The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 95

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 95

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Evangelical Association .- Eighty years ago, Jacob Albrecht founded a new religious creed among his German brethren in Pennsylvania, based upon rules of faith not unlike those govern- ing Methodism. The " Albrights," as they are generally known, to distinguish them from other denominations, found their way to Wisconsin at an early day. Their advent into Columbia County dates back some thirty years ago, when a class was organized in the town of Lewiston. A similar organization was effected soon after in Portage, Samnel Schleifer being the prime mover. The Rev. George Eslinger (then the only minister of the Albrecht persuasion in the extensive circuit in which were included the present circuits of Portage, Westfield, Brandon, Win- nebago, Fox River, Berlin, Marquette and Oshkosh, at present comprising an aggregate membership of fifteen hundred souls), presided every second Sunday. It was his custom to fill a small provision pouch with hard crackers and other imperishable food, and set out from Portage on foot, making his tour and reaching Oshkosh in seven days. Before leaving the latter place, on his return, a fresh supply of provisions was procured, and the reverend gentleman would make Portage in time to preach to his flock at that point on the following Sabbath. Services were held at the houses of members, or in halls, until 1871. During that year, a house of worship was completed, at a cost of $2,650, and also a parsonage, costing $1,400. Mr. Eslinger was succeeded by the Rev. L. Buehler, now Presiding Elder of Milwaukee District. Since then, the pastoral successions have been : The Revs. Henry Esch, L. Von Wald, A. Turnutzer (the present Presiding Elder of Portage District), William Stegner (now Presiding Elder at Winona, Minn.), M. Hauert, Peter Massueger, William Zickerich, Charles Finger, George Schofer, Henry Schelp, M. Witten- wyler, O. Ragatz, Ernst Schulz (now Presiding Elder in Iowa), Nicholas Schuck, William Pffer- korn, T. Umbreit (who was in charge during the building of the church), Peter Held, Peter Speigh, and the incumbent, M. Wittenwyler. The present Trustees of the society are Aug. Matthison, George Koehler and Charles Moore; the membership about twenty families. This denomination has two church papers, in Cleveland, Ohio-the Christliche Botschafter and the Evangelical Messenger.

First Baptist Church .- Very full and complete records of this church have been preserved. The date of organization is given as August 30, 1853, and the names of those who figured in that event are A. L. Round, I. Fuller, M. Fuller, Samantha P. Kincaid, Eunice Fuller, Malissa Fuller, C. Wright, Julia Wright, A. Spicer, Caroline Spicer, R. Spicer, Christina Spicer.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

Tacy Spicer, Mary C. Stout, T. R. Jones, Amanda Jones, Phoba and Lucy Fuller, Lecta M. Culy and Thomas O. Hear. The first meeting was "held in Spicer's Schoolhouse, located at Fort Winnebago." Subsequent services were conducted at the same place, and also at the residences of members, and in Verandah Hall. The first regular Pastor was Elder Rogers, who commenced his labors July 19, 1855. During his pastorate (in 1857) the society purchased a church edifice previously erected by the Presbyterians, on the southeast side of Cook street, opposite the present county jail, and removed it to the southeast corner of Conant and Adams streets. It was soon afterward sold for $1,600, to the Catholics, who removed it to an adjoin- ing lot, whereon they had built a frame church, to which it was attached, and it is now used by them as a schoolhouse. The Baptists then took immediate measures for the construction of a brick church, on Cook street, near Mac. The basement of the building, in which the society assembled for worship, was dedicated on the 30th of October, 1858, the Rev. J. W. Fish preaching the dedicatory sermon. This uncompleted structure was deeded to John M. Henni, Catholic Bishop, October 29, 1859, "for which," says the record, " the church receives Lots 10 and 11, Block 186, in exchange; a warranty deed being executed to the Trustees for the same, by James M. Doyle ; also the sum of $2,800 difference between the said property, $1,400 of which is secured by a mortgage executed by the said John M. Henni, payable in five annual payments of $280 each, bearing 7 per cent interest." Upon Lots 10 and 11, mentioned above, stood a frame building, erected the year previous by the Catholics for a schoolhouse. Gilbert Luther contracted to put seats into it, and, various improvements having been made, it long since took its place among the principal church edifices in Portage. Mr. Rogers resigned in December, 1859, and the society was without a regular pastor until January, 1862, when a call was extended to the Rev. I. J. Hoilc. In May, 1865, Mr. Hoile was succeeded by the Rev. A. Whitman, who remained until April 5, 1869, preaching his farewell discourse from the pulpit of the Presbyterian Church. Since then the spiritual destinies of the society have been guided by the Revs. E. Ellis, Mr. Wilderman, W. Archer, Mr. McEwen, Mr. Murray and George P. Guild. The present Trustees of the church are N. M. Henry, John Reed, Stephen Turner, G. M. Oddie and Mrs. Lawrence; membership, eighty-nine ; free of debt.

German Evangelical Lutheran Church .- Organized in 1854, through the efforts of Christian Braetz, George Jurgens and others. The Rev. Mr. Beckel was the first Pastor. Services were held by the society in the Fourth Ward Schoolhouse until 1874. In the mean time the membership was largely increased, while the financial strength of the organization, under the careful management of its founders, became such as to warrant the building of a place of worship. The attractive brick structure at the corner of Carroll and Mac streets, built in 1874, at a cost of $4,600, is the result. The number of families belonging to the society is given at one hundred and ninety. It belongs to the Synod of Missouri, and is known as the "Deutsche Evangelisch Lutherische St. Johannes-Gemeinde." The Pastors called to the charge since the early ministrations of the Rev. Mr. Beckel are the Revs. A. Rohrlack, Ch. Meyer, H. Hoff- mann, J. Hoffmann and B. J. Zahn.

Free Methodists .- The first steps taken toward the organization of a society of those believ- ing in Free Methodism, occurred in August, 1873, at Forest Schoolhouse, six miles northeast of Portage. The meeting was presided over by D. M. Sinclair, then at the head of the Wisconsin Free Methodist Conference. There were present on this occasion the Rev. Wellington Nobles, William Shepard and wife, James Morrison and wife, G. Haight and wife, and Mrs. Gates, now Mrs. William Holden. There were but few meetings held thereafter at that place, the society establishing themselves permanently in Portage in the fall. In 1874, they purchased of the Ger- man Lutherans a frame church building and removed it to the northeast corner of Jefferson and Pleasant streets, at a cost, when ready for occupation, of $700. Mr. Nobles was succeeded by the Revs. J. Murray, J. P. Shattuck and Robert Pate. The present Pastor, the Rev. Mr. Charmley, resides in Dekorra. The officers of the church are: Trustees, William Holden and James Morrison ; Steward and class leader, William Holden. The membership is given at fifteen.

W .. Meacher M. D.

PORTAGE CITY:

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

German Evangelical (Trinity) Church .- Organized in 1865 by the Rev. Louis Von Rague. Services were held in the hall of the fire department building, corner of Clark and Pleasant streets, until 1871, when a frame church edifice was erected on the south side of Wisconsin street, between Cass and Dunn, at a cost of $2,200. Mr. Von Rague was succeeded in the pas- torate by the Rev. Mr. Hanf, and he by the Rev. Mr. Gottleib. It was during the incumbency of the latter that the church building was erected. The society at that time was composed of twenty-five families. The Rev. A. Klein, the successor of Mr. Gottleib, increased this number to forty-three. The ministers in charge since then have been the Revs. D. Ankcle, J. Franken- field and Chr. A. Hauck. Mr. Hauck commenced with twenty-one families ; the membership is now thirty-four.

German Catholics .- This parish was organized in the fall of 1877, and during the follow- ing year a brick church edifice was constructed on Mac street, at a cost of $2,700. The parish originally comprised about one hundred families, but there has been a slight falling off from that number. The Rev. H. Pauzer was the first Pastor. The Rev. John Zawistowiski is at present in charge.

MANUFACTURERS.

Solomon Leach's saw-mill was the first one erected within the borders of what are now the city limits of Portage. It was built in 1843, and stood on the south side of the Wisconsin River, near the present bridge. The propelling power was a wind mill, the wings of which were fanned by the upper air currents. The amount of lumber sawed depended, of course, upon the velocity and volume of the gale. The windmill was soon supplanted by a water-wheel, upon which the remarkable genius and industrious hands of Mr. Leach had labored for many weary days and nights. In 1845, during Mr. Leach's absence in the pineries, his mill took fire and was destroyed.

Campbell & Scott built a steam saw-mill in Portage, in 1850, and a large portion of the building material used by the early residents was the product of this mill. It was destroyed by fire July 7, 1852, the loss being estimated at $3,000. The proprietors immediately rebuilt, and for some years continued their operations ; but the steam saw-mill, as it was called, long since became a thing of the past. Kent & Manchester and Buchanan & Murison also built and operated saw- mills, at an early day.

Flouring Mills .- The big stone mill, built by McNeal & Burgur in 1854, was, while it stood, one of the solid institutions of Portage. It was built of stone, the walls being four feet thick, covered an area of 40x50 feet, and was four stories high. The first grist was ground in October, 1854, and for sixteen years, its buhrs supplied the citizens of Portage and surrounding country with the " staff of life." During that time, Wells & Craig became the owners. It was destroyed by fire on the 11th of April, 1870, at an estimated loss of $24,000 ; insured for one- half this sum. At the date of its destruction, there were six runs of stones in operation, and the capacity of the mill was about 250 barrels per day.

Soon after the burning of the " Big Mill," when the proprietors gave evidence of receding from their expressed intention of rebuilding, the Portage Flouring Mill, a small frame institu- tion, with one run of stones, was established by Fred. Siverkrop & Bro., at the corner of Pau- quette and Wisconsin streets. In 1874, John Schlossman became a partner in the concern, and in 1876, Dr. M. Waterhouse acquired title to a two-thirds interest. Otto Krish and M. De Witt Older have since possessed themselves of the concern. Portage is virtually without a flouring-mill in keeping with her importance as a great commercial center.

Portage Iron Works .- The first iron foundry established in Portage was the property of Smith & Blair. It was built in 1853, and stood on Dodge street, in the rear of Helm's store. The institution seems to have supplied " a long-felt want," for we find that in 1856, the services of twenty men were required to perform the work that came to it. Neither was the demand strictly local, for an order, given by a New Lisbon mill-builder for a 1,500-pound shaft, was promptly filled. In 1863, M. R. Keegan founded a similar institution, on a small scale, and,

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

after carrying it on for two years, sold to James Fyfe & Co., who removed and located it at the corner of Dodge and Wisconsin streets, where large and important additions have since been made. A general jobbing business comprised the extent of operations, until 1867-68, when the firm, to meet the demands of the times, entered largely into the manufacture of hop-presses, but the venture proved unprofitable, for the reason that a panic in the hop market set in just at a time when the manufacture of presses by Messrs. Fyfe & Co. had reached the maximum, leav- ing tbem with a high-priced article on hand, with no demand. In 1872, Fyfe & Co. sold out, and, under the name of the Portage Manufacturing Company, the business was continued, for about a year, with A. E. Eggleston as Superintendent. A re-organization then took place, the institution taking the name of the Portage Iron Works, with James Fyfe as manager. In 1878, Mr. Fyfe became sole proprietor. J. C. Anderson was shortly afterward admitted as a partner, when the firm resumed its original style and title-James Fyfe & Co. Under the new order of things, the manufacture of the " Portage Chilled Plows " was commenced, about 300 of these utensils, which are peculiarly adapted to the soil of Central Wisconsin, being turned out in 1878, and 500 in 1879. In 1876, a planing-mill was added to the foundry, but in 1879 the machinery was disposed of to R. B. Wentworth, by whom it is now used. Messrs. Fyfe & Co. have furnished the ironwork for the principal buildings in Portage. The handsome columns in the stone buildings of Loomis, Gallett & Breese, the Opera House and Graham's and Vortman's Blocks are the product of this foundry.

One of the institutions of this character, once existing in Portage, will be remembered-the Portage Foundry, established by Cromwell Bros., in the premises formerly occupied by Capt. Arnold as a sash and blind factory, in July, 1864.

Planing Mills .- In the fall of 1850, Carnagie & Learmouth set up a horse-power planing- mill in Portage, and the hillside between Cook and Canal and Jefferson and Monroe streets. Here they continued to make rough boards smooth until spring, when they removed their machinery to a point on the canal opposite the present site of Wentworth's elevator. In 1854, a steam engine was purchased, and for the next three years "things just hummed." In 1857, there was a dissolution of copartnership, Mr. Learmouth retiring. About the same time, the mill was removed to Goodyear's lumber-yard, on Wisconsin street, east of the canal, where it remained in successful operation until 1860. The encroachments of the Wisconsin River mak- ing a change of location necessary, the institution was finally and permanently established on Canal street, not far from the spot where the original horse-power was located ten years previ- ously. In 1876, a partnership was effected under the style and title of Carnagie, Prescott & Co. Since then, the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds for the wholesale trade has been largely entered into, the demand extending throughout Wisconsin. Mr. Carnagie has, during all this time, applied himself individually to the work of contracting and building. The court house, the county jail, the high school and Second Ward School buildings and county poor house, at Wyocena, are among the principal structures erected under his supervision.

In the spring of 1855, B. F. Pixley established a planing-mill "near the ferry." It was quite an extensive institution, but was short-lived.

In the fall of 1879, R. B. Wentworth, the veteran editor, elevator man, banker, etc., pur- chased of James Fyfe & Co. an outfit of planing machinery, and located it in a building near his monster elevator, where it has ever since been operated by a neat twenty-horse-power engine. The capacity of the institution is about 30,000 feet per day, surfacing and siding. Under the same roof is a feed-mill, with a capacity of eight tons per day.

Elevators .- The purchase and shipment of grain forms one of the leading industries of Portage. Among the early wheat-buyers will be remembered W. P. St. John, William McKen- zie, W. D. Fox, D. Muir, Hiram Sexton, S. K. Vaughan, N. H. Wood, C. J. Pettibone and S. S. Case. The latter, in 1860, built the first elevator, deserving the name of elevator, at the depot. Prior to that time, the grain purchased by the above-named individuals had been stored in out-houses and rudely constructed granaries ; but the great fire of January 19, 1863, swept away these fragile concerns. Mr. Case's elevator was also burned. He rebuilt, however, and

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

soon afterward sold to the railroad company. A. C. Flanders, the railroad agent, has the management of it at present. It has a capacity of 20,000 bushels.

The Wentworth elevator was built in 1862. During the first eight or nine years of Mr. Wentworth's wheat operations, shipments were made by water, on barges to Green Bay, thence by propellers and schooners to Buffalo. A much larger amount of grain was handled then than now. The product of the large grain-producing areas about Baraboo, Poynette, etc., now cut off by railroad, was then marketed in Portage. In 1871, the Madison & Portage Railroad . Company (now the C., M. & St. P.) extended a side-track along the east side of the canal to the Wisconsin River, for the accommodation of merchants and others. Since then the ship- ments of the Wentworth elevator have been made by rail. One half of the grain handled by Mr. Wentworth is sold to millers in Watertown, Berlin, etc. Seventy-five thousand bushels were handled in 1879. The elevator building is 40x60 feet, has a storage capacity of 40,000 bushels, and is supplied with the latest improved cleaning apparatus.

Breweries .- On the 12th day of May, 1849, John M. Hettinger, with his family, arrived in Portage from Freeport, Ill. His first work was the building of a shanty, to protect his wife and children from the storms ; then he built a brewery, and painted it red ; and although he insisted upon calling it the Fort Winnebago Brewery, the people disregarded his wishes, and persistently styled it the Old Red Brewery. By the latter name it has ever since been known. Upon the death of John Hettinger, the management passed to his son Matthias. A partnership was subsequently arranged between the latter and his brother Michael, who, after the death of Mat- thias, carried it on alone for awhile, when it passed to the hands of the widow of the original Hettinger. She sold to Nauer & Klecker, but through some cause the property again reverted to the widow. John Hettinger then took charge of the establishment and ran it until the spring of 1876, when he sold to the present owner, Henry Epstein. The original capacity of the Old Red Brewery was from eighteen to twenty barrels, of thirty-two gallons each-which speak well for the capacity of the pioneers of 1849-50. The absence of census reports of the population of that early day prevents us giving the exact quantity of beer each person was required to drink to make Mr. Hettinger's business a profitable one.

In 1852, Charles Hærtel commenced the manufacture of lager beer in a small building on the northeast corner of Cook and Clark streets. Twelve barrels per week was his average brew until the demand for the beverage necessitated an enlargement of his premises, which was made in 1855 by the erection of a three-story brick building, 20x60 feet in sizc. Two years later, another addition was made, and this failing to afford sufficient room for his expanding trade, has been enlarged from time to time, until the present imposing structure, estimated to be worth $75,000, is the result. The annual product of this mammoth institution is about 250,000 gallons, requiring 80,000 bushels of barley. The' death of Mr. Hærtel, in 1876, brought to the management of the brewery Jacob Best, a son-in-law of the deceased. A bottling establish- ment with a capacity of ten barrels per day, was added to the institution in 1877. There are five heirs to the Hærtel estate. A division of the property will take place in the course of a year, or as soon as Carl Hærtel, Jr. comes of age. The executors of the estate are Jacob Best, F. W. Schulze and Mrs. Charles Hærtel, widow of the deceased.

Tannery .- In 1851, J. Ludwig established a tannery on the north sands of the Wisconsin River, near where that stream is intersected by the canal. The scene of operations was the space embraced within the confines of a very small log house, which soon became inadequate to the increasing business of Mr. Ludwig, and, in 1852, a frame structure, a decided improvement over the log, was erected a few rods west, exactly opposite the mouth of the canal. In 1858, Mr. Ludwig established a manufactory at the corner of De Witt and Canal strects, where most of the product of his tannery is worked up into boots, shoes, boot-packs and shoe-packs. Large quantities of sheepskin leggings are also manufactured. Sales of these articles are made throughout Wisconsin, and in the principal markets of Illinois and Minnesota.

Distillery .- In 1850, a man named Awerbach established an old fashioned hand-mash distillery in one of the abandoned garrison stables at Fort Winnebago. A gentleman residing

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

on the east side of the canal says that Mr. Awerbach, when he discovered that most of his patrons lived in Gougeville, removed his utensils thither, and located in a little building, since used for a soap factory by John Sisingut ; but there must have been a successful temperance crusade soon afterward, as the ungodly Awerbach disposed of his pipes and stills within the year and went to Texas, where he resided when the rebellion broke out.

Portage Cheese Factory .- Established by N. H. Wood in 1874, in the First Ward. The factory is conducted upon a moderate scale at present, but it is the intention of the proprietor to increase its capacity. Mr. Wood has eighty cows, the milk product of fifty being manu- factured into full cream cheese, which finds ready sale in home markets. The lands bordering upon Duck Creek. and the Fox, Wisconsin and Baraboo Rivers are peculiarly adapted to dairying.

Union Bed Spring Manufactory .- Established in Portage in January of the present year, by R. W. McIntyre, Jr., in connection with the main factory in Oregon, Wis. Among the many thousand applicants for patents on bed springs, the inventor of the Union Spring received, with his patent from Washington, a certificate testifying to the superiority of his invention. It has since taken premiums at the Nebraska State Fair, the Illinois State Fair, and been awarded the first premium two successive years at Madison. Mr. McIntyre is located on Wisconsin street just east of the canal, where he employs from four to six men.

Marble Works .- In 1866, B. & H. Doherty established themselves in Portage in the business of manufacturing marble monuments, headstones, mantles and table-tops. In April, 1878, H. Doherty purchased the interest of his brother, and has since conducted the business in his own right. Mr. Doherty's trade extends over eight or ten of the principal counties in the State. Office, corner Canal and Wisconsin streets.

In May, 1879, Groth & Stotzer established the Columbia County Marble Works, on Wis- consin street, near Cook, and have met with success sufficient to insure its permanency. Both of these firms deal in Italian and American marble and Scotch and American granite.

Brickmaking .- The peculiar excellence of the brick manufactured in Portage gives the place additional fame as one of the important commercial centers of the State. The first brick were made by Thomas Corey, a soldier, for use at Fort Winnebago. In 1847, Enoch Pixley, Samuel Reeder and William Armstrong burned a small kiln of brick made from the red surface clay on the present site of Mr. Armstrong's brickyard, near the Wisconsin River bridge. The burning of this kiln proved a profitable experiment. It was discovered that the red brick were very brittle, while those of a lighter color were strong and durable. At the suggestion of Luther Dixon, a practical brickmaker named Risdon, a friend of Mr. Dixon's, was imported from Ver- mont for the purpose of giving the white clay, which lay at a depth of two or three feet from the surface, a thorough trial. Mr. Risdon may be said to have been a "born brickmaker," just as poets arc accredited with coming into the world crying and kicking in short or long meter. It was characteristic of him to chew clay, and he always tested the quality of his material by tast- ing it. It was under the management of Mr. Risdon and the proprietorship of Messrs. Arm- strong, Pixley & Reeder that the first "cream brick " were made in Portage. Besides Mr. Armstrong, Isaac Corkerer, Dwyer & Jurgens, Sanborn & Maloy, and Conrad Collipp have car- ried on the business of brickmaking.

Vacuum Cream Extractor .- In May, 1878, a patent was obtained by J. W. Powers for a Vacuum Cream Extractor, and in December, 1879, for an improvement on the same. The inventor makes the following claims, and produces a large number of testimo- nials to substantiate them from parties that have used the invention : 1st-We use the deep- setting vessels. 2d-The vessels need not be submerged. 3d-The vessels may be sub- merged if desired. 4th-The vessels become air-tight the moment the vacuum is produced. 5th-But one set of vessels is required. 6th-The cream will be absolutely and perfectly raised between milkings. 7th-All unpleasant odors which may be in the milk will be taken out. 8th-The cream can be removed and the milk drawn off without lifting or moving the cans. 9th-The milk of twenty cows can be set in our vessels with as little labor as setting milk from

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 95

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