The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 87

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

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Sealers of Weights and Measures .- A. B. Taylor, 1865; S. Oberich, 1867-71 ; John Reinig, 1872. No record for 1873-74. Robert Mentzel, 1875. No incumbent of record 1876. Adolph Mentzel, 1877-78 ; Luther Holmes, 1879.

Hay and Wood Inspector .- John Bonnell, 1869-70; William Kaler, 1871 ; H. Bruyere. 1872 ; L. L. Lowry, 1873. Office abolished January 6, 1873.

Street Superintendents .- A. C. Everest, 1867 ; J. Bonnell, 1868-69; C. L. Alling, 1870. No record for 1871 or subsequently. The revised charter, adopted in the spring of 1879, provides for a Sidewalk Superintendent, and S. A. Smith was the officer.

Municipal Judges .- E. Bissell, long term ; W. D. Conklin, short term, 1871. William D. Conklin, 1873. Office abolished at the expiration of William D. Conklin's term of office.

Marshals .- C. N. Snell, 1852 ; F. P. Humiston, 1853; Jolin Case, 1854; J. W. Bowen, 1855; Daniel Banks, 1856; Charles Arlen, 1857-58 ; E. S. Hammond, 1859; B. T. Midgeley, 1860 ; C. Van Norder, 1861 ; John Dobyns, 1862-64; Philip Zipp, 1865; Louis Ladoux, 1866. Office abolished.

Chiefs of Police .- James T. Conklin, 1867-68; James O'Connell, 1869; I. N. Welch, 1870-71; James Swineford, 1872-73 ; Timothy Hardgrove, 1874; G. A. Kretlow, 1875-80.

School Superintendents .- E. Hodges, 1852-55; Robert A. Baker, 1856; George B. East- man, 1857-59; David E. Wood. 1860; G. B. Eastman, 1861-64; N. C. Griffin, 1865; (). C. Steinberg, 1866-67, and a portion of 1868; G. F. Brownson, balance of 1868; T. S. Wright, 1869-71; V. W. Seeley and A. C. Barry, 1872; V. W. Seeley, 1873; C. N. Hutch- ins, 1874-80.

CITY OF FOND DU LAC A QUARTER OF A CENTURY AGO.

A writer in 1854 gives this description of the city of Fond du Lac : " At the charter elee- tion, held at the Court House April 6, 1852, Mason C. Darling was elected to the office of Mayor ; J. M. Taylor, Treasurer ; W. A. Dewey, Clerk ; C. N. Snell, Marshal, and E. Hodges, Superintendent of Schools. In 1853, G. MeWilliams was elected Mayor; E. H. Galloway, Treasurer; G. W. Sawyer, Clerk ; F. P. Humiston, Marshal, and E. Hodges, Superintendent of Schools. In 1854, Isaac Brown was elected Mayor; E. H. Galloway, Treasurer; G. W. Sawyer, Clerk ; John Case, Marshal ; E. Hodges, Superintendent of Schools.

" The city is situated on the Fond du Lac River, the mouth of which furnishes a conven- ient harbor for steamboats and other craft traversing the waters of Lake Winnebago. The prin- cipal business part of the city is upon the east side of the river, and more than a mile from the Lake. Upon the west side of the stream, is a beautiful grove of sugar maple and other forest

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

trees, in which pleasant retreat are numerous private residences, splendid and tasteful gardens, and one elegant church edifice, erected by the Baptist denomination in 1853. The Rock River Valley Union Railroad, with its depots and machine-shops, is on the west side of the river.

" Surrounding the most populous part of the city are thousands of acres of unbroken prairie, over which freely roam vast herds of cattle and horses, luxuriating and fattening upon the rich prairie grass, and rank clover, which are sufficiently abundant to supply hundreds more of cattle and horses withont inducing a scarcity of food. This wide expanse is occasionally dotted with the elegant mansion of the man at ease, but more frequently with the habitations of the humble toilers. Mechanics of small means, who labor in the city, prompted by the desire for a ' home of their own,' select locations where lots can be purchased at comparatively low prices, erect dwelling-houses, and thus add inducements to others, and to the value of the surrounding lands. Almost every week witnesses not only numerous buildings erecting upon the principal streets, but new settlements within the bounds of the city.

" This city, being surrounded by one of the most fertile and interesting farming countries in the State, with the peculiar advantages of its location, has required no forced effort to secure its rapid growth. Its natural and easy connection with the ' pineries' is, of itself, a mine of wealth. Lumber and all kinds of timber for building can be obtained in the city almost with as little dif- ficulty as in the forest where it grows. The limestone ledge stretches along the whole length of the city, within three miles from which the best of stone may be easily quarried for building, flagging, and for burning lime, and in quantity sufficient to build a second Chinese wall. The great fountain of most delicious water which underlies the whole city, struggles for vent, and pours a grateful stream of health and comfort for as many as will approach it.

" The natural channel for communication through Lake Winnebago and Fox River to the Great Lakes, and through the latter to the Atlantic cities, connected with the inherent wealth of the city, forms a combination of advantages seldom found in one place, and have led far-seeing and sagacious business men to make investments in Fond du Lac, not for purposes of specula- tion, but for permanent residences and thorough business transactions. And, although the city bas not grown with the rapidity which has marked the progress of many Western places, it has been continually increasing with steady pace, in population and enterprise, measuring its busi- ness by the legitimate wants of the population ; hence, it has never suffered the paralytic influ- ence of re-action from feverish excitements. The prosperity of each year has given its successor momentum, until, with its increased ratio of progress, it is becoming a city of no small impor- tance. Eastern capitalists already manifest their shrewd forecast by purchasing real estate in Fond du Lac. Mechanics of all kinds here find ready employment and high prices for labor. Many of the buildings erected in the early growth of the city were constructed on the principle of securing the greatest amount of room with the least possible expense. The present season [1854] witnesses the erection of noble structures of stone, brick and cement.

" There are at present four school districts in the city. District No. 4 embraces more than half the population of the place. It has a spacious and well-constructed schoolhouse, a library filled with well-selected volumes, a small cabinet of geological specimens, outline maps and other useful apparatus for giving instruction. The yard is enriched and ornamented with shade trees, and has a fountain of water. The school is graded, consisting of a primary, an interme- diate, and a higher department. A well-qualified teacher is employed in cach about ten months during the year, and in the winter the Principal has an assistant in the higher department. There is no school in this section of the State better adapted to give a thorough English educa- tion to the youth of both sexes than this. It gives to all the children of the district the advan- tages of a school of a high order, and furnishes the surrounding country with some of its most approved and successful teachers. It is truly one of the noblest institutions of this thriving city. The other three districts have hitherto maintained separate schools upon the unclassified plan, but have recently agreed to unite, and establish a school of the first order. When that is accomplished, Fond du Lac may justly be proud of the educational advantages which are afforded to all the children of the city, without regard to wealth or caste. There are in the city about

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

nine hundred children, between the ages of four and twenty years, most of whom attend the pub- lic schools a portion of the year. The amount expended for school purposes in 1853 was $2,072.31.

" The Wisconsin Female Seminary was established in the year 1853, by Rev. O. W. Cooley and wife, at the city of Fond du Lac. The object of its founders was to secure to the young ladies who should avail themselves of its advantages, a liberal, finished and Christian education. The institution passed the ordeal of its first term with encouraging success, and has commenced its second term with cheering prospects for the future.

" The church edifices in the city are one Roman Catholic, one Episcopal, two Methodist Episcopal, one Congregational and one Baptist. The Catholic and Congregational have both been enlarged since their erection, but the increase of population has increased their congrega- tions beyond their capacity for accommodation, and larger structures are demanded. The others were more recently erected, and are yet equal to the wants of the worshipers. There is a Free- will Baptist Church, but they have not a house of worship ; they occupy the Union Schoolhouse. There are now eight resident clergymen, whose talents and usefulness will compare favorably with their brethren of other cities.

" The Catholic church was organized in 1848, with about thirty members, under the administration of Father Rerhl, who resided at that time in Calumet. But, as their numbers increased, they built a Church edifice, and the congregation was watched over by Father Anthony Godfert, who, after staying three years, was succeeded by Father Louis Dael, who is now [1854] in charge. The church now numbers about two thousand members, though not all residents of the city.

"St. Patrick's Temperance Society was organized on the 17th of March, 1854, with about fifteen members. It now numbers 250, not one of whom has broken the pledge. They hold their meetings the first of each month, when an address is delivered by some one of the mem- bers. The Catholics are about erecting a spacious church edifice 130 feet long and 60 feet wide, to be built of stone. They intend to have it completed the present year.

" The first regular missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who preached in Fond du Lac County, was Jesse Halsted, who formed a class in Taycheedah, in 1842. In 1848, Rev. Ilarvey Bronson organized the M. E. Church in the village of Fond du Lac, with six members. The Presiding Elders to the present time [1854] have been W. H. Sampson, W. Wilcox and W. G. Miller. The Pastors have been II. Bronson, Joseph Lewis, M. L. Noble, H. R. Col- man, II. Requa, J. S. Prescott, E. Tucker and E. S. Grumley. There was a second church formed in the North Ward in 1852. The South Ward church now numbers [1854] 138.

" The first Baptist Church of Fond du Lac was instituted May 21. 1845, with eight mem- bers. H. Hovey, W. II. Card and S. Cornelius, Jr., have successively been Pastors of the church. Since the settlement of the present Pastor, a commodious and convenient house of worship has been erected through his persevering efforts, at a cost of $3,000. The present number of members [1854] is about seventy.

" The Congregational Church, the largest Protestant church in the city, was organized by Rev. Stephen Peet, July 20, 1845. It consisted at its organization of nine members. In September, 1846, Rev. L. C. Spafford assumed the pastoral charge of the church, and continued in that relation until the autumn of 1852. In 1849, a house of worship was erected, at a cost of $900. When Mr. Spafford left the church, it numbered some seventy-five members. In June, 1853, Rev. Silas Hawley, Jr., of the presbytery of Geneva, N. Y., became Pastor of the church. In the autumn ensuing, such was the increase of the congregation, that a large addition was made to the house of worship. But such has been, and is still [1854], the crowded state of their house, that the members are about to erect one of the largest and finest church edifices in the State. It will accommodate at least 1,000. They have an architect now East to pro- cure the best model. During the brief pastorate of Mr. Hawley, there has been an increase of the members of the church of seventy-five persons.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

" St. Paul's Church of Fond du Lac was organized September, 4, 1849. The number of communicants at that time was four; at the present time [1854], forty-four. The edifice was completed and consecrated July 18, 1852. Rev. Joshua Sweet became Rector of the parish September 4, 1849, and resigned June 24, 1854.

"There are now [1854] in the city of Fond du Lac nine physicians, two dentists, sixteen lawyers, two landscape and portrait painters, three daguerrean artists, two joiner-shops, five car- riage factories, five tin-shops, three saddle and harness shops, one tallow chandlery, eight boot and shoe stores, one brewery, four cooper-shops, one billiard-room, three saloons, thirteen gro- ceries where liquors are sold, thirteen grocery and provision stores, one jewelry and music store, one gun and ammunition store, five blacksmith-shops, three livery stables, two cabinet and chair factories, one book-bindery, three bakeries, thirteen dry-goods stores, one leather store, two hat and cap stores, two drug stores, four clothing stores, two tailor-shops, one candy factory. three meat markets, one plow factory, one fanning-mill shop, three bookstores, one music store, two oil and glass stores, one tobacco and cigar factory, one cap factory, two barber-shops, one paint- shop, one water-power saw-mill, one sash, door and blind factory, two steam saw-mills, one steam-power planing machine, six millinery stores, eight hotels, one bank, one bank of exchange and brokerage, twelve lumber merchants, two hardware stores, one jewelry store, and one county jail without an occupant.

"Between the opening of the spring and July 10, 1854, there were erected in the city of Fond du Lac, ninety-seven new buildings. There were between 250 and 300 mechanics em- ployed in the place, besides the common day laborers. The annual sales of several of the lead- ing dry-goods houses average about $30,000 each ; the grocery and provision stores, $10,000; clothing stores, $10,000. and hardware, $35,000. The annual sales of each of the tin and stove stores average about $10,000, and of meat markets, $10,000. The amount of lumber sold annually is estimated at over 12,000,000 fect. About 6,000,000 shingles are manufactured and sold each year. The population of the city is estimated at a fraction less than 5,000. Since 1850 [to 1854], the capital and business of the place have increased in a higher ratio than the population, which has at least doubled. In the mean time, the resident lawyers have decreased about forty per cent, and places for the sale of intoxicating drinks, about fifty per cent. These, together with the fact that in the county jail there is not a prisoner, are encouraging tokens that the civilization and morality of the city are improving. There are four daily mails to Fond du Lac, and eight weekly and tri-weekly mails. Since the post office was established in 1838, it has been in charge of John Bannister, M. C. Darling, Thomas Green, J. A. Eastman, Sam- uel Ryan, Jr., C. W. Tompkins and G. W. Weikert. Its present revenues [1854] are $1,824. There are received at the office weekly, seventy-five mails, and the same number made up. besides the distribution of twenty-five bags of newspapers."

FOND DU LAC POST OFFICE.

The first post office was opened and kept by Colwert Pier, in the Fond du Lac Company's log house, before he had a commission and before there was any regular mail or mail carrier. He was the first Postmaster, and received the first mail on the 5th of February, 1838, which was brought by Baptiste Lavigne, a half-blood Frenchman. Thereafter, mail was received and sent once in two weeks, and consisted mostly of papers from the East, and letters which had no envelopes, but were dexterously folded and either sewed with thread or sealed with wax. The revenue of the office did not exceed, during the first year, $1.50. Mr. Pier kept for his neigh- bors parcels of mail sent from Green Bay, before this time.

The second Postmaster was John Bannister. who kept the office in the same log building. He was made richer by the trust at the rate of $3 per year. He became Postmaster soon after the death of Colwert Pier's wife in the spring of 1838. and continued to hohl the office about a year. In the meantime, a new mail-carrier had succeeded Baptiste Lavigne, whose name was Narcisse Baudoin. He was a swarthy and tireless half-Frenchman, who brought the mail once a week. He never failed, no matter what the condition of the roads or weather.

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Mr. Bannister was succeeded by Dr. M. C. Darling, who removed the office from the Com- pany's house to his own house, on the corner of First and Main streets, where Darling's Block now stands. Ile continued to hold it until a mail contract was secured, when he resigned, and Thomas Green, who was keeping hotel for Dr. Darling, on the corner of Main and First streets, was appointed in 1842.

John A. Eastman, now of Benton Harbor, Mich., succeeded Mr. Green in 1845, and held the office until April, 1849. The post office proper was a small blue desk, furnished by the Government, which could be carried under the arm. Mr. Eastman removed the office to his law office, which stood about half-wav between First and Second streets, on the west side of Main.

In April, 1849, Samuel Ryan was appointed by President Taylor to the office to succeed John A. Eastman, being the first Whig Postmaster of Fond du Lac. He moved to a building just north of what is now Baker's Bank, on the cast side of Main, near the head of Forest street.

In September, 1850, C. M. Tompkins was appointed Postmaster, and he removed the office to Davis & Tompkins' little law office, between First and Second streets, on the west side of Main. This was by far too small for the business, which was soon after, in 1851, moved to the Lewis House, on the corner of Main and Sheboygan streets, where the Patty House now stands.

In 1852, Franklin Pierce was elected President, and, as Mr. Tompkins did not expect a re-appointment, being a Whig, he resigned in favor of his partner, Alexander Davis, who was a Democrat. This scheme was defeated by Congressman John B. Macy, in the winter of 1852-53, before the inauguration of Pierce, and George W. Weikert was appointed. After a time, the office was removed by him to what is now Fuerstnow's building, on the west side of Main street, two doors below Division.

In May, 1861, J. C. Lewis was appointed Postmaster by President Lincoln, and the office moved to the rear of the wooden building then used by the First National Bank, on the corner of Forest and Main streets, the entrance being on Forest. Mr. Lewis was re-appointed in 1865, but resigned in May, 1866, and James M. Gillet, now deceased, was appointed to succeed him by Andrew Johnson, but was removed in the fall of the same year. Edward S. Bragg, a Dem- ocrat, was appointed to succeed Mr. Gillet.

Early in 1867, R. M. Lewis' name was sent to the Senate by the President of the United States ; but it was afterward withdrawn, only to be sent in again April 19, 1867. At the second nomination, Mr. Lewis was immediately confirmed. Just before Mr. Lewis' appointment, the office was moved by Mr. Bragg to the Amory Block, corner of Macy and Division streets.

In May, 1869, James Coleman was appointed by President Grant to succeed Mr. Lewis. He moved the office into the present quarters, on the corner of Forest and Macy streets, Novem- ber 1, 1873. He was succeeded by J. H. Hauser, in March, 1877. About the middle of October, 1879, Mr. Hauser was removed, and, on the 22d of the month, Thomas W. Spence, who now holds the office, took possession.

The present post-office building was erected by W. C. Hamilton in 1873, especially for the purpose for which it is now used. It is a three-story structure of brick, complete in every respect, and of ample proportions.

In July, 1865, a money-order department was established, but its transactions at that time amounted to but very little. Now it is one of the most important branches of the service. In 1838, the Fond du Lac Post Office had a revenue of less than $3 per year, and received and sent mail once in two weeks. Now the revenues are $15,000 per year, and 130 mails are sent and received each week. The number of pieces of mail dropped into the office in 1877 was 1,576 per day ; in 1879, the number was 2,617 pieces per day. This is not included in mail matter brought from surrounding offices.

585

HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

FIRE DEPARTMENT.

The first step taken to protect the village from fires was in March, 1848, when John Ban- nister and A. L. Ellsworth were appointed Fire Wardens. In May, of the following year, the citizens sent a petition before the Council, or Board of Village Trustees, asking that a suitable fire engine be purchased. The petition was laid on the table with dispatch, and a resolution passed that three Fire Wardens be appointed for the ensuing year. E. W. Davis, W. A. Dewey and C. A. Goss were appointed such officers, and their duties prescribed. They were to "take charge of all fires," and give orders to citizens and bucket companies engaged in fighting flames. But they could not demolish any fenee or building at any fire without an order from two of the Village Trustees. This, although not intended as a joke, was bandied about as such. The ridiculous features of the matter were made prominent by the waggish citizens, who declared that if a fire should occur in the night, when the village officers were asleep, or at a time when they were absent from their place of business, everything adjoining the fire must of necessity be allowed to burn, as no consent could be had to demolish such property as might prevent further spreading of the flames.

It was also ordered by the Trustees that any person refusing to obey the Fire Wardens, should be fined $5 and costs, and that a similar fine should be imposed on all persons who neglected to keep open a scuttle-hole in their houses, or provide ladders which would reach the roof.

On the 3d of September, 1849, a meeting of the citizens of the village was held for the purpose of organizing a bucket company, to consist of not less than thirty members. E. W. Davis was chosen Chairman, and J. Hall, Secretary. E. Perkins and J. Hall were appointed a committee to secure pledges of those who were willing " to dip, stand in line and pass it, or throw water." The company was finally organized, and buckets, hooks and ladders were pro- cured by the city. These buckets were of leather, with peculiar bails. The bottoms and seams were stitched with " waxed ends," making a very strong receptacle, which would suffer no injury from harsh or careless handling.

There was an order promulgated, that, in case of fire, any pails or buckets offered for sale could be seized by the bucket company, and, in several instances, G. N. Lyman's store, as well as others, were emptied of their pails in short order. If any were damaged or lost, prompt pay- ment was made to the owner.

The company, which was composed of some of the foremost citizens of the place, had many opportunities to " dip, stand in line and pass it, or throw water." On one occasion, a line was formed from the block on the east side of Main street, between First and Second, to the river. The thermometer was 22º below zero, and, when the buckets contained any water at all at the end of the line next to the fire, it was frozen to either the outside or inside of them. Very little could therefore be done to stay the flames, although a score or more worked until their hands, noses or ears were frozen. This opened the eyes of the inhabitants to the necessity of obtaining a good fire engine as a more effective means of extinguishing fires, and the matter was freely discussed. Discussion seems to have been a favorite pastime of those days, for, during the next two years, nothing else was done in the way of furnishing further protection against destructive fires. Finally, in 1854, the City Council authorized K. A. Darling to go East and purchase a fire engine. At Troy, N. Y., he found and purchased for $2,800 a hand-engine, which for that sum was delivered at Fond du Lac in October. 1854. The next month, the organization of a fire company was begun.

Washington Volunteer Company, No. 1 .- The first meeting to organize a fire com- pany was held in the rear of Darling, Wright & Co.'s bank, on the corner of Main and First streets, and was attended by K. A. Darling, George W. Sawyer, C. N. Snell, Thomas H. Green, D. W. C. Wright, L. F. Stowe, Edward Farnsworth, C. L. Pierce and C. M. Bowen. They eleeted K. A. Darling as Foreman ; C. N. Snell, First Assistant, and Thomas H. Green, Second

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HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

Assistant Foreman ; L. F. Stowe, Captain of the Hose Company, and George W. Sawyer, Sec- retary. They assumed the name of " Washington Volunteer Company, No. 1." and were formally accepted by the Council as such, on the 18th day of December, 1854. John B. Wilbor was immediately ordered to make uniforms, and everything was pushed witli energy.

This was the pioneer fire company of Fond du Lac, and composed the entire Fire. Depart- ment of the city at that time. The " machine," as the first hand-engine was popularly desig- nated, was an object of curiosity for some time, and nearly everybody in the city would have joined the company if they could have done so. The maximum number of fifty was easily obtained, and was composed of such as the following: D. Everett Hoskins, C. F. Kalk, E. A. Carey, Allan Carswell, E. A. Brown, C. Childs, Thomas S. Weeks, James W. Partridge, N. L. Bullis, A. B. Taylor, George Burrows, George Burrows, Jr., Thomas Heathcote, Jerome Gib- son, John S. Burrows, T. W. Dee, John J. Metzgar, Louis Rupp, Charles Chandler. Dana C. Lamb, W. A. Tanner, Louis Darling, A. T. Little, O. D. Cory, S. A. Dudley, John B. Wilbor, C. N. Kendall, Henry Shattuck, Asa Pierce, T. G. Adams, I. K. Hamilton, William Burrows, D. R. Curran, S. E. Lefferts, C. H. Tuttle, J. H. Gibson, D. C. Hutchinson, C. L. Alling, Oscar Bonnell. David Sickles, Delos A. Ward, J. C. Lowell, Mr. Windecker, Volney Chapman, John J. Beeson, L. W. Parmelee, John C. Kennealy, J. M. Taylor, J. G. Miller. A. G. Butler, A. P. Swineford, E II. Little, F. N. Violet, L. F. Stowe, David Palmer, John Bonnell, William Sealey, Isaac S. Sherwood, C. M. Bowen, J. V. Frost, Fred Spink, C. L. Pierce, J. W. Benson, E. J. Hodges, John Warner, H. J. Hopkins.

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The history of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Part 87

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