USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: Its Early Settlement, Growth, Development, Resources, Etc. > Part 77
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In the early settlement of the town, the residents were much troubled with gophers, and, upon one occasion, a bargain was made between Mr. Warner and Mr. Dean that the former should abate the nuisance on the latter's farm at one cent per head. With bucket and water, Warner succeeded in taking, up to noon on the first day, about two hundred and twenty gophers, upon seeing which, Mr. Deans broke the.contract, on the ground that Warner was making too much money.
It was in those early days and in that neighborhood that Judge Knowlton first conceived the idea of studying law, and it happened in this way. Being a good axeman and a generally handy man, he was engaged to do a certain amount of carpentering, taking the lumber from the stumps. A neighbor near by, having purchased some calves, turned them loose to forage for themselves. Mr. Knowlton, on going for his coat at night, to the bush whereon he had hung it, found that the calves had ruined it. He went to the owner and demanded a monetary reparation of the damage, which was refused, so he hurried off in search of Blackstone. Pro- fessing to have discovered a legal authority, he returned to the owner of the stock, and, with more threats than logic, frightened the unfortunate man into paying a good round sum for the loss of his property .. The study of law became a favorite one with Mr. Knowlton after that.
In those primitive days, neighbors, living miles apart, signaled each other by the discharge of fire-arms and by lights hung aloft on dark nights.
In the town is a very fine elevation known as Mount Zion. It was called so by two clergy- men who were journeying from Chicago to some other point in the Northwest, and upon reach- ing the top, being delighted with the magnificent view, one exclaimed-" This is Mount Zion." From this natural observatory the eye takes in at one view at least one hundred and forty thou- sand acres of the finest agricultural land in the State.
During the emigration period from 1842 to 1850, the population increased to over 1,850. About 1845, the first teachers' association was formed, E. W. Stevens, President, and T. C. Dowell, Vice President.
The town was organized by an act of the Legislature, approved by Gov. Dodge, March 11, 1848, and composed the north half of Township No. 2, and all of Township No. 3 north, Range 13 east, in the county of Rock. The first town meeting was held April 4, 1848, at the schoolhouse near Mount Zion ; upon which occasion John C. Jenkins and Justice P. Wheeler were elected Supervisors, and Cyrus I. Mitchell, Town Clerk. At a subsequent date the north half of Township No. 2, was detached and became a part of La Prairie. Pre- ceding the organization of March 11, 1848, Township No. 3 had been a part of Janesville. The population of Harmony as shown by the State census of 1855, taken by James M. Deans, was 805. The next decade showed the population to be 1,104. That of 1875, as taken by Addison More, 1,136. The population is made up mostly from New England and the Middle States, with the exception of a few first-class foreigners. principally Scotch, English and Germans.
510
. HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.
In the war of the rebellion, Harmony came to the front with money and men, and did full and patriotic duty, always in advance of time and at every call. The records show a ph. lanx of about one hundred and nine men accredited to the town, all of whom did honor to th principles for which they fought. Harmony paid in cash to her " brave boys" who went out $21,633, with an additional cost of $2,700, making a total to the town of $24,333.
Many of the enterpising farmers have blooded-stock horses and cattle which compare well with the best in the State, while the fruit and vegetable growers compete for first prizes at pub- lic fairs.
JANESVILLE.
February 17, 1842, Township 3 and the north half of Township 2 north, of Ranges 13 and 14 east, and all that part of Townships 3 and 4 north, of Range 12 east, lying east of Rock River, were organized into a separate town by the name of Janesville. On the 21st of March, 1843, that part of the town of Janesville comprised in Township 3 north, of Range 14 east, was detached and organized into a separate town. On the same day, Township 4 north, of Range 12 east, was also organized into a town by itself. The organization of these two towns of course greatly reduced the size of the town of Janesville ; but, on the 10th of April of the last mentioned year, all that part of Township 3 north, of Range 12 east, was annexed to it, so that it then contained the two originally surveyed Townships 3 north, of Ranges 12 and 13 east Afterward, in 1850, the east half (which was Township 3 north, of Range 13 east) was organ- ized into a separate town ; and thus the town of Janesville was made to include territory six miles square-Township 3 north, of Range 12 east. This is still its size, after deducting therefrom so much of the city of Janesville as lies therein.
The town of Janesville is superior farming land, both prairie and openings, well wooded and well watered. Rock River flows through its eastern half, from north to south. The first bridge built across the stream was in this town. It was constructed by A. W. Pope and others in the northern part of the town, on the Milwaukee and Madison Territorial Road. This thor- oughfare, until the completion of a railroad to the city of Janesville, was the most important one in the county. "Near this bridge," says a writer in 1856, " is a tavern, the Rock River House, and a few miles farther west, on the road, is the celebrated farm owned by Gen. J. C. Johnston. This farm consists of about 3,000 acres, 840 acres under improvement, 600 in crops, and 240 in timothy meadow. Gen. Johnston, the past year, raised 360 tons of timothy hav ; 5,000 bushels of wheat ; 10,000 bushels of corn ; 1,500 bushels of oats; 800 bushels of rye; 500 bush- . els of potatoes. He has six horses, two mules and 260 head of cattle, of which 125 are cows, and eleven yoke of oxen, and employs from fifteen to thirty men. He cuts all of his grain and hay with machinery-reapers and mowers. He has a large and most commodious brick farm- house, with convenient barns and out-buildings. These, together with the superior quality of his land, render his establishment one of the most desirable, not to say the largest in the State.'
The same writer mentions, among others of the largest farmers. at that date, in the town of Janesville, the names of Z. P. Burdick, Charles Terwilliger, Thomas Welch, E. Strunk, Gideon Chapin, E. W. Barker, H. P. Culver, Henry Search, James Carl, Robert Shaw, David Jeffris, H. H. Simonds, John B. Carl, George Johnston, John Holmes, William Brace and William R. Hall. As the first settlement in this town was identical with that of the village and city of Janesville, an account of it is reserved for a place in the history of the latter.
Town Officers elected April 5, 1842 .- Supervisors, W. H. H. Bailey, Chairman, George E. Cowen and Jesse E. Corless ; Assessors, Anson W. Pope, Asa Comstock and Clowden Stoughton ; Collector, Miles J. Perry ; Treasurer, Lewis E. Stone; Clerk, John P. Dickson; School Commissioners, James H. Knowlton, Asa Page and Harrison Stebbins ; Road Com- missioners, John Strunk, William Virgin and Joseph Spaulding ; Fence Viewers, Levi St. John, John N. Dean and William Spaulding; Constables, Miles J. Perry, William Good- lander and Joseph Fellows ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, William P. Hammond.
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511
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.
Town Officers elected April 4, 1843 .- Supervisors, James H. Knowlton, Chairman, Asa Page and Anson W. Pope; Assessor, Levi St. John : Collector, William Goodlander ; Treasurer, Lewis E. Stone; Clerk, John P. Dickson; School Commissioners, J. P. Wheeler, A. C. Bailey and Enos C. Dickinson ; Commissioners of Highways, Phineas S. Page, Asa Comstock and Joseph Spaulding ; Fence Viewers, John N. Dean, Harvey Story and Gideon Chapin ; Constables, William Goodlander and M. A. Page ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, William P. Hammond ; Overseers of Road Districts, No. 1, John P. Wheeler; No. 2, Elijah Isham ; No. 3, John Strunk ; No. 5, Pheneas Arms ; No. 9, Erastus Dean.
Town Officers elected April 2, 1844 .- Supervisors, John L. Kimball, Chairman, John N. Deans and Levi St. John ; Assessor, Asa Page; Collector, Enoch L. Roberts ; Treasurer, Lewis E. Stone; Clerk, John P. Dickson ; School Commissioners, Joseph Spaulding, Justus P. Wheeler and Anson W. Pope ; Commissioners of Highways, William Holmes, Jr., Virgil Pope and Phineas S. Page; Justices of the Peace, Anson W. Pope and Arvah Cole; Constables, Enoch L. Roberts, George H. Wheeler and James H. Pope; Sealer of Weights and Measures, William P. Hammond; Overseers of Road Districts, No. 1, Levi St. John; No. 2, Elijah Isham ; No. 3, Charles Stevens ; No. 5, David Stevens; No. 6, Jesse G. Hancock ; No. 7, Erastus Dean.
Town Officers elected April 1, 1845 .- Supervisors, John L. Kimball, Chairman, Henry P. Russell and John Wynn; Assessor, John J. R. Pease; Collector, E. J. Marvin; Treasurer, Otis B. Lapham ; Clerk, John P. Dickson ; School Commissioners, A. W. Pope, James M. Burgess and A. J. Wood ; Commissioners of Highways, Henry H. Green, Harvey Story and George W. Taylor; Fence Viewers, E. C. Story, Sanford Williams and Henry K. Belding ; Constables, E. J. Marvin and Isaac Scofield ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, B. F. Hart ; Overseers of Road Districts, No. 1, B. S. McMillen ; No. 2, Albert Warner ; No. 3, Rufus Alexander ; No. 4, I. Schofield; No. 5, Harvey Story ; No. 6, Caleb A. Sawyer ; No. 7, K. Lindsey ; No. 8, C. C. Phelps ; No. 9, H. K. Belding ; No. 10, Sanford Williams ; No. 11, O. Dileno ; No. 12, Erastus Dean.
Town Officers elected April 6, 1846 .- Supervisors, Otis B. Lapham, Chairman, William Holmes and William Spaulding; Assessor, George H. Williston ; Collector, Alfred Dewey ; Treasurer, Otis B. Lapham ; Clerk, Edward P. Lacy; School Commissioners, Anson W. Pope, Levi Alden and Henry P. Culver ; Commissioners of Highways, B. F. Pixley, A. C. Langdon and S. D. Thompson ; Justices of the Peace, Moses S. Richards, Anson W. Pope and Arvah Cole; Constables, Alfred Dewey, Elhanan W. Stevens and William Wood; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Galen Amsden ; Pathmaster for District No. 1, William Brown; No. 2, Thomas Welch ; No 3, Joshua Holmes; No. 4, Jessie Miles ; No. 5, Amos Humes; No. 6, Elisha C. Story ; No. 7, J. J. Van Kirk ; No. 8, John E. Young; No. 9, David Stevens ; No. 10, Sanford Williams; No. 11, Asa Blood; No. 12, Anthony Mitchell; No. 13, Lucius Bing- ham ; No. 14, Timothy Jackman.
At a special meeting of the Town Board, held March 13, 1847, Elihu H. Strong was elected Chairman of the Board of Supervisors to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of O. B. Lapham.
Town Officers elected April 3, 1847 .- Supervisors, Volney Atwood, Chairman, William Spaulding and L. D. Thompson ; Assessor, George H. Williston ; Collector, Miles J. Perry ; Treasurer, Lewis E. Stone; Clerk, William A. Lawrence; School Commissioners, Levi Alden, David T. Daniels and William W. Stilwell ; Commissioners of Highways, L. D. Thompson, Henry D. Culver and A. H. Stevens; Justice of the Peace, W. F. Tompkins; Constables, M. J. Perry, Volney Atwood and John Young ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Thomas Shaw ; Pathmaster for District No. 1, B. McMellen ; No. 2, L. A. Bachelder; No. 3, John Mitchell; No. 4, William W. Keys; No. 5, Anson W. Pope; No. 6, Harvey Story ; No. 7, Daniel Andrust; No. 8, A. H. Stevens; No. 9, Moses A. Page; No. 10, Edward Aiken; No. 11, Lewis E. Stone; No. 12, Henry P. Culver ; No. 13, Samuel Hamilton ; No. 14, Thomas Shaw.
At the same election Milton Langdon, W. H. H. Bailey and C. G. Gillet were chosen Fence Viewers.
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512
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.
Town Officers elected April 4, 1848 .- Supervisors, Henry P. Culver, Chairman, Francis Dane and Virgil Pope ; Assessors, Volney Atwood, S. W. Smith and O. R. Phelps; Collector, Allen C. Bates ; Treasurer, S. W. Smith ; Clerk, B. F. Pixley ; School Commissioners, S. W. Chittenden, John Nichols and L. S. Stevens ; Commissioners of Highways, Alfred Hoskins, James Bunce and Elihu Whittier ; Justices of the Peace, M. S. Pritchard, Lewis E. Stone and James R. Pope ; Constables, Allen C. Bates, Miles J. Perry and H. W. Seymour ; Fence Viewers, J. Jackman, Stover Rines and A. Hyatt Smith ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, John M. May; Pathmaster for District No. 1, Lucius Scales ; No. 2, John Rook ; No. 3; Jeremiah Blount ; No. 4, Thomas Newberry ; No. 5, Harvey Brace ; No. 6, B. S. McMillen ; No. 7, James Bunce ; No. 8, John P. Dickson ; No. 9, George W. Austin ; No. 10, Thomas Lappin ; No. 11, James Bear ; No. 12, William Brace.
Town Officers elected April 3, 1849 :- Supervisors, Jesse Miles, Chairman, Gilbert Dolson ; Assessor, John J. R. Pease ; Treasurer, Jared M. Hazelton ; Clerk, C. G. Gillett; Superintendent of Schools, Andrew Palmer ; Justices of the Peace, William Truesdell and A. C. Bates, for two years ; A. T. Colbourn and John P. Dickson, for one year ; Constables, O. R. Phelps, J. M. Corson and Charles R. Hollenbeck ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, James Burgess; Pathmaster for District No. 1, William Macloon; No. 2, Thomas Lynch ; No. 3, Jerry Blount ; No. 4, David Noggle ; No. 5, L. D. Thompson ; No. 6, Justus Dayton ; No. 7, Martin Green ; No. 8, James M. Burgess ; No. 9, Peyton Russell ; No. 10, Elias Trenton ; No. 11, Adam Shoemaker ; No. 12, William Brace.
There being a tie in the number of votes cast for George Barnes and E. Lewis, for the office of Associate Supervisor, a vacancy was created, the filling of which is not of record.
Town Officers elected on the first Tuesday in April, 1850 .- Supervisors, Morris C. Smith Chairman, William Brace and George Barnes ; Assessors, John J. R. Pease, Thomas Lappin and Peter B. Flagler ; Treasurer, Whilden Hughes ; Clerk, James H. Ogilvie; School Superin- tendent, James Sutherland; Constables, George S. Bangs, Martin Dewey and Jared M. Hazel- ton ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Elihu H. Strong; Pathmaster of District No. 1, William Macloon ; No. 2, Herman Rice ; No. 3, Harvey Brace; No. 4, S. D. Smith; No. 5, Mathew Terwilliger ; No. 6, Amasa Southwick ; No. 7. N. P. Bump ; No. 8, Charles Cole ; No. 9, William Hodson ; No. 10, Thomas Lappin ; No. 11, James Bear ; No. 12, J. P. Warren ; No. 13, Lind- ley Thayer. A. T. Gray, John P. Dickson, Allen C. Bates and William Truesdell were elected Justices of the Peace the same year.
Town Officers elected on the first Tuesday in April, 1851 .- Supervisors, Morris C. Smith Chairman, W. Brace and Robert Christie; Assessors, J. J. R. Pease, Thomas Lappin and Joseph Croft ; Treasurer, William Kemp ; Clerk, Samuel C. Clark ; Superintendent of Schools. James H. Budd ; Justices of the Peace, James M. Corson and A. C. Bates; Constables, Martin Dewey, G. W. Brown and Cyrus Miner ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Z. Doty. Pathmas- ter for District No. 1, William Macloon ; No. 2, Thomas Lynch ; No. 3, A. Bacheldor; No. 4, Thomas Histop ; No. 5, L. P. Stanard; No. 6, Justus Dayton ; No. 7, Chester Munn ; No. 8, John Morrisey ; No. 9, William Hodson ; No. 10, Elias Fenton ; No. 11, James Bear ; No. 12, Albert Warner ; No. 13, S. D. Smith ; No. 14, P. B: Flagler.
Town Officers Elected on the first Tuesday in April, 185.2 .- Supervisors, Morris C. Smith Chairman, Jerome B. Davis and William Brace; Assessors, Joseph H. Budd, Hiram Taylor and Nelson P. Bump ; Treasurer, Enoch L. Roberts ; Clerk, James H. Ogilvie; Justices of the Peace, J. J. R. Pease and William Truesdell ; Constables, Morris P. Cobb, Samuel Demaray and Samuel H. Belton ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Elihu H. Strong ; Overseers of High- ways, Charles Yates, John Bailey, Hiram Bishop, John Whitworth, W. R. Hall, James Bunce. Nelson P. Bump, Hudson H. Chase, E. H. Bennett, Averill King, E. W. Barker, W. W. Key, Thomas Strutt and Richard Hardy.
The foregoing were all the officers of the town of Janesville so long as its territory included thirty-six sections of land, or previous to any portion of it being included within the chartered limits of the city of Janesville.
513
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.
JOHNSTOWN.
This town is located on the eastern border of the county, east of Harmony, and is bounded on the north by Lima and on the south by Bradford. It was organized by an act of the Legis- lature, approved March 21, 1843. It includes all of Township 3 north, of Range 14 east.
The first settlement was made in 1837. The first family was that of Norman Smith, who made a claim on the present site of Johnstown Center, on Section 28. The second family was that of Caleb B. Hill. The other early settlers were: Elisha Newhall and his sons, Wright und Elbridge G. Newhall, Noah Newell, John A. Fletcher, Daniel Phelps, Daniel McKillip, John Putnam, John A. Pickett and William Virgin. The first frame house was built by Daniel McKillip.
This town is bounded on the north by the town of Lima, east by Walworth County, south by the town of Bradford and west by the town of Harmony. Sections 30 to 36 inclusive, and the half of Sections 19 to 24 inclusive, are in Rock Prairie, near the northeast corner of it, while the remaining sections are what are called " openings." The difference in soil between the two portions is so strongly marked that it. can readily be observed even where the land is under cultivation. As early as 1856, this town numbered many enterprising farmers; on the list, among others, were William Galbraith, John McGrath and brothers, Robert Barlass, John and William Zuill, John Wynn, David and John McLay.
LA PRAIRIE.
The town of La Prairie is located in the southeast quarter of the county. It received its name from the fact that the whole town is almost entirely an open, unbroken prairie. The name is from the French, signifying " the meadow, or, the pasture." It was organized by act of the Legislature, approved March 26, 1849, by which act those parts of the towns of Harmony and Turtle, which were then comprised in Township 2 north, of Range 13 east, were set off and organized as a separate town. The west half of Section 6 was subsequently set off to the city of Janesville. The first town meeting was held at the house of Justus P. Wheeler, on the 3d day of April, 1849; whole number of votes cast at this meeting was fifty-six. The town offi- cers elected were : Justus P. Wheeler, Henry Cheesebro and James Chamberlain, Supervisors; Guy Wheeler, Town Clerk ; Charles G. Cheney, Treasurer ; Levi St. John, Assessor.
The town is traversed by the Chicago & North-Western Railway, which enters its borders at Shopiere Station, on the south line of Section 35, passing out on the west line of the town, on Section 7. This is a rich agricultural town ; the farms are under a high state of cultivation with good improvements.
" The number of inhabitants," says a writer in 1856, "as by United States census for 1850, was 335. The first State tax was $300.37; county tax, $339.16 ; school tax, $361; town tax, $290. The population of the town, according to the State census for 1855, was 602. The whole number of votes cast, April, 1855, was 78. The State tax that year was $666.88; county tax, $1,234.98 ; school tax, $305.83; town tax, $320. The assessed valuation of the town for 1850 was $66,830. The assessment for 1855 was $194,061."
" This town," continues the writer, " is a rolling prairie, of deep soil, with an underlay of sand and gravel in the western and northwestern part. There is plenty of lime rock in the bluffs of the central and eastern parts of the town. The only surface water that can be boasted of is Turtle Creek, which rises in Walworth County, watering and fertilizing the town of Brad- ford from side to side, entering La Prairie on the east line of Section 36, and passing out on the south line of 35, into the town of Turtle. Running within the limits of La Prairie less than two miles, it passes through the town of Turtle, nearly from corner to corner, and falls into Rock River (as before mentioned) just below the State line at Beloit. This stream rose during one of the nights of June, 1851, ten or twelve feet above the usual level, carrying off mill-dams, bridges, fences. sheep, hogs and other property to a large amount. The water was highest about
514
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.
daylight, reaching as high as Clark W. Lawrence's door-step, leaving a tree in the upper case- ment of the schoolhouse window, and filling Mr. Chamberlin's house above the window. stools.
" The only timber now (1856) standing in this town is on Sections 5, 6, 35 and 86. amounting to less than a quarter-section. The inhabitants are supplied with good water in great abundance, by digging wells from fifteen to eighty-five feet deep, and with wood, by haal- ing it from the neighboring towns, a distance of from three to ten miles. The mail route from Racine and Chicago passes through La Prairie. The Chicago, Fond du Lac & St. Paul Rail- road [now the Chicago & North-Western] enters the town on the south line of Section 35, and passes out on the west line of the southwest quarter of Section 7. Some of the early settlers of Rock County made their first 'pitch ' in La Prairie.
"Samuel St. John and family were among the first who made a permanent settlement on Rock River within the limits of the county. He wintered with the first seven or eight who built the log shanty on the east side of the river, at the rapids. His was the first claim made in La Prairie. He and his brother Levi claimed and afterward purchased at the land sales in Milwaukee the whole of Section 6. He built a good log house on the west half of the section, now (1856) standing within the limits of the city of Janesville. William Mertrom, about the same time, made a claim on Section 5, and built a log house, which Nehemiah St. John pur- chased and occupied for several years. Nathan Allyne, in 1835 or 1836, made a claim on Sec- tion 35, broke several acres, put in and raised crops without fence, except dogs. Lucius Burnham made a claim on Section 36, in the spring of 1837, and made his first improvement in 1838; built the first frame barn now (1856) standing in La Prairie. Clark W. Lawrence came into this county with his father and family in 1836, made a claim on Section 36, and built the first frame house. Mr. Waterman, James Chamberlin and L. B. Allyne located on Section 35, in 1837 or 1838.
"The town being all prairie-only a small quantity of timber in the northwest and southwest corners of it-other towns in the county filled up rapidly with settlers, while La Prairie remained stationary. Justus P. Wheeler made his purchase in the fall of 1840 ; Eliakin Thatcher in 1843. A man by the name of Hocum made a claim on Section 3; afterward sold to Mr. Covil. Charles C. Cheney, Henry Cheesebro, William Loyd, Adelmon Sherman and Ephraim Leach, Jr., made their purchases in the years 1844 and 1845; Almerin Sherman, Peter Shufelt, James I. Hoyt, William G. Easterly and Mr. Ford, in 1846."
The same writer names among others of the largest farmers of La Prairie, in 1856, Free- man Hitchcock, Alfred Haskins, Amaziah Sherman, Jacob Van Gelder, William H. Read, R. W. Schenck, Hiram Finch, Harvey Sessions, S. L. Halstead, E. Cheesebro, Thomas Auld, James Chamberlin, Harvey Hart, E. W. Blish, James V. Beltings, J. P. Wheeler, William H. Stark, Guy Wheeler, C. W. Lawrence, George Rhodes, William Schenck.
LIMA.
As early as the summer of 1836, Col. James M. Burgess visited what is now the town of Lima and made a claim on Section 17, but as he never improved it, it is to be presumed it lapsed. He was followed in June, 1837, by Solomon L. Harrington and Thomas Vanhorn, who located and built a saw-mill on the west branch of Whitewater Creek in the east part of the town. In the same year, came Mr. Joseph Nicholls, who made a claim and built a cabin on Section No. 1, where Mr. Stephen Burroughs now lives. He combined the elements of strength and good-nature with that of woodcraft in a great degree, and not being blessed with much of this world's goods, on one occasion, after a bee hunt, in which science he excelled. he drew 200 pounds of honey on a hand-sled to Milwaukee, returning with a barrel of flour and some other commodities.
In the winter of 1837-38, the next arrival was Curtis Utter, who made a claim on Section 36, where he resided until his death a few years since. In 1838, George B. Hall arrived and located on Section 19, and was followed next year by Azel Kenney and Prosper Cravath, Jr.,
515
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.
who located on Section 13, where a house had been built for Kenney on the site now occupied by the residence of Miles G. Cravath, Prosper Cravath building on land adjoining, now owned by the heirs of Chauncey Langdon. With Mr. Kenney came a young man named Newton Baker. In 1840, the town received a large accession to its population by the arrival of a col- ony from Cortland, N. Y. The colony consisted for the most part of Deacon Prosper Cravath and his large family, with Levi and Giles Kinney, Deacon Zerah Hull, James Hull, Ara Hardy and their families, all of whom located in what are known as the Cravath and Hall neighborhoods.
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