USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Memoirs of Milwaukee County : from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Milwaukee County, Volume I > Part 8
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Daniel Wells, Jr., was born at Waterville, Kennebec county, Maine, July 16, 1808, and was the son of Daniel Wells, a well-to-do farmer of that region, who also owned and managed a custom carding and cloth dressing mill. From his New England ancestry he inherited the industry, frugality and rugged honesty which were distinguishing characteristics of his career, and he combined with these the broad enterprise and intense activity of the Western man of affairs. He passed his boyhood at his father's home, di- viding his time between farm labor and work in the mill, attending school only during the winter months of each year. Limited as were his educational advantages, he made such use of his oppor- tunities that he had qualified himself to teach school and had taught two terms before he was twenty years old. While teaching school he gave a share of his attention to the study of navigation and ac- quired considerable knowledge of that science. Self-reliant and ambitious, he entered upon a business career as soon as he attained his majority, and the following extracts are from an account of his subsequent life written by one admirably qualified for the task by a long and intimate acquaintance with Mr. Wells: In 1830 he in- vested his savings in a stock of apples, cider, butter, cheese, dry goods, etc., which he took to Magnolia, near St. Marks, Fla., where a New England colony had settled. Going thence to Tallahassee he chanced to meet one Robert B. Kerr-a private tutor in the family of General Butler, surveyor-general of Florida-who had been offered a contract for surveying a large tract of government land in eastern Florida, but lack of money prevented him from accepting the offer. Ready for any honorable enterprise, Mr. Wells agreed to furnish the money needed, and disposing of his stock of goods at a handsome profit, he purchased the required outfit. The survey began on Dec. 25, and Mr. Wells-making good use of his knowledge of navigation and mathematics-with the help of Mr. Kerr, became proficient in the science of surveying. In September, 1831. he engaged in business at Palmyra, Maine, having shipped thither a stock of goods which he purchased in Boston. He con- ducted this business with success until the spring of 1835, and
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while a resident of Maine held at different times the offices of justice of the peace, selectman, town clerk, assessor and overseer of the poor. Becoming impressed with the possibilities of develop- ment in the West, he came here in company with Winthrop W. Gil- man, also a native of Waterville, and made considerable purchases of land and lots in Wisconsin and Milwaukee in 1835. Returning to Palmyra after a time, he arranged to move his effects to Mil- waukee, to the great regret of his eastern friends, who regarded the departure from them of one who had been so public spirited as little less than a public calamity. Accompanied by his wife, he left his home in April and arrived in Milwaukee on May 19, 1836. He now turned his knowledge of surveying to good account in the young city, which was expanding in all directions, and soon became known as a trustworthy and enterprising citizen. Recognizing his abilities, Gov. Henry Dodge, on Aug. 2, 1836, appointed him justice of the peace for Milwaukee county, comprising what is now Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, Jefferson, Racine, Walworth and Kenosha counties. On March 13, 1837, he was elected a mem- ber of the Executive Committee of the Claim Organization, formed to protect the "squatter" until he could get title to his land from the government. In 1838 he was made one of the trustees for the East side of Milwaukee, and on Sept. 4 of that year was appointed probate judge. In 1841 he was elected one of Milwaukee's first fire wardens, his associates in office being Alexander Mitchell and Maurice Pixley. He rendered efficient services as under sheriff in 1842, and on April 3 of that year was appointed commissioner in bankruptcy, and held the office until the repeal of the bankruptcy law. He also held the office of county supervisor and town sur- veyor. He made the first survey and plat of town lots on the South Side in what is now the Fifth ward of the city of Milwaukee. He also surveyed and platted tracts in the First and Seventh wards. But of all his varied services in those early days, that as a member of the Territorial Council, to which he was elected in the fall of 1838, was perhaps the most important. Mr. Wells served on the committee on territorial affairs, finances, ways and means, schools, territorial roads and enrollment. His efforts were especially di- rected to secure measures beneficial to his own city, and among the important measures whose passage he secured was that authorizing his county to build a bridge across the Milwaukee river. He also secured the passage of a law as a protection to actual settlers and against non-resident land holders who had monopolized large tracts during the land excitement of 1836, for speculative purposes, to
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the effect that taxes should be assessed against the land alone, and not against the improvements thereon. Another important service by Mr. Wells that should not be overlooked, was in preparing and framing the passage, through a legislature hostile to banking in any form, of the charter of the Wisconsin Marine & Fire Insurance Company. Although elected for four years, Mr. Wells resigned at the end of his fourth session, which closed Aug. 14, 1840. His next public office was as commissioner from Wisconsin to the World's Exposition, held in the Crystal Palace, at London, in 1851. While abroad he visited Scotland, Ireland, France and other Euro- pean countries, and returned home in March, 1852. In his political affiliations Mr. Wells was originally a Whig, but after settling in Milwaukee and the organization of the state government for Wis- consin he acted with the Democratic party, though not always supporting its measures. He opposed the Kansas-Nebraska policy of his party, and during the Civil war was an earnest supporter of the Federal cause. In 1852 he was elected, as against Mr. Durkee, the nominee of the Free Soil party, and Mr. Durand, of the Whigs, to represent the First district of Wisconsin in the Thirty-third con- gress, which assembled on Dec. 5, 1853. The following were among the early measures introduced by him : "A bill giving right of way and granting alternate sections of the public lands to the state of Wisconsin and its grantees and assigns to aid in the construction of a railroad from Milwaukee to Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi river:" "A bill giving the right of way and alternate sections of land to the state of Wisconsin and its grantees and assigns to further the construction of a certain railroad therein specified ;" and "A bill giving right of way and granting alternate sections of public lands to the states of Michigan and Wisconsin and their grantees and assigns to further the construction of certain railroads therein specified." He also introduced a bill providing for the purchase of a site and the erection of a suitable building at Mil- waukee for a postoffice and custom house, and secured an appro- priation of $50.000 for that purpose. During the same session he introduced a resolution instructing the committee on postoffices and post-roads to report a bill reducing ocean postage to a uniform rate of ten cents each on letters not exceeding one-half ounce in weight, and followed it by securing the passage of a joint resolu- tion by the Wisconsin legislature relating to cheap postage. He also introduced a measure relating to foreign and coasting trade on the northern and northeastern and northwestern frontiers. At the session of 1854 he introduced bills making appropriations for the
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improvement of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha harbors, and secured an additional appropriation of $38,000 for the Milwaukee postoffice and custom house. In appreciation of his great service, he was re-elected to the Thirty-fourth congress, which opened Dec. 3, 1855. In the contest for the speakership of the House of Repre- sentatives at that session, Mr. Wells, having regard for the good of the whole country, went quietly to work among his friends and secured eleven Democrats, beside himself, who were willing to vote for a plurality rule, and Mr. Banks was elected. Chiefly by his influence and efforts were secured the valuable land grants for railroads in Minnesota in the congress of 1855-57. At the end of his second term he declined to become a candidate again, though strongly urged to do so, feeling that his private affairs demanded his whole attention. Through his early purchases of land he be- came one of the most extensive dealers in real estate, and was from an early day a promoter of public improvements. In 1844 he built the present Kirby House, which was opened under the name of the City Hotel, from 1847 to 1849 he was a member of the firm of Dousman & Wells, engaged in shipping and storage, and also in buying and selling grain and other farm products; during that time in 1848, he was one of the organizers of the Madison, Watertown & Milwaukee Plank Road Company. From 1849 to 1856, associated with Horatio Hill, under the name of Wells & Hill, he conducted a large trade in grain and wool. Beginning in 1847, when, in con- nection with another gentleman, he built the large lumber mill at Escanaba, Mich., he was largely interested in the lumber trade, and besides his interest in that plant, he was a large shareholder in the N. Ludington Company, the Ludington, Wells & Van Schaick Com- pany, the Peshtigo Lumber Company, the H. Witbeck Company, and the I. Stephenson Company. In banking circles he was promi- nent for many years. He was a stockholder and director in the Wisconsin Marine & Fire Insurance Company until its reorganiza- tion under the state law; for many years president of the Green Bay Bank, he held the same office after that institution became the First National Bank of La Crosse. He was vice-president of the old Board of Trade during its short existence, and for many years was a member of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce. He was a director of the Northwestern National Insurance Company, and always favored all measures tending to the development of rail- roads in the Northwest. The Northern Pacific Railroad had no firmer friend than he, and as early as 1847, when a bill to incor- porate the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad passed the Wisconsin
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legislature, he was named as one of the commissioners therein. He served in a like capacity in securing the Milwaukee & Watertown Railroad, which afterward became the La Crosse division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. He was president of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad, and was also president and a director of the Southern Minnesota and of the St. Paul & Minnesota Valley Rail- roads. For many years Mr. Wells declined to take public office of any kind, but his interest in the welfare of his adopted city and state was not abated. He died on March 18, 1902.
The following extract from a letter written at Green Bay by Mr. Wells, on Aug. 30, 1835, to an Eastern friend, will convey to the reader an idea of the conditions at Milwaukee then, as Mr. Wells viewed them :
"I have purchased considerable real estate at Milwaukee, most- ly village property. The land about Milwaukee is the best in the territory, and as Milwaukee is the only harbor for some distance either way on the lake it must of necessity become a place of great importance. It is now laid out in lots for two miles north and south and one and a half miles east and west, which lots will, I think, sell immediately for from $100 to $1,000, and much money has been made speculating in lots already. I think money can be made here in the lumbering business if one had capital, as all kinds of lumber sell readily and for high figures. The winter is the same here as in New England or nearly the same. The settlers will all get their claims for $1.25 per acre, as it is considered very mean to bid against them; some of them have already sold their claims at high figures, in one case for $8,000. I have also entered a few lots of land at ten shillings per acre. There is a mill at the mouth of the Menomonee owned by Farnsworth & Brush, which they wish to sell. together with a large quantity of pine land of the best quality, for $40,000; have been offered $30,000."
Three years later, on Aug. 5, 1840, he wrote a letter to his brother Charles, who was then a student at Yale College, from which we take the following extract :
"I am doing a little farming this summer and also sell some lumber on commission, which, together, give me a very comfort- able living, though this year instead of a benefit I have suffered a heavy loss, as my crops were utterly destroyed last week by a tre- mendous hail-storm, an account of which you will see in the papers sent you. I had let out my farm to a young man to cultivate, at the halves, and I had about twenty-five acres in crops, eight of corn, five of oats and twelve in wheat; and the outlook for a good crop
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was fine, when, last Thursday, the storm came, extending over a tract about a mile in width and some ten miles in length. The hail continued to fall for about five minutes, accompanied with a tre- mendous wind. I never saw anything half equal to it. The glass and sash were broken out of the windows, even on the lee side of the house, and the bark beat off the trees. Three of my pigs were killed by the hail and all my crops utterly ruined. The loss to me will be about $300 ; but I think I shall live through it well enough."
Another letter, also addressed to Charles Wells, was dated at Milwaukee, April 7, 1841, and contained the following :
"Money matters are in rather a bad state in the west. All the banks have suspended specie payments and all bills on western banks are 12 per cent. discount. Western bank money generally passed at par, and eastern money and specie is from 10 to 12 per cent. premium. I am doing but little business at this time, nor is there much prospect that I shall engage in any active business for some time to come, as I am still crippled with old liabilities con- tracted in 1836 and how they will be cancelled it is now difficult to say. I do about enough business to pay present expenses, which are quite small. I start to go to Rock river tomorrow in order to sell some lumber owned by myself and Mr. Brown (at Dixon's ferry) ; shall be absent about two weeks. The farmers out here are doing a hard business as produce is so low. Wheat is worth only 40 cents ; corn, 31 cents ; oats, 20 to 25 cents ; and pork, 21/2 to 37/2 cents per pound. All kinds of business is in a bad state, and how long it will so continue is uncertain. The people must fall back on their old habits of industry and economy and do away with all extravagance and then the country will start ahead again. A new start of prosperity must be the work of years to be permanent."
A third letter, which is dated at Madison, Jan. 25, 1842, con- tains the following :
"The winter so far has been fine; we now have about a foot of snow and the sleighing is splendid. Wheat sells for 75 cents per bushel; oats, 23 cents; corn, 31 cents; pork, 21/2 cents per pound. The territory is on the gain and we expect a larger immi- gration next summer than any previous year. Milwaukee is im- proving very fast and a railroad is about to be started (the one mentioned in 1836) from there to the Mississippi river, through the center of the territory, via the lead region, and in a few years we shall have a continuous railroad from Boston to the Mississippi river."
Lucius I. Barber, who was chosen as one of the members of
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the territorial House of Representatives at the election heretofore mentioned, was a prominent man in early times. He was a native of Simsbury, Connecticut, returned there about 1850, or perhaps later, and he died at that place in 1888. He was very prominent in early legislation, but was never a business man. He was elected as one of the first board of trustees when the West Side changed from a township government to a village organization, in January, 1837, and in April of the same year he was elected to the position of assessor. In 1839 he removed to Jefferson, where he was one of the early settlers, and he lived there several years.
Among other notable things accomplished in the year 1838 was the removal of the Indians west of the Mississippi river, which event occurred in the month of June. They were collected at the old Indian fields, near the Layton House, where they were fed at the expense of the government until preparations could be made, teams procured and supplies collected in compliance with the treaty made at Chicago in 1833. The contract was given to Jacques Vieau, Jr., who was compelled to press into service every available team in the county in order to accomplish the removal of the red men. This cleared the country of all the Pottawattomies and Menomo- nees, with the exception of the Shawano band and a few others, who, on account of inter-marriage with the Creole-French, were permitted to remain at Theresa, Horicon, and other places along Rock river, leading the wandering nomadic life they so much pre- ferred. This year also witnessed the opening of a road to Madison, a government appropriation having been made for that purpose.
The second territorial legislative assembly commenced its sec- ond session at Madison on Jan. 21, 1839, to which time it had ad- journed on Dec. 22, preceding, and Lucius I. Barber, of Milwau- kee, was elected speaker of the House of Representatives. The county was also rcognized by the governor in the appointment of Horatio N. Wells as attorney-general for the territory.
Horatio N. Wells came from Burlington, Vermont, in 1836. As a lawyer he was both prominent and successful ; was of a quick and nervous temperament, a ready speaker and in political faith he was an uncompromising Democrat, taking a deep interest in po- litical affairs. He served as mayor of Milwaukee, was also in the territorial legislature, where he at once became a leader, and his last office was that of county judge. Says the historian, J. S. Buck: "Mr. Wells was a warm friend, a bitter enemy ; made no concealment of his political views or opinions ; was strictly honest, and generous to a fault ; he knew not the value of money, but spent
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it freely ; was at one time very wealthy, but at his death was poor." At the time of the organization of the East Side into a village gov- ernment, Mr. Wells was elected as the first village clerk, and in 1847 he was chosen mayor of the city. He died Aug. 19, 1858, a victim of intemperance.
The political campaign of 1839 in Milwaukee county, like that of 1838, was hotly contested. The election was held the first Mon- day in August, and resulted in re-electing practically the same offi- cials, as follows: Territorial Council-William A. Prentiss and Daniel Wells, Jr.,; House of Representatives, Augustus Story, Adam E. Ray, William R. Longstreet, William Shew, and Horatio N. Wells.
The public sales of the government land in the Milwaukee land district were first proclaimed to take place at Milwaukee on Nov. 19 and Dec. 3, 1838, but in accordance with the general wish of the settlers, as expressed in their petitions, the sales were post- poned by proclamation of the President of the United States, until Feb. 18 and March 4, 1839. The sales took place on these dates, and during the first week averaged $25,000 per day. There was no competition at the sales, nor any attempt by "greedy specu- lators" to interfere with the claims of the settlers, who adjusted all conflicting disputes by arbitration, and the capitalists found it more for their interest to loan money to the settlers on the security of the land purchased by them than to invest it in the land them- selves. Thus all apprehensions on the part of the settlers in ob- taining title to their claims proved to be groundless, and very few lands were bought on speculation. As a consequence a great por- tion of the best lands in the district were subject to entry at $1.25 per acre by the throng of immigrants that soon afterward peopled the entire country. Among these immigrants was the first install- ment of Germans and Norwegians-the advance guard of thou- sands that were to flock to Wisconsin's soil in search of homes. The effect of the arrival of these foreign-born home-seekers was very refreshing to the hardy pioneers of Milwaukee county, as they brought with them gold and silver with which to purchase homes, and money now became more plentiful. The spring of 1840 opened with brightened skies, as the country had become largely self-sus- taining, and the best land had nearly all been taken for farms. Provisions of all kinds were much cheaper than the previous year.
The political atmosphere of Milwaukee county in 1840, in com- mon with the country in general, was filled with storms. But of course the issues in Milwaukee were local in their nature, as 6
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the territory had no voice in national affairs and therefore could have but a sentimental interest in the great conflict being waged with the presidency as the prize. The election for members of the territorial legislature and for county officers was very hotly contested, and as this was the first election in which the Germans participated, a determined effort was made by both factions to secure their support. The result of the election was as follows: Council. J. E. Arnold and Don A. J. Upham; House of Repre- sentatives, John S. Rockwell, Joseph Bond, Jacob Brazelton, W. F. Shepherd, and Adamı E. Ray; county commissioner, William A. Barstow; collector, Horace Chase; treasurer, George D. Dousman ; assessors, Cromwell Hills, Ira Bidwell, and George Watson.
Don A. J. Upham. who is here mentioned as a member-elect of the legislative council, took a prominent part in the building up of Milwaukee. He was a lawyer by profession, and during his active career was a legislator, speculator, and a man who was a general favorite with the early settlers. He came to Milwaukee from Northfield, Vermont, arriving on June 15, 1837. James S. Buck describes him as follows: "In person he was tall; had a large head, blue eyes, brown hair, strong powerful voice ; spoke slow and distinct, with a lengthened sound upon the last syllable of each word; walked slow, with his eyes fixed constantly upon the ground, but at the same time was cognizant of all that was be- ing enacted around him; was courteous and dignified in manner, but fond of fun and mischief, few men more so, and usually on the watch for it; was a good public speaker and a prominent Demo- crat." He served two terms as mayor of the city of Milwaukee, and was also a candidate for the governorship in 1851, when, in the opinion of many, he was fairly elected but counted out in some unaccountable manner, and L. J. Farwell was given the position. He was one of the first to join the Old Settlers' Club upon its or- ganization in 1869, and in the organization of the Pioneer Associa- tion in 1879 he also took an active part. Few men in the state were better known than Don A. J. Upham. He was born at Weathersfield, Windham county, Vermont, May 31, 1809, died June 15, 1877, and was buried at Forest Home.
The first session of the third territorial legislative assembly convened at Madison on Dec. 7. 1840, and the most important act of its deliberations, so far as Milwaukee ,county was interested, was the "Act to provide for the government of the several towns in this territory, and for the revision of county government." The New England and , New York system of local self-government is what
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may be called the town system, while that of the western and southern states is what may be called the county system. Milwau- kee county, during the first four or five years of its existence, rapidly became settled with a population largely inbued with the ideas of New England and New York, in which they had been educated, and a desire was manifested that the system of local gov- ernment should be changed to conform to their ideas. The act mentioned above, and which was approved on Feb. 18, 1841, con- tained a complete system for the organization of towns, and speci- fied all the details of town government. It provided that the legal voters should at the next general election vote for or against the provisions, and if a majority of the electors in any county should vote in favor of the adoption of the act, the county so voting should be governed by and be subject to the provisions of the act, on and after the first Tuesday of April, 1842. The result was that in Milwaukee county the town system was adopted, and the board of commissioners was succeeded by the board of supervisors, after the date above named. At the April election in 1841, however, an entire new board of commissioners was elected, the successful can- didates for these and other positions being as follows: County commissioners-Charles Hart, Thomas H. Olin, and Peter N. Cush- man ; county clerk, Uriel Farmin ; register of deeds, Henry Miller ; collector, John T. Haight; treasurer, William Brown; assessors, Jared Thompson, Benjamin Hunkins and William Shew; sur- veyor, George S. West ; coroner, John Crawford. Jonathan E. Arn- old, having been nominated as the Whig candidate for delegate in Congress, resigned his position as a member of the territorial coun- cil from Milwaukee county, and the vacancy was filled by the elec- tion of John H. Tweedy.
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