USA > Wisconsin > Columbia County > A history of Columbia County, Wisconsin : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests > Part 29
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
BANKS
The Rio State Bank was organized in 1900, with a capital stock of $20,000 and the following officers: W. E. Moore, president; H. A. Hanson, vice president; Andrew Amondson, eashier. C. D. Gates is now president and H. S. Hendrickson, eashier. The capital stock has remained unchanged; deposits are now $265,000.
The First National Bank of Rio was organized in 1907, with W. E. Moore as president ; C. E. Berg, vice president ; and Andrew Amondson, cashier. With the exception of the vice presidency, which is now held by M. J. Christopher, the present officers are the same as those at the date of organization. The capital stoek of the bank is $25,000 and deposits $180,000.
PEOPLE'S TELEPHONE COMPANY
The People's Telephone Company was organized February 4, 1901, with Jesse L. Farrington, of Rio, president; E. E. Marsh, Lowville, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Farrington is still president; A. R. Slinger, Portage, vice president; Thomas apOwens, Cambria, secretary and treasurer. The People's has more than 1,200 telephones in operation, its territory embracing Rio, Fall River, Cambria, Randolph and Fox Lake.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The Congregationalists organized a society at the house of David Palmer, two miles east of the village, on December 14, 1864. Those who held the meeting were: O. C. Howe, Juliet Howe, William Scott, Jane Scott, David Palmer, Mehitable Palmer and Catherine MeKenna. For several years they worshipped in the schoolhouse, William Seott was chosen deacon of the original organization, and held the office until his death, September 22, 1877.
The new village made such progress within two years after it was platted that the members of the church concluded to center their activi- ties therein, and on June 9, 1866, the Congregational Society of Rio was organized by electing Daniel Buchanan, William Seott, J. P. Scott, David Palmer and O. C. HIowe, trustees. The present church building was dedicated October 16, 1868, and the parsonage completed in 1891. In October, 1877, Kennedy Scott succeeded his father as deacon, and, with his wife and daughter, is active in the church work. The Con- gregational Church is under the pastorate of Rev. R. C. Bennett, who also has charge of the society at Wyocena.
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THE BAPTIST CHURCH
The Baptist Church of Rio was organized June 29, 1867, by D. Buchanan, Mrs. Buchanan, H. Blemis, M. E. Mosher, L. H. Palmer and wife, J. A. Eliot, Mrs. William Gaskell, N. A. Palmer and wife, Mrs. Herring and Miss Buchanan. The organization was effected by Rev. Nathan Wood, of Wyocena, who continued as pastor of the church for many years. The first meetings of the church were held in the school- house ; later in various halls and the Congregational Church. In 1873 a building was purchased and fitted for religious purposes. The pastor now in charge of the society is Rev. G. W. Gales.
LUTHERAN AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES
There are also a flourishing Lutheran Church, whose pastor is Rev. G. A. Sundby, and a Catholic Church in charge of Rev. Fr. Schmidt They are both large and growing and have a strong influence for good. The building occupied by the St. Joseph's Catholic Church was erected in 1902.
The Reverend Sundby has charge of the Lutheran congregations both of Rio and Bonnet Prairie. The latter, in the Town of Otsego, was organ- ized in 1847; that of Rio in 1903. The Rio congregation worships in a large, convenient and modern structure; combined membership of the two societies, 500.
CHAPTER XX
CAMBRIA
THE LANGDONS FOUND CAMBRIA-ARRIVAL OF FIRST WELSH COLONY- SEEKING A LOCATION ON FOOT-DECIDE ON WELSH PRAIRIE-FIFTY- THREE COLONISTS "AT HOME"-ONLY THREE LEFT IN 1912-LANG- DON'S MILL BECOMES BELLVILLE-BELLVILLE CHANGED TO CAMBRIA- THE SCHOOLS-WELSH ORGANIZE A MUSICAL UNION-DR. WILLIAMS, PATRON OF LITERATURE-REVIVAL OF THE ANCIENT EISTEDDFOD-POST OFFICE ESTABLISHED-INDUSTRIES AND BANKS-WELSH CALVANISTIC M. E. CHURCH-THE ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-EVANGELI- CAL LUTHERAN ZION'S CONGREGATION-MORRIS J. ROWLANDS.
The Village of Cambria lies mostly in the northwest corner of the Town of Courtland, throwing out a fragment of its northern area into Southwestern Randolph. Since 1845 it has been the center of those stanch, clean, moral, intellectual, industrious, musical and warm-hearted Welshmen who settled in the northeastern part of Columbia County and gave the people of that section a reputation for high-mindedness and wholesoulfulness out of all proportion to their numbers. Central Wis- consin has always been proud of its Welsh Prairie and the strong, fine- grained people who have made their homes on it.
THE LANGDONS FOUND CAMBRIA
Preceding the first Welsh colonists by about a year were the brothers Langdon. In 1844 they settled on the site of the present Village of Cambria, one of them building a sawmill on a branch of Duck Creek, the other opening a small stock of merchandise. They surveyed and platted four blocks, and called the village Florence. But the mill loomed considerably for those days, and the little settlement around it was popularly called Langdon's Mill.
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ARRIVAL OF FIRST WELSH COLONY
The settlement had just begun when the half a hundred Welshmen, with their wives and children, came upon the scene fresh from the Highlands of North Wales. The story of their coming is well told by a son of one of the colonists, Morris J. Rowlands, one of the advisory editors of this history. Cambria had an enthusiastic "Home Coming," June 3-5, 1912, and Mr. Rowlands' story was published for the benefit and pleasure of the visitors, most of whom are of Welsh stock.
"First of all," he wrote, "permit me to state here that, besides having listened to the substance of what I have here to say narrated from the lips of my father, who was a member of the exploring party hereinafter named, I am principally indebted for the facts and dates appearing in this article to reminiscences written in Welsh by my late brother, John R. Rowlands, Jr., who was at that time an active young man in his twentieth year, endowed with a peculiar trend of mind, quick to comprehend and store up occurrences coming under his obser- vation. He was considered by those who knew him to be one of the safest authorities on the passing events of the pioneer period of Columbia County.
"Early in the summer of 1845 several families from North Wales met accidentally at Liverpool, England, seeking passage as immigrants to the United States of America. On the 17th day of July they sailed from Liverpool harbor on board a sailing vessel named the Republic, and after a voyage of six weeks and two days arrived safely in New York City on the 30th of August, 1845.
"Many and divers were the incidents that happened during this long, wearisome voyage, but space will not permit us to dwell on minor matters in this article.
"After arriving in New York, a number of families whose male members were quarrymen in the old country, went to the slate quarries of New York and Vermont, but the majority of them turned their faces 'Westward,' a word taken as their motto before leaving their native land.
"The next portion of the journey from New York to Albany was made on a steamboat. From Buffalo they took passage over the lakes on board of a steamboat named Wisconsin, the name possibly being the means of drawing them to that particular boat; for that state was their 'promised land.' After a stormy voyage on the lakes they arrived at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the 16th day of September, where a portion of them landed, and on the 17th at Racine, where the remainder left the boat.
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SEEKING A LOCATION ON FOOT
"On the 24th of September, having previously agreed upon them, Robert Closs, David D. Roberts, John R. Rowlands, Sr., Evan Edwards and Jabez Lloyd left their families at the places mentioned, and were joined by E. B. Williams, William R. Williams, John O. Jones and John Edwards (single men). The party then started on foot in search of a suitable place on which to locate, traveling westward over the east- ern part of the state, and passing through the village of Fox Lake, where a branch land office was located, the main Government Land Office being then located at Green Bay. They entered into Columbia, then called Portage County, about four miles north of the present site of the village of Randolph, arriving foot-sore and weary on Saturday evening, September 27th, at the shanty of Foulk Roberts on Section 12, Township 13, Range 12, then being a part of LeRoy Precinct.
"After resting themselves over Sunday at Mr. Roberts' they con- tinued their westward course until they came to a point on the Fox River near the center of Section 16, Township 13, Range 11. There they discontinued for the first time their westward course and turned south, passing over Portage Prairie. Ou this path they met Samuel MeConochie, M. W. Patten, John and Ervin McCall and John Dodge, who were also newcomers preparing to erect cabins on their claims. Mr. Dodge, having nearly completed his cabin, prevailed upon them to stop with him for dinner, which was cooked and prepared by Mr. Dodge personally and, of course, free of charge, which was characteristic of those days.
"After dinner they kept on their southerly course, crossing the north branch of Duck Creek about two miles west of where the village of Cambria is now located. It is interesting to note that the site of the village was entered on by Samuel P. Langdon, and conveyed to him on the 14th day of June, 1845; and it is also claimed and conceded that Mrs. Jabez Lloyd, wife of one of the investigating party of that name, late of Mankato, Minnesota, was the first white woman to step on Cambria soil.
DECIDE ON WELSH PRAIRIE
"After crossing Duck Creek the party entered South Prairie, to which they took quite a fancy, and after traveling over the land, examin- ing the quality of the soil, locating the timber land and investigating the source of water supply, late in the afternoon they walked up to the highest point, which was about half a mile southwest of Zion's Church
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in Springvale, and there sat down on the green grass deliberating over the situation and comparing notes on the different localities through which they had passed during the week. Viewing the beautiful land- scape before them and stretching in splendor for miles in every direction under the variable-colored rays of the setting sun, they deliberately decided to make that locality their place of future abode, hoping that they were thus forming a nucleus around which their countrymen in the future would gather to form a Welsh colony.
FIFTY-THREE COLONISTS "AT HOME"
"After deciding on the location, they prepared to return, calling first at the Fox Lake land office to enter their claims. Then, returning to their families at Milwaukee and Racine, they immediately prepared to move onto their farms, coming over in covered emigrant wagons- 'prairie schooners'-and by the middle of October they were all on their places, housed in what people nowadays would call 'miserable shanties,' but to them, after their wearisome journey, they were 'comfortable homes.' Facing the winter of 1845-46, the settlement contained in round numbers, including children, fifty-three persons, composed of nine fam- ilies and seven single men.
ONLY THREE LEFT IN 1912
"A word on the origin of the name, Welsh Prairie, may be interest- ing. Before leaving the spot which the exploring party decided as their location, and in full view of the scenery before them, one of the party suggested that the beautiful prairie lying before them should thereafter be called Welsh Prairie; and to this, all agreed. Hence the name, dear to the memory of and quite a drawing card in bringing together many of the hosts of Home Comers that visited Cambria on the 3d, 4th and 5th of July, 1912, from New York to California and from Canada to Texas; and now, after a lapse of sixty-seven years, out of the party of fifty-three persons mentioned, only three of us are left to represent the early settlers of '45 at the glorious Cambria reunion of 1912."
LANGDON'S MILL BECOMES BELLVILLE
In 1848 the Langdons, founders of the settlement from which sprung the village, raised a frame for a gristmill, but they had exhausted their means in their sawmill and store, and were unable to purchase the Vol. 1-19
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necessary machinery to operate it. In the spring of 1849 a Mr. Bell appeared and advanced money for that purpose, taking a mortgage upon the Langdon property as security. In consequence of nonpayment of the debt, the property passed into his hands, and the new owner sur- veyed and platted quite a large addition to the original site. In order to perpetuate his name he called the village Bellville.
Mr. Bell continued to operate the mill until 1851, when he disposed of all his holdings-not only in the mill but in the village site-to John apJones and Evan Edwards. As Jones and Edwards were not prac- tical millers, they employed Gabriel Williams to superintend the plant,
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NEW HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIA
and under the latter's long management the mill became one of the best known industries of the kind in the county.
BELLVILLE CHANGED TO CAMBRIA
But the new proprietors of the village, as well as the Welshmen who had settled there, were not pleased with the name Bellville, and by them it was changed to Cambria. But little growth was attained until the completion of the railroad through the place in 1857; and it has never had a rapid development.
THE SCHOOLS
As stated, although Cambria has shown no noteworthy expansion, it has always set a high standard of morality and culture. The school
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district, of which it was the center, was organized in 1847-one of the first in the county-and a house was built the same year on land given by Samuel Langdon. It was built of oak lumber from Langdon's mill and, although sadly overcrowded in the later years of its use, served the purposes for which it was built until near the time when the frame schoolhouse was built in 1861. When the village was incorporated, in 1866, the scholars were graded, and two years afterward the building was moved to a better location on Tower Street, where an addition was made for the primary grades. Since then other improvements have been made, a good high school organized, and the entire local system of education maintained at the modern standard. U. T. Cady is the present principal.
WELSH ORGANIZE A MUSICAL UNION
The Welsh colonists brought with them the thirst for knowledge and the determination to furnish their children with means of education; also, their strong racial love of music. The hardy Highlanders of Wales -the out-of-door people, who love to exercise their splendid lungs and clear voices-found an early occasion to organize on the Welsh Prairie.
Music was cultivated from the very day in 1845 that the Welsh settlers opened their crude, but homelike cabins, but not until 1848 did the different settlements organize into a musical union. It was then decided that the colonists in Columbia County should join in a grove about eight miles north of Cambria to celebrate the Fourth of July. Music was furnished by a large and well-trained choir, and E. B. Williams delivered the principal address, a philosophical discourse on music. Other speeches were made, some of them befitting the natural patriotism of the day.
"It is worthy of mention," says an old settler, "that this manner of celebrating the Fourth of July became popular and much good came of it. Every year brought some new celebrity to the platform and more cultivation to the choir. This musical union continued to gain ground steadily for about fifteen years, when religious revivalists claimed the privilege to hold a prayer-meeting on the same day. The prayer- meeting was held but once, but that was enough to break up the musical union. Were it not for that fact, it is probable that the Fourth would have continued to be celebrated to this day in the same manner as of old.
DR. WILLIAMS, PATRON OF LITERATURE
"Still nothing was done to encourage and cultivate the literary tastes of the people until Dr. J. Ll. Williams returned from Pennsylvania and
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settled in Cambria in the year 1853. He was the founder, first teacher and patron of literature among the Welsh in this part of Columbia County. He organized literary societies in every schoolhouse, held reg- ular weekly or bi-weekly meetings, which were well attended, especially by the young people. Different subjects were given for competitions in prose and verse, lectures and speeches were delivered and music in its various forms was taught and encouraged.
REVIVAL OF THE ANCIENT EISTEDDFOD
"In the month of April, 1856, the first grand Eisteddfod (revival of the ancient Druidical festival) was held in the old church or chapel called Zion, on Welsh Prairie. This was well attended by musicians, poets, lecturers and other literary characters from all parts of the state, and was a decided success. Not only was that particular congress of bards and literati a success, but, by drawing out talents not previously known to the public, it proved that there was material enough among the Welsh population for holding such meetings in the future."
The Welsh in Columbia County have held an Eisteddfod at home, or have joined with others to hold one in some other part of the state almost every year since 1856. The center of its musical and choral features has always been Cambria, and this, more than ever, since the building of its fine Music Hall in 1900.
POSTOFFICE ESTABLISHED
In the fall of 1852, the year after the village site had passed to Messrs. Jones & Evans, a small store was opened by L. Richards. At that time there was no postoffice at "Bellville," and Mr. Richards, as well as the few other settlers, resented the inconvenience-not to call it an indignity-of being obliged to go three miles for the mail. The storekeeper asked the Government for a postoffice on the ground. The country being thinly settled and there being two postoffices within three miles, the department felt unwilling to create another one unless one of the two should be suspended and the mail contractor willing to change his route. But in the spring of 1854 the necessary arrangements were made for an office at Cambria.
HOTELS
In 1856 the first hotel was built in Cambria by Griffith & Evans. It was burned in 1872.
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The Cambria Hotel was soon afterward built and opened to the public.
INDUSTRIES AND BANKS
The Cambria Roller Mills were built in 1871, and constitute the village's leading industry. It has a creamery, a canning factory, a solid business street, and two good banks; evidences that the village is the substantial center of a productive country and a substantial people.
The oldest of the financial institutions of the village, the Bank of Cambria, was organized in 1881 by Edward Harris, of Mineral Point.
OLD CAMBRIA HOTEL (REMODELED)
M. J. Rowlands, his brother-in-law, was his partner in the grain and lumber business. Mr. Rowlands bought the widow's interest in the bank. Mr. Harris died in 1894, and from that year until 1903 it was conducted by M. J. Rowlands & Son. In the latter year it was organ- ized as a state institution, without change of proprietorship, and a con- venient building erected for the transaction of its business. The Bank of Cambria has a capital of $10,000, with deposits of $180,000.
The Cambria State Bank was organized September 30, 1909, has a capital of $15,000, with surplus of $5,000, and is a substantial institu- tion. Present officers: H. F. Schemmel, president; John Slinger, vice president; and E. O. Roberts, cashier.
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WELSH CALVANISTIC M. E. CHURCH
The Welsh Calvanistie Methodist Church was organized in 1853 by Rev. William Jones with twenty-five members. Rev. John ap Jones, a local preacher, ministered to the congregation from its organization until June, 1857. The first services were held in the village schoolhouse, continuing therein until the erection of the first house of worship in 1857. The church continued to wax strong in spirit and increase in membership, and in 1890 the large structure now occupied was com- pleted. Rev. J. O. Parry is the present pastor.
THE ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The English Presbyterians organized into a society in 1859, and a church building was erected in 1860-61. The first elder was John Pea- body, and the constituent members were Mrs. Peabody, Miss Peabody, John Van Middleworth and wife, Sarah Van Middleworth, Mrs. John D. Jones and Robert Currie. Rev. Andrew Hardy was the first pastor of the church. The membership of the English Presbyterian Church of Cambria is nearly two hundred; Rev. D. Evans Jones, pastor in charge, is a newcomer to the village. The society worships in a modern church edifice, and is growing iu every sense of the word.
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN ZION'S CONGREGATION
The beginning of Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church dates back to the year 1887. In that year through the efforts of Julius Berger, Herman Rausch, Adolph Berger and others the Rev. Charles Sund, a Lutheran pastor residing at Markesan, was secured, some forty members in and near the Village of Cambria pledging themselves to support the minister financially. As this little band of Christians did not feel strong enough to build a church immediately, they rented the Presbyterian Church as a place of worship. The Reverend Sund re-enforced by the Reverend Lanzer of Waupun, as often as the latter could disengage himself from his regular duty, served the Cambria Lutherans for a period of two years. In the year 1889, the neighboring Village of Randolph had a pastor in the person of the Rev. E. Schubarth, and thus he was engaged by the Cambria people, services now being held with more regularity. The Reverend Schubarth continued preaching at Cambria until 1891, when the Rev. F. Koch became his successor. As the congregation at Cambria had up to this time not really been organized, it was now duly organized as Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, with Ad.
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Berger, Herman Ransch, and Christhof Krienke as trustees. During the Reverend Koch's pastorate services were also held at Pardeeville, with the result that a congregation was soon called into life at that place. The services were at first held in a school building a few miles out of Pardeeville, commonly called the "slab schoolhouse," until several years later a church was erected in the village.
In the year 1894, the Presbyterians at Cambria decided to build a new church and offered their church property for sale. The Lutheran congregation availed itself of this opportunity hy purchasing this prop- erty at a reasonable price. As this church was rather large for the con- gregation a partition was built at one end, the portion cut off by the partition forming a schoolroom. This space has ever since served as a schoolroom, the different pastors making it their duty to teach the children of the congregation and give religious instructions to the cate- chumens in preparation for their confirmation.
When the Reverend Koch discontinued his work at Randolph in the year 1898 in order to resume it at a different place, the congregations of Cambria and Pardeeville felt strong enough to retain a pastor of their own, and thus the Reverend Biedenweg became the first resident pastor of Cambria. The Reverend Biedenweg began preaching at Doylestown also, and a congregation was formed there. He served the congregations for a year only, being forced by ill health to retire from service. The Rev. H. Brockmann became his successor, being installed at Cambria in 1899.
Up to this time the congregation had been renting a house for their pastor, but during the Reverend Brockmann's pastorate a house was pur- chased by the congregation which has served as a parsonage ever since. When the Rev. H. Brockmann in 1902 accepted a call to Beaver Dam, the congregation secured the Rev. Beno Gladosch who, however, remained barely a year, going to Fox Point to become the assistant of his father-in-law, the Reverend Reuschel. The successor of the Reverend Gladosch was the Rev. A. Ph. Pankow, who remained at Cambria for seven years. During his stay here the parsonage was enlarged. As the congregation at Doylestown, together with a congregation at Fountain Prairie, was by this time supporting a minister of its own, the Reverend Pankow was able to center his work on the congregations at Cambria and Pardeeville. In 1910 the Reverend Pankow accepted a call to Cam- bridge, Wisconsin. The congregations at Cambria and Pardeeville were now without a pastor for about a year the Revs. Haase of Randolph and O. Koch of Columbus filling the vacancy as best they could.
In May, 1911, the Rev. L. C. Kirst took charge of the congregations at Cambria and Pardeeville, coming to Cambria from Tomahawk, Wiscon-
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