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 227

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 227

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because he had been tanght while young to respect topersue. and while others went their several ways to enjoy their carmines and lay up for the winter, he accepted a position as clerk on one of the large steamboats running between St. Louis and New Orleans, but on being told that it was very sickly there that sea- son, he changed his clerkship down the river for a position as a man of all work or "roust-about," as the boys call them, on a steamer going up the river, and soon got a position as deck hand and later as Third Clerk, at a salary of $100 per month, which be held till the boat laid up for the winter, after which he went to the city of Madison, visited his mother's grave, and after roam- ing over the old play-grounds of his childhood and viewing once more the old schoolhouse around which clustered so many pleasant associations, he turned his footsteps homeward once more, and in due time was receiving the hearty welcome of his aged father, to whom he always brought a present, however trifling, on each such occasion.

After coming home, he taught some of the hardest schools in St. Croix and Pierce Counties, always giving entire satisfaction to his patrons, many of whom gave him excellent testimonials expressive of their friendship toward him as a friend, a citizen, a scholar, and a successful teacher. At all of the teachers' associations, he was a leading spirit, and the teachers of' St. Croix County well know that he was ever ready to assist them on those occasions, and as a writer and debater he had but few equals. In 1869, he taught school in Iowa, after having spent some time in traveling through portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, whither he had gone to learn the ways of the world, and during his stay there was elected by his fellow-teach- ers as the president of the debating society in Dubuque County Iowa, over and in preference to older members, some of whom had been members of the lowa Legislature. After closing his school, he remained in the city of Dubuque in the office of M. H. Waples, County Physician, and studied medicine and surgery seven months, and the letters which he received from the doctor and the County Superintendent on his departure show the high esteem in which he was held by the people of the city of Du- buque. He also studied medicine and surgery with Dr. Oris Hoyt, of Hud-on. Wis., an old surgeon of the Mexican war, who stated that if he would continue he would make one of the best surgeons in the Northwest.

After leaving Dubuque, and before returning home again, he prepared a lecture upon his travels in Southern Iowa, and made a trip to Chicago, stopping at Galena, where he visited the resi- dence of Gen. Grant and ex-Minister E. B. Washburne, gather- ing as he went valuable seraps of information, an account of which he kept in a diary for the entertainment of his friends on his return home, and when in Chicago he delivered his lecture in several places to the laboring classes, and sought to induce them to move West and obtain homes for themselves, where they might be the employers instead of the employed, and thus did he labor at that early age to improve the condition of the laboring classes.

After being obliged to leave off his medical studies in Du- buque for want of funds, and after making the trip to Chicago, as above mentioned, he again returned to the St. Croix Valley. and engaged in teaching school at advancad prices, receiving then 862 per month, which was more than was paid in any other common school in the county. To illustrate the appreciation in which he was held as a teacher, we will mention only one instance out of many. After closing his school of five months, the electors assembled and, without a dissenting voice, agreed to give him an advance of $5 per month more than had been con- tracted for during the entire term. This was in the town of Troy. St. Croix County, Wis, He taught school two years in a Scandinavian settlement, and hence has many warm friends among that nationality ; taught five terms in Erin Prairie and Emerald among the Irish, and among whom he has many well- wishers; taught in Warren, St. Croix County, Wis., and in Dubuque County, lowa, in an exclusively American district, where he gave equal satisfaction to all concerned, and in 1872,

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

when the Principal of the Military Academy in Hudson, Wis., was called away to attend other duties as Superintendent of Schools for several weeks. Mr. Hawkins was selected as a proper person to preside over and take charge of the institution in a school which required a corps of four teachers, and acquitted himself creditably in the management thereof.

Ilaving. at the solicitation and advice of friends, abandoned the study of medicine, he now began the study of the law, and while engaged as a teacher his spare hours were devoted to its pages, but again his many friends persuaded him to embark in the mercantile trade, which he did in the spring of 1872. and con- tinued therein till 1876, a period of four years, during which time no merchant was ever more untiring in his labors than he, and had his management prevailed and counsel been followed, he and his partners would to-day, no doubt, be among the wealthiest merchants of the St. Croix Valley, but it was destined to be other- wise, and after striving eighteen months to keep up the financial credit of two mercantile houses of which he was a member, he was obliged to wind up his business, and when he did so, in May, 1875, there was a mortgage upon his homestead of over $2,700, and other outstanding indebtedness, making an aggregate of 81,900. Ile does not like to refer to his mercantile troubles, but if we are allowed to judge, we feel safe in saying it was no fault of his, for not only had he the confidence of the wholesale dealers with whom he traded, but the entire confidence and re- spect of the community in which he lived, having, during those years, been elected by the people of his village Director of the School Board, and once, twice, and even even three times ap- pointed and elected Town Clerk, on account of his aecuraey and faithfulness in keeping the records, and in 1875 was elected by a very large majority as Chairman of the Town Board of Super- visors. When there was a desperate struggle in the Legislature over the St. Croix Land Grant, in 1873, and his townsmen being interested. on account of having bonded the town, he was se- Jected as a proper person to go to Madison and guard, if possible. their interests, which he did, and his letter, prophesying the re- sult of the struggle in advance, was published in supplemental form and scattered throughout the county, and time has shown, even to those who were of a different opinion, the correctness of his position on that occasion.

In 1876, he again renewed his law studies, and, after a period of six months. he was admitted to the bar after passing a highly creditable examination. which elicited very flattering commenda- tions from such men as Col. J. C. Spooner and even Judge Humphrey, who was Presiding Judge, as they did not think it possible for a man to obtain such a knowledge of law in so short a time. While engaged as a merchant, in 1872, he married Mar- garet Ellen Early, a native of Allegany Co., N. Y., a young lady of eighteen summers, and by whom he has had four children, the akdest of whom -Arthur !. - died at the age of fourteen months; the other three are still living, and are fine, promising children- Frederick S., aged seven years, Robert V., aged five years, both of whom are attending school, and Camilla Cecily, a mere babe yet, constitute his family. After elosing the mercantile trade, his case sermed hopeless-a weakly wife, who was entirely unable to assist him ; business gone: credit ruined ; homestead mortgaged ; other debts hanging over him : popular feeling somewhat against him on account of his financial failure-all these combined to make "Jordan a very hard road to travel."

He is a brave and resolute man bold and fearless whenever he believes that he is right. One instance of many of a similar kind may be mentioned : When the country at large was over- run by what was popularly termed tramps, among other places the village of New Richmond, where Mr. Hawkins now makes his home, had its share, and that, too, in a rough who came in the Enise of a laborer, who, after getting drunk, went into the barber- -hop. snatched an open razor from the shelf. and went out upon the street uttering horrid imprecations, and entering the hotels nd other places of business, driving men and women and chil Tren before him in terror. The Constable, aided by two others,

sought to apprehend him, but in vain ; he slashed about him with the open razor, when they, too, fled in fear, when Hawkins, who was then Chairman of the town, seized the revolver held by one of the officer's assistants, and pursuing him into a hotel, whither he had gone to butcher its inmates, met him on the threshold of an inner door, and alone and unaided, held him at bay till assist- ance came who handcuffed him. For that act alone the people of New Richmond feel very grateful toward Mr. Hawkins; and when their village was incorporated, he was elected as the first Super- visor to represent the people. After commencing the practice of the law, he settled in New Richmond, where he met his financial troubles, and, as he said, " to retrieve his fortune where he had lost it, and restore himself again to the respect of the people. as his financial disaster was no fault of his." By close application to business, by careful and honest dealing with the people and hard work in his profession, he has to-day become one of the lead ing commercial lawyers of the Northwest, and has built up a col- lection practice second to none in the county; has paid off the mortgage upon his homestead ; paid all his other debts, and is in possession of flattering letters from all his former creditors; has moved from a small room close by a blacksmith shop, and for two years has occupied three elegant rooms as his office over the Bank of' New Richmond. and employs a clerk all the time and some- times two. He is an excellent presiding officer and a good par- liamentarian ; is an impulsive speaker and a fine orator ; has de- livered several Fourth of July orations, several effective temperance speeches, and, though not a pronounced Prohibitionist, yet he has for several years labored for the success of the temperance cause. He delivered the first address in New Richmond upon the anniver- sary of Odd Fellowship in America, of which lodge he was the first presiding officer in his village. In politics. he is now an In- dependent ; having been brought up in the school of the " Douglas Democracy," it seemed very hard to leave the old party, but when the Democrats sought to fasten the " fiat money " upon the people, and Gen. Bragg was hooted at by the Democracy for asserting his rights as a Union soldier, then Hawkins left his office and stumped the county, traveling night and day, speaking in every village hall and country schoolhouse ; and in a county that gave a Democratic majority of over four hundred, he, with the assistance of a few others who worked with him, changed the result to a majority of over four hundred the other way, Since that time he has acted with the Republican party, but claims, however, the privilege of voting for principles rather than party measures. IIe was tendered the appointment of Village Attorney, but declined on account of his large civil practice ; was also tendered the nomination of Dis- triet Attorney by the Republican Convention in 1881, but de- clined that, also, for similar reasons. Ile did consent, however, and did aet as Village Attorney during the absence of the regular attorney on a two months' visit to his friends in the East. He is now a member of nearly all the leading commercial mercantile and collecting associations in the country, and has the confidence and is the regular attorney for such firms as Seymour, Sabin & Co .. of Stillwater. Minn., St. Paul Harvester Works, Hoosier Drill Co., Milburn Wagou Co., and many others too numerous to mention. Ile is generous, too ; he gives of his earnings to all parties coming to him for relief; all the churches, societies and benevolent insti- tutions find in him a contributor, and on many occasions when poor people come to his office to draw up securities for obtaining seed wheat or the like, he has drawn the papers free of charge, and sent them on their way feeling better toward the legal profession. He would rather talk on philosophy than religious topics, although he entertains a very high respect for church organizations ; yet when pressed close upon the subject, he says " that his wife attends to the praying business for the family, and he attends to the law de- partment." He loves to tell of the pioneer days in St. Croix Co .; of the time when, only a boy, he was called upon to conduct the services at the grave of a neighbor's child, when there were no ministers in the country, and no priest nearer than Stillwater, Mint., of the hardships endured by those people in those early days, when the father used to see the wife putting the last loaf of

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HISTORY OF ST. CROIX COUNTY.

bread before the fire in a rude iron kettle to bake, not knowing where the next loaf was to come from ; of the families he saw who stripped the inner bark from the elm trees and mixed it with the pounded corn or corn ground in a coffee-mill; of the wives who swept their rude log huts and mud floors with a bunch of willows for a broom ; of the persons who burned a rag dipped in tallow or lard for light ; of the family who eried over the death of their only cow, which was their only support during the chilling blasts of spring, and many other such incidents, and then wind up by saying, " I saw all of that myself; it occurred in my day and generation, in what is now the flourishing valley of the St. Croix." Ile is a great lover of his home ; he never spends an evening away from his family unless on business, for his wife and children are very dear to him. A kind father and a loving husband ; a great lover of good order in the community in which he resides ; very systematie in his business, amounting almost to oddity ; desires to have everything in its own proper place ; he claims that his financial success as a lawyer is due mainly to his exactness in keep- ing papers and accounts in a systematic manner ; the order in his office resembles very much a banking system; and, upon the whole, we think that if he lives he is destimed to become a repre- sentative man in the State, as he is now and has been for many years a representative and influential man in St. Croix Co.

HENRY M. MURDOCK, M. D., was born in Antwerp, N. Y., in October, 1823; moved to Gunning and attended school until 15 years of age; moved to Pulaski, N. Y., is son of Dr. Hiram Murdock, with whom he studied medieine until 19, when he went to Castleton, Vt., and attended medical lectures, and grad- uated in May, at the age of 21 years ; left for Dexter, and practiced medicine for three years. Married during this time Miss Cornelia A. Sanford, daughter of Dr. Sanford ( from a family of doctors) ; moved to Pulaski and went into partnership with his father, and opened a drug store ; this he followed until 1854, when declining health obliged him to go West. He came to Stillwater and bought the drug store and business of Dr. Carli, where he re- mained until 1858; from there went to Taylor's Falls and prac- tieed medicine, and, the following year, started a drug store, and sold it ; in the spring of 1860, removed to Hudson, and formed a partnership with Dr. Hoyt, where he remained until the fall of 1861, when he took the position of Assistant Surgeon in the 8th Wisconsin, which he held until 1865. He suffered with typhoid fever, when in camp, for four weeks, when he joined his regiment at Ilaines' Bluff ; was at the siege of Vicksburg, and every three or four nights went into the trenches on guard duty ; was the first in the streets of Vicksburg after the surrender ; was in the battle of Yazoo City and Mechanicshurg, June 4, 1863. Came home on a furlough ; remained until October, when he returned to Vicksburg on the 28th following ; went from there to Memphis, remaining the winter at LaGrange and Salisbury. Was in the Red River expedition with Banks ; went with Gen. Smith and attacked Fort Derusy, the key to the Red River, in the night. and stormed the fort, taking three or four hundred prisoners June 18, 1864, appointed Brigade Surgeon, by order of Maj. Gen. A. J. Smith. August 4, went home on veteran furlough ; remained at home until Sept. 16, when he returned to Memphis ; took charge of convalescent camp until Nov. 17, 1864. Sept. 1, 1865, started for home, arriving at Madison, Wis., Sept 16; paid off and left for Taylor's Falls. Married, in the winter of 1865, to Capt. Allan's daughter, Sarah J. Moved to New Richmond in February, 1866, and practiced medicine for two years, when he hought out the business of Gibson, and the business kept increas- ing, obliging him from time to time to enlarge; this he sold four years ago last fall. On account of a disease contracted on the Yazoo River, he has been in the receipt of a pension, and is now retired from business, but with an eye on it all ; he owns a farm of 1,000 acres. He has two children-Cornelia A., Henry A .; Estell died in 1852, at Pulaski, N. Y. In the spring of 1849, started for the West, landing at Chicago, where, at that time, there was only ten miles of railroad from the town ; took a satchel, and, on foot, went to Janesville, Watertown, Oshkosh, and, not liking

the country. while in Chicago was offered about five acres of land with a shanty on it for $300, where now stands the most populous part of the city. When he started in life, had an old mare and a sulky, a box of medicine and $8 in money, and he located in Dex- ter. Wben in Taylor's Falls, walked twenty-six miles on foot to visit a siek patient too poor to buy a horse.

SILAS STAPLES, New Richmond. Born in Lisbon, Maine, Sept. 18, 1814; followed lumbering, and remained there for twenty-two years; he came to Hudson, Wis., in 1854, to take charge of the Willow River Mills ; he conducted this business for two or three years: in the fall of 1854, he bought a quarter in- terest in the mill at $20,000, including 5,000 acres on Willow River, which he explored and entered at the Land Office in Hud- son ; he eut about 2,000,000 feet a season, shipping it to St. Paul by team, Red Wing and Cannon Rivers; he sold his interest to Jewell & Bodie, of Brunswick, Me., for 855,000, and went to Hudson and went into the banking business, in 1856, where he remained for three years; in the fall of 1859-60 he moved to New Richmond, to where the Nicollet now stands; he remained one winter, and moved baek to Hudson in 1861, put up a shingle and lath mill in connection with his saw-mill, which he bought in 1860; in 1864, built the first flour-mill in the village of New Richmond, in Star Prairie. The first time he came to New Rich- mond there was not a soul in the place but himself and a Mr. Talbot, who came with him ; he completed his flour-mill in 1864, and ground his first grist October following; put in the first dam at Buekhart's Mill in 1863, for the purpose of driving logs at the falls ; in 1863, built two large dams at the head of Willow River, for driving logs ; continued lumbering on the river until the spring of 1868; that summer he lived in Lakeland, and. in the fall, went to Canada, building a new mill on Collins' Inlet, Georgian Bay ; this he managed for four years, returning to Hudson in 1872, and to a farm ; was also engaged in the mercantile business with Mr. M. S. Gibson, for three years; he sold his interest to Mr. Gibson, and went on to his farm, on Hudson Prairie, now the Isman place ; exchanged his farm in the spring of 1873, for the one-half of the mill property, and moved back to New Richmond ; he operated the mill that season, then sold his interest in October following, to S. W. Turner; in the summer of 1874, went to Stillwater, and took charge of his brother Isaac Staples' saw-mill; in 1875, moved to Elk River, Minn., on a farm; remained one season and returned to New Richmond, and has remained here ever since ; he settled his family and went to Jeweltown, and bought a half interest in the saw and grist mill; built an elevator in 1879 with a capac- ity of 20,000 bushels ; flour-mill capacity of 100 barrels per day ; the saw-mill, with a capacity of 2,000,000 feet; also a shingle and lath mill connected with the saw-mill. Married in 1837, to Miss Hannah Williams, of Bowdoinham, Me., who died in 1838. Married again in 1841, to Abigail Aan Rogers, of Oldtown, Me., who died in the spring of 1845. Married again in the fall of 1846, to Miss Nancy D. Gilman, who died in 1873. Married again to Mrs. Nancy B. JJamison, in the fall of 1874; has six children-Charles A .. Silas G., Nellie B., Nettie, Edward P. and Lizzie G.

CHARLES EDGAR SLEEPER, New Richmond; born in Batavia, N. Y .; came to Wisconsin and located in Janesville, in 1853, and opened an insurance office; he elerked in a jewelry store for four years; in 1862 he moved to St. Croix Co .; then went to Colorado for two years; spent one year in Wisconsin so- liciting; in 1862, came to Warren, St. Croix Co., and went to farming ; in 1863, went into the insurance business; in the fall of 1874, he moved to Hudson ; in 1878 came to New Richmond, and bought the City Hotel, where he has been ever since ; has conducted his farm all this time; also, the insurance business, until within one year.

HAMMOND.

This is a village in the town of the same name, on the railroad. It occupies an elevated position, giving a view of fields and farms for miles around. The whole town con-

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN

tains 1.418 inhabitants. The village has 416 inhabitants. It is a great point for the shipment of wheat, and for the distribution of agricultural implements. A Boston firm had secured the land upon which Hammond is built, but it was transferred to Mann. Ilammond & Co., in July, 1855. The town organization was effected in the fall of 1856. A. ti. Peab aly was the first Chairman, and R. G. Folger, Clerk. The first actual settlers were John Nelson and John Peabody, who came in 1855.

R. G. Felger and wife were the first couple married in the town. G. M. Street was the first school teacher.

The town was named in honor of R. B. Hammond, of Wau- kesha, who took all the school land certificates in the township.

Rev. George Spaulding and Rev. William Egbert were the first ministers, coming in the summer of 1856.

Luther Adams and Merritt Clark were early comers.

A pienic dinner was served on the Fourth of July, 1856, and before the company were out of sight the big gray wolves were contending for the fragments.

The village was incorporated in 1880. The first meet- ing of the Board was on the 22d of September. J. B. Fithian, President ; John II. Owen, Clerk. Officers elected in 1881, Ed. Gardiner, President; A. Jenness, Clerk. Total valuation of the village in 1881, 835,425.

Churches .- The Methodist Church was organized in 1857 by Rev. William Egbert, with twenty members. Lu- ther Adams was Class Leader.

Rev. Miles Lewis was the next Pastor. William Hamil- ton. Charles Irish, Rev. Mr. Russell, W. D. Atwater, I. W. Carr, A. L. Dexter and the present Pastor, William R. Irish, have been stationed here. The present church was erected in 1×74.

The present Congregational Church was organized in July, 1858. with fifteen members. The whole number to the present time being 139. There have been seven regu- lar ministers : Revs. George Spaulding, T. B. Hurlburt. J. W. Miller, M. A. Gould. O. L. Dowd, J. S. Norris and W. C. Hicks, now in his fifth year. In 1864 a parsonage was built, and the second floor was used as a meeting-house. The present edifice was completed in 1873, at a cost of 83.000. Mrs. S. Thayer presented a fine bell to the church. The membership is now fifty-nine.

Catholie .- The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Organized in 1866. by Rev. Father Verruyst, of Hudson. The present building is 40x80, and was constructed in 1877. There are 100 families who worship here. William White is the present Pastor.

There is an Odd Fellows' Lodge in the village, and Lodges of Temples of Honor and Good Templars.

John Thayer came in the spring of 1856; started a hotel. Ile was the first, and is still the Postmaster.

There are several manufacturing establishments, in a small way. Among them C. B. Norris, who manufactures carriages, wagons. sleighs and does repairing. A. Jennes, also a like business. Alexander Cummings and Remier Bros., blacksmithing. Amos Plumb. shoemaking. Ham- mond boasts of four doctors, and only one lawyer.

The tiardiner House is the leading hotel. There are the usual number of drug stores, hardware, furniture, gro- vory and general merchandise, etc.

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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