USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume I > Part 29
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GERMAN NATIONAL BANK
This bank was organized by L. D. Moses in 1889. L. D. Moses was selected as president ; and I. M. Dakin, cashier. A short time afterwards C. F. Schloerb acted as cashier for a time but Mr. Moses retiring from the presidency, in 1902 Charles Cowan was elected in his stead and J. L. Stone was made cashier. At the time of the organization of the bank a substantial stone building was erected for its quarters. This bank was capitalized at $50,000. In 1912 the old home of the First National Bank, adjoining, was purchased and both banking rooms were thrown into one. The front of the First National Bank building was remodeled to conform to the German National Bank building, so that practically a new and handsome building was the result.
In 1903 the capital stock was increased to $75,000 and in 1907 further enlarged to $100,000. At this writing, 1912, the capital is $100,000; surplus and undivided profits, $50,000 ; deposits, $880,000. The officials are : Charles Cowan, president ; H. J. Faust, vice president ; James L. Stone, cashier; A. B. Carter, assistant cashier.
BANKS OF WAUPUN
Strange to say, that part of Waupun which lies in Fond du Lac county does not contain a bank. They are all in the adjoining county, but Waupun in a great measure is looked upon as a Fond du Lac county entity, and for that reason Vol. 1-16
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the banks of Waupun are given a place in this chapter. The first bank organized in the village was in 1851 under the state banking law, and L. B. Hills was the manager during its three years' existence. It was known as the Bank of Waupun.
The Corn Exchange Bank was established by William Hobkirk in 1854 and remained among the business institutions of the place until 1875, when Manager William Hobkirk absconded with the greater part of the firm's assets. This fin- ished the Corn Exchange Bank's career.
The Citizens Bank of Waupun, organized in 1876 by Almon Atwood, only continued in business for the space of a year. The Exchange Bank of George Jess & Company was one of Waupun's substantial financial institutions from 1876 until 1885. when the business was sold to George W. Mitchell, of Milwau- kee, and.George F. Wheeler, of Waupun. Both of the purchasers are Fond du Lac county men and stockholders, and with others organized at this time the First National Bank of Waupun. L. D. Hinckley was made president ; W. Cald- well, vice president ; B. W. Davis, cashier.
The State Bank of Waupun was organized in 1903, with J. O. Hanson as president. The present head of the concern is S. M. Sherman.
BRANDON
The bank of Brandon is that of F. R. Foster & Son. It is capitalized at $50,000 and has deposits of $375,000. The members of the firm are F. R. Foster and J. W. Foster.
CAMPBELLSPORT
At Campbellsport is the First National Bank. The officers are : F. J. Barber, president ; John Loebs, vice president ; Albert S. Schwandt, cashier. The capi- tal stock is $25,000 and deposits are $130,000.
At Oakfield is the Bank of Oakfield. It is capitalized at $25,000 and has a surplus of $2,500. The officials are : F. J. Bristol, president ; C. G. Morgan, vice president ; W. E. Bristol, cashier.
At Rosendale is the Rosendale State Bank. It has a capital stock of $15,000. The officials are : W. J. Gillett, president; William Braatz, vice president ; Frank Bowe, cashier.
ST. MARY'S CHURCH, EDEN
HALL OF CATHOLIC ORDER OF FORESTERS, EDEN
CHAPTER XIV
TOWNS OF THE COUNTY
FOND DU LAC FIRST TOWN ORGANIZED-FIRST SETTLERS ON THE FARMS-ORGANIZ- ING AND NAMING NEW TOWNS- THEIR GROWTH AND VILLAGES-BIRTH OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
FOND DU LAC
In the organization of the towns Fond du Lac takes first place, as it included all the towns of the county at the time it was created. In 1839 it contained all the territory in the county with the exception of Calumet and Butte des Morts. The first town election was held in 1838 at the house of Edward Pier, and after the separation of Calumet and Butte des Morts in 1839, the election was held at the house of Mason C. Darling. By act of the legislature in 1842 it was made one of three towns-Fond du Lac, Waupun and Calumet, but now comprises only that territory in township 15, north, range 17 east. This does not include the city of Fond du Lac in the matter of local government, for in that regard the city of Fond du Lac is separate and apart from the town.
Fond du Lac township as now formed is bounded on the north by Winne- bago county and the town of Friendship, on the east by the towns of Taycheedah and Empire, south by Byron and west by Lamartine. In relation to the geog- raphy of the town, Nehemiah King, deputy surveyor, in June, 1835, made the following report : "This is a fine township. The prairie and woodland are good and deserving the attention of the farmers. The merchant and mechanic will soon find it to their interest to invest capital here. Its location is such that it cannot fail of becoming a place of considerable business. It commands a hand- some view of the lake and abounds in streams of water sufficiently large and rapid to drive mills. Along the shore there are evidences of Indian habitations. From the fertility of the soil and abundance of fish in the lake and streams, it is presumed this has been a favorite residence of theirs. In short, from the loca- tion of the Green Bay and Portage road and the probable location of other im- portant ones leading to and through it, its future prosperity is rendered almost certain. Along near the margin of the lake, however, there is some marsh but it is not without dry and solid ground for buildings."
The narrator herein referred to spoke principally of the conditions in this town for husbandry. The east and west branches of the Fond du Lac river traverse the township from the southwest and northwest and empty into Lake Winnebago, the northern limits of the city of Fond du Lac and de Neveu creek enters from the southeast and empties into the river. The soil is fertile and
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much of the land is good for grazing, which means the existence of a number of cheese factories and an industry that has given to those engaged in it a source of revenue that has been highly satisfactory. The cheese produced takes high rank in the markets of the country. The Chicago & Northwestern, the Soo (Wisconsin Central), and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroads cross the township, entering it from the south, southwest and southeast. The Fond du Lac Electric Railway cuts across section 4 and enters the city.
As a matter of course the history of Fond du Lac city practically includes that of the town. Colwert Pier and his brother, Edward Pier, became the first settlers, and the last named turned the first furrow of land in the county and town of Fond du Lac, breaking up some sixteen acres about a mile south of where the court house now stands, most probably in section 22. Here the Pier brothers sowed wheat, oats and peas.
In this town on the east side of the river Edward Pier occupied a log cabin, which was built in July. 1837, and was the second house in the town outside the village. This structure had neither 'doors nor windows for some time. In the fall of 1837 Colwert Pier sowed a patch of winter wheat, obtaining the seed at Green Bay, and the wheat was threshed in the summer of 1838 and furnished enough seed for the settlers for the next year's crop. Harriet Pier taught the first school in Edward Pier's cabin.
The first mill to be built in the town of Fond du Lac was commenced by John Drake, of Warren county, New Jersey, and Charles C. Pinckney Arndt, of Green Bay. They had secured of the Fond du Lac Company the land and water privilege in the east half of the northeast quarter of section 20. Under the con- tract with the Fond du Lac Company, Drake and Arndt had agreed to finish the mill within a certain time, which they failed to do, and by reason of their not meeting the conditions of the contract, the property reverted to the Fond du Lac Company, who sold the mill site and water privilege, together with the im- provements named, to Dr. M. C. Darling, in May, 1838. Dr. Darling completed the mill and sold a half interest in it to John Bannister and A. D. Clark for $300. This primitive mill became widely known as the Clark mill and there was cut the first lumber in Fond du Lac.
The first death and the first burial in the town of Fond du Lac and county, was that of Mrs. Colwert Pier, and it might be here stated that many of the first occurrences of the county took place in what is now the present city of Fond du Lac, so that what remains to be said of the town of Fond du Lac will appear in the chapter devoted to the city of that name.
CALUMET
The town of Calumet takes its name from the Menomonee Indians' village of that name, which was located on the northeast quarter of section 27. As is well known, the word translated into English means pipe. The territory be- longed to Calumet county until 1840, when, on application to the legislature by Rev. George White, it was set off from Calumet and joined to Fond du Lac and organized as a town in 1842. It is bounded on the north by Calumet county, on the east by Calumet county and the town of Marshfield, on the south by the towns of Marshfield and Taycheedah and on the west by Lake Winnebago. The
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
soil of Calumet town is fertile and productive. It is a mixture of red loam and black sand. The south branch of the Manitowoc river enters the town from the north and with several other streams the town is well watered and drained. There are a number of cheese factories and the manufacture of this product of the farms has become a very important industry. The town has good schools and well attended churches.
A writer who had traversed this section of the county in 1834 had the fol- lowing to say: "That part of this fractional township lying east of the stream (Manitowoc river) is rather low, though on the whole it might be considered first rate land. The soil is very deep and rich with fewer stones than are found farther east. The stream is sluggish and muddy. No wild animals ford it. The marsh has on it deep water and the grass is very thin. West of the stream the land is high and mostly open, with a suitable quantity of good timber and water in the prairies. Numerous trees were observed to have been cut here by In- dians for honey bees." That was before the county had been settled by a white person but the years have brought many changes for the better and the farms in this town, many of them, are the admiration of all who behold them. The buildings are modern and commodious and of fine appearance. The fields are well fenced and most of the roads are excellent.
The first settlement in Calumet was made by Rev. George White, near what was afterwards known as Pipe Village. At about the same time William Ermston and a Mr. Norton located near by, and a little later a company of Germans set- tled in the north part of the town, which then formed a part of Calumet county and came to the locality through descriptions furnished by Rev. White. In 1840, as has been said, Mr. White induced the legislature to set off this part of Calumet county and join it to Fond du Lac. The town was organized March 8, 1839, but was reorganized in 1842, the first election being held in April of that year at the house of Rev. George White. Mr. White was elected chairman and Charles. Amidon, clerk, but who were elected to attend to the affairs of the town at that time cannot be stated from any data now at hand.
The town of Calumet is probably the most picturesque in Fond du Lac county. Herman Beeson in 1851 erected a stone flouring mill close to the lake shore and a little below Pipe Village, and in 1854 another mill was erected by a Mr. Allen on the road from Taycheedah to Pipe Village. It was run by water carried high in the air to a very large overshot wheel. In 1838 Pipe Village, now almost extinct, was a place of considerable importance. It contained a general store and was the trading point for many German settlers.
Calumetville was also of considerable consequence as a trading point in early days. At one time there were more votes cast there than at Fond du Lac. This town is about fourteen miles northeast of Fond du Lac and has a postoffice and general store. There is also a lodge of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs that meet in the temple.
Garnett is a discontinued postoffice on section 17, sixteen miles northeast of Fond du Lac, as is also Marytown, twenty miles northeast of Fond du Lac. Mail is received here by rural delivery from Calvary.
Johnsburg, thirteen miles northeast of Fond du Lac, is nothing but a trading point, with St. John's Catholic church and parochial school. This postoffice has also been discontinued.
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On section 4 on the banks of Lake Winnebago is Winnebago Park, a resort which is frequented during the season by people from far and near.
The town of Calumet is, generally speaking, a good farming and grazing community. Fruit trees are easily cultivated and bear in comparative abundance. Grazing is quite good and roads unusually so. Farm houses and other buildings are well built and well kept up, and generally speaking, the farmers are prosperous and contented. There are a number of good schools in the town, and the citizens are a church-going people.
TAYCHIEEDAH
Taycheedah, originally spelled Tee-charrah, takes its name from a village which was the camping ground of a local tribe of Indians. It was first settled by Francis D. McCarty and Reuben Simmons, who lived in the south part of the town from 1838 to the spring of 1839. In the spring of the year last mentioned, Reuben Simmons built a house near his dwelling place for James Duane Doty and Mr. McCarty erected one for himself where the village of Taycheedah now stands. O. P. Knapp entered land in the summer of 1838 in the timber further north, which was the first settlement in that part of the county. After this many settlers were attracted from New York, Ohio and New England to Taycheedah and were delighted upon viewing the beautiful springs bursting from the Ledge.
The town of Taycheedah was named by Governor James Duane Doty and from the fact that the first election was held in April, 1847, it is to be supposed that the town was organized at that time. George D. Ruggles was elected chairman and Charles Doty, town clerk. Early in its history there was very fine timber and the prairie was low and wet but made fine pasturage. The soil, however, is rich and productive and now consists of some of the finest farms in Fond du Lac county. This town lies on the east side of Lake Winnebago and has for its northern boundary the town of Calumet. Marshfield lies to the east of it and on the south is the town of Empire. The Sheboygan & Fond du Lac Railway, now a part of the Northwestern system, enters the township at section 13, and following a southwesterly course, touches the southern part of the village, where there is a station. The village of Taycheedah is practically the beginning of the history of this town. It was settled early in the history of the county. Among the first comers were George W. Elliott, Nathaniel Perry, B. F. Smith, John Case and Walter Cunningham. John W. Philbrick and family were members of the colony in 1842 and the first tin shop in the county was opened there by Mr. Philbrick. The first hotel was built as early as 1840 by B. F. Smith. It was kept first by Francis D. McCarty, then by John Case, and later by Nathaniel Perry. The build- ing was later moved to Scott street in Fond du Lac by B. F. Moore, where it was destroyed by fire. In 1842 George Carlton opened a dry-goods store and in the same year a schoolhouse was built under the direction and at the expense of James Duane Doty, Henry Conklin and the two Moores. Henry Conklin, a native of New York, on coming to the county brought his family with him. He also had in his possession at that time a bell taken from the wrecked steamer, Advocate, which plied on the Hudson river. Mr. Conklin first used this bell on his farm south of Taycheedah and after the schoolhouse was built it was placed on top of
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CATHOLIC CHURCH, CAMPBELLSPORT
HIGH SCHOOL, CAMPBELLSPORT
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FIRST STATE BANK
FIRST STATE BANK, CAMPBELLSPORT
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
the building and served to call the children to their duties. This was the first bell in the county.
The first store at the village of Taycheedah was opened by J. L. Moore and his brother-in-law, B. F. Moore, both of whom later became members of the La Belle Wagon Works at Fond du Lac. The store was opened in 1841 and did a brisk business with the Brothertown Indians, who paid for articles needed, large amounts in cash and also bartered furs for what they desired to exchange. A warehouse was connected with the store, which was destroyed by fire in 1844. Merchandise and wheat to the value of $6,000 were lost.
The first postmaster was Nathaniel Perry.
In 1848 a large stone flouring mill was built on the lake shore, which was burned in 1854. A steam sawmill was built in 1850 by O. R. Potter and that, too, was burned two or three years later. J. L. Ault and a man by the name of Law- rence started the first blacksmith shop in the village, which must have been but a short time after the first settlers had come there.
Taycheedah is not today the village of importance it was earlier in its history. It lost its character as a trading point soon after Dr. Darling made overtures to settlers to come to Fond du Lac. It is but a station on the Chicago & North- western railroad and has a store and a tavern.
Peebles is a postoffice and station on the Chicago & Northwestern railway and lies in section 32 in the town of Taycheedah, five miles northeast of Fond du Lac. It has a cheese factory and general store and was named after E. Peebles. There is also a hotel, creamery and elevator.
Silica is. a discontinued postoffice and is a station on the Chicago & Northwest- ern railroad. It lies in section 15 and is eight miles northeast of Fond du Lac.
Malone is a postoffice and station on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad. It lies in section 13 and is ten and a half miles northeast of Fond du Lac. There is a general store and saloon, where is also kept farm implements. The hamlet also has an elevator.
Among the old settlers of this town may be mentioned George D. Ruggles, George W. Elliott, F. S. Crons, John Ilett, Charles Geisse, O. R. Potter, B. F. Smith. B. F. O'Laughlin, Michael Wirtz, Charles Doty, William White, J. D. Van Plack, C. W. Tallmadge, John Elwell, Cromwell Laith, William Craig. J. M. Mitchell, O. H. Petters, James O'Neill, William Bassett, S. D. Schooley, Frank Harzheim, Paul Buchholz, Joseph Ditter and B. Adleman.
EMPIRE
Empire was originally a part of Taycheedah. In 1851 an act of the legisla- ture separated the two townships. Governor Doty entered the first land in what is now covered by the town of Empire and thereon built the first frame building to be erected in the county. This was in 1837. The first settlers in the town- ship were Gustave deNeveu and his hired man, A. T. Denniston and family. Soon after his arrival here Mr .. deNeveu built a log house in May, 1838, and on his place the lake now known by his name is located. The first election held in this town was in 1851 at the Meiklejohn schoolhouse.
The southeast portion of Empire town was originally heavily timbered. The Ledge extends the whole distance across its west side. The east and some of
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
the south portions abound in hay marshes and the balance is composed of oak openings. The soil is warm and quick. Springs abound, especially along the Ledge. A large one exists on what was at one time known as the Phelps farm, and another on the G. deNeveu farm, also on David Giddings' place, on the old Henry Conklin and John Westervelt farms. The streams on the east flow through Sheboygan river to Lake Michigan, while those from the west empty into Lake Winnebago. There is considerable lime stone which has been largely quar- ried and much of the stone converted into lime. In the broken places, of which there are many, are found splendid sheep pastures, building wood and stone fit for commercial use. On section 17 at one time early in the town's history, stood what was known as the Empire Woolen Mills, which turned out an excellent quality of goods. There are three cheese factories, good schoolhouse and a church in the southern part of the town. The community is devoid of a village or railroad, a branch of the Northwestern just missing its southwest corner.
The first school taught in this town was in 1847 by Miss E. Maxwell. By 1854 the town contained three schoolhouses. Soon after its erection Peter Vander- voort, a Methodist exhorter, who had settled in the town of Eden, held the first religious services there. The first births in the town were in the families of G. de Neveu, A. T. Denniston and Luke Laborde, in the year 1839.
Beautiful Rienzi cemetery, which belongs to the city of Fond du Lac, is located on sections 18 and 19 in the town of Empire. The Methodists on the 16th of March, 1850, having already organized the society, met to devise means for build- ing a church. Logs were hauled on to the ground but they were never put in place and rotted there. The project was revived in 1866. At that time Theron Berry donated ground for a building site and a gift of $200 by Hannah Thorn, of Lock- port, New York, was followed by other subscriptions from others in the towns of Byron and Empire, and a church was built at a cost of $3,000. The dedica- tion took place July 28, 1867. The first pastor was Rev. J. W. LaFever, and the first trustees were John Berry, A. T. Germond, H. Westervelt, B. White, R. Willis, Thomas Mayhew. L. H. Jennings, W. M. Dusenberry and John Vinton. The cemetery attached to the church property came through the management of the Cemetery Association, composed of John Berry. T. J. Daugherty, E. Vincent and others. The land was bought of J. V. Jewell, to which another acre was attached in 1879.
Empire township is bounded on the north by Taycheedah, east by Forest, south by Eden and west by Fond du Lac.
BYRON
The town of Byron was organized in 1846. William Stewart was elected chair- man and Orrin Morris, at whose house the first election was held, town clerk. The town lines were run during the winter of 1834-5. Hiram Burnham running the sections and quarter sections in the latter part of 1835. The territory of this town consists of township 14 north and range 17 east by the government sur- vey and contains 231,123 acres of land, lacking a fraction. It is bounded on the north by Fond du Lac, on the east by Eden, on the south by Dodge county, and on the west by Oakfield. The face of the country before improvements began pre- sented a pleasing variety of prairie, oak openings, marsh and timber land, undulated
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by gentle ascents and declivities. There is, however, a bold elevation where the ridge passes through the town, which in several places breaks out with a rugged front. Streams and brooks are frequent but not as abundant in this as in some. of the other towns. The springs furnish some of the head waters of the east branch of Fond du Lac river. The south part of Fond du Lac prairie stretches into Byron. Mound prairie, near the center of the town, is more elevated, lying above the ridge. The soil is generally fertile and easy of tillage, the more elevated part of the town being dry and warm.
The first settlements were made in 1839 by John Case, Oscar Pier, Patrick Kelly and William Stewart, and commenced improvements a little east of the middle of the north line of the town, which location was rich prairie and oak timber lands, there being in the vicinity a beautiful grove and small brook flow- ing through it. John Parsons arrived soon after from England, locating upon a tract of land about a mile farther west, and James Balson and Samuel Butler set- tled in the neighborhood in the fall of 1842. John Potts, with his wife and four children, came to the town in the summer of 1844 and settled on Mound prairie. His first habitation was made of crotched poles, stuck in the ground, and covered with grass and blankets. He soon, however, had a log rolling, conducted by laborers obtained from an adjoining neighborhood. Another settlement sprang. up soon after the arrival of Hiram Merriam, Jabez C. Clemens and Jonas C. Reynolds in 1845; the Bullocks, Churchills and Roans settled in the southeasterly part of the town and a month later Sumner Sweet and Joseph Nightingale became members of the neighborhood and were soon thereafter joined by others. These pioneers shared the many privations and difficulties common to a new country. They had no difficulty in raising corn but were often put to loss as to how to have it ground. Mills were few and far between and as the demand upon them became greater, days would elapse before a settler could return home with his grist. Rev. Mr. Vaughn, who had settled near by, once sent his son to mill and told him to wait for his grinding. The boy was gone ten days. It is said that Mr. Reynolds once paid $14.50 for the milling of twenty bushels of grain, which undoubtedly was an exorbitant price, even for that day, as money was very scarce and difficult to obtain.
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