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 221

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 221

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

ALLEN A. WALBRIDGE, dealer in general merchandise, Plover, Wis. Mr. W. settled at Plover, in 1865, and first clerked four years for J. H. Morgan, then he went in company with W. A. Perry and G. F. Harvey, firm name of Walbridge, Perry & Harvey, in general merchan-

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

dise, which they operated three years, and Mr. P. sold his interest to his partners, and they operated one ind one-half years, when Mr. Walbridge bought the entire interest, which he has since operated. Mr. W. was born in Cabot, Vt., April 2, 1843. He lived at home until he was twenty- one years of age. The father of the family died when the children were quite small, an l the duty of bringing up the family fell upon the mother, which she did with credit to herself and children. Mr. W. was married in Cabot, Vt. Nov. 1;, 1869. His wife's maiden name was Sarah J. Harvey ; she was born in Cabot, Vt., Dec. 6 1841. They have fonr chil- dren living - Mary M., Fanny R., Carrie S. (Allen H., deceased) and Ernest L.

SPRINGVILLE.

This suburb of Plover is on the lower eastern land of the Wisconsin, on the Little Plover. The first grist-mill north- west of the Fox River was erected here in 1850, by the Mitchell Bros. It formerly had shops and stores ; now three residences and a flour and feed mill, owned by J. C. Har- vey. It has four run of stones and a double roller.

McDILLVILLE.

A little village, formerly called Big Plover, on the river of that name, near where it enters the Wisconsin. It has a saw-mill and a planing mill. The latter is called Potter's mill. The saw-mill is run by McDill. The logs are owned by George Mitchell, who has them cut by the thousand. There is a school-house, a store and hotel, with several fine residences.

AMHERST.

This village is on the Wisconsin Central Railroad, fifteen miles below Stevens Point. The Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad forms a junction with the Wisconsin Central about a mile northwest of the village, at which point is Amherst Junction post-office. It has 500 inhabitants, and is in the midst of good farming lands. E. Webster is the Postmaster. There are several churches-Methodist Episcopal, German, and Norwegian Lutheran. The school has two departments. Mr. Bancroft runs a planing mill, and J. & O. Iverson have a flouring mill. There are two blacksmith shops, one har- ness shop and one wagon shop, with a number of stores for general merchandise, with other village accessories. The lawyer is A. J. Smith. The doctors are A. M. Guernsey and W. O. Kenyon, There is an Odd Fellows Lodge and a Temple of Honor. It is an enterprising place, with good hotels and comfortable business places and dwellings.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

HORACE ALLINGTON, dealer in general merchandise, Amherst Junction, Wis. Mr. A. first settled in the vicinity of Waupaca, with his parents in 1855; lived at home until he was nineteen years of age. He first clerked in a store two years for his father. He then clerked in a store one year on his own account, and June 17, 1874, he began in his present business, as above stated. Ile was born in Ithaca, N. Y., Sept. 5, 1854. Married, to Miss Elisabeth A. Hanke, in Waupaca County, Aug. 13, 1876. Ilis wife was born in Germany, Nov. 4, 1857. They have two children, named Mabel K. and Winnifred E.

WILLIAM C. HOLLY, dealer in general line of furniture, Amherst. Mr. II. first located at Amherst, in Fall of 1855 ; lived there during the Winter and moved to Waupaca in Spring of 1856, and worked at his trade, carpenter and joiner, also took charge of building court house, and worked in the village until Fall of 1858, then he returned to Am- herst and followed same occupation, building the first hotel building in that place ; he followed his trade until Fall of 1876; then he bought a furniture store, stocked the same, and began business as above noted. He was born in Wells, Bradford Co,, Pa., Aug. 2, 1822, and was married in Troy, same county, Sept. 23, 1846. His wife's maiden name was Laura A. Iloughton, born in Rutland, Vt., Dec. 27, 1827. There is one daughter, Hellen L., now married to Franklin Tyler, and living in Iowa. Mrs. Holly died April 5, 1872, at Amherst. He was again mar-

ried May 5, 1878. His wife's maiden name was Eliza L. Clark; she was born in Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 27, 1849.

ORLIN L. RICKARD, agent and operator, Amherst Junction. He was born in Massena, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y,, Aug. 6. 1855. He settled at Augusta, Eau Claire Co., with his parents in 1861 ; he lived at home until he was twenty-two years of age; learned the art of operating at seventeen years of age, and worked at Augusta about three years, and in 1876 he went to Rusk, on the St. Paul & Minneapolis Railroad; and worked about four years as operator ; went to Amherst Junction, April 20, 1881. He was married in Augusta, July 25, 1876. His wife's maiden name was Barbara Strong. She was born in Lowville, Lewis Co., N. Y., September, 1854. They have one boy, named Fay E., born Aug. 11, 1878, at Augusta, Wis.

EDGAR STARKE, dealer in general line of drugs, medicines, paints and oils, Amherst. Mr. S. settled with his father near Waupaca, in Summer of 1854. He went to Amherst in Spring of 1855, and lived with his father and worked until he was nineteen years of age, at which time he enlisted in Co. B, 12th Reg. Wis. Vol. Inf., 11th October, 1864 ; served until 16th of July, 1865, and was mustered out at Louisville, Ky .; he returned to Amherst and was sick for some time ; clerked in store ; afterward went in company with Dr. A. H. Guernsey in drug business, which they followed five years, after which Mr. S. continued on his own account. He was born in Stavanger, Norway, Sept. 23, 1846. Married, at Amherst, Wis., October, 1872. Wife's maiden name was Christina Peterson, born in Amherst. They have two children, named Franklin M. and Stella M.

JOHN SIEVERTSON, general blacksmith and manufacturer of wag. ons, buggies and sleighs, Amherst. He first settled at Amherst in 1866, since which he has lived at Stevens Point two years, working at his trade, and has worked at Amherst the balance of the time. He was born in Norway, March 11, 1841, and he was married, in his native country, in 1865. His wife's maiden name was Ann Knudson, born in same country, May 25, IS40. They have one daughter named Inga A.

ENOCH WEBSTER, Postmaster, Amherst, Wis. Mr. Webster set- tled at Lyons, Walworth Co., Wis., Aug. 24, 1845, and lived there two years, then moved to Rosendale, Fond du Lac Co., where he remained and followed farming until November, 1855, at which time he moved to Amherst, and has since followed farming. He was elected Justice of the Peace in the Spring of 1856, and has been re-elected and held the office ever since. He was appointed Postmaster March 4, 1874, and has held same since. He was born in Fryeburg, Oxford Co., Me., Sept. 20, 1813. He was married at Moscow, Me., Sept. 1. 1838. His wife's maiden name was Lydia H. Fletcher. She was born in Moscow, Me., April 24, 1818. They had eight children, named Charles E., now married and living at Almond, Wis .; John N., living at home ; (Augustus A. and Augustine, deceased); Emily M., married, and living at Almond ; Dora W. was married, but her husband is now dead, and she is living with her par- ents ; William A. and Fred E., both at home.

JUNCTION CITY.

This village lies at the crossing of the Wisconsin Valley and Wisconsin Central Railroads. It has two schools, two hotels, one general store and a saw-mill, with unlimited hopes and expectations as to the future.

About three miles north of Junction City is Runkel's Mills, with store and saw-mill. This is a station on the Wis- consin Central.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

GEORGE CLAYTON, operator and agent for C., M. & St. Paul R. R., at Junction City, Wis. Mr. Clayton was born in Waukesha, Wis., July 31, IS55, where he lived with his parents until 1865; they then moved to North Prairie, Racine Co., where he learned the art of teleg- raphy, and remained five years. At the age of fifteen years he left home and went to Ishpeming, Mich., and worked at operating two years, then he went to New London and also followed operating two years, and from there he went to Junction City, where he is at present writing. He was married at New London, Feb. 24, 1876. His wife's maiden name was Glenah Ward. She was born in Illinois.

FRANK RUSSEL, proprietor Central Hotel, grocery store and saloon, Junction City, Wis. Junction City is located at the crossing of the Wisconsin Valley and the Wisconsin Central railroads. Mr. Rus- sel first located at Grand Rapids in 1856, and lived there until the Spring of ISS1. When he first moved to the Rapids he worked by the month in the lumber business for three years, Then he followed the saloon business about eighteen months, after which he engaged in the grocery and wholesale liquor trade, which he followed until he moved to Junction City. Mr. Russel was one of the early pioneers of that coun-

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HISTORY OF PORTAGE COUNTY

try. He was born in Canada East, Jan. 22, 1826. He was married at Grand Rapids, July 27, 1863. His wife's maiden name was Eliza Rob- illard; she was born in Montreal, Canada, June 6, 1847. They have four children, named Mary Louisa, Frank F., Joseph A. O. and Selina M. Russel.

OSWALD VOYER, proprietor hotel and saloon at Junction City, Wis. He also makes lumbering his principal business. He first settled in Grand Rapids, September, 1863, and clerked in a store about one year. Then he engaged with Mr. Frank Russel about six months, after which he enlisted in Co. I, 16th Reg. Wis. V. I, and-served from March until August. 1865, and was mustered out at Louisville, Ky. He then returned to Centralia, Wis., being sick for two years. After recovering he kept hotel about eight months. Then began running the Wisconsin River on rafts until 1867. He then went to look at land on the head waters of the Wisconsin River, being engaged eighteen months, buying land in the meantime, after which he began the lumber business and continued it until the panic of 1873, but kept a saloon and was engaged in logging. He then worked on his homestead, and furnished supplies to the railroad, in connection with lumbering, and located in Junction City, in June, 1878. He was born in Canada East, April, 1846. He was married October, 1872, at Grand Rapids, Wis. His wife's maiden name was Lena Lefebure. She was born in Bellevue, Iowa, Ang. 16, 1855. They have four children, named Amil O., Nathalie, Henry and an infant not yet named.

MEEHAN.

This station is located in the southwest corner of Section 26, Town of Plover, five miles west of Plover Village. It contains enterprising and prosperous men who will make of their little hamlet a thriving village. The usual mechan- ical and manufacturing industries are here represented, while religious and educational matters are observed by the thoughtful citizens.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

LEONARD N. ANSON, Inmberman and superintendent of the mill and lumber, and one of the firm of Meehan Brothers & Co., at Meehan, on Mill Creek. Mr. A. was born at what is known as Conant Rapids, on Wisconsin River, July 3, 1848. At a suitable age he attend- ed the public schools of his vicinity, and finally attended Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College, Chicago, Ill., and in the Spring of 1869 he went to work for the above firm as book-keeper in Dubuque, Iowa, where he remained two years, after which he removed to his present place of business and has lived there since. Mr. Anson has fairly dem- onstrated to all with whom he is acquainted, that with a fair amount of energy and perseverance it is possible to build up a competence, such as older men might envy. He was married at Stevens Point, Wis., December, 1872. His wife's maiden name was Hanorah A. Meehan. She was born in Canada East, March, 1845. They have two children, named Mary T. and George M., also Henry, now deceased.

WILLIAM HERRON, head sawyer in Meehan Bros. mills, Mee- han, Wis. Mr. H. was born at Grand Rapids, Wis., July 5, 1851, and lived there until he was nineteen years of age, and attended the public schools there ; after which he went to Meehan's Mills and began work as above named. His parents yet live at Grand Rapids. His father's name is Martin Herron, and his mother's Christian name is Mary; they are both natives of Ireland.

ALEXANDER LOVE, head sawyer at Meehan's mills, Meehan, Wis. He first settled in Grand Rapids, November, 1867, and worked there two years in a saw-mill, after which he went to Meehan, and en- gaged as above stated. He was born in Canada East, September, 1848 ; he was married in Stevens Point, Wis., Nov. 23, 1880. His wife's

maiden name was Catherine O'Keefe ; she was born in Stockton, Portage Co., in July, 1858.

JOHN McGUIRE, engineer and saw filer, and has charge of Mee- han's mills, at Meehan, Wis. Mr. M. first settled at Grand Rapids, Wis., in 1857; he lived there abont seven years and was engaged in Jum - bering, piloting on the Wisconsin River, etc .; in 1864. he moved to Mee- han's mills, where he has since lived, and employed as above noted. He was born in Quebec, Canada, October, 1839. He was married, Sep- tember, 1864, at Sauk City ; his wife's maiden name was Mary Meehan. She was born in Quebec, Canada, 1840. They have five children, named Catherine, Mary, Agnes, John and Charles McGuire.

JAMES MEEHAN, lumber manufacturer, was born in Terboan Co .. Canada East, July 7, 1834, and came from there to Milwaukee, Wis., in the Fall of 1854, and from there to Grand Rapids, where he lived until 1866, when he came to Meehan, and, in partnership with his brother, Patrick Meehan, built a saw-mill, which they conducted for several years under the firm name of P. & H. Meehan, now Meehan Brothers & Co., Mr. I .. N. Anson being associated with them. They cut 10,000,000 feet of Inmber this year, and employ about 125 men during Summer and Winter. They have one of the best farms in the county, and engage in farming as well as lumbering. Mr. Meehan has been a member of the County Board for thirteen years, and was a member of the Assembly from his district in 1878. He was married in the parish of St. Baziel, Canada, October, 1854, to Catherine Love, who was born in the same county as Mr. Meehan. They have six children living-Mary, James, Jr., Lizzie R., Lettie, Nora and Raymond W.

MILO S. WOOD, proprietor of a saw-mill on Mill Creek, half a mile from Meehan's mills, on the Wisconsin River. His mills were erected about 1860. The capacity is about 15,000 in twelve hours. He employs abont twenty-eight men when in full operation. The mill is run by water-power. He first settled in Plainfield Townsbip, in 1864 ; was there until the Spring of 1867, and followed farming, principally ; from there he went to his present place of business, and has lived there since. He was born in Liberty, Sullivan Co., N. Y., May 17, 1830. He was married, July 1850. His wife's maiden name was Harriet Robert- son ; she was born in the same place, in New York, Dec. 21, 1831. They had six children, named, Alice R. Wood, now deceased; Walter W., Lambert H., David B., Nettie N., now deceased ; Jessie E. Wood.

TOWN OF LANARK.

THOMAS PIPE, deceased. Born, Sept. 24, 1827, in Dunyett, Som- ersetshire, England. In 1850, accompanied by his brother, John V. Pipe, he came to America. John Pipe married, May 18, 1848, Miss Elizabeth Stickland. They were united in Varcomb Church, and came to America with two sons, John S. and Tom ; the brothers settled at Greece Center, N. Y. In October, 1850, Thomas Pipe canie West and settled in Vinland, Wis. J. V. Pipe returned to England, on business, early in 1854, taking passage March 1, 1854, on the ill-fated " City of Glasgow ;" he went down in mid-ocean, with all who shared his company on the doomed steamer. He left four children, the two sons above named, and Frank and Mary E., both born in Greece Center, N. Y. After the death of his brother, Thomas Pipe sought the widow in her Eastern home, and she accompanied him to his Western one. They were married in Vinland, June 24, 1855. On the 29th of February, 1856. they located on a farm in Farmington. At the end of four years, Mr. Pipe removed, with his family, to Waupaca, where he engaged in stock buying, butchering, etc., for about eighteen years. While here he served as Chairman, Supervisor and Street Commissioner for years. In 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Pipe made a seven months visit to their native land. They located on the present homestead in Lanark, Portage Co., April 13, 1876. Here Mr. Pipe was honored with the office of Chairman three or four years. Few men could have been stricken by the grim de- stroyer and left so hard a place to fill, as did the death of Thomas Pipe. He departed this life, Sept. 22, 1880, leaving three children-William E., Florence J. and Effie A. The eldest was born in Vinland, and the danghters in Waupaca.

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

PRICE COUNTY.

The county of Price embraces within its limits thirty-five Government Townships of land, viz. : Townships :4 to 40 north of Ranges 1 to 3 east, and 1 and 2 west of fourth principal meridian.

The soil is a sandy loam, with a sub-stratum of heavy clay, very rich and productive, and in every way admirably adapted for agricultural purposes. In time it is destined to be one of the best grain and dairy counties in the State, but until the present great wealth of pine is somewhat consumed, these industries will receive a secondary consideration.

The surface of the county is slightly rolling, with fine strips of meadow land, and very pleasantly diver- sified with numerous lakes and streams, which are most abundantly supplied with fish. Among the most prominent of these lakes is Elk Lake, located in Town 37, Range 1 east, on the beautiful banks of which is located the sprightly village of Phillips, the county seat. Butternut Lake, in Town 40, Range 1 west, and Pike and Round lakes, in Town 40, Range 3 east, are much larger than Elk, and contain, perhaps, better fishing. Each of these lakes is rapidly becoming quite popular Summer resorts.

Taken as a whole, Price County presents a very at- tractive inducement to the settlers. Its vast timber wealth, its productive soil, its ready markets, its salu- brious climate, are all benefits to be enjoyed by those who cast their lot in Price County.

LUMBERING.

The region is very heavily timbered with pine, with occasional large traets of small growth maple and basswood. The pine is being cut and run down the river to the Mississippi market, while the hard wood tracts are being rapidly taken by settlers, and cleared into farms. The amount of standing pine, now market- able, in the county, is estimated at over 2,000,000,000 feet. It is the center of the great pine region of Northern Wisconsin, and the operations of a large army of lumbermen, engaged in getting out the pine, gives the county a life, activity and advancement. sel- dom witnessed in a new country. The pine is mainly marketed on the Mississippi, to which market Price County annually sends about 100,000,000 feet of choice lumber. The main lumbering streams in the county are the Elk River, the Jump, and the North and South forks of the Flambeau River.

Saw Millx .- Price County has but two saw-mills at present, though there is strong prospect of several more being erected in the near future. D. M. Holmes has in operation a saw-mill with a capacity for about 20,000,- 000 feet per year, at the village of Ogema.

A. A. Adams has in operation a small water-pow- er saw-mill on the Spirit River, in the town of Bran- nan, about ten miles east of the railroad. Its main business is to supply settlers with lumber.

SETTLEMENT.

Of the incidents connected with the first settle- ment and organization of Price County, there are many cherished in the memory of its people which will grow doubly dear as time advances. In the strug- gle that was made to open up the wild woods into pleasant homes, to organize society on an agreeable basis, to provide schools and instructors for the young, and to maintain the dignity and the force of the law, all the settlers took a willing part. Many of these incidents are trivial in their nature, and yet exerted a powerful influence for good or evil in the advance- ment of the county. But few of them can ever find place in history. yet many of them will live for years in tradition after those of whose lives they were a part, have passed away.

The first white settler in the territory now in the county of Price, was Major Isaac Stone. who located on the Spirit River, in the present town of Brannan in the Fall of 1860, and engaged in lumbering. Here he lived for about fifteen years before he had a white neigh- bor nearer than forty miles. In this wilderness, where, for fifteen years, "there was not heard the sound of ax, hammer, or any tool of iron," excepting those in the employ of the major, he has built himself a com- fortable home, and reared an intelligent, hardy and in- teresting family.

In 1873 the Wisconsin Central Railroad reached Price County, and brought with it several families from Oshkosh, who located on the Spirit River in the vicin- ity of Major Stone's, starting what is now known as the Spirit River Settlement.

The Wisconsin Central Railroad wasstarted at Mena- sha in the Spring of 1871, and built through to Stevens Point that Summer. From there it was continued north until the Fall of 1873, when it reached Worces- ter, in Price County, 101 miles north of Stevens Point. Its terminus rested at this point, until the Summer of 1876, when it was pushed through, and made connec- tion with the Ashland end of the road in the Spring of 1877, and regular trains commenced running from Mena- sha to Ashland, on Lake Superior. The Central is a land-grant road, and received all of the land in every odd numbered section for ten miles on each side of the track that remained in the hands of the Government at the time the company was organized in 1870. Upon the completion of the road to Ashland in 1877, the Company received about 1,000,000 acres of land.

Moses M. Strong, Assistant State Geologist, was drowned in the North Fork of the Flambeau River, in the town of Fifield, on the 18th day of August, 1877, while engaged for the State in exploring the head waters of the Flambeau River. Mr. Strong had served the State for over five years as geologist, and was, without doubt, one of the most scientific students

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HISTORY OF PRICE COUNTY.

in his profession to be found in the Northwest. At the time of the accident he was accompanied by a young friend from Mineral Point, Willis Gundy, and a guide, Jack Hawn, of Stevens Point. Mr. Strong and Gundy were attempting to pole a light skiff up one of the rapids of the river, when the boat became un- manageable and capsized. Mr. Strong was swept into the eddy below the rapids and drowned, while his friend, Gundy, was saved by being swept on to a projecting rock. The body was recovered by A. D. Lunt and party who were engaged in examining railroad lands, and chanced to be near the scene of the accident at the time of its occurrence.

The first school organized in the county was in Phillips. It was opened in a room prepared in Spauld- ing's warehouse, June 11, 1877, and was taught by Miss Matilda Dunn. The number of names appearing on the school register for the term was twenty-seven. The second school organized was at Fifield, June 18, 1877, with Miss Carrie Gooddell as teacher. The number of scholars registered was eighteen. A lumberman's ware- house served as school-room. The third school was or- ganized in the county on the same date, June 18, 1877, at the North Fork Crossing, in a little log building, for- merly used as a squatter's shanty. This school was taught by Miss Lizzie Kennedy.

The first Protestant Church service held in the county was in the hall over Alexander's saloon, at Phillips, January 21, 1877, the Rev. Henry Galloway, of Medford, delivering the sermon. The service of the Roman Catholic Church was held about the same time at the residence of M. Nickolson, by the Rev. Father Schuttelhoffer.

Newspapers .- The first newspaper published in the county of Price, was the Phillips Times, the first num- ber of which appeared on the sixth day of January, 1877. The Times was owned and published from that date until the 1st of March, 1879, by F. W. Sackett. On the 1st of March, 1879, Mr. Sackett leased the Times to his former typo, W. H. Wilson, who has pub- lished the paper in an able and efficient manner ever since. The Times has a good circulation, and has been satisfactorily renumerative to its publishers.

A new paper, called the Phillips Badge, has just been started by H. E. Darlington, at Phillips.

ORGANIZATION.

The county was organized by the Legislature, on the third day of March, 1879, and the first officers ap- pointed by the Governor, William E. Smith, on the fourth day of March, 1879. The list of officers ap- pointed were as follows :

Treasurer, David O'Brien ; Clerk, F. W. Sackett; Register of Deeds, Walter Brown; Superintendent of Schools, Dr. J. D. Wyatt ; Coroner, Charles II. Raser ; Surveyor, William D. Gumaer. All of the foregoing were for the term ending in January, 1881. Willis Haner was appointed County Judge for the term end- ing in January, 1882. The county of Price was organ- ized out of territory taken from Chippewa and Lincoln counties-twenty-one townships of the former, and fourteen of the latter.

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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