USA > Wisconsin > Wisconsin: comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form: > Part 24
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Onalaska, an incorporated city of La Crosse county, settled in 1854, whose present population is 1,106. It is on the C. B. & Q., the C., M. & St. P. and the C. & N. W. Rys. and the Black river and has interurban trolley connection with La Crosse, the county seat, 5 miles to the southeast. There is one newspaper, the La Crosse County Record.
Oneida, a postoffice on the Oneida Indian reservation and the G. B. & W. R. R. in Brown county, 10 miles west of Green Bay, the county seat.
Oneida County, in the northern part of the state, is named from the Oneida Indians. It was organized in 1885. Its soil is sandy, with tracts of swamp land. The area of the county is 936 square miles and the 1905 census gives it a population of 11,234. Rhinelander is the county seat.
Oneida Indian Reservation is in Outagamie and Brown counties. It is crossed by the G. B. & W. R. R.
Ono, a postoffice of 60 people in Pierce county, 16 miles south- east of Ellsworth, the county seat.
Ontario, an incorporated village in Vernon county, on the Kick- apoo river, 23 miles northeast of Viroqua, the county seat. Its population is 362.
Oostburg, a post village of Sheboygan county on the C. & N. W. Ry. 10 miles south of Sheboygan, the county seat. It has a pop- ulation of 35€.
Orange, a country postoffice of Burnett county. Grantsburg, the county seat, is 30 miles to the southwest.
Oratorical Association, The University .- This association was organized in 1874 for the purpose of elevating oratory in the Uni- versity of Wisconsin. It is composed of members of all the literary societies in the university and holds a final contest each year, the winner in which represents the university in the northern oratori- cal league contest.
Oregon, an incorporated village in Dane county and a station on the C. & N. W. Ry., 11 miles south of Madison, the county seat. It has a weekly newspaper, the Oregon Observer, and a bank. Its . population is 703.
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Orfordville, an incorporated village of Rock county, on the C., M. & St. P. Ry., 12 miles southwest of Janesville, the county seat. It has a population of 439, which supports a bank and a weekly newspaper, the Herald.
Orienta, a postoffice of 26 people in Bayfield county on the shore of Lake Superior, 66 miles from Washburn, the county seat.
Orihula, a discontinued postoffice in Winnebago county.
Ormsby, a country postoffice of Langlade county. Antigo, the county seat, is 12 miles distant.
Orphan Asylum, Soldiers' .- The legislature in 1867 provided for the purchase and maintenance of an asylum for the orphans be- tween the ages of 4 and 14 of soldiers or sailors. The asylum was successfully maintained in Madison for a number of years on what is now Spaight street in the Sixth ward.
Orton, Harlow S .- Late chief justice of the Wisconsin supreme court, was born in Niagara, N. Y., Nov. 23, 1817. He was ad- mitted to the bar in Indiana in 1838 and came to Wisconsin in 1847. lle became private secretary to Gov. Farwell in 1852; was a mem- ber of the assembly in 1854; in 1859 was elected judge of the 9th circuit, serving until 1865. He served again in the legislature in 1869-71, and during that time was dean of the college of law of the University of Wisconsin. In 1878 he was elected to the su- preme court, became chief justice on the retirement of Chief Justice Lyon, and served as such until his death on July 4, 1895.
Osceola, an incorporated village on the St. Croix river in Polk county, and a station on the M., St. P. & S. Ste. M. Ry., 20 miles southwest of Balsam Lake, the county seat. Settled in 1844, it has today a population of 573, which supports a bank and two weekly newspapers, the Osceola Sun and the Polk County Press.
Oshkosh .- This city, the county seat of Winnebago county, is beautifully located on the west shore of Lake Winnebago, where the Fox river empties into the lake. Three important railroad lines enter the city, the W. C., the C. & N. W., and the C., M. & St. P. Through Lake Winnebago and the Fox river access is had by boat to the great lakes. Three interurban electric lines connect the city with other places on the lake. There are seven substantial
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
banks, with an aggregate capital of $1,500,000. The newspaper publications are the Northwestern, daily and weekly issues, the Chronicle, daily, the Wisconsin Telegraph, weekly, the Oshkosh Observer, weekly, and the Christian Union, monthly. Oshkosh has a population of 30,575.
Oshkosh, Chief, one of the last of the Menomonee sachems or peace chiefs. The city of Oshkosh was named for him. He was born on Point Bas on the Wisconsin river.
Oshkosh Fire, The Great .- In 1875 fire broke out in the lumber district of Oshkosh and destroyed the greater part of the city.
Oslo, a discontinued postoffice in Manitowoc county.
Osman, a discontinued postoffice in Manitowoc county.
Osseo, an incorporated village in Trempealeau county on the Buffalo river and the C., S. P., M. & O. Ry., 18 miles northeast of Whitehall, the county seat. There are 2 banks and a weekly news- paper, the Recorder. It has a population of 365.
Ostensorium, Perrot's .- The oldest memorial in existence in Wis- consin today of the white man's occupation is a soleil wrought in silver and presented by Perrot to the Jesuit mission at Green Bay in 1686. The relic is now in possession of the state historical society in its museum at Madison.
Osteopathy, Legalizing Practice of .- In 1901 the legislature pro- vided for the licensing of practitioners of osteopathy in Wisconsin by adding to the state board of medical examiners the eighth mem- ber, who must be an osteopathist.
Otjen, a post village of Milwaukee county, on the C. & N. W. Ry., 12 miles south of Milwaukee, the county seat. It has a pop- ulation of 300.
Otjen, Theobald, was born Oct. 27, 1851, at West China, Mich .; graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1875; served as alderman in the city of Milwaukee for several years. In 1894 he was elected to represent the fourth district in the house of representatives and has served in congress continu- ously since. His home is in Milwaukee.
Otrego, a discontinued postoffice in Columbia county.
Ottawa, a discontinued postoffice in Waukesha county.
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Otter Creek, a tributary of the Wisconsin river in Iowa county, flowing north. Joins the river opposite Lone Rock.
Oulu, a country postoffice of Bayfield county. Washburn, the county seat, is 38 miles distant.
Outagamie County is in the east central part of the state, the name coming from the Indian name of the Fox tribe. It was or- ganized in 1851. The soil in all but the northern part of the county . is a red clay ; in the north part of the county it is a clayey loam. It covers 640 square miles and has a population of 49,015. Apple- ton is the county seat.
Outer Island, one of the group of islands in Lake Superior, known as the Apostle Islands. It is under the jurisdiction of Ashland county.
Owen, a country postoffice in Clark county, Neillsville, the county seat, being 31 miles distant.
Oxford, a village of 300 people on Neenah creek in Marquette county, 14 miles west of Montello, the county seat.
Ozaukce County is in the eastern part of the state, on Lake Mich- igan, its name being a derivation of Ousaki, Saki, Sauk or Sac, a tribe of Indians. It was organized in 1853. The soil is a red clay, with some sandy soil back from the lake. The area of the county is 232 square miles and in 1905 its population was 17,476. The city of Port Washington is the county seat.
Packwaukee, a post village with a population of 300 in Marquette county, on the W. C. Ry., 772 miles southwest of Montello, the county seat.
Padus, a postoffice of 50 people on the C. & N. W. Ry. in Forest county, 18 miles southeast of Crandon, the county seat.
Paine, Halbert E., was born in Chardon, Ohio, Feb. 4, 1826; was graduated from Western Reserve college in 1845; came to Milwau- kee in 1857; entered the Union army as colonel in 1861, retired as major general in 1865. He was a republican representative from Wisconsin in the 39th, 40th and t1st congresses.
Palmer, a discontinued postoffice in St. Croix county.
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Palmyra, an incorporated village of Jefferson county with a pop- ulation of 710 and a station on Palmyra lake and the C., M. & St. P. Ry., 20 miles southeast of Jefferson, the county seat. There is a weekly newspaper, the Enterprise. The village is also called Pal- myra Springs.
Panic of 1857 .- Wisconsin suffered severely from the panic of 1857. There were many bank and mercantile failures and "wild - cat" money intensified the distress occasioned. The next year, there being a deficit in the state budget, the legislature authorized the issue of $50,000 in bonds to meet it, in preference to adding the amount to the state tax while the people were feeling keenly the financial distress.
Panic of 1893 .- This was the most disastrous and the most general financial trouble in the history of the state. Over 200 mer- cantile establishments and 40 banks in the state succumbed. five of the latter being Milwaukee banks. Many of the banks re-organ- ized and resumed business. The largest banks which suffered were the Marine, Milwaukee National and the South Side Savings, of Milwaukee. One banker was convicted of illegal banking and given a term in state prison.
Pansy, a country postoffice of Burnett county. Grantsburg, the county seat, is 18 miles distant.
Paoli, a post village of Dane county on the I. C. Ry. and the Sugar river, 14 miles southeast of Madison, the county seat. It was originally settled in 1847.
Pardeeville, an incorporated village on the Fox river in Columbia county, and a station on the C., M. & St. P. Ry., 9 miles cast of Portage, the county seat. The population of 866 supports a bank and a weekly newspaper, the Times.
Pardons .- See Pardoning Power.
Pardoning Power .- The constitution places the power to grant pardons and reprieves absolutely in the hands of the governor, subject only to restrictions made by the legislature as to the method of application.
Paris, a discontinued postoffice in Kenosha county.
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Park, The Capitol .- The park in the center of which the capitol building stands is in the center of the city of Madison, on a hill which commands a view of Lakes Mendota and Monona and, in winter, of Lake Waubesa, and the university grounds. It is 792 feet square, cornering to the cardinal points of the compass, and contains 14 4-10 acres ground. (See Capitol Building.)
Park Falls, an incorporated village on the Flambeau river in Price county, and a station on the W. C. Ry., 18 miles north of Phillips, the county seat. The inhabitants number 1,438. There are two substantial banks and a weekly newspaper, the llerald.
Parnell, a discontinued postoffice in Sheboygan county.
Parochial Schools, Lutheran .- Very generally throughout Wis- consin Lutheran congregations support parochial schools. Lu- therans contribute cheerfully to the support of the public schools, yet prefer where they can to give their children several years' in- struction at their church schools. According to the latest statistics available (1893), the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin has 150 schools; 175 teachers and 9,059 pupils. It has also 134 ministers, 239 congregations with 77,755 members. The synod of Missouri has in Wisconsin 107 schools, 140 teachers and 8,499 pupils. Other Lutheran synods have in Wisconsin 63 schools, 57 teachers and 2.464 pupils.
Parrish, a post village of 25 people in Langlade county and a station on the C. & N. W. Ry., 35 miles northwest of Antigo, the county seat.
Paskin, a post town of 110 people in Barron county, on the M., St. P. & S. Ste. M. Ry., 5 miles west of Barron, the county seat.
Patch Grove, a post village in Grant county, 18 miles northwest of Lancaster, the county seat. It has a population of 300.
Pawnshops .- The laws require proprietors of pawnshops in citics to report all goods taken in either through purchase or loans to the police authorities within 24 hours of receiving them; and also to keep a register of purchases or deposits that shall be accessible to the police.
Payne, Henry C., was born Nov. 23, 1843, in Franklin county, Mass .; came to Wisconsin in 1863, and settled in Milwaukee. In
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
1875 he began to take an active interest in politics and from then until his death in 1904, was a commanding figure in the republican party in the state. Was postmaster of Milwaukee eight years prior to 1886; secretary for many years of the republican state central committee ; became head of the street car system of Milwaukee ; was member of the executive committee of the republican national com- mittee and in 1901 was appointed postmaster-general in President Roosevelt's cabinet. Ile died in Washington in 1905 while hold- ing the latter office.
Pearl Fishing .- During the past twenty years pearls to the value of about $250,000 have been taken from clams along the shore of the Mississippi river from Prairie du Chien south to the Illinois line, and from the Pecatonica and Sugar rivers in southwestern Wisconsin. The pearls secured are nearly equal in value and beauty to the oriental stones. The highest price known to have been paid for a Wisconsin pearl is $5,000. Pearl fishing has not reached the dignity of an industry as it is taken up spasmodically by people along the rivers mentioned. The pearls are found for the most part in clams found in the mud in the sluggish portion of the streams.
Pearson, a postoffice of 40 people in Langlade county, 18 miles northeast of Antigo, the county seat.
Peat, Fuel .- This material which enters largely into the marsh soils of the state has been used to a small extent for fuel. As early as 1860 companies were organized to prepare the marsh peat for the market ; and in later years occasionally similar efforts have been made, down to 1903-04. Up to this time, however, no effort to make it generally available as fuel has proved successful.
Pecatonica, Battlefield of .- See Black Hawk War.
Pecatonica River has its rise in lowa county ; flows southeast through La Fayette county, into the southwest corner of Green county, whence it turns southeast into Illinois.
Peck .- See Benoit.
Peck, George W., was born in Henderson, N. Y., Sept. 28, 1840, and came to Wisconsin with his parents in 1811. He learned the printer's trade and worked on papers in Ripon, La Crosse and
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Madison. Served in the War of Secession in a Wisconsin regiment. In 1879 he began in La Crosse the publication of "Peck's Sun" a weekly paper devoted to humor. In 1880 he moved to Milwaukee where his serial "Peck's Bad Boy" brought him and his paper into prominence and prosperity. In 1890 he was elected mayor of Mil- waukee on the democratic ticket and in the fall of the same year was elected governor of the state, the democrats carrying both the legislature and the state ticket on the "Bennett Law" (q. v.) issue. Was renominated and re-elected in 1892 ; was again renominated in 1894, but was defeated in election that fall. Ten years later he was again nominated for governor, and was again defeated. Has the distinction of being the only man ever nominated in Wisconsin for governor four times. He lives in Milwaukee.
Peebles, a postoffice of 50 people in Fond du Lac county on the C. & N. W. Ry., 5 miles northeast of Fond du Lac, the county seat.
Peet, a postoffice of 50 people in Burnett county. Grantsburg, the county seat, is 17 miles distant.
Pelican Lake, a post town of 125 people in Oneida county, on the C. & N. W. Ry., 19 miles southeast of Rhinelander, the county seat.
Pelican River is a tributary of the Wisconsin river rising, and wholly within Oneida county. Its flow is southwest and north- west until it joins the larger river at Rhinelander.
Pella, a post village of 100 people in Shawano county, on the Embarrass river, 10 miles southwest of Shawano, the county seat.
Penal Fines for School Purposes .- The constitution provides that "the clear proceeds of all fines collected in the several counties for any breach of the penal laws" shall be turned into the school funds. This provision has been, up to this time, generally disregarded.
Pence, a post village in Iron county, settled in 1886, six miles west of Hurley, the county seat. It is a station on the C. & N. W. Ry., and is the home of 500 miners.
Penne Bon Won River rises in the southeast corner of Florence county, flows southeast across the northern portion of Marinette county and into the Menominee river.
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Pennington, a postoffice of 75 people in Price county, on the M., St. P. & S. Ste. M. Ry., 14 miles south of Phillips, the county seat.
Pensaukee, a post town of 200 inhabitants on the Pensaukee river where it empties into Green bay, in Oconto county, 5 miles south- west of Oconto, the county seat. It is a station on the C. & N. W. Ry.
Pension Agency, State .- Under the supervision of the adjutant general's department the state employs a clerk whose duty it is to render assistance to ex-soldiers desiring to secure, or increase or change otherwise their pensions. Since congress ceased to enact pension laws the duties of the office are light.
Pepin, an incorporated village in the county of the same name, on Lake Pepin and the C., B. & Q. Ry., 22 miles southwest of Du- rand, the county seat. It has a population of 398.
Pepin County is on the western border of the state, on the Mississippi river. It was named after Jean Pepin, a French- man who married, Nov. 23, 1685, a relative of the commandant of the fort, located there. The organization of the county occurred in 1858; in the the western part the soil is a light clayey loam, in the eastern it is sandy. Pepin county has a comparatively small area, 214 square miles, and its population is 7,569. The city of Durand is the judicial seat.
Pepin, Lake, an expansion of the Mississippi lying between Pepin county, Wis., and Waubasha county, Minn.
Percival, James Gates, a distinguished poet, lexicographer and geologist was born in Kensington, Conn., in 1795. He was gradu- ated from Yale college in 1815. In 1834 he was appointed state geologist of Wisconsin and held that position until his death at Hazel Green in 1856.
Perida, a country postoffice of Burnett county, 18 miles north- east of Grantsburg, the county seat.
Perkinstown, a postoffice of 120 people, 191, miles northwest of Medford, the county seat of Taylor county, within which it is lo- cated.
Perley, a discontinued postoffice in Barron county.
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Perrot, Nicholas, a French engagé of the early Jesuft mission- aries to the Indians of the Northwest. Ile was born in 1644 and died in 1718. For 30 years he acted as interpreter and special envoy and is credited with having done much to maintain peace with the Indians. His early trips brought him through the Wis- consin country by way of Green bay and the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. Perrot was made governor of the Northwest in 1685 with headquarters at Green Bay.
Peru, a country postoffice in Portage county, 22 miles northeast of Stevens Point, the county seat.
Peshtigo, an incorporated city of Marinette county, on the W. & M. and the C. & N. W. Rys .. 7 miles southwest of Marinette, the county seat. The population of 2.539 supports a weekly news- paper, the Peshtigo Times, and a bank.
Peshtigo Fire, The .- In the fall of 1871, after a drouth continu- ing from July to October, forest fires broke out in northern Wis- consin causing enormous destruction of property and the loss of many lives. In the vicinity of Peshtigo the fire was the worst and the entire village was destroyed. It is estimated that 1.000 per- sons lost their lives in and around Peshtigo during the second week of October. Hundreds of farmers were made homeless, and but for prompt aid on the part of charitable people, many who escaped death by fire would have starved.
Peshtigo Harbor, a settlement on Green bay at the mouth of the Peshtigo river in Marinette county. Its postoffice is Peshtigo.
Peshtigo River rises in Forest county. It flows southeast almost the entire length of Marinette county and empties into Green bay at Peshtigo Harbor.
Petersburg, a postoffice of 100 people in Crawford county, on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. and the Kickapoo river, 28 miles northeast of Prairie du Chien, the county seat.
Pewaukee, an incorporated village on Pewaukee lake in Wan- kesha county and a station on the C., M. & St. P. Ry., 6 miles north of Waukesha, the county seat. It has a population of 763.
Pewaukee Lake is a beautiful sheet of water in Waukesha
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
county. Pewaukee village, a widely known summer resort, is on its shore.
Phalanx, The Wisconsin, was the name adopted by a socialistic society organized in Kenosha in 1843, to put in practice the princi- ples of Fourierism .- See Fourierism. Also Socialism.
Pharmacy, State Board of .- Consists of five members, resident pharmacists, terms of office five years. The Wisconsin pharma- ceutical association annually elects three pharmacists, which are certified to the governor, and from which vacancies on the board shall be filled. The duties of the board are to examine and give certificates to properly equipped applicants, to practice pharmacy. Graduates of the department of pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin and of other universities giving like courses are given certificates upon proof of two years' practical experience in a drug store. Certificates must be renewed each year. Certificates as as- sistant pharmacists are issued to persons over 18 years of age who have had two years' experience in a drug store, and who can pass the required examination.
Pheasant Branch, a discontinued postoffice in Dane county.
Phillips .- This is a city on the W. C. Ry. in Price county, of which it is the county seat. It has a population of 2,011 which sup- ports two weekly newspapers, the Bee and the Times, and two banks.
Phipps, a country postoffice of Sawyer county, 5 miles from Hay- ward, the county seat, and a station on the C., St. P., M. & O. Ry.
Phlox, a post village of 250 population on the Red river in Lang- lade county, 12 miles southeast of Antigo, the county seat.
Pickerel, a country postoffice in Langlade county. Antigo, the county seat, is 30 miles to the southwest.
Pickett, a post town of 175 people in Winnebago county, and a station on the C., M. & St. P. Ry., 13 miles southwest of Oshkosh, the county seat.
Pierce County is situated in the western part of the state, on the Mississippi river, and was named after President Franklin J. Pierce. It was organized in 1853; has an area of 520 square miles and a population (1905 census) of 23,133. The soil in the west and cast
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
is a light clayey loam with a strip of loamy clay in the central part. Ellsworth is the county seat.
Pigeon Falls, a post town of 150 people on Pigeon creek in Trem- pealean county, 8 miles southwest of Whitehall, the county seat.
Pike Lake, a country postoffice of Marathon county. Wausau, the county seat, is 22 miles to the northwest.
Pike Lake lies in Price county. Fifield is the nearest railroad station.
Pike River rises and is wholly within Marinette county ; flows southeast and joins the Menominee river.
Pilot Knob, a discontinued postoffice in Adams county.
Pilsen, a post village of 300 people in Kewaunee county, 13 miles west of Kewaunee, the county seat.
Pine Bluff, a discontinued postoffice in Dane county.
Pine Grove, a post settlement in Brown county. 9 miles south- east of Green Bay, the county seat. It has a population of 200.
Pine Knob, a discontinued postoffice in Iowa county.
Pine Lake is in Forest county. Atkins is the nearest railroad station.
Pine River, a post village in Waushara county, on a river of the same name, 14 miles northeast of Wautoma, the county seat. It has a population of 300.
Pine River rises and is wholly within Waushara county ; flows a little south of east and empties into Lake Poygan.
Pineville, a postoffice of 50 people in Polk county and a station on the C., St. P., M. & O. Ry., 24 miles southeast of Balsam Lake, the county seat.
Pinney, Silas U., was born in Rockdale, Crawford county, Penn., March 3, 1833, and came to Dane county, Wisconsin, in 1840. Hle served as mayor of Madison and later as a member of the lower house of the legislature; studied law and practiced with marked success in Madison until 1891 when he was elected associate jus- tice of the supreme court. Ile resigned from the bench in 1898 and died in 1899. Prior to his elevation to the bench he prepared and published "Pinney's Wisconsin Reports."
Pipersville, a discontinued postoffice in Jefferson county.
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
Pittsfield, a country postoffice of Brown county. Green Bay, the county seat, is 14 miles to the southeast.
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