USA > Wisconsin > Sheboygan County > History of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, past and present > Part 10
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
In 1848 important changes took place pertaining to the methods of running the affairs of the county. The board of commissioners was abol- ished by law and the township system of government established.
The first governing body, as has been related, was a board of three commissioners, who became, in a fair measure, rather autocratic in power and authority; so much so, in fact, that dissatisfaction arose here and there. A law had been passed in 1841, making it optional on the part of counties of the territory adopting the township system but, in 1848, the act was so amended as to make the system compulsory, so that, in the spring of 1849, supervisors were elected. From this time on until 1870, the county was governed by a board of supervisors, selected by districts, varying in its membership from three to seven.
In 1870, the present system was adopted and since that time each town has been represented on the board of supervisors, certain of the villages and each ward in the cities. Elsewhere is given a complete list of the members of the body from 1870 to 1912.
FIRST COURT
After Sheboygan county had been given a judicial status.by the legis- lature, the final act of separation from Brown county designated June I, 1846, as the time for holding the first term of circuit court at Sheboygan. The most convenient place for the purpose was the schoolhouse, and on the day mentioned a number of the settlers had gathered there, only to be dis- appointed by the nonappearance of the judge. On the following day, how- ever, Judge Andrew G. Miller, member of the territorial supreme court, arrived, and opened the first session of the first term of court in Sheboy- gan county. The other members of the court were, John S. Rockwell, United States marshal; William P. Lynde, United States district attorney ; D. U. Harrington, territorial district attorney ; James Rankin, clerk; Silas Stedman, sheriff; Thomas C. Horner, bailiff. Grand and petit jurors were
Digitized by Google
THE OTTEN BLOCK WHICH WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE ON THE MORNING OF JAN- UARY 1, 1861
The county offices were at the time on the second floor of the north half of the building. All the records were lost
Digitized by
.
....
Digitized by
73
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
empanelled and if the former returned any indictments, no record of them exists. It is known, however, that the petit jury of that term failed to agree in a single instance, and any issue that was left for them to decide was either passed on to a future term or dropped for want of resuscitation. Numerous places were used for the sittings of the court; among them are remembered: The schoolhouse, the academy, Congregational church, an assembly room, Presbyterian church, first floor of what was known as the New York block, Turner hall and Zaegel block. When the courthouse was completed in 1868, as a matter of course, suitable rooms were set apart and used for a courtroom from that time on.
THE JAILS
In 1851 the first jail was built in the county. It was a small affair and stood on the ground now occupied by the courthouse. Long before it was torn down the old building had practically become useless and inadequate. In 1893 the present handsome and substantial jail was erected. The struct- ure stands east of the courthouse, facing Center street and is only sepa- rated from the courthouse grounds by a driveway.
THE COURTHOUSE
. After the fire of 1860, in which the greater part of the county archives were forever lost, makeshift offices were built on Pennsylvania avenue and Hickory street, and it was not until the year 1868 that the first and only courthouse was erected in Sheboygan county. The building, for its day, was conveniently arranged, attractive from an architectural view-point and stands upon a commanding site on the corner of Center and Sixth streets. It is constructed of gray brick and is topped off by a tower. The original cost was $65,000. No arrangement had been made in the building for fire- proof vaults or heating and these necessities were absent until in 1893 the board issued $46,000 in bonds and with the proceeds built the jail and added a north and south wing to the courthouse, in the latter of which were con- structed four steel fire-proof vaults. Other improvements to the courthouse were made, not the least of which was a heating plant. The preliminary red tape necessary to inaugurate the improvements here noted are shown in the paragraphs below, which are extracts from the minutes of the board of supervisors :
At the regular session of the board of supervisors, held Thursday, May 5, 1892, Carl Zillier presiding, a committee was appointed, consisting of the chairman, Henry Walvoord, and George W. Wolff, for the purpose of investigating the condition of the courthouse and jail and report to the board their findings. This special committee had the following to say pertinent to the subject :
"To the Honorable Board of Supervisors:
"GENTLEMEN :- The undersigned, appointed by the presiding board a committee to make a thorough examination of the present condition of the courthouse and the accommodation and protection afforded the public rec-
Digitized by Google
.
74
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
ords therein from loss, damage by fire or water in case of fire in the court- house, and to make a full and thorough investigation of the present con- dition of the county jail from a sanitary and remedial point of view, have attended to their duty and beg leave to report as follows:
"We employed Mr. H. C. Koch, of Milwaukee, an architect of con- siderable experience, especially as regards the erection and arrangement of county and other public buildings, who has carefully considered the mat- ter, and we submit herewith his conclusions and recommendations. There is no question but that the valuable records deposited in the several county offices are under present arrangements more or less in danger of being destroyed by fire at any time and should such a calamity ever befall us, it would result in endless expenditure and great inconvenience to the citizens of the county, for which the county board would justly be held responsible, as it is expected of this body that it should provide for the safe keeping of the records.
"That our present jail is in a very bad and unhealthy condition is a fact generally conceded, and the matter certainly requires the immediate atten- tion of your honorable body.
"We do not feel authorized to make any special recommendations but submitting herewith the report of the architect, will leave the matter in your hands, having no doubt that it will receive the fair consideration it deserves."
In the report of the architect mention is made of the condition of the jail and courthouse and a remedy was suggested to adopt one of three dif- ferent plans, first to build a new and strictly fire-proof county office build- ing, with vaults and other conveniences, and change the first story of the courthouse to a modern jail, the improvement in accordance with this pro- posal to cost as follows: County office building, $42,000; remodeling jail, $16,000.
The second proposal was to build a new jail and sheriff's residence and new fire-proof vaults to the county offices in the courthouse. This improve- ment was estimated to cost: New jail, $25,000; new fire-proof vaults and steam heating plant for the courthouse, $23,500.
A third proposal was to build an entirely new fire-proof courthouse, with steam heat, steel shelving and new furniture at a cost of $75,000; a new jail with steel cells, and sheriff's residence, at a cost of $25,000.
In accordance with resolutions bids were advertised for proposals of a suitable site for a new courthouse and jail building, also of plans and speci- fications for a courthouse building and jail and sheriff's residence. Sev- eral offers of lots were made, ranging in price from $3,000 to $20,500.
The only members of the board at this time who were in favor of a new courthouse building were Brand, Festerling, Freimuth, Guessenhainer, Lutze, Oetking, Renzelmann, Reyer, Strains and Zillier. The others were in favor of remodeling the old building, and of course the majority prevailed.
On the 2d day of December, 1892, an ordinance was passed which em- powered the chairman of the county board and county clerk to issue bonds to the extent of $46,000 for the building of a new jail and remodeling of the courthouse-$25,000 for the jail, and $21,000 for the courthouse, the
Digitized by Google
1 1
75
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
main feature of the improvement of the courthouse being four vaults and a steam heating plant. The ordinance was adopted by a unanimous vote of the board.
The work on the courthouse cost $25,818.66, and the sheriff's residence and jail cost $21,635.68.
THE IMMIGRANTS-1846-1850
In the early fall of 1909, to be exact, from the 9th day of August to the 14th, the period was designated as "Home Coming Week," upon which occasion Sheboygan city was given over to extending the glad hand of wel- come to the sons and daughters of Sheboygan, who had found new homes in various parts of the land. Five days of jubilation, "talking over old times," and festivities were the results of a careful and elaborate plan. A beautifully illustrated "Official Souvenir" was printed under the auspices of the Business Men's Association and that part of the "Souvenir" devoted to the foreign (no longer) element, which so largely makes up the citizen- ship of the county, portrays so lucidly and comprehensively the early set- tlements in Sheboygan county of the Germans, Hollanders and others of near-kindred races, that a desire to quote the article, verbatim et literatim, is appeased by its reproduction below :
THE HOLLANDERS
"In 1846 Sheboygan county had 1,637 inhabitants. In 1847 the num- ber had grown to 5,580. The cause of this remarkable increase was the heavy immigration of Dutch and Germans during those years.
"The Hollanders were the first to turn their attention to this county. Under the leadership of G. H. Te Kolste a large settlement was made in the present town of Holland as early as 1846. The following year two hundred fellow countrymen who were bound for this port lost their lives within sight of their horror stricken friends on shore, in the burning of the propeller Phoenix.
"The Germans, with their inherent love of freedom, political and re- ligious liberty and equality, had for a long time looked upon America as the haven of refuge from the troubles of their native land. But, although they desired to gain political liberty, they also wanted to preserve their nationalism. In 1832 a society was formed for the foundation of a Ger- man America. But this met with such strong opposition on the part of native Americans that the plan was given up. Niles Register for that year says: 'We shall give all such as these a hearty welcome, but the idea of settling in a large compact body cannot be approved.' In 1857 another so- ciety was organized in New York, which had for its object the maintenance of a strong German character, customs and education. They asked the government for a grant of land but this was refused for obvious reasons.
"So another plan was arranged. This was to direct emigrants to one state in the Union. There was some disagreement as to what state this should be, the choice being between Texas, Oregon and a great lake
Digitized by Google
76
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
state. Wisconsin finally became the choice for the following reasons: There was free land, the constitution of the state was liberal, approximating the ideals of the leaders of their liberal party, the soil and climate were sim- ilar to those of their native land and the population as yet was scarce. Gradually a different spirit began to pervade the Germans regarding the segregation and isolation of German colonies in America. This was ably expressed by Carl Schurz some time later. He said: 'Let us never forget that we as Germans are not called upon here to form a separate nationality, but rather to contribute to the American nationality the strongest there is in us and in place of our weakness to substitute the strength wherein our fellow Americans excel us and to blend it with our wisdom.' The ad- vantages of Wisconsin were urged by numerous books and pamphlets dis- tributed throughout Germany. In 1849, for instance, a pamphlet was dis- seminated through the Rhine region by Gustav Richter, a citizen of Mani- towoc, recommending Sheboygan and Manitowoc counties in particular.
THE GERMANS
"The settlement of German emigrants in Wisconsin began as early as 1839. From that time on to 1845 those who left the fatherland did so primarily to escape persecution for their opposition to the union of the Lutheran and Reformed churches, and to establish communities where their religion would be tolerated. The North Germans began the move- ment. In 1839 about a thousand of them, coming chiefly from Pomerania, departed for America and settled almost wholly in Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties. Cedarburg and Freistadt were founded by them. Between 1850 and 1860 a large number of the settlers of these villages sold out and moved to the town of Sherman in Sheboygan county. In 1843 another emigration was made from Brandenburg and Pomerania. This was the last great emigration from those parts for some time, for by 1845 the re- ligious strife had abated to some extent. Germans from other provinces of North Germany, however, continued arriving in great streams.
"In 1847 a group of several families from Hameln settled in Herman town and about a hundred families from Lippe Detmold, under the leader- ship of Frederick Reineking, took up lands in various parts of this and Manitowoc counties. The western part of Herman, the eastern part of Rhine, the neighborhood of Johnsonville and the village of Sheboygan be- came their homes. Others from this same region continued to come for the next five years. The first settlers were poor and were compelled to work in the sawmills. They bought government lands and mortgaged them. These mortgages, however, were soon paid off, due to their industry and thrift. The Lippers were members of the Reformed church and estab- lished at Franklin a mission house upon the German plan. At this time, too, a body of Hanoverians arrived and settled in the towns of Sheboy- gan and Sheboygan Falls.
Digitized by Google
77
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
THE RHINELANDERS
"Meanwhile emigrants from Rhenish Prussia, chiefly from the districts of Cologne and Treves, were settling in small groups along the lake shore. In Sheboygan county they were among the earlier settlers, coming in 1846. The town of Rhine was settled by a large colony of Rhinelanders from whence it took its name. In 1847 economic conditions in the Wupper Val- ley were very bad and three hundred inhabitants of Elberfeld and . Barmen, chiefly handcraftsmen and tradesmen of some means, went to America. A large number of them settled in Sheboygan.
"In 1848 a body of Luxemburgers settled in the extreme southern part of this county near Dacada, and by the following year nearly eighty fam- ilies were living there. Five years later, owing to the failure of the har- vests, a large number of their fellow countrymen emigrated and settled along the lake shore between Milwaukee and Sheboygan. They were young men with little means, nearly all of them belonging to the peasant class. Their farms were usually small because of the prevalence of the old custom of dividing the land equally among their sons.
"A few Bavarians, Swabians and Rhinelanders followed in the steps of their German brethren and settled in Wisconsin, a few joining the Ger- man settlements in this county, the majority, however, going to the south- ern and south central counties.
"The Saxons settled in Wisconsin as early as 1839, when seven fam- ilies purchased a half section of Mequon. After they were prospering, they induced large numbers of their fellow countrymen to join them. In this way the present town of Mosel was settled. After 1854 the immigration of Germans to Wisconsin was checked to some extent. Some came almost each year, but another high water mark was not reached until about 1880.
" 'The attraction in Sheboygan to German settlers,' says Dr. Levi, 'has probably been the rapid growth of the manufacturing city of Sheboygan,' It is estimated that there are about 15,000 North Germans in the county, settled chiefly in the towns of Mosel, Sheboygan, Plymouth, Greenbush and Mitchell.
"As the Dutch and Germans had looked upon Wisconsin as the land of promise, so did the Belgians. On May 18, 1853, 325 of them from Grez Doician, county of Wavre, set forth for America. After they arrived in New York, where the state of Wisconsin was represented by a commis- sion of immigration, they decided to make Wisconsin their home. All but two families went to Milwaukee, arriving in July. They then proceeded northward along the shore until they arrived at Sheboygan, where they de- cided to settle. But as none of them could speak anything but French and Walloon, they met with some annoyance at not being able to communicate with the people of Sheboygan. On this account they were induced to go to Green Bay by a native of those parts.
"Meanwhile a few Norwegians had settled in this county, principally in the city of Sheboygan, while a small group of Irish had taken up farms in the western part of this county. It was this hardy population of Ger- mans, Dutch, Norwegians and Irish therefore that carried on the work
-
Digitized by Google
78
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
that the American pioneer had begun. The present prosperity and wealth of this county shows how remarkably well they have done their work.
"Another period of immigration began with the close of the nineteenth century. The Austrian Slavs were the advance guard of this army of im- migrants. In 1888 Frank Starich, a native of Carniola, moved to this city. He was the pioneer of this group. In 1895 Anton Starich arrived here and these two men induced a large number of their countrymen to im- migrate to this section. About 800 Carniolians are now living in this city. In 1897 and thereafter about 150 Steyers moved here under the leadership of Frank Schwartz. Four years later a large colony of Croatians settled in this city. They now number about 250 men. Most of the earlier Austrian settlers have become naturalized and a majority of the others have signi- fied their intentions of becoming United States citizens. Since 1900 about 400 Greeks, chiefly from the provinces of Arcadia and Olympia, have set- tled in this city under the leadership of Dmetrius Shyriacopolos and Wil- liam Adamopolos. A large number of Russians from the province of Lithuania also arrived during these years."
GROWTH OF THE COUNTY IN WEALTH
It is a far cry from the inception of things material and governmental in Sheboygan county to the present time. When this region was first chosen by white men as a place for their activity it was a wilderness of primitive forests, inhabited by wild beasts. The shores of the lake first caught the eye of the settler and here he pitched his tent and later on erected rude cab- ins. The fish of Lake Michigan was made to pander to his desire for gain, and then the mighty oak, pine and other valuable timber came under his ax, fit food for a crude sawmill. Soon the husbandman cleared a patch of ground here and there back from the waters of Lake Michigan, tilled the fertile soil and garnered crops of corn, wheat and potatoes, for which he had no market. But these industries grew. Money, of which there was little in the start, became more plentiful and the future of the newly-made and newly-settled county was assured.
For the first few years of the county's existence, immigration to its con- fines was slow. In 1840 there were but 133 souls in the county all told ; and by 1844 the number had not increased over three-fold. In the latter year the expenses of running the affairs of the county was $1,014; the taxes assessed were $1,019; amount of cash in the treasury, $892.20. That was sixty-eight years ago and as compared to European courtries, with their centuries of civilization, the period covered is but a mere bagatelle. But when we consider the rapid strides made in 'peopling this community and the steady, almost incredible, increase of the wealth and prosperity that have come to it, the older worlds sink into insignificance and are only to be used as mediums of comparison.
The growth in wealth and population of Sheboygan county make a splendid showing when other counties of the state are in the equation; and when all is told and boiled down into a single sentence, one finds that the present conditions are due to the sturdy, painstaking, frugal and industrious
Digitized by Google
79
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
character of the people, who came here into the primeval forests and metamorphosed the land into fertile fields, magnificent farms and homes; building villages and cities at the same time.
The county has grown. There are now almost 60,000 people within its luxuriant borders. In 1844 the assessed valuation of property was but a few hundred thousand dollars; today it is $44,791,976. In the year above mentioned there probably was not a horse or mule in the county, few cows, no sheep and no mention of hogs. Today there are 12,240 horses, valued at $1,046, 990. Cattle, 48,499, value, $1,429,714. Mules, 44, value, $2,920. Sheep,, 1,343, value, $4,169. Hogs, 12,823, value $73,382. Automobiles, $213,000; carriages, wagons, etc., $230,000. Pianos, $200,000, which latter speaks well for the musical tastes of Sheboygans.
If the reader desires, let him hark back to the figures first given in this article and compare them with the following:
ASSESSED VALUATION OF ALL PROPERTY
NAMES OF ALL TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES
Greenbush
$ 1,610,560
Herman
1,939,415
Holland
2,577,959
Lima
2,143,400
Lyndon
1,878,685
Mitchell
1,167,871
Mosel
1,179,891
Plymouth
1,892,665
Rhine
1,234,854
Russell
608,545
Scott
1,464,523
Sheboygan
2,469,953
Sheboygan Falls
1,994,435
Sherman
1,806,365
Wilson
1,332,440
Cedar Grove Vil
330,127
Elkhart Lake Vil
492,838
Oostburg Vil
288,210
Random Lake Vil
308,869.80
Sheboygan Falls Vil
969,701
Plymouth City
2,346,585
Sheboygan City
14,754,085
TOTAL.
$44,791,976.80
COUNTY ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE
In 1911, the board of trustees for the insane asylum in submitting its re- port to the board of supervisors inserted in the report the following histor- ical sketch of that institution :
Digitized by Google
80
HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
The keeping of the chronic insane outside of the state hospital in the county jail at an expense of from $6 to $7 per week not only proving un- satisfactory, but the ever increasing number also making the providing of other and more suitable quarters for them an absolute necessity, the county board in 1875 entered into contract with G. S. Jewett, residing at Winooski. to keep and care for the chronic insane belonging to this county, in a suit- able building to be erected by him, for a term of three years, beginning June I, 1876, at $4 per week each, the expense of clothing to be paid by the county.
June 1, 1876, the building erected by Mr. Jewett being completed, the eight insane then in the county jail were transferred to Winooski. In the course of a year this number gradually increased to twenty, the state hospital being cramped for room, requiring the county to care for a number of cases pronounced incurable. On the night of February 19, 1878, the building was burned to the ground and of the twenty-one unfortunate inmates, four per- ished in the flames, namely: Lucretia Toothacre, Ellen McDonald, August Athorp and one other, called Billy Doe, an idiot, whose proper name was unknown. The building was immediately reconstructed, the seventeen in- mates in the meantime finding shelter at neighboring houses.
The contract with Mr. Jewett expiring June 1, 1879, and the latter having died in the meantime, a new contract was entered into with C. W. Prescott, the administrator of the Jewett estate, for another term of three years, the price to be paid for keeping the inmates being reduced to $2.75 per week and $4 for a few aggravated cases.
At the sessions of the county board in 1880 and 1881 various plans for better and less expensive ways of caring for the chronic insane belonging to this county were suggested and considered, but without accomplishing the desired result. The state legislature at the session of 1881 having passed an act authorizing counties to erect asylums for the care of the chronic in- sane, plans for same to be approved by the state board of charities and re- , form, counties erecting such building to receive from the state the sum of $1.50 per week for the maintenance of its own insane, the county board at a special session, held in July, 1881, concluded to proceed under this act. A committee consisting of Chairman Zillier and Supervisors White, Oliver, McIntyre and Sharpe, were directed to select a site for building of not less than ten nor more than twenty acres and to obtain plans and specifications for such building, adapted to the care of not less than forty persons, the com- mittee to report at an adjourned meeting to be held July 28.
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.