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 32

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 32

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W. A. Hall is a native of Maine ; from which State he came to Wis- consin in 1862, and was engaged in blacksmithing in this city prior to purchasing his present business. He has been for the past five years a member of the City School Board.

Thos. H. Burns is a native of Canada ; came to Green Bay in 1862, and was employed as a lumberman and in ship-carpenter work until he purchased partnership in his present business. He is a strong temper- ance man and is a member of the T. of H. and Sons of Temperance.

HENRY P. IlUFFMAN, proprietor of " Huffman House," Broad- way and Kellogg street, Ft. Howard. The house has a capacity of eight- een rooms, an office, sitting room, and a cool and elegant dining room

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HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY.

on first floor, sleeping rooms above. A nice mineral well in connection with the house, also stable room for the accommodation of twenty horses. Mr. H. is a native of Alsace, Germany, born in 1826. Came to this coun- try in 1833. Lived in Ohio from 1833 to , 1846, during which time he learned and worked at his trade. In 1846 he came to Wisconsin. Went to Mexico as a U. S. soldier in 1847 ; in 1848 he returned as a veteran. Followed his trade here till 1858, when he commenced the hotel business in the " American House," which he built that year ; kept it till 1865, when he built the " Huffman House," which he kept for seven years. Sold it in 1862, and rented the " T. A. House," kept it for three years, when he built the present fine house which he now manages. Mr. H. was married in 1849 to Miss Catharine McGinnis, who was born in Fre- land. They have two children.

DOMINIC HUNT, Justice of the Peace and City Treasurer, office corner of Broadway and Dousman street. Was born in Ireland, and received his education there. Came to America in 1848, and four years Iater to Fort Howard, since which time he has resided in this city, where he was engaged in mercantile business until 1879, when he closed out. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1857, and is now serving his twenty-fifth year of uninterrupted duty in that office. Was City Clerk for thirteen years prior to 1875. and is now serving his second year as City Treasurer. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity.

J. L. JORGENSEN, jobber and retail dealer in dry goods and boots and shoes, on Broadway next to post-office. Salesroom 22XIIO feet ; warehouse 16x30 feet. Mr. Jorgensen commenced business in this city in 1876 as a partner with A. L. Gray in the dry goods trade. This firm dissolved in 1879, Mr. Gray retaining the old stand, and Mr. Jor- gensen removing to his present location. His present force is five clerks and one bookkeeper. His jobbing trade is principally with the north country, and the region adjacent to Green Bay.

Mr. Jorgensen is a native of Denmark. Came to America in 1865, settling at Neenah, and two years later to this vicinity, where he was en- -gaged as clerk in dry goods houses on both sides of the river. Six years of that time with Butler, Lamb & Co., before embarking in business for himself. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity, and of the A. O. U. W., and Ansgar benevolent societies.

JACOB MIKKELSEN, farmer, Ft. Howard. Is a native of Denmark, where he was reared and educated. At the age of twenty-two he came to this State in 1866, and followed milling and lum- bering for six years, after which he took up farming, and has followed it since. In 1871 he was married to Miss Hanssine Nielsen, in Denmark, Mr. M. having visited Europe in that year. They have one son and five daughters.

MICHAEL MICKELSON, farmer, Ft. Howard. Is a native of Denmark, where he was reared and educated. At the age of nineteen, and in 1861, he came to Racine, where he stopped for three years. He then traveled for five years, after which he came here and settled down to farming, which he has successfully carried on since. In 1869 he was married to Miss Carrie Olson, a native of Norway, who came here with her people in 1861. They have one son and three daughters-Augusta, Matilda, Mildah Oleson and Eddie McCall.

C. H. NANSCAWEN, M. D., druggist and dealer in notions, books and stationery, on Main street near Bridge. Business was established in 1870 by the present proprietor, and now requires the services of two per- sons. Dr. Nanscawen is a native of Waukesha County, where he re- ceived his literary training. He graduated from Bellevue Hospital Med- ical College, New York City, class of 1870, and then removed to Ft. Howard, where he was engaged in the practice of his profession until 1876, when he retired from outside practice, devoting himself to druggist business and office practice. He is a member of the Brown County Med- ical Association, and is the present city physician and a member of the Board of Health.

THOMAS W. PRINGLE, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Vir- ginia, and came here with his father, Joseph Pringle, who settled here in 1843. Was married to Miss Rosa Campbell, daughter of Robert .Campbell, who settled .in this county at an early day. She was born in Michigan. Their family consists of Edna, George, Roy, Freddie and Robbie.

H. A. RANOUS has charge of the Chicago & Northwestern Rail- way at this point. He has been in the employ of the company for the past twenty-one years. Freights from Ft. Howard north are mostly of produce, and for the past year were 866 tons ; southern shipments, 2,182 tons. This gives but a faint idea of the amount of freight business done at this point, which is largely a transfer station, all broken car lots being transferred, and full car loads made up for the long northern trip over which there is scarcely any local freight. The Winter traffic south is simply immense, in iron ore, pig-iron, lumber and shingles, and the product of the local furnaces, the great bulk of which is shipped by water so long .as navigation remains open. The work at this station calls for the ser-

vices of the following staff: H. A. Ranous, freight and ticket agent ; H. E. Evans, cashier ; one bill clerk ; one ticket clerk, and twenty-one men. Mr. Ranous is a native of Wisconsin, and as before stated has been in the employ of the company twenty-one years. During this time he has been in charge of five different stations for the company, in one of which he remained fourteen years, and in his present position since 1874.

H. E. Evans is a native of Wisconsin. His term of service with the company has been eleven years, most of them prior to 1873, at which time he left their employ to engage in business on his own account. He was the first agent of the road at Marinette, and has been in his present position since 1878. Mr. Evans entered the United States service with the 20th Wis. I. ; was between three and four years in the army, and was finally mustered out as Captain of the Ist Texas Cavalry.

GEORGE RICHARDSON, Postmaster. Was born in London, Eng .; came to America in 1845, and settled in Waukeska County, where he remained until his removal to Ft. Howard in 1866. He was superin- tendent of the elevator, under Dousman, Elmore & Kelly's ownership for six years ; purchasing agent of the Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad for six years, and was in mercantile business one year before receiving his appointment as Postmaster of this city. He was a member of the first City Council of Ft. Howard ; its president the second year ; Mayor ol the city four years in succession, and is now City Superintendent of Schools. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. frater- nities.

S. F. SMITH, toreman of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway round-house. Has been in the employ of the company twenty-one years, since 1874 in his present position. He is a native of New York. Served his apprenticeship as a machinist in Toledo, Ohio, took his first engine in 1844, running over the old Erie & Kalamazoo line, and for the thirty years that he was running as a locomotive engineer, principally with ex- press trains, he never had a serious accident hap, en his train or lost a life through any fault of his. He came to this State in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Company in 1860, settled at Janesville and re- sided there until coming to this city. He is a member of Janesville Lodge No. 54. A. F. & A. M., and of Janesville Chapter No. 5, R. A. M.

JOHN SPENCE, fruit and vegetable gardener, Ft. Howard, is a na- tive of Pudsey of Yorkshire. England, where he was reared and educated. In 1857, he came from Liverpool, England, to Green Bay ; followed the vocation of baker in England for twenty years before his arrival here, after which he devoted himself to his present pursuit. He was married to Miss Agnes Hatton, a native of England. He has two sons and two daughters living. The wife and mother is buried with two children in Woodlawn Cemetery, Brown County. Three are buried in Eng- land, where the family were all born.

JOSEPH TAYLOR, flour and feed, corner of Maine and Chestnut streets. Business established in 1880. Mr. Taylor is a native of Gosport, England, from which country he came to America fifty years ago, settled in Morristown, N. Y., and was there until his removal to Wisconsin in 1851. Settling at Appleton he carried on a sash, door and blind factory on the present site of the upper pulp mill, and built the first bridge across the river in that vicinity the first year of his residence there. In 1854, he removed to Green Bay, where he was engaged in mercantile business four years, then crossed the river to Ft. Howard and was en- gaged in flour and feed, contracting for railway supplies and in general merchandize until 1865, when his duties as Postmaster to which he had been appointed in 1861, demanding his entire attention he closed out busi- ness. He was Postmaster of this city from 1861 to 1879, was City Treasurer four or five terms, and has held other local offices.

JAMES TIERMAN, proprietor of Ft. Howard House, corner Pearl and Main streets, Ft. Howard. Was born in Ft. Iloward 1853. Married Miss Mary A. Sensiba, October 1, 1879. She was also born here. Mr. Tierman is a born hotel man, having been born in the hotel which he now owns and manages. His people are natives of Ireland, having come from that country here at an early day. The hotel is very conveniently located to the business parts of Ft. Howard and Green Bay.

REV. E. WALSH, Pastor of the Roman Catholic Church. Was born in Ireland, educated at Mt. Millary Seminary, at St. John's College at Waterford ; came to America in 1864, and two years later was or- dained at Marquette, Mich. April 4. 1869, he was settled over his pres-" ent parish.

R. M. WILSON, saloon and billiard hall, Third avenue, Ft. Howard; is native of Denmark and came to this country in 1865. After having traveled through the Western and also the Southern States, he came here and engaged in his present business. He has visited his native land twice, and has gained such comparative information regarding Europe and this country as to make him a representative man of his country here. He was married to Miss Sophia Rasmussen, who was born in Denmark. They have one son, Edwin M .. aged six years. .

1.40

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

THE DEPERES.

The origin of the prosperity of Depere and West De- pere is their magnificent water-power. The villages are located five miles south of Green Bay, at the head of lake navigation, and built upon both sides of bold banks, com- manding a magnificent view of the river. The water of the power falls over a natural rocky ledge, about eight feet, the river being about half a mile wide at this point. Rapids des Peres (Rapids of the Fathers) were at the site of the present dam. From Lake Winnebago to Depere the river has a fall of 150 feet. In 1837 the Fox and Wisconsin rivers were surveyed by United States engineers, with a view of making navigation continuous from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi. The splendid local resources were attempted to be utilized, as has been noticed, by the Hy- draulic Company, which was so thrown upon its beam's end by the hard times of 1836-7, that it issued bills - " evi- dences of debt "-founded a bank -induced the land-office to receive them. The act for issuing the bills was repealed the next year, and the bank failed. The company borrowed of Randall Wilcox, president of the bank and the company, who obtained control of the water-power and property. In 1847 it passed to Joshua F. Cox. The same year the dam gave way. In 1848, David M. Loy, agent for Cox, built the present dam. Mr. Cox conveyed one-half his interest to certain New York parties, and when Agent Loy was about to make important improvements, his principal died. Mr. Cox's interest passed to Joseph G. Lawton, who, with others, were incorporated, in 1854, as the Depere Company. July 19, 1881, the property was sold under fore- closure of mortgage, by the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company, three mortgages having been given by Joseph G. Lawton, for $50,000, and upon which, two years ago, judgment had been entered up for $53,000. The real estate, buildings, etc., were bid in by the company for $19,945, the water-power for $10,000.

VILLAGE INCORPORATION.

Depere was incorporated as a village March 6, 1857, President, Randall Wilcox ; Justices of the Peace, William Wakeman, A. R. Martin ; Superintendent of Schools, J. F. Lessey ; Clerk, Joseph T. Reeve ; William Field, Jr., Village Trustee in the Board of Supervisors. G. S. Marsh is now at the head of the village government.

The first school at Depere was taught in 1832. The present school buildings were erected in 1857, and first graded by I. A. Sabin in 1872. There are seven depart- ments, Lewis K. Strong being Principal of the High School. The attendance is 290, on an average, and there are a num- ber of private and parochial schools, which would increase these figures to 650.

Badger Fire Company was organized in June, 1872, and re-organized in May, 1881. It consists of sixteen members, officered as follows: John H. McDonald, foreman ; Louis Minich, assistant foreman; William Bremmington, hose captain ; Thomas Hobbins, secretary. Their building was erected in 1873 at a cost of $3,600.

The leading churches of Depere are the Catholic-Dutch „ and Irish. The latter, which is the parent of both of the former and the society in West Depere, was organized nearly twenty years ago, the split occurring in 1869. Land was bought and a church edifice erected for the use of the Catholics of Depere, in 1864. Since then additions to the building have been made. The membership is now 200 families-some 800 souls. The buildings, valued at $8,000, are situated on the corner of Michigan and Lewis streets. They include the church, school-house, dwelling-house and Sisters' residence. Father William De Kelver has been pastor for over five years.

The Holland Catholic Church and school buildings occupy a fine plat of ground on Superior street, between George and Charles streets. The cost of grounds and buildings, erected in 1870, by Father Verboort, was $to,ooo. Rev. A. Van Grotel has been priest in charge for more than five years. The church has a membership of over 1,000 souls, and the school an attendance of 150.

The Presbyterian Church, Rev. S. C. Hay, pastor, is on Superior street. In July, 1849, Rev. John Stewart, of War- ren Co., N. J., commenced the organization of a Presby- terian Church. An edifice was erected in 1854. The mem- bership of the church is 134.

The Congregational Church was organized April 18, 1866. Previously its members had worshiped in the Presbyterian edifice. A chapel was built in 1868, and rebuilt in 1875. The present strength of the society is seventy-five; pastor, Rev. J. H. Carmichael.

The Methodist Church was organized in 1850, and an edifice built six years thereafter. The present pastor of the church is Rev. W. H. Sampson.

Besides the religious and benevolent societies connected with the different churches, Depere has a flourishing Odd Fellows lodge (No. 222), a Masonic lodge (No. 85), and a Temple of Honor in connection with a like organization in West Depere.

Depere has a number of good hotels-the California House, a large stone building on Broadway, W. M. Battle, proprietor ; the Commercial, corner Front and George streets, James Shack, proprietor ; Manitowoc House, on Broadway, Charles Touhey, proprietor.

BUSINESS INTERESTS.

Depere furnace was built by the First National Iron Company in 1879, which was composed of Messrs. B. F. Smith, G. S. Marsh, Robert Jackson, J. Richards and D. M. Whitney. The following year, A. B. Meeker & Co., of Chicago, obtained a controlling interest, and in 1871 the "First" was dropped from the name of the corporation, which continued business until 1876. Upon the organization of the National Furnace Company, in 1879, by A. B. Meeker of Chicago, H. D. Smith of Appleton, W. L. Brown of Chicago, and M. R. Hunt of Depere, the property passed into the hands of that corporation, and has since been operated by them. Their property at the furnace consists of five acres of ground, lying on the east side of Fox River, a short dis- tance below the dam, having a river front of 2,000 feet, and provided with 300 feet of dock, at which there is a minimum depth of thirteen feet. Upon these premises there is now standing two stacks, number one being of stone, number two of iron. The former was built in 1869, the latter in 1872, each having a capacity of 11,000 tons annually. The buildings are : The engine and pump-room, 30x40 feet ; two casting houses, each 40x80 feet ; stock house, 30x60 feet, in which are the crushing machines and hoisting works; boiler sheds, 40x50 feet ; two offices, one 20x30 feet, the other 20x40 ; wood and iron repair shops, weigh- ing house, stables, sheds, etc. Charcoal is furnished from kilns located along the line of the Wisconsin Central Rail- road and the Fox River, which is brought by rail and in barges; in addition to which, an average force of fifteen teams daily discharge their loads of coals at the company's yard, the product of kilns in the more immediate neighbor- hood of Depere. The furnaces are supplied with two blow- ing engines of nine horse-power each; two horizontal engines for hoisting and crushing, ten horse-power each ; one hoisting engine on dock, fifteen horse-power ; two eight inch Blake pumps and one six inch Cope & Maxwell; and their hot air pipes have a heating capacity of 2,800 square feet. The force employed at the works is one foreman, two

14I

HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY.

engineers, one founder, one keeper, two blacksmiths, two carpenters and seventy other hands. In the office are the general manager and the book-keeper. Shipments of product are made as far southeast as Wilmington, Delaware, as far south as Missouri, and through all the northwestern and middle States. M. R. Hunt, resident member of the company and general manager, was engaged in banking and mercantile business previous to the organization of the corporation.

Banks .- Depere has two banks, the First National, Ru- fus B. Kellogg, president, H. B. Baker, cashier ; and the institution of Herbert R. Jones. The resources of the former are, $36,644 47 ; of the latter, $78,632.10.

Miscellaneous Manufactories .- In this list may be men- tioned such establishments as the flour mill of Dunham & Davis (Depere Mill); Fox River Mills, Mathias Reynan, proprietor ; Arndt Bros. & Co.'s mill, located front of James street ; " Novelty" Manufacturing Company, Charles Law- ton, president ; the " Champion " pump factory of William Gow & Co .; wagon manufactory of P. H. Mulasky ; the Armstrongs (Samuel and William), manufacturers of stump machines; McDonald & Wilcox, harness manufacturers, etc., etc.

General Stores .- Among the general stores doing a good business are A. G. Wells, dry goods, hardware, etc., on Broadway ; W. W. Winegard, Broadway ; Jackson & Son, etc., etc.

Miscellaneous .- T. E. Sharp has fine furniture ware- rooms on Broadway ; also, R. J. McGreehan an agricul- tural implement warehouse. Thomas D. Bowring, is the leading photographer. George Moffatt has the leading blacksmith and wagon shop. William Willis deals in pumps.

The leading lawyers are G. F. Merrill, and E. F. Parker ; the physicians, Drs. Fisk & Mailer, M. E. Williams and R. F. Tousley.

The first newspaper published in Depere was the Adver- tiser, issued from the Fall of 1850, to December, 1852, by Baldwin & Thayer.

The Depere News and Brown County Herald was estab- lished April 8, 1871, by P. R. Proctor, formerly of the Times, Appleton. He is its present editor and proprietor. The Fort Howard Herald was merged with the News in September, 1878.

The Depere Facts was first issued by J. A. Comerford. After a few numbers had been published, D. E. Hickey, present editor and proprietor, commenced to issue it.

The Depere Standard is published by Edward Van De Casterle and John B. Heyrman.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

W. A. BINGHAM & CO., general merchandise. This business was established in 1872, on Main street, adjoining the Fox River Iron Com- pany's furnaces, they being the owners of the building and partners in the mercantile business. The sales room has a frontage of 24 feet on Main street, runs 85 feet to the rear, and fronts 40 feet of Fourth street, being 45x85, with the exception of a corner 20x40 on Main and Fourth streets occupied as an office hy the furnace company. A basement the full size of the building is used for storage, and a ware-house 24x72 feet is occupied for flour, feed and package store-room. The operations of the house give employment to a force of ten hands and one delivery wagon, and yearly sales aggregate from $90,000 to $100,000.

W. A. Bingham is a native of Illinois. He came to Wisconsin in 1849 with his father's family ; was educated in Watertown ; served three years with the Ist Wis. V. C. during the late war, and was mustered out as Regimental Quartermaster, and was salesman in a wholesale hardware house in Milwaukee prior to coming to Depere.

SAMUEL BLAKE, lumberman and farmer, Depere; was born in 1813, in Derby, Orleans Co., Vt., where he was reared and educated. At the age of thirty-one he emigrated to Kane Co., Ill., where he re- mained three years ; and then on account of the unhealthfulness of the place, he went to Chicago where he stopped a short time, then came to Green Bay on a vessel named the "Green Bay Equator," Capt. Sanders.

He started on a tour to look up a place of abode, and seeing the natural advantages of the place, took up his residence in Depere. where he fol- lowed the builder's trade for one season. In the Fall of 1847, wishing to lay in provisions for the Winter (they not being obta nable nearer at hand), he walked to Waupun to get a supply, there being no other way of getting there. His first occupation in Depere was hewing timber, for which he received 50 cents a day. After about a year, he commenced the lumbering business, in a small way at first, but with his characteristic thrift and industry, soon became one of the heaviest lumbermen in this part of the country. But in the meantime, he and his excellent lady, in 1852, entered the employment of the contractors on the Fox River Im- provement, where they remained about three years at intervals, and laid the foundation of their present competence. Mr. Blake is entitled to much credit for the part he took in aiding to settle and build up this part of the State. He laid out the road between Depere and Manitowoc, which still bears his name. In one year he located eighteen settlers in the town of Morrison. He has probably been the cause. directly and indirectly, of the clearing of as much land as has any other man in northern Wisconsin. He is withal a man of great public spirit, being identified with the organization of the first Sabbath schools and churches and taking part in many other matters tending to the growth and moral improvement of the community. He has been in nearly every kind of business since his residence here, and whatever he did seemed to thrive under his hands. He is a genial old gentleman with whom it is a pleas- ure to converse, and he has many a joke and reminiscence of the early times. In 1837, he married Miss Ann Buchanan, a native of Paisley, Scotland. They had a family of four children, all daughters, two being dead and buried, one in Vermont the other in Green Bay. The two sur- viving ones are married respectively to C. R. Merrill, Depere, and A. H. Magoon, Girard, Ill.

MATTHEW BURNETT, groceries, crockery, flour, feed and grain, Depere, is a native of New York, and was reared and educated in Steuben County ; came here 1856 ; followed farming until 1866 when he went to Michigan and engaged in the mercantile business which he followed until 1873 ; he then came here and opened the business which he at present follows ; carried it on until 1876 when he took Mr. Wheeler of the drug business as partner. The firm continued their already extensive business until April 19, 1880, when they concluded to add dry goods to their list and accepted the partnership of Mr. Merrill in that line, and adopted the Depere Mercantile Co. as their firm name. It, however, did not succeed, and in July, 1881, Mr. Burnett re-opened the present business so long and favorably known.

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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