USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County Wisconsin, including its civil, political, geological, mineralogical archaeological and military history > Part 56
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
1859-Supervisors, John D. Harp, Wm. J. Winney, L. M. Okey ; clerk, L. S. Mason. Rest of record lacking.
1860-Supervisors, Wm. P. Dewey, John Geiger, Enoch Groom; clerk, L. S. Mason; treasurer, Samuel Moses; assessor, Henry Bur- gess ; supt. of schools, A. R. McCartney ; justices, Henry Burgess, F. M. Waldorf; constables, J. H. Dickinson, Jonas Halstead, H. Hauger.
1861-Supervisors and clerk same as in 1860; treasurer, J. H. C. Sneclode; assessor, James Wilson ; supt. of schools, H. F. Young; jus- tices, C. D. Frankenfeld, F. M. Waldorf; constables, W. B. Morgan, Wm. Maywald, Henry Hauger.
1862-Supervisors, Henry Burgess, Thos. Grattan, Wm. Schmitz; clerk, L. S. Mason ; treasurer, J. H. C. Sneclode ; assessor, Henry Bur- gess ; justices, Henry Burgess, C. R. Smith, L. M. Okey ; constables, W. E. Groom, Herman Grimm, A. King.
1863-Supervisors, Nelson Dewey, John Geiger, Enoch Groom; clerk, J. H. C. Sneclode; treasurer, C. L. Lagrave; assessor, H. H. Ray ; justices, L. M. Okey. J. H. C. Sneclode; constables, Herman Grimm, Henry Hauger, W. E. Groom.
1864-Supervisors, clerk, and treasurer same as in 1863; assessor, Thomas Grattan; justices, Henry Burgess, Aug. Taggart ; constables, Herman Grimm, W. E. Groom, Henry Hauger.
1865-Supervisors, clerk, and treasurer same as in 1863; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, L. M. Okey, J. D. Harp; constables, Herman Grimm, Henry Seipp, W. F. Rice.
1866-Supervisors, clerk, assessor, and constables, same as in
Digitized by Google
604
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
1865; treasurer, John Bernhard ; justices, Henry Burgess, L. S. Mason.
1857-Supervisors, Nelson Dewey John Geiger, Henry Burgess; clerk, L. S. Mason; treasurer, John Bernhard; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, J. D. Harp, L. M. Okey, Fred Neife; constables, Henry Seipp, Otto Kirschbaum, P. Baumgartner.
1868-Supervisors, Nelson Dewey, W. M. Larned, Henry Seipp; clerk, F. P. Liscum ; treasurer, John Bernhard; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, Henry Burgess, J. Frohmann; constables, A. Petermann, S. Adrian, W. F. Rice.
1869-Supervisors, clerk, and assessor same as in 1868; treasurer, Julius Baumgartner ; justices, James R. Bark, L. M. Okey ; constables, A. Peterman, Henry Hauger, John Plimpton.
1870-Supervisors, John Geiger, Orris McCartney, John Bernhard ; clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, Julius Baumgartner; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, Henry Burgess, J. Frohmann; constables, P. Baum- gartner, C. Kirschbaum, John Plimpton.
1871-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, O. B. McCartney, John Bern- hard; clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, E. C. Forbes; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, J. D. Harp, L. M. Okey ; constables, P. Baumgartner, Aloys Grimm, Henry Seipp.
1872-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, O. B. McCartney, Charles Kleinpell; clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, E. C. Forbes; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, O. B. McCartney, R. Thomas; constables, John En- gler, John Plimpton, A. Key.
1873-Supervisors, clerk, and assessor same as in 1872; treasurer, A. Grimm ; justices, J. D. Harp, Henry Burgess; constables, W. F. Rice, A. Key, W. Diedrich.
1874-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Chas. Kleinpell, L. M. Okey; clerk, treasurer, and assessor, same as in 1873; justices, J. H. C. Snec- lode, Wm. Klinkhammer; constables, A. Key, John Plimpton, John Engler.
1875-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, L. M. Okey, H. Abrath ; clerk, treasurer, and assessor, same as in 1873; justices, Henry Burgess, G. H. Groom; constables, Theo. Teasdale, W. F. Rice, G. Shrader.
1876-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Henry Seipp, Henry Hauger; clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, A. Grimm ; assessor, J. D. Harp; jus- tices, J. H. C. Sneclode, Wm. Klinkhammer; constables, Theo. Teas- dale, J. B. Ortscheid, W. F. Rice.
1877-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, L. M. Okey, Enoch Groom:
Digitized by Google
605
CASSVILLE.
clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, A. Grimm ; assessor, J. D. Harp; jus- tices, Henry Burgess, G. H. Groom, Herman Seipp; constables, J. B. Ortscheid, Theo. Teasdale.
1878-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1877; justices, J. H. C. Sneclode, Henry Hauger ; constables, J. B. Ortscheid, L. J. Ishmael, W. F. Rice.
1879-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, assessor, and constables same as in 1878; justices, Henry Burgess, G. H. Groom, H. Seipp.
1880-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1877; justices, H. Seipp, J. B. Ortscheid ; constables, Joseph Barrow, William McCormick, J. L. Finley.
1881-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1877; justices, Henry Burgess, J. D. Harp; constables, Joseph Barrow W. Williams, Mat Adrian.
1882-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Enoch Groom, Henry Seipp; clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, Aloys Grimm; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, J. B. Ortscheid, Henry Seipp; constables, Wesley Williams, Theo. Teasdale, James L. Finley.
1883-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, assessor, and constables same as in 1882 ; justices, Henry Burgess, John D. Harp.
1884-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1882 ; justices, J. B. Ortscheid, Thomas Grattan; constables, James L. Fin- ley, Wesley Williams, John Seipp.
1885-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Enoch Groom, Jonah Hal- stead ; clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, Aloys Grimm; assessor, J. D. Harp; justices, J. H. C. Sneclode, Henry Burgess, Henry Seipp; con- stables, John Herring, Ferdinand Justin, Wesley Williams.
1886-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Enoch Groom, Joseph Breuer ; clerk, treasurer, and assessor, same as in 1885; justices, Henry Seipp, J. B. Ortscheid; constables, Al. Dietrich, John Engler, W. Williams.
1887-Supervisors, clerk, and treasurer same as in 1886; assessor, John Engler ; justices, J. H. C. Sneclode, Henry Burgess, F. W. Klink- hammer ; constables, Hubert Schulter, Frank Liscum, Philip Berntgen.
1888-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Wm. Klinkhammer, Enoch Groom ; clerk, Henry Burgess ; treasurer, Aloys Grimm ; assessor, J. B. Ortscheid; justices, J. B. Ortschied, Wm. Klinkhammer; constables, Lee McCamish, Wesley Williams, Nicholas Wilkum.
1889-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Henry Seipp, Wm. Klinkham- mer; clerk, Henry Burgess; treasurer, Aloys Grimm; assessor, John
Digitized by Google
606
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
Engler; justices, J. H. C. Sneclode, Henry Burgess; constables, John Engler, Frank Elskamp, Wesley Williams.
1890-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, Henry Seipp, William Klindt; clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1889; justices, John B. Ort- scheid, F. W. Klinkhammer; constables, Albert Diedrich, Jacob Kirsch- baum, Chris Bernhard.
1891-Supervisors, Herman Grimm, F. W. Klinkhammer, S. W. Okey ; clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1889; justices, J. H. C. Sneclode, Henry Burgess; constables, Hubert Schulter, William Holt.
1892-Supervisors, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1891; clerk, J. M. Burgess; justices, Wm. Klinkhammer, J. B. Ortschied; consta- bles, William Holt, Wesley Williams, Nicholas Wilkomm.
1893-Supervisors and assessor same as in 1891; clerk, J. H. C. Sneclode; treasurer, Chas. W. Engler; justices, J. M. Burgess, Frank Elwell; constables, Hubert Schulter, Simon Akerman, William Wood.
1894-Supervisors, Aloys Grimm, F. W. Klinkhammer, S. W. Okey ; clerk, J. M. Burgess; treasurer, J. B. Ortscheid; assessor, John Engler; justices, David Williams, Frank Von Gartzen ; constables, Wesley Wil- liams, R O. Caldwell, Jacob Kirschbaum.
1895-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1894; justices, J. M. Burgess, Walter H. Brown; constables, R. O. Caldwell, Hubert Schulter.
1896-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1894; justices, J. H. C. Sneclode, Frank Von Gartzen; constables, Hubert Schulter, F. Barnes.
1897-Supervisors, F. W. Klinkhammer, S. W. Okey, Peter Casper ; clerk, Otto Reinke; treasurer, J. B. Ortscheid ; assessor, John Engler; justices, W.H. Brown, J. M. Burgess, William Holt; constables, R. O. Caldwell, L. H. Okey.
1898-Supervisors same as in 1897; clerk, Frank Casper; treasur- er, Benj. Petty; assessor, Nicholas Wilkomm ; justices, John Behlmer, Frank Casper ; constable, L. H. Okey.
1899-Supervisors, F. W. Klinkhammer. S. W. Okey, Peter Cas- per; clerk, Frank Casper; treasurer, Jacob Foehringer; assessor, Nich- olas Wilkomm ; justices, Carl Pohlman, Lewis Okey; constables, J. J. Seipp, Walter Brown.
1900-Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1899; justices, Frank Casper, L. A. Groom, F. W. Klinkhammer; constables, L. H. Okey, Louis Laufenberg, T. Williams.
Digitized by Google
1
607
CASSVILLE.
VILLAGE OFFICERS.
The village was incorporated in 1882 and has had the following officers :
1882-President, D. B. Stevens; trustees, E. Kleinpell, F. W. Bart- lett, John Scharfenstein, G. Prior, Aloys Grimm, J. A. Klindt.
1883-President, J. A. Klindt; trustees, D. B. Stevens, E. Kleinpell, G. Prior, A. W. Moore, John Scharfenstein, Fred Beilharz,
1884-President, John A. Klindt; trustees, G. Prior, E. Kleinpell, John Vogel, John D. Harp, John Engler, D. B. Stevens.
1885-President, J. A. Klindt ; trustees, D. B. Stevens, J. D. Harp, G. Prior, E. Kleinpell, John Vogel, John Engler.
1886-President, Carl Kleinpell; trustees, John D. Harp, D. B. Ste- vens, John Engler, John Vogel, Eugene Kleinpell, Gottfried Prior.
1887-President, Otto F. Ziegler; trustees, D. B. Stevens, F. H. Beilharz, Wm. M. Larned, Frank Dietrich, J. J. Bernhard, Fritz Huber. 1888-President, Carl Kleinpell; trustees, Charles Engler, W. M. Larned, Herman Grimm, Fred Hubert, Jacob Bernhard, D. B. Stevens. 1889-President, John A. Klindt; trustees, D. B. Stevens, L. M. Okey, W. M. Larned, Jacob Bernhard, Aloys Grimm, Fred Huber.
1890-President, Julius Kleinpell; trustees, Frank Eckstein, Geo. Barrows, F. M. Cronin, F. H. Beilharz, John Engler, James Foley.
1891-President, J. A. Klindt; trustees, E. Kleinpell, Wm. M. Lar- ned, F. H. Beilharz, Edward Engler, Jacob Bernhard, John Engler.
1892-President, J. A. Klindt; trustees, W. M. Larned, E. Klein- pell, Frank Flier, John Engler, Chris Engler, O. F. Geiger.
1893-President, L. M. Okey ; trustees, John Engler, E. Kleinpell, John Wood, Frank Eckstein, Charles S. Engler, Frank Elwell.
1894-President, L. M. Okey; trustees, John Wood, Julius Klein- pell, Frank Elwell, Frank Eckstein, C. J. Sharfenstein, Morris Phinney.
1895-President, L. M. Okey; trustees, Frank Eckstein, Herman Grimm, Jacob Bernhard, Frank E!well, E. Kleinpell, Julius Klein pell
1896-President, L. M. Okey; trustees, Frank Eckstein, F. W. Klinkhammer, David Williams, Jacob Bernhard, A. B. Teasdale, Wal- ter Kleinpell
1897-President, L. M. Okey; trustees, David Williams, Frank Eckstein, P. Hohenadel, Jr., Walter Kleinpell, Geo. Barrows, Frank Flier.
1898-President, Joseph Geiger; trustees, Walter Kleinpell, J. J. Bernhard, J. W. Niermer, Aug. Prior, U. L. Holford, S. Beilharz.
Digitized by Google
608
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
1899-President, Joseph Geiger; trustees, Frank Flier, John Foley, W. R. Pierce, W. P. Hartford, Fred Beilharz, William Dunstone.
1900-President, Joseph Geiger; trustees, U. L. Holford, Frank Flier, W. R. Pierce, F. H. Beilharz, William Dietrich, J. B. Ortscheid.
Treasurers .- John Bernhard, 1882-84; J. B. Ortscheid, 1885-91; F. J. Dietrich ; 1892, Otto Reinke, 1893; F. J. Dietrich, 1894-96; Henry Kleinpell, 1897-1900.
Clerks .- J. H. C. Sneclode, 1882-92; J. M. Burgess, 1893; Otto Reinke, 1894-96; F. J. Dietrich, 1897-1900.
Marshals .- John Herring, 1882; John Kelly, 1883-85; John Her- ring, 1886; Holl Stephens, 1887; J. B. Ortscheid, 1888; Hubert Schul- ter, 1889-90; B. Miller, 1891; F. W. Teasdale, 1892; Hubert Schulter, 1893; R. O. Caldwell, 1894-95; Everett Ishmael, 1896-98; Robert Muldoon, 1899-1900.
Police Justices .- Henry Burgess, 1882-85; J. H. C. Sneclode, 1886 -89; J. B. Ortscheid, 1890; J. H. C. Sneclode, 1891-93; J. M. Burgess, 1894-96; J. H. C. Sneclode, 1897-99; Wm. F. Okey, 1900.
NEWSPAPERS.
The Cassville Current .- This paper was started December 12, 1885. Walter W. Pollock was editor and publisher. It was a six-column folio. The typography was of unusual excellence for a country paper. It was printed at the Teller office in Lancaster. Although not printed at home, it fully covered the field of Cassville local news and interests. It was published about a year, when the publisher found a more invit- ing field and the paper was discontinued.
The Cassville Index .- This paper was first issued March 8, 1888, by Charles DeWitt and his wife, formerly Mrs. Lou P. Lesler. Both had formerly been publishers of the Boscobel Dial. The paper was an eight-column folio. In August, 1889, John Foley became the publisher and has conducted it ever since. It is Populist in politics. As a local paper it is a credit to the village in which it is published.
CHURCHES.
St.Charles's Catholic Church .- From 1851 to 1856 mass was said in the residences of a few Catholics in this neighborhood by the Rev. Fathers Hobbs and Vivaldi. In the latter year Cassville became a mission to Potosi and was attended once a month by Rev. Fathers Gibson and Zuber, the latter preaching to the German Catholics. In 1857 a handsome brick church was built. In 1866 Rev. Father Thiele
Digitized by Google
--
1
609
CASSVILLE.
became the resident pastor and was followed by Revs. J. A. Moes, J. M. Albers, M. De Becke, Th. Schraudenbach, J. Gmeiner, M. J. Meu- rer, J. Decker, A. Gardthaus, L. C. Drexel, A. M. Rossbach, and Fran- cis C. Pischery. On April 30, 1889, the corner-stone of the present church was laid and the building was dedicated November 20 of that year. It is 50X100, Gothic in style, costing with furnishing about $15,000.
A school building was begun in 1893 and the school opened. Feb- ruary 4, 1894, with sixty-three pupils. The present attendance is eighty or ninety. There is a society of Catholic Knights belonging to the congregation, Branch 34, with the following officers : Patrick Mc- Dermott, president; G. P. Dietrich, vice president; F. J. Dietrich, sec- retary ; J. W. Niemer, treasurer ; Michael Esser, trustee; A. J. Dietrich, sentinel. There is also a Married Ladies' Sodality and the St. Rose Young Ladies' Sodality with about forty members.
The Baptist Church .- The present Baptist Society was organized December 1, 1875. The original members were D. B. Stevens and his wife, Mrs. M. Stevens, F. W. Bartlett, Mrs. Anton Engel, Mrs. Pugh, Miss Alice Cannon, Miss Annie Crouch, and Miss Lucy Bishell. The first officers were: Deacon and treasurer, D. B. Stevens; clerk, F. W. Bartlett. Up to 1880 services were held in the basement of the Denniston House, but in that year a brick church was built, and dedi- cated October 3rd of that year. The first minister was Rev. George D. Stevens, who served until 1880. After that Elder William Clack, of Prairie du Chien, preached at Cassville as well as his resident town. Mr. Stevens again came as pastor and remained until 1893, when Rev. Thomas Evans came and served as pastor until 1895, when he was succeeded by Rev. Thomas H. Scruggs, who remained until 1898.
Methodist Episcopal Church .- Cassville was made the headquar- ters of a circuit about ten years ago and since then has had the follow- ing'resident ministers : Revs. D. J. Whiting, S. A. Hoffman, Leroy Ellis, J. A. Dixon, F. Casper.
SOCIETIES.
Cassville Lodge, No. 235, F. &. A. M .- This lodge was instituted April 29, 1887, with the following officers: C. R. Showalter, W. M .; J. H. C. Sneclode, S. W .; H. Burgess, J. W .; Alonzo Teasdale, S. D .; J. M. Burgess, J. D .; Joseph Petty, Treas .; L. M. Okey, Sec .; John
Digitized by Google
610
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
Trotman, Tiler. The present officers are: Martin Burgess, W. M .; Aloys Grimm, S. W .; I. W. Brown, J. W .; L. M. Okey, Treas .; B .. J. Petty, Sec .; W. P. Colburn, S. D .; Wm. Dunstone, J. D .; James Petty, Tiler.
Cassville has a lodge of A. O. U. W. with the following officers : Clarence Brockert, M. W .; R. O. Caldwell, Foreman ; John Schnering, Overseer; Herman Grimm, Recorder; R. French, Financier; Jacob Bernhardt, Receiver.
SCHOOLS.
The first school was taught at Cassville in 1834 by Miss Maria Barber, afterward the wife of Alexander D. Ramsey. In 1835 Miss Barber taught at a point about half way between the village and the McCartney settlement to accommodate both settlements. At this school one of the girls, Elizabeth Walker, dropped her thimble through a crack in the floor and reached her hand down to get it (the puncheon floor presenting rather capacious cracks) when a large yellow rattle- snake bit her on the hand. R. Shipley came along on horseback just then, and he tore up the the floor and killed the snake before taking Miss Walker to receive medical treatment. She recovered after a se- vere illness. School was also taught in the Council House, a building .erected for town purposes, and in a room of the "big brick." About 1850 a small frame school-house was built in the village.
In 1860 the main portion of the present building was erected, and a few years later a large addition was built, making a commodious school building. The place now has a graded school and a high school with W. P. Colburn as principal.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
A prominent figure in the early history of Cassville was Orris Mc- Cartney. He was born in Harford, New York, May 9, 1794. At the age of seven, his mother dying, he went to live on the farm of his un- cle near Cooperstown and afterward lived with his sisters. In the War of 1812 he enlisted in Captain Gideon Orton's company and went to Plattsburg, arriving the day after the battle there. In 1817 he came west, stopping a year or two in Ohio and several years in Illinois, where he married Miss Eliza Barber. In 1827 he came to the lead mines with Major Rountree, locating at Cassville and Beetown, as before stated. He was for a short time one of the owners of the famous "Bee Lead," but traded his interest for a six-horse team and
Digitized by Google
1
PATCH GROVE.
611
returned to his farm near Cassville. In the Indian troubles of 1832 he sent his family to Jacksonville, Ill., for safety.
In 1840 his wife died and in 1844 he married Mrs. Monse, sister of Benjamin Kilbourn, of Jamestown. She died April 24, 1887, in her 79th year. Mr. McCartney died at his homestead in Cassville April
HON. ORRIS MCCARTNEY.
16, 1868. Four of his children survive; William F. and Alex. R., at Denver, Colorado, Henry L., at Garden City, Kansas, and Mrs. Har- riet Liscomb at Cassville.
Mr. McCartney was one of the commissioners to locate the county seat, the first treasurer of Grant County, and held many other offices, as may be seen by looking over the rosters of officers in this work.
Digitized by Google
CHAPTER X.
PATCH GROVE AND WYALUSING.
Settlement of Patch Grove-Disasters, Suicides, etc .- Schools- Churches-Town Organization and Officers-Wyalusing, Early Settlement-Paper Towns-Town Organ- ization and Officers-Societies-Bagley.
SETTLEMENT OF PATCH GROVE.
The first settler in the original town of Patch Grove was Page Blake, who settled in Section 17, Town 5, Range 5, just south of the present town line, in 1831. In 1832, after the Black Hawk War, Mo- ses Hicklin came out from Cassville and settled on the farm where he lived until his death, and John Thompson, a discharged soldier from the garrison at Prairie du Chien, settled in the same neighborhood. In 1835 Charles Blunt came and afterward settled on Section 20, near Blake. The same year Benjamin F. Forbes settled on the farm after- ward owned by James A. Davis. In 1836 Henry Patch came and built a log cabin by a spring just west of the present village. His brothers in-law, Ira and Alfred Brunson, came with him, but did not then re- main. In 1837 a post-office named Patch Grove was established here with Henry Patch as postmaster. A clump of trees near Patch's cabin suggested a name for the office and the village and town to be. Ia 1837 Ezra Hall came in and took the place of B. F. Forbes, who re- turned to Cassville. The same year Thomas Lawless came in. Mrs. Lawless was the third woman in the settlement, being preceded by Mrs. Hicklin and Mrs. Thompson. Samuel McKee settled on Section 27, Town 1, Range 4, in 1837.
William and James Humphrey came in 1838. The latter settled on Section 31. The former, then a very young man, walked through from Quincy, Illinois. He afterward became a banker and able to ride in a private palace car if he had been inclined. He married Mary Brun- son, sister of Ira Brunson. He lived on the old farm most of the time until his death in 1886. John Scott came about the same time as the Humphreys. Justus M. Dickinson came from Cassville to Patch Grove in 1840 and remained until his death in 1877. Thomas Nagle came
Digitized by Google
613
PATCH GROVE.
in 1839, James Paul in 1842, and Alexander Paul in 1843, all settling on farms in what is now the town of Patch Grove.
Up to 1843 there had been no sign of a village. Henry Patch's log house, besides being a dwelling and a post-office, was a tavern for the accommodation of the few travelers of that day. Hon. Henry Merrill, in his reminiscences, thus speaks of a night spent at "Uncle Henry's": "Traveling on an Indian trail, so dark I could not see it, I let my horse take his own course. Finally I brought up at a fence, and following it, I came to the house where I was to stay, at Patch's Grove. I got into good quarters, Mr. Patch being very sociable, as people were in those days, for they were glad to get the news, as prob- ably they had no mails oftener than once a month, and neighbors be- ing few and far between."
This genial and kindly old pioneer, postmaster, landlord, and farmer, died January 12, 1867.
The village was begun in 1843. Enos P. Finn built a frame house which was afterward used for many years as a hotel by Garrett For- shay. He laid out the village site into lots. Francis Brady was the first purchaser of a lot and he put up a blacksmith shop on his lot and began work. The village site was the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 4, which Mr. Finn bought from J. C. Orr, part of the payment being mentioned in the deed as "one gray mare."
John Carson settled in the town in 1844. In 1845 George Ballan- tine came from British Hollow and settled on the prairie in the east- ern part of the town, and soon his brothers, James, David, Thomas, and Robert came and took up farms. All together they occupied a wide space of the prairie, and they were successful farmers, accumulat- ing a goodly portion of this world's goods. James and David removed to Bloomington after the war, where they died recently.
Hugh Garside came in 1845 and settled south of the village, living there until his death in 1876. In the same year M. W. Vanausdal set- tled east of the village on the Military Road. In 1846 Luther Brown settled near the village and lived there until his death in 1882, becom- ing one of the patriarchs of the little place. Among the other settlers of the town at that time, not previously mentioned, were S. H. Good- man, Eden B. Green, Hiram Brunson, Joshua Bidwell, James H. New- bury, George Pike, John Wilson and Henry Adams. Among the other farmers who came in 1850 or some time before that were Haines Fitch, Michael Casey, and John McAvoy. The settlers, not only the farm-
Digitized by Google
-- -
-
614
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.
ers, but those of the village, had to go to Beetown for "store goods." In order to get their corn ground they had to go much farther: the first settlers had to go to Galena or Platteville, but in 1837 Burt's mill, about twenty miles distant, was ready to grind their corn, and wheat also; but, as has been said before, wheaten bread was a Sunday luxury. The first store was established in 1848 by I. G. Ury. It was located opposite the present store of Robert Collier. In 1850 an- other store was put in by Green Brothers & Fay, of Prairie du Chien, with Smith Brown in charge; the store was on the site of Collier's store.
The new village was for some years called Finntown, in honor of its promotor, but in later years it took the name of the post-office, perpetuating that of the pioneer, Henry Patch. But the post-office did not retain its name without vicissitudes. Some would-be esthetic suc- ceeded in having it called Erskine for a while, but practical sense finally got the better, and the old pioneer's name was restored to the office. After Mr. Patch's death Alex. Paul was made postmaster and retained the place many years. When Ury's store was opened the post-office was moved into it.
Robert Collier came to the village in 1853 and put in a shoe-shop, but afterward became one of the merchants of the place.
In 1855 Volney Osborn erected several houses on land owned by him on the east side of the main street, which was the Prairie du Chien and Galena road. In 1859 L. P. Stringham surveyed a plat of the land owned by Volney Osborn and Osborn filed the plat June 4 of that year. It was the first plat of the village filed, although not the first surveyed. It contained only one block.
In 1857 Coddington & Thomas put in another store and I. G. Ury sold his store to Alex. Paul, who afterward built a fine brick store building. The village seemed quite prosperous up to nearly war-time, but much of the town site fell into the hands of minor heirs, prevent- ing the getting of clear titles, which had an adverse effect on the growth of the place. Its younger rival down the creek, with a fine flouring-mill and some enterprising business men, was also drawing business and business men away from Patch Grove and soon after the war the place began to assume what Holmes has called "a general flavor of mild decay.". The academy, however, did considerable to prevent the decadence of the place.
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.