USA > Wisconsin > Vernon County > History of Vernon County, Wisconsin, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 10
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
maintain and govern the school, prescribe the course of study and provide the necessary ap- paratus and means of instruction for the Insti- tution for the Education of the Blind, and for the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. (12 ) To prescribe and collect such charges as it may think just, for tuition and maintenance of pupils not entitled to the same free of charge, in the Institution for the Educa- tion of the Blind and in the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. (13.) To fix the period of the academic year, not less than forty weeks, and prescribe the school terms in the Institution for the Education of the Blind and the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. (14.) To confer, in its discretion, upon meritorious pupils, such academic and literary degrees as are usually conferred by similar institutions, and grant diplomas accordingly, in the Institution for the Education of the Blind and in the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb.
On the 20th of April, 1883, a commissioner was appointed by the governor, for two years, in accordance with the provisions of an act passed by the Legislature of that year creating a bureau of labor statistics. The object of this office, now filled by Frank A. Flower, is to col- leet manufacturing and labor statistics, report violations of laws for benefit of artisans, and generally to show the manufacturing condition and resources of the State.
In her political divisions Wisconsin has copied, to a considerable extent, from some of her sister States. These divisions are counties, towns, cities and incorporated villages. The county government is in charge of a county board of supervisors, consisting of the chairman of each town board, a supervisor from each ward of every city, and one from each incorpo- rated village. The county officers are : Clerk, treasurer, sheriff, coroner, clerk of circuit court, district attorney, register of deeds, surveyor, and one or two superintendents of schools, all elected biennially. There are sixty-five coun-
ties in the State. The government of the towns is in charge of a town board of super- visors. The other officers are clerk, treasurer, assessors, justices of the peace, overseers of highways and constables. The government of cities depends upon charters granted by the State Legislature. Generally, there is a mayor, common council, clerk, treasurer, attorney, chief of police, fire marshal and surveyor. Incorpo- rated villages are governed by a president and six trustees. The other officers are clerk, treas- urer, supervisor, marshal and constable, and sometimes a justice of the peace or police jus- tice.
The constitution of Wisconsin, adopted by the people in 1848, is still "the supreme law of the State ;" but it has several times been amended, or had material additions made to it :
(1.) Article V, section 21, relating to the pay of the members of the Legislature. This was amended in 1867.
(2.) Article VI, sections 5 and 9, relating to the salaries of the governor and licutenant-gov- ernor. This was amended in 1869.
(3.) Article I, section 8, relating to grand juries. This was amended in 1870.
(4.) Article IV, sections 31 and 32, relating to special legislation. These sections were added in 1871.
(5.) Article XI, section 3, relating to munic- ipal taxation. This was amended in 1874.
(6.) Article VII, section 4, relating to the number and term of the judges of the supreme court. This was substituted for the original section in 1877.
(7.) Article VIII, section 2, relating to claims against the State. This was amended in 1877.
(8.) Article IV, sections 4, 5, 11 and 21, re- lating to biennial sessions, and a change in salaries and perquisites of members of the Legislature. These were thus amended in 1881.
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
(9) Article III, section 1, relating to resi- dence of voters in election districts some time before the election, and to registration of voters in cities and villages. Amended to this effect in 1882.
(10.) Article VI, section 4, article VII, sec- tion 12, and article XIII, section 1, all relating to biennial elections. Amended to this effect in 1882 .*
* A. O. Wright, in Exposition of the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin.
HISTORY
OF
VERNON COUNTY,
WISCONSIN.
CHAPTER I.
AREA, POSITION AND SURFACE FEATURES.
B history of Vernon county, past and present, it is a matter of importance to understand its area and geographical position; also its general sur- face features. We begin with its
AREA.
Vernon is properly considered one of the large counties of Wisconsin, it having a total area of nearly 815 square miles, or, to be more specific, it contains 521,582.61 acres of land. From east to west, in its longest distance, it measures forty-eight miles; from north to south, twenty-one miles. It embraces eighteen whole congressional townships; four half townships; and four fractional townships, all included in twenty-one towns: Greenwood, Hillsborough, Forest, Lincoln, Stark, Whitestown, Clinton, Webster, Liberty, Kickapoo, Franklin, Viroqua,
efore entering upon a consideration of the | Christiana, Coon, Jefferson, Sterling, Harmony, Hamburg, Bergen, Genoa and Wheatland.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
The county has a position lying immediately on the Mississippi river, north of Crawford and Richland counties, and south of Monroe and La Crosse counties. It lies west of the counties of Richland, Sauk and Juneau. Its most southerly limits are sixty-three miles in a straight line north of the northern boundary line of the State of Illinois; its most easterly limits are in a straight line west, 126 miles from Lake Michigan; its most northerly limits are in a straight line south, 198 miles from Lake Superior. West of the town of Wheatland and a small part of the town of Genoa, is (across the Mississippi river) the State of Iowa; but west of the residue of the last mentioned
5
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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
town, and that of Bergen is (across the Miss- issippi) the State of Minnesota. If the bound- ary line between these two States were ex- tended across the Mississippi, it would strike about the center of section 21, in the town of Genoa.
GENERAL, SURFACE FEATURES.
Some of the islands in the Mississippi, along the west side of the town of Bergen, are in Vernon county. What is known as "raft chan- nel," in the upper half of that part of the stream which washes the western side of the county, is the true Mississippi - the dividing line between Wi-consin and Minnesota. This extends down to the southwest corner of Ber- gen. Coon slough leaves the true Mississippi on section 19, in Bergen, and extends south to its southern line, where it again unites with the parent stream. Steamers, in low stages of water, usually take the slough in preference to the main or "raft" channel. The Mississippi, on an average, along the whole western limits of the county, is about three-fourths of a mile in width; and from bluff to bluff on each side of the river, containing the basin proper of the river, is about five miles. The base of the bluffs proper, of the Mississippi, extends down to within one-third of a mile of the water's edge, on an average. These bluffs are indented by ravines, the outlets of water courses; the prinei- pal of the latter are the Chipmunk creek, Coon river, Spring creek, Bad Ax river and Battle creek. Chipmunk creek rises on section 4, town of Hamburg, runs westerly and empties i to Coon słongh, on section 3, in Bergen. It is a small stream and is fed by springs. Coon river rises in the town of Christiana on section 21, flows northeasterly, westerly and southwesterly until it empties into Coon slough, on section 32, in Bergen. The stream is rapid and is fed by springs. It affords water privileges for the running of several mills. There is also one flouring mill on Chipmunk. The next stream south is the Bad Ax river with northern and southern tributaries. The north branch of th
Bad Ax rises on section 31, town of Christiana; the south branch rises in the town of Frank- lin; the two unite on section 12, in the town of Genoa, forming the Bad Ax proper, which thence flows westerly into the Mississippi on section 16, in Genoa. Battle creek rises on section 2, town of Wheatland, runs sonthwesterly and flows into Winnebago slough. Sloughs are arms of the main river; some have currents while others are simply formed of back water. The term coolie is still used in this vicinity for valley.
There are ridges all nearly of the same alti- tude extending baek from the Mississippi between the various streams before mentioned, having a southern and northern slope to them. On the south side of the South Bad Ax was originally an undulating prairie, named by the early sett'ers of the county, and still called, West Prairie. This is in the town of Sterling. The residue of the western half of the county was formerly, for the most part, timbered, and had a heavy growth of white and red oak, interspersed with oak grub-lands, except along the streams where burr oak and the different varieties of elm and maple prevailed. There is also in the towns of Coon and Chris iana, and extending into Viroqua, and part of Jefferson, an open country known as Coon Prairie.
The towns of Christiana, Viroqua and Frank- lin form the water-shed between the streams flowing into the Mississippi and those empty- ing into the Kickapoo and its west branch. The east central part of the county is drained by the Kickapoo and its two branches. This includes the towns of Clinton, Webster, Liberty, Kickapoo, Whitestown and Stark and portions of Forest, Unior, Christiana, Viroqua and Franklin. The general course of the west. branch of the Kickapoo is nearly south, while that of the east branch is southwesterly. They unite in the town of Kickapoo, on section 33 ; thence, the main stream flows southwesterly until it crosses into the county of Crawford, ou section 18. There are numerous creeks all having a southeast course, flowing into the
71
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
Kickapoo and the west branch, from the east- ern side of the towns of Christiana, Viroqua and Franklin, and the western side of the town of Kickapoo. Geographically then, it may be said, in general terms, that the dividing ridge, or table land, running north and south through the county, is situated about twenty miles east of the Mississippi, and from six to eight miles west of the west branch of Kickapoo and the Kickapoo proper, having an altitude above the Mississippi, of about 1,000 feet. And it may be here remarked, that all the waters which drain Vernon county either flow directly into the Mississippi, or find their way thither through the Wisconsin.
From either side of the ridge between the east and west branches, spurs put off but of no very great extent. Both the branches head in Monroe county. Between the east branch and the head waters of the Baraboo, there is a table land known as the dividing ridge as it divides the waters of the Kickapoo from those of the Baraboo and Lemonweir. The whole of the town of Hillsborough and the northern portion of Greenwood are drained by the Baraboo ; while the southern portion of the town last mentioned is drained by Pine river, as well as the southeast portion of the town of Union. A large part of the town of Forest, the whole of Whitestown and Stark, and the eastern por- tion of Clinton and Webster are drained by the east branch or main Kickapoo, as it may be termed, as it carries more water than the west branch. It forms a drainage also for the east side of Liberty and the northeast part of the town of Kickapoo. The east sides of the towns of Christiana and Viroqna, and the west sides of Clinton, Webster and Liberty, are drained into the west branch ; while the parent stream drains in Vernon county, only the south- west portion of the town of Kickapoo and the northeast corner of Franklin.
The soil of the east half of Vernon county is a elay loam, and is timbered with red and white oak, pine, soft maple, sugar maple and
1
the elm ; also with other less numerous varie- ties. At an early day the Kickapoo proper and the east branch were bordered on either side within the limits of the county by a heavy pine forest, but these have disappeared by the hands of man.
On the whole, it may be said that the surface of Vernon county along the water courses is rather broken and bluffy ; elsewhere, undulat- ing and favorable for tillage. The three prairies, Coon prairie, Round prairie and West prairie, early attracted the attention of the pioneer and emigrant, and invited occupancy and cultiva- tion in the first general settlement of we tern Wisconsin. The surface of these prairies and that of the valleys throughout the county form a soil especially valuable for agriculture. It is rich in the elements of vegetable life and favorably constituted for the production of all the cereals and grasses adapted to this climate. In other portions the grasses grow luxuriantly.
All the western slope of the county is a deep clay subsoil except on the prairies, covered with black loam from four to eight inches in thickness. The prairies are of a deep vegeta- ble loam, black in color extending to the depth of a number of feet.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
But the great and distinctive feature of the county of Vernon is the Mississippi river, which washes the whole of its western bound- ary, and nearly the whole of the western boundary of the State. This river (Indian Miche Sepe, Great Water, or Great River,) is the principal one of North America ; and in- cluding its chief branch, the Missouri, the long- est in the world. It rises in the high lands of Minnesota, in a cluster of small lakes, and near the sources of the Red River of the North and the rivers which flow into Lake Su- perior. Its sources are 1680 feet above the Gulf of Mexico, into which it enters. It ranks after the Amazon as the mightiest stream on the world's surface. It drains a superficial area of one-seventh part of North America, and cor -
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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
stitutes with its numerous affluents and feeders one of the grandest riparian systems known to to exist. From north to south it embraces a length of 4,400 miles, included between the 29th and 48th parallels of north latitude, and drains a basin computed at 1,226,000 square miles.
The actual rise of the Mississippi is in Lake Itasca, Minnesota, flowing thence south-south- east as far as the point of junction of the States of Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, where it is joined by the Ohio-having previously received the waters of the Missouri a few miles ahove St. Louis. Its upper course is broken in many places by considerable cataracts, such as the falls of St. Anthony. Its next great arm below the Ohio is the Arkansas, next the Red river, which unites with it in Louisiana. Besides these main arteries, it receives the Wisconsin, Iowa, Des Moines, Illinois, White, St. Francis and Washita rivers, and finally emerges into the Gulf of Mexico, 120 miles below New Orleans, by a delta of several mouths, three of which-the northeast pass, the main or southeast pass, and the southwest pass, are the principal ones. The last 300 miles of its course intersects a country so low and level, that embankments called levees have been constructed to protect the lands on either side from freshets and inun- ‹ations.
southern part of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Ar- kansas and most of Louisiana on the west bank; and Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi on the east. The chief towns situated on its banks are New Orleans, Nat- chez, Vicksburg, Memphis, St. Louis, Quincy, Keokuk, Galena, St. Paul and Minneapolis.
The upper Mississippi, above the junction of the Missouri, flows through a picturesque and beautiful country. The great lower valley is 500 miles long, and from thirty to fifty miles wide. The delta, through which flows its numerous bayous, is 150 miles wide. The alluvial plain through which the river winds has an area of 31,200 square miles; and the delta, 14,000 square miles, much of which, except a few bluffs, is protected by levees. The descent of the plain is 320 feet, or eight inches per mile. The river at high water is higher than the plain, and the banks higher than the swamps of the interior. The great floods rise forty feet above low water at the head of the plain, and twenty feet at New Orleans, and for the whole distance the river averages 3,000 feet wide, and is from seventy-five to 120 deep. There is no apparent increase from the largest branches ; and it is estimated that forty per cent of the floods are lost in the great marshes. Thousands of acres of land upon its banks are annually carried away by the current, with their growth of timber. Such, in brief, is the won- derful river which washes the whole western boundary of Vernon county.
The Mississippi is navigable from its month to the Falls of St. Anthony, 2,200 miles, and by smaller boats above the Falls ; or by the Missouri, 3,950 miles, and has many navigable branches, the chief of which are the Red River THE BARABOO RIVER. 340 miles from its mouth; the Yazoo, 534 miles; The Baraboo river rises in the northeastern part of Vernon county, and in the southeastern part of Monroe county, runs in a general sonth- east course through Sauk county, where it breaks into the valley between the two east and west ranges, through a narrow gorge in the northern range. Turning then east, it runs along the middle of the valley, between the two ranges for about fifteen miles, and then breaking northward, through the north range, the Arkansas, 700 miles ; the Ohio, 1,053 ; the Missouri, 1,253. The Mississippi thus furnishes an inland means of water communication such as no other country in the world can parallel. The navigation of this great stream is, however, impeded in many parts by contrary currents, and by obstacles in the shape of large trees, the trunks of which are imbedded far below the water's surface. The river forms a portion of the boundaries of ten States, having the | follows its northern side in an easterly direction
78
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
to the Wisconsin river, into which it empties on section 28, township 12, range 9 east, in the town of Caledonia, Columbia county. The Baraboo is a stream of considerable size, and yields a number of very excellent water-po w ers.
THIE KICKAPOO RIVER.
The Kickapoo rises in Monroe county, that is, its main or east branch ; which is frequently termed the Kickapoo proper. It runs a south- west course after entering Vernon county, through the towns of Whitestown, Stark,
touching Webster, and then after crossing into Richland, in which county it flows in a south course, returns to Vernon, in the town of Liberty, and at a point on section 33, in the town of Kickapoo, receives the west branch. The river afterward takes a southwesterly course, leaving Vernon county on section 16, in the town last mentioned. The river runs through Crawford county, in a southerly direc- tion and empties into the Wisconsin, on section 17, in the town of Wauzeka, just below the village of the same name.
CHAPTER II.
TOPOGRAPIIY AND GEOLOGY.
Having given the general physical aspects of the county so that a correct idea can be formed of the surface features as a whole, we now give the physical geography and surface geology of each congressional township, beginning with township 13, of range I east, (town of Green- wood). In these descriptions will be noticed, briefly, the principal characteristics of cach township in the county, with reference to its general features, its water sheds, streams, springs, prairies, forests, soils and subsoils, clays and underlying formations.
TOWNSHIP 13, range 1 cast, (Greenwood) .- The water shed or dividing ridge between Pine river and the Baraboo, passes through the township in a northwesterly direction, from sections 36 to 18. This causes considerable high, rolling land. The remainder of the town- ship is very hilly and rough. It is heavily tim- bered with maple, elm and basswood. The soil is a clay loam. The formations are Pots- dam and Lower Magnesian; the former occupy-
ing two-thirds of the township. A small one of St. Peter's sandstone exists in the north half of section 21.
TOWNSHIP 14, range 1 east, (Hillsborough) - This township is well watered by numerous branches of the Baraboo river, and contains many fine springs. The country is rolling, but the hills are not so high or so steep as in Green- wood, and the valleys are quite wide. The country is well settled. The timber is chiefly white oak, and confined to the ridges. The formations are Potsdam and Lower Magnesian; the latter is found only on high ridges, and its area does not exceed one-seventh of the whole.
TOWNSHIP 13, range 1 west, (Union) .- The divide between the Kickapoo and Pine rivers runs irregularly through the township in a southwest direction from section 2 to section 32. It is generally narrow, and much cut up with ravines. The soil is clay with a subsoil of stiff red clay, containing many flints, and often
74
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
eight or ten fect deep. The valleys are wide. The soil is sometimes sandy and sometimes a black and swampy clay. The township is very heavily timbered with maple, elm and bass- wood. Good springs are numerous; a very large one is on the southwest quarter of section 2. The formations are Potsdam and Lower Magnesian; the area of which is about equal.
TOWNSHIP 14, range 1 west (Forest) .- The divide between the Kickapoo and Pine rivers runs nearly north and south from section 35 to section 1. It is much wider and better adapted for farming than in township 13 (town of Union), and is about all under cultivation, pro- ducing heavy crops of wheat and oats. The principal streams are Varner and Billings creeks. Their valleys are often half a mile wide, with a rich black soil. The valleys are heavily timbered, chiefly with maple. The Potsdam sandstone covers about one-third of the country, and the Lower Magnesian the rest.
TOWNSHIP 13, range 2 west (Stark) .- This township is very rough, hilly, and heavily tim- bered. It is watered by the Kickapoo, Otter, Bear, Jug and Weister creeks and their tribu- taries. The Potsdam covers about two-thirds and the Lower Magnesian one-third of the township.
TOWNSHIP 14, range 2 west (Whitestown) .- The principal stream is the Kickapoo. The best land is on the ridges on the western side of the township. The soil is clay, somewhat sandy in the valleys. The timber is maple, elm and basswood, with occasional white oak groves on the ridges. The formations are the same as township 13, just mentioned.
NORTH HALF OF TOWNSHIP 11, range 3 west, (Kickapoo, in part) .- The eastern and central parts of this township, only the north half of which is in Vernon county, consists of high, wide, rolling ridges ; and the western part of steep, rocky bluffs. The township is watered by the Kickapoo river on the west and north. Fine springs are very numerous. The valley of the Kickapoo averages about a mile in width.
The soil throughout the township is clay, and the timber very heavy. The Potsdam covers about one-third of the township, the Lower Magnesian one-half, and the St. Peters one- sixth. Many loose boulders of St. Peters are found on the ridges, where the formation ean not be found in place. The general character of the formation in this township, from theridge to the Kickapoo, is as follows:
NAME. FEET.
St. Peters sandstone 50
Lower Magnesian limestone 150
Potsdam sandstone. 300
From ridge to valley, total 500
TOWNSHIP 12, range 3 west, (Liberty and part of Kickapoo) .- This township is very hilly, being cut up by the Kickapoo, west fork of the Kickapoo, east fork of the same and the Harrison and Bishop branches. The interven- ing- ridges are very high and steep. The west fork of the Kickapoo forms a dividing line as regards the timber. On the east side of the stream the timber is very dense, consisting of maple, elm and basswood; but in the country on the west side, the timber is thin and small, and consists chiefly of oak groves on the ridges. It is a very striking feature of the country. The formations are the Potsdam and Lower Mag- nesian, and about equally divided.
TOWNSHIP 13, range 3 west (Webster) .- The general features of this township are similar to those of. township 12, same range. It is well timbered and watered. Clay beds are fre- quently met with in the valleys in the Pots- dam, on the surface of which the water comes out in springs for long distances. There is a good deal of handsome scenery on the west fork of the Kickapoo. The formations are the same as in township 12, same range.
TOWNSHIP 14, range 3 west (Clinton) .- The ridge dividing the Kickapoo from the west fork runs from section 34 to section 3, making con- siderable good farming land in the center of the township; in other parts the land is very broken, with steep hills and ravines. The soil is clay
75
HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY.
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