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 23
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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
* This chamber was used by the Assembly in 1859, and on the completion of the west wing, that body removed to it, leaving the east room for the use of the Senate.
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By an act of the legislature, approved March 6, 1857, the State Hospital for the Insane was established, and L. J. FAR- WELL, JOHN P. MCGREGOR and LEVI STERLING were appointed by the Governor as commissioners. The commissioners, at their first meeting, on the 5th of May, elected L. J. FARWELL, President; J. P. MCGREGOR, Secretary; and LEVI STERLING, Building Superintendent, and employed S. V. SHIPMAN as architect. After the adoption of plans, specifications and detail drawings, notice was published in every city in the State, that proposals would be received until September 1st, A. D. 1857, for doing all the work and furnishing all the materials in accordance with the plan and specifications.
On the first of September, the bids were opened and the contract awarded to NELSON MONIEL of Portage City, for building the central or main building, one longitudinal and one traverse wing for the sum of $73,500.
Mr. McNIEL, after making some progress on the work, finally failed entirely, and threw up his contract, which caused much delay in the completion of the building; and it was not until some time in 1860, that it was turned over to the Board of Trustees for the reception of patients.
The following is a synopsis of the plan of the buildings, as drawn by the architect, Col. S. V. SHIPMAN: The structure to consist of the centre or main building, with two longitudinal and two traverse wings - the main building to be sixty-five by one hundred and twenty-seven feet; the longitudinal, each forty- one by ninety-two feet, and the traverse wings forty by eighty- six feet; the main building and traverse buildings are to be four stories high - cellar eight feet, first story twelve feet. The second, of the main building, fifteen feet; the third story, thirteen feet; and the fourth story, eleven feet. The first, second and third stories of the wing, will be twelve feet each - the walls of the fourth, or attic story, will be ten feet. The main building and each of the traverse wings are to be sur- mounted by a cupola; that of the main building being fifty feet, and of each wing, twenty-seven feet above the roof.
Capitol Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, was organized
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in October. Officers: WM. WALLACE, Foreman; GEO. B. Mc- GIE, Assistant Foreman; J. H. MCAvoy, Treasurer; MANNING TREDWAY, Secretary. It has sixty members.
Mendota Fire Engine Company, No. 1, was organized July, 1857, and has over fifty members. Officers: W. BABCOCK, Foreman; CHAS. BILLINGS and THOS. THOMAS, Assistants; J. C. RUDD, Treasurer, WM. H. HOLT, Secretary; C. C. MEARS, Steward.
Madison Engine Company, No. 2, was organized soon after. Officers: GEO. MEMHARD, Captain; J. WISLER and F. DINGLE- MAN, Assistants; RICH'D BAUS, Secretary; FRED. SAUTHOFF, Treasurer; and M. HENRICHS, Steward. The company consists of sixty-one members.
The year 1857, will be remembered by many as a disastrous one, in a financial point of view. Early in the fall, what is known as a " monetary panic," came over the country, and the western states felt it severely - Wisconsin as a state, as Madison as a city. A number of merchants were obliged to yield to the pressure and scarcity of money, and close up their places of business. The private improvements of the city were much affected.
During the sessions of the Legislature of 1858, an effort was made to remove the capital to the city of Milwaukee. A bill was introduced into the Assembly, and on its being read a third time, there was a tie vote. Hon. J. H. KNOWLTON, who had opposed the bill, changed his vote for the removal, which car- ried the bill. He then moved to reconsider the vote and to lay that motion upon the table, which was adopted, thus virtually killing the bill for the session.
At the city election held March 1, Hon. GEO. B. SMITH re- ceived 978 votes and NEELY GRAY 600 votes - the former was elected, and also the following aldermen: ALBERT SHERWIN and SIMON SECKELS, First ward; ERI S. OAKLEY and JAMES JACK, Second ward; DARWIN CLARK and C. HENRICHS, Third ward; and CASSIUS FAIRCHILD and P. L. DOWLING, Fourth ward; D. H. WRIGHT, J. W. HUNT, H. L. FOSTER and P. D. BARRY, Ward Justices; J. K. PROUDFIT, Treasurer, and A. B. BRALEY, Police
.
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Justice. The City Council elected HENRY WRIGHT, Clerk; H. K. EDGERTON, Assessor; S. MILLS, Street Commissioner.
On the 4th of July, the usual anniversary exercises were held. Hon. E. BRIGHAM, President; the Vice Presidents selected from various towns; WM. R. SMITH, Reader; Hon. H. S. ORTON, Ora- tor; Rev. N. H. EGGLESTON, Chaplain, and W. T. LEITCH, Mar- shal.
On the 22d of February, the City Hall was opened for the first time in the evening, and illuminated by gas. The Hall is a spacious room, fifty feet wide by one hundred feet deep, and twenty-four feet from the floor to the ceiling. Exclusive of the gallery and rostrum, it is forty-six feet by seventy-eight feet; lighted with fourteen large windows, containing over four hundred lights of glass, and in the evening, by one hundred and fifty gas burners, extending around the room just below the cornice, and two large chandeliers and a number of smaller: ones. The whole number of burners in the entire edifice is three hundred and fifty.
On the 18th of February, a meeting was held to organize the "Governor's Guards," and the following persons were elected: JULIUS P. ATWOOD, Captain; F. D. FULLER, 1st Lieut .; CHAS. L. HARRIS 2d, and S. H. DONNELL 3d; GEO. E. BRYANT, 1st Sergeant, H. CONLEY 2d, H. MEREDITH 3d, and GEORGE BACON 4th; V. W. ROTH, 1st Corporal, E. T. SPRAGUE 2d, E. B. CRAWFORD 3d, IRA W. BIRD 4th, and J. K. PROUDFIT, En- sign; J. P. ATWOOD, President, with E. W. KEYES and C. T. WAKELEY, Directors; W. S. MAIN, Treasurer, and J. K. PROUD- FIT, Secretary. A number of changes were made in the officers during the year.
On the 25th of February, another military company was or- ganized, called the " Madison Guards," composed mainly of Irish citizens. The officers first elected were: JOHN WILLANS, Captain; THOS. HEERAN, MATTHEW SMITH, Lieutenants, and J. R. HYLAND, Sergeant.
On the 12th of July, a meeting was held at the Court House, to organize a cavalry company, at which meeting A. BISHOP was Chairman, and D. S. CURTIS, Secretary, to be known as,
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the "Dane County Dragoons;" the name was subsequently changed to " Dane Cavalry." The following were the first elec- tive officers: H. S. ORTON, Captain; H. C. BULL, A. A. McDON- NELL and W. D. BIRD, Lieutenants; S. H. CARMAN, J. E. MANN, .J. W. HUNT and TIMOTHY BROWN, Sergeants; A. BISHOP, W. VROMAN, J. RODERMUND and B. F. NOTT, Corporals; A. BISHOP, Adjutant, J. C. SQUIRES, Commissary; N. W. DEAN, Quarter- master; J. ALDEN ELLIS, Paymaster; J. W. HUNT, Surgeon. At a subsequent meeting, held September 18, a number of changes were made in the officers.
Rev. N. H. EGGLESTON, who had been invited to be pastor of the Congregational church in 1855, resigned on the 8th of May 1858, and in November of this year, Rev. JAS. CALDWELL Was called to supply the pulpit; but after remaining nearly a year, he returned to Illinois, when the pulpit was. supplied by Prof. J. D. BUTLER, of the State University.
From the report of the Superintendent of Schools, it appears that there were 934 persons between the ages of four and twenty, and the average number attending school during the year, 524, divided into eleven schools.
The German Lutheran church this year erected a frame building for their house of worship, on block 44, on Main street, toward the depot of the Milwaukee Railroad. In 1868, as will hereafter appear, the society erected their new building on Washington avenue.
In the month of February, 1859, HASBROUCK & GUR- NEE commenced the erection of a three story stone building on Wisconsin Avenue, near Main street." The building was twenty-five by fifty feet, and was occupied by the proprietors as a land office and banking house, the third story was occupied by S. V. SHIPMAN, architect. The building cost about $5,500. Mr. SAMUEL R. Fox built an elegant stone dwelling house on the corner of Gilman and Carroll streets; it was subsequently sold to and is now the residence of N. B. VAN SLYKE, Esq. During the year, JULIUS T. CLARK built a large brick dwelling house, on his grounds on block No. 94. The premises were subsequently sold to JOHN N. JONES, Esq., who makes it his
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residence. The grounds are regarded as the most beautiful in the city. J. H. CARPENTER, Esq., erected a brick dwelling on Wisconsin avenue, west of the Presbyterian church.
On the 8th of January, a meeting was called of all persons favorable to the formation of a religious society under the charge of Rev. N. H. EGGLESTON, to meet at PORTER's Hall, to adopt such measures as were necessary for a permanent and successful organization. The call was signed by DARWIN CLARK, J. B. BOWEN, D. ATWOOD, S. D. HASTINGS, A. SHER- WIN, GEO. CAPRON, D. J. POWERS, O. COLE, JAS. MORRISON, E. W. SKINNER and H. M. LEWIS. Mr. EGGLESTON was engaged, and commenced his labors January 15, at the Baptist church. On the 12th of July, the church was formally organized under the name of the "Union Congregational Church and Society of Madison," and a Council of Recognition, composed of min- isters and delegates from other Congregational churches, was invited to meet on the 14th, at which time Rev. Dr. SMITH, of Lane Seminary, was invited to preach in the morning, and in the evening the installation services were held - the sermon being preached by Prof. FISK, of Illinois.
The city election, this year, was held March 7, FRANK A. HASKELL and GEO. B. SMITH being the candidates for the office of Mayor. The former received 397 votes, and the latter 961, and was elected. For City Treasurer, F. W. LINDHORST re- ceived 532 votes, and ANDREW SEXTON, 803; the latter was elected, and also the following aldermen: First Ward, J. ZEPH- ENNING and WM. DUDLEY; Second Ward, Jos. BAIER and WM. HAWLEY; Third Ward, F. C. FESTNER and EZRA SQUIRES; Fourth Ward, J. A. BYRNE and Jos. HOBBINS.
The assessed valuation of property was, real estate, $2,027,- 466, and personal property, $264,195; total, $2,391,661.
The celebration of July 4 was observed with more than or- dinary enthusiasm. The officers of the day were, W. W. TREDWAY, Marshal; A. A. McDONNEL, E. B. DEAN and F. BRIGGS, Assistants; J. C. FAIRCHILD, President; J. B. BRIT- TAN, Chaplain; J. R. BALTZELL, Reader; and Hon. A. McAR- THUR, Orator. The "Governor's Guards," Capt. DELAPLAINE, 18
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the " Madison Guards," Capt. BYRNE, and the "Dane County Cavalry," Capt. ORTON, were in the procession; the engine companies and Hook and Ladder Company also participated. In the afternoon, a regatta was held on Lake Mendota, under the management of C. G. MAYERS. One of the features of the celebration in the morning was a Ragamuffin Cavalcade, which attracted much attention.
HENRY BARNARD, LL.D., of Connecticut, who had been. elected Chancellor of the University in 1858, entered upon his. duties in the month of May, 1859, and on the 27th of July was formally inducted into the office. From the report of the. Board of Regents, it appears that the whole number of stu- dents in attendance in the several departments was one hun- dred and fifty-nine.
Chancellor BARNARD resigned his position in June, 1860. The Board, however, did not accept of the same until January, 1861. The University was without a Chancellor until June 16, when J. L. PICKARD, LL.D., was elected. He, however, did not accept. During all this period, the internal administration was conducted by Prof. J. W. STERLING, who was made Dean of the Faculty in June, 1860, and continued in that capacity till June, 1865, when he was elected Vice Chancellor.
THOS. W. SUTHERLAND, Esq., an early settler, died at Sacra- mento, Cal., Feb. 2, 1859. He was the eldest son of Hon. JOEL. B. SUTHERLAND, of Philadelphia. In 1835, he first came to Indiana with Hon. H. L. ELLSWORTH, Commissioner of Patents, as a clerk of a commission to settle some Indian matters. He then crossed the country to St. Louis, thence up the Missouri to Council Bluffs, from which place, with a pony, he trav- ersed the then savage wilderness to the upper waters of the Mississippi, at or near the St. Anthony; from thence he pro- cured a skiff, and floated down the river to the mouth of Rock river, and paddled his skiff up that stream to the mouth of the Catfish; up the Catfish, through the chain of lakes, to the point upon which the city of Madison now stands, then only inhabited by Indians. Here he spent some time in an Indian camp on the east side of Lake Monona, opposite the Capitol,
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and this he then resolved upon as his future home. After a short visit to Philadelphia, he returned, and, as soon as the lands came into market, made considerable purchases in this neighborhood, and settled at Madison very soon after it was fixed upon as the capital of the Territory, and was elected the first President of the incorporated village.
In 1841, he was appointed United States District Attorney for the Territory, which office he held four years. He was appointed to the same office by Mr. POLK, in 1848. In the spring of 1849, he took the overland route to California, through the valley of the Gila, and landed at San Diego. He subse- quently removed to San Francisco, where he practised law with success until he was appointed to the office of Collector of the Port of Sacramento by Mr. BUCHANAN.
Mr. SUTHERLAND died of congestion of the lungs, leaving a wife and one child.
In his private relations, he was a noble, generous hearted man, highly esteemed by every one, and will long be remem- bered by the early settlers of Madison.
The city election of 1860 was held April 3. Hon. GEO. B. SMITH* received 724 votes for Mayor, and DAVID ATWOOD, 718; the former was elected by six majority. The following Alder- men were also elected: PETER H. TURNER and FARREL O'BRIEN, 1st ward; D. K. TENNEY and J. W. SUMNER, 2d ward; DARWIN CLARK and KYRON TIERNEY, 3d ward; TIMOTHY KINNEY and JOHN Y. SMITH, 4th ward; A. B. BRALEY was elected Police Justice; J. C. SCHETTE, Treasurer; and P. NIEUMANN, J. W.
*Hon. Geo. B. Smith, son of Judge Reuben Smith, was born at Parma Corners, a village in the town of Parma, Monroe county, N. Y., May 22, 1823. When a child, he removed with his parents to Ohio, and re- sided at Cleveland, where he studied law, and also at Medina. In April, 1843, he removed to Wisconsin, and after a year's residence at Kenosha, removed to Madison, where he still makes his residence. He was District Attorney of Dane county from 1845 to 1851, excepting two years; a member of the first Constitutional Convention, 1846; State Attor- ney General, 1854, 1855; member of Assembly, 1859, 1864, 1869; Mayor of city of Madison, 1858, 1859, 1860.
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MAYHEW, H. L. FOSTER and H. W. REMINGTON, Justices of the Peace.
The Bank of Madison was organized April 17, with a capital of $25,000, SIMEON MILLS, President, J. L. HILL, Cashier, and opened as a temporary place of business, the rooms formerly occupied by the Bank of the Capital.
The celebration of July 4th was in one sense a county celebra- tion. The officers of the day were Hon. L. B. VILAS, President, one Vice President from each township; E. B. DEAN, Jr., Mar- shal; Rev. A. McWRIGHT, Chaplain; FRANK A. HASKELL, Reader, and Prof. J. D. BUTLER, Orator. Among other incidents, was the visit of the venerable NATHANIEL AMES, a soldier of the Revolution, who was in his one hundredth year. He came from Oregon, accompanied by some forty teams, filled with farmers and their families, to celebrate the day. Mr. AMES was two and a half years in the army, and was present at the execu- tion of ANDRE. The military and fire companies were in the procession. The printers had a small press on wheels, and were engaged in printing and distributing handbills to the crowd. In the afternoon, " Ye Ancient and Horrible Artillery," in masquerade costume, had a parade which was greatly enjoyed by the visitors.
On the 12th of September, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD and Hon. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS visited Madison, and were en- tertained by the citizens. These gentlemen delivered addresses from the balcony of the Vilas House, and also from the eastern steps of the Capitol. A large attendance of persons from the country was present.
DUNNING, JONES & Co. commenced building their drug store on Pinckney street, in May, which was opened July 2. It is a fine, three story building, of cut stone, with large show win- dows, iron columns, etc. During the season, S. KLAUBER & Co. commenced building a block of three stores, on the same street, near the corner of Main street, 67} feet front by 100 feet in depth, three stories, stone fronts, which was a fine improvement.
The school census of 1860 shows that there were 2,240 per- sons in the city between the ages of four and twenty years.
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In the latter part of A. D. 1860, it became apparent to the Board of Education, that on account of the lack of means to sustain the schools at that time in successful operation, some one or more of them must be permanently discontinued, and, perhaps, all of them be suspended for a part of the coming year. After a careful examination of the facts in the case, it was finally deemed expedient to discontinue indefinitely, the High School; consequently, at the close of the first school term of 1861, the High School ceased to exist. In order to com- pensate, as far as possible, for this loss of educational facilities to the city, an arrangement was entered into with Miss L. L. COUES, wherein she engaged, after the close of the first term of the High School in 1861, " to carry it on as a school of the same grade as before, without expense to the Board, and under their supervision, provided she could have the use of the build- ing, furniture and apparatus, for one year, with the privilege of two." This arrangement was afterwards so far modified as to permit her to open her school, the first term, for the admis- sion of females only. In accordance with this arrangement, Miss COUEs opened and continued, through the remainder of the year, a female High School, affording facilities for those citizens who wished their daughters to pursue a course of study in the higher branches of female education, to secure these ad- vantages at the trifling expense of the mere tuition fees, these fees being paid, not by the Board, but by those who enjoyed the advantages of the school. The Board were satisfied that this, though not what could have been desired, was still the best arrangement for the interests of education in the city, that, under the circumstances of the case, could have been made.
In addition to the indefinite discontinuance of the High School, the Board found itself reluctantly compelled to sus- pend all the other schools of the city during the summer term. This the Board deemed a serious loss to the children of the city. but a loss necessitated by its restricted finances.
The Legislature of 1861 having passed an " act to create the offices of county superintendent of schools," the Board, in ac- cordance with the provisions of that act, adopted, on the 15th of August, the following resolution :
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" Resolved, That the Board of Education of the city of Madi- son do hereby elect that said city shall, for the next ensuing year, be exempt from the provisions of chapter one hundred and seventy-nine of the General Laws of 1861, being an act to create the office of county superintendent of schools, in accord- ance with section eleven of said act."
A copy of the resolution was filed in the office of the Clerk of the Board of County Supervisors.
By this action, the Board of Education retained the manage- ment of the schools of the city entirely in their own hands, and relieved the city from the burden of aiding in the support of the county superintendent of schools.
The number of scholars that attended the city schools during the spring and fall terms, was not quite 650. The amount of money expended during the year, for sustaining the schools under the care of the Board, was $3,460.35.
JAMES MORRISON, one of the early settlers of Madison, died December 23, 1860, aged 61 years. He was born in Kaskaskia, Illinois, September 30, 1799. His father, WM. MORRISON, was a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and his mother was a French lady. In early life, Col. MORRISON was engaged with his father in the Rocky Mountain fur trade. He removed to Wisconsin in 1827, and his first business was a lead miner and smelter at Porter's Grove, near Dodgeville. He came to Mad- ison in the spring of 1838, when he immediately engaged in business - was contractor for building the Capitol; in 1838, erected the American House, and was long a prominent citizen of Madison. He did not move his family here till near the close of 1839. He was Territorial Treasurer under Goy. DOTY's and TALLMADGE's administrations, from 1841 to 1845. He was the owner of a large landed property, in Wisconsin, Illinois and St. Louis. He left a widow, who died at the residence of her grand- daughter in California, August 28, 1866, aged 66 years, and three daughters - one the estimable lady of Hon. N. W. DEAN, of Madison. The funeral took place December 26; Hon. O. COLE, Hon. L. B. VILAS, Hon. T. T. WHITTLESEY, Col. G. H. SLAUGHTER, Hon. M. M. JACKSON and E. M. WILLIAMSON, Esq., pall bearers.
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The central building of the University of Wisconsin was completed this year. A description of the building has been given in the record of improvements of the year 1857.
In February 1861, the Congregational church which had been without a settled minister since November, 1858, invited Rev. L. TAYLOR, of Bloomington, Ill., to become its pastor. After a faithful and laborious [pastorate of three years, he re- signed in January, 1864, and removed to Farmington, Illinois. Previous to Mr. TAYLOR's coming, the pulpit had been supplied by Prof. J. D. BUTLER of the State University.
' The city election was held on the 2d of April. Hon. LEVI B. VILAS * was the only candidate for the office of Mayor, and received 967 votes with 195 scattering. F. C. FESTNER was elected Treasurer, and the following aldermen: 1st ward, GEO. E. BRYANT and P. H. TURNER; 2d ward, D. K. TENNEY and J.
* Hon. Levi B. Vilas was born in Sterling, Lamoille county, Vermont, February 25, 1811; received an academic education and pursued a partial collegiate course, but was prevented by ill health from graduating; is by profession a lawyer, having been admitted to the bar in St. Albans, Ver- mont, in 1833, but has retired from practice. During his residence in Ver- mont, he was the first postmaster at Morrisville in 1834. The same year, he removed to Johnson; was elected to the State Constitutional Convention from that place, in 1835, and represented the town in the legislature of 1836 and 1837, and was elected by it in 1836, one of the State commis- sioners of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind; during the same period, he held the office of Register of Probate; removed to Chelsea in 1838, and represented that town in the legislature in 1840-1843, and was the democratic candidate for speaker for the same years; was the democratic candidate for congress in 1844; the next year was elected State Senator from Orange county, and reelected in 1846; he held the office of Judge of Probate for three years in Orange county ; and was supported by his party for United States Senator in 1848; was member of the State Constitutional Convention in 1850 from Chelsea. He came to Wisconsin in 1851, and settled at Madison; repre- sented the Madison district in the Assembly in the years 1855 and 1868, and was Mayor of the city from April, 1861, to April, 1862; was appointed by Gov. Salomon and served as Draft Commissioner in the war for the Union in 1862; was a Regent of the State University for twelve years pre- vious to its reorganization; was the democratic candidate for Secretary of State in 1865, and was a member of the Assembly in 1873, and candi- date for Speaker.
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A. ELLIS; 3d ward, K. TIERNEY and J. G. OTT; 4th ward, G. B. SEEKELS and J. Y. SMITH.
An act was passed, approved April 11, 1861, during the last session of the legislature, appropriating forty thousand dollars for the enlargement of the State Hospital for the Insane. That act authorizes the Board of Trustees, or such committee as might be designated by them, to construct a longitudinal and traverse wing, to be located on the west side of the centre building, corresponding in dimensions with the wings on the east side of said centre building. In pursuance of a require- ment of said act, the executive committee advertised for sealed proposals for furnishing materals and doing said work; and at, the time designated in such advertisement, the several propo- sals were laid before the Board, to be examined and their re- respective merits determined. After all of such proposals had been considered in reference to the price proposed and the gen- eral interests of the institution, it was unanimously agreed and ordered that the mason work and furnishing the materials therefor, should be let to JOSEPH PARKINS of the county of Dane, for the sum of twenty thousand and five hundred dollars, and that the carpenter work and painting and glazing, with material therefor, should be let to BRADLEY and NORTON of the city of Racine, for the sum of nine thousand four hundred and fifty dollars.
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