History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 138

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899; Western Historical Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1304

USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Wisconsin > Part 138

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The northern part of the town is well watered by the West Branch of the Sugar River, and also hy two tributaries of the same, furnishing the north half of the town with an abundance of water and marsh land. The surface is undulating, and agreeably diversified with oak open- ings and prairie. There are considerable high lands or small ridges in different parts of the town, as well as marshes in the streams. The inhabitants of the town are nearly all Nor- wegians. The population in 1870 was 1,015. The population now is 887.

918

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

TOWN OF ROXBURY.

By an act of the State Legislature, approved March 21, 1849, Township 9 north, of Range 7 east, was formed into a separate town, called Roxbury. Its territory, along with that now constituting the town of Dane, previous to that date, formed the town last mentioned.

The first town election for Roxbury was held on the first Tuesday in April, of 1849, at the house of Zachariah Bowers, when the following officers, among others, were elected: Burke Fair- child, Chairman ; Lorenzo A. Farr and L. D. Miller, Supervisors ; James Crowder, Clerk ; James Steel, Treasurer ; L. A. Farr, Assessor.

This town is in the northwest corner of the county, and is bounded on the north by Colum- bia County, and on the west by the Wisconsin River. There are no streams of any account in the town. Crane Lake, on Section 15, has an outlet in a small creek which empties into the Wisconsin River, on Section 18. Crystal Lake occupies a portion of Sections 1 and 2, and Fish Lake on Sections 3 and 4. The land in this town is diversified with openings and prairie, with some high bluffs on the Wisconsin River, and in other parts of the town. These bluffs furnish very excellent limestone. The present population of the town is 1,157.

Augustin Haraszthy, commonly known as Count Haraszthy, an Hungarian refugee, erected the first building and made the first improvements in the town. The house was one of logs, and was set upon a point of bluff above and near the Wisconsin River, opposite the present village of Sauk City. It was probably designed more for a hunting-lodge than a dwelling-house, and was erected in 1840.

During the winter following, a charter was procured for a ferry at this point, by Haraszthy, and put in operation soon after. Robert Richards and Jacob Fraelich operated the ferry, and resided in a house erected by Haraszthy, which might properly be termed the first dwelling-house erected in the town, and they, doubtless, were the first actual settlers. Little improvement was made in the town from this date until 1845. Some time during this year, Father Adelbert Inama, a German Catholic priest, effected a settlement here, and soon drew around him many of the same nationality and like faith. Also, during this year, came Richard Taylor, George Rich- ards, Adolph Fasbinder, Carl Schugart, Mr. Weber, Mr. Campbell, James Crowder and Burke Fairchild. In 1846, Anton Gauser, T. M. Warren, George Boltis, Nicholas Breckendorf, Michael Michel, Michael Loeser, Conrad Jordan and others made themselves a home here. From that time, the population increased rapidly, the German element obtaining the ascendency, maintaining it to the present time. The few American families who were among the early set- tlers, soon disposed of their property to the influx of Germans. One may now travel over the entire township, spending days in the town, and hear not a word spoken in any language save the German.

In the year 1837, one Floyd, a speculator, organized a company in the Eastern States, for the purpose of building up a city in the West. The location hit upon for the site was Section 19, in what is now Roxbury. In due time, the ground was surveyed, being laid out in streets and blocks upon a magnificent scale, and lots were offered for sale. Buyers were not wanting, but settlers were, and, as a consequence, what was known as " Superior City " proved a complete failure.

TOWN OF VIENNA.

The territory now constituting the town of Vienna-Township 9 north, of Range 9 east-be- longed first to Madison, then to Windsor. By an act approved March the 2d, 1849, Townships 8 and 9 north, of Range 9 east, were erected into a separate town, called Vienna, after a town in the State of New York, whence came several of the first settlers in this town. Twenty-nine days afterward the town was reduced to its present limits. The first town meeting was held at the house of Mr. Fisher, on the third Monday of April ensuing, when the town was regularly organized and the following ticket was elected :

fo hn Fillon.

BLACK EARTH.

ร

921

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

1849-Abram A. Boyce, Chairman ; Benjamin Nesmith, Willard Fisher, Supervisors ; Isaac Mann, Clerk ; Jabez Weston, Treasurer ; Thomas Lindsay, Assessor ; Isaac Mann, School Superintendent.

The surface of the town is somewhat varied in character, being for the most part beautifully undulating upland prairie lands, diversified by hills, limestone ridges, and valleys. The altitude of this township is higher than that of the average towns, as it is situated on the highlands that divide the Wisconsin from the Rock River, and is a correspondingly healthy locality.

The soil is usually a rich, deep loam, very productive and easily kept up and tilled. In former days, when wheat was the chief article produced, forty bushels to the acre was not con- sidered a remarkable crop. There is but little marsh land in the town, and scarcely any part that is not adapted to agricultural purposes.

The town is scantily supplied with water. that being the only drawback to the general ex- cellence of this locality. There are some springs and two small creeks; one in the southwest part of the town, and one in the southeast part of the town, which empties into the Yahara.

The timber supply is good, the prairies and hills in different sections being covered by fine groves ; the most noted of which are Robertson's Grove, in the north part of town, One Hundred Mile Grove, in the northwest part; and Norway Grove, in the central part. There are also fine groves in the east part. The best timber grows in the central part. One Hundred Mile Grove received its name because this point was designated by the Surveyors as being 100 miles from Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien), on the old military road. The timber is composed princi- ·pally of varieties of oak, interspersed with other kinds.

The population now embraces several different nationalities, the Norwegian being the pre- dominating element. The foreigners have come in very rapidly for the last twenty-five years, having to a large extent taken the place of the Americans who were the first settlers. There are several churches of different tenets, and good schools in the town, which betokens general prosperity, and a superior moral and intellectual condition. Agriculture is the general occupa- tion. The population in 1870 was 1,177 ; it is now 1,052.

The first white man to lay a claim in this town was William G. Simons, who located on the southeast quarter of Section 21, in 1838. The first year he plowed some land, the first soil turned by the plowshare in this town. The following year Mr. Simons erected a house on his claim, with the intention of opening a tavern for travelers, as he then supposed that the old road from Madison to Fort Winnebago would pass by his house, but the road was laid out on another route, and Mr. Simons' anticipations were not realized.

Louis Montandon then purchased Mr. Simon's claim, and moved into the house, bringing his wife Electa, who was the first white woman to live in the town. For the next two years this family was the only one in the town ; then they moved away, and for the three following years there were no white residents here.

In 1845, Thomas Lindsay and David Robertson came into the town, and located on Section 7. Their coming was really the beginning of a permanent settlement. Soon after this, L. Nicholson came into town.

During the following year, 1846, Joseph Dunning, Willard Fisher, Ira Simons and H. P. Wheaton settled in town, the first two on Section 21, the last town on Section 6. Also, during this year, a number of Englishmen and their families, who came out, in connection with many others that year, under the auspices of the British Emigration Society, located in Vienna. Eventually several of these settlers moved away. Of those who remained may be mentioned W. Plackett, William Crow, J. Poynor and Jabez Weston.

In 1847, the Norwegians began to emigrate hither. Among the first who arrived were Michael and Erick Johnson and their families. From this time on, the influx of settlers was very large. Of those who first came, were A. A. Boyce, Aaron Lamb, Adam Paton, W. D. Stanly, Benjamin Nesmith, Robert and Isaac Mann, R. M. Chesney, M. O. Dwyer, S. Pashly, A. & T. Paton, R. B. Kellogg, W. O. and William Fisher, Henry Nelson, T. E. Farness, Ole Hemundson, Lars Sampson, J. Ollis, Aaron Cooledge, J. and W. Howsie, T.

922

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

Errickson, H. Cramer, R. J. Poynor, S. Raymond, J. Farwell, James Taylor, J. C. Hustleby, A. Rankin, S. M. Lester and A. J. Damp.

The first schoolhouse in town was erected in 1851, at Hundred Mile Grove, and here the first religions services were held.

A postoffice was established in the town, at Norway Grove, in 1869, Helge Toleson being appointed first Postmaster. He was succeeded by Henry Nelson, and he in turn by the incum- bent, Joseph Dunning, in January, 1880. With the exception of the year 1862, Mr. Dunning has been Town Clerk since the organization of the town.

Vienna is well supplied with churches, there being five of different denominations. The first one erected was the Lutheran, built in 1854, on Section 24. After this came the Methodist, which stands on Section 31; then the Catholic and Seventh-Day Advent Churches, both of which are located on Section 9; and subsequently the Episcopal Church, which is situated on Section 32

TOWN OF WESTPORT. .

The town of Westport derives its name from Westport, Ireland, from which place many of its early settlers came.

The town is watered by the Yahara River, which enters the northeast part of the town on Section 13, and flows southwesterly into Lake Mendota, and also by Six Mile Creek, which enters the town on the northwestern part, on Section 6, flows southeasterly and empties into the Catfish on Section 27. The northeastern part of Westport is prairie land, the central and south- easterly portions marsh, and the remaining parts oak openings and prairie. Lake Mendota covers a part of five sections on the southern part.

Louis Montandon, a Frenchman, and Edward Boyles, an Irishman, were the first settlers in the town, coming here in the fall of 1845. They built their cabin on Section 20. In 1846, a number of others came in, among whom were Messrs. Burdick, Tower, Bradbury, Rodgers, O'Malley, Collins, Fitzgibbon and Ruddy. Still later came Matthew Roach, P. R. Tierney, J. Welsh, William O'Keefe, Lawrence O'Keefe and Martin Reade. Although the first settlers were mostly Irish, and that nationality predominates at this time, a large number of Americans, Germans, Norwegians and representatives of other nations, have made here their homes.

In the central part of the town is a Catholic Church building, built in 1860, by the Rev. P. J. Lavans.

One of the State's hospitals for the insane is located within the town, on the north bank of Lake Mendota, and in plain view of Madison.

Westport is the home of Miss Ella Wheeler, whose poems are read by thousands in all parts of the land.

On Six Mile Creek is a grist-mill, built by E. D. Churchill, in 1860, who sold to William Packbrom, who run it until 1876, when it was sold to John Bowerman.

The town is well supplied with quarries, and the cream stone, used in the build- ing of the Government Court House and Post Office in Madison, was obtained from the quarry on Section 11, and which the United States Government purchased for that purpose. The stone was exhibited and much admired at the Centennial, as were also some of the other products of the town.

A branch of the Chicago & North-Western Railway passes through the town, from north- west to southeast, with Mendota station on the hospital farm, and Waunakee on Sections 5 and 8, on the northwest.

The town was, on March 31, 1849, set off from Vienna, and organized on the third Monday of April of that year, by the election of the following among other officers : Thomas R. Hill, Chairman ; W. W. Wells, Martin Reade, Supervisors ; William Keefe, Clerk; Lawrence Rodgers, Treasurer ; Amos Rodgers, Assessor.

The first election was held at the house of Michael Malege

It has for its territory Township 8 north, of Range 9 east, except so much as is covered by the waters of Lake Mendota, which is a part of the city of Madison.

923

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

The population of Westport, in 1870, was 1,177; it is now 1,985.

Village of Waunakee .- In December, 1880, Lewis Baker, G. C. Fish, and S. P. Mardin had surveyed and laid out in lots a portion of Section 8, Township 8 north, Range 9 east, for the village of Waunakee.

The first building erected was in the spring of 1871, and was built by Fred Buhlman for the purpose of a general store. On completion of the building, Mr. Buhlman put in a stock of goods ; in September following, he admitted his brother, J. Buhlman, as a partner, the firm yet being in business in the place.

The first dwelling-house was erected the same season by George Murray.

In the fall of 1871, Charles Hudson, who was doing business about two and a half miles south, in the town of Vienna, removed to the village. Mr. Hudson was Postmaster, the office being known as the Lester Post Office, and when he came into the village, by consent of the Post Office Department, the office was also removed, the name being changed to that of the vil- lage, and Mr. Hudson continuing as Postmaster.

The village has a neat two-story schoolhouse, erected in 1878, at a cost of $1,450.

There are three churches in the village-German Catholic, German Lutheran and Presby- terian, services in the latter being held in the English language. The Catholic Church is a mission one, the officiating priest residing in the town of Westport. The Presbyterian society was organized July 16, 1877, with E. J. Foster, J. Buhlman, C. Gossman, I. P. Bacon and N. Martin, Trustees. A church building was commenced the same fall, but not finished until the following year. Rev. Mr. Riley, of Lodi, has served as Pastor of the society since its organi- zation. The Lutheran Evangelical Church was organized July, 1877, with twenty-five mein- bers. The present membership is about the same. Rev. Mr. Reuling, of Cottage Grove, is the Pastor.

The business of the place is represented by three general stores, one grocery, one confec- tionery, one furniture, one hardware, two meat-shops, four saloons, two carpenters and builders, two blacksmiths, two wagon-shops, one elevator, one feed-mill, two shoe-shops and two harness- shops.

TOWN OF BERRY.

The town of . Berry, as at present constituted, includes Township 8 north, of Range 7 east, of the United States Survey.

This territory was first brought under town government as a part of the town of Madison. On the 2d day of August, 1848, it was, along with the township adjoining it on the west, erected into the town of Farmersville, the name of the latter being changed to Black Earth on February 1, 1851. Previous to this, however, in 1850, Berry was erected into a separate town.

The first town meeting was held on the 2d day of April, 1850, in the old log schoolhouse of District No. 1, on Section 4. At that meeting the town was regularly organized and the fol- lowing officers elected :

Joseph Bowman, Chairman ; John Whiteman and Thomas Haynes, Side Supervisors ; John Gray, Clerk ; George Draper, Assessor ; Thomas Barber, Treasurer. There were twenty-four votes cast. At the ballot for Clerk, Samuel Hawley and John Gray received eleven votes each, and to decide the selection, they drew cuts, Mr. Gray being the winning party. Mr. Gray was elected Clerk for ten consecutive years.

The first year, upon motion, $60 was voted for town expenses, and 2} mills on the dollar for schools, and 5 mills on the dollar for road purposes.

The first assessment valuation was $182.44. The present is $289,591.

The first sum raised for schools was $45.61; now $1,200 per annum is required.

At first $91.22 was raised for road purposes ; now $1,447.95 are paid as road tax. There are six school districts and fourteen road districts at present.

The general surface of the country in this town is very broken and uneven-hills and dales, gulches, prairies, pockets, and precipitous and rocky bluffs follow each other in quick succession ;

924

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

yet there is a large amount of very desirable land in this town, and very little that is absolutely worthless.

What is known as Half Way Prairie (so called by the early settlers, because it lies nearly half-way between Cross Plains and Sauk), a strip of tolerably level land, extends from east to west through the northern portion of the town, and is the best part.

There is also another small prairie in the western central part of the town, called " Poverty Hollow," probably from some old association, which is also a very fertile section, and especially worthy of mention.

The soil is slightly variable, consisting for the most part of clay loam and limestone marl, and is in the main highly productive, being very good throughont, with the exception of the northwest corner, which is sandy.

The country, in its native condition, was timbered principally with oak, there being heavy growths of white oak on the high lands, and burr oak openings. on the bottom lands ; but now the scene is entirely changed, nearly all of the available land being cultivated to furnish the fruits of civilization. Still there is enough timber left, of old and young growth, to supply the present generation and many more.

The water supply is good, but not exceptional ; there are three spring streams flowing west through the northern, central and southern parts, two of which head near the north and middle portion, which appears to be slightly higher than the remainder of the town. In the northwest part, on Sections 2 and 11, is a small body of swampy water, known as Indian Lake, that has neither inlet nor outlet perceivable, and which is a favorite resort for water-fowl and their enemies.

This town, like nearly all of the towns in the county, abounds in pre-historic monnds and Indian relics. On Section 29, on what is called table bluff, they are most numerons and peculiar in character. On Sections 21 and 29, are evidences of former mining operations, to be seen in large excavations, but what for must remain unknown.

The inhabitants now comprise several nationalities, but at the very first they were Americans and English, excepting the Indians. In the north west part is an English and American settle- ment, of the Baptist and Methodist faith chiefly. There are also a good many Americans and English in other parts of the town. In the southwest part, and in the northeast corner, the people are principally German Lutherans, with a slight sprinkling of " Humanists," or " Free- Thinkers," and, in the east and sontheast parts, they are generally German Catholic. The people are thrifty and enterprising, as is evinced by their well-cultivated farms and comfortable houses, which are constructed largely of stone, of which there are large quantities, and brick.

The chief product of the county, fifteen and twenty years ago, was wheat; but now lighter grains and corn and stock are the chief articles raised. There are no manufactures in the town, unless we except a flour-mill, the manufacture of beer and sorghum molasses, and general mechanical work.

The very first settlers are said to have located in the Black Earth Valley in 1843; they were Albert Skinner, J. Mills, Amos Heald, J. Rogerson and perhaps one or two others.

Very soon after them, Moses Barnes and his son-in-law, Samuel Ayers, came on to Half-Way Prairie. Mr. Barnes brought in a large family, and, with his son-in-law, located on Section 4, where Mr. Walser now lives, on the old road between Sauk and Madison. This was the first road through the town, and consequently a large amount of travel passed over it, and, therefore, the first best thing to be done by the new-comers was to build their cabins. and proceed to supply such lodgment for man and beast as a new country generally affords. This was for over two years the only stopping-place in the town, not only, but these were the only families in the town, their only neighbors being the wild animals and the aboriginies. After living here a few years, and when the town became partially settled, they moved away, probably to a newer country.

The next comers were the English colonists, called the "British Temperance Emigration Society," organized in Liverpool by a wealthy Englishman by the name of Hayorth, who, like John Bright, was a philanthropist and reformer, and who sought to improve the condition of the English laboring classes by inducing them to unite themselves into temperance emigration soci-

925

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

eties. The party that came to Dane County was made up principally of mechanics, who arrived here in 1845, and a part of them settled in this town and remained permanently. They were William, John and Joseph Bowman, John Gray, J. W. Ford, John Wightman, John Medd, George Stevens, W. Andrews, Samuel Hawley and his son, Thomas Hawley, George Draper, William Crowther, James Saville, and perhaps two or three others, came in this year.

From 1846 to 1850, there was a large increase in the population, and, during 1847, the first of the Germans settled in town. The following are the names of all who came here before 1850 that are not mentioned, as nearly as can be ascertained :

Joseph Harrison, H. Battleford, J. H. Robberts, Henry Carden, A. Davis, Edmund Ellis, Otto Kerl, William Sisson, Conrad Shelle, George Dimend, Thomas Haines, and Samuel, Ed- ward and Thomas Barber. Subsequently, the settlement was very rapid, and, in a few years, all of the land in the town had been entered.

Of those mentioned, but seven are now living in the town, as follows: William Bowman, John Gray, Thomas Hawley, John Wightman, Otto Kerl, Conrad Shelle and William Sisson.

In 1846, nearly all of the settlers were smitten with ague; so great, indeed, was the preva- lence of the disease, that there were not enough well ones to care for the sick, and it is said that but one family in the entire town escaped from the disease.

At this time, a bachelor by the name of Mumford, who was stricken with the ague, died. He lay almost alone and unattended from the first; some of his neighbors, who were not much bet- ter than he, managed to drag themselves to his cabin just as death came to his relief. This was the first death in the town.

The first birth in the town was Alice Medd, the daughter of John Medd, who was born in 1845.

The first to unite in the bonds of wedlock here were John Gray and Elizabeth Harrison, who were married by Squire Wilson, of Black Earth, in June, 1846. They are both living in the enjoyment of a prosperous old age. The early dead were buried here and there throughout the town, as there were no cemeteries for several years after the first settlement.

Religious services were held here very soon after the arrival of the English colonists, as J. W. Ford and Joseph Bowman were preachers, Mr. Ford being a Methodist and Mr. Bow- man a Baptist. Their meetings were held on alternate Sundays, first in the settlers' cabins, then in the log schoolhouse of District No. 1.

At the present time, the services of the above denominations are held irregularly, by min- isters from Mazomanie, Black Earth and other points ; but a Sabbath school is well maintained, John Ford being Superintendent.

The first school, built of logs, was erected principally by Messrs. Battleford and Davis, in 1848. The first teacher was Eliza Dunlap.

The market for the northwest portion of the town was for many years the Sauk villages, as products could be shipped from those points on the Wisconsin River.

Not until 1859 was there a blacksmith-shop in town, the settlers having previously to go to Madison, or the aforesaid places, to get their plows sharpened or repairing done. The first shop was started by the Hagaman brothers, at the corners of Sections 3 and 4, and 9 and 10, near where a large blacksmith and wagon shop is now carried on.

About the same time, Hartwig Meyer erected a building at this point and opened a small store and saloon combined, and kept travelers. The building is now used for a saloon and dance-hall.

There was a post office in town, established before the war, and kept first by Joseph Bow- man, then by Mr. Meyers, which has long since ceased to exist.

The first thrashing-machine owned in town, and about the first to come to town, was an old-fashioned circular traveler (so called) the property of Abijah Davis.

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History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 138

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899; Western Historical Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company Number of Pages: 1304

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899; Western Historical Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1304