USA > Wisconsin > Sheboygan County > History of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, past and present > Part 11
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This committee, having advertised for proposals for a site, submitted a number of such proposals received at the adjourned session and recom- mended the selection of a plat of ground containing nineteen acres, the same on which the asylum is now located, the city of Sheboygan having offered to furnish this land free of expense to the county. The committee also sub- mitted plans and specifications for the building prepared by Architect H. C. Koch, of Milwaukee, which had the approval of the state board. The county board adopted the recommendations of the committee and directed the latter to proceed without delay to erect the buildings and furnish same ready for occupancy, appropriating the sum of $20,000 to cover cost of same.
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SHEBOYGAN COUNTY INSANE ASYLUM
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HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
The contract for the erection of the building was awarded to Luecke & Roeder, and Mueller & Ackermann, for the sum of $13,325. Hot air fur- naces were provided at a cost of $1,465.
The following is a summary of all expenses incurred by the committee in the erection of buildings and furnishing same ready for occupancy :
Main building, including superintendent's salary
$14,297.89
Barn and sheds
656.64
Furnaces 1,465.00
Cisterns, pipe and connections
620.00
Well, pumps and pipe
129.50
Sewer
315.16
Furniture, bedding, etc
731.42
Coal
282.85
Graveling road on grounds
45.00
Total
$18,543.46
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Leaving an unexpended balance of the amount appropriated of $1,456.54.
Of the asylum building, one of the first erected under the act of 1881, A. O. Wright, secretary of the State Board of Charities and Reform, wrote the building committee under date of June 5, 1882: "The board were very much pleased with the building when they visited it in April. If it is as well man- aged at it is constructed, it will be a credit to Sheboygan county and to the state."
The building being completed and furnished throughout by the first day of June, it was turned over to the standing committee on insane, consisting of Supervisors E. McIntyre, William Elwell and John Kaestner, who were to supervise the management of the asylum. The committee employed A. J. Whiffen and wife as superintendent and matron, respectively, at a salary of $700 per year, and B. M. Evans as assistant, at $30 per month. Dr. Almon Clarke was employed as attending physician at a salary of $100 per year. Only two other persons were employed the first year, two servant girls at $2.50 per week each.
On June 7th the institution was opened to 40 inmates, being all those kept at Winooski and 20 others transferred from the Northern Hospital. Before November Ist the number increased to 42. This being more than the build- ing was calculated to accommodate, it was found necessary to provide more room at once. The committee was therefore directed to cause an addition to be erected, which was completed in 1883 at a cost of $8,495.86. The ca- pacity of the asylum was thus increased to 90 inmates, which was then thought ample for years to come.
In 1886 twenty acres of land lying adjacent to the asylum grounds were purchased at a cost of $3,800, thus giving more of the inmates an oppor- tunity for healthful employment.
Chapter 138, Laws of 1887, providing for the government of county asy- lums by a board of three trustees to be elected by the county board, the lat- ter, at the regular session in 1887, chose the first board of trustees as Vol. 7 -6
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follows: William Elwell for three years, William Schwartz for two years, W. H. Foley for one year.
The number of inmates steadily increasing, the county board in 1888 ap- propriated the sum of $10,000 for a further addition, which was completed the following year at a cost of $8,386.97.
In 1890 a line of pipe connecting the buildings with the city waterworks was put in at the expense of the county and two fire hydrants were provided. But for this timely improvement the asylum would probably have been to- tally destroyed and many lives lost, when in the night of December 29, 1892, fire broke out in the drying room connected with the laundry. The fire was first detected by the faithful night watchman, Chester Carver, who at once , awakened Superintendent Whiffen and then rushed back to the laundry, where he was suffocated by the dense smoke. Mr. Whiffen arriving a few minutes later, was also overcome by smoke, nearly losing his life before he was discovered by the firemen lying unconscious on the floor of the laundry. It was a number of weeks and after skillful medical attendance and careful nursing before he recovered from the hot smoke inhaled. In this connection due credit must be accorded Mrs. Whiffen for the presence of mind mani- fested in at once calling the city fire department by telephone. In an almost incredibly short time the city hose company arrived on the ground and soon had the flames under subjection before they could spread to other parts of the building, few, if any, of the inmates, becoming aware of the dan- ger threatening their comfortable home. The damage, amounting to $450, was paid by the insurance companies.
On the morning of July 14, 1893, the new barn erected in 1883 was struck by lightning and with all the contents, some eighty tons of hay, one hun- dred bushels of potatoes, etc., totally destroyed by fire. The loss was esti- mated at $1,600; no insurance.
In 1899, another tract of twenty acres, lying north of the Howards road, was added to the farm, costing $1,300. In 1901 an entirely new heating plant was installed at a cost of $5,607.15.
As the number of inmates kept increasing from year to year it was found not only desirable to acquire more land for their employment and for raising the necessary food to keep them, but also to provide more room to house them. Consequently in 1905 the county board purchased the so-called Taylor farm, consisting of two hundred and fifty acres, together with the buildings thereon, for the sum of $37,650, and further arranged for remodeling the asylum buildings and for the erection of the necessary addi- tions to accommodate a greatly increased number of inmates. This work re- quired an expenditure of $71,262.64, or, together with the cost of the land, a total of $108,912.64.
To provide the necessary funds the board authorized an issue of $90,000 four per cent bonds, the first $9,000 to fall due June 1, 1910, and the same amount each year thereafter, until the last installment is paid June 1, 1919. These bonds were sold at a premium of $1,584.
A new barn and silo were erected on the Taylor farm in 1908, at a cost of $3,089.76.
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Whiffen, superintendent and matron of the asylum,
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respectively, resigning in 1910, they were succeeded by Dr. and Mrs. H. A. Arpke, who took charge on the Ist day of March, that year.
The present buildings have a capacity of 225 inmates ; the land connected with same is 309 acres.
The current expenses for the twenty-nine years amounted to $342,692 .- 97; deducting from this the various amounts received from the state, the amounts collected from property of inmates, and receipts from sale of farm produce, etc., leaves a balance of $49,816.66 as the total cost to the county for maintaining its chronic insane during these twenty-nine years. Add to this the cost of permanent improvements and it shows a total of all expendi- tures taken direct from the county treasury of $228,238.16, or an average of $7,870.28 a year. The number of inmates chargeable to this county, maintained during this period, averages 98 per year, which gives us the net amount of $80.31 as the cost of maintenance per year of each of our chronic insane up to the present time, including all expenditures of whatever nature. The sum of $90,000 raised by the issue of bonds and expended for the pur- chase of land and for permanent improvements is included in the foregoing figures.
The board of trustees at the present time is composed of Carl Zillier, R. B. Melvin and Eli R. Carpenter.
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A RELIC OF PIONEER DAYS WHEN EVERY MAN WAS HIS OWN ARCHITECT AND BUILDER
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CHAPTER V
THE PIONEER
FIRST SETTLER IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY-OTHERS WHO SOON FOLLOWED HIM -SHORT SKETCHES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO OPENED THIS COUNTY AND LEFT IT AS A SPLENDID HERITAGE TO FUTURE GENERATION-BRAVE AND HARDY PIONEERS AND THEIR PERSONALITY-SETTLERS IN THE VAR- IOUS TOWNS-THOSE WHO LOCATED AT SHEBOYGAN.
WILLIAM PAINE
William Paine was an Englishman and came to this country from Lon- don in 1827, first settling in Buffalo, New York. From there he went to Chicago and met Colonel Oliver C. Crocker, with whom he entered into a partnership, for the building of a sawmill and establishing a lumber busi- ness in this section of the country. After remaining here a short time Paine went to Milwaukee, was instrumental in founding Saukville, in the county of that name, and finally took up his residence in Chicago, where he died in 1868. Colonel Crocker removed to Binghamton, New York, where he became prominent in political circles of the Empire state.
WILLIAM FARNSWORTH
William Farnsworth, the real pioneer of Sheboygan county, was an in- dependent trapper and dealer in furs and established himself among the Indians here. He made Sheboygan his permanent home and for many years his activities in this new community were prominent factors in its early growth and prosperity.
CHARLES D. COLE
Charles D. Cole was foremost among the pioneers of Sheboygan. He was born in Schenectady, New York, October 19, 1806, and in 1831 mar- ried Sarah W. Trowbridge, who was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1813. She was a daughter of Deacon William and Dorothea (Chapin) Trowbridge, mentioned elsewhere in this work. Charles Cole came up the lakes in a sailing vessel in 1836 and landed near the mouth of the Sheboy- gan river, on the site of the present city of Sheboygan. He first camped on the beach, where with others he built a shanty of slabs, but shortly after- ward removed to the Sheboygan House, which had just been completed.
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HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
Without much delay he and William Farnsworth built a warehouse, where they engaged in merchandising and buying furs of the Indians. Their goods and provisions were brought in boats from Milwaukee during the season of navigation. Sometimes birch bark canoes were the only means of conveyance by water, while at other seasons trips were made by land to Milwaukee and return with ox teams and wagons. Mr. Cole made many such trips, enduring hardships at times both by water and land. A winter trip with oxen sometimes consumed two weeks. In 1838 Mr. Cole removed to Sheboygan Falls, where he made his permanent home. He bought in that town three hundred and twenty acres, which contained considerable pine that he cut and made into lumber and shingles. He became familiar with the location of many tracts of government land in Sheboygan county and entered a great deal of it for the early settlers and for himself. In 1848 he built a sawmill on Pigeon river in what is now the town of Sheboy- gan, which he operated for a time. Later he bought the water power at Sheboygan Falls, where he owned and operated a sawmill and grist mill. Both institutions proved of great use to the settlers then rapidly opening up the wilds of Sheboygan county to civilization. He bought saw logs from the farmers both of Sheboygan and Manitowoc counties, the money they received from him being of great assistance in procuring teams, tools and household supplies in those early days. Much of the lumber he manufac- tured was rafted down the Sheboygan river to Sheboygan, where it was in great demand for building purposes in that growing hamlet, or by shipment by vessels to Milwaukee and Chicago. At the same time he carried on farming. He was aided by his sons in these various occupations in which he was engaged until the close of his life. His death occurred March 20, 1867, at the age of sixty years. Other members of Mr. Cole's family joined him in Sheboygan shortly after he settled here. His brother, John Beek- man Cole, who was also employed on the Erie canal in early life, came to Sheboygan in 1845, and for a time was interested in milling on Pigeon river. He also engaged in farming and the grain business in Sheboygan. He was the first to occupy the Beekman House, which was named after Mr. Cole and was in its day the leading hotel of the Chair City.
George C. Cole, another brother, arrived in Sheboygan in 1842, accom- panied by his mother, and Mary, Sarah and Clara, his sisters. Mary be- came the wife of James L. Trowbridge; Sarah married Henry Willard; and Clara married John E. Thomas. It might further be said of Charles D. Cole that he was appointed postmaster in 1836, while keeping a hotel, and was one of the first to hold that office in the territory embraced in the county of Sheboygan. On the organization of the county he was chosen the first registrar of deeds and went to Green Bay, where he made a trans- cript of the records pertaining to the new county.
WILLIAM ASHBY
William Ashby was one of the venturesome yet hardy spirits who set his stakes for habitation in Sheboygan town in the year 1836, coming here from Oneida county, New York. At the time of his arrival there were but
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two families in Sheboygan, those of Charles Cole and A. G. Dye. The fol- lowing incident is related by Mr. Ashby as an example of the hardships of pioneer life. The first year he lived in the county he ran out of bread in the dead of winter. In company with Charles Cole, Tom Perry and the black- smith he hitched up four yoke of oxen and made his way through immense snowdrifts to Milwaukee, and on the return, near the present site of Port Washington, a terrible blizzard came up and the travelers believed they would surely perish. One of the men had his feet severely frozen and one of the oxen died from the cold. Another ox had his feet so badly frozen that he was useless, but in spite of these trials and difficulties they perse- vered and made their way safely home. Mr. Ashby became one of the in- fluential men of the county.
A. G. DYE
Early in the summer of 1836, A. G. Dye, then living in Chicago, was employed by Charles D. Cole to come to Sheboygan and build a warehouse. He brought his family and several carpenters to assist him in the work. They came by the way of the lake, first going to Green Bay and were nearly a month making the voyage. In the spring of 1839 Mr. Dye moved from Sheboygan to the town of Lima and located on section 8, which was long known as the Dye settlement. Here his son Andrew was born September 27, 1841, in a shanty, 12 by 16 feet, made of rough boards, covered with slabs. There was no chimney in this habitation and the smoke escaped through a stovepipe thrust through the roof. With the furniture in the room there was hardly space enough in which to set the table. This dwell- ing was in the midst of the forest and no road but an Indian trail passed the door. It might be here related that A. G. Dye, known to the pioneer as "Deacon" Dye, built the first frame house in Sheboygan, and his wife made the first pound of butter there.
"Deacon" Dye would often go with the Indians to cut down "bee trees" and thus supplied the table with honey. During one winter the family lived for several days on salt pork and potatoes, for the vessel which was to bring them provisions could not land on account of a storm and had to put back into port at Milwaukee. When the household effects were being moved from Sheybogan to the farm, as they had no wagon, they would place some of the articles on a forked limb, using the extended piece as the tongue of a wagon and thus hauled their goods to their destination. In those early days Mr. Dye drove his cattle from Milwaukee and while resting at night the animals would often stray away, thus causing much trouble in the search for them. All of the hardships and trials of pioneer life were ex- perienced by the Dye family. Sometimes the Indians were troublesome on account of having taken too much liquor and would go to the Dye home, where they would spend the night, lying so thick on the floor that in the morning Mr. Dye could hardly get to the fire place. Deer and other wild game were plentiful and wolves often prowled around. On different occa- sions Mrs. Dye went to the door and threw fire brands among them in order to frighten them away.
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WILLIAM TROWBRIDGE
William ("Deacon") Trowbridge was one of the real pioneers of She- boygan county, coming here in 1836 and first locating at Sheboygan. The next year he removed to the Falls. He spent the winter with Charles Cole at Sheboygan. At that time there were about fifteen habitations in the city. Sheboygan Falls had about five residences besides the sawmill. There were no churches and schoolhouses and religious services were held in a small office belonging to David Giddings. "Deacon" Trowbridge was the first minister of the gospel in this part of the county. He was sent for from far and near to preach funeral sermons, his trips sometimes being made on horseback and at other times on foot. He was one of the prime movers in the erection of the First Baptist church in Sheboygan Falls. James L. Trowbridge, his son, was fifteen years of age, at this time.
DAVID GIDDINGS
David Giddings was a native of Massachusetts, and came west in the spring of 1835, first stopping at Milwaukee, from which place he walked to Green Bay with a companion named Eaton. He secured a contract to survey twelve townships in the southeast corner of the state, and secured from his employer $200 to purchase one hundred and sixty acres of land near Sheboygan. That year he came on a vessel to Sheboygan for lumber and returned on it to Green Bay. Mr. Giddings came to Sheboygan to re- side in 1837, and having purchased a lot on Pennsylvania avenue, erected thereon a store building. Upon the organization of Sheboygan and Manito- woc counties he was elected county judge. In 1838 he purchased an un- divided half of the mills at Sheboygan Falls and about four hundred acres of land, including the village plat. Going there to reside and take charge of the mills, he also went into the lumber and real-estate business. He pur- chased the first shingle mill introduced into Wisconsin and worked hard to build up Sheboygan Falls and the surrounding country, often giving the settlers lots and selling them on credit the lumber with which to build their houses. When the United States road was relaid from Chicago to Green Bay by Captain Cram, the plan was to have it run through Sheboygan but by the earnest efforts of Mr. Giddings the road was laid through Sheboy- gan Falls. In order to secure it to that village he surveyed the road from Manitowoc to Port Washington without compensation. When in the legis- lature Mr. Giddings introduced a bill to allow the county offices to be held at Sheboygan Falls, which would have eventually made it the county seat. He erected two sawmills and a flouring mill on Onion river, two and a half miles south of the Falls, also a sawmill at Hingham and one on the She- boygan river three miles above the Falls. In company with A. Z. Little- field he erected a double sawmill at Sheboygan Falls on the south side of the river, where Brickner's woolen mill now stands. Mr. Giddings built the first bridge across the Sheboygan river at that place and surveyed a road to open traffic between Sheboygan and Fond du Lac. In company with a few others he built and owned for several years the plank road extending
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from the former city to the village of Sheboygan Falls. When Sheboygan county appropriated $100,000 to help build the railroad from Sheboygan to Fond du Lac, Mr. Giddings was appointed as one of the three commis- sioners to see that the money was judiciously distributed. It goes without saying that this pioneer was a progressive builder and maker of communities. He lived to a ripe old age.
WENTWORTH BARBER
The residence of Wentworth Barber in Sheboygan county dates from December 8, 1841. He was a native of Vermont. Mr. Barber worked for the old Indian trader, William Farnsworth, and on one occasion when he had charge of the "flats" the Indians pitched their tents there. The red skins were ordered by Mr. Barber to leave, but refusing to do so, he threw them into the river. Subsequently "Little Thunder," an Indian who had taken too much liquor, threatened to kill him but Mr. Barber at the time had in his hand an ox goad about four feet long, with a spike in the end of it, with which he gave the Indian a jab in the hand. The squaws car- ried him away and Mr. Barber had no further trouble. In 1845 the latter entered eighty acres of government land in Lyndon town, the first entered in the community.
M. J. LYNCH
Michael John Lynch, whose native state was New York, arrived in She- boygan in 1842 in company with John King. He was a contractor and is said to have built the first bridge across the Sheboygan river. He also did much contract work on street grading and improvements. He was ap- pointed by Franklin Pierce collector for the port of Sheboygan and was a veteran of the Civil war.
WORTHY MCKILLIP
Worthy McKillip came from the Empire state to Sheboygan in 1842 and engaged in manufacturing lumber. He was soon after his arrival made deputy sheriff of what was then Brown county. In 1845 he built a large frame building on the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Seventh street. Previous to this, however, he had served as register of deeds but on the completion of this building he engaged in the mercantile business.
NATHAN COLE
Major Nathan Cole, a veteran of the Civil war, is a son of Charles D. and Sarah (Trowbridge) Cole. He was born in the town of Sheboygan Falls, November 22, 1842. On his return home from the war he operated a flouring mill and was subsequently elected register of deeds, following which he was appointed assistant collector of internal revenue and after-
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ward was made collector of internal revenue. In 1881 President Arthur appointed him postmaster of Sheboygan.
AUGUST EBENREITER
One of the earliest settlers in the town of Sheboygan Falls was August Ebenreiter, who came from his native Germany with his wife Susanna in 1842. He settled on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he bought of William Whiffen.
BARTHOLOMEW TRUMBLA
Bartholomew Trumbla came into the county from Michigan in 1840 and later became a settler of Wilson town. In 1844 he purchased forty acres of land on what is known as Lake View Park.
GERT J. HELBELINK
Gert J. Helbelink was one of the early settlers of Holland town, arriv- ing here in the early '40s, and was joined a few years later by his father, Aretyan. Gert settled on section 27. In 1850 he bought forty acres of land on section 26, where he took up his residence, having built thereon a log cabin.
THADDEUS HARMON
Thaddeus and Betsey (Waugh) Harmon, natives of New York, were among the early settlers of Sheboygan county, coming here in 1844, four years before Wisconsin was admitted to the Union. With their family, among which was a son, Simon M., they embarked on the propeller Van- dalia, expecting to locate in Milwaukee but on reaching that place they changed their plans, loaded their goods into four wagons, drawn by oxen, and started for Sheboygan county. On coming to the Milwaukee river they found the stream very much swollen. How to cross this without bridge or ferry boat was the problem. The old Indian Waubaca and his warriors lived close by but their only means of crossing the river was by canoes. When the Indians saw them halted by the raging torrent they gave vent to a shout of derision. The sturdy New England grit, however, was not easily put to flight. By means of canoes the men paddled their wives and children across the stream, swam the oxen over and then by means of ropes drew the wagons heavily loaded with pork, flour and provisions, brought from New York, all landing in safety. This feat, so successfully accomplished, excited the wonder and admiration of the Indians over the genius and dar- ing of the white men. During the trip rain fell in torrents and the roads in many places became almost impassable. Frequently the teams would almost sink in the quagmires and women and children would have to get out of the wagons. Instead of walking miles around when they encoun- tered a body of water, these sturdy pioneer women so adjusted their ap-
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parel that it would not get wet and boldly waded in. Onion river presented another obstacle but here, unfortunately, there were no canoes. The men showed their gallantry by carrying the women across on their backs. J. D. Parrish, who was of the party, was carrying Mrs. Betsey Harmon, when, on stepping on a mossy stone his foot slipped and both went under the water, which, as Mrs. Harmon said, "made practical Baptists out of gen- uine Congregationalists." The women and children of this company, were thus transported over the river. Their objective point was Deacon Dye's settlement, where they arrived in due time and found the Deacon at his home, which was known as pioneer headquarters.
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