USA > Wisconsin > Wisconsin: comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form: > Part 19
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There were no government lands between Madison and Portage by the time the road was built, and the company claimed indem- nity lands from the grant north of Tomah. This claim was dis- allowed and no lands have been received for this portion of the road. The government endeavored to treat the line as a land
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grant road in regard to the compensation for carrying mail, but this point was decided in favor of the company.
That portion of the land grant from Tomah to Lake St. Croix was in 1863 resumed by the state and given to a company which afterward became the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Orra The grant from St. Croix to Bayfield was conferred on another com- pany which had applied for it, but which afterward refused to ac- cept it. It was then given to the North Wisconsin company, which consolidated with the Omaha company and built the wad. Congress had meanwhile, by act of May 5, 1864, renewed the grant with limits increased to ten and twenty miles. The time for the completion of the road was extended five years from the passage of the act, or three years beyond the original time. The road as built by the Omaha company did not begin at Tomah, but at El- roy, near Tomah, and on the Chicago & Northwestern line. As thus located the road was built to Lake St. Croix in 1872, to Bay- field in 1883, and to Superior in 1884.
On account of the continuity of the grant of 1856 it was claimed that deficiencies along one section of the road could be made up from the indemnity limits of another section. But it was de- cided by the United States circuit court that the effect of the act of 1864 was to make distinct grants and to break up the continuity of the former grant, so that each company was confined to its own portion of the road.
For the grant from Tomah to St. Croix the state has received 813,706 acres; for the St. Croix and Superior grant, 851.221 acres, and for the Bayfield branch, 503.018 acres. By 1880 there had been sold of the grant from Tomah to St. Croix, 330,127 acres. Of these 77,374 acres had been sold for $307,654. The price of the remainder, which had been sold by the West Wisconsin com- pany, is not obtainable. The company has since acquired the land grants to Minnesota and Iowa for the St. Paul and Sioux City and the Sioux City and St. Paul roads. Under all the grants the com- pany has received 2,183,867 acres, of which it has disposed of 1.774 .- 060 acres. The cash receipts have amounted to $8,000.856, and there are due in 1910 on time sales $91,011.
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The northeast grant, as before stated, was given to the Wiscon- sin & Superior railroad company. A resolution of congress of April 25, 1862,' made some slight changes in the route, but pro- vided that the lands granted should not be affected. This com- pany soon became the Chicago & Northwestern and built the road to Fort Howard in 1862, and to the state line in 1871. Un- der the grant 546,446 acres have been received by the state. Of these there remained unsold on May 31. 1892, 281,974 acres. The sale of lands has never been very rapid, the highest mark being reached in 1882. when 14.656 acres were disposed of. Of late years it has not risen much above 1,000 acres a year. The average price obtained for the lands has varied from $1.27, in 1885, to $1.65 in 1888. In 1897 it was $5.55. From the lands the company has obtained since 1828, when the first separate reports were given, $658,424. This includes the amount raised from trespass and stumpage, which in Wisconsin frequently exceeded the receipts from land sales. For its entire system, including grants in Wis- consin, Minnesota and Michigan, the company has received 3,091,- 669 acres, of which it has sold 2,422,796 acres, for $8,715,350, with $849,311 due on contracts. In its report for 1898 the company credited its land department with a balance of $2.374.516.
The act of May 25, 1864. in addition to the renewal of the pre- vious grants, contained a provision for another road from the cen- tral portion of the state to Lake Superior. The legislature gave this grant to two companies. The Portage & Superior Railroad company, incorporated April 9. 1866, received the lands for a road from Portage to Stevens Point, and one-half of the lands from Stevens Point to Superlor. The road was to be exempt from taxa- tion and to pay three per cent of its gross earnings to the state. An act of April 6 gave one-half of the grant from Stevens Point to Superior to the Winnebago & Lake Superior Railroad com- pany under the same conditions. Consolidation with the Chicago & Northwestern was forbidden.
As might have been expected, the two companies soon united as the Portage. Winnebago & Superior Railroad company. In 1871 it became the Wisconsin Central Railroad company, which
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built the road. By an act of congress of April 9, 1874, the time within which the road was to be built was extended to December 31, 1876. By that time the division between Portage and Stevens Point was constructed and all but ten miles between Butternut Creek and Chippewa Crossing, on the Stevens Point and Ashland division, which was built in 1877.
The company has received 834,999 acres of land under the grant, with 49,834 acres estimated as still due. Up to 1880 it had sold 88,977 acres for $229,325, while the sale of stumpage from the land had amounted to $222,343. In 1890 the sales had been 268,194 acres for $765,041, while the receipts from stumpage had been $962,960.
Land Limitation Movement .- In the early history of the state the purchase by individuals of large tracts of government land in Wisconsin gave rise to the fear that all the vacant land of the state would thus ultimately get into the hands of a few owners. Public sentiment, after a good deal of agitation, became strong against these large purchases and what is known as the land limitation movement was started. This sentiment culminated during the legislative session of 1851 in the introduction of a severely re- strictive measure in the legislature. The bill limited the holding of one man to 320 acres and two city lots, and provided for the dis- position of the property in excess of this already owned to succeed- ing generations. In brief it proposed to almost abolish absolute ow- nership of land. So general had been the agitation of the subject that there was an excellent prospect of the measure becoming a law. A campaign in opposition, however, was started in Milwau- kee which resulted in the defeat of the measure, and put an end to the limitation movement.
Laney, a farmers' postoffice in Shawano county, 18 miles south- east of Shawano, the county seat.
Langes, a farmers' postoffice in Brown county. Green Bay, the county seat, is 13 miles distant.
Langlade, a postoffice of 75 people in the county of the same name, 24 mile east of Antigo, the county seat.
Langlade, Charles Michael de, a half-breed Indian who was dis-
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tinguished as the son of the first white settler in Wisconsin. Langlade came to Wisconsin (Green Bay) with his father in 1745. Some of his descendants still live in Green Bay. Langlade county was named in his honor.
Langlade County is in the northern part of the state, named after Charles de Langlade, the first white settler in the state. Organization was completed in 1880; its area is 876 square miles and its population (1905 census) 15,738. The soil is a light clayey loam. Antigo is the county seat.
Lannon, a post village with a population of 400 on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. in Waukesha county, 10 miles north of Waukesha, the county seat.
Laona, a post village on the C. & N. W. Ry. in Forest county, 14 miles from Crandon, the county seat. Its population is 700.
Lapham, Increase A., a distinguished naturalist and publicist, was born in Palmyra, N. Y., March 2, 1811. Hle came to Wiscon- sin, settling in Milwaukee, in 1836; was chief of the state geolog- ical survey for two years and was the most prominent of the early scientific investigators and writers on scientific subjects of Wis- consin. He died at Oconomowoc, Sept. 14, 1875.
La Pointe, a post town and summer resort on Madeline Island, Lake Superior, in Ashland county, 17 miles north of Ashland, the county seat. It is a stopping place for steamers which ply be- tween Ashland, Washburn and Bayfield.
Lark, a country postoffice of Brown county. Green Bay, the county seat, is 18 miles south.
Larrabee, a discontinued postoffice in Manitowoc county.
Larsen, a postoffice of 75 people on the C. & N. W. Ry. in Winnebago county, 15 miles northwest of Oshkosh, the county seat.
La Salle, Robert de, a noted French explorer who built the first schooner (at Niagara) to make the voyage of the great lakes. From this vessel (the Griffin) La Salle landed at Green Bay in 1679. Later he made a canoe voyage along the shore of I.ake Michigan from Green Bay to Chicago.
Lauderdale, a discontinued postoffice in Walworth county.
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Laurel, a country postoffice in Washburn county, 20 miles north of Shell Lake, the county seat.
La Valle, an incorporated village of 359 population on the Bara- boo river and the C. & N. W. Ry. in Sauk county, 24 miles north- west of Baraboo, the county seat. The village contains a bank.
Law Library, State .- In the act creating the territory of Wis- consin provision was made for an appropriation of $5,000 for a library for the accomodation of the territorial legislature and the supreme court. That was the beginning of the present law li- brary, which now contains about 47,000 titles. It is housed on the second and third floor of the north wing of the capitol building, ad- joining the supreme court room . A librarian with a salary of $2,000 and an assistant librarian with a salary of $1.500 are in charge of it. The librarian is appointed by the trustees of the library, which are the justices of the supreme court and the at- torney general.
Lawrence, Amos, a Boston philanthropist who contributed largely to the establishment of Lawrence Institute (now Lawrence University) at Appleton (q. v.) and for whom the university is named.
Lawrence University, which is located at Appleton, owes its c ::- istence to the generosity of Amos Lawrence, a Boston philanthrop- ist, who in 1846 offered to contribute $10,000 toward the establish- ment of an institution of higher learning somewhere in the Fox river valley. His proposition was submitted to the Rock river conference of the Methodist Episcopal church which then had jurisdiction over the Methodist work in the territory of Wisconsin, and was accepted. A charter was obtained for the "Lawrence In- stitute of Wisconsin" which name a few years later was changed to Lawrence University. The school opened in 1819 with 35 stu- dents. In two years there were 200 students. The purpose of the donor and of the Methodist church was to establish a place of higher learning in which education would be permeated and guided by a Christian spirit, and this purpose has been carried out. In 1853 the college department proper was opened. The university is beautifully located on a bluff overlooking the Fox river valley
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on a campus containing 10 acres. The buildings are university hall, Stephenson hall of science, Ormsby hall, Underwood observa- tory, the gymnasium and the president's house. It is governed by 13 trustees, 9 of whom are Methodists. (See Colleges and Semi- naries.)
Laws, Session .- The secretary of state is directed by law to have the laws, resolutions and memorials passed by the legislature pub- lished and bound in book form for distribution within 60 days after the close of the session. These volumes are distributed free to legislators, state officials, county officials, libraries, etc. Other persons can obtain them from the superintendent of public prop- erty by paying for them.
Layton, Frederick C., a successful and public spirited business man of Milwaukee who gave to that city the Layton art gallery, and left a fund for its proper maintenance. Mr. Layton was a native of England.
Layton Park, a suburb of Milwaukee, Milwaukee county.
Leadmine, a postoffice of 30 people in La Fayette county, 15 miles southwest of Darlington, the county seat.
Lead Mining, Early .- In the early days of its history Wiscon- sin's lead mining industry was an important one. The discovery of lead ore in the Northwest is credited to Le Sieur as early as 1700-01. A little more than half a century later Jonathan Carver, the traveler, found pieces of lead ore in the villages of the Sanks along the Wisconsin river. The first mining known to have been done was by Dubuque, probably near the site of the city in Iowa now named for him. In 1796 Dubuque received a grant of land from the Fox Indians and a lease to mine from the Spanish government. Ile died in 1809. Little was done until 1820 when a trading post was established on the Fever river at Galena, Ill. The Indians had done some crude mining prior to that. In 1807 congress withdrew the mineral lands from sale but made leases for mining. In 1821 the steamer Virginia brought a large party to the lead regions and these men began the first systematic effort to mine and ship the ore. They established small settlements, the names of which are still preserved. They leased the land from
1
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the government and in a rather crude manner got out large quan- ยท tities of ore. In 1840 congress changed its policy and put the mineral lands on the market. They were sold for $2.50 per acre but all who mined lead were obliged to sell their ore to licensed smelters; and the smelters could not receive ore from miners not duly licensed by the government. The land sold for mining pur- poses was only a small portion of the whole and the Indians still claimed much of the territory. When miners went outside the government limits they sometimes paid fees to the Indians. The only limits recognized for a number of years by the rather law- less miners were the limits of safety from the attacks of the In- dians. The most prosperous period of mining was between 1810 and 1852. It is estimated that there was mined and sold in that time 458,997,251 pounds of lead valued at $18,329,885. Ninety per cent of this came from the Wisconsin fields. The value of the annual average product of Wisconsin mines was estimated in 1850 to be $1,380,015 and that at a time when the entire valuation of the state was but $4,000,000. The discovery of gold in California in 1849, and later of silver in the west attracted attention away from the lead regions. Since 1900, however, there has been a marked re- vival and now the annual product far exceeds that of the early years of mining.
Lebanon, a postoffice of 35 people in Dodge county, 20 miles south of Juneau, the county seat.
Le Clair, a discontinued postoffice in Douglas county.
Ledgeville, a country postoffice in Brown county and a station on the C., M. & St. P. Ry., 12 miles southwest of Green Bay, the county seat.
Lee, a discontinued postoffice in Jackson county.
Leeds, a discontinued postoffice in Columbia county.
Leeds Center, a settlement in Columbia county, 20 miles south- east of Portage, the county seat.
Leef, a country postoffice in Burnett county, Grantsburg, the county seat, being 35 miles distant.
Leeman, a post town of 200 population in Outagamie county, 28 miles northwest of Appleton, the county seat.
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Legislature, The .- The state constitution provides that the law making power of the state shall be vested in a senate and assembly ; that the number of members of the assembly shall be not less than 54, nor more than 100; and that the senate shall consist of not more than one-third nor less than one-fourth the number of mem- bers of the assembly. The assembly now has 100 members and the senate 33. Up to 1881 the legislature met annually but an amendment to the constitution was adopted at that time changing to biennial sessions. No person is eligible to the legislature until he has resided in the state one year and is a duly qualified elector in the district which he may be chosen to represent. The mem- bers of the assembly are chosen biennially on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even numbered years. Senators are elected for four years, and their terms are arranged so that half of them expire every two years, the election taking place at the same place and time as that of assemblymen, congressmen, etc. Each house is the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its members, and a majority of each constitutes a quorum to do busi- ness; but a small number may adjourn from day to day. Each house chooses its own officers, and the senate elects a temporary president to preside in the absence of the lieutenant governor. When a vacancy occurs in either house the governor calls a special election to fill it.
Lehigh, a postoffice of 25 people and a station on the M., St. P. & S. Ste. M. Ry. in Barron county, 16 miles east of Barron, the county seat.
Leland, a postoffice of 40 people in Sauk county, 22 miles south- west of Baraboo, the county seat.
Lemonweir, a discontinued postoffice in Juneau county.
Lemonweir River rises in Jackson county and flows southeast into Junean county, southwest into Monroe, southeast again into Juneau and joins the Wisconsin river below Point Bluff.
Lena, a post village of 500 population on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. in Oconto county, 12 miles northeast of Oconto, the county seat. The village contains a bank.
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Leola, a country postoffice in Adams county, 25 miles northeast of Friendship, the county seat.
Leon, a post village of 100 people on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. and the Little La Crosse river in Monroe county, 5 miles south of Sparta, the county seat.
Leonard, a country postoffice in Bayfield county, and a station on the C., St. P., M. & O. Ry., 51 miles southwest of Washburn, the county seat.
Leopolis, a post village of 100 population on the north branch of the Embarrass river in Shawano county, 14 miles west of Shawano, the county seat.
Le Roy, a postoffice with 90 people in Dodge county, 16 miles northeast of Juneau, the county seat.
Le Saulmer, a discontinued postoffice in Price county.
Le Sieur, Pierre, a French explorer and trader, who in 1693 built a fort on Madeline Island in Lake Superior. He had trav- elled previously from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi by way of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers route and traded with the Indians at St. Anthony's Falls. In 1700 he discovered the lead mines of southwestern Wisconsin.
Leslie, a country postoffice in La Fayette county and a station of the C. & N. W. Ry., 16 miles northwest of Darlington, the county seat.
Levee, a post town of 100 people on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. in Columbia county. 9 miles west of Portage, the county seat. The railroad name for this place is Lewiston.
Levee, Portage .- The legislature of 1901 appropriated $20,000 to be expended in constructing a levee along the Wisconsin river near Portage in Columbia county and in Sauk county. A portion of the work has been completed.
Levis, a country postoffice in Jackson county. 26 miles north- west of Black River Falls, the county seat.
Lewis, James T., the governor of Wisconsin in 1864 and 1865, was born October 30. 1819, in Clarendon, N. Y. He studied law in the office of Gov. Selden of that state, and came to Wisconsin. settling in Columbia county, in 1844 He was successively a
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member of the constitutional convention, state senate, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and governor. He died at his home in Columbus August 4, 1904.
Lewiston .- Sce Levee.
Leyden, a discontinued postoffice in Rock county.
Libel, Law of .- The constitution provides that the freedom of the press and the liberty of speech shall not be abridged; and that in all criminal prosecutions or indictment for libel the truth may be given in evidence and that the jury shall determine the law and the facts.
Liberty Bluff, a discontinued postoffice in Marquette county.
Liberty Pole, a discontinued postoffice in Vernon county.
Library Association, Wisconsin, was organized February 11, 1891, "to promote the library interests of Wisconsin."
Library Building, Historical .- Situated on the lower campus of the University of Wisconsin on a plot of ground 261 feet square. The structure is of buff Bedford limestone, with the interior fin- ished in marble and mosaic. It is a fire-proof building, architec- turally of the Ionic order and in Renaissance style. Independent of its valuable contents it is one of the most attractive public build- ings in the state. The first appropriation for it was made by the legislature of 1835. Its entire cost was about $150,000. (See State Historical Society.)
Library Commission, Free .- This commission was created by an act of the legislature of 1895. It consists of 5 members whose duties are "to give advice and counsel to all free libraries in the state, and to all communities which may propose to establish them, as to the best means of doing so, and their administration, the selection of books, cataloguing and other details of library man- agement." The commission was reorganized under the law of 1897 giving it larger powers. It has a permanent office in the capitol building at Madison. The commission has done much to stimulate a desire for libraries and to systematizing and improving library management throughout the state. Since its organization private individuals have given $20,000 for traveling libraries and $2,291,300 has been expended in the state for libraries and library
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buildings. Special attention is given to training librarians. The commission has a summer school for library training in connection with the summer session of the University of Wisconsin, and in September, 1906, will open a library school in the Carnegie library building in the city of Madison. The course will be completed in one year and is especially designed for the training of librarians for work in villages and small towns. The laws of 1901 authorized the commission to establish a reference library for the use of legis- lators, public officers and other students of public affairs.
Library, The Historical .- See Historical Society.
Librarian, State Law .- The office of state law librarian was created by the legislature of 1849, and the librarian was then to be acting superintendent of public property, under the governor. Later the duties were more clearly defined and the two offices sep- arated. The librarian is now custodian of the state law library and is appointed by the judges of the supreme court and the at- torney general.
Liddell, a settlement in Chippewa county, 71/2 miles northwest of Chippewa Falls, the county seat.
Lilly Lake is in Forest county. It is the head water of Lilly river. Elcho in Langlade county is the nearest railroad station.
Lilly River rises in Lilly Lake, Forest county, flows south into Langlade county, and joins the Wolf river at Lilly postoffice.
Lily, a postoffice of 25 people in Langlade county, 24 miles northeast of Antigo, the county seat.
Lima Center, a post village of 150 people and a station on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. in Rock county, 14 miles northeast of Janes- ville, the county seat.
Lime Kilns .- See Druecker.
Lime Ridge, a post village of 250 population in Sauk county, 25 miles west of Baraboo, the county seat.
Lincoln, a discontinued postoffice in Kewaunee county.
Lincoln County, in the northern part of the state, was named in honor of President Lincoln. It was organized in 1866; its area is 700 square miles and its soil is a light clayey loam with a strip of
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sandy loam. The census of 1903 gave it a population of 19,125. Merrill is the county seat.
Lind, a discontinued postoffice in Waupaca county.
Linden, an incorporated village on the M., P. & N. Ry. and a branch of the Pecatonica river in Iowa county, 10 miles southwest of Dodgeville, the county seat. The population of 583 supports a bank and a weekly newspaper.
Lindsey, a post town of 200 population on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. in Wood county, 31 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, the county seat.
Linnton, a discontinued postoffice in Walworth county.
Linzybrook, a discontinued postoffice in Oconto county.
Literary Association, The, is a body corporate under the laws of the state. It designs to associate together persons of literary taste and pursuits and to encourage the production and publica- tion of literature by its members. It has headquarters in Mil- waukee.
Little Black, a post town of 120 people on the W. C. Ry. and the Little Black river in Taylor county, 21/2 miles south of Medford, the county scat.
Little Bull Falls .- The site of Mosinee on the Wisconsin river was formerly called Little Bull Falls.
Little Butte des Morts, a village of the Fox and Outagamie In- dians on the Fox river above Oshkosh in the early history of the state. It was a fortified town and was attacked by the French in 1716. In 1930 Marin, a French fur trader surprised the town and slew the greater part of the tribe, and practically destroyed the town. In August, 1827, Gov. Lewis Cass, of Michigan territory,- which then included Wisconsin,- at the head of a commission to elect a chief for the Menomonee Indians at Little Butte des Morts, selected Oshkosh as the head of the tribe.
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