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 254

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 254

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WILLIAM SIEWERT, miller and farmer, Sec. 5; P. O. Trempealean ; was born in Germany, Oct. 4, 1832. He came to the United States in 1852, first settling in Dodge Co., Wis., where he run a mill for eleven years. After this he came to Trempea- leau County and bought the farm on which he now lives. He purchased his mill from Chauncey Payne; this mill having been erected by Payne & Halcomb in 1867, and situated on the Big Tamarack Creek. He was married in 1861, in Dodge County, his wife also being a native of Germany ; they have seven children living-Julius, Charles, Louisa, William, Max, Matilda and Min- nie. They have lost two children, August and Albert.

EDWARD N. TROWBRIDGE, Town Clerk, insurance and general collecting agent, Trempealeau, was born in Meadville, Penn., Dec. 25, 1834. He is the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Trowbridge and came with them to the West, first settling at Ona- laska, Wis., where they lived until the spring of 1856, when they moved to Trempealeau County, on a farm. The subject of this sketch lived on the homestead until the breaking-out of the war. His father was killed by falling from a barn, and his mother was killed by a horse running away Oct. 1, 1859. In 1861, Mr. Trowbridge enlisted, serving for three years and six months in the 1st Wis. Light Artillery, in the Army of the Tennessee. When discharged, he returned to the old homestead and farmed until 1867, when he moved into the village of Trempealeau and taught school until 1873. lle then went in company with J. M. Bar- nett in the merchandise business, and in 1879, opened the office of insurance and collecting agent, which he has followed ever since. He was elected to the office of Town Clerk in 1876, holding the office since that time. Has been a member of the Baptist Church at Trempealeau since its organization.

DANIEL C. WASON, farmer, Sec. 34; P. O. Centerville ; was born in Washington Co., N. Y., Dec. 14. 1833, and came to Wisconsin in 1856, living in the village of Trempealeau for one year. In 1864, bought a farm, which was the one where he now lives. He has held the office of Town Supervisor for seven years. He was married. Sept. 28, 1861, to Rachael MeDanah. They have three children-Alma E., Charles C. and George H.

HOLLISTER WRIGHIT, farmer, Sec. 33; P. O. Center- ville; was born in Lower Canada, Nov. 11, 1823. IIis father, Maj. Wright, moved to the northern part of Ohio when the sub- ject of this sketch was only twelve years of age, remaining there until he died, which was in the year 1844. the mother also dying about the same time Soon after their deaths, Hollister, in com- pany with his brother. Rev. E. N. Wright, now of Waupaca, started West to find new homes for themselves, first locating in the town of Burnett, Dodge Co., Wis., where he pre-empted a claim from the Government, on which he lived until 1854. when he moved to Trempealeau Co .. and settled on his present farm, being the first resident in that vicinity with the exception of Mr. Lee. He first erected a small board shanty, a few rods south of his present residence, in which he lived four years. There used to be an Indian trail running across his farm from the Trempealeau mounds on the Mississippi to the Big Tamarack, which was a regular camping ground for the Winnebago Indians. There are

a number of mounds a little north of Mr. Wright's house, of which we have seen descriptions as occurring in other parts of the State being of an oval shape Q. He made an excavation in one about. the year 1860, resulting in the finding of some human bones, such as the skull, jaw bones, teeth and thigh bone. He well remembers the deep snow of the winter of 1856-57, when the roads were blockaded. and there was but one track from his section of the country to Trempealeau ; also the Indian scare of 1862, when the neighbors all gathered together to defend themselves, though, fort- unately, there were no Indians forthcoming. Mr. Wright has been County Treasurer of Trempealeau, also one of the Town Board of Trempealeau ; is also connected with the Methodist Church at Centerville, having been a liberal contributor and faith- ful worker since he embraced that cause.

TOWN OF CALEDONIA.

This town, although one of the smallest in size in the county, is rich and fertile. It is noted for the enterprise, and intelligence of the farmers who compose its popu- lation. The post office of Scotia is on Section 7; but the nearness of Trempealeau makes that the market town. The name indicates the Scottish origin of the originators. They came from the Bonnie Land.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

PHINEAS R. BAGLEY, farmer, town of Caledonia, P. O. Trempealeau, is a native of New York State, having been born there, Dec. 27, 1816 ; he came West in 1856, settling in the town of Caledonia, and have owned eleven different farms. finally settling down on his present one in 1879. He was married in 1836, in Pennsylvania, to Phebe Williams, and they have had six children, only one of whom is living-Jalia E., now Mrs. E. Ladd Two of his sons were soldiers in the late war-Alvah. who enlisted in the 36th Wis .. Vol. Infty., Co. I ; died in the Salisbury prison, and James, being in the same company and regiment, died in the Andersonville prison.

BOSTWICK BEARDSLEY, farmer, Sec. 29, P. O. Trempe- aleau, was born in New York, July 11, 1813; came to Wisconsin in 1835, and took up a farm from the Government in the town of Mount Pleasant, Racine Co., which he improved and lived on until 1854; he then came to Trempealeau Co., and settled on the farm where he now lives, which he bought from the Government ; he owns 380 acres. There are a number of Indian mounds on the place ; he has been Town Supervisor of Caledonia, a number of terms, also Justice of the Peace for four years. Was married Dec. 7, 1841, in Raeine Co , to Miss Mary Fowler, who is a na- tive of Pennsylvania. They have seven children living-Oscar E., Lirra A., Elam, Hulvah, Otto, Rebaea MI. and May. They have lost two sons, who were killed while serving in the late war.

FREDERICK BELTZ, farmer, See. 13, P. O. Trempealeau, was born in Germany, Oet. 9, 1827; left his native country in 1850, and came to America, stopping in the city of Buffalo, N. Y., where he worked on a farm near there, for seven years. Was there married to Wilhelmina Schanborn, who was also a native of Germany ; in 1857, moved to Ohio, where he was engaged in the dairy business for nine years, afterward, coming to Trempealeau Co., where he bought the farm on which he now lives ; he has twice lost all his buildings by fire, since he came here ; also buggy. wagon, and his farm machinery. Mr. Beltz has been School Di- rector in his township, for two years, and has a family of seven children-Amelia. Frederick A .. Will, John, Peter, Clara and Morris.

CAPT. DARIUS D. CHAPPELL, farmer, Sec. 8, P. (). Scotia, was born in Warren Co .. Pennsylvania, Dec. 8, 1833 ; came to Wisconsin in the year 1834; he first worked at his trade ( carpentering, in Walworth Co .. for a time : then went to Trempea- lean Co .; returning to the former place in the spring of 1857,

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

whiny he was married to Miss Caroline Fowler, daughter of Benj. Fowler, who settled in Racine Co. in 1836. After his marriage, the subject of this sketch returned to Trempealeau Co., in the fall of 1860, settling on a farm, and making his home there ever sinee : he enlisted in Angust, 1862, being mustered in as Lieuten- ant of Co. C. 30th Wis. Vol. Inft .; was promoted to Captain in in April, 1865. After serviog until the elose of the war, he re. turned to his home, and has since been engaged at improving his farm ; he is a member of the Galesville Grange, and also of the Decora Farmers' Alliance, at the same place.

GILBERT O. McGILORAY, farmer and ferryman, P. O. Trempealean ; was born in the Village of Trempealeau, Nov. 10, 1-53. being the youngest son of Alex. and Catherine MeGiloray, who came to Trempealeau in 1852. In 1854 his father started a ferry across the Black River. which ferry has ever since been known by his name, and is situated twelve miles from the mouth of the river. The subject of this sketch is said to be the first white male child born in Trempealean County. He now runs the ferry which his father established, and also runs the same farm, an his. torical place situated on the road, over which all the early settlers used to haul their grain to La Crosse. Mr. McGiloray is now Jus- tice of the Peace. He was married Feb. 28, 1877, to Miss O. L. Camp. of Trempealeau County, by whom he has two children- Georgia and Collin H.

LORIN W. OLDS, farmer, Sec. 8, P. O. Trempealeau ; was born in New York. March 7. 1838. In 1854 he came to Wis- consin and settled on the farm on which he now lives ; was out in the big snow storm of 1856 and 1857. He enlisted in the fall of 1861, in Co. D, 8th Mo. Vol. Infantry. serving for nine months, and was then discharged on account of disabilities. He returned to his farm and was married in 1865 to Miss Nancy D. Compton, who was born in Pennsylvania. They are members of the M. E. Church at Galesville. Mr. Olds is also a member of the Burr Oak Grange. No. 280.

CHARLES PICKERING, farmer, See. 9, P. O. Trempea- leau ; was born in England. Dec. 17, 1830 ; eame to Wisconsin with his parents in the spring of 1847, where they first located in Columbia County, his father buying a farm with an English Colony. Here they lived for two years, and then sold out, going from there to Fort Winnebago: In November, 1851, the subject of this sketch eamne to Trempealeau County, remaining until 1853; thenee going to Dodge County, where he was married in 1855 to Miss Lucy Bright, who is also a native of England ; returned to Trempealeau County the same year, buying a farm in the town of Caledonia, and became possessed of his present farm in 1857. which consists of ninety acres under cultivation, and some timber land. Mr. Pickering is Chairman of the Town Board of Cale- donia and also Assessor ; has been Justice of the Peace for two years. ITis family consists of four children, Aon E., George W., Phebe J. and Mary ; the oldest daughter who is married, being now Mrs. C. A. Buzbee, of Trempealeau.

JOSHUA RHODES. farmer, See. 12, P. O. Scotia ; was born in Yorkshire, England ; caule to America with his parents in 1842. and settled in Kenosha Co., Wis., where his father bought land from the Government. In 1850, the subject of this sketch went to Marquette County, where he took up a farm for himself on a land warrant which his father had given him. There he re- mained until 1853, when he removed to Trempealean County and bought the farm on which he still lives. Ile built a small log hut 10x12, and lived a pioneer's life, in company with Wm. IJanson. for one year, then one year by himself, and in 1857 was married to Miss Susan E. Stephens. Mr. Rhodes believes in the old motto, " as you begin so will you live," as before starting to get married he laid the fire already to kindle, thinking he would start right by having his wife light it when they came home. But while they were getting married, some of the neighbors took out the dry kindling and filled the stove with ice and wet shav- ugs. On their arrival, as Mrs. Rhodes could not light the fire, he was obliged to do it himself, and they never found ont who

played the joke on them until twenty years afterward, when they were one evening taking tea with some of their neighbors, who told them of it. Mrs. Rhodes taught the first school in the town of Caledonia in Distriet No. 2. Mr. Rhodes has been Chairman of the Town Board for ten years and Treasurer for four years. Is at present writing President of the Trempealcau County Agri- cultural Society, having held that position four years, and is also Treasurer of the Deeora Farmers' Alliance at Galesville, having been Master of the Grange ever since its organization.

JONATHAN RAMSDEN, farmer, See. 12, P. O. Seotia : was born in Yorkshire, England. April 18, 1822 ; eame to Amer- iea in 1842, landing at Raeine, May 25 ; there bis parents died in the year 1847. The subject of this sketch was married to Eliza- beth Dixon, who was born in England; and remained in Raeine County farming until 1854, at which time he moved to Trempea- leau County, having entered land there from the Government, in October, 1853; he has been a member of the town board of Cal- edonia, and in 1856, was Town Clerk ; at that time took the een- sus in his town, which consisted of what is now Trempealeau, Dodge and Caledonia, there being only a population of 600. Mr. Ramsden has often stood in his front door and shot prairie chickens. One day, while in the garden working, he saw a chieken running along near him, as he had nothing else to kill it with, he picked up a cucumber and threw it, killing the bird.

WILLIAM J. SUTTIE, farmer; Sec. 9, P. O. Trempea- leau ; was born in Scotland. Nov. 11, 1834; came with his par- ents to the United States when eighteen months old, living with them in New York until 1841. when they moved to Michigan ; here the subject of this sketeh remained until 1856, when he came to Trempealeau County, and after staying here a short time, went back to Michigan, where he was married in 1859, to Eliza J. Weston. who was born in Michigan, and was a daughter of Jesse and Hester Weston, of that State; after his marriage, he came to Trempealeau County, where he settled on a farm near his present one. Ilis wife died May 22, 1873, leaving four children -Charles A., Elliva, Willard and Willis, the latter being twins. Mr. Suttie has been Town Supervisor of Caledonia and Justice of the Peace.

REV. DAVID WING, farmer ; See. 28. P. O. Trempealeau ; was born at Cape Cod, Mass., June 21. 1810; he was first or- dained as Deacon in the M. E. Church at Rochester, N. Y., by Bishop Heading, and there labored in the cause of Christianity until 1845, when he came to Ilinois, being there ordained as Elder at Chicago, by Bishop Waugh, in the year 1846, and first came to Wisconsin as a missionary under Father Bruns, in 1854, being located at Trempealcau but traveling in Minnesota ; he has been a laborer in the cause of Christ for over fifty years, being as firm in his belief now as he was at first. In 1873, the subject of this sketeh retired from active service in the church, and settled on his farm as a permanent home. Mr. Wing was married to his first wife. Jane Lobdell, in Madison Co., N. Y. in the year 1832. She had five children all of whom are now dead, and she also died in 1853. IIe was married the second time to Lorinda Richard- son of Winnebago Co., Ill., who also had five children, all of whom are living.

ARCADIA.

Arcadia, which has become, through the enterprise and intelligence of its citizens, the most populous and prosper- ous village in the county, a station on the Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad, whence immense shipments of grain and other produce are annually made, is located on Trein- pealeau River in the western portion of Arcadia Township.

The date of its first occupation by the white man is not on record, but the first overtures that were made in this vicinity toward establishing a settlement were made in 1855. On October 1 of that year, Noah D. Comstock, from Tip- pecanoe County, Ind., accompanied by James Broughton,

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1053

HISTORY OF TREMPEALEAU COUNTY.

George Shelley and George D. Dewey, of Dodge County, also Collins Bishop, of Buffalo County, Wis., visited this portion of the State with a view to locating, building a mill and founding a town. They were all men of experience, energy and character, and, on the 8th of October, entered lands which have since, in part, become crystallized into the village of Arcadia. The same fall, Broughton erected a rough, almost uninhabitable, cabin near the present resi- dence of Collins Bishop, and upon the completion of this work the entire party returned whence it came.

On the 23d of March following, Mr. Comstock started upon his return trip to Wisconsin, making the journey up the Mississippi River (which was still frozen solid) on foot. After encountering considerable embargoes, and narrowly escaping drowning on one or more occasions by falling through the ice, he reached Fountain City, and thence continued to Arcadia. During February previous, the remainder of the party arrived here, and during the latter part of March Mrs. David Bishop, who is still a resi- dent of the village and is known as Mrs. Mercer, settled at her present home, the first white lady to visit the township to remain permanently. Later came the families of James Broughton and George Shelley, and in July, 1856, that of Collins Bishop. All had made such improvements as were necessary to the accommodation of these accessions to the body politic, and this was the foundation of "Old Arcadia," or " Arcadia on the Hill," to distinguish the old village from its youthful but ambitious rival "under the hill," which has grown into prominence since the railroad was completed.

During this year, the town of Preston was organized by the County Board, of which the present Arcadia was a large proportion. Later in the same year the same authority set off present Arcadia from the west half of the town of Pres- ton, adding thereto a portion of the town of Trempealean, and what had been previously known as " Bishop's Settle- ment " was re-named, at the suggestion of Mrs. David Bishop, Arcadia, under which musical substitute it has since been identified as an integer in the make-up of Trem- pealeau County.

Beyond those mentioned, it is hardly to be believed that any additions were made to the limited population then in possession. Days came and went with the charming regu- larity peculiar to new settlements, summer graduated into fall and fall yielded precedence to winter. In the meantime farms had been laid out and surveyed, and in one or two in- stances furrows had been run in the fruitful glebe. The country in the vicinity of the settlement was an almost un- known prairie. Timber was scarcely to be obtained at any cost or labor, and the apprehension as to its substitute was of frequest occurrence.

It might here be observed as a factor in the history of this portion of the country, that two entries had been made prior to those of the pioneers who came in during 1855. One of these was by a man named O'Reilly, the name of the other has been forgotten, but both lapsed for failure to take possession, and have since become the property of more enterprising land owners.

Early in 1857, the organization of the township was completed, and fifteen votes polled, and in May of that year occurred the first death of record in the village or township. It was that of Eugene Broughton, a lad, the son of James Broughton, who was drowned while bathing in a pond, one mile above "Old" Arcadia village. The

settlers aided in recovering the body of the unfortunate youth, when it was interred on his father's farm. near the present residence of Joseph Kellogg. This year was also memorable as the annual when the first school was taught. The venture was born in a log house, opposite the present residence of Collins Bishop, and Miss Sarah McMasters presided at its bringing-forth. Very few improvements, however, were made. The building of a mill, which had been contemplated by the settlers upon their original advent into these, at that time, unexplored wilds, and for which entries had been made with a special view to locality, was yet in embryo. Religious services were occasionally had in the schoolhouse or private residence, but no edifice specially for the accommodation of worshipers had been provided. Some few adventurous people united their for- tunes with the " Arcadians," but no store or other place of exchange was of existence. Supplies were obtained at Winona, Fountain City and Trempealeau, and the only point at which "custom grain " could be ground, or flour and meal procured, was the Harris mill, at Galesville.

Among those who settled permanently in Arcadia, dur- ing 1857, were James Gavney, Robert L. Robertson, accompanied by his wife. who died during August, 1881 ; Henry Gardner, Thomas A. Simpson, Joseph Sanders, HI. M. Tucker, Nicholas and Caspar Myer, Lewis Kniffiin, Frank and Carl Zeller, Bailey Witte, William Johnson and possibly some others whose names have gone with the flight of years. Not forgetting, however, Jesse R. Penny and Phœby, his wife, who, in the spring of 1858, became parents to the first child born in the village. She was christened Jessie Penny, and as such survived the dangers incident to childhood, the disappointments of callow youth, and, growing to young ladyhood, became the wife of a man named Mason, with whom she has for some years been included as among the pioneer residents of Dakota.

The incidents of 1858 have not been preserved, from which it may be inferred they were neither frequent nor overwhelmingly exciting. The same can be reported of 1859. The most important is said to have been the mar- riage of George D. Dewey to Josephine Cornell, the step- daughter of James Broughton. The ceremony, it is sup- posed, occurred in May, of the latter year. before an admir- ing audience of ladies and gentlemen, and performed by a Justice of the Peace. It is not related that they were sup- plemented by a wedding feast or formal reception, but the absence of these formalities is in part supplied by the state- ment. against the truth of which no denial can successfully prevail, the couple joined in the tide of emigration which tended to Dakota at a period at present not beyond the memory of the proverbially oldest inhabitant, and has since been identified with the success of that State.

There does not appear to have been any arrivals of prominence during these two years, but the year following, 1860, David Masseure, Dr. Isaac Briggs, Andrew Olsen came in and established themselves as resident citizens. The water-power, together with five acres of ground which had been entered by the original settlers for mill purposes, were assigned Mr. Masscure, with the understanding that he should erect a mill, and so received, and it was within a short time subsequent to his advent that he began the building of the same. In the fall of that year, Briggs and D. C. Dewey, the latter an earlier arrival, began merchan- dising in old Arcadia, the first commercial venture made in the settlement. Since that time, the interests of this

TO54

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

line of life have become of such dimensions as to astonish a stranger to the manor born. Main street boasts some ot the best-appointed dry goods, general, drug and hardware stores, in this portion of the State, and the amount of busi- iness daily transacted with farmers can be estimated when it is related that the shipments of grain from Arcadia, for one year, have reached the enormous value of 425,000 bushels. The lines of goods carried are universal and adapted to general wants, and on market days their interior presents an appearance both varied and attractive.

Up to the breaking-out of the war, the arrivals, while not by any means unusually large, were fairly numerous, and composed of a superior elass. With the advent of that calamity, immigration entirely ceased. From 1860 to 1867, times were dull, and little improvement of any kind undertaken. During the war, the Federal Congress passed a Homestead Bill that attracted a large foreign element which was distributed over the country tributary to the village, and has furnished the means of developing the agri- cultural resources of the vicinity to a wonderful extent. From 1867, cimes began to improve. and considerable prog- ress was made in all departments, increasing with cach year and culminating in 1873, with the completion of the Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad, when the " boom" came, at the expense, however, of " old " Arcadia. Lower town was built up at once, and many buildings from upper town were removed to the " new dispensation " bodily and in detail. In 1874, John Rarney who built the Commer- cial Ilotel, erected the first brick house in old Arcadia, and in 1876 did likewise in the lower town. Since that date, it may be said quite a number, composed of this material have been erected in the village, some of which, notably the schoolhouse will more than compare with the structures of towns and villages making greater pretensions than Arcadia. In 1876, the village was selected as the county seat, and the records removed from Galesville, where they had been preserved since the county was first organized, and the building first used as a schoolhouse. now the office of the Republican and Leader, utilized to court house purposes. The next year, the county seat was once more removed to Whitehall. On March 24, 1876, occurred the flood, as it is known to citizens, caused by a blockade of " The Paas," and consequent backing up of the Trempealeau River, and for three days the only boat in the village owned by J. Farlin was the only means of relief to the beleaguered eiti- zens who were imprisoned in their homes, at the mercy of the waters. There was no loss of life it is said, but the damage to property is represented to have been immense.

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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