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 4
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Washington Township is rectangular in shape, but irregular in outline and contains sixty-six square miles. It was set off in January, 1866, and is bounded on the north by the city of Eau Claire and the town of Seymour, on the south by the towns of Clear Creek and Otter Creek, on the east by the town of Lincoln and on the west by the city of Eau Claire and the town of Brunswick. Otter creek runs through the town from the extreme southeast to the extreme northwest, and Low's creek waters the western portion of it. It has a population, according to the census returns of 1910, of 1,489, exclusive of the city of Altoona, which has 824. This place was originally East Eau Claire, and was surveyed and platted as a village with that name, in September, 1881. It was afterwards changed to Altoona, and incorporated as a city in 1887. It is located on the Eau Claire river and Otter creek and is distant four miles east from the city of Eau Claire. There were only two houses here in 1882 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railway selected it as the site for machine shops and the roundhouse. As these buildings were constructed the population rapidly increased, and in the Fall of that year at least a dozen habitations had been erected. In the following year hotels, stores and resi- dences went up in all directions. A postoffice was established, a union frame church was erected in 1884 and the graded school house with three departments.
Since 1884 Altoona has experienced a steady and prosperous growth ; new people have come in, churches of all denominations have been established; improved schools have been erected, and while it may be styled one of the smallest cities in the United States, it is nevertheless a hustling business place which prom- ises to improve with rapidity with the addition of its transporta- tion facilities of the interurban railway line from Eau Claire, which has recently been completed. Originally what is now the Omaha Railway Company, in 1880 deemed it essential to locate a division point at some place nearly equidistant between Saint
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TOWNSHIPS
Paul and Elroy. They were urged to make that point Eau Claire. This they claimed they could not do, as it would make the eastern division much longer than the western. They had purchased the land necessary at Fall Creek and had commenced operations. The citizens of Eau Claire realized that this was detrimental to its prosperity. W. F. Bailey took the matter up with Mr. Porter, president of the road, the latter agreeing if a suitable place hav- ing a half mile of level track was nearer Eau Claire, and other conditions suitable, he would consider a proposition to locate the division there. Mr. Johnson, the company's engineer, and Mr. Bailey went over the line and place where Altoona is located and found suitable. If an abundance of a suitable water could be found and the city of Eau Claire would grade the yards Mr. Porter agreed to locate there. Water was found, the city pay- ing the expense. Subsequently it was agreed that the company would grade the yard, the city paying in lieu of grading $2,000.
Clear Creek Township was organized in 1882, and is strictly agricultural. It contains thirty-six square miles and is bounded on the north by the towns of Washington and Lincoln, on the south by Trempealeu county, on the east by the town of Otter Creek and on the west by Pleasant Valley. The northern half is watered by Clear, Bear's and Otter creeks; its population, according to the census returns of 1910, are 728.
Drammen Township is identical in size and shape with a township of government survey. It is bounded on the north by the town of Brunswick, on the south by Buffalo county, on the east by the town of Pleasant Valley, and on the west by Pepin county. In 1873 this town was set off from Brunswick under the name of Lant, which was afterwards changed to its present name of Drammen. The water supply is furnished by Rock and Hoyt's creeks and their tributaries. Its population for 1910 was 869.
Ludington Township is sixteen miles in length from east to west, six miles in width and contains 96 square miles, with a population for 1910 of 989. It is bounded on the north by Chip- pewa county, on the south by the towns of Lincoln and Bridge Creek, on the east by Clark county and on the west by Seymour and Lincoln. It is well watered by the north fork of the Eau Claire river and Twelve Mile Pine, Sand, Hay and Muskrat creeks. It is stocked with an abundance of hard wood, and in its west center is located the great maple sugar district.
Seymour Township is about twelve miles long and three wide, containing thirty-six square miles. It is bounded on the north
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
by Chippewa county, on the south by the towns of Washington and Lincoln, on the east by the town of Ludington and on the west by the city of Eau Claire. The Eau Claire river runs nearly the whole length of the farther extremity of the town, and other portions of it are intersected by the river's tributaries. Its popu- lation in 1910 was 588.
Union Township was first laid out as the town of Randall, but afterward changed to Union. It has thirty-four square miles, a little less than a regular township, with a population in 1910 of 1,090. It is bounded on the north by Chippewa county, on the south by the town of Brunswick (the Chippewa river dividing the two towns), on the east by the city of Eau Claire and on the west by Dunn county. Truax is a station on the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railway four and one-half miles north- west of Eau Claire. The Eau Claire county poor farm and asylum is located in this town, which contains many fine farms and farm buildings.
CHAPTER VIII. FRUITS AND BERRIES.
Prof. Frederic Cranefield, secretary of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society at Madison said in an interview regarding the possibilities of Wisconsin as a fruit raising state: "What about Wisconsin ? Wisconsin is a good fruit state ; quite as good as any other state and far better than many. Give the right kind of a man the right kind of land-we have millions of aeres of it in Wisconsin-the right kinds of fruits and as much money may be made in fruit raising in Wisconsin as in any other place in the United States. Don't go west, young man! Stay at home and grow up with the country. Even if you have only a little money, good horse sense, plenty of ambition, a stout heart, hard- ened muscles and a clever wife stay in Wisconsin-we need you.
"With a capital of $5,000 a splendid fruit farm may be devel- oped in Wisconsin that will yield in ten years an annual income equal to the original investment. If this sum is not available $2,000 will answer, and if that is too much $1,000 and fair credit will place a beginning on a safe business foundation. A young man full of energy without a dollar can make a start by working for others and learning the industry, and before middle age own a business that will yield him a competent income for the rest of his days. We have men in Wisconsin who have done it.
"After making a thorough research and scientific study of the soil and climate of Wisconsin we are sure of our facts when we make the statement that these conditions are as favorable for the raising of small fruits, apples and cherries on a commer- cial or market basis as in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, or any other central or western state.
"In many respects, as markets, high color of fruit and free- dom from frost, the conditions are more favorable than in any of the states named. Taking into consideration the amount of cap- ital required, the raising of apples or cherries in Wisconsin is as profitable as in any other state east or west. To illustrate this statement I will call attention to one upper Wisconsin county in particular. After ten years of careful observation I am well satisfied that Door county offers exceptional opportunities for
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
fruit growing, particularly for the raising of sour cherries and apples. After a careful investigation of the returns from fruit growing in different parts of the United States I am well con- vinced that the net profits earned by several of the cherry orchards in the vicinity of Sturgeon Bay during the past ten years are greater than can be shown by any other areas of similar extent devoted to fruits of any kind anywhere in the United States.
"Land can be bought in Wisconsin, an orchard planted and brought to profitable bearing age for one-fourth to one-half the price asked for western irrigated orchard tracts. The cost of transportation from Oregon to New York on a carload of apples is about the same as ten acres of good fruit land in Wisconsin. "'Another thing, the Wisconsin fruit grower is within easy reach of one-third of the entire population of the United States. Only a few hundred carloads of strawberries of 300 bushels each are shipped out of Wisconsin each year, just about enough to make one good shortcake for Chicago. Strawberries bear one year after planting and yield 4,000 to 6,000 quarts per acre. No state in the Union can produce better strawberries than Wis- consin or furnish cheaper land adapted to their growth.
"Raspberries, blackberries, currants and gooseberries all thrive in every part of the state and are money makers. Two to four hundred dollars an acre may be made from berries. Grapes are raised in the southern counties and always bring a good price on local markets. A good crop of Concord or Moore's Early will bring $250 an acre. Wisconsin is pre-eminently an apple state. In size, color, quality and productiveness Wisconsin, Duchess, Wealthy and McMahan cannot be equaled. Early apples always find a ready market at good prices, and the money is in the grower's pocket long before the winter apples of other states are harvested, and with no storage charges to pay.
"A ten-year apple orchard, if properly handled, will yield an annual average income of $250 to $300 per acre. We have records of $1,400 per acre for a single crop. Where? Almost anywhere in the state. There are but few sections in Wisconsin wholly unsuited to fruit raising, in fact, berries and all small fruits may be grown successfully in any county in the state. Concerning apples and cherries, certain sections are much better than others. This is true of other crops and of fruits in every other state. Fruit raising anywhere is not unlike any other busi- ness enterprise. Capital, common sense, energy, determination and close application to details are all quite as essential in fruit
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raising as in any other commercial enterprise. It is the "man behind the tree that counts."
APPLE INDUSTRY.
A great many years ago attempts were made in some portions of the county to raise apples with some measure of success, but the farmers of that period did not have the advantage which those of this day have in the benefit of scientific learning and instruction from the agricultural college in connection with the university, which has investigated all sorts of subjects which are related to agriculture in any way, and a great deal of atten- tion has been paid to the subject of apple raising, and as to whether or not the soil and climate conditions in this part of the state will permit of apples being raised on a large scale. In the earlier days alluded to, occasionally was found a small orehard which was planted by some farmer and just allowed to grow without any particular attention, exeept that in some instances the science of grafting was gone into when, perhaps, some man who had been familiar with the growing of apples in some eastern state knew the method of grafting apple trees; but in no locality in the county was a determined effort made to raise apples as a commercial proposition, although many varieties were in fact raised of good quality and flavor, but with the laek of attention these little orchards gradually went into decay and the trees died off, more for the want of proper care and attention than on account of any conditions in the soil or climate.
With the awakening all along the line in agricultural sub- jects has come a movement in this county in the last few years to experiment with the growing of apple orchards, and with the great assistance which has been rendered by the agricultural department of the university, and also the officials of the State Horticultural Society, we are able in this chapter to record the result of experiments which prove beyond any question that within the limits of Eau Claire county there is just as good fruit lands as can be found anywhere in the United States for the raising of certain varieties of apples. For the year 1912 there were two hundred and twenty acres of orchard in the county, containing 12,043 growing apple trees, which produced 10,300 bushels of apples.
To illustrate what may be accomplished in the raising of fruit in Wisconsin we quote from statistics which show what one man did in one of the nearby counties, that of Monroe :
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
"If anything else was needed to establish beyond any question that apple growing in this part of Wisconsin can be successfully accomplished, and not only apples, but grapes, plums and cher- ries, it has been most conclusively furnished in the results accom- plished by J. W. Leverich at his fruit farm in the town of Angelo, Monroe county. Mr. Leverich, who now is acknowledged one of the authorities on small fruits, started in 1904 an experimental orchard of five acres, which he planted in May of that year. In order to demonstrate to his own satisfaction whether these fruits, apples, grapes and cherries could be successfully raised if handled scientifically, his trees were selected with the greatest care and planted upon a piece of land which was carefully selected for the purpose, and his long experience in small fruit raising gave him the knowledge necessary to select the particular land which he did for this orchard. The tract is protected on the north and west by growing timber from the winds; to the south and east are hills which protect the trees from wind blowing from that direction. There are sixteen rows of fruit trees and two rows of grapes. The trees are set twenty-two in a row, and the two rows of grapes about four hundred feet in length each, in which there are seven distinct varieties.
"At the time of setting this five-aere traet into an orchard in the spring of 1904, Mr. Leverich placed between the rows of trees either raspberries, red raspberries or blackberry brush. These berry brush have been thoroughly cultivated and cared for, as the trees and vines of the orchard were, and as a consequence there has been a crop of berries each year commencing with 1905. In 1906 the first returns from the orchard proper were secured, being ten baskets of grapes. The plum trees commenced bearing in 1907, and the apples in 1908, while the first cherries were secured in 1911, and it is the opinion of Mr. Leverich that this locality in the town of Angelo is not adapted to the culture of cherries. But his experiment has demonstrated beyond a doubt that the valley soil of Monroe county, as well as the ridges, is suitable and just as well adapted naturally for the culture of fruits as the ridge lands. It only needs the intelligence, industry and perseverance, which are, of course, all necessary in an indus- try of this character to put into a paying proposition an orchard bearing apples, plums and grapes. During the fall season of 1911 Mr. Leverich exhibited in one or two store windows in the city of Sparta baskets containing the varieties of fruit and grapes raised in this orchard, and they made a tempting picture indeed. We have here the record which was kept by him from the time
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FRUITS AND BERRIES
beginning with the planting of the orehard up until the market of 1911, showing in detail the number of baskets, eases or bushels, as the case may be, of fruit which was raised upon this five-acre traet of land from May, 1904, up to and ineluding the crop of 1911, giving the total amount realized upon the entire tract :
BLACKBERRIES.
"1905, 24 cases. $1.19 per case, $28.56; 1906, 152 cases, $1.47 per ease, $223.44; 1907, 207 eases, $1.67 per case, $405.69; 1908, 288 cases, $1.59 per case, $557.92; 1909, 239 cases, $1.54 per ease, *368.06; 1910, 124 cases, $1.93 per case, $239.32; 1911, 155 eases, $1.64 per ease, $254.20. Total, 1,190 eases; total, $2,231.86.
BLACK RASPBERRIES.
"1905, 54 cases, $1.21 per ease, $65.34; 1906, 421 cases, $1.46 per case, $614.66; 1907, 305 eases, $1.60 per ease, $488; 1908, 235 eases, $1.89 per case, $445.25; 1909, 145 cases, $2.05 per ease, $297.25; 1910, 76 cases, $1.95 per ease, $148.20; 1911, 111 cases, $1.56 per case, $173.16. Total, 1,342 cases; total, $2,231.86.
RED RASPBERRIES.
"1905, 10 cases, $1.21 per case, $12.10; 1906, 154 cases, $1.47 per ease, $226.38 ; 1907, 125 cases, $1.68 per case, $200; 1908, 215 cases, $1.75 per case, $376.25; 1909, 54 eases, $1.85 per case, $99.90; 1910, 10 cases, $1.98 per case, $19.80. Total, 568 eases ; total, $934.43.
GRAPES.
"1906, 10 baskets; 1907, 110 baskets; 1908, 200 baskets; 1909, 20 baskets; 1910, 10 baskets; 1911, 175 baskets. Total, 505 bas- kets, at 25 cents per basket, $126.25.
"Cherries-20 cases, $1.50 per case, $30.
"Apples-1908, 5 bushels; 1909, 10 bushels ; 1911, 75 bushels. Total, 90 bushels, at 75 cents per bushel, $67.50.
"Plums-1907, 5 cases; 1908, 30 cases; 1909, 50 eases; 1911, 130 cases. Total, 215 eases, $1.25 per case, $268.75. Plants sold, $500. Grand total, $6,235.98."
These figures are for cases of twenty-four pints each of black- berries and black and red raspberries, and sixteen quarts of phims and cherries.
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
The conditions of Monroe county are not much different from those of Eau Claire, the soil with few exceptions is much the same, except that in places, if anything, Monroe county has more sand. The farm from which the above figures were obtained is located in a valley where the soil is largely composed of sand. In Eau Claire county for many years has been raised small fruit, especially berries, but it is not until recently that apples have been raised in any quantities. In 1912 there were eighty-three acres given to the strawberry plant, from which 3,626 bushels of berries were gathered, and the same year 1,222 bushels of raspberries were produced from forty-seven acres and 1,030 bushels of black- berries were gathered from twenty-eight acres. Six acres set to currant bushes yielded one hundred and thirty bushels, and the grapes produced amounted to eleven bushels, and from three aeres one hundred bushels of cranberries were marketed.
CHAPTER IX.
AGRICULTURE AND DAIRYING.
Since the organization of Eau Claire county, in 1856, when the country was densely covered with a heavy growth of timber, rapid strides have been made in agricultural pursuits. Where once stood the great forests of pine and hard timber, long since brought in contact with the woodman's axe, fine farms and ele- gant homes now abound. When the first settlers reached Eau Claire county and observed the immensity of the forest some of them little thought that only a few short years would elapse be- fore the county would become one of the leading counties rich in agriculture. Others of the pioneers who came to make a home for themselves and families set to work clearing the land, erect- ing buildings, and otherwise improving the land, so that now, where the wild beasts once roamed at their leisure the soil is made to blossom like the rose.
The soil for the most part is a rich clay and sandy loam, with here and there in some parts of the county a little sand, which in later years has been made to produce abundant crops. The county is especially favored with a bountiful water supply nearly everywhere, for in most every direction there are creeks and small streams.
It is the writer's firm belief that there is no territory in the country of equal size that has produced more net profit per acre than has the soil of Eau Claire county for the length of time that it has been under cultivation. The products of this county and their aggregate value are increasing with each sneceeding decade, as will be shown by the comparative tables which are here submitted. At the time of the first settlers in Eau Claire who engaged in farming wheat was the principal or staple crop grown, the soil being new and containing all of the elements necessary to produce large yields, but as the years went on and the continued cropping of the ground exhausted the greater part of the phosphates, and the nitrogenous compounds that are so abundantly essential to the production of grain. The result was diminished yields. This, combined with low prices, which ruled for a number of years, and the competition of the great wheat
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
belt of the west and northwest, compelled the farmers to adopt different methods of farming. This course they pursued, so that at this time, while there is quite an acreage of wheat sown yearly, the yield is diminishing. Corn, oats, rye and barley yield large crops, while the sugar beet in some localities is raised success- fully. Where stock raising, dairying and clover predominates the fertility of the land is sustained and is yearly growing better under the skillful management of the Eau Claire county farmer.
The cultivation of the sugar beet and the manufacture of sugar is receiving considerable attention and is not an experi- ment, for it was proven as early as 1867 at Fond du Lac and at Black Hawk, Sauk county, in 1870, that the soil and climate of Wisconsin were suited to the successful growth of the sugar beet. The failure of these enterprises was due, however, to lost interest in this particular product by the farmers.
In writing of the dairying interests, and keeping in mind the fact that the state of Wisconsin stands in the front rank in the production of butter and cheese, it must also be kept in mind that Eau Claire county is on the star list in these commodities; with the nearness to market, the right kind of soil, the best grass and the purest water, they can and do produce butter and cheese that cannot be surpassed by even the most favored localities of Europe. The growth of this branch of agriculture has been rapid, but has never yet exceeded the demand, which is con- stantly increasing. And not only has this industry been a source of immense revenue, it has completely revolutionized the methods of farming that were in use twenty-five or thirty years ago, when nearly all the land was plowed up in the fall or spring and planted to wheat and other grains. Then in addition to the wash- ing away of the loose soil by the spring rains come years of short crops, low prices and innumerable trials and troubles that arise from depending wholly upon the success of one growth of a certain crop.
The following comparison will be of interest and show the increase or decrease in the yield of the various commodities. The agricultural products for the county in 1890 were as follows: Wheat, 72,150 bushels; corn, 150,000 bushels; oats, 395,538 bushels; rye, 28,194 bushels; potatoes, 86,563 bushels ; flax, 13,040 pounds; tobacco, 354 pounds; cultivated grasses, 10,966 tons. The acreage seeded to grain in 1890 was as follows: Wheat, 7,467 ; corn, 9,042; oats, 18,850; barley, 1,157; rye, 2,952; that of potatoes was 1,044; cultivated grasses, 15,408.
In 1912 the agricultural products of the county were: Wheat,
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52,458 bushels; corn, 441,647 bushels, shelled; oats, 1,129,807 bushels; barley, 196,759 bushels; rye, 141,414 bushels; flax, 690 bushels ; potatoes, 287,065 bushels ; beans, 1,675 bushels; timothy seed, 2,065 bushels; cloversecd, 2,593 bushels; sugar beets, 1,023 tons; tobacco, 12,800 pounds; eabbage, 3,397 tons; hay, 26,170 tons. The acreage seeded to grain in 1912 was as follows: Wheat, 2,841 ; eorn, 16,784; oats, 40,982; barley, 8,210; rye, 11,078; flax, 495; potatoes, 2,270; beans, 195; sugar beets, 57; cabbage, 189; tobaeeo, 8; cultivated grasses, 33,635.
DAIRYING.
It took a good many years of experience and the efforts of some farmers more progressive than others of the general run to bring to the fore, as a eommereial proposition, the dairying industry. Cattle, almost from the earliest settlement down to within the last fifteen years, were raised for beef, with oeeasion- ally a "cheese factory" which would spring up and flourish for a time and then quit business, for the well developed farming of the east could more than sueeessfully compete with the middle west in "cream cheese." Every farmer who kept eows made more or less dairy butter, usually a department presided over by the good wife, who presided at the ehurn and had her regular days for turning out butter for the market, but with the develop- ment of this seetion and the steady inerease of population of villages eame the demand "more butter," and with this demand from the markets developed the raising of better cattle, the establishment of ereameries and the application of seientifie modern methods to the making and marketing of butter.
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