History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 72

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

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Bradley's house, besides being the home of the colony, was a tavern and a favorite stop- ping-place for travelers. It was the first tavern in Elkhorn. and in subsequent sketches it should be so understood. Travelers never asked Mr. Bradley to "show them a room "-there was only one, embracing all up-stairs-they were only too glad to be shown a bed.

It is not certain that any other actual settlers came into the town during the year 1837, though prospectors were plenty, mostly unmarried men, looking about for a favorable location.

As a peculiar interest attaches to these early pioneers, and the company who first claimed the land. their history, as a whole, is continued ont of the consecutive line of narrative. ~ The members of the company, consisting of the Rockwells, Higby, Hatch and Daniel E Bradley, kept a joint interest but a short time. Hatch's interest never amounted to much, being con- tingent on putting something into the venture, which it is believed he did not do, and his in- terest, such as it was, lapsed into the hands of the other partners. Mr. Hatch is still living in Milwaukee, an old and respected citizen. L. J. Higby kept his interest for a year: growing business interests in Milwaukee then engrossed his entire attention, and he accordingly sold out in the fall of 1838. In the divide, he took a large share of the stock, which was driven into Milwaukee by Mr. Ogden, and the dairy business was thereafter abandoned. Mr. Higby became one of the leading business men of Milwaukee, at one time almost controlling the ware- house business of the city. He subsequently removed to New Orleans, where he died in 1878 or 1879.

Mr. Daniel E. Bradley also retired from the co-partnership late in 1838 or very early in

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HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

1836. He took the house and fifty acres of land on which was the site, and the northeast quarter of Section 7. in the present town of Geneva. He livel but a few months after. He was a na- tive of Vermont, but had lived some years in Delaware County, N. Y., prior to emigrating to Wis- consin. He was a carpenter by trade. and, at the time of his death, was not far from fifty-five years old. Thus, before the first land sale of February, 1839, the company was dissolved, and all the claims made by it were purchased and became the property of the Rockwell brothers-L. G. and J. S .- except what fell into the possession of Daniel E. Bradley, as before stated. The Rock- well brothers both died some years ago. Further biographical mention of them appears else- where in this work.

Not a member of the original firm, except Hatch, of Milwaukee, is now living. With the actual settlers, who made up the colony, time has dealt kindly. Mr. Hollis Latham and wife and Mr. Albert Ogden are still living in Elkhorn: as is Henry Bradley, the oldest of the chil- dren. Milo E. Bradley is still living in West Salem. Wis. His wife, who came in in 1837. is deceased. Of the six children, all are alive but one: William. son of Mrs. Latham. died some years since. More extended notices of these survivors appear in the biographical department of this work.

At the land sale of 1839. the Rockwells. Latham and Ogden, bonght in their claims as originally made, thereby perfecting their title to a large part of what is now the site of Elkhorn Village. Milo E. Bradley made a claim for himself, in the fall of 1837, on Section 4 in the town of Geneva. built a house and moved into it with his family, leaving the Elkhorn colony reduced to nine persons.

The next year, Gen. Sheldon Walling came in with his three boys, bought a few acres of the Rockwells. on which he erected a log house. This was near the present residence of Ett- ward Elderkin. He also made claim of the southwest quarter of Section 7, in the present town of Geneva-the place now owned by Fred Baker. His wife came in the fall of 1838. The family occupied the cabin and did some farming on the claim. This was the only accession in 1838. The only other building done was the erection of a house by Le Grand Rockwell, for the occupancy of his hired man, Mr. Daniel Bowen, who, with his family, attended to the farm- ing interests on the Rockwell estate: also a building for office purposes, on the east side of the present park, which afterward became historic as the first court-room of Walworth County. It was a one-story building. 1Sx22 feet in size. The buildings described, viz., the frame house first built, the log house occupied by Daniel Bowen, the log house of Gen. Walbng and the office of the Rockwells, were all on the present site of Elkhorn when it became the county seat, and the total population did not exceed twenty-three.

In the fall of 1838, by voto of the citizens of the county, the center, at the center of the present town, was selected as the county seat by a majority of thirty-five votes over the com- peting points of Spring Prairie, Geneva and Delavan. The selection did not bring any great accession to the population, as, in October, 1839, when the first court was held, it does not ap- pear that any other buildings had been erected. or any permanent settlers came in, except Mr. Edward Elderkin, who, having already studied law, appeared on the first opening of the United States Circuit Court, October 25, 1839, and tried his first case during the term. He was the first lawyer of Elkhorn, and the second in the county. Hon. C. M. Baker, of Geneva, being the tirst. H. S. Winsor came in December. 1839. The accessions of that year comprised only these two lawyers, and the families of Gen. Walling and Mr. Bowen. before mentioned.

Unlike Genova and Delavan, there were no special natural advantages which indicated Elk- horn as a favorable location for a village. There was no water power nor was it in the line of travel between any settled points; nor a converging point favorable to trade ; nothing but its · position as the geographical center of the county gave it any prominence or promise as the site of a future village -- indeed, the location was handicappel with many serious disadvantages, as against the two points named. Nevertheless, owing to dissensions and jealousies between the other competing points, added to the fact that it had next to no population of its own to raise enmity, it was selected as the seat of justice, and consequently as the central village of the county. The selection gave the Rockwells the realization of their hopes when they made their claims, and they had only to enter in and enjoy their fruition. With the prestige appertaining to a shire town. Elkhorn did not grow rapidly. The settlers of the following two years were

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HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

not numerous. Among the comers of 1840 were Moses Bartlett, from the State of Maine, with a family of five children; James Farnsworth, Richard Hogaboom Benjamin Arnold. William Coulson, Hudson Van Brunt, George Watson. John Hall and H. H. Hartson and family.

In I84I, there came Zenas Ogden, with his family, consisting of a wife and three children, from Delaware County, N. Y .: Phineas M. Johnson and family. Levi Lee and family, Richard Beals and family. Isaac Beals and family, from the State of New York, and Hon. George Gale, from Vermont.

In 1842, B. B. Davis and J. O. Eaton came in and built stores in Elkhorn.

In 1843, settlers came in in large numbers, and took nearly all the Government lands left for pre-emption. Among the arrivals of that year were William E. Gregory, George Young and family, Dr. George H. Young and family, Dexter Dewing and family, George Dewing and family. Sanford Garfield and family, William Garfield and family. C. N. Meigs and Miss A. C. Beardsley.

Others doubtless made settlements within the present limits of the town prior to 1843, but those mentioned above are all of whom authentic information can be obtained. The biographical sketches will supplement what is lacking in the above record. The growth of the settlement was slow for the first ten years, notwithstanding it was the county seat.

In Angust, 1842. there were but nine buildings, an increase of five in four years. Two of them were stores, and the first hotel (except Bradley's, before mentioned) stood on the corner where Snyder's Hotel now stands. A log jail was also one of the buildings. There were nine families and the population had increased to fifty-three. The village was platted and the park reserved and the streets laid out essentially as they now are.

THE VILLAGE.

The village, as will be seen, was the result of the selection of the center as the county seat. This occurred in the fall of 1838. By a Congressional act, each county on the selection of a location for the seat of justice, had the guarantee of the first pre-emption right to a quarter- section, for county purposes; on the payment of the Government price-$1.25 per acre. The Rockwells relinquished to the county their claim to the southeast quarter of Section 36, Town 3, Range 16, and it was purchased by the county from the Government at the land sale of 1839. The tract was located north and west of the southeast corner of O. Livingston's lot. comprised 160 acres, and covered the park and a large part of the site of the present village. It was platted by Edward Norris, then a surveyor living in Delavan. The county made special reservation for specific purposes-one lot for a jail: one lot for a schoolhouse, donated to the village of Elkhorn: four lots, numbered 9. 10, 11 and 12, at the northeast corner of Walworthi and Wisconsin streets. to whoever would ereet and maintain a commodious hotel on that cor- ner: and the entire block. now " the park," for the site of the county buildings and for the other county offices. Thus laid out, its progress was as detailed below.

THE GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE. '

The growth from 1843 to 1849 was that of a healthy Western village with a fine local trade, and at the last-named date, it had attained to a population of 539. The build. ings had increased to eighty. For several years after. the population increased but slightly. Many of the inhabitants emigrated to California. In 1849, the exodus began. The gold-seek- ers of that year were: Z. Chittenden. Lewis Lewis, Edward Pentland, John Wood, D. G. Weston and family, F. S. and George Walling, and George Allen. In 1852, the fever was at its height. and took off many citizens believed to be permanent residents of the town. They went mostly overland. Among the emigrants of that year were: Henry Bradley and wife, An- drew Mayo, Asaph Gregory. Frank S. Mason. H. Van Brunt. J. A. Norris. Wyman Spooner. Jr., John Gillispie. S. P. Townsend, Stanbury Ogden, John Cromley. J. Pettit. Henry Clem- ens. Alex. S. Brown and family. Nathan Colburn and family. and Edward Pentland and wife. Also, by steamer, via New York, during that and the following year: H. F. Spooner, William Pentland, Lewis Lee, Dyar L. Cowdery. Samuel Mayo. Horatio Potter, H. N. Hay. Solomon Hicks. Chester and Philo Baird. John Schleyburg, Carrie and Fannie Beardsley, Mrs. Susan Church and Mrs. Pearce. Many returned, and some of them are still residents of the town,

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HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

while not a few found graves in " El Dorado." Among those who never returned were: H. N. Hay and Solomon Hicks. who died on the voyage and were buried at sea: Misses Fannie and Caroline Beardsley. Lewis Lee. Smith P. Townsend. Nathan Colburn. Mrs. Alex. S. Brown and her son. Daniel. C. Baird. Charles Garfield, Lewis Lee and John Gillispie. Smith P. Town- send, Chester Baird. Charles Garfield and John Gillispie. of 1852, came home and went again after some stay here. and died in California.

The list above given of those who went or those who never returned is by no means com- plete, but sufficient to show that a serious depletion was made in the population at that time. It was sufficient to check the growth of the town for some years, and not till the railroad fever broke out, in 1854, did the town take a fresh start. At that time, the leading citizens of Elk- horn had obtained a charter for the Wisconsin Central Railroad, of which a full account will be found in the county history. And the old Racine & Mississippi road was also in process of construction, although not then located, as it eventually was, so as to pass through the village. Still another road -the Milwaukee & Beloit- was chartered, which was to pass through the town. With a junction of two roads crossing the county diagonally, and the probability of still another, the Racine & Mississippi, it became evident that Elkhorn would become the most im- portant railroad center in the county, and one of the most important in the State.

The village took a fresh start. Real estate rapidly increased in value. and large accessions were made to the population. At the beginning of 1854, the population did not exceed 500: in June, 1855, in had increased to 737. In September. 1856, the population exceeded 1,000, which, in another year, had increased to 1,500. In 1856. there were erected sixty-eight new buildings, and in 1857. before the panic of that year, forty more were added. At that time, there were 220 dwellings and a population exceeding 1,500. For population, this was near the maximum it has ever attained. The financial crash of that year dissolved into thin air the hopes that had been based on the Central and the Milwaukee & Beloit Railroads. The Racine & Mis- sissippi road was, by extraordinary efforts of the citizens of Elkhorn, backed by bonds and subscriptions to the amount of $20,000, diverted from the original route and brought through Elkhorn in 1856. This remained the only railroad connection till 1870. at which time the road was built from Elkhorn to Eagle.

During the three years of general depression which followed the financial crash of 1857. the village lost ground, and the population was still further depleted during the war. It has never since contained so large a population as was reported at that time. It has, however, im- proved with age in general appearance. Finer private buildings have been built, which, to- gether with the new county buildings, churches. and the excellent and commodious school building. render it one of the handsomest inland villages in the State. As a center of trade, it has not fulfilled the expectations of the sanguine years of its youthful existence, though it shares in just proportion with the neighboring town of Delavan the local traffic of the sur- rounding towns.

THE PARK AND BUILDINGS.

The Elkhorn park is one of the finest in the State. It contains, including the bordering streets, an area of eleven acres, being forty-four rods long by forty rods wide. It was reserved by the county for its use, and has been adorned and beautified by the county and village au- thorities. In a state of nature, it was a magnificent oak opening, quite clear from under- growth, and fairly shaded by burr, white and black oaks, all old when the first white man saw them. The old oaks still stand, and among them have been planted the maple, hickory, and many evergreen trees. It still, however, retains the ancient. pristine beauty of the early days, and is. to the old settlers. one of the few oak openings spared to remind them of the woods as they first saw them.

It has no fence, and requires none, as cows and hogs. by ordinance of the village corpora- tion. are not allowed to run at large. It was formerly inclosed, the expense of erecting the fence being defrayed partly by the county and partly by the citizens of Elkhorn. The time when the fence was built is in doubt-probably in 1853. It is certain that the authorities were exercised on the fence question as early as November. 1852. Prior to that time. it had been an open park, like a New England common. At that time the subject of inclosing the park

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HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

was presented to the County Board of Commissioners. and referred to a special committee, which reported as follows:

Your committee, to whom was referred tre fencing of the public square, make the following report:

First. That they have had the matter under consideration, and have had the estimate of a good me- chanic, and find that the lumber will cost $279.84, aside from some other materials that will be necessary, and, in consideration of the above, your committee have come to the conchision to recommend that this Board raise $250, in consideration that the citizens of Elkhorn will go on and construet a good and substantial post and rail fence (according to a diagram herewith submitted), as pledged by divers citizens of Elkhorn, which said pledge is herewith attached, and that the Clerk be authorized to draw orders for the same, it being under- stood that the citizens of Elkhorn are to paint said fence with two coats of mineral paint and oil.

(Signed), P. G. HARRINGTON, A. E. MERRICK, LE GRAND ROCKWELL, Members of said committee.

November 25. 1852, the work of building the fence was put into the hands of a citizens' committee, consisting of Hollis Latham, Edwin Hodges and Otis Preston, and, through the efforts of that committee, the fence was built and the park inclosed. The funds were furnished jointly, in accordance with the resolution above quoted, and remained till the spring of 1880. at which time it was removed by Mr. Jacob Ketchpaw, who purchased it of the county for the sum of $22.

The pavilion, which still stands, in the eastern part of the park, was built by private subscription. Squire Stanford was the builder. It first served as a speakers' stand and rally- ing-point for the old settlers' meeting. June 12, 1872. and has ever since been the point of rendezvous for the Fourth of July celebrations. old settlers' meetings, and other important out- of-door gatherings of the village and country.

The court was for some years held in buildings outside the park- first. in a frame build- ing. owned by Mr. Le Grand Rockwell, which served as court room, post office, grocery store, lawyer's office. and for all other uses that the wants of the public or the private necessities of the owner required.

The first court house, a wooden structure, two stories in height, with quite an imposing façade, supported by four pillars and surmounted by a cupola, was built for the county by Levi Lee, in 1841-42. It was occupied for court purposes for the first time in April, 1842. It was, at the ime of its completion. the second best court house in the State, and was an object of local pride to all residents of the county. In 1846, Sheldon Walling built for the county a one-story fire-proof building at a cost, when completed, of $534. It was erected on the site of the present fire-proof office building, and, with the court house above mentioned, continued to adorn the park till it was torn down and the old court house moved to its present site, to make room for the present county buildings. Mr. Lee received his pay for the court house in land deeded to him by the county, which embraced a large part of the present site of the vil- lage. Further mention of Mr. Lee appears in the biographical part of this work. The old court house, still standing on the south side of Walworth street, was bought, and is still owned, by Mr. Edward Elderkin. It is one of the few old structures remaining to remind of the early days.

The present fire-proof county building. now occupied by the Register of Deeds, the County Judge, and containing all the probate and abstract records of the county, was erected during the summer of 1866. The builders were Squire Stanford. A. Stevens and George Dewing. The cost of the building was $4.265. It is a plain brick structure, well adapted to the uses for which it was designed.

The court house was completed and the final accounts rendered by the building committee, consisting of N. M. Littlejohn, Alex. Frazer and E. B. Dewing, at the annual session of the Board of Supervisors, in November, 1875. The entire work was done by Squire Stanford, the original contract being made for completing the building for the sum of $19,249. Additional work inereased the cost of the building to $21.287. The furniture, fixtures and incidental cost amounted to $2.467, making the entire cost of the new structure $23.755. It is two stories in height. built of brick. on a raised basement of stone. A cupola rises above the roof, surmounted by a statue of Justice. Its style of architecture is not ornate, but impresses with an idea of solidity and utility. It is one of the finest court buildings in the State. It has two entrances.

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in the center, from the north and south. The first floor is fitted up for county offices for the Sheriff, Superintendent of the Poor. County Clerk, County Treasurer, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and session room for meetings of the County Board. The second floor is devoted to court purposes. and contains a commodious court room, jury room and Judges' apartment. It is a permanent structure, built to endure the ravages of time for many generations yet to come.

THE JAILS.

The jails. as publie buildings, although always standing outside the park. deserve mention. more especially the old log jail. long ago gone, which was the first building erected by the county. It was built in 1840, by W. B. Johnson, in accordance with the plans and specifica- tions furnished by Mr. A. K. Allen. The specifications were as follows:

Description of the building of the jail for Walworth County-14x20 feet, 7 feet between floors. Of oak timber 10 inches in thickness-square; floors of the same, to be grooved into the side logs, 5 inches deep and 4 inches wide; a partition across the house of the same description of timber, to be dove-tailed into the side logs. Two doors, the one in the partition, the other in the side, to be made of oak plank 14 inches in thick- ness-double, the plank on one side crossing those on the other at right angles, and nailed with 20-penny nails, in rows an inch apart each way, perpendicularly and horizontally. The doors to be hung with strap hinges, 2x3 inches at one end, and 1x2 inch at the other, of a regular taper, and to extend across the door, with the exception of being split at the butt end, in such a manner as to straddle the shank of the hook; the looks to be proportionably stout, with pins to go through both branches of the straps. The logs of the body of the house and of the partition to be spiked together at the corners and at each side of the doors-(the corners formed by the ends of the partition with the sides of the house excepted) in the following manner: The logs at the corners to be lapped together across each other-let into each other in such a manner as to fit down tight upon the logs under them, and spiked with & inch spikes, where the logs lap at the corners, by boring through the upper log and driving the spike 5 inches into the log under it without boring. A plate to be put above the upper floor and spiked down in the manner of the other logs. Two windows in the one room, 8x10 inches, with a bar of iron across each way at right angles, two in the other. large enough for four lights of 7x9 glass, the logs to be spiked at the sides of them as at the corners of the house, and the larger two to be grated with inch iron bars, three each way to each window, and the whole to be covered with a good shingle roof. The cracks between the logs to be pointed with good lime and sand mortar, upon the ontside. The gable end to be studded and sided.

The above job to be let to the lowest bidder, and the Commissioners reserve one bid. The whole to be completed by the Ist of April, 1840, and to acceptance of the Commissioners of said County of Walworth.

The person taking the job can have the privilege of getting timber on the county qr. for the purpose of building said jail.

Terms of payment-county orders when the job is finished.

If the Commissioners do not accept of the building when the contractor supposes it to be finished, it is to be decided by three disinterested persons chosen by the parties. There is a diamond to be made in the door in the partition ? inches square. The person taking the job to give bonds in the sum of $500, condition for the faithful performance of the contract.

The fastenings of the doors to be put on agreeable to the directions of the Commissioners, and will be paid for by said Commissioners separate from the other part of the building.

The jail was conscientiously built in accordance with these specifications. and served the purposes of impending justice for many years. It kept few people in who desired to get out. and was finally condemned by the Grand Jury as untit for the purposes for which it was in- tended. Among the tenants best remembered was William Brown, a young German boy, who came into its hospitable boundaries after it had fallen into a somewhat dilapidated state. He was arrested for horse-stealing, but, having but a moderate command of the most broken En- glish, and showing none of the characteristics of the hardened thief. he rather won the affection of all who saw him, and there seemed to be no very energetic move made for his indictment. He was held in durance vile till two Grand Juries had failed to find a bill against him, when. under constitutional limitations. he was set free. The Ienity of the citizens to the unfortunate and friendless boy did not. in this instance, prove misplaced. He became a respected citizen. and was never after suspected even of criminal intent. During his nominal incarceration, his home was in the old log jail. Otis Preston was at that time Sheriff. and shared the general sentiment of the people toward his prisoner. He allowed him the " freedom of the yard, " which took in all Elkhorn at that time. He spent pleasant days in clearing up the park. Rainy days and evenings he stayed at home in the jail and played " seven up," and other innocent games. with such of his acquaintances as might drop in: Mr. Preston noticed that his company occa- sionally kept late hours, and brought him up at one time with a round turn by telling him that the " jail hours " closed at 9 P. M., and that if. thereafter. the light was not out and his visitors

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History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 72

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