History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 125

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 125
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 125

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).

What a big effort we made to grow hosts of garden vegetables in 1857, and how abominably wet the season was. How smutty the wheat was. Didn't we have shady bread that winter? We toiled in the fields, we grubbed alders, hoed corn, mauled rails ont of tough logs, cut fire- wood from knotty old oaks, hunted cows in Uncle Sam's log pasture, and sometimes, espec- ially when it was stormy, it was terribly long. May be we perfumed our breath with a leak, seraped the wild beans from our clothes with a case knife, and picked the wood tieks out of our hair.

Ox teams were the fashion then, so much so that you could count all the horses on your fingers a whole town might possess. Father, who at that time had a blacksmith shop in. Loyd, shod ninety-five yoke of cattle in one winter.

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

Curious old tools we had in those days, and everybody was jack-at-all-trades. We mended our plows, patched up our wagons, and cobbled our own boots and shoes. Many of our dwel- lings were made with fire places of sticks and clay, the floors of the house of "puncheons," or split logs, the roof of "shakes" (long split shingles). In such dwellings as these, many of our mothers and sisters toiled, and no doubt im- bibed many lessons of skill, industry and econo- my that more recent homes do not afford. Our home-made clothing was washed by their hands, with home-made soap; and home-made clothing meant that made with needle by hand-very few affording a sewing-machine then. Econo- my was rigid. Many are the pairs of pants we have seen made from grain sacks; one year they were very fashionable.

Then business developed with the country, and new excitements roused us to new actions. What lots of money was made in digging gin- seng. For a year or two it was a great thing. Then we had sorghum introduced, and we all got rich-in a horn! No, we waited for that until 1868, and went into hops and got busted.

Well, we began way back in those early times to build school houses, make roads and bridges, organize churches, societies and associations. We have built mills, shops and factories. Our villages have grown until they teem with all kinds of useful pursuits that the country may need. We have also built our homes among the hills of Richland, where once forests were growing. We have no regrets that our county was not settled among stirring scenes of war and tragedy. It is better, far better, that our settlers were devoted to the arts of peace. We have had our quaint old characters, our re- ligious revivals of many kinds, our political ex- citements, our business struggles, our spelling schools, debating schools, singing schools, and more than this we have had our 4th of July celebrations, our Christmas festivals and New Year's jollities, and many of these are freighted

in memory with interesting accidents, incidents and reminiscenees.

THE PIONEER SCHOOL TEACHER. [By G. L. Laws. ]

I remember him; he came to our house as he "boarded around," bringing with him his Sara- toga, (a red silk handkerchief containing all his worldly effects), a clean shirt of unbleached muslin and wide collar of same material, a razor, brush and "strop," and a strap for the boys. I say "he" because girls and old maids were not permitted to teach in those days, because they were supposed to be mentally and physically incompetent.

The pioneer teacher was a sort of John the Baptist, and he not only firmly believed in the doctrine of Solomon, that "sparing the rod spoils the child," but he religiously practiced it, and he executed the law on the prophets, ranged round the room, in rows, on benches. To me, through remembrance, the "oil of joy" of even these days has a taste of leather strap in it. The pioneer teacher's ediets were like the laws of the Medes and the Persians-un- changeable, but not those of the tyrant, Calig- ula, hung so high that nobody could read them. They contained no inkhorn phrases of doubt- ful mean, but were in good plain English and were read aloud every Monday morning, with such additions as the previous week's experi- ence had proven necessary. Among them was one that "each scholar should come to school regularly at 9 o'clock, with face and hands clean washed and head clean combed."

It was once the custom to bar teachers out on holidays and make them treat. An occurrence of this kind once took place in southern Illinois where a young man from Ohio came ont west to "keep school." The school house was a log one, batten door hung on wooden hinges. The chimney was of logs lined with stone for a few feet up, then finished with clay and sticks, which latter in this case had fallen off. Twen- ty or more young men and boys and a few girls assembled early Christmas morning and barred the door. The teacher came and was refused

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HISTORY OF RICIILAND COUNTY.

admittance till be treated. He tried the door, then walked off briskly, for apples and candy, the boys thought. He soon returned with an ax and butcher knife, took off his coat, leisurely rolled up his sleeves, chopped the door off its hinges and entered, ax in one hand and knife in the other. No Arnold Winkelreid was there among these boys, "to make way for liberty and die." There was no way of escape except over the burning hickory logs in the fire place, and out over the top of the fallen chimney. The larger boys dropped out over the top of this chimney as fast as one could get out of the way of another, and each took the "route step" for home. The smaller boys from under benches surrendered unconditionally and were allowed to retain their jack knives and other side arms.

In a different view the early teachers of Richland Centre may be counted pioneers, and my heart wakes to the pulse of the past as I run over the list. To four, perhaps the most faith- ful good and true, "school is dismissed:" Mary, Emma, Cordelia and Betsey, have "climbed the golden stairs."

"School is out." The coasters, the skaters, the group on the green, and the flowers brought fresh every morning as tokens of friendship and love, are not, to them. Those who re- main will love the old school house in the au- tumn.

TIIREE WORTHIES. [By J. M. Reid.]

John Fogo was a Scotchman, with all the stur- dy virtues and some of the weaknesses of the people of his nationality. Ile was a man of strong passions, which (alas for the weakness of human nature) sometimes got the better of him; yet he was of quick sensibilities, of gen- erous impulses and of a kindly heart. He was a warm and a truly trusty friend, but fearless and outspoken against what he considered wrong. He had no sympathy with the weak sentimentalism of the present day, which apolo- gizes for any rascally transaction, thus "putting

bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter," con- founding the distinctions between virtue and vice. His legal knowledge, for a man in his station, was considerable, and this, coupled with strong common sense, made him a reliable publie officer and a useful counselor to his neighbors. IIe was gifted with a remarkable memory and (what does not always accompany a good memory) good judgment. His memory enabled him to retain historical facts remark- ably well. History indeed was his delight, especially the history of his native land. Few men were better informed in regard to the political and ecclesiastical history of Scotland.

He had quite a taste for theological learning. lle had been quite well instructed in childhood (for he came of a goodly house), and in Kilmar- nock and Pittsburgh he had opportunity of hearing some of the first preachers of the age. HIe was also well read in the old divines of the sixteenth century. He was ever a lover of the sanetnary, and gave devout attention to the various services of sermon, psalm and prayer. As many times as I have preached before him, I do not remember a single instance in which his attention flagged.

He was a most genial and instructive com- panion. Some of the most pleasant memories of my sojourn in Wisconsin, are of the long winter evenings, spent by the "chimla lug" of his humble home, in cheerful conversation with him and his "guid wife." History, poetry and religion, as well as the common topics, was our theme until it was time to "tak the bukes," which in a Scottish household means to have family worship.

Alanson Clark was a man of considerable in- formation, and of a pure and upright life, being highly respected by his neighbors. He was a very kind man and of a sociable disposition. He may have lacked in firmness and decision of character, which, as a philosopher has said, is apt to be the case with natures thoroughly kind. His tastes lay in a different direction from the other two. While they were men of

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HISTORY OF RICHILAND COUNTY

war from their youth, engaging with a will in the disputes that arose about town, county, State and National affairs, Mr. Clark was more like Jacob, a plain man dwelling in tents. ITe took but little part in the stormy contentions arising out of questions agitating the neighbor- hood or the country. His name was identi- fied with the Church; he was the friend of Zion and of Sabbath schools; his brethren recogniz- ing his merits, elected him to the responsible position of ruling elder, the duties of which he discharged both in Ohio and Wisconsin. His gifts and graces shone particularly in public prayer. I have heard few men engage in that exercise more to edification than Mr. Clark. His prayers were humble, solemn, and sound in the faith, and enriched by scriptural quotations. HIe had a deep and abiding sense of eternal things. He spoke often on the shortness and uncertainty of life, and of the importance of being prepared for death. He has gone to his grave like a shock of corn fully ripe. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

Josiah MeCaskey was a man of good natural parts and superior intelligence I believe he was of Scotch-Irish extraction, and had the firmness (to put it mildly) we might expect, for the Scotch-Irish are a doggedly, obstinate race, which I may say without offence, remembering "the rock whence I myself was hewn." Ile was a great stickler for forms, and desired all things to be done according to the laws made and provided, whether in matters ecclesiastical or civil. This, let us hope, resulted not from a fault-finding disposition ( for he was equally severe on the false steps of friend or foe), but from a desire to have the forms of law pro- served. Owing to his knowledge of law, there were not many in the neighborhood a match for him except Mr. Fogo. In him he found a "foe- man worthy of his steel." Their controversies at town meetings and other public gatherings were long and fierce, but did not destroy their friendship for each other. Sometimes they dis- cussed Church matters, and then there would

be an exchange of rigorous English ( and Scotch), but all ending in good part. Mr. Fogo used to good-humoredly call him an "auld Ishmaeleete," because his hand was against every man, and every man's hand against him.

Not only had he no sympathy for mistakes and negligence in conducting public business, but anything like corruption in office was apt to bring him up to a white heat of indignation. Hlad he been President, official delinquency would have found no mercy at his hands, and it would be no fault of his if the morality of our civil service was not brought back to the state of purity characteristic of the "better days of the Republic."

ITe was well acquainted with the Scriptures, and had some knowledge of the original lan- guage in which the New Testament was written. He once sent me a roll of papers entitled "Field Notes of a Surveyor," which proved to be Greek criticisms on the New Testament. Many of his annotations were judicious, and though not of great importance, tended to throw some light on the sacred text. In the early days of my ministry at Fancy Creek, he used to sit before me with his Greek Testament in his hand, imitating the Bereans in "search- ing the Scriptures whether these things were $0." But soon something was said or left un- said, or done or left undone, which gave offence and he absented himself. Few things in this world pleased him, either in Church or State. He had looked so much at the dark side of human nature that he had almost lost faith in mankind. Poor man! He had his troubles here. Let us hope that, through those Serip- tures which he professed so highly to revere, he at length found peace. Though it may be said of him, "Pancis lucrymis compositus es." With few tears thou wert laid to thy rest, yet, let us forget his infirmities and remember his virtues.

Thus have passed away three worthies- representatives of the olden time, in integrity and real worth. Let us avoid their mistakes

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and imitate their excellencies, and let us be ad- monished by their departure that we too shall die and not live. Our heads will soon be sil- vered, and crow's feet be found in our temples -the fore-runner of death-for man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets.

EARLY TIMES IN RICHLAND COUNTY. [Author Unknown.]

In 1851, by act of the Legislature, the county seat was located at Richland Centre, which is on the north side of Horse creek, supposing the county to be square, but by counting the frac- tions on the south side of the county it brings the geographical center on the north end of section 28, town of Richland, on land which the writer hereof bought of Uncle Sam and on which he lived three years. The above state- ment is necessary to show the cause of the eight years war. That war carried on with much bitterness between Romulus, the founder, and the exasperated Sabines. It is said that Rom- ulus promised lots, free, to those who would vote to confirm the act of the Legislature re- ferred to above, and thus succeeded in locating the village of Richland Centre. John Price, then chairman of the county board was suc- ceeded by a Mr. Tracy when new life and energy was given to the Sabines by the removal of Charley to Mill creek and the assistance of Robert and A. M. S. John Mathews was then sheriff and fought the county seat question to the bitter end.

In J851 I first sat foot on the present site of Richland Centre, near sun down, and a more tired and hungry paddy than I was, you never saw. A smoke, and to my great joy, over the river by the side of the bluff was a log cabin occupied by a Connecticut Yankee by the name , of Bacon. He told me he once had a pre-emption on the quarter, now the county seat, and that he had sold it to Romulus for $25. Bacon was an honest man but a very green Yankee.

In the summer of 1852, was built the little court house where now stands Hugh Boyle's

blacksmith shop. The old building is now Schmidt & Lawrence's fruit store. During the same summer, part of the American (now Rich- land) House was built, and with the whole block, was sold to A. S. Neff in 1854, for $1,200. This was the first substantial purchase in the new city. In 1852, Judge Coffinbury resigned, and David Strickland was appointed county judge, by Gov. Barstow. R. C. Hawkins was elected sheriff in 1852, but did not enter upon the duties of his office till 1853, which compelled John Mathews to attend court in the "Centre" one day. Passing the office of the clerk of the court one cold, stormy day, I heard a pounding inside and my first thought was that the Sabines had taken possession of the ark of knowledge and the throne of justice, and were preparing to carry it away on their shoulders, so I rushed in and found the county judge seated on a high stool, A. B. Slaughter, clerk, at the desk and John Mathews trying with a very dull ax, to split an oak knot to fit in an eighteen inch stove. They all looked cold, and I offered to cut enough wood for two fires for twenty-five cents, but they all confessed, in open court, to want of funds and I believed them and left them shaking with the cold.

The winter of 1853 gave a new turn to affairs. The Legislature was petitioned to bring the school section into market and lay it off into lots which was done and a day appointed for the sale of lots to the highest bidder. This measure made more stir in Richland county than is made by the civil rights bill in Con- gress. In the spring of 1853 was held the first town meeting in the town of Richland at which Asa J. Sheldon was elected chairman, McMann, clerk, C. MeCarthy, treasurer and Hascal Hasel- tine superintendent of schools.

REMINISCENCE. [By J. H. Waggoner.]

[The following reminiscence appeared in the Richland county Republican, on July 1, 1869, under the head of "Fifteen Years Ago."]

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

Fifteen years ago to-morrow (July 2, 1854), the family of C. Waggoner, of whom the writer was one, hauled up at the hotel of Rich- land Centre, then kept by Col. I. S. Haseltine, after a tiresome journey by rail, steamer and stage, from the eastern part of Ohio. The rail- way between Milwaukee and Madison was then new, and as rough as new. The trip from Madi- son was made in nearly two days by livery con- veyance. All the surroundings observed in this then new country were very different from those of the home just left. The rude cabins, the rough roads, the wild scenery, were in strik- ing contrast with the comfortable dwellings, the well worked roads and the placid surface of eastern Ohio, But the change was little lamented by "we boys." Our "range" was much enlarged, and we enjoyed the freedom of the hills, though the luxuries of the former home came only with the developments of after years.

The first celebration of the National Anni- versary in Richland Centre was on the second day after our arrival here. The first flag un- furled to the breeze in this valley was that which waved here on the 4th of July, 1854, The first "liberty pole" implanted in the soil of the village was that from which the stars and stripes floated on the 4th of July, 1854. A glorious day seemed that 4th of July. No 4th has seemed more grand since. A hand- ful of people, comparatively, participated in the observance of the day; but they were nearer to each other than now-there were no internal dissensions Men. The good of one was the good of all. The people of the sur- rounding country and the people of the village were one. All sought the aid of the lowing cattle for purposes of pleasure or labor, and the fat of the land, wherever found, was common property.

At that time Richland Centre was com- prised of part of August Schmidt's building, then used as a court house; of what is now the "old part" of the American House, where travel-

ers were entertained by Mr. Haseltine; the building now belonging to Le Roy Humbert, west of Austin's corner (then south of the same corner and occupied by S. HI. Austin with a small stock of goods); a small building in what was afterward known as the Hamilton settle- ment, belonging to and occupied by Sidney Rose; the main part of the now Grant House, then unfinished and occupied by Hascal Hasel- tine; the building now occupied by George II. James, then occupied by a Mr. Sheldon, in the front room of which a little store was soon opened, and the house now belonging to W. J. Waggoner, on the east side of the village, then occupied by Dr. Gage, where also was the post- otice. During the summer several dwellings were erected, among them one by the head of our family. Little improvement was made during two or three years following, but soon thereafter immigration gave the village and ad- jacent country a respectable population; from which time to the present the growth has been sure if not rapid, with every promise of ulti- mate good cheer for all the people.

Though the village of Richland Centre has grown from a handful of people to nearly 1,200 in fifteen years, with wealth nearly an hundred fold advanced over the increase of population, it is apparent to all that greater advancement might have been made. But how, has not been demonstrated, unless the experience of the past be demanded to guide the effort.

Great as have, been the improvements in the village, considering its embarrassments, the county at large bears off the palm. Bounding from a population of but 900 to over 15,000, it has developed in wealth and substantial im- provements far beyond the county seat. Valua- ble farms and fine dwellings, thrifty villages with excellent manufacturing establishments, dot its length and breadth. As a whole, though not enjoying all the advantages of many other sections of the State, we doubt if its advance- ment has been greatly surpassed by any other. Our quick soil, splendid timber, pure water, and

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healthy climate, offer inducements to settlers not always combined.

EARLY DAYS IN RICHLAND CENTRE.

[By James H. Miner].

Richland Centre in 1855, contained a popu- lation of about 200 souls all told. At this time no county buildings had been erected, neither church or school house, although the county seat had been located here several years be- fore.

Orion, then called Richmond, had a school house and maintained a good school. Richland city had shown a degree of enterprise in build- ing an academy and maintaing an institution of learning which deserved a better fate than be- fell it. After a few years the village ceased to grow and its commerce went to Lone Rock on the railroad. The academy failed. Silsby, the principal had gained, by his successful manage- ment of the school, a well deserved reputation as an educator of eminent attainments.

At Richland Centre, in 1855, the subject of securing a school house site and erecting a school building took a definite shape. The an- mual meeting, of that year, was a stormy one. The party favoring the locating and building the house finally prevailed. The public school interest received lasting and substantial aid from Mr. Priest's untiring efforts. And it was mainly owing to his exertion, that his friend Israel Sanderson was induced to establish the Observer, the first newspaper in the county. The first issue of the paper was one of the marked and important events in our history. The county board was then in session (November, 1855),and some of the first copies were distributed to the members, and when the carrier presented each member a copy, the business of the county was suspended until the paper was read and favorably commented upon. The paper soon became well established.

The political campaign of 1856 received the consideration its importance demanded. In October, a republican mass convention was held, and addressed by C. C. Washburn, who was

then a candidate for re election to Congress ; Judge Jackson, and the witty and humorous Mohawk dutchman, Vinton. The meeting was well attended, and Fremont, the Presidential standard bearer strongly endorsed.

The democratic mass meeting was afterwards held, and was addressed by Judge Crawford, candidate for Congress, against C. C. Washburn. The meeting was well attended, and James Buchanan and Judge Crawford, were enthusi- astically supported by their party.

The people of this county were deeply inter- ested in the contest at Madison during the win- ter of 1856, between Governors Barstow and Bashford. Aside from the question of which was elected, and whether the supreme court, a co-ordinate branch of the State government, had the authority to determine the controversy, our member of assembly, Robert Akan, who was elected by a peculiar turn of political affairs, was a strong supporter of Gov. Barstow.

A large proportion, however, of the people of the county firmly believed that Gov. Bash- ford had been really elected, and were his firm supporters. The supreme court were of the opinion and declared him elected and he was installed into office.

The severest winter known since the first set- tlement of the county was that of 1856-7. It was during this winter that the bold and adroit John J. Shoemaker, an adventurer, came among us. He made his appearance, representing himself to be a man of great wealth, and look- ing for a location to lay out a townand build an academy. He went into the northern part of the county and platted a village, on the west branch of Pine river, calling it Marysville. He then went to Chicago and purchased a large saw-mill on credit, and at great expense hauled it with teams from Lone Rock, some thirty-five miles, to Marysville, where he set it up. Ile also purchased at the same place a $10,000 stock of goods with which he opened a store in Rich- land Centre. Before his bills in Chicago fell due, he had disposed of a large share of the

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

goods for cash, he obtained credit everywhere, and in the latter part of February, left the country with a valuable team and several thous- and dollars, the proceeds of a few months schem- ing.

In the fall of 1857 the contest over building a school house was renewed with greater vigor than before. Several meetings were held, and a tax of $2,000 was finally voted toward a school house, which was placed upon the tax roll. It was found impossible for a large ma- jority of the tax-payers to pay the tax in money, and an expedient was resorted to. A building committee was appointed with power to receive building materials or labor, at a price to be fixed by the said committee, for which they gave a receipt, which was taken by the town treas- urer in the place of money, and these receipts were taken by the district in its settlement with the treasurer.

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 125

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