USA > Wisconsin > Waukesha County > The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources; an extensive and minute sketch of its cities, towns and villages etc > Part 105
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NOTES AND FIRST THINGS.
The first white settlers on lands now in Waukesha Village were Morris D. and A. R. Cutler and Henry Luther. The latter was here but one summer-that of 1834.
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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.
The first buildings were three frame shanties-one erected near Blair's foundry ; one where M. D. Cutler now resides, and one near Bethesda Spring. The first-mentioned was built first.
The first marriage was that of Hamilton Nelson to Mrs. Caroline Eggleston, August 12, 1838, at Robert Love's house, near Bethesda Spring.
The first frame building was built in 1838, and is now occupied by J. Austin Waite, near Wisconsin avenue. It was also the first frame house in the county. Concerning the manner and time of its building, Lyman Goodnow writes as follows : " In 1838, my brother Edward W., and I, with teams and axes, started for the woods to cut and draw timber twenty feet long to the saw-mill, which had just started. Wm. T. Bidwell sawed and Allen Clinton framed this lum- ber, for the first frame house built in Prairieville. The house was post and beams. All the material was sawed in this mill, and used green. We got our lime of Deacon Mendall, and for a plastering trowel we had to use a common mason's trowel. This house was built by Edward W. Goodnow and Deacon Allen Clinton, and is now occupied by Austin Waite. It was taken from the stump, put up, finished and moved into, in less time than any house in this town, before or since.'
The first carriage brought to Waukesha was owned by Charles R. Dakin. . The second was brought by Geo. A. Hine, and the third by Joseph Turner.
The first white woman to settle in what is now Waukesha was probably Mrs. B. S. McMillan, as Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Isaac Smart settled outside of the village limits.
The first hotel was the Prairieville House, built in 1837.
The first schoolhouse was of logs, built in 1837, on the west side of the river.
The first bridge was of logs, built near the flouring-mill, in 1837.
The first store, except Juneau's Indian store, was opened by Charles R. Dakin.
The first church was the Congregational, built in 1839.
The first newspaper, the American Freeman, started here in 1845.
The first Postmaster was David Jackson, who was appointed by Andrew Jackson early in 1837, and died in 1841.
The first lawyer was Vernon Tichenor, who opened an office in 1839.
The first school teacher was John Moon Wells, who taught in the log schoolhouse in 1837.
The first piano was brought into the village by Dr. Gilbert Wright.
In May, 1866, a Young Men's Association was formed for the purpose of establishing a public library. The first officers were as follows : President, O. M. Tyler ; Vice President, W. Story ; Secretary, A. Holbrook ; Treasurer, A. J. Frame; Trustees, A. Tyler, M. L. Butter- field, Geo. Lawrence, 3d, A. F. Pratt, F. H. Putney, R. L. Gove, L. B. Wright. Committee in Library and Reading Room, Story, Pratt and Putney. On Finance, Gove, Wright and Lawrence. On Lectures, A. Tyler, Butterfield and Frame. Committee on Solicitation, Pratt, A. Tyler and Lawrence. The association died, and the village has no public library.
A certain Thursday in October, 1865, was a great day for Waukesha. A public dinner was spread for all the soldiers in Waukesha County and vicinity, at which 4,000 people were in attendance. Speeches were made by A. W. Randall, Isaac Lain, C. C. White and J. A. Williams.
The first stone dwelling was built by Lyman Goodnow for W. P. Sloan, attorney, on Main street.
The " Forty Thieves," dubbed for short, after a time, the "Forties," was an imaginary organization of the leading Democrats of Waukesha. How the name arose is not precisely known, but it was common as long as W. A. Barstow, A. F. Pratt and their friends were alive.
The first Fourth of July celebration of any note was held in the half-finished Prairieville academy building in 1840. It cost $30. Speeches were made by Rev. O. F. Curtis and W. T. Bidwell.
The Echo was a mysterious little newspaper, said to have been printed " under the bridge " in an early day. It gave the local politicians a thorough hetcheling.
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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.
Rev. Stephen Peet probably preached the first sermon in the village, or where the village now stands.
In early days, Prairieville was famous as the headquarters for fun of all kinds. The equal of those who gathered here will probably never be found. The leader in all " sells," fun, prac- tical jokes and hilarity was " Aleck " Randall, as everybody called him, even after he became Governor and Postmaster General. His companions were Harrison Ward, Charles R. Dakin, Andrew E. Elmore., E. M. Randall, William A. and Samuel H. Barstow, A. F. Pratt and a few others. Where two or three of these gathered together, not the Lord but the " Old Nick " was in the midst of them ; and for many years, whenever any trick was played upon anyone, or any monstrous practical joke was perpetrated, it was always charged to " Aleck " Randall and his friends. They have thought of things that never were dreamed of before, and there is not a judge, justice, prominent official or public man living in Waukesha County, who was in public life during their time, who has not been the victim of some extraordinary trick or joke. No occasion was too great and no business too important to be forgotten instanter if an opportunity for a " sell " presented itself. The days of Randall and Barstow will never be forgotten in Waukesha.
The first saloon was opened by Mrs. B. S. McMillan ; or rather the first liquor was sold by her, in 1835. The Indians had liquor from Janeau's trading post before that date.
The village is lighted by kerosene oil lamps on all the main streets. The attempt to secure the erection of gasworks ended, as it began, in talk. The lamps were put up in 1877.
The principal materials used for sidewalks in Waukesha Village are limestone. They were the pride of the village in an early day, and those laid thirty-five years ago are as good as those laid as many days ago. On account of their roughness, walks are now being laid of planks instead of Waukesha limestone. The stone walks are considerably over thirty miles in length. The first sidewalk in Waukesha was built from Austin Waite's mearmarket to George C. Pratt's - residence. The second was laid around Morris D. Cutler's park. Richard Walker did the work.
In 1839 and '40, David Jackson's house and the Prairieville House were supplied, through hand-bored pump-logs, with mineral water from the Silurian and S. A. Randles' springs.
The first railway depot was built in 1850. Cars came to Waukesha from Milwaukee in February 1851.
Lyman Goodnow was the first Collector, the tax being one imposed to pay the school teacher. One man refused to pay, and the Collector took corn enough for the tax, and paid the cash- about $4-out of his own pocket.
Nathan Walton was the first Constable, and J. Manderville the first Justice of the Peace. Richard Dunbar discovered the virtues of Waukesha mineral water in 1868.
The stone quarry was opened by Lyman Goodnow in the spring of 1840.
The first authorized election was held at the Prairieville House, in 1839.
Morris D.Cutler's was the first ferry boat in the Fox River at Waukesha. He had 10 cents for his first fee.
The first public speech was probably made by John Moon Wells in reference to a bridge across the Fox River.
At the first charter election, held at the Court House in June, 1852, 252 votes were polled. The first village platting was done for Morris D. Cutler, by George S. West, of Cleveland, in the fall of 1835. In the summer of 1836, Martin Field platted a tract for David Jackson, which was never recorded.
The regular village plat was laid out by Daniel Wells, Jr., in 1842, and recorded at Mil- waukee January 10, 1842.
One of the remarkable characters of the present time is S. B. Needham, a shoemaker, who preaches " pure Bible doctrines " to assembled crowds on the streets and in public halls. He also circulates thousands of tracts, the matter for which he writes and has printed at his own expense. He has educated himself while working at the bench where he evolves all his sermons, lectures and tracts.
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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.
CITY OF OCONOMOWOC.
THE NAME.
Before entering upon a history or description of Oconomowoc and surroundings, it will doubtless be well to give those translations of the word which are usually accepted as being correct. That there should be a difference of opinion existing among the oldest settlers, regard- ing the meaning of the term, does not seem singular when considering that the aboriginals them- selves have gone not only, but very much else that was intimately connected with the lives of the pioneers is also gone; buried in an oblivion from which there is no resurrection through the memory of man.
The untutored savages that once called these lovely scenes their own, when nature reigned supreme, have disappeared, and with them all absolute certainty as to the meaning of their names ; yet the very mystery that invests them possesses for their successors an inexpressible charm. They cling to the lakes and streams they loved, like an invisible presence, and carry us back by fancy and association, to an unsubdued wilderness, savage beasts, and perhaps more savage men. These Indian names are all that are left to us of nature in her virgin state and man in a primitive condition. They reflect the image of the past; the conceptions of such minds as "see God in the clouds and hear Him in the wind."
Tourists and visitors are usually informed, by the regular residents here, that Oconomo- woc, spelled as above, signifies " the place of the beaver," as when the whites first came here the evidence of beaver work abounded here, although not so extensively as in many other localities in the State ; and it has also been asserted that this is a literal translation of the word as given by the Indians themselves. However, the story of Mr. Charles B. Sheldon, the first settler, who enjoyed the earliest and probably best opportunities for learning the exact truth regarding this name, is entirely at variance with the usually received interpretation.
He says that when he first came here he became very well acquainted with a man by the name of John Dority, either white or half-breed, who had married a squaw, with whom he lived as one of the band of Whirling Thunder, a Winnebago chief. This man Dority, who under- stood the Indian as well as the English language, told Mr. Sheldon that Oconomowoc, pro- nounced as here spelled, meant " the River of Lakes," and when one observes the manner in which the lakes in this vicinity are united by Oconomowoc River, that version seems quite reasonable. It is not the purpose of this work to do away with old and generally received opinions, or to set up new ones merely for the purpose of acquiring notoriety ; but there is undoubtedly as good if not better grounds for this latter than for the former definition. An- other story is, to the effect that the name signifies " beautiful waters." Though this opinion is well founded in so far as the waters are concerned, yet the term smacks of other " beautiful waters," and seems to be more appropriately the creation of a certain poet's fancy than that of the " poor Indian's." A rather amusing story prevails (probably the invention of some frontier story-teller) to the effect that a white man once came across an Indian who was just on the point of shooting a coon ; the shot was fired, and down came the corn poacher. The Indian there- upon threw up his hands and cried, "O, cooney, no mo' walk !" The great number of " literal translations " given by various parties of the term originally applied to this locality by the In- dians shows that some of them, at least, must be inventions. What Oconomowoc means, the Indians themselves cannot tell ; but Vieau, who has been in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties about three-score years, says "Cou-no-mo-wauk " means " water-fall," or place where the river falls. The term seems to have been a Winnebago corruption, wauk meaning river or moving water, e. g., Manitou-wauk (now Manitowoc), Bad Spirit River.
The question will be left unsettled, the best authority apparently being Vieau, who, although not a full aborigine, is practically a Pottawatomie.
VILLAGE AND CITY GOVERNMENT.
The first village charter was granted and published in chapter 231 of the laws of Wiscon- sin for 1865-an act to incorporate the village of Oconomowoc, approved March 28, 1865.
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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.
This charter includes in its grant and provisions the east fractional half of Section 32, and the west fractional three-fourths of Section 33, of the Town of Oconomowoc; and the northwest fractional fourth of Section 4, of the Town of Summit ; containing in all about 900 acres ; but, owing to the position of La Belle and Fowler Lakes, which encroached upon a large portion of the village grant, there was only a little more than 700 acres of land that could be used for building and farming purposes. Of this amount, at that time, about 390 acres were used as farming lands, leaving of land occupied by buildings, or in building lots, only a little more than 300 acres.
Prior to securing this village charter, for several years, there had been a constantly increasing demand, among the inhabitants of the village, for a village government separate from the town, which was at last realized in this charter, to a somewhat limited extent. The chief reason urged by the people for the change was the necessity of better streets and sidewalks, which were then, and had been since the first settlement, in a sad condition, for a place possessing such fine natural advantages for good walks and roads. The town authorities had not sufficient power to compel lot-owners to grade and construct such sidewalks as were needed ; besides, the law allowed an appropriation of but 25 per cent of the highway tax, which could not exceed 7 mills on the $1, assessed value, a sum entirely inadequate to maintain and improve the con- dition of the streets, in conformity with the public demands and growth of the village.
This tax was payable at the discretion of the tax-payer, either in labor or money, a condi- tion maintained by the first, second, fourth or last charter.
This charter granted such distinct and special powers as are usually extended to village cor- porations, as the provision of special ordinances for various purposes, and elections of officers, in whom were vested the management of its fiscal, prudential and municipal concerns. These officials were one President and five Trustees, and a Police Justice, elected by the people. The Clerk, Treas- urer, Street Commissioner, and one Constable, who was also ex officio Marshal, were appointed. The village was thoroughly empowered and independent of the town in the election of the Trustees, in the establishing of ordinances, and in the raising of funds by tax to improve their thorough- fares ; yet they were connected with the town in town government, in the election of town, county and State officers, and in all the various general details pertaining to town affairs, the same as they were before getting a charter.
The town meetings, as well as village meetings, were convened in the village for the pur- pose of elections and other public objects, for two years subsequent to the granting of the charter, without any particular allusion having been made to any project for building a town hall ; yet it appears that such a desideratum had been contemplated by the more ambitious of the villagers, and, as a result, in the spring of 1867, at the annual town meeting, without previous notice having been given to the voters, of the order of business, as by law provided, a motion was made in the afternoon, by one of the prominent politicians and leaders, to raise $3,000, for the purpose of building a town hall in Oconomowoc Village. There being but few of the tax-payers present, and those scemingly by pre-arrangement from the village, as a consequence the motion was carried.
A few of those who were present at the vote, thinking that the proceeding was not legal (as appears in Section 25 of the Revised Statutes of 1858), and supposing that no attempt would be made to collect the money, said but little, although opposed to the measure ; so the whole trans- action was almost entirely ignored. But this indifference vanished when the time came for pay- ing taxes in the latter part of December following. Then, the tax being unusually large, an inquiry was made, and it was discovered that the Town Clerk had calculated the $3,000 Town Hall tax, which was being collected. The people at large were terribly incensed at this, and a meeting was immediately called, and attended by a majority of the tax-payers of the town, who nearly unanimously resolved to employ counsel and resist the collection of that part of the tax. This was done, but not until a considerable portion of the tax had been collected; yet the injunction had the effect to delay any further collection until the Legislature of the State had time, on a large petition of the tax-payers, to pass an act submitting the question to the voters whether
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the money which had been collected for the Town Hall should be refunded or not. This, of course, occasioned considerable trouble and expense; however, the extra tax collected was calcu- lated, and all who had paid received their money back. As a result of the whole proceeding, a breach of such magnitude was created between the town and village that nothing less than a total separation would suffice. On the one hand, a portion of the villagers were persistent for the hall, while the town population were equally determined against it, as, the village being on the extreme edge of the town, it only would be benefited, it was thought, while the town people would have to pay the same and yet not have the hall centrally located. Consequently the villagers decided to become entirely separated from the town, and thereupon a new charter was drawn up for that purpose and submitted to the Legislature in 1869. Then another difficulty arose : The town of Summit opposed letting that part of the village which was in Summit be included in the new charter, and in order to get the bill through (Chapter 327 of Private and Local Laws, that territory had to be detached, to the great chagrin of the villagers residing in that town. Subse- quently an independent village called "Summitville " was established and incorporated under Chapter 70, R. S., and General Laws of the State, with more territory added in Summit. Although this new phase of affairs was very well, so far as Oconomowoc was concerned, yet Summit- ville was not satisfied; having to go three miles to the Town Hall in Summit to vote was a great annoyance and seemed entirely uncalled for ; besides, Summitville, under the new regime, was in such a shape that she could not keep pace with her big sister, Oconomowoc. Then to re-unite the two villages again became the question of the day, and every means was suggested and tried that could be thought of, to bring about this result, but without avail. While the subject of annexa- tion was yet being discussed, pro and con, the constitution of the State was amended, placing that hoped-for consummation further out of the power of the people than before, as will be seen in Section 31, and 32, amending Article 4 of the Constitution, viz .: The Legislature, among other things, is prohibited from enacting any special or private laws for incorporating any town or village, or to amend the charter thereof, and for granting corporate powers and privileges except to cities. This put an entirely different aspect on the affair, but not more favorable. By this time, the people of Summit, having become thoroughly satisfied of the justice of the demands of Summitville, gave a reluctant consent to let that part of their town be separated from them, and united with the village of Oconomowoc as before. But, as the two sections could not be united by a village charter, the only alternative now left was to petition for a city charter. This was at once done ; an almost unanimous appeal being sent to the Legislature. As a result, a new charter was granted, organizing a city government under Chapter 59, of the laws of Wisconsin for 1875. Previous to this time, it will be remembered, the highway tax was paid either in labor or money, at the option of the tax-payer. But by virtue of this charter the highway tax in the village, was to be paid in money only. The corporate limits were extended to include the whole of Section 32, and the west three-quarters of Section 33 of Oconomowoc and the west three-quar- ters of the north half of Section 4, and the north half of Section 5, of the town of Summit; being in all about 1752 acres, but only about 1472 acres of this grant was fit for use,
This territory was divided by said charter into three wards, of as nearly equal dimensions and population as convenient. The officers of the City were a Mayor, a Clerk, Treasurer, and one Assessor, who were elected at large in the city; one Justice of the Peace, one Constable and three Aldermen were to be elected from each ward ;, the Street Commissioner and Marshal were elected by the Common Council, who were composed of the Mayor and aldermen of the different wards. Previous to the grant of the city charter, School District Number 3, the largest part of which is composed of the south part of the city, the balance being parts of the towns of Oconomowoc and Summit, and part of District Number 10, which is composed of the north part of the city and a small portion of the town of Oconomowoc, were governed by the general laws of the State. But an attempt was made, by provision of said charter, to re-organ- ize and unite these two districts, they to be governed by what was known and called the Ocon- omowoc City School Board. This board was composed of the Director and Treasurer of Dis- trict Number, 3 and the Director of District Number 10, together with two representatives,
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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.
to be appointed by the Council. A City Superintendent was to be appointed by the above board, in conjunction with the Mayor, he becoming a member of the Board, having exclusive authority over the city schools, in place of County Superintendent.
By virtue of special provision, this joint district was to be exempt from electing a County Superintendent, and was therefore not subject to the office (contrary to Chapter 179, of the gen- eral laws of 1861, creating the office of County Superintendent of Schools). One of the objects had in view, in making this school arrangement, was the erection of a large high school building, and provisions were made in the charter for raising funds for this purpose ; but they were not acted upon.
The school system, as here inaugurated, proved to be entirely too complicated for efficient work, so much so, indeed, that a general dissatisfaction soon prevailed ; one wanted one thing, and another, another, while the officials scarcely knew what they ought or ought not, or what they could or could not, legally do, in many cases, in the premises. After much discussion, in private as well as public circles, and through the press, in trying to untangle the skein, which seemed in conse- quence to become only the more knotted, -they were finally obliged, in order to stop the dissention and bickering, and secure peace, to appeal to the Legislature for a repeal of that part of the charter authorizing the system (Chapter 53 of law of 1877). The schools were conducted on this plan for two years-probably as unsatisfactory years as any in the history of the city schools. There were too many conflicting elements and interests at work ; and as a rule attempts to interest outsiders in city improvements proves futile. Nearly all of the town people wanted to withdraw from the first, and they, in conjunction with some of the city people, kept up a constant fight until they accom- plished their object. After the Legislature had abolished the school law in the charter, the city affairs went on for the next four years without any great dissension, but not satisfactorily. The draft of the charter being imperfect, considerable unnecessary trouble was caused in conducting the city government. The wording of the charter was ambiguons, and repetitions frequently occurred; besides, some of the provisions made were contrary to the laws and constitution of the State, and in fact, the general difficulties presented were such, especially in collecting the highway tax, that at last a committee was appointed by the City Council, to meet in the town Clerk's office, and give the city charter a thorough examination, and report upon the propriety of having it revised and amended. The committee-Horace Kellogg, D. G. Munger and C. B. Johnson- as directed, made the examination, and reported that the charter certainly ought to be altered. A meeting of the citizens was then called, and various propositions discussed and voted upon, relating to a remodeled and improved charter. They finally resolved that the charter should be revised and condensed, but remain the same in all general features, with the exception of two amendments, one providing that the Marshal, Constable and two Justices, should be elected by the people hereafter instead of being appointed by the Council, and the other, that the higheway tax should again be paid in money or labor at the option of the tax-payers. R. C. Hathaway, the Town Clerk at that time, was authorized to draw np the new charter, which he did, employing the greatest brevity, without repetition, consistent with a clear expression of the various provisions and details. All matters provided for by the general laws were left out, leaving those laws for guidance. As a result of this plan, when the new charter was completed it was nearly one-half smaller than its predecessor, and, while it embraced all of the salient points; was much clearer, and more definite and methodical in manner. It was then submitted to the Council, by the committee ; who immediately adopted a resolution, asking the Legislature to make it a law. The charter was sent to Madison at once, and Mr. Hathaway was employed to go out and see it through; it passed in due form and is known as Chapter 239, of the Laws of Wisconsin for the year 1879 ; according to this chapter, one Mayor, Clerk, Assessor, Treasurer, one Marshal, one Constable, and two Justices are elected at large in the city, and one Supervisor and three Aldermen from each ward. All of these hold office for one year, with the exception of the Justices and Aldermen. The former are elected for two years, the latter for three years, one being elected each consecutive year. The Common Council (of Aldermen and Mayor) on the first Tuesday of April, after the city election, appoint a President of their body.
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