USA > Wisconsin > Green County > History of Green County, Wisconsin > Part 8
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Hitchcock brought no money with him, and, not being fitted by education to write an order on the Woodstock bank, he employed Mr. Dunwiddie, and kept him wri- ting drafts a whole day. With these drafts he paid his creditors, some of whom soon found to their sorrow that the drafts were not honored at the Galena bank, whereupon Mr. Hitchcock swore that a lawyer who could not write a draft that would bring money was a humbug, notwithstanding which there began to be a suspicion that Mr. Hitchcock was a humbug. Shortly before the time appointed for the land purchase, Mr. Hitchcock married a widow living in the village. Charivaris were fashionable then, and there was a charivari the night of the wedding. It was good, after the manner of its kind, ending with the entrance of three goats at the window of the bride's parlor. When morning dawned Mr. Hitchcock had gone, and he has never been seen in Monroe since that time. He was undoubtedly insane. After his disappearance, his wife and sons came from Vermont, in obedience to the direc-
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tions given in his letters. They were very worthy people, and remained here several years, hearing nothing from the husband and father who had assumed the name of Hitchcock. When the farmers came, on the appoint- ed day, and found there was to be no sale, they stood around the streets for a time, telling what they had always believed, and then called a meeting of the agri- cultural society. J. V. Richardson was called to the chair, and nominations for president were declared to be in order. The old hat and coat of Mr. Hitchcock were brought in as the regalia of the president, who, it was agreed, must be some one who had been dear to the departed. One gentleman was nominated because of the oysters he had given Mr. Hitchcock; others were brought forward who had loaned their horses, or worn out their buggies in the service. Then Mr. Stewart urged the claims of Mr. Taylor. He was understood to say that once when half a dozen of them were show- ing Mr. Hitchcock the town of Spring Grove, they came to a small brook. They were all anxious that the old gentleman should keep his feet dry. One offered boots, another offered to make a bridge of his coat, still another to bring stepping stones, but Mr. Taylor seized the venerable personage in his arms and carried him over the stream. Mr. Taylor was unanimously elected. He was arrayed in the official coat and hat, after which the society discussed the best method of carrying butter to market. There were several subsequent meetings, all conducted in a noteworthy manner, peculiar to them- selves; and until a recent time the recollection of them
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History of Green County.
has been a source of unalloyed pleasure. But lately- since the authorship of Shakspeare's plays has been at- tributed to Bacon-the opinion has gained ground that the society was guilty of an injustice to Mr. Stewart; and Mr. Taylor, with a frankness that must commend itself to both Shakspeare and Bacon, declares that Mr. Stewart himself performed the work which got his friend into office.
A more formidable visitor than Mr. Hitchcock was the cholera, brought to the village by a teamster. About half a dozen persons died, and a panic ensued, which led to this entry in the record of the circuit court, September 3, 1850: " It having been made to appear that a mortal sickness is now prevalent at Monroe, where this court is now sitting, it is therefore ordered that this court do now adjourn."
In April, 1850, was started the Green County Union, subscriptions to which might be paid in cash, grain, po- tatoes, butter, eggs, wood, lumber, saw-logs or labor. It was edited by J. W. Snow, and published in Francis Emerson's stone building on the south side of the square. The first number contained this promise: " In reference to the subject of politics we shall studiously avoid in- juring the feelings of any one." The Union lived only about a year. In May, 1851, John W. Stewart pub- lished the first number of the Sentinel. It was a whig paper for a few months, and then the Rev. J. Walworth and O. D. Moulton bought it and made it an organ of the democratic party. In September, 1854, the paper passed into the hands of republicans, Geo. W. Tenney
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and N. L. Stout, the latter of whom was connected with the paper only about a year.
The papers of 1853 complain that Monroe has never had a baker, and is " much in want of a person who will butcher regularly." The village had already re- covered from the surpise occasioned by her first barber shop; and both baker and butcher were here before the end of the year. The need of a bank was first pointed out by an Ohio congressman by the name of Delano, while he was here on a visit. In accordance with an agreement made with him, J. A. Bingham opened in May, 1854, an exchange office, in which he was joined in the fall by A. Ludlow. Circumstances prevented Mr. Delano from taking any interest in the business, but through his influence J. B. Galusha came from Ohio to act as cashier, and early in 1856, the firm, which, having been joined by Asa Richardson, was known as Ludlow, Bingham & Co., obtained a charter as the Bank of Monroc, and in May of the same year, the first notes of the bank were issued.
In February, 1855, in the destruction of the jail, the county suffered her second loss by fire. This led to the erection of a stone jail, and, a little later in '56, to the erection of a fire proof building for county offices. The stone jail was used until the last and best of the county buildings in Monroe was built, in 1870, to take its place.
In 1855, the senator from Green, Mr. West, intro- duced in the senate a bill whose object was to take from the town of Clarno that part of the township now in- cluded in the village of Monroe. A remonstrance was
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sent to Mr. West, and he withdrew the bill; but soon after this, during his absence from the senate, the bill was introduced again, and passed, all unknown to the good people of Clarno, who, in April, 1855, elected as their town clerk, Alfred Wrisberg, who lived in that part of the town which had been transferred to Monroe. Their blissful ignorance ceased when their votes at the fall election were thrown out on the ground that, be- cause of his residence in Monroe, Mr. Wrisberg, who made the returns, was not legally a town clerk of Clarno.
In 1857, the foundry of R. Sylvester & Co. did away with the necessity of a trip to Janesville or Beloit every- time any part of a threshing machine was broken. In January, 1858, Monroe was joined to the rest of the world by the railway; and in the following April, when she had the town-like possessions of a brass band, a fire ·company, and one sidewalk before a private house- being that built by Mr. J. S. Bloom in the spring of 1857-the village was incorporated, and the early histo- ry of Monroe was ended.
LATER HISTORY.
The village has had but a moderate number of sen- sations since its incorporation. The greatest of these grew out of the war. In the summer of 1862, there was in Monroe a man who was said to have expended a large sum from his private funds in purchas-
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ing Sharp's rifles for the Confederate army, and to. have served six months as a Confederate soldier. He- expressed treasonable sentiments so freely that a public meeting was held to consider his case. D. W. Ball was chairman of the meeting, and W. W. Wright was sec- retary. Addresses were made by T. H. Eaton, E. Bart -. lett, F. Q. Ball, and L. Davenport, after which it was "resolved that the said Morris Rosa be allowed twenty- four hours in which to leave the county, failing to do which he remains at his peril." Morris Rosa went; but there were other secession sympathizers who resided in the county. To decide upon the course to be pursued with them, other meetings were held. At a meeting held the 29th of July, and presided over by Mr. L. Rood, the following resolutions were adopted :
Resolved, That all the citizens of this community be requested to. take and subscribe to the annexed oath :
" I, -, of the Town of -- -, in the County of Green and State of Wisconsin, do solemnly swear that I am a. loyal citizen of the United States of America, that I will bear true allegiance to the same, that I will to the utmost of my abitity sup- port the Government in its efforts to suppress the rebellion; that in rendering such support I will discountenance in every possible man- ner 'by word or action every sentiment or expression the tendency of which may be to encourage disloyalty to the Government, and that I will not, by word or deed, countenance any disloyal, secret organiza- tion; and for a violation of this oath may I suffer the just penalty of the crime of treason."
Resolved, That any person refusing to subscribe to said oath shall be considered and is our enemy, whom it is our first duty, as good and loyal citizens, to expel from our midst.
Resolved, That in all summary proceedings under the authority
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of this meeting, the course indicated and ordered in Gen. Pope's Or- der No. 3, (which we annex) be adhered to and carried out, so far as applicable to the case, the same as though we were acting in his de- partment and under his authority.
Resolved, That a judicial committee of fifteen of our best citizens be appointed to investigate and take judicial cognizance of all refusals to take, and subscribe to, and violations of said oath, and that the Home Guards being organized here to-night be authorized and ordered to faithfully execute the decrees of said judicial committee.
On motion the following nained gentlemen were appointed such judicial committee :
B. Chenoweth,
N. R. Usher,
L. Davenport, Arabut Ludlow,
C. S. Foster,
D. W. Ball,
M. Reitler,
W. W. Wright,
John A. Bingham,
B. Dunwiddie,
Edmund Hill,
George King,
J. V. Richardson,
Wm. Brown,
J. S. Bloom.
Messrs. E. Bartlett, A. J. Sutherland, Harris Pool, S. E. Cole, Dr. S. Porter and C. Godfrey, were appointed a committee to invite citizens to take the oath.
POPE'S ORDER NO. 3. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA, } July 23d, 1862. 5
Commanders of army corps, divisions, brigades, and detached commands will proceed immediately to arrest disloyal male citizens, within their lines or within their reach, and within their respective stations. Such as are willing to take the oath of allegiance to the United States and will furnish sufficient security for its observance, shall be permitted to remain at their homes and pursue in good faith their accustomed avocations. Those who refuse shall be conducted to the South beyond the extreme pickets of this army, and be notified that if found again anywhere within our lines, or at any point in the
History of Green County. 129
rear, they will be considered as spies, and subjected to the extreme rigor of military law. If any person having taken the oath of al- legiance as above specified shall be found to have violated it, he shall be shot, and his property seized and confiscated.
The oath was left with L. Rote, who was justice of the peace, A majority of the citizens hastened to sub- scribe their names to it; and some who did not do it voluntarily, did so from fear. A few refused. Of these, one, who was an old resident of Sylvester, was marched to the village limits, and ordered to keep outside. Another, a resident of Clarno, rode part way home on a rail. While the excitement caused by these cases of discipline was at its height, one - Steves, of Durand, a man who was generally believed to be a secessionist, chanced to be in the village. He was denouncing the proceedings in a violent manner, when some one re- marked that probably Mr. Steves had better take the oath. A crowd formed, and escorted him to the court house, and summoned Mr. Rote from his supper table to administer the oath. Mr. Rote read it and asked the prisoner if he would subscribe to it. Being answered in the negative, he said nothing more, for by that time the office was so full of men who wanted to take it that he was obliged to light a candle and go up into the court room to accommodate them. When about sixty men had been sworn, proceedings up stairs were interrupted by a cry that those who had been la- boring with the man below were riding him out of town on a rail. Mr. Steves' fate made copperheads cautions about expressing themselves in Monroe; and his resist- ance taught union men to be less busy in seeking out
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offences. This was the last encounter of the kind dur- ing the war, but it was long before men heard the last of this. Mr. Steves brought suit against twelve citizens of Monroe. In selecting the twelve, he was assisted by Monroe men whose opinion of the war was the same as his own. All those selected were zealous supporters of the war, and most of them were members of the committee of fifteen appointed the 29th of July; but a majority of them were opposed to such violent measures as were adopted in Mr. Steves' case, and some of them did not reach the square that night until the work was done. One of those sued was Mr. Rote, whose part in the affair has been told. On the other hand, some who helped carry the rail were not mentioned in the suit. The case was tried in 1865 in Milwaukee; Judge Miller presided, and during the trial gave vent to his feelings by exclamations of " oh!" and "horrible !! " The dis- union element predominated in the jury, and damages were awarded Mr. Steves to the amount of $5,000 and costs.
The robbery of the Bank of Monroe, in October, 1864, is still a subject of wonder and speculation. Bur- glars entered the bank in the night and blew the safe open with gunpowder. The explosion, which broke all the glass in the room and carried the safe door, weigh- ing one hundred and fifty pounds, through the opposite wall and left it under the staircase, was heard a long distance; but the night was dark, and the burglars es- caped with $25,000 in money. They had dropped one package of $5,000, and one small door in the safe was
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so warped by the action of the powder that they had not been able to open it. In that compartment was $100,000.
The greatest improvement to be noted in Monroe since its incorporation is in its manufactures. In July, 1865, Messrs. Whitney, Treat, Lloyd, Pullen, Patterson, and Billings organized the Monroe Manufacturing Co., with a capital of $25.000. The works were burned in June, '72, and in the following August the company was re-organized as a stock company with a capital of $40,000 with A. C. Dodge, president, and H. W. Whi- ting as business director and secretary. The general business of the company is manufacturing farm wagons, carriages, and farming implements. The usual number of men employed is twenty-five. Fine carriages and sleighs are made at several other places in the village, and wagon shops are numerous.
Another important manufacturing establishment, is the planing mill of Dodge, Churchill & Co. Its histo- ty is as follows: The brick flour mill on Racine street was built by Moulton & Fish in IS50. The machinery was afterward taken out, and in the spring of 1859 Norman Churchill and Jesse Robertson put in its place wood cutting machinery. About the same time a Janesville firm converted Payne's old tav- ern (which had been moved to its present position and used successively as tavern, cabinet shop, and flour mill) into a planing mill. In '61 Mr. Churchill united the machinery of the two mills in the historic frame build- ing. A saw mill has since been added, and the business
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History of Green County.
has been enlarged so as to include the manufacture of doors, sash, blinds, screens, cheese boxes, and brackets. The manufacturing establishments in the village include two other saw mills, two flour mills, two breweries, two marble shops, a gun shop, furniture shops, and a brick yard where both red and white brick are made; and a large number of persons find employment in the manu- facture of clothing, patent medicines, cigars, confec- tionery, and pop. Three lumber yards and a large number of groceries and dry goods houses do a thriving business. Nearly all the old land marks have disap- peared from the square since the village was incorpo- rated. Of the new buildings required by the increase in business the largest and best were built by B. Chen- oweth, Elisha and Jared Mosher, Washington Hill, McKey Bros., Eilert and Whitney, D. F. Corson, Hen- ry Duerst, Treat & Co., John W. Stewart, Peter Wells, John H. Bridge, and the German Turners.
It is claimed that there is no point of shipment in Wisconsin, outside of the great centres of transporta- tion, where a larger amount of produce is bought and sent to market than at Monroe. During the two months ending Dec. 30, 1876, the First National Bank of Monroe paid upon the checks of Barber & Van Dyke, Johnson & Gillett, and J. M. Chadwick, stock and pro- duce dealers, the sum of $227,675.71. These firms do not deal in cheese, which is supposed to have brought into the county during the year 1876 nearly $200,000. Moreover, a great many shipments were made in the two months referred to, by the producers and by other
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firms dealing in cattle, sheep, hogs, and grain, of the value of which no record has been kept. The bank to which reference has just been made is the result of the union, in May, '64, of the old Bank of Monroe and the First National Bank of Monroe organized in February, '64, by Messrs. Chenoweth, Hoffman, Perine, Bingham, and Jacob and Mathias Marty. The second and only other bank in Monroe was that of N. R. Usher & Co., (Usher & Thrall). It was not a bank of issue, and after an existence of three or four years was closed in '64.
Schools and churches have kept pace with the ma- terial progress of the village. In 1866, the school dis- tricts were united, since which time the schools have been more or less perfectly graded. Three school build- ings furnish accommodations for nearly 900 pupils.
Several newspapers have been born and have died since the village was incorporated. Mr. Tenney's suc- cessors in the editorship of the Sentinel were James Bintliff and E. E. Bryant. Mr. Bryant left the paper to enter the army, and the firm name became Bintliff & Carr. A little later in the war Mr. Bintliff entered the army, still retaining his interest in the paper, which was edited by Egbert E. Carr. In July, '65, the paper passed into the hands of A. J. High and C. A. Booth. Five years later Silas E. Gardner purchased Mr. High's half of the paper, and leased it to Mr. Booth.
The Jeffersonian Democrat, edited by Geo. C. Baker, lived only from late in the summer of 1856, to April, '57. In the fall of 1857, the Independent Press, edited by S. P. Condee and E. C. Moulton, arose from the ashes of
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the Democrat. Mr. Moulton withdrew from the Press in January of the next year; and three or four months later Mr. Condee sold it to gentlemen who transformed it into the Albany Times. The next venture in the way of a newspaper was that of N. L. Stout, who published the State Rights a year or two, beginning in the spring of 1859. The next was that of A. W. Potter, who, in January, 1870, started the Green County Republican. In the fall of 1872, F. J. Mills started the Liberal Press, which in September, 1873, was consolidated with the Republican, the new paper being known at first as the Republican and Press, but latterly as the Green County Reformer. It was edited by A. W. Potter and Geo. H. King, until January, then by Mr. Mills until April, then by G. J. Patton until January, 1875, since which it has been edited by I. T. Carr, with whom Wm. Bul- lock was associated the first year. For two or three years Mr. Geo. South has published a semi-monthly paper called the Sun.
VILLAGE DIRECTORY FOR IS77.
CLERGYMEN.
James Evans, Methodist. J. Fisher, Universalist. Henry Uphoff, German Methodist. John M. Obermiller, Ger. Catholic. S. E. Miner.
D. R. Howe, Christian. Whitelaw, Baptist. J. McGinnity, Irish Cath.
- Fotsch, Lutheran.
P. J. Clawson. A. S. Douglas. B. Dunwiddie.
ATTORNEYS,
E. T. Gardner. B. S. Ķerr.
H. Medberry.
J. N. Bradshaw. Hall & Rood. N. A. Loofbourow. WVm. Monroe.
PHYSICIANS.
Frederick Byers. F. B. Righter. W. O. Sherman.
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History of Green County.
DENTISTS. J. S. Reynolds.
S. M. Smith.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF MONROE.
A. Ludlow, President. J. B. Galusha, Cashier.
Geo. W. Hoffman, Vice-President. H. Ludlow, Ass't "
DRY GOODS MERCHANTS.
Bostwick & Cheney, dry goods and clothing.
B. Chenoweth, dry goods and clothing.
S. Lewis, dry goods. F. S. Parlin, dry goods, clothing, carpets, notions, &c. J. B. Treat, dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, crockery, &c.
MERCHANT TAILORS.
Hoehn & Weber, tailors and deal- Peter Spahr. ers in dry goods. A. Wettengel & Son. TAILOR. J. Cohn.
A. W. Goddard.
J. J. Tschudy.
Geo. H. King. A. B. McKelvey.
JEWELRY.
H. G. Van Wagenen.
C. E. Adams. Bradshaw & Adams.
DRUGS.
J. K. Eilert.
BOOKS AND STATIONERY.
A. J. Kane.
R. D. Vaughn.
GROCERIES AND CROCKERY.
Bennett & Son. Ed. Ruegger. Schuler & Kleb.
J. Bolender & Co. J. Carroll. Treat & Co., Treat's block, on
Glascott & Bragg, north side of west side. square. D. S. Young & Co., east side square.
L. B. Johnson.
BUTTER AND EGGS.
John Sissons. Grant && Fairlamb.
FRUIT AND CONFECTIONERY.
John Kleckner.
MILLINERY AND FANCY GOODS.
Mrs. Wm. H. Allen. J. H. Miller.
Mrs. Meyer.
DRESS MAKERS.
Mrs. Willy.
Mrs. Robertson. Miss A. Smith.
BOOTS AND SHOES.
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History of Green County.
W. S. Bloom & Co., Harper & Staver.
PUMPS AND SEWING MACHINES.
N. Churchill.
FURNITURE.
Anton Miller.
Chas. Baer.
J. H. Foster.
LUIZER.
Persons & Barnes.
A. C. Dodge. J. L. Rood.
HOTELS AND PROPRIETORS.
Gleissner House. J. A. Gleissner & Son. Schuetze, north side square.
Tremont House, Calvin Ludlow.
P.ESTAURANTS.
John Peregoy. A. M. Wolcott.
PROPRIETORS OF LIVERY STABLES.
U. F. Zeigler.
Jas. Campbell.
Gleissner & Son.
PHOTOGRAPHERS. Alfred Baer.
H. G. White.
ARCHITECT AND DRAUGHTSMAX.
W. M. Wright
CONTRACTORS AND BUILDERS.
Washington Hill.
Adleman & Soper.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS.
S. Swan.
W. W. Wright. T. L. Summeril.
PAINTERS.
H. G. Austin & Son.
J. C. Sally. K. Scovil.
J. H. Milman. .
IMPORTER AND BREEDER OF STOCK.
Smith Smock.
MILLS.
Dodge, Churchill & Co., planing miil.
J. T. Dodge, saw mill. C. D). Hulburt, saw mill.
Jacob Hefty.
MARBLE SHOPS.
J. D. Mosher.
Evan Busby.
BPICK TARD.
R. Craven.
BREWERIES.
Leuenberger & Somer.
GUN FACTORY.
Geo. Spangler.
HARDT. AP.Z.
Mack & McCraken.
United States House, Louis
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History of Green County.
B. N. Rusch, cigars pipes and tobacco.
Car! Rud
Monroe Manufacturing Co., Directors A. C. Podge. J. B. Treat, H. W. Whitney, A. Ladlow and R. Ohaven. WAGONS CARVINGS AND SINGHS.
P. Miller & Son, corner of Jack- son and Paine streets.
Toho Scannel. John South E. R. Copeland.
Patterson & Billings.
A. Brundage.
D. F. Corson & Son. Koehler & Kochli. F. Sheeba !!.
L. Everest.
D. B. Everett.
FLY SHOP.
Miller & Palmer. F. Oprecht.
1 . B. Miller.
C. D. Mecker, Agent Birel Sam Bres ConANA
OFFICERS OF THE VIENE FROM ISTS TO 77 ACLEANE
JOHN W. STEWART TENGELY
J. A. BANGHANG NOUS 1 S. HASPAS.
BENIAMIN C'HSNOWELIL HARRIS PONY.
BENJAMIN CHENOWETH
E D. GASPNES
E. P. TREND.
R. B. STEVENSON.
NORMAN CHURCHILL.
WE W. WRIGHT (E years). EDMUND BARILSTA E. M. BARTLETT.
EDMUND BAREESPE ; VORES).
1. 1. CLAWSON.
CLARNO.
The first man who came to Green County to farm was Andrew Clarno. He visited the county as early as 1827. In 1829 he selected a part of section 30 of the township which bears his name, for a farm, and, after spending the winter of 1829-'30 at Skinner diggings, he began work on his claim. In 1831 he persuaded Wm. Wallace and Joseph Paine, Mr. Wallace's son-in-law, to settle near him with their families. He had been acquainted with his new neighbors in Illinois, whence they all came to Green County. The next year the Black Hawk war broke out, and the Wallaces and Paines went to Willow Springs, where, to use the phrase of the time, they "forted" during the war. On the day selected for going to the fort, Mr. Paine, fearing no immediate danger, walked leisurely to the Pecatonica, three or four miles south-west of his house, to bail out the ferry boat. The two families were nearly ready to start and expected to overtake Mr. Paine by the time the boat was ready for use. At the river, Mr. Paine was surprised and startled to find that the Indians had been there before him. They had stolen his ferry boat and
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History of Green County.
gone he knew not whither. Their camp fires were still smoking, and he thought he could discern one dusky warrior lurking in the grass and watching him. No long time elapsed before Mr. Paine was again at his. cabin. Almost in despair, he saw that Mr. Wallace still sat smoking his pipe, and that the preparations for the journey had made no progress whatever since he went
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