History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 124

Author: Western Historical Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 998

USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth County, Wisconsin > Part 124

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).

ARTHUR STEWART, deceased, was born in Cavin Co., Ireland, in 1793; was married when 24 years of age to Jane Simpson. He emigrated to America in 1833; made his home in Philadelphia until 1839. He then moved to Richmond, Walworth Co., Wis., where he bought a quarter section of Govern- ment land on Sec. 33, and subsequently purchased 80 acres more. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart had four children -- Andrew, Nancy, Jane and Margaret. The son died ; Nancy is the widow of Robert Moore, of Rich- mond ; Jane is Mrs. David Christie, of Darien, Wis .; Margaret is Mrs. C. L. Douglas, of Walworth. Mr. Stewart was one of the earliest pioneers of Richmond. He served as Supervisor of the town shortly after its organization ; continued the occupation of farmer until his death, which occurred in September, 1862.

WILLIAM R. TAYLOR, farmer and Superintendent of Schools of Walworth Co., Sec. 7 ; P. O. Whitewater ; has 280 acres of land. He was born in La Grange, Walworth Co., Wis., Nov. 5, 1843. He is the son of Joshua and Betty Taylor ; his parents are of English birth. His father came to America in 1839; was married in Sanquoit, Oneida Co., N. Y .. and came to Wisconsin in June, 1843, and made their home in La Grange, where they still reside. The son, William R., was brought up on the farm and received his primary education in the district schools ; then took a regular course at the Milton Academy (since Milton College), from which he graduated in 1864. He enlisted in June, 1864, in Co. C, 40th W. V. I, for 100 days. Re-enlisted in February, 1865 ; was commissioned Second Lieutenant, Co. F, 49th W. V. I ; was promoted, receiving a Captain's commission in August, 1865 ; was mustered out in November of the same year. Previous to joining the army, he had been engaged in teaching and farming. Having taught several winters, on returning from the war he resnmed his former pursuits. He was married in La Grange, Dec. 24, 1865, to Miss Mary T., daughter of George A. Ray. Five children were born to them-Ray W., Homer S., Fanny, Alice and Howard. Mr. Taylor has been chosen to fill several posi- tions of public trust, and has always made a popular officer. He was clected and served five years as Town Clerk of La Grange, and has served as a member of the Town Board of Richmond three or four years. He lost his wife, who died Dec. 3, 1878. In the fall of 1879, he was elected Superintendent of Schools of Walworth Co .; served two years, was re-elected, and is now serving his second term. He was married, Oct. 24, 1880, in La Grange, to Miss Almira G. Stockdale, daughter of Wilson Stockdale. Mrs. Taylor was born in La Grange, Walworth Co., Wis. Mr. Taylor has proven himself an efficient and competeni, Superintendent of Schools.

JOHN TEETSHORN (deceased ), was born in Greene Co., N. Y., July 6, 1792 ; learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, and was married Dec. 14, 1817, by the Rev. Ostrander, to Margaret Saxe; Mrs

790

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

Teetshorn was born Oct. 27, 1798; they moved to Erie Co., and from there to the Territory of Wiseon- sin, in the fall of 1838; he eame at onee to Richmond and bought the elaim of Morris Hawes, on Sec. 6, for which he paid $500; this was perhaps the first sale of real estate in the town, of which Mr. Morris Hawes was the first settler. Mr. and Mrs. Teetshorn had a family of ten children-Horatio, of Johnstown; Cyrus, of Whitewater ; Lewis and Marcellus, of Richmond ; John died when he was 16 years of age; Chauney, of Iowa; James died, aged 16 years; Orlando, of Johnstown ; Julia is the wife of W. Preston, of Nebraska; Margaret is Mrs. Henry Cornell, of Raeine. Mr. Teetshorn served several terms as Justiee of the Peace and as Chairman of the Town Board ; he and his sons were noted as suceessful hunters ; their principal game was deer, of which they killed large numbers ; they discov- ered that they could approach nearer the deer with a team than when on foot. As the country was all open in the early days, they could drive where they pleased, and, as the saying is, they used to bring home " dead loads " of deer. Mr. Teetshorn continued a resident of Richmond till his death, which occurred Sept. 18, 1855 ; his wife survived him till February, 1880, dying, aged 82 years.

LEWIS TEETSHORN, farmer,. See. 6; P. O. Whitewater; was born in Greene Co., N. Y., May 22, 1824; came to Wisconsin with his parents in the fall of 1838, and settled on See. 6, Richmond, Walworth Co .; he was married in Jefferson Co., Wis., in August, 1855, to Miss Rosetta Royce, daughter of Origen Royce ; Mrs. Teetshorn was born in Royalton, Greene Co., N. Y .; they have two children- Aliee and William L. Mr. Teetshorn has never been an aspirant for publie office, but has served several terms as a member of the Town Board.

O. L. WEST, farmer, See. 19; P. O. Richmond ; was born in Pulaski, Oswego Co., N. Y., May 15, 1829; he came to Wisconsin, July 4, 1845 ; made his home in Richmond, Walworth Co .; was married Oct. 11, 1853, to Mrs. Luey A. Newberry, widow of Simeon W. Newberry, and daughter of Edward Akin. Mr. West was engaged in farming; was also engaged with Gormley, Watson & Co., of Delavan, in the wind-mill business ; this connection lasted about five years ; for the past year he has been in the employ of George Esterly & Son, reaper manufacturers, of Whitewater, Wisconsin ; Mr. W. has served several terms as Justiee of the Peace of Richmond. Mr. and Mrs. West had three children-Addie L., who died in childhood ; Edward W. and Mary M.

nelle

791

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

THE TOWN OF WALWORTH.

Walworth is known in the Government survey as Town 1, Range 16 east. It was formerly, under the act of 1838, a part of the town of Delavan. In 1839, it was set off, with what is now Sharon, into a separate town and named Walworth. Subsequently, by act of the Legislature, March 21, 1843. Sharon was erected into a separate town, leaving its geographical limits as they now are.

It embraces a single Congressional township of six miles square. It is bounded north by Delavan: east by Linn: south by the State line, and west by the town of Sharon.

It is largely prairie land, Big Foot Prairie covering the southern half of the town. There the land is a rich, black. alluvial, deposit. The northern part is somewhat broken, was formerly quite heavily wooded, and not so valuable as farming land as the prairie. There the soil was a light, clayey loam. It was not at first considered valnable to settlers, and got the not very pre- possessing cognomen of Hard Serabble. Later. its virtues have come to be better appreciated, and some most excellent farms are cultivated within the old tabooed territory.

The town, in some regards, is more historic. or pre-historic, than any other part of the county. It had located near the head of Geneva Lake, which nearly covers Section 12 and a part of Section 11, the only considerable Indian village at the time the white settlers began to come in in 1836. Big Foot, a chief of the Pottawatomies, had his residence and council house there, and from there he took his final leave of the Walworth County hunting-grounds, in the latter part of that year, when the terms of the treaty whereby his lands were ceded demanded his evacuation. There, it is told, that the body of his son, a youth of some fifteen years, was left, inclosed in a rude log casket, in a tree overhanging the lake. There has been some dis- pute as to whether the remains were those of a lad or of an adult person. Some old settlers over that it was the body of an old man, and was that of Big Foot's father, instead of his son. There seems little doubt that the easket hung in the tree when the first white man came. but what be- came of it- whether desecrated or given more Christian sepulture- is not known.

A fuller account of Big Foot. his village and his final leave-taking, which was witnessed by Mrs. James Van Slyke (the first white woman in the town), is given in the early history of the county.

As has been stated. Lake Geneva has its head in the northeastern part of the town, cover- ing considerably more than a square mile.

About the shores of the lake and back on the near borders of Big Foot Prairie, the first set- tlements were made.

James Van Slyke made the first settlement. near the Indian village. He built his cabin there and moved his family into it from Geneva, late in the fall of 1836. It is believed that Mrs. Van Slyke was the only woman who spent the winter in the town. There were other men besides Van Slyke, but they were unmarried, or did not bring their families in till the following spring. The Williams families were on the south side of the lake, some two miles away. There were no other families nearer than Geneva Village or Delavan. A peculiar case, attended with great hardship and evincing the wonderful nerve and decision of Mrs. Van Slyke, is related as occurring that winter. It is related that in February, 1837, Van Slyke, with Nathan Disbrow, driving in a drove of hogs from Illinois were caught in the memorable sudden cold that came on. They were obliged to leave their drove four miles from the house and make their way to the cabin as rapidly as possible to save freezing to death. They arrived at last, but Disbrow's feet were so frozen that he lost the toes on one foot, which were amputated by Mrs. Van Slyke with the only surgical instrument she had, viz., a pair of scissors and a butcher knife.

The fame of the beautiful prairie became widely known in the spring of 1837, and many settlers came in to possess themselves of the land. The following information concerning the comers of 1837 is believed to be from reliable sources:

792

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

Mr. William Bell. who came himself in the spring of 1837, wrote concerning the settlers of that spring, to Hon. C. M. Baker, in September, 1869. He wrote: "I came to the town of Walworth in the spring of 1837, and found in the town Cyrus Church, Jacob G. Saunders, James Van Slyke. Marens Russell. Robert Russell, J. C. Church, Thomas Godfrey. John Reader, James A. Maxwell. Ira Starr. Israel Williams, Amos Bailey and J. Ward."

The whereabouts of these in 1869, when Mr. Bell wrote. were partially given by him as follows: "Cyrus Church. Thomas Godfrey and Marens Russell are now in the town of Wal. worth: J. C. Church and John Reader, in Delavan; J. G. Saunders, in Illinois; William Bell, in Elkhorn."

As throwing still more light on the very early settlement of the town, the following paper, read at the Old Settlers' Re-union of 1880, is given entire:

EARLY SETTLEMENT OF BIG FOOT PRAIRIE. BY CYRUS CILURCH.

" About the 1st of February, 1837, I started from my home in Trumbull County, Ohio, with a valise on my back, to find a home in the far West. Passing through Chicago to Crystal Lake, where I expected to stop and make a claim on Government land for my future home. I found a few families from Virginia had settled there the year before, and stopped with one John Mc- Lure for a few days. I expected to stay longer, but one night a very genteel-looking man called to stay overnight, and in conversation told me his home was at the head of Geneva Lake, abont twenty miles distant, in Wisconsin Territory. He had been to Chicago and sold a part of his claim for $4.000. getting $2,500 cash down. He appeared to think it was an almost inex- haustible amount of money, it being in bills of small denominations. He had them loose in his pockets, frequently pulling out a handful of bills and making a wonderful display of them, say- ing he expected to make a mark in the world yet. He was dressed in a new suit of clothes, with a tall stovepipe hat: had a may, and with a string could show us the head of Geneva Lake was in a direct line between Chicago and the Four Lakes at Madison: also between St. Louis and Milwaukee, and so on between any two places that were likely to be of importance most anywhere in the West. He said it had been the home of Big Foot, the chief of the Pottawato-

mie Indians, the largest tribe in the West, the trails centering there from every direction. con- sequently it must be a very important place in the Western country, and urged me very anx- iously to come and see Big Foot Prairie, the very Eden of the world, for myself.

"About the 25th of February, it being a clear, cold morning, I started alone for the promised land. There had been a thaw a few days previons, so as to get the water running in the streams. and then it turned cold, making very fair walking on the crust, the snow being about ten inches deep. 1 soon came to a stream of running water, with no alternative but wade through, and probably find more of the same sort. or go back. Pausing for a few moments. I soon decided to go ahead, and on I wont, the ice holding me until I reached near the current, then in I went. wading through, the water being about three and a half feet deep for some twenty feet, passing . on to find several others to go through the same way. Finally, it began to grow dark, and. knowing full well if I didn't find a house within a few minutes. I was doomed to cold lodging for the night not very pleasant to think of- - I hurried on, and in a few minutes saw the smoke curling up through the trees from Van Slyke's cabin. I need not say to you it was a very pleas- ant sensation I found two families living in the cabin, it being about 14x16, and not a sawed board about the place. I was very kindly entertained for the night. The beds being all ocen- pied. I slept on the floor, it being made of split logs laid on the ground, with a small blanket over me. with feet to the fire, the fire being at one end of the cabin. and a hole at the top for the smoke to escape.

" I found there, in that rude cabin, kind, warm-hearted friends indeed. After living with one of the families for several years afterward. I ever cherish in my memory the kindest regards for them. The next morning, I went to look around and see what sort of a place I was in, the little cabin in which I had been so kindly entertained being the only one in the town of Wal- worth. Everything around seemed to have a wild, romantic appearance -- - no mark of civiliza- tion to be seen but the rude cabin. The beautiful. clear waters of the lake were hidden under

793

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

the ice and snow. A little way from the house could be seen the deserted wigwams of the In- dians, they having been removed some three or four months before. Big Foot's wigwam was far superior to the others. A few rods from there, in the top of a tree which is now standing, was deposited the body of a boy about fifteen years of age, a son of the chief. His remains were in a butternut log, very nicely prepared for that purpose. His features were all perfect at that time, but some ruthless hand had torn it down and robbed him of his ornaments. After look- ing around a little, my first work was to make a three-story bedstead in the corner of the room, with one post only. The only tools to do it with were two augers and an ax. The beds were made of prairie feathers, commonly called marsh hay.

" In a few days, travelers wanted to be accommodated. and, there being a lack of room, we stuck three poles across the room overhead and took a bark off from Big Foot's tent and laid it across them, and I slept on it for about five months.

" Our post office was at Chicago for the first year, and the next it was at William Phoenix's, a little way from the east end of Delavan Lake: and many a time have I followed an Indian trail there and paid 25 cents postage on a letter from home.

" When warm weather came, emigrants came also, and about the 1st of June I helped build the first house on Big Foot Prairie, for Mr. Thomas Godfrey, and in the course of two years there was a goodly number of families in the town of Walworth, but they are not here now. They have gone to another country."

The persons named by Mr. Bell were the earliest settlers of the town, but were by no means all who came in and took up land that summer. Of those he named as surviving in 1869, only a few are left. Mr. Bell himself died some years ago in Kansas. John Reader, Marcus Rus- sell and Thomas Godfrey have since died.

Among those who came in prior to 1840. the following are remembered, and their first loca- tion given, from the memory of those still living: Cyrus Church, oldest living settler. February, 1837, on Section 21: Jake G. Saunders, on Section 22, in 1837, removed to Illinois many years ago; P. Van Slyke, on Section 14, made the first claim made in town in fall of 1836; moved away many years ago: present whereabouts, if living, not known: Marcus Russell, in 1837, on Section 15, died in 1875; Robert Russell, in 1837, on Section 15, now living in Iowa; J. C. Church, in 1837, on Section 10, died in Delavan: Thomas Godfrey, in 1837, on Section 20, died in 1877 or 1878: John Reader, in 1837, on Section 18, died in 1879: James A. Maxwell, in 1837, on Section 27, moved to Nevada: Israel W. Starr, in 1837, on Section 13: Amos Bailey, in 1837, on Section 11: Jonathan Ward, in 1837, on Section 13: William Bell, in 1837, on Sec- tion 16; moved to Elkhorn, then to Kansas, where he died some years ago: D. C. Porter, fall of 1837, on Section 24, still living: C. L. Douglass, in 1837, first on Section 26. now living on Section 15: Drs. H. Clark and L. N. Wood, in 1837-38, both settled on Section 23, first physi- cians in the town, and among the earliest in the county: both deceased: their widows living; Matthias Mohr, in 1837, bought a part of Van Slyke's claim on Section 14: still living in the town: John Cummings and John Cummings, Sr., in as early as 1838: Joseph Bailey, in 1838, on Section 21, died in the town many years ago; - Bartholomew, in 1838, on Section 14, moved to Iowa, where he died; Jonathan Fish. in 1838, on Section 33, died in Walworth in 1881; Jesse Bowman, in 1838 or 1839, on Section 18, deceased; place now owned by G. W. Webber; Thomas Waddle, in 1838. section not certain-probably 18; moved to Illinois early; David Davids, in 1839, Section 27, now living in Baraboo, Wis .; William Reed, in 1838, on Section 14, deceased: son still lives on the old place: Elder P. W. Lake, in 1838 or 1839, on Section 34, died some years since: Mrs. Lake still lives on the place. at the advanced age of ninety years; Beardsley Lake, their son. lives in Harvard, Ill. ; Lucius Smith, in 1840, on Sec- tion 28, now lives in Sharon: Newell Crooks came in with the Douglass family in 1838; mar- ried one of the daughters; settled on Seetion 15; now living in California: Sylvester Hawver, now in California, came in 1838 or 1839; Thadeus Smith, an unmarried man, came in 1838: Henry W. Stevens, in 1839 or 1840, on Section 28, now in Colorado: William Rumsey, in 1837, on Section 30, now in Iowa: Mills Church, in 1838, on Section 28, now in Missouri.

The very full biographical sketches of present residents of the town, many of whom are the descendants of early settlers, will supplement any omissions in the above list, which is as full as could be obtained.

794

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

FIRST OCCURRENCES AND THINGS.

The cultivation of the land began in earnest as soon as the frost was out in the spring of 1837. James Van Slyke did the first plowing. He had broken that season 100 acres. In the early summer, Collins Wadhams broke 500 acres for five settlers on the prairie.

The furrows were two and one-half miles long.

Clara Anna Bell, daughter of William and Susan Bell, was born July S. 1837. She was the first white child born in the town. The first white boy born was Henry Godfrey, in the summer or fall of 1837.

The first death was that of a child of Amos Bailey, in the summer or fall of 1837. Mrs. Joy, from Massachusetts, died in the winter of 1838. Mrs. Cummings, mother of Mrs. Van Slyke, died about the same time. There was at the time no minister in the town, and the sad but friendly funeral services were performed by the neighbors. Mr. William Bell related that this was the first burial he attended in the town. There is a tinge of deeper melancholy than usual in his simple recital. He writes: " Mr. Reader and myself were digging her grave, about forty rods from the house. when I was informed that they wanted me to officiate as min- ister. I left Mr. Reader to finish the grave and went to the house, which I found filled with friends. I was furnished with papers containing some sermons, and a hymn book, from which I selected a sermon and hymns appropriate to the occasion. The singing was excellent, Mr. James Maxwell being the leader. The sermon was also pronounced very appropriate."

The first religious meetings were hekl at the house of James A. Maxwell, by Elder P. W. Lake.

The first church was organized by Elder Henry Topping, in the spring of 1844.

The first schoolhouse was built in 1839, and the first school district organized in the fall of 1840. Dr. L. N. Wood. James A. Maxwell and Beardsley Lake were the Trustees. Mrs. Moses Williams was the first teacher. The school mimbered five scholars.

The first marriage was that of Robert Russell to Miss Hannah Williams. The ceremony was performed by Israel Williams, Esq.

The first post office was established in 1839, and William Bell appointed Postmaster. The mails came in on the south road from Geneva twice each week. Present Postmaster, A. H. Hitchcock.

The first log house was built on Big Foot Prairie, by Thomas Godfrey, in June, 1837.

Israel Williams, Jr., was the first Justice of the Peace.

The first frame house was built by James Maxwell in 1839.

Dr. L. N. Wood was the pioneer physician in the county.

WAR RECORD).

The war record of Walworth is inseparable from and so interwoven with that of the other towns of the county as to render it well-nigh impossible to separate it. For personal accounts of her soldiery, the reader is referred to the war history of the county at large. The full quota of the town was eighty-five. She furnished ninety a larger percentage of excess than any . town in the county except Elkhorn. Of the number furnished, seventy-six were volunteers.

The population of the town, by the Federal eensus of 1880, was 1,278.

The number of bushels of grain raised in 18SO was: Wheat, 10,794; corn, 114,000; oats, 56,000; barley, 10,500; rye, 7,800; there was also raised 10,000 bushels of potatoes, 11,000 bushels of apples, 2,500 bushels timothy seed and 2,600 tons of hay; the dairy products were 65,000 pounds of butter and 109,000 pounds of cheese.

In ISS1, the number of acres sown to grain was 5,743; there were 259 acres of apple or- chard, having 7,350 fruit-bearing trees; 3,410 acres of mowing and pasturage, and 2,226 aeres of growing timber: the number of milch cows was 859, valued at $19.323. There were, in 1881, eight schoolhouses, valued at $4,720. The number of scholars enrolled between the ages of four and twenty years was 386, of which number 282 attended school. Eight teachers were em- ployed, at average monthly wages of $28.28 for male and $22.25 for female teachers. The an- nual amount expended for schools is nearly $2.400.

795

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

There are no villages in the town except at the post office at what was formerly known as Douglass Corners, now known as Walworth. Here is the most considerable hamlet in the town. A post office, a good schoolhouse, a church, two general stores, a shoe store, a cheese factory, two blacksmith shops, together with several neat dwellings, make up the little village. The church is that of the Seventh-Day Baptists. That denomination is numerically the strongest in the town, and embraces among its members many of the reliable, intelligent and exemplary citizens.

This church was organized at the house of Dr. Henry Clarke, December, 1845, with seven constituent members, viz .: Deacon Alfred Maxson, John R. Maxson, N. L. Bassett, William Davids, Charles W. Dowse, Mrs. Harriet E. Coon, Mrs. Hannah M. Coon.

The present membership is 170. The congregation that attends worship numbers about two hundred and fifty.

The following persons have served the church as preacher and pastor since its organization: Elder Stillman Coon, Elder Daniel Babcock, Elder O. P. Hull, Elder Varnum Hull, Elder William M. Jones, Elder Charles M. Lewis, Elder James Bailey, Elder Solomon Carpenter, Elder L. M. Cottrell, L. E. Livermore, O. M. Whitford.

The meetings, both religious and business, were held in the cobble-stone schoolhouse in the eastern part of the town of Walworth till April, 1855, when they were held alternately in said schoolhouse and at the schoolhouse in the village of Walworth.

In 1857, Big Foot Academy was finished, and an academic school opened therein in Decem- ber of that year. The meetings were then held in the academy until the completion of the new meeting-house. The new church edifice was finished and dedicated in March, 1874. The build- ing is gothic in style, has a fine basement room for the Sabbath school and business meetings, and has one of the finest audience rooms above probably to be found in the connty.

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.

History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 124

Author: Western Historical Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 998

Author: Western Historical Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 998