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 120

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 120

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First Baptist Church .- Before the formal organization of the present church, there was a church society of some kind which went out of existence, as it had no church edifice. The present society was organized June, 1855, with the following members : Elder Timothy Palmer, pastor ; Abel Brown, Henry Smith, Daniel German, Elizabeth Hartwell, Fanny Boorman, Eliza Davis and Maria J. Smith. Mrs. Boorman, now of Waukesha, is the only one of the original members now living. The second pastor was Elder R. Griffin, who came in January, 1861, and continued in charge until 1871. He was succeeded by Elder D. H. Drake, who, on going as missionary to foreign countries, was succeeded in 1872 by H. B. Davis. Mr. Davis was in charge but a brief period, and was followed by Rev. Henry Clark. A young man named Evans acted as supply after the pulpit was vacated by Rev. Clark. The next pastor was Rev. William Parker, who came in February, 1876, and who was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Fuhrman, in September, 1878. Mr. Fuhrman is the present pastor. The church at its most prosperous time had sixty-one members. The edifice, of wood, and a neat building, was built in 1859, and was opened for worship December 21 of that year. The parsonage, an unusually good building, was erected in 1876. Both are in excellent repair, and the church society is free from debt.

Methodist Episcopal Church .- At the first quarterly conference for the Pewaukee charge, held in April, 1870, there were reported twenty-four members and $1,850 in hand with which to erect a house of worship. J. C. Wheeler and Stephen Smith were chosen leaders; D. G. Ormsby, J. C. Wheeler, William Chester, John Pope and Stephen Smith, Stewards; James Ormsby, J. C. Wheeler, J. Parker, J. Wildish, J. H. Rhodes, W. H. Steel, Stephen Smith, William Chester and A. A. Akin, Trustees. The edifice was erected in 1870 at a cost of about $4,000. It is of brick, nicely finished and furnished. The parsonage was erected in 1875 at a cost of $1,200. All the church property is free from debt. The different pastors have been

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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.

Revs. S. Halsey, W. W. Painter, Mechesney, E. T. Eaton, W. L. Walker, W. B. Robinson, R. J. Judd and George W. Burtch, who is now in charge. The present officers are as follows : Mrs. D. G. Ormsby, John Parker, John Hodgson, Sarah Bolles, Emily Hodgson, H. Ander- son, D. Roberts and S. Smith, Stewards ; S. Weaver, John Parker, D. G. Ormsby, W. C. Window, G. H. Parks, William Haskins, Joseph Cooper, Trustees. The church, which has about fifty-five members, maintains a flourishing Sunday school. Merton. belongs to the Pewaukee charge.

Catholic Church .- See history of Catholic Church of Waukesha Village.

Heath's Hotel .- This hotel building was erected by Lucius Swift, and was first used by J. F. Morse as a store. John M. Heath, after whom the hotel was named, converted it into a public house, which he kept open until his death, in 1879. Since that time it has been managed by Mrs. John M. Heath. The building is a good one and conveniently located. The rooms are well furnished and large. Its principal business is during the summer, when the influx of pleasure-seekers is very great.

Oakton Springs House .- This large, fine and popular summer-resort hotel was built in 1873 by N. P. Iglehart, who also purchased the lands on which are located the Oakton Springs, adjoining the northern boundary of the village. He had an analysis made of their waters, which resulted in discovering them to be of such medicinal value, that he at once began to advertise them and the hotel. Col. Iglehart spent a large sum of money in making known abroad the advantages of Pewaukee as a summer resort, and was the principal person in estab- lishing its present reputation. The present proprietor of the Oakton Springs House, B. Boor- man, took the property in 1877. He rents it to J. P. Vedder, who has made a success of the business. The hotel has a bath, barber shop, bowling alley, 100 fine rooms and all other first- class hotel accompaniments. The guests are largely from the South.

Parsons' Hotel .- This is a regular hotel, kept by A. M. Parsons, and is open all the year through. The property is owned by Mr. King, who formerly managed the hotel. It has a good share of the traveling patronage.

TOWN OF SUMMIT.

The town of Summit, by an act of the Legislature, passed January 2, 1838, was set apart and named, and comprised the present towns of Summit, Delafield, Oconomowoc and Mer- ton. Then by an act approved March 9, 1839, it was shorn of what is now Merton and Dela- field, and January 23, 1844, Oconomowoc was cut off, leaving the town as it now is.

Summit received its name from the fact that Summit Prairie was supposed to be the high- est elevation between the Fox and Rock Rivers. Here are found, combined in great complete- ness, the chief requisites to success in farming-a most excellent soil, high, dry and well watered.

The roads in this town are very good, and it is really a pleasure to ride over them. The people evidently take pride in keeping them in good condition. B. R. Hinkley has been for many years Roadmaster in this section.

The population consists principally of Americans and English, with a sprinkling of other elements. The first claimant and settler in the town was Andrew Baxter. He settled near Summit Center, coming here from Michigan, about the middle of March, 1837. Summit Prairie was then, and for several years subsequently, called Baxter's Prairie. His wife and family came with him, and were the first woman and children in this section of country, which then included Oconomowoc, Merton and Delafield. The next that came into Summit was John D. McDonald. He came into the county about the 20th of March, 1837, and, on the 7th of April following made the claim where he now lives, in the center of the town. He then boarded with Mr. Baxter, and helped him finish his cabin and dig a well, and did such other work as there was to be done. About the 1st of June, 1837, Delos Taft, E. W. Edgerton and Richard Hardell and family came, to be followed soon after by C. B. Brown and family. Orson and Curtis Reed came about the same time, their father and mother coming later in the season. They settled on the farm now owned by William Robinson. During the fall of this year, the families of Mr. Leavitt, Mr.

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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.

Hildreth, Gardner Brown and Mr. Fultz came in. Jacob Regular also came in 1838, bring- ing a large family with him, to emlure privations and dangers, being at that time in very desti- tute circumstances. Mr. Fairservice came this fall, bringing with him some young ladies, a scarcity in a new country and very much in demand. He settled on the banks of the beautiful Nemahbin Lake. Some young men, according to the town chronicles, made claims here at this time, but could not stand the pressure of going without food, and left.

In 1838, the families of Messrs. Merrill, Denney and Schuyler (who was the first claimant at Delafield), and Sanborn, Metcalf, Paine and Newnham, came.

Henry Baxter, who was born in 1838, was the first child of white extraction born in the town.

The first death was a child of B. C. Hildreth, in the fall of 1837, and the second was Gardner Brown, father of Mrs. McDonald. He was killed on Fox River while at work drawing logs to Porter's saw-mill, on the 1st of February, 1838. He was buried on the farm now owned by E. W. Barnard.

Another heart-rending accident was the drowning of three boys of Russell Frisby, in 1839, while crossing Oconomowoc Lake to an island for the purpose of making maple sugar. Their remains were interred on the bank of the lake, on the farm now owned by Charles Hartwell.

Andrew Baxter, the first settler, died December 7, 1849, after a short but eventful career upon the frontier. Charles Keeler built the Congregational Church in 1844, and owned it until 1870. Its first pastor was a man by the name of Parker. It now belongs to the Nashotah Mission.

The Rev. H. W. Frink held the first Methodist Episcopal services in the first schoolhouse on Section 15, and which was built in 1839, by Messrs. Baxter, Reed, Leavitt, McDonald and Brown.

The first teacher was a Miss Smith, who taught in the summer of 1839.

The first marriage was the Rev. H. W. Frink, to Miss W. Paine.

The year following, the devoirs of Orson Reed were crowned with success, in the per- son of one of the Misses Fairservice. These were the early examples, and well have they been followed since.

Nashotah Mission is in this town on the Upper Twin Nashotah Lake.

The first store in Summit was opened at Summit Corners, in 1839, by William Plumley, and, as is always the case in a new country, it was an event of no small importance in the estima- tion of the early settlers.

The election polls were first opened in what is now called Delafield, at a house kept by a man named Piermain, who afterward became tired of living and blew his brains out with a pistol. At this election, J. D. McDonald was elected Pathmaster of Road District No. 1, which then comprised the four towns mentioned above.

Dr. Goodnow, who came in 1839, was the first physician, and established himself on the farm now known as Danforth's; but, alas for physicians in those days, as a gentleman remarked recently, "folks seemed not to get sick-health was the prevailing epidemic in Summit."

The first blacksmith-shop-an institution of unusual importance in a new country-was started by Jacob Johnson, in 1843, at Summit Corners. Previous to that. for some time, the settlers were compelled to tramp over the trails to Waukesha, to get their plows and chains mended.

The first Justice who sat in judgment upon the short goings or comings of his fellows in Summit was Mr. Payne.

According to town records, one of the first, if not the first, town meetings was held in Sum- mit in 1842, when there were in all only seventy-four voters in the town. Curtis Reed, who figured quite conspicuously in local politics at that time, and who subsequently organized the town of Oconomowoc in rather a novel manner, was elected Chairman; the Side Supervisors were Jesse Hildreth and G. A. Foster; Clerk, Russell Frisby; Treasurer, E. Willie; Collector, S. M. Wells; Assessor, S. C. Leavitt; Commissioners of Common Schools, Jonathan Dougherty,

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HISTORY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY.

William Wentworth and E. W. Edgerton; Commissioners of Highways, C. B. Sheldon, Richard Hardell, and Orson Reed; Fence Viewers, Chauncy Ludder, William Wentworth and Phil. Schuyler; Constables, Charles Morris, L. B. Sanborn and Samuel M. Wells; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Curtis B. Brown; Overseers of Highways, E. W. Edgerton and George Williams.

It is said that at this election Mr. Reed was elected by a majority of one only, and this one he gained by sending a friend post-haste down the Territorial road to meet a man who had agreed to be on hand to vote for him. The fellow jumped on to the horse and came on, getting to the polls just in time.

The town meetings were held in various schoolhouses and dwelling houses until John D. McDonald erected a hall opposite to his residence, this being the center of the town. The hall is in the very best spot that it could be placed, away from any village and attendant bummers.

A Good Templar's lodge was started in Summit as early as 1856, and the meetings were held in Mr. Westover's barn first, then in Cobb Schoolhouse, and then in Mr. Bailey's shop at Summit Corners. After this lodge went up another was started, but failed some time previous to the establishment of the present lodge. This organization is now in a thriving condition, although at first there was some difficulty experienced by the projectors in getting a large enough number of signers to secure a charter. After overcoming this difficulty, the lodge has been growing steadily stronger and more influential. Summit Center Lodge, No. 68, I. O. G. T:, was granted a charter in 1876, from the Grand Lodge, in response to the petition of A. I. Story, Mrs. J. M. Putney, S. A. Kidder, J. D. McDonald, D. McDonald, J. D. McDonald, Jr., Misses Mellie and Maggie McDonald, Kittie Story, Minnie Hale, Susan Hale, E. Hale, Charles Van Brunt, J. M. Crummey, J. C. Otes, David Hill, Libby Debnam, Ettie Williams, Lena Ericksen, Harry Story, William Moore, Jacob Hill, L. A. Hill, Mary Story, George Newgent, E. W. Barnard and P. F. Hall. There are now sixty-nine members, in good standing. Weekly sessions are held at the town hall.

There are now in Summit two or three Episcopal chapels where the students of Nashotah hold services at different times, besides a general association, without any very pronounced denominational head, which holds Sunday school, and services occasionally, at the town hall.

Manufacturing and commercial enterprises are not largely represented in this town at the present time, although all of the old inhabitants remember when Summit Corners was the com- mercial and stage center of this district. But now agriculture and agricultural interests are the chief objects, and consequently the butter and cheese factories take the place of other enterprises.

Summit Cheese Factory, on Section 16, was built about 1870, by B. R. Hinkley, Curtis Mann, Capt. Stone and James Leavitt. It is 30x70, two stories high, and cost to erect about $3,000. There are two 600-gallon vats and eighteen presses. B. R. Hinkley rented the fac- tory at first, and subsequently bought out the other stockholders. In 1873, during the panic, he had 1,275 cheeses on his hands, which he shipped to St. Louis, and, after holding for a few months, he sold all at a handsome profit, while many other manufacturers lost tremendously.

The butter factory company of Summit was organized in the spring of 1877. There are seven members. A. J. W. Pierce, of Milwaukee, A. J. Kidder, Jacob Hill, William Cumro, R. C. Hildreth, Daniel Williams and J. D. McDonald, A. J. W. Pierce being the largest stock - holder. The factory is very thoroughly fitted up, having all the machinery that is necessary to care for the milk from four hundred cows.

Wheat was first raised by Mr. Fultz on the Baxter farm in 1838. From this time until 1850, the farmers had to cut their grain with the cradle, and nearly all of them for a long time after ; but that season Phillip Haune brought in a reaper, and very many of the farmers availed themselves of the opportunity and hired their grain cut by it.

The traveler, in passing over Summit Prairie, either on the old Territorial road, east or west, or on the turnpike running north and south, will come to four corners on as beautiful a part of the prairie as can be found, and centrally located between Sections 10 and 15. There is nothing to attract particular observation here except the magnificent landscape, and here and

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there a farm-house laborer's cottage; consequently one might pass on unconscious of the fact that from 1840 to 1850 this spot was the commercial metropolis and stage center for the surrounding country-the Summit Corners of other days. Here in 1837, on the northwest corner, C. B. Brown built a tavern, and this was the nucleus of the " Ville."

In 1838, the first postoffice was established here, with Curtis Reed as Postmaster, there having been a mail carrier through from Milwaukee to Mineral Point as early as 1837. The store already mentioned was there, and within a short time the blacksmith-shop, and, according to B. R. Hinkley, who lives at the Corners now, and who lived there in its palmy days, there was, as early as 1845, three hotels, two frame and one of logs, three thriving stores, two black- smith shops, a wagon shop, a tailor and shoe shop, with inhabitants to correspond. This point was then a sort of headquarters for news, political meetings, frontier horse-racing and circuses. Very many of the young men had fast horses, horse-racing being the standard amusement of the times. A number of the Lush family lived here, heirs of Lush, of Albany, said to have been the largest landholder in the State of New York in his day. These were said to be the chief money spenders of the town. One of the hotels was a fine edifice for those days, and in connection had a large stage barn. The other hotels were also well supplied with stable room, for there was an enormous amount of travel, as many as four hundred teams a day having passed over the Terri- torial road. The village held its own until about the time the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway passed through the county. At that time a terrible tornado swept through this section and struck Summit Center, destroying houses, barns, etc., and also causing the big hotel to catch on fire. From this disaster and the effect of the railroad, it was impossible for Summit to re- cover, and within a short time the place was no more. The little place called Utica had at one time a store, kept at first by R. St. Helen, and a tavern kept by Phil Holland.

Waterville, in 1845, was quite a little burg, and had its store, postoffice, public house, shops and comcomitants; but a change has come over the scene, and what was, is no more.

Notwithstanding the cost of everything, hotel charges were very much more reasonable then than they now are. This was owing in part, in all probability, to the general hotel com- petition, for almost every one wanted to turn a penny by keeping travelers. To illustrate : When the taverns at the Corners were charging five shillings per night for supper, lodging and breakfast, with horse feed thrown in, J. D. McDonald, who kept a competition inn near where he now lives, charged 50 cents for the same. How this could be done and the parties make anything, remains a mystery.

The cemetery in Summit, near the center on Section 15, is well located, and is kept in very good order, there being shade trees, shrubbery and flowers about or above nearly all of the graves. One of the first buried here, the grave with its age-browned stone standing in a con- spicuous spot, was Miss R. B. Cross, in 1844. The cemetery is maintained by the town, and a hearse and horses and driver are employed.

For several years prior to 1866, the farmers had been greatly bothered by having sheep killed by what they supposed were wildcats and lynxes. Accordingly, at the town meeting of 1866, it was voted to pay $10 per head for each of these animals killed. But this did not abate the nuisance, for the losses of sheep kept growing continually greater, until, about 1868, it was discovered that wolves were the perpetrators of the mischief, and their " stamping " grounds and runways were on the school section and about Genesee and Silver Lakes. No sooner was this discovered, than a subscription was taken, and a bounty of $100 per wolf offered for every wolf killed in the town ; and very soon after a permanent bounty of $50 was voted by the town, and an additional bounty of $25 was offered by the county.

No sooner had this bounty become a settled thing, than hunting wolves became a good business, and, forth with, several men went at the work of extermination. One party was formed, consisting of Charles Smith, Lewis Rowell, Mr. Griswold, of Pewaukee, and another man. This party hunted together, as did Messrs. Hill and Bartlett, and, also, Mr. Andrews went into the business. Very soon after this, the wolves in Summit were non est; but the hunters were equal to the emergency. Therefore, wolves were hunted from adjoining localities, and chased into

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Summit to be killed. One in particular was worried and hunted, for several hours, back and forth between Summit and Ottawa, on Sections 5 and 32, until, finally, he was shot in Ottawa, and dragged over into Summit to dic.

A document which was handed in at the town meeting in 1859, and which is known as "James Ashby's Fox Bounty Bill," created so much amusement at the time, and is so novel in character, that a summary of the contents is given, as presented at the meeting, and as placed on file by the Town Clerk : "Whoever kills one old fox, and brings his head to the Town Clerk, for him to inspect it, the same is to have $1 for each old one, and 50 cents each young one, if he can see ; if not, be paid 25 cents each by the Town Clerk. The Town Clerk is to see that it is defraid, but just and right, the only way to get rid of these troublesome fellows. Any one letting them breed is to be fined $5."

The following is an extract, taken from a paper presented by J. D. McDonald, the oldest settler now in Summit, and published as written by him :

" I will relate some incidents which transpired the first year of our settlement. In the summer of 1837, there were several young men boarding at Curtis Brown's. One Sunday morning we went down to the lake, now known as Genesee Lake, about two miles from Summit Corners, and when we got ready to return there was one by the name of Lonsbury, who said he would stay and wash his shirt, and so we left him ' to do his washing.' When he had dried and ironed his shirt, he started for home, but, instead of going home, he got lost and wandered down into a tamarack swamp. Night set in, and he, was obliged to ' lay out' all night. It was a dark, rainy night, and the wolves howled, and the owls screeched, and I think he has never recovered from his fright. It was about four miles from our boarding-house, and he arrived there about noon the next day. In the month of April, 1837, a man by the name of Milenda came out from Milwaukee and stopped at Hayopolis, and persuaded me to go with him to make a claim for some parties in Milwaukee. The claim he was to make was on the Upper Rapids of Rock River, on Section 10, Town 10, Range 16, now known as Hustisford. There were no settlers between Hayopolis and Fort Winnebago.

" We followed an Indian trail running between the Twin Lakes, thence between La Belle and Fowler Lakes, and then forded the Oconomowoc River below where the dam now is, and then followed section lines through the woods to that point. We dared not leave the section lines for fear of being lost, and we therefore were obliged to wade marshes and streams some- times in water up to our waists, as the water was very high at that season of the year. We struck the rapids the second night, and met an old squaw, who told us by signs that the Indians would kill us when they came home that night ' squiby ' (that is, drunk ), and we found that they did return 'squiby.' They had been to Fort Winnebago to receive their payment. There were about 200 of them, and they held a ' war dance' that night.

" We lay on our side of the stream, now called the Wildcat, and they on the other. They had fires, so we dared not have any. We could see them, but they could not see us. They yelled and danced all night while we lay and watched them. They left the next day, and we made the claim and returned to Hayopolis in six days.

" In the winter of 1837, C. B. Sheldon, a man by the name of Green and myself, started from Summit, about the 20th of December, for Mineral Point. We stopped the first night at Aztalan, with a man by the name of Atwood. We started the next morning for Madison, the distance being forty miles. The snow was about six or eight inches deep, and there had been but one horse through. There were no settlers between Aztalan and Madison at that time. About sundown, Sheldon ' tired out,' and Green and myself supported him, one on each side. Whenever we stopped to rest, he would fall asleep, and whenever we would wake him up, he would beg of us to let him lie. It was a bitter cold night, and, having no means to make a fire, we knew that we must keep him on the move, and so dragged him along until we reached Madison, about 11 o'clock at night. There were but two shanties at Madison at that time. The next day we proceeded on our journey, and arrived at Mineral Point about the 25th of December. We procured work, chopping and splitting rails, until about the 20th of February, 1838, when

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we started to return. The third day after leaving Mineral Point, expecting to reach Madison, we got lost, and were obliged to lie under an oak tree. We had no means to build a fire, and soon fell asleep. We were awakened by the excessive cold. Before leaving Mineral Point, we had secured a flask of good brandy. Although our temperance people do not think brandy of any benefit, we thought it was a benefit to us on that occasion. The next morning, we found our way into Madison, started for Summit, and arrived there about the last of February. We depended on the money we earned to buy provisions with, but were paid off in Michigan wild- cat money, which, when we got home, was not worth one cent on the dollar.

" Go into our cemetery, and there you will see where the most of our old settlers are at rest, and our gray hairs admonish us that in a few years we will be deposited there with the rest.

" In writing this communication, I have confined myself to the first settlement of the town of Summit, and, not having time for consideration, it could not be expected but that I should make some errors. Wishing to be excused for imperfections, I submit this paper, not for its merit or perfection, but as something to keep alive recollections of other days.'

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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 120

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