History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 68

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885

USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 68
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Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"On our way westward, we visited at Delavan, where I had a brother, at East Troy, where Mr. Barber had two sisters and at Elkhorn, where we had friends, all these places being in Walworth County, this state. Then continuing our way, we arrived at Reed's Landing, April 1, and put up at the Sevy House. The next morning we boarded a keel boat, bound for our present home. I had a comfortable place among the sacks of grain and raftsmen's blankets, which were carefully arranged for my especial bene- fit. My imagination ran quite high, wondering why or how anyone could be possessed to wander into this wild, and apparently unattractive region. That anyone should do so seemed a great mystery to me. Our friend, E. M. Bartlett, who had accompanied us from East Troy, left us a few miles before reaching the Mark's House, for the purpose of going ahead and getting oxen and a cart to take us to our journey's end. When we reached the Mark's House, it seemed like a Haven of Rest. How inviting the sitting room looked with its one chair, and its pine benches and stools. so white and spotless. And the table, with its snow white cloth, was spread with nice bread and butter, blackberry jam, and a fragrant cup of tea.

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The lunch, with such surroundings so neat and clean was truly reviving, after I had been so disgusted with the hotel at Reed's Landing.

"Mr. Bartlett came even sooner than we expected, and we were soon jogging over a road so wild and rugged, that it seemed almost impossible to ride. But by careful driving and by holding fast to the seat, we were soon in sight of Dead Lake Prairie. Imagine my surprise and delight at once more beholding a level spot of earth. We had not rode much further when we nearly ran into a little pile of scantling fastened together by some means, and supporting a half dozen or so rafters. When we sighted this crude structure, Mr. Bartlett said to me: 'Do you see your new domi- cile?' My heart stopped for a minute, but then I realized that he was jesting, so I kept silent. My thoughts, however, were busy, and after riding a way further, I said: 'If that is my domicile, where is Frankfort?' And I was informed that two crude buildings we had passed a short way back constituted the village of Frankfort, one being the postoffice and the other the hotel. So I was again silent. A few minutes more brought us to an ill-looking log house. Preparations were made to alight, and with sick heart I whispered to Mr. Barber and asked him if we were to stop at such a place.

"But upon entering, the scene was changed, and I felt a great degree of satisfaction at meeting a lady of intelligence and refinement presiding over a well kept home. Not only the comforts but the luxuries were there, and the noble Christian gentleman, and two lovely children, made the home complete. Indeed, I felt that we were not alone. Later we found many noble hearts scattered here and there over the prairie, men and women who had ventured out the same as we, to see what could be done in this new land.

"After two weeks' stay at this lovely home, we secured a room in a log cabin, owned by Hubbard Arnold, where we remained while Mr. Barber prepared for housekeeping in our own home. On the day that we were to leave, a sugar party was to be held, and it was insisted that we stay. Dancing was on the program, and Brother John Closson was the musician. After making some new acquaintances, and partaking of the sugar, we climbed into some kind of a vehicle and drove the oxen to our cabin, which consisted of one room, serving as kitchen, dining room and sleeping apart- ment. I did not see just how it did look that night, but the next morning I raised my head from the pillow and took a survey of things, laying down again as quickly as possible and covering my head with the bed covers.

"But in the course of a few days, I felt a degree of pride in that one room. In one corner was our bed, adorned with a white canopy overhead to prevent the snakes from dropping onto our faces through the bark roof, and the long mosquito curtains which made it look more homelike. In the next corner stood the shining new stove, with all the bright tinware so nicely hung up. Then came a drygoods box with shelves for a cupboard, nailed to the wall, and filled with dishes. Nearby was the table. We had four wooden chairs, with a home made rocking chair, which had been used while Alfred Cropsy, E. M. Bartlett and Henry W. Barber had kept house in an old log cabin on the banks of Dead Lake.

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"After a few months we came to our present home, the main floor being laid just far enough for the table and cookstove, and the floor above just enough for the beds. The doors were not hung, and the windows were only partly in. Every night after going upstairs, Mr. Barber took the ladder up after us and was also sure to take an axe and revolver, fearing that we might be molested by the Indians, or by some white out- law, both of which were plentiful in those days. Mr. Barber held county office at that time, going to Pepin to do his business. I was in constant fear when left alone, for I had a great dread of the Indians, remaining from childhood days, when I had heard stories of my widowed great grand- mother who was scalped by the Indians when Cherry Valley was burned, and of my grandfather, who thus left parentless and homeless, enlisted at fourteen and served until the end of the Revolution, being scarcely twenty-one when he came out, serving seven years and seven months.

"We enjoyed many blessings even in those days of trials and tribula- tions. Our first Fourth here was spent at a picnic at Round Hill. A jollier, finer crowd would be hard to find anywhere at any time. Mary Miles taught our school at that time. A covered wagon brought Miss Miles and her little band, amid both vocal and instrumental music, and the grove rang with cheers as they rendered their well learned program.

"But those days are long since past. Since the days of which I speak, beautiful homes have taken the place of log cabins, well kept roads have taken the place of the rough trails, modern inventions of every kind have taken the place of the few things with which we had to work in those days. Schools and churches have sprung up, and our once wild land buds and blos- soms like the rose with prosperity and blessing."

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Arkansas. (By Rev. William Stuhlmann.) The wanderer going about two miles northwest of the vil- lage of Arkansaw, into the Big Arkansaw Valley, will be most agreeably surprised to see this beautiful, fertile valley decorated by a nice church with two stables and near the church a spacious, well looking rectory. At once he understands that the people of Waterville Township are not only excellent, progressive farmers, but that they are conscious of the higher morals and ideals of life. Whilst they are busy during the week in working their farms, earning their bread by the sweat of their brow, on Sundays they can be seen gathering together from all directions to worship the Lord, imploring His help and blessing for the coming week. The passerby may admire the beautiful brick building with its colored windows; he may look with surprise at the cemetery with its costly marble monuments, its artistic and majestic crucifixion group, but little will he suspect the priva- tions, the difficulties and sacrifices of the past. For long years the brave Catholic farmers had to walk or to drive with oxen from ten to fifteen miles to Eau Galle or Durand, the nearest churches; children walked to catechism with the same pioneer spirit hardly known today. Finally, in 1888, about thirty farmers met together to discuss the possibility of hav- ing their own church and cemetery. Frank Meisener, Steven Seiler and Joe Hutter made the first sacrifice, in paying for two acres respectively for church ground and cemetery. Rt. Rev. Bishop Flarsh, of La Crosse,

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authorized a cemetery and a mission church with service once a month. But new difficulties arose, partly through lack of unity from within, partly from outside. Only three years later another meeting was held, a peti- tion was signed by about thirty names and Fr. Neixner sent for Rt. Rev. Bishop Schwebach to come to a settlement about the building of a church. Bishop Schwebach perfectly realized the needs of the Catholic population of Arkansaw, and granted all the concessions asked for. Immediately in the spring of 1892 the farmers went to work, furnished all the rough lum- ber, and with the help of some skilled carpenters, soon the first frame church was finished. In June Rev. Fr. Baur, from Durand, came over, blessed the new building and offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the first time in the Arkansaw Valley. Great was the joy of everybody present and with full confidence our farmers looked into the future. The new cemetery was started the following year through the unfortunate and sad death of the only son of Tom Spies.

Still the conditions of the new congregation were not satisfactory, because for most of their religious needs they had yet to go to Au Galle, Durand or Plum City. It always had been their aim to have a parish and a priest of their own. "But how are the few of us able to keep a parish going?" they asked themselves. "Arkansaw will never be able to build up a parish, Arkansaw will never amount to anything," said outsiders. Our farmers were now in the unfair situation to have to contribute to two churches, their own, and the Eau Galle church. Respectfully George Dreier went to La Crosse to lay the situation before the Bishop. When in the summer of 1912 the Bishop came to Durand for confirmation, several mem- bers again explained the whole situation to him. The Bishop himself came over for the first time and inspected with greatest satisfaction our neat little church, authorized the building of a priesthouse and promised to send a priest. In the fall a priesthouse was built. Rev. Fr. Vousan came as the first resident priest. But several other difficulties were in store for the people, just when all wishes seemed to be fulfilled. One win- ter morning the new priesthouse lay in ashes, hardly anything could be saved. This was a hard stroke for people and priest. But they were not discouraged. Still the pioneer spirit was alive. Soon everybody, Fr. Vousan, men and women and children became busy again to build up a new priesthouse. Not only this! Past experiences seemed to have given a new life, new energy to the whole congregation. The old frame church, although beautiful, soon did not seem to be up to date any longer. Fr. Lanfer, who in the same year had succeeded Fr. Vousan, got everybody interested in the building of the new church, which you now see completed. The generosity of the farmers seemed to increase at the same rate as their material well being progressed. Also their number increased every year, so that the formerly small congregation now counts up to 85 families. In relatively few years this small community has been perfectly organized, different societies, like the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin, the Ladies' Altar Society, the Young Ladies' Society, the Sacred Heart League are active and flourishing. On Dec. 8, 1916, Fr. Lanfer, whose merits for the

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congregation will never be forgotten, left Arkansaw to lay the foundation for a missionary house in St. Mary's Hill, formerly Round Hill. Rev. Fr. Stuhlmann succeeded him. The congregation is resolved always to keep alive his spirit of energy, generosity, and thus progress in every way to temporal and eternal happiness.

The Arkansas Methodist Church has a most interesting history dating back to the earliest days of settlement. In a little log house on Dead Lake Prairie in the year 1855, the first religious services were held in the town of Waterville, conducted by Rev. Mr. Kellogg, at which only four persons were present. In the succeeding years some of the clergymen who con- ducted services here were Woodley Crouch, Hobert Doughty, Gurley Brown and others. These meetings were held in homes, schoolhouses, or any other place that was convenient. As the territory became more thickly settled it became evident that a suitable house of worship was necessary. The plans did not mature, however, until 1868. To start the work, Miletus Knight gave forty acres of land in the upper Arkansas Valley. This land, which today is worth some $12,000 was sold for $150, and the sum became the nucleus to which the pioneers added their hard-earned savings. A building, intended as a Union Church was erected, 30 by 40 feet, at a cost of $2,500, under the supervision of Rev. W. D. Jellison. This was dedi- cated as a Methodist Episcopal Church in the summer of 1869. At this time the preacher's salary was $625. In 1892, through the interest aroused by Rev. L. B. Akers, a parsonage was erected, a suitable and comfortable. building, costing some $3,000 or $4,000. In 1898 the people began to talk of improving their church. The Rev. John Holt, then pastor, insisted that the building ought to be remodeled, and pledged a quarter of his year's salary for that purpose. A meeting was called on Jan. 8, 1900, with twenty people present. It was agreed that if $800 were raised by subscription, the building could be remodeled according to plans drawn by Rev. L. W. Mckibben, which provided for the addition of a kitchen, parlor, alcove and hall. Before Feb. 1, 1900, the sum of $1,200 had been raised. The contract was let to William J. Seeley, of Durand. November, of that year, found the building ready for the interior work, which was done by C. F. Gleason. The windows were all of a memorial nature, donated by relatives of various deceased members. The church was dedicated Dec. 12, 1900. The ex- penses had been more than was anticipated, and $600 needed to clear the debt was that day raised, with an extra balance of $36 to leave in the treasury. Through the influence of Rev. John Holt, a Kimball organ was presented to the church. In 1902, Parker & Humphrey installed the elec- tric lights. The church is therefore a comfortable, convenient, modern building, fully adequate for its needs as a religious and community center. The pastors of the church, since the original building was dedicated under the supervision of W. D. Jellison in 1868, have been the Rev. Messrs. J. M. Wells, E. B. Russell, W. J. Bullivant, G. D. Brown, N. C. Bradley, G. W. Smith, F. J. Borgia, L. B. Akers, J. Connor, W. M. Philpott, John Holt, E. C. Knowlton, J. G. Peterson, D. S. Householder, Thomas Harris, J. B. Braddock, E. J. Jeffres, W. P. Powell, R. G. Rainey, Joseph Allard.

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FRANKFORT

Frankfort Township is an irrigular shaped township, bounded on the north by Waterville Township, on the east by Waterville Township and the Chippewa River, on the south by Pepin Township and on the west by Pierce. Its position is unique in that its width represents the entire width of Pepin County at this point. Plum Creek crosses it from northwest to southeast. Its tributaries in this township are Elk, Little Plum and Porcupine Creek. Dead Lake lies largely in the township and empties into the Chippewa River.

Round Hill, formerly called Meredith, was surveyed and platted in April, 1858, under the latter name, but nothing ever came of it. Nicholas Bowman erected a small sawmill here many years ago and operated it until he died. He also maintained a warehouse and operated a ferry. Later the Mississippi River Logging Co. had a boarding house here, and estab- lished booms in the river.

The village of Ella, situated on the bank of the Chippewa River, just above Round Hill, and eight miles from Durand, was surveyed and platted in October, 1871. In 1882 it contained about fifty residents, with a post office, general store, a sawmill, owned and conducted by Magill & Minder, a district school, and Lutheran and Methodist churches. Like Porcupine, however, it was not destined to have a continued growth, and the popula- tion is now very small.

Porcupine, about a quarter of a century ago, was a small hamlet of 100 people, located in Frankfort township, about eight miles southwest of Durand. There was a post office with a mail service twice a week, and a steam sawmill, with a capacity of 20,000 feet a day, which was built in 1880, and was owned and operated by J. P. Flagg. In course of time, how- ever, the population has sought other fields of endeavor, and practically nothing now remains of the old-time village except the name.

There was at one time a postoffice called Ida in this township, some eight miles from Durand.

Dead Lake was platted as a summer resort, Aug. 5, 1910, by Ed and Arthur Smith.

The first settler in Frankfort township was Henry Fletcher, who, in 1850, built a tavern at the mouth of Dead Lake for the accommodation of travelers going up and down the Chippewa River, from Lake Pepin to the lumber regions.

The first settlers on Dead Lake Prairie, which extends into this town- ship, were Grant and Elisha Stevens, the former a man with a family, and the latter a bachelor. They came in 1852 and settled over the line in Waterville Township.

Jacob S. McCourtie came in 1854, and became the first permanent set- tler in Frankfort Township. Mrs. David B. McCourtie, a daughter-in-law, read a most interesting paper regarding the early days, before the Old Settlers' Meeting in 1917. She said in part:

"Of events previous to the fall of 1860, I have no personal knowledge,

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but I will give them as I received them from a source I believe to be trust- worthy.

· "I will first give you a little description of a journey as given to me by the Jacob S. McCourtie family, who settled on Dead Lake Prairie in October, 1854. This party, consisting of Mr. McCourtie, his wife and five children, Charles R., David B., Ellen E., William J., and Eugenia A., set out .

with a yoke of oxen and covered wagon, a horse and buggy, two cows, two dogs, household goods, and provisions from their home in Savanna, Ill., in the latter part of August, their destination being Reed's Landing, Minn., and their object being to find a place where fever and ague did not pre- vail. In due time they reached the vicinity of Eau Claire, where they found on the east side of the Chippewa River, a small waterpower mill, and one small log house. Here they crossed the river on a flat-boat, en- gineered with poles. The river was not then so wide as at present, but very deep. To their surprise all the road they found leading from Dunn- ville on the Menomonie River, was an Indian trail, showing no signs of travel by white men, except the evidence that a light wagon, sometimes in those days called a "crackey wagon," had evidently attempted the trip.

"The first night after leaving Eau Claire, the party camped four miles above Dunnville on Chippewa Bottoms. Reaching Dunnville they found a little board house whose only inmate was a bachelor by the name of Amos Colburn, afterward first sheriff of Dunn County. Here they had to ford the Red Cedar, then called the Menomonie River. When they were about half way across, the tongue of the wagon dropped down and the oxen went ashore. The oxen refusing to obey when told to go back into the river, the next to the oldest son, whose name was David, had to wade in, hitch the chain to the end of the tongue and make the oxen pull the wagon ashore. When crossing Waubeek Prairie they were somewhat surprised in meeting a young man riding an Indian pony and carrying a gun. Per- haps in those days it would have been a greater surprise to see a man or boy without a gun. Both parties appeared to be interested in each other, but exchanged not a word. After crossing the prairie they came to a road which was quite well traveled, then to a planked hill, and they surely thought it would bring them to a little town, but instead it was a warehouse on the bank of the Eau Galle River, about half way between the present location of Arkansas and Durand, and belonged to Carson & Eaton, who owned the mills at Eau Galle. Here was where the company stored goods and provisions after bringing them up the Chippewa River from Reed's Landing, in a keel-boat.

"Now, after finding a road that was traveled, a hill that was planked, and a building constructed by boards and nails, the McCourtie party surely thought that white men were not far distant, and so camped for the night ; and, sure enough, when morning came and they were about to continue their journey on the Indian trail, what did they see coming but the same Indian pony, its rider being a man instead of a boy. The boy, Marcel Stevens, had returned home the night before, and told his father, whose name was Grant Stevens, what he had seen, and as soon as morning came

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the latter started in search of the train. Anyone remembering Mr. Stevens can imagine to themselves the picturesque description he gave of Dead Lake Prairie and its surroundings, at that time, bounded on the west by those beautiful bluffs and heavy timber, which was called the 'Big Woods,' and on the east by the lake, whose average depth was from eight to ten feet, and its water as clear as crystal, so that when riding on its surface one could plainly see the bottom. and every now and then a boiling spring. I never could understand why it was called Dead Lake. The lake was literally alive with fish of many kinds and sizes. Sometimes you would almost think you had seen a whale, while it was no more than a shovelnose sturgeon.

"Very soon the train started, Mr. Stevens leading the way to his log cabin on the west side of the prairie. There they found the young man, Marcel Stevens, whom they had seen on horseback the day before.

"Jacob S. McCourtie, being entranced with the surroundings, was not long in finding a man by the name of Nathaniel Gray, who had filed on a claim, broken ten acres and built a shanty down by the lake. This he bought. The shanty not being large enough for the McCourtie family, very soon Mr. McCourtie built an addition out of slabs and boards which he gathered on the shores of the lake. The party had brought no stove with them. They succeeded, however, in finding one, and although it had no oven, this lack was supplied by an iron bake kettle. Only one old joint of stove pipe was found, but this was pieced out with a hollowed out pine log. Thus the party was ready for pioneer life.

"This was in October, 1854. Grant Stevens and family and a bachelor brother, Elisha Stevens, had preceded them by about two years. In 1854 a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Grant Stevens, and was named Marian, though he was always better known as 'Doc.' He now lives in Graceville. In January, 1855, a daughter, Elvira, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob S. McCourtie; she is now Mrs. Lewis Martin. These were the two first chil- dren born on Dead Lake Prairie.

"In the winter of 1854-55, one Levi Martin, caught the western fever. He must have had it bad, for he hitched his horses to a cutter, drove to Fulton, Ill., and thence making the entire trip on ice, drove up the Missis- sippi River to Reed's Landing, Minn., from Reed's Landing up the Chip- pewa to the mouth of Dead Lake, where at that time Henry Fletcher kept what in those days was called a tavern. Here he learned that Jacob S. McCourtie was living on the farm now owned by Frank Latoo, and con- tinued his sleigh ride up the lake, notwithstanding that the mercury was seldom above 40 below. Mr. Marble was easily convinced that this was the place for an ideal home, and bought the land where Joseph Gordon now lives. In the spring of 1855 he brought his family and built a little board house at the foot of the hill now called Silver Birch. After erecting a board house on the prairie, the old house under the hill was used for school purposes.

"Hervy Rounds taught the first school in the then called Dead Lake district. It was comprised of what are now known as the Barber, Plummer and Marble districts, and more, for it extended to the head of the big coulie

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and as much farther the other ways. The teachers who taught under) hill now called Silver Birch were Amelia Smith, of Pepin; Mary Wilcox; of Dead Lake Prairie, and Alice Bradshaw, of Eau Galle. Hervy Rounds taught all of the winter schools until the winter of 1862.

"In the years between 1854 and 1860 numerous families came and made their homes on and around the prairie. Isaac Eggleston entered 80 acres west of the Marble place, and built on the brow of the hill above Silver Birch, what then was called a large log cabin, but his wife being dissatisfied, he sold to Hervy Rounds, who, with his wife and two children, Victor and Kathleen, took up their home there. Victor has now gone to meet his father and mother over the river, while Kathleen is now Mrs. For- est Hillard, of Brainerd, Minn. Charles Rounds entered land on the north- east side of the prairie, and then transferred it to his brother Cyrus, who later married Mary Boyd and brought his bride to the pioneer home. Their children born there now living are Edward and Gertrude, now better known as Birdie, both of Arkansaw, Erle, of Eau Claire, and Rolf, of Milwaukee. This home was sold to Mike Resler, but has recently been purchased by Frank Richardson.

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History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 68

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 885

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885