History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 58

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 58
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 58

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T. B. Ward is a resident of Soldiers' Grove, Clayton town, and has been engaged in the law practice since May, 1878, which was the date of his admission to the bar, by Judge Cothren, in Prairie du Chien. Mr. Ward was elected justice of the peace in 1877, and chosen town clerk in 1878. He was born in Rockford, III., Sept. 8, 1853.

S. C. McClure, of the town of Eastman, has been admitted to the bar of Crawford county ; so, also, M. E. Norris, of the city of Prairie du Chien.

Prof Thomas Nyhan practiced law in Prai- rie du Chien for some time ; but afterward re- moved out of the county.

PRESENT COUNTY OFFICIALS.

Charles H. Speck, register of deeds of Craw- ford county, is the son of Frederick and Louisa Speck, and was born Oct. 9, 1854, in Milwaukee,

Wis. He came with his parents to Crawford county in 1860, who settled in Eastman town- ship, where Charles H. was reared on a farm. In 1876, while feeding a threshing machine, his right arm was drawn into the cylinder and crushed nearly to the elbow, causing amputa- tion of the arm. In 1878 he engaged in the insurance business, also dealing in farm machin- ery. He was elected town clerk of East- man, and served three years. In the fall of 1880, Mr. Speck was elected for the term begin- ning Jan. 1, 1881, to his present office, and be- ing re-elected in the fall of 1882, is now serving his second term. Mr. Speck was married in Eastman, Oct. 1, 1878, to Charlotte, daughter of Mark Ingle, born in Canada. They have two children-Benjamin F. and Ettie L.

Alexander M. Beach, sheriff of Crawford Co., Wis., is the son of Justus and Salina (Borah) Beach, and was born Oct. 1, 1834, in Wayne Co., IN. He was reared on a farm. When twenty years of age he came to Wisconsin, spending three years in various localities in the State; after which he settled on a farm in East- man township, this county, and engaged in farming. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in company F, 8th regiment, Wisconsin Volun- teers, known as the "Live Eagle" regiment. He was promoted to first sergeant of his company, serving three years and one month. During that time he engaged in all the battles and skirmishes in which his regiment took part, including twelve battles and twenty-five minor engagements and skirmishes. His service was in the western army under Gen's. Grant and Sherman. On his return from the army Mr. Beach resumed farming at the old place, in Eastman town, continuing until 1868, when he sold out and engaged in merchandizing at Eastman. In the fall of 1882 he was elected sheriff of Crawford county, and moved to Prai- rie du Chien, entering upon the duties of his office Jan. 1, 1883. On Jan. Ist, 1884, he be- came a partner in the printing and publishing business of the Prairie du Chien Union, by pur-

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chase of the business interest of Mr. T. W. Lacy. Mr. Beach was married Sept. 28, 1858, to Angeline, daughter of John Ellis. She is a native of Maine. They have had three chil- dren-E. J., Nettie and H. Walter.

Aaron Denio, clerk of Crawford county, and son of Aaron and Sarah (Fitzgerald) Denio, was born Jan. 9, 1825, in Grand Isle Co., Vt. When twelve years of age he removed with his parents to St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., where he was brought up on a farm. He pursued the occupation of a farmer in the summer, and taught school during the winter months, until 1855, when he removed to Prairie du Chien, Wis. Ile was here employed as a teacher, and subsequently as a clerk in a forwarding and commission house. Mr. Denio enlisted Aug. )1, 1862, in company D, 31st regiment, Wiscon- sin Volunteer Infantry. Before leaving the State, he was appointed commissary sergeant, and was subsequently made quarter-master ser- geant, serving three years. Un his return from the war he was employed for three years and a half as clerk in the county treasurer's office. In 1870 he was elected county treasurer, re-elect- ed in 1872 and 1874, defeated in 1876 and again elected in 1878, serving 1879 and 1880. In 1882 he was elected to the office he now holds, for the term of 1883 and 1984. Mr. Denio, although a republican in politics, has been elected in a democratie county with very flattering majori- ties. He was married in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Jan. 8, 1853, to Melinda Fitzgerald. Two children were born to them-Mary Adell and William A. Mrs. Denio died in April, 1875. Mr. Denio married, Dec 1, 1879, in Franklin county, Mrs. Salena A. Matthews, widow of Andrew Matthews, and daughter of Franeis Nevin. Mrs. Denio was born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y.

Henry Otto, treasurer of Crawford county, and mayor of the city of Prairie du Chien, was born in Rhine-province, Bavaria, Feb. 27, 1831. Ile is the son of Peter and Sarah Otto, being educated in Bavaria, and learning the

carpenter trade. He emigrated to the United States in 1849, locating at Cleveland, Ohio, where he spent four years working at his trade. Ile then returned to his native country, remain- ing but one year, and in 1854, returning to Cleveland. In 1855 he came to Prairie du Chien, Wis., and the following year, April, 1856, was married to Anna B., daughter of Phillip Hoffman, born in Monroe county, Illi- nois. Immediately after marriage Mr. Otto en- gaged in hotel keeping at Prairie du Chien, which business he continued until May, 1882. Mr. Otto served several years as alderman and as a member of the school board. In 1880 he was elected treasurer of Crawford county, served one term of two years, was re-elected in 1882, and is now serving his second term. He was elected mayor of the city of Prairie du Chien at the municipal election of 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Otto have had nine children, six of whom are living-Henry, August M., Annie F. E., Emma P., Ottilie and Nettie. Phillipina died, aged five years; George P. died, aged one year; Sarah died aged three years.

Will G. Campbell, clerk of the cirenit court of Crawford county, is a son of Peter and Isa- bella Campbell, and was born near Lancaster, Grant Co., Wis., Jan. 27, 1856. His parents are natives of Scotland and emigrated to American in 1851. The father was of high- land and the mother of lowland birth. Will G. was raised on his father's farm and was edu- eated at the Boseobel High School, completing the course of studies in that institution. IIe began teaching when quite young, and has taught sixteen terms, all within an area of three townships of Crawford county. He came to Crawford county with his parents in 1857, who located in Marietta township Mr. Campbell was elected to the office of town clerk-the first time when just of age-four terms; town treasurer one term, and on the 7th of November, 1882, he was elected by the democrats to the office which he now holds.

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

403

CHAPTER XVIII.

RAILROADS.

In 1816 the frontiers of the United States settlements had been extended into Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri, while Prairie du Chien was its most distant military ontpost. This re- mote village was brought into communication with approaching civilization by the agents of the American fur company from the way of the lakes, and by military transportation from the way of St. Louis. Canoes or keel boats, pur- sned these ways at long intervals, yet with some degree of regularity, and this intercourse, slight as it was in comparison with modern eon- nections by steam and rail, was sufficient to draw hither a few Americans for purposes of trade, or in discharge of some United States agency in connection with Indian or military affairs. The arrival of the first steamboat in- augurated a new era in commercial affairs and the building of roads in various directions tend- ed to inerease trade and traffic at this point. But the multiplication of steamboats and roads did not satisfy the demands of the publie for cheap and rapid transit. Railroads began to be looked upon as a necessity, and a line that should connect Lake Michigan with the Missis- sippi as particularly desirable.

THE MILWAUKEE AND MISSISSIPPI RAILROAD.

Between the years 1838 and 1841, the territo- rial Legislature of Wisconsin chartered several railroad companies, but with the exception of the "Milwaukee & Waukesha Railroad Compa- ny," incorporated in 1847, none of the corpora- tions thus created took any partienlar shape. The commissioners named in its charter met Nov. 23, 1847, and elected a president, Dr. L.

W. Weeks, and a secretary, A. W. Randall (afterward governor of Wisconsin). On the first Monday of February, 1848, they opened books for subscription. The charter of the com- pany provided that $100,000 should be sub- scribed and five per cent. thereof paid in before the company should fully organize as a corpora- tion. The country was new. There were plenty of active, energetic men, but money to build railroads was scarce, and not until April 5, 1849, was the necessary subsciption raised and per- centage paid. A board of directors was elected on the 10th day of May, and Byron Kilbourne chosen president. The charter had been pre- vionsly amended, in 1848, authorizing the com- pany to build a road to the Mississippi river, in Grant county, and in 1850, its name was changed to the "Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad Com- pany." After the company was fully organized, active measures were taken to push the enter- prise forward to completion. The city of Mil- kankee loaned its eredit, and in 1851 the pioneer Wisconsin railroad reached Waukesha twenty miles out from Milwaukee. In the spring of 1852, Edward II. Broadhead, a prominent engiu- eer from the state of New York, was put in charge of the work as chief engineer and super- intendent. Under his able and energetie ad- ministration the road was pushed forward in 1852 to Milton, in 1853 to Stoughton, in 1854 10 Madison, and in 1857 to the Mississippi river, at Prairie du Chien.

The first regular train reached Prairie du Chien, in April, 1857; and the terminus of the road waslocated at "Lower Town." It is appro-

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

priate here to observe, that this enterprise, a great one for its day, and for the era in which it was achieved, was undertaken and successfully carried through, (to their honor be is said) by citizens of Wisconsin, residents of the city of Milwaukee.

In this connection it is proper to state that Mr. E. II. Broadhead, of Milwaukee, was the then president of the road. William Jervis, of the same city, was superintendent, and E. P. Bacon, general freight agent. Among other gentlemen who took a leading part in carrying through this great work, may be here men- tioned, the Hon. Ed. D. Holton, still living, and the Hon. Ashael Finch, lately deceased, (both of the city of Milwaukee).

CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL, RAILWAY.

In 1859 and 1860, the Milwaukee & Missis- sippi Railroad Company defaulted in the pay- ment of the interest on its bonds. A fore- closure was made and a new company, called the "Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien," took its place, succeeding to all its rights and property. In 1867, the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Com- pany obtained control of the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien railroad. The Legislature of 1857 had passed an act, authorizing all stock- holders in all incorporated companies to vote on shares of stock owned by them. The direc- tors of the Milwaukee & St. Paul company had secured a majority of the common stock, and, at the election of 1867, elected themselves a board of directors for the Prairie du Chien company. All the rights, property and interests of the lat- ter company came under the ownership and con- trol of the former. In 1865, Alexander Mitchell, of Milwaukee, was elected president, and S. S. Merrill, general manager, of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company. They were retained in their respective positions by the new organi- zation, and still continue to hold these offices, a fact largely owing to the able and efficient man- ner that has characterized their management of the company's affairs.

When, in the spring of 1857, the Milwaukee & Mississippi railroad reached Prairie du Chien, it was the only one at the time terminating on the upper Mississippi within the State of Wis- consin. The business of the road was for- warded from Prairie du Chien, by a line of packets, known as the Old Galena Packet Co., whose president was Orrin Smith, now deceased, and whose secretary was J. Russell Jones, sub- sequently United States minister to Belgium, still living, a prominent and prosperous citizen of Chicago. By means of this line of packets, passengers and freight were transferred between the terminus of the road and St. Paul, Minn.

The period at which this road reached the Mississippi river, marks a distinctive era in the history of the great northwest. At the time of which we speak, strange as it may now seem, Minnesota and all the country north of St. Paul, including the marginal border of our own State on the Mississippi, were importers of the necessaries of life, including meat and flour.

The first shipment of grain from Minnesota to the great lakes, was made by way of Prairie du Chien to the city of Milwaukee, in the autumn of 1859, and consisted of ten car loads of wheat. The event was so remarkable, as in- dicating the wondrous transition, which the coun- try was undergoing, that however insignificent such a shipment might now appear, this one was made the subject of a congratulatory tele- gram to the chamber of commerce of the city of Milwaukee. As indicating the maryelous de- velopment of the country the fact may be cited, that more than 100 car loads were shipped daily from the same point, to the same destination within two years from the date of the first ship- ment.

In the spring of 1864 it became apparent from the failure of the water in the so called "slough" at Lowertown, from which cause it was no longer possible for the larger class of boats to reach the landing at the terminus of the railway, through the so called "Pigseye;" that a change of base must be made, the company was forced

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

to abandon their terminus, at Lowertown, for a more favorable landing at so called "Upper- town." At the latter place the company, at great expense, established new tracks, comprising one of the finest railway yards in the United States; erected an elevator of 200,000 bushels capacity, at a cost of $75,000, and built a sub- stantial and commodions hotel called the "Dous- man House," at a cost of $45,000.

At the completion of this road it was a doubt- ful question in the minds of many, including some of the most sagacious men in the country, whether this progenitor of the great system of iron lines that now radiate from the city of Mil- waukee, could ever successfully compete for the commerce of the upper Mississippi valley with its great natural rival, the Mississippi river.

Hitherto St. Louis was the one mart known to the shipper from Dubuque to St. Paul. By means of this road Milwaukee first appeared as the great rival of St. Louis for this commerce, but more especially for the grain trade of the upper Mississippi valley. By means of the facilities which we have just mentioned. and of the indomitable pluck of the men who controlled the pioneer railway of Wisconsin. the currents of trade which hitherto had flowed landward without interruption, were turned over this line to the city of Milwaukee. This was the inception of the great grain traffic, which continued to grow until Milwaukee be- came the largest grain market in the world. This remained the sole railway terminus on the Mississippi north of Dubuque, until the autumn of 1859, when the La Crosse road was extended to the city of La Crosse. At this time the two lines were rival interests, and so remained until 1866, when they became consolidated, and known as the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, with Alexander Mitchell as president and S. S. Mer- rill, general manager, of whom it is hardly neces- sary to state that they are citizens of Milwaukee. Receding a step in our narrative, we may now mention that there was no railway connection in Iowa opposite Prairie du Chien till the year

1863. This year the late Judge Green, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, undertook and built the first twenty-five miles of the MeGregor Western Railway, one of the five principal land grant railways of Iowa.

Subsequently this railway became the prop- erty of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Company, under whose auspices the road commeneed by Judge Green and built by him to Calmar, Iowa, a distance of forty-five miles, has been eon- strnoted across the entire State of Iowa ; across the territory of Dakota ; and to-day has its western terminus upon the banks of the Mis- souri, where it only halts in the presence of vast Indian reservations, the opening of which to white settlement it only awaits, to proceed on its way to the Pacific ocean.

The Milwaukee & St. Paul Company also resumed the long neglected railway construc- tion in Minnesota, and in the year 1866, began and completed the work of building what is now known as the Iowa & Minnesota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, completing another connection with the city of St. Paul. Somuch for the railway interests that center abont Prairie du Chien.

This brings us to a point where we may ap- propriately speak of some of the local features of Prairie du Chien.

In connection with the railway system cen- tering here, is an important element, known as the transfer system.

In 1857 Alexander McGregor, the original proprietor and founder of the town of Me- Gregor, Iowa, and after whom the town was named, operated a steam ferry between Mc- Gregor and Prairie du Chien, which was sub- sequently purchased and operated by the rail- way company. As the transfer business in- creased, other facilities were devised.

The steamer, Allamakee, a magnificent ferry boat was built by Col. H. L. Dousman, for the railway company, and put on the river at this point in 1859. At first it was customary to break bulk of all kinds of freight on each side

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

of the river. Necessity being the mother of in- vention, improved methods were devised. Mr. John Lawler, for many years the agent of the railway company at this point, caused large barges, called "transfer barges," to be constructed, which were fitted with railway tracks, corresponding to similar tracks upon the banks of the river.

Cars were loaded upon each barge, and the barges taken in tow by the steamer, one on either side. The ears, light or laden, were thus safely transferred across the river.

This system of transportation was employed with more or less modification until the year 1873, when Mr. Lawler devised the pontoon railway bridge now in use, under contract with the railway company, constructed across both channels of the Mississippi, permanently unit- ing the divisions of the railway company ter- minating in MeGregor and Prairie du Chien. In this hazardous experiment, involving an im- mense expenditure, Mr. Lawler was encouraged by the railway company. The work was pushed vigorously to a speedy completion. The bridge, a novelty in its kind, is believed to be the first railway bridge ever operated under similar conditions. For the ten years last past, the business of the company has been transfer- red as safely and promptly over it, as business is transferred over any other style of bridge yet devised.

John Lawler, president and proprietor of the Prairie du Chien & McGregor Railway Com- pany, and one of the most prominent and influ- ential citizens of the State, came to this city from Milwaukee in 1857, the year in which the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad was completed to the Mississippi. He was appointed station agent at this place, and held the posi- tion for several years, when he resigned it in order to be able to devote his entire time and attention to his own business affairs. He also attended to the duties of other important trusts, and filled several responsible corporate offices, having been for about ten years vice-president

of the McGregor Western Railway Company, and for a long time president of the Northwest- ern Packet Company. Soon after the comple- tion of the railroad to this place, he became in- terested, on behalf of the railway company, in the question of securing the cheap and speedy transfer of passengers and freight across the Mississippi river from Prairie du Chien to Me- Gregor. For some time this transferring was done by having cars placed in barges constructed for the purpose, and thus towed by a steamboat. This method, however, being available only during the season of navigation, and not being in other respects entirely satisfactory, in 1843, with a view to having a cheaper and more per- manent transfer, he invented and obtained a patent for the railway pontoon bridge that has since been in use at this point, and which has been also adopted and used at Wabasha, Minn., and other places. This was a matter of private enterprise; it involved a large outlay of capital, and being original, was necessarily, to some ex- tent, experimental. The result, however, justi- fied Mr. Lawler's confidence in ultimate success; and to-day such bridges are justly regarded as the safest and most economical for transfer pur- poses on the principal rivers. The invention and successful operation of this bridge, the cont being comparatively small to that of the usual iron structures, has made Mr. Lawler ex- tensively known throughout this country, and also in some others. As illustrating this, it may be proper to mention, incidentally, that some time ago, Russian engineers visited Prairie du Chien, and examined the construction of the bridge, with a view to having similar ones in- troduced in Russia. Mr. Lawler's superior busi- ness ability and exceptional executive capacity, have been fully recognized and appreciated by the managers of the railway company with which, in business relations, he has been so closely united; and delicate and responsible duties in connection with the increase and pro- gress of that great corporation have frequently devolved upon him. In all such cases, the

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

officers of the company have justly placed the most implicit confidence in him, in every re- speet, and it is not too much to say that results have always justified their action. While never seeking wealth, as the great object of life, and while ever ready to contribute to objects of benevolence, education or charity, the business enterprises in which Mr. Lawler has been en- gaged, have brought to him a share of the world's goods much beyond that of ordinarily successful business men, and he ranks among the wealthiest of the citizens of the State. Al- though the main pursuits of his life have been essentially of a business character, still Mr. Lawler has been a elose student of books, has devoted much attention to literature and science, and has delivered addresses on literary and sei- entifie subjects at several places in the north- west. Je is a life member of the State Histori- cal Society of Wisconsin, and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was one of the principal organizers of the Irish Catholie Colonization Society of the United States, and is now one of its directors. He has also been for some time past one of the trustees of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Milwaukee. Mr. Lawler has stead-

ily refused to enter political life, although fre- quently solicited to do so. In 1876, and again in 1880, he was nominated by the_democratie State convention as presidential elector; and it is believed that this representative capacity is the only one in which he has ever been before the people for their suffrages. Ile has ever been a strong friend of education, and served for some time as a member of the board of regents of the State University. Ife was for two or three years president of the board of education of the city of Prairie du Chien, and it was while he was acting in this capacity that the present high school building was erected, he having procured an advanta- geous loan from the State to assist in having this done. He has, by his earnest and successful efforts in behalf of the educational interests of the locality where he has lived, deserved the warmest gratitude of his fellow citizens. The College of the Sacred Heart and St. Mary's Institute, two of the leading institutions of learning in the State, and ones in which he has taken a special interest, largely owe their ex- istence and present prosperous condition to his liberality.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XIX.

AGRICULTURE AND THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The trend of the earliest industries of a country, is the result of the circumstances under which those industries are developed. The at- tention of pioneers is confined to supplying the immediate wants of food, shelter and clothing. Hence, the first settlers of a country are farm- ers, miners, trappers, or fisherman, according as they can most readily secure the means of present sustenance for themselves and their families. In the early history of Wisconsin this law is well exemplified. The southern part of the State, consisting of alternations of prai- rie and timber, was first settled by farmers. As the country has developed, wealth accumulated and means of transportation have been fur- nished, farming has ceased to be the whole in- terest. Manufactories have been built along the rivers, and the mining industry of the south- western part of the State has grown to one of considerable importance. The shores of Lake Michigan was first mainly settled by fishermen, but the latter growth of agriculture and manu- factures has nearly overshadowed the fishing interest; as has the production of lumber, in the north half of the State, eclipsed the trapping and fur interests of the first settlers.

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 58

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