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 60
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And now comes the last chapter on the story of the begin- ning of what might be ealled our new era. In the spring of
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1907 some of the more progressive of our citizens could see where incorporation as a village might aid. Accordingly after the necessary legal steps we became a separate political nnit entitled to our own representative upon the county board. As most of you doubtless remember, Mr. J. Zieman was our first president and J. E. Bartz our first supervisor. Much credit is due the men who have charge of our affairs as a village, for in this short time our streets have been wonderfully improved and substantial cement walks which are daily being added to have been placed on the important highways. This brief recital of faets of our early history is by no means complete, but we hope that the truth has been told. Perhaps it may serve to excite your interest in events long gone by. History is not all contained between the leaves of books. Let us who are living here in the peace and security of the safeguard of our present government gratefully remember the struggles and hardships of the early pioneer set- tlers.
Fall Creek is a prosperous village of over five hundred people, situated on a creek of the same name, which is tributary to the Eau Claire river. The good water power runs a sawmill and a flour mill. The earliest settlers were the Horel brothers, George Randall, Joseph Lindenthaler, Daniel Muenchow, J. M. Shong, Fred Keading and Daniel Zempel. A German Intheran ehureh was erected in 1873 and Rev. Julius Fredrich, the first minister, served for twenty-seven years, when he was followed by Rev. Carl Baumbach, the present pastor. The schools are good and sinee the incorporation of the village in 1907 the streets have been improved, many new houses have been erected, cement side- walks laid and progress has been made steadily in many direc- tions.
CHAPTER XLVII.
BIOGRAPIIY.
Ole O. Aanstad, expert accountant and popular fire insurance man of Eau Claire, was born November 8, 1842, at Lom Gud- bransdalen, Norway, to Grinstad and Martha (Aanstad) Aan- stad. He received his early education in his native country, where he lived until 1862, when he emigrated to the United States and to Wisconsin. He spent one summer at La Crosse, Wis., then came to Eau Claire, where he has since resided. After his arrival here, he spent one winter in attendance at the Wesleyan Semi- nary, which then stood where the high school buildings are now located. He later took a thorough course at the Bryan & Strat- ton's Business College at St. Paul, from which he graduated in 1866. For twenty years thereafter he was employed as book- keeper by the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company and for fifteen years served in the same capacity for the Eau Claire National Bank. Prior, however, to his taking the position with the bank and after leaving the employ of the lumber company, he was for several years engaged in the grocery business on Water street. Since 1893 he has been engaged in the fire insurance business, and sinee its organization in 1908 has been bookkeeper for the Luther Hospital.
In 1866 he married Sarah M., daughter of Torget Olson, one of the pioneer settlers of Eau Claire, and by her had eleven chil- dren. Of the seven who grew to maturity Christopher, Caroline, wife of William Chrissinger, Maria, Sarah, Helge and Tovald are living, while Osear is deceased.
Mr. Aanstad is a member of the Evangelican Lutheran Church and the Eau Claire county Old Settlers' Association, while in polities he affiliates with the Republican party.
Charles Willard Adams, a well known and progressive farmer of Union township, was born in Jefferson county, New York, August 21, 1849, the only son of Andrew and Olive (Demis) Adams, both natives of the state of New York. They came to Wisconsin in 1862 and first located in Chippewa county, where they lived for two years; they then came to Eau Claire county and for five years were engaged in farming on a rented place. In 1869 the father purchased 80 acres of land in the town of
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Union, which he cleared and improved and where he lived and farmed until his death at the age of 70 years, the death of the mother having occurred at the age of 72.
Charles Willard Adams has been a continuous resident of the town of Union since 1864 and has always followed farming as an occupation. Ile owns 80 acres of fine and well improved land, one 40 of which is a part of the old homestead and the other 40 which he acquired by purchase and with his own hands cleared and improved. Ile is well known in the county and is consid- ered one of its substantial and public spirited citizens. Ile was married in 1875 to Sarah Decker, daughter of Peter Decker, of Elroy, Wis., who is a lady of refinement and culture.
Henry Aebly,* one of the prosperous and well-known farmers of Brunswick township, comes from Swiss lineage. He was born at New Glarus, Green county, Wis., June 7, 1850, to Henry and Mary (Beeker) Aebly. The father emigrated from Switzerland, his native country, to America in 1845. Soon after landing in New York City he seeured an outfit and started overland for the state of Iowa via prairie sehooner, arriving safely at his destina- tion. He remained but a short time in Iowa, however, when he removed to Wisconsin and settled on a large farm near what is now known as New Glarus, in Green county. Ilere he was suc- cessfully engaged in farming until 1898. when he died at the age of seventy-five years, and his remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at New Glarus. He married Mary Becker, daughter of Solomon Becker, of Switzerland, and they were the parents of six children, as follows: Solomon, deceased; Henry, the sub- ject of this review; Mary became the wife of Nicholas Duerst, a prosperous farmer of Green county; Magdelina married Thomas Kundert, a retired farmer of New Glarus; Elizabeth married J. Ilenry Duerst, of New Glarus, also retired, and Jacob a farmer of West Concord, Minn.
Henry Aebly, grandfather of our subject, who was a farmer in Switzerland, came to the United States with his son, Henry, in 1845. He also followed farming in Green county, this state, but lived only a few years after arriving at New Glarns.
IIenry Aebly, III, the subject of this sketch, acquired his edu- cation in the common schools of New Glarus. Ile was reared on the farm and remained at home until he reached the age of 25, assisting his parents with the farm work. Ile then purchased a farm at Exeter, Green county, and successfully conducted the same for seven years. He then in 1883 returned to his home town and engaged in the hotel business, owning and operating the Wis-
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consin House, and as proprietor of this well-known hostelry catered to the best of public patronage. After successfully car- ยท rying on this business for eight years he retired from the hotel and rented the same for the next seven years. In 1908 he sold the hotel and other buildings at New Glarus and moved to Eau Claire county, where he purchased the Porter farm, containing 507 acres of highly cultivated and well-improved land in Bruns- wick township. In his general farming operations Mr. Aebly employs the most modern and up-to-date methods and gives par- ticular attention to the breeding and raising of fine stock, and from his 100 head of cattle carries on an extensive dairy business, shipping his milk to the Eau Claire Creamery Company, and in this as well as in all his work has been eminently successful. He is a Democrat in political opinion, but has taken little part in matters outside his regular business more than to perform his duties as a good citizen. He is affiliated with the Lutheran church and the German Lodge, G. U. G. G.
Mr. Aebly married Mary Duerst, daughter of Samuel and Barbara (Becker) Duerst, and to this union have been born four children, as follows: Mary Anna married John M. Schmid, who is connected with the International Harvester Company at Mil- waukee; Henry Nicholas, who resides at home, assisting with the farm work; Emma Barbara married J. Herman; Elmer, a farmer of Green county, Wisconsin, and Magdeline Ida, who is the wife of J. M. IIoesly, a well-to-do farmer of Brunswick town- ship.
Charles Levi Allen. It appears that I was born June 3, 1858, at Two Rivers, Manitowoc county, Wisconsin.
My father was James Allen and my mother was Emily Ger- trude (Pond) Allen. The family moved from Two Rivers to Eau Punch Claire in the fall of 1859.
During the years of 1863 and 1864 father built the house on the corner of Seventh avenue and Menomonie street, which was the Allen homestead until after his death in 1904, when it passed to my sister, Mrs. Cora Ellis, and was then sold by her.
As early as fourteen years of age I began working in the mills, on the logs, etc. Eau Claire was a lumbering town and all the boys who had to work gravitated to the mills, logs and woods as a matter of course.
My first venture was packing shingles in "Buff's (G. A. Buf- fington) first mill, under the supervision of Mr. Russell Wescott. who "edged" or "jointed" the shingles with a jack knife. I packed shingles and did many other jobs in and around other
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mills. I worked nights in the spring on the sorting works on the river just above the log race to Half Moon lake, keeping fires in iron jaeks with dry wood and powdered rosin so that the men sorting logs could read the marks on the sides and ends of the logs as they floated rapidly past them. While doing this work I slept forenoons and went to sehool afternoons. I also cooked on the rafts one summer, running from Eau Claire to Reed's Landing.
From among the boys of those early days came the expert swimmers, log drivers, lumbermen and raftsmen for which Eau Claire is famous. We grew up on and in the river. A boy who could not swim, elimb out of the water up over the end of a log and roll it till it spun like a top wasn't thought much of by the rest of the fellows.
John Murray and Abner Thompson, champion log rollers of the United States, were Eau Claire boys.
In August, 1875, I went to Florida with my brother Fred, John Cook, Hale Palmer and John Ditson, all well known in those days. Fred took up a homestead near where De Land was later loeated. I helped him eut and burn many acres of the finest kind of pine timber, to be replaced with orange trees.
In June, 1876, I returned home, filled with malaria and quite sated with the fun ( ?) of sleeping on the ground, eating my own cooking. fighting mosquitoes and drinking water seventy-five de- grees warm. I worked in Shaw's mill till it froze up and went to sehool that winter.
The fall of 1877 I began teaching sehool in Koll's Distriet, on Truax Prairie. In the spring I was given the principalship of the Ward School in the Bloody Sixth (now the Ninth Ward), with instructions from the School Board to get on top of the heap before I began teaching. The playful students had put my prede- cessor out the window. I taught there until 1880 and while teach- ing I kept up my work in the high school and graduated in June, 1879.
In the fall of 1880 I was transferred to the eighth grade in the high school building in the Seventh Ward. That grade had become turbulent.
The next fall I entered the University of Wiseonsin and after four years of hard work I graduated from the modern classical course with a degree of B. L.
The summers of these eollege years were spent in selling rub- ber stamps, Blaine's "Twenty Years in Congress," accident insur- anee among the railroad men of Minnesota, introducing sehool
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books in county schools, etc., etc., to help out my slender fund saved from school teaching. I shall never forget the kindness shown me by Henry D. Davis in assisting me through the last year.
In the summer of 1885 I entered the law office of J. F. Ellis to study law and take an interest in his real esate business.
In the fall of 1889 I entered the College of Law at the uni- versity and in June, 1890, I graduated with the additional de- gree of L. L. B., having done the two years' work in one year.
Mr. Ellis and I then formed the law firm of Ellis & Allen, and I practiced law with him till December of 1892, when I left him, owing to our differing very radically in business methods.
Immediately my mother and I left for De Land, Fla., where my father, my brothers Fred and Will were engaged in business. Since my father was hurt in a railroad wreck in December, 1890, he had been unable to stand the long severe winters of the North, so had gone into the furniture business with Fred in that eity.
Mother and I kept up the old home in Eau Claire, as she could not endure the long heated spells of the Florida summers.
The following June my mother and I reached home, having enjoyed a week at the Chicago Exposition as we came through.
I had planned to go into law practice in Portland, Oregon, in the fall of 1893, but Mr. Ellis offered to sell me his interest in the Southwestern Land Company, which we had organized in 1887, and after carefully considering the project for some weeks we closed the bargain September 1, 1893, and I took over the management and practical ownership of that company, together with about $30,000 of debts contracted by Mr. Ellis individually and for the company and sixteen law suits pending against him and the company. I settled most of these snits at once and started in to learn how to farm scientifically with tenants, a proposition filled with manifold trials, disappointments, mueh labor, study and hard work.
The old adage, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," seems at times to fit my case as I look back over the past twenty years.
The panie of 1893 was just beginning when I got under that load. I worked night and day and began to make good. Then followed snit after suit in quick succession by Mr. Ellis trying to regain the property. Mr. Alexander Meggett, who was nom- inal president of our company, advised me to fight. Litigation is often necessary and always expensive, even if one wins, and win I did almost invariably with Wickham & Farr as my attorneys.
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But it cost me thousands of dollars to establish my right to the property. I have repeatedly attended the farmers' courses at the Agricultural College, sent many of my tenants, read exten- sively and experimented a great deal along agricultural lines and appreciate that I have but approached the threshhold of the won- derful science of farming. I am farming over three thousand acres.
In the past twenty years I have seen agricultural land double, triple and quadruple in valne. Professor William A. Ilenry said to me in 1894: "Allen, hang on to your lands." I am still hang- ing- to too many acres.
The old farmer-logger who just lived on his farm in summer, waiting for a winter in the woods, don't know yet that his farm is fine agricultural land and worth much money. There are many of him but his sons know.
Just now a number of gentlemen and myself are carrying a very heavy load of southern Louisiana alluvial lands, trying to hang on till times are better. I have a lot of Dakota land also, and am fully realizing what it means to be land poor, because I must hang on perforce.
In the summer of 1900 it was my good fortune to meet Miss Frances Manning, of Leavenworth, Kan., who was visiting rela- tives here and later succeeded in inducing her to be my wife. We were married December 30, 1901, at Leavenworth, Kan.
She was born at Blue Wing, N. C., July 10, 1882, where her father, William J. Manning, was trying to develop copper mines, which, in later years, after he had been compelled to leave them, owing to lack of funds, became very valuable.
The family moved from there to Toledo, Ohio, and later to Muskegon, Mich., where he died in Angust, 1898. In both of these cities Mr. Manning was engaged in the real estate business. His wife died the following spring, leaving her daughter Frances, sixteen years old, and son Van Vliet, of nine years, to be cared for by relatives.
Frances received her education at Muskegon and Lewis Insti- tute of Chicago, from which she graduated in 1901 and went to Leavenworth, Kan., to live with her aunt.
Immediately after our marriage there, December 30, 1901, we left for St. Louis, New Orleans, Pensacola, Florida, Mobile, Tampa and De Land. From there we were suddenly called home by reason of the illness of my mother, who died September 2, 1902, at the age of seventy-seven years. She had been a de- voted mother, sweet and lovable, a close follower of her Lord. She
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had willingly spent her life performing her daily duties that come to a mother of a large family, sustained through the many years of arduous pioneer life by her courage and the daily strength received from on high.
During the night of June 23, 1904, my father quietly passed away in his bed in De Land, Fla., without preliminary sickness, although he had never fully recovered from the injuries received in the railroad wreck. He was brought home and laid by the side of my mother.
My wife and I continued to live in the old Allen home after mother's death, and it was there that our first child was born to us. April 4, 1903-Ned Manning Allen. 'ited in theme accident
In April, 1904, we left the old home in which I had spent my boyhood days and had grown to manhood and mature years, and moved into our present home, 818 Third avenue. Here there has been born to ns Phillip Scott, February 10, 1905; William Arthur, May 8, 1908, and Charles Francis, October 29, 1911.
At the university, under the teaching of that grand good man John Bascome, I became a prohibitionist, and have ever since fought the saloon seven days of the week, even on election day, by voting against it. The masses of the people are catching step with us and the manufacture and sale of liquors as a beverage is doomed, and with God's help this nation will soon be freed from the devastation of the liquor traffic.
Edward Wellington Allen, eldest son of James and Emily Allen, was born at Baring, Maine, Jannary 15, 1843. At the age of seven years the family moved from Baring to Sheboygan, Wis., and in 1858 from there to Two Rivers, Manitowoe county. In 1859 they moved to Ean Claire, Wis. From that date until he enlisted in the army, December, 1863, he attended school when he could and was a pupil of Rev. A. Kidder. He worked during that time in Mayhew's furniture factory, located near where the old Empire Lumber Company's office now stands, and at the time he enlisted he was elerking in the store of William H. Smith. At Sparta, Wis., December 31, 1863, he was formally mustered into the United States army with the rank of orderly sergeant of Company H, Sixteenth regiment, Wisconsin volunteers, with D. C. Whipple, captain ; J. T. Tinker, first lieutenant, and M. Grover, second lientenant. They soon went to Camp Randall, Madison, where they were drilled and on February 26, the company being complete, they were ordered south.
The following account of his army life with his regiment, written by himself for Thomas Randall and appearing in his his-
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tory of the Chippewa valley, being the best information obtain- able of that period, is used for this narrative :
"From the cold snows of the North to the balmy skies and peach blossoms of Vicksburg was a pleasant change. After doing picket duty at Black river bridge for a month, we were ordered baek to Vieksburg, from thence north on transports up the river, passing Fort Willow a few hours after the massaere by Forrest. Company H and two other companies were landed at Columbus to assist the eolored troops in defending the fort against an attaek momentarily expected from that chivalrous general, which, how- ever, he failed to make.
" After two weeks of hard duty we joined the command at Cairo, then preparing to join Sherman's army in northern Geor- gia. From Cairo to Clifton, Tenn., on transports, and thence by forced marehes, 300 miles aeross Alabama and Georgia, taking position on the left of the grand army before Kennesaw moun- tain, June 10, 1864. We suffered terribly during this march and many gave out on the way, among whom were Lientenants Grover and Tinker, who went to the hospital.
"From this time to the 10th of December, three months, we were constantly under arms. marching. skirmishing and fighting. our first exploits being in the battles abont Kenesaw, where we lost several men; then hotly pursuing the rebels night and day until they took refuge in their trenches before Atlanta. We lay on our arms on the night of the 20th of July, the enemy strongly fortified in front, and just at break of day we were ordered to the charge. Grave doubts and fears were expressed, as there Were so many new reeruits in the regiment. whether it would not be better to put an old and tried regiment in our place, but after a short consultation it was deeided to keep us where we were, for if the charge was made the old soldiers who were supporting them would have no confidence in them, and they would lose all confidence in themselves. The result showed the wisdom of the conclusion. It was a trying moment when Colonel Fairchild shouted the order, 'Fixed bayonets! Forward!' Out of the tim- ber, down a ravine, up and across the field, over their works, driv- ing out Hardee's veterans and taking some prisoners, was but the work of a moment. Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds eoming quickly np, said to the new men, 'Yon are all veterans now, boys.'
"The general commanding the brigade sent word to General Blair saying, 'The Wisconsin boys did nobly,' 'but it was praise dearly earned.' Lieutenant Fairchild, Lieutenant Colonel Reyn- olds. Captain John Wheeler and many other officers were
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wounded but, fortunately, none killed. Company H lost two killed, seven wounded. Captain Whipple particularly distin- guished himself in this action and a somewhat langhable incident occurred during the charge. So great was the excitement but little attention was paid to his efforts to keep the men in line with the colors, but finally, becoming terribly in earnest and shouting above the roar and din of battle, he sang out, 'If you don't know what line on the colors means, keep your eyes on that flag.' We held the works all day under fire and strengthened them at night, but about noon the next day the enemy burst on our left and was crushing that part of our army like an egg shell, coming boldly on until they reached the works held by the 12th and 16th Wisconsin, who repulsed them in six successive terrible charges, first in front, then in rear, and changing sides of their works as many times. Captain Whipple showed himself the same hero here as the day before, but the strain was too much ; constant fatigue and anxiety and the suffering from his wound sent him to the am- bulance and Orderly Sergeant Allen took command, there being no commissioned officer with the company. Being ordered to another part of the field by forced march, Captain Whipple again joined us and assisted in repulsing several charges, but was soon obliged to go to the field hospital and Lientenant E. W. Allen, just commissioned, took command.
"The final battles of Jonesborough and Lovejoy's Station elosed the campaign, and with light hearts we spread our tents in Atlanta September 10, 1864. Our company was redneed from 90 to 20 muskets, so severe had been the work. Here we received a quantity of good things, pickles, berries, condensed milk, etc., irom kind friends in Eau Claire, for which if ever men felt grate- ful we did. But we did not rest long. Hood had gone north and was eating our crackers, so we were after him again and for five days and nights we chased him over mountains, rivers and valleys, and then were ordered back to Atlanta again, where, for the first time in eight months, we received our pay and voted for Presi- dent, 34 for Lincoln and 2 for MeClellan. That was the kind of men that composed Company H. Writing of this campaign, Cap- tain Whipple says: 'Allow me to say a word for Lientenant Allen, the youngest of the officers of the regiment. When com- missioned he took his place beside the older officers, performing his duty faithfully and bravely and never missed a day until the close of the war.' On the 14th of November we started with Sher- man on his grand march to the sea, and a month of constant marching brought us to the gates of Savannah, where, after a
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HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
short resistance, we marched, flags flying, into the city. Starting again, we took Pootaligo, out on the Charleston railroad, which fell in consequence, and next our company was at the burning of Columbia, then Cheraw, Fayetteville, Bentonville and Golds- borough were taken, and after a few days' rest, waiting for our absent men to come up, a forced march brought us to Raleigh. When Captain Whipple, who had been sent home sick, rejoined ns, how glad we were to see him. Here the war virtually closed. The fighting was over, but we were a long ways from home, bnt marching was easy now, for every day brought us nearer our loved ones there. On to Petersburg, Richmond and Washington, where, on the 23d day of May, 1865, we took part in that grand- est pageant ever seen in America, the 'Grand Review,' Mrs. Sher- man throwing bouquets at our tattered and worn colors. We were soon transferred to Louisville, Ky., where, on the 4th day of July, 1865, General Sherman took a final farewell and a few days after we were mustered out, sent to Madison, received onr final pay and discharge on August 21, 1865, and with light hearts started for home never more, it is to be hoped, to be called to take up arms for our beloved conntry against internal foes.
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