History of Iowa County, Wisconsin, Part 1

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 958


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HISTORY 1 .


OF


IOWA COUNTY,


WISCONSIN,


.


CONTAINING


AN ACCOUNT OF ITS SETTLEMENT, GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES; AN EXTENSIVE AND MINUTE SKETCH OF ITS CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES-THEIR IMPROVEMENTS, INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTORIES, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETIES; ITS WAR RECORD, BIOGRAPH- ICAL SKETCHES, PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT MEN AND EARLY SETTLERS; THE WHOLE PRECEDED BY A HISTORY OF WISCONSIN, STATISTICS OF THE STATE, AND AN ABSTRACT OF ITS LAWS AND CON- STITUTION AND OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.


ILLUSTRATED.


.


CHICAGO: WESTERN HISTORICAL COMPANY. MDCCCLXXXI.


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tive page.fjoyne S PRINTERS 118 &120 JACNRCE S! 1


CHICAGO


PREFACE.


TI THIS WORK was commenced with a specific object in view, which was to place upon record, in a reliable manner and in permanent form, whatever incidents of importance have trans- pired within the region of which Iowa County is now a part. As a necessary preliminary to this work, a brief history of the entire district now known as Wisconsin is given, together with such valuable facts concerning the antiquities of the Northwest as science has revealed. Fol- lowing along this plan of labor, the history of the Lead Region, with an ample geological and mineralogical sketch thereof, is detailed from trustworthy sources. The more local records embrace the narrative of settlement in the early times that tried the courage and endurance of the heroic pioneers ; a recital of the bravery of Iowa's citizen-soldiers in the Indian wars ; a description of the characteristic deeds of the representative men of the county, and a complete delineation of the events of the past half-century. In the history of the county will be found incidents, reminiscences and anecdotes, which serve to spice the more statistical portions of the work. In the preparation of this volume, many men of experience have patiently examined record books, intelligently conversed with pioneers, and carefully compiled the fruits of their industrions researches. The chief value of the history lies in the fact that not only was the original matter gathered first-handed from the participants in many of the scenes, but in the fact, of still greater importance, that the proof-sheets have been submitted for correction to many of the oldest settlers. Herein is furnished a truthful reflex of the times and decds of by-gone days, and it is hoped that the present generation will feel that pride in the work which future gener- ations are surely destined to do. The publishers are aware that all persons cannot be pleased, but impartial and conscientious efforts must eventually be accepted at their true worth. Upon that faith is this volume submitted to the public with confidence.


Thanks are herein expressed to the scores of Pioneers, the County Officials, the Clergy and the Press for the uniform courtesy extended the compilers.


APRIL, 1881.


THE PUBLISHERS.


CONTENTS.


HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.


PAGE.


Antiquities .... 19


Indian Tribes. 21


Pre-Territorial Annals, 29


School Offices 147 Hops .... 204 Wisconsin Territory. 11


Wisconsin as a State. 52


First Administration


52


Teachers' Associations 148


Liquors


205


Miscellaneous 2016


201


Water Powers ..


Manufactures


208


Conclusion.


The Public Domain .210


Geographical Position 230


Physical Features 230 Geology 231


Drainage


.232


Gold and Silver. IGS Rain Character ... >33


Isothermis .23-4


Barometrical 234


Winds 235


Climatological Changes from Settling in the State. .235 Influence of Nationalities 237 Occupations-Food-Education, etc .. .23> Ilistory of Disease ... .238


Ratio of Sickness, Ft. Howard and Win- nebago ..... 230


Education of the Blind ... 241


Institute of Deaf and Dumb 241


Wisconsin Valley .. 181 Industrial School for Boys. 242


Sheboygan & Fond du Lac. 18) State Prison .242


Mineral Point ..


State Hospital for the Insano. 242


Northern Hospital for the Insane 243


City of Milwaukee


.243


Prairie du Chien & McGregor 183 Educational 140


Original School Code. 183 Chippewa Falls & Western


183


Agitation for Free Schools


.141


Narrow Gange


Pulmonary Diseases .245


Statistics 249


Population, 1875, of Townsbips, Alpha-


betically Arranged by Counties ........ 219 Population by Counties. ..... .. 25x


Agricultural College. 141 Furs 199 Nativity by Counties .............. 259 Valuation of Property .. Normal Schools Lead and Zinc-Iron. ..... 260


Teachers' Institutes


146


Lumber.


.201


Acreage of Principal Crops


.261, 262


ABSTRACT OF WISCONSIN STATE LAW'S.


PAGE.


Actions .283


Elections and General Elections, .263


Arrest 283 Estrays .. 279


Attachment. 284 Exemptions .281 Adoption of Children. 276


Fences .. 280 Married Women. 2-3


Assignment of Mortgage. .274


Forms of Conveyances


273


Stay Law.


284


Assessment and Collection of Taxes. 267


Surveyors and Surveys. Support of Poor ... .. 2 2


Suggestions to Persons Purchasing Books by Subscription ....


Title of Real Property by Descent. .275


Weights and Measures. 27%


270


Common Schools


.266 Jurisdiction of Courts.


Wolf Scalps.


277


278


Damages for Trespass


279' Jurors.


MISCELLANEOUS.


PAGE.


Wisconsin State Constitution. ........


...... 287


U. S. Constitution


.. 297


dent. .306-307


PAGE ..


P'AGI.


Vote of Wisconsin for Governor and Presi-


Population of the State.


........


345


53


State Superintendents 148


College Sketches ...


149


Female Colleges 150 Fifth Administration ..


Sixth Administration


Seventh Administration 151 Health 230


War of Secession Commenced 69


Eighth Administration ...


Ninth Administration ...


Statistics of Volunteers. 90


Tenth Administration. 92 ('opper .. 168 Climatology 232


Eleventh Administration 93


Brick Clays. Twelfth Administration. 168


Thirteenth Administration 97


Cement Rock


170


Limestone-Glass Sand 171


Fifteenth Administration. Peat-Building Stones. 172


Railroads 173


Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. 173


Chicago & Northwestern. 176


Wisconsin Central 178


Western Union ..


179


Climatology


Trees, Shrubs and Vines. 128


134


Fish and Fish Culture ...


134


Large Animals-Time of their Disap- pearance ...


138


Peculiarities of the Bird Fauna 139 North Wisconsin 183


Conclusion.


184


School System under State Govern- ment ... 141 Lumber 185


191


School Fund Tocome. 112 Banking.


Commerce and Manufactures. 198 State University 143


Forms of Mortgages. .274 Assessment of Taxes 26× Garnishment. .284 Bills of Exchange or Promissory Notew. 272 Borrowed Money. 267


Highways and Bridges .270


Hours of Lubor.


.273


277 Capital Punishment. 278 Interest


Collection of Taxes.


270


Intoxicating Liquors. 271 Commercial Terms 285


Judgments ..


284


Wills.


PAGE.


Educational :


PAGE.


Commerce and Manufactures :


Dairy Products. 203


Free High Schools ... 147 Pork and Beef .. 203


State Teachers' Certificates 147


Tobacco-Cranberries. 205


Second Administration 57


Tlurd Administration


Fourth Administration 62


Academies and Seminaries 151


t'ommercial Schools.


Agriculture ... 151


Mineral Resources 162


Lead and Zinc .. 162


Iron. 165


Fourteenth Administration. 99 Sixteenth Administration 109


.pography and Geology. The Archæan Age. 112 Devonian Age ... 119 110 Paleozoic Time-Silurian Age 115 Glacial Period. 120


West Wisconsin .. 180


1.21


Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western 180


Green Bay & Minnesota


182


Madison & Portage 182


Health Resorts 246 Change of Diseases.


Graded Schools 140 Grain 202


PAGE.


Landlord and Tenant .. 281


Limitation . Actions 285


Marks and Brands. .281


Fauna.


Township System. 146


Libraries 148


vi


CONTENTS.


HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.


PAGE.


Among the Rock4. 309


The Mineral District In Detail. 331 Highland District. 375


Death of Mosra Strong .. 331 Linden District ... 378


A. P. Van Matre. 400 The Driftless Area. 336 Dodgeville District 353


Topography and Surface Geology.


340


The Lead Region Described. 347


Mineralogy. 318


History and Character of the Mines .. 352


Beptown District. 352


Potosi District 3.54


Fairplay District.


357


Ulazel Green District. 350


The Margry Letters, 393 Platteville District ..


Buncombe Diggings. 364


New Diggings District 366


Diggings on the Leakley Estate. 368


Shullsburg District. 369


Mifflin District.


374


CHAPTER I. PAGF.


Indian Occupancy' .. 437


Derivation of the Nanie. 438 Natural Vegetation ... 439 Water, Scenery and Soll. 410


Coon Bluff; n Romance of the Wis- con-in ... 440


Educating SIEVes 4-4.5


The Mysterious L'ave 449


Recovery of the Lost Child .. 457 the Road. 525


CHAPTER 11.


The Winebago War .. 461


Capture of Red Bird. 463


First Settlement, Dodgeville 465


Van Matre Survey .. 440


First White Woman. 460 l'eddler's Creek and Dallas 166


First Mill. 468 Blue River. 468 Rkigewny 471


First School and Physician. 471


Old Helena ... 4:1


A Visit to Helena in 1$36. 472


The Furnier' Guards 547 Furnaces, 1827 and 1828 478


The First Censi ....


Territorial Roads 475


First County Schools .. 475 County School Work since 1843.


CHAPTER III.


The Black Hawk War. 479


Dodge's Letter and the Mineral Point Messenger ... 479


First Military Movement and Forts, 4$0


Distributing Supplies.


Account of Arms Distributed at Mineral Point ....


Occurrences and Mound Fort. 482 Fort Jackson Alarmed. 4×3


Battle of the Peentonica 185


Battle of Wisconsin Heighta and Bad


486


Grignon's Recollectiona. 490


CRAPTER IV.


Mineral Discoveries and Limitations. 492


Indian Trenties and Abuses .. 493 First Minera and Early Deprivations 404 Life in the Diggings. 495 First Land Districta .. 496 Henry Dodge.


Claim Restrictions and First Entries .197 Projected Railroads and Canals. 408


Hard Money Wealth. 409


First Roads and Highways. 500


Chronicles of the Cholera, 1×49 and 1850, 501


The Second Visitation, 185I 5013 Land SwindHag Schemes. 504 CHAPTER V.


Official Record -... 508


La Fayette and Montgomery Countle .... 511


State Government and subsequent Re-


formy. 512


PAGE.


lIon. Levi Sterling 623


Capt. William Henry 623 John Messersmith


Robert S. Block 025 Judge L. M. Strong 625


Judge John Bonner 626


George Mulka_ 626


llon. George I .. Frost. 626


Schuyler Pulford 627


Maj. Charles F. Legate.


Edward D. Beouchard 628


George W. Burrall 629


CHAPTER XIL .- MINERAL POINT.


Uncle Sam's Donation. 652


First Surveys and Entries. 653


The Public Square Imbroglio ..


Mineral Point Before 1832 655 Who was the First Settler ? 656


The First Notable Events. 657


The Black Hawk War 650 The Legislature to the Rescue. 540 A Compromise Attempted and Opposed .. 641 Settlement Proceedings and Final Report 542 A Celebrated Tavern. 661 The Old Juil, and Other Notes. 662


CHAPTER NITI .- MINERAL. POINT AS A BonorGit.


Firat Ordinancesand Corporation Money, 665


Business Condition in 1-37 ..


666


An Englishman's Observations .. 669


The Bank of Mineral Point. 6.1


The Trinl und Hanging of Caffee.


6.3


Border Justice and Vendettas. $19


The California Exodus .. G76


A Mineral Point Craft and her Advent- Dres


California Emigrants


CHAPTER XIV .- MINFRAL POINT AS A VILLAGE.


Charter and Government.


Early Ordinances


Business in 1845. 65ł


A Temperance Move, Old Miners' Guard, 68) Newspaper Extracts ..


HIo, for California ! 643


Jail Breaking. 683


Miners' Honor ... 653


Incendiarics and Cholera


The Order of 1001 ..


GS 1


Ladies Cold Water I'nion


681


Business in 1856


G×1


Old Banka.


>7


Education.


Newspaper Comments


Early Telegraphic Communication ... 692


CHAPTER XV .- MINERAL POINT A8 CITY.


First Charter. 693


Hon. Henry M. Rillings. G19 Sreond Churter. 694


ITon. Elihu B. Goodsell GI9 Third Charter. 695 Gen. Charles Bracken 620 Statistics and Notes, 1860 to 1863. 695


Gen. John R. Terry 620 War Occurrences .. 696


Old Settlers' Re-union Celebration 697


C4 1. D. MI. Parkinson


621


Various Items.


698


Hon. Thomas Jenkins 622


Jessee Shull's Tradership 399


Dr. Samuel C. Muir. 399


The First White Woman. 501


The First American History


The Change in Management. 402


Moses Meeker's Colony 404


The First Marriage 405


The First Deuth 405


The First Births. 405


Social Development .. 405


The First Post Office. 406


Government Control of the Mines. 40S


Charles Bracken's Sketch.


Names of those who Mined prior to 1:30 423


Political History 423


R. II. Magoon's Memoirs .. 427


Stillmao's Defeat, Kingston's Narrative 435


IUSTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.


PAGE.


Past and Present Conaty Buildings 514


Judicial Districts and First Casea 516


The County Seat War. 517


County Poor Honseand Farm 520


CHAPTER VI .- MINERAL. POINT RAILROAD. Company Charter and Projected Routes 522 First Contract and Commencement of


Official Returns of the Election. 5:27


Change of Contractors, 527 More Funds Raised and Road Completed, 529 The First Train, Company Re-organized 530


CHAPTER VII .- TOWA COUNTY BONOS.


Building Contracts 534


County Repudiation of Bond Indebted-


Mincial Pojat .... 465 noss. 53.5 Early Merchandising.


First Suit.


536


The Enemy Stornis Mineral Point 538


General Events. 547


Riotons Veterans.


550


The Draft.


55]


Bonaty Difficulties 552 A French Prince's Visit. 1:75


The C'amp and Field. 553


Roster of Volunteers 563


CHAPTER IX.


Torondo of 1-78 567


County Officers .. 572


Property Valuation 576


Farm Products 579


Towa Conaty Agricultural Society 579


Early Voting Pointe


Press


CHAPTER X .- PIONEER REMINISCENCES.


Memoir, by William R. Smith 589 The Pecatopica, by William Pena Smith, 590 First Impressions of the Mines. 592


594 By W. P. Ruggles .. 653


By T M. Fullerton.


A Bridal Trip ... 661


CHAPTER XI .- SOME AF FAYETTE COUN- TY'S ILLUSTRIOUS DEAn.


Gen. William R. Smith.


Hon. Moses Meeker.


Ilon. Charles Duna .. 612


lTon. Stephen P. Hollenbeck. 617


Col. Thomas Stephens G1:


l'AGE.


Centerville District 375


Van Mater's Survey. 38.1


Mineral Point District. 355


Calamine District 391


Wiota District. 301


Copper.


Settlement 39)


The First Explorer. 39-)


The Missoari Diggiogs, 392


Dabuque Settlement 344


A Missing I-land .. 394


Dubuque's Operations on the East Side .... 395


Davenport at Fever River ... 396


Early Navigation and l'ommerce ... 396 Renton DIstrict. 3,3


The Bock Lead. 399


PAGE .. .


CHAPTER VIII .- WAR RECORD.


Introductory 545


First Volunteer Company in the State ... 545


EST


John Falls O'Neill. 621


Old Settlers Still Living


609


First Marriage nad Rirth 467 First Farming .. 468


vii


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


PAGE.


PAGE.


Town of Clyde. 790


Health of the Village. 747 | Town of Eden. 793


Zinc Works .. 700 War Items 748 Village of Eden 794


Post Office .. 701 Railroad Interests .. 750 Town of Highland 795


Manufacturing, Banks, etc.


702


Education.


753


Centerville ...


797


Industrial Association .. 705 Post Office. 754


Secular Societies .. 707


Religious ..


714


Cemeterice


724


Official Roster. 725


Business Summary and Conclusion. 728


City Directory


728


CHIAPTER XVI .- DODGEVILLE.


First Land Entries and Plats 733


Government and Official Roster 734


Early Settlement.


736


The First Fort and Dodge's Indian Re- ception ..


737


CHAPTER XVII .- TOWNS ANO VILLAGES.


Town of Pulaski 824


Village of Avoca .. 829


Town of Ridgeway 832


Troubles, 1828 and 1829 749 Town of Arena. 781 West Blne Mounds 839


After the Black Hawk War 742


Trade Resumed


743


New Arena 784


Helena


844


Town of Waldwick 845


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHIES.


PAGE.


PAGE.


PAGE.


906 Ridgeway 960


Mineral Point


Clyde .. 953 Dodgeville .. SSO Mifflin 917


Eden ..... 956


Moscow 905


947


PORTRAITS.


PAGE


Joseph Bennett .. 487


John Harker .. 343


Thomas Kennedy. 559


577 M. J. Briggs 595 Owen King 721 M. M. Cotbren. 397


J. B. Moffett. 685


E. W. Sylvester. 667 George W. Cobb .. 649


John J. Ross. 613 John Toay .. 325


J. W. Rewey 739


C. Gillmano.


523


Moses M. Strong. 379


William T. Henry. 415 Moses Strong. 301


PAGE.


469 J. Montgomery Smith. 451 James Spensley ..


Harker Spensley 309


John H. Vivian 703


Village of Highland. 800


CHAPTER XVIII .- TOWNS AND VILLAGES -Continued.


Town of Linden 807


Village of Linden. 8122


Town of Mifflin. 813


Village of Dallas. $19


Village of Mifflin. 820


Village of Rewey 821


Town of Moscow 821


Village of Moscow


823


Directory 766 Adamsville ... 824


Mineral Point and Dodgeville Telegraph, 755 Fires and Fire Company. 756


Hotels ... 757


Manufactories.


758


Secular Societies


759


Religions .....


761


Cemeteries


764


General Summary 761


Professional Men. 766


First Claims and Notable Events. 738 Town of Mineral Point 768


Items of 1828 and 1829 741 Town of Dodgeville 773


Arena. .... 930


Linden


853. Wyoming. 938


Waldwick


96%


Highland 941 Pulaski


PAGE.


William Bainbridge.


Josph Gundry


505


Business, 1850 to 1870. 745


William T. Henry's Geological Collec- tion ...... 699


Banda. 754


The "Suckers " and their Successors 744 Helena Station 787


Old Arena .. 781 Town of Wyoming S11


HISTORY OF WISCONSIN. BY C. W. BUTTERFIELD.


I .- WISCONSIN ANTIQUITIES.


The first explorers of the valleys of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi and its tributaries, seem not to have noticed, to any considerable extent, the existence within these vast areas of monuments of an extinct race. Gradually, however, as the tide of emigration broke through the barriers of the Alleghanies and spread in a widely extended flow over what are now the States of the Northwest, these prehistoric vestiges attracted more and more the attention of the curious and the learned, until, at the present time, almost every person is presumed to have some general knowledge, not only of their existence, but of some of their striking peculiarities. Unfortunately, these signs of a long since departed people are fast disappearing by the never ceasing operations of the elements, and the constant encroachments of civilization. The earliest notices of the animal and vegetable kingdom of this region are to be found in its rocks; but Wisconsin's earli- est records of men can only be traced in here and there a crumbling earth-work, in the fragment of a skeleton, or in a few stone and copper implements-dim and shadowy relics of their handicraft.


The ancient dwellers in these valleys, whose history is lost in the lapse of ages, are desig- nated, usually, as the Mound-Builders ; not that building mounds was probably their distinctive employment, but that such artificial elevations of the carth are, to a great extent, the only evi- dences remaining of their actual occupation of the country. As to the origin of these people, all knowledge must, possibly, continue to rest upon conjecture alone. Nor were the habitations of this race confined to the territory of which Wisconsin now forms a part. At one time, they must have been located in many ulterior regions. The earth-works, tumuli, or "mounds," as they are generally designated, are usually symmetrically raised and often inclosed in mathematical figures, such as the square, the octagon, and the circle, with long lines of circumvallation. Besides these earth-works, there are pits dug in the solid rock; rubbish heaps formed in the prosecution of mining operations ; and a variety of implements and utensils, wrought in copper or stone, or moulded in clay. Whence came the inhabitants who left these evidences to succeed- ing generations ? In other words, who were the Mound-Builders ? Did they migrate from the Old World, or is their origin to be sought for elsewhere? And as to their manners and customs and civilization-what of these things? Was the race finally swept from the New World to give place to Red men, or was it the one from which the latter descended ? These momentous ques- tions are left for the ethnologist, the archaeologist, and the antiquarian of the future to answer- if they can.


20


HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.


Inclosures and mounds of the prehistoric people, it is generally believed, constituted but parts of one system ; the former being, in the main, intended for purposes of defense or religion ; the latter, for sacrifice, for temple sites, for burial places, or for observatories. In selecting sites for many of these earth-works, the Mound-Builders appear to have been influenced by motives which prompt civilized men to choose localities for their great marts; hence, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and other cities of the West are founded on ruins of pre-existing structures. River terraces and river bottoms seem to have been the favorite places for these earth-works. In such localities, the natural advantages of the country could be made available with much less trouble than in portions of the country lying at a distance from water-courses. In Wisconsin, therefore, as in other parts, the same general idea of selecting points contiguous to the principal natural thoroughfares is found to have prevailed with the Mound-Builders ; for their works are seen in the basin of the Fox river of the Illinois, in that of Rock river and its branches, in the valley of Fox river of Green bay, in that of the Wisconsin, as well as near the waters of the Mississippi.


While a few circumvallations and immense mounds, such as are common to certain other portions of the United States, are discoverable in Wisconsin, yet by far the largest number of earthworks have one peculiarity not observable, except in a few instances, outside the State. This characteristic is a very striking one The fact is revealed that they are imitative in form- resembling beasts, reptiles, birds, fish, man. All these, for convenience, are usually classed under the general name of "animal mounds," although some are in the similitude of trees, some of war clubs, others of tobacco pipes. Generally, these figures are in groups, though sometimes they are seen alone. For what purpose these earth-works were heaped up-they rise above the surface two, four, and sometimes six feet-or what particular uses they were intended to subserve, is unknown. It is, however, safe to affirm that they had some significance. A number resemble the bear; a few, the buffalo; others, the raccoon. Lizards, turtles, and even tadpoles, are out- lined in the forms of some. The war eagle, and the war club has each its representative. All this, of course, could not have been a mere happening-the work of chance. The sizes of these mounds are as various as their forms. One near Cassville, in Grant county, very complete in its representation of an animal, supposed to be of the elephant species, was found, upon measure- ment, to have a total length of one hundred and thirty-five feet. Another in Sauk county, quite perfect in its resemblance to the form of a man, was of equal length-a veritable colossus ; prone, it is true, and soon to disappear, if it has not already been destroyed, by ravages of a superior civilization.


In portions of Wisconsin, as well as in a few places outside the State, are found earth-works of another kind, but quite as remarkable as the "animal mounds," which, from their supposed use, have been styled "garden beds." They are ridges, or beds, about six inches in height and four feet in width, ranged, with much apparent method, in parallel rows, sometimes rectangular in shape, sometimes of various but regular and symmetrical curves, and occupying fields of from ten to a hundred acres.


The Mound-Builders have left many relics, besides their earthworks, to attest their presence in Wisconsin in ages past. Scattered widely are found stone and copper axes, spear-heads, and arrow-heads, also various other implements-evidently their handiwork. As these articles are frequently discovered many feet beneath the surface, it argues a high antiquity for the artificers. Whether they had the skill to mould their copper implements is doubtful. Such as plainly show the work of hammering, indicate an art beyond that possessed by the Red men who peopled America upon its first discovery by Europeans. In a few instances, fragments of human skulls have been found so well preserved as to enable a comparison to be drawn between the crania of




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