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 156

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 156

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Y., where he was married Feb. 14, 1831. His wife died in Sylvester, Aug. 30, 1847, leaving five children-Richard, deceased; Abram W., Henry W., Mary, deceased; and Moses. He was again married Ang. 7, 1848, to Mrs. Loraine Rust, widow of Henry Ford. Mr. Sylvester was prominent in both town and county affairs. lle held the office of assessor seven years. He was one of the originators of the Insurance Company of Sylvester. He was killed by his team running away, Sept. 14, 1882. He was a much esteemed citizen. His widow still resides at the homestead. Charles Sylvester, who came at the same time as did Amos, married and went to Kansas; but later returned and now lives in Polk Co., Wis.

On the 2d of May, 1837, Davis Bowen, a na- tive of Virginia, came and entered land on sec- tion. 27, where he broke some land and erected a cabin. The following fall he returned to Vir- ginia, and brought his family back with him in the spring of 1838. He died in this town May 6,1867.

James E. Bowen, a son of Davis Bowen, an old settler and prominent citizen, was born in Fayette Co, Penn., Sept. 25, 1825. Hle went with his father's family to Preston Co., Va., where they had many relatives, and resided un- til the spring of 1838. They then started, traveling with teams to the Ohio river, then by water, to Galena, Ill., thence to Green county, arriving in the town of Sylvester, April 21. James E. being quite young at that time, spent considerable time in hunting and fishing, with the young men of his age, sons of the earliest settlers of the county, who resided in that vicin- ity. He went back to Virginia in the fall of 1848, and on his return to Green county, found when he arrived in St. Louis, that the Missis- sippi river was frozen, so took a steamer on the Illinois river and came as far as Urbana, where, on account of the ice, he left the boat and took passage by stage to Freeport, which was within twenty-five miles of his home, paying his fare to that point. On account of bad traveling he

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

was obliged to walk a good share of the time. Finally, becoming disgusted with that mode of travel, he abandoned the stage, and struck out on foot for home, and walked a distance of sixty miles. He received a limited education in the common schools. In 1851 he went to Oregon and California, crossing the plains, having in charge six yoke of oxen, and arrived at the first settlement in Oregon on September 17. He engaged in mining in California until the spring of 1853, when he returned to Green county by way of the Isthmus of Panama, New Orleans, and the Mississippi river. Since that time he has visited Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas. He was married March 17, 1859, to Martha A. Clark, who was born in Perry, Penn., Feb. 14, 1829. Her parents were natives of Penn- sylvania, and settled in Miami Co., Ohio, in an early day. They came to Green county in 1848 and settled in the town of Decatur, where Mrs. Bowen lived until the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Bowen have two children - Davis and Susan H. Mr. Bowen is politically a den)- ocrat. He owns a fine farm of 440 acres, valued at $60 per acre.

In the spring of 1838 Reese Rush came with his family and settled on section 35.

Benjamin Mitchell, a brother of Jesse, came at about the same time. He was back and forth between this place and Pennsylvania, but finally settled here and is still a resident.

Benjamin Mitchell is a native of Fayette Co., Penn., born in 1814. He grew to manhood and obtained his education in his native State. His parents were natives of the same State, and em- igrated to Green county in 1846. They reared a family of ten children, of whom Benjamin was the second. Mrs. Mitchell died in this county, in 1862, and Mr. Mitchell, in 1884. The sub- ject of this sketch came to Green county in the spring of 1838. He lived two years with his brother Jesse, then bought land and settled in the town of Spring Grove. He was married, in 1855, to Elizabeth Coun, a native of Kentucky, born in 1833. IIe continued to live in Spring

Grove until the spring of 1860, when he bought his present home and removed to it. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have three children-Amanda, Sophia and Carrie. Mrs. Mitchell and her two daughters are members of the Baptist Church at Juda. Mr. Mitchell paid $20 per acre for his farm in 1860, which contains eighty acres, now valued at $60 per acre.

In the spring of 1839, there came a party from Fayette Co., Penn., consisting of Dr. Griffith, Isaac Betts and family and Jacob Stull.

At about this time the little settlement was visited by Abner Mitchell, the father of Jesse and Frank. The old gentleman shortly after- ward became a resident of the county. Abner was a preacher of the Baptist faith, and fre- quently held services in the neighborhood.

T. W. Thompson, a native of New York city, came to Green county, at a very early day, and settled in the town of Cadiz. In the fall of 1838, he came to the town of Sylvester, and settled on section 11, where he lived until the time of his death. The family remained upon the place for several years, then the widow lived with her children in various places.

In May, 1839, Jastus Sutherland and family came from Coles Co., Ill., having originally come from Madison Co., N. Y. Justus Suther- land located on sections 10 and 11, where he lived until the time of his death in December, 1873. The little old log cabin, which was erected in 1839, still stands in a fair state of preservation, while near by stands the dwelling which was afterward erected, furnishing a marked contrast. Mr. Sutherland was seventy- six years of age when he died. He was born in the State of Vermont in 1797, emigrated to the State of New York, from there to Illinois, and from thence to Green county. He left at the time of his death, a wife and ten children. The widow died in April, 1875. The children were -John and Andrew, who now live in Mon- roe; J. A., who lives in Sylvester; George, who is in business in Monroe; Samuel, who is

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

now in Dakota; Arick, who still occupies the old homestead; Jerusha, the oldest girl, mar- ried Abner Long, and now lives in Dakota; Hannah married Mr. Yant, and now lives in Iowa; Kate married J. W. F. Randall, and now lives in Monroe; and Mary, unmarried, now lives on the homestead.

With this party, when they came to the town of Sylvester, came two of Mr. Sutherland's sisters: Mrs. Rachel Sylvester, mother of A. R .; and Mrs. Jerusha Colton. Mrs. Sylvester set- tled on land on section 21, where she lived with her son, Charles, for a few years; then broke up housekeeping, and lived with A. R., her son, until her death. She had four sons-John took land adjoining his mother, where he lived a few years, then went to Belleville, Dane county, where he went into business. He died a num- ber of years ago, in Kentucky. Harlow Sylves- ter came here several years after the arrival of his mother, and settled on section 3. He lived there a number of years, then removed to Madi- son, to school his children at the university and still lives upon a farm near that city. The youngest son married Miranda Hills and, settled on a farm on sections 1 and 12. He lived there a while, then bought and entered land on section 10, where he lived a few years, then left and now lives in Polk Co .. Wis.

Mrs. Jerusha Colton entered land and settled on section 9, where she lived until the time of her death. Her youngest son, Melzar, still lives upon the old homestead; John, the oldest son, took land adjoining his mother's, married Eliza- beth Hilborn, and lived there until the time of his death. His widow is now in Dakota. Mrs. Colton had one daughter, who married Nelson Hills and settled on section 3. She died in 1883, in Polk county, where they had moved after a number of years residence in Sylvester.

Sylvester Hills also came in the fall of 1838, from the State of New York. He located on section 21, where he lived eight or ten years, then went to a farm on sections 4 and 9. He

remained there for a number of years, then removed to Albany. He died in 1880, while visiting one of his daughters in this town. His widow died in 1883.

A. G. Houghton, a native of Kentucky, came here in 1838 and entered four "eighties" and one "forty" on sections 35 and 36. His parents had settled at Springfield, Ill., and he struck ont for the lead mines at Galena and Mineral Point, before the Black Hawk War. A few years later he came to Monroe, where for a time he was postmaster, and finally to the town of Sylvester. He was a single man. Bringing a team and plow with him, he broke a few acres for himself and some for Davis Bowen and Henry Miner. About 1853 he was married to Priscilla Summerill, a school teacher. They lived in the town for ten or twelve years after that time, when he sold out and went to An- drew Co., Mo., where he died.

Others who should be mentioned as early set- tlers in this town are : Daniel Wessel, John Chryst, Mr. Roderick, Jacob Stauffacher and Samuel Vance.

Jacob A. Stauffacher was born in Switzerland, in December, 1835. He came with his parents, Anton and Anna Stanffacher, to Green county in 1845. After living in New Glarus six weeks, the family came to Sylvester, and the father worked ont for three years at fifty cents pe day, boarding himself. In 1848 he bought a farm in Mount Pleasant, where he lived until his death, with the exception of six months he lived with his son, Isaiah, in the town of Sylves- ter, where he died Nov. 5, 1883. The mother died July 4, 1879. There was a family of nine chil- dren, six boys and three girls-Jacob, Mathias, Anton, Isaiah, John, Edward, Anna, Barbara and Mary. Jacob, the subject of this sketch, received a common school education, and was married Dec. 7, 1871, to Catharine Luchsinger, who was born in Switzerland, in June, 1832. They have five children-Anton, Lucinda, Gilbert

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

Edwin and Emma. The farm contains 225 acres, which makes a desirable home.

Samuel Vance, one of the pioneers of the town of Sylvester, first located on section 6, of the town of Jefferson, in 1845, but the following year, sold out, and entered forty acres in Syl- vester, on which he still resides, also purchased the northwest quarter of section 33, of Whit- ney and Ripley, for which he paid $200. He has been a large land holder, owning a one time, 468 acres. He paid $29 per acre for the last land that he purchased. He was married in Pennsylvania, Feb. 16, 1841, to Lavina Johns, a 'native of Fayette county of that State. They had seven children-James P., George D., John B., Hugh J., Ezekiel T., Dan- iel W. and Rebecca R. His wife died April 4, 1883. She was, with her husband, a member in good standing, of the Baptist Church in Juda. Samuel Vance was born in George township, Fayette Co., Penn., Feb. 21, 1816. His father was a native of Ireland, and his mother of Switzerland. She came with her parents to America when three years old. Samuel ob- tained a common school education in his native county where his younger days were spent, and was engaged in farming previous to coming to this county.

REMINISCENCE. [By T. B. Sutherland]

We are asked to sketch from memory a few items of the early history of Green county. While any person's life is a history that would interest most readers if written up with the vivid delineation that flows from the pen of Hugo; yet while to live, history is a natural sequence of life, to write it is another thing. Having written this much of preliminary, I will try and render the little assistance I can in helping to preserve the memory of the times in which I have lived. Hoping that all who read may not read to criticize, but with charity for the failings I am but too conscious of.

My earliest recollections of my own life is when my father and family lived near the resi-

dence of D. W. Sutherland, where they first settled after their removal here from Darien, Genesee Co., N. Y. I was born in Darien, N. Y., on the 29th of September, 1834. I will re- cite a few of the incidents of my life which al- though they may seem very common place and uninteresting to most readers, made a lasting impression upon my mind during the period of early childhood. I have a faint recollection of chills and fever, which though almost universal, and oft recurring in many cases, left me after three weeks never to return. William C. Green was my first teacher. Being a great friend of my father's he often trundled me on his knee, and used to tell me if I would learn fast and grow up a good man, I should have a certain daughter of his of my own age, for a wife, and amuse himself hearing me spell whig-hwig. I remember Gov. Henry Dodge visited the family as he did many families in the then Territory, he being engaged in a controversy with the wild cat banks of the time, discussed the ques- tions of the day, the bank question among the rest, my father he being opposed to such unsta- ble institutions. And, that after insisting on paying for his entertainment and lodging, and the refusal of the older members to take pay, he gave me one of the dollars of our daddies because my name was Thomas Benton, as he said a sound money man.

When our family removed to section 15, town- ship 2 north, range 8 east, since named Sylvester, a distance of seven miles, we passed only three houses, and there were only eighty rods between the two farthest. Our house 18x20 feet inside was surrounded by grass five to seven feet high, and a spring of thirty feet in circumference and three fect deep was searched in vain for by the three younger members of the family, a re- ward being offered if we found it that night, which we failed to do. A huge fire place sup- plied heat and a place to cook our food.

There were at this time five boys-Martin, John, Solomon, James and myself, (Thomas) and two girls-Esther Jane and Frank C.,

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making, with our parents, nine persons. In June, 1843, a heavy fall of rain for three days, with intervals between showers, so swelled the little rivulets near the house, that it became a rushing torrent of forty rods in width, submerging every foot of ground about the house. The little chicks first sought safety on one point, and then on another, on the mound of chips near the house, and then the house. Soon the floor, (which was of loose or un-nailed boards), began to float, and the chickens and children sought the loft for safety. It was from the efforts on the part of my father to secure and save his floating property, that he, by over exertion and exposure, became the victim of miasmatic influ- ences in the form known as chills and fever. The news of his illness brought to his bedside many friends, one of whom influenced him to send for a so-called doctor, who by the wicked- est of lies, cheated him into taking calomel, and thereby becoming salivated, and dying from the terrible poisoning, after weeks of untold suffer- ing; being unable to take nourishment, as one of his nurses has since told me, for three weeks. The loss of my father, I have always considered the greatest calamity of my life. Thus left an or- phan at the early age of six years, the youngest of the second family, having one own sister, my mother and three half brothers. I grew up with the country, vegetating through years of monot- onous misery, seeing little outside of a few ad- joining farms, attending school a few weeks in each succeeding winter, when too often the ped- agogues simply . taught because they were good for nothing else. One of the first I remember about, being incapable of interesting his class in the rules of orthography, etc., as taught in the first pages of the old elementary spelling book, undertook to frighten, and even succeeded in so frightening his class that they did actually improve in recitations; by making them believe he would be obliged to hang them if they failed again. He covered his face with his hands, and emitted groans and shed tears until he drew tears from the eyes of his class. The school

room was a log house, situated on the northwest quarter of section 15, of what is now the town of Sylvester. It was erected by the united ef- forts of the citizens. The house was heated by a fireplace; the wood being cut at noon by the big boys. Fuel was donated and hauled to the school by its patrons. This school house has an interesting history of its own. But to continue about schools-another teacher was called "too baby," because he was so effeminate. It was fine sport for the boys to hunt rabbits at noon; and they never could hear the rap of the rule on the window, which was the teacher's only call, until the last boy was tired of the sport. Thus it was that on a certain occasion, when two of the county school commissioners, (there were three for the county; whose duties were somewhat similar to that of the county superin- tendent at the present time), came to visit our school, were surprised about half past 2 o'clock, by the appearance of a company of fifteen boys, ranging from seven to twenty years of age, who appeared at the school room door, under the leadership of Capt. C. F. Thompson, with all the pomp and pride of conquering warriors. In fact the surprise seemed to paralyze both par- ties for an instant. The commissioners, how- ever, S. P. Condel and E. T. Gardiner, when they understood the importance of our mission, and that we were regularly mustered into the service, and out on duty, with some effort sup- pressed their smiles, and gravely admonished us to use a degree of moderation in the exercise of our duties; when our captain blandly explained that we did not take as extensive exercise, except on very fine days, like the present one, which was very bright and sunny, as our wet garments from wading in the snow, knee deep, gave tes- timony.

Another teacher was that poor, unfortunate J. L. Brows, once captain of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria's body guard, and who claimed a col- legiate education and the mastery of seven dif- ferent languges, with many other distinguished accomplishments. He did not believe in a re_

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

publican government, and desired to make it ludicrous in the eyes of his pupils. Thus, if they were boisterous and noisy, he would laugh and say: "Such is the result of Ameri- can free institutions; there is no government about the American system." If any one sug- gested that he should keep better order, he would reply: "Hit's a free country, let them 'ave their freedom." If any quarrels were going on, and he was appealed to, he would reply: "Oh, hit's a free country, let them fight hit out." When he thought us tired of sitting, or uncom- fortably cold, he would call us out on the floor, and forming the old fashioned figure four, would whistle for us to dance. Our studies were limited to the three R's, in the parlance of the olden time, with spelling. School some- times commenced by reading a chapter or two from the Bible; then the class, often consisting of twenty pupils, in the old English reader, would read from one book, passing it from one to the other; then a class of new beginners read short sentences from the old elementary spell- ing book.

My earliest recollections of religious services are those that were held in this old school house by Rev. James Sherrad, of the Christian denomination, and then a man by the name of Lowe, of the same Church, held services off and on for about two years; the former being a man of culture from the State of New York, and the latter an uncultured Hoosier, one of those ne'er do well, happy and easy sort, who claimed to have been called to preach, but who called very few to hear. This man usually stopped at our house for dinner, and after his noon day pipe would saunter out into the adjoining woods, and within an hour or two would come back, ex- pressing his admiration of nature, the soothing effect of the balmy air of the shady grove. The fact soon developed that he was hiving the bees that congregated near the door, and that he was a very good bee-hiver. But the path of duty is often rewarded by a crown of thorns; and so it came about that after the third suc-

cess in his after sermon bee-hiving, some half dozen of the mischievous young Americans of the neighborhood congregated one Sabbath af- ternoon and turned this field of afternoon ser- mon meditation into one of boisterous hilarity. The prize of the zealous Christian was appro- priated by the unruly Sabbath-breakers. The sound of the ax was heard; the voice of the thunders announced the fall of the mighty oak, and the bees were overpowered with fire and smoke; then the pillage and its result; colic to the victors, who left the field one by one, ex- pressing sweet satisfaction in their share of the spoils. They would saunter off toward the house, quickening their pace to a run as soon as out of sight of the unsatisfied, and when they reached the house, presented faces contorted with pain and cried out for sweet milk as an an- tidote.

At the age of thirteen, I attended school in the same district where I first commenced my education. The teacher, Ozara Stearns, was very energetic and forcible in his work. (He has since been United States senator to fill vacancy from Minnesota.) During my four- teenth year I attended school in the old log house, which, by the way, was our first home in the town of Sylvester. The teacher was George McIntyre, of the State of New York. The next summer a new school house was built on the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of section 10. Being painted red, it was called the Red school house. Here I attended school a few weeks, but the measles being prevalent, and myself one of the victims, I received but little benefit from the school.

At the age of sixteen, (my brother, Martin, liaving died, and some changes being neces- sary), I went from home to work for my brother, A. I. I then went home for a month; thence to A. R. Sylvester, where, on the 3d of July, after working hard, and it being a very hot day, I went in bathing, and so injured my health that I became an invalid; and for sev- eral years during this time, I must acknowledge

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the extreme kindness of my brother's family. The natural kindness and solicitude of an af- fectionate mother, and the forbearance and liberality of my brother, Solomon, which was fully equalled by the kindness and generous helping hands of my sister-in-law, Mrs. Ellen Sutherland.

In the spring of 1858, I started with my consin, W. W. Sutherland, to look for govern- ment land, walking from the town of Sylvester to Chippewa Falls, with the exception of a ride on the cars of sixty miles, and two miles in a wagon. We walked over fifty miles one day, and for several days made from forty to forty-five miles. In the fall of 1860, I cast my first vote for President, voting for Stephen A. Douglas. Having gone through that exciting campaign, supporting him and his policy of government, actively and enthusiastically, feel- ing that a failure to elect would bring war and all its accompanying disasters. I had on elec- tion day left my mother quite unwell; she hav- ing been an invalid for fifteen years and often seriously ill. Supposing there was no immedi- ate danger, and my sister, F. C., being with her, I only returned to find her on her death-bed. The last long sleep of life had fallen upon her. Thus she passed from earth as she had lived, in peace and quietness, with none to blame, but many to bless. If fault she had,as is but human nature, the greatest was in generosity and self- sacrifice. Being my father's second wife and sister of the first, she had been a mother to his children years before her sister's death, her sister being in poor health. After her sister's death, she took full charge of the family, the youngest being a mere babe. After the older boys were grown to manhood, it was necessary to come into the far west away from all the old friends and early surroundings that there could be a home secured for all. This she cheerfully consented to do, knowing and feeling that her own children must be deprived of the benefits of her already hard earned right to the enjoy- ment of all the privileges of the society that

had become established and organized by the kindred spirits of her old New England home, with schools and Churches. A country abund- antly supplied with fruit, and endowed by all the privileges that tended to make life pleasant and secured home comforts. On the death of my father, his only will was to charge my older brothers to be kind to her, always furnish her a good home, with its necessary comforts; to give his children a home and an education. It was then that her great life trials commenced, and well did she fill her part, laboring with head and heart and hands from long before dawn, often into the small hours of the beginning of the coming day dawn, cheerfully, hopefully without the asking of others, working because work accumulated,as work one must with a family of from six to nine, where, as in the olden time, hand carding, spinning, weaving, hand-made clothing, and the everlasting knitting must be done. Still her heart was borne up with her truly Christian spirit, and the patient, pleasant smile. The oft quoted Bible maxim, the wis- dom of poor Richards sayings and maxims; the wit and wisdom of Franklin; bits of poetry from Burns, Dryden, Pope, Campbell and Shakespear, Moore, Scott, and others. Now and then snatches of hymns, full of plans for others, always oblivious of self. She carried her part and did the work more than her strength was sufficient for, until finally her con- stitution gave way; lung fever, followed by permanent weakness of the lungs, and then consumption, slow, but carrying its seal of death always in view, no one knowing the day or the hour. If it be possible to earn in this life a re- ward in the life to come, her reward must be great indeed.

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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 156

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