USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth county, Wisconsin, Volume I > Part 38
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The mill was built about a half mile northeastward, along the road to Fast Troy. James Hall bought it in 1853. Charles .\. Gale and Peter B.
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WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
Stewart in 1854. and Edward Wright in 1858. For the next eleven years at the least, Troy flour was as good as the best. John A. Pierce, of Millard. bought the mill in 1869 and after a few more years it was left to decay and fall.
The church was Congregational and was organized August 17. 1839, by Rev. Lemuel Hall, of Geneva, whose pastorate then reached, in effect, from the state line to the northern county line. This society built its church in 1848. Twelve years later it became and is yet a school house. In its rear is the little cemetery where Major Meacham, his wife and one of her sons were buried. (Next to the church eastward is the Major's later built house, where William Pitt Meacham, the first-born of Troy, died November 3. 1911. He was the son of Urban D. Meacham and Prudence Geddes, and was born September 27. 1836.) After Mr. Hall the Congregational pastors were Mr. Ordway. David A. Sherman, Solomon Chaffee. Cyrus E. Rosekrans. Ros- well Robinson Snow. Milton Wells, James Hall, Avelyn Sedgwick.
Major Meacham carried mail unofficially to and from Milwaukee until 1838 when a postoffice was established and himself commissioned lawfully. He held this post for many years, undisturbed by the ins and outs of Presi- dents. After him the office was generally at one of the stores. His most noteworthy successor. perhaps, was George H. Streng, about 1894. who, a short time before. had killed a burglar-though of that the appointing power was not informed.
TROY CENTER.
Troy Center, in sections 14. 15, was a creation of the railway company which in 1871 needed a station there. at a meeting of highways. In that year Charles D. Haven and Daniel A. Olin, for the company. bought of James Gardiner Briggs 359.37 acres. In the same year these three men joined in a deed "to the public" of land included in a village plat. A postoffice was established. a hotel, stores, warehouse, blacksmith shop were built and thirty or more comfortable homes made there. Charles Wyman built the first house. John A. Schwartz built the first store, George Dewitt built the hotel, and William H. Dewitt built the warehouse, afterward owned and occupied by Nathaniel M. Bunker and Lindsey J. Smith, and now by John A. and Albert A. Schwartz. As early as 1837 George W. Blanchard, Albon M. Perry and Soldan Powers formed a little group of settlers about a half mile north of the station, but from this no village resulted.
The postmasters have been Charles D. Baldwin. Frank S. Lumb. J. Kern
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WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
Douglas, James B. Wales. The office has two rural routes which supply nearly the whole township, with parts of East Troy and Lagrange.
The Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Troy and East Troy was incorporated in July, 1875, for business in these towns with Lafayette and Spring Prairie. Its policies in force at the end of 1910 were 440, amount- ing to $1,273.598. Losses paid since 1875 amount to $27,805. Its present officers are Alexander Fraser, of Iloney Creek, president; Paul Schwartz, of East Troy, secretary.
The station has been an important distributing point for lumber and coal and shipping point for grain, wool and dairy products. Nearly one mile north a side-track leads to a Chicago company's ice-houses, from which about one thousand five hundred carloads are shipped yearly. Lulu lake, from which this natural product is taken, is small, but deep and clear, and affords as pure ice as the sanitary authorities may require.
Jesse Halstead and Samuel Pillsbury were sent as early as 1837 to plant the Methodist Episcopal church in Honey creek valley. It is not told precisely how and where the members met until 1848, when the Congregational church at Troy was opened to them. No doubt, too, they made the school houses serve their need. For several years the members seem to have distributed themselves among the churches of neighboring towns. In 1894 came a re- newal of active interest and Mr. Briggs gave the society a lot at Troy Center and a comfortable church was built on it. Its pastors have been D. B. Coffeen : Thomas Potter, 1895: John Albert Collinge, 1896: John C. McClain, 1902: Ambrose C. Jett. 1905: Samuel Lugg. 1907; Horatio S. Martin, 1908: Harris F. Drew, 1909: George W. Lester, 1910.
MAYHEW.
Mayhew, in section 33, less than four miles from Troy Centre, began in 1871 with John Matheson's warehouse, store, lumber sheds and blacksmith shop, and was at once made a station and a postoffice, the latter now discon- tinned. Mr. Matheson was one of the most energetic business men in his quarter of the county, and he saw no reason why the grain and lumber trade might not be made profitable to himself and locally convenient. He passed thence to East Troy and finally to Elkhorn. Wherever he went he drew to himself active and profitable trade. Excepting the station, which was named from Jesse Mayhew, on whose land it was built. the buildings, all of which were Matheson's, are unoccupied.
433
WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
LITTLE PRAIRIE.
Little Prairie, in section 6, is known as the early home of Adam E. Ray, the Harlow, Olds, and a few other old families, once numerous there and hard by. Mr. Ray gave or sold a fine field for a cemetery, now well peopled and well cared for, in 1850; a lot for the Methodist church in 1858; and one for the Bible Christians in 1861. Dexter B. Olds gave a deed to the Seventh- day Adventist society in 1867. The membership of these bodies was partly of Lagrange, and of the country about Eagle and Palinyra. Only the Meth- odist church is now left, and for ministerial purposes is joined to the pastorate at Palmyra.
ADAMS.
Adams, at the quarter line of sections 18 and 19, was for a few years named in the postal guide, and a little burial ground is one mark of its site. It was not a village but a neighborhood. The families of Brophy, Chatfield, Coombe, Kling, Lackey, Nourse and Terwilliger were among those grouped within range of its postoffice delivery.
Bemis Foster bought an interest in the water power in section 31, in 1854. This is the outflow of Mill lake, of the Lauderdale group. Here he ground grists until 1865 when he sold to William Patterson, who at once conveyed the mill to William B. Lean, whose flour had a wide demand.
There are six school districts wholly within the township limits, besides a joint district with Eagle and one with Lagrange. The schools, as in other towns, are feeders for the high schools of neighboring villages and cities.
CHAIRMEN AND MEMBERS OF COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
Jesse Meacham 1843-4
Elias Hibbard I845-6
Adam E. Ray 1847, '49, '56-7
Edward A. Hubbard 1866-8 Rockwell G. Northrop 1848
Timothy Mower, Jr 1850
Soldan Powers 1851
William Henry Mayhew.
-1870, '79
Garrett Winne 1852-3
Selah Smith Porter __ 1854, '60-1, '65
Albon Mann Perry 1855
Daniel Hooper 1858
Morris Taylor 1859
Edward L. Dean 1862
Nathaniel Mcad Bunker 1863-4
Lindsey Joseph Smith 1869, '71-2
James E. Reynolds _1873-5, '81-2,
'84, '86, '98-9, 1904
John Matheson 1876-8
James Gardiner Briggs.
1880, '83
(28)
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WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
John A. Schwartz_1885, '87-91. 1903 Francis Leroy Andrus 1896-7 John Madden, Jr .___ 1892-3, 1900-2
Frank A. Bennett 1894
John Chapman 1895
Albert A. Schwartz 1905-7
Henry E. Thayer 1908-12
ASSOCIATE SUPERVISORS.
Charles B. Ackley 1867-8
Francis Leroy Andrus
1895
Emery T. Atkins __ 1880-1, '90-1, '95
William T. Atkinson 1894, '97
john Baker
1874
Chester C. Beach
1851-2. 54. 59
Franklin Bigelow
1843
Matthew P. Bishop I 863
John Bluett
1878, '82
Richard Bogie
1911-12
Sampson Bottrell
1
1882
Robert Branford
1 889
Robert W. Branford
1905
Hiram Brewster
1853
James Gardiner Briggs
1852, '65
Alexander Francis Bunker 1845
Thomas M. Burns
1884, '86
John Chapman __
1875. '90-1. 94. 99
Lyman Clemons
1862
Daniel F. Coombe 1903
Henry Coombe
896-7
Levi Coombe 1888 1 1
Chapman Crafts 1849 I I 1 I 1 1
Edward L. Dean 1861 I
Oscar Dingman 1877 1 1 1
William Donaldson 1884-5 1
Thomas Emerson 1855
Earl Garbutt 1908-9
Salmon C. Harmon
1850, '58, '66
Edward Hart, Jr 1888-9
Elias Hibbard 1848. '51
George Hibbard 1854. '64
Richard M. Hibbard
1874
Jonathan Holmes
1907
Daniel Hooper
1871
Daniel H. Hooper
1 898
Edward A. Hubbard
-1859
Charles Huth
1901-2.
04, '06-7. 10-II
William P. Johnston
1861-2
Frederick Kniert
1912
James Buchanan Lagrange __ 1869-72
Benjamin H. Lumb
1886
Philip C. Maier
1905-6, '08-10
James Malcomson
1892-3
Orrin H. Marshall
1 896
John Matheson
1875
William Henry Mayhew
1869
Frank Minett
1876
Harrison W. Montague
1883
Timothy Mower, Jr.
1846-7
Samuel Murdock
I865
Hiram E. Nourse
1867
James H. Olds
1900-I
Frederick Owen
1873. 76-7
James L. Owen _.
1895, '97, 1902-4
Alban Mann Perry
I843-4
Henry C. Porter
1849
Selah Smith . Porter
1844-6
Austin Randall
1870-1
Nathan J. Randolph
1887
Horace L. Rice
1879
John A. Schwartz
1872
435
WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
Sylvester Gardner Smith 1857.
60. '63
Sylvanus Spoor I850
John Swift 1853. '56
Joseph Swoboda
1892-3, '98-1900
Hiram A. Taylor 1858
George Terwilliger
1878
Hollister B. Thayer 1855-7
Daniel Vandenburg 1866
William Vandenburg 1864
'68-70, '79-81, '83
Mark Watson IS47-8
George H. Willis 1860
Oscar L. Winne 1873
TOWN CLERKS.
Alonzo Dougherty 1843-4
Soldan Powers I845-6, '50,
54-8, '62-5, '70. '76
Paul Schwartz
1871-3
John Adams Perry
1847-8. '52
Israel S. Dean 1849
William Augustus Dean
1 882-4
Henry C. Porter
1851
Leonard E. Rice
1887-95
Daniel Hooper
1853
Albert A. Schwartz
1 896-7
James Gardiner Briggs_
1859-'61
Richard Holmes
190I
Emery T. Atkins
1905-7
TOWN TREASURERS.
Elias Hibbard 1843-4
Augustus Smith 1845-7, 49
Isaiah W. Hibbard 1848
John Hooper
1879
Adam E. Ray
1850
Frederick Owen
1880, '91
Albon Mann Perry_1851-2, '54, '64-5
Jacob Rensselaer Kling
1853
Donald Stewart 1855
John Wesley Babcock
1888
Henry Gaskell
1889-90
Thomas J. Coulter __ 1892-3, '98-1900
Edgar Watrous
1894-5
William Webster
1896-7
Frank E. Beachtel
1901-3
Henry E. Thaver 1904-5 1 1
Clayton N. Babcock
1906-7
Nathaniel Mead Bunker 1869
Oscar F. Winnc 1871
William Henry Morrison
1872
Charles A. Dingman
1873. '82
Harvey L. Randolph
1874, '84-7
Thomas Donahue
188I
George W. Brewster
1883
Selalı Smith Porter
1856. '62
Andrew B. Dibble 1857
Richard M. Hibbard
1858-60
Charles D. Baldwin __ 1861, '63. '77-8
William Augustus Dean.
1866-70
Andrew J. Bliss 1867
John W. Medbery 1868
Romeo Dingman
1908-9
Charles J. Huth
1910-II
Benjamin Coulter
-1912
98-1900, '02-4, '08-12
Percy B. Stratton 1879-81
Lindsey J. Smith_1866-8, '74-5. '85-6
Francis L. Andrus
1869. 77-8
Charles Bird Babcock
875-6
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WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Charles B. Ackley. 1864-5
Daniel Hooper 1861-8
Arthur D. Andrews. 1872-3
Thomas Kenyon 1867-8
Francis Leroy Andrews 1877-8
Frederick Kuhl 1909-10
Fernando C. Leroy 1870
Charles A. Loomis 1894
Ozro G. W. Bingham 1866-9
William Pitt Meacham 1879-80
Matthew P. Bishop- I862
Hiram Medbery
1859-60
Perez H. Merrick -1856-7
WVard Smith Bunker
1888-9
James L. Owen 1 889-90
Levillo M. Pond 1882
Soldan Powers 1860-5,
70-1, '75-6, '79-85
Horace L. Rice 1873-4
Anson Olin Richmond __ 1868-9, '94-5
Charles F. Rohda 1905-II
James B. Wales
1909-12
Samuel Watson
I 869-76
Caleb Douglas Webster
I866-7
Richard M. Hibbard
1885
George B. Worth
1893-4
Emery T. Atkins __ 1887-90, '94-1904
Milton Bigelow 1860-I
Nathaniel Mead Bunker
1859-60
John Cameron
1897-8
George Chatfield 1893
William Copeland
1883-4
William Augustus Dean 1892
William Dewitt
1875-6
William T. Donaldson 1879
Philo P. Farnum
1876-7, '81-2.
94-6, 1900-7
Edward Hart 1886
CHAPTER XXXVII.
TOWN OF WALWORTH.
Township I north, range 16 east, was a part of the town of Delavan until February 28, 1839, when it was set off and named for the county. It then for four years included Sharon. Next southward are the towns of Alden and Chemung, in Illinois. The ground is generally high, much like that of Sharon. At the observatory it is one thousand fifty feet above sea- level, and nearly as high for a considerable area about that institution. At the railway station, village of Walworth, the height is one thousand four feet. The lowest point is a short and narrow area at the end of Geneva lake, from which the ground rises almost precipitously in three directions to the normal height of the town. Big Foot prairie, in the southwestern quarter of the town, and spreading beyond the state line, was early known as one of the largest and richest of the county. The northwestern corner of the town is slightly uneven and was once moderately timbered, as is the land in sections 35, 36 and most of the high margin of Geneva lake.
The streams are few and small. There is, or was, a small lake of very irregular outline in sections 25 and 26. Geneva lake covers nearly the whole of section 12. about three-eighths of section 13, and cuts a "huge half-moon. a monstrous cantle" out of sections 11 and 14. When the ancient lake broke through its lower barrier it was so far lowered as to lay bare the irregularly outlined, quickly and unevenly sloping Fontana valley in sections 14 and 15. through the deeper grooves of which a little mill-stream winds its short course to the small and now shrinking but not useless marsh at its mouth, and at the edge of the lake.
Including the village of Walworth (469 acres). the land area of the town is 21,360 acres. Average value for town, $124; for village, $326.22. Total value of town land, $2.590.700; of village land, $153,000. Crop acreages : barley, 1.638; corn. 3.854: hay, 3,226; oats, 1,539: orchard, 55: potatoes, 210; timber, 912: wheat. 19. Numbers and values of live stock: 3.535 cattle. $97,000 ; 1.100 hogs. $11.300; 869 horses. $65.800; 579 sheep. $2.300.
Inhabitants of the town, as numbered by federal census: 1850, 987: 1860. 1.403 : 1870. 2,291 ; 1880, 1,278; 1890, 1.372 ; 1900, 2.003 : 1910, 1,698. Walworth village in 1910 had 755 inhabitants.
438
WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
James Van Slyke came with his family from the mill-section at Geneva late in 1836 and was Big Foot's nearest neighbor, who, thanks to Mrs. Van Slyke's tact and kindness, was friendly and probably in some ways helpful. The high ground on three sides of Fontana valley no doubt made the hard winter of 1836-7 more endurable than at most of the new settlements.
As Cyrus Church remembered and noted, the settlers of 1837 were Amos Bailey, section 11; William Bell, 16; Cyrus Church, 21; Jonathan C. Church, 10; Carlos L. Douglass, 26, 27: Thomas Godfrey, 20; James A. Maxwell. 27: Matthias Mohr, 14: Doric C. Porter, 24; John Reader, IS; William Rumsey, 30: Marcus and Robert Russell, 15: Jacob Gregg Sanders, 21 : Israel W. Starr, 13; Jonathan Ward, 13. Between 1837 and 1840 Joseph Bailey came to sections 31, 36; Cholister Bartholomew, 14: Mills Church, 28; Dr. Henry Clark, 23: Newell Crooks, 15; John Cummings, 13; David Davids, 27; Jonathan Fish, 33: Sylvester Hawver. -: Rev. Phipps W. Lake, 34: William Reed, 14; Lucins Smith, 28; Dr. Lewis N. Wood, 23.
Patents of land are recorded from the United States to Samuel Mills Bailey, in section 1; Harvey Birchard, 5, 8; James and John Boorman, 18; Aloysius Brown, 30; Charles Brown, I, II; George Brown, Jr., 3; Joseph Burdick, 23; James Carney, 6; William M. Clarke, 25; Michael Clinton, I : Harlow Merrill Coon, 25: Joseph T. Crumb, 26; Curtis Hector and Elihu G. Eaton, 2: Peter and William Featherstone, 7, 8; Henry Ferow, 5, 9: John Sewell Folds, I; Andrew Gilbert, 24; Elisha Wells Hadley, I : Moses Payson Hadley, 12; Samuel IIale, I : Charles Hone, 5; Amos D. Johns, 3, 4: John Keith, 8; Edmund and John Kitely, 15: George H. Lown, 4, 5 : Chilion Buck- lin Matteson, 9: Dr. Philip Maxwell, 15, 26, 27; John Meginnis, 6; Truman Pierce, 1; Robert L. Rodman, 30; Sterling Pomeroy Searle, 18: Peter Siperly, 5: George Smith, 11, 21, 29; James Edward Smith, 25: William HI. Stevens, 15 : Catharine Stewart, 30; William Thomas and Jacob Vander- veer, 6; Samuel H. Van Schaick, 7: Joseph D. Whiteley, 35. 36: Sylvanus Wilcox. 18: Austin Williams, 3: Israel Williams, 1, 24: Moses Daniel Williams, 28: Daniel L. and Robert J. Wood, 23: Albert Worcester, 9: John 1 .. Wyckoff, 4: Seffrenes Young, 9.
Samuel Mills Bailey, born in 1825, was son of Enoch, whose American ancestors, reckoned from himself backward in time, were Charles, Stephen, James, John, James, of Massachusetts in 1640.
John Boorman ( 1805-1864). had wife Mary ( 1809-1893).
Charles Brown ( 1798-1876) married Nancy Van Dresser.
Mills Church married Mary Daniels, October 24. 1844. William M. Clarke married Fanny Maxon July 2. 1845.
439
WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
Harlow M. Coon ( 1819-1899) married Harriet E. Crumb ( 1823-1884).
Newell Crooks married, October 25, 1840, Phoebe Angeline, daughter of Christopher and Phoebe Douglass.
Joseph T. Crumb ( 1799-1872) had wife Harriet M. ( 1816-1882).
Thomas Featherstone ( 1816-1863) married Catharine Pramer, Novem- ber 3, 1844.
Henry Ferow ( died 1869) married Leah Simmons ( 1807-1886).
Thomas Godfrey (1809-1878) married Mrs. Elizabeth (West) Ifigh- land, who died in 1881, and he built the first house on Big Foot Prairie, in 1837.
Sylvester Hawver married, March 27, 1842, Agnes Noailles, daughter of Christopher Douglass.
Amos Dike Johns ( 1812-1884) had wife Beulah ( 1806-1877).
John Keith ( 1792-1864) and wife Margaret ( 1792-1864) were but three days separated by death.
Edmund Kiteley ( 1822-1909) lived in Sharon ; his wife, Mary M. Salis- bury, died in 1901.
Matthias Mohr went to Kansas and died there in 1887.
Truman Pierce (1787-1866) and Mary ( 1755-1852), his mother, were buried at East Delavan.
Robert L. Rodman ( 1806-1895) married Rebecca Harsel ( 1810-1882).
Marcus C. Russell married, November 10, 1844, Rebecca ( 1825-1910), daughter of Robert A. Potter and Sarah Pine, a niece of the bishops Alonzo and Horatio Potter.
Sterling Pomeroy Searle (1807-1885) in 1860 had wife Ellen and five children.
Lucius W. Smith married Mary Maria Mason, October 26, 1843.
Robert John Wood married Lucy Miranda Jones, April 17. 1844, at Col. Maxwell's house.
Dr. Albert Worcester (born 1811) was son of Parker ( 1782-1864) and Abigail ( 1785-1863).
John Lefferts Wyckoff (1808-1892) was son of Rev. H. V. Wyckoff, of Montgomery county. New York. He married. first, Hannah Pettit ( died 1848) : second, Anna T. Smith. He came to Walworth in 1841.
Seffrenes Young ( 1810-1888) and wife Eliza ( 1819-1885) were buried at Walworth. His name seems an odd form of "Sophronius."
The road from Southport ( Kenosha) to Beloit and that from the foot of Geneva lake, as well as the several trails and roads from southward, soon brought settlers to a township whose smiling face masked no deceit. Bailey,
440
WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
Bell, Church, Douglass, Lake, the Maxwells, Reader and others of their time were men who chose their new homes with sound judgment and prospered by their choice. Local trading points for a time at Bell's Corners, at the quarter- line of sections 16 and 17. and at Douglass Corners at the quarter-line of sections 21 and 22-the two places separated by the diagonal-length of a square mile. At the state line, on the road from Douglass Corners to Har- vard, a hamlet named Bigfoot, with postoffice, began its existence early, but it has not yet become a village, though it has the area of two states for its expansion.
A postoffice was established at Bell's Corners in 1839 and William Bell was postmaster until 1853. when he was followed by Lafayette Chesley. In 1861 William B. Maxson transferred the office to Douglass Corners, which had been named Walworth, Amos H. Hitchcock, a soldier of the Tenth Infantry, was appointed in 1869. Elisha B. Coon in 1885. Mahlon Colburn about 1889. Mr. Coon again in 1893, Delos Burdick about 1897. Nathan Dwight Maxson, 1898-1912.
Earlier residents of the town and of the East Delavan neighborhood had definite religious and moral convictions. Of these godly folks an unusually large proportion were of the Seventh-day Baptist persuasion, and among them were inen of strong character, sufficient means, and practical ability for the conduct of their own and public affairs, and their influence on the town polity was felt throughout their active lives. These men in a manner gave to their community, as seen from without, a somewhat distinctive quality. aspect. or atmosphere. As there were also strong and able men of other religious belief and of no religion, there were enough differences of habit, prejudice, judg- ment. and interest to keep Walworthian life from stagnation.
Meetings were held in 1845. at which a society of Seventh-day Baptists was permanently formed. At or near the same time a district school house was about to be built-that which was long known and is yet remembered as the "cobblestone school house." Several members of the new society sub- scribed to the district building fund, but with a proviso that the house should be so enlarged as to permit its temporary use as a chapel. Among the founders of the society are named Nathan L. Bassett. Hannah M. Coon. Har- riet E. Coon, William Davids, Charles N. Dowse. Deacon Alfred Maxson. and John B. Maxson. A considerable number of this congregation became stockholders in the Big Foot Academy, which was built in 1856-7, and in 1860 the society bought this building and held it for its double use as school and as church until 1874. In 1873-4 a substantial church was built at the village at cost of seven thousand dollars, and dedicated in March. 1874.
.
441
WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
Elder Stillman Coon held protracted meetings in 1846, and with Daniel Babcock afterward supplied pastoral ministration. Rev. Phipps W. Lake, of the greater branch of the Baptist church, also contributed his services to these meetings. In March, 1847, Elder Coon came as resident pastor. For two years from 1849 Elder Lake and Thomas Maxson supplied pulpit service. Thereafter were Oliver P. Hull, 1851-9; Varnum Hull and William M. Jones, six months each. Within the next four years, Charles Lewis, 1863; James Bailey, 1865 and 1869; Solomon Carpenter, 1866; Lebbeus M. Cottrell, 1867; Deacon William B. Maxson, 1869 (two months) ; Leander Elliott Livermore. 1871-4: Oscar U. Whitford, Alexander McLearn; Simeon H. Babcock, 1887; S. Lafayette Maxson. 1887 ; Mazzini G. Stillman; Andrew P. Ashurst to 1912. It is told that forty persons were converted during the Lewis pastorate. The church has now about one hundred members. Its relations with other churches have been harmonious. In 1856 this society made anti-slavery an article of its faith.
Baptists of the larger branch of the denomination formed a society about 1856 and built a church in section 18, one and one-quarter miles westward from Bell's Corners. This is locally known as the "brick church." It was well built and is pleasantly situated. It has always been strong in numbers and in spirit. Its pastors have been : Thomas Bright, 1857; Albert R. Bald- win. 1858: Alexander Hamilton, 1861; Edward L. Harris, 1868; James J. Mcintyre. 1869: Ferdinand D. Stone, 1871; Spencer G. Adams, 1874; Enoch Pickering, 1882; Levi Parmly, 1886; B. F. Hutchinson. 1888: Alfred Row- land. 1889: S. C. Enos (unordained). 1891: J. J. Schuler. 1893; John Y. Montague, 1894: Joseph J. Jenkins, 1895; Henry Tibbets, 1904; W. T. Mc- Gann, 1906; D. W. Porterfield, 1908; Harvey H. Mullan. 1910. This pastoral service from 1857 to 1912 has been, as is understood. without noticeable in- termissions.
The Congregational society organized and built its church in 1892 at the village. Its pastor list is: Moulton N. Clark. 1892: John Wesley Jordan, 1901 : Alexander Charles Warner, 1906; William E. Davidson, 1910. This pulpit also supplies Fontana and Williams Bay.
Immanuel Evangelical Society was formed in 1883 and built its church at the village in 1891. Its pastors have been: Jacob Schneller. 1883; F. Krueger, 1886: John Schneller, 1889: H. Ninneman. 1890; Samuel J. Erff- meyer, 1893 ; J. C. Hoffman, 1897 ; C. F. Rabehl, 1898; Herman J. Prochnow, 1901 : F. A. Mundt, 1904; George F. Hack, 1906; Johann Carl Etzelmueller, 1910. This church has more than sixty members. Its trustees are Johann Utesch, who is clerk: Carl Schwabe. Ludwig Schacht. It is not a Lutheran church.
442
WALWORTH COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
In the winter of 1838-9 Mrs. Moses D. Williams taught a private school. The county commissioners appointed, in January. 1840, as school inspectors for Walworth, William Bell. Rev. Phipps W. Lake, James A. Maxwell, Will- iam Rumsey, H. Smith Young. A meeting was held at Mr. Maxwell's house in that year, with Mr. Lake as moderator and James M. Clark as clerk, and here Big Foot school district number one was organized. A framed house was bought and moved with ox teams to a point near the house of Christopher Douglass, on the road from Chicago to Madison. John M. Lewis taught a three-months' winter term for eighty dollars. Hannah M. Clark taught through the summer terni for eighteen dollars. The house was burned in 1842, and the district bought another frame house, moved it a half-mile by ox-power to a lot within the village plat, and fitted it for school, town hall, and other public purposes. About 1854 the district voted three hundred dol- lars ( the highest sum then allowed by law) for a new house. This sum served to enclose the building, and Howell W. Randolph, Eli Davis and Cyrus Church, who were then trustees, advanced the cost of plastering, seating. painting, and furnishing. The next July school meeting voted a sun of money large enough to meet these expenses. Dr. Henry Clark's land in sec- tion 23. at the crossing of section lines, two miles east of the village and a half-mile southward, was the site of the "cobblestone school house" built in 1845. District No. 6 (jointly with Linn) has a modern school house there.
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