History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 104

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298

USA > Wisconsin > Richland County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 104
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 104

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).

capture. Mr. Nickerson was present when the capture was made, and received his share of the reward. He now lives on section 10, town 9, range 5 west, where he settled in 1866, on a farm of 117 acres which he purchased of George Hazen. Mr. Nickerson has been twice married. His first wife was Margaret, a daughter of John and Priscilla Porter, by whom he had eight children, four sons and four daughters-Lois A., Mary E., Charles A., John P., William M. (deceased), James G., Rose B. and Emma M. His present wife was Mrs. Bertha E. (Walker) Peters, widow of John Peters, who was killed at the siege of Corinth. Mrs. Nickerson has a son by first marriage.

James Taylor is a native of Lancashire, Eng- land, born in 1828. He came in 1842 to the United States, with his parents, Samuel and Ann Taylor. They settled in Beaver Co., Penn., where they lived two years, then removed to Tinmbull Co., Ohio. Mr. Taylor's parents came with him to Crawford Co., Wis., in 1858, he having previously entered land, in 1856, on section 13, town 9, range 5 west. They lived with him until their decease; his father dying in 1863, and his mother in 1880, Mr. Taylor's farm originally contained 200 acres ; he now has 300 acres. Ile was married to Pantha Mills, a native of Lancashire, England. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have had eight children, seven of whom are living-Ann Eva, John. Samuel, Thomas ('., Adam, Bettie A. and Martha M. He has been a member of the town board nearly every year since 1866, and has been chairman several terms. He was also chairman of the county board in 1882. Mr. Taylor was the as- sessor of the township for 1883. Mrs. Taylor's parents, John and Bettie Mills, came to the United States with their family in 1841. They came to Crawford county with Mr. Taylor in 1858, locating on section 15. Mr. Mills died Jan. 17, 1873. His wife still lives on the home- stead.

A. B. Withee has been a resident of Crawford county since April, 1858. He was born in

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Franklin Co., Maine, April 13, 1828. Ile went to Somerset county when fifteen years of age, and at the age of twenty-three went to Lewiston, where he learned the trade of a moulder, which he followed till he came west. Mr. Withee's residence in Wisconsin dates from November, 1854, at which time he came to Grant county, where he lived three and a half years; thence to Crawford county, and located in the town of Eastman. In November, 1863, he located near the village of Seneca, where he has since resided. Since coming to Crawford county he has been engaged in the occupation of farming, carpen- try, etc. Mr. Withee has held, at various times, most of the town offices, and his long continuance in office is evidence of the confi- dence that is realized in his ability and integ- rity as a public officer. He is the present town clerk, and was first elected to that office April 1, 1873, and has held the office of clerk since that time, excepting the year 1882. Ile was elected assessor in 1865, and since that time has assessed the town five times ; was elected justice of the peace, April 6, 1869, and has occupied that posi tion constantly to the present date, except a interval of two years. He has been for the las three years secretary of the Crawford County Agricultural Society. He was appointed pos :- master Jan. 1, 1871, and held that office until Sept. 2, 1881 ; was appointed notary publie in lune, 1875, and still holds that office. The ac- curacy and completeness of the records kept by Mr. Withee in the several offices that he has filled, together with the prompt and efficient manner of transacting all business pertaining thereto, is the key to his success as a public officer.

His father, Daniel Withee, was one of the early settlers of this county. He came to Grant Co., Wis., from the east in the fall of 1855, at] early the following winter came to the town of Eastman and entered by land warrant a quarter section of land, which he improved. He soll ont in 1865 and returned to Maine, and now re- sides in Augusta, that State. Mr. Withee was

married in Maine in 1853, to Margaret Hayden. They have four children-Andrew C., Jessie, wife of Frank Griffin; George M. and Orris M.

Isaac Baker was born in Crawford Co., Penn., in 1838. Ile went with his father, David Baker, to Grant Co., Wis., in 1857. Mr. Baker came to Crawford Co., Wis., in 1863, settling on section 2, town 9, range 5 west. He has 207 acres of land, the greater part of which was entered by John Porter. He entered the army Feb. 27, 1865, and served till April 20, 1866, as a member of the 50th regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Baker married Betsy Porter, daughter of John and Priscilla Porter. They have five children-Orra, Anra, Hattie, William W., John L. and Clarence R.

Lemuel B. Allen came to Lynxville in 1864. He was born Jan. 26, 1816, in Washington Co., N. Y., where he was reared. In 1841 he went to Huron Co., Ohio, where he was engaged in farming and in the manufacture of himber. Ile removed from Huron to Williams county, in the same State, coming here from that county. Since coming to Lynxville, he has been en- gaged in wooding and farming. His wife was Jane R. Reynolds, also a native of New York. She died March 7, 1879. Mr. Allen has three sons, all of whom are residents of Lynxville- Charles S., George W. and Winfield S., all of whom were born in Ohio.

Marstin S. Kenneson is a native of New Hampshire, born in 1824. When twelve years of age he moved with his parents to Canada, and when nineteen he went to Massachusetts. In 1855 he moved to Richland Co., Wis. Mr. Kenneson married Sarah A. Fowler, born in Waldo Co., Maine. When seventeen years of age she went to Massachusetts. Mrs. Kenne- son's mother died when she was a child, after which her father came west. He was in the Black Hawk War, resided among the Indians for seven years, then returned to Maine, where he died. Mr. Kenneson enlisted in 1862 in the 19th Wisconsin Volunteers, serving until the elose of the war. Ile participated in many

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

important battles and campaigns, losing his health before the expiration of his term of ser- vice, and passing the greater part of the last year in the hospital. At the close of the war, in 1865, Mr. Kenneson came to Crawford conn- ty, purchasing forty acres of land of Dr. Fred- erick Cork, located on section 3, town 9, range 5 west, Seneca town. His farm now contains eighty acres. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneson have had seven sons, three of whom are living- Leonard C., James II. and George A.

John S. Kingsland is a native of Pittsburg, Penn. In 1865 he came to Lynxville from Williams Co., Ohio. Since that time this has been his home, except from the fall of 1866 to the fall of 1867, when he was at Prairie du Chien, engaged in the insurance business with Samuel Lester. Mr. Kingsland is now engaged in the grain trade, which has been his ocenpa- tion for many years. His wife is a native of Huron Co., Ohio. They have two children- Nathan, born at Stryker, Ohio, and Mary, born at Lynxville.

Alden E. Wolcott was born in Lynn Co., Iowa, in 1843. When four years old his pa- rents removed to Elizabeth, Ill., and from there to Columbus, Iowa. He enlisted in January, 1863, in the 27th Iowa regiment, serving till Jan. 24, 1866. He participated in a number of severe engagements, including battles of Pleas-

ant lill, La .; Tripelo, Miss .; was in Bank's Red river expedition; battle of Nashville, cap- ture of Mobile, etc. His father served in the same regiment. He went to Lansing after the war, coming to Lynxville from there. Ilis wife was Louisa Vanderbelt, born in the State of New York. Mr. Wolcott came to Lynxville in 1867, and was engaged for eight or nine years in the wood trade. Since 1867, during the winter, he has also been engaged in teach- ing in Grant and Crawford connties. He now represents Lyttle & Co., lumber dealers, Lynx- ville.

The firm of T. C. Bright & Co., general merchants at Lynxville, was formed in May, 1881. The firm is composed of Thomas C. Bright and John Vanderbelt. Mr. Bright is the son of the wife of William Dickson, of this town, and was born in Pennsylvania in January, 1854. Ile married a daughter of his partner, Mr. Vanderbelt. Mr. Vanderbelt is a native of Wayne Co., N. Y. Ile came to Green Co., Wis., when eighteen years of age, and has been a resident of Lynxville since 1859. He was for many years prominently engaged in running wood boats, fishing, etc. Ile served during the last part of the war in the 50th Wisconsin regi- ment. His wife was Mary Prince, born in the State of New York. They have two children- Lodie, wife of T. C. Bright, and Amelia.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

TOWN OF UTICA.

That part of Crawford county known as the town of Utica, is the center of three towns, forming the northern tier of towns in the county. It is bounded on the north by Vernon county; on the east, by the town of Clayton; on the sonth, by the towns of Haney and Seneca; and on the west, by the towns of Freeman and Seneca. Its territory is made up from congres- sional townships 10 and 11, of ranges 4 and 5 west; it contains about fifty-seven seetions of land. The town is nine miles from north to south, and in the widest place, east and west, about seven miles. The Kickapoo river forms the eastern boundary of the town from a point on section 10, town 10, range 4, to section 33, on the south line. Fully three-fourths of the surface of Utica when cleared, will be tillable land and the remainder is well suited to grazing purposes. The southwest part of the town, near Mi. Sterling, consists of a rich black loam, which produces fine corn and wheat. The bal- ance of the town, except along the streams, where rich sandy loam is found, consists of a clay soil, best adapted to wheat. It can truth- fully he stated that for fertility the soil in Utica is not excelled in any part of the county. The Kickapoo river, which forms a part of the eastern boundary of the town, running between the towns of Clayton and Utica, is the main stream of this locality.

Tainter's creek, is the principal stream flowing through this town. It is so called from Ezekiel Tainter, one of the early settlers of the town. This streams flows into the Kickapoo river, from the southeast quarter of section 9, town 10, range 4 west. It has its source in the town of

Franklin, in Vernon county, and enters the town of Utica, on section 19, and flows in a sonth- easterly direction to the Kickapoo. It has sev- eral branches, the principal of which are Roger's creek and Peterson's branch. The former unites with Tainter's creek, on section 29, town 11, range 4 west, and the latter uniting on sec- tion 32, town 11, range 4 west. Laraby's branch enters from the west, at a point on section 32, and Well's branch, which is quite an important stream, flows several miles before entering Tain- ter's creek, which it does on the west part of section 4.

Collin's creek is a small stream which enters the Kickapoo river from section 21, town 10, range 4 west.

Sugar creek takes its rise on section 34, and ilows west it into the Mississippi river.

Copper creek, another small stream, rises on section 26, town 10, range 5 west, and leaves the town from section 22.

In addition to these never failing creeks, there are several very valuable springs in various- parts of the town, especially in the southern portion; these give rise to little creeks which flow south into Hall's branch, in the town of Ifaney.

This town was never heavily timbered, but consisted principally of oak openings. A thicker growth of the different kinds of timber, has been made in many places in the town since its settlement.

SETTLEMENT.

To William T. Sterling belongs the honor of effecting the first settlement in the town of

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IIISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Utica. Ile settled on forty acres, which in- cludes the site of the residence of William Mc- Auley, and is described as the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 25, town 10, range 5 west. The date of his coming was May 10, 1842. In July, the same year, he set- tled with his family on the land just described, he having erected a log house in the mean time. No other settlement had been made at that time within a radius of sixteen miles, his near- est neighbor being Aaron Hazen, who had settled in the town of Eastman.

William T. Sterling was born in Woodford Co., Ky., Jan. 29, 1808. Ilis father, Harvey Sterling, was a native of Hagerstown, Md .; he was of English extraction. His mother was born in Holland ; her father, Jacob Harper, on coming to this country, settled at what was afterward called Harper's Ferry, in Virginia. He removed to Kentucky in 1791. William T. Sterling's mother, Elizabeth Harper, was one of the three girls who volunteered to run the gauntlet to get water, during the seige, in the face of 600 Indians and 400 French, in the French and Indian War, near the "Dark and Bloody Ground." The subject of this sketch was reared in Kentucky, and when nineteen years of age (in 1827),he, in company with a party of thir- teen, including Gov. Dodge, went to the mining regions of Galena, Ill., where Mr. Sterling re- mained till 1838. During that year he was elected to a clerkship in the Legislature known as the Burlington session. The same year he was appointed superintendent of public property and also librarian. In 1849 he was elected to the Legislature from Crawford and Chippewa counties and re-elected from the same counties. He became a resident of the town of Utica, Crawford county, in 1842. At the time he lived at Madison there were but two families living there-the Bird and Peck families. In 1840 Mr. Sterling took the census of Dane county, and he found there were but 315 persons within the county. He was married to Eliza .Messersmith,

who was born in Ohio in 1820, and moved to Iowa Co., Wis., in 1827. She died Nov. 15, 1880, the mother of eleven children -George H., Josephine, Napoleon B., Emmet, Francis, Clay, Emma, Laura, John Rusk, Alice and Frank. The two latter are deceased. In 1884 Mr. Ster- ling, who was then seventy-six years old, still retained his memory of the past to a remarka- ble degree. But few men living in Wisconsin date their coming so early as he. He has been a close observer of passing events throughout his long life ; and few men, either from obser- vation or reading, possess a more complete knowledge of the history of the State of Wis- consin than does William T. Sterling.

Ezekiel Tainter was the next pioneer to pene- trate the wilds of this town, and here make for himself a home. He made a claim on section 5, in town 10, of range 4 west, in the spring of 1847. During the summer of 1847, settlements were made by James B. Gay and John Mitchell, on section 9, town 10, range 4 west. Ezekiel Tainter was a native of Vermont. He went to Prairie du Chien in 1838, where he kept a pub- lie house, and also furnished the garrison with its meat for a time. He lived in this town about a dozen years, and then removed to Me- nomonee, and there spent the remainder of his days with his son Andrew. Mr. Tainter was a man of great energy, and somewhat eccentric in his manner. He was a Methodist, and one of the most zealous workers of that sect ; lie was extremely pious and devotional, and withal was a man who left an impression on the his- tory of his town that will long survive.

In 1848 Sylvester Bacon and John Collins located on section 20, town 10, range 4 west, near where Gay's mill afterward stood.

Later, the same year, a young man named MeBee, made a claim a mile and half north of the Tainter claim, but only remained a few weeks. Of the pioneers above mentioned, Mr. Sterling and Mr. Collins alone remained in 1883, as the only representatives of the early settlers.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Among others who came in during 1849 was William Clark, brother-in-law of John Collins. He came from Indiana, leaving his family there till three or four years later. He entered no land, but passed the winter in the pine regions above,and summers was engaged in cutting cord wood and other kinds of manual labor. He was a man of coarse organization, and subject to intoxication. He died about 1867.

Truman H. Wilder was one of the pioneers of the town of Utica. Ile was born in New York, in 1814. He removed to Ohio when a boy, with his parents, and thence to Illinois, when a young man. In 1848 he came to Vernon Co., Wis., with his family. Ile lived one year at Liberty Pole. The next year (1849), he came to Crawford county, and entered forty aeres of land on section 22, town 11, range 5 west, on which he located with his family. This farm he afterwards increased to 100 aeres. Ile was a carpenter by trade ; for twenty-five years justice of the peace of this town, and notary public twenty years. He

died Oct. 11, 1870. His widow, Nancy (Carver) Wilder still owns and occupies the homestead. She was born in Knox Co., Ohio, in 1821. She has had eleven children, eight of whom were living in 1883.

During the years 1850, 1851, 1852 and 1853, but few came in for settlement. But in 1854 the tide of emigration set in and the town was rapidly settled up.

Joseph P. Tower and John Woodburn came in the fall of 1853, and settled near the present site of Towerville.

In 1854 came J. II. Tower, Sr., and his two sons, Thomas W. and J. H. Tower, Jr., to- gether with their familes. The Tower family, were all well known and influential citizens, of whom all but one had left the town prior to 1883.

John S. Rogers lives on section 29, where he settled in 1854, on eighty acres of government land. Ile also took up a homestead which he still owns. He is a native of Pennsylvania,

but came here from Dane Co., Wis. IIis father also came here in 1854 and located the place afterward owned by Peter N. Peterson, where he died in 1865.

D. S. Clement settled on section 25, town 10, range 5 west, in 1865. Ile came to this county in 1855, entering land in the town of Freeman in 1856 and remained there till his removal to the town of Utica.

David M. Twining lives on section 28, town 10, range 4 west. He came to this town in 1854, and the following year, entered land on section 15, town 10, range 4 west, which he still owns. He is a native of Broome Co., N.Y., and is a gunsmith by trade. He served about three years in the War of the Rebellion, in the 31st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.

Other settlers of 1854, were Edwin Thomp- son, Henry E. Bennett and Cyrus Bennett.

The earliest Norwegian settler of the town of Utica, was Nels Peterson, who in the spring of 1855, located on section 22, town 11, of range 4 west. A little later in the season of the same year in which Mr. Peterson settled (1855), Andrew Oleson settled on section 27, town 11, range 4 west.

H. Nephome settled that year, also, on sec- tion 34, same town and range. Mr. Nephome was born in Norway, in 1816, came to Dane county, this State, in 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Nephome have seven children-Eric, Peter, Christopher, Ann, Herman, Bertie and Maria. The three oldest were born in Norway. .

The first of the Irish settlement, in the town of Utica, was made by Michael Dolan, came to Rising Sun, April 19, 1855.

John Burns dates his settlement from 1854, also. Ile came from Vernon county too. ITis brother Andrew, came at the same time, but subsequently moved to Liberty Pole.

James Wheelock came about that date, from Milwaukee, and still resides where he first set- tled.

Henry C. Newcomb of Mt. Sterling, is the son of P. S. Newcomb, who came to Crawford

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

county in October, 1856. He was born in Wy- oming Co., N. Y., in 1812. He came to this county, from Waukesha, this State, and pur- chased of Eliza Sterling the forty acres on which the village of Mt. Sterling now stands. He moved from this county to Kansas, where he died. Henry C., was born in Wyoming Co. N. Y., in 1838, and came west with his father; served three years in the army, during the Civil War, as a member of the 31st Wisconsin Volun- teer Infantry. He married Susan Moon, a daughter of King Moon, who came to this coun- ty in 1858. Mr. Newcomb is a dealer in furs, and also a manufacturer of gloves and mittens.

EARLY EVENTS.

The first couple married in the town of Utica were John Mitchell and Maria Flick. The ex- act date of their marriage is unknown. An- other early marriage was that of John Collins, who married Rebecca Clock. The next couple married were Margin Mitchell and Sarah Tainter. These weddings all occurred before 1850.

The first birth was that of Napoleon B., son of William T. and Eliza Sterling, born April 16, 1843.

The first death was that of Louisa Sterling, daughter of William T. and Eliza Sterling, who died Sept. 15, 1844. She was buried on section 24, town 10, range 5.

ORGANIZATION.

The first election held in the town of Utica, after the town had received its present bound- aries, was held at the house of William Mc- Auley, April 3, 1855. The following officers were elected:

John II. Tower, chairman ; Abel Copper, William McAuley, supervisors ; Joseph B. Tower, clerk ; J. H. Brightman, collector and treasurer; Cyrus Peck, superintendent of schools; Clayton Rogers, John E. Howell, T. H. Wilder, T. Y. Skinner, justices of the peace; A. B. Spencer, John S. Rogers, Wilmot Marsden, con- stables ; John Woodburn, assessor ; J. D. Gay, sealer of weights and measures.

Officers of 1883: Peter N. Peterson, chair- man; Ole II. Helgerson, N. A. Tallman, super- visors; George W. Davis, clerk ; George B. Mitchell, treasurer; Samson Turner, assessor ; L. D. Layton, J. A. Curran, A. Sears, C. R. Rounds, justices of the peace.

SCHOOLS.

The first school in the town was taught by Abigail Crillis, in a slab shed, on section 14, town 10, range 5 west, in the summer of 1856.

The next school was taught by Elizabeth McAuley, daughter of William McAuley, at her father's honse; this was taught the summer suc- cecding the one held in the slab shed. Some claim it was in 1856, others are of the opinion that it was a year later.

In 1883 the town comprised the following school districts: Seven full districts and five joint districts.

In district No. 1 the school house is situated on section 29. The number of pupils on enroll- ment list, ninety-one.

District No. 3, at this date, had a scholarship of twenty-six. The district is provided with a good frame building on section 9, town 10, range 4 west.

Distriet No. 4 is provided with a school house situated on section 2, town 10, range 5 west. Number of pupils, eighty-six.

District No. 5 includes the village of Mt. Sterling. The school house is on section 26. Number of pupils, seventy-nine.

District No. 6 has an average attendance of forty-seven. The school house in this district is located on section 1, town 10, range 5 west.

In district No. 7 the school house stands on section 11, town 10, range 5 west. Number of pupils, fifty-four.

District No. 14 is located on section 22, town 11, range 4 west. The number of pupils in this district is fifty-eight.

Joint district No. 5 is provided with a house in the town of Freeman. The number of pupils from the town of Utica is twenty-three.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

Joint district No. 11 is made up of territory from Clayton and Utica. Number of pupils from the latter named town, thirty-six.

Joint district No 13 is supplied with a poor school house on section 22, town 11, range + west. There are forty-seven pupils belonging to this district from the town of Utica.

Joint district No. 14, comprising parts of Free- man and Utica, has its school building in the town of Freeman. Number of pupils from Utica, one.

Joint district No. 15 is a part of the towns of Seneca and Utica. Its building is located in the former named. Number of pupils from Utica, twenty-four.

RELIGIOUS.

Besides the numerous Church organizations mentioned in connection with the village histo- ries of the town of Utica, there are two outside of the villages-the Norwegian Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The first Norwegian religious services in this town were held at the residences of the early settlers in 1857. The first were conducted by Rev. II. A. Stubb, pastor of Coon Prairie Church, Vernon county. The first church building erected by this denomination was a log structure, built on see- tion 22, town 11, range 4 west, in 1859. This builling was used for church purposes until the present church in the town of Franklin, Ver- non Co., was built, where the congregation then attended. In 1871 the number of families be- longing to the Lutheran Church having so in- creased, that an additional church building was required, and the distance to the church in the town of Franklin being too great for many families,it was arranged to hold religious ser- vice in the Congregational church at Mt Ster- ling. In 1875 the present church building was erected. It is located on section 11, town 10, range 5 west. The congregation attending this church is a large one, comprising most of the families in this town and those from other towns who find it more convenient to attend

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 104

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1298

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298