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 35
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BY MRS. D. H. FLETT
The author of a monograph embracing the above title is the wife of one of Racine's foremost lawyers, David II. Flett. The subject is an alluring one and has been ably discussed by a trenchant and fascinating writer. Under the title of "Land- marks and Early History of Racine, Wisconsin," this valuable and very interesting contribution to Racine's literary archives was read before the Woman's Chib of this city on January 11. 1905, and afterward printed. The "paper" called for many high compliments and its worthiness makes for a place in this work, which is cheerfully accorded it "verbatim et literatim."
In compiling this record of early homes and early times the material used has been gleaned for the most part directly from the old settlers themselves. This city of over 30,000 inhabitants has made its growth in just seventy (1905) years from the building of the first log cabin, by Capt. Gilbert Knapp in 1834, to the present time. Knapp's claim constitutes the original plat of Racine. Mrs. Milligan, a sister of Captain Knapp, came here in September, 1835, with her three danghters and lived with her brother in the original log cabin until a frame home near the corner of Main and Second Streets could be built. The log cabin was located near the corner of Lake Avenue and Second Street, about where the Palica Trunk Factory now stands. Captain Knapp married a second time and in 1842 built a honse on Seventh Street, which was afterwards sold to Simon Wolff in the early '60s, and when the MeMyn School was built this house was moved to Carroll Street, where it now stands. Both Captain Knapp and his second wife died at the home of Mrs. McClrg on Main Street, now the home of M. H. Wallis.
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The second claim of territory in Racine was that of Joel Sage, purchased by him in May, 1835. This claim of 107 acres lay west of Knapp's claim and had the river for its eastern and southern boundaries: West Street for its northern boundary, the section line for its western boundary, and constitutes that part of the city known as "Sage Town." Shortly after its pur- chase Mr. Sage built his cabin in the midst of heavy timber on a bluff in the center of what is now State Street, and lived there alone until the arrival in February, 1836, of his two sons, Sidney and Stephen, the latter being the father of two of the brightest members of the Woman's (Inb. They kept bachelor's hall in the cabin that winter and in the spring hauled logs from their clan to the Rapids to be sawed into lumber for their new frame house. This was completed in 1838 and stood solitary in the forest primeval, the first frame house on the west side of the river. Meantime, Mrs. Sage had come and the house became the center of generous hospitality, as the home of the Sages has al- ways been. As at first located it stood in the middle of what is How Huron Street, abont 200 feet south of State Street. It has been moved three times, but it now stands on the south side of State Street, a little west of Superior, truly one of the land- marks. for it is nearly as old as the city itself.
There are three other buildings on the west side of the river that are of interest. One is the shop of the Dickey Fanning Mill Works, built in 1842, located inmediately west of Fourth Street Bridge, and directly across the street from the woolen mills. This is the original building and it now stands and is used for factory purposes just as it was in that early day eight Years after the city was founded.
A. P. Diekey came to Racine from New York with his fam- ily in 1845 and lived first in a house on Main Street that stood where H. M. Wallis' House now stands. In 1851 James Spence, father of James W. Spence, built the house on Seventh Street, adjoining St. Luke's Guild, for Mr. Dickey. Here the second Mrs. Dickey came as a bride in 1856, and here Mrs. Charles Taylor, Mrs. John W. O'Harrow and Charles Dickey were born.
The second building referred to was the first schoolhouse on the west side. It was built in 1846 on Marquette Street on a lot donated by Mr. Sage. It was a long, low building and in about 1856 was abandoned as a schoolhouse, out in two, one-half
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THE SAGE HOUSE
Built by Joel Sage and two sons in 143> a little south of the present junction of State and Huron Streets. It is still standing.
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moved to Mound Avenue and the other half to State Street, ad- joining the Garfield School Grounds, where it now stands. In the summer of 1849 the school had 140 pupils and some of them had to sit under the shade trees. In the carly '50s Mrs. Margaret Carswell Knight taught here, and among the pupils were her two little children, Margaret and Mary (afterwards Mrs. Near), and Mrs. D. J. Morey.
The third building referred to now stands at the corner of LaSalle Street and Liberty, and is owned by Mrs. Alexander Horlick. It was built on the flats north of the river, near the office of the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company. abont 1846, by a painter named Flemming, who, with his brother, kept a paint-shop on Main Street. J. 1. Case was an early ocenpant of the house, living here for about six years, from 1857 to 1863. and here Mrs. Fuller, Mrs. Wallis and Mrs. Crooks were born. It was a beautiful place at that time, having a garden stocked with choice fruits, a large yard with forest trees, green and leafy, and the river flowing clear not far away. Mr. Case bonght the "Reuben Norton House," the present home of the Case family, and moved to Main Street. The house was then ocenpied suc- cessively by Stephen Bull, who, after a short residence. moved to Main Street to his present home; then by Reuben Dond, who also moved to Main Street after a year's residence, and then by Mr. Robens, who moved it to its present location. He also in due time took up his residence on Main Street. There is a tradition that it is a lieky honse and that whoever occupies it will be- come prosperous and move to Main Street.
There is a little group of carly homes at the corner of Wis- consin and Fifth Streets, on what is known as the "Guilbert property." On the corner is the two-story honse built by Cap- tain Guilbert, Arthur Guilbert's grandfather, and Albert Guil- bert. his son. father of the present Arthur, was born there. Afterwards Professor Hever, well rembembered as a music teacher and devotee of the game of whist, occupied the house during the greater part of his residence in Racine.
West of the Guilbert Honse. on Fifth Street. is a cottage, the early home of Charles Herrick. Here Henry F. Herrick first saw the light of day something over a half century ago. North of the Guilbert House are two small houses-one the "Nick Miller House," the oldest of the old. It was probably
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built in the '30s, and was considered old fifty years ago. It has black walnut siding, sills of hard wood and oak floors, but has no particular history so far as I can find. The house next, north of the Miller House, known as the "Terbush House," was prob- ably built about the same time. Moses Miller and wife, parents of William Henry and L. D. Miller, boarded here with a Miss Perine for four or five years, and here William Henry was born, Mr. and Mrs. Terbush ocenpied the house for more than fifty years.
Continuing in this locality several early houses of interest still survive. One is the "Wells-Peck House," the first dwell- ing north of Fourth Street. It was built about 1838 by Timothy Wells, and old residents all agree it was headquarters for the vong folks. There was always something for them, the finest tea parties and the latest news. In 1843 their son, David Wells, while hunting, was caught in a prairie fire and perished in the flames. In 1839 Mr. S. B. Peck, a son-in-law of Mr. Wells, but then a widower, came to Racine from the State of New York, took up his residence with his deceased wife's parents and after- wards married their second daughter, and here Mrs. Sprague and Dr. Peck were born. Mrs. Wells was a fine, energetic woman, and when the present Presbyterian Church was being erected, boarded a number of the workmen to pay for her sub- seription. Among her boarders at one time were D. W. Emerson and his wife. Mr. Emerson came to Racine in 1846 and, with his brother, byman, kept a lumber yard for twenty years, and for fifteen years rendered efficient service on the board of educa- tion.
Another house, known as the "Pennsylvania House," is also located on Wisconsin Street, just north of Staple Brothers' Feed Store. It was built by Consider Heath about 1840, and at the time was the finest and most pretentious residence in town. Mrs. Heath, who was a daughter of Amaziah Stebbins, was a very beautiful and attractive woman, and their home during Mr. Heath's lifetime was a social center. Mr. Heath died here in January, 1848, and his widow has since that time twice remar- ried, and the last known of her she was living in California as a Mrs. Smith. Stephen Bull afterwards occupied the house for a short time.
The "Bryan House," on the north side of Fifth Street, be-
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tween College Avenue and Wisconsin Street, is also worthy of notice. It was probably built by Levi Blake and was purchased by Judge Bryan in the early '40s for a boarding house, but not for his own use. He came from the East with some means and took that way of investing it. When gold was discovered in California he joined the rush to the gold fields, but was not sue- cessful, and could not even send money for the support of his family. Mrs. Bryan moved into the house, took in boarders and bravely brought up her family of boys and girls. Some years after Judge Bryan returned broken in health, and a year later died in this house. Two sons, an adopted daughter and Mrs. Bryan also died there of consumption. The last surviving son married Miss May's sister and moved to Kentucky. Later the Silloways, Mrs. White's parents, lived there, and still later Mrs. Mills, the dressmaker.
The house next door west, on the corner of College Avenue and Fifth Street, known as the "Claney House," was built in 1847 and purchased by Martin Clancy, Sr., about 1850. Here eight of his children were born, and two daughters, Mary Staples and Agnes Winslow were married.
On the corner of Wisconsin and Sixth Streets once stood the early home of L. S. Blake, built in the early '40s. Before Mrs. Blake, who was Caroline Elliott, would consent to go to housekeeping, provisions for a year were bought and stored - a barrel of beef, a barrel of pork, a barrel of flour, a box of raisins, a sack of salt, green coffee and whole spices to be ground in hand mills. Mr. and Mrs. Blake spent the early years of their married life here and here their children were born. When the Blake Block of brick stores was built, the house was moved to Irving Court and its present address is 1100 Irving Court. Mr. Blake's Fanning Mill Shop was built on Wisconsin Street, back of the house, about 1840, later moved, remodeled into a dwelling and later occupied by Miss Stella White, No. 715 Lake Avenue. In this shop the little Blake children played under the watchful eye of Charles Runce, a faithful employee, who never worked for any one else but the Blake family from the time he came to Racine in 1838 up to the time of his death several years ago.
Levi Blake, grandfather of A. J. Blake and Mrs. Sands Hart, moved from Caledonia to Racine in 1839 and built and opened
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a tavern on Wisconsin Street, between Fourth and Fifth. In the late '40s he gave up the tavern and built a home on the cor- ner of College Avenue and Eighth Street, where John P. Davies now lives. Later this frame house was moved and now stands on College Avenue, just north of St. Luke's Hospital, a two- story house and very respectable looking even at this day. Levi Blake's cabin in Caledonia was known as "Our House," au ex- pression which fittingly described the spirit of the times. An- other house built by Mr. Blake, still standing, is No. 423 Water Street, now owned by Mrs. McDonald and used for a store- house. It was built for his sou, Albert, who first lived in it, followed by his son. Edward, cousin of A. J. Blake: later it was occupied by Charles Naylor's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Crow- ston, who both died there. At one time it was occupied by D. W. Emerson, who lived the later years of his life on Superior Street. This is really an interesting house- the floors of wide oak boards, said to polish up very white, the timbers rough hewn with the broad axe and the laths of split boards. Down stairs there are two living rooms, a tiny bedroom and a hall. The ceilings are very low, but the plaster is all on, except where a partition has been knocked out, and very white because made of good lime, they say. Only the front door is missing. If you moved about in that locality of a morning in an early day, think of whom you would meet! Doctor Cary, Captain Guilbert, Charles Herrick. Moses Miller with his jolly stories. Beacon Peck, Mr. Terbush. Levi Blake and his two sons, Eneins and Albert, and perhaps brisk Mrs. Wells sweeping the snow from her front steps, or even a peep at pretty Mrs. Consider Heath at the window.
Until about twelve years ago. Dr. B. B. Cary's first home, also his office, in which the post office was kept, still stood on Wisconsin Street, between Fourth and Fifth. Doctor Cary came to Raeine in 1836, was postmaster and held the position a mm- ber of years. In 1836, in defending his claim on Tenth Street against a squatter, who had taken possession, he was shot through the left Jung, but recovered and built the house occupied by James Corse. It has been greatly added to, however, since that time.
The Lathrop House, on Lake Avenne, between Fifth and Sixth Street. is very old. It was built in 1839 by a Mr. But-
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terick, a butcher and partner of Charles Herrick, and afterwards purchased by Mr. Lathrop. It was originally on Main Street, but in about 1880, when the Lathrop businss block, now Masonic Temple, was built. it was moved back towards Lake Avenue. W. H. Lathrop lived in it continously from the time of his pur- chase until his new house on Main Street was completed, about 1883.
William H. Lathrop and wife and Chauncey Lathrop, then a young man of 17 years, came to Racine in 1844 on the steamer Chesapeake. the first steam vessel that ever entered this or any other artificial harbor in the State of Wisconsin. Although the arrival was made on Sunday morning about church time, they were greeted by the firing of camion, the ringing of bells and other demonstrations.
In 1848 Chauncey Lathrop built a homestead at the south- west corner of Park Avenue and Sixth Street, on the site occu- pied by JJacobson & Beck. Here he lived seven years and in this house his three children were born.
Second door south of the Presbyterian Church is an old house, the early home of Moses Vilas. It was built about 1841 by Ilophni Hurlbut, a cousin of Miss Georgia Hurbut's father. who occupied it two or three years. He was followed by Moses Vilas, who held the office of Government Surveyor. He re- surveyed the "Original Plat." surveyed and platted Sage's addi- tion in 1842 and the school section in 1848. His wife was brought up in the family of Doctor Cary and his son, Albert, supposed to be living in Salt Lake City, was born there.
On College Avenue, the little brown house just south of the jail, was the first home in Racine of Eldad Smith, father of Mrs. Doctor Meachem. He moved to Racine from Bood's Bridge in about 1841, and lived in this house two or three years, then built at the corner of College Avenue and Eighth Street, on the present site of the Meachem residence. This last old house. where Lizzie Smith Meachem was born and married, was moved more than twenty years ago to the corner of Howe and Thir- teenth Streets, where it now stands. Mr. Smith was a merchant and forwarding agent and in 1841 bought the first wheat brought to Racine for shipment.
Thomas J. Emerson came to Racine from Maine in 1844 and in 1845 he became school commissioner, an office he held many
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years. During this the he worked actively for the schools, seeking to organize them and to place them on a sound financial basis. Through his co-operation the services of JJ. G. MeMyn were secured to the schools. In 1848 he built a homestead on the site of the O'banghlin home on Main Street, and a portion of it still remains. He lived there seven years and then sold to Marshall M. Strong, who died there. His widow sold to Henry Mitchell, who added to the house very greatly. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell occupied the house the remainder of their lives and afterwards it was sold to John O'Laughlin.
The house on the east side of Wisconsin Street, between Sixth and Seventh Streets, and later used by the Augustines for a store, is old and interesting. It formerly stood on the corner of Wisconsin and Sixth Streets and was built by Mr. Perkins, whose widow lived on Lake Avenue a number of years after his death. Mrs. Elisha Raymond, then Mrs. Simmons, or- cupied it as a boarding house, and among her boarders were N. D. Fratt, Roswell Morris and John Hamilton, at that time all young men. This was the home of Senator Doolittle for a time, and here Mrs. Prindle, his youngest daughter, was born. Somewhat later it was occupied by the Seribners, and here the marriage ceremony of George W. Slauson and Emily Scribner was solemnized. There is a tradition that President Lincoln came to Racine at one time to see Senator Doolittle and that in this house an important state paper was drawn, but this I have been unable to verify. The nearest approach is the fact that Mrs. Lincoln, with her son "Tad," a boy of 12 or 14 years, spent one summer in Racine, boarding at Congress Hall.
The "Exchange" was a famous hotel and a landmark of Southern Wisconsin, and the building is still in existence. It stood near the corner of College Avenue and Sixth Street and was built by Arby Tyrell in the later '40s, later purchased by L. S. Blake, who remodeled it and named it the Blake House. For a long time it was headquarters for the farmers, some of whom, owing to the lack of railroads, were obliged to drive forty or fifty miles to exchange grain and produce for the mer- chandise brought by the boats. About a quarter century ago this building was bought by Erhardt Schelling, moved to the corner of Grand Avenue and Sixth Street, donated to the Fran- ciscan Sisters for a hospital, and was used for that purpose
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about three years. During that time the evelone occurred and fourteen cyclone sufferers were nursed there. In 1886 the old building was sold, to complete its sphere of usefulness as a lodging and tenement house on Seventh Street.
Prominent among the hotels were the Racine House, located at the corner of Monument Square and Fifth Street, where David Lawton's Building now stands, built by Stebbins & Meyer in 1837, at a cost of $10,000, and "Congress Hall," located at the corner of Lake Avenue and Third Street, built by Lorenzo Janes and opened by Mr. Mapes, afterwards the founder of Ripon, but both were destroyed by fire.
The "Racine Exchange," located on Main Street, near the site of the Racine Water Company's office, 321 Main Street, was kept from 1844 to 1850 by Alvin and Elisha Raymond. Board here was two dollars a week, good and abundant - plenty of game and fish, bread from home ground flour, buckwheat cakes and maple syrup from the sugar camp in the Erskine Grove on Twelfth Street, then owned by Lewis G. Dole; or from the larger camp in the Slauson Woods, now a part of the Doctor Shoop Farm. Both places call up sweet memories to old residents, some of whom would remain in camp for weeks boiling sap, "sugaring off" and entertaining the sugar parties that came out from town. There was also a sugar camp in Sage's Woods.
The Fulton House was an early public hostelry, built by Smith & Waterman. Every few miles in the country there was a tavern. The first one in going west from the city was on Washington Avenue, between Eleventh and Twelfth Streets. called the Frontier House, kept by John Carswell, brother of Mrs. Robert H. Baker. The next was where George C. Peter- son afterwards lived, opposite Lindenman's, called the "Bull's Head." There was also one at Mygatt's, one at Gatliff, one at Ives' Grove.
The Old Baker homestead, that once stood at the corner of Main and Sixth Streets, was built about 1841 or '42 by Capt. Thomas J. Cram, a government topographical engineer, and a graduate of West Point, sent here in 1838 to survey the harbor. He lived in the house for a number of years and the little build- ing that now stands on the corner of Lake Avenue and Sixth Street was built for his office. It stood in the rear of what is
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now the post office lot and was filled with maps, charts and sur- veying instruments. It is very tiny and has two pillars in front. and now belongs to Mrs. Teegarden. In 1850 Doctor Foster, Mrs. Il. Raymond's father, bought Captain Cram's house and it became the scene of many gaieties. The office was moved to the north side of the lot and here Doctor Foster extracted teeth without anaesthetics and practiced the most modern methods of dentistry. Since I began this paper one of the pillars has fallen, which gives the little building a quizzical expression, as though with one eye closed, it silently langhs at all who pass. After a few years Doctor Foster sold his home to JJohn C. Camp- bell, the superintendent of the Racine & Mississippi Railroad Company, who in about 1869 sold to Robert H. Baker, of the JJ. I. Case Threshing Machine Company. Here Edward Baker was born and lived for many years. When the post office was built the dwelling house was divided and moved to Sixteenth Street, the front part to the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Sixteenth Street and the rear part was converted into a saloon.
William Ballack and Thomas Graham of the Town of Dover made green blinds for the Cram House, and they were the first blinds in the city. Messrs. Ballack and Graham came to Wis- consin as early as 1840 and settled in the town of Dover. Mr. Graham was a millwright, and he and Mr. Ballack built the first grist mill at the Rapids. Mr. Ballack, who was a fine finisher, built the stairway in the Durand House on Main Street. These stairs were considered very remarkable and were visited by many other builders and used as a model by them. Robert C'ather owned this house at one time and also a Mr. Farnsworth, a lumber merchant from Sheboygan. Captain Cram also built the " Herrick House" on Twelfth Street. This house was oc- eupied for a time by the brother. Eliphalet Cram, of the firm of Knight & Cram.
Captain Gram surveyed the Racine & Janesville road for the construction of which the United States Goverment appropri- ated $10,000, and this money was expended upon it in 1839 under Captain Cram's direction. In 1818 the Racine & Rock River Plank Road Company was organized and the construction of a plank road was at once commenced, from Racine west on the Mygatt's Corners Road. The plank for this road was brought
CONGRESS HALL
Early Racine Hotel built by Lorenzo Janes in 1.49 as a home. Located at southwest corner of Lake Avenue and Third Street. facing lake. Burned in 1882. Marcus Weed was the first landlord.
VIEW FROM CORNER OF MAIN AND SEVENTH STREETS IN 1×41
Old Courthouse in left center ; H. J. Smith residence at left: Paul Kingston house at right. Racine House at corner of Market and Fifth Streets.
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from Muskegon by Capt. Larry Easson in the schooner "Union," and he and James Beaugrand handled nearly all of it. A little later the Racine & Wilmot Plank Road Company was organized to construet a plank road from Racine to Wilmot in Kenosha County, and proceeded at once to build such a road along what is now Asylum Avenue and extending for ten or twelve miles into the country. The Racine & Raymond Plank Road Company also built a plank road for some distance out of the city, from the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company depot to the Rapids, along what is known as Northwestern Avenue, and thence west towards Franksville.
Toll gates on all these roads were set short distances apart- one being on Washington Avenne, between the Howell School and John Bolton's, kept by Carrie Paul's father, another near the site of the "Bull's Head," and another near the Beebe School-house. One of these toll gates was kept for a time by Dr. Gilbert R. Tait's grandfather, and the regular toll was abont 2 cents a mile for a wagon and team, all persons, however, at- tending a funeral or religions meetings on Sunday, were ex- empt.
The house that once stood on the corner of Main and Sey- enth Streets, long known as the "Chauncey HIall House," had but two occupants up to the time of its removal - Lorenzo Janes and the Hall family. It was built by Mr. Janes for his own home about 1846 or 1847, and into it both Mr. and Mrs. Janes put the best that they could create, or remember of the houses to which they had been accustomed. Every portion was well built, that a good home might be left for their children and grandchildren. David G. Janes and his sister, Mrs. Doctor Egan, were born there, and George Janes, their soldier son, brought home from a Southern hospital, died there after an ill- ness of two weeks. To the family unusual memories cluster about this house and the site of their dear old home seems a fit- ting place for the public library. The house is now located on Park Avenue, near Fifteenth Street. It was built by Lucas Bradley, who came to Racine at an early date. He designed and constructed a very large number of buildings, among these, still standing, in addition to the Chauncey Hall House, being the Presbyterian Church and the residence of Doctor Kark on Sixth Street.
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