USA > Wisconsin > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, past and present : including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county [microform] > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91
Captain Lynn was killed on the gunboat Tyler, July 15. 1862. while on an expedition toward Vicksburg. the steamer having been fired into by a rebel battery. Shortly after this the regi- ment was in a thirty-days' siege of Vicksburg. but disease so weakened the men that at the end of that time the siege was abandoned. They had a successful battle at Bisland, Louisiana. near Bayou Teche. and a little later they made an attack upon Port Hudson, where Capt. Levi Blake fell mortally wounded. The battle of Port Hudson proved very disastrous to the regi- ment. On September 1. 1863. the War Department gave orders that the Fourth Wisconsin be equipped as cavalry, and it was thereafter known as the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry.
Company A. Third Wisconsin. Barstow's Cavalry, was organ- ized about mid-summer. 1861. by Capt. Jerry Dammon, of Sparta. Its first lieutenant was Robert Carpenter. of Sparta, and second lieutenant. Leonard Morley, of Viroqua.
The company left Sparta and proceeded to Camp Barstow,
267
THE CITY OF SPARTA
Janesville, Wisconsin, where it was mustered into service. The regiment left the state and went via Chicago to St. Louis, March 26, 1862. While on the Northwestern railroad, near Chicago, it met with a very serious accident, which resulted in the loss of twelve men, Company A alone having seven men killed and sev- eral were severely injured.
Captain Damman, who went out in command of the company, resigned March 9, 1863, and was succeeded by Capt. Robert Car- penter, who retained command until the date of his muster out of service, January 30, 1865.
Company D, Eighteenth Wisconsin Infantry, was raised in the month of November and December. 1861, and was called the Northwestern Rangers. The company was recruited by George A. Fisk, D. W. C. Wilson and Peter Sloggy. At an election for officers a vote of the members of the company was taken and resulted in the election of Fisk as captain, Wilson as first lieu- tenant, and Sloggy as second lieutenant. The company left Sparta and proceeded to Milwaukee, January 14, 1861, and was assigned to the Eighteenth Wisconsin Infantry, under the com- mand of Col. J. S. Albin, of Plover.
This regiment was at the battle of Shiloh and in the sieges of Corinth and Vicksburg, at the battle of Champion Hills, and at that of Allatoona mountains, as well as in several lesser en- gagements ; and it suffered severely from disease, engendered by the sickly climate. Its gallant eolonel lost his life at Shiloh, which proved a disastrous battle to the raw recruits. Yet Gov- ernor Harvey said of them : "Many regiments of that fight may well covet the impressions which the Eighteenth have left of personal bravery, heroic daring and determined endurance."
Company C, of the Nineteenth Wisconsin Regiment, was or- ganized in December, 1861, and mustered into service by Capt. J. A. Chandler, of Sparta. Charles Case was first lieutenant, and Henry B. Nichols second lieutenant.
Captain Chandler resigned July 30, 1862, and Charles Case was promoted to the captainey. The latter also resigned and Henry B. Nichols became the captain of Company C February 7, 1863. The company was mustered out of service April 19, 1865.
The Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Regiment was organized by Col. Milton Montgomery, of Sparta, and was mustered into service September 14, 1862. Company D was the company enlisted at this place, and its officers were : J. D. Condit, captain, and Mort. E. Leonard and Charles S. Farnham, lieutenants. Captain Con- dit resigned on account of sickness, July 15, 1863, and Mort. E.
268
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
Leonard was put in command of the company. The latter was wounded in the action of Decatur, Ga., July 22, 1864, but returned to duty in November of the same year. At the same battle Colonel Montgomery was wounded and taken prisoner. His arm, which had been shot off by a rifle ball, hung dangling to the stub for a period of forty-eight hours before amputation took place. The gallant colonel did not. however, resign upon his release from prison, but continued with his regiment until mustered out June 7, 1865. The regiment suffered very much from sickness during its service. At one time 500 of the men lay sick, and less than a hundred were fit for duty. This happened at Snyder's Bluffs, Miss., in 1863. The regiment was in several skirmishes, of which lack of space prevents particular mention.
The Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Regiment was organized under the government call for 500.000 men. Company C of this regi- ment was recruited by Capt. George A. Fisk, of Sparta, and was mustered into service March 4. 1864. Luther B. Noyles was first lientenant, and C. E. Bullard was second lientenant.
Before the close of the war Captain Fisk was promoted as major, and Stephen C. Miles, a well-known Sparta man, as cap- tain.
Company C lost several men. C. L. Cleves, Darwin Cole, Davis Douglass, A. B. Ingales, P. C. Walker and Charles L. McClure were killed in action. E. H. Amidon, R. B. Balcom, H. Brown. Thomas Casner, William Dayton, H. W. Hudson, John Hopwood. Eldridge Rathbun and John Wilkinson died of wounds received in battle. Of those who died of disease many gave up life in the Salisbury and Andersonville prisons. The following is a list of such of Company C's men as died of disease : George C. Cross, Wm .. B. Snyder. Alfred O. Barnes. M. A. Butts, Dan. A. Barton. P. Farr. Nathan Graves. Henry Hathaway, James Hub- bell. Edward Nichols, John Printz, Cyrus Sour, Samuel Smith. J. E. Stevens, L. VanBorst. Walter Van Vickle, J. B. Wolcot and Chas. Young.
A portion of the First Battery, the LaCrosse Artillery, was from Sparta. S. Hoyt was one of the number. This company won the applause of Major General MeClernand and of Major General Reynolds, for gallant conduet on the field, and for its cleanliness and good behavior in camp.
Sparta sent 142 citizens to the war. sixty-three of whom re- enlisted at the close of their first term. The colonel of the Sev- enth Wisconsin Regiment. W. W. Robinson, was a Sparta man. Col. W. W. Robinson was born at Fairhaven, Vermont, December
RANDOLPH A. RICHARDS
269
THE CITY OF SPARTA
14, 1819, and was educated at Rutland Academy, Castleton Acad- emy and Norwich Military Academy. During the Mexican war he served as first lieutenant and captain in the Third Regiment, Ohio Volunteers. He was a resident of Sparta at the outbreak of the War of the Rebellion, having first visited and selected a farm near that place in the summer of 1851. In the spring of 1861 he took an active part in the organization of the company then being recruited here, giving it quite a thorough course of lessons in discipline and drill. In August of the same year he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Seventh Wisconsin Volunteers, and served in that capacity until January 31, 1862, when he was promoted colonel of the same regiment. He com -- manded the Seventh Wisconsin in the following named engage- ments: Thornburg, Rappahannock Station, White Sulphur Springs, Gainsville, Fredericksburg, FitzHugh Crossing, Chan- cellorsville, Laurel Hill and Bethesda Church, and the Iron Brigade in the following: Brandy Station, Beverly Ford, Gettys- burg, Birchland, Wilderness, November, 1863; Wine Run, Wil- derness, 1864; Spottsylvania Courthouse, North Anna, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. He was severely wounded in his left leg at the battle of Gainsville, August 28, 1862, from the effects of which wound he has never fully recovered. For services ren- dered during the war he has recently been appointed United States Consul at Lamatove, Madagascar.
Many of the newcomers of Sparta were in the war previous to their coming here. J. W. Currant, at one time register of deeds, and Michael McComber each lost a limb in battle; Rufus S. and H. K. Dodge were also in the army. H. K. Dodge tells of many occurrences of the war which are very remarkable and which are not in history. One of these we will give here, the truth of which the editor will not vouch for: Dodge was once stationed at a point to repel a large force of rebels, a belt of trees dividing the two armies. Mr. Dodge finally got out of bullets and substituted some balls of snuff, which the sutler had for sale. The effect was wonderful. In a few minutes the whole rebel army was sneezing, and they kept at it until consternation seized them and they broke ranks and fled. Mr. Dodge went in pur- suit and was surprised on crossing the ground which they had occupied to find it strewn with noses. He says he picked up two and a half bushels of them. What use he made of them in trade he does not say. and as he was the only person who knows the information died with him.
The return of peace brought with it a renewed activity in
270
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
business enterprises and the growth of the community, which had been interrupted by the war, continued and many new names were added to the roll, too many to here enumerate, among them being Colonel Shuter and Dr. A. B. Nichols, who opened a Turkish bath establishment under the Warner House. This in- stitution was conducted successfully for several years, and in connection with artesian water which has mineral properties became quite a resort for treatment of various diseases. In the spring of 1865 the courthouse was built in Petit's square, which included the sheriff's dwelling. and in that year J. L. Mather built the Sparta paper mill, which a few years later was sold to Farnham, Shuter & Co., who in turn sold it to O. 1. Newton, and he continued to operate it up to the time of his death, when it went to his sons, George and Harry, and having burned a few years after while owned by these boys it never was rebuilt. The water power, however, is used in furnishing power for the elec- trie light plant, which furnishes light and power to the city and vicinity, running under the corporate name of O. 1. Newton Sons' Co. Mr. George Newton is at present the manager. The paper mill at one time manufactured about 4,000 pounds of paper per day and employed twenty men.
A new charter was obtained for the village from the Legisla- ture. March 24. 1866, and in the following April a charter elec- tion was held in which the following officers were elected: J. T. Hemphill, president. and T. B. Tyler. O. D. Randall. T. D. Steele, M. R. Gage. D. G. Jewett and C. C. Morrill, trustees ; George C. Farnham, clerk: H. E. Kelly, treasurer: Samuel Hoyt, police justice : John Humphrey, marshal, and D. F. Stillman, street commissioner.
About this time the hop fever had been raging over this part of the country and large numbers of persons in Sparta and viein- ity had gone into the business. At one time it is stated there were over three hundred aeres planted to hops within a mile of Sparta. and the same condition of affairs was true in different parts of the county. especially around the two larger villages. Sparta and Tomah, and the editor remembers with great pleasure some of his experiences at "hop picking time." and it in those days be- came a common thing to refer to events which took place at or near "hop picking time."
The firm of HI. Palmer & Co. were, perhaps, the most exten- sive dealers in hops. The firm was composed of, in addition to Mr. Palmer, D. M. Cargill and John Moffat. They handled at one time as high as $500,000 worth of hops annually.
271
THE CITY OF SPARTA
Another thing which struck this part of the country at this time and caused great excitement was the rumor that oil had been discovered in the valley of the Kickapoo river, which runs along the southern portion of the county. A man named Ticknor, who claimed to be an oil operator from the oil regions of the east, assured the people of the existence of oil in that section. They visited the spot and saw crude petroleum boiling from the spring ; smelt it, tasted it and were satisfied. And the times that followed were indeed exciting for awhile. A "Gem Petroleum Company" was formed in which this man Tieknor was the head and a heavy stockholder: lands were leased from farmers at exorbitant prices in that section. and the capital of this celebrated industry was the famous village now known as "Oil City." Stocks in the oil company were in demand and everyone who could raise enough money invested it in a share or more, and this man Tieknor, in order to accommodate his friends, so to speak, sold nearly all of his shares at a large advance.
During this time wells were being bored in the "oil" region and after the stocks had been pretty well distributed it was discovered that all they got from the wells was water, not oil; then the bubble burst, for it was discovered that Tieknor had sunk a barrel of crude petroleum under the spring for the purpose of deceiving the people: stoeks went down and the Gem Petroleum Company went out of existence: the oil excitement, much to be regretted, had practically ruined several good citi- zeus, financially.
It was discovered, however, in digging the wells near the Kickapoo river that the water was of remarkable purity and a movement was set on foot to investigate the matter in the city of Sparta, and sink a well; a meeting of citizens was called and a subscription taken up to defray expense and George W. Waring was engaged as chief engineer and commenced the work ; a well was sunk in Petit's square and flowing water was reached at the very first attempt at the depth of three hundred and fifteen feet, the well flowing one hundred gallons per minute, and still flows in the court house park. The medieinal qualities of the water were soon discovered by the various citizens who drank it, as a remedy for different diseases. It was used to such an extent that the water was submitted to chemical analysis and it was discovered that it was composed of various minerals, principally carbonate of iron, with a fair percentage of car- bonate of magnesia and sulphate of soda, together with various solutions of lithia. ammonia, lime, calcium, sodium, iodide of
272
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
sodium, and several other ingredients. The carbonate of iron was considered a fine tonie, as it helps digestion and reddens the blood globules, and persons partaking of this water as a treat- ment for general diseases were greatly benefited. Sparta became somewhat famous as a health resort, people coming from long distances to drink the waters and to take treatments at the Turkish bath establishment. At the present time this business has again been revived and the basement of the Warner House fitted up as a sanitarium.
In 1867 J. D. Condit purchased the Warner House and entered into the management of it; this was a year in which consid- erable building was accomplished, notably, the woolen factory, which was completed and put in operation in September; the manufacture of printing paper at the paper mill was begun: the brick building two stories high across from the Hotel Lewis was built in this year and owned jointly by Palmer, Gage, T. B. Tyler and Simpson & Co. A large briek school building was erected on the site where the grade school now stands and the building at that time was considered one of the best and cost $18,000.
In looking over old newspaper files for this year, 1867, it is amusing to know that a game of base-ball was played at Tomah in July between the Sparta Eagles and Tomah Amateurs. in which the score was fifty to thirty-five in favor of the Sparta Eagles.
An income tax which is now the subject of so much discus- sion is no new thing in the state, as it was in existence during the year 1867, but was finally discarded as a revenue measure. An issue of the Sparta Democrat, May 28. 1867, contains a statement published of the income taxes returned from the con- gressional distriet, comprising Vernon, Monroe, Juneau, Adams. Jackson, Clark, Trempeleau, Buffalo, Pierce. St. Croix, Polk and Burnett.
The Opera House block was built during 1867 and 1868 by Herman Greve and is the building which is still known as the old Opera block; J. A. Gilhan built a grist mill on his land in the southern portion of the city in 1868, having previously straightened the river in order to make the water power; and the building of this mill created considerable litigation: the Dodge Brothers Company, of G. T .. R. S. and H. K. Dodge, bought a building on corner of Main and Water of S. D. Jackson in 1872 and engaged in the mercantile business, which establish- ment is still conducted at the old site in a fine briek department
273
THE CITY OF SPARTA
store building. The business is now known as the Dodge & Davis Department Store Company. a Corporation.
Rice & Burton engaged in the grocery business at the corner of Franklin and Water streets, the firm subsequently becoming Burton & Graves, and they continued in business for several long years and only retired in 1910. D. J. Lambourn opened a drug store in 1870 and Ira A. Hill entered into the same business in July, 1871. In 1872 L. M. Newbury and J. P. Ward erected a large foundry, known as Sparta Iron Works, which has several times been enlarged and is now owned and controlled by the Canfield Brothers, Lee and Robert, and does a flourishing business in the manufacture of well drilling machinery.
In 1873 the building of the Chicago and Northwestern Rail- road through the village marked a new incident in its history ; and the village, in order to get this railroad, paid the company $50,000 and considerable difficulty arose over the issue of these bonds in subsequent years, but they were all finally paid and the village relieved from the burden of this great debt. These bonds were voted by the citizens believing that the railroad would open up for better trade, a very fertile region lying on the southeast and especially from the Ridge country and beyond : though at this time there were several stage lines running out of Sparta to Cataract, Wilton. Ontario and Viroqua : these lines were run on a regular scheduled time table like a railroad and carried freight and passengers.
The next decade marked a very substantial growth to the village, not only in building but in trade and general progress, with the exception of a drawback or two caused by disastrous fires. And in 1876, in common with villages and cities every- where throughout the United States, Sparta held a fitting cele- bration of the centennial year; not only the commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the independence of this country, but also to celebrate the progress of this hustling little village.
In 1876 the Seminary building at the corner of Main and K streets was commenced in the latter part of September by the Sisters of Charity of La Crosse; this was the start of an institu- tion which has grown to large proportions and become one of the valuable educational institutions in this part of the state and is treated more extensively at another place in this work.
On the 28th of September in this year occurred one of the most disastrous fires which has ever visited the village or city; it commencing at Lee & Palmer's livery stable, in which a large
274
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
part of their equipment, including fifteen horses, was lost, and it spread on Water street and crossed over to Oak street and destroyed Heller's dry goods store, then situated on the corner ; the property which was burned including the bus barn of Holbrook & Lee: Heller building and stock of dry goods; the building of James Francis: Henry Foster building and stock of harness goods: the William Kerrigan building; J. N. Wag- oner building; John Matchett Hotel and furniture; C. II. Ford hop house and fixtures; G. B. Holden lost his valuable library ; the preparations for fighting fire were then not of the best, but finally was checked. the total loss of something over $40.000, which was a severe blow to the business interests of the village at this time. Investigation failed to trace the cause of the fire. although it was decided that it must have been of incendiary origin. Most of the buildings were rebuilt soon after, including the Heller block, which was creeted in a more substantial man- ner than ever and a new stock of goods bought and opened for business within a year.
On the 22nd day of February, 1877, Sparta had been settled for such a length of time that some of its citizens then considered themselves "old settlers" and they had a pioneer reunion in the Ida Hall, one at which the loudest kind of a time is recorded. The principal movers in this celebration were C. B. McC'mure. Elsa Rice, T. B. Tyler, S. N. Dickinson, J. J. French. S. F. Hol- brook. C. W. McMillan. W. H. Blyton, N. P. Lee, J. King. H. Austin, Z. K. Jewett, J. B. Palmer.
In 1887 George Matchett assumed control of the Ida House, which he conducted for several years. Thayer & Kingman erected the brick building now occupied by the Monroe County Bank and in the same summer and at the same time JJ. A. Harvey and JJacob Schram erected brick blocks.
Early in 1877 an excavation was commenced for the building of the new Warner House as it now stands and in 1879 the celebration of the completion of this building was undertaken on a large scale: J. D. Condit was owner and builder and the citizens took part in this matter of so dedicating this fine hotel structure in good style: committees were appointed which included the names of prominent citizens in all of the nearby villages and towns and invitations were issued quite generally and which were responded to very liberally. Guests arrived from Milwaukee, La Crosse. Winona. Tomah. Kendall. Black River Falls, Mauston and even some from St. Paul and Minne- apolis to join the festivity, and a banquet was served, followed
275
THE CITY OF SPARTA
by dancing, which was kept up until the small hours of the morning. The receipts of the occasion were $765.50 and the amount of enjoyment gotten out of the occasion by the partici- pants was on an equally large scale.
On September 17 of this year Viroqua celebrated the opening of the new railroad known as the "Viroqua Branch" from Sparta through that city; a special train was run and a large member of the citizens participated in the celebration.
Having survived floods, fires, panics and other smaller draw- backs it still remained for Sparta to have a cyclone and this came in due time, striking the city about 9:30 on the morning of June 10, 1880, and for a time the destruction of the entire city seemed imminent ; as it was, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway engine house was wrecked; M. B. Oster's hop house was blown down ; J. L. Woy's elevator was unroofed; the depot school house was moved off its foundation six or eight feet while school was in session; the roof was blown off the D. D. Cheney building on Water street ; numerous chimneys were blown down in different parts of the city; at the north school house the teacher, Jessis McMillan, and one pupil were struck by lightning; Patt Moss also experienced a shock and was knocked flat. The house of A. B. Holden was blown down and the buildings on the fair ground wrecked.
In 1881 Sparta arrived at the dignity of having an opera house with a real stage, which was completed in what was known as the Old Opera block by Ira A. Hill and T. B. Tyler, who then owned the building; the stage was nicely fitted up and equipped with scenery and good setting was furnished for the house and for a long term of years was the opera house for entertainments of all kinds, including roller skating.
There was little of general interest during the next ten or twelve years, with the exception of the fact that it was incorpo- rated as a city in 1883 and during this period two of Sparta's beautiful churches were erected and the armory building was also put up; in 1888 the Methodist Church congregation erected and completed their new church, which has since been remodeled and enlarged, however, but this building was the first real sub- stantial structure owned by the Methodist Society.
In the following year the dawn of better municipal improve- ments came with the purchase of M. A. Thayer of machinery with which to establish an electric light plant ; this was put into operation in a year or two with the main plant at the village of Angelo, run by water power. This was the beginning of the
276
HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
excellent electric lighting system which is now enjoyed by the inhabitants of the city, having been later acquired by the O. I. Newton Sons' Company and enlarged and improved so that at the present time there are two plants, one at the Angelo dam and the other at the old paper mill dam in the city, furnishing street lighting and power for machinery and an excellent system of lighting for stores and residences.
In 1889 the Congregational Society completed its beautiful church ; and to Dr. William Crawford is dne great credit for the successful carrying out of this great undertaking. Few cities of its size can boast of so beautiful a church structure : after two and one-half years of struggle the society, on August 20. 1889. held the dedicatory exercises and the church was opened for religions service.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.