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 58

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 58

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agree to iron and put on the rolling stock-or at least such an offer has been made."

The work of grading this road was begun by the Sugar River Valley Railroad Company upon subscriptions to stock. The Milwaukee Senti- nel, under date of January, 1857, says:

"We learn from J. H. Warren, an enterpris- ing merchant of Albany, Green county, that the work on the Sugar River Valley R. R., which is to give the people of the fertile and popular region near the east line of Green county, an outlet to market and a connection with all the world and the rest of mankind, is being pushed forward with commendable diligence.

"The contractors expect to have the track from Albany to Brodhead, on the Southern Wisconsin Railroad ready for the rails by the time the S. W. Railroad reaches Brodhead in the spring. This enterprise has been pushed along quietly, but surely, and rests on the sure basis of home subscriptions of stock."

The following from the Monroe Sentinel of April 13, 1870, shows the majority given in the town of Albany for aid to this railroad:

"The majority in the town of Albany for railroad bonds to aid in the construction of the Sugar River Valley Railroad was ninety. There was also a good majority for the same in the town of Exeter. We believe all the towns along that route, in this county, except Spring Grove, have fully expressed a willingness to aid in building the road. We believe it is the pur- pose of those having in charge the construction of this road to grade and tie it, and then mort- gage the same for the iron and rolling stock. Things look encouraging for our neighbors, and everything shows that they are working with a will."

On the 11th of June, 1873, the Monroe Senti- nel has the following:

"Charles Campbell, the president and prin- cipal man of the Sugar River Valley Rail- road Company, has returned from his visit of several months in Europe, where it is said he has arranged matters for the probable speedy

construction of the road. An engineer is to be sent over immediately to make a survey and re- port the condition of things, and, if found to be satisfactory and as represented by Mr. Camp- bell, that gentleman has no doubt of his being able to complete the arrangements for money to finish the road from Portage to Rockford, or some other connecting point. . The Sugar river valley folks, including Mr. Campbell, are highly elated with the prospect. The road, when built, will be a good thing for Albany."

The grading of the road was finished by the contractors-James Campbell and L. H. and E. F. Warren-from Albany to Brodhead in May, 1859. Nothing further was done on the line for twenty-one years. In July, 1880, J. H. Warren closed a contract with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company to complete the road. The old grade, which, in many places, had been washed away, was re- paired, and two and one-half miles of new grade made. The work was at once put in charge of E. F. Warren, who completed it so as to enable the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company (who had only to lay the rails and put on the rolling stock) to commence running on the "Albany Branch" Oct. 22, 1880. The expense of grading and ties was paid by citizens of Albany.

James Campbell

was born in Susquehanna Co., Penn., Feb. 19, 1814. Hle belonged to a numerous family, and the parents not possessing largely of this world's goods, the children were early taught the important lesson of self-reliance; and in the case of James this lesson was never forgotten. He re- ceived what at that day was deemed a good com- mon school education, and at the age of twenty- one started out in life for himself, and in 1835, came to Wisconsin. The next season he rented a farm in Green county and devoted himself vigor- ously as a farmer. He soon purchased a farm in Albany, moved on to it in 1841, and was the first settler in that town. He was successful in his calling and accumulated sufficient capital to

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

establish a store in the village of Albany, about one mile north of his farm, in 1850. He had a vigorous constitution and a mind able to grasp and pursue large business operations. As early as 1855, he conceived the scheme of construct- ing the Sugar River Valley Railroad, and through his influence a charter was obtained, first for the construction of the road from the State line north to Albany; shortly afterward it was extended to Madison by an amendment. In 1856 matters had progressed so favorably that he was confident of success. While he has given that enterprise considerable thought and effort, he only lived to see the first link of the original road completed between Albany and Brodhead. The completion of this short line, being the point of his first railroad enter- prise, gave Mr. Campbell great satisfaction. In 1861 Mr. Campbell served as a member of the general assembly from this county, and was an influential member of that body. He was watchful of every State interest, and as chair- man of the committee on Claims, was vigilant in guarding the State treasury. The interests of his favorite railroad scheme received from him close attention, and he succeeded in procuring an amendment to his old charter of the Sugar River Valley Railroad, extending the line from Madison to Portage; and that portion of the land grant of 1856, that had been given to aid the construction of a railroad between those two cities, was given to this company. In 1862 Mr. Campbell gave up his mercantile pursuits and de- voted his whole time and energies to the con- struction of this road. For a while everything was prosperous and satisfactory; but, in 1863 there was some trouble, the company became involved in debt, and work for a time upon the road was suspended, much to the pecuniary in- jury of Mr. Campbell, who was the principal contractor for building the road. The property was subsequently sold on execution and Mr. Campbell became the purchaser. * company having forfeited all claim to the land grant, Mr. Campbell procured from the legis- lature the charter of the Madison & Portage Railroad Company, and a transfer of the land grant to it. He then felt that the securing of the construction of his favorite railroad was within reach, and he bent his whole energies to the work, and in less than one year after the passage of the charter his hopes were realized, the road was completed, and cars were running on it between the cities of Madison and Portage. The labor of constructing this road was attend- ed with many and serious obstacles, but Mr. Campbell knew no such word as "fail," and succeeded in overcoming all difficulties through his great perseverance and by the force of his will power. Considering all things this work was an important accomplishment, and placed Mr. Campbell prominently among the railroad men of the State. After this, for a number of years he was engaged in an effort to extend the road both north and south, so as to connect the immense lumber regions of Wisconsin with the vast prairie land and extensive coal mines of Illinois. For a time his prospects for success seemed excellent; he made three trips to Eng- land in this interest, and would no doubt have succeeded in the enterprise but for the general depression of railroad securities following the crash of 1873. He always claimed that he would have obtained all the money he desired for his project but for the passage of what was known as the "Potter Law," governing railroads in this State. How this may have been it is difficult to tell, but such was Mr. Campbell's claim. He gave up the work with great re- luctance, as he never gave up willingly any favorite project. After running the Madison and Portage road a few years, arrangements were made by which it became a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line, and is now owned by that corporation. Mr. Campbell was a con- * In 1870, the time fixed in the charter for the com- tractor for the construction of a railroad in Iowa, and also sections of the Union Pacific, and com- pletion of the road having expired, and the I pleted his work in a satisfactory manner. For

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

a few years previous to his death which occurred in January 1883, he lived a more quiet life, de- voting his attention mainly to the management of a farm in the town of Dane, Dane county, and to another one in the State of Iowa. He also has been extensively engaged in the sheep husbandry in Texas, and within the space of two months during the last year of his life, he made two trips, one to California and one to Texas, in connection with his sheep operations He possessed many original ideas in regard to farming, and was generally successful in them. He had large interests in real estate and other valuable property. Mr. Campbell was married Nov. 26, 1840, to Lorinda Hills. By this mar- riage three children were born to them, one of whom is now living. She is the wife of George O. Clinton, who at one time was superintendent of the Rio Grande division of the Texas Pacific railroad and now occupies a similar position on a division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line. Mrs. Campbell survives her husband, and is now living in the village of Albany. As a citizen Mr. Campbell was universally re- spected for his sterling integrity of character, for his wonderful energy, and for his broad, liberal and thoroughly practical views on all questions of public interest. He was true to his friends and generous toward all who proved themselves worthy of his confidence. As a business man, he was clear headed, sound in judgment, energetic and decisive in his action, and while modest and unassuming in his bear- ing, he was characterized by strong individual- ity, positiveness in opinion, and tenacity of pur- pose that caused him to succeed, where most men would have failed. As a husband and father, Mr. Campbell was generous, indulgent and kind, ever ready and anxious in seeking the comfort of all around him. The loss of such a man is no common one. He was of use in the world, and his example is worthy of imitation. and his removal during the time of such appar- ent usefulness, is among those mysterious dis- pensations of Providence, which to the finite

mind is incomprehensible. Such a life deserves more than a passing notice, and some of the more important events of it have been mentioned, forming an imperfect sketch of the career of a generous and honest man thus called to his final rest.

John H. Warren

is a native of Hogansburg, Franklin Co., N. Y. He was born on the 23d of August, 1825, and is the son of Lemuel and Betsey Warren (nee) Richardson. His grandfather served in the Rev- olutionary War, and his father, a descendant of the New England Warren of very early date, was a soldier in the War of 1812. John attend- ed the common schools of his native place until thirteen years of age, and after removing to Wisconsin attended the first school taught in Janesville; later he was a pupil in a school which was kept in a log cabin in the town of Centre, and there completed his early educa- tion. Having decided to enter the medical profession, he began his studies at the age of twenty in the office of Dr. Nichols, of Janes- ville, and afterward studied with Dr. Dyer, of Chicago, and at the same time attended a course of lectures at Rush Medical College, from which he graduated in 1849. Immediately after grad- uation be established himself in his profession at Lodi, Columbia county, but in 1851, at the urgent request of a brother, relinquished his practice, and removing to Albany, Green county, engaged in milling and mercantile business, continuing in the same with uniform success till 1870. Aside from his regular business he has been honored with many public trusts, and in all his active career has been a leading and influential man. In 1857, he was elected to the State Senate and was afterward chief clerk of the same. He was appointed collector of internal rev- enue in 1862 by President Lincoln and held the office during a period of seven years, and was also appointed by Secretary Stanton receiver of com- mutation during the rebellion. He was also at one time a director of Sugar Valley Railroad and a stock-holder in the same. Subsequently

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

he was the largest mail contractor in the United States, having over 100 mail routes. His busi- ness has caused him to travel extensively over the different States and Territories, by reason of which he has become well acquainted with the character of the Indians and heartily favors every movement that tends to further the inter- ests of the peace policy. In the discharge of all his public trusts his conduct has been marked by that energy and spirit of enterprise that ever characterized him in his private affairs, and by an honorable and upright course in all his deal- ings he has become known as one of the lead- ing and prominent men of his State. In his po- litical sentiments, he was formerly a whig but is now identified with the republican party. Dr. Warren was reared under Presbyterian influences, and although not connected with any Church organization is a firm believer in the principles of Christianity, and still adheres to the doctrines taught him by his mother. He was married on the 18th of December, 1854, to Louisa M. Nichols daughter of his old preceptor, the pioneer of Albany, Wis., and by her has two sons and five daughters-Herbert N., Julia, Lissie, Gertrude, Lulu, Benjamin and Fannie. Domestic in his habits, Dr. Warren finds his chief enjoyment in his own home, surrounded by his happy family, by whom he is respected and esteemed as a devoted husband and indulgent father. Ile is now a resident of Janesville.

THE CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY.

The Territorial legislature of 1848 chartered the "Madison & Beloit Railroad Company " with authority to build a railroad from Beloit to Madison only. In 1850, by act of the legis- lature, the company was authorized to extend the road to the Wisconsin river and La Crosse, and to a point on the Mississippi river near St. Paul, and also from Janesville to Fond du Lac. Its name was changed, under legislative authori- ty, to the "Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company." In. 185], the line from Janesville

north not being pushed as the people expected, the legislature of Illinois chartered the " Illi- & Wisconsin Railroad Company" with authori- ty to consolidate with any road in Wisconsin. In 1855, an act of the Wisconsin legislature consolidated the Illinois and Wisconsin com- panies with the " Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company," and the new organization took the name of the "Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Railroad Company." In 1854, and previous to the consolidation, the company had failed and passed into the hands of the bondholders, who foreclosed and took stock for their bonds. The old management of A. Hyatt Smith and John B. Macy was superseded, and William B. Ogden was made president. Chicago was all along deeply interested in reaching the rich grain fields of the Rock River Valley, as well as the inexhaustible timber and mineral wealth of the northern part of Wisconsin and that part of Michigan bor- dering on Lake Superior, called the Peninsula. It also sought a connection with the Upper Missis- sippi region, then being rapidly peopled, by a line of railroad to run through Madison to St. Paul, Minn. Its favorite road was started from Chi- cago on the wide (six feet) gauge, and so con- structed seventy miles to Sharon on the Wiscon" sin State line. This was changed to the usual (four feet, eight and one-half inches) width, and the work was vigorously pushed, reaching Janes- ville in 1855 and Fond du Lac in 1858. The Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company had, however, built about thirty miles from Fond du Lac south toward Minnesota Junction before the consolidation took place. The partially graded line on a direct route between Janesville and Madison was abandoned. In 1852 a new charter had been obtained, and the "Beloit & Madison Railroad Company" had been organized to build a road from Beloit by way of Janesville to Madison. A subsequent amendment to this charter had left out Janes- ville as a point, and the Beloit branch was pushed through to Brooklyn in Green county, and on to Madison, reaching that city in 1864. This was the second railroad for Green county.

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

409

CHAPTER XVI.

AGRICULTURE AND THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The trend of the earliest industries of a country, is the result of the circumstances under which those industries are developed. The attention of pioneers is confined to supply- ing the immediate wants of food, shelter and clothing. Hence, the first settlers of a country are farmers, miners, trappers, or fishermen, ac- cording as they can most readily secure the means of present sustenance for themselves and their families. In the early history of Wiscon- sin this law is well exemplified. The southern part of the State, consisting of alternations of prairie and timber, was first settled by farmers. As the country has developed, wealth accumu- lated and means of transportation have been furnished, farming has ceased to be the whole interest. Manufactories have been built along the rivers, and the mining industry of the south- western part of the State has grown to one of considerable importance. The shores of Lake Michigan was first mainly settled by fishermen, but the latter growth of agriculture and manu- factures has nearly overshadowed the fishing interest; as has the production of lumber, in the north half of the State, eclipsed the trapping and fur interests of the first settlers.

Farming, at the present time, is almost en- tirely confined to the south half of the State, the northern half being still largely covered by forests. A notable exception to this statement is found in the counties on the western border, which are well settled by farmers much farther north. The surface of the agricultural portion of the State is for the most part gently undulat- ing, affording ready drainage, without being so

abruptly broken as to render cultivation diffi- cult. The soil is varied in character, and mostly very fertile. The southern portion of the State consists of undulating prairies of variable size alternating with oak openings. The prairies have the rich alluvial soil so characteristic of the western prairies, and are easily worked. The soil of the "openings" land is usually a sandy loam, rapidly tilled, fertile, but not as "strong" as soils having more clay. The pro- portion of timber to prairie increases passing north from the southern boundary of the State, and forests of maple, basswood and elm, replace, to some extent, the oak lands. In these locali- ties, the soil is more clayey, is strong and fertile, not as easily tilled, and not as quickly exhausted as are the more sandy soils of the oak lands. In that portion of the State known geologically as the "driftless" region, the soil is invariably good where the surface rock is limestone. In some of the valleys, however, where the lime- rock has been removed by erosion, leaving the underlying sandstone as the surface rock, the soil is sandy and unproductive, except in those localities where a large amount of alluvial matter has been deposited by the stream. The soils of the pine lands of the north of the State, are generally sandy and but slightly fertile. However, where pine is replaced by maple, oak, birch, elm and basswood, the soil is "heavier" and very fertile, even to the shores of Lake Superior.

The same natural conditions that make Wis- consin an agricultural State, determined that during its earlier years the main interest should

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

be grain growing. The fertile prairie cover- ing large portions of the southern part of the State had but to be plowed and sowed with grain to produce an abundant yield. From the raising of cereals the pioneer farmer could get the quickest returns for his labor.

There is the same struggle for existence, and the same desire for grain the world over, and hence the various phases of development of the same industry in different civilized countries is mainly the result of the widely varying eco- nomical conditions imposed upon that industry. Land is thoroughly cultivated in Europe, not because the Europeans have any inherent love for good cultivation, but because their land is scarce and costly, while labor is superabundant and cheap. In America, on the other hand,and especially in the newer States, land is abundant and cheap, while labor is scarce and costly. In its productive industries each country is alike economical in the use of the costly element in production, and more lavish in the use of that which is cheaper. Each is alike economically wise in following such a course, when it is not carried to too great extremes. With each the end sought is the greatest return for the ex- penditure of a given amount of capital. In ac- cordance with this law of economy, the early agriculture of Wisconsin was mere land skim- ming. Good cultivation of the soil was never thought of. The same land was planted suc- cessively to one crop, as long as it yielded enough to pay for cultivation.

The economical principle above stated was carried to an extreme. Farming, as then prac- ticed, was a quick method of land exhaustion. It was always taking out of the purse and never putting in. No attention was paid to sustain- ing the soil's fertility. The only aim was to secure the largest erop for the smallest outlay of capital, without regard to the future. Manures were never used, and such as unavoidably accu- mulated was regarded as a great nuisance, often rendering necessary the removal of stables and outbuildings. Straw stacks were invariably burn-

ed as the most convenient means of disposing of them. Wheat, the principal product, brought a low price, often not more than fifty cents a bushel, and had to be marketed by teams at some point, from which it could be carried by water, as this was, at an early day, the only means of transportation. On account of the sparse settlement of the country, roads were poor, and the farmer, after raising and thresh- ing his wheat, had to spend, with a team, from two to five days, marketing the few bushels that a team could draw, so that the farmer had every obstacle to contend with except cheap and fer- tile land, that with the poorest of cultivation gave a comparatively abundant yield of grain. Better tillage, accompanied with the use of manures and other fertilizers, would not, upon the virgin soils, have added sufficiently to the yield to pay the cost of applying them. Hence, to the first farmers of the State, poor farming was the only profitable farming, and conse- quently the only good farming, an agriculturo- economical paradox from which there was no es- cape.

Notwithstanding the fact that farmers could economically follow no other system than that of land-exhaustion, as described, such a course was none the less injurious to the State, as it was undermining its foundation of future wealth, by destroying the fertility of the soil, that upon which the permanent wealth and prosperity of every agricultural community is first dependent. Besides this evil, and together with it, came the habit of loose and slovenly farming acquired by pioneers, which continued after the conditions making that method a necessity had passed away. With the rapid growth of the north west came better home markets and increased facili- ties for transportation to foreign markets, bring- ing with them higher prices for all products of the farm. As a consequence of these better conditions, land in farms in the State increased rapidly in value. With this increase in the value of land, and the higher prices paid for grain, should have come an improved system of

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

husbandry which would prevent the soil from deteriorating in fertility. This could have been accomplished either, by returning to the soil, in manures and fertilizers, those ingredients of which it was being rapidly drained by con- tinued grain growing, or by the adoption of a system of mixed husbandry, which should in- clude the raising of stock and a judicious rota- tion of crops. Such a system is sure to come. Indeed, it is now slowly coming. Great pro- gress upon the earlier methods of farming have already been made. But so radical and thorough a change in the habits of any class of people as that from the farming of pioneers to a rational method that will preserve the soil's fertility and pay for the labor it demands, re- quires many years for its full accomplishment. It will not even keep pace with changes in those economical conditions which favorit. In the rapid settlement of the northwestern States this change has come most rapidly with the re- placement of the pioneer farmers by immi- grants accustomed to better methods of culture. In such cases the pioncers usually "go west" again to begin anew their frontier farming upon virgin soil, as their peculiar method of cultiva- tion fails to give them a livelihood. In Wis- consin as rapid progress is being made in the system of agriculture as, all things considered, could reasonably be expected. This change for the better has been quite rapid for the past ten years, and is gaining in velocity and mo- mentum each year. It is partly the result of increased intelligence relating to farming, and partly the result of necessity, caused by the unprofitableness of the old method.

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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 58

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