USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume I > Part 22
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Captain, Edwin T. Markle; first lieutenant, Emil C. Plonsky; second lieu- tenant, Adolph E. Kliemchen, first sergeant, August C. Egelhoff ; quartermaster sergeant, Carl H. Brugger; sergeants, J. H. Seeve; Herman C. Jaffke, William F. Bruett, Frank J. Lubitz ; corporals, Adolph M. Trier, Jay L. Lee, William E. DeSombre, James W. Dittmar, Frank J. Wheeler, Charles C. Cleveland, Noah V. Langlois, George A. Crippen, Frank L. Skinner, Fred C. Krebs, Albert Hass, Rudolph A. Bechaud ; musicians, Carl R. Zinke, Alfred R. Zinke ; artificer, Edwin W. Clark; wagoner, Frank Vandervort.
Privates : Louis A. Abel, Ellsworth H. Allen, Oscar Arnold, George A. Arthur, Benjamin F. Babcock, William H. Ballanz, William Bettac, Paul Birr, George Bodle, George Born, Jacob Born, Arthur W. Breitzman, Adelbert R. Brunet, Albert G. Brunkhorst, Carroll R. Burnton, Arthur Bertine Cady, Fred- erick W. Calvert, Ralph E. Canniff, J. Edward Carney, John F. Carney, William C. Caselton, Lawrence P. Cavanagh, Henry Christenson, Peter Clark, William R. Conway, Edward Derusha, John Dircks, Peter Eiteneuer, Robert C. Estabrook, Edward Floody, Joseph F. Galvin, Garrett Groesbeck, John W. Groesbeck, Ferdi-
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nand Guhl, Alber H. Haberkorn, George W. Heath, Frank W. Hornig, Oscar A. Huelsmann, Robert L. Hughes, Charles W. Jaeger, Frank Jesmier, Ernst Keilberg, Frank H. Kempf, Charles L. Kreger, Gustav Kroll, Louis Kuhlmann, Charles La Rose, Christ F. Lubitz, Frank H. Markow, Arthur McCourt, Rich- ard Mead, William Mentch, John A. Miller, John M. Molitor, Michael J. Mona- han, Albert Pagel, Alfred Panger, William Quambush, Michael K. Raidy, Au- gust Riese, Berrez A. Roberts, Arthur Rodgers, Albert M. Rouse, Patrick Ryan, Avery Sampson, Henry Scherzinger, Abraham Schwartz, Frank Simcosky, Adam H. Small, Robert B. Small, Edward J. Smith, Frank C. Taylor, Claude A. Tiff- any, Paris R. Van Dorsten, Lester Van Scooter, Frank Voell, Edwin Werner, Ferdinand Wetzel, Oscar N. Wheeler, Jake H. Wickert, Joseph Wilbert, Robert S. Williams, Robert H. Wirtz.
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CHAPTER IX. TRANSPORTATION
INDIAN TRAILS AND PRIMITIVE ROADS-PLANK ROADS-THE RAILROADS AND CELE- BRATIONS OVER THEIR COMING-A NORTHWESTERN WRECK-TRAFFIC ON LAKE WINNEBAGO.
When the country was opened to settlement and the white man came into the county and took up his abode, he found no roads or thoroughfares other than the trails made by Indians and these were rarely over eighteen inches wide. The settlers used these trails to reach the vicinity of their chosen farms, and then cut across the prairie or through the timber to their destination. Many of these pioneers, in order to reach a trading point whence building material and pro- visions were to be transported to their new homes, were compelled to cut their way to the main trail or road and in the work necessary to accomplish this end a great amount of valuable time and much labor would often be consumed.
Road building was one of the first necessities that confronted the pioneer settlers and those first made were simply makeshifts. When the weather was bad the roads became almost impassable and to secure firmer thoroughfares for the transportation of the various things needed at the time a sentiment in favor of constructing firmer roads by covering them with heavy planks soon became gen- eral and companies were chartered for the purpose. In 1852, a plank road was completed from the city of Sheboygan to the city of Fond du Lac, and in 1853 it was extended northwesterly from Fond du Lac to Rosendale. The original plans were to continue the improvement through the villages of Ripon and Ceresco to the Fox river, but for some reason the planks only were laid to the east line of the town of Rosendale. The solid oak planks were laid on a well graded road bed. Toll was collected for some years, but the company permitting the planks to decay and remain without being replaced or repaired, the road was finally declared by the authorities a free public highway and the toll gates went out of commission.
Other plank roads were built and a great many more projected but never commenced. But the necessity for good roads was the contention of almost everyone in the primitive days of the county and to find a settler who did not favor the work was to discover a curiosity. The following newspaper article, published in the early days of the plank road, gives the reader an insight to the eagerness of the builders of this commonwealth before the coming of the rail- road for proper outlets from their farms to the outside world :
"There is a company organized with a charter for the construction of a plank road from Milwaukee to Green Bay. The work is already commenced and
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
some fifteen or twenty miles of the road now in use between Calumet and Green Bay. The line of this road runs through the entire width of Fond du Lac county, passing through the towns of Calumet, Taycheedah, Fond du Lac, Empire, Eden, Ashford and Auburn. The plank road from Fond du Lac to Waupun com- menced the present season (1854), will pass through the intermediate towns of Lamartine and Oakfield. The line of the Sheboygan and Mayville plank road passes through Fond du Lac, and thence on the line between Byron and Oakfield into the county of Dodge. Omro and Waupun plank road will run through Rosendale and Springvale to Waupun. Port Washington and Fond du Lac plank road will pass through Osceola, Auburn, Eden, and Empire, to Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac and Waukau plank road will run from Fond du Lac through Eldorado and Rosendale into the county of Winnebago. Oshkosh, Algona and Ripon plank road will run through the north part of Rosendale to Ceresco. Plymouth and Waupun plank road will pass through Osceola, Eden, Byron and Oakfield to Waupun. Fond du Lac and Oshkosh plank road on the west shore of Lake Winnebago, will run through the town of Friendship. How soon and how many of the roads will be constructed is for the future to disclose ; yet one thing is certain, the will and the capacity to accomplish are adequate to supply all the real necessities of the community in respect to plank roads."
It was not many years before the plank roads outlived their usefulness, fell into decay and reverted to the free and general use of the public. Better and more advanced methods of road building came into vogue and, as gravel was found to be plentiful and of a good quality, today the county has several hun- dred miles of the best of hard roads, which are kept in repair, and, as they should be, free to the public, with the exception of one leading out of the city of Fond du Lac.
In addition to the Indian trails and roads of a later period, the rivers and Lake Winnebago were used by the traveler and settler. In 1836 the "military road" had been opened from Green Bay to Fort Crawford, but it was a poor affair even at its best; by 1838 a road had been opened from Sheboygan to Fond du Lac and in the fall of that year a road led to Fox Lake. The road from Fond du Lac by way of Waupun to Madison was made and in 1842 the road from Fond du Lac to Milwaukee was opened. . But before this the rivers and the lake were used by travelers coming from the north and when the roads had been completed from principal points leading to Fond du Lac the stage coach was used for the carrying of passengers and the mails. But these means of transportation were slow, uncertain and expensive. The county was fast increas- ing in population and wealth and the people longed for and demanded closer and more rapid communication with the markets of the world. The means to this end lay in the railroads.
TRAFFIC ON LAKE WINNEBAGO
Fond du Lac has never figured very largely in its traffic, either passenger or freight, on Lake Winnebago, the main reason for this probably being found in the fact that the shores of the lake in this vicinity are bordered by low, marshy land, precluding the building of suitable docks. However, the first power boat that ever plied on Lake Winnebago was the "Manchester," which was brought
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
from Buffalo, New York, by Captain Stephen Houghtaling in 1843. This craft made its first trip on the lake from Taycheedah, where it had been taken for the overhauling its machinery. She ran up the Wolf river with supplies in the fall of 1843, being under the pilotage of Captain B. F. Moore, and during her first few years of service on the lake the "Manchester" mostly engaged in towing rafts of logs and lumber and carrying freight. Her speed and power were not of the best, as will be seen by the statement that she usually required two days to make the round trip between Fond du Lac and Oshkosh. In 1847, the vessel was overhauled and her owner made the following bid for patronage in the columns of the Fond du Lac Whig :
"1847. Lake Winnebago Steamboat Arrangement. The Manchester, Hough- taling, Master, will run during the season between Fond du Lac and Neenah, as follows: Departures. Leaves Taycheedah, Mondays, 7 o'clock A. M. Leaves Fond du Lac, Mondays, 8 o'clock, A. M., for Oshkosh, touching at Brothertown. Leaves Oshkosh, Tuesdays, 8 o'clock A. M., for Taycheedah and Fond du Lac, touching at Brothertown. Leaves Taycheedah, Wednesdays, 7 o'clock A. M. Leaves Fond du Lac, 8 o'clock A. M., for Neenah (foot of the lake), touching at Brothertown and Oshkosh. Leaves Neenah, Thursdays, 7 o'clock A M., for Taycheedah and Fond du Lac, touching at Oshkosh and Brothertown. Leaves Taycheedah, Fridays, 7 o'clock A. M. Leaves Fond du Lac, Fridays, 8 o'clock A. M. for Oshkosh, touching at Brothertown. Leaves Oshkosh, Saturdays, at 8 o'clock A. M., for Taycheedah and Fond du Lac, touching at Brothertown. Fare: From Taycheedah to Brothertown, 25 cents. From Taycheedah to Osh- kosh, 50 cents. From Taycheedah to Neenah, 75 cents. From Fond du Lac to Brothertown, 25 cents. From Fond du Lac to Oshkosh, 50 cents. From Fond du Lac to Neenah, 75 cents. From Brothertown to Oshkosh, 50 cents. From Neenah to Oshkosh, 50 cents. From Neenah to Taycheedah, 75 cents. From Neenah to Fond du Lac, 75 cents. Meals extra. Freight: Whisky, per barrel, 25 cents ; flour, 12 cents ; pork, 25 cents ; grain, per bushel, 6 cents; household furniture, per barrel, bulk, 121/2 cents. The above charges for freight are from any of the above ports to any other port."
In 1849, the "Manchester" was joined by the "Peytonia," built at Neenah for Captain Ertes. The third steamer was the "D. B. Whitaker," built by Cap- tain James Harrison and his brother, Mark R. Harrison, at Oshkosh, in 1849. The Harrison brothers built the "John Mitchell," at Menasha in 1851. The "Menasha" went off the ways at Menasha in 1851. She was built for the Ryans. Since then a number of craft of various descriptions have plied on the waters of Lake Winnebago, but since 1877 Fond du Lac's commercial interests on the water have been of a negligible quantity.
THE RAILROADS
The Chicago & Northwestern railroad was the first transportation line to enter Fond du Lac county and, it is said, the first work done on this mighty system of railroads, on the Northwestern line proper, was in the city of Fond du Lac, in 1851. It is true that in 1850, a line had been completed from Chicago to Elgin, which is now a part of the system, but the real birth place of the road was at Fond du Lac, and the enterprise was then known as the Rock River
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
valley railroad, the chief promoters in forming the company for its construction being John B. Macy and T. L. Gillet, of Fond du Lac, and A. Hyatt Smith, of Janesville. These men met with many difficulties, many of which had been antici- pated. Little, if any, encouragement was given the project by the newspapers and when the time arrived for the people of the community to give material expres- sion of their interest they were found wanting. Concluding that no progress could be made without outside aid, John B. Macy visited eastern financial cen- ters and finally awakened the interest of Robert J. Walker, of Washington City, in the movement to finance the proposed improvement. Late in 1850 the firm of Bradley & Company, of Burlington, Vermont, was given the contract to con- struct a portion of the road and T. F. Strong, Sr., a member of the contracting firm, went over the route, riding all the way from Chicago to Fond du Lac on horseback. Early in 1851 the contractors took up their residence in Fond du Lac, coming to the village with one hundred and sixty horses, shovels, picks and wheelbarrows ( there were no road scrapers in those days), and when the citizens saw the outfit all skepticism vanished and interest in the project was quickened and vastly increased.
T. L. Gillet opened subscription books in the city of Fond du Lac on Decem- ber 19, 1850, for those who desired to secure stock of the company, five per cent of which was to be paid in advance, and the balance in eight per cent install- ments, which were to be paid quarterly. Much of this stock was subscribed by local sympathizers.
The day for breaking ground for the railroad was fixed-July 10, 1851-and plans were made for a big celebration. On the morning of the 10th of July, the village held a multitude of people who came from every point of the compass to witness the formality of throwing out a shovelful of dirt and thus inaugurating an undertaking of vast importance, much greater than any one then contem- plated or even imagined. Most of the state officials were present. Walworth, Rock, Jefferson and Dodge counties sent large delegations. Waupun was there largely, in flying colors and even had a brass band. Ripon and every village in the county had more or less of a representation, and all joined a great procession, the moving of which was annouced by the booming of cannon. At the head of the procession was the president of the railroad company, A. Hyatt Smith. Fol- lowing him were the directors, others officials, T. F. Strong, Sr., one of the con- tractors, public officials, judges, members of the bar from various parts of the state and citizens from all parts of the county and other counties. The proces- sion, preceded by brass bands, and guided by Peter V. Sang, marshal of the day and his assistants, William H. Ebbets, Robert Conklin and Isaac S. Tallmadge, the line of march terminated at the spot where work was to begin-on West . Division street, north of the passenger depot.
Here the ceremonies were opened with an address by the president of the day, Dr. M. C. Darling, after which President A. Hyatt Smith was handed a spade, carried in the procession by Timothy F. Strong, son of the contractor. With this tool he cut the sod of the prairie and tossed a spadeful of it into the air, which brought forth a mighty and joyous shout from the spectators. The late General Edward S. Bragg was the toastmaster of the occasion and performed his duty in the following felicitous style :
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"Walworth County-Though last on the line of the road in Wisconsin, may she be first in her contributions for the great enterprise of the state.
"Rock County-Like the rock that Moses smote, it contains in its bosom a fountain that shall refresh a thirsty people.
"Jefferson County-Not unlike the illustrious statesman after whom she was christened, she loves freedom and is bound to pursue it with an iron horse.
"Dodge County-Her iron ore, the Valley road the magic wand that turns it into gold.
"Fond du Lac County-She cannot wait to go east by water."
In the construction of this road many obstacles had to be met and overcome. The grading was not very difficult, but the miserable condition of the roads caused delays and amplified expense in getting the rails to the railroad bed, as they had to be hauled from Green Bay. The first engine was shipped to Sheboy- gan by way of Lake Michigan in 1852, and from there to Fond du Lac it was hauled by teams, composed of several yokes of oxen and teams of horses. Prog- ress over the road was slow and tedious and several weeks were taken up in accomplishing the unheard-of undertaking. This premier locomotive weighed fifteen tons (compare it with the monster engines of today) and was named "Winnebago." It performed valiant service on the road for many years and then passed the rest of its days of usefulness as a switch engine. The second engine came from Taunton, Massachusetts, and was taken from the boat at Sheboygan, the same as the "Winnebago." To transport this great bulk of iron and steel it required fourteen spans of oxen, seven teams of horses and six weeks to cover the distance of forty-five miles between the two points. This engine, named "Fountain City," was purchased by T. F. Strong, Sr., in 1853, when he leased the road, and eventually became the property of the Erie rail- way.
By the year 1853, the road had only been built to a distance of fifteen miles, but the grading was completed nearly to Chester. For lack of means the com- pany could go no further with the improvement, so that, in the year mentioned, Contractor Strong acquired control by lease and, with strap iron rails procured at Chicago, finished the road to Chester. But still the road failed to meet the anticipations of its promoters. The rails were of strap iron, laid on wooden sleepers, and for some distance cars were run on the sleepers without even the primitive rails. Necessarily, locomotion was slow and inadequate, consequently, in 1855, the city voted the issuance of $350,000 in bonds in aid of the road, the company was reorganized under the name of the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Railway and the line was pushed on to La Crosse Junction, Dodge county ; the same La Crosse now in the state of Minnesota.
In the meantime the company and the same contractors had built a line from Chicago to Janesville, under an Illinois charter, and in 1859 the legislature of Wisconsin authorized a reorganization of the company. Then it was that the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company came into existence and is now one of the greatest railway systems in the world. Contractor Strong completed the road and in 1860 trains were running to Oshkosh ; to Appleton in 1861 ; to Green Bay in 1862 and before the expiration of 1872 had made connection with lines running from the terminus at Ishpeming, Michigan, to Lake Superior, which are now parts of the great Northwestern system.
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
The Sheboygan & Fond du Lac railroad became a link in the Northwestern chain of roads by purchase in 1879. Early in 1846, the question of building a railroad between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan began to be agitated, which re- sulted in a charter being granted by the legislature in the winter of 1846-7. In February, 1847, Dr. Mason C. Darling, N. P. Tallmadge, John A. Eastman and Moses S. Gibson were appointed commissioners to organize a company, take subscriptions and issue stock. The capital stock was limited to $500,000 divided into 10,000 shares, each of the par value of $50, with privilege to begin work of grading when 200 shares had been subscribed for and delivered, subscribers to pay ten per cent in advance and balance in installments on call.
On March 11, 1847, a meeting was held at the court house (so-called) in Fond du Lac, which was attended by prominent citizens of Fond du Lac and Sheboygan; but nothing was done further than the making of enthusiastic speeches and the adoption of a set of resolutions. The matter remained in abeyance from this time on to March 8, 1852, when it was revivified by the legis- lature granting a charter to the Sheboygan & Mississippi Railroad Company, with power to build a road from Sheboygan to the Mississippi river. In the year 1853 the company was further empowered to build a branch road to the Fox river and, on April 5, 1853, the organization of the Sheboygan & Mississippi Railroad Company was perfected. At the time of the organization, however, it was mutually agreed that if the people of Sheboygan county and the city of Sheboygan would build the road as far as Glenbeulah, in Sheboygan county, that the city and county of Fond du Lac would continue the work to completion at their expense. Upon this understanding, the county of Sheboygan, city of Sheboygan and villages of Sheboygan Falls and Plymouth, voted bonds for the enterprise and a contract was entered into with eastern firms for the construc- tion of the line. On June 4, 1856, ground was broken at Sheboygan, at which time was held a great celebration, and after a suspension of work during the fall of 1857, operations were again taken up in the following summer and on the 17th day of January, 1859, cars were running into Sheboygan Falls. On the 6th of June following passengers were being carried on the line to Plymouth. At this period of the road's career it was prevented for a while from going for- ward, by reason of the refusal of the towns of Sheboygan Falls and Plymouth to aid the enterprise; but, by an arrangement soon completed with eastern capitalists, funds were obtained by which the rails were extended to Glenbeulah, this being accomplished March 29, 1860. This was the extent of building opera- tions on the western terminus of the road until 1869, when the road was com- pleted to Fond du Lac and trains were running on a regular schedule before the month of January had expired, after many disappointments and prolonged litigation over the payment of bonds voted by the county. On May 20, 1872, the road was completed to Princeton ; twenty-six years after the first dirt on the road had been thrown for the grading at Sheboygan. An extension was made to Grand Rapids and Marshfield in 1900. The road passes through the Fond du Lac towns of Marshfield, Taycheedah, Fond du Lac, Lamartine, Eldorado, Rosendale and Ripon. In 1879 it became the property of the Chicago & North- western railroad and is designated under that title.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, as it is now called, was char- tered in 1852 as the Milwaukee & La Crosse railroad, with termini at Horicon.
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in Dodge county, and Berlin, in Green Lake county, a distance of forty-two miles. The charter was issued by the secretary of state to John B. Smith, Jas- per Vliet, Daniel A. Richards and others, of Milwaukee. On February 15, 1856, the road had been completed to Waupun; on October 15, to Brandon; in November, to Ripon; and early in the year 1857 the line was in running opera- tion to Berlin. This road, like its predecessors, had its troubles and many of them. In 1859, it passed into the hands of L. Ward as receiver and remained until 1863, when it was bought by Russell Sage, Washington Hunt and other capitalists of Wall Street. Soon after, in the same year, the road was sold to the Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, then but recently organized and later, in 1875, reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul.
The Ripon & Winnebago Railroad Company was organized in 1856 by capital- ists of Ripon and Oshkosh, for the construction of a line between the two cities and part of the grade work had been accomplished when the company faced defeat in its endeavor through lack of funds. In 1870 the uncompleted road was sold and the new corporation took the name of the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad Company. To complete this line the city of Ripon and the town of the same name aided the work by donating $15,000 and $5,000 respectively, each re- ceiving therefor stock in the road at its par value. When the grading had been finished, however, the road was leased to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and is now a part of that great system of railroads.
The building of the "Air Line" railroad resulted from the primary enter- prise and efforts of C. J. L. Meyer, a pioneer merchant and financier of Fond du Lac, now deceased, and James Colman. Mr. Meyer long maintained that the city and county of Fond du Lac should have nearer and more direct com- munication with Milwaukee and, securing the interest and support of other moneyed men, he pushed the project forward and in 1871 a charter was granted the Milwaukee & Northwestern Railroad Company. Charles J. L. Meyer was chosen as president of the company by its directors; Harrison Ludington, of Milwaukee, vice president ; John S. McDonald, of Fond du Lac, secretary ; Wil- liam H. Hiner, of Fond du Lac, treasurer. The name of the corporation was changed, in 1872, to the Northwestern Union Railway Company and Mr. Meyer secured the right of way for the proposed improvement. Through his exposi- tion of the advantages that would accrue Mr. Meyer also induced the city of Fond du Lac to finance the scheme to the extent of $75,000; Washington county voted $55,000 ; the village of Kewaskum, Washington county, $15,000; West Bend, $25,000; Barton, $15,000; town of Ashford, in Fond du Lac county, $15,000. The work of grading for the track bed was commenced in 1872, but before the end of the year the road was sold to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company and finished by that corporation in 1873.
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