The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 127

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 127

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He was the founder of the village of Randolph, in Dodge and Columbia Counties, for which he is entitled to the gratitude of the whole community, having labored almost single handed against the combined efforts of Cambria, Fox Lake and the railroad company. The opposition he encountered would, doubtless, have deterred almost any other person ; but, after repeated refusals, in February, 1857, he obtained permission from the railroad company to put up a shanty on the prairie for the reception of grain, the company agreeing to stop the cars whenever he succeeded in getting a car-load, on being signaled, and providing the train was not detained over ten minutes. A poplar pole, with an old neck-scarf attached, was the signal used ; now it is about the greatest wheat station on the line of the road. He built the Russell House, and when he removed there he took the post office and its name with him, which was the cause of the station being called Randolph. He was our first School Superintendent, and now resides at Portage.

The first Welsh people in this section of our State settled a few rods east of our town line, and the first in this town were the Rev. Thomas H. Roberts, David Roberts, and John Evans. The two former settled on Section 4, and the latter on a poor eighty acres, on Section 15, now used as a pasture by William Harris ; his log house, with a stick chimney on the outside, stood near the road, on the north end; and the first sermon delivered in the town was preached there, in the winter of 1844 and 1845, by the Rev. T. H. Roberts, at which time the Welsh church of Blaen-y-cae was organized, and also the Sabbath school, and' religious services were held alter- nately at James Evans', near Lake Emily, Catharine Roberts, Blaen-y-cae, and John Evans', on Section 15 ; the first is now living at the same place, and aged about eighty-four years, the second died in May, 1871, aged eighty-three years, and the last has removed to Iowa.

The said Thomas H. Roberts, immediately after his arrival here, wrote letters to his friends in Wales, describing the country and its advantages, which were read in the mines there, and created quite a furor ; the result was that the next spring witnessed the departure of a great many families to Wisconsin, who settled at Lake Emily, and what is now Courtland, Springvale and Randolph, all brought here by these letters. Mr. Roberts, like most of the Welsh preachers, is also a farmer, and has resided, until a few years since, on his first location, and owns it now, but resides on the town line, in the town of Manchester, and is still a preacher and farmer, and very much respected by all. At one time, while he was in the woods splitting some rails, a noble-looking stag came near where he was at work, stopping under a tree and appearing to lean against it : Mr. Roberts, rightly conjecturing that he had been wounded by some hunter, went

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up to him and caught him by the horns and secured him; he had been shot. David Roberts, mentioned above, settled near Lake Sarah in 1844, and left in the spring of 1850 for California, and died just as he came in sight of it. He located the first settlers in Springvale, etc.

The most of our first Welsh settlers had spent what little money they had by the time they had become settled here; some paid their last shilling for their land, a yoke of oxen or a cow ; one family paid out their last sovereign for an old lame sow, but which proved a good specu- lation afterward in the sale of pigs; but, with no money, or anything to exchange for groceries, they fared hard indeed ; and some recollect well how thankful they were to receive from an acquaintance, who was fortunate to own a cow when they had none, a small piece of butter or a little milk occasionally, and they would go a long distance to get it. and live a long time on its recollections-for from that time they began to live, as they could exchange butter for what they needed, and, with the good pasturage the land afforded, they would make about nine pounds of butter a week from a good cow, and felt comparatively independent.

For a long time after they came here, not one of them owned a wagon ; but nothing pre- vented them from attending their religious meetings regularly, week days as well as Sundays- and they went mostly afoot ; and when the creeks were swollen in the spring, or overflowed the low bridges, the women would take off their shoes and stockings, wade through, and re-dress on the other side, and go on to meeting. Would any American woman do that ? Some went to meeting with a yoke of oxen and a low, log sled, similar to a stone-boat, winter and .ammer, and some used, for several years, low truck wagons, with the wheels eut from the ends of a large log, the squcaking of which could be heard for a mile when they went to and fro to meeting. Now, some of those very individuals drive as handsome a turnout as any one.

Our Welsh people started the poultry business under rather discouraging circumstances. A friend of John Roberts (Bontnewydd), had brought with him a pair of chickens to commence with, but they proved to be both roosters, and, as there were no hens to be found anywhere, the prospect for fresh eggs or chicken pie was poor indeed ; but a trade was struck fup, by which John Roberts was to have one, if he would help to procure a hen ; so they posted off together to Columbus, and, after a good deal of travel and more persuasion, and representing the very bad fix they were in, they procured two hens.

The following incident will give some idea of the loneliness of some of our, early settlers (the neighbors being few and far between) : The family of the above-named John Roberts had resided here nearly one year before they saw a single individual, execpting their own people, when one day, one of the boys came running in, shouting at the top of his voice, " Mother ! mother ! there's a man coming !" and they were almost as much astonished as Robinson Crusoe was when he discovered the footprints in the sand.

The first celebration of the anniversary of American independence, in town, was cele- brated by the Welsh people July 4, 1848, on Section 4, by singing, and short lectures on tem- perance.

Job W. Perry, though not one of the earliest settlers in this town, yet located his land in 1844, and deserves notice here. He lived a short time a few miles beyond its limits ; built a large, good log house on Section 12, in the spring of 1845; came originally from New York. then Ohio, then Walworth County ; was a good specimen of the old-fashioned pioneers, who have done so much to build up this country ; had always lived at the western end of civilization, and, as soon as land became improved, so that his cattle did not have a wide range, he was uncasy, and would sell out and be off further West. He had sold here in 1852, and had located in Minnesota, and was preparing to remove his family when death put in his veto. I am afraid there were Ku-Klux or Wide-Awakes in those days, although they did not go by these names ; but, as Shakespeare says, " What's in a name ?" The early settlers generally respected claims. Unele Job had jumped some claim and refused to give it up; he was Ku-kluxed one night by a delegation disguised, and, after a bold resistance by the family, in which an old sword and hot water were freely used, he was taken off to Lake Emily, to be put under the ice, but at the last moment a compromise was effected.

DE KORRA

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

In this connection, an amusing incident occurred. Uncle Job, previous to the threatened lynching, had become alarmed, from information he had received, and, knowing the then cus- toms of the country and the characters he had wronged, expected trouble. So, one day, he came to F. R. Roberts and represented that the settlers were going to kill him because he had shown land to the Welshmen. Roberts and his brother David thought, in their innocence, that it was too bad that Uncle Job should be killed on their account, and that even if they lost their lives in consequence, they ought, by right, to go and protect him. They went, but found no one there. David left, but the other remained, and, in a very short time, some men were seen advancing toward the house. Uncle Job ran up a ladder to the chamber, and, Robinson Cru- soe-like, pulled it up after him. The old lady got out the old sword and put it into Robert's hands, and posted him near the door; she then hid under the bed, and the daughters left the house.

The men tried to come in, but Roberts brandished the sword so vigorously that the feat was impossible without the risk of losing a limb or two. They expostulated and explained in English, which was the only language they were masters of, and Roberts talked back in Welsh, for the reason that he did not know a word of any other language-but the old sword still threatened. In the mean time, however, one of the girls came around from her hiding-place to the door, and found out that these men were travelers, and innocent of any murderous designs. She also tried to explain to Roberts in English, but all to no purpose ; the old sword still flour- ished menacingly. Roberts thought of nothing but saving the life of Uncle Job, which was placed in jeopardy on his account, and was determined to "fight it out on that line, if it took all summer."

Finally, Uncle Job heard enough to satisfy him that he had nothing to fear from these men ; so he came down from his hiding-place, and the old lady from under the bed, and, after numerous motions and signs, Roberts was induced to give up the old sword, and the men allowed to come in.

Uncle Job, like H. Stevens and other speculators, made a business of locating settlers on Government land at any price they could agree on, and then go or send to the Land Office at Green Bay and enter it. This same F. R. Roberts, in 1845, had paid Uncle Job for his land and was preparing to build on his present homestead, when he found out by a friend, who had overheard the conversation, that Uncle Job had planned a trick to get his son-in-law to enter the eighty acres of prairie which he (Roberts) had paid Perry for-Perry having all his money, which had been delivered to him without any witness or receipt. Roberts had no alternative but to imme- diately squat on it and claim it under the pre-emption laws, and thus prevent it being purchased by others. As he happened to have a few boards, he immediately put up a small shanty on the prairie, and lived in it for four months, without any door to it, and by so doing he succeeded in saving his land, which he had previously paid for; but it was a very close thing-his pre- emption having been made at 9 o'clock in the morning, and Perry's money, which he had fur- nished, having arrived at the Green Bay Land Office at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day. Uncle Job was like all the old pioneers, kind and good-hearted, and willing to aid any- one in sickness or distress ; a good neighbor, though sharp at a bargain ; he was our first Town Assessor, but would not stand a re-election.

The first German who settled in this part of our State was Dr. William C. Arch, a much- respected and well-informed man, who settled on Section 6, near the Fox River inarsh, in 1848. He still resides there, in the old log house. Through his influence, most of the numerous Ger- mans in this and the adjoining section of country were induced to settle here.

The first school ever kept in town was kept at the log dwelling-house of John Converse, in 1845. The first schoolhouse erected in town expressly for a school was made of logs, on Govern- ment land, on Section 11, by voluntary contribution of labor and material, and school taught there by Margaret Jones, of Springvale, in the summer of 1846. The writer lived there for a few months ; but in December of that year, the forty acres it was built on had been exchanged for another forty, and a dispute arose about the ownership of the schoolhouse, and one night it was secretly torn down and carried away, and so ended the first schoolhouse.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

The first schoolhouse built after the School Districts were organized was built of logs, on Section 25, in School District No. 1.

The first, and until quite recently, the only store in this town, was erected in 1846, by Elijah Dunlap and Milo E. Bradley, on the old Fort Winnebago road, and was the only one for a number of miles, and quite a business was done there for several years, by Dunlap & Scott, and it was considered the nucleus of a village, and called Centerville. Squire Patton, of Scott, used to hold there what was called the " High Court of Centerville ; " said store and a one-horse tavern across the road, in the town of Scott, was all that ever came of it, excepting that a doctor set up there, for a short time, but it was so healthy that he had no practice, and left. and Centerville, though in a new country, was reckoned among the things that had been.

The first dwelling destroyed by fire was Mr. Blood's, on Section 36, which was built of hay-no insurance. Insurance agents had not arrived yet.

The first road in this town was laid out and the sloughs bridged by the soldiers, for the purpose of getting their supplies, and was called the Fox Lake and Fort Winnebago road ; and, though no regard was paid to section lines, yet a part of it is still used as a road ; another, and older military road, from Fort Winnebago to Fort Howard, was, and is now, located a little north of the town line.

The first election held in this section of our county, and in this town, was held in the house of John Langdon, in 1846, at which election M. W. Patton was elected Justice of the Peace, for the four townships now called Courtland, Springvale, Scott and Randolph. The old house still stands, in a good state of preservation, and can be seen any day, on the farm of Thomas Sander- son, between his house and the barn. The roof is shingled now, but for several years it was covered with bark, which was held in its place with poles.

The first white child born in the town was a child of Henry Dantz, who settled on Section 10, in 1845, who was W. W. Dantz, of Princeton, and who was the Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms in the Senate in 1871. Now deceased.

The first white death in the town was a child of James Lowell, who was buried on his farm, on Section 13, as there was no cemeteries at that time. The first public cemetery was donated to the public by Job W. Perry, on Section 12, and was, for a number of years, the only burial ground in town, and a great many were buried there, but the bodies have been mostly removed to the beautiful cemetery at Randolph Center, which was surveyed April 24, 1851.

All the first settlers avoided the prairies, having somehow, formed the erroneous idea that no one could live and support himself there, because there was no timber, and but little water or marsh-three very important requisites in a new country ; also, that the land was considered too poor to grow timber ; too cold for man or beast to live on in the winter, and only fit for cat- tle to range on in summer ; and some men thought that it would never be settled, and that they would get the use of it for pasture as long as they lived : consequently, you would find all the first settlements in the openings, at the edge of the timber, and near some spring of water- water and wood being the principal things looked for; and when land was purchased on the prairie it was generally for speculation, and the most of that was done after the Mexican land warrants came into market. The first man, in this town, who was bold enough to venture clear out into the prairie was the late E. D. Hewit, in March, 1847, having been enticed there by a large spring of water and some marsh, on Section 34, and lived there for several years, and raised crops without any fence, or any fear of being annoyed by roving cattle-his own cattle being tethered on the marsh.

The first name given to the town was Luzerne, but a dispute arising as to its orthography, some contending that the third letter should be "c," some "s" and others "z," another meet- ing was called and its prosent name adopted. At a meeting of the County Commissioners, held at Columbus January 9, 1849. it was decided that Township No. 13, north of Range 12, east of the Fourth Principal Meridian, should constitute the town of Randolph. A strong effort had been made by a portion of the people of Scott to get the east half of the present town of Scott attached to Randolph, but we preferred to go it alone, believing that a town six miles

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square was large enough. The County Commissioners designated the house of Oscar F. Ham- ilton, on Section 23, as the place for holding the first town meeting. The first town caucus was held at the house of Willard Perry, on Section 22; a union ticket was proposed, but failed, and party tickets were nominated-Whig and Democratic. The first town meeting was held as stated above, on the 3d day of April, 1849, and at the election of moderator of that meeting the first party battle was fought, resulting in a Democratic victory, John Converse having been elected Moderator and George Knowles Clerk. That election was considered a test vote, and the Whigs tried to change the result and the Democrats to retain what they had gained, and we had lively times, and party feeling ran high ; but the Democratic ticket was elected, as the Whigs alleged, by illegal voting, and because the Democrats had the best horses. A few Englishmen who were working here, but whose families resided in the town of Scott, were arrested for illegal voting, and had a trial at the "High Court of Centerville." They were defended by ex-Governor James T. Lewis, but nothing came of it excepting hard feelings, and a great deal of party animosity, for several years, in town elections.

At the first town meeting, in the town of Randolph, the whole number of votes cast was ninety-six ; and, on Chairman of Supervisors, where the greatest effort was made, the vote stood fifty-six and forty.

The following were the first town officers elected :

Supervisors-William T. Whirry (Chairman), John W. Phillips, Powell Austin ; Town Clerk, S. D. Hambleton; Assessor, Job W. Perry ; Treasurer, Warren Campbell ; School Superintendent, John Converse; Justices-Thomas H. Roberts, Francis Knowles, Powell Austin, John Converse ; Constables-David R. Roberts, Lorenzo D. Farrington, James Knowles ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, William T. Whirry.

The unsuccessful ticket was headed by Joseph Kerr, who was the first member of Assembly from Columbia County, representing the whole country in the two first State Legislatures of 1848-49.

The following poll is a list kept at the first general election, the fall succeeding the town meet- ing: John Converse, Frederick J. Converse, William Bradshaw, Frederick Schroeder, Rufus Langdon, William H. Mack, Elam D. Hewitt, George Knowles, James Lowell, Isaac Holcomb, Charles A. Richards, John Whirry, John W. Phillips, Robert Andrews, Powell Austin, Hezekiah Dunham, Phillips W. Hartwell, Abrahamn G. Langdon, Meltiah Sweat, William T. Whirry, Daniel P. Larkin, Edward Lewis, Richard H. Roberts, Ezra A. Doolittle, Robert IIamilton, Warren Campbell, Benjamin Williams, Isaac Harris, George W. Scott, Rodney Campbell, Richard Lewis, Elijah Dunlap, Aaron J. Gibson, Riley S. Richmond, William H. Torbert, Thomas Lewis, William M. Jones, William Harris, John N. Hardy, Hiram Perry, John Schroe- der, John P. Converse, Charles Presba, James Knowles, William B. Presba, Henry A. Crooker, Willard L. Perry, J. S. Langdon, Greenleaf Ide, Henry Dantz, Rowland Langdon, Job W. Perry, Hiram W. Perry, Henry Hanson, James Taylor. Oscar F. Hamilton, Thomas Williams, Stephen D. Hambleton, Joseph Thomas, Benjamin F. Stanton, Joseph D. Stanton, Samuel S. Torbert, Henry L. Bessac, John W. Hinton, Joseph Kerr, Lorenzo D. Farrington, E. B. Finney.

The total amount of tax on the first tax roll of the town was $706.48, and, on the last, $5,217.46.

The assessed valuation of the town in 1849, was real estate, $62,885; personal property, $1,672; total, $64.557. In 1872 it was real estate, $503,806; personal property, $104,336; total, $608,182. What is called Kelly's Addition to the village of Cambria is located in town, and includes forty acres of land north of the mill pond, and (including the buildings) was assessed in 1872 at $5,378. The largest tax ever raised in town was $8,930.28, in 1864, which included a war tax.

The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist society up to 1854 had held their religious meetings in the old Lake Emily log schoolhouse, and in private houses, but in the summer of that year, they built a church edifice on land donated by F. R. Roberts, on Section 12, in this town, and it was dedicated on the first Sabbath of December, 1854, the Rev. Thomas A. Roberts, Proscaeron, and

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the Rev. John J. Roberts, of Columbus, officiating. The name of the church was declared to be Engedi, a Hebrew name, signifying a fountain of pleasant waters. The cemetery adjoining the church is called Machpelah, after the cave purchased by old Father Abraham. The first Trustees were J. W. Hughes, J. W. Jones and O. J. Jones. The Rev. John Daniels was their first and only Pastor. The church was enlarged in 1870.

There are two other societies of the above nomination partly in this town : `one has its church just north of the town line, in the town of Manchester, and the other on the town line in the town of Seott, and a German Lutheran Reform Church is also on the town line in the town of Seott ; but as they are not located in town, the plan of this sketch precludes any further remarks, excepting that in 1869 the latter society purchased five acres of land on Section 6, and built a parsonage on it.

The First Wesleyan Methodist society of Randolph Center organized June 17, 1858, and built a church on land donated by Z. W. Oliver, on Section 22, principally through the instrumentality of Rev. John Willis, who had seeeded from the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was dedicated in October, 1858, by the Rev. A. C. Hand. The society is broken up, but its old members claim that they still own the church.

The Methodist Episcopal society organized a class and Sabbath school at Randolph Center. in 1849. They own no building, but for several years they have used the Wesleyan Church. and hold religious services there every Sunday.

The German Catholic Church, on Seetion 7, was built in 1861, on land donated by John G. Fisher. Religious services are held there occasionally by a priest from Beaver Dam.

The German Lutheran society, under the guidance of Rev. C. Diehlmann, worship a part of the time in the town hall.

In 1868, School District No. 3, having decided to build a new schoolhouse at Randolph Center, by mutual agreement the town built a stone basement under it for the purpose of a town hall, at a cost of $642.05 ; furniture, $77.50; total, $719.55.

In 1871, Parkinson built a small store for the sale of groceries, at Randolph Center, and it is the only store in town.

Randolph Center, at an early day, was platted as a village, but it never contained enough inhabitants for a set of village officers. In addition to what is mentioned elsewhere, it contains a post office, blacksmith and wagon shop.

What streams we have in town start from springs, except the one on the marsh, on Seetion 1, through which the small outlet of Lake Emily runs. We are pretty well up in the world, having a position on the boundary or divide between the Valley of the Mississippi and the Val- ley of the St. Lawrence, and on many farms the rain as it falls divides and finds its way to the ocean by different routes, a portion by the Gulf of Mexico and a portion by the St. Lawrence, so we have no fears of the greatest freshet doing us any damage. But I must not omit to men- tion that the celebrated Fox River takes its rise here at Lake Sarah, on the line between See- tion 4 and 5. It is not much of a lake, however, and once or twice, to my knowledge, during the time of our great droughts, it became perfectly dry, and at other times it is only a pretty good duck pond ; but nevertheless, it has been honored with the name of lake. I presume it must have been a wet time when it was named.

One-half of the area of this township is prairie, the wooded portions occurring especially in the northern half. Marsh extends along the stream in Sections 15, 10, 11, 2 and 1, and also along the eastern side of the town. The surface is generally level, lying at an altitude of 350 to 400 feet. On the east sides are the heads of several small streams that pass eastward to Rock River. In the southwest quarter, the head-waters of Duck Creek make a deep ravine whose bot- tom has an altitude of only 240 feet.

The first entry of land in the town was made by Mary Perry, the west half of the north- west quarter of Section 12. Entered February 8, 1844; patented September 1, 1846.

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 127

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