The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 133

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 133

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An incident occurred during my first American meal, which I may relate: While I was studi- ously cating away. the landlady of the house came in-a middle-aged woman ; she asked me where I came from in Germany. I answered, "From Ubersuhl in the Werra-Valley." " What is your father's name ?" I said, "I am the only son of JJohannes Collipp; my name is Conrad." " O dear God !" she exclaimed, "my dear young man, I nursed you while you was a little boy. I have known your father very well; you must stay with me as long as you please." I looked at the woman with great pleasure, and asked who the good lady was who addressed a stranger so kindly (for I could not remember ever seeing the person). She told me her father's name, and other things. well known to me in Europe, etc. I recognized at once that I was not altogether in a strange land. without friends.

After having finished my meal, the youngish man, whom we will call now Mr. Hess, foreman of Mr. Woodruff's millinery, hat and cap manufactory. took me with him in an omnibus, and we rode that first half-day over many parts of the opulent city of Philadelphia. he treating me with many kinds of luxuries, such as oranges, ice cream, cocoanuts, ginger beer. etc .. and showing me some of

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the arts. sciences, fine architecture and memorable places of that great city. I thanked God in the evening, that in reality F had now come to a place where I could for awhile learn a great deal, and be happy. Mr. Hess treated me for several days in the same manner, till I told him that now I had · enough of sight-seeing, and we would go to business henceforth. We procured the necessary ma- chinery, twisted mohair and other properly dyed yarns, ete .. and went to work. I taught at that time about sixty girls to make plush for the manufacture of hats, caps, etc., Mr. Woodruff, the pro- prietor of the establishment, paying me well for my services, and treating me with all the good graces of a gentleman while I was with him. . Naturally for me, Iapplied my mind right away with an intense assiduity to the learning of the English language. I remained with Mr. Woodruff about half a year. Afterward, I apprenticed myself to become a printer in a newspaper printing office. An editor-a fine man-Mr. Miskey, addressed me once thus : " Dear young man," he said, "1 get $2.000 a year, but I have to work almost day and night like a slave, in a room like a prison ; take my meals in a hurry ; only a few hours on Sunday Ican see my family, and when the year is around, there is nothing left of my hard-earned wages ; besides, I have almost daily to write down. to my utmost disgust, the manifold truths and mendacities of commonplace men and hypocrites. I am sick of this business. If I were young yet. I would go to the West. Dear young man. 1 advise you to give up learning this business, and go West .* I assure you, you will live happier if you work as hard there as I must do here." I took the hint-and quit ; or, I saw the reason in the ad- vice, and quit.

After the printing experiment. I went to learning weaving ingrain carpets, for which art I had to pay $80. With this business I could, and really did, make good wages during four days of the week, and so had three days for muse and studies while I remained in Philadelphia. The years. and parts of years. I lived in Philadelphia, were of great blessing to me, and added much to my future career. Ilearned the English tongue, some of the English literature, and various good man- ners and Americanisms. Late in the fall of 1844. I got acquainted with a very good. common-sense. reasonable and pious man. Rev. Daniel Berger. Through the grace of God, this good man and my zealous efforts, I found peace of mind religiously, in the Christian fundamental truth or principle ; and my motto was henceforth. "Entire negation of the negative."

My mother's great love of her only son induced her to sell her property in Europe, and follow me, with my four sisters, to America, in the year 1846. They arrived safely at Philadelphia. and mother bought some real estate there. and I helped to get them in tolerably good condition, in the way of living to their satisfaction.

In the year 1848, being now additionally a little better prepared for the great world, 1 started off again-for the West and wilderness-to the infinite sorrow of my dear mother and sisters. But who could help it ? I went via New York. Iludson River. Erie Canal. Buffalo ; per steamer Globe over Lakes Erie and Huron. Straits of Mackinaw and Lake Michigan, to Wisconsin, and finally arrived. in the beginning of August, 1848, at Chicago, Il. There I got. the first day, employment as a clerk in a large dry-goods and grocery store. In April. 1849, E obtained the excellent situation of clerk on the steamboat Indiana, which was towing at that time vessels in and out of Chicago's poor har- bor, in boisterous, bad weather ; also the many canal and packet boats of the Flinois Canal, from Bridgeport up and down the Chicago River-an arduous. dangerous and dashing business for me : among primitive, chaotie Western wiekedness. putrid water. mud and quagmire. pestilential cholera. mimerous and terrific deaths, and black clouds of tormenting mosquitoes at night-time, but plenty cash rolling around me, in the general havoe going on at that time in Chicago. Fcame out all hale and hearty ; no impression made on me of any particular hurt, then or afterward.

In the beginning of August, 1849. I started from Chicago. per steamer, well equipped with gun, pistol, ammunition, etc., and some cash, for Milwaukee. From there, per foot. to the Indian lands, beyond Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, having at Chicago set my eyes for the wilderness and utmost limits of eivilization. to try progress. I had for company. on this adventurous route, Mr. Samuel Slifer, who afterward became my father-in-law, and another-a youngish Yankee he was, I think. At Oak Grove. a little westward of poverty-stricken Watertown, at that time. I saw the last poor habitation of quasi-civilization. Further on toward Fort Winnebago. I saw nothing but inane expanse of grassy, wild, rolling prairie and woods. About ten miles eastward of Fort Winnebago, we struck an apparent wagon-track through the woods, which, Fafterward found, had been the mili- tary road to the fort. I came up to Fort Winnebago about half an hour in advance of my weary comrades. it being now about 9 o'clock A. M., middle of August. I sighted the consoling and well-

*Horace Greeley, it seems, did not originate this familiar expression.

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arranged frontier military barrack and building of the fort with much pleasure, and was delighted with the fine view toward the west and Baraboo hills. While I sat there waiting, I soliloquized : " Precious castle of comfort to the pilgrim seeking an earthly home ; a watch-house of our glorious Government for the protection of advancing civilization and wealth, versus barbarism." As soon as my comrades came up, I walked again in advance down to a bridge across a small stream. A grassy ditch, thought I. All at once I noticed what appeared to me a half-breed Indian in the big grass near the bridge. " What is this ? " I asked, pointing to the water. lle said, "Fox River."

( Poseidon !* said I to myself-Fox River. I asked. " Where is the Wisconsin River ? " He said. " Over there." pointing with his finger southward. "great big river, that." My comrades now came up to the bridge ; I told them, " This, you see, is the great Fox River ;" but they were so weary and worn-out, they had nothing to say. In the mean time, the individual down in the grass came up to us. I asked him, " Is there any tavern round hereabouts ?" He said, "Little way over there-the Cap'ns place." pointing southeasterly across the bridge. I said then to my comrades, " Let us eross the Niemen, and now into-Russia." As soon as we were a few rods across the river among the tall willow brush which at that time covered the whole flats to the Wisconsin River, we saw every- where groups of horrible-looking Indians, old and young, lying among the bushes on the ground. Alas ! wild-looking creatures to behold. In a little while, we came to the Franklin House-a cozy resting-place for weary men in this willerness. Old Capt. Low had built this hospice a few years back, in this dreary marsh, for the coming of " advancing civilization" westward. We got some- thing to eat, and rested for that day.

The next day, I equipped myself with fighting tools, plenty of dry powder, round lead and pocket compass, for an expedition into the Indian lands. I walked toward what is now called Ketchum's Point, kept along the dry land toward Mud Lake, turned a little north. to the marsh below what we now call Silver Lake, crossed the quagmire northward, and went to the westerly side of the lake. Here I found a splendid woods and pretty good soil. north and west of this fine sheet of clear water. Why not pitch on this spot ? thought I to myself. I wandered till toward evening round about the woods, meeting some Indians and wild game. and returned finally, wet and tired, to the hospice in the marsh.

Next day, Mr. Slifer. the young Yankee, and I started out prospecting into the Indian land, and stayed several days in the woods. We got pretty deep into it. finally astray, about the big slough and general chaos thereabouts. We slept in the woods and went next day in a southerly direction. across a seemingly endless marsh, miry swamps and low, thick woods. At last we came. toward midnight. about twelve miles above the portage to the Wisconsin River, but did not know at that time where we were. It must be the Wisconsin River, and sure enough it was. It was the first time I got sight of the grand river of much movable sand. We had shot two raccoons during the day, and I tried to eat some nasty coon's flesh, but could not get it down. Early next day. I marched down along the shore of the river through the awfullest woods, slough, abominable quag- mires and tall cutgrass, which was swarming full of hungry mosquitoes. My hands. face and neck became one sinear of blood, sweat and black mud in the struggle. At last, about noon, I reached dry land, at what we now call Prospect Ilill. Passing along this eminence on the shore of the river, I came to that heavy-timbered infernal corner. where now old Mr. Leach resides, and where Mr. William Armstrong's brickyard is. There in that will nook of hill, slough and morass, I noticed a ea laverons smell, some human hair, rags. traces of elotted blood and a grave of recent date in the dark woods. I felt somewhat uncomfortable, shivered some, and with fleet steps made my exit from the dismal place. Coming pretty soon to that other dark nest of timber and slough, where now Mr. Valentine Helman's house is. I came again into the mud. The big timber reached in a slough, at that time, to where now John Burchhard lives, on Wisconsin street. Finally I came to dryer land covered with young black-oak woods. and met, about the place where now Peter Neiss' brick house stands. a few boards stuck up, behind which I discovered a woman, an old stove and a few barrels. No doubt I looked like a hard ease, for the poor woman was much scared when she got sight of me. I tokl her not to be afraid. " Have you anything to eat ?" I asked. She said, " Yes. I have some pork in that barrel there, and some bread." I told her to quickly cook some. for I was very hungry. I ate about three pounds of half-raw pork and some donghy fresh bread. I offered her some money, but she refused to take it. This good woman was Barney Cook's first wife, afterward the wife of Peter Neiss. I asked the woman how far it was to Fort Winnebago. She said, "I don't know, but I think. it is only a few miles." I could not see far for the heavy

*The Grecian water god.

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Wisconsin River slough-timber full of drifted logs, slabs, lumber and all kinds of muss, about ten feet high in some places, reached about to where now Main street meets the eanal at Portage. Somewhere along the hills, in the neighborhood where Hettinger's brewery now stands, I got sight of the fort buildings. IT felt relief. In a short time, I entered the comfortable hostelry. the old Franklin House. "O, my God !" exclaimed Ashlum, the keeper of the house, "I thought you were dead." I said, "I guess not yet." " Where is Mr. Slifer and the other young man ?" I said, "The young inan is a little behind me, but he may soon turn up." And he did after awhile. Mr. Slifer came another route through the woods, and appeared also toward evening.

Next day, being the third time of my going out in the woods, I went to Silver Lake again, tak- ing an ax with me, and made then and there at the very place where I now reside my claim, with a settled determination of the black hussar sort-"victory or death." I marked out what I called 160 acres, cutting my name on the trees. I chopped one tree down (which blistered my hands), cut some underbrush away and knelt down and passed through my mind the Lord's Prayer. Mean- while, a beautiful bird flew over my head-of good omen, thought I. Subsequently, I built me a tight and snug log house, 14x18 feet, with one door and one window, sash 8x10 inch glass. I built my log house all alone. Nobody would nor could help me. Now and henceforth, I commenced work in earnest, chopping, digging, rooting, burning. and clearing up general chaos around ; frequently went hunting for game, of which there was plenty, and for other provender.

When I came to the Indian lands in 1849, I had cash, $150. My dear mother sent to me, in the years 1849 and 1850, $130 cash, and, in May, 1850, a chest containing tools and clothing from Phil- adelphia. Late in the fall of 1849, T surveyed the town line from the southeast corner stake of Sec. 33, Town 13, Range 9, and ran it westward into the Indian land four miles, or four sections, for the purpose of getting my claim fixed as near as possible according to the Government survey. I found it to be nearly correct, when finally the lands of the Menomonee Purchase were surveyed by order of the Government in the summer of 1851. I had already, in 1851, about 40 acres fenced and 20 under good cultivation, which can be seen marked on the original maps of the United States survey of 1851.

In December, 1849, I measured the depth of the water of Silver Lake, and found the westerly part, deepest measurement, sixty-two feet ; and the easterly part, deepest measurement, twenty-two feet. During the first years of my living here, Silver Lake used to be lower in summer-time than it is now. The marsh at the easterly end of the lake was of a very loose and swampy nature-a per- fect quagmire ; high wire-grass and reeds grew there. When the road was built across this marsh, in 1851 and 1852, it took large quantities of log timber, brush and earth to make it passable. Still it sunk and remained very aqueous for years, needing fixing and filling up. It dammed Silver Lake up considerable, I think in the summer-time over two feet ; for I could go on my marsh westward, joining Silver Lake, safe with a horse-team in the summer time, before the road we now call pinery road was there. The waters of Silver Lake were full of fish of fine quality. I caught some weigh- ing thirty-two pounds. In the spring and fall time, its surface was sometimes covered with various kinds of wild ducks and other water-fowls. At times, I would throw a stone into the lake, and a cloud of wild ducks woukl rise above me to fire into, and sometimes a dozen or so would come down with a bounce to my feet, on dry land-plenty of fun.

In the fall of 1849, some prospectors, travelers and some actual settlers appeared at Ft. Win- nebago and vicinity. Some traders put up at the fort, and a few, with a very small stock. built shanties at the portage in the woods. Next year and henceforth, dickering and merchanting improved considerable. The place at present called the city of Portage was nicknamed "Gauge- ville" for awhile, because a "hard set" had gathered there. In 1850, a good many excellent set- tlers came to the Indian lands and made homes ; also a lot of quasi and sham settlers made their appearance hereabouts-the worst kind of settlers in a new country. But, after all, all of them together, myself included. made up a population good enough for this wilderness ; and the conse- quenees were and are, what you see now, dear reader-grand city of Portage, with first-rate people therein and thereabouts.

I cannot give you an adequate representation of the privations and pleasures of frontier settler life, or an understanding of its reality. Still, I will give you a little of my experience. We hear of military and pinery roads. Where do they lead to? Green Bay and the pinery. Just as good, as far as you are concerned, as leading to nowhere ; they are only tracks through the dark, wild woods and grassy wilderness, scarcely recognizable when you see or meet them. There were some Indian trails, but leading to nowhere in particular. Wherever you went into the woods, swamps, etc., you came

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in . contact with big grass, underbrush. roffing debris, water and mire, very uncomfortable to get through in wet weather. Lucky was he who had an ax. handsaw and hatchet to buikl a hut for shelter : and also a gun and plenty of ammunition. There was danger of ugly Indians ; there was also plenty of wild game to be had. Fish, wild-fowls. deer and coons were abundant. I sometimes met with eight or more deer in one drove. Such common things as salt, bread and potatoes were luxuries if you could get hold of any, but to do so was not very easy. You had to eat the wild. natural provender in the best way you knew how to prepare it ; sometimes in a very insipid way, with yellow marsh or lake water for drink, and nothing else most of the time. At night-time you heard all kinds of queer noises of wild animals, and sometimes the territie screeching of Indians. Red foxes were plenty around here. Oftentimes they used to bark at night around my log house. One time, carly in the morning. I went hunting and came on the ice of the Wisconsin River. a little above prospect Prospect Hill. near a heavy-timbered island, where I found myself at once sur- rounded by nine or ten big red foxes barking af me like ugly dogs. At another time, I came to a part of my claim which I called the Hirsch Dell: there. only about six feet from me. arose from out of the underbrush a monstrous deer, heavily built. the size of a stout three-year-old heifer, with very short. strong legs, enormous antlers and large, fierce eyes. The beast stared at me with defi- ance, and did not budge for some time. I had with me a double-barrel gun-one barrel rifle. loaded with bullet, and the other barrel being for shot, was loaded with big shot. Instantly. I was ready for battle, the triggers cocked. and sharply facing the wild beast. By-and-by, it moved a little backward from me. I also moved a little backward. So we continued moving from time to time further apart, till the deer was about five rods distant from me, when it turned around and trotted off. I felt relieved when I got so easily rid of the monster. There were various kinds of snakes- rattlesnakes included. I have killed thousands in the spring and summer time, often averaging a few hundred a day. The worst pests were the different species of ants. My land was full of these troublesome insects. Numerous ant-heaps stood like large bechives in every direction. By burning out their haunts, I finally subdued that tormenting animal in some degree. Countless gophers. who would root out my new-planted crops. had also to be destroyed; but the greatest danger to the frontier settler were the unexpected and disastrous wood and prairie fires when they came with a strong blast of wind.

Among the oldest. permanent and solid settled men of the city of Portage, whom I now call to mind. were and are, including some that are dead-Henry Merrill. William Armstrong. Dr. Prentice. J. J. Guppey, I. T. Haskell. Valentine Helmann. James Collins. W. R. Clough, Solomon Leech. John Graham, Anton Klenert. Bemos Pixley, George Thakell and Alex. Carnagie.

The 12th day of February. 1850. I married Miss Louisa Slifer (the marriage taking place on her 20th birthday) ; she was born at the village of Trappe, Montgomery Co .. State of Pennsylvania ; her father, Samuel Slifer, had taken up the next claim, westward of my claim on Silver Lake, for a home- stead, on the Indian land. My wife's parents. Mr. Samuel Slifer and his wife (her maiden name being Esther Scholl) of Pennyslvania, were descendants of the Palatinate emigrants of the seventeenth cen- tury, in the time of Louis the XIV. ("Grand Louis." His Most Christian Majesty, King of France. devastating poor South Germany with his infamous infernal dogs, like Turenne. Melac and Montehis, at a fearful rato ; worse than the Huns and Mongolians.)

Squire S. Van Slyke, a young man, tied the "connubial knot." a little, young . lawyer, a Mr. Soop, being witness. It happened in front of Mr. Slifer's log house, at Silver Lake, on the sod (being very fine weather), and under the " canopy of heaven." Here is the statement of the genuine document :

STATE OF WISCONSIN, 1 COLUMBIA COUNTY.

Be it Remembered-That at Fort Winnebago, in said County (being in the Woods), on the 12th day of February, 1850. Mr. Conrad Collipp and Miss Louisa Slifer were duly joined in marriage by me.

S. VAN SLYKE, Justice of the Peace.

This, our marriage, was. I believe. the first legal marriage of white man and woman kind on the Indian lands. hereabouts. Momentous destiny ! Glorious, independent bachelorhood now gone- evaporated to zero. The desperate plunge of life had now been made forever. I must confess I dreaded, in an uneasy, anticipative way, the so-called burden, care and slavery of married life. But be it said by me, the very reverse became the fact in my case : happiness, success, and entire con- tentment henceforth to this day.

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God blessed our marriage with eleven children ; eight girls and three sons ; all born at Silver Lake. Jennie Octavia, was born the 8th of December, 1851, and was married to W. W. Lloyd the 27th of Angust, 1873 ; Lonise Anna was born the 29th of January. 1854, and was married to D. C. Treadway the 15th of September, 1875: Sophia Augusta was born the 3d of November, 1855 ; Lydia Amanda was born the 24th of November, 1857, and was married to W. A. Krause the 22d of November. 1876 : Katie, or Catharina, was horn the 9th of December. 1859 ; Christine Elise was born the 20th of March, 1861 : she died at the age of 12 years and 4 months, the 20th of July, 1873 ; she was a highly gifted girl. (I took the shock as calmly as possible, but it commeneed to turn my hairs gray. Grim death had shot the center ont of my dear children.) Lilly Ruth was born the 22d of January, 1863: Washington was born the 21st of February, 1865; Horace was born the 13th of May, 1867 ; Platon was born the 9th of May. 1869 : Hildegard was born the 31st of May. 1871.

September the 9th, 1852. I received one part of my land, as a first actual settler, according to the pre-emption laws of 1842. at the Menasha land office. The other part. Oct. 20, 1852, under the same law. at the Oshkosh land office ; it being 160 acres, more or less, in Sec. 31, Township 13, Range 9. and the cast part of Lot 2, See. 6, Township 12, Range 9. In 1854, I rented land to Jürgens & Dreyer, for the manufacturing of brick. In 1855, they started the brickyard and ran it till 1865. In 1866, I took the brickyard myself and ran it, with good success. till 1875. Since 1878, the brick- vard has been run by Affelt & Gonten.

In April, 1855, a wood fire swept like a hurricane in a terrible devastating manner over my land. I lost 90 cords of newly chopped wood, 110 rods of rail fence and many large trees, which stood like burning spires, and would come down at last with an awful crash. All my land, except the cultivated parts, looked like a black. dreary waste. I felt pretty rough at the time. The season of planting had arrived. but now my fields lay open. Matters, however, mended, and everything went on as smoothly as ever. In July. 1856. I laid out a road, four rods in width, over the center of Collipp's Point, from the narrowest part of Silver Lake northward to the town line, and from thence westward four rods in width on the town line to the one-quarter line, meeting there the land I had sold to llon. J. J. Guppey, through which we had formerly fixed the road more westward. In the spring of 1859. Hon. J. J. Guppey, Charles Hærtel and I built a bridge. about twelve rods in length, over the narrowest part of Silver Lake. The first team drove over the bridge May 11, 1859. My part of the expense was $250 and one month's work with team. In 1874, the city of Portage took charge of the bridge as a public highway. and. in the winter of 1875, built an earth dam across the same place, where the bridge had stood. In 1875, 1 dedicated the same road I had laid out in 1851 to the city of Portage as a public highway. It was named Collipp avenue.

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 133

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