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 245

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 245

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN

following year, Joseph Fairchild! also settled on Sec- tion 14.

The town of Wilson was a precinct of Sheboygan until its organization, about 1846. The town takes its name from that of its first settler.

The first birth was a son to David Wilson, in 1843; first marriage, that of James R. Brown and Louisa Wilson, in 1844: first death, that of Waterman Jackson, in the fall of 1847.

The first school was taught in the winter of 1846-7, by Milo Chamberlain.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

LEVI GEORGE, farmer and fruit raiser, came to Wisconsin in April, 1850; located at Sheboygan Falls; was employed three years in a saw-mill; came to town of Wilson, Sheboygan Co., in 1853, and been engaged farming since, and also been engaged in fruit growing for past twelve years; owns 81 acres of land. Has been Treasurer for district school for six years, and has held various other school offices. Born in Hillsboro Co., N. H., Dec. 25, 1816, and, previous to coming to this State, was engaged in saw- mill. Married at Brownville, Jefferson Co., N. Y., in April, 1839, to Diana Worden, born in New York. They have five children-Marion P., Naney J. (now Mrs. Fuller), Eugene, Marcia and Eurana.

ALVIN WARNER, fisheries, came to Wisconsin in fall of 1863; located in town of Wilson, Sheboygan Co., and has been en- gaged in present business since. Ships some 10,000 pounds of fish per month. He was born in Jefferson Co., N. Y., Oct. 25, 1838; previous to coming to this State, was engaged farming and fishing in State of New York. Married in Jefferson Co., N. Y., in Sep- tember, 1859, to Caroline Austin, born in State Michigan. They have six children-Viola, Minnie, Netta, Lilly, Cyrus, William.

TOWN OF LYNDON.

The first white man to attempt to make a home in the town was Albert Rounseville, who, with his family, settled at Winooski, in the north part of the town, on the banks of the Onion River, in 1840. In the spring of 1841, he moved to Sheboygan Falls.

It was not until the summer of 1844 that the first perma- nent settlement was made. Three families came at that time. Dr. Joseph Mallory, from New York, settled upon rich burnt openings, on the Onion River. Thaddeus Har- mon, with his family, located by a spring in the northeast part of the town. Cyrus Webster, a pioneer from Massa- chusetts, settled in the southeast part of the town. During the two following years, there was a large influx of settlers. A number came from Ohio. Among those who came about this time were Ira and Truman Strong, William Thompson and the Shadbolt brothers.

The first death in town was that of Gilbert Lyman; the first marriage that of Charles Tyler and Ruth Smith, and the first birth that of a daughter to D. S. McIntyre, on Oct. 16, 1847.

The first mail route was established from Sheboygan Falls to "Spring Farms," with Albert Rounseville, on foot. for the weekly carrier.

The first election, under the precinct arrangement, was held in Mr. Shadbolt's log house. Elections and town meetings were afterward held in the cabin of Leonard Rood; they are now held at the village of Waldo.

The general surface of the town is uneven and rolling, but the soil has great fertility. and is skillfully cultivated. In the excellence of its farming lands, taken as a whole,

this town yields superiority to few. Dairy farming is the leading interest of the town, and its importance can be judged of, from the fact that there are nine cheese factories, which, at a moderate estimate, produce annually $75,000 worth of cheese. The entire population is 1,703, about equally divided between Germans, Americans and Irish. The town contains four important villages-Cascade, Waldo, Onion River and Winooski.

CASCADE.

This thriving village, of 250 inhabitants, was laid out and settled, in 1846, by James Preston and Rev. Hunting- ton Lyman. The present village plot of forty acres was surveyed and bought by them. A saw-mill and a number of houses were built the first year, and the village grew rapidly. A large number came from Canada and joined the settlement. A grist-mill was built, in 1848, by McIn- tosh & Noonan, on the site of the present Cascade mills. In 1856, the Forest mills were built, on the site of the saw- mill put up in 1846. Before the advent of railroads, the place was situated on the stage road, and was an important center for travel and Western trade.

A destructive fire, in the fall of 1866, blotted out the business portion of the village, and inflicted a blow upon its business interests, from which it has not yet recovered. The village has at present two hotels, one saloon, three dry goods and grocery stores, one drug store, one hardware store, three blacksmith-shops, one cheese factory, two grist- mills and three churches. The East Branch of the Milwau- kee River furnishes power to run the grist-mills. The Roman Catholic Church was built in 1854. The church of the United Brethren was built in 1872, and Rev. J. Frye is the Pastor. The German Lutheran Church was built in 1874, and has a membership of abont thirty.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

L. C. BARTLETT, druggist, Caseade. eame to Cascade in 1856; he was born in Jefferson Co., N. Y., April 10, 1835; remained there until of age. He was married April 10, 1856, to Miss Frances E. Reed ; she died in 1867, leaving one child ; he enlisted April 19, 1861, Co. G, 4th Wis. Vols. ; veteranized ; received the commission of 2d Lieutenant, and afterward that of 1st Lieutenant. His regiment was most of the time in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, and was the first to reaek New Orleans when it was taken. He was in seventeen engagements, besides skirmishes. In the fight at Port Hudson, his regement was very badly eut up; he reached home from the war July 2d. 1865. He was married in March, 1868, to Miss Melissa Thomas, of Scott ; he commeneed teaching at seventeen years of age, and continued to teach for many years, chiefly in Cascade and Batavia : also taught seleet school ; he was Town Superintendant of Schools under the old system, and has been Town Clerk and Supervisor of the town of Lyndon ; he commeneed the business of druggist in 1873, and deals also in books, groceries and millinery.

EDWARD HULEE, merchant, Caseade, was born in Gessen, Germany, Jan. 30, 1833, and was brought up in the mercantile business, having served a four years apprenticeship thereat ; he came to the United States in 1857, and located in Sheboygan, Wis., Sept. 12, of the same year ; elerked in a store at Sheboygan Falls in 1858, and May 25, 1859, came to Cascade; he clerked for I. R. Beae, and on June 24, 1864, commenced business for himself in a general stoek store, which business he has eon- tinued to the present time. Ile was married in 1868, to Miss Elizabeth Snyder, of Sheboygan. They have two children- Edward and William.

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HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY.

GOODWIN T. LOOMIS, physician and surgeon, Cascade, was born in Portage Co., O., March 23, 1847; he received his educational training in the academy at Atwater, O., and at Cold- water, Mich. ; and his professional training in the medical department of the University of Michigan, where he was gra- duated in the class of 1869. The same year he commeneed the practice of medicine at Merton, Waukesha, Co .. Wis., and in 1873, came to Cascade. He was married Oet. 31, 1873, to Miss Clara A. Ainsworth, of Merton, Wis. They have three children.

HON. WILLIAM NOLL, merchant, Caseade, came to Cas- eade in 1865, and engaged in the hardware business, and after- ward, in the manufacture and sale of dairy supplies ; he also deals largely in furniture, both at Caseade and at Sherman, where he has a branch store; he was born in Huebengen, Nassau, Ger- many, March 23, 1834; he came to the United States in 1851, and settled in Milwaukee ; removed to Kiel, Manitowoe Co., in 1859, thenee to Cascade in 1865. He was married Aug. 19. 1855, to Miss Catharine Ruppenthal, of Milwaukee ; she died July 26, 1866, leaving five children. Oct. 14. 1868, he was married to Miss Amelia Hinz, of Caseade ; he was elected Town Clerk of Lyndon in 1871, Supervisor in 1875, and member of the Assem- bly in 1876, for the second district, Sheboygan Co. ; he is Post- master at Cascade, having received his appointment Jan. 1, 1880.

WALDO.

Of the four principal villages in Lyndon, Waldo, with its population of 160, comes second in number of inhabit- ants and importance of business interests. Ten years ago, a single house was the only building in this thriving village, and the greater part of the village plat was black-ash swamp. The coming of the railroad, and the location of the depot at this point, gave the first impetus to the young village. In the spring of 1871, Harmon & McIntyre, both of them early settlers in the town, built a grain elevator near the station. In the course of the same year, T. Freihardt built the Wisconsin House, and John Jordan built the first store. In 1872, Henry Jordan had erected the "Jordan House," the second hotel to spring up in the village.

Dealing in grain and flour is the most important busi- ness, and thousands of dollars worth of these commodities are annually sent to markets elsewhere by the single firm of Harmon & McIntyre. There are two hotels for the enter- tainment of travelers, two dry-goods and grocery stores, a hardware store, wagon-shop, establishment for the manu- facture of hearses, furniture dealer, butcher, barber, drug- gist and tailor. There are two halls, which are used for public gatherings-Sibley's and Jordan's. The religious society of " Bible Christians " holds weekly meetings in Sib- ley's Hall. The post office was moved here from Onion River in April, 1878, and Mr. Lawson, the Postmaster, keeps it in his store.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

WM. T. ARMSTRONG, general merchandise store. Waldo ; was born in the town of Lima, Sept. 27, 1856; son of Wm. Arm- strong, who settled in Sheboygan County the same year the sub- ject of this sketch was born ; he received a common school educa- tion, and has sinee been engaged at teaching and farming, etc., until March, of 1881, when he was married to Miss Betsy A. Lawson, daughter of Robert Lawson, Sr., who settled in the town of Lyndon ; born in 1846, and died in March, 1877.

A. C. CHAMBERLIN & CO., manufacturers of hearses, Waldo; commenced the manufacture of hearses in 1878; Aaron Chamberlin, the senior member of the firm, was born March 26, 1811 ; his father, Moses Chamberlin, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war; he was married to Miss Samantha

B. Townsend, of Orono, Me., in October, 1832; moved to Lowell, Mass., in 1849; to Fox Lake, Dodge Co., Wis., in 1855, and to Sheboygan County in 1858 ; he was engaged several years in the furniture business, and then made a specialty of hearse- making ; he has had four children, only two of whom are living ; Miranda died in Lowell, Mass., and Henry (a member of Co. D, 8th Wis. Vols.) was killed in battle near Nashville, November, 1864 ; his two living sons served three years each in Co. H, 1st. Wis. Infantry-Albert C. enlisting in October, 1861, and Luther M. in August, 1862 ; Albert C. Chamberlain, the junior member of the firm, was born in Brighton, Somerset Co., Maine, June 17, 1845, and was married Oct. 21, 1880, to Mrs. S. E. Jones, of Plymouth, Sheboygan Co., Wis .; he is a member of " Waldo Lodge," No. 244. of the Good Templars.

H. CLAY HUMPHREY, cheese factory at Onion River, P. O. Waldo ; this factory was established in the year 1873, by A. Dye, and the subject of this sketch bought out the above firm ; when he first purchased the factory they were working up but 8,000 bs. of milk per day, but they have sinee increased it to 11,000 lbs., making now 1,000 lbs. of cheese daily, nearly all of which is shipped to Liverpool ; the subject of this sketch was born in the town of Lima, Sheboygan Co., Wis., Dec. 18, 1847 ; H. Clay was married in 1879 to Miss Annie Evans, of Sheboy- gan, he having been edueated at Lawrence University, Appleton, and graduated in 1869; Mr. Humphrey's factory is next to the largest in the county, and the sale of cheese for 1881 will amount to over $20,000.

ROBERT W. LAWSON, merchant, Waldo; was born in Lincolnshire, Eng., Aug. 19, 1845 ; his father, Robert Lawson, eame to the United States and settled in the town of Lyndon, Sheboygan Co .. Wis., in 1846, where he lived until his death in March, 1877 ; his mother, Mrs. Ann ( Auckland ) Lawson, is still living in Waldo, with her youngest daughter ; they have ten chil- dren, all living-Thomas, George, Charles, Abraham, Robert W., Eliza (Mrs. MeCain ), Caroline ( Mrs. Fairweather), Mary Ann (Mrs. Lee), Emma ( Mrs. Sharpe), and Betsey ( Mrs. Armstrong). Robert W. was married April 20, 1876, to Miss Isadora T. Pad- dock, of Lyndon, formerly of Rochester, N. Y. ; he commeneed business as a merchant in 1873, and was appointed Postmaster at Waldo in April, 1877, a position he still holds.

LEVI H. PELTON, M. D., Waldo; was born in the town of Lyndon, Sheboygan Co., Wis., July 10, 1848 ; his father, Rus- sel Pelton, moved from Trumbull Co., Ohio, to Lyndon, Sheboy- gan Co., Wis., in 1846, and has resided here ever since, on the same farm he selected when he came ; his son, Levi H., received most of his professional education at the Rush Medical College, at Chicago, but was graduated in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College in 1873; he practiced three years at St. Cloud, Fond du Lac Co., and at Waldo since 1876; he was married July 23, 1873, to Miss Kate Ellen Brown, of Plymouth, Wis. ; she died May 13, 1880.

HENRY J. ROBINSON, farmer, See. 25; P. O. Waldo; was born in the State of New York, Sept. 28, 1824; son of Noah and Huld Robinson, who came to Wisconsin in 1847, and settled in the town of Sherman, Sheboygan Co. ; the latter died Sept. 18, 1860 ; the former died, February, 1879, the subject of this sketeh remaining on the home farm until 1853; then bought a farm for himself, and, in 1855, was married to Miss Mary E. Baldwin, daughter of Eliarda and Susan Baldwin, who were among the first settlers in the town of Sherman, from New York, by whom he has one son-Eliarda B. Henry J.'s parents were very poor when they settled in Wisconsin, the subject of this sketeh and his brother ehopping cordwood for 50 cents per cord, and only receiving one-fouth eash, the balance in provisions, etc.

ONION RIVER.

The first white person to permanently settle within the village limits was H. L. Hutchinson, who, with his family,

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

located here in June, 1846. It was some time later that a saw-mill was built on the valuable water privilege which the Onion River furnishes at this point. A post office was established about the year 1852, but after twenty-five years it was removed to Waldo in 1878. The large and con- venient grist-mill of Harmon & MeIntyre was built in 1854. The mill is entirely employed in merchant business. and is worked to the extent of its capacity for production.

The Methodist Church is a finely-proportioned brick edifice, and was erected in the summer of 1870. Rev. Mr. Cook offieiates as Pastor.

The present store building was built in 1871, on the site of one previously burned.

One of the leading enterprises of the village is the manufacture of cheese, and the conveniently arranged fac- tory of H. C. Humphrey, built in 1874, is exceeded in quantity of production by only one factory in the county- that of F. A. Streblow, at Plymouth. This factory takes the milk of about 450 cows and makes fifteen cheeses per day. The yearly production amounts to about 216,000 pounds, or 820,000 worth.

In addition to the business enterprises already men- tioned, there are in the village a wagon-shop, blacksmith- shop and two hotels.

The population of the village is about eighty.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

WENTWORTH BARBER, farmer, See. 25, P. O. Wal- do ; was born in Franklin Co., Vermont, on Dee. 18, 1819; he followed farming in his native State until 1840, when he came West to Wisconsin, loeating in Sheboygan County, where he fol- lowed the lumbering business for four years, and then moved to the town of Lyndon, where he entered some land, and has re- mained there engaged at farming ever since ; when the subject of this sketch moved to Lyndon there were only five other families in the town.

ANDREW J. WIIIFFEN, merchant at Onion River ; P. O. Waldo; was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., March 4, 1845. His parents, William and Mary Whiffen, were formerly from England, and moved West, to Sheboygan Co., Wis., the same year that the subject of this sketch was born. Here they purchased a farm from the Government. and their son, Andrew J., worked at home. on the farm, until 1869, with the exception of six months, which he spent in Chicago. In 1869, he removed to Onion River, where he started a store, remaining there ever since. He was appointed Postmaster. holding that office until 1877, when the office was moved to Waldo. Mr. Whiffen was married, March 4, 1880, to Miss Viola Mead, of Onion River.

VILLAGE OF WINOOSKI.

This pleasant little village is situated on the Onion River in the midst of the farming region in the northern part of the town. The first settlement was made in 1848, and the village now contains a store, post office, grist-mill and cheese factory. The census of 1880 found the popula- tion of the village to number fifty-six.

TOWN OF SHERMAN.

Sherman is the middle town of the southernmost tier of towns in the county, Holland being between it and Lake Michigan on the east, and Scott separating it from Fond du Lac County on the west. Numerous tributaries of the Milwaukee River serve for irrigation. Random Lake is the only considerable body of water in the town. The town is

largely agricultural, and raising of gram is the leading branch of farming followed. Dairy farming, however, is carried on to a considerable extent, and there are seven cheese fictories in successful operation.

The first settlement was made in 1846, on Section 10, in the north part of the town, by J. V. Bassett, a native of New York. In the two following years, a large number of people took up their residence here. Among others, were the Abbotts, S. W. Bradley. J. E. Mitchell, James Kin- seler, M. Schrantz (still living at the age of ninety) and the Zeingler family.

The town was organized in 1849 under the name of Scott. In the following year, the township was divided, the western half retaining the name Scott, and the eastern half taking the name of Abbott. This name was retained for fifteen years, till in 1865 it was changed to the present name of Sherman.

RANDOM LAKE.

This village is situated at the extreme south of the town, on the west side of a lake of the same name, and on the line of the Wisconsin Central Railroad. The first set- tlement at the present village was made by J. P. Carroll, who came here in 1848. The location of a railroad station here in 1870 was the signal for the formation of the village. The first building put up was the depot. This was shortly followed by the present post office building, the Union House and a house for the station agent. The completion of a successful village was now assured. Growth has been constant and rapid, and the population is now 260.

The village has a public school, three hotels, one livery stable, one lumber-yard, one saloon, one wagon-shop and two blacksmith-shops. John Stimminger does a large business in the manufacture and sale of household furniture. A large trade in farm machinery has been built up in this and adjoining towns by M. O'Grady. He is estimated to do a business of $75,000 a year. Three grain warehouses take the grain of the surrounding region, and are owned by D. S. Bagley, of Plymouth, R. D. Butler and N. C. Oswald. There are five large ice-houses near the village, owned by Milwaukee parties, from which ice is shipped to that city.

The village was first named Greenleaf. in honor of E. D. Greenleaf, the financial agent of the railroad, but was changed in a few months to the present name.

The Sherman House was burned on April 2, 1881, and the building, valued at $2,500, was a total loss.

The officers of the town for the present year are : Supervisors, James White, John Marshall and Charles Stra- dell ; Clerk, Frederick Melcher; Assessor, J. F. Morrol ; Justices of the Peace, W. II. Foley and J. P. Carrol.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

R. D. BUTLER, dealer in grain, lumber, etc .. Random Lake ; is the son of Comchin Butler, who came to Milwaukee in 1838. where he ran a boot and shoe store for two years, but not liking the business he sold out, and, in 1840, moved to Granville, where he bought a half section of land, on which he lived for two years, but. eoneluding to go North, he again sold out and started for Sheboygan County. Shortly after crossing the line of Ozankee County, he came to a beautiful lake Isinee named Random Lake , and, being very much pleased with the situation, he concluded to make his home there. He at once purchased 600 acres of land from the Government, and built him a log shanty, into which he moved his family, the inhabitants around him being all Indians,

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HISTORY OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY.

and here he reared a family of six boys aud four girls. He kept selling off his land from time to time, at a small profit, till there is now but 120 acres left, which his son, R. D. Butler, keeps in successful operation. He remained at home, with his father, until twenty years old, when he spent two years looking around the country, and then returned home and took charge of his father's farm, and, in 1874, bought the grain and lumber business of Albert Gistrand, at Random Lake, where he now does a successful business.

JOHN P. CARROLL, hotel-keeper and farmer, Random Lake, was born in Ireland March 7, 1820. After living there until eighteen years old, he came to the United States in May, 1838, first living in Rhode Island, where he was engaged in the Cranston Print Factory. After continuing in this employment until 1848, he moved to the State of Wisconsin, settling in the town of Sherman, Sheboygan Co., on a farm, where he resided until 1875, at which time he removed to the village of Random Lake, having four years previous to this time started a lumber yard there, which was the first one in the village. Mr. Carroll has held several local offices in his town, having been Justice of ths Peace since 1849, Town Treasurer for five years, and Assessor one year ; has also been Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and was one of the organizing members of the Catholic Church there in 1852, being the first man to start the village of Random Lake. He was married, Feb. 13, 1850, to Miss Teresa Mooney, who was born in Lancashire, England, and by whom he has seven children, three sons and four daughters.

WILLIAM H. FOLEY, of the firm of Foley & Oswald, general merchants and grain dealers, Random Lake; was born in New York State, on the 18th of March, 1842; came West, with his parents, in 1844, locating in New Hartford, Washington Co., on a farm which his father, William Foley, purchased from the Government. Here the subject of this sketeh remained until June, of 1874, when he came to Random Lake, Sheboygan Co., where he opened a store, it being the first one in the village. Mr. Foley and his partner, John Murphy, continned to run it for five years, when the latter retired and Mr. Oswald took his place, their mercantile business amounting to about $15,000 per annum; they also handle grain and produce. Mr. Foley is Notary Public, and, also Justice of the Peace, aud was married, in Washington County, Oct. 15, 1872, to Ellen Murphy.

NICHOLAS C. OSWALD, of the firm of Foley & Oswald, merchants, and proprietor of the Union House, Random Lake ; was born in Germany, in February, 1843. He came to the United States, with his parents, Dominick and Francis Oswald, in the year 1850, locating in the town of Belgium, Ozaukee Co., Wis. Here the subject of this sketch first started to work by the month, and afterward farmed for himself until 1871, when he moved to Random Lake and started the first hotel in the village, which he is still running. Mr. Oswald is also engaged in the farm machinery business, with Mat Frederick, and started to build the first house in the village, excepting the railroad building, it being destroyed by fire the same year. He was married, in Ozau- kee County. in 1866, to Miss Elizabeth Hanson.

SHERMAN STATION.

Sherman Station is situated on Section 2, at the extreme north of the town. A post office, two stores, blacksmith-shop, hotel and about fifteen houses, make the greater part of the village. A Roman Catholic Church is situated about two miles east of the village.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

DANIEL STEUERWALD, proprietor of American, Hotel, and dealer in groceries and lumber, Sherman Station, P. O. Odell, was born in Germany March 30, 1840 ; came to the United

States with his parents in 1842, settling first in New York State, where they lived for a short time, then going West to Wisconsin, locating in Milwaukee in 1844, and in 1846 moved on a farm in Washington Co. In 1856 Daniel went to Michigan, and in 1857 went South, returning in 1859 to Wisconsin. He then started to farming, which he followed until 1862, when he enlisted in the late war in Co. G, 26th W. V. I., serving for two years and nine months. Then he returned home and rented his farm, at the same time buying a grist-mill, and in 1874 went to Saukville, where he bought a saw-mill, which he operated until 1877, when he came to Sherman and started the hotel of which he is now pro- prietor. He was married in 1860 in Milwaukee, to Margaret Bloss, by whom he had two children and who died Oct. 15, 1867: was married to his second wife, Miss Emma Burns, of Wash- ington Co., Ang. 21, 1868.

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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