USA > Wisconsin > Lafayette County > History of Lafayette county, Wisconsin > Part 80
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But from these unpleasant phases of early experiences the town has gradually emerged ; as time has passed on, large amounts of grading have been done, at different times, until now, Main street and the surrounding locality, in the lower part of the city, stands nearly four feet above its ancient level, and (as stated in the introductory) the streets generally are in an excel- lent condition.
Law-givers and sages wisely state that everything must have its precedent, in connection with which subsequent acts and results are intimately associated, and upon which they all
O. S. Waddington.
ARGYLE.
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
depend, and in many instances throughout ; but, if we were to say that the business prosperity of Darlington to-day depended upon the first start here, we should be signally condemned.
The precedent, or business opening made here at the first, was as novel and unusual as it must have been unneeded. It is seldom, indeed, that one hears of a milliner opening shop on the frontier, to supply head-gear for the fair sex, when there were but few, and those usually content, if not glad, to wear what they could make themselves. However, the first thing done here in the way of business, ridiculous as it may seem, was millinery, by Miss Graham, who had a shop in 1851, over-head in an old log building belonging to Mr. Hamilton, which stood just east of the Pecatonica and west of Main street. This was occupied on the lower floor by the families of Charles Blakely and Robert Wright, who were the second residents here, and the two first blacksmiths in the place, one of whom yet works at the forge in the city, a sturdy and enduring disciple of Vulcan.
In 1850, the first frame building was erected in the place by J. M. Keep, and stood where Tully & Wilson's store now stands. Here the first store was kept by S. S. Reed and J. S. Fassett & Co., and from this time dates the real business growth of the place. What their stock was can only be surmised ; but, doubtless, it consisted of such articles alone as were needed to supply the real wants of the settlers. At the present time, the old building, having been moved, is used for a shoe-shop, and for several blocks up and down the street may be seen, as successors to the old store, an array of mercantile establishments that will compare favorably with any in the country, and where anything can be purchased from a paper of pins to a thrashing machine.
The second store in the town was erected by Mr. Driver, in 1851.
The first hardware store was opened by the Willett Brothers in 1852.
The first drug store was started by J. Collins and Dr. Blair, the latter being the first resi- dent physician in Darlington.
A shanty was built in 1851, near where Mr. Nichols' livery stable now stands, which was the first blacksmith-shop used by Blakely & Wright. In 1851, the partnership was dissolved, and the men proceeded to erect substantial stone shops, probably with the intention of doing an opposition business. However, be that as it may, Wright's shop, which stood on the land now occupied by H. C. Nash's carpenter-shop, was never occupied by him, but, very soon after its construction, passed into the hands of Keep & Lynde.
In the winter of 1851, the first school was taught in that building, and there, during the same season, the first public debate, known in Darlington, was indulged in. The subject of discussion was " Prohibition," which was then agitating the State from center to circumference. The excitement was so intense in this locality, that almost every one turned out, and great enthusiasm prevailed during the discussion. Not long after this, a temperance organization was formed here, which was, doubtless, the first secret society in the place. The next were Masons.
Some time in 1851, the first religious services were held in Darlington, in the barn of Jameson Hamilton, by a Baptist minister by the name of Chapin. In the winter of 1852, the second meeting was held in the old stone shop. The minister, on this occasion, was a Congre- gationalist, the Rev. J. McEwen. Shortly after this service, a Congregationalist society of seven members was organized, this being the nucleus of the present church of that denomination.
On the 4th of July, 1851, some of the people who were at work here, decided to have a jollification, and accordingly took a flat-boat used on the Pecatonica for hauling stone, and, hav- ing piled on edibles and such other articles as were needed, together with themselves, they hitched a horse to the affair, and started up the river for a picnic excursion. Although very few of those who participated in the enjoyments of that day are living to tell the story, yet beyond a doubt they celebrated with as great ardor as those of to-day who have every facility for enjoyment during our great national fete day.
In 1851, the first death, a child of P. Chimmons, occurred, in the first frame dwelling- house in the place, and which is now occupied by Thomas Swift.
M
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
The first marriage in the village was consummated in 1852, between J. S. Fassett and Miss Elizabeth Graham. Thus the two first to engage in business were the first to open the matrimonial market, but whether at profit or loss cannot be told so readily.
In the fall of 1851, a brick dwelling-house was erected by a man named Benjamin Fukes. This was the first brick building in the place, and is now owned by Mrs. Tyson. About the same time a Mr. Manning built a brick cooper-shop, which is yet standing, in the rear of Driver Bros.' store.
A tavern was started here as early as 1852, in a building erected by a man by the name of Lawrence, on ground lying a little north of the bridge, and which now has a house on it owned by Mr. A. C. Martin. At this house, which did not long remain the only hotel in the place, whisky was first dispensed by the drink. It may be added that in the latter respect, this estab- lishment was not alone. As successors to the old Lawrence House, four hotels have sprung into existence, where travelers can get bed and board to suit taste and means,
One of the early enterprises engaged in in the village, was the erection of a building for a foundry and plow factory, by George Hurst. The business started out fairly, but within two years collapsed; then Rufus Perkins took the building and converted it into a tannery, where he did a good business in tanning by a patent process. Eventually, through failing health, he was compelled to close, and thus ended this enterprise.
There was also a carding-mill here at one time, but this, like the preceding manufactories, did not thrive. At present, the manufacturing interests of the town are represented by the grist-mill, machine-shop, limekiln and broom factory.
In 1853, the first wagon-shop was started by Mr. Driver and Mr. Willey.
In the fall of 1856, the Mineral Point Railroad reached the place. This was an event of great importance to the little burg, and which had been secured partly by the contributions made by the citizens. After the railroad had become an established fact, the people were satis- fied that the act of starting a village at this point had not proved an experiment, and con- sequently no small amount of self-congratulations were indulged and thanks to propitious fortune.
Soon after the arrival of the railroad, a warehouse was erected, which served both for that purpose and a depot combined for some little time. Subsequent to this, the present depot was erected, and now, where one warehouse once sufficed for the business of the place, five good-sized buildings are required to accommodate the grain that is disposed of and shipped at this market. Four of these buildings are owned by Mr. Barlow, who does the most extensive grain-buying business of any one person on this line of road.
In 1857, the first bridge was built by the village over the Pecatonica. That one stood several rods above where the present one stands, which was erected in 1877, and is a very sub- stantial structure.
The town has not been afflicted with any very severe fires during its career. This is owing, in part, to the character of the people and to the vigorous nature of the fire-limit ordi- nance. The first and one of the most serious conflagrations was the fire which consumed the brick block which stood on the corner where the store of Hooper & Co. now stands. The occupants of the building were L. D. Russell, Doty & Allen and Dr. Otis. There is no fire department in the place, although the charter provides for one, and probably no such organization will be formed until after a large amount of valuable property has been destroyed, and the people thereby learn the necessity for providing such means of protection as can be readily secured.
At the breaking-out of the war, a grand mass-meeting was held in front of the Whitman House (now one of the best hotels in the State), and speeches were indulged and immense war enthusiasm animated the throng. Resolutions were passed, and such other proceedings entered into as would effectually aid in the great struggle which had begun. This meeting, as is well known, was only the precursor to the many which followed during the war, when Darlington was nothing behind in contributing her share of men and money toward suppressing the great rebellion, for the salvation of the Union.
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
In 1866, the first banking establishment was opened here by James Judge and Mr. Fitch. This bank is now conducted by Orton Otis & Co.
Darlington has always been exceptionally free from excitements or violent deeds. Not including the county seat and temperance excitements, which, until within a few years, were more or less the rage every year, there have been few exciting occurrences worthy of note. Probably the most noticeable public demonstration that ever thoroughly aroused the inhabit- ants, transpired at a Fourth of July celebration of 1859. On that occasion, as is generally the case on Fourth of July doings, whisky was liberally patronized. In the afternoon, when it was time to go home, nearly all of those who were fond of the ardent were more than sup- plied. At this juncture, one of the parties who controlled the cannon had a slight dispute with an uninterested person about standing over the powder while smoking a pipe. The man was feeling altogether too glorious to appreciate the danger to which he subjected himself, as well as those around him, and refused to go away. As a result, some one struck him across the head and neck with a jack and laid him out, apparently dead. At this the man's friends formed in a body and declared their intention to hang the one who did the deed. The friends of the other party then united also, and loaded the cannon with stones, announcing that they would fire into the other crowd. The danger, for a time, was highly imminent, but at last the belligerents cooled down, the senseless man was resuscitated and peace restored. (So much for red-eye.)
Darlington bears the reputation of having some of the ablest and most public-spirited men in the State. As evidence of the fact, witness the character of her charter ; the bill which passed the Legislature in 1870, authorizing a loan of $10,000 to the village for the purpose of erecting a high-school building ; the securing of the county seat against an overwhelming oppo- sition ; and, last but not least, the able and efficient opposition which one of her citizens, H. H. Gray, made, when the bill for the bonding of La Fayette County to the Mineral Point Railroad was before the Legislature. The passage of the bill would, doubtless, have plunged the county into a debt as heavy to be borne and as difficult to be paid as that which now oppresses Iowa County. But, happily, it never passed, and those who were once most anxious for its passage are now grateful to the man who defeated it.
Pleasant as to situation, healthful as to climate, fertile as to resources of support, and for- tunate as to the character of its leading spirits, is this beautiful city-the county seat of La Fayette.
The social elements of the city are of those harmonious qualities which insure an abiding prosperity. Churches, schools and societies are maintained with liberality, and public edifices adorn the streets with their evidences of wisdom and commendable pride.
The commercial reputation of the city is of the best tone, and the atmosphere of substan- tiality pervades all thoroughfares.
Main street, along which a majority of the business houses are built, is 100 feet broad, being the equal, in many respects, of some of the finest streets in the larger cities. The build- ings are composed principally of brick and stone, in the outskirts of the town as well as in the business portion, and the manner of construction employed displays taste as well as thrift. They are much better than are usually found in places of equal size and age.
The site of Darlington was first claimed in 1836, by Jameson Hamilton. All the land of Section 3, excepting fractional Lot No. 4, was entered by him eventually. The fractional lot referred to was taken by John Gray, in the winter of 1850, and contained about fifty acres. In 1847, Mr. Hamilton laid out the village of Avon or Center, which was subsequently aban- doned, as is shown in the following pages :
In the spring of 1850, J. M. Keep and J. B. Lynde, the latter an agent for Joshua Darling, of New York, purchased the land. The survey was made in June, 1850, by Josiah Richardson, of Monroe, and H. H. Gray, assisted by an Indian named January.
The Indian was the son of a squaw called Mary, who lived on the site of the village, and honored the passing time by naming her children after the months of the year. She reached
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
August in her list of dusky contributions, and there stopped. The last heard of the family they were near the Wisconsin River, moving toward the Northwest.
The money used in the purchase was furnished by Mr. Darling, and, in the selection of a title for the village, that fact was remembered.
When the .plat was made, a field extended from where the La Fayette County Bank now stands to the site of the court house, and an orchard, planted in 1836, by Mr. Hamilton, was then in a flourishing condition.
The streets of the village were named in honor of the respective wives of the originators of the enterprise.
The only evidences of occupation at that period were two empty log buildings, situated on the north side of the river, and a log house occupied by Jameson Hamilton, on the spot now spoken of as the Wadsworth House. A bridge stood south by west of Main street, which was the work of the first settler, and a heavily timbered barn was also on the farm. This building was removed to the east side of the river and used for a warehouse until 1865, when it was destroyed by fire.
The first plat contained thirty-five blocks of eight lots each. These were offered for sale during the summer of 1850.
One building was put up that year-a store-now standing on Main street, and owned by Josephus Driver.
The original plat was laid out by John M. Keep, and surveyed June 14, 1850, by J. V. Richardson. It was registered July 25, 1850. This survey was enlarged and mapped August 13, 1855, by Charles Temple, surveyor, for J. M. Keep, and registered August 15 following. L. D. Russell's Additions were registered September 26, 1856, and October 15, 1858; Adaline Ellison's Addition was platted December 20, 1858; A. Anthony's Addition was platted April 18, 1859; A. Warden's Addition was made August 18, 1865; Hugh Campbell's Addition was platted February 27, 1869.
The village of Darlington was, from its infancy until 1865, connected with and ruled by the town government. By this time the place had become a prominent and prosperous village, with a population of about 100, and public interest had become of such a nature that the town could not, or did not, adequately provide for the wants of the aspiring little burg. The streets were in bad condition ; there were bridges, cross-walks and sidewalks particularly needed, and the latter could only be obtained through private contribution.
Liquor licenses were granted, and the money accruing was appropriated by the town, the villagers having no authority to say how many should be granted, or how much charged (as an independent body), while their interest in the matter was confessedly much greater than that of the town, inasmuch as the traffic was conducted among them, bringing all of its ill effects, against which they were comparatively powerless, and imparting no compensatory benefits.
In consideration of those and minor exigencies previous to the time mentioned in the opening of this article, a move was made by the leading men of the place, which resulted in obtaining the first charter. The draft of this was a copy of the one secured for the village of Monroe, with interpellations necessary to the place. This document was submitted to the Legislature, by the petitioners of the village in the winter of 1865, and, by act of April 28, of that year (Chapter 326), it became a charter, erecting the hamlet of Darlington into an incorpo- rate village, as follows :
" All that district of country embraced within the recorded plat of the village of Darling- ton, together with all of the outlots numbered from one to forty-seven, inclusive, and also all that is embraced in all the several recorded plats of the additions to said village, in the county of La Fayette, in this State, shall hereafter be known and designated as the village of Darling- ton, and the inhabitants residing, or who may hereafter reside, within the limits of said village, are hereby constituted a body corporate, by the name of the 'President and Trustees of the village of Darlington,' exercising all the powers and privileges, and being subject to all the duties and obligations pertaining to a municipal corporation."
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
The fiscal, prudential and municipal concerns of the village were vested in a President, ex officio Trustee, and four Trustees who were elected by the people, and one Clerk, one Assess- or, one Treasurer, one Constable, who was ex officio Marshal, one Street Commissioner and one Surveyor, who were appointed by the President and Trustees.
The elections were to be conducted by three of the Board of Trustees, ten days' notice having been given to bona-fide residents, under the general law, and no one was eligible to the office of President, Trustee, Treasurer, Assessor or Street Commissioner, unless he was a free- holder.
In case of a vacancy in the office of President occurring, a special election was to be held to fill it.
All of the officers were required to take an oath, and those holding highly responsible positions were required to give bonds for the faithful performance of their duties.
A police court was established for the administration of municipal affairs, the President of the Village Board being constituted Police Justice. In addition to this arrangement, the officers of the town and county were privileged to act in the village to maintain peace and good order.
The President and Trustees could ordain such officers as they might deem necessary, besides those already provided, and had authority in the village for granting license and creat- ing such ordinances as they might deem beneficial to the welfare of the community aside from those provided in the charter, which, it may be here remarked, were sufficient to meet nearly all emergencies.
All of the funds received by the Treasurer for liquor licenses were employed in toto to maintain, in part, the streets, bridges and cross-walks.
Tax-payers, after legal notice, could pay either in labor, money or materials, and the same was used as above.
By a special clause of Section 49 of the chapter, " No general law contravening the provis- ions of this act shall be considered as repealing, amending or modifying the same." Thus it appears that the first charter was wrought-iron, double welded and forged, and very good in most respects.
In this connection may be mentioned the fact that the village voted with the town in all town elections as before, a condition that obtains in the city now, and were assessed by the Town Assessor.
By act of March 26, 1866 (Chapter 184), an amendment to the charter was made, extend- ing the limits of the village so as to embrace a small piece of land and the residence of A. B. P. Wood, who was the first Mayor of the city.
By an act of March 6, 1868 (Chapter 409), an amendment was granted, giving the Board of Trustees the power to establish fire limits, or, in other words, to restrict the erection of wooden buildings to certain boundaries, for the purpose of avoiding danger from fires.
Again, by act of March 15, 1870 (Chapter 357), the charter was so amended as to extend the village limits far enough to the north and east to include 130 acres. This amendment was affected by A. B. P. Wood, partly for the purpose of correcting an error which existed in the first amendment, and for the purpose of adding enough territory to make the boundaries of the village more symmetrical than before.
At the charter election held in March, 1870, the question at issue was, particularly, between the temperance and anti-temperance factions, and involved the question of license or no license. The temperance element won the day, but the candidate whom they elected for Pres- ident had been nominated against his will, and threatened not to qualify. To avoid the neces- sity of a special election, as provided by the village charter, in case of vacancy, and a possible defeat, the temperance party, at the instance of G. A. Marshall, sent in a petition for an amendment, and by act of March 16, 1870 (Chapter 394), the charter was so changed as to provide for the filling of vacancies in the office of President, by the Board of Trustees.
By act of March 4, 1875 (Chapter 186), an amendment was granted to the charter which enlarged and particularly defined the powers of the Trustees, with regard to the licensing of
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
peddlers, auctioneers and transient dealers. This was undoubtedly brought about to protect the interests of the business men of the place.
No other special amendments were obtained, although such corrections were made as were needed, especially provided for by the general law in such cases.
In the fall of 1876, the temperance men of the village, being dissatisfied with some of the provisions of the old charter, and the restrictions imposed on the liquor traffic, under the direc- tion of A. B. P. Wood, a remodeled draft of the old charter was made, by which the village limits were so extended as to include a large amount of territory, where a powerful temperance element lived, and also by which the license provisions were made very rigid.
Owing to the amendment to the State Constitution prohibiting the Legislature enacting any special or private law affecting village charters, which had been passed several years before, but overlooked, villages had to incorporate under the general law and by popular vote, otherwise only a city charter could be obtained. Knowing that to submit the matter to the popular vote would be the death of the scheme, through the immense home opposition that would be brought to bear, Mr. Woods immediately decided to obtain a city charter. Accordingly, the necessary changes were made in the phraseology of the bill, and it was then submitted to the Legislature, and, by an act published February 27, 1877 (Chapter 30), it became a law. Subsequently, when it was generally known that Darlington was an incorporated city, the liquor dealers united and joined issue at law to overthrow the charter, but, after being baffled during two years' proceedings, they finally gave the matter up.
The boundaries of the city are set forth in the charter as follows :
SECTION 1. All the district of country in the county of La Fayette contained within the limits and boundaries hereinafter described shall be a city by the name of Darlington ; and the people now inhabiting, and those who shall hereafter inhabit, the district of coun ry so described, shall be a municipal corporation by the name of the City of Darlington, and shall have the general powers possessed by municipal corporations at common law, and, in addition to this, shall possess the powers hereinafter specifically granted ; and the authorities thereof shall have perpetual succession, and shall be capable of contracting and being contracted with, of suing and being sued, of pleading and being impleaded, in all courts of law and equity, and shall have a common seal, and may change and alter the same at pleasure.
SEC. 2. The west half of southwest quarter of section thirty-five (35), in town three (3), range three (3) ; fractions seven (7) and eight (8), in section thirty-four (34), in town three (3), range three (3) ; fractions one (1), two (2), three (3) and four (4), in section three (3), town two (2), range three (3) ; southeast quarter of northwest quarter of section three (3), town two (2), range three (3) ; northeast quarter of southwest quarter of section three (3), town two (2), range three (3) ; north half of southeast quarter of section three (3), town two (2), range three (3) ; and also commence at the northwest corner of fraction six (6), in section two (2), town two (2), range three (3) : thence east on north line of said fraction twenty (20) chains; thence south to south bank of Pecatonica River ; thence west along the bank of said river to west line of section two (2); thence north on the said line to place of beginning ; all east of fourth (4th) principal meridian shall be included within and constitute the territory compris- ing the city of Darlington.
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