USA > Wisconsin > Racine County > Racine > Racine, belle city of the lakes, and Racine County, Wisconsin : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 12
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United States of Amerion; In consideration of the Premises, nud in conformity with the severufacts of Congress, ia such case mule und provided, HIVE GIFEN AND GR.INTED, und by thise presents DO GIVE AND GRANT, woto the said, County, if vateurs in the villetrig dietrich
w the suid truet abore described; TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the same, together with all the rights, privileged, imhiunities, and appurtenaners of thatmerer nature, thereunto belonging, unto the said I renty of it rains on the initaly apartheid annat to its incompres und assigns jaunes,
"IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I,
Heten Styler
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these ktters to be made PATENT, and the SE.IL of the GENERAL LAND OFFICE to be hereunto affixed.
GIVEN would my hand of the CITY OF WASHINGTON, the Beverly 'feuerthe day of Theme ... und the year of our Lord one
und of the INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES the ·birey strette . 1 thousand eight hundred and
By tor President;
By
Sec'y.
RECORDED, VOS. /. PAGELAO-
RECORDER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE
.
PRE-EMPTION CERTIFICATE FROM GOVERNMENT TO RACINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR ORIGINAL PLAT OF RACINE
1.
7
.
CHAPTER VII
THE CITY OF RACINE
LOCATION -ORIGIN OF THE NAME-EARLY SETTLEMENT - PLATTING THE TOWN - STREET AND PROPERTY LINES - POSTOFFICE - EARLY MAIL ROUTES - TIIE VILLAGE INCORPORATED -- THE CITY GOVERN- MENT -LIST OF MAYORS - FIRE DEPARTMENT - POLICE DEPART- MENT - PUBLIC PARKS - WATERWORKS - GAS AND ELECTRIC LIGHT - MISCELLANEOUS.
Racine, the seat of justice of Racine County and the second largest city in the State of Wisconsin, is located on the shore of Lake Michigan, in the Town of Mount Pleasant, and at the mouth of the Root River. Actual surveys show that the court-house is situated in latitude 42° 43' 45" north and longitude 87º 47' 01" west. The name "Racine" is of French origin and was in all probability first applied to the locality by the Jesuit missionaries when they visited the locality in the Seventeenth Century. It means, as nearly as can be determined, "a river filled with tangled roots," and was given to the river that flows into Lake Michigan at that point, though the Indian name of the stream was "Chip-pe-cot- ton," which means "root." Philo White, writing on the subject of the name in 1845, says: "Racine, in French, means not only root as applied to trees, shrubs and plants, but also signifies the principal, the base, the source, the foundation; and hence a French writer says, 'Je crois qu'il veut prendre racine ici.'" This ex- pression Mr. White translates as "I think he desires to take up his quarters here," a translation that signifies a desirable place to dwell, which is borne out by the fact that the first white settlers in the county located at the mouth of the Root River.
EARLY SETTLEMENT
As narrated in Chapter IV of this work, the first actual set- tlers in what is now the City of Racine were Gilbert Knapp, A. J. and William Luce and a man named Welch, the Luces and Welch being employees of Captain Knapp. After staking out his claim (all the land comprised in the original plat of Racine) and building a small cabin near the mouth of the river in November, 1834, Captain Knapp returned to Chicago, leaving his hired men to look after and protect his interests. During that winter and the
134
HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
following spring he interested Gurdon 'S. Hubbard, of Chicago, and Jacob A. Barker, of Buffalo, New York, in his project of founding a town at the month of the Root River. A name being necessary, the proposed town was called "Port Gilbert, " in honor of the original settler, but that name was soon abandoned in favor of "Racine."
There is a story to the effect that a trading post of the American Fur Company was established several years before the arrival of Captain Knapp. Augustin Grignon, for many years associated with the affairs of the company, in his reminiscenees, published in the Wisconsin Historical Collections (Vol. XX, p. 218), says that James Kinzie, a son of the well known Chicago trader, John Kinzie, was in charge of the company's post at Mil- waukee in the early '20s and had a branch at the mouth of the Root River. This James Kinzie was born at Detroit in 1793, but went to Virginia in his childhood and lived with his mother's people until he was about twenty-three years old. He then re- turned to the West and was in the employ of the American Fur Company until the post at Milwaukee was closed. In 1833 he built the "Green Tree Tavern" in Chicago, and was the first sheriff of Cook County, Illinois. From Chicago he went to Iowa County, Wisconsin, and died there on January 13, 1866. Just how much truth there is in this story, or just where the Racine post was located, is somewhat problematical.
On January 2, 1835, Stephen Campbell, William See, Paul Kingston and Edmund came from Chicago for the purpose of locating claims somewhere in the neighborhood of the Root River. They found the Luce brothers in the cabin erected by Captain Knapp's direction the fall before. William Luce pointed out the boundaries of the claim they were holding and warned the new comers not to trespass. Mr. Campbell went back some distance into the dense woods, cleared a small space and built a shanty, but discovered that he was upon the Knapp claim. He then went farther west and built a second cabin in what afterward became the "Harbor Addition." Mr. See went on up the river to the Rapids; Mr. Weed staked out a claim that was afterward owned and occupied by Nicholas D. Fratt, and Mr. Kingston staked out a claim just south of Knapp's, as he supposed, but learned when it was too late that he was a trespasser. After some conflict, he surrendered his claim there and it became the Knapp homestead.
WISCONSIN AND FOURTH STREETS FIFTY YEARS AGO
1
UNION MARKET JOSEPH ROWI '
COPETERSON & JOHNSONG
CICAP MANUFACTORY.
--
NORTHWEST CORNER MAIN AND FOURTH STREEETS IN THE '50,
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
In the spring of 1835 Joel Sage set out from Massachusetts to seek a new home somewhere in the West. Upon arriving at Chicago he met Captain Knapp, who provided him with an Indian pony, upon which he made the trip to Racine. He arrived at his destination in May and began looking about for a satisfactory location. West of the Root River an Indianian had made a claim, which Mr. Sage bought, and of which he took immediate pos- session. His log house stood on top of the bluff, at a point that is now almost the exact center of State Street. During his absence one day in the fall of 1835, some evil-minded person or persons tore down his house, hoping, no doubt, to frighten him away and get possession of his claim. But Mr. Sage was not that kind of a man. He immediately rebuilt his cabin and firmly asserted his right to the 107 acres included in his claim. In his address to the Old Settlers in 1871, Judge Charles E. Dyer said : "Joel Sage, in retaining his claim and title to the 107 acres, upon which he located, was spared the trials and troubles which congressional legislation had brought to other settlers. But he had a long and discouraging conflict with fraudulent float holders, who sought, by all means that were not honest, to oust him of his possessions. He journeyed to Green Bay and there resisted their pretenses; he went to Chicago and employed lawyers to assist him in his warfare, and with a just conception of the first great right and duty of an actual settler, he took good care to maintain actual possession of the lands upon which he had located. His theory was that his cabin was his castle; that possession was nine points in the law, and, adhering with courageous pertinacity his position, fraudulent floats and bogus titles could not prevail against him. His rights culminated in actual title in 1838, by virtue of pre-emption."
On February 7, 1836, Joel Sage's two sons - Sidney A. and Stephen H. - arrived in Racine, and in August his wife, Bethiah Sage, came with Rev. Cyrus Nichols and family. When Racine began to spread ont, the 107 acres of Mr. Sage's claim gained the appellation of "Sage Town," by which title it was known for many years. Mr. Sage died in September, 1840, but some of his descendants still live in Racine.
During the summer and fall of 1835 E. J. Glenn, James Beeson, Levi Mason, Amaziah Stebbins, Alfred and Dr. Bushnell B. Cary, Samuel Mars, John M. Myers, Eugene Gillespie, Joseph
136
HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
Knapp, Henry F. Cox, William Saltoustall and a man named Stilwell arrived and began the work of building homes. Dr. Elias Smith, the second physician in the town, arrived in December. In the meantime five or six frame houses had been erected, one of which was a two-story structure used as a tavern. It was built by John Pagan and the hotel was kept by Amaziah Stebbins and John M. Myers. Mr. Myers afterward went to Milwaukee, where he was engaged in the hotel business imtil his death. His son, Henry S. Myers, was the first white male child born in the City of Racine, a daughter having been born to Levi Mason and his wife a short time before. By the close of the year 1835 there was an atmosphere about "Port Gilbert" that indicated the town had "come to stay."
The year 1836 witnessed a considerable increase in the pop- ulation. Besides Rev. Cyrus Nichols and the family of JJoel Sage already mentioned, William H. Waterman, Norman Clark, Alanson Filer, Marshall M. Strong, Timothy Knight and his son, Samnel G., Jonathan M. Snow, Enoch Thompson, Seth Parsons, Sammel Lane, William HI. Chamberlin, Stephen N. Ives, Lorenzo Janes, James O. Bartlett, Charles Smith, Lyman K. Smith and a number of others settled in and around the village.
Marshall M. Strong was the first lawyer. He came with Charles and Lyman K. Smith and Stephen N. Ives on the "Penn- sylvania," one of the first steamers on the Great Lakes. Soon after his arrival he formed a partnership with Stephen N. Ives and they opened a store under the firm name of Strong & Ives. Previous to that time Captain Knapp had kept a small stock of goods to supply the immediate wants of the settlers, but the first established store in Raeine was that of Glenn & Mason. Eugene Gillespie was the second merchant. Dr. Elias Smith and William H. Waterman opened the third mercantile house, and the firm of Strong & Ives was the fourth concern of that line. Concerning the year 1836, Judge Dyer says: "The year was, as all know who experienced its business history, a remarkable year. The mania for speculation raged wildly. Speculators were traversing the country looking for water powers and village sites; farmers and mechanics threw aside their work and began to buy and trade in village lots that were located in an unbroken forest. Racine was to be a great city, even three years before the land sales, and I have in my possession the estimated value of the town lots
AN OLD VIEW IN SIXTH STREET, TAKEN FROM WHERE THE ROBINSON BLOCK NOW STANDS. THE BLAKE BUILDING STANDS TO THE RIGHT OF THE PICTURE.
LOOKING WEST ON SIXTH STREET IN 1915
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
in Racine, made September 17, 1836, which discloses the interest- ing fact that, at that time, the value of the property in what is now the original plat of Racine, was $348, 100. Upon the strength of such an assessment as that, what a pity they didn't issue some city bonds in anticipation of a railroad, via Ball's Bluff, a charter for which was obtained in 1838!"'
Samuel Lane was the first shoemaker. Soon after his arrival in 1836 he opened his shop in the old claim shanty that had been built by Captain Knapp. William II. Chamberlin, the first black- smith, also began business in this year, and Benjamin Pratt, who came in 1835, established a brickyard, from which came the bricks for the chimneys of the Racine Hotel and the old light house. The first school was taught in the winter of 1836 by a man named Bradley, in a little house sixteen feet square, which stood on the lot where McClurg's Block was afterward erected.
When Racine County was created by the act of December 7, 1836, Alfred Cary and Joel Sage were appointed justices of the peace. It is said that Mr. Sage did not desire the honor and declined to qualify until Alfred Cary, who was a warm friend of Mr. Sage, announced his intention of getting married and re- quested Mr. Sage to perform the ceremony. To accommodate his friend he took the oath of office and his first act in an official capacity was to solemnize the union of Alfred Cary and Miss Mary Knight, a daughter of Timothy Knight. The marriage occurred on December 29, 1836, and was the first wedding in Racine.
The great event of the year 1837 was the building of the Racine House - the town's first "big" hotel. It was erected by Alfred Cary at a cost of over ten thousand dollars. The site was in the woods and a clearing had to be made before work on the hotel commenced. Albert G. Knight hauled the humber from See's saw-mill at the Rapids; Lucius S. Blake burned the lime, and Benjamin Pratt furnished the bricks. When the frame was ready everybody in the community turned out to an old-fashioned "raising." and the skeleton went up with a rush. When the hotel was completed a celebration was held and "in the dancing room, which had been particularly prepared, from close of day until early morn a happy crowd danced away the night under the inspiration of music furnished by a hod carrier on a three- stringed fiddle." John M. Myers was the first landlord and con-
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
dueted the house for some time before his removal to Milwaukee.
PLATTING THE TOWN
Various statements have been made regarding the first survey of Racine. Judge Dyer says, in his Old Settlers' address: "In the winter of 1835 and 1836, the City of Racine was laid out into lots and blocks" -a statement that is repeated in Chapter V of this work. The History of Racine and Kenosha Counties, pub- lished in 1879, says, on page 361: "The first survey of the village north of the river was made by Milo Jones; that south of the stream by Joshua Hatheway," but does not give the time. Franklin Hatheway, who was one of the government surveyors in Racine County, and a nephew of the Joshua Hatheway men- tioned above, in an article on "Surveying in Wisconsin," pub- lished in the Wisconsin Historical Collections (Vol. XV, p. 391), says: "We left Milwaukee on Christmas Day (1835), on foot, and before the end of the year were actively at work. Two months sufficed to complete the survey; about the first of March, 1836, a portion of the party was dismissed and the others spent about a month in surveying and laying out the future City of Racine, under the lead of David Giddings."
While Mr. Hatheway's statement does not altogether agree with the others, it does not seriously conflict, and as he was one of the party he should be regarded as competent authority. The survey he speaks of as having been completed in two months included Townships 1, 2 and 3 North, of Ranges 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 East. This district embraced all of the present County of Kenosha and the southern half of Racine.
After the survey was completed, a map or plat was drawn by JJoshua Hatheway. On this original plat the streets running north and south, beginning next to the lake, were Michigan, Chat- ham, Main and Wisconsin, which extended both north and south of the Root River, while west of Wisconsin Street south of the river were Barnstable and Chippeway Streets. From the river north the east and west streets were shown as Dodge, Hamilton, Hubbard, Barker and Kewannee; south of the river were Water, Front, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Streets. Running along the east bank of the river from Chippeway to Water Streets was West Street. A number of the names of these streets have since been changed; for example, Barnstable Street is now College
Q117 (1119 OF1 0, I'etated nud sold of the office of the narine idvornie.
THIS INDENTURE, Ettwe the hun heth in the year four ford one thousand right hundred and feel BETWEEN The Bruk . supervisors of the Beauty of Redeties in the beritany of Theseradial- party of the first part , and Gilbert Krupp of diee. Benene party of the scand pas. Best were No, That the said par y of the first part, fer and in consulation of the Jam of One i offer for current many of the United Sincs , in land paid by the sand part of of the scent purt , the recipe whereaf is hardly confessed wind adislodged , he th lasgained , solo, conser) , uit claimed , und by these presents & the bargain, dell', remise and quit-chim, wie the said party of the second part, and to 12 figur and assigns
proves, all that enclaire pièce or parcel of land situated in the said county of Kaeine and designated as vol et winter dix (b) in the last trachinal Half of Section e tomate et one (If) in Township Annelie Three (3) worth of Range it mulier Twenty three Best of the Fourth principal ) meridian containing sixty Six and home acest according to the hunted Stated Auway, comparing a fact ofthe Village of Racine, with the Excep- tion oflett etuember Three and Form (32 4) in Block einetion Seventy sit (26) whow which the court House jail and Register office stand. which seid late three + For use not equered by this instrument - -
Together with al and singular the herediaments and appartenances therente belonging, It in any wise operaining; and the scocision and severins, remainder and remainders, rents issues und profits theref; and wfor all the estate, right, wife, interest, stain on demand whatsoever of -The sound party of the first post , riher in Class on equity , of . in and to the above Bargainal premises, and every part and parcel heraf, to the sand post ty of the scent punt. Is it fiers and nosigns , to the safe and only proper use , bancfire and beleef of the said part Af of the second part. I to hours and assigns forever. Com? the said party of the first part. for ban anerers and uominimatin di sta covenant with the said partey of the second part, Test fois and assigns, that the sand premises ine fire from all encumfrances made in suffered by - and that it will and for warrant and defend the same, to the saint party of the second part, his kais and assigns forever, against the lawful claims and doments of all persons claiming by, though, or under it. But against nene that.
AT COIENSES SOMNENSEAD, the party of the first part for thecake ort one hand fundaand the day und year first above miten, the common seal of said corporation
SIGNED, AFALIO AND DELIVERED IN PRESENCE OF
Signature-
1
I handy certify that I as chairman of the Board of Superiores "the country of Racine, and as special agent of pointed by sound Board for that porpose, have, on this emailisthe day of theweek 18115 affixed the common_ lead afraid corporation to the foregoing Indentive at above, and in accordance with an order stevia Board.
Robert & Chicfallen Chairman the Board of Supervisor and Sipreial agchat appointed by -sail
Attivi This E Parench Click
Tof Raum County r. J. L
DEED TO GILBERT KNAPP BY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF RACINE COUNTY OF ORIGINAL PLAT OF RACINE
Relais Publier 2
:
-
Territory ofwisconsines Racine County-S. 1. On this twentieth day ofille auch 1845 before me personally appeared Robert Fell Lellan to me known to be the Chairman of the Board of Informions of Racine County and he acknowledged that he daily affixed the common seal of the Board of Supervisors ofthe Country of Racines to the within In- dentine at the special agent off aix Board, appointed for that pompose by anorder ofsaid Board on record, and that at Lunch aquit he only executed the within In demine for the uses & pm pois thereis mentioned
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
Avenue, and Chippeway Street is Park Avemie. The publie square is shown as being comprised of one tier of lots on the west side of Main Street, from Fifth to Sixth Streets, and the opposite tier on the east side of Main Street, with that street running through the center.
The official plat of the town, as made by Mr. Hatheway, was lost (supposed to have been destroyed by fire) many years ago. but Captain Knapp had a copy, which was reproduced by John W. Knight in 1887, and from which the above description was taken. In one corner of the sheet Mr. Knight wrote: "Copy of the plat of Racine, Wisconsin, in possession of Captain Gilbert Knapp up to the time of his death in the year 1887. I have taken great pains to make this a correct and faithful copy of the plat of Racine held by Captain Knapp, which is supposed to be a copy of the original plat of Racine by Hatheway, as Captain Knapp was a large owner of lots at that time. The plat gives no dimen- sions and has no certificate attached. Irregular dimensions of streets, lots or blocks on this plat are copied from the other, and (are) not errors by me."
STREET AND PROPERTY LINES
The loss of the original plat caused a great deal of trouble in laying out additions to the city, which is now fully twenty times as large as shown on Hatheway's plat of 1836. Concerning this condition of affairs, David H. Flett, former municipal judge, has prepared the following statement:
"Considerable trouble has been experienced in Racine in correctly locating the street and property lines. Especially is this true of Section 16, generally known as the School Section. The section itself was originally surveyed and the lines located by the United States Government surveyors. Under the Federal laws, this section became the property of the state, the proceeds of sale to be used for school purposes. The section was resurveyed and platted in 1848 by Moses Vilas under the direction of the State of Wisconsin.
"At the time of both surveys, the land was more or less covered with trees and brush, and neither survey was very accu- rate. By the first survey the section was not a perfect square, the south side being somewhat longer than the north side, and the west side being somewhat longer than the east side.
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
"This gave rise to two methods for the establishing of street, block and lot lines. One of the local surveyors adopted Seventh Street for the base line for the north and south streets, running them all at right angles to Seventh Street, and Main Street as the base line for the east and west streets, running them all at right angles to Main Street. This, of course, had the effect of creating some quite large blocks in the southwest corner of the section. The other local surveyor took the position that the sev- eral blocks should be of uniform size, as far as possible. This gave rise to much controversy and uncertainty as to lines.
"To make matters still worse, very few original government monuments remained and each surveyor, from time to time, established monuments in different places in accordance with his own theory. The situation became so acute that in 1882 one Beniset Williams, of Chicago, was employed to resurvey and endeavor to establish the true lines. His work was a compromise between the theories of the other two and a map was prepared showing the lines as located by each of the three surveys. There- upon an ordinance was enacted by the City Council, in accordance with the Williams survey, and all surveys made by the city since that time have been governed by this ordinance."
THE POSTOFFICE
On February 25, 1836, a postoffice called "Root River" was established, with A. B. Saxton as postmaster. Some authorities state that this postoffice was at the Rapids, but that statement cannot be fully verified. Mr. Saxton was succeeded, on May 19, 1836, by Dr. B. B. Cary, who made his first report on the last day of June, showing the total receipts of the office since its estab- lishment to be $122.69, and the postmaster's commissions $37.79, or a little less than ten dollars a month. After the passage of the aet by Congress creating the Territory of Wisconsin, the name of the office was changed to "Racine, Wisconsin Territory."
For many years the postoffice was kept in such quarters as could be obtained by the different postmasters. At one time it was in the Blake & Elliott Block, on Main Street, and from there it went to the Gordon Block, on the corner of Main and Fifth Streets. Several efforts were made to have Congress appropriate a sin of money for a postoffice building and, finally, through the persisteney of the member of Congress from the First Dis-
7ª
R. M. NORTON.
H. BRYAN.
E. R. COOLEY.
W. H. WATERMAN.
J. W. CARY.
W. W. VAUGHAN. ... 4
GEO & NOLLHLOP.
ALVIN AYMOND.
REUBEN DOUD.
R. H. BAKER.
J. G. MHACHEM .... ... ....
ERNST HUEFFNER.
D. A. OLIN. .... ....
F. L. MITCHELL.
ADOLPH WEBER.
JACKSON 1. CASE.
MAYORS OF RACINE
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HISTORY OF RACINE COUNTY
triet and the representations of influential citizens of Racine, an appropriation of $50,000 was made. This sim was found insuffi- cient for the purchase of a site and the erection of a suitable build- ing and a second appropriation was seenred, which swelled the amount to over $100,000. The Baker property, on the southeast corner of Sixth and Main Streets, was then purchased and the present building erected thereon. It was occupied in the fall of 1898. The cost of the building was $100,000 and the site is now valued at $50,000.
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