USA > Wisconsin > Waupaca County > History of Waupaca county, Wisconsin > Part 8
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The first settlement was made in 1857, by O. A. Quimby.
The first marriage was L. Devaud and Phœbe A. Quimby, in 1859. The ceremony was performed by Isaac Ames, Justice of the Peace.
The first death was in 1871-that of Mrs. Ramsdell, aged about thirty-four years.
The first child born in town was F. M. Devaud, November, 1859.
The first school was taught in 1859, by R. Quimby.
The first school house was a log one, 12 x 14 feet, built in 1859.
The first sermon was preached by Rev. Silas Miller, in 1859.
The first saw mill was built in 1856, by J. W. Perry.
The first postoffice was established in 1863, with A. J. Quimby for postmaster.
The first mail route was established in 1862, from Shawano to Waupaca. L. Panco was carrier.
The first survey was made by A. V. Balch in the Winter of 1852-53.
The town was organized in 1864. The first town meeting was held April 1, 1864, at the school house in School District No. 1. The follow- ing town officers were elected: Chairman-M. Griffin; Supervisors-M. Farrell, O. A. Quimby ; Clerk-J. C. Quimby ; Justices of the Peace-O. A. Quimby, M. Griffin.
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
The first law suit was in 1864, before O. A. Quimby, Justice of the Peace. The case was P. Garry vs. McDonald.
The first store was started by G. W. Quimby, in 1866.
The first apple tree was planted in 1862, by O. A. Quimby, and in 1875 he raised the first apples.
Dupont is generally heavily timbered. There is much hard maple, beech, hemlock, and oak in this and othertowns in the northern and eastern parts of the County.
The land is rolling, but not very hilly
The soil is mostly a dark, tenacious loam or clay, producing excellent crops.
The Village of Marion, in this town, is one of the most prosperous villages in the County. It is situated in Section 2, on a good water power of the North Branch of the Pigeon River, and on the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad. Marion contains 4 general stores, 2 hardware stores, 1 harness shop, 1 drug store, 3 blacksmith shops, 2 shoe shops, 1 millinery store, 2 hotels, 1 grist mill, 1 saw mill, 1 cigar factory, 3 churches, 1 graded public school, 4 saloons, 1 tailor shop, 1 livery stable, 1 furniture store, and 1 machine shop.
Marion was for years known as " Perry's Mills." Its growth has been rapid since the building of the railroad.
Town officers for 1889: Chairman-H. Nohr;
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
Supervisors-Charles Potzen, John Frichs; Treas- urer-W. M. Hollen; Clerk-A. Derringer; As- sessor-W. H. Mckay; Justices of the Peace- A. Derringer, E. B. Russey.
CHAPTER XXI.
TOWN OF ST. LAWRENCE -FIRST SETTLEMENT IN 1852- OR- GANIZED IN 1855-ITS PART IN THE "COUNTY SEAT WAR" - A CORRESPONDENT'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT INDIAN SCARE OF 1862.
The Town of St. Lawrence comprises Township 23 north, Range 12 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Helvetia, on the east by Little Wolf, on the south by Waupaca, and on the west by Scandinavia.
The first settlement was made in 1852, by Erick Hermansen, G. Hermansen, and M. A. Oleson. In 1854 C. S. Ogden, S. Waite, H. Collier, and others, moved in.
The first birth was a child of Erick Hermansen, in 1854.
The first marriage was D. C. Barker and Emma Boyden, in 1857. The ceremony was performed by S. M. Collier, Justice of the Peace.
The first school was taught in Ogdensburg, by Mrs. Sarah Merry, in 1855. The first school house was built in 1855.
The first churches built were a Baptist and a Methodist, both in 1866. The first sermon was
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preached in 1854, by Rev. E. W. Green, at the resi- dence of Judge Ogden.
The first saw mill was built in 1854, by Judge Ogden. It was burned in 1859.
The first grist mill was built by Judge Ogden, in 1859. It was burned before it was finished, although it made some flour.
The first postoffice was established in 1856, at Ogdensburg, with N. Livermore for postmaster. The mail was carried at first from Waupaca, by C. S. Ogden. O. E. Druetzer carried it a few weeks.
The first survey was that of the Government, in 1851, by J. Evans. In 1854, G. W. Taggart sur- veyed the plat of the Village of Ogdensburg.
The town was organized in 1855. The first town meeting was held at the store of C. S. Ogden, April, 1855. The following officers were elected : Chairman-O. E. Druetzer; Clerk-C. S. Ogden ; Treasurer-S. M. Waite; Justices of the Peace- H. Collier, C. S. Ogden.
The first law suit was held before H. Collier, in 1855. The parties were C. S. Ogden vs. O. E. Druetzer.
Judge Ogden started the first store in 1854.
The first apple trees were planted by Judge Ogden and Charles Hoeffler in 1854. The first fruit was grown by S. M. Collier in 1860.
The following sketch was kindly furnished us by an old settler of the town, one of the leading citi- zens :
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
" The first election held in town (it then belonged to Scandinavia) was in Ogden's store at Ogdens- burg, in the Fall of 1854. More than forty votes were polled. Charley Hoeffler was clerk of election. Most of the voters were Norwegians who could not talk English. As they gave their names, Charley would write them as they were pro- nounced. The clerk being a German, you can imagine how the names read. No one could tell whether such persons lived in town or not.
"The County seat question was before the house, and we voted strong for the 'No.' We favored Weyauwega, and voted for her candidates. The representatives of Waupaca, who attended the election, were offended, raised a row, and were expelled from the room.
"The next year the people of Weyauwega thought they were strong enough without our help, so we voted for Waupaca. We turned over about every year, and whichever side we sup- ported usually won. We forced both places to re- spect us.
"The first County convention at which St. Law- rence was represented was held at the Chandler school house. Robert Meiklejohn and Charles Hoeffler represented all of the northern portion of the County. They held leading trumps, and con- trolled the nomination .* Consequently, O. E.
*The reader must not imagine that our correspondent is a card player. We are credibly informed that he does not know a king from
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
Druetzer was nominated for Register of Deeds, and R. K. Meiklejohn for Sheriff, which nominations were not satisfactory to the voters of the County, and not sustained by them.
"Ogdensburg was started with the expectation of getting the County seat there. So long as the fight between Waupaca and Weyauwega was kept up, we felt hopeful. We were compelled to help each place alternately, to keep them by the ears, each of those towns promising to go for us if it failed to get the prize for itself. Finally, Weyau- wega failed, and gave up the fight.
"During the County seat fight, New London ap- peared upon the battle-field. She worked under the leadership of Reeder Smith, in building a plank road through the center of the County. Smith se- lected James Meiklejohn and C. S. Ogden for his 'bowers,' and they worked with great zeal. Meiklejohn invested about $1,000 in that plank road. It proved too heavy a load, and was abandoned. It helped to settle the central part of the County more than anything else.
"After the County seat question was settled, and the plank road was given up, and during the first of the war, the Rebels, through their agents, near- ly depopulated this part of the County. The Indi- ans came in from the Northwest, about 300,000 of them, well armed, and equipped with all the ac-
a jack, and can not give the definition of "trump" without consult- ing a dictionary ! J. W.
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
coutrements of war. They camped on an island in a large cedar swamp near Ogdensburg, under the command of General Slasher, a brevet-brigadier under Jefferson Davis. The news spread rapidly. The citizens turned out en masse. The women and children took possession of the old red mill. The men, with muskets and rifles, scouted the neigh- borhood. While out on a reconnoitring expedi- tion, General Slasher fell in with three brave scouts, who, with Spartan heroism, surrounded and captured him (the General being unarmed!) The brave scouts marched the General into town, receiving the congratulations of their families and friends. They placed the General in a chamber of the Hoeffler House, barricaded the door, and set a strong guard, with swords, pistols, and a bottle of whisky. Then they adjourned until the next morning.
"When they met in the morning to dispose of the prisoner, some were in favor of hanging him, as a spy; some thought he should be shot, as a soldier; others, that he should be held as a pris- oner of war. Before they had finished their busi- ness, a scout came in and informed them that the guard had fallen asleep, and that the prisoner had taken the road for Waupaca at about a 2:40 gait .* " After his visit to Waupaca, the General tired of
*It must not be inferred that our correspondent is a sporting char- acter who understands the slang phrases of the turf! Some jockey has probably been posting him a little!
J. W.
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military service, and settled in Lanark, Portage County, where he still resides.
" After the escape of General Slasher, the alarm spread all over the State. Those who were able, left the County. Waupaca stationed armed men around the village to keep out the Indians. Ogdensburg sent out a scouting party. It found one Indian family, consisting of one old man, one woman, and three children, all badly frightened, who said there were no more Indians in the neigh- borhood. This, however, did not deceive the brave scouts, who were sure that there was a large In- dian army in the vicinity. Reports to that effect reached Waupaca and Rural, which places in turn sent out scouts. These last reported that, about a mile an a half from Ogdensburg, they found four Indian families, who were so badly frightened that they dared not venture out of their wigwams, for . fear of being shot. The people who had left the country soon returned.
"St. Lawrence formerly had the best conducted courts in the County. That was when S. M. Col- lier was Justice, D. A. Jones, Constable, and Joshua Goodale and C. S. Ogden, attorneys. Any case that they could not handle was not worth attention. The beauty of the thing was, they did not allow any outsiders to win a case!"
We would like to give the name of the writer of the foregoing, but have promised not to do so. We will say, however, that the Judge is well
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known, is a prominent man in our County, and must have been well posted in the matters of which he writes.
Other towns in the County were "scared," as well as Ogdensburg and Waupaca. We were at New London one night during the panic. The news came there that "rebel emissaries" had stir- red up the different Indian tribes, who had elevated the hatchet, and were within a few hours march of the doomed burg, thirsting for the blood of innocent women and defenceless children. All was bustle and confusion. During the night, trusty scouts were sent out. One of them returned towards morning with the startling intelligence that he had discovered an encampment of painted warriors, consisting of a few old men, women, children, dogs, and ponies-the two latter being decidedly in the majority.
But New London was spared. No chickens were startled on their roosts by the shrill whoops of the savage foe, and no "red nigger" amused him- self by pulling a white man's scalp on that event- ful night. Thus passed the great "Indian Scare," and the historian has performed his task in duly recording the important event.
VILLAGE OF OGDENSBURG.
The Village of Ogdensburg, in Section 22, was platted in 1854, by Judge Ogden. It contains several stores, a grist mill, a hotel, and the variety
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
of shops usually found in the smaller villages. The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad passes through the place.
Town officers for 1889: Chairman-K. B. Knut- sen ; Supervisors-John Moore, Samuel Petersen ; Treasurer-W. A. Mallory; Clerk-E. E. Russell; Assessor-William Pray; Justices of the Peace- Charles Nichols, P. H. Peterson, Edward Lyons ; Constables - O. C. Hermansen, H. J. Pitcher, Charles Eastman.
CHAPTER XXII.
TOWN OF LARRABEE-FIRST SETTLEMENT BY NORMAN CLIN- TON, IN MARCH, 1855 - THE CITY OF CLINTONVILLE - NOR- MAN C. CLINTON -CHET. BENNETT.
The Town of Larrabee comprises Township 25 north, of Range 14 east. It is bounded on the north by Shawano County, on the east by the Town of Matteson, on the south by Bear Creek, and on the west by Dupont.
The first settlement was made by Norman Clint- on, on Section 23, in March, 1855.
The first town meeting was held at the house of U. P. Clinton, April 2, 1861.
The first town officers were: Chairman-U. P. Clinton; Supervisors-H. P. Truesdale, G. Smith ; Clerk-L. W. Clinton; Treasurer-E. W. Bennett ; Justices of the Peace-John Sharp, J. Bird, J. Doty, D. Melton; Assessors-N. Clinton, L. W. Clinton, D. Melton.
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
The first law suit was in 1862, before E. W. Ben- nett, Justice of the Peace.
The first postoffice was established in the Spring of 1858. It was Clintonville, with U. P. Clinton for postmaster. The mail was carried once a week from Menasha to Shawano, through Clintonville. Edward Decker was carrier.
The first school was taught in Clintonville by Miss Jennie Marsh, now Mrs. Packard.
The first school house was built of logs, in 1857.
The first church (Catholic) was built in 1875.
The first sermon was preached in June, 1857, by Rev. Alfred Lathrop, at the funeral of Mrs. U. P. Clinton.
The first child born was George Victor Bennett, in 1857.
The first death was that of Mrs. U. P. Clinton, in June, 1857.
The first marriage was Martin Lyon and Ann Brix, in 1858. The ceremony was performed by U. P. Clinton, Justice of the Peace.
The first saw mill was built by Norman Clinton and U. P. Clinton, in 1857. It burned in August, 1861, but was rebuilt in 1867 by U. P. Clinton and Giles Doty. It is run by water power, on the Pigeon River.
The first grist mill was built in 1872, by U. P. Clinton and W. H. Stacy, at Clintonville.
The first store was started by U. P. Clinton, in 1858.
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
The first apple trees were planted by E. W. Ben- nett in the Spring of 1858, but the first fruit was grown by U. P. Clinton.
Charles Matteson built the first frame house and barn. July 7, 1855, he broke the first land, plant- ing it to potatoes.
John Sharpe polled the first vote.
Town officers for 1889: Chairman - Henry Steinback; Supervisors-W. L. Harris, Gustave Roloff; Treasurer-August Wiechow; Clerk-F. G. Schwenkie; Assessor-Anton Fisher; Justices of the Peace-Frederick Klemp, L. M. Vanorman.
CITY OF CLINTONVILLE.
Clintonville was organized as a village in 1879. Its first officers were: President-U. P. Clinton ; Trustees-Thomas Whitewell, H. Mellike, A. Buch- oltz, N. B. Carter, H. Buckbee, E. Brix, G. W. Sutherland; Clerk-T. L. Cannon; Treasurer- C. M. Hughanen; Marshal-D. A. McNeal; Con- stable-George Ratcliff; Police Justice-Alexander Stewart; Justice of the Peace-G. W. Jones.
The city was organized in 1887. The first city officers were: Mayor-John Finney; Clerk-E. L. Der Motte; Treasurer-T. F. Folkman; Attor- ney-F. M. Guernsey; Marshal-C. M. Fisher; Chief of Fire Department-W. H. Stacy; Justices of the Peace-D. Noble, C. T. Rogers; Assessor- G. W. Sutherland; Aldermen-G. W. Jones, O. G. Augustine, J. A. Hickock, B. Schemmer, E. M.
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Jones, A. Stewart, F. A. Sedgwick, L. Rohrer; Su- pervisors-W. H. Cook, M. Smith, Frank Quinn, F. M. Guernsey.
A SURPRISE.
In the Fall of 1881 the writer was in the little backwoods village of Clintonville. It was then a small, unpretentious burgh, giving no indications of much future smartness. In the Spring of 1890, he paid a second visit, and met with a surprise. In nine years it had become a pleasant city, with a population of nearly 2,000. It is full of live, ener- getic business men, who will make it a successful rival of its sister towns, if money and brains can do it.
Clintonville has 16 stores, 2 furniture shops, 6 millinery shops, 2 machine shops, 2 jewelers, 3 meat markets, 4 hotels, 3 livery barns, 2 grist mills, 2 saw mills, 5 blacksmith shops, 2 wagon shops, 3 newspapers (1 German), 4 lawyers, 4 doc- tors, 8 churches, 1 high school, 1 brick yard, 4 shoe shops, 1 cigar factory, 2 barber shops, 2 restau- rants, and 10 saloons.
The first house built in the city, a log cabin, was by the Clintons, in 1855. Some of its timbers are now under the sidewalk in front of the Tribune office.
U. P. Clinton kept the first hotel, in 1857.
The first paid preacher was Elder Peet, a Con- gregationalist, who came once a month from New London. Norman and U. P. Clinton paid his
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salary with the first lumber sawed in their mill, and he donated it to the Congregational church at New London.
The first Sunday school (Congregational) was organized in the Spring of 1858, with Oscar Bow- man for Superintendent. Mrs. U. P. Clinton tells us that it is still prospering.
Clintonville is at the junction of two lines of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad.
The city officers for 1890 were: Mayor-F. M. Guernsey; Clerk- L. H. Kuester; Treasurer -J. Bentz; Attorney-B. M. Goldberg; Marshal-W. C. Plopper; Chief of Fire Department-J. F. Meis- ner; Justices of the Peace-D. Noble, C. F. Schroe- der; Assessor-E. M. Jones; Aldermen- O. G. Augustine, J. Beasoncon, George Larson, M. Weatherwax, J. Raphingst, M. Alft, C. C. Spear- braker, John Olmstedt; Supervisors-R. Metzner, B. Schemmer, N. Etten, F. Quinn.
We do not believe that we can conclude our sketch of Clintonville more acceptably than by copying two chapters from that spicy sheet, The Dual-City Tribune, by Frank H. Brady, who has laid us under many obligations for kind attentions paid during our recent visit to his city. Mr. Brady is a grandson of Mr. Clinton, a sketch of whose life is here given :
NORMAN C. CLINTON.
The first settlement made at Clintonville was in the middle of March, 1855, by Norman and Lydia Clinton, of Menasha.
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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.
Norman C. Clinton was born in Ferrisburg, Vt., December 29, 1796. He was of Yankee origin, and sprung from the great family of Clintons, who are scattered all over the Eastern, and many of the Western states. He was more religiously inclined than many Clintonville residents of today, and from boyhood till death was a member of the Baptist church.
His religion was not of the funeral type, however. On the con- trary, he was of a very jovial disposition, and enjoyed a joke or ludicrous situation immensely. His honesty was unquestioned.
NORMAN C. CLINTON.
For many years he was a great sufferer from the disease known as 'gravel.' He took great quantities of medicine, and had a terri- ble operation performed upon himself by the famous Milwaukee surgeon, Wolcott; but his case was a hopeless one, and September 22, 1868, he passed away, leaving an enviable record.
Lydia Clinton was also born in Ferrisburg, Vt., in 1800, being of Quaker parentage. She was a woman of muscular form; and
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possessed of great endurance. Labor was a pleasure to her. She was greatly devoted to her husband and family. During the latter years of her life she was injured somewhat in a runaway accident, and that, together with the effects of years of very active life, told heavily upon her, and June 7, 1875, she breathed her last. Many of the early settlers will recognize her portrait printed herewith, and will call to memory acts of kindness performed by this Christ- ian woman in days when a friendly act was appreciated.
LYDIA CLINTON.
This worthy couple raised to maturity four children, three boys and a girl - Urial, Luman, Boardman, and Amanda.
They came West and finally located at Menasha, where they re- sided for several years. Mr. Clinton was a carpenter by trade, and engaged somewhat in saw-milling.
In 1855 Urial Clinton visited a lumber camp on the Embarrass River, and noticed in passing this point the chance for a water power, and also the magnificent bodies of timber, excellent soil,
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springs of water, etc., and upon his return to Menasha imparted his discoveries to his father. The land at that time belonged to the Government, and was easy to obtain, and the description so favorably struck the elder Clinton, who was desirous of acquiring more landed possessions and engaging in lumbering, that he and his youngest son, Boardman, made a pilgrimage to 'The Pigeon, as this locality was at that time designated. After a thorough cruise along the river, the Clintons were captivated, and returned home and consulted with the elder son, Urial, as to the feasibility of a removal here; but no definite conclusion was arrived at. However, The Pigeon, with its wealth of pine, was in the mind of the old gentleman by day, and filled his dreams with promises by night. During the absence of Urial, the father loaded a sleigh with a little lumber, household goods and provisions, and, in the vernacular of Young America, 'skipped,' accompanied by his faithful wife and a hired man, the latter to drive the team back to Menasha. The trip through the woods was made without ac- cident, and one Friday afternoon in the middle of March the party arrived at its destination. There being no habitation here, they went on to Matthew Matteson's, between the Pigeon and Em- barrass rivers, and stayed there until Monday, when they returned to the site of Clintonville, and constructed a house - such a house as ye Clintonvillians who barely manage to exist in substantial buildings with double doors and windows, warmed with coal fires, will shiver to think of. This first residence was made of very little lumber and a great deal of hemlock brush, and traditions vary as to whether it contained a window or not. The door was a blanket. It was located near the Alexander Bucholtz residence. The spring that bubbles up in the rear of the lot where Madel's saloon now flourishes furnished to the first settlers their strongest beverage. Here they set up their household gods and were happy. The towering pines almost turned day into night ; the deer dashed by the cabin unmolested, and the wolves woke the echoes with their mournful music. An occasional Indian, riding over the trail, stopped his pony and grunted as he surveyed these bold intruders who, although nearly three score years of age, were trying to crowd the wild man out and build a home upon his do- mains. Later, their son Urial learned of the hegira of his parents, and before the sleighing disappeared he hastened to their relief with a couple of loads of lumber and provisions.
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No lumbering had yet been done on the Pigeon River. The country was a virgin wilderness, undisturbed by the hand of man, and the early settlers tell us that it was a very pretty locality. The river obtained its name from the fact of its timbered banks being the roosting place for myriads of pigeons.
The first land entered was by land warrant, April 15, 1856. The warrant was obtained from the Government by Rhoda Petree, the widow of one Joshua Whitehurst, who served as a private in Cap- tain Harrison's company of Virginia militia in the war of 1812. The land was the ne14 of the sw14 of Section 23, Township 25 north, Range 14 east. Norman Clinton and sons soon acquired title to twenty-nine forties of land lying near here.
Norman Clinton, soon after settlement, built a commodious log house, and by force of circumstances was soon a full fledged land- lord, and it is safe to say that no hotel in Clintonville was ever better patronized or the cause of so little complaint as this. Stop- ping places in those days were like oases in the desert. Some times the caravansary's supply of provisions gave out, and as the nearest store was at New London, and the nearest mill at Weyau- wega, or Hortonville, the landlord and landlady had to resort to curious shifts. On one occasion, after feeding a large crew of ex- plorers and lumbermen, they discovered that all the flour and meal was gone, and still another party were arrived and clamoring for food. Here was a predicament, surely ; but the host was equal to the occasion. An old coffee mill was hunted up, and corn enough ground for Johnnie cake to appease the appetites of the hungry guests.
Mr. Clinton was a great bee hunter. After discovering many bee trees along the banks of the little stream that empties into the Pigeon within the present imits of the city, he called it 'Honey Creek,' by which name it has since been known.
CHET. BENNETT.
Chet. Bennett is no doubt one of the most cele- brated pioneers of Wisconsin. This sketch of his life is from The Dual-City Tribune:
Foremost among those who laid the foundation for the settlement of Clintonville is Chet. Bennett. He was born in a log cabin in Rushford, Alleghaney County, New York, in March, 1823. He
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