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 118

Author: Western Historical Co., pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1050

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 118

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).

In the month of June, 1837, Mr. Thomas Salter came to the town, and laid claim to the northwest quarter of Section 34, and settled thereon. Mr. Salter was unmarried, but did not long remain so, for his "sweetheart," whom he had left in England, his native land, came out alone the following summer to cast her lot with his, and brave the dangers of his Western home. Mr. Salter met her in Milwaukee, where they were at once married, after which they came out to the farm, where they have since resided.

In June, 1837, Mathias Morris, since deceased, came here with his family, three sons and four daughters, and son-in-law, Jacob Widderman. Together they made claim to the south half of Sections 27 and 28, and built a cabin on section 28. In 1841, they sold half of this claim to William Campbell and George W. Williams, and afterward sold the balance to Cotton & Ferry.

Mr. Morris was the first married man to settle in the town, and his wife, and daughters Ann, Catharine, Sarah and Elizabeth, were the first white women. The family now resides in Summit.

George W. Pugh, C. Ludden, Charles C. Wilson and perhaps a few others, came here in 1837. In 1838, a few came to the town, of whom may be mentioned T. L. Smith, A. Rowe and Jesse Edsall and family. Mr. Edsall built the second cabin, which was long occupied by Mr. Worthington, who bought out Mr. Edsall. This house stood quite close to the street, in front of Mr. Vilas' present house.

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In 1839, there came J. D. Dewey, John Heath, Andrew Wilson and family, John Ferry and family, William Quigley and G. A. Foster. Mr. Foster was quite a prominent citizen, and did considerable in his time to advance the interest of the agricultural part of the commu- nity by bringing in fine stock.

In 1840, George Brooks and Jasper Dibble, and families, and perhaps a few others, came. In 1841, William Barton and his son John, William Campbell, George W. Williams and John Metcalf came into the town.

In 1842, a very large number came, as follows : Monroe Hatch and family, L. Osborne and family, C. Eastman and family, John Brainard and family, J. S. Hastings, William Chaffee, D. Hastings, Thomas Chandler, Horace and Hamilton Hastings, Samuel Blaine, Nathan Chaffee, A. Lowe, George Sugden, F. Chase and perhaps a few others.

In 1843, a still greater number arrived. The country by this time had become very much improved, and the first-comers were beginning to feel comfortable. During this year came A. B. Hall and family, L. Washburn and family, I. C. Stratton, H. J. Baker, George W. Hinkley and family, Willard Thompson, E. W. and John Daly, James Williams, R. W. Washburn, O. C. Olson (Merton), John Forra, Michael Mana, Alexander Coyle and brother, Carl Gasmann and Daniel P. Simonson and others.

In 1844, the increase was still greater, people coming in with a rush. They were as fol- lows, as nearly as can be learned : George W. Fay, Hiram Prosceus and family, William T. Thompson, Silas Coleman, Mrs. Christie and son, James R. Wood, Charles J. Mann, Alexander Madole, Moses Clemons, W. W. Collins, Ole Petersen, Ole Olson, Charles Throop, B. M. Woodruff and E. C. Hartwell.

The first birth in the town was that of a son of Thomas Salter, which occurred in the spring of 1839. The child died soon after birth, this being also the first death.

The marriage of Mr. Salter, although consummated in Milwaukee, places himself and lady at the head of the marriage list among the pioneers of Oconomowoc.

J. D. Dewey was appointed the first Justice, and Charles Morris was the first Constable. The second Justice was Jonathan Dougherty. He was elected at the first town meeting.

A schoolhouse was constructed in 1841, of logs, on the north side of the Oconomowoc River, not far east of C. M. Bordoe's residence. This was the first temple of learning erected in the town, and here Miss Dougherty and Isaac Woodruff taught the first schools.

The Rev. Lloyd Breck is said to have been the first minister to hold religious services in this town, although the Rev. Mr. Frink began coming here at about the same time. These first services were held in the schoolhouse very soon after it was built.

The first road was run through here from Milwaukee to Watertown and Madison, in the winter of 1838-39. Garrett Vliet was the surveyor, and John Richards, of Watertown, and A. Bird, of Madison, were the Commissioners. It was laid out and run through by Mr. Sheldon Schuttler's farm, just north of the city of Oconomowoc.

For the first few years the settlers were obliged to go to Summit Corners for mail and necessaries, such a place as Oconomowoc not being then thought of. But now everything is reversed ; Summit Corners has passed away and Oconomowoc is a thriving city, and the center of a large trade.

The first postoffice was established here in 1845, E. A. Saxe being appointed Postmaster.

There was no blacksmith's shop in the town until 1843 or 1844, when A. Rowe came to the relief of the people and started a shop.

The first town meeting was held for the town of Oconomowoc in April, 1844, in the Village of Oconomowoc, at Rockwell & Cotton's Mill. Prior to this time the town had been attached to the town of Summit. Out of this town meeting a strong local feeling was engendered between the two towns, which lasted for a number of years. On the morning of the town meeting day, Curtis Reed, who then lived at what is now known as Okauchee, had a caucus on his own account. This caucus was held in the hollow under the hill, as you enter the Brown street valley on the north Okauchee road, and was long after known as Caucns

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Hollow. Mr. Reed had assembled, with his brother Orson's help, it is charged, all the recruits he could get, and the story is that he had them from Summit, Merton and Ashippun. A ticket was made out with himself as Chairman, and in a body they all went to the town meeting. They were too many for the balance of Oconomowoc, and Reed's ticket was elected. It was the first packed political caucus ever held in Oconomowoc.

Gasmann's Mill .- Hans Gasmann built a saw-mill on Section 2, and set it running in March, 1844. It stood on the north side of the Ashippun River. It was owned and run by Mr. Gasmann until 1855, when he disposed of the property to C. Hyer. Shortly after, Mr. Hyer became possessor, he tore the mill down and rebuilt it on the opposite side, a little farther down the stream. He continued it as a saw-mill until 1858, when Peter Gasmann, son of the first owner, purchased it, and in the summer of 1859, built a grist-mill by the side of the saw- mill, and put in two run of stone for custom work. Philip Zillis, the present proprietor, bought the property in 1870.

Okauchee Mill is located on the southwest side of Okauchee Lake, on Section 35. The first structure was a small saw-mill, built by Orson Reed, in 1839-40. It was known as Reed's Mill, and was operated by him until 1847. A large portion of the lumber used in the construc- tion of the Milwaukee & Watertown Plank Road was furnished by this mill. In 1869, the mill passed into the possession of F. Schraudenbach. In 1877, twenty-five or thirty acres of land, including the dam, was contracted to H. B. Shears & Co., who built a new frame mill, putting in six runs of stone, and machinery for grinding flour by the new process. They con- ducted the mill until the spring of 1879, when the property reverted back to Mr. F. Schrau- denbach. The mill has a capacity of about a hundred barrels of flour per day.

There are several very fine farms and residences in the town and city. The two finest residences are said to be Schuttler's and Schufeldt's. These places show how largely the county can be improved.

Monterey .- Monterey is situated four and one-half miles north of Oconomowoc, on the banks of Ashippun River, on Sections 8 and 9. It is surrounded by a good farming country, and does a good business, there being three stores with mixed stocks of goods, two blacksmith-shops, wagon-shop, shoe-shop, large flouring-mill, hotel, two churches, a cemetery and a good, common school. The name of the village is said to have been given by Mr. Hackly, about the close of the Mexican war, in commemoration of the events then transpiring at Monterey, Mexico. The land where the village stands was entered by C. L. Annis, in 1844. Among the early settlers in the village may be mentioned H. Carter, A. W. Hackly, Rev. Abram Nye, Justin Noble and John W. Dopp and family.

A school was taught here as early as 1844, by Mr. H. Carter, in a private house which stood a few rods west of where Dopp's barn now stands. The first schoolhouse was built of logs, and stood on Section 8, a few rods west of the site of the present school building, and was put up about 1849 or 1850. Asthe population increased, the demand for more room for the urchins resulted in the erection of the present brick house.

The first local preacher was Abram Nye, who held religious services as early as 1845.

The first frame house was built by Justin Noble, on the lot where Charles Vroman now lives.

Sanford Cotton built a saw-mill on the south bank of the Ashippun River, where the dam now stands, in 1844. Cotton ran the mill two years; then traded it to Justin Noble, who enlarged the usefulness of the mill by adding two runs of stone to do grinding for the neigh- bors. In 1850, Mr. Noble disposed of the mill to Mr. Beman, who operated the old mill until 1856. During that year he, in company with Mr. Moreland, erected the present mill. Twelve and one-half feet head of water is furnished by the dam. The present proprietors are Dainton & Roth.

D. McDonald came here in 1846, and built a tavern nearly opposite where the present hotel stands. About 1857, Mr. Place, a new-comer, built the present hotel. Its dimensions are 38x44 feet, two stories high, and divided into thirteen rooms. Ezra Vroman is propri- etor.

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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.

A. W. Hackley was Monterey's first merchant and Postmaster.

Stephen Vroman and son, Ezra, had the first contract for carrying the mail over the old mail route between Summit and Fond du Lac.

John Upton began blacksmithing here as early as 1845. Hiram Marsh came two years after. The churches here are the Methodist and what is known as the Union. The last-named church was built by a combination of Congregational, Presbyterian, Universalist and Methodist elements, in 1864. Ten years later, the Methodists withdrew, and built the present church. After that, the different denominations that yet remained, continued to hold services in it until 1878, since which time it has been used by the Congregationalists principally.

The Methodist Episcopal Church edifice was built in 1874, on Section 9, at a cost of about $1,200. Charles Vroman, Joseph Miller, John Coville and Wesley Davy were the first

Trustees. It has twenty members. Services are held by the minister from Oconomowoc.

Mapleton .- In this vicinity the first settlements were made in the fall of 1843 and spring of 1844, by Smith Jones, H. J. Baker, James Sampson, Hans Gasmann and family of thirteen children, Daniel Simonsen, James O. Riley, H. H. Wooledge, H. Baldwin, D. Henevey, Mr. Plumly, Mr. Lenhart, Martin Ryan, Alexander, James and Michael Coyle, Alvah Austin, Harry Lester, and Thomas Riley with a large family, and perhaps others. Smith Jones built the first house in what is now Mapleton, but sold to Samuel Breck in 1848, and returned to his home in Massachusetts. Mr. Breck was, really, the founder of Mapleton. Most of the build- ings now here are on land formerly owned by him, but were sold cheap to encourage settlement. He built the first grist-mill at Mapleton, in the year 1849, and he also started a store the same year. The mill is now owned by Peter Theobald and Mr. Wehrmuth.

The first blacksmith shop was started by Messrs. Whitehall & Jerenson, who used Mr. Breck's storeroom for the purpose, but during the year a fire destroyed the building and con- tents. The next shop was started by Mr. Jewison.

Hans Larsen kept the first shoe-shop in Mapleton.

The only hotel is kept by Mr. Borneman.

The first schoolhouse was built in 1849, on a lot donated by Mr. Breck. It was frame, and was considered quite " nobby " at that time, as most of the schoolhouses in the country were built of logs. But, in the course of time, it became too small for the rising generation, and a new one was built which is a credit to the community. It is 28x56, brick, well finished inside and outside. It is furnished with ventilators, plenty of light, high ceilings, and is also supplied with good furniture.

In early days, the postoffice was at Delafield, and the neighbors would club together and get it by turns about once in two or three weeks. In 1851, Samuel Breck became the first Postmaster, and, in 1855, George Sterzbach succeeded him. In 1859, Anthony Houser suc- ceeded Mr. Sterzbach, and has been Postmaster ever since.

A Catholic Church is a short distance from here, on land donated by Alexander Coyle. Adjoining it is also a cemetery belonging to the church. The resident priest is Rev. M. Monaghan. There is a congregation of about seventy families belonging to the parish.

Of those who still reside in the town, who came before 1850, are George W. Williams, Charles B. Sheldon, Thomas Salter, John Daily, Ethan Daily, John Ferry, George Ferry, Curtis B. Brown, John Whittaker, Jens Forra, John Forra, Charles J. Strohn, Francis Nugent, Alexander Madole, Joseph Counsell, John Counsell, Henry Baker, Michael Manny, Thomas Burns, John Burns, Henry Burns, John Kinnie, Alexander Coyle, Peter Coyle, Peter Brierton, Moses Clemens, Gilbert Dopp, Benjamin Dopp, Hiram Proseus, Charles Tremain, Joseph Tre- main, William Radcliff, Thomas Whalen, Edward Whalin, George Hatch, Thomas Ireland, Daniel Hatch, John Truesdell, William Travis, Frederick Blake, Amos Townsend, David Hastings, James K. Wood, Charles Thompson, John Gaghan, William Chaffee, George Fulmer, William Olson, James Doran, John Meyers, Smith Hastings, Horace Hastings, and perhaps a few others.

Nm. Small

LISBON

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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.

TOWN OF OTTAWA.

Township 6, Range 17 east, was set off and organized into a town separate from Genesee in 1843, in accordance with an act of the Council and House of Representatives of Wisconsin, approved March 21, 1843, and the first election in said town was held at the house of Newman Chub. Before 1839, Ottawa was a part of Mukwonago.

Ottawa was named by Hans Crocker, of Milwaukee, while making a visit at Mr. Dousman's in 1841. At the next session of the Legislature, the name was proposed, and indorsed by special act of that body.

Ottawa is splendidly watered, the country being thickly dotted by small lakes and springs, the latter, many of them, being the heads of several small streams which traverse the town in the north, central and southern parts, and which furnish excellent facilities for stock-raising, cheese manufacturing and milling.

The inhabitants are mostly of foreign extraction, consisting of Welch, Catholic Germans, Protestant Irish, Americans, English, and a few other nationalities.

The first settler in this town was Talbot C. Dousman, who came to this locality in 1836, in company with three young bachelors like himself, looking for land. Mr. Dousman at that time selected the land, where he now lives, on Section 2, and his companions, George Hosmer, Delos Taft and E. W. Edgerton, the latter now of Milwaukee, fixed upon sites near him, but in towns adjacent to Ottawa, as now laid out. At that time, the whole surrounding country was called Genesee, after the land of their nativity.

In 1837, Mr. Dousman erected a cabin, a part of which yet remains, and the first perma- nent resident then established himself. Being a bachelor yet, he was obliged to get a family to occupy his house, or keep house for him. The coming of this family heralds the advent of the first white woman in Ottawa.

In June, 1839, Mr. Dousman married Miss Paddock, one of the few young ladies to be found here in those days. This was probably the first marriage that took place in this town.

Mrs. Dousman's father, George Paddock, came from Ohio in 1838. He passed around the lake via Chicago, and, at last, at Poplar Creek, Milwaukee County, came to the end of the road ; beyond was an unbroken wilderness, apparently, but not certainly. Human nature is the same the world over, for they were no sooner settled than certain stalwart young pioneers put in an appearance, and it may be recorded, that the most delightful labors of their new life then began -together with the knowledge that they were not alone.

The first Germans in this town were the brothers Boniface-Loring, Link and David-who came from Bavaria and settled here in the fall of 1842, building a log house, 14x16 feet, on the corners of Sections 4 and 8, thus holding a claim on each. In June, 1843, they were joined by the Werner brothers and N. Mundchan, and the six families lived for some time in the house of the Boniface brothers.

Wolves and bears were quite plentiful, and kept the pigs of the new-comers close to the house. Occasionally, a pig would bolt into the house, helter-skelter, knocking pots, pa ns, and what-not, every way; but, of course, this had to be put up with, or piggy must become a victim to the ravenous appetites of the surrounding beasts.

Up to 1839, there was no road through Ottawa, but in the spring of this year Mr. Dous- man, Mr. Paddock and Mr. Edgerton opened a road from Waterville to Prairieville, now Wau- kesha, where the settlers had to go to get Mr. Hine to do their blacksmithing, which certainly could not have been a little when we consider that breaking up the land was with them " the chief end of man." One old settler said : " Between hunting up their oxen and getting their plows mended, they had but little time for breaking." Prairieville was also at that time the one place where they could get mail or provisions, short of Milwaukee.

On St. Peter's Day of this year, all the people, men, women and children, turned out for a jollification, going to one of the lakes adjacent, riding side by side in a row, on buck-boards, the women taking provisions and the men carrying firearms. Afterward, for many years, the

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anniversary of this occasion was kept in a similar manner. It may be added that this was one of the first gatherings of the kind in the county.

In 1841, the people of Ottawa were horrified at the death of Patsy Finnegan, who was burned to death while attempting to stay the progress of a prairie-fire. This was the first death in the town, and occurred on Section 12.

Of the first town officers but little is known, except that Mr. Dousman officiated as Chair- man for seven successive years, John Meiggs being Clerk.

Kate Hosmer, born in Waterville, in April, 1839, was the first " to the manor born " in this section of the county.

The first sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Hall, during 1841, at the house of T. C. Dousman.

In 1842, Miss Mary Thayer opened the first school, in a log schoolhouse, on Section 14, directly opposite to where now stands the town hall.

The first post office was kept by Peter D. Gifford, now living at North Prairie. Afterward J. Griffeth was Postmaster for several years, and had the office in the old Ottawa House, on Sec- tion 34. Then Josiah Elding was appointed and held the office for some time, in the old place. From the keeping of Mr. Elding it passed into the hands of George Davey, who now keeps his office in a rather retired place on Section 28.

Ottawa has at present but one grist-mill, and at one time there was a small saw-mill at what is now Dousman's fish-pond. The present mill was built by B. V. Knight, in 1859, on the Checoopenaw, on the land of T. C. Dousman. The mill has a single run of stone, with a feed-mill. The water head is small, not exceeding seven feet. The general machinery, water- wheel and all. are rather original in construction, being the work of a man not trained, apparently, as a millwright, but yet a very capable mechanic.

There are two cheese factories in the town. The Ottawa factory was built in 1877, on Section 17, and has one 5,000-pound vat and curing rooms to match. The proprietor of this factory, Henry Weiner, has also a store on Section 8, built in 1868. The Waterville factory, T. C. Dousman, proprietor, is a fine, well-fitted, three-vat factory, each vat having a capacity of 5,000 pounds of milk. Nothing but the best cream cheese is made here. Mr. Dousman also built a factory in 1871, at the pond before mentioned, but the building has long since ceased to be used for that purpose.

· William Reid & Son have a fine nursery, one which is a credit to the town and which can be regarded as a success.

The town gives a fair support to several churches and schools, which is certainly an indi- cation that the people are quite as prosperous as in many other more highly-favored localities.

Ottawa Mutual Fire Insurance Company .- The Farmer's Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany in this town, is a very prosperous organization. Early in the year 1873, a petition was circulated by the most enterprising of the citizens until the requisite number of signers were secured to obtain a charter. Then a meeting was held at the house of Jacob Gaul, and the following gentlemen were elected Directors : Helger Helgerson, Samuel Stewart, James Ker- nan, William Reid, Sr., T. J. Powell, Frederic Dryer and J. J. Lervey. June 28, 1873, the first regular society meeting was held, when Kernan and Stewart resigned, and C. C. Harris and D. Maule were elected in their places. Thomas J. Powell was elected President, and J. J. Lervey, Secretary. Lervey was also appointed to canvass the town for insurance capital. At the canvass that soon followed, $29,000 was subscribed, and 29 policies were issued as shown at the first annual meeting, January 1, 1874. At the last annual meeting, January 1, 1880, there were 114 members, and a showing of 193 policies issued up to that date, amounting to $168,786 capital stock. One assessment only has been made thus far to cover a loss of $225, the tax being a little more than 1} mills per $1,000.

Ottawa Presbyterian Church .- During the month of September, 1860, Rev. R. W. Monteith, preacher at Genesee, began holding meetings, by request of several of the people, in the schoolhouse of District No.1. At that time, there was a Sabbath school which had

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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.

been under operation for some time, with James M. Forbes as Superintendent. On the 19th of March following, a meeting was called at the house of Mr. Forbes, and after preliminary reso- lutions a church was organized, to be called the First Presbyterian Church of Ottawa, " Old- School " discipline. James Stewart, Daniel Don, Elvira Boon, D. D. Robertson, Catharine Robertson, Jane Don, Elvira Stewart, James M. Forbes, Lucinda Forbes, Samuel Stewart, Jannet Mckinley, Nancy Stewart, David Stewart and Jane Reid became members at that time. They immediately went to work and as a result had the present house of worship ready for use by the 13th day of October, 1861, when it was dedicated. At the dedication, two sermons were preached-one by Rev. Monteith-Genesis, xxviii-22, "And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's House, " and one by Rev. O. Park. Text, Genesis xxviii-17- " And he was afraid, and said how dreadful is this place." The first pastor was Rev. J. W. J. Monteith ; second, J. H. Potter ; third, J. Martin; Elders, Samuel and John Stewart ; present number of members, thirty.

Dousman's Fish-Pond .- One of the many beautiful places peculiar to Waukesha County, of which the people are justly proud, is the trout pond of Dousman. To see this spot is to see one of the superlatively fine sights of the county. Here, in primitive retirement, surrounded by gently undulating forest-covered hills and dales, twenty or more splendid springs burst forth and pour their crystal streams into a basin or dam, covering an area of several acres. This dam constitutes at once the head of a fine stream, called the Scuppernong, and the present trout pond, and here, or in immediate connection with the dam, are the flumes, races, hatching-house, feed-mill, storage-rooms, hotel and various appliances required to propagate the fish and to entertain visitors. On either side, bright springs are bubbling up, and speckled beauties speed by in swarms of thousands, darting hither in sportive abandon and thither with the reckless free- dom that well-fed fish so well display.

The head of the pond, the monster spring, is the grandest sight of all.

A brief description of the system of propagation followed here may not be inappropriate, as this is the representative trout-pond of the country and the largest in the United States. There are several flumes with spawning races attached. These flumes are about a rod wide and vary in length from twelve to fifteen rods. The spawning races are about four feet wide, varying in length. These flumes are made by setting posts in the ground and fastening them across the top by timbers and planking them, as is usually done. They are graveled in the bottom and so arranged that a current of clear cold water is constantly passing through them ; these are the homes of the fish, as prepared for them, although there are myriads of lusty fellows running at large in the waters of the pond, or in the stream below the pond, where there are large numbers, many having been allowed to escape years ago on account of there being too many in the pond.

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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 118

Author: Western Historical Co., pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company Number of Pages: 1050

Author: Western Historical Co., pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1050