USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date, Vol. II > Part 6
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In October, 1885, a franchise was granted the Janesville Street Railway Company to construet a horse railway through the Janesville streets, and a line was built and put into operation during 1886. The snow during the winters proved such an obsta- cle to the running of the cars, that the superintendent, Mr. Charles Atwood, substituted covered sleighs, and thus took care of the traffic while the line was bloekaded. The line was run as a horse railroad until 1892, when it was rebuilt with electricity as the motive power, at a cost of over $100,000. In 1893 the road was sold to George W. Blabon, of Philadelphia, and has since been run under his ownership.
In 1885 work was commenced on a line of railway from Janes- ville to Evansville, about sixteen miles; this was completed dur- ing 1886 by the Janesville & Evansville Railway Company, formed
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HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
to complete it, and was by them deeded to the Chicago & North- western in May, 1887. To aid in the building of this road the city of Janesville as a municipality paid the sum of $40,000, and it was proved to be a wise investment. This was the first time that the city had ever given aid to such an enterprise, they having escaped the craze of bonding themselves for the aid of railways when they first began to be built in the 50's; a craze which caused many Wisconsin cities to become involved in finan- cial difficulties and litigation for many years.
The original Chicago & Northwestern line from Chicago to Oshkosh at the time of building, and for a number of years afterwards, was considered the main line of the Nrothwestern system, but as time had gone on and the northwest had grown, the line running through Madison by way of Beloit and Afton had become the main line to St. Paul and the northwest. The building of this Janesville-Evansville line, called the "Evans- ville Cut-off," shortened the distance from Chicago to St. Paul by many miles and made the line running through Janesville the highway for the greater part of the traffic. Prior to the build- ing of the "Evansville Cut-off" the running time to Chicago was about four hours, whereas, now with many more trains, the average time is about two and one-half hours, and a number of trains have a schedule of two hours. The train service has in- creased so that from two trains a day in the 50's there are now upwards of eighty trains in and out of Janesville during each twenty-four hours.
About 1887, Edward F. Carpenter, under deed from Thomas Lappin, the owner of the river bank on the southeast side of Mil- waukee street bridge, commenced the erection of a building built on piles driven into the bed of the river, and abutting on the south side of the bridge. A building had already been erected in the middle of the river, on the south side of Milwaukee street bridge by Peter Myers in the early days of the city. Just when the building now in Rock river abutting on Milwaukee street prior to 1852, for chapter 426, laws of Wisconsin for 1852, ap- proved April 17, 1852, grants Peter Myers the right to maintain the building now in Rock river abuting on Milwaukee street bridge provided it does not interfere with the floatage in the river and so long as it shall be used as a meat market. Mr.
JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN
Myers then occupied it as a meat market, and one was kept there by R. J. Rooney and others until comparatively recent time. This Myers building was build on stone abutments, there being a rise in the river bottom in the nature of an island, at this point. After the building of the Carpenter building the waterpower owners procured a law to be passed by the legislature making building over the river a nuisance, and when Mr. Carpenter started to erect another building running from his first block to that built by Peter Myers, over what was then a vacant space about eighty-seven feet in width, proceedings were commenced in court under the aet mentioned above. The case went to the supreme court in 1890 and the court held the act of the legisla- ture unconstitutional and dissolved a temporary injunction which had been granted. The building was thereupon completed by Mr. Carpenter and Mr. George G. Sutherland. Later build- ings were erected on the south side of the bridge from the Myers building to the westerly bank of the river, and by M. G. and W. S. Jeffris on the north side of the bridge west of the center of the river. At the present time the only place where one would know that he was crossing a river in going over the Milwaukee street bridge is on the east half of the north side, where no build- ings have yet been erected. Buildings have also been erected on the north side of the Court street bridge by W. B. Conrad.
On May 10, 1887, the city granted a franchise to Turner, Clark & Rawson, of Boston, to construct and operate a system of waterworks in the city. A board of water commissioners had prior thereto been established by the laws of 1883 for the build- ing of a waterworks system by the city. The board had adopted plans and purchased land and commenced the digging of arte- sian wells for the supply of water.
On January 20, 1887, the well at the waterworks station com- menced flowing, being at that time drilled to a depth of 1,060 feet, with an eight-inch bore. That well gave about 500 gallons per minute, and was turned over to Turner, Clark & Lawson under their contract. Other wells have been drilled since as more water was needed to supply the city.
Turner, Clark & Lawson completed the plant and it was tested and the services accepted by the common council on June 2, 1888.
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HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
In the 90's the plant was purchased by a number of Janes- ville men, and there was considerable agitation and litigation re- garding the purchase of the plant by the eity under an option given by the original purchasers. The purchase was voted down, however, and the plant is still run by a private corporation, the chief owners being C. S. Jackman, of Janesville, and W. G. Maxey, of Oshkosh.
In 1887 the service of the fire department was made much more efficient by the construction of a fire alarm telegraph by the Gamwell company; the contract being entered into by the city in November and the alarm system completed, tested and accepted in December, 1887. Henry Klein was appointed city electrician and he devised many improvements in the system, one of his inventions being a machine which enables the number of any box to be pulled from the fire station when the alarm is turned in by telephone. The service of Mr. Klein was so satis- factory that the council, on the death of John C. Spencer, chief of the fire department, eleeted him to fill the vacaney.
The burning of the Myers opera house on February 20, 1889, was the first large conflagration since the building of the water- works, and although the opera house was totally destroyed, eaus- ing a loss of over $40,000, the abundant supply of water saved the Myers hotel and the other buildings in the neighborhood, which would probably have been otherwise consumed.
Mr. Myers had died the year previous to the destruction of the opera house, but it was rebuilt during the next year by his sons, and opened again to the publie on January 12, 1891.
In 1889 the erection of flat buildings for residence purposes was inaugurated by Hiram Merrill, who built the Waverly block on North Main street at a cost of $20,000. There proved to be such a demand for these buildings that many have been built since that time, among them being the Cullen flats, six apart- ments on South Main street, the A. C. Kent flats on South Main street and on Court street ; also his flats on North Bluff street, the Sehmidley flats, six apartments on North High street, the Burdick flats on South Franklin street, the Eaton flats, eon- strueted out of the A. C. Bates residenee on Milton avenue ; the Jeffris flats on Dodge street, the Bowles flats on East Milwaukee street, and a number of others in different seetions of the city.
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JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN
1890-1894.
During the years from 1890 to 1894 Janesville took on the fad of expansion by the opening of new additions and forcing building, which from being overdone caused somewhat of a set- back for a while, yet probably was of permanent benefit to the city. George L. and Sarah H. Carrington, the name under which they did business, were husband and wife who removed here from the East and commenced the platting of new additions in 1889; they began with Riverview Park addition, located on the hill east of South Main street; they also platted Out o' Sight, Glenetta, Carrington, Wheeler & Whitehead's and Carrington's addition. Streets were built, sidewalks laid, grading was done, and much money expended in all of these additions. Lots were sold on easy terms, and the building of homes encouraged. A building and loan association was organized by the Carringtons to further this plan. The hard times of 1893 and later, caused the Carringtons to fail in carrying out and maturing their plans, and they were finally compelled to close their operations in Janes- ville. Most of their additions, however, have continued to grow, showing that there was need for such a scheme.
Some of the Janesville men had bought a large traet of land lying east and south of the old high school in the Third ward in 1887, and had platted it under the name of Forest Park addi- tion; they had not tried to push this addition with the activity shown by the Carringtons, however, but it had grown slowly, though the last three or four years has shown a notable inerease in the number and class of buildings erected there. Previous to the opening of Forest Park there had practically been no new additions to Janesville since the early years of the city, when most of the land was platted and put on the market for residence purposes. The largest addition on the west side of the river covering the business area and much of the residence portion was platted by A. Hyatt Smith and others as Smith, Bailey & Stone's addition, within a year or two after the original plat of the village was made. It is stated that this firm bought land previous to platting at the ridiculously low price of $12 per acre.
Shortly after the advent of the Carringtons came another boomer named John W. Hamilton. Under some bonus from the citizens of Janesville he purported to bring large factories here
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HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
from Springfield, Ohio. Large buildings were erected in differ- ent portions of the city for the Champion Shelf Manufacturing Company, The Family Friend Publishing Company and others, all of which have faded into nothingness since the bubble burst. Hamilton's promises and the kind of fulfillment of them caused the people of Janesville to fill out the middle letter of his name, and he is still remembered as "John Windy Hamilton."
During this period, however, there was an industry established in Janesville, which has probably made its name known in more sections of the country than any other industry has, that is, the Parker Pen Company, which was incorporated by George S. Parker and others in 1891. Mr. W. F. Palmer became asso- ciated with Mr. Parker in the company after a few years, and owing to the efforts of these two gentlemen the concern has made enormous progress. For a few years they occupied small quar- ters in the opera house block, but in 1898 the business had grown so that they purchased the four-story double building owned by the McKeys on South Main street, and since that time have occu- pied the three upper stories in the manufacture of fountain pens, inks and like allied articles.
This factory is now the largest fountain pen factory in the world, making about $250,000 worth of pens annually; one other firm manufacturing more pens, but in various factories by con- tract and not under one management.
The Parker Pen Company has always been an exceedingly large advertiser, and it is owing to this fact that Janesville has sometimes been known as the home of the "Lucky Curve." Dur- ing the last year the Parker Pen Company has purchased a num- ber of acres of land near the fair ground on the eastern limits of the city and purposes building model factory buildings there- on with landscape gardening made a feature of the plant, some- what as has been done by the National Cash Register Company at Dayton, Ohio. The success of the Parker Pen Company has naturally caused other manufacturers of fountain pens to locate in Janesville, the next largest being the Williamson Pen Com- pany, who have a factory in the Corn Exchange block; and be- sides this there are the Century Pen Company, H. B. Smith Pen Company, the Burdick Pen Company and the Scritchfield Pen Company.
June 12, 1891, the corner stone of a new edifice for the First
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Presbyterian church was laid, with appropriate ceremonies, at the southwest corner of North Jackson and Wall streets; Febru- ary 18, 1892, occurred the dedication of this building free of debt, the cost of the lot, $2,500, and the church building, about $17,500. having been provided for before the dedication day. The new pipe organ, costing $2,500, had previously been inau- gurated with a concert, held in the new building, February 2, 1892.
In 1892 the citizens were very much wrought up over the murder of Mrs. Daniel Stone of the town of Fulton, she being found dead in the cistern of her residence. Her husband, Daniel Stone, was one of the first settlers of the county and had been blind for many years. This murder occurred in August, 1892, a grand jury was called by the circuit judge to investigate the matter, and they indicted Mathew R. Ashton, a nephew of the Stones, on December 4. His trial took place before the circuit court of Janesville, he being defended by Hon. E. M. Hyzer. Ashton was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in February, 1894, but during the pendency of appeal proceedings, died of smallpox in the Dane county jail.
Another murder where there was an attempt at lynching occurred in April, 1893, when Mathew Bitson murdered his wife and Mrs. Arthur Hearn in the town of La Prairie, south of Janes- ville. Bitson was captured at Clinton Junction, and a mob as- sembled- to lynch him, but Sheriff Bear and a posse from Janes- ville kept the prisoner safe until the arrival of a company of militia from Madison. In December of 1893 Bitson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to Waupun for life.
In 1893 proceedings were begun for the removal of the county poor farm, which had always been located at Johnstown, to a point near Janesville. Johnstown was so far from railroad ser- vice that it was thought best to remove the poor farm where it would be accessible to the railways, and the county finally de- cided upon the purchase of the Barker farm, a little north of the city near the crossing of the Northwestern and St. Paul railroad tracks. This farm was purchased in February, 1893, and the buildings were erected during that year at a cost of over $100,- 000; the county insane and poor inmates were removed to the new quarters on March 30, 1894.
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HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
1895-1899.
The year 1895 saw the completion of two public buildings in Janesville; one being the Y. M. C. A. home, which was finished in August, 1895. This building was erected at the northwest cor- ner of West Milwaukee and High streets at a cost of over $30,- 000. Since its completion the furnishing of rooms has necessi- tated the erection of a two-story addition to the west of the original edifice. Besides the offices, reading rooms, baths, etc., the building contains a large and well fitted gymnasium, where classes are held daily under the leadership of a physical director. On the second floor is a large auditorium, where lectures and other meetings are held.
The other public building erected in 1895 was the new high school. The old High School building of the Third ward had been overcrowded for a number of years, and the conditions had become such that a new structure was imperative. The school board was authorized at the April election, 1894, to build a new building, and a bond issue was provided to the amount of $55,- 000. A site was selected on South High street, being the second block south from Milwaukee street, plans were prepared by W. A. Holbrook, of Milwaukee, and Clark & Stuart, of Janesville, were the successful bidders. The contract being let in Septem- ber, 1894, the building was completed for occupancy by the be- ginning of the fall term of 1895. This building cost over $56,000; it is built of Menominee red pressed brick with trimmings of red Portage sandstone, and is 174 feet in length by 84 feet in width, with three stories and a basement. The appointments and plans of the school and its buildings were due in a large measure to the energy of the superintendent of schools, Mr. D. D. Mayne, although many insisted that he was visionary in providing such a large building. Time, however, has proved him correct in his judgment, and the structure is even now taxed to its capacity. Mr. Mayne was also responsible for the introduction of manual training into the school curriculum, an innovation which has re- sulted in a large increase in the attendance, especially of young men.
Prior to 1890 there were many years when no boy ever grad- uated at the high school, and the graduating classes were ex- ceedingly small compared with the whole number enrolled. The
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class of 1890 numbered nine, all girls. The attendance in the high school, before the erection of the new building, averaged about 200 pupils. Now the enrollment of the high school room averages over 400, and the number of those graduated has in- creased accordingly, so that in 1899, the first class which had spent the entire four years in the new building, numbered sev- enty-four, and of these twenty-nine were boys.
The school attendance in the graded schools as well as the high school had greatly increased, and it has become neces- sary to build a number of new grade buildings. The Grant school on Pleasant street, drawing from the First and Fifth wards, was the first of these extra schools constructed, and since then the Jackson school, south of the river in Spring Brook has been added, and the Garfield school, located on South Jackson street. Additions have been made to the First and Second ward build- ings and a new addition was made to the old High School build- ing during 1907, at a cost of $20,000.
Kindergartens have been established in four of the school buildings during the past five years, so as to take care of the children between the ages of four and six years, and these schools have been crowded to their capacity ever since their establish- ment.
The schools have been named during the past few years and are not now known, as they used to be, as First and Second Ward buildings, etc. They are now called the high school, the Wash- ington (First ward), Adams (Second ward), Jefferson (Third ward), Webster (Fourth ward), Douglas (Fifth ward), Lincoln (old Central or Academy building), Grant (Pleasant street), Jackson (Spring Brook) and Garfield (Jackson street). The cost of running the schools of the city is now about $60,000 an- nually.
Prof. Mayne was also responsible for the organization of the Twilight Club of Janesville. This club was formed by thirty business men in October, 1896; the club has so grown that its membership a number of years ago was limited to 160, with a large waiting list. This organization, composed wholly of busi- ness and professional men, meets monthly from October to April, and after a dinner served at six o'clock discusses topics of gen- eral interest. For a number of years the meetings were held in the Myers hotel, but owing to the growth of the club, the meet-
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HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
ings have, for the past five years, been held at the Y. M. C. A. building, the dinner being served by that organization. The success of this club has led to the organization of similar clubs in many portions of the state. The plans of organization have been submitted by the officers of the Twilight Club to similar organizations at Madison, Beloit, Racine, Appleton and many other places.
As an organization they have entered heartily into anything tending to the city's good, mention of which will be named hereafter.
The year 1895 saw the beginning of golf in Janesville. The credit of introducing the game belongs to Alexander Galbraith, who bought a set of clubs over from Scotland in 1893; he tried during that year and the next to get people interested in the game, but was not successful until the fall of 1894, when he suc- ceeded in persuading C. C. McLean, William Proudfoot and a few others with Scotch blood in their veins to go out on his farm east of the city and "try the clubs." They became enthusiastic, and in the spring of 1895 grounds were leased from H. S. Wood- ruff at the western edge of the city limits. The club's growth was steady and it was incorporated October 27, 1896, under the name of the Sinnisippi Golf Club, "Sinnisippi" being the old Indian name for Rock river. In 1898 the grounds, consisting of ninety-three acres, were bought from the Woodruff estate by another corporation formed for that purpose, called the Janes- ville Country Club. A commodious club house was erected, and since that time the grounds have been improved until they are now spoken of by experts as the best nine-hole course in the northwest. The state tournaments were first inaugurated at the Janesville Club, and have been held here ever since.
Golf is not the only sport enjoyed by the citizens of Janes- ville, however, as the use of the river has grown within the past few years to a large extent. Steamboats have navigated above the upper dam for many years; the first steamboat was built in 1854 by Hammond & Thorne; after that had disappeared about 1860, a steamer eighty-five feet long called the "Star of the West" was constructed by William Foster; she made a few trips and a quarrel ensued between her owner and the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railway Company over the question of the construc- tion of a draw bridge; as the cheapest way out of it the railway
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JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN
company bought a controlling interest in the boat and it myste- riously disappeared. Fifteen years later, in 1875, William Brooks ascertained that the hull had been loaded with stones and sunk to the bottom of the river, across from what is now known as the island; Mr. Brooks secured the title and raised the hull; he re- built the decks, christening her "The Lotus," and she carried parties up and down the river for a number of years, having a capacity of about 500 persons.
Then came the "Bower City Bell," the "Lottie Lee," the "Billy Burr," and now we have the "Columbia" and one or two smaller boats run by steam.
A. C. Kent brought the first gasoline launch to Janesville about 1888; this was what is known as a naphtha launch. His boat was followed by another naphtha launch, the "Lorna," which is still on the river and owned by George McKey. John C. Harlow soon afterwards bought the first gasoline launch, operating by the explosive force of the gasoline. Since then the number of boats has increased rapidly, until at the present time there are over sixty gasoline launches plying on the river above the upper dam. These boats have a free run for fifteen miles up the river, and during the last two years a launch railway has been put in around the dam at Indian Ford, so that with a little effort a launch owner can take a party from Janesville clear to Fort Atkinson through Lake Koshkongong.
A shooting club is also well kept up at Janesville; tourna- ments at live birds or clay pigeons being held at short intervals. In the olden days, in the late 70's Janesville was famed for its baseball team, called the Janesville Mutuals. Many of the famous players in the country received their first training in that club, among them being Ward, the famous shortstop and captain of the New York League Club.
In 1895 the fourth bank was opened in the city of Janesville, being called the Bower City bank. It secured offices at the cor- ner of Main and Milwaukee streets, and has enjoyed an increas- ing business ever since its organization.
In 1899 Janesville was furnished with its first modern office building; the Hayes brothers, Dennis and Michael, in the early part of that year bought the Lappin block at the southwest cor- ner of Main and Milwaukee streets, and tearing out the whole interior, rebuilt it into offices, furnishing it with elevator ser-
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HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
vice, heat, janitor service and other essentials for a modern office building. The Hayes brothers were large railroad contractors for many years, building a great portion of the railroad between Janesville and Evansville, and they had also large contracts on the Chicago drainage canal. They showed their faith in Janes- ville by investing their money at home, they having bought the Armory block on West Milwaukee street from the Myers estate in 1893, and then later followed it by the investment of about $100,000 in the office building spoken of above.
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