The history of Dodge county, Wisconsin, containing its early settlement, growth an extensive and minute sketch of its cities war record, biographical sketches, Part 50

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 776

USA > Wisconsin > Dodge County > The history of Dodge county, Wisconsin, containing its early settlement, growth an extensive and minute sketch of its cities war record, biographical sketches > Part 50

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During the summers of 1845 and 1846, vast quantities of rich prairie lands were broken up. In the fall of 1846, ague prevailed throughout the county to such an alarming extent that there were not well people enough to take care of the sick. No apparent cause for the prevalence of ague in 1846, more than in any other season, seemed to exist, unless it was attributable to the decomposition of such vast quantities of vegetable matter, the result of much new breaking. Taking into account the population at that date, as compared with any subsequent year, 1846 was the most unhealthy season ever known in Dodge County.

But, Mr. Editor, I fear I am " boring" you. I was not aware that I could remember so much of forty years ago, without the assistance of a single scrap of any kind of record to refresh my memory. Yet I find, on sitting down to this work, I am compelled to sift fine, lest I string out too much. Could I have had three months' notice, I could have made a much more readable article. Now if you should conclude to insert this simply as a letter containing some reminiscences of early times, you are at liberty so to use it ; or if you think it too long or too scattering in its make-up, you are equally at liherty to cull out such passages as will best answer the design of your work, and throw the remainder into your waste-basket. I will now endeavor to comply with your request for a sketch of my life up to this date.

1 was born iu Edeu, Erie Co., N. Y., September 4, 1820, and am now past 59 years of age; my father, Obed Warren, was never overburdened with an excess of worldly goods, and, indeed, I do not think he ever cared much about wealth. He was devoutly religious, and cared more for the society of a family and friends than for riches of a worldly nature. From the age of five to eleven, I went to the " district school as it was," where I learned to read, a little of geography, a little of writing, and so much of mathematics as I could pick up by hearing higher classes recite. This was the sum total of my school education-the remainder, if any, has been gained from reading and observation. At the age of fourteen, my father, with his family, removed to Cherry Valley, in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where my four elder brothers had gone the year previous, to open up a new farm in the heavy timber-lands of that portion of Ohio. Here I labored hard in clearing away the heavy timber until about the 1st of April, 1845, when, with my widowed mother, two brothers and two sisters, I emigrated to the then Territory of Wisconsin, selecting my home in Dodge County, one and a half miles east of the present village of Horicon. Being one of the first settlers in Hubbard Township, and having taken a lively interest in the settlement and development of the county, I was chosen Town Clerk at the first town meeting held. From that time until the spring of 1859, I was chosen to some

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

office nearly every year. On the 16th of September, 1846, I was married to Miss Augusta B. Herten (then only fifteen years of age), with whom I have lived happily te the present time. Our unien has been blessed with three children, a daughter and two sens. The daughter is married, and lives near us. The two sons are beth printers, the eldest being fereman in the Upper Des Moines office at Algona, the other, foreman in the Northern Vindicator offiee at Estherville. From 1849 te 1866, I worked principally at carpenter or millwright werk. In June, 1859, I removed with my family to Arcadia, Trempeleau Co., Wis., where I remained about four years. It was at this place, in March, 1860, that my house and all its contents, including my " History of Dodge County," then in manuseript, was destroyed by fire. This was a very serious less of several thousand dellars' worth of property, including a choice and carefully selected library of ever four hundred velnmes. This library I had been thirty-five years in eellecting, and it cen- tained a number of volumes then out of print, and which I have never been able to replace. In Mareb, 1862, I removed to Eau Claire City, Wis., where I was employed most of the time through the summer seasons in the capacity of millwright in the extensive mills of Daniel Shaw & Co. My winters were passed in the pineries, hewing square timber and scaling logs. In May, 1866, I sold all my possessions in Eau Claire, built a flatboat of capacity sufficient to carry my family and goods, and in it made my way down the Chippewa to the Mississippi, and thence to Dubuque, lewa. There I seld my boat, and, by rail, eame te Iowa Falls, and thenee by wagons te Algena. My eldest son, then about fourteen years of age, had eemmenced learning the " art preservative of all arts," and on his account I bought the Upper Des Moines office, for $600, paying but a small installment down. Previous te this date, November, 1866, I had never written more than two or three newspaper articles. But throwing my whele energy inte the enter- prise, together with the faithful labor of my son, who took the entire charge of the mechanical department, we sue- ceeded in making it one of the largest and (though modesty should forbid me from saying it) best newspapers in Northern Iowa. We enlarged the paper from 24 to 28 eelumns, and again from 28 to 32, and finally from 32 to 36 columns, all the time inereasing the patronage and cireulation of the paper in proportion to its size. In 1872, I sold the old Washington press, the same being the first press ever put upon Iowa soil, and replaced it with a $2,000 Potter power-press, together with all other necessary furniture, jeb-presses, ete. On the 10th of September, 1875, I sold the office with fixtures and goed will, after baving been editor and sole proprietor for nearly nine years.

The newspaper business was the beginning of my prosperity, though I was somewhat advaneed in years when ] began. During the nine years of my editorial life I also served as Postmaster of Algona three years, and Assessor of Internal Revenue nearly two years. After selling the Upper Des Moines, I embarked in a new enterprise in the adjoining eounty of Emmet. The venture was nothing less than the founding of a new town, ealled Swan Lake City, located at the geographieal eenter of Emmet County, with a view to getting the county seat re-located at the new town. It was a beld venture, the county seat having been located for sixteen years at the village of Estherville in the northwest corner of the county. But pluek and untiring perseverance will win. At the October election, 1879, the Board of Supervisors, of which body I have been a member for the past three years, ordered the question of re-location to be submitted te a vote, and the result was a large majority for Swan Lake City. We had a suitable building which we tendered to the county for Court House and county offices, and, en the 20th of October, 1879, the first term of the District Court was held at the new county seat. I have a large cirele of friends in Kossuth County, and, in future, will divide my time between Swan Lake City and Algona, at which place I still have a good residence. Addenda .- After reviewing my manuscript (something 1 very seldom do), I find some important matters that I have entirely failed to notice. The vast bed of iron ore, the brown bematite, er flax-seed ore, was known to exist in Dodge County as early as 1845, but no one knew much of its character or value. We called it the "red lands," but had no thought of the vast mine of wealth contained in it. Early in 1845, 1 proeured from the Land Offiee at Green Bay, Government plats of Towns 11 and 12, Range 16, and Town 11, Range 17, for the purpose of showing land to new-comers. These I sent to the land office about onee in each month for correction, thus keeping myself pretty well posted on entries in these towns. By the aid of these plats I assisted many of the first settlers in mak- ing choice of their future homes, and at the same time became so very familiar with the principal sections and quarter posts that I could tell the witness trees at a great number of points without reference to the field notes. It was in this business ef land-looking that I first saw the ore beds. I took a number of people to see the lands beneath which the ere is located, none of whom were suited with it until I showed it to Rufus Allen. The eighty acres eov- ering the richest, and, probably, the deepest portion of the mine, was entered by Reuben Allen, a son of Rufus Allen. In the summer following, young Allen was killed by lightning, and the property reverted, in law, te his father, who soon afterward sold it to the Wiseonsin Iron Company for $9,000. In February, 1848, myself and Oscar F. Ilorton were employed by the Wisconsin Iron Company te sink the first shaft, in order, if possible, to find out the depth of the mineral. After sinking to the depth of twenty-one feet, the ore becoming richer and more com- paet, so much so that we could no longer dig with shovels, Mr. White became well satisfied that there was an inex- haustible supply of mineral, and directed us to quit digging, remarking at the same time that there was enough ore to supply a hundred blast furnaces for one hundred years, and then have plenty remaining. His estimate of the supply was not so wikł a guess as might at first seem probable. The man who first discovered and determined the character of the "red lands" was Edward Cowen, a native of the Isle of Man. Mr. Cowen was brought up in the iron miues of his native island, and at first sight declared the "red " substance te be rieh iron ore.

Game and fish were very abundant for some years after settlers began to come into the county. It was ne difficult task for a " geod shot " te hang up three or four deer in a day. Occasionally a hunter would bring in a huge black bear. I remember one having been killed by John Newsam and lliram Ward, as Iate as 1848, that weighed over four hundred pounds.

The winter of 18-15-46 set in very severe about the 20th of November. In the latter part of December, 1845. or early in January, 1846, a pack of very large timber wolves attacked our cattle in the night and killed a valuable cow within thirty feet of our door. All the male members of the family were at Mayville, getting in logs to the mill. Not one of the female members knew how to use a rifle, though there were twe good ones in the house. They, how- ever, let out a valuable bulklog, and he lasted about thirty seconds. A few nights after this, the same pack killed

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

two fine yearlings for Collins Bishop. The pack was finally broken up by Hiram Ward, who succeeded in slaying one and Oscar F. Ilorton soon after killed another.

I desire to say a few words in relation to the antiquity of the country of which I have been writing. You may, perhaps, deem it of sufficient importance to place the substance in your history. The ancient Mound-Builders, whom I denominate " Aztecs," were at some period spread over the whole of the State and were evidently very numerous. But at what period they came or went away, it is now impossible to determine with any degree of certainty. Suffi- cient evidence still exists to prove that these people were acquainted with the arts and sciences to a very great extent, understood making bricks. pottery and fine edged-tools, and were in many other respects a civilized and enlightened people. In proof of this theory, I might cite the written opinions of Josiah Priest and many other eminent anti- quarians. But instead of quoting other authorities I will state " what I know " about the matter, and leave you to hunt up other authorities. The great number of mounds scattered along the Rock River, from Mayville to the Missis- sippi, are proofs that have remained for ages since their authors passed away. Some of these appear to have been built for defense, as witness those at Aztalan, and others to mark the final resting-place of some chief, hetman or ruler. Myself and Garry Taylor once opened one of these curious looking mounds. It was located a little way southwest from Mr. Taylor's house, and was built in the shape of an immense alligator, the whole length of the miound being abont sixteen rods. In the center, about where the heart of the reptile might be supposed to lie, we dug down to the depth of four or five feet, where we found the decayed bones of a human being.

From the position of the bones, it appeared that the body was placed in a sitting posture, the skull being the first reached ; then pieces of the vertebra and small bits of ribs, and all resting unon the pelvic bones, with the leg hones extending out to the eastward. Under the whole mass was a considerable quantity of well-preserved charcoal. On the mound, and within a few feet of where lay this skeleton, was then growing a white-oak tree, fully two feet in diameter.

In the winter of 1819-50, 1 had occasion to cut down a very large white-oak tree, standing on the town line between Hubbard and Williamstown, on Sections 5 and 32, the same being a " sight" tree. It my memory is cor- rect, the tree was between three and four feet in diameter, and had made a very slow growth. In cutting in on the east side, at a distance of sixteen inches or more from the outer bark, I found a peculiar looking scar. On examining this scar closely, it was found to be the plain mark of some sharp instrument not unlike the ax in common use at this time. Carefully cutting in, above and below the scar, I took out a block or chip six inches square and two inches thick. This chip bore several listinct euts to the depth of an inch or more, the cuts being very smoothly made with a keen ax or hatchet. In 1859, I sent the chip to the State Historical Society at Madison, with a full statement of the finding, giving the number of consecutive rings outside of the scar (which I think was something over eight hun- dred ), as well as the full age of the tree as shown by said rings. My recollection is that the tree was over one thou- sand years old. I visited Madison on the 4th of July, 1872, and took a careful look through all the multitude of relics of by-gone years, but saw no trace of my chip. I am of opinion that it was either mislaid or never reached its destination.

In 1848, while engaged in breaking up a piece of land on his farm, Garry Taylor discovered many piece . of ancient pottery of curious make. He also found in the same field numerous pieces of well-burnt brick, some of which were nearly whole. I think Mr. Taylor still preserves specimens of both. llis house is situated on a beauti- ful piece of high ground, on what was once a deep bay, forming a part of Lake Horicon.

My theory is that the Great Winnebago Marsh was once a lake, eovering an area of nearly 100,000 square miles ; that the barrier formerly existed at the outlet where Horicon now stands, that made it a large, deep lake ; that the Aztecs knew something of commerce and navigation, and that there onee stood a large town or city on the spot where Mr. Taylor's house now stands ; that the bay spoken of was a beautiful harbor for sail vessels and that vessels were built at that place. In support of my theory I will state, that in 1848, while assisting Garry Taylor in excavating his cellar, we found many evidences of an ancient city having existed there. Parts of well-burnt bricks, fragments of pottery, and at a depth of four feet below the surface, we found five iron spikes, uniform in size and form, five and a half inches in length, with "chisel " points and heads very much like the spikes used in ship- building at the present day. These spikes were so completely oxidized that they were easily broken in pieces. Whether Mr. Taylor preserved those relics of a long past and forgotten civilization or not, Iam unable to state.

I might relate many other facts of a similar charaetor, but with one more I will close this chapter. In the spring of 1847, while plowing on my land on Section 5, I was trying the experiment of deep plowing. With two yoke of oxen on a stirring plow, running " beam deep," I discovered a large quantity (nearly a half-bushel) of flint arrow heads of all sizes from one to three inches long. They appeared to have been deposited all at one time and in an excavation made for that purpose. Ihad previously noticed large quantities of chips from flint stones used in the manufacture of arrow-heads, not far from where the deposit of arrow-heads was found.

And now, Mr. Editor, I trust you will deem yourself sufficiently bored by my " long yarns," and it will be a relief to me to learn that it does not compel the necessity for some kind friend to pen your obituary before your work is finished. What I have written has been written in great haste. You will, doubtless, discover many grammat- ical errors as well as errors in spelling, but while correcting these mistakes you will bear in mind that I never read a page in any work on grammar in my whole life. I fully appreciate the importance of preserving a correct record of events connected with the first settlement of Dodge County. Hoping that your efforts may be successful and your reward full and ample, 1 subscribe myself, Fraternally yours,

J. HI. WARREN.

COUNTY JUDGES.

The first County Judge elected in Dodge County was James Giddings. IIe was chosen at the fall election of 1846, and served four years, being succeeded by George W. Green. Judge Green's successor was Samuel L. Rose, at present residing in Beaver Dam, who resigned

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

in June, 1855, Leonard Mertz being appointed for the unexpired term. Judge Mertz was elected to the office in 1858, and held it by re-election until his death, June 8, 1868. A. Scott Sloan, of Beaver Dam, was appointed to fill the vacancy thus created, and was in turn elected to the office in 1870, holding about six years and a half altogether, and being succeeded by Edward Elwell in 1874. Silas W. Lamoreux is the present incumbent. He was elected in 1878 and his term will expire in 1882.

TERRITORIAL, STATE AND NATIONAL REPRESENTATION-TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.

Number and Date of Legislative Assemblies.

Member of Council.

Representatives.

Conties.

First Session, convened at Belmont, lowa ) Co., Oct. 29, 1836.

( Gilbert Knapp

Madison B. Cornwall Charles Durkee

Milwaukee.

Second Session, convened at Burlington. Des Moines Co., Nov. 6, 1×37.

f Alanson Sweet

Charles Durkee

Milwaukee.

Special and last Session of First Assem- bly. convened at Burlington, June 11. 1838.

{ Gilbert Knapp

Charles Durkee

Milwaukee.

First Session of Second Assembly. con- vened at Madison, Nov. 26, 1838.

Ebenezer Brigham

Daniel S. Sutherland

[ Dodge, Dane, Green and Jefferson.

Second Session, convened at Malison, Jan 21, 1839.

Ebenezer Brigham

Daniel S. Sutherland

f Dodge, Dane, Green and Jefferson.

Third Session, convened at Madison, Dec. 2, 1839.

Ebenezer Brigham

Daniel S. Sutherland

Dodge. Dane, Green and Jefferson.

Fourth (extra) Session, convened at Madison, Ang. 3, 1840.

Ebenezer Brigham

Daniel S. Sutherland

Dodge, Dane, Green and Jefferson.

First Session, Third Assembly, convened at Madison, Dec. 7, 1540.

Ebenezer Brigham

( Lucius I. Barber ¿ James Sutherland Lucius 1. Barber

f Dodge. Dane, Green and Jefferson.

Second Session, convened at Madison ? Dec. 6, 1341.

Ebenezer Brigham

James Sutherland Isaac H. Palmer Lyman Crossman Robert Masters Robert Masters

Dodge, Dane, Green, Jefferson and Sauk.

Second Session, convened Dec. 4, 1843.

Lucius 1. Barber

Lyman Crossman

Isaac H. Palmer

Third Session, convened Jan. 6, 1845.

John Catlin

Charles S. Bristol Noah Phelps

( Dodge, Dane, Green, Jefferson and Sauk.

Fourth Session, convened Jan. 5, 1846.

Jobn Catlin

Mark R. Clapp William M. Dennis Nonh Phelps -

( Dodge, Dane, Green, Jefferson and Sauk.

Fifth Session, convened Jan. 4, 1847.

Jolın E. Holmes

John T. Haight James Giddings Levi P. Drake

Dodge and Jefferson.

First ( special ) Session, convened Oet. 7. 1 1847.

John E. Holmes

Horace D. Patch James Ilanraban

Levi P. Drake

Jolın E. Holmes

Horace D. Patel

Dodge and Jefferson.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.

The first Constitutional Convention assembled at Madison October 5, 1846, and adjourned December 16 following, having framed an instrument which was rejected by the people at an clection held the first Tuesday in April, 1847. Dodge County was represented in the Convention

$ Gov. Doty refused to communicate with this body, claiming that they were not legally assembled according to the act of Congress, as no appropriation for that object had been previously made by l'ongress. The Houses continued in session until December 10, when they adjourned till January 30, to43. Meeting again, another adjournment was taken until March 6, on which day they came together in pursuance of the resolute old Governor's proclamation, calling them together for the purpose of a special session. The Houses continued in session until March 25, when they adjourned without day. They again assembled March 27, as of the secondI session, and adjourned finally April 17.

[ Alanson Sweet

William B. Sheldon -

William B. Sheldon

¿ Gilbert Knapp

Madison B Cornwall )

William B. Sheldon

Alanson Sweet

Madison B. Cornwall )

Dodge, Dane, Green,

Jefferson and Sank.

First Session, Fourth Assembly, con- vened Dec 5, 1842 .*

Lucius I. Barber

---

f Dodge, Dane, Green, Jefferson and Sauk.

George 11. Slaughter

George W. Green

Dodge and Jefferson.

Second and last Session of the Fifth ) Territorial Assembly, convened l'eh. 7 and adjourned March 13, 1848.

James Hanrahan

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HISTORY OF DODGE COUNTY.

by the following delegates : William M. Dennis, Stoddard Judd, Hiram Barber, Benjamin Granger, Horace D. Patch and John H. Manahan.

A second Convention was held, which met December 15, 1847, and adjourned February 1, 1848, the result of their labors being the present Constitution of the State of Wisconsin, which was ratified by a large popular vote the second Monday in March, 1848. The Dodge County delegates were Stoddard Judd, Samuel W. Lyman and Charles H. Larrabee.

STATE GOVERNMENT.

First Session of the Legislature, 1848 .- The constitutional provisions regarding apportion- ment declared Dodge County to be the Tenth Senatorial District, and divided the county into five Assembly Districts, until otherwise fixed by law, as follows: The towns of Burnett, Ches- ter, Le Roy and Williamstown, one ; Fairfield, Hubbard and Rubicon, one ; Hustisford, Aship- pun, Lebanon and Emmet, one; Elba, Lowell, Portland and Clyman, one; Calamus, Beaver Dam, Fox Lake and Trenton, one. Section 14, Article XIV, of the State Constitution, pro- vided that " The Senators first elected in the even numbered districts, shall enter upon the duties of their office the first Monday of June next, and shall continue in office one year from the first Monday in January next ; and that those elected in the odd numbered districts, together with the members of the Assembly first elected, shall enter upon their duties, respectively, on the first Monday of June next, and shall continue in office until the first Monday in January next." Such was the common foundation of the " hold-over" system, which is still in vogue. The first legislators from Dodge County, elected under the new Constitution, were as follows : Senate-William M. Dennis, Watertown. Assembly-Lorenzo Merrill, Charles Billinghurst, Benjamin Randall, Monroe Thompson and Stephen Jones. This (the first) session of the Leg- islature convened June 5, 1848, and adjourned August 21 of the same year.

Second Session, 1849 .- Senate-William M. Dennis, Watertown. Assembly-Paul Junean, Hiram Barber, George C. King, Jedediah Kimball and Parker Warren.

Third Session, 1850 .- Senate-James Giddings, Chester. Assembly-Oscar Hurlbut, James Murdock, John Lowth, William T. Ward and Malcom Sellers.

Fourth Session, 1851 .- Senate-James Giddings, Chester. Assembly-John Muzzy, Asa W. French, John Lowth, Charles B. Whiton and William E. Smith.

Fifth Session, 185º .- Senate-Judson Prentice, Watertown. Assembly-Darius L. Ban- croft, Timothy B. Sterling, Maximilian Auerbock, William H. Green and Horace D. Patch.

Sixth Session, 1853 .- Senate-Judson Prentice, Watertown. Assembly-[Apportionment changed by aet of Legislature, six Assemblymen being chosen instead of five.] Edward N. Foster, Whitman Sayles, William M. Dennis, Patrick Kelley, John W. Davis and Edwin Hillyer.

Seventh Session, 1854 .- Senate-Ezra A. Bowen, Mayville. Assembly-Benjamin F. Barney, George Fox, Francis McCormick, Ruel Parker, Allen H. Atwater and John W. Davis.

Eighth Session, 1855 .- Senate-Ezra A. Bowen, Mayville. Assembly-Solomon L. Rose, John M. Sherman, Narcisse M. Junean, John D. Griffin, John B. Ribble and Fred F. Schwefel.

Ninth Session, 1856 .- Senate-Solomon L. Rose, Beaver Dam. Assembly-Benjamin F. Barney, Daniel Fletcher, Lawrence Connor, Charles Burchard, Henry L. Butterfield and F. H. Ehinger.

Tenth Session, 1857 .- Senate-Solomon L. Rose, Beaver Dam. Assembly-Edward N. Foster, Peter Potter, R. B. Wentworth, Quartus H. Barron, A. Scott Sloan and John J. Williams. Eleventh Session, 1858 .- Senate-William E. Smith, Fox Lake. Assembly-John Steiner, Narcisse M. Juneau, Paul Juneau, Benjamin F. Gibbs, Fred W. Kribs and E. J. Will- iams.

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The history of Dodge county, Wisconsin, containing its early settlement, growth an extensive and minute sketch of its cities war record, biographical sketches, Part 50

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 776

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 776