  Adventist  denomination. 
He  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Vt.,  Nov.  6,  1826, 
and  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  suffered  the  loss  of 
his  mother.  Plis  father  soon  after  removed  lo 
Illinois,  and  our  subject  was  left  lo  care  for  him- 
self. He  was  employed  on  a  farm  in  Vermont 
for  two  years,  and  then  went  to  Essex  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  found  similar  employment  at  $9 
per  month.  In  1845  he  went  to  Illinois  and 
joined  his  father  in  McHenry  county,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  In  1847  he  went  to  Wis- 
consin, and  spent  two  years  in  Winnebago 
county.  He  then  returned  to  his  father's  home 
in  Illinois,  going  on  foot,  and  walking  the  long 
journey  of  136  miles  in  two  and  one-half  days. 
His  time  was  passed  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin, 
until   1856,  when   he   went   to    Minnesota,  and 


located  in  Nicolet  county,  then  on  the  frontier, 
and  inhabited  mostly  by  Indians.  He  remained 
there  four  years,  and  in  1860  came  to  Vernon 
county,  and  located  a  homestead  on  section  2, 
of  town  11  north,  of  range  3  west,  where  he 
now  has  a  pleasant  home.  Mr.  Demings  was 
married  Feb.  17,  1856,  to  Adeline  Gibbs,  a 
native  of  Vermont.  Mr.  Demings  was  con- 
verted to  the  faith  of  the  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventist in  Illinois,  in  1850,  and  is  the  foumlerof 
that  denomination  in  Vernon  county.  Mrs. 
Demings  is  also  a  member. 

Charles  E.  Smith  settled  on  his  present  farm 
in  I860.  He  is  a  native  of  the  old  Bay  State, 
born  sixteen  miles  from  Boston,  in  Lincoln 
township,  Middlesex  county,  Aug.  15,  1835. 
His  early  education  was  begun  in  the  district 
school  and  completed  in  the  Lawrence  Ac  ulc- 
my,  at  Groton,  Mass.  When  seventeen  years 
of  age,  he  went  to  Boston,  engaging  as  clerk 
for  an  establishment  there  until  1856,  when  he 
started  west  to  seek  a  home.  He  located  at  St. 
Peter,  Nicolet  Co.,  Minn.,  being  one  of  the 
early  settlers  there.  He  lived  there,  on  govern- 
ment land,  until  1860,  when  he  sold  out,  and  as 
before  stated,  came  to  Vernon  county.  His 
farm  is  situated  in  the  Kickapoo  valley,  on  sec- 
tion 34,  town  12,  range  3.  It  is  in  a  godd  stale 
of  cultivation,  and  he  has  erected  a  neat  frame 
house  thereon.  Mr.  Smith  was  married  in 
1860,  to  Ruth  E.  Gibbs,  born  in  Vermont. 
They  have  had  four  children — Charles  O.,  Fred 
L.,  Lucy  A.  and  Myrtie  M.  Mr.  Smiiii  has 
been  prominent  in  town  and  county  affairs,  and 
was  assessor  for  several  years. 

B.  C.  Hutchison,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Vernon  county,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in 
January,  1818.  lie  lived  there  until  four  years 
of  age,  when  he  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  in 
Richland  county.  He  was  there  manicd  to 
Matilda  Hooks,  who  was  born  in  Ohio.  Tliir- 
leen  children  blessed  this  union,  nine  of  wLom 
are  now  living.  In  1844  they  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin, locating  in  Grant  county.  In  1849  he  again 
sought  a  new  home,  settling  in  Franklin  town, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


617 


Vernon  county,  where  he  purcliased  h\Mil,  built 
a  log  house,  living  there  six  years.  He  then 
sold  out,  buying  land  on  section  7,  town  11, 
range  3,  Kickapoo  town.  After  residing  there 
eight  years,  he  again  sold  out  and  settled  on 
section  9,  his  present  home.  Mrs.  Hutchison 
died  March  5,  1864. 

William  Hutchison,  third  son  of  B.  C.  and 
Matilda  (Hooks)  Hutchison,  was  born  July  20, 
1846,  'in  Grant  Co.,  Wis.  His  younger  days 
were  spent  in  school,  and  assisting  his  fatl^er  on 
the  farm.  In  January,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  com- 
pany I,  17th  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and  went 
south.  He  was  with  Sherman  in  his  march  U> 
the  sea,  and  participated  in  the  many  battles  of 
that  racniorablo  cami)aign.  He  was  discharged 
July  14,  1865,  and  returned  home.  In  18C6  he 
was  clerking  for  B.  D.  Hale,  at  Readstown,  and 
later  for  A.  P.  Bliss.  He  was  married  in  ISGO 
to  Helen,  daughter  of  WiHard  and  Mary 
(Lot  ridge)  Morley,  who  was  born  in  New  York 
State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hutchison  have  had  five 
children — Mary,  Albert,  Sylvia,  William  and 
Walter.  Soon  after  marriage  he  settled  on  a 
farm  on  section  36,  town  12,  range  4.  In  1883 
he  bought  property  in  Viroqua  and  removed 
there.  He  has  been  prominent  in  town  affairs, 
and  is  the  present  assessor.  He  is  also  a  mail 
contractor. 

Lyman  C.  Drake,  postmaster  of  Sugar  Grove 
office,  is  a  native  of  New  York  State.  He 
was  born  in  West  Bloomfield  town,  Ontario 
county,  April  29,  1813.  When  three  years  of 
age  his  parents  moved  to  Leroy,  Genesee 
county,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  In  1838 
he  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  at  Plattsville, 
where  he  engaged  in  mining  one  year,  then 
going  to  Ellenboro  he  bought  land  and  engaged 
in  farming.  He  remained  in  the  vicinity  of 
Ellenboro  until  1862,  when  he  traded  his  farm 
there  for  land  at  Sugar  Grove,  on  section  13, 
town  II,  range  3,  Kickapoo  town.  He  has 
since  made  this  his  home.  Mr.  Drake  was 
married,  in  1 843,  to  Janette  Russell,  born  in 
Connecticut.     They  have  had  five  children,  two 


of  whom  are  living — Rutsoii  11.  and  Frank  H. 
Their  first  child,  George  L.,  born  Sept.  3,  1844, 
enlisted  in  1864  in  company  I,  17th  Wisconsin 
Volunteers,  and  died  in  the  service  at  Rome, 
Ga.,  in  August,  1864.  Lester  was  born  Nov.  13, 
1847.  He  enlisted  in  18'U  in  company  I,  17th 
Wisconsin  Volunteers.  He  was  with  Sherman 
on  his  march  to  the  sea,  and  was  killed  by  a 
guerilla,  about  twenty  miles  from  Columbia, 
S.  C,  near  the  close  of  the  war.  Lewis  was 
born  June  20,  1860,  and  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Drake  are  both  members  of  the 
Disciple  Church.  Tiieir  son,  Rutson,  also  a 
member,  is  superintenilent  of  the  Sunday 
school. 

George  Latta  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in 
Columbiana  county.  May  26,  1  822.  When  ten 
years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Perry  county, 
where  George  grew  to  manhood,  and  where  he 
was  married,  in  1844,  to  Thannel  Snider.  He 
bought  a  farm  in  Monroe  town,  remaining  there 
until  1864,  when  he  sold  out,  coming  to  Wis- 
consin, and  settling  on  his  present  farm  on  sec- 
tion 26,  town  12,  range  4,  Kickapoo  town.  It 
is  in  a  good  state  of  cultiv.itioii.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Latta  have  had  nine  children — Leanna,  Edward, 
Nancy,  Francis,  Joseph,  Matilda,  David,  Han- 
nah and  George.  Mrs.  Latta  died  in  1872, 
aged  fifty-two  years.  His  second  wife,  to 
whom  he  was  married  in  ls7o,  was  llai'iiet 
Delap. 

Josiah  Latta  settled  in  Kickapoo  town  in 
1866.  He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Perry 
county  May  22,  1836.  His  younger  days  were 
spent  in  school  and  at  work  on  his  father's 
farm.  He  was  married  in  1859  to  Elizabeth 
Grier,  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  after  which  he 
carried  on  a  part  of  his  father's  farm  in  Perry 
county.  He  enlisted  Jan.  1,  1862,  in  the  62d 
Ohio  Volunteers,  coinjiany  C,  and  went  souths 
serving  until  the  expiration  of  his  time  and 
eight  days  over,  being  discharged  Jan.  8,  1865. 
Among  the  many  engagements  in  which  he 
participated  were  the  following:  Winchester  and 
the  many  battles  of  the  Shenandoah  valley.  After 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


this  campaign  the  regiment  joined  McClellan's 
command  at  Harrison's  Landing.  From  there 
they  went  to  Suffolk,  Va.,  being  on  provost  duty. 
After  his  discharge  Mr.  Latta  returned  to  Perry 
county,  remaining  until  1866,  when  he  came  to 
Vernon  county  and  purchased  land  on  section 
26  town  12,  range  4.  He  has  since  improved  his 
land,  set  out  an  orchard  and  built  a  large  frame 
residence,  now  having  one  of  the  best  farms 
and  residences  in  the  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Latta  have  nine  children — Thomas,  Charles, 
Mary  A.,  Lillie  Maud,  Nancy  Estella,  Albert 
P.,  Minnie  B.,  Jessie  Grace  and  William  Orley. 
Mr.  Latta's  farm  now  contains  320  acres. 

Benjamin  Rogers  settled  in  Vernon  county  in 
1866.  He  was'^orn  Feb.  19,  1837,  in  Perry  Co., 
Ohio,  being  there  raised  on  a  farm.  He  was 
married  in  1859  to  Elizabeth  Ayers,  born  in 
Perry  county.  He  enlisted  in  September,  1861, 
in  company  G,  ISth  Ohio  Volunteers,  and  went 
south.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Stone 
River  and  Chickamauga.  He  was  wounded  in 
the  latter  battle'^and  laid  up  for  three  months, 
when  he  again  joined  the  regiment,  taking  part 
in  many  other?engagements.  He  was  honora- 
bly discharged  injthe  fall  of  1864,  and  returned 
to  Perry  county.  In  1866,  as  before  stated,  he 
came  to  Vernon  county,  purchasing  eiglity 
acres  of  land  on  section  36,  town  12,  range  4, 
Kickapoo  town.  He  has  since  purchased  more 
land,  making  a^farm  of  220  acres,  improved  the 
same,   and   built   the  frame  house  in  which  he 


now  lives.  His  six  children  are — Rilla  Belle, 
Benjamin,  Rebecca,  Parthenia,  Hester  Ann  and 
Thomas  Newton.  The  two  latter  are  twins.  A 
daughter,  Mary  Etta,  died  at  seven  years  of  age. 

J.  J.  McCarty,  town  clerk,  was  born  Jan.  7, 
1856,  in  Missouri,  coming  to  Kickapoo  town, 
Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1867.  He  i-eceived  a  lib- 
eral education  in  his  younger  days,  and  has,  for 
a  few  years,  been  engaged  as  teacher  in  the 
public  schools,  having  taught  his  first  term 
when'  nineteen  years  of  age,  in  school  district 
No.  4.  He  was  elected  to  his  present  office  in 
1877,  being  re-elected  every  year,  until  he  is  now 
serving  his  seventli  term.  In  1882  Mr.  Mc- 
Carty erected  a  building  in  Readstown,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
business.  He  keeps  a  general  stock,  and  has  a 
good  trade. 

Lewis  Anderson  settled  on  his  present  farm 
in  1874.  It  is  located  on  the  ridge  on  section  1, 
town  11,  range  4,  and  contains  155  acres.  He 
is  a  native  of  Norway,  born  June  17,  1853.  He 
came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1864,  set- 
tling in  Clayton,  Crawford  county,  where  he 
received  a  liberal  education  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  married  in  1S74  to  Melina  Salmonson. 
Her  parents  were  early  settlers  of  Vernon  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  have  three  children 
— Annie,  Martha  and  Emma.  He  has  taken 
great  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  town  board,  elected   in  April,  1883. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


621 


CHAPTER    XLIII 


THE  TOWN  OF  LIBERTY. 


That  part  of  Vernon  county  known   as  the 
town  of  Li  berty,is  situated  in  congressional  town- 
ship 12,  range  3  west,  and  contains  about  twen- 
ty-four sections  of  land.     It  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  town  of  Webster,  on  the  east  by 
liicliland  county,  on  the  south  by  the  town  of 
Kickapoo,  ami  on  the  west  by  the  town  of  Viro- 
ijua.     Tills  town   is   watered   by  the  Kickapoo 
river  and  its  branches, which  flow  in  a  southerly 
<lireetion.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  there 
is  a  very  heavy  growth  of   timber,  while  in  tin 
western  there  are  more  prairie    openings.     On( 
(if  the  striking  features  of  the  town  is  its  numei 
ous   springs   which   gusli   out   from  the  sides  o 
the  high   bluffs  and  rocky   ridges,  their  water 
finally  terminating  in  streams  having  sufficient 
fall  to  give  fine  mill  power. 

FIRST    SETTLEMENT. 

Among  what  may  be  termed  the  early  set- 
tlers of  the  town  of  Liberty,  are  the  following; 
G.  W.  Wise,  Allen  Rusk,  George  P.  Martin, 
Jonas  Groves,  John  R.  Joseph,  James  Gilman, 
Samuel  Graham,  Samuel  Fish,  Stephen  A.  Fish, 
James  Schoolery,  James  W.  Hunter,  John  W. 
Church,  Frederick  Groves  and  Stanley  Stoul. 
The  first  settler  was  James  Gilman,  who  set- 
tled on  section  .5,  in  1853,  where  he  lived  for 
many  years,  and  then  moved  to  Viroqua,  where 
he  died. 

In  December,  IS.5'2,  Allen  Rusk,  then  a  resi- 
dent of  Lancaster,  Grant  county,  hauled  a  load 
of  merchandise  to  Liberty  Pole,  for  Henry 
McCiulley,  who  kept  a  store  at  the  latter  place. 
After  delivering  the  goods,  Mr.  Rusk  went  to 
Viroqua  to  visit  some  of  his  old  acquaintances 


who  had  settled  there  some  time  previous. 
While  on  this  visit,  accompanied  by  some  of  his 
friends,  he  started  out  to  look  up  a  location  for 
his  future  home.  They  went  east  as  far  as  the 
Kickapoo,  then  followed  the  stream  down  to 
the  mouth  of  Bishop  branch,  and  the  latter 
stream  back  to  Viroqua.  Mr.  Rusk  did  not  se- 
lect any  particular  piece  of  land  at  this  time, 
but  concluded  that  in  the  near  future  he  would 
become  a  resident  of  the  county.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Lancaster,  and  in  October,  1853,  re- 
moved his  family  to  Viroqua.  In  the  spring  of 
1854  he  pre-empted  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 16,  town  12,  range  3  west,  of  the  fourth 
principal  meridian  and  at  once  commenced  im- 
proving the  same  but  did  not  settle  here  until 
April,  1855.  Allen  Rusk  is  a  brother  of  Gov. 
J.  M.  Rusk,  and  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio, 
on  the  6th  day  of  February,  1825.  When  he  was 
three  years  of  age,  the  family  removed  to  Mor- 
gan county,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
received  a  common  school  education,  helped  till 
the  soil,  and  also  worked  at  plastering.  Oct. 
23,  1843,  he  married  Mary  Newton.  She  was  born 
ill  Harrison  Co.,  Va.,  Nov.  6,  1818.  In  1852  he 
emigrated  to  Lancaster,  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  from 
whence  he  came  to  Vernon  county,  as  above 
stated.  Mr.  Rusk  is  a  man  of  considerable  nat- 
ural ability, and  no  sooner  had  he  settled  in  the 
county,  than  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  leading 
citizen.  It  was  through  his  efforts  that  the  ter- 
ritory in  which  he  resides  was  set  off  from  Vi- 
roqua, and  organized  as  the  town  of  Liberty. 
The  name  was  suggested  by  Mr.  Rusk,  and  at  the 
first  election    he  was    elected    chairman    of   the 


36 


622 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


town  board  and  justice  of  the  peace;  lie  has  since 
held  various  local  offices,  and  for  two  terms  rep- 
resented his  district  in  the  Assembly.  In  1880 
he  took  the  census  of  the  town  of  Liberty,  and 
is  at  present  postmaster  at  Liberty  Thus 
it  can  be  seen  that  he  possesses  the  confi- 
dence of  his  fellow  men  and  is  highly  esteemed, 
which  is  far  more  desirable  than  riches.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  he  enlisted  in  company  I,  42d 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  until  mustered  out  of  service,  participat- 
ing in  all  the  engagements  of  his  regiment. 
He  i«  a  republican  in  politics,  to  which  party  he 
has  adhered  since  its  organization.  The  chil- 
dren are — Henry  M.,  Hannah  Jane,  deceased  ; 
Albert  J.,  Jasper  B.,  Jeremiah  N.  and  Romulus 
A. 

H.  L.  Turner  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on 
the  9th  day  of  January,  1821.  His  parents 
being  William  and  Sally  Turner.  The  family 
removed  'o  Wyoming  county,  where  the  father 
pursued  his  trade,  that  of  a  millwright.  H.  L. 
Turner  soon  became  handy  in  the  use  of  carpen- 
ter tools  and  concluded  to  become  a  firsl-class 
mechanic.  IJut  he  was  a  poor  boy.  He  thus 
worked  on  the  farm,  and  whenever  he  had  a 
little  spare  money,  he  would  invest  the  same  in 
the  purchase  of  a  book  treating  on  mechanical 
works,  and  oft  when  his  team  was  resting  on 
the  plow  he  oo  ild  be  seen  busily  engaged  read- 
ing and  studying.  He  also  desired  to  travel, 
and  so  purchased  a  book  on  navigation,  which 
he  studied  closely  and  soon  became  quite  well 
versed  in  said  science.  The  book  is  still  in  Mr. 
Turners  library,  and  is  highly  cherished.  In 
1842  he  married  Sophia  C.  Drake,  and  then 
followed  the  trade  of  millwright.  In  1850  he 
emigrated  to  Wisconsin,  lived  a  short  time  at 
Lake  Geneva,  then  at  Lodi,  but  in  1851,  re- 
turned to  New  York.  In  1854,  he  again  came 
to  Wisconsin  and  entered  land  on  the  north 
half  of  section  24,  range  3,  town  12,  at  La 
Crosse,  on  the  1 1th  day  of  April.  Mr.  Turner 
was  accompanied  on  the  trip  by  his  brother,  C. 
D.   Turner  and  cousin,  Jeremiah  Turner,  who 


also  entered  land.     They  all  went  back  to  New 
York.     But  II.  L.  at  once  returned  and  erected 
a  log  cabin  on  section  19,  town  l-",  range  2  west 
of  the  fourth  principal  meridian,  wheie  ho  had 
also  entered    land,  and  in  the  fall  of  said    year, 
removed  his  family,  wife  and  two  children  from 
the  CTst.     They  were  also  accompanied   by  his 
parents,  William  and  Sally  Turner,  C  D.   Tur- 
ner  and   family,  Salem   Kogers,  wife   and    two 
children,  Lyman  Jackson,  wife  and  two  children, 
all  of  whom  settled  in  the   vicinity  of  wh.Tt  is 
now  Viola.     In    1856   II.   L.   Turner  erected  a 
saw-mill,  and  one  year  later,  added  a  grist-mill, 
which  he    operated    until     1864,  then  sold  to  A. 
C.  Cushman.     In  l'-56  or  185'7,  Mr.   Turner  re- 
moved   across    the    line    into    Vernon    county, 
whore  he  now  resides.     In  1865  he  removed   to 
Green  Bay,  where   he  was  engaged  in  building 
steam  boats    and    sailing   vessels.     He  built  six 
steam  crafts,  one  sailing  vessel   and  one   yacht. 
In   the    fall    of  1880,   he    returned    to   Vernon 
county,  and  now  gives  his  attention  to  farming. 
His  farm  contains  llo  acres,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the   vicinity.     There   are    about  thirty 
Indian    mounds    located    on    the  same.     Thise 
mounds  are  of  all    sizes  and  shapes,  resembling 
birds,    animals,   reptiles,    etc.     In   politics,  Mr 
Turner    was    formerly   a  whig,  and    since    the 
organization  of  the    republican  party  has  asso- 
ciated  with  it.     He   has   often   been   chosen  to 
hold  local  offices,  but  he  takes  but  little  interest 
in  this  direction.     The    children,  Alice  S.  and 
George  W.  are  both  deceased. 

George  W.  Wise,  one  of  the  first  settlers, 
was  born  in  West  Virginia,  Dec.  11,  1^33.  His 
father  died  in  1842,  and  in  1849,  the  mother 
with  her  three  children — George  W.,  David 
and  Melinda,  emigrated  to  Wisconsin,  and  on 
the  12th  of  August  of  that  year,  arrived  at 
Brookville,  where  they  had  relations.  In  1855 
Mr.  Wise  married  Lticretia  Jennings,  and  then 
settled  on  section  11,  town  12,  range  3,  where 
he  was  still  living  in  1884.  Mr.  and  Mrs  Wise 
arc  the   parentg   of  twelve   children — Mary  E., 


HISTORY  OF  VEUNON  COUNTY. 


(•j3 


Belle,  Melissa,  Alice,  Elmer,  Cora,  Violet, 
Albert,  Olive,  David,  Myrtie  and  William. 

William  C.  Groves,  son  of  Frederick  and  Har- 
riet Groves  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug. 
6,  1S19.  He  is  a  millwright  and  cai-penter  by 
trade.  In  1849  he  married  Mary  Jane  McCol- 
iough,  daughter  of  Robert  McCollough  In 
1855  they  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  have  since 
resided  in  town  12,  range  3,  Liberty.  He  now 
owns  1'20  acres.  The  children  are- Harriet, 
Frederick  M.,  John  H.  and  Olive  E.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Groves  is  a  greenbacker.  He  has  been 
justice  of  the  peace  and  a  member  of  the  town 
boaid.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

George  P.  Mnrtin  settled  on  section  9  in  1855 
where  he  remained  until  1881  and  then  re- 
moved to  Nebraska. 

Jonas  Groves  also  settled  in  1855  on  section 
5,  where  he  still  liven. 

John  R.  Joseph  settled  on  section  9  in  1855. 
He  remained  there  about  fifteen  years  and 
moved  to  Iowa.  He  was  a  native  of  Ohio, 
from  which  State  he  came  to  Wisconsin. 

Another  settler  of  1855  was  John  W.  Hunter, 
who  settled  on  section  16  and  remained  until 
death,  which  overtook  him  in  1872. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  1856  was  James 
Schooley,  who  settled  on  section  1 6.  He  re- 
moved to  Kansas  just  before  the  Rebellion  broke 
iiut,  but  afterwards  returned  to  Liberty  town; 
but  still  later  returned  to  Kansas. 

Samuel  Graham  settled  on  section  6  in  1855, 
where  he  tilled  the  soil  for  a  number  of  years 
and  removed  to  Colorado,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  hotel  business  in  1884. 

Samuel  Fish  settled  on  section  8  in  1855.  He 
enlisted  in  company  C,  18th  Wisconsin  Infantry, 
was  wounded  at  Shiloh  and  died  from  its  effects 
soon  after.  In  1884  his  widow,  Nancy  Fish, 
was  still  living  on  the  land  pre-empted  by  her 
husband. 

About  the  same  time  or  a  little  later  Stephen 
A.  Fish,  father  of   Samuel    Fish,  came   to  the 


county  for    settlement    and    died    sorat    yeors 
after. 

John  W.  Church  came  to  Vernon  county 
from  New  York.  After  a  short  stay  in  Richland 
county,  he  settled  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
section  12  in  1855-6.  He  was  a  good  mechanic 
and  followed  the  carpenter's  trade  until  the 
civil  war  broke  out,  when  lie  enlisted  in  e<'m- 
pany  A,  25th  Wisconsin;  was  wounded  during 
a  battle  in  South  Cai-oliiia  and  died  from  its 
effects.  He  was  a  brave  soldier  and  a  good 
man.  He  was  accounted  one  of  the  best  marks- 
men in  his  company  and  it  was  often  remarked 
by  his  comrades  that  upon  the  discharge  of  his 
gun  there  was  one  less  rebel  to  tight!  Just  be- 
fore his  fatal  wound  he  was  seen  climbing  over 
the  earthworks  and  was  told  bv  Col.  Rusk  that 
he  was  in  great  danger;  but  Church  replied: 
"Just  let  me  drop  one  more  of  them!" 

William  Turner  was  a  native  of  New  York 
and  married  Sally  Ingalls  in  tliat  State.  He 
was  a  millwright  and  carpenter  by  tra<le.  He 
c:imeto  Wisconsin  with  his  son  to  assii>t  him  in 
building  mills.  Mr.  Turner  died  April  1,  1865, 
ami  Ills  wife  eleven  years  later.  They  were 
both  bui-ied  in  the  cemetery  at  Viroqua. 

Stanley  Stout  is  a  native  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
born  July  12,  1832.  He  learned  the  diiig  busi- 
ness in  the  city  of  Buffalo  and  subsequently 
served  as  drug  clerk  in  Chicago  and  St.  Louis. 
In  lf^57  he  concluded  to  try  country  life  for 
awhile  and  so  came  to  Wisconsin  and  first 
sto])ped  with  hisbrother-in-law,  John  W.  Chui  ch, 
wlio  resided  on  section  12,  of  what  is  now  Lib- 
erty town.  In  1858  he  married  Eliza  Groves, 
daughter  of  Frederick  Groves,  since  which  he 
has  been  a  resident  of  Liberty.  He  has,  how- 
ever, at  several  different  intervals  clerked  al  La 
Crosse  and  Viroqua.  He  now  resides  on  section 
3  and  owns  eighty  acres  with  good  improve- 
ments. Mr.  Stout  is  a  well  informed  and  enter- 
prising citizen.  He  enlisted  in  the  Ihiiled 
States  service,  but  was  rejected  on  nccoiint  of 
physical  disability.  In  politics  he  is  republican. 
Has  held  the  offices  of  chairman,  assessor  and 


624 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


treasurer.  He  is  a  good  talker  and  for  manj- 
years  has  acted  as  auctioneer.  The  children 
are — Adelaide,  William,  McDowell,  Rowena, 
Minnie,  George  A.,  Frank  and  Julia. 

R.  tl.  Buchanan,  on  the  12th  day  of  October, 
1859,  arrived  at  Springville  and  resided  near 
there  until  1862,  then  settled  on  section  2,  Lib- 
erty, where  he  had  entered  land  in  1855  and  he 
still  resides  on  the  same.  He  was  born  in 
Washington  Co.,  Penn.,  April  22,  1824.  In  1828 
the  family  removed  to  Muskingum  county, 
where  R.  H.  was  raised  to  farm  life.  Feb.  11, 
1847,  he  married  Mary  Reed,  daughter  of  Ellis 
and  Margaret  Reed,  and  in  1859  came  to  Wis- 
consin. Mrs.  Buchanan  died  Feb.  2,  1882.  She 
had  eight  children,  five  now  living — Sarah  M., 
David  T.,  Ardo,  William  H.  and  James  M.  In 
politics  he  is  a  democrat  and  has  held  the  offices 
of  town  clerk,  assessor  and  collector. 

Cincinnatus  Ward  was  born  in  Connecticut 
in  1804.  He  removed  with  his  parents  to  New 
York  and  tliere  married  Loisa  A.  Wooster. 
About  the  close  of  the  civil  war  tliey  came  to 
Wisconsin.  Mrs.  Ward  died  in  1873  and  Mr. 
Ward  now  resides  with  his  son,  Newton  D., 
who  is  the  youngest  of  the  children.  He  was 
born  in  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  22,  1845,  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Erie  county,  where 
he  resided  until  1864,  then  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  first  stopped  at  Viola,  where  his  sister, 
Mrs.  C.  D.Turner,  was  living.  He  clerked  in 
a  store  for  some  time  and  in  1863  enlisted  in 
the  25th  Wisconsin,  but  was  rejected  on  account 
of  his  age,  he  being  but  seventeen.  In  January, 
1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  2d  Wisconsin  Cavalry 
and  served  until  tiie  regiment  was  mustered  out 
of  service,  ife  then  returned  to  Viola  and  in 
1869  married  Sarah  A.  Brown,  daughter  of  Ab- 
ner  Brown.  He  then  removed  to  Du  Page  Co., 
III.,  and  subsequently  to  Missouri.  In  1873  he 
returned  to  Wisconsin  and  studied  and  prac- 
ticed veterinary  surgery  for  five  years  with 
John  F.  White,  in  Kenosha,  since  which  time 
he  has  practiced  at  Viola.  He  is  a  republican 
and  is   at  present  town  clerk.     Heis  a  member 


of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and   G.  A.  R.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ward  have  one  daughter — Julia  M. 

EARLY   EVENTS. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  of  Liberty  was  J. 
N.,  a  son  of  Allen  and  Mary  Rusk,  born  Oct. 
28,  1855. 

The  first  death  was  a  child  of  George  P.  Mar- 
tin, who  died  in  1856,  and  the  remains  were 
buried  oil  their  farm  on  section  9.  The  same 
grounds  were  afterward  selected  for  the  town 
cemetery. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  town  was  Sanford 
Hanchett  and  Ann  Harris,  who  were  united  in 
matrimony  in  1855  by  Allen  Rusk,  then  justice 
of  peace. 

Anotlier  marriage  which  occurred  about  the 
same  date,  was  that  of  Johnson  Fuller  and 
Sarah  Graves.  This  couple  had  to  present  them- 
selves to  Robert  Wilson,  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
whe  performed  the  ceremony  under  a  large  oak 
tree  near  the  Indian  mounds  around  wliich 
there  hangs  so  much  of  mystery. 

ORGANIC. 

Lilierty,  the  smallest  town  in  Vernon  county, 
was  last  to  be  organized.  It  was  formerly  a 
part  of  Viroqua  town;  but  on  account  of  being 
so  far  from  the  village  of  Viroqua,  the  people 
chose  to  be  set  off  into  a  separate  organization, 
which  was  done  in  1858;  Allen  Rusk  present- 
ing a  petition,  signed  by  many  of  the  citizens, 
to  the  county  board,  requesting  them  to  set  off 
sections  1  to  24  inclusive, of  township  12,  range 
3  west,  into  a  civil  town  and  that  its  name 
should  be  Liberty.  The  name  was  suggested 
by  Mr.  Rusk,  presenter  of  the  petition.  The 
board  granted  the  request,  and  accordingly  an 
election  was  held  April  6,  1858,  at  the  school 
house  on  section  9,  the  former  residence  of 
George  P.  Martin.  The  following  ofliceis  were 
elected:  Allen  Rusk,  chairman,  Samuel  Gra- 
ham and  George  P.  Martin,  supervisors;  Sam- 
uel C.  Fish,  town  clerk;  John  R.  Joseph,  treas- 
urer; Allen  Rusk  and  Samuel  Graham,  justices 
of  the  peace.  Officers  of  1883:  D.  B.  Sommars. 
chairman,    Robert   Tate    and    M.      W^ilkinsoii, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


625 


supervisors;  N.  D.  Ward,  clerk;  Allen  Rusk, 
assessor;  VV  R.  Snead,  justice  of  the  peace  and 
F.  V.  Bryson,  constable. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  in  the  town  of  Liberty  was 
held  in  a  building  formerly  used  by  George  P. 
Martin  as  a  residence.  It  was  located  on  sec- 
tion 9.     Emily  Clauson  was  the  teacher. 

In  188  4  tlie  town  had  four  school  buildings. 
At  this  date  a  part  ot  the  scholars  of  lue  town 
attended  the  schools  located  in  other  towns, 
which  had  joint  districts  with  Liberty. 

RELIGIOUS. 

In  an  early  day  the  Methodist  Episcopal  de- 
nomination formed  a  class,  which  in  1884,  be- 
longed to  the  Liberty  Pole  circuit. 

The  United  Brethren  sect  also  organized  a 
Church,  some  time  after  the  war,  and  continued 
to  keep  up  regular  services  till  about  1878. 

These  two  are  the  only  religious  organiza- 
tions ever  perfected  within  the  town. 

CEMETERIES. 

In  1884  there  were  two  cemeteries  within  the 
town  of  Webster,  both  being  situated  on  section 
9.  The  oldest  of  these  is  the  one  located  near 
the  pioneer  residence  of  George  P.  Martin.  The 
first  burials  in  this  cemetery  were  two  chil- 
dren of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin.  The  second  hur- 
rying place  is  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  9. 

LIBERTY    POSTOFFICE. 

A  postofiice  was  established  at  the  residence 
of  John  R.  Joseph,  in  1859  or  1860;  his  wife 
acting  as  postmistress.  She  was  followed  by 
Mrs.  M.  J.  Wolford,  who  was  succeeded  by  Mrs. 
M.  A.  Davis.  Then  Mrs.  Wolford  was  again 
appointed,  and  in  time  was  succeeded  by  Allen 
Rusk,  who  was  postmaster  in  1884.  This  ofiiee 
has  always  been  kept  at  the  hoiise  of  the  per- 
son receiving  the  appointment  of  postmaster, 
or  postmistress,  and  for  this  reason,  has  been 
styled  "the  office  on  wheels,"  but  it  has  always 
gone    by    the  name   of  Liberty,  and  has  served 


well  the  needs  of  the  people  who  have  lived    in 
that  vicinity. 

MILLS. 

The  first  mill  erected  in  the  town  of  Liberty, 
was  a  saw  mill,  built  by  H.  L.  Turner,  in  1856, 
which  was  located  on  section  24,  and  was  fur- 
nished with  power  by  the  waters  of  the  Kicka- 
poo  river.  In  1857  Mr.  Turner  added  a  grist 
mill,  the  machinery  of  which  he  purchased  in 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  He  operated  this  mill  till  1864, 
when  he  sold  to  A.  C.  Cusiiman,  who  operated 
the  combined  saw  and  flouring  mill  until  1879, 
when  he  built  another  mill,  known  as  the  Viola 
Mills.  This  mill  was  built  a  few  fods  down 
stream  from  the  site  of  the  old  one.  It  is  a 
wooden  building,  32x48  feet,  and  is  three  stories 
high.  It  contains  four  run  of  stone.  The  river 
furnishes  a  head  of  six  feet,  which  gives  ample 
propelling  power  for  the  necessary  machinery 
of  the  mill.  This  property  is  valued  at  $20,000 
including  the  saw  mill,  which  was  still  in  oper- 
ation in  1884. 

Another  early  saw  mill  was  put  in  operation 
by  William  C.  Groves,  on  section  4,  which  con- 
tinued a  number  of  years. 

THE    MOUNDS. 

There  are  a  number  of  Indian  mounds,  a  mi- 
nute description  of  which  is  given  elsewhere 
in  this  work,  within  this  town.  There  a'e  to 
be  seen  about  forty  of  these  peculiar  mounds,  on 
section  24.  They  represent  animals  of  the 
larger  species,  birds,  reptiles  etc.,  and  are  sur- 
rounded with  no  little  mystery  and  curiosity. 

lilOGBAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

Personal  mention  is  made  of  the  following 
named  prominent  citizens: 

Robert  and  John  Tate,  two  natives  of  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind  ,  accompanied  their  jjarents  to  this 
county  in  1854.  Robert  was  born  Nov.  28, 1839, 
and  was  but  fifteen  years  old  when  he  came  into 
the  county.  The  father  had  entered  land  on 
section  18,  and  in  1862,  Robert  homesteaded 
160  acres  on  section  23.  He  has  since  lived  on 
this  land,  and  has  increased  it  by  a  purchase  of 
twenty  acres,     in  1864  he  enlisted  in    company 


626 


HISTORY  OF  VP:RN0N  COUNTY. 


I,  42d  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  served  until  he  was  honorably  discharged, 
in  1865.  Mr.  Tate  has  served  his  fellow  citi- 
zens as  town  treasurer  and  constable,  also  as 
treasurer  of  his  school  district.  Mr.  Tate  mar- 
ried Pruda  Downey,  of  Vernon  county,  and  of 
their  six  children,  four  are  living — Margaret, 
wife  of  Harmon  D.  Jennings;  Mary,  wife  of 
Joseph  S.  Bond;  Estella  and  Charles.  John 
Tate  was  born  at  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  in  1851, 
and  was  therefore  only  three  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  came  to  Vernon  county.  He  owns 
forty  acres  of  land  on  section  22.  Mr.  Tate 
was  united  in  marriage,  in  ISlO,  to  Esther 
Amanda  Philpot.  They  have  six  children — 
William  S.,  James  W.,  Laura  A.,  David  O., 
Owen  B.  and  Ida  M. 

John  II.  Vumback,  a  native  of  Wolfeushau- 
sen,  Germany,  was  born  in  1827,  and  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1850.  He  first  settled 
in  Cook  Co.,  111.,  where  he  remained  five  years. 
In  1 855  removed  to  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
one  year  later,  (1856),  came  to  Vernon  county 
and  settled  120  acres  of  land,  on  section  22, 
town  12  north,  of  range  3  west.  Mr.  Vumback 
was  married,  in  1853,  to  Elizabeth  Amos,  who 
was  born  in  Byron,  Germany,  in  1829.  They 
have  seven  children — Henry,  who  married 
Jeanette  Cass;  Conrad,  who  married  Rosa  Goer; 
John,  Mary,  wife  of  Edward  Spitzer;  Sophia, 
wife  of  Joseph  Maple;  Minnie  and  Philip. 

Lemuel  S.  Rabbitt,  a  native  of  the  "old  Do- 
minion," settled  in  Liberty  town,  in  1864.  He 
was  born  in  Hancock  Co.,  Va.,  in  1827,  and  in 
1854  was  married  at  CarroUton,  Carroll  Co., 
Ohio,  to  Elizabeth  E.  Blazer.  In  1855  he  re- 
moved his  family  to  Richland  Co.,  Wis.,  where 
he  resided  nine  years.  Mr.  Rabbitt  then  came 
to  Liberty  town,  and  purchased  of  John  Bryan 
160  acres  of  well  improved  land  on  sections  23 
and  24.  Mr.  Rabbitt  has  been  chairman  of  the 
town  board  of  supervisors  for  the  past  two  years. 
Eight  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rabbitt,  six  of  whom  are  living — Sanford,  Anna, 
Lemuel  E.,  John,  George  and  Jasper.     Sanford 


was  married  to  Lucinda  McCarty,  April  0,  1882. 
They  have  one  son — Roy.  Mrs.  Lucinda  Rab- 
bitt, wife  of  Sanford,  is  a  native  of  Morgan  Co., 
Ohio.  Sanford  was  born  in  Jefferson  C'o.,  Ohio. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Rabbitt,  wife  of  L.  S.  Rabbitt, 
was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Ohio,  Feb.  29,  1829, 
(leap  year). 

Robert  Storer  was  born  in  1831  in  Mus- 
kingum Co.,  Ohio.  He  there  received  a  com- 
mon school  education,  and  when  he  was  sixteen 
years  of  age  he  went  to  Perry  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  till  the  year  1865,  and  then 
came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  settled  near 
Viroqua,  and  remained  there  two  years,  and 
then  he  came  to  the  town  of  Liberty  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  160  acres  on  section  5,  which 
he  now  owns.  Mr.  Storer  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Mary  Orrison,  in  1857.  They  are  the 
parents  of  eight  children — John  F.,  Celia  A., 
William,  George,  Charles,  Austin,  Emma  and 
Wilbert.  The  following  named  children  are 
married:  John  F.,  to  Catherine  Wilson,  and 
Celia  to  David  Buchanan. 

Joseph  S.  Bond,  farmer,  although  quite  young, 
is  nevertheless  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  town  of 
Liberty.  He  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
was  but  two  years  old  when  his  parents  removed 
to  Richland  Co.,  Wis.  In  1869  they  located  in 
Liberty  town,  the  father  purchasing  120  acres 
of  land  on  sections  12  and  23.  Joseph  S.  now 
owns  this  land  with  an  additional  forty  acres 
purchased  subsequently.  He  was  married  in 
1882  to  Mary,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Pruda 
(Downey)  Tate.  Mrs.  Bond  was  born  in  Ver- 
non county  in  1865.  Mr.  Bond's  father,  Rich- 
ard H.  Bond,  is  a  native  of  England,  where  he 
was  born  in  1820.  He  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1844,  and  made  his  first  jjermanent 
settlement  in  Richland  Co.,  Wis.  In  1852  he 
removed  to  Vernon  county,  and  now  owns 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  24,  in  this  town. 
He  was  married  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1843,  to 
Susannah  Sutton.  They  had  two  children — 
Mary  and  Joseph. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON   COLLNTY. 


627 


H.  A.  Curry,  who  I'esides  on  section  21,  was 
born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1845.  His  father, 
William  Curry,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1808, 
and  settled  in  Ohio  about  1831,  and  there  died 
in  1878.  His  wife  still  survives,  and  resides 
with  her  son  William,  in  Ohio,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-one  years.  In  1870  Mr.  Curry 
removed  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  purchased 
3r,0  acres  of  land  in  the  town  of  Liberty,  of  M. 
Loiigstroth.  He  has  reduced  the  size  of  his 
farm  to  1  90  acres.  He  was  elected  a  justice  of 
ihe  peace  in  1878,  and  served  one  term.  Mr. 
Curry  wbs  married  in  Clinton  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1808,  to  Elizabeth  Starbuck.  They  have  three 
children — Edgar,  Charles  and  Guy.  Mrs.  Cur- 
ry's f.ather,  Jonathan  Starbuck,  was  born  in 
Clinton  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1825,  and  died  in  Virginia 
at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years.  Her  mother 
was  born  in  1827  and  died  in  Ohio  at  the  age 
of    forty-seven  years. 

Mons.  S.  Wilkinson  was  born  in  1848  in  Nor- 
way, and  emigrated  to  America  in  1858.  He 
first  settled  in  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  1874 
he  came  to    the    town  of    Liberty.     He  married 


Anna  Lee,  who  was  also  born  in  Norway,  in 
J  848.  She  came  to  the  United  States  in  1868. 
They  have  had  born  to  them  two  children — 
Wilbeit  C.  and  Bertha  J.  Mr.  Wilkinson  does 
not  own  any  real  estate  in  the  county  at 
present,  having  just  sold  his  farm,  which  con- 
sisted of  eighty  acres  on  section  18,  where  he 
still  resides.  Mr.  Wilkinson  contemplates  pur- 
chasing another  farm  on  the  same  section. 

Elizabeth  Wigdahl  was  born  in  Norway  in 
1818,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1864. 
She  settled  in  the  town  of  Christiana,  where 
she  lived  until  1878,  when  she  removed  to  the 
town  of  Liberty,  and  bought  of  John  Erikson 
160  acres  of  land  on  section  19,  where  she  now 
resides.  Mrs.  Wigdahl  was  married  in  Norway, 
in  1844,  to  Peter  Wigdahl,  who  died  in  Vernon 
county  on  the  27th  day  of  July,  1880.  Mrs. 
Wigdahl  has  five  living  children — Mary,  Betsey, 
Emma,  Anna  and  Sarah.  Hans  is  deceased. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Hans  Vomburg;  Betsey 
married  Nels  Swigan;  Sarah  joined  fortunes 
with  Robert  Robertson,  and  Anna  is  now  a 
widow  with  three  children. 


6-28 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPIER      XLIV 


THE  TOWN  OF  STARK. 


Stark  is  boixnded  on  the  north  by  the  town  of 
Whitestown,  on  the  east  by  Union,  on  the  south 
by  Richland  county,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
town  of  Webster.  Its  territory  comprises 
township  13,  range  2  west.  The  Kickapoo  river 
flows  through  the  town,  entering  its  domain  on 
section  3,  and  leaves  from  section  31,  into  the 
town  of  Webster.  This  stream  furnishes  a 
good  water  power  on  section  20,  which  is  well 
utilized.  The  Kickapoo  has  several  small  tribu- 
taries taking  their  rise  in  different  parts  of  the 
town.  Among  these  are  Jug  creek  and 
Weister  creek.  The  former  comes  in  from  the 
town  of  Union  and  unites  on  section  3  ;  the 
latter  enters  from  Whitestown  and  makes  a 
confluence  with  the  main  stream  on  section  9. 
Bear  creek  also  flows  from  Union  town  and 
empties  into  the  river  proper  on  section  29, 
where  another  fine  water  power  is  obtainable. 
Otter  creek,  another  little  creek,  flows  from  the 
town  of  Webster  and  joins  the  river  on  section 
29.  These  streams  are  spring  brooks,  of 
the  purest  water  and  are  perfectly  clear  ;  many 
of  them  contain  fish.  While  the  topography 
of  this  town,  in  common  with  that  of  the  entire 
county  is  quite  broken  and  hilly,  yet  it  is  as 
good  a  farming  section  as  Vernon  county 
affords. 

BAELY  SBTTLBMENT. 

Ihe  earliest  settlement  in  the  town  of  Stark 
was  made  in  1853,  by  the  following  :  Chauncy 
W.  Lawton,  who  came  from  Kickapoo  Center 
and  settled  on  section  20. 

John  H.  Anderson,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
came   in   the    spring   of  the    year  and  entered 


land  on  section  20,  which  included  tlie  water 
power. 

Among  the  few  that  came  in  during  1854, 
was  P.  Orrison,  who  entered  land  on  section 
20,  for  Lis  father,  and  on  section  17  for  himself. 
He  remained  on  his  land  about  ten  years  and 
moved  into  the  town  of  Webster,  where  he 
purchased  a  mill.  In  1884  he  resided  at  Viro- 
qua. 

Jesse  Orrison,  father  of  P.  Orrison,  came- in 
1.S54,  from  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  and  located  on  sec- 
tion 20,  where  he  remained  till  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1862  ;  his  wife  died  in  1880. 

Emery  Lockie,  a  native  of  Virginia,  settled 
in  the  town,  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
36,  in  1854,  where  he  resided  until  1857,  and 
removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  was  afterward 
killed  by  his  son,  who  led  a  band  of  Confed- 
erate guerillas. 

In  1855,  Henry  Smith,  of  Ohio,  settled  on 
section  19. 

Eli  McVey  settled  in  the  town  in  1854,  on 
land  near  Rockton. 

John  B.  Lease  came  in  from  Greene  county, 
in  1855,  and  located  on  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  36,  where  he  lived  till  1877,  wiien  he 
sold  out  and  moved  to  Turner  Co.,  D.  T. 

Peter  Smith,  of  New  Jersey,  came  iri  1855, 
from  near  Viroqua,  and  settled  on  section  9, 
where  he  remained  till  his  death  in  June,  1880. 

Benjamin  Bahr  and  Adam  Bryan,  also  set- 
tled in  1855,  the  formei'  on  section  '.',  and  the 
latter  on  section  3,  where  they  improved  their 
lands  and  remained  till  1875,  when  they  sold 
and  in  1884,  were  living  in  Laporte,  Iowa. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


629 


Thomas  De  Jeau  came  from  New  York  to 
Waukesha  county,  but  soou  removed  to  section 
29,  Stark  town.  He  arrived  some  time  during 
the  spring  or  summer  of  1855  ;  having  entered 
land,  liowever,  in  1853.  He  erected  a  saw-mill 
and  a  little  later  built  a  grist-mill.  He  died  in 
1877  ;  his  wife  still  lives  on  the  liomestead. 

George  Walts  was  another  settler  of  ]8f>5; 
he  settled  on  section  2,  where  he  cleared  up  a 
farm.  He  remained  there  until  1861,  when  he 
sold  and  went  to  Michigan.  In  1884  he  was 
living  at  Laporte,  Iowa,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business. 

Elliot  Benson,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
came  from  Greene  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1855,  and  set- 
tled on  section  35,  where  he  remained  until 
1879,  when  he  sold  and  moved  west. 

David  Simons,  of  Ohio,  settled  on  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  26,  in  1855.  He  re- 
mained five  or  six  years  and  moved  to  Ne- 
braska, and  in  1884,  was  living  in  Oregon. 

E.  Dalton,  of  Maryland,  came  in  1855  atid 
settled  on  section  5,  where  he  still  resided  in 
1884. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1856  were:  Joseph 
R.  Bean,  E.  Potter,  Joseph  Parker  and  John 
Barge.  Joseph  R.  Bean  came  from  Virginia, 
to  Jo  Daviess  Co.,  111.,  and  in  1856,  came  to  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  24,  Stark  town. 
Afterward  he  moved  to  Union  town,  where  he 
died  in  1868. 

E.  Potter  removed  from  Vermont  to  Grant 
Co., Wis,,  and  from  there  to  this  county,  in  1 856. 
He  located  on  section  24,  where  he  was  still 
living  in  1884. 

Joseph  Parker  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
who  came  from  Illinois  and  settled  on  section 
35,  where  he  still  resided  in  1884. 

John  Barge,  a  German,  came  in  the  summer 
of  1856,  and  settled  on  section  12. 

George  and  William  White,  who  were 
natives  of  England,  settled  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  26,  where  they  made  some 
improvements.  In  the  fall  of  I  857  they  went 
to  the  Black  river  region.     George  was  a  Mor- 


man  preacher,  and   said   to  have  been  a  very 
able  man. 

Samuel  W.  Gray,  a  native  of  New  York 
State,  came  from  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the  fall  of 
1857,  and  settled  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  26,  where  he  was  still  living  in  1884. 

KARLY  EVENTS 

One  of  the  earliest  marriages  in  tlic  town 
was  Henry  Malier  and  Mary  Bahr,  in  the 
winter  of  1855-6.  They  were  married  at  Viio- 
qua  ;  and  their  home  was  on  section  2,  where 
he  died  a  number  of  years  ago.  His  widow 
married  again  and  lives  at  Laporte,  Iowa. 

Oscar,  son  of  E.  and  Lydia  (  Smith)  Dalton, 
was  one  of  the  first  children,  if  not  the  first 
born  in  the  town.  His  birth  occurred  June  20, 
1855. 

ORGANIC. 

The  town  of  Stark  was  set  off  from  the  town 
of  Union  in  November,]  858, and  the  first  election 
for  town  officers  held  at  the  house  of  Morrison 
Wilson, in  April,  1859.  No  records  are  preserved 
of  the  first  few  town  meetings,  hence  the  first 
officers  are  here,  necessarily  omitted.  The  fol- 
lowing were  the  officers  of  1883:  Troy  Evans, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors;  I.  D. 
Nixon,  assessor;  James-  Gathers,  treasurer;  W. 
H.  Norris,  clerk. 

SCHOOLS. 

In  1884  the  town  of  Stark  contained  seven 
school  houses  which  were  located  in  districts 
known  as  Nos.  1,  2,  3,  4,  and  5,  joint  district 
Nos.  8,  and  10. 

In  district  No.  I  the  first  school  was  upon  the 
subscription  plan  and  was  taught  in  lS60,by 
Mrs.  Jesse  Orrison,  in  her  son's  house.  In  1861 
a  log  school  building  was  erected  on  the  line  of 
sections  16  and  17.  Laura  Evans  was  the  first 
teacher  employed  in  this  building.  This  build- 
ing was  burned  in  1864,  and  school  was  then 
held  in  a  house  which  belonged  to  Payton  Orri- 
son.  In  1866  a  frame  building  was  erected  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  17.  Lizzie 
Stimble  was  the  first  to  teach  in  this  new  build- 
ing. 


630 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


District  No.  2  was  provided  willi  a  scliool 
house  in  1857,  which  was  located  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  5.  This  was  a  log  build- 
ing. Mary  Clausen  was  the  first  teacher.  A 
new  house  was  built  in  1874,  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  5,  in  which  Belle  Robinson 
taught  the  first  term  of  school. 

The  first  school  house  in  district  No.  3  was 
built  in  1857;  this  was  a  log  house  located  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  30.  Matilda 
Shell  taught  the  first  term  of  school.  After 
ward  a  frame  house  was  built,  which  stood 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  29.  Mrs.  Ingram  taught  the  first 
school  in  this  building. 

District  No.  i,  more  commonly  known  as 
"Jug  Creek  School,"  had  its  first  term  of 
school  in  a  log  house  built  by  a  few  of  the 
neighbors,  on  the  southwest  (luarter  of  section 
2.  The  first  school  was  held  in  the  winter  of 
1857-8.  This  house  served  a  few  years,  when  a 
liewed  log  house  was  erected  on  the  old  site,  in 
which  Anson  W.  DeJean  taught  the  first  school. 
In  1876  a  frame  house  was  built  and  furnished 
after  the  more  modern  style.  This  building 
was  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 11.  Thomas  Smith  taught  lirst  in  this 
building. 

The  first  school  house  in  district  No.  5  was 
erected  in  1859;  it  was  a  log  building  located 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  24.  Corne- 
lius Weeden  was  the  first  teacher  in  this  house. 
In  1866  another  log  building  took  the  place  of 
the  one  of  pioneer  days;  this  was  situated  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  23. 

Joint  district  No.  8  had  its  first  school  build- 
ing erected  in  1858 — a  log  house  located  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  35.  Harriet  E. 
Cox  was  the  first  teacher.  In  1881  a  frame 
house  was  erected  near  the  site  of  the  old  one. 
Jacob  Potts  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  new 
building. 

District  No.  10  was  organized  in  1871.  A 
stone  building  was  purchased  of  A.  W.  Sprague. 
Alice   Seeley,   afterward   wife  of    Ed.   Nixon, 


taught  the  first  school.  In  1874  another  build- 
ing was  provided,  which  was  located  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  river,  near  the  center  of  sec- 
ti(m  20.     Kate  West  was  the  first  teacher. 

RELIGIOUS  SOCIETIES. 

Religous  services  were  held  in  the  log  school 
house  on  section  2  as  soon  as  it  was  completed, 
by  the  Evangelical  Association.  A  class  was 
formed  with  about  twenty  members,  among 
whom  were:  George  Walsh  and  wife,  Jolin 
Barger  and  wife,  Adam  Bryan  wife  and 
two  daughters,  Joseph  Fulmer  and  wife  and 
Francis  Lawton  and  wife.  Adam  Bryan  was 
chosen  the  first  class  leader.  Rev.  Sater  was 
among  the  first  ministers.  He  was  killed  in  the 
Indian  massacre  in  Minnesota  in  1862.  This 
society  met  at  the  log  school  house  until  within 
a  few  years,  but  now  meet  at  Rockton. 

In  1867  the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  meet- 
ino-s  were  held  in  the  school  house  on  section  17. 
Rev.  C.  N.  Cunningham  was  the  first  preacher. 
He    organized  a  class  in  the  winter  of  1867-68 
with   about  eighteen    members,    among    whom 
were:    Samuel  Smith  and  wife,  Dempster  Seeley 
and  wife,  Irving   Nixon  and    wife,  William  H. 
Bacon      wife    and    daughter,    Lizzie     Stimble, 
Adelia    Farnham,    Mr.    and    Mrs.    Peter    Bar- 
ton, John  Dyer,  Emma  Dyer,    Cynthia   Moore 
and  Mary  M.  Miller.     Irving  C.  Nixon  was  cho- 
sen class   leader.     This   class  continued  to  wor- 
ship in  the  school  house  till  1871, when  a  church 
building    was   erected  on  the  southeast  quarter 
of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section   20.      This 
goes    by  the    name  of    Star  Chapel.      A   sab- 
bath school  was  formed  in  connection  with  this 
class  in    1868.     I.  C.  Nixon  was  the  first  super- 
intendent.     The  school  in  1884   had  an  average 
attendance  of  about  thirty-five  scholars. 

Another  Methodist  Episcopal  class  was  formed 
in  1875  by  Rev.  Bradley  at  the  new  school  house 
on  Jug  creek.  John  Barge  and  wife,  Adam 
Bryan  and  wife;Mrs.  G.  W.  Wiseman  and  John 
Barge  were  among  the  members  of  this  class, 
and  Mr.  Barge  was  chosen  class  leader. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


631 


The  United  Brethren  formed  a  class  in  the 
hewed  log  school  house  on  section  2,  just  prior 
to  the  Rebellion.  Rev.  Himes  was  the  first 
preacher  The  class  numbered  about  twenty- 
five.  In  1884  Rev.  Alderman  was  pastor  for 
this  denomination. 

There  was  Baptist  services  conducted  at  the 
house  of  John  B.  Lease,  in  1857,  by  John  Cran- 
dall,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  who  organized  a  soci- 
ety of  this  denomination,  which  was  known  as 
Bethel  Church.  They  built  a  church  in  1877 
on  section  28,  in  which  Rev.  Sliter  was  the  first 
to  preach.  In  188  4  the  society  held  no  regular 
services  on  account  of  numerous  removals. 

CEMETERIES. 

This  town  has  two  cemeteries  within  its  bor- 
ders, both  on  the  same  section.  One  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  20  and  the  other 
on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  20. 

THE  VILLAfiE  OP  STAR. 

Star  is  the  proper  name  for  this  village  ; 
however,  outside  of  a  radius  of  ten  miles  it  is 
known  as  "Seeleyburg,"  after  Dempster  Seeley. 
R.  S.  Moore,  county  surveyor  of  Vernon 
county,  platted  this  village  in  1867,  for  C.  W. 
Lawton.  It  is  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  20. 

C.  W.  Lawton  built  the  first  house  in  tiie 
place,  in  1859,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  ; 
but  in  1861,  he  moved  it  across  the  river  to 
where  the  village  now  stands.  Mr.  Lawton 
also  built  the  first  store  in  1868. 

Joseph  McHenry  put  in.  a  small  stock  of 
goods,  which  he  continued  to  traftic  in  until 
1870. 

A.  W.  Sprague,  from  Rhode  Island,  erected 
a  building  and  opened  up  a  store,  which  he 
operated  for  six  months,  then  returned  to 
Rhode  Island.  His  store  was  sold  for  a  school 
house.  In  1874  Joseph  Cowan  and  H.  H. 
Wyatt  formed  a  partnership  and  rented  the 
Sprague  building,  which  Dempster  Seeley 
bought  of  the  school  district.  This  store  was 
burned  out  and  Mr.  Seeley  erected  another 
building    on   the   same   spot   and    Mr.   Wyatt 


run  a  general  store  there  for  four  months,  when 
this  building  was  burned  and  Mr.  Wyatt  moved 
to  Viroqua.  Mr.  Seeley  again  rebuilt  and  H. 
C.  Millard  opened  up  a  stock  of  goods 
and  continued  two  years,  being  succeeded  by 
Obadiah  Driskal,  who  lost  his  stock  by  fire  in 
1883. 

Dempster  Seeley  erected  a  saw  mill  on  the 
east  branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river  in  186:^. 
This  was  a  frame  building,  25x50  feet,  and 
employed  a  circular  saw.  In  1870  he  added  a 
shingle  and  planing  mill,  and  in  1879  the  whole 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  again  put  up  a 
building,  50x90  feet,  in  which  is  operated  a 
shingle  mill,  planing  mill,  turning  lathe  and 
rotary  saw  mill. 

Thomas  DeJean  built  a  saw  mill  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  East  Kickapoo  river,  in  1857.  A 
log  and  brush  dam  was  thrown  across  the 
stream,  which  gave  him  a  fall  of  seven  feet. 
In  1863  he  sold  a  half  interest  to  his  son,  Anson 
W.  In  1865  they  put  in  a  rotary  saw,  and  in 
1873  quit  the  lumber  business  and  built  a  small 
grist  mill,  furnished  with  three  run  of  stone. 
After  Thomas  DeJean's  death  the  mill  was 
operated  by  his  son,  Anson  W. 

A  postoifice  was  established  in  1859  and 
Thomas  DeJean  made  postmaster.  He  kept 
the  oflice  at  his  house  on  section  29.  In  1861 
C.  W.  Lawton  became  postmaster  and  moved 
the  office  to  his  house  ou  section  20.  He  was 
still  holding  the  oflSce  in  1884,  having  had 
charge  of  it  continuously,  except  one  year 
when  Anson  DeJean  held  it.  Robert  Parker 
is  now  deputy  and  keeps  the  oflice   at  his  store. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

There  is  no  class  of  citizens  so  richly  deserv- 
ing of  praise,  respect  and  esteem  as  the  pioneer 
settlers  ;  and  too  often  even  this  is  denied 
them.  It  is  the  aim  of  the  historian  of  this 
chapter  to  give  a  few  lines  to  the  honored  pio- 
neers and  their  descendants,  due  them  on  ac- 
count of  being  instrumental  in  "clearing 
up"  and  developing  this  new  and  beautiful  soil. 


632 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Chauiicey  W.  Lawton  came  to  Venion  county 
in  1864,  and  entered  land  on  section  1,  town  11, 
range  3  west,  Kickajioo  town.  He  built  a  log 
cabin  and  cleared  about  twelve  acres  of  land. 
In  1858  he  traded  that  for  a  place  in  town  13, 
range  3.  He  then  came  to  Stark  town  and 
rented  a  farm  on  section  29,  for  one  year.  He  then 
traded  his  farm  in  Kickapoo  town  for  one  on 
section  20,  Staik  town,  and  built  ali^use  on  the 
north  bank  of  tlie  river,  which  he  moved,  in  181)0, 
to  the  south  bank.  In  IStiS  he  built  the  large 
frame  house  in  wliich  he  now  lives.  In  1867  he 
platted  the  village  of  Star  Mr.  Lawton  was 
born  June  27,  1825,  in  Great  Valley,  Cattaraugus 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  receiv- 
ing a  liberal  education  in  the  district  and  high 
school.  When  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  entered 
the  office  of  Angel  &  Fox  with  whom  he  studied 
law  two  years.  In  1846  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
locating  in  Waukesha,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  then  returned  to  New  York  State,  remain- 
ing until  1 854,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Ver- 
non county,  as  before  stated.  He  continued  his 
study  of  law  in  this  county,  and,  in  1859,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Viroqua.  Mr.  Lawton 
has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife,  to 
whom  he  was  married  Sept.  2,  185',  was  Mirian 
F.Dyer.  Three  children  blessed  iliis  union — 
Clarence,  Alice  and  Ulysses.  Mis.  Lawton  died 
March  21,  1871.  He  again  married,  Aug.  3, 
1872,  Jemima  Dowell,  a  native  of  Scotland. 
They  have  three  children — Caioline,  William 
and  Alexander.  Mr.  Lawton  was  appointed 
postmaster  of  the  Star  office,  in  1861,  and  holds 
the  office  at  the  present  time.  lie  has  been 
prominent  in  county  and  town  affairs.  He  lias 
served  as  county  commissioner,  and  for  several 
years  has  held  tlie  office  of  justice  of  the  peace. 
Mr.  Lawton  was  a  soldier  in  the  Union  array 
during  the  late  war,  and  was  with  Sherman  dur- 
ing that  memorable  march  to  the  sea. 

Eli  McVey,  an  early  explorer  of  the  Kickapoo 
valley,  was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  Dec.  7, 
1832,  and  there  he  spent  his  younger  days,  in 
school,  and  on   the  farm.     In    1854  he  came  to 


Wisconsin,  and  visited  Vernon  county.  In  the 
winter  he  engaged  in  lumbering  in  the  Kicka- 
poo pineries,  and  in  the  summer  in  rafting 
lumber  down  the  river,  being  thus  occupied  for 
three  successive  summers,  after  which  he  en- 
gaged in  breaking  prairie.  In  October,  1861, 
he  enlisted  in  company  I,  12th  Wisconsin  Vol- 
unteers, and  went  south.  He  took  part  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  was  with  Sherman  on 
his  march  to  the  sea  ;  also,  participated  in  the 
many  battles  and  skirmishes  in  that  memorable 
campaign.  He  was  discharged  in  August,  1805, 
and  returning  to  Vernon  county,  purchased  wild 
land  on  section  3,  Stark  town,  and  engaged  in 
farming.  He  has  since  built  the  frame  liouse 
in  which  he  lives,  and  a  frame  barn  30x40 
feet.  In  1878  he  purcliased  eighty  acres  of 
land  on  section  33,  Wliitestown  town,  and  has 
since  improved  a  part  of  that.  Mr.  McVey 
was  married,  in  1867,  to  Caroline  Bryan,  by 
whom  he  has  had  four  children — Sherman,  Ag- 
nes, Ella  and  William. 

lliram,  son  of  Jesse  and  Mary  (Gheen)  Orri- 
8011,  pioneer  of  Vernon  county,  was  born  in  Mus- 
kingum Co..  Ohio,  April  18,1834.  Whenhewas 
quite  young,]us  parents  removed  to  Perry  county, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  was  but  twenty 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  came  to  Bad  Ax 
county.  He  made  his  home  with  them  in  Stark, 
and  went  to  Franklin  in  1858,  and  there  bought 
a  tract  of  land.  He  made  some  improvements 
on  the  land  and  lived  there  two  years  ;  then 
sold.  He  was  married  in  1863,  to  Mary  Parr, 
and  bought  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Webster,  and 
lived  there  until  1866,  when  he  came  to  Stark 
and  bought  the  farm  he  now  occupies  on  sec- 
tion 7.  They  have  four  children — Sarah  AI- 
meda,  John  A.,  Minnie  C.  and  Francis  W. 

John  H.  Anderson,  an  early  explorer  of  the 
Kickapoo  valley,  and  a  pioneer  settler  of  Stark 
town,  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  born  in  Glasgow, 
Nov.  14,  1826.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  he 
left  home  and  went  to  sea;  sailed  two  years  be- 
fore the  mast  and  then  came  to  the  LTnited 
States,  stopping  first  in   Maine  and    spending 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


6:^3 


some  time  in  Portland;  thence  to  Biddet'ni-d 
and  other  places.  In  Saco  he  was  employed  for 
one  year  in  a  brick  yard.  He  then  visited  New 
Haveu,  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  and  spent 
a  winter  in  Lancaster,  Penn.,  where  he  was 
employed  teaming.  From  there  he  went  to 
Washington  county,  where  he  remained  till  the 
fall  of  1849,  then  went  to  Adams  Co.,  111.,  spend- 
ing the  winter  near  Quincy,  being  employed  in 
chopping  wood.  In  the  spring  of  1850  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  spending  the  summer  at  Spring 
Green  Prairie,  Sauk  county.  In  the  fall  he  vis- 
ited Richland  county,  and  was  employed  in  get- 
ting out  lumber  to  build  the  Hazelton  saw  mill, 
the  first  one  in  that  county.  Late  that  fall  he 
went  to  work  in  the  pineiies,  and  from  that 
time  until  1855  was  em|)loyed  in  getting  out 
lumber  and  rafting  it  down  theKickapoo  river. 
While  so  doing  he  became  acquainted  with  the 
localities  and  also  with  the  few  settlers  along 
the  river.  He  settled  in  1855  on  section  20, 
town  13,  range  2  west,  now  known  as  Stark 
town,  Vernon  county.  He  built  a  cabin  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  east  fork  of  the  Kickapoo 
river,  and  there  lived  a  single  man  for  five  years. 
Mr.  Anderson  was  married  Feb.  7, 1860,  to  Lucy 
McHenry.  One  child  blessed  this  union — 
Nancy  Elizabeth.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage 
he  owned  a  farm  house  on  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
which  he  now  makes  his  home.  For  the  past 
few  years  his  health  has  not  been  good,  and  not 
being  able  to  farm  has  turned  his  attention  to 
bees  and  has  started  an  apiary.  His  wife  was 
the  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Wal- 
lace) McHenry,  born  in  Ohio.  Her  parents 
settled  in  Webster  in  1857.  Her  father  died  in 
1865;  her  mother  in  188-2. 

Philip  Aumock  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio, 
June  17,  1827,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm  till 
fifteen  years  of  age.  He  then  learned  the  car- 
penter trade,  and  was  married  on  the  29th  day 
of  January,  1846,  to  Eleanor  Dusenberry,  also  a 
native  of  Perry  Co.,  Ohio.  Soon  after  marriage 
Mr.  Aumock  engiged  in  the  cabinet  business, 
which  he   followed  until  the  fall  of  1855:  tlieii 


with  a  team  of  two  horses  and  wagon,  loaded 
up  his  family  and  started  for  the  west,  and  after 
thirty-two  day's  travel  landed  in  Bad  Ax 
(now  Vernon)  Co.,  Wis.,  and  pre-empted  the 
north  one-half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 17,  town  13  north,  of  range  2  west.  He 
built  a  log  cabin  in  which  he  lived  until  1867, 
then  erected  a  frame  house,  in  which  he  now 
lives.  He  also  built  a  good  frame  barn  in  1870, 
and  has  cleared  up  quite  a  large  farm.  He  has 
worked  a  good  deal  of  his  time  at  his  trade,  and 
is  now  the  owner  of  IbO  acres  of  land,  don't 
owe  one  cent  in  the  world,  and  is  well  and  com- 
fortably situated.  At  the  time  of  Rebellion 
he  enlisted  in  the  43d  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  served  his  country  until  the  war 
closed.  He  then  returned  home.  His  first  wife 
died  shortly  after  his  arrival  home,  of  nervous 
prostration  brought  on  by  his  absence.  About 
the  1st  of  February,  1866.  he  went  back  to  Ohio, 
and  on  the  4th  day  of  March  was  married  to 
Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Essington,  and  brought  her 
home  with  him,  and  they  are  now  living  hap- 
pily together.  He  had  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dred,  all  of  which  are  dead  except  four.  Two 
of  them  are  married  and  two  are  single.  Mary 
E.  married  Perry  A.  Brown;  John  Wesley  mar- 
ried Mary  A.  Thomas;  George  Washington  and 
Hannah  R.  are  still  single.  The  boys  own  a 
good  farm  each  and  are  out  of  debt. 

Adam  Bryan,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Stark  town,  was  born  in  Forks,  Lycoming 
Co.,  Penn.,  June  11,  1817.  Ilis  father  was  a 
clothier  by  trade,  and  was  also  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  and  in  farming.  Adam's  early 
days  were  spent  in  school,  in  assisting  his  father 
on  the  farm  and  in  the  saw  mill.  The  first 
school  which  he  attended,  was  nine  mile.s  dis- 
tant from  his  home.  When  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  he  entered  a  woolen  mill  and  there 
learned  to  manufacture  woolen  goods.  He  was 
married  March  2,  1843,  to  Mary  Barge,  born  in 
Lycoming  county,  Aug.  3,  1825.  He  continued 
to  work  in  the  woolen  factory  until  1848,  when 
he  engaged   in  the  lumber  business,   which   he 


10  + 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


followed  until   1851,   when  he  started  west  to 
seek  a  home.     He  located  in  Illinois,  purchasing 
a  farm  in  Jo  Daviess  county.     In  May,  1854,  he 
came  to  Wisconsin.     Taking  the  cars  to  War- 
ren, he  there  procured  a  team,  took  the  overland 
route    to   Vernon    county.     He    stopped    but  a 
short  time  then  returned  to  Illinois,  remaining 
until   May,    1855.     He   then    came    to   Vernon 
county,  entering  land    on    section    3,    town    13, 
range  2,  now  known   as    Stark   town,    then   re- 
turned to  Illinois  for  his  family.     In  June,  the 
family    started    for   their  new    home,    George 
Walsh  and  family  accompanying   them.     After 
taking  the  cars  to   Warren,    III.,    they    started 
with  ox  teams.     In    many   places    they   had  to 
cut  a  road.     Arriving  on    his    land,    he    moved 
into  a  lumberman's  log  cabin   and   lived    there 
three  years,  then  built  a  hewed  log  house,  to 
which  he  has  since  made  a   frame  addition  and 
in  which   he   now  lives.     Mr.  and   Mrs.    Bryan 
have  had  six  children — Caroline,  born   March 
16,  1848,  was  married  to  Eli    McVey,  and  died 
Jan.  1,  1876;  Alexander  J.,   now  in  Sioux  Falls, 
Dak.,  engaged  in  farming;  George  H.,   a  grain 
dealer  at  Viroqua;    Albert   T.,   a  physician  in 
Eagan,   Dak.;   Aaron  R.,  an  atiorney  at  law,  in 
Sioux  City;  and  Henrietta.     Mr.   Bryan  united 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal   Church,  when  a 
young  man,  but  failing  in  his  efforts  to  organ- 
ize a  class  in  Stark,  he  united  with  the  German 
Evangelical  and  later  with  the  United  Brethren. 
Thomas  De  Jean,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Stark 
town,    was     born    in    Cliautauqua    Co.,    N.    Y., 
in  1806,  and  there  grew   to  manhood.     He  was 
a  natural  mechanic,  and  when  a  young  man,  he 
went  to  Pennsylvania   and    there   worked    in  a 
saw  mill  for   nine  years.     He    then   moved   to 
Ohio,  locating  in  Maumee  City,  where  he  was 
an  early  settler.     While  there  he  took  contracts 
for  building  warehouses  and  docks  on  the  canal, 
and  later,  engaged  in  farming.  In  1841  he  came 
to  Wisconsin,  locating   at  New    Berlin,  Wauk- 
esha county.     After  remaining  there    one  year 
he  went  to  Genesee,  same  county,  bought  land 
and  built  a  saw  mill,  also  running  a  blacksmith 


shop  and  plow  factory.  In  1855  he  sold  out 
there  and  came  to  Vernon  county,  settling  on 
section  29,  town  13,  range  2,  now  known  as 
Staik  town.  Two  years  later,  he  built  a 
saw  mill,  in  1ST3  a  grist  mill,  and  also  engaged 
in  farming.  He  erected  a  large  frame  house 
and  made  this  his  home  until  his  death,  wliich 
occurred  February,  1877.  He  was  very  enter- 
prising and  took  a  prominent  part  in  town 
affairs.  He  was  elected  town  assessor  in  1856, 
and  later,  held  other  offices.  Mr.  De  Jean  mar- 
ried Polly  Butterfield,  also  a  native  of  Chau- 
tauqua Co.,  N.  Y.  She  is  still  living  on  the  old 
homestead.  There  were  three  children,  two  of 
whom  are  now  living — Anson  W.,  the  eldest,  is 
now  living  near,  and  owns  an  interest  in  the 
flouring  mill;  Alfred  H.,  is  also  living  near,  on 
a  farm;  Ann  C,  who  became  the  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Sanbers,  in  the  year  1861,  and  resided  in 
this  and  an  adjoining  county,  until  1879,  re- 
moved with  her  husband  and  four  children,  to 
Roseburg,  Oregon,  where  she  died  the  year  fol- 
lowing. 

Anson  W.  De  Jean  was  born  in  Maumee 
City,  Ohio,  Feb.  25,  1838.  His  younger  days 
were  spent  in  school  and  assisting  his  father  in 
the  mill  and  on  the  farm.  He  was  employed 
for  a  while  as  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of 
Vernon  county.  He  was  married  in  1862  to 
Juliet  Potter,  born  in  Collin's  Center,  Erie  Co., 
N.  Y.  He  then  settled  on  section  29,  on  land 
which  his  father  had  entered  for  him  in  1855, 
In  1863  he  erected  a  building  on  section  29, 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  wliicli  he 
has  followed  ever  since.  In  1864  he  bought  an 
interest  in  his  father's  saw-mill,  and  in  1873 
was  associated  with  him  in  the  building  of  a 
flour  mill,  which  Anson  W.  now  operates.  He 
has  been  engaged  for  some  years  in  farming, 
and  at  one  time  owned  1,100  acres  of  land  in 
this  county.  He  now  owns  but  320  acres  in 
Vernon  county,  and  a  quarter  section  in  Mur- 
ray Co.,  Minn.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De  Jean  had  but 
one  chilli — Charles,  who  clerks  in  his  father's 
store.     Mr,    De    Jean    has   taken    a  prominent 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


635 


part  in  town  and  county  affairs,  and  has  filled 
offices  of  trust  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
since  he  attained  tlie  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
His  first,  and  all  iiis  voting  has  been  done  in 
the  town  in  which  he  now  lives. 

John  Barge  settled  in  Vernon  county,  in 
1856.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in 
Wuvtemburg,  Oct.  15,  1819.  He  was  but  eigh- 
teen months  old  when  his  parents  left  their 
native  land  for  America.  They  first  settled  in 
Mifflinsberg,  Penn.,  where  they  lived  eight  years, 
then  moved  to  Cherrytown,  Lycoming  county, 
wliere  John  grew  to  manliood.  He  was  there 
married,  in  1840,  to  Elizabeth  Melhine,  born  in 
Hrier  Creek,  Penn.  Tliey  resided  in  that  part 
of  Lycoming,  now  known  as  Sullivan  county, 
until  1856,  at  which  time  they  came  to  Vernon 
county,  making  a  settlement  on  Jug  creek.  Mr. 
Baige  entered  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
12,  and  immediately  commenced  the  cultivation 
of  a  farm.  He  built  a  log  house  in  which  he 
lived  several  years,  then  erected  a  frame  resi- 
dence, which  was  burned,  Feb.  8,  1881,  with 
about  half  its  contents.  He  then  erected 
another  frame  house.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barge 
were  blessed  with  seven  children — Mary  C, 
Franci.s  E.,  George  W.,  Adlett,  Caroline  E.  and 
John  F.  The  youngest  child,  Hardwell  Lin- 
coln, died  when  nine  years  and  four  months  old. 
Mrs.  Barge  died  Sept.  27,  1871.  Mr  and  Mrs. 
Barge  are  both  members  of  the  Church,  and 
took  active  steps  to  secure  a  Church  organi- 
zation, which  was  effected  soon  after  their 
settlement  liere. 

Joseph  O.  Parker,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Stark  tou  n,  is  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  was 
born  in  that  part  of  Franklin,  now  embraced  in 
Anderson  county,  Marcli  11,1811.  When  he 
was  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Edgar 
county.  He  made  his  home  with  his  parents 
there  until  1832.  lie  was  married  the  3d  of 
November,  of  that  year,  to  Permelia  Clark,  who 
was  born  in  Pulaski  Co.,  Ky.,  in  December, 
JSJ4.     He  bought  a  farm   in   Edgar  county  and 


remained  there  until  1856,  when  he  sold  o\it 
and  started  for  Wisconsin  with  two  oxen  and 
one  horse'  team.  They  were  twenty-four  days 
on  the  road  ;  bringing  their  cooking  utensils 
tliey  camped  out  on  the  way.  Arriving  at  Bad 
Ax  (  now  Vernon  )  county,  he  entered  land  on 
section  .35,  of  town  13  north,  of  range  2  west, 
now  known  as  Stark,  and  lived  in  a  log  cabin 
until  after  the  war,  when  he  built  the  frame 
house  in  which  he  now  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Parker  were  the  parents  of  ten  cliildren,  nine 
of  which  are  now  living — Archibald,  Harriet, 
James  F.,  Jemima,  Rebecca,  Mary,  David, 
Sarah  and  Stephen.  Their  oldest  daughter, 
Mahala,  died   in   Illinois,  at  the  age  of  sixteen. 

E.  Potter,  one  of  the  early  settlei-s  of  Stark 
town,  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  born  in 
Washington  county.  Sept  10,  1811,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood.  When  twenty-one  years  of 
age  lie  started  west,  locating  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  married,  in  1840,  to  Mary  A. 
Stone.  He  bought  a  tract  of  timber  land  in 
Erie  county,  built  a  frame  house  and  cleared  a 
farm,  remaining  there  until  1855.  In  the  fall 
of  that  year  he  started  for  Wisconsin,  locating 
in  Grant  county  and  remaining  one  year,  when 
not  being  satisfied  with  the  location,  he  came 
with  a  team  to  Vernon  county, -bringing  a  year's 
provisions  with  him.  He  bought  land  on  sec- 
tion 24,  town  13,  range  2  west,  and  erected  a 
log  cabin.  Mrs.  Potter  painted  the  door  red, 
and  it  was  known  as  the  house  with  the  red 
door,  and  was  the  stopping  place,  for  many 
years,  of  travelers  No  one  iiungry  and  tired 
was  ever  turned  away  from  their  door.  The 
family  lived  in  this  cabin  until  1871,  when  Mr. 
Potter  built  the  frame  house  in  which  they  now 
live.  Mrs.  Potter  was  born  in  Chenango  Co., 
N.  Y.,in  December,  1819.  When  she  was  very 
young  her  parents  moved  to  the  western  part 
of  that  State,  in  Erie  county.  It  was  here  that 
Mrs.  Potter  began  her  pioneer  life.  Mr.  and 
Mr.s.  Potter  have  four  children — James,  Jubette, 
Allison  and  Mary. 


036 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Samuel  Gray,  an  early  settler  of  Stark 
town,  is  a  native  of  New  York  State,  born  in 
Erie  county,  Feb.  1,  1830.  When  twelve  years 
of  age  he  engaged  on  the  New  York  and  Erie 
canal,  which  occupation  he  followed  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  was  married  in 
the  fall  of  1850  to  Elizabeth  Stone,  born  in 
Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  engaged  in  farming, 
for  one  season,  in  Cattaraugus  county,  and,  in 
1852,  started  west  to  seek  a  home,  settling  in 
Grant  Co.,  Wis.  He  there  entered  land,  built  a 
log  house,  and  made  other  improvements.  In 
1857  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Vernon  county, 
buying  land  on  section  26,  town  13,  range  2 
west.  Here  he  built  a  hewed  log  house,  and 
has  since  made  it  his  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gray  have  had  six  children — Emertt,  Leroy, 
Lucy,  James,  F'rank  and  Elva. 

TimothY  McGratb  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Stark  town.  He  came  here  from 
Madison,  in  1857,  making  the  journey  with  an 
ox  team,  and  being  eight  days  on  the  road,  lo- 
cating the  west  half  of  section  16,  which  he  had 
bought  two  years  previous,  built  a  log  house  and 
immediately  commenced  to  make  improvements, 
and  made  this  his  home  until  liis  death  which 
occurred  in  1868.  He  was  a  native  of  Ireland. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Ellen  Quinn, 
was  also  a  native  of  Ireland.  They  emigrated 
to  America  in  1847,  settling  in  Milwaukee,  and 
living  there  until  1855,  when  they  moved  to 
Madison,  remaining  until  1857,  when,  as  before 
stated,  they  came  to  Stark.  Mrs.  McGrath  died 
on  the  old  homestead,  Feb.  25,  1883.  They 
left  two  cliildren — John  and  Timothy  W. 

John  McGrath  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Feb. 
27,  1849.  He  was  married  in  January,  1874,  to 
Annie  Gallagher,  daughter  of  John  and  Bridget 
Gallagher,  who  settled  in  Clinton  in  1855.  Two 
clnldren  have  blessed  this  union — John  E.  and 
Ellen.  Mr.  McGrath  now  occupies  the  home- 
stead. He  has  built  a  neat  frame  house,  and  is 
engaged  in  stock  and  grain  raising. 

Timothy  W.  McGrath  was  born  July  3,  1853. 
His  early  education  was  received  in  the  district 


school  supplemented  by  two  years  at  the  normal 
school  at  Whitewater.  He  taught  several  terms 
of  school  in  this  county,  and  is  now  studying 
law  in  an  office  in  Minneapolis. 

John  Small,  Sr.,  a  settler  of  1858,  was  born 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  July  31,  1786,  and 
grew  to  manhood  in  the  Nation's  capital.  In 
1812  he  enlisted  in  the  14th  regiment.  United 
States  Volunteers,  and  served  under  Gen.  Scott 
through  that  war,  after  which  he  located  in 
Tui'key  Foot  township,  Somerset  Co.,  Penn  Jle 
was  there  married  March  16,  1817,  to  Olivet 
Skinner,  who  was  born  in  that  township,  April  3, 
1794.  Remaining  there  until  1820  they  re- 
moved to  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  and  a  short  time 
after  he  purchased  timber  land  and  partly 
cleared  a  farm.  In  1828  he  sold  out  there  and 
moved  to  Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  and  bought  a  farm, 
which  he  sold  three  years  later,  returning  to 
Perry  county  and  buying  land  in  Salt  Lick  town- 
ship where  he  remained  until  1858.  He  then  came 
to  Vernon  county,  settling  on  land  that  he  had 
entered  in  1856,  situated  on  section  18,  town  13, 
range  2  west.  He  cleared  a  farm  and  lived 
here  until  his  death,  in  1873.  His  wife  died 
April  19,  1867. 

John  Small,  Jr.,  son  of  John  and  Olivet  (Skin- 
ner) Small,  was  born  in  Monroe  township,  July 
22,1824.  He  was  married  in  1853  to  Mary  Pa.xton, 
al.«o  born  in  Salt  Lick  township.  After  receiving 
a  fnir  education,  he  engaged  in  teaching  in 
Perry  county.  In  1855  he  started  west  to  seek 
a  home,  settling  in  Rossville,  Allamakee  Co., 
Iowa.  He  bought  town  property  and  engaged 
in  teaching  and  later  clerked  iti  a  store  and  also 
ran  an  engine  in  a  saw  and  grist  mill.  He  re- 
mained there  until  1859,  when  he  sold  <jnl  and 
came  to  Stark  town,  settling  on  land  that  he 
had  previously  entered  on  sections  10  and 
15.  He  built  a  log  house  on  section  10,  living 
there  until  1872,  when  he  built  the  frame  house 
in  which  he  now  lives.  He  has  also  built  a 
large  log  stable,  granary,  etc.  Since  living 
here  Mr.  Small  has  not  devoted  all  his  time  to 
his  farm,  having  taught  school  and  also  worked 


HISTORY  OF   VEKNON  COUNTY. 


639 


at  the  carpenter  trade.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Small 
have  three  children — William,  Isadora  and  Isa- 
bella. Isadora  is  the  wife  of  John  Teel  and 
lives  in  Stark  town.  Isabella  is  the  wife 
of  Stephen  F.  Adams  and  lives  in  Webster. 

James  Moore  came  to  Stark  in  18C0,  and  is 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  that  town. 
He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Muskingum 
county,  Oct.  28,  1889,  and  was  there  raised  to 
agricultural  pursuits  and  received  his  education 
in  the  ])ul)lic  schools.  He  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage in  March,  1860,  to  Annie  Lytle,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  Muskingum  county.  The  same 
year  he  brought  his  bride  to  Vernon  county 
an<i  settled  in  Stark  town  as  before  stated.  He 
liought  a  tract  of  wild  land  on  section  17,  and 
erected  a  cabin  of  poles.  They  lived  in  this 
humble  abode  two  years  and  then  he  built  a 
hewed  I04  house.  He  enlisted  in  October,  1864, 
in  the  lull  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteers, 
and  went  south  to  join  Sherman's  army  at 
Marietta.  He  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war  and  was  discharged  in  June,  1865,  anT 
returned  home  and  resumed  farming.  H( 
weather-boarded  and  painted  his  log  house  anc" 
lived  in  that  until  1881,  when  he  built  a  com- 
modious frame  house,  in  which  he  now  lives. 
In  187.T  he  built  a  frame  barn  30x44  feet  in  sizi 
and  is  engaged  in  raising  grain  and  stock.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  VIoore  have  been  blessed  with  four 
children — John,  Leslie,  Anson  and  Elmer.  An- 
son was  born  in  September,  1867,  and  died 
April  22,  188-3. 

Paul  Bates  was  born  in  Hanover  town,  Ply- 
mouth Co.,  Mass.,  March  22,  1834.  His  younger 
days  were  spent  in  school.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  engaged  to  learn  the  boot  and 
shoe  trade,  at  which  he  continued  to  work  until 
nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin with  his  parents.  He  lived  at  home  until 
1863,  when  he  was  married  to  Mary  Koberts,  a 
native  of  New  York  State.  He  then  settled  on 
his  present  farm  on  section  1,  Stark  town. 
He  has  not  devoted  his  entire  time  to  farming, 
being  engaged  part  of  the  time  in  lumlH-ring 


and  at  work  in  saw  mills.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bates 
have  three  children — Harvey  A.,  Albert  W. 
and  Emma  A. 

Dempster  Seely,  proprietor  of  the  saw-mill 
at  Seelysburg,  was  born  in  Westmoreland  town, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  2.=),  1820.  He 
received  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools,  which  was  supplemented  by  a  short  term 
at  the  high  school,  in  Hampton  village.  He 
stayed  with  his  parents  until  1840,  when  he 
came  west  to  seek  a  home.  He  located  in  Wau- 
kesha Co.,  Wis.,  buying  land  and  remaining 
there  until  1843.  He  then  returned  to  New 
York  State,  where  he  was  married  Aug.  16, 
1843,  to  Maryett  Blodgett.  Returning  to  Wau- 
kesha county  with  his  bride,  he  remained  until 
February,  1844,  when  he  sold  out  and  removed 
to  Jefferson  county,  being  an  early  settler  there. 
He  purchased  land  in  Jefferson  town  and  built 
a  saw  mill  on  Bark  river.  In  1849  Mr.  Seely 
built  another  saw  mill  on  Duck  creek.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and  running 
these  two  mills  until  1863,  when  he  sold  and 
came  to  Vernon  county,  purchasing  a  water 
power  on  the  east  fork  of  the  Kickapoo,  on  sec- 
tion 20,  town  13,  range  2,  known  as  Stark.  In 
five  months'  time  he  had  erected  a  frame  house, 
built  a  large  barn  and  had  a  saw  mill  running. 
He  has  since  that  time  been  extensively  en- 
gaged in  lumber  business  and  farming.  Mr. 
Seely  has  had  contracts  for  the  erection  of  quite 
a  number  of  buildings  and  has  built  most  of  the 
bridges  across  the  Kickapoo  river  in  this  sec- 
tion. Mrs.  Seely  was  born  in  Madison  town, 
Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  18,  1812.  When 
she  was  about  one  year  old  her  parents  moved 
to  that  part  of  the  Holland  purchase  now  known 
as  Chautauqua  county,  where  they  were  earh' 
settlers.  She  was  educated  for  a  teacher  and 
taught  sonie  years  in  the  public  schools.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Seely  have  two  children  — Charles  M. 
and  Alice  L  Charles  is  married  to  Emma  J. 
Harorden,  born  in  Boston,  Mass.  They  are 
blessed  with  two  children — Harry  L.  and 
Charles   Ernest.     Alice    is  the  wife   of    Ederar 


640 


HISTORY"  OF  VERNON   COUNTY. 


Nixon.     They  also  have  two  children — Mercy 
J.  and  Raymond. 

Irvin  C.  Nixon  settled  in  Stark  town  in  1864. 
His  land  is  on  sections  28  and  29.  When  he 
bought  the  land  it  was  quite  heavily  timbered, 
but  he  has  cleared  a  good  part  of  it  and  has  it 
under  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  He  first 
built  a  log  house  on  section  29,  but  has  since 
built  a  neat  frame  house  on  the  same  section 
which  he  now  occupies  as  a  residence.  He 
was  born  Aug.  2,  1825,  in  Belmont  Co.,  Ohio. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age  his  parents  moved 
to  Morgan  county,  in  the  same  State,  living 
there  two  years,  then  removing  to  Washington 
county.  He  was  married  Jan.  1,  1850,  to  Sarah 
A.,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Leahvina  (Van 
Clief)  Smith.  They  remained  in  Washington 
countv,  where  he  owned  a  farm,' until  1864, 
when  he  sold  his  farm  and  came  to  Stark.  They 
have  had  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Edgar  T.,  Irvin  D.  and  Ross  K.  Irvin  is 
town  assessor.  Mr.  Nixon  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  since  1854 
and  was  the  first  class  leader  of  the  Stark  Chapel 
class. 

William  Bacon  came  to  Stark  town  in  1865 
and  purchased  a  farm  of  William  Evans  on  sec- 
tion 17,  which  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He 
is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Washington  county. 
May  31,  1819,  where  he  was  raised  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  He  was  married,  in  1844,  to 
Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Leahvina 
(Van  Clief)  Smith.  He  purchased  land  in 
Washington  county  and  made  that  his  home 
until  coming  to  Stark  town  in  1865.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bacon  have  one  child — Laurana — who 
makes  her  home  with  her  parents.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Star  Chapel  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Samuel  Smith,  superinterulent  of  Star  Chapel 
Sabbath  school,  was  born  in  Luzerne  Co.,  Penn., 
Oct.  6,  1800.  In  1814  his  parents  moved  to 
Ohio,  locating  in  Delaware  county,  where  they 
were  early  settlers.  His  father  bought  timber 
land  and    Samuel    assisted   him   in   clearing  a 


farm.  They  lived  there  seven  years,  when  his 
father  sold  out  and  moved  to  Washington 
county.  Samuel  made  his  home  there  with  his 
parents  until  1823.  He  was  married  in  that 
year  to  Leahvina  Van  Clief,  born  in  Washington 
county  in  1 S04.  Mr.  Smith  bought  the  Van 
Clief  farm  in  Waterford,  Washington  Co., Ohio., 
which  was  one  of  the  first  farms  opened  in 
Washington    county.     lie  remained  there  until 

1865,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Veriuin 
county,  settJing  in  Stark  town,  where  some  of  his 
children  were  living.  He  bought  a  farm  on  section 
17,  Stark  town,  living  thereuntil  1872,  when 
he  sold  and  moved  to  Stark,  where  be  bought 
a  house  and  lot.  He  has  since  conijjleted  the 
house  and  now  makes  that  his  home.  In  1874 
he  purchased  a  farm  on  section  32.  He  rented 
this  farm  until  1881,  when  he  sold  it.  Mrs. 
Smith  died  in  1865,  leaving  him  five  children — 
Mary  A.,  now  the  wife  of  William  C  Bacon  ; 
Sarah,  the  wife  of.  I.  V.  Nixon  ;  Jesse,  Ange- 
line,  wife  of  Henry  Hank  ;  Leahvina,  wife  of 
Charles    Miller.     He    married    in    November, 

1866,  Sophia  Heaston,  who  was  born  in  Rich- 
mond, Va.  When  quite  young  her  parents 
moved  to  Ohio,  settling  in  Columbus,  where 
she  lived  until  1865,  then  came  to  Vernon 
county.  Mr.  Smith  united  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  1850.  Soon  after  he  was 
elected  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school. 
He  is  said  to  be  tiie  oldest  Sabbath  school 
superintendent  in  the  world.  His  health  is  re- 
markably good  ;  he  is  not  in  the  least  hard  of 
hearing,  and  has  never  worn  glasses. 

Rev.  Robert  S.  Mockett  was  born  in  Kent 
county,  England,  June  II,  1810.  WhcTi  eighteen 
years  of  age  he  joined  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  while  yet  a  young  man  was 
engaged  in  the  ministry.  He  did  not  devote 
his  whole  time  to  preaching,  however,  being 
also  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  trade.  In 
1850  he  came  to  America,  spending  one  year  in 
New  York  city,  after  which  he  went  to  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.  He  there  engaged  in  the  boot 
I  and   shoe   trade,   preaching  occasionally    until 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


641 


1867,  when  he  came  to  Vernon  county  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Webster,  engaging  in  farm- 
ing and  preaching.  He  occupied  his  farm 
until  1882,  when  he  bought  a  house  and  lot  in 
Star,  to  which  he  moved.  Mr.  Mockett  now 
has  charge  of  the  Liberty  Pole  circuit,  having 
five  appointments.  He  has  been  twice  married. 
His  first  wife  was  Mary  Hobbs,  to  whom  he 
was  married  in  1832,  and  by  whom  he  had 
four  children,  two  of  whom  are  living — Richard 
H.  and  John  H.  Their  first  child,  Eliza,  died 
when  four  years  of  age.  Their  other  daughter, 
also  named  Eliza,  wife  of  Edwin  Ellis,  of 
Joiiesville,  died  in  ISTS,  leaving  two  children. 
Mrs.  .Mockett  died  .March  9, 1881.  Mr.  Mockett 
married,  March  25, 1882,  Almira  A.  Whiteman, 
of  Warren,  N.  H.,  widow  of  Jonathan  Harnden, 
(if  Wilmington,  Mass. 

Amos  Carpenter,  M.  D.,  settled  in  Stark  town 
in  1868.  He  is  the  only  practicing  physician  ir 
the  town.  He  belongs  to  the  eclectic  school 
of  medicine,  and  has  been  successful  in  h'u 
|jractice.  In  1882  he  put  up  a  building  an(" 
opened  a  drug  store.  He  has  a  labratory  con 
nected  and  extracts  medicines  from  nativ. 
herbs.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  ii 
Herkimer  county,  near  where  Ilion  now  stands 
in  1822.  At  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  entered 
the  office  of  John  W.  Hersett,  M.  D.,  at  Ger- 
man Flats,  Herkimer  county,  and  studied 
medicine  with  him  one  year.  He  then  went 
to  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  and  studied  with  Drs. 
Samuel  T.  Teel  and  Herman  D.  Hall.  In  1849 
he  commenced  practice  at  Lockport  and  re- 
mained there  until  I-^.dI,  when  he  started  west, 
and  stopped  at  Richland,  111.,  one  year;  then 
went  to  Monticello  and  practiced  there  until 
1854,  when  he  came  to  Richland  Center,  Wis. 
He  spent  two  years  in  Richland  Center,  then 
came  to  Bad  Ax  county  and  spent  the 
winter  in  Clinton.  In  1857  he  went  to  Bloom- 
ingdale,  and  there  assisted  in  laying  out  the 
town.  He  remained  there  two  years,  then  went 
to  Avalanche  and  practiced  there  two  years.  In 
the  spring  of  186)  he  went  to  Richland  Centre; 


bought  a  house  and  lot  with  the  intention  of 
settling  there,  but  changed  his  mind,  and 
three  months  later  he  removed  to  Ironton,  in 
Sauk  county,  where  he  remained  three  years, 
then  went  to  Iowa,  and  stopped  in  Horton, 
Bremer  county,  through  t\\e  winter,  then  went 
to  Bradford,  Chickasaw  county,  and  remained 
there  until  1868,  when  he  came  here,  as  before 
stated.  He  has  been  three  times  married.  His 
first  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1845,  was 
Louisa  Freeman,  who  bore  him  two  children. 
The  oldest  one,  Cyrus,  went  to  the  war  and 
died  in  the  service.  The  younger,  John  Wesley, 
now  lives  in  New  York.  Mrs.  Carpenter  died 
in  1849,  and  he  was  again  married  in  1852,  to 
Susan  Slater.  She  died  in  1854,  leaving  one 
child  that  died  soon  after.  His  third  wife  was 
Elizabeth  Leatherberry.  Six  children  blessed 
this  union — Lavina,  Jasper,  Cadwell,  Loretta, 
Matt  and  Etta.  He  has  filled  offices  of  trust  in 
the  town,  and  was  chairman  of  the  board  for 
several  years. 

Col.  George  W.  Shattuck  was  born  in  Switzer- 
land Co.,  Ind.,  Aug.  28,  1835.  When  two  years 
of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Lawrence  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  His  early  educa- 
tion was  received  at  the  district  school,  supple- 
mented by  two  years  at  Ewington  Academy. 
He  then  engaged  in  teaching.  Col.  Shattuck 
was  a  gallant  soldier  during  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion.  He  first  enlisted  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1861,  in  a  company  of  ninety  day  men,  called 
the  1st  Ohio  Independent  Cavalry.  He  was  dis- 
charged at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service 
and  returned  home.  He  again  enlisted  Nov.  6, 
1861,  in  company  H,  6lh  Ohio  Cavalry,  being 
mustered  in  as  second  lieutenant.  He  was  for  a 
time  on  Gen.  Sigel's  staff,  also  served  with  Gen. 
Sheridan,  participating  in  the  many  battles  of 
that  army,  and  being  honorably  discharged  at 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  w-as  twice  wounded; 
the  first  time  at  Lodd's  farm,  where  he  received 
a  gun-shot  wound  in  the  foot;  the  second  time 
at  the  battle  of  Dinwiddle  court  iiouse,  where 
he  was  severely   wounded.       He  now  draws  a 


643 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


pension  of  ten  dollars  a  month.  For  gallant 
service  and  meritorious  conduct  he  was  pro- 
moted to  captain,  then  to  major,  and  afterwards 
to  colonel.  After  his  discharge  he  returned  to 
Ohio  and  engaged  in  farming  until  IS^O,  when 
he  was  appointed  railroad  agent  at  Centre  Station, 
Lawrence  Co.,  Ohio.     He  remained  there  until 

1872,  when  became  to  Stark  town,  purchased 
land  on  section  24,  and  engaged  in  stock  and 
grain  raising.  He  was  married  Nov.  3,  1861,  to 
Eliza  Little,  who  bore  him  five  children-George, 
Sarah,  Judith,  Mary  and  Richard.       On  July  4, 

1873,  while  the  family  were  drivingto  Rockton, 
they  were  overtaken  by  a  storm,  and  Mrs. 
Shattuck  was  injured  by  a  falling  tree,  from 
the  effects  of  which  she  died  seventeen  days 
later. 

Robert  Parker,  merchant  at  Star,  engaged  in 
business  in  November,  1882,  keeping  a  small 
but  neat  stock  of  goods  such  as  is  generally 
found  in  a  country  store.  He  is  also  deputy 
postmaster.  Mr.  Parker  is  a  native  of  New 
York  State,  born  in  Buffalo  in  1845.  When  ten 
years  of  age  his  parents  emigrated  to  Wiscon- 
sin, settling  in  Racine,  where  they  remained 
three  years,  then  went  to  Buffalo,  Marquette 
county,  where  Robert  grew  to  manhood.  Li 
August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  company  G,  32d 
Wisconsin  Volunteers,  serving  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  being  discharged  in  June,  1865.  He 
was  with  Sherman  in  his  march  to  the  sea  and 
participated  in  the  many  battles  of  that  memor- 
able campaign.  He  was  severely  wounded  Feb. 
9,  1865,  at  the  battle  of  Binnaker's  Bridge,  S. 
C,  and  is  now  a  pensioner.  After  his  discharge 
he  returned  to  Buffalo.  In  1866  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  Fish,  born  in  Hornellsville,  N. 
Y.  Four  children  have  blessed  this  union — 
Estella,  Minnie,  Delia  May  and  Eudora.  Mr. 
Parker  engaged  in  farming  in  Marquette  county 
until  1874,  when  became  to  Stark  town,  Ver- 
non county,  purchased  land  on  section  20,  and 
engaged  in  farming.  In  1882,  as  before  stated, 
he  engaged  in  business  in  the  village  of  Star,       I 


Ezra  O.  Pelton  settled  on  his  present  farm  in 
1875.  It  is  located  on  section  32,  in  the  Kicka- 
poo  valley.  He  was  born  July  16,  1832,  in  Cat- 
taraugus Co.,  N  Y.  When  nine  years  of  age 
his  parents  emigrated  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in 
Waukesha  county,  making  his  home  here  until 
the  bieaking  out  of  the  war.  He  enlisted  May 
10,  of  that  year,  in  company  F,  5th  Wisconsin 
Volunteers,  and  went  south.  He  participated 
in  many  skirmishes  and  a  few  battles,  the  most 
important  of  which  were  Balls  Bhiff  and  Wil- 
liamsburg. He  was  discharged  in  I860,  on  ac- 
count of  disability,  and  returned  to  Waukesha 
county.  In  1874  he  was  engaged  to  carry  the 
mail  from  North  Prairie  to  Fort  Atkinson,  be- 
ing thus  employed  for  two  years.  He  then 
came  to  Vernon  county,  and  for  three  years  en- 
gaged in  farming.  He  went  to  Michigan,  liv- 
ing there  one  year,  then  returned  to  Wisconsin 
and  lived  in  Waukesha  county  until  1873.  He 
then  moved  to  Richland  county,  and  after  liv- 
ing there  two  years  came  to  Stark  town.  Mr. 
Pelton  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife 
was  Emily  Thomas,  born  in  Michigan.  One 
child  blessed  this  union — Francis  David.  His 
second  wife  was  Mary  Burr,  born  in  Winstead, 
Conn. 

Jonathan  Starner,  blacksmith,  came  to  Stark 
town  in  1875.  He  was  born  in  May,  1832,  in 
Wayne  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
When  young  he  learned  the  blacksmith  trade. 
At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  moved  to  Elkhart 
Co.,  Ind.,  engaging  at  the  carpenter  trade 
After  remaining  there  one  year  and  a  half  lie 
moved  to  Huntingdon  county,  where  he  also  re- 
mained a  year  and  a  half.  In  1855  he  came  to 
Wisconsin,  settling  first  in  Marshall  (now 
Bloom)  town,  Richland  county,  where  he  had 
the  year  previous  purchased  land  He  remained 
here  until  1670,  working  at  the  carpenter  trade 
and  also  running  a  gristmill.  He  then  went  to 
Forest,  running  a  grist  mill  and  blacksmith 
shop  there  until  1875,  at  which  time  he  came  to 
Stark,  as  before  stated,  and  opened  a  black- 
smith shop  in    the    village    of   Star,     ''hie  year 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


643 


later  he  purchased  land  on  the  north  bank  of 
the  river,  where  he  erected  a  dwelling  house  atid 
shop,  and  has  continued  in  business  here  since 
that  time.  ]Mr.  Starner  was  married  in  1853  to 
Myrem  Slaley,  born  in  Stark  Co.,  Ohio.  Five 
children  have  blessed  this  union,  two  of  which 
are  living — Samuel  J.  and  Sarah  M. 

Henry  Millard,  merchant,  was  born  in  Ruish- 
ville,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.;  July  22,  1855.  He 
was  less  than  two  years  of  age,  when  his  pat- 
ents came  to  Vernon  county  and  settled  in 
Ontario.  His  early  education  was  received  in 
the  district  school  supplemented  by  two  years 
at  the  High  School,  at  Sparta.  In  1872  he  en- 
tered Wayland  Institute,  graduating  fn.m  there 
in  ls'74.  He  then  went  to  Milwaukee  and 
entered  a  printing  office  to  learn  the  trade,  re- 
mained there  about  a  year  and  a  half,  then 
returned  to  Ontario.  In  1870  he  went  to  Viro- 
qua  and  took  charge  of  the  mechanical  depart- 
ment of  the  Vidette,  a  political  paper.  He 
continued  there  until  tlie  close  of  the  cam- 
paign, after  which  he  returned  to  Ontario, 
whore  he  clerked  in  his  father's  store  until 
1879,  when  he  engaged  in  trade  at  Star.  In 
18S1  he  put  up  a  building  on  section  29,  about 
one  mile  soutii  of  Star,  and  is  now  doing  busi- 
ness at  that  place.  He  has  a  general  store, 
keeping  dry  goods,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes, 
hardware,  crockery  and  iiotions.  Mr.  Miilard 
was  married  in  January,  188!,  to  Lourctta  H. 
Carpenter.  Two  children  bless  this  union — 
Mary  E.  and  Oscar  A. 

J.  Alanson  Hurd,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Richland  county,  was  born  in  Utioa,  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  21,  1815.  Wherf  he  was  but 
two  and  a  half  years  of  age,  his  parents  re- 
moved to  the  western  part  of  the  State,  and 
settled  in  that  i)art  of  the  Holland  purchase, 
now  known  as  Erie  countv.  He  remained  there 
until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  again 
pushed  to  the  frontier,  this  time  settling  in 
Boone  Co.,  Ind.  He  was  there  married  in  1841 
to  Jerusha  A.  Springer.  They  remained  in 
Boone    county    until     1848,    and    then    started 


with  ox  teams  on  the  28th  day  of  May,  of  that 
year,  for  Wisconsin,  bringing   their   household 
goods     with    them,  and   camping    out  on  the 
journey.     On  the  24th  day  ot  June  they  arrived 
in  Richland  county,   where    the    husband   pur- 
chased   land   in    town    9,    range    1    east,     now 
known   as  the  town  of  Orion,  built  a  log  house 
and     immediately    ccmmenced    to    make    im- 
provements.    He    was   elected    first    clerk    of 
the    first     school    district     organized   in  Rich- 
land    county.      He     cleared    a   farm    and    re- 
mained there  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Ver- 
non county  and  bought  a  farm  on  section  3,  of 
the  town    of    Union.     In    1874  his   house    was 
consumed  by    tire,    and  he    built   another.     In 
1880  he  traded  that  farm  for  his  present  home 
on  section   2,   town    of   Stark.     Mrs.  Hurd  was 
born  in  Cayuga   Co.,   N.   Y.,   in    1820.     When 
five  years  of  age  her  parents   started  west  with 
teams,  and  settled  in    Erie    county,   remaining 
there  until  1838,  when  they  again  started   with 
teams,   this   time    settling   in  Boone  Co.,  Ind. 
She  has  made  her  way  west  from  Cayuga  county 
over-land    with    teams,    and    has    reached    her 
present  home  without  crossing  a  railroad  track. 
Levi   Millison,   a    general   merchant  in  Star, 
commenced  business  here  in  March,  1883.      He 
is  the  son    of   George  and   Ann    Millison,    and 
was  born  in  Mercer  Co.,  Penn.,  in  March,  1852. 
In  1855  his  parents  came  to  Wisconsin  and  set- 
tled in  the   town   of   Sylvan,  Richland  coimty, 
where  his  father  died  two  years  later.    He  lived 
with   liis  mother   for   a  short   time   after  that, 
then  went  to  live   with  Chauncy  Lawton,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  1861,  when  he   started 
out    for  himself.      He  was    employed   by   the 
farmers    in    this    and    Richland    counties,    and 
later  he  ran   an  engine  in  a  saw  mill.     During 
this  time  he  had  attended  scliool  and  acquired  a 
fair  business    education.     In    1 880  he  engaged 
in  mercantile  trade    at  Bowen's  mill,  Richland 
county,  and  continued  in  trade  there  until  1883, 
when    he  came   to  Star,  as  before  stated.     He 
was    joined    in    marriage,    in    1872,    to   Mary, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Ann  Dush,  early  settler.«i 
of  Richland  county.   Four  children  have  blessed 
this  union — Ida,  Nora,  Eddie  and  Harry. 


644 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPIER      XLV 


THE  TOWN   OF  STERLING. 


The  territory  bearing  the  above  name  lies  in 
the  southern  part  of  Vernon  county,  and  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  towns  of  Harmony 
and  Jefferson,  on  the  east  by  tlie  town  of 
Franklin,  on  the  south  by  Crawford  county, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  towns  of  Wheatland 
and  Genoa.  The  town  of  Sterling  embraces 
parts  of  four  different  congressional  townships 
— town  11,  ranges  5  and  6  ;  and  town 
12,  ranges  5  and  6  ;  in  all,  forty-six  whole  sec- 
tions and  four  half  sections. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  quite  rolling  and 
in  some  places  very  hilly  and  rough.  The  Bad 
Ax  river  flows  from  east  to  west  through  the 
northern  part  of  the  town,  and  several  of  its 
tributaries  flow  into  it  from  the  south.  This 
river  has  a  very  winding  channel  and  flows 
over  a  stony  b^d  between  higli  and  abrupt 
bluffs. 

The  soil  varies  from  a  rich  dark  loam  to  a 
mixture  of  sand  and  clay,  the  former  being 
highly  valuable  for  the  raising  of  all  kinds  of 
cereals. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  town  is  covered 
with  a  light  growth  of  timber,  and  there  are  but 
few  places  where  the  timber  is  heavy. 

The  inhabitants  are  of  different  nationalities, 
including  American,  Norwegian,  German, 
English  and  Irish,  the  last  named  being  but 
few  in  number.  The  people  are,  as  a  class,  in- 
dustrious and  hospitable,  and  possess  some  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  county. 

EAELT    SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  town  of  Sterling 
was  effected  May   12,  1846,  by  Harvey  Sterling 


and  family.  The  family  consisted  of  his  wife 
and  two  sons,  Lewis  and  Lee  Grant,  a  nephew, 
James  Clark,  and  America  Sterling,  a  neice. 
Mr.  Sterling  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  He 
came  to  Prairie  du  Chien  by  way  of  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers.  From  Prairie  du 
Chien  he  went  to  Mount  Sterling  in  Crawford 
county,  where  a  part  of  the  family  remained 
while  the  two  sons,  Lee  Grant  and  Lewis,  came 
to  the  east  half  of  section  10-,  of  town  1 1,  range 
6,  and  erected  double  log  cabins,  after  wliich 
the  family  moved  to  their  new  home.  Mr. 
Sterling  died  in  September,  1855,  and  his  wife 
in  1869.  In  1884  Lee  Grant  was  the  only  mem- 
ber of  the  family  living  in  the  town,  his 
brother  Lewis  having  moved  to  Cedar  Co.) 
Mo.,  and  James  Clark  to  California.  It  was 
from  this  family  of  Sterlings  that  the  town 
finally  took  its  name.  The  lands  entered  by 
Mr.  Sterling  were  the  second  entered  in  what  is 
now  known  as  Vernon  county.- 

Mrs.  William  Clark,  a  widowed  daughter  of 
Mr.  Sterling,  came  in  1847,  and  entered  the 
northeast  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
10  and  the  west  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  11.  '  She  built  a  log  house  in  which  she 
lived  for  several  years.  It  was  in  this  cabin 
that  the  first  school  in  Vernon  county  was 
taught  and  the  marriage  ceremony  in  the  town 
also  took  place  here. 

Another  settler  of  1847  was  George  Nichols, 
who  came  from  Grant  county  and  settled  on 
section  31,  town  12,  range  5.  In  1^54  he  fold 
to  C.  N.Johnson  and  removed  to  Viroqua  and 
later  moved  to  Chain  Lake,  Minn. 


HISTORY  OK  VERNON  COUNTY. 


645 


IleniA'  ("liaiidler,  a  iialive  of  Veniiont,  settled 
in  the  town  in  1847,  locating  on  section  18,  town 
12,  range  5.  He  sold,  in  1856,  to  James  Bailey 
and  settled  again  at  Retreat.  He  served  in  the 
arTny  dining  a  part  of  the  Rebellion  and  finally 
died  at  Retreat  in  January,  1868. 

The  third  settler  of  the  town  was  Alexandria 
Latshaw,  a  native  of  Indiana,  who  came  ^^ay  1ft, 
1847,  and  entered  land  on  sections  3  and  4,  town 
11,  range  6.  He  was  quite  prominent  and  lield 
several  places  ot  trust.  He  taught  the  tirst 
school  in  the  town.  He  tinally  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Victory. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1849  were  William  S. 
Purdy  and  Alexandi-ia  Vance.  The  former 
was  a  native  of  Indiana  and  settled  on  section 
3,  town  II,  raiige  6,  where  he  remaiiied  till 
1800,  at  which  time  he  sold  out  and  moved  into 
the  village  of  Viroqua. 

Alexander  Vance  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
but  came  to  this  county  from  Indiana  and 
settled  on  section  5,  town  II,  range  5,  where 
he  was  still  living  in  1884. 

In  1850  Nathaniel  Cox,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
located  in  the  town  and  lived  in  various  ])arts 
of  the  town,  but  in  1884  was  a  resident  on  sec- 
tion 4,  town  1 1 ,  range  5. 

William  Heaverine,  of  Ketitucky,  also  located, 
in  1850,  on  section  17,  town  11,  range  5,  where 
he  died  in  1862. 

Samuel  Davis  settled  on  section  4,  of  town 
II,  range  6,  in  1852,  and  was  still  a  resident 
of  the  same  tract  in   1 884. 

The  first  Norwegian  settler  in  Sterling  town 
was  Albert  Nash,  who  settled  on  section  17, 
town  11,  range  5,  in  1851.  He  died  in  the 
r'nion  army  during  the  Rebellion.  The  Lu- 
theran Church  and  parsonage  were  afterward 
erected  on  the  lands  which  he  settled  on. 
Following  him  came  Andrew  and  Scott  Thomp- 
son, two  Norwegians,  who  came  from  Dane 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  1853,  and  entered  land  on  sections 
17   and    18,  town    11,  range  5. 

John  McCormick  was  the  first  pioneer  who 
faced  the  iiardships    coincident  with    western 


life  in  the  Bad  Ax  valley.  He  came  to  that 
part  of  Sterling  town  through  which  the  Bad 
Ax  river  flows,  in  1852  or  1853,  and  located  on 
section  16,  town  12,  range  6,  where  he  built  a 
log  cabin  and  lived  until  1855,  when  he  sold 
out  and  removed. 

Isaac  Cone,  a  native  of  Maine,  came  from 
Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1853,  and  settled  on  section 
9,  town  1 1,  range  5.  He  moved  with  ox  teams 
and  was  eighteen  days  on  the  load.  He  im- 
proved his  land  and  remained  thereon  till  his 
death.  His  adopted  son,  Isaac  Peaslee,  came 
with  him  and  in  1884  was  the  possessor  of  the 
homestead. 

David  Davis  also  accompanied  Mr.  Cone  to 
this  county  and  entered  land  on  section  16, 
where  he  remained  till  his  death. 

Another  settler  of  1853  was  George  King, 
a  native  of  Vermont,  who  came  to  V^ernon 
county  from  Ozaukee  Co.,  Wis.,  and  located  on 
section  7,  town  11,  range  5,  where  he  remained 
till  1870,  and  removed  to  Howard  Co.,  Iowa, 
where  he  still  lived  in  1884. 

In  1854,  among  the  Norwegians  who  came 
in  for  settlement  were  C.  N.  Johnson  and 
Levi  K.  Ramset.  The  former  came  from 
Norway  to  California,  and  from  that  State  to 
this  vicinity,  and  finally  bought  land  on  section 
31,  town  12,  range  5,  from  George  Nichols, 
and  remained  on  the  same  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  His  family  were  still  on  the  old  home- 
stead in   1884. 

Levi  K.  Ramset,  who  was  also  a  Norwegian, 
came  from  Dane  county  and  entered  land  on 
section  30,  town  12,  range  5. 

John  Johnson  also  came  in  1854  and  claimed 
a  part  of  section  8,  town  11,  range  5,  where  he 
still  lived  in  1884. 

The  first  German  to  locate  in  Sterling  town 
was  Nicholas  Weber,  who  came  in  1854  and  final- 
ly settled  on  section  21,  town  12,  range  5, where  he 
still  lived  in  1884.  His  brother  Henry  came  in 
1856  and  settled  on  the  same  section. 

John  Campbell,  one  of  the  firstactual  settlers 
of   the  Bad  Ax  valley,  in  the  town  of  Sterling, 


646 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


was  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  the  county  of 
Down,  in  1804.  In  1826  lie  came  to  America, 
first  stopping  in  Canada  and  from  there  to  Onei- 
da Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  for  eighteen  years, 
to  1^55,  when  he  removed  to  Bad  Ax  county, 
settling  on  section  16,  town  12,  range  5,  where 
he  remained  for  eleven  years  and  moved  to  sec- 
tion 21.  He  was  married  in  1826  to  Mary 
Brown,  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  1811. 
By  this  union  there  has  been  reared  a  family  of 
ten  children. 

Perry  Curtis,  a  native  of  New  York,  came  to 
the  town  in  1855  and  settled  on  section  5, 
town  11,  range  5,  where  he  lived  several  years 
and  then  removed  to  Iowa. 

Among  the  number  who  came  in  1856  were: 
Sorn  Jerman,  Leonard  Wakefield  and  David  A. 
Bean.  Sorn  Jerman  was  a  native  of  Norway, 
who  came  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  located  on 
section  17,  town  1 1,  range  5,  where  he  died  in 
1875.  Leonard  Wakefield  and  his  son  Elijah 
came  from  Illinois  in  tlie  spring  of  the  year  and 
settled  on  section  35,  town  12,  range  6.  The 
father  died  some  time  prior  to  1883,  at  which 
date  the  son  was  living  on  the  homestead.  John 
Whitney  came  with  tliem,  entering  land  on  the 
same  section,  but  afterward  moved  to  De  Soto. 
David  Bean,  who  was  a  native  of  Windsor  Co., 
Vt.,  came  in  during  the  summer  of  1856  and  lo- 
cated on  section  33,  town  12,  range  6.  He  was 
a  practicing  physician  but  devoted  most  of  his 
time  to  his  extensive  farm. 

Brightman  Collins,  a  native  of  Bristol  Co., 
Mass.,  settled  in  this  town  in  1857,  purchasing 
a  farm  on  section  15,  town  12,  range  6,  where 
he  remained  till  his  death  in  1883.  He  was  a 
Bible  student  of  considerable  note  and  it  is  said 
by  tliose  most  acquainted  with  him  tiiat  he  could 
reptat  a  large  portion  of  the  scriptures.  In  re- 
ligious belief  he  was  an  Advent  and  occasional- 
ly preached  that  doctrine  and  was  for  years  of 
the  opinion  that  the  world  was  to  come  to  an 
end  in  1884,  and  in  this  faith  he  died. 

Cyrus  Barney,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire, 
came  from  Illinois  in  1857  and  entered  land  on 


section  8,  of  Sterling  town,  and  there  remained 
until  his  death  in  1875.     His  wife  died  in  1882. 

Robert  McMynn,  a  native  of  Indiana,  also  lo- 
cated in  1857  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
11,  where  he  remained  a  few  years  and  then  lo- 
cated in  Missouri. 

P.  D.  Minor,  another  settler  of  1857,  came 
from  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  and  settled  on  section  14, 
on  land  which  his  father  had  previously  entered. 

EARLY   EVENTS. 

One  of  the  earliest  marriages  in  the  town  was 
that  of  John  Tewalt  and  Celia  Cox,  at  the 
house  of  William  Ileaverin. 

Henry  Chandler  was  married  to  Martha  A. 
Clark  in  the  winter  of  1848-9.  At  the  same 
time  James  Bailey  married  Elizabeth  Clark,  a 
sister  of  Martha  Clark. 

The  first  child  born  in  the  town,  was  a  son  to 
Alexander  and  Mary  (Clarke)  Latshaw,  June 
18,  1847. 

ORGANIC. 

The  records  of  the  first  town  meeting  were 
lost  or  destroyed  by  some  accident,  and  all  that 
is  known  concerning  it,  is  that  Allen  Donald- 
son was  elected  the  first  chairman,  and  also 
served  as  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  ;  and 
that  Lee  Grant  Sterling  was  elected  town  treas- 
urer, but  failing  to  qualify,  the  place  was  filled 
by  William  S.  Purdy.  Lewis  Sterling  was  one 
of  the  two  men  who  constituted  the  first  side 
board. 

The  town  officers  for  1883  were  as  follows: 
John  M.  Vance,  chairman,  E.  Anderson  and 
John  Miner,  supervisors  ;  P.  T.  Mullin,  clerk  ; 
John  C  Johnson,  treasurer  ;  Arnt  Westrum, 
assessor.  P.  M.  Peck,  and  Samuel  Davis,  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  ;  J.  C.  Grow,  L.  C.  Schoen- 
bergerand  Joseph  Brzazumsky,  constables. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  first  school  in  this  town  was  taught  in 
1858,  by  Axlie  Morgan,  in  a  cooper  shop  be- 
longing to  Hiram  Delap.  The  first  school  house 
was  erected  in  1864,  on  the  southeast  quarter 
of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  15.     Amelia 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


647 


Liud  was  tin-  first  teacher  in  this  building.  In 
1884  the  town  had  nine  school  lioitses. 

Retreat  school  district  first  had  a  school  taught 
in  a  log  house  belonging  to  the  widow  Clark. 
This  school  was  taught  by  Alexander  Latshaw. 
The  first  school  building  proper  erected  was  on 
tlie  southwest  quarter  of  section  10.  It  was  a 
grout  house.  Aframe  house  was  erected  in  1S73, 
located  on  section  Id.  Thomas Tenney  was  the 
first  teacher. 

District  No.  3  held  its  first  school  in  a  log 
house  owned  by  B.  S.  Abrams,  located  on  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  21,  town  1-2, 
range  5.  This  school  was  taught  by  Mary  Bul- 
wer  in  1S58.  A  school  house  was  built  in  1868, 
which  is  still  in  use. 

The  first  school  laught  in  district  No.  4  was 
in  Richard  Myers'  house,  in  18.57,  by  Henry 
Morgan.-  There  were  only  three  scholars — 
Clarence  Bean,  Jane  Shaw  and  Laura  Sanderson. 
This  school  was  operated  on  the  subscription 
plan.  A  school  house  was  built  in  1858  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  33,  town  12,  range 
6.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Morgan  taught  in  this  build- 
ing first. 

In  district  No.  5  the  first  school  was  taught 
in  a  log  house  belonging  to  Leonard  Wakefield, 
on  the  noitheast  quarter  of  section  2,  town  1 1, 
range  6.  This  school  was  taught  by  Josephine 
Hurd,  in  1858.  In  1860  a  school  house  was 
provided  on  section  2.  A  little  later  this  bui'd- 
ing  was  moved  to  the  northeast  quarter  of  tlie 
same  section.  , 

The  first  school  house  in  district  No.  6  was 
built  in  1857,  located  on  section  25.  This  log 
structure  was  used  by  the  district  until  1850, 
when  a  fi-ame  house  was  provided,  which  was 
located  on  section  24,  on  land  owned  by  Lewis 
Thompson.  Frank  Johnson  was  the  first  teacher 
here. 

The  first  school  in  district  No.  7  was  held  in 
David  Davis' house  on  section  10.  This  school 
commenced  in  December,  1h54.  Laura  King, 
afterward  wife  of  Issac  Peaslee,  taught  this  term 
of  school.     A  log  house  was  built  in  1855,  on 


section  8,  town  11,  range  5,  which  served  until 
1865,  when  a  frame  house  was  provided,  which 
in  1880  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  a  new  one  fur- 
nished. 

The  first  school  in  district  No.  9  was  taught 
by  Elizabeth  Curtis,  in  her  father's  bain,  in 
1859.  The  first  school  house  was  erected  in 
1861,  which  was  situated  on  section  5.  S.  S. 
White  was  the  first  teacher. 

Joint  district  No.  12  held  its  first  term  of 
school  in  a  house  belonging  to  A.  Crittendon, 
on  section  24,  town  11,  range  6,  in  what  is  now 
Crawford  county.  This  was  in  1858,  and  the 
teacher  was  Sarah  Jordan.  A  school  house 
was  provided  in  1859,  on  section  14,  town  11, 
range  6,  of  Sterling  town.  A.  Morgan  taught 
the  first  term  of  school  in  this  building. 

The  Norwegian  Lutherans  have  a  school 
about  eight  months  of  the  year.  This  school 
was  founded  in  1857.  Knute  Fortliun  was  tiie 
first  teacher.  In  1884  they  were  still  holding 
their  school  at  private  houses. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Disciple  Church  of  this  town  is  one  of 
the  very  earliest  religious  organizations  in  Ver- 
non county.  It  was  organized  in  1849,  by  Rev. 
William  Purdy,  at  the  house  of  Harvey  Ster- 
ling, where  meetings  were  held  for  several 
years,  after  which  they  were  kept  up  at  tlie 
grout  school  house  and  still  later  at  the  Rush 
creek  school  house  in  Crawford  county.  The 
first  members  were  :  Harvey  Sterling  and 
wife,  Lee  Grant  Stei'ling  and  Lewis  Sterling.  In 
1883  a  church  edifice  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
§1,200.  At  this  date  John  Rutter,  Martin 
Hoste  and  Charles  Fourt  were  elders,  and  Lee 
Grant  Sterling  and  Erasius  Ames,  deacons. 
The  Church  then  numbered  sixty-five.  A  Sab- 
bath school  was  formed  in  connection  with  ihis 
Church  in  1862,  with  William  S.  Purdy  as  its 
fiist  superintendent. 

In  1855  Ambrose  Delap,  a  Wesleyan  Meth- 
odist, preached  in  Isaac  Cone's  house  on  sec- 
tion 8.  Meetings  were  kept  up  here  for  several 
years  but  no  class  was  ever  formed. 


648 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  Lutheran  people  lield  services  peculiar 
to  their  sect,  in  Albert  Nash's  house  on  stetion 
17,  about  1856,  and  in  1858,  built  a  church  on 
that  section.  Rev.  Mr.  Stub  acted  as  their 
minister,  at  the  same  tune  serving  the  Lutheran 
Church  at  Coon  Prairie.  lie  was  finally  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  Preus,  and  he  l)y  Rev.  Juve, 
who  preached  for  fourteen  years,  and  in  188:5 
was  followed  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Nelson,  at  which 
date  the  Chiircli  comprised  seventy-three  mem- 
bers. 

In  1867  the  Methodists  organiz-ed  another 
class  at  the  Retreat  school  liouse.  The  fol- 
lowing were  the  first  members  :  E.  B.  Ilyde 
and  wife,  William  Barr  aiul  wife.  Amnion 
Davis  and  wife,  Mrs.  V.  L.  Davis,  Mattie  Davis 
and  Mrs  J.  M.  Hill.  William  Barr  was  class 
leader.  This  class  belonged  to  the  De  Soto 
circuit.  In  1872  a  church  was  built  at  Retreat; 
it  was  a  frame  house  built  at  an  expense  of 
$l,.300.  In  18s;4  this  Church  numbered  sixty- 
five.  The  following  ministeis  have  served 
this  charge:  Rev.  Bushby,  Rev.  II.  J.  Walker, 
Rev.  Thomas  Manuel,  Rev.  D.  L.  IIubbai»l, 
Rev.  D.  Clingman,  Rev  H.  D.  .I.'nks,  W.  W. 
Hurd  and  J.  F.  Nuzum. 

In  1873  a  Methodist  class  was  formed  at  the 
school  house  on  section  5,  town  1  1,  range  5,  by 
Delos  Hubbard,  a  minister  of  the  DeSoto  circuit. 
This  class  numbered  twenty-three,  and  was 
under  the  leadership  of  E.  B.  Allen.  In  1874 
a  church  building  was  provided;  this,  was  lo- 
cated on  section  4,  town  11,  range  5.  In  18S4 
the  class  numbered  about  twenty.  The  follow- 
ing ministers  have  preached  for  this  Cliurch : 
A.  D.  Chase,  John  Davis,  John  W.  McKay, 
William  McMillan,  Robert  Smith,  .John  Medd, 
.Tames  Phelps  and  R.  S.  Mocket. 

A  Congregational  society  was  organized  at 
the  house  of  Robert  McMynn,  on  section  14, 
town  11,  range  6,  in  18.?8,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Judson, 
of  Viroqua.  Among  the  first  members  were 
the  following:  E.  Bishop  and  wife,  Richard 
Morgan  and  wife,  James  Jordan  and  wife, 
Robert  McMynn  and  wife,  Reuben  Jordan  and 


wife,  Sylvester  Hayden  and  wife.  Reuben  Jor- 
dan and  Richard  Morgan  were  the  first  deacons. 
For  several  years  this  society  worshiped  at  the 
school  house  on  section  14;  but  in  1880  they 
used  the  Methodist  church  at  Retreat,  and  in 
1883  built  a  church  of  their  own  at  that  point. 
It  was  a  neat,  well  planned  building,  which  cost 
about  $1 ,4'On.  Among  those  who  have  served 
as  pastors  of  this  society  are:  Rev.  RadcliflF, 
Rev.  Valentine,  Rev.  Bridgman,  Rev.  Thomp- 
son and  Rev.  Haughton. 

The  first  regular  services  of  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Church  in  this  vicinity  were  held  at 
Christian  Chrislianson's  house  just  over  the 
town  line,  in  Harmony  town;  Rev.  A.  C.  Preus 
being  the  minister.  In  1874  a  church  was  built 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  13,  town  12, 
range  6.  In  1884  there  were  sixty-three  families 
who  regularly  attended  here.  Rev.  Mr.  Nelson 
was  pastor  at  this  date. 

A  LTnited  Brethren  class  was  organized  at  the 
school  house  on  section  28,  town  12,  range  5, 
by  Rev.  E.  K.  Young.  He  was  followed  by 
Rev.  John  Day.  On  account  of  the  removal  of 
its  membership,  this  class  only  existed  a  few 
years.  In  1880  a  Methodist  class  was  formed 
at  this  point. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  first  burying  ground  of  the  town  of  Ster- 
ling was  on  section  10,  where  fifty-six  inter- 
ments were  made.  In  1866  anew  cemetery  was 
platted  on  section  10,  on  a  beautiful  mound 
covered  with  walnut  trees,  which  suggested  the 
name  of  this  new  cemetery  "Walnut  Mound 
Cemetery."  This  is  said  to  be  the  next  to  the 
finest  cemetery  in  Wisconsin — the  one  at  Madi- 
son, only,  being  finer.  Besides  this  burying 
place  there  are  several  Norwegian  cemeteries 
within  the  town  near  their  churches. 

POSTOFFICES. 

In   1SS4  this  town  contained  three  postoffices" 
— Retreat,  Purdy    and  West   Prairie.     A  brief 
history  of  each  of  these  offices,  together  with 
the  business  interests  which  cluster  about  them 
is  here  given: 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


649 


Retreat  iiostoflice  was  eslablisluMl  in  1S54. 
W.  P.  Clark  was  appointed  postmaster;  at  that 
time  he  keiit  the  office  in  his  residence.  This 
was  on  the  mail  route  from  Readsburg  lo  De 
Soto.  In  1884  Jesse- L.  Davis  was  postmaster, 
and  at  that  date  kept  the  office  at  his  store.  ; 
Mail  was  received  four  times  a  week  from  Viro- 
(jiia  and  De  Soto. 

A  blacksmith  shop  was  opened  at  Retreat  by 
O.  C.Jones,  in  1804  or  1865;  it  was  sold  to  F.  B. 
White  in  a  year  or  two,  who  soon  sold  a  half 
interest  to  J.  M.  Hill,  who  afterward  purchased 
the  entire  shop. 

In  1873  D.  P.  Smith  opened  a  wagon  shop, 
doing  general  repair  work,  such  as  is  demanded 
by  the  farming  class. 

West  Prairie  postoffice  was  established  in 
1S62.  Allen  Donaldson  was  the  first  postmas- 
ter, having  the  office  at  his  house  on  section  6, 
town  11,  range  5. 

Purdy  postoffice  was  established  in  what  was 
known  by  the  early  settlers  as  the  "Purdy 
neighborhood,"  at .  a  very  early  day.  In  1884 
Ole  Gauper  was  postmaster.  This  office  lieing 
at  this  time  on  the  mail  route  from  Viroqua  to 
De  Soto. 

At  this  point  there  is  a  blacksmith  shop, 
whicli  was  started  in  1876  by  Joseph  Brzazows- 
ky.  In  1881  George  Little  put  a  saw  mill  in 
operation  and  a  little  later  a  feed  mill  was 
added.  Bad  Ax  creek  furnished  the  power  for 
this  mill  and  in  the  spring  of  1883  the  dam  was 
washed  out  by  a  flood  and  the  foundation  of 
the  mill  undermined,  causing  it  to  fall  into  the 
stream,  where  it  was  left  to  decay. 

GRAND  FORKS    NEIGHBOEnOOD. 

On  section  19,  town  12,  range  5,  where  the 
two  branches  of  the  Bad  Ax  river  unite,  there 
is  what  is  usually  termed  the  Grand  Forks 
neighborhood.  At  this  point  there  is  a  flouring 
mill,  a  store  and  blacksmith  shop.  In  1880  D. 
E.  Mullikin,  P.  M.  Peck  and  J.  O.  Morse  erect- 
ed a  flouring  mill.  It  was  a  three-story  struc- 
ture, 26x38  feet  on  the  base.  This  mill  has 
three  run  of  buhrs  with  the  most  improved  ma- 


chinery. It  does  both  custom  and  merchant 
work.  The  Bad  Ax  river  gives  a  head  of  nine 
feet  at  this  point,  which  furnishes  an  abundant 
water  power. 

Another  mill  was  built  in  1875  by  John  Mel- 
lor,  on  section  16,  town  11,  range  5.  This  mill 
had  two  run  of  buhrs.  Its  fifteen-horse  power 
engine  furnished  the  power.  In  July,  1880,  the 
builder  traded  the  property  for  a  farm  in  the 
Bad  Ax  valley. 

A  brewery  was  built  in  1870  on  section  20, 
town  12,  range  5,  by  Justice  Grow  and  Rein- 
hard  Walker.  This  was  in  operation  for  about 
two  years,  but  in  1884  was  not  in  use  and  was 
fast  going  to  decay. 

PERSONAL. 

The  following  sketches  speak  for  themselves, 
and  need  no  comment: 

Harvey  Sterling  deserves  honoral)le  mention 
among  the  pioneers  of  Vernon  county.  He  was 
born  in  Hager.stown,  Md.,  in  1763,  and  his 
early  life  was  passed  amid  the  stirring  scenes  of 
tlie  French  and  Indian  and  Revolutionary  wars. 
He  was  twelve  years  of  age  when  the  Ameri- 
can patriots  were  first  slaughtered  at  Concord 
and  Lexington,  and  shouted  for  joy  when  the 
liberty  bell  rang  out  the  glad  tidings  of  inde- 
pendence on  July  4,  177G.  In  1709  he  removed 
to  what  was  then  almost  beyond  the  pale  of 
civilization, — State  of  Kentucky, — and  settled 
in  Woodford  county.  He  was  about  forty-nine 
years  of  age  when  the  second  war  with  Eng- 
land commenced,  and  1812  enlisted  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  and  was  mustered 
out  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  returned 
to  Kentucky,  and  located  in  Spencer  county, 
where  he  lived  until  1846.  In  the  latter  year 
he  came  north  to  Wisconsin,  and  made  a  settle- 
ment in  Vernon  county,  where  he  died  in  1855, 
aged  ninety-two  years.  Mr.  Sterling  married 
Elizabeth  Harper,  a  native  of  Pendleton  Co., 
Va.,  born  March  8,  1780.  This  union  was 
blessed  with  twelve  children.  Mrs.  Sterling 
departed  this  life  Dec.  23,  1869,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-nine. 


650 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Le  Grant  Sterling  was  the  tenth  child  of 
this  large  family,  and  was  the  first  settler  of 
Sterling  town,  and  is  the  oldest  living  settler  of 
Vernon  county.  He  was  born  Aug.  6,  1  819,  in 
Spencer  Co  ,  Ky.,  and  there  grew  to  manhood. 
In  1840  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  and  located 
near  Mineral  Point,  in  Iowa  county.  In  18-44 
he  laid  claim  to  land  on  sections  10  and  2,  in 
town  11  north,  of  range  6  west,  then  in  Craw- 
ford county,  but  now  embraced  in  the  town  of 
Sterling,  Vernon  county.  He  then  returned  to 
Mineral  Point,  and  again  engaged  in  mining, 
until  1840,  when  he  returned  to  Crawford 
county  and  entered  his  land.  He  lived  on  the 
farm  until  18d7,  when  he  sold  it  and  removed 
to  Missouri  residing  there  for  two  years.  Again 
returning  to  Vernon  county,  he  bought  a  farm 
on  section  14,  town  11  north,  of  range  6  west, 
(town  of  Sterling),  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  has  made  some  improvements  on  his 
land  and  has  repaired  his  residence  until  it  is 
considered  one  of  the  finest  in  the  town.  Mr. 
Sterling  was  married  in  1856  to  Margaret  Rut- 
ter,  who  was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  Five 
children  were  given  them — Charles,  John  H., 
Thomas,  Lee  Andrew  and  Henry.  In  1871  Mr. 
Sterling  suffered  the  loss  of  his  wife  and  four 
children,  John  H.  being  the  only  pne  surviving. 
On  Nov.  3,  IS'fS,  he  married  Lorena  Johnson,< 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Of  the  four  chil- 
dren born  to  this  union,  three  are  living — Olive, 
Jessie  and  William. 

Soloman  W.  Tewalt  was  born  in  Knox  Co., 
Ind.,  in  November,  18.38.  When  eight  years  of 
age  his  parents  moved  to  VS'isconsin,  settling  in 
Vernon  county.  He  was  raised  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  receiving  his  education  in  the  district 
school.  He  was  married  in  1860  to  Josephine 
Hurd,  after  which  he  settled  on  section  8,  town 

11,  range  5.  He  remained  there  until  1871, 
when  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Oi-egon,  at  the 
end  of  three  years  returning  to  Sterling  town. 
In  1880  Mr.  Tewalt  purchased  the  Adlington 
farm,   loca»ted   on    sections  21,  22  and  28,  town 

12,  range  6,  comprising  one  of  the  best  farms  in 


this  section  of  the  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Te- 
walt have  six  children — Edwin,  Nellie,  Alice, 
Nettie,  Alvah  and  Elmer. 

Alexander  Vance  is  a  native  of  the  "Old  Do- 
minion," and  came  into  this  county  in  1849.  He 
therefore  ranks  among  the  first  on  the  pioneer 
list.  Mr.  Vance  was  born  in  Virginia,  March 
14,  1814.  He  grew  to  mature  years  in  his  native 
State,  and  in  1837  became  a  resident  of  Sulli- 
van Co.,  Ind.  Twelve  years  later,  (1849)  not 
being  satisfied  with  his  new  home,  he  sought  a 
home  in  Wisconsin,  and  found  one  to  his  liking 
in  Bad  Ax  county.  lie  settled  in  what  is  now 
called  the  town  of  Sterling,  where  he  erected  a 
log  cabin  for  a  new  residence.  He  lived  in  this 
humble  abode  until  1870,  when  he  built  his 
present  frame  residence.  Mr.  Vance  was  mar- 
ried, in  1839,  to  Susan  Sloane,  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana. They  are  the  parents  of  three  children 
living — John  M.,  Mary  tf.  and  Margaret.  The 
eldest  of  these,  and  only  son  living,  John  M., 
was  born  in  Sullivan  Co,  Ind.,  Aug.  15,  1842. 
He  was  but  seven  years  old  when  his  parents 
came  to  this  county,  and  here  reached  the  years 
of  manhood.  He  received  a  very  fair  educalioii 
in  the  district  schools,  and  had  the  pleasure  of 
attending  the  first  school  taught  in  Vernon 
county.  In  1863  he  was  joined  in  marriage  to 
Mary  Curtis,  and  Aug.  27,  1864,  enlisted  in 
company  I,  42d  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  Cairo, 
111.,  where  it  performed  garrison  duty.  Mr. 
Vance  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  in  June, 
1865,  and  returned  home.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  he  had  settled  on  his  present  farm  on 
section  4,  town  11  north,  of  range  5  west,  his 
farm  embracing  the  land  his  father  had  located 
in  1849.  Mr.  Vance  has  always  evinced  a  lively 
interest  in  town  affairs;  has  served  four  terms 
as  town  clerk,  three  terms  as  treasurer,  and  is 
the  present  chairman  of  the  board  of  town 
supervisors,  this  being  his  fourth  term.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Vance  are  the  parents  of  six  children 
— Perry,  Charles,  Clinton,  Frederick,  John  and 
Etta. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


651 


Saniae'l  Davis  came  in  with  the  settlers  of 
1852.  He  entered  land  on  section  4,  town  11 
north,  of  range  5  west,  ii)  territory  now  known 
as  the  town  of  Sterling,  and  where  he  still  re- 
sides. Mr.  Davis  was  born  in  Knox  Co.,  Ind., 
April  2^,  !8:iS,  and  was  there  reared  on  a  farm. 
In  18+9,  ho  married  Sarah  J.  Devorse,  also  a 
native  of  Iixliana.  In  18.52  the  two  came  to 
Wisconsin  and  located  in  this  county.  Mr.  and 
.Mrs.  Davis  liave  been  blessed  with  seven  chil- 
dren— Hannah,  Elizabeth,  Margaret,  Andrew, 
Daniel,  Lavina  and  Peter. 

Isaac  Cone,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ster- 
ling, is  a  native  of  Maine,  born  Jnly  16,  1794. 
Me  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  at 
the  time  of  tiie  trouble  on  the  boundary  ques- 
tion between  this  country  and  Canada.  In  1849 
he  emigrated  to  Wisconsin  and  lived  one  year 
in  Walworth  county  Then  removed  to  Rock 
county  and  lived  there  three  years.  In  1853  he 
came  to  Vernon  county  and  entered  land  on  sec- 
tion 9,  of  town  1 1  north,  of  range  5  west,  ter- 
ritory now  included  in  tlie  town  of  Sterling.  He 
erected  a  house,  improved  the  land  and  re- 
mained here  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1872.  He  was  first  married  to  Susan 
Davis,  also  a  native  of  Maine.  She  died  in  1865. 
In  1870  he  married  Florence  Hayden.  She  is 
now  living  at  Midway,  and  is  ninety-two  years 
of  age. 

Isa.ac  Peaslee  was  an  adopted  son  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cone.  He  was  born  in  Penobscot 
Co.,  Mfline,  Sept.  14,  18.35.  His  mother  died 
when  lie  was  but  fourteen  days  old.  He  made 
his  home  with  his  adopted  parents  until  the 
time  of  their  death.  He  was  married,  in  1855, 
to  I.aura  King.  Nine  children  have  blessed 
this  union — Louisa,  Geoi'ge,  Susan,  Eugene, 
Hariy,  Herman,  Mary,  Thomas  and  iSIary  M. 
Eugene  died  when  two  years  of  age,  and  the 
two  children  named  Mary  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Peaslee  has  lived  in  Sterling  continually  since 
18.53,  with  the  e.xception  of  one  year,  1872, 
when  he  went  to  Ciawford  county  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  and  lived  there  one  year;  then  re- 


turned to  the  old  homestead  where  he  has  since 
resided.  Mrs.  Peaslee  was  the  first  school 
teacher  on  West  Pi'airie. 

Christoi)her  N.  Johnson  was  one  of  the  first 
Norwegians  to  settle  in  Sterling  town.  He  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1847,  and  settled  in  Dane 
Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  until  1849.  He 
then  went  to  California,  to  mine  for  gold,  and 
in  1853  came  to  Had  Ax  (now  Vernon)  county, 
and  entered  land  in  town  12  north,  of  range  5 
west,  in  territory  now  included  in  the  town  of 
Sterliuir.  He  imyiroved  this  land  and  made  it 
his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
November,  1875.  Mr.  Johnson  was  twice  mar- 
ried. His  second  wife,  to  whom  he  was  mar- 
ried in  1857,  was  Gunelda  Fortner.  She  is  the 
mother  of  si.x:  living  children — John  C,  .Mar- 
garet, Christina,  Ellen,  Torger  N.  and  Christo- 
pher N.  Two  of  the  daughters  are  teachers  in 
the  public  schools  and  are  meeting  with  great 
success.  By  his  integrity  and  untiring  benevo- 
lence, Mr.  Johnson  won  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem of  the  new  comers,  by  whom  he  was  looked 
up  to  as  "a  father  of  his  country,"  and  to  whom 
they  came  for  counsel  and  advice.  They  were 
always  welcome  at  his  house,  which  was  to 
them  as  an  oasis  in  the  desert,  and  were  re- 
ceived with  the  greatest  hospitality.  Long  will 
he  live  in  the  memory  of  his  countrymen,  who 
came  here  in  those  dark  and  dreary  days  when 
want  and  the  desolate  prairie  stared  them  in 
the  face,  and  the  Indian  war  whoop  was  heard 
on  every  side.  Then  it  was  that  they  found 
in  Christopher  Johnson  a  true  and  constant 
friend.  John  C.  was  born  in  Sterling  town, 
Dec.  10,  1858.  He  received  a  good  education 
in  the  district  schools  of  this  town,  and  in  the 
graded  school  at  Viroqua.  He  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  town  treasurer  in  April,  1883,  and 
is  now  serving  in  that  responsible  position. 

Christian  C.  Olson  was  born  in  Norway 
July  27,  1842.  When  three  years  of  age  his 
parents  died,  and  Christian  went  to  live  with 
an  uncle,  Halvor  Erlandson.  In  1850  the  fam- 
ily emigrated   to  the  United  States,  settling  in 


V'O-Z 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Dane  Co.,  Wis.  His  uncle  died  soon  after.  In 
1853  they  came  to  Vernon  county,  settling  on 
section  30,  town  12,  range  5,  in  territory  now 
included  in  Sterling  town.  Here  CLristian  grew 
to  manhood,  receiving  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict school.  In  1864  he  went  by  way  of  the 
Isthmus  to  California,  remaining  there  six 
years.  He  then  returned  to  Sterling,  purchas- 
ing a  quarter  section  of  land  on  section  23, 
town  12,  range  6,  and  there  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. In  IS^S  Mr.  Olson  was  elected  county 
register  and  removed  to  Viroqua,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1883,  when  he  engaged  in  trade 
at  Grand  Forks,  Sterling  town.  In  1869  he  was 
married  to  Julia  Swinson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olson 
have  had  four  children — Oscar,  Anton,  Nellie 
and  Clara. 

French  B.  White  was  born  in  Beaver  Co., 
Penn.,  .Tail.  26,  1832,  and  when  quite  small  was 
taken  by  his  parents  to  Athens  Co.,  Ohio,  where 
he  grew  to  manhood.  He  then  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade  with  a  brothei-in-law,  J.  M. 
Hill,  and  worked  with  him  one  year.  In  1S53 
he  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis  ,  and  lived  about  a 
year  at  DeSoto  and  Viroqua.  He  then  returned 
to  Ohio,  and  opened  a  shop  in  Athens  county  in 
1857.  He  was  married  Dec.  10,  1857,  to  Sarah 
A  Hill,  b(ini  in  Pennsylvania,  Jan.  18,  1836.  In 
1863  Mr.  White  enlisted  in  the  1st  Ohio 
Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  mostly  in  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee.  He  was  honorably  discharged  in 
August,  1865,  at  Knoxville,  Teiin.,  and  returned 
to  Pennsylvania.  Soon  after  his  return  lie  came 
to  Retreat,  Wis.,  and  purchased  a  dwelling  and 
black.smith  shop  of  O.  C.  Jones.  He  continued 
to  work  at  his  trade  about  three  years,  then  his 
wife  died  April  19,  leaving  three  children  — 
Martin  A.,  Clifton  S.  and  Thomas  W.  He 
worked  at  his  trade  one  year  more,  then  rented 
his  father's  farm  for  three  years,  and  finally,  in 
1873,  bought  a  farm  on  section  15,  of  town  11 
north,  of  range  6  west.  He  married  Ruth  ]M. 
Bates,  Jan.  5,  1873,  born  in  New  York,  July  10, 
1850.     They  have  one  child — Purley  C. 


Robert  Johnson,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Vernon  county,  was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  Eng- 
land, Aug.  5,  1818.  He  attended  school  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  and  then  engaged  in 
farming.  He  was  married  in  1845  to  Elizabeth 
Moires,  a  native  of  Cambridgeshire,  England. 
In  1850  they  emigrated  to  America,  locating  at 
Fort  Atkinson,  where  Mr.  Johnson  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1854  he  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis., 
settling  first  on  section  33,  town  12,  range  5. 
He  improved  this  land  and  resided  here  until 
1878,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  farm, 
situated  on  section  4,  town  11,  range  6.  Mrs. 
Johnson  died  in  1879,  aged  fifty-eight  years. 

Albert,  son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Moires) 
Johnson,  was  born  Oct.  10,  1847,  in  Lincoln- 
shire, England.  When  three  years  of  age  his 
parents  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  He 
made  his  home  with  them  until  1865,  when  he 
enlisted  in  company  B,  50th  Wisconsin  Volun 
teers,  and  went  to  the  western  frontier.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  in  June,  1866,  and  re- 
turned to  Sterling  town,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming,  also  dealing  in  grain.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1873  to  Rachel  Weevil.  Three  children 
blessed  this  union — Louisa  May,  Lizzie  E. 
and  Florence  R.  Mrs.  Johnson  died  May  19, 
1878.  He  married  in  October,  1880,  Rosie  J. 
Abrams.  They  have  had  two  children,  one  of 
whom  is  living — Robert  R.  In  1878  Mr.  John- 
son purchased  the  farm  first  settled  by  his 
father,  and  now  makes  that  his  home. 

Andrew  T.  Thompson  was  born  in  Norway, 
in  December,  1828,  being  there  reared  on  a 
farm.  In  1852  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States.  He  resided  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  one 
year.  In  1853  he  started  with  an  ox  team  for 
Vernon  county,  taking  provisions  and  cooking 
utensils  with  him,  and  camping  out  on  the  way. 
He  entered  land  on  sections  17  and  18,  town  II, 
range  5,  Sterling  town.  He  erected  a  log  cabin 
on  the  farm,  in  which  he  lived  until  1881,  »  hen 
he  built  his  present  frame  residence.  He  was 
married  in  1858  to  Susan  Jerman.  They  have 
eight   chihlren — Thomas,    Anna   Sophia,    Lem, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


653 


Mary,  Christina,  Carolina,  Scotland  Adolph.  Mr. 
'rhonipsoii's  mother  and  step-father  came  with 
him  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  Franklin  town 
wliere  they  remained  until  tlieir  decease. 
His  brother,  Scott,  also  came  with  him  and 
shared  in  the  hardsliips  of  pioneer  life.  He 
was  born  in  Norway,  in  1831.  When  quite 
young,  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at 
which  he  worked  in  his  native  land.  In  1852 
lie  came  to  America,  also  going  to  Dane  Co., 
Wis.  In  1853,  when  he  came  to  this  town 
he  also  entered  land  on  sections  17  and  18.  Be- 
ing a  carpenter  he  built  for  himself,  a  nice 
hewed  log  house.  He  was  married,  in  1859,  to 
Karn  Chrisloplierson.  Five  children  have  blessed 
this  union,  two  of  which  are  living — Mary  S., 
and  Thomas  S.  Mr.  Thompson  died  in  March, 
1868,  and  Mrs.  Thompson,  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year.  Mary  and  Thomas  made  their  home 
with  their  uncle,  Andrew  Thompson,  for  many 
years  after  their  parents  death.  They  now  oc- 
cupy the  homestead. 

Nicholas  Weber,  one  of  the  well  known  pio- 
neers of  Vernon  county,  was  born  in  Saxe-Co- 
burg,  Germany,  April  6,  1814.  He  attended 
school  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  was  then 
employed  at  farm  labor.  When  he  reached  his 
eighteenth  year,  he  learned  the  stone  and  brick 
mason's  trade,  and  in  1849,  came  to  America, 
landing  at  New  York.  He  obtained  employ- 
ment on  the  Erie  railway,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1851,  went  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  where  he 
worked  on  the  first  railroad  across  that  strip  of 
land.  He  then  went  to  Havana,  Cuba,  and  from 
thence  to  New  York,  and  after  again  working 
on  tlje  railway,  was  employed  in  a  cooper  shop 
tor  sometime.  He  removed  to  Illinois  in  1852, 
and  in  1854,  came  to  Bad  Ax  (now  Vernon) 
Co.,  Wis.  lie  entered  land  in  what  is  now 
called  Franklin  town,  but  the  men  with  whom 
he  had  entrusted  his  money,  silently  and  mys- 
teriously disappeared,  and  he  was  forced  to 
surrender  the  land.  He  remained  there  one 
year,  and  then  bought  land  on  section  21,  of 
town   12  north,  of  range  5  west,   now  included 


in  Sterling  town,  where  he  has  since  resided, 
and  made  a  comfortable  home.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  I860,  to  Babara  Swink,  a  Tiaiive  of  Ger- 
many. They  have  six  children — Katie  M  , 
Henry  N.,  Louis  J.,  Daniel  G.,  Annie  C  and 
William  J.  When  six  years  of  age,  Mr.  Weber 
accidentally  fell  from  the  roof  of  a  barn,  and 
was  picked  up  in  an  almost  lifeless  condition. 
Since  coming  to  America,  he  has  suffered  from 
tiiree  attacks  of  palsy,  each  of  which  have  ren- 
dered him  senseless  for  hours.  His  last  sick- 
ness has  made  him  quite  helpless,  but  in  his 
old  age,  he  is  the  recipient  of  true  filial  affec- 
tion; and  is  passing  the  winter  of  life  among  all 
the  comforts  that  love  can  bestow. 

Peter  J.  Mellen,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the 
Bad  Ax  valley,  was  born  in  the  Mohawk  Valley, 
New  York,  Oct.  10,  1838.  When  he  was  a 
young  man,  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade. 
He  was  married  Oct.  27,  1838,  to  Caroline  Page, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts.  After  marriage, 
they  settled  in  Oswego  county,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  one  year,  then  removed  to  Oneida 
county,  and  engaged  to  work  as  a  stone  mason. 
They  remained  there  four  and  a  half  years,  then 
returned  to  Oswego  county,  and  remained  there 
until  1850;  then  came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled 
in  Ozaukee  county.  He  bought  land  there,  built 
a  house  and  commenced  to  make  improvements. 
In  1855  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Bad  Ax  (now 
Vernon)  county,  and  settled  on  section  15,  of 
town  12  north,  of  range  "i  west.  He  improved 
the  land,  built  a  house  and  made  this  his  home 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
Aug.  27,  1882.  His  only  son,  Theodore,  was 
born  Sept.  15,  1856.  His  younger  days  were 
spent  in  school  and  on  his  father's  farm.  He 
was  married  Nov.  13,  1876,  to  Elizabeth,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Mary  Adams,  who  settled  in 
Harmony  town  in  1856.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Essie,  Myrtle  and  Lloyd.  He  occupies 
the  homestead  in  company  with  his  mother. 

Thomas  Sidyie  was  the  oldest  son  of  William 
and  El'eu  (Paurie)  Sidyie,  and  was  born  in 
Forfarshire,    Scotland,    June    22,    1834.      His 


054 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


father  was  a  miller,  and  when  thirteen  years  of 
age,  Thomas  began  to  work  in  the  mill.  In 
1855  he  came  to  America,  settling  in  Vernon 
Co.,  Wis.  He  made  Iiis  home  with  an  uncle, 
near  Springville,  for  three  years,  when,  in  1858, 
he  was  married  to  Sarah  Pidcock,  born  in  Ohio, 
June  28,  1835.  He  then,  for  four  years,  rented 
a  farm  in  Viroqua  town,  after  which  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  different  parts  of  the 
county.  In  1869  he  went  to  Iowa,  locating  in 
Allamakee  county.  He  remained  there  two 
years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Vernon  county 
and  rented  a  farm  ou  Siction  16,  town  12, 
range  6,  Sterling  town.  After  renting  this  two 
years,  Mr.  Sidyie  purchased  it,  and  has  since 
made  it  his  home.  Mr.s.  Sidyie  died,  at  Viroqua, 
Dec.  18,  1863,  leaving  three  children — William, 
Eliza  Ellen  and  Margaret  J.  The  two  oldest  ones 
live  in  Genoa,  the  youngest  in  Iowa.  Mr.  Sid- 
yie's  father  was  born  in  Forfarshire,  Scotland, 
in  1809.  He  died  in  1866.  His  mother  was 
born  in  Perthshire,  in  1810.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  1833.  Mrs  Sidyie  came  to  America  to 
join  her  son  in  1857,  and  has  since  made  her 
home  with  him.  She  has  si.x  children  living — 
Thomas,  James,  Margaret,  William,  John  and 
Robert. 

Leonard  Wakefield,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Sterling  town,  was  born  in  New  York  State 
in  1800.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
Slate,  and  was  there  married  to  Polly  Whitnej-, 
also  a  native  New  York.  Soon  after  marriage  he 
moved  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  bought  a  farm 
and  lived  until  1833.  He  then  went  to  Ohio, 
settling  in  Seneca  county,  and  living  there 
twelve  years.  Going  then  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Wake- 
field purchased  government  land  in  Lake  county, 
and  cleared  a  farm.  In  1856  he  again  turned 
his  face  westward,  locating  in  Sterling  town, 
Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  purchased  land  on  section 
2,  town  1 1,  range  6,  and  also  on  section  35,  town 
12,  range  6,  and  here  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1871.  His  wife  died  in  1878. 
Their  son,  Elijah,  is  still  a  resident  of  the  town. 
He  was  born  March  15,   18^7,  in  Pennsylvania. 


In  1853  he  married  Cleora  Stickney,  by  whom 
he  had  four  children,  one  of  which  is  living. 
He  lived  in  Ohio  and  Illinois  with  his  parents, 
and  came  with  them  to  Sterling,  loca'ingon 
land  on  section  2,  which  his  father  had  entered 
in  1855.  He  enlisted  in  1864,  in  company  B, 
42d  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and  went  south. 
He  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  being  dis- 
charged in  June,  1865. 

Adelbert,  son  of  Elijah  Wakefield,  wa.s  born 
Sept.  21,  1854,  in  Lake  Co.,  111.  He  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  and  received  his  education  in  the 
district  school.  He  was  married,  March  30, 
1876,  to  Jane  Wilder,  born  in  Crawford  Co., 
Wis.  Four  children  have  blessed  this  union — 
Etfie  C,  John  B.,  Charles  and  Hiram.  He 
now  occupies  the  old  homestead  of  his  grand- 
father. His  children  are  the  fourth  generation 
that  have  lived  on  that  place. 

Henry  Weber  is  a  settler  of  1856.  He  was  horn 
in  Saxe-Coburg  Germany  Aug.  25,  18  22.  He  at- 
tended school  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  blacksmith 
trade,  at  which  he  continued  to  work  until  1847, 
when  he  left  his  native  land  and  emigrated  to 
America.  He  landed  at  New  York,  but  not 
finding  employment  went  out  of  the  city  and 
succeeded  in  getting  work  on  the  New  York  & 
Lake  Erie  Railway,  and  subsequently  on  the 
Erie  Canal.  In  1850  he  started  west,  vi.sited 
Chicago, and  from  there  went  to  St.  Paul,  .Minn., 
and  also  Stillwater,  and  afterward  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  1856. 
In  1856  he  made  a  settlement  in  Vernon  county. 
He  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Sterling  town. 
Mr.  Weber  has  improved  his  farm,  erected  sub 
stantial  buildings  for  stock,  grain,  etc.,  and  is 
an  exten.sive  raiser  of  small  fruits,  making  a 
speciality  of  grapes.  His  farm  comprises  28u 
acres.  He  was  mairied  in  1854  to  Mary  Panly, 
also  a  native  of  Germany.  Tliey  have  had  ten 
children — Elizabeth, Henry,  Bertlin,Mary,  Chris- 
tian, !.ouisa,  Josephine,  Sophia,  John  and  Caro- 
line J.     Josephine  died  when  four  ye.irs  of  age. 


I  THE  NKW  YOhK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY. 


ASTO- 


foi,.^a^   aj  ^J^^ 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


657 


P.  D.  Miner  was  born  Aug.  12,  1828,  in  Mon- 
terey towiisliip,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass  His 
younger  days  were  spent  in  scliool  and  on  the 
farm.  In  1854  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating 
in  Grant  county.  He  bought  a  team  and  was 
engaged  for  three  years  in  breaking  prairie.  In 
1857  he  came  to  Sterling  town,  settling  on  a 
farm  that  his  father  had  entered  a  few  years 
previous.  For  a  few  months  he. boarded  with 
E.  T.  Bishop.  He,  in  company  with  another 
man,  kept  bachel  r's  hall  in  an  old  log  house 
on  the  place.  He  was  married  in  1858  to  Sarah 
D.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Simeon  F.  and  Antoinette 
(Brush)  Huntington.  Her  father  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  an  early  settler  of  Craw- 
ford Co.,  Wis.  Mrs.  Miner  was  born  in  Ohio. 
'I'hey  have  five  children — Wilbur  E.,  Henry  T., 
Mary  E.,  Hiram  and  Alice.  After  marriage 
Mr.  Miner  built  a  house  on  his  farm.  He  has 
been  a  successful  farmer,  and  now  has  41  *i 
acres  of  land,  a  good  set  of  buildings,  and  is 
now  living  with  the  surroumlings  of  a  comfori- 
ahle  home. 

Simeon  Gibbs   was  an  early  settler  in  Wasl 
ington  Co.,  Wis.     He  emigrated  to  th;it  count; 
in    1847,    and    bought    government    land    aii' 
cleared  a  farm.     He  remained  there  until  1859 
when  he  made  his  present  settlement  on  sectio; 
10,  of  town  11  north,  of  range  6  west.     He  wa; 
born  in  Otsego  Co.,N.  Y.,  May  13,  1806.  Whei 
he  was  but  seventeen   years  of  age  his  parent? 
removed  to  .lefferson  county,  where   they  were 
early  settlers,  and  where  he  assisted  his    father 
in  clearing  two  farms.     He  was    there    married 
in  June,  1827,  to  Lucy  Page,  born    in    Cheshire 
Co.,  N.  H.,  Dec.  7,    1806.     Her   father,    David 
Page,  was  born  in  Brattleboro,  Vt.     He  served 
the  United  States  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was 
severely    wounded   at  the    battle    of    Sacketl's 
Harbor.     He  was  also  an  early  settler  in  Jeffer- 
son Co.,  N.  Y.    At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr. 
Gibbs  bought  a  farm  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,N.  Y., 
and  lived    there   a  few  years,  then  soJd  and  re- 
turned to  Jefferson  county,  where  he  remained 
until  1847,  when  he    came  to  Wisconsin,  as  be- 


fore stated.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibbs  have  five 
children  living — Jane,  Lindley,  Clara,  John 
and  Mary.  His  son  John  lives  on  the 
farm  adioining  his  father.  He  was  born  in 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  3,  1844,  and  came  to 
Wisconsin  with  his  parents.  He  enlisted  in 
February,  1805,  in  the  50th  regiment,  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteers,  and  went  west  to  the  frontier. 
While  in  the  service  he  nearly  lost  his  eyesight, 
but  has  since  partially  recovered.  He  was  mar- 
ried April  25, 1869,  to  Rosella  Fish,  of  Vermont. 
They  have  five  children — Harrison,  Herbert, 
Alfred,  Edith  and  Charlie. 

Alvin  M.  Hayden  was  quite  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Sterling  town  for  eighteen  years.  He 
was  born  in  Somerset  Co.,  Maine,  Oct.  2,  1810, 
and  died  in  the  town  of  Sterling  Nov.  6,  1878. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  postmaster  of 
West  Prairie;  had  always  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  town  affairs;  filled  several  oflices  of  trust 
and  for  years  was  a  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
married  Clarissa  Mitchell,  also  a  native  of  Som- 
erset Co.,  Maine.  Five  children  were  born  to 
them,  three  of  whom  are  now  living — Lucy, 
William  W.  and  John  F.  In  1S55  Mr.  Hayden 
emigrated  with  his  family  to  Wisconsin  and  lo- 
cated in  Monroe  county.  In  1858  they  removed 
to  Missouri,  but  returned  within  two  years,  and 
in  1860  settled  in  Sterling  town.  Mr.  Hayden 
purchased  land  on  section  6,  town  11  north,  of 
range  5  west.  He  improved  this  farm,  erected 
a  corafortible  residence  and  here  resided  until 
his  death.  His  widow  still  occupies  the  old 
homestead.  The  youngest  son,  John  F.,  was 
born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Maine,  Jan.  13,  1851.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  April  12,  1870,  to  Jane 
Cox,  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  four 
children — Herbert  F.,  Arthur  M.,  Vesta  May 
and  an  infant.  In  1874  Mr.  Hayden  purchased 
a  farm  on  section  6,  of  this  town,  where  he  has 
resided  since  his  marriage. 

D.  T.  Smith,  wagon  maker  at  Retreat,  was 
born  Sept.  21,  1826,  in  Sandistield,  Berkshire 
Co.,  Mass.  He  was  raised  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits.    When    twenty-two   years    of   age  be  re- 


38 


658 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON   COUNTY. 


ceived  employment  in  a  wagon  sbop,  where  he 
worked  a  year.  He  then  engaged  in  farming 
and  carpentering.  In  1857  he  procured  work 
in  a  rake  factory,  where  he  stayed  four  years. 
In  1861  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  locating  in 
Crawford  county.  lie  remained  there,  how- 
ever, but  a  few  months,  coming  to  Sterling 
town,  Vernon  county,  and  engaging  in  work  at 
his  trade  and  farming.  He  was  drafted  in  1863 
in  the  1st  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  went  south  and 
was  with  Sherman  as  far  as  Atlanta.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war 
and  was  discharged  in  July,  18*75.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Sterling  town.  In  1871  Mr.  Smith 
went  to  La  Crosse,  and  engaged  in  carpenter 
and  joiner  work.  In  187-3  he  opened  his  wagon 
sliop  in  Retreat,  near  his  residence.  Mr.  Smith 
was  married  to  Lois  C.  Thompson,  a  native  of 
Sandisiield,  Mass.  Mrs.  Smith  died  in  1862. 
He  subsequently  married  Sarah  C.  Davis, 
widow  of  John  Frye  and  a  native  of  Maine. 

Jesse  L.  Davis  has  been  engaged  in  the  mer- 
cantile trade  at  Retreat  since  1868,  and  is  the 
present  postmaster  of  the  village.  He  was 
born  in  Cumberland  Co.,  Penn.,  Nov.  7,  1809. 
When  ten  years  of  age,  his  parents  removed  to 
Shippenijurgh,  where  Jesse  attended  the  village 
school,  and  in  vacations  assisted  his  father  in 
tiie  tannery.  At  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  left 
liome  and  joined  his  brother,  a  physician  at 
Carlisle,  Ind.  He  was  there  employed  as  clerk 
in  a  store  but  two  years  later  went  to  Edwards- 
port,  in  Knox  county,  and  engaged  in  mercar)- 
tile  jnirsuits.  He  there  continued  in  business 
until  1846,  when  he  received  an  appointment 
as  clei'k  in  the  sixth  auditor's  office,  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  and  immediatel}^  entered  upon 
the  duties  of  his  position.  In  18;)5  he  obtained 
a  leave  of  absence  and  went  to  Wisconsin, 
where  he  bought  land  on  sections  10  and  15,  of 
town  11  north,  <if  range  6  west,  now  embraced 
within  the  limits  of  Sterling  town.  He  re- 
turned to  W.-jshington,  and  resumed  his  duties, 
but  in  1862  resigned  his  position  and  settled  on 
his  land,  where    he    engaged    in    farming.     In 


1868  he  engaged  in  liis  present  business.  Mr. 
Davis  was  married  in  1832,  to  Vienn  ■  'i  ., 
daughter  of  William  M.  and  Sarah  Purdy, 
natives  of  Kentucky,  but  early  residents  of  that 
part  of  Indiana,  now  known  as  Sullivan  county, 
and  where  Mrs.  Davis  was  born  June  5,  1816. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  have  been  blessed  with 
four  children — John  W.,  Warren  G.,  Martha 
A.  and  Laura  V. 

Christian  Puis  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1851, 
locating  in  Washington  county,  where  he 
bought  timber  land  of  the  government.  He 
cleared  a  farm,  erected  a  log  house  and  barn, 
and  lived  there  until  1862,  when  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  John  Whitney,  on  section  2,  town 
11  north,  of  range  6  west,  known  as  Sterling 
town.  Mr.  Puis  has  given  considerable  atten- 
tion to  fruit  growing  and  has  a  fine  orchard. 
He  was  married,  I'^eb.  1,  1852,  to  Christena 
Tuegel,  born  in  Marienburg,  Germany.  They 
have  six  children — Caroline,  born  Nov.  9,  1853, 
John,  born  May  3,  1858,  Annie,  born  July  25, 
1862,  Mary,  born  Oct.  11,  1866,  Jimmy,  born 
March  17,  1869,  and  George,  born  Feb.  25,1873. 

Lewis  Thompson  settled  in  the  Bad  Ax  val- 
ley, in  1862.  He  took  up  a  homestead  on  sec- 
tion 20,  of  town  12  north,  of  range  6  west.  He 
is  a  native  of  Norway,  born  March  21,  1S41. 
His  younger  days  were  spent  in  school  and  on 
the  farm.  In  1860  he  emigrated  to  America, 
landed  at  Quebec,  and  came  directly  to  this 
ciiunty,  and  first  stopped  with  Scott  Thomjjson, 
who  lived  on  section  17,  of  town  1  I  north,  of 
range  5  west.  He  was  employed  iii  farming  in 
the  neighborhood  until  1S62,  when  he  started 
to  make  a  home  for  himself.  Hi' first  built  a 
small  log  house  in  which  he  lived  several  years, 
and  then  built  another  log  house  to  which  he 
has  a  frame  addition.  He  has  been  a  successful 
farmer  and  now  owns  315  acres  of  land.  He 
was  married,  in  1^60,  to  Christina  Ericksoii, 
who  lived  but  two  years  after  marriage.  His 
second  wtte  was  Dean  Olson,  who  bore  him 
eight  children,  three  of  them  are  now  living  — 
Thomas   L.,    Ole    L.    and    Margaret    L.       Mrs, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


659 


Thompson  died  in  1882.     His  third  and  present 
wife  was  Anna  Sorenson. 

J.  Booth  McClurg  was  born  Jan.  22,  18.3.5,  in 
Cohimbiana  Co.,  Ponii.  When  six  years  of  age 
his  ])arents  moved  to  Oliio,  locating  in  Guernse}' 
count}',  where  they  lived  six  or  seven  years, 
then  removed  to  that  part  of  Morgan  now 
known  as  Nobles  county.  In  185.3  he  started 
for  California,  going  by  way  of  the  Isthmus. 
He  engaged  for  a  year  in  mining  at  Nevada 
City.  He  then  went  to  Shelby  Flat,  made  a 
claim  and  worked  there  for  a  short  time,  then 
started  out  on  an  exploring  tour,  traveling  in 
Washington,  Oregon  and  Idaho  territories, 
making  claims  and  living  in  different  places. 
The  winterof  1861-2  he  spent  in  Florence  City, 
Idaiii).  It  was  a  severe  winter,  and  provisions 
were  scarce,  as  means  of  transportation  were 
limited.  Flour  sold  at  $13  per  pound,  sugar  $5 
|ier  jiound,  and  tobacco  $10  per  pound.  In  the 
spring  of  1862  Mr.  McClurg  determined  to 
return  to  his  old  home  in  Ohio  and  visit  his 
])arents,  from  whom  he  had  not  heard  for  eight 
years.  On  board  the  vessel  at  San  Francisco, 
while  engaged  in  conversation  with  a  gentle 
man  from  Wisconsin,  he  learned  that  hi^ 
parents  were  living  near  Viroqua  town,  Ver 
non  county,  that  State.  He  accordingly  went 
to  Viroqua  instead  of  Ohio.  In  1863  he  cam( 
to  Sterling  town  and  purchased  an  iraproved 
farm  on  section  1,  town  11  north,  range  6  west. 
In  the  spring  of  1864  he  bought  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 11,  same  town,  on  which  he  lived  but  a  few 
months.  He  then  purchased  his  present  home, 
on  section  2,  on  which  he  has  erected  a  good 
frame  house  and  barn.  Mr.  McClurg  was  mar- 
ried in  1863  to  Annis,  daughter  of  Eliab  and 
Eliza  (Higgins)  Bishop.  They  have  had  nine 
children — Inez  I.,  Reno,  Mabel  and  Maud 
(twins),  Leo,  Cyrus,  Jennie,  John  Philip  and 
Walter  R. 

Prominent  among  the  German  settlers  of 
Sterling  is  John  Shoenberger.  His  first  settle- 
mi-nt  in  Wisconsin  was  made  in  Crawford 
county,  in  18.t4.      He  then  bought  an  improved 


farm  near  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  lived  there 
until  1863,  when  he  came  to  Sterling  and 
bought  his  present  farm,  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  8.  He  was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel, 
Jan.  9,  1818.  He  spent  his  younger  days  in 
school  and  qualified  for  a  teacher.  He  engaged 
in  teaching  in  1839.  He  also  performed  the 
duties  of  organist  in  the  church,  a  duty  that 
devolved  on  teachers  in  that  country.  He  con- 
tinued teaching  until  1854,  when  he  left  his 
native  land  and  came  to  America.  He  landed 
at  the  port  of  New  York,  and  came  direct  to 
Wisconsin  and  located  in  Crawford  county,  and 
from  thence  to  Sterling  town.  He  was  married 
in  1838  to  Annie  C.  Croll,  who  was  also  a 
native  of  Hesse-Cassel.  Eight  children  blessed 
this  union  —  Henry  W.,  Mary,  Kate,  Annie, 
Otto,  Dorotha,  Charles  and  Louis  C.  Otto  is 
dead. 

Solfest  Otteson  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born 
April  1,  1837.  His  younger  days  were  spent 
in  school  and  on  the  farm.  When  nineteen 
vears  of  age  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
lie  landed  at  Quebec,  and  came  directly  to 
Oane  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  was  employed  on  a 
fniii.  He  remained  there  until  1864,  when  he 
came  to  Sterling  town,  purchasing  wild  land  on 
section  24,  town  12,  range  6.  He  has  since  im- 
proved a  portion  of  the  land,  and  erected  a 
house  and  barn.  He  has  also  purchased  more 
land,  now  having  320  acres.  Mr.  Otteson  was 
married  in  1863  to  Christina  Severson.  They 
iiave  seven  children — Christina,-Otto,  Mary  A., 
Severena,  Jacob  L.,  Kiah  and  Julia.  Christina, 
the  eldest,  is  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of 
Vernon  county. 

William  Getter  was  born  Dec.  20,  1847,  in 
Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y.  When  seven  years  of  age 
his  parents  came  to  Wisconsin,  settling  in  Ster- 
ling town,  Vernon  county.  Here  William  spent 
his  younger  days  in  school  and  on  the  farm. 
He  enlisted  in  February,  1865,  in  company  B, 
50th  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and  went  to  the 
western  frontier.  He  was  honorably  discharged 
ill  June,  1866,  and    rettirning  home   settled  on 


660 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


bis  present  farm.  It  is  situated  on  high 
table  land,  on  section  28,  town  12,  range  5. 
Part  of  this  land  he  pre-empted  and  a  part  he 
bought.  It  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation  and 
has  on  it  a  neat  frame  house.  He  has  recently 
purchased  more  land,  and  now  has  360  acres.  Mr. 
Getter  was  married  in  1868  to  Mary  Robson. 
Six  children  blessed  this  union — Albert,  George, 
Robert,  Willard,  Bina  and  Howard.  Robert 
died  in  infancy. 

James  B.  Gilman  was  a  native  of  Vermont 
and  came  to  Bad  Ax  county  in  1852.  He  was 
born  in  179*7  and  when  quite  young  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  carpenter  and  joiner  to  learn  that 
trade.  He  worked  at  it  for  five  years,  then 
spent  five  years  in  learning  the  wagon-maker's 
trade.  Resolving  to  still  better  his  prospects 
for  future  employment,  he  served  a  three  years' 
apprenticeship  at  millwrlgliting.  About  this 
time  the  United  States  and  Canada  were  quarrel- 
ing over  the  boundary  line  question  and  Mr.  Gil- 
man  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his  country  and 
was  mustered  in  as  major.  The  epaulettes  which 
he  wore  are  still  in  the  possession  of  his  daugh- 
ter. He  removed  from  Vermont  to  Illinois,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  to  mine  for  lead  at  Galena. 
He  remained  there  until  1852,  when  he  came  to 
Bad  Ax  county  and  made  a  settlement  on 
section  21  and  22,  town  12  north,  range  5 
west.  In  1854  he  erected  a  saw  mill  and 
lived  there  until  1863,  when  he  sold  his  proper- 
ty and  removed  to  Viroqlia  town,  where  he 
bought  a  farm-.  He  resided  on  the  farm  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1865.  Mr.  Oilman 
married  Emily  Twitchall,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
who  died  in  1858,  leaving  five  children.  One 
son,  James  W.,  was  born  in  Calhoun  Co.,  111.,  in 
1839.  He  there  attended  the  district  schools 
and  worked  with  his  father  at  the  carpenter  and 
wagon  trade.  He  came  to  NVisconsin 
with  his  parents  nd  in  1801  purchased  a 
farm  one  mile  west  of  Viroqua  and  en- 
gaged in  farming.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  com- 
pany A,  25th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteers, 
and  served  nine  montiis,  mostly  on  frontier 
duty.     He  was  discharged  for  disability  and  re- 


turned to  Viroqua,  where  he  opened  a  wagon 
shop.  In  1867  he  sold  his  shop  and  stock  and 
bought  land  on  section  21  and  22,  of  town  12 
north,  of  range  5  west,  the  farm  lying  in  both 
Franklin  and  Stei'ling  towns.  He  was  married 
that  same  year  to  Harriet  Lamb,  also  a  native  of 
Illinois.  Tiiey  have  six  living  children — Flattie 
Belle,  Lurinda  May,  Willie  Burton,  Maud,  Wal- 
ter and  Mary  Candis. 

Hiram  Bellows,  the  genial  proprietor  of  the 
West  Prairie  Hotel,  is  a  native  of  the  old  "Bay 
State."  He  was  born  at  Blackstone,  Mass., 
Dec.  6,  1830,  and  when  quite  young  accompa- 
nied his  parents  to  Rhode  Island,  and  eight 
years  later  to  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  there 
remained  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he 
returned  to  Rhode  Island  and  obtained  employ- 
ment as  bridge  carpenter  on  the  Providence  & 
Worcester  Railroad,  working  for  that  company 
two  years.  He  was  subsequently  engaged  in 
various  occupations  at  the  following  named 
localities :  bridge  carpenter  on  the  railroad, 
in  New  Hampshire,  one  year  ;  teaming  at 
Nassua,  two  years  ;  in  employ  of  Worcester 
and  Kassua  Railway  Company,  four  years ; 
baggage  master,  four  years,  and  conductor, 
seven  yeari?,  for  Boston  &  L  )well  railroad; 
four  years  as  conductor  on  Galesburg  & 
(Juincy  branch  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.,  in  Illinois; 
one  year  as  conductor  between  North  Platte, 
Neb.,  and  Cheyenne,  W.  T.,  on  the  Union 
Pacific  road,  and  from  1865  to  1868,  again  in 
the  employ  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Railway  Company. 
In  1865  Mr.  Bellows  had  come  to  Vern  n 
county  and  purchased  land  on  "West  Prairie," 
on  section  17,  of  town  11  north,  of  range  5 
west,  and  section  36,  of  town  12  north,  of 
range  5  west.  In  1868  he  settled  on  the  former 
named  piece  of  land,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  farming.  At  the  present  time  he  is 
extensively  eng.iged  in  the  raising  of  fat  stock. 
In  November,  1877,  Mr.  Bellows  rejiaired  his 
residence,  made  quite  an  addition  to  it  and 
hung  out  the  sigti  of  the  "West  Prairie  Hotel." 
His  long  experience  with  travelers  as  conductor, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


661 


and  liajipy  disposition,  together  with  the  pleas- 
ant and  sociable  character  of  his  wife,  render 
his  hostlery  one  of  the  best  in  western  Wiscon- 
sin, and  a  most  popular  stopping  place  for  the 
best  class  of  travelers.  Mr.  Bellows  has  been 
twice  married.  His  first  marriage  was  in 
December,  1853,  to  Augusta  D.  Chase,  of  Meri- 
mac  Co.,  N.  H.  One  child  blessed  this  union — 
Ida.  His  second  and  present  wife  was  Addie 
A.,  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Mary  (Blodgett) 
Proctor,  born  in  Saugus,  Essex  Co.,  Mass. 
They  have  one  son,  Elmer.  Mr.  Bellows  is 
also  postmaster  at  West  Prairie. 

Charles  S.  Fourt,  superintendent  of  the  Dis- 
ciples Church  Sunday  school,  was  born  Dec.  25, 
1832,  In  Henry  Co.,  Ind.,  being  there  raised  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  1853  he  emigrated  to 
Iowa,  becomiTig  a  pioneer  in  Allamakee  county, 
where  he  entered  land  on  section  12,  Paint 
Creek  township,breaking  forty  acres  and  build 
ing  a  log  house  thereon.  In  1859  he  sold  this 
fiu-ra  and    purchased    land  on    section    16,  town 

10,  range  6,  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.  He  cultivated 
this  farm  and  built  a  frame  house,  residing 
thei'e  until  1869.  He  then  came  to  Sterling 
town    and  purchased   land    on  section  14,  town 

11,  range  6.  In  18';6  he  bought  his  present 
home  on  section  11,  this  town,  on  which,  in 
188^,  he  built  a  neat  frame  house.  Mr.  Fourt 
has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Hannah  Valentine,  a  native  of  Manchester, 
England,  born  Feb.  28,  1836.  She  died  April 
9,  1876,  leaving  seven  children — Lavinia,  Ed- 
win and  Edgar,  twins;  Ida  E.,  Franklin,  Min- 
nie M.  and  Lucinda  T.  In  October,  1876,  he 
married  Hannah  Davis,  born  in  Sullivan  Co., 
Iiid.  :vir.  Fourt  has  been  for  some  time  an 
elder  in  the  Disciples'  Church. 

Belus  Shepherd  Abrams  settled  on  his  pres- 
ent farm  in  the  spring  of  1870.  He  was  born  in 
("uyiiga  Co.,  >.'.  Y.,  June  5,  1821.  He  remained 
there  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  I'c- 
moved  to  Wayne  county,  in  his  native  State, 
and  engaged  in  farming,  remaining,  thwu  until 
1856,  when  he  came  west  to  Wisconsin,  and  en- 


tered land  in  town  12  north,  of  range  5  west, 
now  in  the  town  of  Sterling.  Mr.  Abrams  now 
owns  200  acres  of  land,  100  of  which  are  fairly 
improved,  and  the  other  half  is  in  pasture  and 
timber  land.  He  was  married,  in  1S63,  to  Fan- 
nie, widowed  wife  of  Leland  Brown,  who  was 
a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  and  died  while  in  the 
service.  Of  late  years,  Mr.  Abrams  has  rented 
his  land,  and  a  portion  of  the  time  has  made 
his  home  at  Boscobel,  Grant  Co.,  Wis.  Before 
marriage  he  was  unsettled,  and  spent  a  large 
portion  of  I'is  time  traveling. 

J.  S.  Dustin  settled  on  his. present  farm  in 
1870.  He  was  born  at  Bethel,  Maine,  Aug.  6, 
1834.  He  passed  his  early  life  amid  rural 
scenes,  and  received  his  elementary  education 
in  the  district  school.  When  a  young  man,  he 
learned  the  carpenter  and  ioiners  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  in  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  until 
1862.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and 
1863",  located  at  Eau  Claire,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  trade  until  his  removal  to 
Vernon  county.  He  settled  on  his  present 
farm,  which  is  located  on  section  3,  town  11 
north,  of  range  6  west.  Mr.  Dustin  was  united 
in  marriage,  in  June,  1868,  to  Sarah  Cole,  of 
Orleans  Co.,  Vt.  They  are  the  happy  parents 
of  two  children — Frank  and  Albert. 

John  Wesley  Cade  was  born  April  19,  1847, 
in  St.  Joseph  Co.,  Mich.  He  came  to  Wiscon- 
sin with  his  parents  in  1853,  making  his  home 
with  them'  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  He 
then  returned  to  Michigan,  attending  school 
four  years  at  Stui-gis, fitting  himself  for  a 
teacher,  teaching  one  term  there,  returning  to 
Vernon  county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
in  the  summer  seasons  and  teaching  in  the 
winter,  a  practice  which  ho  still  continues.  In 
the  fall  of  1871  he  came  to  Sterling  town,  rent- 
ing a  farm  for  one  year.  In  the  fall  of  1872  the 
house  where  he  lived  was  blown  down  by  a 
cyclone;  he  bought  a  farm  situated  on  section  5, 
town  11,  range  5,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  His  residence  was  burned  June  13, 
1883,  with  most  of  the  contents.       He  was  mar- 


662 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  C^OUNTY. 


ried  in  1871  to  Electa  I.  Cass,  born  in  Lorignal, 
Province  of  Ontario.  Tliey  have  had  four  chil- 
dren— Stell,Roscoe,  Rockliii  (who  died  in  1878), 
and  Orpheus  Blaine.  Mr.  Cade  has  been  promi- 
nent in  town  affairs,  and  has  filled  offices  of 
trust  in  the  town. 

Ole  Gauper,  postmaster  at  Purdy,  was  born 
in  Norway,  Aug.  29,  1851.  When  he  was  but 
eleven  years  of  age,  his  parents  emigrated  to 
America.  They  first  stopped  in  Madison,  Wis.. 
until  the  spring  of  1868,  then  went  to  Black 
Earth  town,  in  Dane  county,  where  they  re- 
mained until  1855,  then  came  to  Vernon  county 
and  located  at  Chaseburg.  He  made  his  home 
with  his  parents  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of 
age,  then  started  in  life  for  himself.  He  went 
to  DeSoto  and  was  there  employed  in  a  saw- 
mill four  years.  After  that  he  attended  school 
two  winters.  He  was  married  in  1872  to 
Amelia,  daughter  of  Ove  and  Elizabeth  Liiid,  a 
teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  this  county.  He 
purchased  land  on  sections  10,11  and  14,  of 
town  12  north,  of  range  6  west.  He  built  a 
house  on  section  10  and  lived  there  until  1878, 
wlien  he  removed  to  section  12  and  lived  there 
until  1883,  when  he  bought  the  old  stand  at 
Purdy,  located  on  section  13,  and  now  makes 
this  his  home.  He  was  appointed  postmaster 
in  1883.  He  is  also  iustice  of  the  peace.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  <xauper  have  three  children — Robert 
Oscar,  Elida    and  Alfred. 

Cyrus  Hunt,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ver- 
non county,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Monroe- 
ville,  Huron  Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  12,  18-30,  and  where 
he  grew  to  manhood.  He  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  school,  supplemented  with 
six  month  study  under  the  private  tuition  of  A. 
H.  S  aw,  at  Milan,  Erie  Co.,  Ohio.  In  1847  he 
went  to  Iowa  and  located  in  Linn  county,  and 
there  engaged  to  learn  the  coopers'  trade.  He 
was  also  engaged  in  teaching.  In  1854  lie  came 
to  Wisconsin  and  entered  land,  as  before  stated. 
He  returned  to  Linn  county  and  there  spent  the 
winter  of  1854-55.  Returning  to  his  land  in 
the  spring  of  1856,  he  commenced  making  im- 


provements, and  also  worked  at  his  trade  as 
cooper.  In  1866  he  traded  his  farm  for  another 
farm  on  section  17,  of  the  same  town,  and  lived 
there  two  years;  then  rented  the  farm  and  re- 
moved to  DeSoto.  He  there  worked  at  his  trade 
some  of  the  time.  He  also  served  as  justice  of 
the  peace.  He  remained  there  until  1873,  when 
he  sold  his  farm  and  purchased  land  on  section 
2,  of  town  11  north,  of  range  6  west,  in  territory 
included  in  Sterting  town.  He  has  since  bought 
adjoining  land,  built  a  frame  house  and  now 
makes  this  his  home.  He  has  paid  considerable 
attention  to  fruit  and  has  enjoyed  as  good 
success  as  any  one  in  this  section.  He  now 
owns  an  orchard  of  about  300  trees.  He  was 
married  in  1862  to  Elizabeth  Asbury,  a  native 
of  Madison  Co.,  Ark.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren— Richard  R.,  Joseph  M.,  Cyrus,  Carrie, 
Almon,  Ida  P.,  Bertha  and  Ella.  Mr.  Hunt  has 
been  prominent  in  town  affairs.  He  was  ap- 
pointed justice  of  the  peace  a  few  days  after 
coming  into  the  town,  and  has  been  elected  to 
that  oftice  each  succeeding  year.  He  has  also 
served  as  town  clerk. 

Thomas  Minor  was  born  in  Monterey,  Berk- 
shire Co.,  Mass.,  Feb.  28,  1815.  He  was  married 
in  April,  1839,  to  Laura  Brewer,  also  born  in 
Monterey.  In  1873  Mr.  Minor  came  to  Vernon 
county,  purchasing  land  on  section  14,  town  11, 
range  6,  Sterling  town,  and  also  on  section  24, 
Freeman  town,  Crawford  county.  He  settled 
on  section  14,  and  still  makes  that  his  home. 
Mr.  and  Mr.  Minor  had  nine  children,  five  of 
whom  are  living — John  H.,  William  IL,  Wat- 
son W.,  Helen  and  Charles.  Mrs.  Minor  died 
July  10,  1870. 

John  H.  Minor,  eldest  son  of  Thomas  and 
Laura  (Brewer)  Minor,  was  born  in  Monterey, 
Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  July  10,  1840.  He  re- 
ceived his  early  education  in  the  district 
school,  completing  it  at  Williams  Academy,  in 
Stockbridge.  After  leaving  school  he  engaged 
in  farming  and  carpentering  in  Monterey.  In 
1872  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  purchased  the 
farm  on  section  14,  town  11,  range  6,  formerly 


HISTOKVr  OF  VERNON   COUNTY. 


60H 


owned  by  Reuben  Jordan,  and  which  he  still 
occupies.  He  was  married  in  1860,  to  Eliza 
beth  Maine,  born  in  Bark  Hampstead,  Conn. 
The}'  have  had  six  children — Edson,  Mariana, 
Clarence,  Bernice,  Francis  and  Johnnie.  Mr. 
Minor  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  town 
airs.     He    is  a  member   of  the  town  board. 

Watson  W.,  the  third  son  of  Thomas  and 
Laura  (Brewer)  Minor,  was  born  Jan.  21,  1851, 
in  Monterey,  Mass.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
receiving  his  education  in  the  district  school. 
He  came  to  Sterling  town,  Vernon  Co, 
Wis  ,  in  1871,  purchasing  land  on  sections  13 
and  l-t,  town  11,  range  6.  In  1876  he  bought 
an  improved  farm  of  Clarence  Bishop,  situated 
0,1  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  14.  He 
makes  this  his  home.  He  was  married,  Jan.  16, 
1875,  to  JMartha  C.  Engie.  They  have  three 
children — Hatlie,  Wallace  and  Charlie.  In 
1879  he  went  into  a  blacksmith  shop  at  Retreat, 
to  learn  the  trade.  In  1880  he  built  a  shop  at 
his  home,  where  he  now  carries  on  the  black- 
smith trade  in  connection  with  farming. 

'ihe  other  two  sons,  William  H.  and  C  harles, 
live  in  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.  The  only  daughter, 
Helen,  married  Deacon  Phelps,  and  resides  in 
Stockbridge. 

Arnt  Westrum,  assessor  of  Sterling  town, 
was  born  June  6,  1846,  in  Norway.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  in  the 
High  school.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
entered  the  agricultural  school,  which  school  he 
attended  two  years.  In  1 86G  he  emigrated  to 
the  United  States.  He  first  went  to  Minnesota, 
spending  six  months  in  Spring  Grove.  He  then 
went  to  La  Crosse,  engaging  there  in  teaming. 
In  March,  1875,  he  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis., 
trading  city  property  for  a  farm,  situated  on 
sections  26  and  35,  town  12,  range  6,  Sterling 
town.  He  now  makes  this  his  home.  In  1868 
Mr.  Westrum  was   married  to  Christina  Ever- 


son.  They  have  four  children-^lena,  Ovedia, 
Clara  and  Adolph.  Mr.  Westrum  is  well  fitted 
for  the  position  which  he  occupies.  He  is  now 
serving  his  fourth  term  as  assessor,  having  been 
first  elected  in  April,  1879. 

Arne  J.  Bolstad  settled  in  Sterling  town  in 
1876.  He  first  bought  forty  acres  of  land  on 
section  27,  town  12,  range  6,  and  on  this 
Bniall  piece  of  land  commenced  farming.  By 
industry  and  good  management  he  has  pros- 
pered, and  his  farm  now  contains  180  acres. 
Mr.  Bolstad  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born  Dec. 
17,  1846.  His  younger  days  were  spent  in 
school  and  on  the  farm.  In  1867  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  first  locating  in  Madison,  Wis. 
After  stopping  there  a  short  time,  he  came  to 
Vernon  county,  being  employed  in  farming  in 
Franklin  town  until  1875.  He  then  went  to 
the  Iilack  river,  following  lumbering  and  farm- 
ing one  year,  then  came  to  Sterling,  as  before 
stated.  He  was  married  in  1875  to  Bertha  Ev- 
erson.  Four  children  have  blessed  this  union — 
Ellen  Helena,  Maria,  John  J.  and  Henry  E. 

P.  Melvin  Peck,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the 
Grand  Forks  flouring  mill,  was  born  in  Wayne 
Co.,  Penn.,  July  24,  1844.  His  younger  days 
were  spent  in  school  and  on  the  farm.  In  1864 
he  came  to  Wisconsin  and  located  in  Crawford 
county,  where  he  engaged  with  his  brother-in- 
law  as  a  millwright.  He  worked  in  Wis- 
consin eight  or  ten  years,  then  went  to 
Minnesota.  He  built  the  Peterson  mill  in  Fill- 
more county,  and  svorked  on  all  the  principal 
mills  on  the  Root  river.  He  remained  in  Min- 
nesota five  years.  In  1879  he  came  to  the  Bad 
Ax  valley,  and  in  company  with  his  brothers-in- 
law,  Mullikins  and  Morse,  erected  the  Grand 
Forks  flouring  mill,  which  he  is  running  at  the 
present  time.  He  was  married,  in  1875,  to 
Henrietta  Buckmaster,  of  Ohio.  They  have 
one  child — Le  Ross. 


664 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


C  H  A  P  1  E  K      X  L  V  I  . 


THE   TOWN  OF  UNION. 


Congressional  township  13,  range  1  west,  is 
wliat  is  known  as  the  town  of  Union.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  town  of  Forest, 
on  the  east  by  the  town  of  Greenwood,  on  tlie 
sontli  by  Richland  county  and  on  the  west  by 
the  town  of  Stark.  The  surface  in  some  parts 
of  the  town  is  very  rough  and  broken,  while  in 
others  it  is  quite  level.  There  is  a  large  amount 
of  timber  distributed  over  the  surface  of  this 
town,  some  of  the  best  lands  in  the  town  had 
not  been  cleared  up,  even  as  late  as  1884.  The 
western  part  of  the  town  is  watered  by  Warner 
creek  and  its  branches.  The  southern  part  by 
15ear  and  the  south  by  Pine  river,  which  takes 
its  rise  in  the  town.  In  18s4  this  was  strictly  a 
rural  town,  which  contained  neither  a  postoffice 
or  store. 

James  Cooper  kept  a  store  on  section  2,  on 
the  old  State  road,  at  a  very  early  day  ;  and 
William  Dixon  kept  a  stock  of  goods  at  his 
house  on  section  10,  as  did  J.  B.  Eastman  on 
section  12.  In  early  times  there  was  a  large 
amount  of  ginseng  root  gathered  and  sold  to 
distant  markets,  which  brought  from  fifty  cents 
to  a  dollar  per  pound,  when  dry. 

FIRST  SETTLERS. 

•James  Cooper,  who  settled  on  section  2,  in 
1^49,  w.as  the  first  settler  within  the  town  of 
Union.  He  remained  there  until  1881,  and 
niovool  to  Hillsborough,  where  he  died  in  188.3. 

The  next  to  locate  in  the  town  was  Hiram 
Heath,  who  came  in  sometime  during  1854,  and 
settled  on  section  31,  where  he  remained  four 
years  and  then  removed  to  Black  River  Falls. 


The  first  Bohemians  which  settled  in  the 
town,  came  in  1855,  direct  from  their  native 
country.  Joseph  Urban  and  Anton  .'^lama, 
together  with  Albert  Johnechick  and  J.  Barta. 
Slama  settled  on   section  36,  where  he  died  in 

1883.  Barta  remained  on  section  25  a  few  years 
and  removed  to  Dakota.  Urban  located  on 
section  36,  and  Johnechick  on  section  25, 
where  they  lived  in  1884. 

The  following  came  in  during  1855:  Henry 
Widner,  a  native  of  Indiana,  came  early  in  the 
spring  and  located  on  section  7.  A  year  later 
he  sold  to  Wilson  Thing,  and  settled  in  Forest 
town,  where  he  remained  a  year,  then  returned 
to  Union  and  settled  on  section  8.  He  enlisted 
in  the  Union  army  and  died  while  in  the 
service  of  his  country.  In  1880  his  family 
were  living  in  Iowa. 

Charles  D.  Holbrook  came  from  Michigan 
in  the  summer  of  1855  and  purchased  the  norili 
half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  2,  where 
he  died  five  years  later  and  was  buried  on  his 
farm.  His  widow  returned  to  Michigan  three 
years  after  the  death  of  her  husband. 

Joseph  Getty,  a  native  of  Maryland,  came 
from  Ohio  in  1855,  and  settled  on  section  30, 
where  he  still  lived  in  1884. 

William  Dixon,  an  Englishman,  came  from 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  the  summer  of  1855, 
and  entered  land  on  sections  2,  3,   4  and   9.     In 

1884,  he  resided  on  section  2. 

Settlers  came  in  more  rapidly  in  1856  than 
they  had  in  any  previous  year.  Among  the 
number  who  came  in  for  actual  settlement  were: 
William    Outland,    Moses    Marshall,    John   B. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


665 


Eastman,  George  W.  Lewis,  Archibald  Oalaway, 
John  Searing,  Ebenezer S.Eastman, George  Jep- 
son-  and  Charles  Alberson. 

William  Oiitland,  came  from  Ohio,  in  the  tall 
of  the  year  and  settled  on  section  27,  where  he 
tilled  the  soil  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Re- 
bellion, when  he  responded  to  the  call  of  his 
country,  enlisted  and  served  through  the  war. 
After  his  return  from  the  service,  lie  moved  to 
Richland  county  and  there  built  a  saw  mill  on 
Mill  creek.  A  few  years  later,  he  sold  and 
moved  to  Nebraska,  where  he  was  engaged  at 
herding  cattle  on  the  plains.  He  finally  was 
found  dead  in  his  cabin.  He  was  a  man  of 
good  character,  possessed  a  fair  education  and 
made  many  friends  where  ever  he  lived. 

Moses  .Marshall,  came  from  Ohio  in  the  fall 
of  1856,  and  located  on  section  28,  but  later, 
moved  to  section  29. 

John  B.  Eastman,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire, 
settled  on  section  i  2,  where  he    died  in  August, 

George  W.  Lewis,  came  from  Ohio  in  the 
fall  of  1856  and  settled  on  section  35,  where  he 
was  living  in  1884. 

Archibald  Calaway,  of  Virginia,  settled  on 
section  30. 

John  Searing,  a  native  of  New  l''ork,  came  in 
the  spring  of  1856,  and  settled  on  section  10, 
where  he  died  after  a  few  years  ot  pioneer  life. 

Ebenezer  S.  Eastman,  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, came  in  the  fall  of  1856,  and  settled  on 
section  1,  where  he  remained  a  few  years  then 
moved  over  into  the  town  of  Forest,  where  he 
died  in  1880. 

Charles  Alberson,  a  nativeof  England,  moved 
from  Whitestown,  Conn.,  and  entered  the  south- 
west quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
3,  and  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  10.  He  died  in  1866,  when 
his  family  moved  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

George  Jepson,  a  native  of  England,  bought 
the  northwest  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  section  1.  He  afterward  engaged  in  trade 
with  James  Cooper.     In  1860  he  went  to  Hills- 


borough and  engaged  in  trade  alone,  and  a  few 
years  later  was  burned  out.     He  died    previous  . 
to  187f>. 

Robert  Milligan  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
in  the  town  of-Union.     He  was  a  native  of  Bel- 
mont Co.,    Ohio,    bora   in  ISQO,  and  there  grew 
to  manhood.     He  was  married  in  1856  to  Mary 
Scott,  who  was  born  in  Chester  Co.,   Penn.,    in 
1805.     They  remained  in  Belmont  county  until 
1840,    then    removed  to  Missouri  and  settled  in 
Platte  county.     Mr.  Milligan  there  bought  lan.l 
and  engaged    in  farming  and  also  at  worked   at 
the  carpenter's  trade.  He  framed  the  court  house 
at  Platte  City.     In  1847  he  returned  to  Belmont 
county  and  remained  there  until  1856,  when  he 
came  to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  town  1 1  north, 
of  range  I    west,  now    known    as    the    town  of 
Union.     He  purchased  land  on  section   31  and  . 
commenced  to  clear  a  farm.     He    was    a    loyal 
man    and  watched  with    interest  the    struggle 
during   the  war  of  the  Rebellion.     During  the 
dark  days  of  1864  he  became  so  fired  with  zeal 
that  he  could  no  longer  restrain  himself  and    at 
the  advanced  age  of  sixty-four  enlisted  with  the 
100  days   men  and  went   to    the    front,  serving 
until  the  expiration  of  his  term,  when  he  started 
on  his  return  home.     He  was  taken  sick  on  the 
way  and  died  at  the  National  Soldiers'  Home  in 
Milwaukee,  Oct.   3,  1864.     His  widow  survived 
him  and  occupied  the  homestead  until  the  time 
her  death,  which  occurred  March  3,  1882.     Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Milligan    were   the    parents  of   eight 
children,  four  of   whom    are  now  living — Eliza 
J.,  wife  of  Otho  Douglass  and  residing  in  Bel- 
mont   Co,    Ohio;    Sarah    R..  wife    of  Mathias 
Groves;  Angeline  S.,  wife  of  Hugh    Kerr,    and 
Mary  A.,  wife  of  James  C.  Reeve,  of  Nuckolls, 
Neb. 

The  following  are  among  the  settlers  ot  a 
later  date: 

Joseph  iMcCoy,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
came  from  Butler  county  in  the  spring  of  1857, 
and  settled  on  section  10.  He  was  killed  in  the 
Union  army  in  February,  1865. 


600 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


T.  S.  Jordan,  of  Indiana,  settled  on  section  28 
in  August,  1S58,  where  he  was  still  living  in 
1884. 

Jacob  N.  Poorman,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
came  from  Indiana  in  isiil  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion  22. 

The  same  year  David  Sabin,  of  the  same 
State,  settled  on  section  2  8. 

James  McKitrick,  of  Ohio,  settled  that  year 
on  section  17,  but  afterwards  moved  to  set-tioii 
18. 

Henry  Obert  came  in  I86U  and  settled  on 
section  5.  He  was  a  native  of  New  York  State. 
He  died  in  1875. 

E<iward  Harris,  a  colored  man  who  h.ad  been 
a  slave  in  Tennessee,  came  to  the  town  of  Un- 
ion soon  after  the  war  and  purchased  half  of 
the  northwest  quarter  of  section  2.  It  is  re- 
lated of  this  negro  that  he  was  very  industrious 
and  also  quite  ingenious.  \\  hile  a  slave  he 
earned  money  nights  making  bracelets,  and  at 
the  earliest  opportunity  he  left  his  master  and 
came  north.  He  was  with  the  Union  army  as 
cook  about  two  years.  At  the  time  of  tlie  elec- 
tion in  1868  lie  was  getting  ready  to  move  to 
Canada  as  he  expected,  in  case  Seymour  and 
Blair,  democratic  candidates  for  President  anil 
Vice-President,  were  elected,  to  be  returned  to 
slavery.  Like  others  of  his  race  he  was  veiy 
superstitious.  He  was  an  excellent  farmer  and 
had  the  respect  of  all  his  neighbors.  His  first 
wife  and  children  were  taken  from  him  and 
sold,  and  a  son  of  his  second  wife  was  living  in 
1884  on  the  homestead  in  this  town,  where  his 
father  died. 

KAELY  KVENTS 

As  early  a  death  as  there  is  any  record  of,  was 
William  Joseph,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth 
(iretty,  who  died  Jan.  3,  1861.  I  lis  was  the  first 
remains  buried   in  the  Newburn  cemetery. 

Among  the  earliest  births  in  the  town  weie 
Adela,  daughter  of  William  and  Rebecca  Oul- 
land,  in  the  vrinter  of  1856-7,  and  Joseph  F., 
son  of  Archibald  and  Harriet  (Wear)  Calaway, 
born  Sept.  6,  1857. 


The  first  settler  was  James  Cooper,  who  set- 
tled on  section  2. 

OROANIO. 

The  tow'n  of  Union  was  organized  at  a  meet- 
ing held  April  10,  1856,  at  the  house  of  Joseph 
Deans,  when  the  following  officers  were  elected: 
Joseph  Newburn,  (chairman),  Elliot  Benson 
and  Herman  Heath,  supervisors;  Horace  H. 
Ripley,  clerk;  Joshua  W.  Osgood,  treasurer; 
Thomas  De  Jean,  assessor;  Richai-d  Glenan, 
superintendent  of  schools;  Hiram  Heath, 
George  Walts  and  Thomas  De  Jean,  justices  of 
the  peace;  William  Shidt,  Adam  Bryan  and  John 
H.  Russel,  constables. 

Officers  of  1883;  Samuel  Bauman,  (chairman), 
P.  S.  Steinman  and  Frank  Johneschiek,  supervi- 
sors; Robert  Butcher,  town  clerk;  Frank  Crouse, 
treasurer;  Jonathan  Cry,  assessor;  Adam  Crouse 
and  J.  N.  Poorman,  justices  of  the  peace. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  in  the  town  of  Union  was 
taught  in  1857,  in  a  log  building  erected  by  the 
neighbors  on  section  30.  This  school  was 
taught  by  Isaac  Outland  and  was  in  what  was 
afterward  known  as  district  No.  1.  This  build- 
ing was  used  as  a  school  house  for  about  two 
years,  when  another  was  erected  on  another 
part  of  the  same  section,  in  which  Charles 
Searing  was  the  first  teacher.  In  1872  a  neat 
frame  house  was  built  to  take  the  place  of  the 
rude  log  houses  which  served  in  pioneer  times. 
Mary  S.  West  was  the  first  teacher  in  this  frame 
building. 

In  what  is  now  known  as  district  No.  2,  which 
was  organized  in  1859,  a  log  school  house  was 
built  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  3. 
Miranda  Markee  was  the  first  teacher  in  this 
district.  In  1870  a  new  building  was  provided, 
which  was  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  12.     Moses  Brown  was  the  first  teacher. 

The  Hrst  school  in  district  No.  4  was  taught 
in  1859  or  1860,  in  a  log  cabin  on  section  25. 

District  No.  5  was  organized  in  1864  at  a 
meeting  held  at  the  house  of  David  Sabin,  in 
November.     A  log    school  house  was  built  in 


IIISIORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


66? 


1866,  located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
28.  Amanda  Smitli  was  the  iiist  teacher  em- 
[jloyed  in  this  district.  This  school  liouse  was 
still  in  use  in  1884. 

The  scliool  house  in  joint  district  No.  .5  was 
built  in  IHiJS  or  |S69;  it  was  a  log  house  on  the 
noi'thwest  quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  IT.  Ellen  Marshall  was  the  first  te.acher. 
A  frame  building  was  erected  in  1880,  on  sec- 
tion 17,  in  which  Maggie  A.  King  taught  the 
first  term  of  sckool. 

The  first  school  in  district  No.  7  was  held  in 
Josepli  McC'oy's  iiouse,  on  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  10,  in  1858,  by  Emeline  Moses. 

EBLIGIOUS. 

'I^he  Wesleyan  .Methodists  organized  a  class  at 
the  school  house  on  section  3,  in  1862.  Rev.  John 
Markee  and  Alpheus  Bray  were  the  first  preach- 
ers. Among  others  John  B.  Eastman  and  Jo- 
seph McCoy  and  their  wives  were  members  of 
this  class;  tiie  former  was  chosen  class  leader. 
The  following  preachers  have  sei-ved  this 
church:  Rev's.  Markee,  Bray,  Alonzo  Atwood, 
Josephus  Good,  Wiliam  Mulleinx  and  Town- 
send,  who  proved  to  be  an  imposter. 

Tlie  Roman  Catholics  held  their  first  mass 
in  tliis  town  in  the  school  house  soon  after  it 
was  built.  Father  Joseph  Hyneck  was  tlie  first 
priest.  In  187.3  they  erected  a  church,  located 
near  the  school  house.  Father  Martin  Bui  in 
was  priest  at  the  time  the  church  was  in  course 
of  erection.  In  188-t  Father  Anton  Slama  was 
serving  the  Church. 

The  United  Brethren  held  services  in  the  school 
house  on  section  17  in  1876.  Adam  Shanbough 
was  the  first  preacher;  he  organized  a  class  that 
year,  consisting  of  twelve  n\embers:  James 
McKitrick  and  wife,  Myron  Van  Deausen  and 
wife,  John  Van  Deausen  and  wife,  Rebecca  and 
Amanda  Harness.  James  McKitrick  was  stew- 
ard and  class  leader.  The  following  are  among 
the  number  of  preachers  employed:  Rev.  D. 
K.  Young,  Rev.  Pound,  Rev.  Charles  Hibbard, 
Rev.  William  Smith  and  Rev.  E.  Casper. 


The  first  religious  services  in  the  southwest- 
ern part  of  tlie  town  were  held  in  the  log  school 
house  on  section  30  by  John  Crandall,  a  Baptist 
minister  who  organized  a  society  of  twenty 
members,  who  worshipped  in  the  new  log 
school  house.  A  branch  of  this  society  liave  a 
church  in  the  town  of  Stark. 

DISCONTINUED    POSTOFFICES. 

What  was  known  as  Muncie  postoftice  was 
established  in  1862.  Jacob  N.  Poornian  was 
appointed  postmaster  and  kept  the  oftice  at  his 
house.  It  was  on  the  mail  route  froraTomah  to 
Orion.  Mr.  Poorman  resigned  in  1870  and  the 
otfice  was  then  discontinued.  A  year  later  Robert 
Robinson  was  appointed  postmaster  and  held  the 
office  at  his  place  on  section  27.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Isaac  Smith. 

Goole  postoftice  was  established  in  1^57.  J. 
C.  Cooper  was  appointed  as  postmaster  and  kept 
the  oftice  at  his  place  on  section  3.  He  was 
succeeded  during  the  war  by  D.  C.  Bui  dick, 
who  lived  on  section  12.  J.  B.  Eastman  suc- 
ceeded liim.  The  oflice  was  finally  removed  to 
the  town  of  Forest. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  first  cemetery  of  the  town  is  the  one 
situated  on  section  30,  known  the  Newburn 
Cemetery.  Another  burying  place  is  located  on 
section  32  at  the  "cross  roads." 

SKETCHES  OF  PEOSIINENT    CITIZENS. 

Robert  Butcher  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Union  town.  He  was  born  in  Lancastershire, 
Elngland,  in  1829.  When  twelve  years  of  age, 
liis  parents  left  their  native  land  for  America, 
and  made  a  settlement  in  Carroll  Co.,  Ohio. 
There  the  father  bought  a  piece  of  timber  land, 
and  Robert  assisted  him  in  converting  it  into 
a  good  farm.  In  1855  he  married  Fi-ances 
Marshall,  and  in  the  fall  of  1856,  leaded  up 
their  household  ett'ects  and  shipped  by  rail  to 
Lone  Rock,  Wis.  Mrs.  Butcher,  being  weakly, 
took  the  cars  for  Lone  Rock,  Wis.  Mr.  Butcher, 
Moses  Marshall  and  family  came  through  with 
a  two  horse  team,  driving  some  stock  before 
them.     They  were   thirty  days  making  the  trip 


668 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


from  Carroll  county  lo  Bad  Ax  Co.,  Wis.  They 
settled  on  xection  o,  of  town  13  north,  of  range 
1  west,  on  land  that  had  been  entered  the  year 
previous.  Mr.  Butcher  immediately  built  a 
log  house,  16x18  feet  in  dimensions,  in  which 
the  family  lived  several  j^ears.  He  has  im- 
proved his  farm,  and  taken  an  active  interest  in 
town  affairs.  He  has  served  as  chairmm  of  the 
board  of  town  trustees,  town  treasurer,  and  at 
pres  lit  is  town  clerk,  a  position  to  which  he  has 
been  elected  for  ten  .successive  terras.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Butcher  have  been  bles^sed  with  eiglit 
cliildren,  seven  livi  g — Joseph  M.,  Elizabctli  P., 
Isaiah  M.,  Joim  J.,  Henry  S.,  Katie  and  Charles 
G.  and  Mary  M.  Elizabeth,  the  eldest  daugli- 
ter,  was  married  to  William  McFarland,  and 
died  when  twenty-five  years  of  age. 

William  Di.xon  first  visited  this  county  in 
18o5,  and  made  a  permanent  .settlement  in 
Union  town,  in  1856.  He  was  born  in  England, 
Aug.  7,  1817.  His  parents  were  of  Scotch 
nativity,  and  had  lived  in  England  but  a  short 
time.  In  1828  they  emigrated  to  America  and 
settled  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  William 
grew  to  manhood.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
was  apprenticed  to  a  blacksmith  to  learn  the 
trade,  and  served  four  and  one-half  years.  Aftei' 
working  as  a  "jour"  for  a  short  time,  he  went 
to  Troy,  N.  Y  and  opened  a  machine  shop, 
which  he  operated  two  years.  After  two  years 
at  his  trade  in  Fultonville,  Montgomery  county, 
he  went  to  Waterville,  Oneida  county,  and  there 
bought  town  property.  Failing  health  induceil 
him  to  seek  a  new  climate,  and  in  1855  he 
visited  Wisconsin.  Being  well  pleased  with 
the  county  of  Vernon,  he  entered  land  in  town 
13  north,  of  range  1  west,  now  known  as  Union 
town.  He  returned  to  New  York  and  .spent  the 
winter,  coming  out  again  in  the  spring  of  1856. 
A  year  and  a  half  later  he  went  back  to 
New  York,  this  time  to  dispose  of  property 
there.  He  returned  in  the  spring  of  185!),  and 
in  September  of  that  year  was  joined  by  his 
wife,  who  had  traveled  the  entire  distance 
alone.       They  settled  on  section  3,  where  they 


liave  since  resided.  Mr.  Dixon  has  been  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits,  principally,  but 
for  some  years  kept  a  stock  of  goods  at  his 
house,  and  supplied  the  early  settlers  wiili  the 
necessities  of  life.  He  was  married  at  Water- 
ford,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  7,  1848,  to 
Miranda  Clapper,  a  native  of  Kinderhook, 
Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  are  the  parents  of 
two  children — Jessie  and  Seward. 

.John  B.  Eastman  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Vernon  county.  He  was  born  among  the  rock 
ribbed  hills  of  New  Hampshire,  Feb.  6,  1824. 
When  six  years  of  age,  lie  accompanied  his 
father's  family  to  Vermont,  settling  at  Norwich, 
where  John  was  reared  and  educated.  When 
nineteen  years  of  age,  be  went  to  Lowell,  Mass., 
and  was  there  employed  as  a  watchman  on  the 
Merrimac  corporation  for  two  years.  Four  years 
later,  he  went  to  Clintonville,  now  Clinton,  Mass., 
and  secured  a  like  situation,  which  he  held  about 
two  years.  He  then  suffered  a  lameness  in  the  foot, 
and  was  disabled  from  work  until  1850.  In  that 
year,  he  returned  to  Vermont  on  a  visit,  and 
again  coming  to  Lowell,'  open  a  variety  store. 
He  continued  this  for  two  years,  then  gave  the 
charge  of  the  store  to  his  wife,  who  had  been 
his  assistant,  and  embarked  in  the  restaurant 
business".  He  disposed  of  his  stock  in  the  fall 
of  1855,  and  started  west  to  find  a  new  location 
for  a  home.  He  stopped  a  short  time  with  an 
aunt  in  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  and  from  there,  his 
uncle  accompanied  him  to  Bad  Ax,  (now  Ver- 
non) county,  where  he  bought  land  on  sections 
1  and  12,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Union. 
He  then  returned  to  Massachusetts,  and  April 
4,  1856,  started  with  his  family  for  their  new 
home.  He  arrived  at  Albany,  Green  Co.,  Wis., 
on  ihe  11th  day  of  April,  and  sometime  in  May, 
his  brother,  Ebenezer,  and  family,  arrived  from 
New  York.  In  June  the  two  brothers  visited 
their  new  location,  and  built  a  log  cabin  12x14 
feet  in  size  and  covered  with  bark.  They  then 
returned  to  Green  county,  and  remained  there 
until  in  September.  The  last  of  that  month  the 
two  brothers  and  their  families  started  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


669 


new  borne,  and  arrived  the  first  day  in  October. 
They  stopped  over  night  with  J.  C.  Cooper,  and 
in  the  morning  removed  their  household  goods  to 
their  own  cabin.  A  few  nights  after  it  com- 
menced to  rain  very  hanl,  and  the  water  poured 
down  inside  as  well  as  out.  Mr.  Eislman  held 
an  umbrella  over  the  children;  about  this  time 
a  voice,  calling  for  admittance,  was  heard  above 
the  storm.  Its  owner  was  admitted  and  proved 
to  be  George  Jepson.  The  storm  lasted  the  en- 
tire night,  and  the  new-comer  was  forced  to 
stand  upright  under  a  piece-of  bark  during  the 
long  hours  till  the  dawn.  The  entire  assem- 
blage were  very  damp  the  ne.xt  day,  but  the  sun 
came  out,  and  with  the  wind  as  an  assistant, 
soon  dried  their  clothes,  and  no  sickness  or  evil 
effects  followed  this  long  to  be  remembered 
drenching.  Mr.  Eastman  commenced  to  build 
a  house  for  himself  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
moved  his  family  into  it  on  the  19th  of  Novem- 
ber. On  that  same  day  snow  commenced  falling, 
and  ui  the  morning  the  ground  was  covered 
with  a  mantle  of  white,  two  feet  in  depth.  Be- 
fore this  disappeared,  other  snows  followed,  and 
through  the  winter  measured  five  feet  in  depth, 
not  entirely  disappearing  until  spiing.  The 
new-comers  passed  their  first  winter  in  the  rude 
structure  of  logs,  and  tried  to  be  happy  and  con- 
tented. When  spring  opened,  John  B.  com- 
menced clearing  his  land,  which  was  heavily 
timbered,  aii<l  finally  succeeded,  by  hard  and 
unceasing  toil,  in  improving  a  fine  farm.  The 
family  resided  in  their  first  log  house  until  1875, 
when  he  erected  the  present  frame  residence. 
In  early  life,  Mr.  Eastman  kept  a  stock  of  goods 
at  his  house,  and  carried  on  quite  a  trade  with 
the  earlier  settlers.  He  was  elected  town  clerk, 
trustee,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  filled  various 
other  offices.  He  died  Aug.  21,  1!?76,  leaving  a 
large  circle  of  acquaintances  toniourn  his  death. 
One  son,  George  H.,  was  born  in  Southboro, 
Mass.,  March  21,  1850.  He  has  ahvays  resided 
with  his'parents,  receiving  his  education  in  the 
district  school.  He  was  joined  in  marriage, 
Oct.  28,  1S74,  to  Martha,  daughter  of  Rev.  John 


and  Permelia  (Davidson)  Markee.  Four  chil- 
dren have  blessed  tiiis  union — Miranda,  Grace, 
Permelia  and  Edith.  .Mr.  Eastman  oecui)ies 
the  old  homestead  in  company  with  his  mother. 
On  Jan.  2ii,  1869,  John  B.  Eastman  took  a  boy 
to  raise.  He  was  Samuel  D.  Lowman,  aged  two 
and  a  half  years,  and  during  his  stay  in  the 
family  has  proven  to  be  good,  honest  and  steady 
in  whatever  he  has  done.  He  is  now  attending 
school  at  Ontirio. 

Hugh  Kerr  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Union 
town  and  a  prominent  farmer  of  this  section  of 
Vernon  county.  He  is  of  Scotch  descent,  but 
was  born  in  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  April  15, 
1827.  He  was  there  I'aised  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, receiving  only  a  moderate  education. 
When  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  came  to 
America  and  stopped  for  a  few  months  at 
Smith's  Falls  in  the  province  of  Ontario.  From 
there  he  went  to  Belmont  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he 
was  joined  in  marriage,  in  1853,  to  Angeline  S., 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Scott)  Milligan. 
That  same  fall  they  went  to  West  Virginia  and 
spent  one  year.  They  then  returned  to  Ohio, 
and  in  1857  came  to  Vernon  county.  Mr.  Kerr 
purchased  a  tract  of  timber  land  on  section  .31, 
town  13  north,  of  range  1  west,  now  known  as 
the  town  of  Union.  There  were  three  acres  of 
this  land  partially  cleared,  in  the  center  of 
which  was  a  small  log  cabin.  The  year  fol- 
lowing Mr.  Kerr  built  a  hewed  log  house,  in 
which  the  family  lived  until  1874,  when  he 
erected  his  present  commodious  frame  resi- 
dence. His  farm  now  comprises  218  acres, 
100  of  which  are  under  good  cultivation,  and 
the  entire  farm  is  considered  one  of  the  best  in 
the  town.  Mr.  Kerr  is  a  man  well  read  and 
thoroughly  posted  on  all  questions  of  the  d:>y, 
and  highly  respected  by  a  large  circle  of  ac- 
quaintances. Himself  and  wife  are  the  parents 
of  four  children —Eliza  J.,  wife  of  Harvey  J. 
Eastman  ;  Robert  A.,  a  graduate  of  Rush  Medi- 
cal College,  of  Chicago,  and  now  practicing 
medicine  at  Peoria,  III.  ;    John  J.  and  Homer  I. 


i:70 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


T.  S.  Jordan,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Union  town,  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  born  near 
Richmond,  Wayne  county,  in  December,  1827. 
Hi.s  father,  James  Jordan,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  his  mother,  of  Tennessee.  In 
1833,  at  about  the  time  of  the  well  remembered 
"Indian  scare,"  they  removed  to  Illinois  and 
located  at  Reed's  Grove,  where  the  settlers 
found  it  necessary  to  work  under  protection  of 
a  strong  guard.  James  Jordan  attended  the 
first  land  sale  at  the  then  small  village  of 
Chicago,  and  entered  the  present  site  of  the 
city  of  Joliet.  After  three  years  in  his  new 
liome,  he  sold  his  property  and  returned  to 
Indiana,  that  his  children  might  enjoy  better 
educational  facilities.  He  located  at  Blounts- 
ville,  Henry  county,  erected  a  hotel  and  also 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  Three  years 
later  he  went  to  Greenville,  Delaware  county,  in 
tlie  "Hoosier  State,"  and  was  landlord  of  a 
hotel  for  one  year  ;  then  purchased  and  cleared 
a  farm  in  Well's  county.  He  finally  removed 
to  Leesburg,  Kosciusko  county,  where  he  bought 
town  property  and  where  his  wife  died  in 
1844.  After  the  death  of  his  mother,  T.  S.  com- 
menced life  for  himself.  He  readily  secured 
employment  as  a  farm  laborer  in  Delaware 
county  and  was  there  married,  in  1848,  to 
Martha  J.  Babb,  a  native  of  Clinton  Co.,  Ohio. 
He  resided  in  Delaware  county  ten  years  after 
his  marriage,  and  in  1858  removed  to  Bad  Ax 
(now  Vernon)  county  and  bought  land  on  sec- 
tion 28,  of  town  13  north,  of  range  1  west. 
The  family  lived  in  their  "moving  wagons" 
until  a  cabin  was  erected,  in  which  they  resided 
until  1879,  at  which  date  Mr.  Jordan  erected 
a  comfortable  frame  dwelling  house.  He  has 
cleared  a  larger  proportion  of  his  first  pur- 
chase and  has  added  to  it  until  he  now  owns 
160  acres.  In  September,  1864,  he  enlisted  in 
company  I,  12th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teers ;  joined  Sherman's  army  at  Atlanta,  Ga., 
and  participated  in  the  march  to  the  sea,  and 
northward  through  the  Carolinas.  He  was  honor- 
ably  discharged    May    31,   1865,  and  returning 


home,  resumed  his  farming  operations.  Mr. 
Jordan  has  been  prominent  in  town  affairs.  He 
was  elected  superintendent  of  schools  in  1860, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  town  trustees 
for  ten  successive  years.  In  1876  he  was 
the  elected  choice  of  the  people  for  the  State 
Legislative  Assembly,  and  served  one  term. 
Mr-  and  Mrs.  Jordan  have  four  children — 
Wesley  S.,  Ann  Eliza,  LeRoy  and  Clara  Bell.  A 
brother  of  Mr.  Jordon,  James  M.,  was  born  in 
Madison  Co.,  Ind.,  in  May,  1830.  He  was  but 
fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  mother  died. 
He  then  started  out  for  himself.  He  was  em- 
ployed in  farming  in  the  States  of  Indiana, 
Michigan  and  Ohio.  He  was  joined  in  marriage, 
in  December,  1851,  to  Mary  Ann  Babb,  who 
was  born  in  Clinton  Co.,  Ohio.  They  settled 
in  Delaware  Co.,  Ind.  In  1854,  in  company 
with  his  brother,  T.  S.,  he  came  to  Wisconsin 
and  visited  Bad  Ax  county,  but  made  no  claim. 
He  returned  to  Indiana  and  remained  in  Dela- 
ware county  until  1858,  when  he  came  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother  and  bought  land  on  sec- 
tion 28,  of  town  13  north,  of  range  1  west.  lie 
first  built  a  log  cabin,  19x21  feet  in  size,  with  a 
stone  chimney  at  the  end  (southern  style).  As 
they  had  no  stove,  his  wife  cooked  their  food 
in  the  fire  place  for  five  years.  They  lived  in 
a  log  house  about  five  years,  then  built  a  frame 
house,  in  which  they  now  reside.  They  have 
five  children — Alpheus  T.,  Timothy  S.,  Emory 
G.,  Joseph  C.  and  Lydia  B.  Their  son,  Oliver 
B.,  was  born  July  10,  1854,  and  died  in  Min- 
nesota in  December,  1878.  David  B.  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Jordon  has  been  a  successful 
farmer.  He  has  added  to  his  possessions  by 
buying  laud  adjoining,  and  now  has  160  acres 
in  a  body,  which  was  formerly  heavily  tim- 
bered, but  a  great  portion  of  which  is  now  in 
a  good  state  of  cultivation. 

Isaac  D.  Poorman  owns  240  acres  on  sections 
29  and  32,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Union 
town  since  1861.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Jacob 
N.  and  Eliza  (Babb)  Poorman,  and  was  born  in 
Delaware  Co.,  Ind.,  Sept.,  30,  1843.     His   early 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


671 


life  was  spent  at  school  and  on  the  farm,  and  in 
1861  lie  accompanied  his  parents  to  Vernon 
countJ^  On  Nov.  21,  1S63,  he  enlisted  in  the 
2d  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  company  G,  and  served 
under  Gen.  Sherman  and  Maj.-Gen.  Thomas  nn- 
til  the  close  of  the  war.  Ho  was  discharged  in 
December,  1S65,  and  in  i867  was  married  to 
Mary  A.  Smith,  also  a  native  of  Delaware  Co., 
In<l.  He  then  settled  on  section  32,  where  he 
is  engaged  in  raising  grain,  especially  wheat 
and  clover,  and  is  also  deeply  interested  in 
the  improvement  of  the  stock  in  this  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poorman  are  the  parents  of  five 
children — Rosetta  May,  Almeda,  Eliza  Bird  and 
Alma  Rcrtlia,  twins,  and  Brud. 

Jacob  N.  Poorman  is  a  native  of  the  "Key- 
stone State,"  and  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1861. 
He  located  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  this 
town,  forty  acres  of  which  are  located  on  sec- 
tions 21,  22,27  and  28  respectively.  He  was 
born  in  Franklin  Co.,Penn.,  in  November,  1821. 
His  father,  Daniel  Poorman,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  died  in  1824. 
When  Jacob  was  but  seven  years  of  age  his 
mother  removed  to  Montgomery  Co.,  Ohio,  and 
in  18-10  settled  in  Delaware  Co.,  Ind.  He  was 
there  married  in  1841  to  Eliza  Babb,  a  native  of 
Clinton  t'o.,  Ohio.  He  bought  a  piece  of  land 
in  Delaware  county,  and  cleared  up  a  farm,  liv- 
ing tlieie  until  1861.  His  mother  hail  died  in 
Indiana  aboul  1841.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poorman 
have  been  blessed  with  thirteen  children,  nine 
of  whom  are  living — Mary  S.,  Isaac  D.,  Barbara 
E.,  Susan,  Martha  J.,  Laura  E.,  Sarah  C,  Eli  S., 
Louisa  H.,  William  II.  and  Benjamin  F.,  (twins), 
Margaret  C.  and  Jacob  L.  Sarah  C.  was  born 
Nov.  9,  1850,  aiid'died  Aug.  26,  1851.  Margaret 
C.  was  born  Nov.  24,  1860,  and  died  April  V, 
1861.  Martha  J.  was  born  March  4,  1848,  and 
died  Oct.  i:^,  1868.  Louisa  B.  was  born  Sept.  3, 
1854,  and  died  Aug.  23,  1877.  Mrs.  Poorman 
deparied  this  life  Aug.  7,  1883. 

A.  James  Mclvitrick  settled  in  Union  town 
in  1861.  He  was  born  at  Deerfield,  Morgan  Co., 
Ohio,  Jan,    14,    1838,     His  younger   days    were 


spent  alternately  at  school  and  on  the  farm. 
He  was  married  in  1859  to  Martha  A.  Berry, 
born  in  Deertield  township,  Morgan  county, 
Feb.  13,  1842.  Thev  remained  in  their  native 
county  until  1861,  when  they  came  to  Vernon 
county,  and  Mr.  McKitrick  purchased  land  on 
sections  17  and  1^^,  building-  a  log  cabin  on  the 
former  section.  He  lived  in  that  primitive 
abode  until  1879,  when  he  erected  on  section  18 
his  present  residence.  He  has  made  extensive 
improvements  on  his  land,  and  now  owns  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  town.  Mrs.  McKitrick  died 
June  12,  1883,  leaving  six  children — Irwin  E., 
Clarence  W.,  Elva  May,  Bertrand  Dupree, 
Laura  E.  and  Stella  J. 

David  Sabin  settled  on  his  present  farm  in 
1861.  He  came  from  Richland  county,  and 
purchased  land  on  sections  27  and  28,  and  im- 
mediately commenced  to  clear  a  farm.  He 
built  a  good  two  story  hewed  log  house,  which 
he  still  occupies.  He  was  born  in  Washington 
Co.,  Penn.,  Sept.  17,  1831.  When  he  was  eight 
years  old  his  parents  removed  to  Ohio  and  set- 
tled in  Knox  county,  where  his  mother  died  four 
years  later.  When  he  was  fourteen  years  old 
his  father  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  in 
Blackford  county,  where  he  soon  after  broke 
u])  housekeeping,  and  David  then  started  out  for 
himself.  He  found  employment  among  the 
farmers  of  Delaware  county,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood.  He  was  there  married  in  January, 
1854,  to  Matilda  Babb,  who  was  born  in  Clinton 
Co.,  Ohio  He  bought  a  farm  there,  on  which 
they  lived  until  1858,  when  he  sold  and  came 
to  Wisconsin  and  settled  in  Richland  county. 
He  bought  land  on  Mill  creek,  built  a  log  house 
and  remained  there  until  1861,  when  he  soldand 
came  to  Bad  Ax  county,  as  before  stated.  His 
farm  now  contains  160  acres.  They  have  nine 
children — William  C,  John  B.,  Emma  II.,  Eli 
D.,  Oliver  C,  Anna,  Daniel  A.,  Mary  E.,  Rose  B. 
and  Alia  A.  Annie  was  born  May  14,  1861,  and 
died  Oct  16,  1878. 

Lorenzo  F.  Chesbro  settled  on  his  land  in 
1875.     The  farm    is  located    on  section    9   and 


(;72 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


wlien  he  bought  it  was  covered  with  timber. 
He  has  built  a  good  log  house  and  has  cleared 
quite  a  large  tract.  He  is  a  native  of  this  State, 
born  in  Calumet  county,  Marcli  31,  1848.  His 
father,  whose  name  was  Nicholas  V.,  was  born 
in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  settled  in  Calumet 
county  in  1844  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  that  county.  He  then  bought  land  in  the 
town  of  Chilton,  cleared  a  farm  and  now  makes 
that  his  home.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
there  reared  to  manhood,  receiving  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools.  He  made  his  home 
tliere  with  liis  parents  until  1870,  when  lie  came 
to  Vernon  county.  He  was  married  in  Janu- 
ary, 1871,  to  Mary  J.,  daughter  of  James  Mc- 
Coy. Three  children  have  blessed  this  union — 
Lorenzo  Franklin,  Walter  and  Charles.  His 
cousin,  Henry  A.,  son  of  Lorenzo  F.  Chesbro, 
Sr.,  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  .'5, 
'  1800.  He  attended  school  there  until  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  then  went  to  Pennsylvania 
with  his  parents  and  subsequently  lived  with 
them  in  Kansas  and  Missouri.  He  came  to 
Vernon  county  in  1883  and  hxs  since  made  his 
home  with  his  cousin,  Lorenzo  F.  Chesbro. 

Philip  F.  Steinmetz,  a  member  of  the  board 
of  supervisors,  has  resided  here  since  1875.  He 
was  born  in  Union  Co.,  Penn.,  March  7,  1841. 
He  received  a  fair  education  in  the  district 
schools,  supplemented  with  a-course  of  study  at 
the  Lewisburg  University.  He  enlisted  Aug. 
20,  1862,  in  company  E,  142d  regiment,  Penn- 
svlvania  Volunteers,  and  was  severely  wounded 
at  the  battle  -of  Fredericksburg,  Dec.  13,  1862. 
He  was  sent  to  the  hospital  and  discharged 
from  the  service  March  9,  1863,  on  account  of 
disability.  He  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and 
in  1864  located  in  Sandusky  Co.,  Ohio,  and 
from  thence  to  Seneca  county,  the  same  State, 
where  he  was  married  in  1868  to  Dorotha  Salo- 
ma  Krauss.  They  remained  in  Seneca  county 
until  1875,  when  they  came  to  Vernon  county 
and  Mr.  Steinmetz  purchased  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  I'-',  town  of  Union.  The  land 
was  covered  v/itb    a  heavy  growth    of   timber, 


and  he  has  cleared  several  acres,  set  out  an 
orchard  of  apple  trees,  whicli  have  com- 
menced bearing,  also  paid  some  attention  to 
grapes  and  other  small  fruit.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Steinmetz  are  the  parents  of  seven  living  chil- 
dren— .Mary  E.,  John  A.,  Charles  H.,  Samuel  E., 
William  P.,  Emory  A.  and  Oscar  E. 

George  W.  Hamilton  settled  in  this  town  in 
1878.  He  purchased  timber  land  on  sections  19 
and  20  and  began  to  clear  a  farm.  He  ^as  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  June  2,  1826,  his  father 
having  died  one  month  previous.  When  nine 
months  old  he  suffered  the  loss  of  his  best 
earthly  friend,  his  mother,  and  was  taken  in 
charge  by  an  aunt,  who  reared  him  to  manhood. 
He  was  sent  to  the  city  schools  and  when  ten 
years  of  age  accompanied  his  aunt  to  Delaware 
Co.,  Penn.,  where  he  reached  maturity.  At  tlie 
age  of  si-fteen  he  commenced  serving  a  four 
j^ears'  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter  trade. 
When  twenty  years  of  age  he  went  to  Balti- 
more, and  there  worked  at  his  trade  until  1846, 
when  he  enlisted  on  board  a  manof-svar  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States.  At  the  e.x;pi ration 
of  his  service  he  returned  to  Baltimore  and  re- 
sumed work  at  his  trade.  In  1850  he  went  to 
Ironton,  Lawrence  Co.,  Ohio,  and  opened  a 
store,  also  driving  a  w.agon  and  bartering 
groceries  for  produce.  In  1861  he  engaged  in 
the  United  States'  service  as  wagon-master  and 
served  in  the  same  capacity  in  West  Virginia 
for  two  years.  He  then  returned  to  Ironton  and 
resumed  business.  In  1864  he  enlisted  in  the 
173d  regiment,  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  com- 
pany K,  and  was  mustered  in  as  commissary 
sergeant.  He  was  promoted  to  a  second  lieu- 
tenacy,  serving  in  company  A  until  July,  1865. 
when  he  was  discharged  and  returned  to  Ohio 
and  settled  in  Gallia  county  on  land  he  liad  pur- 
chased in  1864.  He  resumed  his  trade  and  also 
engaged  in  farming  until  1878,  when  he  came 
to  Union  town,  and  now  owns  320  acres  of 
land,  a  large  portion  of  which  is  cleared.  He 
was  married  May  26,  1852,  to  Mrs.  .Mary  A. 
(Van  Horn)  Dearnion,  widowed  wife  of 
George  W.  Dearmon,  born  in  Ohio.  They  have 
two  adopted  sons — George  W.  Parnett  and 
Charlie  H.  Eaknian.  Mrs.  Hamilton  had  five 
childi'en  hy  her  former  husband,  three  of  whom 
are  living — John  P.,  Nancy  and  William  A. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


675 


CHAPTER    XLVIl 


VILLAGE  AND  TOWN  OF   VIROQUA. 


A  third  of  a  century  ago,  the  beautiful  and 
enterprising  village  of  Viroqua  had  its  origin. 
While  there  may  be  nothing  really  remarkable 
in  the  development  of  the  past,  or  anything 
peculiarly  striking  in  the  present,  still  there  is 
much  that  cannot  fail  to  he  of  interest  to  those 
who  have  been  closely  connected  and  identified 
with  the  city  in  all  the  various  changes  that 
have  occurred.  To  those  who  have  watched 
the  growth  and  progress  from  its  earliest 
origin,  when  Venioii  county,  then  called  Bad 
Ax,  was  but  a  wilderness,  until  the  present 
time,  the  acoomplishment  of  by-gone  days 
would  Seem  now  like  a  great  task,  but  it  is,  in 
fact,  the  sure  and  legitimate  results  of  an 
advanced  state  of  civilization. 

Viroqua  is  situated  in  the  civil  town  of  Viro- 
qua, a  little  southwest  of  the  center_  of  the 
countjr.  The  village  is  surrounded  by  some  of 
the  finest  and  most  productive  agricultural  and 
stock-raising  lands  in  the  western  part  of  the 
State,  which  is  a  guarantee  of  a  permanent  and 
ever  increasing  trade.  This  is  the  terminus  of 
the  Viroqua  and  Sparta  branch  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway,  and  therefore 
the  marketing  facilities  of  the  place  are  fully 
equal  to  the  necessities  of  the  communit}'. 

There  are  many  imposing  and  substantial 
brick  blocks  to  be  seen  upon  the  business  streets 
and  a  stroll  about  tlie  place  discloses  many  fine 
and  elegant  residences.  The  location  of  Viro- 
qua, being  upon  one  of  the  highest  eminences 
in  the  county,  is  exceedingly  healthy;  the  inhabi- 
tants are  possessed  of  high  intelligence,  and  the 


society  is  of  the    most   refined    and    desirable 
character. 

EARLY  DAYS. 

When  tlie  earliest  settlers  came  upon  the  site 
now  occupied  by  the  village  of  Viroqua  they 
found  a  most  inviting  spot.  As  it  is  expressed 
by  one  of  the  pioneers,  the  site  was  a  kind  of 
an  oak  opening,  interspersed  with  large  oak 
trees,  scattered  irregularly  over  the  surface. 
Adjacent  to  the  north  laid  the  fertile  Round 
Prairie  —  as  inviting  a  spot  as  could  be 
found  in  the  west.  The  very  first  settlement 
uiion  the  site  was  made  by  Moses  Decker.  In 
1846  he  came  here  prospecting  and  selected  land 
whirh  is  described  as  the  east  half  of  the  south- 
easi  ([uarterof  section  32,  and  the  west  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  31,  town  13,  range 
4  west.  The  same  fall  his  sons  Solomon  and 
Reasoner  came  and  erected  the  first  building 
upon  the  site  of  the  village.  They  also  did 
some  breaking  and  began  other  improvements 
upon  the  land.  The  log  cabin  which  they  erected 
stood  about  where  the  door-yard  or  garden,  sur- 
rounding the  present  brick  cottage  of  James  H. 
Layne,  now  is.  After  attending  to  these  im- 
provements, the  boys  returned  to  Illinois, 
from  whence  they  had  come.  In  the  following 
year,  1847,  the  whole  family  came  and  moved 
into  the  building  that  had  been  erected.  In 
1850  Moses  Decker  erected  another  building 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  first  one.  This  was  of 
hewn  logs.  Although  much  improved,  having 
been  weather-boarded,  this  building  is  still 
standing,  the  oldest  building  in  the  place.  In 
1850  Mr.  Decker  had   the  original   village  sur- 


39 


676 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON   COUNTY. 


veyed  and  platted  into  lots  and  blocks  by  Sam- 
uel MoMichael.  A  brief  notice  of  Mr.  Decker's 
life  will  doubtless  be  of  interest: 

Moses  Decker,  tlie  first  settler  on  the  plat  of 
the  village  of  Viroqiia,  was  born  in  Orange  Co., 
N.  Y.,  of  German  pirentage.  He  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio,  when  a 
boy,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  Reasoner,  subsequently  re- 
moving with  his  family  to  Mercer  Co.,  111.  He 
had  a  family  of  fourteen  children,  eight  of 
whom,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  are  living. 
Josei^h  and  Menry,  the  two  eldest  sons,  reside 
in  Ohio."  Solomon,  who  had  grown  to  manhood 
when  the  family  came  to  Viroqua,  and  where 
he  lived  for  many  years,  is  now  in  California. 
Lewis  R.,  or  "Dede,"  as  he  is  familiarly  known, 
is  in  Stevens,  Minn.  Tiioraas  J.,  the  youngest 
son,  is  now  in  Kansas.  The  daughters  are:  Eliza 
J.,  wife  of  Ira  Stevens,  of  Victory,in  this  county; 
Sarah  A.  is  the  wife  George  Nicholas,  of  Chain 
Lakes,  Minn.,  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Owen 
Rice,  of  California. 

In  the  meantime,  in  1850,  Rufus  Dunlap 
had  come  from  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  He  brought 
with  him  a  large  family  and  the  remainder  of  a 
stock  of  goods,  coming  across  the  country  by 
way  of  Baraboo,  with  teams.  He  purchased 
two  acres  of  ground  where  the  Park  Hotel  how 
stands  and  erected  a  log  building,  with  two 
wings.  In  this  building  he  placed  his  stock  of 
goods  and  opened  up  a  hotel  or  public  house. 
Duulap'.s  was  the  first  store  in  Viroqua.  He 
kept  dry  goods,  occasionally  groceries,  and  a 
stock  of  crockery  ware  lasted  from  the  time  he 
went  in  business  until  the  time  of  his  death  in 
1858. 

In  1850  Orin  Wisel  came  to  Viroqua  from 
near  Liberty  Pole,  in  the  town  of  Franklin, 
where  he  had  made  a  claim.  He  put  up  a  board 
shanty  a  few  feet  north  of  where  the  rremont 
Hotel  now  stands,  hauling  lumber  from  the  saw 
mill  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo.  He  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  and  opened  a  shop, 
here,       which       he      continued     for    a    short 


time,  and  then  removed  to  Readstown.  He 
was  a  strong  democrat,  quite  a  politician,  and 
was  elected  the  first  county  clerk  and  clerk  of 
the  circuit"  court  of  Bad  Ax  county. 

During  the  same  year,  1850,  Moses  Decker 
erected  the  old  school,  meeting  and  court  house, 
which  stood  upon  lots  now  occupied  by  the  Wil- 
liams Block.  This  little  building  was  the  scene 
of  all  public  doings  in  early  days;  it  was  used 
for  schools,  dances,  religious  services  and  as  a 
court  house.  It  is  fully  described  in  the  chapter 
upon  the  courts  of  the  county,  the  first  term 
of  court  having  been  held  in  it. 

In  August,  1851,  the  entire  population  of  the 
village'  consisted  of  the  families  of  Moses 
Decker,  Rufus  Dunlap  and  Orin  Wisel. 

During  this  month  William  V.  Terhune,  the 
first  educated  lawyer  in  the  county,  came  with 
his  wife  and  hicated  in  the  village.  He  at  once 
became  a  leading  spirit  among  the  settlers 
While  the  county  had  been  organized,  yet  the 
wheels  of  county  goverment  had  not  yet  been 
fairly  put  in  motion.  He  became  a  sort  of  deputy 
for  the  county  at  large,  opening  the  books  for 
the  various  offices  and  otherwise  perfecting  the 
SJ^stem  of  county  government.  Mrs.  Terhune 
opened  a  subscription  school  in  the  little  log 
court  house. 

During  the  same  fall,  for  the  accomodation 
of  Judge  Terhune,  Isaac  and  Solomon  Decker 
erected  a  small  building  about  12x10  feet  in 
size,  which  stood  upon  the  lot  now  occupied  by 
the  Proctor  &  Tollefson  bnihling.  This  was 
the  first  frame  building  erected  in  the  village. 
Judge  Terhune  occupied  the  building  as  a  resi- 
dence during  the  following  winter.  This  build- 
ing was  afterwards  removed  to  the  corner 
where  now  stands  the  Tremont  Hotel,  and  was 
used  as  an  addition  to  that  building. 

In  the  fall  of  1851  William  A.  HuUanl  moved 
into  the  village  and  took  up  his  residence  here. 

During  the  ensuing  spring,  of  1852,  Henry 
Nichols,  S.  C.  Lincoln  and  Gilbert  Ilerrick  all 
moved  into  the  village. 


HISTORY  OF  VEKNON  COUNTY. 


677 


During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1852,  the 
building  for  years  known  as  the  Buckeye  House 
was  erected  by  Terhune  &  Bullard.  This  was 
the  first  frame  building  of  any  size  erected  in 
the  county.  It  was  constructed  of  the  old  tim- 
ber or  barn  like  frame.  A  number  of  the  old 
settlers,  among  whom  were  James  Foster,  S.  C. 
].iincoln,  Cyrus  Gillett,  Rufus  Gillett,  Gilbert 
Herrick  and  others,  worked  upon  the  building 
under  the  direction  of  John  Longley  and  W.  A. 
Bull.ird,  who  might  he  called  quasi  carpenters. 
In  those  days  there  were  no  genuine  carpenters; 
but  any  one  who  could  handle  a  maul  or  drive 
a  nail,  worked  at  the  trade.  The  lumber  was 
drawn  from  Readstown,  on  the  Kickapoo,  where 
a  saw-mil!  had  been  erected  by  Daniel  Read. 
The  building  stood  upon  the  corner  directly 
north  of  the  present  store  of  Clarke  Brothers. 
The  building  was  occupied  as  a  tavern  with  a 
wing  attached  for  a  law  office  until  1854,  when 
the  front  part,  was  rented  to  McAuley  &  Mc- 
Cormick  for  a  store.  They  occupied  it  for  a 
time,  then  Bullard  sold  his  interest  in  the  build- 
ing to  Dr.  James  Rusk,  who  occupied  part  ol 
the  building  a'ld  Judge  Terhune  the  balance. 
This  continued  until  about  18G:i,  when  Rusl 
bought  Terhune's  interest.  After  the  decease 
of  Dr.  Rusk,  lion.  Carson  Graham  bought  the 
building  and  owned  it  until  it  was  burned  to 
the  ground,  in  1878.  Mrs.  Carson  Graham 
still  owns  the  lot  upon  which  tlie  building  stood. 

Eai'ly  in  the  spring  of  1853  a  man  named 
Trott  came  to  the  village  and  bought  the  lot 
which  is  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of  Mrs. 
Randall.  Upon  this  he  erected  a  small  dwell- 
ing house;  it  was  frame,  boarded  up  and  down 
and  battened. 

During  1854  the_  meagre  settlement  of  Viro- 
qua  received  a  number  of  additions.  Among 
those  who  came  were:  James  E.  Newell,  Israel 
and  Aaron  White,  William  Huntington,  Joseph 
Buckley,  Johnson.  Smith,  J.  B.  Glassforl, 
Thomas  Crawford  and  Arza  and  John  Strait 
J.  E..  Newell  erected  a  building  which  stoid 
just  back   of   where   J.  H.  Tates   store   ni  w  is. 


Israel  White  came  from  Ohio,  and  died  about 
ten  days  after  his  arrival.  His  son,  Aaron, 
erected  a  store  building  upon  the  corner  opposite 
the  Park  Hotel;  he  also  purchased  a  building 
tliat  had  been  erected  by  William  Huntington. 
Joseph  Buckley  erected  a  dwelling  house  where 
William  Taylor  now  lives,  which  was  destroyed 
by  the  tornado.  Johnson  Smith  came  in  May, 
1854,  and  built  a  dwelling  and  store  where* 
Layne's  machinery  depot  is  now  located.  J. 
B.  Glassford  bought  a  building  that  had  been 
erected  by  Thomas  Crawford,  and  put  up  a 
little  store  upon  the  lot  now  occupied  by  Peter 
Nelson's  grocery.  Arza  Strait  came  from  Ohio; 
he  erecteda  little  building  near  the  center  of 
block  14.  The  dingy  little  room  which  the 
building  contained,  was  the  scene  of  many 
rough  times  in  early  days.  John  Strait  came 
at  about  the  same  time  as  did  Arza,  and  erected 
a  little  house  where  the  widow  Day  now  lives. 
He  died  there. 

Since  1854  the  growth  of  Viroqua  has  been 
steady  and  sure.  It  has  met  and  out  lived  all 
the  difficulties  which  have  in  times  past  impeded 
the  growth  of  this  country.  The  crash  of  1857; 
the  hard  times  of  the  war  during  the  sixties, 
and  the  financial  panic  and  depression  of  1873; 
all  marked  epochs  or  mile  posts,  as  it  were,  in 
the  history  of  Viroqua,  as  a  village. 

In  1879  the  railroad  was  completed  to  Viro- 
qua, and  since  that  time  the  growth  of  the  vil- 
lage has  been  very  rapid .  The  track  was  com- 
pleted to  this  place  during  the  latter  part  of 
August,  and  the  first  train  reached  here  early  in 
September.  The  citizens  indulged  in  a  spirited 
celebration. 

BUSINESS    DEVELOPMENT. 

The  starting  point  in  the  business  life  of 
Viroqua  has  already  been  treated  at  length.  For 
many  years  the  stores  were  general  and  all  car- 
ried almost  every  class  of  goods,  but  as  the 
business  of  Viroqua  began  to  assume  larger 
proportions,  the  general  merchandise  began  to 
separate,  and  the  various  stores,  as  a  rule, 
handled  one  line  exclusively.       In  this  connec- 


678 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


tion  will  be  presented  a  history  of  each  of  the 
various  lines  of  trade,  giving  the  first  and  that 
in  1 -'84,  interwoven  with  the  personal  history 
of  some  of  the  most  prominent  business  men. 

The  first  general  merchandise  store  in  Viro- 
qua,  was  establislied  by  Rufus  Dunlap,  in  1850, 
as  has  been  stated. 

The  next  general  merchandise  store  was 
started  by  Henry  Nichols  &  Sons,  in  the  spring 
of  1852.  They  put  up  a  building  on  the  corner 
now  occupied  by  Clarke  Brothers'  store,  which 
was  the  first  store  building  erected  in  the  vil- 
lage. It  was  about  20x60  feet  in  size  and  one 
story  high.  This  firm  continued  in  business 
until  1857,  when  the  father  retired  and  the  sons 
under  the  firm  name  of  L.  W.  Nichols  & 
Brothers  continued  the  business  for  one  year. 
At  the  expiration  of  this  time  M.  C.  Nichols 
withdrew  and  bought  out  Powell  &  Dawson. 
Henry  Nichols  withdrew  and  started  a  store  at 
Liberty  Pole.  L.  W.  Nichols  conducted  the 
business  for  about  one  year,  when  he  removed 
the  stock  of  goods  to  the  Mississippi  river. 
About  two  years  later  lie  came  back  to  Viroqua 
and  became  the  partner  of  M.  C.  Nichols,  as 
Nichols  Brothers.  This  continued  for  about 
five  years,  when  he  moved  to  Iowa.  Later,  he 
returned  and  again  went  into  partnership,  re- 
maining until  1877,  when  he  went  to  Kansas, 
where  he  still  lives. 

Henry  Nichols,  one  of  the  pioneer  merchants 
of  Vernon  county,  was  a  native  of  Providence, 
R.  I.,  born  Nov.  22,  1790.  He  was  the  son 
of  a  sea  captain.  After  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  removed  with  his  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Burnham,  to  western  New 
I'ork.  From  there,  after  the  death  of  his 
mother,  he  removed  to  near  White  Pigeon, 
Mich.  There  he  was  married.  His  wife  lived 
but  a  few  years,  and  after  her  death,  he  removed 
with  his  only  child,  George  S.,  to  Ohio.  Leav- 
ing his  son  there  in  care  of  friends,  he  went  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  joined  the  Ashley  expedi- 
tion, which  was  sent  in  1823,  by  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company,   to  trap  for  furs  and  trade  with 


the  Indians  in  the  Rocky  mountain  region. 
About  fifty  men  started  on  the  expedition,  and 
after  spending  two  years  traveling  over  the 
whole  territory  between  the  Yellowstone  and 
Platte  rivers,  and  enduring  many  hardships  and 
privations,  and  having  many  conflicts  with 
hostile  Indians  and  wild  animals,  he,  with  but 
eighteen  others,  returned.  After  spending  a 
year  or  two  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  he  settled 
in  Hancock  Co.,  111.,  where  he  married  Delia 
Whitney,  a  daughter  of  Luther  Whitney,  with 
whom  he  lived  on  a  farm  near  Warsaw  until 
her  death,  which  occurred  in  1848.  During  his 
residence  there,  he  served  one  term  as  probate 
judge  of  the  county.  In  1849  he  moved  with 
his  family  to  Le  Claire,  Scott  Co.,  Iowa,  where 
he  commenced  his  mercantile  life.  In  1852  he 
moved  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  where,  with  his 
son  Luther,  under  the  firm  name  of  H.  Nichols 
&  Son,  he  started  the  pioneer  store  of  Viroqua. 
He  continued  in  business  until  1857,  when  he 
retired.  In  1856  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Lydia 
Van  Wagnen,  with  whom  he  lived  utitil  her 
de.ith  in  1870.  Jle  was  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  for  more  than  half  a 
century,  and  took  an  active  part  in  moral  and 
religious  work,  and  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-five  years,  loved  and  respected  by  all 
who  knew  him,  he  died  at  his  home  in  Viroqua, 
June  28,  1876. 

The  following  lines  appeared    in   the  Vernon 
County  Censor,  of  July  19,  1876: 
IN  MEMORY  OF  THE  LATE   HENRY   NICHOLS. 

BY  W.   HAXJOtHTEN. 

A  soldier  of  the  cross  long  tried; 

In  manhood  nobly  brave; 
The  helping  hand  to  none  denied, 

And  faithful  to  the  grave. 

Farewell!  To  us  a  sad  farewell — 

Dear  friendships  holy  claim; 
No  stain  upon  thy  recoid  fell, 

No  shadow  on  thy  name. 

We  shed  for  thee  no  hopeless  tears; 

We  would  not  stay  thy  flight; — 
For,  wearied  with  ihe  weight  of  yc.iis, 

Thine  was  a  glad  good-nigbl 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


679 


Good  night!— But  o'er  that  purple  sea, 

Beyond  the  shadowy  shore, 
A  cloudless  morning  breaks  for  thee. 

Where  storms  do  beat  no  more. 

Fiirevvcll,  till  in  that  land  we  meet. 

Where  no  sad  tear  is  shed; — 
Thy  work  was  done;  thy  rest  is  sweet, 

Blest  with  the  holy  dead. 

Kind  hands  were  near  thee  to  the  end, 
And  blessings  round  thee  fell; — 

Good  night,  O,  Father,  Christian,  Friend, 
A  long,  a  l.ist  fai-ewell." 

He  was  the  father  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom, 
excepting  George  S.,  were  born  in  Hancock  Co., 
III.  George  S.,  was  born  near  White  Pigeon, 
Mich.,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  in 
this  county,  in  1849.  He  served  four  years  in 
the  8th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, and  in  1866,  removed  to  Martin  Co.,  Minn., 
where  he  still  resides.  Chloe  died  in  childhooil. 
Sophronia  married  John  C.  Elliott,  and  moved 
to  Hamilton,  Butler  Co.,  Ohio,  where  she  died 
in  1856,  at  the  age  of  thirtj'  years.  Luther 
W.,  went  with  his  father  to  Iowa;  from 
there  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained  until 
until  1877,  when  he  moved  to  Speareville,  Kan., 
where  lie  now  resides.  He  was  married  in  1855, 
to  Almira  C.  White,  daughter  of  William  F. 
White,  one  of'  the  old  settlers  of  the  county. 
Henry  B.,  went  from  Iowa  to  California,  in 
1850;  from  there  to  Wisconsin  in  1854.  He  was 
married  in  1858,  to  Lizzie  Williams,  who  died 
a  few  years  aftei'ward.  In  1862  he  assisted  in 
raising  a  company  of  the  19th  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry;  was  commissioned 
second  lieutenant  and  was  subsequently  made 
captain.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  located 
at  Norfolk,  Va,  where  he  married  Sallie  A. 
Shipp,  and  where  lie  still  resides.  William 
died  in  boyhood.  Marshall  C,  is  the  only  one 
of  the  family  now  a  resident  of  Vernon  county, 
a  short  biography  of  whom  will  be  found  in 
another  page  of  this  history.  Mary  Ann  died 
in  Le  Claire,  Iowa,  in  1851.  Josephine  and 
Horatio  died  in  childhood. 


The  next  general  merchandise  store  estab- 
lished was  that  of  Dunlap  Brothers.  About 
1853  they  opened  up  a  stock  of  goods  in  a  tem- 
porary building  which  stood  about  where  the 
Park  Hotel  now  stands.  They  remained  in 
business  about  one  year,   when  they  closed  out. 

The  next  general  merchandise  establishment 
was  started  by  H.  W.  McAuley,  in  1854,  in  a 
building  which  had  been  erected  by  Terhune  & 
BuUard  upon  the  corner  just  north  of  that  occu- 
pied by  the  Nichols  store.  For  a  time  he  was 
in  partnership  with  George  McCormick,  and 
finally  closed  out. 

In  1855  Anson  Keeler  started  a  general  mer- 
chandise store  in  a  building  which  stood  where 
the  Buckeye  House  is  now  located.  He  ran  the 
business  alone  for  a  short  time,  when  he  associ- 
ated himself  with  others  under  the  firm  name 
of  Keeler,  Fowler  &  Co.  The  Co.,  being 
John  R.  Casson.  Willliam  C.  McMichael  was 
also  interested  in  the  business  for  a  time.  They 
were  finally  succeeded  by  H.  Greve,  who  con- 
tinued until  during  the  war,  when  he  closed  out 
his  stock.  He  went  from  here  to  Sparta,  and 
finally  to  St.  Paul,  where  he  has  become  very 
wealthy. 

Shortly  after,  or  about  the  same  time  that 
Keeler  started,  Johnson  Smith  opened  a  general 
merchandise  store  in  the  building  now  occu- 
pied by  Samuel  Layne  as  an  agricultural  imple- 
ment depot,  which  stands  just  opposite  the 
bank.  Smith  remained  in  business  until  he 
failed,  a  few  years  later. 

In  1865  Add  Clark,  then  of  Prairie  du  Chien, 
put  up  a  part  of  the  building  now  occupied  by 
J.  II.  Tate,  and  established  a  general  merchan- 
dise store.  He  remained  in  Ijusiness  about  two 
j  years,  wlien  he  sold  to  Isaac  Pennell,  who 
moved  across  the  street  and  purchased  a  build- 
ing which  stood  where  Brown's  furniture  store 
is  now  located.  Pennell  remained  in  business 
unil  1864,  at  which  time  lie  disjiosed  of  his 
stock.  ,1.  H.  Tate  secured  a  portion  of  the 
stock. 


680 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


At  about  the  same  time  Powell  &  Dawsou  es- 
tablished a  general  merchandise  store  in  the 
building  now  occupied  by  G.  W.  Morgan  as  a 
photograph  gallery.  In  the  summer  of  1858 
they  sold  to  M.  C.  Nichols,  who  remained  in 
the  same  building  three  years,  when  he  re- 
moved to  the  building  now  occupied  by  Peter 
Nelson's  grocery  store.  In  1873  he  removed  to 
the  building  now  occupied  by  the  Clarke  Broth- 
ers which  lie  had  erected.  He  continued  in  busi- 
ness until  1882,  when  he  sold  the  general  mer 
cbandise  department  to  the  Clarke  Brothers, 
and  continued  the  drug  business  one  year,  w  hen 
he  closed  that  out.  During  these  years  his 
brothers  were  at  different  times  in  partnership 
with  him. 

W.  F.  Lindemann  was  about  the  next  to  en- 
gage in  the  general  merchandise  business. 
About  the  lime  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
he  opened  up  a  slock  of  goods  iu  what  is  now 
the  postotfice  building.  He  is  still  in  trade  one 
door  south  of  the  postoffice  in  the  new  brick 
building  which  he  erected  a  few  years  ago. 
Melviu  Chase  is  now  his  partner,  the  business 
being  carried  on  under  the  firm  name  of  W.  F. 
Lindemann  &  Co. 

In  1864  J.  H.  Tate  established  a  general  mer- 
chandise store  in  the  building  which  had  been 
erected  by  Add  Clarke.  He  has  since  moved 
the  old  building  back  and  erected  the  store 
building  which  he  now  occupies;  still  carrying 
the  same  line  of  goods. 

In  1866  I.  K.  Buck  moved  in  town  from  his 
farm  and  started  a  general  merchandise  store  in 
the  back  part  of  the  building  now  occupied  by 
Smith  &  Lytic.  He  afterwards  erected  the 
front  part  of  the  building  and  continued  in 
business  until  1869,  when  he  sold  to  N.  McRie. 
This  gentleman  conducted  the  business  until 
1879,  when  he  closed  out  all  but  hardware  and 
drugs.  In  1883  he  sold  the  stock  of  hardware 
to  Smith  &  Lytle,  and  moved  his  drug  store 
one  door  south,  where  he  still  remains. 

In  1870  Rogers  &  Henry  started  a  general 
merchandise  store  in  the  building  now  occupied 


by  the  Slade  meat  market.  This  building  has 
since  been  much  remodeled.  About  1879  H. 
D.  Williams  became  a  partner  and  the  firm  be- 
came Rogers,  Henry  &  William b.  JNIr.  Wil- 
liams erected  the  fine  brick  block  in  which  the 
store  is  now  located. 

In  1875  Tollefson  &  Hazen  established  a  gen- 
eral merchandise  store  in  the  building  now  oc- 
cupied by  O.  Tollefson  &  Co.  They  continued 
for  several  years,  when  Mr.  Hazen  bought  out 
the  interest  of  his  partner;  shortly  afterward 
moved  to  one  door  south  of  N.  McRie's  drug 
store,  and  continued  until  he  closed  out  his 
stock  in  1S81. 

H.  II.  Wyatt  in  1879  started  a  general  mer- 
chandise store  in  the  building  which  had  been 
occupied  by  Mr.  Hazen.  He  continued  a  little 
over  two  years,  when  he  went  out  of  business. 

In  1881  Tollefson  &  Omundson  established 
themselves  in  the  general  merchandise  business 
in  the  Proctor  &,  Tollefson  building.  About 
one  year  later  Joseph  Omundson  withdrew  and 
started  the  store  which  he  still  continues.  Mr. 
Tollefson  still  conducts  the  original  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  O.  Tollefson  &  Co. 

In  1884  the  dealers  in  general  merchandise 
were:  W.  F.  Lindemann  &  Co.,  J.  H.  Tate, 
Rogers,  Henry  &  Williams,  Clarke  Brothers, 
O.  Tollefson  &  Co.  and  Joseph  Omundson. 

The  first  to  handle  drugs  in  the  village  was 
Dr.  E.  W.  Tinker,  who  kept  a  small  stock  in  his 
office,  which  he  opened  shortly  after  he  came 
here,  in  1854.  Powell  &  Dawson  were  next 
to  keep  drugs  and  were  the  first  to  keep  a  reg- 
ular assortment.  They  opened  up  a  stock  in 
connection  with  general  merchandise,  in  1856, 
in  the  building  now  occupied  by  G.  W.  Morgan, 
the  photographer.  Thev  continued  in  business 
until  1858,  when  ihey  sold  the  establishment  to 
M.  C.  Nichols.  Mr.  Nichols  kept  the  drugs  in 
connection  with  other  goods  until  1883  when  he 
sold  the  general  merchandise  department  to 
Clarke  Brothers  and  continued  to  deal  in 
drugs  until  the  fall  of  1883,  when  he  sold 
the     stock    and    went    out     of    the    business 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


681 


While  he  was  in  trade  he  erected  tlie 
building  occupied  by  the  Censor  and 
Clarke  Brothers,  also  the  one  occupied  by  W. 
T.  McConnell  and  Charles  Douglass.  The  next 
drug  store  was  started  by  N.  McRie  in  1868-9 
in  the  building  now  occupied  by  Smith  &  Ly- 
tic as  a  hardware  store,  which  he  bought  of  I. 
K.  Buck.  He  remained  in  that  building  until 
June,  1883,  when  he  moved  one  door  south,  in- 
to the  brick  building  which  he  now  occupies. 
For  many  years  Mr.  McRie  handled  a  line  of 
general  merchandise.  He  is  still  in  the  drug 
trade.  The  next  drug  store  was  started  in  1879 
by  G.  A.  Bacon,  of  Baraboo,  Wis.,  in  a  build- 
ing which  he  erected  and  which  is  now  occupied 
by  tile  store  of  Joseph  Omundson.  Mr.  Bacon 
continued  in  business  about  one  year  when  he 
sold  to  Thomas  Jerman.  Mr.  Jerman  remained 
in  the  same  building  until  he  completed  the 
brick  building  which  he  now  occupies.  In  1884 
the  drug  trade  was  represented  by  N.  McRie 
and  Thomas  Jerman. 

'I'he  hardware  line  for  many  years  was  kept 
in  connection  with  general  merchandise.  The 
first  exclusive  hardware  store  in  the  village 
was  started  by  N.  W.  Winter.  He  was  a  tin- 
ner by  trade  and  put  a  stock  of  tin  and  hard- 
ware upon  the  shelves  of  the  Johnson  Smith 
building.  He  continued  in  business  for  about 
six  years  when  he  sold  out. 
The  next  exclusive  hardware  store  was  started 
by  Edward  Everett  shortly  after  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  opened  up  in  a  building  which  he  erected 
that  stood  just  opposite  the  present  Park  Hotel. 
He  continued  in  business  until  the  summer  of 
1883,  when  ho  sold  to  L.  W.  Ady  &  Co.,  who 
are  still  in  business,  occupying  a  brick  building 
which  they  erected.  L.  W.  Ady  started  the 
next  iiardware  store  in  ISVg,  in  a  building 
erected  by  Col.  Butt.  He  remained  in  that 
building  until  the  summer  of  1883,  when  he 
moved  to  the  building  opposite  the  Park  Hotel, 
having  taken  in  David  Strawn  as  a  partner 
and  bought  out  Edivard  Everett.  Smith  tt 
Lytic   established  the  next  exclusive  hardware 


store  purchasing  the  hardware  department  of  N. 
McRie's  store  and  are  still  in  business.  In 
1884  the  representatives  of  this  line  were:L.  W. 
Ady  &  Co.  and  Smith  &  Lytle.  J.  P.  Joyce 
has  a  tin  shop,  and  keeps  a  stock  of  tinware 
and  a  little  hardware. 

The  grocery  line  has  always  been  liandled  by 
the  general  merchandise  stores.  The  first  ex- 
clusive grocery  store  was  started  by  Emanuel 
Wise,  during  the  war,  in  the  building  now  occu- 
pied by  the  butcher  shop.  He  continued  the 
grocery  business  a  short  time  and  finally  worked 
into  general  merchandise.  He  is  now  located 
at  Victory.  The  second  exclusive  grocery 
store  was  started  by  Calvin  E.  Morley,  in  1879, 
occupying  the  present  Peter  Nelson  building. 
He  remained  in  business  about  one  year,  when 
he  sold  to  Peter  Nelson,  who  is  still  in  the  busi- 
ness. William  T.  McConnell  established  the 
next  grocery  store  in  the  biulding  erected  by 
M.  0.  Nichols,  where  he  is  still  in  trade.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1883  Albert  Bliss  estab- 
lished his  grocery  store.  In  188-t  the  exclusive 
dealers  in  groceries  were:  Peter  Nelson,  Wil- 
liam T.  McConnell  and  Albert  Bliss. 

In  an  early  day  there  was  but  little,  if  any, 
need  for  furniture  stores,  as  nearly  all  the 
settlers  and  certainly  all  the  carpenters  manu- 
factured home-made  furniture.  Probably  the 
fir^t  in  the  village  to  make  the  manufacturing 
of  furniture  a  business  was  Ole  Larson.  The 
next  was  T.  J.  DeFrees.  W.  W.  Weeden  was 
also  engaged  in  this  business  in  an  early  day, 
and  afterward  he,  in  company  with  O. 
C.  Weeden,  established  a  machine  shop, 
equipped  it  with  a  turning  lathe  and  made 
quite  an  important  enterprise  of  it.  They 
moved  into  a  building  that  had  been  erected 
for  a  union  church,  which  has  since  been 
moved  to  Main  street  and  fitted  up  for  a  dwell- 
ing. The  first  regular  cabinet  shop  in  the  vil- 
lage was  started  by  Calvin  Morley.  He  worked 
at  the  trade  for  several  years,  making  house- 
hold furniture  and  doing  other  cabinet  work. 
His    shop    stood    near   the   residence  of  Judge 


682 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Terhune,  and  is  now  occupied  by  Calvin  E. 
Morley  as  a  dwelling.  The  first  regular  furni- 
ture store  was  started  by  T.  B.  and  Charles 
Brown.  T.  B.  is  deceased,  but  Charles  still 
carries  on  the  business  in  partnership  with 
Joseph  Pulver,  occupying  the  same  building. 
In  1881  C.  C.  Olson  started  a  furniture  store  in 
the  old  court  house  building,  which  has  been 
discontinued. 

The  first  jewelry  store  was  started  by  D.  C. 
Hope,  about  1859,  in  a  building  which  stood 
where  J.  H.  Tate's  store  is  now  located.  He 
remained  in  business  for  several  years  and  then 
moved  his  stock  of  goods  to  Sparta.  He  is 
now  in  Eau  Claire,  Wis.  J.  H.  Tate  kept  a 
jewelry  store  in  connection  with  his  stock  of 
general  merchandise,  for  a  number  of  years. 
The  next  jewelry  store  was  started  by  Joseph 
Buckley,  who  is  yet  in  business.  Mr.  Leach 
ran  a  store  of  this  character  for  about  one  year 
after  the  close  of  the  war.  Charles  Douglass 
started  his  jewelry  store  shortly  after  the  rail- 
road was  completed  to  Viroqua.  In  the  fall  of 
18>.3  Edgar  Ely  put  in  a  stock  of  goods  and 
opened  a  jewelry  store  in  part  of  Clarke 
Brothers'  store.  The  three  jewelry  stores  in 
the  village  in  1884  were  run  by  Joseph  Buckley, 
Charles  Douglass  and  Edgar  Ely. 

The  clothing  line  has  always  been  handled  in 
connection  with  general  merchandise,  until 
August,  1883,  when  A.  Grossman,  of  Sparta, 
established  a  branch  of  his  main  clothing  store 
here. 

The  first  restaurant  or  confectionery  store  in 
Viroqua  was  started  by  Daniel  Ainsworth  in 
1858.  He  occupied  a  building  which  stood 
where  Chapman's  restaurant  is  now  located. 
He  remained  in  business  about  one  year,  when 
he  left. 

The  next  store  of  this  character,  in  Viroqua, 
was  started  by  Emanuel  Wise,  in  1864,  occu- 
pying a  building  that  has  since  been  torn  down, 
which  stood  near  where  Slade's  building  now 
slands.  Later  he  took  up  a  line  of  general  mer- 
chandise and  continued    in    business  here  until 


1877,   whe/i    he   moved   his   stock  to    Victory, 
where  he  is  still  in  business. 

The  next  restaurant  was  started  by  H  H. 
Chapman,  in  the  building  which  he  still  occu- 
pies. Among  others  who  have  been  engaged  in 
this  line  are:  Thomas  Allen,  A.  L.  Russell,  W. 
S.  White,  George  Nichols,  Fred  Holden  and  L. 
Cobb.  In  1884  this  line  was  represented  by 
H.  H.  Chapman,  P.  Palmer,  Doxrud  Brothers, 
and  W.  Mabie.  Doxrud  Brothers  have  a  bakery 
in  connection. 

This  first  bookstore  in  the  village  was  started 
by  Mr.  Lindley.  The  second  by  J.  A.  Somerby. 
In  1884  the  only  bookstore  in  Viroqua  was  the 
extensive  establishment  of  F.  M.  Towner. 

The  first  meat  market  in  Viroqua  was  estab- 
lished by  W.  F.  Lindemann.  He  is  the  present 
banker.  Among  those  who  have  been  engaged 
in  this  business  are:  Jere  Chapman,  A.  L.  Rus- 
sell, Joseph  Snodgrass,  H.  H.  Chapman  and  Eu- 
gene Custer.  In  1884  there  was  one  meat  mar- 
ket in  Viroqua,  owned    by  Wise  &  Devlin. 

In  1884  there  were  two  billiard  halls  in  Viro- 
qua, owned  and  operated  by  T.  C.  Hurlbiit  and 
Eugene  Custer. 

About  the  first  to  deal  exclusively  in  agricul- 
tural implements  at  Viroqua,  was  S.  P.  Layne, 
who  is  still  in  trade.  Fred  Holden  was  also  at 
one  time  engaged  in  handling  agricultural  im- 
plements. In  1884  the  dealers  were:  S.  P. 
Layne,  A.  L.  Russell,  Coates  &  Company,  Pul- 
ver Brothers  and  Thomas  Kelley. 

The  first  lumber  yard  in  Viroqua  was  estab- 
lished by  Wharton  Brothers  &  Lytle,  who 
opened,  in  1879,  on  the  ground  now  occupied 
by  I.  W.  Blake  &  Co.  They  soldT  to  Dodge  & 
Newbury,  and  they,  in  turn,  to  I.  W.  Blake  & 
Co.  I.  W.  Blake  &  Co.  started  the  second  yard, 
and,  having  absorbed  others,  are  still  in  busi- 
ness. Dodge  &  Newbury  started  the  next  yard 
in  1880,  and  sold  to  Blake  &  Co.  N.  McRie 
was  next  in  the  field,  establishing  the  business 
which  he  still  continues  to   run.     In  1884    the 


HISTORY  OF  VEKNON  COUNTY. 


68:^ 


dealers  in  lumber  were:  I.  W.  Blake  &  Co.  am! 
N.  McRie. 

In  1884  the  insurance  agents  in  Yiroquawere: 
John  Dawson,  H.  Trowbridge  and  Warren 
Davis. 

The  first  tailor  to  locate  in  Viroqiia  was 
John  Everett,  who  opened  a  shop  here  in  1S56 
and  is  still  in  business.  In  1884  the  tailors 
were:  John  Everett,  H.  C.  Dean  and  Mr.  Meidal. 

The  first  livery  stable  in  Viroqua  was  started 
by  Edward  Coe,  in  1858,  in  a  barn  which  lie 
erected.  He  continued  in  business  until  1882, 
when  he  sold  to  Ilewey  &  McKitrick,  who  are 
still  in  business,  using  a  barn  back  of  the  Tre' 
niont  Hotel.  E.  Goodell  established  his  livery 
business  in  July,  1870,  occupying  the  same  barn 
that  he  now  uses. 

The  first  blacksmith  to  locate  at  Viroqua  was 
Orin  Wisel,  the  first  county  clerk,  who  came 
here  from  Liberty  Pole,  in  the  town  of  Frank- 
lin, in  1850.  He  did  not  erect  a  shop,  but  did 
some  blacksmith  work  out  of  doors.  He  remain- 
ed in  the  village  about  one  year,  when  he  moved 
to  Readstown.  The  first  regular  blacksmith 
shop  in  the  village  was  started  by  L.  D.  Mars- 
ten,  who  came  here  in  1852  and  opened  up  in  a 
little  log  building  which  he  erected  near  the 
present  location  of  the  Buckeye  Hotel.  Later, 
Daniel  Hinsworth  became  a  partner.  They 
continued  in  business  three  or  four  years,  when 
Mr.  Marsten  removed  to  Crawford  county.  In 
1856  S.  A.  Robinson  came  from  Liberty  Pole, 
in  the  town  of  Franklin,  and  opened  a  black- 
smith shop  in  a  little  building  which  he  put  up 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  block  .3.  He  ran  the 
shop  until  the  time  of  his  death.  David  Onstot 
started  the  next  shop.  He  was  in  bu.-4i- 
ness  for  several  years,  when  he  removed  to 
Kansas.  Among  other  blacksmiths  in  Viroqua 
since  that  time  ai"e:  Andrew  Russell,  J.  D. 
Lawrence,  J.  H.  Tate  and  Samuel  Metcalf.  In 
1884  the  business  was  represented  by  the  fol- 
lowing: E.  A.  Stark  and  Pulver  Brothers,  in 
connection  with  wagon  making;  Benjamin 
Williams,  James  Smith  and  Eugene  Gaines. 


The  first  wagon  repair  shop  was  started  in 
1855  by  Mr.  Gibson,  who  came  from  Ohio.  The 
wagon"  shops  of  the  village,  in  1884,  were  run 
by  E.  A.  Stark  and  Pulver  Brothers. 

The  brick  making  interest  is  among  the  most 
important  of  Viroqua's  industrial  enterprises. 
The  first  yard  here  was  started  in  1855  by 
Thomas  Giilett  and  Charles  Skippens.  Tliey 
laid  out  the  yard  in  the  southwest  part  of  tlie 
village,  near  what  has  since  been  called  the 
"brick  pond."  They  remained  in  the  business 
only  a  couple  of  years.  Many  persons  have 
at  different  times  been  interested  in  this  enter- 
prise. In  1884  there  was  only  one  brick-yard, 
which  was  owned  by  Moody  &  Son.  It  is  lo- 
cated just  east    of  the  village. 

In  1884  there  was  one  marble  shop  in  the 
village.  It  was  owned  and  operated  by  Burt 
W.  Battels. 

The  first  harness  shop  in  the  village  was 
started  by  W.  S.  Purdy  in  a  little  building  that 
had  been  erected  by  J.  E.  Newell,  which  stood 
just  back  of  Col.  Butt's  law  office.  Judge 
Purdy  continued  in  the  business  for  several 
years  and  was  finally  succeeded  by  his  son,  B. 
F.  Purdy,  who  is  yet  in  business.  They  erected 
the  building  in  which  the  business  is  now 
carried  on.  In  1884  there  were  two  shops  in 
Viroqua — that  of  B.  F.  Purdy  and  Ferguson  & 
Zitzner. 

The  first  barber  shop  in  Viroqua  was  started 
in  1862  by  Thomas  Bryant  in  the  Skippen's 
Hotel.  A  little  later  he  went  into  the  service 
and  during  his  absence  Charles  Skippens  did 
some  barbering.  In  1884  there  were  tliree  bar- 
ber shops  in  the  village. 

The  first  regular  dentist  to  locate  here  was 
Dr.  Ely,  who  is  still  in  practice.  Dr.  Goechen- 
eur  is  also  one  of  Viroqua's  dentists. 

About  the  first  to  make  dealing  in  grain  a 
special  business  was  W.  F.  Lindemann.  The 
principal  dealers  in  this  line  in  1884  were:  Fred. 
Eckhart  and  Coates  &  Co. 


684 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


In  1884  the  most  prominent  carpenters  and 
builders  of  Viroqua  were:  Henry  Allen,  I.  W. 
Blake  &  Co.  and  Willis  Mabie. 

BANKS. 

The  iirst  bank  established  in  Viroqua,  was  by 
August  Nifenecker,  in  \8o*i,  called  tlieMoneike 
Bank.  He  occupied  the  upper  story  of  a  build- 
ing which  stood  where  J.  H.  Tate's  store  is  now 
located.  Mr.  Nifenecker  remained  in  business 
about  one  year,  when  he  closed  out  the  bank. 
A  few  years  later,  he  removed  to  Bad  Ax, 
no^v  Genoa,  where  he  was  ki  led  by  W.  S.  Tib- 
bitts.  An  account  of  the  att'air  is  given  cInc- 
where. 

The  second  bank  was  the  Bank  of  Viroqua, 
which  was  established  by  W.  F.  Lindemann  and 
Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  in  December,  I87i).  It  is 
still  owned  by  the  founders,  occupying  a  sub- 
stantial brick  building,  which  was  erected  by 
W.  F.  Lindemann. 

HOTELS. 

The  tir>t  hotel  in  Viroqua  was  erected  by 
Rufus  Dunlap,  in  1850.  It  stood  upon  the  lot 
now  occupied  by  the  Park  Hotel.  The  main 
building  was  about  16.x24  feet  in  size,  and  a 
story  and  a  half  in  height.  A  wing  was  bui  t 
on  each  side,  making  the  building  about  24x36 
feet  in  size.  It  was  originally  a  h)g  building, 
but  was  afterward  weather-boarded  over  the 
logs.  It  contained  six  rooms.  One  room  suf- 
ficed  for  kitchen,  dining-room  and  sitting- 
room,  one  for  the  office,  the  rest  being  bed 
roams.  Rufus  Dunlap  opened  the  house  as  the 
Dunlap  Hotel,  and  continued  to  run  it  for  about 
six  years.  After  this,  it  was  not  used  as  a  hotel, 
and  the  timbers  were  finally  utilized  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  barn. 

The  second  hotel  erected  in  Viroqua  was  the 
old  Buckeye  House.  It  was  erected  by  W.  F. 
Terhune  and  William  A.  BuUard  in  the  sum- 
mer and  fall  of  1852,  and  stood  upon  tlie  now 
vacant  lot  on  the  corner  just  north  of  Clarke 
Brothers  store.  The  building  was  about  24x36 
feet  in  size,  and  one  and  a  half  stories  high. 
The  hotel  was  opened  as  such  by  Terhune  & 


Builnrd.  They  were  succeeded  by  Jeremiah  M. 
Rusk,  the  present  governor  of  Wisconsin,  as 
landlord.  The  next  landlord  was  George  Bush, 
who  ran  it  for  several  years,  when  its  use  for 
hotel  purposes  was  discontinued.  The  build- 
ing was  afterwards  owned  by  Dr.  James  Rusk, 
and  then  Carson  Graham,  whose  property  it 
was  when  destroyed  by  iire  in  1878.  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham still  owns  the  lot  upon  which  the  building 
stood. 

The  next  hotel  in  Viroqua  was  the  North 
Star  House,  which  was  erected  in  1854  by 
Henry  Nichols.  It  was  30x40  feet  in  size  and 
an  excellent  building  for  those  days.  It  was 
o))ened  as  a  hotel  by  S.  C.  Lincoln.  Succeed- 
ing him  as  landlord  came  Mr.  Perhara,  J.  M. 
Rusk,  L.  W.  Nichols,  Mr.  Herriek,  F.  A.  Den- 
ton, Isaac  Pennell,  J.  A  Somerby,  Hiram  Has- 
kell, J.  H.  Gordon,  L.  R.  Decker,  Nathan  Coe, 
Loyd  Coe,  Mr.  Hewitt  and  E.  W.  Hazen.  The 
name  of  the  hotel  was  changed  from  North 
Star  to  Haskell,  and  finally  Tremont  House, 
which  name  it  still  bears. 

The  present  Park  Hotel  was  erected  as  the 
Dunlap  House  in  1858,  by  Hillier  Dunlap  and 
his  mother.  Its  size  was  24x36  feet,  two  stories 
high.  Warren  Dunlap  opened  the  building  as 
a  hotel  and  acted  as  landlord  for  several  years, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Charles  Skippens. 
Skippens  remained  landlord  until  1865,  when 
Bannister  Brothers  became  proprietors.  Hiram 
Haskell  succeeded  the  Bannisters  as  landlord. 
Then  came  Capt.  Connor,  who  changed  the 
name  to  the  Viroqua  House.  Orange  Lamb 
Wis  the  next  landlord,  and  succeeding  him 
came  Capt.  Connor  again,  who  is  the  present 
landlord,  the  name  of  the  house  having  been 
changed  to  the  Park  Hotel. 

Henry  Connor,  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  Con- 
nor, was  born  in  West  Chester,  Chester  Co., 
Penn.  His  father  died  the  same  year  of  his 
birth,  and  after  two  years  his  mother  married 
again.  Henry  lived  with  his  step-father  till  he 
was  fourteen  years  of  age,    receiving  a   liberal 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


685 


edncfition.  Then  leaving  home,  he  liired  out  to 
drive  a  team  of  mules  on  the  canal.  After 
working  for  himself  for  three  years,  he  returned 
lioiue,  and  learned  the  trade  of  paper  stainer, 
of  Ills  step-tather,  who  (in  1857)  carried  on  the 
most  extensive  business  in  that  line  of  trade  in 
Philadelphia.  He  worked  for  his  step-father 
for  $4  per  month.  In  1857,  he  married  Amanda 
M.  Bransby  of  Philadelphia.  Their  union  lias 
been  blessed  with  three  children — Mary  Loxly, 
John  Henry  and  Henry  John.  His  step-father 
was  financially  ruined  in  the  panic  of  1857,  and 
in  consequence  of  this  failure,  Henry  Connor 
was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  without  one 
dollar,bnt  by  in<lomitable  energy,  he  soon  found 
employment  on  the  Pennsylvania  Central  rail- 
road, where  he  remained  for  one  year,  at  ninety 
cents  per  day.  At  tiiis  time  he  became  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States,  being  twenty-one  years 
old.  He  oast  his  tirst  vote  for  Alexander  Henry, 
for  Mayor  of  Philadelphia,  the  republican  nom- 
inee, in  the  spring  of  1858.  Mr.  Connor  was 
then  appointed  fireman  in  the  city  water  de- 
partment, holding  that  position  till  1861,  then 
resigning  and  enlisting,April  18,  as  a  private  in 
company  C,  I7th  regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teers, and  was  discharged  Aug.  2, 1861,  at  tiie 
expiration  of  his  enlistment.  He  then  returned 
to  Philadelphia,  and  accepted  his  former  posi- 
tion in  the  water  department  which  he  held  two 
montiis.  At  this  time  the  democratic  party 
came  into  power,  and  he  was  notified  that  his 
services  were  no  longer  needed.  He  was  imme- 
diately appointed  by  the  republicans  to  a  posiiion 
as  ins])ector  of  the  gas  department  in  the  same 
city.  After  holding  this  position  for  nine 
months,  he  cheerfully  gave  it  up,  that  he  might 
further  serve  his  country.  On  the  5tli  of  Au- 
gust, 1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  eom]>any 
G,  118th  regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers; 
was  promoted  as  sergeant,  Aug.  7, 1862  ;  served 
in  that  capacity  until  Dec.  13,  1862;  was  pro- 
moted to  1st  sergeant  on  the  battle  field  of 
Fredericksburg,  Jan.  19  1864;  was  promoted  as 
2d  lieutenant  company  C,  same  regiment,  Dec. 


21,1864;  promoted  again  as  1st  lieutenant  of 
company  H,  same  regiment,  March  28,  1865, 
and  subsequently  promoted  to  the  captaincy  of 
company  E,  same  regiment.  He  was  with  the 
army  of  the  Potomac  and  Sept.  30,  1864,  was 
wounded  at  Poplar  Spring  Church,  through  the 
face  and  neck.  He  was  absent  from  duty  only 
six  weeks  and  returned  to  share  tlie  hardshi])s 
of  war  life  with  the  army  until  the  battle  of 
Gravely  Run,  March  31,  1866,  when  he  was 
severely  wounded,  and  suffered  the  loss  of  his 
right  leg,  which  was  amputated  above  the  knee. 
He  remained  at  the  hospital  until  Oct  28,  1865, 
and  was  mustered  out  at  his  own  request,  in 
order  to  accept  the  position  as  chief  weighmas- 
ter  of  the  Philadelphia  gas  department.  While 
serving  in  this  position  he  was  nominated  by 
the  republican  convention,  Aug.  31,  I8611,  to 
the  office  of  city  commissioner,  and  was  elected 
to  said  office  Oct.  9,  1866,  by  10,000  republican 
majority.  He  was  sworn  into  office,  Dec.  31, 
1866,  by  his  Honor,  Morton  MeMichael,  mayor 
of  Philadelphia.  He  took  his  seat  Jan.  1 ,  1867, 
held  the  position  for  three  years,givinga  bond  in 
the  sum  of  $80,000  for  the  faithful  performance 
of  his  official  duties.  During  his  official  ca- 
pacity, he  disbursed  $2,0  00,000  of  the  city's 
money.  On  his  retiring  from  office,  he  was 
again  employed  by  the  Pennsylvania  Cential 
Railroad  Company  for  four  years.  In  1878  he 
came  to  Boscobel,Wis.,  to  visit  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Mary  L.  Keen.  He  at  once  saw  a  future  for 
this  boundless  west,  and  only  regrets  that  he 
was  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  have  cast  his  lot  in 
with  the  people  of  the  west  twenty-five  years 
ago.  He  has  leased  the  Park  Hotel,  in  Viroqua, 
and  under  his  successful  management,  it  has 
derived  a  goodly  share  of  the  public  patronage 
and  established  a  fame  forliountiful  hospitality 
far  over  the  surrounding  country. 

Tile  next  hotel  in  Viroqua  was  the  Buckeye 
House,  which  was  erected  for  a  hop  house  by 
J.  H.  Layne  tfe  Sons.  It  was  changed  to  a  dwell- 
ing  by  Lindsley  Layne.     It  was  converted  into 


686 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


a  hotel  and  opened  as  sucli  in  May,  1882,  by  S. 
W.  Clark,  the  present  proprietor. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  tirst  school  in  Viroqna  was  tauglit  by  Mrs. 
Margaret  C.  Terluine,  in  the  old  log  court  house 
building  during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer 
and  fall  of  1851.  The  school  started  two  or 
three  weeks  after  the  arrival  of  W.  F.  Ter- 
hune  and  his  wife.  There  were  about  sixteen 
scholars  in  attendance.  The  term  lasted  about 
three  months  and  was  paid  for  by  subscription 
at  $2  for  each  scholar.  During  the  succeed- 
ing winter  of  1851-2  Judge  Terhune  taught 
the  school  at  the  same  pl.ace  and  upon  the  same 
2jlan.  Jennie  (.'lark,  now  Mrs.  Messersmith  had 
charge  during  the  following  summer. 

The  old  log  building  continued  to  be  used  for 
school  purposes  about  two  years,  after  which 
rooms  were  rented  for  public  schools  until  1856, 
when,  the  district  having  been  organized,  a 
school  house  was  erected.  It  stood  opposite  the 
present  residence  of  Warren  Duidap.  It  was, 
for  those  days,  a  commodious  frame  building, 
containing  two  rooms.  School  was  thi'n  iieid 
in  this  building.  Among  the  teachers  who  at 
different  times  had  charge  of  the  sciiooi  while 
this  building  was  in  use  were:  R.  C.  Uierce,  C. 
M.  Butt,  L.  M.  Perham,  O.  C.  Smith,  Mr. 
Moore,  T.  B.  l^rown  and  A.  D.  Chase.  This 
school  house  was  used  for  school  purposes  until 
1868,  when  tlie  present  building  was  erected 
and  the  old  one  was  sold  to  Charles  Brown  at 
auction.  He  moved  it  to  a  block  east  of  his 
present  place  of  business,  where  he  used  it  for 
a  shop  for  some  time  and  finally  sold  it  to  J. 
H.  Tate.     It  is  now  used  as  a  dwelling  house. 

The  present  building,  as  stated,  was  erected 
in  1868.  It  is  a  large  stone  structure,  occupy- 
ing an  excellent  site  a  few  blocks  east  of  the 
main  part  of  town. 

The  Viroqua  high  school  was  organized  in 
18'76.  A  large  brick  edifice  was  erected  a  little 
east  of  the  center  of  town,  in  1882,  at  a  cost  of 


$:i,400  for  the  high  and  gramm.ar  schools.  The 
lower  departments  occupy  the  stone  building 
formerly  occupied  by  all  the  departments.  In 
1882-3  new  furnaces  were  placed  in  both  build- 
ings and  now  the  schools  are  heated  and  venti- 
lated by  the  latest  improved  methods.  The 
grounds  surrounding  the  school  are  extensive 
and  are  beautified  with  different  varieties  of 
trees. 

In  188.3  the  teachers  were  as  follows:  High 
school,  C.  J.  Smith,  principal;  Lena  Washburn, 
assistant;  grammar  department,  Emma  F. 
Howell,  teacher;  first  intermediate  department, 
Hattie  E.  Terrell;  second  intermediate  depart- 
ment, Eliza  Haughton;  first  primary  depart- 
ment, Ida  B.  Coe;  second  primary,  Hattie 
McRie. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  educational 
facilities  of  Viroqua  are  excellent,  and  the 
l)ublic  schools  are  justly  a  matter  of  pride  to  the 
citizens. 

In  1883  the  school  board  consisted  of  the  fol- 
lowing gentleman:  Director,  R.  S.  McMichael; 
clerk,  II.  A.  Chase;  treasurer.  Earl  M.  Rogers. 
The  committee  upon  examination  of  graduating 
class  was  composed  of  O.  B.  Wyman,  William 
Haughton  and  C.  J.  Smith. 

VIEOQUA  POSTOFFICE. 

The  Viroqua  postoffice  was  not  established 
until  several  years  after  the  village  was  platted. 
In  1851  the  nearest  postoffice  was  Springville. 
In  the  spring  of  1852  Hon.  W.  F.  Terhune 
drew  up  a  petition  and  procured  signatures  of 
most  of  the  early  settlers, praying  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  jjostofKce  at  this  point.  This 
petition,  accompanied  with  a  map  of  the  coun- 
try, was  sent  to  the  postoffice  department. 
After  considerable  delay  the  petition  was 
granted,  and  the  postoffice  of  Viroqua  was  es- 
tablished, S.  C.  Lincoln  being  commissioned 
as  the  first  postmaster.  Mr.  Lincoln  opened  the 
postoffice  in  the  little  building  that  had  been 
erected  by  Judge  Terhune,  upon  the    corner  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


687 


Court  ami  Main  streets.  He  remained  post- 
master for  about  ten  years,  part  of  tlie  time 
liaving  the  ofBse  in  a  building  where  the  Park 
Hotel  now  stands,  and  later  moving  it  to  the 
other  end  of  town.  In  1864  Dr.  James  Kusk 
was  appointed  postmaster,  and  he  kept  the 
office  in  t'  e  old  Buckeye  House.  S.  C.  Lincoln 
succeeded  Dr.  Rusk  as  postmaster.  He  removed 
the  office  to  where  Mabie's  grocery  store  is  now 
located.  He  was  succeeded  by  W.  S.  Purdy, 
who  removed  the  office  to  the  building  now 
occupied  by  A.  Bliss'  grocery  store.  On  the  1st 
of  January,  1876,  Capt.  R.  S.  McMichael  was 
appointed  postmaster,  taking  c'aarge  of  the 
office  on  tlie  4th  of  January.  He  was  reappointed 
in  December,  1882,  and  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent, making  in  this,  as  in  all  public  posi- 
tions to  which  he  has  been  chosen,  a  most  effi- 
cient and  satisfactory  official.  The  office  now 
occupies  a  building  two  doors  north  of  the 
Bank  of  Viroqua. 

The  Viroqua  postoffice  was  made  a  money  order 
office  Aug.  8,  1866.  The  first  order  was  drawn 
tlie  same  day,  the  remitter  being  L.  W.  Nichols, 
payee,  H.  C.  Brown,  New  York;  anount  $2.50. 
After  Capt.  McMichael  took  charge  of  the 
office,  the  first  order  was  drawn  Jan.  4,  1876; 
remitter,  S.  P.  Layne;  payee,  A.  A.  Abbott  & 
Co.,  Chicago,  111;  amount  $20.  The  total  num- 
ber of  orders  drawn  up  to  Dec.  5,  1883,  was 
25,080. 

Robert  S.  McMichael,  postmaster  at  Viroqua, 
is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Vernon  county,  his 
residence  in  the  county  dating  from  April  10, 
1850.  He  was  born  in  -Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio, 
in  1827.  His  father,  William  McMichael,  was 
born  in  Washington  Co.,  Penn.,  but  removed  to 
Ohio  when  quite  a  young  man.  R.  S.,  was 
brought  up  to  the  business  of  farming.  On 
coming  to  Vernon  county,  he  located  at  Spring- 
ville,  in  the  town  of  JefEerson,  and  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1855  he  went  to  Newton  in  the 
town  of  Harmony,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business.     He  enlisted  Nov.  21,   1861,  in   com- 


pany C,  18th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry.  On  the  organization  of  the  company 
he  was  made  2d  sergeant,  and  finally,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  he  was  promoted  to  the  captaincy  of 
the  company.  He  was  actively  engaged  in  the 
service  during  the  whole  progress  of  the  war; 
participated  in  the  siege  of  Corinth,  in  May, 
1862 — was  at  the  battles  of  luka  and  Corinth, 
Miss,  Grant's  campaign  against  Vicksburg;  bat- 
tles of  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills,  etc. 
After  the  war,  he  served  one  term  as  sheriff  of 
the  county,  was  under-sheriff  for  a  number  of 
years;  in  fact  was  engaged  in  sheriff's  duty  most 
of  the  time,  from  the  close  of  the  war,  till  his 
appointment  as  postmaster,  Jan.  1,  1876.  Capt. 
McMichael  has  been  twice  married.  His  first 
wife  was  Orla  Ann  Sperry,  a  native  of  Trum- 
bull Co  ,  Ohio.  She  died  at  Newton  in  1865. 
His  present  wife  was  Mrs.  Frances  J.  (Gibbs) 
Swan.  He  has  three  children  by  his  first  mar- 
riage— William  A.,  in  Dakota,  Eu-iice  L.,  now 
Mrs.  Westwick,  of  Dubuque,  and  Ella,  wife  of 
John  Aikin.  He  has  one  daughter  by  his  pres- 
ent wife — Nettie.  Capt.  McMichael  was  dep- 
uty Tnited  States  marshal  of  this  county,  from 
1870  to  1873,  and  was  in  government  employ 
at  Washington,  during  the  winter  of  1873-4. 
Several  other  members-  of  Capt.  McMichael's 
family  have  been  residents  of  Vernon  county. 
His  brother,  William  C,  who  is  noticed  else- 
where in  this  work,  came  to  Springville  in  1847. 
Another  brother,  Samuel,  came  with  R.  S.,  to 
Springville,  and  settled  at  Viroqua,  in  1803.  ■ 
He  was  a  member  of  company  C,  18th  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  taken  prisoner 
at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  died  a  prisoner  at 
Macon,  Ga.  Two  sisters,  also,  came  at  the  same 
time.  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Graham,  who  lost  her  hus- 
band and  married  Jesse  Appleman.  She  died 
at  Bloomingdale,  town  of  Clinton,  in  March, 
1883;  Isabella,  who  married  Harrison  Sayre, 
now  of  Nebraska. 

FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES. 

Viroqua  has  lodges  of  the  following  orders: 
Masonic,  Independent  Order  of  Odd   Fellows, 


688 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Good  Templars,  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  Chosen 
Friends. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  first  religious  services  held  in  the  village 
were  at  the  old  log  school  and  court  house, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Methodists. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  the  pio- 
neer Church  of  Vernon  county,  and  gave  to 
Viroqua  and  vicinity  the  first  religious  services. 
The  first  class  formed  at  Viroqua  was  organized 
at  a  camp  meeting  held  in  a  grove  near  the 
residence  of  James  A.  Cooke,  east  of  the  vil- 
lage, conducted  by  Rev.  Jesse  Pardun  in  the 
autumn  of  1848.  James  A.Cooke  was  appointed 
leader,  and  among  the  members  were:  James  A. 
Cooke  and  wife,  James  Foster  and  wife,  George 
A.  Swain  and  wife,  Daniel  Criime  and  wife, 
William  Crume  and  wife,  George  Crume  and 
wife,  Peter  Hay  and  wife  and  Mr.  Gillett.  To 
these  were  soon  added  Rev.  John  Whitworth 
and  wife,  Henry  Nichols,  long  and  reverentially 
known  as  "Fatlier"  Nichols;  and  others.  At 
first  tiie  class  met  at  private  houses,  then  in  a 
log  school  house  near  what  is  now  Brookville, 
and  later  in  the  log  court  house,  school  and 
cliurch  building  in  Viroqua.  The  first  circuit 
of  which  Viroqua  was  a  part  comprised  the  en- 
tire county,  the  preacher  in  charge  being  aided 
in  liis  arduous  work  bj'  local  preachers;  nota- 
bly, Rev.  John  Whitworth,  James  A.  Cooke 
and  James  Bishop.  The  preachers  successively 
upon  the  work,  with  regular  appointments  at 
Viroqua,  have  been  as  follows:  Jesse  Pardun, 
1849-50;  Rev.  Stevens,  1851;  Nicholas  Mayne, 
1852-;3;  A.  Cooley,  1854;  Jesse  Pardun  and 
Rev.  Mclndoe,  1855;  George  Hartshorn,  1856; 
James  Fitch,  1857-8;  A.  Foster,  1859;  J.  E. 
Irish,  1860:  George  W.  Nuzum,  1861-2;  Sam- 
uel Dodge,  1863-4-5;  W.  F.  De  Lap,  R.  Fan- 
cher,  1867:  Thomas  Manuel,  1868;  I.  S.  Leavitt, 
1869;  W.  R.  Irish,  1870;  W.  F.  De  Lap,  1871- 
2-.3;  Jacob  Miller,  1874;  E.  L.  Seraans,  1n75-6-7; 
George  Nuzum,  1878-9;  Charles  Irish,  1880;  J. 
T.  Morgans,  lb81;  I.  B.  Bickford,  1882-;3.  The 


different  presiding  elders  have  been  Chauncy 
Hobart,  Alfred  Brunson,  R.  R.  Wood,  A.  H. 
Walters,  W.  B.  Ilazeltine,  J.  T.  Pryor,  R.  Dud- 
geon, W.  F.  De  Lap,  J.  D.  Searles,  E.  E.  Clough 
and  J.  B.  Balch.  The  first  church  building  was 
erected  in  1856  ujjon  a  lot  deeded  to  the  society 
by  Henry  Nichols.  This  was  entirely  destroyed 
by  the  tornado  of  1865,  and  the  present  build- 
ing was  erected  upon  the  same  site  at  a  cost  of 
about  $:i,000,  in  1866,  being  dedicated  Feb.  17, 
1867,  President  Steele,  of  Lawrence  Univer- 
sity, preaching  ihe  dedicatory  sermon.  The 
remarkable  zeal  and  laborious  efforts  of  Rev. 
Samuel  Dodge  in  the  rebuilding  of  the  church 
at  this  time,  when  the  entire  community  was 
depressed  financially  and  otherwise,  by  the  de- 
structive tornado,  deserves  special  mention 
and  grateful  remembrance.  Gen.  J.  M.  Kusk 
presented  the  Church  with  a  fine  500  pound 
bell  from  the  Buckeye  Foundry,  at  Cincinnati. 
A  notable  revival  occurred  under  the  pastorate 
of  Rev.  W.  F  De  Lap,  during  the  winter  of 
1867,  and  the  society  became  distinctively 
strong  in  numbers  and  spirituality.  The  present 
officers  of  the  Chuich  are  as  follows:  Pastor, 
Rev.  I.  B.  Bickford;  class  leader,  P.  J.  Layne; 
stewards,  John  W.  Curry,  J.  B.  Richards,  John 
Everett,  S.  P.  Layne;  recording  steward,  P.  J. 
Layne;  district  steward,  J.  W.  Curry;  trustet-s, 
William  Strieker,  S.  P.  Layne,  J.  B.  Richards, 
John  Everett,  D.  A.  Barnard  and  C.  J.  Chet- 
rington.  During  1883  the  audience  room  of 
the  church  was  papered  and  ceiled,  the  jjiilpit 
and  platform  remodeled,  and  now  presents  a 
very  tasteful  appearance.  Being  the  most  com- 
modious and  centrally  located  church  in  the 
village  it  is  in  frequent  use  for  temperance 
meetings  and  public  school  exercises. 

Tiie  Sunday  school  was  organized  during  the 
summer  of  1867,  upon  a  denominational  basis,  a 
union  school  having,  up  to  this  time,  been  con- 
ducted by  this  and  other  Churches.  The  Sun- 
day school  in  1883  was  officered  as  follows: 
Superintendent,  P.  J.  Layne;  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Dr.  J.  Ij.  Rirhards.     Jessie  Richards 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


689 


is  organist  for  botli  Church  and  school.  The 
Cliurch  now  has  an  eflective  membership  of 
about  fifty.  The  enrolled  membership  of  the 
school  is  about  fifty,  with  an  average  attend- 
ance of  about  forty. 

Rev.  I.  B.  Bickford,  present  pastor  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  V^iroqua,  was 
born  June  7,  1847.  When  five  years  of  age  he. 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Illinois.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  State, 
and  at  Hillsdale  College,  Mich.  Previous  to 
entering  the  ministry  he  was  engaged  as  a 
newspaper  publisher  for  some  time.  He  pub- 
lished the  Creton  Times  in  Ogle  Co.,  111.,  for  a 
couple  of  years,  and  was  editor  of  the  Byron 
Neics,  in  the  same  county,  for  three  years.  He 
entered  the  ministry  in  1879,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Western  Wisconsin  Conference,  at  La- 
Crosse,  Sept.  24,  1879.  He  was  stationed  at 
Onalaska  three  years  before  coming  to  Viro- 
qua 

The  first  services  by  the  Christian  Church 
were  held  in  1852,  by  Rev.  Daniel  Parkinson, 
who  organized  a  society  here  in  1854.  It  had 
forty  members.  The  first  elders  were  David 
Ayersand  Charles  Wright.  John  Gardner  was 
one  of  the  first  deacons.  Some  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  Cliurch  then  were  :  Thomas 
Cheatham  and  wife,  John  Dawsoji,  Stephen 
Powell,  Elijah  Powell,  Elizabeth  Goode  and 
Mary  Parkinson.  The  year  following  the  or- 
ganization, the  society  neai'ly  doubled  in  num- 
ber.s.  It  was  at  that  time  the  leading  Church 
in  Viroqua.  Rev.  Parkinson  died  in  Septem- 
ber, 18.t6.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  ability.  He 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Howe,  who 
preached  for  the  society  for  two  years.  He 
died  several  years  ago.  The  next  minister  was 
their  present  one.  Rev.  John  Hurd,  wiio  at  that 
time  remained  with  the  Cliurch  about  two 
years,  until  May,  186:-i.  Since  that  time  the 
following  ministers  have  served  the  society  : 
Revs.  Henry  Anderson,  R.  D.  Cotton,  George 
G.  Hamilton  and  Florence  Reece,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  John   Hurd. 


The  present  membership  of  the  Church  is 
seventy-five.  The  church  building  was  erected 
in  1856.  It  is  a  frame  building,  30x40  feet  in 
size,  neatly  finished  and  will  comfortably  seat 
25.0  persons.  The  society  lias  had  a  Sunday 
school  in  operation  most  of  the  tifte  since  its 
organization,  and  both  Church  and  Sunday 
school  are  now  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The 
present  officers  are  as  following  :  Pastor,  John 
Hurd  ;  elders,  Philip  Bidison,  Edward  Min- 
fAall  and  Elijah  Powell;  deacons,  Ellis  Thoni])- 
son  and  'Squire  Tony. 

Rev.  John  Hurd  was  born  in  England  in 
1823.  He  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents  when  a  child,  settling  in  Ohio.  In  the 
fall  of  1836  he  removed  to  Michigan.  He  was 
educated  at  Hiram.  College,  Ohio  ;  during  two 
years  of  his  attendance  at  that  institution, 
James  A.  Garfield  was  its  president.  Mr.  Hurd 
began  preaching  in  1860,  and  has  been  engaged 
in  the  work  ever  since.  He  is  an  earnest  and 
faithful  worker  for  the  cause  of  Christianity. 

The  first  Congregational  society  of  Viroqua 
was  organized  on  the  12th  of  May,  1855.  There 
being  present.  Revs.  L.  L.  Radcliff,  of  Viroqua, 
W.  F.  Avery,  of  Sparta,  and  Warren  Bigelow, 
of  Black  River  Falls.  The  following  were  the 
first  members  of  the  Church:  Mrs.  Jane  S. 
Weeden,  Mrs.  Abbie  S.  Weeden,  Mrs.  Mary  L. 
Radcliflf,  W.  A.  Herron,  Mrs.  Mary  Herron  and 
Mrs.  N.  B.  Palmer.  Rev.  L.  L.  Radcliff  was 
the  first  pastor,  having  been  sent  here  by  the 
American  Home  Missionary  Society.  He  com- 
menced his  labors  on  the  5lh  of  October,1854,and 
continued  his  labors  witli  the  Church  until  Oct. 
1,  1855,  when  he  removed  to  Prairie  du  Chien. 
The  Church  remained  without  a  pastor,  only 
enjoying  occasional  preaching,  until  May,  1859, 
when  Rev.  G.  C.  Judson  became  pastor,  remain- 
ing with  the  Church  until  September,  1861.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  B.  S.  Baxter  in  October, 
186-2,  who  remained  with  the  Church  for  two 
years.  In  November,  1866,  Rev.  L.  L.  Rad- 
cliff again  became  pastor  of  the  Church,  but 
owing  to  ilifficulties  arising  in  the  Cliurch  and 


090 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


society,  his  labors  terminated  in  May,  1869. 
May  1,  1870,  Rev.  John  G.  Taylor,  a  member 
of  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary,  became 
acting  pastor  and  served  as  such  until  Oct.  1, 
1870,  when  Rev.  S.  E.  Lathrop  was  called  to 
the  pastorflte.  The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Horn.  The  society  has  a  very  neat  frame 
building  located  just  east  of  the  main  part  of 
town  on  the  corner  of  Court  and   Yancy  streets. 

The  first  Sunday  school  organization  in  Viro- 
qua  was  effected  by  Rev.  L.  L.  Radcliff,  m 
May,  1855.  James  E.  Newell  was  elected 
superintendent  and  R.  C.  Bierce  assistant.  Mrs. 
.Mary  L.  Radciiff,  H.  Trowbridge,  Mrs.  Abbie 
S.  Weeden  and  R.  C.  Bierce,  were  teacliers.  It 
was  organized  as  a  union  school  and  kept  as 
such  until  the  Methodist  society  organized  a 
school  of  their  own  in  the  winter  af  1866.  The 
following  persons  were  at  various  times  superin- 
tendents of  the  union  school:  Henry  Nichols, 
R.  C  Bierce,  H.  Trowbridge,  Alson  Keeler,  L. 
W.  Nichols  and  J.  D.  Brothers. 

The  Congregational  Sunday  school  was  or- 
ganized in  1866.  Among  the  early  superintend- 
ents were:  E.  C.  Smith,  A.  K.  Burrell,  L.  W. 
Nichols  and  R.  C.  Bierce.  The  school  is  now 
in  a  most  flourishing  condition. 

Rev.  O.  P.  Peterson,  the  present  presiding 
elder,  first  introduced  the  Norwegian  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  to  his  countrymen  in  Veinon 
county  by  preaching  at  the  private  residence  of 
Ole  Running  in  the  year  185-2.  Coon  and 
Round  Prairies,  with  other  territory  extending 
into  adjoining  counties,  was  organized  into  a 
mission  known  then  and  now  as  the  Coon 
Prairie  mission,  with  Rev.  O.  B.  Knudson  as 
preacher  in  charge,  and  the  first  organization  of 
a  class  was  by  him  at  the  Asbury  school  house 
on  section  23,  town  13,  range  4  west,  in  July, 
1S54.  John  C.  Spellum  was  appointed  class 
leader,  and  of  the  members  were:  Ole  Running 
and  wife,  John  C.  Spellum  and  wife,  Ole  Han- 
son and  wife,  John  Meyer  and  wife,  Osten 
Kjelland  and  wife,  Beriit  'J'iiompson    and   wife 


and  Lars  Springer  and  wife.     Ole  Running  was 
appointed  steward. 

From  this  beginning  the  work  gradually  ex- 
tended throughout  the  Norwegian  settlements 
in  the  county,  different  points  being  from  time 
to  time  opened  up  by  the  earnest,  aggressive 
missionary  spirit  and  labors  of  the  ministers  in 
charge.  The  Norwegian  people,  almost  with- 
out exception,  came  to  the  county  trained  and 
indoctrinated  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  the  State 
Ciiurch  of  Norway,  and  their  conversion  to 
Methodist  doctrines  and  usages  has  been  at- 
tended with  peculiar  difliculties;  and  especially 
so  when  later  the  Lutheran  Church  founded  a 
society,  with  a  resident  priest  on  Coon  Prairie, 
and  interposed  strenuous  opposition  to  the  in- 
troduction of  Methodism. 

Classes  were  formed  at  Bad  Ax,  Chaseburg, 
Enterprise  and  Esofea  and  are  still  maintained. 
The  membersliip being  scattered  it  is  customary 
in  addition  to  the  regular  services  at  the  points 
named  to  hold  grove  and  camp-meetings  eacli 
summer  and  preaching  in  different  school 
houses  and  private  residences  througliout  tlie 
the  year. 

A  church  building  was  erected  in  1866  on 
section  26,  town  14,  range  4  west,  the  site  for 
the  church  and  a  burying  ground  having  been 
donated  to  the  society  by  Christian  Songstad  in 
1863,  at  which  time  the  burying  ground  was 
formally  dedicated. 

The  buildinar  was  24x36  feet  and  cost  1800 
and  was  erected  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J. 
H.  Johnson  and  presiding  eldership  of  Rev.  O. 
P.  Peterson;  the  dedication  occurred  in  1866 
and  was  conducted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Wrigiit,  of 
Sparta.  The  board  of  trustees  consisted  of 
John  C.  Spellum,  Soren  Paulson  and  Lars  Pe- 
terson. This  church  is  now  being  re])laced  by 
one  in  process  of  erection  at  the  village  of 
Westby,  28x40  feet  in  dimensions,  to  cost  about 
$1,200  and  of  ornamental  design. 

The  pastors  in  order  to  the  present  time  have 
been  as  follows; 


^.aT^^Iyl^Lj^ — " 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


693 


O.  B.  Knudson,  1854-6;  Nels  P.  Olson,   li-51; 

A.  Cedarholm,  1858;  Samuel  Anderson,  1859-60; 

P.  Agrilius,  1861;  J.  C.  Spellum,  '862;  C.  Sten- 

son,    1863-4;    J.    II.    Johnson,     1865-7;  C.    F. 

Elsthlost,  1868-9;  Christian  Trieder,    1870;    R. 

Olson,  1871-2;  Jens  Gertsen  (supply),    1873-6; 

Christian    Omand,    1877-9;    Martinus    Nelson, 

1880;  O.  Jacobson,    1881-3;    O.    P.    Peterson, 

1883. 

The  present  membership  in  the  county  is 
about  100  and  the  prospects  for  the  future  are 
full  of  promise. 

The  Church  has  truly  come  up  to  its  present 
standing  and  strength  under  great  diiBculties, 
having  to  contend  with  popular  prejudice  on  the 
part  of  the  ])eople  among  whom  the  work  has 
been  done,  in  addition  to  the  obstacles  always 
incident  to  pioneer  %vork,  and  the  success  at- 
tending the  efforts  put  forth  has  been  wrought 
largely  by  the  piety  and  perseyerance  of  the 
men  in  charge. 

Circumstances  have  been  unfavorable  to  Sun- 
day school  woik,  though  something  has  been  done 
in  this  direction,  and  plans  for  the  future  cor- 
icmplate  special  efforts. 

ISCORPOEATIOX. 

Viroqua  was  incorporated  in  the  spring  of 
1866.  The  first  meeting  of  the  council  wa^ 
held  on  the  1st  of  June,  1866.  The  first  ofBcer^ 
of  the  incorporation  were  as  follows  :  Carson 
Graham,  president;  W.  S.  S.  White,  I.  K. 
Buck  and  C.  M.  Butt,  trustees;  .John  R.  Casson, 
clerk  ;  A.  K.  Burrell,  constable;  J.  S.  Tinker 
street   commissioner;  John   Dawson,  treasurer. 

The  officers  from  1867  to  1883,  were  as  fol- 
lows: 

1867 — Carson     Graham,  president  ;    Edward 
C'oe,     J.    H.   Tate   and    J.    E.     Newell,    trus- 
tees;   J.    R.    Casson,    clerk;    Warren    Dunl.ap, ' 
marshal    and  street  commissioner. 

1868— C.  M.  Butt,  president;  J.  H.  Tate,  W. 
S.  I'urdy  and  Nathan  Coe,  trustees  ;  Janii  s 
Morton,  marshal  and  street  commissioner  ; 
Jaraos  Morton,  clerk. 


1869— C.  M.  Butt,  president ;  J.  S.  Metcalf, 
R.  S.  McMichael,  trustees  ;  W.  S.  S.  White, 
marshal  ;  John  Dawson,  treasurer ;  P.  J. 
Layne,  clerk. 

1870— C.  M.  Butt,  president ;  H.  A.  Chase, 
C.  C.  Brown  and  A.  L.  Russell,  trustees  ;  B.  F. 
Purdy,  clerk  ;  John  Dawson,  treasurer  ;  A.  K. 
Burrell,  police  justice  ;  S.  C.  Lincoln,  marshal 
and  street  commissioner. 

1871 — William  Nelson,  president;  A.  L. 
Russell,  Calvin  Morley  and  W.  A.  Gott,  trus- 
tees ;  John  Dawson,  treasurer  ;  John  Gordon, 
marshal  and  street  commissioner  ;  P.  J.  Layne, 
clerk. 

1872 — William  Nelson,  president;  C.  M. 
Butt,  Carson  Graham  and  O.  C.  Weeden,  trus- 
tees ;  P.  J.  Layne,  clerk;  John  Dawson,  treas- 
urer; J.  E.  Newell,  justice  ;  E.  S.  Goodell,  mar- 
shal and  street  commissioner. 

1873 — William  Nelson,  president ;  Carson- 
Graham,  C.  M.  Butt  and  O.  C.  Weeden,  trus 
tees ;  P.  J.  Layne,  clerk  ;  John  Dawson,  treas- 
urer; James  E.  Newell,  justice  ;  E.  S.  Goodell, 
marshal    and  street  commissioner. 

1874 — D.  A.  Barnard,  president ;  C.  M.  Butt, 
,T.  H.  Tate  and  N.  Coe,  trustees  ;  P.  J.  Layne, 
clerk;  John  Dawson,  treasurer  ;  J.  E.  Newell, 
justice;  K.  S.  Goodell,  constable  ;  William  Ever- 
son,  street  commissioner. 

1875 — D.  A.  Barnard,  president  ;  C.  M.  Butt, 
N.  Coe,  J.  H.  Tate,  C.  C.  Brown,  Alex  Gors- 
line,  J.  W.  Greenman,  trustees  ;  P.  J.  Layne, 
clerk. 

May,  1875 — Carson  Graham,  president;  W. 
F.  Lindemann,  C.  C.  Brown,  M.  C.  Nichols, 
Joseph  Pulver,  Alexander  Gorsline  and  B.  F. 
Purdy,  trustees  ;  P.  J.  Layne,  clerk  ;  John 
Dawson,  treasurer  ;  J.  E.  Newell,  justice. 

1876— E.  M.  Rogers,  president;  B.  F.  Purdy, 
E.  A.  Stark,  N.  Coe,  I.  W.  Blake,  Ed  Lind  and 
H.  P.  Proctor,  trustees  ;  D.  A.  Barnard,  treas- 
urer; J.  E.  Newell,  justice;  P.  J.  Layne,  cleik  ; 
W.  N.  Carter,  village  attorney  ;  W.  T.  Not- 
tingham, niaislial. 


40 


694 


HISTORY  OF  VERNOM   COUNTY. 


'[Sll — D.  A.  Barnard,  president  ;  H.  P. 
Proctor,  E.  A.  Stark,  B.  F.  Purdy,  Ed  Lind, 
William  Lake  and  P.  N.  Slmmway,  trustees  ; 
W.  S.  Purdy,  justice  ;  E.  Minsliall,  street  com- 
missioner;J.  E.  Slade,  marshal  ;  W.  N.  Carter, 
attorney;    John  Dawson,  treasurer. 

1818 — E.  M.  Rogers,  president;  E.  A.  Stark, 
H.  P.  Proctor,  William  Strieker,  Silas  Haskell, 
Joseph  Pulver  and  C.  M.  Butt,  trustees  ;  P.  J. 
Layne,  clerk;  John  Dawson,  treasurer;  W.  F. 
Terhune,  justice;  E.  S.  Goodell,  marshal ;  Ed- 
ward Minshall,  street  commis.«ioner. 

1879 — E.  M.  Rogers,  president ;  J.  E.  New- 
ell, C.  Graham,  C.  M.  Butt,  H.  P.  Proctor,  E. 
A.  Stark  and  S.  W.  Wait,  trustees;  P.  J.  Layne, 
clerk;  F.  A.  Holden,  marshal  and  street  commis- 
sioner;' W.  F.  Terhune,  justice,  (  resigned  and 
was)  succeeded    July,  1879,  by    H.  C.  Forsyth. 

1880 — Carson  Graham,  president  ;  J.  R.  Cas- 
son,  H.  D.  Williams,  Joseph  Pulver,  Mr.  Mor- 
gan, E.  A.  Stark  and  C.  M.  Butt,  trustees  ; 
C'.  A.  Roberts,  clerk;  W.  W.  Dunlap,  street 
commissioner. 

1881— PL  P.   Proctor,  president  ;  C.  M.  Butt, 

E.  A.  Stark,  O.  B.  Wyman,  E.  H.  Craig, 
W.  H.  Pulver  and  F.  Minshall,  trustees;  E.  M. 
Rogers,  treasurer;  C.  A.  Roberts,  clerk;  S.  H. 
Gorsline,  street  commissioner. 

1882—0.  B.  Wyman,  president;  E.   A.  Stark, 

F.  Minshall,  E.  H.  Craig,  Peter  Nelson,  Fred 
Eckhart,  Nathan  Coe,  W.  H.  Pulver,  Thomas 
Jerman,  trustees;  A.  W.  Campbell,  clerk;  F.  M. 
Minshall,  street  commissioner. 

188.3— H.  P.  Proctor,  president;  C.  M.  Butt, 
J.  H.  Tate,  Mr.  Curry,  E.  A.  Stark,  R.  S.  Mc- 
Michael,  Joseph  Pulver,  M.  C.Nichols,  trustees; 
W.  S.  Field,  clerk;  H.  C.  Forsyth,  justice;  John 
Dawson,  treasurer,  Frank  Minhsall,  marshal. 

TOWN  OF  VIROQUA. 

The  town  of  Viroqua  embraces  all  of  con- 
gressional township  13,  range  4  west,  the  two 
northern  tiers  of  sections,  and  sections  13,14, 
23  and  24  of  township  12,  range  4  west.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  town  of  Chris- 
tiana; on  the  east  by  Webster  and  Liberty  ;  on 


the  south  by  Kickapoo  and  Franklin  ;  and  on 
the  west  by  Franklin  and  Jefferson.  The  sur- 
face of  this  town  is  generally  broken  and  hilly 
yet  it  contains  some  of  the  finest  agricultural 
lands  in  the  county.  The  eastern  and  north- 
eastern parts  of  the  town  are  made  up  of  rolling 
prairie,  interspersed,  here  and  there,  with  small 
groves.  The  balance  of  the  town  was  origin- 
ally covered  with  heavy  timber;  but  much,  if 
not  the  greater  part  of  this,  has  been  cleared 
a«ay  by  the  thrifty  and  enterprising  settlers, 
and  there  are  now  valuable  farms  in  all  parts 
I  if  the  town. 

KAELY    SETTLEMENT. 

The  early  history  of  this  town  is  to  a  great 
degree  identical  with  that  of  the  village,  as 
most  of  the  early  settlers  clustered  about  Viro- 
qua. However,  some  of  the  most  prominent 
first  settlers  will  be  noted. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  town  was  made  in 
1846.  During  August,  of  this  year,  George  En- 
sign and  Samuel  Ingram  came  and  located  upon 
farms  in  this  town.  Mr.  Ensign  sold  out  about 
twenty  years  ago  and  left  the  country.  Samuel 
Ingram  remained  until  1880,  when  he  sold  out 
and  moved  to  California. 

T.  J.  DeFrees,  Solomon  Decker  and  John 
Harrison  came  during  the  same  year.  The  two 
former  are  treated  elsewhere  at  length.  John 
Harrison  took  a  claim  which  included  what 
is  now  known  as  the  See  Spring.  The  farm  he 
located  upon  is  now  owned  by  Elijah  Tilton. 
Harrison  erected  a  saw  mill  on  the  west  branch 
of  the  Kickapoo  which  was  one  of  the  first  in 
the  county.  He  afterward  sold  out  and  went  to 
Missouri. 

RELIGIOUS. 

There  are  two  Church  organizations  in  the 
town  of  Viroqua,  outside  of  the  village. 

The  Norwegian  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
on  Coon  Prairie,  was  organized  in  1853,  by  Rev. 
II.  A.  Stub.  The  first  members  were:  Ole  A. 
Running,  John  C.  Spellum,  P.  Eggen,  Michael 
Larson,  Svend  Svendson,  Erik  Torkilsen,  Hans 
Jenson,  Gullik  Olsen,  Bernt  Larson,  Hover  Sig- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


695 


bjornson,  John  Clemmetson,  N.  E.  Nilsson, 
Halvor  Bjornson,  Clemmet  C.  Berg,  Lars  A. 
Tollakson,  Jacob  A.  Torraeson,  Gullik  Torkel- 
son,  Halvor  Johnson,  Roinhard  Aslakson,  Enoch 
Enochsen,  Sigbjorn  Aslakson,  Lars  Galstad, 
Hendrik  Johnson,  Christen  Hanson,  Christian 
Hoversen,  Tjostal  Amundson,  Johannes  John- 
son, Even  Olsen  and  Ole  Tostensen. 

The  first  officers  of  the  Church  were:  H. 
A.  Stub,  pastor;  Tjostol  Amundson,  Thomas 
Johnson  and  Lars  Christoferson,  trustees.  The 
first  religious  service  was  held  in  Han's  Nap- 
rud's  house,  now  belonging  to  his  son  E.  H. 
Naprud. 

H.  A.  Stub  served  as  pastor  from  1854  to  18C1, 
when  he  resigned  on  account  of  failing  health. 
He  is  still  living,  in  Winneshiek  Co.,  Iowa, 
where  his  congregations  at  present  are  situated. 
Rev.  Stub's  successor  was  Rev.  A.  C.  Preus,  who 
served  as  pastor  from  1863  to  1872,  when  fail- 
ing healtli  compelled  him  to  resign  his  position 
and  return  to  Norwaj^,  where  he  died,  as  bishop, 
in  1878.  After  Rev.  Preus  oirae  Rev.  H.  Hal- 
vorsen,  the  present  pastor. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  a  small  frame 
building,  55x3-2  feet,  costing  about  S2,000.  It 
was  dedicated  in  1858.  This  church  soon  be- 
came unable  to  accommodate  the  growing  num- 
ber of  the  congregation,  and  in  1875  the  erec- 
tion of  a  capacious  stone  building,  in  the  gothic 
style  of  architecturci  was  commenced. 

Its  interior  is  not  yet  finished,  but  re- 
ligious services  have  been  held  there  for  the 
past  five  years. 

This  is  without  doubt  the  grandest  church 
building  in  Vernon  county,  its  size  being 
100x50  feet,  tower  projecting  nine  feet;  height 
of  spire  150  feet.  Its  present  cost  is  $20,000. 
It  stands  on  a  beautiful  elevation,  overlooking 
Coon  Prairie,  and  the  surrounding  country.  The 
present  condition  of  the  Norwegian  Evangeli- 
cal Lutheran  Church  is  prosperous,  the  number 
of  tiie  voting  members  is  200.  The  present  ol- 
ficers  of  the  Cburch  are:  H.  Halvorson,  pastor; 
P.  P.  {[ekloen,  secretary    and    treasurer;    .John 


Clemmetson,  C.  A.  Morterud,  Anders  Jenson 
Peder  Halvorson,  Edward  Theige,  Nils  T.  Nil- 
son,  Lars  Hovde  and  Ole  G.  Hanson,  trustees. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  society  was  organ- 
ized in  1854,  by  the  Reverend  Bishop,  with 
twenty-two  members.  Philip  Adams  was  class 
leader.  The  membership  was  afterwards  in- 
creased to  sixty.  A  log  church  was  erected  in 
IStiO,  on  section  22,  which  is  still  in  use.  The 
Church  is  not  at  present  in  a  very  flourishing 
condition,  as  many  of  the  members  have  gone 
elsewhere,  while  others  attend  Church  at  Viro- 
qua.  The  following  are  among  the  pastors  who 
have  filled  the  pulpit  for  the  society  at  differ- 
ent times:  Revs.  Bishop,  Purdun,  Cooley,  Fitch 
and  Hartshorn. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

From  the  following  brief  description  of  the 
various  districts  in  this  town,  it  will  be  seen 
that  educational  facilities  are  excellent. 

District  No.  2  is  a  joint  district.  It  has  a 
fair  building,  in  a  pleasant  location, which  is  well 
furnished.     'J  he  school  has  a  good  attendance. 

District  No.  3  is  also  a  joint  district.  It  has 
a  good  frame  building  well  furnished.  The  at- 
tendance is  fair. 

District  No.  4  has  also  a  fair  school  building. 
The  population  here  is  chiefly  Norwegian. 

District  No.  5  embraces  the  village  of  Viro- 
qua. 

District  No.  6  will  soon  abandon  the  old 
school  building,  as  a  new  one  is  being  erected 
at  a  cost  of  about  1400,  which  will  be  ready  for 
the  winter  term  of  school  in  1883-4. 

District  No.  7  has  a  good  building  which  is 
well  ventilated  and  furnished.  The  attendance 
is  good. 

District  No.  8  has  a  small  but  comfortable 
school  building  pleasantly  located  on  Coon 
Prairie.  The  population  here  is  almost  wholly 
Norwegian . 

District  No.  9  has  a  fair  building  but  it  is  in  a 
1  ])oor  location.     The  attendance  is  usually  good. 


696 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


In  district  No.  10  the  old  school  building  was 
burned  down  some  months  ago  and  a  new  one 
has  been  erected. 

ORRANIC. 

The  name  of  the  town  of  Viroqua  was  for- 
merly Farwell.  As  a  general  chapter  is  devoted 
to  the  creation  and  changes  of  name  and  bound- 
aries of  towns,  it  is  unnecessary  to  here  refer 
to  the  various  changes  through  which  the  town 
of  Viroqua  has  passed  in  assuming  its  present 
limits. 

In  I88:i  the  officers  of  the  town  of  Viroqua 
were  as  follows  :  Su|>ervisors,  Elijah  Tilton, 
chairman,  Lars  Christiansen,  and  Seth  McClurg; 
town  clerk,  P.  J.  Layne  ;  treasurer,  M  C.  Berg  ; 
assessor,  Marvin  Henry  ;  justices  of  the  peace, 
C.  A.  Roberts,  J.  E.  Newell,  H.  C.  Forsyth  and 
Lars  T.  Larson  ;  constables,  E.  S.  Goodell,  J.  .J. 
Silbaugh  and  E.  H.  Morrison. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

The  wealth  and  prominence  of  any  county 
naturally  finds  a  location  in  or  near  its  county 
seat.  Viroqua  is  no  exception  to  tliis  rule  and 
the  following  named  citizens  represent  a  fair 
proportion  of  the  financial,  business  and  intel- 
lec  ual  forces  that  materially  influence  the  moral 
progress  and  industrial  growth  of  Vernon  coun- 
ty. 

James  Foster  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Ver- 
non county.  He  came  of  the  old  Connecticut 
military  stock  that  settled  on  the  western  re- 
serve, in  nonheastern  Ohio.  He  was  born  in 
Trumbull  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1814,  and  has  been  a 
resident  of  this  State  since  1835.  At  that  date 
his  father's  family,  together  with  five  other  fam- 
ilies, went  to  Wellsville,  Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio, 
and  there  loaded  a'l  their  household  effects, 
provisions,  stock  and  families  on  a  keel  boat 
and  floated  down  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Cumberland  river,  wliere  they  secured  the  ser- 
vices of  a  steamboat  to  tow  them  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  At  this  point  they  had  their  boat  attached 
to  another  steamboat  and  followed  in  its  wake 
up  the  beautiful  "Father  of  Waters"  to  Prairie 
du  Chien,  in  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.     Here    they 


rested  from  tlieir  long  and  tedious  journey  and 
all  finally  made  permanent  settlements  in  Craw- 
ford and  Grant  counties.  Mr.  Foster's  father 
was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  shortly  after  liis 
arrival  was  employed  to  erect  a  saw  mill  in 
(4rant  county,  which  was  one  of  liie  first  mills 
in  southwestern  Wisconsin.  He  located  in 
Crawford  county,  but  only  lived  about  two 
years  after  he  made  a  settlement.  His  wife 
also  died  at  about  the  same  period.  James 
Foster  lived  in  and  near  Prairie  du  Chien  un- 
til 1847,  when  he  came  to  what  was  then  Bad 
As  (now  Vernon)  county  and  located  on  a  quar- 
ter section  of  government  land  in  Viroqua  town. 
He  still  resides  where  he  first  settled  and  owns 
ninety  acres  of  his  first  purchase.  Mr.  Foster 
has  almost  reached  his  three  score  and  ten  and 
about  fifty  of  these  weary  years  have  been  spent 
among  the  earlier  scenes  of  Wisconsin's  history. 
He  has  given  the  better  portion  of  his  life  to 
assist  in  developing  one  of  the  grandest  Slates 
in  our  Union  and  he  deserves  all  the  praise  that 
tongue  can  speak  or  pen  can  trace.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  his  future  years  on  earth  may  be 
generously  supplied  with  all  the  comforts  of  old 
age.  His  wife  was  Diautha  Wells,  born  in 
Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1828.  Her  parents  were 
Benjamin  and  Eleanor  Wells,  who  settled  at 
Viroqua  in  1849.  The  father  died  here  many 
years  ago  and  the  mother  .afterward  removed 
to  Oregon  with  a  son  and  there  passed  away 
from  earth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster  have  one  son, 
Silas,  born  here  in  1851.  He  married  Emily, 
daughter  of  Baker  and  Catharine  Graham,  one 
of  the  well  known  pioneers  of  Vernon  county. 
In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  14th  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Volunteers,  served  about  six  months  and 
was  discharged  on  account  of  disability.  In 
1842  Mr.  Foster  entered  the  United  States  army 
and  served  through  the  Mexican  War.  For 
this  service  he  received,  in  1844,  the  land  war- 
rant for  his  present  farm. 

Nathan  Coe  is  a  son  of  Isaac  Coe,  who  settled 
in  Franklin  town,  Vernon  county,  in  1848.  Ii^aac 
Coe    was   a    native  of  Maryland    but    removed. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


69T 


westward  and  located  near  Cohunbiis,  Ohio. 
He  removed  from  the  town  of  Franklin  to  tlie 
town  of  Utica,  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1852, 
and  in  1860  went  to  California,  where  he 
died  in  1869.  His  widow  departed  this 
life  at  Viroqua  in  1872.  They  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  six  sons  and 
three  daughters.  Nathan  was  born  in  Zanes- 
viUe,  near  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1827, 
but  was  reared  at  Columbus.  He  came  to  this 
county  with  his  father,  in  184S,  from  Lafayette 
Co  ,  Wis.,  where  the  family  had  resided  for 
about  two  years.  Nathan  also  made  a  claim  on 
section  1,  in  Franklin  town,  which  land  he 
owned  until  1882.  In  the  spring  of  1850  he 
joined  the  "madly  rushing  throng"  on  its  way 
to  the  newly  discovered  gold  fields  of  Cali- 
fornia, taking  the  overland  route.  He  there 
remained  for  two  years.  He  then  returned  to 
Franklin  town  and  made  that  his  home  until 
1864,  the  date  of  his  removal  to  Viroqua.  Mr. 
Coe  has  been  engaged  in  farming  the  greater 
portion  of  his  life  and  has  also  been  an  exten- 
sive dealer  in  real  estate.  He  has  owned  at  various 
times  a  large  number  of  farms  and  his  business 
transaction^  have  been  uniformly,  successful. 
He  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  lioly  wedlock  to 
Mary,  a  daughter  of  James  Lawrence,  who  set- 
tled at  Liberty  Pole,  in  Vernon  county,  in  1851, 
and  now  resides  at  De  Soto.  Mrs.  Coe  is  a  na- 
tive of  England.  She  is  the  mother  of  four 
daughters  and  one  son — Attilla,  Julia,  Ida,  Ed- 
ward and  Charity.  Mr.  Coe  owns  a  farm  of 
1 15  acres,  adjoining  the  village  of  Viroqua.  Mr. 
Coe  has  been  twice  honored  by  his  neighbors 
and  friends  by  election  to  the  office  of  sheriff. 
Rev.  James  A.  Cook  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
Methodist  preachers  of  Vernon  county.  He 
was  also  one  of  tiie  earliest  settlers,  having  lo- 
cated on  section  4,  town  12,  range  4,  Viroqua 
town,  in  July,  1848.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky 
March  4,  1824  and  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Illinois  when  two  years  of  age.  Here  he  grew 
tomatihood.  At  ten  years  of  age  he  was  con- 
verted, and   was  a  class  leader  many  years  be- 


fore entering  the  ministry.  He  commenced 
preaching  as  a  local  minister  soon  after  coming 
to  this  town,  and  continued  in  the  ministry 
until  near  the  close  of  his  life,  Aug.  13,1881. 
His  wife  still  lives  on  the  claim  which  lie  lo- 
cated in  1848.  Mr.  Cook  labored  faithfully  in 
the  cause  of  his  Master  during  the  years  when 
to  be  an  itinerant  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Church  required  long  journeys,  exposure  to  all 
kinds  of  weather,  and  such  accommodations  as 
pioneer  life  afforded.  He  was  twice  married. 
His  first  wife  was  Susanna  Hay,  who  died  in 
Viroqua  town  in  December,  1859,  leaving  eiglit 
children,  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  six  of 
whom  are  living.  Mr.  Cook  married  Mrs. 
Juliann  M.  Shaner  in  September,  1860.  She 
was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Wis- 
consin with  her  husband.  Dr.  Martin  Shaner,  in 
1854.  Dr.  Shaner  was  drowned  in  the  Kicka- 
poo  river  at  Readstown,  June  9,  1857,  in  an  at- 
tempt to  rescue  two  children,  who  had  fallen 
into  the  river,  from  drowning.  Mrs.  Cook  bad 
four  children  by  her  first  marriage — Abbie, 
Daniel  F.,  Learoy  S.  and  Albert.  Mr.  Cook's 
youngest  child,  Hobart,  and  a  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Cook,  Martha  Jane,  were  killed  in  the  tornado 
of  1865,  being  two  of  the  victims  who  perished 
by  the  destruction  of  the  school  house  on  that 
memorable  day,  June  28,  of  that  year. 

Elias  H.  Naprud  is  the  son  of  Hans  Nelson 
Naprud,  who  settled  on  section  4,  Viroqua  town, 
in  August,  1848.  Hans  Nelson  Naprud  is  one 
of  the  earliest  Norwegian  settlers  of  the  town. 
He  emigrated  to  the  United  States  with  his 
family  in  1847,  coming  to  Vernon  county  the 
following  year.  He  had  five  children,  four  of 
whom  are  living — Nels,  Gilbert,  Helen  and 
Elias  H.  Elias  H.,  the  youngest  child,  was  born 
in  Norway,  in  November,  1836.  He  married 
Betsy  Brathlie,  daughter  of  Christojiher  Brath- 
lie.  They  have  four  children — Andrena,  Leed- 
wig,  Laura  and  Nordahl.  Elias  H.  occupies  the 
homestead  farm,  wliich  contains  200  acres  His 
mother  died  on  the  homestead  in  1874,  his 
father  in  1875. 


698 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Wendell  H.  Pulver  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Jefferson  town.  He  was  born  in  Scho- 
harie Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  119S.  He  was  a  soldier  of 
the  War  of  1812.  He  married  and  settled  in 
Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  thence  to  Onta- 
rio county  about  1836.  He  came  with  his 
family  to  Kenosha,  Wis.,  in  1847,  and  to 
Rock  county  the  following  year,  where  the 
family  lived  till  1855,  when  they  came  to  Ver- 
non county,  and  settled  at  Springville,  in  the 
town  of  Jefferson,  where  he  lived  until  his  de- 
cease. He  was  a  wagon  maker  by  trade,  and  is 
said  to  have  built  the  first  wagon  made  in  Ver- 
non county.  He  died  in  1871;  his  wife,  Ra- 
chel (Teager)  Pulver,  died  before  the  decease 
of  her  husband.  They  had  six  children,  five 
of  whom  are  living — Mrs.  Mary  A.  Fish,  Mrs. 
Catharine  Waterman,  David  H.,  born  in  1834, 
in  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y.;  Oliver  H.,  born  in 
Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  William  H.,  born  in 
Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840.  The  eldest  son, 
John  N.,  was  born  in  Schoharie  county  in 
1821;  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion, and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Madison, 
Ind.  Daniel  H.  and  William  H.  came  to  Viro- 
qua  from  Springville,  and  engaged  in  wagon 
making  and  blacksmithing  in  1879.  Previous 
to  that  time  they  were  engaged  in  the  same 
business  at  Springville.  David  H.,  married 
Susan  A.  Wade,  and  Willi.am  H.,  Elizabeth 
Wade. 

William  S.  Purdy  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Sterling  town,  and  during  his  thirty 
years'  residence  in  Vernon  county  held  high  of- 
fices of  trust  and  honor,  and  possessed  the  con- 
fidence of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. He  was  a  native  of  Carlisle,  Sullivan 
Co.,  Ind.,  born  Aug.  28,  1822.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  eleven  years  of  age  and  -at  fifteen 
he  was  apprenticed  to  a  saddler  of  his  native 
place  to  learn  the  trade.  He  worked  at  his 
trade  for  fifteen  years,  and  in  1845  came  west 
to  the  territory  of  Wisconsin.  He  was  for  a 
time  engaged  in  mining,  and  afterward  worked 
at  his  trade  at  Mineral  Point  for  a  few  months 


In  1849  he  sought  a  new  location  in  what  was 
then  the  town  of  Bad  Ax,  Crawford  county,  but 
now  in  the  town  of  Sterling.  He  was  largely 
identified  with  the  early  history  and  growth  of 
that  section  of  the  county,  and  during  his  resi- 
dence there  held  nearly  all  the  town  offices, 
read  law  and  was  admitted  to  practice.  He  re- 
sided on  the  farm  ten  years,  and  finally  gave 
up  his  early  and  well-tried  associations  and  re- 
moved to  Viroqua  to  accept  the  office  of  clerk 
of  the  circuit  court,  a  position,  to  which 
he  had  been  elected,  and  which  he  filled  for 
eight  years,  during  which  time  he  served  one 
year  ill  the  State  Senate.  He  was  elected  county 
judge  in  1869,  and  subsequently  re-elected,  serv- 
ing two  successive  terms.  Judge  Purdy  was 
married  in  1846  to  Jane  E.  Lemen,  also  a  native 
of  Indiana.  They  have  been  blessed  with 
eight  children — Brice  F.,  Kossuth  F.,  William 
R.,  Henry  H.,  Ella  M.,  Frank,  Ed,  atul  Ida  M. 
Only  two  of  this  large  family  are  yet  residents 
of  Vernon  county — Brioe  F.  and  William  R.  In 
1878,  on  account  of  failing  health,  and  thinking 
that  a  change  might  prove  beneficial,  Judge  Pur- 
dy removed  to  Pratt  Co  ,Kan,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. Brice  F.  Purdy,  the  eldest  so!i,  is  a  harness 
maker  of  Viroqua.  He  was  born  in  Iowa  Co., 
Wis.,  in  1849,  just  ijrevious  to  his  parents  re- 
moval to  this  county.  He  learned  his  trade 
with  his  father  and  embarked  in  the  business 
in  1871.  Mr.  Purdy  married  Hattie  Coe,  a  sis- 
ter of  Nathan  Coe.  They  have  four  children- 
William,  Myrtle,  Ella  and  an  infant  son. 

Peter  Hay  located  in  the  fall  of  1850  on  sec- 
3,  town  12,  range  4  west,  where  he  still  re- 
sides. He  was  born  in  Wayne  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1818.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  moved 
with  his  parents  to  Wayne  Co.,  111.  His  father, 
Jonathan  Hay,  settled  in  Viroqua  town  in  1851, 
and  died  in  1868.  Mr.  Hay  was  married  in 
Illinois  to  Mary  Clarke,  born  in  that  State. 
They  have  had  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are 
living — Jonathan,  Eliza  Jane,  John,  Maiy  M., 
Martha  E.  and  James.  The  names  of  their  de- 
ceased children    were — Peter   and   Julia.     All 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


699 


except  the  two  eldest  were  born  in  Viroqua. 
Mrs.  Hay's  father,  Samuel  Clarke,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky.  Her  brother,  Samuel  Clarke, 
came  to  this  town  with  Mr.  Hay.  Ue  enlisted 
during  liie  Kebellion  and  died  while  in  the 
service.  Their  oldest  sou,  Jonathan,  was  born 
in  Illinois  in  1848.  He  married  Marcella 
Adams,  born  in  Ohio.  She  died  and  he  was 
again  married.  Mr.  Hay  has  three  children  by 
his  second  wife — Mary  Jane,  Pearly  and  Frank. 
Jonathan  enlisted  in  1864  in  company  B,  50tli 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Peter  Hay's 
farm  originally  contained  ^40  acres.  He  h;is 
now  2C0  acres  of  land. 

O.  O.  Kelland,  Jr.,  is  the  son  of  O.  O.  Kel- 
land  who  settled  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  7,  Aug.  14,  1851,  where  his  son  now 
lives.  Mr.  Kelland,  Sr.,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
Norwegian  settlers  in  Viroqua  town.  He  was 
born  in  Norway  in  1797,  and  was  there  married 
to  Anna  C.  Kelland.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  wife  and  four  children  in  1851, 
settling  immediately  in  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He 
bought  his  farm,  containing  1074^  acres,  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  and  lived  thereon  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1877,  he  having  re- 
sided on  the  farm  for  twenty-six  years.  Mrs. 
Kelland  is  still  living.  Four  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelland  in  this  town. 
The  names  of  their  children  are — Bertha,  re- 
siding in  Blue  Earth  Co.,  Minn.;  Mary  Lesi- 
let,  residing  in  Jefferson  town,  this  county  ; 
Mary  Ann,  also  in  Blue  Earth  Co.,  Minn;  Ellen 
B.,  deceased  ;  Christina,  Sarah  and  Lars,  de- 
ceased. O.  O.  Kelland,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Norway 
in  1844.  He  now  owns  and  resides  on  tlie  home- 
stead. He  married  Olena  C.  Oleson,  who  died 
in  1872.  Mr.  Kelland  has  had  two  children, 
one  of  whom  is  living — Anna. 

One  of  the  prominent  and  successful  farmers 
of  Viroqua  town  is  Nels  J.  Rudie.  He  was 
born  in  Norway,  July  1'2,  1829,  and  emigrited 
to  the  United  States  in  1851,  coming  direct  to 
this  town.    He  worked  in  the  Black  river  pine- 


ries till  1853,  when  he  entered  160  acres  of  land 
on  section  6,  where  be  still  resides.  He  has 
since  added  200  acres  to  his  first  purchase, 
besides  200  acres  in  other  adjoining  towns, 
and  has  made  good  improvements  thereon.  He 
was  married  July  27,  1859,  to  Marith  H.  Dalil, 
born  in  Norwav,  April  4,  1836.  They  have  six 
children  living  and  two  dead — John  N.,  born 
April  6,  I860.;  Amalie  N.,  born  Dec.  1.?,  1862, 
died  in  August,  1864;  Hans  Myer,  born  April 
27,  1865;  Theodore  Amandus,  born  Nov.  18, 
1867;  Normand  N.,  born  Sept.  16,  1871,  died 
in  July,  1872;  Hannah  Marie,  born  Sept.  11, 
1873;  Nordahl  N.,  born  July  26,  1876,  and 
Amalie  Elizabeth,  born  April  9,  1880. 

Ananias  Smith  has  resided  in  Vernon  county 
thirty-two  years,  and  from  a  poor  man  has 
riisen  to  be  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  the  county.  He  came  here 
from  Rock  Co.,  Wis.,  in  June,  1851,  with  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  a  pair  of  steers  and  $7  in 
money.  He  bought  163  acres  of  land  on  section 
31,  Viroqua  town,  and  commenced  life  anew. 
Half  of  this  land  was  heavily  timbered,  but 
Mr.  Smith  possessed  a  good  constitution,  un- 
limited energy,  and  a  determination  to  succeed, 
and  a  glance  at  his  present  possessions  shows 
that  he  has  succeeded.  He  owns  600  acres  of 
the  finest  land  in  Vernon  county,  and  his  first 
cabin  of  logs  has  given  way  to  a  handsome 
farm  residence.  His  stock  is  of  the  best  breeds, 
especially  his  horses,  in  which  he  takes  great 
interest  and  pride.  He  also  owns  the  Park 
Hotel  at  Viroqua.  Mr.  Smith  was  born  in 
Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1821,  and  when  a  small 
boy  removed  with  his  parents  to  Duchess 
county,  in  the  same  State.  His  father,  Nathan- 
iel Smith,  died  in  Duchess  county,  and  his 
niothei',  Hannah  Smith,  afterward  came  to  Ver- 
non county,  and  here  departed  this  life.  Mr. 
Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Sarah  N.  Jer- 
man,  a  native  of  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y^.  They 
have  four  children — Helen,  wife  of  Frank 
Southwick,  of  Salem,  Oregon  ;  Rena,  wife  of 
LeRoy  Hyles  ;  Antoinette  and  Albert. 


I'OO 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUN'IT. 


John  C  Spelliim  came  liere  in  1851,  being 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  town.  He 
first\  entered  eighty  acres,  for  which  he  paid 
$100,  afterward  entering  another  eighty  at  a 
cost  of  $50  per  forty  acres,  now  owning  160 
acres,  located  on  sections  17  and  20.  Mr.  Spel- 
luin  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1820.  He  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1846,  landing  at  Milwau- 
kee, Wis.,  in  July  of  that  year.  He  was  the 
only  one  of  his  family  coming  at  that  time,  but 
a  brother,  Elias  C,  followed  him  and  now 
resides  in  Nebraska.  Mr.  Spellum  was  mar- 
ritd  lo  Anna  Thompson,  also  a  native  of  Nor- 
way, and  coming  to  this  county  with  her  par- 
ents in  1851.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spellum  have  had 
ten  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living — Nellie, 
Sadie,  Libbie,  John  R.,  Chris,  Albert  and 
Oscar.  They  were  all  born  in  this  town.  Mr. 
Spellum  has  been  a  member  of  the  town  board 
eleven  years. 

Thomas  Thompson  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
born  in  1820.  He  emigrated  with  his  parents 
to  the  United  States  in  1846,  settling  in  Racine 
Co.,  Wis.  In  July,  1851,  he  came  to  Vernon 
county,  settling  on  State  land  on  section  IT, 
Viroqua  town.  His  parents  removed  to  this 
county  in  1852.  They  are  now  deceased.  In 
1856  Mr.  Thompson  purchased,  of  Ole  Ander- 
son, a  farm  of  120  acres  on  section  8,  Viroqua 
town,  where  he  still  resides.  He  has  a  valuable 
farm,  with  good  improvements,  all  made  by 
himself.  Mr.  Thompson  married  Mary  Sever- 
son.  She  was  also  a  native  of  Norway,  and 
came  to  this  county  with  her  parents  in  1852. 
They  have  ten  children,  two  boys  and  eight 
girls— Ellen  M.,  Anna  C,  Tolena  A.,  Elizabeth 
M.,  Thomas,  Sarah  B.,  Matilda,  Nora  R., 
Minnie  H.  and  Nordahl  L.  The  changes  which 
have  taken  place  in  the  development  of  the 
country  since  Mr.  Thompson's  location  here, 
have  been  great.  His  nearest  markets  were 
Prairie  du  Chien  and  La  Crosse.  He  frequent- 
ly drove  an  ox  team  to  the  latter  place  and 
back,  the  trip  consuming  about  five  days. 


Marvin  Henry  resides  on  section  32,  where 
he  owns  118  acres  of  laud;  has  also  eighty 
acres  on  section  34.  He  bought  the  former  of 
Jesse  Green  and  J.  D.  Brothers.  Mr.  Henry 
settled  in  Vernon  county  in  1852.  He  was  born 
in  Oakland  Co.,  Mich.,  town  of  Southfield, 
sixteen  miles  from  Detroit,  in  1827.  He  lived 
there  until  his  ninth  year,  when  he  removed  to 
Indiana  with  his  parents,  Marvin  and  Eliza- 
beth Henry.  The  former  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  died  in  Indiana,  in  the  fall 
of  1840.  The  latter  was  born  in  New  York, 
and  died  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo,  Vernon 
county,  November,  1860.  In  1841  Mr.  Henry 
removed  with  his  mother's  family  to  Illinois, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood,  married  and  came 
to  this  county  with  his  family  in  1852,  his 
residence  in  this  county  dating  from  May  9 
of  that  year.  At  the  time  of  his  removal  to 
Wisconsin,  his  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and 
one  child — Laura  A.  He  settled  on  section  25, 
in  what  is  now  Jefferson  town,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  Slate  land,  which  he  im- 
proved and  occupied  for  sixteen  years,  when  he 
removed  to  the  town  of  Viroqua.  His  wife 
was  Elizabeth  Hall,  a  sister  of  Ralph  Hall,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Henry  have  had  ten  children,  nine  living — 
Laura  A.,  John  T.,  Rossetta  I.,  Christopher  K., 
George  D.,  Ralph  S.,  Andrew  T.,  Tamma  A. 
and  Archibald  A.  They  lost  one  daughter, 
Mary  J.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Henry  had  eleven 
children,  six  sons  and  live  daughters  ;  all  of 
whom  but  one  have  been  residents  of  Vernon 
county.  Mrs.  Mary  Van  Vlack,  Marvin  and 
Samuel  are  residents  of  the  town  of  Viroqua. 
Mr.  Henry  has  held  various  town  offices  ;  has 
assessed  the  town  four  times  ;  was  justice  of 
the  peace  of  the  town  of  Jefferson  four  yeai's, 
and  a  member  of  the  town  board  three  terms. 
In  1874  Mr.  Henry  met  with  a  severe  loss.  His 
barn  and  grain  stacks  were  burned,  on  which 
there  was  no  insurance.  His  loss  was  about 
$2,000. 


HISTORY  OF  VEKNON  COUNTY. 


701 


Jlarsha'l  C.  Nichols  was  born  Jan.  17,  1838, 
near  Warsaw,  Hancock  Co.,  111.  His  mother  hav- 
iiig  died  when  he  was  eight  years  old,  he 
was  taken  to  Carthage,  in  the  same  county, 
where  he  remained  until  1849,  when  he  accom- 
panied his  father  to  Le  Claire,  Iowa,  and  frcm 
there  to  Viroqua,  in  1852.  In  1S.55,  he  went  to 
Hamilton,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  at  school 
until  1857,  when  he  returned  to  his  home  in 
Viroqua.  Here  he  commenced  the  mercantile 
business  in  August,  1858,  conducting  the  busi- 
ness alone  until  1870,  when  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  L.  W.  Nichols,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Nichols  Bros.  In  1877  L.  W.  Nichols 
retired  from  the  firm,  and  he  continued  the 
bus'ness  alone  until  August,  1882,  when  he  sold 
his  general  stock  to  Clarke  Bros.,  continuing  in 
the  drug  business  until  1883,  when  he  disposed 
of  his  drug  stock  and  retired  from  the  active 
business  pursuits.  During  the  summer  of  1864, 
the  darkest  days  of  the  late  war,  when  our 
countiy  was  earnestly  calling  for  more  vol- 
unteers, Mr.  Nichols  left  his  business  in  charge 
of  oth'ers,  volunteered,  raised  a  company,  and 
joined  the  42d  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry;  was  commissioned  captain  of  com- 
jsany  I,  and  continued  in  command  of  the  com- 
pany until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  arrived 
home  June  29,  1865,  and  found  his  store  build- 
ing and  merchandise  had  been  destoyed  by  the 
terrible  tornado  which  struck  the  place  the  day 
before.  The  following  September  he  went  to 
Noi'folk,  Va.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business,  and  remained  there  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1866,  when  he  returned  Viroqua,  and 
resumed  charge  of  his  business  there.  lu 
the  fall  of  1882,  Mr.  Nichols  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  State  Legislature,  from  the  sec- 
ond district  of  Vernon  county.  On  Sept.  11, 
1867,  he  married  Hettie  M.  Rusk,  daughter  of 
the  late  Dr.  James  Rusk.  She  was  born  in 
Morganville,  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  March  30, 1843; 
removed,  with  her  parents  to  Vernon  county, 
in  May,  1857.  She  was  one  of  the  graduating 
class   of  the  Normal   department   of  the  State 


University,  in  1865,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
teachers,  having  taught  before  her  marriage 
twelve  terms  in  this  county.  They  are  the 
parents  of  six  children — James  Walter,  born 
April  23,1869,  died  May  11,  1870;  AnnieDelia, 
born  July  11,  1871;  Hettie  Rusk,  born  Feb.  12 
1874;  Marshall  C,  Jr.,  born  Dec.  27,  1879, 
died  Jan.  6,  1881,  and  David  Whitney, 
born  April  12,  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niihols  are 
among  the  honored  and  respected  citizens  of 
Vernon  county. 

Stephen  Stephenson  is  one  of  the  settlers  of 
1852,  having  located  on  his  present  farm  on 
section  17,  Viroqua  town,  in  July  of  that  year. 
Mr.  Stephenson  came  from  Racine  county  to 
this  place,  coming  over  with  an  ox  team  and 
wagon.  This  team,  with  ten  head  of  cattle,  and 
ten  cents  in  money  constituted  all  his  worldly 
possessions  at  that  time.  He  worked  in  La 
Crosse  the  winter  previous  to  settling  here,  at 
which  time  La  Crosse  contained  but  three 
small  stores  and  two  taverns  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  traveling  public.  His  farm  origi- 
nally contained  eighty  acres,  but  he  has  now 
160  acres.  He  married  Torand  Thompson,  a 
sister  of  T.  Thompson  and  Mrs.  Spellum.  They 
have  five  children,  all  of  whom,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  oldest,  were  born  in  Viroqua — 
Ellen,  wife  of  Joseph  Omundson,  born  Feb.  5, 
IS.'il ;  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  August  Sweger,  born 
March  -t,  1853;  Tolena,  wife  of  Severt  Larson, 
born  March  1,  1855;  Thomas,  born  March  10, 
1858;  Mjilena,  born  July  2,  1859. 

J.  W.  Groves,  dealer  in  musical  instruments 
and  sewing  machines,  is  the  only  one  engaged 
exclusively  in  this  business  in  Viroqua.  He  be- 
came established  in  1879.  He  was  born  in 
Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  in  January,  1855,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  teaching  for  a  number  of  years  in 
Vernon  county.  He  kept  a  book  and  stationery 
store  for  some  time  before  engaging  in  his 
present  business.  He  was  married  to  Rachel 
E.  Biehl,  who  was  born  in  Illinois.  They  have 
one  child — Regina.  His  father,  H.  S.  Groves, 
was  born    March    28,    1830,  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio. 


702 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


He  came  to  Vernon  county  in  1853,  entered 
land  in  Liberty  town,  and  settled  with  bis 
family  two  or  tbree  years  later.  In  July,  185.3, 
he  married  Elizabeth  Evans,  born  in  Muskin- 
gum Co.,  Ohio.  Mr.  Groves  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade.  He  settled  in  Viroqua  village  in  1865, 
although  he  had  worked  here  at  his  trade  before 
that  time.  He  died  Feb.  2,  18V4.  His  wife 
still  lives  in  Viroqua.  They  had  five  children, 
three  of  whom  are  living — J.  W.,  Louie  and 
Asa  E. 

Hiram  A.  Hicok  has  resided  in  Vernon 
county  since  1853,  at  which  time  he  located  in 
Viroqua  village,  working  at  his  trade,  that  of  a 
plasterer.  He  was  the  first  to  engage  in 
plastering  as  a  business  in  that  village,  and 
probably  the  first  in  the  county.  He  is  slill  en- 
gaged in  that  occupation,  also  calciminiiig 
and  brick  laying.  Mr.  Hicok  was  born  in 
Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  21,  182.3,  and  was 
reared  in  that  State.  He  married  Mary  Han- 
chett,  born  in  Lisle  town,  Broome  Co.,  >■'. 
Y.,  in  1819.  'I'hey  have  one  daughter — Mary 
M.,  born  in  December,  1849.  She  resides  at 
home.  One  son,  Simeon  A.,  was  born  at 
Maine,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2,  1848.  He  en- 
listed in  the  United  States  service  in  compan\' 
B,  50th  regiment  of  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  on 
the  23d  of  February,  1865,  and  was  discharged 
at  Benton  Barracks  on  the  13th  day  of  April, 
1865.  He  died  June  5,  1881,  in  the  insane 
asylum  at  Elgin,  111.  Mr.  Hicok's  father  came 
with  him  to  this  county  and  died  April  30,  1859. 
Mary  Hicok  is  a  poetess,  taking  generally  for 
her  topics  scriptural  passages. 

Edward  Silbaugh  settled  in  Vernon  Co.,  Wis., 
in  1853,  living  for  one  year  in  Franklin  town. 
In  1854  he  settled  on  section  25,  Viroqua  town, 
and  entered  a  farm.  In  1869  he  bought  a  farm 
of  Michael  Canfield,  on  section  28,  this  town, 
.  which  he  has  since  made  his  home.  Mr.  Sil- 
baugh was  born  in  1822,  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
is  the  son  of  Philip  and  Jane  Silbaugh.  When 
thirteen  years  of  age  he  removed  with  his 
parents   to   Ohio,  coming   from    there    to   this  I 


county.  His  parents  arc  now  deceased.  Mr. 
Silbaugh  married  Catharine,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Anna  M.  Acker.  She  was  born  in  Tomp- 
kins Co.,  N.  Y.,  removing  with  her  parents  to 
Ohio  when  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  coming 
to  Vernon  county  in  1869.  Her  father  died  in 
1870  and  her  mother  returned  to  Ohio.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Silbaugh  have  ninechildren — William 
A.,  Jacob  J.,  Henry,  Lewis,  Jane,  Mary  A., 
Nancy,  Lucy  and  Amy.  The  first  five  were 
born  in  Ohio,  the  others  in  Ven  on  county.  All, 
with  the  exception  of  Mary  A.,  are  married.  Mr. 
Silbaugh's  homestead  farm  contains  160  acres. 
He  has  also  a'lxtj  acres  on  sections  20  and  26. 
Like  many  other  early  settlers,  Mr.  Silbaugh 
had  but  little  of  this  world's  goods,  but  now  has 
a  comfortable  home  and  well  improved  farm. 

John  Dawson  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the  county,  having  settled  here  in  1854.  He 
owns  a  fine  farm,  containing  about  200  acres, 
130  of  which  are  in  cultivation.  There  is  a 
good  spring  on  the  farm  near  the  dwelling,  af- 
fording an  abundant  supply  of  pure  water. 
There  is  also  a  large,  well  conditioned  orchard 
of  many  varieties  of  apples,  plums,  grapes  and 
minor  fruits,  and  covering  an  area  of  eight 
acres.  Mr.  Dawson  was  born  in  Belmont  C'o., 
Ohio,  in  1832,  and  passed  his  early  life  in  Mor- 
gan county,  of  his  native  State.  He  is  of  English 
parentage.  In  1854  our  subject  came  to  Vernon 
Co.,  Wis.,  and  for  some  time  engaged  in  teach- 
ing. In  1856  he  began  a  mercantile  business  at 
Viroqua,  which  he  afterward  extended  by  a 
branch  store  to  the  prairie  north.  He  remained 
in  trade  almost  continuously  for  thirteen  years, 
during  which  time  he  married  Martha,  daugh- 
ter of  William  H.  Ady,  also  a  native  of  Bel- 
mont Co.,  Ohio.  The  fruits  of  this  union  are 
three  children — Miles  M.,  Lucy  R.  and  Jere- 
miah M.  Since  he  sold  out  his  stock  of  mer- 
chandise, Mr.  Dawson  has  been  chiefly  engaged 
in  general  insurance  business,  although  he  de- 
votes a  portion  of  time  to  his  farm. 

Jesse  Garrett  was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio, 
in  1820,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.     He  came 


HISrORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


708 


to  Viroqua  town,  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  in  the 
spring  of  1854,  purchasing  of  Thomas  Reed  a 
claim  on  section  123.  His  original  farm  con- 
tained 160  acres,  which  he  increased  to  360 
acres,  -200  of  which  are  improved.  He  has  good 
buildings  on  his  place.  Mr.  Garrett  has  been 
thrice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Lorena  Al- 
lard.  She  died  before  Mr.  Garrett  came  to 
Wisconsin.  Subsequen'ly  he  married  Mary  J., 
daughter  of  John  McClurg,  and  after  her  death, 
was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Martha,  daugh- 
ter of  Vanness  Brown  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Pennel,  born  Nov.  1,  1857,  married  Lucy, 
daughter  of  Edward  Silbaugh;  William,  born 
July  I  I,  1850,  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Enoch  Enochson;  and  Clarietta,  born  July  6, 
1863.  Mr.  Garrett's  father,  Pennel  Garrett,  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  He  lived  to  be  over 
ninety  years  of  age.  Noah  and  John,  brothers 
of  Mr.  Garrett,  also  settled  in  Vernon  c(/unty. 
Noah  enlisted  in  the  IStl;  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  John  in  the  25th  Wisconsin  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.     Both  died  in  the  service. 

Jason  Glenn  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  June 
16,1854.  He  is  the  son  of  Isaac  Glenn,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio,  Jan.  1,  1806,  and  came  to  this 
county  with  his  family  in  June,  1854,  settling 
on  section  15,  in  the  timber  of  Webster  town. 
He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  died  in 
1849,  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio.  He  had  seven  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  Glenn  di.  d 
in  1862.  Jason  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  came  to 
this  county  with  his  father.  He  enlisted  in  the 
35th  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving 
from  Nov.  16,  1-^63  to  March  15,  1866.  He  was 
at  the  siege  of  Spanish  Fort,  and  also  took  part 
in  other  important  battles.  Mr.  Glenn  married 
Clarinda  Norris,  daughter  of  Edward  Norris, 
who  settled  in  Webster  town,  Dec.  4,  1854. 
Mr.  Norris  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  March 
14,  1816,  and  died  April  4,  1863.  Mr.  Glenn 
resides  on  section  29,  of  Viroqua  town. 

James  Hornby  was  born  in  London,  Canada 
West.  He  is  the  son  of  George  and  Mary 
(Cutsforth)  Hornby,  natives  of  England.  When 


ten  years  of  age,  he  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Michigan.  Mr.  Hornby  has  resided  in  this 
county  since  July,  1854,  when  he  entered  land 
on  section  26,  Franklin  town  In  1868  he  sold 
that  farm,  and  came  to  Viroqua  town,  [uirchas- 
ing,  of  Elisha  Berbout,  his  present  farm,  situ- 
ated on  section  7,  town  12,  range  4.  Mr. 
Hornby  has  four  children — Martha  Louisa,  li\- 
ing  in  Union  Co.,  Iowa;  Alfred  L.,  Estella  and 
Minnie.  His  farm  contains  120  acres.  Robert 
Hornby,  brother  of  James,  lives  in  Franklin 
town,  Vernon  county. 

Thomas  Jerman  succeeded  G.  H.  Bacon  in 
the  drug  trade,  in  January,  1880.  The  latter 
had  been  in  business  only  three  months  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Baraboo,  Wis.  Mr.  Jerman 
was  born  in  Norway,  Aug.  14,  1846.  His  father, 
Soren  Jerman,  was  born  Jan.  8,  1812,  and  his 
mother,  Dec.  16,  1810.  They  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  all  natives  of  Norway,  and  five 
of  whom  are  living — Peter,  born  June  3,  1835, 
a  resident  of  Sterling  town;  Susan,  wife  of 
Andrew  Thompson;  Lottie,  born  Jan.  6,  1843; 
Thomas,  born  Aug.  14,  1846;  Anna,  born  July 
12, -1849;  Elsie  S.,  was  born  April  18,  1840,  and 
is  now  deceased.  In  1851  the  family  came  over 
to  these  United  States,  and  sought  a  new  home 
in  the  then  wild  country  of  Bad  Ax  (now  Ver- 
non) county.  Tliey  located  in  what  is  now 
known  as  Sterling  town,  and  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  The  father  died  in  that  town 
Nov.  8,  1874,  aged  almost  sixty-three  years. 
His  wife  still  survives  him  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one.  Thomas  was  a  small  child  when  he  came 
to  Vernon  county,  and  in  his  early  life  he  learned 
the  practical  lesson  of  hardship  and  privation. 
He  has  developed  with  the  county,  and  few 
have  been  here  longer,  or  witnessed  mort  won- 
derful and  interesting  changes  than  the  drug- 
gist of  to-day.  In  early  life,  he  was  employed 
as  a  clerk  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  one  year;  Mt. 
Sterling,  in  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  for  five  years, 
and  was  engaged  in  general  merchandising  at 
Rising  Sun,  Wis.,  for  about  a  year.  He  then 
came  to  Viroqua,  and  previous  to  embarking  in 


ro4 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


business  for  himself,  was  a  clerk  for  six  years, 
in  the  general  store  of  N.  McRie.  In  1882  lie 
erected  his  present  handsome  and  commodious 
quarters.  The  building  is  of  frame,  veneered 
with  brick,  25xG0  feet  in  size,  containing  a  store 
room  on  the  ground  floor,  and  .^[r.  Jerman's  res- 
idence above.  In  188.3  he  erected  another  build- 
ing, similar  to  the  first,  and  adjoining  the  same. 
These  buihlings  form  one  of  the  finest  business 
blocks  in  the  city.  Mr.  Jennaii  is  a  successful 
business  man,  and  has  built  up  a  large  trade. 
He  married  Blanche  Terhuue,  daughter  of 
Judge  Terhune,  one  of  the  best  known  citizens 
of  Vernon  county.  They  have  one  son -Ray- 
mond L. 

James  H.  Layne,  of  Viroqua,  settled  in  the 
town  of  Franklin,  in  1854.  He  purchased  a 
farm  which  included  what  was  afterward  the 
village  of  Brookville,  which  latter  place  he  laid 
out  and  platted.  He  was  born  in  Amherst  Co., 
Va.,  in  1812.  He  removed  to  Kentucky,  in 
1828,  where  he  resided  till  1852,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Macon  Co.,  111.  In  the  fall  of  1853 
he  removed  to  Platteville,  Wis.,  and  came  to 
this  county,  as  before  stated,  in  1854.  The  farm 
that  he  owned  in  the  town  of  Franklin,  he  pur- 
chased of  Benjamin  McCormick.  Mr.  Layne 
was  one  of  the  prominent  early  settlers  of  that 
town  ;  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervi- 
sors several  years,  and  represented  his  district 
in  the  Slate  Assembly,  in  the  session  of 
iy6J-3.  On  liis  removal  to  Viroqua,  he 
bought  the  farm  of  William  Good,  which  was 
settled  by  Moses  Decker,  one  of  the  well  known 
pioneers  of  Vernon  county,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  and  nursery  and  hop  business.  He  is 
at  present  engaged  with  his  son,  Samuel  P.,  in 
the  sale  of  farming  implements.  Mr.  Layne 
has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Minerva  May,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  She 
died  in  1879.  His  present  wife  was  Mrs. 
Amanda  Burnett.  He  had  five  children  by  his 
first  marriage,  one  daughter  and  four  sons  ; 
daughter  died  in  childhood  ;  sons  all  grew  to 
maturity.     Newton  M.  was  born    in    Kentucky, 


in  March,  1839.  He  studied  law,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. On  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war, 
he  raised  company  C,  of  the  ISth  regiment, 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry.  Was  elected 
captain  on  the  orgajiizaiion  of  the  com- 
pany ;  was  captured  at  Shiloii  ;  was  after- 
ward exchanged,  and  participated  in  the  siege 
of  Vlcksburg.  He  contracted  a  disease  in  the 
army  of  which  he  died. 

Calvin  Morley  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers 
of  Vernon  county  and  Viroqua  town.  He 
came  here  from  New  York,  his  native  State,  in 
September,  1854.  Mr.  Morley  was  born  in 
1818,  at  Smyrna,  Chenango  county,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood.  His  parents,  Abner  and 
Amanda  (Allen)  Morley,  were  of  New  Eng- 
land stock,  and  located  in  New  York  after  their 
marriage.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  Calvin 
was  employed  in  a  woolen  factory,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  business  until  1853,  when  he 
learned  the  cabinet  trade,  and  worked  at  it  for 
one  year.  Upon  coming  to  this  county  he  pre- 
empted a  farm  in  Viroqua  town,  on  which  he 
resided  one  year,  and  then  removed  to  the  vil- 
lage. In  1861  he  enlisted  in  company  C,  18th 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Capt.  Layne.  He  served  about  one  year,  and 
was  discharged  for  disability.  He  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Shiloh  and  Corinth,  and  after 
the  war,  returned  to  Vernon  county,  and  again 
engaged  in  the  cabinet  trade.  He  is  the  pioneer 
in  that  branch  of  trade,  having  first  commenced 
in  1855.  Mr.  Morley's  principal  occupation  is 
painting,  which  business  he  still  follows.  His 
wife  was  Elizabeth  P.  O'Toole,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  who  removed  to  Utica,  N.  Y., 
with  her  parents  when  a  small  child.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Morley  have  six  children — William  B., 
Margaret  A.,  Fred,  Frank  E.,  Kate    and   Grace. 

Aaron  Riley  lives  on  section  24,  where  he 
settled  in  September,  1854.  He  came  to  this 
town  in  July  of  that  year.  He  has  160  acres 
of  land  which  he  bought  of  the  government. 
He  was  born  in  Ohio  ;  was  married  in    Morgan 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


705 


county  of  tbat  State,  to  Elizabeth  B.,  daiitjhter 
of  Robert  Adams,  who  also  came  here  in  1854. 
Mr.  Riley  has  five  children — Hugh  B.,  Robert 
N.,  Cyras  F.,  James  F.  and  Arthur.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Riley  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church. 

Jacob  Silbaugh,  brother  of  Edward  Silbaugh, 
settled  oil  section  25,  Viroqua  town,  in  June, 
18.t4,  where  he  still  resides.  His  farm  contains 
160  acres.  Mr.  Silbaugh  was  married  in  Oiiio 
to  Rebecca  Jane  Allen.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren— Louisa  Catharine,  wife  of  Philip  Biter- 
son;  Frances  Elmira,  Luella  Linora  and  Warren 
Haven. 

Jerome  S.  Tinker  is  the  son  of  Dr.  E.  W. 
Tinker,  one  of  the  early  physicians  of  Viroqua 
town.  Dr.  Tinker  was  born  in  New  York,  in 
18]  1.  He  was  reared  in  Ohio,  and  studied 
medicine  with  Dr.  Little,  of  Roseville,  Musk- 
ingum Co.,  Ohio.  About  1835  he  began  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  Rosseau,  Morgan 
county,  and  in  1854  came  to  Viroqua.  In  Sep- 
ternber,  1836  be  married  Mary  Nulton,  who 
died  June  26,  1>^81.  He  subsequently  married 
again.  In  1883  he  removed  to  Missouri.  He 
had  eight  children.  Jerome  S.  was  born  in 
Russeau,  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1837.  He  came 
with  Ills  father  to  Viroqua,  and  has  continued 
to  reside  here  since.  He  served  in  the  War  of 
Rebellion,  in  the  r2th  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. He  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  drug 
and  grocery  business  in  Viroqua,  and  also  kept 
what  is  now  the  Tremont  House,  then  called 
the  North  Star.  His  farm  is  on  section  10, 
town  12,  range  4,  in  this  town. 

Rev.  John  Whitworth,  of  Viroqua,  is  one 
of  that  sturdy  and  valiant  band  of  pioneer 
))reachers  that  are  connected  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  early  carry  into  every 
new  and  straggling  settlement  the  Gospel  of 
righteousness.  He  is  a  native  of  England,  born 
in  Lincolnshire,  in  March,  1810.  At  the  early 
age  of  fourteen  years,  he  was  thrown  upon  his 
own  resources,  ami  selected  the  farm  as  a 
healthy  and  vigorous  training  school   for  both 


mind  and  muscle.  He  entered  the  ministry  as 
a  Wesleyan  local  preacher  of  England,  at  about 
the  age  of  twenty-seven  years,  and  in  1849  was 
induced  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States  of 
America.  He  lived  at  Janesville,  Rock  Co., 
Wis.,  for  several  years,  and  in  1854,  made  his 
first  trip  into  Bad  Ax  (now  Vernon)  county, 
settling  permanently  the  year  following.  He 
located  land  on  sections  4  and  9,  in  Viroqua 
town,  which  he  has  disposed  of  recently.  Mr. 
Whitworth  was  for  several  years  a  local  and 
itinerant  preacher  of  the  M.  E  denomination. 
His  first  work  in  the  cause  of  th6  Lord  after 
coming  to  what  is  now  Vernon  county,  was 
with  the  Bad  Ax  mission,  which  embraced  a 
very  large  scope  of  country.  He  was  afterward 
with  the  Lewis  Valley  Mission  in  LaCrosse 
county,  but  failing  health  caused  him  to  desist 
liis  arduous  duties  for  a  time.  Upon  his  re- 
covery of  his  strength  he  was  assigned  to  th  e 
Viola  Mission,  where  he  remained  a  short  time, 
then  with  the  Ontario  Mission  one-half  year, 
then  took  charge  of  the  Newton  circuit  for  two 
and  one-half  years.  He  has  i-esided  alternately 
on  his  farm  and  in  the  village  of  Viroqua  since 
1855.  Rev.  Whitworth  has  been  twice  married; 
his  first  wife  was  Mary  Dawson,  a  native  of 
England,  who  died  in  1874.  His  present  wife  "Y- 
was    Mrs.  Mary  J.   (Bort)  Walrath. 

Daniel  W.  Favor  is  a  son  of  Jonathan  Favor, 
who  settled  in  Jefferson  town,  Vernon  Co., 
Wis.,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  in 
July  1854.  He  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  but  came  to  Vernon  county  from 
Illinois.  His  wife  still  lives  on  the  homestead. 
Daniel  W.  was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1837. 
He,  with  his  brother  Philetus  and  sister  Miner- 
va, came  to  JeflEerson  township  in  April,  making 
pre])arations  for  the  family  who  came  the  fol- 
lowing July.  Jonathan  Favor  exchanged  his 
farm  in  Illinois  for  a  half  section  of  land  in  Jef- 
ferson town.  Daniel  settled  on  eighty  acres  of 
this  land,  located  on  section  24,  where  lie  lived 
until  1877,  when  he  removed  to  his  present  res- 
idence,   the   northeast   quarter   of  section    33, 


106 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Viroqua  town.  He  bought  this  farm  of  eighty- 
three  acres  of  Dr.  Tinker.  He  lias  a  liberal 
supply  of  water  on  his  place,  having  near  his  res- 
idence a  fine  spring  of  pure,  cold  water.  He  also 
has  a  fine  stone  quarry  on  his  place.  Mr.  Favor 
was  married  to  Cecelia,  daughter  of  Alexander 
McConnell,  April  23,  1861,  an  early  settler  of 
Jefferson  town.  They  have  had  ten  children, 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters — Cecil  P.,  Oscar 
D.,  Lucius  U.,  Loren  D.,  Constantine  A.,  Am- 
brosia C,  Franklin  C,  Mattie  R.,  William 
True  and  Mary  E.  They  were  all  born  in  Jef- 
ferson town  with  the  exception  of  the  two 
youngest,  who  were  born  in  Viroqua.  Mrs. 
Favor's  father  remained  here  but  a  few  years, 
returning  to  Indiana,  his  former  residence.  He 
died  in   Noble  county,  that  State,  May  4,  18.9. 

E.  S.  Goodell  was  born  in  Oswego  Co.,N.Y., 
in  1847.  He  removed  to  Marquette  Co.,  Wis., 
with  his  parents,  in  1851.  In  IS'ZOhe  engaged 
ill  the  livery  business  in  Viroqua,  which  busi- 
ness he  continues  to  conduct.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Helen  Brown,  whose  father  was  an 
early  settler  in  Greenwood  township.  His 
father.  Merchant  Goodell,  came  to  Viroqua 
town  with  his  family  in  1855,  settling  on  sec- 
tion 8  and  removed  to  the  village  of  Viroqua, 
in  18J2,  where  he  died  July  29,1883.  The  fol- 
lowing notice  we  clip  from  one  of  the  Viroqua 
papers: 

Merchant  Goodell  was  born  at  Charleston, 
Mass.,  Sunday,  Sept.  4,  1808,  and  would  there- 
fore have  been  seventy-five  years  of  age  if  he 
had  lived  till  the  4th  day  of  next  September. 
He  removed  to  New  York  State  in  1840,  and 
from  thence  to  Marquette  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1851, 
where  he  resided  over  three  years,  coming  to 
Viroqua  and  settling  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  town,  in  1855.  In  1834  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Janette  Comstock,  and  four 
children  were  born  to  them,  three  of  whom 
are  living. 

Mr.  Goodell  was  in  every  respect  a  good 
man.  During  his  long  life  he  "did  unto  others 
as  he  would  have  them  do  unto  him."     He  was 


a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  and  a  con- 
sistent Christian.  His  life  was  a  pure  and  hon- 
orable one,  upon  which  there  was  no  stain.  He 
enjoyed  the  friendship  and  respect  of  every 
one  who  knew  him,  for  he  was  a  good  citizen,  a 
true  friend  and  a  kind  neighbor.  His  aged 
partner,  with  whom  he  had  traveled  the  path- 
way of  life  so  many  years,  and  his  sorrowing 
children  have  the  sympathy  of  the  whole  com- 
munity in  their  loss. 

W.  F.  Lindemann  is  one  of  the  earliest 
settler  of  Viroqua,  and  one  of  its  most  promi- 
nent and  successful  business  men.  He  is  at 
present  engaged  in  the  banking  business  with 
Gov.  J.  M.  Rusk,  and  also  in  mercantile 
pursuits.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  500  acres  on 
sections  19  and  20,  of  the  town  of  Viroqua,  ami 
is  extensively  engaged  in  ra  sing  fine  s'ock. 
Mr.  Lindemann  was  born  in  Prussia,  Dec. 
30,  1832.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
November  1850,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  La. 
He  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  from  thence  to 
Johnstown,  Penn.,  where  a  brother-in-law  was 
then  residing.  His  next  move  was  to  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  and  in  1855,  he  came  to  Vernon  county. 
He  was  first  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  store 
owned  by  Keeler  &  Capon.  This  firm's  name 
was  afterwards  changed  to  Keeler  &  Mc- 
Michael.  In  1858  lie  become  partner  of  H.  Greve, 
his  brother-in-law,  he  being  the  successor  to 
Keeler  &  McMichael.  In  1861  he  sold  out  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Greve  and  moved  on  a  farm 
in  the  town  of  Sterling,  Vernon  county  and 
returned  to  Viroqua  in  18G2,  and  in  1863,  he  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  trade  for  himself.  In 
1868,  he  went  to  Sparta,  in  this  State,  and 
there  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  but  was 
burned  out  one  and  a  half  years  later,  and  re- 
turned to  Viroqua.  Mr.  Lindemann  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Rebecca  Eckees,  a  native 
of  Ohio.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  children, 
three  sons  and  one  daughter — Henry,  born  in 
Mav,  1859,  (is  cashier  of  the  bank,)  Alboii, 
b^>rn    in    May,    1862,    is    clerking  in   the  store, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


101 


Regina,  born  Dec.  1,  1864,  and  Wille,  born 
March  30,  1874 

John  McClura;  was  born  in  Mercer  Co.,  Penn, 
in  1805,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  was 
married  to  Jemima  Booth,  born  in  Ohio.  He 
came  to  Vernon  county  from  Muskingum  Co., 
Ohio,  in  18.55.  He  purchased  his  farm  of  Noah 
Garrett,  who  died  in  the  Union  service  during 
the  war.  It  is  situated  on  section  27,  Viroqua 
town,  and  was  originally  owned  by  Jona- 
than Hay.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClurg  have  had 
eight  children,  six  sons  and  two  daughters — 
Mary  Jane,  Mrs  Jesse  Garrett,  (deceased,)  John 
B.,  residing  in  Sterling  town,  James,  died 
in  the  war  at  Long  Island,  Manassah,  died  in 
.tlie  hospital  at  H  lena,  Ark.,  while  in  the  ser- 
vice, Nancy,  wife  of  W'.  S.  Moore,  Seth,  who 
reside-  in  this  town,  was  also  in  the  service,  Lu- 
ther, also  enlisted,  but  died  before  entering  the 
army,  Sylvanus,  who  resides  in  Washington 
territory.  In  1858  Mrs.  McClurg  died,  and  in 
July,  1859,  Mr.  McClurg  married  Mrs.  Martha 
J.  Payne,  widow  of  Uri  Payne.  She  was  born 
in  Lisle  town,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1827,  and 
was  married  in  that  State  to  Mr.  Payne,  com- 
ing to  this  county  Sept  8,  1856.  Mr.  Payne 
died  Jan.  .3,1857,  of  typhoid  fever.  He  had 
not  yet  made  a  settlement.  A  son,  George, 
died  a  short  time  previous  to  his  father.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  McClurg  have  had  three  daughters, 
only  one  of  whom  is  living — Eva,  born  in  Viro- 
qua town.  Mrs.  McClurg  has  lost  two 
children  by  her  first  marriage. 

William  T.  McConnell  was  born  in  Muskin- 
gum Co.,  Ohio,  in  1817.  He  removed  with  his 
parents,  to  LaGrange  Co.,  Ind.,  in  1831.  He 
removed  to  Vernon  (then  Bad  Ax)  county,  June 
29,  1855.  In  the  fall  of  1854,  with  his  brother, 
Alexander,  he  had  purchased  nearly  1,000  acres 
of  land,  lying  mostly  in  Jefferson  town.  They 
also  purchased  a  saw  mill  there,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  manufacturing  lumber.  William  T., 
however,  sold  his  interest  in  the  mill  to  his 
brother  Alexander,  who  operated  it  for  several 
years.      Subsequently    they    sold   this  tract  of 


land  to  different  parties.  Mr.  McConnell's  first 
settlement  in  Wisconsin  was  in  Crawford 
county,  wliere  he  bought  a  half  interest  in  a 
grist  mill.  Me  afterwai-ds  exchanged  this  for 
a  farm  in  Jefferson  town,  on  which  he  resided 
until  1882,  when  he  came  to  Viroqua  village  and 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  Mr.  McCon- 
ncll,  during  his  agricultural  life,  paid  much  at- 
tention to  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  being  one  of 
the  earliest,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful fruit  growers  in  Vernon  county.  He  ex- 
perimented with  various  kinds  of  fruit  trees  for 
the  purpose  of  discovering  those  best  adapted 
to  this  region.  He  made  the  cultivation  of 
apples  a  specialty,  and  the  many  premiums 
which  he  received  is  evidence  of  his  success  in 
fruit  growing.  Mr.  McConnell  took  great  in- 
terest in  the  organization  and  success  of  the 
Vernon  County  Agricultural  Society,  of  which  he 
was  the  presiding  officer  for  several  years.  He 
was  also  its  secretary  one  year,  and  treasurer 
a  number  of  years.  He  is  highly  respected  and 
esteemed  as  an  upright  and  honorable  citizen. 
Politically,  Mr.  McConnell  is  a  democrat.  He 
has  been  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors, 
and  has  several  times  been  a  candidate  for  office, 
but  while  he  has  generally  run  ahead  of  his 
ticket,  his  party  has  been  too  much  in  the  mi- 
nority to  elect  him.  He  has  been  twice  married. 
His  first  wife  was  Rhoda  Moses.  She  died  in 
Indiana.  He  subsequently  married  Sarah  A. 
Caldwell,  a  native  of  Virginia.  She  died  in 
August,  1882.  He  has  two  children  by  his  first 
wife — Marshall  A.,  who  resides  near  Sioux  Falls, 
Dak.,  and  Rlioda.  He  has  three  children  by  his 
second  wife — Homer,  of  Sioux  Falls,  Dak.,  Ag- 
nes and  Ellon. 

Hiram  Moody  was  born  in  Waldo  Co.,  Maine, 
in  1813.  In  the  fall  of  1817  he  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  wliere  his 
father,  Nathan  Moody,  resided  till  his  death. 
He  came  to  this  county  as  early  as  1853,  enter- 
ing at  that  time,  800  acres  of  timber  land  in 
Webster  and  Clinton  towns.  In  1855  he  located 
on    land  in  Jefferson    town,    part   of  which   he 


708 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


titillowns.  He  ha«  a  farm  of  120  acres  in  Jef- 
ferson town  and  also  owns  considerable  prop- 
erty in  the  village  of  Viroqua,  on  which  he 
now  resides.  He  married  Sarah  Longstreth, 
horn  in  Muskingum  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1813.  They 
have  five  children — James  C,  Catharine,  Mar- 
tha J.,  Nathan  E.  and  Abigail.  They  lost  one 
son — Bartholomew.  Mr.  Moody  enlisted  in 
the  14th  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was 
transferred  to  the  8d  Iowa  Battery,  and  died 
while  in  the  service  at  Corinth,  Miss.  One  son, 
J.  C.  Moody,  enlisted  in  company  I,  Gth  Wis- 
consin regiment,  where  he  attained  especial 
honors  for  bravery.  Our  subject  also  enlisted 
in  tlie  isth  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteers, 
serving  a  full  terra  of  three  years. 

Nathan  E.  Moody  is  a  son  of  Hiram  Moody. 
He  was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1849.  In 
185.5  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Vernon 
county.  He  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
brick  at  Viroqua.  Brick  had  been  manufac- 
tured from  an  early  period  in  the  history  of 
this  town,  but  the  present  yard  was  established 
in  1874.  It  has  been  operated  by  different  in- 
dividuals, and  has  been  quite  an  important 
feature  since  the  advent  of  railroads.  The 
(|uality  of  the  brick  is  good,  and  their  dura- 
bility has  been  proven  by  long  use.  Mr.  Moody 
has  had  charge  of  the  yard  since  ISTS.  In 
18'<2  he  manufactured  300,000  brick,  supplying 
home  trade  only.  There  is  but  one  other  brick 
yard  in  Vernon  county,  located  at  Hillsbor- 
ough. Mr.  Moody  married  Martha,  daughter 
of  Rev.  James  A.  Cook,  born  in  Viroqna  town 
in  185-2.  They  have  two  cliildren — Bertha  and 
Jessie  Tiiey  lost  two  daughters — Blanche  and 
Edith,  both  of  whom  died  when  five  years  of 
age. 

One  of  the  successful  farmers  of  the  town  of 
Viroqua  is  MichaeJ  Welch,  who  resides  on 
section  10,  town  12  north,  of  range  4  west, 
where  he  located  in  June,  1855.  He  bought 
his  farm  the  previous  winter  of  Abner  Conkling. 
Mr.  Welch  was  born  of  Irish  parents,  in  the  I 
city  of   London,  England,  May  16,    1816.     His 


father,  Michael  Welch,  was  a  native  of  county 
Cork,  Ireland,  where  he  was  married,  and  with 
his  family  went  to  London.  Prom  London  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  to  secure  a  home  for 
his  family,  which  he  left  behind  him.  He  se- 
cured work  near  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  where  he 
remained  several  years.  He  sent  for  his  family 
about  1820.  In  the  mean  time,  his  wife  had 
died.  He  removed  with  his  children  to  Harri- 
son Co.,  Ohio,  and  thence  to  Perry  county  in 
the  same  State,  where  he  died  in  1857,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-eight  years.  He  married  again 
after  coming  to  this  country  ;  had  four  chil- 
dren by  first  marriage  and  three  by  his  second 
union.  Mr.  Welch  is  the  only  survivor  of  the 
first  children.  On  coming  to  this  county  in 
1855  he  purchased  200  acres  of  land,  where  he 
now  lives,  of  Mr.  Conkling.  Very  little  im- 
provement had  been  made  upon  the  place,  a 
few  acres  only  being  under  cultivation  and  a 
log  house  had  been  built  by  Mr.  Conkling.  All 
other  improvements  have  been  made  by  Mr. 
Welch.  He  has  now  340  acres  well  improv  d, 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
farmers  of  the  town  of  Viroqua.  His  wife  M-as 
Barbara  Coher,  born  in  Columbiana  Co.,  Ohio 
She  is  a  sister  of  the  wife  of  Jeremiah  Cona- 
way,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  town.  Mr. 
.Tnd  Mrs.  Welch  have  had  six  children,  five  of 
whom  are  living — John,  a  public  lecturer  ; 
George,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Ellsworth,  Christopher 
and  James.  They  lost  one  daughter — Mrs. 
Catharine  Rogers. 

Israel  Williams  came  to  Viroqua  town,  Ver- 
non Co.,  Wis.,  with  his  family  in  1855.  He 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  where  he  was  born 
in  1799.  He  removed  when  a  young  man  to 
New  York  State,  where  he  married  Harriet 
Rockwood,  born  in  Herkimer  county.  In  1837 
they  removed  to  Walworth  Co.,  Wis  ,  settling 
in  Spring  Prairie  town,  being  among  the 
earliest  settlers  of  that  county.  They  came 
from  there  tn  this  county,  as  before  stated,  in 
1855  They  did  not  survive  long  after  coming 
to    this    county,    Mi-.    Williams  dying  in  185G, 


o, 


THE  NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY, 


•  0 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ni 


and  his  wife  the  year  following.  Tliey  had 
nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living — Caro- 
line, wife  of  J.  I.  Taylor  ;  George  11.,  Clarke 
D.,  Howard  D.,  Louise,  wife  of  E.  A.  Rogers  ; 
Amanda,  wife  of  Col.  E.  M.  Rogers,  and  Frank 
E.  Two  sons,  Clarke  D.  and  Howard  D.,  are 
residents  of  the  village  of  Viroqua,  and  are 
among  lier  prominent  business  men.  But  one 
daughter  resides  here,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Rogers. 

Clarke  D.  Williams  was  born  in  Walworth 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  1837.  He  came  to  Vernon  county 
with  his  parents.  In  1859  he  went  to  Califor- 
nia, residing  there  and  in  Nevada  for  ten  years, 
returning  in  1869,  since  which  time  he  -has 
been  engaged  in  farming  and  in  merchandising. 
He  married  Sarah  V.  Jewell,  daughter  of  J. 
H.  Jewell.  They  have  three  children — Florence 
v.,  George  J.  and  Le  Roy  J. 

Howard  D.  Williams  was  born  in  Walworth 
Co.,  Wis.,  in  1839.  He  spent  several  years  in 
New  York  State,  after  which  he  came  to  this 
c(junty.  He  is  a  member  of  the  mercantik 
firm  of  Rogers,  Henry  &  Williams.  He  mar 
ried  Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Tourgee,  widow  of  Cilarle^ 
Tourgee.  They  have  one  son — Frank,  born  ii 
Franklin  town.  She  has  a  daughter  by  her  firs: 
husband — Emma  Tourgee. 

William  Bowman  was  born  in  Perry  Co.. 
Ohio,  in  1825.  His  father,  Thomas  ]>owman, 
came  to  Vernon  county  with  his  family  in  1856. 
He  lived  in  Viroqua  town  but  a  year  or  two, 
when  he  removed  to  Missouri,  and  from  thence 
to  Iowa,  where,  in  1881,  he  died.  He  was  twice 
married.  He  had  six  children  by  his  first  wife, 
and  nine  by  his  second.  William  is  the  only 
one  of  his  father's  family  who  resides  in  Vernon 
county.  Like  many  other  early  settlers  he  came 
here  poor,  but  by  industry  and  economy  he  has 
secured  a  competency.  The  farm  on  which  he 
resides,  on  section  21,  contains  160  acres,  under 
a  good  state  of  cultivation.  He  also  owns  200 
acres  of  land  elsewhere  in  the  town.  He  was 
married  in  Ohio  to  Grizelle  Crawsky.  Thev 
have  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four 
daughters — Mary  E.,  wife  of  Sebastian  Silbaugh; 


Thomas  J.,  Rebecca  E.,  wife  of  H.  Anderson; 
Jerome,  Erastus,  Violetta,  William  and  Sarah 
E.  Samuel  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
years. 

Amos  W.  Green  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis., 
in  1856,  settling  on  section  27,  Viroqua  town, 
where  he  resided  two  years.  He  purchased  his 
present  farm  in  1864,  of  Joseph  Brothers.  It 
contains  101  acres  on  section  33.  He  also  has 
160  acres  of  land  on  section  35,  this  town.  Mr. 
Green  was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1833, 
where  he  was  married  to  Mary  E  ,  daughter  of 
Joshua  Ady,  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1837. 
They  have  no  children  of  their  own,  but  have 
an  adopted  daughter — Minnie  J.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Ady,  of  Jefferson  town. 
Mr.  Green  is  the  only  member  of  his  family  in 
this  county.  He  has  two  sisters  in  Monroe  Co., 
Wis.  Mrs.  Green  has  a  brother,  Thomas,  in 
Jefferson  town,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Elijah  Tilton, 
in  this  town.  Jesse  Green,  father  of  Amos  W., 
was  a  native  of  M:iiiie.  He  came  to  Vernon 
county  in  1857,  settling  on  afarm  adjoining  that 
now  owned  by  his  son,  which  is  now  the  prop- 
erty of  Marion  Henry.  He  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Sparta,  whei'e  he  died  in  1882.  His 
wife  died  while  in  Viro(jua  town  in  1876. 

Mrs.  Martha  A.  (Sabin)  Hall  is  the  relict  of 
Ralph  flail,  who  with  his  family  came  to 
Vernon  county  in  October,  1856,  and  settled  on 
section  5,  town  12  north,  of  range  4  west,  where 
Mrs.  Hall  with  her  family  still  resides.  Mr. 
Hall  purchased  the  farm  of  Oscar  Henry.  He 
was  born  in  England  in  1830,  and  came  to  the 
LTnited  States  in  July,  1843,  with  his  parents, 
who  settled  in  Cook  Co.,  111.  He  was  mai  ried 
in  Illinois  in  1851,  to  his  present  widow,  Mar- 
tha A.  Sabin.  Mr.  Hall  died  July  6,  is72. 
His  father,  George  Hall,  died  in  Illinois.  His 
mother  came  to  Viroqua  in  the  fall  of  1865, 
where  she  still  resides.  Mr.  Hall  was  a  highly 
respected  and  industrious  citizen;  was  a  charter 
member  of  the  Vernon  County  Agricultural 
Society,  and  was  also  for  some  time  treasurer 
of  that  organization,  and  was  also  at  one  time 


41 


712 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


chairman  of  the  town  board  of  Viroqua.  Mrs. 
Hall  was  born  near  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in 
October,  1830.  Her  parents,  Sylvester  and 
Phebe  Hall,  settled  in  Cook  Co.,  111.,  in 
1841,  where  they  lived  till  their  decease.  Mrs. 
Hall  has  three  children — Phebe  A.,  wife  of 
Henry  McDermott,  was  born  in  Cook  Co.,  111.; 
Ananias,  born  in  the  town  of  Viroqua,  in  De- 
cember, 1858,  and  John,  born  in  1868.  She 
still  resides  on  the  homeslead  farm,  which  con- 
tains 140  acres. 

Nathaniel  Morrison  is  one  of  the  settlers  of 
]  856,  having  settled  on  section  8,  town  1 2,  range 
4  west,  in  June  of  that  year.  He  is  not  only  one 
of  the  early  settlers,  but  is  also  one  of  the  most 
aged  citizens,  having  been  born  in  1804-  in 
Guernsey  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until 
coming  to  Vernon  county.  His  father,  Hans 
Morrison,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Morrison  was  married,  in  Ohio,  to  Charlotte 
Havens,  born  in  Pennsylvania.  She  died  Sept. 
22,  1866.  He  has  had  nine  children,  five  of 
whom  are  living — Elisha,  Robert  B.,  Alexander 
C,  Nathaniel  and  John,  all  of  whom,  with  the 
exception  of  Nathaniel,  who  lives  in  Kansas, 
live  in  Vernon  cownty.  Alexander  served  in 
the  army  during  the  war,  enlisting  Aug.  14, 
1862,  in  company  A,  25th  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  serving  until  the  close  of  .the  war. 
He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  F.K.  Van  Wag- 
ner, an  early  settler  of  Franklin  town.  Nathaniel 
enlisted,  in  1863,  in  the  35th  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  Mr.  Morrison  lost  two  children  who  had 
arrived  at  maturity — Mary  Ann,  who  married 
Justice  Smith;  he  died  of  disease  contracted  in 
the  army;  Margaret,  who  married  Oliver  C. 
Smith.  Mr.  Morrison  still  owns  his  original 
farm  of  200  acres.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
town  board  for  nine  year.  He  is  connected  with 
the  Christian  Church. 

Earl  M.Rogers,  of  Rogers,  Henry  &  Wil- 
liams, merchants  of  Viroqua,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Vernon  county  since  INIay  1,  1856,  when 
he  located  at  Liberty  Pole.       Col.  Rogers  was 


born  in  Wayne  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1839.  His  father, 
Clayton  Rogers,  settled  with  his  family  in 
Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1850.  In  1860  Col. 
Rogers  crossed  the  plains  to  the  mountains,  but 
returned  in  1861,  to  enter  the  Union  army.  He 
enlisted  in  company  I,  6th  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry  in  June,  1861,  and  was 
madea  lieutenantin  December,  1861.  He  was  for 
one  year  aid-de-camp  to  Brig.-Gen.  Wadsworth, 
and  on  the  death  of  that  gallant  officer,  served 
in  the  same  capacity  with  Brig.-Gen.  Bragg.  He 
was  severely  wounded,  June  18,  1864,  in  the  as- 
sault on  the  works  of  Petersburg  but,  returning 
to  the  array  in  October  served  till  April,  1865. 
In  1867  he  re-entered  the  army,  receiving  a 
commission  as  lieutenant  in  the  3d  United 
States  Infantry;  served  two  years  in  frontier 
service,  and  resigned  to  return  to  Vernon  county. 
He  then  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits  at 
Liberty  Pole,  and  in  18^2  came  to  Viroqua,  en- 
gaging in  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Rogers  &  Henry.  In  the  fall  of  1880  the  present 
firm  was  formed  under  the  firm  name  of  Rogers, 
Henry  &  Willi.ams.  Col.  Rogers  married 
Amanda,  daughter  of  Israel  Williams.  They  are 
the  parents  of  three  children — Edith,  Henry 
and  Edward. 

C.  C.  Brown  has  been  dealing  in  furniture  in 
Viroqua  since  1867.  He  carries  quite  an  ex- 
tensive stock,  and,  as  this  is  the  only  furniture 
store  of  any  importance  in  Vernon  county,  liis 
trade  is  naturally  very  large  and  lucrative.  Mr. 
Brown  was  born  in  Oakfield,  Perry  Co.,  Ohio, 
in  1844.  His  father,  James  Brown,  came  to 
Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1856.  He  was  a  native  of 
Maryland,  and  by  occupation  a  surveyor.  He 
found  plenty  of  work  to  do  in  the  new  country, 
and  was  soon  made  county  surveyor.  With  the 
proceeds  of  his  labors,  he  bought  a  farm  in  the 
town  of  Greenwood,  where  he  resided  till  liis 
death,  in  1878.  His  widow  is  a  native  of  Bloody 
Run,  Penn.,  and  now  resides  in  Viroqua.  C.  C. 
Brown  resided  in  his  native  State  until  May, 
1857,  when  he  joined  his  father's  family  in  this 
country.       He  married   Dora  Graff,  a  native  of 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


il3 


Illinois.  Her  father  died  when  she  was  but  a 
small  child,  and  she  subsequently  lived  for  a 
number  of  years  at  Viroqua  with  her  grandfather, 
Moses  Decker,  one  of  the  well-known  pioneers 
of  Vernon  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have 
two  children — Otto  and  Bennie. 

Levi  R.  Gaines  resides  on  section  32,  ad- 
joining the  town  plat  of  Viroqua.  He  was 
born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  in  1833,  and  was 
reared  amid  the  refining  influences  and  ingen- 
ious productions  of  the  Nutmeg  State.  In  1 842, 
he  left  New  England  manners  and  convention- 
alities, and  sought  a  new  home  at  Kenosh.a, 
Wis.,  among  the  frank,  jjractical  and  pleas- 
ant inhabitants  of  the  Beaver  State.  His  father, 
Theodore  Gaines,  came  to  Viroqua,  with  his 
family,  in  185G,  and  died  there  May  31,  1862. 
Levi  followed  his  father's  family  the  next  year 
(1857)  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Vernon 
county.  He  early  learned  the  carpenter  trade, 
and  erected  many  of  the  earlier  private  resi- 
dences and  public  buildings  of  Viroqua,  includ- 
ing the  Congregational  and  Methodist  churcl 
edifices.  Since  1869  Mr.  Gaines  has  been 
engaged  in  selling  sewing  machines  and  musi- 
cal instruments.  He  resides  in  a  pleasant 
home  just  without  the  limits  of  the  village,  and 
also  owns  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Webster.  He 
married  Cornelia,  daughter  of  A.  C.  Stevens, 
born  in  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y.  Four  children 
were  born  to  this  union,  two  sons  and  two 
daughters.  The  former  are  living  and  named 
Eugene  and  Edward. 

John  W.  Aikins  was  born  in  Vernon  Co., 
Wis.,  in  July,  1859.  He  resides  on  section  s, 
Viroqua  town,  on  a  farm  purchased  by  his 
father,  Daniel  Aikins,  of  William  Beabout.  A 
sketch  of  Daniel  Aikins  will  be  found  else- 
where. Mr.  Aikins  was  married  to  Ella,  a 
daughter  of  Capt.  R.  S.  McMichael,  of  Viro- 
qua. They  have  two  children — Walter  L.  and 
Cora.     His  farm  contains  120  acres. 

I.  W.  Blake  is  a  contractor  and  builder,  and 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Blake  cfe  Co.,  lumber 
dealers.     Mr.  Blake  is  also  a  carpenter  by  trade. 


and  many  of  the  private  and  nublic  buildings 
of  Viroqua  show  evidence  of  his  handiwork. 
He  was  born  in  Bristol  Co.,  Mass.,  in  1838,  and 
when  a  young  man  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
where  he  served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  car- 
penter trade.  In  1859,  he  came  still  further 
west,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Wheatland, 
where  he  found  work  at  his  trade.  On  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war,  he  immediately  re- 
turned CO  New"  England,  and  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  the  12th  regiment,  Maine  Volunteers 
serving  three  years  and  tlree  months.  The 
regiment  was  first  attached  to  the  command  of 
Maj.-Gen.  Butler  and  afterward  to  that  of 
Maj.-Gen.  Banks.  He  participated  in  all 
the  important  engagements  of  the  southwest, 
and  at  the  siege  of  Port  Hudson  performed  an 
act  of  valor  which  gained  for  him  the  admira- 
tion of  both  friend  and  foe,  and  deserves 
special  mention  in  this  work.  The  two 
armies  were  resting  in  their  entrench- 
ments after  a  temporary  repulse  of  our  forces 
from  an  attack  on  the  enemy.  Thev  were  but 
a  few  rods  apart  and  within  short  range  of 
musketry.  Manj  of  the  sorely  wounded  lay 
writhing  md  groaning  under  the'broiling  sun, 
in  the  narrow  space  that  separated  the  combat- 
ants. One  poor  comrade  in  particular  was 
mortally  wounded,  and  cried  piteously  for  a 
drink  of  water,  to  allay  his  burningthirst.  Mr. 
Blake  listened  to  his  pleadings  but  a  short 
time,  and  could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  volun- 
teered to  make  an  attempt  to  relieve  him, 
although  the  sufferer  lay  just  before  the  rebel 
fortifications,  and  within  easy  range  of  their 
guns.  Filling  a  canteen  with  fresh  water,  he 
cautiously  emerged  from  behind  the  intrencli- 
ments,  and  secreting  himself  behind  the  dead 
bodies  of  his  comrades,  he  crawled  slowly  to- 
ward the  wounded  man.  He  had  passed  over 
about  half  of  the  intervening  distance,  when  he 
chanced  to  look  toward  the  enemy,  and  found 
an  unbroken  line  of  rebel  muskets  staring  him 
in  the  face.  He  was  hailed  by  one  of  the 
enemy,  and  asked  if  he  was  wounded.     Think- 


lu 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ing  to  gain  time  and  possibly  further  progress, 
he  replied  in  the  affirmative,  but  on  second 
thought  concluded  to  face  the  danger,  if  any, 
at  once.  He  boldly  arose  to  his  feet,  and  rely- 
ing upon  his  errand  of  mercy  for  respite  from 
danger,  swiftly  sprang  to  the  side  of  his  com- 
rade. The  poor  fellow  swallowed  the  contents 
of  the  canteen,  and  in  a  faint  voice  thanked  his 
benefactor  for  his  kindness.  Mr.  Blake  was 
seized  with  a  desire  to  drag  the  wounded  man 
back  to  the  friendly  intrenchments,  but  he  was 
too  badly  wounded  to  endure  the  kindly  meant 
but  rough  treatment.  By  this  time,  the  enemy 
were  wild  with  excitement,  and  scores  of  guns 
were  nervously  and  threateningly  handled  to 
compel  the  audacious  "yank"'  to  surrender.  He 
looked  around,  and  seeing  no  alternative,  cooly 
marched  over  and  gave  himself  up  as  a  prisoner 
of  war.  When  the  enemy  learned  that  the  poor 
soldier  whom  he  had  supplied  with  water  at  the 
risk  of  his  own  life  was  not  a  brother,  as  they 
had  supposed,  but  a  perfect  .stranger  to  his 
benefactor,  they  were  struck  with  admiration 
for  their  brave  captive,  and  treated  him  with 
due  respect.  He  was  kept  in  confinement  until 
the  capitulation  of  the  enemy.  The  wounded 
soldier  w.is  subsequently  identified  as  Sergeant 
Hall,  a  resident  of  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.,  living  near 
parta.  After  the  war,  Mr.  Blake  returned  to 
De  Soto,  in  the  town  of  Wheatland,  and  re- 
sumed work  at  his  trade.  He  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Viroqua  since  1872.  He  married  Ella 
R.,  daughter  of  James  Osgood.  They  -have 
two  children — Edith  and  Willie. 

P.  P.  Hektoen  was  born  in  Hamar  Stiff,  Nor- 
way, in  18.39.  He  received  a  good  education  in 
a  school  corresponding  to  the  normal  schools 
of  the  United  States.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1859,  coming  directly  to  Viroqua  town. 
In  1801  he  bought  a  small  farm  of  I.  Bjorseth, 
on  section  3,  town  13  north,  of  range  4  west, 
where  he  still  resides.  In  1862  he  married  Olive 
Thorsgaard,  also  a  native  of  Norway.  Their 
oldest  son,  Ludvig,  graduated  from  the  Nor- 
wegian Lutheran  College,  at  Decorah,  Iowa,  in 


June,  1883.  Their  other  children  are  Martin 
and  Maria.  Mr.  Hektoen  has  been  for  many 
years  a  teacher  and  is  a  man  of  considerable 
culture. 

David  Strawn  has  resided  in  Vernon  Co.,  Wis., 
since  1859,  and  at  present,  is  a  retired  farmer. 
He  purchased  a  part  of  his  last  farm,  on  section 
29,  north  of  the  village  of  Viroqua,  of  Alonzo 
Pierce;  Mr.  Strawn  was  born,  in  1827,  in  Perry 
Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  His 
parents  were  John  and  Rebecca  Strawn,  the 
former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  latter 
of  Virginia.  They  resided  in  Ohio  until  their 
death.  Mr.  Strawn  married  Amy  Hone,  born 
in  Ohio.  They  have  two  children — Mary  A., 
now  Mrs.  L.  W.  Ady,  and  Grant.  Mr.  Strawn's 
farm  contained  320  acres,  well  improved,  in- 
cluding good  buildings,  and  was  sold  in  July, 
1883,  to  Philip  Rhodes,  who  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Vernon  county  for  thirty  years.  He  be- 
gan poor,  and  has  made  all  his  improvements, 
making  it  one  of  the  best  farms  in   the  county. 

Elijah  Tilton  is  the  son  of  Simeon  H.  and 
Eliza  (Brown)  Tilton,  and  was  born  in  what  was 
then  Hocking,  now  Vinton  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1833.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Vernon  Co. 
Wis.,  in  1860.  He  was  married,  in  Ohio,  to 
Lydia  A.  Mercer,  a  native  of  that  State.  She 
died  in  1864.  They  had  three  children,  one  of 
whom  is  living — Mrs.  Eliza  E.  Smith.  Subse- 
quently. Mr.  Tilton  married  Mrs.  Sarah  C.  (Ady) 
King,  by  whom  he  has  eight  children,  six  boys 
and  two  girls — Pearly  J.,  William  L.,  Henry  L., 
Jesse  E.,  Hannah  A.,  James  E.,  Grace  E.  and 
Carl  E.  Mr.  Tilton  enli.sted  Feb.  18,  lSt)5,  in 
company  B,  50th  Wisconsin  Volunteer  In 
fantry,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Mr. 
Tilton  has  a  farm  of  200  acres,  seventy  of  which 
is  timber  land  and  the  remainder  under  culti- 
vation. 

Simeon  H.  Tilton  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in 
1809.  When  nine  years  of  age,  he  went  with 
his  parents  to  Indiana  and  from  thence  to  Ohio. 
In  1854  he  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  purchas- 
ing laud  in  Webster  town.    In  1860  he  settled 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


V15 


on  section  24,  Viroqua  town,  and  in  1868  on 
section  33.  Mr.  Tilton  was  married  to  Eliza 
Bro\srn,  born  in  Pickaway  Co.,  Ohio.  They  liad 
five  children,  th'ee  of  whom  are  living — Elijah, 
Rebecca  and  Mary,  now  Mrs.  William  C.  Alden. 
These  children  all  live  in  this  town.  Mr.  Tilton 
died  Dec.  31,  1876.     Mrs.  Tilton  is  still   living. 

J.  Henry  Tate,  general  merchant,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Viroqua  since  1865.  He  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Landgrave,  Bennington  Co.,  Vt., 
in  1830.  He  was  reared  to  the  business  of 
farming.  In  1847  he  went  to  Boston,  Mass., 
where  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  for  two  years. 
In  1849  he  went  to  California;  was  absent  about 
two  years,  when  he  returned  to  New  England; 
lived  in  Boston  several  years,  and  wentto  Rhode 
Island  in  the  spring  of  1860.  He  enlisted  on 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  in  the  2d  Rhode 
Island  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  went  into  the 
service  as  commissary  sergeant.  He  was  in  the 
service  three  years;  was,  for  ten  months,  as- 
sistant quartermaster  of  the  3d  Division  of  the 
6th  Army  Corps.  He  was  present  at  several  of 
the  earlier  battles  of  the  war,  including  the  Hrst 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  battle  of  Fredericksburg  and 
Salem  Heights.  Col.  Tate  is  one  of  the  promi- 
nent business  men  and  one  of  the  enterprising 
citizens  of  Vernon  county.  He  is  an  ardent  re- 
publican, politically,  a  He  was  elected  to  the 
State  Assembly  in  18V3,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  State  Sen.'ite  in  1876  and  1877.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandising  at  Viroqua,  also 
has  another  store  at  Cashton;  the  firm  name 
there  being  Tate  &  Nelson.  Mrs.  Tate  was 
formerly  Helen  M.  Walker,  also  born  in  the 
town  of  Landgrave,  Bennington  Co.,  Vt.  They 
have  six  children— Mrs.  Nellie  M.  Towner,  Mrs. 
Ellal.  Boyer,  J.  Henry,  Jr  ,  Addie  M.,  Frank  E. 
and  Frederick  A. 

George  W.  Morgan  is  the  only  resident 
photographer  in  Vernon  county,  and  as  his 
arti.-itic  ability  is  excellent,  his  patronage  is 
large  and  remunei-ative.  Mr.  Morgan  was  born 
at  Elk  Grove,  Grant  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1845.  His 
father,  Samuel  Morgan,  was  an   early  settler  of 


that  county,  and  a  wagon  maker  by  trade.  He 
removed  to  Allamakee  Co.,  Iowa,  in  1850,  where 
he  now  resides.  Geoige  W.  commenced  learn- 
ing the  art  of  photography  in  1866,  with  Dr. 
Hall,  of  Lansing,  Iowa.  Dr.  Hall  subsequently 
died,  and  Mr.  Morgan  took  charge  of  his  busi- 
ness and  continued  it  with  fair  success  for 
about  six  years.  In  June,  1872,  he  located  in 
Viroqua.  Mr.  Morgan  married  Hattie  L.  Mur- 
ry,  a  native  of  Ohio. 

Frank  M.  Towner  is  proprietor  of  the  only 
exclusive  book  and  stationery  house  in  Vernon 
county.  He  carries  a  full  stock  and  varied 
assortment,  including  fancy  goods,  musical 
instruments,  etc.,  and  his  stock  is  valued 
at  from  $8,000  to  ?!10,000.  Mr.  Towner 
was  born  in  Erie  Co.,  Penn.,  in  1854.  In  his 
earlier  life,  he  took  a  select  course  of  study  in 
the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor  and 
was  subsequently  a  student  in  the  Wisconsin 
State  University,  at  Madison.  He  came  to 
Viroqua  in  1866,  and  embarked  in  his  present 
business  in  the  fall  of  1872.  Mr.  Towner  en- 
joys a  first  class  custom,  and  is  highly  respectetl 
as  a  citizen.  He  married  Nellie,  daughter  of 
Col.  J.  Henry  Tate,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
merchants  of  Viroqua  and  Vernon  county. 

N.  McKie  is  a  prominent  and  successful 
mercliant  of  Vernon  county.  He  is  extensively 
engaged  in  the  drug,  hardware  and  lumber 
trade  at  Viroqua,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by 
his  acquaintances.  He  was  born  in  sunny  Eng- 
land, in  1828,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  in 
the  drug  business,  at  Dumfries,  Scotland.  In 
1848  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  opened 
and  operated  two  drug  houses,  in  the  retail 
trade  for  ten  years.  From  1851  to  1861  he  was 
engaged  in  farming  and  merchandising,  in  St. 
Clair  Co.,  111.,  and  in  1869,  he  located  at  Viro- 
qua. He  immediately  embarked  in  the  general 
mercantile  trade,  and  his  stock  is  mostly  com- 
posed of  drugs  and  hardware.  In  December, 
1880,  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade,  in  which 
he  has  been  fairly  successful.  In  addition  to 
his  business  interests  in  Vernon   county,  he  has 


716 


HISTORY  'OF  VP:RN0N  COUNTY, 


also  had  a  branch  establishment  in  Crawford 
Co.,  Wis.  Mr.  McKie  married  Sarah  J., 
daughter  of  Dr.  James  Rusk.  They  have  six 
children — Harriet,  Sarah  E.,  Jane  E.,  James 
H.,  Hugli  and  Ernest. 

Jolin  J.  Hammond  resides  on  section  32, 
Viroqua  town,  where  he  settled  in  the  spring 
of  1871.  He  purchased  of  N.  Wells  forty- 
four  acres  of  good  land,  especially  adapted  to 
the  raising  of  small  fruit.  Mr.  Hammond 
devotes  the  major  portion  of  his  time  to  fruit 
growing.  His  vineyard  produced,  in  1880, 
about  6,000  pounds  of  fine  Concord  grapes,  and 
in  1882,  over  4,000  pounds.  Berries  form  a 
respectable  part  of  his  fruit  interests,  and  in 
1882,  he  raised  over  fifty  bushels  of  excellent 
Early  Richmond  cherries.  He  is  also  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  sugar  cane,  making  annu- 
ally from  100  to  600  gallons  of  sorghum 
molasses.  John  J.  Hammond  is  a  native  of 
Northamptonshire,  England,  born  in  1839. 
Wiien  seventeen  years  of  age,  his  father  and 
mother,  William  and  Elizabeth  Hammond,  emi- 
grated to  these  United  States,  and  located  in 
New  Jersey.  There  the  father  embarked  in 
the  boot  and  shoe  trade,  which  he  continued 
until  his  death,  in  the  spring  of  1882.  In  1861 
he  removed  his  family  to  Illinois,  where  he 
lived  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Mr. 
Hammond  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1863,  to 
Ann  Hall,  a  native  of  Illinois,  whose  parents 
came  from  England.  Mr.  and  Mrs  Hammond 
have  been  blessed  with  nine  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living — Alice  Ann,  Ida  Mary  and 
Addie  Belle.  Those  deceased  were  named 
Alice  P.,  Elizabeth  Ann,  Lydia  M.,  Oliver  S., 
Eleanor  S.  and  Cora  Estella. 

Capt.  Robert  P.  Clarke  was  not  an  early  set- 
tler of  Vernon  county,  but  was  so  intimately 
and  prominently  connected  with  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  Mississippi  valley  that  a  brief  sketch 
of  him  here  will  probably  be  of  interest  to  the 
readers  of  Vernon  county  history.  He  was 
born  near  Pittsburg,  Penn.,  in  1802.  He 
began  keel-boating  on  the  Ohio  river  when  but 


twenty  years  of  age,  and  followed  boating  in 
that  kind  of  a  craft  until  steamboats  began 
plying  the  Mississippi.  At  one  time,  when 
ascending  the  Mississippi  river,  he  was  attacked 
by  a  large  party  of  Indians,  not  far  from  the 
city  of  La  Crosse.  After  a  desperate  fight  w  ith 
the  savages,  in  which  twelve  of  his  crew  were 
killed,  he  succeeded  in  beating  off  the  Indians. 
He  commanded  one  of  the  first  steaml>oats  that 
ever  ascended  the  Mississippi  river.  It  was 
called  the  Mexico,  which,  under  his  command, 
carried  the  first  private  freight  to  the  head  of 
navigation  on  that  river,  and  he  also  com- 
manded the  third  steamer  that  ascended  the 
Missouri  river.  He  owned  and  commanded  a 
number  of  the  finest  river  steamboats,  including 
the  Mexico,  Lady  Washington,  George  Washing- 
ton, Chief-Justice  Marshall,  General  LaFayetle 
and  others,  and  was  identified  with  steamboat 
interests  down  to  nearly  the  time  of  the  close  of 
his  long  and  eventfnl  life.  During  the  Texas 
war  for  independence,  his  sympathies  were 
aroused  by  the  struggling  Texans  in  their 
struggle  tor  independence.  He  organized  a 
company,  consisting  mostly  of  the  crew  of  his 
steamboat,  and  left  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  with  his 
company  for  the  headquarters  of  Gen.  Samuel 
Houston,  the  commander  of  the  Texan  forces. 
He  joined  that  general  and  participated  in  the 
sangiiinary^battle  of  San  Jacinto,  where  the  Mexi- 
cans lost  630  killed,  and  730  taken  prisoners. 
Among  the  latter  were  included  Gen.  Santa 
Anna.  Capt.  Clarke  was  the  first  to  eirry  the 
news  of  that  important  victory  to  New  Oileans. 
After  he  retired  from  steamboating  he  located 
at  Cincinnati,  afterward  removing  to  St.  Louis, 
which  was  his  home  for  many  years.  He  was  a 
resident  of  the  latter  city  when  the  war  for  the 
Union  broke  out,  and  although  too  old  to  en- 
gage in  active  service  he  took  a  deep  interest 
in  the  success  of  the  Union  cause,  and  was  an 
ardent  supporter  of  the  old  flag  during  that 
fearful  struggle.  Notwithstanding  he  followed 
the  river  so  many  years,  where  moral  and  re- 
ligious principles  are  not  supposed  to  predomi- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


717 


nate,  Capt.  Clarke  was  a  man  of  strong  religious 
convictions,  and  highly  respected  wherever 
known.  As  was  said  of  liim  at  his  death,  he  was  "a 
public  s])irited  and  Christian  gentleman,  honest, 
plain  spoken,  frank  and  kind-hearted."  He  re- 
ceived iiis  first  religious  impressions  under  the 
ministrations  of  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher,  at  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio.  He  removed  to  De  Soto,  Wis., 
where  his  children  resided,  in  1874,  where  he 
died  in  October,  1880.  The  respect  and  esteem 
in  which  he  was  held  was  well  attested  by  tiie 
large  number  of  prominent  citizens  that  attended 
the  funeral  of  their  deceased  friend  and  neigh- 
bor. He  was  married  twice,  the  first  time  at 
Wheeling,  W.  Va.  He  had  three  children  by 
this  marriage,  but  he  lost  his  whole  family  in 
one  night  at  Wheeling,  by  that  dreadful,  de- 
stroying scourge — yelh'W  fever.  In  1840  he 
married  a  Vermont  lady,  Mary  Warren,  by 
name,  whom  he  met  as  a  passenger  on  his  boat, 
while  ascending  the  river.  He  had  five  children 
by  this  marriage,  four  of  whom  are  living.  His 
oldest  daughter,  Mary  L.,  is  the  wife  of  Rev. 
William  J.  Clark,  of  Knox  Co.,  Ohio.  A 
younger  daughter,  Elizabeth  W.,  resides  with 
her  brother,  C.  Edward,  at  Yiroqua.  The 
mother  of  these  children,  the  second  wife  of 
Capt.  Clarke,  died  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  of  cholera, 
in  1849. 

George  U.  and  C.  Edw:ird  Clarke,  sons  of 
Capt.  Robert  P.  Clarke,  comprise  the  firm  of 
Clarke  Bros.,  general  niercliants,  Yiroqua. 
They  engaged  in  business  here  in  1882  and  are 
doing  an  extensive  business. 

George  H.  Clarke,  of  the  above  named  firm, 
was  born  in  1845  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where 
he  grew  to  manhood.  In  186-3  he  went  to  Col- 
orado, where  he  was  engaged  in  mitiing  and 
merchandising.  'Ihe  party  to  which  he  be- 
longed had  several  severe  battles  with  the  sav- 
ages, this  being  the  period  of  active  Indian 
hostilities.  In  1866  he  returned  to  St.  Louis, 
soon  after  becoming  connected  with  the  Kansas 
Pacific  Railway  survey.  He  continued  thus  oc- 
cupied   for    about  a    year,  meeting   with  many 


thrilling  adventures  in  the  wild  regions  of  the 
west.  He  again  returned  to  St.  Louis,  engaging 
in  merchandising  and  in  1873  settling  in  De 
Soto,  where  he  contiimed  until  1882,  when  he 
came  to  Yiroqua.  Mr.  Clarke  has  been  twice 
married.  His  first  wife,  Martha  M.  Trott,  was 
a  native  of  Maine,  but  was  reared  in  Vernon 
Co.,  Wis.  His  present  wife  was  Miss  L.  M. 
Sweet,  born  in  Richland  county,  and  by  whom 
he  liad  two  children.  While  at  De  Soto  Mr. 
Clarke  was  engaged  in  various  enterprises  be- 
sides that  of  merchandising,  among  others  that 
of  putting  up  ice  for  the  St.  Louis  market,  be- 
ing the  first  in  the  county  to  engage  in  that 
business.  He  put  up  on  an  average  about  5,000 
tons  of  ice  annually. 

C.  Edward  Clarke  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  in 
184.3.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  accom- 
panied his  father  to  the  mining  regions  of  the 
west.  They  took  a  quartz  mill  with  them,  be- 
ing interested  in  the  mining  business  for  about 
six  years.  In  1864,  joining  a  volunteer  force 
that  was  organized  to  put  down  an  Ii.dian 
outbreak,  he  participated  in  a  hard  fought  bat- 
tle with  the  Indians,  including  the  battle  of 
Sand  creek,  Nov.  29,  1864,  in  which  500  Indians 
were  killed.  In  1866  he  went  to  Arkansas, 
where  he  became  interested,  with  his  father  and 
Joseph  Brooks,  in  cotton  farming,  afterwards 
merchandising  and  interested  in  railroad  con 
tracts  and  cotton  buying  on  an  extensive  scale 
at  Indian  Bay  and  Duvall's  Bluff  on  White  river, 
Ark.  In  1870  he  came  to  Vernon  county,  locating 
in  DeSoto.  In  1882  he  came  to  Yiroqua,  engag- 
ing with  his  brother  in  tiie  general  merchandise 
trade.  Mr.  Clarke  is  a  cultured  gentleman.  He 
has  traveled  extensively,  and  possesses  much 
general  information. 

George  Dennis  lives  on  section  22,  where  he 
settled  in  1873.  He  was  born  in  Morgan  Co., 
Ohio,  April  3,  1S24,  where  he  lived  till  became 
to  this  county.  He  was  married  to  Sarah  J.  At- 
kins and  came  to  Vernon  county  in  1854  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Yiroqua  since 
that  time.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dennis  have  five  chil- 


718 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


dren — Lucinda,  Nancy  J.,  James,  Herman  and 
Henry.  Mr.  Dennis'  farm  contains  120  acres. 
He  has  a  good  farm,  well  improved.  Mr.  Den- 
nis is  of  German  descent,  his  paternal  grand- 
fatlier  being  a  native  of  Germany.  His  parents, 
William  and  Mary  Dennis,  died  in  Ohio. 

J.  K.  Schreiner,  M.  D.,  resides  in  Viroqua 
village.  He  was  born  in  Christiana,  Norway,  in 
1857.  In  1875  he  began  the  study  of  medicine 
and  for  six  years  was  a  student  of  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Christiana, 
graduating  from  that  institution  in  1881.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  soon  after  hisgradua- 
tion.  Dr.  Schreiner  is  a  cultured  gentleman 
and  thoroughly  educated  in  the  science  of  med- 
icine. He  has  established  an  excellent  practice 
and  receives  not  only  the  patronage  of  his  own 
countrymen,  but  is  appreciated  as  a  skillful 
physician  by  other  nationalities.  He  spends 
Tuesday  and  Saturday  afternoons  of  each  week 
at  the  village  of  Westby,  attending  to  his  pro- 
fessional calls.  Dr.  Schreiner  married  Chris- 
tina Gjerdrum.  She  is  a  well  educated  and  re- 
fined lady. 

O.  Tollefsou  is  a  native  of  Norway  and  a 
brother  of  L.  ToUefson,  Esq.,  of  Viroqua.  He 
was  born  in  1854  and  came  to  this  country  with 
his  parents  in  1860,  settling  in  Allamakee  Co., 
Iowa.  In  1871  he  went  to  La  Crosse,  Wis., 
and  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  wholesale  estab- 
lishment of  Marsten  &  Son.  He  was  also 
engaged  for  a  time  with  Charles  Solberg 
and  afterwards  was  in  business  three  years 
for  himself.  He  came  to  Viroqua  in 
1882,  forming  a  partnership  with  Joseph 
Omundson  in  the  general  mercantile  business, 
nnder  the  firm  name  of  Tollefson  &  Omundson. 
Mr.  Tollefson  has  since  purchased  the  interest 
of  Mr.  Omundson  and  is  now  doing  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  O.  Tollefson  &  Co.  Mr. 
Tollefson  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  young 
jnerchants  in  the  county. 

Harrison  Gochenour  is  a  native  of  Clinton 
Co.,  Ind.,  who  located   here   in  the  practice  of 


dentistry  in  January,  1883.  He  was  born  in 
1857  and  commenced  the  study  of  his  profession 
at  Frankfort,  Ind.,  where  he  served  an  appren- 
ticeship with  Dr.  J.  D.  Wirt.  He  came  to  Wis- 
consin in  September,  1880,  and  located  at  Viola 
in  Richland  county,  where  he  remained  about 
two  years  and  then  came  to  Viroqua.  Dr. 
Gochenour  is  well  educated  in  his  chosen  pro- 
fession, and  during  his  short  residence  in  Ver- 
non county  has  secured  by  his  merits  the  confi- 
dence of  the  public  and  established  a  good  pat- 
ronage. He  married  Emily  Landes,  a  native 
of  Virginia.  They  have  one  daughter — Blanche. 

B.  F.  Ferguson,  of  Morley  &  Ferguson,  who 
succeeded  P.  B.  Vess  in  November,  1882,  in 
the  harness  trade,  has  been  a  resident  of  Vernon 
county  since  1852.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Highland,  Iowa  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1850.  His  father, 
William  Ferguson,  was  an  early  settler  in  the 
town  of  Wheatland,  this  county,  wliere  lie  still 
resides.  Mr.  Ferguson  learned  his  trade  with 
the  firm  of  B.  F.  Purdy  &  R.  L.  Ferguson,  his 
brother,  of  Viroqua,  and  has  been  in  business 
for  himself  over  a  year.  He  was  married  to  At- 
tilla,  daughter  of  Nathan  Coe,  of  Viroqua.  Mr. 
Morley,  of  this  firm,  is  a  son  of  Calvin  Morley, 
a  sketch  of  whom  will  be  found  in  this  volume. 

Ethan  A.  Stark  manufactures  wagons  and 
does  repair  work  in  Viroqua.  He  has  been  a 
resident  of  Vernon  county  twenty-seven  years 
and  engaged  in  his  present  business  about  nine 
years.  He  was  born  in  old  rock-ribbed  New 
Hampshire,  in  1825.  His  father  was  Jedulhan 
Stark,  who  died  when  Ethan  was  but  a  lad. 
When  thirteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Stark  went  to 
Lowell,  Mass.,  and  secured  employment  in  the 
large  woolen  mills  at  that  point.  He  was  only 
a  boy,  but  thrifty  and  industrious,  and  finally 
became  overseer  in  the  factory  where  he  first 
entered.  He  held  this  responsible  and  labori- 
ous position  for  sixteen  yearsf  and  then  resigned 
to  come  west.  He  located  iu  Vernon  county 
and  purchased  a  farm  in  Viroqua  town,   where 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


719 


he  lias  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for 
some  years.  In  1S75  lie  succeeded  Samuel  Met- 
calf  in  the  wagon  maker's  trade,  and  has  since 
conducted  the  business  witti  fair  success  Mr. 
Starlv   ma  ried    Amanda    F.    Weeden,    born    in 


Vermont,  in  1829.  Her  father  died  in  Vermont, 
but  her  mother  came  to  Viroqua  and  here  de- 
parted this  life  Aug.  26,  1865.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stark  have  one  daughter — Helen  M.,  born  Sept. 
18,  1873. 


120 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XLVIU. 


TOWN    OF    WEBSTER. 


This  portion  of  Vernon  county  is  bouinled  on 
the  nortli  by  the  town  of  Christiana,  on  the  east 
by  the  town  of  Stark,  on  the  south  by  the  town 
of  Liberty,  and  on  the  west  by  the  town  of 
Viroqua.  The  town  is  square  in  size,  compris- 
ing 36  sections.  There  is  only  one  stream  of 
any  importance  within  its  limits,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  main  branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river, 
which  flows  through  the  eastern  half  of  section 
36.  The  west  branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river 
enters  the  town  on  section  6,  and  takes  a  south- 
erly course  through  sections  5,  7,  18,  19,  30,  29 
and  32,  leaving  the  town  on  the  southwestern 
part  of  section  33.  Besides  the  streams  men- 
tioned, there  are  various  tributaries  which  form 
a  net  work  of  water  courses  throughout  the 
town,  making  the  land  valuable  for  both  stock 
and  agricultural  purposes. 

The  surface  of  the  territory  is  very  rolling, 
and  along  the  banks  of  both  branches  of  the 
Kickapoo  river,  the  bluffs  greatly  resemble  those 
on  the  Mississippi. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 

In  18.52  two  brothers,  R  P.  and  A.  W.  Gil- 
lett,  came  into  the  present  boundary  of  this 
town  and  entered  land  on  section  18.  The 
former  now  resides  in  Monroe  Co.,  Wis.,  and 
the  latter  in  Anoca,  Minn. 

William  Jobe  came  the  same  year,  but  now 
resides  in  Kansas.  In  1853  John  Snider  came 
into  the  town,  entered  land  on  section  19.  After 
Snider  came  the  following  settlers,  all  of  whom 
are  now  deceased:  John  Gr.aham  located 
forty  acres  on  section  19;  Lemuel  Joseph  settled 
on  section  28;  John  Richardson,  on  section    21; 


Sol  Richardson,  on  section  17,  and  John  Potts- 
on  section  21.  Isaac  Glenn  and  his  son  Isaiah 
came  from  Ohio  to  Webster  town  in  1853.  The 
former  died  here  in  1862.  Mordecai  Adams  is 
a  native  of  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Ver- 
non county  in  1853,  and  to  this  town  in  1855. 

Joshua  Selby  was  a  bachelor  from  the  good 
State  of  Maryland  in  1854.  In  1859  he  married 
Rebecca  Stanaford.  By  being  industrious  and 
economical,  Mr.  Selby  has  accumulated  a  hand- 
some competence. 

James  Allen  is  a  native  of  Athens  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  born  in  1807.  He  came  to  this 
town  in  1854,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  on  section  4.  He  was  the  first  chairman 
of  the  board  of  supervisors,  and  held  that  lionor- 
able  position  for  six  years.  He  was  married  in 
Ohio,  in  1831,  to  Amanda  Gardner,  who  bore 
him  nine  children— Rodney  D.,  Augusta  E., 
Charles  A.,  Arthur  P.,  Calista  C,  Oscar  P  (who 
died  at  Pittsburg  Landing  in  1862),  Harvey  M., 
Edwin  P.  and  Albert  G.  Four  of  these  sons  were 
in  the  Union  army — Rodney,  Perry,  Oscar  and 
Ilarvey.     Mrs.  Allen  departed  this  life   M.ay  4, 

1882,  and  Mr.  Allen  was  again  married  July  -25, 

1883,  to    Mrs.    Albina  Hugbert,    who    is     now 
seventy  years  of  age. 

James  Oliver  came  in  1  854  and  settled  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  5,  where  he  still  resides. 

William  Staniford  located  on  section  28,  in 
1854,  and  Wesley  Potts  settled  on  section  17, 
where  he  now  lives. 

Jesse  Appleton  settled  here  in  1855,  and  now 
owns  about  1,300  acres  of  land.       He  has  been 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


721 


twice  married.  His  present  wife  was  Mary 
McMichael. 

Jolni  Lyons  is  a  native  of  Columbiana  Co., 
Oliio,  and  in  lis.-jl  came  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis. 
He  located  160  acresof  land  in  this  town,  which 
he  still  owns.  He  was  married  in  1852  to 
Catharine  Cowden. 

Isaiah  Glenn,  one  of  the  honored  jjioneer  set- 
tlers of  this  town,  was  born  in  Columbiana  Co., 
Ohio,  in  18.32,  and  in  1854,  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  He  pre-empted 
eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  sold  in  1865. 
When  he  located  in  Webster  town,  there  were 
only  three  families  living  within  its  borders, 
and  Mr.  Glenn  taught  the  first  school.  In  1856 
he  married  Eliz.abeth  Teal,  and  two  children 
were  given  them — Laura  J.,  wife  of  George 
Fulton,  and  Clarence.  Mr.  Glenn  suffered  the 
loss  of  his  wife  in  1859,  and  was  again  united 
in  marriage,  in  1865,  to  Mary  Criss,  who 
is  the  mother  of  seven  cliildren.  Minnie, 
Theophilus,  Preston,  Rosetta,  George,  Anna  M. 
and  Minnie  B.  Mr.  Glenn's  father,  Isaac,  was 
born  in  Ohio  in  1806,  and  was  fifty  six  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

ORGANIO. 

On  the  7th  day  of  April,  in  the  year  1856,  a 
band  of  hardy  pioneers  and  early  settlers  gath- 
ered together  at  the  house  of  Sol  Richardson  to 
perfect  the  organization  of  a  new  town.  It  was 
called  Webster,  after  the  great  American  States- 
man. 'I'he  general  affairs  of  the  town  liave 
surely  Ijeen  conducted  in  a  manner  creditable  to 
the  name  of  that  illusti'ious  man,  as  is  fully  sub- 
stantiated iiy  the  general  prosperity  of  the  set- 
tlers and  thrifty  appearance  of  the  land  at  the 
present  time. 

After  officers  of  election  were  appointed  and 
approved,  the  following  were  selected  by  the 
thirty-five  voting,  to  first  conduct  the  affairs  of 
the  new  town:  Chairman  of  the  board  of  su- 
pervisors, James  Allen;  clerk,  Joliu  Richard- 
son; side  board,  James  Oliver  and  William 
Huntington;  assessor  and  treasurer,  Isaac  Glenn. 
The  present  officers  of  the  town  are:  Chairman, 


William  Hayes;  clerk,  Isaiah  Glenn;  treasurer, 
John  Snider;  side  board,  Abner  Silbaugh  and 
Lewis  Shown;  assessor,  C.  Didrickson. 

FIRST     THINGS. 

Ihe  first  white  child  born  in  the  town  was 
to  R.  P.  Gillett  and  wife,  in  1855. 

The  first  couple  married  in  the  town  of  Web- 
ster was  R.  P.  Gillett  to  Rebecca  Smith,  in 
1854. 

The  first  I'eligious  services  were  held  at  the 
village  of  Avalanche,  by  Rev.  Munion,  in  1854. 

The  first  white  person  who  died  in  the  town 
was  Edward  Post,  in  1855. 

The  first  school  in  the  town  was  taught  by 
Isaiah  Glenn,  in  a  log  building  on  section  S,  in 
1855.  This  building  had  been  erected  for  a 
dwelling  house. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  of  logs,  and 
erected  on  section  18,  in  185T. 

The  first  election  was  held  at  the  house  of 
John  Richardson,  on  section  21,  in  1856. 

The  first  postoffice  established  in  the  town 
was  at  Avalanche,  in  1868,  and  Robert  Welch 
was  the  first  postmaster. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  number  of  school  buildings  in  the  town 
is  six.  They  are  mostly  of  wood,  and  their  ag- 
gregate value  is  about  $1,020.  The  school  pop- 
ulation of  the  town  number  442. 

EELIGIOtlS. 

Mount   Zion   Church,  located   on  .section  £6, 

was  organized  in    1869  by   Rev.  D.  K.  Young, 

with    a    membership   of    forty    persons.     Soon 

after  the  organization  the  congregation  went  to 

work   and  secured  the  funds  necessary  to  the 

erection  of  a  neat  frame  structure,  20x,30  feet  in 

size,  and  at  a  cost   of   about  $300.     In   1879  a 

I  rather    serious    misunderstanding    took    )dace 

!  among  the  dift'erent   members  on  some  subject 

'  pertaining  to  Church  matters,  and  a  large  por- 

i  tion    of   the  "congregation    withdrew    from  the 

Church.     In  addition  to  this  regretful  affair,  a 

great  many   of  the  members   have  removed  to 

other  climes,  and  the  present  membei'sliip  num- 

i  bers  only  ten. 


722 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Tlie  Ailvent  Cliurch  was  organized  in  IS  67, 
on  section  15,  by  Rev.  Huff.  The  congregation 
first  met  for  worship  at  the  school  house  in  the 
village  cf  Avalanche,  and  continued  their  ser- 
vices there  until  1875,  when  they  erected  a  sub- 
stantial frame  structure,  24x40  feet  in  size,  at  a 
cost  of  $1,000.  The  organization  was  disbanded 
in  1881  for  want  of  funds  to  meet  expenses. 

POSTOFFICES. 

The  first  postoffice  in  the  town  of  Webster 
was  established  at  the  village  of  Avalanche,  in 
18G8,  and  Robert  Welch  was  duly  commissioned 
by  "Uncle  Sam"  as  its  first  postmaster.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Daniel  Bnsbee,  E.  Enochson, 
August  Sweger  and  the  present  postmistress, 
Mary  Sweger. 

The  office  above  mentioned  is  in  the  extreme 
western  portion  of  the  town,  and  rather  incon- 
venient to  settlers  in  the  eastern,  northeastern 
and  southeastern  parts.  As  the  town  settled  it 
was  thought  necessary  to  have  another  office  in 
the  eastern  part,  and  Otter  Vale  postoffice  was 
established  on  section  14,  in  1878,  witli  William 
S.  Marshall  as  postmaster.  He  was  succeeded 
by  E.  Marshall,  the  present  incumbent. 

MILLS. 

There  are  located  in  different  parts  of  the 
town,  mostly  along  the  banks  of  the  west  branch 
of  the  Kickapoo  river,  three  saw  mills,  one 
grist  mill  and  one  grist  and  saw  mill  combined, 
and  one  woolen  mill. 

VILLAGE  OF    AVALANCHE. 

This  place  is  situated  in  the  extreme  western 
])art  of  the  town.  It  was  laid  out  and  platted 
in  fourteen  blocks  or  squares  on  the  center  of 
section  18,  by  Cyrus  F.  Gillett,  in  1854.  The 
village  takes  its  singular  name  from  the  forma- 
tion of  the  earth  immediately  east  of  the  place, 
which  resembles  a  gigantic  landslide  or  ava- 
lanche suddenly  stopped  in  its  destructive 
course. 

The  first  store  in  the  village  was  opened  by 
its  founder,  C.  F.  Gillett,  the  same  year  it  was 
laid   out.     In    1858   a    wagon  maker,    William 


Ciimmings,    first   commenced    working    at   his 
trade  in  the  embryo  village. 

The  first  saw  mill  in  the  village  was  operated 
by  R.  P.  and  A.  W.  Gillett,  in  a  building  on  the 
west  branch  of  the  Kickapoo  river,  which  had 
been  built  in  1852. 

The  school  house  was  erected  in  1S55,  and 
Miss  Strieker  was  the  name  of  the  first  teacher. 

In  1854,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Munion  came  into  tlie 
neighborhood,  and  preached  the  first  sermon  at 
the  residence  of  Cyrus  F.  Gillett. 

The  first  flouring  mill  in  Avalanche  was 
erected  in  186  0,  by  Busbee  &  Piper,  with  tiireu 
run  of  buhrs,  on  the  mill  race  to  the  west  of  the 
village. 

The  following  is  a  business  directory  of  the 
village  at  the  present  time  : 

The  grist  or  flouring  mill  is  owned  by  Enoch 
Enochson.     It  contains  three  run  of  stones,  and 
is   run    by    water   power,    witli    a    capacity    of 
thirty  barrels  per  day.    The  mill  and  manlii  lory 
is  valued  at  about  $10,000. 

Enoch  Enochson  was  born  in  Norway,  in 
1826,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1851. 
He  subsequently  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  located 
on  Coon  Prairie,  where  he  remained  until  1862, 
the  date  of  his  removal  to  the  village  of  Ava- 
lanche. Mr.  Enochson  is  the  owner  of  200  acres 
of  land  on  section  18,  of  this  town,  and  156 
acres  on  Coon  Prairie,  in  the  town  of  Viroqua. 
He  has  been  a  steady,  industrious  farmer,  and 
has  served  his  fellow-citizens  as  chairman  of 
tlie  town  board,  its  treasurer  for  four  years,  and 
as  a  member  of  the  side  board  for  six  years. 
He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1854,  to  Sarali 
Olson,  who  departed  this  life  in  1872.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  this  union — Helen,  wife  of 
Lars  L.  Ramstead,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Garrett,  Olena,  Edward,  Martin,  John  and 
Anna. 

Thomas  P.  DeWitt,  a  well  known  farmer  of 
Webster  town,  came  to  Vernon  county  in  1857. 
He  first  located  in  Viroqua,  and  remained  there 
till  1860.  He  then  purchased  1.33  acres  of  land 
in  this  town,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  de- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


T23 


voted  liis  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  was  born  of  p;ood  parents  in  Athens 
Co.,  Ohio,  in  1825.  In  1853  he  removed  to 
Boone  Co.,  Ind.,  and  in  1854,  located  in  Union 
Co.,  Ohio.  He  came  west  in  1857.  Mr.  De- 
Witt  married  Catharine  Lattimer,  and  nine  chil- 
dren have  blessed  their  union — John,  who  mar- 
lied  Frankie  Shell,  Hannah,  wife  of  Levi  Cal- 
kins, James,  Delia,  wife  of  Allan  Starke,  Col- 
onel, Arvilla,  Grant,  Eva  and  Levi.  In  1864 
Mr.  DeWitt  enlisted  in  the  42d  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  he 
was  honorably  discharged  in   1865. 

Hans  Larson,  who  located  here  in  1860,  was 
born  in  Norway  in  1834.  He  emigrated  to  these 
United  States  in  1857,  and  in  1860  entered  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  18,  of  Webster  town, 
which  he  has  since  increased  to  120  acres,  valued 
at  1800.  In  1864  he  enlisted  in  the  lYth  regi- 
ment, Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  man- 
fully upheld  the  cause  of  the  Union  until  his  dis- 
charge in  1865.  He  was  a  member  of  the  side 
board  for  many  years, and  has  held  other  offices  in 
the  town.  Mr.  Larson  was  married  in  1857  to 
Anna  Hanson.  They  have  six  children — Lewis, 
Hans,  Gustavo,  Ida,  Anna  and  John.  Mrs. 
Larson  departed  this  life  July  14,  1878. 

William  P.  Brown,  who  came  to  Vernon 
county  from  Oliio,  in  1865,  was  born  at  Beverly, 
Ohio,  in  1  S42.  He  received  a  liberal  education, 
and  lived  in  his  native  place  until  1861,  when 
he  enlisted  in  the  18th  regiment,  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  serving  four  years  and  seven 
months.  He  participated  in  eighteen  different 
engagements,  and  shared  in  all  the  victories 
and  defeats  that  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  armies  of 


the  Ohio  and  the  (luraborland.  From  the 
first  inception  to  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  in 
active  service,  with  the  exception  of  two  months 
spent  in  the  hospital  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn., 
recovering  from  wounds  received  in  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga.  At  the  close  of  the  Rebellion 
he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  and  located  at  Star, 
in  this  county.  In  1875  he  sold  out  his  prop- 
erty at  that  place,  and  came  into  this  town, 
buying  an  interest  in  a  saw  mill  on  the  west 
branch  of  the  Kicka])oo  river,  one  half  mile 
south  of  Avalanche.  In  connection  with  the 
saw  mill  Mr.  Brown  also  operates  a  woolen 
mill,  for  custom  work.  He  was  married,  in 
1865,  to  Laurana  Bacon.  Clarence  P.  and 
Charles  S.  are  the  fruits  of  this  union.  Mr. 
Brown's  father  now  resides  on  section  19  of  this 
town.  Although  somewhat  advanced  in  years, 
he  still  continues  to  manage  the  affairs  of  a 
large  farm,  and  is,  in  connection  with  his  son, 
in  the  mill  business. 

John  Spencer,  who  has  lately  become  a  resi- 
dent here,  was  born  in  Iowa  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1847. 
He  attended  the  common  schools,  and  resided 
in  his  native  place  until  1874,  when  he  removed 
to  Richland  Co.,  Wis.,  and  there  worked  at  bis 
trade  of  a  mason,  and  carried  on  a  farm  until 
1882.  He  then  removed  to  Webster  town,  and 
bought  ninety-four  acres  of  land  on  sections  32 
and  33,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was 
united  in  ma'riage,  in  1877,  to  Lucy  F.  Colbine, 
of  Richland  Co.,  Wis.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren— Eleanor,  Miriam  and  Eva  E.  In  1865 
Mr.  Spencer  enlisted  in  the  28th  regiment,  Ne- 
braska Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  wounded  in 
the  right  thigh  at  the  battle  of  Plum  Creek. 
He  was  discharged  the  same  year. 


T24 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPl'ER      XLIX 


THE  TOWN  OF  WHEATLAND. 


Wheatland  is  in  the  extreme  southern  part 
of  Vernon  county,  with  the  Mississippi  river 
for  its  boundary  on  the  west,  the  town  of  Genoa 
on  the  north,  the  town  of  Sterling  on  the  east 
and  Crawford  county  on  the  south.  It  com- 
prises parts  of  towns  11  and  12,  ranges  6  and  1 
west,  and  contains  about  twenty-six  sections. 
The  only  water  course  within  this  town  is  a 
small  stream  called  Battle  creek,  which  takes 
its  rise  on  section  3.  town  1 1 ,  range  1,  and 
flows  into  the  Mississippi  river  from  section  0, 
of  Alie  same  town  and  range. 

Not  unlike  the  other  towns  of  Vernon 
county,  which  border  on  the  Mississippi  river, 
there  is  a  large  amount  of  rough  untiliable 
land,  a  part  of  which  is  covered  with  heavy 
timber.  The  valleys  are  very  productive  and 
even  the  hillsides  are  not  worthless,  as  they  are 
utilized  as  pasture  lands  for  sheep,  which  are 
quite  extensively  grown. 

SETTLEMENT. 

Ira  Stevens  was  the  first  man  to  settle  in  this 
town.  He  located  at  Victory,  in  January,  1849. 
Other  pioneers  are  mentioned  at  length  in  the 
history  of  the  villages  of  Victory  and  De  Soto. 
At  those  two  points  was  effected  the  first  set- 
tlement in  this  town.  The  eastern  portion  of 
the  town  being  settled  at  a  much  later  date. 

Aaron  Cooley  settled  on  section  18,  in  the 
autumn  of  1854.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  though 
at  the  time  he  was  upwards  of  sixty  years  of 
age.  He  was  taken  sick  while  in  the  service, 
received  a  furlough  and  succeeded  in  getting 
as  near  home  as  the  residence  of  Davis  Sumner, 


in  this  town,  but  being  unable  to  proceed 
further,  he  there  died.  He  was  a  drummer 
while  in  the  service.  His  family  continued  to 
reside  in  the  town  for  several  years  after  his 
death,  but  finally  all  moved  away  except  one 
son,  Charles,  who  resides  on  section  17.  An- 
other son,  Franklin,  was  a  Congregational 
minister  in  Dakota,  in  1883.  Egbert  Benedict 
settled  at  about  the  same  time  as  did  Cooley, 
on  section  18,  on  land  afterward  owned  by 
Robert  Angel. 

The  following  settlers  were  among  the  num- 
ber who  came  in  1855  :  L.  P.  Miller,  who 
located  on  section  IV  ;  Samuel  Huntington,  on 
section  12;  Willard  Fosdick,  also  a  settler  of 
section  12;  a  man  named  King  made  a  claim 
on  section  1,  but  the  land  was  finally  entered 
by  another  party.  Jonathan  Law  also  settled 
that  year  on  section  31.  This  farm  is  now 
known  as  the  Law  place.  Arvin  and  A  D. 
Chase  settled  on  section  32,  and  J.  T.  Shaw  on 
section  29. 

Samuel  Huntington  came  here  with  his 
family,  then  consisting  of  his  wife  and  two 
children,  one  son  and  one  daughter.  In  1883 
the  family  were  all  dead  except  the  wife  and 
mother,  who  moved  to  New  York  State. 

Still  others  who  came  in  1855,  were  Moses 
Sanderson  and  his  sons,  Clark  W.  and  Bridaiie. 
The  sons  settled  on  sections  5  and  8  ;  but  the 
father  located  in  the  town  of  Sterling.  J.  J. 
Tenney  settled  on  section  8,  where  he  still 
resided  in  1884.  Richard  Morgan  and  family 
located  on  section  5,  on  lands  entei'ed  by  Elijah, 
Reuben    and     Stephen    Powell,    the    previous 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


725 


year.  P.  Jay  Miller  settled  in  this  town  in 
November,  1855.  He  was  a  native  of  New 
York.  He  married  Julia,  a  daughter  of  James 
Lawerence,  of  Crawford  county,  this  State.  In 
1884  he  lived  on  section  5,  on  land  purchased 
ot  Samuel  Morgan. 

Peleg  Coffin  settled  in  the  town  of  Freeman, 
Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  July  5,  1855.  He  was 
born  at  Yarmouth,  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  Nov.  '20, 
179.').  He  followed  the  life  of  a  sailor  for  a 
number  of  years  and  afterwards  learned  the 
machinist's  trade,  whicli  he  pursued  for  some 
years.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 
His  wife,  Zylphine  Crowell,  was  a  native  of 
Yarmouth,  born  Sept.  2(3,  1808.  They  had  nine 
cliildren,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The 
six  who  lived  to  maturity  are — George,  a  resi- 
dent of  Dakota;  Seth,  deceased;  Henry,  also  in 
Dakota;  William,  a  resident  of  Rockford,  111., 
Mary,  wife  of  Thomas  Lawrence,  born  in  Mass- 
achusetts, in  1841;  E.sther,  wife  of  James  H. 
Rogers,  of  Viroqua.  Mr.  Coffin  died  July  20, 
1882.     His  wife  died  in    1875. 

Thomas  Lawrence,  although  a  resident  of 
Freeman,  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  was  with  his 
father,  an  early  resident  of  Vernon  county, 
owning  a  farm  near  Lil)erty  Pole,  which  was 
first  occupied  by  John  McCulloch,  the  first  set- 
tler of  Vernon  county.  His  father,  James 
Lawrence,  located  at  Liberty  Pole  July  5,  1851, 
and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Wil- 
liam Clawater.  James  Lawrence  was  born  in 
Monmouthshire,  England,  in  1809.  He  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  1851,  making  his 
first  settlement  at  Liberty  Pole,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  spring  of  1854,  then  removed 
with  his  family  to  the  town  of  Freeman,  Craw- 
ford county,  being  the  first  settler  in  tlie  neigh- 
borliood,  and  where  he  resided  until  his  death 
Aug.  23,  1883.  In  1832  he  was  married  to 
Mary  Williams,  who  still  survives  him.  Father 
Lawrence,  as  he  was  called,  was  a  member  of 
the  Bible  Christian  Church  in  England.  When 
he  came  to  the  United  States  he  united  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  remained 


a  firm  believer  until  his  death,  being  a  member 
of  these  Churches  for  over  fifty-five  years.  He 
was  an  earnest  and  sincere  Cliristian  and  his 
memory  wi  1  long  be  cherished  and  his  name 
remain  a  prominent  one  in  the  pioneer  history 
of  Vernon  and  Crawford  counties.  His  surviv- 
ing children  are — Thomas,  Mary,  wife  of  Na- 
tlian  Coe,  of  Viroqua;  Julia,  wife  of  L.  J. 
Miller,  of  the  town  of  Wheatland;  James  W., 
Matthew  E.  and  Jane  E.  They  lost  one  child, 
a  daughter,  Emma.  Tiiomas,  the  eldest  child, 
was  born  in  England,  in  1834.  He  resides  in 
Freeman,  Wis.,  at  present,  but  was  for  several 
years  a  resident  of  De  Soto.  He  kept  the  Bay 
State  House  in  1862-3  and  a  meat  market  from 
1874  until  1877.  His  wife  was  Mary  Coffin,  a 
daughter  of  Peleg  Coffin.  She  was  a  native  of 
Massachusselts.  They  have  three  children — 
Ellen  J.,  William  and  Alice  Z.  They  lost  their 
eldest  daughter. 

FIRST   EVENTS. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  of  Wheatland  was 
that  of  Thomas  D.  Carlyle,  son  of  Adam  and  C. 
L.  Carlyle,  who  was  born  Feb.  14,  185f!. 

The  first  death  was  Mrs.  Frank  Huntington, 
in  the  spring  of  1855. 

i'he  first  marriage  was  that  of  J.  B.  Wi.xcox 
to  Maria  Page  some  time  during  1855. 

The  first  house  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  town 
was  one  owned  by  V.  H.  Story  in  the  village  of 
De  Soto  in  1857. 

ORGANIC. 

Tile  town  of  Wheatland  was  organized  in 
1857  and  the  first  election  held  that  year,  at 
which  the  following  officers  were  elected  to  fill 
the  town  offices: 

Adam  Carlyle,  chairman;  Joel  Shaw  and  Hi- 
ram Furgeson,  supervisors;  George  G.  Van 
Wagner,  clerk;  William  Furgeson,  assessor;  C. 
B.  Stevens,  treasurer;  J.  C.  Kurtz,  town  school 
superintendent. 

The  officers  for  1883  were:  H.H.Morgan, 
chairman;  A.  Cole  and  Alexander  Latshaw, 
supervisors;  James  H.  Rogers,  clerk;  Richard 


-'G 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


M.    McAuley,    treasurer;    Woodbridge    Dyre, 
assessor. 

RELIGIOUS    SOCIETIES. 

A  society  of  the  Cons;regational  Church  was 
formed  in  1863,  at  the  school  house  on  section 
33,  in  the  town  of  Sterling;  though  most  of  its 
members  were  residents  of  the  town  of  Wheat- 
land. The  first  members  were  :  Richard  Mor- 
gan and  wife,  E.  Cilley  and  wife,  C.  W.  San- 
•  derson  and  wife,  Samuel  Morgan  and  wife,  Dr. 
D.  A.  Bean  and  wife,  J.  I.  Tenney  and  wife, and 
perhaps  a  few  others.  This  society  and  the 
one  at  Retreat  were  consolidated  in  1879.  The 
ministers  have  been  the  same  as  those  who 
served  at  De  Soto. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  town  of  Wheatland  has  always  been 
fully  up  with  the  other  towns  of  Vernon 
county  in  its  school  and  other  educational  ad- 
vantages. The  first  school  was  taught  in  the 
fall  of  1853,  by  Nancy  Berry,  daughter  of  Johi 
C.  Berry,  at  a  point  near  where  the  villsge  of 
Victory  now  stands.  In  1884  there  were  si-x 
schools  in  the  town,  held  in  districts  Nos.  1,  2, 
3,  9,  joint  district  No.  3,  and  at  the  village  of 
De  Soto. 

In  district  No.  1  the  school  building  is  a 
small  frame  house  situated  in  a  pleasant  spot 
on  the  main  road  from  De  Soto  to  the  Bad  Ax 
valley.  The  population  is  mostly  of  an  Ameri- 
can element,  who  attend  the  school  with  a 
good  degree  of  regularity.  The  foreigners  of 
this  district  are  principally  Germans. 

District  No.  2  is  located  in  the  little  village 
of  Victory,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi 
river.  This  district  has  a  good  school  build- 
ing, and  always  has  a  fair  attendance. 

District  No.  3,  proper,  is  located  on  the  ridge 
above  De  Soto  and  Victory.  The  building 
here  is  a  fair  frame  structure,  situated  in  a 
beautiful  place  overlooking  the  great  Missis- 
sippi valley  country,  With  its  many  picturesque 
scenes.  The  school  population  is  chiefly  Ameri- 
can. 


Joint  district  No.  3  is  provided  with  a  good 
building  very  well  furnished.  The  American 
element  predominates ;  there  are,  however, 
many  Norwegians  within  this  district. 

District  No.  9  is  along  the  ridge,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  John  Davis  farm  and  three 
miles  from  De  Soto.  This  district  was  lately 
provided  with  a  fine  new  frame  school  building, 
which  took  the  place  of  the  old  one,  which  was 
burned  in  1880.  This  school  has  ever  had  a 
good  average  attendance,  made  up  principally 
of  American  children. 

De  Soto  union  schools,  located  within  the 
village  of  De  Soto,  are  kept  in  a  fine  two  story 
building,  which  accommodated  three  depart- 
ments until  within  a  few  years,  but  of  lale, 
only  two.  Very  earnest  and  eflicient  work  hns 
been  performed  in  these  schools,  which  have 
always  been  of  much  credit  to  De  Soto. 

BED    MOUND    POSTOFFICK. 

In  addition  to  the  postoftices  of  De  Soto  a]i(l 
Victory  which  have  been  already  mentioned  in 
the  village  history,  the  town  of  Wheatland  has 
another  known  as  "Red  Mound,"  which  is  lo- 
.cated  on  section  5,  town  11,  range  6  west.  It 
was  established  March  15,  1872.  L.  J.  Miller 
was  appointed  postmaster,  and  was  still  hold- 
ing the  position  in  1884. 

CEMETERIES. 

In  1884,  the  town  of  Wheatland  contained 
three  cemeteries.  One  situated  near  the  village 
of  Victory;  one  on  section  12,  town  12,  range  7, 
and  one  on  section  15,  town  11,  range  7. 

DE  SOTO    VILLAGE. 

De  Soto  was  first  known  as  "Winneshiek's 
Landing,"  from  the  chief  by  that  name,  who 
came  here  to  trade  his  furs  for  supj)]ies  with 
the  French  traders  at  this  point.  Two  French 
families  by  the  name  of  Godfrey  located  here 
not  long  after  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
They  were  induced  to  come  through  efforts  put 
forth  by  Col.  Dousman,  of  Prairie  du  Chien. 
This  was  occupied  as  a  trading  post  for  about 
twenty  years.  Moses  M.  Strong  made  the  orig- 
inal entry  of  the  plat  of  the  village.  Dr.  Euclid 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


729 


B.  Houghton  purchased  it  of  Mr.  Strong.  Dr. 
Simeon  D.  Powers,  Dr.  Houghton  and  Dr. 
James  Osgood  laid  out  the  village  in  1854. 
These  gentlemen  came  hither  from  Port  Wash- 
ington. Dr.  Osgood  biiilt  the  first  house  on  the 
village  plat,  which  was  occupied  in  188  4  by 
Charles  Lyttle  as  a  residence.  Dr.  Houghton 
opened  the  first  store. 

The  first  building  of  any  importance  was 
erected  by  Carlyle,  Dowse  &  Co.  The  lumber 
with  which  this  house  was  built  came  from 
Black  River  Falls,  the  nearest  available  point 
for  obtaining  lumber  at  that  time. 

The  first  blacksmith  in  the  village  was  Wil- 
liam N.  West,  who  afterward  moved  to  Minne- 
soto. 

The  first  cooper  shop  was  operated  by  Am- 
brose DeLap. 

The  first  shoemaker  was  Henry  Fosdick.  In 
ihe  fall  of  1855  Mr.  Adam  Carlyle  purchased 
for  Mr.  Fosdick  a  side  of  sole  leather  and  other 
stock  for  his  shop  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  of  Galena, 
111. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  built  in  the  fall  ol 
1855,  by  A.  B.  Clapp  and  George  Meade.  Thi 
mill  and  all  others  at  this  point  were  operatei 
by  steam  power.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  ii 
1864.  N.  S.  Cate  &  Co.  built  a  saw  mill  ir 
1857.  This  firm  was  composed  of  Messrs.  N. 
S.  Cate,  II  M.  Chamberlain  and  Emery  Hough- 
ton, who  came  from  the  State  of  Maine.  They 
operated  the  mill  till  1862,  and  did  an  extensive 
business,  employing  sometimes  as  high  as  fifty 
men.  The  mill  cut  upon  an  average  50,00(i 
feet  of  lumber  per  day,  besides  shingles,  latli, 
etc.  This  company  also  built  a  grist  mill  ad- 
joining the  saw  mill,  which  was  also  propelled 
by  steam  power.  In  1862  these  mills  went 
into  the  hands  of  H.  M.  Chamberlain  &  Co., 
who  in  1864  sold  to  John  C.  Davis.  The  stock 
was  closed  out  and  the  mill  lay  idle  for  several 
years.  'J  his  failure  was  caused  in  part  by  the 
failure  of  the  New  England  Glass  Co.,  of 
which  Mr.  Houghton  was  the  financial  manager. 
On  the  completion  of  this   mill,  when  they  had 


a    three   month's  supply  of   logs   on  hand,  the 
stock  of  this  concern  amounted  to  $100,000. 

A  shingle  mill  was  built  by  C.  M.  and  A. 
R.  Worth,  about  1865.  They  also  sawed  some 
lumber.  After  running  this  about  four  years  it 
was  converted  into  a  grist  mill  and  the  Worth 
brothers  then  occupied  the  Cate  &  Co's.  mill 
for  about  five  years,  during  which  time  they 
manufactured  large  amounts  of  lath,  shingles 
and  lumber.  In  1884  this  mill  was  used  for 
cutting  staves  and  heading. 

An  establishment  for  the  manufacture  and 
cutting  of  files  was  started  by  A.  Miller,  who 
run  it  for  a  year  or  so  and  enlisted  in  the  army 
to  "suppress  the  rebellion,"  which  had  then 
just  commenced.  He  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg. 

In  1857  Capt.  William  Plummer  &  Co.  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  lime  and  connect- 
ed with  their  business  the  manufacture  of  hard 
wood  barrels.  They  did  an  extensive  business, 
although  it  was  continued  only  about  a  year. 

The  De  Soto  brewery  is  owned  by  Charles  E. 
Reiter,  who  purchased  it  of  George  Eckhardt  in 
1882.  Mr.  Reiter  makes  about  400  barrels  of 
beer  per  annum.  The  building  was  erected 
by  Cate  &  Co.,  in  1858,  and  used  by  them  as  a 
store.  George  Eckhardt  first  utilized  it  for 
brewing  purposes. 

The  first  school  in  the  village  was 
taught  by  Mrs.  Catharine  P.  Stevens,  in  the 
winter  of  1855-6.  This  was  a  private  school. 
The  first  school  house  proper  was  built  in  the 
summer  of  1856,  in  which  James  McDill  taught 
the  first  school  the  wiiiter  following.  This 
house  was  in  use  as  a  residence  in  1884,  a  new 
school  house  having  been  built  in  1872.  This 
building  was  a  frame  structure,  two  stories 
high.  The  cost  of  this  house  was  $3,500,  and, 
excepting  the  one  at  Viroqua,  was  the  best  in 
the  county. 

The  first  physician  in  De  Soto  was  Dr.  G.  S. 
Sperry,  who  came  from  St.  Paul  in  the  summer 
of  1856.  He  was  an  excellent  physician.  He 
died  in  1873. 


42 


ISO 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Other  physicians  were:  Dr.  G.  W.  Brooks  and 
Dr.  Worth.  The  physician  in  1884  was  Dr. 
Orlando  Ewers.  Others  who  have  borne  the 
title  of  doctor,  though  not  educated  physicians, 
were  Dr.  E.  B.  Houghton,  the  original  proprie- 
tor of  the  village.  He  moved  from  the  place  to 
La  Crosse  and  later  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  died 
in  1862.  Dr.  James  Osgood  came  in  1854  and 
assisted  in  laying  out  the  village  and  finally  be-  i 
came  ownerof  one-fourth  of  the  town  plat.  He 
died  in  1863.  Dr.  Simeon  Powers,  a  dentist, 
was  also  owner  of  another  fourth  interest  in 
the  town  site  of  De  Soto.  He  afterward  re- 
moved to  Sparta,  where  he  was  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  Capt.  C.  B.  Worth  came  in  1854 
and  remained  till  his  death  in  1875.  He  was 
also  owner  of  a  fourth  interest  in  the  village 
plat.  His  son  Addison  made  the  first  lumber 
wagon  in  De  Soto. 

The  first  lawyer  who  practiced  at  this  point 
was  Addison  A.  Hosmer,  a  graduate  of  the 
Harvard  law  school  at  Cambridge,  Mass.  He 
came  in  1857  and  returned  to  that  State  in  1860. 
From  there  he  went  into  the  army  and  before 
the  war  closed  became  quite  distinguished. 
After  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  made  judge 
advocate  and  it  was  he  who  passed  sentence  on 
the   notorious  Wirz,  of  Andersonville    infamy, 

Tolbert  C.  Ankney  came  here  as  an  attorney  in 

1865,  though  he  had  been  here  previous  to  the 
war.  He  was  associated  with  George  McDill) 
who  was  also  an  attorney  here  at  that  time. 

H.  W.  McAulley  began  the  practice  of  law  in 

1866,  continuing  for  a  number  of  years. 
The  present  attorney  is  George  L.  Miller. 
The  first  hotel  in  this  village    was   known  as 

the  Winneshiek  House.  It  was  a  log  house  and 
among  the  first  built  in  the  place.  The  Bay 
State  House  was  erected  in  1856,  by  Seth  Crow- 
ell  and  Jonathan  F.  Porter,  who  ran  it  for  sev- 
eral years.  Other  parties  who  have  from  time 
to  time  operated  this  house,  are  C.  H.  Allen. 
Thomas  Lawrence,  who  had  charge  of  the 
house  in  1862-.3,  and  was  succeeded  by  Benja- 
min Trott,  who  improved  the  premises  and  who 


operated  it  till  his  death,  in  December,  1879. 
In  1884  it  was  owned  and  conducted  by  his 
widow,  Mrs.  Hannah  Trott.  This  hotel  was, 
without  doubt,  the  finest  in  Vernon  county  in 
1884.  It  was  a  three  story  frame  building, 
32x45  feet,  and  finished  iu  good  style.  The  first 
oo.st  was  $7,000. 

Mrs.  Hannah  Trott,  proprietress   of   the    Bay 
State  House,  De  Soto,  is  the  widow  of  Benjamin 
Trott,  who    came  to  De  Soto  in    1 859.     He  was 
born   in  Slmncook  in  the   British  Province,  in 
1816.     He  was  brought  up  in  the  State  of  Maine. 
He  came  here  in  the  milling  interests  of  Cate  & 
Co.,  and  had  charge    of   the    manufacturing  of 
shingles  in  the  mill  of  this  company.     In    Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  he  rented    the    Bay    State    House, 
which  he  conducted  for  several  years,  then  pur- 
chased it,  and  continued  in  charge  of  the  same, 
till  his-death,  which   occurred    Dec.    15,    1879. 
He  was  a  man  highly  respected   in  the    commu- 
nity in  which  he  lived,    as  an   upright,    honoi'a- 
ble  citizen.     His  wife  still  owns   and   conducts 
the  hotel.  Her  maiden  name  was  Hannah  Bean. 
She  was  born  in  Perry,  Washington  Co.,  Maine. 
She  has   two   children — Barbara,   wife   of   Mr. 
Steele,  of  Viroqua,  and  Rebecca,  wife    of   Rob- 
ert Rice. 

The  next  hotel  was  the  De  Soto  House,  built 
soon  after  the  Bay  State  House  was  erected.  It 
was  built  by  Kurtz  &  Hale  for  a  hotel  and 
boarding  house,  but  finally  was  used  for  a  car- 
riage and  wagon  shop. 

The  second  hotel,  called  the  De  Soto,  was 
formerly  a  store  building  and  was  changed  to 
a  hotel,  by  Edward  Sweeney.  This  house,  in 
1884,  was  being  operated  by  Mrs.  Ann  M. 
Miller. 

The  postoffice  at  De  Soto,  was  established  in 
1855.  Dr.  S.  D.  Powers  was  the  first  postmas- 
ter, and  Adam  Carlyle  acted  as  his  deputy.  The 
next  to  hold  the  office  was  Dr.  Osgood,  with  J. 
C.  Kurtz  as  his  deputy.  Dr.  Osgood  was  suc- 
ceeded by  C.  B.  Whiting,  whose  deputy  was 
Fred  Carr.  In  1884  the  postmaster  was  J.  H. 
Rogers,  who  was  appointed  in    1865.     This  be. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


in 


came  a  money  order  oifice  in  July,  1878.  The 
first  order  was  issued  to  J.  H.Hinds,  for  $38.32. 
The  first  order  paid,  was  to  Mrs.  John  Babcock 
and  was  dated  July  22,  1878. 

The  business  interests  of  De  Soto,  in  1884, 
were  in  the  hands  of  the  following: 

C.  Lyttle  &  Co.,  general  merchants,  also  deal- 
ers in  lumber  and  grain. 

Fred  Eckhart  &  Co.,  grain  dealers. 

J.  A.  Cooper,  manufacturer  of  wagons  and 
carriages,  also  dealer  in  farm  machinery. 

Charles  L.  Woodbury,  general  merchandise 
and  farming  implements. 

Adam  Carlyle,  agent  for  the  Diamond  Jo 
steamboat  line. 

C.  Lyttle,  agent  for  the  North  Western  line 
of  steamers. 

J.  H.  Rodgers,  general  merchandising  and 
drugs. 

Charles  H.  Upham,  general  store,  also  hard- 
ware and  farm  machinery. 

D.  A.  Steele,  furniture. 

Charles  McDowell,  blacksmith  shop, 

J.  F.  Allen,  wagon  maker. 

Mrs.  A.  H.  Wareham,  Tnillinery  and  fiirnisl  - 
iiig  goods. 

Miss  M.  L.  Porter,  dress-maker. 

C.  L.  Ingersoll,  flour  and  feed. 

Louis  Stinseng,  boots  and  shoes. 

Patrick  De  Lacy,  boots  and  shoes. 

John  Devlin,  meat  market. 

Fred  Schmidt,  drugs. 

Mrs.  J.  A.  Cooper,  millinery  and  dress-maker. 

Mrs.  H.  Carpenter,  dress-maker. 

N.  E.  French,  grocery  and  restaurant. 

Orville  D.  Pulver,  restaurant. 

Charles  E.  Reiter,  brewer,  and  owner  of  the 
Lansing  and  De  Soto  ferry. 

Mrs.  Hannah  Trott,  owner  and  proprietor  of 
the  Bay  State  Hotel. 

Mrs.  A.  N.  Miller,  owner  and  ])roprietor  of 
the  De  Soto  House. 

William  Waldron,  fish  dealer. 

W.  F.  McMastress,  fish  dealer. 

H.  E.  McMasters,  cooper. 


C.  L.  Mueller,  stave  and  heading  factory. 
O.  Ewers,  physician. 

G.  L.  Miller,  attorney. 
James  H.  Rogers,  postmaster. 

D.  Abbott  Steele  came  to  De  Soto  Oct.  5, 
18,55,  in  company  with  his  brother,  Alvah  Steele, 
who  remained  about  three  years  and  returned 
to  New  Hampshire.  D.  Abbott  Steele  was  born 
in  Georgia,  where  liis  parents,  who  were  natives 
of  New  Hampshire,  were  then  living.  He  has 
been  variously  engaged  since  coming  to  De 
Soto;  in  1884,  he  was  engaged  in  the  furniture 
business. 

John  W.  White  came  in  the  spring  ot  1855, 
and  located  just  northeast  of  the  village,  where  he 
still  lived  in  1884. 

Edmund  Houghton  came  to  De  Soto  April  1, 
]8oo.  He  is  now  the  earliest  present  resident 
on  the  village  town  plat.  He  was  born  in  Har- 
vard, Mass.,  in  1808.  Served  an  apprenticeship 
in  New  Hampshire,  to  the  trade  of  a  machinist^ 
and  came  here  from  that  State.  A  friend  of 
Mr.  Houghton's,  R.  P.  Waite,  came  with  him, 
lint  returned  to  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  Hough- 
ton made  a  location  on  section  10,  town  11, 
ange  7  west,  where  he  made  a  claim  which  het 
still  owns,  but  he  has  always  made  his  home  in 
the  village.  His  wife  was  Nancy  Bryant,  a  na- 
tive of  New  Hampshire.  They  have  one  daugli- 
ter — Ellen,  the  wife  of  Woodbridge  Dyre. 

Other  early  settlers  of  the  town  were  : 
Samuel  Pike,  who  came  from  Massachusetts  in 
1855,  and  remained  until  1873,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Iowa.  He  was  a  painter  by  trade  ; 
C.  B.  Stevens,  who  was  a  tinner,  came  into  the 
village  of  De  Soto  in  the  spring  of  1855,  and 
continued  to  live  there  until  1882,  when  lie 
moved  to  Dakota.  Also,  Dennis  Powers,  Sid- 
ney R.  Gage,  Hugh  McDill,  R.  F.  Lemen,  A. 
McDowell  and  Anthony  Valle,  a  Frenchman, 
who  enlisted  into  the  United  States  army  and 
died  at  Andersonville  prison. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Central  Methodist  church  in  the  town  of 
Wheatland,    is   on    section   31.     The  class  was 


732 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


organized  in  1857.  The  first  preacher  wasKev. 
Myron  Clendenning.  The  original  members 
were  :  Jacob  Chase  and  wife,  A.  D.  Chase  and 
wife,  Moses  Sanderson  and  wife  ( Mr.  Sander- 
son was  a  local  preacher )  ;  Peter  Waldron, 
Bridane  Sanderson  and  wife.  These  are  all 
that  are  remembered. 

Pe  Soto,  Retreat  and  Central  societies  have 
comprised  one  circuit,  hence  this  is  called  the 
Central  Church.  The  Rev.  Newton  Lane  assist- 
ed Rev.  Clendenning,  who  was  the  first  on  the 
circuit.  The  circuit  at  that  time,  comprised  a 
large  area  of  territory.  Rev.  Clendenning  is 
now  a  member  of  the  Rock  River  Conference. 
The  Rev.  Lane  died  in  the  service  during  the 
Rebellion.  Rev.  Clendenning  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Smith..  He  by  the  Rev.  Bassenger  ;  then 
came  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Irish  ;  other  pastors  were 
W.  P.  Hill,  Christopher  Bushby,  Thomas 
Manuel,  H.  J.  Walker,  D.  L.  Hubbard,  D. 
"Clingman,  H.  D.  Jenks  and  the  Rev.  W. 
W.  Hurd.  The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev. 
I.  F.  Nuzum.  The  Central  church  building 
was  erected  in  1S77.  It  is  a  frame  structure, 
one  and  a  half  stories,  and  cost  about  S900.  A 
Sunday  school  has  been  supported  since  the 
class  was  organized  ;  it  now  numbers  seventy- 
five  members. 

Rev.  George  W.  Nuzum,  formerly  pastor  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Viroqua, 
was  born  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  26,  1832. 
He  there  grew  to  manhood.  He  was  a  student 
for  some  time  .at  the  college  at  Athens,  Ohio. 
When  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  entered  the 
ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
the  Ohio  Conference.  He  was  married  in  Ohio 
to  Miss  M.  F.  Groves,  and  in  1856  came  to  Ver- 
non Co.,  Wis.,  joining  the  Bad  Ax  circuit  and 
preaching  at  various  points  according  to  the 
customs  of  his  Church.  Mr.  Nuzum  first  settled 
on  forty  acres  of  land  in  Viroqua  town,  where 
he  lived  for  a  number  of  years.  Subsequently 
he  resided  for  about  eight  years  in  Libertj* 
town.     He  then  settled   on  his  present  farm  in 


Viroqua.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  active 
ministry  ever  since  his  removal  to  Vernon 
county,  twenty  years,  except  at  intervals,  when 
ill  health  compelled  him  to  retire  for  a  season 
of  rest.  He  has  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four 
daughters. 

Isaac  F.  Nuzum,  son  of  George  W.  Nuzum, 
also  a  Methodist  minister,  was  born  in  June, 
lS5o,  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio.  He  began  the  min- 
istry in  1877,  at  which  time  he  joined  the  West 
Wisconsin  Conference.  He  is  at])resent  pastor 
of  the  Church  at  De  Soto.  He  married  Lydia 
A.,  daughter  of  David  McCulloch,  an  early 
settler  of  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.     , 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Congregational 
society  in  this  locality  was  hold  Feb.  15,  1856. 
The  society  was  organized  at  this  meeting.  The 
minister  .present  was  the  Rev.  li.  L.  RadclifFe, 
of  La  Crosse  district  convention.  Among  the 
number  who  joined  the  society  at  this  time 
were  :  Charles  Houghton  and  wife,  Fannie 
Houghton,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Roach,  Mrs.  Abbie 
W.  Tobey  ( the  last  two  were  daughters  of 
Mr.  Houghton),  Daniel  D.  Fuller  and  wife, 
Mercy  P.  Fuller,  Alexander  Young  and  wife, 
Wilton  E.  Roach  and  J.  F.  Tobey.  The  first 
pastor  was  Rev.  L.  L.  Radcliffe ;  the  first 
officers  were  Charles  Houghton,  deacon  ;  and 
Daniel  Fuller,  clerk.  Rev.  L.  L.  Radcliffe  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Alexander  Parker,  in  l.'^63, 
and  he  by  Rev.  Peter  Valentine,  in  1865.  The 
next  pastor  in  charge  was  Rev.  L.  Bridgeman, 
who  came  in  1868  and  remained  till  his  suc- 
cessor, Rev.  James  Mitchell  came  in  is7l  ;  the 
Rev.  S.  H.  Thompson  came  in  1874  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  William  Houghton,  in  1879; 
Rev.  Charles  Vaile  was  pastor  in  1881  ;  then 
came  Rev.  William  Houghton  to  his  second 
pastorate. 

A  church  building  was  erected  in  1859;  it 
was  built  in  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture, 
and  cost  the  society  about  11,800.  The  society 
has  been  supported  by  a  good  Sunday  school 
since  the  time  of  its  organization   in    1859.     D. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


733 


Abbott  Steele,  who  was  elected  superintendent 
of  this  school  in  1862,  was  still  its  superin- 
tendent in  1884,  having  served  continuous!}'  for 
twenty-one  years.  This  school  averages  about 
thirty-five  pupils. 

The  first  services  of  the  M.  E.  Church  were 
held  in  a  building  built  of  railroad  ties  for  a 
wagon  and  blacksmith  shop,  in  the  year  18.55. 

The  first  class  was  fortned  by  Rev.  T.  ('. 
Clendenning  in  the  year  18.58.  The  members, 
as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  were  as  follows  : 
James  Lawrence  and  Mary,  his  wife  ;  William 
Hemmingway  and  wife,  and  his  son,  George, 
and  daughter,  Mary  Hemmingway,  and  Wil- 
liam Wyburn. 

The  first  minister  of  the  M.  E.  Church  who 
preached  in  De  Soto  was  Rev.  John  Whit- 
worlh,  now  of  Viroqua. 

The  M.  E.  church  was  built  in  the  year  1859, 
and  removed  out  in  the  country  in  the  year 
1875,  being  now  known  as  the  Central  Church. 

The  pastors  of  the  M.  E.  Church  in  De  Soto 
circuit  have  been  as  follows  :  Revs.  John  Whit- 
worth,  T.  C\  Clendenning,  Mr.  Lane,  Mr. 
Smith,  S.  D.  Bassenger,  J.  E.  Irish  ,  W.  P. 
Hill,  C.  Bushby,  Tiiomas.  Mann.al,  H.  J.  Walker, 
D.  L.  Hubbard,  D.  Clingman,  II.  D.  Jencks, 
W.  W.  Hurd  and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  I.  F. 
Nuzum. 

The  De  Soto  Baptist  (Ihurch  was  organized 
at  the  house  ot  Dr.  James  Osgood,  Jan  11, 
1855,  with  a  constituency  of  sixteen  meniliers, 
who  adopted  as  theirs  the  New  Hampshire 
articles  of  faith  and  covenant.  The  Church 
was  duly  recognized  by  council  on  the  fith  of 
the  following  February.  A.  B.  Hubl)ard,  a 
member  of  the  Church,  served  as  its  pastor  with 
acceptance  for  six  months,  after  which  Rev. 
D.  Mulhern  became  pastor.  For  a  while  the 
Cliurch  gained  in  membership,  both  by  bajjtism 
and  letter.  In  1857  serious  trouble  arose  which 
resulted  in  the  exclusion  of  quite  a  number  of 
members.  The  aggrieved,  with  others,  hold- 
ing letters  from  other  Baptist  Churches,  called 
for  a  council,  which  was  attended  by  delegates 


from  the  La  Crosse  and  W^inona,  Minn., 
Churches.  Although  the  Church  was  repre- 
sented in  the  council,  it  refused  to  comply  with 
the  recommendation  to  reconsider  its  action. 
The  council  further  recommended  that,  should 
the  Church  refuse  to  reconsider  its  action,  a 
new  Church  should  be  formed.  This  was  done 
soon  after  by  the  union  of  about  twenty  mem- 
bers. The  new  Church  was  admitted  to  the  La 
Crosse  Valley  Baptist  Association  at  its  next 
annual  meeting.  Rev.  D.  Mulhern  served  as 
its  pastor,  and  a  few  were  added  by  baptism. 
Through  removals  its  membership  was  reduced 
and  its  meetings  discontinued,  and  were  never 
revived.  The  first  Church  held  occasional 
meetings  at  De  Soto.  In  March,  1861,  its  place 
of  meeting  was  changed  to  Brush  Creek.  Here 
it  was  prospered,  at  one  time  numbering  thirty- 
one  members.  Removals  and  charge  of  resi- 
dence led  the  Church  in  1868  to  again  make 
De  Soto  its  place  of  meeting.  Concessions  were 
made  which  resulted  in  those  living  in  the 
neighborhood,  members  of  the  second  Church, 
uniting  with  the  old  Church.  The  following 
year  Rev.  S.  E.  Sweet  became  pastor  and 
was  ordained.  He  preached  here  and  at 'other 
points,  one  of  which  was  Harmony,  where  a 
Baptist  Church  was  organized  the  follow- 
ing January.  Rev.  Sweet  served  the  two 
Churches  one  year,  when,  in  order  to  pursue 
further  study,  he  went  to  Beaver  Dam,  Wis.  In 
1872  Rev.  William  Haughton  became  pastor, 
serving  the  Harmony  Church  also.  He  re- 
mained about  eighteen  months.  From  this 
time  regular  monthly  meetings  were  held,  with 
occasional  preaching,  till  February,  1875,  when 
Rev.  N.  L.  Sweet  became  pastor.  Quite  a 
number  were  added  to  the  Church  by  baptism. 
Rev.  Sweet's  pastorate  continued  four  years. 
Since  his  resignation  the  Church  has  been  de- 
clining. Although  twenty-eight  names  are 
reported  now,  but  very  few  are  active  raemlicrs. 

SOCIETIES. 

Ancient  Order    Cnited   Workman  Lodge,  of 
De    Soto,  was   organized    June  10,    1878.     The 


734 


HISTORY 'OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


charter  members  were:  James  Lyttle,  Fred 
Schmidt,  William  Davis,  Philip  B.  Peters, 
George  Eckhardt,  B.  D.  Jenks,  D.  A.  Steele, 
Fred  A.  Schlottman,  Jacob  Eckhardt  and 
Woodbridge  Dyre.  The  first  officers  were  : 
James  Lyttle  P.  M.  W;  Jacob  Eckhardt,  M. 
W;  P.  B.  Peters,  foreman;  B.  D.  Jenks,  re- 
corder; D.  A.  Steele,  financier;  W.  Dyre, 
receiver;  George  Eckhardt,  guide;  F.  A. 
Schlottman,  overseer;  F.  Schmidt,  I.  W;  William 
Davis,  O.  W;  P.  B.  Peters,  George  Eckhardt, 
and  James  Lyttle,  trustees.  In  1884  this 
lodge  had  a  working  membership  of  thirty-two, 
and  was  in  a  flourishing  condition.  In  1884 
there  was  both  a  lodge  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and 
Good  Templars  at  De  Soto,  each  in  a  flourish- 
ing condition. 

DISASTROUS    FIRES. 

The  steun  mill  of  Whiting  &  Carr  was  burned 
in  July,  1865,  involving  a  loss  of  over  $20,000. 
In  March,  1879,  occurred  the  worst  conflagra- 
tion that  ever  visitecl  the  place.  The  cause  of 
this  fire  has  always  remained  a  mystery.  It 
originated  in  the  general  store  of  L.  C.Larson. 
Eight.buildings  were  consumed.  Mr.  Ingersoll 
sustained  the  greatest  loss,  which  included  two 
buildings  occupied  as  a  wagon  and  blacksmith 
shop,  together  with  a  tine  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise. His  total  loss  was  about  $10,000. 
Among  those  wao  sustained  quite  heavy  losses 
were:L.  C.  Larson,John  L.  O'Kre,  J.  F  .Allen, 
Fred  Schmidt  and  John  Devlin.  This  fire  was  a 
serious  blow  to  De  Soto,  from  which  it  never 
fully  recovered. 

THE    OLDEST    SHOEMAKER    IN    AMERICA. 

In  1884  the  village  of  De  Soto  boasted  of  a 
resident,  who  came  to  the  place  at  an  early 
date,  and  who  by  careful  investigation  was 
found  to  have  been  actively  engaged  more 
years,  at  the  shoe  bench,  than  any  other  man  in 
the  country.  This  gentleman's  name  is  Patrick 
De  Lacy,  who  has  been  constantly  engaged  at 
the  bench  since  tvyelve  years  of  age,  or  a  period 
of  seventy-one  years.     And  strange  to  say,  after 


these  long  years  of  stooped  shouldered  woik,  he 
is  as  as  erect  as  most  young  men  of  to-day. 

VILLAGE    OF    VICTORY. 

This  village  was  laid  out  in  1852,  by  Henry 
W.  McAuley,  William  F.  Terhune,  Ira  Stevens 
and  Hiram  Rice.  It  was  named  Victory,  by 
Judge  William  F.  Terhune,  on  account  of  the 
victory  over  Black  Hawk,  which  occurred  near 
this  place.  There  were  three  houses  on  the  site 
of  the  village  when  it  was  laid  out,  one  of  which 
was  built  by  Timothy  Piper;  the  second  by 
Hiram  Rice,  and  the  third  by  the  French 
traders,  who  had  occupied  the  place.  Tlie  first 
building  after  the  laying  out  of  the  vilhxge  was 
built  by  Hir.am  Rice  as  a  warehouse.  This  was 
a  cheap  building,  16x24  feet.  The  first  structure 
of  much  importance  was  erected  by  .lohn 
Cavinee,  who  kept  it  as  a  hotel  for  some  time. 
He  came  here  from  Ohio,  and  finally  moved 
from  this  point  to  California,   where  he  died. 

II.  W.  McAuley  opened  the  first  store  in  the 
building  which  the  French  traders  had  erected. 
Soon  after  the  laying  out  of  the  town,  .lohu 
.Cavinee  became  an  equal  partner  with  Mr.  Mc- 
Auley in  the  ownership  of  the  north  part  of 
the  plat.  In  the  laying  out  of  the  village,  the 
plat  was  surveyed  by  H.  W.  McAuley  and 
Samuel  McMichael. 

The  second  store  in  the  place  was  opened  by 
John  C.  Berry,  who  kept  a  general  stock. 

The  first  wagon  shop  was  started  by  John 
Bartholomew,  in  a  building  belonging  to  Ira 
Stevens. 

R.  Lobdell  was  the  pioneer  blacksmith. 

A  steam  saw-mill  was  built  by  Clark  Smith. 

A  postoffice  was  established  at  Victory  in 
1854.  John  C.  Berry  was  the  first  postmaster. 
Among  others  who  have  held  this  office  was  R. 
McAuley.  Mrs.  August  Mueller  was  post- 
mistress in  1884,  having  succeeded  her  husband. 

Victory  has  always  been  an  important  point 
for  the  buying  and  shipment  of  grain.  It  has 
three  warehouses,  one  of  which  is  built  of 
stone,  through  which,  in  years  gone  by,  has 
passed   100,000  bushels    of  wheat  per  annum, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


735 


besides  oilier  grains.  It  was  built  by  the 
farmers  and  called  the  "Farmers  Stock  Ware- 
house." The  two  other  warehouses  were  built 
respectively  by  John  C.  Berry  and  Spencer  & 
Co.  There  is  quite  an  amount  of  grain  bought 
here  now,  but  not  so  much  as  in    earlier  tirae.s. 

Ill  IS,S4this  village  had  two  general  stores 
and  a  harness  shop. 

Nancy  Berry  taught  the  first  term  of  school 
in  the  village,  which  was  also  the  first  in  the 
town  of  Wheatland  in  18.54.  The  place  now 
has  a  good  two  story  frame  school  house,  which 
cost  $1,200. 

The  first  death  in  the  place  was  that  of  a  man 
named  Enfield.  lie  died  early  in  the  history  of 
the  village  and  was  buried  on  the  land  Mftei- 
ward  occupied  as  a  cemetery. 

This  point  on  the  Mississippi  river  was  first 
known  as  "Stevens'  Landing,"  from.  Ira  Stevens 
the  first  settler.  He  made  the  original  entry  of 
fifty-four  acres  on  which  the  town  site  was  laid 
out.  His  patent  bears  date,  Nov.  1,  1849,  and 
was  signed  by  President  Zaehary  Taylor.  At 
the  time  this  entry  was  made  it  had  been  occu- 
pied by  French  traders  for  many  years,  who 
came  here  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  tiie 
Indians. 

PERSONAL    IJISTOEIKS. 

Ira  Stevens,  of  the  village  of  Victory,  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  county  since  January, 
1850.  He  was  born  near  Toronto,  Canada,  in 
1819.  He  passed  the  winter  of  1839-40  in 
Chicago,  and  went  to  Galena  the  following 
spring;  located  at  Prairie  Du  Chein,  in  1844,  and 
came  to  Bad  Ax  county,  as  stated,  in  1850.  He 
married  Eliza  Decker,  a  daughter  of  Moses 
Decker,  who  was  the  earliest  settler  of  Viroqu.i. 

Harriet  A.  Porter,  of  De  Soto,  is  the  widow  of 
Henry  G.  Porter,  who  settled  with  his  family  in 
De  Soto,  Aug.  15,  1855.  The  family  resided  in 
the  village  until  about  1860,  when  they  removed 
to  a  farm  on  section  11,  in  the  town  of  Wheat- 
land, which  Mrs.  Porter  still  owns.  Mr.  Porter 
died  December,  1880.  He  was  a  native  of  Ox- 
ford, Maine,  where  he  was  born  Sept.  19,  1825. 


He  was  married,  in  1859,  in  New  Hampshire,  to 
his  present  widow,  Harriet  Bryant,  born  in  New 
Hampshire.  She  first  came  west  with  friends, 
in  1855,  but  returned  to  New  Hampshire,  where 
she  was  married.  Mrs.  Porter  has  one  daugh- 
ter— Mary  Lillian,  born  in  De  Soto,  August, 
1860.  Mrs.  Porter  is  now  a  resident  of  the  vil- 
lage of  De  Soto. 

H.  W.  McAuley  is  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina. His  ancestors  belonged  to  the  Mecklen- 
berg  colony,  which  emigrated  to  North  C'arolina 
from  Scotland  in  1774.  He  was  born  Sept.  9, 
1816.  His  father,  Daniel  McAuley,  emigrated 
to  Wythe  Co.,  Va.,  when  H.  W.  waiS  but  three 
months  old.  In  18.30  the  family  removed  to 
Hendricks  Co.,  Ind.  Mr.  McAuley  came  to  the 
territory  of  Wisconsin,  in  1835,  and  located  at 
Mineral  Point,  in  what  is  now  Iowa  county, 
where  he  engaged  in  mining  for  a  time.  He 
was  in  Grant  county  when  it  was  organized — in 
May,  1835.  In  August,  of  that  year,  he  went 
back  to  Mineral  Point.  Mr.  McAuley,  at  this 
time,  was  quite  a  young  man,  and  not  perma- 
nently located.  He  returned  to  Indiana  in  the 
fall  of  1835,  but  came  to  Wisconsin  again,  the 
following  year.  In  1839  he  again  returner!  to 
Indiana;  was  married  and  returned  in  1840,  lo- 
cating at  Lancaster,  Grant  county.  He  had  built 
the  first  house  in  the  present  village  of  Lancas- 
ter, two  years  previous  to  that  time  (in  1838). 
In  1852  he  came  to  the  town  of  Wheatland,  and 
assisted  in  laying  out  the  village  of  Victory,  as 
will  appear  in  the  history  of  the  town  of  Wiieat- 
land.  He  was  the  first  merchant  in  the  village. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  Vernon  county  since 
he  went  to  Victory,  June  7,  1852.  In  November 
of  that  year,  he  went  to  Liberty  Pole  and  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business.  In  the  fall 
of  1853  he  removed  his  goods  to  Viroqua,  where 
he  was  in  business  for  some  time.  In  the  fall 
of  1854,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  getting  store 
room  at  Viroqua,  he  removed  to  the  town  of 
Sterling  and  located  on  section  16.  lie  built  a 
saw  and  gristmill,  on  the  Bad  Ax  river,  which 
was  the  second  mill  built  on  the  Wisell  branch 


736 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


of  this  river,  Ira  Wisell  having  erected  the  first 
mill.  Mr.  McAuley  engaged  in  milling  till  1873, 
when  he  sold  out  to  his  sons  and  removed  to 
Sparta,  where  he  invented  a  turbine  water  wheel 
on  which  he  obtained  a  patent.  He  engaged  in 
the  patent-right  business  for  a  time,  and  then 
again  located  at  Sterling.  He  now  resides  in 
the  town  of  Wheatland,  on  section  31,  town  12 
north,  of  range  6  west,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
farming,  and  making  a  specialty  of  manufactur- 
ing sorghum.  Mr.  McAuley  has  been  three 
times  married.  His  first  wife  was  Eliza  Ann 
Richie,  born  in  Nicholas  Co.,  Ky.  His  second 
wife  was  Rebecca  A.  McConnell,  a  native  of 
Ohio.  His  present  wife  was  Melvina  Sloan, 
born  in  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  McAuley  has  had 
twelve  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living.  Mr. 
McAuley  is  one  of  the  well  known  early  settlers 
of  Vernon  county ,and  has  been  intimately  con- 
necttd  with  its  growth  and  progress  since  its 
organization.  He  was  one  of  the  early  attor- 
neys of  the  county,  having  been  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1842. 

R.  M.  McAuley,  of  DeSoto,  is  the  son  of  H. 
W.  McAuley,  now  of  the  town  of  Wheatland. 
He  came  to  this  county  with  his  father, 
in  1852.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
village  since  1872.  He  is  a  miller  by 
trade,  having  been  taught  that  business  by 
his  father.  After  coming  to  De  Soto,  he 
opened  a  feed  store,  which  he  continued  for 
some  time,  then  engaged  in  general  merchandis- 
ing under  the  firm  name  of  McAuley  &  Bell.  The 
firm  was  afterward  changed  to  H.  W.  McAuley 
&  Son.  He  was  engaged  for  one  year  with  ('. 
L.  IngersoU  and  after  that  with  C  H.  Upham. 
In  February,  1881,  he  retired  from  merchandis- 
ing and  is  now  engaged  in  farniing,  giving  sj^ec- 
ial  attention  to  the  raising  of  sorghum.  Mr. 
McAuley  was  married  to  Mary  Young,  daugh- 
ter of  Alex  Young.  She  was  born  in  Crawford 
county.  Wis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McAuley  have  five 
children — John,  Royal  and  Raymond  (twins), 
Marv  E.  and  Frank. 


Adam  Carlyle  came  to  De  Soto  in  August, 
1856.  No  man  has  been  more  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  the  village 
than  he.  On  coming  to  De  Soto  he  engaged  in 
merchandising  with  Thomas  Dowse,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Carlyle,  Dowse  &  Co.  In  1858 
their  stock  and  trade  was  sold  to  parties  in  Lan- 
sing, Iowa,  and  Mr.  Carlyle  re-embarked  in  busi 
ness  under  the  firm  name  of  N.  S.  Cato  &  Co. 
From  1862  to  1865  he  was  connected  with  the 
firm  of  John  C.  Kurtz  <fcCo.  In  1870  he  was  em- 
ployed as  book-keeper  by  Joseph  Reynolds,  the 
owner  of  the  "Diamond  Jo"  line  of  steamboats, 
and  was  stationed  at  Fulton,  111.  From  1874  to 
1878  he  was  in  Patterson,  N.  J.,  engaged 
with  Capt.  J.  B.  Wilcox,  of  Victory,  in  selling 
Minnesota  flour.  In  1879  Mr.  Carlyle  was  con- 
stituted agent  at  De  Soto  for  the  "Diamond  Jo" 
line  of  steamers,  a  position  he  has  since  held. 
Mr.  Carlyle  is  a  native  of  Dumfries,  Scotland, 
born  in  1826.  lie  emigrated  with  his  father's 
family  to  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1840. 
The  family  removed  from  New  York  to  Canada, 
where  the  father,  Walter  Carlyle,  resided  until 
his  death.  In  1852  Mr.  Carlyle  went  to  (  liica- 
go,  111.,  where  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  by  Mills 
&  Co.  Three  years  later  he  came  to  De  Soto. 
Mr.  Carlyle  has  been  connected  with  De  Soto 
from  its  infancy  and  has  always  been  highly  es- 
teemed as  an  uprightbusiness  man  and  a  valuable 
citizen.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Catharine  E.  (Cook)  Car- 
lyle, is  a  native  of  Canada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Car- 
lyle have  eight  children,  six  of  whom  were  born 
in  De  Soto — Walter  J.,  Catharine  J.,  U'honias, 
who  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  De  Soto 
(born  Feb.  14,  1850),  now  at  Fulton,  III.,  Annie 
C,  Mattie,  Daisy  M.,  Adam  and  George. 

Arvin  Chase  resides  on  section  32,  where  he 
entered  eighty  acres,  in  1855.  He  resided  here, 
however,  at  that  time  for  about  one  year,  and 
then  located  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  on  what 
is  known  as  the  H.  Bellows  place.  He  rc-settled 
here  in  1870.  The  farm,  which  contains  200 
acres,  is  now  owned  by  his  brother,  R.  J.  Chase, 
who  was    the   youngest   of  his  father's  family, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


73'; 


and  came  to  the  county  about  1858  ;  studied 
law  witli  Judge  Graham,  of  Viroqua,  where  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  ;  served  in  the  Union 
army  durint;  the  Rebellion, and  is  now  practicing 
his  profession  at  Sioux  City,  Iowa.  Another 
brother,  Lucius,  also  studied  law  witii  Judge 
Graham.  He  is  now  deceased.  The  father, 
Jacob  Chase,  settled  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  in 
1858,  where  he  resided  till  his  death. 

James  H.  Rogers,  general  merchant  and  post- 
master at  DeSoto,  was  born  in  Indiana,  in  1842; 
he  has  resided  in  Vernon  county  since  1855, 
when  his  father,  B.  11.  Rogers  came  to  this 
county,  with  his  family,  and  located  at  Spring- 
ville  ;  he  afterwards  removed  to  the  town  of 
Wheatland,  where  he  died  in  1868.  James  II. 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army  in  1862,  as  a  soldier 
in  company  A,  25th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  first  commanded  by  Cap.t.  James 
Berry,  afterwards  by  Col.  Butt,  and  .still  later 
by  Capt.  J.  K.  Casson.  Mr.  Rogers  participa- 
ted in  most  of  the  campaigns  and  battles  in 
which  the  twenty-fifth  was  engaged,  including 
Kennesaw  Mountain,  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Resaca 
and  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  business  in  De  Soto  since  1865,  build- 
ing his  present  store  in  1868,  a  frame  building 
24x36  feet.  He  was  appointed  to  his  present  posi- 
tion as  postmaster,  October,  1865.  His  wife  was 
Esther  Coffin,  daughter  of  Peleg  Coffin,  who 
settled  in  the  town  of  Freeman,  Crawford 
county,  in  185o  ;  further  notice  of  whom  will 
be  found  elsewhere.  Mr.  Rogers  has  five  chil- 
dren— Winnie  II.,  Minnie  E.,  James  IJ  ,  Jr., 
Charles  M.  and  Mary  Z. 

Joel  'J\  Shaw  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the  town  of  Wheatland.  He  landed  at  DeSoto, 
Oct.  1 1,  1855,  by  the  steamer  War  Eagle,  which 
was  afterwards  burned  at  LaCrosse.  The  same 
fall  he  entered  120  acres  of  land  on  section  29, 
where  he  still  resides.  His  farm  now  contains 
160  acres,  lOo  acres  being  improved.  Mr.  Shaw 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Glover,  Orleans  Co., 
Vt.,  in  1821.  His  parents  were  Seth  T.  and 
Clarinda    (Mason)    Shaw.     His  father  died    in 


New  Hampshire,  and  his  mother  in  Vermont. 
Mr.  Shaw  was  married  in  Massachusetts,  to  Eliz- 
abeth Bodwell,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire. 
They  have  two  daughters — Jane  A.,  now  Mrs. 
Chris  Larson,  born  in  Vermont,  and  Julia  Fran- 
ces, born  in  the  town  of  Wheatland,  now  Mrs. 
Harry  Clark. 

One  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  town  of 
Wheatland  is  John  W.  White,  who  resides  on 
section  11,  town  11,  range  7  west,  where  he 
settled  in  May,  1855,  purchasing  his  land  of 
Dr.  E.  B.  Houghton.  Mr.  White  is  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  was  born  in  Fairhaven,  now 
town  of  Acushuet,  Mass.,  in  1822;  where  he  re- 
sided until  he  went  to  New  Bedford,  Mass., 
where  he  was  in  business  for  a  number  of  years. 
His  father,  Phlneas  White,  was  a  cotton  manu- 
facturer. He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Wil- 
liam White,  who  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock  in 
1620,  and  whose  son.  Peregrin  White,  was  the 
first  child  born  in  the  pilgrim  settlement.  Tlie 
father  of  Mr.  White  had  nine  children, 'Seven 
of  whom  are  living — five  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. He  died  in  1878,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-three  years.  John  W.  is  the  only  one  of 
the  family  who  settled  in  Wisconsin.  The  land 
which  Ml-.  White  purchased  of  Dr.  Houghton 
consisted  of  but  twenty  acres.  On  this  he  built 
a  log  house  the  year  that  he  came  here.  This 
house  is  still  standing,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest 
in  town.  Mr.  White  occupied  it  until  1878,  when 
he  erected  his  present  residence.  His  farm 
proper  contains  160  acres;  this  he  entered  as 
government  land  the  year  that  he  came  here. 
His  wife  was  Catharine  II.  Ashley,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts.  They  have  had  five  children, three 
of  whom  are  living — James,  Charles  A.,  de- 
ceased; Alice,  deceased  ;  John  M.  and  Edward 
I.  The  last  named  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Wheatland,  the  others  in  Massachusetts.  Mr. 
White  enlisted  January,  1864,  in  the  6th  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  in  service  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  after  which  he  was 
not  in  active  service. 


Y38 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Josiab  F.  Allen,  wagon-maker  of  De  Soto, 
came  to  Vernon  county  in  1866  and  settled  at 
Springville  in  the  town  of  Jefferson.  He  is  the 
son  of  Truman  Allen  an  early  settler  of  Spring- 
ville, but  at  present  a  resident  of  De  Soto.  J. 
F.  Allen  was  born  in  Keysville,  Essex  county.,  in 
1837.  V^  hen  a  lad  he  moved  with  his  parents 
from  the  State  of  New  York  to  Rock  Island, 
111.,  thence  to  Springville,  \N  is.  He  afterwards 
returned  to  New  York  and  having  lived  in 
different  parts  of  that  State  he  remeved  from 
thence  to  De  Soto,  Vernon  county,  several  years 
after  his  father  had  located  there.  At  the  time 
of  the  Rebellion  he  enlisted  in  the  112lh  New 
i  ork  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  six 
months,  being  then  discharged  for  disability. 
He  learned  his  trade,  that  of  a  wagon-maker,  in 
Fredonia,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  came  to 
De  Soto  in  the  fall  of  1875.  Mr.  Allen  has 
been  twice  married;  his  first  wife  died  at  Fre- 
donia; she  was  Almeda  Taylor  of  Chautauqua 
Co.,  N.  Y.  His  present  wife  was  Emma  Heal 
of  De  Soto.  He  has  two  children  by  his  first 
wife — -Wilton  G.  and  Wallace  T.  and  also  two 
by  present  wife — Goldie  and  Silvia. 

William  Fosdick  was  born  in  Maine  in  ISIO, 
his  parents  were  natives  of  New  Hampshire. 
He  settled  in  De  Soto  in  May  ])-."i5,  and  that 
year  entered  120  acres  of  government  land  on 
section  12,  where  he  resided  for  a  number  of 
years.  April  1,  1873,  he  settled  on  section  30, 
where  he  now  lives.  He  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried. His  first  wife  was  Hannah  Eastman  who 
died  here  in  1861.  His  second  wife  was  a  widow 
when  she  married  Mr.  Fosdick,  her  maiden 
name  was  Clara  A.  Smith.  She  was  a  native 
of  Brandon,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  but  was 
brought  up  in  Vermont.  Mrs.  Fosdick's  first 
husband  was  Henry  Webster,  who  died  in  Fair- 
field, Vt.,  in  18.50.  She  was  married  to  Mr. 
Fosdick  in  1862.  By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Fos- 
dick has  one  son,  Albert  E.,  another  Henry  A., 
was  a  soldier,  a  member  of  the  6th  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry,  company  I.  He  died  at 
Washington,    while   still  in  the  service.     Mrs. 


Fosdick  has  one  daughter  by  her  first  husband, 
Mrs.  Ellen  N.  Cole.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fosdick 
have  two  children — Byron  N.  and  Lucy  G. 

William  Cushing  resides  on  section  14,  town 
11,  range  7  west.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Pembrook,  Washington  Co.,  Maine,  in  1835. 
He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm  and  when  a  young 
man  engaged  in  lumbering  and  milling.  He 
came  to  De  Soto  in  1857,  with  N.  S.  Cate 
&  Co.  In  1860  he  purchased  a  claim  of 
S.  D.  Powers,  and  settled  upon  it  in  1868.  All 
improvements  upon  it  have  been  made  since 
that  time.  July  1,  )861,  he  enlisted  in  com- 
pany I,  6th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  served  four  years  or  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  fifteen 
general  engagements,  including  among  the 
number  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  the 
battles  of  Gainesville,  Gettysburg,  Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania,  Hatches  Run  and  Five  Forks. 
He  was  wounded  during  the  battle  of  Bull  Run 
and  also  at  Spottsylvania.  He  was  detached  to 
Battery  D,  5th  Rhode  Island  Light  Artillery, 
near  Cattlet's  Station,  Va.  April  18,  1862,  re- 
turned to  his  regiment  again  April,  1863.  He 
was  taken  a  prisoner  at  the  Battle  of  Hatche's 
Run,  Feb.  6,  1865,  where  he  was  held  as  a 
prisoner  of  war  in  Libby  prison,  Richmond, 
for  two  months  when  «xchanged  and  returned 
to  his  regiment.  For  one  year  after  the  war 
lie  resided  in  St.  Louis.  He  married  Julia  A. 
\Varham,  a  native  of  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  have  three  children — Mary  E.  Luella  G 
and  Cassius  I. 

Mrs.  S.  G.  Heal  resides  on  section  1,  in  the 
town  of  Wheatland,  her  farm  contains  112 
acres.  Mrs.  Heal  is  the  widow  of  Stephen  G. 
Heal,  who  was  born  in  England,  in  1844,  and 
died  here  June  29,  1879.  He  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  when  he  was 
quite  young.  Mr.  Heal  came  to  Vernon  county 
in  1857,  at  the  same  time,  Mr.  Miller,  the  father 
of  Mrs.  Heal,  also  arrived  in  this  county. 
Henry  Miller  was  a  native  of  Belfast,  Ireland. 
He  emigrated   to  this  country  with  his  family 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


739 


aijd  settled  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business.  The  year  of  his 
ari-ival  in  S'eriion  county  he  pureliased  the  farm 
whicli  his  daughter  now  owns,  of  William 
Owles.  He  returned  to  Paterson,  where  he 
died  in  Fehruarj',  187P  ;  his  wife  died  in  Sep- 
tember of  the  same  year.  They  had  twelve 
children,  but  four  of  whom  are  living — Eieazer 
J.,  of  Paterson  N.  J.,  Joseph  R.,  residing  in  the 
same  city,  Elizabeth  and  Ellen  M.  The 
youngest  son  was  a  member  of  company  I,  6th 
regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
was  killed  at  liie  battle  of  Gettysburg.  Mr. 
Heal  was  married  to  Ellen  Miller,  Nov.  -3,  1870; 
he  had  lived  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Miller  some 
time  previous  to  this  event.  Some  time  after 
his  marriage  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which 
Mrs.  Heal  now  resides,  of  his  father-in-law. 
Mrs.  Heal  has  four  children — Mary  E.,  Agnes 
S.,  Lizzie  II.  and  Henry  S.  She  lost  her  oldest 
child,  Lizzie  M. 

Henry  H.  Morgan  resides  on  section  5,  town 
of  Wheatland.  He  isason  of  Richard  Morgan, 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  who  settled  on  this 
farm  in  ]W56.  When  a  young  man,  Richard 
Morgan  moved  to  Maine,  where  he  married 
Achsah  Whitcomb.  From  there  he  moved  'o 
this  State.  At  this  time  he  had  a  family  of  five 
children — Samuel,  the  eldest,  came  here  with  a 
family  of  his  own  ;  he  now  resides  in  Ogden, 
Boone  Co.,  Iowa.  Joseph,  the  second  son  is 
now  in  the  town  of  Sterling.  Two  other  chil- 
dren are  Achsah  and  Henry  H.,  the  latter  of 
whom  owns  the  homestead  where  his  father 
settled  in  1856.  He  was  born  in  the  State  of 
Maine,  in  1840,  and  came  to  this  county  the 
year  after  his  fatlier.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Phillips,  a  native  of  Monmouthshire,  England. 
Edmund  Phillips,  her  father,  having  died  in 
England,  her  mother  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  with  her  family  in  18.54.  Mrs.  Phillips 
moved  to  Ue  Soto  in  1863,  and  resided  there 
until  her  death,  which  occurred  in  May,  1869. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  have  five  children — Mary 
W.,  Roscoe  P.,  Grace  C,  Wesley  H.  and  Maurice  i 


E.  The  homestead  farm  has  now  220  acres,  it 
originally  contained  240.  Mr.  Morgan  is  one 
of  the  prominent  farmers  of  the  town  of  Wheat- 
land. He  has  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  and 
assessor  of  the  town,  and  is  at  present  chair- 
man of  the  town  board,  a  position  which  he  has 
held  for  six  years. 

Charles  Reiter,  owner  of  the  De  Soto  brew- 
ery and  also  of  the  Lansing  and  De  Soto  ferry 
boat,  J.  A.  Rhomburg,  is  the  son  of  Martin 
Reiter,  who  settled  in  the  town  of  Freeman, 
Crawford  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1853.  In  1857  he  set- 
tled at  Retreat,  in»the  town  of  Sterling,  of  this 
county,  where  he  lived  about  twelve  years.  He 
then  settled  in  the  town  of  Wheatland.  He 
removed  to  Minnesota,  in  1872,  where  he  now^ 
lives.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany  ;  his  wife 
was  born  in  America.  Charles  E.,  was  born  in 
Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1851,  and  came  to  Wis- 
consin with  his  parents.  With  the  exception 
of  six  years,  ending  in  1878,  which  he  spent  on 
the  frontier  of  Minnesota,  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Vernon  county  since  he  came  here 
with  his  father's  family.  Before  engaging  in 
his  present  occupation  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock  buying  for  several  years.  His 
wife  was  Cora  A.  Green,  a  native  of  Vermontt 
They  have  three  children — William  H.,  C'harles 
W.  and  Myrtle. 

One  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  town  of 
Wheatland,  is  Jeremiah  J.  Tenney,  who  resides 
on  section  6,  on  the  farm  which  he  entered 
June  11,  1855.  He  made  some  improvements 
on  the  place  the  first  season,  and  brought  his 
family  here  April  26,  1856.  He  entered  245 
acres  on  sections  6  and  7,  and  still  owns  that 
amount  of  land,  although  he  has  disposed  of 
part  of  his  original  entry.  Mr.  Tenney  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Topsfield,  Essex  Co.,  Mass., 
April  17,  1805.  From  the  age  of  seven  till  that 
of  nineteen  years  he  lived  in  the  State  of  Maine; 
afterwards  he  was  a  resident  of  Massachusetts 
and  New  Hampshire  until  he  came  here.  Mr. 
Tenney  learned  the  trade  of  a  millwright.  He 
was  a  skillful  mechanic,  and  for  many  years  en- 


T40 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


gaged  111  business  pertaining  to  his  trade.  For 
eight  years  in  Manchester,  N.  H.,  and  ten  years 
in  Lawrence,  Mass.,  be  was  employed  as  a 
millwright  in  manufacturing  establishments. 
He  went  to  Manchester  before  the  first  mil! 
was  built  there,  and  from  there  to  Law- 
rence, where  he  was  engaged  to  assist  in 
the  erection  of  mills.  For  over  twenty  j'ears 
he  followed  his  trade  of  a  millwright.  lie  mar- 
ried Patience  Choate  (Proctor),  who  was  born 
in  Derry,  Rockingham  Co.,  N.  H.,  Jan.  26,  ISO*?, 
and  died  March  5,  lS/7.  Mr.  Tenney  has  five 
children — Charles  A.,  Jacob,  Elizabeth,  Thomas 
and  Lyman  W.  He  lost  three  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy,  the  other  a  son.  Oilman, 
enlisted  in  company  A,  25th  regiment,  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer  Lifantrj-,  and  served  about  fifteen 
months,  when  his  health  failing  him  he  olitained 
a  furlough,  hoping  a  visit  home  would  fully  re- 
store him.  He  arrived  at  De  Soto  in  a  very 
feeble  condition,  and  stopped  at  the  home  of  his 
comrade,  Charles  Tilden,  where  he  siublenly 
died,  not  having  reached  his  destination.  The 
loss  of  his  son  was  a  terrible  blow  to  his 
father,  and  he  still  feels  deeply  his  sad  afflic- 
tion. Charles,  the  oldest  son,  lives  in  the 
town  of  Wheatland;  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Union  army,  and  is  a  teacher  by  |)rofession. 
Thomas  was  born  in  Manchester,  N.  H.  He  is 
also  a  teacher.  Elizabeth,  the  only  daughter, 
a  native  of  Derry,  N.  H.,  followed  the  same 
profession  for  many  years. 

John  C.  Davis  came  to  De  Soto  in  18.t8,  in 
tlie  interests  of  the  milling  firm  of  N.  S.  Cate 
it  Co.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Chester, 
Rockingham  Co.,  N.  H.,  in  October,  1S26.  The 
earlier  years  of  his  life,  from  the  time  he  was 
five  years  old,  were  spent  in  Haverhill,  Mass., 
in  the  family  of  a  man  named  Crowell,  his 
father,  John  Davis,  having  died  when  he  was 
quite  young.  His  mother,  formerly  Polly  Em- 
erson, was  a  native  of  Chester,  N.  H.,  and 
died  in  Massachusetts  in  1862.  Mr.  Davis  mar- 
ried Sarah  M.  Blood,  a  native  of  Boston.  For 
some  time  after  coming  to    De    Soto,  Mr.  Davis 


continued  in  his  position  as  agent  for  N.  S. 
Cate  &  Co.  Afterwards  for  several  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade,  and  at 
the  same  time  was  agent  of  the  Northwestern 
Lisurance  Co.  He  was  a  man  quite  generally 
known  in  the  county,  especially  as  an  agricul- 
turalist. For  a  long  time  he  was  a  member  of 
the  M.  E.  t'hurch,  and  for  several  years  a 
preacher  of  that  denomination.  He  died  Aug. 
16,  188.3.  He  had  been  an  invalid  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  a  great  sufferer  during  that 
time;  but  his  sufferings  were  greatly  alleviate<l 
by  the  constant  and  devoted  attentions  of  his 
faithful  wife  and  daughters.  The  family  at 
present  consists  of  Mrs.  Davis  and  six  children 
—Ellen,  Lisette,  Edward  S.,  E.  Stacy,  Cora  F  , 
Susie  E.  and  Russell. 

Noah  E.  French  is  engaged  in  the  grocery 
and  restaurant  business  at  De  Soto.  In  18.t9 
he  came  to  the  town  of  Wheatland  with  his 
uncle,  James  Davenport,  who  now  lives  in 
Crawford  county,  and  has  been  a  resident  of 
tills  town  ever  since.  His  father,  Noble  P. 
French,  died  in  the  State  of  Indiana  when  Noah 
E.  was  a  child.  His  mother,  Ruth,  came  here 
with  her  second  husband,  Benjamin  Rogers. 
She  died  in  1873.  Noah  E.  French  was  born 
ill  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,in  1843.  From  New  York 
he  moved  to  Indiana,  from  there  to  Gruii<iy 
Co.,  111.,  coming  here  from  the  last  named 
State.  He  married  Sophia  Gould,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Gould,  a  native  of  Massachusetts. 
She  died  here  Aug.  13,  1872.  Mr.  French's 
present  wife  was  Elizabeth  Powell,  daughter 
of  Francis  E.  Powell.  Mr.  French  has  one 
daughter  by  his  first  marriage — Minnie  J.,  and 
five  children  by  his  second  wife — Mary,  Lizzie, 
Hertlia,  Nellie  and  Noble  P. 

William  A  Hodge,  of  Victory,  is  proprietor 
of  the  Victoria  Nursery  and  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  fruit  growing.  In  1866  he  entered 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  27,  which  he  at 
once  began  to  improve.  In  1868  he  began  the 
nursery  business  and  has  been  successfully  en- 
gaged in  that  business  until   the  present   time. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


r4i 


He  makes  a  specialty  of  small  fruits;  has  a  large 
experience  in  the  business  and  follows  his  occu- 
pation with  a  perseverance  and  ardor  which  in- 
dicate both  his  love  for  the  business  and  his 
determination  to  succeed.  Marked  success  has 
attended  his  labors.  His  stock  includes  all 
kinds  of  apples,  which  his  experience  has  taught 
him  are  adapted  to  this  climate.  He  has  a 
great  variety  of  plums,  blackberries,  raspberries, 
strawberries,  etc.  The  business  is  carried  on  in 
a  most  systematic  manner,  Mr.  Hodge  himself 
jierforming  a  large  part  of  the  labor  re- 
()uired.  The  satisfaction  that  is  expressed  with 
the  stock  he  produces  is  well  attested  by  his 
large  patronage.  His  business  is  constantly  in- 
creasing; within  the  last  few  years  he  has  pur- 
chased forty  lots  in  ihe  village  of  Victory, 
which  he  is  devoting  to  nursery  stock  and  small 
fruit.  He  is  also  engaged  in  the  raising  of  sor- 
ghum, manufacturing  from  1,500  to  2,000  gal- 
lons annually.  Among  his  industries  may  also 
be  mentioned  bee  keeping  and  market  garden- 
ing, supplying  the  steamboats  with  vegetables 
and  shipping  a;lso  to  La  Crosse  and  Lansing. 
Recently  he  established  a  mill  of  four  horse 
power,  suitable  for  all  kinds  of  grinding,  except 
flour.  Mr.  Hodge  is  one  of  the  most  active 
business  men  in  Vernon  county.  He  was  born 
in  Yates  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1832;  there  he  also  re- 
ceived his  education.  He  enlisted  in  the  war 
of  the  Rebellion  in  the  4Cth  Pennsylvania  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  served  nine  months;  being 
badly  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Harrisonburg, 
Va.jhe  was  discliarged  for  disability.  In  1864  he 
came  to  Wisconsin.  His  wife,  Jane  Williams, 
was  l)()rn  in  Rockford,  111.  She  came  to  Ver- 
non county  with  her  mother,  Permelia  Wil- 
liams, who  died  in  this  town  in  1862.  Her 
lather  died  in  Rockford,  111.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hodge  have  two  children — Olive  Jane  and 
Clara  L. 

Alfred  Proctor  came  to  the  town  of  Wheat- 
land froii  Lynn,  Mass.,  in  1862.  In  1865  he 
settled  on  his  present  farm,  which  he  purchased 
of   Alfred  Rolfe.      His  farm    consists    of    100 


acres  on  which  all  improvements  liave  been 
made  since  his  possession  of  it.  Mr.  Proctor 
was  born  in  Derry,  N.  IT.,  in  1818.  His  parents, 
Jacob  and  Lois  (Lufkin)  Proctor,  were  natives 
of  Gloucester,  Mass.  They  both  died  in  Derry, 
N.  H.  He  has  been  twice  married.  His  first 
wife  was  Mary  Ann  Blodgett,  born  in  Maiden, 
Mass.,  in  1824,  but  died  in  this  State  in  1865. 
His  present  wife  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Dr. 
Jenner,  the  discoverer  of  vaccination  as  a  pre- 
ventative of  the  small  pox.  Mrs.  Proctor  was 
born  in  Patersoii,  N.  J.,  in  18'i4.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Ann  Jenner.  Her  father,  Wil- 
liam Jenner,  died  in  1835,  when  she  was  eleven 
years  old.  From  New  Jersey  she  removed  to 
Ohio,  where  she  married  Enoch  Yocum  in  Cin- 
cinnati in  1847,  who  died  in  Toledo  in  1853. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Yocum 
returned  to  New  Jersey  and  with  her  mother's 
family  removed  to  Salem,  Henry  Co.,  Iowa.  At 
this  place  she  was  married  to  Samuel  H.  Wood- 
mansee  in  1857  and  removed  with  him  to  Lan- 
sing, Iowa,  at  which  place  he  died  in  1863. 
Several  years  later  (1868)  she  was  married  to 
Mr.  Proctor.  By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Proctor  had 
seven  children,  two  of  whom  are  living  in  Chi- 
cago, two  in  Washington  territory,  two  in  the 
town  of  Sterling,  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  and  one  re- 
mains at  home.  Mrs.  Proctor  had  two  chil- 
dren by  her  first  marriage;  both  of  them  died  in 
infancy.  Mrs.  Proctor's  mother  died  in  Craw- 
ford Co.,  Wis.,  in  1879. 

One  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Vernon  county 
is  Alexander  Latshaw.  Perhaps,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Lee  Grant  Sterling,  there  is  no  older 
resident  of  the  county.  In  1847  lie  made  an 
entry  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  on  sections  3  and 
4,  town  11,  range  6  west.  At  the  time  of  his 
arrival  there  were  but  two  families  in  the  town 
— those  of  L.  G.  Sterling  and  George  Nichols. 
In  1867  he  removed  from  Sterling  to  Victory, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  His  son  James, 
born  June  18,  1847,  was  the  first  male  white 
child  born  in  Vernon  county.  Mr.  Latshaw  is 
i  a   native    of   Sullivan    Co.,  Ind.,  where   he  was 


742 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


born  in  1824.  His  father,  Joseph  Latshaw, 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  from  which  State 
he  i-emoved  to  Indiana,  where  he  lived  until  his 
death,  in  September,  1S45.  He  settled  in  Indi- 
ana in  the  year  1814.  Mr.  Latshaw  has  gen- 
erally been  engaged  in  farming;  he  is  at 
present  in  the  wood  trade.  He  married  Mary 
Clark,  daughter  of  William  Clark,  a  native  of 
Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Latshaw  have  seven 
children— James,  Albert,  Belle,  Edward,  Kate, 
Nellie  and  Clare — four  sons  and  three  daughters, 
all  of  whom  were  born  in  the  town  of  Sterling 
except  Clare,  the  youngest,  who  is  a  native  of 
Victory. 

John  D.  Babcock  is  the  son  of  Simeon  Bab- 
cock,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to 
Crawford  county  with  his  family  in  18.54,  but 
died  the  following  year,  before  he  had  made  a 
settlement.  The  family  settled,  soon  after  the 
father's  death,  in  the  town  of  Freeman,  Craw- 
ford county.  He  was  married  three  times  ;  his 
widow.  Liberty  Furmau,  a  native  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, lives  in  De  Soto.  Simeon  Babcock  had 
six  children  by  his  last  wife.  John  D.  resides 
in  De  Soto  ;  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1851 ; 
has  lived  in  De  Soto  since  1865  ;  he  married 
Rossie  Greene,  a  native  of  Vermont.  Mr. 
Babcock  is  at  present  engaged  in  buying  grain 
for  the  firm  of  Fred  Eckhardt  &  Co. 

Charles  H.  Upham,  general  merchant,  came 
to  this  State  and  also  to  De  Soto  in  1873.  He 
was  born  in  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  in  1853. 
On  coming  to  De  Soto  Mr.  Upham  engaged 
himself  as  a  clerk  to  Stevens  &  Son,  in  general 
merchandising  business.  He  remained  with 
them  three  years,  when  he  engaged  in  business 
for  himself.  He  keeps  a  complete  stock  of 
general  goods.  Hardware  is  an  important  de- 
partment of  his  business  ;  also  the  manufac- 
ture of  tinware,  as  he  is  a  tinner  by  trade. 
He  also  handles  farming  implements.  Mr. 
LTpham  came  to  De  Soto  a  young  man,  with 
but  little  means,  and  by  attention  to  business 
he  has  succeeded  in  establishing  a  good  trade. 
His   stock  is   one   of   the  most  complete  in  the 


village.     He  married  Elizabeth  Duffy,  a  native 
of  Wisconsin. 

Joshua  A.  Cooper,  wagon  and  carriage  man- 
ufacturer at  De  Soto,  established  his  business 
Oct.  1,  1875.  He  was  born  in  Connecticut  in 
18.33.  His  father  died  when  he  was  a  child. 
Mr.  Cooper  has  spent  a  number  of  years  of  his 
life  in  traveling,  and  has  visited  various  parts 
of  the  United  States.  When  about  eighteen 
years  of  age  he  went  to  Richmond,  Va.,  where 
he  lived  three  or  four  years.  He  established 
a  wagon  manufacturing  business  at  Winona, 
Minn.,  in  1857.  As  before  stated,  Mr.  Cooper 
has  traveled  extensively,  having  worked  in  not 
less  than  twenty-three  States  and  territories  ; 
also  in  Canada.  He  married  Jane  Coy,  a  native 
of  New  York.  They  have  three  children  - 
Edward  L.,  Alice  M.  and  William  A.  The 
oldest  was  born  in  Montana,  and  William  in 
Preston,  Minn.  Mr.  Cooper  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  wagons  and  carriages ;  also 
sells  farming  implements. 

The  firm  of  C.  Lyttle  &  Co.  consists  of  C. 
Lyttle  and  Peyton  Davidson,  of  La  Crosse. 
Mr.  Lyttle  came  to  De  Soto  and  engaged  u\ 
the  lumber  business,  in  the  spring  of  187U, 
which  he  conducted  alone  for  two  years,  and 
was  then  joined  in  business  by  his  brother, 
James,  who  was  with  him  one  year.  Mr.  Lyttle 
was  again  in  business  alone  for  one  year  in 
the  lumber  and  stock  trade.  The  present  firm 
was  formed  in  1881.  They  transact  a  large 
business  in  lumber,  stock  and  general  mer- 
chandising. Mr.  Lyttle,  who  conducts  the 
business,  is  a  gentleman  of  excellent  business 
qualifications.  He  is  also  agent  for  the  North- 
western Line  of  steamboats.  He  is  a  native  of 
Canada  and  an  early  settler  of  La  Crosse 
county,  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Lyttle  was  born  in  1847 
and  came  to  De  Soto  in  1876.  His  wife,  was 
Alice  Haney,  a   daughter   of  James    H.  Haney. 

George  C  Clark,  cf  the  village  of  Victory,  is 
one  of  the  oldest  residents  now  living  in  the 
county.     He  was  born  in  Knox  Co.,  Ind.,  Nov. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


743 


13,  ]  833,  and  came  to  the  town  of  Sterling  in 
tbe  spring  of  1847  with  Alexander  Latsliaw.  At 
the  same  time  came  J.  L.  Tewalt  and  Lewis 
Trainer,  the  former  of  whom  settled  in  the 
town  of  Sterling.  The  latter  settled  at  Dodge- 
ville,  Iowa  county,  but  afterward  removed  to 
Miiscoda,  where  he  died.  He  came  to  Vernon 
county  with  his  mother's  family,  consisting  of 
eight  children,  his  father,  William  Clark,  hav- 
ing died  when  he  was  a  boy.  His  mother, 
Matilda  Clark,  settled  at  Walnut  Mound,  now 


called  Retreat,  in  the  town  of  Sterling.  She 
now  lives  in  Victory.  Mr.  Clark  came  to  Vic- 
tory in  1881  and  engaged  in  merchandising.  He 
married  Sarah  Wilco.v,  a  native  of  Indiana. 
They  have  three  children — Lola  L.,  Effie  and 
Russell.  The  children  of  Mrs.  Matilda  Clark 
are  as  follows-Mrs.  Martha  Chandler  (deceased), 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bailey,  James  A.,  who  went  to 
California  in  ]8.5-2and  still  lives  there;  Mrs. 
Mary  Latshaw,  William  P.,  at  Tomah;  Mrs. 
Jane  Messersmith;  George  0.  and  Franklin. 


744 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    L 


TOWN   OF  WHITESTOWN. 


The  town  of  Whitestown  is  located  in  tlie 
northern  tier  of  towns  in  Vernon  county,  and 
the  third  town  west  of  the  eastern  boundary  of 
the  county.  The  town  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Monroe  county,  on  the  east  -by  the  town  of 
Forest,  on  the  soutli  by  the  town  of  Stark,  and 
on  tlie  west  by  the  town  of  Clinton.  The  town 
contains  thirty-six  sections.  It  was  named  in 
honor  of  Giles  White,  the  first  settler  in 
tlie  town. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  very  rough  and  roll- 
ing, but  five  large  streams  of  running  water  and 
numerous  springs  contribute  to  the  fertility  of 
the  soil,  and  form  an  abundant  supply  for  stock 
and  living  purposes.  The  main  stream  of  the 
Kickapoo  riyer  enters  the  town  on  section  2, 
taking  almost  a  direct  southerly  course  through 
the  town,  and  leaves  on  section  34.  Brush  creek 
enters  on  section  4,  and  empties  in  the  Kicka- 
poo river  on  section  2.  The  north  and  south 
branches  of  Billings  creek  flow  through  the 
town  of  Forest,  uniting  near  the  center  of  sec- 
tion 13,  of  this  town,  and  joining  the  Kickapoo 
river  on  section  26.  Weister  creek  enters  the 
town  on  section  30,  leaving  on  section  31;  and 
Warner  ci-eek  enters  on  section  36,  and  flows 
into  the  Kickapoo  river  on  section  35. 

EAELY    8BTTLEMENT. 

As  stated,  the  town  was  named  in  honor  of 
the  first  settler,  Giles  White,  who  came  to 
tiie  town  in  July,  1853. 

Sidney  Waite  settled  on  Billings  creek  in 
1854,  and  was  a  resident  of  the  town  in  1884. 


William  Sandon  came  in  the  fall  of  1854. 
In  1884  he  was  proprietor  of  the  Vernon  Hotel 
at  Ontario. 

About  the  same  time  came  Washington  Mc- 
Fee  and  settled  on  section  14,  where  he  re- 
mained till  his  death,  in  1867. 

William  Finnell  settled  on  section  3,  in  1856. 
The  same  year  O.  H.  Millard  came  and  opened 
a  store  at  Ontario.  Ilis  family  came  the  follow- 
ing sprins;.     He  was  still  in  trade  in  1884. 

Germany  was  the  birth  place  of  Henry  Sc'- 
bach,  one  of  the  first  citizens.  He  was  born  in 
1827,  and  came  to  the  United  States  the  same 
year.  He  entered  a  quarter  section  of  land  on 
section  34,  where  he  still  resides. 

M.  W.  Steadman,  who  first  saw  the  light  of 
day  in  the  "old  Bay  State,"  was  the  fourth  to 
locate  his  family  in  the  new  region.  He  came 
in  the  spring  of  1855  and  entered  160  acres  of 
land  on  section  3.  He  was  born  in  Berkshire 
Co.,  Mass.,  in  1813;  was  married  in  Madison  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1844,  to  Maria  White.  They  have 
three  children — Ellen,  wife  of  Robert  Sandon; 
Martha,  wife  of  William  Sandon,  and  Lorenzo. 
Mr.  Steadman  now  operates  the  feed  mill  and 
carding  machine  of  Robert  Sandon,  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Ontario. 

W.  W.  Joseph  also  came  in  1855,  and  en- 
tered land  on  section  11.  He  is  now  deceased. 
He  was  followed  by  John  Ostrander,  who  set- 
tled on  section  23,  but  is  now  living  in  one  of 
the  western  territories. 

James  Horn  settled  here  in  1855,  but  now 
resides  elsewhere. 


^^Z'^^?^ 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


HI 


Willard  Hart  came  in  1856  and  entered  land 
on  section  9. 

Three  mechanics  from  New  York  came  in 
the  spring  of  1S56.  George  Prentice,  a  native 
of  Chenango  county,  Nathan  and  Elvarus 
Culver,  who  were  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county. 
The  latter  was  also  a  millwright  by  trade. 

Lewis  Daniels  accompanied  M.  W.  Steadman 
and  George  Prentice  to  Whitestown,  in  1855, 
but  after  remaining  a  short  time  returned  to 
Ohio,  his  native  State. 

The  year  1857  witnessed  the  advent  of 
several  new  comers.  Anthony  Lamb  settled  on 
section  1,  where  he  entered  forty  acres  of  land, 
and  wliere  his  widow  still  resides.  In  1862 
]Mr.  Lamb  enlisted  in  the  United  States  service 
and  departed  this  life  in  a  government  hospital. 
An  Englisliman  and  a  native  of  the  Empire 
State,  also  cast  their  lot  in  the  new  settlement, 
and  at  the  present  time  none  are  more  highly 
esteemed  than  these  two  pioneers — Robert  San- 
don  and  O.  H.  Millard. 

Samuel  Sloggy  came  in  1859  and  became  one 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  Ontario. 

ORGANIC. 

This  town  was  organized  in  1856,  and  the 
first  election  for  town  officers  was  held  at  the 
store  of  George  Prentice,  in  the  village  of 
Ontario,  April  7,  1857.  There  were  but  four- 
teen votes  polled,  and  when  these  were  counted 
it  was  found  that  the  following  named  persons 
were  elected  to  their  respective  offices :  Giles 
White,  chairman,  Washington  McFee  and 
William  Hart,  assistants ;  George  Prentice, 
clerk  ;  Willard  R.  Hart,  treasurer  ;  Washing- 
ton McFee,  assessor ;  Myron  Tuttle,  superin- 
tendent ot  schools.  The  present  officers  of  the 
town  are  :  Henry  O.  Connell,  chairman, 
Michael  Nevin  and  August  Kreigle,  assistants  ; 
Addison  Sloggj',  clerk  ;  George  Prentice,  treas- 
urer ;  William  Fish,  assessor. 

BKCORD   OF  FIRST    EVENTS. 

The  first  settler  was  (-iiles  White,  who  located 
in  1853.  He  built  the  first  house  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year. 


The  first  mill  in  the  town  was  a  saw-mill, 
erected  by  Mr.  White  in  the  summer  of  1865, 
on  the  Kickapoo  river  on  section  2,  and  run  by 
water  power. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Ellen  Stead- 
man  (now  the  wife  of  Robert  Sandon  )  in  a 
double  log  cabin  on  section  2. 

The  first  birth  in  the  town  was  Eugene,  son 
of  Sidney  Wait,  born  in  December,  1858. 

The  first  death  was  a  Mr.  ]5ushnell. 

The  first  land  was  cleared  up  by  Washington 
McFee,  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 14. 

The  first  couple  married  in  the  town  of 
Whitestown  was  Washington  McFee  and  Mrs. 
William  H.  Tiderick,  in  1857,  M.  W.  Stead- 
man,  a  justice  of  the  peace,  officiating. 
The  first  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Revels, 
in  1857. 

The  first  grist  mill  was  erected  on  Brush 
■reek,  in  1859,  by  George  Prentice. 

RELIGIOUS. 

Tliere  are  two  bodies  of  worshipers  in  the 
town — the  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church  and 
the  r>nptist  Church,  the  latter  of  which  is  lo- 
cated in  the  village  of  Ontario. 

The  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  1868,  with  Rev.  Prince  as  the  first 
pastor.  The  church  edifice  is  20x30  feet  in  size, 
;ind  was  erected  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  |320.  The 
first  trustees  were:  Barde  Evensen  and  Chris- 
tian Thompson.  The  present  trustees  are:  Mathew 
Allison  and  Ole  Oleson.  The  first  pastor.  Rev. 
Pi-ince,  was  succeeded  by  the  present  one.  Rev. 
Halverson.  The  congregation,  at  the  present 
time,  numbers  about  seventy  souls. 

The  Baptist  Church,  of  Ontario  village,  was 
organized  in  1859,  by  the  Rev.  B.  S.  Tuttle, 
with  the  following  named  members:  Myron 
W.  Steadman,  M.  Curtis,  Maria  P.  Steadman, 
Caroline  White  and  Ellen  Sandon.  The  congre- 
tion  was  quite  small  at  first,  and  for  some  years 
met  for  worship  at  the  dwelling  houses  of  its 
members.  In  1875  they  had  secured  enough 
funds  to  erect  a  church,  and  it  was  finally  com- 


44 


74S 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


pleted  and  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  Mas- 
ter, on  Aug.  24,  1879.  Rev.  W.  F.  Phillips 
officiated,  with  Robert  Sandon  as  clerk,  and 
M.  M.  Curtis  and  M.  W.  Steadman  a.s  deacons. 
The  building  is  of  frame,  32x50  feet  in  size,  and 
the  cost  of  erection  was  about  $1,200.  The 
present  membership  is  sixty-five,  and  the 
present  officers  are  as  follows:  Elder,  W.  F. 
Phillips;  clerk,  O.  H.  Millard;  treasurer,  T.  L. 
DeLap;  deacons,  H.  J.  Phelps  and  R.  Sandon. 

EDITCATIONAI.. 

Great  progress  has  been  raade  in  the  town  in 
matters  of  education,  as  in  those  of  agriculture 
and  religion.  The  population  has  increased, 
and  better  facilities  are  needed.  The  present 
school  population  of  Whitestown-  is  329,  and 
they  gather  for  instruction  in  six  different 
school  buildings,  with  an  aggregate  valuation 
of  $2,000. 

POSTOFFICBS. 

There  are  two  postoffices  in  the  town — one  at 
Ontario  and  the  other  at  Rockton.  These  will 
be  mentioned  in  the  history  of  each  village. 

CEMETERIES. 

In  1884  there  were  three  cemeteries  in  the 
town,  ihe  oldest  of  which  was  at  the  village  of 
Ontario.  Another  wat;  on  section  6.  This  was 
a  Norwegian  burying  place,  and  known  as  the 
Brush  Creek  Cemetery.  The  other  was  situated 
near  the  village  of  Rockton. 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    ONTARIO. 

The  village  of  Ontario  was  laid  out  and  plat- 
ted, in  1857,  by  Giles  White.  It  was  named 
Ontario,  at  the  request  of  O.  H.  Millard,  after 
his  native  county,  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
Giles  White  erected  the  first  frame  house, 
in  1856.  George  Prentice  opened  the  first 
store,  in  1856.  Giles  White  erected  the  first 
saw  mill,  in  1855.  The  first  blacksmith  was 
H.  I.  Bushnell.  The  first  shoemaker  was  Sid- 
ney Mills.  The  first  physician  in  the  village 
was  Dr.  W.  R.  Hart,  who  settled  in  1857  The 
first  school  building  was  erected  in  1859.  The 
present  school  is  a  graded  one,  and  the  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1870.     The  first  flouring  mill 


was  erected  by  George  Prentice,  in  1859.  The 
first  hotel  was  erected,  in  1862,  by  S.  D.  Cottrell. 
The  first  wagon-maker  was  Hiram  Timerman, 
who  settled  in  the  village  in  1864.  The  first 
surgical  operation  in  the  town  was  performed 
by  Giles  White,  which  came  about -in  the  fol- 
lowing laughable  manner:  Mrs.  Hiram  Bush- 
nell, who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  women,  had 
been  afflicted  for  some  time  with  an  in-growing 
toe  nail,  and  one  day  she  was  about  the  mill, 
where  Mr.  White  was  at  work,  when  she  was 
complaining  of  her  toe,  and  remarked  to  him, 
that  she  wished  some  one  would  cut  her  toe  off. 
Mr.  White,  in  fun,  said  "I  will  cut  it  off,  if  you 
say  so."  Mrs.  Bushnell  told  him  to  do  it;  so  he 
told  her  to  go  to  his  bench  and  get  a  big  firmer 
chisel  and  he  would  do  it.  He  had  no  idea  she 
was  in  earnest,  but  she  got  his  chisel  and  placed 
her  foot  on  a  solid  b'ock  and  told  him  to  go 
ahead.  Mr.  White  took  one  look  at  the  toe, 
which  had  become  badly  swollen,  and  with  the 
nerve  of  an  expert  army  surgeon  he  took  his 
mallet,  and,  with  one  blow,  severed  the  toe  and 
bound  it  up  in  good  shape. 

BUSINESS    DIRECTORY    OF    1884. 

General  stock. — Robert  Sandon,  Sandon  & 
White,  George  Prentice  and  O.  H.  Millard. 

Drugs,  Groceries  and  Crockery. — S.  Sloggy 
and  H.  J.  Phelps.  Mr.  Sloggy  settled  here  in 
1859,  and  claims  that  his  father's  family  is  the 
last  one  of  that  name  in  existence. 

Furniture. — Hiram  Timerman. 

Millinery. — Mrs.  Ida  Johnson. 

Grist  Mill. — Sandon  &  White  and  Nathan 
Culver. 

Saw  Mill.— Sandon  &  White. 

Wagon  Manufacturers. — Timerman  Bros. 

Feed  Mill  and  Carding  Machine. — M.  W. 
Steadman. 

Gunsmith. — William  Fuller. 

Blacksmiths. — Lower  &  Son.  S.  P.  Marden 
and  Timerman  Bros. 

Cooper. — Robert  Butler. 

Shoemaking. — Robert  Lee. 

Physician.— H.  P.  Miller, 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


U9 


REMINISCENCE    OF   NATHAN    CULVER. 

"I  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
September,  1820,  and  resided  there  until  1831.  I 
then  accompanied  my  parents  to  Trumbull  Co., 
Ohio,\vhere  I  received  such  an  education  as  could 
be  obtained  in  the  common  schools  at  that  time. 
I  learned  the  cabinet  and  chair-maker's  trade 
with  my  father,  and  worked  in  his  factory  until 
1844  and  then  removed  to  Platteville,  Grant  Co., 
Wis.,  and  there  rebuilt  the  Morehead  mills. 
In  1846  I  moved  to  Fayette  Co.,  Iowa,  and 
there  commenced  the  erection  of  a  mill.  I  re- 
mained about  one  year,  but  owing  to  poor 
health  moved  to  Black  River,  Wis.  There  I 
worked  at  millwrighting  and  lumbering  for 
nine  years,  then  in  1856  I  came  to  the  new  set- 
tlement in  the  town  of  Whitestown  and  con- 
structed a  mill  for  Giles  White  and  also  one 
for  Thomas  Wilkerson.  In  1858  I  pre-empted 
1  iO  acres  of  land  on  section  2  and  now  own  100 
acres  of  land  on  tiie  same  section,  a  residence 
and  four  acres  ot  land  in  the  village  of  Ontario, 
and  a  flouring  mill.  The  grist  mill  is  supplied 
with  one  run  of  buhrs  for  wheat,  and  one 
run  for  feed  corn  and  buckwheat,  and  one  mid- 
dling mill,  with  a  capacity  altogether  of  100 
bu.shels  of  wheat  per  day.  In  1861  I  enlisted  in 
the  18th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infan- 
try ,and  participated  in  the  engagement  at  Pitts- 
burg Landing  and  when  near  Corinth,  Miss,  was 
taken  prisoner  by  Baxter's  cavalry,  Sept.  1, 
1862;  was  taken  fifty  miles  to  where  Baxter's 
band  were  camped.  There  I  found  two  sol- 
diers that  had  been  taken  the  week  before. 
One  was  a  surgeon,  the  other  a  commissary  ser- 
geant, both  members  of  my  regiment,  and  also 
eight  prisoners  that  belonged  to  the  15th  Michi- 
gan regiment.  The  next  morning  we  were  all  put 
into  one  two-horse  wagon — twelve  of  us — with 
one  team  of  mules  attached.  We  had  to  get 
out  at  every  hill  we  came  to,  and  as  it  was 
over  forty  miles  to  the  railroad  where  we  weir 
to  take  the  cars  it  look  all  day  to  get  to  Gen. 
Price's  headquarters.      We  were  put  in  a  build- 


ing about  22x80  feet.  One  door  and  two  win- 
dows at  one  end  and  one  door  and  one  window 
in  the  other  end  was  all  the  chance  for  any  air. 
The  enemy  had  a  number  of  their  own  men  in 
there,  making,  in  fact,  about  as  many  as  could 
stand  up.  The  dust  was  over  an  inch  deep  on 
the  floor  and  it  would  have  been  almost  suffoca- 
ting but  for  the  tobacco  cliewers,  who  were  very 
industrious.  All  that  could  find  room  laid 
down  in  the  dust  that  night  with  our  heads  to 
the  wall  and  the  next  morning  such  a  dirty, 
dusty  set  of  men  never  was  seen  before  or  since. 
The  surgeon  and  the  commissary  sergeant  had 
been  taken  away  during  the  night.  The  next 
day  we  were  put  aboard  some  box  cars  and 
found  seats  on  some  molasses  barrels  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  cars.  We  rode  for  two  daysand  one 
niglit.  They  run  the  train  pretty  fast,  and  when 
the  cars  stopped  we  were  ordered  to  march  about 
)Me-half  mile  and  were  halted  on  a  piece  of 
low  land  with  a  heavy  guard  around  us;  no 
<lielter  of  any  kind,  nor  anything  but  the 
'^iduiid  to  sleep  on.  We  ascertained  we  were 
iiiar  Jackson,  Miss.  At  this  place  we  were  given 
for  our  rations  corn  meal  and  fresh  beef.  They 
t  >lil  us  to -sift  our  meal  and  take  the  bran  to 
make  coffee.  They  said  they  had  no  coffee  for 
us.  After  we  had  been  there  two  days,  in  the 
night  it  began  to  rain,  and  we  had  to  stand  up 
and  take  it  as  it  came.  It  made  me  think  of 
home.  We  would  often  talk  and  wonder  what 
the  enemy  would  do  with  us.  One  said  that  if 
our  men  would  come  near  the  town  the  enemj^ 
would  have  us  shot.  We  would  often  talk 
among  ourselves,  as  we  were  foibidden  to  talk 
to  the  guard.  We  were  there  about  eight  days, 
and  then  received  orders  to  be  ready  to  march. 
At  hist  we  were  marched  to  the  cars,  put  aboard, 
and  the  train  soon  started.  After  about  a  two 
hours  ride  we  found  ourselves  at  Vicksburg, 
Miss.  At  this  time  there  were  about  300  pris- 
oners, and  we  were  all  marched  a  short  dis- 
tance to  the  jail,  and  were  put  in  the  jail  yard, 
with  a  high  brick  wall  around  us,  and  with 
gunrds  on  top  of  the  wall.     Our  rations  at  this 


750 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


place  were  a  piece  of  "johnnycake,"  two  and 
one-half  inches  wide  at  one  end  and  running  to 
a  point  at  the  other,  three  and  three-quarters 
inches  thick,  and  a  piece  of  fried  pork  one  and 
one-eighth  inches  square,  and  one  quarter  inch 
thick.  These  we  received  twice  a  day.  We 
were  there  about  four  days,  then  were  or- 
dered in  line,  and  the  enemy's  officer  took 
our  name,  weight,  height,  complexion  and  color 
of  our  hair  and  eyes;  then  we  were  marched 
out  and  down  to  the  river  aboard  a  confederate 
boat,  and  steamed  up  the  Mississippi  river  till 
we  met  a  gun  boat,  the  Tyler,  and  were  put 
aboard.  It  was  getting  dark,  and  the  gun  boat 
started  slowly  up  the  river.  The  next  morning 
about  9  o'clock  we  were  given  a  piece  of  hard 
tack,  which  was  so  mouldy  and  musty  that  some 
would  throw  their  share  overboard,  saying  they 
would  rather  have  nothing  than  to  have  spoiled 
sea  bread.  We  received  but  two  a  day,  bad  as 
they  were.  After  two  days  had  passed  one  of 
the  officers  of  the  boat  told  us  he  was  short  of 
provisions,  but  that  there  was  a  plantation  a 
short  distance  up  the  river.  He  further  said 
that  they  went  on  shore  one  day  to  go  to  this 
house,  and  had  quite  a  battle  with  twenty-iive 
or  thirty  guerrillas.  He  said  to  us,  "now  all 
that  will  volunteer  to  go  fall  in  line."  We 
quickly  fell  in  line  on  the  boat,  seventy-two  of 
us,  and  after  being  organized,  and  our  saluta- 
tions made,  went  ashore  and  marched  up  to  the 
place.  We  put  out  pickets  all  around  the  plan- 
tation, some  distance  from  the  house.  There 
was  not  a  white  person  on  the  place,  but  about 
200  negroes,  who  appeared  very  glad  to  see  us. 
We  were  there  about  three  hours,  and  no  oppo- 
sition was  shown  to  us.  The  signal  was  given, 
and  we  all  returned  to  the  boat.  We  got  fifteen 
sheep,  twelve  geese  and  two  cart  loads  of  green 
corn.  We  now  thought  we  would  get  some- 
thing good  to  eat  soon,  for  we  were  ver)'  hun- 
gry. When  night  came  on  our  supper  consisted 
of  the  same  hard  tack.  It  set  us  thinking,  and 
at  last  we  talked  it  over  and  settled  on  a  plan. 
We  knew  where  the  muskets  were  located  that 


we  had  used,  and  knew  they  were  loaded.  We 
had  an  attack  all  planned,  and  were  waiting  for 
the  signal  when  every  soldier  would  grab  a 
musket.  We  have  seen  hard  fare,  but  not  so 
hard  as  we  did  on  this  boat.  We  had  now  been 
on  the  boat  some  four  days.  In  some  way  our 
plan  must  have  leaked  out,  for  when  it  came 
the  right  time  of  day  for  our  hard  tack,  we  got 
none,  but  still  a  little  later  they  came  with 
coffee,  boiled  mutton  and  bread,  the  first  good 
"square  meal"  we  had  for  a  long  time.  We  got 
our  regular  meals  for  two  days,  and  then  our 
transport  boat  came  and  took  us  off,  and  we 
went  up  the  river.  On  our  way  up  the  guerillas 
fired  into  the  boat  and  shot  one  man  in  the  foot. 
This  was  about  all  the  damage  they  done.  We 
were  taken  to  Cairo,  III.,  where  the  most  of  us 
got  furloughs  and  went  home.  They  would  not 
give  a  furlough  for  longer  than  thirteen  days,  so 
I  joined  my  regiment  at  Corinth,  Miss.  I  mar- 
ried Minerva  Woods,  and  three  children  were 
the  result  of  this  union — Arabella,  Clarence  and 
Frank.  I  was  divorced  from  my  first  wife,  and 
subsequently  married  Louisa  Doener." 

POST    OFFICE. 

Now,  in  the  days  of  railway  postal  cards 
running  their  ceaseless  race  from  ocean  to 
ocean,  one  can  scarcely  conceive  of  the  in- 
convenience endured  by  the  early  pioneers  in 
securing  their  mail.  Prior  to  1857  the  set- 
tlers had  to  depend  upon  passers  by,  going 
to  and  from  Madison,  for  their  mail.  The 
nearest  postoffice  was  then  at  Readsburg,  a 
distance  of  over  fifty  miles,  then  it  was 
shortened  up  to  Coon  Prairie  (Cashton) 
and  in  1875  it  was  brought  from  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  railway,  at  Norwalk.  But  in 
18S4  the  facilities  were  much  improved.  At 
this  date  mail  was  received  at  Ontario  from 
Norwalk  daily,  from  Viroqua  twice  a  week 
and  from  Viola  three  times  a  week. 

O.  H.  Millard  was  appointed  the  first  post- 
master in  J857  and  served  till  1862,  when  he 
was  removed  by  the  presentation  of  a  forged 
petition    amounting    to     a     complaint.       Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


751 


Millard  was  fully  vindicated  in  this  matter 
and  the  blame  will  ever  rest  where  it  should 
— on  the  man  who  thus  became  guilty  of 
forging  names  to  a  petition  for  his  removal. 
Mr.  Millard  was  succeeded  by  George  Pren- 
tice. T.  L.  De  Lap  is  the  present  incumbent. 
In  1882  the  money  order  office  was  created, 
and  the  first  order  was  issued  to  William 
Sandon,  August  7,  and  sent  to  O.  I.  Newton, 
Sparta,  Wis.  The  first  order  paid  was  issued 
at  Mistic  Ridge,  Conn.,  and  paid  to  Mrs.  Mary 
Raferty.  The  annual  amount  of  business  done 
at  the  Ontario  office  aggregates  about  $8,000. 

SOCIETIES. 

Good  Templar  Lodge,  No.  115,  of  Ontario, 
Wisconsin,  was  organized  in  188.3,  with  tlie 
following  named  charter  members  :  Robert 
Sandon  and  wife,  H.  H.  Steadman  and  wife, 
H.  J.  Phelps,  L.  C.  Steadman  and  wife,  W.  San- 
don and  wife,  Walter  Chritchett,  C.  F.  White, 
H.  H.  Goodnough  and  wife  and  Edwin  Lamb 
and  wife.  The  membership  has  increased  quite 
rapidly,  and  at  present  numbers  fifty.  The 
lodge  is  doing  a  good  work,  and  deserves  the 
support  and  encouragement  of  all  worthy  cit- 
izens. 

Ontario  Lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  217,  was 
organized  in  18'(8,  with  ten  charter  members. 
The  lodge  first  occupied  Sloggy's  llall  and 
from  there  moved  to  E.  W.  Sandon's  Ilall,  and 
in   1884  were  located  in  O.  H.Millard's  Hall. 

A  temperance  society  known  as  the  Temple 
of  Honor  was  instituted  at  Ontario  which  was 
in  operation  about  six  years.  It  commenced 
with  a  membership  of  eight  and  increased  to 
sixty-five.  This  society  went  down  on  account 
of  numerous  removals  from  the  place. 

MILLS. 

George  Prentice  built  a  grist  mill  in  1859  on 
Brush  creek.  This  mill  soon  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Giles  White,  who  later  sold  the  water 
power  back  to  Mr.  Prentice,  and  moved  the  ma- 
chinery to  another  locality.  In  ISdl  Giles 
White  built  a  mill  which  contained  two  run  of 
stones.     This    was    situated    on    the    Kickapoo 


river,  and  in    1884  was   operated  by  Sandon  & 
White. 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    ROCKTON. 

The  village  of  Rockton  was  laid  out  and 
platted  by  Hon.  Van  S.  Bennett,  in  1873,  on 
section  Hi.  The  plat  contains  eight  blocks  or 
squares,  and  the  name  Rockton  was  meant  to  be 
in  harmony  with  the  rough  and  rocky  surface 
of  the  country  near  the  village. 

The  first  store  in  the  village  was  opened  by 
Jesse  Harness. 

The  first  mill  was  a  gristmill,  erected  in  1865 
by  Frank  Laugh ton. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  erected,  by  Van  S. 
Bennett,  in  1866. 

The  first  dwelling  house  was  erected  by  Jesse 
Osborn,in  1866. 

The  first  hotel  was  erected  in  1869,  by  Frank 
Obert. 

The  first  sermon  was  delivered  by  Rev.  Alder- 
man, in  1870. 

The  first  blacksmith  was  Samuel  Perkins. 
He  opened  a  shop  in  1873. 

The  first  physician  was  A.  J.  Lewis,  who  lo- 
cated here  in  1875. 

BUSINESS  DIRECTORY  OF  4  884. 

Dry  goods  and  general  stock.  Van  S.  Bennett; 
blacksmith,  J.  C.  Winson  ;  flouring  mill,  Ben- 
nett &  Widmer;  saw  mill,  Bennett  &  White  ; 
hotel,  M.  P.  Chase. 

SECRET    SOCIETIES. 

The  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodge  of  Rockton  was  organ- 
ized in  188:J,  with  the  following  named  charter 
members: 

J.  White,  J.  Wagoner,  J.  C.  Winsor,  William 
J.  Thomas,  August  Kriegel  and  J.  C.  Nixon. 

The  present  oflicers  are:  J.  W.  White,  N. 
G.;  J.  Wagoner,  V.  G.;  Edward  Nixon,  R.  S.; 
Arnold  Widner,  P.  S.;  William  J.  Thomas, 
treasurer. 

The  Masonic  lodge  at  Rockton  was  organized 
in  1876.     Its  charter  members  were: 

Van  S.  Bennett,  Alexander  Hill,  Jr.,  J.  F. 
Keeton,  C.  G.  Stebbins,  J.  O.  Parker,  S.  Smith, 
Robert  Ware  and  David  Killicut. 


752 


HISTORY 'OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  first  officers  elected  were  as  follows: 
Alexander  Hill,   W.  M.;  C.   G.  Stebbins,  S. 
W.;  J.  F.  Keeton,  J.  W.;  Van  S.  Bennett,  sec- 
retary and  J.  G.  Parker,  treasurer. 

The  present  officers  are:  Alexander  Hill, 
W.  M.;  Van  S.  Bennett,  S.  W.;  H.  C.  Millard, 
J.  W.;  W.  J.  Wagner,  secretary  and  O.  H. 
Rolfe,  treasurer. 

POSTOFFICE. 

The  postoffice  in  this  village  was  established 
in  1871  and  Jesse  Harness  was  its  first  post- 
master. He  was  succeeded  by  the  present  in- 
cumbent. Van  S.  Bennett. 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

This  town  was  among  the  first  settled  in  the 
county,  consequently  there  are  clustered  in  and 
near  the  town  some  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
county  and  their  descendants.  To  these  are 
here  given  personal  mention  in  the  order,  as 
near  as  possible,  in  which  they  located: 

Casper  Adler,  from  a  "little  German  home 
across  the  sea,"  came  in  1854.  He  was  born  in 
the  vil  lage  of  Baldern,  county  of  Narasheim, 
kingdom  of  Wurtemburg,  Gei'inany,  in  1834, 
and  when  nineteen  years  of  age  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  was  first  employed  in  a 
brick  yard  at  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  afterward 
on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  and  spent  the 
year  following  at  work  in  a  brick  yard  at  Ga- 
lena, 111.  In  1854  he  came  to  Whitestown  and 
entered  forty  acres  of  land  on  section  34,  which 
he  has  since  increased  to  sixty  acres.  He  was 
married  in  1863  to  Catharine  E.  Miller,  and  six 
children  were  born  to  this  union — Rudolph, 
Joseph,  Andrew,  Charles,  Mary  and  Caroline. 
Mrs.  Adler  departed  this  life  in  1879  and  Mr. 
Adler  was  again  married  in  1883  to  Mrs.  Edith 
M.  Seaman. 

William  Sandon  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Northampton,  England,  in  February,  1836. 
In  1845,  when  nine  years  of  age,  he  emi- 
grated with  his  parents  to  America,  and  located 
in  the  town  of  Burke,  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  where 
he  grew  to  manhood,  receivlDg  a  fair  education. 
In  1855  he  came  to  Vernon  county,  then  known 


as  Bad  Ax,  and  soon  after  was  engaged  in 
hauling  supplies  to  the  lumbermen  on  the 
Kickapoo  river.  Two  years  later  he  com- 
menced working  in  the  rake  factory  of  M.  W. 
Stedman,  where  he  continued  until  1801.  He 
then  enlisted  in  the  1st  Wisconsin  Cavalry  as  a 
private  in  company  G.  In  March,  1802,  he  was 
appointed  2d  sergeant.  In  Novembe  ,  1802,  he 
was  promoted  to  orderly  sergeant  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1803,  be  was  commissioned  1st  lieuten- 
ant. In  the  spring  of  1864  he  commanded  com- 
pany E  of  his  regiment.  He  was  woiincled  in 
the  battle  of  Dandridge,  Tenn.  In  May,  1864, 
the  1st  Wisconsin  Cavalry  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  battle  of  Rocky-face  Ridge,  in  which 
Lieut.  Sandon  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 
He  was  held  prisoner  until  March,  1865,  when 
he  was  exchanged  and  in  May  was  discharged. 
William  Sandon  is  now,  and  has  been  for  eight 
y.ears  past,  proprietor  of  the  Vernon  House  at 
Ontario.  In  1859  he  was  married  to  Martha 
Stedman.  They  have  four  sons — Charles 
M.,  George  T.,  Murt  W.  and  Lou  E.  He  has 
been  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors, 
supervisor  and  town  clerk. 

Mrs.  William  H.  Tedrick  and  family  removed 
here  from  Ohio  in  the  autumn  of  1855.  William 
H.  Tederick  was  born  in  Guernsey  Co.,  Ohio,  in 
1824,  and  died  there  in  1852.  His  wife  was 
born  in  1823,  and  they  were  man-  ed  in  1844. 
Mrs.  Tedrick  was  married  in  1857,  to  Washing- 
ton McFee,  of  Whitestown,  but  died  at  the  resi- 
dence of  her  son,  Truman,  on  section  10,  in 
1^82.  Truman  Tederick  was  born  in  Guernsey 
Co  ,  Ohio,  in  1850,  and  accompanied  his  mother 
to  this  new  country.  He  was  married  in  1882 
to  Didama,  daughter  of  Madison  Lower,  of  the 
village  of  Ontario. 

Giles  White,  the  pioneer  settler  of  Whites- 
town,  was  a  native  of  the  good  old  Empire 
State.  He  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1820.  His  educational  facilities  were  as  good  as 
the  schools  of  those  days  afforded,  and  in  1837, 
when  but  seventeen  years  old,  he  made  a  long 
western   journey  to    Medina  Co.,   Ohio,  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


763 


northern  part  of  the  Buckeye  State.  He  'there 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  1853, 
when  his  health  failed.  At  this  time  he  was  a 
married  man  with  a  family,  and  fur  two  years 
he  traveled  constantly  over  several  States,  seek- 
ing tliat  which  is  more  precious  to  mortal 
beings  than  gold  or  precious  stones — the  enjoy- 
ment of  good  health.  Finally,  in  1^55,  he 
selected  a  home  among  the  timbered  lands  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  Vernon  Co.,  Wis.  lie 
was  the  first  white  settler  in  what  is  now  tlie 
town  of  Whitestown,  and  located  200  acres  of 
land  on  section  2.  In  the  following  year  he 
erected  a  saw-mill  for  the  combined  benefit  of 
himself  and  the  incoming  settlers,  and  in  185Y 
laid  out  and  platted  the  village  of  Ontario.  He 
was  the  first  chairman  of  the  town  board  of 
supervisors,  and  during  his  residence  here  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  lumbering,  milling, 
merchandising  and  farming.  The  earnest  and 
energetic  eflForts  given  to  one  and  all  of  these 
occupations  have  not  been  unfiaiitful  of  good 
results,  both  for  Mr.  White  and  the  entire  com- 
munity. He  has  prospered  slowly  but  surely, 
and  of  late  years  has  been  enjoying  the  benefits 
derived  from  his  long  labors  of  toil.  In  1843, 
while  a  resident  of  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  Mr. 
White  was  married  to  Caroline,  daughter  of 
Ezra  and  Martha  Kelley.  Mrs.  White  was 
born  in  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1824.  She  is  the 
mother  of  three  children,  two  living — Angle, 
wife  of  Elbert  W  Sandon,  and  Cassius  F. 
Mary  E.  died  in  1865. 

Elvarus  Culver,  now  a  resident  of  Doniphan, 
Mo.,  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
1829.  The  year  following  his  parents  removed 
to  Trumbull  Co.,  Ohio,  where  our  subject  was 
educated  and  learned  the  cabinet  and  millwright 
trades.  In  1856  he  removed  to  the  town  of 
Whitestown  and  purchased  a  stock  of  goods 
from  George  Prentice.  He  w^as  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits,  in  the  village  of  Ontario, 
for  twelve  years.  He  now  owns  eighty  acres 
of  land  in  the  town,  but  resides  in  Doniphan, 
Mo.     In    1852  he   married  Ruby  Oliver,  and  six 


children  have  been  given  them^Hettie,  wife  of 
William  Lower;  William,  who  married  Amanda 
Webster;  Charles,  Bert,  Nellie  and  Sibyl. 
Charles,  the  third  child  and  second  son,  is  a 
native  of  Whitestown.  He  has  been  a  resident 
here  all  his  life  with  the  exception  of  eighteen 
months  spent  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  married 
Emma  C.  Webster,  and  they  have  one  son — 
Eddie  C.  Mr.  Culver  is  the  owner  of  a  resi- 
dence and  two  lots  in  the  village  of  Ontario. 

George  Prentice,  one  of  theleading  citizens 
and  prominent  business  men  of  Ontario  village, 
was  born  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1816. 
When  twelve  years  of  age  his  parents  removed 
to  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  where  George  received 
the  benefit  of  a  good  common  school  education. 
He  learned  the  cabinet  maker's  trade,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1856  came  to  Whitestown,  Wig. 
He  opened  the  first  store  in  the  village  of 
Ontario,  which  he  conducted  for  eighteen 
months.  He  then  sold  the  stock  to  O.  H.  Mil- 
lard, and  in  1859,  erected  the  first  grist-mill  in 
the  village.  This  he  traded  to  Giles  White  for 
a  stock  of  goods,  and  he  was  again  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  trade  for  three  years.  He  then 
disposed  of  his  stock  to  Elvarus  Culver.  He 
then  erected  a  steam  saw-mill,  but  sold  it  three 
years  after  to  a  Mr.  De  Hart.  Mr.  Prentice 
then  leased  the  grist-mill  from  Mr.  White  and 
operated  it  for  eight  years.  He  subsequently 
bought  another  general  stock  of  goods,  which 
he  is  now  selling.  Mr.  Prentice  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  town,  and  has  been  largely 
instrumental  in  improving  the  village  of  On- 
tario. When  the  town  was  organized  in  1857, 
he  was  elected  clerk,  also  in  1859,  and  has 
served  as  treasurer  of  the  town  since  its 
organization,  twenty-one  years. 

O.  H.  Millard,  one  of  the  prominent  citizens 
of  the  town  of  Whitestown,  Vernon  county 
was  born  in  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1825.  He 
lived  in  his  native  place  until  seventeen  years 
of  age,  when  he  went  to  .Ogdensburgh,  N.  Y., 
and  found  employment  in  a  forwarding  house. 
In  the  spring  of  1844  he  came  west,  by  way  of  the 


Ini 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON   COUNTY. 


lakes  in  a  schooner  to  Cliioago,  then  a  city  of 
about  9,000  inhabitants.  In  the  spring  of  1845 
he  went  to  live  in  Prescott,  Canada,  where  he 
remained  until  1848,  when  be  went  to  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  clerk  in  the  dry  goods  house  of 
Arnold  Woodward.  When  the  news  of  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California  reached  the 
east,  he  was  seized  with  the  "California  fever" 
and  started  with  two  others,  (  the  first  to  leave 
that  city  for  California )  on  the  8th  day  of 
January,  1849,  reaching  San  Francisco  on  the 
8th  day  of  August,  after  a  tedious  voyage  around 
Cape  Horn,  of  185  days  from  New  York.  He 
worked  in  the  mines  in  parts  of  the  mountiiins 
and  returned  home  to  New  York  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1851.  The  same  year  he  started  for  St. 
Paul,  Minn.,  intending  to  make  that  now  famous 
city  his  home  but  only  wentasfaras  Freeport,  111. 
He  there  engaged  in  the  book  trade,  but  sold  his 
stock  in  January,  1852,  and  started  again  for 
California.  This  second  trip  was  more  suc- 
cessful than  the  preceding  one,  for  he  managed 
to  secure  about  $2,000  in  six  months.  He 
traversed  the  entire  mining  region,  but  mined 
principally  on  the  middle  fork  of  the  American 
river,  and  at  Agua  Frio,  in  Mariposa  county. 
In  1857  Mr.  Millard  came  to  Whitestown,  and 
entered  eighty  acres  on  section  3.  He  now 
owns  680  acres  in  the  town  and  five  blocks  in 
the  village  of  Ontario.  This  latter  place  was 
named  in  honor  of  Mr.  Millards  birth  place, 
Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Millard  was  the  first 
postmaster  in  the  village.  Was  chairman  of 
the  town  board  one  year,  town  treasurer  two 
years.  He  carries  on  a  large  business  in  a  gen- 
eral stock  of  goods,  and  has  lately  platted  in 
town  lots  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Monroe  county, 
which  is  known  as  Millard's  addition  to  the 
village  of  Ontario.  Mr.  Millard  was  married, 
in  1854,  to  Mary  S.,  daughter  of  Jason  and 
Johanna  Canfield,  of  West  Bloomfield,  N.  Y. 
They  have  two  children — Henry  C.  who  mar- 
ried Retta  J.  Carpenter,  and  Mittie  J. 

Robert  Sandon,  one   of   the   most  prominent 
business   men    of    Ontario  village,  was  born  in 


England — "on  whose  dominion  the  sun  never 
sets" — in  1835,  and  when  nine  years  of  age 
came  over  to  this  country.  lie  was  one  of  the 
first  to  settle  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  and  in  1857 
came  to  Whitestown.  He  purchased  fifty  acre.s 
of  land  on  section  3,  which  he  still  owns.  He 
has  been  very  attentive  to  his  landed  interests, 
and  now  possesses  1,750  acres  of  land  in  Ver- 
non county,  making  him  probably  the  second 
largest  landholder  in  the  county.  He  also 
owns  two  houses  and  three  lots  in  the  village 
of  Ontario,  a  store  l)uilding  and  other  village 
property,  and  a  large  stock  of  dry  goods,  groce- 
ries, boots  and  shoes,  clothing,  crockery  and 
hardware.  He  enjoys  a  fine  trade,  and  his 
many  years  of  residence  have  given  him  the 
confidence  of  all  his  acquaintances.  Mr.  San- 
don taught  the  first  school  in  the  village  of 
Ontario,  and  in  1858  was  elected  clerk  of  the 
town,  holding  the  position  for  sixteen  years. 
He  was  also  justice  of  the  peace  for  ten  or 
twelve  years.  Mr.  Sandon  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, in  1857,  soon  after  he  came  into  Whites- 
town,  to  Ellen  L.,  daughter  of  M.  W.  and 
Maria  Steadman.  They  have  two  daughters 
• — Nettie  M.  and  Haltie  E.  Mrs.  Sandon  was 
born  in  1837. 

Johann  Breidung  came  in  1861.  He  was' 
born  in  Germany  in  1825,  and  took  passage  in 
a  sailing  vessel  for  America  in  1854.  He  first 
settled  at  Manistee,  Mich.,  and  there  eit^aged 
in  the  lumber  business  for  eight  yeais.  He 
then  removed  to  Milwaukee  and  lived  there 
two  years.  Leaving  Milwaukee,  he  went  to 
Waukesha  county  and  farmed  it  for  one 
year.  In  1861  he  came  to  Whitestown  and 
purchased  160  acres  of  land  on  section  24.  He 
now  owns  150  acres  and  resides  on  section  34. 
Mr.  Breidung  was  married  in  1860  to  Mrs. 
Martha  Breidenstein.  They  have  three  children 
— Albert,  Augusta  and  Matilda. 

Samuel  Walker,  who  located  in  1862,  was 
born  in  Indiana  Co.,  Penn.,  April  20,  1805.  In 
1812  his  parents  removed  to  Washington  couijty 
in  his  native   State,   and   in    1814  to   Jefferson 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


756 


Co.,  Ohio.  Mr.  Walker  subsequently  resided 
in  both  Athens  and  Meigs  counties,  in  Ohio, 
.ind  in  1856  .settled  in  Wellington  town,  Monroe 
C'o.,  Wis.  He  there  sowed  tlie  tirst  wheat  ever 
sowed  in  the  town,  and  remained  until  l.SOl. 
In  the  latter  year  he  enlisted  as  fii'er  in  com- 
pany I,  in  the  6tli  regiment,  Wisconsin  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  but  was  discharged  in  1802  on 
account  of  disability.  That  same  year  he  re- 
moved to  Whitestown  and  entered  160  acres  of 
land  on  section  1.  He  now  owns  120  acres  on 
the  sam.e  section,  all  well  improved.  Mr. 
Walker  was  married,  March  28,  1834,  to  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Eleanor  Sloan.  Eight 
children  were  born  to  this  union,  six  of  whom 
are  living — L.  H.,  who  married  Miss  C.  Buck- 
ner.  Whitestown  ;  T.  R.,  who  married  a  Miss 
Curtis;  Ellen,  wife  of  Ezra  Tuttle  ;  Anna,  wife 
of  Thomas  Sloan  ;  Leslie  and  Lindley,  de- 
ceased ;  Perry,  who  married  Katie  Dains  ; 
Josepli  Adam,  married  Mary  Adeline  Le.ster  ; 
.she  having  died,  he  afterward  married  De  Ette 
L.  Palmeter.  Mr.  Samuel  Walker  served  an 
apprenticeship  of  six  years  as  a  blacksmith, 
following  the  business  thirty-five  years.  He  has 
always  been  a  hard  working  man,  and  is  at  tlie 
advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  past,  an  able 
bodied  man  and  the  grand-fatiier  of  twenty-one 
children. 

Perry  Walki-r,  son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah 
(Sloan)  Walker,  was  born  in  Meigs  Co.,  Ohio, 
in  lv^"41.  He  there  lived  until  1854,  when  he 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Hamilton,  Ind.,  aTid 
one  year  later  removed  to  the  town  of  Wel- 
lington, Monroe  Co.,  Wis.,  the  family  having 
the  honor  of  being  the  first  white  settleis  in 
the  town.  In  1862  they  removed  to  the  town  of  I 
Whitestown  and  Mr.  Walker  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  1,  which  he  still  owns. 
In  1865  lie  enlisted  in  the  50th  regiment,  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  in  1866.  Mr.  Walker  was  married 
in  1872  to  Catharine,  daughter  of  Hartley  and 
Elizabeth  Danes.  They  have  two  children — 
Marlow  and  Maggie. 


Hiram  Timerman,  who  is  one  of  the  most 
]>rominent  business  men  of  Ontario  village, 
was  born  in  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1825.  He 
was  there  reared  and  educated.  In  1841,  when 
quite  young,  he  learned  the  wagon  and  carriage 
maker's  trade  and  was  engaged  in  manufactur- 
ing those  vehicles  nntil  1864.  In  this  latter 
year  he  returned  to  Ont.ario  village  and  opened 
the  tirst  wagon  shop  in  the  town  of  Whites- 
town.  He  carried  on  a  successful  business  un- 
til 1882,  when  he  disposed  of  his  stock  and  cus- 
tom to  his  two  sons,  who  now  operate  the  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Timerman  subsequently  engaged  in 
the  furnituge  business,  owns  a  good  stock 
and  is  enjoying  a  fine  trade.  He  also  owns 
a  residence  and  two  village  lots  and  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  2.  He  was  mar- 
ried, in  1850,  to  Harriet  Luther.  They 
have  three  children — Mertin,  Herman,  who 
married  Lucy  Hart,  and  Dell,  who  married 
Jennie  McFee.  Mrs.  Timermanwas  born  in 
1820. 

Hon.  Van  S.Bennett  is  the  leading  business 
man  of  the  village  of  Rockton  and  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  Vernon  county.  He  was 
born  in  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1836.  His  grand- 
father was  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion  and  a 
prominent  planter  and  slave-holder  and  depart- 
ed thi.s  life  in  1820.  One  son,  J.  V.,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Jefferson  Co.,  Va., 
in  1801  and  at  the  death  of  his  fatiier,  came  into 
possession  of  one-ninth  of  the  estate.  This  in- 
terest was  paid  him  in  slaves.  From  the  death 
of  his  father  until  1828,  a  period  of  eight  years, 
he  was  also  overseer  of  the  plantation  and  was 
paid  in  slaves  for  his  services.  In  the  latter 
year,  when  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he 
left  the  old  plantation  for  New  York,  t.aking 
with  him  all  the  property  he  then  possessed — a 
large  number  of  slaves.  Upon  arriving  at  his 
destination  he  gave  freedom  to  all  his  dusky 
chattels  and  by  so  doing  became  in  one  hour  a 
penniless  man.  He  commenced  life  again  by 
liiring  to  work  on  a  farm  at  ten  dollars  per 
month.  He  came  to  Rockton  in  1868  and  died 
at  the  residence    of    his    son     in     1870.     His 


758 


HISTOBY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


wife,  Eliza  Beiiuelt,  was  born  in  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  181-2,  and  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Bennett  in  1834.  Tliey  were  the  parents  of  five 
children — Van  S.,  William  H.,  who  was  captain 
of  company  B  ,  25th  regiment,  Wisconsin  Vol- 
unteer Infantry  and  died  in  1864;  Isaac,  who 
died  in  1847;  Virginia,  who  departed  this  life 
in  Whitestown,  in  1867,  and  I.  J.,  a  practicing 
phy.sician  of  Lansing,  Iowa.  Van  S.  Bennett, 
the  eldest  child,  remained  in  his  native  county 
until  ten  years  of  age  and  then  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Dane  Co.,  Wis.  Six  years  later  tliey 
removed  to  Jefiferson  county  and  in  1854  to 
Kickapoo  Center,  Vernon  Cv>unty.  At  this  lat- 
ter place  Mr.  Bennett  assisted  in  erecting  the 
first  saw  mill  in  the  town  of  Kickapoo.  In 
1855  he  went  to  Richland  county  and  for  six 
years  worked  in  the  lumbering  camps.  In  1861 
he  enlisted  in  the  1 2th  regiment,  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  commissioned  a  1st 
lieutenant  and  in  1862  was  promoted  as  captain 
and  discharged  in  1864.  He  returned  to  Ricli- 
land  county  and  was  elected  superintendent  of 
the  schools,  wliich  position  he  held  for  two 
years.  In  1866  he  came  to  Whitestown  and 
purchased  the  grist  mill  owned  by  Laughton 
Bros.  In  1867  lie  erected  the  fir.st  saw  mill  in 
the  village,  which  he  still  owns  and  operates. 
In  1873  he  platted  the  village  of  Rockton  and  in 
1879,  in  connection  with  C.  B.  Weldon,  pur- 
chased a  general  stock  of  goods.  In  1881  the 
partnership  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Weldon  retiring 
from  the  firm,  and  Mrs.  Bennett  has  since 
assisted  in  the  store  duties.  Mr.  Bennett  is  the 
largest  landed  proprietor  in  Vernon  county, 
owning  about  2,;J00  acres.  He  was  married,  in 
1858,  to  Jennie,  daughter  of  Alfred  and 
Rebecca  Lovelace.  They  have  one  daughter — 
Onie.  Mrs.  Bennett  was  born  in  1837.  Mr. 
Bennett  was  justice  of  the  peace  thirteen 
years  ;  chairman  of  town  board  four  years  ; 
chairman  of  county  board  two  years ;  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  Assembly  two  terms. 
He  is  the  present  representative  to  the  State 
Senate  from  this  district,  receiving   a   plurality 


vote  of  447  over  both  democratic  and  green- 
back candidates. 

Elbert  W.  Sandon  is  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Sandon  &  White,  dealers  in  ilry 
goods,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes,  and  clothing. 
He  was  born  in  Dane  Co.,  Wis.,  in  1849,  and  in 
1866,  wlien  seventeen  years  of  age,  came  to  the 
town  of  Whitestown,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
During  the  first  three  or  four  years  of  his  resi- 
dence here,  he  traveled  during  the  summer 
months,  and  resided  in  Ontario  in  the  winter 
seasons.  In  1869  he  formed  a  copartnership 
with  his  brother  Robert,  and  the  firm  com- 
menced the  mercantile  trade.  Mr.  Sandon  re- 
mained in  the  firm  until  1874,  when  he  disposed 
of  his  interest  to  liis  brother,  and  established 
iiimself  in  his  present  business  a  little  later  in 
the  same  year.  In  1880  he  sold  one  half  inter- 
est in  the  business  to  Cassius  White,  and  pur- 
chased a  half  interest  in  the  saw  and  grist  mill 
in  the  village.  The  flouring  mill  contains  tliree 
run  of  stones  and  has  a  capacity  of  about 
700  bushels  per  day.  The  saw  mill  is  furnished 
with  a  circular  saw,  and  has  a  capacity  of  8,000 
feet  of  lumber  per  day.  Mr.  Sandon  is  one  of 
the  enterprising  and  successful  business  men  of 
Vernon  county,  and  enjoys  the  esteem  of  the 
whole  community.  He  was  married  in  1874  to 
Angle,  daughter  of  Giles  and  Caroline  While, 
the  first  settlers  in  this  town.  Mrs.  Sandon  was 
born  in  1846. 

Ole  Arntzen,  a  native  of  Norway,  was  born 
in  1821,  and  emigrated  to  the   United  States  in 

1865.  He   first   settled    in    La  Crosse,  Wis.,  in 

1866,  where  he  remained  till  the  fall  of  1867, 
when  he  came  to  Whitestown  and  entered  160 
acres  of  land  on  sections  21  and  28,  which  he 
now  owns,  with  about  80  acres  improved.  Mr. 
Arntzen  was  married,  in  1853,  to  Johanna  M. 
Sternberg.  They  have  six  children — August  M., 
Henry,  Peter  O.,  Rudolph,  John  and  Arendine. 
August  is  now  married  to  Mary  Vance. 

Heinrich  Heinrich,  a  justice  of  the  peace  of 
the  town  of  Whitestown,  was  born  in  Germany 
in  1831.     He  left  his  native  land  in  a  steam  ves- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


757 


sel  in  the  spring  of  1869,  and  when  near  Eng- 
land,  the  vessel  broke  a  propelling  screw,  and 
had  to  put  into  London  for  repairs.  After 
leaving  England,  and  when  fully  in  mid  ocean, 
terrific  stormts  drove  the  vessel  hither  and 
thither.  Their  provisions  almost  gave  out,  and 
their  coal  was  entirely  consumed.  'J  hey  found 
it  necessary  to  use  bedsteads,  benches,  stools, 
etc.,  for  fuel,  and  with  great  difficulty  and  many 
misgivings,  reached  New  York  harbor.  Mr. 
Heinrich  came  directly  to  Vernon  county,  and 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Whitestown 
town,  on  sections  3-t  and  27,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  In  188C  Jie  was  appointed  justice  of 
the  peace,  and  is  now  serving  in  th.it  capacity. 
Mr.  Heinrich  was  ma'-ried,  in  18.52,  to  Alh  Zae- 
ger,  born  in  1832,  and  a  grand-child  of  a  native 
of  Germany,  wlio  came  to  America  at  an  early 
day,  and  fought  under  Washington  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary war,  but  afterward  returned  to 
Germany,  and  there  died.  Six  children  were 
born  to  this  union,  one  dying  in  Germany,  and 
five  now  living — Carl  D.,  born  in  1853,  studied 
theology  for  three  years  at  the  Northwestern 
College,  Naperville,  111.;  Louise  M.,  born  in 
1856,  and  wife  of  August  Krugel;  L.  Emielie, 
born  in  1859,  and  resides  in  New  York  city  ; 
A.  Auguste,  born  in  1861,  and  wife  of  Carl 
Krugel,  and  Eliese  Adeiia,  born  in  1866,  and 
wife  of  George  Thomas. 

Rev.  W.  F.  Phillips,  the  present  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  of  the  village  of  On- 
tario, Vernon  Co.,  Wis.,  was  born  in  Wales, 
in  1801.  When  quite  young  he  became  imbued 
with  the  idea  of  becoming  a  minister  of  the 
gospel  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  com- 
menced to  talk  on  religious  matters.  In  1818  he 
entered  Brecon  College,  in  the  south  of  Wales, 
to  prepare  for  the  ministry.  He  was  graduated 
in  1822,  and  in  1842  came  to  these  United 
States.  His  first  charge  was  the  Welsh  Baptist 
Church,  at  Utica,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained 
four  years.  He  then  removed  to  Freedom,  in 
the  same  State,  where  he  officiated  as  pastor  to 
both  the  English  and  Welsh   Baptist  Churches 


for  about  nine  years.  He  was  subsequently  in 
charge  of  two  Baptist  congregations  at  Dodge- 
ville,  Iowa  Co.,  Wis.,  for  three  years,  and  was 
then  called  to  the  Church  at  Spring  Green, 
Sauk  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  ministered  to  the 
spiritual  wants  of  three  congregations  until 
1870.  In  the  latter  year,  he  came  to  Ontario, 
and  has  since  officiated  as  their  pastor.  A 
glance  at  the  foregoing  will  abundantly  serve 
to  show  that  Rev.  Phillips  has  spent  a  long  and 
useful  life  in  the  service  of  his  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter. He  is  now  nearing  the  end  of  this  mortal 
life,  but  the  years  that  have  whitened  his  locks 
and  enfeebled  his  steps  have  also  added  strength 
to  his  soul  and  a  determination  to  die  in  the 
harness.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1831, 
to  Ann  Jones,  and  seven  children  have  been 
born  to  them,  five  living — Frank  M.  (Daniel), 
Jennie  (Davis),  William  C,  Lucinda  (Green) 
and  Catherine  (Fox).  Mrs.  Phillips  crossed 
over  the  dark  river  in  1869,  and  Jan.  12",  1875, 
Rev.  Phillips  married  Lydia  Beecher,  a  native 
of  Hinesburg,  Vt. 

Christian  Fransen  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
where  he  was  born  in  1844,  and  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1872,  and  first  located 
on  Coon  Prairie,  where  he  lived  until  1875, 
when  he  moved  to  Whitestown,  and  purchased 
sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  7,  where  he  now 
resides.  He  has  increased  his  farm  to  one 
hundred  acres.  Mr.  Fransen  was  united  in 
marriage  in  1872  to  Mary  Christianson,  by 
whom  he  has  six  children — Clara,  Laura,  Carrie, 
Jenette,  Zena  and  a  twin  sister  not  yet  named. 
Mr.  Fransen  has  about  twenty-five  acres  of 
land  under  cultivation. 

Steen  Steenson  was  born  in  Norway  in  1850. 
His  father,  John  Steenson,  was  born  in  Nor- 
way, in  1823,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1865.  He  now  resides  in  this  town,  on  section 
5.  Steen  Steenson  came  to  America  in  1868, 
and  first  settled  on  Coon  Prairie,  in  this  county, 
where  he  lived  five  years.  In  1873  he  removed 
to  Whitestown,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land,  on  section  5,   which    he    now  owns.     Mr. 


758 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Steenson  married  Johanna  Ericsou,  daugli- 
ter  of  Ericson  Thompson.  They  have  two 
children — Albert  and  Amel. 

V.  A.  Stoddard,  a  native  of  the  "Badger  State," 
was  born  in  Dodge  Co.,  Wis,  in  1854.  Soon 
after  his  birth  his  parents  removed  to  Sheldon,  in 
Monroe  county,  where  he  remained  until  1875, 
receiving  a  good  common  school  education.  In 
the  latter  year,  he  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land 
on  section  6,  Whitestown  town,  and  moved  on  to 
his  farm  the  same  year.  Mr.  Stoddard  was 
elected  clerk  of  Whitestown  in  1882,  and  has 
been  clerk  of  his  school  district  for  six  years. 
He  was  married  in  1874  to  Anna  E.,  daughter 
of  Michael  and  Mary  J.  Dunn.  They  have 
four  children — Charles  D.,  William  P.,  Rettie 
A.  and  Bessie  A.  Mr.  Stoddard's  father  was 
born  in  New  York,  in  1828,  and  his  mother  in 
Maine,  in  1833. 

Han.8  Hanson  is  a  native  of  Norway,  and  was 
born  in  1S28.  He  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1853,  in  the  month  of  August.  He 
first  settled  on  Coon  Prairie,  in  Vernon  county, 
where  he  remained  until  1877,  when  he  removed 
to  Whitestown  and  purchased  140  acres  of  land 
from  Christian  Thompson  on  sectioti  6,  which 
he  still  owns.  Mr.  Hanson  was  married  to 
Anna  Evenson  in  1860,  by  whom  ho  had  one 
child — Caroline,  who  died  in  1866.  Mr.  Han- 
son was  unfortunate  in  losing  his  wife  in  1865. 
He  again  married,  in  1866,  Mary  Larson. 
They  have  five  children — Anna,  Henry,  Laura, 
Clara  and  Ida,  all  single  and  living  at  home. 
Neither  of  Mr.  Hanson's  parents  came  to  the 
United  States. 

Ora  Winsor,  cabinet  and    wagon-maker,  was 
born    in  Chenango    Co.,    N.    Y.,  where  he    re- 
mained until  1827,  and  then  removed    to  Chau-  : 
tauqua   county,  in  the  same    State.       He  there 
learned  the  carpenter   trade,  and  in    1831  went  i 
to  Canada,  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  two  years,  j 
Returning   to    New  York,    he  there  remained  ; 
until    1847,    when   he    came  west  and    located 
in    York   town    Green  Co.,    Wis.     In  1851,   he 


removed  to  Madison,  and  there  lived  until  1855. 
He  traveled  extensively  over  the  States  of  Wis- 
consin, Iowa  and  Colorado,  and  in  1881  located 
in  the  town  of  Whitestown.  He  now  carries 
on  a  cabinet  and  wagon-shop,  and  enjoys  a 
good  run  of  custom.  Mr.  Winsor  was  married, 
in  1835,  to  Polly  Ann  Brown,  who  was 
the  mother  of  four  children — Chauncey  A.,  who 
married  Frank  Ten  Eyck,  Lucy  M.,  wife 
of  E.  Groer,  Jirab  R.,  who  married  Cordelia  A. 
Bishop,  and  Jason  C,  who  selected  for  his  wife 
Anna  Piper.  Mrs.  Winsor  died  in  1861, 
and  Mr.  Winsor  was  again  married,  in  1863,  to 
Jane  A.  Wilcox,  who  departed  this  life  in 
1875. 

Arnold  Widmer,  junior  member  of  the  firm 
of  Bennett  &  Widmer,  proprietors  of  Rock- 
ton  flouring  mills,  was  born  in  Switzerland,  in 
1848.  He  received  a  thorough  collegiate  edu- 
cation in  the  mother  country,  and  subsequently 
learned  the  milling  trade.  He  came  to  these 
United  States  in  1868,  and  first  located  in 
Buffalo  Co.,  Wis.  He  there  worked  on  a  farm 
for  some  time,  and  since  then  has  been  constant- 
ly employed  at  his  trade.  In  1874  he  came  to 
Kockton,  and  worked  in  the  grist  mill.  In 
January,  1883,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in 
the  flouring  mill,  and  the  business  has  since 
been  conducted  by  the  firm  of  Bennett  &  Wid- 
mer. Mr.  Widmer  also  owns  a  residence  and 
three  village  lots  in  Rockton,  and  eighty  acres 
of  land  in  the  town  of  Stark.  Mr.  Widmer 
was  married,  in  1870,  to  Viola,  daughter  of 
David  and  Jutita  Kellicut.  They  hare  five 
children — Franklin  A.,  Bertha,  Elmer  L.,  Net- 
tie C.  and  Hattie  L.   (twins). 

A.  Burlingame,  a  physician  by  profession 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation,  was  born  in  Wy- 
oming Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1819.  In  1828  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Putnam  Co.,  Ind,  and  in 
1836,  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.  His  mother  was  the 
first  married  white  woman  in  that  city.  Mr. 
Burlingame  attended  the  public  schools,  and  in 
1847  returned  to  Putnam  Co.,  Ind,  where  he 
studied  medicine  for  four  years.     He  first  local- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


T5{t 


to  280  acres.       Mr.  Burlingame    was   married, 
in     1844,     to   Julia     Ruggles,    and    four    chil- 


ed    for  practice  in  Geauga  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he 

remained  twelve  years.     He    then    removed   to 

EIroy,  Wis.,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  I  dren  were  born  to  them — E.  C.,  G.  W.,  L.  F. 

for  about   eighteen    years.     In  1881  he  came  to  ^  and  J   B.  Mrs.  Burlingame  died  in  1858,  and  he 

Whitestown    town,  and    purchased    120  acres  of  i  was  again  married,  in    August,    1882,  to  Mrs.  C. 

land  on  section  14.     He  has  increased  this  farm     F.  Rush. 


?60 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPIER     LI 


HONORABLE    MENTION. 


It  is  but  natural  that  those  persons  who  have 
been  honored  witli  high  official  positions  should 
be  entitled  to  tlie  esteem  of  good  citizens  when 
it  is  known  that  their  advancement  has  been 
due  wholly  to  merit.  Such,  in  a  marked  degree, 
has  been  the  case  with  those  few  .citizens  of 
Vernon  county  who  have  been  intrusted  with 
liigli  official  responsibilities.  In  this  connec- 
tion may,  with  jiropriety,  be  named  Daniel  B. 
Priest,  who  filled  the  office  of  collector  of  inter- 
nal revenue  of  the  6th  Wisconsin  district;  Wil- 
liam Nelson,  appointed  mai'slial  of  Utah;  Jere- 
miah M.  Rusk,  who  was  first  elected  bank  comp- 
troller of  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  afterward 
its  governor,  and  is  still  in  office,  and  William 
F.  Terhune,  the  pioneer  lawyer  of  Vernon 
county,  and  subsequently  its  representative  in 
the  State  Assembly,  and  county  judge. 

Gen.  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  governor  of  Wis- 
consin, was  born  in  Morgan  Co.,  Ohio,  in  1830, 
and  settled  in  Vernon  (then  Bad  Ax)  Co.,  Wis., 
in  1853,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was 
sheriff  of  the  county  some  years,  and  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  Assembly  in  1862.  He 
was  commissioned  major  of  the  25th  Wisconsin 
regiment  in  July  of  that  year.  After  a  brief 
service  in  the  Minnesota  Indian  campaign,  his 
regiment  was  ordered  down  the  Mississippi  and 
up  the  YazToo  river,  and  subseqwently  partici- 
pated in  the  siege  and  capture  of  Vicksburg. 
After  that  place  fell  he  returned  to  Helena, 
Ark.,  and  was  promoted  lieutenant-colonel  of 
his  regiment,  and  served  a  short  time  as  presi- 
dent of  a  court  martial  there.  On  tlie  1st  of 
February,  1864,  he  took  command    of   his  regi- 


ment, joined  Gen.  Sherman's  army,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  Meridian  campaign.  He  was  com- 
plimented in  general  orders  for  the  discipline 
he  maintained  on  that  march,  and  for  not  los- 
ing a  man  from  straggling  or  inattention.  He 
continued  with  Gen.  Sherman,  participating  in 
all  the  hot  fights  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  from 
May  1,  until  the  battle  of  Jonesboro,  which  gave 
the  Union  forces  possession  of  Atlanta  in  Se])- 
tember.  At  the  battle  of  the  "Twenty-second 
of  July,"  when  the  heroic  McPherson  fell.  Gen. 
Rusk  was  in  command  at  the  front,  and  lost 
one-third  of  his  men.  During  the  battle  he  wns 
once  fairly  cut  off  from  his  command  and  sur- 
rounded by  soldiers  armed  with  sabre  bayo- 
nets. His  sword  was  seized,  and  he  was  ordered 
to  surrender,  but  drawing  his  pistol,  he  used  it 
with  such  deadly  effect  that  he  broke  through 
his  assailants,  and  escaped  with  a  slight  wound 
in  his  leg  and  the  loss  of  his  horse,  riddled  with 
bullets.  This  incident  is  mentioned  in  illustra- 
tion of  his  bravery  and  daring.  Conduct  under 
trying  circumstances  is  a  fair  inde.x  of  charac- 
ter; opportunities  make  men;  we  are  creatures 
of  circumstance.  Distinctive  traits  of  character 
or  positive  qualities  cannot  be  successfully  as- 
sumed for  the  occasion.  Give  a  man  an  oppor- 
tunity, and  the  metal  he  is  made  of,  either  vol- 
untarilv  or  involuntarily  on  his  part,  will  be 
made  to  appear;  the  keen  perception  of  a  dis- 
criminating public  will  soon  detect  the  impos- 
tor, notwitlistanding  he  may  play  the  game 
with  consumate  art.  The  public  man,  especially, 
cannot  long  play  undetected  the  part  of  the 
deceiver.     Gen.    Rusk    is    a   brave,   true    and 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


Y61 


modest  man.     "Free   from  deceit  his  head,  and 
full  as  free  his  heart." 

After  the  battle  of  Jonesboro  he  followed 
Hood  back  into  Alabama,  then  returned  to  At- 
lanta, and  in  Sherman's  "march  to  the  sea,"  had 
command  of  the  advance  of  the  lYth  corps, 
having  the  skirmishers,  pioneers,  engineers  and 
the  pontoon  train  under  his  charge.  In  the 
Carolina  campaign,  from  Beaufort  Island  north, 
he  was  breve tted  brigadier-general  for  gallan- 
try at  the  battle  of  Saukahatchie,  in  February. 
Here,  to  use  Gen.  Mower's  expression,  "he  rode 
farther  into  hell  than  I  would  go,  and  he 
was  the  onlv  man  I  have  ever  seen  who  would 
take  such  risks."  This  campaign  lasted  about 
two  months.  He  was  mustered  out  in  June, 
1865.  From  the  May  previous  he  had  been 
constantly  on  duty  in  Gen.  Sherman's  army 
every  day. 

When  his  regiment  was  mustered  out,  officers 
and  men  united  in  expressions  of  regard  and 
esteem,  and  he  was  highly  commended  by  his 
superior  officers  for  gallantry. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  card  that  ap- 
peared in  the  Wisconsin  State  Journal  on  the 
separation  of  the  officers  of  the  2.5th  regiment, 
Wisconsin  Volunteers: 

A  CARD. 

American  House,  ) 
Madison,  Wis.,  June  25,  1 865.  f 
We,  the  undersigned  officers  of  the  25th 
Wisconsin  Infantry,  hereby  take  this  opportu- 
nity, upon  the  occasion  of  the  disbanding  of 
our  military  organization,  to  express  our  esteem 
and  profound  regard  for  Col.  J.  M.  Rusk.  We 
part  from  him  feeling  in  our  hearts  that  we 
have  bid  good  by  to  our  leader,  than  whom 
there  is  not  one  more  daring  or  gallant. 

Remembering  that  he  led  us  through  Georgia, 
down  to  the  sea,  and  through  the  swamps  of 
the  Carolinas,  ever  mindful  of  our  welfare,  he 
stood  by  us  to  the  last ;  our  prayer  is  that  he 
may  be  rewarded  by  the  people  of  the  State, 
and  that  his  noble  deeds  be  not  forgotten  by 
the  authorities.  Never  despairing  but  always 
hopeful,  we  remember  how  he  performed    his 


arduous  duties  during  the  dark  days  around 
and  in  front  of  Atlanta ;  and  when  his  regi- 
ment was  called  into  action,  we  always  knew 
who  was  at  its  head.  Asking  nothing  and 
receiving  little,  he  stood  by  the  regiment  at  all 
times,  ever  mindful  of  the  interests  of  its 
officers  and  men. 

In  parting  with  him  our  acknowledgement 
is,  he  is  a  gentleman,  a  hero  and  soldier.  His 
deeds  do  show  either  of  these. 

Thomas  Harwood,  Chaplain. 

John  Fitzgerald,  LieuUnant  and  Adjutant. 

Z.  S.  Swain,  Captain. 

H.  D.  Farquasson,  Captain. 

rharles  A.  Hunt,  Ca2ytain. 

Rob  R>y  McGregor,  Captain. 

Warren  C.  S.  Barron,  Captain. 

Edward  E.  Houstain,  \st  Lieutenant. 

John  R.  Can f; on,  \st  Lieutenant. 

D.  C.  Hope,  Quartermaster. 
John  R.  Casson,  Captain. 
William  A.  Gott,  Surgeon. 

E.  B.  Waggoner,  2c?  Lieute7iant. 
Pleasant  S.  Fritchett,  2d  Lieutenant. 
Warren  G.  Davis,  \st  Lieutenaiit. 
Mortimer  E.  Leonard,  Captain. 
John  M.  Shaw,  Captain. 
Benjamin  B.  Gurley,  Captain. 
Daniel  M.  Smalley,  Captain. 

John  T.  Richards,  \st  Lieutenant. 

Julius  A.  Parr,  \st  Lieutenant. 

Oliver  M.  York,  -Id  Lieutenanit. 
To  Col.  J.  M.  Rusk. 

When  Gen.  Sprague  was  transferred  to  a 
different  field,  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
Gen.,  then  Col.  Rusk. 

Head  Quarters   2d   Brigade,  1st  Div.,  ^ 
1  7th  Army  Corps,  near  >• 

Washngton,  D.  C,  May  29,  1865.  \ 
Dear  Colonel  : — As  I  am  ordered  by  the 
war  department  to  a  distant  field,  in  a  few 
hours  I  shall  be  compelled  to  take  leave  of  my 
old  command.  In  doing  so  I  feel  that  I  shall 
separate  from  very  many  that  are  very  dear  to 
me,  made  so  by  being  associated  with  them  in 


763 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


common  toils  and  danger.  I  cannot  leave  you, 
colonel,  without  expressing  my  tbanks  for  that 
hearty  support  and  co-operation  which  has  ever 
characterized  your  actions  and  bearing  in  the 
field.  You  have  been  very  much  in  command 
of  your  regiment,  it  has  won  a  proud  name, 
second  to  none  that  I  know  in  our  armies.  You, 
by  your  faithful  and  untiring  efforts,  have  con- 
tributed largely  to  this.  You  are  entitled  to, 
and  I  hope  will  receive  the  generous  thanks  of 
the  executive  and  the  people  of  your  State,  for 
your  faithfulness  to  the  troops  entrusted  -to 
your  care.  The  able  manner  in  which  you 
have  discharged  every  duty  in  the  field  entitles 
you  to  the  gratitude  of  all  who  love  the  cause 
in  which  you  have  served  so  well. 

Please  accept,  colonel,  my  sincere  wishes  for 
youv  prosperiiy  and  happiness. 
Your  friend, 

J.  W.  Spkague, 
Brigadier-  General. 
To  Col.  J.  M.    Rusk,    25lh  Wisconsin   Volun- 
teers. 

Such  was  Gen.  Rusk  as  a  soldier,  as  is  found 
recorded,  and  gathered  from  those  who  know 
his  history. 

In  September,  1865,  the  republican*  State 
convention  of  Wisconsin  nominated  the  gen- 
eral for  bank  comptroller  by  acclamation.  He 
was  elected  in  the  November  following  by 
upwards  of  10,000  majority.  In  1867  he  was 
again  nominated  and  elected  by  the  repub 
licans  of  his  State,  and  served  tiie  two  terms  in 
a  most  acceptable  manner.  During  his  second 
term  the  business  of  State  banking  having  become 
nearly  obsolete,  by  reason  of  the  discrimina- 
tions against  it  in  the  national  banking  law,  the 
people  passed  an  amendment  to  tbe  Slate  (Con- 
stitution abolishing  the  office  of  bank  comptrol- 
ler. So  that  he  was  the  last  bank  comptroller 
of  Wisconsin.  The  following  editorial  ap- 
peared in  the  Wisconsin  State  Journal  on  tbe 
occasion  of  Gen.  Rusk's  final  retirement  from 
the  office  of  bank  comptroller: 

"As  a  State  officer  he  was  thoroughly  conver- 
sant with  the  law  and    rules   pertaining  to    his 


department.  In  closing  out  old  banks  he  has 
saved  the  State  much  money.  His  suggestions 
concerning  the  final  settlement  of  all  bank  ac- 
counts have  been  valuable. 

"The  general  is  distinguished  for  his 
thoroughness  in  business  matters,  the  abstnce 
of  narrow  prejudices  in  all  things,  a  determina- 
tion to  do  what  is  fair,  for  his  excellent  judg- 
ment and  unswerving  devotion  to  republican 
principles. 

"In  August,  1870,  he  was  nominated  by  the 
republicans  of  the  sixth  congressional  district 
in  Wisconsin  as  their  candidate  for  represent- 
ative in  Congress  and  in  November  of  the  same 
year  was  elected  by  the  largest  majority  given 
by  any  district  of  the  State  to  its  representa- 
i  ve.     He  is  now  serving  his  term  in  Congress.  ' 

Gov.  Rusk's  congressional  career  commenced 
on  the  4th  day  of  March,  1871.  He  was  then 
brought  face  to  face  with  the  most  eminent 
statesmen  of  both  political  parties,  and  placed 
on  a  higher  plane  of  action  than  he  had  before 
occupied.  Would  he  be  found  equal  to  thd 
emergency?  His  district  was  "the  old  sixth" 
that  had  been  represented  so  many  years  by  the 
late  C.  C.  Washburn.  It  was  very  large,  em- 
bracing twenty-four  counties,  and  covering 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  one-half  the  area  of  the 
State.  It  embraced  all  that  portion  of  the 
State  which  was  rapidly  filling  up  with  new  set- 
tlers and  in  which  new  industries  were  being 
developed.  It  extended  from  the  Wisconsin 
river  on  the  south  and  east,  to  the  Mississippi 
river  on  the  west  and  to  Lake  Superior  on 
the  north.  To  become  acquainted  with  and  to 
protect  all  the  mixed  interests  of  his  district  re- 
quired great  labor  and  ceaseless  care. 

When  he  appeared  in  the  field  as  a  candidate 
for  the  nomination,  he  found  the  Hon.  William 
T.  Price,  of  Black  River  Falls,  to  be  his  princi- 
pal competitor;  the  Hon.  John  T.  Kingston,  of 
Needah.  was  also  in  the  field  with  quite  a 
strong  and  influential  following,  but  he  was 
not  so  prominent  an  opponent  as  was  Mr.  Price- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


763 


The  merits  of  the  three  candidates  were  freely 
and  thoroughly  discussed  before  the  nominating 
convention  was  held.  The  voters  felt  as 
though  the  district  that  had  been  so  well  repre- 
sented by  Washburn,  should  be  represented  by 
a  worthy  successor.  The  nominating  conven- 
tion was  held  in  Sparta,  and  after  a  spirited 
contest,  during  which  Price,  despairing  of  r.  - 
ceiving  the  nomination  himself,  sought  to  de- 
feat Gen.  Rusk  by  turning  as  much  of  his 
strength  as  he  could  over  to  Kingston.  Gen. 
Rusk  bore  off  the  honors 

The  Hon.  Alexander  Meggett,  of  Eau  Claire, 
was  the  democratic  nominee,  and  both  candi- 
dates canvassed  the  whole  district,  but  Gen. 
Rusk  was  elected  over  Meggett  by  a  majority  of 
5,528  votes,  his  own  county,  Vernon,  giving  him 
a  majority  of  1,1-32  votes  in  a  total  vote  of 
1,562.  In  this  Congress,  the  XLIId,  Geii. 
Rusk  was  placed  on  the  committee  on  public 
lands  and  on  that  of  tlie  militia. 

Before  the  next  congressional  election  cam( 
around,  the  State  had  been  re-districted  unde; 
the  census  of  1870,  and  the  "old  sixth  district' 
disappeared,  and  Vernon  county  was  throwi 
into  the  new  seventh  district.  But  so  well  had  h< 
met  the  expectations  of  his  constituents,  and  si 
clean  was  his  record,  that  no  candidate  appeared 
in  the  field  against  him,  and  he  was  elected  to 
the  XLIIId  Congress  without  opposition  in 
the  republican  ranks.  The  democratic  can- 
didate was  the  Hon.  Stephen  Manton,  of  Eau 
Claire.  Gen.  Rusk  was  elected  in  the  new 
seventh  district,  by  a  majority  of  7,637  votes, 
his  own  county  giving  him  a  majority  of  2,124, 
in  a  total  vote  of  .3,010.  This  vote  will  illustrate 
the  great  popularity  of  the  general  at  home.  In 
the  XLIIId  Congress,  he  was  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  Invalid  Pensions,  also  a  member 
of  the  committee  on  Mines  and  Mining.  Under 
his  chairmanship,  the  pension  laws  receivcil 
careful  consideration,  and  it  can  undoubtedly 
be  said  that  the  interests  of  the  old  soldiers  nf 
the  republic  were  not  neglected. 


In  1874  he  was  placed  in  nomination  for  re- 
election, with  little  or  no  opposition.  Maj.  D. 
C.  Fulton,  of  Hudson,  was  the  democratic  nom- 
inee. In  this  election,  the  general  received  a , 
majority  of  3,441  votes  over  Maj.  Fulton,  his 
own  county  giving  him  a  majority  of  1,262,  in  a 
total  vote  of  2,570.  The  XLIVth  Congress 
was  democratic,  but  he  was  placed  on  two  com- 
mittees— on  Invalid  Pensions  and  on  Agricul- 
ture. 

Gen.  Rusk  was  not  a  public  speaker  in  the 
general  acceptation  of  the  term,  and  conse- 
quently but  few  of  his  utterances  on  the  floor 
of  the  house  of  representatives  were  printed, 
liut  he  was  a  worker,  and  with  sleepless  vigi- 
lance he  watched  the  legislation  of  Congress, 
that  he  might  protect  and  enhance,  in  all  things, 
the  interests  of  his  more  immediate  constitu- 
ents, at  the  same  time  not  forgetting  that  as  a 
member  of  Congress  he  was  called  on  to  legis- 
late for  the  whole  country.  His  rai:'ml)ersbip  on 
the  committee  on  Agriculture  led  him  to  turn  his 
attention  to  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
cnuntry,  and  he  delivered  in  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives, a  s])eech  on  "The  tariff  and  its  rela- 
tion to  agriculture,"  which  was  printed  and  cir- 
culated all  over  the  country  as  a  campaign  doc- 
ument, in  the  summer  of  1876. 

While  a  member  of  Congress  and  in  a  great 
measure  held  responsible  for  all  Presidential  and 
and  other  federal  appointments  in  his  district, 
amid  all  the  scrambles  forofliceand  einoluments, 
he  so  conducted  himself  as  to  retain  the  respect, 
not  only  of  his  constituents,  but  of  all  the  peo- 
ple of  the  State.  Refusing  to  profit  by  the  salary- 
grab,  which  he  voted  against  in  all  its  stages, 
he  covered  his  back  pay  into  the  treasury.  He 
left  Congress  without  a  stain  on  his  record. 

From  the  day  of  his  retirement  from  Congress 
to  the  day  he  was  called  on  to  assume  the  ex- 
ecutive authority  of  the  State,  he  remained 
quietly  at  home,  attending  to  his  own  private 
business.  Only  once  during  these  years  did  he 
appear  in  public,  and  that  was  as  a  delegate  to 
the  republican  National  convention  in  Chicago, 


44 


164 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


in  1880.  But  during  this  period  of  retirement, 
he  was  not  lost  sight  of.  Six  years  service  in 
Congress,  under  the  eye  and  notice  of  Gen.  Gar- 
field, had  given  the  latter  a  clear  knowledge  of 
the  real  worth  and  abilities  of  Gen.  Rusk,  and 
when  Garfield  became  President,  without  con- 
sulting Gen.  Rusk,  he  nominated  him  to  the 
Senate  as  minister  to  Paraguay  and  Uraguay,  in 
South  America,  and  the  nomination  was  at  once 
unanimously  confirmed  by  the  Senate.  But  Gen. 
Rusk  declined  the  mission.  President  Garfield 
t'len  tendered  him  the  appointment  of  minister 
to  Denmark,  and  the  position  of  chief  of  the 
bureau  of  printing  and  engraving,  both  of  which 
Gen.  Rusk  declined. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  he  was  placed  in  nomina- 
tion for  the  oflice  of  governor  by  the  republi- 
can State  convention.  Before  the  meeting  of 
the  convention,  several  good  republicans  were 
named  as  candidates  for  the  ofiice.  It  was 
known  that  the  question  of  prohibition  would 
enter  into  the  contest,  and  the  democrats  hoped 
that  the  prohibitionists  would  draw  enough 
republican  votes  to  enable  the  democrats  to  elect 
their  whole  State  ticket.  With  this  end  in 
view,  the  democrats  encouraged  the  prohibi- 
tionists in  every  way  they  could.  Hon.  N.  D. 
Fratt,  of  Racine,  was  placed  in  nomination  by 
the  democrats,  T.  D.  Kanoure,  by  the  prohibi- 
tionists and  E.  P.  Allis,  by  the  greenback  party. 
Herculean  efforts  were  put  forth  by  the  demo- 
crats and  prohibitionists  to  defeat  the  general, 
but  without  success.  He  was  elected  by  a  plu- 
rality of  11,957,  over  Fratt.  Kanoure  received 
13,22.5  votes,  and  Allis  received  7,002  votes. 

The  following  account  of  the  inauguration  of 
Gov.  Rusk  IS  from  the  Madison  Democrat,  Jan. 
4,  1882: 

Monday,  the  legal  day  for  celebrating  the 
new  year,  and  inaugural  day,  too,  according  to 
law,  brought  grand  events  to  tlie  capital  city. 
At  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  streets  and 
corners  were  crowded  with  people,  especially 
boys  and  girls,  all  anxiously  awaiting  the  arrival 
of   troops   from   various   sections  of   the  State, 


coming  to  make  a  display  on  the  inaugural  oc- 
casion. Trains  from  the  north  were  late,  and  as 
time  went  on  the  crowds  continued  to  gather 
and  become  more  eager.  One  was  reminded  of 
the  approach  of  Barnura's  or  Forepaugh's  show 
— the  St  eet  parade.  The  day  was  bright,  and 
on  the  sunny  street  corners  the  throng  ex- 
perienced no  great  inconvenience.  By  and  by 
a  man  in  military  garb  made  his  appearance 
down  by  Shelden's  headquarters  and  hundreds 
rushed  to  meet  him.  He  gave  out  word  that 
three  companies  had  arrived  —  two  from  La 
Crosse  and  one  from  Beaver  Dam.  Then  did 
excitement  run  high.  In  due  time  the  military 
column  moved  from  East  Madison  towards  the 
centre  of  the  city.  The  march  was  up  Wilson, 
King  and  Main  streets.  The  escort  was  con- 
ducted by  the  Governor's  Guard  and  the  Lake 
City  Guard,  of  Madison.  When  the  line  reached 
a  point  on  Main  street,between  the  Vilas  House 
and  the  Park  Hotel,  slight  maneuvering  was 
indulged  in,  and  the  companies  from  abroad 
were  assigned  regular  quarters. 

Soon  after  1 1  o'clock  there  was  another 
arrival  and  another  rally  of  sight-seers.  The 
train  from  Milwaukee,  by  way  of  Watertown, 
brought  to  the  East  Madison  depot  a  company 
from  Milwaukee,  one  from  Oshkosh  and  one 
from  Fond  du  Lac,  and  a  band  from  Oshkosh. 
Here  followed  another  grand  escort  to  the  heart 
of  the  city,  the  Oshkosh  band  discoursing  soul- 
inspiring  music.  The  leader  in  front  with  a 
cap  as  big  as  a  bushel  basket,  swinging  his 
baton,  engrossed  the  full  attention  of  the 
j'oungsters.  This  was  the  elephant  of  the  show. 
The  march  continued  along  the  streets  above 
mentioned,  and  the  line  halted  where  the  first 
one  did,  and  broke  ranks  after  a  few  moments 
had  been  indulged  in  to  the  edification  of  a 
vast  throng  of  spectators. 

There  was  but  little  time  to  waste,  as  the  new 
State  otficers  must  be  at  the  capitol  to  take  the 
oath  of  office  at  noon.  Therefore  it  was  not 
long  before  drums  were  heard  to  beat  and  rattle, 
and  from  all  quarters  gathered  soldiers  in  fine 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


,05 


new  uaiforms.  The  Lake  City  Guard  was  easily 
distinguished  by  their  overcoats  which  they 
kept  on  all  through  the  day,  with  capes  fastened 
back,  showing  the  blood-red  lining. 

Eight  companies  formed  into  two  battalions 
on  Main  street,  along  the  southeast  side  of  the 
Capitol  square — one  battalion  made  up  of  the 
two  La  Crosse  companies  and  the  tvvo  capital 
city  companies,  was  commanded  by  Lieut.  Col. 
M.  T.  Moore,  and  the  other  battalion,  composed 
of  the  Milwaukee  company,  the  Beaver  Dam 
company,  the  Fond  du  Lac  and  the  Oshkosh 
companies,  was  under  command  of  Col.  Chand- 
ler P.  Chapman,  of  Madison.  After  some  maneu- 
vering the  two  battalions  were  marched  up  Main 
street,  and  took  position  on  Carroll  street  in 
front  of  the  Park  Hotel.  Here  the  new  and  the 
o'd  State  officers  were  received;  and  then  they 
went  around  the  capitol  park,  starting  down 
Carroll,  and  enteringthe  park  opposite  the  Vila: 
House.    The  line  was  made  up  as  follows: 

Ariou  Baud. 

La  Crosse  Light  Guards. 

LaCrosse  Governor's  Guard. 

Lake  City  Guard. 
Madison  Governor's  Guards. 
Drum  Corps. 
Burcliard  Guards  of  Beaver  Dam 
South  Side  Turner  Rifles. 
Oshkosh  Rifles. 
Fond  du  Lac  Guards. 
First  Carriage —  Containing  Gov.    Smith,  Gov. -elect 
Rusli,  Lieut-Gov.  Fifield,  and  Hon.  J.  C 
Gregor}^,  president  of  the  day. 
Second  Carriage— Containing  Secretary  Warner,    Sec- 
retary-elect Timme,  Treasurer  Guenther,  and 
Treasur-erekct  McFetridge. 
Third  Carriage— Containing  Attornev  General  Wilson, 
Attorney  General-elect  Frisbj.  State  Superin  - 
tendent  Whitford,  and  State  Super- 
intendent-elect Graham. 
Fourth  Carriage — Containing  Insurance  Commissioner 
Spooner,  Railroad  Commissioner  Turner, 
Railioad  Commissionir-eh  ct  Haugen 
and  Surgeoa-Genera!  Palmer. 
Fifth  Carriage— Containing  Hun.  Philetus  Sawyer,     if 
Oshkosh,  Gen.  Ed.  Bryant.  Col.  N.  Smith, 
and  Hon  .  K   L.  Gibson, 


The  capitol  was  entered  at  the  east  door,  and 
all  proceeded  at  once  to  the  assembly  chamber. 
On  the  main  stand  were  soon  seen  the  out-going 
and  in-going  State  officers,  the  president  of  the 
day,  Hon.  J.  C.  Gregory,  the  chief  justice  and 
his  associates  of  the  supreme  court,  and  other 
dignitaries. 

While  seats  were  filled,  the  Oshkosh  baud 
gave  out  rare  music.  The  exercises  were  opened 
with  prayer,  delivered  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Richards, 
of  Madison. 

President  Gregory  stated  the  occasion  and 
made  a  few  appropriate  and  happy  remarks. 

Gov.  William  E.  Smith  then  made  what  may 
be  termed  his  valedictory  address.  He  ex- 
pressed himself  happy  in  having  an  oppor- 
tunity to  acknowledge  that  though  the  two 
terms  of  his  office  had  found  his  duties  a 
pleasure,  the  'most  friendly  and  cordial  feel- 
ings had  existed  between  him  and  all  with  whom 
he  had  dealings.  The  State  was  in  a  most 
lirosperous  condition  ;  there  were  plenty  of 
moneys  in  the  treasury,  and  all  was  serenity,  so 
to  speak.  He  introduced  his  successor  with 
happy  remarks. 

Gen.  Rusk  arose,  amid  applause,  and  after 
acknowledging  the  responsibilities  of  the  high 
office  he  was  about  to  enter,  returned  thanks  to 
the  citizens  of  Madison,  and  others  who  had 
assembled,  for  the  most  kind,  and  generous  re- 
ception of  the  newly  elected  officers  about  to 
assume  their  duties;  he  also  thanked  the  Na- 
tional Guard,  who  had  so  generously  rendered 
service  upon  the  occasion,  and  the  retiring  State 
officers,  who  are  entitled  to  the  thanks  of  all  for 
the  faithful  and  efficient  manner  in  which  they 
have  discharged  their  several  duties.  Ihe  gov- 
ernor commenced  his  address  as  follows  : 

"Selected  by  the  people  of  Wisconsin  as  their 
chief  executive,  I  have  the  honor,  in  obedience 
to  the  requirements  of  the  constitution,  of  sub- 
mitting to  you  my  first  annual  message.  I  am 
deeply  impressed  with  the  responsibilities  of 
the  position  to  which  I  have  been  chosen,  occu- 
pied as  it  has  been   by   so    many    distinguished 


706 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


gentleman,  including  ray  immediate  predecessor, 
who  has  administered  the  affairs  of  State  with 
marked  ability  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
people. 

"The  past  year  has  been  one  of  unparalleled 
prosperity  to  the  Nation.  United  once  more  in 
the  bonds  of  peace  and  harmony,  with  all  sec- 
tional strife  abated,  the  country  has  made  gi- 
gantic strides  ahead.  Our  Nation  has  been 
blessed  with  health,  with  abundant  harvests, 
and  a  greater  degree  of  prosperity  than  in  any 
former  year;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  shock 
of  the  assassination  of  our  lament^  President, 
the  year  would  have  been  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  happy  of  our  National  life. 

"I  cannot  refrain  from  speaking  in  this  con- 
nection a  few  words  in  relation  to  our  late  be- 
loved President,  James  A.  Garfield;  a  man  of 
broad  intellect,  a  noble  heart,  a  kind  and  gener- 
ous spirit;  he  was  pre-eminently  a  leader  among 
leaders.  Succeeding  by  his  own  efforts  in  rais- 
ing himself  from  poverty  to  the  highest  posi- 
tion in  the  gift  of  the  people,  he  had  com- 
iii,enced  a  career  which  promised  to  bear  full 
fruition  of  the  hopes  of  his  countrymen,  when 
he  was  prostrated  by  the  bullet  of  an  assassin. 
Beloved  by  the  people  and  mourned  by  the 
whole  civilized  world,  his  memory  will  live  for- 
ever. 

"The  present  chief  magistrate,  President 
Chester  A  Arthur,  called  to  the  position  under 
these  most  sorrowful  circumstances,  has,  by  his 
wise  administration  of  governmental  affairs, 
merited  the  confidence  of  the  country. 

"Wisconsin  has  shared  in  the  general  pros- 
perity of  the  year.  Our  harvests  have  yielded 
good  returns  and  our  products  have  found 
ready  markets  at  good  prices. 

"Agriculture,  our  greatest  industry,  has  been 
well  rewarded,  and  the  financial  condition  of 
this  class,  who  contribute  so  much  to  the  growth 
and  wealth  of  our  State,  has  been  materially 
improved.  Capital  seeks  investment  at  a  much 
reduced  rate  of  interest;  our  manufacturing  in- 
dustries   have    steadily    and    permanently   in- 


creased, and  many  other  enterprises  and  re- 
sources have  been  developed  during  the  year. 

"The  laws  have  been  faithfully  and  efticiently 
executed,  and  peace  and  tranquility  have  pre- 
vailed throughout  the  State  during  the  year 
with  as  few  exceptions  as  is  usual." 

The  oath  of  oflfce  was  administered  to  all  the 
newly  elected  except  the  insurance  commis- 
sioner and  the  railroad  commissioner,  whose 
terms  have  not  yet  begun. 

The  next  entertainment  was  dress  parade  on 
Main  street,  which  called  out  a  good  crowd. 

In  the  evening  a  reception  and  dance  took 
place  in  the  assembly  chamber.  It  was  a  happy 
time.  The  new  governor  seemed  to  enjoy  him- 
self hugely  on  the  floor.  He  did  not  have  the 
fancy  modern  step  and  shufile,  but  he  indulged 
in  the  regular  old-fashioned  "hoe-down"  style, 
to  the  edification  of  the  spectators. 

Music  furnished  by  the  Oshkosli  band  was 
good. 

The  toilets  of  some  of  the 'ladies  on  the  floor 
are  described  as  follows: 

Mrs.  Gov.  Rusk,  black  velvet  dress,  elabo- 
rately trimmed  with  point  applique  lace,  blush 
roses. 

Mrs.  L.  J.  Rusk,  plain  black  silk  costume. 

Mrs.  Elmer  Craig,  daughter  of  Gov.  Rusk, 
black  velvet  skirt  with  black  silk  overdress, 
beautifully  embroidered  in  colors. 

Miss  Ida  Rusk,  white  satin  dress,  silk  mull, 
white  roses,  high  coiffure. 

Miss  Mary  Rusk,  pink  silk  grenadine  satin 
and  applique  lace  trimmings. 

Mrs.  Gov.  Smith,  black  velvet  dress  en  traine, 
point  lace,  flowers,  reception  hat. 

Mrs  H.  B.  Warner,  black  satin  de  Lyon,  trim- 
mings of  passementerie  and  guipure  lace,  point 
lace,  cameo  jewelry,  crushed  roses. 

Mrs.  Lieut.  Gov.  Fifield,  black  satin  merveil- 
leux  dress;  corals  and  lace. 

Mrs.E.  C.  McFetridge,  merveilleux  satin  dre.ss; 
shirred  flounces;  velvet  basque;  duchesse  lace; 
coral  jewelry. 


HrSTORY  OF  VERNON  C0T7NTY. 


76T 


Mrs.  II.  W.  Chynoweth,  black  surah  satin 
dress,  with  jet  trimmings  and  heliotrope  flowers. 

Miss  Alice  Frisby,  wine-colored  satin  dress, 
point  lace  trimmings. 

Mrs.  Congressman  Guenther,  peacock  blue 
satin  dress,  white  Spanish  lace  overdress;  dia- 
monds. 

Miss  Ella  Wheeler,  beautiful  white  satin  cos- 
tume, Spanish  lace  trimmings. 

Mrs.  F.  W.  Oakley,  light  blue  surah  silk  and 
silk  tissue;  diamond  ornaments. 

Mrs  David  Atwood,  black  satin  dress,  with 
point  duchesse  lace;  cameos. 

Mrs.  Gen.  Wilson,  black  satin  de  Lyon,  wilii 
court  train;  black  velvet  basque,  trimmings  of 
jet  and  steel  passementerie  and  thread  lai-e: 
duchesse  lace  and  coral  jewelry. 

Mrs.  Senator  Burrows,  dress,  dregs  of  wine, 
satin;  cameo  and  point  lace. 

Mrs.  Senator  Van  Schaick,  black  velvet  en 
traiiie  dress;  duchesse  lace  and  diamonds. 

Miss  Gary,  of  Beloit,  white  muslin  and  rose 
silk;  flowers. 

Miss  Atwood,  bronze  satin  merveilleux  and 
moire  brocade;  turquoise  and  pearl  jewelry. 

Mrs.  Dr.  A.  J.  Ward,  black  silk;  cameos. 

Mrs.  Col.  W.  F.  Vilas,  wine-colored  satin 
dress,  court  train,  petticoat  of  cream-colored 
satin,  brocaded  in  flowers;  cameos  and  pearls. 

Mrs.  Dr.  William  H.  Fox,  black  moire  dress; 
diamonds. 

Mrs.  E.  P.  Vilas,  cream  silk,  corals. 

Mrs.  Robert  McCurdv,  surah  skirt,  with  bro- 
caded satin  overdress,  trimmed  with  passemen- 
terie and  Spanish  lace;  duchesse  lace;  cameo 
jewelry. 

Hardly  had  Gov.  Rusk  been  seated  in  the  ex- 
ecutive chair,  before  he  was  confronted  with  a 
problem,  the  solution  of  which  shows  the  far- 
reaching  sagacity  of  the  man,  and  the  executive 
ability  of  the  magistrate.  On  the  2Gth  of  Jan- 
uary, 1882,  he  received  by  telegraph,  the  follow- 
ing message: 


Superior  Junction,  Jan.  26,  1882. 
Gov.  Rusk,  Madison: 

The  men  on  this  end  of  the  Portage  and 
Superior  road  are  taking  every  thing  within 
their  reach.  We  are  powerless  to  protect 
our  property  against  700  men,  who  have 
neither  money  nor  means  of  subsistence.  They 
threaten  to  burn  houses  and  destroy  everything 
here.  We  appeal  to  you  for  protection.  Can 
you  send  relief? 

Walkkr,  Judd  &  Veasky. 

To  understand  the  full  force  of  this  dispatch, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  state  that  the  Legisla- 
ture, in  1874,  granted  to  the  Chicago  &  North- 
ern Pacific  Air  Line  Railway  Company  a  large 
tract  of  land,  part  of  the  original  lands  granted 
to  this  State  by  acts  of  Congress,  of  June  3, 
1856,  and  May  .5,  1864,  for  the  purpose  of  aid- 
ing the  building  of  certain  lines  of  railroad  in 
this  State.  The  lands  granted  to  the  Air  Line 
Railroad  Company  were  the  lands  that  were 
set  apart  in  the  original  grant  to  aid  in  build- 
ing a  road  from  "St.  Croix  river  or  lake"  to  the 
west  end  of  Lake  Superior  and  to  Bayfield. 
The  road  from  St.  Croix  river  to  Bayfield  was 
being  built  by  the  North  Wisconsin  Railway 
Company,  that  company  having  received  the 
lands  applicable  to  the  building  of  that  load. 
The  Air  Line  company  was  trying  to  build  the 
road  from  the  west  end  of  Lake  Superior — Su- 
perior City — southward  to  a  point  of  intersec- 
tion with  the  North  Wisconsin  road  in  Burnett 
county,  the  point  of  intersection  being  known 
as  Superior  Junction.  This  company  had  re- 
ceived from  the  Legislature,  as  before  stated, 
a  grant  of  all  the  lands  applicable  to  the  build- 
ing of  a  road  from  Lake  Superior  southward  to 
the  junction  with  the  North  Wisconsin  road. 
In  January,  1882,  the  Air  Line  company  had 
al)out  1,400  men  working  along  its  line,  when 
suddenly  it  collapsed,  being  deeply  in  debt  to 
sub-contractors  and  laborers.  This  collapse 
left  1,400  men  turned  loose  on  the  community 
in  the  winter  time,  and  many  of  them  were  far 
away  from  their  homes  and  families.  About  600 


V68 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


of  them  were  at  Superior  Junction,  and  about  800 
were  at  Superior  City,  or  scattered  along  tlie 
line.  This  was  the  condition  of  things  on  the 
26th  of  January,  1S82,  and  which  called  out 
the  telegram  above  quoted.  It  may  here  be 
stated  that  Walker,  Judd  &  Veasey  were  heavy 
lumber  men,  located  near  Superior  Junction 
and  having  extensive  property  interests  there, 
and  they  were  also  the  creditors  to  quite  an 
amount  of  the  Air  Line  company  for  supplies 
furnished. 

To  that  telegram  the  governor  at  once  re- 
plied, requesting  Walker,  Judd  &  Veasey  to 
notify  the  men  that  they  must  do  no  damage, 
and  to  assure  them  that  supplies  would  be  sent 
at  once  and  transportation  furnished  such  of 
the  men  as  wanted  to  leave  and  find  work  in 
other  localities.  On  the  same  day.  Walker, 
Judd  &  Veasey  telegraphed  back  to  the  gov- 
ernor that  the  men  refused  to  leave  without 
their  pay ;  that  they  would  have  their  pay 
before  they  left  or  they  would  burn  the 
railroad  bridges  and  destroy  the  track. 
They  also  wanted  the  governor  to  send  up  200 
armed  men  to  protect  properly  and  preserve 
order.  The  governor  replied  in  substance  that 
the  men  wanted  bread — not  bayonets  !  A  great 
many  telegrams  came  to  the  governor  trom  dif- 
ferent parties,  showing  a  highly  wrought  state 
of  feeling,  and  great  fear  that  the  men  would 
resort  to  riotous  proceedings.  A  bill  had  been 
introduced  into  the  Legislature,  and  was  then 
pending,  to  revoke  the  grant  of  lands  to  the  Air 
Line  company  and  confer  it  on  the  Chicago, 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Railway  Com- 
pany. This  bill  had  been  introduced  because 
the  Air  Line  company  had  virtually  forfeited 
its  right  to  the  grant  in  not  building  the  road 
within  the  time  limited  by  the  grant.  A  happy 
thought  struck  the  governor.  In  revoking  the 
grant  to  the  Air  Line  company  and  conferring 
it  on  the  Omaha  company,  the  Legislature  bad 
ample  constitutional  power  to  attach  the  con- 
dition precedent  to  the  grant,  of  full  payment 
of  the   indebtedness   of  the  Air  Line  company 


to  its  laborers.  The  Legislature  was  not  in 
session  then,  it  having  adjourned  over  Sunday 
a  day  or  two  before,  and  consequently  Gov. 
Rusk  could  not  communicate  with  them,  but 
keeping  his  own  counsels,  he  sent  a  dispatch 
direct  to  the  laborers,  telling  them  tliat  tliey 
must  at  all  events  maintain  order  and  respect 
persons  and  j)roperty,  and  that  the  State  would 
not  permit  any  violation  of  the  rights  of  jier- 
sons  or  of  property.  He  told  them  it  was  not 
wise  for  them  to  stay  there  expecting  speedy 
payment  from  the  Air  Line  company,  and  he 
advised  them  to  appoint  a  committee  to  look 
after  their  rights,  and  then  go  away  and  get 
work  as  quick  as  they  could.  The  governor's 
sensible  advice  was  followed. 

In  a  few  days  the  Legislature  re-convened 
and  the  governor  at  once  sent  in  a  special 
message  giving  a  full  and  unvarnished  history 
of  the  whole  matter.  He  called  especial  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  a  great  deal  of  expense  had 
been  incurred  in  feeding  the  men  and  furnishing 
transportation  to  those  who  went  away  to  seek 
work  elsewhere,  and  he  closed  his  message 
with  these  words:  "I  also  venture  to  suggest 
that  if  the  Legislature  sliall  transfer  the  grant 
applicable  to  the  road  from  Superior  Junction 
to  the  west  end  of  Lake  Superior,  to  any  com- 
pany, it  would  be  wise,  under  existing  circum- 
stances, to  require  such  company  to  provide 
funds  for  the  immediate  payment  of  these 
laborers,  and  to  reimburse  the  State  for  any  ex- 
penses incurred  in  taking  care  of  these  men  in 
this  emergency." 

The  governor's  suggestion  was  heeded,  and 
on  the  16th  of  February  following,  he  approved 
an  act  revoking  the  grant  to  the  Air  Line  com- 
pany, and  conferring  it  on  the  Omaha  com- 
pany. This  act  provided  that  within  three  days 
after  its  passage  the  Omaha  company  should 
pay  to  the  governor  the  sum  of  SVSjOOO,  and 
give  such  security  as  the  governor  should  re- 
quire, to  fully  indemnify  and  save  harmless  the 
State  against  all  liability  and  expenses  in- 
curred in  feeding  the  laborers,  should  the  sum 


HISTORY  OP  VERNON  COUNTY. 


V69 


of  $75,000,  part  of  the  $78,000  paid  to  the  gov- 
ernor, be  inadequate  to  the  full  payment  of  the 
laborer!*,  and  requiring  the  company  within 
thirty  days  after  the  passage  of  the  act,  to  file 
with  the  secretary  of  State  their  authenticated 
resolution  of  acceptance  of  the  grant  on  the 
terms  imposed  by  the  Legislature.  The  bal- 
ance of  the  $78,000  being  13,000  was  reserved 
to  pay  the  e.xpenses  of  the  agent  appointed  to 
adjust  the  claims  of  sub-contractors  and 
laborers.  The  act  further  required  the  govern- 
or to  appoint  an  agent  who  should  forthwith 
investigate  and  ascertain  the  amounts  honestly 
and  actually  due  for  labor  and  supplies  done 
and  furnished  prior  to  Jan.  20,  ls82,  on  the  Air 
Line  road.  The  Omaha  company  at  once  ac- 
cepted the^  grant  on  the  terras  proposed,  paid 
over  to  the  governor  the  $78,000  and  gave  the 
security  the  act  required.  The  governor  ap- 
pointed Judge  Butt,  of  Vernon  county,  agent  to 
adjust  the  claims,  who  at  once  entered  upon 
that  duty,  and  in  a  few  months  the  claims  were 
all  adjusted  and  paid. 

Tile  manner  in  which  the  people  of  the  State 
appreciated  the  action  of  Gov.  Husk  in  the  mat- 
ter is  well  illustrated  in  the  following  extract 
of  a  speech  delivered  by  the  Hon.  John  Hinton, 
of  Milwaukee,  at  a  mass  meeting  held  at  Bay 
View  on  the  21st  of  February,  1883.  He  said: 
"He  is  an  earnest,  untiinching  friend  of  the 
workingman.  When  several  hundred  laborers 
up  north  here,  who  had  not  received  pay  for 
months,  and  were  almost  starving  for  the  want 
of  food,  and  demanded  that  they  have  their  pay 
or  provisions  to  live  on,  and  when  Gov.  Rusk 
was  telegraphed  to  send  200  bayonets  to  put 
them  down,  he  telegraphed  back:  'I  cannot 
send  bayonets — it  is  bread  they  want.'  He  or- 
dered them  fed,  and  more  than  that,  he  notified 
the  Legislature  that  if  they  did  pass  that  land 
grant  bill,  unless  they  made  provision  to  pay 
those  men  the  wages  they  had  honestly  earned 
and  which  was  their  due,  he  would  not  sign  the 
act.     He  is  the  friend  of  the  laboring  man,  he 


has    shown    it  always,  and  he  proved  it  by  his 
executive  power  as  governor." 

This  brief  sketch  of  the  matter  gives  but  a 
very  faint  idea  of  the  real  situation  of  things 
along  the  line  of  the  road,  and  of  all  that  Gov. 
Rusk  had  to  deal  with  in  bringing  about  such 
a  happy  solution  of  the  trouble. 

As  executive  of  the  State,  Gov.  Rusk  has 
felt  called  on  several  times  to  interpose  his  veto 
to  bills  that  had  passed  both  houses  of  the 
Legislature. 

The  first  bill  that  he  vetoed  was  one  confer- 
ring on  John  Glover  and  others,  their  heirs  and 
assigns,  the  right  to  erect,  maintain  and  keep 
a  dam  across  the  Totogalicans  creek,  in  the 
county  of  Bayfield,  Wis.  This  act  authorized 
them  to  rtood  lands,  to  charge  tolls  for  the  pas- 
sage of  logs  and  lumber  through  the  dam,  etc., 
etc.  The  act  conferred  these  privileges  on 
Glover,  his  associates  and  assigns,  for  the  term 
of  fifteen  years. 

The  governor  vetoed  the  bill  on  the  grounds 
of  expediency  alone,  and  he  began  his  message 
thus : 

"I  feel  constrained  by  a  sense  of  public  duty 
to  withhold  from  this  bill  executive  approval. 
This  action  upon  my  part  has  been  reluctantly 
taken,  for  the  reason  that  I  discover  no  consti- 
tutional objection  to  the  bill  in  any  of  its  pro- 
visions, and  I  am  fully  mindful  of  the  delicacy 
involved  in  placing  my  individual  judgment  in 
opposition  to  the  judgment  of  the  Legislature, 
upon  grounds  going  to  the  expediency  of  its 
action.  But  as  my  objections  to  this  bill  per- 
tains with  equal  force  to  a  class  of  measures 
rapidly  increasing  in  number,  and  aimed  at 
what,  in  my  judgment,  is  a  growing  evil  in 
legislation.  I  have  thought  it  fairly  within  the 
line  of  executive  duty  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  Legislature  to  the  subject  in  this  connection. 

"The  constitution  of  the  State  provides  that 
coporation  without  banking  powers  or  privileges 
may  be  formed  under  general  laws,  but  shall 
not  be  created  by  special  act,  except  for  muni- 
cipal purposes,  and  in  cases  where,  in  the  judg- 


V/O 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ment  of  the  Legislature,  the  objects  of  the  cor- 
poration cannot  be  attained  tinder  general  laws." 
The  constitution  reserves  to  the  Legislature  the 
right  to  alter,  modify  and  repeal  all  charters 
granted  by  the  Legislature  or  created  under 
general  laws,  made  permanent  to  the  foregoing 
constitutional  provision. 

But  for  years  the  Legislature  had  been  grant- 
ing to  persons  the  right  to  dam  the  lumbering 
streams  of  the  State,to  charge  tolls  for  the  pass- 
age of  logs  and  lumber  on  through  the  dams, 
to  flood  lands,  and  conferring  on  those  persons 
corporate  powers  and  franchises  for  a  number 
of  years,  without  reserving  the  right  to  alter, 
modify  or  repeal  those  franchises  and  corporate 
powers,  and  the  governor  of  the  State  had  been 
signing  all  such  acts,  until,  as  Gov.  Rusk  said 
in  his  veto  message,  "a  large  number  of  the 
lumbering  streams  in  the  State  are  being  given 
over  by  this  means  to  the  control  of  individuals." 

The  veto  message  was  quite  lengthy,  but  it 
completely  covered  the  whole  ground,  and  so 
convincing  was  its  logic,  that  it  was  unani- 
mously sustained,  and  it  effectually  stopped  the 
passage  of  bills  conferring  corporate  powers 
and  franchises  on  individuals,  without  any 
reservation  of  the  constitutional  right  of  the 
Legislature  to  alter,  modify  or  repeal. 

Another  veto  which  shows  with  what  keen- 
ness the  governor  looks  into  all  actions  of  the 
Legislature  in  the  passage  of  bills,  and  the 
closeness  with  which  he  scrutinizes  that  action 
in  the  light  of  the  constitution  of  the  State,  is 
the  one  he  sent  to  the  Senate  on  the  12th  of 
March,  1883,  to  a  bill  originating  in  the  Senate, 
entitled  "  An  act  to  legalize  the  action  of  cer- 
tain county  boards  of  supervisors,  relating  to 
the  salaries  of  certain  county  officers.  " 

In  1882,  there  was,  and  ever  since  the  organi- 
zation of  the  State  government  there  had  been, 
a  statute  authorizing  and  requiring  the  board  of 
supervisors  of  the  several  counties  in  the  State 
ti>  fix  the  salaries  of  the  several  county  officers  ; 
and  as  the  law  stood,  in  1882,  the  supervisors 
were  required  to  fix   the    salaries    for  a   given 


term,  one  year  before  the  commencement  of  that 
terra.  The  counties,  or  at  least  some  of  them 
in  which  an  election  for  county  officers  was  to 
be  held  in  November,  1882,  the  term  of  office 
to  commence  on  the  first  Monday  in  January, 
188.3,  fixed  the  salaries  of  their  respective 
officers  for  that  term,  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
November,  1882,  one  week  after  the  election 
was  held,  in  clear  violation  of  the  law,  and  then 
appealed  to  the  Legislature  to  legalize  their 
acts.  And  this  thing  had  been  going  on  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  since  the  organization  of 
the  State  government,  and  it  is  believed  the  gov- 
ernors of  the  State  had  invariably  approved  the 
bills.  Gov.  Rusk,  in  his  veto  of  the  bill  in  ques- 
tion, raised  several  po-nts,  but  it  is  unnecessary 
to  notice  them  here.  The  following  extract 
from  his  message  will  show  clearly  one  point 
raised,  and  his  manner  of  dealing  with  it  : 

"The  bill  declares  to  be  legal  and  valid  the 
action  of  such  of  the  county  boards  as  voted  at 
their  annual  meetings  in  November,  1882,  to 
raise  the  salaries  of  certain  county  officeis  for 
the  years  1883  and  1884.  The  language  of  the 
bill  creates  the  irresistible  inference  that  a 
portion  of  the  county  boards  of  the  Stale  voted 
at  the  annual  meetings  in  November,  1882,  to 
raise  the  salaries  of  certain  county  officers  in 
their  respective  counties  for  1883  and  1884. 
It  also  very  clearly  implies  the  invalidity  of 
such  action,  as  the  necessity  for  this  proposed 
curative  legislation  rests  solely  on  such  invalid- 
ity. The  power  of  the  county  boards  of  the 
State  to  fix  salaries  of  county  officers  was,  in 
1882,  and  is  now,  regulated  by  section  094  of 
the  Revised  Statutes,  which  is  as  follows : 

'(Section  694).  The  county  boards  at  their  an- 
nual meeting  in  November,  shall  fix  the  amount 
of  salary  which  shall  be  received  by  every 
county  officer,  including  county  judge,  wlio  is 
to  be  elected  in  the  county  during  the  next 
ensuing  year,  and  is  entitled  by  law  to  receive 
a  salary  payable  out  of  the  county  treasury  ; 
and  the  salary  as  fixed  shall  not  be- increased  or 
diminished  duringr  his  said   terra  of  office.     All 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


11} 


salaries  shall  be  paid  out  of  the  county  treasury, 
quarter-yearly,  at  the  end  of  each  quarter.  If 
the  county  board  of  any  county  shall  fail  to 
establish  the  salary  of  any  county  officer  as 
herein  provided,  such  officer  shall  receive  the 
same  annual  salary  as  that  received  by  his  im- 
mediate predecessor.  This  section  shall  not 
apply  to  any  particular  county  whose  salaries 
to  its  officers  have  been  specially  provided  and 
fixed  by  lavkf.' 

"As  to  officers  to  be  elected  in  the  county 
during  the  next  ensuing  year,  the  action  fixing 
the  salaries,  whether  by  lowering  or  raising, 
would  l)e  clearly  within  the  power  of  the  boards 
and  would  require  no  legislative  care. 

"I  feel  warranted,  therefore,  in  assuming  that 
the  action  sought  to  be  legalized  by  this  bill 
was  invalid  for  some  violation  of  section  694, 
either  in  fixing  the  salaries  of  county  officers 
elected  in  1S82,  or  in  raising  the  salaries  of  offi- 
cers then  in  office.  Can  the  Legislattire  consti- 
tutionally legalize  the  action  of  a  portion  of  the 
county  boards  of  the  State,  in  so  fixing  the  sal- 
aries, in  violation  of  section  694?  The  supreme 
court  seems  clearly  to  have  answered  this  ques- 
tion in  the  negative  in  Rooney  vs  the  Supervi- 
sors of  Milwaukee  County,  40.  Wis.  23." 

The  governor  made  another  point  on  the  con- 
stitutionality of  the  bill,  holding  it  to  be  in  con- 
flict with  section  23,  of  article  4  of  the  constitu- 
tion, which  provides  that  "the  Legislature  shall 
establish  but  one  system  of  town  and  county 
government,  which  shall  be  as  nearly  uniform 
as  possible." 

On  this  point  the  governor  said:  "It  would 
be  a  signal  breach  of  the  uniformity  of  the  or- 
ganic system  of  county  government  required  by 
the  constitution,  that  a  board  of  supervisors  of 
one  county  should  be  permitted  or  required  to 
disregard  the  wholesome  principle  binding  all 
the  other  counties  of  the  State.  It  would  be  a 
strange  uniformity,  which  for  grave  ends  of 
public  policy  should  absolutely  place  the  com- 
pensation of  county  officers  beyond  control  in 
some   counties,    and  subject  it,  in    violation  of 


such  policy,  to  control  in  other  counties.  It  is 
quite  apparent  that  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of 
1882,  in  terms  authorizing  county  boards  of  cer- 
tain counties  to  raise  the  salaries  of  officers  elect- 
ed that  year,  or  those  in  office,  would  have  been 
unconstitutional  as  violating  the  uniform- 
ity of  county  governijient." 

The  messages  which  Gov.  Rusk  has  annu- 
aly  transmitted  to  the  State  assembly  are  char- 
acteristic of  the  man — plain  and  simple  in  their 
wording,  clear  and  concise  in  tone,  and  honest 
and  straightforward  in  pointing  out  what  he 
considers  to  be  the  best  methods  of  meeting 
the  present  wants  of  this  rapidly  increasing 
population,  and  providing  for  the  exigencies 
which  may  arise  in  the  fostering  and  develop- 
ment of  the  agricultural,  mercantile  and  indus- 
trial interests  of  the  State.  They  bear  unmis- 
takable evidence  of  a  close  observance  into  the 
necessary  requirements  of  the  different  depart- 
ments of  the  State  government  and  a  ])ains- 
taking  eflportto  promote  the  moral  and  intellec- 
tual growth  of  the  whole  people. 

Gov.  Rusk  has  yet  a  year  to  sit  in  the  chair  of 
State,  and  it  is  useless  to  speculate  as  to  what 
his  future  may  be.  He  may  be  called  to  further 
and  higher  honors  when  he  vacates  the  guber- 
natorial chair.  And  it  may  not  be  amiss,  in 
this  connection,  to  produce  here  a  few  of  the 
compliments  that  have  dropped  from  the  press 
and  other  sources,  called  lut  by  "a  record  so 
clear  in  his  high  office." 

Said  a  leading  and  influential  democratic  pol- 
itician of  this  State,  in  the  fall  of  1883  :  "Gov. 
Rusk  has  made  a  most  excellent  governor 
for  Wisconsin.  His  unassuming,  impartial, 
honest  policy  is  such  as  the  people  like,  and  Gov. 
Rusk's  admirers  in  the  State  have  wonderfully 
increased  in  numbers  since  he  seated  himself  in 
the  gubernatorial  chair." 

After  the  death  of  Postmaster-General  Howe, 
the  name  of  Gov.  Rusk  was  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  other  names,  as  one  who  \\  ould 
make  a  worthy  successor.  This  called  out  from 
one  of  the  prominent  papers  of  the  State,  the  fol- 


772 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


lowing  paragraph  :  "Among  the  names  spoken 
of  in  the  Wasliington  tlisjiatches  for  thevacant 
position  of  postmaster  general,  is  that  of  Gov. 
J.  M.  Rusk.  Wliile  all  Wisconsin  people  would 
he  glad  to  know  that  the  abilities  of  their  brave 
soldier  and  most  excellent  governor  were  thus 
recognized  by  President  Art'  ur,  they  would  be 
sorry  indeed  to  have  him  vacate  the  executive 
chair  at  Madison.  Of  all  the  governors  Wiscon- 
sin has  ever  had,  none  of  them  ever  held  the  re- 
spect and  good  will  of  all  parties  as  lias  Gov. 
Rusk.  If  the  President  concludes  to  call  Gov. 
Rusk  away  from  his  presentposition,  the  people 
of  this  great  commonwealth  will,  of  course, 
approve  his  choice,  knowing  full  well  that  what 
will  be  lost  to  the  State,  will  be  gained  by  the 
Nation." 

The  following  extract  from  a  paper  independ- 
ent in  politics,  probably  gives  as  good  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  man  and  the  governor,  as  anytliing 
tliat  has  been  written  or  said  : 

"  The  present  occupant  of  the  executive 
chair  in  Wisconsin,  is  a  man  who  tips  the  beam 
quick  at  -250  pounds,  and  has  a  heart  in  him  in 
proportion  to  the  size  of  his  body.  There  is 
not  a  more  genial,  companionable  or  kinder 
hearted  man  in  the  State,  or  in  the  countrv,  or 
in  the  world,  and,  if  he  is  at  all  afflicted  witli 
that  contemptible  disease  known  as  political  or 
official  big  liead,  none  has  yet  been  able  to  dis- 
cover it.  It  is  the  unanimous  opinion  of  those  who 
visit  the  executive  office,  or  meet  the  governor 
about  llie  capitol,  that  he  is  the  exact  type  of 
man  that  it  is  proper  to  make  into  governors. 
In  the  expression  of  opinions  as  well  as  in  move- 
ments, he  is  cool  and  deliberate,  evidently  does 
not  believe  in  rushing  things,  but  does  not  hesi- 
tate to  shoulder  the  responsibility  wlien  the 
time  to  act  has  come.  No  one  will  ever  find 
Gov.  Rusk  a  coward,  physically,  morally  or 
]iolitically.  He  does  not  jump  to  conclusions 
quickly,  but,  when  he  decides  what  to  do,  is 
able  to  give  substantial  reasons  therefor.  In 
fact,  he  is  a  safe  man,  even  in  the  emergency 
where  other  men  fly  to  pieces  with  excitement. 


Gov.  Rusk  is  a  large  man,  with  a  kindly  face, 
has  an  abundance  of  hair,  and  full  beard,  pretty 
well  silvered,  and  in  his  demeanor  lacking  of 
that  self-satisfied,  peculiarly  offensive  digniiv 
so  often  seen  among  official  luminaries." 

The  parents  of  Gov.  Rusk,  Daniel  Rusk  and 
Jane  Fakner,  were  married  in  1811.  Their 
children  were  :  John,  Anna,  James,  Ruel,  Dan- 
iel, Elizabeth,  Jane,  Samuel,  Allen  and  Jere- 
miah M.  Daniel  Rusk  died  in  1845,  and  Jane 
(Fakner)RHsk  died  Nov.  25,1876,  aged  eighty-six 
years  eleven  months  and  nineteen  days.  Jeremiah 
McLain  Rusk,  was  married  April  5,  1849,  to 
Mary  Martin,  in  Perry  Co.,  Ohio.  She  died  in 
January,  1856.  Their  children  were  Charity 
Ariel,  Lycurgus  James  and  Mary  Jane,  deceased. 
J.  M.  Rusk  was  again  married,  Nov.  18,1856,  ir. 
]jad  Ax  (now  Vernon)  county.  Wis.,  to  Eliza- 
beth Johnson.  Their  children  were  :  Alonzo, 
deceased;  Ida  May,  Mary  Elizabeth  and  Blaine 
Dahiel. 

William  F.  Terhune  was  born  at  Northumber- 
land, Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  10,  1821.  His 
ancestors  came  from  Holland  and  France,  and 
were  Huguenots.  He  is  of  mixed  English, 
Dutch  and  French  descent.  His  great-grand- 
father, at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  surrendered  a  lucrative 
office  under  the  British  crown  rather  than 
liecorae  the  instrument  to  enforce  unjust  laws 
and  illegal  taxation.  His  grandfather  was  a 
soldier  in  the  war  on  the  side  of  the  colonies, 
and  his  own  fatlier  was  an  adjutant  at  Sackett's 
Harbor  in  the  War  of  1812. 

Wm.  F.  Terhune  was  the  son  of  a  farmer,  in 
morlerate  circumstances,  and  until  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  was  employed  upon  the  farm  in 
summer  and  in  attendance  upon  a  district  school 
in  winter.  Having  by  that  time  acquired  a 
good  common  school  education,  and  being 
ambitious  to  make  further  progress,  he  com- 
menced the  business  of  teaching,  which  he 
pursued  alternately  with  attendance  on  some 
convenient  academy.  He  attended  at  dill'erent 
times,Troy  Conference  Academy,  at  West  Poult- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Tiey,  and  the  academy  at  Castleton,  in  Vermont, 
and  tlie  academies  at  Schuylerville  and  Amster- 
dam, in  New  York.  During  liis  academic 
course  he  was  cliosen  to  deliver  three  valedictory 
addresses.  He  entered  Union  College,  New 
York,  in  184.3,  but  the  death  of  his  mother,  and 
tlie  consequent  derangement  of  his  father's 
affairs,  prevented  liim  from  fully  completing  a 
collegiate  course.  He  resumed  the  business  of 
teaching,  and  in  J8-t6  commenced  studying  law 
in  the  office  of  Hon.  P.  H.  Sylvester,  at  Coxsac- 
kie,  N.  Y.  Here  his  success  as  a  teacher,  and 
his  pen  as  an  educationist,  rapidly  brought  him 
iirto  public  notice,  so  that  in  1846  he  was  chosen 
county  superintendent  of  schools  for  Greene 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  which  enabled  him  to  complete  his 
law  studies,  and  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
the  supreme  court  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
at  the  September  term  thereof  held  at  Albany 
in  1848.  He  commenced  practice  at  Athens, 
opposite  the  city  of  Hudson,  and  intermarried 
with  Margaret  C.  Vandenberg,  by  whom  he  has 
had  nine  childi'en,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living 
— Julia,  Aurealia  L.,  Leonard  ]i.,  Blanche,  now 
the  wife  of  Thomas  German;  Etbie,  a  resident 
of  Coxsaekie,  N.  Y  ;  Frederic  and  La  Torce. 

In  18.50  Mr.  Terhune  was  employed,  by  the 
marshal  of  the  southern  district  of  New  York, 
to  superintend  the  taking  of  the  census  of  that 
year,  and  to  correct  and  revise  the  returns  of 
the  assistant  marshals.  In  1851  he  resolved  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  the  west,  and  on  the  5th  of 
August  of  that  year  landed  at  where  Victory 
now  is,  and  thence  came  to  Viroqua,  where  he 
permanently  located,  and  became  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Vernon  (then  Bad  Ax)  county. 


The  county  was  then  just  organized,  and  Ve  was 
very  soon  appointed  deputy  clerk  of  the  court, 
and  deputy  clerk  of  the  board  of  supervisors. 
Since  then  he  has  been  honored  by  the  confi- 
dence of  his  fellow  citizens,  who  have  chosen 
him  at  different  times  member  of  the  assembly, 
register  of  deeds,  district  attorney,  and  county 
judge;  beside  he  has  filled  the  less  responsible 
offices  of  court  commissioner  and  chairman  of 
the  board  of  supervisors.  He  has  ever  been 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  county,  and 
was  chierty  instrumental  in  procuring  the  name 
of  the  county  to  be  changed  from  the  barbarous 
one  of  "Bad  Ax"  to  that  of  Vernon.  Heis 
also  the  founder  of  the  Vernon  cemetery 
which  he  caused  to  be  laid  out  upon  his 
own  land  in  the  year  1867,  to  supply  a  much 
needed  public  want,  and  which  he  conveyed  lo 
the  trustees  of  the  village  of  Viroqua  in  1877. 

Mr.  Terhune  is  the  pioneer  lawyer  of  Vernon 
county.  Unlike  many  of  the  profession, he  wrote 
a  beautiful  recording  hand  which  embellishes 
many  of  the  early  records  of  the  county.  He 
was  an  excellent  judge  of  the  law,  and  excelled 
in  drafting  original  papers.  Of  late  years  he 
has  been  afflicted  with  partial  blindness  and  a 
nervo-spinal  disease,  the  latter  of  which,  caused 
by  a  fall  in  his  boyhood,  embarrassed  him, 
even  in  the  vigor  of  manhood,  and  as  age 
advanced  has  had  the  effect  to  weaken  his 
])owers  of  application  to  business,  and  seems  to 
handicap  his  executive  ability.  He  and  his 
amiable  lady  are  the  only  two  persons  surviving 
and  remaining  within  the  limits  of  the  \illage, 
who  were  adult  residents  in  1851. 


774 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


CHAPIER     LIl. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


POSTOFFIOES    AND  POSTMASTERS  IN  BAD  AX  OOUX- 

TT  IN  1856  and  1859. 

Viroqua,  S.  C.  Lincoln;  Springville  Edmur.d 
Strang;  Bad  Ax,  Jacob  Higgins;  Goon  Prairie, 
Cyrus  F.  Gillett;  Harmony,  John  Raywalt; 
Warner's  Landing,  John  Warner;  Newville,  B. 
S.  Moore;  Victory,  J.  C.  Berry;  Ue  Soto,  S. 
D.  Powers;  Retreat,  Wm.  P.  Clark;  Kickajjoo, 
Robert  Wilson;  New  Brookviile,  Abram  Styles; 
Avalanche,  R.  P.  Gillett;  Weister,  Justus  Smith. 

In  1 859  the  postoffices  had  increased  to  twen- 
ty-seven with  postmasters  as  follows: 

Bad  Ax,  N.  Cady;  Bergen,  P.  A.  Bouley; 
Blooiningdale,  C.  A.  Hunt;  Brecken ridge, 
John  T.  B  inkerman;  Carvosso,  Michael  Kellar; 
Coon  Prairie,  John  Benson;  Debello,  James 
Strait;  De  Soto,  S.  D.  Powers;  Goole,  J. 
C.  Cooper;  Harmony,  J.  M.  McLees;  Hills- 
borough, Daniel  Busbee;  Hockly,  H.  Lan- 
dram;  Kickapoo,  H.  Cameron;  Mt.  Tabor, 
J.  C.  Tabor;  New  Brookviile,  A.  Stiles; 
Newville,  J.  Harris;  New  Salem,  W.  R.  Reese; 
Ontario,  O.  H.  Millard;  Readstown,  Hugh 
McClaran;  Retreat,  Wm.  P.  Clark;  Romance, 
P.  N.  Shumway;  Star,  Thomas  De  Jean; 
Springville,  J.  R.  Savage;  Victory,  J.  C.  Berry; 
Viroqua  (c.  b.),  S.  C.  Lincoln;  Warner's  Land- 
ing, John  Warner;  Weister,  Justus  Smith. 

POSTOFFICES    AND    P0.STMASTERS    IN    VERNON 
COUNTY    IN    1883. 

Avalanche,  August  Sweger;  Bergen,  Nathan- 
iel Cummings;  Blooraingdale,  E.  E.  Ruslad; 
Burr,  L.  E.  Eastman;  Chaseburg,  J.  W.  Hoyt; 
Coon  Valley,  II.  Hanson;  Debello,  EHas  Kig- 
ley;  Dell,  D.  W.  Adams;  De  Soto,  J.  II.  Rogtrs; 


Esofea,  Christian  Schriver;  Genoa,  Mathew 
Monti;  Goole,  Giles  M.  Kile;  Hillsborongh,  I. 
J.  Shear;  Kickapoo,  L.  Kellogg;  La  Farge,  S. 
W.  Green;  Liberty,  Allen  Rusk;  Liberty  Pole, 
K.Peterson;  Lovass,  Christ.  Olson;  Mt.  Tabor, 
J.  J.  Malort;  Newry,  C.  Christopherson;  New- 
ton, Levi  Noble;  Ontario,  T.  L.  De  Lap;  Otier 
Vale,  E.  Marshall;  Purdy,  Ole  Gauper;  Reads- 
town,  E.  liliss;  Red  Mound,  J.  Miller;  Rest, 
Hulda  B.  Stetson;  Retreat,  J.  L.  Davis:  Rock- 
ton,  Van  S.  Bennett;  Romance,  William  Fox; 
Springville,  H.Amundson;  Star,  C.  W.  Lawton; 
Stoddard,  Peter  Wodvynsky;  Sugar  Grove, 
L.  C.  Drake;  Trippville,  D.  N.  Tripp;  Valley, 
D.  Lawton;  Victory,  A.  Mueller;  Viroqua,  R. 
S.  McMichael;  Westby,  N.  H.  Nelson;  West 
Prairie,  H.  Bellows. 

CHANGES    IN  VIROQUA. 
[Fiom  the  Vernon  County  Censor,  July  13,  1870.] 

When  the  writer  of  this  article  settled  in 
Viroqua,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1853,  theie 
weie  but  five  of  the  present  buildings  erected, 
viz.:  The  house  now  occupied  by  Father 
Nichols,  the  one  occupied  by  H.  A.  Vess,  the 
one  occupied  by  R.  S.  McMichael,  and  the  one 
occupied  by  Mr.  Isham.  All  the  others  have 
been  built  since  that  time. 

The  only  inhabitants  of  the  village-  at  that 
time  (1853)  now  (1870)  living  here  are  Judge 
Terhune  and  wife  and  their  son  Leonard,  who 
was  then  a  small  baby;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  C. 
Lincoln  and  their  daughter  Edith,  who  was 
then  just  beginning  to  run  alone;  Mrs.  Skippcns, 
then  the  wife  of  of  the  late  Rufus  Dunlap; 
Warren  W.  Dunlap,  L.   R.    Decker,Thomas    I. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


TTS 


Decker,  Mrs.  Pennell,  then  the  wifeof  the  late 
Daniel  Parkinson,  and  two  adopted  daughters, 
who  are  now  the  wives  of  John  Norris  and  C. 
P.  Richardson;  Father  Nichols,  L.  W.  and  M. 
C.  Nichols,  and  0.  C.  Weeden.  All  the  other 
present  inhabitants  of  the  village  have  moved 
in    or  been  born  liere  since  that  day. 

There  were  several  huge  oak  trees  standing 
in  Main  street  that  were  gradually  cut  down  and 
removed.  The  hickory  trees  now  (ISVO)  stand- 
ing in  the  court  house  square  were  crooked 
saplings,  and  I  went  out  one  day  and  trimmed 
them  with  my  knife,  and  straightened  those 
that  were  growing  crooked.  The  Lombardy 
])oplar  now  growing  in  the  court  house  yard 
was  planted  there  by  Charles  Waters,  at  my  re- 
quest. Mr.  Waters  is  now  (1 870)  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  in  the  county,  and  that  tree  will 
be  a  monument  to  his  memory. 

NUMBER      OF      DWELLINGS      IN     VERNON     C0I7NTY 

IN  1870. 
Bergen,  147  ;  Christiana,  206  ;  Clinton,  159  ; 
Coon,  129;  Forest,  118;  Franklin,  24.3  ;  Genoa, 
130;  Greenwood,  130  ;  Hamburg,  210  ;  Har- 
mony, 142  ;  Hillsborough,  178  ;  Jefferson,  208  ; 
Kickapoo,  171  ;  Liberty,  76  ;  Stark,  156;  Ster- 
ling, 208  ;  Union,  101  ;  Viroqua,  SOd  ;  Web- 
ster, 156;    Wheatland,  148  ;    Whitestown,  134. 

PERSONAL. 
[From  the  Vcruon  County  Cetisor,  Marob  Sj,  1870] 

Gen.  J.  M.  Rusk,  familiarly  known  in 
this  county  as  "Jerry  Rusk,"  is  at  home  again, 
after  an  absence  of  four  years.  On  his  arrival 
in  the  village,  a  number  of  his  friends  paid 
their  respects  to  him  and  bade  him  welcome 
home,  to  show  him  that  he  had  not  been  for- 
gotten. He  will  live  in  this  place  (Viroqua) 
for  the  future.  Since  his  retirem&jit  from  the 
office  of  bank  comptroller  he  has  been  the  re- 
cipient of  many  words  of  cheer  from  his  friends, 
and  a  large  number  of  the  journals  of  the  Slate 
have  given  him  flattering  endorsements.  Among 
these,  we  name  The  State  Journal,  The  Sparta 
Eagle,  The  La  Crosse  Republican,  The  La 
Crosse  Leader  and  the  Sparta   Herald.     SucL 


friendly  words  are  remembered  and  heartily 
appreciated  by  him.  And,  in  the  meantime, 
liis  star  still  seems  to  be  in  the  ascendant. 

MARRIED. 
[From  the  Vernon  County  Censnr,  Nov.  30,  1870.] 
In  the  town  of  llimburg,  Nov.  21,  1870, 
by  Rev.  A.  C.  Preus,  Anders  H.  Bakken  to 
Petra  H.  Korstad.  In  the  town  of  Port- 
land, Monroe  county,  Nov.  5,  1870,  by  the 
same,  Martin  Evenson  to  Marie  Ericksen. 
In  the  town  of  Viroqua,  Nov.  19,  1870,  by  the 
same,  Lars  Cluistianson  Ergenas  to  Guro  I. 
Burlockken.  In  the  same  town,  by  the  same, 
Nov.  16,  1870,  Tosten  Evenson  to  Bertha 
Marie  Amundsdatter.  In  the  same  town,  by 
the  same,  Oct.  20,  1870,  Neri  Halvorsen  to 
Anne  Amundsdatter. 

MRS.  R.  C.  BIEECE. 

The  many  friends  of  Mrs.  R.  C.  Bierce  will 
learn  with  sorrow  that  her  death  from  paralysis 
occurred  in  Menomonie,  on  the  25th  of  July. 

On  Sunday  evening,  the  19th,  she  was  sit- 
ting in  Church  by  her  husband's  side,  when, 
without  any  warning,  she  was  stricken  down, 
lingering  until  the  next  Saturday,  when,  at 
twenty  minutes  past  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
slie  passed  away  without  a  struggle. 

A  faithful  wife,  a  devoted  mother,  an  un- 
swerving friend  and  a  steadfast  Christian,  she 
has  gone  to  her  rest.  However  peaceful  the 
death  of  the  righteous  may  be,  it  leaves  an 
aching  void  in  the  hearts  of  the  survivors  ; 
but  the  hopes  of  a  glorious  immortality  beyond 
the  grave,  assuages  all  sorrow  ;  and  that  sorrow 
may  be  even  turned  to  joy  when  we  reflect 
that  ''Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the 
death  of  his  saints."  —  VernOn  County  Censor, 
Aug.  5,  1874.'  .    * 

HENRY  NICHOLS. 
LFrom  the  Vernon  County  Censor,  July  7,  1875.] 

Our  venerable  and  esteemed  citizen,  Mr.  Hen- 
ry Nichols,  was    a  member   of  a   company    of 
•  trappers  o])erating  in  the  Yellowstone    country 
nearly  sixty  years  ago.     The  company  endured 
many  hardships  aud  faced  perils  at  every  step. 


776 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Many  of  Mr.  Nichol's  companions  died  from 
sickness  ;  some  were  killed  by  Indians,  and  the 
survivors  narrowly  escaped.  Mr.  Nichols  is 
eighty-five  years  old.  He  probably  saw  the 
waters  of  the  Yellowstone  at  an  earlier  period 
than  any  other  person  now  living.  His  early 
life  was  an  adventurous  and  eventful  one,  and 
a  narrative  of  it  would  make  a  very  interesting 
and  reada"ble  volume. 

HIRAM  DE    LAP. 

Died  at  his  residence  near  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
Ang.  20,  1875,  Hiram  De  Lap,  in  the  seventy- 
fifth  year  of  his  asje. 

Mr.  De  Lap  was,  for  many  years,  a  resident 
of  Vernon  and  Crawford  Co's.,  Wis.  His  many 
friends  will  be  glad  to  hear  something  respect- 
ing his  last  moments.  His  aged  companion 
writes  that  he  was  in  his  usual  health  on  Friday 
morning,  the  20th  inst.  (August,  1875),  ate  his 
breakfast,  fed  his  pigs  and  chickens,  and  visited 
a  neighbor.  About  1  o'clock  he  got  up  from 
his  pallet  where  he  was  lying,  went  to  the 
water  bucket,  took  a  drink  of  water,  went  back, 
lay  down  and  expired  without  a  struggle  or  a 
groan. 

Gboege  S.  McCoemick. 
population  of  vernon  county, 
according  to  the  state  and  federal  census. 

Sliite  Census,  1855 4,82.3 

Federal     "       1860 11.007 

State  "       1865 13,644 

Federal     "       1870 18,673 

State  "       1875 21,524 

Federal     "       1880 23,255 

POPULATION  OF  VERNON  COUNTY, 
IN  1880,  ACCORDING  TO  SEX,  NATIVITY  AND  COLOR. 

Males, 13,149 

Females, 11,086 

Native, » 17,515 

Foreign 5,720 

Wliile 28,127 

Colored 128 

It  may  be  said,  therefore,  that,  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Vernon  county,  three-fourths  are  native- 
born,  while  one-fourth  are  from  the  old  country .• 
Of  the  foreign-born,  much  the  larger  number 
are  Norwesrians. 


POPULATION  OF  VERNON  COUNTY,  IN  1870,  BY 
TOWNS. 

Bergen, 795 

Cliristiana 1,133 

Coon 708 

Clinton 833 

Forest,      600 

Franklin 1,231 

Genoa, 683 

Greenwood 744 

Hamburg 1,208 

Harmony 781 

Hillsborough 985 

Jefferson, 1,108 

Kickapoo 902 

Liberty 414 

Stark 756 

Sterling, 1,059 

Union 507 

Viroqua, 1,988 

Webster HI  2 

Whiteslown 687 

Wheatland 697 

CENSUS  OF  VERNON  COUNTY,  FOR  1880,  IIY  TOWN.S 
AND  VILLAGES. 

'I'he  villages  marked  with  an  asterisk  (*),  arc 
unincorporated,  and  their  population  is  given 
only  approximately,  as  their  limits  cannot  be 
sharply  defined. 

Bergen,  1,014 

Christinna 1,31)5 

Clinton,  including  Bloomingdale  village,  . .  1,008 

*Bloomingdale  village, 96 

Coon .^....- 983 

Forest .^ 889 

Franklin, 1,319 

Genoa,  including  Genoa  village, 919 

*6enoa  village 150 

Greenwood 1.0.50 

Hamburg,  including  Chaseburg  village, ...  .  11.56 

*Chaseburg  village, 125 

Harmony,  includingtNewton  village, 1,062 

*Nevvtou  village 41 

Hillsborough  including  Hillsborough  village  1,218 

*Hillsborough  village, 195 

Jefferson,  including  Springville  village, ... .  1,284 

*Springville  village 187 

Kick.apoo, 1  233 

Libcrlv 543 

Siark 954 

Sterling, ." '  1,382 

Union 741 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


Viroqua,  including  Viroqua  village 2,368 

*Viroqua  village, 762 

Webster,  including  Avalanche  village 1,060 

*Avnlanclie  villige 80 

Wheatlaud,  including  the  following  villages:  917 

*Victoi'y  vilLage 114 

*Wheatlaud  village 301 

Whitestown,  including  the  following  villages  880 

♦Ontario  village, 179 

*Rockton  village, 39 

HON.  HENRY  CHA.SE. 
[From  tbe  Vernon  County  Censur,  March  29,  1S71.] 

We  learn  with  pain  of  the  death  of  Hon. 
Henry  Chase,  a  prominent  citizen  of  this 
county.  He  settled  on  the  spot  where  Chase- 
bur;];  (named  after  him)  is  now  situated,  eight 
years  ago,  and  began  at  once  his  labors  to  im- 
prove the  place.  He  was  indefatigable  in  his 
labors;  and  joined  to  his  energy  a  spirit  of 
open  and  lionest  dealing,  which  won  for  him 
the  respect  and  friendship  of  all.  He  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  Assembly  iii  the  winter 
of  1868,  discharging  his  duties  well. 

Last  year  he  was  taken  dangerously  sick  of 
dropsy,  but  obtained  relief,  which,  however, 
proved  Init  temporary.  Being  again  attacked 
the  past  winter,  he  went  to  Sparta  to  try  the 
effects  of  the  Turkish  bath.  This,  also,  failed 
to  afford  relief,  and  he  died  there  last  week  in 
the  thirty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  born 
in  Vermont  and  was  one  of  ten  children,  all  of 
whom,  except  one,  visited  him  at  Chaseburg 
last  fall.  His  is  the  second  death  in  the  family 
of  ten. 

MONUMENT  EOCK.* 
[From  the  Western  Timts,  Oct.  35,  [1856.1 
A  monument  indeed!  A  monument  of  nature! 
How  long,  old  rock,  hast  thou  stood  there  in  all 
thy  stern  grandeur?  How  long  hast  thou 
looked  down  on  the  inhabitants  of  this  earth, 
who  have  passed  thee  in  all  their  pomp  and 
pride?  Had  it  been  possible,  would  not  thy 
stern,  old  features  have  relaxed  into  a  smile  of 
contempt  at  their  self-conceit?  How  long,  old 
rock,  hast  thou  withstood  the  scorching  suns  of 

*  A  noted  natural  curiosity  on  section  36,  in  the  town  of 
Franklin . 


summer  and  the  keen  blasts  of  winter?  Who 
can  tell  thy  age?  Art  thou  not  as  old  as  the 
"everlasting  hills?"  When  the  Creator  first 
divided  the  sea  from  the  dry  land,  thou  heardst 
the  command  to  come  forth,  and  thou  obeyed — 
to  show  the  wonderful  wisdom  and  power  of 
thy  Maker.  And  long  years  before  the  feet  of 
white  men  pressed  the  prairie  sod,  thou  wast 
witness  to  tlie  midnight  revelries  of  the  forest. 
History  has  recorded  scenes  of  savage  barbarity 
almost  incredible,  but  hadst  thou  the  power  of 
speech,  couldst  thou  not  tell  to  the  awe-struck 
traveler,  who  has,  perhaps,  lingered  to  gaze  up- 
on thy  moss-covered  sides,  a  tale,  compared 
with  which  the  mightiest  efforts  of  the  pen 
would  be  fables?  Stand  thou  there  still,  old 
rock,  till  the  end  of  the  creation  in  which  thy 
existence  first  commenced.  Let  no  impious 
hand  dare  touch  thee  to  profane  thy  majestic 
form!  Let  vain  man  look  up  to  thee  and  learn 
tlieir  own  nothingness  and  inferiority! 

JAWES  B.  SAVAGE. 
]Fioin  the  Vernon  County  Censor,  Aug.  30,   1871.] 

Died  in  Springville,  Aug.  27,  187],  Mr. 
James  R.  Savage,  age  forty-five  years. 

Mr.  Savage  was  an  old  resident  of  this  county, 
having  moved  here  upwards  of  twenty  years 
ago.  He  was  widely  known  and  respected,  and 
many  of  his  friends  and  neighbors  attended  his 
funeral  on  Tuesday  of  this  week.  Thus  an- 
other of  the  old  and  respected  residents  of  the 
county  is  no  more.  His  loss  will  be  felt  in 
many  places,  where  he  has  been  wont  to  be  a 
prominent  actor. 

"THE  LAST  SHALL  BE  FIRST.  " 

REPUBLICAN  STATE  TICKET. 

Election,  November  ^,  1857. 

For  Governor: 

Alexander  W.  Randall,  of  Milwaukee. 

For  Lieutenant  Governor: 

Carl  Shurz,  of  Jefferson. 

For  Secretary  of  State: 

John  L.  V.  Thomas,  of  Rock. 


11» 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


For  Treasurer: 
Samuel  D.  Hastings,    of  Trempealeau. 

For  Attorney  General: 
Mortimer  M.  Jackson,  of  Iowa. 

For  Bank  Comptroller: 

John  P.  McGregor,  of  Columbia. 

For  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  : 

Jolin  G.  McMynn,  of  Racine. 

For  State  Prison  Commissioner  : 

E.  M.  McGraw,  of  Sheboygan. 

For  Assemblyman: 

William  C.  McMichael. 

KEPDBLICAX  COUNTY  TICKET. 

For  Sheriff : 

Anson  K.  Burrell. 

For  Treasurer: 

John  Gardner. 

For  Clerk  of  Circuit  Court: 
William  C.  McMichael. 

For  Clerk  of  the  County  Board: 

William  F.  White. 

For  Register  of  Deeds: 

Daniel  P.  Allison. 

For  District  Attorney: 
Royal  C.  Bierce. 

For  County  Surveyor: 
Greene  Spurrier. 

For  Coroner: 
Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 

In  displaying  the  above  ticket  at  the  head  of 
its  columns,  on  the  14th  of  October,  1857,  the 
editor  of  the  Western  Times  has  a  word  to  say 
why  each  candidate  on  the  county  ticket  should 
be  elected.  "Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,"  says  he, 
"  the  candidate  for  coroner,  is  now  sheriff  of 
the  county.  He  is  landlord  at  the  North  Star, 
and  everybody  knows  that  they'll  get  good  fare 
when  they  call  on  him."  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk 
was  elected  coroner. 

REPtJBLICAN  STATE  TICKET.  18  81. 

For  Governor: 
Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  of  Vernon. 


For  Lieutenant-Governor: 

Samuel  S.  Fifield,  of  Ashland. 

For  Secretary  of  State: 

E.  G.  Timme,  of  Kenosha. 

For  Treasurer: 

E .  C.  McFetridge,  of  Dodge. 

For  Attorney  General: 

L.  F.  Frisby,  of  Washington. 

For  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction: 

Robert  Graham,  of  Winnebago. 

For  Railroad  Commissioner: 

N.  P.  Haugen,  of  Pierce. 

For  Commissioner  of  Insurance: 

Phil  L.  Spooner,  of  Dane. 

In  placing  the  above  ticket  at  the  head  of  the 
columns  of  the  Vernon  County  Censor,  the  edi- 
tor says: 

"The  nominee  of  the  convention  for  goverii- 
or,Gen.  J.  M.  Rusk,has  been  a  resident  of  Ver- 
non county  for  thirty  years  and  therefore  needs 
no  introduction  to  our  people  nor  to  the  peo]>le 
of  the  State,  for  his  record  of  public  life  is  a 
part  of  the  record  of  the  State.  He  served  the 
State  two  terms  as  bank  comptroller,  his  dis- 
trict three  terms  in  Congress  and  his  country 
three  years  in  the  army.  In  every  one  of  these 
positions  he  made  an  honorable  record  and  won 
the  confidence  of  his  people.  In  Congress  lie 
was  the  trusted  friend  of  Garfield,  Blaine  and 
other  great  leaders,  and  no  man  possessed  their 
friendship  and  confidence  in  a  greater  degree. 

"Working  his  way  to  position  from  the  luun- 
blest  walks  of  life,  through  his  own  exertions 
and  energy.  Gen.  Rusk  knows  the  wants  of 
the  people.  He  had  not  the  advantages  of  a 
college  education,  but  he  had  a  fund  of  common 
sense,  which,  with  his  common  school  educa- 
tion, enabled  him  to  accomplish  for  his  constit- 
uents while  in  Congress  much  that  men  with 
more  learning  could  not;  and  not  one  measure 
for  the  benefit  of  his  constituents  failed  at  his 
hands. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


779 


"That  Gen.  Rusk  will  prove  a  strong  head 
for  the  ticket  none  doubt.  He  enjoj's  a  large 
personal  acquaintance  throughout  the  Stale  and 
all  know  that  his  administration  will  be  con- 
ducted in  the  interests  of  the  people.  His  pre- 
vious public  record  warrants  this  assertion; 
and  all  who  know  him  know  that  his  highest 
ambition  will  be  to  serve  the  people  of  the  glo- 
rious Badger  State  ably,  faithfully  and  honora- 
bly. 


"The  republicans  of  Vernon  county — Gen. 
Rusk's  neighbors  and  friends — send  greeting  to 
their  brethren  throughout  the  State  and  assure 
them  that  old  Vernon  will  roll  up  for  the  gal- 
lant standard  bearer  such  a  majority  as  no  man 
ever  received  liefore  in  this  county."" 


Jeremiah  M.  Rusk  was  elected 


THE    LAST     PRESIDENTIAL,     GUBERNATIONAL     AND 
CONGRESSIONAL   VOTE   IN   VERNON    COUNTY. 


Coon 

Forest 

Franklin 

Genoa 

Gieenwood.. 

Htimbnrg 

Harmony 

Hillsborough, 

Jf'tTerson 

Kickapoo  ...  . 

Liberty 

Stark  

Sterling 

TTnion 

Vir  qua 

Webster 

Whentlanfl  ..  . 
Whitestown. .. 


Prksi 

DENT. 
1880. 


173 
IIS 
1.33 

!in 

78 
12() 
171 
162 
13« 
168 

52 

91 
167 

4(1 
3-.'.s 

861 
137 
121 


Governor 
1881. 


Total 8774  1014  2022   358'  153   042  1046 


108 
68 

12.5 
66 
65 
89 

114 

148 
84 
69 
45 
57 

109 
41 

S19 
.58 
72 

121 


Congress, 

1882. 


63 
45 
IK) 
56 
44 
89 
19  93 
3 1  102 


33 


4 

fl 

2 

20 

10 

ii 

6 
3 

21 

8 

re 


189 


45 


780 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


APPENDIX 


ABSTRACT  OF  LAWS. 


ELBCTOKS  AND  GENERAL   ELECTION. 

Section  12.  Every  male  person  of  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years  or  upward,  belonging  to 
either  of  the  following  classes,  who  shall  have 
resided  in  the  State  for  one  year  next  preceding 
any  election,  shall  be  deemed  a  qualified  elector 
at  such  election. 

1.  Citizens  of  the  United  States. 

2.  Persons  of  foreign  birth  who  shall 
have  declared  their  intention  to  become  citi- 
zens conformably  to  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  on  the  subject  of  naturalization. 

3.  Persons  of  Indian  bluod  who  have  once 
been  declared  by  law  of  Congress  to  become 
citizens  of  the  United  States,  any  subsequent 
law  of  Congress  to  the  contrary  notwithstand- 
ing. 

4.  Civilized  persons  of  Indian  descent,  not 
members  of  any  tribe.  Every  person  convicted 
of  bribery  shall  be  excluded  from  the  right  of 
suffrage  unless  restored  to  civil  rights,  and  no 
person  who  shall  have  made  or  become  directly 
or  indirectly  in  any  bet  or  wager  depending 
upon  the  result  of  any  election  at  which  he 
shall  offer  to  vote  shall  be  permitted  to  vote 
at  such  election. 

Section  13.  No  elector  shall  vote  except  in 
the  town,  ward,  village  or  election  district  in 
which  he  actually  resides. 

Section  14.  The  general  election  prescribed 
in  the  constitution  shall  be  held  in  the  several 
towns,  wards,  villages  and  election  districts  on 
the  Tuesday  next  succeeding  the  first  Monday  in 
November  in  each  year,  at  which  time  there 
shall  be  chosen    such    representatives   in  Con- 


gress, electors  of  President  and  Vice-President, 
State  ofiicers  and  county  officers  as  are  by  law 
to  be  elected  in  such  year. 

Section  15.  All  elections  shall  be  held  in 
each  town  at  the  place  where  the  last  town 
meeting  was  held,  or  at  such  other  place  as 
shall  be  ordered  at  such  last  meeting,  or  as 
shall  have  been  ordered  by  the  supervisors 
when  they  established  more  than  one  election 
poll,  except  that  the  first  election  after  the  or- 
ganization shall  be  held  at  the  place  directed  in 
the  act  or  proceedings  by  which  it  was  organ- 
ized ;  and  all  elections  in  villages  constituting 
separate  election  districts,  and  in  the  wards  of 
cities,  shall  be  held  at  the  place  to  be  ordered 
by  the  trustees  of  such  village,  or  the  common 
council  of  such  city,  at  least  ten  days  before 
such  election,  unless  a  different  provision  is 
made  in  the  act  incorporating  such  village  or 
city. 

Section  16.  Whenever  it  shall  become  im- 
possible or  inconvenient  to  hold  an  election  at 
the  place  designated  therefor,  the  board  of  in- 
spectors, after  having  assembled  at  or  as  near 
as  practicable  to  such  place,  and  before  receiv- 
ing any  votes,  may  adjourn  to  the  nearest  con- 
venient place  for  holding  the  election,  and  at 
such  adjourned  place  shall  forthwith  proceed 
with  the  election.  Upon  adjourning  any  elec- 
tion as  hereinbefore  provided,  the  board  of 
inspectors  shall  cause  proclamation  thereof  to 
be  made,  and  shall  station  a  constable  or  some 
other  proper  person  at  the  place  where  the  ad- 
journment was    made,  to  notify  all  electors  ar- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


781 


riving    at    such  place  of  adjournment,  and    the 
place  to  which  it  was  made. 

Section  20.  A  registry  of  electors  shall  an- 
nually be  made. 

1.  In  eacii  ward  or  election  district  of  every 
city  which,  at  the  last  previous  census,  had  a 
population  of  3,000  or  more. 

2.  In  each  ward  or  election  district  of  every 
incorporated  village  in  which,  by  law,  separate 
elections  are  held;  which  village,  at  the  last 
preceding  censu.^,  had  a  population  of  1500  or 
more. 

3.  In  every  town  containing  a  village  which, 
at  said  census,  had  a  population  of  1,500 
or  moif,  in  which  village  separate  general 
elections  are  not  by  law  required  to  be  held. 

4.  In  all  towns,  any  part  of  which  shall 
have  been  embraced  in  any  part  of  any  city  or 
village  in  which  a  registration  by  this  cliaptcris 
required. 

Such  registration  shall  be  made  in  the  man- 
ner provided  by  this  chapter.  The  persons 
authorized  by  law  to  act  as  inspector  of  election 
in  each  of  such  towns,  wards  or  election  dis- 
tricts shall  constitute  the  boards  of  registry 
therefor. 

Section  21.  The  said  inspectoi's  shall  have 
their  first  meeting  on  Tuesday,  four  weeks  pre- 
ceding each  general  election  at  the  place  where 
said  election  is  to  be  held;  and  in  election  dis- 
tricts in  which  there  were  polled  at  the  pre- 
vious general  election  300  votes  or  less, 
they  shall  sit  for  one  day  and  in  districts  in 
which  t'lere  were  more  than  300  votes  polled,  they 
shall  have  power  to  sit  two  days,  if  necessary, 
for  the  jmrpose  ot  making  such  list.  They  shall 
meet  at  9  oclock  in  the  forenoon  and  hold 
their  meetings  open  until  8  o'clock  in  the 
evening  of  each  day,  during  which  they  shall  so 
sit.  The  clerks  appointed  by  law  to  act  as  clerks 
of  election  shall  act  as  clerks  of  the  board  of 
registry  on  the  election  only.  The  proceedings 
shall  be  open  and  all  electors  of  the  district 
shall  be  entitled  to  be  heard  in  relation  to  cor- 
rections   or   additions    to  said  registry.     They 


shall  have  the  same  powers  to  preserve  order 
which  inspectors  of  election  have  on  election 
days  and  in  towns  vacancies  on  the  board  shall 
be  filled  in  the  same  manner  that  vacancies 
are  filled  at  elections. 

Section  22.  The  said  inspectors  at  their  first 
meeting,  and  before  doing  any  business,  shall 
severally  take  and  subscribe  the  oath  of  inspect- 
ors at  a  general  election  and  said  inspectors 
shall  at  their  first  meeting  make  a  registry  of 
all  the  electors  of  their  respective  districts, 
placing  thereon  the  full  names,  alphabetically 
arranged  according  to  surnames  in  one  column, 
and  in  another  the  residence  by  number  and 
name  of  street  or  other  location,  if  none.  If 
any  electors  residence  is  at  any  hotel  or  jiublic 
boarding  house,  the  name  of  the  hotel  or 
boarding  house  shall  be  stated  in  the  registry. 
They  shall  put  thereon  the  names  of  all  persons 
residing  in  their  election  districts,  appt-aring 
on  the  poll  list  kepi  at  the  last  preceding  gen- 
eral election  and  are  authorized  to  takejhere- 
for  such  poll  list  from  the  office  where  kept, 
omitting  such  as  have  died  or  removed  from 
the  district  and  adding  the  names  of  all  other 
persons  known  to  them  to  be  electors  in  such 
district.  In  case  of  the  formation  of  a  new 
election  district  since  the  last  preceding  gen- 
eral election,  the  said  board  therein  may  make 
such  registry  from  the  best  means  at  their 
command  and  may,  if  necessary,  procure  there- 
for certified  copies  of  the  last  poll  list.  They 
shall  complete  said  registry  as  far  as  practica- 
ble at  their  first  meeting  and  shall  make  four 
copies  thereof  and  certify  the  original  and  each 
copy  to  be  a  true  list  of  the  electors  in  their 
district  so  far  as  the  same  are  known  to  them. 
One  of  said  copies  shall  be  immediately  jiosted 
in  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  room  in  which 
their  meeting  was  held  and  be  accessible  to  any 
elector  for  examination  or  making  copies  there- 
of, and  one  copy  shall  be  retained  by  each  in- 
spector for  revision  and  correction  at  the  second 
meeting.  They  shall,  within  two^  days  after 
said    first   meeting,   file   the  original  registry 


782 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


made  by  them,  and  said  poll  list  in  the  office  of 
the  proper  town,  city  or  village  clerk  and  may, 
in  their  discretion,  cause  ten  printed  copies  of 
said  registry  to  be  made  and  posted  in  ten  of 
the  most  public  places  of  said  election  districts 
or  may  publish  the  same  in  a  newspaper  at  an 
expense  not  exceeding  one  cent  for  each  name. 
Section  23.  The  inspectors  shall  hold  their 
second  meeting  at  the  same  place  designated 
for  holding  elections  on  the  Tuesday  two 
weeks  preceding  the  election.  They  shall 
meet  at  9  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  In  elec- 
tion districts  having  less  than  300  vo- 
ters, as  shown  by  the  preliminary  registry^ 
the  board  shall  complete  the  registry  on  the 
same  day;  but  if  there  are  more  than  that  num- 
ber of  voters  they  shall  sit  two  days.  Tuey 
shall  remain  in  session  until  8  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  They  shall  revise  and  correct  the 
registry,  first  by  erasing  the  name  of  any  per- 
son who  shall  be  proved  to  their  satisfaction  by 
the  oaths  of  two  electors  of  the  district  to 
to  be  not  entitled  to  vote  therein  at  the  next 
ensuing  election,  unless  such  person  shall  ap- 
pear and  if  challenged,  shall  answer  the  ques- 
tions and  take  the  oath  thereinafter  provided; 
secondly,  by  entering  thereon  the  names  of 
every  elector  entitled  to  vote  in  the  district  at 
the  next  election  who  shall  api)ear  before  the 
board  and  require  it,  and  state  his  place  of  resi- 
dence, giving  street  and  number,  if  numbered, 
or  location,  as  hereinbefore  provided,  if  chal- 
lenged answer  the  questions,  and  take  the  oath 
provided  in  case  of  challenge  at  an  election;  but 
if  any  person  shall  refuse  to  answer  all  such 
questions  or  to  take  such  oath,  his  name  shall 
not  be  registered.  Any  person  who  is  not 
twenty-one  years  of  age  before  the  date  when 
the  register  is  required  to  be  corrected  but  will 
be  if  he  lives  until  the  day  of  election,  shall 
have  his  name  put  on  the  registry  if  he  be 
otherwise  qualified  to  be  an  elector.  Any  elec- 
tor who  did  not  vote  at  the  previous  general 
election  shall  be  entitled  to  be  registered  either 
at  the  preliminary  or  final  registration  of   elec- 


tors by  appearing  before  the  board  of  registra- 
tion of  his  election  district  and  establishing  his 
right  to  be  registered,  or,  instead  of  personal 
appearance,  he  may  make  his  application  to  be 
registered  to  the  board  in  writing.  Such  appli- 
cation shall  state  the  name  and  period  of  con- 
tinuous residence  in  the  election  district  and 
place  of  residence  t'  erein,  giving  the  number 
and  street  of  the  applicant,  and,  in  case  the 
person  making  the  application  is  of  foreign 
birth,  he  shall  state  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  the  time 
and  place  of  declaring  his  intention  to  become 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  that  he  is 
entitled  to  vote  at  the  election.  Upon  receiving 
such  application,  the  board  of  registration 
shall  register  the  name  of  such  applicant,  if  it 
appears  to  the  board  that  the  applicant  is,  by 
his  statement,  entitled  to  vote.  Such  state- 
ment shall  be  made  under  oath,  and  shall  be 
preserved  by  the  board  and  be  filed  in  the  ofhce 
of  the  village  or  city  clerk,  as  the  case  may  be. 
All  cit}'  and  village  clerks  shall  keep  blanks  for 
making  the  application  for  registration,  as  pro- 
vided by  this  section.  The  form  shall  be  jwe- 
scribed  by  the  secretary  of  State.  Every 
man  named  in  this  section  shall  be  subject  to 
the  same  punishment  for  any  false  statement 
or  other  offense  in  respect  thereto  as  is  provided 
in  case  of  such  false  statement  or  other  offense 
by  an  elector  offering  to  vote  at  an  election. 
After  such  registry  shall  have  been  fully  com- 
pleted on  the  day  above  mentioned,  no  name 
shall  be  added  thereto  by  any  person  or  upon 
anj^  pretense.  Within  three  days  after  the 
second  meeting  the  said  board  shall  cause  four 
copies  of  the  registry  to  be  made,  each  of  which 
shall  be  certified  by  them  to  be  a  correct  regis- 
try of  the  electors  of  their  district,  one  of  which 
shall  be  kept  by  each  inspector  for  use  on 
election  day,  and  one  shall  forthwith  be  filed 
in  the  office  of  the  proper  town,  city  or  village 
clerk.  All  registry  shall  at  all  times  be  open 
to  public  inspection  where  deposited,  without 
charge. 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


T83 


Suction  24.  On  election  day  the  inspectors 
shall  designate  two  of  tlieir  number  at  the 
opening  of  the  polls  who  shall  check  the 
names  of  every  elector  voting  in  such  district 
whose  name  is  on  the  registry.  No  vote  shall 
be  received  at  any  general  election,  of  any 
ward  or  election  district  defined  in  section  20, 
if  the  name  of  the  person  offering  to  vote  be 
not  on  said  registry,  made  at  the  second  meet- 
ing as  aforesaid,  except  as  hereinafter  provided; 
but  in  case  any  one  shall,  after  the  last  day  for 
completing  such  registry,  and  before  such  elec- 
tion, become  a  qualified  voter  of  the  district,  he 
shall  have  the  same  right  to  vote  therein  at 
such  election  as  if  his  name  had  been  duly 
registered,  provided  he  shall,  at  the  time  he 
offers  to  vote,  deliver  to  the  inspectors  his  afii- 
davit  in  which  he  shall  state  the  facts,  sliowing 
that  he  has,  since  the  completion  of  such  regis- 
try, become  a  qualified  elector  of  such  district, 
and  facts  showing  that  he  was  not  such  elector 
on  the  day  such  registry  was  completed,  and 
shall  also  deliver  to  such  inspectors  the  affi- 
davit of  two  freeholders,  electors  in  such  elec- 
tion district,  corroborating  all  material  state- 
ments in  his  affidavit.  In  case  any  person  who 
was  a  voter  at  the  last  previous  general  election 
shall  not  be  registered,  such  person  shall  be 
entitled  to  vote  on  making  affidavit  that  he  was 
entitled  to  vote  at  the  previous  election,  and 
that  he  has  not  become  disqualified  by  reason 
of  removal  from  the  election  district  or  other- 
wise, since  that  election,  which  affidavit  shall 
also  be  corroborated  by  the  affidavit  of  two 
freeholders,  as  is  provided  for  other  non-regis- 
tered voters.  No  one  freeholder  shall  be  com- 
petent to  make  at  any  one  election  corrobora- 
ting affidavits  for  more  than  three  voters.  All 
of  said  affidavits  sliall  be  sworn  to  before  some 
officer  authorized  by  the  laws  of  this  State  to 
take  depositions.  The  inspectors  shall  keep  a 
list  of  the  names  and  residence  of  the  electors 
voting  whose  names  are  not  on  said  completed 
registry,  and  attach  said  list  to  the  registry  and 
return  it,   together  with   such  affidavits,  to  the 


proper  town,  city  or  village  clerk.  No  com- 
pensation shall  be  paid  or  received  for  taking 
or  certifying  any  such  affidavits.  On  the  day 
following  the  election,  one  of  said  poll  list  and 
one  copy  of  the  registry  so  kept  and  checked 
shall  be  attached  together  and  filed  in  the  office 
of  the  proper  town,  and  the  other  of  said  poll 
lists  and  copy  of  the  registry  so  kept  shall  be 
returned  to  the  county  clerk  with  the  returns 
of  the  election.  Such  inspectors  shall  give 
notice  by  advertisement  in  a  newspajier  printed 
in  the  city,  village  or  town  where  such  registra- 
tion was  made,  of  the  registry,  and  shall  in- 
clude in  such  notice  all  additions  to  and  omis- 
sions from  the  preliminary  list,  and  shall  also 
state  where  the  election  is  to  be  held.  In  case 
there  be  no  newspaper  printed  in  such  city, 
village  or  town,  such  notice  shall  be  given  by 
posting  coi)ie8  thereof  in  three  or  more  public 
places  in  each  ward  or  election  district  in  such 
city,  village  or  town.  For  publication  of  such 
notice  in  any  such  newspaper  the  publisher 
thereof  shall  be  entitled  to  the  same  compen- 
sation per  folio  as  is  prescribed  for  publishing 
other  legal  notices 

COMMON  SCHOOLS. 

Section  413.  'I  he  information  of  any  school 
district  shall  l)e  by  written  order  of  the  town 
board,  describing  the  territory  embraced  in  the 
same  to  be  filed  with  the  town  clerk  within  twen- 
ty days  after  the  making  thereof.  The  supervi- 
sors shall  deliver  to  a  taxable  inhabitant  their 
notice  thereof  in  writing,  describing  its  bound- 
aries and  appointing  a  time  and  place  for  the 
first  district  meeting,  and  shall  therein  direct 
such  inhabitants  to  notify  every  qualified  voter 
of  the  district,  either  personally  or  by  leaving* 
written  notice  at  his  place  of  residence,  of 
the  time  and  place  of  such  meeting  at 
least  five  days  before  the  time  appointed 
therefor,  and  said  inhabitant  shall  notify  the 
voters  of  such  district  accordingly  and  endorse 
thereon  a  return,  containing  the  names  of  all 
persons  thus  notified,  and  said  notice    and    re- 


•784 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


turns  sball  be  recorded  as  a  part  of  the  record 
of  the  first  meeting  in  such  district. 

Section  414.  In  case  such  notice  shall  not 
be  given,  or  the  inhabitants  of  a  district  neglect 
or  refuse  to  assemble  and  form  a  district  when 
so  notified,  or  in  case  any  school  district  hav- 
ing been  formed  or  organized  or  afterwards  be 
disorganized,  so  that  no  competent  authority 
shall  exist  therein  to  call  a  special  district 
meeting,  in  the  manner  hereinafter  provided, 
notice  shall  be  given  by  the  town  board  and 
served  in  the  manner  prescribed  in  the  preced- 
ing section.  Whenever  a  district  meeting  shall 
be  called  as  prescribed  in  this  and  the  preced- 
ing section,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  electors 
of  the  district  to  assemble  at  the  time  and 
place  so  directed. 

Section  415.  Whenever  it  is  necessary  to 
form  a  district  from  two  or  more  adjoining 
towns,  the  town  boards  of  such  towns  shall 
meet  together  and  form  such  district  by  their 
written  order,  describing  the  territory  embraced 
in  such  district,  signed  by  at  least  two  of 
the  supervisors  of  each  town,  and  shall  file  one 
such  order  with  the  town  clerk  of  each  town 
aTid  deliver  the  notice  of  formation  to  a  taxable 
inhabitant  of  each  district,  and  cause  the  same 
to  be  served  and  returned  in  the  time  and  man- 
ner hereinbefore  described;  and  any  such  dis- 
trict may  be  altered  only  by  the  joint  actions  of 
the  town  boards  of  such  towns  in  the  same 
manner  that  other  districts  are  altered. 

Section  416.  Every  school  district  shall  be 
deemed  duly  organized  when  any  two  of  the  of- 
ficers elected  at  the  first  legal  meeting  thereof 
shall  have  consented  to  serve  in  the  oftice  to 
which  they  have  been  respectively  elected  by  a 
written  acceptance  thereof  filed  with  the  clerk 
of  the  first  meeting  and  recorded  in  the  minutes 
thereof;  arid  every  school  district  shall  be  con- 
sidered as  duly  organized  after  it  shall  have  ex- 
ercised the  franchises  and  privileges  of  a  dis- 
trict for  the  term  of  two  years. 

Section  425.  The  annual  meeting  of  all 
school  districts  in  which  graded  schools  of  two 


or  more  departments  are  taught,  shall  be  held 
on  the  second  Monday  of  July,  and  of  all  other 
school  districts  on  the  last  Monday  of  Septem- 
ber in  the  year.  The  hour  of  such  meeting 
shall  be  7  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  unless 
otherwise  provided  by  a  vote  of  the  district,  du- 
ly recorded  at  the  last  previous  annual  meeting; 
but  at  any  annual  meeting  a  majority  of  the 
electors  present  may  determine  that  the  annual 
meeting  of  such  districts  shall  be  held  on  the 
last  Monday  of  August  instead  of  the  last  Mon- 
day of  September.  Said  determination  to  take 
effect  when  a  copy  of  the  proceedings  of  said 
annual  meeting  in  reference  to  such  change 
shall  have  been  filed  with  the  town  clerk  in 
which  the  school  house  of  such  district  is  sit- 
uated and  to  remain  in  force  until  rescinded  by 
a  like  vote  of  the  electors  of  such  district. 

Section  426.  The  clerk  shall  give  at  least  six 
days'  previous  notice  of  every  annual  district 
meeting,  by  posting  notices  thereof  in  four  or 
more  public  places  in  the  district,  one  of  which 
shall  be  affixed  to  the  outer  door  of  the  school 
house,  if  there  be  one  in  the  district,  and  he 
shall  give  like  notices  for  every  adjourned  dis- 
t-^ict  meeting  when  such  meeting  shall  have 
been  adjourned  for  more  than  one  month  ;  but 
no  annual  meeting  shall  be  deemed  legal  for 
want  of  due  notice,  unless  it  shall  a])pear  that 
the  omission  to  give  such  notice  was  willful  and 
fraudulent. 

Section  427.  Special  district  meeting  may 
be  called  by  the  clerk,  or,  in  his  absence,  by 
the  directors  or  treasurer,  or  written  request  of 
five  legal  voters  of  the  district,  in  the  manner 
prescribed  for  calling  an  annual  meeting  ;  and 
the  electors  when  lawfully  assembled  at  a 
special  meeting,  shall  have  power  to  transact 
the  same  business  as  at  the  first  and  each  annual 
meeting,  except  the  election  of  officers.  The 
business  to  be  transacted  at  any  special  meeting 
shall  be  particularly  specified  in  the  notices 
calling  the  same,  and  said  notices  shall  be 
posted  six  full  days  prior  to  the  meeting.  No 
tax   or  loan  or  debt  shall  be  voted   at  a   special 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


^85 


meeting,  unless  three-fourths  of  the  legal  voters 
shall  have  been  notified,  either  personally  or 
by  written  notice  left  at  their  place  of  business, 
stating  the  time  and  place  and  objects  of  the 
meeting,  and  specifying  the  amount  proposed 
to  be  voted,  at  least  six  days  before  the  time 
appointed  therefor. 

Section  428.  Every  person  shall  be  entitled 
to  vote  in  any  school  district  meeting  who  is 
qualified  to  vote  at  a  general  election,  for  State 
and  county  ofticers,  and  who  is  a  resident  of 
such  school  district. 

ASSESSMENT  AND  COLLECTION    OF  DISTRICT  TAXES. 

Section  469.  All  school  district  taxes,  unless 
otherwise  specially  provided  by  law,  shall  be 
assessed  on  the  same  kind  of  property  as  taxes 
for  town  and  county  purposes  ;  and  all  personal 
property  which,  on  account  of  its  location  or 
the  residence  of  its  owner,  is  taxable  in  tlie 
town,  shall,  if  such  locality  or  residence  be  in 
the  school  district,  be  likewise  taxable  for 
school  district  purposes. 

B0EE0V7ING   MONET. 

Section  474.  Whenever,  upon  any  unusual 
exigency,  any  school  district  shall,  before  the 
annual  meeting,  vote  a  special  tax  to  be  col- 
lected with  the  next  levy,  the  district  may,  by 
vote,  authorize  the  district  board  to  borrow  for 
a  period  not  exceeding  one  year,  a  sum  not  ex- 
ceeding the  amount  of  such  tax,  and  by  such 
vote  set  apart  such  tax  when  collected  to  repay 
such  loan,  and  thereupon  the  district  boaid 
may  borrow  such  money  of  any  person  on  such 
terms,  and  execute  and  deliver  to  the  lender 
such  obligations  therefor  and  such  security 
for  the  repayment,  including  a  mortgage  or 
pledge  of  any  real  or  personal  property  of  the 
district,  subject  to  the  directions  contained  in 
the  vote  of  the  district  as  may  be  agreed  upon 
and  not  prohibited  by  law. 

Section  498.  Every  district  clerk  who  shall 
willfully  neglect  to  make  the  annual  report  for 
his  district  as  required  by  law,  sliall  be  required 
to  pay  the  whole  amount  of  money  lost  by  such 
district  in  consequence   of   his   neglect,   which 


shall  be  recovered  in  an  action  in  the  name   of 
and  for  the  use  of  the  district. 

Section  499.  Every  town  clerk  who  shall 
neglect  or  refuse  to  make  and  deliver  to  the 
county  superintendent  his  annual  report,  as  re- 
quired in  this  chapter  within  the  time  limited 
therefor,  shall  be  liable,  on  his  official  bond,  to 
pay  the  town  the  amount  which  such  town  or 
any  school  district  therein  shall  lose  by  such 
neglect  or  refusal,  with  interest  thereon;  and 
every  county  8uperintend<-nt  who  shall  neglect 
or  refuse  to  make  the  report  required  of  him  by 
this  chapter  to  the  State  superintendent  shall 
be  liable  to  pay  to  each  town  the. amount  which 
such  town  or  any  school  district  therein  shall 
lose  by  such  neglect  or  refusal,  with  interest 
thereon,  to  be  recovered  in  either  case  by  an  ac- 
tion prosecuted  by  the  town  treasurer  in  the 
name  of  the  towti. 

Section  503.  Every  member  of  a  district 
board  in  any  school  district  in  this  State  in 
which  a  list  of  text  books  have  been  adopted  ac- 
cording to  law,  who  shall,  within  three  years 
from  the  date  of  such  adoption  or  thereafter, 
without  the  consent  of  the  State  superintendent, 
order  a  change  of  text  books  in  such  district, 
shall  forfeit  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars. 

Section  513.  Every  woman  twenty-one  years 
of  age  and  upward  may  be  elected  or  appointed 
as  director,  treasurer  or  clerk  of  the  school  dis- 
trict, director  or  secretary  of  the  town  board 
under  the  township  system,  member  of  the 
board  of  education  in  cities,  or  county  su))erin- 
tendent. 

Section  5(i0.  In  reckoning  school  months 
twenty  days  shall  constitute  a  month  and  one 
hundred  days  five  months. 

ASSESSMENT  OF  TAXES. 

Section  1035.  The  terms  "real  property," 
"real  estate"  and  "land,"  when  used  in  this  title, 
shall  include  not  only  the  land  itself,  but  all 
buildings,  fixtures,  improvements,  rights  and 
privileges  appertaining  thereto. 

Section  1036.  The  term  "personal  proper- 
ty," as  used  in  this  title,  shall  be  construed  to 


786 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


mean  and  include  toll-bridges,  saw-logs,  timber 
and  lumber,  either  upon  land  or  afloat,  steam- 
boats, ships  and  other  vessels,  whether  at  home 
or  abroad,  buildings  upon  leased  lands,  if  such 
buildings  have  not  been  included  in  the  assess- 
ment of  the  land  on  which  they  are  erected; 
ferry  boats,  including  the  franchise  for  running 
the  same;  all  debts  due  from  insolvent  debtors, 
whether  an  account,  note,  contract,  bond,  mort- 
gage or  other  security,  or  whether  such  debts 
are  due  or  to  become  due,  and  all  goods,  wares, 
merchandise,  chattels,  money  and  effects  of  any 
nature  or  description  having  any  real  or  market- 
able value  and  not  included  in  the  term  "real 
property,"  as  above  defined. 

Section  1037.  The  improvements  of  all  land 
situated  in  this  State,  which  shall  have  been  en- 
tered under  the  provision  of  the  act  of  Congress 
entitled  "An  act  to  secure  homesteads  to  actual 
settlers  on  the  public  domain,"  approved  May 
20,  1862,  and  which  shall  be  actually  occupied 
a,-  d  improved  by  the  person  so  entering  the 
same,  or  his  heirs,  shall  be  subject  to  taxation 
and  such  improvement  shall  be  assessed  as 
personal  property.  All  taxes  levied  thereon 
shall  be  collected  out  of  the  personal  property 
of  the  occupants  of  such  land  and  in  no  other 
manner. 

Section  1038.  The  property  in  this  described 
is  exempt  from  taxation,  to-wit : 

1.  That  owned  exclusively  by  the  United 
States  or  by  this  State,  but  no  loans  contracted 
to  be  sold  by  the  State  shall  be  exempt. 

2.  That  owned  exclusively  by  any  county, 
city,  village,  town  or  school  ;  but  lands  pur- 
chased by  counties  at  tax  sales  shall  be  exempt 
only  in  the  cases  provided  in  section  1191. 

3.  Personal  property  owned  by  any  religious, 
scientific,  literary  or  benevolent  association 
used  exclusively  for  the  purpose  of  such  as- 
sociation, and  the  real  property  if  not  leased 
or  not  otherwise  used  for  pecuniary  profit, 
necessary  for  the  location  and  convenience  of 
the  buildings  of  such  association,  embracing 
the  same,  not  exceeding  ten    acres  ;    and   the 


lands  reserved  for  grounds  of  a  chartered  col- 
lege or  university  not  exceeding  forty  acres, 
and  parsonages,  whether  of  local  churches  or 
districts,  and  whether  occupied  by  the  pastor 
permanently  or  rented  for  his  benefit.  The 
occasional  leasing  of  such  buildings  for  schools, 
public  lectures  or  concerts  or  the  leasing  of 
such  parsonages  shall  not  render  them  liable  to 
taxation. 

4.  Personal  property  owned  exclusively  by 
the  State  or  any  county  agricultural  society, 
and  the  lauds  used  by  any  such  society  exclu- 
sively for  fair  grounds. 

5.  Fire  engines  and  other  implements  used 
for  extinguishing  fires,  owned  or  used  by  any 
organized  fire  company,  and  the  buildings  and 
necessary  grounds  connected  therewith,  owned 
by  such  company  and  used  exclusively  for  its 
proper  purpose. 

6.  The  properly  of  Indians  who  are  not  citi- 
zens, except  lands  held  by  them  for  purchasers. 

7.  Lands  used  exclusively  for  public  burial 
grounds,  and  tombs  and  monuments  to  the 
dead  therein. 

8.  Pensions  receivable  from  the  United 
States. 

9.  Stock  in  any  corporation  in  this  State 
required  to  pay  tax  upon  its  properly  in  the 
same  manner  as  individuals. 

10.  So  much  of  the  debts  due  or  to  become 
due  to  any  persons  as  shall  equal  the  amount  of 
hona  fide  and  unconditional  debts  by  him 
owing. 

11.  Wearing  apparel,  family  portraits  and 
libraries,  kitchen   furniture  and  growing  crops. 

12.  Provisions  and  fuel  provided  by  the 
head  of  a  family  to  sustain  its  members  for  six 
months  ;  but  no  person  paying  board  shall  be 
deemed  a  member  of  a  family. 

13.  All  the  perional  property  of  all  in- 
surance companies  that  now  or  shall  be  organ- 
ized or  doing  business  in  this  State. 

14.  The  track,  right  of  way,  depot  grounds, 
buildings,  machine  shops,  rolling  stock  and 
other  property   necessarily   used  in   operating 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


181 


any  railroad  in  this  State  belonging  to  any  rail- 
road company,  including  pontoon,  pile  and  pon- 
toon railroads,  and  shall  henceforth  remain 
exempt  from  taxation  for  any  purpose,  except 
that  the  same  shall  be  subject  to  special 
assessments  tor  local  im))rovements  in  cities 
and  villages,  and  all  lands  owned  or  claimed  by 
such  railroad  company,  not  adjoining  the  track 
of  such  company,  shall  be  subject  to  all  taxes. 
The  provision  of  this  sub-division  shall  not 
apply  to  any  railroad  that  now  is  or  shall  be 
operated  by  horse  power,  whether  now  or 
hereafter  constructed   in  any  village  or  city. 

15.  The  property,  except  real  estate,  of  all 
companies  which  are  or  shall  be  engaged  in  the 
business  of  telegraphing  in  this  State. 

16.  The  real  estate  of  the  Home  of  the 
Friendless  in  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  not  exceed- 
ing one  lot  in  amount,  is  exempt  so  long  as  the 
same  shall  continue  to  be  used  as  such  home. 

17.  All  property  of  any  corporation  or  asso- 
ciation formed  under  the  laws  of  this  State  for 
the  encouragement  of  industry  by  agricultural 
and  industrial  fairs,  by  exhibitions,  which  shall 
be  necessary  for  fair  grounds,  while  used  ex- 
clusively for  such  fairs  and  exhibitions,  pro- 
vided the  quantity  of  lands  so  exempt  shall  not 
exceed  forty  acres. 

18.  Such  tree-belts  as  are  or  may  be  planted 
and  maintained  in  compliance  with  chapter 
sixty-six  of  one  of  these  statutes. 

Section  1191.  Real  property,  upon  which  the 
county  holds  any  certificates  of  tax  sale,  shall 
continue  liable  to  taxation  and  to  sale  for  un- 
paid taxes,  and  the  county  shall  be  the  exclusive 
purchaser  at  the  sale;  but  when  a  tax  deed 
shall  be  issued  to  the  county,  and  it  shall  hold 
tax  certificates  of  sale  unredeemed  on  the  same 
property  for  two  successive  years  subsequent  to 
the  date  of  the  sale  on  which  such  deed  shall 
issue,  including  certificates  of  sale  made  prior 
to  the  passage  of  these  statutes,  such  property 
shall  thereafter  be  exempt  from  taxation  until 
the  same  is  sold  by  the  county.  The  county 
clerk    shall    annually,  before    the   first   clay   of 


June,  furnish  to  the  assessors  of  each  town  a 
list  of  the  lands  in  such  town  exempt  under 
this  section.  Nothing  in  this  section  shall  be 
so  construed  as  to  apply  to  lands  owned  by  mi- 
nors, married  women,  widowed  women,  idiots 
or  insane  persons. 

COLLECTION  OF  TAXES. 

Section  1089.  The  town  treasurer  of  each 
town,  on  the  receipt  of  the  tax  roll  for  the  cur- 
rent year,  shall  forthwith  post  notices  in  three 
or  four  public  places  in  such  town  that  the  tax 
roll  for  such  town  is  in  his  hands  for  collection, 
and  that  the  taxes  charged  them  therein  are 
subject  to  payment  at  his  office  at  any  time  prior 
to  the  first  day  of  January  in  such  year;  and  af- 
ter the  said  first  day  of  January  he  shall  proceed 
to  collect  the  tax  charged  in  such  roll  and  re- 
maining unpaid,  and  for  that  purpose  shall  call 
at  least  once  on  the  person  taxed  or  at  any 
place  of  his  usual  residence,  if  within  the  town, 
and  demand  payment  of  the  tax  charged  to 
him  on  such  roll. 

Section  1090.  On  all  taxes  paid  or  tendered 
at  the  office  of  such  treasurer  prior  to  said 
first  day  of  January,  he  shall  remit  all  of  the 
five  per  cent,  collection  fees,  except  so  much 
thereof  as  he  is  authorized  by  law  to  have  for 
his  fees  upon  taxes  so  paid. 

Section  1091.  Town  orders  shall  be  receiv- 
able for  taxes  in  the  town  where  issued,  and 
shall  be  allowed  the  town  treasurer  on  settle- 
ment of  town  taxes,  and  county  orders  and 
jurors'  certificates  shall  be  receivable  for  taxes 
in  the  county  where  issued  and  shall  be  allowed 
such  treasurer  on  settlement  of  county  taxes 
with  the  county  treasurer,  but  no  town  treasurer 
shall  receive  town  orders  in  payment  for  taxes 
to  a  larger  amount  than  the  town  taxes  included 
in  his  assessment  roll  exclusive  of  all  taxes  for 
school  purposes,  nor  county  orders  and  jurors' 
certificates  to  a  greater  amount  than  the  county 
tax  included  therein. 

Section  \OQ'i.  In  case  any  person  shall  re- 
fuse or  neglect  to  pay  the  tax  imposed  upon 
him,  the  town  treasurer  shall  levy  the  same  by 


788 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


distress  and  sale  of  any  goods  and  chattels  be- 
longing to  such  person,  wherever  the  same  may 
be  found  within  his  town;  and  if  a  sufficient 
amount  of  such  property  cannot  be  found  in 
such  town,  the  town  treasurer  may  levy  the 
same  by  distress  and  sale  of  the  goods  and  chat- 
tels belonging  to  such  person,  wherever  the 
same  may  be  found  in  the  county  or  in  any  ad- 
joining counties. 

Section  1098.  The  town  treasurer  shall 
give  public  notice  of  the  time  and  place  of  such 
sale,  at  least  six  days  previous  thereto,  by  ad- 
vertisement, containing  a  description  of  the 
property  to  be  sold,  to  be  posted  up  in  three 
public  places  in  the  town  where  the  sale  is  to  be 
made.  The  sale  shall  be  at  public  auction  in 
the  day-time,  and  the  property  sold  shall  be 
present;  such  property  may  be  released  by  the 
payment  of  the  tax  and  charges  for  which  the 
same  is  liable  to  be  sold;  if  the  purchase  money 
on  such  sale  shall  not  be  paid  at  such  time  as 
the  treasurer  may  require,  he  may  again,  in  his 
discretion,  expose  such  property  for  sale,  or  sue, 
in  his  name  of  office,  the  purchaser  for  the  pur- 
chase money,  and  recover  the  same  with  costs 
and  ten  per  centum  damages. 

Section  1099.  If  the  property  so  levied  up- 
on shall  be  sold  for  more  than  the  amount  of 
tax  and  costs,  the  surplus  shall  be  returned  to 
the  owner  thereof;  and  if  it  cannot  be  sold  for 
want  of  bidders,  the  treasurer  shall  return  a  state- 
ment of  the  fact  and  return  the  property  to  the 
person  from  whose  possession  he  took  the  same; 
an<l  tlie  tax,  if  unsatisfied,  shall  be  collected  in 
the  same  manner  as  if  no  levy  had  been  made. 

HIGHWAYS  AND  BRIDGES. 

Section  1223.  The  supervisors  of  the  sever- 
al towns  shall  have  the  care  and  supervision  of 
the  highways  and  bridges  therein,  and  it  shall 
be  their  duty: 

1.  To  give  directions  for  repairing  the  high- 
ways and  bridges  within  their  respective  towns, 
and  cause  to  be  removed  all  obstacles  there- 
from. 


2.  To  cause  such  of  the  roads  used  as  high- 
ways as  have  been  laid  out  but  not  suf- 
ficiently described,  and  such  as  have  been 
lawfully  laid  out  and  used  as  such  up  to  the 
then  present  time,  but  not  fully  ami  sufficently 
recorded  to  be  ascertained,  described  and  en- 
tered of  record  in  the  town  clerks  oflice. 

3.  To  cause  bridges  whieii  are  or  ma}'  be 
erected  over  streams  intersecting  highwa\  s  to 
be  kept  in  repair. 

4.  To  divide  their  respective  towns  into  so 
many  road  districts  as  they  shall  judge  conven- 
ient and  specify  every  such  division  in  wiitiiig 
under  their  hands,  to  be  recorded  in  the  office 
of  the  town  clerk;  but  no  such  division  shall  be 
made  within  ten  days  next  preceding  the  annual 
town  meeting. 

5.  To  assign  to  each  of  the  said  road  dis- 
tricts such  of  the  inhabitants  liable  to  pay  tax 
on  highways  as  they  think  proper,  having  re- 
gard to  the  nearness  of  residence  as  much  as 
practicable. 

6.  To  require  ihe  overseer  of  highways  from 
time  to  time  and  as  often  as  they  shall  deem 
necessary,  to  perform  any  of  the  duties  required 
of  them  by  law. 

7.  To  assess  the  highway  taxes  in  their  re- 
spective towns  in  each  year,  as  provided  by 
law. 

8.  To  lay  out  and  establish  upon  actual  sur- 
veys, as  heieinafter  provided,  such  new  roads 
in  their  respective  towns  as  they  may  deem 
necessary  and  proper;  to  discontinue  such  roads 
as  shall  appear  to  them  to  have  become  unnec- 
essary, and  to  widen  or  alter  such  roads  when 
they  shall  deem  it  necessary  for  public  conven- 
ience and  perform  all  other  duties  respecting 
highways  and  bridges  directed  by  this  chapter. 

INTOXICATING    LIQUORS. 

Section  1548.  The  town  boards,  village 
boards  and  common  councils  of  the  respective 
towns,  villages  and  cities,  may  grant  license  to 
such  persons  as  they  may  deem  proper,  to  keep 
groceries,  saloons  or  other  places  within  their 
respective   towns,  villages  or  cities,  for  the  sale 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


•789 


in  qnaiuities  of  less  than  one  gallon  of  strong, 
spirituous,  malt,  ardent  or  intoxicating  liquors, 
to  be  drank  on  the  premises  ;  and  in  like  man- 
ner may  grant  licenses  for  the  sale  in  any 
quantity  of  such  liquor  not  to  be  drank  on  the 
premises.  The  sum  to  be  paid  for  such  license 
for  the  sale  of  such  liquor  to  be  drank  on  the 
premises  shall  not  be  less  than  $25  nor  more 
than  $150  ;  and  for  the  sale  of  such  liquors  not 
to  be  drank  on  the  premises  shall  be  not  less 
than  $10  nor  more  than  $40. 

Section  1549.  Every  applicant  for  such 
license  shall,  before  delivery  thereof,  file  with 
such  town,  village  or  city  clerk  a  bond  to  the 
State  in  the  sum  of  $500,  with  at  least  two 
sureties,  to  be  approved  by  the  authorities 
granting  the  license,  who  shall  each  justify  in 
double  its  amount  over  and  above  their  debts 
and  liabilities  and  exemptions,  and  be  free- 
holders and  residents  of  the  county,  conditioned 
that  the  applicant  during  the  continuance  of 
his  license  will  keep  and  maintain  an  orderly 
and  well  regulated  house  ;  that  he  will  permit 
no  gambling  with  cards,  dice  or  any  device  or 
implements  for  that  purpose,  within  his  prem- 
ises or  any  other  house,  yard  or  shed  appertain- 
ing thereto  ;  that  he  will  not  sell  or  give  away 
any  intoxicating  liquors  to  any  minor,  having 
good  reason  to  believe  him  to  be  such,  unless 
upon  the  written  order  of  the  parents  or  guard- 
ian of  such  minor,  or  to  persons  intoxicated  or 
bordering  upon  intoxication,  or  to  habitual 
drunkards  ;  and  that  he  will  pay  all  damages 
that  may  be  recovered  by  any  person,  and  that 
he  will  observe  and  obey  all  orders  of  such 
supervisors,  trustees  or  aldermen,  or  any  of 
them,  made  pursuant  to  law.  In  case  of  the 
breach  of  the  condition  of  any  such  bond,  an 
action  may  be  brought  thereon  in  the  name  of 
the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  judgment  shall  be 
entered  against  the  principals  and  sureties 
therein  named  for  the  full  penalty  thereof ; 
and  execution  may  issue  thereupon  by  order  of 
the  court  therefor  to  satisfy  any  judgment  that 
may   be  recovered  against  the  principal   named 


in  said  bond,  by  reason  of  any  breach  in  the 
conditions  thereof,  or  for  any  penalties  of  for- 
feitures incurred  under  tliis  chapter.  If  more 
than  one  judgment  shall  have  been  recovered, 
the  court,  in  its  discretion,  may  apply  the  pro- 
ceeds of  said  bond  toward  the  satisfaction  of 
said  several  judgments,  in  whole  or  in  part,  in 
such  manner  as  it  may  see  fit. 

Section  1550.  If  any  person  shall  vend,  sell, 
deal  or  traffic  in  or  for  the  purpose  of  evading 
this  chapter,  give  away,  any  spirituous,  malt, 
ardent  or  intoxicating  lifpiors  or  drinks,  in 
any  quantity  whatever,  without  first  having  ob- 
tained license  therefor,  according  to  the  pro- 
visions of  this  chapter,  he  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and,  on  conviction 
thereof  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of  not  less 
than  #10  nor  more  than  $40,  besides  the  costs 
of  suit,  or,  in  lieu  of  such  fine,  by  imprison- 
ment in  the  county  jail  of  the  proper  county, 
not  to  exceed  sixty  days  nor  less  than  twenty 
days  ;  and,  in  case  of  punishment  by  fine  as 
above  provided,  such  person  shall,  unless  the 
fine  and  costs  be  paid  forthwith,  be  committed 
to  the  county  jail  of  the  proper  county,  until 
such  fine  and  costs  are  paid,  or  until  discharged 
by  due  course  of  law  ;  and,  in  case  of  a  second 
or  any  subsequent  conviction  of  the  same  per- 
son during  any  one  year,  punishment  may  be 
by  both  fine  and  imprisonment,  in  the  discre- 
tion of  the  court. 

Section  1551.  Upon  complaint  made  to  any 
justice  of  the  peace  by  any  person  that  he 
knows  or  has  good  reason  to  believe,  that  an 
offense  against  this  chapter,  or  any  violation 
thereof,  has  been  committed,  he  shall  examine 
the  complainant  on  oath,  and  he  shall  reduce 
such  complaint  to  writing  and  cause  the  same 
to  be  subscribed  by  the  person  comjilaining. 
And  if  it  shall  appear  to  such  justice  that 
there  is  reasonable  cause  to  believe  that  such 
offense  has  been  committed,  he  shall  immedi- 
atelv  issue  his  warrant  reciting  therein  the  sub- 
stance of  such  complaint  and  requiring  the 
officer  to  whom  such  warrant  shall  be  directed 


790 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


forthwith  to  arrest  the  accused  and  bring  him 
before  such  justice,  to  be  dealt  witli  acoordinc; 
to  law  ;  and  the  same  warrant  may  re(]uire  the 
officer  to  summon  such  persons  as  shall  be 
therein  named  to  apjiear  at  the  trial  to  give 
evidence. 

Section  1552.  The  district  attorney  of  the 
proper  county  shall,  on  notice  given  to  him  by 
tlie  justice  of  the  peace  before  whom  any  such 
3omplaint  shall  be  made,  attend  the  trial  before 
such  justice  and  conduct  the  same  on  behalf  of 
the  State. 

Section  1553.  Every  supervisor,  trustee, 
alderman  and  justice  of  the  peace,  police  officer, 
marshal,  deputy  marshal  and  constable  of  any 
town,  village  or  city  who  shall  know  or  be 
creditably  informed  that  any  offense  has  been 
committed  against  the  provisiotis  of  this  chap- 
ter, shall  make  complaint  against  the  person  so 
offending  within  their  respective  towns,  vil- 
lages or  cities  to  a  proper  justice  of  the  peace 
therein,  and  for  every  neglect  or  refusal  so  to  do, 
every  such  officer  shall  forfeit  ^25,  and  the 
treasurer  of  such  town,  village  or  city  shall 
prosecute  therefor. 

Section  1557.  Any  keeper  of  any  saloon, 
shop  or  place  of  any  name  whatsoever  for  the 
sale  of  strong,  spirituous  or  malt  liquors  to  be 
drank  on  the  premises  in  any  quantity  less  than 
one  gallon,  who  shall  sell,  vend,  or  in  way  deal 
or  traffic  in  or  for  the  purpose  of  evading  this 
chapter,  give  away  any  spirituous,  ardent  or  malt 
liquors  or  drinks  in  any  quantity  whatsoever  to 
or  with  a  minor,  having  good  reason  to  believe 
him  to  be  such,  or  to  a  person  intoxicated  or 
bordering  on  a  state  of  intoxication,  or  to  any 
other  prohibited  person  before  mentioned  shall 
be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor;  nor  shall 
any  person  sell  or  in  any  way  deal  or  traffic  in, 
or,  for  the  purpose  of  evading  this  chapter,  give 
away  any  spirituous,  ardent,  intoxicating  or 
malt  liquors,  or  drinks  in  any  quantity  within 
one  mile  of  either  of  the  hospitals  for  the  in- 
sane; and  a  y    person   who  shall  so  sell  or  give 


away  any  such  liquors  or  drinks  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  a  misdemeanor. 

BILLS  OF  EXCHANGE  AND   PROMISSORY  NOTES. 

Sectiok  IGT.i.  All  notes  in  writing  made  and 
signed  by  any  person  or  for  any  corporation, 
and  all  certificates  of  the  deposit  of  money  is- 
sued by  any  person  or  corporation,  whereby  he 
or  it  shall  promise  to  pay  to  any  person  or  or- 
der, or  unto  the  bearer  any  sum  of  money  as 
therein  mentioned,  shall  be  due  and  payable  as 
therein  expressed,  and  shall  have  the  same  ef- 
fect and  shall  be  negotiable  in  like  manner  as 
inland  bills  of  exchange,  according  to  the  cus- 
tom of  merchants.  But  no  order  drawn  upon 
or  accepted  by  the  treasurer  of  any  county, 
town,  city,  village  or  school  district,  whether 
drawn  by  any  officer  thereof  or  any  other  per- 
son, and  no  obligation  or  instrument  made  by 
such  corporation  or  any  officer  thereof,  unless 
expressly  authorized  by  law  to  be  made  negoti- 
able, shall  be,  01-  shall  be  deemed  to  be,  negoti- 
able according  to  the  custom  of  merchants,  in 
whatever  form  they  may  be  drawn  or  made. 

Section  1680.  On  all  bills  of  exchange  pay- 
able at  sight,  or  at  future  day  certain,  within 
this  State,  and  all  negotiable  promissory  notes, 
orders  and  drafts  payable  at  a  future  day  cer- 
tain, within  this  State,  in  which  there  is  not  an 
expressed  stipulation  to  the  contrary,  grace 
should  be  allowed  in  like  manner  as  it  is  allowed 
by  the  custom  of  merchants  on  foreign  bills  of 
exchange,  payable  at  the  expiration  of  a  cer- 
tain period  after  date  or  sight.  The  provisions 
of  this  section  shall  not  extend  to  any  bill  of 
exchange,  note  or  draft  payable  on  demand. 

Section  1684.  All  notes,  drafts,  bills  of  ex- 
change or  other  negotiable  paper,  maturing  on 
Sunday  or  upon  any  legal  holiday  shall  be  due 
and  payable  upon  the  next  preceding  secular 
day. 

HOURS  OF  LABOR. 

Section  1  728.  In  all  manufactories,  workshops 
and  other  places  used  for  mechanical  or  manu- 
facturing purposes,  the  time  of  labor  of  children 
under  eighteen  years  of  age  and  of  women  em- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


791 


ployed  therein,  shall  not  exceed  eight  hours  in 
one  day;  and  any  employer,  stockholder,  direct- 
or, officer,  overseer,  clerk  or  foreman  who  shall 
compel  any  woman  or  any  child  to  labor  exceed- 
ing eight  hours  in  any  one  day,  or  who  shall 
permit  any  child  under  fourteen  years  of  age  to 
labor  more  than  ten  hours  in  any  one  day  in  any 
such  place,  if  he  shall  have  control  over  such 
children  sufficient  to  prevent  it,  or  who  shall 
employ  at  manual  labor  any  child  under  twelve 
years  of  age  in  any  factory  or  workshop  where 
more  tlian  three  persons  are  employed,  or  who 
shall  employ  any  child  of  twelve  and  un- 
der fourteen  years  of  age  in  any  such  factory 
or  workslio})  for  more  than  seven  months  in 
any  one  year  shall  forfeit  not  less  than  $5  nor 
more  tlirin  450  for  each  such  offense. 

Section  1729.  In  all  engagements  to  labor 
in  ai.y  manufacturing  or  mechanical  business 
wheie  there  is  no  express  contract  to  the  con- 
trary, a  day's  work  shall  consist  of  eight  hours 
and  all  engagements  or  contracts  for  labor  in 
such  cases  shall  be  construed;  but  this  shall 
not  apply  to  any  contract  for  labor  by  the 
week  month  or  year. 

FORM  OF  COXVBYASCES. 

Sectiox  2207.  A  deed  of  quit  claim  and 
release  of  the  form  in  (rommou  use  of  the  form 
hereinafter  provided,  shall  be  sufficient  to  pass 
all  the  estate  which  the  grantor  could  lawfully 
convey  by  deed  of  bargain  and  sale. 

Section  2208.  Conveyances  of  land  ni:iy  be 
in  substantially  the  following  form: 

WAKE A NTT  DEED. 

A.  K.,  grantor  of Co.,  Wis.,  hereby  con- 
veys   and  warrants    to    C.  D.,  grantee,  of 

Co.,  Wis.,  for  the  sum  of dollars,  the  fol- 
lowing tract  of  land  in  county. 

(Here  describe  the  premises.) 

Witness  the  hand  and  seal  of  said  grantor 
this day  of ,  18 — . 


QUIT  CLAIM  DEED. 

A.    B.,    grantor,  of  Co.,    Wis.,    hereby 

quitclaims  to  C.  D.,  grantee,  of Co.,  Wis., 

for  the  sum  of dollars,  the  following  tract 

of  land  county. 

(Here  describe  the  premises.) 

Witness  the   hand  and  seal  of  said  grantor, 
this day  of  ,  18 — . 


In  the  presence  of 


SEAL. 
SEAL. 


In  the  presence  of 

-) 

-\ 


SEAL 
SEAL 


Such  deeds,  when  executed  and  acknowledged 
as  required  by  law,  when  of  the  first  ot  the  above 
forms,  have  the  effect  of  a  conveyance  in  fee 
simple  to  the  grantee,  his  heirs  and  assigns  of 
the  premises  therein  named,  together  with  all 
the  appurtenances,  rights  and  privileges  thereto 
belonging,  with  a  covenant  from  the  grantor, 
his  heirs  and  personal  representatives,  that  he 
is  lawfully  seized  bf  the  jiremises;  has  good 
right  to  convey  the  same;  that  he  guarantees 
the  grantee,  his  heirs  and  assigns  in  the  quiet 
possession  thereof;  that  the  same  are  free  from 
all  incumbrances,  and  that  the  grantor,  his  heirs 
and  personal  representatives  will  forever  war- 
rant and  defend  the  title  and  possession  thereof 
in  the  grantee,  his  heirs  and  assigns  against  all 
lawful  claims  whatsoever.  Any  exceptions  to 
such  covenants  may  be  briefly  inserted  in  such 
deed,  following  the  description  of  the  land;  and 
when  in  the  second  of  the  above  forms,  shall 
have  the  effect  of  a  conveyance  in  fee  simple  to 
the  grantee,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  of  all  the 
right,  title,  interest  and  estate  of  the  grantor 
either  in  possession  or  expectancy,  in  and  to  the 
premises  therein  described,  and  all  rights,  priv- 
ileges and  appurtenances  thereto  belonging. 

M0RT(;.VGES. 

Section  2209.  A  mortgage  may  be  substan- 
tially in  the  following  form: 

.\.  B.,  mortgagor,  of  Co.,  Wis.,   hereby 

mortgages   to    C.    D.,  mortgagee,  of  Co., 

Wis.,  for  the  sum  of dollars,  the  following 

tract  of  land  in county. 

(Here  describe  the  premises.) 


792 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


The  mortgage  is  given  to  secure  the  following 
indebtedness: 

(Here  state  amount  or  amounts  and  form  of 
indebtedness,  whether  on  note,  bond  or  other- 
wise, time  or  times  when  due,  rate  of  interest, 
l)y  and  to  whom  payable,  etc.) 

The  mortgagor  agrees  to  pay  all  taxes  and 
assessments  on  said  premises,  and  the  sum  of 

dollars  attorney's  fees  in  case  of  foreclosure 

thereof. 

Witness  the  Iiand  and  seal  of  said  mortgagor 
this day  of ,  18—. 


In  presence  of 


SEAL. 
SEAL. 


When  executed  and  acknowledged  according 
to  law  shall  have  the  effect  of  a  conveyance  of 
tlie  land  therein  described,  togetlier  with  all  the 
rights,  privileges,  appurtenances  thereunto  be- 
longing in  pledge  to  the  mortgagee,  his  lieirs, 
assigns  and  legal  representatives  for  the  payment 
of  the  indebtedness  therein  set  forth,  with  cov- 
enant from  the  mortgagor  that  all  taxes  and 
assessments  levied  and  assessed  upon  the  land 
described  during  the  continuance  of  the  mort- 
gage shall  be  paid  previous  to  the  day  apjiointed 
by  law  for  the  sale  of  lands  for  taxes, as  fully  as 
the  forms  of  mortgage  now  and  heretofore  in 
common  use  in  this  State,  and  may  bo  fore- 
closed in  the  same  manner  and  with  the  same 
effect,  upon  any  default  being  made  in  any  of 
the  conditions  thereof  as  to  payment  of  either 
principal,  interest  or  taxes. 

ASSIGNMENT  OP  MORTGAGE. 

Section  2210.  An  assignment  of  a  morlgnge 
substantiallj'  in  the  following  form: 

For  value  received  I,  A.  B.,  of  ,   Wis., 

hereby  assign  to  C.  D  ,  of ,  Wis.,  the  with- 
in mortgage  (or  a  certain  mortgage  executed  to 

,  by  E.  F.  and   wife,  of Co.,  Wis.,  the 

—  day  of  — - — ,  IS — ,  and  recorded  in  the  office 

of  the   register   of    deeds  of  Co.,  Wis.,  in 

Vol.  — ,  of  mortgages,  on  page  — ),  together 
with  the  and  indebtedness  therein  men- 
tioned. 


Witness  my  hand  and  seal,  this  —  day  of 

18—. 
In  the  presence  of 


-  A.  B.  [seal.] 

Shall  be  sufficient  to  vest  in  the  assignee  for 
all  purposes  all  the  rights  of  the  mortgagee  un- 
der the  mortgage,  and  the  amount  of  the  in- 
debtedness due  thereon  at  the  date  of  assign- 
ment such  assignment  when  indorsed  upon  the 
original  mortgage  shall  not  require  an  ac- 
knowledgment in  order  to  entitle  the  same  to 
be  recorded. 

TITLE  TO  REAL  PROPERTY  BY  DESCENT. 

Section  2270.  When  any  person  shall  die, 
seized  of  any  lands,  tenements  or  hereditaments 
or  any  right  thereto,  or  entitled  to  any  interest 
therein  in  fee  simple,  or  for  the  life  of  another, 
not  having  lawfully  devised  the  same,  they 
shall  descend  subject  to  his  debts,  except  as  pro- 
vided in  the  next  section,  in  the  manner  follow- 
ing: 

1.  In  equal  shares  to  his  children  and  to 
the  lawful  issue  of  any  deceased  children,  by 
right  of  representation;  and  if  there  be  no  child 
of  the  intestate  living  at  his  death,  his  estate 
shall  descend  to  all  his  other  lineal  descendants; 
and  if  all  the  said  descendants  are  in  the  same 
degree  of  kindred  to  the  intestate,  they  shall 
share  the  estate  equally,  otherwise  they  shall 
take  according  to  the  right  of  representation. 

2.  If  he  shall  leave  no  lawful  issue,  to  his 
widow;  if  he  shall  leave  no  such  issue  or 
widow,  to  his  })arents,  if  living;  and  if  either 
shall  not  be  living,  the  survivor  shall  inherit 
his  said  estate.  If  a  woman  shall  die  leaving 
no  issue,  her  estate  shall  descend  to  her  hus- 
band, if  she  shall  have  one  at  the  time  of  her 
decease,  and  if  she  leave,  surviving  her,  neither 
issue  nor  husband,  to  her  parents,  if  living,  and 
if  either  shall  not  be  living  the  survivor  shall 
inherit  her  said  estate. 

3.  If  he  shall  leave  no  lawful  issue,  nor 
widow,  nor  father  nor  mother,  his  estate  shall 
descend  in  equal  shares  to  his  brothers  and  sis- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


"793 


ters  and  to  the  children  of  any  deceased  brother 
or  sister,  by  right  of  representation. 

4.  If  the  intestate  shall  leave  no  lawful  issue, 
widow,  father,  mother,  brother  nor  sister,  his 
estate  shall  descend  to  his  next  of  kin,  in  equal 
degree,  except  that  when  there  are  two  or  more 
collateral  kindred  in  equal  degree,  but  claiming 
through  different  ancestors,  those  who  claim 
through  the  nearest  ancestor  shall  be  preferred 
to  those  claiming  through  an  ancestor  more  re- 
mote; provided,  however, 

5.  If  any  person  die  leaving  several  children 
or  leaving  one  child  and  the  issue  of  one  or 
more  other  children,  and  any  such  surviving 
child  siiall  die  under  age,  and  not  having  been 
married,  all  the  estate  that  came  to  the  deceased 
child,  by  inheritance  from  such  deceased  parent, 
shall  descend  in  equal  shares  to  the  other  chil- 
dren of  the  same  parent  and  to  the  issue  of  any 
such  other  children  who  shall  have  died,  by 
right  of  representation. 

6.  If,  at  the  death  of  such  child,  who  shall 
die  under  age,  and  not  having  been  married,  all 
the  other  children  of  his  said  parent  shall  also 
be  dead,  and  any  of  them  shall  have  left  issue, 
the  estate  that  came  to  said  child  by  inheri- 
tance from  his  said  parent,  shall  descend  to  all 
tiie  issue  of  the  other  children  of  the  same 
parent;  and  if  all  the  said  issue  are  in  the  same 
degree  of  kindred  to  said  child,  they  shall  share 
the  said  estate  equally;  otherwise  they  shall 
take  according  to  the  right  of  representation. 

1.  If  the  intestate  shall  have  no  widow  nor 
kindred,  his  estate  shall  escheat  to  the  Slate, 
and  he   added  to  the  capital  of  the  school  fund. 

Section  2271.  When  the  owner  of  the  home- 
stead shall  die,  not  having  lawfully  devised  the 
same,  such  homestead  shall  descend  free  of  all 
judgments  and  claims  against  such  deceased 
owner  or  his  estate,  except  mortgages  lawfully 
executed  thereon,  and  laborers'  and  mechanics' 
liens,  in  the  manner  following: 

1.  If  he  shall  have  no  lawful  issue,  to  his 
widow. 


2.  If  he  shall  leave  a  widow  and  issue,  to 
his  widow  during  her  widowhood,  and,  upon 
her  marriage  or  death,  to  his  heirs  according  to 
the  next  preceding  section. 

3.  If  he  shall  leave  issue  and  no  widow,  to 
such  issue  according  to  the  preceding  section. 

4.  If  he  shall  leave  no  issue  or  widow,  such 
homestead  shall  descend  under  the  next  pre- 
ceding section,  subject  to  lawful  liens   thereon. 

WILLS. 

Section  2277.  Every  person  of  full  age,  and 
any  married  woman  of  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  and  upward,  being  of  sound  mind,  seized 
in  his  or  her  own  right  of  any  lands,  or  of  any 
right  thereto,  or  entitled  to  any  interest  there- 
in, descendible  to  his  or  her  heirs,  may  devise 
and  dispose  of  the  same  by  last  will  and  testa- 
ment in  writing;  and  all  such  estate  not  dis- 
posed of  by  will,  shall  descend  as  the  estate  of 
any  intestate,  being  chargalde,  in  both  cases, 
with  the  payment  of  all  his  or  her  debts,  except 
as  provided  in  the  next  preceding  chapter,  and 
in  section  2280. 

Section  2278.  Every  devise  of  land  in  any 
will  shall  be  construed. to  convey  all  the  estate 
of  the  devisor  therein,  which  he  could  lawfully 
devise,  unless  it  shall  clearly  appear  by  the 
will  that  the  devisor  intended  to  convey  a  less 
estate. 

Section  2279.  Any  estate,  right  or  interest 
in  lands  acquired  by  the  testator,  after  the 
making  of  his  will,  shall  pass  thereby  in  like 
manner  as  if  possessed  at  the  time  of  making 
the  will,  if  such  shall  manifestly  appear,  by  the 
will,  to  have  been  the  intention  of  the  testator. 

Section  2280.  When  any  homestead  shall 
have  been  disposed  of  by  the  last  will  and  tes- 
tament of  the  owner  thereof,  the  devisee  shall 
take  the  same,  free  of  all  judgments  and  claims 
ai'ainst  the  testator  or  his  estate,  except  mort- 
gages lawfully  executed  thereon,  and  laborers' 
and  mechanics'  liens. 

Section  2281.  Every  person  of  full  age,  and 
every  married  woman  of  the  age  of  eighteen 
years   and    upward,  being  of  sound  mind,  may. 


794 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


by  last  will  and  testament  in  writing,  bequeath 
and  dispose  of  all  his  or  her  personal  estate  re- 
maining at  his  or  her  decease,  and  all  his  or 
her  rights  thereto  and  interest  therein,  subject 
to  the  payment  of  debts  ;  and  all  such  estate 
not  disposed  of  by  the  will  shall  be  adminis- 
tered as  intestate  estate. 

Section  2284.  All  beneficial  devises,  lega- 
cies and  gifts  whatsoever,  made  or  given  in 
any  will  to  a  subscribing  witness  thereto,  shall 
be  wholly  void,  unless  there  be  two  other  com- 
petent subscribing  wimesses  to  the  same  ;  but 
a  mere  charge  on  tlie  lands  of  the  devisor  for 
the  payment  of  debts,  shall  not  prevent  his 
creditors  from  being  competent  witnesses  to 
his  will. 

Section  2-285.  But  if  such  witnesses,  to 
whom  any  beneficial  devise  may  have  been 
made  or  given,  would  have  been  entitled  to  any 
share  of  the  e-itate  of  tlie  testator,  in  case  the 
will  was  not  established, then  so  muchof  the  share 
that  would  have  descended  or  been  distributed 
to  such  witness  as  will  not  exceed  the  devise  or 
bequest  made  to  him  in  the  will,  shall  be  saved 
to  him  and  he  may  rc\cover  tlie  same  of  the 
devisees  or  legatees  named  in  the  will,  in  pro- 
portion to  and  out  of  the  parts  devised  or  be- 
queathed to  them. 

Section  2286.  When  any  child  shall  be  born 
after  the  making  of  his  parent's  will,  and  no 
provision  shall  be  made  therein  for  him,  such 
child  shall  have  the  sj»me  share  in  the  estate  of 
the  testator  as  if  he  liad  died  intestate  ;  and 
the  share  of  such  child  shall  be  assigned  to 
him,  as  provided  by  law,  in  case  of  intestate 
estates,  unless  it  shall  be  apparent  from  the 
will  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  testator 
that  no  provision  should  be  made  for  such  child. 

Section  2290.  No  will,  or  any  part  thereof, 
shall  be  revoked,  unless  by  burning,  tearing, 
cancelling  or  obliterating  the  same,  with  the 
intention  of  revoking  it,  by  the  testator,  or  by 
some  person  in  his  presenee  and  by  his  direc- 
tion, or  by  some  other  will  or  codicil  in  writing, 
executed   as   prescribed    in    this  chapter,  or  by 


some  other  writing,  signed,  attested  and  sub- 
scribed in  the  manner  provided  in  this  chapter, 
for  the  execution  of  a  will  ;  excepting  only 
that  nothing  contained  in  this  section  shall  pre- 
vent the  revocation  implied  by  law,  from  sub- 
sequent change  in  the  condition  or  circum- 
stance of  the  testator.  The  power  to  make  a 
will  implies  the  power  to  revoke  the  same. 
adoption  of  children. 

Section  4021.  Any  inhabitant  of  this  State 
may  petition  the  county  court,  in  the  county  of 
his  residence,  for  leave  to  adopt  a  child  not  his 
own  by  birth;  but  no  such  petition  made  by  a  mar- 
ried person  shall  be  granted,  unless  the  husband 
or  wife  of  the  petitioner  shall  join  therein,  nor 
shall  any  such  petition  be  granted,  unless  the 
c]iild,if  of  tlie  age  of  fourteen  years  or  more 
shall  consent  thereto  in  writing,  in  the  presence 
of  tlie  court. 

Section  4022.  No  such  adoption  sh,all  be 
made,  without  the  written  consent  of  the  living 
parents  of  such  child,  unless  the  court  shall  find 
that  one  of  the  parents  has  abandoned  the  child, 
or  gone  to  parts  unknown,  when  such  consent 
may  be  given  by  the  parent,  if  any,  having  the 
care  of  the  child.  In  case  where  neither  of  the 
parents  is  living,  or  if  living,  have  abandoned 
the  child,  such  consent  may  be  given  by  the 
guardian  of  such  child,  if  any;  if  such  child  has 
no  guardian,  such  consent  may  be  given  by  any 
of  the  next  of  kin  of  such  child,  residing  in  this 
State,  or,  in  the  discretion  of  the  court,  by  some 
suitable  person  to  be  appointed  by  the  court. 

2.  In  case  of  a  child  not  born  in  lawful  wed- 
lock, such  consent  may  be  given  by  the  mother, 
if  she  is  living,  and  has  not  abandoned  such 
child. 

Section  4023.  If  upon  such  petition  and 
consent,  as  herein  provided,  the  county  court 
shall  be  satisfied  of  the  identity  and  the  relation 
of  the  persons,  and  that  the  petitioners  are  of 
sufficient  ability  to  bring  up,  and  furnish  suit- 
able nurture  and  education  for  the  child,  hav- 
ing reference  to  the  degree  and  condition  of 
its  parents,   and   that   it   is   proper   that   such 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


795 


adoption  shall  take  effect,  such  court  shall  make 
an  order,  reciting  said  facts  that  from  and 
after  the  date  thereof,  such  child  shall  be  deemed, 
to  all  legal  intents  and  purposes,  the  child  of  Jhe 
petitioners;  and  by  such  order  the  name  of  such 
child  may  be  changed  to  that  of  the  parents  by 
adoptic>n. 

Section  4024.  A  child  so  adopted,  shall  be 
deemed  for  the  purposes  of  inheritance  and  suc- 
cession by  such  child,  custody  of  the  person  and 
the  right  of  obedience  by  such  parents  by  adop- 
tion, the  same  to  all  intents  and  purposes  as  if 
such  child  had  been  born  in  lawful  wedlock  of 
such  parents  by  adoption,  except  that  such  child 
shall  be  capable  of  taking  property  expressly 
limited  to  the  heirs  of  the  body  of  such  parents. 

The  natural  parents  of  such  child  shall  be  de- 
prived, by  such  order  of  adoption,  of  all  legal 
rights  whatsoever,  respecting  such  child,  and 
such  child  shall  be  free  from  all  legal  oljligations 
of  maintainance  and  obedience  to  such  natural 
parents. 

ISTKREST. 

The  legal  rate  of  interest  is  seven  \>vi'  cent. 
A  higher  rate  of  interest,  m  t  exceeding  tei 
per  cent,  may  be  contracted  for,  but  the  same 
must  be  clearly  expressed  in  writing.  If  a 
higher  rate  than  ten  per  cent  is  collected  or 
]>aid,  the  party  so  paying  may,  by  himself  or 
his  legal  representatives,  recover  treble  the 
amount  so  paid  above  the  ten  per  cent,  if  the 
action  is  brought  within  one  year,  and  all  bills, 
notes  or  other  contracts  whatsoever,  whereby  a 
higher  rate  than  ten  per  cent,  is  secured,  shall 
be  liable  for  the  principal  sum,  but  no  interest 
shall  be  recovered. 

JURORS. 

All  persons  who  are  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  and  qualified  electors  of  the  State,  shall 
be  liable  to  be  drawn  as  jurors,  except  as  pro- 
vided as  follows  : 

The  following  persons  shall  be  exempt  from 
serving  as  jurors  : 

All  officers  of  the  United  States,  the  gov- 
ernor, lieutenant  governor,  secretary   of  State, 


attorney  general,  state  superintendent  and 
treasurer;  all  judges,  clerks  of  courts  of  record, 
all  county  officers,  constables,  attorneys  and 
counselors  at  law,  ministers  of  the  Gospel  of 
any  religious  society,  practicing  surgeons,  den- 
tists, and  the  president,  professors  and  instruc- 
tors of  the  university,  and  their  assistants,  and 
of  the  several  colleges  and  incorporated  acade- 
mies ;  all  teachers  of  the  State  Normal  School, 
one  teacher  in  each  common  school,  the  officers 
and  employes  of  the  several  State  institutions, 
one  miller  in  each  grist  mill,  one  ferryman  at 
each  licensed  ferry,  one  dispensing  druggist  in 
each  prescription  drug-store,  all  telegraph 
operators  and  superintendents,  conductors,  en- 
gineers, firemen,  collectors  and  station  agents 
of  any  railroad  or  canal,  while  in  actual  em- 
ployment as  such  ;  all  officers  of  the  fire  de- 
partments, and  all  active  members  of  fire  com- 
panies organized  according  to  law;  all  persons 
more  tlian  sixty  years  of  age,  and  all  persons  of 
unsound  mind  or  subject  to  any  bodily  infirmity 
amounting  to  disability  ;  all  persons  who  have 
been  convicted  of  any  infamous  crime,  and  all 
persons  who  have  served  at  any  regular  term 
of  the  circuit  court  as  a  grand  or  pettit  juror 
within  one  year,  except  he  shall  be  summoned 
on  a  special  venire  or  as  a  talesman. 

CAPITAL  PUNISHMENT. 

Capital  punishment  has  been  abolished  in 
this  State. 

WOLF  SCALPS. 

A  bounty  of  five  dollars  is  paid  for  each  wolf 
scalp. 

WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES. 

Whenever  either  of  the  articles,  as  commodi- 
ties hereafter  mentioned,  shall  be  sold  by  the 
bushel,  and  no  special  agreement  as  to  measure 
or  weight  thereof  shall  be  made  by  the  parties, 
the  measure  shall  be  ascertained  by  weight, 
and  shall  be  computed  as  follows  : 

Sixty  pounds  for  a  bushel  of  wheat,  clover 
seed,  potatoes  or  beans. 

Fifty  pounds  for  a  bushel  of  green  ajjples  ; 
fifty-six  pounds  for  a  bushel  of  rutabagas,   fiax- 


46 


796 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


seed,  rye  or  Indian  corn  shelled,  and  seventy 
pounds  of  Indian  corn  un shelled  ;  fifty  pounds 
for  a  bushel  of  rape  seed,  buckwheat,  beets, 
carrots  or  onions ;  forty-eight  pounds  for  a 
bushel  of  barley  ;  forty-five  pounds  for  a  bushel 
of  timothy  seed;  forty- four  pounds  for  a  bushel 
of  parsnips  ;  forty-two  pounds  for  a  bushel  of 
common  flat  turnips  :  thirty-two  pounds  for  a 
bushel  of  oats,  and  twenty-eight  pounds  for  a 
bushel  of  dried  apples  or  dried  peaches. 

No  person  shall  sell,  buy  or  receive  in  store 
any  grain  at  any  weight  or  measure  per  bushel 
other  than  the  standard  weight  or  measure  per 
bushel  fixed  by  law  ;  and,  for  any  violation,  the 
offender  shall  forfeit  not  less  than  80  nor  more 
than  $50. 

DAMAGES  FOR  TRESPASS. 

Any  person  who  shall  willfully,  maliciously 
or  wantonly  destroy,  remove,  throw  down  or 
injure  any  fence,  hedge  or  wall  inclosing  any 
orchard,  pasture,  meadow,  garden,  or  any  field 
whatever  on  land  belonging  to  or  lawfully  oc- 
cupied by  another,  or  open  and  leave  open, 
throw  down,  injure,  remove  or  destroy  any  gate 
or  bars  in  such  fence,  hedge  or  wall,  or  cut 
down,  root  up,  sever,  injure,  destroy  or  carry 
away  when  severed,  any  fruit,  shade,  orna- 
mental or  other  tree,  or  any  shrub,  root,  phmt, 
fruit,  flower,  grain  or  other  veget.able  production, 
or  dig  up,  sever  or  carry  away  any  mineral, 
earth  or  stone,  or  tear  down,  mutilate,  deface  or 
injure  any  building,  sign-board,  fence  or  railing, 
or  sever  and  carry  away  any  part  thereof,  stand- 
ing or  being  upon  the  land  of  another  or  held 
in  trust,  or  who  shall  willfully,  maliciously  or 
wantonly  cut  down,  root  up,  injure,  destroy  or 
remove  or  carry  away  any  fruit,  ornamental  or 
other  tree,  or  any  shrub,  fruit,  flower,  vase  or 
statue,  arbor,  or  any  ornamental  structure, 
standing  or  being  in  any  street  or  public 
ground  in  any  city  or  village,  in  any  private 
inclosure  or  highway,  or  desti'oy,  remove,  mu 
tilate  or  injure  any  milestone  or  board,  or  any 
guide-post    or  board  erected  in  any  highway  or 


public  way,  or  on  any  turnpike,  plank-road  or 
railroad,  or  deface  or  obliterate  any  device  or 
inscription  thereon,  or  cut  down,  break  down, 
remove,  mutilate  or  injure  any  monument 
erected  or  tree  marked  for  the  purpose  of  des- 
ignating the  boundaries  of  any  town  or  tract  of 
land  or  sub-division  thereof,  or  deface  or  oblit- 
erate any  figures,  letters,  device  or  inscription 
thereon,  made  for  such  purpose,  or  break,  re- 
move, destroy  or  injure  any  post,  guard,  railing, 
or  lamp-post  or  lamp  thereon,  erected  or  being 
on  any  bridge,  street,  sidewalk,  alley,  court, 
passage,  j)ark,  public  ground,  highway,  turn- 
pike, plank  or  railroad,  or  extinguish  or  break 
any  lamp  on  any  such  lamp-post,  or  tear,  de- 
face, mutilate  or  injure  any  book,  map,  pam- 
phlet, chart,  picture  or  other  property  belong- 
ing to  any  public  library,  or  take  and  carry 
away  the  same  with  intent  to  convert  to  his 
own  use,  or  shall  injure  or  destroy  any  personal 
property  of  another,  shall  be  punished  by  im- 
prisonment in  the  county  jail  not  more  than  six 
months,  or  by  fine  not  exceeding  $100. 

Any  person  who  shall  willfully,  maliciously 
or  wantonly  kill,  maim,  mutilate,  disfigure  or 
injure  any  horse,  mule,  cattle,  sheep  or  other 
domestic  animal  of  another,  or  administer 
poison  to  such  animal,  or  expose  any  poison, 
with  intent  that  the  same  may  be  taken  or 
swallowed  by  such  animal  ;  and  any  person 
who  shall  overdrive,  overwork,  overload,  maim, 
wound,  torture,  torment,  cruelly  beat  or  kill 
any  such  animal  belonging  to  himself  or 
another,  or  being  the  owner  or  having  the  care 
or  charge  thereof,  sh.all  fail  to  provide  necessa- 
ry food,  water  or  shelter  for  any  such  animal, 
or  who  shall  turn  out  and  abandon,  without 
proper  care  and  protection,  or  cruelly  work  any 
such  animal  when  old,  diseased,  disabled  or 
unfit  for  work,  or  shall  carry  or  confine  any 
live  animal,  fowl  or  bird,  in  a  cruel  or  inhuman 
manner,  or  who  shall  cause,  procure  or  abet  any 
cruelty  above  mentioned,  or  the  fighting  or 
baiting  of  bulls,  dogs  or  cocks,  shall  be  punished 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


797 


by    imprisonment  in  the  county  jail  not   more 
than  six  months  or  by  fine  not  exceeding  $100. 

ESTRAYS. 

No  stray,  except  horses  and  mules,  shall  be 
taken  up  by  any  person  not  a  resident  of  the 
town  in  which  it  is  found  ;  nor  unless  it  is 
found  upon  land  owned  or  occupied  by  him. 
Every  finder  for  a  stray  must  notify  the  owner, 
if  he  is  known,  within  seven  days,  and  request 
him  to  pay  all  reasonable  charges  and  take  the 
stray  away.  If  the  owner  is  not  known,  he 
must  file  a  notice  with  the  town  clerk  within 
ten  days,  who  shall  transmit  a  copy  thereof  to 
the  county  clerk. 

If  the  stray  is  not  worth  $5,  the  finder  shall 
post  a  copy  of  such  notice  in  two  public  places 
in  such  town  ;  if  it  exceed  |5  in  value,  he  shall 
jiublish  such  notice  four  successive  weeks, 
either  in  some  newspaper  published  in  ihe 
county  or  in  an  adjoining  county,  if  one  be 
published  nearer  his  residence  than  any  pub- 
lished in  his  county;  but  if  no  newspaper  is 
published  within  twenty  miles  of  his  residence, 
then  he  must  post  such  notice  in  three  public 
places  in  his  county.  Such  notice  shall  describe 
tlie  stray  by  giving  its  marks,  natural  or  arti- 
ficial, as  near  as  possible,  the  name  and  resi- 
dence of  the  finder,  specifying  the  section  and 
town,  and  the  time  when  such  stray  was  taken 
up.  For  neglect  to  post  up  or  publish  as  re- 
quired, the  finder  shall  be  liable  to  double  the 
amount  of  damages  sustained  by  the  owner. 
For  neglect  to  post  or  ])ublish  for  one  year,  the 
finder  shall  be  li.able  for  its  full  value,  to  be 
r(  covered  in  the  name  of  the  town,  and  the 
amount  recovered  to  be  added  to  the  school 
fund  of  such  town. 

The  finder  shall,  within  one  month,  cause  the 
stray  to  be  appraised  by  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  a  certificate  of  such  appraisal  signed  by 
such  justice  filed  in  the  town  clerk's  office. 
The  finder  shall  pay  the  justice  fifty  cents  for 
such  certificate,  and  ten  cents  per  mile  for  each 
mile    necessarily  traveled  to  make  the    same. 


The  owner  may  have  the  same  restored  to 
him  any  time  within  one  year  after  such  notice 
is  filed  in  the  town  clerk's  oflice,  by  proving 
that  the  stray  belongs  to  him,  and  paying  all 
lawful  charges  incurred  injrelation  to  the  same. 
If  the  owner  and  finder  cannot  agree  as  to  the 
charges,  either  parly,  on  notice  to  the  other, 
may  apply  to  a  justice  of  such  town  to  settle 
the  same,  who,  for  that  purpose,'^may  examine 
witnesses  upon  oath,  ai]d  the  amount  found 
due,  with  the  costs,  shall  be  a  lien  upon  such 
stray.  If  no  owner  ajiplies  for  the  return  of 
such_  stray,  asj provided,  and  the  same  is  not 
worth  more  than  $10,  it||^ shall  [.become  the 
absolute  property  of  such  finder  ;  but  if  the  ap- 
praisal shall  exceed  $10,  it  shallbe  sold  at  pub- 
lic auction  by  the  sheriff  or  any^constable  of 
the  county,  on  the  request  of  the  finder,  and  he 
shall  be  entitled  to  one  half  the  proceeds,  and 
the  other  half  shall  be  paid  to  the  treasurer  of 
the  town  within  ten  days.  If  the  finder  shall 
neglect  or  refuse  to  cause  such  sale,  he  shall 
|i;iy  to  the  town  the  value  of  such  stray,  to  be 
recovered  by  the  town. 

If  any  person,  without  the  consent  of  the 
owner,  shall  take  away  such  stray,  without'first 
paying  the  lawful  charges,  he  shall  be  liable  to 
the  finder  for  the  value  of  such  stray.  If  the 
tinder  shall  neglect  to  do  any  act  prescribed 
above,  he  shall  be  jirecluded  from  acquiring 
any  right  in  such  stray,  and  from  receiving  any 
charges  or  expenses  relative  thereto. 

FKNCES. 

The  overseers  of  highways  in  their  respective 
towns,  the  aldermen  of  cities  in  their  respective 
wards,  and  the  trustees  of  villages  in  their  re- 
spective villages,  shall  be  fence  viewers,  and  in 
towns  having  less  than  three  road  districts, 
the  supervisors  shall  be  fence  viewers. 

All  fences  four  and  a  half  feet  high,  and 
in  good  repair,  consisting  of  rails,  timber, 
boards  or  stone  walls,  or  any  combination 
thereof,  and  all  brooks,  rivers,  ponds,  creeks, 
ditches  and  hedges  or  other  things  which  shall 
I  be  considered  equivalent   thereto,  in  the  judg- 


798 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


ment  of  the  fence  viewers,  within  whose  ju- 
risdiction the  same  may  be,  shall  be  deemed 
legal  and  sufficient  fences.  Every  partition  of 
a  fence,  or  line  upon  which  a  fence  is  to  be 
built,  made  by  the  owners  of  the  adjoining 
lands,  in  writing,  sealed  and  witnessed  by  two 
witnesses,  or  by  fence  viewers  in  writing, 
under  their  hands,  after  being  recorded  in  the 
town  clerk's  office,  shall  oblige  such  owners 
and  their  heirs  ,  as  long  as  they  remain  owners, 
and  after  parting  with  the  ownership,  until  a 
new  partition  is  made.  A  division  of  a  parti- 
tion fence,  or  line  upon  which  a  partition  fence 
between  adjoining  lands  shall  be  built,  may  be 
made  by  fence  viewers  in  the  following   cases  : 

1.  When  any  owner  of  uninclosed  lands 
shall  desire  to  inclose  the  same,  he  may  have 
the  line  between  his  land  and  the  adjoining 
land  of  any  other  person  divided,  and  the  por- 
tion upon  which  the  respective  owners  shall 
erect  their  share  of  the  partition  fence  assigned, 
whether  such  adjoining  land  be  inclosed  or 
not. 

2.  When  any  lands  belonging  to  different  per- 
sons in  severalty,  shall  have  been  occupied  in 
common,  or  without  a  partition  fence  between 
them,  and  one  of  the  occupants  shall  be  desirous 
to  occupy  his  part  in  severalty,  and  the  oth- 
ers shall  refuse  or  neglect,  on  demand,  to  divide 
with  him  the  line  where  the  fence  ought  to  be 
built,  or  to  build  a  sufficient  fence  on  his  part  of 
the  line,  when  divided,  the  occupant  desiring  it 
may  have  the  same  divided,  and  the  share  of 
each  assigned. 

3.  When  any  controversy  shall  arise  about 
the  right  ot  the  respective  occupants  in  partition 
fences,  or  their  obligations  to  maintain  the  same, 
either  party  may  have  the  line  divided,  and  the 
share  of  each  assigned. 

In  either  case,  application  may  be  made  to  two 
or  more  fence  viewers  of  the  town  where  the 
lands  lie,  who  shall  give  reasonable  notice  in 
writing  to  each  party,  and  they  shall  in  writing 
under  their  hands,  divide  the  partition  fence 
or  line,  and  assign  to  each  owner  or  occupant 


his  share  thereof,  and  in  the  second  and 
third  cases  direct  within  what  time  each  party 
shall  build  or  repair  his  share  of  the  fence,  hav- 
ing regard  to  the  season  of  the  year,  and  shall 
file  such  decision  in  the  town  clerk's  office.  If 
either  party  shall  neglect  or  refuse  to  build  or 
repair  within  the  time  so  assigned  his  part  of 
the  fence,  the  other  may,  after  having  completed 
his  own  part,  build  or  repair  such  part,  and  re- 
cover double  the  expense  thereof. 

Where  the  whole  or  a  greater  share  than  be- 
longs to  him  has  been  built  by  one  of  the  occu- 
pants, before  complaint  to  the  fence  viewers, 
the  other  shall  be  obliged  to  pay  for  his  share 
of  such  fence. 

Where  uninclosed  land  is  afterward  inclosed, 
the  owner  shall  pay  for  one-half  the  partition 
fence  upon  the  line  between  him  and  any  other 
owner  or  occupant. 

If  any  person  shall  determine  not  to  keep  in- 
closed any  part  of  his  land  adjoining  any  jiar- 
tition  fence,  and  shall  give  six  months'  notice  of 
such  determination  to  all  adjoining  occupants, 
he  shall  not  be  required  to  maintain  any  part  of 
such  fence  during  the  time  his  lands  shall  lie 
open. 

LANDLORD  AND  TENANT. 

The  common  law  right  to  destrain  for  rent 
is  abolished. 

The  atonement  of  a  tenant  to  a  stranger  shall 
be  absolutely  void,  and  shall  not  in  anywise 
effect  the  possession  of  his  landlord,  unless  it 
be  made 

1.  With  the  consent  of  the  landlord;  or 

2.  Pursuant  to,  or  in  consequence  of,  a  judg- 
ment or  order  of  a  court  of  competent  jurisdic- 
tion; or 

3.  To  a  purchaser  upon  a  judicial  sale,  who 
shall  have  acquired  title  to  the  lands  by  a  con- 
veyance thereof,  after  the  period  for  redemp- 
tion, if  any,  has  expired.  A  tenancy,  a  will  or 
sufferance  may  be  determined  by  the  landlord, 
giving  one  month's  notice  to  quit,  or  the  tenant 
giving  one  month's  notice  of  his  intention  to 
quit,  or  if  the  terms  of  payment  are  for  less  than 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


Y99 


a  month,  notice  equal  to  the  time  between  pay- 
ments, or  for  non-payment  of  rent,  fourteen 
days'  notice  to  quit.  Such  notice  sliall  be  served 
by  delivering  the  same  to  such  tenant,  or  to 
some  person  of  proper  age  residing  on  the  prem- 
ises, or  if  no  such  person  can  be  found,  by  affix- 
ing the  same  in  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  prem- 
ises, where  it  may  be  conveniently  read,  and,  at 
the  expiration  of  the  time  required  after  the 
service  of  such  notice,  the  landlord  may  re-enter, 
or  maintain  an  action  for  the  recovery  of  the 
possession  thereof,  or  proceed  in  the  manner 
prescribed  by  law  to  remove  such  tenant  without 
further  or  other  notice  to  quit.  If,  after  giving 
notice  of  determination  to  quit,  the  tenant  neg- 
lects or  refuses  to  deliver  up  the  premises,  he 
shall  be  liable  to  double  the  rent  .agreed  upon, 
to  be  collected  the  same  as  single  rent. 

MARKS  AND  BRANDS. 

Every  town  clerk  shall,  on  application  of  any 
person  residing  in  his  town,  record  a  description 
of  the  marks  or  brands  with  which  such  person 
may  be  desirous  of  marking  his  horses,  cattle, 
sheep  or  hogs;  but  the  same  description  shall  not 
be  recorded  or  used  by  more  than  one  resident 
of  the  same  town.  If  any  person  shall  mark 
any  of  his  horses,  cattle,  sheep  orliogs,  with  the 
same  mark  or  brand  previously  recorded  by  any 
resident  of  the  same  town,  and  while  the  same 
mark  or  brand  shall  be  used  by  such  resident, 
lie  shall  forfeit  for  every  such  offense  |>.5;  if  any 
person  shall  willfully  mark  or  brand  any  of  the 
horses,  cattle,  sheep  or  hogs,  of  any  other  per- 
son with  his  mark  or  brand,  lie  shall  forfeit 
for  every  such  offense  $10;  and,  if  any  person 
shall  willfully  destroy  or  alter  any  mark  or  brand 
upon  any  of  the  horses,  cattle,  sheep  or  hogs  of 
another,  he  shall  forfeit  $10,  and  pay  to  tlie  party 
injured  double  damages. 

SUEVEYOES  AND    SURVEYS. 

A  county  surveyor  is  elected  every  two  years. 

The  surveyor  may  .appoint  and  remove  depu- 
ties at  will,  on  filing  a  certificate  thereof  with 
the  county  clerk.     lie  shall  be  responsible  on 


his  bond  for  the  faithful  performance  by  every 
deputy  of  his  duties. 

It  shall  be  the  duty   of  the  county  surveyor 

1 .  To  execute,  himself  or  by  his  deputy,  any 
survey  which  may  be  required  of  him  by  order 
of  court,  or  upon  application  of  any  individual 
or  corporation. 

2.  To  make  a  record  of  the  plat  and  field 
notes  of  each  survey  made  by  him  or  his  depu- 
ties, in  record  books  kept  therefor,  and  to  so  ar- 
range or  index  the  same  as  to  be  easy  of  refer- 
ence, and  to  file  and  preserve  in  his  office  the 
original  field  notes  and  calculations  thereof. 

3.  To  safely  keep  all  books,  records,  plats, 
files,  papers  and  property  belonging  to  his  office; 
afford  opportunity  to  examine  the  same  to  any 
person  desiring,  and  deliver  the  same  to  his 
successor  in  office. 

4.  To  furnish  a  copy  of  any  record,  plat  or 
paper  in  his  office,  to  any  person  on  demand  and 
payment  of  his  legal  fees  therefor. 

5.  To  administer  to  every  chainman  and 
marker  assisting  in  any  survey,  before  com- 
mencing their  duties  as  such,  an  oath  or  affir- 
mation faithfully  and  impartially  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  chainman  or  marker,  as  the  case 
may  be;  and  the  surveyor  and  his  deputies  are 
empowered  to  administer  the  same. 

6.  To  perform  such  other  duties  as  may  be 
required  by  law. 

The  surveyor  and  his  deputies  may  demand 
and  receive  the  following  fees,  except  it  be 
otherwise  agreed  upon  with  the  parties  employ- 
ing them,  to  wit: 

For  each  day's  service,  |3. 

For  each  mile  traveled  in  going  from  his  office 
to  the  pl.ace  of  rendering  service  and  returning, 

10  cents. 

For  plat  and  certificate,  except  town  plats,  50 
cents. 

For  recording  a  survey,  50  cents. 

For  each  chainman  and  marker  necessarily 
employed,  $1 .50  per  day,  unless  they  be  furnished 
by  the   person  for  whom  the  survey  is  made. 


800 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY, 


For  making  a  copy,  10  cents  a  folio,  and  25 
cents  for  his  certificate. 

SUPPORT  OF  THE  POOR. 

Every  town  shall  relieve  and  support  all  poor 
and  indigent  persons  lawfully  settled  therein, 
whenever  they  shall  stand  in  need  thereof, 
excepting  as  follows: 

The  father,  mother  and  children,  being  of 
sufficient  ability,  of  any  person,  who  is  blind, 
old,  lame,  impotent  or  decrepit,  so  as  to  be  un- 
able to  maintain  himself,  shall  at  their  own 
charge,  relieve  and  maintain  such  poor  person  in 
such  manner  as  shall  be  approved  by  the  super- 
visors of  the  town  where  such  person  may  be, 
and,  upon  the  failure  of  any  such  relative  so  to 
do,  the  supervisors  shall  apply  to  the  county 
judge  for  an  order  to  compel  such  relief. 

Legal  settlement  may  be  acquired  by  one 
year's  residence  in  a  town  of  this  State. 

MARRIED  WOMEN. 

In  Wisconsin,  the  marriage  of  a  femme  sole, 
executrix  or  administratrix,  extinguishes  her 
authority;  and  of  a  female  ward,  terminates  the 
guardianship  as  to  custody  of  person,  but  not  as 
to  estate.  The  husband  holds  his  deceased 
wife's  lands  for  life,  unless  she  left,  by  former 
husband,  issue  to  whom  the  estate  might  de- 
scend. Provisions  exist  by  which  powers  may 
be  given  to  married  women,  and  regulating 
their  execution  of  them.  If  iiusband  and  wife  are 
impleaded,  and  the  husband  neglects  to  defend 
the  rights  of  the  wife,  she  applying  before  judg- 
ment, may  defend  without  him;  and,  if  he  lose 
her  land,  by  default,  she  maj-  bring  an  action 
for  ejectment  after  his  death.  The  real  estate 
of  females  married  before,  and  the  real  and 
personal  property  of  those  after  Feb.  21,  1850, 
remain  their  separate  property.  And  any  mar- 
ried woman  may  receive,  but  not  from  her  hu.s- 
band,  and  hold  any  property  as  if  unmarried. 
She  may  insure  the  life  of  her  iiusband,  son,  or 
any  other  person,  for  her  own  exclusive  benefit. 
The  property  of  the  wife  remains  to  her  separ- 
ate use,  not  liable   for  her  husband's  debts  and 


not  subject  to  his  disposal.  She  may  convey 
her  separate  property.  If  her  husband  desert 
her,  or  neglect  her,  she  may  become  a  sole  trad- 
er; and  she  may  insure  his  life  for  her  benefit. 
Her  husband  is  not  liable  for  her  debts  con- 
tracted before  marriage;  the  individual  earn- 
ings of  the  wife  are  her  separate  property,  and 
she  may  sue  and  be  sued  alone,  in  regard  to  the 
same.  She  may  make  and  hold  deposits  in 
savings  banks.  She  may,  by  a  separate  convey- 
ance, release  her  dower  in  any  lands  which  her 
husband  has  conveyed. 

If  a  woman  has  authority,  she  can  transact  all 
her  husband's  business  for  him;  and  while 
they  live  together,  the  wife  can  buy  all  things 
necessary  for  the  support  of  the  family,  and 
for  which  he  is  liable. 

The  husband  is  responsible  for  necessaries 
supplied  to  his  wife,  if  he  does  not  supply  them 
himself;  and  he  continues  so  liable  if  he  turns 
her  out  of  his  house,  or  otherwise  separates 
himself  from  her  without  good  cause.  But  he  is 
not  so  liable  if  she  deserts  him  (unless  on  extreme 
provocation),  or  if  he  turns  her  away  for  good 
cause.  If  she  leaves  him  because  he  treats 
lier  so  ill  that  she  has  good  right  to 
go  from  him,  this  is  the  same  thing  as 
turning  her  away,  and  she  carries  with  her  his 
credit  for  all  necessaries  supplied  to  her;  but 
what  the  misconduct  must  be  to  give  this  right, 
is  uncertain.  In  America  the  law  must  be,  and 
undoubtedly  is,  that  the  wife  is  not  obliged  to 
stay  and  endure  cruelty  and  indecency. 

If  a  man  lives  with  a  woman  as  his  wife,  and 
represents  her  to  be  so,  he  is  responsible  the 
same  as  if  she  were  his  wife,  even  if  it  is  known 
that  she  is  not  his  wife. 

ACTIONS. 

All  distinctions  have  been  abolished,  and  there 
is  now  but  one  form  which  must  be  prosecuted 
in  the  name  of  the  real  parly  in  interest,  except 
in  case  of  executors,  administrators  and  trustees, 
and  which  is  begun  by  the  service  of  a  summons 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


801 


on  the  defendant,  to  bo  answered  within  twenty 
days. 

ARREST. 

Defendant  may  be  arrested:  1.  In  an  action 
to  recover  damages  not  on  contract,  where  the 
defendant  is  a  non-resident,  or  is  about  to  re- 
move from  the  State,  or  where  tlie  action  is  for  in- 
jury to  the  person  or  character,  or  for  injury  to, 
or  wrong  taliing,  detainingor  converting  proper- 
ty, or  in  an  action  to  recover  damages  for  prop- 
erty taken  under  false  pretenses. 

2.  In  an  action  for  a  fine  or  penalty  or  for 
money  received  or  property  embezzled  or  fraud- 
ulently misapplied  by  a  public  officer  or  attor- 
ney, solicitor,  or  counsel  or  officer  of  a  corpora- 
tion as  such,  or  factor  agent  or  broker,  or 
for  misconduct,  or  neglect  in  official  or  profes- 
sional employment. 

3.  In  an  action  to  recover  property  unjustly 
detained  where  it  is  so  concealed  that  the  sher- 
iff cannot  find  the  same. 

4.  Where  the  defendant  was  guilty  of  fraud 
in  contracting  the  debt,  or  in  concealing  or  dis- 
posing of  the  property  for  the  taking,  detaining 
or  disposing  of  which  the  action  is  brought. 

An  affidavit  must  be  made  on  the  part  of  the 
plaintiff,  stating  the  cause  of  action  and  one  of 
the  above  causes. 

ATTACHMENT 

is  allowed  on  an  affidavit  that  the  defendant  is 
indebted  to  plaintiff,  and  stating  the  amount 
and  that  it  is  due  on  contract;  and, 

1.  That  defendant  has  absconded,  or  is  about 
to  abscond,  or  is  concealed  to  the  injury  of  his 
creditors. 

2.  That  defendant  has  assigned,  disposed  of  or 
concealed  his  property  or  is  about  to  do  so  with 
intent  to  defraud  ceditors. 

3.  That  the  defendant  has  removed,  or  is 
about  to  remove,  his  property  from  the.  State 
with  intent  to  defraud  creditors. 

4.  That  the  debt  was  fraudulently  con- 
tracted. 

5.  That  he  is  a  non-resident. 

6.  Or  a  foreign  corporation. 


7.  That  he  has  fraudulently  conveyed  or 
disposed  of  his  property  with  intent  to  defraud 
creditors. 

The  amount  sued  for  must  exceed  $50. 

GARNISHMENT 

is  allowed  on  an  affidavit  on  behalf  of  the  cred- 
itor, that  he  believes  that  any  third  person 
(naming  him)  has  property  effects,  or  credits  of 
defendant,  or  is  indebted  to  him,  also  in  execu- 
tion on  a  similar  affidavit. 

.JUDGMENT 

is  a  lien  on  real  estate  in  the  county  where  ren- 
dered from  the  date  of  docketing,  and  in  other 
counties  from  the  time  of  filing  a  transcript,  and 
the  lien  continues  for  ten  years.  It  bears  inter- 
est at  seven  per  cent.,  or  as  high  as  ten  per 
cent,  if  stipulated  for  in  the  contract. 

STAY  LAWS. 

In  justices  courts,  on  giving  bond  with  surety 
within  five  days  after  judgment  was  rendered, 
stay  of  execution  is  allowed  as  follows: 

On  sums  not  exceeding  f  10,  exclusive  of  costs, 
one  month;  between  $10  and  $30,  two  months; 
between  |>30  and  |50,  three  months;  over  $50, 
four  months. 

EXEMPTIONS. 

A  homestead  not  exceeding  forty  acres,  used 
for  agriculture  and  a  residence,  and  not  inclu- 
ded in  a  town  plat  or  a  city  or  village;  or,  in- 
stead, one  quarter  of  an  acre  in  a  recorded  town- 
plat,  city  or  village.  Also,  ],  family  Bible;  2, 
family  pictures  and  school  books;  3,  private 
library;  4,  seat  or  pew  in  churcli;  5,  right  of 
burial;  6,  wearing  apparel,  beds,  bedsteads  and 
bedding,  kept  and  used  in  the  family,  stoves 
and  appurtenances,  put  up  and  used,  cooking 
utensils  and  household  furniture  to  the  value  of 
$200,  one  gun,  rifle  or  fire-arm  to  the  value  of 
$50;  7,  two  cows,  ten  swine,  one  yoke  of  oxen 
and  one  horse  or  mule,  or  in  lieu  thereof,  a  span 
of  horses  or  mules,  ten  sheep  and  the  wool 
therefrom,  necessary  food  for  exempt  stock  for 
one  year,  provided  or  growing  or  both,  one 
wagon,  cart  or  dray,  one  sleigh,  one  plow, 
one    drag   and    other  farm   utensils,    including 


802 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


tackle  for  the  teams  to  the  value  of  $50;  8,  pro- 
visions and  fuel  for  the  family  for  one  year; 
9,  tools  and  implements  or  stock  in  trade  of  a 
mechanic  or  miner,  used  and  kept,  not  exceed- 
ing $200  in  value;  library  and  implements  of  a 
professional  man  to  the  value  of  $200;  10, 
money  arising  from  insurance  of  exempt  prop- 
erty destroyed  by  fire;  11,  inventions  for  debts 
against  the  inventor;  12,  sewing  machines;  13, 
Sword,  plate,  books  or  articles  presented  by 
Congress  or  Legislature  of  a  State;  14,  printing 
material  and  presses  to  the  value  of  $1,500;  15, 
earnings  of  a  married  person  necessary  for 
family  support  for  sixty  days  previous  to  issu- 
ing process. 

LIMITATIONS     OF    ACTIONS. 

Real  actions,  twenty  years;  persons  under 
disabilities,  live  years  after  removal  of  the 
same;  judgments  of  courts  of  record  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin  and  sealed  instruments 
when  the  cause  accrues  within  the  State, 
twenty  years.  Judgments  of  other  courts  of 
record  and  sealed  instruments  accruing  without 
the  State  ten  years.  Other  contracts,  statute  lia- 
bilities other  than  penalties  and  forfeitures, tres- 
pass on  real  property,  trover,  detinue  and 
replevin,  six  years.  Actions  against  sheriflPs, 
coroners  and  constables,  for  acts  done  in  their 
official  capacity,  except  for  escapes,  three  years. 
Statutory  penalties  and  forfeitures,  libel,  slan- 
der, assault,  battery  and  false  imprisonment, 
two  years.  Actions  against  sheriffs,  etc.,  for 
escapes,  one  year.  Persons  under  disabilities, 
except  infants,  may  biing  action  after  the  disa- 
bility ceases, provided  the  period  is  not  extended 
more  than  five  years,  and  infants  one  year  after 
coming  of  age.  Actions  by  representatives 
of  deceased  persons,  one  year  from  death; 
against  the  same,  one  year  from  granting  letters 
testamentary  or  of  administration.  New 
promise  must  be  in  writing. 

COMMERCIAL   TEEMS. 

$ — Means  dollars,    being  a  contraction  of  TJ. 
S.,  which  was  formerly   placed    before   any  de- 


nomination of   money,   and  meant,   as  it  means 
now,  United  States  currency. 

£^Means  pounds,  English  money. 

@ — Stands  for  at  or  to;  lb  for  pounds  and 
bbl.  for  barrels;  ^  for  per  or  by  the.  Thus: 
Butter  sells  at'20@.30c  |?  ttj  and  flour  at  $8@$12 
f  bbl. 

May  1.  Wheat  sells  at  $l.'iO@$l. 2b,  "seller 
June."  Seller  June  means  that  the  person  who 
sells  the  wheat  has  the  privilege  of  delivering 
it  at  any  time  during  the  month  of  June. 

Selling  short  is  contracting  to  deliver  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  grain  or  stock  at  a  fixed  price, 
within  a  certain  length  of  time,  when  the  sell- 
er has  not  the  stock  on  hand.  It  is  for  the  in- 
terest of  the  person  selling  short  to  depress  the 
market  as  much  as  possible,  in  order  that  he 
may  buy  and  fill  his  contract  at  a  profit.  Hence 
the  "shorts"  are  termed  "bears." 

Buying  long  is  to  contrive  to  purchase  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  grain  or  shares  of  stock  at  a 
fixed  price,deliverable  within  a  stipulated  time, 
expecting  to  make  a  profit  by  the  rise  in  prices. 
The  "longs"  are  termed  "bulls,"  as  it  is  for 
their  interest  to  "operate"  so  as  to  "toss"  the 
prices  upward  as  much  as  possible. 

MINEEAL     RESOUECES. 

The  useful  mineral  materials  that  occur  with- 
in the  limits  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  come 
under  both  of  the  two  grand  classes  of  such  sub- 
stances: The  metallic  ores,  from  which  the 
metals  ordinarily  used  in  the  arts  are  extractad; 
and  the  non-metallic  substances,  which  are  used 
in  the  arts  for  the  most  part  without  any  pre- 
liminary treatment,  or  at  least  undergo  only  a 
very  partial  alteration  before  being  utilized.  Of 
the  first  class  are  found  in  Wisconsin  the  ores 
of  lead,  zinc,  iron  and  copper,  besides  minute 
traces  of  the  precious  metals;  of  the  second 
class,  the  principal  substances  found  are  brick- 
clay,  kaolin,  cement  rock,  limestone  for  burning 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


803 


into  quick-lime,  limestone    for   llnx,  glass-sand, 
l)eat  and  building  stone. 

LEAD  AND  ZINC. 

These  metals  are  considered  together  because 
they  are  found  occurring  together  in  the  same 
region  and  under  exactly  the  same  circumstances 
being  even  obtained  from  the  same  open- 
ings. Lead  has  for  many  years  been  the  most 
important  metallic  production  of  Wisconsin, 
and,  together  with  zinc,  whose  ores  have  been 
utilized  only  since  1860,  still  holds  this  promi- 
nent position,  although  the  production  is  not  so 
great  as  formerly.  Small  quantities  of  lead  and 
zinc  ores  have  been  found  in  the  crystalline 
(Archiean)  rocks  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
State  and  in  the  copper-bearing  rocks  of  the 
Lake  Superior  country,  but  there  are  no  indica- 
tions at  present  that  these  regions  will  ever 
produce  in  quantity.  All  of  the  lead  and  zinc 
obtained  in  ^Yisconsin  comes  then  from  that 
portion  of  the  southwestern  part  of  the  Stale 
which  lies  west  of  Sugar  river  and  south  of  the 
nearly  east  and  west  ridge  that  forms  the  south- 
ern side  of  the  valley  of  the  Wisconsin,  from 
the  head  of  Sugar  river  westward.  This  dis- 
trict is  commonly  known  in  Wisconsin  as  the 
"lead  region,"  and  forms  the  larger  part  of 
the  "lea4  region  of  the  Upper  Mississippi," 
which  includes  also  smaller  portions  of  Iowa 
and  Illinois. 

What  European. in rst  became  acquainted  with 
the  deposits  of  lead  in  the  upper  portion  of  the 
Valley  of  the  Mississippi  is  a  matter  of  some 
doubt.  Charlevoix  (Histoire  de  la  Nouvelle 
France,  III.,  397,  398)  attributes  the  discovery 
to  Nicolas  Perrot  about  1692;  and  states  that 
in  1721  the  deposits  still  bore  Perrot's  name. 
Perrot  himself,  however,  in  the  only  one  of  his 
writings  that  remains, makes  no  mention  of  the 
matter.  The  itinerary  of  Le  Sueur's  voyage  up 
the  Mississippi,  1700-1701,  given  in  La  Harp's 
History  of  Louisiana,  which  was  written  early 
in  the  18th  century,  shows  that  the  former 
found  lead  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  not 
far  from  the  present  southern  boundary  of  Wis- 


consin, Aug.  25,  17C0.  Capt.  Jonathan  Carver, 
1766,  found  lead  in  abundance  at  the  Blue 
Mounds  and  found  the  Indians  in  all  the  coun- 
try around  is  possession  of  masses  of  galena, 
which  they  had  obtained  as  "float  mineral," 
and  which  they  were  incapable  of  putiing  to 
any  use.  There  is  no  evidence  of  any  one  min- 
ing before  Julien  DuBuque,  who,  1788  to  1809, 
mined  in  the  vicinity  of  the  flourishing  city 
which  now  bears  his  name.  After  his  death  in 
1809  nothing  more  was  done  until  1821,  when 
the  attention  of  American  citizens  was  first 
drawn  to  the  rich  lead  deposits  of  this  region. 
By  1827  the  mining  had  become  quite  general 
and  has  continued  to  the  present  time,  the 
maximum  production  having  been  reached, 
however,  between  the  years  1845  and  1847. 

Until  within  the  last  decade  the  lead  mines 
of  the  Mississippi  valley,  including  now  both 
the  "Upper"  and  the  "Lower  regions,  the  lat- 
ter one  of  which  lies  wholly  within  the 
limits  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  have  far 
eclipsed  the  rest  of  the  United  States 
in  the  production  of  lead,  the  district 
being  in  fact  one  of  the  most  important  of 
the  lead  districts  in  the  world.  Of  late  years, 
however,these  mines  are  far  surpassed  in  pro- 
duction by  the  "silver-lead"  mines  of  Utah  and 
other  Rocky  Mountain  regions,  which,  though 
worked  especially  for  their  silver,  produce  inci- 
dentally a  very  large  amount  of  lead.  Never- 
theless, the  mines  of  the  Mississippi  valley  will 
long  continue  to  be  a  very  important  source  of 
this  metal.  The  lead  ore  of  the  Wisconsin 
lead  region  is  of  one  kind  only,  the  sulphide 
known  as  galena,  or  galenite.  This  ore,  when 
from  mechanically  mingled  impurities,  contains 
86.6  per  cent,  of  lead,  the  balance  being  sul- 
phur. Small  quantities  of  other  lead  ores  are 
occasionally  found  in  the  uppermost  portions  of 
deposits,  having  been  produced  by  tiie  oxidiz- 
ing influence  of  the  atmospiiere.  Tiie  chief 
one  of  these  oxidation  products  is  the  earthy 
carbonate  known  as  cerussite.  Galena  almost 
always   contains  some  silver,  commonly  enough 


804 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


to  pay  for  its  extraction.  The  Wisconsin  gale- 
nas, however,  are  unusually  free  from  silver, 
of  which  they  contain  only  the  merest  trace. 

The  zinc  ores  are  of  two  kinds,  the  most 
abundant  being  the  ferruginous  sulphide,  or 
the  "black-jack"  of  the  miners.  The  pure  sul- 
phide, sphalerite,  contains  sixty-seven  per  cent, 
of  zinc,  but  the  iron  bearing  variety,  known 
mineralogically  as  marmatite,  generally  con- 
tains ten  per  cent,  or  more  of  iron.  A  ferrugi- 
nous variety  of  the  carbonate,  smithsonite,  also 
occurs  in  abundance,  and  is  known  to  the  miners 
as  "dry-bone,"  the  name  being  suggested  by 
the  peculiar  structure  of  the  ore. 

Eoth  lead  and  zinc  ores  occur  in  limited  de- 
posits in  a  series  of  limestone  beds  belonging  to 
the  Lower  Silurian  series.  The  lead  region  is 
underlaid  by  a  nearly  horizontal  series  of  strata, 
with  an  aggregate  thickness  of  2,000  feet,  which 
lie  upon  an  irregular  surface  of  ancient  crystal- 
line rocks  (gneiss,  granite,  etc.). 

The  lead  and  zinc  ores  are  entirely  confined 
to  the  galena,  blue  and  buff  limestones,  an  ag- 
gregate vertical  thickness  of  some  350  to 
375  feet.  The  upper  and  lower  strata  of  the 
series  are  entirely  barren.  Zinc  and  lead  ores 
are  found  in  the  same  kind  of  deposits,  and 
often  together;  by  far  the  larger  part  of  the 
zinc  ores,  however,  come  from  the  blue  and 
buffi  limestones  and  the  lowest  layers  of  the 
galena,  whilst  the  lead  ores,  though  obtained 
throughout  the  whole  thickness  of  the  mining 
ground,  are  especially  abundant  in  the  middle 
and  upper  layers  of  the  galena  beds. 

The  ore  deposits  are  of  two  general  kinds, 
which  may  be  distinguished  as  vertical  crevices 
and  flat  crivices,  the  former  being  much  the 
most  common.  The  simplest  form  of  the  verti- 
cle  crevice  is  a  narrow  crack  in  the  rook,  hav- 
ing a  width  of  a  few  inches,  an  extension  later- 
ally from  a  few  yards  to  several  hundred  feet, 
and  a  verticle  height  of  twenty  to  forty  feet, 
thinning  out  to  nothing  in  all  directions,  and 
filled  from  side  to  side,  with  highly  crystalline, 


brilliant,  large-surfaced  galena,  which  has  no 
accompanying  metallic  mineral  or  gangue  mat- 
ter. Occasionally  the  vertical  extension  exceeds  a 
hundred  feet,  and  sometimes  a  number  of  these 
sheets  are  close  together  and  can  be  mined  as 
one.  Much  more  commonly  the  vertical  crevice 
shows  irregular  expansions,  which  are  some- 
times large  caves  or  openings  in  certain  layers, 
the  crevice  between  retaining  its  normal  charac- 
ter, while  in  other  cases  the  expansion  affects 
the  whole  crevice,  occasionally  widening  it 
throughout  into  one  large  opening.  These 
openings  are  rarely  entirely  filled,  and  common- 
ly contain  a  loose,  disintegrated  rock,  in  which 
the  galena  lies  loose  in  large  masses,  though 
often  adhering  to  the  sides  of  the  cavity  in 
large  stalactites,  or  in  cubical  crystals.  The 
vertical  crevices  show  a  very  distinct  arrange- 
ment parallel  with  one  another,  there  being  two 
systems,  which  roughly  trend  east  and  west 
and  north  and  south.  The  east  and  west  crevices 
are  far  the  most  abundant  and  most  j)roductive 
of  ore.  The  vertical  crevices  are  confined  near- 
ly altogether  to  the  upper  and  middle  portions 
of  the  galena,  and  are  not  productive  of  zinc 
ores.  They  are  evidently  merely  the  jiarallel 
joint  cracks  which  affect  every  great  rock  for- 
mation, filled  by  chemical  action  with  the  lead 
ore.  The  crevices  with  openings  have  evident- 
ly been  enlarged  by  the  solvent  power  of  at- 
mospheric water  carrying  carbonic  acid,  and 
from  the  way  in  which  the  ore  occurs  loose  in 
the  cavities,  it  is  evident  that  this  solving  action 
has  often  been  subsequent  to  the  first  deposition 
of  lead  ore  in  the  crevice. 

The  "flat  crevices,"  "flat  sheets"  and  "flat 
openings,'  are  analogous  to  the  deposits  just 
described,  but  have,  as  indicated  by  the  names, 
a  horizontal  position  being  characteristic  of  cer- 
tain layers  which  have  evidently  been  more 
susceptible  to  chemical  action  than  others,  the 
dissolving  waters  having,  moreover,  been  di- 
rected along  them  by  less  pervious  layers  above 
and  below.  The  flat  openings  differ  from  the  ver- 
tical crevices  also  in  having  associated  with  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


805 


galena  much  of  either  the  black-jack  or  dry -bone 
zinc  ores,  or  both,  the  galena  not  unfrequently 
being  entirely  wanting.  Cleavable  calcite  also 
accompanies  the  ores  in  these  openings  in  large 
quantities,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  sulphide 
of  iron,  which  is  the  variety  known  as  marcasite. 
These  materials  have  sometimes  a  sy metrical 
arrangement  on  the  bottom  and  top  of  the  open- 
ing, the  central  portion  being  empty.  The  flat 
openings  characterize  the  blue  and  buff  and 
lower  galena  beds,  and  from  them  nearly  all  the 
zinc  ore  is  obtained. 

It  is  not  possible,  in  the  limits  of  this  short 
paper,  even  to  mention  the  various  mining  dis- 
tricts. It  may  merely  be  said  that  the  amount 
of  galena  raised  from  single  crevices  has  often 
been  several  hundred  thousand,  or  even  over  a 
million  pounds,  and  that  one  of  the  principal 
mining  districts  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Mineral 
Point,  where  there  are  two  furnaces  constantly 
engaged  in  smelting.  Between  the  years  1862 
and  1 873,  these  two  establishments  have  produced 
23,903,260  pounds  of  metallic  lead,  or  an  average 
of  1,991,938  pounds,  the  maximum  being,  in 
1869,  2,.53-3, 710  pounds,  the  minimum,  in  1873, 
1,518,888  pounds. 

The  zinc  ores  were  formerly  rejected  as  use- 
less, and  have  only  been  utilized  since  1S60. 
An  attempt  to  smelt  them  at  Mineral  Point  was 
not  successful,  because  the  amount  needed  of 
fuel  and  clay,  both  of  which  have  to  come  from 
a  distance,  exceeding  even  the  amount  of  ore 
used,  caused  a  very  heavy  expense  for  transporta- 
tion. The  ores  are  therefore  now  taken  alto- 
gether to  LaSalle,  111.,  where  they  meet  the  fuel 
and  clay,and  the  industry  at  that  place  has  be- 
come a  flourishing  one.  The  amount  of  zinc  ore 
ill  the  Wisconsin  lead  region  i.s,  beyond  doubt, 
very  great,  and  will  be  a  source  of  wealth  for  a 
long  time  to  come. 

Since  the  ores  of  zinc  and  lead  in  this  region 
are  confined  to  such  a  small  thickness  of  strata 
greatly  eroded  by  the  atmospheric  waters,  the 
entire  thickness  having  frequently  been  removed, 
it    becomes    a  matter  of    great  importance  to 


know  how  much  of  the  mining  ground  re- 
mains at  every  point  throughout  the  district. 
The  very  excellent  topographico-geological  maps 
of  the  region,  made  by  Mr.  Moses  Strong,  and 
just  published  by  the  State  in  the  Report  of  the 
Geological  Survey,  make  this  knowledge  acces- 
sible to  all. 

lEON. 

Iron  mining  in  Wisconsin  is  yet  in  its  infancy, 
although  some  important  deposits  are  producing 
a  considerable  quantity  of  ore.  A  number  of 
blast  furnaces  have  sprung  up  in  the  eastern 
partof  the  State,  but  these  smelt  Michigan  ores 
almost  entirely.  Much  remains  yet  to  be  done 
in  the  way  of  exploration,  for  the  most  promis- 
ing iron  fields  are  in  the  heavily  timbered  and 
unsettled  regions  of  the  north  part  of  the  State, 
and  are  as  yet  imperfectly  known.  It  appears 
probable,  however,  that  iron  ores  will,  in  the 
near  future,  be  the  most  important  mineral  pro- 
duction of  Wisconsin.  The  several  ores  will  be 
noted  in  the  order  of  their  present  importance. 

RED  HEMATITES. 

The  iron  in  these  ores  exists  as  an  anhydrous 
sesquioxide,  which  is,  however,  in  an  earthy 
condition,  and  entirely  without  the  brilliant 
metallic  luster  that  characterizes  the  specular 
hematites.  Pure  hematite  contains  seventy  per 
cent,  of  metallic  iron,  but  the  red  hematites,  as 
mined,  are  always  so  largely  mingled  with  me- 
chanical impurities  that  they  rarely  contain 
more  than  fifty  per  cent.  The  most  important 
red  hematite  mined  in  Wisconsin  is  that  known 
as  the  Clinton  iron  ore,  the  name  coming  from 
the  formation  in  which  the  ore  occurs.  This 
formation  is  a  member  of  the  Upper  Silurian 
series,  and  is  named  from  a  locality  in  Oneida 
Co.,  New  York,  where  it  was  first  recognized. 
Associated  with  its  rocks,  which  are  limestones 
and  shales,  is  constantly  found  a  peculiar  red 
hematite,  which  is  so  persistent  in  its  charac- 
ters, both  physical  and  chemical,  that  one 
familiar  with  it  from  any  one  locality  can  hardly 
fail  to  recognize  it  when  coming  from  others. 
The   iron  produced    from    it   is    always   "cold- 


806 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


short,"  on  account  of  the  large  content  of 
phosphorus;  but,  mingled  with  siliceous  ores 
free  from  phosphorous,  it  yields  always  a  most 
excellent  foundry  iron.  It  is  mined  at  numer- 
ous points  from  New  York  to  Tennessee  and  at 
some  points  reaches  a  very  great  total  thick- 
ness. In  Wisconsin  the  Clinton  rocks  merge 
into  the  great  Niagara  limestone  series  of  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State,  but  at  the  bottom  of 
the  series,  in  a  few  places,  the  Clinton  ore  is 
found  immediately  overlying  the  Cincinnati 
shales.  The  most  important  locality  is  that 
known  as  Iron  Ridge,  on  sections  12  and  13  in 
the  town  of  Hubbard,  in  Dodge*  county.  Here 
a  north  and  south  ledge  of  Niagara  limestone 
overlooks  lower  land  to  the  west.  Underneath, 
at  the  foot  of  the  ridge,  is  the  ore  bed,  fifteen  to 
eighteen  feet  in  thickness,  consisting  of  hori- 
zontally bedded  ore,  in  layers  three  to  fourteen 
inches  thick.  The  ore  has  a  concretionary 
structure,  being  composed  of  lenticular  grains, 
one  twenty-fifth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  but  the 
top  layer  is  without  this  structure,  having  a 
dark  purplish  color,  and  in  places  a  slight  me- 
tallic appearance.^  Much  of  the  lower  ore  is 
somewhat  hydrated.  Three  quarters  of  a  mile 
north  of  Iron  Ridge,  atMayville,  there  is  a  total 
thickness  of  as  much  as  forty  feet.  According 
to  Mr.  E.  'J\  Sweet,  the  percentages  of  the  sev- 
eral constituents  of  the  Iron  Ridge  ore  are  as 
follows:  iron  peroxide,  66.38;  carbonate  of  lime, 
10.42;  carbonate  of  magnesia,  2.79;  silica,  4.72; 
alumina,  5.54;  manganese  oxide,  0.44;  sulphur, 
0.23;  phosphoric  acid,  0.73;  water,  8.75  —  100: 
metallic  iron,  46.66. 

Two  small  charcoal  furnaces  at  Mayville  and 
Iron  Ridge  smelt  a  considerable  quantity  of 
these  ores  alone,  producing  an  iron  very  rich  in 
phosphorus.  An  analysis  of  the  Mayville  pig 
iron,  also  by  Mr.  Sweet,  shows  the  following 
composition:  iron,  95.784  per  cent.;  phosphorus, 
1.675;  carbon,  0.849;  silicon,  0.108—100.286. 
The  average  furnace  yield  of  the  ore  is  forty- 
five  per  cent.  By  far  the  larger  part  of  the  ore, 
however,  is  sent  away  to  mingle  with  other  ores. 


It  goes  to  Chicago,  Joliet  and  Springfield,  111., 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Wyandotte  and  Jackson,  Mich  , 
and  Appleton,  Green  Bay  and  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
The  Clinton  ore  is  found  at  other  places  farther 
north  along  the  outcrop  of  the  base  of  the  Niag- 
ara formation  in  Wisconsin,  but  no  one  of  tiiese 
appears  to  promise  any  great  quantity  of  good 
ore.  Red  hematite  is  found  at  numerous  places 
in  Wisconsin,  highly  charging  certain  layers  of 
the  Potsdam  sandstone  series,  the  lowest  one  of 
the  horizontal  Wisconsin  formations.  In  the 
eastern  part  of  the  town  of  Westfield,  Sauk 
county,  the  iron  ore  excludes  the  sandstone, 
forming  an  excellent  ore.  No  developments 
have  been  made  in  this  district,  so  that  the  size 
of  the  deposit  is  not  definitely  known. 

BROWN  HEMATITES. 

These  ores  contain  their  iron  as  the  hydrated, 
or  brown,  sesquioxide,  which,  when  pure,  has 
about  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  metal;  the  ordinary 
brown  hematites,  however,  seldom  contain  over 
forty  per  cent.  Bog  iron  ore,  a  porous  brown 
hematite  that  forms  by  deposition  from  the  water 
of  bogs,  occurs  somewhat  widely  scattered  un- 
derneath the  large  marshes  of  Portage,  Wood 
and  Juneau  counties.  Very  excellent  bog  ore, 
containing  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  of  iron,  is  found 
near  Necedah,  Juneau  county,  and  near  Grand 
Rapids,  W^ood  county,  but  the  amount  obtaina- 
ble is  not  definitely  known.  The  Necedah  ore 
contains:  silica,  8.52;  alumina,  3.77;  iron  perox- 
ide, 71.40;  manganese  oxide,  0.27;  lime,  0.58; 
magnesia,  trace;  phosphoric  acid,  0.21;  sulphur, 
0.02;  organic  matter,  1.62;  water,  13.46—99.85; 
metallic  iron,  49.98 — according  to  Mr.  E.  T. 
Sweet's  analysis.  An  ore  from  sec  ion  34,  town- 
ship 23,  range  6  east.  Wood  county,  yielded,  to 
Mr.  Oliver  Matthews,  silica,  4.81;  alumina,  1.00; 
iron  peroxide,  73.23;  lime,  0.11;  magnesia,  0.25; 
sulphuric  acid,  0.07;  phosphoric  acid,  0.10;  or- 
ganic matter,  5.88;  water,  14.24;  —99.69:  me- 
tallic iron,  51.26. 

Brown  hematite,  mingled  with  more  or  less 
red  ore,  occurs  also  in  some  quantity  filling 
cracks  and  irregular  cavities  in  certain  portions 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


807 


of  the  Potsdam  series  in  northwestern  Sauk 
county  and  the  adjoining  portion  of  Richland. 
A  small  charcoal  furnace  has  been  in  operation 
on  this  ore  at  Ironton,  Sauk  county,  for  a  number 
of  years  and  recently  another  one  has  been 
erected  at  Cazenovia,  in  the  same  district. 

MAGNETIC  ORES  AND  SPECULAR  HEMATITES. 

These  are  taken  together  here  because  their 
geological  occurrence  in  the  same,  the  two  ores 
occurring  not  only  in  the  same  grouj)  of  rocks, 
but  even  intimately  mingled  with  one  another. 
These  ores  are  not  now  produced  in  Wisconsin; 
but  it  is  quite  probable  that  they  may  before 
many  years  become  its  principal  mineral  pro- 
duction. In  magnetic  iron  ore  the  iron  is  in 
the  shape  of  the  mineral  magnetite,  an  oxide  of 
iron  containing  72.4  per  cent,  of  iron  wiien 
pure,  and  this  is  the  highest  percentage  of  iron 
that  any  ore  can  ever  have.  Specular  hematite 
is  the  sime  as  red  hematite,  but  is  crystaliiie, 
has  a  bright,  metallic  luster,  and  a  considerable 
hardness.  As  mined  the  richest  magnetic  and 
specular  ores  rarely  run  over  sixty-five  per 
cent.,  while  in  most  regions  where  they  are 
mined  they  commonly  do  not  reach  fifty  per 
cent.  The  amount  of  rich  ores  of  this  kind  in 
the  northern  peninsula  of  Michigan  is  so  great, 
however,  that  an  ore  with  less  than  fifty  per 
cent,  finds  no  sale;  and  the  same  must  be  true 
in  the  adjoining  Stales.  So  largely  does  this 
matter  of  richness  affect  the  value  of  an  rre, 
that  an  owner  of  a  mine  of  forty-five  per 
cent  "hard"  ore  in  Wisconsin  would  find 
it  cheaper  to  import  and  smelt  Michigan  sixty- 
five  per  cent,  ore  than  to  smelt  his  own,  even  if 
his  furnace  and  mine  were  side  by  side. 

The  specular  and  magnetic  ores  of  Wisconsin 
occur  in  two  districts— the  Penokee  iron  district, 
ten  to  twenty  miles  south  of  Lake  Superior,  in 
Bayfield,  Ashland  and  Lincoln  counties,  and 
the  Menomonee  iron  district,  near  the  head 
waters  of  the  Menomonee  river,  in  township  40, 
ranges  17  and  18  east,  Oconto  county.  Specu- 
lar iron  in  veins  and  nests  is  found  in  small 
quantities  with  the  quartz  rocks  of  the  ]5araboo 


valley,  Sauk  county  and  Necedah,Juneau  county 
and  very  large  quantities  of  a  specular  quartz- 
schist,  charged  with  more  or  less  of  the  mag- 
netic and  specular  iron  oxides,  occur  in  the 
vicinity  of  Black  River  Falls,  Jackson  county 
but  in  none  of  these  places  is  there  any  promise 
of  the  existence  of  valuable  ore. 

In  the  Penokee  and  Menomonee  regions  the 
iron  ores  occur  in  a  series  of  slaty  and  quartzose 
rocks  known  to  geologists  as  the  Haronian  se- 
ries. The  rocks  of  these  districts  are  really  the 
extensions  westward  of  a  great  rock  series, which 
in  the  northern  Michigan  peninsula  contains 
the  rich  iron  ores  that  have  made  that  region  so 
famous.  In  position,  this  rock  series  may  be 
likened  to  a  great  elongated  parabola,  the  head 
of  which  is  in  the  Marquette  iron  district  and 
the  two  ends  in  the  Penokee  and  Menomonee 
regions  of  Wisconsin.  In  all  of  its  extent,  this 
rock  series  holds  great  beds  of  lean  magnetic 
and  specular  ores.  These  contain  large  quanti- 
ties of  quartz,  which,  from  its  great  hardness, 
renders  them  very  resistent  to  the  action  of  at- 
mospheric erosion.  As  a  result  these  lean  ores 
are  found  forming  high  and  bold  ridges..  Such 
ridges  of  lean  ores  have  deceived  many  explor- 
ers, and  not  a  few  geologists.  In  the  same 
rock  series,  for  the  most  part  occupying  por- 
tions of  a  higher  layer,  are  found,  however,  ores 
of  extraordinary  richness  and  purity,  which, 
from  their  comparative  softness,  very  rarely 
outcrop.  The  existence  in  quantity  of  these 
very  rich  ores  in  the  Menomonee  region  has  been 
definitely  proven.  One  deposit,  laid  open  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1877,  shows  a  width  of  over 
150  feet  of  first-class  specular  ore;  and  exceed- 
ing in  size  the  greatest  of  the  famous  deposits 
in  Michigan.  In  the  Penokee  region,  however, 
though  the  indications  are  favorable,  the  exis- 
tence of  the  richer  ores  is  as  yet  an  inference 
only.  The  Penokee  range  itself  is  a  wonderful 
development  of  lean  ore,  which  forms  a  continu- 
ous belt  several  hundred  feet  in  width  and  over 
thirty  miles  in  length.  Occasionally  portions  of 
this  belt  ai"e  richer  than  the  rest,  and  become  al- 


808 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


most  merchantable  ores.  The  probability  is, 
however,that  the  rich  ores  of  this  region  will  be 
found  in  the  lower  country  immediately  nortli 
of  the  Penokee  range,  where  the  rocks  are  bur- 
ied beneath  he.vy  accumulations  of  drift  mate- 
rial. 

COPPER. 

The  only  copper  ore  at  present  raised  in  Wis- 
consin is  obtained  near  Mineral  Point,  in  the 
lead  region  of  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
State,  where  small  qnanties  of  ehalcopyrite,  the 
yellow  sulphide  of  copper  and  iron,  are  obtained 
from  pockets  and  limited  crevices  in  the  galena 
limestone.  Copper  pyrites  is  known  to  occur  in 
this  way  throughout  the  lead  region,  but  it  does 
not  appear  that  the  quantity  at  any  point  is  suf- 
ficient to  warrant  exploration. 

Copper  occurs  also  in  the  northernmost  por- 
tions of  Wisconsin,  where  it  is  found  under  al- 
together different  circumstances.  The  great 
copper-bearing  series  of  rocks  of  Keweenaw 
Point  and  Isle  Royal  stretch  soutwestward  in- 
to and  entirely  across  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
in  two  parallel  belts.  One  of  these  belts  enters 
Wisconsin  at  the  mouth  of  the  Montreal  river, 
and  immediately  leaving  the  shore  of  Lake  Su- 
perior, crosses  Ashland  and  Bayfield  counties, 
and  then  widening  greatly,  occupies  a  large 
area  in  Douglas,  St.  Croix,  Barron  an  Chip- 
pewa counties.  The  other  belt  forms  the  back- 
bone of  the  Bayfield  peninsula,  and  crosses  the 
northern  part  of  Douglas  county,  forming  a 
bold  ridge  to  the  Minnesota  line.  The  rocks  of 
this  great  series  appear  to  be  for  the  most  part 
of  igneous  origin,  but  they  are  distinctly  l)ed- 
ded,  and  even  interstratified  with  sandstone, 
shales,  and  coarse  boulder-conglomerate,  the 
whole  series  have  generally  a  tilted  position. 
In  veins  crossing  the  rock  beds,  and  scattered 
also  promiscuously  through  the  layers  of  both 
conglomerates  and  igneous  rocks,  pure  metallic 
conper  in  fine  flakes  is  often  found.  Mining  on 
a  small  scale  has  been  attempted  at  numbers  of 
points  where  the  rivers  flowing  northward 
into    Lake  Superior   make   gorges    across    the 


rock  series,  but  at  none  of  them  has  sufficient 
work  been  done  to  ])rove  or  disprove  the  exis- 
tence of  copper  in  paying  quantity. 

GOLD  AND  SILVER. 

Small  traces  of  gold  have  been  detected  by 
the  writer  in  quartz  from  the  crystalline  rocks 
of  Clark  county,  but  there  is  no  probability 
that  any  quantity  of  this  metal  will  ever  be  found 
in  the  State.  Traces  of  silver  have  also  been 
found  in  certain  layers  of  the  copper  series  in 
Ashland  county.  Judging  from  the  occurrence 
of  silver  in  the  same  series  not  far  to  the  east 
in  Michigan,  it  seems  not  improbable  that  this 
metal  may  be  found  also  in  Wisconsin. 

BRICK  CLAYS. 

These  constitute  a  very  important  resource 
in  Wisconsin.  Extending  inland  for  many 
miles  from  the  shores  of  Lakes  Michigan  and 
Superior  are  stratified  beds  of  clay  of  lacustrine 
origin,  having  been  deposited  by  the  lake* 
when  greatly  expanded  beyond  their  present 
sizes.  All  of  these  clays  are  characterized  by 
the  presence  of  a  large  amount  of  carbonate  of 
lime.  Along  Lake  Superior  they  have  not  yet 
been  utilized,  but  all  through  the  belt  of  coun- 
try bordering  Lake  Michigan  they  are  dug  and 
burned,  fully  50,000,000  bricks  being  made  an- 
nually inthis  region.  A  large  proportion  of  these 
bricks  are  wliite  or  cream-colored,  and  these  are 
widely  known  under  the  name  oi  "Milwaukee 
brick,"  though  by  no  means  altogether  made  at 
Milwaukee.  Others  are  ordinary  red  brick.  The 
difference  between  the  light-colored  and  red 
bricks  is  ordinarily  attributed  to  the  greater 
amount  of  iron  in  the  clay  from  which  the  latter 
are  burned,  but  it  has  been  shown  by  Mr.  E.  T. 
Sweet  that  the  white  bricks  are  burned  from 
clay  which  often  contains  more  iron  than  that 
from  which  the  red  bricks  are  made,  but  which 
also  contains  a  very  large  amount  of  carbonate 
of  lime. 

At  Milwaukee  24,000,000  cream-colored  brick 
are  made  annually  ;  at  Racine,  3,500,000  ;  at 
Appleton  andMenasha,  1,800,000  e.ach  ;  at  Nee- 
nah,  1,600,000;  at  Clifton,  1,700,000;  at  Water- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


809 


loo,  1,600,000  ;  and  in  smaller  quantities  at 
Jefferson,  Fort  Atkinson,  Eilgcrton,  White- 
water, Geneva,  Ozaukee,  Sheboygan  Falls, 
Manitowoc,  Kewaunee  and  other  places.  In 
most  cases  the  cream-colored  bricks  are  made 
from  a  bright  red  clay,  although  occasionally 
the  clay  is  light  colored.  At  Whitewater  and 
other  places  tile  and  pottery  are  also  made 
from  this  clay. 

Although  these  lacustrine  clays  are  much  the 
most  important  in  Wisconsin,  excellent  brick 
clays  are  also  found  in  the  interior  of  the  State. 
In  numbers  of  places  along  the  Yahara  valley, 
in  Dane  county,  an  excellent  stratified  clay  oc- 
curs. At  Madison  this  is  burned  to  a  red 
brick ;  at  Stoughton  and  Oregon  to  a  fine 
cream-colored  brick.  At  Platteville,  Lancaster 
and  other  points  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  State,  red  bricks  are  made  from  clays  found 
in  the  vicinity. 

KAOLIN   (PORCELAIN-CLAY FIRE-CLAY.) 

The  word  "kaolin"  is  applied  by  geologists 
to  a  clay-like  material  which  is  used  in  making 
chinaware  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  The 
word  is  of  Chinese  origin,  and  is  applied  by  the 
Chinese  to  the  substance  from  which  the  famous 
porcelain  of  China  is  made.  Its  application  to 
the  European  porcelain-clay  was  made  under 
the  mistaken  idea — one  which  has  prevailed 
among  scientists  until  very  recently — that  the 
Chinese  material  is  the  same  as  the  European. 
This  we  now  know  to  be  an  error,  the  Chinese 
and  Japanese  wares  being  both  made  altogether 
from  a  solid  rock. 

True  kaolin,  using  the  word  in  its  European 
sense,  is  unlike  other  ordinary  clays,  in  being  the 
result  of  the  disintegration  of  feldspathic  crys- 
talline rocks  "in  place,"  that  is,  without  being 
removed  from  the  place  of  its  first  formation. 
The  base  of  kaolin  is  a  mineral  known  as  kao- 
linite,  a  compound  of  silica,  alumina  and  water, 
which  results  from  a  change  or  decay  of  the 
feldspar  of  feldspar-bearing  rocks.  Feldsparcon- 
tains  silica,  alumina,  and  soda  or  potash,  oi- 
both.     By  percolation  through  the  rocks  of  sur- 


face water  carrying  carbonic  acid,  the  potash 
and  soda  are  removed  and  kaolinite  results. 
Mingled  with  the  kaolinite  are,  however, 
always  the  other  ingredients  of  the  rock,  quartz, 
mica,  etc.,  and  also  always  some  undecomposed, 
or  only  partly  decompo!;ed  feldspar.  These 
foreign  ingredients  can  all,  however,  be  more 
or  less  i)erfeetly  removed  by  a  system  of  leviga- 
tion,  when  a  pure  white  clay  results,  composed 
almost  wholly  of  the  scales  of  the  mineral  kao- 
linite. Prepared  in  this  way  the  kaolin  has  a 
high  value  as  a  refractory  material,  and  for 
forming  the  base  of  fine  porcelain  wares. 

The  crystalline  rocks,  which,  by  decomposi- 
tion, would  produce  a  kaolin,  are  widely  spread 
over  the  northern  part  of  Wisconsin  ;  but  over 
the  most  of  the  region  occupied  by  them  there 
is  no  sign  of  the  existence  of  kaolin,  the 
softened  rock  having  apparently  been  removed 
by  glacial  action.  In  a  belt  of  country,  how- 
ever, which  extends  from  Grand  Rapids  on  the 
Wisconsin,  westward  to  Black  river,  in  Jackson 
county,  the  drift  is  insignificant  or  entirely 
absent  ;  the  glacial  forces  have  not  acted,  and 
the  crystalline  rocks  are,  or  once  were,  overlaid 
by  sandstone,  along  whose  line  of  junction  with 
the  underlying  formation  numerous  water- 
courses have  existed,  the  result  being  an  un- 
usual amount  of  disintegration.  Here  we  find, 
in  the  beds  of  the  Wisconsin,  Yellow  and 
Black  rivers,  large  exposures  of  crystalline 
rocks,  which,  between  the  rivers,  are  overlaid 
by  sandstone.  The  crystalline  rocks  are  in 
distinct  layers,  til  ed  at  high  angles,  and  in 
numerous  places  decomposed  into  a  soft  white 
kaolin.  Inasmuch  as  these  layers  strike  across 
the  country  in  long,  straight  lines,  patches  of 
kaolin  are  found  ranging  themselves  into  simi- 
lar lines.  The  kaolin  patches  are  most  abund- 
ant on  the  Wisconsin  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city 
of  Grand  Rapids,  in  Wood  county.  They  vary 
greatly  in  size,  one  depo.sit  even  varying  from 
a  fraction  of  an  inch  to  a  number  of  feet  in 
thickness.  The  kaolin  varies,  also,  greatly  in 
character,    some  being  quite  impure  and    easily 


8]0 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


fusible  from  a  large  content  of  iron  oxide  or 
from  partial  decomposition  only,  while  much  of 
it  is  very  pure  and  refractory.  There  is  no 
doubt,  however,  tliat  a  large  amount  of  •kaolin 
exists  in  this  region,  and  that  by  selection  and 
levigation  an  excellent  material  may  be  ob- 
tained, which,  by  mingling  with  powdered 
quartz,  may  be  made  to  yield  a  fire-brick  of 
unusual  refractoriness,  and  which  may  even  be 
employed  in  making  fine  porcelain  ware. 

CEMENT  EOCK 

Certain  layers  of  the  Lower  Magnesian 
limestone,  as  at  Ripon,  and  other  points  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  Stac,  are  known  to  pro- 
duce a  lime  which  has  in  some  degree  the 
hydraulic  property,  and  the  same  is  true  of 
certain  layers  of  the  blue  limestone  of  the 
Trenton  group,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
State,  the  most  valuable  material  of  this  kind, 
however,  that  is  as  yet  known  to  exist  in  Wis- 
consin, is  found  near  Milwaukee,  and  has 
become  very  recently  somewhat  widely  known 
as  the  "Milwaukee"  cement  rock.  This  rock 
belongs  to  the  Hamilton  formation,  and  is  found 
near  the  Washington  street  bridge,  at  Brown 
Deer,  on  the  lake  shore  at  Whitefish 
bay,  and  at  other  points  in  the  immediate  vicin- 
ity of  Milwaukee.  The  quantity  attainable  is 
largo,  and  a  very  elaborate  series  of  tests  by  D. 
J.  Whittemore,  chief  engineer  of  the  Milwaukee 
&  St.  Paul  Railroad,  shows  that  the  cement 
made  from  it  exceeds  all  native  and  foreign 
cements  in  strength,  excejjt  the  famous  English 
"Portland"  cement. 

LIMESTONE  FOR  MAKING  QUICIv-LIME. 

Quick-lime  is  made  from  all  of  the  great  lime- 
stone formations  of  Wisconsin,  but  more  is  burnt 
from  the  Lower  Magnesian  and  Niagara  forma- 
tions, than  from  the  others.  The  Lower  Mag- 
nesian yields  a  very  strong  mortar,  but  the  lime 
burned  from  it  is  not  very  white.  It  is  burned 
largely  in  the  region  about  Madison,  one  of  the 
largest  quai-ries  being  on  the  south  line  of  sec- 
tion 33  of  that  town,  where  some  20,000  bushels 
are  produced  annually,  in  two  kilns.     The  lime 


from  this  place  has  a  considerable  local  reputa- 
tion under  the  name  of  "Madison  lime."  The 
Trenton  limestone  is  burned  at  a  few  points,  but 
yields  an  inferior  lime.  The  Galena  is  not  very 
generally  burned,  but  yields  a  better  lime  than 
the  Trenton.  In  the  region  about  Watertown 
and  Whitewater,  some  40,000  to  50,000  barrels 
are  made  annually  from  this  formation. 

The  Niagara,  however,  is  the  great  lime  fur- 
nisher of  the  northwest.  From  its  purity  it  is 
adapted  to  the  making  of  a  most  admirable  lime. 
It  is  burned  on  a  large  scale  at  numbers  of 
points  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State. 

LIMESTONE  FOR  FLUX  IN  IRON    SMELTINd. 

The  limestones  of  Wisconsin  are  rarely  used 
as  a  flux,  because  of  their  prevalent  magnesian 
character.  The  stone  from  Schoonmaker's 
quarry,  near  Milwaukee,  is  used  at  the  Bay 
View  iron  works,  and  is  one  of  the  few  cases. 
There  are  certain  layers,  however,  in  the  Tren- 
ton limestone,  widely  spread  over  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  which  are  non-magnesian,  and 
frequently  sufficiently  free  from  earthy  impuri- 
ties to  be  used  as  a  flux.  These  layers  deserve 
the  attention  of  the  iron  masters  of  the  State. 

GLASS    SAND. 

Much  of  the  St.  Peter's  sandstone  is  a  purely 
siliceous,  loose,  white  sand,  well  adapted  to  the 
making  of  glass.  It  is  now  being  put  to  this 
use  at  points  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State. 

PEAT. 

Peat  exists  in  large  quantities  and  of  good 
quality  underneath  the  numerous  marshes  of 
the  eastern  and  central  parts  of  the  State. 
Whether  it  can  be  utilized  in  the  future  as  a 
fuel,  will  depend  altogether  upon  the  cost  of  its 
preparation,  which  will  have  to  be  very  low  in 
order  that  it  may  compete  with  superior  fuels. 
As  a  fertilizer,  peat  has  always  a  great  value, 
and  requires  no  preliminary  treatment. 

BUILDING  STONES. 

All  the  rocky  formations  of  Wisconsin  are 
used  in  building,  and  even  the  briefest  synopsis 
of  the  subject  of  the  building  stones  of  the  State 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


811 


would  exceed  the  limits  of  this  paper.     A  few 
of  the  more  prominent  kinds  only  are  mentioned. 

Granite  occurs  in  protruding  masses,  and  also 
grading  into  gneiss,  in  the  northern  portions  of 
the  Stale,  at  numerous  points.  In  many  places 
on  the  Wisconsin,  Yellow  and  Black  rivers,  and 
especially  at  Big  Bull  Falls,  Yellow  river,  red 
granites  of  extraordinary  beauty  and  value 
occur.  These  are  not  yet  utilized,  but  will  in 
the  future  have  a  high  value. 

The  handsomest  and  most  valuable  sandstone 
found  in  Wisconsin,  is  that  which  extends  along 
the  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  from  the  Michigan 
to  the  Minnesota  line,  and  which  forms  the 
basement  rock  of  the  Apostle  islands.  On  one 
of  these  islands  a  very  large  quarry  is  opened, 
from  which  are  taken  masses  of  almost  any  size, 
of  a  very  close-grained,  uniform,  dark  brown 
stone,  which  has  been  shipped  largely  to  Chicago 
and  Milwaukee.  At  the  latter  place,  the  well 
known  court  house  is  built  of  this  stone.  An 
equally  good  stone  can  be  obtained  from  the 
neighboring  islands,  and  from  points  on  ihe 
mainland.  A  very  good  white  to  brown  indu- 
rated sandstone  is  obtained  from  the  middle  por- 
tions of  the  Potsdam  series,  at  Stevens  Point, 
Portage  county;  near,  Grand  Rapids,  Wood 
county;  at  Black  River  Falls,  Jackson  county; 
at  Packwaukee,  Marquette  county;  near  Wau 
toma,  Waushara  county;  and  at  several  points 
in  the  Baraboo  .valley,  Sauk  county.  A  good 
buff  colored,  calcareous  sandstone  is  quarried 
and  used  largely  in  the  vicinity  of  Madison,  from 
the  uppermost  layers  of  the  Potsdam  series. 

All  of  the  limestone  formations  of  the  State 
are  quarried  for  building  stone.  A  layer  known 
locally  as  the  "Mendota"  limestone,  included  in 
the  upper  layers  of  the  Potsdam  series,  yields  a 
very  evenly  bedded,  yellow,  fine  grained  rock, 
which  is  largely  quarried  along  the  valley  of  the 
lower  Wisconsin,  and  also  in  the  country  about 
Madison.  In  the  town  of  Westport,  Dane 
county,  a  handsome,  fine  grained,  cream  colored, 
limestone  is  obtained  from  the  Lower  Magnesian. 
The  Trenton  limestone  yields  an  evenly  bedded, 


thin  stone,  which  is  frequently  used  for  laying 
in  wall.  The  Galena  and  Niagara  are  also  util- 
ized, and  the  latter  is  capable,  in  much  of  tte 
eastern  part  of  the  State,  of  furnishing  a  dura- 
ble, easily  dressed,  compact,  white  stone. 

COMMEBCB    AND    MANUFACTURES. 

The  material  philosophy  of  a  people  has  to 
to  do  with  the  practical  and  usefull.  It  sees  in 
iron,  coal,  cotton,  wool,  grain  and  the  trees  of 
the  forest,  the  elements  of  personal  comfort  and 
sources  of  material  greatness,  and  is  applied  to 
their  development,  production  and  fabrication 
for  purposes  of  exchange,  interchange  and  sale. 
The  early  immigrants  to  Wisconsin  territory 
found  a  land  teeming  with  unsurpassed  natu- 
ral advantages ;  prairies,  timber,  water  and 
minerals,  inviting  the  farmer,  miner  and  lum- 
berman, to  come  and  build  houses,  furnaces, 
mills  and  factories.  The  first  settlers  were  a 
food-producing  people.  The  prairies  and  open- 
ings were  ready  for  the  plow.  The  ease  with 
which  farms  were  brought  under  cultivation, 
readily  enabled  the  pioneer  to  supply  the  food 
necessary  for  himself  and  family,  while  a  sur- 
plus was  often  produced  in  a  few  months.  The 
hardships  so  often  encountered  in  the  settle- 
ment of  a  new  country,  where  forests  must  be 
felled  and  stumps  removed  to  prepare  the  soil 
for  tillage,  were  scarcely  known,  or  greatly  mit- 
igated. 

During  the  decade  from  1835  to  1845,  so 
great  were  the  demands  for  the  products  of  the 
soil,  created  by  the  tide  of  emigration,  that  the 
settlers  found  a  home  market  for  all  their  sur 
plus  products,  and  so  easily  were  crops  grown, 
that  within  a  very  brief  time  after  the  first  emi- 
gration, but  little  was  required  from  abroad. 
The  commerce  of  the  country  was  carried  on 
by  the  exchange  of  products.  The  settlers 
(they  could  scarcely  be  called  farmers)  would 
exchange  their  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  pork  for 
the  goods,  wares  and  fabrics  of  the  village  mer- 
chant. It  was  an  age  of  barter  ;  but  they 
looked  at  the  capabilities  of  the  land  they  had 
come   to   possess,   and,    with    firm    faith,    saw 


47 


812 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


bright  promises  of  better  days  in  the   building; 
up  of  a  great  State. 

It  is  not  designed  to  trace  with  minuteness 
the  history  of  Wisconsin  through  the  growth 
of  its  commercial  and  manufacturing  interests. 
To  do  it  justice  would  require  a  volume.  1  he 
aim  of  this  article  will  be  to  present  a  concise 
f  view  of  its  present  status.  Allusion  will  only 
be  incidentally  made  to  stages  of  growth  and 
progress  by  which  it  has  been  reached. 

Few  States  in  the  Union  possess  within  their 
borders  so  many,  and  in  such  abundance,  ele- 
ments that  contribute  to  the  material  prosperity 
of  a  people.  Its  soil  of  unsurpassed  fertility  ; 
its  inexhaustible  mines  of  lead,  copper,  zinc  and 
iron  ;  its  almost  boundless  forests  ;  its  water- 
powers,  sufficient  to  drive  the  machinery  of  the 
world  ;  its  long  lines  of  lake  shore  on  two 
sides,  and  the  "Father  of  Waters"  on  another — 
need  but  enterprise,  energy  and  capital  to  util- 
ize them  in  building  an  empire  of  wealth, 
where  the  hum  of  varied  industries  shall  be 
heard  in  the  music  of  the  sickle,  the  loom  and 
the  anvil. 

The  growth  of  manufacturing  industries  was 
slow  during  the  tirst  twenty-five  years  of  our 
history.  The  early  settlers  were  poor.  Fre- 
([ueiitly  the  land  they  tilled  was  pledged  to  ob- 
tain means  to  pay  for  it.  Capitalists  obtained 
from  twenty  to  thirty  per  cent,  per  annum  for 
the  use  of  their  money.  Indeed,  it  was  the 
rule,  under  the  free-trade  ideas  of  the  money- 
lenders, for  them  to  play  the  Shylock.  While 
investments  in  bonds  and  mortgages  were  so 
profitable,  few  were  ready  to  improve  the  natu- 
ral advantages  the  country  presented  for  build- 
ing factories  and  work-shops. 

For  many  years  quite  all  the  implements  used 
in  farming  were  brought  from  outside  the  State. 
While  this  is  the  case  at  present  to  some  ex- 
tent with  the  more  cumbersome  farm  machinery, 
quite  a  proportion  of  that  and  most  of  the  sim- 
pler and  lighter  implements  are  made  at  home, 


while  much   farm   machinery  is  now   manufac- 
tured for  export  to  other  States. 

FURS. 

The  northwest  was  visited  and  explored  by 
French  iioi/ageurs  and  missionaries  from  Cana- 
da at  an  early  day.  The  object  of  the  former 
was  trading  and  gain.  The  Jesuits,  ever  zeal- 
ous in  the  propagation  of  their  religion,  went 
forth  into  the  unknown  wilderness  to  convert 
the  natives  to  their  faith.  As  early  as  !624 
they  were  operating  about  Lake  Huron  and 
Mackinaw.  Father  Menard,  it  is  related,  was 
with  the  Indians  on  Lake  Superior  as  early  as 
1661.  The  early  explorers  were  of  two  classes,  ■• 
and  were  stimulated  by  two  widely  different 
motives — the  voyageiirs,  by  the  love  of  gain,  and 
the  missionaries,  by  their  zeal  in  the  propaga- 
tion of  their  faith.  Previous  to  1679  a  consid- 
erable trade  in  furs  had  sprung  up  with  Indian 
tribes  in  the  vicinity  of  Mackinaw  and  the 
northern  part  of  "Ouisconsin."  In  that  year 
more  than  200  canoes,  laden  with  furs,  passed 
Mackinaw,  bound  for  Montreal.  The  whole 
commerce  of  this  vast  region  then  traversed  was 
carried  on  with  birch-bark  canoes.  The  French 
used  them  in  traversing  wilds — otherwise  inac- 
cessible by  reason  of  floods  of  water  at  one  sea- 
son, and  ice  and  snow  at  another — also  lakes 
and  morasses  which  interrupted  land  journeys, 
and  rapids  and  cataracts  that  cut  off  cummunica- 
tion  by  water.  This  little  vessel  enabled  them 
to  overcome  all  difliculties.  Being  buoyant,  it 
rode  the  waves,  although  heavily  freighted, 
and,  of  light  draft,  it  permitted  the  traversing 
of  small  streams.  Its  weight  was  so  light  that 
it  could  be  easily  carried  from  one  stream  to  an- 
other, and  around  rapids  and  other  obstructions. 
With  this  little  vessel  the  fur  trade  of  the 
northwest  was  carried  on,  as  well  as  the  interior 
of  a  vast  continent  explored.  Under  the  stim- 
ulus of  commercial  enterprise,  the  French  trad- 
ers penetrated  the  recesses  of  the  immense 
forests  wliose  streams  were  the  home  of  the 
beaver,  the  otter  and  the  mink,  and  in  whose 
depths  were  found  the  martin,    sable,  ermine 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


813 


and  other  fur-bearing  animals.  A  vast  trade  in 
furs  sprung  up  and  was  carried  on  by  different 
agents,  under  authority  of  the  French  govern- 
ment. 

When  the  military  possession  of  the  north- 
western domain  passed  from  the  government  of 
France  to  that  of  Great  Britain  in  1760,  the  re- 
lationship of  the  fur  trade  to  the  government 
changed.  The  government  of  France  had  con- 
trolled the  traffic  and  made  it  a  means  of 
strengtiiening  its  hold  upon  the  country  it  ])0S- 
sessed.  The  policy  of  Great  Britain  was  to 
charter  companies  and  grant  them  exclusive 
privileges.  The  Hudson  Bay  Company  had 
grown  rich  and  powerful  between  1670  and  1760 
Its  success  had  excited  the  cupidity  of  capital- 
ists, and  rival  organizations  were  formed.  The 
business  of  the  company  had  been  done  at  their 
trading  stations,  the  natives  bringing  in  their 
furs  for  exchange  and  barter.  Other  companies 
sent  their  voyageurs  into  every  nooli  and  corner 
to  traffic  with  the  trappers,  and  even  to  catch 
the  fur  bearinganimals  themselves.  In  the  pro- 
gress of  time  private  parties  engaged  in  trap- 
ping and  dealing  in  furs,  and  under  tlie  compe- 
tition created,  tlie  business  became  less  profita- 
ble. In  1815  Congress  passed  an  act  prohibit- 
ing foreigners  from  dealing  in  furs  in  the  L'ni- 
ted  States  or  in  any  of  its  territories.  This  ac- 
tion was  obtained  through  the  influence  of  John 
Jacob  Astor.  Mr.  Astor  organized  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company  in  1S09,  and  afterward,  in 
connection  witli  the  Northwest  Company, bought 
out  the  Mackinaw  Company,  and  the  two  were 
merged  in  the  Southwest  Company.  The  asso- 
ciation was  suspended  by  the  War  of  1812. 
The  American  re-entered  the  field  in  181G.  The 
fur  trade  is  still  an  important  branch  of  traffic 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  and,  during 
eight  months  of  the  year,  employs  a  large 
number  of  men. 

LEAD  AND  ZIXC. 

In  1824  the  lead  ore  in  the  southwestern  part 
of  Wisconsin  began  to  attract  attention.  From 
1826  to  1S30  there  was  a  great  rush  of  miners  to 


this  region,  som^ewhat  like  the  Pike's  Peak  ex- 
citement at  a  later  date.  The  lead  producing 
region  of  Wisconsin  covers  an  area  of  about 
2,200  square  miles,  and  embraces  parts  of  Grant, 
Iowa  and  La  Fayette  counties.  Between  1829 
and  1839  the  production  of  lead  increased  from 
5000  to  10,000  tons.  After  the  latter  year  it 
rose  rapidly  and  attained  its  maximum  in  1845, 
when  it  reached  nearly  25,000  tons.  Since  that 
time  the  production  has  decreased,  although 
still  carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent. 

The  sulphate  and  carbonate  of  zinc  abound 
in  great  quantities  with  the  lead  of  southwest 
Wisconsin.  Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  working 
this  class  of  ores,  it  was  formerly  allowed  to  ac- 
cumulate about  the  mouths  of  the  mines.' 
Within  a  few  years  past  raetallurgic  processes 
have  been  so  greatly  improved  that  the  zinc 
ores  have  been  largely  utilized.  At  La  Salle, 
in  the  State  of  Illinois,  there  are  three  estab- 
lishments for  smelting  zinc  ores.  There  is  also 
one  at  Peru,  III.  To  smelt  zinc  ores  econom- 
ically, they  are  taken  where  cheap  fuel  is  avail- 
able. Hence,  the  location  of  these  works  in 
the  vicinity  of  coal  mines.  The  works  men- 
tioned made,  from  ores  taken  mostly  from 
Wiscop.sin,  7,510  tons  of  zinc.  These  metals 
are,  therefore,  important  elements  in  the  com- 
merce of  Wisconsin. 

IRON. 

The  iron  ores  of  Wisconsin  occur  in  immense 
beds  in  several  localities,  and  are  destined  to 
prove  of  great  value.  From  their  product  in 
1863,  there  were  3,735  tons  of  pig  iron  received 
at  Milwaukee;  in  1865,  4,785  tons;  in  18'i8,  10,- 
890  tons.  Of  the  latter  amount,  4,648  tons 
were  from  the  iron  mines  at  Mayville.  There 
were  shipped  from  Milwaukee,  in  1868,  6,361 
tons  of  pig  iron.  There  were  also  received 
2,500  tons  of  ore  from  the  Dodge  county  ore 
beds.  During  1869  the  ore  beds  at  Iron  Ridge 
were  developed  to  a  considerable  extent,  and 
two  large  blast  furnaces  constructed  in  Milwau- 
kee, at  which  place  there  were  4,695  tons  of  ore 
received,  and  2,059  tons  were  shipped  to  Chicago 


814 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


and  Wyandotte.  In  1870,  112,060  tons  of  iron 
ore  were  received  at  Milwaukee,  95,000  tons  of 
whicli  were  from  Iron  Ridge,  and  17,060  tons 
from  Escanaba  and  Marquette,  in  Michigan. 
The  total  product  of  tlie  mines  at  Iron  Ridge 
in  1S71  was  82,284  tons.  The  Milwauliee  Iron 
Company  received  by  lake,  in  the  same  year. 
28,094  tons  of  Marquette  iron  ore  to  mix  witli 
the  former  in  making  railroad  iron.  In  1872 
there  were  received  from  Iron  Ridge  85,245 
tons  of  ore,  and  5,620  tons  of  pig  iron.  Much 
of  the  metal  made  by  the  Wisconsin  Iron  Com- 
pany in  1872  was  shipped  to  St.  Louis,  to  mix 
with  the  iron  made  from  Missouri  ore. 

The  Milwaukee  Iron  Company,  during  the 
year  1872,  entered  into  the  manufacture  of  mer- 
chant iron — it  having  been  demonstrated  that 
the  raw  material  could  be  reduced  there  cheaper 
than  elsewhere.  The  Minerva  Furnace  Company 
built  also  during  the  same  year  one  of  the  most 
compact  and  complete  iron  furnaces  to  be  found 
any  where  in  the  country.  During  the  year 
1873,  the  iron  with  most  other  material  interests 
became  seriously  prostrated,  so  that  the  total 
receipts  of  ore  in  Milwaukee  in  1874  amounted 
to  only  31,993  tons,  against  69,418  in  1873,  and 
85,245  tons  in  1872.  There  were  made  in  Mil- 
waukee in  1874,  29,680  tons  of  railroad  iron. 
In  1875,  58,868  tons  of  ore  were  received  at  Mil- 
waukee, showing  a  revival  of  trade  in  an  in- 
crease of  19,786  tons  over  the  previous  year. 
The  operation  of  the  works  at  Bay  View  hav- 
ing suspended,  the  receipts  of  ore  in  1876,  at 
Milwaukee,  were  less  than  during  any  year 
since  1869,  being  only  31,119  tons,  of  which 
amount  only  5,488  tons  were  from  Iron  Ridge, 
and  the  total  shipments  were  only  498  tons. 

LUMBER. 

The  business  of  lumbering  holds  an  impor- 
tant rank  in  the  commerce  of  the  State.  For 
many  years  the  ceaseless  hum  of  the  saw  and 
the  stroke  of  the  ax  have  been  heard  in  all  our 
great  forests.  The  northern  portion  of  the 
State  is  characterized  by  evergreen  trees,  princi- 
pally pine;  the  southern,  by  hard-woods.     There 


are  exceptional  localities,  but  this  is  a  correct 
statement  of  the  general  distribution.  I  think 
that,  geologically  speaking,  the  evergreens  be- 
long to  the  primitive  and  sandstone  regions, 
and  the  hard  wood  to  the  limestone  and  clay 
formations.  Northern  Wisconsin,  so  called, 
embraces  that  portion  of  the  State  north  of 
forty-five  degrees,  and  possesses  nearly  all  the 
valuable  pine  forests.  The  most  thoroughly 
developed  portion  of  this  region  is  that  lying 
along  the  streams  entering  into  Green  bay  and 
Lake  Michigan,  and  bordering  on  the  Wisconsin 
river  and  other  streams  entering  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Most  of  the  pine  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  these  streams  has  been  cut  off  well 
toward  their  sources;  still,  there  are  vast 
tracts  covered  with  dense  forests,  not  accessible 
from  streams  suitable  for  log-driving  purposes. 
The  building  of  railroads  into  these  forests  will 
alone  give  a  market  value  to  a  large  portion  of 
the  pine  timber  there  growing.  It  is  well,  per- 
haps, that  this  is  so,  for  at  the  present  rate  of 
consumption,  but  a  few  years  will  elapse  before 
these  forests  will  be  totally  destroyed.  Most  of 
the  lumber  manufactured  on  the  rivers  was  for- 
merly taken  to  a  market  by  being  floated  down 
the  streams  in  rafts.  Now,  the  railroads  are 
transporting  large  quantities,  taking  it  directly 
from  the  mills  and  unloading  it  at  interior 
points  in  Iowa,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  and 
some  of  it  in  eastern  cities.  From  5,000  to  8,000 
men  are  employed  in  the  pineries  in 
felling  the  trees,  sawing  them  into  logs  of  suita- 
ble length,  and  hauling  them  to  the  mills  and 
streams  during  every  winter  in  times  of  fair 
prices  and  favorable  seasons.  The  amount  of 
lumber  sawed  in  1860,  as  carefully  estimated, 
was  355,065,155  feet.  The  amount  of  shingles 
made  was  2,272,061,  and  no  account  was  made 
of  the  immense  number  of  logs  floated  out  of 
the  State,  for  manufacture  into  lumber  else- 
where. The  amount  of  logs  cut  in  the  winter 
of  1873-74  was  987,000,000  feet.  In  1876 
and  1877  the  Black  river  furnished  188,344,464 
feet.     The  Chippewa,  90,000,OCO;  the  Red  Ce- 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


815 


dar,  57,000,000.  There  passed  through  Beef 
Slough  129,384,000  feet  of  logs.  Hon  A.  H. 
Eaton,  for  fourteen  years  rceiver  of  the  United 
States  land  office  at  Stevens  Point,  estimated 
the  acreage  of  pine  lands  in  his  district  at 
2,000,000,  and  taking  his  own  district  as  the 
basis,  he  estimated  the  whole  State  at  8,000,000 
acres.  Reckoning  this  at  5,000  feet  to  the  acre, 
the  aggregate  pine  timber  of  the  State  would  be 
40,000,000,000  feet.  The  log  product  annually 
amounts  to  an  im  nense  sum.  In  1876,1,172,- 
611,823  feet  were  cut.  This  is  about  the  aver- 
age annual  di'aft  that  is  made  on  the  pine  lands. 
There  seems  to  be  no  remedy  for  the  wholesale 
destruction  of  our  pine  forests,  except  the  one 
alluded  to,  the  difficulty  of  transportation,  and 
this  will  probably  save  a  portion  of  them  for  a 
long  time  in  the  future.  At  the  rate  of  con- 
sumption for  twenty  years  past,  we  can  esti- 
mate that  fifty  years  would  see  northern  Wis- 
consin denuded  of  its  pine  forests;  but  our 
lumber  product  has  reached  its  maximum,  and 
will  probably  decrease  in  the  coming  years  as 
the  distance  to  be  hauled  to  navigable  streams 
increases.  In  the  mean  time  lumber,  shingles 
and  lath  will  form  an  important  factor  in  our 
commerce,  both  State  and  inter-State,  and  will 
contribute  millions  to  the  wealth  of  our  citizens. 

GRAIN. 

Up  to  1841,  no  grain  was  exported  from  Wis- 
consin to  be  used  as  food;  but,  from  the  time 
of  its  first  settlement  in  1S3G  to  1840,  the  sup- 
ply of  bread  stuffs  from  abroad,  upon  which  the 
people  depended,  was  gradually  diminished  by 
the  substitution  of  home  products.  In  the  win- 
ter of  1840—41,  E.  D.  Ilolton,  of  Milwau- 
kee, purchased  a  small  cargo  of  wheat  (about 
4,000 bushels),  and  in  the  spring  cf  1841,  shipped 
it  to  Buffalo.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a 
traffic  that  has  grown  to  immense  proportions, 
and,  since  that  time,  wheat  has  formed  the 
basis  of  the  commerce  and  prosperity  of  the 
State,  until  the  city  of  Milwaukee  has  become 
the  greatest  primary  wheat  mart  of  the  world. 


Up  to  ]  856,  the  shipments  were  almost  wholly 
of  V/isconsin  products;  but  with  the  com- 
pletion of  linos  of  railroad  from  Milwaukee  to 
the  Mississippi  river,  the  commerce  of  Wiscon- 
sin became  so  interwoven  with  that  of  Iowa  and 
Minnesota,  that  the  data  furnished  by  the 
transportation  companies  give  us  no  definite 
figures  relating  to  the  products  of  our  own 
State. 

DAIRY      PRODUCTS. 

Wisconsin  is  becoming  largely  interested  in 
the  dairy  business.  Its  nnmerdus  springs, 
streams,  and  natural  adaptability  to  grass,  make 
ii  a  fine  grazing  country,  and  stock  thrives  re- 
markably well.  Within  a  few  years,  cheese- 
factories  have  become  numerous,  and  their 
owners  are  meeting  with  excellent  success. 
Wisconsin  cheese  is  bringing  the  highest  price 
in  the  markets,  and  much  of  it  is  shipped  to 
England.  Butter  is  also  made  of  a  superior 
quality,  and  is  extensively  exported.  At  the 
rate  of  progress  made  during  the  last  few  years, 
Wisconsin  will  soon  take  rank  with  the  lead- 
ing cheese  and  butter  producing  States.  The 
counties  most  largely  interested  in  dairyihg  are 
Kenosha,  Walworth,  Racine,  Rock,  Green,  Wau- 
kesha, AVinnebago,  Sheboygan,  Jefferson  and 
Dodge.  According  to  estimates  by  experienced 
dairymen,  the  manufacture  of  bntter  was  22,- 
473,000  pounds  in  1870;  50,130,000  in  1876;  of 
cheese,  1, .501, 000  pounds  in  1870,  as  against  17,- 
000,000  in  1876,  which  will  convey  a  fair  idea 
of  the  increase  of  dairy  production.  The  re- 
ceipts of  cheese  in  Chicago  during  1876  were 
23,780,000  pounds,  against  12,000,000  in  1875; 
and  the  receipts  of  butter  were  35,334,184, 
against  30,284,247  pounds  in  1875.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  fully  one-half  of  these  receipts  were 
from  Wisconsin.  The  receipts  of  butter  in 
Milwaukee  were,  in  1870,  3,779,114  pounds;  in 
1875,  6,625,863;  in  1876,  8,938,137  pounds;  of 
cheese,  5,721,279  pounds  in  1875,  and  7,055,573 
in  1876.  Cheese  is  not  mentioned  in  the  trade 
and  commerce  reports  of  Milwaukee  until  1873, 
when  it  is  spoken  of  as  a  new  and   rapidly   in- 


816 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


creasing  commodity  in  the  productions    of   the 
State. 

roRK  AND  Beef.. 
Improved  breeds,  both  of  swine  and  cattle, 
have  been  introduced  into  the  State  during  a 
few  years  past.  The  grade  of  stock  has  been 
rapidly  bettered,  and  stock  raisers  generally 
are  striving  with  commendable  zeal  to  rival  each 
other  in  raising  the  finest  animals  for  use  and 
the  market. 

HOPS. 

The  culture  of  hops,  as  an  article  df  com- 
merce, received  but  little  attention  prior  to  1860. 
In  1865,  2,864  bales  only  were  shipped  from 
Milwaukee.  In  addition,  a  large  amount  was 
used  by  the  brewers  throughout  the  State.  In 
1866,  the  amount  exported  was  increased,  and 
5,774  bales  were  shipped  to  eastern  markets. 
The  price,  from  forty-five  to  fifty-five  cents  per 
pound,  stimulated  production,  and  the  article 
became  one  of  the  staple  products  of  the  coun- 
ties of  Sauk,  Columbia,  Adams  and  Juneau,  be- 
sides being  largely  cultivated  in  parts  of  some 
other  counties.  In  1867,  26,562  bales  were  re- 
ceived at  Milwaukee,  and  the  prices  ranged 
from  fifty  to  seventy  cents  per  pound.  The  es- 
timated crop  of  the  State  for  1867  was  35,000 
bales,  and  brought  over  $4,200,000.  In  1868, 
not  less  than  60,000  bales  were  grown  in  tlie 
State.  The  crop  everywhere  was  a  large  one, 
and  in  Wisconsin,  so  very  large  that  an  ovei- 
supply  was  anticipated.  But  few,  however, 
were  prepared  for  the  decline  in  prices,  that  far 
exceeded  the  worst  apprehensions  of  those  in- 
terested. The  first  sales  were  made  at  twenty- 
five  to  thirty-five  cents  per  pound,  and  the 
prices  were  reluctantly  accepted  by  the  grow- 
ers. The  price  continued  to  decline  until  the 
article  was  unsalable  and  unavailable  in  the 
market.  Probably  the  average  price  did  not 
exceed  ten  cents  per  pound.  Notwithstanding 
the  severe  check  w^iich  hop-growing  received  in 
1868,  by  the  unprofitable  result,  growers  were 
not  discouraged,  and  the  crop  of  1869  was  a 
large  one.     So  much   of   the   crop  of   1868    re- 


mained in  the  hands  of  the  growers,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  estimate  that  of  1869.  The  new 
crop  sold  for  from  ten  to  fifteen  cents,  and  the 
old  for  from  three  to  five  cents  per  pound.  Hop- 
cultivation  received  a  check  from  over  produc- 
tion in  1868,  from  which  it  did  not  soon  re- 
cover. A  large  portion  of  the  yards  were  plowed 
under  in  1870.  The  crop  of  1869  was  much 
of  it  marketed  during  1870,  at  a  price  of  about 
two  and  one-half  to  three  and  one-half  cents 
per  pound,  while  that  of  1870  brought  ten  to 
twelve  and  a  half  cents.  During  the  year  1871 
a  great  advance  in  the  price,  caused  by  the  par- 
tial failure  of  the  crop  in  some  of  the  eastern 
States,  and  the  decrease  in  prices  causing  a  de- 
crease in  production,  what  was  left  over  of  the 
crop  of  1870  more  than  doubled  in  value  be- 
fore the  new  reached  the  market.  The 
latter  opened  at  thirty-five  cents,  and 
steadily  rose  to  fifty  and  fifty-five  for  prime 
qualities.  The  crop  of  1872  was  of  good  qual- 
ity, and  the  market  opened  at  forty  to  fifty-five 
cents  as  the  selling  price,  and  fell  fifteen  to 
twenty  cents  before  the  close  of  the  year.  A 
much  larger  quantity  was  raised  than  the  year 
previous.  In  1873  and  1874  the  crop  was  fair 
and  prices  ruled  from  thirty-three  to  forty-five 
cents,  with  increased  production.  About  18,000 
bales  were  reported  as  being  shipped  from  the 
different  railway  stations  of  the  State.  Prices 
were  extremely  irregular  during  1875,  and, 
after  the  new  crop  reached  market,  fell  to  a 
point  that  would  not  pay  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion. In  1876  prices  ruled  low  at  the  opening 
of  the  year,  and  advauced  from  five  to  ten  cents 
in  January  to  twenty-eight  to  thirty  in  Novem- 
ber. Over  17,000  bales  were  received  at  Mil- 
waukee, over  10,000  bales  being  of  the  crop  of 
the  previous  year.  Over  13,000  bales  were 
shipped  out  of  the  State. 

TOBACCO. 

Tobacco  raising  is  comparatively  a  new  in- 
dustry in  Wisconsin,  but  is  rapidly  growing  in 
importance  and  magnitude.  It  sells  readily  for 
from  four  to  ten  cents  per  pound,  and  the  plant 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


817 


is  easily  raised.  It  is  not  regarded  as  of  supe- 
rior quality.  It  first  appears  as  a  commodity 
of  transportation  in  the  railway  reports  for  the 
year  IiS71,  when  the  Prairie  du  Chien  division 
of  the  St.  Paul  road  moved  eastward  1,373,650 
pounds.  During  the  four  years  ending  with 
1876,  there  were  shipped  from  Milwaukee  an 
average  of  5,118,530  pounds  annually,  the  maxi- 
mum being  in  1874,  6,982,175  pounds  ;  the 
minimum  in  1875,  2,743,854  pounds.  The  crop 
of  1876  escaped  the  early  frosts,  and  netted  the 
producer  from  five  to  seven  cents  per  pound. 
The  greater  part  of  it  was  shipped  to  Baltimore 
and  Philadelphia.  Comparatively  little  of  the 
leaf  raised  in  the  State  is  used  here  or  by  west- 
ern manufacturers.  The  crop  of  the  present 
year,  1877,  is  a  large  one,  and  has  been  secured 
in  good  order.  It  is  being  contracted  for  at 
from  four  to  six  cents  per  pound. 

CRANBERRIES. 

The  cranberry  trade  is  yet  in  its  infancy.  But 
little,  comparatively,  has  been  done  in  develop- 
ing the  capabilities  of  the  extensive  bodies  of 
marsh  and  swamp  lands  interspersed  through- 
out the  northern  part  of  the  State.  Increased 
attention  is  being  paid  to  the  culture  of  the 
fruit ;  yet,  the  demand  will  probably  keep 
ahead  of  the  supply  for  many  years  to  come. 
In  1851  less  than  1,500  barrels  were  sent  out  of 
the  State.  In  1872,  the  year  of  greatest  pro- 
duction, over  37,000  barrels  were  exported,  and, 
in  1876,  about  17,000  barrels.  The  price  lias 
varied  in  different  years,  and  taken  a  range 
from  eigiit  to  fifteen  dollars  a  barrel. 

SPIRITUOUS  AND  MALT  LIQUORS. 

The  production  of  liquors,  both  spirituous 
and  malt,  has  kept  pace  with  the  growth  of 
population  and  with  the  other  industries  of  the 
State.  There  were  in  Wisconsin,  in  1872,  292 
breweries  and  ten  distilleries.  In  1876  there 
were  293  of  the  former  and  ten  of  the  latter, 
and  most  of  them  were  kept  running  to  their 
full  capacity.  Milwaukee  alone  produced,  in 
1376,  321,611  barrels  of  lager  beer,  and  43,175 
barrels  of  high  wines.     In  1S65  it  furnished  65, 


666  barrels  of  beer,  and  in  1870,  108,845  barrels. 
In  1865  it  furnished  3,046  barrels  of  high  wines; 
in  1870,  22,867  barrels  ;  and  in  1875,  39,005. 
A  large  quantity  of  the  beer  made  was 
shipped  to  eastern  and  southern  cities.  The 
beer  made  in  1876  sold  at  the  rate  of  ten  dollars 
per  barrel,  the  wholesale  price  of  the  brewers 
bringing  the  sum  of  $3,216,110.  The  fame  of 
Milwaukee  lager  beer  is  widely  extended.  This 
city  has  furnished  since  1870,  1,520,308  barrels 
which,  at  the  wholesale  price,  brought  $15,203, 
170.  The  total  production  of  beer  by  all  the 
293  breweries  of  the  State,  for  1876,  was  450, 
508  barrels. 

In  1S76  Milwaukee  produced  43,175  barrels 
of  high  wines,  or  distilled  spirits,  and  the  State 
jf  VVisconsin,  51,959  barrels.  In  1870  the 
former  produced  108,845  barrels  of  beer,  and 
22,867  barrels  of  distilled  spirits,  and  in  the 
same  year  the  State  of  Wisconsin  produced 
189,664  barrels  of  beer  and  36,145  barrels  of 
distilled  spirits. 

MISCBLLANBOUS. 

Porcelain  clay,  or  kaolin,  is  found  in  numer- 
ous places  in  Wood  and  Marathon  counties. 
The  mineral  is  found  in  but  few  places  in  the 
United  States  in  quantities  sufficient  to  justify 
the  investment  of  capital  necessary  to  manufac- 
ture it.  In  the  counties  mentioned  the  deposits 
are  found  in  extensive  beds,  and  only  capital 
and  enterprise  are  needed  to  make  their  de- 
velopment profitable.  Clay  of  superior  (juality 
■for  making  brick  and  of  fair  quality  for  pottery, 
is  found  in  numerous  localities.  The  famous 
'•Milwaukee  brick, "remarkable  for  their  beauti- 
ful cream  color,  is  made  from  a  fine  clay  which 
is  abundant  near  Milwaukee,  and  is  found  in 
extensive  beds  at  Watertown,  Whitewater, 
Edgerton,  Stoughton,  and  several  places  on  the 
lake  shore  north  of  Milwaukee.  At  White- 
water and  some  other  places  the  clay  is  used 
with  success  for  the  making  of  pottery  ware. 
Water-lime,  or  hydraulic  cement,  occurs  in  nu- 
merous places  throughout  the  State.  An  ex- 
tensive   bed,    covering  between    100    and    200 


818 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


acres  and  of  an  indefinite  depth,  exists 
on  the  banks  of  the  Milwaukee  river,  and 
not  over  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  city 
limits  of  Milwaukee.  The  cement  made  from 
the  rock  of  this  deposit  is  first  class  in  quality, 
and  between  20,000  and  30,000  barrels  were 
made  and  sold  last  year.  The  capacity  of  the 
works  for  reducing  the  rock  to  cement  has 
been  increased  to  500  barrels  per  day.  Stones 
suitable  for  building  purposes  are  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  State,  and  nearly  every 
town  has  its  available  quarry.  Many  of  these 
quarries  furnish  stone  of  fine  quality  for  sub- 
stantial and  permanent  edifices.  The  quarry 
at  Prairie  du  C'hieii  furnished  the  stone  for  the 
capitol  building  at  Madison,  which  equals  in 
beauty  that  of  any  State  in  the  Union.  At 
Milwaukee,  Waukesha,  Madison,  La  Crosse  and 
many  other  place8,are  found  quarries  of  superior 
building  stone.  Granite  is  found  in  extensive 
beds  in  Marathon  and  Wood  counties,  and 
dressed  specimens  exhibited  at  the  "Centen- 
nial" last  year,  attracted  attention  for  their 
fine  polish.  Marbles  of  various  kinds  are  like- 
wise found  in  the  State.  Some  of  them  are 
beginning  to  attract  attention  and  are  likely  to 
prove  valuable.  The  report  of  Messrs.  Foster 
&  Whitney,  United  States  geologists,  speaks  of 
quarries  on  the  Menomonee  and  Michigamig 
rivers  as  affording  beautiful  varieties  and  sus- 
ceptible of  a  high  polish.  Richland  county 
contains  marble,  but  its  quality  is  generally 
considered  inferior. 

WATER  POWERS. 

Wisconsin  is  fast  becoming  a  manufacturing 
State.  Its  forests  of  pine,  oak,  walnut,  maple, 
ash  and  other  valuable  woods  used  for  lumber, 
are  well-nigh  inexhaustible.  Its  water-power 
for  driving  the  wheels  of  machinery  is  not 
equaled  by  that  of  any  State  in  the  northwest. 
The  Lower  Fox  river,  between  Lake  Winne- 
bago and  Green  Bay,  a  distance  of  thirty-five 
miles,  furnishes  some  of  the  best  facilities  for 
manufacturing  enterprise  in  the  whole  country. 
Lake  Winnebago  as  a  reservoir  gives  it  a  great 


and  special  advantage,  in  freedom  from  liability 
to  freshets  and  droughts.  The  stream  never 
varies  but  a  few  feet  from  its  highest  to  its 
lowest  stage,  yet  gives  a  steady  flow.  The 
Green  Bay  and  Mississippi  Canal  Company 
has,  during  the  last  twenty  five  years,  con- 
structed numerous  dams,  canals  and  locks,  con- 
stituting very  valuable  improvements.  All  the 
property  of  that  company  has  been  transferred  to 
the  United  States  government,  which  has  entered 
upon  a  system  to  render  the  Fox  and  Wis- 
consin rivers  navigable  to  the  Mississippi. 
The  fall  between  the  lake  and  Depere  is 
150  feet,  and  the  water  can  be  utilized 
in  propelling  machinery  at  Neenah,  Menasha, 
Appleton,  Cedar,  Little  Chute,  Kaukauna, 
Rapid  Croche,  Little  Kaukauna  and  Depere. 
The  water-power  at  Appleton  in  its  natural 
advantages,  is  pronounced  by  Hon.  Hiram 
Barney,  of  New  York,  superior  to  those  at 
Lowell,  Paterson  and  Rochester,  combined. 
The  water-power  of  the  Fox  has  been  improved 
to  a  c  msiderable  extent,  but  its  full  capacity 
has  hardly  been  touched.  Attention  has  been 
drawn  to  it,  however,  and  no  doubt  is  enter- 
tained that  ill  a  few  years  the  hum  of  machin- 
ery to  be  propelled  by  it,  will  be  heaid  the  en- 
tire length  of  the  thirty-five  miles.  The  facili- 
ties presented  by  its  nearness  to  timber,  iron, 
and  a  rich  and  productive  agricultural  region, 
give  it  an  advantage  over  any  of  the  eastern 
manufacturing  points. 

The  Wisconsin  river  rises  in  the  extreme 
northern  part  of  the  State,  and  has  its  source 
in  a  great  number  of  small  lakes.  The  upper 
portion  abounds  in  valuable  water  privileges, 
only  a  few  of  which  are  improved.  There  are 
a  large  number  of  saw  mills  running  upon  the 
power  of  this  river.  Other  machinery,  to  a 
limited  extent,  is  in  operation. 

The  "Big  Bull"  Falls,  at  Wausau,  are  im- 
proved, and  a  power  of  twenty-two  feet  fall  is 
obtained.  At  Little  Bull  Falls,  below  Wausau, 
there  is  a  fall  of  eighteen  feet,  partially  im- 
proved.    There  are    many    other   water-powers 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


819 


in  Marathon  county,  some  of  which  are  used  in 
(jropelling  flouring-mills  and  saw-mills.  At 
Grand  Rapids,  there  is  a  descent  of  thirty  feet 
to  the  mile,  and  the  water  can  be  used  many 
times.  Each  time,  5,000  horse-power  is  ob- 
tained. At  Kilbourn  City,  a  large  amount  of 
power  can  be  obtained  for  manufacturing  pur- 
poses. 

Chippewa  river  has  its  origin  in  small  streams 
in  the  north  part  of  the  State.  Explorers  tell 
us  that  there  are  a  large  number  of  water- 
powers  on  all  the  upper  branches,  but  as  the 
country  is  yet  unsettled,  none  of  them  have 
been  improved,  and  very  few  even  located  on 
our  maps.  Brunette  Falls  and  Ameger  Falls, 
above  Cliippewa  Falls  city,  must  furnish  con- 
siderable water-power,  but  its  extent  is  not 
known.  At  Chippewa  Falls  is  an  excellent 
water-power,  only  partially  improved.  'J'he 
river  descends  twenty-six  feet  in  three-fourths 
of  a  mile.  At  Duncan  creek,  at  the  same  place, 
there  is  a  good  fall,  improved  to  run  a  large 
flouring-mill.  At  Eagle  Rapids,  five  miles 
above  Chippewa  Falls,  $120,000  has  been  ex- 
pended in  improving  the  fall  of  the  Chippewa 
river.  The  city  of  Eau  Claire  is  situated  at 
the  confluence  of  the  Chippewa  and  Eau  Claire 
rivers,  and  possesses  in  its  immediate  vicinity, 
water-powers  almost  unrivaled.  Some  of  them 
are  improved.  The  citizens  of  Eau  Claire 
have,  for  several  years,  striven  to  obtain  Legis- 
lative authority  to  dam  the  Chippewa  river,  so 
as  to  improve  the  water-power  of  the  Dells, 
and  a  lively  contest,  known  as  the  "Dells  fight," 
has  been  carried  on  with  the  capitalists  along 
the  river  above  that  town.  There  are  immense 
water-powers  in  Dunn  county,  on  the  Rod 
Cedar,  Chippewa  and  Eau  Galle  rivers,  on 
which  there  are  many  lumbering  establish- 
ments. In  Pepin  county  also  there  are  good 
powers.  The  Black  river  and  its  branches,  the 
La  Crosse,  Buffalo,  Trempealeau,  Beaver,  and 
Tamaso,  furnish  many  valuable  powers.  The 
St.  Croix  river  is  not  excelled  in  the  value  of  its 
water   privileges    by    any    stream  in    the  State, 


except  the  Lower  Fox  river.  At  St..  Croix 
Falls,  the  water  of  the  river  makes  a  descent  of 
eighty-five  feet  in  a  distance  of  five  miles,  and 
the  volume  of  water  is  sufficient  to  move  the 
machinery  for  an  immense  manufacturing  busi- 
ness, and  the  banks  present  good  facilities  for 
building  dams,  and  the  river  is  not  subject  to 
freshets.  The  Kinnekinnick  has  a  large  num- 
ber of  falls,  some  of  them  partially  improved. 
Within  twenty-five  miles  of  its  entrance  into 
Lake  St.  Croix,  it  has  a  fall  of  200  feet,  and 
the  volume  of  water  averages  about  3,000  cubic 
feet  per  minute.  Rock  river  affords  valuable 
water  privileges  at  Watertown  (with  twenty- 
four  feet  fall),  and  largely  improved;  at  Jeffer- 
son, Indian  Ford  and  Janesville,  all  of  which 
are  improved.  Beloit  also  has  an  excellent 
water-power,  and  it  is  largely  improved.  Scat- 
tered throughout  the  State  are  many  other 
water-powers,  not  alluded  to  in  the  foregoing. 
There  are  several  in  Manitowoc  county  ;  in 
Marquette  county,  also.  In  Washington  coun- 
ty, at  West  Bend,  Berlin,  and  Cedar  Creek, 
there  are  good  water-powers,  partly  utilized. 
At  Whitewater,  in  Walworth  county,  is  a  good 
power.  In  Dane  county,  there  is  a  water- 
power  at  Madison,  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Men- 
dota;  also,  a  good  one  at  Stoughton,  below  the 
first,  or  Lake  Kegonsa;  also  at  Paoli,  Bellville, 
Albany  and  Brodhead,  on  the  Sugar  river.  In 
Grant  county  there  are  not  less  than  twenty 
good  powers,  most  of  them  well-developed.  In 
Racine  county,  three  powers  of  fine  capacity  at 
Waterford,  Rochester  and  Burlington,  all  of 
which  are  improved.  The  Oconto,  Peshtigo 
and  Menomonee  rivers  furnish  a  large  number 
of  splendid  water-powers  of  large  capacity. 
The  Upper  Wolf  river  has  scores  of  water- 
powers  on  its  main  stream  and  numerous 
branches;  but  most  of  the  country  is  still  a. 
wilderness,  though  containing  resources  which, 
when  developed,  will  make  it  rich  and  prosper- 
ous. There  are  numerous  other  streams  of  less 
consequence  than  those  named,  but  of  great 
importance  to  the  localities  they  severally  drain, 


820 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


that  havu  had  their  powers  improved,  and  their 
waterfalls  are  singiuir  the  songs  of  commerce. 
On  the  rivers  emptying  into  Lake  Superior, 
there  are  numerous  and  valuable  water-powers. 
The  Montreal  river  falls  1,000  feet,  in  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty  miles. 

MANUFACTUEES. 

The  mechanical  and  manufacturing  indus- 
tries of  Wiscon.sin  demonstrate  that  the  people 
do  not  rely  wholly  upon  agricultural  pursuits, 
or  lumbering,  for  .subsistence,  but  aim  to  diver- 
sify their  labors  as  much  as  possible,  and  to 
give  encouragement  to  the  skill  and  ingenuity 
of  their  mechanics  and  artisans.  All  our  cities 
and  most  of  our  villages,  support  establish- 
ments that  furnish  wares  and  implements  in 
common  use  among  the  people.  We  gather 
from  the  census  report  for  ]870,  afew  facts 
that  will  give  us  an  adequate  idea  of  what  was 
done  in  a  single  year,  remembering  that  the 
data  furnished  is  six  years  old,  and  that  great 
advancement  has  been  made  since  the  statistics 
were  gathered.  In  ISVO,  there  were  eighty- 
two  establishments  engaged  in  making  agricul- 
tural implements,  employing  1,.387  hands,  and 
turning  out  products  valued  at  $2,393,400. 
There  were  188  furniture  establishments,  em- 
ploying 1,844  men,  and  making  $1,542,300 
worth  of  goods.  For  making  carriages  and 
wagons  there  were  485  establishments,  employ- 
ing 2,184  men,  and  their  product  was  valued  at 
$2,596,534;  for  clothing,  263  establishments, 
and  value  of  product  $2,340,400;  sash,  doors 
and  blinds,  eighty-one  shops,  and  value  of 
product  $1,852,370;  leather,  eighty-five  tan- 
neries, employing  577  men,  and  value  of  pro- 
ducts $2,013,000;  malt  liquors,  176  breweries, 
835  men,  and  their  products  valued  at  $1,790,- 
273. 

At  many  points  the  business  of  manufactur- 
ing is  carried  on  more  or  less  extensively;  in- 
deed, there  is  hardly  a  village  in  the  State 
where  capital  is  not  invested  in  some  kind  of 
mechanical  industry  or  manufacturing  enter- 
prise, and  making  satisfactory    returns;  but  for 


details  in  this   respect,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
the  department  of  local  history. 

The  principal  commodities  only,  which  Wis- 
consin contributes  to  trade  and  commerce,  have 
been  considered.  There  remains  quite  a  num- 
ber of  minor  articles  from  which  the  citizens 
of  the  State  derive  some  revenue,  such  as  flax 
and  maple  sugar,  which  can  not  be  separately 
considered  in  this  paper. 

CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 

Statistics  are  usually  dry  reading,  but>  to  one 
desiring  to  change  his  location  and  seeking 
information  regarding  a  new  country  and  its 
capabilities,  they  become  intensely  interesting 
and  of  great  value.  The  farmer  wishes  to 
know  about  the  lands,  their  value  and 
the  productiveness  of  the  soil  ;  the  me- 
chanic about  the  workshops,  the  price 
of  labor,  and  the  demand  for  such  wares 
as  he  is  accustomed  to  make;  the  capitalist,  con- 
cerning all  matters  that  pertain  to  resources, 
advantages,  and  the  opportunities  for  investing 
his  money.  Our  own  people  want  all  the  infor- 
mation that  can  be  gained  by  the  collection  of 
all  obtainable  facts.  The  sources  of  such  infor- 
mation are  now  various,  and  the  knowledge 
they  impart  fragmentary  in  its  character. 

Provision  should  be  made  by  law,  for  the  col- 
lection and  publication  of  reliable  statistics  re- 
lating to  our  farming,  manufacturing,  mining, 
lumbering,  commercial  and  educational  inter- 
ests. Several  of  the  States  of  the  Union  have 
established  a  "bureau  of  statistics,"  and  no 
more  valuable  rejjorts  emanate  from  any  of 
their  State  departments  than  those  that  exhibit 
a  condensed  view  of  the  material  results  accom- 
plished each  year.  Most  of  the  European  States 
foster  these  agencies  with  as  much  solicitude  as 
any  department  of  their  government.  Indeed, 
they  have  become  a  social  as  well  as  a  material 
necessity,  for  social  science  extends  its  inquiries 
to  the  physical  laws  of  man  as  a  social  being; 
to  the  resources  of  the  country;  its  productions; 
the  growth  of  society,  and  to  all  those  facts  or 
conditions  which  may  increase  or  diminish  the 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


821 


strength,  growth  or  happiness  of  a  people. 
Statistics  are  the  foundation  and  corner-stone 
of  social  science,  which  is  the  highest  and 
noblest  of  all  the  sciences. 

A  writer  has  said  that,  "If  God  had  designed 
Wisconsin  to  be  chiefly  a  manufacturing  State, 
instead  of  agricultural,  which  she  claims  to  be, 
and  is,  it  is  difficult  to  see  more  than  one  par- 
ticular in  which  lie  could  have  endowed  her 
more  richly  for  that  purpose."  She  has  all  the 
material  for  the  construction  of  articles  of  use 
and  luxury,  the  means  of  motive  power  to  pro- 
pel the  machinery,  to  turn  and  fashion,  weave, 
forge,  and  grind  the  natural  elements  that 
abound  in  such  rich  profusion.  She  has  also 
the  men  whose  enterprise  and  skill  liave  accom- 
plished most  sur|(rising  results,  in  not  only 
building  up  a  name  for  themselves,  but  in  plac- 
ing the  State  in  a  proud  position  of  independ- 
ence. 

It  is  impossible  to  predict  what  will  be  the  fu- 
ture growth  and  development  of  Wisconsin. 
From  its  commercial  and  manufacturing  advan- 
tages, we  may  reasonably  anticipate  that  she  will 
in  a  few  years  lead  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
States  of  the  Union  in  all  that  constitutes  real 
greatness.  Her  educational  system  is  one  of 
the  best.  With  her  richly  endowed  State  Uni- 
versity, her  colleges  and  high  schools,  and  the 
peoples  colleges,  the  common  schools,  she  has 
laid  a  broad  and  deep  foundation  for  a  great 
and  noble  commonwealth.  It  was  early  seen 
what  were  the  capabilities  of  this  tlieir  newly 
explored  domain.  The  northwestern  explorer, 
Jonathan  Carver,  in  1766,  one  hundred  and 
eleven  years  ago,  after  traversing  Wisconsin 
and  viewing  its  lakes  of  crystal  purity,  its  rivers 
of  matchless  utility,  its  forests  of  exhaustless 
wealth,  its  prairies  of  wonderful  fertility,  its 
mines  of  buried  treasure,  recorded  this  remark- 
able prediction  of  which  we  see  the  fulfillmcTit: 
"To  what  power  or  authority  this  new  world  will 
Ijecome  dependent  after  it  has  arisen  from  its  pres- 
ent uncultivated  state,  time  alone  can  discover. 
But  as  the  seat  of  empire  from  time  immemo- 


rial has  been  gradually  progressive  towaid  the 
west,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  at  some  future 
period  mighty  kingdoms  will  emerge  from  these 
wildernesses,  and  stately  palaces  and  solemn 
temples  with  gilded  spires  reaching  to  the  skies 
supplant  the  Indian  huts,  whose  only  decoia- 
tions  are  the  barbarous  trophies  of  their  van- 
quished enemies." 

'  "Wefclward  the  course  of  empire  takes  its  way; 

The  four  first  acts  already  passed, 
A  fifth  shall  close  the  drama  with  the  day; 

Time's  noblest  offspring  is  the  last.'' 

LtTMBEB     MANUFACTUKE. 

Foremost  among  the  industries  of  Wisconsin 
is  that  of  manufacturing  lumber.  Very  much 
of  the  importance  to  which  the  State  has  attained 
is  due  to  the  development  of  its  forest  wealth.  In 
America,  agriculture  always  has  been,  and  al- 
ways will  be,  the  primary  and  most 
important  interest;  but  no  Nation  can 
subsist  upon  agriculture  alone.  While  the 
broad  prairies  of  Illinois  and  Iowa  are  rich  with 
a  fertile  and  productive  soil,  the  hills  and  valleys 
of  northern  Wisconsin  are  clothed  with  a 
wealth  of  timber  that  has  given  birth  to  a  great 
manufacturing  interest,  which  employs  millions 
of  capital  and  thousands  of  men,  and  has  peo- 
pled the  northern  wilds  with  energetic,  prosper- 
ous communities,  built  up  enterprising  cities, 
and  crossed  the  State  with  a  network  of  rail- 
ways which  furnish  outlets  for  its  productions 
and  inlets  for  the  new  populations  which  are 
are  ever  seeking  for  homes  and  employment 
nearer  to  the  setting  sun. 

If  a  line  be  drawn  upon  the  State  map,  from 
Green  Bay  westward  through  Stevens  Point,  to 
where  it  would  naturally  strike  the  Mississippi 
river,  it  will  be  below  the  southern  boundary  of 
the  pine  timber  regions,  with  the  single  excep- 
tion of  the  district  drained  by  the  Yellow  river, 
a  tributary  of  the  Wisconsin,  drawing  its  tim- 
ber chieHy  from  Wood  and  .Tuneau  counties. 
The  territory  nortli  of  this  iin;iginai'y  line 
covers  an  area  a  little  greater  than  one-half  of 
the  State.      The  pine  timbered  land  is  found  in 


822 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


belts  or  ridges,  interspersed  with  prairie  open- 
ings, patches  of  hardwood  and  hemlock,  and 
drained  by  numerous  water-courses.  No  less 
than  seven  large  rivers  traverse  this  northern 
section,  and,  with  their  numerous  tributaries, 
penetrate  every  county,  affording  facilities  for 
floating  the  logs  to  the  mills,  and,  in  rliany  in- 
stances, the  power  to  cut  them  into  lumber. 
This  does  not  include  the  St.  Croix,  which 
forms  the  greater  portion  of  the  boundary  line 
between  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  and,  by 
means  of  its  tributaries,  draws  the  most  and 
best  of  its  pine  from  the  former  State.  These 
streams  divide  the  territory,  as  far  as  lumber- 
ing is  concerned,  into  six  separate  and  distinct 
districts:  The  Green  bay  shore,  which  includes 
the  Wisconsin  side  of  the  Menomonee,  the 
Peshtigo  and  Oconto  rivers,  with  a  number  of 
creeks  which  flow  into  the  bay  between  the 
mouths  of  the  Oconto  and  Fox  rivers;  the  Wolf 
river  district;  the  Wisconsin  river,  including 
the  Yellow,  as  before  mentioned;  the  Black 
river;  the  Chippewa  and  Red  Cedar;  and  the 
Wisconsin  side  of  the  St.  Croix. 

Beginning  with  the  oldest  of  these,  the  Green 
bay  shore,  a  brief  description  of  each  will  be  at- 
tempted. The  first  saw-mill  built  in  the  State, 
of  which  there  is  now  any  knowledge,  was  put 
in  operation  in  1809,  in  Brown  county,  two  or 
three  miles  east  from  Depere,  on  a  little  stream 
which  was  known  as  East  river.  It  was  built 
by  Jacob  Franks,  but  probably  was  a  very 
small  affair.  Of  its  machinery  or  capacity  for 
sawing,  no  history  has  been  recorded,  and  it  is 
not  within  the  memory  of  any  inhabitant  of  to- 
day In  1829,  John  P.  Arndt,  of  Green  Bay, 
built  a  water-power  mill  on  the  Pensaukee 
river  at  a  point  where  the  town  of  Big  Suamico 
now  stands.  In  1834,  a  mill  was  built  on  the 
Wisconsin  side  of  the  Menomonee,  and  two 
years  later,  one  at  Peshtigo.  Lumber  was  first 
shipped  to  market  from  this  district  in  1834, 
which  must  be  termed  the  beginning  of  lumber- 
ing operations  on  the  bay  shore.  The  lands 
drained  by  the  streams  which  flow  into  Green 


bay    are    located    in     Shawano    and      Oconto 
counties,  the  latter  being  the   largest  in     the 
State.       In     1847,    Willard    Lamb,    of    Green 
Bay,     made     the    first    sawed    pine    shingles 
in    that    district;      they    were    sold     to     the 
Galena    Railroad    Company    for    use    on     de- 
pot  buildings,  and    were  the  first  of   the   kind 
sold  in  Chicago.     Subsequently  Green  Bay  be- 
came one  of    the  greatest  points  for  the    manu- 
facture   of   such    shingles   in    the    woi-ld.     The 
shores  of  the  bay  are  low,  and  gradually  change 
from    marsh  to  swamp,  then  to  level,  dry  land, 
and    finally    become  broken   and  mountainous 
to  the  northward.     The  pine  is  in  dense  groves 
that  crowd  closely   upon   the   swamps   skirting 
the  bay,   and  reach  far  back  among  the   hills  of 
the  interior.      The  Peshtigo  flows  into  the  bay 
about  ten   miles  south  of  the  Menomonee,  and 
takes    its  rise  far  back  in   Oconto    county,   near 
to   the     latter's  southern    tributaries.        It     is 
counted  a  good  logging  stream,  its  annual   pro- 
duct being  from  40,000,000  to   60,000,000   feet. 
The  timber  is  of  a  rather  coarse   quality,    run- 
ning  but   a   small     percentage    to     what     the 
lumbermen    term    "uppers."      About    ten     per 
cent,  is  what  is  known  as  Norway  pine.     Of  the 
whole  amount  of    timber  tributary  to  the  Pesh- 
tigo, probably  about  one-third  has  been  cut   off 
to  this  date.       The  remainder  will  not   average 
of  as  good  quality,  and  only  a  limited  jjortion 
of  the  land  is  of  any  value  for  agricultural  pur- 
poses after  being  cleared  of  the    pine.     There 
are  only   two   mills  on   this  stream,  both  being 
owned  by  one  company.     The  Oconto  is  one  of 
the  most  important  streams  in  the  district.  The 
first  sawmill  was  built  on   its  banks  about  the 
year  1840,  though  the  first  lumbering  operations 
of  any  account  were  begun   in    1845    by   David 
Jones.      The    business   was     conducted     quite 
moderately  until    1856,   in  which    year   several 
mills  were  built,  and  from  that  dale  Oconto  has 
been    known    as  quite     an     extensive     lumber 
manufacturing  point.     'I  he  timber  tributary  to 
tills  stream  has  been  of  the  best  quality  found 
in  the  State      Lumber    cut  from    it   has    been 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


823 


known  to  yield  the  extraordinarily  higli  average 
of  fifty  and  sixty  per  cent,  uppers.  The  timber 
now  being  cut  will  not  average  more  than  half 
that.  The  proportion  of  Norway  is  about  five 
per  cent.  It  is  estimated  that  from  three 
fourths  to  four  fifths  of  the  timber  tributary 
to  the  Oconto  has  been  cut  away,  but  it  will  re- 
quire a  much  longer  time  to  convert  the  balance 
into  lumber  than  was  necessary  to  cut  its 
equivalent  in  amount  owing  to  it 
remote  location.  The  annual  production 
of  pine  lumber  at  Oconto  is  from  50,000,000  to 
65,000,000  feet.  The  whole  production  of  the 
district,  exclusive  of  the  timber  which  is  put  into 
the  Menomouee  from  Wisconsin,  is  about  140,- 
000,000  feet  annually. 

The  Wolf  river  and  its  tributaries  constitute 
the  next  district,  proceeding  westward.  The 
first  saw  logs  cut  on  this  stream  for  commercial 
purposes  were  floated  to  the  government  mill  at 
Neenah  in  1835.  In  1842,  Samuel  Farnsworth 
erected  the  first  saw  mill  on  the  upper  Wol  f 
near  the  location  of  the  present  village  of  Shaw- 
ano, and  in  the  following  spring  lie  sent  the  first 
raft  of  lumber  down  the  Wolf  to  Oslikosh. 
This  river  also  rises  in  Oconto  county  but  flows 
in  a  southerly  direction,  and  enters  Winne- 
bago lake  at  Oshkosli.  Its  pineries  have  been 
very  extensive,  but  the  drain  upon  them  within 
the  past  decade  has  told  with  greater  effect  than 
upon  any  other  district  in  the  State.  The  (jual- 
ity  of  the  timber  is  very  fine,  and  the  land  is  con- 
sidered good  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  is 
being  occupied  upon  the  lines  of  the  different 
railways  which  cross  it.  The  upper  waters  of 
the  Wolf  are  rapid,  and  have  a  comparatively 
steady  flow,  which  renders  it  a  very  good  stream 
for  driving  logs.  Upon  the  upper  river,  the 
land  is  quite  rolling,  and  about  the  head-waters 
is  almost  mountainous.  The  pine  timber  liiat 
remains  in  this  district  is  high  up  on  the  main 
river  and  branches,  and  will  last  but  a  few  years 
longer.  A  few  years  ago  the  annual  product 
amounted  to  upward  of  250,000,000  feet;  in  1 870 
it  was  las, 000, 000.     The   principal  manufactur- 


ing points  are  Oshkosh  and  Fond  du  Lac;  the 
former  has  twent^'-one  mills,  and  the  latter  ten. 

Next  comes  the  Wisconsin,  the  longest  and 
most  crooked  river  in  the  State.  It  rises  in  the 
extreme  northern  sections,  and  its  general  course 
is  southerly  until  at  Portage  City,  it  makes  a 
grand  sweep  to  the  westward  and  unites  with 
the  Mississippi  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  It  has 
numerous  tributaries,  and,  together  with  these, 
drains  a  larger  area  of  country  than  any  other 
river  in  the  State.  Its  waters  flow  swiftly  and 
over  numerous  rapids  and  embryo  falls,  which 
renders  log-driving  and  raft-running  very  diffi- 
cult and  even  hazardous.  The  timber  is  gener- 
ally near  the  banks  of  the  main  stream  and  its 
tributaries,  gridually  diminishing  in  extent  as  it 
recedes  from  tliem  and  giving  place  to  the  sev- 
eral varieties  of  liaril  woods.  The  extent  to 
which  operations  have  been  carried  on  necessi- 
tates going  furtiier  up  the  stream  for  available 
timl)er,  although  there  is  yet  what  may  be 
termed  an  abundant  supply.  The  first  cutting 
of  lumber  on  this  stream,  of  which  there  is  any 
record,  was  by  government  soldiers,  in  1828,  at 
the  building  of  Fort  Winnebago.  In  18.31,  a 
mill  was  built  at  Whitney's  rajiids,  below  Point 
Kass,  in  what  was  then  Indian  territory.  By 
1840,  mills  were  in  operation  as  high  up  as  Big 
Bull  Falls,  and  Wausau  had  a  ])opulation  of  350 
souls.  Up  to  1876,  the  product  of  the  upper 
Wisconsin  was  all  sent  in  rafts  to  markets  on 
the  Mississippi.  The  river  above  Point  Bass  is 
a  series  of  rapids  and  eddies;  the  current  flows 
at  the  rate  of  from  ten  to  twenty  miles  an  hour, 
and  it  can  well  be  imagined  that  the  task  of  pilot- 
ing a  raft  from  Wausau  to  the  dells  was  no  slight 
one.  The  cost  of  that  kind  of  transportation  in 
tlic  early  times  was  actually  equal  to  the  present 
market  jirice  of  the  lumber.  With  a  good  stage 
of  water,  the  lenglh  of  time  required  to  run  a 
raft  to  St.  Louis  was  twenty-four  days;  though 
quite  frequently,  owing  to  inability  to  get  out  of 
the  Wisconsin  on  one  rise  of  water,  several 
weeks  were  consumed.     The  amount  of  lumber 


824 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


manufactured   annually    on    this    river   is  from 
140,000,000  to  200,000,000  feet. 

Black  river  is  much  shorter  an.;!  smaller  than 
the  Wisconsin,  hut  has  long  been  known  as  a 
very  important  lumbering  s'ream.  It  is  next  to 
the  oldest  lumber  district  in  the  State.  The 
first  saw  mill  west  of  Green  Bay  was  built  at 
Black  River  Falls  in  1819  by  Co).  John  Shaw. 
The  Winnebago  tribe  of  Indians,  however,  in 
whose  territory  he  was,  objected  to  the  inmva- 
tion  of  such  a  fine  art,  and  unceremoniously 
offered  uj)  the  mill  upon  the  altar  of  their  out- 
rage<l  solitude.  Tlie  owner  abruptly  quitted 
that  portion  of  the  country.  In  1S;!9  another 
attempt  to  establish  a  mill  on  Black  river  was 
more  successfully  made.  One  was  erected  at 
the  same  point  by  two  brothers  by  the  'name  of 
\Vood,  the  millwright  being  Jacob  Spaiihling, 
who  eventually  became  its  possessor.  His  son, 
Dudley  J.  Spaulding,  is  now  a  very  exten- 
sive operator  upon  Black  river.  La  Crosse  is 
the  chief  manufacturing  point,  tliere  being  ten 
saw  mills  located  there.  The  annual  production 
of  the  stream  ranges  from  150,000,000  to  2-2."),- 
000,000  feet  of  logs,  less  than  100,000,000  feet 
being  manufactured  into  lumber  on  its  banks. 
The  l)alanee  is  sold  in  the  log  to  mills  on  the 
Mississippi.  It  is  a  very  capricious  river  to  float 
logs  in,  which  necessitates  the  carrying  over 
from  year  to  year  of  a  very  large  amount,  vari- 
ously estimated  at  from  150,000,000  to  200,000,- 
000  feet,  about  equal  to  an  entire  seas on's  pro- 
duct. This  makes  the  business  more  hazardous 
than  on  m:iny  other  streams,  as  the  loss  from  de- 
preciation is  very  great  afterthe  first  jear.  The 
quality  of  the  timber  is  fine,  and  good  prices  are 
realized  for  it  when  sold  within  a  year  after  be- 
ing cut. 

The  Chippewa  district  probably  contains  the 
largest  and  finest  l)ody  of  white  pine  timber 
now  standing,  tributary  to  any  one  stream,  on 
the  continent.  It  has  been  claimed,  though 
with  moi-e  extravagance  than  truth,  that  the 
Chippewa  pineries  hold  one-half  the  timber  sup- 
[)ly  of  the  State.     The  river  itself  is  a  large  one, 


and  has  many  tributaries,  which  penetrate  the 
rich  pine  district  in  all  directions.  The  charac- 
ter of  the  tributary  country  is  not  unlike  that 
through  which  the  Wisconsin  flows.  In  1828 
the  first  mill  was  built  in  the  Chippewa  valley, 
on  Wilson's  creek,  near  its  confluence  with  the 
Red  Cedar.  Its  site  is  now  occupied  liy  the 
village  of  MjCnomonee.  In  18.37  another  was 
built  on  what  is  the  present  site  of  the  Union 
Lumbering  Company's  mill  at  Chippewa  Falls. 
It  was  not  until  near  1865  that  the  Chippewa 
became  very  prominent  as  a  lumber-making 
stream.  Since  that  date  it  has  been  counted  as 
one  of  the  foremost  in  the  northwest.  Upon 
the  river  proper  there  are  twenty-two  saw  mills, 
none  having  a  capacity  of  less  than  3,500,000 
feel  per  season,  and  a  number  being  capable  of 
sawing  from  20,000,000  to  25,000,000.  The  an- 
nual production  of  sawed  lumber  is  from  250,- 
00",000  to  300,000',000  feet;  the  production  of 
logs  from  400,000,000  to  500,000,000  feet.  In 
1867  the  mill  owners  upon  the  Mississippi,  be- 
tween Winona  and  Keokuk,  organized  a  corpo- 
ration known  as  the  Beef  Slough  Manufactur- 
ing, Log-Driving  and  Transportation  Company. 
Its  object  was  to  facilitate  the  handling  of  logs 
cut  upon  the  Chippewa  and  its  tributaries,  de- 
signed for  the  Mississippi  mills.  At  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  two  rivers  various  improvements 
were  made,  constituting  the  Beef  Slough  boom, 
which  is  capable  of  assorting  200,000,000  feet  of 
logs  per  season.  The  Chippewa  is  the  most  dif- 
ficult stream  in  the  northwest  upon  which  to 
operate.  In  the  spring  season  it  is  turbulent 
and  ungovernable,  and  in  summer,  almost  des- 
titute of  water.  About  its  head  are  numerous 
lakes  which  easily  overflow  under  the  influence  of 
rain,  and  as  their  surplus  water  flows  into  the 
Chippewa,  its  rises  are  sudden  and  sometimes 
dam.aging  in  their  extent.  The  river  in  many 
places  flows  between  high  bluffs,  and  under  the 
influence  of  a  freshet,  becomes  a  wild  and  un- 
manageable torrent.  Logs  have  never  been 
floated  in  rafts,  as  upon  other  streams,  but  are 
turned  in  loose,  and  are  carried  down  with  each 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY 


R25 


successive  rise,  in  a  jumbled  and  confused  mass, 
wliich  entails  much  labor  and  loss  in  tbe  work 
of  assorting  and  delivering  to  the  respective 
owners.  Previous  to  the  organization  of  the 
Eagle  Rapids  Flooding  Dam  and  Boom  Compa- 
ny, in  1872,  the  work  of  securing  tlie  stock  after 
putting  it  into  the  river  was  more  difficult  than 
to  cut  and  haul  it.  At  the  cities  of  Eau  Claire 
and  Chippewa  Falls,  where  most  of  the  mills  are 
located,  the  Current,  under  the  influence  of  hish 
water,  is  very  rapid,  and  for  years  the  problem 
was,  how  to  stop  and  retain  the  logs,  as  they 
would  go  by  in  great  masses  and  with  almost 
resistless  velocity.  In  1847  is  recorded  one  of 
the  most  sudden  and  disastrous  floods  in  the  his- 
tory of  log-running  streams.  In  the  month  of 
June  the  Chippewa  rose  twelve  feet  in  a  single 
night  and  in  the  disastrous  torrent  that  was  creat- 
ed, piers,  booms  or  'pockets"  for  holding  logs  at 
the  mills,  together  with  a  tine  new  mill,  were 
swept  away,  and  the  country  below  where  Eau 
Claire  now  stands  was  covered  with  drift-wood, 
saw  logs,  and  other  debris.  Such  occurrences 
led  to  the  invention  of  the  since  famous  sheer 
boom,  which  is  a  device  placed  in  the  river  op- 
posite the  mill  boom  into  which  it  is  desired  to 
turn  the  logs.  The  sheer  boom  is  thrown  diag- 
onnlly  across  the  river,  automatically,  the  ac- 
tion of  the  current  upon  a  number  of  ingenious- 
ly arranged  "tins"  holding  it  in  position.  By 
this  means  the  logs  are  sheered  into  the  recep- 
tacle until  it  is  tilled,  when  the  sheer  boom,  by 
closing  up  the  "fins"  with  a  windlass,  falls  back 
and  allows  the  logs  to  go  on  for  the  nextmill  to 
stop  and  c.ipture  its  pocket  full  in  like  manner. 
By  this  method  each  mill  could  obtain  a  stock, 
but  a  great  difticulty  was  experienced  from  the 
fact  that  the  supply  was  composed  of  logs  cut 
and  owned  by  everybody  operating  on  the 
river,  and  the  process  t)f  balancing  accounts  ac- 
cording to  the  "marks,"  at  the  close  of 
the  season,  has  been  one  prolific  of 
trouble  and  legal  entanglements.  The  building 
of  improvements  at  Eagle  Rapids  by  the  com- 
pany  above  mentioned  remedied  the   difficulty 


to  some  extent,  but  the  process  of  logging 
will  always  be  a  difficult  and  hazardous  enter- 
prise until  adequate  means  for  lioldiiig  and  as- 
sorting the  entire  log  product  are  provided. 
lT|)on  the  Yellow  and  Eau  Claire  rivers,  two 
important  branches  of  the  Chippewa,  such  diffi- 
culties are  avoided  by  suitable  improvements. 
The  entire  lumber  product  of  the  Chippewa, 
with  the  exception  of  that  consumed  locally,  is 
floated  in  rafts  to  markets  upon  the  Mississippi, 
between  its  mouth  and  St.  Louis.  The  quality 
of  the  timber  is  good  and  commands  the  liest 
market  price  in  the  sections  where  it  seeks 
market. 

West  of  the  Chippewa  district  the  streams  and 
timber  are  trilmtary  to  the  St.  Croix,  and  in  all 
statistical  calculations  the  entire  product  of  that 
river  is  credited  to  Minnesota,  the  same  as  that 
of  the  Menomonee  is  given  to  Michigan,  when  in 
fact  about  one-half  of  each  belongs  to  Wisconsin. 
j  The  important  brandies  of  the  St.  Croix  belong- 
1  ingin  this  State  are  Apple  Clam, Yellow, Nameko- 
gan,  Toiagatic  and  Eau  Claire.  The  sections  of 
country  through  which  they  flow  contain  larje 
bodies  of  very  fine  pine  timber.  The  St.  Croix 
lias  long  been  noted  for  the  excellence  of  its 
dimension  timber.  Of  this  stock  a  portion  is 
cut  into  lumber  at  Stillwater,  and  marketed  by 
rail,  and  the  balance  is  sold  in  the  log  to  the 
mills  on  the  Mississippi. 

Such  is  a  brief  and  somewhat  crude  descrij)- 
tion  of  the  main  lumbering  districts  of  the 
State.  Aside  from  these,  quite  extensive  oper- 
ations are  conducted  upon  various  railway  lines 
which  penetrate  the  forests  which  are  remote 
from  log-running  streams.  In  almost  every 
county  in  the  State,  mills  of  greater  or  less  ca- 
pacity may  be  found  cutting  up  pine  or  hard 
woods  into  lumber,  shingles  or  cooperage  stock. 
.Most  important,  in  a  lumliei  ing  point  of  view, 
of  all  the  railroads,  is  the  ^Visconsin  Central. 
It  extends  from  Milwaukee  to  Ashland,  on  Lake 
Supi.'rior,  a  distance  of  :i51  miles,  with  a  lino  to 
<4ieen  Bay,  113  miles,  and  one  from  Stevens 
Point  to  Portage,  seventy-one  miles,  making  a 


826 


HISTORY  OF  VERNON  COUNTY. 


total  length  of  road  of  449  miles.  It  has  only 
been  completed  to  Ashland,  within  the  present 
season.  From  Milwaukee  to  Stevens  Point  it 
passes  around  to  the  east  and  north  of  Lake 
Winnenago,  tluough  an  excellent  iiard  wood 
section.  There  are  many  stave  mills  in  opera- 
tion upon  and  tributary  to  its  line,  together 
with  wooden  ware  establishments  and  various 
manufactories  requiring  either  hard  or  soft 
timbei'  as  raw  material.  From  Stevens  Point 
northward,  this  road  passes  through  and  lias 
tributary  to  it  one  of  the  finest  bodies  of  timber 
in  the  State.  It  crosses  the  upper  waters  of 
Black  river  and  the  Flambeau,  one  of  the  main 
tributaries  of  the  Chippewa.  From  30,000,000 
to  50,000,000  feet  of  lumber  is  annually 
manufactured  on  its  line,  above  Stevens 
Piiint.  The  Wisconsin  Valley  railroad  extends 
from  'I'omah  to  Wausau,  and  was  built  lo  aiford 
an  ovitlet,  by  rail,  for  the  lumber  produced  at 
the  latter  point. 

The  extent  of  the  timber  supply  in  this  State 
has  been  a  matter  of  much  speculation,  and  is  a 
subject  upon  which  but  little  can  be  definilely 
said.  Pine  trees  cannot,  be  counted  or  measured 
until  reduced  to  saw  logs  or  lumber.  It  is  cer- 
tain that  for  twenty  years  the  forests  of  Wiscon- 
sin have  yielded  large  amounts  of  valuable  timber 
and  no  fears  are  entertained  by  holders  of  pine 
lands  that  llie  present  generation  of  owners 
will  witness  an  exhaustion  ol  their  supply.  In 
some  sections  it  is  estimated  that  the  destruc- 
lion  to  the  standing  timber  by  fires,  which 
periodically  sweep  over  large  sections,  is  great- 
er tliaii  by  the  axes  of  the  loggers.  The  neces- 
sity for  a  State  sj'stem  of  forestry  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  forests  from  fires,  has  been  ui'ged  by 
many,  and  with  excellent  reason;  for  no  natur- 
al resource  of  the  State  is  of  more  value  and 
importance  than  its  wealth  of  timber.     Accord- 


ing to  an  estimate  recently  made  by  a  good 
authority,  and  which  received  the  sanction  of 
many  interested  parties,  there  was  standing  in 
the  State  in  1 876,  an  amount  of  pine  timber,  ap- 
proximating .35,000,000,000  feet. 

The  annual  production  of  lumber  in  the  dis- 
tricts herein  described,  and  from  logs  floated 
out  of  the  State  to  mills  on  the  Missi.->ippi,  is 
about  1,200,000,000  feet. 

If  to  the  above  is  added  the  production  of 
mills  outside  of  the  main  districts  and  lines  of 
railway  herein  described,  the  amount  of  pine 
lumber  annually  produced  from  Wisconsin  for- 
ests would  reach  1,500,000,000  feet.  Of  the 
hard  wood  production  no  authentic  information 
is  obtainable.  To  cut  the  logs  and  place  them 
upon  the  banks  of  the  streams,  ready  for  float- 
ing to  the  mills,  requires  the  labor  of  about 
18,001' men.  Allowing  that,  upon  an  average, 
each  man  has  a  family  of  two  persons  besides 
himself,  dependent  upon  his  labor  for  support, 
it  would  be  apparent  that  the  first  step  in  the 
work  of  manufacturing  lumber  gives  employ- 
ment and  su])port  to  54,000  persons.  To  con- 
vert 1,000,000  feet  of  logs  into  lumber,  requires 
the  consumption  of  1,200  bushels  of  oats,  nine 
barrels  of  pork  and  beef,  ten  tons  of  hay,  forty 
barrels  of  flmir,  and  the  use  of  two  pairs  of 
horses.  Thus  the  fitting  out  of  the  logging 
companies  each  fall  makes  a  market  for  1,800,- 
000  bushels  of  oats,  13,500  barrels  of  pork  and 
beef,  15,000  tons  of  hay,  and  60,000  barrels  of 
flour.  Before  the  lumber  is  sent  to  market, 
fully  $6,000,000  is  expended  for  the  labor  em- 
ployed in  producing  it.  This  industry,  aside 
from  furnishing  the  farmer  of  the  west  with  the 
cheapest  and  best  of  materials  for  constructing 
liis  buildings,  also  furnishes  a  very  important 
market  for  the  products -of  iiis  farm. 
/ 


< 


y/