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 264

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 264

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E. B. THOMPSON, Postmaster of Waupaca; was born Sept. 30, 1836, in Warren Co., Penn .; in 1849, his people settled in Fond du Lac Co., Wis. This previously famous " Fourierite settlement " was then approaching its dissolution. In March, 1851, the family settled on a farm one mile east of Waupaca ; during the first year they lived on the supplies brought from Fond du Lac Co., but owing to the partial failure of the crop of 1851, the family suffered untold hardships the next season. Stale flour, best known as " sick flour," brought by teams from Berlin, cost them $4 per hundred weight, and made nearly all sick who ate it. The parents still live here, but the seven children who accompa- nied them have become widely separated, Mrs. Le Gro, Mrs. Chady, and E. B., being all that are left in Waupaca County. The latter enlisted in August, 1862, in Co. G, 22d Wis. V. I., and engaged with his regiment Oct. 8, 1862, in the bloody battle of Perryville : he receiving a gunshot wound in his right arm ; was confined in hospital five months. The arm was terribly shat- tered and for wecks entirely useless. It was during this time that Mr. Thompson (naturally a fine penman), learned by stern

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

necessity to write with his left hand. On his returo to Waupaca, he was employed by Charles Strickland. then Postmaster, as clerk at 87 per month. MIr. Thompson entered upon his duties here, Nov. 1, 1863. and was from the outset io full charge of the office. His salary was gradually increased, he retaining the position of clerk until his appointment by Postmaster General A. W. Ran- dall, as Postmaster of Waupaca, in August, 1867, in spite of many futile attempts by various interested parties to cause his removal. Mr. Thompson has since retained the office; his con- seientious and affable discharge of its duties has won him hosts of warm friends, who solidly resist all efforts directed against the crippled soldier who serves them so well and unselfishly.

A. J. VAN EPPS, Mayor of Waupaca; born in the town of Remsen, Onieda Co., N. Y., March 22, 1830; spent his early life in Schenectady, N. Y., where his parents settled when he was three years old; when fifteen years old, he began work on a dairy farm, in Jefferson Co., N. Y .; at eighteen, he went to Syracuse, N. Y., spent two years there, then settled in Herkimer Co., N. Y., engaging in the lumber business until 1852; that year he came to Weyauwega, Wis., and helped build the first saw-mill for Gill & Tourtelotte, who sold it to Weed & Birdsall, the founders of Weyauwega. After nine or ten years in the lumber business at Weyauwega, Mr. Van Epps kept hotel two years in Saxeville, Waushara Co .; he then returned to Weyauwega, where he en- gaged in farming and lumbering, until 1876, when, having been elected Sheriff of Waupaca County, he settled, and has since resided in Waupaca; while in Weyauwega, he was successively elected Justice of the Peace, Assessor, Chairman and President of the village ; also served four years as Under Sheriff; in 1879, he was Police Justice, Justice of the Peace, and Alderman of Waupaca; was elected Mayor of the city April 5, 1881. Mr. Van Epps has a good military as well as civil record ; he enlisted April. 1863, in the 22d Wis. V. I .; was made Orderly Sergeant and placed in charge of the Warrensburg, Mo., prison; in conse- quence of injuries received there, he came home six months later, and remained until February, 1864, when he enlisted in Co. C, 52d Wis. V. I .; was soon after placed in command of the arsenal at Pilot Knob, Mo., seven months later, with a Second Lieutenant's commission ; he was sent to Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., where he was discharged with his regiment in August, 1865.

F. B. VOSBURG, proprietor of the Vosburg House, Wau- paca, is a native of Gowanda, N. Y., and married Mariette Capen, of Rashford, N. Y. They have three children and have lost two. In 1861, Mr. Vo-burg came to Waupaca from Fond du Lae; from 1856 to 1861 he was in charge of the Fond du Lac and Stevens Point express route; in 1869 he bought the Smith House of E. I. Putnam; this house (a two-story frame) was built in 1856 by A. E. Smith, who named it and kept it, until he sold it to Putnam in 1868. The house burned down May 16, 1872. Within ten weeks, the present Vosburg Ilouse was open for the entertainment of guests. A circus troupe comprising sixty-five people were the first to avail themselves of the comforts of the new hotel; soon after a formal opening took place, a liberal donation was tendered Mr. Vosburg, and a supper and dance enjoyed. The house is 50x60, and a well-appointed three story brick. Mr. Vosburg is deservedly popular with the traveling public, and his house is the common meeting ground for the commercial travelers. While managing a large and popular hotel, Mr. Vosburg has found time to cultivate his natural liking for fine horses. Nearly twenty years ago he was the owner of the celebrated Black Hawk mare, Belle of Balti- more; he sold her for $400. In July, 1878, he sold a fine young Morgan stallion in Buffalo, N. Y., for $600. In June, 1870, he bought of Capt. Spencer the Black Ilawk mare, Yankee Girl. A span consisting of one of her colts and one bred from Belle of Baltimore was sold by him to Il. G. II. Reed for $600. One hundred and twenty-five dollars was paid for a four months' old colt of Yankee Girl's; he now owns Yankee Girl and three of her colts. Yankee Girl trotted half a mile in Ripon, Wis., io

1:30, Sept. 10, 1878; since then she has made 2:40 on the track of the County Agricultural Society at Waupaca; in 1877 she won a race at Appleton in 2:52. None of her colts have as yet been trained.

JUDGE SAMUEL F. WARE, deceased, was one of the foremost of the enterprising band of pioneers that settled at Wau- paca Falls in 1849. He came here from Pennsylvania, and in the spring of 1850 located bere permanently with his wife and five children; engaging in farming and real estate speculations, he took a prominent place among the founders of the county, and served as County Judge for six years prior to the rebellion. He was the first Justice of the Peace in Waupaca, and held various town offices. In 1860 he removed to a farm two miles north of the city; while driving a spirited team from town to the farm in December, 1869, he was thrown from the wagon to the ground, and so injured as to cause his death a fortnight later. In the character of Judge Ware were combined the elements of integrity, kindliness and good sense. No one could form his acquaintance and not feel that it was richly worth cultivating. He was fifty- four years of age at his death, and left four children-De Witt, Duane, Lucina and John M. Oscar Ware and another son of the Judge enlisted in the 21st W. V. I., and died in consequence of a wound received at Stone River. John M. Ware was born Jan. 10, 1847, in Clymer, N. Y. He has owned the homestead farm since the death of his father, and has resided in Waupaca County since the spring of 1850; was elected Chairman of the Town Board of Waupaca 1874, and is now serving bis seventh term as Treasurer of that town. Is a member and was for five years W. M. of Waupaca Lodge, A., F. & A. M .; is also a chap- ter member of Waupaca Lodge K P. Since 1875 he has devoted most of his time to the live-stock business, and is now in partnership with William M. Dayton, also an old resident of Waupaca.

J. H. WOODNORTHI. Register of Deeds, Waupaca County, was born in New York City, where his father, S. Woodnorth, was for many years in the merchant tailoring business. The family came to the town of Royalton in 1856, and to Waupaca two years later. J. II. received his schooling in the Fourteenth Street Academy, N. Y., and in the Waupaca High School. Learned the profession he now follows with Ole Oleson, a drug- gist. Began the drug business in 1874, having been four years previously in mercantile business. He enlisted in 1863 in Co. G, 21st W. V. I., as a private; served through the Atlanta cam- paign ; was promoted First Lieutenant in September, 1864, and made Chief Clerk in the Inspector General's office; attached to the staff of Gen. George H. Thomas; in this capacity he fought at Franklin and Nashville; returned with his regiment in August, 1865. Mr. Woodnorth has served as City Superintendent of schools, Deputy Sheriff, City Marshal; was elceted Register of Deeds in the fall of 1879, as an Independent over Republican opponent. Mr. Woodnorth is now attending wholly to his drug sture, the duties of the Register's office being most efficiently per- formed by his old and tried deputy, Winfield Scott. Mr. Wood- north is now District Deputy Grand Master I O. O. F .; has been a leading spirit, and held all the offices in Waupaca Lodge, No. 208, I. O. O. F .; is also a member of Waupaca Lodge, A., F. & A. M.

NEW LONDON.

The town of Mukwa is south of Lebanon and east of Royalton, adjoining Outagamie County. J. G. Nordman first settled in the town in 1848, an organization being af- fected in 1851, with James Similey as Town Clerk. In 1852 a schoolhouse was built, Mrs. Stevens being the teacher. The Catholics creeted the first church building at Northport in 1855. C. E. P. Hobart kept the first store at Mukwa in 1850, and Mr. Ilale built the first saw-mill at New London in 1857. The former gentleman was Muk-

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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.

wa's first Postmaster in 1851. That courier of this region, "Capt. Jack," brought the mail once a week in a coon-skin bag.

The city of New London was incorporated March 7, 1877. It is divided by the boundary line between Waupaca and Outagamie Counties, being situated on the Wolf River at the head of steamboat natigation. If extended, Division street on the south side would strike a point where the Em- barrass River joins the Wolf, and this point continued is the county line. The city being located twenty miles west of Appleton and nearly thirty miles by water from Waupaca, it causes much inconvenience to its inhabitants in the trans- action of business at the two county seats, and it will not be long, undoubtedly, before New London places herself either in one county or the other. Five-sixths of her peo- ple reside on the Waupaca side. New London is divided into five wards, the First, Third and Fourth lying on the south side of the Wolf River and the Second and Fifth on the north.

RAILROADS.

As to her facilities for communication the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul Railroad (formerly the Green Bay & Minnesota) connects at this point with the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western for Shawano, Manitowoc, Appleton, Osh- kosh, Sheboygan and Milwaukee, and at Amherst Junetion and Plover with the Wisconsin Central for Ashland, Stevens' Point, Portage and Madison. New London is now, a s it has been for years, the center of supplies for the lum- b ering interests of Waupaca County and vicinity, the Wolf River being the natural outlet for the bulk of its trade. When steam was applied on the inland lakes and rivers New London at once came to the front. At first the means of penetrating the great lumber camps were few, and the means of conveying supplies were almost confined to small boats-even canoes. Lumber sawed would bring scarcely more than that in the rough at the present day. For a time nearly all the pine lumber was brought down in the log to the junction of the Fox and Wolf, some of it being conveyed by tug up to Omro and towns above, to be sawed into boards. The remainder was taken to Oshkosh, Nee- nah, Appleton and other places. After the construction of the Union Valley Railroad it was taken in cars to the Roek River and thence carried to Janesville and other towns in the heart of the prairie region. It was found, however, that there were so many risks in booming lumber and then rafting through Lakes Poygan, Buttes des Morts and Win- nebago that lumbermen were discouraged and attention was to manufacturing lumber in the neighborhood of the pinery itself. Hence water-power was brought into play (or into work) on the Little Wolf, Pigeon Embarrass, Shawano and Menominee. Mukwa first became the lumberman's source of supplies, but was too far away from the pinery, and naturally New London, as the head of navigation, stepped into her place. Small crafts may penetrate above the Em- barrass, but the central point has been and will be for years to come the city of New London. For many years she struggled hard to obtain railroad facilities, but all the pro- jeets virtually fell through until the Green Bay & Minne- sota road reached the place in February, 1871. The last rail on the extension of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Company to New London was laid on November 29, 1876. Regular trains commenced to run December 11, 1876.

The first movement made in this direction was on Jan- uary, 2, 1857. A large and enthusiastic meeting was then 60

held and the town resolved that its citizens might be de- pended upon to " raise $150,000 in aid of the construction of a branch of the Milwaukee & ITorieon road from Ripon to New London ; and that its people had the utmost confi- dence in the ability and sagacity of the railroad running from Milwaukee to Ripon via Horicon." The Milwaukee papers strongly favored the project, although it met with opposition in the Senate. Notwithstanding the Fox River & New London Railroad was incorporated. Although New London is the metropolis of Waupaca County, and full of life and hope, the historian of the present can hardly sub- stantiate a local prophesy of 1857. " The old galleons and argosies of Genoa and Venice may be freighted with wealth, yet the noble carriage of the iron bands will, at no distant day, bear to us wealth in all its forms, such as the poet never dreamed of." The company was authorized to con- struct a railroad from some feasible point on the Fox River between the village of Omro and the city of Oshkosh, or from either place, in a northerly direction to New London. It was, therefore, optional whether to connect at Omro (on the Fox) to which place the Ripon road-a northerly con- tinuation of the Milwaukee & Horicon was being extended -or at Oshkosh, to which point the Chicago road was being pushed from Fond du Lac. On March 13, a meeting of persons named in the charter was held, at which it was voted to open the books for subscriptions to the capital stock of the company, on May 25, and to make a survey as soon as possible. The survey of a road was also made from Appleton, twenty miles south, to New London-on the Appleton & Wolf River Railroad. A large amount of money was subscribed, but not sufficient to warrant the extensions. The explosion also, of the Milwaukee & Hori- con road destroyed all such enterprises, but since the com- pletion of the Green Bay line, and the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western, her railroad facilities are good.

SETTLEMENT.

In 1853, Lueius Taft and Ira Millerd & Son purchased the claims of the half-breed Johnson, when New London was a trading post. Ira Brown, subsequently of North- port, located on an adjoining elaim-and these three may be considered the first settlers of the present New London. Messrs. Doty & Smith erected a saw-mill the next year. The machinery did not play at first, but the engineering skill of Capt. Coffin overcame all difficulties and "the thing worked." The year before the saw-mill was erected -1853-the steamer "Badger State " and " Barlow " made the first trips on the Wolf up to New London. In the following year the " Eureka," Captain Drummond, commenced her regular trips to Oshkosh. William Mc- Millin was New London's first Postmaster, and, as re- marked by an old setler, the mail could then be carried in a man's hat.

By the year 1857, New London had so increased in bus- iness importance and business prospects as to contain near- ly eight hundred inhabitants, with some two hundred buildings. Ira Millerd & Son and H. D. Hanks had set up their signs as land agents and surveyors; brisk dry goods establishments were those operated by II. Dean, Lind- sey, Dougherty & Co., E. Dedolph, S. L. Tueker, W. T. Ward & Son; E. II. Barber and S. L. Tucker were hard at work as hardware merchants; the panderers to family tastes in the line of fresh vegetables and other groceries, were Horace Dean, W. T. Ward & Son, Ernest Dedolph,

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

Lindsay, Dougherty & Co., S. E. Leslie, Allen & Pinchen ; the hostleries in full swing were those presided over by William Lcach, (New London House); Amos Jones (the Perry House) and G. Lutsey (the Angier House ;) black- smith shops by John Smith, Wadsworth & Co., Coffin & Hale ; Linde & Berry kept the only drug store, and David Hopkins the only jewelry establishment, indicating the healthy tastes of New London's early pioneers; Lindsay, Dougherty & Co., and S. L. Tucker indicated wherewithal they should be clothed, and Wadsworth & Brown and C. Lipka how and in what way they should be conveyed ; Messrs. G. D. Allen and Robinson furnished foot-gear, and A. J. Lawson (New London Times), brain furnishings in the shape of the only village newspaper ; steam mills, Messrs. Coffin & IIale, Lindsay, Dougherty & Co. ; warehouses, Perry & Law and B. Stimson; livery, Way & Dennis ; fur- niture, store, Thomas Price; cabinet maker, Frank Mason ; physicians, J. W. Perry and J. E. Breed ; attorney and counselor. S. S. Hamilton. Besides these-so say the rec- ords of those days-were scattered throughout the town, actively employed in erecting new buildings and making various improvements, a large number of carpenters, joiners and masons. Rev. A. C. Lathrop was pastor of the Con- gregational Church, and Rev. L. D. Tracy of the Methodist. Rev. S. Sorenson, one of the pioneer Episcopalian clergy- men of Waupaca, was also occassionally heard.

Mrs. C. L. Allen, formerly Miss Maria Millerd, taught the first school in New London. She was at this period- the spring of 1853-a young girl, but imposed a dignity up- on herself, by lengthening out her dresses. School was held in an old warehouse on the bank of the river-the other portion of the log house being used as a stable. Sev- en children were enrolled, though, of course the attendance did not reach that figure. Most of the early inhabitants of New London were originally from the New England and Middle States.

Many of her earliest settlers are still living, being active and prominent business men in the community. Among these may be mentioned J. C. Hoxie, the first Mayor of New London.

The roster for 1881 is as follows : Mayor, T. Knapstein; Clerk, E. D. Peasley ; Treasurer, A. H. Pope ; Justice at Large, S. D. Woodworth ; Chief of Police, John McGregor ; Assessor, Ed. Bach ; City Attorney, O. F. Weed ; Street Commissioner, J. O. Stone; Aklermen, F. Freiburger, A. R. Freeman, John Jagoditsh, J. E. Blackwood, J. W. Dean; Supervisors, J. C. Hoxie, J. W. Bingham, A. H. Pope, James Murray and I. M. Demming ; Justices of the Peace, V. Mischock, J. H. Whitford, C. Beesley, J. Whel- don and S. J. Willett ; Constables, William Wallace, David Medill, J. C. Kroll, William Stroke and A. P. Ritter. C. R. Libby is Postmaster.

Schools .- The city has two graded schools, that on the North Side, to which scholars are sent from two of the five wards, having for its Principal J. K. Nevins. O. E. Wells is Principal of the South Side School. On the South Side reside 500 children of school age and on the North Side 350 ; the average attendence is about two-thirds. It must not be understood that this represents the entire attendance as there are, in addition, a number of parochial and private institutions. But the general statement is sufficient to in- dicate that New London is a school-attending city.

Societies .- The civic societies consist of New London Lodge, No. 131, F. & A. M .; Odd Fellows, Wolf River

Encampment, No. 13; North Star Lodge, No. 104, I. O. O. F. ; New London Lodge, No. 131; New London Tem- ple of Honor, No. 68; New London Lodge, No. 47, A. O. U. W.

Churches .- As to religious organizations, the Catholics, Lutherans and Congregationalists have the strongest socie- ties. Rev. F. X. Sholz is the priest in charge of the former, who number nearly one hundred and fifty families. The building where services are held was erected during the latter part of the war, but there was a considerable organi- zation ten years previous.

The Congregational society holds services in a neat commodious structure, in whose steeple is the town clock, corner of South Pearl and Hancock streets. It is 40x60 feet, and cost $2,500. The strength of the society is ninety members. It was organized in the spring of 1858, its first Pastor being Rev. A. C. Lathrop. At present no Pastor is settled over the church.

The Lutherans occupy a large brick structure on the same side of the river near " the Pines," erected in 1875 at a cost of $4.500. Connected with it are three branch societies. The society is over twenty-two years old, its first Pastor being Rev. C. F. Waldt, of Racine. Its present membership is forty ; attendance over one hundred ; Pastor, Rev. A. Kluge.

The Methodists, marshaled under the vigorous guidance of Rev. D. O. Jones, have just erected a small church building, after having worshiped without it for many years. That denomination had an organization in 1857. The United Brethren and Adventists have small societies.

Newspapers .- The city of New London has one weekly newspaper-the Times and Tribune. It is Republican in politics, and is published by Messrs. H. S. and II. M. Pickard. In the year 1857, A. J. Lawson published the New London Times, but that journal was short-lived. Va- rions other futile attempts were made to launch a paper enterprise successfully within the next twelve years, and, in 1869, J. Ogden established the Times, which became the basis of the present journal. It was managed by various parties-Messrs. Gordon & Walker, and others-until in December, 1880, Messrs. Patchin & Pickard started the paper again as the Tribune. It retained this title until March 12, 1881, when it became the Times and Tribune, under its present management.

New London is now the metropolis of the county, its only competitor being Waupaca itself. The value of real and personal property is larger by $30,714 in Waupaca than in the former city, but New London's population is more by 416. Its citizens are enterprising and wide-awake, and lose no opportunities of increasing that reputation. Being at the head of navigation, and the source of supplies for the majority of the employers and employes of that region, its general merchants, and those who carry special lines of goods are prospering beyond most other localities of the county. Its hotels are conducted with a view of meet- ing the wants of all classes of people. At the head stands the New London House and the Angier House. The former is the larger and better furnished, Charles W. Lund, proprietor. The latter, under the management of Mrs. M. A. Wilhite, has been repaired and furnished, and is well patronized. The Wolf River House, Charles Grunwald, proprietor ; the Revere House, Cohn Sullivan, and the Franklin Ilouse, William Nusbaum, are supported by a class of customers of moderate means, and never regret

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HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY.

spending their money. The large lumber manufactories are Nash, Wetherby & Co., Daugherty, Demming & Co., and the New London Stave Company. Both of the first two establishments are doing a thriving business, making cus- tom work a specialty. The New London Stave Company is a private organization, composed of W. A. Sterling, General Manager; T. Logan, Secretary and Treasurer ; James Stimson, C. E. Dickinson, A. Trayser and H. H. Page. It was formed in 1876, and the manufactory turns out about two and a half million staves during the season. J. Hoffmann & Bro. are the only wagon-makers, and they are good ones. The Mayor of the city, T. Knapstein, is the proprietor of the New London Brewery, situated on the sonth side of the river, the only other establishment of the kind being conducted by E. Becker, City Brewery. There are a dozen dry goods dealers and furnishing houses, among which may be mentioned H. G. Andrae, T. Logan & Co., and Page & Keith. E. Bach manufactures and deals exclu- sively in boots and shoes. The professions are represented by M. B. Patchin, Weed & Son, Perry and Miss Frances Arnold, S. H. Hamilton and M. C. Phillips, attorneys ; Drs. A. R. Freeman, J. R. Moore and H. K. Jillson, phy- sicians ; Dr. D. W. Haskell, dentist. The only bank in the city is a State institution-the Bank of New London, established in 1872. Its officers are: J. W. Bingham, President ; Thomas Logan, Vice President; L. Perrin, Cashier. Capital, $30,000; resources, $54,667.41; sur- surplus, $2,971.07.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

J. W. BINGHAM, President of the Bank of New London, was born in Elgin Co., C. W., and received his schooling in Ayl- mer. He came from Canada to Wisconsin in 1871, and, a year later, located in New London. Mr. Bingham was elected Presi- dent of the bank in November, 1876. It was founded, as a private bank, by L. C. Patterson, and was re-organized as a State bank in 1876. It has a cash capital of $30,000, does collecting, and deals in domestic and foreign exchange, and is the only bank in the city. Mr. Bingham is now a City Supervisor, and has previously represented New London on the County Board. In 1872, he was elected Sheriff of Waupaca Co., served two terms as Master of the New London Lodge, A., F. & A. M., No. 132. His wife was formerly Anne E. Kline, of Canada.

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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