USA > Wisconsin > An illustrated history of the state of Wisconsin : being a complete civil, political, and military history of the state, from its first exploration down to 1875 > Part 51
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The churches and schools here are excellent. There are four good schools, one seminary, and eleven church edi- fices, several large public halis, nminer- ous hotels, two bauk-buildings, fifteen saw-milis, and two large flouring-mills, four planing-mills, and door, sash, and blind factories, two foundery and ma- chine shops, four printing - houses, a tannery, &c. Three weekly newspapers and one daily are published here, -two in English, and one in German.
Until the spring of 1868, the east and west sides were connected only by a ferry; but, during the winter of 1871, a truss bridge was built across the Chip- pewa, at a convenient point, which soon served to unite the two sections; and in 1872 ail the different villages were incor- porated, by act of the legislature, under one city government. Population, 1875, 8,440.
FOND DU LAC COUNTY.1- The general topographical character of the county of Fond du Lac is gently rolling; flat surfaces being rare, and confined to a few marshes, which are almost all drained, and make valuable meadows for the cutting of red-top, blue-joint, and Timothy hay, or for pasture. The prairies are mostly alinvial soil, the oak-openings loamy, the timbered portions mostly ioamy. All these va- rieties are strongly impregnated with lime, and are eminently fertile and pro- ductive.
The county contains nearly half a milliou acres of laud, of which twenty- five thousand are taken np by the southern end of Lake Winnebago and a few other lakes. The land in the county is nearly ali cut up into farms, and fenced. The proportion of land which is not fit for cultivation is insignificant, probably not more than one or two per cent, excepting the lakes. It is nearly all owned by actual settlers or farmers, who have come here from all parts of the Northern States and from Europe, including Americans, Germans, Irish, Canadians, English, Scotch, Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, and a few from almost every other country of Europe. Nearly ali can understand and speak the English language. The population
1 We are Indebted to G. de Neveu of Fond
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of the county is about fifty thou- [ for their chickens and for their Thanks- sand.
The public lands have long since been bought; and the soil is, as before re- marked, all owned by individnals.
There are in the county four lines of railroads, which traverse it in different directions, owning no more than the land required for their tracks and sta- tions; the total length of these railways within the limits of the county being about a hundred and twenty miles; Green Bay, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, and Chicago being ail accessible by rail in from two to six hours. No city in Wisconsin, except Milwaukee, is now a greater railroad centre than Fond du Lac; and certainly none is more favor- ably located for the successful prose- cution of manufacturing, being within easy supply of pine-logs, hard wood of nearly every description, charcoal, iron ore, wool, aud all raw materials, and also of an abundant supply of cheap food, being located in the very centre of a rich and productive agricultural region. These united elements make Fond du Lac a highiy desirable place for the capitalist and manufacturer.
The motive-power used in the city is mostly steam. Fond du Lac is situated at the southern extremity of Lake Win- nebago, which is abont thirty miles long by seven or eight wide. The city is located on a piece of land nearly levei, and affords no water-power. But Inmber-milis consume their own saw- dust, and supply other powers with slabs at cheap rates. Peat also exists in large quantities within five miles of the city. Wood, hard or soft, can be bought for three dollars to five dol- lars or six dollars per cord, accord- ing to quality. Nearly ail the engines used in the manufacturing establish- ments have been made here. The county of Fond du Lac has not any large amount of water-power, although the country is adinirably watered by small streams. The head-waters of the Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Rock, and Milwaukee Rivers, are in this county; but they are all sinall streams within our limits. About one - half, perhaps more, of the available water-power in the county is improved, turning the machinery of grist, flouring, and feed miils, and woollen factories, also a few saw-miils and turning-lathes. All these establishments are driving a prosperous business.
There are inexhaustible amounts of the finest limestone, also excellent sand, and a few brick-yards; but the best brick are brought by rail from Milwaukee and Sheboygan.
The lakes have pickerel, pike, bass, &c .; our prairies have hens; and Horicou Marsh has myriads of ducks and geese: but our people sensibly rely on the farms
giving and Christmas turkeys. Meat of all kinds is abundant and cheap. Inter- mittent fevers are unknown ; typhoid fevers prevail to some extent; but it may be asserted that no section in the West surpasses this in general healthful- ness.
Education is flourishing, and the schools are weli attended.
The population is getting largely Americanized. The German ele.nent is large, probably one-fourth; the English, Irish, and Scotch, one-fourth; and others, mostly Canadians, one-twentieth; bal- ance, Americans.
Fond du Lac is a flourishing town, and capital of Fond du Lac County; is ad- mirably sitnated on the sontli end of Lake Winnebago, seventy-two miles north-north-west of Milwaukee, and ninety iniles north-east of Madison. It is the second city in the State in popula- tion. Lake Winnebago, which is a bean- tiful sheet of water, thirty miles long, and ten miles wide, forms a link in the chain of navigabie waters connecting Lake Michigan aud its tributaries with the Mississippi River, and is the channel of an active and extensive trade. The Fox River, by which the lake comnu- nicates with Green Bay, has been ren- dered navigable for steamboats on a canal which has been cut from the same river to the Wisconsin, at Portage City. The city has grown up within a few years almost since 1845; and the pop- ulation has increased with surprising rapidity. The Chicago and North- West- ern Railroad connects Fond du Lac with Chicago on one hand, and Green Bay on the other. One railroad enters it from Sheboygan on the east, and one from Milwaukee on the south. The town is built on ground ascending gradnaliy from the lake, and is pleasantly sur- rounded and embowered among groves and trees. It has an abundance of water, obtained by means of artesian weils, which vary in depth from ninety to a hundred and fifty feet. It contains three banks, twelve churches, t vo high schools, fifteen to twenty dry-goods stores, and abont twenty saw-milis, three plough-factories, eight grain-ele- vators, a number of weekly news-pa. pers, and one daily.
The manufacturing facilities of Fond du Lac are unrivalled; and a large capi- tai has been invested in this direction.
Population, 1875, 15,308.
GRANT COUNTY. - Grant County is one of the largest of the settled counties in the State. Although usually regarded as a prairie and "opening" country, there are considerable bodies of hard- wood forest-timber in the southern and north-western portions. Grant is well watered by numerous small streams, emptying into the Wisconsin and Mis-
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sissippi Rivers, and has a fertile soil, well | adapted to the various crops common to this latitude.
Although its development has been much retarded by the want of railroad improvements, it has steadily grown in wealth and population.
The farm cultivation compares favora- bly with that of other counties. Stock- growing, though slower in making that progress which has distinguished other portions of the State, is now advancing at a commendable rate. While favora- ble to stock-raising generally, it is es- pecially adapted to sheep-husbandry, which must accordingly receive more and more attention. Fruit-growing has also received considerable attention, and has been quite successful.
The most important products of man- ufacturing industry are flour, pig-lead, and woollen goods.
The business of mining, which, in the early history of the county, was the leading interest, has of late years some- what declined in activity here, as else- where, in the lead-district. Nevertheless, there are immense deposits of both lead and zinc still undeveloped. The mines hitherto most productive are found in the regions about Hazel Green, Platte- ville, Potosi, and Beetown.
The chief towns are Lancaster, the county-seat, and Platteville, now distin- guished as being the seat of the first State Normal School.
Valuable stone quarries - buff and bine limestone - are to be found in the bluffs along all the streams; brick clay can be had anywhere; and good potter's clay in the vicinity of Platteville. Pa. per-mills and cheese-factories could be made profitable in this county.
The population is composed largely of foreigners, principally Cornish and Forthshire miners, also Welsh and Ger- mans, and some Norwegians; and they compare favorably with the best in any portion of the State for industry and intelligence; and the county is accord- ingly characterized by all those educa- tional and other like improvements which indicate the social progress of a people.
The common schools throughout the county are all in a flourishing condition. Gra led schools are also maintained at Boscobel, Lancaster, Platteville, Bloomn- ington, and other villages. The people are enlightened, and interested in educa- tion; and good teachers command high wages.
GREEN COUNTY.1-Green County is one of the southern tier of counties in the State, lying midway between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi.
1 We are indebted to J. J. Tshudy and L. Seltser for this sketch of Green County. - C. R. T.
While there are a considerable nur ber of acres of level lands in the eastern and southern portions of the county, the surface, for the most part, is gently roll- ing, rising, however, in the northern and western sections of the county, into high and bluffy hills. In the southern aud eastern sections of the county, the soil is of a rich black loam, with a large admixture of vegetable mould: how- ever, on the extreme eastern border a narrow belt of land is found, where the soil is a light sandy loam. The soil of the timbered lands in the West is of a deep clay loam, and produces abun- dantly, when cultivated, all varieties of crops. The county contains 367,723 acres of land, with at least one-third under cultivation. Facilities for water-power are almost unlimited. Two rivers trav- erse the county, besides untold numbers of creeks and small streams, most of which furnish valuable hydraulic power, utilized for grist-mills, saw-mills, card- ing-mills, &c. Lead is found in several parts of the county. The Sugar River diggings, in the north part, were once quite celebrated, and yielded a rich re- turn for the capital and labor invested, but are now deserted on account of no water. One of the great advantages of Green County is the extent and remark- able distribution of timber, - timber and prairie, prairie and timber, everywhere. The largest tracts are in the southern part, where is to be found maple, hick- ory, walnut, basswood, ash, and many varieties of oak. Fish are found in nearly all streams.
Railroad facilities are good; and it has several prospective roads surveyed. Agriculture is, and will probably re- main, the leading interest of the county; yet its manufacturing interests are nei- ther few nor unimportant. The climate is excellent, as the former statements will indicate: the land being rolling, the whole county almost withont marshes, when cool and fresh springs and brooks abouud throughout the county, it would be safe to predict the general healthful- ness of the county. In the matter of school-buildings there is a marked ad- vance on many sections and counties of the State.
At Monroe there is one large wagon- factory, turning out from a thousand to two thousand wagons per year, and there are several smaller shops. Mouroe is a very thriving town of about three thousand inhabitants. It has several graded schools, eleven churches, and two printing-offices.
Brodhead is also a thriving town, with six churches, schools in proportion, and abont sixteen hundred inhabitants.
GREEN LAKE COUNTY.1-This is one
1 M. H. Powers of Dartford was the con- tributor of this sketch - C. B. T.
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
of the smallest counties in the State. It | is a road running to Chicago from Min- contains Fox Lake, - a beautiful sheet eral Point, and the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien, running the whole length of the county on the north. There are quite a number of lead-ore furnaces in the county, and one zinc-ore furnace, making as good a quality of zinc as can be found in the world. It is made from black-jack and dry-bone, - two kinds of ores that were useless rub- bish until the above-named furnace was built. A large amount of zinc ore is shipped to La Salle, Illinois, St. Louis, and other places. of water. Berlin, Princeton, and Mar- kesan are the incorporated towns in the county, of which Berlin is the most im- portaut, having a population, in 1870, of 2,778. It is situated on the Fox River, at a point where the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad connects with it, giving it the advantage of both railroad and water communication. It is the seat of a very extensive trade, especially with the country north and west of it. Several branches of manufactures are estab- lished here, which are growing into very The central and western portions of the county contain agricultural lands of the very best quality; and, where the land is broken and hilly, the Welsh and Norwegians, interspersed with Ameri- cans and other nationalities, in their search for good water and pasturage, have made it a very garden. There is an abundance of good brick-clay in the county, and sand and limestone of su- perior quality; but the quarries have not yet been worked to any extent, though several buildings have been erected from this stone. There is a woollen-factory at Mifflin, a carriage and plough factory at Dodgeville, a sash, door, and blind factory at Mineral Point, and six flouring-quills in different parts of the county. respectable proportions; among which may be specified mills for the manufac- ture of lumber, from one to three of which have been running since the set- tlement of the town, and have added not a little to its development and wealth. Some three or four wagon and carriage shops have given employment to a large number of hands; while the usual complement of workers in wood and iron in the finer, as well as coarser, varieties of the arts, are not wanting. There are also three steam flouring-mills, and one steam woollen-mill of some half- dozen loouis, that furnish employment for a number of hands, and convert the produce of the country into marketable commodities.
Princeton, also, is situated on the Fox River, a few miles above Berlin. It has an extensive trade, and is a thriving village. It has an iron-foundery, a flour- ing-mill, wagon, and other shops. Mar- quette is a river-town of considerable trade, especially in lumber and grain. Markesan is an inland village, surround- ed by a very rich and fertile country; has a good water-power; a prosperous trade with the surrounding country. Dartford, the county-seat, is situated on the outlet of the lake froin which the county derives its name. It has a bean- tiful location, overlooking the lake; and besides the court-house, jail, and county offices, has two flouring-mills, and the usual variety of mechanics' shops. Kingston and Manchester are inland villages, with each a flouring-mill; and they are, each of them, the centre of somne trace.
IOWA COUNTY. - This county, in com- mon with the neighboring counties where lead is found, in the development of its agricultural resources, and a sys- tein of general industry, was retarded by the almost exclusive attention paid by the early settlers to mining. But, within the past few years, great ad- vancement has been made in this re- spect; and now the county ranks as the thirteenth county in the State for the aggregate value of its agricultural pro- ductions. There are 170,147 acres of land under cultivation.
A manufactory for making paint from lead and zinc ore could do a good busi- ness, as could also woollen-mills and brickyards.
JACKSON COUNTY.1-The surface of the county is generally good: in the western and northern portions, it is high, rolling land, with oak-timber on the ridges. Some swamp-lands are to be found in the eastern part of the county. The east half is a sandy loam, while the west half is of a black loam. The county contains six hundred and forty thousand acres of land, eighty thousand of which are under cultivation. Of the balance, two hundred thousand are capable of cultivation.
Black River runs through the county frout the north-east to the south-west; also numerous small streams tributary thereto; also the Trempealeau River in the west side. The water-power is some- what improved, but capable of tenfold more improvement. Above Black-river Falls is an extensive deposit of iron of an excellent quality, and in quantity sufficient to supply the north half of North America. There is a great ahun- dance of the ore, which must ultimately be a great source of profit to this section of our State. There are some fine stone-quarries and brick yards carried on quite extensively. Black and Trempea- leau Rivers traverse the county, but are
1 This sketch is compiled from one written
The railroad facilities are good. There by S. W. Bowman. - C. R. T.
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
not navigable. Game and fish of all kinds abound. The West Wisconsin Railway runs south-east and north-west through the county. Lake Pepin Rail- road is under construction, and will also pass through the county. Lumbering and farming are the principal vocations of industry. Climate temperate.
JEFFERSON COUNTY.1 - Jefferson County is an interior county in the State, not exactly central as regards territory, but nearly so as to population. Its surface is gently rolling or undu- lating, interspersed with woodlands, prairies, and openings, with no deep valleys or barren hills, but abundantly watered with lakes, rivers, creeks, and springs, and thickly covered with heavy forests, containing a choice variety of timber, fully sufficient not only for fuel, but for manufacturing purposes. Soil rich, and well adapted for wheat, bar- ley, rye, oats, potatoes, fruit, &c. There are 368,640 acres of land in the county. About two-thirds of all lands are under cultivation: about three-fourths of the balance are capable of cultivation.
Jefferson County is one of the best counties in the State, so far as respects facilities for water-power. Brick are manufactured from clay-beds of excel- lent quality and color, comparing favor- ably with the cream brick of Milwaukee. Several streams and rivers run through the county; none, however, navigable. But little game is to be found. Railroad facilities are good, and future prospects encouraging. Various kinds of manu- factures diversify the pursuits of the different classes of society, giving remu- nerative employment to capital and labor. We may add, that there are sev- eral mineral springs, possessing med- ical qualities, located at Waterloo and Watertown.
Watertown is situated on both sides of Rock River, at the line between Dodge and Jefferson Counties, on the Milwau- kee and St. Paul Railroad, forty miles east of Madison, and on the Chicago and North western Railroad. It is in the centre of an excellent farming coun- try, an excellent water-power, the rap- ids above the city having a fall of twen- ty-four feet; and it is a place of much business importance. It was first set- tled in 1836, aud was then known as Johnson's Rapids. It has a number of grist-mills and other manufacturing es- tablishments. Excellent brick is made here, and a variety of agricultural im- plements. The city has twelve or more churches of various religious denomina- tions. The manufactories consist of flonring - mills, saw - mills, founderies, pottery, wagons, and cabinet-ware. Population, 1875, 9,524.
1 The sketch of Jefferson County was con- tributed by Henry Colonius. - C. R. T.
JUNEAU COUNTY.1- Owing to the fact that the central and northern sections of the county are, for the most part, en- gaged in the manufacture of lumber, and other productions of the forest, its agricultural resources have been but partially developed. Still the popula- tion is increasing; and settlements and villages are dotting the entire county. Its general surface is undulating; and its quality of soil varies from a rich loam to sand. The county contains five hun- dred and fifty thousand acres, and has twenty-five thousand under cultivation. Bona fide holders, own about fifteen thousand acres, worth ten dollars per acre. The State owns a hundred and twenty-five thousand acres of land, worth from fifty cents to one dollar per acre, consisting of low meadow-lands and cranberry-inarshes. Several parties are at present engaged in preparing the ground for the cultivation of this fruit. Certainly no county in the State pre- sents equal advantages for the carrying- on of this branch of industry. The General Government owns, subject to entry under the homestead laws, about a hundred and twenty-five thousand acres, including railroad lands. Water- power is little improved; but there are: great facilities for extensive improve- ments. The forests are timbered with pine and hard-wood timber. Stone. quarries are worked with success in. inany parts of the county. Several small streams traverse the county; the- Wisconsin being the only navigable one. Fish and game are found in large quan- tities. The Milwaukee and St. Panl Railroad runs through the county from east to west, and the Chicago and North- western np the Barraboo Valley. From Mineral Point are lines projected; and some of them will pass through the county, without doubt. The lumber- interests occupy a very prominent place in the resources of the county. Iron and copper mines are known to exist, but are not worked. The climate is healthy, the water soft, and, withal, it bids fair to keep pace with its sister counties in population, wealth, and in- telligence.
KENOSHA COUNTY.2- Kenosha County is strictly an agricultural county. There. is little machinery driven by water- power, and but five places deserving the name of villages. Kenosha is the only place of trade of any note. Small places, perhaps the germ of future vil- lages, may be noticed at the different depots along the line of the Western Railroad. In fact, at several of these.
1 This sketch of Juneau County was con- tributed by C. F. Cutler, I. J. Hinton, and. George B. Nicholas. - C. R. T.
" This sketch of Kenosha County was con- tributed by F. Newall of Paris. - C. R. T.
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depots, a large amount of trade has | On very many farms, where several already sprung up in cattle, sheep, and cows are kept, a sufficient supply of cheese is made for home consumption. The amount of butter aunnally sold exceeds in valne that of wheat. swine, and the various products of the farın. Warehouses for the storage of grain, superseding the huge buildings on the lake-shore, have been built at several statious; and most of the mar- keting of grain is done at these places, so that little or no grain is shipped at the lake-port.
At one of these stations, a planing- mill, a sash and door factory, a grist- mill, and a cheese-factory are now in operation. Yet, at the present time, the principal manufactures, aside froni cheese-making, are found at Kenosha.
The manufacture of lumber-wagons may be considered the leading indus- trial pursuit. The production of these establishments at Kenosha is valued at $348,855. At Willnot a hundred and | bred "short horns" are believed to be fifty wagons are yearly made, valned at twelve thousand dollars; one shop employing a hundred and fifty men.
The two founderies at Kenosha pro- duce two hundred thousand dollars' worth of thimble skeins, boilers, and repairs. At the tanneries $163,550 worth of leather and skins was the product of 1870. The malt-houses give a hundred and thirty - eight thousand dollars as their yearly products; breweries, twen- ty-eight thousand dollars. The fishing- interests at Kenosha, or adjacent there- to, are valued at $12,476 yearly; match- factory, about thirty thousand dollars.
Pressed hay to the amount of 1,750 tons, valued at $26,250, is yearly put up. The lumber-interest amounts to eight million feet of pine, and one million feet of hard lumber, two thousand cords of wood, and three million shingles. One factory exports yearly two thousand bales of flax, valued at twelve thousand dollars. The several establishments for the manufacture of boots and shoes have a very considerable home and foreigu trade. The business at the different shops where harnesses and saddles are manufactured is quite satisfactory to the manufacturers, and furnishes quite an item of trade in Kenosha.
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