History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 165

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 165
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 165

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).

Although the first attempt had failed, how- ever, its friends did not falter but pressed the matter and on Nov. 23, 1869, succeeded in hav- ing the trustees pass the bill to purchase a United States chemical engine. At the next meeting thereafter held Dec. 13, 1869, the trus- tees, by ballot, elected Henry St. John, foreman, and William Tuttle, assistant foreman, with full power to raise and organize a fire company. At the same meeting measures were also taken that all the necessary fixtures should be purchased to run the engine and help the company in the discharge of their duty. It would seem from the records that the chemical engine was pur- chased and arrived, but for some reason it did not meet the wants of the community nor the wishes of the board, and it was returned.

Jan. 10, 1870, however, the village board passed a resolution to purchase as a substitute for it a second-hand Button & Blake's hand en- gine, in good repair, at a cost of $750, and 300 feet of hose suitable for the use of the same and also a resolution to purchase of Richards & Her- bert a hook and ladder truck, at a cost of $120, and a hose reel to carry the hose to the seat of conflagration. This being done, in February, 1870, there was duly organized the Richland Center Engine Company and the Richland Center Hook and Ladder Company, and all the implements for the extinguishment of fires were placed in their hand, and for the safe keeping of which they pledged themselves and also agreed to drill in the use of the same. The town board there- upon appointed A. W. Bickford as chief engi- neer of the department and that gentleman has the honor of being the first to enjoy that dignity.

To the honor of the village board be it spoken that they took all measures to make this a most efficient department, and in furtherance of this in May, 1870, they signed a contract with M. D. Ilankins, by which he agreed to build sev- eral cisterns at the intersection of such streets as were thought most advisable. Three were

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

built under this contract, but it seems from some later remarks upon the records that they had not prove l quite as satisfactory as was de- sirable, as several more were afterwards built of brick or stone, one near D. O. Chandler's store being let under contraet to G. A. Tuttle for $225. This was in the summer of 1873.

In the early days of the new fire brigade the engine, trucks and reel were kept in various barns and buildings rented for that purpose but in December, 1870, and January, 1871, an en- gine house was built by the board for the use of the department at a cost of some $300. In 1871 and 1872, A. W. Bickford was re-elected to the office of chief engineer. During this latter year some more hose was purchased and the engine house was removed to lot 3 in block 8, which had been purchased for the pur- pose by the village board of J. W. Lybrand for the sum of $175.

The engine company by this time numbered some thirty members and the hook and ladder company fifteen. These were all, in consideration of their services in the fire brigade, exempt from paying poll tax or doing jury duty.

In April, 1873, the mode of choosing the offi- cers of the department was changed, passing from the hands of the village board to that of the companies themselves, subject, however, to the confirmation of the trustees of the village. Under this rule the officers chosen were as fol- lows: W. F. Tuttle, chief engineer; F. MI Ott, assistant engineer ; II. foms, treasurer ; G. N. Matteson, secretary.

In 1877 J. M. Adams was the head of the fire department.

In the year 1878 the officers of the depart- ment were as follows : David G. James, chief engineer; Benjamin Brimer, assistant ; Ilenry Toms, treasurer; W. H. Pier, secretary; George Jarvis, fire warden.

The year 1879 witnessed the re-election of the entire board. The officers above mentioned seemed to give such satisfaction that no change was made until 1881, when we find the follow-

ing as the list of officers of the department : D. G. James, chief engineer; George N. Matteson, assistant; F. P. Lawrence, secretary; H. Toms, treasurer; George Jarvis, fire warden.

At the annual election in May, 1882, the follow- ing officers were elected : W. II. Pier, chief . en- gineer; II. T. Bailey, assistant engineer ; II. Toms, treasurer; D. G. James, secretary; O. G. Munson, fire warden.

The department is a very efficient one and is well equipped with good apparatus and the "boys" are the pride of the village. The pres- ent officers were elected in May, 1883, and are as follows:

W. Harry Pier, chief engineer; David G. James, first assistant engineer ; II. R. Brewer, second assistant engineer ; George Jarvis, fire warden ; I. A. Cleveland, secretary ; Henry Toms, treasurer.

FIRE RECORD.

The village has but little cause to lament the usual large proportion of fires that occur in most communities, none that have occurred within its limits assumed any magnitude.

The first buildings burned in Richland Center were the dwelling houses belonging to Phineas Janney and Samuel Fries. They were both oceu- pied by their families. The first fire of any importance was the burning of the court house, which occurred in April, 1859. Among other distressing fires that have occurred were the following: Burning of J. Thompson's house, Jones' tannery, Walworth's steam saw-mill, Smith, Laws & Co.'s saw-mill and furniture factory, Fries' tannery, American Hotel, Jones' shoe shop, Bayles' blacksmith shop, John Heeran's marble works, engine house, the Aus- tin building, Daniel Rice's store, the railway de- pot and A. H. Krouskop's block.

The following is an account of the two most important fires that have occurred in Richland Center, as gleaned from the newspaper accounts published at the time. The first on the list was the

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

BURNING OF THE DEPOT.

About 2 o'clock in the morning of Sunday, Oct. 8, 1882, two quick reports in succession, or as nearly together as to almost seem one, and lond as a cannon's roar, awakened every sleeper and shook every building in Richland Center. The startled citizens on being so rudely torn from their peaceful slumbers, in quick haste donned their clothing and sallied forth in hot haste to inquire the cause. Ere many of them had gathered and with pallid cheek and quivering lip had asked the momentous question, the sonorous peal of the great fire bell resounding through the trembling air, told the fast gather- ing throng that the red fire fiend danced in their midst, and his infernal altar smoked with the incense he delights in.

Excited crowds soon filled the streets, all hastening in the direction from which the lurid flames lit up the village, and made the sur- rounding bluffs look like the mythical hills of brass.

It took but a short time to make the discovery that the depot of the Pine River branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad was a prey to the devouring element. In the short space of time which elapsed between the re- ports and the arrival of the fire brigade the flames had got under such headway, that it was impossible to arrest their mad progress and save the building or any of its contents. The safe belonging to the express company was indeed pulled from the fire, owing to the exer- tions of the firemen, and its contents saved, but this was about all.

Investigation showed that the reports were caused by the ignition of two kegs of gun- powder that were in the depot at the time. The roof of the building was blown off by the force of the explosion and fire thrown in all direc- tions.

The work of the flames was swift and sure, and in an incredibly short space of time the spot where the building stood was marked only by a mass of smouldering ruins. In addition

to the loss of the depot and its contents, the baggage car and one or two freight cars that stood near on the track were badly scorched and damaged before they could be removed. The passenger coach, however, escaped with but slight damage.

CONFLAGRATION OF KROUSKOP'S PALACE DRY GOODS STORE.

Between the hours of four and five o'clock in the morning of Friday, Jan. 28, 1883, the vil- lage of Richland Center was again visited by the demon of fire, which with a flaming besom swept ont of existance one of the chief orna- ments of the city nestled among the hills.

At the hour mentioned above, the loud clan- gor of the fire bell broke upon the affrighted ears of the sleeping inhabitants of the village dis- sipating their.little remaining slumbers. The wild alarm soon brought the whole town npon the streets. It was found, on inquiry, that a fire had been discovered, shortly before, in the frame grocery store of A. II. Floaten, on Cen- ter street, in close proximity to A. H. Krous- kop's mammoth brick block, and by the time the fire department had arrived on the ground the fiery element had gathered such headway that it was plainly evident to all that all effort to subdue it was in vain, and that the edifice was doomed to destruction.

The extreme cold weather had frozen the valves of the engine and some valuable time was wasted by that unfortunate circumstance, upon their arrival upon the scene of action. While the firemen were making strenuous efforts to remedy this, and straining every nerve to get the apparatus to work, the flames spread to the frame building north of the one where the fire originated, also occupied by Mr. Foaten, and thence north to the building tenanted by W. H. Pier, as an abstract office. The main efforts of the hook and ladder company was directed toward pulling down the Pier building that endangered the remaining portion of the row. For some time it was feared that all their efforts were unavailing, and that the flames

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY

would leap the narrow distance, to the next building, and the whole business portion of the town would be devoured by the insatiable mon- ster.

But fortunately there was no wind to fan the fire and help it spread and this fact, added to the almost superhuman efforts of the firemen, and it might be said, the whole number of the inhabi- tants as well, and that the roofs of all the build- ings were deeply covered with snow, kept the fire in due limits, and its further progress was arrested in that direction. All this time great volumes of flames, fed by the combustable na- ture of Floaten's store and stock, of which a considerable quantity of coal oil formed a part, rolled up against the side of Krouskop's block, heating the iron cornice and setting fire to the rafters underneath the roof, and joists of tim- bers running around back of the eornice. The engine, having by this time been put into good working order, stream after stream of water was poured directly upon the devouring ele- ment, but with very little visible effeet.

Owing to the height of the building, the engine could not throw a stream up to the eor- nice with force enough to be effective. The fire still kept creeping insidiously onward at this point in under the roof. A number of men were inside fighting the flames with pails of water, and after the efforts of the firemen were found to be useless outside, the hose was taken up through a window in Black & Burnham's law office, and an attempt was made to reach the attic with it and turn a stream of water against the flames, but the attempt miscarried and the whole scheme abandoned.

Still being unwilling to give the matter up, the firemen went along the hall on the second story and extinguished the fire that had caught in the windows and casings, on the north side of the building. The fire in these rooms had been previously put out several times, but the heat was so intense that the wood-work rekin- dled almost as soon as they were cleared of the fire. Those inside finding how futile were |

their puny efforts against this hydra-headed giant, and seeing no possible chance of saving the building, reluctantly retired, and left the magnificent structure to its fate.

Hu-hed now was the clamor, and all stood spell-bound, like the sailor as he watches the fast sinking vessel he has just left, watching the gradual triumph of the element over the boasted work of man. The flames now bad an unmolested chance and their progress was swift, sure and deadly. With terrible steps the in- vader stole downward from the attie to the sec- ond floor, stair by stair, then onward to the first floor, devouring all on its way, and then as if leeming it still not enough went still down- ward in its irresistable march even into the cellar. As each floor, with its timbers and contents gave way and fell erashing to the one below, the flames rolled higher and higher and danced in infernal glee over the wreck and ruin below.

By seven o'clock the element had exhausted its force, and what wasa few hours before a superb building was a heap of smouldering ruins and tottering, ragged, smoke scorched walls. Parts of the latter had to be battered down as their wrecked state imperiled the passers-by and some have since blown down, leaving an unsightly wreck, a blot upon the face of the fair village.

During the progress of the conflagration, the explosion of a keg of powder in the store of A. Il. Floaten created a lively sensation, as there were people in the building at the time engaged in carrying out goods, and the proprie- tor was, even then, engaged in a search for the powder and was within a few feet of it when it exploded. The glass in the windows of the buildings opposite was nearly all shattered by the concussion. Much of the goods in both buildings were saved, but in a damaged condi- tion.

Various conjectures as to the origin of the fire were rife, at the time, but it seems to be the general opinion that it caught from a defec- tive tlue in the Floaten store. The loss can

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

safely be put down as fully $75,000, on which there was an insurance of $48,700.

An account of this Krouskop block will not be out of place in this connection, as the structure was the pride of the citizens of the village and of the county generally, as well as of the owner, and was said to be the finest building of the kind in the State, west of Mil- waukee. The block was 44x125 feet, with a wing 34x74 feet in dimension, all two stories high, and was built of pressed brick, with cut stone trimmings and handsome iron cornice. Large plate glass windows adorned and illumi- nated the front, and all the interior wood work was executed in hard wood, principally wal- nut. Mr. Krouskop commenced the erection of the edifice in 1876 ; the material he had been collecting for ten years previously. It was finished during the year 1877, and he moved into it in January, 1878, and occupied it at the time of its destruction.

THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.

In May, 1857, Michael Carmichael opened the first saloon in the village of Richland Cen- ter, and which was known as the "Bowling `Saloon," and shortly afterwards was followed by Patrick Meehan, who opened a rum shop in the midst of the town. At the time no licenses could be or were granted to these parties, who thus commenced their business in open defiance of the law. The wildest excitement now seized upon the law abiding portion of the community. The following call for a temper- ance meeting was conspicuously displayed all over town on small posters, early in July:

TEMPERANCE MEETING.

Those ladies and gentlemen of Richland Center and vicinity, who are in favor of using all legal means to suppress the liquor traffic in said village, will meet at the court house, this (Tuesday) evening, July 14, at 7 o'clock.

We quote an account of the affair from the columns of the Richland County Observer, of that date, as better reflecting the feelings of the

community, than can be shown from anything written at this distant day. Says the reporter to that paper:

"There was considerable excitement in this village on Wednesday and Thursday, of last week, on account of the continued unlicensed sales of spiritnous liquors, which are constantly occurring in the Bowling Saloon, and in the house of Patrick Meehan.

"Notice had been given on Tuesday evening that there would be a meeting on Wednesday morning, for the purpose of considering what further policy should be pursued to suppress the traffic. This meeting was attended principally by women, and there was manifested by some of them a determination to do something rash, if no other means could be suggested whereby the curse could be stayed. Several gentlemen having been called to speak, and they having spoken, and contended that law only should be employed to abate the nuisance, the project of doing violence was put to rest, as in the exer- cise of good sense, every such notion ought to be.

"Why any body here has ever thought of mob violence, to suppress the unlawful sales of ar- dent spirits, is because our statute requires that the quantity and quality of the liquor sold, shall be set forth in the complaint; and the difficulty of obtaining this evidence here for the com- mencement of a suit is so great, that these grogeries have sold their drinks with impunity, until they have become "public nuisances, sources of filth, and causes of sickness," with- out exaggeration. This matter being perfectly plain to the observing mind, A. C. East- land suggested that a complaint might be made to the board of health of this town, and that he thought they possessed sufficient power, by law, to remove all nuisances, which are sources of filth, or causes of sickness. This idea being perfectly reasonable to those assembled, it was determined to call a meeting of the members of the board of health and let them examine into

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HISTORY OF RICIILAND COUNTY.

the matter, if one other movement would not effect the desired end. And that was to ad- journ until four o'clock, P. M., and then meet in the court house, from which place, it was voted, that the citizens should proceed, in procession, to the whisky shops under the direction of a marshal and assistant, headed by a lady and gentleman, who were selected to speak in be- half of the citizens. The meeting then ad- journed. As a committee had been appointed to go to every house in the village to notify the inhabitants of the design of the meeting, at four o'clock, and invite them to be present, almost every body turned out, though the thermometer indicated nearly 90 degrees, Fahrenheit. After the meeting had come to order, and the object of it stated, the procession was formed and it proceeded at once to the Bowling Saloon, under the charge of W. II. Downs as marshal and George H. James as assistant. On arriving at the saloon, Michael Carmichael, who asked them in to take something, was addressed by Mrs. Eunice Holden, and was followed by Alfred II. Bush. They remonstrated against the unlaw- ful traffic and plead in behalf of humanity, amidst constant interruption. Without effeet- ing any thing by persuasion, the procession left, well satisfied that kind words and good rea- soning were of no avail. Arriving at the house of Patrick Mechan they addressed him, and found him but little or no more susceptible to the influence than Carmichael.

"As a meeting of the board of health had been called, on Thursday morning at 10 o'clock, a great number of citizens presented a com- plaint against these houses as nuisances, and asked their action upon the same. These liquor shops being unlicensed, and it having been shown that the liquor dealt out was a cause of sickness and a source of filth, and that its effect produced both annoyance and damage to the citizens of the town, it was adjudged by the board, after a thorough examination, that the complaint was well grounded, and they have issued the following notice for its removal:

STATE OF WISCONSIN, - TOWN OF RICHLAND.

RICHLAND COUNTY, ss.

At a meeting of the undersigned, members of the board of health in and for said town, began and holden at the court house therein, a quorum being present, and it appearing to said board that the sale and use of intoxicating liquors to be used as a beverage, within said town, is a publie nuisance, source of filth and cause of siekness, therefore, it is ordered by said board, that no person hereafter sell, or in any way dispose of intoxicating liquor, within said town, to be used as a beverage; and that all intoxicating liquors now in said town, kept for sale as a beverage, be removed therefrom, under the pains and penalties of the statute in such case made and provided.

Given under our hands this 9th day of July, A. D. 1857. B. R. HOWLAND, S. W. PICKARD, E. P. YOUNG, B. L. JACKSON, Board of Health in and for the town of Richland.

"This movement may be considered as some- thing new under the sun-may be considered as a wrong construction of the intention of the statute; but so far as the letter of the law is concerned, it is fully in accordance with it; and, the law ought to be, henceforth, inter- preted as our board of health have seen fit so to interpret it. It would then be better than the Maine law; and, on this subject the State would not soon need to have legislation for the further regulation or suppression of the traffic."

As has been said, these men were engaged in a nefarions business, without any license, and they paid no attention to the notification of the board of health. After waiting twenty-four hours for them to remove the offending liquors, the members of the board made a personal call upon the men, and made a request of them to remove them or cause them to be removed, to neither of which requests would they listen,

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

and showed an ugly spirit of resistance. Allow- ing the matter to rest over night, that it might sink into their minds, and finding in the morn- ing no signs that they were making any prepa- rations to obey the mandates of the law, a warrant was placed in the hands of the sheriff, and on Wednesday, July 15, the town board ac- companied that officer and his posse to the saloon of Carmichael, and all the liquor found therein was taken out and poured upon the gronnd, which soon drank it up. No riot or re- sistance seems to have been met at this place, but all submitted with the best grace possible to the visit of the officer of the law, who but did his duty in executing the warrant. The nuisance being abated at this place, the proces- sion, for it had swelled to that degree, pro- ceeded to the saloon of Patrick Meehan, but did not find the man with any peaceable inten- tions. On perceiving them he ran up stairs, where he had conveyed the bulk of his stock of liquor, and, standing behind a barricade at the head of the stairs with his wife, presented at the approaching officer a gun, a revolver and a single-barreled pistol, and swore with terrible oaths that he would blow out the brains of, or do other deadly injury to, the sheriff or any other man who dared to attempt to storm his castle. The sheriff, finding that it might prove a dangerous job, evidently thinking discretion the better part of valor, incontinently left with all his posse, and Meehan was left victor of this bloodless field for the time being. A warrant was now issued for the arrest of the man for re- sisting an officer, and put into the hands of Constable Matteson, who, watching his oppor- tunity, found him away from his house and brought him before Justice Young. William F. Crawford, who had been appointed court commissioner at the previous term of the cir- cuit court by Judge Cothren, acted as Mechan's counsel. He demanded that his client should not be tried or examined before Justice Young, but at once offered to give a recognizance for his appearance at the next term of the circuit

court. This demand being denied by 'Squire Young, who betrayed no great willingness to be ousted of his jurisdiction, Crawford repaired to his office and issued the following summons: STATE OF WISCONSIN,

RICHLAND COUNTY. 5

To E. P. Young, Justice of the Peace of Richland County, Wisconsin:

Sir: - You are hereby notified that I have this day liberated Patrick Meehan, who was brought before you on the 16th day of July, A D. 1857, on a charge preferred against him for resisting an officer while in the execution of serving legal process.

You are further notified to send, without un- necessary delay, the recognizance, and all the papers in the case, to the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Richland County, Wisconsin.

Given under my hand, this the 16th day of WM. F. CRAWFORD, July, A. D. 1857.

Court Commissioner Richland County, Wisconsin.

But E. P. Young, on receiving this notice, could not find the authority for it, and there- fore refused to deliver up the prisoner, and pro- ceeded with the examination. After a hearing of the case, Mechan was required to give bail for his appearance at the next term of the cir- cuit conrt. This he refused to do, and was committed to jail.

His attorney, Crawford, then sued out a writ of habeas corpus, before himself as court com- missioner, for the liberation of his client, but the sheriff questioning Crawford's power or au- thority under the circumstances, refused to serve the writ. Crawford finding himself de- feated in every move went to work writing out other mandatory documents, but met with no better success and finally seeing no better plan to liberate his friend and client, went security for his appearance himself, on which Meehan was liberated.

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 165

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