USA > Wisconsin > Outagamie County > The pioneers of Outagamie County, Wisconsin : containing the records of the Outagamie County Pioneer Association; also a biographical and historical sketch of some of the earliest settlers of the county, and their families, their children, and grand-children > Part 6
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Burr S. Craft moved to Tecos Point, adjoining Murch, in December of the same year. I will relate an incident of Craft. After he got his house built, he went to Neenah for some lime. Coming home in the evening with the lime in a bag on his back, he had to cross Mud Creek on a log fallen across the creek for that purpose. The wolves got so near and frightened him so that he threw his bag of lime into the creek and ran for Murch's house, bolted in and yelled to Murch, "I don't know but you like this kind of music, but I am d-d if I do !" I might relate other incidents of Craft who was a ready, off-hand man. The first settler in the limits of the city of Appleton was E. L. Thurber, who took up a claim in the spring of 1848, and built a shanty across the ravine west of what is now Pierce's park, and the first child born in the city was a son
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of E. L. Thurber, in January, 1849. Elder Sampson, Reeder Smith, Hoel S. Wright and myself surveyed and laid out the Appleton plat, on the fourth and fifth days of August, 1848. I then went up into Winnebago county and purchased a yoke of oxen and a wagon, which was the first wagon or team brought to Appleton. I commenced with four men to cut a road through to Oneida Mill on Duck Creek, where we had already purchased 100,000 feet of lumber, and set the team to drawing lumber for a shanty to board the men we were to employ in commencing work here. J. F. Johnston moved into the shanty before the roof was on, the 29th day of August, 1848, which was the first family in Appleton proper. This shanty was called Johnston's tavern and was a home for all who came to the town for some months after. The shanty was 15x32 feet and a wing 18 feet long. In this shanty Elder Sampson preached the first sermon ever preached in Appleton on the 8th day of October, 1848, to a congregation of fourteen. We commenced on the 7th of October to clear off the ground for the preparatory building for Lawrence Institute, I hav- ing already contracted with a man at Neenah, by the name of Richards, to excavate for the foundation of a building 30x70 feet. The contract for erecting the building had been given to Wm. McGregor, of Sheboygan, who came on with J. P. Parish and S. P. Blake to commence work, and as soon as lumber could be got through they built shanties and moved their families into them, and by December we had five shanties here. On Christmas all the inhabitants of Appleton took a sleigh ride with the ox team to Murch's, then called Tecos Point.
Elder Sampson and R. R. Bateman erected shanties and moved their families here in February, 1849. Others came during the winter so that by spring we had quite a neigh- borhood. On the second day of April I received a letter from John F. Mead, then member of the legislature from Brown county, informing me that an act had just been passed authorizing the organization of the town of Grand Chute, including the territory in Brown county west of the town of Kaukaleau. I called a meeting of all the voters that
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evening at Johnston's tavern, when the nominations were made and the next day, April 3, 1849, the election was held and the town of Grand Chute organized. We had voters enough to fill all the offices and a few to spare. I went that spring to Bruce's mill to assess the property there in the assessment roll of Grand Chute. The 20th day of April, in company with J. S. Buck and John Stephens, we surveyed and laid out the road from College avenue to Tecos Point and the county line, which was the first legally laid road in the town, and on the 10th of May we surveyed and laid the road to McGuire's Corner, since called the Johnston road. May 28, commenced to survey and lay the road to Wolf river, called Young's Corner road, and on June 28, 29 and 30, laid the road to Hortonville and to Bruce's mill; July 9th laid road to Oneida settlement.
July 3d we raised the frame of the Preparatory building for Lawrence University, and all the people in the region met in this building and celebrated the Fourth of July with a picnic dinner, reading the Declaration of Independence by John Stephens and an oration by A. B. Randall, which was, I think, as enjoyable a celebration as has ever been held in Appleton. With the help of Judge Myers and Wm. Johnston, who worked for me, I built in July, 1850, a foot bridge across the river near where the main bridge now stands, (at a cost of $120) which was the first bridge of any kind across the river and the only way of crossing for two years.
We had no roads; the mail was carried on horse-back once a week from Fond du Lac to Green Bay, by way of Oshkosh and Neenah. Burr S. Craft procured an appoint- ยท ment of postmaster, and opened an office in a pine box fastened to a tree near his house at Tecos Point; but in the spring of 1849 we succeeded through Gov. Doty, then member of congress, in getting the postoffice established at Appleton, and J. F. Johnston appointed postmaster, and in July, 1849, I obtained a contract for carrying the mail tri-weekly from Menasha to Green Bay, by Neenah and Appleton, when I commenced running a stage from Appleton to Green Bay and a row boat to Neenah
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and Menasha daily; by which means passengers and the mails were conveyed.
There are many reminiscences of the early times and settlers that it would be pleasant and perhaps profitable to bring up if time allowed. I might speak of the first store, tavern, mills, schools, churches and other enterprises and the men who started them. I want to say a few words in relation to the first settlers, as I am aware that few who have not had the experience have any adequate conception of the immense amount of hard work required to clear off the primitive forest and prepare the land for the first crop, and fewer still any just appreciation of the degree of reso- lution, energy and endurance necessary to the clearing off and fully subduing one piece of land after another, until a farm of respectable size is redeemed from the wilderness; so herculean, indeed, is the task of clearing a new farm and making the necessary improvements, that the best part of a man's life and all the strength of his manhood are generally exhausted in the achievement. In not one- half the towns of the state, probably, have the majority of its first settlers become its permanent residents, yet of a list of seventy-four names, heads of families who settled in this town during the two first years of 1849-50, fifty-six are still remaining and in thirty years there has been but nine deaths of that number. Eleven have moved to other parts and of that number now remaining forty-three are now over 60 years old, twenty-seven over 65 and seven over 80. Can any other town present such a record in favor of the healthfulness of the climate, the morals and habits of its first settlers? Yet we have come far short of our hopes and expectations in a moral and religious point of view.
Speculation on the part of a few and a purpose to get rich at the expense of others, has been the bane of society here as in other places. It is to-day impossible to estimate what might have been accomplished here in thirty years by the first settlers, had we all been united and worked to- gether; with the natural advantages here we could now have been manufacturing millions of dollars' worth every year if we could have seen eye to eye and worked shoulder
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to shoulder co operatively in all improvements. While we have had shylocks among us from the beginning, some of whom obtained control of some of the offices in the first organization of the county and thereby increased the taxes of the people to a fearful extent, yet the great majority of the first settlers here were of a better sort.
I see those here to-day who came here into the wilder- ness thirty years ago, who brought the best style of Christian civilization with them, who made a home for it here, who have cherished it ever since, until now the tide of metropolitan ways and metropolitan culture breaks around us, but they bring no sentiment of kindness, no rule of courtesy, no flower of good breeding which was not domesticated here in the early homes.
But a few words to the young boys. It is an old saying, "The glory of the father is his childeren," and that father has done his work well who has left a child better than himself. The old phrase used to be "Lord grant I may be as well off to-morrow as yesterday," but no truly western man ever made that prayer, he always meant that his son shall have a better starting point in life than himself, hence he means to be better off to-morrow. Now boys, my lesson to you is, be as good as your father unless you can be better; you have your father's example and the oppor- tunities and advantages they have accumulated. To be as good is not enough; you must copy only the spirit of your father and not his imperfections. Be better than we and you are bound to go ahead of us.
But to return, I helped to organize this town government, laid out the leading roads through the county, and have seen the improvements commenced, have witnessed their progress till the present time, and while some have got rich, I have got poor. When I look at what has been done here I think what may be done and what will be done. Appleton has grown from nothing to 9,000 inhabitants in thirty years. In the same ratio in thirty years more it will number 270,000 inhabitants, and with the combined capital that is being and will be massed here it will reach down the river till it swallows up Little Chute and becomes one
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vast workshop, the bee-hive of the northwest, with street cars running the whole length of the river and second city in the state. Who of us will live to see it ? I for one intend to live as long as I can see any of the rest of you alive. Let us live, then, that we shall never die. As the song has it, "Let us keep in the middle of the road."
Pioneers' Meeting, Feb. 22, 1881.
At the annual meeting of the Outagamie County Pioneer Association, held pursuant to notice at Wayland's hall, in Appleton, Feb. 22, 1881, at 10 o'clock a. m., meeting was called to order by John Dey, the president; E. Spencer was present as secretary.
The first business in order was the election of officers for the ensuing year: John Dey was elected president; Charles Wolcott, vice-president; E. Spencer, secretary; John Leith, treasurer; executive committee, Harmon Jones, John H. McGillan, H. Kethroe, Wm. F. Johnston, Wm. McGuire.
At 12 o'clock adjourned for dinner; about sixty pioneers partook of a substantial pioneer dinner.
At 1:30 p. m. called to order. Music by the Dale band. Opening remarks by President Dey, very appropriate to the occasion. Remarks by Charles Breiterick, of Elling- ton. Remarks by Joseph Rork, of Appleton.
Our vice-president, Charles Wolcott, being called, read a poem appropriate to the occasion. Miss Nora McGillan being called, repeated in a very graceful style the song of the pioneers.
Music by the band.
Collection taken up to defray expenses amounted to $7.30.
Moved and carried that all pioneers who were inhabitants of the state previous to 1860 are considered members of this society. Moved and carried that the officers of this society
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be constituted a committee to attend to the publication of papers now in the hands of the secretary in pamphlet form.
Judge Harriman being called, he responded by a few happy remarks. Miss Allie McGillan being called upon recited gracefully the story of the pioneers of seventy years ago. H. Kethroe being called, responded by some appropriate remarks. Everly Grant being called, re- sponded by a few remarks. D. Huntley being called, responded in his usual happy style. A. H. Conkey was called and responded by appropriate remarks. George Lanphear being called, responded by giving some of his experiences as a pioneer; he came to Wisconsin in 1837.
The ladies being called for pioneer speeches, Mrs. James Tompkins responded, by telling some of her very interest- ing experiences. Mrs. Pierce being called, told some of her pioneer experiences, very interesting as a teacher. Mrs. Van Vleck being called, said she had been a pioneer for thirty-two years, and passed through many interesting scenes.
James McGillan was called, and responded by appropri- ate remarks. Harmon Jones being called, responded by telling some of his experiences. William Briggs being called, related a fish story quite amusing. A. B. Randall told some of his pioneer experience. C. Breiterick being again called, responded in his peculiar style.
A vote of thanks was tendered to the band for their music.
Music by the band. Adjourned. All went home appar- ently well pleased with their day's entertainment.
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Pioneers' Meeting, Feb. 22, 1882.
The annual meeting of the Outagamie County Pioneer Association was held pursuant to notice, at Wayland's hall, in Appleton, Feb. 22, 1882, at 10 o'clock a. m. Meeting was called to order by John Dey, the president; E. Spencer was present as secretary.
The first business in order was the election of officers for the ensuing year: Harmon Jones was elected president; A. H. Burch, vice-president; E. Spencer, secretary; John Leith, treasurer; Wm. McGuire, Thomas Dane, Wm. F. Johnston, Mrs. Harmon Jones, Mrs. A. H. Burch, were elected executive committee.
The treasurer reported $10.53 now in the treasury. Motion made and carried that we still adhere to the good old custom of a basket picnic dinner at our annual cele- bration.
Resolved, That Mrs. Harmon Jones, Mrs. A. H. Burch and Mrs. Charles Wolcott, be appointed a committee to inquire if there are any of our pioneer associates in needy circumstances; if so to relieve them to the extent of the money in the treasury.
At 2 p. m., called to order. Music by the choir. Open- ing remarks by the president, John Dey, very appropriate to the occasion.
Music. Address by John McGillan, giving a history of his early pioneer experience. Mr. Charles Wolcott being called, read a poem written for the occasion, on the sub- ject of pioneers' exploits.
Music. Joseph Rork being called, the subject assigned to him was the memory of departed pioneers. He spoke in a very sympathetic and appropriate manner of the departed pioneers of this county and read the names of the pioneers who have died during the past year, and also the names of sixty-three more pioneers of this county, who have died, and he presumed fifteen or twenty more have
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died whose names he has not obtained. He also presented resolutions of sympathy with our afflicted brother pioneer, James Gilmore. Said resolutions were adopted and signed by the president and secretary who were requested to send them to said Brother Gilmore.
To our Beloved Neighbor and Brother Pioneer, James Gilmore: The Pioneers of Outagamie County, met at our festival, bear to you and your family our warmest regards, mingled with hopes and fear, feeling ourselves striken with sorrow that you are not permitted to mingle in our friendly greeting to-day. We miss your noble form, your pleasant words, your kindly greetings, in this our annual reunion, as well as in our daily walks, and sincerely pray- ing that a kind Heavenly Father may not only comfort and sustain you in your affliction, but first in His wisdom, He may see fit to spare you to your family and to your society and fellowship by restoring you to health, blessing you yet with years of pleasure and comfort.
E. SPENCER, Secretary. JOHN DEY, President.
Music. Remarks by Charles Breiterick, of Ellington, giving his pioneer experience. Collections taken up to the amount of $8.87. Music. Remarks by Thomas Dane, of Appleton, Harvey Greenfield, of Greenville, Harmon Jones, our new president, George Lanphear, Ira Scott, of Elling- ton, by our new vice-president, A. H. Burch, and by Wm. Briggs.
Mr. Rork said there are now living in Appleton three brother pioneers whose united ages amount to 244 years, none of them had drank any intoxicating drinks during the last fifty years. Remarks by Henry Leppla, of Green- ville, and P. V. Smith, of Grand Chute. Moved and carried that a vote of thanks be tendered to Miss Switzer for the music she furnished us on this occasion. A vote of thanks was tendered to our outgoing president, John Dey, for the very efficient zeal manifested by him in the dis- charge of his official duties as president of this assocition. Remarks by Wm. F. Johnston.
On motion adjourned sine die.
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Pioneers' Meeting, Feb. 22, 1883.
Pursuant to previous announcement the Outagamie Pioneer Association met at Masonic Hall, Appleton, on Thursday, Feb. 22, 1883, at 10 a. m., and in the absence of the president and vice-president, was called to order by the secretary. On motion John Dey was chosen president, pro tem.
On motion proceeded to election of officers, with the fol- lowing result: President, John Dey; vice-president, Chas. Wolcott; secretary, E. Spencer; treasurer, John Leith; executive committee, Wm. F. Johnston, D. Huntley, M. Culbertson, John McGillan, Isaac Vandebogart.
Treasurer reported $11.40 on hand. Paid out during year $9. Collected at last meeting $8.87. Balance on hand at last report, $11.53.
At 2 o'clock called to order for business. Music. Open- ing remarks by President Dey. Annual address by Rev. W. H. Sampson, which was as follows:
Mr. President, Members of the Old Settlers' Society .- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: At the request of the manage- ment of the Old Settlers' Society of Outagamie County, I come to occupy a few moments of your time on this annual festive gathering. "This is the age of progress," is an aphorism of frequent utterance by nearly all classes of people, and is nowhere more clearly demonstrated than by the result of Christian principles in our American civiliza- tion. There is no object more noble, more important, or more worthy the ambition of intelligent moral agents, than the development of pure, intelligent, moral and religious character. This is not a matter of accident, nor is it of Phoenix-like realization. It demands the exercise of our best energies and an unyielding purpose, till the grand object is secured and maintained. Nor does this avail under the application of hypothetical theories, or some
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untried vagary, because they gratify our tastes and wishes. The experience of the ages has demonstrated that the noblest characters that grace the pages of history are those who come nearest to the only perfect model of human character, in whom even his uncompromising, keen, critical enemies could find no fault, whose basal principles of character are those divinely formulated utterances: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, * and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself " (Matt. 22: 37 and 39); and "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matt. 7: 12). When we have reached and maintained the measure of this model, governed con- scientiously by those divine formulas, we occupy the high- est, the grandest moral altitude that human beings ever realized. To this priceless object, I think the old settlers ardently aspired-this was the wealth, the honor, at which their ambition, with some exceptions, perhaps, aimed.
It seems only yesterday since all this part of the country was an unbroken forest- to-day we can scarcely find a spot where we may indulge in the recreations of the wild- woods without intruding on the rights of others. Instead of the centenarian forest, embarrassed with an exuberant undergrowth, the industrious and enterprising farmers are utilizing the whole lands except their wood lots, to fill their cribs, their cellars and their barns with food for man and beast. It seems but a few days since a man vigorously applying his axe, felling and cutting up forest trees was interupted by an uninvited visit from the wolves, almost in sight of where we are now gathered and a little further on the bullet of the marksman brought down a panther whose brilliant skin the taxidermist prepared to adorn the museum of Lawrence University, where it may now be seen.
The wilderness has disappeared and the soil is prolific in grain and fruits, and, where the Indian spread his wig- wam and lighted his campfires, now the stately mansion with all the modern improvements offers repose and com- fort to its inmates, and the hum of varied machinery is
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heard in every direction. These facts bear witness to the enterprising character of the old settlers, and this enter- prise has changed the Indian trail to multiplied turnpike roads, and invited others with capital for investment, so that in a little over three decades we have now an enter- prising manufacturing city with a population of 10,000, with railways, with water communication, with educa- tional and all the advantages of cities that had centuries the start of us. -
The oldest settlers only can fully appreciate the changes that a few years have made. My first visit to this place was by Indian trail from Wrightstown; I think in 1847. Then it was covered with an underbrush so thickly set as to be almost impassable. There was no residence at that time except that of Mr. Grignon, by the river side just above Grand Chute, nearer than Tecos Point at the foot of Lake Butte des Morts, where we found lodging with Burr S. Craft and Bela B. Murch, two miles from where I speak.
Having been appointed principal and assistant agent of an educational foundation which, under the provisions of the charter had been located here, I started from my home in Fond du Lac in the early part of September, 1848, and came by steamer to Neenah where I secured the loan of an Indian dugout and came over Lake Butte des Morts down the river to the old landing above "the chute," and made arrangements to clear away the timber for the erection of a preparatory building for our school. I found a boarding place with Mr. Thurber's family, some mile and a half distant, in a log shanty, where I ate and slept, and was eaten most sumptuously by mosquitoes.
Having been installed in my near quarters, I commenced clearing off the undergrowth from the block now occupied for homes by Messrs. Adkins, White, Boyd, Wambold and others; this done I applied myself to the prosecution of the enterprise to the best of my ability. Not many weeks had passed before John F. Johnston had so far completed his "hotel" (an interesting account of which he can give us), that I took rooms with him near where the college build-
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ing was to be, till I moved my family here on the sixth of the following January.
Burr S. Craft secured the appointment of postmaster at Tecos Point, and opened the office in his residence where we received our mails till Appleton gained such notoriety that multitudes were rushing here to secure homes when having "a friend at court," we secured the removal of the postoffice to this place, a change of its name and the appointment of John F. Johnston as postmaster.
The primal object of the old settlers was the establish- ment of a literary institution for the education of the present and future generations, where the young could re- ceive their intellectual culture under moral and religious restraints, and where the foundation of pure moral char- acter could be laid. The school formed a nucleus in connection with almost unequalled natural advantages for manufacturing interests and purposes, around which gathered an industrious, intelligent population.
The physical changes that have transpired and the character and variety of the improvements made speak more eloquently than words for the industry, intelligence and enterprise of the old settlers; and I think we have not entirely failed to establish to some extent moral and religi- ous character. At the commencement of our enterprise there was a general ambition to contribute to the consum- mation of this grand object. Human selfishness with few exceptions was banished, and genial souls formed a remark- ably happy brotherhood; but in this fallen world, this condition in society cannot be maintained without difficulty and opposition, and soon the purposes to defeat the designs of the movers in this enterprise were revealed. The great- est obstacle in the way of success has been the introduction of alcoholic beverages and traffic therein, which we endeavored to prevent. The groggeries have ruined the characters of more persons in Appleton than all other causes combined. I think about the first cask of "fire .. water" brought here all leaked out into the boat in the night through a gimlet hole, and if every subsequent in-
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troduction of intoxicants had gone in the same way it would have been a God-send to the place.
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