The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 75

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082

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There went out of the county, as Democrats, many good officers and privates to the rebel- lion of 1861-65. among the former of which were Edward S. Bragg, a Brigadier General, and the highest in rank of any Fond du Lac soldier of his party ; Gerrit T. Thorn, N. S. Gilson, Thomas II. Green, A. Kettler, S. O'Kane, John Maginnis, S. W. Beall, Edgar Conklin, M. Mangan, Roswell M. Sawyer, who was Adjutant General of Sherman's army, and others.

The Democratic party has survived all changes and maintained an actual majority from the first organization of the county down to the present time, notwithstanding the State and nation have been under Republican administration during the last two decades (with exception of W. R. Tavlor, Governor of the State in 1874-75). The spasmodie breaks made to form Free- Democratic, Union-Democratic, Liberty and other parties, which drew heavily from its ranks, the actual formation of the Greenback party, which cast 1,687 votes in 1878, and the few family dis- sensions, have not destroyed its hope or organization.

The Whig Party .- The records from which to prepare a history of the Whig party in Fond du Lac are very meager : and if they were not, its history might briefly be told so far as length of days or party achievements in this eounty are concerned. But whatever there is should be preserved, for many of the " old line " Whigs were either Abolitionists or firmly set against any further extension or protection of slavery, and therefore composed the mass-with their intimate cotemporaries, the Free Democrats-of the early Republican party. The Fond du Lac County Whigs made very little stir until 1845 and the early portion of 1846. They were then made up of the common people-had few leaders or political workers, for the reason that all offices of trust and emolument were within the gift only of the Democrats, and there was no encourage- ment for office- seekers and politicians to belong to any but the Democratic party. There was no success possible for the Whigs at first, because those who espoused similar principles were divided into several parties, such as the Libertyites, the Free Democracy and scattering political evan- gelists who, although they opposed the straight Democrats, offered no help to the Whigs. In 1846, the Whig. Free Democratic and other parties of congenial political views, united at the polls to a greater or less extent, and at the spring election of 1847 elected every county officer, one or two members of the Assembly-then known as Representatives-and seven out of twelve Supervisors. The popular majority was about fifty, though in the fall the Whigs gave a larger majority for John H. Tweedy, who was elected Whig Territorial Delegate to Congress. In 1848, the Whigs divided the local offices with the Democrats, being less successful than in the previons campaign. But Zachary Taylor, the first Whig President, was elected that year, and, in the spring of 1849, removed John A. Eastman, Democrat, and appointed Samuel Ryan, Whig, in his stead as Postmaster of the city of Fond du Lac. Mr. Ryan was the first person to receive a Federal appointment in Fond du Lac County which did not go to a Democrat. The opposition press at that time generally referred to the Whigs as " traitors," and an uproar was inaugurated at once over the appointment of Mr. Ryan, the attacks being directed at both the President and his appointee.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

In 1849, the Whigs elected four out of eighteen Supervisors, after which they were not generally successful, though they sometimes succeeded in dividing the town offices with the Democrats, and, in 1852, O. S. Wright, Whig, was elected County Treasurer over D. R. Cur- ran, Democrat. In 1854, Charles Billinghurst was elected to Congress, and was re-elected a second time. He had been a Whig, but was not elected wholly by that party. The election of O. S. Wright, in 1852, was the closing chapter in the history of the Whig party in Fond du Lac County.

The prominent members of the Whig organization were J. M. Gillet, Sam Ryan, Eli Hooker, Gilbert M. Lee, C. M. Tompkins, G. de Neveu, Moses M. Gibson, Oscar Pier, Edgar Conklin, II. C. Giltner, J. A. Truesdell (who was once the Whig candidate for Secretary of State), Henry Conklin, B. F. Moore, George Mc Williams, Timothy L. Gillet, O. S. Wright and others, all of whom were prominent rather as citizens and business men than as politicians. The Whig newspapers were the Whig, by J. M. Gillet ; the Republican, by Sam Ryan, and the Fountain City Herald, by Royal Buck.

The Republican Party .- It is not a little remarkable that the Republican party has been able to achieve such successes as the historian finds upon record, when all the facts are taken into consideration. Nearly two decades before the birth of what is now the Republican party, the various offices in Fond du Lac County were held by the Democrats, who had a clear and decisive majority at the polls. This was natural, as when the county was first organized and during several years thereafter, the Territory was in the hands of Democratic appointees, and nearly all new-comers, especially if they had any ambition to attain to public position, would join with the dominant party, which was Democratic. In this natural manner, the county became strongly Democratic, and except when the people voted for the Whigs in 1847, and, later, for Lincoln and Grant, has always remained so on all State and National questions. In an early day, H. C. Giltner cast the only Republican vote in the town of Marshfield, and when the town of Calumet cast more votes than the village and large town of Fond du Lac, there were only from two to five Republican votes returned, and other towns were nearly as destitute of Republicans. Notwithstanding these facts, the Republican party, on whose pages are inscribed the names of Lincoln, Garrison, Sumner and Grant, as well as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, was born in the county of Fond du Lac-was christened in this original strong- hold of Democracy. Its record has therefore been a creditable one. It supports six Republican newspapers, and of 133 Members of the Assembly chosen since the organization of the State Government, 71 have been Republicans, or in opposition to the Democrats, if elected before there was such a thing in name as the Republican party. Edward Pier was the first Republican State Senator, elected in the fall of 1855, since which time the county has always chosen Repub- lican Senators, with the exception of E. L. Phillips, in 1859, George W. Mitchell, in 1861, and Edward S. Bragg, in 1867. Thus, while the Republicans have hardly secured half of the offices-though during twenty-four years there were more Republican than Democratic Sheriff's -they have always been well represented in the Legislature.

The Republicans carried the county for Lincoln and Grant. when they were candidates for President, and carried the city of Fond du Lac and town of Eldorado for W. E. Smith. for Governor, in 1879. Among the more prominent members of the Republican party who were officers in the rebellion were Charles S. Hamilton, a Major General, ranking the highest of any Fond du Lac County soldier ; James T. Conklin, Quartermaster of Sherman's army ; David E. Wood, O. II. La Grange, Edward Colman, J. II. Hauser, Bertine Pinkney, Alexander White, HIiram S. Town, Kelsey M. Adams, M. Ewen, Colwert K. Pier, George W. Carter, George Perkins and others who held commissions.

Among those who have held other offices and positions of trust are C. S. Hamilton, appointed United States Marshal, by Grant; Orin Hatch, United States Assessor : O. H. La Grange, Superintendent of the United States Mint at San Francisco ; Howard M. Kutchin, State's Prison Commissioner and Collector of Internal Revenue for the Third District ; Walter T. Coneys, who was Edwin M. Stanton's Private Secretary ; Henry L. Cordier and George W.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Carter, Wardens of the State's Prison ; David Taylor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin ; and Mason Brayman, Governor of the Territory of Idaho (Mr. Brayman lived across the line in Green Lake County, but owned, edited and published a newspaper in Ripon). W. H. Hiner. of Fond du Lac, was a Presidential Elector in 1876.

The campaigns carried on by the Republicans have always been vigorous and strong, and so effective as to secure some of the offices which, from the popular majority held by the Demo- crats, would naturally be expected to fall to them rather than the Republicans. Their record is therefore one of which they feel proud.

National Greenback Party .- The first Greenback doctrine ever listened to in Fond du Lac County was in a speech made in Opera Hall in the fall of 1874, by W. W. Field, then Secretary of the State Agricultural Society. At the Presidential election of 1876, sixty-seven votes were cast in Fond du Lac County for Peter Cooper, Greenback candidate for President.

The first party organization was formed about the middle of September, 1877. A Senato- rial Convention for the Eighteenth District met in Fond du Lac, with D. Lyons, of Empire, Chairman, and Mr. McKenna, Secretary. Gustav de Neveu was nominated for State Sen- ator. In accepting the nomination, he said : " If elected, I will not place myself on record in the interest of money or railroad or other rings, and will do nothing in the way of begging votes, spending money, or buying cigars or whisky, to secure my election." The next Saturday and Monday, conventions were held for the Third and Second Assembly Districts, nominating James Fitzgerald and W. P. Amadon, candidates. In the afternoon of that Monday, a County Con- vention was held in the Court House. Dr. John Wiley, of Empire, was nominated for Sheriff, and J. V. HIarter, of New Cassel, for Superintendent of Schools. The latter gentleman declin- ing, the County Committee placed on the ticket the name of Ed McLoughlin, the choice of the Democrats. Mr. McLoughlin and Mr. Fitzgerald were elected. There were 520 Greenback votes cast in the city of Fond du Lac. In 1878, David Giddings received 1,687 votes in Fond du Lac County for Congressman. The canvass was vigorous, speakers being sent to every school district in the county. In the spring of 1878, Orin Hatch was elected Mayor of Fond du Lac by the Greenbackers and Democrats, and John Bell, of Byron, William Wiley, of Empire, and P. Greening, of Lamartine, were chosen Supervisors by the Greenback party. In the fall, the Greenbackers nominated William Wiley for Register of Deeds ; Mr. Zimmerman for Treasurer ; John Bell for County Clerk ; I. R. Sanford for Clerk of the Court ; D. W. C. Priest, District Attorney ; Jacob laessley for Surveyor and Isaac Orvis for Coroner. Jacob Haessley being on the Democratic ticket also, was elected. In the fall of 1879, H. W. Morris was the Green- back candidate for Sheriff, and Miss Anna Burke for County Superintendent of Schools. But they received only a small share of the votes cast. The Greenback organ, the People's Cham- pion, had suspended, and interest in the party seemed to have been at low ebb. Nearly all the "clubs " had disbanded at the beginning of 1880.

Among the leaders of the party in Fond du Lac County were Hiram Morris and John Bell, of Byron : J. J. Kelly and Dr. Eidemiller, of Osceola ; Henry Hayes and Dr. Vander- voort, of Eden : John W. Hall, of Forest : William Wolf and Dr. Paule, of Marshfield ; David Giddings, Gustav de Neveu, Dr. Wiley, G. W. Hersey, John Meiklejohn, of Empire ; J. Schmitz, of Calumet ; Isaac Orvis and M. Foley, of Oakfield ; William M. Jones, F. F. Zim- merman and W. P. Amadon, of Waupun ; Jerry Griffithis, of Eldorado ; F. R. and J. II. Stew- art, of Rosendale ; C. B. Seward and W. M. Lockwood, of Ripon ; Joel N. McSchooler, of Ashford ; and of the city, acting as leaders, were John Nichols, A. M. Blair, H. E. Connitt, D. W. C. Priest, J. R. Tallmadge (the song singer), A. Moody, John Burke, O. P. Bowe, Spencer Palmer, J. M. Wells, J. L. Colman, Orin Hatch, L. F. Stowe, Caleb Miller, James Fitzgerald, Charles Chandler, George Hunter, A. G. Purdy, Henry Scolar, A. Raymond.

Other Political Parties .- In 1848, the Free Soilers appeared with considerable strength as a political element in Fond du Lac County, giving their support to Martin Van Buren for Pres- ident. They did not do much in the way of securing local offices, generally coalescing with the Democrats if any coalition was made. In 1849, John Bannister, of Fond du Lac, was the Free

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Soil candidate for Lieutenant Governor, but was badly defeated with the balance of his ticket. The Free Soil party claimed the right of Congress to regulate slavery, and was anti-slavery in its principles. It also demanded the freedom of the soil to actual settlers, there being at that time no pre-emption or homestead laws, except temporary ones. The party was not successful in Fond du Lac County campaigns, and when the Republican party was formed its members generally be- came Republicans, though there was a Free Soil party organization maintained in name until the rebellion.

The Free Democracy was the name of an organization composed of those of the Democratic party who opposed slavery. It was never successful as a party, although it maintained an organ, the Western Freeman, by J. A. Smith, and weakened the Democratic party so that "fusion" or compromise candidates were occasionally elected.

The Prohibitionists have maintained a party organization in Fond du Lac County during several years, but have never succeeded in electing any of their candidates. Their cardinal principles are prohibitory liquor laws, such as will put a stop to the manufacture and sale of all intoxicating liquors. The Ripon Free Press is their organ, and T. D. Stone, I. N. Woodruff, C. F. Hammond and O. B. Judd the leaders of the party.

There was also a secret organization-the Know Nothing party-whose motto was, "Put none but Americans on guard." As Fond du Lac County was the home of very many foreigners of nearly all nationalities, the Know Nothings were considered odious by a large class of citizens. Nevertheless, it is said they controlled the offices of the county during two or three campaigns by maneuvering in such a manner as to secure places for a portion of their candidates on each of the two principal tickets. The party deliberations were conducted with great secresy.

The Liberty Party was organized in the latter part of 1844 in this county. At a conven- tion held at Wanpun in 1846, the party platform set forth that its members should vote for no man for public office who was " a slave-holder, apologist for slavery, or who was in political alli- ance with slave-holders, or who would not make the protection of the inalienable rights of man his first duty." The convention was largely attended, the leaders bring Rev. Dana Lamb of Rosendale, M. S. Barnett, Isaac M. Stowe, Alexander Carpenter, J. B. Judd, Rev. D. C. Vaughan, John Hall, C. J. Allen and Warren Morley. The party held conventions, passed resolutions and nominated tickets regularly until 1848, when most of its members joined the Free Soilers, never having achieved a victory at the polls.

RIPON COLLEGE.

The first enterprise of a public character in what is now the city of Ripon, was the found- ing of an institution of learning. It was commenced without population, without money and without a charter, in the fall of 1850, by four or five men-not more. It was determined not to wait for a session of the Legislature in order to obtain a charter ; time was precious. A tem- porary organization was effected under a general law, which was never designed for any such thing, but which, it was thought, might be made " to hold water"-and it did-until a charter could be obtained in proper form. A subscription paper was pushed around, when there were not a dozen men, all told. to touch it: when there was little property and less money in the country, and when merchants in this region were actually refusing to receive wheat on accounts, at 25 cents a bushel ! Such was the condition of things when "Brockway Col- lege" afterward " Ripon College," which name it still retains, was established.

When there was little to be seen upon the high ground surrounding the valley, in which clustered the houses of the little village of Ceresco, except the rolling prairie in all its native breadth and beauty, dotted here and there with groves of oaks and poplars; when as yet streets and houses were few, and the inhabitants not more than a few score; the far-seeing citizens began the movement to establish here an institution of learning of a high order. The national census of the year before bad set down the total population of the new and rising State. then only three years old, as 305,391, and it was rather to provide facilities for the higher cult- ure of the thousands that were, it was seen, soon to people the fertile lands, than to meet the

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limited wants of the existing population, that the enterprise was begun. There were then only two colleges in Wisconsin, and they had an attendance of only seventy-five students. The people who had selected this beautiful spot for their homes, worldly wise, and, let us hope, actu- ated by noble motives, resolved to make the place distinguished as a seat of learning and a center of culture for all time to come.

Contributions of money and land* were made, and during the summer of 1851, the stone walls of the first college building-now East College-were erected. The funds on hand being already exhausted, a new effort had to be made, and later in the season, the roof was put on. The money was wholly furnished by the people of Ripon, and considering their very limited resources, their contributions were liberal. Some who had no money to give, furnished materials or their own labor. One who assisted in the erection of this building, writes thus of its progress until it was inclosed :

" The ground for the first building was staked out in a snowstorm by three men, who together were probably not worth $15,000, and no part of that in ready money. Still, the contracts were made; the walls of the building were pushed up, the timbers-hauled by teams over the worst of roads, from Winneconne-were put in, the roof was lifted on to them, finally the windows came into position, and the most wonderful thing about it was, it was all paid for.' At this stage of advancement, the enterprise halted for a time.

The act of incorporation of " Broekway College," as it was agreed to call the new institu- tion, was approved January 29, 1851. The original incorporators were David P. Mapes, Ezra L. Northrup, Alvin E. Bovay, Warren Chase, John S. Horner, Jehdiab Bowen, Almon Osborn, Asa Kinney, Edwin Lockwood, Dana F. Shepard, Alexander B. Beardsley, William S. Brockway, Edward L. Runals, William Starr, and the president of the college, ex officio. The design and purpose of the corporation was declared to be " to found, establish and maintain at Ripon, in the county of Fond du Lac, an institution of learning of the highest order, embrac- ing also a department for preparatory instruction." The buildings of the institution were to be located on "Out Lot No. 4, in the village of Ripon," and the annual income from all property belonging to the college was not to exceed $10,000.

The site of the new institution embraced at this time but a single acre of ground, fronting east upon Ransom street, and lying principally just south of the present site of the Congrega- tional Church.

The next summer, the Trustees, having exhausted their seanty means on the unfinished building. and seeing the need of enlisting some religious denomination in the enterprise, sent a proposition, by the first minister of the Congregational Church of Ripon, Rev. F. G. Sherrill, to the " Winnebago Distriet Convention of Presbyterian and Congregational ministers and Churches," to adopt the institution. They offered to transfer to the convention all the property of the college for the nominal sum of $400, on condition that the building should be finished, so far as necessary for the purpose, and a school opened in it early in the summer of 1853.

The churches of this region being then very weak, the convention did not deem it practi- cable to raise the money required, and requested Rev. J. W. Walcott, then the minister of a church at Menasha, and a member of the convention, to buy the property for the convention, pledging itself to take it as soon as it should be able to pay him for it. In accordance with the request of the convention and at the solicitation of the Trustees, Mr. Walcott bought the property on the 20th of November, 1852. He enlarged the grounds of the College by the purchase of some adjacent land. chiefly from A. E. Bovay and J. Bowen, until, at one time, the College grounds embraced nearly the whole square upon which the buildings are situated, together with some adjoining land. From Mr. Bovay, he obtained between two and three acres, constituting the

* The College lot-" Ont Lot No. 4, in the village of Ripon "-was conveyed to the Board of Trustees of Brockway College, May 13, 1851, by David P. Mapes and Ruth Mapes. " It required much labor," writes one who was early identified with the institution, "to dispose of the stock of the College, but determined minds said it should be done, and it was done. I recollect going to one of our best farmers, Alinon Osborn, for a subscription to the College, and he put down $25. P'rond of so liberal a donation, I went to his next neighbor, Julian Rivers, and presenting the subscription paper, said: "Your neighbor, Osborn, lins put down $25." Scanning the list a moment, he remarked, " Well, put me down for $30." He was not to be outdone by his neighbors. Ile burned lime from his quarry and drew it to the site of the building, in order that the foundation walls of the first edifice might be laid.

FOND DU LAC.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

southeast portion of the present campus, and from Mr. Bowen he bought about seven acres, form- ing the southwest portion, and extending westward to the cemetery line. From other owners he purchased that part of the grounds upon which stand Middle College and West College, and the row of lots not now belonging to the College, which bound the present College territory on the north, and front upon State street.

During the winter, some of the upper rooms of the building were finished, together with the halls. The College was opened for academic studies in the ladies' department June 1, 1853. The students attending during the first term were: Jane A. Bowen, Sarah E. Brown, Katie Clinton, Margaret Harris, Maria Harroun, Elida Huntington, Charlotte M. Mapes, Charlotte Masten, Mary J. Pedrick, Josephine E. Russell, Imogene Shepard, Augusta R. Scott, Jane H. Scott, Janette Taylor, Augusta Wentworth and Mary M. West. The school, during this term, was under the superintendence of Miss Martha J. Adams. On the Ist day of September of that year, M. W. Martin opened the male department. The names of the students during this term were : A. A. Atwell, E. D. Babbitt, Henry L. Barnes, T. W. Caster, John S. Bowen, E. K. Brown, G. D. Hance, A. W. Horner, J. M. Judd, F. Masten, Z. A. Pedrick, L. Strong, L. S. Shepard, Luther Spalding, Moses Swift, R. A. Rew, Cyrus Wakefield, A. C. Wedge, A. G. Wedge and D. J. Wedge.

In October, 1853, J. W. Walcott arrived and assumed control of both departments as Prin- eipal of the institution. Alvan E. Bovay afterward gave instruction in mathematics.

The first Trustees were: J. W. Walcott, D. Sabin, A. E. Bovay, A. Osborn, A. B. Beardsley. E. L. Runals, D. P. Mapes, T. B. Robbins, J. Bowen, W. Brockway, W. Starr, A. P. Mapes and E. L. Northrup. Officers : J. W. Walcott, President ; E. L. Northrup, Treasurer ; A. E. Bovay, Secretary.

A writer in 1854 speaks thus of "Brockway College :" "Toward the close of the year, in a gentle snowstorm, two men might have been seen staking out the location for the first college building, amidst the half-suppressed jeers of the faithless.

" The novelty, the boldness and the utility of the enterprise ; the tireless efforts of a few determined spirits ; the unequaled beauty of the location, all united to attract the sympathy and munificence of the surrounding country. The enterprise succeeded beyond the most sanguine expectations of its most earnest friends.

"On the west side of the village of Ripon is an elevation of about ten acres of land. This eminence is covered with shrubs and underwood, with occasional oaks which thicken westward, and at the distance of twenty-five or thirty rods mingle with the growth of thick forest trees which spread over nearly two hundred acres. The middle of this elevation is nearly circular, about one hundred vards in diameter, smooth and level, and has an altitude of over thirty feet above the surrounding country. Upon this hill, at the exact spot staked out by the two grim determined men in a snowstorm, stands Brockway College [the East College of the present day ]. It is a beautiful stone edifice, presenting its four equal fronts to the four cardinal points of the compass.

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The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 75

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1082

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1082