The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 100

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Wisconsin > Columbia County > The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement > Part 100

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).

Near the corner of Adams and Conant streets, in the city of Portage, is another hallowed spot. For years, it was the happy hunting-ground for good dead Indians with friends to bury them. Here it was that the bones of Peter Pauquette were placed only to be removed to make way for civilization's feet.

Silver Lake Cemetery .- With a publie spirit and generosity deserving all commendation, H. S. Haskell and J. B. Fargo in 1856 set off forty acres of a farm, of which they were owners, for cemetery purposes. Previous to this time, there had been provided no resting-place for the dead of this city, and the wise forethought of these men was, doubtless, appreciated by the eiti- zens. "Silver Lake Cemetery," as it was called, is a romantic upland spot, about one mile from the business center of the city, overlooking Wisconsin River on the one hand, and the pure and placid Silver Lake on the other. There are few spots devoted to such purposes more lovely than this, and none in the city that could be so readily beautified by the hand of man. In the winter of 1856-57, the Legislature of the State passed an act providing that Harrison S. Haskell and Jerome B. Fargo, and their associates, be organized as a body corporate, under the name of the " Silver Lake Cemetery Association." The lands set off by them were to be held and forever used solely and exclusively for the burial of the dead, and to be exempt from taxation and execu- tion. The officers of the association were to consist of a President, Secretary and Treasurer, who were to be an ex officio board of directors. The first person buried in the cemetery was a Mr. Snow, in the spring of 1857. In 1867, considerable feeling was raised on account of an adver- tisement appearing in the city papers, offering the grounds for sale under a railroad mortgage given by the owner before it came into the hands of Haskell & Fargo; but, before the day of sale, Mr. Haskell paid off the mortgage, thus freeing it from all incumbranees. In 1867, the property was decded to Mrs. Haskell. From August, 1857, to April, 1880, there had been about 525 interments, an average of 25 per year.

German Cemetery Association .- On the 30th of March, 1862, an association was organ- ized for the purpose of providing indigent Germans a place for the burial of their dead. Christian Schultz, Charles Haertel and Andrew Kiefer were elected Trustees. Twenty-five lots were pur- chased in the Silver Lake Cemetery and set apart for their use. The first there buried was a child named August Helm. From March, 1862, to April, 1880, there were fifty-three interments. Matt. Brand, Peter Neiss and Andrew Keifer were Trustees at the latter date.

PORTAGE OF TO-DAY.

When the city adjusts its glasses fifty years hence to read of those who have passed away, the following account of Portage, in 1880, will be of interest :

Agricultural Implements .- James Gowran, Hugh O. Lewis, George Port. Abstracts .- Smith & Dering.

Attorneys .- E. S. Baker, Harvey Briggs, J. Brickwell, G. J. Cox, Curtis & Curtis, D. J. Dalton, Thomas L. Kennan, J. H. Rogers, James B. Taylor.

Auctioneers .- John Bean, Stephen Turner, Daniel Wells.

663

HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

Bakeries .- Edward Fink, Henry Fink and Michael Huber.

Banks .- City Bank of Portage and German Exchange Bank.

Barbers .- Deabolt Blass, H. Hildebrand, F. F. Hofmann and A. Kiefer.

Baths .- Dr. Minnie Hurlbut.

Bed Springs .- R. W. McIntyre, Jr.

Billiards .- John Dullaghan, Henry Emder, W. D. Fox and A. E. Smith.

Blacksmiths .- James Collins, G. C. Jackson, H. O. Lewis and R. J. Lloyd.

Boots and Shoes .- William Beattie, James Brodie, George Brown, Joseph Ludwig and John Williamson.

Brewcries .- Henry Epstein and estate of Charles Hærtel.

Brickmakers .- William Armstrong, Affeldt & Gonten, and Sanborn & Maloy.

Butchers .- John Bryan, Anton Klenert, George Krech and Julius Mettler.

Carriage Manufacturer .- George C. Jackson.

Cheese Factory .- N. H. Wood.

Cigar Factories .- John U. Sanderson and F. Scherbert.

Commission Merchants .- Thomas W. Drew and Alexander Thompson.

Contractors and Builders .- A. Carnagie, R. C. Holmes, George Hurst, Peter Mahon,

Charles Moll, Charles Prehn, Sanborn & Maloy, Patrick Sheehan.

Cooperage. - John Duerr and John Mueller.

Dentistry .- W. H. C. Abell and T. B. Fetcher.

Dressmaking .- Mrs. John Bean, Anna Ferguson, Annie Jordan, Mrs. Larowe, Maggie Lindsay, Dora Meyer, Clara M. Reed, and Misses Rumann & Jœrrison.

Drugs, etc .- John Graham, E. C. Maine, J. E. Parrott and E. S. Purdy.

Express .- S. S. McDuffie.

Flour and Fecd .- Jacob Cole, Dates Brothers, N. M. Henry, Hughes & Thayer, and Daniel Wells.

Flour Mill .- M. DeWitt Older.

Foundry .- James Fyfe & Co.

Furniture Manufacturers .- P. S. Hollenbeck and George Murison.

General Stores. - Ernsperger & Co., E. L. Jæger, Loomis, Gallett & Breese, Mohr Brothers, Parry & Muir, Paul Schumann. Schumacher & Schulze, and N. H. Wood.

Gloves and Mittens .- Charles Baum.

Grain Dealers .- A. C. Flander and R. B. Wentworth.

Grocers .- E. O. Blackmar, John Dullaghan, C. P. Etten, William Fulton, Hermann Brothers, N. M. Henry, A. S. Johnson, H. L. Kind, Otto Krisch, Patrick Lennon, Madden Brothers, McDuffie & Goss, Patrick McGinn, Martin Moran, Morrison Brothers, William Nei- meyer, T. D. Pugh & Co., Alexander Thompson and Frank Yanko.

Hardware .- W. W. Corning, J. Purnell, Schulze Brothers, and J. E. Wells & Co.

Harness .- William G. Bunker, Charles Kaiser and H. C. Thede.

Hotels .- Bartosz Hotel, S. Bartosz; City Hotel, Gage Brothers; Corning House, A. E. Smith; Emder House, Henry Emder ; Farmers' Home, John Hettinger, Fox House, W. D. Fox; Pruyn House, Byron Pruyn.

Insurance .- Thomas Armstrong, Jr., Dering & Smith, Valentine Helmann, James Law- son, Rolleston & Marsh, Schulze & Sprecher, N. K. Shattuck.

Jewelry .- Bard & Reed, J. C. Forbes, Turner & Parsons.

Leather .- William Beattie, James Brodie, Joseph Ludwig and John Williamson.

Lime .- John Gonten, A. S. Johnson, and Schumacher & Schulze.

Livery .- George N. Gates, Henry Little and D. D. Porter.

Lumber .- Carnagie, Prescott & Co., F. H. Lewis and Nathan H. Wood.

Marble Yards .- H. Doherty and Groth & Stolzer.

Millinery .- Mrs. C. B. Chancellor, Mrs. S. M. Gallett, Miss McKenna, Miss P. Moll, Miss L. Rolleston and Mrs. E. Weir.

664

HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

Ministers .- F. W. Hall, Methodist; Chr. A. Hauck, German Evangelist (Trinity) ; George P. Guild, Baptist ; Thomas Keenan, Catholic; Charles T. Sasan, Episcopal ; L. H. Mitchell, Presbyterian ; A. Tarnutzer, Evangelical Association; B. J. Zahn, Evangelical Lutheran ; Mr. Charmley, Free Methodist ; John Zastronkowski, German Catholic.

Newspapers .- Columbia County Wecker, G. A. Selbach ; Portage Democrat, Irving Bath ; Wisconsin State Register, Clark & Goodell.

Painting .- W. W. Bullard, F. Burbach, E. H. Dewey, F. W. Foogmann, George Jowett, Charles Meyer, John Romdenne.

Peltries .- Arthur Brothers and J. Ludwig.

Photography .- S. L. Plumb and J. A. & A. L. Witter.

Physicians .- Mrs. Minnie Hurlbut, J. Cavaney, A. C. Kellogg, E. C. Maine, William Meacher, James Prentice and A. Schlomilch.

Picture Frames .- Z. J. D. Swift.

Pianos and Organs .- Abraham Padley.

Postmaster .- Charles C. Dow.

Printers .- Irving Bath, Clark & Goodell and G. A. Selbach.

Railroad Agents .- Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, A. C. Flanders ; Wisconsin Central,

R. E. Holston.

Saloons .- Achterberg & Schok, Corning House, Emder House, Henry Epstein, Farmers' Home, Fox House, Jacob Gautchi, Hærtel Brewery, Henry James, Keegan & Michel and C. Koberstein.

Shoemakers .- John Marshall, John Metzler, J. W. Rice, Patrick Riley, A. B. Thompson and T. Venzke.

Stock Dealers .- A. M. Craig and Reid & Foster.

Tailors .- A. Ahrendt, P. Goodman, E. H. Hughes, August Konig and Loomis, Gallett & Breese.

Wagon Making .- Collins & Hensel, G. C. Jackson, Elijah Johnson and Lewis & Bauer. Wall Paper .- John B. Dassi and John Graham.

665

HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

CHAPTER XI.

THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

FIRST SETTLEMENT-COLUMBUS TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO-GOVERNMENT-PLATS AND ADDI- TIONS-THE COLUMBUS POST OFFICE-THE SCHOOLS-RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS-MANUFAC- TURING INTERESTS-BANKS-COLUMBUS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION-HOTELS-COLUMBUS OPERA HOUSE-THE FIRE DEPARTMENT-LODGES AND SOCIETIES-CEMETERIES-LOCAL REMINIS" CENCES-TRAVEL NOW AND THEN.

FIRST SETTLEMENT.

Elbert Dickason was the first settler upon territory within the boundary limits of what is now the city of Columbus ; and this brave and stalwart old frontiersman first sought this place as his abode, in 1839. He came hither under an agreement with Lewis Ludington, as the purchaser from the latter of a considerable tract of land on time. Erecting a small log cabin upon the west side of the Crawfish River, not far from the present site of the railroad depot, Dickason next turned his attention to the work of damming the stream and building a mill. He evidently came with the full determination of staying and making this his permanent home, for he brought with him a herd of cattle, a number of horses and a few wagons, with the necessary employed help to care for them and aid him in the improvements he set out to make. But, alas, misfortune bore heavily upon him. He lost most of his stock by the severity of the winter and the scarcity of food. Dickason, after many fruitless efforts to fulfill his part of the agreement with Ludington, relinquished his claim to the broad acres of fertile soil he had tamed from the

wilderness. The saw-mill, which had been in successful operation for some time, also became the property of Ludington. Dickason received $200 in cash for his right and title to every- thing, and withdrew from the scenes of his greatest ambition comparatively penniless. It is said he spent nearly $10,000, all he had, of his own money in the enterprise.

There are but few men now living who knew Dickason in those days and witnessed his triumphs and disasters. Alexander McDonald, now a resident of Portage, says he was in the Major's cabin about the last of May, 1839. The house was of logs, covered with bark, and had Indian bedsteads around the sides. It had no floor or fireplace, but the fire was put against the logs at one end of the house, which was all burnt out. Dickason, Mr. McDonald thinks, built it the year before. McDonald stayed all night. The Major was absent, but his brother, the "Colonel," as he was called, was at home, and two Stroud boys, his nephews, were also there. Mrs. Dickason had not moved out yet. They slept on the ground wrapped up in Mackinaw blankets, with " smudges" around to keep off the mosquitoes. With Mr. McDonald were Daniel Hyer and Mr. Palmer, who came on from Madison-they having been hired by Maj. Dickason to get out timber for a saw-mill. They built a temporary shanty across the Crawfish, from Dickason's house, and went to work, while McDonald returned next day to Madison with the ox team.

Wayne B. Dyer, now of Durand, Pepin Co., was one of the earliest settlers in these parts. He came to Wisconsin in August, 1843, and when he passed over the present site of Columbus, the log cabin of Maj. Dickason, on the Crawfish, and that of Hiram Allen, not far from where the mill now is, constituted the entire village of Columbus. Mr. Dyer relates an incident in the experience of Dickason which illustrates the trials he bore. Once the " Major " got out of hay and was compelled to drive his cattle over to the vicinity of Beaver Dam, and chop down elm and basswood trees for them to feed or " browse " upon. This operation was called " grubbing it," and what is now known as Beaver Dam was then known as " Grubbville." In that same spring of 1843, the deer lay dead upon the Crawfish-starved to death, because the deep snow

666

HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

prevented their getting any sustenance. Dyer was a great hunter and trapper in those days and killed many a deer in the vicinity of Columbus. Indeed, for years after his arrival he could start out almost any day and return with one. His lodge was seldom without venison. After Columbus had grown to be quite a village he saw several deer run across one of the principal streets. He trapped many otter, also, at that period along the Crawfish. Maj. Dickason passed through Otsego on his way to locate at Duck Creek, now Wyocena, the next day after Dyer was settled in his new home, and he took a primitive dinner with him.

Jeremiah Drake, as the agent of Mr. Ludington, succeeded Dickason in the management of early affairs in Columbus. He built the first frame house in the place. It stands near the mill and is known as the " mill house." Hiram Allen built the second frame house. It was afterward owned by Robert Mills, he having married the widow of Mr. Allen. From 1841 to 1846, the arrival of strangers who became permanent settlers was of almost daily occurrence. In 1841 Jacob Dickason, brother to the Major, settled near the latter's cabin. In 1842 came Noah Dickason, James Shackley, S. W. St. John and Mr. Baldwin. In 1843 arrived H. W. McCafferty, H. A. Whitney, Jeremiah and W. Drake, who settled just outside the village limits. Within a few miles of its site were located T. C. Smith, W. Stewart, B. Campbell and W. Wade, The year 1844 brought to the village Jacob Smith and the Stroud family, and to the immediate vicinity H. W. Hamilton, John Swarthout, H. Cady, A. Lashier, Mr. Edwards, and perhaps a few others. In 1845 there came to this frontier, for it was still so, J. T. Lewis J. C. Axtell, D. E. Bassett, J. E. Arnold, Warren Loomis, W. C. Spencer, Jesse Rowell, E. Thayer, W. M. Clark, and some others, who settled in the village. The same year, A. P. Birdsey, Thomas Swarthout, the Barrows family and Zenas Robbins located in the vicinity.

In 1846, B. F. Hart and S. Wright came to the village, and the Adler family and R. Gam- mage settled near it.

Rev. C. E. Rosenkrans was the first minister in the village. J. T. Lewis was the first attor- ney, and Dr. J. C. Axtell was the first physician ; they commenced practice in 1845, and the two occupied for some time the same office. The first tavern and the first store were opened by H. A. Whitney, and he was the first Postmaster, after a lively contest between his friends and those of Col. Drake. The second store was opened by J. E. Arnold and D. E. Bassett, in 1845. The first saw and grist mill was commenced by Maj. Dickason. B. F. Hart and S. Wright introduced in the community the ancient business of blacksmithing and working in iron. Hart & Wright sold the shop to Amasa Silsbee and J. Huntington, and years ago it was purchased by D. D. Kelsey. It is said that apparitions grim and ghastly made their periodical visits to this old shop before its removal. The clink of the sledge hammer told of times long gone by. Vulcan. who hammers out thunderbolts for Jupiter, is supposed to have had his headquarters at this antiquated forge. The first schoolhouse was built in 1846.

Several of the old settlers enjoy describing James T. Lewis as he appeared on his arrival. It was in July, 1845. He had left Orleans County, N. Y., a short time before, to find a home in the West. Arrived at Buffalo, he and Dr. Axtell made the trip around the lakes to Detroit together, and there parted. Lewis shortly after landed at Kenosha, and purchased himself a "mount " adapted to the vicissitudes of Wisconsin journeyings at that early period. It was an Indian pony of the value of $30 in the current money-of the Republic, and was cor- respondingly caparisoned. On this "steed " he set out along the lake shore toward Green Bay. Civilization had scarcely more than begun to touch the Western coast, and as he passed along through the rude and hardly discernible beginnings of the future cities and villages of the State, it is probable he did not imagine that in less than twenty years the population of Wisconsin would approach a million, and that he would be its chief magistrate, during a portion of its history so important as two years of the rebellion. At that date Oshkosh, had made a slight start, and Neenah and Appleton were only in embryo. Fond du Lac was a small village, Green Bay was an old French trading post antedating Milwaukee, and that whole portion of the State gave little promise of its near hereafter. Turning his Bucephalus southward, Lewis was told at Fond du Lac that he would find another village about twelve or thirteen miles

RES. OF C. D. STILES TOWN OF HAMPDEN SEC. 23 COLUMBIA CO.

RES.OF ELIJAH FEDERLY SEC.35 TOWN OF COLUMBUS.

669

HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

distant. This was the Waupun of the present day, that name meaning in the poetic Indian tongue "break of day."* Having ridden about the distance mentioned, he inquired at a solitary log house by the roadside how far it was to the village, and was told that he was in the very midst of it. Beaver Dam was then a little village. There were some hints of a road between Colum- bus and there, and along it Lewis made his way, much of his journey having been by the trail. He found four houses only in Columbus. It was upon the termination of this journey, on the travel-worn pony, and with the evidences of the trail and the bush about himself, that the oldest settlers obtained their first impressions of the future Governor, which they retain to this day. It is noticeable that Dr. Axtell, who had come from Detroit by the way of Chicago, and from that settlement across to Columbus, arrived the same day that Lewis did. The doctor was a man whom to see once was to remember always; and he is still mentioned as the very model of manly beauty, and as being possessed of unusual intellectual endowments.

COLUMBUS TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.

The first copy of the Columbus Journal, dated in February, 1855, contained an article on " Columbus as it is," from which it is learned the village then claimed 800 inhabitants, and possessed a surpassingly beautiful location. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that, while other villages suffered from the cholera, the Asiatic destroyer had never had a victim in Columbus. We are further told that the village had advanced rapidly within two or three years, and that its growth had been sure and steady. It had already seven stores, with two or three more to be opened in the spring. There was a drug store, a good flouring-mill, a saw-mill, two wagon- shops, one of which had made a hundred wagons, and the other fifty, during the year previous ; three groceries and provision stores, two hotels, four blacksmith shops, three boot and shoe stores, three tailor shops, one jewelry store and one harness-shop. The Congregational Church was building, and it was thought the coming spring would lay the foundations of Methodist and Universalist houses of worship. To show the business done, the writer states that during the preceding four months, 35,000 bushels of wheat and 147 tons of pork had been bought. One- half of this was purchased by one firm. The writer of the article mentions the high price paid for produce, and the low price to which competition had reduced goods, and adverts to the advancing value of real estate, and the good policy of immediately securing good locations. The Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway was built to Oconomowoc, would reach Watertown in the spring, and soon be finished to Columbus. The writer also understands that a railroad would soon be constructed from Chicago, and that the contract as far as Columbus was already let. In looking over the directory to see who were the business men, we find H. W. McCafferty keeping the Columbus Exchange Hotel, at the corner of James and Ludington streets ; A. P. Birdsey is the landlord of the Mountain House; Isaac Robinson is a land agent and dealer in real estate, on James street; R. Thomas &. Son have a rough and ready store ; and next to them is J. McConnell, tailor ; one door below him is Franklin F. Fowler, sadler and harness- maker; J. Colville has a cabinet shop ; B. F. Hart is a dealer in groceries and provisions ; E. Silsbee has to do with dry-goods ; Farnham & Allen deal in the same commodities, at their old store on James street, aud so do Griswold & Co. at their present corner ; while on the opposite corner, in the same line of trade, is H. C. Cooper, in the rear of whose store J. Smith is a mer- chant tailor ; next door west, R. W. Chadbourn is Justice of the Peace ; next to the " Columbus Recess," whatever that was, S. McLarty has a tailor shop, while in the rear of that unknown Alhambra, H. A. Whitney has a livery stable ; under Cooper's, one Carl Sampson consumes his strength in the management of an oyster saloon ; J. P. Atwood is a cooper, on James street, below S. McLarty's ; J. Williams is a cabinet-maker, at the corner of James and Waterloo streets ; J. S. Manning grinds the Columbus Mills ; Spencer & Buxton are carriage and wagon makers on James street, and next door above, D. D. Kelsey is a village blacksmith ; O. H. Hammond is a daguerrean artist, over Bassett's brick store, on James street ; moreover, F. W. Maynard sells groceries and provisions ; C. W. Dean has a farmers' store ; Silsbee & Swarthout

* Waubun, in this case corrupted to Waupun, was the Indian word for " the early day."-ED.

670

HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

are druggists ; J. B. Ingalls & Co. are jewelers, in the rear of Cooper's, and J. S. Haines has a shoe shop in the same block, which seems to have been a sort of omnibus; William Drake has a wagon-shop on Ludington street ; T. Bottom is maker of shoes on that avenue, and Mrs. Dayton has a boot and shoe store on that street; Mrs. N. Bissell has a millinery shop at her residence ; Nelson Adams advertises to cure the public homeopathically, from his residence in West Columbus; Dr. Tucker is a botanic physician, office at his residence, No. 2 Broadway ; . A. G. Cook is an attorney and counselor ; Drs. Earll and J. C. Axtell are physicians, and A. J. Willson is a dentist-all doing business one door north of Cooper's store.

GOVERNMENT.

Prior to May, 1864, Columbus was under town government. The villagers took part in town affairs, and those residing " in the country " had a voice in all that pertained to the gov- ernment of the villagers. But there came a time when the interests of these two classes of residents were not identical, when the requirements of one were not to the advantage of the other, and vice versa. The remedy came in the shape of a village charter, and Columbus was incorporated as a village by the provisions of an act passed by the State Legislature, approved March, 30, 1864. The boundaries were set forth to be all of Section 13, except the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter; all that part of the south half of the south half of Section 12 included within the village plat of the town of Columbus and the several additions thereto ; the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 14, all in Town 10, Range 12.

Section 3 provided that " the elective officers of said corporation shall be one president, four trustees, one marshal and one treasurer, to be elected annually on the first Tuesday in May." During the ten years it remained a village the following officers were elected:

1864-President, R. W. Chadbourn ; Trustees, F. F. Farnham, Silas Axtell, John Hasey and Thomas Smith.

1865-President, R. W. Chadbourn ; Trustees, John Hasey, E. S. Griswold, G. T. Dodge and Thomas Smith ; Treasurer, Milo J. Ingalls; Marshal, B. F. Hart.

1866-President, W. W. Drake; Trustees, E. S. Griswold, J. A. Erhart, G. W. Camp- bell and Joseph E. Churchill ; Treasurer, J. P. Miller ; Marshal, M. B. Misner.

1867-President, F. F. Farnham; Trustees, D. F. Newcomb, Julius Fox, J. S. Manning and A. J. Whitcomb.

1868-President, Daniel E. Bassett ; Trustees, John Swarthout, .L. J. Sawyer, John Quincy Adams and Julius Fox.

1869-President, Daniel E. Bassett ; Trustees, J. S. Manning, J. Q. Adams, L. J. Saw- yer and Joseph Schaeffer.

1870-President, W. M. Griswold ; Trustees, Frank Huggins, M. G. St. John, Joseph Schaeffer and J. M. G. Price; Treasurer, Milo Ingalls ; Marshal, O. M. Dering.

1871-President, J. S. Manning; Trustees-F. Huggins, L. J. Sawyer, Joseph Schaeffer and James F. Allen ; Treasurer, Milo Ingalls ; Marshal, Adam McConnell.

1872-President, Frank Huggins ; Trustees, L. J. Sawyer, Joseph Schaeffer, E. E. Chapin and James F. Allen ; Treasurer, James Lowth; Marshal, A. J. Whitcomb.

1873-President, Frank Huggins ; Trustees, E. E. Chapin, L. J. Sawyer, Joseph Schaeffer and James F. Allen ; Treasurer, James Lowth ; Marshal, A. J. Whitcomb.

From the organization of Columbus as a village to its incorporation as a city, Charles L. Dering, now a resident of Portage, acted as Clerk.

Incorporated as a City .- There had been considerable agitation of the question of incor- porating as a city, on account of the difficulty encountered in filling a village charter to the requirements of a city de facto. In the month of December, 1873, the question began to take form, and a determination to organize under city charter was the result. Between the last meet- ing of the Board of Trustees, in December, and the first meeting in January, the question was

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

The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 100

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104