m O H 'An'' .* ^0 .<^' ^- . * « " o ' • -r "^"^ ,0^ o«".«'..^0 K- %.^^ ■-, I ^A^ ^^. .<:,'^^ _*^^fe\ %^^^ ,* UXw^^^ HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, WISCONSIN. By J. WAKEFIELD, Historian of Old Settlers' Society of Waupaca County. jV oF ZZi : ' D WAUPACA, WIS.: D. L. STINCHFIELD, 18 9 0. 6*?' Copyright, 1890, By J. WAKEFIELD and D. L. STINCHFIELD. Printed by D. L. Stinchfield, Waupaca, Wis. Bound bj' W. B. Conkey, Chicago. TO TIIK OLD SETTLERS OF WAUPACA COUNTY THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFUIvLY DEDICATED ' BY THEIR HISTORIAN. INTRODUCTION. In settling a new country the pioneer has mtich that is unpleasant and discouraging to contend with. Unbroken forests must be cleared away, or the tough sods of the prairie turned under, and the fields fenced and fitted for cultivation. Crops must be planted, and time given for them to come up, grow and mature. In the meantime the old settler must live. His family can not be carried safely through without food and clothing, coarse and scant, perhaps, but sufficient to sustain nature. How to procure them is often a difficult question with him. It is quite common to see the "hungry wolf at the door," literally as well as metaphorically. His is a con- stant struggle with want, aye, even hunger and cold; but he must live, and he struggles on, often dissapointed, but ever hopeful, for the blackest cloud may, and generally does have a ''silver lining." Is it any wonder that so many faint by the way, that so many get discouraged and return to their old homes, perhaps in the far East? Many more would move back if they could, but the new 6 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. settler's stock of money is nearly expended in the purchase of his land, and in his first few tempo- rary improvements. So his only chance is to re- main, and there is where the blessing comes in ; being compelled to stay, he is obliged to ''work or starve." At length his enforced industry is re- warded, and many a formerly disheartened settler has lived to bless a poverty which has eventually made him rich in spite of himself In after years what pleasure the pioneer takes in listening to or relating incidents connected with his pioneer life! He looks back with a sort of mournful pleasure to those days and years of care, of disappointment, and often of actual want, and feels a real pride in the thought that his nerve and muscle, his mental and physical endurance, have wrought the great change that has taken place in his worldly affairs w^ithin so small a portion of one brief human life ; and his is a justifiable pride. The title of pioneer "is an honest title, and des- ignates the highest order of American nobility. One object of the present work is to collect statis- tics of the early settlement of our county, and to gather and preserve incidents and interesting rem- iniscences connected vsrith that early settlement. Our children may value them vsrhen our lips are unable to repeat them, and the only way to learn them will be to avail themselves of the labors of the historian. One by one our old settlers are leaving us. Every year performs its work. Soon HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 7 the last pioneer will be reverenth- laid away in his final resting place, and there will be none to repeat to the coming generation the noble sacrifices and heroic labors of the past. It is not easy to write good history. To be en- tertaining and at the same time truthful should be the object of the historian. Our work may not be entertaining, but we have tried to make it truth- ful — to make it worthy of a place as a text book in every library in the county. Of course, we maj^ have made errors. To err is human. But we have been for years collecting our material, and flatter ourselves tha.t our mistakes will prove few. We take this occasion to acknowledge how much we are indebted to our friends for their valuable assistance; for without their help our work must have proved a failure. They have our thanks. If the public will take as much pleasure in perus- ing our pages as we have taken in preparing them, we shall be content. J. Wakefield. Fremont, 1890. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER I. Waupaca County— 'Jlie Indians— Here were Their Hunting Grounds — Their Degeneracy —Their Inhumanity Compared with that of the Whites 13 CHAPTER 11. A Tragic Affair— Killing of an Indian by James, near Mukwa - Statement of Dr. Linde — Captain Powell 16 CHAPTER III. A Bloodless Affray Between Indian Chiefs at Algoma, Win- nebago County — Pow-wa-ga-nien and Kish-ke-ne-kat 22 CHAPTER IV. Our County- Its Boundaries — Soil— Natural Products — Cultivated Crops — Population — Climate — Lakes and Rivers . 28 CHAPTER V. Surrender of the Indian Title— Government Survey — Preliminary Survey by AVilliam H. Mumbrue— Settlers' League — Incidents — Primitive Justice— Illustration — A Dutch Justice 40 CHAPTER VL First Meeting of the County Board— First Election of County Officers— Organization of the Towns of Weyauwega, Mukwa, Waupaca, Embarrass, Centerville, and Dayton 49 CHAPTER VII. Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca— County Officers Required to Hold Offices at Waupaca— Scandinavia and Farm- ington Organized— Judicial Election— County Seat Vote— Prohibition- Royalton and Caledonia Organized— Court to be Held at Mukwa— Judge Cate Elected 55 10 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. CHAPTER VIII. Meeting of the County Board at AVaupaca— Members from Belmont and Amherst Admitted — Town of Lanarlv Organ- ized—Building Committee Chosen— Vote on County Seat 62 CHAPTER IX. Charges Against Me-llen Chamberlain— Vote on County Seat— First Meeting of the County Board at Weyauwega— Resolutions of the County Board on the County Seat Question. 65 CHAPTER X. The Board for Peace— Summons to Mellen Chamberlain— lola and Union Organized— Township Poor System Abolished. 71 CHAPTER XI. Town of Matteson— Helvetia— County Divided into Three Commissioner Districts — Board Adjourned to Waupaca — The County Jail— Committee on Poor House— Insane 74 CHAPTER XII. Town of Mukwa— First Settlement— Village of JMukwa- Village of Northport— Smiley's Anecdotes— City of New Lon- don—The First School 81 CHAPTER XIII. Town of Lind— First Settlers— Organization— First Officers- Fourth of July Celebration on Lone Pine Hill— A Temper- anceLesson 92 CHAPTER XIV. Townof Dayton— Its History as Written by J. Holman in 1876— farfrey's " Pepper Mill "—A Bear Story 96 CHAPTER XV. Town of Farmington— Historical Sketch by C. L. Green- List of Early Settlers— An Old Railroad Project. 108 CHAPTER XVL Town of Royalton— First Settlement in 1848 by Hicks Leut- hold, and Gill— A Good Farming and Stock Raising Town 112 CHAPTER XVII. Town of Caledonia— First Settlement in 1849, by James McIIngh— Organized in 1853 115 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, 11 CllArXER XYTII. Town of Fremont — First Settlement by D. Gorden in 1849— Organized in 1855— Springer's Point— Village of Fre- mont Organized in 1888— Killing of Wau-ke-john 117 CHAPTER XIX. Town of Union— First Settlement by Isaac Ames in 1855— Organized in 1858 — Experiences of Nathan Johnson— Sixteen Persons Sleeping on the Floor of a 16x20-Foot Shanty 127 CHAPTER XX. Town of Dnnont — First Setllement by O. A. Qnimby in 1857— Organizi'd in 1864— Village of Marion 133 CHAPTER XXI. Town of St. Lawrence — First Settlement in 1852— Organ- ized in 1855— Its Part in the ''Connty Seat War"— A Corres- pondent's Account of the Great Indian Scare of 1862 136 CHAPTER XXII. Town of Larrabee— First Settlement by Norman Clinton in ]\rarch, 1855— The City of Clintonville— Norman C. Clinton— Chet. Bennett 148- CHAPTER XXIII. Town of AVeyauwega — Settled in 1848 — Organized in 1852— Gills Landing Plank Road — An Indian Murder — A Sucker Story— Village of Weyauwega . , 156 CHAPTER XXIV. Town of Bear Creek— First Settlement by Welcome Hyde, in 1854— First Officers Elected in 1856— One of the Best Farm- ing Towns 164 CHAPTER XXV. Town of lola— Settled in 1853— First Election of Officers in 1855— Village of lola— Town of Harrison Created in 1890 166 CHAPTER XXVI. Town of Helvetia— Settled in 1853— First Town Meeting in 1861— Town of Wyoming Formed out of Helvetia in 1890. . . . . . 168 12 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. CHAPTER XXVII. Town of Miitteson— First Settlement in 1855, by Roswell Matteson, in Honor of Whom the Town was Named 17u CHAPTER XXVIII. A Chapter of Most Interesting Recollections by George W. Taggart, of Weyanwega — His Account of the Election of 1851. 172 CHAPTER XXIX. Town of Little Wolf— Settled in 1848 by William Goldberg— The Town was First Called "Centerville"— First Election of Officers in 1852 183 CHAPTER XXX. Town of -Waiipaca—Settled in 1819— Organized in 1852— Vil- lage of Waupaca Incorporated in 1857— The City Incorporated in 1875 185 CHAPTER XXXI. Town of Scandinavia— First Settlement in 1851— First Elec- tion of Officers in 1853— Village of Scandinavia 190 CHAPTER XXXII. Early Reminiscences of Waupaca County, Read at the Old Settlers' Meeting at New London, February 19, 1874, by W. F. Waterhouse, Historian 192 CHAPTER XXXIII. The Old Settler's Society— Its Organization in 1872— List of Old Settlers— A Summary of Their Proceedings 203 CHAPTER XXXIV. List of County Officers Since the Organization, Compiled From the Records 215 CHAPTER XXXV. List of Postoffices in Waupaca County, with Their Location. 218 CHAPTER XXXVL Strange Indian History—Indian Prophet "Walking Iron" at New London Two Centuries Ago — The Great Indian Vil- lage — The Prophet's Harem 219 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. CHAPTER I. AVaupaca County— The Indians— Here Their Hunting Grounds— Their Degeneracy— Their Inhumanity Com- pared with that of the Whites. The territory embraced in the present limits of Waupaca County was but recently the home of the red man. Here were his favorite hunting grounds. Here, on ever^^ side, were found the bear, the wolf, the elk, the deer, and other valued game. The numerous lakes, the ponds, the rivers, and smaller streams were stocked with almost every variety of fish; and no w^hite men were here to rob him of his heritage, or to circumscribe the limits of his hunting grounds. He was happ^^ — happy in his innocence — happy in his ignorance of the many ^wants which render the man of civil- ization discontented and miserable. He may have had his vices, but they ^were virtues in comparison with those taught him by the civilized whites. From being the type of a manly, noble race, he is but the weak, degenerate relic of a race just passing into oblivion. But a few more years and 14 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. the last Indian will have disappeared — a few more, and all that will be known of him will be what little may be learned from tradition. The Indian has no history. Has the Indian been benefited by contact with civilization ? We think not. Even Christianity could not avert the doom of the poor red man. Strip him of his barbarism, and there would be nothing left. His nature is wild, and you can not change it. He can not be tamed, he will not be civilized. He may be '' Christianized," but that is unnatural. His destiny is to pass away — to make room for a superior race, that, perhaps, in turn to be supplanted ! We are apt to blame the Indian for his inhuman- ity in w^ar, for his murdering and scalping of help- less women and innocent children, for his torture of defenceless captives, and for other atrocious acts, and are ever ready to charge it to his barbar- ism. But is the barbarism of the aborigine pecu- liar? Has he been, is he now, any w^orse than the civilized white races? The Indian is cruel. The wars of Christian races are simply unjustifiable, unnatural, devilish ! The Indian tomahawks and scalps all, without regard to age or sex. The shot and shell of the Christian tear and mangle the quivering flesh of manhood, age, beauty and in- fancy, in the beleaguered town or city. The excuse is "necessity." That is a barbarian's excuse. But, it is said, the Indian tortures his captives, and HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 15 burns at the stake those of his enemies who are unfortunate enough to fall in his power. That is cruel; but what tortures are inflicted by those whose creed teaches them better things ! How many poor, bleeding, moaning victims are taken from every Christian battlefield, to linger for da^^s, perhaps weeks, or even months in mortal agonies scarce exceeded, if equalled, by those felt by the victims of Indian cruelty and revenge ! We do not justify or excuse the Indian. We con- demn him for his cruelties, and wonder why humanity is permitted to fall so low. But we also condemn the barbarity of the whites. It is not in accordance with the true spirit of Christianity. It is quite a different spirit which governs the Chris- tian as well as the pagan world. Will the time ever come when nations as well as individuals shall learn to love and practice the ''golden rule?" Perhaps ; but present appearances do not indicate a speed^^ millenium ! '' Love your enemies "was the noblest, the grand- est doctrine] taught by our Saviour. The doc- trine of universal love is the best, the most at- tractive part of Christianity. But how few prac- tice it ! War is cruel, horrible, unchristian. It can be conducted only in blood and rapine. It arouses and sets in action all the baser passions in the human breast, whether in that of a heathen or of a Christian, and all the logic in the world can make it only what it is— an unmitigated curse ! 16 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. How long have the Indians inhabited this conti- nent? Were they the original owners of the soil, or did they, take possession, perhaps thousands of years ago, of a country formerly held by a different race, long since extinct ? If they were not created here, where did they come from, and how long have they been here? They were powerful once, and must have possessed a sort of civiliza- tion. But, as we said before, they have no history. No hieroglyphics will ever give the antiquarian an excuse for guessing anything about their past. Their mounds tell us nothing definite, and even tradition has but little to say, and evidently lies when it does attempt to speak. In short, we know all we ever shall know of them, and that is that they are now what they ever will be — Indians ! CHAPTER II. A Tragic Affair— Killing of an Indian by James, near MuKWA— Statement of Dr. Linde— Captain Powell. The aborigines who inhabited this territory at the advent of the whites among them were, in the main, a quiet, inoffensive race. They knew that their white neighbors had come to disposess them of their favorite hunting grounds — had come to desecrate the burial places of their ancestors — had come to drive them and their wives and children HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 17 into hopeless exile — in short, had come to stay. The thought was humiliating, and they must have keenly felt the humiliation. And yet they quietly submitted — with the quietness of despair — the stoicism of expiring barbarism. Civilization was about to pluck the last laurel from the brow of barbarism, Christianity to complete its grand triumph over heathenism. As might have been expected, occasional quar- rels occurred between them and the whites. But those quarrels could generall^^ be traced to the evil influence of bad v^^hite men, or bad whisky ; for an Indian, like his white brother, is sometimes quar- relsome while in drink. We shall take the liberty of relating a tragical aifair which occurred near Mukwa, between a white man and some Indians, in 1856. Dr. Linde and Walter James, a son of the great English novelist, G. P. R. James, Esq., went to Mukwa, in this county, on a hunting expedition. While James v^as out fire-hunting, one night, a difficulty occur- red with some Indians, which resulted in the death of one Indian and the wounding of two others. It is, perhaps, hard to say where the blame should rest, although at the time many very strongly blamed James, not deeming the provoca- tion sufficient to justify him in staining his hands with the blood of the Indian. We give an account of the unfortunate occur- rence as given by Dr. Linde in Harney s History of 18 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Winnebago County. The doctor will be remem- bered by many of our old settlers : ENCOUNTER WITH INDIANS. Dr. Linde gives the following recital of a most tragical event which occurred near his place at Mukwa, during his residence there : " On a fine hunting-night in the latter part of June, 1856, Mr. Walter James went to a small lake near Mukwa, with his canoe, for the purpose of night-liunting deer. Fortunately he took the doctor's hunting-knife, a formidable weapon, made of the best steel, and weighing two and a half pounds. He found plenty of deer, but they would not take the water on account of the carous- als of three Indians, who, with their families, were encamped near the lake. James, being familiar with the Indians, and not antici- pating any trouble, went to their wigwams and asked them not to make so much noise, and let him have a chance at the deer. The Indians, who had drunk just about whisky enough to make them excitable and quarrelsome, then attacked him. One grabbed hiui by the throat, when James pulled out his big hunting-knife ; then the Indian grasped him by the fore arm, to prevent James from striking with it. But his desperation lent him strength, and the great weight of the weapon enabled him, by the strength of his wrist alone, to strike a blow which split the Indian's skull, when he fell unconscious. This was the work of a few seccmds. The Indian had no sooner released his hold on James and fallen, than another made a thrust at him with a knife ; but James, being a skillful swordsman, easily parried the thrust, and struck his an- tagonist on the right arm, with the intention of crippling him. The blow severed the bone between the elbow and the shoulder, barely leaving the artery uncut, and a shred by which the arm dangled. At the same instant that the second Indian made the thrust with the knife, the other grabbed the gun which James held in his left hand. The latter clung to the gun, which was loaded with buckshot, well knowing that his life depended on keeping it in his possession ; but, after he had disabled the second Indian, the third kept beyond reach of the knife, holding the gun by the barrel, while James held it by the breech. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 19 "Seeing that he could not get within reach of the Indian with- out releasing his hold on the gun, he let go, and at the same instant jumped forward and made a desperate stroke at the Indian's head. The latter threw his head back, and received the blow in the left breast. It partly cut four of the ribs, and exhausted its force on the wrist, cutting deeply into the bone. The Indian then fled with the gun, and James followed in close pursuit, knowing well that it was a race for life ; for, if the Indian could get a sufficient distance ahead to turn and get a shot at him, he was gone. After ruiining a short distance, in which the Indian barely succeeded in keeping but a little more than an arm's length from James, the latter was tripped by a wild grape vine, and fell. At the same instant the Indian turned and leveled the piece at him, and pulled the trigger. When James saw the muzzle of the glistening barrel that con- tained twenty-four buckshot, he felt, for an instant, that his chances for life were narrow. The Indian, however, failed to dis- charge the gun, and James, quickly comprehending the reason, which was that the gun was at half-cock, jumped up and plunged down the bank of the stream, which was the outlet of the lake. "As the place where he happened to fall was near where he had left his canoe, it was the work of but a few moments to reach it, when he quickly paddled out into the lake, trusting that the ob- scurity of the night would prevent the Indian from getting a shot at him. This desperate encounter, up to the time when the Indian fled with the gun, occupied but a few seconds, as the three Indians attacked James simultaneously ; and, in fact, it was but a few minutes from the time he had landed to visit the Indians, until he was again out upon the lake. "Another man was on the lake in a canoe, watching for a chance at deer, a Mr. Jerroux, who owned the adjoining land. As the In- dians were making such a racket, he had lain down in his canoe to rest till the noise subsided, and had fallen asleep, unconscious of the tragical events transpiring so near him. James paddled out to him and, awakening him, related what had occurred, and request- ed him to go to the wigwam and see what condition the wounded were in. He went, came back, and reported to James, who imme- diately started for Dr. Linde, feeling that his services were much needed ; but the doctor, who had been at Weyauwega, was then on his return on a steamboat, which met James' canoe in the river. The latter was taken on board, and gave a recital of what had oc- 20 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. curred. He showed the marks of the encounter, his neck still re- taining the indentations of all the finger nails of the hand which had grasped it. "On their arrival at Mukwa, the doctor took his surgical instru- ments, and, accompanied by James, went immediately to the wig- wam. The Indian whose skull was cleaved was still alive, but un- conscious and beyond the reach of surgical skill. He soon died. The one whose arm was nearly severed was attended to. The arm being cut slanting, it was found necessary to cut off the points, so as to square the ends, which was done. In due time the bone united, but the main nerve had been severed, causing paralysis of the arm, and leaving him a cripple for life. The wounds of the other were dressed, and the gashes sewed up; but about a year afterwards he died, it was reported from necrosis of the ribs, oc- casioned by the injury. " The fatal quarrel caused great excitement among the Indians, who flocked from all directions to the scene of the tragedy, and congregated in large numbers in the vicinity of Linde's, assuming a most threatening attitude. The settlers were in such great fear that the Indians had assembled for the purpose of taking revenge, that they dared not afford Linde any protection. He thought it a necessary precaution to send his little son, Fred, to Oshkosh. The doctor seemed to be involved in the trouble, from the fact that it was supposed hostility to him that provoked the attack on James, the Indians having, in the night, and in the frenzy of the moment, mistaken James for Linde, as the latter had caused the arrest and fine of some parties who had been selling whisky to the Indians, for the purpose of suppressing the evil, considering his life in danger when the Indians were in liquor, whereas, he had no fear of them when they were sober. " The doctor resolved to brave out the excitement, which for a time ran very high. One of his neighbors deserves to be remem- bered in this connection — a man by the name of John Thorn, a blacksmith, who offered to help Linde in the event of any attack on him. Linde believed if any hostile demonstrations were to be made it would be immediately ; so, the night he had sent Fred, he determined to keep a vigilant watch. Knowing that his dogs would giye prompt notice of any hostile approach, it was arranged that he should give Thorn notice, if he were needed, by discharg- ing a gun. The night passed without any disturbance, and in the HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 21 morning Linde decided to empty one of his revolvers, that had been loaded for a long time. Forgetting his arrangement with Thorn, he commenced discharging the piece. After firing a few shots he happened to look in the direction of Thorn's house, which was just across a little marsh, when he discovered Thorn running toward him at full speed, with his rifle in one hand and hunting- knife in the other. There was, however, no need of his services, so they amused themselves for some time in shooting at a mark. "James Clark, of Winchester, as soon as he heard of the danger surrounding his friends, promptly came to their defense, and offered to stand by them till the danger was over. "After the Indians and their friends had fully investigated the sad encounter, it was settled — Indian fashion — one of the con- ditions of the settlement requiring James to consent to be adopted by the tribe as one of its members, taking the place of the one who was killed. He therefore became a Menominee by adoption. "Many who read the foregoing statement of James' desperate struggle on that, to him, memorable night may deem it an exagger- ation ; but the people who were living here at the time know the facts to be substantially as they are here stated, and will distinctly remember the circumstances. There were, it is true, some differ- ences of opinion as to where the chief blame of the encounter rested, some alleging that the Indians had cause of provocation in former attempts to drive them from Linde's hunting grounds ; but the general opinion seemed to be that it was not reasonable to sup- pose that James would go alone in the night, with any hostile in- tentions, to a wigwam of three able-bodied Indians, and that the reasonable conclusion was that he thought he could get them to quiet down and give him a chance to hunt — but they, mistaking him in the night for Linde, and being in the first stages of intoxi- cation, construed the visit into an attempt to drive them off, and, feeling belligerent, attacked him." We will add further that soon after the tragical affair at Mukwa, mentioned in the foregoing state- ment made by Dr. Linde, some one made complaint before Ira Sumner, Esq., a Fremont Justice of the Peace, who issued a warrant for the arrest of 22 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. James. When the officer appeared in Fremont with his prisoner, the Justice was away from home, and not expected back very soon ; so James was allowed to go free. We believe the case went before the Grand Jury at the next term of our Circuit Court, but that body refused to find a ''true bill." A short time after the killing of the Indian, Mr. James called on us and requested us to see Cap- tain Powell, long an interpreter among the In- dians, and very influential with them, whom we had for some time been acquainted with, and \vho was then at Butte des Morts, and get him to use his influence to prevent violence on the part of the Indians, saying, "There has been blood enough spilt already." Upon our stating the business to Captain Pow- ell, he said that James needn't be excited, the In- dians didn't seek redress that way, they proposed to obey the laws. After a few moments pause he continued : " If it had been a nigger that was killed the whole community would be up in arms, but now it is only a d d Indian ! " CHAPTER III. A Bloodless Affray Between Indian Chiefs at Algo- MA, Winnebago County — Pow-wa-ga-nien and Kisii-ke- NE-KAT. Although the Indians have the reputation of being vindictive and bloodthirsty in their difficul- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 23 ties among themselves, and especially among different tribes, we occasionally find them getting satisfaction for real or fancied injuries or insults in a manner quite humorous if not ludicrous. We shall relate an incident that occurred many years ago, in what is now Winnebago County, and which had quite a different termination from the one mentioned in the preceeding chapter. The ac- count is taken from Mitchell & Osborn's Historv of Winnebago County, published in 1856 : Pow-wa-ga-nien was a very celebrated chief of the Menoniinees. His great strength was equalled only by his bravery and noble- ness of spirit. He never would take the scalp of a woman or child, and it is related of him that on several occasions he defended the lives of those whom his warriors had subdued in battle. Kish-ke-ne-kat, or Cut Finger, head war chief of the Pottawat- tamies, was a great brave, and, like some successful white braves, somewhat of a bully. Among his habits was an ugly one of in- sulting the greatest brave of any tribe he might be visiting, and such was the awing effect of his reputation tliat none, as yet, re- sented it. As was his wont, he sent one of liis young men to Black Wolf, head chief of the Winnebagoes, to inform him of a visit he intended to pay to that chief, moved thereto by Black Wolf's great reputation as a brave. Black Wolf, knowing Cut Finger's habits, thought it best to get his Menominee friend, Pow-wa-ga-nien, to assist in dispensing his hospitalities to the Pottawattamie. There- in he showed his great wisdom. The Illinois chief made his ap- pearance at Black Wolf's village (Garlic Island) with three hun- dred warriors, and, not being expected there, did not find the chief ; so, according to custom, he started after him to Algoma, whither he had gone to a corn husking, on the planting ground of his friend Te-e-shaw. Black Wolf, by this time apprised of his coming, assembled his and the Menominee braves to receive him. On their arrival they sat down on a pleasant spot within hailing distance of their hosts. A young Winnebago, who could speak the Pottawattamie tongue, 24 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. presented the pipe to the great chief with the usual compliments. While the pipe was going round, Cut Finger inquired which was Black Wolf. The interpreter pointed him out. " Who is that who seems to be great as he, sitting by his side ?" " That's Pow-wa-ga-nien, the great Menominee." Cut Finger's eyes snapped with delight at the prospect of humbling the great warrior before his young men. Bidding the Winnebago to tell Black Wolf that he would shake his hand, be- fore the young men arose he paid the usual courtesies to that chief. After these preliminaries were settled on both sides. Cut Finger asked : "Who is he, this who occupies a place of so much honor? lie must be a great Indian." "This is the bravest Menominee, Pow-vva-ga-nien." "Ah ! is that the great Pow-wa-ga-nien, who fills the songs of the nation ? Let me look at him." He walked all around the chief, examining him with the critical air of a horse jockey, Pow-wa-ga-nien all this time keeping pro- found silence, having a good idea of what it was going to amount to. "Well," at last broke forth Cut Finger, " you are a fine Indian, a great Indian, a strong Indian, but you don't look like a brave Indian. I have seen braver looking Indians than you in my travels. I am a great traveler. 1 think you must have got a great deal of your reputation by your size. You don't look brave, you look sleepy. Y^ou have no tongue, you don't speak.'' Then, telling the young Menominees that he was going to satisfy himself as to thecourage of their chief, he took hold of the bunch of hair the old warrior always kept on his crown for the conven- ience of any Sac or Fox who might find it necessary to scalp him, and gave him a good shaking, saying all the time, " You are sleepy, you have no tongue," and a plentiful supply of aboriginal banter. Pow-wa-ga-nien, aided by his strength and a neck that could withstand anything but rum, sustained but little damage from this, and submitted with Indian calmness until his tormentor had got through. After satisfying himself. Cut Finger announced to Black Wolf that he would go and sit among his warriors until Black Wolf gave the word to rise. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 25 Pow-wa-ga-nien immediately set himself about fixing the flint of his Pottawattamie friend. He opened his sack and drew forth his cap of war-eagle feathers— itself equal to a small band of Sacs and Foxes— put it on his head, and picked up his lance and club. His young men feared an unpleasant result, but none dared to speak except his brother, who admonished him to "do nothing rash." One glance of Pow-wa-ga-nien' s eye, and an emphatic " Pm mad now ! " sent that respectable Menominee to his seat, excusing himself by saying that Pow-wa-ga-nien "knew what a fool he always made of himself when he got a-going." Stretching himself up to his full height, Pow-wa-ga-nien stalked toward the Pottawattamies in a style that excited the admiration of his friends— especially of old Black Wolf, who not only admired his friend, but also his own tact in shifting this particular scrape on to that friend's shoulders. "My friends," said the old brave to the Pottawattamies, "I am glad to see you here. You look brave— you are brave. Many of you I have met on the war-path ; some of your youngest I do not know, it being many years since I went to war. I am glad to see you look so well. I have heard much of your chief, but 1 don't think him very brave ; I think him a coward. He looks sleepy ; and I am going to see if he is worthy to lead such braves as you." Whereupon, throwing his weapons upon the ground, he seized the Pottawattamie chief by the hair, which he wore very long, as in prophetic anticipation of some such retribution, and continued to shake him until the young men remonstrated, saying they were satisfied. He stopped without relinquishing his hold, turned around his head, looked his followers down into silence, and shook again with the vim of a man whose whole heart was in the per- formance of an evident pious duty. The life was nearly out of Kish-ke-ne-kat, but the brave Menominee bore that individual's suffering with the same fortitude that he had born his own. Sat- isfied at last, he raised his emeny up by the hair, and threw him from him; at the same time he picked up his club and lance, and waited to see what he was going to do about it. Cut Finger raised himself on his elbow and rubbed his head, not daring to look up, while the Menominee invited him to look up and see a man, if he was one himself ; to "come and decide this matter like a man," which being unattended to, he went back to his seat at the right hand of Black Wolf, who had been all this time 26 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. smoking with the utmost indifference, as, indeed, it was no affair of his. Kish-ke-ne-kat continued to recline on his arm, Pow-wa-ga-nien eyeing him all the time ; and when the Pottawattamie would steal a glance at the great war cap, the eye under it would make him turn again. At the same time his ears were assailed with: "Why don't you look up ? What are you afraid of? Come and talk to me," and such taunts. Cut Finger saw that his position among his young men was get- ting to be rather delicate, and the last invitation, as a means of reconciling all parties, met his view. So, rising and laying his hand on his sore head, he said: "My friends, there is no dodging the fact that Pow-wa-ga-nien is a braye, a very brave Indian — braver than I, and I'll go and tell him so." Gathering himself up, he walked over to the chiefs, and told Pow-wa-ga-nien that he had come over to shake him by the hand. " You are a great chief. I have shook many chiefs; none have resented till now. If you had submitted you would have been disgraced in the eyes of my young men. Now they will honor you. I am a great traveler. I am going to all the tribes of the South. I will tell all who have spoken well of you how you have used me. They will believe me, for I have pulled all their heads, as you have pulled mine. You are as great as if you had pulled theirs also. I^et us shake hands and be friends." Pow-wa-ga-nien, who was a good fellow at bottom, reciprocated the good feelings of the now friendly chief, anrith us. Oats and buckwheat do well, but not so well as in man3^ of the eastern states, where the weather during the summer and early fall is cooler and more moist. POTATOES. Waupaca County may justly claim to be the ''banner county" for the raising of that favorite esculent, the potato. While we are not behind other counties in a great share of the agricultural products successfully cultivated in northern lati- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 31 tudes, the potato seems peculiarly adapted to our soil, our climate, and our tastes. Large fields are yearly cultivated — ten, twenty, and even forty acres are not uncommon — bringing fair returns to the cultivators when a reasonable price is secured. Years ago many predicted the ruin of our favor- ite fruit, and a speedy return to a turnip diet, when our common enemy, the Colorado beetle, vulgarly called the "potato bug," first made our acquaintance. But paris green saved us, and our fears proved groundless. To give an estimate of the total number of bushels of potatoes annually shipped from this county would test the nerve of even an honest historian. A careful estimate by one of our prin- cipal shippers places the amount for the season of 1889 at two thousand car loads of six hundred bushels each; total, twelve hundred thousand bushels ! The cultivated grasses do well in the timber — better than in the openings. Red clover thrives, and is getting to be extensively cultivated, not only for stock, but to turn under as a renovator of the soil. The wild grasses are plentiful, very rich and nutricious, proving a great blessing to the hardy pioneer who has to depend upon them for his stock to subsist on during the summer, and for his winter's supply of fodder until he can clean up his farm and raise a supply of the tame kinds. Our woods are full of a species of bean which is 32 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. eagerly sought after by our stock. There is also a kind of wild pea, which grows on the uplands, much relished by stock. It is likewise very plenti- ful in many of our natural meadows, often grow- ing from three to four feet high, and making ex- cellent hay. Although we can let our cattle run at large only a part of the year, and are obliged to fodder them more than half the time, stock raising pays well, and much money is made in the busi- ness. Of late, our people are taking more pains in the breeds, and much that is good is being intro- duced. Many prefer the ^' short horns." They and their crosses are becoming quite popular, although some cling to the Devons. For butter, the Jerseys and Alderneys can not be easily beaten, and the breeds in some localities are becoming the favor- ites, especially when crossed with the short horns to improve the size. Taking it all in all, this is an excellent dairying county. Much superior butter and cheese are pro- duced, which will compare favorably with any made in Wisconsin. Numerous cheese factories are in successful operation, producing as good an article as can be found anywhere, as the premiums and medals received by our citizens will attest. In horses we have some fine stock. Some of our horsemen are expending much money in that di- rection, and with a good prospect of success. Many of our farmers and others are becoming convinced that it costs but little, if any, more to HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 33 keep a good horse than a stunted Indian pony or a miserable "scrub," and the clumsy, raw-boned "critter" of the slow past is being replaced hj the highbred carriage horse, or the reliable roadster. Sheep do remarkably well. Our native grasses agree with, and keep them always fat. They are seldom found diseased. Sheep raising would pay, provided wool brought remunerative prices. But while we have to depend upon the eastern market so much, the business is rather hazardous. Eighteen or tv^enty cents a pound does not and can not be made to pay. We need more home markets — more factories in the West, more en- couragement for hoiue industry. Fruit formerly did well, especiall3^ apples. Plums and cherries never were sure crops, although some- what extensively cultivated in some localities. But the very severe winter of 1873-74 injured all of the fine orchards of Wisconsin, and nearly ruined manj of them. At that time excellent orch- ards were being started in different parts of our county, but that winter discouraged many. Such a winter was never before known in this section of the country, and it is to be hoped that such a one will never again be experienced in Wisconsin. The very cold weather of that long-to-be-remem- bered winter, following so close upon the unprece- dented drouths of the preceding seasons, was un- doubtedly the cause of such general ruin in our apple orchards. 34 PIISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. But our fruit growers are becoming more hope- ful, as well as more cautious. The lessons of the past will not soon be forgotten. They have learned to criticize very closely the claims of new varieties before trusting them, and not take the word of every itinerant tree peddler who may chance to come along. The Fox River Valley will yet prove favorable for fruit growers, and Wau- paca County will not be left far behind. Grapes do well, especially along the banks of our lakes, rivers and smaller streams. We venture the assertion that no county in the Fox River Val- ley can make much better exhibition of fine grapes than may be seen at our county fair every fall. There are many favorable localities in our county where grape raising would prove quite profitable. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and huck- leberries grow in profusion. But the great berry of Wisconsin is the cranberry. It is found wild in nearly all of our tamarac swamps, and is the berry with us. Thousands of barrels are picked annually and sent East and South for a ready market. Many are making handsome incomes from the business, and we can but think that the cranberry culture is but yet in its infancy, and will be a great source of revenue to those who have favorable locations. Small lakes abound in different parts of the county, whose clear, pure waters are stocked with nearly every variety of fish, while upon their HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 35 placid bosoms are found flocks of rice hens, and the sportsman's favorites, wild ducks. Our rivers and smaller streams are the home of the pike, the pickerel, black and white or silver bass, perch, cat- fish and sturgeon, which are caught b^^ our wily anglers in great profusion. The large game of our forests is becoming scarce, having fled before their cruel, unrelenting enemy — man ; but the partridge, the squirrel, and the timid rabbit remain to furnish amusement for our juve- nile Nimrods, and sportsmen of bigger growth. P'arev^ell to the exciting days v^^hen the hunting of the deer, the bear and the savage wolf were but common pastimes. We welcome civilization, but, after all, can not quite forget the past joys and ex- citement of pioneer life in Wisconsin ! In the eastern and northern portion of this county there was much valuable pine, especially along the banks of the principal streams and their tributaries, and much lumbering was done, giving employment to many hands. The business is now carried on less extensively than formerly, the banks of the streams having been robbed of their treasures. The pine is now hauled in many cases several miles before being landed in the streams preparatory to being started on its winding way to market. But the supply is far from being ex- hausted, and it will be many years before the vast forests will be entirely stripped, and the last log floated to market. 36 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The logs are mostly floated down the streams into the Wolf River, and down that to the boom, w^here they are rafted, and thence towed by steam tngs to Oshkosh, a large manufacturing city at the mouth of the Upper Fox River. A great many million feet each year formerh^ passed down the Wolf from and through this county, on the way to market. During the season of "driving," navigation on the Wolf River was, and is still, at times, much impeded by the running logs. But when a "jam " occured it might be days, and even weeks, before it could be broken so as to let steamboats through. Some faint idea of the immense magnitude of the lumbering operations formerly carried on in the Wolf River pineries may be gained from the fact that the Wolf River is from twenty to thirty rods wide, and yet that stream has often been com- pletely jamed with logs from bank to bank, for miles, and no way for boats to pass until the stream was cleared. The pine lands were mostly taken by speculators for the timber. As fast as that is removed the land is generally sold to settlers at low figures. As the pine grows mostly in clumps, on the ridges, there is scarcely a subdivision that does not con- tain much excellent soil well suited for agriculture. The Wolf River flows through the eastern part of the county, and is navigable for large steam- boats at all stages of the water. The Little Wolf HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 37 River empties into the Wolf at about the center of the town of Mukwa, and is valuable chiefly on account of its excellent water powers. So, also, is the Embarrass River, which empties into the Wolf at New London. The Waupaca River also possesses valuable water power. The Pigeon River in the northern. South Branch of the Little Wolf in the central, Crystal in the southwestern, and Little River in the southern, are all excellent water powers, and much improved. Our railroad facilities are good. The Wisconsin Central enters the county near the southeast cor- ner, and passes through it in a northwesterly di- rection, on its way towards Lake Superior. The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul road enters the county at New London, running \vestward, and making connection with the Central at Amherst Junction, in Portage County, a few miles west of the west line of Waupaca Count\^ The Milwau- kee, Lake Shore & W^estern passes through that portion of the city of New London lying in Outa- gamie County, touches two sections in Lebanon, cuts off the northeast corner of Bear Creek, and crosses the towns of Larrabee and Dupont. Fre- mont, Weyauwega, Waupaca and Sheridan are on the Central ; New London, Northport, Ostrander, Royalton, Manawa, Ogdensburg and Scandinavia on the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul ; and New London, Clintonville, Buckbee and Marion on the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western. 38 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Our winters are rather cold, but not colder than in the same latitude farther east. But our snows are much less — none too much for good sleighing, and often not enough for that. We seldom get much snow until after New Year. The cold weather generally comes on gradually during the month of December, and continues without much change until about March. Vegetation starts rather late in the spring, but it grows rapidly when it does get started, and comes to maturity early. Our climate is very healthful. There are no mi- asmatic diseases, and but few " pulmonary com- plaints. The air is pure, bracing and invigorating, and somewhat exhilirating. Many in the incipient stages of pulmonary complaints at the East have been permanently "benefited by coming here. The water here is good, and can generally be obtained by digging from ten to twenty-five feet. In many parts of the county artesian or flowing wells are readily obtained by boring from seventy to one hundred feet. In most parts of the county are clear, running streams, affording an abundance of excellent water for stock and other farm uses. Some towns in the county are settled mainly b^^ emigrants from the Middle and Eastern States. A few have a large proportion from Germany, Den- mark, Norway and other parts of Europe. Sober, intelligent, industrious and enterprising, as the majority of them are, it is no wonder than our HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 39 county is so rapidly improving in wealth and real prosperity, and that it already ranks among the leading counties of Northern Wisconsin. In every neighborhood are found free schools, w^here the children of the poor, as well as the sons and daughters of the wealthy, enjoy all the ad- vantages of a liberal education. Our school code is one of the best in the world. Taxes are, perhaps, rather higher than in some of the older states, as must of necessity be the case in a new country, w^here there is so much to be done in the way of building school houses, laying out and finishing roads, building bridges, etc. The emigrant from Europe or the Eastern States, in search of a permanent home, would do well to take a look at some of our Wisconsin counties be- fore roaming farther towards the setting sun. Here he will find a climate healthful and invigorat- ing. Not so in many other Western States. He will find here a good soil, pure water, plenty of wood, cheap lands, a ready market, and no grass- hoppers! Near the Rocky Mountains he may not be so fortunate. Our sober, intelligent population, ourschools, our churches, our good society, present no mean attractions to the immigrant raised in the older states, or in any other part of the world. Wisconsin counties are becoming rapidly settled. In a few years the man of small means will be obliged to ''go farther west." Our farms will ma- terially increase in value, villages will spring up, 40 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. and many of them will become important cities. Manufactories will be needed, mechanics will pros- per, and the man who this year or the next invests his small capital in Wisconsin property may in a few years be ranked among the wealthy men of the great and rapidly growing Northwest ! CHAPTER V. SlTHKENDEU OF THE INDIAN TiTLE — (JOVEUNMENT .STRVEYS — Preliminary Survey by William 1). Mitmbrue —Set- tlers' League —Incidents — Primitive Justice — Illus- tration—A Dutch Justice. Comparatively, it has been but a few years since the Indian Title to the lands in Wanpaca county was extinguished, and the final surrender made to the whites, on the first day of June, 1852. On the east side of Wolf River the whites had come into possession several years previoush^ The govern- ment survey on the east side of Wolf River was made by Hon. Theodore Conkey, in 1848. The survey in the towns of Fremont, (the part west of the river), Weyauwega, Mukwa, Royalton, Little Wolf, Union, Lebanon and Bear Creek was made by Samuel Perrin,in 1852; in the towns of Larra- bee and Dupont, and the north half of Helvetia, (Township 25, Range 12), by A. V. Balch, in the winter of 1852-53 ; in the town of Matteson by A. V. Balch and Ira Sumner, in March, 1853; in Township 25, Range 11, by Huntington, in the fall of 1853. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 41 Previous to the government surveys, settlers had commenced pouring into the ''Indian lands," as this section of the country was then called. Claims were being staked out and made, and the tents and log cabins of the squatters were appearing on every side. Still, all was uncertainty. Where the lines would finally come, or on whose lands their improvements v^ould prove to be, the settlers were profoundly ignorant. It was trusting to the future with a vengeance, and the people fully realized their situation. Accordingly, in order to approxi- mate at least a probability, William B. Mumbrue was employed to run a line from some known point on the Wolf River, through the settlements to the north and west, as a sort of basis on which to make their claims. In August, 1849, Mr. Mumbrue made his survey. Commencing on the east bank of the Wolf River, at the meander post between Sections 12 and 13, in Township 21 north, of Range 13 east, he con- tinued a line westward and northward, blazing his way to Waupaca and beyond. That line was used as a base for laying off claims. When the land was afterwards surveyed officially, the lines in some places varied somewhat from Mr. Mumbrue's, as might have been expected, causing much trouble and perplexity. The difficulties thus raised were, how^ever, usually settled by the pioneers in a man- ner satisfactory to all. In a new country there is always more or less 42 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. ''jumping of claims," whereby one person en- deavors to get possession of and hold the land claimed by another. Watipaca County was no ex- ception to the general rule. In such cases the in- jured parties have but one of three courses — to quietly submit, to resist the trespasser, or to call upon the community for protection. The old pio- neers of this county were law-abiding citizens, and consequently could choose only the latter course. They effected an organization, a sort of league, having for its object the protection of one another's rights, especially pre-emption rights. Members were pledged to stand by one another in all cases of injustice affecting an^^ of them. A com- mittee of three were chosen, to whom all com- plaints were to be made, and who were to investi- gate all complaints laid before them, and report their decisions to the members of the society or league. The first committee chosen, we believe, were as follows : Benjamin Birdsell, Claudius F. Eaton and Alonzo Rudd, who were to act as arbitrators in all " cases arising under the code ! " Upon receiving notice of a decision by the com- mittee, the members were prompt in its inforce- ment; and we are happy to say that those de- cisions were generally in accordance with right and justice, a thing which can not be always said of the decisions of some of our modem courts. A few examples of their mode of proceeding may HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 43 not be entirely uninteresting to the reader. One case occurred in what is now the town of Lind. A man called '' Doc " Baxter had a claim on what is now the site of the Hatton Mills. He had put up a board shanty, and commenced some improve- ments, although he did not stay on his claim all of the time. One day upon his return after a short absence, he was very much surprised to find his dwelling converted into a stable, and another shanty standing near, which had been erected dur- ing his short stay away from home. And, what made matters more mysterious, the shanty was in- habited. One thing was very certain to his be- wildered mind — some one had taken advantage of his temporary absence to ^' jump " his claim. Upon pushing inclines a little further, he learned that the shanty was occupied by a man known as " Old Zach," who was not a very gentle customer to deal with in such matters. Baxter went to him and tried to reason with him upon the injustice and impropriety of his course, but was promptly told that he, Zach, had as much right there as anybody; that they all were trespassers ; and, in short, that he could and would hold the claim. Finding the case hopeless, Baxter at once laid his grievance before the committee, and demanded an investigation. They met and proceeded to the disputed territory. Zach was as stubborn with them as with Baxter, and finally defied them or the 44 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. league to oust him, at the same time gently hint- ing that he kept a well loaded rifle in his shanty, and should not hesitate to use it if interferred with. After learning the facts in the case, the committee decided in favor of Baxter, the original claimant, and. ordered Zach to leave — an order much easier to make than to enforce. As Zach would not go, Baxter resorted to the league. Notifying the members of the case and the decision of the committee, he demanded redress. So, one night about twenty of the settlers assem- bled at Fremont and Little River and started for the scene of action. Arriving within about twenty or thirty rods, a party of three were sent in ad- vance to hold a parley with the besieged. March- ing up to the shanty, they found it dark and omi- nously silent. Calling to the garrison, they de- manded an immediate surrender, threatening all manner of dreadful things if they were obliged to storm the works. No response came from within. Upon a repetition of the summons came the re- sponse: "Go to ! " a place not believed in by the unorthodox. At the same time Zach reminded them that he had a loaded rifle, and would send them there unless they immediately withdrew. He was promptly informed that resistance would be worse than useless ; that if he fired he wouldn't be apt to hit but one, and before he could load and fire again he would be dangling on one of the limbs of a neighboring tree. The last important inform- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 45 ation had a wonderful effect upon his courage, but he refused to yield. At a signal from the party, up came the main body, hooting and yelling like so many savages, and making for the shanty. Down came the door, and crash went one side of the shanty. Seizing his rifle and blanket, our gallant squatter sprang through the opening in the side of the shanty, and made for the woods, followed by half a dozen yelling assailants, who were very careful, however, not to catch him ! The party next took an in- ventory of all the effects of the late occupant, and then loaded them all into his wagon, which stood near. Then they completely demolished the build- ing, handsomely piling up all the lumber belonging to Old Zach. Subsequently, before Judge Ware, of Waupaca, Zach brought an action for trespass against many of the parties, but the defendants swore it away before Justice Boyd, of Little River, and somehow it went from there to Esquire Brandy, at Mukwa, the only remaining Justice in the county, where a verdict was rendered for the defendant. We believe Old Zach finally managed, somewhere, to obtain a judgement against part of the defendants. Another case occurred at Springer's Point. W. A. Springer bought a claim where the village was afterwards located . Subsequently the man got sick of his bargain, and managed to get possession of the block house standing on the property. Not 46 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. being able to persuade him to leave, Mr. Springer appealed to the committee, who decided against the interloper. As he failed to '^ vamose the ranch " according to orders, the settlers took the matter in hand, and the following night a number of them paid the house a visit, and insisted upon his leav- ing; but he stoutly refused. In the meantime some of the boys went up stairs and began to lift on the roof, making the very rafters crack. That brought the occupant to terms. He consented to an ar- rangement that placed Mr. Springer in possession of the property. A man by the name of Rowley had a claim on the west side of the river, at Fremont, with a shanty on it. He boarded on the east side. His shanty was filled with shingles, which he had been buying of the settlers. One morning, upon going on his claim, he found his shingles nicely piled on the outside, and a family in their place. Upon an investigation of affairs he found that ''old man P " had been "jumping his claim.'' The com- mittee was notified, but could do nothing with him, P insisting that he had as much right there as any one. So, judgement w^as given against him, and that night the matter was taken in hand by the settlers. Going to the house, they found the door bolted and barred, and no chance for a par- ley. Getting a large pole, and mounting it on half a dozen stalwart shoulders, they went for that door w^ith a vengeance. At the first charge of the HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 47 battering ram the door was landed in the middle of the room, followed by a dozen assailants. But the woman had pluck, and showed fight. Striking out from the shoulder, she took one of the fore- most of her assailants between the peepers, mak- ing him see more stars than he ever did before in so limited a time! But the citadel finally yielded, and the garrison was permitted to evacuate, which it did in good style, leaving Rowley in possession. Many similar incidents might be related, but enough has been told to give an idea of the man- ner of obtaining justice adopted by the first set- tlers, not only of Waupaca County, but of other counties in early times. Such a course might be objected to at the present day, when we have all the machinery of law in operation, but it was ef- fective then, in those rather rude times. We are not quite sure but a little primitive justice might be beneficial once in a while, even now. Long, vex- atious delays to defeat justice were then unknown, or very rare. Social standing had less influence in such matters then, and verdicts ^were not common- ly sold for money. Their decisions were prompt, honest, and speedily executed. But as society has improved since those early days, there has been a great change in many of the practices of our courts, although there is room for still further im- provement. We have sometimes thought that if all suits were decided by lot our juries would give about as many correct verdicts as they do under 48 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. the present system! In fact, we have known of their being so decided, and giving good satisfac- tion, too — at least to one side, and that is more than they always do at the present time. Some of our earHer Justices had a perfect aver- sion to any law books except the Statutes. What they could not find there was of no great account. When a man was fortunate enough to get elected Justice of the Peace, the next hard work was to procure his library, which generally consisted of an old form book, oftener of some other State, and the Revised Statutes. He was then ready for busi- ness, and woe to the attorney or pettifogger who attempted to introduce decisions of the higher courts! Wasn't a Wisconsin Justice a court by himself, and about as dignified a body as could be found — high enough, in all conscience! We remember having the management of a case before a certain Wisconsin Justice some twenty odd years ago. In the course of the trial we found a point where we differed with the Court, and in order to sustain our position produced a couple of law books and commenced reading from them. Pretty quick the Justice asked us what books we were reading from. We told him, mentioning the names of two standard works. He told us that we might put up our books; he didn't care how much law they contained, the Statutes contained all the law he wanted, and he'd bed if he'd have any other books brought into his court! There HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 49 was a model Justice, and a match for the Dutch Justice we knew of in the State of New York, who, when an attorney commenced quoting from John- son's and Wendall's Reports, interrupted him; and, when the lawyer claimed that what he read was law, rather tartly replied : '^ That may be de law of de Supreme Court, but by it ish not de law of dish court ! ' ' CHAPTER VI. First Meeting of the County Board — First Election of County Officers — Organization of the Towns of Weyauwega, Mukwa, Waupaca, Embarrass, Center- viLLE, AND Dayton. The County and Town of Waupaca was organ- ized by legislative act, approved February 17, 1851, the county seat being temporarily establish- ed at Mukwa. The first election was held at Mukwa, April 1, of that year. The following is a list of the officers chosen at that election : Chairman, David Scott; Supervisors, Tyler Cald- well and Peter Meiklejohn; Town Clerk, C. L. Gu- maer ; Justices of the Peace, Moses Chandler, Al- bion Brandy, S. F. Ware, and John Boyd. The first meeting of the new Board was held at the house of H. Rolph, in the Village of Muwka, "the county seat of Waupaca County," May 6, 1851. The Chairman, David Scott, being absent, Tyler 50 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Caldwell was chosen Chairman, ''by agreement." The office of Treasurer being vacant, G. W. Tag- gart was appointed to fill the vacancy. A bounty of $5 was voted at that meeting for each wolf killed in the County. At said meeting the County was divided into eight road districts, as follows : District No. 1: ''AH the surveyed land in the County lying east of the Wolf River, to a line run- ning east and west opposite the mouth of Tomor- row River, thence west." R. Nichols was appoint- ed overseer. District No. 2: "All the surveyed land in said County lying east of the Wolf River, commencing at a line running east and west opposite the mouth of Tomorrow River." Ira Sumner was appointed overseer. District No. 3: " Commencing at the main Wolf, opposite Mukwa, running up said river to the Em- barrass, thence up said river eight miles, thence in a west line to Meiklejohn's Mills, thence south to the main Wolf in Waupaca County." B. F. Phil- lips was appointed overseer. District No. 4: "All south of the big marsh in Town Twenty-one (21)." G. W. Taggart was ap- pointed overseer. District No. 5: "All land lying west and south of Spencer's Marsh, including all that is called the Pleasant Valley Country." Aaron Forbes was ap- pointed overseer. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 51 District No. 6: (No bounds to be found on the records). Wilkison Chandler was appointed over- seer. District No. 7: ''Running south to the Hne of Town Twenty-one (21), thence half way between Little River Mills and Tomorrow Mills, thence north to the Wolf River." Benjamin Birdsell was appointed overseer. District No. 8: "Running south to the line of Town Twenty-one, thence half way to Tomorrow Mills, thence south to the Wolf River." John Boyd was appointed overseer. QUALIFYING OF FIRST JUSTICES. The official bonds of Moses Chandler, S. F. Ware, Albion Brandy, and John Boyd, as Justices of the Peace, all dated April 2, 1851, were filed — Moses Chandler's being the first on the records. James Smiley, W. B. Millard, and R.Nichols were security for Brandy, and G. W. Taggart and W. G. Cooper for the others. Also, on the same date, the bond of G. W. Tag- gart, as County Surveyor, in the penal sum of $1,- 000, was filed. His securities were Tyler Caldwell, W, G. Cooper, and John Boyd. At the next meeting of the Board, held at Muk- wa, October 7, 1851, two voting precincts were made by said Board, one at the house of W. G. Cooper, in said County, and one at the house of A. Tibbetts, in Weyauwega, for the general election in November. 52 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. FIRST ELECTION OF COUNTY OFFICERS. • At the April election the following County of- ficers were elected : For Sheriff, John M. Vaughn ; Register of Deeds, W. G.Cooper; County Treasurer, C. E. P. Hobart ; County Surveyor, George W. Taggart; Clerk of Supervisors, James Smiley; Coroner, John Boyd. REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT. The annual report of Simon C. Dow, "Town Superintendent of Schools for Waupaca County," for the year ending August 31, 1851, gives the fol- lowing information : Whole number of districts separately set off in said towns, 8. Number of districts from which reports have been made, 4. Number of months a school has been taught in each of such districts, 3. Public money raised, none. Number of male children in said districts, 90. Number of female children in said districts, 75. Average wages paid female teachers, $6. Amount raised and expended, $72. Whole valuation of school houses, $350. NOVEMBER ELECTION, 1851. The whole number of votes cast in Waupaca County at the general election held November 4, 1851, was 127. At that election the following County officers were elected : HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 53 For County Treasurer, Simon C. Dow; Register of Deeds, James Smiley; Coroner, John Boyd; Clerk of Supervisors, James Smiley ; County Sur- veyor, Ira Sumner. FIRST DIVISION OF THE COUNTY. At a meeting of the County Board, held at the house of H. Rolph, in the Village of Mukwa, March 5, 1852, at which were present Tyler Cald- well, Chairman, and David Scott and Peter Meikle- john. Supervisors, six towns were set off as fol- lows : Township 21, in Ranges 11 and 12, to constitute a town by the name of Lind, (that being the first town set off in the County) ; the first town meet- ing to be held at the house of Thomas Spencer, on the first Tuesdaj^ of April next following. Township 21, and south half of 22, in Range 13 east, to constitute a town by the name of Weyau- wega; the first town meeting to be held at the house of R. Baxter. Townships 21 and 22, in Range 14 east, to con- stitute one town by the name of Mukwa ; the first town meeting to be held at the house of Horace Rolph. Townships 21 and 23, Range 11 east, and Town- ship 22, Range 12 east, to constitute one town by the name of Waupaca ; the first town meeting to be held at the house of Mr. Mackintosh. Townships 24 and 25, in Ranges 11, 12, and 13, 54 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Township 23, in Ranges 12 and 13 east, and the north half of Township 22, in Range 13 east, to constitute one town by the name of Centerville; the first town meeting to be held at the house of Peter Meiklejohn. Townships 23, 24 and 25, in Range 14 east, and Township 25, Range 15 east, to constitute one town by the name of Embarrass ; the first town meeting to be held at the house of A. Wheeler. NOVEMBER 10, 1852 — MEETING OF THE COUNTY BOARD AT MUKWA. Members present — James Meiklejohn, Town of Centerville; Melzor Parker, Town of Weyauwega; Samuel Keene, Town of Embarrass; Charles Bead- leston, Town of Lind. Absent — Representatives from Mukwa and Wau- paca. The following assessments were made and taxes levied : Weyauwega, equalized at $11,639.50 — 3^ mills. County and School, $407.38. Mukwa, equalized at $292.26 — 3 V2 mills, County and School, $1,022.91. Lind, equalized at $3,590 — SVq mills, County and School, $125.68. Waupaca, equalized at $10,000 — 3^4 mills, County and School, $350.00. A County seal was ordered, and the ordinance giving a bounty of $5 on wolves was repealed. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 55 The first order issued, of which any record can be found, was dated November 10, 1852, given to James Smiley, — No. 1, $99.74. NOVEMBER ELECTION, 1852. The total number of votes cast in the County at said election was 187, an increase of 60 since No- vember, 1851. The following officers were the winners at that election : For Register of Deeds, Seth Warner; Treasurer, Simon C.Dow; Clerk of the Board, Melzor Parker. CHAPTER VII. Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca— County Of- ficers Required to Hold Offices at Waupaca — Scan- dinavia AND FaRMINGTON ORGANIZED — JUDICIAL ELEC- TION — County Seat Vote — Prohirition — Royalton and Caledonia Organized — Court to be Held at Mukwa — Judge Cate Elected. At an adjourned meeting of the County Board, held December 7, 1852, Samuel Kerr was elected Chairman. Members present — Samuel Kerr, Chairman, Em- barrass; W. N. Davis, Mukwa; E. S. Hammond, Centerville ; Charles Beadiest on, Lind. Members absent — Representatives from Weyau- wega and Waupaca. At that meeting Township 21, Range 11, was taken from the Town of Lind and made a seperate 56 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. town, called Dayton ; the first town meeting to be held at the house of Lyman Dayton. The Town of Centerville was assessed at $3,500. A tax of one cent on the dollar was voted for County purposes, and two and a half mills for School purposes. The Clerk of the Board and the Register of Deeds were allowed $3.50 for stationery for their re- spective offices. Amount raised for County and School purposes, $869.36. At a special meeting of the County Board of Supervisors of Waupaca County, held at the Vil- lage of Waupaca, April 15, 1853, the following members were present : Waupaca, E. C. Sessions ; Lind, J. J. Jones ; Day- ton, W. C. Carr; Weyauwega, L. Bostedo ; Muk- wa, James Smiley; Centerville, A. P. Jones. The representative from Embarrass was absent. E. C. Sessions, of the Town of Waupaca, was elected Chairman. A motion was carried requiring the Sheriff, Reg- ister of Deeds, Clerk of the Court, and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, to remove their several of- fices to the Village of Waupaca. The vote on the motion was as follows : Yeas — J' J- Jones, W. C. Carr, A. P. Jones. Nays — L. Bostedo, James Smiley. Gothic Hall was the place designated for holding the Circuit and County Courts. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 57 TOWNS FORMED. Township 23, Range 11, and Township 23, Range 12, in the Town of Waupaca, were set off, to be aseperate town, called Scandinavia; the first town meeting to be held at the house of Hans J. Eleason. Township 22, Range 11, was set off as a seperate town, to be known as Farniington ; the first town meeting to be held at the house of John Fisher. A seal for the office of the County Judge was ordered. Sections 35 and 36, and the e^ of the se^, and the stVi of the ne^, of Section 34, in Township 22, Range 12, were taken from the Town of Waupaca, and added to Lind. COUNTY SEAT. ^^ Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board the votes cast in the several towns of this County, at the late election for County officers in said County, for the permanent location of the County seat of said County, were in accordance with the provisions of the act setting off and organizing the County of Waupaca, and for other purposes ; that said vote was in all respects according to law; that by the said vote the County seat of Wau- paca County is permanently located at the Village of Waupaca, and that the action of the Board in ordering the Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to hold their offices at 58 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. said village, and the Circuit and County Courts to be held also at said village, is based upon the belief that such vote was legal, and that Waupaca is the County seat of Waupaca County." After voting down a motion to lay it on the table, the above resolution was finally passed by the following vote : Yeas— J. J. Jones, Carr, A. P. Jones. Nays — Bostedo, Smiley. The Board at that meeting accepted the pro- posal of the citizens of Waupaca to furnish offices for the different officers without any charge to the County. JUDICIAL LEGISLATION. By legislative act of February, 1853, Waupaca County was organized for judicial purposes, and attached to the Third Circuit. The same act order- ed an election, to be held on the first Tuesday in April, 1853, to elect a Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, and Register of Deeds, who were to hold their of- fices until January 1, 1855, and a County Judge, to hold his office until January 1, 1854. JUDICIAL AND COUNTY ELECTION. At a special election, held April 5, 1853, the fol- lowing officers were elected : County Judge, S. F. Ware; District Attorney, B. F.Phillips; Sheriff, W.C. Carr; Clerkof the Court, James Smiley; Register of Deeds, O. E. Dreutzer; Countv Treasurer, Seth Warner; Clerk of the HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 59 Board, Lucius Taft; County Surveyor, Ira Sum- ner; Coroner, M. Chamberlain. COUNTY SEAT VOTE. For Waupaca, 114 ; for Mukwa, 51 ; for Center- ville, 14; for " Center of Waupaca," 1. September 5, 1853, C. E. P. Hobart was elected County Judge. At an election held November 8, 1853, for State and County officers, the following were elected, as stated by the Board of Canvassers, November 15, at a meeting at Mukwa : Total number of votes cast, 419. Officers elect- ed: Member of Assembly, David Scott; County Treasurer, Simon C. Dow; Clerk of the Board, Mellen Chamberlain ; District Attorney, John For- dyce; Clerk of the Court, J. J. Jones; Sheriif, W. G. Thompson; Coroner, R. Luce; County Sur- veyor, A. V. Balch; Register of Deeds, James Smiley. At the same election the question of Prohibition came before the voters of the State. The vote in Waupaca County resulted as follows : In favor of Prohibition, 279; against Prohibi- tion, 125 ; majority in its favor, 154. Waupaca County was thus early placed square- ly in favor of Prohibition. THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION AGAIN. Also, at that time, another vote was taken ''for the permanent location of the County seat," re- sulting as follows : 60 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. For Waupaca Falls, 256; "for all others," 196; majority in favor of Waupaca Falls, 60. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COUNTY BOARD. The annual meeting of the County Board for 1853 was held at Mukwa, November 15. Members present: Waupaca, E. C. Sessions, Chairman ; Lind, J. J. Jones ; Dayton, W. C. Carr ; Centerville, A. P.Jones; Weyauwega, L. Bostedo; Mukwa, James Smiley; Embarrass, Henry Boyden. A school tax of $275 was levied ; also $1,000 for County purposes. The Board ordered the Register to "give Squire Brandy a copy of the Revised Statutes ! " TOWN OF ROYALTON SET OFF. At that meeting Township 22, Range 13, was set apart as a seperate town, to be called Royal- ton ; the first town meeting to be held at the house of O. A. Rich. TOWN OF CALEDONIA SET OFF. Township 21, Range 14, was taken from Muk- wa, and made a seperate town, to be called Cale- donia; the first town meeting to be held at the house of James McHugh. ANOTHER COUNTY SEAT RESOLUUION. ^^ Resolved, That the vote taken for the perma- nent location of the County seat, at the general election last past, was illegal, as no point had been designated by the Legislature to be voted for, and no notice given to the different towns in said HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 61 County that such vote would be taken at that time." Said resolution was passed by the following vote : Yeas — Bostedo, A. P. Jones, Boyden, Smiley. Nays — Sessions, J. J. Jones, Carr. ''Resolved, That Mukwa is the County seat, and that all County officers for Waupaca County are hereby notified and required to hold their of- fices at said place." The foregoing resolution was carried by the same vote. It was further '* Resolved, That all action taken by the Board of Supervisors at their meeting at Waupaca, on the 15th day of April, 1853, concern- ing the removal of the County seat from Mukwa to Waupaca, was hasty and without due consider- ation, and that all acts, and resolves passed at that meeting, relative to the removal of said County seat to Waupaca are hereby rescinded." Carried by the same vote. ''Resolved, That James Smiley was duly elected and qualified to the office of Clerk of the Court, at the election ordered by the Act of the Legisla- ture, entitled ' An Act to Organize the County of Waupaca for Judicial Purposes,' in April, 1853." Carried. It was ordered " That the assessments for 1852, of the Towns of Weyauwega, Waupaca, Lind,and Centerville, be rescinded." 62 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. LARGE SALARIES. By vote, the salary of the Clerk of the Board was fixed at $75 a year, and that of the District Attorney at $150. COURT TO BE HELD AT MUKWA. '^ Resolved, That the building known as Miller's Store Building, in the Village of Mukwa, is hereby provided for the use of the Circuit and County Courts of this County, and it is hereby directed that the courts of the County hold their sessions in said building until other buildings are provided." '^Resolved, That the Clerk of the Board is here- by directed to notify Judge Larrabee officially of the action of this Board in this matter, and inform him of the provision." Both of the above resolutions were carried by the following vote : Yeas — Bostedo, A. P. Jones, Boy den. Smiley. Nays — Sessions, J. J. Jones, Carr. It was ordered that the proceedings of the meet- ing be published in the Oshkosh Democrat, and the Waupaca Spirit. CHAPTER VIII. Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca — Members FROM Belmont and Amherst Admitted — Town of Lan- ark Organized — Building Committee Chosen — Vote on County Seat. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNTY BOARD. November 30, 1854, a special meeting of the County Board was held at Waupaca. The Board HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 63 only ''marched up the hill, and then marched down again/' transacting no business, except to adjourn until December 4. No records of that adjourned meeting can be found. In April, 1854, George W. Gate was elected Judge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit. -November 13, 1855, the County Board met in annual session at the tavern of J. J. Jones, in the Town of Waupaca. Present — Dayton, W. C. Carr; Farmington, William Benedict; Amherst, John F. Phelps; Bel- mont, A. J. Freeman; Scandinavia, Ole Rein ; lola, M. R. Baldwin; St. Lawrence, Henry Herrick; Little W^olf, A. P. Jones; Waupaca, S. F. Ware. Absent — Representatives from Lind, Weyau- wega, Lebanon, Mukwa, Royalton, and Cale- donia. S. F.Ware, of the Town of Waupaca, w^ as elected Chairman of the Board. It was voted '' That the members from the Towns of Belmont and Amherst be admitted as members of the County Board." Township 22, Range 10, was set apart from the Town of Amherst, to be known as the Town of Lanark. A license was granted C. H. Mack to run a ferry across the Wolf River at Fremont, for the term of ten years. A committee was appointed '*to obtain the as- sessment of property, or assessment rolls, from the 64 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Towns of Mukwa, Weyauwega, Royalton, Leb- anon, Caledonia, and Little Wolf, said towns not having returned said assessment rolls for said year of 1855." A. P. Jones, of Little Wolf, was ap- pointed as such committee. The county seat was located on the public square in the Village of Waupaca. A building committee of six were chosen, three from members of the Board, and three from citi- zens of Waupaca, to superintend the building of the Court House. W. C. Carr, A. P. Jones and William Benedict were chosen on said committee on the part of the Board, and Wilson Holt, B. F. Brown, and E. C. Sessions on the part of the citizens. The Board rescinded ''all orders or resolutions and decrees of said Board, passed and signed November 15, 1853, concerning the removal and location of the County seat of Waupaca County." The Board declared Mellen Chamberlain ''the proper and legal Clerk of said Board of Super- visors." Sections 35 and 36, and the eV2 of the se^/i of the neM., of Section 34, Township 22, Range 12 east, were set apart from the Town of Lind, and an- nexed to the Town of Waupaca. Townships 24 and 25, Range 10, were taken from Amherst and made one town by the name of Peru. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 65 ONE MORE COUNTY SEAT VOTE. November 6, 1855, another vote was taken for removal of the County seat to Weyau^vega. We give the results as we find them among the archives at the Court House in Waupaca. The result of that vote was, according to the returns before us : Whole number of votes cast, 1,096 ; for removal to Weyauwega, 75; against removal, 1,021. The following county officers were declared elect- ed : Clerk of the Court, James H. Jones ; Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Mellen Chamberlain ; Treasurer, Charles O. Brown; Register of Deeds, Charles E. Redfield. For Member of Assembly, Louis Bostedo re- ceived 114 votes, and William Brenquest 999. In November, 1856, E. P. Perry was elected Member of Assembly; E. I. Putnam, Register of Deeds; Barney Brown, Sheriff; M. H. Sessions, District Attorney; Myron Boughton, County Sur- veyor; J. B. Redfield, Coroner. CHAPTER IX. Charges Against Melt>ex Chamberlain — Vote ox County Seat — First Meeting of the County Board at Wey- auwega— Resolutions OF THE Board on the County Seat Question. MEETING AT MUKWA. November 14, 1854, a meeting of the Count3^ Board was held at Mukwa. It was called to order by James Smiley, Chairman of Mukwa, Mellen 66 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Chamberlain, the Clerk of the Board, having re- fused to call the Board to order. George E. More, of Royalton, was elected Chairman. Charges were then presented against Mellen Chamberlain, Clerk of the Board, for wilful neglect of duty. A copy of the charges were served on him, and evidence produced before the Board to support them. On motion of James Smiley, the question of re- moving Mr. Chamberlain from office was put to a vote with the following result : Yeas— James Smiley, M. G. More, E. Stanley, J. Erickson, G. E. More, Carr Barker, Thomas Gore. Refusing to vote — W. C. Carr, and , repre- sentative from Waupaca. The Clerk was declared removed from office, and John Fordyce, of Weyauwega, was elected to act as Clerk of the Board. The chairmanship of the Town of Lind being claimed by J. J. Jones and J. W. Chandler, a vote was taken, resulting in Mr. Chandler's favor. The following officers were declared elected at the November election : O. E. Dreutzer, Register of Deeds ; James H. Jones, Clerk of the Court; James Smiley, Clerk of the Board; Lucius Taft, County Treasurer; A. V. Balch, County Surveyor; A. Redfield, Coroner; George A. La Dow, District Attorney. For removal of County seat, 41 ; against re- moval, 341. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 67 The Clerk was authorized "to use the eagle side of a ten-dollar gold piece for a seal " until another should be procured. The Board adjourned, to meet at the house of William Martin, Weyauwega, at 12 o'clock m., November 28. MEETING IN 1855, AT MUKWA. November 13, 1855, the County Board of Super- visors met at Mukwa. George E. More was elected Chairman. Supervisors present — Caledonia, Thomas Gore; Weyauwega, Louis Bostedo ; Lind, G. M. Pope; Royalton, George E. More ; Mukwa, James Smiley; Lebanon, M. G. More; Little Wolf, J. F. Sterns. Absent — Representatives from Dayton, Far- mington, Waupaca, and Scandinavia. The canvassers reported as follows : For Memberof Assembly, Louis Bostedo received 604 votes in the County, and William Brenquest received 64. The following persons were declared elected : Clerk of the Court, Henry Mumbrue ; Clerk of the Board, James Smiley; Register of Deeds, Charles L. Gumaer. The whole number of votes cast for and against the removal of the County seat to Weyauwega v^as 818, of which number 753 were for removal, and 65 against removal. C. C. Kinsman was granted a charter for a ferry 68 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. at Fremont, and Ira Brown for one at Northport. TOWN OF BEAR CREEK FORMED. Townships 24 and 25, Range 14, and Township 24, Range 15, were set off into a town by the name of Bear Creek ; the first election to be held at the house of Welcome Hyde. SPECIAL MEETING AT WEYAUWEGA. April 17, 1856, the County Board of Supervisors met in special session at Weyaviwega. Supervisors present — Lind, George M. Pope; Weyauwega, Duncan Baxter; Caledonia, Thomas Gore; Mukwa, B. F. Phillips; Royalton, George E. More; St. Lawrence, C. S. Ogden; Little Wolf, J. F. Stevens ; Lebanon, Patrick Murphy. Absent — Representatives from Dayton, Wau- paca, Farmington, Scandinavia, and lola. George M. Pope, of Lind, was elected Chairman. A committee was appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the Board in the County difficulties. The committee reported the following resolutions, which were adopted : RESOLUTIONS ON THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION. ''Resolved, That, in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors of Waupaca County, Weyauwega is in law the County seat of Waupaca County, hav- ing been so declared by the Board of Supervisors after canvassing the votes given on the question of County seat, at the place of meeting of said HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 69 Board of Supervisors, and that it is in fact the County seat, having received a majority of the votes given on the question of removal of the County seat. ^^ Resolved, That said Board represent that at the meeting of the County Board of Supervisors of the County of Waupaca, in the fall of 1854, every tov^m comprised in the County of Waupaca was represented, except the Town of Farmington ; and at said meeting of the Board of Supervisors, among other things, Mellen Chamberlain v^as re- moved from the office of Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, and John Fordyce elected in his place ; that the Towns of lola and St. Lawrence were organized ; and that the Board adjourned its next annual meeting at Mukwa, after levying the taxes for the County. That the Towns of Lind, Dayton, Farmington, and Waupaca at that time refused to pay their taxes, but have since levied the taxes as directed by the County Board, at aforesaid meet- ing in November, 1854; and that said Board did, also, at said meeting in November, 1854, declare Mukwa to be the County seat of Waupaca County, after the votes on the question of County seat had been canvassed. That the west part of this County, consisting of the Towns of Dayton, Farmington, and Waupaca, have acquiesced in the action of the Board, as aforesaid, by levying their taxes as directed by the Board as aforesaid in No- vember, 1854, and giving the Supervisors from the 70 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Towns of lolaaiid St. Lawrence seats in the Board that assembled at Wanpaca in 1855. And we, the Board of Supervisors, draw this conclusion, — that admitting a part of the acts of the Board of Super- visors in November, 1854, admits the whole ; and admitting the Supervisors for the Towns of lola and St. Lawrence to seats in the Board, admits John Fordyce to have been legally the Clerk of this Board. And we further state that the said John Fordyce, Clerk, at the County seat, the place fixed upon the year before for the meeting of the Board, after canvassing the votes given on the question of removal of the County seat, declared Weyauwega to have received the majority of all votes given on the question of removal of the County seat to Weyauwega, at the election in No- vember, 1855; and further state that the above conclusions are arrived at after a careful investi- gation of the previous proceedings of the County Board, and of the election held in November, 1855. ^^ Resolved, That the Judge of the Circuit Court be directed to hold the next term of the Circuit Court, for this County, at the Village of Weyau- wega; and that La Dow's Hall be the Court House ; that the Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Register of Deeds, and other County officers required to hold their of- fices at the County seat, are hereby directed and ordered to hold their offices at the Village of Wey- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 71 auwega, the County seat of Waupaca County. ''Resolved, That the Board find, from an invest- igation of the returns of the election in November, 1855, that the vote on the question of removal of County seat showed a majority of 53 in favor of the removal of the County seat to Wey auwega." CHAPTER X. T^jE Board for Peace — Summons to Mellen Chamber- lain — loLA \ND Union Organized — Toavnship Poor System Arolished. At a meeting of the Board held at Weyauwega in November, 1856, B. F. Phillips, B. Phillips, Duncan Baxter, M. R. Baldwin, and Thomas Gore were appointed as a committee ''to consult on what will be done with the proposals that Mr. Sessions brought from Waupaca." The resignation of James Smiley, as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, was accepted, and a vote of thanks was extended him ''for his consideration in resigning his office in order to eifect a reconciHa- tion of the differences in the county." G. W. Chamberlain was to be informed of the "resignation of James Smiley, and its acceptance by this Board, and that he be requested to appear and act as Clerk of this Board, and to bring with him such books and papers as would be necessary to a settlement with the County." 72 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. THE BOARD FOR PEACE. The following resolution was passed : ^'Resolved, That the County Board of Super- visors of the County of Waupaca, assembled at Weyauwega, will not accept or entertain any motion, resolution or determination, which has a tendency to bring in question the claims of either Waupaca or Weyauwega to the County seat." A resolution was passed, ignoring the election of Treasurer in 1856, as illegal, and recognizing as Treasurer, CO. Brown, who was elected in 1855 for two years ; also recommending that the Treas- urer elected in 1856 refrain from qualifying for the said office. A SUMMONS TO MELLEN CHAMBERLAIN. Mellen Chamberlain, Clerk of the Board, was ordered to appear forthwith before the Board, ''with all books and papers belonging to your of- fice, or in your possession." REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE. The committee to confer with "the western di- vision of the County" recommended that the "two acting Clerks of the Board" resign; that the Clerk of the Circuit Court be appointed to fill the vacancy until January, 1857 ; that said Clerk unite the two canvasses made by the two late Clerks of the Board, declare the result of such joint canvass, and make returns and issue certificates of election according to such canvass. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 73 The committee further recommended ''that the two divisions of the County Board meet for the consideration of County business, hoping that it may be the means of settling this trouble that has so long rendered this County a by-w^ord and re- proach." Township 25, Range 11, was taken from Little Wolf and attached to lola. Mellen Chamberlain, one of the contending Clerks of the Board, was requested to resign his office in imitation of James Smiley, who had pre- viously resigned. The Board adjourned till December 22, 1856, "to hear the report of the investigating committee on the Treasurer's and Clerk's books." December 22, the Board met at Weyauwega, ac- cording to adjournment. No quorum being present, the Board adjourned sine die. There v^as a special meeting of the Board at Weyauwega, May 4, 1857. Twelve Supervisors were present. Louis Bostedo was elected Chair- man, and C. E. Redfield Clerk. The Treasurer was ordered to appear forthwith, and bring for examination the books and papers pertaining to his office. Mellen Chamberlain received a like notice. George M. Pope was summoned as a witness. Mellen Chamberlain was to be recognized as Clerk of the Board until the succeeding Fall. A committee of investigation was appointed, 74 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. consisting of Andrew J. Dufur, Edward Edwards, and George Lord, to report at the annual meeting. ANNUAL MEETING IN 1857. The Board met at Weyauwega, November 10, 1857. The Sheriff was ordered to bring the County Treasurer, with all the books, etc., before the Board. TOWN OF UNION ORGANIZED. Townships 24 and 25, Range 13, and Township 25, Range 12, were set off from Little Wolf, to be a seperate town, by the name of Union ; the first town meeting to be held at the house of E. C. Scott. The Township Poor System was abolished. A seal was ordered for the Clerk of the Board. At that meeting, Winfield Scott was elected Clerk of the Board. In November, 1857, the vote in the County on the ' ' extension of suffrage ' ' was : For extension , 825 ; against it, 544. CHAPTER XI. Town of Matteson — Helvetia — County Divided Into Three Supervisor Districts— Board Adjourns to Wau- paca — County Jail — Committee on Poor House — In- sane. The Board determined ''That all that part of Township 25, Range 15, and Township 25, Range HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 75 16, lying west of Wolf River, is annexed to the Town of Bear Creek." TOWNSHIP 25, RANGE 15. At a meeting of the County Board in November, 1859, the Chairman of the Board was instructed "to procure the opinion of the Attorney General as to whether Township 25, Range 15, is a part of Waupaca County or of Shawano County." If his opinion should be in favor of Waupaca County, the Chairman of the Board and the District At- torney were to take measures to compel the proper officers to make returns to this County. MATTESON TAKEN IN. At the annual meeting of the Board at Weyau- wega, in November, 1860, Township 25, Range 15, was declared to be one of the towns of Wau- paca County, and was made a new town, to be called Matteson, — the town having been already organized by that name, while in Shawano County, before the action of the Legislature. Supervisor Matteson was declared a member of the County Board, without further action of the town. HELVETIA ORGANIZED. Township 24, Range 12, was taken from the Town of lola, and Township 25, Range 12, was taken from the Town of Union, and formed into a seperate town by the name of Helvetia ; the first 76 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. town meeting to be held at the school house in Township 24, Range 12. TOWN OF LARRABEE. Township 25, Range 14, was taken from Bear Creek, and made a seperate town by the name of Larrabee ; the first town meeting to be held at the school house in District No. 2, of Bear Creek. POOR HOUSE AND FARM. It was decided that the question of the purchase of a Poor Farm, and the erection of a Poor House, would be submitted to the voters at the town meetings in 1861. SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS. At the annual meeting of the County Board in November, 1861, the County was divided into three Supervisor Districts, as follows : First District — The Towns of Dayton, Farming- ton, Scandinavia, St. Lawrence, Waupaca, and Lind. Second District — Weyauwega, Royalton, Little Wolf, Lebanon, Mukwa, and Caledonia. Third District — lola, Helvetia, Union, Larrabee, Matteson, and Bear Creek. BOARD ADJOURNS TO WAUPACA. The Board adjourned to meet at Lord's Hall, Waupaca, November 13. Ayes, 13 ; Noes, 8. In November, 1862, the resolution passed in HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 77 1858, abolishing the distinction between Town and County Poor was rescinded. TOWN OF DUPONT. November 17, 1864, the County Board set off Township 25, Range 13, from the Town of Union, to be a seperate town by the name of Dupont. COUNTY JAIL. - At a special meeting of the Board, held April 10, 1867, a contract for building a County Jail was let to S. R. Sherwin and R. R. Roberts, for the sum of $7,725. A new seal was adopted for the Clerk of the Board. It bore the device of a man chopping a pine tree. At the November meeting, 1869, a vote was ordered taken through the County at the Spring election, on the question of purchasing a Poor Farm. MUKWA GOES BACK. May 22, 1871, at a special session of the Board, the village plat of Mukwa was vacated. The distinction between Town and County Poor was abolished. A NEW FENCE AROUND COURT HOUSE SQUARE. June 12, 1873, $400 was appropriated toward a new fence around Court House Square, the Vil- lage of Waupaca to raise an equal amount. A building committee was appointed to erect 78 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. suitable buildings to accommodate the Poor of the County, said buildings not to cost more than $2,000. A committee was appointed to locate and pur- chase the grounds, not to cost more than $400. The location was made at Little Wolf. November 18, 1873, the Poor House Building Committee reported that James Meiklejohn had offered a donation of $1,000 provided the building was completed within two years, according to a plan of Royal Green ; and that they had accepted the offer of Mr. Meiklejohn, and had let the work. They further recommended an additional appro- priation of $2,000, to complete the said building. The report was adopted. By resolution, an appropriation of $50 was made ''for the purpose of purchasing a cane for James Meiklejohn, as a testimonial for the gift of $1,000 and forty acres of land to the County." All voted aye, except Taylor. The Poor House Committee was authorized by the Board to go on with work on the building ac- cording to contract. In 1875 the Board voted $1,000 towards build- ing a place for insane on the Poor Farm, and $500 for a furnace for the same. In 1878 the hospital, created and organized by action of the Board in 1875, was reorganized for the purpose of a County Insane Asylum, according to the Revised Statutes. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 79 A WITTY MKMBER. In 1879, Supervisor Ratcliif oifered the following resolution : ''Whereas, The Village of Clintonville incurred considerable indebtedness in perfecting its organi- zation under the General Statutes ; and ' ' Whereas, Such indebtedness has been increased by the erection of a pound and lock-up ; and "Whereas, The radical inability of the inhabi- tants of said village, and a conspiracy entered into and existing betvxreen the City of New London and the Towns of Dupont and Matteson, to monopo- lize all matters of litigation, and to retain all fin- able subjects within the limits of their respective corporations, except when the County Board is in session, thus cutting off all sources of revenue; therefore, ^'Resolved, That $500 be appropriated by this Board to bridge the deficiency existing between the treasury of said village and a liquidation of said indebtedness." The resolution was laid over under the rules. In 1880 the Board voted $15,000 to build a Court House, $3,000 of it to be raised by taxation, the balance to come out of funds from the sale of County lands, and out of donations. The City of Waupaca was to raise $7,000, and the Court House was to be completed before January 1, 1882. The building commissioners were J. W. Bingham, W. A. Weisbrod, and A. S. McDonald. 80 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. In 1881 steam heating apparatus was ordered for the Court House. REWARD OFFERED FOR THE ARREST OF THE MUR- DERERS OF BANKER H. C. MEAD. In 1882 a reward of $1,000 was offered by the Board for the apprehension of the murderers of Banker H. C. Mead, of Waupaca. The Chairman and Clerk of the Board were authorized to borrow $10,000 to settle County indebtedness for btiilding the Court House, and to issue bonds bearing 8 per cent, interest. A direct tax was to be levied in 1883 to pay such indebted- ness and interest. In 1886 the town system of supporting the Poor was restored. COUNTY INSANE ASYLUM. An ordinance was passed for the building of a County Insane Asylum ; the site to consist of not less than 160 acres, and to be within three miles of the Court House. The Asylum was to be built during 1887. The County was to issue bonds for the sum required, not to exceed $30,000, the whole to be paid in eight years, with 7 per cent, interest. The ordin- ance passed by a vote of 16 to 15. At a special meeting, April 27, 1887, the said ordinance was repealed, and a committee appointed to take the preliminary steps towards a settlement with the contractors for their damages sustained by reason HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 81 of said repeal. Supervisors F. M. Guernsey, I. M. Deming, and D. Wafler were appointed as such committee. June 11, 1887, at a special meeting of the Board, said ordinance was again repealed. In November, 1887, doubts being entertained about the legality of the special meetings ^when action had been had in reference to the County Asylum, the ordinance of 1886 was again repealed. CHAPTER XII. Town of Mukwa — First Settlement — Village of Muk- WA — Village of Northpoet — Smiley's Anecdotes — City of New London — The First School. THE TOWN OF MUKWA. The Town of Mukwa comprises Township 22, Range 14 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Lebanon, on the east by Outagamie County, on the south by Caledonia, and on the w^est by Royalton. FIRST SETTLEMENT. In the Spring of 1848, J. G. Nordman made a claim two miles south of New London, and entered the land by a soldier's land warrant, of the Mexican war. The next year he had a little com patch. Ira Brown made a claim on the north side of the river in 1850, and Lucius Taft made one the next 82 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Spring. In 1852, Ira Millerd and Lucius Taft bought out the Johnsons, ^who were Indian traders. Mr. Reynolds made a claim here in 1852, and Mr. Burnell made a claim at Mosquito Hill the same year. Messrs. Doty and Smith started a portable saw mill in 1854, on the site now occupied by Meiklejohn & Hatten. The first school taught in the town was in 1852, at Mukwa, by Mrs. Stevens. The first school house was built in 1852, at Mukwa. The first church (Catholic) was built at North- port in 1857. The first marriage was William McDonald and Miss Nichols. The first death was Mr. McCorrison, in 1851. The first birth was a child of W. N. Davis, of Mukwa, in 1851. The first saw mill was built by Robert Grignon, in 1848. The first grist mill v^as built at New London, in 1857, by Mr. Hale. The first postofiice was established at Mukwa, in 1851, with C. E. P. Hobart for postmaster. It was on the route from Green Bay to Stevens Point. The first store was started at Mukwa, in 1850, by C. E. P. Hobart. H. Rolph started the first hotel and saloon, at Mukwa, in 1849. The Town of Mukwa was organized by act of HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 83 the County Board, at a special meeting held in March, 1852; and at the organic election, held April 6, 1852, W. N. Davis was elected Chairman, and James Smiley Town Clerk. The first apple trees were planted by James Smiley, in 1851. \aLLAGE OF MUKWA. The Village of Mukwa, which obtained such notoriety during the *' County Seat War," was platted in 1851 by B. F. Phillips and August Grig- non. It was formerly a great trading point for the upper Wolf River country. Charles Carron, a half-breed, had his trading post here from 1838 to 1846. It afterwards became the County seat, — and what a wonderful advance in the price of vil- lage lots ! But a change came ; the County seat was moved elsewhere, and the bubble burst. VILLAGE OF NORTHPORT. This village was platted by J. S. Stoddard and S. Burbank in 1855. It was first called Stevens Point, then New Boston, and finally given its present name. Its population is about 350. It is situated in the northern part of the Town of Muk- wa, on the Wolf River, three miles below the City of New London. It has 1 general store, 2 saloons, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 saw mill and lumber yard, 1 planing mill, 2 churches, and 1 hotel. The first settler was a man named Stevens. William Patrick came early in 1851, and Elijah 84 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Humes and his son Alden came in the same year, Patrick buili a warehouse. In 1874 a substantial draw bridge was built across the Wolf River at this place. In 1857a Catholic Church was built; but it was burned. The present structure was built in 1866. The Methodist Church was built in 1864. SMILEY 'S ANECDOTES. James Smiley, to whom we are under many obli- gations, is a hale, hospitable gentleman, living quietly in his pleasant home near Northport. He took a prominent part in our County affairs at an early day, and enjoys telling about being taken to jail because he refused to give up the books and papers in his office to those who he thought had no legal right to them. He was bom in Ireland, June 20, 1815. He came to this country in 1837, and has resided in Waupaca County since 1851, having held several important offices. He is one of the oldest Odd Fellows in the State, having been a member of the order for forty-five years. Mr. Smiley loves to tell good anecdotes, a few of which we shall try to repeat : INDIAN DOGS AND SMILEY'S PIGS. Mr. Smiley had, at considerable trouble and ex- pense, procured some pigs, which were allowed to run at large about the premises. A band of some HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 85 400 Indians were encamped in the neighborhood, while there were but four or five ^white famiHes near. One day Mr. Smiley caught the Indians set- ting their dogs on his pigs, and having lots of fun. Upon a repetition of the offense, he took his rifle and started for their camp. A squaw saw him coming, and, divining the cause, made haste to se- cure the safety of her canine pet by hustling it into her tent, and tried to prevent Smiley from pursu- ing it. But the dog, not having the fear of shoot- ing irons before its eyes, darted out to see what the fuss was about. Smiley was a good marks- man, and that dog was soon where dead Indian dogs go, much to the chagrin of the squaw. Smiley then took a lot of vension,cut it into thin slices, sweetened it with strychnine, and generous- ly fed it to the oflending curs. He soon had fifteen where porcine heels would never more have any attractions for them, and their bark was silenced forever. The next morning fifteen exasperated Indians, late owners of the defunct curs, all dressed in their v^ar paint, made their appearance at the house of Mr. Smiley. One said, ** You kill-um my dog last night; you pay me ten dollar." Another said, *' You kill-um my dog, too ; you pay me five dollar." And so it went, until all had put in their claims, at the same time threatening to shoot his dog, unless theirs were paid for. Smiley told them that they might 86 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. kill his dog; but, if they did, some of them would start at once for the ''happy hunting grounds." That was enough. Smiley never paid for their dogs, and his own was not killed. meiklejohn's law suit. Peter Meiklejohn was a Justice of the Peace, and had a criminal case before him. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury cleared the accused, and £ned the Justice half a pound of tobacco for each of their number. The joke was too good for " Pete " to "kick," and the *' fine " was paid. In those primitive times it was quite the fashion at law suits, in Justices' Courts, for the parties in the suit to set jugs of whisky on the table, for the use of the Court, jury and witnesses, and the man who furnished the best liquor and the biggest jug generally won. A MUKWA DIVORCE. Mike Bradley married in Chicago, and brought his wife to Mukwa. The couple had the misfortune to quarrel once in a while, and in one of their dif- ferences Mike struck his weaker part with his fist. She applied for redress to Squire Brandy, who had Mike arrested and fined $25. Then Mr. Smiley made out some divorce papers, which both parties signed. Mike then paid his fine, which was used in taking his divorced wife back to Chicago. AN INDIAN THIEF. The following anecdote was related to us by a different person, but it is worth repeating : HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 87 In 1851 a large ntimber of Indians were at Muk- wa. Several whites were stopping at the hotel. One day a woman, in taking in washing, missed a certain article of female apparel, commonly called a ''night dress." An effort was at once made to find the thief. After much searching, some one discovered an Indian with a ruffle peeping from under his blanket. Knowing that Indians seldom wore such ornaments, the discoverer made a further investigation, and found the missing gar- ment transformed into an Indian's shirt. The In- dian was at once turned over to the tender mercies of the white women and squaws, who soon man- aged to disrobe the red thief. Then the other In- dians commenced jeering him, pointing their fin- gers at him, and calling him "Winnebago, Winne- bago," meaning "bad Indian." CITY OF NEW LONDON. The City of New London is located on Sections 1, 12, and 13, of the Town of Mukwa, and also on a contiguous portion of Outagamie County. Like many Western towns, its growth from an in- significant hamlet to an important city has been truly phenomenal ; and we can not think that New London has seen its best days. Its natural and acquired advantages, its capital, its push, all will combine to save it from the fate of so many mush- room prodigies of the West. In 1853 Ira Millerd started the first store with- in the present limits of New London. In 1856 the 88 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. first post office was established, with WilHam McMillen as postmaster. The first frame house was erected by Ira Brown in 1851. The first child bom was Elwood Lutsey, in 1851. The first land claims made within the city limits were by Holcomb, Edwards, and Lutsey, in 1851. In 1853 George Lutsey kept the first hotel. The first newspaper was published in 1857 by A. J. Lawson. It was the New London Times. In 1869 John Ogden established the present Times. CITY ORGANIZATION. The first city officers, elected in 1877, were as follows : Mayor — J. C. Hoxie. Aldermen — First Ward, August Kappemick; Second Ward, James Hop- perton; Third Ward, Theodore Knapstein; Fourth Ward, I. M. Deming. Clerk, C. M. Taylor; Jus- tices of the Peace, Y. Mischock, W. H. Walker, J. W. Bishop, C. Berely; Chief of Police, J. Murray; Treasurer, A. H. Pape. New London has 36 stores, 3 saw mills, 1 excel- sior mill, 1 furniture factory, 1 planing mill, 1 grist mill, 2 breweries, 1 bottling works, 4 wagon works, 1 bee-hive factory, 1 grain elevator, 1 hay- pressing establishment, 1 bank, 5 hotels, 6 churches, a good high school and ward and paro- chial schools, and 1 nev>rspaper. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 89 The professions, of course, are well represented. City officers for 1890: Mayor — R. S. Johnson. Aldermen — John Jagoditsh, August Plath, Henry Knapstein,E.H.Ramm, H. K. Jillson. City Clerk, C. E. Dickinson; Treasurer, John Dengel; Chief of Police, Charles Taggert; City Attorney, L. S. Porter; Assessor, George Freiberger; Supervisors — Fred Radkey, A. W. Jillson, B. Miller, B. A. Weatherby, I. M. Deming. New London is in the midst of an excellent farm- ing district, at the head of navigation on the Wolf River, and at the junction of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western, and the Green Bay, Wi- nona & St. Paul railroads. It has resources and facilities for making it one of the best markets for farmers in Northern Wisconsin, and of late years has been coming rapidly to the front as an avail- able point for manufacturing. The city has a pop- ulation of 2,130, according to the census of 1890. THE FIRST SCHOOL. We have been permitted to copy a well written paper, giving an account of the first school taught in New London. It is from the pen of Mrs. C. L. Allen, formerly Miss Maria Millerd, and first read before the Old Settlers' Society, of New London: ''In the year 1852 we arrived at the Village of New London, known as 'the Mouth of the Embarrass.' The village consisted of two fam- ilies, and in order to draw school money for the ensuing year v^e were obliged to have three months 90 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. school before a stated time. I was chosen teacher, being the only young lady in town who could de- vote time to the undertaking. '' The next thing to be considered was the certifi- cate. Being quite young, still in the period of short dresses, I looked forward to the examina- tion with fear and trembling. In those days teachers were placed under the supervision of Town Superintendents. ''The Superintendent came on Sunda3^ The much dreaded examination consisted of the ques- tions, 'Where are the Straits of Behring?' and ' How far have you been in arithmetic ? ' Gram- mar and all other studies were omitted, I suppose for the sake of brevity. He asked me to give him a sample of my penmanship. I wrote 'Sabath morning,' leaving out one of the b's in the first word, for the same reason, we will premise, that he left out the other studies. "The school began the next week, it being then the Spring of 1853. One of my dresses had in the meantime been lengthened, to add dignity to my youthful appearance. " Our own house was 16 x 22 feet, the front part being occupied as a store, while in the other we lived and kept hotel. As there was no room in which to keep the school, we organized it upon the stairs, and kept it there until the weather be- came warmer, when we migrated to the doorstep. "On the bank of the river stood a double log HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 91 house. Part of it had been used for a warehouse, and the other part for a stable. As the weather became warmer, it was found necessary to provide a school room for us; so we 'birds of passage' flitted to the old warehouse, which was then obliged to do double duty, for the boat often came in during school hours. '' The other half of the building was still used as a stable, and, as the flies were very thick, the oxen were kept there through the day. With their low^- ing and stamping, the unloading of freight, and the occasional visit of an Indian, our school was not a model of order. "Within an enclosure near the school room was kept an old muley cow, which went crazy at the sight of an Indian. To go and quiet her was one of my duties whenever a noble red man put in an appearance. *' There were seven pupils enrolled, but the aver- age attendance was about two and one-half. One of them in particular I was never sure of. He v^as always there at roll call, but when it came time for him to read he was generalh^ missing. Being extremely hard to catch, he usually went without instruction in that branch. ''At the end of the year I received $10, which I invested in real estate that eventually brought me $200. I shall leave others to say whether value was received for service rendered." 92 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. CHAPTER XIII. Town of Lind — First Settlees — Oeganization — First Officers — Fourth of July Celebration on Lone Pine PliLL — A Temperance Lesson. The Town of Lind consists of Township 21, Range 12. It is bounded on the north by Wau- paca, on the east by Weyauwega and Fremont, on the south by Waushara County, and on the west by Dayton. The soil is mostly a clayey or gravelly loam, easily worked, and producing excellent crops. Wheat, corn, and potatoes do well, but the soil appears to be peculiarly adapted to stock raising and dairying. Sheep do well; and probably no to^wn in the County can show better horses than may be found among the farmers of Lind. The first settlement was made in the Spring of 1849, when Simon C. Dow and Colonel John W. Chandler moved in. In 1849, Mr. Dow built the first log house. It is still standing on Section 1. In the Fall of that year came Tyler Caldwell and his son. Captain C. C. Caldwell, George W. Tag- gart, Jarvis Rice, James S. Potter, A. Rice, Charles Coffin, Hiram and James Sexton, Alonzo Vaughn, Moses Selleck, and John Shaw. The first school was taught by Mrs. Susan Chandler, in the ''Chandler Settlement," com- mencing June 5, 1851. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 93 The same year, Miss Maryetta Caldwell, now Mrs. Bowers, taught in the Pope district. The first school house (log) was built in the Chandler district in 1851. It is still standing. The first saw mill (water power) was built in 1853 and 1854, on Section 25, by Mr. Strong. It has been lately torn down. The first grist mill (water power) was built by C. H. Ritz in 1876. It is now owned by Charles E. Roberts, of Waupaca, and known as the Hat- ten Mills. The first church (Methodist) was completed in 1865, on Section 28. In 1888 a Wesleyan Metho- dist church was built on Section 21. The first birth was a child of Hiram Sexton, in the Spring of 1850. The first death was Mrs. Foster, in 1851. The first marriage was John M. Dewey and Mary Chandler, November 15, 1852. The cere- mony was performed by Rev. Peter Prink, a Bap- tist. The first sermon was preached in the shantj^ of Mr. Caldwell, in 1850, by Elder Baxter. The first postofiice was established in December, 1850, with George W. Taggart for postmaster. Mr. Taggart named the town in honor of the famous Swedish singer, Jenny Lind. The mail was carried on foot, once a week, to Berlin and back. John Harris, familiarly known as ''Old Zach," was carrier. The name of the 94 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. mail contractor was S. M. Booth, not '' Shear- man." The first store was started by Mitchell, in 1859. The first apple trees were planted by A. Rice in the Spring of 1851, and he raised the first apples. Hollis Gibson built the first brick chimney, and the first stone cellar wall, in 1853. Alvin Pope made the first pair of boots. The town was organized at a special meeting of the County Board, held March 5, 1852. Five other towns were organized at the same meeting ; but as Lind stands first on the records we may safely put it down as being the first town organ- ized in the County. The first town meeting was held April 6, 1852, at the house of Thomas Spencer. The following officers were elected at that meeting : Chairmam — Lyman Dayton; Supervisors — J. W. Chandler, Charles Beadleston; Justices of the Peace — J. H. Jones, S. Warner; Town Clerk — J. L. Rice. Mr. Dayton being unable to attend the annual meeting of the County Board, Supervisor Bead- leston represented the town at that meeting. The first Fourth of July celebration ever held in the County was in this town, in 1850, on Lone Pine Hill. The Declaration of Independence was read by Simon C. Dow, of Lind, after which national songs were sung, and patriotic toasts HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 95 were given. Then the party, thirt^^-three in num- ber, partook of a bounteous repast which was served under the spreading branches of some beau- tiful oaks at the foot of the hill. In June, 1850, M. A. Stinchfield built a regular frame house on the south bank of Crystal River, in Section 6. It was one of the first frame houses in town, if not the first. The lumber was hauled from Weyauwega. One day Mr. Stinchfield employed a man at Weyauwega to haul a load of lumber with a yoke of oxen. After getting on the lumber, he finished off by putting on a few supplies that he had got from Oshkosh, among v^hich was a jug of choice liquor, which, he assures us, was purchased ''ex- pressly for medicine." He managed to hide the liquor from the man, knowing his propensity for such things. Mr. Stinchfield and another man went ahead to look out the road, and left the teamster to follow. All went well for a long time, when, upon looking back, Stinchfield saw his man slyly transfering the contents of the hidden jug to his stomach. Upon investigation, the jug was found half empty, and the teamster was so " full " that they had to tie him on the load to keep him from falling ofi". When the3^ got the load off they tried to keep him till he got sober; but he would start back, although it was almost night. So, after fixing him up as well as they could, they let him go. He soon 96 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. went to sleep, and when he awoke it was towards morning and he was fast to a tree, and unable to tell where he was. It was afterwards found that he was on the edge of the Spencer marsh. He finally got things straightened out, and reached Weyauwega the next night, tired out and nearly starved. Town officers, 1889: Chairman— W. D. Parish; Supervisors — H. Jensen, C. W. Omer; Treasurer — George Gerold ; Clerk — Bert Shaw; Assessor — C. P. Sibley; Justices of the Peace — M. Burnham, R. J. Wolsey, J. H. Warner, C. R. Brown, O. H. Perry, H. Pope. CHAPTER XI Y. Town of Dayton — Its History as Written by J. Holman IN 1876— Parfrey's "Pepper Mill"— A Bear Story. In treating the Town of Dayton we can not do better than to publish entire a sketch by J. Hol- man, written in 1876, as follows : ''At a meeting of the County Board held atMuk- wa, December 7, 1852, Township 21 north, of Range 11 east, was detached from the Town of Lind, and organized as a distinct town, to be called Dayton. It was the first single township in the County separately organized as a town. ''At the same meeting, it was ordered that the first town meeting for the Town of Day- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 97 ton be held at the house of Lyman Dayton, on the se^ of the ne^ of Section 15. At said town meeting, April 15, 1853, the following town of- ficers were elected : ''Chairman — W. C. Carr; Supervisors — Samuel Shaw, James Lathrop; Town Clerk— John Martin, Jr.; Treasurer — Thomas F. Thompson; Assessors —J. D. Chamberlain, S. F. Eaton, and H. N. Waterhouse; Town Superintendent — Samuel Sim- cock; Justices of the Peace — L. Dayton, Aaron Carter, and Amos D. Munger ; Constables — Edwin Packard, George Bamhart, and William J. Cham- berlain. ''J. H. Jones also was Justice of the Peace, hav- ing been elected the year before, in Lind. Dayton, Bamhart, and Packard did not qualify. ''It was voted that the next town meeting, in 1854, be held at the house of W. C. Carr, Crystal Lake, ne^ of Section 28. The town meeting of 1855 was held at the house of J. H. Jones, Rural ; and that of 1856 was held at Parfreyville. Since then the town meetings have been held alternately at Rural and Parfreyville. " The first settler in the Town of Dayton was a Mr. Hitchcock, who built a shanty in April, 1850, on the farm now owned by W. D. Emmons, nw^ of ne^A of Section 8. His family being sick, he left the next Fall, 1850. "Early in 1850, Samuel Shaw settled on the farm no\Y owned b^^ E. M. Sawyer, se^A of ne^ of 98 HISTORY. OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Section 7, and about the same time Thomas F. Thompson settled on the farm now owned by William Harden, better known as the Ashman place, ne^ of se^ of Section 7. "In May, 1850, George C. Van Horn arrived, driving the first team of horses into the town. He settled on the farm now owned by Mrs. Van Horn, Section 7. Van Horn built the first log house in town, on the ne^A of swi/4 of Section 7. The house was not ready to live in until near Fall. Before that time, their only shelter was a carpet hung over some poles, Mrs. Van Horn doing the cook- ing in the open air. Mr. Van Horn broke the first land in town, in May, 1850, on Section 7. "June 20, 1850, George Barnhart, Joseph Rob- bins, and Aaron L., John and Anthony Forbes arrived with their families, in all twenty persons. "Barnhart, after living in his covered wagon about six weeks, built a shanty on the farm now owned by E. Gallup, se^ of Section 13. The same Fall, 1850, he moved his shanty to the nwl4 of swi/4 of Section 11, on the south bank of the river. "Joseph Robbins settled on the farm now owned by Mrs. H. Taloda, nwl^ of Section 24. "Aaron Forbes settled on the farm now owned by John Clark, ne^ of Section 24. "John Forbes settled on the ne^ of sel4 of Sec- tion 24, just where the road from the northwest strikes the town line. "Anthony Forbes settled in Lind. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 99 *'In July, 1850, Lyman Dayton arrived and set- tled on the farm now owned by Norman Baker, se^ of nw^ of Section 15. *VWe can not ascertain that any others came in 1850. "Among those who came in 1851 were Robert Parfrey, Section 11, Parfrey ville ; J. H. Jones, ne^/4 of Section 10 ; W. Caley, se of se of Section 2, where he now lives ; J. A. Robbins, on the farm now owned by William Radley, ne of se of Section 20 ; H. H. Waterhouse, on the farm now owned by John Burgoyne, ne of Section 31 ; W. J. Chamberlain, on the farm now owned by R. Neil- son, nw of sw of Section 7 ; S. Story, where he how lives, nw of sw of Section 8 ; O. Butcher, on the farm now owned by J. Day, se of ne of Section 14; Thomas Morgan, on the farm now owned by F. Shoemaker, sw of sw of Section 15 ; and Joseph and Robert McCrossen, on the farm now owned by A. P. Hyatt, se of se of Section 4. " Early in 1852 the following named persons ar- rived, forming what is still called the "Crystal Lake Settlement: " W. C. and W. S. Carr, Section 28 ; Rev. Samuel and William Simcock, Section 21 ; Chester Packard, Section 34; Edwin and Sumner Packard, Section 27; S. Randall, Section 21; J. Conklin, Section 22 ; and S. F. and W. S. Eaton, Section 34. "Also, in 1852, came F. Suydam, Section 31; John Martin, Jr., Section 19; A. D. Munger, Sec- 100 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. tion 6; A.Carter, Section 20; H. McLean, Sec- tion 25 ; Joseph A. Lathrop, Section 1 ; E. Smith, Section 1 ; R. Rorabacher, Section 19 ; and Joseph Edwards, Section 22. ^'W. D. Emmons, F. Shoemaker, G. W. Stine- mates, J. Stratton, J. Day, A. Potts, and others, came in 1853. "Among the many who came in 1854 were M. H. Rice, S. W. Hoyt, and R. Holman. *'For the first season or two provisions were not very plentiful. The settlers could supply them- selves with venison and other game without going far from their clearings, but for flour, groceries, etc., they were obliged to go to Strong's Landing, as Berlin was then called, and some of them went even to Sheboygan and Milwaukee for supplies. ''In the Fall of 1850 Mrs. Dayton was obliged to eke out her small supply of flour with an oc- casional dish of soup, which she made by chop- ping some com in a bowl. About the same time, bread became very scarce at Van Horn's. Mr. Van Horn, after putting up his log house, had gone with his team to Racine County, to work on a threshing machine, after which he was to return with a load of supplies. But before his return Mrs. Van Horn had got nearly to the bottom of the flour sack ; so she went to Mr. Hitchcock, on the Emmons place, to try to buy some buckwheat, of which he had about half an acre standing in the shock. He told her he was going to move away HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 101 soon, and she could have the buckwheat if she could use it. The next day she took her carpet for a threshing floor, and some bags, and went down and carried the shocks together, and pounded them out with a stick, getting six bags of grain and chaff. With the first favorable breeze she win- nowed out a half bushel of grain, and, taking it on foot to Mr. Dayton's, ground it in their coffee mill, and sifted it in their seive, leaving the bran for toll.* '' But Dayton's coffee mill soon gave way to the ''Pepper Mill," as Parfrey's grist mill, built in 1851, was called. Parfrey's grist mill was 16 x 20 feet, boarded up and down. The shafts were made of tamarac and oak, unhewn. The wobble of the machinery, occasioned by crooked shafts, was counteracted by tightening pulleys, weighted down with stones. The belts were made of bags, sewed together, and cotton factory cloth. '' It is well remembered that the first grinding in Parfrey's mill was one Saturday afternoon. The next day Parfrey attended meeting at the house of Thomas Spencer. After the sermon, and before the benediction vras fairly finished, Parfrey jumped to his feet, and, taking a handful of flour from the tail pocket of his coat, shouted at the top of his voice, ' Here's a sample of my flour ! ' *That is a fair sample of the kind of helpmates the first settlers of our County were blessed with. Long live the memory of the pioneer women of Waupaca County! J. W. 102 HISTORY OF V/AUPACA COUNTY. '^The 'v\^ater power at Parfreyville was staked out and claimed by Thomas Spencer in the Spring of 1850, and was by him given to Parfrey on con- dition that he should build a mill and grind a bushel of corn before the mill then being built at Waupaca (in 1851) should grind a kernel. Par- frey accomplished the task. ''Custom increased rapidly, and in 1855 Par- frey took a partner into the business, and built a large mill on the spot where the old one stood. But Parfrey's partner and the hard times of 1857 were too much for him ; so he sold his interest in the mill at Parfreyville, and built a small mill at the foot of Junction Lake. But, his financial em- barrassment continuing, he disposed of his mill at Junction Lake, and left the country. " In 1863 the mill at Parfreyville was thorough- ly repaired by J. D. Kast, after which it did a large and paying business until Christmas, 1874, when it was burned to the ground. In the Spring of 1876 the high water, which was the highest ever known in this stream, destroyed the dam, leaving the v^ater to flow in its old channel, and thus uncovering ground that had been under w^ater since the summer of 1851. « "Parfrey's house, the first built in Parfreyville, was 12 X 14 feet. It was built in March, 1851, by George Barnhart, while Parfrey was away after his family. It stood on the south side of the river, close by the two pine trees now standing on HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 103 the bank. The pines were transplanted when very small, twent^^-three 3^ears ago. The road leading toward Crystal Lake now crosses the exact spot where the old house stood. ''The first frame house in town was built by J. H. Jones, early in 1851. It stood on the south side of the river, at the foot of Junction Lake. *' In the Fall and Winter of 1852, Jones built the house now owned by W. J. Chamberlain, in Rural. "In 1856, Jones built the mill building now owned by J. and C. S. Ashman, but the machinery was not put in operation until 1862. ''In 1853 James A. Lathrop built a saw mill at Crystal River, which was operated until it had ex- hausted the pine that grew along the streams and lakes of Dayton and Farmington, and in the swamps of Lind. "In 1867, Lathrop & Palmer built a carding mill on the spot where the saw mill stood. "In 1855, Lathrop & Barnum built the grist mill now owned by E. Gruner. "The first postofiSce in town was established in 1851. 'Nepawan' was the name, and L. Dayton was the first postmaster. In 1853, Nepawan post- office was removed to Rural, and J. H. Jones was appointed postmaster. "The first public school in town was taught in 1852, by Miss Eunice Randall, now Mrs. W. S. Carr, in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood, in a 104 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. shanty school house which stood on the farm now owned by R. Neils on. *'A private school was taught the same Summer (1852) by Miss Almira Dayton, in one room of J. H. Jones' house, at Junction Lake. Miss Dayton's way of noting the flight of time during school hours was by watching the shadow of the sash upon the A\4ndow sill, which she had marked off for the different hours of the day. ''The first frame school house was built at Pleasant Valley, in 1854. It is still in use. It then stood a little west from where E. M. Sawyer now lives. ''In the Summer of 1853, Miss Eunice Randall taught the first school in the Crystal Lake neigh- borhood, in the log house of Mr. Simcock. The house still stands on the farm now owned by T. F. Fuller. " The first school house at Rural was the small house now occupied by William Nickel. One of the first who taught in it was Miss Ellen Jane Jones, now Mrs. J. Ashman. "The first school at Parfreyville was taught in the Summer of 1854, by Miss Jane Lathrop, in a shanty on the lot where the school house now stands. W. S. Carr taught in the same shanty in the Winter of 1855-56. The school house now in use was built by W. C. Barlow in the Fall of 1856. At the present time there are eight school houses in town. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 105 **The first preaching in town was by a Metho- dist minister by the name of Miller, and by the Rev. Cutting Marsh, Indian missionary at Wau- paca. Rev. Samuel Simcock also preached during 1852 and for three 3^ears thereafter. John Martin, Jr., preached occasionally at Pleasant Valley, in the house of T. F. Thompson. ''The first funeral in town was that of a child of Joseph Robbins, Section 24, in August, 1850. The first adult person who died in the town was the wife of Robert Parfrey, in March, 1851. '' The first white child born in the town was Cal- vin Morgan, son of Thomas and Fanny Morgan, and grandson of L. Dayton, in Februar3% 1851. '' The first marriage ceremony in tov^m was per- formed by J. H. Jones, Justice of the Peace. The parties were James McCrossen and Miss Cornelia A. Jones. " The first public highway in town was a State road from Weyauwega, in the direction of Stevens Point. It crossed the farm now owned by C. Sheldon, and passed on westward by Dayton's place. The first bridge was built near Dayton's. ''The road from the west, through Rural, Par- freyville, and Crystal River, was laid out in 1852. The remains of the first bridge at Parfreyville can 3^et be seen, just above the present bridge. Before the bridge was built, the river was forded a few rods farther north, at the place where C. M. Jones' wagon shop now stands. 106 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. ''The first blacksmith in town was WilHam Caley. He had a small shop in 1851 and 1852, about thirty rods north of the bridge, at Parfrey- Yille, on the north bank of the river, where the house of S. H. Conklin now stands. The black- smith shop now in use at Parfreyville v/as built by R. Holman in 1854, and is the oldCvSt building now standing. "In 1852, N. P. Judson kept a small supply of groceries, etc., in a shanty on the south side of the river, about one hundred rods west from Parfrey's. He soon moved to Waupaca. "In January, 1855, S. W. Hoyt opened a store in the wing of R. Holman 's house. L. J. Hebard was Hoyt's clerk. " The total value of all property in town at the first assessment, in 1853, was $9,630.75. Taxes for that year were as follows : State tax, $57.59 ; County tax, $78.89; County school tax, $25; Town tax, $70; total, $231.68. The town tax included $35 voted to pay indebtedness incurred in 1852, while connected with Lind." J. Holman. In 1853, W. C. Carr planted the first apple tree. He raised fruit about ten years later. The first winter after Mr. Carr built his house, which was 18 x 24 feet, he had to accommodate, for several weeks, four families besides his own — people who had made claims and were waiting to put up cabins. Besides that, he was continual- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 107 13^ keeping travelers who were looking for land. That is the way many of our old pioneers were forced to spend a few of the first years in this then wild region ; and we are fain to believe that the majority of them really enjoyed life with a zest un- known after a country becomes settled and im- proved. At least, such is our experience, and we often hear the same sentiment expressed by others who have had pioneer experiences. We shall give a bear story, told us by Mr. Carr : One day Mrs. Carr went into the garden, and sav/ there what she took to be a large black dog. She immediately returned, and reported what she had seen. Mr. Carr quickly went out, and found just what he anticipated — a young bear, quite large. As he approached it, young bruin started for the tree fence, and, as it was going through, Mr. Carr grabbed for its foot, but missed it. He then gave the alarm, and his son put the dogs on the track. The bear was soon treed and shot. Carr thinks that if he could onl}^ have got hold of that bear's foot, there would have been lively times in that garden — and we rather think the old gentleman is right ! The following is a Hst of the town officers for 1889: Chairman — P. A. Hamm ; Supervisors — N. M. Darling, A. E. Williams; Treasurer— M. E. Barton; Clerk — L. F. Shoemaker; Assessor— E. L. Devine; Justices of the Peace — T. Court, W. S. Eaton. 108 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. CHAPTER XV. Town op Farmington — Historical Sketch by C. L. Green. List of Early Settlers — An Old Railroad Project. Historical sketch of the Town of Farmington, read by C. L. Green at the Centennial celebration in the Village of Rural, July 4, 1876 : ''Township 22 north, of Range 11 east, known as the Town of Farmington, was first settled by Ambrose M. Gard, who made his claim in Septem- ber, 1849, on the ne^. of the nw^ of Section 25. "As the tide of immigration was fast pouring into the then 'far west,' the country soon became settled. Among the first settlers may be named Roswell Hicks and Granville Jones, who made their claims on Section 27 in the Fall of 1849, building the first house in the town, into which they moved about the 28th of December, having passed a portion of the Winter in a cloth tent at Waupaca Falls, undergoing all the privations and hardships of frontier life; being surrounded by Indians and wild beasts ; living for several months upon com ground in a common cofiee mill, and de- prived of many of the comforts of civilized life. "The first white child bom in the town was Rollin Jones, in 1851. "The first plowing was done by Mr. Jones in the Spring of 1850. The nearest grist mill being at Plover, in Portage County, they were obliged to HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 109 take their grain there to be ground, taking three days to go and return with oxen. *' C. O. Brown, a native of Sweden, came here in 1849.* Going to New York in 1851, he returned with about seventy families of his countrymen, a number of whom settled in the northeast quarter of the town. ''On the 4th of July, 1851, just a quarter of a century ago, the patriotism of the country united in the first grand celebration of American In- dependence held in Waupaca County. The cele- bration was held on the farm of Granville Jones, on the north side of Maple Island Lake. The orator of the day was Wilson Holt, then residing at Waupaca. Fifty persons were present, having come from all directions, on foot, and with oxen.f " As the land in this part of the country had not yet come into market, it could not be entered. It was not until the year 1852 that it was offered for sale. In that year the following named persons entered land at the land office in Menasha : Abi- gal C. Sessions, Roswell Hicks, Horace Dewey, Ambrose M. Gard, William Dudterman, Merrick Barton, John M. Dewey, Caleb Preston, John McArthur, F. S. King, Robert Morrison, A. R. Gray, C. O. Brown, S. Leonard, J. K. Parish, *C. O. Brown first came in 1850, and went to New York and re- turned with the emigrants in 1852. J. W. fThis is a mistake. The first Fourth of July celebration in Wau- paca County was held on Lone Pine Hill, Lind, in 1850. J. W. 110 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. George W. Ross, Otis Beck, Jonas Nordeen, John Harris, Francis Beardmore, A. E. Erickson, Alfred Godfrey, Maurice Hearn, Eastman Arnie, George Roberts, William P. Edwards, and Granville Jones. ''April 15, 1853, the town \sras formed, the name Farmington being given to it by Mr. Beardmore. Previous to that time it belonged to Waupaca. '' The first election was held at the house of John Fischer, on the first Tuesday of April, 1854. Forty votes w^ere cast. The officers elected were : Chair- man — Granville Jones ; Supervisors — Merrick Barton, C. O. Brown ; Clerk — Francis Beardmore ; Treasurer — C. O. Brown. "In 1861 an effort was made to build a railroad from Fremont to Stevens Point, via Waupaca.* Aid was asked of the several towns along the pro- posed line of the road. Farmington responded by voting $700, also by subscriptions from individu- als. The funds were used, the grading partly com- pleted to Waupaca, and then the project was abandoned. Since that time the Wisconsin Central railroad has been built through the town, giving it good transportation facilities. "The chief products are v^^heat, corn, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, hops, and wool. "An incident of the early days may be here re- lated: A large black bear invaded the territor3^, and the settlers congregated to drive him a^way. *The Oshkosh, Fremont & Wausau railroad. J. W. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Ill He was driven across Maple Island Lake to what is called Raspberry Island. Roswell Hicks, seizing his large saber between his teeth, swam across the lake and drove him back to the main land, where he was slain by the land forces." The foregoing well written sketch was published in the Waupaca County Republican, but we copy it from the original manuscript, kindly lent us by Mr. Green. It is in the main accurate, so far as it goes, and we gladly avail ourselves of its assist- ance in writing up the town. The Tov^n of Farmington is bounded on the north by Scandinavia, on the east by Waupaca, on the south by Dayton, and on the west by Portage County. It is a good farming town, is settled by an enterprising, industrious people, and is getting well improved. It is a good place to settle in, and the emigrant could easily go farther and fare worse than by setting his stakes there. The first school taught was by Miss Orlie, in the Leonard district — No. 1. The first school house was built in the Leonard district. The first church (Lutheran) was built on Sec- tion 10. Mr. Leonard built the first saw mill. In 1874 he also built the first grist mill. The first postofliice was established on Section 7, with W. H. Cipperly as postmaster. 112 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The first mail route was from Waupaca to Plover. The Government survey was made in 1851. The next survey was made by A. V. Balch in 1852. The first store was kept by W. H. Cipperly. The first apple tree was planted by Francis Beardmore, in 1854, and he raised the first apples. Town ofl[icers for 1889 : Chairman — Fred Fisher; Supervisors — Thomas Anderson, James Morey; Treasurer— A. Anderson; Clerk — F. B, Pitcher; Assessor — John McFall; Justices of the Peace — Will Beardmore, James Swan, William Topping. CHAPTER XVI. TowjN" OF RoYALTON — First Settlement in 1848, by Hicks, Leuthold, and Gill— a Good Farming and Stock Raising Town. The Town of Royalton consists of Township 22 north, Range 13 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Little Wolf, on the east by Muk- wa, on the south by Weyauwega, and on the west by Waupaca. There is much first-class farming land in the town ; in fact, it ranks among the best for agri- cultural pursuits, especially for dairying and stock raising. Fruit does well, where cultivated. The first settlement was made in 1848 by Hicks, Leuthold, and Gill. In 1849 Simeon Hopkins HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 113 came in and made a claim, then went back for his family, and returned in 1850. Others came in 1850, among them John, M. L., and J. K. Hay- wood. In 1851 came Joseph Favell, William Shambeau, and Marshall Leavitt. The first water power claim was made in 1850 by Hicks, Tourtelloth, and Gill, who built a saw mill, since burned, and rebuilt. The first grist mill was built by M. L. Haywood in 1875. It is now owned by Dr. Dawley. The first store was started by Mr. Ellis in 1853. The first postofhce was established in 1853, with Bradford Phillips for postmaster. The mail route was from Green Bay to Stevens Point. The first public school was taught by Miss Helen Monroe, now Mrs. Thomas, in 1855. Miss M. Haywood, now Mrs. Sheldon, taught a private school the year before. The first school house w^as built in 1857, at North Roy alt on. The first church (Congregational) was built in 1866. The first sermon was preached in 1854 by Elder Stevens, a Methodist. The first marriage was that of Andrew More and Persis Haywood, in the Fall of 1853. The first death was that of Hattie Searles, in 1855. The first birth was that of Josephine Favell, in 1853. 114 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The first town meeting was held at the house of O. A. Rich, in April, 1854. The first town oflicers were : Chairman — George E. More; Supervisors — S. Morse, Marshall Leav- itt; Town Clerk — Bradford Phillips; Justices of the Peace— R. Barsteen, A. Wheeler, T. A. Butter- field, H. Sherman; Constable— M. L. Haywood. The first law suit was before Bradford Phillips, Justice of the Peace, in 1853. The case was '' Rich YS. Hugh Sellers." M. L. and John Haywood hauled the first logs cut at the mill, in 1850. The lumber was used in the mill. The first apple trees were set out by John P. More in 1855. John Haywood planted apple seeds in 1851. An apple tree from one of those seeds planted thirty-nine years ago is now stand- ing on the premises of his son, M. E. Haywood, in the Village of Royalton. It is still healthy and vigorous, producing excellent apples — having borne, so he tells us, as many as twenty-five bushels in one season. The trunk of the tree, two feet from the ground, raeasures more than four feet in circumference. White Lake, the largest lake in the County, is in this town. It covers nearly all of Section 21, and portions of Sections 15, 16, 20, 22, 28, and 29. The grove on the south shore of White Lake was for many years the favorite picnic ground for the Old Settlers' Society and other organizations. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 115 Town officers for 1889: Chairman — F. Conrad; Supervisors — W. C. Ritchie, J. Seele3^; Treasurer —J.C.Ritchie; Clerk — E. T. Mathews; Assessor — F. J. Deane; Justices of the Peace — E. B. Davis, William Masters. VILLAGE OF ROYALTON. The Village of Royalton has four general stores, one hardw^are store, one saloon, two livery barns, one hotel, one grist mill, one saw mill, one black- smith shop, one wheelright shop, one insurance agent, two doctors, and one minister. It has an excellent water power. The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad passes through the village. CHAPTER XYII. Town of Caledonia — First Settlement in 1819, by James McHuGH — Organized in 1853. The Towm of Caledonia originally consisted of Township 21, Range 14, but when the Town of Fremont was formed. Sections 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31, and 32 were taken therefrom and attached to Fremont. Caledonia is bounded on the north by the Town of Mukwa, on the east by Outagamie County, on the south by Winnebago County and the Town of Fremont, and on the west by Fremont and Wej^- auweea. 116 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The town was organized in 1853. The first town meeting was held in 1854, at the house of James McHugh. The first town ofiScers were : Chairman — Thomas Gore; Supervisors — John Fife, Jacob Whitaker; Town Clerk ; Town Treas- urer — John Littlefield. The first settlement was in 1849, by James McHugh, who built the first house (log) on Sec- tion 24. It is still standing. The first child bom in town was a boy of James McHugh. The first death was that of a boy of John Little- field, August 25, 1856. The first marriage was F. M. Fowler and Sarah J. Littlefield, June 22, 1854. The marriage cere- mony was performed by A. B. Kinnear, Justice of the Peace. The first school taught was by Miss Phoebe Lit- tlefield, now Mrs. Lyman Otis, in 1854. The first school house ^was built in 1854. The first church (Lutheran) was built in 1867. The first sermon preached in town was by Elder Mitchell, a Baptist, in 1855. The first saw mill was built in 1870, by ^' Con " Ruggles, who also built the first grist mill in the same year. The first postoffice was established in 1854, and called Readfield, with John Littlefield as post- master. The mail route was from Menasha to HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 117 Waupaca, and the mail was carried by John- son. Theodore Conkey did the first surveying, in 1846 — the Government survey. The first law suit in town was Frank Houghton vs. Harvey Jewell, in 1854, before Thomas Bishop, Justice of the Peace. The first store was started by Ward. . In 1853, John Littlefield planted the first apple trees, and in 1860 he raised the first apples. Caledonia is quite heavily timbered. The soil is generally well adapted to agricultural purposes, and many good farms are being well cultivated. Town officers for 1889 : Chairman — Louis Knoke; Supervisors — August P. Tews, William Brehmer ; Treasurer — George Mader ; Clerk — Ernst Keison; Assessor — Christ Vohs; Justices of the Peace — Fred Prebono, Louis Knoke. CHAPTER XVni. Town of Fremont — First Settlement by D. Gorden in 1849 — Organized in 1855 — Springer's Point — Village OF Fremont Organized in 1888 — Killing of Wau-ke- JOHN. The Town of Fremont comprises Sections 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, Range 14, taken from Caledonia, and Sections 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28, the south half of Sections 29 and 30, and the whole of Sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, 118 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Township 21, Range 13, taken from the Town of Weyanwega. It is the smallest town in the County, containing but twenty sections. It is bounded on the north by the Towns of Weyau- wega and Caledonia, on the east by Caledonia, on the south by the Counties of Winnebago and Waushara, and on the west by Lind and Weyau- wega. The town was organized in 1865. The first town meeting was held at the house of A. J. Mayo, in the Village of Fremont, in April, 1865. The first town officers, elected at said meeting, were: Chairman — Ira Sumner; Supervisors — A. T. Montgomery, John Brickley; Town Clerk — M. B. Patchen; Treasurer — Henry G. Schroeder; Justices of the Peace — Ira Sumner, J. S. Bartlett, C. C. Kinsman. The first law suit was before Justice Bartlett, in 1866. The parties were Ira Sumner, plaintiff, and Charlie Peters, defendant. It was a jury trial. The jurors were John Brickley, I. N. Kinsman, C. V. Isbell, Benjamin Brickley, Deming, and George Finley. C. C. Kinsman appeared as coun- sel for Sumner, and J. B. Strain for Peters. After a long and spirited trial, the jury brought in a verdict of eighteen cents for the plaintiff, that amount being the balance due on a bushel of corn. Fremont was one of the first settled towns in the County. The first settlement was made in the Spring of 1849. The first shanty within the HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 119 present limits of the town was built in the Spring of 1849, by D. Gorden, on a claim in Section 25, where the Village of Springer's Point was after- wards laid out. During the same year a man named Crosby built a log shanty on the west side of Wolf River, near the present crossing, on Sec- tion 25. The same year, Ira Sumner built a board shanty on the east side of the river, it being the first dwell- ing erected on that side. Harman Mumbrue made a claim on the w^est side of the river, where the Presbyterian Church now stands. The three East- mans, and a man named Hill, made claims on Sec- tion 25. Frank Millett made a claim on the place afterwards owned by Alvah Sherburne. The next year other settlers came, among them Benjamin Brickle3^ and the Bergs tressers, who set- tled on the east side of the river. Amos Riley made a claim on Section 27. A man named Rowley made a claim and built a shanty on the west side of the river; and another, named Clow, made a claim at the ''red banks," a short distance up the river from where the village now stands. During the same year Ira Sumner put up the first frame house. It was framed by Harman Mumbrue, was on the east side of the river, and is still standing, being a portion of the old Booth House. In 1851, W. A. Springer moved from Little River, where he had located two years before, and 120 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. settled near the mouth of Partridge Lake, where he subsequently laid out a village, giving it the name of "Springer's Point." It is now incorpo- rated v^ith the Village of Fremont, of which it forms a part. Alvah Sherburne came in February, 1853, and bought out the claim of Frank Millett, Section 36. The first hotel was started by Ira Sumner, in 1850, on the east side of the river. The first school ^was taught in the Sumner school district, by Miss Stroud in 1853. The first school house was built in the same dis- trict in 1854. The first store was kept by Benjamin Brickley and Samuel Bergstresser, on the east side of the river, in 1850. The first saw mill (steam) was built in 1856, by S. F. Conant and M. J. Russell, at the outlet of Partridge Lake. The first dock and warehouse were built by Bender & Kinsman in 1855, at the lower landing, being on the site where the warehouse of I. N. Kinsman now stands. The first grist mill was built in 1876, by C. C. Arnold. The mill was subsequently owned by George I. Smith. It has since been burned. The first postoffice was established in 1853 on the east side of the river, with Ira Sumner for post- master. It was subsequently moved to the west side, where it remains. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 121 The first mail route was from Oshkosh to Stevens Point. The mail was carried by "Old Jack" once in two weeks, np the Wolf River in a sail boat to Fremont, and the rest of the way on foot. The first child born in town was Charles, son of Riley Eastman, in 1851. Charles Eastman now lives in St. Lawrence. The first death was that of young David Riley, in 1850. The first marriage was that of Frank Millett and Betsy Eaton, June 22, 1851. Elder Miller, a Methodist, officiated. The first sermon was preached by Rev. John Baxter, a Congregationalist, in 1851. The first church (Presbyterian) was built in 1873. The first survey was made in 1846, by Theodore Conkey, who subdivided as far west as the west line of Township 21 north. Range 14 east. That ^vas the Government survey. The next surve34ng was done by Ira Sumner in 1849. The first bridge across the Wolf River was built by Abel Neff, of Oshkosh. It was a toll bridge. After a few years it was purchased by the town, and made free. It did good service until the great freshet in the Spring of 1888, when it was swept away. In the Summer and Fall of that year it was replaced by a first-class bridge, with an iron turn-table resting on a substantial stone pier. Its 122 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. cost was more than $5,000, the town and village bearing half the expense, and the County the re- mainder. The first apple tree was planted in 1851, by Mr. Springer, and in 1854 he raised the first apples. In 1857 a weekly newspaper was started at Fre- mont. It was called the Fremont Pioneer, and was *' neutral in politics." It ^was edited by John M. Dewey, of Waupaca. It survived only one year. The first number is before us, dated No- vember 4, 1857, — five columns on a page. Among the advertisements we find: ''The Fremont House, by A. J. Mayo." ''Wolf River House, J. P. Shoemaker, Proprietor." "Evan Townsend, Notary Public and General Land Agent." " Steam Saw Mill, Damon & Springer." "Store, J. Bender & Co." "T. W. Brisbine, Dry Goods, Etc." "Livermore's Variety Store." "Steam Shingle Mill, Hubbard, Manzer & Co." The town officers for 1889 were : Chairman— J. Wakefield; Supervisors — Jacob Steiger, C. V. Isbell; Clerk — F. D. Stange; Treasurer — Henry Spindler; Justices of the Peace— J. Wakefield, H. Spindler; Constable — Frank Hicks. VILLAGE OF FREMONT. The Village of Fremont is located on both sides of the Wolf River. Its population is about 300. There is no good crossing of the river for miles above and below Fremont, and this fact, together HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 123 with the excellent bridge at the village, makes considerable travel to and through the town. The village was organized in May, 1888, when an assessor and other village officers were elected. The first officers were : President — E. L. Damon ; Trustees — Charles Hildebrand, August Lucht, Adam Walter, W. E. N. Roy, Fred Gabel, C. Kins- man; Clerk — William Sherburne ; Assessor — Fred Gabel; Treasurer— I. N. Kinsman; Police Justice — William Sherburne; Village Justice — E. L. Damon; Supervisor — H. Randle. Officers for 1889: President — Dr. C. D. Eddy; Trustees — C. Kinsman, August Lucht, W. E. N. Roy, Herman Amdt, George Bergstresser, Albert Steiger; Clerk — William Sherburne; Treasurer— I. N. Kinsman; Village Justice— E. L. Damon; Assessor— Adam Walter; Supervisor — H. Randle. Fremont has one saw mill, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 wagon shop, 1 shoe shop, 1 agricultural im- plement warehouse, 3 churches, 1 high school, 4 stores, 1 hotel, 2 saloons, and 2 phj^sicians. DEATH OF WAU-KE-JOHN. This noted Indian was a war chief of the Me- nominees. Honored by his tribe, his noble qual- ities had won the respect of the whites, whose friend he was. His tragic fate was lamented by both whites and Indians. We shall give the par- ticulars of the affair as they were given us by W. A. Springer, who was in the neighborhood when 124 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. the chief was killed, and who saw him a few hours afterwards, and was present at the funeral : During the Summer of 1852, a band of about 300 Menominee Indians were going down the river in their canoes, bound for Winneconne to pro- cure ammunition. Landing on the marsh, on the east side of the river, a little above Fremont, they met a Chippewa, who was on his way up the river. This Chippewa and Wau-ke-john were not on very good terms, having had some previous difficulty. The Chippewa asked Wau-ke-john for a drink of whisky; and, upon being refused, shot the chief through the heart. A nephew of Wau-ke-john then sprang forward and buried his hatchet in the mur- derer's brain. According to Indian law, it was his privilege, as the near relative of the murdered brave, to thus avenge his murder. The murderer laid v^here he fell a day or two, when some of his tribe came and buried him near where he met his punishment. It was reported that the friends of Wau-ke-john cut out the mur- derer's heart. Immediately after the murder, the band took the body of their murdered chief into a canoe, and car- ried it down to where the Village of Fremont is located. Landing on the flat near where the Pres- byterian Church now stands, just below the out- let of Partridge Lake, they pitched their tents. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 125 Soon after they landed, our informant, in com- pany witli another man, paid a visit to their camp. They were met by the dead brave's wife and daughter, who appeared in great distress, and who, with sobs, exclaimed, '' Wau-ke-john nepo ! Wau-ke-john nepo ! " (Wau-ke-john killed !) They were fine looking, intelligent women. Receiving an invitation, the whites followed the women into the tent, where they found six or eight Indians sit- ting around a small fire smoking very long pipes, and uttering a sort of mournful chant all the time. The wife and daughter led them to where lay the dead chieftain, and showed them where the bullet entered the body, directly over his heart. The chief was dressed well for an Indian. He had on a fine, black frock coat, and was a splendid speci- men of savage life. He appeared about forty-five years old. The chief's son, a bright looking boy, was with the party. Everything was perfectly quiet and orderly throughout the camp. The next morning they got William G. Sher- burne, a son of Alvah Sherburne, to make a nice cofiin; and about 4 o'clock in the afternoon prep- arations for the fimeral commenced. The Indians formed a sort of hollow square on the river bank, with the coffin and the chief's relatives in the center. Then the *^ avenger" and two others step- ped into the circle. It was an impressive scene. The avenger was silent, but the others spoke, in 126 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. the Indian tongue, one after the other. Each speaker held in his hand, while speaking, a stick about three feet long, with which he made gestures while addressing the other Indians. The language, of course, was unintelligible to our informant, but the gestures were graceful and natural, equalled by few of our modern orators who have been spoiled by education. They were both old, gray- headed men. The last orator frequently spoke of the "Schmo-ke-men." It has since been learned that, while extolling the deceased and enumerating his many virtues, he spoke of the respect enter- tained for him by the ^' Schmo-ke-men," (whites) his friendship for them, etc. They divided his personal effects among his children, and then put into the coffin with the body the following articles : A loaf of bread under one arm, and a cake of sugar under the other. On his breast were placed his '' medicine bag," containing his flint, steel and punk, his war paints, and also a large silver medal, having on one side the likeness of President Polk, and on the reverse a white man's hand clasping that of an Indian, with the legend, ''Peace and Friendship." The medal was given to the chief by President Polk. They then closed the coffin. On its lid they placed the dead chieftain's war club, and his rifle. The club was of hickory, about three and a half feet long, and two inches in diameter at the larger HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 127 end. The bark, which had not been removed, had the appearance of age. The club was carved at one end to fit the hand. They put the coffin, with the rifle and war club, into a canoe and started up the river, accom- panied by two or three Indians. The rest of them went on down the river towards Winneconne. The body was buried at the ''bark lodge," near the ''Cutoff," two miles above Gills Landing. Messrs. Springer, Sumner, and Sherburne, with their families, and perhaps a few other whites, were present at the funeral. Since writing the above, Hon. H. C. Mumbrue, of Waupaca, tells us that he thinks our informant is mistaken in one or two particulars — that Wau- ke-john was shot by mistake, by an Indian who intended to kill another with whom he was having a quarrel. CHAPTER XIX. Town of Union — First Settlement by Isaac Ames in 1855 — Orgai^ized in 1858 — Experience of Nathan John- son — Sixteen Persons Sleeping on the Floor of a 16 X 20-FooT Shanty. The Town of Union consists of Township 24, Range 13. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Dupont, on the east by Bear Creek, on the south by Little Wolf, and on the west by Hel- vetia. The first settlement was made by Isaac Ames, in the Fall of 1855. 128 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The town was organized in April, 1858. The first town meeting was held at the house of E. C. Scott on the north-east comer of Section 35, April 6, 1858. Ensign Sprague was chosen Chairman of the meeting, N. W. Baldwin, Clerk, and Isaac Ames and Samuel Norton, Inspectors of Election. An adjournment was then had to a brush heap across the way, near the north-west comer of Sec- tion 36. A. W. Johnson, an early settler, says: '' That brush heap made a good fire, and when one side got cold, all they had to do was to turn around and warm the other side. They had a grand time." That was exercising the rights of freemen under difficulties. Mr. Johnson did not tell us what sort of a ballot box was used, but we presume it was as simple and primitive as their arrangements for keeping themselves v^arm. Those honest, sturdy voters required no modern appliances to prevent illegal voting, or ballot box stuffing. Nine votes v^ere cast and the following officers elected : Chairman — Ensign Sprague; Supervisors ~0. A. Quimby, Joseph Stroud; Clerk— N. W. Baldwin; Treasurer — Samuel Norton; Superin- tendent of Schools — David Quimby; Justices of the Peace — Isaac Ames, O. A. Quimby, Benjamin Dean; Assessors — N. W. Baldwin, Isaac Ames, David Quimby ; Constables — David Quimby, Daniel Ames, Lewis Devaud. In May, 1857, Benjamin Dean and A. W. John- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 129 son settled on Section 12. They made a house by cutting baswood poles, from eight to ten inches in diameter, splitting them through the center, and then setting them up on end against a pole, making a shanty like the roof of a house, with a half pitch. For feather beds, they used hemlock boughs for about six weeks, sleeping on them much sounder than many do on their beds of softest down. They had no blankets or quilts. Mr. Johnson naively remarks, ''It was rather tough for a man who had been married only two months ! ' ' Mrs. E. C. Scott baked their bread. They went after it twice a week, a round trip of ten miles through the woods without any road. The wolves would frequently follow them, pretty close- ly, too, sometimes. And Mr. Johnson is willing to swear that the mosquitoes were always ready for a lunch. Thej paid one dollar a bushel for potatoes, and packed them six miles on their backs. They cleared and planted three acres that Spring. The wild beasts, especially the wolves, were ver3^ troublesome. One morning Mr. Dean shot a large wolf in their clearing. Mr. Johnson approached the wolf as he lay apparently dead. Getting his toe under the animal's nose, he tried to raise it from the ground. But the wolf was not dead, and the first Mr. Johnson knew his toe was in the brute's mouth. He was unable to wear his boot 130 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. for two weeks. He says, "It was fun for Dean, but I couldn't see it in that light ! " One thing he says he learned — never to trifle with a dead wolf. The animal measured seven and a half feet from the end of his nose to the tip of his tail. The last of June they went back to their families in Washington County. Dean returned in the Fall. Johnson remained until May, 1859, when he returned with his family. He ha.d one cow, and the enormous sum of twenty-five cents ! He has now 165 acres of land, with sixty acres cleared, " and a good family of eight children ! " Nathan Johnson, father of A. W., moved into the town the last of Ma^^ 1859, from Washington County, this State. His family consisted of three boys (one of whom had moved in the year before) and three girls. He drove an ox team, and brought along two cows. They carried bread with them ; and when they got hungry they would stop, let the oxen feed, milk the cows, get out the tins and spoons, and have some bread and milk; then they would go on until hungry again. They would manage to stop over night at some settler's cabin on the way. They were eight days on the road. One night they staid at Hortonville, Outagamie County. Next day they drove to the edge of the marsh between New London and Northport, where they stopped, baited their team, and ate bread and milk. They had with them the two youngest boys, one seven, and the other HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 131 ten 3'ears of age. The rest of the family had taken the boat at Fond du Lac. Mr. Johnson says of the trip : "After resting on the edge of the marsh, we started out as happy as clams at high water, thinking we would soon be at onr new home. It soon commenced to rain, and we got stuck fast in the mud. I had to hitch the team to the hind end of the wagon to pull it out of the hole. Then we traveled on foot to Northport. It was raining hard when we got there. At Northport I got a team and went back for the baggage. It took two days from North- port to reach our new home. "We moved in with Mr. Dean, who lived in a 16 X 20-foot shanty, in which sixteen persons slept on the floor at night. In the day time we moved the beds out of doors — when it didn't rain. We lived in that way four or five weeks, until we could build another shanty. "We never took more comfort than we did at that time. We were as happy as could be. I was fifty 3^ears old the day I started for our new home. Now I have a good house, and have been post- master about twelve years."* The first child born in town was a daughter of E. C. and Betsy Scott, October 11, 1856. The first marriage was Joel A. Taylor and Mary Jane Johnson, October 22, 1865. The ceremony *The foregoing was written several years ago. The old gentleman has since been called away from his pleasant home. J. W. 132 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. was performed by W. Dresser, Justice of the Peace, from Royalton. The first death was that of Ida Jane Laflin, August 31, 1863. She was a little over a year old. The first school was taught by Amanda Sprague in 1859, on Section 36. The same Spring one was taught by Sophia C. Johnson on Section 12. In the Spring of 1859 school houses wrere built on the aforesaid sections. The first sermon was preached in 1861, by Rev. Joseph Hammond, of Northport. In 1873 Ogden & Scott built a saw mill at ''Union Bridge." A postoflftce was established in town in 1862, and J. K. Townsend was appointed postmaster. The first mail route was from Waupaca to Clinton- ville. The mail was carried on foot by Lewis Blein- koph. The first surveying was done in 1857, by Edwin C. Scott.* The first law suit was tried February 21, 1874, before J. K. Townsend, Justice of the Peace. The first store was started in 1873 by George Scovill. The first apple tree was planted in 1858, near the center of Section 12, by Benjamin Dean. The Town of Union did its share in the great work of putting down the late Rebellion. At the *The Government survey was made in 1852, by Samuel Perrin. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 133 town meeting in the Spring of 1865 only eight votes were cast, so many had volunteered or been drafted into the seridce. Union is a good farming town, but heavily tim- bered. The soil is mostly a dark, deep loam. It is capable of producing fine crops. Considerable maple sugar is made in this town. There is still plenty of excellent land to be had at reasonable prices. The Village of Symco, in Section 31, contains a saw mill, a hotel, several general stores, shops, etc., and churches and schools. It is on the Little Wolf River, which furnishes good water power. Town officers for 1889: Chairman — Thomas Flannagan ; Supervisors — Gust. Lenke, William Lucht; Treasurer — A. W. Johnson; Clerk — L.J. Dilley; Assessor — John F. Rogers; Justices of the Peace — J. M. Chapin, George B. Bard; Constables — M. S. Stroud, J. C. Baldwin, J. F. Rogers. CHAPTER XX. Town of Dupoxt — First Settled by O. A. Quimby ix 1857 — Organized in 1864 — Village of Marion. The Town of Dupont comprises Township 25 north, Range 13 east. It is one of the most northern towns in Waupaca County. It is bound- ed on the north by Shawano County, on the east by the Town of Larrabee, on the south by Union, and on the west by Wyoming. 134 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The first settlement was made in 1857, hj O. A, Quimby. The first marriage ^was L. Devaud and Phoebe A. Qnimby, in 1859. The ceremony was performed by Isaac Ames, Justice of the Peace. The first death was in 1871 — that of Mrs. Ramsdell, aged about thirty-four years. The first child bom in town ^was F. M. Devaud, November, 1859. The first school was taught in 1859, by R. Quimby. The first school house was a log one, 12 x 14 feet, built in 1859. The first sermon was preached by Rev. Silas Miller, in 1859. The first saw mill was built in 1856, by J. W. Perry. The first postoffice was established in 1863, with A. J. Quimby for postmaster. The first mail route was established in 1862, from Shawano to Waupaca. L. Panco Vv^as carrier. The first survey was made by A. V. Balch in the Winter of 1852-53. The town was organized in 1864. The first town meeting was held April 1, 1864, at the school house in School District No. 1. The follow- ing town ofl&cers w^ere elected: Chairman — M. Griffin; Supervisors — M. Farrell, O. A. Quimby; Clerk — J. C. Quimby; Justices of the Peace — O. A. Quimby, M. Griffin. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 135 The first law suit was in 1864, before O. A. Quimby, Justice of the Peace. The case was P. Garry vs. McDonald. The first store was started by G. W. Quimby, in 1866. The first apple tree was planted in 1862, by O. A. Quimby, and in 1875 he raised the first apples. Dupont is generally heavily timbered. There is much hard maple, beech, hemlock, and oak in this and other towns in the northern and eastern parts of the County. The land is rolling, but not very hilly The soil is mostly a dark, tenacious loam or clay, producing excellent crops. The Village of Marion, in this town, is one of the most j)rosperous villages in the County. It is situated in Section 2, on a good water power of the North Branch of the Pigeon River, and on the Milvv^aukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad. Marion contains 4 general stores, 2 hardware stores, 1 harness shop, 1 drug store, 3 blacksmith shops, 2 shoe shops, 1 millinery store, 2 hotels, 1 grist mill, 1 saw mill, 1 cigar factory, 3 churches, 1 graded public school, 4 saloons, 1 tailor shop, 1 livery stable, 1 furniture store, and 1 machine shop. Marion was for years known as '' Perry's Mills." Its growth has been rapid since the building of the railroad. Town officers for 1889: Chairman — H. Nohr: 136 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Supervisors — Charles Potzen, John Frichs ; Treas- urer — W. M. Hollen; Clerk — A. Derringer; As- sessor — W. H. McKay; Justices of the Peace — A. Derringer, E. B. Russey. CHAPTER XXI. Tow:n^ of St. Lawrence —First Settlement in 1852— Or- ganized IN 1855 — Its Part in the "County Seat War" — A Correspondent's Account of the Gueat Indian Scare of 1862. The Town of St. Lawrence comprises Township 23 north, Range 12 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Helvetia, on the east by Little Wolf, on the south by Waupaca, and on the west by Scandinavia. The first settlement was made in 1852, by Erick Herman sen, G. Hermansen, and M. A. Oleson. In 1854 C. S. Ogden, S. Waite, H. Collier, and others, moved in. The first birth was a child of Erick Hermansen, in 1854. The first marriage was D. C. Barker and Emma Boyden, in 1857. The ceremony was performed by S. M. Collier, Justice of the Peace. The first school was taught in Ogdensburg, b3^ Mrs. Sarah Merry, in 1855. The first school house was built in 1855. The first churches built were a Baptist and a Methodist, both in 1866. The first sermon was HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 137 preached in 1854, by Rev, E. W. Green, at the resi- dence of Judge Ogden. The first saw mill was built in 1854, by Judge Ogden. It was burned in 1859. The first grist mill was built by Judge Ogden, in 1859. It was burned before it was finished, although it made some flour. The first postoffice was established in 1856, at Ogdensburg, with N. Livermore for postmaster. The mail was carried at first from Waupaca, by C. S. Ogden. O. E. Druetzer carried it a few weeks. The first survey was that of the Government, in 1851, by J. Evans. In 1854, G. W. Taggart sur- ^e^'cd the plat of the Village of Ogdensburg. The town w^as organized in 1855. The first town meeting was held at the store of C, S. Ogden, April, 1855. The following officers were elected : Chairman — O. E. Druetzer; Clerk — C. S. Ogden; Treasurer— S. M. Waite; Justices of the Peace — H. Collier, C. S. Ogden. The first law suit was held before H. Collier, in 1855. The parties were C. S. Ogden vs. O. E. Druetzer. Judge Ogden started the first store in 1854. The first apple trees were planted by Judge Ogden and Charles Hoeffler in 1854. The first fruit was grown by S. M- Collier in 1860. The following sketch was kindly furnished us by an old settler of the town, one of the leading citi- zens : 138 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. '' The first election held in town (it then belonged to Scandinavia) was in Ogden's store at Ogdens- bnrg, in the Fall of 1854. More than forty votes were polled . Charley Hoeffler was clerk of election . Most of the voters were Norwegians who could not talk English. As they gave their names, Charley would write them as they were pro- nounced. The clerk being a German, you can imagine how the names read. No one could tell whether such persons lived in town or not. ''The County seat question was before the house, acid we voted strong for the 'No.' We favored Weyauwega, and voted for her candidates. The representatives of Waupaca, who attended the election, were offended, raised a row, and were expelled from the room. "The next year the people of Weyauwega thought they were strong enough without our help, so we voted for Waupaca. We turned over about every year, and whichever side we sup- ported usually won. We forced both places to re- spect us. " The first County convention at which St. Law- rence was represented was held at the Chandler school house. Robert Meiklejohn and Charles Hoeffler represented all of the northern portion of the County. They held leading trumps, and con- trolled the nomination.* Consequently, O. E. *The reader must not imagine that our correspondent is a card pla3^er. We are credibly informed that he does not know a king from HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, 139 Druetzer was nominated for Register of Deeds, and R. K. Meiklejohn for Sheriff, which nominations were not satisfactory^ to the voters of the County, and not sustained by them. '^Ogdensburg was started with the expectation of getting the County seat there. So long as the fight between Waupaca and Wej^auwegaw^as kept up, we felt hopeful. We were compelled to help each place alternately, to keep them by the ears, each of those towns promising to go for us if it failed to get the prize for itself. Finally, Weyau- wega failed, and gave up the fight. "During the County seat fight. New London ap- peared upon the battle-field. She w^orked under the leadership of Reeder Smith, in building a plank road through the center of the Count^^ Smith se- lected James Meiklejohn and C. S. Ogden for his * bowsers,' and they worked with great zeal. Meiklejohn invested about $1,000 in that plank road. It proved too heavy a load, and w^as abandoned. It helped to settle the central part of the County more than anything else. "After the County seat question w^as settled, and the plank road was given up, and during the first of the war, the Rebels, through their agents, near- ly depopulated this part of the County. The Indi- ans came in from the Northwest, about 300,000 of them, well armed, and equipped with all the ac- a jack, and can not give the definition of "trump" without consult- ing a dictionary ! J. W. 140 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. coutrements of war. They camped on an island in a large cedar swamp near Ogdensbnrg, under the command of General Slasher, a brevet-brigadier under Jefferson Davis. The news spread rapidly. The citizens turned out en masse. The women and children took possession of the old red mill. The men, with muskets and rifles, scouted the neigh- borhood. While out on a reconnoitring expedi- tion, General Slasher fell in with three brave scouts, whOy with Spartan heroism, surrounded and captured him (the General being unarmed!) The brave scouts marched the General into town^ receiving the congratulations of their families and friends. They placed the General in a chamber of the HoefBer House, barricaded the door, and set a strong guard, with swords, pistols, and a bottle of whisky. Then they adjourned until the next morning. "When they met in the morning to dispose of the prisoner, some were in favor of hanging him, as a spy ; some thought he should be shot, as a soldier; others, that he should be held as a pris- oner of war. Before they had finished their busi- ness, a scout came in and informed them that the guard had fallen asleep, and that the prisoner had taken the road forW^aupaca at about a 2:40 gait.* "After his visit to Waupaca, the General tired of *It mttst not be inferred that our correspondent is a sporting char- acter who understands the slang phrases of the turf! Some jockey has probably been posting him a little ! J, W. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 141 military service, and settled in Lanark, Portage Cotinty, where he still resides. "After the Escape of General Slasher, the alarm spread all over the State. Those who were able, left the Cotinty. Waupaca stationed armed men around the village to keep out the Indians. Ogdensburg sent out a scouting party. It found one Indian family, consisting of one old man, one woman, and three children, all badly frightened, who said there were no more Indians in the neigh- borhood. This, however, did not deceive the brave scouts, who were sure that there was a large In- dian army in the vicinity. Reports to that effect reached Waupaca and Rural, which places in turn sent out scouts. These last reported that, about a mile an a half from Ogdensburg, they found four Indian families, who were so badly frightened that they dared not venture out of their wigwams, for fear of being shot. The people who had left the country soon returned. " St. Lawrence formerly had the best conducted courts in the County. That was when S. M. Col- lier was Justice, D. A. Jones, Constable, and Joshua Goodale and C. S. Ogden, attorneys. Any case that they could not handle was not worth attention. The beauty of the thing was, they did not allow any outsiders to win a case ! " We would like to give the name of the writer of the foregoing, but have promised not to do so. We will say, however, that the Judge is well 142 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. . known, is a prominent man in otir County, and must have been well posted in the matters of which he writes. Other towms in the County were ''scared," as w^ell as Ogdensburg and Waupaca. We were at New London one night during the panic. The news came there that "rebel emissaries " had stir- red up the different Indian tribes, who had elevated the hatchet, and were within a few hours march of the doomed burg, thirsting for the blood of innocent women and defenceless children. All was bustle and confusion. During the night, trusty scouts were sent out. One of them returned towards morning with the startling intelligence that he had discovered an encampment of painted warriors, consisting of a few old men, women, children, dogs, and ponies — the two latter being decidedly in the majority. But New London was spared. No chickens were startled on their roosts by the shrill v^hoops of the savage foe, and no ''red nigger" amused him- self by pulling a white man's scalp on that event- ful night. Thus passed the great "Indian Scare," and the historian has performed his task in duly recording the important event. VILLAGE OF OGDENSBURG. The Village of Ogdensburg, in Section 22, was platted in 1854, by Judge Ogden. It contains several stores, a grist mill, a hotel, and the variety HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 143 of shops usually found in the smaller villages. The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad passes through the place. Town officers for 1889 : Chairman— K. B. Knut- sen; Supervisors — John Moore, Samuel Petersen; Treasurer— W. A. Mallory; Clerk — E. E. Russell; Assessor — William Pray; Justices of the Peace — Charles Nichols, P. H. Peterson, Edward Lyons ; Constables — O. C. Hermansen, H. J. Pitcher, Charles Eastman. CHAPTER XXII. Town of Larrabee — First Settlement by Norman Clin- ton, IN March, 1855 — The City of Clintonville — Xor- MAN C. Clinton — CiiET. Bennett. The Town of Larrabee comprises Township 25 north, of Range 14 east. It is bounded on the north by Shawano County, on the east by the Town of Matteson, on the south by Bear Creek, and on the west by Dupont. The first settlement was made by Norman Clint- on, on Section 23, in March, 1855. The first to^^n meeting was held at the house of U. P. Clinton, April 2, 1861. The first town officers were: Chairman — U. P. Clinton; Supervisors — H. P. Truesdale, G. Smith; Clerk — L. W. Clinton; Treasurer— E.W.Bennett ; Justices of the Peace— John Sharp, J. Bird, J. Doty, D. Melton; Assessors — N. Clinton, L. W. Clinton, D. Melton. 144 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The first law suit was in 1862, before E. W. Ben- nett, Justice of the Peace. The first postoffice was established in the Spring of 1858. It was Clintonville, with U. P. Clinton for postmaster. The mail was carried once a week from Menasha to Shawano, through Clintonville, Edward Decker was carrier. The first school was taught in Clintonville by Aliss Jennie Marsh, now Mrs. Packard, The first school house was built of logs, in 1857, The first church (Catholic) was built in 1875. The first sermon was preached in June, 1857, by Rev. Alfred Lathrop, at the funeral of Mrs. U. P. Clinton. The first child born was George Victor Bennett, in 1857. The first death was that of Mrs. U. P. Clinton, in June, 1857. The first marriage was Martin Lyon and Ann Brix, in 1858. The ceremony was performed by U. P. Clinton, Justice of the Peace. The first saw mill was built by Norman Clinton and U. P. Clinton, in 1857. It burned in August, 1861, but was rebuilt in 1867 by U. P. Clinton and Giles Doty. It is run by water power, on the Pigeon River. The first grist mill was built in 1872, by U. P. Clinton and W. H. Stacy, at Clintonville. The first store was started by U. P. Clinton, in 1858. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 145 The first apple trees were planted by E. W. Ben- nett in the Spring of 1858, but the first fruit was grown by U. P. Clinton. Charles Matteson built the first frame house and barn. July 7, 1855, he broke the first land, plant- ing it to potatoes. John Sharpe polled the first vote. Town ofiicers for 1889: Chairman — Henry Steinback; Supervisors — W. L. Harris, Gustave Roloff; Treasurer — August Wiechow ; Clerk — F. G. Schwenkie; Assessor — Anton Fisher; Justices of the Peace— Frederick Klemp, L. M. Vanorman. CITY OF CLINTONYII.LE. Clinton ville was organized as a village in 1879. Its first ofiicers were: President— U. P. Clinton; Trustees— Thomas Whitewell, H. Mellike, A.Buch- oltz, N. B. Carter, H. Buckbee, E. Brix, G. W. Sutherland; Clerk— T. L. Cannon; Treasurer— CM. Hughanen; Marshal— D. A. McNeal; Con- stable—George Ratclifif; PoHce Justice— Alexander Stewart; Justice of the Peace— G. W. Jones. The city was organized in 1887. The first city officers were: Mayor — John Finney; Clerk — E. L. Der Motte; Treasurer— T. F. Folkman; Attor- ney— F. M. Guernsey; Marshal— C. M. Fisher; Chief of Fire Department— W. H. Stacy; Justices of the Peace— D. Noble, C. T. Rogers; Assessor— G. W. Sutherland; Aldermen — G. W. Jones, O. G. Augustine, J. A. Hickock, B. Schemmer, E. M. 146 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Jones, A. Stewart, F. A. Sedgwick, L. Rohrer; Su- pervisors — W. H. Cook, M. Smith, Frank Qninn, F. M. Guernsey. A SURPRISE. In the Fall of 1881 the writer was in the little backwoods village of Clintonville. It was then a small, unpretentious burgh, giving no indications of much future smartness. In the Spring of 1890, he paid a second visit, and met with a surprise. In nine years it had become a pleasant city, with a population of nearly 2,000. It is full of live, ener- getic business men, ^lo will make it a successful rival of its sister towns, if money and brains can doit. Clintonville has 16 stores, 2 furniture shops, 6 millinery shops, 2 machine shops, 2 jewelers, 3 meat markets, 4 hotels, 3 livery barns, 2 grist mills, 2 saw mills, 5 blacksmith shops, 2 wagon shops, 3 newspapers (1 German), 4 lawyers, 4 doc- tors, 8 churches, 1 high school, 1 brick yard, 4 shoe shops, 1 cigar factory, 2 barber shops, 2 restau- rants, and 10 saloons. The first house built in the city, a log cabin, was by the Clintons, in 1855. Some of its timbers are now under the sidewalk in front of the Tribune office. U. P. Clinton kept the first hotel, in 1857. The first paid preacher was Elder Peet, a Con- gregationalist, who came once a month from New London. Norman and U. P. Clinton paid his HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 147 salary with the first lumber sawed in their mill, and he donated it to the Congregational church at New London. The first Sunday school (Congregational) was organized in the Spring of 1858, with Oscar Bow- man for Superintendent. Mrs. U. P. Clinton tells us that it is still prospering. Clintonville is at the junction of two lines of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad. The city officers for 1890 were : Mayor— F. M. Guernsey; Clerk— L. H. Kuester; Treasurer —J. Bentz; Attorney — B. M. Goldberg; Marshal— W. C. Plopper; Chief of Fire Department — J. F. Meis- ner; Justices of the Peace— D. Noble, C. F. Schroe- der; Assessor — E. M. Jones; Aldermen — O. G. Augustine, J. Beasoncon, George Larson, M. Weatherwax, J. Raphingst, M. Alft, C. C. Spear- braker, John Olmstedt; Supervisors — R. Metzner, B. Schemmer, N. Etten, F. Quinn. We do not believe that we can conclude our sketch of Clintonville more acceptably than by copying two chapters from that spicy sheet. The Dual-City Tribune, by Frank H. Brady, who has laid us under many obligations for kind attentions paid during our recent visit to his cit3^ Mr. Brady is a grandson of Mr. Clinton, a sketch of whose life is here given : NORMAN C. CLINTON. The first settlement made at Clintonville was in the middle of March, 1855, by Norman and Lydia Clinton, of Menasha. 148 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Norman C. Clinton was born in Ferrisburg, Vt., December 29, 1796. He was of Yankee origin, and sprung from the great family of Clintons, who are scattered all over the Eastern, and many of the Western states. He was more religiously inclined than many Clintonville residents of today, and from boyhood till death was a member of the Baptist church. . His religion was not of the funeral type, however. On the con- trary, he was of a very jovial disposition, and enjoyed a joke or ludicrous situation immensely. Plis honesty was unquestioned. NORMAN C. CLINTON. For many years he was a great sufferer from the disease known as 'gravel.' He took great quantities of medicine, and had a terri- ble operation performed upon himself by the famous Milwaukee surgeon, Wolcott; but his case was a hopeless one, and September 22, 1868, he passed away, leaving an enviable record. Lydia Clinton was also born in Ferrisburg, Yt, in 1800, being of Quaker parentage. She was a woman of muscular form; and HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 149 possessed of great endurance. Labor was a pleasure to her. She was greatly devoted to her husband and family. During the latter years of her life she was injured somewhat in a runaway accident, and that, together with the effects of years of very active life, told heavily upon her, and June 7, 1875, she breathed her last. Many of the early settlers will recognize her portrait printed herewith, and will call to memory acts of kindness performed by this Christ- ian woman in days when a friendly act was appreciated. LYDIA CLINTON. This worthy couple raised to maturity four children, three boys and a girl — Urial, Luman, Boardman, and Amanda. They came West and finally located at Menasha, where they re- sided for several years. Mr. Clinton was a carpenter by trade, and engaged somewhat in saw-milling. In 1855 Urial Clinton visited a lumber camp on the Embarrass River, and noticed in passing this point the chance for a water power, and also the magnificent bodies of timber, excellent soil. 150 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. springs of water, etc., and upOn his return to Menasha imparted his discoveries to his father. The land at that time belonged to the Government, and was easy to obtain, and the description so favorably struck the elder Clinton, who was desirous of acquiring more landed possessions and engaging in lumbering, that he and his youngest son, Boardman, made a pilgrimage to ' The Pigeon, as this locality was at that time designated. After a thorough cruise along the river, the Clintons were captivated, and returned home and consulted with the elder son, Urial, as to the feasibility of a removal here ; but no definite conclusion was arrived at. However, The Pigeon, with its wealth of pine, w^as in the mind of the old gentleman by day, and filled his dreams with promises by night. During the absence of Urial, the father loaded a sleigh with a little lumber, household goods and provisions, and, in the vernacular of Young America, 'skipped,' accompanied by his faithful wife and a hired man, the latter to drive the team back to Menasha. The trip through the woods was made without ac- cident, and one Friday afternoon in the middle of March the party arrived at its destination. There being no habitation here, they M^ent on to Matthew "Matteson's, between the Pigeon and Em- barrass rivers, and stayed there until Monday, when they returned to the site of Clintonville, and constructed a house — such a house as ye Clintonvillians who barely manage to exist in substantial buildings with double doors and windows, warmed with coal fires, will shiver to think of. This first residence was made of very little lumber and a great deal of hemlock brush, and traditions vary as to whether it contained a window or not. The door was a blanket. It was located near the xllexander Bucholtz residence. The spring that bubbles up in the rear of the lot wiiece Madel's saloon now flourishes furnished to the first settlers their strongest beverage. Here they set up their household gods and were happy. The towering pines almost turned day into night ; the deer dashed by the cabin unmolested, and the wolves woke the echoes with their mournful music. An occasional Indian, riding over the trail, stopped his pony and grunted as he surveyed these bold intruders who, although nearly three score years of age, were trying to crowd the wild man out and build a home upon his do- mains. Later, their son Urial learned of the hegira of his parents, and before the sleighing disappeared he hastened to their relief with a couple of loads of lumber and provisions. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 151 Xo lumbering had yet been done on the Pigeon Ptiver. The country was a virgin wilderness, undisturbed by the hand of man, and the early settlers tell us that it was a very pretty locality. The river obtained its name from the fact of its timbered banks being the roosting place for myriads of pigeons. The first land entered was by land warrant, April 15, 1856. The warrant was obtained from the Government by Rhoda Petree, the widow of one Joshua Whitehurst, who served as a private in Cap- tain Harrison's company of Virginia militia in the war of 1812. The land was the i\e}{ of the sw)^ of Section 23, Township 25 north. Range 14 east. Norman Clinton and sons soon acquired title to twenty-nine forties of land lying near here. Norman Clinton, soon after settlement, built a commodious log house, and by force of circumstances was soon a full fledged land- lord, and it is safe to say that no hotel in Clintonville was ever better patronized or the cause of so little complaint as this. Stop- ping places in those days were like oases in the desert. Some times the caravansary's supply of provisions gave out, and as the nearest store was at New London, and the nearest mill at Weyau- wega, or Hortonville, the landlord and landlady had to resort to^ curious shifts. On one occasion, after feeding a large crew of ex- plorers and lumbermen, they discovered that all the flour and meal was gone, and still another party were arrived and clamoring for food. Here was a predicament, surely ; but the host was equal to the occasion. An old coffee mill was hunted up, and corn enough ground for Johnnie cake to appease the appetites of the hungry guests. Mr. Clinton was a great bee hunter. After discovering many bee trees along the banks of the little stream that empties into the Pigeon within the present imits of the city, he called it 'Honey Creek,' by which name it has since been known. CHET. BENNETT. Chet. Bennett is no doubt one of the most cele- brated pioneers of Wisconsin. This sketch of his life is from The Dual-City Tribune: Foremost among those who laid the foundation for the settlement of Clintonville is Chet. Bennett. He was born in a log cabin in Rushford, Alleghaney County, New York, in March, 1823. He 152 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. married Eleanor Knowlton, and came West to New London in 1854. He stopped there but a short time, and in 1855 located per- manently at Clintonville. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett had ten children, eight of whom are now living. George Victor Bennett, the eldest, was the first white child l)Orn at Clintonville. Bennett is a very eccentric individual, being careless in the ex- treme as to his personal appearance, and very short and gruff in his address, putting the rough side out ; but his heart is large, and his generosity has kept him poor, when most men with his oppor- tunities would have been millionaires. He is a man of marked ability. For instance, upon his arrival in this country he knew nothing of surveying or locating lands ; but in an incredible short time he was an undisputed authority on woodcraft, and his services were sought by the wealthy dealers m pine lands, the lumbermen, and the settlers who were looking for homesteads. By tiresome tramps of weeks duration he made himself familiar with the whole region between here and the great lakes, traveling alone to Lake Superior twenty years ago. During the intervals between his trips into the woods, he worked at clearing a farm just outside the city limits, where he now lives. He has served as Justice of the Peace, Chairman of the Town Board of Supervisors, and was Town Treasurer eight successive years. When the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad reached New London, it was found necessary to secure the services of some one familiar with the northern country, one who had a knowledge of surveying, and, withal, possessed good judgment. The next place the road was to strike was Clintonville, and one day a car- riage load of railroad officials drove into town. They looked the town over, (it didn't take them long, either), and made inquiries regarding the country between here and Marion. The residents referred them continually to Bennett, until their curiosity was aroused, and the redoubtable Chet. was sent for. diet, appeared along in the afternoon, attired in a very primitive costume, and wanted to know what was up. The railroad men were at first in- clined to be incredulous as to his reported knowledge of the country, and were more than ever puzzled when he told them that he "didn't know much that would benefit them." However, after a conversation of several hours, and a ride the next day as far as their carriage could take them, they discovered that in Bennett HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 153 they had a prize, and engaged his services forthwith. For seven years he worked for the raih'oad company. He had to lay out a route that touched all the large hotlies of pine, but which had to conform to the lay of the country so that the cost of building \vould not be too expensive. This great piece of work ht^ did to the satisfaction of his employers. Chet. made a map of the country where he thought the road could be built, and from time to time went to Milwaukee and laid his diagrams before the officials. These diagrams and maps were furnished the railroad corps of civil engineers, who were expected to follow them. There were times, however, when the engineers thought that they would do a little business on their own hook; but they would innnediately find themselves in a box, with a hill a hundred feet high to tunnel through, or an impossible grade to overcome. It is, in fact, a mat- ter of record that the route laid out by Bennett in the first place has been followed by the road without deviating in any place more than eighty rods. A remarkable piece of work, surely. A majority of the lakes north of here were named by him, and the entire country is as familiar to him as his own farmyard. It is his boast that he can sit in a coach and ride from here to Lake Gogebic and designate every section line crossed by the cars. In an early day he located a great majority of the homesteaders, placing the first settler in Dupont, Grant, and Pella. In 1863 Bennett enlisted and served nearly two years with the Third ^Yisconsin Infantry. Many interesting anecdotes are related of him. He was the first Justice of the Peace in the Town of Larrabee, and during his term of office did presumably what no other Justice ever did — divorce man and wife. It happened in this way : Mr. Pullis and wife were stopping at a summer resort (a deserted lumber camp) in the Town of Matteson, and during their sojourn got by the ears and agreed to separate. The husband, who, it seems, was not the brightest of individuals, presented himself before Squire Bennett, told his tale of domestic infelicity, and demanded a divorce. Ben- nett informed him that he thought divorce proceedings could hardly be instituted in his court ; but the fellow was obdurate, and insisted that the Justice could divorce in "York State," and what would be legal in the great State of Xew Y'ork must be legal in Wisconsin. After a long argument, Bennett finally went to the camp, and found that the woman was as determined upon a di- 154 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. vorce as was her lord ; whereupon he wrote a document approach- ing in character a quit-claim deed, and presented it to the pair and made his escape. Several years later he was in the vicinity of Omro, where the divorced woman's parents lived, and found that she and her husband had never lived together after the Clinton- ville separation. Great is the majesty of the law ! On one occasion Chet. assumed the role of a detective with marked ability. To begin at the beginning, it is necessary to state that the Clintons built a dam on the site of the present one, and also a little muley saw mill. One night in 1857 the little mill was burned. It was a great blow to the owners and to the few settlers in this part of the country, who relied upon it to furnish them with lumber to improve their none too comfortable dwellings. The origin of the lire was a great mystery, but finally suspicion was attached to Widow Johnson, who lived several miles down the New London road, and whose sons had been arrested by the Clintons and jailed for stealing shingles. However, proof had first to be obtained, and that was no easy matter. Finally, U. P. Clinton and Bennett concocted a scheme worthy of more experi- enced heads in detective work, also admitting into the plot Wel- come Hyde, of Bear Creek, wiio now resides at Appleton. The first act in this backwoods drama was a quarrel between Bennett and Clinton, the particulars of which soon spread among the handful of people that composed the population of eastern Wau- paca County at that time. Clinton accused Chet. of firing his mill, and of course the accused was highly indignant. He traveled around among his neighbors, and sang a very bitter song against Clinton. Then Clinton swore out a warrant before Squire Terrill, of Bear Creek, and placed it in the haiuls of Constable Frank Granger, for the arrest of Bennett upon a charge of firing the mill. Granger deemed Bennett a trifle desperate, and took along a posse of men to make sure of his arrest. They finally found the object of their search at the Widow Johnson's cabin. After con- siderable parleying he went along. At the examination, Bennett proved an alibi, and was discharged. In a few days he visited the widow again, and in her presence swore that he would be re- venged upon Clinton. The widow sympathized with him, and ar- ranged a plan to assist him in burning Clinton's barn, and at last acknowledged that she and a man by the name of Brackett had poured oil upon Clinton's mill and burned it. The gentle widow HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 155 was placed under surveilance, but Brackett had left the country. It was finally ascertained that he had gone to La Crosse, and thither posted Chet. upon the fellow's trail. Upon arriving at La Crosse Bennett represented himself as a trapper, La Crosse at that time being a rendezvous for many of this class of men. He formed the acquaintance of a fur dealer, and intimated that he would like to go into partnership with some likely trai)per, if the trader knew of any such. The trader said that he did know of a man who would fill the bill, but he at present was on a trip. His name was Brackett. Chet. waited quietly for his prospective partner, and in a few days saw him land from a boat and go to the trader's with a bundle of pelts. The Clintonville detective followed his man, and was within a few feet of him before he was recognized, and hand- cuffed him without delay. Bennett had been deputized as an of- ficer before leaving Waupaca County, but would have asked as- sistance of the local officers had he not learned that the Sheriff was a relative of Brackett. Without any delay he secreted his prisioner until he could leave town on a train in the evening. Upon the arrival of the train, he handcuffed himself and the prisioner together, and started for Oshkosh. The officer and prisoner were roughly dressed, and, being chained together, attracted the attention of everyone on the train, many supposing them both to be criminals who had escaped from an officer. A great many questions were asked them, to which no replies were made.- At last a gentleman approached them and relieved himself by remarking : "I am fully convinced that one of you fellows is an officer, and the other a prisoner, but I'll be blamed if I can determine which is which." Bennett suc- ceeded in placing his prisoner safely behind the bars, but he broke jail twice, and disappeared. The Widow Johnson was sent up for ten years, and died in prison. Although Mr. Bennett is a man of undisputed pluck, he never engaged in a fight with a man in his life, and in all his travels in a wilderness inhabited by wild beasts and wilder men, he never car- ried a more offensive weapon than a common jack-knife. As a long distance traveler he is without an equal. He has easily made sixty miles a day with a fifty-pound pack, crawling through windfalls and wading streams. A complete history of his life would be valuable in many respects, and would show that our unassuming friend has done more for his fellows, directly and in- 156 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. directly, than many heroes and men of much renown. Long may he continue among the people to whom he never failed to offer a helping hand. CHAPTER XXIII. Town of We yauwega — Settled in 1848 — Organized in 1852 — Gills Landing Plank Road — An Indian Murder — A Sucker Story — Village of Weyauwega. The Town of Weyauwega comprises the north half of Township 21 north, Range 13 east, and Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, and the north half of Sections 29 and 30, of the same township. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Royalton, on the east by Caledonia and Fremont, on the south by Fremont, and on the west by Lind. The first settlement was made by Henry Turtel- lott, Amos Dodge, and M. Lewis, in 1848. In 1849, ^^ alter Weed and Benjamin Birdsell built a saw mill on the site of Steenbergh's old mill. At that time they sold lumber, at least half clear, for $5 per M. Shingles, shaved by hand, sold for $1.25 to $1.50 per M. The first child born was Mary Miller, now wife of Parian Saunders. The first marriage was Matthew Lincoln and Olive Smith, in 1850. The ceremony was per- formed by Albion Brandy, Justice of the Peace. The first death was a child of H. Tourtellott, in 1849. The first school was taught by Miss Chandler, in a shanty where the village now is, in 1850. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 157 The first church (Presbyterian) was built in the village in 1854. The first sermon was preached in 1851, by Elder Miller, a Methodist. The first saw mill was built at Evanswood, in 1848-49, by Townsend, Powell & Lincoln. It has since burned. The first grist mill was built at Weyauwega, by Weed, Birdsell & Co., in 1855. The first postoffice was established at Weyau- wega, in 1850, with Benjamin Birdsell as post- master. The first mail route was fi-om Green Bay to Plover, with O. E. Dreutzer fi^r carrier. The first survey was made in 1849, by W. B. Mumbrue. The town was organized March 5, 1852. The first town meeting was held at R. Baxter's hotel, April 6, 1852. The first town officers, elected at that meeting, were : Chairman — C. L. Gumaer; Supervisors — Melzor Parker, Carr Barker; Clerk — A. W. Potter; Treasurer — Warren Jenney ; School Superintendent — Brit Burt; Justices of the Peace — L. L. Post, George D. Tarbell, Melzor Parker, Ira Sumner; Constables — J. B. Hunt, H. Tourtellott, J. Bergstressor ; Sealers of Weights and Measures — Robert Baxter, Joseph Post; As- sessor — Henry Doty; Fence Viewers — Joseph Jen- ney, W. W. Barnes. The inspectors of election were Elijah W. Wrightman, A. W. Potter, and 158 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Charley Hare. Seventy votes were cast. Fifty dollars school tax was raised. John Boyd was chosen Overseer of Highways. The first law suit v^as before George Tarbell, Justice of the Peace, who tired of the office, and immediately resigned in disgust. In the Spring of 1850, C. L. Gumaer started the first store. James Devens was his clerk. L. Iv. Post started the first general store, in the Fall of 1851. He got in fifty barrels of salt at one time, and it was quite a question if he would ever dispose of such a large lot. But he soon sold out at $5 to $6 per barrel. The first saloon was started by George Thier- man, in 1852. In 1850 Robert Baxter planted the first apple tree, and in 1852 Allen Hubbard raised the first fruit. In 1850, Robert Baxter built the first hotel, now the American House. , Thomas Smith put up the first blacksmith shop, in 1850. In 1851, A. Tibbets built theWeyauwega House. He kept a bar, and the next winter had much trouble to keep his whisky from freezing. The present Borngesser House was opened in the Fall of 1851, by Robert Baxter and Charles Hare. In 1855 the Baptist church was built. The meet- ing to organize was held September 9, 1854. Elder HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 159 Prink was Moderator, and Duncan Baxter, Clerk. B. P. Farley was the first Deacon. The Trustees were A. D. Farmer and George Farley. GILLS LANDING PLANK ROAD. In the Summer of 1853, a plank road was built across the bottom land*, from Weyauwega to Gills Landing, on the Wolf River. It was built by sub- scription. John Gill paid $100, Weed & Birdsell about $200, and the balance of the cost was made up by settlers. Before this plank road was built, there had been, at Gills Landing, a small building at which steamboats landed, and from which passengers and freight were taken in small boats to Wilcox's place, on the Waupaca River, which could be reached by teams. Soon after the plank road was built, the passengers and freight that had reached Plover and Stevens Point by way of Berlin and Portage City commenced to seek the Gills Landing route. A stage was put on in 1854, by a man named Myers, who lived a few miles out of Plover, and in a few years the great bulk of the passenger and freight traffic to Plover, Stevens Point, Grand Rapids, and Wausau was carried on over this route. The building of the Wisconsin Central railroad was a death blow to Gills Land- ing and the plank road. INDIAN MURDER. Hon. L. L. Post once gave us an account of an Indian homicide which occurred near Weyauwega. It will bear repetition : 160 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNfY. Soon after the first settlement of Weyauwega, some Indians belonging to the Wa-ka-nu-kin tribe were making sugar in the '' Coffin sugar bush," just above the mouth of the Waupaca River, about a mile and a half east of the Village of Wey- auwega. Two of them got to drinking whisky, and finally quarrelled, Avhen one stabbed and killed the other. The Indian law was that the murderer must die, unless he could buy himself off from the friends of the victim. In this case the murderer was poor, and had nothing to offer as a ransom. The avenger ^was on his track; the blood of his victim called for vengeance. His life was a forfeit to the violated laws of his tribe, unless some arrangement could be made ^with the relatives of the murdered In- dian. In this emergency he applied to Mr. Tourtel- lott, an Indian trader, who lived near. The members of the tribe took the body of the murdered Indian, in a canoe, to Winneconne for burial. The murderer was compelled to accom- pany them. At Winneconne a grave was dug, and the body deposited in it. The murderer was then set on the edge of the grave, with his feet hanging in. In case no arrangement could be made with the nearest friends of the deceased, he was to be knocked on the head, tumbled in, and buried ^th his victim. Mr. Tourtellott was on hand with a lot of goods, and opened negotiations. The friends of HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 161 the dead Indian were rather hard; but, after a long banter, a compromise was effected, the In- dians receiving nearly all of Tourtellott's goods, ^with a pony thrown in. Thus the murderer's life was saved, and Justice satisfied. The Indian had to hunt and trap a long while to pay the debt. Such was Indian justice! Is ours any better? We want time for reflection before answering that question. THOSE SUCKERS. The first settlers in a new country soon learn to dispense with the luxuries and many of the actual necessaries of life. The pioneers of Waupaca County were no more favored than other people in like condition. When beef was scarce they would content themselves with the game to be found in the woods. When pork could not be pro- cured they sought something cheaper, until the sucker finally became a standard article of diet, especially in the southern and eastern parts of this County. When the Winter ran too far into the Spring, and suckers appeared in no haste to leave their Winter quarters, their absence at times would be severely felt by whole communities; and when they did come, what rejoicing! We can give an il- lustration : The Spring of 1855 was very backward, the an- nual visit of the suckers being delayed about ten days. Everybody was anxious for their arrival. 162 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. for everybody was sucker-hungry. At length, one Sunday morning, w^hile a preacher was in the midst of his discourse, at Weyauwega, a shout was heard on the street : " The suckers has come, the suckers has come ! " What a change came over that congregation ! The day and the occasion were forgotten; and it is asserted that even the minister joined in the general rush for the mill pond. We will not vouch for the truth of the last assertion, but do not think that, under all the circumstances, it w^ould have been much disgrace to the "cloth." The town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — A. V. Balch ; Supervisors— J. A. Baxter, A. Wal- rath; Treasurer — O. A. Rich; Clerk — Orin San- ders; Assessor — J. M. Jenney; Justices of the Peace — George Walrath, S. W. Sterling, John Quimby, Louis Larson; Constables — Gust. Bork, George Hopkins, Alden Menton. VILLAGE OF WEYAUWEGA. The Village of Weyauwega was incorporated by act of the Legislature in 1856. The first officers were: President — Louis Bos- tedo. Tobias Hutchinson was one of the trustees. Supervisors — First Ward, Louis Bostedo ; Second Ward, Tobias Hutchinson. Weyau\\^ega is pleasantly situated on the line of the Wisconsin Central railroad. It is surrounded by a good farming country, has an intelligent, enterprising population, and is promised a pros- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 163 perous future. The Waupaca River furnishes good water power. There are 5 churches, 1 high school, 7 dry goods stores, 4 grocery stores, 3 drug stores, 2 jewelry stores, 3 hardware stores, 2 millinery stores, 2 furniture stores, 2 shoe shops, 1 harness shop, 1 tailor shop, 2 meat markets, 4 blacksmith shops, 1 wagon shop, 1 livery stable, 2 hotels, 2 lawyers, 2 physicians, 1 newspaper and printing office, 1 bank, 1 saw and planing mill, 1 grist mill, 1 basket factory, 4 saloons, 1 brewery. The pop- ulation is about 650. THE FIRST PAPER. The first paper. The Weyauwegian, was started in July, 1855, by William C. Tompkins. It was afterwards The Herald, then The Times, which was owned and edited by F. W. Sackett. In March, 1877, J. C. Keeney started The Chronicle, which is now^ successfully edited by A. L. Hutchin- son, present District Attome3^ The village has a well organized hook and lad- der company. VILLAGE OFFICERS. The village officers for 1890 are : President — F. M. Chase; Trustees — W. H. Weed, Thomas Brett, Charles Goodenow, John Bomgesser, L. D. Post, G. Scheel; Clerk — John L. Rhode; Treasurer — Thomas F. Wilson; Police Justice — J. F. Corbett; Marshal — A. W. Balsley; Supervisor — Jerome Crocker ; Chief of Fire Department — John Born- gesser. 164 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. CHAPTER XXIV. Town of Bear Creek — First Settlement by Welcome Hyde, in 1854 — First Officers Elected in 1856— One of THE Best Farming Towns. The Town of Bear Creek comprises Township 24 north, Range 14 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Larrabee, on the east by Outagamie County, on the south by Lebanon, and on the west by Union. The first settlement was made by Welcome Hyde, in 1854. Ludwig Shoepke, L. E. Phillips, S. C. Packard, and N. H. Phillips came in 1855, and L. B. Williams in 1856. All were from the "Old Bay State," except Mr. Shoepke, who was born in Prussia. The first school house (log) was built in 1859, on Section 24. The first school was taught by Mrs. L. G. Will- iams, in the Summer of 1856. It was literally a ''high school," being in the attic of L. E. Phillips' house, ingress and egress being effected by means of a ladder on the outside. The first birth was a child of Louis and Mary Shoepke, in May, 1857. The first death was that of the same child the following June. The first marriage was that of August Shoepke and Louisa Baisler, April 26, 1859, O. Bowman, Justice of the Peace, officiating. Welcome Hyde is a native of Vermont. He HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 165 cleared the first land, and raised the first crop, on Section 13. His two boys were the only children in town for three years, and were the only pupils Mrs. Williams had in her *'high school." L. G. Williams is the oldest native inhabitant. He was bom June 21, 1857. The first church (Lutheran) was built in 1867. The first sermon was by Elder Peet, in 1857, at the house of Welcome Hyde. The first saw mill (steam power) was built in 1865, by J. J. Demming. The first postoflice was established in 1857, with A. B. Phillips as postmaster. It was on the mail route from Menasha to Shawano. F. Fairbank was carrier. The first town meeting was held in April, 1856, at the house of Welcome H3^de. The following of- ficers were elected: Chairman — Welcome Hyde; Supervisors — C. Clinton, Chet. Bennett.* G. House kept the first store. Welcome Hyde planted the first apple trees, and raised the first apples. Bear Creek contains some of the most valuable farms in the County. The town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — Charles Shoepke; Supervisors — William Pheelkey, T. Lundt; Treasurer — H. Reinke; Clerk — C. L. Kleum; Assessor— August Russ; Justices of the *Larrabee then belonged to the Town of Bear Creek. J. W. 166 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Peace — John Keifer, C. A. Schamon, Alfred Lar- son; Constables — J. Schroeder, William Teitiz, August Bowk. CHAPTER XXV. Towx OF loLA — Settled in 1853 — First Election of Of- ficers IN 1855 — Village on Iola — The Town of Har- rison Created in 1890. The Town of Iola consists of Township 24 north, Range 11 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Harrison, on the east by Helvetia, on the south by Scandinavia, and on the west by Portage County. The first settlement was made in 1853, by Knud Erickson and J. Gundersen. In 1854, Colonel J. W. Chandler and S. S. Chan- dler moved in. M. R. Baldwin came in 1855. The first block house was built in 1854, by S. S. Chandler. In 1855, M. R. Baldwin built the first frame house. The first hotel was started by J. B. Bennett, in 1856. The first store was started in 1855, by C. K. Blandin. The first saw mill was built in 1854, by S. S. & J. W. Chandler. The first grist mill was started by Baldwin, Wipf & Shannon, in 1860. The first postoflSce was established in 1856, with C. K. Blandin as postmaster. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 167 The first school was taught by Miss Mary Tag- gart, later Mrs. Caldwell, in 1855. The first school house was built in 1856. The first marriage was that of Judge Osborne and Miss Sarah Chandler, in 1855. The first death was that of Mrs. Mclntire,in the Spring of 1856. The first child born was Maria Gunderson, in 1856. The first town meeting was held in April, 1855. The first town ofiScers were: Chairman — M. R. Baldwin; Supervisor — John Gunderson; Clerk — S. S. Chandler. The first sermon was preached by Rev. J. J. Hatch. The first law suit was before J. B. Bennett, Jus- tice of the Peace. The first apple trees were set out by G. Sterns and H. Fariey, in 1856; but S. S. Chandler raised the first apples. Portions of the town are hilly, but the soil in the vallej^s is good, a black loam in manj^ places, and ver3^ productive. There is yet considerable pine in this town. The oflftcers for 1889 were: Chairman — Jacob Wipf; Supervisors — Ole Solum, C. F. Solum; Treasurer — O. G. Fraquin; Clerk — J. C. Johnson; Assessor — John Olson; Justices of the Peace — S. Jameson, A. Weinman, G. W. Smith. 168 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. VILLAGE OF lOLA. The Village of lola is located in Section 35. It has 5 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 drug store, 1 tailor shop, 1 meat market, 1 livery stable, 1 saw mill, 1 shingle mill, 1 grist mill, 2 black- smith shops, 1 wagon shop, 1 hotel, and 1 barber shop. In the Spring of 1883 the lola Messenger, a weekly newspaper, was started by J. M. Hatch, present Clerk of the Court. It was discontinued after two years. The Town of lola formerly embraced Township 25 north. Range 11 east; but the County Board, at its annual meeting in November, 1890, made that township an independent town to be called Harrison. CHAPTER XXYI. Town of Helvetia — Settled in 1853 — First Town Meet- ing IN 1861 — Town of Wyoming Formed out of Hel- vetia IN 1890. The Town of Helvetia comprises Township 24 north. Range 12 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of Wyoming, on the east by Union, on the south bj^ St. Lawrence, and on the west by lola. In 1853, Andrew Paulson and Nels Jacobson made the first settlement. A Httle later, John Anderson, J. Jacobson, Peter Peterson, J. H. Leuthold, Andrew Larson, C. Gilbranson, Jens HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 169 Knappen, John Sorrenson, and S. Thorson came in. The first death was that of Stina, wife of A. Lar- son, in 1858. The first birth was in the family of John Ander- son, or that of C. Gilbranson. The first marriage was Peter Peterson and Mary Peterson, by Rev. J. J. Hatch, of lola, No- vember 8, 1859. The first school house was bnilt in 1860, on Sec- tion 31. The first school meeting was held November 24, 1859, in District No. 3. The town was then a part of lola. The first school was taught by Mrs. Bliss. The first postofiice was established in 1868, with Cyrus Churchill as postmaster. The first town meeting was held in 1861, at the school house. The first town officers, elected at that meeting, were: Chairman — C. Torbenson; Supervisors — John Sorrenson, S. Thorson; Clerk — John Bliss ; Treasurer — James Keating ; As- sessor — Hans Knudson ; Superintendent of Schools —J. H. Leuthold. In 1887, A. W. Whitcomb built a saw mill and opened a store at Big Falls, on the Little Wolf River, in Section 26, Township 25 north. Range 11 east, (which township was a part of Helvetia until set off into the independent Town of Wyom- ing, by the County Board at the annual meeting in November, 1890.) 170 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. At Granite City, in Section 13 of Wyoming, Lenthold & Holman have developed a rich granite quarry, now reached by a four-mile spur track of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad. There is a store at the quarry. J. H. Leuthold writes: "At the time Helvetia was organized two thirds of its territory v^as covered with pine, w^hich has since been cut and moved to Oshkosh. It helped to build up that city; but the inhabitants of the town had very little benefit of those millions of feet of good tim- ber. Thousands of acres of good potatoe, corn, and clover land yet lie idle here, while people are moving hundreds of miles to find homes." How true ! There is yet plenty of good land in this County, to be had cheap ; but with most peo- ple the best place for settlement is just a little farther along ! The oflftcers for 1889 were: Chairman — E. G. Dahlen; Supervisors — G. Gugarren, A. Rasmus- sen ; Treasurer — W. Leuthold ; Clerk — Jacob Schwartzenbach ; Assessor — Andrew Jensen ; Jus- tices of the Peace — A. W. Whitcomb, Christian Jacobson. CHAPTER XXVH. Town of Matteson — First Settlement in 1855, by Ros- WELL MATTESON, IN HONOR OF WlIOM THE ToWN WAS Named. The Town of Matteson comprises Township 25 north, Range 15 east, being the only town in the HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 171 County in that range. It is bounded on the north by Shawano. County, on the east and south by Outagamie County, and on the west by the Town of Larrabee. The first settlement was made in July, 1855, by Roswell Matteson, in whose honor the town was named. The first school house (a log shanty) was built in 1859. The first school was taught in the same year, by Emma Dodge. The first marriage was Gilbert Smith and Cath- erine Palmer, in 1860. The ceremony was per- formed by Elder Sharpe. The first birth was that of a son of Erben Ewers, in 1856. The first death was that of Sophronia Ferman, nine years old. She was drowned in 1861. The first sermon was by Elder Sharpe, a Bap- tist, in 1860. In 1856, William Parr built the first saw mill. It was run by water power. Palmer & Stacy built the first grist mill, in 1861. The first store was started in 1859, by J. M. White. The first postofiice was established in 1856, with E. D. Matteson as postmaster. It was called Em- barrass. The town is well watered by the Wolf, the Pigeon, and the Embarrass rivers. 172 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The first apple trees were set out by E. D. Mat- teson, in 1860, and he raised the first apples. The ofl^cers for 1889 were: Chairman— John Brown; Supervisor — Wilson Metmon; Treasurer — A.C. Palmer; Clerk — A. W. Wilmarth; Assessor — L. A. Bergess; Justices of the Peace — J. W. Morgan, John Wells, N. Ludwigson. CHAPTER XXVIII. A Chapter of Most Interesting Recollections by George W. Taggart, of Weyauwega— His Account of the Elec- tion OF 1851. During the year 18^87 there appeared in the Weyauwega Chronicle a series of articles entitled "Waupaca County History," signed "Veritas." The writer, George W. Taggart, of Weyauwega, is too well known to need further mention, having been an early settler, who took an active part in the organization of our County. He has been Sheriff, and has almost continuously held other responsible ofl&ces. He was the first postmaster of Lind. Mr. Taggart has the honor of being one of the oldest Odd Fellows in the State. We make a few extracts from said article, regret- ting our inability to find room for more : "At the organization of Shawano County, Feb- ruary 16, 1853, Township 25 north. Range 15 east, was included within the boundaries bj^the or- ganic act ; but a subsequent Legislature discovered that the act detaching it from Waupaca County HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 173 was a Yiolation of Section 7 of Article 13, of the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin, and promptly repealed said act, restoring that town- ship to Waupaca County. "On the first Tuesday in April, 1850, the place since called Mukwa was designated as the cross- ing of Wolf River, at the mouth of Little Wolf River. There was neither hotel, postoflice, nor human habitation within a mile of the place. "During the next Summer, after O. E. Druetzer commenced carrying the mail on the route from Green Bay to Plover, crossing the Wolf River at this point, Horace Rolph claimed a small fraction of the south-east corner of the school section, which lay on the east side of the river, built a house upon it, and moved there in the Fall. He circulated a petition for a postoffice, which was established late in the year, and called Mukwa. About the same time, Benjamin F. Phillips and August Grignon surveyed and platted the Village of Mukwa, on land adjoining the tract claimed by Rolph, and at once commenced figuring for the organization of a new County, with Mukwa for the County seat. "At the session of the Legislature in 1851 there was a great scramble in this part of the State for new Counties and County seats. Benjamin F. Phillips was principal owner of the new Village of Mukwa, and Thomas J. Townsend purchased a tract in Section 36, Township 18 north, Range 13 174 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. east, and laid out a village called Sacramento. This tract was in the extreme south-east corner of the proposed new County, (Waushara), on the south side of Fox River, where there was only about one section surveyed and entered, all the rest of the County being unsurveyed Indian land, lying north of the river. ''Theodore Conkey, who had been employed by the Government to survey much of the land in Brown County, and who had a large interest in the new Village of Appleton, on the Fox River, also had an 'ax to grind.' He was elected Senator from Brown County in the Fall of 1850, and Edward Eastman was Assemblyman from Winnebago County. . " When the Legislature met in 1851, Mr. Phillips and Mr. Townsend had special business at Madi- son. Mr. Conkey, as Senator, had great influence in the organization of new Counties. The result was that a majority of the Legislators were con- vinced that the interests of the people demanded the immediate organization of three new Counties, and also that it would be highly improper, if not impossible, to establish a County seat at anyplace except where the land was surveyed, and a village platted ; so each of the parties succeeded in getting County boundaries as he wished, and a County seat located on his own land. "Appleton has become a thriving city, and is yet the County seat; but Mukwa and Sacramento, as HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 17j5 County seats or villages, are known no more. ''After the passage of the law of February 17, 1851, providing for the organization of the Town and County of Waupaca, describing the bound- aries, and fixing the time and place for holding the first election for Town and County oflScers, and their terms of office under such election, (which for the Town officers was one year, and for the County oflScers until the first day of January fol- lowing, and in each case until their successors should be elected and qualified), a report was cir- culated in the southern and western parts of the County, that a few men around Mukwa (some of them having lately removed from the vicinity of Oshkosh) were preparing to conduct the election so as to secure a set of Town and County officers in their interest, which would give them complete control in the affairs of the County. In conse- quence of this report, a consultation was had among the settlers in Waupaca, Lind, and Little River, and arrangements made to attend the elec- tion in suflicient numbers to frustrate such design, if possible, should the report prove correct. ''Accordingly, every legal voter was urged to show his patriotism by giving the time necessary to attend the election, which would require not less than three days, and which actually took four days for every man who went from the western part of the County. "At the first consultation there was a wonderful 1^6 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, amount of zeal and interest manifested, and it ap- peared as though the turnout would be so general that nobody but women and children would be left in the settlements. But, during the few days intervening between the discussion and the time to start, obstacles in the way seemed to multiply tremendously, (some real and some imaginary), and when Monday morning came it seemed as though we should hardly muster a 'corporal's guard ' for the occasion. Not more than one-half of those we confidently expected to go were ready to start on the journey. ''The names of those from the southern and western parts of the County, twelve in number, were: W. G. Cooper, William B, Hibbard, J. B. Hibbard, and Edwin Buel, from Waupaca Falls; John M. Vaughn, John W. Chandler, and Simon C. DoA^, who lived on the route between Waupaca and Weyauwega ; Tyler Caldwell, G. W. Taggart, and Hiram P. Sexton, from the Wallaw alia settle- ment; and J. Boyd and A. Y. Rudd from Little River. " These persons all met at Weyauwega, Monday forenoon, and started on their line of march through the woods, in single file, and on foot, — the only possible way to get through the thickets, windfalls, and swamps. "After a very tedious and wearisome tramp, we came, about sunset, to the lower saw mill, about two miles from the mouth of the Little Wolf River, HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 177 then called Gorden's Mill, and afterwards the Phil- lips Mill. Here we found seven or eight lumbermen running the mill, with N. B. Millard as superin- tendent, the man \Yho for many years was wxU known through all the countrj^ about Wolf River and Lake Winnebago as 'Bone Millard.' *' Here v^e also unexpectedlj^ found a very efficient assistant to the accomplishment of our plans to carry the election, in the shape of a ponderous, \v ell-filled jug. ''It being so late, and the pilgrims too tired to go any farther, we staid at the mill over night. When we reported to the lumbermen what w^e had heard of the intentions of the few voters at Muk- wa, they at once fell in w^ith our plans, and agreed to assist us to frustrate the schemes of the Muk- wa crew. It did not require much persuasion to induce Mr. Millard to close his mill for one day, and turn out with all hands to attend the election. ^' Immediately after breakfast the next morning, vyre all, about twenty in number, started for Muk- w^a. We had to walk about two miles to the mouth of the Little Wolf, and then cross Wolf River. The only ferry boat was a small skiff cal- culated to hold tw^o persons. At first we put in two besides the ferryman, but, aftet two or three loads got safely over, we piled in another, making four in a boat intended for only two ; but all got safely over. " When w^e got up the river bank, and to the ho- 178 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. tel, we found we had not been misinformed, and were soon convinced that ' the half had not been told.' We found five or six persons standing around a man named William N. Davis, who ap- peared to be the leader, preparing to open the polls. They had procured tickets at Oshkosh, with their names printed for the most important offices, and had left blank spaces in which to write such names as might be preferred for the rest of the offices. "After we got together, the first proceeding was to organize a caucus to make nominations for Town and County officers. Mr. Davis and his party made serious objections to such proceedings, for the reason that they had already selected sev- eral of the candidates ; but the3^ were willing that we should name the persons to fill out the rest of the ticket. This was not satisfactory to us ; and, having a majority of more than two to one, we assumed the right to dictate the whole matter, and make tickets to suit ourselves. "On their ticket, Mr. Davis was candidate for Chairman of Supervisors, and James Smiley for Register of Deeds. These we ignored entirely, but adopted some of the other nominations they had made. "After* completing the nominations, we pro- ceeded to choose Inspectors and Clerks of Election. For Inspectors were chosen G. W. Taggart, Chair- man ; John W. Chandler and Tyler Caldwell. For HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 179 Clerks, William G. Cooper and Simon C. Dow. "To be fully equipped for business, we carried with us a ballot box and a pamphlet copy of the Election Laws ; but we found that Mr. Davis had also prepared a ballot box, and had a copy of the Revised Statutes of 1849. We needed the two bal- lot boxes, however, one for the town, and one for the County election. ^' After proclamation was made, declaring the polls open, the first man who offered his vote was Hiram P. Sexton, of Lind. The vote was promptly challenged by one of the Mukwa party. Mr. Sex- ton immediately took the necessary oath, the vote was received, and though some of the disap- pointed candidates were rather cross and sour, there was no further trouble. "There was one occurrence during the forenoon that afforded considerable amusement to some of the part3\ Mr. Davis, in preparing to open the polls, had the Revised Statutes lying on the table. The pamphlet law we had carried was there, also. In the course of business, a legal question arose, and we proposed to refer to the law, but neither the Statutes nor the pamphlet could be found. One of the bystanders had seen Mr. Davis carry away the Statutes, with the pamphlet inside of it. No one supposed any wrong w^as intended, and a man was requested to step into the store and ask Mr. Davis for it. He did so, and came out with a reply that was neither courteous nor civil. There 180 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. was no great excitement, but the whole Board of Inspectors rose to their feet, and, leaving the bal- lot boxes in charge of the Clerks, walked into the store, followed by ten or a dozen stalwart men. The Chairman, as spokesman, promptly informed Mr. Davis that it might be conducive to the safety of himself and his premises to produce that pam- phlet law. After looking the crowd over, he quietly went behind the counter, took the book from under a bate of goods, and handed it over. ''After this, everything went smoothly till nearly night, when it was discovered that we had failed to vote for any Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, It was proposed to elect Mr. Smiley to that office, and two persons were found who had not voted the County ticket, and they voted for him. About this time. Ransom Nichols, a candidate on the"* Mukwa ticket, who had been ill-humored all day, concluded that he would like the office. He came forward, voted for himself, and found another of the disapXDointed ones who voted for him. Thus it remained until it was time to close the pools, when one of the Board discovered an object moving among the trees some distance away, and, request- ing the Board not to close till he returned, started out on a trip of discovery. He found it was a man named Armstrong, who was carrying the mail for O. E. Dreutzer, just coming into Mukwa, where he staid over night. He voted for Smiley, and that secured his election. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 181 *' The County officers elected were : Chairman — David Scott ; SuperYisors — Peter Meiklejohn, Tyler Caldwell. These composed the Board for the transaction of both Town and County business. Treasurer — Simon C. Dow; Clerk of the Board — James Smiley; Surveyor — G. W. Taggart. John M. Vaughn received the votes for Sheriff, though it Avas well understood that our County was not entitled to such an officer. It w^as intended as a recommendation for the office of Deputy Sheriff, which we believed our County was entitled to. No votes were given for Clerk of the Court. '' The town officers elected were: S. F. Ware, of Waupaca, Albion Brandy, of Mukwa, and John Boyd, of Little River, Justices of the Peace ; Ira Brown, of Mukwa, Assessor; J. B. Hibbard, of Waupaca, Atwood Velie, of Little River, and Chauncy Foster, of Mukw^a, Constables. ''After the polls were closed, and the votes can- vassed, and we were ready to make out returns, we found that the paper we had provided in the morning was exhausted. One of the Board went to Mr. Davis' store to get some, but he would not let us have any for ' love or money.' We began to think we were in a bad predicament, but Mr. Smiley generously came to our relief by bringing forward a blank book which supplied us with all the paper we needed. " By the time we got through with the business, it was late in the evening, and no one thought of 182 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. starting for home that night. As full half of our party had been elected to some office, the next thing was to execute official bonds and oaths of office, which \vere required by law to be filed at the County seat; and we concluded the easiest way would be to have it done before we went home, as it would require at least another day to accomplish it. "Accordingly, every one who had been elected to any office, made out and filed the proper papers by signing one another's bonds as security. For- tunately we were not required to make affidavit to the amount of property we possessed, or there might have been trouble to find bondsmen of suf- ficient responsibility, for all the land on our side of the river was Government land, and unsurveyed, at that ; so it was extremely doubtful whether any of our party was worth a dollar besides what was covered by the exemption law ; but the question was never raised, and we got along without any difficulty. Every man who could write his name was just as good a bondsman as though he was worth a million. ''After all the official papers were executed and filed, our Register of Deeds and Treasurer-elect found themselves in a tight place. They were re- quired by law to hold their offices at the County seat, but there were no buildings to be had, either as offices or residences, and if there had been build- ings to rent, the income of their offices would not HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 183 pay the rent, to say nothing of other expenses. "There were but three buildings in the place. One was owned and occupied by Mr. Davis, part for a dwelling and part for a store. Horace Rolph had a comfortable building, used as a hotel, and Mr. Smiley had an unfinished building, part of which he converted into an office, the rest being occupied as a dwelling by his family. ''In this emergency, Mr. Smiley was again called upon for relief, and importuned to accept a deputy- ship by both the Treasurer and Register of Deeds, which he consented to do. And thus, in the case of Mr. Smiley, were the words of the Psalmist, ' The stone which the builders rejected has become the headstone of the corner,' more than verified; for he was not only the headstone of the comer, but it may be truthfully said that he was nearly the entire fabric, for he had control of all the im- portant offices in the County at the same time, and in every public position he ever occupied he proved himself to be a worthy and capable officer. He has ever since been a resident of the Town of Mukwa, and is now enjoying a quiet and honor- able old age." CHAPTER XXIX. Town of Little Wolf— Settled in 1848 by William Gold- berg—The Town was First Called " Centerville " — First Election of Officers in 1852. The Town of Little Wolf comprises Township 23 north, Range 13 east. It is bounded on the 184 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. north by the Town of Union, on the east by Leb- anon, on the south by Royalton, and on the west by St. Lawrence. The first settlement was made in 1848, by Will- iam Goldberg. In 1849, George E. and J. P. More moved in. In 1850, came James and Peter Meikle- john, and A. P. Jones. The first death was that of the wife of Dr. Wood, in 1855. Miss Fortner taught the first school, at the house of Peter Meiklejohn, in 1853. The first school house was built in 1857. The first church was built by the Catholics, in 1877, at Manawa. The first sermon was preached in 1850, by Elder Baxter, at the house of Peter Meiklejohn. The first saw mill was built in 1849, by George and J. P. More, and Goldberg & Co. The first grist mill was built in 1857, by James Meiklejohn. The first postoffice was established in 1853, with A. P. Jones as postmaster. It was on the mail route from Green Bay to Plover. The first survey was made by Samuel Perrin, in 1852, being the Government survey. The first store was kept by Beal & Meiklejohn, in 1854. The first town meeting was held in April, 1852, at the house of Peter Meiklejohn. The town was then called Centerville. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 185 Peter Meiklejohn was the first Town Chairman. In 1850, Peter Meiklejohn set out the first apple trees. VILLAGE OF MANAWA. The Village of Manawa is situated near the cen- ter of the tow^n, and near the center of the County, on the Little Wolf River. It has 5 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 drug store, 1 saw mill, 1 stave factory, 1 millinery store, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 meat market, 1 livery stable, 2 harness shops, 2 furniture stores, 4 churches, and 1 high school. The population is nearly 500. Manawa is a station on the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad. The town oflicers for 1889 were: Chairman — H. Lindow; Supervisors — Crist Hess, E. G. St. George; Clerk — D. W. Shipman; Assessor — R. J. Matthias; Justices of the Peace — G. F. Rhinehart, Albert Bolter; Constable — A. Safiford. CHAPTER XXX. Town of Waupaca— Settled in 1849 — Organized in 1852 — Village of Waupaca Incorporated in 1857 — The City Incorporated in 1875. The Town of Waupaca comprises Township 22 north. Range 12 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of St. Lawrence, on the east by Royalton, on the south by Lind, and on the west by Farmington. 186 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The first settlement was on the 9th of June, 1849, by E. C. Sessions, J. and W. B. Hibbard, J. M. Vaughn, and W. G. Cooper. In the Fall of the same year Captain David Scott, Dana Dewey, H. M. Garde, T. M. Paine, Dexter WilHams, F. B. Young, and James Thomas moved in. The first two claims for farming purposes ^were made by J. M. Vaughn and T. M. Paine, on Sec- tions 34 and 35, in 1849. The first child born was Mary Hibbard, daugh- ter of Joseph Hibbard, May 25, 1850. The first death was that of Joel Deiter, May 15, 1850. The first marriage was that of Thomas Billing- ton and Emma Baxter, in 1851, Elder Baxter of- ficiating. The first school was taught Miss Dora Thomp- son, now Mrs. LeGros, in 1850. The first school house was built in 1851, in what is known as the Chandler and Vaughn district. The first church (Methodist) was built in 1853, in what is now the Fourth Ward of the City of Waupaca. It is now used as a blacksmith shop. The first sermon was preached by Rev. Silas Miller, a Methodist, in 1850, at the house of J. M. Vaughn . The first postofiice was established in 1851, with Captain David Scott as postmaster. The mail route was from Green Bay to Plover. O. E. Druetzer was carrier. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 187 The first saw mill was built in 1850, by Silas Miller. The first grist mill was built in 1861, by W. C. Lord and Wilson Holt. Wilson Holt kept the first store, in 1851. W. G. Cooper built the first house (log) in 1849. J. M. Vaughn built the second one the same year. The first survey was made in 1849, by W. B. Mumbrue. The first law suit was before Justice Ware, in 1851. The parties were Captain Spencer vs. L. W. Thayer. The first loaded wagon that came into this part of the County was that of J. M. Vaughn, in 1849. In 1853, E. C. Sessions planted the first apple trees, and in 1856 he raised the first apples. J. M. Vaughn set out a nursery in 1855. The first newspaper (also first in the County) was started by the Redfield Brothers, in 1853. It was the Waupaca Spirit. The first lawyer was W. G. Cooper, who came in 1849. The first doctor was Rev. Cutting Marsh, who came in 1851. ^ ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN. The town was organized by act of the County Board, at a special session held at Mukwa, March 5, 1852. The first town meeting was held at the house of Mr. Mackintosh, in said town, April 6, 1851. 188 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. The following officers were elected : Chairman — S. F. Ware; Supervisor — J. B. Hibbard ; Justices of the Peace — S. F. Ware, Granville Jones, W. B. Hibbard, Mellen Chamberlain; Constable — A. M. Garde. The town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — S. S. Chandler; Supervisors — G. Gabrilson, J. S. Stanfield; Treasurer — James Gamble; Clerk — O. C.Harrington; Assessor — M. A. Stinchfield; Jus- tices of the Peace— G. Nelson, Taylor Looker, C. E. Constance, Robert Bums. CITY OF WAUPACA. The Village of Waupaca was incorporated in 1857. The first village officers were: President — D. Scott; Trustees— James Chesley, W. C. Lord, E. T. Miller, W. Scott, C. L. Bartlett; Clerk — W. Scott; Treasurer — G. V Mooney (chosen b3^ the Trustees in place of C. F. Hutchinson, who was elected, but failed to qualify) ; Street Commis- sioner — G. V. Mooney. Waupaca was incorporated as a city in 1875. The first city officers were : Mayor — Charles Wright; Aldermen— G. L.Lord,C. S. Ggden (First Ward), J. W. Evans, W. Wheeler (Second Ward) ; M. R. Baldwin, B. F. Brown (Third Ward) ; Clerk — F. F. Wheeler; Treasurer— Edwin Selleck; As- sessors — George Howlett, A. H. Chandler; Chief of Police — Edgar Bangle; Police Justice — Samuel Bailey; Street Commissioner— K. T. Chandler. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 189 The city is situated in the western part of the town, on the Wisconsin Central railroad, and on the Waupaca River, which furnishes excellent power. The water power is pretty well improved, though its capacity is far from being fully utilized. Business men are beginning to appreciate its great advantages. Waupaca is one of the best markets for farmers in Northern Wisconsin. The chief product for ship- ment is potatoes. The city is the County seat of Waupaca County, and the Court House and Jail are located here. It is lighted by electricity, has well made streets, numerous fine residences, and is in many respects a desirable location for the man of business or leisure. The Wisconsin Veterans' Home, a State institu- tion, the first of its class in the country, is located on the Chain of Lakes, in Farmington, three miles west of Waupaca. Waupaca has 9 general stores, 5 grocery stores, 2 furniture stores, 3 drug stores, 3 hardware stores, 2 clothing and furnishing goods stores, 1 merchant tailor, 2 tailor shops, 3 harness shops, 4 jewelry stores, 3 meat markets, 3 barber shops, 1 bath room, 1 shoe store, 3 notion and confectionery stores, 1 bakerj^, 4 hotels, 3 restau- rants, 3 livery stables, 3 pump shops, 3 farm ma- chinery warehouses, 4 shoe shops, 6 blacksmith shops, 2 machine shops, 1 foundry, 3 wagon shops, 190 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 2 planing mills, 2 grist mills, 1 starch factory, 1 creamery and cold storage house, 1 marble shop, 1 woolen mill, 1 bottling works, 1 brick 3^ard, 2 photographers, 2 feed stores, 1 tannery, 1 brewery, 1 nursery and fruit farm, 1 green house, a dozen or more produce and stock buyers, 4 millinery stores, 2 temperance saloons, 6 saloons, 2 national banks, 7 churches, 1 high school, 2 newspaper and printing offices, 1 job printing office. The pro- fessions are well represented. The city officers for 1890 were : Mayor — A. G. Nelson ; Aldermen — First Ward, Jacob Rasmussen, Ed. Williams; Second Ward, Hans Benlick, Will Ware; Third Ward, Peter Nelson, Fred Rosche; Fourth Ward, Thomas Pipe, Frank Machin ; Sup- ervisors — First Ward, C. S. DeVoin ; Second Ward, R. Tuttle; Third Ward, H. H. Suhs; Fourth Ward, D. Parish; Clerk — W. H. Holmes; Treasurer — Alfred Johnson; Assessor — A. J. VanEpps; Police Justice— James Chesley ; Chief of Police — Lars Larson; Street Commissioner— Jens Johnson. CHAPTER XXXI. Town of Scandinavia— First Settlement in 1851— First Election OF Officers in 1853— Village of Sc vndina via. The Town of Scandinavia consists of Township 23 north, Range 11 east. It is bounded on the north by the Town of lola, on the east by St. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 191 Lawrence, on the south by Farmington, and on the west by Portage County. The first settlement was made by H. J. Eleason, in 1851. Ole Anderson, Isaac Eleason, J. C. Elea- son, J. J. Torgerson, and Casper Zwicky moved in about the same time. Ole Yogsland taught the first school. The first church was the Evangelical Lutheran, built in 1856. Rev. H. C. Pause preached the first sermon, in 1853. The first saw mill was built by J. P. Peterson. H. B. Pause & Co. built the first grist mill. The first postofiice was established in 1856, with Adolph Sorenson as postmaster. The first mail route was from Waupaca. The Government survey was made in 1851. It was the first survey in the town. The first town meeting was held in April, 1853, at the house of Hans J. Eleason. No record of the ofl[icers chosen at that election can be found ; but the next year Ole Rein was elected Chairman. In 1854, Thomas Knoph kept the first store. H. B. Pause opened a store in 1855. VILLAGE OF SCANDINAVIA. The Village of Scandinavia is located in Sections 15 and 22, on the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad. It has 3 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 meat market and grocery store, 2 shoe 192 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. shops, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 wagon shop, 1 jew- eler, 1 photographer, 1 grist mill, 1 hotel, and half a dozen or more produce buyers. The village is steadily growing. The Town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — Stephen Jacobson ; Supervisors — C. H. Anderson, C. C. Zwicky; Treasurer — T. O. Lounen; Clerk — Theodore Paulson ; Assessor — L. Gertson ; Justices of the Peace — G. Gilson, H. A. Anderson, E. Johnson. CHAPTER XXXII. Eaely Reminiscences of Waupaca County, Read at the Old Settlers' Meeting at New London, February 19, 1874, BY W. F. Waterhouse, Historian. The history of Waupaca County seems natural- ly to divide itself into three distinct epochs. The first embraces the period of savage ownership and occupancy, reaching from times far back of the historic age to the conclusion of the treaty of ces- sion from the Menominee tribe to the whites. The second epoch embraces the period from the date of the treaty to the final surrender of the possession by the Menominees. The third epoch embraces the events of the succeeding years, reaching to the present time. The events of the first epoch are, in the main, a sealed book. Many a wild epic of savage loves and hates, of nomadic conflicts and savage ven- HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 193 geance, may have been enacted on the soil of Waupaca County, the story of which passed into tradition, then into fable, and finally died out of memory and left no trace to guide the pen of the historian. It is probable that the earliest Indian tribes, those first seen and named by the Jesuit explorers, had their principal villages on the Fox River and the lower Wolf, and that the district embraced in Waupaca County was a favorite hunting ground, much frequented by roving bands. The rich spoils of the chase were carried home in their light canoes, on the many streams that thread this whole region. Sites of Indian villages of moderate antiquity are common in many parts of the State, especially near the mouth of the Wolf River ; but no evidence remains of any considerable Indian village in the region now embraced within Wau- paca County. On an island in White Lake is an ancient Indian clearing, of about one acre in extent. This was, as I have learned from conversation with some of the Indians since I have been in the County, for a long time the permanent home of a small band of Menominees, who cultivated here a little com to supplement the precarious dependence upon the bow and spear. This band had, since the occu- pancy of the whites, a chief or patriarch named Wey-au-we-ga, from whom the village of Weyau- wega derives its name, and whose skull, thanks to 194 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. the archeological enterprize of Dr. Bliss, of Royal- ton, now reposes in the archives of the Smithson- ian Institute, at Washington. Evidences everywhere exist of the occupancy of this whole region by the Mound Builders. Nearly every lake and stream in the County exhibits along its banks those conical structures* which so puzzle the archeologist and antequarian. But no^ where in this County do these mounds reach such' size and elaborateness as they do in regions farther south. This fact is supposed to indicate a north- ern (and peihaps Asiatic) origin of the Mound Builders, and a southward movement of the horde, with constantly increasing numbers, power and civilization. But the territory of Waupaca County seems to have been prized most as a hunting^ ground by the Indian tribes vv^ho followed the Mound Builders, and who paid it periodical visits. The second epoch may be considered as com- mencing with negotiations of the treaty of cession with the Menominees, in October, 1848, (although the Indian title to that portion of the County lying east of Wolf River was extinguished several years before), and extending to the final surrender of possession by the Indians, on the first day of * Within twenty rods of our house are two of these curious mounds, within a few rods of each other ; while a short distance beyond, still upon our farm, are two more, nearly the samedistance apart. The trees which were found standing upon those mounds were of the same size as those farther oflF. All our excavations have failed to furnish any help in guessing the purpose of their construction. J. W. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 195 June, 1852. This period is eminently the period of settlement, and the time intervening between the first of June, IS 52, and today, may be classified 3-S the period of growth and progress. So far as I have been able to ascertain, but one white settlement was made in the County of Wau- paca previous to the year 1848, Alpheus Hicks, father of ''Steve" Hicks, of New London, made an exploring trip up Wolf River from Oshkosh, and landed in the County of Waupaca, somewhere near the present site of Fremont, in 1843.* The next 3^ear he went up the river as far as Shawano Lake.t He returned to Oshkosh, but finally set- tled at Fremont, where he now resides. There are quite a number of ladies now residing in the County, who claim the honor of being the first white women residents in the territory of Waupaca County ; but, if I have obtained correct informa- tion, Mrs. Elizabeth Hicks, step-mother of Stephen Hicks, can justly claim that honor. $ A provision was inserted in the treaty of 1848, granting to Robert Grignon one quarter-section of land on which his mill was established, near the mouth of the Little Wolf River. This provision of the treaty was ratified, and patents w^ere issued to Robert Grignon. Previous to the date of the * It was in April, 1846, as Mrs. Hicks informs us. J. W. ; f Mr. Hicks went directly up the Wolf River in 1843. J. W. t Mrs. Elizabeth Hicks does not claim that honor, but thinks that she was the first white woman who traveled the Wolf River, in Waupaca County. J. W. 196 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. treaty, he and his associates had built a saw mill. During the winter of 1848-49, Eliphalet Gordon and his son " Dud " Gordon, of Little Wolf, put in a large amount of logs. In the Summer of 1849, they leased the mill, and sawed and rafted down the Wolf River a large amount of lumber, which found a slow market at $4 per thousand feet. During the Winter of 1848-49, Philetus Sawyer worked here as a common laborer. A girl who worked at the mill boarding house that Winter (I have been unable to ascertain her name) was no doubt the second white woman resident of Waupaca County.* In the Spring of 1849, several mill enterprises were undertaken within the present limits of Waupaca County, and settlements for agricultural purposes w^ere commenced. The first furrow turned in the County was in June, 1849, by some person whose name your historian has thus far been unable to obtain. It was on a bit of sandy prairie near the farm of Simon C. Dow, in Lind, but prior to Mr. Dow's settlement there. Before the close of 1849, settlers' cabins had begun to dot the plains in the southern part of the County. Billington, Tibbetts, Van Ostrand and others had settled near Weyauwega; S. C. Dow, Colonel Chandler, and J. M. Vaughn, between Weyauwega and Waupaca; E. C. Sessions, J. and * A Mrs. Bigelow, as we are informed. J. W. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 197 W. B. Hibbard, Dana Dewey, Captain Scott, Judge Ware, W. B. Cooper and others, at Waupaca; C. Caldwell and Jason Rice, on the Wallawalla, at Lind Center; Mr. Nordman, at or near New London ; R. Eastman, at Springer's Point ; Mr. Wilcox, near the mouth of the Waupaca River; and Charles Edwards, at Little River. This list, it is believed, embraces nearly all the settlements existing in the County in the year 1849. It is worthy of remark that all these settlements were made in violation of law. Mr. Bruce, then Indian Agent of the Menominees, amused himself by forbidding these settlements. Ever and anon he made fearful threats of expulsion and punish- ment. But the tide of emigration had set in, and the pioneer, with his face set towards the ''Indian Lands," was not to be intimidated or checked in his progress by any threats of Government offi- cials. The glowing descriptions of this country that reached Eastern people would fill volumes. In 1850, Judge Beal, from Indiana, made a claim embracing a quarter-section of land lying east of the Village of Weyauwega, and opened a general variety store in a log house, part of the remains of which may be found standing in Weyauwega now. However, the firm of Brickley & Bergstressor have the honor of establishing the first white trading post in the County. It was at Fremont.* * We understand Mr. Benjamin Brickley to sav that C. L. Gumaer commenced trading at Weyauwega before he and Bergstressor did at Fremont. j_ \y 198 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Your historian at that time was plodding along on his farm in the State of Michigan, and corres- ponding with Judge Beal, who, by the way, was an old acquaintance. From the glowing descrip- tions of the country received through that corres- pondence, he became suddenly enamored with the prospects of a bright future before him, packed his "traps," and in the Summer of 1852 was on his way to the Indian Lands of Waupaca County. Arriving at Oshkosh, our progress was impeded by the non-arrival of the steamboat then making tri-weekly trips from Oshkosh to Mukwa, then the terminus of Wolf River navigation. After staying at Oshkosh one da3^ and night, we embarked on the famous steamer Peggy, Captain Sherwood, bound for Mukwa. A break in the machinery occasioned some delay at Winneconne, where I came across an old ac- quaintance and school chum, William B. Mumbrue, who gave me such a glowing history of his pil- grimage to the ''Indian Lands," that I could hardly wait for the boat to start up the river. [While waiting at Winneconne, Mr. Mumbrue gave Mr. Waterhouse an account of the prelimi- nary survey he had made westward from Wolf River in 1849, mention of which has been made in another part of this history. He also related some of the experiences of his first trip up the Wolf River, incidents of which are embodied in the following pages:] HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 199 In July, 1849, there came to Winneconne a party of explorers, consisting of J. M. Vaughn, Alonzo Vaughn, W. B. Cooper, and John Taylor, from Plymouth, Sheboygan County, and a doctor from Erie County, New York. Some two or three weeks before, another party, consisting of W. B. and Joseph Hibbard, and E. C. Sessions, had started northward from Plymouth. Moving northwest on the east side of Lake Winnebago, by devious wanderings, they crossed the Wolf River at or above Mukwa, and stumbled upon the magnifi- cent water power and beautiful village site of Waupaca. A portion of the party returned to Plymouth for supplies, and carried news of the rich discovery. General Taylor and party were in search of the ''Vermonters' Camp," as Waupaca was then called. The countrj^ thereabouts was then knowm as the ^'Tomorrow River Country." This latter party Mumbrue joined. They hired two Indians and a birch bark canoe, it being agreed that the Indians should serve both as guides and paddlers. Arranging themselves very trimly and cautiously in the bottom of the frail and treacherous little craft, six men in all, they started up the Wolf River. The day was consumed in making the distance to the mouth of the Waupaca River, where the little party landed at dark, having seen during the day not a sign of human habitation, save an 200 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. occasional collection of Indian graves on the bank of the river, to some of which their attention was called by little white flags, floating over the small roofs with which the Indians are accustomed to cover their dead. From the landing place at Gills Landing, the party followed their dusky guides through the dim, mysterious forest of giant pines which then flanked the Waupaca River, near its junction with the Wolf, out into an orchard-like belt of oak openings — the site of the Village of Weyanw^ega. Here the party came in view of a white tent, the only human habitation then at Weyauwega. This was occupied by Henry Tourtelotte, with his Indian wife, Ke-mink, a woman well known and respected by the early white settlers of this portion of the County. Passing this tent, the party turned down to the river, where dim lights w^ere visible, and crossed on a rude foot bridge to the boarding house of the mill company, who had already commenced getting out timber for their saw mill. The party obtained food and lodging at the boarding house. Serving as cook at this house was a woman who, the same Summer, be- came the wife of Washington Hogle. She was the first white woman in Weyauwega. After breakfast, payment for the entertainment being courteously but indignantly declined by their hosts, the party, under guidance of one of the Indians, passed southward over Gallows Hill, and, HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 201 striking a trail in the valley, reached Simon C. Dow's cabin in time to assist in demolishing a vast pile of slapjacks and molasses. Dow and Chandler had been in occupancy of this cabin about ten days, and were the first settlers of the Town of Lind. Here the party met W. B. Hibbard, who had come down from the "Ver- monters' Camp" for some flour. Following Mr. Hibbard's lead, partly by an Indian trail, and partly by a line which the Yermonters had blazed, crossing the South Branch on a fallen tree, near its junction with the Waupaca, the party reached the ** Yermonters' Camp," the site of the present County seat of Waupaca County. Here the travelers rested from their journey, sheltered by an awning of bushes supported by four poles, and backed by a granite ledge. This was then the nearest approach to a building at Waupaca. The Yermonters soon had a fire crackling mer- rily on the greensward. Flour was kneaded in a trough, hollowed out with an ax. The contents of the trough, without leaven or baking powder, was transfered to chips and placed in the glowing embers, and "dough gods" were the result! As etiquette seemed to require, the strangers were served first, and then another batch placed in the ashes for the hosts themselves. But it was not until the travelers had feasted, that they learned to their infinite mortification that some of the Yermonters' party had not tasted food for two 202 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. days. The night, although in Jnly, proved chilly, and the whole party, eleven in number, stretched on the ground like a row of pins, shivered beneath the twinkling stars, or, in uneasy slumbers, dreamed of softer beds in more civilized lands. Morning came at length, and with it the start- ling news that the larder was empty! The riotous feasting of the night before had exhausted Bill Hibbard's small stock of flour, and breakfast was quite out of the question. The Indian was dis- patched to ''Tourtelotte's Camp" (Weyauweaga) for supplies, while the party straggled ofl" in desultory explorations, not without hopes that some fat buck would considerately come within range of their guns. At noon no such circumstance had occurred, nor had the Indian returned, and the party, owing to certain strenuous promptings of the inner man, were compelled to set about their return. In chronicling events incident to the first settle- ment of Waupaca County, the historian is relieved from the excitement occasioned by accounts of hair-breadth escapes of the whites from the toma- hawk and scalping knife of the ruthless and hostile savage; because here there seems to have been reciprocal feelings of friendship and hospitality between the settlers and the Indians. Many a settler took for his life partner a dusky maiden of the forest, with whom he lived in peace and har- mony. There were some exceptions, of course; HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 203 for instance, one man living near Shawano, in 1852, who was so mean that his squaw finally refused to live with him. CHAPTER XXXIII. The Old Settlers' Society— Its Organization in 1872— List of Old Settlers— a Summary of Their Proceedings, The Old Settlers' Society of Waupaca County was organized in 1872, in pursuance of a call numerously signed, and published in the County papers. The first meeting was held at the Tarbell House, Weyauwega, March 28, 1872. The meeting was called to order by W. F. Waterhouse. Hon. Louis Bostedo, of Weyauwega, was chosen Chairman, and J. Wakefield, of Fre- mont, Secretary. Ira Millerd, of New London, and Judge Ogden, of Waupaca, were chosen Vice Presidents. The following gentlemen were chosen a commit- tee to present a Constitution and By-laws : G. W. Taggart, John Fordyce, Weyauwega; James Smiley, Mukwa; G. L. Lord, Waupaca; Giles S. Doty, Larrabee. The following were chosen a committee to pre- pare a program of exercises: Lucius Taft, New London; A. D. Smith, Lind; William A. Springer, Fremont; M. A. Stinchfield, Waupaca; W. F. Waterhouse, Weyauwega. The committee made the following report : 204 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Opening address, by Hon. E. L. Browne, Wau- paca. Historical relations. Supper at the Tarbell House. Toasts and responses ; W. F. Waterhouse, toast master. A general social conference, without formality. The committee on nominations was composed as follows: A. Y. Balch, Weyauwega; William Masters, Royal ton ; George M. Pope, Lind ; Paul Farrinacci, New London; W. A. Springer, Fre- mont; J. W. Hibbard, Waupaca; James Smiley, Mukwa; O. A. Quimb3^, Dupont; I. Brown, Leb- anon ; Giles S. Doty, Larrabee ; W. Fife, Caledonia. CONSTITUTION. The committee reported a Constitution, which was adopted. A residence of seventeen years in the County was required as a condition of mem- bership in the Society. The officers were to consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and an Executive Committee of five. The annual meeting was to be held on the sec- ond Wednesday of February, for the election of officers. The following persons then signed the Constitu- tion, and became members : Louis Bostedo came in 1851, Ira Millerd '52, Carr Barker '51, J. S. Potter '49, L. Taft '51, Paul Farrinacci '52, HoUis Gibson '52, O. A. Quimby HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 205 '55, D. Baxter '54, R. Baxter '49, J. W. Dean '54, E. Selleck '51, Ira Millerd, Jr., '52, G. D. Tarbell '50, M. A. Stinchfield 50, N. Pope, Jr., '53, J. Jenney '51, W. A. Springer '49, A. Sibley '50, W. E, Powers '49, Thomas Durant '55, Conrad Jerold '50, A. D. Smith '54, C. B. Lewis '53, J. W. Hib- bard '49, E. L. Browne '52, W. F. Waterhouse '52, D. Hutchinson '53, George L. Lord '50, P. A. Chesley '52, Andrew Gardner '53, James Thomas '49, W. H. Teal '56, D. Axtell '54, William Masters '54, G. S. Doty '51, E. Edwards '53, John Fordyce '52, T. Rich '53, E. Whitlock '54, George E. More '49, R. Chambers '54, L. L. Post '51, D. D. Bum- ham '56, J. N. Mathews '55, A. P. Jones '50, H. B. Hulse '53, J. Baxter '52, William Chambers, Sr., '54, A. V. Balch '51, Alfred Gardner '53, James Smiley '51, George W. Taggart '49, George M. Pope '50, W. Fife '54, J. Poll '53, C. S. Ogden '54, J. Wakefield '55, T. Jenney '49, W. C. Potter '53, W. G. Gumaer '56, A. L. Bostedo '52, G. Farley '53, J. Van Orman '54, J. A. Chesley '52, Ira Markham '55, Johnson Tarr '51, Henry C. Mumbrue '52, Robert Brown '54, P. Meiklejohn '49, B. B. Waterhouse '56, F. D. Dewey '49. LADIES. Isabella Isbell, C. L. Calkins, Elizabeth Thomas, M. Bostedo, C. E. Ogden, S. Dean, E. B. Gibson, Ruth Jenney, F. C. Potter, M. Meiklejohn, E. Post, H. M. Dean, D. P. Farrinacci, E. J. Pope, M. M. Allen, H.J. Gardner, M. E. Potter, N. Waterhouse, 206 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. S. A. Taft, J. E. Springer, S. Millerd, M. Durant, E. C. Quimby, E. L. Taggart, C. Clarke, R. Baxter, S. Edwards, R. S. Millerd, S. T. Balch, A. L. Webber, M. J. Balch, M. M. Wakefield, Abby Combs, M. C. Hulse, E. Bostedo, Margaret Sum- ner, Lelia S. Teal, M. Barker, E. M. Baxter, B. B. Waterhouse, S. Waterhouse, S. Baxter, S. G. Bracket. The committee on nominations recommended the following officers, who were elected : President, Louis Bostedo ; Vice President, Lucius Taft; Secretary, Judge C. S. Ogden ; Treasurer, G. M. Pope; Historian, J. Wakefield; Executive Com- mittee, E. L. Browne, Chairman, A. D. Smith, Giles S. Doty, George W. Taggart, James Smiley. Hon. E. L. Browne then gave one of his happiest addresses, amid general applause. After supper came the toasts and responses : Toast, by W. F. Waterhouse— '' The good ship Mayflower, and the good steamer Peggy ; the one landing her passengers and cargo on Plymouth Rock, to people and civilize the wilds of New Eng- land, the other landing her cargo and passengers on the marsh at Gills Landing, to people and civi- lize the wilds of Waupaca County." Response by Hon. L. Bostedo, who gave a very amusing account of a voyage on the Peggy from Oshkosh to Gills Landing in the Spring of 1853. Toast, by W. C. Potter—'' Staple nourishment of HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 207 the river towns— suckers and milk !" Pleasant re- sponse by William Barnes. Toast, by Hon. E. L. Browne—*' To the memory of the Peggy." Toast, by the same— ''The Judiciary of Waupaca County." Response by W. F. Waterhouse. H. C. Mumbrue brought down the house when he told of the bear chase, near Gills Landing, in which W. F. Waterhouse was the principal actor. The meeting then adjourned. J. Wakefield, Secretary. SECOND MEETING. The second Old Settlers' Reunion was held at Waupaca, February 12, 1873. At that meeting ninety new members were added. A speech by Judge Gate had been expected, but he failed to appear, and Hon. E. L. Browne came to the rescue with a well received address. The following officers were elected : President, Hon. L. Bostedo; Vice President, H. C. Mumbrue; Secretary, J. Wakefield; Treasurer, Evan Townsend; Historian, W. F. Waterhouse; Executive Committee, Ira Millerd, Judge C. S. Ogden, G. W. Taggart, J. W. Perry, G. S. Doty. Toast, by W. F. Waterhouse— '' The Press of Waupaca County." Response by Vice President Mumbrue. Toast — "The amateur sportsmen of Waupaca County." Laughable responses by W. F. Water- house and A. Y. Balch. 208 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Toast— ^' The boys of Waupaca County." Re- sponse by Rev. Stanley Lathrop. Toast— ^' The first child bom in the County." (Said to be Mary Hibbard, of Waupaca.) Toast — The Old Settlers ; they have carried civi- lization across the continent, frofti Plymouth Rock to the setting sun." Toast — ''The early navigation of Wolf River." Response by H. C. Mumbrue. Toast — ''Early Judiciary of Waupaca County." Responses by E. L. Browne, W. F. Waterhouse, and J. Wakefield, giving amusing experiences in some of our primitive courts. On motion of W. F. Waterhouse, Hon. E. L. Browne was thanked for his entertaining address. C. S. Ogden, Secretary. NEW MEMBERS. John Moodie, N. Perkins, Mrs. D. L. Manchester, J. Lutzer, Huldah Lutzer, E. Townsend, L. Perkins, R. R. Roberts, C. G. Witt, R. Witt, W. Consolus, Lydia Consolus, J. Mead, Nancy Mead, B. S. Dar- ling, Frances Darling, Charles Peter, R. Green, J. B. Green, F. L. Witt, Lucia Witt, J. Spencer, F. Beardmore, J. R. Parish, Mary Caldwell, Ann Meiklejohn, Frank Hutchinson, Mrs. Huntoon, E. Chandler, W. West, D. Parish, W. J. Chamberlain, G. White, H. Dunbar, Martha Axtell, Nancy Axtell, Olive Hibbard, Mary Roberts, Mrs. C. M. Bright, Mary Ogden, Mrs. H. H. Miles, Mrs. G. L. Le Gros, Sarah Ogden, Elvira Hopkins, Maria Dewey, HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 209 Mrs. M. E. Smith, Mrs. Elizabeth Streit, Marj- J, Parish, Lucy Moodie, Mrs. J. Crocker, J. Crocker, Mrs. Whitney, Elizabeth Masters, A. H. Chandler, Mrs. J. W. Chandler, H. M. Vaughn, Mrs. Clark, C. C. Baxter, Frances E. Edwards, C. E. Dreutzer, Nelly Dreutzer, J. W. Perry, A. Gasman, T. M. Paine, B. Strain, S. Woodnorth, A. J. Van Epps, John M. Ware, H. Looker, John Minton, C. Beton, W. S. Worth, Mrs. H. Young, H. Baxter, Isabel Bumham, Flora P. Rich, A. Rich, S. E. Lathrop, C. O. Brown, Thomas Axtell, John Gordinier, Asa Axtell, R. B. Axtell, Samuel Leonard, John A. Ogden, J. G. Bemis, J. S. Redfield, Charles Church- ill, Mrs. G. L. Lord, Mrs. E. L. Browne. THIRD REUNION. The third reunion was held at New London, February 19, 1874. Historian Waterhouse read a very interesting report, portions of w^hich are published in this volume. A neat address of welcome in behalf of the New London Old Settlers was made by Captain Ster- ling, and responded to by Vice President Mumbrue. Appropriate remarks were made by several Old Settlers. The New London Glee Club gave some excellent vocal and instrumental music. OFFICERS ELECTED. President, Hon. L. Bostedo ; Vice President, H. C. Mumbrue; Secretary, J. Wakefield; Treasurer, 210 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Evan Townsend; Historian, W. F. Waterhouse; Executive Committee, G. W. Taggart, Ira Millerd, Judge Ogden, Giles Doty. Toast, by W. F. Waterhouse — ''The early poli- ticians of Waupaca County." Response by James Meiklejohn, running over with genuine humor. Toast, by Ira Millerd — ''The first mercantile establishment at New London." Response by William Masters, telling "how they used to do it." Toast, by H. C. Mumbrue — "The early inter- preters of the Indian language on Wolf River." Re- sponse by J. C. Hoxie, creating some merriment when he told how " Bill " Masters used to interpret Menominee. Toast— " Spruce gum gatherers." A. J. Perkins told about that. Toast, by Giles S. Doty— "The early settlers of Bear Creek." That called out C. W. Packard. Toast, by J. E. Devins—" Early weddings of Waupaca County." W. F. Waterhouse told how he once employed Devins to interpret for him at a wedding, and then "Jim" managed to secure the lion's share of the fee. In addition to the toasts and responses, some very interesting reminiscences were called out. NEW MEMBERS. John M. Vaughn, M. L. Haywood, H. S. E. Haywood, Eliza Stinchfield, George Hammond, Hiram Lyon, Joseph Hammond, C. W. Packard, A. F. Tucker, Fred Hale, Edward Dawson, R. M. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 211 May, C. F. Eaton, Mrs. J. C. Eaton, James E. Devins, Mrs. J. E. Devins, Benjamin Dean, Mrs.W. A. West, Mrs. William Dayton, Mrs. R. Chand- ler, Nathan Johnson, Mrs. N. Johnson, C. E. Gordon, H.Brown, W. A. Sterling, D. L. Manches- ter, D. Dinem, P. Gorman, J. E. Snell, E. E. Dickin- son, A. C. Daugherty, C. V. Sherman, A. P. Jones, W. A. Clinton, P. Dickinson, F. M. Guernsey, R.M. Hubbard, Mrs. H. M. Hubbard, Henry Stillman, Mrs. Doty, Mrs. Guernsej^ James Meiklejohn, Mrs. A. Smith, Sarah E. Clinton, Mrs. Chittenden, Mrs. C. L. Hale, Mrs. L. R. McCall, Mrs. H. Brown. FOURTH REUNION. The fourth reunion was held at Weyauwega, February 17, 1875. Officers elected: President, L. Bostedo ; Vice President, Giles S. Doty ; Secretarj^ J. Wakefield ; Treasurer, Evan Townsend; Historian, Peter Meiklejohn; Executive Committee, A. V. Balch, Royal Green, Ira Millerd, James Meiklejohn, U. P. Clinton. W. C. Potter, M. A. Stinchfield, and W. A. Springer were appointed a committee to prepare a list of questions for the use of the Historian. Arrangements were made to hold a special meet- ing and picnic at White Lake the following Sum- mer. WHITE LAKE PICNIC. July 24, 1875, the Old Settlers assembled at White Lake. 212 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. An excellent address was delivered by Rev. Stanley E. Lathrop, of Waupaca, after which an old-fashioned old settlers' dinner was partaken of. After dinner there were short addresses by Elder Ashmun, Dr. Brainard, N. Livermore, A. V. Balch and others, who gave pleasing experiences of the old times. NEW MEMBERS. George H. Calkins, N. Livermore, P. A. House, Mrs. A. Farley, V. G. Calkins, Harriet Calkins, J. Ashmun, Felix Oborn, E. S. Wait, Mrs. Emily Wait, L. M. Collier, Mrs. L. M. Collier, 'Andrew Mack, Mrs. A. Mack, Mrs. H. A. Mather, Mrs. E. Wilcox, Andrew Meiklejohn, E. J. Ashmun and wife, M. Campbell, H. S. Baldwin, Harriet Bald- win, J. C. Williams, A. B. Wightman, M. P. Wight- man, H. W. Eldridge, T. B. Putney, Jane Cham- bers, J. W. Penney, Mrs. M. B. Morse, Mrs. A. M. Clark, Mrs. J. S. Redfield, Frank Conrad. FIFTH REUNION. The fifth reunion was held at the Court House, Waupaca, February 16, 1876. There was prayer by Rev. Stanley E. Lathrop, and singing by the Waupaca Glee Club. Secretary Wakefield being absent, Hon. A. V. Balch was chosen Secretary pro tern. OflScers elected: President, Hon. L. Bostedo; Vice President, James Meiklejohn; Secretary, E. Selleck ; Treasurer, Evan Townsend ; Historian, J. Wakefield; Executive Committee, A. V. Balch, HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 213 M .A. Stinchfield, J. C. Hoxie, J. P. Bailey, Giles S. Doty. Twenty-five dollars was voted to Historian Wakefield, to aid him in gathering the statistics called for at a previous meeting. Rev. Stanley E. Lathrop gave one of his happiest addresses, closing by reading the old farm ballad, " Out of the old house into the new." The Glee Club than sang '' Auld Lang Syne," the audience joining. The time for the annual meeting was changed to the first Wednesday in September. The meeting closed by singing ''Home, Sweet Home." NEW MEMBERS. Mrs. A. Custard, Mrs. P. A. Chesley, Miss F. L. Le Gros, Carrie Calkins, Mrs. L. F. West, Josie Chesley, Mrs. Mary B. Paine, John Jardine, H. W. Waterhouse, John Townsend and wife, J. Brown, J. D. Bailey, A. Vaughn, Thomas Pipe, A. S. West and wife, S. S. Chandler, Miss M. Gordinier, Amos Smith and wife, N. R. Burbank and wife. SIXTH REUNION. The sixth reunion was held February 14, 1877, at Craig's Hall, Roy alt on. After prayer by Elder Fastman, A. V. Balch was chosen Secretary pro tern, in the absence of Sec- retary Selleck. The report of Historian Wakefield was read, and critisized by the Old Settlers. 214 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Officers elected: President, Hon. L. Bostedo; Vice President, Hon. Gorge E. More; Secretary, Hon. A. Y. Balch; Treasurer, Evan Townsend; Historian, J. Wakefield; Executive Committee, William Masters, M. A. Stinchfield, W. A. Sterling, G. W. Taggart, A. W. Johnson. There was no meeting in 1878. CALLED MEETING. A called meeting was held at White Lake, August 1, 1879. In the absence of the President and Vice Presi- dent, the meeting was called to order by William Masters, Chairman of the Executive Committee, who was then chosen President pro tern. In tak- ing the chair, Mr. Masters feelingly alluded to the death of our late President, Hon. Louis Bostedo, who had so long presided over our deliberations, and who had for many years taken so much interest in the society. He remarked that his death had been the reason why no meeting of the society had been held in 1878. Officers elected: President, Hon. E. L. Browne; Vice President, Hon. L. L. Post; Secretary, Hon. A. V. Balch; Treasurer, M. A. Stinchfield; His- torian, J. Wakefield; Executive Committee, W. A. Springer, William Masters, F. D. Dewey, H. Gib- son, Ira Millerd. NEW MEMBERS. Isabel Mathews, Jane A. Van Epps, P. M. Davis and wife. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 215 By looking over ottr records, we find the names of 314 who had become members of our society since its organization. The Historian can find nothing that is worthy of particular mention in any subsequent meeting of the society. Some of those whose names are here recorded are still with us, and may be spared for a few more gatherings ; but the eighteen years that have passed since the organization of our society, have done a fearful work in thinning our ranks. We can not record the names of all the missing ones, and would not have the heart to do so if we could. They have shaken hands with us for the last time here, and passed over that deep, dark river, which we must all cross soon. It may be that when we all get over there we shall be permitted to remember some of our pleasant meetings here, and take delight in those pleasing recollections. CHAPTER XXXIV. List of County Officials Since the Organization, Compiled From The Records. The following is a complete list of County officers since the organization in 1851. The list has been compiled from County records, and is as accurate as that source of information makes possible : COUNTY JUDGE. S. F. Ware, A. K. Osbom, C. S. Ogden, Winfield Scott, C. S. Ogden. 216 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. REGISTER OF DEEDS. James Smiley, Charles Redfield, E. I. Putnam, C. L. Gtimaer, O. E. Druetzer, W. B. Mumbrue, C. Caldwell, E. Selleck, Ole R. Olson, Ole O. Hole, J. H. Woodnorth, Henry Geibel, Rollin S. Burbank. COUNTY CLERK. Charles Gumaer, Mellen Chamberlain, Melzor Parker, Lucius Taft, A. Sorenson, M. F. Soren- son, W. S. Carr, A. J. Perkins, S. T. Ritchie, O. T. Hambleton. J. W. Dean. COUNTY TREASURER. G. W. Taggart, Simon C. Dow, C. O. Brown, Evan Townsend, E. Coolidge, G. L. Lord, C. M. Fenelon, W. J. Chamberlain, N. L. Nelson, Hans Benlick, A. L. Rowe. CLERK OF COURT. J. H. Jones, D. M. Coffen, H. C. Mumbrue, Win- field Scott, L. J. Perry, Charles Churchill, W. R. Binkleman, J. M. Hatch. SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. S. C. Dow, J. Wornley, J. K. McGregor, E. G. Furlong, C. W. Packard, W. B. Mumbrue, J. Burnham, C. M. Bright, L. L. Wright, O.E. Wells, William Fowlie, F. S. Grubb. DISTRICT ATTORNEY. John Fordyce, M. H. Sessions, George A. La Dow, Myron Reed, C. S. Ogden, J. W. Carter, C. C. Kinsman, J. B. Strain, J. Wakefield, O. F. Weed, F. F. Wheeler, E. J. Goodrick, J. F. Dufur, F. C. Weed, A. L. Hutchinson, F. M. Guernsey. HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 217 COUNTY SURVEYOR. G. W. Taggart, Ira Sumner, A. V. Balch, Myron Boughton, Ira Millerd, H. Cleaves, A. W. Johnson. SHERIFF. John M. Vaughn, Lyman Dayton, W. C. Carr, Barney Brown, W. G. Thompson, Asa Worden, O. Worden, C. M. Fenelon, Selah Cornwell, G. W. Taggart, L. S. Townsend, John Gordinier, J. W. Bingham, Selah Cornwell, A. J. Van Epps, O. H. Rowe, H. P. Briggs, Ole Sether, Andrew Williams, Ed. Williams. MEMBER OF ASSEMBLY. David Scott, L. Bostedo, B. F. Phillips, Andrew J. Dufur, Warner C. Carr, Melvin B. Patchin, Chester D. Combs, A. K. Osborn, Reuben Doud, E. P. Perry, J. W. Carter, M. H. Sessions, A. V. Balch, G. E. More, A. D. Smith. In 1873 the County was divided into two Assembly districts. First District— C: Caldwell, G. H. Calkins, Asa L. Baldwin, L. L. Post, S. A. Phillips, J. Wakefield, E. W. Brown, A. G. Nelson, William Masters, Evan Coolidge, A. R. Lea. Second District — C L. Rich, Lorenzo E. Dar- ling, Herman Naber, F. M. Guernsey, H. S. Dixon, J. Scanlon, Nels Anderson, C. A. Davis, George Warren, A. S. McDonald, Jacob Wipf, David Jennings. 218 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. CHAPTER XXXY. List of the Postofficks in Waupaca County, with theik Location. P03T0FFICE. LOCATION. TOWN. Crystal Lake Section 27 Dayton Rural Section 10 Dayton Badger Section 30 Farmington Sheridan Section 8 .Farmington Scandinavia Village Scandinavia lol a Village lola Pe ters ville Section 21 .lola Hatton Section 25 Lind Lind Section 21 Lind Waupaca City Waupaca Ogdensburg Village St. Lawrence Big Falls Section 26 Wyoming Frem omt Village , Fremont Paradise Section 17 Fremont Wey au wega Village Weyauwega Baldwin's Mills Section 18 Royalton Roy alton Village Royalton Little Wolf. Section 34 Little Wolf Mana wa Village Little Wolf Sy mco Section 31 Union Marble Section 12 Union Dupont Section 27 Dupont M arion Village Dupont Readfield Section 23 Caledonia Ostrander Section 8 Mukwa Northport Village Mukwa HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 219 New London City Muk wa Nicholson Section 28 Bear Creek Clinton ville City Larrabee Buckbee Section 17 Larrabee Embarrass Village Mattes on CHAPTER XXXVL Strange Indian History — Indian Prophet "Walking Iron" AT New London Two Centuries ago— The Great Indian Village— The Propiikt's Harem. There is a strange chapter of Indian history con- nected with New London. Two hundred years ago here was a great Indian village, and here were the sacred Indian grounds. Here centered an insti- tution more mysterious than Mormonism. Here flourished an Indian prophet, the great "Walking Iron," whose harem exploits eclij)sed the wildest dreams of Brigham Young. Hither came Indians and maidens from all tribes in the Northwest, bringing costly presents, to obtain charms and medicines of the Prophet and his elders. All were brothers and friends inside the sacred grounds. The Prophet counted his wives by hundreds, and his followers by thousands. This singular institution lasted thirty years, and was ended with the exposure and death of "Walk- ing Iron." In later years the great Menominee chief Ah- kaw-met, had his village and planting grounds here, on the north side of the Wolf River. \- /% H^^ J.°%. kOv. >*' o H o A) v^ 0^ f>'*«* •l°x. • •< ° ■* ^0 ■ 9^ \