USA > Wisconsin > Eau Claire County > History of Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, past and present; including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county > Part 3
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
was used. The town remained under town government only one year, when by act of legislature approved October 6, 1856, it was set off as Eau Claire county.
The town of Eau Claire was the only organized town govern- ment in the new county, and the legislative act forming the county stipulated that the town board of Eau Claire should can- vass the returns of the first election of county officers and per- form the functions of the county board until the county organi- zation should be completed. There were but two election pre- eincts in the entire town and county, the polling places of one being in what is now the east side of the city of Eau Claire, and the other usually at the farmhouse of Robert Scott in what is known as Scott's Valley, in the town of Otter Creek.
The first election of county officers for the new county took place December 30, 1856. "At an election held at Eau Claire in the county of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, held at the house of P. N. Drake in said village, December 30, 1856, C. M. Seley, chairman of the board of supervisors, was present. In the absence of E. W. Robbins and M. A. Page, supervisors, Taylor Stevens and S. N. Wilcox were elected to serve as inspectors of election, and were sworn as follows:
Opening paragraph election returns from first precinct. "At an election held at the house of Robert Scott in the township 25, range 7, on Tuesday, the 30th day of December, A. D. 1856, the following inspectors were chosen viva-voce by the electors: Lor- enzo Bennett, Robert Scott, Charles H. Hale, and were sworn as follows :
Opening paragraph election returns from second precinct. On the first day of January, 1857, the town board of Eau Claire, as authorized by legislative act, met and canvassed the returns of the first county election. "At a meeting of the board of super- visors, January 1, 1857, C. M. Seley, chairman; E. W. Robbins and Moses A. Page present, ordered that the votes of the election of county officers be canvassed according to the act of legislature approved October 6, 1856, who were chosen December 30, 1856. We, the supervisors of the town of Eau Claire, having met at the office of Gleason & Seley, in the village of Eau Claire, on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand and eight hundred and fifty-seven, pursuant to the act for organizing the county of Eau Claire approved October sixth, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, to estimate and determine the number of votes given for the several officers provided for by the said act at the official election held on the last Tuesday of December, one
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HOW EAU CLAIRE COUNTY WAS MADE
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, as provided by said act do determine and declare as follows:
"That the whole number of votes cast for the office of clerk of court was one hundred ninety-one, of which George Olin re- ceived one hundred eighteen and J. II. Duncan received seventy- three. Sheriff, Moses A. Page 188, M. M. Reed 54. Register of deeds, Charles H. Howard 114, R. F. Wilson 76. District attor- ney, B. U. Strong 189. Clerk of board of supervisors, Charles T. Babcock 120, George Olin 68, scattering 2. County treasurer, Adin Randall 130, T. B. Medlar 58. Coroner, George Sprague 191. County surveyor, J. B. Randall 135, Benjamin Hadley 56. County judge, Ira Mead 129, J. S. Cook 59, scattering 2.
"Report of canvassing board first election county officers."
As there was still but one town in the new county, the town board continued to perform the functions of a county board until a sufficient number of towns should be formed to allow the super- visors of such towns to comprise a county board in the usual man- ner. Action to this end was taken without delay. On the second day of January, 1857, the day following the canvass of votes for county officers, the town board of Eau Claire, acting in its capac- ity as county board, set off the town of Half Moon Lake. This comprised all territory in the county west and north of the Chip- pewa river, or the present west side of the city of Eau Claire and the town of Union. On February 24, the towns of Bridge Creek and Brunswick were formed and the three new towns held their first election in April of that year. On November 16, the chairman of the town boards of Eau Claire, Half Moon Lake, Bridge Creek and Brunswick organized as a county board of supervisors, after which the town board of Eau Claire ceased to perform the functions of county board.
In March, 1858, the county board changed the name of the town of Half Moon Lake to Half Moon. On the fourth of Decem- ber of that year a resolution was passed setting off a town to be called Machas, but later in the same day the name was changed to Pleasant Valley. The town North Eau Claire was formed in March, 1857.
In November, 1860, all that part of the town of Half Moon lying north of an east and west quarter section line running a few rods south of the present county courthouse and directly through the site of the present high school building was set off under the name of Oak Grove. The part south of this line be- came the town of West Eau Claire. Later in the same month the town of Fall Creek was formed. After a few years the town
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
name was changed to Lincoln, the village only retaining the name of Fall Creek. The town of Otter Creek was set off in April, 1867, the town of Washington in January, 1868, and the town of Seymour in March, 1872.
The state legislature having in March, 1872, granted a charter forming the city of Eau Claire, with its present boundaries, the parts of the towns of West Eau Claire and Oak Grove lying be- tween the new city of Eau Claire and the Dunn county line were by act of the board of supervisors in March, 1872, voted to be formed into a new town to be called the town of Randall. On the twentieth of the same month, two petitions from residents of this proposed new town were received by the county board. A petition from that part formerly in Oak Grove asked that the action of the board uniting these two parts of towns be rescinded, and a petition from the part formerly in West Eau Claire in opposition to same. The board refused to rescind its former action uniting these two parts of towns, but did pass a resolu- tion changing the name from the town of Randall to the town of Union.
In November, 1873, the southern part of the town of Bruns- wick was set off under the name Lant. This name was later changed to Drammen. In March, 1874, the town of Fairchild was formed; in April, 1876, the town of Ludington, and in 1882, the town of Clear Creek.
Augusta was incorporated as a village in 1864 and received a city charter in 1885. Altoona, which was formerly a part of the town of Washington, was platted as a village in 1881, with the name East Eau Claire. This was later changed to Altoona, and in 1887 it was granted a city charter, having the distinction of being one of the smallest, if not the smallest, city in the United States. The village of Fairchild was incorporated May 6, 1880.
Although of considerable size, Fall Creek remained under the government of the town of Lincoln until 1907, when it was incor- porated as a separate village.
CHAPTER VII. TOWNSHIPS.
BRIDGE CREEK.
By
FRANK L. CLARK.
In the early days ere history was written, the water of Bridge creek babbled on to the sea. It is not even written how long it had babbled when men and women came to make the country through which it flowed fit for their habitation. Geolo- gists have told us that it marks the southern extremity of the vast area of that first formation that arose out of the chaos of the waters that covered the earth ere the sun or the moon obeyed the creative behest: "Let there be light." But whatever the geologists may tell us, or whatever the philosophers may reveal unto us is not of particular interest to us just now, and was of much less interest to those sturdy pioneers who came to establish a civilization and realize the fruition of a bountiful promise.
When Eau Claire county was organized by an act of the legis- lature in 1856, there were but few settlers in the eastern part . thereof. Probably the first settler was Andrew Thompson, who came, it is said, in 1854, and settled and built a house on what was later Henry Brown's pasture in Otter creek. The valley was named Thompson valley. If he came in 1854, he was here at least a year, perhaps more, before the coming of others. In 1856 when the county was organized, Charles Hale, L. D. MeCauley and J. A. Bride had settled in what has since been known as Scott's val- ley; Lorenzo and William Bennett and Charles and Scribner Chadbourne had located in Thompson valley ; George Diamond had settled on the Diamond farm in Diamond valley, and a little bunch of pioneers, James Woodbury, E. L. Hull, William Young and perhaps a few more, had settled near where the village of Augusta was soon to be. These, together with the first settlers in Augusta, Charles Buckman, S. E. Bills, John F. Stone and a few more, constituted at that time the population of the town of Bridge Creek.
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
When Eau Claire county was organized there was quite a settlement at Eau Claire, and the act of the legislature which created the county provided that the government of the county should be vested in the town board until the next annual town meeting. The county was divided into the towns of Half Moon, Brunswick and Bridge Creek. The town of Bridge Creek com- prised nearly all the east half of the county, or, to be more par- tienlar, what is now the towns of Fairchild, Bridge Creek, Lud- ington, Otter Creek and Clear Creek.
The first town meeting was held at the house of William Young, just east of the schoolhouse on Main street, Angusta. The date of the town meeting was April 7, 1857. The officers elected were as follows:
Supervisors, William Young, chairman ; L. Bennett and Joseph Sargent, sideboard. Clerk, J. C. Ilackett. Treasurer, James Me- Cauley. Assessor, Charles Buckman. Justices, L. M. Underwood, J. F. Stone, S. E. Bills and R. E. Scott. Constables, William Buck, Anas Brown and W. A. Bennett. Sealer of weights and measures, John A. Bride.
The voters adopted a resolution to appropriate the sum of $150.00 for roads and bridges, and $150.00 for schools. A resolu- tion was also adopted providing that "hogs shall not be allowed to run at large, or that hogs shall not be considered free com- moners." It was ordered that notices of the adoption of this resolution be "duly posted according to law." The four justices of the peace elected "drew lots" for the one-year and two-year terms, and Messrs. Stone and Underwood got the long term and Messrs. Scott and Bills had to take the short term. And so the town of Bridge Creek was organized and officered. It was a big town and but sparsely settled. What is now the town of Luding- ton was an unsettled wilderness; the three eastern townships were little better. The southeast portion of the town was a roll- ing country of a rich sandy loam soil and covered with a low growth of oak. It was well watered and has since developed into the finest farm country in the Northwest. The heavy pine that covered the timbered portion of the town, and much of the hard- wood, has since been cut off and many good lands have been opened. There is still much good land, however, that has not been broken and there is yet room for many more good farms.
The second annual town meeting was held April 6, 1858. J. E. Perkins was elected chairman of the town board, and Jose- phus Livermore and James Sargent, supervisors. J. C. Hackett was elected clerk, L. Bennett, treasurer, and Charles Buckman,
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TOWNSHIPS
assessor. The sum of $400 was voted for incidental expenses ; $100 for roads and bridges, and $200 for schools. A resolution was adopted to prevent the running at large of calves under one year old, and also geese; the former under a penalty of 50 cents for the first offense and $1.00 for every subsequent offense. The penalty for geese was 25 cents for the first offense, and 50 cents for all subsequent offenses. It was also discovered that the reso- lution of 1857 relating to hogs was without a penalty clause, and the matter was remedied by making the penalty $5.00 for the first offense and $10.00 for offenses thereafter. These resolutions were "posted according to law."
1198627
July 4, 1857, the first fourth of July celebration in the town was held at the farm of Simon Randall. He had bought the William Young place and the people gathered there and had a regular old-fashioned good time. In the evening they had a dance and Alfred Bolton played the fiddle. Allen Randall was a little fellow at that time, five years old, and he had a regular Buster Brown of a time. That celebration and that dance were the first events in the social life of Augusta and Bridge Creek, and for years thereafter the spirit of fellowship and good will grew and the social life was of that wholesome kind, unmarred by class distinctions that prevails when the people live near to Nature's heart. There was no fol-de-rol, no nonsensical tommy- rot, nor any of that superior culture that marks the upper stratum of the modern social life. The people were hearty in those days, good-souled, and between the hours of toil had sense enough to have a good time.
At the town meeting in the spring of 1859 the old officers were all re-elected, and the town records do not disclose that anything of special interest was done.
The town meeting in 1860 resulted in the election of Harris Searl as chairman and Josephus Livermore and Charles Hale as supervisors; C. W. Warren was elected clerk, J. C. Smith, treas- urer, and Charles Buekman, assessor. Mr. Smith refused to qualify as treasurer and the board appointed Charles Buekman in his place and then appointed J. (. Hackett as assessor, the office to which Mr. Buckman had been elected. The bond of Mr. Buckman as treasurer was $3,200. The first bills audited by the town board that are of record were those of J. C. Hackett for clerk, salary $32.33, and H. C. Putnam for surveying, $3.50. These claims were audited and paid in June, 1860. At the town meet- ing that year R. E. Scott made a motion that a committee be appointed to investigate the doings of the town officers since its
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
organization. There is no record that the committee ever made a report. The total amount of claims paid and town orders issued was $672.60. The accounts were audited and the orders cancelled by the board of audit March 26, 1861. The record also discloses the fact that William Young was elected superintend- ent of schools at the town meeting in 1860. Just what his duties were the writes does not understand, but they were probably similar to those of the county superintendent of schools at the present time.
In 1861 the old board was re-elected with William Maas as clerk, Charles Buckman, treasurer, and J. C. Smith and S. W. Crockett as assessors. The town was too big for one assessor, and so they elected two. Both of the assessors refused to qualify, however, and C. W. Chadbourne and J. M. Woodbury were ap- pointed in their stead. The total amount of orders drawn for incidental expenses that year was $481.94.
The result of the election in 1862 was the choice of Josephus Livermore as chairman, C. HI. Hale and Orrin C. Ilall, super- visors; Harris Searl, clerk; Charles Buckman, treasurer, and R. E. Scott, assessor. A committee consisting of Messrs. F. Dighton, Peter Lundeville and William Young was appointed by the voters at the town meeting to look into certain doings of the town board. The committee made the investigation during the day, and before the meeting adjourned brought in two reports. The majority report was by Messrs. Dighton and Lundeville in effect that the board had an undoubted right to purchase a map. Mr. Young made the minority report which declared that $25.00 for a map is unnecessary in these times of high taxes. The majority report was adopted by the electors. The total vote volled at the election was 75. A tax of five mills was levied for highway purposes.
The war was on and the country was calling for brave men to come to the front and offer their lives upon the altar of their country. The call was not unheeded, even among the little band of pioneers of Bridge Creek. On September 5 Supervisor Hale and Treasurer Buckman resigned their offices to take up arms in defence of liberty, and Messrs. James Sargent and H. Blair were appointed to the respective positions. On September 19 Orrin C. Hall resigned as supervisor and Daniel Russell was appointed in his stead. He went to the war and never returned. J. L. Ball also resigned as justice of the peace, and M. B. Rickard was chosen at a special election to take his place. Thus the town of Bridge Creek was organized, and had already assumed an importance as an economic, political factor in the history of
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TOWNSHIPS
northern Wisconsin. In fact, when Governor Barstow, in 1856, wanted a few hundred votes to re-elect him, they were forthcom- ing from Bridge Creek, even though there were not twenty-five people in the town. The game worked for a short time, but the courts took the matter in hand and Barstow gave up the execu- tive office in compliance with the judicial determination.
These were strenuous years in Bridge Creek. The flower of the young manhood weut to the war; the country was new and taxes were high. On March 3, 1864, a special town meeting was called to vote upon a proposition to raise $5,000 to pay bounties to the volunteers and men drafted to fill the quota called for by President Lincoln. There were 50 votes cast on the proposition, all in the affirmative. A resolution was passed directing the clerk to draw orders on the fund as the claims were allowed. Another speeial town meeting was held and $4,000 was appropri- ated for the same purpose. There were 48 votes east, of which 47 were for the appropriation and 1 against. February 25, 1865, another special meeting voted $1,000, and March 25 $2,000 more was voted. These various funds were largely made up by per- sonal subscriptions, thus avoiding the necessity of a tax levy. To raise so large a sum of money, $12,000, among a people where 50 votes was the entire voting population, was a task of no mean proportions, but it was done and out of the effort the people came forth unscorched by the fires of distress and ready to bear still greater burdens.
In 1867 the town of Otter Creek was organized and set off from Bridge Creek. It comprised what is now the towns of Otter Creek and Clear Creek. In the division of the town funds after all debts had been paid Otter Creek had $232.94, and Bridge Creek had $412.18.
Meanwhile the village of Augusta had grown, and there were those who had an idea that there should be provided places where booze might be purchased. In conformity with this idea G. J. Hardy made applieation to the town board. The application was favorably acted upon and the license to sell spirituous and malt liquors was granted. The license fee was fixed at $75.00. Soon thereafter Ren Halstead and H. S. Baldwin were granted a license for the same purpose at the same time. Later it was discovered that the license fee as fixed by the town board was excessive, and it was reduced to $20. In 1870 the fee was again raised to $75.00. In 1873, June 24, a special town meeting was called to vote $2,500 to build a bridge across the Eau Claire river where the main river bridge now is. The proposition was de-
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
feated by a vote of 66 to 16. This was about the voting strength of the town at that time. In 1877 the towns of Ludington and Fairchild were organized and set off from Bridge Creek. The village of Augusta was organized and set off in 1883. This left Bridge Creek with less than three townships.
In the early days nearly all of the northern and eastern por- tions of the town were covered by forests and these were watered by numerous small streams, tributaries to the Eau Claire river. Game and fish abounded and the territory was the paradise of the hunter and the fisherman. The southern and western portions of the town as it originally was and as it is now presents a pros- pect that to the agriculturist is a dream of pure delight.
The original population was mostly of Yankee deseent, but since the war the Germans have come, and with their industry and persistence have practically possessed the land. Dairying and diversified farming is the principal occupation of the people, who are earnest, honest and industrious, and nowhere in the world can be found a more patriotic people.
Brunswick Township, which contains about thirty-six square miles, was formed in 1857, and is bounded irregularly on the north by the Chippewa river, which divides it from the town of Union ; on the south by the town of Drammen, on the east by the towns of Washington and Pleasant Valley, and on the west by Dunn county. Besides being abundantly watered by the Chip- pewa river at its northern extremity, the town is intercepted by Taylor's, West and Coon creeks. It had a population according to the census returns of 1910 of 706. Porter's Mills were the only manufacturing industries of this township. This was formerly called Porterville and was surveyed and platted with that name in the fall of 1883. It had a station on the Chippewa Valley division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, described as "Porter's Mills." Among the early settlers in close proximity to it were Nelson Cooley, in 1855, and Washington Churchill, in 1856. This location was selected as the site for a sawmill in 1863 by Charles Warner, who began the erection of a structure of this description. It was completed in the following year by Messrs. Porter, Brown and Meredith. The capacity of the mill was then 20,000 feet a day of twelve hours. It was burned down in October, 1866, and rebuilt by Gilbert E. Porter and D. R. Ean das Moon during the following winter, and its capacity increased to 40,000 feet. The business was carried on under the firm name of Porter & Moon, and in 1869 the capacity of the mill was again increased with an output of 60,000 feet per day. When the first
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TOWNSHIPS
mill was started in 1865 there was only one house at this place. It was occupied by the few men then required to run the busi- ness. According to the census returns for 1890 the population of the village was 1,194. There was no industry here other than those controlled by this company. A Scandinavian Lutheran frame church was erected and dedicated in 1889, and a fine school house was built.
Fairchild Township was formed in 1874, and is identical in size and shape with one of government survey. It is bounded on the north by the town of Bridge Creek, on the south by Jackson county, on the east by Clark county, and on the west by the town of Bridge Creek. It is watered by Coon and Bridge creeks and their tributaries. Its business center is the village of the same name, which is located in the extreme southeast corner of the county and the township, and was settled in 1868, about the time when the then West Wisconsin railway was con- strueting its roadbed. The land at this time was covered with a low growth of bushes, but is now made into fine farms and country homes. One of the first settlers there was Mr. Van- Auken, who built the first steam sawmill and sold it to another early settler, G. S. Graves, in 1870. It was twice burned down, the second time in 1874, and was not rebuilt.
Lincoln Township is irregular in line on the north. Its great- est length from north to south is nine miles, while the distance from east to west is eight miles. It contains a fraction over sixty square miles and is settled chiefly by an agricultural com- munity. It is bounded on the north by the towns of Seymour and Ludington, on the south by the towns of Clear Creek and Otter Creek, on the east by Ludington and Bridge Creek, and on the west by the town of Washington. The Eau Claire river runs through the towns from northeast to northwest, and it is also watered by the tributaries, Fall and Bear's Grass creeks. According to the eensus of 1910 it had a population of 1,189.
Otter Creek Township, which contains sixty-six square miles, with a population, according to the census of 1910, of 703, was set off in April, 1867. It is bounded on the north by the town of Lincoln, on the south by Trempealeau county, on the east by the town of Bridge Creek and on the west by the town of Clear Creek. The upper portion of the town is watered by Otter, Bear's Grass and Thompson's creeks. The nearest shipping point is Augusta, which is eleven miles distant. This town is essen- tially agricultural and has splendid farms owned by a thrifty people.
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
Pleasant Valley Township was set off in 1858 and first given the name of Machas, which was afterwards changed by the county board to its present name. It is principally a farming country with good land and prosperous people. It contains fifty-four. square miles, and is oblong in shape, being six miles wide from east to west, and nine miles long from north to south. The water supply is ample, Low's creek, Pine and Clear creeks intersecting the country in almost every direction. Fine homes and farms are to be found here and happiness and prosperity abound.
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