The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 66

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 66

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We continued our journey on the pinery road as far as Walsworth's place. At that time, there was no actual settlement made north of the old pinery road for some miles. A few claims had been marked out, but not occupied. The claims which include what is known as Briggsville were taken by two men named Aaron Town and Jonathan Butterfield. Mr. Town had gone back to New Hampshire for his family, who did not arrive on his claim until March, 1850. Butterfield was stopping at Walsworth's. This Butterfield was a man of rather more ability naturally than the common run of first settlers, and was from one of the finest and most respectable families in Orange County, Vt. I was well acquainted with most of his relatives, but had lost sight of him for years, and never knew where he was until I found him at this time. He was an old bachelor, and was one of the party that came across the country from Milwaukee to Madison at the commencement of building the State capitol. He helped to get on the first timber for the first capitol building in the State. After leaving Madison, he made a claim on Portage Prairie, I think in Leeds. He sold to a man by the name of Bralley, and then made the claim including ground on which the village of Baraboo is built. He held this for a year, and sold, I think, to a man by name of Brown. His next and last claim was known as the water-power claim, and included the ground on which the village of Briggsville is built. Whisky was his worst enemy, and he had been so long away from society, and so much addicted to drinking, that whatever good qualities he might at some previous time have possessed, seemed to have been wholly undermined. He seemed but a wreck of better

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days. One of his last remarks before his death conveyed some idea that he was almost certain that it would be all right with him, and was characteristic of his mode of living. After he had been on a spree of a week, he came back to his boarding-place on Saturday, broken down and nearly used up. The lady where he was boarding, through kindness, talked to him of his course of living, saying : "You are getting old, Mr. Butterfield ; and without any of your relatives about you, and but few friends that take any special interest in you ; and you are a man capable of better deeds, and should be laying up something to help you in case of long sickness and to prevent your becoming a public charge." His answer was ready and quick : " I shall never trouble my friends in sickness nor become a public charge. I shall die quick when I die." This was on Sunday, and on Monday morning he started to go to the mill (wc had got a mill at this time running at his old claim, now Briggsville) ; on his way he met two men in the vicinity of Oxford inquiring the way to Portage on the new pinery road (at that time we had a new river line out from the mill to Portage, which is now known as the new pinery road), and, as Butterfield had interested himself considerably in the new road, he offered his services in piloting them over it to Portage, which they accepted. When within about two miles of Portage, they heard Butterfield make a rather strange noise, and, looking around, they saw he had fallen back from his seat and was dead-tlius verifying the saying he had made to Mrs. Litchfield the day before. He was taken back. and buried on the banks of Small Lake, near Briggsville, on the last ground claimed by him. At the time we made our claims, the subdivisions into sections of the land had not been completed by Government. All that was necessary to be done to secure a claim was to look at some land, get on some high point and claim what you could see, mark your corners, blaze your line, build your claim shanty, move and live upon it within a certain time, being careful you did not encroach on any other's claim. At this time, we seemed out of any judicial law district, still we were, as we considered it, under still higher power, being under the three existing claim laws of this country, dealt out by the high court of Judges Walsworth, Tulls and Smith. Many a novel scene have I witnessed transacted in those high courts, which would be interesting, perhaps, to those not acquainted with this sort of government. It was all very well in its time and place in the absence of a better form, but I think they sometimes overreach, as some of our first settlers found out to their sorrow, one or two of them having served quite a time in the old Marquette County jail on account of holding on too long to claim law, and until Uncle Sam overtook them. At this time, we made claims near the Town and Butterfield claims, that is, Thomas and myself. Bemus did not like the situation, and returned to Elkhorn. W. R. Clough, father of the pres- ent Principal of the Portage High School, settled in Portage, and lived there until his death, in 1869.

At this time (1849), no families had moved on their claims north of the pinery road. In October, 1849, I returned to Walworth County, and, in January, 1850, I moved with my fam- ily, which consisted of my wife and one child. Mr. Levi Thomas returned to Elkhorn in 1849, and remained there, never returning to his claim. Our nearest neighbors were three miles away, until the spring of 1850, and we had no road from the old pinery road to Neenah Creek. Mr. H. S. Thomas, Mr. Robert Thompson and Mr. Town, with their families, came in 1850. That same season a dozen or more families arrived and made settlement Mr. A. E. Briggs came here from Shoreham, Vt., in the fall. He and myself purchased an interest in the water- power claim of Butterfield & Town, and commenced work on the dam, which was the com- mencement of improvements at Briggsville. We first built a saw-mill, having to haul all our lumber and supplies from Portage; started a store, having to haul the goods by team from Milwaukee. In 1853, Hiram and Lysander Chapman, who came from the State of New York, took an interest with us, and commenced building a flouring-mill. About this time, Mr. William Murphy arrived and commenced selling goods, and is a well-to-do and flourishing mer- chant at that place now. Soon after, Mr. L. Waters came on from Vermont, and built a store and commenced business. He sold and went to Randolph, Columbia County, and Charles Waldo is now his successor, and is doing a good business at that place.

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The first hotel there was owned and kept by Charles Mason. The first lumber manufact- ured after getting our saw-mill running, was some heavy oak plank and joists, to be used in the building of the first jail erected at Portage. The plank was taken, on a flatboat, down the Neenah Creek to Fox River, and thence up the Fox to Fort Winnebago. When the survey- ors made the subdivisions, the land overflowed, by reason of the dam, was platted as Lake Mason.

For some time after the first settlement, in the absence of regular attorneys, Mr. R. S. Thomas and myself had to assume the position of pettifoggers. Sometimes, our village Justice and high court in those days used to get tired, adjourn court and take a rest or go to sleep. In the mean time, the attorneys, jurymen, witnesses, plaintiff and defendant would engage in a social game of seven-up. It has happened that, when the court woke up, he found all hands gone. During the social game, the parties all became reconciled, and, by advice of able coun- sel, the case was settled, and the court beat out of his fees.

John Brickwell, now of Portage, was one of the first settlers, having made a claim between Lewis and Walworth, on the old pinery road. He took his first lessons in the justice business and law practice when living on his claim, but was not the Justice I have referred to, that used to adjourn his court to take a nap.

XIII .- BY MOSES M. STRONG.

During the winter of 1837, I was employed by James Duane Doty to survey and stake off the capitol square, now usually designated " the park," in Madison, and some lots in the vicin- ity. On the 17th of February, John Catlin and I started from Mineral Point to perform this work. We spent the first night at the house of John Messersmith, about twelve miles east of Mineral Point, where we engaged his son George to go with us. Before we again started, we were joined by Josiah A. Noonan, who desired to have some surveying done in the same vicin- ity. I kept a diary while absent, and I find these entries therein :

" February 17. Bought surveying-chain, shirt and gloves, and same day started, with John Catlin, for Madison, and stayed at Messersmith's. J. A. Noonan joined us, bringing a let- ter from Judge Doty. Noonan will go with us to Madison.

" February 18. Bought, at Ebenezer Brigham's, provisions for the excursion, at $15, and went on to Steel's, on Hanly's Creek [near what is now Cross Plains Station, on Black Earth Creek, town of Cross Plains, Dane County], Noonan and George Messersmith in company.

"February 19. Went to Michael St. Cyr's, and finished Noonan's work on north side of Fourth Lake [now Lake Mendota], and slept at St. Cyr's.

"February 20. Finished meanders, on Fourth and Little Lake [the latter now known as Lake Wingra].

" February 21. Finished Noonan's meanders on Third Lake [now Lake Monona], and he paid me $70 for myself and Catlin. Then we commenced work for Doty, at Madison.

" February 22. Continued Doty's work, at Madison. Camped there, and at daylight were driven off by a severe snowstorm.

We went to St. Cyr's and spent the day.

" February 23. Remained at St. Cyr's, because of the snowstorm.

" February 24. Continued Doty's work, at Madison, and camped there.

"February 25. Continued Doty's work, at Madison, and went to St. Cyr's.

" February 26. Returned to Madison and finished all of Doty's work west of canal, and then went to Wallace Rowan's and slept, having paid St. Cyr $13.50."

Rowan lived about twelve miles south of Fort Winnebago at that time, where now is Poy- nette, Columbia County. He lived in the ordinary log house of those days. We slept on the floor. There was no appearance of his having just arrived there, though I cannot say just how long he had been living at that place.

From Rowan's we went to the Wisconsin River; followed down that stream to Helena, and thence went to Mineral Point. I am positive this was in February, 1837, both from my recollection and from documentary evidence in my possession.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

XIV .- BY CHARLES WHITTLESEY.

We arrived at Fort Winnebago late at night, having made one hundred and forty miles in two and a half days. [This was in September, 1832.] Fifty miles of this day's travel lay in a rolling prairie, over which a two-horse carriage traveled in company ; although no road had been constructed, nothing occurred to hinder the process of a vehicle except an occasional marsh. On the right of our track lay, at irregular distances, the Fox River, amd " Opukwa," or Rice Lakes, which were distantly seen as we rose the swells of the country. The garrison is at the portage, between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, on a handsome rise, overlooking the immediate valley of both streams. This valley is a meadow or swamp, about a half a mile across, over which the waters of both channels mingle, in time of flood, floating boats from the valley of the Mississippi to the valley of the lakes. Goods destined for posts on the Upper Mississippi, from the East, are here carted across and committed to the current of the Wisconsin. This river has capacity for steamboat navigation, but is filled with movable sand bars from the portage to its mouth.

From the fort there were traveled roads leading to the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien, or Fort Crawford. at the mouth of Fever River, near Galena, and at other points. After two days' rest, we took the route for Galena by way of the "Blue Mounds." At the distance of about fifteen miles in a southwesterly direction, the traveler discovers that he has, imperceptibly, attained an elevation commanding the timbered valley of the Wisconsin, and from which the stockade and white houses of the garrison are distinctly visible. On the east and northeast, the Baribou [Baraboo] hills rise out of the flat woodland and stretch away northwardly toward Lake Superior. He stands upon an eminence of five hundred feet, sloping gently down on all sides, covered with waving grass. On the east and south, as far as the eye can distinguish, he per- ceives a succession of similar hills, their rounded summits ranging irregularly around-not a tree, nor a stone nor any fixed object to be seen in the whole prospect. In the spacious valleys that intervene, millions of small flowers mingle their bright colors with the green of the meadows, chastening and ruralizing the scene. An excitable person would exclaim at the sub- limity of such a scene, having the grandeur of a mountain without its loftiness, and the com- mand of the sea without its monotony. A painter would pass from the grand outlines and dwell with delight upon the beauty of its details.

It was through such a country, varied by a few small lakes, that we spent this day. We startled a plenty of grouse, and frequently saw the deer quietly feeding on the hillsides, secure from our rifles in the distance. The sight of a prairie wolf was not an uncommon thing. This animal differs materially from the common wolf, being less in size, of a gray color, and wanting in speed. The former feeds upon the mice and small animals of the low prairie, seldom assault- ing the farmyard. He is less ferocious than the fox-tailed wolf, and may be soon overtaken with a fleet horse. Their uniform practice in regard to us, after running away at a moderate step a couple of yards, was to face about and examine the company. There were no Indians along the route.

XV .- BY FREEDOM SIMONS.

My father, James H. Simons, was a soldier of the war of 1812. I was born in the war- time, when my father, with others, was fighting for liberty ; hence they gave me the appropriate name of Freedom. Sardis Dudley, my wife's father, was also a soldier, and both were pioneer settlers of Cayuga County, N. Y. I started from Cayuga County, N. Y., on the 6th day of September, 1842, with my family, consisting of my wife and three children. I came by way of the Erie Canal and the great lakes. We anchored in the Bay of Milwaukee, a half- mile off shore, on the 17th of September, 1842. There were no docks nor piers there, at that early date, and our only chance of getting ourselves and goods on shore was by a small boat, called a lighter. We thought we had paid our fare to Milwaukee, but here was an additional expense. We were pulled over the sand-bar and up the Milwaukee River to Dousman's little,

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one-story warehouse, which, at that period, accommodated all the freight business of Milwaukee. As there were no public conveyances inland at that early date, the best thing we could do was to charter what was known in those days as a "sucker team," a huge canvas-covered wagon, drawn by five yoke of oxen. After hard, weary traveling over broad marshes, crossing bridges made of tamarack poles, in six days we arrived at Prairie du Sac, the place of our destination.

In the spring of 1843, after experiencing an extremely cold and snowy winter, we moved over the Wisconsin River, into Dane County, and settled in what is now the town of Spring- field. Ours was the only house between the outskirts of Madison and the Wisconsin River, a distance of twenty-two miles. North, toward Fort Winnebago, the nearest house was fifteen miles, near where the village of Poynette now stands; while south, toward Mineral Point, we had neighbors within eight miles. In the fall of 1843, a few settlers came in.

In the spring of 1844, I took part in the election. The voting precinct consisted of all the territory between the Fourth Lake and the Wisconsin River. At this first election, west of Madison, seven votes were polled. I was elected Justice of the Peace, and, through the influ- ence of John Catlin, of Madison, received, the same year, the appointment of Postmaster.

In 1845, John M. Babcock, with a large family, George O. Babcock and I. R. Waterberry came to the Territory. That year, I moved and settled on Section 32, in the town of Dane. I also took part in the organization of that town, and was elected to the office of Assessor in the spring of 1846. The tide of emigration having fairly set in in this direction, what was known as Ohio Settlement, from Ohio, was commenced. This was a valuable acquisition. It is seldom that a community is made up of men and women so well qualified for pioneer life. All the men were of a high moral character, and deeply imbued with a Christian spirit, and pos- sessing a liberal education. They wielded a powerful influence in shaping the moral and relig- ious sentiment of the community. There were six men that came first-Miller Blachly, the old gentleman, Dr. Eben Blachly, Jackson Luce, Bell Blachly, William Dunlap and Samuel Bell. Miller Blachly died October 10, 1850. Miss Sarah Blachily was married to Rev. Mr. Bradly, of Siam, in November, 1848. There were many privations, trials and hardships to be endured by the pioneers, and this settlement was no exception to the rule. As one of the important incidents connected with our isolated condition in 1844, I will relate that Capt. Sumner, from Iowa, with seventy cavalry, suddenly, without any previous notice, came galloping up to the door of our house. A short consultation with the Quartermaster served to explain their sudden appearance and quiet the fears of the ladies of our household. They were from Iowa, sent out by the Government to capture the vagrant Indians that had escaped from Turkey River, Iowa, where they had formerly been located by the Government. Many of the Winne- bagoes, disliking their location, had wandered back to their old hunting-grounds. Fortunately for the Captain and his men, and for myself also, I had killed a beef the day before, and the Quartermaster wanted nearly the whole of it, with twenty-two hundred of hay for the seventy horses. The next morning, after paying liberally in silver coin for all their trouble, they sounded the bugle and departed, with many thanks for their hospitable entertainment. They made their way to Fort Winnebago, the place of their headquarters for nearly two months, while they were gathering up the vagrant Indians. After capturing about two hundred, they returned by the same route, and camped a little north of my house, with the main body of the Indians, while the old chief, De Kau-ry, his wife and sister, were sent on by team to our dwelling to lodge for the night. These three old people were not prisoners, but went voluntarily, and were well cared for. They were very old, and nearly blind. I shall always remember the stately, gigantic form of the old chief as he came in. We had, what was common in those days, an old- fashioned chimney and a large, open fire-place. It was a cold December night, and as the old chief beheld the comfortable, blazing fire on the hearth, he, seating himself, Indian style, on the floor before it, stretched out his hands and cried out, "Wah !" It was a real pleasure to see the venerable old man enjoy himself at my fireside. His ancient-looking, historic face seemed lighted up with joyful thanks for the kind care received. The next morning, Capt. Sumner and his troops, with the Indians, came along. Noticing the Indians carrying their

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own guns, I said to the Captain : "Don't you fear they will make you trouble ?" " Ah!" he said, "I make them pack the guns and I pack the locks."

Another startling incident of that year was the appearance of a few straggling black bears. As I was, one day, dragging on my prairie farm, on Section 32, about one mile from home, I saw a large black bear jump over the fence and put off through the openings. I immediately jumped on to a horse and went to the house, and thence rallied the neighbors. Three or four men constituted the whole party, but they captured old bruin and brought him to my house before sundown. Soon after, another made his appearance in sight of the house. Some passing traveler sighted him. My wife called to me, but when I came the bear was not to be seen. Nothing daunted, I took down the old musket and sallied out like a mighty Nimrod, though there was not the least prospect that the old flint-lock gun would go off; but, lucky for me, I did not see bruin. While I was absent, the bear came around the hill to the house, and within three rods of the front door halted. My wife stood in the door and called to the children to come and see the bear. The animal, from fright or some other cause, sprang up a tree a few feet, but soon came down and trotted off, and was not seen again in the vicinity.

Our oldest son is said to be the first boy born in western Dane. In this year, I made my first trip to the Dekorra Mill, which is worthy of record as showing some of the trials of pioneer life. Two families of the Babcocks were living in the house with us, they having just come to the country from St. Lawrence County, N. Y. I had raised my first crop of wheat that year, and, one Friday morning in September, started to find Dekorra Mill. I had heard of it, but had never been there. I knew there was an old Indian trail from Fourth Lake to the Wis- consin River, at Dekorra, and that this deeply worn Indian path crossed the old military road somewhere between my place and Esminger's or Poynette; that this Indian trail was used as the Dekorra road. So, taking my horse and one of Mr. Babcock's, I started out, and found the Indian trail ; but before night there came up a furious thunderstorm. Just before night, I came to Rowan Creek, and behold, the bridge planks were all burned off the stringers. Here was a dilemma. The wind was blowing furiously, and the rain was pelting my horses unmer- cifully. I could not go ahead, neither could I go back, for the night was setting in dark. I fixed up my horses and load as well as possible ; but by this time it was so dark I could see my way to the bridge only by the flashes of lightning, while the rain was pouring down upon me. I crossed over on my hands and knees on one of the stringers, for I had seen a shanty on the other side, but it was not inhabited. I thought I might find the mill if I could keep the well- worn trail, and find shelter. I could also make inquiries if there were some other crossing- place. But I saw no sign or light ; and, after traveling two or three miles, I turned back to the creek, spent the night in the old deserted shanty, glad to see the morning light. I started out the second day to find Dekorra Mill; took my back track to the military road, then by Poynette. The distance was about twelve miles, but I could not get my grist till in the night. So on Sunday morning I must go home, if I did break the Sabbath, for there were three families at home and no flour. When I arrived home, I found they had brought the old coffee-mill into requisition and actually ground wheat enough to make griddle-cakes for the large family. George Babcock declared they had had one good square meal.

After living about eighteen months on our prairie farm, and digging fifty feet for water, without success, I got discouraged and sold out, and, attracted by the cold springs of Spring Creek, I bought three " eighties" on Section 4, along the line of Columbia County, and moved on to them in the spring of 1847 ; but, with no market nearer than Milwaukee, there was little encouragement in raising wheat at that early period. Being attracted by the prospect of a smart little town at Lodi, I accepted Judge Palmer's proposition of a donation of two lots on which I was to build a hotel and put up the back wing 16x24, with a "lean-to " 12x24; I moved into it in January, 1849.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

XVI .- G. W. FEATHERSTONHAUGH.

About half-past 7, in the forenoon of a summer's day, 1835, we passed the West Fork [Neenah Creek] of Fox River, said to be ten miles from the American post of Fort Winne- bago. The stream had now diminished to about twenty yards in breadth. From this point, we had frequently to struggle through the wild rice, which had all but choked up the channel in various places, often paddling through the straw as if we were going through an inundated wheat-field. About 8, I landed at a sand-hill, about eighty feet high, along which some bowld- ers of primary rocks and limestone were lying. Ascending it, I observed several others in vari- ous parts of the country ; but whether they have been produced by blown sand, or are the remains of ancient beds of incoherent sandstone, I could not ascertain. There was, however, an occasional appearance of stratification, which favored the last opinion.

Here we breakfasted, and starting again about 9 A. M., got so entangled in the rice-stalks and canes, ten feet high, that we could see nothing around us whatever. The channel was alto- gether obliterated, and the water became very shallow. Paddling became out of the question, and we all took to warping the canoe through by hauling upon the tall stalks, upon a course by compass for Fort Winnebago. My fear was that we should work the canoe into an immense rice-field, like that of the Lake Apachquay [Puckaway ], and be very much embarrassed to extri- cate ourselves. Certainly, if night had overtaken us in this situation, we should have had to pass it in the canoe; but, after two hours' hard work, we got into clear water, and soon after- 11 A. M .- had the great satisfaction of seeing the American flag waving in a strong northwest breeze from Fort Winnebago. We now paddled away for the post, and, reaching it soon after noon, I landed and presented myself at the quarters of Maj. Grant, the commandant, a very gentlemanly person, who received me with the kind hospitality with which American officers always receive travelers. This gentleman had been a long time on duty in the Northwest coun- try. The dinner went off very pleasantly, and, when it was over, Dr. Foote, the very intelli- gent Surgeon of the garrison, was kind enough to walk with me to some of the sand-hills I had seen in the morning. It was so long since I had seen any rocks in place, that I was rather at a loss about the geology of the country, and was exceedingly anxious to find out whereabouts I was. We had a very agreeable walk, during which we sprung several very large grouse ( Tetrao Cupido). These birds seem to flourish on this high, dry land, for Fort Winnebago is most con- veniently situated upon the dividing summit that separates the Atlantic streams from those that flow into the Gulf of Mexico-one of the first flowing at the foot of the fort, and the Wis- consin being distant only half an hour's walk.

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 66

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