The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources biographical sketches the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin, Part 74

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 840

USA > Wisconsin > Sauk County > The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources biographical sketches the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin > Part 74

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Some years later Abe Wood was killed, not far from Baraboo, by being pitched backward in a wagon, and thus having his neck broken.

Rosaline Peck* was the first white woman who ever looked on Baraboo Valley. She came here with her husband, Eben Peck, and his brother Luther, in the fall of 1839. They made the trip from Madison to Sauk Prairie in a carriage. From thence they were obliged to travel on horse- back, following an Indian trail to the Baraboo River. The water was very high, and Mr. Peck advised his wife not to cross the river, but she was determined to see the claim made by Mr. Peck a few months previous, and so swam her horse across at the expense of a thorough wetting.

Capt. Levi Moore* looked in on this part of the world in 1840. He at first thought that , he could not live in so wild a country, and was about turning his face in another direction. when he accidentally met Mrs. Peck. Her bright, hopeful face caused a re-action of feeling, If a little woman like her could endure the hardships, he certainly could. So he remained.

What is known as the middle mill-power was claimed in June, 1844, by George W. Brown, a resident of Whitewater. The land was pre-empted in 1846, at the land sale, by William Brown, t a brother of George, who deeded it for the claimant. George W. Brown, upon his

* Now residing in Baraboo.

+ Now a lawyer of Baraboo.

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arrival in 1844, immediately set about improving the power, and, in August of the same year, Marvin Blake, a brother-in-law of the Browns, George Grant and several workmen made their advent here, for the purpose of assisting in the erection of a saw-mill at that point. While ex- cavating for the mill, the workmen found the remains of a mammoth, some eight feet from the surface. The position of the bones showed the animal to have been some thirty-six feet long. The bones, though apparently well-kept, on being taken from their resting place, gradually air- slacked and became dust. The mill was in running order the next spring, but, in 1847, it proving insufficient for the amount of work to be done, a better and larger mill was erected on the same power. A few months previous to the erection of the saw-mill, its proprietors had built a grist-mill on the opposite or north side of the river, and this was the first grist-mill on the Baraboo. It began work with one run of stone.

W. H. Canfield came to this part of the country in 1842. He found his way hither from Madison by means of marked trees, the road having been surveyed, but not improved. He took up some land near Skillet Falls, some three miles from Baraboo. Himself and wife lived in a dry-goods box for six weeks, and until the erection of a log house was effected. Hiram Web- ster, now a blacksmith on Third street, was also one of the comers of 1842.

The building of the mills of course brought many new-comers, and as early as 1845, quite a village had sprung up. Previous to this, times had been hard for the settlers. People pounded the wheat and corn they used for bread, or ground it in hand-mills. Capt. Moore had a hand- mill which for a time served the whole country. Money was not to be had, and people had great trouble in securing their lands from parties who went about "jumping claims," the settlers, in many cases, not being able to make the necessary improvements to hold them, and having no means to defend their rights. Even when the land came into market, in 1846, few if any were prepared to attend the sale. But at or near that time, Maxwell purchased from the Government the mill claim held by Eben Peck, and in 1848 moved here with his family. The Pecks had pre- viously let a portion of their claim pass into the hands of Augoston Haraszthy, and he had erected a small frame house near the dam, and had opened a store there. This building the Maxwells purchased in order to obtain an undisputed title. They then built, on what is now the east side of the square, the first frame building on the north side of the river. This was for a long time known as the " corner store." The same year, 1847, the Western Hotel was erected by Col. Sumner. D. K. Noyest came to town the same year, and found the Western in process of building on his arrival. This hotel was kept for a time by Col. Sumner, and later was many years under the supervision of William Wallace.

In 1845, Lewis Hayes, Delando Pratt and Josiah Hayes bought a portion of the middle power and erected a shingle and lath mill, and a chair-factory. Philarmon Pratt,* in 1847, bought the saw-mill and a half-interest in the water-power. The next year he settled with his family at this place.

The first physician in Baraboo was Dr. Charles Cowles. He came from Ohio to Milwaukee in 1846. Milwaukee at that time had less than two dozen houses in it. Leaving his wife and child in the Milwaukee woods, he went to Baraboo, or rather to the residence of his father, Judge Lauren Cowles, a short distance below Baraboo. The Judge started immediately after his son's wife and child, but, owing to the bad state of the roads, it took two weeks to make the trip. The Doctor began to practice at once in this part of the country. But that was up-hill work in those days. In January, 1847, he showed, on one occasion, a most remarkable endurance-going after supper to see a patient a distance of sixty-four miles, facing a keen north wind, and stopping for neither rest nor refreshments of any kind. The next year, the Doctor came to Baraboo and purchased the two lots where his residence now is. The total cost of the lots was $7. He still continues to practice here.

David, Samuel and Simeon Crandall, brothers, in company with Ira Angle and G. W. Knapp, came to Baraboo in 1846, and the five and their families moved into the log schoolhouse on the south side, where they remained until buildings could be erected.

* Now residing in Baraboo.

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HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY.

Another arrival of 1846 was the Walbridges, Elisha and Eleazer, brothers. The former died in the army. Eleazer Walbridge is a real estate and insurance agent, still residing here. Mr. Herschinger came to town the same year.

THE FIRST VILLAGE SURVEYS.

At the land sale which took place in 1846, one of the County Commissioners, Prescott Brigham, purchased the quarter-section of land now included in Baraboo proper, with his own money, for the county. The Commissioners platted a village, having the court house square in the center, and named it Adams, at the suggestion of Mr. Brigham, who held the Adams family, of Massachusetts, in great esteem. This was done in April, 1847. The village of Adams is described as follows in the field-notes of Charles O. Baxter, the surveyor : "Commencing at the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 35, Town 12, Range 6; thence east forty chains to the quarter-post between Sections 35 and 36; thence south thirty-nine chains sixty- four links to the section corner on the town line; thence west on said line thirty-one chains fifty links to the Baraboo River ; thence north forty-one and west four chains ; thence north seventy-eight and west six and eight one hundredths chains to an open line through Section 35; thence north thirty-five chains fifty-five links to the place of beginning-the plat covering the southeast quar- ter of Section 35, Township 12, Range 6, except a small fraction on the south side of the river."

About the same time, George Brown caused a survey to be made of his property, the greater portion of which lay south of the river. He called his plat Baraboo. From the field-notes of the surveyor, we find the boundaries of the plat to have been as follows : Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 2, Town 11, Range 6; from thence south six chains thirty links to the Baraboo River (eight chains fifty-eight links to the south bank of the river); thence south twenty-two chains seventy-five links ; thence west twenty chains; thence north thirteen chains ; thence east twenty chains to the east line, one chain seventeen links south of the river-the plat covering forty acres, a strip equal to about thirty lots lying along the south side of the river, being "reserved for private use " by Mr. Brown for mill and other purposes. The plat extended north of the river to the extent of thirty-four lots, 62x132 feet in size.

On the 14th of January, 1849, the Board of County Commissioners ordered that the name of the village plats of Adams and Baraboo, as they then (and do now, in fact) appeared upon record in the Register's office, be changed and known by the name of Brooklyn. The villages continued to be separate, however, until the village charter, which was obtained in May, 1866, united them under the name the place now bears. At the suggestion of the postal authorities in Washington, in 1852, the name of Adams was dropped. The post office was thereafter known as Baraboo. The following additions have been made to the original plats : Mrs. Peck's First Addition, June 15, 1849; Wallace's Addition, August 9, 1849 ; Mrs. Peck's Second Addition, July, 1855; English's Addition, November, 1856; Moore & Drown's Addition, April, 1860 ; Thomas' Addition, May, 1873 ; Camp's Addition, September, 1873 ; Brown's Addition, October, 1873; Langdon's Addition, July, 1874. In July, 1855, R. G. Camp laid out an addition east of Mrs. Peck's Addition, which he called the village of Litchfield-a favorite name with the Judge, he having been born in Litchfield, Conn .- and his son Arthur made an addition to the village of Litchfield in September, 1873. These two last additions are not incorporated with the village.

BARABOO IN 1847.2

In the spring of the year 1847, I arrived with my wife and family at the village of St. Charles, in the State of Illinois, where my wife's sister, with her husband, John Lock, and family, had taken up their residence. The fever and ague prevailed everywhere in the West that season. To a new-comer it was discouraging. Mr. Lock had gone to Baraboo with his son Lafayette, and his wife (now Widow Nelson), who with his daughter still reside in Baraboo, was waiting the result of his exploration. I was introduced to Mr. Eber Crandall, who had been to

*By Charles Armstrong.

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Baraboo, and had entered lands upon which he intended to locate as soon as possible. His three brothers (David, Samuel and Simeon) and two sisters, with their husbands and families, had already taken up their abode at Baraboo. Seeing that the ague prevailed in St. Charles, and, as far as I could learn, everywhere throughout Illinois, I concluded to start for Baraboo, where Eber Crandall assured me that the disease did not prevail. I accompanied a man from Canada, whose name I cannot recall, he having a team and covered wagon. At that time, corn was one shilling and oats 10 cents per bushel ; hence our supplies did not cost much. We went by the way of Sun Prairie, my fellow-traveler having a desire to visit an acquaintance who had the previous year taken up his residence on that prairie. We stopped at Waterloo overnight and in the morning struck Sun Prairie, which at that time included all the prairie between Waterloo and Mineral Point. We drove all day and met only one person, from whom we could get no information. Fearful of getting lost and night coming on, we struck for the timber, and, for- tunately, right to the shanty of my comrade's friends, where we stayed all night. We started early in the morning for Dekorra, on the Wisconsin River, at which place we found a deserted blacksmith shop and other marks of an abandoned settlement. We perceived a ferry-boat on the other side of the river, and by waving our handkerchiefs, at length persuaded the boatman to come over, and we were landed safe on the west side of the Wisconsin River. We then drove over the bluffs, on the summit of which there was here and there a settler. I remember one, named Lewis, an Irishman, who had served in the United States Army and received his discharge at Fort Winnebago. Descending the bluffs to the Baraboo River, we found no habitation in sight, but discovered a rope fast to a tree and extended across the river, and on the opposite bank was a ferry-boat. We yelled and hallooed, and, at length, discovercd a tin horn suspended on a small burr oak tree. Finally, after repeated blowings by first one and then the other, we perceived a woman running, who jumped into the boat, took hold of the rope and pulled the boat across to us. There was quite a rapid current in the river, and in her efforts to get the boat across the woman blistered her hands. Imagine our surprise on finding her a most intelligent lady. She informed us that her husband, Andrew Garrison, had gone over to their former home on Sauk Prairie, and that the hired help was with William Eiky, at the limekiln. Mrs. Garrison (after- ward Mrs. Dr. Taylor) directed us where to find feed for the horses, and prepared for us an excellent dinner ; and, after partaking heartily, we started for the county seat. As we passed up the Baraboo Prairie, we saw here and there a breaking-team turning over the virgin soil. We passed Mrs. Peck's place. She was at that time engaged in having a house built, while she and her family occupied a shanty in the rear of her present residence. Opposite here, Fred- erick Stanley had erected a shanty, which he and his family occupied. I expected to see some- thing of a town, but on we drove, and just as the sun was setting we came up to a log house, over the door of which was a buck's horn. I jumped out of the wagon, and, the door being open, entered. The house consisted of one large room, in the middle of which, seated around a table, were some half-dozen men in red shirts, playing cards. Finding I was not observed, I started back to the wagon, feeling alarmed for our ladies. At a short distance, I perceived a tall, stout- built man, and, stepping up to him, I said, " Sir, is there no other place that a stranger could get accommodations over night, only there ?" pointing to the buck's horn. I discovered in his features an open, manly expression, and intuitively felt that we were safe. He opened his broad, frank mouth, and said, " Yes, if you will take up with such accommodations as I have in my little house, you are welcome," at the same time starting with me toward the house. On entering, I found a house unsurpassed for cleanliness-in fact, one of the cleanest I ever had my foot in. This was the home of Alexander Crawford. Here he lived with his wife and his son John. Although the couple were somewhat advanced in years, they seemed to be perfectly happy. Here I met my brother-in-law, John Lock, who was boarding with them. He had located a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, and sent his son back to St. Charles after cattle, intending to break up and improve the land, and move up his family as soon as possible; but when his son Lafayette arrived at St. Charles, he found a recruiting rendezvous bidding up for volunteers for the Mexican war, and he enlisted. His love for army life never forsook him. He

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was among the first to enlist in the three-months service of the late war, and soon after being discharged, on the expiration of the time of his enlistment, he re-enlisted, and was Orderly Ser- geant of Company F, Eleventh Wisconsin Infantry. So he was in the first and in the last bat- tle of the rebellion. Mr. Remington, then a young attorney, was boarding at Crawford's, and acting agent for the County Commissioners in disposing of lots at the county seat, then called the village of Adams. I bought some three or four, not intending that I would ever settle on them. I looked around for a day or two, but it was such a wilderness of a country that I could see no prospect of making my business at all profitable. I could not see where customers were to be found that would sustain a tailoring establishment. I started back for St. Charles, stopping on the way at Madison, Janesville, Beloit and other villages, in all of which business was dull and ague prevailing. I returned to St. Charles, not knowing or having determined where I would locate. Eber Crandall assured me that in a very short time Baraboo would be a large town. I finally hired teams, and, with wife and two children, started thitherward. The last day of our journey we reached the foot of the bluffs about sunset, and put up at the Hoover tavern. It was kept by Mr. Hoover's son-in-law, Job Barstow. Mr. Barstow piloted us in the morning over the bluffs. On the way, we met people who were returning from the Fourth of July celebration, which, I learned, had been held at the house of Mrs. Peck, at Baraboo. We passed over what was called the west road, and crossed the river near Wood & Moore's mill. We passed near the house occup ied by Abraham Wood and the saw-mill known as Moore's & Wood's mill. The vil- lage of Lyons had the same year, or . previously, been laid out, but, owing to the enterprise of George and William Brown, who had that season selected the quarter-section of land adjoining for a county seat, the few settlers at Lyons felt somewhat jealous at the superior prospects and advancement of Baraboo. We drove on down to Brown's mill and crossed a rude bridge which spanned the river near where the present bridge stands. Erastus Langdon had built a house (i. e., had an inclosed frame). He kindly proffered us shelter, and his kind lady prepared for us a good dinner.

Dr. S. P. Angle at that time occupied a shanty near where John Loy's shop now stands. He introduced me to Col. Maxwell, who was then engaged in the framing of a building which was afterward known as Maxwell's store, and stood on the corner where the Burrington Brothers afterward built a better one. I was greatly discouraged, but the old Colonel, who most of his life had pioneered it, gave me every encouragement possible. He told me that Col. Sum- ner had gone east to Ohio after his family, and would build a good hotel. He introduced me to old Mr. Canfield, who was a generous, good, kind-hearted man, who proffered me house room free of expense till such time as I could build. My family, in the meantime, was at the house of Erastus Langdon, who kindly proffered to shelter us until we should conclude what we would do. Daniel Kelsey, then a young man, was boarding with them. I finally purchased Mr. Langdon's house, and he moved out and into a shed. Marvin Blake, a brother-in-law of Mr. Langdon's, lived in a shanty near where his present residence stands. The house which I bought from Mr. Langdon was neither lathed nor plastered, and it had a shake roof. Jeptha Jackson occupied a small house which stood in the street near where the American House now stands, owned at present by Mr. Peck. George and William Brown had, some two years previous, made claims to the land embracing the water-power, and which at that time constituted the village of Baraboo proper; William had sold his interest to George, and George soon sold a portion of the water- power to Philarmon Pratt, with the saw-mill. George intended fully to improve the north-side grist-mill. In raising an addition to it, a timber fell on his head and killed him. Delando Pratt had some two years previous purchased from the Browns a portion of the water power, and commenced the manufacture of laths and bedsteads. Owing to the sudden death of George W. Brown, business became somewhat suspended. His father, Chauncey Brown, was his legal heir, and he with his son William, administered on the estate. They proceeded to complete the mill. Philarmon Pratt and the Browns became involved in law, and for years they kept up the fight, so that every term of the court Pratt vs. Brown and Brown vs. Pratt filled the calendar. Delando Pratt sold the portion of the water-power he owned to John Seaburn, and joined his father-in-

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law, Mr. Schermerhorn, in the tanning business. Both of those establishments in a short time were destroyed by fire. The Browns had completed the mill, and afterward that was burned. Such were the circumstances that myself and a few others were fully satisfied in our own minds that it was the work of an incendiary, and we believed we knew who he was. The dam went out, and for a long time Baraboo proper was at a stand-still, no business being done. Finally, Joseph F. Sanford and Patrick A. Bassett bought it and built the present mill, now owned by R. H. Strong.

Lyman Clark came to Baraboo in the spring of 1847 and pre-empted forty acres directly southeast of the original village of Baraboo. But, anxious to build a hotel, he disposed of it to Judge Camp for a mere trifle. Lyman built the Baraboo House. He never turned any one away, money or no money, and frequently would apply to me to lodge some of his guests, and he would often consult with me as to the best means to help some new arrival. I remember one morning he came to my house and said that there was a family, consisting of a man and wife, with two children, that had been stopping at his house for some days, and were out of money ; that the man was sick, and the woman was a tailoress and willing to work ; that he had a span of young horses and a wagon. The day previous, Clark said he had killed his only cow for meat, and had not feed for this man's horses. I went over and found the family greatly discouraged. I owned a shanty and lot near where Mr. Patrick Dougherty now resides. On consulting with him, they concluded to move into it. Soon the man recovered his health, and in a short time he purchased land north of Baraboo and the Wisconsin River, where, I believe, he still resides. His family are grown up, and I understand all are in comfortable circumstances. His name is Gardiner Myers. After he had become prosperous, I joked him relative to his feeling so dis- couraged on his first arrival.

Col. D. K. Noyes, then a young man, came the same year, and, I think, taught school one quarter. He then engaged in land agency, pre-empting and entering for settlers. As there was no room in the tavern in which to transact business, he would run over to my house, which con- sisted of one room with a shed in the rear. In that room I carried on tailoring, had my work- bench, the cooking-stove, table, etc. Sometimes a half-dozen of neighbors, besides him, would come over with two or three new arrivals and make out their pre-emption papers or contract to enter lands for them. It was fun for us men, but pretty trying for the women, who at times were greatly bothered to get along with the housework. It soon became evident that David's mind was not settled. He hurried up, the next season, a little house near where Daniel Kelsey lives, and then started for Vermont. In a few weeks, he returned with his better half and went to housekeeping.

The first political meeting I attended in the West was held at Widow Peck's house. She had built her house that year. The upper part was a hall, where Harris Searl, who was Jus- tice of the Peace, and resided with Mrs. Peck, held his court. Being the only large room in the vicinity, it was used for public meetings, balls, etc. In the fall of 1847, Col. Batkin, then a lawyer, who, by the way, was a great practical joker, residing at Madison, was a candidate for member of the Territorial Council. The Colonel was a Whig, and his competitor, whose name I have forgotten, resided in Marquette County. It was agreed that they would jointly canvass the district ; hence, they were to hold a joint discussion at Baraboo. Public notice having been given, nearly all the inhabitants turned out, so that Mrs. Peck's hall was well filled. By agree- ment, it was Col. Batkin's privilege to open the discussion. He commenced by complimenting the intelligence of his auditors, whom he flattered up to the highest notch, and in eloquent and glowing terms, eulogized the beautiful valley of the Baraboo, dwelling on its magnificent advan- tages, its water-power, its great manufacturing privileges, its romantic scenery, its productive soil. Then he paused, and at length exclaimed : "One thing you especially need, and you are justly entitled to it ; and that is, a good road over the bluffs. How can you procure it ? How can that most desirable end be attained ? I will tell you how ! If, through your sufferance, I have the honor to represent you in the Territorial Council, send me your petition to organize a company for the purpose of macadamizing the highway over the bluffs. You don't desire to subject

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the inhabitants of Sauk Prairie to pay toll on the way to your mills, nor persons coming to transact business at the county seat. Hence, I shall endeavor to get an appropriation from the Territorial treasury to macadamnize that road." Of course, cheers rolled up for Col. Batkin. His competitor hemmed and hawed, and assured them if they voted for him, he would do all for them that Col. Batkin could do or had promised to do. The meeting closed with a speech from Hon. William Welsh, of Madison. Then Jim Badger struck up the violin, many joined in the dance, and did not go home till morning. The next discussion between these two gentlemen was at

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The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources biographical sketches the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin, Part 74

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 840

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 840