USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > Madison > A history of Madison, the capital of Wisconsin : including the Four Lake country : to July, 1874, with an appendix of notes on Dane County and its towns > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36
" We had then no theatres or any places of amusement, and the long winter evenings were spent in playing various games of cards, checkers and backgammon. Dancing was also much in vogue. Col. MAXWELL was very gay, and discoursed sweet music on the flute, and BEN. C. EASTMAN was an expert violinist. They two furnished the music for many a French four, cotillon, Virginia reel and jig, that took place on the pun- cheon floors of the old log cabins, that were enjoyed, probably, quite as much as are now the round dances and Germans on the waxed floors of fashionable dancing halls, to the witching strains of Dodsworth's fine band. Want of ceremony, fine dress, classic music and other evidences of present society life, never deterred us from enjoying ourselves those long winter evenings.
"Log cabins stand no chance in competition with new fash- ionable hotels-rivals of DELMONICO's, Fifth Avenue and the Grand Central -not that patrons fared any better than at the cabins, but "the aristocracy," the unerring barometer of the
~
UNITED STATES COURT HOUSE. PINCKNEY STREET.
JONES, Photo.
1
121
FOUR LAKE COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN.
in all countries and in all places, soon gave convincing proofs of the decline of business, and that shakedowns were no more necessary and puncheon floors absolutely vulgar, then, in our anguish of soul, in the language of Othello, we found our 'oc- cupation gone;' and as we were Micawber-like 'waiting for something to turn up,' the mail, a much rarer visitor then than now, brought us a letter enclosing an agreeable surprise, which was nothing more nor less than a commission from Governor DODGE, appointing me to the office of Treasurer of the Terri- tory of Wisconsin. This was done at the instance of our good friend 'Uncle AB.,' of the 'Point,' without our knowledge. The salary was fixed at sixty dollars per annum, and no steal- ings. I accepted, gave bonds, entered upon the duties of, and continued acting as such officer, until my bond mysteriously disappeared from the archives of the executive department. By this act of prestigitation, I was teetotally cleaned out and exterminated from the high and honorable position as Treas- urer. I have not the slightest recollection of a single dollar of money ever passing through my hands as disbursing officer of the Territory, yet some important financial paper transactions took place. The issuing of the Baxter bonds to complete the capitol were perhaps as important as any. These were signed by your humble servant as Treasurer, and countersigned by N. C. PRENTISS as Commissioner of Public Buildings. They were issued on fine paper, and passed current in Chicago.
"In the meantime, Dane county was organized according to the laws of the Territory. At the first election, in 1839, I was put in nomination for the office of Register of Deeds. We had then no party politics to influence and control elections. My competitor, DARWIN CLARK, was considered a good man. He came to Madison with BIRD's party of laborers to work on the capitol, had shared their hardships, toiled with them, and claimed their votes, whilst I had come there with my family to reside as a citizen. I was the candidate of the resident popula- tion, and was sustained by them. We both ran on our merits ' and good standing in the community. We canvassed the county fairly, honorably and without the slightest attempt at 9
122
HISTORY OF MADISON AND THE
disparagement of each other. No canvass could have been more fairly or honorably made. After the canvassing, I re- ported to my friends that I would be elected by a majority of one. I was advised to re-canvass, which I did as thoroughly as before, and arrived at the same result. It was insisted that I should use means to turn some of my opponent's votes in my favor. This I positively refused to do, stating that I would rather be defeated than resort to anything underhanded to ob- tain my election. I was perfectly willing to risk my election with a plurality of a single vote. On counting the votes after the poll, I found myself elected by a majority of two votes, which much surprised me and remained a mystery until some time after, when a friend explained to me, after exacting a promise of secrecy on my part, that the extra vote was ob- tained by strategy to make my election sure.
"Dane county is composed of what was originally a part of the counties of Milwaukee, Brown and Iowa. The titles to the lands lying within these counties had been recorded in the original counties. Under an act of the Territorial Legislature, it became my duty, as Register of Deeds, to have these records transcribed for the use of Dane county. In the prosecution of these labors, I visited Milwaukee and Green Bay on horseback, and made arrangement for the transcripts of those portions of the records necessary. In the county of Iowa I did the tran- scribing myself, often working twelve, fourteen, and sometimes sixteen, hours a day. This work was well and satisfactorily done. No more than ordinary (and I think less), fees were paid for this work in county scrip, and nothing for expenses of travel, so that no money was made by the operation. At the next election I was nominated for reelection, but this time more than one vote was covered by strategy on the other side, and I was defeated by a small majority.
"On a beautiful Sunday morning, when the religious com- munity of Madison were assembled in the Representative Hall in the capitol, attending divine service, a servant came hastily from the American House to the door of the Hall, and inquired® for Dr. LULL, who was called out with Mr. FAKE, the landlord
123
FOUR LAKE COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN.
of the hotel. On perceiving them hurrying across the park, Mr. SHOLES and myself, with several others, followed and over- took them as they reached the house, where we were informed that Mr. DUNCOMB, one of the guests, had locked himself in his room, stood up before the mirror, and deliberately cut his throat with a razor, the act having been witnessed by a servant in the backyard, through the windows, which were open. We were not long in forcing the door open, when, to our horror, we saw this man DUNCOMB standing on the floor with his throat cut from ear to ear, the bloody instrument still in his hand, which was instantly wrested from him. Both main arte- ries and the windpipe had been severed. He looked like a mad- man. The sight was awful. Mr. FAKE fainted. Those most. resolute took hold of the man all covered with blood, which. was still flowing from his throat and gashes in his arms, and. laid him on the floor, where it took the united strength of four men to keep him. He could not speak, but wrote with a pen- cil on paper, 'all I want is to see my wife,' which dying request could not be granted. The scene is as vivid in my mind as if it had happened yesterday. He had been observed to act strangely in the morning, and tried to persuade his wife not to go to church, but she feared to remain with him.
"It was discovered that he had cut the arteries of both arms and had written his name on the walls of his room with his finger dipped in his own blood, and had broken open his wife's trunk and sprinkled her clothes with it, and scattered them over the floor. He expired in about twenty minutes after we entered the room. Jealousy was the only cause ever assigned for the dreadful deed, and it was considered very fortunate his wife had absented herself, or in his frenzy he would probably have murdered her also.
" Our good neighbor, MR. RASDALL, once owned a valuable gray horse, but from long usage and old age, the animal became useless, and was turned out to browse; when through with life's weary wanderings, he had reached that period so graphically expressed in the song of the departed soldier:
' Old fellow, you've played out your time,' ,
·
.
124
HISTORY OF MADISON AND THE
he hied himself to the summit of an elevated knoll of ground on the Third Lake shore, in a southwesterly direction · from our house, and there, in full hearing of the melancholy murmurings of the waters, as the waves rolled against the shores, he laid himself down and gave up the ghost; the soft and balmy breezes from that direction, not exactly perfumed with the rose or lavender, gave us timely warning thereof. Scavengers, there were yet none, and in the absence of other or better authorities, we engaged some boys to perform the act of cremation on this defunct quadruped. A'funeral pyre of dry brush was built over the subject and the torch applied, this ended only in smoke; another, and another fire of the same material caused a denser smoke, perfumed with unambrosial odor; finding our first experiment at cremation proving a total failure, we caused a pit to be dug, and the unconsumed remains of the horse, with the smouldering ashes, to be swept therein and covered up, when the air soon became purified. This spot was for a long time protected by a flag staff and penant erected there by the boys of the village, who also buried sundry favorite dogs and cats on the same ground, always with a procession and military honors; they called it the hecatombs.
" Father QUAW, a very clever old gentleman, made his first appearance in black, he was the advance guard of the clergy - a Presbyterian, hailing from the British Provinces. After- wards, the highly esteemed Bishop KEMPER visited Madison, and organized an Episcopal Church there. It will by found by the records of that church, that I was appointed a vestry- man of that organization. I was also pressed into service as the leader of singing choirs at religious meetings of all kinds and in all places, and it was understood that my house was open and free to all traveling clergymen, of any and all denominations, and there were not a few who availed them- selves of this information.
" The foregoing reminiscences of transactions occurred dur- ing the second and third years of my residence in Wisconsin (my first year was spent in Green county); most of these scenes transpired more than thirty-five years since, whilst many, very many others have passed entirely from my memory."
125
FOUR LAKE COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN.
CHAPTER IV.
DANE COUNTY AFFAIRS, 1840 - PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH UN- DER REV. W. PHILO - NATIONAL ANNIVERSARY, 1840 - CONGREGA- TIONAL CHURCH ORGANIZATION - SETTLERS, 1840 - REV. DR. A. BRUNSON'S FIRST VISIT - IMPROVEMENTS, 1841 - DANE COUNTY RESIDENTS, 1841 - SCHOOLS - KILLING OF HON. C. C. ARNDT - NEWSPAPERS, 1842-5 - VISIT OF J. A. BROWN AND DR. GOODHUE - CENSUS, 1843 - KENTUCKY HOUSE - MADISON, 1843 - NEWSPAPERS - IMPROVEMENTS: SCHOOLS, 1844-5 - MADISON LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS - PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH HISTORY CONTINUED - NARATIVES OF R. W. LANSING AND H. A. TENNEY.
The year 1840 commenced under as favorable auspices as could have been expected. The attention of the settlers was early drawn to the necessity of public improvements, and social and religious privileges. As will be seen, two church organizations were established, a select school opened and also a debating club. Madison was then an isolated place, and while the lands adjoining were rich and productive, there was no cash market, and produce hardly paid the expense of trans- portation to the Lake ports. There was no scarcity of eatables, as fish and wild game were abundant, but not much to pur- chase articles of necessary expenditure.
On the 14th of January, 1840, the County Commissioners, EBEN PECK, SIMEON MILLS and JERE. LYCAN, made a report of the receipts and disbursements of Dane county, from the time of its organization to that date. As a matter of interest, this, the first report of Dane county is given:
DR.
To amount paid out for the survey and location of roads, - $177 00
To amount paid out for books and stationery, 337 51 To amount paid out for furniture and office rent, - 190 25
126
HISTORY OF MADISON AND THE
To amount paid out for printing blanks and adver- tising, 67 25
. To amount paid out on contract for building jail, 1,239 56
To amount of expenses for October term of district court, elections, cost of assessment, fees of officers, bounty on wolves, expenses of criminal prosecu- tions, coroner's inquests, etc., 938 17
Total expenses for the county, $2,949 74
CR.
By amount of taxes paid into the county treasury
for county purposes, - $2, 184 41
By amount of taxes for school purposes, 393 13
By amount for fines, - 5 00
By amount for tavern license, 20 00
By amount for grocery license,
100 00
Balance due the county treasurer on settlement,
55 96
Total amount of receipts, -
- $2,758 50
Deduct the amount due the Territory,
$164 70
Deduct treasurer's fees,
54 02
218 78
2,539 78
Balance against the county, -
$409 96
In the spring of this year, definite action was taken for the organization of the Episcopal church, the preliminary steps for which, had been taken the year before.
Rev. WASHINGTON PHILO, a minister of that church, on the 9th of March, addressed a letter to the " Gospel Messenger," in which he gives an account of the meeting held to organize the same. This valuable letter is as follows:
" To the Editor of the Gospel Messenger: " MADISON, Wis., March 9, 1840.
" REV. SIR: Whatever relates to the prosperity and exten- sion of our Zion, can never be uninteresting to devout and con- sistent churchmen. I therefore send you a brief extract of the minutes of the proceedings of the citizens of this town, con- vened at the Capitol, for the purpose of organizing a Protest-
127
FOUR LAKE COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN.
ant Episcopal Church, on the 8th inst. The Rev. W. PHILO presided: and after the object of the meeting was stated by him, and some few remarks made by W. T. STERLING, J. A. NOONAN and others; on motion of JOHN CATLIN, Esq., THOS. W. SUTHERLAND, Esq., was chosen secretary of the meeting. The names of the gentlemen present, entitled to vote by the rules of the society and disposed to act, were then recorded in the minutes .*
" On motion of J. CATLIN, Esq.,
" Resolved, That this meeting do now proceed to elect the Wardens and Vestrymen by ballot.
" Whereupon, the votes being taken and counted, it appeared that the following gentlemen were duly elected:
" WARDEN-JOHN CATLIN, Esq.
" VESTRYMEN-Hon. WM. B. SLAUGHTER, JOSIAH A. NOONAN, Mr. DAVID HYER, Mr. GEORGE HYER, Mr. P. W. MATTS, Hon. EBENEZER BRIGHAM, Mr. R. L. REAM, Mr. EDWARD CAMPBELL.
" It was then moved, seconded and enacted that the time of service shall expire annually, hereafter, upon Monday in Easter week.
" The chair then proposed, and J. A. NOONAN, Esq., seconded the proposition, and the meeting enacted, that this society shal be known and designated as the " Apostolic Church."
" The minutes then being signed by the chairman and the secretary, the society adjourned.
"Our friends in the East may see by the above, and other like demonstration, that their brethren in the Far West are not idle; but are doing what they can for God and the church. And if we do not exhibit that augmented increase in our numbers that our brethren do in the East, it is because the Far West is newer, the population more sparse, and demoralizing influence more inveterate. The church in this station has obtained a good beginning, for a place so new, changing, and of such a diversity of religious opinions. It is not, I believe, quite three years since the first dwelling was erected. Some families re-
* The names of the persons were: David Hyer, John Catlin, J. A. Noonan, P. W. Matts and Adam Smith.
128
HISTORY OF MADISON AND THE
main in town but a few weeks, and others a few months, till they can conveniently settle on farms in the country. The in- habitants now here are mostly from the east, and have brought. with them (as is generally the case), their old religious notions and prejudices; and among them are those who belonged to as many as six different denominations. But there were, when I came, but two communicants of the church, and but two or three others acquainted with our truly excellent liturgy. It is our sincere and earnest prayer to Almighty God, that He, of His bountiful goodness, would prosper these feeble beginnings, and further them to his own glory, evangelical piety and per- manent, primitive and apostolic principles and usages. W. P."
Mrs. HENRY FAKE and Mrs. DAVID HYER were church mem- bers. Religious services were held in the old capitol building, Rev. W. PHILO having been engaged, as stated, clergyman.
In a number of the Wisconsin Express we find a notice that on Christmas evening, 1840, a donation party was held at the house of Rev. Mr. PHILO, the Episcopal church missionary, which was well attended, and many presents bestowed on the worthy minister.
Mr. PHILO preached at Madison for about a year, and was succeeded by Rev. RICHARD F. CADLE, formerly of Green Bay, who supplied the church for a time. The further history of this church will be continued hereafter.
The Fourth of July, says the " Express," passed off here in. a very peaceable and quiet way, although attended with every demonstration which its recurrence is calculated to call forth on the part of a moral and religious, and yet patriotic people. We had no party political celebration - no Tippecanoe gath- ering - no drinking of " hard cider," and "harder brandy," which doubtless were the order of the day in most parts of our country, but we had a very orderly, and of course very respect -. able, little assembly of citizens at the Capitol, where, after re- ligious services by the Rev. W. PHILO, the Declaration of In- dependence was read by T. W. SUTHERLAND, Esq., in a manner highly creditable to himself, and a very appropriate and impres- sive oration delivered by the Rev. Mr. SLINGERLAND.
129
FOUR LAKE COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN.
Miss PIERCE advertised, April 11, 1840, that the second term of her school for young misses would commence on the first. Monday in May.
J. S. NICHOLAS, of Baltimore, Md., advertised to sell at auc- tion, on the 4th of June, 14,000 acres of land in Dane county.
The " Madison Express" of July 18, complains that wheat. only brings fifty cents per bushel, and that it is often dealt out to hogs and cattle for want of sale. We note that on the 4th of September, WM. N. SEYMOUR and JULIUS T. CLARK had formed a law partnership and law agency.
The Madison Lyceum had weekly meetings for debate, during; the year, and on one occasion, in May, the subject was whether it was desirable for Wisconsin to claim admittance into the Union as a state, if she obtains jurisdiction of the disputed territory.
LA FAYETTE .KELLOGG, Esq.,* a well known citizen of this: place, was appointed clerk of the Supreme Court of the Terri- tory, on the 11th day of August, 1850. Mr. KELLOGG has re- tained the same office, with a short intermission, to the present time, 1874.
On the 4th of October, 1840, nine persons united themselves. in an organization as a Christian church in Madison. It was
* La Fayette Kellogg, Esq., son of Rowland Kellogg and his wife Sarah Titus, was born at Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York, and was ed- ucated at the same place. Came west in 1838, and spent nearly a year in the lead mines at Mineral Point, and returned to Madison in the summer of 1839-held several town and county offices until August 11, 1840, when he was appointed clerk of the supreme court of the Territory, which office he held until the State Government was organized, when from continued ill health he was obliged to give up all kinds of business until December, 1851, when his health having improved, he again took charge of the office as Deputy Clerk, and discharged the duties of the same until the organiza- tion of the separate Supreme Court in June 1853, when he was again ap- pointed clerk, and has held that office to the present time, (1874.) He was. also elected chief clerk of the House of Representatives at its session in 1845, and was re-elected at the session of 1846, 1847 and 1848, and was al -- so elected Secretary of the first convention to frame a constitution for the- then future State of Wisconsin, which constitution was rejected by a vote of the people on the first Tuesday of April, 1847.
130
HISTORY OF MADISON AND THE
almost, if not really the planting of a church in the wilderness. At the time of its organization, there was no other except the Episcopal, within fifty miles in any direction. The church was organized in what was the Library and Court Room of the old capitol, under the direction of Rev. ELBERT SLINGERLAND, a mis- sionary of the Reformed Dutch Church. Twelve communi- cants partook of the Sacrament. In spirit it was a Congrega- tional church from the first; but in compliance with the wish- es of the first pastor, it took the name of the " Dutch Reformed Church," adopting it with the provision that the form and con- nection might be changed when a majority of the members de- sired it. Besides the minister, there was but one officer in the church, a ruling elder, and that office was conferred on DAVID BRIGHAM, Esq. Mr. SLINGERLAND preached from June, 1840, to June 1841. On the 13th of June, 1841, in order to connect itself with the Presbyterian and Congregational Convention of Wisconsin, by an unanimous vote of all the members then res- ident here, the church adopted the name of the Congregational Church in Madison, and resolved thenceforth " to be governed and regulated by the established rules of such churches as were then known in the Territory." Mr. DAVID BRIGHAM Was chosen Deacon and Clerk of the Church under the new arrang- ment. The following persons were members at this time, and as all but one of them partook of the first communion referred to, they may be considered original members: DAVID BRIGHAM, Mrs. E. F. BRIGHAM, W. N. SEYMOUR, Mrs. A. M. SEYMOUR, Mrs. M. A. MORRISON, Mrs. E. WYMAN, Mrs. C. R. PIERCE, Mrs. A. CATLIN, Mrs. SLINGERLAND. Rev. J. M. CLARK, of Kentucky, then took charge of the church, and preached here till July, 1843; and was succeeded by Rev. S. E. MINER, of New York, who began preaching under the auspices of the Home Missionary Society; at this time the church had no set- tled place of worship, and some efforts were made to erect a church building. For a time, they worshipped in the old cap- itol, occupying alternately with two or three other denomina- tions. Then they obtained the use of a log house, the old building erected by Mr. EBEN PECK, and known as the " first
131
FOUR LAKE COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN.
house built in Madison," and met there for some time. The erection of a new barn, sometime after seemed to offer such superior and attractive accommodations, that the little church made this its temple, and " Christianity went back to the stable in which it had its origin." After great effort and self sacri- fice, subscriptions were received to encourage them to build a house of worship. The building was erected on lot 10, block 108, on Webster street, and was dedicated in 1846. P. H. VAN BERGEN was builder. It was built of wood, with seats for 250 persons, and cost about $1,800. In October, 1846, Mr. MINER, resigned his pastorate. He was succeeded October 20, 1846, by Rev. CHAS. LORD, * of Independence, Missouri, who was in- stalled October 20, 1852, by advice of an Ecclesiastical Council, and the church became self-supporting. Mr. LORD, was pastor of the church until the spring of 1854, when owing to infirm- ity of the eyes he was obliged to resign. He was succeeded in 1855, by Rev. N. H. EGGLESTON, of Plymouth church, Chicago. The further history of this church will be resumed hereafter.
In connection with the above history, the following account of the first steps taken towards the organization, will be found interesting:
Rev. Mr. SLINGERLAND, on the 1st of November, 1840, wrote a letter to Rev. B. C. TAYLOR, the Secretary of the Board of Missions of the Reformed Dutch Church, which was published in the New York Christian Intelligencer, the organ of that de-
* Rev. Charles Lord was a son of Rev. Henry and Fidelia (Graves) Lord and was born at Williamsburg, Hampshire county, Massachuetts, January 27, 1816. He graduated at Amherst College, 1838; Andover Theological Seminary, 1842; ordained at Booneville, Mo., October, 1841; Home Mis- sionary in Missouri and Wisconsin, eight years; installed at Madison, Wis- consin, October 20, 1852; dismissed May 8, 1854; installed over Second Church Whateley, Massachusetts, March 20, 1856; dismissed June 14, 1860; installed at Buckland, Massachusetts, 1860. He married August 30, 1843, Clarissa Lois Wright, daughter of Luther and Sarah Wright of East Hamp- ton, Massachusetts, by whom he has had three children; viz: Sarah D., born March 29, 1845, married Robert B. Hall of Brooklyn, New York; Alice C., born July and died July 1853, and Henry C., born October 14, 1854. Rev. Mr. Lord died at the residence of his daughter, March 28, 1872, in the 57th year of his age.
132
HISTORY OF MADISON AND THE
nomination, in which he gives an account of the organization of the church at Madison, and his ministerial labors in the ad- jacent country, with an interesting account of the Territory of Wisconsin, the state of society, and the adaptation of the country for settlement. His letter is lengthy - the following extracts are taken from it:
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.