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 36

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 36

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).

The Flora of the woods in the spring was de- lightful to the vision. Many a time have I looked in rapture on their varied hues-the anemony, cowslip or shooting star, lupine, and bitter-sweet, woodbine, and so on, were the only sources of æsthetic enjoyment. Combined with the ornithology of the woods, we could study nature in the grandeur of its primitive state, before the rude ax desolated the forests-but there was more real, earnest work to do. The fields had to be formed by "breaking," stones dug up, "grubs" taken away and burned, fences made, etc., and then came the harvests rich in grain, but the "one man" had to "cradle," rake and bind, and do all the out-door chores alone, except when he was fortunate to be near a neighbor where he could "change work." Money was scarce-this was no Eldorado. Many had to keep their taxes long before, lest they could not find enough at the time. The coarsest garments were worn; at one time a lady asked in a store for to look at "poverty," meaning a kind of material which went by the name of

"hard times." Many of our early pioneers had both energy and brains, and had there been the chances then there are now for making money, they would have been successful-but the dis- tance to market, and financial depression in 1848 were great drawbacks.

Twenty-five of the men who voted at the first town meeting, held at Nelson Patterson's house, were voters in 1873. Now only ten remain in town, on the farms they first entered from Un- cle Sam. Their names are Anson Starkweather, Harvey Starkweather, James Eggleston, Frank- lin Patterson, William Smyth, Emery and Jona- than Smyth, Willis Hazeltine and James M'Coy -- some have retired to towns, and many more are gone the way of all the earth. So time passes. IX .- BY J. R. CROCKER, 1884.

Uncle Tom Bowen, who lived south of Mon- roe on the State line one mile north of Oneco, Ill., started with a double team of horses in the month of May, 1842, for Chicago to get his niece, her two children and your humble ser- vant and bring us to my uncle's, Stephen Estee, who lived over two miles east of Oneco. I came up the lakes with my aunt and her two children, Daniel and Abigail Estee, in the beau- tiful steamboat Great Western. In consequence of a heavy sand bar at the mouth of Chicago river our boat could not come up to the wharf, but remained outside until by the aid of two immense scows, she was unloaded of her goods to such an extent that she passed over the bar and alongside of the wharf about 3 o'clock P. M. All this time I was making good use of my eyes looking at the panorama. Old Fort Dear- born was in a dilapidated state, the palisades were broken down, but the block houses were well preserved. On looking up the river I could see a long line of low wooden buildings on the left hand bank, while on the right hand they were more scattered. I was not quite twenty- two, and as a consequence was unconscious of the flight of time, being very much absorbed in what was going on. Just at this critical junc- ture I heard my name shouted "Crocker." On

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looking around I perceived my aunt and her two children being hurried off on the double- quick by a large burly man who proved to be Uncle Tom Bowen. The next morning we were off carly; I was seated on the top of dry goods boxes clinging to the ropes that fastened them to the wagon box to keep myself from being precipitated into the sloughy marshes under the wagon wheels. At the end of nine miles we struck hard ground; the horses were covered with mud and water and they panted severely. We were all of us glad to get off the wagon on to the ground and rest up. The journey the rest of the way was delightful. The prairie schoon- ers attracted my attention very much. They were large wagons covered with white canvas, filled with pork, bacon, white beans, and lead from the mines, drawn by oxen, from three to five yoke being hitched to a wagon.

Finally, on the 19th of May, we landed at my uncle's. We shoved the boxes on to the ground and Uncle Tom 'seud' for home. The next Sun- day we started on foot for Uncle Tom's (myself and uncle). The first thing that attracted my attention was a carding machine on Richland creek, where subsequently I played Paddy with a wheelbarrow fixing the dam. This carding mill was owned and run by Mr. Rossman and was in sight of Oneco village. Just across from the carding mill and somewhat up stream, lived Grandpa Winchell and family and his son-in- law George West, who was an own brother to my aunt, Armida Estee, with whom I had come up the lakes. As Winchell and West had been here some time they had quite a start for new beginners. On passing up the valley to John K. Brewster's house, we met a tame deer with a large red band about his neck. As this was the first deer I had ever seen I was very much interested. On arriving at Brewster's I found as nice a man and woman as ever broke bread- no wonder they were universally popular. Bisil Belknap and wife and family lived in a house quite convenient to the same spring of water. Mr. Belknap afterwards helped me put up a log

house just into Dane county. Here I was in- troduced to Author Smith, who was afterward murdered for his money, just below Monticello in the township of Mount Pleasant. The next house was Uncle Tom Bowen's. I found Aunt Eliza Bowen and family living right up to the handle and in a splendid condition.

The year before Uncle Tom, his two oldest girls, Ann and Avis and Author Smith had raised on the farin 4,000 bushels of grain.

Think of this ye boys and girls of to-day. Ou going out back I beheld a little village of corn cribs filled to their very summits with corn. At this time corn was but ten cents a bushel. Uncle Tom declared very emphatically that he would not take less than twenty-five cents a bushel for that corn and he would be d-d if he would take any more. I think the ensuing winter was called the "hard winter," and people came from far and near to him for corn, hence his place was called "Egypt." When asked why he did not take a dollar a bushel for his corn, he replied he had given his word and sealed it with an oath, that twenty-five cents was all he would take and that he would not peril his soul's salvation by taking more. I could tell a good many anecdotes of Uncle Tom, but one more must suffice. One day he had snapped his rifle three times at a deer before it run; Tom came to the house in high dudgeon. Sitting down before his fire-place he commenced warming the lock (it was a pill lock) and snap- ping it. After a while he sat down in a chair, laying the gun across his lap with the muzzle pointed across the room, and commenced snap- ping as before. His oldest girl, Ann, was op- posite at a chest of clothes. She had pulled out a pillow case, and, just as she let the lid fall back to its place, the gun went off, the ball pass- ing through both legs just above the knees, striking the chest lid in its descent, plunged into one corner of the chest and made a little mouse nest in its gyrations among the frag- ments. In an instant Uncle Tom sprang, caught her in his arms, laid her on the bed, straddled a

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horse and shot like an arrow for the doctor. Dr. Bankston after a thorough examination of the wounds exclaimed, "Bowen you could not do that again if you should shoot a thousand times. The ball has not touched a bone nor a cord nor an artery. If the girl had been stand- ing up straight and firm the ball would have made serious work." As it was the wounds healed rapidly.

Sometime in June, 1842, my uncle, Capt. Estee, Author Smith and myself, went "claim hunting," as it was called, up into Dane county. We stopped for dinner at Uncle John Porter's, who lived on the Camp and Collins' place. His daughter, Almida, did the honors of the occasion. After dinner we went into the village. It must be remembered that Old Exeter was a mining town and was filled with bachelors, old and young. They were discussing fast and furious (whisky was cheap in those days), which was the pret- tiest girl anywhere around. The balance was trembling between Old Durgin's girl and Miss Porter. We three cast our votes for Miss Porter -we would not go back on the girl that got us a good dinner. Miss Porter subsequently mar- ried John Ferguson and raised a large family of nice children, and she is so well preserved in form and features that it would be a sin to call her an old woman.

On our way back to Oneco, we crossed Lit- tle Sugar river where Gillette's cheese factory now stands, and bearing southwest, crossing over high ridges. About noon we came to a man shingling a log house, on the top of a ridge. It proved to be Uncle Sylvester Ilills. He said he could not let us have dinner, as his family had not moved up yet. He directed us to keep on the top of the ridge until we got to a certain point, when we should turn to the left, go down into a valley, where a young married couple by the name of Bragg, lived. He was very partic- ular to tell us that the maiden name was Noble, and a noble woman she proved to be, and she got dinner for us in forty minutes, baking bis- cuit, boiling potatoes and making tea. We ate

with thankful hearts, paid our hostess in silver, returned many thanks and went our way. On the inside of three years ago, I rode to her house with Mr. Whitcomb, the music teacher. After awhile we sat down to dinner. It was a long extension table well supplied with the solid comforts of life, but above all it was surrounded with rosy cheeked girls and boys, to be a stay, a staff and support to them in their declining years. It so happened that I sat opposite Mrs. Bragg at the table. I says to her, "you have forgotten me." She did not recognize me even then. I recalled the facts to her. She laughed heartily and said the reason why she got dinner so quick, was that she was all alone and that she was as fraid as death of us, and got rid of us as soon as possible. She wanted to know what had become of the other two men. I told her that Smith was murdered, for his money, in less than two years, and that Capt. Estee, of com- pany H, of the Eagle regiment (the 8th), was severely wounded at the assault on Vicksburg, May 22, 1863, and died September following, and I alone was left to tell her.

Coming back to Uncle Hills: He lived to a good old age and was gathered to his fathers. He raised a large family of nice children, hav- ing been married twice. One of his boys, a tow-headed youngster, went to school to me when I taught in the early forties in the Amos Sylvester district. Since then this boy has come to man's estate, has married the Hon. R. E. Davis' sister, and both, that is the sister and young Sylvester, are keeping the Nichols House in Albany, Green county, where you can be done up brown for $2 a day. We reached Oneco in due time. Shortly after this, Smith got Mr. Belknap's horse, mounted into the sad- dle, went to old Mr. Shook's, on Green's Prairie, and finally drifted into Dane county, and made three claims, one for each of us. We loaded up two ox teams and started back im- mediately. We hired a yoke of cattle of Capt. Leonard Ross and went to breaking on sections 29 and 30, town of Montrose. By the next

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summer, Estee and Smith had altered ther no- tions. My uncle settled south of Belleville, in Green county, and Smith went on to section 17, the township of Mount Pleasant.

Anthor Smith and I were together the most of the time until he moved below Monticello. We cut hay on Sugar river flats twenty days and laid on the soft side of a puncheon floor and ate boiled redhorse fish instead of meat. We bunched onr hay with wooden forks and took a yoke of cattle and a wooden sled to haul the hay off with. One day while engaged at this work old John Armstrong shricked to us. We run up on a high bank and he showed us a very large white wolf. It was a monster in size, so much so that we thought it was an Indian pony. I have seen him once since. About three years ago Frank Smith and myself saw a white wolf on nearly the same ground-a very large one.

The last of September my father and mother and two brothers came on from the town of Salem, Washington Co., N. Y. My father had not been with Smith more than ten minutes be- fore he found out that his father had been my father's old school teacher in Vermont. As you may suppose our entire family became very much attached to him. Smith boarded with us until he went below Monticello, and made an- other claim, and just before he was killed he was up to our house for seed potatoes and other things. He was the living embodiment of good health and robustness. He was above the me- dium height, well-built and heavy limbed, with black hair and eyes and rosy cheeks. Ile was very retiring and quiet in manner, but warmed up to intimate friends, and even after the lapse of forty years we feel wonderfully stirred when we think of him.

The other day (Monday, April 28, 1884,) while standing on the ground where he was foully murdered* my breast was torn with con- flicting emotions, the warm mist came to my eyes, and I would have restored him to life if

possible. But I must hasten to the awful catas- trophe which ended his life. Smith had a log cabin built on the north side of his claim, near the river bank. We let him have a spotted dog, the sole companion of his lonely hours, and if that dog could have talked, the murderer could have been found ont. After Smith had made a certain amount of improvements, he took a no- tion to sell out his claim. Accordingly, some time the last of May, 1844, he sold out to Abram Pratt for $200, in English sovereigns. These sovereigns were put down flatwise in a buckskin pouch until it was filled. This pouch was secreted in a pattern for pants, put into his trunk with other things and locked up, the said trunk being in his log house, this dog being the only one to watch it in Smith's absence. Right here I will say that the public don't know as yet who murdered him, but we sincerely hope that the real murderer can't die until he con- fesses. A great many men have been suspic- ioned. * *

After Smith was killed (I have consulted quite a number just recently) he lay about two weeks. After awhile old 'Squire Pierce's boys came across Smith's cattle in the yoke. Those boys were honest enough to kick np a dust about it. The whole country was alarmed and turned out en masse. One of the Pierce boys mounted a horse, alarmed Monroe and went down to Uncle Tom Bowen's. A crowd turned out, George West among others. Some went to dragging the Sugar river, others went hunting in the woods. When Joe Payne and his crowd came from Monroe they went to Smith's break- plow and after diligent search Smith's remains were found down a steep bank in wet ground and in tall grass. Then when his skull was found the horrible truth dawned on them that Smith had been murdered instead of being lost. The story was that he was lost. No one sus- picioned that a peaceable, inoffensive man like Smith would be murdered, but when the crowd went to Smith's cabin and found the trunk

* Three-fourth's of a mile southeast of Monticello, on the Sugar river. The killing of Smith was in August, 1844. - ED.

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broken open and the $200 in gold, gone, the whole truth flashed on them.

A coroner's jury was impaneled to hold an inquest on the remains. Justice of the Peace, Major Downing, chose the following jurors: Robert Whitter, John Ferguson, Gabe Long, Lewis Nixon, old Mr. Foster and Leonard Ross. These two last names we are not so certain about. I will now state that Robert Whitter and Gabe Long tied handkerchiefs over their mouths and with the aid of long sticks rolled Smith's remains on a sheet and the whole was put into a box for interment. The skull was taken over to the tavern and also the ax. The jury

after a short session at the house of Stedman adjourned over to the tavern, kept by Robert Whitter, in the village of Exeter. I was at this examination myself; it was at night. By this time suspicion had pretty well settled on William Boyls. His own testimony under oath confirmed the belief. He was tried down at Monroe, but nothing could be made out and he was set free. Soon after this he left the coun- try. Rumor has it that death bed confessions have been made in Missouri and California, but as to that we don't know. The remains of Smith were interred near to where he was killed and about three years ago he was taken up and re-interred in the cemetery at Monticello.

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

CHAPTER IX.

FIRST THINGS.

The first school, with which Green county was favored, was taught by Ralph Hildebrand. This was a subscription school. Andrew Clarno, William Bowen, Bennett Nowlin and William Boyls, thinking it unwise not to provide for the education of their children, engaged Mr. Hil- debrand to teach them, and thus was formed a neighborhood school. Having at that time no school house, a small log building, set on a hill- side, on section 36, in what is now the town of Cadiz, the lower part designed for a root cellar and the upper part for a smoke-house, to which uses it had already been devoted, was taken, and the upper part converted into a school room. This was in the winter of 1836. The first school house in the county was built in the vicinity of Mr. Clarno's in the year 1837, on section 30. The second was built at New Mexico, in 1838. They were of logs and very rude structures.

The first preachers were Methodists. Daniel Harcourt and A. C. Delap came in 1836 and preached in the different settlements, using the cabins or the groves as meeting houses. Soon after came a Campbellite preacher by the name of William Blunt, who afterward went to Texas with the view of advocating his pro-slavery sen- timents. He was received there as a hypocrite and driven out. He returned to Green county somewhat changed in sentiment, and full of re- vengeful wrath. After this experience, he is said to have entertained some doubts as to slavery being a divine institution. Ile after- ward entered the Union army in the late war. He only got in by deception. In 1847, Rev. J. D. Stevens, a Congregationalist, settled at

Monroe, and preached regularly at the school house. The first church in the county was built by the Methodists, in 1847, at Monroe.

The first marriage celebrated in Green county took place at the Clarno settlement, in 1834, between Josiah Blackmore and Nancy Wallace. Blackmore afterward moved to Warren, III. The second marriage was between James Haw- thorn and Massey Boyls, in August, 1836, near Monroe.

The first frame house in the county was built in 1836, by Joseph Payne, a Mr. Billinger and O. C. Smith, at an expense of $1,500. The lum- ber for this building was brought from the Al- legheny, down the Ohio, and up the Mississippi to Galena, and from there hauled on wagons to New Mexico, where the house was erected. This house was used as a store.

The first grand jury held their session in a log blacksmith shop, known as "Buckskin" Brown's shop.

The first white child born in Green county, was Louisa Wallace-afterwards Mrs. Charles Thomas. But this must be considered construct- ively, as the child drew its first breath in Galena, Ill., Aug. 7, 1830, its parents having their home, at that date, in Exeter, Green county. The first white child actually born in Green county, was a daughter of Nicholas Hale and Eliza IIale, in the year 1834, at the house of Andrew Clarno. The next child born was Charles R. Deniston, son of John W. Deniston and Maria Deniston, in 1835.

The first election in Green county for county officers was on the 5th of March, 1838, at the

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house of Jacob Ly Brand, in what was then called New Mexico, now a part of the city of Monroe. Two hundred and thirty-one votes. were cast. Only county commissioners were elected. These were Daniel S. Sutherland, William Bowen and Daniel Harcourt.

The first annual election was held in August, 1838, when one commissioner of the county, one treasurer, one register, one coroner, one assessor, and one collector were elected; but no one re- ceived a certificate, as the election was held on the wrong day. Another, and this time a legal election, was held Sept. 10, 1838.

The first county fair was held in November, 1853, at the court house in Monroe -- $100 being paid in premiums.

The first regular physician who practiced in Green county was Dr. Bankston, who lived just south of the State line in Illinois. The second was Dr. Peter Springstead who came soon after Dr. Bankston.

John A. Bingham settled at Monroe in the year 1842, and was the first lawyer in the county. John W. Stewart was the second.

The first hotel in the county was built in 1837, by Payne, Billinger & Smith, at New Mexico. The building was two stories high, the main part 26x36 feet on the ground, with a wing 16x18 fect. This was a great step in ad- vance; and for a long time, the inhabitants looked with pride at the building as a grand affair.

The first court of record held in Green county was the United States district court, in the month of April, 1838. It was presided over by Chief Justice Charles Dunn; George McFadden (late of Dane county), clerk, who was succeeded by M. Bainbridge. After the second term of this court, David Irvin succeeded Judge Dunn, and continued to preside until the organization of the circuit court under the constitution and laws of the State of Wisconsin in 1848.

"The first election for members of Congress, and State officers, in which the people of Green county participated, was held on the second

Monday of May, 1848. By the State constitu- tion the county of Green was assigned along with Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, Racine, Walworth and Rock, to the first congressional district, to elect one member. At this first election William Pitt Lynde was the successful candidate to represent the district in the 30th Congress. The county was by the same fundamental law made a part of the 8th sen- atorial district of Wisconsin. E. T. Gardner, of Monroe, was the choice of this district for senator. Green county at first constituted but one assembly district. Henry Adams, of Mon- ticello, was the first to represent the county in the assembly of the State.

The first term of the circuit court held in Green county commenced its session on the 4th day of September, 1848, and was presided over by Judge E. V. Whiton.

The first election in Green county after Wis consin became a State, and under town organi- zation, was held Sept. 3, 1849, for the election of a county judge. John A. Bingham received 448 votes out of the 702 polled, and was elected.

The first homicide of a white man was the killing of Boner by McNutt, in what is now the town of Exeter in 1828.

The first person tried by a jury was Daniel Harcourt. He was charged with removing and destroying the boundaries of a lot of land. Verdict: "Not guilty."

In October, 1839, Frederick Bedtner made the first declaration of intention to become a citizen.

John Thorp, the first naturalized citizen of Green county, took the oath on the 14th day of April, 1841.

The first court in Green county was hekdl at the house of Jacob Ly Brand.

The first county seat was located about two and a half miles northeast of what is now the city of Monroe, and was named "Roscoe."

The first public improvement contemplated in any part of Green county was the making of a canal or slack-water navigation from Mineral

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Point to the Illinois State line in the Pekatonica, by the "Pekatonica Navigation Company." This company was incorporated in 1839. It is needless to say that slack-water navigation of the Pekatonica was never accomplished.

The first grave to receive a white settler was one dug by the pioneers, in what is now the town of Exeter, in 1828, to receive the mortal remains of Boner, who was killed by D. Mc- Nutt, at what was afterward called "Sugar River Diggings."

The first deed known to have been executed for land within the present limits of Green county, was the following, which conveyed title to "the west half of the northwest quarter of section 30, in township 4 north, of range 9 east" (in the present town of Brooklyn), con- taining seventy-six and eighty-one hundredths acres :

"This indenture made the fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty six, between Thomas A. Holmes and Ursula, his wife, of Milwaukee, of the first part and Abraham Bolser of the same place, of the second part, witnesseth : That the said parties of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars to them in hand paid by the said party of the second part, the receipt where- of is hereby conferred and acknowledged, have granted, bargained, sold, remised, released, aliened and confirmed, and by these presents do grant, bargain, sell, remise, release, alien and confirm, unto the said party of the second part, and to his heirs and assigns forever, the one equal and undivided half of all that certain tract of land known and described on the re- ceiver's certificate of the land office of Green Bay, to-wit : The southeast quarter of section No. 3 and lot No. 2 of section No. 27, in town- ship No. 4 north, of range No. 11 east, con- taining 198.66 acres; also the west half of the northwest quarter of section No. 30, in town- ship No. 4 north, of range No. 9 east, contain- ing 76.80 acres.

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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 36

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