History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 89

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 89
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 89

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).

District No. 4 has a frame house on section 29, town 8, range 3 west, valued at $300. Number of pupils, sixteen.

District No. 5 has a frame house located on section 21, town 8, range 4 west, valued at $400. Number of pupils, sixty-six.

District No. 6 has a frame house on section 10, town 8, range 4, west, valued at $400. Num- ber of pupils, forty-five

District No. 7 is provided with a frame build- ing on section 26, town 8, range 4 west, valued at $150. Number of pupils, fifty.

District No. 8 has a frame house on section 12, town 8, range 4 west, valued at $400. Num- ber of pupils thirty-one.

District No. 9 has a frame house on section 34, town 8, range 4 west, valued at $350. Num- ber of pupils, thirty-five.

Joint district No. 1 is formed of parts of the towns of Marietta and Wauzeka; has a building in the latter named. Number of pupils in Ma- rietta, thirteen.

Joint district No. 11, with Wauzeka, has its school house in Wauzeka.

Joint district No. 7, joint with the town of Scott, is provided with a house in the latter named. Number of scholars from Marietta, ten.

RELIGIOUS.

The first religious services held in the town were conducted at the house of William Wayne, in Boydstown, in 1850.

The first religious services in the northwest part of the town were held in 1856 at the house of James Posey, by a Baptist minister named Wade. In August, 1857, a Church was formed consisting of thirty members, who afterward were under the charge of Elder Ross, and upon his removal to Minnesota, the society went down.

There are now (1884) but two religious socie- ties within the town. The United Brethren Church, composed of two classes, led by leaders F. Smith, David Foust, William Kast, William Parrington and J. Thompson. Their pastor at this date was Rev. William A. Taylor, who was born in Grant county, in 1852, and ordained to preach in October, 1880. He had charge of ten appointments in 1884, five in the town of Marietta and five in the town of Haney.

A Methodist Episcopal class was organized in what was then the village of Marietta, in 1854. Rev. Tucker was among the the earliest preachers; he was drowned in the Wisconsin river a few years later. The first text preached from in the town was remembered by Esquire

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Ferrel, thirty years afterward, as being, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." Mr. Ferrel was chosen class leader at an early time, and is still (1884) doing his Christian duty in that line. This class is in the Madison distriet, Excelsior circuit.

CEMETERIES.

The oldest burying ground in the town is the one located at Boydstown, on section 1, town 7, range 4 west. This was first used in 1852. An infant of James and Cynthia Wayne was the first to be buried in these grounds; she died Sept. 15, 1852.

What is known as "Wayne's Cemetery" is situated on seetion 14, town 8, range 3 west; this was established in 1852.

In 1861 a cemetery was laid out on section 3, town 8, range 3 west. Mrs. Daniel Shaw was the first adult buried at this place. She died March 17, 1863.

In 1862 another cemetery was provided on section 10, town 8, range 4 west The first in- terment was Lydia, daughter of Stephen and Eliza Gardner, who died Oet. 13, 1862.

Another cemetery called "Wayne's Cemetery" is situated on section 25, town 8, range 4 west. This was first used in 1873. Walter, a son of James and Cynthia Wayne, was the first one buried at this place.

On section 17, town 8, range 3 west, there is another cemetery, which was established in 1862. In 1884 this was a platted ground and well cared for.

A few graves may be found on section 1, town 8, range 4 west.

POSTOFFICES.

The postoffice known as Marietta, on seetion 9, town 8, range 3 west, was first established in 1852, with O. E. Wise as the first postmaster. It was discontinued in 1863, and again estab- lished in 1866, when Lewis Kimball became postmaster; he was followed by J. M. Calloway, who still (1884) holds the office. The name of the office is Millet.

Stuben postoffice was established June 16, 1882, on section 9, town 8, range 4 west. Henry C. C. Kast was appointed the first postmaster.

MILLS.

Lewis Wayne and Joshua Woodard erected the first mill within the town in 1850. This was a water power saw-mill, located on seetion 15, town 8, range 3 west, on Richland creek. It was run by some of the Wayne family till 1861, when the father, Lewis Wayne, and his four sons all enlisted in the Union army, and the mill was never after operated.

O. E. Wise and Ed Rogers built the second mill in 1851. This was a saw mill run by water power, derived from Richland ereek, at a point on seetion 9, town 8, range 3 west. In 1867 a flood washed this mill away. The site finally passed into the hands of J. M. and J. V. Calloway, who rebuilt it. It is now (1884) owned and operated by J. V. and M. H. Calloway.

In 1856 Charles and S. L. Wannemaker, C H. Steele, and Isaac C. Jones, built asteam saw- mill, which was operated till 1859, when fire destroyed it. It was re-built in 1861, by S. L. Wannemaker, on section 12, town 8, range 3 west; it was abandoned in 1868.

In 1857 S. P. Kinney built a steam saw-mill on Clear creek, on section 19, town 8, range 3 west, which he operated till 1864. It was finally moved from the town. and run elsewhere.

William H. Main built a saw-mill, run by water power furnished by Clear creek on sec. tion 30, town 8, range 3 west in 1869. Three years later, this mill was taken down stream by the flood, and it was never replaced.

In 1876 John A. Daggon built a thirty-horse power steam saw-mill, on seetion 32, town 8, range 4 west. This mill was a first class saw mill, cutting all kinds of hard wood lumber, railroad ties etc.

In 1877 J. G. Allen and his son Albert, built a fine flouring mill on Richland ereek, at a point on seetion 9. town 8, range 3 west. This mill was 36x24 feet, built of wood and provided with two run of stone. In 1882 it was burned,

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but with enterprise characteristic of Mr. Allen, the mill was re-built and again in operation in- side of three months. With the re-building, much improvement was made in the machinery of the mill.

Iu 1882 James Juckian built a thirty-five horse power steam saw-mill on section 26, in town 8, range 4 west.

About 1876 Francis MeSpadin built a stave mill, operated by steam power. It was located on the north bank of the Wisconsin river, near Boscobel. In 1884 it was owned and run by William Mc Williams.

REMINISCENCE OF NANCY WAYNE.

I was born in Shelby Co., Ky. My father vas Ledston Redmon, who was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was in the battle of New Or- leans. My mother's brother was also in that battle. My grandfather, George Redmon, also his father, were soldiers in the Revolutionary struggle, serving nearly through the whole war. I had four brothers in the Black Hawk war. In 1828, I married Lewis Wayne, in Edgar Co., Ill. We built, and occupied the first house in Paris, the present county seat of that county. We moved to Green Co., Wis., in 1842, and in 1844 to Grant county, settling three miles below where Boscobel now stands. The widow Powell, our nearest neighbor, lived three miles up the river, on the present site of the Boscobel fair grounds. Jesse Howell, living five miles up the river, was our next neighbor. In 1850 we moved to the town of Marietta, Crawford county, settling on section 15, on Richland creek. My husband was a descendant of Gen- eral Wayne, "Mad Anthony," of Revolutionary fame. Whether the Indians hated him on ac- count of his name, or he hated them for the same reason, I do not know, but at any rate there always existed a bitter feud between them. When we lived in Green county, he met a party of about fifteen Indians one day. The foremost of them drew his bow and arrow on him, but my husband quickly covered him with a rifle, and the Indian then shot the arrow up-

wards. About 1854, a man named Smith, liv- ing at Fort Andrew, had two horses stolen by a band of Indians, one of them a blooded racing mare, and on account of her valne, he was anx- ious to recover her. The Indians being equally anxious to get away with her, divided their forces; two braves, after muffling the mare's feet, mounted her and took a direct course for the Mississippi river, near the present site of Lynxville.

My husband volunteered to recover the mare, and he at once discovered the trick of the Indians. With a comrade he started in pursuit, and fol- lowed the faint trail until he left it and struck across the country, with a view of intercepting them. At this point his comrade weakened and turned back. Near where Lynxville now is on the bank of the river, my husband came in sight of the two Indians, mounted on the horse. One Indian escaped on the horse, badly wounded, but has probably long since rejoined his com- rade in the " happy hunting ground." My hus- band returned, bearing as a trophy, the rifle of the Indian who did not escape. When I asked him if he was afraid, he said: "Yes, when it was all over, for I did not know how near the main party of Indians might be." The other wing of the pursning party recovered the other horse, and the blooded mare was afterwards taken from the Indians. About a year after this, my husband was trailing a wounded buck near Clear Lake, on the Wisconsin bottoms, when he discovered an Indian following him. They both "treed," and my husband managed, by exposing part of his clothing, to draw the Indian's fire; then he showed himself and the Indian attempted to escape by running. He did not run far, however! A year or so later on the same ground, he met an Indian who drew his knife and made a rush for bim; my husband was armed with a rifle but was willing to meet the red man on equal terms; so drawing his knife and dropping his gun, he awaited the at- tack. The Indian halted and offered to bury the tomahawk, if he would show him where

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the bones of the dead Indian were buried. This my husband was able and willing to do. Though the Indians were frequently seen skulking around, no actual attacks were made upon him after this occasion.

My husband built the first saw mill on Rich- land creek, in 1850, on our own land, and oper- ated it until 1861, when he and the boys went into the army, and the mill was never started again. In November, 1860, on the day of the election of President Lincoln, my husband and two of our sons, Nathaniel and Frank, started with a barge load of potatoes, about 1,500 bush- els, I think, which they floated down the Mis- sissippi river, looking for a southern market. The barge was frozen in at Burlington, Iowa, and they were compelled to unload and bury their potatoes. They then went to Peoria, Ills., where they secured work in the coal mines dur- ing the winter months. In the spring, they returned to the barge and found that it had been badly broken up by the ice. Repairing it, and reloading their potatoes, they again em- barked. They sold part of their cargo at dif- ferent points. At Memphis, Tenn., they dis- posed of 600 bushels to rebel eneampments As the rebel sentiment was growing stronger. they were compelled to return north, leaving several hundred bushels of potatoes in the hands of commission merchants, from whom they re- ceived no returns.

Reaching home in the summer, my husband and our four sons enlisted in company K, 12th Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers. My sons were: Nathaniel, Samuel, William and Francis, I expect if they had ever reached Memphis they would have tried to get the pay for those potatoes. My sons all served the whole term of the war, and all came home alive. I came from a family always ready for war, married into another, and have reared still another!

VILLAGE OF BOYDSTOWN-DEFUNCT. [By Mrs. J. N. Wayne.]

The first white man that permanently settled in what is now the town of Marietta, was Robert

Boyd, from Missouri. Ile erected a small log cabin on the banks of the Wisconsin river, twenty-five miles east of Prairie du Chien, in 1846. It was on a beautiful, sunny bank, slop- ing gradually to the bluff, half or three-quarters of a mile back from the river. Here he lived alone for one year, with only the red man and his dusky mate for companions. But in the year of 1847, his brother Kingsley came, and they lived together for one year. Mr. William Wayne moved his family across the river from the lead mines near Plattsville. He was wel- comed by Mr. Boyd, who early the following spring married his daughter, Elizabeth. She still lives near the old place. George Wayne, a son of William Wayne, was the first white child born there. In the spring of 1848, the first steam boat, named the Wagner, landed there to purchase wood. Wayne and Boyd taking advantage of the times, and with a view of what might be, entered into partnership, con- sidering it a good point for trade. A beautiful stream of spring water flowed down its valleys, and the prospect for mills and manufacturing looked brilliant. They had visions of a future city, and looked forward to the time when this valley would be a boom of life and prosperity. They gave it the name of Boydstown.

In the spring of 1849, several families moved in and permanently located. Among them were Morton Seeley and S. P. Kinney. They purchased land on this stream, and built a water power saw-mill, which looked very en- couraging. This mill is located half a mile from Boydstown, on section 2, town 7, range 4 west. In the fall of this same year, Mr. Come- lins Seeley came with his family and purchased some land, together with the mill property. Ile subsequently sold it to his son, D. F. Seeley, who still owns the property, but has done noth- ing with it for the last four years.

The first religious services that were held at Boydstown, were in the house of Cornelius Seeley, by itinerant preachers named Hill and Dana. This same year, Johnathan Wayne

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came with his family of grown up children. Some of them were married and settled in this place; also came George W. Harrison, who was the first justice of the peace.

The first court held in Boydstown was a case of petty larceny, which happened in this wise. The wife of the second itinerant preacher sent here, named McSchooler, claimed to have been robbed of jewelry, ribbons, lace, etc. Suspicion rested on a young girl, who was arrested and tried, but the lost property was not recovered. This same Mrs. McSchoolar was a very pretty, modest lady, and being brought into publicity, so favorably impressed the men and officers who had the naming of the new town then being created, that they gave it her name- Marietta. This was in 1853.

In the year 1849, James Anderson built a small steamboat on the Ohio river, on which he moved his family down the Ohio, up the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers, and landed at Boydstown. A few weeks after his arrival here, his wife died, being the first death and burial in the place.

The first school was supported by subscrip- tion, and taught by Mrs. S. P. Kinney, in 1849. She was recommended by I. D. Brunson, of Prairie du Chien. The first school district was organized in the fall of 1851, and embraced all the territory in Crawford county, lying east of the Kickapoo river. It contained three settle- ments-Boydstown, Richland Creek and Cass, being about thirty miles in extent.

The first district school was taught by Ira Allen, of Indiana, who was also district clerk. He occupied three or four days in taking the district census. At this date, (1884) Viola Allen, grand-daughter of said Ira Allen, is teaching school on the same grounds her grand- father taught on thirty-eight years before, and is teaching the great grand-children of parents that sent to her grand-father.

"We see the same scenes our fathers have seen, We run the same race our fathers have run."

But to resume the history of Boydstown : In 1852 C. Bermer, a German, came from New York, and opened a store in a building which he erected for that purpose. He also purchased a large share of the town plat.

Robert Boyd started a ferry-boat across the Wisconsin river soon after his arrival, which was maintained until the construction of the Boscobel bridge.

When the railroad was surveyed from Mil- waukee to Prairie du Chien, Mr. Boyd sup- posed the line would run through Boydstown, and on the strength of this supposition the town was laid out in blocks and streets, and obtained a charter for a village. Several lots were sold and buildings erected. A respectable looking steamboat, Enterprise, Capt. Humbertson, made regular trips up the Wisconsin from different points on the Mississippi, and made Boydstown a regular weekly landing place. Among the carpenters there, were J. Barstow, brother of Ex-Gov. Barstow. He erected several build- ings, among which was a large hotel. He after- ward moved to Viroqua, where his wife was killed by a tornado.

But the place being left off the line of a rail- road, rapid as had been its growth, the decline was still more marked. Mr. Boyd died in 1856, but lived to see his hopes vanish. William Wayne had died in 1851.

In 1856 almost the last vestage of the place had disappeared. The Bermer property was sold to Martin V. Foust, and by him to Jasper Wayne, who is improving and making a farm of the old site. Many buildings were removed, and some decayed on the grounds where they were built. One by one the inhabitants re- moved, until the last man, John Foust, moved away in 1883. Thus has passed from sight with its hopes and ambitions, the old land mark -Boydstown.

VILLAGE OF GEORGETOWN-TIIAT WAS .* I was a resident of Georgetown during part of its palmy days. I believe it was in 1852,

*Information furnished by Isaac Woodward, of Boscobel.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

that Jonathan Wayne and Mike Woodward bought eighty acres of land on section 14, town 8, range 3 west, within what was afterward the town of Marietta, and platted so much of it as could be made available between the bluffs and the Wisconsin river. They gave the name of the plat, "Village of Georgetown." In 1849, Lewis Wayne and Joshua Woodward built and operated a ferry at this point, which soon passed into the hands of "Mike" Woodward. I rented and run this ferry in 1855. The growth of Georgetown was in a business way, quite flatter- ing. The first general store was opened in 1852 by L. Brown. About a year later, George Rob- erts opened up a stock of groceries and liquors. David MeCord, also carried about the same sort of a stoek. Another dealer whose name is for- gotten, operated at the same time. It took a heap of whisky to run this town in its early days, under the "Marietta Code"-the unwrit- ten law. Our blacksmith was Samuel Wagner; our landlord was Alfred Rogers. In 1856 we had a boat yard. A Mr. Webster, from below eame up here and built two large barges for the Mississippi river trade. Upon the completion of the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien railroad and the location of Boseobel, a general stam- pede prevailed, causing the people to cater in all directions, and the village, buildings, people and all disappeared as if by magic. "Lib" Brown lives in the town of Scott, George Rob- erts went into the Union army, and after the war moved to Kansas. "Mike" Woodward is also a resident of Kansas. MeCord died Jan. 14, 1884, in Boscobel; Jonathan Wayne died in Illinois; Samuel Wayne removed to Illinois. The ferry was operated till 1862,and then moved to a point about half a mile above the Bosco- bel bridge, which was built in 1876 at a cost of $33,000. The village site and the original pur- chase of Wayne and Woodward, is now held by II. Comstock on a tax deed from Crawford county.

VILLAGE OF MARIETTA-NOW GONE.

At an early day there was quite a collection of houses at what is now Millet postoffice, on

section 9, in town 8, of range 3 west, at a point about where Callaway's saw-mill now stands. This was called the village of Marietta, and was indeed, quite a trading point. In 1853 Alvin Woods and William Rogers put in a large stock of general merchandise, and operated on so large a seale that the pioneers say they "failed up bad."

In 1860 George Cannon engaged in trade, he also dealt extensively in the cash product of the times, ginseng root, for which he paid out large sums of money and disposed of many thousand dollar's worth of goods. He remained only three years, and was followed by Kim- ball & Stover in 1866. This firm, which was the last to do business at this point, removed in 1867.

Guy S. Thompson built a tavern here which is now (1884) used by Mr. Callaway as his resi- denee. No trace of a village has been visible here for years.

PIONEER SETTLERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS.

William Wayne was born in Kentucky. In early life he settled in Cole Co., Ill., and about 1842 came to Grant Co., Wis. In 1845, with his family, consisting of himself, wife and right children, he came to Boydstown, being, with the exception of Robert Boyd, who pre- ceded him one year, the earliest settler of Mari- etta. His wife died in Marietta about 1860.

James N. Wayne, son of William Wayne, was born in Cole Co., Ill., in 1825; came to Marietta with his father in 1845. On Jan. 7, 1847, he married Cynthia, daughter of Dr. Chester Pratt, of Fennimore, Grant Co., Wis. 'They have had nine children-Jasper, born June 16, 1850; Florence, born Feb. 21, 1852 and died Sept. 15, 1852; James N., Jr., born Oct. 18, 1853 and died Feb. 21, 1855; Jane, born Jan. 15, 1856, wife of Rolla Harrison; William A., born April 1, 1859; Chester E., born Nov. 7, 1861; Walter, born May 24, 1864 and died March 21, 1869; Mary M., born Oet. 11, 1867, and Frank, born April 16, 1871. William A., the third son, lives with his mother on the ok!

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homestead on section 35, town 8, range 4 west. They own two farms, 240 acres in all, with val- uable improvements.

Lewis Wayne was born in Madison Co., Ky., in 1808. He settled in Marietta in 1850, on Richland creek, then called Bear creek, on sec- tion 15, town 8, range 3 west, where he bought 360 acres of good land. His son-in-law, Joshua Woodward, came with him. They crossed the Wisconsin river at Georgetown and made a road most of the way to their location. He married Nancy Redmon in 1828. They have ten children-Milton G., born 1829; Eliza- beth E., born 1830; Nathaniel, born 1833; Samuel, born 1835; William, born 1838; Fran- cis M., born 1841; Hester died in infancy, in 1842; Margaret, born 1846; Isabelle, born 1850; Naney, born 1853. Hattie, born 1855; Mr. Wayne was a frontiersman, rugged and fearless. He was patriotic and a great hater of Indians (see reminiscence by his widow). Ile was blunt and outspoken. His death oceur- red March, 1869. He was buried with Masonic honors.

Nathaniel Wayne is the son of Lewis Wayne. He was born in 1833. He came to Boscobel, and with his father's family, to this town in 1850. The fortunes of his father he largely shared, serving in the army with him and three brothers in company K, 12th Wisconsin Volunteers, which service cost him dearly, having been an invalid ever sinee. He resides with his mother, Nancy Wayne, on the old homestead purchased by his father in 1850, on section 15, town 8, range 3 west. Ile was married in 1871 to Mrs. Sarah Madison. They have two children-Joseph L., born June 10, 1872; James L., born June 16, 1874. Mr. Wayne was a good and faithful sol- dier, and for disability contracted in the army he receives a pension.

Stephen S. Ferrel was born in Botetourt Co., Va., in 1815. In 1820 his parents moved to Sangamon Co., Ill., settling on Lick creek, six miles south of Springfield, which was then a

"squatter" village. His father, who was a Revo- Intionary sollier, died in 1823. He married, in 1840,Eliza Jane Todd, who was born in Kentucky, and a distant relative to President Lincoln's wife. When Lincoln was a young lawyer, Mr. Ferrel became well acquainted with him, which ac- quaintanee continued until his removal from the State. He says of Lincoln : "He was the most honest lawyer I ever knew or heard of." When he came to Iowa Co., Wis., he bought land and settled near Dodgeville, but followed mining. In 1850 he moved to Marietta, settling on 160 acres in sections 8 and 9 in Richland creek val- ley. The entry he made with a land warrant granted to his mother on account of services rendered by his father in the Revolution. Ile enlisted September, 1861, in company K, 12th Wisconsin Volunteers. He was discharged in September, 1862, on account of hemorrhage of the lungs. He still lives on the old homestead. They have had six children - John T, born 1841; William Henry, born 1843, died 1858 ; James, born 1845; Anna, born 1848; Virgina, born 1852; Edwin is dead. IIe has served as chairman of town board of Marietta, about twelve years. The first election after his residence in the town, he was made jus- tive of the peace, which office he has held to this date (1884). Counting his Illinois service, he has been a magistrate nearly half a cen- tury. He has always been an active and use- ful citizen.

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History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 89

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