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 54
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The question of a site for the county seat thus settled, the next thing was a Court House ; so. in the fall of 1846, at a regular meeting of the County Commissioners, held at Oak Grove. Martin Rich was declared to have been " the lowest bidder," and he. accordingly, became the contractor for constructing a county building, " to be built of wood, 40x60 feet in size, covered with basswood shingles and two coats of paint," for which he was to receive the sum of $6,000, one-sixth of the amount being there and then issued in county orders in his favor.
As was to have been expected, a very bitter feeling existed in certain parts of the county against the individuals who had so successfully managed to secure the location of the county seat at a point which then seemed "almost beyond the confines of civilization." There were
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many " long faces " in Beaver Dam, though the people of " Grubville " bore their defeat with dignity and in silence ; but the denizens of Fox Lake were inconsolable. Mr. Hamilton Stevens, who had so earnestly championed the cause of the "parent settlement," was actually heard to damn "Old Vinegar" on more than one occasion. ("Old Vin." was a beautifully striped horse, at a distance closely resembling a zebra, which Mr. Stevens drove or rode wherever he went). Mr. John Van Epps, one of the County Seat Commissioners, had been very liberal with "the boys " on election day, giving them free access to his "bar'l of shilling whisky ; " so there was but little left for the good people of Fox Lake to drown their sorrow in. A party by the name of William M. Dennis, residing in what is now the Fifth Ward of Watertown, was, perhaps, the happiest man in Dodge County over the result. His motto then was "Anything to beat Fox Lake," and none but those who were defeated in the county seat fight can ever real- ize the smile of supreme satisfaction that overspread William M.'s face on that occasion.
The contention between the gentlemen who figured prominently in this contest is said to have been of the most honorable nature; but there were a few claiming to have been seriously injured in their financial prospects, who vowed terrible vengeance. Threats, idle threats, let us hope, were made that the torch would be called into requisition when the new Court House should be finished. This produced a season of serious thought for the safety of the structure .. The contractor, Mr. Rich, sought the advice of wise counsel. Among others whom he consulted was Judge Hiram Barber. The Judge's advice was that the building be made of brick ; that, while it could thus be made partially fire-proof, the county needed a substantial and permanent struct- ure for the safe-keeping of its records.
"But," argued Mr. Rich, "the contract has been made for a wooden building, and a por- tion of the money paid."
" The County Board will annul the contract," replied Judge Barber, "and re-let the job, if by so doing they can prevent the destruction of the county's property."
At the next meeting of the Board, the subject was brought up and fully discussed, result- ing in a new contract being drawn, with Messrs. Barber & Rich as the contractors, and pro- viding for the erection of a brick building at a cost not to exceed $4,000, including the $1,000 already paid Mr. Rich, the plans and specifications to be furnished by the Board, and the building to be completed within two years. A Madison architect named Bird was employed to draw the plans, but when the contractors came to examine them, the discovery was made that the ceilings, if the specifications were carried out, would be but nine feet from the floors. The Board subsequently authorized the contractors to make any changes they deemed necessary, and the result was the completion, in 1848, of what is now known as the old Court House, which recently became the property of Judge E. C. Lewis. As part remuneration for his services, Judge Barber received a deed from the county for its half-interest in the forty-acre plat, and afterward purchased of Mr. Davis the lots which fell to that gentleman by virtue of his timely re-location of the original Rich claim.
But the disappointed citizens of Beaver Dam and Fox Lake by no means gave up the fight, and, in 1856, we find them, through their representatives in the Legislature, scconding a scheme (fathered by certain individuals in Watertown, who were always anxious to make that city the county seat of Jefferson County) to set off the lower tier of towns-Shields, Lebanon, Emmet, Portland and Ashippun-and attach them to Jefferson County. An act to this effect was passed by the Legislature. By this means, the geographical center of Dodge County was located about half a mile northwest of Minnesota Junction, on a direct east and west line with Beaver Dam, six miles east of that city. But this "scheme," as one of our Juneau friends is pleased to term it, was "all broke up" by a decision of the Supreme Court in 1857, which held the act to be unconstitutional, for the good and sufficient reason, as provided by the stat- utes, that no county containing 900 square miles or less, can be divided without the question being first submitted to the people. Dodge County contains exactly 900 square miles.
The next periodical attempt to remove the county seat was made in 1869, when the Legis- lature passed an act providing for the submission of the question to the people at the spring
George Il Burg HORICON.
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election whether or not the county seat should be removed to Beaver Dam; with the further proviso that, in case the proposition for removal should be rejected, the question be again sub- mitted at the gubernatorial election in the coming fall, whether or not the county seat should be removed to Horicon. The Beaver Dam projeet was defeated by 1,300 majority, while at the fall election, but 500 votes were east in favor of Horicon.
BURNING OF THE COUNTY RECORDS.
Owing to the accumulation of county records and a large increase in the business pertain- ing to the county offices, three or four years after the completion and oceupation of the old Court House, it was discovered that the building was inadequate for the accommodation of all the officers, and it became necessary to provide new quarters for them. With this end in view, a small one-story brick building was erected two or three rods north of the Court House, wherein were located the offices of all the county's servants, save that of the Sheriff and the chambers of the Judge of the Court. For several years, the county building, as it was called, sheltered the County Treasurer, the County Clerk, the Register of Deeds and the Clerk of the Court ; but as the business and documents of these officers increased, more room being needed than the place afforded, the Clerk of the Court went back to his original quarters in the Court House, leaving the Treasurer, Register and County Clerk in the little brick, where they remained until the 5th day of September, 1877. About half-past 2 o'clock, on the morning of the 6th, the building was totally destroyed by fire, together with most of the records of the county. The flames were first discovered issuing from the roof of the building by a lodger in the Juneau House. When the doors were forced open the roof fell in upon the blazing docu- ments, burying them in a smouldering mass of burning debris. From the apartment occupied by the County Clerk, the tax-roll records and the two latest order-books were saved. Some tax-sale records and the vouchers of the County Treasurer were rescued from the office of Treas- urer Traynor, the vouchers being in the safe. The plat-books, tract index and forty-seven vol- umes of the oldest mortgages, most of them being satisfied, were saved from the Register's office. Speculation has ever since been rife as to the cause of the fire, but the general impres- sion, backed up by the logie of subsequent events, is that it was an incendiary's work. No reasonable estimate can be placed upon the loss to the county.
The Register of Deeds and Clerk of the Court took up their quarters in the Court House, but, there being no room for the County Treasurer, a small apartment adjoining the saloon of Henry Kellermann, near the residence of Judge Lewis, was rented for the accommodation of Mr. Traynor. But it would seem that the fire fiend was unsatisfied, for, on the night of the 5th of May, 1878, the office of the Dodge County Treasurer was again discovered to be in flames. Judge Lewis' residence and Mr. Kellermann's saloon were also destroyed. Most of the Treasurer's records that had passed through the first fire were saved from the ravages of the second.
COUNTY SEAT REDIVIVUS.
The citizens of Beaver Dam and Fox Lake, disgusted (and yet encouraged), with the situa- tion of affairs at Juneau, determined to make another effort to secure the removal of the county seat. The Legislature of 1876-77 had passed a general aet, providing that no question concern- ing any county seat within the State should receive consideration, unless a petition, signed by one-third of the qualified electors (ascertained from the poll lists of the last preceding election), within the county contemplating removal, or other change, shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors of such county, the Board to have power simply to submit the question at the first general election thereafter. After the destruction of the records, on September 6, 1877, the Board of Supervisors convened in special session, for the purpose of making an investigation. Representatives of Beaver Dam were promptly on hand, with a request that the Board adjourn, in order that time might be had for the eirculation of a petition in the interest of removal. This the Board refused to do, but, after a short sitting, during which it was discovered that the meeting
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was premature, a sine die adjournment was moved and carried. This gave the friends of the removal scheme fresh hope ; the Board might be called together at any time the consent of a majority of its members could be obtained. Petitions were at once circulated throughout the county for signers in favor of removal ; copies of the poll-lists in all the precincts visited were also made, to accompany the petitions on presentation to the Board. At the same time, the con- sent of a majority of the Supervisors for convening a special session was obtained, and the 28th of September, 1877, found the " Removalists" in full force at Juneau, happy as clams at the approach of high tide. Their only trouble was in finding the end of their petition; it was a long one, and the " Anti-removalists " looked upon every yard of it as a mile in length. It had the names, though, and, when Supervisor Sherman presented it "for the consideration of your honorable body," a special committee of three was immediately appointed to compare the names it contained with those appearing on the accompanying copies of the poll-lists. Still the " Removalists " were happy. But, during the evening, there came unto them a revelation ; an over-elated " Anti-removalist " was the revelator. The copies of the poll-lists showed that the clerks of election had carried their familiarity with their neighbors just a little bit too far. For instance, John Henry Augustus Smith, in exercising the rights of a citizen and freeman, had been written down-not an ass-but plain John Smith. When Mr. Smith was asked to sign his name to the petition praying for the' removal of the county seat of Dodge County to the beautiful city of Beaver Dam, he, of course, desired to add the entire weight of his influence to the project, and therefore subscribed his name in full, "John Henry Augustus Smith," conclud- ing with a flourish calculated to emphasize the last five letters. Just how to make John Henry Augustus Smith tally with plain John Smith was beyond the ken of the special committee of three. John Henry Augustus' name was therefore scratched from the petition. The familiarity of the election clerks, in this regard, was found to have penetrated almost every household. The scratching went on through the night of September 28, 1877, and, when morning came and the Board convened, there was an awful silence. Finally, Supervisor Sherman arose in his seat and moved that the committee be discharged, and that a committee, comprising the entire Board. divided into subcommittees of two, who should act jointly in comparing the names in their respective towns, be appointed. Spalding, of Oak Grove, moved to amend, so as to leave the matter in the hands of the committee until the regular meeting of the Board in November. The amendment was adopted by a vote of twenty-one to thirteen. This virtually killed the removal movement, as it carried consideration of the question beyond the fall election. A subsequent motion, made by Mr. Sherman, to indefinitely postpone, was adopted. And thus ended the last attempt to remove the county seat of Dodge County.
THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
At the November (1877) meeting of the Board of Supervisors, it was resolved to accept the specifications prepared and presented by T. F. Dornfeldt for new county offices, to be built upon the site formerly occupied by those destroyed by fire ; that proposals be advertised for the building of such offices, at a cost not to exceed $14,000, which sum was appropriated from a fund to be raised by an extraordinary levy upon the taxable property of the county. The vote by which the resolution was adopted was subsequently reconsidered, and, on motion, laid upon the table. At a later sitting of the Board, during the same session, a contract for building county offices was awarded to A. Mauk, for the sum of $13,185, Mr. Mauk agreeing to build a Court House, instead, for $10,000 additional, provided the Board, which was then considering the matter, should so determine. Such was the wisdom of the Board, and Mr. Mauk became the contractor to build the Court House upon the plans of H. C. Koch, of Milwaukee. Eight per cent interest bonds, to the extent of $20,000, were issued, and in January, 1879, the build- ing was completed and turned over to the county, at a total cost of about $27,000. It is the general belief that the county seat question has been forever set at rest.
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THE ABSTRACT OFFICE.
" It's an ill wind that blows good to no one," says an old proverb ; and it is a very sorry fire, indeed, that would burn private as well as public records. When the books of the Regis- ter's Office were all, or nearly all, destroyed by fire on that fatal night of September 6, 1877, a little brick building, standing " within a stone's throw" of the county offices, and containing a complete abstract of all records pertaining to all real estate and tax sales in Dodge County, was spared from the flames. These abstracts are the property of W. T. Rambusch and Richard Mertz-and a very valuable property it is, too. Soon after the fire, the Board of Supervisors appointed a committee to wait upon Messrs. Rambuseh & Mertz and ascertain the value those gentlemen set upon their treasure, with a view of purchasing it for the use of the county. The committee reported that $50,000 was the lowest figure for which it could be obtained. No action was taken in the matter by the Board. As will appear from the following figures, it is very clear that the owners of the abstract office are not over-anxions to sell. Prior to the burning of the records, the county charged 50 cents for the first and 25 cents for each subsequent con- veyanee. After the fire, Rambusch. & Mertz very naturally raised the price, placing their figures at $1 for the first and 50 cents for each subsequent. In August, 1879, they adopted the following permanent scale of prices : " From and after September, 1879, we shall adopt the Milwaukee County fee-bill for abstracts, to wit : Full abstracts of title, showing ten instruments or less, $10; for each additional instrument over ten, 50 cents ; partial abstracts and continua- tions of abstracts originally made by us, showing no change in title or instruments, $3; same, showing one or two instruments, $4; for each additional instrument, 50 eents. In all the above cases, an extra charge of $1 will be made for search for judgments, tax sales, mechanics' liens or attachments. No abstract will be continued unless originally made by us. An addi- tional charge of from $2 to $10 will also be made for judicial proceedings, probate examinations, ete. Partial abstracts or continuations, subsequent to September 1, 1877, 25 cents for each instrument." No one will question the right of the owners of these abstracts to regulate their prices by the seale adopted in other counties suffering the loss of their records. Indeed, it would be very unnatural to expect anything else.
A CASE OF EMBEZZLEMENT. 1
No more appropriate place could be selected within this work for a brief recital of an ugly transaction, still fresh in the minds of every one in Dodge County. At a special meeting of the Board of Supervisors held May, 8, 1878-eight months after the destruction of the County Building by fire, and three days after the burning of the Treasurer's temporary office, south of the old Court House-called " for the transaction of business of a pressing nature," the follow- ing resolution was submitted by the Hon. Sat. Clark, of Horicon, and adopted :
WHEREAS, Rumors having been industriously circulated throughout the county, charging the County Treasurer with defaleation, and insinuating other offenses amounting to crime ; and
WHEREAS, Said rumors having gained much credence in some localities, thereby greatly injuring the credit of the county and the reputation of the said Treasurer ; therefore
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the Chairman (a majority of whom shall be Republicans ), whose duty it shall be to thoroughly investigate all transactions of the said Treasurer with the county, examine all the books, accounts, vouchers and other papers, and the general condition of the said Treasurer's office, together with the amount of money on hand in each fund available for the purpose for which it was designed, and report to this Board with all convenient dispatch.
The Chair appointed Messrs. George F. Wheeler, of Waupun ; A. J. Smith. of Beaver Dam ; Charles Merwin, of Fox Lake; George Schott, of Herman, and John Bird, of Water- town, as such committee. The investigation was commenced at once, and in the Committee's report the following essential facts appear: That Ody W. Traynor, County Treasurer, came before the Committee and made a statement of the available funds in his hands, which showed a deficiency of $4,360.70; that, in answer to an inquiry, Mr. Traynor stated that this amount was in claims he had against the county, which were not then in shape to be presented ; that he
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declined to give any information as to the nature of these claims, on what account or to whom the money had been paid.
The Committee, in pursuing the matter further, found many of the county funds over- drawn, and upon reporting the result of their investigation to the full Board, a demand was made upon the delinquent Treasurer for a surrender of his office. Traynor, by advice of coun- sel, refused to comply with this demand, and, on June 6, 1878, a warrant of arrest was issued, charging him with the embezzlement of $7,000. The final report of the committee claimed the amount of moneys embezzled to be $27,397.30, but owing to a State law, exculpating all officers guilty of irregularities prior to January 1, 1878, Mr. Traynor could only be held in this amount (7,000).
Traynor was taken into custody and held in $35,000 bail, which, at the request of coun- sel, was reduced to $15,000, and afterward to $7,000. The prisoner was then released. The State having withdrawn the original complaint and filed a new one, an investigation followed, resulting in a postponement of the case to the October term, 1878. An information was then filed in the Circuit Court, charging Traynor with the embezzlement of $7,000. The case going over till the March term, 1879, a nolle prosequi was entered and a new information filed, charging him with the embezzlement in one count of $5,000, and in a second count of $1,000. This case was also adjourned to the October term, 1879, and at that term, upon the application of counsel, it was further adjourned to February, 1880.
On the 28th of August, 1878, a civil suit was commenced on the bond of the Treasurer and his bail, claiming a deficiency of $27,756.02. To that complaint the defendant demurred, the demurrer not being argued, and, on September 6. 1879, the District Attorney dismissed the action.
Three days later, another action was commenced, on behalf of the county, against Tray- nor and his bail, claiming a deficiency of $21,645.89. To this the defendant also demurred, the demurrer being sustained, with leave to the county to amend within twenty days. The amendment was duly made, the defendant again demurred, and thus the case stands at the pres- ent writing.
DODGE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The chief ambition of the enterprising farmer who has the good fortune to be the possessor of a big pumpkin or a " likely shoat," is to see his peculiar productions exhibited at the county fair, where all his neighbors are sure to be present with similar samples, for which they confi- dently expect first premiums. These annual gatherings are the source of much good. Besides affording the tillers of the soil an opportunity for displaying their blood stock and superior specimens of beets and " sich," it is also a holiday for the children, and a splendid chance for the boys and girls to get acquainted is presented. Then, there's the balloon ascension ; a great many people never went up in a balloon-at one time. This is the leading sensation of the first day. Another feature of the county fair is the " wheel of fortune." No one should fail to see one of these institutions. It is a gem ; a miniature race track, with all the celebrated " fly- ers " entered for the purse. The race can't be "thrown," and the judge is always honest, pays four for one, only comes once a year, "and no humbug." Everybody wins, and the man who sells the blue cards bas to telegraph to his wife's father for money to get home with. There are a thousand and one other features about the county fair, but they will recommend themselves. Every county in the Union has a wheel of fortune, and every wheel has a county fair.
But to return to the Dodge County Agricultural Society. It was organized at a public meeting, held in the Court House at Juneau January 22, 1853, by the election of the following officers : G. W. Green, of Beaver Dam, President; Martin Webster, of Fox Lake, Vice Presi- dent ; Ephraim Perkins, of Juneau, Secretary ; Joel Rich, of Juneau, Treasurer. Executive Committee-Benj. Ferguson, of Fox Lake ; H. H. Hendrix, Williamstown ; Gardner Bacon, Theresa; Lorenzo Merrill, Burnett ; Dudley Little, Elba; J. S. Van Orden, Rubicon ; C: S. Birge, Carlton Cleveland and David Barber, Juneau.
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A Constitution was adopted, and over 100 citizens of the county were enrolled as members of the Society, upon the payment of the annual fee of $1. Of the original members, only about twenty-five still remain as residents of the county ; many have gone to their "long home," and others have moved away. IIiram Barber, S. L. Rose, Allen H. Atwater, Benj. Ferguson, Eli C. Lewis, Joel Rich, David Barber, G. C. Gunn, J. C. Brown, O. F. Jones, William M. Den- nis, Charles Weston, G. A. Birge and S. V. R. Haughton are among those still remaining, while among those who have departed are found the names of Charles Billinghurst, Martin Rich, J. M. Sherman, Reuben Farnsworth, Paul Juneau, Isaac Chandler, A. P. Wyman, James Traverse and others.
The first fair of the Society was held at Juneau, probably the same year of its organiza- tion, although the record left shows that it was "on Thursday of last year." Among those receiving premiums were G. C. Gunn, Dr. Atwood, Joel Rich, David Barber, S. H. Coleman. George R. Clapp, F. H. Roper and S. J. Glover, for different kinds of stock; J. C. Brown for poultry and boots ; A. Olson, for buggy ; S. Streeter, for best thrashing machine ; Paul Juneau, C. Billinghurst, G. C. Gunn, N. E. Allen, Herman Grube and S. W. Lyman, for vegetables ; and in the ladies' department, Mrs. George R. Clapp, Mrs. Atwater, Mrs. W. H. Lander, Mrs. S. H. Allen, Mrs. J. C. Brown, and others, received premiums for specimens of their handiwork. On miscellaneous articles, a premium of $1 was awarded to " Rich & Grout, Horicon, for one bar of wrought iron, manufactured this forenoon from the Iron Ridge ore in this county, which is the first of the kind ever made in the county, and the Committee consider it equal to the best Swedes."
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