USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth County, Wisconsin > Part 153
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938
HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.
mounds, graves or other evidences that it had ever been the home of man before their arrival. It lay in all its beanty, prepared for them by all-wise Providence, and waiting only the magic touch of their hands to bud and blossom as the rose, to bring forth fruit and grain, and to become the home of a prosperous and happy people.
Game, especially deer, were abundant. To the early prospectors, the sight of them was nearly as common as the cattle that now feed in their former pastures or rest in their deserted shades. The lakes abounded in fish, and water fowls covered their surfaces. Smaller game, squirrels and rabbits were plenty ; also about the creeks and streams were to be found the musk-rat, mink, beaver, and occasionally an otter. Prairie chickens were also too common to be considered a luxury. Wolves were sufficiently numerous to be a pest to the early settlers, but were not dangerous.
THE SETTLEMENT.
The first settlers came into the town in 1836. The first to make a claim, build a cabin and occupy it, was Jolin Davis. He made his claim on Sections 13 and 14, near Silver Lake. Then he built a cabin, and lived alone, being unmarried. Little is known of him. He came from Indiana. He remained only one year, sold out and moved away, none of the old settlers now living knew whither he went, his present whereabouts, or whether he is still living or not.
Mr. S. A. Dwinnell, who settled in the adjoining town of LaFayette, in 1836, speaks of Davis and his early surroundings, in an account of one of his exploring trips made in November of that year :
"As we were passing out on this trip, we saw, at a distance of two or three miles to the north of us, a beautiful prairie, apparently without an inhabitant. This excited our curiosity to know more of it and a few days thereafter we searched it out. It was situ - ated on the north side of Sugar Creek, from which it and the town have since been named. It was four miles in length from east to west, having several beautiful lakes and fine groves of timber upon its borders. Near the eastern verge was a lake of some 160 acres, surrounded by high prairie, since known as Silver lake, near the east bank of which was a cabin, with the door locked and a yoke of oxen near. We afterwards learned that one Davis spent the Winter there, six miles from any other human being. His was the only cabin in the northwest quarter of the county, now consisting of the towns of LaGrange, Whitewater, Richmond and Sugar Creek.
"Soon after leaving Davis' cabin, night and a severe northeast snow storm, set in upon us, and we had to make our way to our lone cabin, six miles, guided by the wind, a feat attended with a good deal of peril to those who had no means of starting a fire in case we should become bewildered and lost. The snow which fell that night remained with us until the following year."
It is believed that Davis-Major Davis he was called-was the only man who spent the entire Winter of 1836-37 in what is now the town of Sugar Creek.
During 1837 and 1838 many settlers came in. It is impossible to fix the exact date at which they all arrived. Many are dead, some have moved away, and the memories of the survivors, and other accessible sources of information are defective.
Daniel Bigelow was one of the earliest comers of 1837. He took up his claim, where he still lives, on Section 17, where the first plowing in the town was done, and the first crop of Winter wheat was harvested.
William McDonald-March, 1837, still living in LaGrange.
James Holden-1837, cabin on Section 5; deceased.
Caleb Miller-1837, settled on Sections 11 and 12, shanty on Section 11; deceased. John Rand-1837, settled on Section 8; still living in town on Section 13.
Henry McCart-1837, settled on Section 8; deceased.
Freeborn Welch-1836, took up claim on Sections 10 and 3; went East, and returned with family in Fall of 1837.
939
HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.
William Bowman-1537, settled on Section 9; family dead, he is in Missouri, if alive.
Milton Charles-1837, settled on Section 4; moved away many years ago.
P. G. Harrington-settled on Section 15. A leading citizen so long as he lived. See biography.
Joseph Welch-1836. Did not remain at that time, but subsequently returned. Now lives in the town.
Asa Blood-settled on Section 11. Came from East Troy in 1836. Shantied with Davis, and took up a claim on the adjoining section-Number 14. Moved in his family in 1837. Deceased.
Jeduthan Spooner-1837 or '38, settled on Section 14 ; deceased.
Jonathan Loomer-1837, settled on Section 7 ; deceased.
Stephem Loomer-1837, settled on Section 17 ; deceased.
Samuel N. Loomer-1837, settled on Section 17 ; still living in town.
Leonard Loomer-1837, son of Stephen, lives with his father. Still alive in the town.
Samuel Salisbury-1837, settled on Section 15 ; moved away.
Julius Edwards-1838, settled on Section 10 ; family came in 1839, deceased.
James Bigelow-1837, still living in town.
Nelson Crosby-1837, settled on Section 31. Now lives at Delavan.
John Byrd-1837, settled on Section 8. Went to Oregon ; died there.
J. Fox-1837, settled on Section 9. Not known whether he is alive ; left prior to 1840.
Capt. George W. Kendall-1837, settled on Section 10. Returned to Vermont ; deceased.
John Rosenkrans-1837. In Iowa, if alive.
Joseph Nichols-1837. Nothing is remembered of him but the fact of his coming. Charles Rand-1838, was a blacksmith. In 1840 he built a shop east of Silver Lake ; went to California many years ago.
Julius Edwards came in 1838 from Massachusetts, and, with his sons, Theodore B., Julius L., and S. R. Edwards, settled upon Section 10.
Joseph Barker, and his sons, Russell, Francis, Joseph L., James B., and T. P. Bar- ker, came i .: 1838. They settled on Section 9. One of the younger sons, James B., still lives on the old homestead. Russell and Joseph L. live in Iowa. Timothy P. and Francis are deceased; also, their parents.
H. C. Kinne-1838, settled on Section 7 ; died in Sugar Creek in 1862.
James Martin and Alanson Martin-1838, settled on Section 9. John still lives in town.
Jonathan Parks, with his family, came later, 1841 or '42, and settled on Section 23 ; deceased.
Lewis Crosby-1838, settled on Section 31 ; left many years ago.
John S. Boyd moved on to the Davis claim in 1838. Had a few groceries in his house, and sold enough to be ranked as the first grocer in town. He died in Milwaukee a few years ago.
James W. Field came in 1839, settled on Section 8, and married a sister of Mrs. At- kins. She died, and he returned East to marry another sister. He still lives in the county with his family.
William Kendall came in 1839, and settled on a part of the claim of his brother George. He returned to his home in northern Vermont for his family in the Winter of 1839-40. He made the entire journey to Chicago, across Michigan and Canada, a dis- tance of one thousand miles, on foot. He returned with his family in the Spring of 1840. He was not destined long to enjoy the home he had labored so hard to secure.
940
HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.
He was mortally stricken by sunstroke while at work cutting hay on the marsh near his farm, during the Summer of 1841.
Caleb Kendall, with his family, were in Sugar Creek as early as 1840. Now de- ceased.
Henry Atkins and family in 1840 settled on Section 11, where they lived about a year. They afterward removed to Heart Prairie, and lived in the town of LaGrange until Mr. Atkins was elected Register of Deeds in 1854. He then removed to Elkhorn, and is now Assistant Cashier in the bank.
Benjamin Rand, father of John Rand, came in 1840, and settled on Section 18. De- ceased many years ago.
Of other early settlers, the following are remembered :
1840: Dr. Harmon Gray (Section 8), S. H. Tibbits, Nelson Weaver, Wm. H. Hy- att, Russell Thurber, and John Fish.
In 1841 Wyman Spooner settled upon Section 14, his brother Jeduthan having ar- rived a few years previous.
1842: J. R. Kinne, Horace B. Kinne, Herman Jenkins, James and John Strong (Section 23). .
1843 : Hiram Taylor, Salmon Thomas, John A. Pierce, Timothy Barker.
1844-Francis Rublee, wife and sons ; F. Manville, Martindale and Alonzo ; Varmin Holden and family (Section 14).
In 1845, H. O. Gibbs and family moved into the town. After residing here four or five years they returned to Vermont. Jeremiah Wilcox, Daniel Nyce and Hulsey Welch also settled during this year. Other early settlers previous to 1846, were Joseph Baker, George Ketchpaw and S. D. Hastings.
Of the early settlers the following are still alive, and living in the town : Daniel Bigelow, John Rand, Freeborn Welch, Joseph Welch, Leonard Loomer, Samuel Loomer, James Bigelow, James Strong, James B. Barker, Dr. Harmon Gray, J. R. Kinne, Hiram Taylor, S. R. Edwards, John A. Pierce, Wm. Parish and John Martin.
Daniel Bigelow and John Byrd did the first breaking on Sections 8 and 17, in the Summer of 1837. They plowed nearly fifty acres which was sown to winter wheat, and was, when harvested in 1837, the first crop of wheat raised in the town. They did their plowing with two yoke of oxen. After it was finished, Mr. Bigelow went with the team to Ottawa, Illinois, a distance of over one hundred miles for the seed wheat required. It cost him in Ottawa $2.00 per bushel. So scarce was seed wheat in the newly- settled country that on his return he was offered $5.00 per bushel. Nothing short of the price of his whole expected crop could have bought it. These pioneer farmers lived on the plainest possible fare while starting this first field, and it required fortitude, patience, and perseverance to inaugurate farming, even on the fertile fields of Sugar Creek, forty- five years ago.
Freeborn Welch and Samuel Salisbury are believed to have split the first rails, and to have done the first fencing in the town. Their claims were on Section 15, and during the Winter of 1836-37 they split rails enough to enclose on their claims nearly eighty acres each. This was certainly a fair Winter's work, considering the fact that the young men subsisted, as they aver, on water gruel during the entire Winter.
There are no instances of extreme hardship or suffering recorded or remembered by the early settlers further than those unavoidable to those first coming into a new country.
The first marriage was that of J. Crawford to Martha McCart, a sister of Henry McCart, in 1837.
The first child born was Helen Rosenkrans, danghter of John Rosenkrans. She was born in 1838.
The first frame honse was that of Capt. George Kendall, erected in 1839 on Sec- tion 10.
941
HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.
The first Church organized in the town was the Congregational in 1839. It was in the east part of the town. The membership at the beginning numbered six.
The first school was a public school kept in 1840 by Miss Adaline McCracken who was afterward the wife of T. B. Edwards. She died some years ago.
The first physician was Dr. Harmon Gray, who settled in 1840. He is still a resi- dent of the town, and is known not only there but all over the county as one of the early reliable, and skillful practitioners of the old school.
Julius Edwards opened and kept the first general store in 1840. He was a model business man, an excellent citizen, and an unostentatious giver to the needy.
The first lawyer was C. D. Pulver who came in 1839. His practice was mostly in in justices' courts. He never attained any great distinction in his profession.
Captain George W. Kendall kept the first tavern on the site of the old Gravel tav- ern where Freeborn Welch now lives, in 1839.
Early religious services were held at Mr. Kendall's house, by the Congregationalists and Methodists in the Summer of 1840. For some time the well-spring of their relig- ious instruction consisted of a volume of sermons furnished by Julius Edwards. A few months afterwards Rev. Cyrus Nichols came to reside with him, and services were held under more regular spiritual guidance, sometimes at Mr. Edwards' house, at other times at Jeduthan Spooner's or at the school house. On July 20, 1841, a little band assembled at Mr. Spooner's house, the services of Rev. Stephan Peet having been obtained to organize a Presbyterian society. Hiram Humprey and wife, John Rosenkrans, Mrs. Sarah C. Thompson, Mrs. B. R. Spooner and Miss Pauline Spooner joined themselves together as the First Presbyterian Church, of Elkhorn, and Messrs. Rosenkrans and Humphrey were chosen elders.
In August, 1841, Rev. Amon Gaston succeded Mr. Nichols, and in January, 1843, Rev. Cyrus Rosenkrans, brother of John, succeeded to the pastorate. In October, 1844, Rev. D. Pinkerton was engaged, services having been held in the district school house which had been set aside for that purpose and for holding town meetings, before the building was erected in 1840-41. Mr. Pinkerton married Charles Thompson's sister, and remained in Sugar Creek until the society adopted a Congregational form of gov- ernment. On April 3, 1847, the name of the church was changed from the " First Presbyterian Church of Walworth " to the "First Congregational Church of Sugar Creek," Rev. S. E. Miner, the pastor in charge of the already existing Congregational society, taking both flocks under his spiritual wing.
The last heard of Mr. Nichols he was living in Racine County.
The first burial was that of a child of William Bohall, aged six years, who died in March, 1838.
The first casualty was the accidental drowning of Mr. Kingsley while bathing in Silver Lake in the Spring of 1839. His family were on their way to join him when he met his death. They arrived a few days after, viewed his grave, and bowed with grief returned East.
The first road was the mail route from Milwaukee to Janesville, via Troy, opened in 1838. In 1839, the territorial road from Racine was opened through the town.
The first postoffice was established in 1840. Capt. Kendall was the first post-master. He beld the office till 1842. He was succeeded by S. H. Tibbitts who was the incum- bent till 1852.
The first mails came over the Janesville road from Milwaukee via Troy.
The first white male child was Woodbury Harrington, son of P. G. Harrington, born in 1837.
The Gravel tavern was begun by Martindale Rubles, and finished by John D. Cowles, who was its first landlord. There and at Mr. Tibbitts the stages stopped, and it was for many years a famous inn. Near by Mr. Tibbitts kept another excellent tavern.
942
HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.
CORPORATE HISTORY.
The first town meeting was held (while known as Elkhorn) April 5, 1842, at the house of Luther Childs. The following officers were elected :
Supervisors-Chairman, Harman Gray ; Clerk, John Fish ; Treasurer, John Rosen- krans. For the succeeding three years the following were town officers :
1843-Chairman of Board of Supervisors-A. C. Kinne ; Clerk, John S. Boyd ; Treasurer, T. B. Edwards.
1844-Chairman-Levi Lee; Clerk, H. S. Winsor, appointed ; Treasurer, Olney Harrington.
1845-Chairman, P. G. Harrington ; Clerk, Levi Lee ; Treasurer, O. Harrington. The town as has been stated was incorporated as Sugar Creek, and its boundaries designated as they now are, in February 1846.
THE FIRST TOWN MEETING
Was held in Sugar Creek at the house of S. H. Tibbitts, April 7, 1846. It was called to order by Perry G. Harrington. William H. Hyatt was chosen clerk of the meeting. One hundred dollars was raised for contingent expenses, and seventy-five dollars for schools.
The salary of Town clerk was established at twenty dollars.
The election resulted in the choice of town officers as shown in the following roster:
ROSTER OF TOWN OFFICERS.
1846: Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman ; Jesse R. Kinne, Nelson Crosby; Clerk, William H. Hyatt; Treasurer, O. Harrington. 1847: Supervisors -P. G. Harrington, chairman, William Flitecroft, Jonathan Loomer ; Clerk, S. C. Higbee ; Treasurer, O. Harrington.
1848: Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman, William Flitecroft, Jonathan Loomer ; Clerk, William Bowman ; Treasurer, William Hogan.
1849: Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman, William Flitecroft, Jeduthan Spooner ; Clerk, William Bowman ; Treasurer, William Hogan.
1850 : Supervisors, P. G. Harrington, chairman, Jesse R. Kinne, Edward Hogan ; Clerk, B. B. Humphrey ; Treasurer. Henry O. Gibbs.
1851 : Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman, John Sanders, Jonathan Loomer ; Clerk, F. F. Collier : Treasurer, Rufus Eldred.
1852 : Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman, Thomas Havens, Edward Hogan ; Clerk, I. A. Pierce ; Treasurer, I. T. Isham.
1853 : Supervisors-Jesse R. Kinne, chairman, James D. Ward, Charles N. Moore ; Clerk, John A. Pierce: Treasurer. William Tremper.
1854: Supervisorx-Eli K. Frost, chairman, Joseph Loomer, Horace B. Kinne ; Clerk, Stephen Frost ; Treasurer, Alonzo Rublee.
1855: Supervisors-E. K. Frost, chairman, Freeborn Welch, Edmund Kingman ; Clerk, S. G. Frost ; Treasurer, James Sexton.
1856: Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman, Silas Russell, Nathan Rand : Clerk, Allen Loomer ; Treasurer, John Rand.
1857 : Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman, William Bartrum, Lemuel Weh- ster ; Clerk, Allen Webster ; Treasurer, George Cameron.
1858 : Supervisors-S. G. Frost, chairman, I. T. Isham, J. B. Loomer ; Clerk, Allen Loomer ; Treasurer, George Cameron.
1859: Supervisors-S. G. Frost, chairman, J. B. Loomer, Charles Hollenshead ; Clerk, J. C. McManus ; Treasurer, Charles Loomer.
1860: Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chairman, J. H. Landerdale, Francis Smith ; Clerk, J. W, Field ; Treasurer, Isaac Flitecraft.
943
HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.
1861: Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chairman, I. T. Isham, Leonard Loomer ; Clerk, J. W. Field ; Treasurer, Stephen L. Russell.
1862: Supervisors-Leonard Loomer, chairman, William H. Bartram, Jason Foster; Clerk, J. W. Field ; Treasurer, Charles Loomer.
1863: Supervisors-Leonard Loomer, chairman, John A. Norris, Asa Foster ; Clerk-Jeduthan Spooner ; Treasurer-Thomas Davis.
1864: Supervisors-Levi Lee, chairman ; J. B. Doolittle, H. Taylor; Clerk-J. W. Field ; Treasurer-T. P. Barker.
1865 : Supervisors-Levi Lee, chairman ; George Nyce, Hiram Taylor; Clerk- Thomas Davis ; Treasurer-Jason Foster.
1866 : Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chairman, Leonard Loomer, Jacob Ketchpaw ; Clerk-Wyman Spooner; Treasurer-George W. Nyce,
1867: Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chairman, J. B. Doolittle, Leonard Loomer ; Clerk-N. H. Kingman ; Treasurer-James W. Davis.
1868: Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chairman ; Hiram Taylor, I. T. Isham ; Clerk -Mansfield Stearns ; Treasurer-Ole Jacobson.
1869 : Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chairman, George W. Nyce, Thomas Wilcox ; Clerk-Ole Jacobson; Treasurer-John Cameron.
1870 : Supervisors-P. G. Harrington, chairman, Thomas Wilcox, J. B. Doolittle ; Clerk-Ole Jacobson ; Treasurer-John Cameron.
1871 : Supervisors-I. T. Isham, chairman, Asa Foster, Donald Steward ; Clerk- F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-O. S. Davis.
1872: Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chaiman, Donald Stewart, Hiram Taylor ; Clerk -F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-Joseph Parker.
1873 : Supervisors-Thomas Davis, chairman, Donald Stewart, Ole Jacobson ; Clerk-F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-J. B. Cook.
1874 : Supervisors-Ole Jacobson, chairman, S. D. Russel, N. R. Hand ; Clerk- F. C. Weaver; Treasurer-J. B. Cook.
1875: Supervisors-S. R. Edward, chairman, G. W. Wilcox, T. R. Barker; Clerk -F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-John Cameron.
1876 : Supervisors-Donald Stewart, chairman, Rial Thomas, John Cameron; Clerk -F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-John Oslock.
1877 : Supervisors-S. R. Edwards, chairman, I. T. Isham, M. L. Ladd ; Clerk- F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-John Oslock.
1878: Supervisors-S. R. Edwards, chairman, Hiram Taylor, I. T. Isham ; Clerk -F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-John Oslock.
1879: Supervisors-S. R. Edwards, chairman, I. T. Isham, HI. A. Briggs ; Clerk -F. C. Weaver ; Treasurer-J. Matheson.
1880: Supervisors-Donald Stewart, chairman, H. A. Loomer, N. P. Hand ; Clerk -D. D. Finch ; Treasurer-Wm. B. Ells.
1881 : Supervisors-Donald Stewart, chairman, Steve Russell, H. A. Loomis ; Clerk-D. D. Finch ; Treasurer-William Ells.
Among the early settlers of the town who were prominent citizens were : Asa Blood, Jeduthan Spooner, Harmon Gray, John S. Boyd, Jesse R. Kinne, S. H. Tibbitts, P. G. Harrington, Wyman Spooner, Freeborn Welch, Joseph Baker. Julius Edwards and others of whom more extended mention is made in the biographical department of this work.
The growth of the town was rapid, the land being nearly all taken up during the first ten years after its settlement commenced. It has been strictly a farming town from the first, and life has flowed on without the thrilling episodes or exciting events that characterize more mixed communities in village and city. The population is largely of American birth, and the character of the people is such as to mark their eastern origin. Many of the earlier settlers came from the State of New York and New England.
944
HISTORY OF WALWORTH .COUNTY.
WAR HISTORY.
During the war, Sugar Creek did willingly its loyal part, furnishing seventy-three men in all, of whom but four were drafted. The amount of money raised for war pur- poses was upwards of seventeen thousand dollars.
For special mention of individuals living in the town who served, see the general war history in the county at large.
SUGAR CREEK IN 1881.
The town contained, according to the Federal census of 1880, 980 inhabitants, nine- tenths of whom are farmers or constitute their families. There is in the town one post- office-" Millard," formerly " Barker's Corners." There is no mill in the town. There is one cheese factory, owned by a stock company, on Section 1 ; one store at Millard post- office, kept by E. A. Hastings, who is the post-master.
There is one physician in the town-Dr. Harmon Gray. There are also three car- penters and joiners, six blacksmiths, and a few other artisans whose work is required by the farming community. There are no resident clergyman or lawyers in the town.
THE CHURCHES.
Are as follows : Baptist-at Millard P. O; Pastor, Rev. Mr. Sweet, of Elkhorn ; Union Methodist-on Section 10 : no pastor ; Methodist Episcopal-on Section 12; Rev. Mr. Sedgwick, pastor, Elkhorn ; Lutheran-on Section 28 ; visiting pastor, none' settled ; Wesleyan Methodist-on Section 29 ; supplied by itinerants.
THE SCHOOLS.
There are in the town five whole and four joint school districts. The whole num- ber of scholars enrolled is 367, of which number 185 attend school. There are five schools, taught by five teachers, at average monthly wages of $26.00 for male and $24.31 for female teachers. There are five school houses, valued at $3,190, including the sites. The annual amount expended for educational purposes is $2,500.
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
The grain erops of 1880 were: Wheat, 26,000 bu .; corn, 125,000 bu .; oats, 56,000 bu .; barley, 15,000 bu .; rye, 850 bu. There was also raised 9,800 bu. potatoes, 17,000 bu. apples, 12,400 lbs. flax, and 2,500 tons of hay. The dairy products were 50,000 lbs. butter, and 121,000 lbs. of cheese. The estimated value of the above farm and dairy products was $165,000-nearly $1,000 for each head of a family, and $165 for every man, woman and child in the town.
In 1881, the total number of acres sown to grain was 6,465, and planted to potatoes and root crops, 106 acres. There were 275 acres of apple orchard, having 8,656 fruit- bearing trees. There were 3.339 acres of grazing and mowing land, and 3,309 acres of growing timber. About one-fourth of the farms are dairy farms. The number of milch cows reported was 738, valued at $14,000. The farm buildings are excellent. The average value of farming lands in the town is $30.00 per acre. The total tax valuation of farms in the town in 1844 was $50,039. In 1881, it was $459,195, to which was added personal property valued at $111,204. Total, $570,399.
Thus, from the small cabin of the hermit Davis, in 1836, and the first field of Daniel Bigelow, in 1837, have grown the broad acres of well-tilled farms, dotted with farm- houses, and barns and granaries ; the homes of as thrifty and independent a people as dwells in all the land. Nowhere but in America have such marvelous changes been wrought within the span of a single life and the memory of men still living.
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945
HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
DANIEL BIGELOW, farmer, Sec. 17; P. O. Millard. He has 140 acres of land; is the son of Daniel and Emma Bigelow . was born near Halifax, Nova Scotia, July 24, 1815. He came to Milwaukee with his parents in 1834. They made their home in the woods, on the Mil- waukee River, four miles above Juneau's trading post, which was about all there was of Milwau- kee at that time. There his father built a saw-mill, and the family resided at that place until April, 1837, when he came to Sugar Creek, Walworth Co .; located on the land which he now occupies until 1841, where he also kept bachelor's hall. Then he went to Ashland, Ohio, and was married, the 21st of that month, to Miss Amy McCart, daughter of John McCart. Mrs. Bigelow was born in Richland County, Ohio. They at once proceeded to take possession of the log cabin at Sugar Creek. In the course of time they were blessed with four children, three daughters and a son,-Marv, Dora, A. D. and Ella. The oldest daughter married is the wife of Charles Kinne. of Sugar Creek. Dora is Mrs. Robert B. Hall, of Vivian, Waseca Co., Minn. A. D. married Miss Melissa Welch, and resides in Sugar Creek. Ella is now Mrs. Osmer Robb, of Sugar Creek. Mr. Bigelow has served two terms as Assessor of Sugar Creek. During the year of 1874. he made a tour of California and Oregon. Fine buildings and a well cultivated farm now greet the eyes in place of the log cabin and woods of 1837, on the site of the old claim.
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