USA > Wisconsin > Jefferson County > The history of Jefferson county, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches > Part 51
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James Piryans.
WATERTOWN
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
stress of weather obliged the craft to land at Chicago, where she was run into and sunk, Mr. Brayton continuing his journey to Milwaukee by land, arriving there on the 12th or 14th of October of the same year. There he left his family, and with Walter Hver, N. F. Hyer, Timo- thy Johnson and Reuben Keene, started for Rock River on the 26th of that month. After five days "tramping" through the Indian trails, Messrs. Brayton and Johnson reached the " Ancient City," the balance of the party, with all the horses, having left them on the 30th of October, while the twain made their way up Rock River in a canoe to where a company of men were splitting rails, to procure provisions. Having obtained some flour, and remaining with the wood- men over night. Brayton and Johnson left them at the break of day and paddled their canoe to a point on the Crawfish where they were to meet their comrades, but which, owing to some unex- plained reason, they failed to do. After spending a day or more in exploring the country and making claims, the company returned to Milwaukee, and, upon completing preparations there- for, once more set out upon their trip to Aztalan re-enforced by William Brayton, Stephen Fletcher, the Rev. J. F. Ostrander and others, and reaching their objective point at the end of seven days' journey. Thomas Brayton's house, fitted up for the accommodation of visitors, land- lookers, pleasure or hunting parties, was built of logs in the rough, being 16x20 feet in dimen- sions, furnished with a " deal table " brought from the East, two or three benches, and chairs made on the spot with such tools as an ax, a draw-shave, auger and jack-knife, some with backs but more without. The bedsteads were erected in the corners of the house by boring holes in the logs at the proper width and length for the beds, into which rails were forced, while the vacant corners were supplied with upright posts reaching to the roof on which the end and side rails were supported. Mr. Brayton's family arrived in Aztalan on the 1st of July, 1837, being the third family in the county, though Capt. Masters had a daughter who kept house for him as did Reuben Keene, and Mrs. B. lived four months in her new home without seeing a white woman-Miss Keene excepted.
In the following June, Frederick Laudit, George Hebard, Henry Edwards, James Edwards and the family of Stephen Fletcher settled there. During the fall, there was a number of addi- tional arrivals, including James L. Manville and his family. B. B. Chambers and wife came West in the spring of 1838. She made a claim to lands which was disputed by Thomas Bray- ton and others, who, after a warm contest with the madame, were compelled to acquiesce in her demands. It seems that she was a woman who dared to maintain her rights, or fancied rights. in defiance of opposition. Her husband, it is said, at one time was accustomed to collect into his cabin the vagrant Indians who always assemble about a new settlement, and, dosing them with fire-water, render the interior of the home himself and wife occupied utterly uninhabitable. She commanded him to desist, to which he paid no attention, and, upon a repetition of the offense, she stopped up the chimney from the roof, thereby smoking the interlopers. together with her husband, out into the field, and refusing him admission to the domestic hearth until he pledged himself to reform.
Public worship was established in Aztalan in 1837, and, in the spring following, a Baptist Church was organized north of the settlement, presided over by Elder Mathews. During his pastorate, and in the spring of 1838, Reuben Keenes' three children-Ephraim, Delia and Phoebe-were baptized in Crawfish River, in the presence of the settlers and a tribe of Indians. In the same spring, Aztaline, daughter of Alfred Brayton, was born, and is claimed to have been the first girl born in that vicinity. It might be stated that the first cows imported into that section were brought about the same time by Jeremiah Brayton, who procured them at Janesville and drove them home, the envied though admired of his neighbors. When that gentleman, with his family and a party of settlers, were en route to Aztalan, they reached Concord after dark and took possession of a cabin occupied by three bachelor brothers named Sacia. The emigrants made their supper on potatoes, and slept on the floor, the bachelor hosts keeping guard through the silent watches of the night, standing barefoot in the corners of the cabin, nearly paralyzed with amazement at the presence of women in their strong- hold.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
When the pioneer invoice of settlers arrived at the "ancient city " and joined issue for the possession of claims, J. F. Ostrander, Thomas Brayton and N. F. Hyer looked the ground ove and selected an entire section of land for educational purposes. This incident of civilization wa to be promoted through the agency of a school, the chief feature of the curriculum of whiel should be a course of " manual labor," with the Rev. Mr. Ostrander as President, Faculty and Dean. Before arrangements had been completed, N. P. Hawks put in his claim to a quarter section of the land to be devoted to educational purposes, and, before the projectors of the enter prise were aware of the progress that had been made in perfecting title, he had nearly completed his cabin. When this fact was brought to the notice of the "Trustees," one of the Fosters accompanied by James Paine, N. F. Hyer, Henry Pellet, and others, visited the intruder's field of operations, and proceeded to demolish his castle. While thus occupied, Hawks appeared upon the scene, armed with a ponderous horse-pistol, and, arresting the quartette, marched them before Alvin Foster, who held them to appear before the Circuit Court at Milwaukee. Thei: appearance was never entered, but Hawks remained in undisturbed possession of "Seminary Hill," which has thus far been denied occupation by the advocates of a school to be devoted to science and manual labor.
Among the settlers who established themselves in Aztalan Township previous to 1840 there were Harvey Foster, Thomas Brayton, Jeremiah Brayton, William Brayton, James L Thayer, Captain of the steamer built at Aztalan by N. P. Hawks, in 1839; James Paine, H H. Sedgwick, J. F. Ostrander, D. Pellet, Henry Pellet, Judge Hyer, George Hyer, Samue Hosley, H. L. Foster, James L. Manville, John C. Starkweather. Harvey Smith, N. P. Hawks Dr. Delafield, B. B. Chambers, J. M. Brown (who built the stone mill now owned by Richard Hooper, on the road between Lake Mills and Milford) Benjamin Baldwin. David Ingram Reuben Keene, George Hebard, Benjamin Babcock, Frederick Launt, Capt. Keyes, and others
In those days, the settlers experienced the utmost difficulty in procuring the necessaries o life, there being a time when Reuben Keene's family existed for three weeks on bull-pouts and sheepheads caught in the river. Flour was obtained at the mills in Beloit, Oconomowoc. Rock ford, Ill., and elsewhere, and, as liquor was a luxury equally as difficult of procuration
temperance, as a rule, prevailed. One day, when Capt. Keyes had obtained a quantity o flour from Thomas Brayton. he started for home, and, to save time and distance, attempted to ford the river. By some means, he miscalculated the depth, and, almost before he was awar of it, he walked into a quicksand and narrowly escaped drowning, his flour dissolving into noth ingness. When he realized the calamity which had overtaken him, he sat down on the bank and sought consolation in tears. The hardships they endured or were compelled to endure, would appall the stoutest heart of to-day.
LAKE MILLS.
Next in.order of settlement, according to date, was Lake Mills, at which point, on what i now known as " Rock Lake," a settlement was begun early in 1837. How early the initiator measures looking to the establishment of a home in this immediate section of the country wer undertaken, is not of record. The first authentic account of any being made locates them, as to time, in May of that year. and E. L. Atwood and brother, with Jacob Gause, as the adven turous pilgrims. They came from Massachusetts in 1836, and became of the number o ambitious elaim-seekers to be found about that time frequenting the highways and by-ways o the future enterprising " Cream City." and as soon as they had possessed themselves entirely o the objeet of their visit, which was hitherto vested in Royal Tyler, began to make such improve ments of their domain as were in harmony with comfort, if devoid of the luxury, to be seen on thei: " claims " by the casual observer of to-day. These consisted of a block-house, which was com. pleted in the fall, and shielded them from the winter's cold, as also the potatoes they harvested as their winter's store. Early in the following spring new settlers were added to the future village. In the summer, Mr. Atwood's sisters came on from Milwaukee, and, beaming upor the settlement like a glint of sunlight across the pathway of benighted wanderings, added
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
charm to the wilderness, rich in its emerald foliage theretofore unknown. In the fall, and when the forests were freighted with badges of mourning, not fresh flowers, and the dying year fol- lowed the song of the lark and the ruin of the rainbow, more settlers came and made for them- selves an habitation and a name. These consisted of the parents of Mr. Atwood, their brothers and E. L. Atwood and family, with Capt. Joseph Keyes, who too was accompanied by his family. The latter appreciating the value of the water-power, began its improvement; and, during the year 1839, commenced the building of a mill, which was completed and began operations before winter set in. George Farmer and wife, who had gone West with Capt. Keyes, returned to Herkimer Co., N. Y., after they had seen the infant settlement struggle into vitality and strength ; and thus was Lake Mills Township to-day a cultivated, fruitful and wealthy factor of the county first inhabited.
The first marriage in the township was that celebrated between Royal Phelps and Rosaline Colton, in January, 1839. Mrs. John Atwood's was the first death, occurring in November, 1845 ; and William Henry Atwood, son of E. L. and Sarah Atwood, the first birth of which there has been any record kept.
JEFFERSON.
The settlement of Jefferson Township is accredited to Rodney J. Currier and Andrew Lan- sing, who came into the county from the East in December, 1836. and located at a point on the northwest quarter of Section 10, where they erected a log cabin. Claims to territory in the township had been made prior to this, and Timothy Johnson averred that he had become a resident thereof in the February previous ; but the settlement perfected by Currier and Lansing is gen- erally believed to have been the first permanently established. They enjoyed the same expe- rience recorded of others who ventured into the wilds of the West, and though they are rapidly becoming mere traditions, there are some of the witnesses left yet, who will recall the incidents in those days occurring. The provisions of the settlers were obtained from Milwaukee, where $30 was paid per barrel for pork, $15 for flour and $16 each for transportation.
The next permanent settler was Capt. Robert Masters. This gentleman left Milwaukee in December, 1836, in company with N. F. Hyer, James L. Thayer, John Jones, George Hver and Mr. Van Deven, to take a trip to Rock River for the purpose of making a claim. The company reached Rock River about the 24th of the same month, and proceeded thence to where Aztalan now stands. Ile passed Christmas with Lomira Brayton, and then, accompanied by Mr. Thayer and two other men, went over to Johnson's Creek. The day following, he drove down the Crawfish to its junction with Rock River, near which Mr. Masters marked his claim to the land upon which he subsequently resided. The party then continued on their return to Milwaukee, taking Fort Atkinson and Bark River en route, arriving home about the last of December.
On New Year's Day, 1837, Capt. Masters, with his son Eugene, John Jones and a hired man, began his second trip to Jefferson. The company reached Prairieville at dark, where they passed the night, and where they fell in with Maj. Meacham, who was supplied with an abun- dance of whisky, through the agency of which the night was passed at least pleasantly. Capt. Masters reached his claim about the 4th of January, and at once began the erec- tion of a shanty, which was finished and a fire kindled on the night of the second day. Abont the 7th of January, Capt. Masters went to Bark River after a part of his family; on his return, was accompanied by his two boys and daughter Evaline, who was the first white woman to settle in Jefferson.
Enoch G. Darling came in August, 1837. Ile was a native of Vermont, but becoming affected with the prevailing Western fever, started toward that favored region, arriving at Chi- cago in 1832, where he erceted the second frame building in the present city by the lake. In 1835, he went to Milwaukee, where he put up the first storehouse and tavern, remaining there until February, 1837, when he visited Rock River, as the agent of the Rock River Claim Com- pany, charged with the work of building a saw-mill, which was then in process of construction on Bark River, and where he put up the first frame building in the county.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
During this season, Mr. Darling built a boat, and, in the month of August as above stated. removed with his family by the way of Rock and Bark Rivers to the place where Jefferson now stands, his being the first boat ever floated by a white man on Rock River in Wisconsin.
Mr. Rufus C. Dodge, at present residing a short distance west of Fort Atkinson, landed at Milwaukee on the 1st day of August, 1836, from Augusta, Oneida Co., N. Y. " After a few days' stay," in that future city of wealth, he says. " Alvin Foster, David Sargent and mysel started for Bark River on foot, our baggage being packed on one horse. There was no road from Prairieville to Bark River but an Indian trail, nor a shanty on the route or at the latter named place. Our lodgings were the best we could find under some large oak. I made but & short stay before returning to Milwaukee after my effects, with the intention of working for company which was about to build a saw-mill at Bark River. On the trip from Milwaukee to Bark River, with an ox team, we cut our road through in four days, a distance of forty-five miles The most of the way, however, needed but little cutting, it being openings and prairie. Afte: reaching Bark River, we left our team on the east side, crossed over to camp ourselves again under an old oak, and, while as comfortable as we could be, the wolves laid claim to our bag gage on the other side of the river, distant some six or eight rods from camp, and, for want o something better, pretty nearly devoured my blacksmith's bellows. At this time, the 'neares family was at Prairieville on one side and Janesville on the other. * *
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" The next February," he continues, "I left for the East for my family and returned with them about the 1st of July, 1837, coming through with teams, finding no grains thi: side of Chicago, and the teams nearly dead, when I moved with Alvin Foster into a log house on the west bank of Rock River, in the town of Jefferson, my family being the sixth in the house.
" Aside from whom lived in that house, there were only four or five families in town : non where the village of Jefferson now stands. The next March, I moved on to my farm, where now live, in the southwestern part of Jefferson. My nearest neighbor at this time on the wes was one at the lakes near Madison, some twenty-five miles distant ; and for two years after my first arrival in the county, there was not a family in the whole body of timber east of the river except at Bark River and Piperville, since Ixonia. That part of Jefferson lying west of the river was rapidly settled, principally by the people from the States of New York and Vermont That part lying east of the river, being heavily timbered, settled slower and principally by Ger mans, excepting the village, which is settled by Americans."
By gradual steps, will it thus be seen, were the several townships composing the county of Jefferson settled. There were other settlements attempted and effected, notably among the latter, Johnson's Creek, all of which are treated in their proper places. Thrift, industry and enterprise have attended all these small beginnings, until to-day the wilderness of half a cen tury ago is a garden smiling with plenty, affording happiness not only to the rich but the poor. and indubitable evidence of the character of a people who have been trusted in many high offices and critical enterprises, and found faitliful in all.
IXONIA.
Ixonia, the extreme northeast of Jefferson County townships, was first settled in February 1838, by Benjamin Piper, who came with his family at that date, and established them on a farm in the center of the present village of Ixonia. In June, 1835, Mr. Piper left Erie County. N. Y., for the Far West, and arrived in Milwaukee about the 1st of July following, where he put up for the night at the house of a man named Chase, who resided at the mouth of the river The next day he visited the city, which at that time contained five or six frame dwellings, a small tavern, fifteen or twenty log cabins, and one or two groceries. The land in the vicinity o: Milwaukee was not surveyed at that time, except a fractional section where the city now stands, but the buildings were generally filled every evening by people who had come for the purpose
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
of claiming land. Many of them made money by selling claims to people who were unfortu- nate in arriving in town after claims had been made, and, as Mr. Piper was one of these, he was compelled to go five miles back of town before he was able to procure a piece of land that had not been taken up.
In the following spring, he went after his family, returning in July and settling upon his claim, where they remained until the spring of 1837, when he determined to visit the Rock River country, and accordingly started thither in the month of June. He first visited Water- town, where he found a few log huts, inhabited by settlers, all strong in the faith of seeing that vicinity the head-waters of steamboat navigation within a few years. Encouraged by such flat- tering prospects, and being well pleased with the country, he concluded to make a claim on the river above Johnson's Rapids, and returned home. In September and October of that year, he revisited his elaim, in company with his two sons, Harrison and Elijah, and built two log cab- ins, one for old Mr. Adams, the other for himself. In December, he again came out, this time in company with his son Samuel, finished his house, and, having disposed of his Milwaukee property, thereafter was recognized as the first settler in Ixonia. The town was included in Watertown for two or three years, when Towns 7 and 8, in Range 16, were set off into a sepa- rate town by the name of Union. These were again divided, and Town 7 called Concord, Town 8 Ixonia.
INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE.
The county history would be incomplete was not some reference made to the thousand and one accidents and incidents which attended .its settlement. The hardships they encountered would terrify the modern type of the pioneer ; but the " discussions " they had with want, the elements, the savages and other incidents, as also their "'scapes by flood and field," were the peculiar concomitants to civilization in a country where, theretofore, savagery, if not uneon- doned barbarism had prevailed. Supplementary to these annoyances, was the difficulty expe- rienced in procuring the necessaries of life, and the cost thereof, which was, in some instances. extravagant beyond comparison with the choicest luxuries of the present day.
No better idea of the prices of commodities can be given, than by citing, among other facts, that two strangers out prospecting, in the spring of 1837, paid Mrs. Robert Masters $1 per peck for oats. At that period, everything was in proportion. Pork was $21 and flour $41 per barrel. Oxen were $150 a yoke, and cows $40 per head. As one of the old settlers remarked to the historian, "those days were not as perfect as a day in June."
WOLVES, INDIANS AND TRIALS.
But if comforts were scarce and luxuries unknown, wolves and Indians were plenty. The latter were not specially dangerous, but wolves would often come up to within a few feet of the cabin doors, and steal the settlers' pigs and hens. During the winter of 1841, while Benjamin Piper was making his way home from Watertown, one moonlight night, he per- ceived a large gray wolf crossing the path immediately in front of him. Pretty soon another wolf crossed his way, and, skulking into a elump of bushes, began a blood-curdling howling. This was kept up until Mr. Piper reached the elearing opposite his house, when a special Providence seared his harassers off, and he escaped injury.
A similar experience befell the Rev. J. F. Ostrander while making a trip from Aztalan to Milwaukee in 1837. He had erossed Roek River on a raft, and followed one trail after another until he struck into a deer's trail which led into a thicket of bushes. Night was upon him, and gathering a lot of bark, he pitched his quarters in a felled treetop, first starting up a fire to dry his wet clothes and thaw his frozen boots. He soon discovered that he was surrounded by a pack of lank, lean, savage and hungry-looking wolves, who made night hideous, and reduced the unfortunate besieged to a condition of apprehension and discomfort, in comparison with which his previous experiences had been, as it were, days of innocent happiness. He had 1:0
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
gun with him, but having heard of the mortal fear possessed by the brutes for fire, he caught up first one brand and then another, cutting all manner of circles with them. capering about as actively as a dancing Dervishee, and accompanying the exercise with such yells that the wolves were put to flight, and he escaped to Pratt's tavern.
The Indians, though not as fierce, were equally annoying, and sources of constant wrong and solicitude to the settlers lest they should rob them of every portable article available for home consumption or utility. One day, while Dwight Foster was approaching his house with a rifle thrown over his shoulder, he discovered a number of Indians about a flour barrel, from which one of them was distributing the contents. Upon seeing Mr. Foster, the party of thieves escaped to their canoes, into which they jumped and were soon out of reach. The next day. the head man of the tribe visited Mr. F., and explaining that the act of the day before had no only been condemned by the tribe, but had entailed punishment on the guilty parties, asked him to smoke the pipe of peace, and bury the occurrence from memory. This was done, and Mr. Foster was never troubled again.
After getting to housekeeping, the same gentleman experienced the utmost difficulty ir obtaining provisions. Ile had sent to Milwaukee after a lot, but, before its arrival, he was obliged to depend on his rifle for his daily supplies for the family. In this emergency, even tha recourse was uncertain : but, on a lucky trip to the woods, it had supplied him with a coon, and it was not until the family was in the act of picking its last bones, on Christmas Eve, that the long-looked-for provisions arrived.
In the fall of 1835, Mr. Burnett and Mr. Clyman left Milwaukee for Rock River. In about a week, Clyman returned, having been wounded by the Indians, and reported Burnett to have been killed. On receipt of this news, Enoch G. Darling, with ten or twelve others, left Milwaukee with guns and knapsacks to find the body of Burnett and chastise the Indians. They pursued as far as the place where Mayville now stands, where they found the Indian camp where Burnett was killed, but no trace of the body, and, being unable to effect its discovery. returned to Milwaukee.
In the spring of 1836, the first post office in the county was established at Aztalan, and. there being no mail route to accommodate it. George llyer was authorized by the Postmaster at Milwaukee to carry the mail through. It was a heavy responsibility-a small leathern pocket. such as is now used for way bills, containing two letters and a half-dozen papers, secured as became a United States mail bag-and, with this charge Mr. Hyer mounted his pony, and took the trail for Rock River. The first day, he reached Prairieville. the second night he passed at Rock River Mills, and, the third day, having in crossing a creek mistaken a deer run for the trail, he passed the night in the woods, reaching Rock River the next morning at the cabin of Capt. Masters, where he was ferried across in a canoe by the Captain's daughter, his pony swimming after, thus conferring upon a female the honor of ferrying the first mail across Rock River. He reached Aztalan the same day, and the important event of overhauling the " ponch" was performed in the presence of the whole settlement, who individually enjoyed the privilege of looking at the letters, the papers being regarded as common property.
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