History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 63

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 63

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On the 4th of July, 1837, Simeon Mills was sworn in as Deputy Postmaster, and kept the office in a one-story log building on Lot 8 in Block 108 during that year, and the summer of 1838, until he became a mail contractor on the route between Milwaukee and Madison.

The second session of the Legislature was held at Burlington (now in Iowa) in the fall of 1837 and winter of 1838, where I spent the winter, and was not, therefore, at Madison, but I have been told of the high prices and short supplies that prevailed among the few residents of the town. Flour was $20 per barrel, salt $30, but other articles were more reasonable. Salt and flour had to be hauled from Galena through the timbers and across the prairies, with scarcely any roads for the first forty miles west of Madison. In the spring of 1838, there was some relief to the high prices, but the times were what the men called " hard," as there was no money except " wildcat " and "shin-plasters," which soon ceased to be of value. J. D. Doty issued his own notes handsomely engraved, which passed current at Madison and in other places and were all redeemed. The wildcat banks of Michigan flooded the new Territory, and, after being put in circulation, soon became of no value, and made the times harder than ever to the new settlers. What gave rise to the " wildcat " and " shin-plasters " was the speculation of 1836-37, caused by the removal of the deposits of the Government from the United States Bank to the State banks, which induced the latter to discount freely and greatly to expand the paper circulation of the country, and in the spring of 1837, President Jackson issued the "specie circular " which arrested the speculation, and a general suspension and failure of the banks was the con- sequence.

The third session of the Legislature was held in Madison in Noeember, 1838, two hotels, called the " American " and " Madison," having been erected, together with several private houses for the accommodation of the members. J. A. Noonan published the first paper printed at Madison, called the Wisconsin Enquirer, and was the public printer of the Legislature.

The " American Hotel " was kept by Fake & Cotton, and the " Madison " by Charles H. Bird, and the fare was quite passable. There was a number of private houses that boarded members and officers of the Legislature. I heard but few complaints of short-commons at that session.

On the Fourth of July, 1837, we had an impromptu celebration at Peck's Mansion House. There were present James D. Doty, Thomas W. Sutherland, E. P. Deacon, two of the Messrs. Schermerhorns, of New York, John Messersmith, Sr., John D. Ansley, Simeon Mills, myself and many others, nearly all accidentally met on the occasion. We had refreshments with cham- pagne, lemonade, punch, toasts and some conversational speeches. It was quite enjoyable, the more so from the absence of clap-trap and parade, and the noise of gunpowder usual upon such occasions. The day was fine, and the country about the Four Lakes-to me, at least, never looked more beautiful. A more enthusiastic company with " great expectations " could rarely be found.

In the spring of 1839, the county of Dane was organized for judicial purposes, and the " District Court " opened and established by the appointment of Simeon Mills, Clerk-Judge . David Irvin presiding. There was no business to be done, the Legislature having previously passed a "stay law " which for the time being prevented the collection of debts. There was no criminal business for the courts of the Territory for a long time after its organization, and this fact is greatly to the credit of the early "pioneers " or first settlers ; nor was there much litiga- tion. Almost the first business for the courts and lawyers, grew out of the passage of the bank- rupt act of 1841, which was passed to relieve the unfortunate debtors of the consequences of the speculation of 1836, and the revulsion of 1837. " Hard times " prevailed for many years afterward, and until Benton's " mint drops " came into general circulation. During several

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years of general prostration of the country, gold flowed into the country from Europe to fill the vacuum caused by the failure of the banks. Opposition to banks and corporations generally, was one of the cardinal principles of the Democratic party in those days, and the great mass of the Western people were in favor of the doctrine. The hard times continued until 1848, when gold was discovered in California; and soon after the times began to change, and property began to rise in value. The settlement of Madison and the interior of the State was very slow, until the building of the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, and that caused a great accession of popula- tion and rise in the value of real estate. The State census of 1855 showed the population of the State to be a little over 300,000, and that of 1860 gave 777,000, thus more than doubling the population in five years.

Notwithstanding the " hard times " and the impossibility of making money and "getting along in the world," there was much real happiness and enjoyment among the early settlers ; all were friendly, and good will prevailed. The " almighty dollar " had not then taken possession of their souls to the exclusion of the milk of human kindness for each other, and the expecta- tion of what Madison and the future State of Wisconsin were to be, and the future wealth they were sure to acquire, kept them in good spirits and made life endurable. The absence of fashion and pride, and the chilling influence of wealth, made their wants few, and they were content with Mr. Micawber's philosophy of " waiting for things to turn up."

There was plenty of leisure for hunting and fishing, and both game and fish were plenty. Let me tell a " fish story " right here, which, luckily for the truth of history, is capable of verifica- cation by a living witness, and many are living who may have heard of it at the time. On the first day of May in 1839, returning from Cottage Grove with La Fayette Kellogg, we discovered a large catfish near the shore of the head of Third Lake, and I suggested the idea of stopping to catch him. Mr. Kellogg laughed heartily at the suggestion and said I could not get within two rods of him. I replied that he did not understand the nature of the animal, and that he was sunning, and stupefied by the pleasure. The sun was shining warmly, and the fish was near the top of the water. I waded out quietly, and, putting my hands gently, one under his head, and the other at the tail, lifted him out of the water and landed him safely upon the shore Before he was awake from his stupor. He weighed thirty-five pounds !

Judge Frazer, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, appointed from Pennsylvania, was a very able Judge, and remarkable for his ability, memory and knowledge of law. A term of the court was to be held at Madison, in July, 1838, at the old Madison Hotel, which was only partially finished. The Judge came on from Pennsylvania to hold the term, but the other Judges, Dunn and Irvin, did not attend. The Judge insisted on opening the court and holding the term as the law required. I informed him that there was no business and no lawyers in attendance. He said that made no difference. It was necessary to adopt rules, and accordingly the court was opened, the Judge dictated from memory, and I wrote the rules, but they were not adopted by the other Judges. The Judge took his departure, and never held another term. He died at Milwaukee, October 18, 1838. Judge A. G. Miller was soon after appointed in his place. On the organization of the State government, Judge Miller received the appointment of District Judge of the United States Court for the District of Wisconsin, which he held until his resignation, January 1, 1873, at the age of 72, having held the office of United States Judge in Wisconsin-Territory and State-over thirty-five years.

The rules of practice for the District Courts of the Territory were prepared by Judge Miller, and were adopted by the Judges of the Supreme Court at the term of 1840. These rules were published in primer form, and were the uniform rules of practice in the several Dis- trict Courts until after the admission of the State into the Union.

The only men I remember living in Dane County in 1837, other than the men who came with A. A. Bird to work on the capital, were Ebenezer Brigham at the Blue Mounds, John Kellogg at the same place, the two Pecks, Abel Rasdall at First Lake, Oliver Emell at Second Lake, Abram Wood at Wood's Point, on Third Lake, and St. Cyr at the City of the Four Lakes. Horace Lawrence, I think, came during the same year, and also John Stoner. Berry Haney

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lived at Cross Plains. I stayed one night at his place, on my way to Green Bay, in September, 1836.

Ab Nichols, who built " The Worser," where the United States Hotel afterward stood, was a noted person in early times, but, on the whole, a very good sort of a man. It was he that named Mineral Point " Shake Rag," from a white cloth that used to be hung out to call the miners to dinner .*

II .- BY EBENEZER CHILDS.

The year 1837 brought with it a large increase to the population in all parts of the Terri- tory. Early in November, the Legislature met at Burlington, and held a session of some ten weeks. All the members had to travel by land on the west side of the Mississippi. There then were but few settlers from Burlington to Dubuque ; we had to camp out on the prairies when the weather was intensely cold. It was the 20th of January, 1838, we adjourned. I was on a committee to investigate the affairs of the old Dubuque Bank. There was then but one public house in Dubuque, and some five hundred inhabitants. I remained there two weeks on this business, and then started alone for Green Bay. At Mineral Point I met a brother of A. A. Bird, of Madison, who had recently come from there ; I waited for him to return, and accom- panied him. We started, and went as far as my old Worcester County friend, E. Brigham's, at the Blue Mounds, with whom we stayed all night. The next day we started for Madison, but lost our way and traveled all day and most of the night, when we came to a log shanty, where we tarried the remainder of the night, without, however, anything to eat.

In the morning, we renewed our journey, and went to Madison. We found A. A. Bird there; his mother was quite ill and attended by the army surgeon from Fort Winnebago. The house or shanty that Bird lived in was a miserable, cold affair. There were then but three other families in Madison. The doctor from Fort Winnebago designed to return the next day, and wished me to wait for him. I concluded to do so, and crossed Fourth Lake to its head, near Pheasant Branch, and spent the night with W. B. Slaughter, who then lived on the west bank of the lake. The next morning, the doctor came over. We started for the fort, between Slaughter's and which, there was not a single house. I had my conveyance, and the doctor had his with a driver. When about half way, I asked the driver how the doctor stood the cold, for it was a stinging cold day ; the doctor, who was completely covered up with buffalo robes, made no reply, and the driver, of course, could not answer for him. I drove past them, and, on reach- ing a grove of timber, I stopped and made a fire. When the other conveyance came up, I went to see the doctor, took the robes off, and found him completely chilled through, and he could not speak. We took him out of the sleigh, he carried him to the fire, and rubbed him a long time before he could speak. I had a little brandy with me; he drank some of that, and after awhile he was able to walk, when we again started for the fort. When we arrived at the fort, as we did without further mishap, we found that the thermometer stood 32º below zero. I did not suffer at all with the cold, as I ran most of the way.

The next day, I left alone for Green Bay. There was not then a house between Fort Win- nebago and Fond du Lac ; the snow was deep across the prairies. I overtook two Stockbridge Indians, nearly exhausted from fatigue and cold. I carried them in my jumper to the first tim- . ber, when we stopped and made a large fire, and left them ; the snow was so deep that my horse could not draw them. They stayed there until the next day, and got home safe. If it had not been for me, they would undoubtedly have perished on the prairie. I arrived at Green Bay safe and sound. There was then but one house between Fond du Lac and Green Bay.

III .- BY FREEDOM SIMONS, 1880.

My father, James H. Simons, was a soldier in the war of 1812. I was born in the war- time, when my father, with others, was fighting for liberty ; hence they gave me the appropriate name of Freedom. Sardis Dudley, my wife's father, was also a soldier, and both were pioneer

* Adapted from " A History of Madison, the Capital of Madison, Wisconsin." By D. S. Durrie, pp. 36-41.

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settlers of Cayuga County, N. Y. I started from Cayuga County, N. Y., on the 6th day of September, 1842, with my family, consisting of my wife and three children. I came by way of the Erie Canal and the great lakes. We anchored in the Bay of Milwaukee, a half- mile off shore, on the 17th of September, 1842. There were no docks nor piers there, at that early date, and our only chance of getting ourselves and goods on shore was by a small boat, called a lighter. We thought we had paid our fare to Milwaukee, but here was an additional expense. We were pulled over the sand-bar and up the Milwaukee River to Dousman's little one-story warehouse, which, at that period, accommodated all the freight business of Milwaukee. As there were no public conveyances inland at that early date, the best thing we could do was to charter what was known in those days as a "sucker team," a huge canvas-covered wagon, drawn by five yoke of oxen. After hard, weary traveling over broad marshes, crossing bridges made of tamarack poles, in six days we arrived at Prairie du Sac, the place of our destination.

In the spring of 1843, after experiencing an extremely cold and snowy winter, we moved over the Wisconsin River, into Dane County, and settled in what is now the town of Spring- field. Ours was the only house between the outskirts of Madison and the Wisconsin River, a distance of twenty-two miles. North, toward Fort Winnebago, the nearest house was fifteen miles, near where the village of Poynette now stands; while south, toward Mineral Point, we had neighbors within eight miles. In the fall of 1843, a few settlers came in.

In the spring of 1844, I took part in the election. The voting precinct consisted of all . the territory between the Lake Mendota and the Wisconsin River. At this first election, west of Madison, seven votes were polled. I was elected Justice of the Peace, and, through the influ- ence of John Catlin, of Madison, received, the same year, the appointment of Postmaster.

In 1845, John M. Babcock, with a large family, George O. Babcock and I. R. W aterberry came to the Territory. That year, I moved and settled on Section 32, in the town of Dane. I also took a part in the organization of that town, and was elected to the office of Assessor in the spring of 1846. The tide of emigration having fairly set in in this direction, what was known as Ohio Settlement, from Ohio, was commenced. This was a valuable acquisition. It is seldom that a community is made up of men and women so well qualified for pioneer life. All the men were of a high moral character, and deeply imbued with a Christian spirit, and possessing a liberal education. They wielded a powerful influence in shaping the moral and relig- ious sentiment of the community. There were six men who came first-Miller Blachly, the old gentleman, Dr. Eben Blachly, Jackson Luce, Bell Blachly, William Dunlap and Samuel Bell. Miller Blachly died October 10, 1850. Miss Sarah Blachly was married to Rev. Mr. Bradly, of Siam, in November, 1848. There were many privations, trials and hardships to be endured by the pioneers, and this settlement was no exception to the rule. As one of the important incidents connected with our isolated condition in 1844, I will relate that Capt. Sumner, from Iowa, with seventy cavalry, suddenly, without any previous notice, came galloping up to the door of our house. A short consultation with the Quartermaster served to explain their sudden appearance and quiet the fears of the ladies of our household. They were from Iowa, sent out by the Government to capture the vagrant Indians that had escaped from Turkey River, Iowa, where they had formerly been located by the Government. Many of the Winne- bagoes, disliking their location, had wandered back to their old hunting-grounds. Fortunately for the Captain and his men, and for myself also, I had killed a beef the day before, and the Quartermaster wanted nearly the whole of it, with twenty-two hundred of hay for the seventy horses. The next morning, after paying liberally in silver coin for all their trouble, they sounded the bugle and departed, with many thanks for their hospitable entertainment. They made their way to Fort Winnebago, the place of their headquarters for nearly two months, while they were gathering up the vagrant Indians. After capturing about two hundred, they returned by the same route, and camped a little north of my house, with the main body of the Indians, while the old chief, Dekorra, his wife and sister, were sent on by team to our dwelling to lodge for the night. These three old people were not prisoners, but went voluntarily, and were well cared for. They were very old, and nearly blind. I shall always remember the stately, gigantic form of

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the old chief as he came in. We had, what was common in those days, an old-fashioned chim- ney and a large, open fire-place. It was a cold December night, and as the old chief beheld the comfortable, blazing fire on the hearth, he, seating himself, in Indian style, on the floor before it, stretched out his hands and cried out, " Wah ! " It was a real pleasure to see the venerable old man enjoy himself at my fireside. His ancient-looking, historic face seemed lighted up with joyful thanks for the kind care received. The next morning, Capt. Sumner and his troops, with the Indians, came along. Noticing the Indians carrying their own guns, I said to the Captain : "Don't you fear they will make you trouble ?" "Ah !" he said, " I make them pack the guns, and I pack the locks."

Another startling incident of that year was the appearance of a few straggling black bears. As I was, one day, dragging on my prairie farm, on Section 32, about one mile from home, I saw a large black bear jump over the fence and put off through the openings. I immediately jumped on to a horse and went to the house, and thence rallied the neighbors. Three or four men constituted the whole party, but they captured old bruin and brought him to my house before sundown. Soon after, another made his appearance in sight of the house. Some passing traveler sighted him. My wife called to me, but when I came the bear was not to be seen. Nothing daunted, I took down the old musket and sallied out like a mighty Nimrod, though there was not the least prospect that the old flint-lock gun would go off; but, lucky for me, I did not see bruin. While I was absent, the bear came around the hill to the house, and within three rods of the front door halted. My wife stood in the door and called to the children to come and see the bear. The animal, from fright or some other cause, sprang up a tree a few feet, but soon came down and trotted off, and was not seen again in the vicinity.

Our oldest son is said to be the first boy born in Western Dane. In this year, I made my first trip to the Dekorra Mill, which is worthy of record as showing some of the trials of pioneer life. Two families of the Babcocks wene living in the house with us, they having just come to the country from St. Lawrence County, N. Y. I had raised my first crop of wheat that year, and, one Friday morning in September, started to find Dekorra Mill. I had heard of it, but had never been there. I knew there was an old Indian trail from Fourth Lake to the Wiscon- sin River, at Dekorra, and that this deeply-worn Indian path crossed the old military road somewhere between my place and Ensminger's or Poynette; that this Indian trail was used as the Dekorra road. So, taking my horse and one of Mr. Babcock's, I started out, and found the Indian trail ; but before night there came up a furious thunder-storm. Just before night, I came to Rowan Creek, and behold, the bridge planks were all burned off the stringers. Here was a dilemma. The wind was blowing furiously, and the rain was pelting my horses unmerci- fully. I could not go ahead, neither could I go back, for the night was setting in dark. I fixed up my horses and load as well as possible ; but by this time it was so dark I could see my way to the bridge only by the flashes of lightning, while the rain was pouring down upon me. I crossed over on my hands and knees on one of the stringers, for I had seen a shanty on the other side, but it was not inhabited. I thought I might find the mill if I could keep the well-worn trail, and find shelter. I could also make inquiries if there were some other crossing-place. But I saw no sign or light ; and, after traveling two or three miles, I turned back to the creek, spent the night in the old deserted shanty, glad to see the morning light. I started out the second day to find Dekorra Mill; took my back track to the military road, then by Poynette. The distance was about twelve miles, but I could not get my grist till in the night. So on Sun- day morning I must go home, if I did break the Sabbath, for there were three families at home and no flour. When I arrived home, I found they had brought the old coffee-mill into requisi- tion and actually ground wheat enough to make griddle-cakes for the large family. George Babcock declared they had had one good square meal.

After living about eighteen months on our prairie farm, and digging fifty feet for water, without success, I got discouraged and sold out, and, attracted by the cold springs of Spring Creek, I bought three "eighties" on Section 4, along the line of Columbia County, and moved on to them in the spring of 1847 ; but, with no market nearer than Milwaukee, there was little

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encouragement in raising wheat at that early period. Being attracted by the prospect of a smart little town at Lodi, I accepted Judge Palmer's proposition of a donation of two lots on which I was to build a hotel and put up the back wing, 16x24, with a lean-to 12x24; I moved into it in January, 1849.

IV. BY I. H. PALMER, 1880.

I was kindly allowed by the Commissioner of Public Works to accompany [in 1837] the expedition to Madison, where I had purchased a farm, and was going to build a house and then return for my wife, whom I had left at Milwaukee.

After we had been on our journey five or six days, wading swamps and drenched with the continued rains, we came in view, about nightfall, of a roofed shanty, and you may be sure the sight was a welcome one to us all. The shanty was occupied by a man and his wife, the latter a rare sight since leaving the Cream City. Here another difficulty presented itself. Baking must be done for the thirty-four hungry men. The shanty was small. Our host informed us that himself and wife would do our baking, but that he could accommodate but half the company, and that it would be necessary for them to lie in as compact form as possible in order to get to the different parts of the room for cooking utensils. So, the question was: "Who shall sleep out in the rain to-night ?" That it would rain, was a foregone conclusion. It must be remem- bered that the laborers were not of the common class of workmen on public works, who could, as now, be ordered about at will. All were young men, just starting in life, with some means, and looking for homes in the Far West-a class of men who, by their perseverance and sterling worth, have since won for themselves high positions of honor and esteem in the callings they

have chosen. A. A. Bird, after a short consultation with his brother, Charles H. Bird (now of Sun Prairie), informed the men of the situation, and said : "Boys, I know it's tough to divide you ! All suffer like men together; but to ask one-half to take shelter, and the other half to lie out in the rain, is more than we can do." (It was our custom to have a camp-fire, but on account of the scarcity of timber here, we had decided to build no fire at this place.) Immediately, Darwin Clark took his blanket, and, stepping forward, volunteered to sleep out- side. Others, quickly following, the number was soon inade up. During the night the rain poured incessantly (as usual) ; but, tired and worn out with the labors of the day, the men forgot their discomforts in sleep.

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History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 63

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