History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 109

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168

USA > Wisconsin > Green County > History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 109

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).

Edmund T. Fleek, one of the most prominent men in the town of Decatur, was born in Hamp- shire Co., Va., Jan. 20, 1817. His parents were Adam and Mary Ann (Putnam) Fleek, who re- moved from Virginia to Licking Co., Ohio, in 1836. The following spring the family settled on a farm adjoining the city of Newark. His father was a miller and distiller, at which busi- ' but for many years has been a Materialist. He

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

is now well advanced in years. Adam Fleek, the father, first married Ebiotut Umstott. By this marriage there were seven children, all of whom reached an adult age, but are now all deceased.

In 1842 William Jones came and settled on section 22, where he improved a farm. He threw a dam across Sugar river, on section 15. and in 1847-8 erected a saw mill, the first in the town. He was also the original owner of the plat of Decatur village. About 1860 he re- moved to Kansas and is now deceased. Mr. Jones was a native of the State of New York, but came here from Racine Co., Wis.

Among those who came during the years 1843 and 1844, were Donald Johnson, David Bigelow, Thomas Stewart and Perry Mitchell.

Mr. Johnson settled first on section 28, where he lived for a few years, then went to the vil- lage of Decatur. He finally removed to Wash- ington Territory, where he died.

Mr. Bigelow settled on section 23, where he died in 1846. His was the first death in the town.

Mr. Stewart settled on section 5, where he lived until the time of his death, which occurred in 1875.

Perry Mitchell located on section 29, where he lived until the time of his death. He was a native of Fayette Co., Penn., and a man who was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him.

Daniel Dye came from Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., at about the same time. He made several claims which he held and sold for speculation. He finally removed to the far west.

J. I. Bowen and A. B. Axtell came in 1844. 'The former is still a resident. The latter went to California in about 1850.

Jared I. Bowen resides on section 17, town of Decatur, where he settled in December, 1882, which place is the original homestead of Adam Fleek. Mr. Bowen was born in Fayette Co., Penn., near the Monongehala river in the Forks of Cheat, in 1823. He learned the trade of cabi- net maker and carpenter. In the spring of 1844

his father, John Bowen, removed with his family to Johnson Co., Iowa, where he died the same season. His mother with family came immediately afterward to the town of Decatur, this county, where her brother, Thomas Stewart, then lived. Jared I. did not accompany the family to Iowa, but learning of the death of his father and of the removal of the family to Green county, came here at once, reaching Mon- roe on the last day of December, 1844, and im- mediately afterward settled in the town of Decatur, where he has since lived. He resided for many years on section 5. He was married to Lacey Ann Fleek. They have three chil- dren-Dr. D. H., now practicing physician at Waukon, Iowa; Wilder Lee and Edmund Fleek. The two younger sons live on the homestead farm, on section 5, which Mr. Bowen still owns.

In 1845 Benjamin H. Fleek and Samuel Northcraft came. Mr. Fleek settled on section 17, where he died Jan. 2, 1883. At the time of his death, he was the wealthiest farmer in the town of Decatur. When he came here, with his wife and two children, he was a poor man, having no money or property. Industry, economy and good management made him a rich man.

Benjamin H. Fleek was born in Hampshire Co., Va., Oct. 27, 1818, where he was reared. At the age of eighteen years he removed to Ohio with his father. When he came to Green county his family consisted of a wife and two children. All the goods, chattels and money he possessed at that time did not amount to $200 lle took a claim of forty acres, which he sold to his father in 1846. With the money he received for this land he began a successful career. At the time of his death he owned about 1,000 acres of land, besides having previously distributed several hundred acres among his children. He also possessed many thousand dollars' worth of personal property. His success was attained by his skill in raising large crops of grain, and the safe and profitable investment of his money. He was an honorable and upright citizen, liberal

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY

in providing for his family, and for all charita- ble purposes, and in the support of the gospel, being a consistent member of the M. E. Church. He was married in Ohio, on the 2d of Septem- ber, 1819, to Susan, daughter of Henry Fleek. She was born in Hampshire Co., Va. The re- sult of this union was nine children, six of whom are living-Adam G. B., John J. D., Al- len, Clementine C., Hattie and Tamson. Three children-Henry M., Demarius and Samuel J. are deceased. The children are all married ex- cept the youngest and live within two miles of the old homestead. Adam lives on section 27 ; John J. D. lives on section 19; Allie, wife of Jacob Roderick, lives on section 20; Clemen- tine C., wife of Sylvanus D. Fisher, lives on section 16; Hattie, wife of John C. Murdock, living in the town of Sylvester, and Tamson, living at home. John J. D. Fleek was born in the town of Decatur, Aug. 29, 1845. He mar. ried Martha Erickson, born in Wisconsin. He lives on the homestead farm.

Samuel Northcraft resides on section 28, where he settled in 1847. He came to this town Nov. 7, 1845, and for two years worked the farm of John Dawson. He was born in Washington Co., Md., Feb. 15, 1812, where he lived until seven- teen years old, when he went to Hampshire Co., Va., where he was married in 1832 to Elmira Ann Dawson, a sister of John Dawson of this town. He then went to Allegany Co., Md., worked in a mill three years, then returned to Hampshire Co., Va., and engaged in farming, where he lived until he came to Green county. With his wife and five children he came all the way by wagon, being twenty-seven and one-half days on the route. The parents of Mr. North- craft have but two children -- Michael, the brother of Samnel, lives in Minnesota. Mrs. North- craft was born in Hampshire Co., Va., April 17, 1819. They have had ten children, seven of of whom are now living-Mary E., Lucie Ann, Thomas J., Lewelan M., Franklin P., Martha C. and Josephine. One son, Isaac, died in Grundy ('o., Mo., Sept. 4, 1872, in his thirty-eighth year.

Emily Jane died Sept 15, 1846, in her ninth year, and John M. died Sept. 5, 1846 at the age of five years.

Many came in 1845, some of whom will be mentioned in this connection.

William Frazee came during this year and settled on section 18. In 1881, he removed his family to Iowa, but still owns the farm, and intends to return.

Fitch Armstrong came at about the same time and settled on section 21. He died in the fall of 1856.

A. Armstrong, a resident on section 21, is a son of Fitch Armstrong, who was married in Portage, N. Y., to Amelia Scoville, a native of Connecticut. After his marriage he removed to Genesee county, where his wife died, leaving him with four children to mourn her loss. In the fall of 1845 he started with his family in a lumber wagon for Wisconsin. It took him about eight weeks to reach Green county. That fall he purchased a claim of 160 acres on sec- tion 21, for which he paid $40. He died on the old homestead in August, 1856. His children consist of two sons and two daughters-Ar- minda, wife of B. F. Coon, residing in Iowa; Arteus, Lura, widow of Sylvanus Graham of this town; and Lycurgus, residing in Waverly, Iowa. Arteus was born in the town of Port- age, Livingston Co., N. Y., Sept. 5, 1831. He came to this county in 1845. In 1852 he went to California, overland, with an ox team, being six months on the road. He was absent two years, and returned by the Isthmus route. He has been married twice. His first wife was Eliza- beth, daughter of Anson Sheffield. His present wife was Mrs. PIuma (Howard) Bryce, daugh- ter of Philander Howard, of the town of Avon, Rock Co., Wis. Mr. Armstrong had five chil- dren by his first wife-Mary, wife of Charles Thompson, residing in Waverly, Iowa; Charles F., mayor of Clyde City, Kansas; Frank, resi- dent of Waverly, Iowa; Orr, a station agent and telegraph operator; and Nettie. Mr. Arm- strong has one child by his present wife-

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

Madge, born Aug. 10, 1876. Mr. Armstrong purchased his present farm of Donald Johnson, and settled thereon in 1856.

W. B. Mack, of Brodhead, is a son of I. F. Mack, the original proprietor of the village of Decatur, also one of the original proprietors of the village of Brodhead, and for many years a prominent citizen of Green county, but since 1869, a resident of Chicago. I. F. Mack is a native of Springfield, Mass, where he was born in September, 1806. His father was a clergy- man. I. F. was educated at Munson Academy, one of the oldest and best institutions of learn- ing in Massachusetts. He went to Rochester, N. Y., when twenty years of age and engaged in teaching school about eighteen months, when he went to Cincinnati and taught the first public school in that city for one year, during which time he was instrumental in initiating the pub- lic school system there. He returned to Roches- ter and engaged in teaching again. He took a course of law, reading during the time. He afterwards engaged in mercantile operations, built two stores and three flouring mills and operated one for twelve years. This was at the time when Rochester possessed the largest milling interests of any city in the United States, if not in the world. He was for many years prominently connected with the educa- tional interests of that city, and was the first superintendent of the city schools, under the free school system, of the State of New York. He came to Green county in 1848. He laid out the village of Decatur and was the principal business man of that village, being engaged in merchandising, milling and farming, also prac- ticing law, having been admitted to the bar after coming to Decatur. He dealt largely in real estate, and was owner of a large amount of land on Sugar river. He was attorney and land commissioner of the Northern Iowa Railroad Company, and invested extensively in lands along the line of that road. He was also in the employment of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- road company, settling claims,etc. In 1856 the

village of Brodhead was laid out on land owned largely by himself, and he being one of the principal proprietors transferred his business headquarters to that place, also taking up his residence there in 1864. He was the first super- intendent of schools under the present charter. He drew up the first charter for the village, and upon its incorporation was made president of the board of trustees. In 1870 he removed to Englewood, a beautiful suburb of Chicago. There he also aided in building up the schools, which now rank among the best in Illinois. He was one of the officers of the school board there. Seven buildings were erected under his supervision, and he erected seven residences, and dealt largely in real estate. He moved into Chicago proper in 1878, where he now lives. Although he has reached an advanced age, he is still actively engaged in business. He re- tains his powers of mind and body to a remark- able degree. He has been twice married. His first wife was Clarissa Beebe, a native of Ver- mont. She died in Rochester in January, 1848. He was married in Angust, 1848, at Oberlin, Ohio, by Rev. Dr. Finney, to Frances S. Day. He had by l.is first marriage seven sons, two of whom died quite young. The others came here with their father and four of them are still liv- ing-W. B., the subject of this sketch, is the eldest; I. F., Jr., is editor of the Sandusky, (Ohio) Daily Register, and is president of the Editorial Association of Ohio; William C. ix postal clerk between Chicago and Centralia, and is also engaged in business in Chicago; John T. is associate editor and part proprietor of the Sandusky Register. E. B. Mack, de- ceased, was a journalist, and at the time of his death, which occurred in December, 1881, was the eastern manager for the Chicago Times, the St Louis Republican, the Louisville Courier- Journal and the Cincinnati Gazette. He was an able journalist and a successful business man. There are also four surviving children by the second marriage, one son and three daughters. W. B. Mack was born in Roches-

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

793

ter, N. Y., April 22, 1832. He received his education at the public schools in Rochester, N. Y., and at Oberlin, Ohio. He came to Green county in February, 1849. In March, 1852, he went to California where he engaged in mining and mechanical work, and for two years was book keeper for the Yuba River Water Ditch Company. In 1858 he returned to Green county and engaged in farming and mechanical occupa- tions. He was for three and one-half years with the F. B. Gardner Company, of Chicago, at their milling and ship building establishment on Green Bay as head joiner; having charge of finishing their vessels. For nearly two years he was book keeper for the lumber firm of A. M. Spear & Co., on the east shore of Green bay. He has held the office of treasurer for two years, also held the office of justice eight years for the town of Decatur, and is at present village justice in Brodhead. He was married in June, 1858, to Ophelia Wieks, of New York city. They have four children living-Martha Wicks, Edward A., Ophelia and Cornelia M. They lost one child in May, 1879, Freddie, aged ten and a half years.

Jerome Bonaparte Fleek is one of the seven children of Adam Fleek, who came with his parents to this county in 1846. He was born in Hampshire Co., Va., Aug. 23, 1830. After coming to this county he remained with his parents until his twenty-eighth year. He was then married to Margaret Hightshoe, daughter of David Hightshoe, of the town of Sylvester, 'and settled on section 21, where he resided till 1868. In that year he sold his farm to Philip Kilwine, and removed to his present residence. He now owns 490 acres of land. Mr. and Mrs. Fleek have three children-Kate, Virgil and Wade Hampton. Mr. Fleek was the youngest of nine sons. Like other members of the nu- merous Fleek family in the town of Decatur, he has acquired a competence.

Warren E. Gardner resides on section 2, where his father, Dewey Gardner, settled in 1846. Dewey Gardner was born in Bennington,

Vt., Sept. 10, 1807, where he was reared. He was married to Samantha Wadsworth, also born in the town of Bennington, Dec. 9, 1806. In 1845 he brought his family, consisting of a wife and three children, to Wisconsin, locating in Waukesha county. He only lived there one year, however, when he came to Green county. He improved his farm, and afterwards increased it to 508 acres. His widow still lives on the homestead with her son. They had three chil- dren-Gurdon, Warren E. and Martha. The latter is now the wife of Andrew Hall, who re- sides in Minnesota. Warren owns the home- stead. He was born in Bennington, Vt., in 1839. He owns 548 acres of land, and is exten- sively engaged in stock raising.

Between 1845 and 1850 the town settled rap- idly. Among the arrivals during this period were: John L. McNair, I. F. Mack, Samuel Mott, Anson Sheffield, J. B. Fleek, Dewey Gardner and a Mr. Pettibone.

Samuel Mott had a large family and made several claims. He joined the Utah Mormons in 1854.

Anson Sheffield came in 1846 and entered forty acres. In 1853 he sold to J. W. Stewart, joined the Mormons and went to Utah.

Mr. Pettibone came from Milwaukee in 1846 and located on the Sugar river, on section 10. With him came his two children, Harmon and Loretta. Mr. Pettibone died of cholera in 1849. The farm upon which he settled was divided between the children. The girl re turned to Milwaukee, where she married and died. IIarmon was rather an awkward boy, and fond of reading. He went to Ohio and at- tended school, his teacher being James A. Gar- field, who was his cousin, and finally graduated at the Michigan State University in 1859. He studied law with Hon. J. E. Arnold, at Milwau- kee, Wis., and entered into practice at La Crosse. When the war broke out he enlisted, and became major of the 20th Wisconsin regi- ment. In 1865 he resumed the practice of his profession at Greenville. Tenn., under the name

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

of A. H. Pettibone. He has grown to be a prominent man, and is now serving his second term in Congress.

FIRST EVENTS.

The first birth in the town was that of Caro- line Chambers, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Chambers, born in 1840. She is now the wife of Dr. Stair, of Black Earth, Wis.

The first school in the town was taught by Jabez Johnson, in a log school house, on section 20, on Mr. Moore's land. This was in the win- ter of 1844-5.

The first sermon preached in the town was de- livered at the house of Thomas Chambers, in 1842, by Rev. Ash, a Methodist divine.

The first marriage in the town was that of Delilah J. Moore, daughter of John Moore, to William Riley, of the town of Jefferson. This was in 1842. Riley died in the town of Sylvester. His widow married again and re- moved to Kansas, where she died.

The first mill in the town of Decatur was erected in 1845-6, by William Jones, on section 15, on Sugar river.

During the early autumn of 1846, the first deaths in the town occurred. The season was a very sickly one. The first adults to be called away by death were: David Bigelow, and a young man named William Nipple, a brother of Fred. Nipple. The first children to die were: John M. and Emily J. Northcraft. The former died Sept. 5, 1846, aged five years; the latter Sept. 15, 1846, aged nine years. These were children of Samuel and Elmira Northcraft.

The first blacksmith in the town was J. D. Cooper, who opened a shop in the village of .Decatur in 1842.

The first dwelling was a log house erected by John Moore, on section 20, in the fall of 1839. It was on the farm now owned by Jacob L. Roderick. The cabin was removed from the spot where it first stood by Mr. Roderick, and is now used as a tenant house on his farm.

The first bridge in the town of Decatur, as well as the first in Green county, was built

across Sugar river on section 14, in 1842. It was 100 feet in length. All the neighbors for miles around gathered to raise the bridge, but as there was no one to engineer the work the gathering did not succeed in the undertaking, and the structure was afterward raised with machinery by a man from Beloit. Joseph Woodle, of Sylvester, built the bridge. It was in use until 1856, when, the road having been vacated, it was taken down.

EDUCATIONAL.

There are seven full school districts in the town of Decatur, and educational facilities here are fully equal, if not superior, to those of any town in Green county. The districts are num- bered 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9. The following items, showing the condition of the various dis- tricts, were taken from the reports of the dis- trict clerks for the year ending June 30, 1883:

District No. 1. W. E. Gardner is clerk of this district. Number of pupils of school age, twenty-three; have a frame building, first cost of which was $400, present valuation, $200.

District No. 2. William HI. Murray, clerk. Total number of pupils of school age, twenty- eight. The school house in this district is a brick building.

District No. 3. W. L. Bowen, clerk; number of pupils of school age, nineteen; frame build- ing in good condition, cost $800; present value, $500.

District No. 4. J. N. Davis, clerk; total num- ber of pupils of school age, thirty-seven. This. district has a brick house which cost $1,200; at present it is in good condition and is valued at $800.

District No. 6. E. D. Hall, clerk; number of pupils of school age, forty-three. This district. has a stone school house, which cost about $1,000. Its present valuation is $500.

District No. 8. A. A. TenEyck, clerk; num- ber of pupils, thirty. The district has a frame structure, the present valuation of which is $75.

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

District No. 9. J. L. Roderick is clerk. Number of pupils thirty-three. The district has a frame building which cost $600.

There are two joint districts which embrace territory in this town. District No. 9, joint with Sylvester, has a building in the latter town. Nine of the pupils belong to this town. District No. 1, joint with Albany, embraces some territory in Decatur.

RELIGIOUS.

There are but two churches in the town of Decatur, outside of Brodhead : the M. E. Church on section 19, and the Baptist on section 6.

The first services of a religious character in the town, were held at the residence of Thomas Chambers, on section 19, in 1842. They were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Ash, a Methodist Episcopal missionary. Services were also held at the house of John J. Dawson at about the same time. Late in 1842 a class was formed. Among the members were: John and Mary A. Dawson, Thomas and Rebecca Chambers and Mrs. John Moore. Services were held at pri- vate houses until about 1844, when the log school house was erected on section 20. In 1848 a frame church 24x30 feet in size was built. The class increased gradually after its formation, and revivals were frequently held. John J. Dawson is the only one left of the original members. Nearly all of them are de- ceased. Regular services continued to be held until 1883, since which time most of the mem- bers have attended at Juda.

OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION.

The town of Decatur was organized in 1849. The first election was held at the school house, near William Jones' residence, on the 3d of April, 1849. At that time the following town officers were elected : Supervisors, George Gardner, chairman, Fitch Armstrong and Horace Countryman ; clerk, Martin Mitchell ; treasurer, Roswell D. Bigelow ; assessor, Perry Mitchell ; superintendent of schools, Erastus Hurlburt; justices of the peace, Thomas Stew- art, Martin Mitchell, William Wilford and

John B. Sawyer; constables, Samuel Rowe, Walter W. Wheaton and Stephen B. Saunders ; overseers of roads, Nelson F. Roberts and Charles A. Warner. At this meeting $120 was appropriated for school purposes, and $240 for contingent expenses. The judges of this elec- tion were: William Jones, Thomas Stewart and E. T. Fleek; D. Johnson was clerk of the election.

CEMETERIES.

In early days the dead of Decatur were buried on section 20, on the farm of John Moore. This was continued for a number of years, when a cemetery association was organ- ized, to which Mr. Moore donated one acre of ground. This took the name of Moore's Ceme- tery. It is located not far from the spot for- merly used for this purpose, and most of the bodies have been removed from the old to the new grounds.

The Monticello Baptist Church association have a cemetery in connection with their church on section 6, in this town. It was laid outin 1856. The first burial here was of the remains of Ed- mund Wheeler, who died Dec. 28, 1858. Bodies from other cemeteries, generally belonging to Baptist families, in adjoining towns, were re-in- terred here. The cemetery and church lot con- tain three acres.

DECATUR VILLAGE.

Decatur village was laid out in the spring of 1848, by William Jones. He had already built a house and soon afterward erected a hotel. A few years later I. F. Mack bought the greater part of the village. At this time the plat had not been recorded. Mr. Mack platted eighty acres and had it put upon record as Floraville, as a compliment to his wife's mother. Mr. Jones insisted that it should be called Decatur, and in 1852 it was so named by an act of the legislature. In 1857, the village had five stores, two hotels, two blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, a shoe shop and about 400 inhabitants.

A postoffice was established in the winter of 1841-2, with John Moore as postmaster, He

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

had the office named Decatur, in honor of Com- modore Decatur. From that the election pre- cinct took the name, and later the village and town.

EARLY DAYS IN DECATUR, BY I. F. MACK.

The following is a letter received from I. F. Mack, regarding the early history of Decatur: CHICAGO, March 18, 1884.

"Your favor of the 10th inst., was received at my office during a weeks confinement at my home from a very severe attack of winter cholera. I am now in poor condition to either write or think. You can learn from my son, residing in Brodhead, many facts of Decatur's early history, and also from the Messrs. Fleek, of that town, who were among the earliest set- tlers. I reached Decatur in September, 1848, and found, settled in the township, four Fleek brothers, two brothers-in-law of theirs and John J. Putman, an unele, all of them energetic, thrifty men.

"William Jones had run out his shingle from the door of a log house, and there kindly en- tertained strangers in that part of the town afterwards platted as the 'village of Flora- ville,' subsequently changed to "Decatur.' Poetic names did not take well on the frontier at that day.

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History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 109

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168