USA > Wisconsin > Lafayette County > History of Lafayette county, Wisconsin > Part 95
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The St. Charles Hotel was the first public house of the kind established in the village. This hotel was built by Charles Mappes, the present proprietor, in 1868, and originally consisted of one story, 19x40 feet. In 1869, an addition was made, and in 1870, the whole structure was raised and a stone basement built, which made the hotel three stories in height, with accom- modation for forty guests. The basement is used for office and billiard room. The hotel property is valued at $15,000.
The United States Hotel was built in 1869, by W. W. Watkins, of Dodgeville, and man- aged by him for five years. His successors have been Mr. Ford, Dr. Hoffman, Ben Barett, and the present proprietor, J. W. Dickenson, who took possession in May, 1876. The build- ing is a two-story frame structure, with accommodations for twenty-five guests.
TOWN OF KENDALL.
Kendall is in the northwestern part of the county, and is bounded on the west by Belmont and Elk Grove, on the east by Willow Springs, on the north by Iowa County, and on the south by Seymour. In the year 1868, the Platteville Branch of the Mineral Point Railroad, now the property of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, was built through it, entering on
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
Section 12, and crossing Sections 11, 10, 9, and passing into Belmont from Section 17. The territory of Kendall comprises Town 3, the south half of Town 4 north, Range 2 east of the Fourth Principal Meridian.
The surface is generally rolling and somewhat broken, though there is considerable beauti- ful prairie within its limits. The town is well watered by the Pecatonica and branches ; is well supplied with timber, and presents almost every variety of soil and surface.
Before the division of the county into towns, the northern part of this town was included in the election precincts of Belmont, the remainder in Prairie and Willow Springs. In 1862, six sections on the east of this town were attached to the town of Belmont. At the time of the township organization, the name of Kendall was adopted, in honor of James Kindle, Sr., the earliest settler and pioneer of the town. The Board of County Commissioners, composed of John Ray, Samuel Cole and John Armstrong. who named the town, concluded to change the orthography of the name from Kindle to Kendall, as it would be more easily written and spoken, Kindle being a very uncommon name.
There is as yet no village in the town, although at an early date Richard MeKim surveyed and platted the city of New Baltimore, upon what has since been known as the Ansley farm ; but its high-sounding and pretentious streets, avenues and squares have long since relapsed into more useful and peaceful corn and potato fields, and given up all pretensions to civic dignity.
James Kindle, Sr., the earliest pioneer and settler in the town of Kendall, emigrated here from the vicinity of Gratiot's Grove to the farm where his son, James Kindle, Jr., now resides, in the spring of 1829, and, on Section 16, built a log house with two rooms, which was the first building erected in the town. In 1832, Mr. Kindle built a log grist-mill on what is called Bonner's Branch, and to this mill, which was one of the first erected in the county, grain was sent from every region of the country for twenty-five or thirty miles around.
At the farm of James Kindle, Sr., on Section 15, a fort was erected and occupied during the Black Hawk war by a company of " Michigan Volunteers," as they were then called ; and here a young man named Adam Hymers, a son-in-law of Mr. Kindle's, met his death by the accidental discharge of his gun, being the only life lost in the town during that war.
There were but few farms in the town of Kendall at the time of the division of the county, and, as late as 1852, there were 15,000 acres of vacant land in the limits of the town, all of which long since has been converted into snug and thriving farms. Following the oldest settler and pioneer, James Kindle, Sr., came Abner Westrope, Nathan Olmsted, the Stewart family, Peter Perry and B. F. Dennison.
The first educational instructor in the town of Kendall was James Noble, who was engaged in the winter of 1832 by James Kindle, Sr., to teach his family of six children. The first schoolhouse was built on Section 16, in 1835; it had accommodations for about a dozen schol- ars. Caroline Dane was the first district schoolteacher. At this time there were but about eight or ten children of school age in the town.
By way of contrast, examine the report made by the Clerk of this district in 1880. It enumerates 357 children of school age, 177 of whom are females and 180 males. There are six schoolhouses, requiring the services of nine teachers-three male and six female. The average salary paid male teachers is $27.66 ; female, $21.14. During the year 1880, $1,249.83 was received, and $1,175.72 paid out for school purposes. The school property in the town of Kendall is valued at $1,500.
The first church built in the town was the St. Pius Catholic Church. This building, which is located on Section 23, was built by Rev. Father O'Connor, who was the first Pastor, in 1856. The first Catholic services were held at the residence of Patrick McEwen, in the western part of the town, March 17, 1855, the congregation at that time numbering about twenty persons. The congregation now numbers seventy families, and services are held every second Sunday. Connected with the church is the St. Pius Cemetery, established in 1858, the body of Timothy McGinty being the first remains interred therein. The successors of Father
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
O'Connor have been Revs. Father Stroker, Father David, Fathers McGinty, two brothers, Father Fitzgibbon and the present Pastor, Rev. M. Hannon.
The first and only post office established in Kendall was located at "Cottage Inn," in 1847, the Postmaster being Nathan Olmsted. Since 1862, when " Cottage Inn " was attached to Belmont, the mail has been received at Belmont or Calamine.
Midway between Belmont and Calamine, in the town of Kendall, on the Platteville Branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad system, is located the flag-station of Lynch- burg, nominated in honor of Mr. Lynch, who established a grist-mill in the vicinity in 1860. The mill was continued until 1875, when the hapless proprietor met an untimely fate by being crushed to death in the wheel.
The first election for town officers was held at the schoolhouse near James Kindle's farm, and the following persons chosen as the Town Board: Nathan Olmsted, Chairman ; S. B. Ans- ley, Town Clerk, and George Olmsted, Treasurer.
In 1850, the population of Kendall was 333, 189 of whom were males and 144 females. In 1855, the population had increased to 714-418 males and 296 females.
The assessment list of the town in 1849 amounted to $42,841; in 1856, the equalized val- uation was $100,200, and in 1880, $233,495. The population of the town is composed princi- pally of a thrifty, intelligent and educated class of farmers of Irish nationality or descent. The present town officers are : Supervisors, Patrick McDermott (Chairman), Ramsey Beaumont and Patrick McGuigan ; Michael McDermott, Assessor; Bernard McDermott, Town Clerk ; Edward Ruskill, Treasurer; James Moorehead, Justice of the Peace.
TOWN OF WILLOW SPRINGS.
This portion of the county was for several years prior to 1849, a voting precinct, and included considerable territory which now constitutes the town of Darlington, but, when on the 12th of January of the above year, the different towns were erected, the town of Willow Springs was constituted, embracing the present territory. The first regular election for town officers was held April 3, 1849, when the following officers were chosen : John Ray, Chairman ; James Noble and Nicholas Dunphy, Supervisors; Thomas H. Sheldon, Clerk ; Elihu Hall, Treasurer ; D. M. Parkinson, Assessor. There were also three Constables, four Fence Viewers, and five Overseers of Highways erected at this time.
The surface of this town is pretty evenly divided between rough and smooth, the northeast portion being for the most part a handsome rolling country, little broken, while the southwest is nearly the reverse, the general contour being hilly and uneven, especially in that section in the immediate vicinity of the Pecatonica. The soil of the prairies here, as elsewhere in the county, is a rich, black loam, the result of alluvial deposits, having a heavy clay subsoil. The rough portion, although possessing in part as good a quality of land, particularly in the river bottoms, is not generally as good or productive as the prairie. This portion of the town is the best adapted for pasturage and grass-raising. The bottoms here have frequently borne from three to three and one-half tons to the acre in days gone by. The timber supply is good, especially in the central portion, where, in early days, there were heavy growths of oak that had to be cut down to make the present farms. The timber on the rough part of the town is usually scrubby oak, from which this kind of timber land early acquired the name of " Oak Barrens." In the northeast part of the town, there is comparatively but little timber, yet in considerable variety, as oak, quaking ash, walnut, ash and other kinds are found here. The population embraces the usual mixture of nationalities found in this country. The prairie land, being the best, is taken principally by Americans, who were the pioneers of the town, and could choose the best. The rougher portion is taken by Irish, while here and there are scattered a few Ger- mans, Englishmen and Norwegians. The present occupation is agriculture, but, in the early history of the locality, lead smelting and mining was the leading business. The chief product at the present time is fine stock, hogs being the specialty. The general condition of the people
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
is excellent, which could not be well otherwise, considering that the country has been improved in great part for nearly half a century, and, with all the natural resources of this locality for farming, cannot be surpassed. Therefore it may be said the entire town is an aggregation of happy homes as the result of civilized industry and time's benignant influence.
Perhaps no portion of La Fayette County has been the scene of more varied historic events. than Willow Springs. One of the very earliest settlements was made here; and, when surround- ing localities were yet uninhabited, there were several smelting furnaces in operation in differ- ent parts of the town, and several farms had been started.
The first settlement was made at a place known as Willow Springs. At the foot of a hill, in a valley formed by the converging points of several rocky bluffs, the first comers found sev- eral springs bursting forth, which were overshadowed by willows. One of the springs in par- ticular was shaded by a large, wide-spreading willow, the pride and beauty of them all. As nature seemed to have provided this spot for the special entertainment of strangers, the settlers were not slow in availing themselves of the gift, and thus, before the Indian war of 1832, quite a bustling little hamlet had sprung up here. But, as the mining industries waned, the glory of Willow Springs departed, so that now there is scarcely a relic left to mark the spot save the old springs, but these, though they should sometime cease, will be perpetuated in the name of the town where they exist.
As to whom belongs the distinction of having been the first one to locate here, there are doubts. Probably D. M. Parkinson, who arrived in this county in the fall of 1827, was the first one on the ground. However, very soon after, or about the same time, several other par- ties came here. These were William Tate, John Moore, John Smith, John Ray, Isaac Cham- bers, Bonham King and others, who came early in 1828, but whether they came before that time is not known.
The first cabin or cabins were erected by Mr. Parkinson, on the old Magoon place, near the Pecatonica, in the fall of 1827, this being on the line of travel between Galena and Fort Winnebago. Mr. Parkinson made a business of entertaining travelers and miners. This place he sold later to Jameson Hamilton, the pioneer of the town of Darlington.
In 1828, early in the season, John Ray came here with his wife, and, it is generally con- ceded, erected the first cabin at Willow Springs, and subsequently broke the first land in the town. About this time, a man by the name of Smith settled north of the Pecatonica and built a cabin, wherein he entertained travelers. Mr. Smith subsequently removed to Galena and engaged in hotel-keeping. John Ray began by keeping a tavern, and also opened a grocery at the same time, this being the first store in the town. He was assisted by a man named F. M. Fretwell, who was known among the old settlers as a great joker. Very soon after this, Will- iam Tate came here and started a smelting-furnace, what was then known as a log-and-ash fur- nace. A year or two later, it passed into the hands of John Parkinson, and from him to Elias Pilling. This was doubtless the first furnace in the town, but, within three or four years, there were several erected at different points. Two of the early characters were Joseph Vance and Hugh De Priest, who tended the furnace. Col. John Moore located in the north part of the town, where D. M. Parkinson lived during the later years of his life. Col. Moore was well known as one of the prominent men during the Black Hawk war. It is said that he was the first person among the early comers to assume the marriage relation.
The first child born in this town was J. O. J. Ray, son of John Ray, who was born at Willow Springs in February, 1829. The next birth was Sarah Bracken, a daughter of Charles Bracken.
The most prominent improvement made this year was a three-roomed log cottage at Prairie Springs, which was put up by Col. Moore. This was the extent of immigration into Willow Springs during 1828. There were a number of peripatetics who became self-constituted guests of the town within that period, but none remained longer than to ascertain the absence of attractions, when they departed to more congenial spheres.
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
In 1829, Joshua, Josiah and Isaac Bailey became residents of the town, settling one and a half miles east of Willow Springs. They came from Ohio, and, excepting the Clark family, were the only pioneers who entered up claims.
In 1830, there were a good many settlers in the town. There were, besides the Baileys, Bonham King and sons (Polite and Narcisse), James Robb, Charles Bracken and others. Of those who came into the town previous to 1832, not spoken of, there should be mentioned Jeff Higginbotham, John and Jacob Ripperton, Henry Crow, Elias Pilling, Isaac Chambers, - McIlwaine, Abbe Atkens and George and Lawrence Bailey.
In 1830, George Bailey and his brother built a furnace on what is now called the old Bracken place. In 1831 or 1832, this furnace was purchased by Charles Bracken and John Van Matre, of Fayette. Van Matre died in 1834, and subsequently the furnace was operated by Mr. Bracken until it was abandoned.
Up to the close of the Black Hawk war, the country was exempt from occupation by the whites to any very great extent. In 1830, a number of changes were made in the ownership of enterprises, and some improvements made in the enterprises in progress. John Parkinson suc- ceeded William Tate as a smelter.
Gabriel Bailey and John Lawrence settled in the northern part of the township, where the former, with his brothers, erected a log furnace, and with Mr. Lawrence put up one three miles from the point where their settlement was first made. Times were extremely dull during this and the ensuing year. The farms were scarcely in a sufficiently advanced state of cultivation to produce returns, and the discoveries of ore had not been such as to encourage the miners to a successful prosecution of their labors. Added to these embargoes, the Indians continued in an attitude threatening the peace of this portion of the country, which per se, created an influence extremely remote from encouraging. All are conversant with the realizations, a year later, of what was apprehended in 1831. Prior to the inauguration of hostilities, R. C. Hoard settled near the Pecatonica, and erected a smelting furnace on what is now known as the Ansley farm, where John Brown, who came with Hoard, was employed, residing with his family near by. As an evidence of commercial enterprise, it may be stated, that, before the war, Lawrence & Bailey dis- posed of their furnace to Charles Bracken and A. P. Van Matre, by whom it was operated for many years.
Early in 1832, Fort Defiance was raised in the northern part of the town, at Prairie Springs, by Col. D. M. Parkinson, Charles Bracken, R. C. Hoard, Joseph Bailey and others. The stockade was 120x80 feet, and made of heavy split timbers eighteen feet long, sharpened at the top and set face to face, thus making an almost impenetrable wall with no openings, except loop-holes. At the corners were bastions, used for cooking-rooms, and still above those were erected block-houses, which reached about five or six feet above the tops of the palisades at two opposite corners. The bastions were twelve or fourteen feet in dimensions. The block-houses were sixteen feet square, projecting two feet beyond the bastions. Within the inclosure were still two other buildings, having two large rooms below and two above, which were used to accommodate the families of the settlers. The garrison numbered in all about forty men, the larger number of whom belonged in this part of the county. The commanding officers were Capt. Robert C. Hoard ; First Lieutenant, Charles Bracken ; Second Lieutenant, D. M. Parkinson. Subse-
quently, Robert Gray was created Lieutenant. The First Sergeant was James Lovett, who was also Drill Master, he having served in the regular army. The company at this post had the reputation of being the best drilled of any in the frontier. The equipments were old-fashioned muskets, with long bayonets, and accouterments to match. The men's pay was $8 per month for post duty. This fort was not attacked during the war, which lasted three months, but two or three of the garrison were killed at the battle of the Pecatonica.
Soon after the close of the struggle, the business of mining and smelting was resumed, and settlers began coming in rapidly. The following parties, among others not known, came in before 1836 : G. F. Backard, Louis Cline, John Logue, Owen Harben, J. H. Sheldon, Chris Black- graves, Benjamin Martin, Elihu Hall, J. C. Hall and son George, Louis Sandford, Rufus and
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
Obediah Scott, John Smith, George Dickerson, James Crasier, Mike Lahue, A. M. White, James Bailey, Dennis Coleman and others.
In 1833, the first store having general merchandise was opened at Willow Springs by Elias Pilling.
There was a blacksmith-shop at this place, which had been established by Tate several years before this time. A man by the name of Giles was the blacksmith at a later date. D. M. Par- kinson once carried a plow eight miles on his shoulder to this shop, in order to get it there quicker than with an ox-team.
It is said that during the very early days, Isaac Chambers had a tavern on one side of the road at Willow Springs, opposite to John Ray's place, and that they ran a sharp competition. In the morning, each one would out and walk in front of his house, or else the hired men would do so, and one would hurrah for Jackson and the other for Adams, and, as whisky in those days was cheap, and times comparatively lively, this chief thoroughfare was often the scene of much hilarity.
Religious services were held at Willow Springs at a very early day, probably before 1830, but who was the first minister to come is rather uncertain. In all probability, either Elder Stevens or Elder Crummer was the man. In 1832, the first Sabbath school was begun under the direction of Mrs. John Ray and Mrs. Pilling. Mrs. Ray was a. leading woman of the Methodist faith. and often performed missionary labors, traveling far and wide to attend to the mission of her faith and declare the Gospel to the erring ones. Since that date, the opportuni- ties for worship have gradually improved, until at present there are three churches in the town, two Protestant and one Catholic. The Disciple Church, of the Campbellite persuasion, in the northeast part of the town, is substantially built of stone, the work of construction having been performed about two years ago, by Philip Allen, of Mineral Point.
In the north part of the town, on land presented by Nathaniel Parkinson, is located a Primitive Methodist Church, and near it a temperance hall. These buildings are framed, and were erected not more than eight years since. The Catholic Church has been built a good many years. It is situated not far from the center of the town, and is supported by a large congregation. The land on which the church stands-four acres-was given by John Smith.
The first school was taught in an old log house, which stood on Section 16, since decayed, in the winter of 1833-34. There were twelve scholars. The teacher was a Mr. Sylvester, a miner from Mineral Point, who, having injured his arm, engaged to teach the few pupils to be obtained in the town at that time, for a nominal sum, which was obtained by subscription. The first schoolhouse was built in 1836, on Section 3. A Mr. Hall, from Tennessee, was the first teacher here, there being about twenty-five scholars. This was also a subscription school. A denominational school was opened about 1838, by Elder Stevens, a Presbyterian preacher, in a room attached to his dwelling-house for the purpose, which would accommodate about twenty- five to thirty pupils. This school was called a female seminary, and the pupils were boarded at the Pastor's residence. It was not continued long. Mr. Stevens was at one time an Indian missionary. He eventually started the Platteville Academy. There are now eight comfortable schoolhouses in this town, supported by taxation.
About 1835, a furnace was built one mile north of where Calamine now stands. Peter Hartman was the builder, and his successor was John McCann. In 1846, Charles Bracken and John Smith erected a blast furnace near Otter Creek, on the land now owned by Hugh Hough. This furnace was built for melting copper, but, as the copper supply was very limited, the enter- prise had to be abandoned, and the furnace went to ruin. At about the same time, a furnace for smelting lead was built by E. Pilling a mile or more south of the Bracken establishment. This furnace was run for several years. They were built here principally because of the large groves of timber, which afforded the necessary fuel. Not more than one-fourth of the ore smelted was taken from mines in this town. The most of it came from Mineral Point and that section of the country. There were several mines in this town, however, the more noted being the Duke, the Prairie, the Fretwell, the Porter Grove and the Van Matre Survey Diggings: Of these, the most extensive were the Duke Diggings.
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HISTORY OF LA FAYETTE COUNTY.
There is at present some mining being done near Calamine.
A saw-mill was built in the town in 1836 or 1837, by Rufus Scott, at the location since known as the Maguire Place. Benjamin Martin was the millwright. In 1850, Scott erected a grist-mill here, which, within a few years, became the property of L. Childs and Charles Cox, merchants, of Mineral Point, who connected a store with the mill. It passed into the hands of Mr. Hurd in 1855, without the store, who conducted it successfully until 1860, when it became the property of Mr. McGuire, who operated it until 1874, when the dam was swept away. Since that time the mill has stood idle.
There was a blacksmith-shop at this point during the early times, run by the Scott Brothers. The old saw-mill has long since gone to decay. A building was erected about 1845, by John Clowney, to be used for various mechanical purposes, which was afterward converted into a corn- cracking mill. There is at present a good grist-mill at Calamine.
In early times, stores were kept at Willow Springs by Patrick Dillon and Mr. Crow. Mr. Elihu Hall also kept a temperance house here from 1836 until within a few years. Mr. Hall was in early times one of the most influential and stirring Methodists in the country, he having been largely instrumental in keeping up the Sabbath schools and religious services.
Isaac Davis and Nathan and Horace Woodworth were prominent as local preachers from 1840 to 1845. Horace Woodworth was also a singing-school teacher, the do, me, sol, of "ye ancient pioneers " having been first melodiously discoursed by him.
Slave Charley, as he was called, was one of the noticeable characters of early times. He was an escaped slave, and received employment from Josiah Bailey. Being large, powerful and healthy, he was considered especially valuable, and, although the poor fellow had come to the very confines of civilization, nevertheless his master found out where he was and followed him. Charley was so kind and devoted in his attentions to his employer and the people generally that he became a great favorite. When the slave-hunter came, the fugitive was not without strong friends, and, although no one interfered with the Southerner in his search, yet he did not find his victim. He kindly left ropes with the settlers with which to bind the runaway if he should be discovered. Eventually, Charley left these faithful friends and went away to work for a man in the southeast part of the county. As there was a reward of $100 for the slave's apprehen- sion, this wretch determined, with the assistance of two other men, to return him to slavery. When it came to taking him, a terrible struggle ensued, but he was finally overpowered and sent back to bondage.
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