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 226

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 226

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).

The city is not wanting in dry goods dealers, groceries, clothiers, millinery, hardware, boot and shoe stores, sad- dlery, book and stationery dealers. Agricultural implement depots are in full competition, and in fact almost anything

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

required for subsistence, comfort and convenience, or luxury. can be proenred in Hudson.

Among the doctors the senior is Otis Hoyt, who is still in business. All the schools are well represented.

There are the usual number of lawyers, who stand high in their profession.

For dental operations no one has to go out of town.

On the north side of Willow River was found by the early settlers a macadamized road, leading from the river, upon which trees were growing, hundreds of years old. It evidently antedated the Indian race.

The city of Iludson is between 44 and 456 north lat- ituile, and its mean temperature is said to be a little over 46 . It is twenty-two miles from the Mississippi.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

COL. JAMES HUGHES. The Colonel was a native of Virginia, having been born at Prince Edward Court House in 1803. He graduated at Hampden Sidney College, and studied law with William Wirt, and was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court. He removed to Jackson, Ohio, and started the Standard. a paper still published there, and he was for twelve years a member of the Ohio Legislature. In the spring of 1849, he removed to St. Paul, and published the Chronicle ; in the fall he came to Hudson, which had more brilliant prospects than St. Paul, on account of obstruetions in the river above the month of the St. Croix. He published the first newspaper printed here. He was married in Ohio in 1838 to Miss Elizabeth Mather. They had seven sons and four daughters, all living but one son. The Colonel was a prominent man, and was, some time in the 50's, a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of the State. Ilis death was in August, 1873.

ALFRED DAY, came to Iludson in 1851. Was widely known and fully identified with the interests of the community. He died suddenly, leaving a wife and six children. in November, 1880. Ile was born in Vermont in 1817, and was married in Hudson to Miss Medora Anderson. He was engaged in general merchandising and in the livery business. For six years he was County Treasurer, and held other positions. Ile gave the name of Hudson to his adopted residence.

MRS. MARY SANDERS. This lady was among the early settlers, having come as early as 1845. She was the wife of James Sanders, and died on the 21st of July, 1873, aged 56 years. Those who now live surrounded by the comforts and luxuries everywhere found. can hardly realize the extent of the toil and privation of pioneer life, and we can hardly pay the merited tribute to their courage, heroism and self-sacrifice which could only be endured through the confidence inspired by the most ardent hope.

R. A. GRIDLEY. Mr. Gridley was a native of New York State, where he was born in 1822. While still a young man, he moved to Illinois, and from there came to Wisconsin, engaging in business in various parts of the State, finally turning his attention to farming near this city. He was an energetie business man, improving whatever he handled. His eyesight finally failed. He was twiee married, and left six children in all. He was patient and resigned under his affliction. Ilis death was in July, 1878.

DANIEL ANDERSON was an early settler, coming in 1850. lle engaged in lumbering on Willow River ; he kept the leading hotel in Hudson, which was burned in 1854; he rebuilt and went on until 1866; his hotel again burned with no insur- ance. In 1876. 1877 and 1878. he was City Treasurer. He died July 8, 1878. very highly respected by the people of Hud- son and a large circle of acquaintances.

T. DWIGHT ILALL. Mr. Hall was born in Perry, N. Y .. Sept. 3. 1830; while preparing for college. he taught school to work his way through Yale. He arrived in Hudson in 1855. and established himself in the practice of the law. He was a

good writer, an eloquent speaker and had an inherent love of truth. He was editor of the Chronicle and had an influence in the community. Ilis death was on the 19th of October, 1875.

MRS. JENNIE HUMPHREY, the beloved wife of Judge Humphrey, M. C .; lived twenty-three years in Hudson, was well known and enjoyed a life of usefulness. She left five children, three daughters and two sons.

J. B. JONES. Hudson, ex-Sheriff of St. Croix County, came to Hudson in 1851, and built what is now known as the Jones homestead ; had to go twelve miles for every mouthful of flour, with no neighbors but Chippewa Indians, who swarmed about his home. Married when 21 to a daughter of Rev. William Egbert, of' Hammond, and followed farming until the fall of 1872, when he was elected County Treasurer for two years, then went into the employ of the McCormick Company as general agent, where he has been up to the present time; appointed by the Governor, Bridge Commissioner for the county; elected in the fall of 1874 Superintendent of the Poor for three years, also County Agent. Has a fine farm of 400 acres, 240 under the plow in the town of Troy, and a beautiful residence in the city of Hudson. Is a leading member of the Methodist Church : is a class leader and an earnest worker. Married in 1862 to Maria L. Egbert ; they have five children-Albert E .. Charles E., Myra, Freeman and Bertha.

NEW RICHMOND.

This is a thriving village with 730 residents, located on the Willow River, and on the ohl North Wisconsin Railroad, about eighteen miles from Hudson. It is the point for trade for the towns of New Richmond, Stan- ton, Erin Prairie and Star Prairie, which corner near the station. The village is on a plain, regularly laid out, and rather compact in its business portion.

Henry Russell was among the early settlers, and in 1857 laid out the village, owning the whole site from the main street west.

The first people to settle near here were Eben Quimby, near the mouth of Paper Jack Creek, in 1852, and Wheeler Barnum, with J. D. Johnston and families, in 1853. Timothy Oakes and James Taylor soon followed, Harvey Low built a blacksmith-shop in 1855, and Linden Coombs a hotel. After the village was laid out, and up to 1863, there were but eleven buildings within one mile. And not until a year after this, when the railroad reached the town, did the real hum of activity commence. Since that time the growth has been steady, and it must continue with the development of the agricultural resources of the country.

Some idea of the business of the village may be gathered from the amount of freight received and forwarded by rail- road. The tonnage forwarded on an average month is 1,266,260 pounds. The freight received 12,058,260. The amount of wheat received in 1880 was 150,000, which will be increased in 1881. The improvements in the vil- lage in 1880 were to the extent of $45,400.

Two passenger trains, one from cach direction, stop here for dinner. G. A. Gault is station agent.

At certain seasons a large part of the incoming freight is agricultural machinery.

New Richmond was organized as a village in the spring of 1879. Oscar Brown was the first President, Frank B. Chapman the second, and Silas Staples is the present President. James MeChesney is Clerk, and John MeNeider Deputy. The village is a quiet and orderly one. No licenses to sell liquors have usually been given. The

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HISTORY OF ST. CROIX COUNTY.

present year the hotels are granted licenses. The various branches of trade are well represented.

The Bank of New Richmond, organized in 1878 with a capital of $25,000, R. A. Guy, President : F. W. Bartlett, Vice President ; J. W. McCoy, Cashier ; W. T. Lambden, Assistant Cashier. The bank has a most excellent build- ing, with a stone vault, directors' parlor, watchman's room, and other conveniences. The deposits average $60,000, and the disbursements amount to $30,000 a day. It has a surplus of $7,000.

A new saw-mill near the depot has just been erected by L. Jacobs, John Glover and James Johnson. The firm have a large amount of lumber up the river, and in the mill will have a circular saw, a shingle and lath mill, as well as a planer. The railroad company is laying a spur- track to the mill.

There is an elevator at the depot which handles 125,000 bushels of wheat a year. A. R. Kibbie operates it.

Comstock, Clark & Co., of Hudson, also have an ele- vator near the river, and buy large amounts of grain.

L. Libby has a planing mill.

Thomas Porter manufactures carriages and wagons.

Peter Scherer does a general carriage and wagon manu- facturing business, and sells farm machinery.

The Methodist Episcopal denomination was quite early in the field, and has a good building and parsonage. Among those who have supplied and have been Pastors here were Revs. William Egbert, William Hamilton, T. M. Fullerton, Stout, Irish and Lake (under whose care the church was built), Havens, Mooney, Holt and II. W. Bush- nell, the present Pastor. The church was organized in 1863, while Rev. Chauncey Hobart was Presiding Elder.

Catholic .- Church of the Immaculate Conception. Serv- ices began on the first Sunday in April, 1880. A church edifice, venecred with brick, is now well under way. The size is 54x132 feet. It will cost $15,000. Rev. Dr. P. 1. DeParadis is the Pastor.

The Baptist Church was organized in 1859, but was suffered to subside. In 1868 it was re-organized by Elder Green, a State missionary. Harrison W. Stearns is now the Pastor, he also preaches at Roberts' Station. There are forty members.

Congregational .- This society was organized on Satur- day July 21, 1866, J. P. Bartlett, President. Rev. Mr. Wells organized the society with sixteen members. Since then, there have been several Pastors, among them W. W. Norton, J. H. Cameron, A. Livermore and E. P. Chitten- den. There are now sixty members, and the society has a good church edifice.

St. Thomas Episcopal Mission was established in 1867, by Rev. A. B. Peabody, Rev. II. Langlois, present mission- ary. The society has a lot but no church as yet. It has twenty members.

There are several fraternal societies in existence here. New Richmond Lodge, A., F. & A. M., No. 195, was in- stituted in 1874 with William II. Kent, M .; T. Seems, S. W. and J. L. Ruttey, J. W. The present officers are T. Johnson, M .; C. Seribner, S. W .; J. B. Hicks, J. W .; B. Powell, Secretary. A Chapter has been petitioned for.

New Richmond Lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 216, was insti- tuted December 5, 1873. The first officers were F. P. Chapman, S. N. Ilawkins. Alex Ross, T. W. Rowe. The present officers are L. C. Tatro, N. G .; J. F. Kenil, V. G .; F. G. Smith, Sec .; Th. Porter, P. S.

New Richmond Lodge, I. O. G. T., No. 89, was insti- tuted March 7, 1873, H. Pierce, W. C. T .; B. C. B. Fos- ter, W. V. T .; Alex C. Van Meter, W. S. A lodge was first established in 1865, but was suffered to lapse.

The Juvenile Temple was instituted in 1878, with M. S. Wells, Superintendent, George Carr, C. T .; E. W. Clapp, V. T .; Earl Dawley, Sec.

The Ladies' Temperance Union was organized in the spring of 1881, by the leading women of the village.

The Postmaster is M. J. Aldrich ; Assistant, Mrs. M. J. Aldrich. It is a money order office, and stamps are sold to the extent of $550 per quarter.

There is a daily mail stage line to Star Prairie, W. Fay, proprietor.

There are several hotels, among them The Nicolet, Cen- tral and Thompson's.

New Richmond has five or six physicians and as many lawyers.

The St. Croix Republican has been published by A. C. Van Meter since August 14, 1869. Mr. Charles Seymour being at first associated with him. It is in all respects a good newspaper.

In August, 1878, The Greenbacker was started in New Richmond, it was subsequently transformed into the New Richmond Democrat. It died of some infantile disease in the spring of 1881.

The Mechanical and Agricultural Association holds annual fairs, in which the people generally are interested. The officers are J. C. Salien, Pres .; O. W. Mosher, See .; F. J. Smith, Treas.

There is an active Hook and Ladder Company under the following officers : F. P. Chapman, Foreman; S. S. Covey, First Assistant; J. C. Salien, Second Assistant ; C. W. Jones, Secretary. This is a volunteer organization.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

FRANK P. CHAPMAN, lawyer, New Richmond ; was born in Starks, Somerset Co., Maine, Sept. 13, 1846 ; went to sea at 13 years of age. Was one of four brothers who served in the war of the rebellion. Entered the service at 14 in Co. F. 14th Maine V. I .; was in several engagements and was in the battle of Baton Rouge, and was mentioned in the general orders for bravery at that engagement. Was wounded, and returned home for a time ; re-enlisted in Co. K, 2d Maine V. C. Was promoted ; participated in several battles; was in the Red River expedition ; was captured by the enemy near Marianna, Fla., and was re-cap- tured while on his way to Andersonville ; served till the close of the war and was honorably discharged. Reecived Gov. Chamber- lain's testimonial for faithful service. Went to Lowell, Mass., and attended Commercial College; graduated at Eaton School. Taught high school in New Portland, Maine. Came to Wisconsin in the spring of 1870, and was principal of the New Richmond School three years ; Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the town of Star Prairie in 1871 ; Superintendent of Schools for St. Croix Co. for two terms, from 1874 to 1878. Was admitted to the bar in 1873 : has been Village Attorney since 1878. Was President of the village in 1880. Is now actively engaged in the practice of his profession.

REV. EZRA PORTER CHITTENDEN. Born in West- hrook, Conn., 1851. Descended from the pioneers of the Puritan colony. Is a son of Rev. Albert Chittenden. lle removed to Ripon in 1859. Remained until 1574, completing his course there that year. lle studied theology at Yale College, spending one year with the church in Vermont ; then went to Germany, and completed his education at the university in Borm. Returuing, eame to New Richmond and took charge of the First Congrega-

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tional Church in 1879, where he has since been. llis grand- father was Cornelius Chittenden, an acquaintance of George Washington lle was a farmer and lived on " Horse Hill," an eminence overlooking Long Island for a distance of three miles, where the subject of this sketch was boru. The grandfather died at the age of 94 years. Mr. C.'s father married Patience Lorrine Jones, of Westbrook, Conn .. to whom eight children were born, all now living. two sons elergymen, two lawyers, and one a mer- chant. When young, he studied for the Methodist ministry. During the anti-slavery movement, seceded from the church, and allied himself with the Wesley Methodist Church, of which he was Pastor for many years. In 1859, he changed his residence to Ripon, Wis., taking all his family excepting one son, who was then studying in Heidelberg, Germany. There being no Wesley Church in Ripon, he joined the Congregational Church. He bought a farm in the suburbs of Ripon, educating his children at the college there. Sold his estate in 1875, moving to Boulder, Colo., where he died. His son, Rev. A. J. Chittenden, took his place, and served for five years. Began attending college at Ripon at sixteen years of age, working vacations upon the farm, until twenty, when he began attending regularly. Ile graduated a classical student. He entered Yale Seminary in 1874. In the summer of 1875. was employed by the Maine Home Missionary Society doing work in Markesan. In 1876, was licensed to preach by the New Haven East Association for four years. Finished his studies successfully, and delivered an oration on the Peshito version of the New Testament, he having taken studies in Syriac, which enabled him to do it. He supplied a church in Vermont, and received a call from Barton Landing, and Brownington. Was ordained at Barton Landing Aug. 29, 1877. In August, 1878, preached his farewell sermon, and sailed for Glasgow from New York Sept. 14, 1878. lle went to Borm on the Rhine, on the 11th of October, where he remained ten months, studying German literature and philosophy. He returned to New York on the 10th of October, 1879.

REV. DR. P. A. DE PARADIS, Pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church of New Richmond and attached missions as far north as Burnett Co. Born in Rome in 1842; came to Amer- ica in 1878, and soon settled in New Richmond; commenced building a fine church, which is now nearly completed ; has built up a large society. He speaks seven different languages fluently ; is a gentleman of large experience and ripe culture, loved and respected by the whole town.

B. C. B. FOSTER, New Richmond. Born in October, 1815, in Somerset Co., Me .; came to Hudson in 1854, and to New Richmond in 1855, and located where he now lives, and put up the first saw- mill and first building, excepting the house or shanty in which he lived with his wife and two children, Laura and Iliram A .; theshanty in which he lived was the first one, except one, on the southwest cor- ner of his now beautiful lawn. Mr. Foster commeneed to build the dam for his mill on Willow River in July, and the following August commenced the saw-mill, which was completed and ready to run on the Ist of November, but for want of logs stood idle until spring. During the winter, he put teams in the woods, cut pine logs and floated them to his mill in spring, when he ran the mill himself, and furnished the lumber for most of the settlers who came to New Richmond and Erin Prairie, cutting the first season about three hundred thousand feet. The mill was an old-fashioned sash-gate ; he operated it eight or ten years, then sold it to Silas Staples. Mr. Foster entered at the land office seven forties, and purchased one of Mr. Russell at the same price, provided he would build a mill, taking a bond for a deed; at that time, his nearest neighbor was about a mile, and his next nearest neighbor was at Brown's Mills, a distance of about ten miles, with no roads sept prairie tracks. His house was open to all, and all found a friendly welcome under his hospitable roof until the L part of the present Nicollet Hotel was built in 1957. The first shanty was burned in October, 1858, and in one month from that time the house they now live in was completed and they moved in. In

1856, they employed Amanda Dayton, from New York, to come to the house and teach their children, which was the first school taught in the town. The second Sabbath after coming here, they held Sabbath-school in their house or shanty, led by a Mr. Lam- bert, which was the first Sabbath-school ever taught in the town. The first town meeting was held at his house; the first sermon that was ever preached in the town was at their house, by the Rev. Mr. Thayer ( Presbyterian ) from Hudson ; the first school meeting for the organization of the school districts-in fact, all the preliminary meetings were held at his house or shanty. Mrs. Foster ( Charlotte Gilman ) was born in Fairfield, Somerset Co., Me., in 1818; daughter of Samuel Gilman.

S. N. HAWKINS, who is the youngest child in a family of sixteen, twelve of whom lived to become men and women, was born in County Galway, Ireland, Dec. 26, 1846, and was removed by his parents while yet a mere child to America. where they set- tled in Connecticut, in the city of Meriden (then only a village), where they lived for several years, and where young Stephen first attended school and showed such an aptitude for learning as char- acterized his whole after life. His father, Lawrence Hawkins, who had a fine education, and his mother, Cecily Joyce. both belonged to highly respected families in their native land, and when that dire famine came in 1846, which scourged Ireland so fearfully, they were obliged to emigrate to America, where they could rear and educate their children in accordance with the ele- vated notions and dignity which their families always strove to maintain. After remaining in Connecticut for several years they moved to the growing and busy West. settling in Dane Co., Wis., not far from the city of Madison, where they settled upon a farm

and remained several years, till, as the family began to grow up and require something to do, and as their farm was only small, again they took up the line of march Westward. arriving in St. Croix Co., Wis .. June 4, 1855, where they pitched their tents upon a little eminence close by a dense forest, in what was after- ward called the town of Pleasant Valley, and which place was and still is, in 1881, known as the Hawkins Settlement. For many years they suffered many privations, no schools, no churches, no markets nearer than Prescott twenty-two miles distant, from which place they hauled their flour and other necessaries for sev- eral years. Settling as they did in the midst of' a dense thicket of black oak and poplar trees and underbrush, it was some time before they began to raise anything from the soil, and while there were many around and about them who were sending to their friends in the East and other places for assistance, and many, who, not able to stand the privations of a frontier life, were leav- ing in disgust and returning to their former homes; yet, although many times in want, and pinched with cold and hunger, the Haw- kins family braved the storm and are to-day among the well-to-do citizens of the St. Croix Valley. Stephen's mother having died when he was only seven years old, and being placed away in the Catholic cemetery in Madison, he was cared for by a kind and loving sister with whom he lived till fifteen years of age. Ilis chances for education in those pioneer days were very poor, and being far distant, three to four miles, from even the rudest school- house, our young hero might be seen with only a spelling book, reader, arithmetic and an ancient geography under one arm and his lunch under the other, fighting his way through the blinding snow and over the snow drifts, arriving at the schoolhouse many times as the last class in the forenoon were taking their places to recite : and thus he struggled through several winters, to procure an edn- cation in this way while he was nine, ten and eleven years of age. As for the summer schooling, he got none worthy of mention, as his people needed his services at home while they were felling trees, piling and burning brush and endeavoring to clear a farm. Whenever it was too blustery to go to school and he was allowed a short time from work, he would sit by the fire-place and study the old books which he had brought with him from Connecticut (they had no stoves in those days), and he would sit down on the stone flag by the side of the fire at night, and with his back to

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HISTORY OF ST. CROIX COUNTY.

the chimney, read those antiquated pages, some of which he now keeps in his library as a record of the by-gone days. At the age of fifteen years, he went forth into the world to make a living among strangers, working upon a farm in the summer-time and doing chores for his board in the winter and going to school. When only sixteen, he bought one half interest in a breaking team and worked at that one summer, sold his interest in the fall and again went to school during the winter ; the next season he went to Stillwater, Minn., and engaged to work in a saw mill where, from a common work-hand about the yard, he worked his way up through different gradations nutil he finally became one of the best lath-sawyers in the mill all in one season. As soon as the war broke out he enlisted, but being considered too young to stand the hardships of a soldier's life, his friends prevailed on him not to go ; this was before he left home. When only seventeen years of age, he made a trip to Milwaukee and engaged as a deck hand, on one of what was known as the Black Steamers, sailing between the cities of Milwaukee and Grand Haven, and had his comrades' health permitted he might have remained upon the boat and obtained a good situation, but not wishing to part from his friends he left the boat at Grand Haven and together they traveled in search of employment footsore and weary, over the sandy roads, and although he was offered employment several times as a lath-sawyer, he would not accept unless his two friends were employed also. When they did find employment in a saw- mill at Lake Muskegon, Mich., he rapidly rose from one place to another till at last he was installed as head sawyer in one of the largest mills on the lake, where he remained working faithfully eighteen hours a day, as there was a scarcity of help; he made every week's work eount nine days until he was taken sick with the ague and was obliged to quit and leave the place. When only eighteen years of age, one of his brothers died, and as all the rest of the family had enough to do in caring for their own families, he was selected to manage and settle up the estate which he did in an admirable and skillful manner, thus showing his financial ability at an early age. After settling up his brother's estate, and having by dint of perseverance and hard study ob- tained what education he could in the common schools. he, at the solicitation of such men as Prof. Weld and others, went to the academy at River Falls and fitted himself as a teacher. While at the academy, he won the esteem of his teachers and school- mates, and when it became necessary to select a person to deliver the farewell address at the close of the term, he was unanimously elected to the position by his classmates and the whole school, and when it was announced that he was to declaim Sheridan's Ride at the battle of Winchester, the schoolroom was packed to its ntmost capacity by the villagers, and even for a distance around. Sheridan's Ride was one of his favorite pieces. Before completing his studies as fully as he desired, the war still contin- uing and the demand for men being very great, he again enlisted, accompanied this time by his brother Peter, and they bade farewell to their friends and associates and started, as they supposed, for the seat of war, but this being in the spring of 1865, the war soon came to an end and they were honorably discharged and mustered out at Milwaukee, Wis .. and onee more returned to their homes in St. Croix. An incident occurred while in the army which serves to illustrate the generous disposition of our subject. A movement was made to have him Second Lieutenant of the company, but he declined on account of his youth and inexperience, and then the Captain informed him that he would give him a Corporal's berth, but again he declined in favor of his brother Peter who was older, saying, "I know if I remain here that I can fore> my way to the front, but you had better take this to start with." Afterward he again went into the lath- sawing business at Hudson, Wis, and in the fall of 1865, engaged as a raftsman, making a trip from Stillwater, Minn., to St. Louis, during which time he amused the crew by his speeches to such an extent that he was called by his comrades, Stephen A. Douglass and Phil Sheridan. Upon receiving his pay in St. Louis, he did not do as many of his comrades did. spend it foolishly in saloons.

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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