The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin, containing a history of Dodge County, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc, Part 47

Author: Western Historical Co
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 774

USA > Wisconsin > Dodge County > The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin, containing a history of Dodge County, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc > Part 47

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315

HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

5₺ square miles ; town of Shields, 25} square miles. All the rest contain 36 square miles. The county comprises an area 30 miles square, equivalent to 576,000 acres.

Admirable locations were chosen for the village sites in the county ; but the hand of nature, in designing the rivers and lakes, must share more of the credit than the hand of man. The famous Rock River passes from north to south through the second tier of towns in the eastern portions of the county, winding its tortuous way among the meadows and groves, watering the natural vegetation peculiar to that section, and furnishing power for numerous mills. In the western half of the county, Fox Lake, Beaver Dam Lake, the Crawfish and Beaver Rivers, occupy parallel importance with Rock River and its tributaries in the eastern half.

In general, the surface is rolling, there being but a very small proportion of the entire sec- tion, if we except the marshes, which is not cultivatable. Perhaps one-half of the county was originally timbered ; the other half openings or prairie-very little of it, however, so free from brush as to be considered clean prairie.

PRODUCTIONS-POPULATION.

The soil is strong, rich and durable, and vast quantities of wheat and other small grains are produced each year. Fruits of the stronger varieties thrive and are abundant. Stock- raising and dairying are extensive branches of industry, and have increased greatly in late years. In agricultural wealth, Dodge is perhaps surpassed by no other county in the State, and, in population, by only three or four. The German element is numerous, and about equals that of all other nationalities, predominating chiefly in the eastern portion. They are an industrious and saving people ; law-abiding and lovers of good and honest government. The town of Ashippun is chiefly settled by Scandinavians, while the Irish may be said to predomi- nate in the towns of Elba, Portland and Shields. `A large proportion of the town of Calamus is Welsh. The Americans are most numerous in the central portion of the county.

DISTANCES.

Dodge is a county of convenient distances, and is exceptionally favored in the matter of good roads. Taking Juneau, the county seat, as the starting-point, the distances to the prin- cipal places of interest are as follows : Juneau to Beaver Dam, eight miles ; to Burnett Junction, seven miles ; to Columbus, sixteen miles ; to Chester, fourteen miles ; to Danville, fourteen miles ; to Fox Lake, fifteen miles ; to Horicon, five miles ; to Hustisford, six miles ; to Iron Ridge, eight miles ; to Kekoskee, ten miles ; to Lowell, seven miles; to Mayville, ten miles ; to Minnesota Junction, three miles; to Neosho, eleven miles ; to Oak Grove, three miles ; to Randolph, seventeen miles ; to Reeseville, ten miles ; to Richwood, twelve miles ; to Rolling Prairie, four miles ; to Rubicon, twelve miles ; to Portland, twenty-one miles ; to Theresa, four- teen miles ; to Watertown, fourteen miles ; to Waupun, fifteen miles.

TIMBER.

From the statistics of forestry, in the report of the Commissioner of Agriculture, for 1875, we quote the following concerning the wooded features of Dodge County : "The deciduous trees in Wisconsin correspond to those in Indiana and Illinois, except that there is much less of black walnut and more of basswood,' * and hemlock, cedar and tamarack are found in considerable quantities. A noticeable feature is the extent to which land originally occupied with scrubby oaks, known as 'oak openings,' is being covered with a dense and thrifty spontaneous growth of hardwood timber of different kinds. The forests left in Dodge County are confined to small lots on the farms for home use. Wood on the stump is worth $2 to $3.50 per cord. Great quantities of forest products have been converted into coal for smelting iron in the county. Much of the land from which this timber was early cut off is now covered with a thick growth of young hardwoods, yielding twenty cords per acre."

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

EARTH MOUNDS.

There seems to exist a diversity of opinion upon this subject. The theories of scientists, while generally pointing to the belief that the earth mounds found in Dodge County, which are not dissimilar to those in existence throughout the Rock River Valley, are the peculiar work of an extinct or pre-historic race, are frequently contradictory. The explanation of the history of these mounds, as accepted by those prominently connected with the State Historical Society, is that, " so far as the valley of this stream (Rock River) is concerned, throughout its whole extent, in Wisconsin, are to be found interesting relics of pre-historic man. There is nothing to distinguish these works," they say, " from others more within the proper region, as it were, of the Mound-Builders. In one of the mounds, bones are said to have been obtained. * * * Some of the mounds examined were of animal shape. There is a group of earthworks about two and a half miles east of Beloit representing animals of different kinds."

The same species of mounds is found in Dodge County. Near the village of Horicon, until within a few years back, there was to be seen a large earth protuberance, taking the form of an elephant lying upon its side. Others in the same locality were found representing horses and cattle. Not far from the eastern limits of Beaver Dam existed similar formations ; while upon the apex of a knoll near the the present site of the Polish Catholic Church, M. Shafer, of Beaver Dam, tells of having seen a mound one hundred feet in length, and about two feet high, representing a lizard, with perfectly formed head, feet and tail. In the center, or about midway between the hind and fore legs, was a thrifty oak-tree, measuring eighteen inches in diameter, and supposed to be at least one hundred years old. Quite a group of mounds of various shapes dotted the ridge running north and south through the city of Beaver Dam, when Judge Hosmer came to the place in 1846. But these have long since disappeared, and the elegant residences of J. J. Williams, Ira Rowell, S. P. K. Lewis, Dr. Swan, and others, have taken their place. Another of these " mysterious formations " is still to be seen on the farm of Mr. Stevens, near the Beaver Dam railway station, It is about forty feet in diameter, and almost perfectly round ; rises abruptly to a height of four or five feet, and then sinks slightly toward the center.

Arrow-heads, stone axes, rude patterns of pottery, etc., have been found in those of the mounds which have been opened. Instances of the discovery of human bones within them are very rare.

In the early history of Beaver Dam, Indians of the different tribes were very plenty, and they frequently camped in greater or lesser numbers along the banks of the lake and river. Among them was an old, gray-haired man, said to be a centenarian. He was very intelligent for an Indian, and, under the influence of the promise of a piece of tobacco, or a drink of whisky, he would converse with the whites in very acceptable English. Mr. Shafer frequently indulged the old man's cravings for " the weed," and in that way drew from him much valuable information, with which his mind seemed to be well stored. During an interview with him in 1848, Mr. Shafer asked him to explain the primary existence of the many mounds then to be seen in almost every field or forest. After some hesitation, the old man said he knew nothing concerning them except what his father had told him when he was a boy. He then gave the version of his paternal ancestor in a straightforward manner about as follows : Many years ago, the various tribes of Indians inhabiting these parts professed to be very religious, and exhibited che sincerity of those professions by holding periodical tribal meetings, and worshiping, in their own manner, a deity fashioned by their own hands. Each one of those of the faithful who attended these gatherings brought with him or her a bag, made of the skins of animals, filled with some portion of the earth composing their camping-grounds. Sometimes they came from long distances, carrying heavy loads of dirt upon their backs, and frequently they gathered by thousands to participate in the peculiar exercises.

The sands of their hearthstones, as it were, were emptied together in one huge pile, at the appointed place of meeting, and, it seems, a part of the ceremony consisted in shaping this pile

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

in the form of an animal, which at once became the object of their idolatrous worship. Before dispersing it was understood where and when the next meeting would take place; and so they continued to "wash their sins away," until perhaps-though there is no foundation for the statement-an Indian Ingersoll came along and demolished their spiritual theory of how to be saved from the damned.

But there are two things-and either will bear investigation-which give an air of plaus- ibility to the version of the old gray-haired Indian's father, namely : First, the fact that the earth of which most of these mounds is composed presents a variety of soil. The black loam of the river bottoms or lowlands, is found segregated from the less vegetable clays of the hills, while the mellow earth, such as is found in the fields, has positively refused in all these years to mix with the occasional strata of ashes or sand. Second, the face of the earth in the vicinity of these mounds-especially those in Dodge County-shows no depressions indicating that they have been thrown up or that they are composed of the contiguous soil.

Scientists may overthrow this theory ; or perhaps they may consider it not worthy their attention. But we ask one or all of them to go to Horicon, and dig into one of the numerous cornhills there to be found, make an analysis of the earth therein contained, and then report if it differs materially from a shovelful of the same soil taken from the well-defined depression from which that cornhill was made, perhaps an hundred or may be two hundred years ago. If such an investigation should happen to disclose the skull of a flat-headed Indian, or one with well- developed "bumps," either may, with impunity, be labeled the pate of a "pre-historic man " or Mound-Builder.

INDIAN OCCUPANCY.

As early as the year 1632, the civilized world had knowledge, through vague reports of savages, of a tribe of Indians to the westward and southwestward of Lake Huron, who lived in a country "where there was a quantity of buffaloes." This nation, it is believed, was the one afterward known as the Illinois. They occupied what is now Northern Illinois, extending their occupation, probably, so far to the northward as to include Southern Wisconsin, and, no doubt, the territory now included in Dodge County. Afterward, they were driven beyond the Missis- sippi, but subsequently returned to the region of the river which bears their name.

Meanwhile, there commenced an emigration of tribes from Fox River of Green Bay, to the southward. The Mascoutins and their kindred, the Kickapoos and Miamis, moved to the vicinity of the south end of Lake Michigan. It is probable that one or more of these tribes had their homes for a time in the Rock River Valley, after the migration of the Illinois across the Mississippi. Following them in, at least, a nominal occupation of Southern Wisconsin, were the Foxes ; but these Indians and their kindred, the Sacs, instead of migrating toward the south, moved westward and southwestward from the river which commemorates the first-men- tioned tribe.

Though there is abundant evidence that many portions of the territory now known as Dodge County were occupied by the Winnebagoes previous to the advent of the whites, it is believed they had but one village-that of White Breast (Maunk-shak-kah)-within the present bounds of the county. The character of the country, so admirably suited to all the requirements of a primitive and nomadic people-well watered throughout its whole extent, and containing a broad expanse of prairie, upon which grazed the herds of game, or which were readily con- verted into fertile cornfields-affords presumptive evidence that it must have been a favorite abode of a portion of that tribe.

While the Winnebagoes occupied this western Eden-the Rock River Valley-undisputed masters of all its beauty and all its wealth of game and fish, they were occasionally visited by adventurous white men, who took up temporary residences among them for purposes of trade. Others married among them and became what may be called Indian residents.

There were many tribes of Indians who claimed to be sole owners of all the land embraced in the present State of Wisconsin, when it finally came under the jurisdiction of the United States. This question of aboriginal ownership of the soil was then found to be inextricably

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

complicated by conflicting claims of different tribes to the same land. As will be found fully explained in the general history of the State, the Menomonees, Chippewas, Ottawas, Winneba- goes, Sacs and Foxes and Pottawatomies were all located within the present boundaries of Wisconsin, and the claims of several different tribes were frequently found to embrace the same territory. Thus, for example, the Winnebagoes, the Sacs and Foxes, and the Pottawatomies each claimed an ownership in the Rock River country.

The first treaty affecting the lands of the Rock River Valley made with the Indians was that between " William Clark, Ninian Edwards and August Choteau, Commissioners Plenipo- tentiary of the United States of America, on the part and behalf of the said States, of the one part, and the chiefs and warriors of that portion of the Winnebago tribe or nation residing on the Wisconsin River, of the other part," which treaty was proclaimed January 30, 1816. Article II of this treaty stipulated that "the undersigned chiefs and warriors, for themselves and those they represent, do, by these presents, confirm to the United States all and every cession of land heretofore made by their nation to the British, French or Spanish Governments within the limits of the United States or Territories, and, also, all and every treaty, contract and agreement, heretofore concluded between the United States and the said tribe or nation, as far as their interest in the same extends."

Subsequently, a treaty proclaimed February 6, 1826, was entered into with the Sioux and Chippewa, Sac and Fox, Menomonee, Iowa, Sioux, Winnebago, and a portion of the Ottawa, Chippewa and Pottawatomie tribes, for the purpose of "promoting peace among these tribes, and to establish boundaries among them and the other tribes who live in their vicinity." Article VI of this treaty is to this effect: "It is agreed between the Chippewas and Winneba- goes, so far as they are mutually interested therein, that the southern boundary line of the Chippewa country shall commence on the Chippewa River, half a day's march below the falls of that river, and run thence to the source of Clear Water River, a branch of the Chippewa ; thence south to Black River; thence to a point where the woods project into the meadows, and thence to the Plover Portage of the Wisconsin."

Article VII stipulates : "It is agreed between the Winnebagoes and the Sioux, Sacs and Foxes, Chippewas and Ottawas, Chippewas and Pottawatomies of the Illinois, that the Winne- bago country shall be bounded as follows : Southeasterly by Rock River, from its source near the Winnebago Lake to the Winnebago village, about forty miles above its mouth ; westerly by the east line of the tract lying upon the Mississippi, herein secured to the Ottawa, Chippewa and Pottawatomie Indians of the Illinois ; and also by the high bluff described in the Sioux boundary, and running north to Black River; from this point, the Winnebagoes claim up Black River to a point due west from the source of the left fork of the Wisconsin ; thence to the source of the said fork, and down the same to the Wisconsin ; thence down the Wisconsin to the portage and across the portage to Fox River; thence down Fox River to the Winnebago Lake, and to grand Kau Kaulin, including in their claim the whole of Winnebago Lake."

By a treaty concluded at Rock Island between the United States, by their Commissioner, Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, and Gov. Reynolds, of Illinois, and the Winnebagoes, proclaimed Feb- ruary 13, 1833, the Winnebagoes, for certain considerations of land, money and supplies, ceded "to the United States, forever, all the lands to which said nation have title or claim, lying to the south and east of the Wisconsin River, and the Fox River of Green Bay."

As, however, the country claimed by the Winnebagoes under the treaty of February 6, 1826, was bounded on the southeast " by Rock River from its source, near the Winnebago Lake to the Winnebago village, about forty miles above its mouth," it is evident that the land ceded by this last treaty (that of February 13, 1833), could not include the whole of Dodge County as it now exists. The other moiety of this county was acknowledged to be the property of the United Nation of Chippewa, Ottawa and Pottawatomie Indians; and, to extinguish their title, a treaty was entered into with them at Chicago September 26, 1833, whereby, for good and valuable considerations, this confederated nation of Indians ceded "to the United States all their land along the western shore of Lake Michigan, and between this lake and the land ceded

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

to the United States by the Winnebago nation at the treaty of Fort Armstrong (Rock Island), made on the 15th of September, 1832, bounded on the north by the country lately ceded by the Menomonees, and on the south by the country ceded at the treaty of Prairie du Chien, made on the 29th of July, 1829, supposed to contain about five millions of acres."

Finally, and to remove the possibility of any doubt whatever as to the validity of the title held by the United States to the lands lying on both sides of Rock River, a treaty was concluded at Washington City (proclaimed June 16, 1838) with the Winnebagoes, whereby, in brief but comprehensive terms, "the Winnebago Nation of Indians cede to the United States all their land east of the Mississippi River."

With this treaty, the United States obtained an unassailable title to all the lands lying within the present bounds of Dodge County ; but, so fond of their former homes in this locality were the Rock River Winnebagoes, that even after they had been removed to the reservation provided for them, they continually revisited them, in small parties, to the great annoyance of the citizens; and the Government was finally compelled, in 1841, to send a military detachment to secure obedience to the order confining them to territory set off to them beyond the Missis- sipi. But, though forced to leave, they would frequently return in small parties ; and, when these straggling bands would pass their old-time burial places, they would manifest the deepest reverence.

THE BLACK HAWK WAR.

The summer of 1832 was a somewhat notable one in the history of the territory included in the Rock River Valley. Dodge County, however, did not figure very extensively in the Black Hawk war. While the United States forces in pursuit of the redoubtable warrior and his cohorts were encamped at Fort Atkinson in July, 1832, a detachment of the command under Cols. Dodge, Henry and Alexander, was dispatched to Fort Winnebago for supplies. Here, being informed that Black Hawk was encamped upon Rock River at or near Hustis' Rapids (now Hustisford), Cols. Dodge and Henry set out to return by that route on the 15th of the month, and reached the river on the 18th ; but no certain indications of the Indians were dis- covered until the troops reached the vicinity of Watertown, whence the enemy were pursued toward the region of the Four Lakes, in Dane County.

UNITED STATES SURVEYS AND LAND SALES.

Immediately after the close of the Black Hawk war, and the acquisition by the United States of the Indian title to all the land west of Lake Michigan, not reserved to the Indians or secured to specified individuals by the terms of the several treaties, a survey was commenced by the General Government. The northern boundary of Illinois, which was fixed April 11, 1818, on the parallel of 42º 30' north latitude, became necessarily the base line of the surveys. A principal north and south lie (known as the Fourth Meridian) was also run, extending from the base line to Lake Superior. This line was west of the territory now included in Dodge County, running between what are now the counties of Grant and La Fayette. Parallel lines to this were run every six miles both on the east and west sides of it. The intervening six miles between these lines are called ranges. Range 1 east is the first six miles east of the Fourth Meridian ; Range '2 east is the first twelve miles east; and so on to Lake Michigan-Dodge County lying in Ranges 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 east. Parallel lines north of the base lines were run every six miles, which, crossing the ranges at right angles, cut the whole into blocks six miles square, called townships. These are numbered by tiers going north from the base line, as Town- ships 1 north, Townships 2 north, and so on. As the south line of the present territory of Dodge County lies forty-eight miles and the north line seventy-eight miles north of the base line, it includes, of course, five tiers of townships, numbered 9, 10, 11 and 12 north. Hence, in speaking of the territory of Dodge County, as surveyed by the General Government, it is said to be in Towns 9, 10, 11 and 12 north, of Ranges 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 east.

By the end of 1833, a large amount of the public land had been surveyed, and the fact being duly reported by the Surveyor General, Congress, by an act approved June 26, 1834,

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

created two land districts. They embraced all that tract north of the State of Illinois, west of Lake Michigan, south and southeast of the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers, included in the then Territory of Michigan. It was divided by a north and south line, drawn from the northern boundary of Illinois, between ranges 8 and 9, to the Wisconsin River. All east of that line was called the Green Bay Land District ; all west, the Wisconsin Land District. Within the first-mentioned district was included the whole of the present county of Dodge. A Land Office for this Eastern District was established at Green Bay, which was duly opened by the Govern- ment, and a notice given of a public sale of all the then surveyed public lands lying south and southeast of the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers, which notice placed in the market all that portion of what was afterward Dodge County, lying west of Rock River. In accordance with this announcement, a sale took place at Green Bay in 1835.

By act of Congress of June 15, 1836, the Milwaukee Land District was created out of the southern portion of the Green Bay District, including all the land between Range 8 east and Lake Michigan, bounded on the south by the Illinois State line, and extending north so as to extend to and include the tier of townships numbered 10 north; also Townships 11 and 12 north, of Ranges 21 and 22 east. Of course, in this district fell all the territory now included within the limits of the towns of Elba, Lowell, Clyman, Hustisford, Rubicon, Portland, Shields, Emmet, Lebanon and Ashippun, in Dodge County. The Land Office was located in Milwaukee, where the first public sale of Government lands within the new district was held in the spring of 1839. This brought into market all the above described portion of Dodge County that had not previously been disposed of, and, for the first time, that part lying east of Rock River.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY SETTLEMENT-ORGANIZATION-NAMES OF COUNTY OFFICIALS-AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM JAMES A. WARREN-TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT-CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS- 1 STATE GOVERNMENT-CONGRESSIONAL.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The pioneer settlers of Dodge County were Luther A. Cole, Amasa Hyland, John W. Cole and Jacob P. Brower. There is a popular, though erroneous, belief that Mr. Hyland was the Nestor of civilization in these parts ; it is also claimed that to Mr. Brower belongs this honor. As a matter of fact, however, the Cole brothers and Mr. Hyland came together to Johnson's Rapids (now Watertown) in December, '1836, and in January following built a log cabin, where they kept what they were pleased to term "bachelor's distress," in that portion of the city of Watertown now embraced in the town of Emmet. Luther Cole and Amasa Hyland engaged their time in clearing a small portion of the joint claim, and preparing the ground for spring seeding, while John W. Cole was "maid of all work," and did the cooking and washing. Hyland and the Coles, therefore, broke the first ground and planted the first seed in the county. During the summer and fall of 1837, they worked on the saw-mill and dam of Charles F. H. Good- hue & Son, in that portion of the city of Watertown lying in Jefferson County, whither the interests of the Coles soon afterward centered.

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The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin, containing a history of Dodge County, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc, Part 47

Author: Western Historical Co Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 774

Author: Western Historical Co
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 774