History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 99

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 99

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).

In the western part of its course, a few small-hail stones fell immediately after the tornado had passed. The size of the stones, as the storm passed eastward, gradually increased until, in the township of Primrose, they reached their maximum dimensions. I found no well-authen- ticated weight or measurement of these hail stones. The size was variously given as " the size of a man's fist," " as large as a goose-egg," "as large as a good-sized apple," "as large as a big snow-ball," etc. After the most careful inquiries, I have no doubt all the above statements are within the truth. The hail-stones were few in number, and diminished in size eastward from Primrose. Dr. G. H. Fox, of the village of Oregon, measured hail-stones in the town- ship of Dunn that were four inches in circumference. All that he saw were somewhat pyramidal in form. They were everywhere described as being irregular in outline, with a rough, jagged surface, having upon the outside the appearance of frozen snow, within being transparent like ice. The hail was not confined to the track of the storm, but extended several miles both sides, some falling as far north as the city of Madison. The tornado was accompanied by a contin- uous roaring, which, by those near, was described as a "fearful, deafening roar." This noise

was so loud as to be distinctly heard for some time before the approach of the storm. At Madi- son the sound was like that of a train of cars passing over a covered bridge, and was distinctly heard for one-fourth of an hour. A man, painting in the house of N. B. Van Slyke, called the attention of the latter to it by saying, "It takes a long time for that train to pass over the bridge," and still afterward the noise was distinctly heard for several minutes.

This tornado was a whirlwind of unusual proportions, having its motion of revolution in a direction opposite to that of the sun, or from the east to the north, west, south, to the east again. This fact was very evident to one following its path even for a short distance, and it is believed the following observations will substantiate the point beyond question.

The opportunity for ascertaining the motion of the wind by the direction in which the trees were prostrated, was not relied upon to a great extent, on account of the peculiar nature of the timber, which, with one exception, to be mentioned later, was oak timber, much of it of " second growth," and consequently small, very tough, and the trees so close together that the wind could neither turn them over nor twist them off. However, in many places there were clumps of black oaks, interspersed with poplar. In such places frequently nothing would be left standing, and the wind's motion could be well studied. No observations with a compass of the direction in which trees had fallen, and of the angles at which they had crossed each other, were taken. All the trees south of the axis of the tornado fell eastward. Most of them fell north of east, and the angle to the north gradually increased from the southern limit of the storm north ward, some- what beyond the axis, where they generally lay north or nearly north. A few trees in the south half of the path of the storm fell with their tops pointing south of east. These trees, when crossing those pointing northeast, were invariably uppermost, showing that they were last in falling. On the north side of the track, extending about two-fifths its width inward from the northern limit, there was much less uniformity in the direction in which these trees were pros- trated than upon the south. Quite a large number of trees fell to the northwest, others directly west, a few to the southwest, and a still greater number to the southeast. The bodies of trees very frequently lay across each other, in this portion of the storm's track. The order in which they very generally crossed each other is well illustrated by a group of three black oaks which fell on the land of J. S. Frary, near the east line of Section 3, town of Oregon. The angles are as nearly correct as could be estimated by reference to a north-and-south fence near by. The tree at the bottom pointed north 45° west, the middle tree south 50° west, the upper tree south 40°

658

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

east, the last two lying at right angles to each other. These trees were seventy paces south of the north boundary of the tornado. Throughout the whole course of the storm, within the limits mentioned, trees crossed each other in the same order. Beginning at the bottom with their tops to the north, and lying above as the tops lay more to the westward, around to the south and to. the southeast, where they were uppermost. But few trees were prostrated directly west, and these were very near the north side of the track. On the northwest quarter of Section 2, Oregon, an oak-tree, two feet in diameter, fell directly west. An apple-tree on the farm of R. Henry, Section 22, Dunn, was torn out by the roots and carried twenty-five rods, making a complete revolution, describing in its path an epicycloidal curve. On the east line of Section 4, Pleasant Springs, a wild black-cherry tree, eighteen inches in diameter, growing in the open field, was turned over by the roots, falling a little south of west.

On the land of E. Hake, Section 26, town of Jefferson, Jefferson County, the tornado passed for sixty rods through a piece of timber, consisting of oak, elm, white ash, maple and basswood. Nearly every tree was thrown down for the entire width of the storm-sixty rods-and an excel- lent opportunity was here given to ascertain the direction of the wind within the tornado, by the direction in which the trees were prostrated. The same results were observable here as to the direction in which the timber fell, angle of crossing, etc., in different parts of the track, as were noticed on a smaller scale in other places, and which have been noted above.

Another proof that the storm was a whirlwind is found in the direction in which fences were thrown down. North-and-south fences in the south two-thirds of the path were always thrown east. In the north one-third, they were generally thrown east, but frequently were thrown west. East-and-west fences, south of the center of the storm's track, were carried north. Near the north limit of the storm they were perhaps most frequently thrown north, but were very often prostrated to the south. On J. Underwood's premises, Section 3, town of Oregon, Dane County, nearly all of the fence which was prostrated near the north side of the storm was thrown south; many of the boards were carried south twenty rods.

Debris, south of the center of the storm's path, was universally thrown northeast, east or southeast, usually north of east, the angle to the north increasing as the object stood farther from the south limit. Within the north one-third or two-fifths of the track, the direction in which the ruins were thrown was much less uniform. They were, perhaps, most generally car- ried southeast, but were frequently carried north, northwest, west, southwest and south: Particular attention is called to the cases in which debris was carried westward, and to those phenomena which show that the wind was blowing in a direction opposite to the progressive motion of the storm, the account of which has already been given.

On the farm of A. F. Clark, near Paoli. upon three acres of land lying near the north border of the storm, the timber had been removed, and the brush piled for burning. These brush were entirely cleared off the piece by the storm, being carried directly to the west. At Perry Post Office, the store of O. B. Daley stood just without the north limit of the storm. The chimney of this store was blown off to the west. In the township of Oakland, Jefferson County, a son of E. A. Hart, while in the field, and near the north side of the track, was overtaken by the storm. The wind came upon him from the east with such force as to throw him prostrate upon the earth; his hat was blown over his eyes, and he experienced the feeling that, had it not been for his hat, his eyes would have been torn from their sockets. Still another indication of the storm's rotatory motion was the fact that while there were very few well-authenticated instances of debris having been thrown south of the path of the storm, and no instance of fragments being thrown far to the south, a very large tract of country, in places fourteen miles wide, upon the north side of the storm's path was thickly strewn with leaves, straw, cornstalks, laths, shingles, papers, frag- ments of clothing, and other light materials. The northern limit to which such debris was thrown is a line connecting Blue Mounds, Pine Bluff, Middleton Station, Mendota, passing three miles north of Sun Prairie Village to Waterloo, in Jefferson County. This would include an area in Dane County alone of over four hundred square miles. The only explanation known for this peculiar method of scattering fragments is the rotation of the storm in a direction oppo-

659

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

site to that of the hands of a watch, while the wind without the tornado was blowing from a direction west-southwest, or nearly parallel with the track of . the tornado.

The fence on the west side of the cemetery, on Section 1, town of Oregon, Dane County, was of boards nailed on horizontally. In front of each post a board cap was nailed on perpen- dicularly over the horizontal boards. The mud was driven under these caps from the south, and filled the angles made by their south edges and the horizontal boards. Two weeks after this tornado, this mud was still there, although very heavy rains had fallen during the interval. In the corresponding angles upon the north side of the caps no mud was to be seen, although the entire front of the fence was badly spattered. There can be no doubt that the mud struck the fence from a southwesterly direction. The north side of this cemetery was very nearly in the center of the course of the storm.

There were three distinct storm-paths west of Rome, Jefferson County. It has been found im- possible to trace any connection upon the surface of the earth between the different storms. The direction in which each was moving where the last evidences of it were visible, when taken in connection with the point where the next one began, and the direction of its forward motion, prove their being entirely separate.

It has often been noticed that the severity and destructive violence of tornadoes were much greater in some portions of their path than in others. This peculiarity was frequently observed in the storm under discussion. There were frequently places where a few trees were left stand- ing, while all about them the timber was entirely blown down. Such a place may be seen where the tornado climbed the bluff southeast of James Spensley's furnace, near Mineral Point. There are two little islands of standing timber in the town of Primrose, east of Osmonson's, while all about them the timber is prostrated. The same peculiarity was noticed in regard to buildings. In the town of Mineral Point, Stephen Terrell's house was very near the center of the track, but was not injured, although his barn, fifteen rods west, was torn to fragments.

In the town of Oregon, the residence of H. Palmer was not injured, while his stables and granary, ten rods northeast of his house, were swept away, and Rice's house, across the road south, was entirely demolished. The escape of the granary and house of William Ward, in the town of Oakland, is another example of buildings remaining uninjured, while strong ones near, by were destroyed. In many places where there was continuous timber, there would be strips from ten to thirty rods long, in a direction parallel to the axis of the storm, where nearly every tree wos prostrated, then an interval where little damage was done, and again another piece where all were down. Very frequently, these plats so completely prostrated were on ground de- scending to the east, or just at the bottom of such a slope. A very marked example of this character is to be seen near the west line of Section 3, in the town of Pleasant Springs, on the land of T. Kittleson. Tracts of interrupted violence frequently reached entirely across the track of the tornado, but they usually extended only partly across.

The loss of property by counties was as follows :

Iowa --

Mineral Point.

$39,045 00

Remainder of county.

24,945 00

$63,990 00

Dane

43,455 00

Jefferson.

23,535 00

Total

$130,980 00

The largest individual losses were those of Mr. Gillman and John Spensley, respectively $20,000 and $11,000, both in the city of Mineral Point. The greatest loss reported by any farmer was $4,000. This amount was given in two instances, one in Dane County and one in Jefferson. In many instances, the only damage done was in the destruction of fences. In such cases, no account was taken of the loss.

The loss of life was as follows: In Iowa County, twelve; in Dane County, six; in Jefferson County, one; in all, nineteen. How many afterward died of their injuries is un- known; probably the number was small.

660

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

CHAPTER XIII.

MADISON AS AN UNINCORPORATED VILLAGE.

MADISON FOUNDED-THE FOUNDER-THE CAPITAL LOCATED AT MADISON-STAKING OUT "THE TOWN"-THE FIRST HOUSE-THE PECKS-MADISON ON ITS WAY TO GLORY-FIRST MEETING OF THE LEGISLATURE IN MADISON-PIONEER "CHARACTERS"-AN EARLY VISIT-PIONEER RECOLLECTIONS-WHAT VARIOUS WRITERS SAID-ENUMERATIONS OF THE INHABITANTS-THE " WORSER " AND " TIGER "-UBLEDINE'S GIG.

MADISON FOUNDED.

When, in January, 1836, the last Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Michigan was (attempted to be) held at Green Bay, James Duane Doty, together with Thomas P. Burnett, William J. Hamilton, Levi Sterling, James R. Vineyard, and others in attendance thereon, met together, when Doty proposed to them that they should contribute $100 each, and in that man- ner raise the sum of $1,200, which should be invested in such lands in the vicinity of the Four Lakes (now in Dane County), as might be selected by two of their number, the avowed purpose being to establish a town on the lands, and the improving of the water-power at the outlet of Lake Mendota. The lands contemplated to be thus improved lay between Lakes Mendota and Monona, where the city of Madison is now located, and, at that date, were all subject to private entry at the Land Office in Green Bay. This was the first step taken looking to the founding of the present capital of Wisconsin. For certain causes the arrangement was postponed, and Doty and another entered the lands contemplated to have been purchased by the persons before named. Previous to this and soon afterward other persons entered lands in the neighborhood.

On the 7th day of October, 1835, Francis R. Tillou, of New York, entered, at the land office in Green Bay, Lots Nos. 1, 2 and 3, in Section 7, of Township 7 north, of Range 10 east, containing 97.22 acres. On the 28th of the same month, Doty entered Lot No. 3 and the south- east quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 12, in Township 7 north, of Range 9 east, con- taining 98.94 acres.

On the 6th day of April, 1836, Doty and Stevens T. Mason entered the whole of frac- tional Sections 13, 14 and 24, in Township 7 north, of Range 9 east, containing 671.80 acres; they entered also on the same day the southwest quarter of Section 6, in Township 7 north, of Range 10 east, and Lots 4 and 5 of Section 7, in the same township and range, containing 331.30 acres. They also entered on the same day Lots 1, 2 and 3, and the west half of the northeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 23, in Town- ship 7 north, of Range 9 east, containing 261.53 acres. On the 11th of June of the same year, Lucius Lyon entered Lots 1 and 2 of the northeast fractional quarter of Section 12, in Township 7 north, of Range 9 east, containing 99.82 acres. On the same day, Warren Bryant, of Buf- falo, N. Y., entered the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 23, in Township 7 north, of Range 9 east, containing 70.60 acres. On the 18th of the same month, Aaron Vanderpoel, of Kinderhook, N. Y., entered the northwest quarter of Section 23, in Township 7 north, of Range 9 east, containing 160 acres. On the same day, Charles Walker, of Otsego, N. Y., also entered the north half of the southeast quarter of Section 6, in Township 7 north, of Range 10 east, containing 215.84 acres. So it was that the lands upon which Madison is now located, and tracts contiguous thereto, became the property of sundry persons by purchase from the General Government.

661

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY.

On the let day of May, 1836, Doty executed to Mason a quit-claim deed of all his right, title and interest, in the lands they had entered, as follows : " Fractional Sections twelve, thir- teen, fourteen and twenty-four, the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter, and the west half of the northeast quarter, and lots No. one, two and three [and the west half of the northeast quarter and northeast quarter of the northeast quarter]* of section No. twenty-three, in township No. seven north, of range No. nine east of the fourth principal meridian ; and also the southwest fractional quarter of section No. six, and lots No. 4 and 5 (five), of section No. seven, in town- ship No. Seven of range, No. ten east, according to the public surveys; " in all, 1,263.57 acres.

On the 28th day of that month, Mason executed to Doty a power of attorney authorizing him to divide, lay off or otherwise dispose of his interests in these lands, in such manner as in his discretion the joint interest of both might require. A power of attorney also was executed on the 7th day of the same month by Francis R. Tillou to Doty, authorizing him (by implication) to dispose of his interest in the 97.22 acres he had entered. Thereupon Doty, as the Attorney in fact for both Mason and Tillou, sold, ostensibly, their interests in these tracts to James Duane Doty, Trustee of the Four Lake Company, of the county of Brown and Territory of Wisconsin, on the 1st day of June, 1836.

The whole number of acres thus (attempted to be) conveyed to the Four Lake Company, was 1,360.79.

As to what was the cause of the conveying of Doty's interest to Mason in these lands or the execution of the powers of attorney by Mason and Tillou to Doty as Trustee, it is unnecessary in this connection to inquire. Nor is it important to discuss whether these conveyances were legal or illegal. The Four Lake Company, it was claimed by Doty, was organized. June 1, 1836, with himself as general manager, as originally contemplated at the first meeting in Green Bay, of the gentlemen already named.

Doty afterward employed John B. Suydam, a surveyor at Green Bay, to make meanders and surveys at the Four Lakes for a town, the site of which was to be chosen by Doty upon actual inspection. How this was accomplished is best told in the words of the surveyor :

"On the second day of November [October] of the year in which the session of the Legis- lature was held at Belmont [1836], J. D. Doty and I started from Green Bay on horseback, he with his green blanket and shotgun, that had been his companions on many and many a trip through the almost trackless wilds of Wisconsin, and I with my compass and chain. We were both provided for camping out wherever night should overtake us; and for the more solid part of our forage, we were to depend upon Doty's gun. On our way we stopped at various places, among which were Clifton, at the north end of Winnebago Lake, where we laid out the village hearing that name, out of respect to an extensive ledge of rock that crops out at that point ; and at Duck Creek, on the east bank of the Wisconsin River, about eight or ten miles below Portage City, where we laid out the town of Wisconsinapolis.

"Finally, after about eight days from the time of leaving home, we reached what was then called Four Lakes. We came by the trail that led around by the north side and west end of Fourth Lake, and found, near what might be called the northwest corner, and perhaps two miles from where the university buildings now stand, a small log house, occupied by a man whose name I have forgotten [Michel St. Cyr], who entertained our horses and ourselves nights, and assisted us daytimes in making such meanders and surveys of the shores of the Third and Fourth Lakes, and other points, as were necessary for making the plat of the future city. This took us, I think, three days. The precise time in which the survey was made was during the second and third weeks of November, while the Legislature was in session at Belmont.

- " While standing at the section corner, on that beautiful spot between the Lakes, then the central point of a wilderness, with no civilization nearer than Fort Winnebago on the north and Blue Mounds on the west, and but very little there ; and over which now stands the principal entrance to one of the finest capitol structures in the West-I have no doubt Doty saw in his far-reaching mind just what we now see actually accomplished-a splendid city surrounding the

*Omitted by mistake .- ED.

662

HISTORY OF DANE COUNTY

Capitol of Wisconsin at Four Lakes, as he remarked to me then-that I need not be surprised to learn that the seat of Government of Wisconsin was located on that spot before the Legislature had adjourned. And sure enough it so happened.

" We went directly to Belmont, where the Legislature was in session. On arriving there, I immediately set about drawing the plat of Madison, Doty, in the meantime, giving me minute directions as to its whole plan, every item of which originated with him while on the ground, as being the most suitable and best calculated to develop the peculiar topography of the place.

. The " town " laid off and platted was located on the 1,360.79 acres previously described as entered by Doty and Mason, also upon some of the land purchased by Vanderpoel from the Gen- eral Government. To this " town " was given by Doty, in honor of the fourth President of the United States, the name of Madison. The plat was acknowledged by Doty, October 27, 1836, "to be a correct plat of the town of Madison, situated between the third and fourth of the Four Lakes, in the Territory of Wisconsin." This is known as the " Doty Plat." A few days after- ward, another plat was. made nearly identical with the first, on which Doty indorsed the follow- ing : "I, James Doty, as agent, trustee and attorney of the Four Lake Company and of the said stockholders, the proprietors of the town of Madison, in the county of Milwaukee and Ter- ritory of Wisconsin, acknowledge the plat hereunto annexed to be a true plat of the said town of Madison, according to the certificate of the surveyor, J. V. Suydam." This plat was acknowl- edged by Doty January 2, 1837, and is known as the "Doty Trustee Plat." Thus was founded " the town of Madison." Afterward, on the 10th of October, 1839, the town was re-platted by Kentzing Pritchette. This plat is called the "Pritchette Plat."

The. territory included within the limits of Madison, as indicated by these plats, was bounded on the north by Lake Mendota, on the east by the Yahara, on the south by Lake Mo- nona, and on the west by a line drawn two blocks beyond the present Bedford street and parallel to it, nearly across the isthmus, from lake to lake.

THE FOUNDER.

The distinguished founder of Madison-James Duane Doty-was a native of Salem, Wash- ington Co., N. Y., where he was born in 1799. In the year 1818, he settled at Detroit, Mich. A young lawyer of good repute, he was the next year (1819) admitted to the Supreme Court of that Territory, and was the same year promoted rapidly to places of public trust, being appointed Secretary of the Legislative Council and Clerk of the Court.

Although young and quite juvenile in appearance, he was decidedly popular with the people, and had already attracted the attention of Gov. Cass, who took much interest in all young men of character and talent. He had a fine address, was of a sociable and genial disposition, thereby winning the good-will, respect and friendship of his acquaintances.

Gov. Cass, in 1820, made his famous tour of the great lakes and the Mississippi to its sources, traveling a distance of four thousand miles with his party in five bark canoes. Mr. Doty was selected by the Governor to command one of the birch flotilla, C. C. Trowbridge and John H. Kinzie each having charge of another. The trip from Detroit to Mackinaw and the Sault Ste. Marie consumed nearly ninety days, and was one of great difficulty and peril. It was on this occasion that Gov. Cass, supported by his assistants and canoe-men, in the presence of the assembled dignitaries of the fierce Chippewas and in defiance of their menaces, pulled down the British flag which those Indians had displayed on the American side of the straits on his arrival, and hoisted the stars and stripes in its place. Mr. Doty was present, and aided with his own hands in displaying the American flag. He often spoke of it as a most exciting scene. The party left Detroit early in May, traversed the lakes and reached the sources of the Mississippi, held conferences with various Indian tribes, and returned the last of November. Mr. Doty, besides having charge of one of the canoes, acted as secretary of the expedition.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Dane County, Wisconsin, Part 99

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