USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume I > Part 38
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"The Catholic church was organized in 1848, with about thirty members, under the administration of Father Rerhl, who resided at that time in Calumet. But as their numbers increased they built a church edifice and the congregation was watched over by Father Anthony Godfert. who, after staying three years, was suc- ceeded by Father Louis Dael, who is now (1854) in charge. The church now numbers about two thousand members, though not all residents of the city.
"St. Patrick's Temperance Society was organized on the 17th of March, 1854, with about fifteen members. It now numbers two hundred and fifty, not one of whom has broken the pledge. They hold their meetings the first of each month, when an address is delivered by some one of the members. The Catholics are about to erect a spacious church edifice 130 feet long by 60 feet wide, to be built of stone. They intend to have it completed the present year.
"The first regular missionary of the Methodist Episcopal church who preached in Fond du Lac county was Jesse Halsted, who formed a class in Taycheedah, in 1842. In 1848, Rev. Harvey Bronson organized the Methodist Episcopal church in the village of Fond du Lac, with six members. The presiding elders to the present time (1854) have been W. H. Sampson, W. Wilcox and W. G. Miller. The pastors have been H. Bronson, Joseph Lewis, M. L. Noble, H. R. Colman, H. Requa. J. S. Prescott, E. Tucker and E. S. Grumley. There was a second church formed in the north ward in 1852. The south ward church now num- bers (1854) one hundred and thirty-eight.
"The First Baptist church of Fond du Lac was instituted May 21, 1845, with eight members. H. Hovey, W. H. Card and S. Cornelius, Jr. have successively been pastors of the church. Since the settlement of the present pastor, a com- modious and convenient house of worship has been erected through his persever- ing efforts, at a cost of $3,000. The present number of members (1854) is about seventy.
."The Congregational church, the largest protestant church in the city, was organized by Rev. Stephen Peet, July 20, 1845. It consisted at its organization of nine members. In September, 1846, Rev. L. C. Spafford assumed the pastoral charge of the church and continued in that relation until the autumn of 1852. In 1849 a house of worship was erected at a cost of $900. When Mr. Spafford left the church, it numbered some seventy-five members. In June, 1853, Rev. Silas Hawley, Jr., of the presbytery of Geneva, New York, became pastor of the church. In the autumn ensuing, such was the increase of the congregation that a large addition was made to the house of worship. But such has been, and is still
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
(1854) the crowded state of their house, that the members are about to erect one of the largest and finest church edifices in the state. It will accommodate at least one thousand. They have an architect now east to procure the best model. Dur- ing the brief pastorate of Mr. Hawley, there has been an increase of the members of the church of seventy-five persons.
"St. Paul's church of Fond du Lac was organized September 4, 1849. The number of communicants at that time was four; at the present time (1854), forty-four. The edifice was completed and consecrated July 18, 1852. Rev. Joshua Sweet became rector of the parish September 4. 1849, and resigned June 24, 1854.
"There are now (1854) in the city of Fond du Lac nine physicians, two den- tists, sixteen lawyers, two landscape and portrait painters, three daguerrean artists, two joiner shops, five carriage factories, five tinshops, three saddle and harness shops, one tallow chandlery, eight boot and shoe stores, one brewery, four cooper shops, one billiard room, three saloons, thirteen groceries where liquors are sold, thirteen grocery and provision stores, one jewelry and music store, one gun and ammunition store, five blacksmith shops, three livery stables, two cabinet and chair factories, one book bindery, three bakeries, thirteen dry-goods stores, one leather store, two hat and cap stores, two drug stores, four clothing stores, two tailor shops, one candy factory, three meat markets, one plow factory, one fanning mill shop, three bookstores, one music store, two oil and glass stores, one tobacco and cigar factory, one cap factory, two barber shops, one paint shop, one water power sawmill, one sash, door and blind factory, two steam sawmills, one steam power planing machine, six millinery stores, eight hotels, one bank, one bank of exchange and brokerage, twelve lumber merchants, two hardware stores, one jewelry store and one county jail without an occupant.
"Between the opening of the spring and July 10, 1854, there were erected in the city of Fond du Lac ninety-seven new buildings. There were between two hundred and fifty and three hundred mechanics employed in the place, besides the common day laborers. The annual sales of several of the leading dry-goods houses average about $30,000 each; the grocery and provision stores, $10,000; clothing stores, $10,000, and hardware, $35,000. The annual sales of each of the tin and stove stores average about $10,000, and of meat markets, $10,000. The amount of lumber sold annually is estimated at over 12,000,000 feet. About 6,000,000 shingles are manufactured and sold each year. The population of the city is estimated at a fraction less than 5,000. Since 1850 (to 1854) the capital and business of the place have increased in a higher ratio than the population, which has at least doubled. In the meantime the resident lawyers have decreased forty per cent and places for the sale of intoxicating drinks, about fifty per cent. These, together with the fact that in the county jail there is not a prisoner, are encouraging tokens that the civilization and morality of the city are improving. There are four daily mails to Fond du Lac and eight weekly and tri-weekly mails. Since the postoffice was established in 1838, it has been in charge of John Bannis- ter, M. C. Darling, Thomas Green, J. A. Eastman, Samuel Ryan, Jr., C. W. Tompkins and G. W. Weikert. Its present revenues (1854) are $1,824. There are received at the office weekly, seventy-five mails, and the same number made up, besides the distribution of twenty-five bags of newspapers."
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
THE POSTOFFICE
Before an office had been regularly established by the government, Colwert Pier acted as postmaster for the villagers, receiving and distributing what little mail matter came to the settlement at his home, in the double log cabin erected by the Fond du Lac Company. He received the first letters, February 5, 1838, the same being brought to his door by a half-breed Indian, named Baptiste La- vigne, who carried his pack and trudged the Indian trails on his route from one village to another. There were no postage stamps in those days nor envelopes and the recipient of a letter paid the postmaster from ten cents to twenty-five cents for the missive before delivery. Pier eventually received his commission and a delivery of mail was made twice a month. Lavigne was succeeded as mail carrier by "Uncle" William Stewart, a Scotchman, who was alleged to have been a deserter from the English army. Stewart afterwards took up farming in the town of Byron and later in Eden. He proved himself an industrious and good citizen. For a period of ten years he served with credit and general satisfaction on the board of supervisors. He died a number of years ago. His predecessor Billy Lavigne, or Lalone, was a prime favorite. He died near Racine in 1903.
The second postmaster in Fond du Lac county was John Bannister, a civil engineer, who had come to the settlement of Fond du Lac from Green Bay early in the year 1838. He first had his quarters in the old Fond du Lac House, but later moved to a building which he had erected. Dr. Mason C. Darling was appointed postmaster in 1839 and served until 1842, when Thomas Green took charge of the office. Three years later, or in 1845, John A. Eastman was the incumbent. He retained his position until 1849. when Samuel Ryan was appointed. Ryan only remained one year and in 1850 E. C. Tompkins was the postmaster, continuing as such until 1852. That year George W. Weikert re- ceived his commission and was at the head of the office until 1861, having been reappointed in 1857. His successor was John C. Lewis, who gave way in 1865 to the noted General Edward S. Bragg. General Bragg served but one year, when he turned over the office to J. M. Gillet. The latter remained but one year and in 1867 R. M. Lewis received the appointment and assumed the duties of postmaster. In 1869 came James Coleman and his successors were: I. N. Hauser, 1877; Thomas Spence, 1877; George E. Sutherland, 1883; Samuel M. Smead, 1885 ; James T. Green, 1889 : Samuel M. Smead, 1894; Frank M. Givens. 1897 ; Frank M. Givens, 1901 ; Frank M. Givens, 1905; George W. Watson, 1909.
When Dr. Darling was appointed postmaster he removed the office from the Company building to his own house, on the corner of Main and First streets. John Eastman, a lawyer, distributed the mail from his office, on the west side of Main, between First and Second streets. Ryan kept the office on the east side of Main near Forest, and Tompkins, removing it to his law office, on the west side of Main between First and Second streets. In 1855 Postmaster Weikert moved the office to the west side of Main street below Division and when Lewis came in he moved the office to the rear of the First National Bank building on Forest street. General Bragg kept the office in the Amory building, corner of Macy and Division streets, and when James Coleman took up his duties of postmaster he moved the office to the corner of Forest and Macy streets, where a building had been especially constructed for postoffice purposes. Here the postoffice remained
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Elks' Club House
Masonic Temple
Public Library
Fond du Lac County Courthouse
VIEWS OF FOND DU LAC
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
until 1906, when it was installed in the present federal building erected at a cost of $65,000.
In 1865. a money order department was established in this office and free postal delivery in 1888. In 1900 the government inaugurated the free delivery of mail in the rural districts of the county, beginning with two routes. Now there are nine. Recently this office has been made a postal bank station and in the year 1912, the receipts of the Fond du Lac office reached the thousands in dollars, a far cry from the $1.50 received by the first postmaster during his one year's incumbency.
In 1838, a half-breed Indian carried the mail sack on his back and walked from Green Bay, making a trip every two weeks. Today, several mails are re- ceived daily and carried to the home, not only of the urbanite, but also to the home of the farmer in every part of the county.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
As the village of Fond du Lac began to grow and the houses became more numerous and closer together, the necessity of some means of protection against fire was brought to the notice of the early settler, so that, in March, 1848, the authorities appointed John Bannister and A. L. Ellsworth fire wardens, whose duties were of a police nature, in that they were required to inspect the various houses of the village and see to it that each owner was well provided with buck- ets and water, to be used in case of a conflagration. In May of the following year the citizens petitioned the village trustees to purchase a fire engine. The petition was not granted but, to appease the villagers in a manner, three fire wardens were appointed the following year : E. W. Davis, C. A. Goss and W. A. Dewey. They were charged with the duty of attending and superintending all fires. It was also ordered by the trustees that all citizens, when called upon, should assist the fire wardens and upon refusal to obey should be liable to a fine of five dollars and costs. The real beginning of the Fond du Lac fire department, however, was when a "bucket brigade" was organized, on the 3d day of Septem- ber. 1849. At the organizing meeting E. W. Davis presided and J. Hall tran- scribed the proceedings. Pledges were extracted from members to "dip, stand in line and pass it, or throw water," and when all preliminaries had been con- summated buckets, hooks and ladders were purchased by the city. Another order issued by the village trustees was to the effect, that in case of fire, any pails or buckets on sale at the stores might be seized by the bucket brigade, if necessary, and if damaged, the owner should recoup his loss from the village treasury. In one instance. G. N. Lyman's store was left without one receptacle for carrying water.
The bucket company could do good service when all things were favorable. But when a fire sprung on the hardy citizens at a time that the weather froze the water in the buckets before they could be passed from one end of the line to the other, resulting in a serious loss of property, then the "village dads" woke up and, in 1854, authorized K. A. Darling to purchase a fire engine. He found at Troy, New York, a hand "machine" which he purchased for the village and for which the latter paid $2,800. This called for an organized fire company, which was formed in November, 1854.
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
Washington Volunteer Company, No. 1, got the inspiration for its formation in a meeting held in the rear of Darling, Wright & Company's Bank, on the corner of Main and First streets, in November, 1854, which was attended by K. A. Darling, George W. Sawyer, C. N. Snell, Thomas H. Green, D. W. C. Wright, L. F. Stowe, Edward Farnsworth, C. L. Pierce and C. M. Bowen. K. A. Dar- ling was elected foreman, C. N. Snell, first assistant, and Thomas H. Green, sec- ond assistant. L. F. Stowe was elected captain of the hose company, and George W. Sawyer, secretary. The name of "Washington Volunteer Company, No. 1," was adopted. The strength of the company was limited to fifty mem- bers, among whom were: D. Everett Hoskins. C. F. Kalk, E. A. Carey, Allan Carswell, E. A. Brown, C. Childs, Thomas S. Weeks, James W. Partridge, N. L. Bullis, A. B. Taylor, George Burrows, George Burrows, Jr., Thomas Heathcote, Jerome Gibson, John S. Burrows, T. W. Dee, John J. Metsgar, Louis Rupp, Charles Chandler, Dana C. Lamb, W. A. Tanner, Louis Darling, A. T. Little, O. D. Cory, S. A. Dudley, John B. Wilbor, C. N. Kendall, Henry Shattuck, Asa Pierce, T. G. Adams, I. K. Hamilton, William Burrows, D. R. Curran, S. E. Lef- ferts, C. H. Tuttle, J. H. Gibson, D. C. Hutchinson, C. L. Alling, Oscar Bonnell, David Sickles, Delos A. Ward, J. C. Lowell, Mr. Windecker, Volney Chapman, John J. Beeson, L. W. Parmelee, John C. Kenneally, J. M. Taylor, J. G. Miller, A. G. Butler, A. P. Swineford, E. H. Little, F. N. Violet, L. F. Stowe, David Palmer, John Bonnell, William Sealey, Isaac S. Sherwood, C. M. Bowen, J. V. Frost, Fred Spink, C. L. Pierce, J. W. Benson, E. J. Hodges, John Warner, H. J. Hopkins.
The company served under the following foremen: Keyes A. Darling, D. E. Hoskins, D. W. C. Wright, C. L. Pierce, Thomas W. Dee, Charles Chandler, A. T. Little, J. W. Benson, W. G. Curtis, Thomas Heathcote, D. R. Curran, J. G. Miller, E. J. Hodges, L. W. Parmelee, John C. Kenneally and John Davis.
Fountain City Company, No. 2, was organized in May, 1857, with James W. Partridge, foreman ; Edward S. Bragg, first assistant; J. B. McCall, second as- sistant ; W. T. Coneys, third assistant; and Milton Ewen, captain of the hose company. The Fountain City Company had a Button hand engine. Winnebago Fire Company, No. 3, was organized May 16, 1857. Charles R. Harrison was foreman ; Alexander White, first assistant; W. B. Morgan, second assistant ; John S. McDonald, secretary and treasurer. In 1866 this company got an A. B. Taylor steamer and turned its old Button hand engine over to a new company. Fire Engine Company, No. 4. was organized December 10, 1866, and took the Winnebago's discarded Button hand engine. Frank Seymore was foreman; G. H. Tuttle, first assistant : Ed Seymore, second assistant ; and Solon W. Edson, secretary.
Aetna Fire Company, No. 5, was organized October 25, 1874, with M. Rich- ard, foreman; A. M. Green, first assistant; F. Werner, second assistant; F. J. Martin, captain of the hose company; W. H. Hurley, secretary ; and George B. Dana, treasurer. That same year the council purchased for the company the self-propeller "Alexander White." Fountain City Hook & Ladder Company, No. I, was organized February 20, 1862. S. Eudemiller was foreman ; M. Kar- stens, first assistant ; M. Krembs, second assistant; Joseph Wolf, treasurer; and C. A. Handt, secretary.
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VOLUNTEER HOOK AND LADDER COMPANY, NO. 1, FOND DU LAC
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
These volunteer fire companies existed until August 7, 1878, when the pres- ent municipal fire department was organized.
A. T. Glaze came to Fond du Lac in 1850, but a short time after the organ- ization of the first volunteer fire company. He writes of his own knowledge the history of the different organizations of the kind in Fond du Lac and his style of narration adds very much to the interest of the tale. In his history of Fond du Lac county he has this pertinent sketch :
"In the earliest days of the Fond du Lac fire department, old No. I engine and accompanying hose cart were housed on the west side of Main street, op- posite Third, and over the ravine. K. A. Darling was the first foreman of the company, and D. W. C. Wright was the first hose captain. The first steamer was also housed there for a time. The boys used to congregate there evenings and have a lively time. North of the engine house was J. L. Ault's shop, where he made lightning rods and made and repaired steel plows. Barnett had a cab- inet shop on the ground where Blankenburg was then on the east side of Main street.
"When Fond du Lac bought its first apparatus, old No. I, which was given the name of Washington Volunteer Fire Company No. I, in the summer of 1854, Azro Taylor was chosen first fire chief, and held the office several years. He was succeeded by Allan Carswell, a dry-goods man, of the firm of Carswell & Dee, a stubborn Scotchman but a good fire fighter. Next came Alexander White, and since then numerous men have served in that office but it is doubtful if any have been more efficient. In 1856 we got two Waterford engines, Fountain City No. 2, Foreman E. S. Bragg, located at Arndt and Brooke streets, where No. 3 is yet. We then felt competent to fight almost any fire, yet in 1860 we bought a steam fire engine, an Amoskeog machine, put it in charge of No. I company and Johnny Hardenburg as engineer ran it. Later on the self-propeller Alexander White was bought and we have that machine yet, but not as a self-propeller- that feature was soon abandoned.
"One night the engine house took fire and among the damages to be invoiced was the burning of two of the wheels of the steamer. George Pike, the engineer of the steamer, was mad beyond endurance, but he got over it after a few days. The engine house was then moved to West Second street, to about where the gas office is now .. This building was not strong enough for the rough usage and weight it had to carry, and Chief Marshal A. B. Taylor, by direction of the coun- cil, at last provided quarters to be permanent, by sending No. I to where it is now and has been for more than thirty years.
"In the meantime another steamer was bought and housed with No. 2, No. I still having the first steamer. Moses Nightengale was the engineer of the new machine. But not long after, agitation began for the purchase of a self-propeller and a committee was sent to an Illinois city where one was in use, to inquire about it. This committee, with Alexander White at the head, reported favorably and the machine was purchased and Johnny Hardenburg was appointed engineer to run it. At its first fire on Portland street, it got stuck in the mud so tight that the self-propelling machinery could not pull it out and horses had to be used. In fact it was soon found that our streets were not sufficiently improved for such a machine and the self-propelling feature was abandoned. It was named Alexander White, and its main merit was that it could pump a very large amount
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
of water. In this year of 1905. the city still owns this machine and No. I steamer. After the coming of the Alexander White, No. I was transferred to No. 3 house. Fire Company No. 4. located on Military street, afterwards at the five points, and it got the old No. 1 machine, while No. I house took the hook and ladder apparatus. No. 5 Fire Company was also formed and located on Main street, where it is yet. It was composed of husky middletown young men, but lasted only a few years as a distinct volunteer organization. At the county fair in 1875, No. 2 and No. 4 competed for a silver trumpet in making a half mile run and laying 500 feet of hose. No. 4 won and the men of that company thought they were entitled to the care of No. 2 steamer, and as they did not get it, they dis- banded. But the beginning of the end of the volunteer fire department was at hand. Jealousy had crept in more or less all around and culminated on July 4, 1877. Nos. 1 and 2 wanted Azro Taylor for chief fire marshal, and Nos. 3 and 5 wanted George P. Dana. The latter was elected and the order for the depart- ment to turn out for the 4th of July parade, came from him. Rebellion was abroad and when the parade reached Second street, No. I left the ranks and dis- banded. The council looked upon it indifferently, as horses were now in use to haul the machines and drag-ropes were of little use. A paid department was then put into service and has continued ever since most efficiently.
"When the waterworks came in 1885, there was practically an end of pump- ing by engines and our No. 2 steamer was sold, as well as the hand machines. The Alexander White is kept in repair and ready for emergencies, but No. I would need overhauling if desired for use. For some years the hook and lad- der house was on East First street, where the residence of Mrs. Payne now stands, but it has not been there since 1882. The No. 2 house is now and has been for some years a modest but neat dwelling on the north side of Division street, near Main. No. 4 house has also been a dwelling on Military street for many years. Nos. I, 3 and 5 are in daily use by the department. They have been changed and repaired many times, but with the waterworks system there is less wear and tear. With forty to sixty men making the engine house head- quarters for recreation as well as business, running out the machine every few nights for practice. and the general roughness which all this naturally brings, is suggestive of frequent repairs. But who will imagine that the old volunteer fire department did not fulfill an important mission and do an important work? Complaints of inefficiency were sometimes heard, but they may have originated in the talk of croakers, while sensible people remembered the sort of appliances they had to work with and the many difficulties they had to encounter, and es- pecially as to water supply. But there is another feature to be put into the credit side of the ledger in making up the account of the old fire department. The engine houses kept many men from loafing in saloons, barrooms and on street corners. The men were interested in their fire companies, and almost nightly could be found in their engine houses in association with their fellows. The department did fulfill a mission other than that of fire fighting.
"From the time Fond du Lac Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1853. until 1859, when the steamers came and the boys no longer 'run wid der masheen,' the firemen's dances were a marked social feature every winter. They had the earnest support of the best class of citizens and were under the control of men of high standing. Most of these firemen's dances were arranged and
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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY
were under the control of Fire Company No. I, but No. 2 had them occasionally. No. 3 still less frequent and No. 4, seldom or never. No. I seemed to be com- posed largely of dancing men. No. 2, with General Bragg as foreman, was composed of business men who cared little for dancing. No. 3 was a lower town organization of leading men, headed by C. R. Harrison, Alexander White and B. F. Sweet, and No. 4 had a sort of sickly existence of a few years at the 'five points.' For foremen at different times, No. I had George W. Sawyer, A. B. Taylor, J. V. McCall, Ed. J. Hodges and D. W. C. Wright. Among the hose captains were Milt. Ewen, Tom Green, Tom Weeks and Fred Kalk. Truly was old No. I a lively set of fellows. But in 1858 the city got its first fire steamer and the downfall of the old fire department began and the grand old firemen's dances ceased. The last one seems to have been in January, 1861, in Amory Hall.
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