History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 88

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 88

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"Spare, in pity, the poor brain which cannot see, in this career, more than a dogged perti- nacity! Out upon the unjust prejudice which will consciously disparage the true meed of genius ! Leave it where his reliant silence leaves it! Leave it to history ! Leave it to the world !

" But in the great causeso well understood, and the great results to men so well accomplished, the basis of his renown is justly broadened. For the salvation of this government of freedom for mankind, we took up arms. When liberty was safe, they were laid down again. Risen to the highest seat of power, he has descended as a citizen of equal rank with all. This goes to

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the soul of American liberty, ennobling individual citizenship above all servants in office. His is indeed the noblest grandeur of manhood, who can rise from the grasp of overtopping power above the ambition of self, to exalt the ambition of humanity, denying the spoils of the brief time to the lasting guerdon of immortal honor.

"The judgment of immediate cotemporaries has been apt to rise too high or fall too low. But let not detraction or calumny mislead. They have ever been the temporal accompaniments of human greatness. That glory cannot rise beyond the clouds which passes not through the clouds. We may confidently accept the judgment of the world. It has been unmistakably delivered. But lately, as he has pressed his wandering course about the round earth, mankind have everywhere bowed in homage at his coming, as the ancient devotees of the East fell before the sun at his rising. These honors were not paid to his person, which was unknown ; they were not paid to his country, for which he went on no errand, and whose representative never had the like before; they were not paid to him as to some potentate of a people, for he journeyed not as a man in power. They have been the willing prostration of mortality before a glory imper- ishable !

" His memory shall, indeed, be in the line of the heroes of war, but distinctive and apart from the greater number. Not with the kind of Alexander, who ravaged the earth to add to mere dominion ; nor of Belisarius, who but fed the greedy craving of an imperial beast of prey; not with Marlborough, Eugene, Wellington, who played the parts set them by the craft of diplo- macy ; not with the Napoleons, who chose " to wade through slaughter to a throne, and shut the gates of mercy on mankind ; " not with Cæsar, who would have put the ambitious hand of arms on the delicate fabric of constitutional freedom : America holds a higher place in the congre- gation of glory for her heroes of liberty, where sits, in expectation, her majestic Washington. In nobler ambition than the gaining of empire they have borne their puissant arms for the King- dom of Man, where liberty reigneth forever. From the blood poured out in their warfare, sweet incense rose to heaven, and angels soothed, with honorable pride, the tears which sorrow started for the dead.

" Home again, now, our first commander, after the journey of the world! Here, here again, we greet him, at our social board, where, with recurring years, we regale on the deeper ripen- ing memories of our soldiership for freedom. Partakers of the labors, the perils, the triumphs, which were the beginnings of his glory, we join now, with exultation, in the welcoming honors by which his grateful countrymen tell their foreknowledge of the immortality of his renown.

" Long and many be the years, illustrious leader, before your hour of departure come! Green and vigorous be your age, undecayed every faculty of mind and sense, in full fruition of the well-earned joys of life; happy in the welfare of your native land, the love of your country- men, the admiration of the world ! "

COMMON SCHOOLS.

The educational system of the State embraces common schools, normal schools and the State University.

Towns are generally divided into a number of school districts, in each of which the school affairs are in charge of a District School Board, consisting of three members, each holding office for three years, one being elected at each annual school meeting. The officers of this board are Director, Treasurer and Clerk. The Clerk reports to the Town Clerk, and the Town Clerk to the County Superintendent. Some towns have what is called the township system, with one School Board for the whole town.

The schools in cities are generally under the control of a Board of Education, and in charge of a City Superintendent of Schools.

In most of the cities and villages, the schools are graded, the highest grade being called the high school.

The schools of the State are principally supported by local taxation, district and county. The remainder of their support, about one-thirteenth, comes from the income of the State

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School Fund, which amounts at present to about 40 cents for each child of school age. Some of the high schools under certain regulations receive special aid from the State.

Dane County, having more than 15,000 inhabitants, is divided into two Superintendent Districts. The First District embraces the following towns and villages. Albion, Blooming Grove, Bristol, Burke, Christiana, Cottage Grove, Deerfield, Dunkirk, Dunn, Medina, Pleasant Springs, Rutland, Sun Prairie, Sun Prairie Village, Stoughton Village, Vienna, Windsor, Westport, York. The Second District, the following towns . Berry, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Cross Plains, Dane, Fitchburg, Madison, Mazomanie, Middleton, Montrose, Oregon, Perry, Primrose, Rox- bury, Springdale, Springfield, Vermont, Verona.

The names of those who have been Superintendents in the First District are D. A. Bar- low, A. P. Prentice, O. O. Stearns, J. Q. Emery, T D. Kanouse, W. H. Chandler, A. R. Ames, C. E. Buell (now in office) ; in the Second District, S. L Hooker, N. E. Goldthwaite, S. H. Carpenter, J. A. Kierstead, S. C. Coolidge, O. J. Taylor, M. S. Frawley and C. F. Harding (now in office).

On the 22d of December, 1841, application was made to David Brigham, James Morrison Burk Fairchild, School Commissioners for the county of Dane, to set off Township 7, of Range 9 east, to be organized as School District No. 1. This was the first action had relative to the organization of schools under Territorial laws, in Dane County ; the application was signed by Dr. Almon Lull, Ira W. Bird, E. Quivey, Peter W. Matts and Nicholas Smith. The Com- missioners took the same in consideration, and on the 25th reported favorably, and set off the territory described as District No. 1. On January 24, 1842, the District petitioned the Com- missioners to enlarge the District by including Township 8, which was attached February 15 following. From this small beginning, let us look at the schools of Dane County of to-day :

The apportionment of School Fund income in 1879 was 38 cents to each scholar; and as there were 20,275 children enumerated for the whole county, the amount received was $7,704. 50. The whole number of school districts in the county, including joint-districts with school- houses in the county, and exclusive of the city of Madison, is 267; whole number of children over four and under twenty years of age, 8,215 *; number of schools of two departments, 5; number of schools with three or more departments, 5; number of teachers required to teach the schools of the county, 366; average wages of male teachers per month, $33.44; average wages of female teachers, $23.92; number of schoolhouses in the county, 242; cash value of school- houses in the county, $124,242; private schools not incorporated, 28 ; number which are denomi- national or parochial, 26.

The graded schools are located in the First District at Christiana, Waunakee, Sun Prairie Village and Stoughton Village; in the two last-mentioned places, the schools embrace several departments, including a free high school : in the Second District there are graded schools at Black Earth, Cross Plains, Middleton, Mazomanie, Montrose and Oregon ; at Mazomanie there is a free high school.

DANE COUNTY PRESS.

The Wisconsin Enquirer, the first newspaper published in Dane County, began its exist- ence in Madison November 8, 1838. Its editor and proprietor was Josiah A. Noonan.

Mr. Noonan had ordered a press and material from Buffalo, to come by way of the lakes to Green Bay, and thence np Fox River on barges to Fort Winnebago, whence it was to have been carted overland to Madison. The bill of shipment came in due time, but weeks passed and nothing was heard of the material. The season was getting late, and no press. Finally, Mr. Noonan engaged George Hyer to mount a pony and go to Fort Winnebago, forty miles distant, and make inquiry about the missing material, and if nothing was heard of it to continue on to Green Bay. There were then no roads, no guides, no regular stopping-places ; by the route taken, there was no clearly defined track between Madison and Fort Winnebago, and but one stopping- place, a half-breed's house, within ten or twelve miles of the fort. But from Fort Winnebago

*This statement and the statistics following are exclusive of the city of Madison.

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to Green Bay there was a good military road, running east of Lake Winnebago, affording a good. route and convenient stopping-places among traders and Indians. On reaching Fort Winnebago, Hyer gained information that convinced him that the press and material had been thrown over- board, in a storm, in Lake Huron, off Mackinaw; but it was months after the unfortunate event before its fate was fully known. Satisfied that it would be useless to look further for the missing printing material, Hyer started back the next morning for Madison, reaching there that night, and gave such information of the matter as he had been able to learn. This led Mr. Noonan to purchase the Racine Argus, and transfer the material to Madison, followed immediately by the publication of the Wisconsin Enquirer, the first number of which appeared on the 8th of Novem- ber, 1838, and on which Hyer set the first type. With a single hand press, and scarcely any conveniences, this little office issued a newspaper, and printed the bills, journals, reports and laws of the Legislature, including a revision of the laws then in force. It was a six-column weekly and commienced its career full of spirit and energy. In his salutatory, the editor said:

" We are at length enabled to lay before its patrons the first number of the Wisconsin Enquirer. In addition to the difficulties incident to establishing a newspaper in a country 80 new as the one in which we are located, and so remote from navigable waters at this time, we have had difficulties to surmount and embarrassments to contend with which it was impossible for us to foresee or calculate upon encountering at the time we embarked in the enterprise. We are now, however, so situated as to be able to issue the Enquirer regularly hereafter, and do whatever business ' in our line' our friends may favor us with.

"Two years since, we became a resident of this Territory, and within that time have had occasion to visit every portion of it and become familiar with its agricultural and mineral resources and its advantages in other respects, and we can truly say that the better we have become acquainted with Wisconsin the more have we deemed our reasons good for feeling proud of the country we have adopted as our home. Geographically, its position is second to that of no Northern State or Territory, it being the principal connecting link between the lakes and the Mississippi, and possessing natural channels of communication that with but slight improvement will afford such extensive facilities for commercial intercourse between the 'inland seas ' and the ' father of waters' as must always confine the principal part of the commerce between them to this Territory. In addition to this important natural thoroughfare, nature has been prolific in providing Wisconsin with other highly useful commercial channels ; so much so that we believe no part of the Territory south of Fox and Wisconsin Rivers can be pointed out from which navigable waters are more than twenty-five miles distant. Of the many streams that irrigate the southern portion of our Territory, it is true none have as yet been navigated by steam except the Wisconsin River ; but yet we believe no one familiar with the country will deny that the Pishtaka, the Pecatonica and Rock Rivers, together with the River of the Four Lakes and sev- eral others, are susceptible now (or with a moderate expenditure of money can be made so in a short time) of being navigated by such steamboats as ply on the Wabash and Illinois Rivers. Add to this the fact that Wisconsin has a fine proportion of prairie and timbered lands, an abun- dance of water-power, unequaled mineral wealth, a climate as healthy as that of any portion of the Union-as the past season has abundantly shown-an extremely fertile soil, that springs of the purest water can be found in every part of it, and last, though not least, that it has as intelli- gent and enterprising a population as can be found in any country, and our Territory, we think, holds out to the enterprising emigrant a combination of advantages and inducements that can be equaled by no other portion, even, of the great West.

"Situated as we are in the center of a territory of so great intrinsic wealth, and possessing such exhaustless resources, it will be our pride and pleasure to make the Enquirer what it was stated in the prospectus it would be-strictly a Territorial paper-one that will, regardless of men or local interests, advocate promptly and fearlessly, at all times, the true interests of the Territory.

" Whether or not we shall be sustained in our undertaking remains to be seen. The lib- eral subscriptions we have already received from almost every section of the Territory give us assurance of a much more flattering support than we anticipated some months since.

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"With party politics we shall not, for the present, take any very active part, believing that there is nothing in the situation of the Territory that makes it necessary for the newspapers in it, now, to burthen their columns with labored discussions of the common political questions of the day. Whenever we do enter the political arena, however, we shall be found advocating the principles and measures of the Democratic party.

"During the session of our Territorial Legislature, we shall lay before our readers full re- ports of its proceedings, and give early notice of all appointments made by the Governor and Council; in fine, it will be our chief object to give statistical and other information, and such a variety of matter in each number as will render the Enquirer both amusing and instructive. Meantime, however, we would beseech our readers not to expect too much, but to 'take the good the gods provide them and-be satisfied.'"

The following notices appear, among others, in the first issue, November 8, 1838:

MARRIED-In this town, on Thursday evening last, by.E. Peck, Esq., Mr. Charles S. Peasles to Miss Charlotte J. Bird, all of this place.

ALMON LULL.

Physician and Surgson, would respectfully tender his professional services to the citizens of Madison and vicinity. Hs has just received from St. Louis a large supply of drugs, medicines, &c., which he offers on the most reasonable terms. Calls from a distance promptly attended to.

GEORGE S. MEREDITH,

Attorney st Law and Solicitor in Chancery, Madison, W. T., offers his professional services to the public. He will attend sil ths courts of the First Judicial District.

Later issues of the paper have the following editorial and advertisements :

"We gave notice in our last that no paper would be issued from this office this week. The notice was given under the impression that we should not have a supply of paper. A friend, however, sent us a small quantity from Galena.

"Our main supply we landed, with some other materials, at Green Bay in July last, and they were to be sent up Fox River to the Portage immediately. A fortnight since, they lay in the warehouse where we had them landed. We are certainly under many obligations to the Fox River Transportation Company for their prompt manner of doing business."

WILLIAM N. SEYMOUR

would give notice to the citizens of Dane County that he is a Notary Public for said county, and will always be in readiness to attend to drawing and acknowledging deeds, mortgages, leases, etc.

W. N. S. will also give his attention to any business he may be intrusted with as an Attorney at Law. He can be found at the Madison Hotel.

DIED-On the 3d inst., of the typhus fever, in Beloit, Rock County, W. T., Mrs. Chloe Blodgett, aged 55 years, the wife of Csleb Blodgstt, formerly of Ashtabula County, Ohio.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF THE MAILS.

Ths Eastsro Mail leaves Madison on Sunday of each week, at 6 o'clock A. M.

Ths Mineral Point and Fort Winnebago mails arrive Wednesdays and Saturdays of each week, and depart Thurs- days and Sundays, st 5 o'clock A. M.

Post office open from 8 A. M. to 8 P. M. The mails will be closed on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8 o'clock P. M.

JOHN CATLIN, P. M.

The paper was not long free from politics. The greatest strife, however, was of a local nature. Parties, at that day, had not become fully organized. On the 6th day of April, 1839. C. C. Sholes became a partner with Noonan, and the paper was published by Noonan & Sholes, For a time, both of the proprietors being absent, C. L. Sholes had the management of both the editorial and business departments of the establishment.

November 30, 1839, Mr. Sholes retired, leaving Mr. Noonan again sole editor and proprie- tor. At this time another column was added to each page, making a seven-column paper.

July 8, 1840, C. C. Sholes again became a joint proprietor, with Mr. Noonan as editor and publisher.

December 5, 1840, Noonan retired from the office, leaving Mr. C. C. Sholes sole editor and proprietor.

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April 10, 1841, George Hyer became a partner with Sholes, and the paper was conducted by Sholes & Hyer.

June 9, 1841, Sholes retired from the office, leaving Hyer sole editor and proprietor.

February 23, 1842, Hyer retired from the office, and J. Gillett Knapp became sole editor and proprietor.

July 2, 1842, Knapp retired, and Harrison Reed became the editor and publisher. Up to this time the Enquirer had been Democratic in politics, so far as it had been anything; its special point was anti-Doty. On assuming control of the establishment, Reed changed the spell- ing of the word Wisconsin at the heading of the paper to " Wiskonsan," and the position of the paper to that of a strong supporter of Doty.

September 2, 1842, Reed retired, and David Lambert succeeded him in the editorial control of the paper-Reed, however, continuing as publisher. In his introductory, Lambert expressed his dislike for both parties, but pledged his support to the then National (Tyler) and Territorial (Doty) administrations.

January 5, 1843, Reed withdrew entirely from the office, and Lambert became sole editor and publisher. During this winter, the paper seems to have had a feeble existence, appearing about half the time on a small sheet, and printed on a very poor quality of paper. Strong symptoms of a decline were visible in the appearance of the sheet from week to week.

June 7, 1843, the office was conveyed by Lambert to Barlow Shackleford and Henry A. Lambert. The paper soon after suspended. It will be seen, that, in an existence of something less than five years, the Enquirer experienced twelve changes of proprietorship. During most of the time the paper was very well printed, and gave evidence of a good degree of ability in its editorial columns-more than is usual in small country places.

The Wisconsin State Journal .- It is claimed for the State Journal that it is the second paper established at Madison. In order to make clear this claim, it is necessary to give its his- tory from the commencement of the Madison Express, in 1839. The first number of the Express was issued on the 25th day of December, 1839, with William W. Wyman as editor and pub- lisher. It was a neatly printed, six-column weekly paper. It supported the then Territorial admin- istration, and claimed to be devoted to the advancement of the best interests of the people. In July, 1840, it was enlarged to a seven-column paper, and took position as a champion of the Whig party-deelaring for William H. Harrison and reform. The paper was continued without change until May, 1848, when it was suspended for a few weeks. During the Constitutional Convention of 1847-48, a tri-weekly Express was issued. While the paper was under charge of Mr. Wyman, he was assisted in its editorial management, at different times, by Julius T. Clark, Esq., William Welch, Esq., David Atwood, and, perhaps, others.

In October, 1848, the office of the Madison Express was purchased by David Atwood and Royal Buck, and its publication was resumed, under their management, as the Wisconsin Ex- press. In 1850, Alvan E. Bovay was associated in its management for a few weeks. During the session of the Legislature of 1851, the Express was issued daily. In 1850, the Wisconsin Statesman was established, as a Whig paper, and was continued until the summer of 1852, when the offices of the Express and Statesman were consolidated, and the names of both papers were dropped, that of Wisconsin Palladium adopted, and it was issued for a few weeks under the joint proprietorship of both old papers-Messrs. Atwood & Buek and Messrs. Wyman & Sons, under the firm name of Atwood, Wymans & Buck ; the Wymans ineluded W. W. Wyman and his sons, William H. and Albert U. Wyman. The Palladium was issued as a daily and weekly ; but, after eleven wecks, owing to disagreements in the firm, it was suspended, and the State Journal took its place, under the sole management of David Atwood. The direct connection of the State Journal has thus been shown with the second paper that was started in Madison. It has been continuous, with only a change of name; and the present proprietor of the State Journal purchased the office from the first proprietor of the Express, in 1848, and has been connected with its publication ever since that time.

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HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

The paper was first issued under the name of Wisconsin State Journal, in September, 1852, as a daily and weekly publication ; in 1856, a tri-weekly was added, and the three edi- tions of the paper have been published ever since without interruption. At the beginning the daily Journal was a five-column, four-page paper, and the weekly was an eight-column sheet. In May, 1854, the daily was enlarged to a six-column paper, and, in 1857, it was again enlarged to its present size-a seven-column sheet. The weekly has been changed twice-in 1859, to a nine-column, four-page sheet, and, in 1862, to an eight-page paper with six columns on the page-its present size. The State Journal was a Whig paper so long as that party existed ; it became an advocate of the Republican party on the organization of that party in 1854, and so remains at the present time.

The changes of proprietorship in the State Journal have been but few. In May, 1854, Mr. Horace Rublee, who had assisted in its editorial management for the previous year, became an equal partner in its management, under the firm of Atwood & Rublee. In 1859, Mr Harrison Reed purchased a third interest in the office, and for two years the partnership firm was Atwood, Rublee & Reed; and, in the spring of 1861, Atwood & Rublee became again the proprietors. In May, 1869, Mr. Rublee disposed of his interest to J. O. Culver, Esq .; and, until the 1st of January, 1877, the firm name of the publishers was Atwood & Culver; at the last date, David Atwood became sole proprietor, and still continues to publish the daily, tri-weekly and weekly State Journal. Such has been the proprietorship of the paper, from December, 1839, when W W. Wyman issued the first number of the Madison Express.

Several persons have been connected with the editorial management of the State Journal, in addition to its proprietors. In 1855, George Gary, Esq., of Oshkosh, became thus connected, and remained with the paper until February, 1856. Messrs. A. J. Turner, H. K. Smith and L. J. Bates were assistants in this department, between 1856 and 1860, each for a short time. In 1861, Mr. Harlan M. Page took a position on the editorial staff of the paper, and remained on it till July, 1876, when, owing to ill-health, he was obliged to abandon editorial work. In 1863, James Ross was local editor for a short time. During the year 1873, H. R. Farnum was the local editor on the Journal. In January, 1874, Mr. Levi Alden became connected with the office, and most of the time since has assisted in the editorial department, and still remains in this position. As early as 1868, Charles D. Atwood became a reporter and assistant on the staff. In 1872, he went to Liverpool with Ex-Gov. Fairchild, and was nearly four years Vice Consul at that place. In 1876, he returned, and took an active position on the editorial staff, where he labored diligently till his death, in February, 1878. In the spring of 1877, Reuben G. Thwaites, Esq., took position as an editor on the paper, and still remains in it. On the 1st of January, 1880, E. R. Petherick assumed duties as local editor, and still fills that place.

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History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 88

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