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BENEDICT
Awakefield.
HISTORY
OF
WAUPACA COUNTY,
WISCONSIN.
By J. WAKEFIELD,
Historian of Old Settlers' Society of Waupaca County.
pa 41791 0 WAUPACA, WIS .: D. L. STINCHFIELD, 1890. / J, L'
5
COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY J. WAKEFIELD AND D. L. STINCHFIELD.
Printed by D. L. STINCHFIELD, Waupaca, Wis. Bound by W. B. CONKEY, Chicago.
TO THE OLD SETTLERS OF WAUPACA COUNTY THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THEIR HISTORIAN.
INTRODUCTION.
In settling a new country the pioneer has much that is unpleasant and discouraging to contend with. Unbroken forests must be cleared away, or the tough sods of the prairie turned under, and the fields fenced and fitted for cultivation. Crops must be planted, and time given for them to come up, grow and mature.
In the meantime the old settler must live. His family can not be carried safely through without food and clothing, coarse and scant, perhaps, but sufficient to sustain nature. How to procure them is often a difficult question with him. It is quite common to see the "hungry wolf at the door," literally as well as metaphorically. His is a con- stant struggle with want, aye, even hunger and cold; but he must live, and he struggles on, often dissapointed, but ever hopeful, for the blackest cloud may, and generally does have a "silver lining."
Is it any wonder that so many faint by the way, that so many get discouraged and return to their old homes, perhaps in the far East? Many more would move back if they could, but the new
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
settler's stock of money is nearly expended in the purchase of his land, and in his first few tempo- rary improvements. So his only chance is to re- main, and there is where the blessing comes in; being compelled to stay, he is obliged to "work or starve." At length his enforced industry is re- warded, and many a formerly disheartened settler has lived to bless a poverty which has eventually made him rich in spite of himself.
In after years what pleasure the pioneer takes in listening to or relating incidents connected with his pioneer life! He looks back with a sort of mournful pleasure to those days and years of care, of disappointment, and often of actual want, and feels a real pride in the thought that his nerve and muscle, his mental and physical endurance, have wrought the great change that has taken place in his worldly affairs within so small a portion of one brief human life; and his is a justifiable pride.
The title of " pioneer " is an honest title, and des- ignates the highest order of American nobility. One object of the present work is to collect statis- tics of the early settlement of our county, and to gather and preserve incidents and interesting rem- iniscences connected with that early settlement. Our children may value them when our lips are unable to repeat them, and the only way to learn them will be to avail themselves of the labors of the historian. One by one our old settlers are leaving us. Every year performs its work. Soon
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
the last pioneer will be reverently laid away in his final resting place, and there will be none to repeat to the coming generation the noble sacrifices and heroic labors of the past.
It is not easy to write good history. To be en- tertaining and at the same time truthful should be the object of the historian. Our work may not be entertaining, but we have tried to make it truth- ful-to make it worthy of a place as a text book in every library in the county. Of course, we may have made errors. To err is human. But we have been for years collecting our material, and flatter ourselves that our mistakes will prove few.
We take this occasion to acknowledge how much we are indebted to our friends for their valuable assistance; for without their help our work must have proved a failure. They have our thanks.
If the public will take as much pleasure in perus- ing our pages as we have taken in preparing them, we shall be content.
Fremont, 1890.
J. WAKEFIELD.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE.
INTRODUCTION 5
CHAPTER I.
Waupaca County-The Indians-Here were Their Hunting Grounds - Their Degeneracy -Their Inhumanity Compared with that of the Whites 13
CHAPTER II.
A Tragic Affair-Killing of an Indian by James, near Mukwa - Statement of Dr. Linde - Captain Powell. 16
CHAPTER III.
A Bloodless Affray Between Indian Chiefs at Algoma, Win- nebago County - Pow-wa-ga-nien and Kish-ke-ne-kat. 22
CHAPTER IV.
Our County - Its Boundaries -Soil- Natural Products - Cultivated Crops -Population -Climate- Lakes and Rivers. 28 CHAPTER V.
Surrender of the Indian Title -Government Survey - Preliminary Survey by William H. Mumbrne-Settlers' League - Incidents - Primitive Justice- Illustration - A Dutch Justice. 40
CHAPTER VI.
First Meeting of the County Board-First Election of County Officers-Organization of the Towns of Weyauwega, Mukwa, Waupaca, Embarrass, Centerville, and Dayton 49
CHAPTER VII.
Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca-County Officers Required to Hold Offices at Waupaca-Scandinavia and Farm- ington Organized-Judicial Election-County Seat Vote- Prohibition-Royalton and Caledonia Organized-Court to be Ileld at Mukwa-Judge Cate Elected
55
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
CHAPTER VIII.
Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca-Members from Belmont and Amherst Admitted-Town of Lanark Organ- ized-Building Committee Chosen-Vote on County Seat ...... 62 CHAPTER IX.
Charges Against . Mellen Chamberlain-Vote on County Seat-First Meeting of the County Board at Weyauwega- Resolutions of the County Board on the County Seat Question. 65 CHAPTER X.
The Board for Peace-Summons to Mellen Chamberlain- Iola and Union Organized-Township Poor System Abolished. 71
CHAPTER XI.
Town of Matteson -- Helvetia-County Divided into Three Commissioner Districts - Board Adjourned to Waupaca -- The County Jail-Committee on Poor House-Insane. 74
CHAPTER XII.
Town of Mukwa-First Settlement-Village of Mukwa- Village of Northport-Smiley's Anecdotes-City of New Lon- don-The First School. 81
CHAPTER XIII.
Town of Lind-First Settlers-Organization-First Officers- Fourth of July Celebration on Lone Pine Hill-A Temper- ance Lesson 92
CHAPTER XIV.
Town of Dayton-Its History as Written by J. Holman in 1876-Parfrey's " Pepper Mill "-A Bear Story 96
CHAPTER XV.
Town of Farmington-Historical Sketch by C. L. Green- List of Early Settlers-An Old Railroad Project .. 108
CHAPTER XVI.
Town of Royalton-First Settlement in 1848 by Hicks Leut- hold, and Gill-A Good Farming and Stock Raising Town .... 112 CHAPTER XVII.
Town of Caledonia-First Settlement in 1849, by James McHugh-Organized in 1853 115
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Town of Fremont - First Settlement by D. Gorden in 1849-Organized in 1865-Springer's Point-Village of Fre- mont Organized in 1888-Killing of Wau-ke-john. 117
CHAPTER XIX.
Town of Union-First Settlement by Isaac Ames in 1855- Organized in 1858-Experiences of Nathan Johnson-Sixteen Persons Sleeping on the Floor of a 16x20-Foot Shanty. 127
CHAPTER XX.
Town of Dupont - First Settlement by O. A. Quimby in 1857-Organized in 1864-Village of Marion 133
CHAPTER XXI.
Town of St. Lawrence-First Settlement in 1852-Organ- ized in 1855-Its Part in the "County Seat War"-A Corres- pondent's Account of the Great Indian Scare of 1862 136
CHAPTER XXII.
Town of Larrabee-First Settlement by Norman Clinton in March. 1855-The City of Clintonville-Norman C. Clinton- Chet. Bennett. 143
CHAPTER XXIII.
Town of Weyauwega - Settled in 1848 - Organized in 1852- Gills Landing Plank Road - An Indian. Murder - A Sucker Story-Village of Weyauwega. 156
CHAPTER XXIV.
Town of Bear Creek-First Settlement by Welcome Hyde, in 1854-First Officers Elected in 1856-One of the Best Farm- ing Towns 164
CHAPTER XXV.
Town of Iola-Settled in 1853-First Election of Officers in 1855 -- Village of Iola-Town of Harrison Created in 1890 . 166
CHAPTER XXVI.
4 Town of Helvetia-Settled in 1853-First Town Meeting in 1861-Town of Wyoming Formed out of Helvetia in 1890 168
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Town of Matteson-First Settlement in 1855, by Roswell Matteson, in Honor of Whom the Town was Named ... 170
CHAPTER XXVIII.
A Chapter of Most Interesting Recollections by George W. Taggart, of Weyauwega-IIis Account of the Election of 1851. 172
CHAPTER XXIX.
Town of Little Wolf-Settled in 1848 by William Goldberg- The Town was First Called "Centerville" -- First Election of Officers in 1852 183
CHAPTER XXX.
Town of.Waupaca-Settled in 1849-Organized in 1852 -- Vil- lage of Waupaca Incorporated in 1857-The City Incorporated in 1875 185
CHAPTER XXXI.
Town of Scandinavia-First Settlement in 1851-First Elec- tion of Officers in 1853-Village of Scandinavia. 190
CIIAPTER XXXII.
Early Reminiscences of Waupaca County, Read at the Old Settlers' Meeting at New London, February 19, 1874, by W. F. Waterhouse, Historian 192
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The Old Settler's Society-Its Organization in 1872-List of Old Settlers-A Summary of Their Proceedings 203
CHAPTER XXXIV.
List of County Officers Since the Organization, Compiled From the Records.
CHAPTER XXXV. 215
List of Postoffices in Waupaca County, with Their Location. 218 CHAPTER XXXVI.
Strange Indian History-Indian Prophet "Walking Iron" at New London Two Centuries Ago - The Great Indian Vil- lage -- The Prophet's Harem. 219
HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
WAUPACA COUNTY-THE INDIANS-HERE THEIR HUNTING GROUNDS -- THEIR DEGENERACY -- THEIR INHUMANITY COM- PARED WITH THAT OF THE WHITES.
The territory embraced in the present limits of Waupaca County was but recently the home of the red man. Here were his favorite hunting grounds. Here, on every side, were found the bear, the wolf, the elk, the deer, and other valued game. The numerous lakes, the ponds, the rivers, and smaller streams were stocked with almost every variety of fish; and no white men were here to rob him of his heritage, or to circumscribe the limits of his hunting grounds. He was happy- happy in his innocence-happy in his ignorance of the many wants which render the man of civil- ization discontented and miserable. He may have had his vices, but they were virtues in comparison with those taught him by the civilized whites.
From being the type of a manly, noble race, he is but the weak, degenerate relic of a race just passing into oblivion. But a few more years and
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
the last Indian will have disappeared-a few more, and all that will be known of him will be what little may be learned from tradition. The Indian has no history.
Has the Indian been benefited by contact with civilization? We think not. Even Christianity could not avert the doom of the poor red man. Strip him of his barbarism, and there would be nothing left. His nature is wild, and you can not change it. He can not be tamed, he will not be civilized. He may be "Christianized," but that is unnatural. His destiny is to pass away-to make room for a superior race, that, perhaps, in turn to be supplanted !
,
We are apt to blame the Indian for his inhuman- ity in war, for his murdering and scalping of help- less women and innocent children, for his torture of defenceless captives, and for other atrocious acts, and are ever ready to charge it to his barbar- ism. But is the barbarism of the aborigine pecu- liar ? Has he been, is he now, any worse than the civilized white races? The Indian is cruel. The wars of Christian races are simply unjustifiable, unnatural, devilish! The Indian tomahawks and scalps all, without regard to age or sex. The shot and shell of the Christian tear and mangle the quivering flesh of manhood, age, beauty and in- fancy, in the beleaguered town or city. The excuse is "necessity." That is a barbarian's excuse. But, it is said, the Indian tortures his captives, and
.
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
burns at the stake those of his enemies who are unfortunate enough to fall in his power. That is cruel; but what tortures are inflicted by those whose creed teaches them better things! How many poor, bleeding, moaning victims are taken from every Christian battlefield, to linger for days, perhaps weeks, or even months in mortal agonies scarce exceeded, if equalled, by those felt by the victims of Indian cruelty and revenge !
We do not justify or excuse the Indian. We con- demn him for his cruelties, and wonder why humanity is permitted to fall so low. But we also condemn the barbarity of the whites. It is not in accordance with the true spirit of Christianity. It is quite a different spirit which governs the Chris- tian as well as the pagan world. Will the time ever come when nations as well as individuals shall learn to love and practice the "golden rule ?" Perhaps; but present appearances do not indicate a speedy millenium !
"Love your enemies " was the noblest, the grand- est doctrine! taught by our Saviour. The doc- trine of universal love is the best, the most at- tractive part of Christianity. But how few prac- tice it! War is cruel, horrible, unchristian. It can be conducted only in blood and rapine. It arouses and sets in action all the baser passions in the human breast, whether in that of a heathen or of a Christian, and all the logic in the world can make it only what it is-an unmitigated curse !
16
HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
How long have the Indians inhabited this conti- nent? Were they the original owners of the soil, or did they take possession, perhaps thousands of years ago, of a country formerly held by a different race, long since extinct? If they were not created here, where did they come from, and how long have they been here? They were powerful once, and must have possessed a sort of civiliza- tion. But, as we said before, they have no history. No hieroglyphics will ever give the antiquarian an excuse for guessing anything about their past. Their mounds tell us nothing definite, and even tradition has but little to say, and evidently lies when it does attempt to speak. In short, we know all we ever shall know of them, and that is that they are now what they ever will be-Indians !
CHAPTER II.
A TRAGIC AFFAIR-KILLING OF AN INDIAN BY JAMES, NEAR MUKWA-STATEMENT OF DR. LINDE -- CAPTAIN POWELL.
The aborigines who inhabited this territory at the advent of the whites among them were, in the main, a quiet, inoffensive race. They knew that their white neighbors had come to disposess them of their favorite hunting grounds-had come to desecrate the burial places of their ancestors-had come to drive them and their wives and children
17
HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
into hopeless exile-in short, had come to stay. The thought was humiliating, and they must have keenly felt the humiliation. And yet they quietly submitted-with the quietness of despair-the stoicism of expiring barbarism. Civilization was about to pluck the last laurel from the brow of barbarism, Christianity to complete its grand triumph over heathenism.
As might have been expected, occasional quar- rels occurred between them and the whites. But those quarrels could generally be traced to the evil influence of bad white men, or bad whisky; for an Indian, like his white brother, is sometimes quar- relsome while in drink.
We shall take the liberty of relating a tragical affair which occurred near Mukwa, between a white man and some Indians, in 1856. Dr. Linde and Walter James, a son of the great English novelist, G. P. R. James, Esq., went to Mukwa, in this county, on a hunting expedition. While James was out fire-hunting, one night, a difficulty occur- red with some Indians, which resulted in the death -of one Indian and the wounding of two others.
It is, perhaps, hard to say where the blame should rest, although at the time many very strongly blamed James, not deeming the provoca- tion sufficient to justify him in staining his hands with the blood of the Indian.
We give an account of the unfortunate occur- rence as given by Dr. Linde in Harnev's History of
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
Winnebago County. The doctor will be remem- bered by many of our old settlers :
ENCOUNTER WITH INDIANS.
Dr. Linde gives the following recital of a most tragical event which occurred near his place at Mukwa, during his residence there :
"On a fine hunting-night in the latter part of June, 1856, Mr. Walter James went to a small lake near Mukwa, with his canoe, for the purpose of night-hunting deer. Fortunately he took the doctor's hunting-knife, a formidable weapon, made of the best steel, and weighing two and a half pounds. Hle found plenty of deer, but they would not take the water on account of the carous- als of three Indians, who, with their families, were encamped near the lake. James, being familiar with the Indians, and not antici- pating any trouble, went to their wigwams and asked them not to make so much noise, and let him have a chance at the deer. The Indians, who had drunk just about whisky enough to make them excitable and quarrelsome, then attacked him. One grabbed him by the throat, when James pulled out his big hunting-knife ; then the Indian grasped him by the fore arm, to prevent James from striking with it. But his desperation lent him strength, and the great weight of the weapon enabled him, by the strength of his wrist alone, to strike a blow which split the Indian's skull, when
he fell unconscious. This was the work of a few seconds. The Indian had no sooner released his hold on James and fallen, than another made a thrust at him with a knife; but James, being a skillful swordsman, easily parried the thrust, and struck his an- tagonist on the right arm, with the intention of crippling him. The blow severed the bone between the elbow and the shoulder, barely leaving the artery uncut, and a shred by which the arm dangled. At the same instant that the second Indian made the thrust with the knife, the other grabbed the gun which James held in his left hand. The latter clung to the gun, which was loaded with buckshot, well knowing that his life depended on keeping it in his possession ; but, after he had disabled the second Indian, the third kept beyond reach of the knife, holding the gun by the barrel, while James held it by the breech.
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
"Seeing that he could not get within reach of the Indian with- out releasing his hold on the gun, he let go, and at the same instant jumped forward and made a desperate stroke at the Indian's head. The latter threw his head back, and received the blow in the left breast. It partly cut four of the ribs, and exhausted its force on the wrist, cutting deeply into the bone. The Indian then fled with the gun, and James followed in close pursuit, knowing well that it was a race for life ; for, if the Indian could get a sufficient distance ahead to turn and get a shot at him, he was gone. After running a short distance, in which the Indian barely succeeded in keeping but a little more than an arm's length from James, the latter was tripped by a wild grape vine, and fell. At the same instant the Indian turned and leveled the piece at him, and pulled the trigger. When James saw the muzzle of the glistening barrel that con- tained twenty-four buckshot, he felt, for an instant, that his chances for life were narrow. The Indian, however, failed to dis- charge the gun, and James, quickly comprehending the reason, which was that the gun was at half-cock, jumped up and plunged down the bank of the stream, which was the outlet of the lake.
"As the place where he happened to fall was near where he had left his canoe, it was the work of but a few moments to reach it, when he quickly paddled out into the lake, trusting that the ob- scurity of the night would prevent the Indian from getting a shot at him. This desperate encounter, up to the time when the Indian fled with the gun, occupied but a few seconds, as the three Indians attacked James simultaneously ; and, in fact, it was but a few minutes from the time he had landed to visit the Indians, until he was again out upon the lake.
"Another man was on the lake in a canoe, watching for a chance at deer, a Mr. Jerroux, who owned the adjoining land. As the In- dians were making such a racket, he had lain down in his canoe to rest till the noise subsided, and had fallen asleep, unconscious of the tragical events transpiring so near him. James paddled out to him and, awakening him, related what had occurred, and request- ed him to go to the wigwam and see what condition the wounded were in. He went, came back, and reported to James, who imme- diately started for Dr. Linde, feeling that his services were much needed ; but the doctor, who had been at Weyauwega, was then on his return on a steamboat, which met James' canoe in the river. The latter was taken on board, and gave a recital of what had oc-
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
curred. He showed the marks of the encounter, his neck still re- taining the indentations of all the finger nails of the hand which had grasped it.
"On their arrival at Mukwa, the doctor took his surgical instru- ments, and, accompanied by James, went immediately to the wig- wam. The Indian whose skull was cleaved was still alive, but un- conscious and beyond the reach of surgical skill. He soon died. The one whose arm was nearly severed was attended to. The arm being cut slanting, it was found necessary to cut off the points, so as to square the ends, which was done. In due time the bone united, but the main nerve had been severed, causing paralysis of the arm, and leaving him a cripple for life. The wounds of the other were dressed, and the gashes sewed up; but about a year afterwards he died, it was reported from necrosis of the ribs, oc- casioned by the injury.
"The fatal quarrel caused great excitement among the Indians, who flocked from all directions to the scene of the tragedy, and congregated in large numbers in the vicinity of Linde's, assuming a most threatening attitude. The settlers were in such great fear that the Indians had assembled for the purpose of taking revenge, that they dared not afford Linde any protection. He thought it a necessary precaution to send his little son, Fred, to Oshkosh. The doctor seemed to be involved in the trouble, from the fact that it was supposed hostility to him that provoked the attack on JJames, the Indians having, in the night, and in the frenzy of the moment, mistaken James for Linde, as the latter had caused the arrest and fine of some parties who had been selling whisky to the Indians, for the purpose of suppressing the evil, considering his life in danger when the Indians were in liquor, whereas, he had no fear of them when they were sober.
" The doctor resolved to brave out the excitement, which for a time ran very high. One of his neighbors deserves to be remen- bered in this connection -a man by the name of John Thorn, a blacksmith, who offered to help Linde in the event of any attack on him. Linde believed if any hostile demonstrations were to be made it would be immediately ; so, the night he had sent Fred, he determined to keep a vigilant watch. Knowing that his dogs would giye prompt notice of any hostile approach, it was arranged that he should give Thorn notice, if he were needed, by discharg- ing a gun. The night passed without any disturbance, and in the
21
HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
morning Linde decided to empty one of his revolvers, that had been loaded for a long time. Forgetting his arrangement with Thorn, he commenced discharging the piece. After firing a few shots he happened to look in the direction of Thorn's house, which was just across a little marsh, when he discovered Thorn running toward him at full speed, with his rifle in one hand and hunting- knife in the other. There was, however, no need of his services, so they amused themselves for some time in shooting at a mark.
"James Clark, of Winchester, as soon as he heard of the danger surrounding his friends, promptly came to their defense, and offered to stand by them till the danger was over.
"After the Indians and their friends had fully investigated the sad encounter, it was settled -Indian fashion -one of the con- ditions of the settlement requiring James to consent to be adopted by the tribe as one of its members, taking the place of the one who was killed. He therefore became a Menominee by adoption.
"Many who read the foregoing statement of James' desperate struggle on that, to him, memorable night may deem it an exagger- ation ; but the people who were living here at the time know the facts to be substantially as they are here stated, and will distinctly remember the circumstances. There were, it is true, some differ- ences of opinion as to where the chief blame of the encounter rested, some alleging that the Indians had cause of provocation in former attempts to drive them from Linde's hunting grounds ; but the general opinion seemed to be that it was not reasonable to sup- pose that James would go alone in the night, with any hostile in- tentions, to a wigwam of three able-bodied Indians, and that the reasonable conclusion was that he thought he could get them to quiet down and give him a chance to hunt-but they, mistaking him in the night for Linde, and being in the first stages of intoxi- cation, construed the visit into an attempt to drive them off, and, feeling belligerent, attacked him."
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