History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc., Part 117

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052

USA > Wisconsin > History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc. > Part 117

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ments and the larger share of the water power, besides a fair moiety of the land, the title to which had occa- sioned almost endless litigation. The assignees had their share at onee replatted, and for the first time in the history of the village a good paper title could be had for property therein. Previous to that, Spaulding's bonds for deeds were all that could be had, and they were not considered a sufficient guarantee to warrant the expenditure of much money, consequently improve- ments in the village, which languished along without much increase in wealth and population until within the past fifteen or twenty years.

During 1848 and 1849, the village received but few additions to its population, nor was the county more fortunate. At the beginning of 1850, the total number of inhabitants is said to not have exceeded 150, of a permanent character. These were principally as fol- lows: E. K. Goff, Luther Nelson, Andrew Meek and family, David Robinson, Mahlon and William Levis, James Buchanan, his niece, Miss Julia Campbell, now Mrs. W. T. Price : Buchanan opened the first store after Spaulding's ; Sylvester Abbey, James MeLaugh- lin, B. F. Johnson, Albert Tuttle, Charles and Darwin Whipple, Dr. Gibson, George Cottrill, James Hall, Parker Adams (the first lawyer), Peter Trudell, etc., all of whom came between 1847 and 1850. In addition to these, there were those who have been mentioned as having become residents at an earlier day.

The village improvements were chiefly confined to Water and the eastern end of Main streets, those in the county being limited to mills and accommodations for lumbermen ; of these there were Douglas's mill, the mills of Nichols, Sheppard & Valentine, James Perry, Brockway & Patterson, Spaulding's, T. & P. . Hall's, Hambleton's, put up by John Adams in 1846, and maybe one or two others that have been forgotten.

In 1850, a mail route was established from Prairie du Chien to Stillwater, and a post-office was established at the Falls, with W. W. Bennett as Postmaster. It was kept in the residence afterward occupied by Albert Tuttle, which was the first dwelling house in the vil- lage ornamented with a coat of paint. United States postage on a letter was twenty-five cents, newspapers being carried for somewhat less.

The previous year a State road had been surveyed from Prairie du Chien to Willow River (now Hudson), and Jacob Spaulding, Hiram Knowlton and James Fisher appointed commissioners. During the latter part of that Summer they began their work, which was concluded, in October, to the Falls. At the time of their arrival there was a perfect dearth of all kinds of stimulants, but the commissioners possessed an un- tapped keg of whisky, taken with them as an antidote for snake bites. During the evening, the keg was tapped, and all became very merry. [The anecdote connected with this event, while amusing, is hardly proper for these pages. PUBLISHER.

The arrivals during 1850-51-52, save those men- tioned, were not numerous. Among those who came in, however, Dr. M. P. Bennett and Joseph K. French must not be omitted. The former was the first of the regular faculty that emigrated to this section, intending to remain in the country permanently, and as a frontier

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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

physician he has always been regarded as a success. The latter resided at the Falls until his death. He is represented as a rough and ready lawyer, a keen, sharp practitioner, technical to the last degree, according to the practice as it then existed. Had he lived, he would have made his mark in the Northwest as an able jurist and successful lawyer.

During the session of the Legislature of 1850-51, Bad Axe, now Vernon and La Crosse counties, was set off from Crawford County, La Crosse including the Black and Chippewa River territory. A town organi- zation existed in Albion, which comprised the present county of Jackson, with Jacob Spaulding, Chairman, and Albert Tuttle, Clerk of the Board, and C. R. John- son, Justice of the Peace. The improvements were not numerous, and the arrivals equally unsatisfactory in 1852, the most important event of that year, it is said, being the opening of a store at the Falls by Ho- ratio Curts and James M. Garrett, under the firm name of Curts & Garrett. In the Fall of 1852, the first county ticket was nominated at Black River Falls, in anticipation of the organization of the county, which was made up of Thomas Hall for Judge, C. R. John- son for Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, H. W. Hick- ox for Register, James M. Garrett for Treasurer, P Adams for District Attorner, Levi Avery for Sheriff, H. Curts for Coroner, and P. Adams for Surveyor. It failed of an election. In 1853, Jackson County was duly organized by an act of the Legislature, passed in that year, with full powers after January 1, 1854, and the following ticket, in opposition to the one cited, was overwhelmingly elected : William T. Price, Treasurer ; L. S. Avery, Sheriff ; and C. R. Johnson, Clerk of the Board, of the Circuit Court, and Register of Deeds.

During this year two hotels were erected, at oppo- site corners on Main Street, by M. P. Bennett, M.D., and occupied by P. H. Howell, I. S. Mason, and Joseph Popham, respectively; it was burned down while owned by the latter, during the Spring of 1879. The other was first kept by T. J. Hill for a number of years, then used as a tenement house, since then as a store-room for merchandise.

In 1854, there was an immense emigration to Trem- pealeau Valley, which had in previous years attracted at- tention by reason of its splendid agricultural resources. Lying on either side of Trempealeau River, the valley extends the entire length of that stream to its mouth, a distance of some forty miles, varying from one to three miles in width, with a soil which is not surpassed in the State for the production of wheat, oats and pota- toes. Those settling there included the Pedrick and Holmes families, Joseph Berti, Samuel and Peter Hoff- man, Jacob R. Sechler, John Morrill, etc. James and J. M. Vincent, and Noah Deuel located in Albion Township ; Harvey E. Brewer and William Horswill in Irving ; Hugh B. Mills in Manchester ; John Ed- munds built a mill three miles below the Falls, and Harrison Burchard, Dr. Van Herset, R. D. Squires, H. A. Buck, W. W. Buck, George F. Haswell, J. V. Wells and others located in the village and vicinity in 1855. A stage line to La Crosse was also started this year, and Ledyard & Farnam opened the largest stock of goods ever brought to the Falls.

The county was originally one town, that of Albion.

But, in 1855, the apportionment of townships was begun, and has since been continued up to the present time as follows: Alma and Bristol (now Melrose) were set off November 16, 1855 ; Springfield and Huelon, November 11, 1856; Irving changed from Spruce two days later; Manchester, March 23, and Northfield, November 13, 1857; Gordon Valley, March 3, 1868 ; Millston, June 20, 1874 ; Franklin, February 25, and Sullivan, December 31, 1878.

During 1856, many of the prominent business men who identified themselves with the material interests of the village and county began operations at the Falls. S. W. Bowman opened a grocery on Water Street, in connection with Oliver Crossett ; John aud H. D. Parsons abandoned farming in Trempealeau Valley, opened a stock of goods in the " Emporium Store buildings ;" James Barber and family re- moved to the Falls and opened a dry goods store ; Carle C. Pope came in May and passed a season in the law office of Johnson & Price - afterward he hung out his shingle, and was subsequently elected District Attorney ; the Shanghai House was this year "bonifaced " by Trudell & Austin ; H. E. Prickett was proprietor of a drug and stationery store on Water Street; Deacon A. J. Smith came in between two nights this season, but was in later years obliged to leave the Falls between two days, to avoid personal inconvenience by reason of scandalous charges against his moral character. J. V. Wells, who located here the previous year, began business in 1856, as dealer in tin and hardware. P. A. Potter settled in the county in the Fall, and John Specht, John H. Clapp with his family, Julius Schur, the first baker, and others, lo- cated in the village.

This season the Methodist church was erected, and the Jackson County Banner, the first newspaper pub- lished at the Falls, was introduced to the public by Charles Stewart, its editor and publisher. The year showed a gratifying increase in population, improve- ments, educational, religious and miscellaneous inter- ests, that were checked by the panic which came the year following.

From 1857 to 1865, the growth of the county was retarded by financial difficulties, calamities in the nature of extensive conflagrations in the villages and loss of crops in the country, by the war and a combi- nation of circumstances against which no defense could have been urged. In 1857, a court-house was com- menced, but its completion estopped by a visitation of the flames, in which its destruction was complete and irreparable. This is but one instance of the embar- goes that were placed upon movements for building up and developing the county and village. June 8, 1858, the "Little Frank," Capt. Robert Douglass, landed at Ledyard's mill, the first steamer to arrive at the Falls. Yet there were some who braved the com- binations and began business here, have since met with a success proportionate to their undertakings. Ulrich Oderbolz still operates the brewery he opened that year, and the Presbyterian church then erected still stands. But there are fewincidents and fewer facts regarding progress here during these three years than at any previous period. The arrivals during that time are stated as including: Thomas Stewart, Jacob Post-

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

weiler, P. Roddy, Anton Wemgher, Frank Cooper, W. A. Thomas, James Darrow, R. G. Pope, Stephen Richards, Oliver Le Favre and others, most of whom settled in the village.

The population of the county in 1860 is stated at 4,170, and when the note of war sounded in their ears, one year later, responses to calls for troops were lib- eral, and composed of the type of men who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on the Potomac, in the Southwest, at Nashville, and with Sherman on his march to the sea. Among those who went out under the first call was Capt. William Moore, W. S. Darrow, S. A. Wilcox, -. O'Neill, -. Hussey, C. P. John- son. C. Taft, S. S. Story, D. Douglass, J. Clancy, C. Franse, C. Shenck, l'. Trudell, E. Douglass, James Con- lan. R. Grange, R. Squires, J. Q. Conlan, S. Kenyon, F. Reitz, C. Reitz, N. M. Clapp, O. H. Clapp and L. Spaulding. The county had companies in the Fourth, Tenth, Fourteenth, Fifth, Thirty-seventh and Forty- eighth regiments, and the draft was but lightly felt, owing to the fact that the quota assigned was, in near- ly every instance, filled.

During the war, but little occurred to attract the attention of settlers from the great panorama which was passing before the world ; those at the front were unfamiliar with facts as they happened at home, while those at home took no note of time or circumstance disconnected with the strife and struggle in progress. in which nearly every citizen of the county was di- rectly or indirectly interested. Beyond a large dele- gation of Norwegians, who came about 1862, and set- tled in Melrose, Irving, Franklin and Springfield townships, it is not believed that many came into Jackson during the decade in which the war was the most prominent object. During the past ten years, the growth of the county has been gradual, but of a character both substantial and valuable.

To-day, with a population of 15,000 and upward ; with a total of 645,120 acres of land, of which but 70,000 acres are under cultivation ; with a water power unsurpassed in the country, quarries of inexhaustible resources, iron mines and excellent railroad connec- tions, Jackson County offers inducements that must in the near future attract the multitude.

The first session of Court held after the organiza- tion of Jackson County sat in a building used for school purposes, located a short distance to the right of Pop- ham's present stable site.

This was in 1854. In 1857, the County Board con- tracted for the erection of a Court-house, on the second table-land west of the present structure. It was ap- proaching completion, all remaining to be done was to add the finishing touches, when, on the morning of June 30, 1857, it was discovered in flames, and before aid could arrive to prevent its destruction the building was in ashes. The burning of this improvement was the work of an incendiary, and aroused, as well it might, the deepest feelings of sorrow and indignation in the hearts of the people. A meeting of citizens was held on the afternoon of the following day, at which a com- mittee was appointed to report the names of those sus- pected to be implicated, and whose presence was dan- gerous to the peace and dignity of the village. The committee reported the names of Calvin Young and

lady, Abe Carr and lady, and Billy Smith and lady. The latter male was arrested. taken to a grove a mile from the village and twice strung up, with the hope that he would confess, but without results. The par- ties warned immediately left the vicinity, and were no more heard of.

Subsequent to this calamity, buildings about the village were occupied for Court purposes, until 1862, when a new Court-house and jail, the latter insecure and unpretentious, were erected near the present county. buildings.

In 1878, the Legislature authorized the county to borrow $20,000 from the State for the purpose of build- ing a Court-house. In addition to that amount, the County Board levied a tax sufficient to raise $5,000, to be used in erecting a jail. Work was commenced at once, under the direction of a building committee com- posed of Hon. W. T. Price, H. B. Cole and W. S. Dar- row, who returned a balance unexpended out of the original amount put into their hands. The contract was let to Nolan & Wilcox, of Janesville, who sub-let portions of it, and completed the structures the same year. It is two stories high, with a neat cupola ; of cream brick ornament, with cut stone facings. The first floor is used as county offices, the second story be- ing devoted to the occupation of the Court room proper, neat, cozy, and capable of being well lighted and venti- lated. Its cost, furnished, was $18,667.

The jail is two stories high, of Milwaukee brick, containing one set of cells for female prisoners, one set for insane persons, one set for prisoners of a mild type, and one set for prisoners of dangerous and violent dis- position. It is conceded by all to be one of the strong- est, neatest and most convenient jails in the State, is well ventilated and lighted, and so situated that inmates are able to enjoy the advantages of pure air and sun- light, so necessary to those living in confinement.

Jackson County has nothing more to wish for in respect to county buildings.

Previous to 1880, the paupers of the county were cared for by the authorities of the town wherein they were severally to be found. In that year a new dis- pensation was agreed upon, and in the Fall the County Board negotiated the purchase of 206 acres of land, situated on Squaw Creek, about two and one-half miles west of the village, from W. S. Darrow, for a consider- ation of 82,500.

The improvements at that time consisted of a sub- stantial farm-house, with the out-buildings usual to similar enterprises, and these not being considered suf- ficient, the county erected an addition to the main house, in 1881, at a cost of $1,000.

At present there are four inmates, one of which is insane, for the support of whom an average of $52 each it is estimated will be required. This, together with $700 paid the overseer annually, is derived in part by appropriations by the County Board, and in part from the product of 100 acres of cleared land, which is cul- tivated. The institution is in charge of Martin Clark.

The Jackson County Agricultural Society was or- ganized at a meeting of citizens convened at the Court- house, in Black River Falls, on Monday, July 24, 1867, at which Hon. W. T. Price was elected presi- dent, F. Simpson, secretary ; J. V. Wells, treasurer,

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and one vice-president from each town in the county. The association secured a lease for ninety-nine years of forty acres of land from D. J. Spaulding, at a nomi- nal rental, upon which expositions have been annually held since the year of the society's organization.

The present officers are : W. T. Murray, president ; B. J. Castle, secretary, and J. H. Mills, treasurer.

The Press-The Press of Jackson County, though limited in some respects, exerts a healthful influence for good, and has been liberally patronized by the in- habitants since the first journalistic issue, now more than twenty-five years ago.

Early in 1856, the need of a weekly journal of cur- rent events was experienced throughout the county, and through the efforts of Hon. W. T. Price, who con- tributed largely of his means for that object, the Jack- son County Banner was issued in May, to supply the demand ; Charles Stewart officiated as editor (though C. C. Pope, of the Falls, is said to have acted in that capacity in limine) until the ensuing Winter, when the sheet was sold to D. J. Spaulding and F. O. Brainerd, the latter being editor. This continued until July, 1865, at which date J. A. Watrous secured title to Spaulding's moiety, becoming sole owner in October of the following year by the purchase of George W. Brown the interest in the paper sold him by Brainerd. In December, 1866, Frank Cooper bought a half interest, and the morning after the transfer was made a serious conflagration damaged his purchase, its escape from total destruction being accomplished as the result of united endeavor. In September, 1869, Hon. W. T. Price purchased Watrous's share, the latter removing to Fond du Lac, and one year later Cooper became sole owner. In 1871, C. J. Cooper became associated as publisher, remaining until 1873, when he retired, and was succeeded by George F. Cooper, who still partici- pates in the profits of the business, which is conducted under the firm name of Frank Cooper & Son.

The Banner enjoyed the field without opposition until 1875, when the Independent, which had been es- tablished at Viroqua, in 1872, by T. C. Ankeney, was removed to Black River Falls, and its publication be- gun. On May 5, 1877, the Wisconsin Leader was issued at Merrillan by B. J. Castle, who conducted its publi- cation alone for six months, when R. H. Gile became a partner. The same year Ankeney sold the Independ- ent to F. J. Bowman, and on June 29, 1878, Castle dis- posing of his interest in the Leader to Gile, purchased the Independent, and thenceforward officiated as editor and publisher, in which capacities he is at present bus- ily engaged. All these papers are Republican in poli- tics.

In 1880, another journal was added to the list, the Jackson County Democrat, by T. F. Holliday, a hand- somely printed and newsy paper, Democratic in poli- tics, and giving evidence of the care that is bestowed upon its weekly issue.

LOGGING AND LUMBERING.

Actual observation is necessary to give even a tol- erable idea of the magnitude of the lumbering interests in the Northwest. The capital, talent, energy and mus- cular force employed is immense, aside from the enor- mous amounts invested in machinery. It has given im-

pulse and character in every branch of business, its influence permeates every grade of society and it would be scarcely more than a pardonable exaggeration to assert, that secular and religious education has a " piney " flavor about it that can be found nowhere else. It has shaped the destiny of many men, who have emerged from the surf of obscurity on its tidal wave and ridden into wealth and opulence.

The logging and lumbering interests of Jackson County are confined to the townships of Albion, Alma, Sullivan and Millston, and are conducted on the most liberal scale, principally by Trow & ('o., C. N. Paine & Co., Hayden & Smith, Putnam & Owens, Nichols & Co., Hugh B. Mills, Elliott & Burchard, Wm. Oleson, E. L. Brockway and Andrew Sheppard, severally of Oshkosh, Sparta, Juneau County and Black River Falls.

The aggregate amount of lumber in the rough thus obtained is not less than 26,000,000 feet, requiring the services of 400 men, at an average pay of $I per day each.

The following table, prepared by Senator Price, will furnish an adequate idea of the immensity of the busi- ness :

Value of raw material, 26,000,000 feet at $1.50 per thousand .. $390,000 00

Value of same in lumber at $10 per thousand, less value of raw material, or actual value of the

wealth thus created 3.510,000 00

COST OF PRODUCTION.

Wages of men SI20,000 00

Cost of supplies, including meal, flour, vegetables and groceries. 380,000 00

Cost of creating . $500,000 00

Net profit on 26,000,000 feet $3,010,000 00

All of which cost of producing is expended in the county, and $300,000 of which remains here. From which will be seen the value to the Falls and surround- ing villages, as also to the country at large, is some- thing almost beyond belief.

To speak of the immense army of men and teams with their logging supplies, that will soon throng the great thoroughfares to the pinery regions, is to mention a single item in the great enterprise of lumbering. From daylight till dark this prodigious outlay of ani- mal and human physical force is kept up with uninter- rupted flow, when the woods are abandoned to the howling wolves that haunt this peculiar field of civili- zation.

BLACK RIVER FALLS.

The settlement of Black River Falls as a village is so closely allied with that of Jackson County that it is difficult to describe the line of demarkation which divides the one from the other. It was here that the first landing-place was made by adventurous men thirty-two years ago in search of homes and wealth. It was here that a few years later, woman came to shed her blessed influence, to encourage, console and assist the opposite sex in their pursuit of these objects. Here her life was like a Summer's day, made up of bright things only. Here, amid the warm depths of azure skies where merry birds afloat on waves of sunshine poured out their sweetest songs, she baptized the world in which she lived, with melody. Here she walked with morning in

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

the dewey paths that led through nature's fairest haunts ; here she laid her hand on all things loveable. Where meadow-lands now lie basking in the sun ; where clover- blossoms shake their fragrance out on every passing breeze, flavoring the air with sweetness and delight, she was wont to go. Where laughing brook leaps from its shady hiding- place, low nestled in among cool grasses growing in the dusky woods, where lilies leaned their wondering faces over the brink, where weeping willows trailed their slender hands within the wave and then went loitering along its winding way, babbling music as it went, her footsteps could be traced. Her influence was everywhere for good, and to- day her works do follow after. After all, her life was not a dreary Summer's day, but when she laid aside her weary task and out across the "all golden afternoon," she walked

intervening valleys. No weariness can come to one's sense of sight or sound in a land like this, where sound is full of rhythm and every scene a poem. If there are those who are indifferent to the spectacle and sigh for what they have not, they forget that in what they have there is enough of beauty to fill the measure of a fully rounded life.

" History," says an old authority, "is the record of wrecked deeds and misfortunes," and the experience of residents at Black River Falls for the first half of the decade beginning at 1860 would seem to confirm the truth of this apothegmatic assumption. By this time the village was, in form and appearance, rapidly becoming metropolitan in appearance. The original town plat had been laid out as early as 1854, by Price & Rublee, and was followed by that of Jacob Spaulding, W. L. Mason, D. J. Spaulding, J. Cole-

BLACK RIVER FALLS

on and on into her Father's open arms, there fell upon her brow the sister kiss of Heaven's happiest angel.

God bless those pioneers, men and women who left an heritage of priceless value.

The village, with a population of 500 in 1860, now boasts of 2,000. It is situated at the Rapids of Black River, the capital of the county and one of the foremost towns of Northern Wisconsin. The business portion of the village is on a plateau, twenty feet above the river, while the court- house, high-school, churches and residences are on a com- manding table-land 100 feet above the river bank. On the opposite side of the river grand ridges of trap rock are to be seen, surrounded with weird rocky castles and towers that command the loveliest landscapes for miles in every direction. The musical murmuring of waters breaking the river's rocky bed is an appropriate accompaniment to the wilderness of scenery that surrounds this beautiful village. Farther out are long ranges of wooded hills and charming

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Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1052

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052