The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin, containing a history of Dodge County, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc, Part 72

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 72

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The first store was built and stocked with goods by William Larrabee. The building was made of logs and covered with hand-made shingles. It was 30x40 feet in size, and stood on the corner of Main and Vine streets. Mr. Larrabee purchased his goods in Chicago, shipping them by boat to Milwaukee, and hauling them from that point over bad roads.

In the fall of 1848, a grist-mill was erected at the north end of the dam, by William Sulli- van and a gentleman living in Milwaukee. It stood on the site now occupied by Van Brunt & Davis Co.'s seeder factory, and was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1857. Prior to the build- ing of this mill, the citizens living in that vicinity got their breadstuffs in Beaver Dam, or " Grubville," as Mr. Hamilton Stevens would say, were he alive.

The hardships endured by the early settlers, in many instances, resulted in sickness, and occasionally death became the host of some unfortunate household. Dr. S. P. Thornhill was the pioneer physician. He came in the fall of 1847, and his services were of great value to every one, his very presence seeming to have a wholesome influence.

In the summer of 1848, a hotel (the Horicon House) was built by William Cady and George Gifford. It is still one of the old landmarks, being occupied at the present time as an office by Van Brunt & Barber.

In the mean time, the lake was becoming larger and larger, increasing the strength and value of the water-power day by day. Fully two years elapsed after the building of the dam before the water reached the top of it. The building of mills and factories progressed rapidly, each year seeing the completion of new mechanical enterprises. Among the earlier institu- tions was a wagon-shop and fanning-mill factory, put up by S. N. Rice ; a blacksmith-shop, by H. B. Marsh ; a turning-lathe and hand-rake factory, also by Mr. Rice; a sash-factory, by George W. Beers ; a chair-factory, by Jones & Chipman. Most of these concerns were swept away by fire in 1859.

Prior to 1850, several futile attempts were made by the villagers to establish a school for the benefit of their children, but, in the rush of business consequent upon founding and build- ing up a new place, nothing definite was determined upon until June of that year, when an informal meeting of the citizens was held for discussion of the subject. A tax of $400 upon the assessable property in the district was voted, and, before the close of the year, the people were enjoying the advantages of a good school. The advance of education has since kept pace with all other enterprises to be found in prosperous and happy communities.

The Rev. Mr. Peck was the avant courier of Christianity. He preached the Gospel in Horicon as early as 1847. Services were held in Mr. Larrabee's store. Mr. Peck was of the Presbyterian persuasion, but denominational lines had not then been drawn in this section, and he had for his listeners almost the entire population.

At a later period in the history of the village, in addition to those already mentioned, we find the following institutions : H. Winter, foundry ; D. Winter, harness-shop; M. Winter, wagon-shop; Mrs. Merrick, milliner store ; J. Wood, tailor establishment ; J. Parker, shoe-shop ; W. E. Croft, printing office ; G. S. & R. Barnes, hardware store ; H. B. Marsh, livery stable, and many other enterprises which have either ceased to exist or been forgotten in the whirl of pro- gression.

Horicon (signifying clear or pure water), derives its name from Lake George, in New York, or rather from the name by which that lake was known before it was re-christened by the

480

HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

English, over one hundred years ago. William Larrabee, generally recognized as the founder of Horicon, was one among a number of individuals living in the vicinity of Lake George, who, in 1822, made an unsuccessful effort to have the name changed to Lake Horicon, its original title, so called by a tribe of Indians (the Horicons), living upon its shores. The water of this lake has always been famous for its purity. Many gallons of it have been carried to Rome to be consecrated by the Pope, for use in Catholic churches of parts of the United States and throughout the Canadas. When Mr. Larrabee came to Dodge County and cast his fortunes in a dam at the foot of a beautiful lake, whose banks were fringed with stately oaks and basswoods, through whose branches curled the smoke from the wigwam fires of a peaceful tribe of Indians, he was reminded of the familiar scenes on Lake George, among the Horicon Indians as he saw them when a boy. Being the proprietor of the dam, no one had a better right to name the place than he, and, at his solicitation, Horicon was substituted for Hubbard's Rapids.

PEN PICTURES.

Mrs. George H. Beers, a resident of Horicon, has drawn some graphic sketches of the place as she saw it in its infancy. The lady possesses a rare and peculiar talent, and has drawn what seem to be very accurate pictures of the scenes of thirty-five years ago. In permitting us to quote from these sketches for the purposes of this history, the authoress has consented that eliminations of such matter as belonged particularly to the occasion for which she wrote may be made at our discretion. In her initial paper written, perhaps, about 1865, Mrs. Beers says :

* * I will give you a sketch of Horicon as it was nineteen or twenty years ago. This place was wild, yet beautiful. It was formerly an Indian planting-ground, and many of their corn hills are still visible, as they planted in the same hills each year without plowing as our farmers do. And where our beautiful lake now is was a marsh called Winnebago, after the warlike tribe that formerly occupied this place. Rock River flowed quietly along, and on its eastern bank near the [old] depot lay scattered along a number of mounds; whether thrown up by the God of Nature or the Indians, I know not, but we called them Indian mounds. They were similar to each other, usually with a large tree in the center of each. On the bank near the river, was an Indian trail worn deep into the earth ; for it had been trodden by Black Hawk and his tribe, as well as other tribes for many long years. *

* There was a fine spring on the bank of the river under a large tree ; it was a splendid place, and for a long time we got all the water from there that we used for drinking or cooking purposes, crossing the river in a small boat to obtain it. I well remember the first night I ever stayed in this place. It was dreary enough. The Indian ponies were grazing around the house all night, and their bells kept up a constant tinkling. The fear of the Indians troubled me somewhat, as my thoughts would go back to the narratives I had read of Indian cruelties to . frontier settlers ; but here they seemed harmless. They called themselves Pottawatomies or Menomonees, and seemed ashamed to be called Winnebagoes, as the latter were considered by the whites to be much more cruel than the former. We could usually distinguish the Winnebagoes by their red blankets, while the other tribes wore white or blue. Ofttimes, while about my work, I would look up to see black faces peeping in at my window, as that was their habit always before entering a house. Such sights startled me at first, but I became accustomed to it and learned to trade with them, and buy venison. fish, ducks, berries, etc. They usually wished to " swap" for flour or salt. They always seemed much pleased with the salutation bazhu from us, which means, " How do you do?" and would respond with the same word immediately. I had nothing stolen by them except a pie, which I left out to cool ; but they were almost always begging, saying they had no shoneau (money). In the winter the squaws and papooses would come to warm themselves by our fires. I very much disliked to let them in, as the house would smell of smoke for hours afterward ; but they would say, " Heap cold," and look so wretched that I could not say puckachee (go away). During certain seasons of the year [in the winter], there would be a large number of wig- wams where the [old] depot now is. We visited them, and found some of the squaws dressing fish, roasting ven- ison or tanning deer-skins. Everything seemed quite comfortable, excepting the smoke from the fires built in the center of each wigwam, which scented the surroundings with an unpleasant smell. They often buried their dead above ground, usually in an old canoe, supported by four posts and covered over with bark, but as the white people came and settled here the Indians were induced to discontinue the habit and also to remove the old sarcophagi. Occasionally the Indians would have a pow-wow, which I always dreaded very much, as at such times they bought whisky, or goodnatush as they called it, from enterprising dealers in Grubville, now Beaver Dam. They would keep up their fires and make night hideous with their yelling, singing and dancing, but such things did not occur very often.

Mrs. Beers' second and third papers treat at length of the realities of frontier life, and the reader will recognize many familiar incidents that, but for the intelligence, ability and foresight of this lady, would now be buried in oblivion. She says :

* * * I will tell you about the first winter we spent in Horicon. Our house was built of * boards brought from Watertown. It was very comfortable, although not plastered the first year, and for a long time we used benches instead of chairs, for we could not get the latter article this side of Milwaukee. Chairs had been manufactured in Watertown and Beaver Dam, but the manufacturers had laid aside their business to " shake," as

481

HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

the ague and fever claimed much attention at that time, although it did not trouble us. Our post office was at Oak Grove. We usually sent for mail once a week, the postage on each letter being twenty-five cents. * If * * we needed a physician, we were obliged to send to Beaver Dam, and get a " quack " at that. Butter was exceed- ingly scarce, as farmers had but just begun to raise stock. We once sent to Watertown and purchased a few pounds, which lasted a long time, although we had a number of boarders ; for most any of us would rather see it sit- ting on the table than to partake of it, and all admitted it to be very profitable butter. * * * Our Chi- cago boarders taught me much about cooking in a new country. I learned to make a very good mince-pie of dried apples, partially stewed, or pumpkin stewed in vinegar ; but we were blessed with good appetites. During the first winter, as the white man came to settle, with progression as his motto, many improvements were made. The grass was burned off the marsh, ready for a lake, and a dam was built across Rock River. This troubled the Indians very much, as they came down the stream, paddling their light canoes. When they reached the obstruction, they were obliged to get out and carry their frail barks around it. At that time, teams had to ford the river, as there was no bridge, only a foot-path across the dam. *

* * The next work was to build a large double saw- mill, and, when completed, " buzz " went the saw, from Monday morning till Saturday night ; sharply rang the axes in the woodland, and hundreds of stately forest trees fell, only to rise again, not as the green and lofty bowers of singing birds, but as the cottage homes of true and loving hearts.

Many persons still among us will remember seeing an old log-house [William Larrabee's] on Main street, which once served as a dwelling-house, store and church, all at the same time. The Indians called it "heap wigwam." After it was completed, the occupants gave a party, and nearly all the inhabitants in the place were invited. We had an oyster supper, which was a great treat at that time, when all our extras came from Milwaukee, a journey of four or five days. *

* The second winter, the grist-mill was put up and finished, ready for the summer harvest. It was hailed with welcome by every one. A boarding-house was the next greatest need, for the few who had settled here were heavily taxed with boarders. Our house, though small, had accommodated from fifteen to twenty for a long time. This want was supplied in the building of the Horicon House, including a ball-room, as dancing was the chief amusement in those days.' Previous to this, a party was given not a thousand miles from here, in a house built of logs, with hewn timbers, or puncheons, for a floor, which had shrunk considerably, leaving large cracks between. A Swede, who boarded with us, attended the party, and not knowing how to express his thoughts in better language, told me he had been " dancing over canals" all the evening. This Swede afterwards started for California, but was shot by an Indian with a poisoned arrow, when within three days of his destination. Thus ended his golden prospects. * * * Our lake was three years in filling, and for a long time afterward, large patches of the sod at the bottom would loosen, rise to the surface and come floating down. After a while it would seem to decay and then disappear. The fish that this lake and river contained would astonish a stranger. No one who had not witnessed the spectacle would believe the truth, but called it a Horicon fish story. We have seen farmers load their wagons with fish in a short time by dipping with a basket. They fed their swine with them, and, in later years, used them for fertilizing their lands. We packed some of the larger ones in ice and sent them East to our friends.

In all this time, the Indians stayed among us. They were far too numerous to be agreeable. So, fourteen years ago last summer, they were gathered in Horicon by hundreds to be taken across the Mississippi, by Mr. Juneau and others. They had to be carried in wagons, as there were no railroads then as now. A few returned, however, not being pleased with their new home. But they did not. trouble us until 1861, when they came by thousands (in imagination), and every poor, harmless cow grazing among the bushes was taken for a dusky warrior, lurking for mischief. The men turned out en masse, some with old, rusty guns, that had lain by for years ; others with pitch- forks, axes, hatchets, butcher-knives or anything that would kill an Indian. The farmers turned their scythes into swords, the cannon was mounted and scouts were sent out to reconnoiter. . Dispatches for assistance were sent. All things were in readiness for a great battle : but it passed off victoriously, without a man being hurt.

Before the advent of the iron horse, farmers were obliged to take their grain to Milwaukee in wagons, through the mud and over corduroy bridges. It needed a person of strong nerve to pass over the latter without grumbling. The settlers usually went in companies, so that, if one team got fast in the mud, the others would combine to pull it out. They generally took their provisions with them, for, after tugging and toiling until they reached Milwaukee, they received but a very small price for their grain, and by the time they returned home there would be but little left if they failed to exercise the most rigid economy. * * * But the railroad gave a new impetus to all kinds of business. It could be seen in the marts of trade ; in the noisy, dusty workshop; in the busy, humming schoolhouse. I often think of the day when the first locomotive was expected in Horicon. At the sound of the whistle, the men and boys ran, pell mell, to the depot to see the great sight. Among the crowd stood a gray-haired old gentleman [James Anderson, then in his sixties], who had never before seen a locomotive. He had emigrated Westward just ahead of railway improvements ; but they overtook him in Horicon. For a time, the value of prop- erty was increased ; the population swelled; churches and schools were reared, and Horicon was numbered among the most thriving villages of the State.

Our little frame schoolhouse was used for church purposes as well, until the present place of instruction was built, for the accommodation of our union school, where the children have passed from one department to another, under the fatherly care of Principal Pickett, who has the eloquence of the ancient Aaron. He does not approve of using the rod, but laid it aside years ago, not in the tabernacle, but in some grand old forest in Ohio, where, per- chance, one might find it budded, blossomed and yielding hickory nuts instead of almonds.

PERMANENT GROWTH-MANUFACTORIES.

One of the first institutions to attract the attention of the stranger when he alights from the train at Horicon is the monster motionless windmill which overhangs and overshadows the old

482

HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

brick mill at the south end of the lower bridge. In 1857, William Johnson, Charles H. Larrabee and Alexander Harper associated themselves together for the purpose of erecting a first-class grist-mill on the dam. Their purpose was carried out, and the old brick mill was the result. Mr. Johnson soon sold his interest to James Conkey, and, in consequence of Mr. Larrabee's election to the office of Circuit Judge, Mr. Satterlee Clark became a nominal partner in the con- cern. The property was subsequently mortgaged to the Bank of Milwaukee, the interests of Messrs. Larrabee and Conkey passing to the hands of Albert Rice and Samuel C. Brown. H. E. Connit afterward became the sole proprietor, but being unsuccessful as a miller, the bank foreclosed its mortgage. H. B. Marsh then purchased the property of the bank, and is its present owner. Mr. Marsh has added a large amount of new machinery, making the old brick mill, after all the vicissitudes through which it has passed, one of the permanent institutions of Horicon. He says he intends to let the big windmill remain where it is, "as a $4,000 monu- ment to the wisdom of Ernest Stolbe, its designer, and the folly of Harry B. Marsh."

The Old Iron Foundry .- In 1853, Martin Rich and Morris Grout built a foundry a short distance below the old brick mill for the purpose of manufacturing bar iron from scraps gathered throughout the country by junk dealers, etc. The enterprise was carried on about one year, during which time the Horicon youth harvested their mothers' pothooks and shovels and con- verted them into cash at the foundry. The building was afterward occupied by William Jones as a foundry and machine shop until the dam was taken out, when he built and removed his busi- ness above the lower bridge, where he remained till 1873, and then closed out.

Bismarck Mill .- Built by Schonmann, Rich & Rising, in the fall of 1868 and spring of 1869, as a stave factory, at a cost of about $8,000. The firm manufactured staves for two or three years, and then converted it into a flouring-mill, but closed down after a short period of unsuccessful effort. In the mean time, Messrs. Rich & Rising sold to Mr. Schonmann, who again commenced the manufacture of flour, but with the same degree of success. In 1878, F. Zoll- ner became the purchaser, and the mill has been in operation ever since.

The Seeder Factories .- The institutions, however, to which Horicon owes its present pros- perity and importance, are the manufacturing establishments of Van Brunt & Barber, and Van Brunt & Davis Company. In 1860, D. C. Van Brunt and George W. Van Brunt invented a broadcast seed-sower, the first entirely successful apparatus of the kind, it is claimed, ever invented. Six of these machines were manufactured the first year, and, as an evidence of the immediate popularity which they acquired, the following figures, showing the extent of their manufacture, are given : In 1861, the number made and sold was 60; in 1862, 500; in 1863, about 700 ; in 1864, 1,000 ; in 1865, 450; in 1866, 1,300; in 1868, 3,200; in 1869, 3,800; in 1870, 3,000. In 1863, Judge Hiram Barber joined the firm, and in August, 1870, he pur- chased the interests of the Van Brunts, and conducted the institution alone for three years, dur- ing which time he built 1,000 wagons and 3,000 seeders. Judge Barber then disposed of the manufactory to D. C. Van Brunt, William C. Wood and R. S. Barber. Mr. Wood subsequently retired, the firm becoming Van Brunt & Barber, its present style. In 1878, 1,500 seeders were manufactured, besides a large number of cultivators, hay-rakes, fanning-mills, etc. Various suits have been brought against this establishment, to recover damages for alleged infringements of patents obtained by other parties upon certain portions of similar machines ; but its tribula- tions have been so very trifling, in comparison with the profitable results accruing from a good machine, that the gentlemen at the head of the enterprise have not been deterred from establish- ing one of the largest manufactories in the State. In the busy season, they give employment to from seventy-five to one hundred men. Their seeders are to be found in almost every part of the United States.

" The New Van Brunt."-In 1871, Willard A. Van Brunt commenced the manufacture of a patent seeder known as the " New Van Brunt," possessing all the advantages and improvements- though of different pattern and design, and working under dissimilar methods-hitherto discovered and utilized. The result of Mr. Van Brunt's first year's work was 250 seeders. The woodwork and blacksmithing were done in the shop of John Bushnell, while the castings were made in the foundry

483

HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

of William M. Jones. In the spring of 1872, Mr. Van Brunt was joined by S. E. Davis, with whom he had been associated for several years previous in the manufacture of double harpoon hay-forks. Together they purchased the old sash-factory building. and established themselves permanently, under the firm name of Van Brunt & Davis. During the same season they made 525 seeders, and in 1873, 750 "New Van Brunts" were completed ; in 1874, the name was changed to " The Monitor," and 963 were manufactured ; in 1875, 1,373 ; in 1876, 1,500; in 1877, 1,833. In June, 1875, the firm purchased the adjoining stone building of A. B. Kellogg, and in August, 1878, D. D. French was taken into the partnership, the style of the firm then being changed to Van Brunt & Davis Company. During that year, 2,203 machines were man- ufactured. For two years past, the company has also been making the "Monitor Drill." Aside from building seeders and drills, "The People's Mower " and a patent revolving milk-safe have been manufactured by this firm. Seventy-five men are employed when the factory is in full .. operation. Shipments are made to all parts of the United States, and the more progressive sections of Germany.

The two stone buildings occupied by the Van Brunt & Davis Company were built in 1859 and 1861, respectively-the first as a sash-factory, carried on by Beers & Gates, and the sec- ond as a grist-mill, by E. V. White and M. Hyde. Marshall White and a man named Couzzens purchased the machinery of the latter and removed it to Minnesota.

Horicon Elevator Company .- Elevator established by Jonas Schoenmann, in 1863, at the junction of the two Northwestern Divisions of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. In 1869, Hanf & Hood purchased of Schoenmann, and, in 1872, Hood sold to Charles Miller, who, two years later, disposed of his interest to Charles Herker, the style of the firm becoming and remaining to the present time, Hanf & Herker. In 1879, a "California Combined Smutter and Separator " was placed in the institution, and is operated by a twelve-horse power engine. The bins of the elevator have a capacity of 3,000 bushels. Shipments of grain are made to Milwaukee and Chicago, an average of 45,000 bushels being handled each year.

Breweries .- In 1858, P. Dierleins built the first brewery, and brewed the first beer in Horicon in April of the following year. In 1864, John Groskop appeared upon the scene as a competitor for the patronage of the Gambrinians. The combined capacity of the two breweries is about one thousand four-gallon kegs a year.

THE RAILROADS.

The La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad Company completed their line from the lake shore to Horicon in 1856. During the same year, the Milwaukee & Horicon Company (Jasper Valeet, J. B. Smith and I. N. Mason) commenced a branch from the La Crosse road to Berlin, in Green Lake County, but this line was afterward absorbed by the La Crosse company. A set of depot buildings was erected on the east side of the river, at Horicon, but when, in 1863, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul got control, the present depot on the west side was located, and the original passenger-depot building was purchased and removed to a site south of the public-school edifice, where it has ever since answered the purpose of a house of worship for the German Methodists. The railroad roundhouse was put up in 1856-57, and the car and repair shops were built in the fall of 1861, large numbers of passenger and freight cars being manu- factured within the succeeding two years.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin, containing a history of Dodge County, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc, Part 72

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