USA > Wisconsin > Winnebago County > History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People > Part 32
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The lands north of the river, as explained in other places in this work, remained Indian lands, and no one was permitted to settle on them until after 1848. The earliest settlements were therefore made on the south side of the river. Waukau, a hamlet in the southeast part of the town, is the site of the first settlement. It is a station on the C., M. & St. Paul Railway, and obtains a water power from the falls of the Waukau creek. The post office was established July 1, 1848, with William H. Elliott as postmaster. Mr. Lester Rounds opened a general store the same year, and Mr. W. L. F. Talbot engaged in the business of blacksmithing. The village plat of Waukau was laid out and recorded December 30, 1848, S. W. White and G. W. Woodnorth. proprietors. The grist mill of Mr. Parsous was commenced in 1849, and completed in 1850. The develop- ment of the village was gradual, and it became an important place. The water power supplied the power for two flour mills "and one woolen mill. There were several stores and mechanics' shops. There was a good school established and two church buildings. It is a pretty village, with an air of thrift and care. At the present time Waukau is very much of a village, though it has no village charter, but politically its inhabitants are a part of the town of Rushford. The population is 292, and it contains one hotel, two large general stores and a coal and wood ward. Eureka. on the south bank of the Fox river. is a handsome hamlet. Mr. Lester Rounds moved his stock of goods from Waukau to the site of Eureka in 1850, where he was
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joined by Mr. Walton C. Dickerson, who moved over from Nepeuskun, and they became the first settlers and founders of the village of Eureka, a plot of which was recorded July 24, 1850, of which Rounds, Dickerson & Starr were proprietors. A ferry was established across the Fox river at this point. during the same season, and four years later a bridge constructed, when the place became an important village. The post office was authorized July 16, 1850, and Lester Rounds appointed post- master. A steamboat landing and warehouse was built by Mr. Walton C. Dickerson for the accommodation of the daily line of steamboats on the river, running between Oshkosh and Berlin. The sawmills along the river at Eureka. Delhi, Omro and Berlin were supplied with pine logs from the Wolf river, which were towed up the Fox river at first by horsepower boats or tugs. Eureka now has a population of 246, and a stage line from Ber- lin, with its schools and churches. It is a station of the Free Traveling library of the county system. It contains the grocery and drug store of Mr. L. E. Chapelle, a hardware store, imple- ment store and harness shop, two general stores and a meat shop, a wagon shop, canning factory, feed mill, and lumber yard. It is served by the rural postoffice service. It is the home of Dr. T. E. Loope, who has held a number of county offices and been active in advancing apple culture; and Hon. H. H. G. Bradt, secretary, treasurer and historian of the Third Wisconsin Bat- tery association.
Mr. Lester Rounds had come from Ceresco, where he had been secretary of the community of Fourites under the name of the Wisconsin Phalanx of the Fourier association, of which Warren Chase was president. In the establishment of that settlement into a town he had been chairman of the town and as a member of the Fond du Lac county board elected chairman of that body. Afterwards settling in Waukau, town of Rushford, as stated, he became a prominent citizen of the county, and the founder of Eureka, remaining at his post of village merchant for many years. His son is at present county treasurer.
Three miles down the river from Eureka is the site of ancient Delhi, which in the flush days of river navigation bid fair to be a metropolis; but the changing scenes and efforts of times and people have made it relapse into a beautiful rural farm com- munity, and the dream of cities and commerce vanished forever. It was an early day French trading post, kept by Luke La Borde, the principal owner and occupant.
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The first settlement in the town of Rushford was made at Waukau, March 7, 1846, by Mr. L. M. Parsons, who on that day erected the first house, a ten by twelve one-story shack, of which the main posts had been driven into the ground. Here he accom- modated the traveler. He at once set about the erection of a small saw mill, which was put in operation the same year, the first saw mill on the river within the county, except the old mis- sion mills at Neenah. The month of March also welcomed Mr. J. R. Hall as a pioneer, who was joined during the summer by his brother, Uriah Hall. Mr. R. Stone, Mr. John Johnson and family, and Mr. Pinrow located the same spring, and Mr. James Deyoe and family, with Mr. Joseph Mallory, arrived in October. They lived in a shanty for a few days while erecting a log house roofed with shakes. There was no floor during the winter, as lumber could not be had. The same fall Richard, Thomas and John Palfrey, with their parents, located in the town. Religious services were conducted as early as the fall of 1846 by Rev. Hiram McKee. As the nearest postoffice was Ceresco, about four- teen miles south, the settlers agreed to take turns in making a weekly visit to bring back the mail. The Waukau postoffice was opened July 1, 1848. During the summer of 1847, Elliott and White built the first store, and Mr. James Deyoe erected the first frame house. During this fall a log cabin was erected for a school house and Elder Manning was made the teacher.
The first claim on the north side of the river was made by Mr. O. E. Loper while it was still Indian lands and not open to legal settlement. After the Indian title was extinguished by the gov- ernment at the treaty of Poygan, the lands were rapidly taken up and now they are cleared and improved. A small cranberry marsh was cultivated on the western margin of the town. Mr. Loper, who was first to settle north of the river, had been a mem- ber of the Fourier community at Ceresco. Mr. Chester Gilmore, who also settled north of the river in 1849, was a native of Ver- mont. Mr. J. R. Hall, one of the earliest pioneers, was a native of Vermont, settling in Waukau in the spring of 1846, two weeks after Mr. Parsons. On his arrival he was entertained for the night at the shanty described as erected by Mr. Parsons, the only house for several miles about, where he found a large number of strangers. In the absence of sufficient bed clothing two beds were pushed together and made to accommodate eight persons for the night with sufficient bed clothing. Mr. E. B. Thrall was a native of New York state. He emigrated to Utica from Penn-
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sylvania, making the journey in a covered wagon in company with the family, consisting of the father, John Thrall, five brothers and three sisters. They arrived June 9, 1846, in Utica at Armine Pickett's, who had located a few weeks before, and taking the covers from the wagons, set them against the log house of Mr. Nash until they could erect their log cabin, which they proceeded to do, taking the logs from their claim. They built of the logs the hewed puncheons, or half logs, for floors, and split out oak shakes for shingles. Not having lumber for doors and windows, they lived in the house all summer without them. They then obtained some oak lumber at Dartford, twenty miles away. Having sold his farm, Mr. Thrall located in Rush- ford March 21, 1866.
Warren Leach settled in Waukau in 1849, and opened the first tavern. Alonzo Wood, often chairman of the town, located in Waukau in 1858, and with V. H. Wood and R. M. Lincoln be- came proprietors of the Empire flour mills, constructed in 1857 by Hon. D. R. Bean. Mr. Bean was a native of Vermont, and be- came interested in the water power at Waukau. In 1874 he erected the Waukau flour mills.
There were in 1849 two hundred and twenty-one scholars in the town, and in 1855 there were six hundred and twelve chil- dren of school age. In 1880 there were 790 children of school age with nine school houses, in which twelve teachers are em- ployed.
The population is now 1,511, of which 1,325 are native born. The largest number of foreign born is one hundred German and twenty-three native of Ireland. The town contains 20,515 acres, of which 14,900 acres are improved, valued at $1,400,000. The lands sold show an average value of $73 per acre. There is har- vested annually 1,740 bushels wheat, 82,000 oats, 20,700 barley, 50,000 corn, 56,000 potatoes, 11,000 apples, 7,000 tons of hay. The town contains 876 horses, 3,300 cattle, 3,000 hogs, 1,800 sheep, 18,000 fowl. There are 1,894 milch cows, that produced 328,000 pounds of butter annually.
In the story of the Winnebago tribe on another page is given the life of Yellow Thunder, the head chief of the tribe, who for- merly had his village on the Fox river near the site of Eureka, at the Yellow Banks. He was visited here by Col. Charles Whit- telsey in 1832, who passed along that Indian trail that followed the river.
In the "Wisconsin Archeologist" for 1903 the author described
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the mound builder remains of this town, which is in part re- peated herewith. About the year 1836 and for some years later there was a Menominee Indian village of "Waukau" located on the north shore of the Fox river opposite the old village of Delhi. According to Hon. H. H. Bradt, of Eureka, this village was still in existence at this point when he settled in the town of Rushford in 1849. The chief at that time was called "Lapone," and was an excellent Indian. The village consisted of a dozen cabins and about thirty people. Traces of their cornhills and burying ground may still be seen.
There was a group of six mounds located in section 23, on an open prairie elevated about ten feet above the Fox river, near the village of Delhi. The first mound is about ninety rods south of the river. It was formerly six feet in height and seventy feet in diameter. In 1849, Mr. H. G. Elliott built his residence upon it, excavating into the mound for his cellar. It is said that no discoveries of any consequence were made during the digging. The site is now occupied by a barn. About 180 feet south of the last there is a second mound measuring three feet in height and forty-five feet in diameter. This mound has never been in- vestigated. The third mound is about 420 feet south of the former. It was formerly sixty feet in diameter and six feet in height. Mr. Louis La Borde, a pioneer, built his house upon this mound. In digging his cellar he disinterred human and animal bones. At a distance of about 420 feet south of the third is a fourth mound, which was formerly used as a graveyard by the La Borde family. This mound is seventy-five feet in diameter and six feet in height. The fifth mound is about 460 feet west of the last. It is eight feet in height and seventy-five feet in . diameter. In 1846 this mound was employed by Mr. Luke La Borde as a root cellar. Mr. La Borde told my informant, Mr. H. H. G. Bradt, that near its bottom he found a bed of charcoal and "a large mass of copper." Mr. Bradt recollects meeting Governor J. D. Doty at the La Bordes in 1849. When told of this find the Governor remarked: "We are in a country with a great but I fear an unfathomable history." The last mound in the group is situated in a cultivated field at a distance of 750 feet southeast of the fourth mound. It is eighty-four feet in diameter and eight feet in height. All of these mounds are con- structed of clay and mold of the same nature as the surround- ing soil.
The author is indebted to Hon. II. H. G. Bradt, of Eureka, for
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information concerning a round mound which formerly stood on the edge of the public highway in that village and which has long since disappeared. Of its exact size or contents nothing can be learned. There was also an aboriginal burying ground near this village in former years. In a search for mounds made in Novem- ber, 1902, Mr. Bradt, who is a careful observer, was unable to locate any other works than those here described from the town of Rushford.
In the civil war the Third Battery, Wisconsin Light Artillery, was organized in Berlin, Green Lake county, only a few miles from the town of Rushford, and received recruits by enlistment from this town. It was mustered into service October 10, 1861. The guns of the battery consisted of two six-pounder smooth bore guns, two rifled six-pounders, and two twelve-pound howit- zers, all bronze. On arrival in Kentucky these were exchanged for two bronze twelve-pounded howitzers and four ten-pounder rifled Parrot guns. At the battle of Chickamauga, September 20, 1863, they lost twenty-six men, thirty-three horses and five guns, the sixth being dragged away by the men. Brigadier General H. P. Van Cleve reported the battery, saying "the of- ficers and privates of the battery have my warmest thanks for the pertinacity with which they stood by their guns when sur- rounded by the enemy. I am happy to inform them that their praises are on the tongues of all who witnessed their conduct." The original number in the battery was 170 men. The state has erected a beautiful monument to commemorate the position of the battery on that fatal field. Following are the names of mem- bers of the Third Wisconsin Light Artillery enlisting from Rush- ford, Winnebago county : Ordnance sergeant, William H. Wil- liams; platoon sergeant, Arza J. Noble; corporal, Hiram H. G. Bradt; bugler, Cyrus Weber; cannoneers, William Allen, Isaac Delaney, Lewis D. Masseure, William A. McMahon, Richard N. Noble, Jeremiah Rode, Daniel Robin, John E. Tracey. Hon. Hiram H. G. Bradt, of Eureka, secretary, treasurer and historian of the Third or Badger Battery association, has published a small cloth-bound book, detailing in an interesting manner the history of the battery, and has furnished the above information. Mr. Bradt writes: "For a rural section I think we have an interest- ing history of the militant type alone. From the earliest settle- ment of our town military blood has been much in evidence and is impressively apparent by the silent monitors of our cemeteries. The most numerous, of course, are of the Civil war patriots, of
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which there are over forty graves. We have seven certain of the war of 1812; some think more. Then, too, our Indian wars are represented, and the blood of Revolutionary sires and dames is flowing in the veins of numerous families like a joy forever."
"Rushford has four public cemeteries, located in Waukau, Eureka, Rushford Center and North Rushford at Delhi. There is a family cemetery on the La Borde estate, in which Luke La Borde is buried. He was not an enlisted man, but in connection with Governor Doty transported by Durham boats provisions for the troops at Fort Winnebago during the Indian war. The goods were brought from Green Bay and Fort Howard. Mr. La Borde was a native of Green Bay. Governor Doty obtained the contract from officials at Fort Howard, and he and La Borde were part- ners in the venture. La Borde had married a very pretty and pleasing half-blood Menominee girl, and having a great influence among her kin, he had no difficulty in procuring all the help he desired to both "push and pull" the crafts. L. La Borde's brother- in-law, Louis Boprey, acted as a guide for our forces during the Black Hawk war, and though over seventy years of age, enlisted in the Thirty-sixth Wisconsin in the war of the Rebellion and was credited to Rushford, and I have been trying to ascertain if he was buried in Rushford, but as he was one of the disciples of Catholicism I think his remains lie at Poygan.
La Borde's wife was half French. Boprey half French. The latter's wife was half English, and it seems to me as I would come in contact with the hordes of the Menominees that were ever a substantial contingent at the La Borde homested that the whole tribe was very much mixed.
All but one soldier who engaged in the Indian wars and who formerly lived here went out of our town to die either with rela- tions or seeking border countries otherwheres. This was Edward Dunn, of the Seminole war, buried in Eureka cemetery.
Names of soldiers of the war of 1812 buried in the town of Rushford : Waukau cemetery-Reuben Hurlbut, Vermont; Jacob Coffman, Pennsylvania. Eureka cemetery-Capt. Reuben Rounds, Vermont ; Otis Ingalls, New York ; John Boutwell Smith, Massachusetts. Rushford Center cemetery-Col. Edward Car- penter, New York ; Capt. William King, New York; Henry Dag- gett. New York."1
Soldiers' graves of the Civil war of 1861: Eureka cemetery.
From a private letter to the author, June 25, 1908, from H. H. G. Bradt, cf Eureka.
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to July 2, 1908-Henry HI. Cole. Oscar Lathrop, Ansel Goucher, Herman Worden, Peter Bennett, John A. Everhart, Nelson Titte- more, James M, Stanton, Charles E. Johnson, Israel Dairo, Ira Fishbeck, Harvey Liddle, Buell Smith, David Allen, Ira D. Car- penter, Capt. O. Bailey, Orson W. Alderman, Albert Potter, Dr. Amos Lawrence, J. W. Vanderhoof, Milvern Estabrook, Alex- ander MeGregor, George Gifford. Rushford Center cemetery- Col. Edward Carpenter, New York; Capt. William King, New York; Henry Daggett, New York.1
Soldiers' graves of the Civil war of 1861 in the Waukau ceme- tery up to July 1, 1908 : George S. Maxon, Co. C, 14th Wis. Inft .; G. W. Christopher Jones, Co. B, 3d Wis. Inft .; Henry Reed, Co. B, 21st Wis. Inft .; H. S. Henry and M. Cottrell, Co. D, 13th Wis. Inft .; Isaac Brown, Co. K. 98th New York Inft .; Edgar Whiting, Co. I, 11th Wis. Inft .; Lusias Hoxey, Co. D, 23d Wis. Inft .; Rich- ard M. Young, Co. H, 20th Regt. Wis. Inft .; G. W. Silsbee, Co. A, 1st Wis. Cav .; Constant Wills, C'o. K, 4th Wis. Inft .; Wilmer Tut- tle, Co. I, 10th Wis. Inft .; Allan Packard, Co. B, 21st Wis. Inft .; Henry Coffman, Co. D, 18th Wis. Inft .; David Seymore, Co. B, 21st Wis. Inft. Graves of other wars are: William Barker, Mexi- can war; Reuben Hurlbut, war of 1812; Jacob Coffman, war of 1812.2
Names of graves of Civil war soldiers in the Rushford Center cemetery July, 1908: John Baldry, Henry E. Hess, Steven Hess, Albertus Hoofman, Myron Henry, Mathias Haedt, Lorenzo Laper, Melvin Parcells, J. L. Read, Philo Sage, Israel Williams.
Names of Civil war soldiers' graves in North Rushford ceme- tery up to July 1, 1908: William Allen, Henry D. Bailey, Theo- dore Burdick, James Discon, Henry M. Douglas, Archie Worden.
Town of Utica.
The town of Utica is a most beautiful region of rich tillable lands, high and rolling. It was originally a rolling prairie, in- terspersed with oak openings on the divide between the prairie land south and wood lands of the north. Much new growth of forest timber and shade trees have appeared during settlement days. The soil is a deep rich loam, with a clay subsoil mixed with gravel. Below this the limestone at places comes close to
' From a private letter to the author, July 2, 1908, from H. H. G. Bradt, of Eureka.
2 The above list was furnished by Hon. H. H. G. Bradt, of Eureka.
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the surface and crops out at a few places. There are occasional gravel beds, which furnish good roadmaking material. There is a small stream crossing the town, which on the old maps was known as "Eight-Mile creek," but since known as Fisk's creek. In many places cool springs are found, which supply the farmer and his stock.
The farms in this town are generally large and under a high state of cultivation, with handsome dwellings and grounds and large barns. It contains a population of 943 people, of whom 780 are native born, ninety-five native to Germany and thirty- seven to Wales. The Welsh settlement is in the southeastern part of the town and extends into Nekimi. They are regarded as thrifty and prosperous farmers.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway runs through the town and has stations at Picketts and Fisk's Corners. Ship- ments of farm products and stock are made from these stations.
Picketts Station was originally known as Welaunee, but since named for the late Hon. James G. Picketts, who with his father founded the town. It has a population of sixty, with a lumber yard, two general stores and an implement warehouse. The Re- liance creamery, operated by the Ripon Produce Company, is located here. Mr. Jas. G. Pickett operated a cheese factory at one time.
Elo, formerly known as Utica Center, a postoffice hamlet, has a population of twenty-five, a general store, a school and church. Fisk is a postoffice hamlet and a station, on the railway from which is shipped the stock and farm produce of the rich farm lands surrounding. It contains a population of 180, and has a general store, blacksmith shop, an implement store, and grain elevator. Ring. a postoffice hamlet with seventeen people, has a general store.
Of the first settlement of the town the late Hon. James G. Pickett has left an interesting account. His father, Mr. Armine Pickett, came into the state in 1840, and his advent has been de- scribed by Judge Elisha W. Keyes in his reminiscence of Lake Mills, where he first settled on the opposite shore of the lake. The arrival was a "grand cavalcade passing along the road toward the mills and our log house, presenting quite a formidable appearance. There were a number of covered wagons, double teams, single wagons, mostly drawn by oxen; and a number of men, women and children, and between the wagons there were hogs, sheep and cattle. Mr. Pickett drove in a flock of sheep anct
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some fine Berkshire hogs, and a number of cows. Mr. Pickett presented a striking appearance; he was modeled after Daniel Webster. Every one had the utmost confidence in him. His wife, Mrs. Armine Pickett, is entitled to the credit of inaugurat- ing the first co-operative cheese manufactory in the territory and whole country at Lake Mills in 1841. The inspiration of the work was wholly her own, and she carried it out successfully, aided by her husband and son, James G. Pickett. Full mention of this has been made in the leading papers."
Mr. Armine Pickett visited Winnebago county with Mr. David H. Nash in August, 1845, accompanied by their wives. Taking with them the conveniences for camping, they left Lake Mills and arrived at Oshkosh, where they engaged Mr. Webster Stan- ley to pilot them across the country to Ceresco, now Ripon. "It would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful and picturesque country than that lying southwest of Oshkosh," says Mr. James G. Pickett. "Following the Indian trail leading to Fort Winne- bago, the party for eight miles passed through oak openings en- tirely destitute of underbrush and reminding them of the old orchards they had left at the east. Eight miles from Fox river they crossed the first stream of any note, shown on the map as Eight-Mile creek, but known after the settlement of the country as Fisk's creek. The stream divided the oak openings, and as beautiful a prairie country as ever was created; the most north- ern limit of the great prairies of the state. Four miles farther the party halted by a spring brook for dinner. They were charmed by their surroundings. There was not a sign to indi- cate that civilized man had ever traveled over this route, and the country was, in fact, just as it came from the hands of the Creator. They could not wish for anything nearer their ideal of a perfect country, and Mr. Nash decided to locate on the spring creek upon which they halted, which was in a strip of openings a mile wide, separating the two prairies. While dinner was be- ing prepared Mr. Pickett went back half a mile and a few rods from the trail found another spring on the edge of the prairie, and there drove his stake for his future farm."
In March, 1846, Hon. Armine Pickett, Mr. Seth Heath, Mr. D. H. Nash and his son-in-law, Mr. Erwin Heath, arrived and com- menced their improvements. At the rising of the Nash house, after the last log had been placed, Rev. II. McKee, who had ar- rived the day before, mounted the building and proposed that the town be named. The name adopted was Utica. Rev. Hiram
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McKee, whose name frequently appears in the life of several sur- rounding towns, was the first settled minister and a typical frontier evangelist and powerful speaker, being "known far and near as the sledgehammer preacher." During the infancy of the Free Soil party he was nominated for congress against Governor James D. Doty, but was beaten.
At about the same time that the Pickett party .was locating, another settlement was being made in the northern part of the town by E. B. Fisk, who commenced the erection of a log house the same month. He was followed by Mr. George Ransom and family, who settled near. John Thrall also came the same sea- son. Among others of the pioneers of those days may be named C. W. Thrall, L. Hawley, L. J. Miller, George Miller, Henry Styles, J. M. Little, Wm. Hunter, Philo Rogers, W. S. Catlin, James Adams, and Walter Houston, D. R. Lawrence, Wm. Porks, James R. Williams, Ira Walker, W. H. Clark, A. B. McFarland, J. H. Maxwell, Wm. Griffith, Jas. Robinson, A. Stone, and F. J. Bean.
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