History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 84

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044

USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County, Wisconsin > Part 84

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" The island valley of Avilion, Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow, Nor ever wind blows loudly ; but it lies Deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard-lawns, And bowery hollows crowned with summer's sea."

At Cassville we found Capt. Price building a fort and organizing a company of soldiers. Upon telling him what we came for, he desired to know whether we would or could do any fight- ing. We said " Take off your coat and let's have a round." He said he guessed he'd take us anyhow. So we were mustered in at once and forthwith put on duty. Our company were known as Rangers, and were employed in "ranging" the country between Grant River and the Wisconsin, a tract which we traversed a great many times and whereon we killed eight or ten Indians and made twelve or fifteen prisoners.

When the strife was over and the smoke of peace rose from all that region, which was in September, of the same year, we returned to Potosi and resumed our picks and gads and shovels as though we had not been off making history at all, but had only gone a-fishing or had been fooling around for our health, as it were.

Late in the fall of 1832, reports reached us of rich and remarkable mineral discoveries at Dubuque. I was lured thither, of course, but the weather being bitter cold, and houses rather scarce, I made my way back to Potosi with as little delay as possible. In February of the next year, the Government sent soldiers to Dubuque to keep miners from working on the mineral lands there until after the ratification of a certain treaty with the Indians. This was done about that time, and work in the mines went on as usual.

At the time of which I write, farming was hardly thought of in Grant County, though the attention of many was beginning to turn toward the pursuit. Several persons were breaking

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

ground for farms at Boice Prairie, preparing to get their means of sustenance at the surface of the earth instead of delving for it wearily toward the center. Corn and potatoes were about the only crops raised, though it was seriously feared that the latter could never be brought to matu- rity in a climate like this. The cultivation of wheat and oats came afterward, and proved en- couragingly successful. Oats then cost $1 a bushel, corn 75 cents. Pork and flour were shipped to us from below somewhere, the latter cost us $18 per barrel and the former $28. The first steamboat in spring was always eagerly looked for, our provisions usually running rather short before the close of those long and dreary winters. Game, however, was abundant at that time, and fortunately for us we could generally depend in part upon that source for a supply of excellent meat.

Some time in the fall of 1833, I went to Platteville, where I found only about two or three rude structures called houses. Maj. Rountree and family were there, James R. Vineyard and family, and a Mr. Phelps. There may have been others, but if so I am unable to recall them now.

It was in 1834, I think, that Mr. Aaron Boice built the first house ever erected on the present site of Lancaster. (This was built by Nahem Dudley .- ED.) This stood near the Big Spring, and hard by the spot where now the woolen mill stands.

The first store ever started in Potosi was opened there by Messrs. Wheeler & Price in the fall of 1832. Five years later, in 1837, James R. Vineyard and one or two others engaged in mercantile pursuits at British Hollow. About this time Mr. DeTantabar had a store and smelting works at Paris, a point on Platte River, frequently visited by the largest Mississippi River steamboats. In 1841, Mr. DeTantabar became involved, and failed in business. This so discouraged him that he willfully sought his own salvation by means of a rope. And from that fatal day an evil genius seemed to brood over Paris, exerting a mysterious and uncanny influence which has brought about desolation and decay, and has obliterated almost every trace of what was once a flourishing village.

In 1837, the famous " Long Range " was discovered at Potosi, and flush were the times in those diggings then. There was incessant wrangling in regard to the ownership of this range, making black eyes and broken heads matters of common occurrence. A notorious char- acter known as Jim Crow was then in his prime-the best man, in fact, on the ranch, who could "lam any galoot " in the diggings. Three men were hired to shoot Jim at sight. The assas- sins went to their victim's stopping-place with the fatal weapon concealed under a cloak. They accomplished their work, were arrested and sent to Prairie du Chien for safe keeping. Some time after they were released on bail and returned to Potosi, where they devoted themselves with great assiduity to drinking, gaming and the kindred vices, proving a greater terror to the com- munity than Jim Crow had ever been. They kept right on in their wicked course until ordered to leave the country by the people of Potosi, Boice Prairie and British Hollow. They departed and after they were out of the way, Mr. Harper, a merchant at Potosi, was arrested, tried, and proved guilty, his own clerk convicting him, of loading the pistol with which Jim Crow had been murdered. He was given two days to settle his affairs and leave the country, which he did, glad to get away so easily. The same day, we sent two other men across the river with orders never to return, and Potosi breathed freely for a time.

BY HAWKINS TAYLOR.

Hearing of the discoveries made at Snake Hollow in 1832, I, with others, started for that point; we stayed one night at Gilmore, a few miles from Sinsinawa Mound. The next day all got to the mines and went into camp, and I found everybody my friend, and there never was a happier set than we miners were. We had little shanties made of logs, generally split and cov- ered with the bark, and we had bunks two stories high. Our bed and covering was a thick Mexican blanket, but what good, sound sleep did we have ! Not a trouble on our minds ; not one of us who was not confident of striking a lead very soon. Each had a tin cup, and we had a common coffee pot; our meat was mess pork and we made our own bread. The fare, without

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variations, was coffee, bread and meat. In one hnt there were four of us, which was the rule generally. These huts were scattered for a mile along this branch. All told, there were about sixty miners in the camp, and of the whole lot there was but a single quarrelsome man, by the name of Malony, an Irishman, and his spite was against Free Williams, but Free didn't scare. In the midst of our happiness, news came to us about 6 o'clock one evening, that the Indians had defeated Stillman on Rock River, and were then making their way toward the Mississippi, and would, most likely, pass down the Platte and rob the stores of DeTantibar at his town, and Loring Wheeler, at Gibraltar, and also take in our camp. Cox, then Sheriff of the county (Iowa), had sent a messenger from Mineral Point to give us the warning. Within ten minutes of the time the news came to our camp, more than forty miners were at Maj. Anderson's camp. The Major had been an old Indian fighter, and with one accord, we went to him to be our com- mander and adviser. There were some fifteen or twenty Irish in the camp that had come from Galena in skiffs and a pirogue; they had brought their provisions and tools this way, and when the alarm was given they naturally went for the vessels, that were in a branch of the river about a mile from camp. Malony, the bully, got behind, and the last of the party had got out into the stream before he got to the river, but he jumped in and was barely saved from drowning. Free Williams joined Stephenson's company of dragoons and made a brave soldier. By morn- ing our party had dwindled down to thirteen ; we then went to the Platte, to DeTantibar's, and a man by the name of Cornwall, a Virginian, and I went down to Wheeler's (now, if alive, living in De Witt); Wheeler "had a horse and joined the dragoons." Finding that the Indians were in no hurry to come our way, we went back to the diggings. I have no record of the names, and forty-odd years is a long time to recollect, but we had with us then Maj. Anderson, a man by the name of Hillis, Ham and his nephew Thieskill, Tennesseeans; a man by the name of Cook from Mississippi; Cornwall and Nehemiah Dudley from Vermont. Nehemiah was the ugliest man I think I ever saw, but, notwithstanding the antipathy that was then universal in the Mississippi Valley against Yankees, we all liked Dudley. I have never heard of him since I left the Mississippi, but I have often thought of him. These are all I can recollect, but I think there were eleven or thirteen of us. We built a block-house of large hewn logs, and kept a supply of provisions on hand in case of an attack by the Indians. We mined through the day and slept in our block-house at night. The block-house was on the high ground north of the ranche, and I understood some years ago that there was a Catholic Church near by, and that the old shanty that I had lived in was standing near the church. In 1828, the miners had crossed over the river, and back of Dubuque; had been very successful in finding lead, so much so that they built a smelting furnace on the island; but the Indians complained to the Govern- ment and troops were sent who drove off the miners, and an officer and a few men were sta- tioned across the river on the Illinois side, under the bluff, to keep the miners from trespassing on the Indians. These troops were withdrawn when the Indian war commenced, and as there were several fine leads that had been opened in 1828, we concluded to make a raid on them while the Indians were absent, and to that end Ham, Cook, Dudley, as I recollect, made one party, and Cornwall and myself another, and we went down the river in skiffs, taking our pro- visions and tools. We all stopped with the old man Jordon, who had the ferry across the river. At that time, his ferry facilities were a flat-boat that would take one wagon and team of two horses, and half a dozen Indian canoes. Jordon's house or tavern was a double-log house with a passage in the middle, and a supply of outhouses, and was on the side bank a few hundred yards from the river. The scenes of my after career were laid wholly in Iowa.

BY MRS. R. CHAMBERS.

My father, Edward P. Coombs, first came to the West from Fayette County, Penn., in the spring of 1834; at that time, Wisconsin was almost an unknown region. He first worked at Mineral Point, but, during the summer, looked out and bought his future home in what is now the southwest part of Lancaster, on Section 29, I think. That fall, he returned to Pennsylvania, bringing with him some of the products of the new country, among which was onions raised from

P.B. Manilyre

MUSCODA.

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seed-something that was unknown in his old home. In the spring of the following year (1835), he moved his wife and family, consisting of six children, two boys and four girls, to their new home. Six weeks were occupied in the journey from Pennsylvania to what is known as Hurri- cane Grove. While they were waiting for a boat at St. Louis, the celebrated chief Black Hawk arrived at that city with a number of his followers on a steamer. On arriving at Cassville, my father left his family there while he went ahead to procure teams to transport them and their effects the remainder of the distance. He soon returned with some of his neighbors with their ox-teams, and in these they set out for the new home. Two days were occupied in making the journey of less than twenty miles, all hands staying over the night of the 1st day of May at the cabin of Silas Burt in Old Beetown. They found these early settlers very kind and hospitable. Upon arriving in the Hurricane, they went to live in the cabin of Martin Bonham until their own was erected. Young Bonham was a young, unmarried man, keeping at the time a " bachelor " establishment, and when he heard that there were girls in the family that had just arrived, he said he hardly knew which way to run, his clothes were so ragged. However, he concluded to come in from the field where he was, and, until the day of his death, the family found him ever a kind neighbor and friend. Little did we children know in those times of toys or playthings, one china doll dressed in silk and hung up in state was all I remember seeing, and that was, of course, too good to be used on any occasion. When our parents went to town they would bring us a treat-some green apples which were an object of much curiosity. One thing that made a lasting impression on my childish mind was a storm that occurred in the summer of 1844 or 1845, I think. It came up so suddenly that those who were any distance from home did not have time to get there. My brother was plowing in the field when he perceived it coming and unhitched his horse and started for the house, but was forced to abandon the attempt and seek shelter un- der a strawstack, from which shelter he saw the roof of the stable carried away. The rain poured in torrents, and terrific flashes of lightning and peals of thunder rent to air. It seemed as if the wind would sweep everything before it. My married sister was alone in her home when the roof of the house was taken off, and she was left standing in the middle of the floor, and the rain pouring in torrents around her. When the storm had abated, we counted from our window thirteen trees that had heen leveled, and I think the woods in that vicinity will still bear traces of the great storm.

My father was by trade both a carpenter and a blacksmith, and, when he came to Wisconsin, he found employment for a share of the time in making chairs, tables, bedsteads, coffins, and, in fact, everything in this line needed by settlers in a new country. To-day, after the lapse of more than thirty years since his death, we find specimens of his handiwork. He had served for a time in the war of 1812, and contracted a disease from which he never recovered, although he was never a pensioner. He died in March, 1849, but from the ravages of another disease than this.

In 1849, began the great Californian exodus from this county. A few went out in the spring, scouts as it were of the hundreds and thousands that were to follow. The next spring, the excite- ment ran still higher ; young men were getting their traps together, loading their covered wagons, to which were hitched two, four or six horses, or oxen, as the case might be, and setting off for their five months' trip across the plains. The excitement continued for several years, until it was dreaded to see spring come, as it seemed as if every one who could would go; at times it was doubtful what we would do for inhabitants, so great was the exodus. In the spring of 1854, the writer, being duly commissioned by J. C. Cover, the Town Superintendent, began a new career as teacher. My first school was in District No. 5, Town of Lancaster, where I had twelve pupils, and received $10.50 per month, boarding myself. Of those twelve pupils, one, Francis M. Irish, is dead. The remainder are, I think, all living. Six of the boys were soldiers in the war for the Union. Five returned to their homes when peace was declared. Three of the girls became teachers.

Of our family of ten children, seven are now living. My mother, eighty-one years of age, is living with my brother in Hurricane Grove.

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

BY IRA W. BRUNSON.

I was born in Sing Sing, N. Y., May 3, 1805; raised in Danbury, Conn. In 1827, moved' to Columbus, Ohio, where I engaged in the hatters' business-being a hatter by trade-which I stopped in 1835. In the early part of 1836, left Columbus and came to Wisconsin, in com- pany with my brother Alfred, and Henry Patch, in a keel-boat, down the Ohio and up the. Mississippi Rivers ; landed at Prairie du Chien.

That fall, in September, I returned to Ohio, in the stage, to settle up my business ; returned to Wisconsin on horseback, in the winter. Left Columbus the latter part of January ; the mud, at that time, was about knee-deep to a horse. Arriving at Fort Wayne, snow was fifteen inches ; at South Bend, it was again bare ground ; at Michigan City, snow was two feet deep; at Chi- cago, it was once more bare ground. I crossed Rock River at Rockford, Ill., on the ice ; stayed over night at the Twelve-Mile-Grove. The only house was a cabin, with neither chink nor daub. In the morning I started north, intending to reach Freeport and stay overnight.

Came to a house when the sun was about an hour high, and inquired the way to Mineral Point ; was told to go to the mill and stop overnight, which was about three miles' distance. On reaching the mill, I found it to be a saw-mill, but could find no house. I wandered about in search of a house until it commenced getting dark. I could see a dark-looking place ; thinking it was a grove-houses were then built in or near groves-I started for it, but on reaching the place found neither house nor road; concluded I would be obliged to stay out all night, and started off in the northern direction, the wind being in the northeast. I kept the right cheek against the wind, so that I would keep the same course. Traveled until I reached a large creek, which, being open, and not knowing anything as to its depth, did not dare to push my horse into it, and concluded to stay overnight there. I turned my horse loose, that he might feed upon the grass above the snow, the snow being about one and one-half feet deep. I then made a path about a rod long, between two trees, and walked to and fro; not having anything of which I could make a fire, had to keep moving. After walking some time, I began to get tired, and laid myself down, resting my head upon my saddle; for fear of falling asleep, I took a chew of tobacco. I soon fell asleep. I dreamed I was drinking beer, and I then swallowed my tobacco, and I awoke. I felt sure had it not been for the tobacco I never would have awoke.

I again took the path and again walked to and fro, and watched to see the sun rise, so as- to point my compass. At daylight, I found that a gang of wolves were near at hand. Taking my bearings, I found I was on the edge of the prairie and timber land, and about six miles west of the Pecatonica. I then mounted my horse and started east ; after I had gone about three miles, I found the road, and then started north. Arrived at the grist-mill and house about 11 o'clock, and after eating dinner started for Mineral Point.

Toward evening, I arrived at a house, and wanted to stop overnight. but was not allowed to stay. I, however, obtained a place to remain about a mile farther on. Next night I stayed at a miner's cabin, on Peddler's Creek, now known as Linden, and the next night arrived at Henry Patch's.

In the following spring, in 1837, opened a store at Cassville, in company with a man named Sellars, and remained there until a house was built at Lancaster by James Bonham, on the same lot now occupied by Burr's store ; moved my goods and started the first store in Lancaster. About the same time, Maj. Price sent out goods by George Cox, and commenced a merchandise business in a log building with frame attachment, near the big spring ; he also was Postmaster. I continued in the merchandise business until 1839.

William Richards kept the first boarding-house in a log-house built by Boice, who formerly owned the land where Lancaster now stands, and sold the same to Maj. Price, who laid out the town of Lancaster.

While he was keeping there, a quarrel arose between him (Richards) and the boarders. The boarders all left, and employed a Frenchman to do their cooking, and had their kitchen beside a log near where the Phelps House now stands ; had their dining-room in a small frame building,

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on a lot where George Ryland's bank is standing now. Richards afterward moved back to Cass- ville on his farm. They lived in that way for two or three weeks, not a lady in the town. My brother Alfred and his wife, on their way between Platteville and Prairie du Chien, had broken his wagon, and were obliged to stay overnight, his wife being the only woman in town. In the meantime, Richards was succeeded by Capt. Reed.

The first court held in the county was held in Cassville, in the first of 1837. Judge Dunn was Judge of the court ; John Fletcher was Clerk. The second court was held in the same build- ing that we used as a dining-room.

The first road in Grant County [Laid out by the county .- ED. ] was laid in June, 1838; Commissioners, J. Allen Barber, James Bonham and myself; Jared Warner, Surveyor ; was laid from Brunet's Ferry, on the Wisconsin, to Platteville. Second road in the same year from Cassville to Platteville, by the way of Hurricane Grove ; I was one of the Commissioners. The first assessment in collecting taxes was known as the " tax sale of 1838." In 1839, they found in what is called the Burlington Statute that the law had been changed, forbidding the employment of the Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff in collecting the taxes, and authorized the County Commissioners to appoint a Collector. About the 1st of December, in 1839, the County Commissioners appointed me Collector in the county, which business I commenced to perform immediately ; although cold winter and short days, I made my return in time. The next year, at election, I was elected by the people, and served three years in succession.

Judge Haywood was County Treasurer ; Nelson Dewey, Clerk of County Commissioners. I made my returns to Judge Haywood. The county taxes were collected by a County Collector for eight or ten years, until the State Government came into operation and town system was adopted. The fees of the County Collector (while I was Collector) were 5 per cent for collecting and 5 per cent for advertising delinquent lands, and 25 cents for each certificate of sale. In 1840, the fees amounted to $1,400 or $1,500.

The first celebration on July 4, that was held in the county (if not in the State), was held at Cassville in 1837. Maj. Anderson was President of the occasion, and I had the honor of being Vice President. [This is meant as the first public celebration. Maj. Rountree had cele- brated Independence Day in 1827. as mentioned in another place .- ED.] T. P. Burnette deliv. ered an oration, which was re-published in the Herald a few years ago.

The first Convention held in the State was held at Madison, in the summer of 1838. Maj. John H. Rountree, of Platteville, and Orris McCartney, of Cassville, and myself, went as dele- gates from Grant County, traveling there and back on horseback.

Grant County, like all other new counties, was in the habit of making a non-resident land- holder pay well for the Government; they would assess non-resident land about double that of resident. I have known of land belonging to residents being assessed at $2.50 and non-residents at $5, both pieces lying side by side.

People were generally free-hearted and liberal. If a traveler should come to a miner's cabin or any house and not find any one at home, and he should go in and eat what he wanted, there would be nothing thought of it. For instance: I came to Tom Parish's, who kept a tavern in what is now known as Wingville, just at nightfall. In the morning, I asked what the " hill was." He replied, " I never charge my neighbors anything;" my home was over twenty- seven miles from there.

In the early settlement of Wisconsin, there was a gang of desperadoes in and about Snake Hollow (now known as Potosi), who gave tone to the character of the whole country. A dis- pute arose between Samuel B. Roundtree and William Clark and their crowd on one side, and Moor and Watson on the other, respecting the right of a mineral lot. It first began with a law-suit, and then Moor and Watson gave James Crow, another hard character, what they called a "fighting interest " in the lead. Roundtree and Clark were rather afraid to attack Crow them- selves; they accordingly employed three men to dispose of him. One night Jim Crow was in a grocery in the upper part of the hollow ; Evans, Cooley and Derrich came up from the lower end of the hollow on horseback, and leaving their horses at the door of the grocery, went in,

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took a drink, saw Jim Crow standing at the fire-place as they again went out the door. Evans turned, holding the door partly open, drew a pistol, fired at his victim, the ball passing through his body, and he fell dead. They jumped on their horses with a loud yell, and went down the hollow again. They were finally captured and brought to Lancaster. The examination com- menced in the afternoon before Squire Dewey in a log building standing opposite the present site of the Mansion House barn. The building being two stories high, the examination was held up stairs, [afterward changed to down stairs-ED]. The Sheriff had a guard of about twenty men stationed there on the stairs (they were under my charge and armed with rifles), with orders that no one should go up only as they were summoned. The court continued all night, and the next day about noon they were committed to jail by Squire Dewey. Not knowing that the Sheriff would receive them without an order from Judge Dunn, I started out to Elk Grove to obtain an order to the Crawford County Sheriff. At the same time, Rountree's lawyers sent to a man to get a writ of habeas corpus from Judge Dunn ; we went together. I obtained the order, and the other man the writ of habeas corpus to bring the prisoner there before Judge Dunn. The prisoners were brought before Judge Dunn and were admitted to bail of $2,000 to appear at court. After that, the people were exasperated at seeing murderers running at liberty. They (the people), raised a company of about two hundred men, well armed, and gave orders to Rountree, Clark and all concerned in it to leave the country forthwith, or they should be lashed to a log and sent down the Mississippi River.

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History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 84

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044