'aJeUnwerfrtV H 390020^035^ wm\V iiiyi t c ^^Rllllll llSlllSiPiS? femmM YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY *943 REsrbr E.RSawyer Algoma and W. Algoma Sts. Oshkosh,Wis. Res.of Hon.P Sawyer Street View, Oshkosm. HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY WISCONSIN, AND Early History of the Northwest. By RICHARD J. HARNEY. OSHKOSH: Allen & Hicks, Book Printers. 1880. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by B. J. Hakney, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. INTRODUCTORY. In this work the author has attempted to give the leading events in the early history of the interior of the Continent; and the progress of that civilization, the course of which was on the line of those great water-courses, of which the Fox and Wisconsin rivers were important lines of communication, The first portion embraces the French-Indian period of history, from the days of Jacques, Cartier and Champlain, on the St. Lawrence, to the early days of the American occupation. All students of the period of French- Indian history are aware that its recital is fragment ary; that in order to learn it, recourse must be had to many volumes; and that to the average intelligent reader, the task requires too much time. Our Fox River Valley was one of the principal scenes in that history which is here con densed into a comparatively small compass, through the most diligent and careful research and. labor. Nearly fifty volumes of various works have been consulted in ascertaining the facts which are recounted, and in many instances the original Indian treaties have been examined. Among the works consulted are Charlevoix's History of New France, Schoolcraft's Indian Tribes, Parkman's Works, Bancroft's History of the United States, Wisconsin State Historical Collec tions, Mrs. Kenzie's Early Day, Barber's History of the West, etc., etc. Although the field occupied by this work has been partly gone over by others, the author challenges the closest scrutiny in regard to plagiarism. The facts of history are not the exclu sive property of any writer — the method of telling them, of putting them together, the language used in their recital and the style of expression is the work of the writer, and for which he either merits praise or censure. In this work the most scrupulous care has been taken to give credit for all that has been copied from the writings of others. The discovery of the lead mines at Fevre River (Galena) in 1822, led to the so-called American settlement of the country. This event was followed by the Winnebago outbreak and Black Hawk war; after the close of which, American immigration poured in, the extinguish ment of Indian titles commenced and the old French-Indian occupancy of the country was superseded by that of the Americans. A new historical era commenced in 1833, and in 1836 practically commenced the settlement of Winnebago County. From this period the history of Winnebago County is given; from the days of the bark canoe, Indian wigwam and log houses of the early settlers, up to its present highly civilized development, with all the details of its progress. The history of each city and town in the county is given separately, from the days of their earliest settlement. In procuring this data each locality has been visited and hundreds of persons, town and county records and files of newspapers consulted. This work has involved great labor and expense; and but few people are aware of the time required and the difficulties encountered in the accomplishment of such a task. The hope is indulged in that it will be justly appreciated by the people of this county, whose interests are subserved by its publica tion, and that it will prove to be of enduring value. TABLE OF CONTENTS. EARLY HISTORY OF?NORTHWEST. CHAPTER I. PAGB8, The Fox Biver "Valley of Central Wisconsin . A Record of Two Centuries, commencing with the First Explorations of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, the Links connecting the Great Water Courses of the United States. The Ancient Thor oughfare of the Frontier Traffic and Travel of the Great West. Some of the first pages of American Civilization found in the Early History of Central Wisconsin 9-11 CHAPTER II. Samuel de Champlain, the Pioneer Explorer of the Interior of the Continent, Founds Quebec. He forms an Alliance with the Algonquins and Hurons 11- 12 CHAPTER III. Indian Tribes. Divisions and Population. Location of the various Nations. Green Bay and the Lake Winnebago and Fox River Country the centers of large Indian Populations. The Belligerent Iroquois 12- 14 CHAPTER IV. Champlain's Explorations. Indian Allies. War Dance. He Discovers Lake Champlain. Engagement with the Iroquois. 14- 15 CHAPTER V. The Policy of France to Incorporate the Indian Tribes into a French-Indian Empire. Alliance formed with the Algon quin Tribes, for the purpose of Resisting the Raids of the Iroquois. Attempt to Christianize the Indians, as a Prepara tory Step to their Civilization. The Jesuit Missionaries 15-16 CHAPTER VI. The Land of the Hurons. Champlain's voyage to their Country in 1615. A Journey through the Wilderness of Nine Hun dred miles. Champlain discovers Lake Huron. The first White Men that ever paddled over its surface. Description of the Country of the Hurons 16-19 CHAPTER VII. Defenseless Condition of Quebec. Piratical Attack on Quebec. Its Surrender to the English flag. Restoration to the French flag. Champlain Commandant of the Post for ten years longer. His death in 1635. Quebec becomes the Commer cial Emporium of the Interior of the Continent. Its Trade through the Labyrinth of Water Arteries branching from the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi 19-21 CHAPTER VIII. The Huron Missions . Arrival of the Jesuits . Their Journey to the Hurons. The Bark Mission House. The Founding of Montreal. The First Century in the History of the Interior Like a Tale of Chivalry 21-25 CHAPTER IX. Iroquois War. They Boast that they will Exterminate all the other Indian Nations and the French. The Capture and Sufferings of Isaac Jouges. Building of Fort Bichelieu. . . 25- 26 CHAPTER X. Iroquois War. Invasion of the Huron Country. Destruction of the Hurons and the Huron Missions. Conflagration of the Indian Villages and the Mission Houses. Bravery of the Missionaries. Their Terrible Death. The Hurons and Ottawas Abandon their Country and settle in the NorthweBt, at Michilimackinac, Sault St Marie and Green Bay 27-30 CHAPTER XI. Migration of the Algonquin Tribes to the South Shore of Lake Superior and Green Bay. First Commerce of the North west. Allouez, Marquette and Dablon, Pioneers in Western Discovery and Settlement. First Western Settlements. The Fox River Valley a Great Center of Indian Population. Allouez and Dablon visit the site of Oshkosh and Butte des Morts, and are Hospitably Entertained . Lovely Scenery of the Lake Winnebago Country. The Discovery of the Upper Mississippi, Marquette'B Death and Burial 30-36 CHAPTER XII. PAGES. Count Frontenac and La Salle Secure the Head of the St. Law rence and set out to Establish a line of Communication between Quebec .and the Mouth of the Mississippi. La Salle Builds Fort Frontenac at the Head of the St. Law rence and another at Niagara Constructs the Griffin and Launches her. The first Vessel on the Lakes. Her trip up the Lakes to Michilimackinac and Green Bay. His voyage to the Country of the Illinois. Massacre of the Illinois by the Iroquois. La Salle organizes the Illinois and other tribes taking the Leadership. Builds a Fort on "Starv*e Rock" on the Illinois River. Attempt to Found a Colony at the mouth of , the Mississippi. Assassination of La Salle. Destruction of the Colony 36-43 CPAPTER XIII. Hennepm Explores the Upper Mississippi. Captured by the Sioux and taken to their Country. His Rescue and Arrival at Green Bay 43- 44 CHAPTER XIV. War Between the French and English Colonies. Frontenac Ravages the Iroquois Country. That Nation sues for Peace with the French. Detroit Founded. The French in Pos session of the Country from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico 44- 47 CHAPTER XV. Fox River and Lake Winnebago Country. Traders and Voy- ageurs Beautiful Scenery. The Channel of Aboriginal and ¦ Frontier Life, Trade and Travel. Here occurred the First Intercourse between the Indians of the West and the Whites. Capt. Jonathan Carver at Doty Island in 1766. Siege of Big Buttes des Morts bv De Louvigny in 1716 48-53 CHAPTER XVI. Battle of Little Buttes des Morts. Sanguinary Engagement The most Populous Village of the Foxes Destroyed . The Expulsion of the Foxes from the Fox River Valley. The Menominees take Possession of the Fox Country. Tomah, the Great Menominee Chief 53-55 CHAPTER XVII. Wisconsin the Border Ground in the Long Contest between the Algonquins and Dacotahs. The Historic Ground of the Northwest. The Souix the Original Inhabitants of Wiscon sin. The Sioux expelled by the Chippewas. The Winne- bagoes, their villages and Chiefs 55-60 CHAPTER XVIII. The French Posts and Settlements in the West. The Coureur de Bois. His mode of Life and Uanoe voyages. " French Officers trained in Forest Warfare in the Campaigns of the Fox Valley. De Beaujeu and Charles De Langlade, the pioneer settler of Wisconsin, Defeat Braddock at the cele brated Battle of the Monongehela. Opening and Closing of the French-Indian War. Pontiac's War. Massacre of the English Garrison at^ Michilimackinac 61- 65 CHAPTER XIX. The early French Settlers. Judge Porlier and Grignons. Soci ety of Green Bay in the Early Day The New Comers, the Americans. The Northwest in the War of 1812. Siege ana Surrender of the American Fort at Prairie du Chien. Mas- Bacre of the American Garrison at Chicago in 1812. The Kinzie family of Chicago 65-73 CHAPTER XX. The White Settle'mentB in the Northwest at the close of the War of 1812. The Americans first take Possession. First Amer ican vessel at Green Bay. The settlement of the Northwest by the Americans virtually commenced with the working of the Lead Mines in 1822. The Winnebago Outbreak in 1827 . . 73- 75 CHAPTER XXI. The Black Hawk War. Its Origin. Black Hawk's Statement. The Battle of Sycamore Creek . Massacre of three Fami lies. Battle of the Wisconsin. Battle of the Bad Axe. Capture of Black Hawk 76-78 TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXII. pages. The American Fur Company. Social Circles in the Early Day. Adventurous Journey from Fort Winnebago to Chicago by a Lady on Horsebaqk. Lost and nearly Famished. Relief Found in an Indian Wigwam 78-84 CHAPTER XXIII. Indian Boundaries and Extinguishment of Indian Titles jn Wis consin , 84-86 CHAPTER XXIV. The several Territorial organizations of the soil now included in the limits of Wisconsin 87 CHAPTER XXV. On Extinguishment of Indian title to all the territory north of Chicago and south and east of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers in 1833f Immigration to the new Purchase set in. Lines of Steamers and sail Vessels are placer! on the Lakes, roads begin to be used instead of Indian trails. Frink & Walker's Line of Stages. First Land Sales. Wheat Shipments begin. Wisconsin in 1838 87-89 CHAPTER XXVI, Madison selected as the site of State Government. First Sessions of the Legislature, etc 89- 90 CHAPTER XXVII. The Fox and Wisconsin Rivers Improvement. First Surveys and Appropriations of Lands. Purchase of the Rights and Franchises by the United States 90-91 CHAPTER XXVIII. Early settlement of Winnebago County. Its transformation from a Wilderness to the abodes of Civilization. The first Settlers. Beauty and Rich Resources of the Country. Sev eral of the Principal cities of the State cluster around these water courses. Lake Winnebago and its Beautiful Sur- 1 roundinga 92- 94 WINNEBAGO COUNTY. CHAPTER XXIX. The Fox River Valley and Central Wisconsin. Its lovely Water Scenery an Especial Feature. The Fox Valley a conjunc tion of three distinct types of country, with great Natural Resources, and one of the chief Business Thoroughfares of the State 94-95 CHAPTER XXX. County of Winnebago, its Area. Face of the Country. Water, Soil, Timber and Productions 96-97 CHAPTER XXXI. Early French Settlers. The Trading Post at Buttes des Morts. L. B. Porlier. The Grignons. The Business Center of the Upper Fox. Government Agency for the Civilizing of £ie Indians Established at Winnebago Rapids, now Neenah, in 1835 97-98 CHAPTER XXXII. First Permanent Settlers in Winnebago County. The Stanleys and Gallups. The first Houses in Oshkosh. H. A. Gal- lup's Interesting Narrative. New Accessions to the Popu lation 98-102 CHAPTER XXXIII. Early Settlement of the County at Various Points. Harrison Reed commences Operations at Neenah. Governor Doty and Curtis Reed commence work at Menasha. L. M. Parsons Gommences the Settlement at Waukau 103-106 CHAPTER XXXIV. The only White Settlers in the County in 1842 were those in the Vicinity of Oshkosh. Products of the County in 1839. Naming the Place. Post Office Established. Organization of the County. First Roads. First Stores. First Village Plat of Oshkosh. Large Immigration from 1846 to 1850. The Villages of Neenah, Menasha, Waukau, Omro and Win- neconne in 1848-'50 : 107-109 CHAPTER XXXV. Wolf River Pineries. First Logging Operations. First Logs cut on Rat River in 1835 . First Saw Mill on these waters built at Shawanaw in 1843-,44. The Beginning of the Great Lumber Industry and its Rapid Growth. First Flouring Mills. First steamboats, the Manchester and Peytona. First Boat through the Portage Canal. Bridges built across the Fox. The County in 1850 109-110 CHAPTER XXXVI. Incidents in the Early Days. Recollections of Early Settlers. An old time Scrimmage at Omro between Traders and a party of Winnebago Bucks . Doct. Llnde, Captain Powell, Saml. Clough, C. L Rich. The Lost Partridge hild 111-119 CHAPTER XXXVII. Compilation of early Official Data of Winnebago County, com piled from the records and other authentic sources expressly for this work. Organization of the County. First Elec tions. Proceedings of County Board. The Locating of the County Seat 119-124 CHAPTER XXXVIII. pages. Organization of Towns. Incorporation of the cities of this County 124-126 CHAPTER XXXIX. List of County Officers and County Supervisors from the date of Organization of County to 1879 126-129 CHAPTER XL. The Period from 1850 to 1860. The Cheapness and Abundance of Building Material greatly Facilitates the Construction of Buildings. Progress in Improvement. Improved Methods of Farming . The Big Crop of 1860. The growth of Native Timber that has sprung up since the Settlement of the Country. Growth of cities and villages in the County..'. . . 129-131 CHAPTER XLI. War Times. Business prosperity after the close of the war. Prices of Commodities. Manufacturing Stimulated by an Increased Demand The progress in Improvements in all parts of the Country. New Factories and Mills constructed. New Railroads. The Great, Fires in Oshkosh in 1874 and 1875. Big crops in 1875. The County in 1879. Its Manu factures..-. 131-137 HISTORY OF OSHKOSH. CHAPTER XLII. The Embryo City. First Settlers. First Houses. Stores and Hotels. Description of the place in 1846 and 1849. First Saw Mills, Grist Mills and SteamboatB. List of the Business Firms in Oshkosh in 1849-'50. "The DayB of Auld Lang Syne." Items from the Oshkosh Democrat in the Early Day. Market Reports High Water, the Country Flooded. A Historic Bell. Oshkosh becomes a city. Items from the Oshkosh Courier. The Winnebago Railroad 137-144 CHAPTER XLIII. Fires. Bonds issued to St. Paul & Fond du Lac Railroad. Osh kosh in 1856. Great Fire of 1859. Northwestern Railroad built. Railroad Accident. Items from the Northwestern. War Times. Oshkosh Volunteers . The Draft and Filling the Quota. The close of the War. Good Times. Progress in Improvements. The Fire in 1866. Nicholson Pave ment. High School Building and other Structures erected. Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. Northern HoBpital for the Insane built near Oshkosh. Gas Works constructed and the city lighted 144-150 * CHAPTER XLIV. The Great Conflagrations of 1874 and 1875. Destruction of the Business Portion of the City. Rebuilding of Oshkosh. List of Structures erected in 1875 150-159 CHAPTER XLV. The Business Firms of Oshkosh after the Fire in Board Shan ties. A new Impetus in Improvements and Progress. Pub lic and Private Enterprises in 1879. New Branches of Manufacture. Construction of the Grand Exposition Build ing. The Northern State Fair. Oshkosh market reports from 1868 to 1879 159-162 CHAPTER XLVI. The City of Oshkosh. Its Situation, Tributary Country, Sur roundings, Water and Railroad Communications. Descrip tion of the City. Its Manufactures, Business Btreets and Elegant Residences and Grounds. Oshkosh a Summer Resort and Watering Place. The Yachting Center of the Northwest. The Oshkosh Yacht Club. Public Buildings. 162-165 CHAPTER XL VII. Oshkosh Business Houses. Statistics of Manufacture. Import ance and Facilities of Oshkosh as a Manufacturing Center . . 165-169 CHAPTER XLVIII. Notices of Manufacturing Establishments Illustrated in this work and of Business Houses and Residences 169-182 CHAPTER XLIX. City and County Officers, Courts and Judges, Fire and Police Department in 3879. Schools, Churches and Societies 182-189 CHAPTER L. History of the Newspaper Press of Oshkosh ... 189-194 CHAPTER LI. Municipal Finance. The several issues of Bonds by the C ity of Oshkosh. Amount the City has Invested in Permanent Public Improvements. Present Indebtedness 194 CHAPTER LXXIV. Oshkosh taking a new start in the Race of Progress. New Fac tories and Mills Erected in the Winter of 1879-80. Another Large Sash and Door Factory Built Four more Saw Mills Built. Another M achine whop and a Flouring m ill erected. The Oshkosh Carriage Works, a mammoth concern employ ing one hundred and fifteen hands started during the past Year Two large Additional Buildings added to the Trunk Factory. Other Factories enlarged and their capacities Iucreased. Glazed Sash an industry of Immense Magni tude. Twenty-six car-loads of Glass Ordered, during one Week, by the Glazed Sash Factories. Oshkosh the great est Sash and 'Door Manufacturing Center in the United States 296 (z)-296 (wj TABLE OF CONTENTS. CITY OF NEENAH. CHAPTER LU. pages. The Early History of Neenah. The Government Agency, for the ( ivilizing of the Menominees. A Mill, Shops and Block Houses built in 1835 and 1836, at Winnebago Rapids, the present site of Neenah. Harrison Reed in 1844 purchases the site from the Government. George Mansur and Family arrive in 1843, and become the First White Family Perma nently settled in the present limits of Neenah. In 1845 Gov. Doty builds his House on the Island. Gorham P. Vining, George Harlow, Ira Baird and the Rev. O. P. Clinton settle in Neenah. First Birth, Marriage and Death. First Religi ous Servi«es. The Joneses become Proprietors. More new comers in 1847, a t 'ompany chartered for the Improvement of the Water Power. In 1847, the First Village Plat recorded by Harrison Reed. In same year Mr. Ladd erects the Win nebago Hotel. The firm of Jones & Yale open a store. 1848, the Kimberlys purchase property and commence improvements. In 1850, Board of Village Trustees elected. Kimberly builds the Pioneer Flouring Mill, (.anal Lock Completed. Steamers Jennie Lind and Barlow built. Another Flouring Mill completed. Saw Mill constructed. Another Manufacturing Establishment in Operation and two more Flouring Mills. The Village Plats of Winnebago Rapids and Neenah consolidated under the corporate name of Neenah. In 1856 the first Passage of a Steamer between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay was made, the Aquilla passing through Neenah Lock 194-204 CHAPTER LIU, The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Constructed to Neenah. Banks Established. The Seventh Flouring Mill Built. Final Settlement of the Jones Estate. Additional Mills Built. FirBt Maper Mill. Wisconsin Central Railroad. City of Neenah Incorporated, List of City Officers from Date of Incorporation, More Paper Mills. Hotels. Schools. Churches 204-210 CHAPTER LIV. Description of Neenah. Scenery, Location and Historical Asso ciations. Summer Resort. Water and Railroad Communi cations. Manufactories. Business Houses. Illustrations and Personal Notices 210-213 CHAPTER LV. Town of Neenah. Early History. Physical Description. Organ ization. Early Settlers, Etc 213-215 CITY OF MENASHA. CHAPTER LVI. The Early History of the City of Menasha . Purchase of Site. Commencement of Improvements. First House Built. First School and FirBt Religious Services First Birth. Rivalry Betwen Neenah and Menasha for Location of State Canal. Menasha Secures the Prize. Store Opened. Postoffice Estab lished. Dam l. ompleted. First Saw Mill in Operation First Grist Mill. More Manufactories Established. Steamboat Built. Plank Road and Bridge Constructed. Government Land Office Established at Menasha. The Village Incorpor ated. Distinguished Residents. I aptainMcKinnon's Blooded Stock. Increased Transportation Facilities. Completion of Canal. Large Shipment of Freight by this Route from Green Bay to Fond du Lac. John Fitzgerald Establishes an Exchange Office. Another Flouring Mill Built. In 1856 Uninterrupted Navigation Opened Between Lake Winnebago andGreen Bay 215-221 CHAPTER LVII. Doty Island. Its Lovely Scenery. Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. More Manufactories . The National Hotel Built and Menasha Bank Established in 1870. Incorporation of the City. List of City Officers from Date of Incorporation to 1879. The Wisconsin Central Railroad and Milwaukee & Northern Railroad. History of Menasha Churches. Menasha Public Schools. City Officials. Civic Societies. Menasha Newspaper Press 221-226 CHAPTER LVIII. Description of City of Menasha. Location. Historical Associa tions. Summer Resort. Water-Power and Water Commu nications . . Manufactories and Resources for Manufacturing. Statistics of Manufacture. Business Houses. Notices of Illustrations 226-229 HISTORY OF TOWNS. PAGES. Algoma 291-294 Blackwolf 279-286 Clayton 271-273 Neenah 213-215 Nekimi 286-291 Nepeuskun 241-248 Menasha 230-231 Omro 294-296 (j) Oshkosh 232-241 Poygan \ 277-279 Eushf ord 248-262 TJtlca 252-261 Vinland Winneconne.Winchester . Wolf River.. PAGES. 269-271261-269 273-274 . 275-277 FARM DIRECTORY. Winnebago County 296 (0) CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. PAGES. City of Oshkosh ... 319-331 Village of Omro 333-335 City of Neenah 335-339 City of Menasha 341-343 Village of Winneconne 343-345 Village of Waukau 345 Village of Eureka 345 ILLUSTRATIONS. CITY OF OSHKOSH. Residences of Philetus and Edgar P. Sawyer First Leaf Street View, Oshkosh Opposite Title Page Residence of L. M. Miller Opposite 49 George Mayer ... " 94 James L. Clark " 95 D. L. Libby " 164 E. L . and Geo . M. Paine " 165 Robert MeMillen " 162 William T.Ellsworth " 163 -Judge D J. Fulling " 163 Andrew Haben " 123 Geo.F.Strond " 92 Ossian Cook " 160 S M. Hay " 161 Petersilea Homestead : " 161 H. C. Jewell " 108 C. W. Felker " 181 Doct. H. B. Dale " 180 Tom Wall " 176 Peter Nicolai " 156 Gen'l Thos. S. Allen " 157 Doct . Frederick H. Linde " 157 H. O. Gustavus " 174 GustavuB Tesch " 175 Augustus Haight " 177 Sash and Door factory, R. MeMillen & Co " 173 Sash and Door Factory, Foster &. Jones " 168 Sash and Door Factory, Geo. W illiamson & Co " 172 Keystone flouring Mill, H C. Gustavus & Co " 169 Works, Storehouses and Docks of Cook, Brown & Co " 171 Star Match Works, James L. Clark " 170 Dry Goods Store, Wm. Hill & Co " 166 Trunk factory, Schmit Brothers " 167 Geo. Mayers' Jewelry Store " 167 Ferdinand Hermann's Block " 158 St. Vincent de Paul Church and Academy ... .. .. " 159 b irst National Bank, Oshkosh " 148 High School Building, Oshkosh " 149 Court House, Oshkosh " 122 Northern Hospital for the Insane " 132 Regatta at Oshkosh, July, 1877 " 93 Beckwith House 342 and 179 Steam Boiler Works, Martin Battis opposite 180 Carriage Works, Parsons & Goodfellow " 296(J) CITY OK NEENAH. Street View Russell House Riverside Park High School Building .' '....'.'..'. John Robert's Summer Resort Residence of A. H. F. Krueger 194195210211213212 CITY OF MENASHA. Residence of E. L. MathewBon School Building Residence of R. M. Soott Residence of A. J. Webster Residence of Elbridge Smith Hub, Spoke and Bent Work Factory, Webster & Lawson . TOWN OF OSHKOSH. Farm and Residence of George Rogers " " Commodore Rogers " " Mrs MarkPlummer : " " George M. Wakefield " " C. L. Rich Cheese Factory, John Ryf TOWN OF UTIC.V. Cheese Factory, James G. Pickett, Pickett Homestead. Farm Residence of J. H. Maxwell Farm Residence of David K. Lawrence " " E. B. Ransom " " The Late George Miller " " WilliamH Clark " " W.S.Catun 226227228229109133 233 232236237 119 104 252 253 269258261 260 131 TABLE OF CONTENTS. TOWN OF JSEKIMI. Farm Residence of William Simmons " " Milan Ford " " Hiram B. Cook TOWN OF ALGOMA.. Farm Residence of Carlton Foster " " Ebenezer Hubbard " " R. C. Wood PAGES. " 106 " 290 " 118 291 292283 TOWN OF BLACK WOLF. Farm Residence of Charles Morgan " George Hemming " " Alexander Bangs " " Geo. A. Randall TOWN OF NEPEUSKUN. Farm Residence of Andrew Sutherland " " Jerome Betry " " Chas. Wm. Kurz TOWN OF RUSHFORD. Waukau Flouring Mills, Bean & Palfrey TOWN OF CLAYTON Farm Residence of L. Hinman 96 283282 48 247246 130 97 107 TOWN OF V1NLAND. F. L, Bartlett. PERSONAL NOTICES. Personal Notices. PAGES. 169-182 296 (k) 296 (71) MANUFACTURERS AND BUSINESS HOUSES. CITY OF 03HKOSH. PAGES. James L. Clark, Star Match Works 169 Foster & Jones, Sash, Door and Lumber M'f'rs 170 Robert McMillen & Co., Sash, Door and Lumber M'f'rs . . . 172 Williamson, Libbey & Co., Sash" and Door M'f'rs 172 S Radford & Bro., Sash, Door and Lumber M'f'rs 296 (K) 334 Geo. W. Pratt, Lumber M'f'r 348-296(0 C. N. Paine & Co., Lumber M'f'rs 175 PAGES. 171 172 296 (.7) 173 296 ©328 CITY OF OSHKOSH. John S Fraker, Shingle M'f'r Cook, Brown & Co., Brick, Lime and Drain Tile M'f'rs H. C. Gustavus & Co., Flour M'f'rB Parsons & Goodfellow, Carriage Works Martin Battis, Steam Boiler M 'f'r John F. Morse, Foundry and Machine Shop Wm. Spikes & Co., Furniture M 'f 'rs and Dealers 296 (m) 336 B.H. Soper, Furniture M'f'r and Dealer 296 (m) 346 J. R. Loper, Soap M'f r 333 W. W. Daggett, Oshkosh Business College 186 Wm. Hill & Co., Dry Goods 165 and 320 Carswell & Hughes, Dry Goods ' 166 and 324 Sam'l Eckstein, Merchant Tailor 179 and 326 Andrew Haben, Merchant Tailor 175 Schmit Bros . , 'i runk Factory 296 ( J) and 173 Ferdinand Hermann, Grocer 174 Geo. F. Stroud, Oils, Paints and Glass 175 and 330 Sam'l M. Hay, Hardware 173 Tom Wall, Freight Agent M. & St. Paul R. R 176 Gustavus 'fesch 177 Beckwlth House 344 E. W.ViaU, Grocer 296(m) and 347 Leonard Mayer, Grocer 296 (jl) and 340 John Begliner, Grocer 349 and 342 A. Lichtenberger, Grocer 349 and 822 VVille & Ploetz, Hardware 296(m) and 322 James Kennedy, Grocer 296(m) and 331 Chas. Quinlan, Grocer 296 (n) and 331 R. E. Bennett. Grocer 296 (n) and 838 Sebastian Ostertag, Grocer 296 (n) and 334 Holmes & VanDoren, Grocers . . , 296 (re) and 338 C. A. Johnson & Co., Boots and Shoes 349 and 328 Geo. F. Eastman, Books and Stationery 296(OT.) and 348 Henry Schneider, Building Contractor : 296 (1) and 340 Thos. Polley, Building Contractor 296 (I) and 340 W eisbrod & HarBhaw, Lawyers Wm. Kelley, Clocks, Watches and Jewelry Eugene Fraker CITY OF NEENAH. A. H. F. Krueger J. B. Russell Carl J. Kraby, Insurance Agent BergBtrom Bros. & Co., Stove Works Whitenack& vjitchell John Roberts' Summer Resort 350 Back Cover. 349 212212339335337 212 CITY OF MENASHA. Webster & Lawson, Hub and Spoke Factory 227 Menasha Wooden Ware Company 223 and 342 S.S.Roby 341 ERRATA. The last paragraph in first column, Page 50, should read: procured by Gen. Lewis Cass from the Archives of the. War Department of France, while he was officiating, etc. The last paragraph in second column, Page 60, should be: In 1829, the Winnebagoes ceded a portion of their lands near the lead mines; and 1833, they ceded all of their lands south of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. In 1838, they relinquished their claims to all of their lands east of the Mississippi. The last paragraph in second column, Page 67, should be: The Post at Prairie du Chien instead of Green Bay. Page 68, the date at head of page should be: 1812. Page 88, in last paragraph, first column should be, Govern ment lands, instead of Government bonds. The second paragraph on Page 94 should be : thirty-two years ago, instead of twenty-eight. On Page 149 should be : the High School Building was erected in 1867, instead of 1857. Page 139, Geo. Mayer, Watchmaker and Jeweller. His name ought to be inserted as one of the firms doing business in Oshkosh in 1850. The several town officers, mentioned in this work as present town officers, are those of 1879. Page 195, last paragraph, should read: In September, 1836, the Menominees ceded that portion of Winnebago County, which lies north of the Upper Fox River, except the small tract east of the Lower Fox, which was formerly Winnebago territory, and ceded by that tribe to the Government in 1833. HISTOEY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN, PREFACED WITH THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. BY RICHARD J. HARNEY CHAPTER I. The Fox River Valley of Central .Wisconsin — A Record of Two Centuries, Commencing with the First Explorations of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers — The Links Connecting the Great Water Courses of the United States — The Ancient Thoroughfare of the Frontier and Aboriginal Traffic and Travel of the Great West — Some of the First Pages of American Civilization Found in Central Wisconsin. fN one of the higher elevations of the State of Wisconsin, being in the north ern portion of Lincoln County, and bordering the northern line of the State, is a tract of country embracing about two thousand square miles, nearly one- fourth of which is comprised of lakes, about two hundred in number, beautiful bodies of water of crystal transparency, some separated, others in groups, dotting the entire surface of this large tract like the islands of the Grecian Archipelago that of the Mediterranean Sea. The rocky ranges and high elevations of this region intercept the rain-clouds of Lake Super ior in their southern passage, and gather their falling waters into these innumerable rocky basins. These lakes are the primitive sources of the Wisconsin River which, flowing south erly through nearly the entire length of the State, and receiving the tributary streams of this great central valley, pours its flood into the Mississippi. The Wisconsin, after making a large deflec tion to the east, turns suddenly at a point in 2 Columbia County called "The Portage," and flows from there directly to the southwest. At this point it approaches to within about a mile of another river, the Eox, which runs in the very opposite direction — to the northeast — and empties its waters into Lake Winnebago, , en route for Lake Michigan. This narrow strip, dividing the beds of the two rivers, is a very interesting natural feature, although its appear ance is very commonplace; for here is almost a union of two streams, of which the waters of the one flow to mingle with the tropical waves of the Gulf of Mexico, and those of the other to mix with that flood of waters which, pour ing over Niagara and through the St. Law- - rence, washes the icebergs of the North Atlantic. It was through these great arteries that the civilization of the West was pioneered, and all the commerce and white settlement of the Northwest, for over a hundred years, had its initial point in the Valley of the Fox, which was the main entrance-way to the vast prairie- world of the interior. Two centuries ago, the first traffic carried on between the French and the Indians instinct ively followed that line of trade which flows through the present commercial centers of the Valley of the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. The French bateau and Indian canoe were the primitive flow of that commerce which was destined to pour its mighty volume through this natural outlet of the Northwest. The first record of the white man in the 10 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1634. West is found in the history of his explorations and habitations in the Valley of the Fox; and that record, too, comprises some of the very earliest pages of American history. The Fox and Wisconsin Rivers and Lake Winne*bago formed important links in that line of communication which, with Montreal and Quebec for a base, extended through the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes, the Fox and Wis consin, the Mississippi and the Ohio, whose tipper waters almost completed the circuit to Lake Erie. The way-stations on this long line of travel were: Three Rivers, Detroit, Old MicMlrtiackinac, Green Bay, Prairie du Chien, Kaskaskia and Fort du Quesne. From 1639 to 1820 this route was almost the exclusive line of Western trade and traffic, and all the white settlements were confined to the immediate borders of these great water courses. The fur trade developed into large proportions. Organ ized companies were formed in Montreal and Quebec. These were superseded b)^ the Ameri can Fur Company, which frequently sent up the Fox River flotillas which numbered from fifty to one hundred bateaux and canoes. This, too, was the line on which moved the armed expeditions in Western warfare for over a cen tury and a half of the white man's history in the Valley of the Mississippi. Here, also, was the line of travel of the public functionaries and representatives of the three governments which respectively ruled the country during that period. It will be seen, therefore, that our beautiful Fox River Valley is the location of the oldest Western settlement — and intimately associated with the earlier pages of Ameiican history. The advent of civilized man in this region is nearly contemporaneous with the founding of Jamestown and New York; for it was in 1606 that King James gave the charter for the Colonies of Virginia, and in 1609 that Henry Hudson discovered the Bay of New York and the North River. In 1621 the Dutch West India Company purchased Manhattan Island from the Indians for twenty-five dollars; and as late as 1620 the first permanent settle ment was made in New England; while in 1639 (and it is now claimed to have been as early as 1634) Nicollet, interpreter at Three Rivers, commissioned by the Government of New France, traversed the Fox Rivers and Lake of the Winnebagoes, for the purpose of discovery and of making treaties with the Indians. At the time of his voyage, it was believed that our Great Lakes and the Western water courses afforded a passage to the East Indies; and as the Winnebagoes were a race distinct from the Algonquins and Dacotahs, and speak ing a language so different from the other Indian dialects that no other Indians ever speak it or understand it, the Algonquins regarded them as foreigners, and claimed that they had intercourse with some distant people. Indian imagination so pictured these strangers who, it was alleged, visited the Winnebagoes, that Nicollet thought it probable that the Great River afforded a water communication with China. After ascending the Lower Fox to Lake Winnebago, and just before reaching the chief town" of the Winnebagoes, he put on a robe of Chinese damask, richly embroidered with birds and flowers, as if anticipating a meeting with the Celestials; and when he was ushered into the presence of the Indians, dressed in this rich habit, and with a pistol in each hand, which he discharged, they regarded him as a Manitou armed with thunder and. lightning. His presence was so imposing that they lavished on him every expression of Indian respect and admiration, and made him the recipient of a most bountiful hospitality, over a hundred beavers being consumed at one feast. At the council which was held at the foot of the lake he made the first treaty ever entered into between the Indians of the West' and Europeans, and this at so early a time that the Puritans had only, a few years before, landed at Plymouth Rock, and had not as yet penetrated the country fifty miles inland. This was the first preparatory measure toward that French colonization of the North west which has left its historic land-marks of the early progress of civilization in the Missis sippi Valley. When it is remembered that a Mission was established near the mouth of the Lower Fox as early as 1668, and a trading post a few years later, it will be seen how intimately the Fox Valley is associated with the great historical events of the earliest civilized occupancy of the continent; and that the early history of the Northwest is so interwoven with the very beginnings of American civilization that it cannot be intelligently discussed without considering the initial points of its progress. The writer will, therefore, endeavor to briefly trace the chief events which led to the present occupancy of this region by the mixed Euro pean races which now inhabit it. The French occupancy of the country orig inated in the second voyage of Jaques Cartier to America in 1535. He ascended the St. Lawrence and came to anchor opposite that grand promontory known as the Gibralter of America — the site of Quebec. It was known by the Indian name of Stadicone. The mag- I535-4L] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 11 nificent St. Lawrence, at this point a mile wide, washed the base of the rugged cliff which rose in towering majesty from the broad stream, and a few Indian wigwams occupied the site of the future cUy of Quebec. Here reposed, in the solitude of the vast wilderness, one of the most enduring monuments of Ameri can history. The majestic cliff then in its silent grandeur, was destined to become famous as the spot where the heroes, Wolf and Montcalm, laid down their lives in a battle which involved the political destiny of a continent. The field of Abraham, upon which was to be fought the great, decisive battle for American Empire, between the Cross of St. George and the Fleur de lis of France, then slumbered in savage solitude. Cartier returned to France in the Spring, and in 1541 again ascended the St. Lawrence, as the advance of a colony under Roberval, commissioned by the King of France. He anchored off Cap Rouge. Here he landed, built a fort, cleared land and planted it. This was the first attempt at agriculture by civilized man on the continent. For about a year the colonists lived here in amity with the Indians. This was twenty- four years before the founding of St. Augus tine, and sixty-six years before the settlement of Jamestown. In all that vast wilderness,, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Polar Seas, there was not another civilized being. Roberval, who was to follow Cartier with another fleet and a reinforcement of colonists, not arriving long after the expected time, the latter abandoned the place and returned to France. Roberval arrived at Cap Rouge shortly after Cartier's departure, and landed his colonists, composed of soldiers, mechanics, laborers, women and children. Here they erected a large structure, and, after enduring for a short time the hard vicissitudes of a life subject to the contingencies of such a situa tion, the remnant of the colony, wasted by dis ease and privations, returned to France. That country shortly afterwards entered upon an era of fratricidal strife; the civil convulsions of Europe left no opportunity for American col onization; the first act in American civilization came to a close, and the country for half a cen tury was left in the undisturbed possession of its savage occupants. CHAPTER II. Samuel de Champlain, the Pioneer Explorer of the Interior — Founds Quebec — ¦ Forms an Alliance with the Algonquins and Hurons. >FTER an interval of sixty odd years French colonization received a new impetus, and now was to begin that mighty process which was to trans form a wilderness continent into a civilization whose grandeur, power and useful achievements have rivaled the greatest nations of Europe. And now appears on the scene a name deservedly as enduring as American history — the great pioneer in the civilized occupancy of the interior of the continent — Samuel de Cham plain. This brave explorer and noble Chris tian gentleman was the discoverer of the Great Lakes. His arduous and dangerous explora tions, the diligence and accuracy wit,h which he mapped out the geography of a large, part of the country and its water courses, hisnoble efforts to advance the ends of civilization arid the exemplary habits of his life, have won for him an enviable position in the annals . of American history. In 1603, he sailed up the St. Lawrence, and explored it to Mont Royal. The- Indian tribes that Cartier had found there had disappeared, and Algonquins had taken their- ..place. ,. He returned to France, and, in the following yea*, accompanied De Monts who, with a feudal commission from the King of France, as Lieu- tenant-General of Acadia, went to establish a colony in what is now Nova Scotia. After exploring the Bay of Funday, of which the untiring Champlain made a- coast survey, and maps and charts, they selected, the mouth of the St. Croix as the site of their colony, erected buildings, and enclosed them with a palisade; and now, once more we find the French the only European inhabitants .on the continent, except the Spaniards in Florida. The English had as yet made n.o settlement. Says Parkman: "It was from France that these barbarous shores first learned to serve the ends of peaceful industry. " But the colony at St. Croix must be left to its fate while attention is called to the enter.; prises of Champlain, which pioneered the set tlement of the Northwest — the feeble begin nings of that early civilization of the Nprth- west, which was a cross with barbarism — a romantic mingling of the elements of barbaric and civilized life, over which France reared its standard and marshaled its dusky retainers in the solitudes of the wilderness, in its efforts to erect a French-Indian Empire whose terri- 12 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1608. torial proportions should embrace the interior of the continent. It was a stupendous scheme; and for over a century the standard of France waved triumphantly over the great Valleys of the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi. During all that period, the English and other European colonies were confined to the strip of territory skirting the Atlantic, and the Fleur de lis of France was the only flag that waved west of the Alleghanies. Champlain, having returned to France, again embarked for America in 1608, in charge of a colony whose destination was the St. Law rence River. The stately ship sailed up that broad stream, through the hush of the mighty solitude that brooded over its surrounding for ests, and came to anchor opposite the present site of Quebec, the place selected for a settle- ,ment. Here the colonists lanJed, and the sound of the axe is heard reverberating its echoes in the wilderness. Soon a number of comfortable buildings are erected, and sur rounded by a wooden wall. Their architec tural proportions are a source of wonder to the Indians, who are admiring spectators of the skill of their white brothers. In the back ground are the rugged cliffs and dense forests. In the front the waters of the majestic St. Lawrence, on which a ship lies gracefully out lined. At a little distance on the bank is a cluster of wigwams, and occasionally a canoe glides along, and mysteriously disappears in the shadow of cliff or forest. The colonists clear up a piece of ground for a garden, which they cultivate. They hunt, fish and barter with the Indians ; summer passes, and the cold weather of a Canadian winter approaches. Heavy falls of snow cover the ground to such a depth that they are obliged to learn from their friends — the Indians — how to use snow shoes. The Indians occa sionally bring them wild game, and are some times their near neighbors; but the terrible scurvy breaks out, and prevails with such virulence that only eight of the colony are alive in the spring. The dreary winter passes away, the songs of the returning birds and the sounds of Insect life are again heard; the buds and blossoms expand, the hill-side rivulets ripple in the warm sunshine, and nature assumes the cheer ful hues of her summer-day life. Hope once more inspires the survivors, and their hearts are further gladdened by the arrival of a ves sel from France, bringing succor and a rein forcement of colonists. Champlain now set to work for a general exploration of the surrounding country; but, in this enterprise, he must have the assistance of his Indian friends; and from the very begin ning of their intercourse with the Indians, and through the whole long period of their intimate relations with them, the French seem to have had their good will and unbounded confidence and respect. ¦--.'¦¦ . Champlain soon acquired some knowledge of the Algonquin language and the customs of that numerous family of Indians; and he learned from them that there was a distinct nation — the Iroquois — a confederacy of five nations, inhabiting the territory now .the State of New York — a. formidable body that were the terror of the American wilds. Their war- parties were continually out making predatory raids, desolating the country of their neigh bors, and keeping other tribes in constant fear of an attack. The only expedient way for him to explore was to join a war-party of Algon quins. '1 hey would have to fight their way, for in all probability they would meet war par ties of the Iroquois, and then they must fight or be captured. Champlain, therefore, joined his fortunes to the Algonquins and Hurons, forming an alliance with them for mutual pro tection. CHAPTER III. Indian Tribes — Divisions and Population — Location of the Various Nations — Green Bay and the Lake Winnebago and Fox RiverCountry the Centers of Large Indian Popu- Intions — The Belligerent Iroquois. HE whole Indian population in all the territory lying between the Mississippi and the. Atlantic did not exceed two hundred thousand, and this was so scattered that vast solitudes intervened between the little tracts which were occupied by the villages of the several tribes. The great body of the country was an unin habited wilderness, with an occasional Indian settlement. The traveler, at that day, passing from the mouth of the St. Lawrence, on the south side of the river, to Lake Ontario, would find the country, for nearly the whole distance, an uninhabited district. On the north side, he would travel hundreds of miles without meet ing a human being. At last he would reach the huts of Taddousac, and after leaving them would again pass through the long, dreary soli tude between that point and Stadicone — the site of Quebec — where evidences of Indian population would again begin to appear; from there to the mouth of the Ottawa, no inhabi tants were to be found, other than temporary 1 608. J EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 13 sb'jc-urners — the. deadly Iroquois, lurking in the dark recesses of the forest, or a hunting party of Algonquins ; but if it were the sea son of the periodical descent of the Ottawas and Hurons,': with their yearly harvest of furs, he would see the' St. Lawrence covered with fleets of canoes, to enliven the scene for a few days, when, disappearing as suddenly as they came, the place would relapse into a solitude. Proceeding upithe. Ottawa he would traverse hundreds of fniles, through an uninhabited . region, until he reached the villages and planting grounds of the Ottawas; from thence, passing through a vast wilderness, to the Lake of the Nippissings, another Indian settlement would be met. From this point, down French River and southward, for over a hundred miles, along the shore of Lake Huron, no inhabitants were to be found until reaching the pleasant coun try of the Hurons. Skirting the shores of Lake Huron, northward to the shores of Lake Superior, he would find a desolate, uninhab ited waste. From that point, in a southwest erly direction to the Mississippi, traveling through a portion of what is now the State of Wisconsin, he would find only occasional roving bands of the Chippewas, contesting with the Sioux of the Mississippi for the possession of the south shore of Lake Superior — the ancient hunting-ground of the Dacotahs. On the Mis sissippi he would find the lodges of the Daco tahs or Sioux; and stretching from there, away toward the Cordilleras, the vast, uninhabited plains or hunting-grounds of these tribes. If, half a century later, after the maraud ing Iroquois had routed the Hurons, Ottawas and other Algonquin tribes from their ancient planting-grounds and council-fires in the East, he were to retrace his steps, he would pass over the historical ground of the Northwest — the soil of Wisconsin- — the great battle-field in the long contest between the Dacotahs of the Mississippi, and the Algonquins of the East — where these two great divisions of the Indian family fought for the possession of the rich hunting grounds of Central and Northern Wisconsin; and he would find Michilimacki nac, Green Bay and the Lake Winnebago and Fox River country the centers of large Indian populations, who had posessed themselves of new homes in the West, and who eventually drove the Sioux across the Mississippi. The French soon learned that the Indians were divided into four or five great families, each containing many tribes which were again subdivided into bands. The most numerous division was the great Algonquin family, inhab iting what is now the greater part of Canada and the Eastern and Middle States — Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Virginia, and eventually Wisconsin and Michigan; the Iroquois, a con federacy of five nations, -occupying the terri tory now the State of New York, their villages and planting grounds being on the shores of the lakes which now perpetuate their names; the Hurons, an alienated branch of the Iro quois family, occupying the peninsula between Lake Huron and Lakes Erie and Ontario; the Dacotahs, of the Mississippi and the plains beyond; and the Mobilians and a few lesser divisions in the South. Their general habits, customs and mode of life were similar, yet varying in a greater or lesser degree. The whole country was one great battle-ground, and the long, intestine strife which, from time immemorial, was waged with implacable fury between the several divisions, resulted frequently in the extermi nation of tribes — sometimes of nations — and the relapse of a settled district into a wilder ness. The ravages of war, pestilence and famine frequently decimated a populous nation to a mere remnant, to be absorbed by some more fortunate one. Tribes appeared and dis appeared, changing locations — some in the process of extermination, others developing new strength and extending their dominion. " Of this latter class were the Iroquois, a pow erful confederacy of five nations, and which at the time of the arrival of the French were waging a relentless war on the Algonquins and the Hurons. Their locationgave them the con trol of the head of the St. Lawrence and the south shore of Lake Ontario, and consequently cut off all communication between that river and the lakes. They lived in fortified villages which were surrounded with rows of palisades twenty to thirty feet high. Champlain describes them very minutely. Three or four rows of trunks of trees, set slanting from the earth upward, intersected each other near the top; at this intersection was constructed a gal lery, with breastworks and wooden gutters for holding water which could be expeditiously discharged on the palisades in the event of their being set on fire. The galleries contained magazines of stones, to be hurled at assailants, and the villages were supplied with water by sluices running from the lakes. The country of this community was highly fertile, and they cultivated large fields of maize. Their hunting- ground was a large district bordering the St. Lawrence, and eastward and southward to Lake Champlain and the western slopes of the Alleghanies. Their location and resources were most favorable for peace or war, and they made a most industrious use of their oppor tunities. Their war-parties in large numbers 14 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 1609.] ravaged the country in all directions, spread ing carnage and desolation from the Illinois to the land of their kinsmen, the Hurons and the Ottawas. They were the terror of the Ameri can wilds, and kept the whole country in con stant alarm. The tribes north of the St. Lawrence were chiefly nomads, wandering from place to place in that rough district, and subsisting princi pally by the chase. The Hurons, in their delightful country, were more of an agricultural people, and lived, like their kinsmen, the Iroquois, in fortified villages, with adjacent planting-grounds in which they cultivated fields of maize and squash. They numbered from -fifteen to twenty thousand. The Ottawas were their neighbors and friends; but, living in a country better adapted to hunting and trapping, depended more largely on those pursuits for a means of sub sistence. Champlain effected an alliance with the two latter nations, and, with them for guides and assistants, was now ready to make those explorations which first made the civilized world acquainted with the geography and resources of the interior of the continent. CHAPTER IV Champlain's Explorations — Indian Allies — War-Dance — He Discovers Lake Champlain — Engagement with the Iro quois. LARGE number of Indian lodges are clustered on the banks of the St. Law rence. They are those of the Huron and Algonquin allies of Champlain, assembled preparatory for an expedi tion; and he must now Conform to the demands of Indian custom. Before they start he must join them in the war-dance, and partake of the dog-feast. He is to be their great war-chief, and well did he prove worthy of the leadership. The night presents a weird-like scene. The camp-fires light up the rrgged banks and som bre forests, the picturesque canoes and groups of wigwams; and in its red glare hundreds of hideously painted savages, making the woods echo with their discordant yells, are writhing through the contortions of the war-dance; while Champlain and his French companions, clad in steel armor, look like apparitions from the spirit-land. This preliminary concluded, they proceed on the expedition. Their destination was the beautiful lake now called Champlain, after its illustrious discoverer. For a distance he pro ceeded in a small sail vessel, the Indians accom panying in their canoes. Arriving at a portage, the vessel is sent back, and Champlain, with two of his followers, join the Indians at the portage. The canoes 'are taken from the water, and the stalwart savages, carrying them on their shoulders, file through the forest trail to the smooth waters above the rapids. Here they- re-embarked, and after a day's paddling, the lovely scenery of the tranquil lake, with its green islands resting like emeralds on its crystal waters, greets the delighted vision of Cham plain. They were in an uninhabited country — the hunting-grounds of the dangerous Iro quois, whose fortified villages were on its western border. At. night they encamped on the shores of the lake, taking the usual Indian precaution of first reconnoitering the surroundings. The Indians now determined to abandon day travel ing, and changing their tactics, remained hid in the woods during the daytime, and at night were paddling on their way. During one of these nocturnal voyages, they discovered some dark objects on the water, which they soon found to be a number of Iroquois canoes. 'The inmates of these also discovered their enemy, and took to the shore, and with yells which made the forest resound, commenced to throw up a barricade of trees, which they felled for the purpose. Champlain and his allies remained on the lake, but approached quite near them. The Indians on both sides agreed to put off the fight till morning, and passed the night in mutual menaces, and boastings of their prowess. When daylight dawned, Champlain and his two companions put on their steel armor, and with swords and guns, each took a separate canoe, in which they were kept hidden from the enemy. Champlain's allies now landed in battle array, and the Iroquois, some two hun dred warriors, came filing out of the barri cade to meet them. The Algonquins now opened up their ranks for Champlain and his two followers to pass to the front. They did so, and stood revealed to the astonished gaze of the Iroquois, who regarded them as apparitions. Champlain levelled his piece, loaded with five bullets, and as the report echoed through the woods, two war-chiefs fell to the ground. The Iroquois were dumfounded and the allies sent a shower of arrows into their midst. The former rallied from their con sternation, and returned the discharge with great spirit. But when Champlain and his Frenchmen began firing their pieces with deadly i6io.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 15 rapidity, the Iroquois- fled in uncontrollable terror: The Algonquins /fell upon their retreating foe, killing many and taking others prisoners. Champlain was ..horrified at their atrocious cruelty to their captives, but he endeavored in vain to restrain their ferocity > and turned heart-sick from the repulsive scene of savage brutality. This was a sweet victory for the Algonquins, and they must now return to their respective villages with their prisoners to exult over the spectacle of the discomfiture and torture of the latter. Champlain was accompanied by them to Quebec. He hadtaught the Iroquois a lesson, and they had now found a foeman worthy of their valor. Champlain now returned to France and recounted to the King the results of his obser vation and the information gained of the coun try; and in the Spring of 1610 he came back to Quebec, and in that year had another engagement with the Iroquois. CHAPTER V The Policy of France to Incorporate the Indian Tribes into a French Indian Empire — Alliance Formed with the Algon quin Tribes, for the Purpose of Resisting the Invasions and Ravages of the Iroquois — Attempt to Christianize the Indians, as a Preparatory Step to Their Civilization — The Jesuit Missionaries. |T became one of the first aims of Cham plain to perfect an alliance between all of the Algonquin tribes and the Hurons; 'Up? that they might live at peace with each other, and form a mutual protection against the hostile Iroquois, the whole to be under the guidance of the government of New France. It contemplated the union of the several tribes with the French, their gradual conversion to Christianity and civilization, and their practi cal incorporation with the French into a French-Indian Empire. The alliance was formed and gradually embraced all the Algon quin tribes, who, although occasionally at strife with each other, maintained an uninter rupted attachment for-the French. The policy of France was to preserve the Indians — not to destroy them. Its weapons of conquest were kindness, firmness, courage and energy. It did not at that time understand the obduracy with which the Indian clings to his savage inclinations and habits. It was a species of Feudalism and of paternal government, it is true, in which the knights of the forest were the scions of French aristocracy, and their retainers the dusky tribes of the wilderness; but it certainly sought the good and advance ment of the Indian, whose improvement and ultimate civilization. entered into all its hopes , and aspirations of American empire. The christianizing of the Indians was deemed of the first importance as a preparatory step to their civilization; and on this task the Jesuit Missionaries entered with a courage, energy and self-sacrifice that the annals of the World does not equal. The Franciscan Friar was the first white man who lived among the Indians. He was soon superseded by the Jesuits, who became the pioneers in western exploration and discovery; making their abode in Indian villages, sharing in all the hardships of savage life, accompanying the Indians in the chase, shooting the dangerous rapids in the fragile bark canoe, or aiding to carry it around the toilsome portage. . The Jesuit Missionaries, a body of men of the highest attainments in learning and scien tific acquirements, and of the most indefatiga ble zeal and heroic fortitude, were especially. fitted for the task of exploring the interior wilds; being proficient in the use of mathemat ical instruments and topographical surveying and map making. They were also well versed in the linguistics of the Algonquin tribes. These self-sacrificing men, animated by the lofty purposes of converting the Indians to Chris tianity, and of bringing to them the blessings and comforts of civilization, penetrated the remotest sections of the wilderness; there was no danger that they feared to brave, and no hardship and suffering which they hesitated to endure. Through their perilous explorations these Heralds of the Cross pioneered the civ ilization of the West. The Jesuit father was the first white .man who paddled his canoe over these great inland seas and rivers. " Not a cape was turned nor a river entered, but a Jesuit led the way; "and for a number of years they composed, almost exclusively, the only whites living among the Western tribes. The sufferings they endured and the dangers they bravely encountered no pen can describe. From the St. Lawrence to the shores of Lakes Superior and Michigan they established their Missions, built their chapels ' and schools in the midst of the wilderness, and gathered the Indian tribes around the Banner of the Cross and the Fleur de.lisoi France. Such were the first civilizing influences of the Northwest. The refinement, dignity and benevolence of the early Missionaries, and the polished manners and chivalrous bearing of the earlier traders and adventurers, many of whom were French .noblemen, favorably impressed the Indians, and the effect of that 16 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1615. intercourse is still visible after the lapse of two centuries, in the unalterable attachment of the Algonquin tribes for the French, whom they ever regarded as their benefactors. It is to the Jesuit missionaries that the world is indebted for the interesting historical legacy that is contained in their detailed records of the first century of the white man's inter course with the Indians, and of the character and habits of the Indian before it was modi fied by the influences of civilization. They also first made known to the world the beauty, fertility and rich resources of the Great West; and made its early maps, thus preparing the way for the occupation of civilized man. The early history of America can never be written without giving the French Jesuit amost conspicuous and honored place on its pages; and all historians, of whatever religious denomina tion, have heaped praises upon them, and their super-human efforts in behalf of the Indian. Says Bancroft : " Within three years after the second occupation of Canada, the number of Jesuit priests in the province reached fif teen, and every tradition bears testimony to their worth." And Parkman says: " Nowhere is the power of courage, faith and an unflinching purpose more strikingly displayed than in the record of these missions. * * * * Their virtues shine amidst the rubbish of error like diamonds and gold in the gravel of the torrent. " In the Spring of 161 5 four Franciscan Friars, from France, accompanied Champlain to Que bec. When they landed, their peculiar dress was an astonishment to the Indians: They selected the site for a convent, erected an altar and celebrated the first Mass in Canada. The assembled multitude kneeled on the bare earth, and the cannon on the ships and fort fired a salute in honor of the event. They then assigned to each his field in the vast territory of their apostolic mission. To Le Caron fell the post of the far distant land of the Hurons. CHAPTER VI. The Land of the Hurons — Champlain's Voyage to their Country, in 1615 — A Journey Through the Wilderness of Nine Hundred Miles — Champlain Discovers Lake Huron — Description of the Country of the Hurons, and their Villages — Champlain and his Allies again on the War-path Against the Iroquois. j&T a distance by the Ottawa River of some 900 miles from Quebec dwelt the Hurons, on a tract of land whose northern border was Lake Huron. Champlain had no means of knowing the location of the Great Sea, for Indian infor mation, he had learned, was very indefinite. The Ottawas and Hurons had promised Cham plain that they would guide him to the Great Lakes, Huron and Superior, and to the cop per mines of the latter, if he would continue to champion their cause against the Iroquois. The communication with the lakes was by the Ottawa River; for the Iroquois were in pos session of the south shore of Lake Ontario, and controlled the country at the head of the St. Lawrence, so that the lake was hot approachable by that river. He, therefore, determined to join a contemplated expedition of the Hurons and Ottawas against their enemy, and thus obtain the escort of the for mer to Lake Huron. At this time — 161 5 — the only civilized beings on the continent, be sides those of the little hamlet of Quebec, were the Spainards, of Florida, and the small English colony at Jamestown. The vast wil derness stretching away for illimitable distances with its great lakes and rivers, its wide- spreading prairies and interminable forests, silently awaiting the coming civilization, was an unexplored, mysterious realm that Cham plain was now preparing to penetrate. For many, years after this, while New England was yet an unbroken wilderness, and the settlers of Plymouth and Jamestown had not passed beyond the borders of their settlement, this fearless and enterprising pioneer had pushed his way into the distant interior, organized the Algonquin tribes and led them in battle array sgainst their inveterate foe; living in Indian camps, paddling his canoe up the lonely river, toiling around the wearisome portage, indus triously mapping the topography of the coun try; and then away across the broad Atlantic, to mingle in the court circles of France, and inspire renewed aspirations for French Ameri can empire. In the summer of 161 5, a large body of Ottawas and Hurons appear at Mont-royal, with their yearly harvest of furs. Their canoes and lodges line the river shore, and thither repaired Father Le Caron, to prevail on them to allow him to accompany them to their dis tant homes and take up his abode among them. To this they consented; but the Indians were more desirous of Champlain's assistance against the Iroquois than of their spiritual advancement, and hence eagerly importuned him to lead them against their enemies. A council was held, in which it was agreed that Champlain, with all his force, should join them, while they were to muster twenty-five hundred warriors. He then went to Quebec, to pre pare for the expedition; but on his return was disappointed to find that his allies had disap- 1613.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 17 peared, and the site of their encampment a solitude. Indian-like, becoming impatient at his delay, they had started for their country, Father Le Caron accompanying them. The fleet of canoes, with hundreds of Indians, glide gracefully salong the sparkling waters of the Ottawa, and the Father bids adieu to the last vestige of civilization. All day long they ply their paddles, and at night the wild banks of the Ottawa are lit up with their camp- fires. In a letter, Le Caron writes: "It would be hard to tell you how tired I was with paddling all day long, with all my strength, among the Indians, carrying the canoe and luggage through the woods to avoid the fright ful cataracts. " Champlain immediately followed with two canoes, several Indians, his skillful woodsman, Etiene Brule, and another Frenchman. They ply their paddles, and the canoes glide silently along;-sometimes under the sombre shadows of overhanging forests, and again, past rugged cliffs torn by the convulsions of nature. At places the river flowing placidly through a soli tude that seemed like the weird quiet of dream land, and anon the sound of the cataract is heard, first, like a plaintive moan in the far distance; louder and louder falls on the ear the sound of the falling waters; and now appears the foaming torrent, tearing its way among the jagged rocks and overhanging cliff's, and pour ing its impetuous flood with a din that roars its_ varying cadences through the ever-listening forest. The canoes are lifted from the 'water, and carried along the portage trail, which sometimes winds among the barren cliffs, and again stretches its wearying line under the dark shadows of the overhanging spruce, fir and hemlock. The smooth waters are at last reached, the portable canoes are once more afloat, and they are again paddling on their way. Night comes. The camp-fires light up the forest with a ruddy glare; the evening meal is prepared; the wild duck, venison or trout is temptingly roasting on forked sticks; the sagamite is ready, and the voyagers, with ravenous appetites, make their repast. The forest bed of hemlock boughs is quickly pre pared, and soon all are stretched for a night's repose. The summer breeze sings its mournful cadences in the tops of the lofty pines, the river murmurs its gurgling melody, and the rustling leaves join in the softened music of the forest night. At times the hoot of the owl is heard, or the howl of the prowling wolf. And again, the sound of distant voices startle the sleeper's ear, now approaching nearer, now afar, at times clear and distinct and then dull 3 and undefined. They are not human voices, these mysterious, weird -like conversations that are heard only at night in the deep recesses of the forest. Morning comes; the meal is quickly pre pared and eaten, and the travelers again on the way. Day after day they paddle their canoes, or carry them around the portages. Occasionally the scene is varied; they enter a lake and camp on its wooded islets; wild ducks sport on its surface and the moose is seen browsing on its shores. Again, the architecture of the beavers is discovered, where their skillfully constructed dams have confined the waters. On, and still on, they follow the turbulent Ottawa, and reach the Lakes of the Allu- mettes; and again follow the river flowing through a rocky gorge. Rough water is again encountered, and rapids after rapids are passed. At last they reach a small tributary which they ascend to a portage leading to Lake Nippissing; soon their canoes are mov ing over the glassy surface of the transparent waters. They ply their paddles, and an Indian village is reached. Here they remain two days, fishing, hunting and feasting on the proceeds of the sport. They then descend the little stream called French River. While on this route their provisions give out, and they are compelled to resort to the blueberries and raspberries, of which an abundance is found. Here they meet a large body of Indians gathering blueberries, and learn from them that it is but a short distance to "the sea of the Hurons. Champlain was soon to feast his eyes on the long-coveted sight. < The canoes are again on their way. - The sound of the waves are now heard breaking on the beach — the ceaseless moan of the restless lake as it chafes the " controlling shore. " And now the watery expanse, stretching away as far as eye can reach, and only bounded by the dim horizon, greets his delighted vision! The great inland sea of the Hurons is discovered! The broad lake, with its spirit-haunted islands, lies before him in its lonely grandeur!! And as Champlain stands on the wave-worn peb bles that have rolled for countless centuries iri its breakers, and gazes on the boundless expanse of waters, he conjectures what may may lie in the distant realms of the invisible shore beyond; while fancy pictures to his imaginings the wings of commerce in the aftertime, dotting its surface in their busy flights, and the noisy industries of the future invading its solitude, and arousing it from its lonely dream of ages. They now coast along the shore of Lake 18 EARLY HISTORY OF. THE. NORTHWEST. [1613. Huron for over a hundred miles; the first white man except Le Caron, who^had preceded them, that ever paddled over its surface, and, reach ing the Bay of Matchedash, debarked. Here they took the trail, which led through a beau tiful country. He was in the land of the Hurons. The growing crops of maize and squash were abundant, and he found evidences of Indian thrift and comfort that he had never before witnessed. It was a land of plenty; the broad fields and meadows, with running brooks, and the populous villages afforded a pleasing contrast to the wild desolations through which we had so long traveled. It was the center of a dense Indian population. In the whole tract occupied by the Hurons, there were about twenty villages, with an aggregate population of fifteen to twenty thousand. The lodges were constructed of stout poles covered with bark, and were from thirty to fifty feet in length, somewhat sub stantially built, as these were permanent dwellings, and not like the temporary wigwam of the nomad. On each side was a platform four feet from the floor; this was the sleeping place. In convenient places were stored the bark boxes of smoked fish and meat, and on poles traversing the entire length were sus pended implements of the chase, clothing furs and clusters of ears of corn. The fire was made on the ground, the smoke escaping through an aperture in the roof. Some of the houses were nearly two hundred feet in length, and in those larger houses, generally those of chiefs, the councils were held. Here at times met the assembled wisdom of the nation.. The deliberations were conducted with the greatest decorum and dignity; it being Indian etiquette to never interrupt a speaker. The Jesuits were astonished at the good sense displayed, and the frequent bursts of eloquence which electrified the savage audi tors. They had their questions of great moment, which agitated the community, and the orator and politician of the forest was at such times, in great requisition. At one of the villages Champlain met Le Caron. The Indians had built for him a bark lodge, and in it he had erected an altar. On the day of Champlain's arrival, the little band of Christians gathered around the altar in this humble lodge, the father in priestly vestments, and joined in thanks that they were made the instruments in the introduction of Christianity and its attendant blessings to this far-distant land. Champlain explored this country in all directions, visiting the several villages, in all of which he was feasted and honored with due Indian ceremony. He was delighted with the country, its open fields and fertile planting grounds; its thickets of wild plum and crab- apple intertwined with grape vines, and its luxuriant forests of oak, hickory, maple, lin den and walnut, traversed by intersecting trails, leading from village to village. But this indefatigable explorer had now exhausted all the knowledge to be gained in this locality, and he must away to seek new fields for con quest. At the central village was a great commo tion. The warriors from all directions came pouringin. A neighboring nation had promised to join them in an invasion of the country of Iro quois. Several days-were spent in feasting and in war dances, when the swarthy army, with canoes on their shoulders, tpok up their line of march. They cross lake Simcoe, and then their course is through the chain of lakes and little streams which form the sources of Trent River. Here they encamp for a deer hunt. Hundreds of Indians formed in a line and drove the game to a point where, as it took to the water, it was killed by those lying in wait. Champlain highly enjoyed the sport, the guns of the French doing great execution. Their com missariat being plentifully replenished, they proceeded on their course down the river Trent, and in a short time the fleet of canoes emerge from the mouth of the river and speedily' move across Lake Ontario. They landed on the shores of the Iroquois' territory — now the State of New York, and hid their canoes in the woods. They next traveled for some distance on the shore of the lake, when they boldly struck inland, and a few day's travel brought them within the inhabited portion of their enemy's country. Soon the advance lines discovered the Iroquois in their fields of maize gathering the harvest, when, with that impetuousity characteristic of Indians, they yelled their war-whoop and blindly rushed upon them; but the Iroquois repelled the assault, killing several, when the rest retired in confusion. They were now near one of their fortified towns. Champlain describes its defences as consistingof four rows of palisades made of trunks of trees thirty feet high, set at such an angle as to make them intersect near the top, where they supported a galley made of timber supplied with wooden gutters for holding water, so constructed as to discharge their contents on the palisades in the event of their being set on fire. The water from an adjoining lake was led into the town by sluices. Champlain, exasperated at the impetuosity of his ungovernable followers, proceeded to 1627*] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 19 instruct them in the art of war. With the aid of his Frenchmen, he caused the Indians to construct a large, portable wooden tower, high enough to over-look the palisade, and furnish ing shelter to three or four marksmen. The Indians now bravely dragged it to the pali sades; when three of the Frenchmen ascended it, and opened up a destructive fire on the crowded galleries. This was an unlooked for mode of attack. It was a fearful monster belching forth its deathly peals of fire and smoke. Champlain had provided a portion of his allies with broad, wooden shields; and endeavored to hold a portion in reserve; but when they saw the execution of the deadly fire arms on the enemy, nothing could exceed their exultation; they dropped their shields, and, contrary to orders, swarmed into the open space before the palisades; yelling like fiends, and making such a din, that Champlain found it impossible to make them hear him. He could not restrain or guide his ungovernable crew; so they fought in their own way; Cham plain and his men continuing to do good execu tion with their fire-arms, and the Iroquois repelling the attack with great spirit. They filled the air with the flight of their arrows. Champlain was struck by them twice. The attack lasted several hours, but the besieged were too strongly fortified for Champlain's undisciplined mob to overcome them; so with seventeen wounded they fell back to the camp, the Hurons refusing to renew the attack, until allies, which they were expecting, should arrive. After waiting in vain five days, for the expected reinforcement, the disheartened Hurons began their retreat, Champlain, so badly wounded, that with some of the others, he had to be carried, he says, " bundled in a heap, doubled and strapped together after such a fashion that one could no more move than an infant in swaddling clothes. I lost all patience, and as soon as I could bear my weight, got out of this prison. "* They reached their canoes, and, crossing the lake, are soon ascending the Trent River, and in dye time reach their villages. They *Note I. This history is compiled from the most reliable authorities, and may be relied on as being accurate. The most thorough investigators have found Champlain and Charlevoix to be scrupulously exact in their statements ; and all American students of the history of the French in America, regard the " Jesuit Relations " as reliable and truthful. All contempor-. aneous authority sustain these records. The official papers of New France, in the French Archives, have been diligently searched by American writers of high repute, and the historical events of the period of French history in this country, as recorded by French writers, are now unquestioned. History was never more truthfully written than by those writers, and it is so regarded by the Historical Associations of this country ; and by Bancroft, Parkman, and the other eminent American historians declined to furnish Champlain an escort over the long route to Quebec; so he was obliged to winter with the Hurons, and in the July following he arrived at Quebec. CHAPTER VII. Eventful Changes — Reverses — Famine — Defenseless Condi tion of Quebec — Piratical Attack by Three English Ships — Surrender of Quebec to the English Flag — England Compelled to Relinquish the Prize — Restoration to the French Flag — Champlain Returns from France to Quebec as Commandant of the Post — Administers the Affairs of the Colony for Ten Years Longer — His Death in 163.5 — Quebec becomes the Commercial Emporium of the Great Interior of the Continent — Its Trade through the Laby rinth of Water Arteries Branching from the ijt. Lawrence to the Mississippi. ANY eventful changes took place in the fortunes of these intrepid pio neers, in western settlement, in the space of time which intervened between the discovery of Lake Huron, and that of the Mississippi, commencement of settlement in the extreme Northwest, by the establishment of Missions at Michillimackinac and Green Bay. In 1627, atrading company, called the Com pany of New France, was organized and sov ereign power confered upon them, with a grant of all the territorial domain of New France, from Florida to the undefined regions of Labrador. The country was now to be held by a feu dal proprietor, subordinate to the King of France. The colony at Quebec, twenty years from the time it was founded, numbered less than one hundred and twenty persons. The chief business was barter with the Indians, and they depended largely for their supplies of the neces saries of life from France. The little colony was now suffering from many reverses; but Champlain was still its life and hope. , It was on the verge of starvation, and vessels with. expected succor and reinforcements from France failed, to arrive. At last less than a hundred men, women and children, living in the fort, were reduced to a meagre supply of peas and sagamite. The distress was so great that Champlain entertained the project of attacking one of the Iroquois villages to obtain a supply of food. The wretched inhabitants had to have recourse to the woods to obtain acorns and nutritious roots. While in this emergency three English ships appeared before Quebec, and its sur render to the British flag was demanded. Six teen starving men was all that Champlain had 20 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1633. in the garrison to hold it. He was forced to capitulate, and the flag of St. George took the place of the Fleur de lis. This occured in July, 1629. Champlain crossed the Atlantic, and went to London; where, through the instrumentality of the French Embassador, " he obtained a promise from the King that in pursuance of a treaty concluded the previous April, that New France should be restored to the French Crown. " ¦ From thence he went to France. The scheme of colonizing America was becoming unpopu lar. The wilderness empire had only been a source of loss. It was of no use unless it could be peopled, and France had but small migra tory force. The Huguenots, who were the enemies of Absolutism, and frequently in revolt against the Government, were excluded from the domain of France, in the New World. Although this was in keeping with the spirit of the age, it proved to be a short sighted policy, for they settled in large num bers in the English colonies, and proved a great element in their strength and prosperity, and a powerful aid in the future conflict between the French and English colonies. But there were more sagacious reasoners who would not give up New France; and among them Cardinal Richelieu , the great champion of Absolutism, and the guiding genius of France. This great diplomatist, with far reaching political sagacity, comprehended the commercial importance to France of her American possessions. So by the convention of Suza, it was covenanted that New France should be restored to its former possessors, and England was compelled to relinquish the prize she had piratically obtained. Champlain, too, would not abandon his beloved New France, and his hopes of convert ing its barbarous tribes to Christianity, and its desert wilds into the abode of civilization. His aim was far nobler than the accomplishment of themere ends of commercial profit. Hisaspi- rations were high and generous; and he made the ends of commerce subservient to the nobler purpose of redeeming the savage continent from the wretchedness of barbarism, and enlarging the field of human knowledge, hap piness and usefulness; and he gave himself up to the task with a spirit of devotion and hero ism, that has made his name imperishable. In the spring of 1633, he received from Rich elieu a commission, as commandant of the posts of New France, and set out once more for Quebec, where he duly arrived, and assumed command, the English having the year previous struck their flag, and surrendered the place into the hands of the authorities sent by France to hold it. There was great rejoicing among the Indi ans at the return of their old friends, and especially over Champlain, whom they regarded as something more than human. For ten years after this, he administered the affairs of New France with that executive abil ity and integrity of purpose that had ever char acterized his conduct, and now the career of the great explorer and the father of New France, the benefactor of the Indians, the enterprising and industrious pioneer was to draw to a close. For twenty-seven years he had guided with a master hand that vast enter prise which had mapped out the greater part of a continentfor a new empire, whose majestic proportions were to rival the grandest in the Old World. It was he who first learned its geography and made its first maps; first penetrated its remote wilds; organized its bar barous multitudes, and taught them their first lessons in cizilization. With all this force of character and directing genius was united a kind, generous and self-sacrificing nature, guided by the highest moral impulses and a devotion to truth. His whole life attests his valor, nobleness of character and usefulness; and when he died, in 1635, it seemed as if the light of New France was extinguished. The little colony, thus bereft of its great leader, and seeming like a waif lost in the wil derness, was the feeble beginning of that French-Indian empire, which eventually embraced in its territorial domain the whole valley of the St. Lawrence, the basin of the Great Lakes, and the immense valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi; absorbing its Indian tribes, and organizing them into a semi-civili zation, which held in its control all that vast territory for over a century. From its starting or initial point on the St. Lawrence — the out let of that labyrinth of water courses, branch ing out to the far-off land of the Dacotahs on the west, and to the tropical shores of the Gulf of Mexico on the south, it gradually extended its lines of communication, establishing its forts, missions and trading posts, which, at long intervals apart, were mere specks of civili zation in the immensity of the wilderness. But we shall see how this little hamlet- on the wild banks of the St. Lawrence soon became the metropolis of the vast regions with which it was connected by its trading posts and water courses, and where fleets of canoes numbering hundreds were arriving and departing, bring ing tribes from Green Bay, Michillimackinac and the Mississippi, to mingle in this common center, with those from the Ohio and the dis- i633] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 21 trict of the Ottawa and the St. Lawrence — the canoes frequently covering the broad stream for miles, while myriads of wigwams lined the shores of the. river. Here the various Indian dialects were heard mingling in discordant jar gon on the busy marts of Indian barter; and here the fragile bark canoe that came a thous and miles from the distant interior, and that had run the hazardous rapids of the Ottawa and the St. Lawrence, met the stately ships that had breasted the waves of the Atlantic. Barbarism and civilization here met face to face, and mingled their incongruous elements; the one to recede, the other to advance, until its mighty forces held in its undisputed pos session the once savage continent. CHAPTER VIII.- The Huron Missions — Arrival of the Jesuits — They Take Charge of the American Missions' — Jean de Brebeuf, Daniel and Davost — Their Journey to the Hurons — The Bark Missign House — Instructing the Indians in Defensive Works — The Indian's Idea of the Christian Heaven — Frightful Ravages of the Pestilence among the Indians — They Persecute the Jesuits — Arrival of Nuns at Quebec — Founding of Montreal — The First Century of the History of the Interior of the Continent Like a Tale of Chivalry. jHE Franciscan Friars, who had estab lished five missions in the territory from Acadia to Lake Huron, found their forces inadequate to the require ments of the great task before them, and to the charge of the Jesuits was given the control of the missionary field of labor. In 1626, three of the brotherhood embarked from France for Quebec, where they duly arrived, and commenced that task which will make their name forever famous in the early annals of American history. Their names were Lalle- mant, Masse and Jean de Brebeuf. The latter was a Norman, a descendant of a noble family of Normandy — a man of most imposing pres ence, born to command, of fine physical pro portions, highly gifted by nature, and of great educational attainments. They set themselves to work to master the Algonquin and Huron languages, which in due time were acquired, and then Brebeuf went to his assigned place, the distant Huron mission — the post formerly occupied by Le Caron. When Champlain returned to Quebec after its evacuation by the British in 1633, the Jesuit force had received accessions, in the person of the Father Superior, Paul Le Jeune and others; and, among those assembled at Que bec on Champlain's arrival was Brebeuf, who had lived for two years at the Huron Mission, and who now was to return to his post accom panied by Father Daniel and Davost. But a difficulty occurring with the Hurons, the priests were, obliged to putoff their journeyfor a year. In 'the mean time, they assiduously studied the Huron language, and made due prepara tions to be in readiness to accompany the Hurons, when they made their next annual trip up the Ottawa. "Le Jeune had learned the difficulties of the Algonquin mission. To imagine that he recoiled or faltered would be an injustice to his order; but on two points he had gained convic tions : First, that little progress could be made in converting these wandering hordes till they could be settled in fixed abodes; and, secondly, that their scanty numbers, their geo graphical position, and their slight influence in the politics of the'wilderness offered no flattering promise that their conver sion, would be fruitful in further triumphs of the Faith. It was to another quarter the Jesuits looked most earnestly-. By the vast lakes of the West dwelt numerous stationary populations, and particularly the Hurons, on the lake which beais their name. Here was a hopeful basis of indefinite conquests; for, the Hurons won over, the Faith would spread in wider and wider circlet, embracing, one by one, the kindred tribes — the Tobacco Nation, the Neutrals, the Eries, and the Andastes. Nay, in His own time, God might lead into' His fold even the potent and ferocious Iroquois." ''The way was pathless and long, by rock and torrent and the gloom of savage forests. The goal was more dreary yet. Toil, hardships, famine, filth, sickness, solitude, insult — all lhat is most revolting to men nurtured among arts and letters, all that is most terrific to monastic credulity : such were the promise and the reality of the Huron mission. In the. eyes of ihe Jesuits, the Huron country was the innermost stronghold of Satan, his castle and his donjon-keep. All the weapons of his malice were prepared against the bold invader who should assail him in this, the heart of his ancient domain. ' Far from shrinking, the priest's zeal rose to tenfold ardor. He signed ihe cross, invoked. St. Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, or St. Fran cis Borgia, kissed his reliquary, said nine masses to the Virgin, and stood prompt to battle with all the hosts of Hell." "A life sequestered from social intercourse, and remote from every prize which ambition holds worth the 'pursuit, or a lonely death, under forms, perhaps, the most appalling— these were the missionaries' alternatives. Their maligners may taunt them, if they will, with credulity, superstition, or a. blind enthusiasm ; but slander itself cannot accuse them of hypocrisy or ambition. Doubtless, in their propagandism, they were act= ing in concurrance with a mundane policy ; but, for the present at least, this policy was rational and humane. They were pro moting the ends of commerce and national expansion. The foundations of French dominions were to be laid deep in the heart and conscience of the savage. His stubborn neck was to be subdued to the 'yoke of the Faith.' The power of the priest established, that of the temporal ruler was secured. These sanguinary hordes, weaned from intestine strife, were to unite in a common allegiance to God and the King. Mingled with French traders and French settlers, softened by French manners, guided by French priests, ruled by French officers, their now divided bands would become the constituents of a vast wilderness empire, which in time might span the conti-. 22 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [i634. nent. Spanish civilization crushed -the- Indian ; English civili zation scorned and .-neglected:. him; French civilization embraced and cherished him.'' — Parkmanh yemits. in North America. In the summer of 1634, the. Indians having made their yearly descent of the Ottawa, were congregated in lesser numbers than usual, at Three Rivers. It seems that a terrible pesti lence had broken out in their country and was prevailing with great virulence. They were much dejected; and it was with the greatest difficulty that their consent was obtained, for the Jesuits to accompany them to their homes. In a few days the wild multitude departed, and in their midst were the three black-robed Jesuits, paddling with the rest, and on their way to the mouth of the Ottawa. Their route was the same toilsome one over which Cham plain and Le Caron had travelled years before. The distance was some nine hundred miles, and required a month to travel it. Brebeuf count ed thirty-five portages where the canoes had to be carried around rapids. They were com pelled to go bare-foot, so as not to injure the frail canoes and more than fifty times they had to wade in the rapid current over the shoal places.; dragging, the canoe by ropes. Their bare feet were cut by the sharp stones, and although Brebeuf was a man of fine physical powers^ he doubted if his strength would hold out to thejourney's end. At last they reach the shores of Lake Huron, and then their place of embarkation. But the three missionaries had been separated at some distant point on the route, Brebeuf's Indian companions now threw his baggage on the ground and strided off to. their respective villages', leaving him alone in the wilderness, on the shore of the lake, to his own resources. He was familiar with the place; so hiding his luggage in the woods, he looked up a trail and following it, soon came to an opening in the forest and saw the bark lodges of Ihonatiara. As the black- robed figure emerged from the forest, the crowd rushed out from the village to meet him, shouting a glad welcome. They were his old friends. A number of young Indians went with him to recover his luggage, which was obtained and carried to his abode, the hospitable roof of a thrifty Indian, whose bark lodge was abundantly supplied with corn and other staples of Indian food. Here he waited for some weeks, in anxious expectation of the arrival of Daniel and Davost. At last, they appeared, exhausted with fatigue. They then selected- the most populous town of the Hurons for their abode, which they called Rochelle, and where the Indians constructed for them a house, thirty feet long and twenty wide. The inner construction with its contents was a marvel, the Tame of which attracted myriads of visitors. The clock, mill and magnifying glass were wonders of wonders. They now settled down to the regular rou tine of their daily life. They had four working men attached to the mission. There was their garden plat, for corn and vegetables, to culti vate. This work was done by themselves, and their men, who varied the task in hunting and fishing. At the stroke of four by the clock, all Indian visitors were expected to retire, which they did, the demand of the clock being deemed imperative; when the door was barred, and the study of the Huron language entered into, by cultivated minds that could master all the peculiarities of the construction. Certain hours were devoted to the instruction ofthe children. and others to visiting the sick; and as the Hurons were kept in constant fear of an attack by the Iroquois, a portion of time was used in instructing them the art of constructing defen sive works. They found the Indians more apt in comprehending the benefits to be derived from these, than from the doctrines of the christian religion. At times, they secured attention to their religious teachings; but the Indians were too strongly wedded to their savage vices, habits, and inclinations, to readily give them up; so the converts were few". The poor Jesuits were horrified at the shame less sensuality of the Indians, and their obscene banter. The young squaws were wan-' tons, without any moral or modest restraint on their inclinations; and frequently had three or four temporary marriages, before a perma nent one. The continual protestations ofthe Jesuits were for a long time of no avail, except in individual instances. The Indians would answer " that they were a different people from the French, and not suited for the Frenchman's Heaven; and that it did not contain the enjoy ments of Indian life; their was no hunting ground there, and no war dances. " One Indian girl pretended that she died and went there, and found that all the converted Indians there were slaves to the pale faces. They beat them and made drudges of them, and that was what they were so anxious to convert them for. She escaped and was glad to get back and warn her people. The superstitious nature of the Indians, inclined to a belief in all such improbable stores; and this one, artfully told, found many believers. During the prevalence of the pestilence, one of them said to the Jesuits: "I see plainly that your God is angry with us, because we will not believe and obey him. Ihonatiara, where you first taught. his word, is -entirely 1638-42.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 23 ruined. Then you came here to Ossossane, and we would not listen; so Ossossane is ruined too. This year you have been all through our country, and found scarcely any who would do what God commands; therefore the pestilence is everywhere. " The fathers considered this most hopeful and logical reasoning, but their anticipations of a profitable application were dashed, when he continued: "My opinion is, that we ought to shut you out from all the houses, and stop our ears when you speak of God, so that we cannot hear; then we shall not be guilty of rejecting the truth, and he will not punish us so cruelly." The pestilence, that had now prevailed for over a year, was committing terrible ravages, and deaths , were occurring with frightful rapidity. A superstitious fear took possession of them, that the mysterious black-robes were sorcerers, and were partially . answerable for their misfortunes, and that they had bewitched the "nation. They held them in mysterious awe, as powers who could perform marvels, and yet they and their Great Spirit would not relieve them. They gathered in ominous knots and in dejection and terror denounced, the poor Jesuits as evil magicians. Councils were held in which they were doomed to death; but each feared- to execute the sentence. When they entered the sick lodge, the inmates -would tell them to go. If they accosted a sick one, he would avert his face and refuse to answer. They were abused and insulted at every oppor tunity; but nothing diverted them from their purpose of visiting the sick, and baptizing the dying infants. At last, some of their converts came to them secretly, and told them that their death was decreed. Their house was set on fire; they were persecuted and reviled in every possible manner, and then called to appear in council, which they did with such an undaunted front, as to astonish the Indians, and secure a post ponement of judgment. For some reason, the hostility to them somewhat abated; their friends multiplied, and comparative safety was assured. In 1638, a number of mechanics, from Que bec, arrived at the Huron Mission, and built a wooden chapel at Ossossane, where there were about sixty converts. This was looked upon as a marvel of architecture. Years passed, and mission houses multiplied in the Huron and Ottawa countries. The cause of Christianity in the American wilds, aroused a fervor in France, that was like the enthusiasm of the days of the Crusades. High-born ladies, even, among them, the young, beautiful and accomplished, contributed their wealth, and joining religious orders, went to Quebec. On their arrival; the cannon roared a welcome; soldiers and priests assembled at the landing, and when the nuns reached the shore, they kneeled and kissed the sacred soil. The Indians regarded them as divinities. They were conducted to an enclosure of palisades, which contained a church and other buildings, and among them a number-of log cabins,.- in which lived Indian converts. In their demon strations of delight, at meeting their, pupils, they seized and kissed every female Indian child they could find, fondling them "without minding," says Father Le Juene, "whether they were dirty or not. Love and charity triumphed over every human consideration. " Madame de la Peltrie, a young- widow and scion of Norman nobility, was of the number. She was, in fact, the patroness's of the enter prise, having wealth at her command. In her zeal, she was for going to the Huron Mission, and it was with difficulty that she could be restrained from such an unheard of under taking. They took up their quarters in a small wooden building, until the large stone convent was built, three years aterwards. Here they were crowded with such a number of children that the floor was covered with beds, and the labor was unceasing. While thus situated, the small-pox broke out among the neighboring . Indians, when they flocked to' Quebec for relief. A hospital had been formerly estab lished, in which the hospital nuns were, now ensconced. This was soon filled to overflowing, and various cabins were occupied by thesick. Here lay the sick and dying savages-, on. the floor and in berths; while in the midst of the most revolting scenes of distress,- the nuns heroically labored, sometimes without sufficient food. The disease at 'last -abated, and 'released them from their exhausting toil. Among them was a fair, delicate girl, Marie de St. Bernard, of whom another sister writes: "Her disposition is charming. In our times of recreation, she often makes us cry with laugh ing. It would be hard to be melancholy when she is near. " The site of Montreal, up to this period, was merely a camping ground, temporarily occu-' pied by the traders, during the- season of the yearly descent of the Indians with their furs. In 1642, a colony arrived from France, endowed by charitable and religious enthusiasts, for the purpose of establishing religious houses on the site of Montreal. In May> of that year, they proceeded to that point, one of the most exposed to the attacks of the. Iroquois. Among them was Mademoiselle Mance, a nun from France, and two' other women. They were 24 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. I635-] accompanied by Madame de La Peltrie, from Quebec, and the new colony was under the command of Maisonneuve, a name honored in the early annals of the country for meritorious and heroic conduct. They landed and immediately erected an altar, which the ladies decorated with great taste. The priest put on his vestment, and then the ladies, officers in uniform, soldiers and laborers assembled before it, and kneeled on the bare ground while offering up their adora tions. When the service was over they pitched their tents, made their camp-fires and partook of their repast. The soldiers then stationed their guard, and, amid the silence ofthe forest night, they retire to their tents. In the morning a provisional chapel was built of bark, and then commenced the erection of wooden structures. Such was the founding of Mont real. On Sunday afternoon they strolled through the pleasant surrounding meadows and adjoining forests, admiring the wild flowers and the birds which enlivened the scene with their gay warblings. But, lurking in the thickets, were the deadly Iroquois, that might at any moment make a descent on them, and put all their valor and heroism to the severest test. The first century of the history of the inte rior of this continent is more like a tale of chivalry or romance than reality. The glowing pages which relate the long struggle between the Moorish dynasty of Spain and the Gothic Monarchy, and which culminated in the splen did reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, grand as they are, in dramatic effect, must pale their ineffectual fires before those of the great drama that embraced a continent in its scenes. The opening act presents the vast, savage continent, as a theatre of unceasing war between the several Indian nations inhabiting it. Groups of painted savages, in every direc tion, are on the war-path; some filing through the dark recesses ofthe forest; others writhing through the contortions ofthe war-dance. In one place a village is in flames, and its lurid glare lights up a scene of pillage and massacre, in which men, women and children are indis criminately slaughtered amid the most fiend ish exultations. A tribe or a nation is exter minated, and its populous abodes converted into a desolation. In another village the whole population is assembled, to rejoice over the return of the victorious warriors and enjoy the torture of their prisoners, who must run the gauntlet, the victims of the most atrocious cruelty that savage invention can devise. New actors appear on the scene. On the wild banks of the St. Lawrence a little group of heroes — a mere handful — have come, who propose to boldly push into this vast field of carnage, and interpose their feeble numbers against the savage multitude, in an effort to check the bloody strife, and unite the warring tribes in the bonds of peace and good will. Will they have the temerity to enter this field of bloodshed and terror, dependent alone on their skill, courage and fortitude? The scene shifts, and Champlain is the great central figure in the drama, who, with four comrades, is seen in the midst of a swarthy multitude, who are his allies. He has invaded the tigers' den — the hunting grounds of the terrible Iroquois, that have been so long licking their bloody jaws and revelling in spoils and carnage. He has become the great captain of the Algonquins, and will lead them against the foe which has so long ravaged the country. The forests resounds with the sounds of battle; the war-whoops' shrill cry is heard; the Iroquois have met a foe they cannot conquer, and flee in dismay before the victorious legions of Champlain's allies. Another scene presents the distant solitudes of Lake Huron, with Champlain standing on its shores, whither he has penetrated — nine hundred miles in the interior. Anon the scene shifts, and the black-robed Jesuit is seen, pad dling his canoe on some stream in the distant forest, or dragging it through the rapids. In another, delicate and high-born ladies, even the young and accomplished, are surrounded by troops of little Indian girls — again the scene discloses them in the frightful hospital, amid the deadly pestilence and the repulsive scenes of disease and death, unremittingly toil ing with heroic fortitude. On the bank of some forest lake or river, is a tableau. A motley crowd is gathered around the camp fire, which lights up the sombre for est, and throws its fitful lights and shadows on the picturesque group, in which are seen promiscuously mingled, the black robe of the Jesuit, the red cap and sash of the conrrier des bois, the half naked savage and the gay uniform ofthe French officer. Next comes that inexorable event that interrupts all the plans of man. The little hamlet ofQuebec is shrouded in gloom. The misscrere is chanted, and the whole population is in tears. The light of New France is extinguished.. The great cap tain and hero will no longer guide its steps in the pathway of its progress. The immortal Champlain has yielded to the demands of the common lot, and all his cares, ambitions and noble aspirations have come to an end. The scene shifts; the Iroquois are again on the war-path: their great foeman, Champlain,. 1638-42.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 25 is no longer a terror and obstacle to their ambi tious domination. Their war-party, a thous and strong, glides along the forest trail; the war-whoop again rings out its frightful peal — the defenseless mission house is in flames, and lights up with lurid glare the midnight mas sacre, and the troops of exultant fiends, fren zied with blood and carnage. The beautiful country of the Hurons is one wide-spread scene of desolation. Its villages are depopulated and its people are scattered outcasts. A nation is destroyed!! CHAPTER IX. Iroquois War — They Boast that They will Exterminate all the Other Indian Nations and the French — The Capture and Sufferings of Isaac Jouges — Building of Fort Richelieu — Defeat of the Iroquois by a Small French Force. E have seen that when the whites first came to the country, they found I? the Iroquois waging a relentless war j|==^ against the Algonquins and Hurons. For over thirty years the French had been endeavoring to suppress these hostilities, but in vain. . The Iroquois had obtained fire-arms from the Dutch traders on the Hudson, and the compact organization of this confederacy, and their long success on the war-path made them defiant. The only obsta cle to their domination was, the handful of French, whose whole force at this period did not amount to three hundred able-bodied men; and this so scattered through the broad region they attempted to defend from the ravages of the marauders, that they were exposed at all points to their attacks. The heroic courage of this small band rises to the point of the highest sublimity, when they are seen boldly facing the formidable enemy, so familiar with forest warfare, and before whom all the other Indian nations cowered, as from an irresistless scourge. The Iroquois, with their formidable weapons and war-like skill, were now so confident of their strength that they boasted that the whole country should yield to their domination; that they would exterminate the French and all the other Indian nations; and for a time it seemed as if they would make good their threats. They would concentrate their whole force in a sud den attack on the villages of the Indian allies of the French, coming like a whirlwind and disap pearing as suddenly, leaving their track a blackened desolation. The Algonquins now leaned on the French as their only hope for protection. But the defenseless posts of the French were equally exposed. The St. Lawrence and the Ottawa rivers were so infested with war parties, that com munication between the posts and missions was suspended; and it seemed as if nothing could save the colony from impending ruin. But the Governor Montmagny began a vigor ous defense, and the arrival of forty soldiers, sent out by Cardinal Richelieu, was a rein forcement much valued, but totally inadequate. The Huron Missions, distant nine-hundred miles from Quebec, and approachable only through a wilderness beset with blood-thirsty foes, was in a most precarious situation, and in the greatest destitution. Inthis emergency a brave young Jesuit, Isaac Jouges, volun teered to go to their assistance with a small body of men and much needed supplies. He had formerly pushed his way to the Sault St. Marie, the outlet of Lake Superior, and he now undertook the perilous" task of relieving the destitution of his comrades in the Huron country. In the spring of 1642, he started with three Frenchmen and a number of Hurons, in twelve canoes, with munitions, provisions and other needful supplies. While on the passage, they were suddenly attacked by a large body of Iroquois. The war-whoop rung out on. the stillness of the forest, and a shower of bullets rattled among the canoes. The Hurons, in the rear, pushed rapidly to the shore, jumped -from the canoes, and, abandoning everything, fled in terror through the woods. A number of converted Hurons, with the four whites, made a valiant resistance, but were over-pow ered by vastly superior numbers. Jouges and his conpanions were nowsubjected to the cruel- est torture that the most devilish ingenuity could invent. They were taken to a large camp of the enemy and made to run the gaunt let, where he was so beaten and bruised in the passage, that he fell drenched in blood, which fell from his face and naked body like drops of rain. Fire was then applied to his muti lated body, and his hands were lacerated, the brutes biting them with their teeth. During the night, while the sufferers tried to rest, the young warriors came and pulled out their hair by hands-full and lacerated their wounds. They were taken' to a village and again com pelled to pass between two rows of savages, and beaten with rods. They were next placed on a scaffold, and the crowd of fiends, with knives in their hands, mounted and hacked them, taking care to avoid giving them a fatal blow. At night they were bound to stakes in a prostrate position, and then given up to the children as subjects for torture. They were next taken to another -town for 26 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1642. an exhibition. While crossing a brook, Jouges, unmindful of his suffering, found consolation in the opportunity to baptize two of the Huron prisoners. Three of the Hurons were now burned to death, and Jouges and Goupel, one of his companions, expected to share their fate. Goupel was killed by a blow of a hatchet, and Jouges was astonished, day after day, to find himself alive. His life was spared, but he found it almost unendurable. At last they allowed him to go from town to town, to see the Indian captives, that they were continually bringing in. His time was, therefore, occupied in converting and baptizing them, and he began to congratulate himself that his capture was a providential means for saving souls. A greater heroism and more sublime devotion has seldom been reeorded. At last he was rescued by some Dutch traders, went to their seaport, and taking passage in a vessel, reached France. Here his mutilated appearance excited the greatest commiseration. The following spring, he returned to Canada, voluntary exposing himself to the same hazards. Two years after wards the Iroquois were at peace with the French, having been taught a salutary lesson, and notwithstanding the terrible sufferings he endured at their hands, he accepted a mission among them, feeling a presentiment of his death when he started; for he wrote: "I shall go, but I shall not return." When he arrived among the Mohawks, crowds assembled to gaze at the man they had once so abused, but who now represented a power they were taught to respect. The old grudge breaking out again, a hostile party of Iroquois seized him and led him and a companion to their town, where he was again subjected to their atrocious cruelties. They cut strips of flesh from his back and arms, and at last a blow from a hatchet killed him. The Governor of New France, Montmagny, began a vigorous defense. His allies, the Algonquins, were sadly decimated by the rav ages of the enemy, and those of pestilence and famine, and were now tractable subjects under his management. The mortality among them was so great that Father Vimont records: "Where eight years ago, one would see a hun dred wigwams, one now sees only five or six. A chief, who once had eight hundred warriors has now but thirty or forty; and in place of fleets of three or four hundred canoes, we see less than a tenth of that number. " The eastern Algonquins were being rapidly exterminated. Nothing but the French could save them. The Iroquois, well provided with fire-arms, were sweeping everything before them, and the whole country was one vast battle-ground. Montmagny now determined to establish a fort at the mouth ofthe Richelieu, the present site of the town of Sorel. He, therefore, dispatched the soldiers sent by Richelieu, and a number of laborers and mechanics, about a hundred in all, to that point, where they arrived in August, 1642. It was a few days after the capture of Jouges, and here they found ghastly evidences of the bloody work — the heads of the slain stuck on poles, and Indian picture-writing on the peeled trunks of trees, detailing the exploit. While they were engaged in erecting their defenses, they were suddenly surprised by two or three hundred Iroquois; but the French, quickly forming in line of battle, repulsed the enemy with great loss to the latter, who, aban doning even their guns, fled in terror. Finding that they were no match for even the small numbers ofthe French, they hunted out the encampments of Algonquins, like blood hounds. One instance, among the many, will suffice to show the ferocity of these attacks. A party of Algonquins on a winter hunt in the depths of the northern forests, and, as they thought, far removed from danger, ¦ were suddenly surprised by the enemy, who, hunt ing them out in this remote place, fell upon them at midnight. The prisoners taken were bound, and some of them were cut into pieces, put into kettles, boiled and eaten. " They ate men," says Vimont in the Relations, "with as much appetite, and with more pleasure, than hunters eat a bear or stag." They delighted in bantering their prisoners. Said one of them . to an old Algonquin: "Uncle, you are a dead man. You are going to the land of souls; tell th^m to take heart; they will have good com pany soon, for we are going to send all the rest of your nation to join them. " In the spring of this year, Father Bressani started for the Huron country. At the mouth of the St. Lawrence, he and his small party were captured by the enemy and taken to Lake Champlain, where there was a fishing camp of four hundred Iroquois. Here, he and the other prisoners were subjected to the most cruel tor tures. They split his hand with a knife, stripped him and placed him on a scaffold, burnt him with hot irons, and forced him to walk on hot coals to make him dance. For eight nights they enjoyed this entertainment, and then took him to one of their villages, where his torture was renewed. He was finally ransomed by some Dutch traders. Some time after this, a peace was patched up with the Iroquois, which only lasted a short time, when hostilities were again renewed. I 648-49-] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 27 CHAPTER X. Iroquois War — Invasion of the Huron Country — Destruction of the Hurons and the Huron Missions — Conflagration of . the Indian Villages and the Mission Houses — Bravery of the Missionaries — Their Terrible Death — Indian Battle — The Hurons and Ottawas Abandon their Country and Settle in the Northwest, at Michilimackinac, Sault St. Marie and Green Bay. [N an inlet ofthe Bay of Matchedash, on Lake Huron, is the outlet of a small lake situated two miles inland. Near the shore of this lake was the Central Huron Mission, Fort Sainte Marie. The buildings were in an enclosure, two sides of which were built 'of stone masonry, the other two sides of palisades. This was the scene of a bountiful hospitality, to which the con verts frequently flocked from the most distant villages. Here, on festival days, immense assem blages gathered to witness the ceremonies of the church and receive instructions in its doctrines. There were, in the Huron country, at the several missions, eighteen priests, thirty men attached to them in different capacities, and eight soldiers. The' country of the Hurons, as before described, was abeautifuland fertile one, inter spersed with meadow's, luxuriant forests, and cultivated fields. It contained about twenty villages. The ravages of the pestilence and the Iroquois combined had greatly reduced the population; and now, in 1648, the Iro quois had again broken the peace and taken the war-path, desolating the country in every direction. They had sacked and burned the mission of St. Joseph, killed the missionary Daniel, and laid waste the country around it. In the following spring, 1649, the inmates of Sainte Marie saw dense clouds of smoke aris ing to the south-east; it was the conflagration of St. Louis. The Iroquois had renewed their' work. A thousand warriors appeared before the mission of St. Louis where were stationed Brebeuf and Lalemant. The greater part of the Hurons of the village were absent on a hunt, and there were only about eighty warriors left to defend it. The Jesuits encouraged these to make a valiant resistance, which they did, but of no avail. They were overcome; the village was set on fire, and the inmates slaughtered. Brebeuf was bound to a stake; and as he threatened them in the most undaunted man ner, showing no signs of fear, and exhorting his Huron converts to merit Heaven by their conduct, they tried to silence him by scorching him, after stripping him naked. He continuedto speak with unchanged countenance; when they cut off his lower lip and thrust a red-hot iron down his throat. His majestic form, in all the dignity of the sublimest courage, still stood erect and undaunted. They then took Lale mant and enveloped him with bark smeared with pitch, which they ignited. In his agony he threw up his arms in supplication to Heaven. They next cut strips of flesh from Brebeuf and poured hot water on him, but he would not fiinqh. At last they scalped him, and opened his breast, when a number of them drank his blood, to imbibe his courage. One tore out his heart and ate it. Thus died the brave founder of the Huron Missions. Lalemant, after suffering protracted tortures, was slain by a blow from a hatchet. A large body of Huron warriors, appearing near Sainte Marie, intercepted a body of the Iroquois, whom they defeated, when the latter fled toward St. Louis. Although they had burned the vvillage, the palisades were yet standing, and within them the Iroquois took shelter. They were followed by the Hurons, who again attacked and dislodged them, put ting them again to rout. The Hurons held the place, and the enemy fled to their main body, which turned in rage back to St! Louis, to obtain revenge for the defeat of their com rades. Here, now, occurred one of the most desperate Indian battles on record. The Hurons did not exceed two hundred, while the Iroquois were more than quadruple that num ber. The latter were largely armed with guns, while the arms of the former were principally bows' and arrows, hatchets and knives; but they fought bravely, repelling again and again the attacks of their assailants. It was a hand- to-hand fight, and was kept up till after night. The forests resounded with the yells of battle, and it did not end till all of the Hurons were slain except twenty. The Iroquois lost a hun dred in killed, while many more were wounded. Fearing now that a large force of Hurons would come upon them, they made a hasty retreat to their homes. The priests of St. Marie, learning that the invaders had retreated, immediately pro ceeded to the scene of carnage. St. Louis and St. Ignace presented a spectacle of horror. The ground was strewn with the dead and mutilated bodies of men, women and children, some of them partly consumed in the confla gration which destroyed the villages. The remains of Brebeuf and Lalemant were found, and conveyed to St. Marie, and consigned to their last resting place. War and pestilence had done their work on the Hurons; their ranks were sadly decreased; large. numbers were fugitives; their fields were running to waste; their supply of food scanty; 28 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST: 1649-1 many of their villages were destroyed, and they were without organization or hope. Their former beautiful country was a scene of havoc and desolation. The ravages ofthe Iroquois were exterminating them. There was no alternative, but the abandonment of their country, and flight. The Hurons, as a nation, had perished, and their country • relapsed into the solitude of the wilderness. Some of them found an asylum among kin dred nations, while others sought out new homes in the wilds of the islands of Lake Huron. The following year, this point was abandoned, and the Jesuits returned to Que bec, accompanied by some of the Huron bands. Other bands of Hurons and Ottawas went to Michilimackinac, Sault St. Marie and Green Bay, to seek out new homes in the Northwest, where, in alliance with the powerful Ojibewas ( Chippewas ) , who had preceeded them, they might be able to resist the further ravages of their deadly enemy. " Several of the priests set out to follow and console the scattered bands of fugitive Hurons. One embarked in a canoe, and coasted the dreary shores of Lake Huron northward, among the labyrinth of rocks and islets, whither his scared flock had fled for refuge ; another betook himself to the forest with a band of half-famished proselytes, and shared their miser able rovings through the thickets and among the mountains. Those who remained took counsel together at Sainte Marie. Whither should they go, and where should be the new seat of the Mission? They made choice of the Grand Manitoulin Island, called by them Isle Sainte Marie, and by the Hurons Ekaentoton. It lay near the northern shores of Lake Huron, and by its position would give a ready access to numberless Algonquin tribes along the borders of all these inland seas. Moreover, it would bring the priests and their flock nearer to the French settlements, by the route of the Ottawa, whenever the Iroquois should cease to infest that river. The fishing, too, was good ; and some of the priests, who knew the island well, made a favorable report of the soil. Thither, therefore, they had resolved to transplant the mission, when twelve Huron chiefs arrived, and asked for an interview with the Father Superior and his fellow Jesuits. The conference lasted three hours. The deputies declared that many of the scattered Hurons had determined to re-unite, and form a settlement on a neighboring island of the lake, called by the Jesuits Isle St. Joseph ; that they needed the aid of the Fathers ; that without them they were helpless, but with them they could hold their ground, and repel the attacks of the Iroquois. They urged their plea in language which Ragueneau describes as pathetic and eloquent ; and, to confirm their words, they gave him ten large collars of wampum, saying that these were the voices of their wives and children. They gained their point. The Jesuits abandoned their former plan, and promised to join the Hurons on Isle St. Joseph. " They had built a boat, or small vessel, and in this they em barked such of their stores as it would hold. The greater part were placed on a large raft made for this purpose, like one of the rafts of timber which, every summer, float down the St. Law rence and the Ottawa. Here was their stock of corn — in part the produce of their own fields, and in part bought from the Hurons in former years of plenty — pictures, vestments, sacred vessels and images, weapons, ammunition, tools, goods for bar ter with the Indians, cattle, swine and poultry. Sainte Marie was stripped of everything that could be moved. Then, lest jt should harbor the Iroquois, they set it on fire, and saw con sumed in an hour the results of nine or ten years of toil. It was near sunset, on the fourteenth of June. The houseless band descended to the mouth of the Wye, went on board their raft, pushed it from the shore, and, with sweeps and oars, urged it on its way all night. The lake- was calm and the weather fair; but it crept so slowly over the water that several days elapsed before they reached their destination, about twenty miles distant. " Near the entrance of Matchedash Bay lie the three islands, now known as Faith, Hope and Charity. Of these Charity, or Christian Island, called Ahoendoe by the Hurons, and St. Joseph by the Jesuits, is by far the largest. It is six or eight miles wide ; and, when the Hurons sought' refuge here, it was densely covered with the primeval forest. The priests landed with their men, some forty soldiers, laborers and others, and found about three hundred Huron families bivouacked in the woods. Here were wigwams and sheds of bark, and smoky kettles slung over fires, each on its tripod of poles, while around lay groups of famished wretches, with dark, haggard visages, and uncombed hair, in every posture of despondency and woe. They had not been wholly idle ; for they had made some rough clearings, and planted a little corn ; the arrival of the Jesuits gave them new hope ; and, weakened as they were with famine, they set themselves to the task of hewing and burning down the forest, making bark houses, and planting palisades. The priests, on their part, chose a favorable spol> and began to clear the ground, and mark out the lines of a fort. Their men — the greater part serving without pay — labored with admirable spirit, and before winter, had built a square, bastioned fort of solid masonry, with a deep ditch, and walls about twelve feet high. Within were a small chape1, houses for lodging, and a well, which, with, th e ruins of the walls, may still be seen on the southeastern shore of the island, a hundred feet from the water. Detached redoubts were also built near at hand, where French musketeers could aid in defending the adjacent Huron village. Though the island was called St. Joseph, the fort, like that on the Wye, received the name of Sainte Marie. Jesuit devotion scattered these names broadcast over all the fields of their labors. " The island, thanks to the vigilance of the French, escaped attack throughout the summer; but Iroquois scalping-parties ranged the neighboring shores, killing stragglers, and keeping the Hurons in perpetual alarm. As winter drew near, great numbers, who, trembling and by stealth, had gathered a miser able subsistence among the northern forests and islands, rejoined their countrymen at St. Joseph, until six or eight thousand expatriated wretches were gathered here under the protection of the French fort. They were housed in a hun dred or more bark dwellings, each containing eight or ten families Here were widows without children, and children without parents; for famine and the Iroquois had proved more deadly enemies than the pestilence which, a few years before had wasted their towns. Of this multitude, but few bad strength enough to labor, scarcely any had made provision for the win ter, and numbers were already perishing from want, dragging themselves from house to house like, living skeletons. The priests had spared no effort to meet the demands upon their 1 649] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 29 charity. They sent men during the autumn to,buy smoked fish from the Northern Algonquins, and employed Indians to gather acorns in the woods. Of this miserable food they suc ceeded in gathering five or six hundred bushels. To diminish its bitterness, the Indians boiled it with ashes, or the priests served it out to them pounded, and mixed with corn. " As winter advanced, the Huron houses became a frightful spectacle. The inmates were dying by scores daily. The priests and their men buried the bodies, and the Indians dug them from the earth or the snow and fed on them, sometimes in secret and sometimes openly; although, notwithstanding their superstitious feasts on the bodies of their enemies, their repugnance and horror were extreme at the thought of devour ing those of relatives and friends. An epidemic presently appeared to aid the work of famine. Before spiing, about half of their (lumber were dead. " Late in the preceding autumn the Iroquois had taken the war-path in force. At the end of November two escaped pris oners came to Isle St. Joseph with the news, that a band of three hundred warriors was hovering in the Huron forests, doubting whether to invade the island, or to attack the towns of Tobacco Nation, in the valleys of the Blue Mountains. The Father Superior, Ragueneau, sent a runner thither in all haste, to warn the inhabitants of their danger. " There were at this time two missions in the Tobacco Nation, St. Jean and St Matthias, the latter under the charge of the Jesuits Garreau and Grelon, and the former under that of Gamier and Chabanel. St. Jean, the principal seat of the mission of the same name, was a town of five or six hundred families. Its population was, moreover, greatly augmented by the bands of fugitive Hurons who had taken refuge there. When the warriors were warned by Ragueneau's messenger of a probable attack from the Iroquois, they were far from being daunted, but, confiding in their numbers, awaited the enemy in one of those fits of valor which characterize the unstable cour age of the savage. At St; Jean all was paint, featheis and uproar — singing, dancing, howling, and stamping. Quivers were filled, knives whetted and tomahawks sharpened; but when, after two days of eager expectancy, the enemy did not appear, the warriors lost patience. Thinking, and probably with reason, that the Iroquois were afraid of them, they resolved to sally forth, and take the offensive. With yelps and whoops they defiled into the" forest, where the branches were gray and bare, and the ground thickly covered with snow. They pushed on rapidly till the following day, but could not discover their wary enemy, who had made a wide circuit, and was approaching their town from another quarter. By ill-luck, the Iroquois captured a Tobacco Indian and his squaw, straggling in the forest not far from St. Jean ; and the two prisoners, to propi tiate them, told them the defenseless condition of the place, where none remained but women, children and old men. The delighted Iroquois no longer hesitated, but silently and swiftly pushed on towards the town. " It was two o'clock in the afternoon, of the seventh day of December. Chabanel had left the place a day or two before, in obedience to a message from Ragueneau, and Gamier was here alone. He was making his rounds among the houses, visiting the sick and instructing his converts, when the horrible din of the war-whoop rose from the borders of the clearing. and, on the instant the town was mad with terror. Children and girls rushed to and fro, blind with fright ; women snatched their infants and fled, they knew not whither. Gamier ran to his chapel, where a few of his converts had sought asylum. He gave them his benediction, exhorted them to hold fast to the Faith, and bade them fly while there was yet time. For him self, he hastened back to the houses, running from one to another , and giving absolution or baptism to all whom he found. An Iroquois met him, shot him with three balls through the body and thigh, tore off his cassock, and rushed on in pursuit of the fugitives. Garhier lay for a moment on the ground as if stunned ; then, recovering his senses, he was seen to rise in a kneeling posture. At a little distance from him lay a Huron, mortally wounded, but still showing signs of life. With the Heaven that awaited him glowing before his fading vision, the priest dragged himself towards the dying Indian, to give him absolution ; but his strength failed him, and he fell again to the earth. He arose once more, and again crept forward; when a party of Iroquois rushed upon him, split his head with two blows of a hatchet, stripped him, and left his body on the ground. At this time the whole town was on fire. The invaders, fearing that the absent warriors might return and take their revenge, hastened to finish their work, scattering fire brands everywhere, and threw children alive into the burn ing houses. They killed many ofthe fugitives, captured many more, and then made u. hasty retreat through the forest with their prisoners, butchering such of them as lagged on the way. St. Jean lay a waste of smoking ruins, thickly strewn with blackened corpses of the slain. " Towards eveniug, parties of fugitives reached St. Matthias with tidings of the catastrophe. The town was wild with alarm, and all stood on the watch, in expectation of an attack; but when, in the morning scouts came in and reported the retreat of the Iroquois, Garreau and Grelon set out with a party of converts to visit the scene of havoc. For a long time they looked in vain for the body of Gamier; but at length they found him lying where he had fallen- — so scorched and disfigured that he was recognized with difficulty. The two priests wrapped his body in a part of their own clothimg; the Indian converts dug a grave on the spot where his church had stood ; and here they buried him. Thus, at the age of forty-four, died Charles Gamier, the favorite child of wealthy and noble parents, nursed in Parisian luxury and ease, then living and dying, a moire than willing exile, amid the hard ships and horrors of the Huron wilderness. His life and his death are his best eulogy. Brebeuf was the lion of the Huron mission, and Gamier was. the lamb ; but the lamb was as fear less as the lion. " When, on the following morning, the warriors of St. Jean returned from their rash and bootless sally, and saw the ashes of their desolated homes, and the ghastly relics of their mur. dered families, they seated themselves amid the ruin, silent and motionless as statues of bronze, with heads bowed down and eyes fixed on the ground. They thus remained through half the day. Tears and wailing were for women ; this was the mourning of warriors.'' — Parkman's Jesuits in North America. Parkman continues: " ' It was not without tears,' writes the Father Superior, 'that we left the country of our hopes and our hearts, where our brethren had gloriously shed their blood. ' The fleet of canoes held its melan choly way along the shores where two years before had been the seat of one ofthe chief sav age communities of the continent, and where 30 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1659. now all was a waste of death and desolation. Then they steered northward, along the eastern coast of the Georgian Bay, with its countless rocky islets; and everywhere they saw the traces of the Iroquois. When they reached Lake Nipissing. they found it deserted — noth ing remaining of the Algonquins who dwelt on its shore, except the ashes of their burnt wigwams. A little further on there was a fort built of trees, where the Iroquois who made this desolation had spent the winter; and a league or two 'below, there was another similar fort. The River Ottawa was a solitude. The Algonquins of Allumette Island and the shores adjacent had all been killed or driven away, never again to return. " The country was, for years after this, one vast battle ground, but the French, making vigorous war against the Iroquois, subdued them, and, in the end, formed an alliance with them. CHAPTER XI Migration of the Algonquin Tribes to the South Shore of Lake Superior, Michilimackinac, and Green Bay — First Com merce of the Northwest — Allouez, Marquette and Dablon Pioneers in Western Discovery and Settlement — First Western Settlements — The Fox River Valley a Great Centre of Indian Population — Allouez and Dablon Visit the Present Site of Oshkosh and Buttes des Morts, and are Hospitably Entertained — Grand Council of the French and Indians — Count Frontenac — Joliet and Marquette — Lovely Scenei-y of Lake Winnebago and of the Adjoining Country — The Discovery of the Mississippi — Marquette's Death and Burial. ||jBOUT the time that Champlain founded Quebec, the Ojibewas (Chip- pewas), a powerful Algonquin nation of Canada, began their migration to the south shore of Lake Superior, and commenced contesting with the Sioux for the possession of that territory; and were now occupying the Sault St. Marie, and the coun try between that point and Michilimackinac. Thither, now, went many of the bands of the scattered Hurons and Ottawas, for the purpose of finding homes adjacent to the Chippewas, and where they could unite with the latter in resisting the attacks of the Iroquois. By the year 1659, the country around the Straits of St. Marie and Straits of Mackinaw, and from those points to Green Bay, was in possession of the Algonquins. In 1659, two French traders passed the win ter on the shores of Lake Superior, and came to Quebec in the spring, with sixty canoes loaded with furs, and paddled by three hun dred Algonquins. This was the first commerce of the northwest. That region, now being fast peopled by tribes, partially civilized, was a promising scene of labor for the Jesuits; and notwithstanding that the ruin ofthe Huron mis- sionshadbeen a terrible blow to the courageous disciples of Loyola, they renewed their labors with great vigor; and, undismayed by the fate of Brebeuf, Jouges and their three other com rades, they still occupied the post of danger. Says Bancroft, in his history of the United States, "It may be asked if these massacres quenched enthusiasm. I answer that the Jesuits never receded one foot; but, as in a brave army, new troops press forward to fill the places ofthe fallen, there were never want ing heroism and enterprise in behalf of the cross and French dominion. " In all this dark and trying period, not one of those soldiers of the cross flinched. They met death under circumstances of the most terrifying form. In every direction their mis sion houses were sacked and burned, and the inmates slaughtered; but they would not desert the field of duty; and new victims eagerly sought to take the places of those who fell in the cause. Their converts, now settled in the northwest, needed their services, and they must follow them to this new scene of hardship and danger. But, in their new enterprise, they united the ends of discovery, settlement and commerce, with that of Christianizing the Indians. We consequently find them f mapping out the geography of the country, tracing its lakes and rivers, to many of them giving the names they now bear, examining the soil, mineral and vegetable productions of the country, and giv ing to the civilized world its first knowledge of the physical features and resources of the Great West. Their industry was unremitting, and the records of their daily journal furnish us with the only reliable history ofthe earlier discov eries in the West, and of the first intercourse of the Indians with the whites; and it is they who have left us the most faithful description ofthe manners and habits ofthe original inhabitants before they were modified by long social con tact with civilized beings. It was from the Jesuits that the Indians learned to believe in the existence of a Great Spirit. Prior to the advent of the missionaries, Indians believed in a multiplicity of manitous. There wasamanitou of fire, of water, of animals and of almost every physical thing.* *Note 1. There is no more reliable and valued historical authority than that of the " Jesuit Relations," and as such it is. 1665-68. J EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 31 The Algonquins ofthe West being desirous of commerce with the French, and ofthe assist ance of the latter in resisting the Iroquois, it was decided to establish missions and trading posts among them. In 1665, Father Claude Allouez embarked on the Ottawa for Lake Superior. In Septem ber he reached the Straits of St. Mary, and carrying his canoe around the rapids, was soon paddling along the shore ofthe great lake. In silent admiration he gazed at the pictured rocks and the sublime scene of the vast expanse of waters, as he glided over their sur face. At last he reached the great village of the Chippewas, on Che-goe-me-gon Bay. At the time of his arrival, there was a grand coun cil of various Algonquin tribes, to determine the question of the expediency of taking up the ¦ hatchet against the warlike Sioux. He was admitted to an audience and, in the name of the great French Father, commanded peace. The "French soldiers would smooth the path between the Chippewas and Quebec, and punish all the piratical tribes who disturbed the peace. " On the shore of the bay a chapel soon arose, and thither thronged the scattered tribes to listen to the teaching of the mission ary. After residing two years on the shores of Lake Superior, he went to Quebec for the purpose of urging the establishment of perma nent missions on Lakes Superior and Michigan, to he accompanied by little colonies of French emigrants. His endeavo'rs were successful; and he returned with Fathers Dablon and Mar quette, whose name was soon to become famous as the discoverer of the Upper Missis sippi. The two latter went to the Straits of St. Mary in 1668, and established the mission at that place. In the same year the Sioux resisting the intrusion on what they claimed as their territory, Father Allouez abandoned the mission at La Pointe, and moved to Green Bay, and, on the present site of Depere, -built a chapel. A few years afterwards Nicholas Per- rot was commissioned by the Governor of New France "to manage the interests of commerce of the Indian tribes and people of La Baye des Puants (Green Bay) and the western nations. regarded by Bancroft and other eminent American historians, who consider it truthful and accurate in the highest degree. It is simply the journals of the several missions, in which each recorded the events of their daily lives and the history of the times, with discoveries — explorations and descriptions of the several sections of the country — their classification of Indian tribes, Indian wars — their relations with the Indians, and in fact everything appertaining to the history of the country dur ing that period. Each mission was required to keep a journal and send a copy to the Father Superior at Quebec. The whole collectively form what is known as the "Jesuit Rela tions " of the American missions, a work that is now highly valued by the historical associations of this country.. of the Upper Mississippi, and to take posses sion in the King's name of all the places where he has heretofore been and whither he will go. " He established his headquarters at Rapide des Peres, which place, for more than a century, was the initial point of the travel and traffic of the great West. Here, then, two centuries ago, was the first permanent habitation of civilized man in the upper valley ofthe Mississippi. At this period the continent was one vast, barbarous solitude, with the exception of a few little settlements scattered at long intervals apart in the wilderness; for besides the little English and Dutch settlements on the sea-coast, and the French at Acadia and on the St. Law rence, there were no others in,all that illimitable territory, stretching away from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, except our pioneer missionaries and their attaches, who, undismayed at the fate of their comrades, had pushed their way into the very heart of the continent, exploring the majestic lakes and rivers, the broad prairies and vast forests over which rested the silence of primeval solitude, and where the adven turous traveler frequently journeyed for weeks without meeting a human being. The whole Indian population, according to reliable author ity, in all the territory east of the Mississippi, did not exceed two hundred thousand — not much more than half the present population of Chicago — and that so widely diffused, that uninhabited tracts of hundreds of miles fre quently intervened between the villages and planting-grounds of the several tribes. Marquette says, that on his voyage down the Mississippi, he journeyed two weeks with out meeting a human being. The Sioux having made war on the Algon quins, whom they largely outnumbered, the latter abandoned their settlement at La Pointe, and the Hurons took up their abode at Michili mackinac, whither Marquette accompanied them and established a mission on the main land at Point St. Ignace. Many of the Otta was went to the Manitouline Islands; and in the following year some of them returned to their old homes on the shore of Lake Huron and the country on the Ottawa, which had remained a desolation since the time it was ravaged by the Iroquois. The French, in the mean time, had partially suppressed these ferocious tribes; their invasions had been checked, and the fugitives began to return to their former country. The Sault St. Marie and Michilimackinac, with their Ojibewas, Hurons and Ottawas; Green Bay, with its tribes of Menominees and Sauks; the Fox River, with its tribes of Foxes and Miamis and the adjacent Lake Winne- 32 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1671-73. bago, with the Winnebagoes, now became a great center of Indian population. Being one of the most favored regions for game and fish, while the lovely country around Lake Winnebago and on the Upper Fox afforded sites for the most productive planting-grounds, the tribes increased in numbers, and enjoyed a full share of Indian prosperity. The locality, embracing the junction of the Great Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron, and the adjacent Green Bay, with its Fox River, affording a water communication with the Mississippi, by the easy portage between the Fox and Wisconsin, became a great center of Indian travel and commerce — the Indian metropolis of the Northwest — and hither flocked at seasons, for the purpose of fishing and barter, the Pottawattamies and Illinois. These tribes, all being of the Algonquin family, were on friendly terms. When Father Allouez established his mission at Green Bay, he was accompanied by Dablon, who writes that, "the country is an earthly paradise." He says that the Indians so honored them that a squad of warriors paraded up and down before them, in imitation of the guard they had seen before the Governor's tent at Montreal. He says: "We could hardly keep from laughing, though we were discours ing on the most important subjects, namely, the mysteries of our religion. " They went up Fox River, and paddled up Lake Winnebago'to the mouth of the Upper Fox, which they ascended to visit the town of the Mascoutins and Miamis, two tribes living together, and whose village was enclosed with palisades. They numbered about three thous and souls. This was the present site of Buttes des Morts. They were charmed with these Indians, who gave them a most cordial recep tion and listened to them with the most respectful attention. They were delighted with the charming country; and well they might be, for a lovelier spot is seldom met* with. Here they were told of the great river, Mississippi. Father Allouez next visited the Foxes, but found them a more intractable tribe. He was horrified at their polygamy, some of the Chiefs having eight wives, and their lodges seemed like seraglios. They were not well disposed towards him, but he succeeded in overcoming their hostility; and as a war-party was starting out on one of their predatory raids, he told them the story of the cross and the Emperor Constantine. This so much attracted them, as he could talk eloquently in Algonquin, that they each daubed the figure of a cross on their shields of hide, and took the war-path. As they were victorious, they came back exulting, and extolled the sacred symbol as a ffbig war- medicine. " The missionary chapels and buildings con nected with them were .built of logs and sur rounded with palisades, like a stockade fort, and adjacent to them were cultivated fields. Attached to each mission were a number of mechanics, woodsmen and laborers, who were employed in building and repairing the mis sion houses, hunting, fishing and tilling the ground. Jean Talon was at this time Intend- ant of Canada, and instituted a vigorous administration. He, therefore, deputized Nich olas Perrot, a man of great experience in Indian affairs, and whose imposing address and execu tive ability gave him great influence with the Indians, to hold a grand council with the vari ous tribes of the Northwest at Sault St. Marie. Notice having been given to the several tribes, they repaired in great numbers to the appointed rendezvous, Sault St. Marie, in May, 1671, to meet the deputy governor. He was accom panied by a military officer and a body of sol diers. The priests joined them, dressed in their vestments, and around them thronged the great body of Indians, delighted spectators. A large cross of cedar, which had been prepared, was then set up by planting the end in the ground, while the Frenchmen sang Vexilla Regis, Dablon pronounced a blessing; then a post, to which was attached a metal plate engraved with the King's arms, was planted near it, and the Jesuits made a prayer for the King. St. Lusson, the military officer, in full uniform, holding his sword in one hand, and raising a sod of earth with the other, proclaimed in loud tones his announcement of possession, in the name of Louis XIV. In 1672, Count Frontenac, from France, arrived at Quebec, and was installed as Gov ernor. His name occupies a most distin guished position in our history, from the vigor with which he pushed forward western explor ations, and his brilliant campaigns against the warlike Iroquois. A man ofthe most impo sing address and personal presence, fearless, energetic and enterprising, with a natural vigor of mind and high culture, he was well calculated forexecutiveduties,andleft an enduring impress of his administration, in which he saved the colony from impending ruin. He appointed Louis Joliet to make a voyage for the purpose of discovering the Upper Mississippi, and the young missionary Marquette, of Michilimack inac, was appointed to accompany him. Marquette was one of those saintly charac ters that belong to a past age. Born of one of the leadjng families of France, and highly edu- I673-] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 33 cated and accomplished, he was seized with a fervor of devotion to the cause of Christianity, and with the most intense zeal abandoned all the gaities, comforts and luxuries of life in the circles in which he was raised, and subordin ated himself to the strict and hard discipline of the life of the Jesuits. This order selected the very purest and bravest of its ranks for the American missions. He was chosen for one, and with the greatest delight embraced the opportunity to take up the hard lot of a life among the savages of the American wilds. Highly gifted by nature, and of great attain ments in learning and science, his proficiency as a linguist was so great that he learned in a few years to speak six Indian languages fluently. Let those who disbelieve in his faith call him credulous; but when they have become familiar with his life, they must admire his transcendant loveliness of character, the sub limity of his faith, his sincerity and truthful ness, his unbounded benevolence and courage ous daring. He was idolized by the Indians, and his name and virtues will be forever asso ciated with the early history ofthe Northwest. Our Wisconsin State Historical Society hon ored the event of Marquette and Joliet's dis covery of the Mississippi, by celebrating the bi- centennial of the occurrence in 1873, at which was read an address, written for the occasion by John G. Shea, LL. D., of Can ada, and which was published in the Wiscon sin State Historical Collections, in which he says : "Even in the hurry and whirl of the active life of an energetic nation, we may well pause on a day like this, to commemorate the bold and Christian energy of men of other days, who faced all the dangers of the untried wilderness, to explore, for thousands of miles, the heart of our Northern Continent in the interest of relig ion and science. " "On this day, two hundred years ago, a little bark canoe that had threaded the marshy maze between the Fox and Wisconsin, glided from the latter of these Rivers into the clear broad bosom of the Mississippi, which still bears the simple title Great River, which the Northern Algonquin tribes had given it. " "From the far North the River came, as its volume of water showed. Whither it bore its swelling tide, was the question that Louis Joliet and Father James Marquette were now practically to decide. " "And who were they? To imagine the one a bush-ranger, an ignorant coureur de bois, whose, sole knowledge was wood-craft and shrewd dealings with the Indians, or the other a pious missionary, equally ignorant of all human learning and indifferent to progress, would be a grave error. " "The missionaries who step by step threaded the net work of Lakes and Rivers, not only reported the data which they obtained, and preserved them; but they gleaned from mem bers of distant tribes statements asi to the geography, fauna and mineralogy of the lands beyond. Nearer and nearer they came to the Great River — the Mississippi of the Algonquin tribes, and they urged the Government at Quebec to undertake its exploration. It is little wonder that at first their hints and sug gestions remained unheeded, For the little Canada colony on the St. Lawrence to seek to penetrate some untold thousands of miles into interior America, seemed as yet too bold and rash. Canada was scientific in tone. This may seem a strange view to many.'but even down to the days of Kalm, a scientific traveler would have found more cultivated men in Canada than in New England or New York, to converse with him in regard to the topo graphy, climate, botany, mineralogy, and natural history of America, as well as the ethnology and linguistics of its native tribes. " " Geography was especially cultivated. France had long had at Dieppe and other ports, her schools of hydrography, sometimes directed by navigators, often, too, by priests, who- seem to have worked in most heartily with the men of the sea. From these schools came men, who, on a new coast, at once with practiced eye and hand noted down its outline, and, if time permitted, gave exa.ct charts. Such was Champlain, whose charts ofthe New England coast, overlooked by many students, excited the wonder of Thoreau by their accuracy, as he followed his course two centuries and a half after the founder of Quebec sailed along the coast. " "In the same spirit, the little hamlet of Quebec had a school of hydrography connected with -its college, and a King's hydrographer stationed there. And we may safely aver that no English colony of that day had any such department for coast survey. Louis Joliet was a native of American soil; he was born in 1645 at Quebec, where his father was a worthy wheel-wright. Talent and piety distinguished the boy, who received an education at the College of Quebec, the more careful and extended as he evinced a desire to study for the ministry. He even took the preliminary steps and entered the Theological Seminary of Quebec. But mathematical and geographical study seems to have had its charms for him, and it was cultivated as a science that in a colony under the French navy 34 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [i673- department could not come amiss. Even then he may have been associated as a pupil with Franquelin, the King's hydrographer. " " Gradually his views changed. Plunging into the busy world without the cloistered life, he sought a field for his talents in the West. Soon after 1667, he is reported as explo ring Lake Superior, and as having gone very near the Mississippi. The last writer who has thrown light on this period, in his ' Notes on the History, Bibliography and Cartology of New France and the adjacent country,' sums up Joliet's character: 'He was a very well educated and upright man. ' " " His companion in the adventurous journey was one of that body to which Joliet owed his education, Father James Marquette, a young native of Laon in Picardy , one of those devoted men of skill and learning, in whom devotion to his calling and tender piety outshine all else. He had been nine years on the Western missions; was familiar with many of the dia lects, fearless, energetic; who had longed for years to thread the course of the Great River that lay beyond, ' impelled by his ardent desire of extending the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and of making him known and adored by all the •nations of that country; ' that River asto which he had gleaned so many details, and down whose mighty current the red warriors seeking foemen to engage, had day after day plied the paddle with nothing to show them where it emptied. " Marquette and Joliet embarked in two birch- bark canoes, accompanied by five more men. Their provisions were principally smoked meat and Indian corn. They ply their paddles, and their canoes glide over the transparent waters of Michilimackinac. They pass along the dreary coast of Lake Michigan, and at night build their camp-fireon theshore. At last they reach Green Bay and ascend the Fox, carrying their canoes around the several rapids, and soon enter the beautiful lake ofthe Winneba goes. They paddle along its leafy shores, delighted with its picturesque scenery, and obtain glimpses of the lovely prairies and open ings which at intervals approach its banks, and entering the mouth of the Upper Fox, now the site ofthe city of Oshkosh, pass up that stream, and on the seventh of June they arrive at the village ofthe Miamis and Mas- coutins. Marquette describes the place as a most charming one, on a handsome elevation, rising from the river; while adjoining it, stretched away the prairie, interspersed with groves of trees (oak openings). It was the present site of Buttes des Morts. Here they obtained two Indian guides to conduct them, and were soon on their way. Arriving at the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin, they transported their canoes and entered upon the waters of the Wisconsin. Here their guides bid them adieu and they were left alone in the midst ofthe grand solitude — to pursue their way through unknown lands and dangers. On the seventeenth of June they arrived at the mouth of the river, and the broad current of the Missis sippi, with its high bluffs in thedistance, greeted their delighted vision. The long sought river, flowing in mysterious grandeur, was found. Floating along in the midst ofthe mostprofound solitude, they admire the picturesque scenery, and glimpses occasionally obtained of the broad prairies stretching away in the illimit able distance, with herds of elk and deer browsing undisturbed and frequently approach ing them on the river bank. " At what they calculated to be about forty- one degrees and twenty-eight minutes north latitude, they came upon the bison country and gaze with wonder on the vast herds that dotted the plains before them." What glowing visions of the splendors ofthe New France, that was to arise out of this mighty wilderness, must have inspired Mar quette and his companions, as they viewed this vast country in all its primeval grandeur and wild loveliness? The mighty river flowing from the distant north in such majestic volume, until its waters laved the banks of far-off south ern shores, overhanging with tropical vendure — the magnificent scenery, which from some points of observation, spread out before them, like an endless panorama, and the fertile soil and luxuriant vegetation, all giving evidence of the "most magnificent dwelling place ever prepared for the abode of man." Nearly two weeks had now passed since leaving the portage on the Wisconsin, and so sparsely was the country inhabited, that in all that time, they had not obtained the sight of a human being. Now, for the first time they discovered foot prints, and a well worn Indian trail. Leaving the men with the canoes, Mar quette and Joliet followed the trail for a dis tance of six miles, where they discovered an Indian village on the banks of a small stream. They had long desired to meet with some of the inhabitants of the country, and now their longings were to be gratified. They halted and called out in loud voices to announce their presence, when the astonished Indians swarmed out to meet them. Fourchiefs approached them, presenting cal umets, or peace pipes. Marquette asked who they were, in Algonquin. They answered that they were Illinois, and offered the pipes, 1673-3 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 35 which were smokedin friendship. They then went to the village and had a grand reception, the chief addressing them as follows : "French men, how bright the sun shines when you come to visit us! All our village awaits you, and you shall enter our wigwams in peace." Here they were feasted, and Marquette announced himself as a messenger sent by God, whom they were in duty bound to rec ognize and obey. They, were importuned to remain with their new friends, but, feeling compelled to decline, proceeded on their voy age, down to where the Missouri pours out its muddy waters. By the united currents they were rapidly borne on, and soon passed the mouth ofthe Ohio. Voyaging onward, they met Indians who were in communication with the Spaniards ; for they were armed with guns, and wore garments of cloth. These gave them a kind reception, and feasted Mar quette and his companions on buffalo meat and wild plums. Taking leave of these, they resumed their course, and reached the mouth of the Arkansas, on the bank of which was an Indian village. The inhabitants, yelling the war-whoop, plunged into their canoes and paddled out into the stream, above and below them, to cut off their escape; while a number of young warriors waded out into the stream to attack them. The current prevented them from reaching the canoes of the French, but one threw his war club at them. Marquette, in the meantime, was holding out his peace pipe; but this did not restrain them, till some of the elder chiefs arrived on the scene; when peace was proclaimed, and the Frenchmen invited to land, which they did, and were again entertained with an Indian feast. Proceeding on their voyage, they reached an Arkansas tribe that received them kindly, and entertained them with every mark of Indian hospitality. These Indians had earthen pots and platters of their own manu facture. They were also supplied with Euro pean hatchets, guns and trinkets. The travelers, having now learned that the Mississippi emptied into the gulf of Mexico, resolved on returning, as the natives told them that the river below was infested by hostile Indians that would be likely to capture them. They therefore commenced the toilsome ascent, and, after paddling wearily, day after day in the mid-summer heat, at length reached the mouth of the Illinois. Marquette, suffering with a severe attack of dysentery, was much exhausted. They ascended the Illinois, and were charmed with the views of its prairies and forests abounding in buffalo and deer. They stopped at the Illinois village, Kaskaskia, where a chief and band of warriors offered to guide them to the Lake ofthe Illinois. They thank fully accepted the escort, and, passing up to the head of the Illinois River, crossed the portage to the small stream which empties into Lake Michigan, at the present site of Chicago, whiph they followed to its mouth. From thence they followed the shore of Lake Michigan to Green Bay, which they reached the last of September, having been absent nearly four months on the voyage, in which time they had paddled their canoes a distance of two thousand five hundred miles. Marquette remained at the Green Bay Mission to recu perate; Joliet went to Quebec to report the discovery of the Mississippi. At the Rapids, above Montreal, his canoe was capsized; two of his men and an Indian were drowned; the valuable record of his voyage was lost, and he narrowly escaped losing his life. Marquette passed the following year at Green Bay, and in the autumn of 1674, though still suffering from the effects of his disease, he determined on going to establish a mission among the Illinois, at their village at Kaskas kia. Embarking with ten canoes, he reached Chicago River, and, having ascended it for two leagues, was prostrated by sickness; hem orrhage ensued, and he declared to his com panions that this voyage would be his last., As it was impossible for him to proceed-any further, his two men built a log cabin* and here they lived through the winter. Wild game was abundant, and they were- plentifully supplied with buffalo meat, venison and wild turkeys, which they frequently shot in the vicinity of their log cabin. The Indians also brought them corn and game. In the spring, Marquette, having somewhat regained his strength, proceeded on his voy age to Kaskaskia, where he arrived, and was received, he says, " like an angel from Hea ven. " Here he held a grand council, in which were assembled over three thousand Indians, to whom he explained the doctrines of Chris- ' tianity, urging them to adopt the belief in God and to conform their lives to His commands. As he was an eloquent speaker and familiar with the Algonquin language, they were charmed with his fervent appeal, and listened with great approval. They begged him to take up his abode among them; but as he was conscious of approaching death, he felt admon ished to hastily return to Michilimackinac. He therefore started, and was accompanied as far as Lake Michigan by a large body of Indians. He was now a confirmed invalid, and, as he lay in his canoe exposed to the cold winds of the early spring, his two men urged it along 36 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1649. the eastern shore of the lake. On the nine teenth of May, he felt that his death was at hand, and, as they were passing a small river, he asked his men to land. They complied, and built a small bark hut on the bank ofthe stream, into which they carried the dying mis sionary. With the greatest cheerfulness and composure, he gave instructions for his burial, and, with that kind regard for the happiness of others which ever characterized his actions, he instructed them on the duties of life, expressed his fervent gratitude to them for their devoted kindness; and, as they were tired, requested them to take their sleep, say ing that he would call them when he felt that his hour of death had come. A few hours afterward they heard his feeble appeal, and coming to him, found him at the point of dis solution, which he met with peaceful resigna tion. They dug his grave near the hut on that lonely river, as he had directed, and then pursued their way to Michilimackinac, where they conveyed to the priests of St. Ignace the sad intelligence of the decease of their comrade. A party of Ottawas, in the spring of 1676, passing near the place, disinterred the remains and placed them in a birch box. Then, in a procession of thirty canoes, they bo're them to St. Ignace, where they were met by the priests, Indians and traders, who received them with befitting ceremony, and, chanting the funeral rites, consigned them to their last resting place, beneath the little chapel of St. Ignace. CHAPTER XII. Count Frontenac and La Salle Secure the Control of the Head of the St. Lawrence, and set out to Establish a Line of Communication Between Quebec and the Mouth of the Mississippi — La Salle Builds Fort Frontenac, at the Head of the St. Lawrence, and Another at Niagara — Constructs the GrifHn and Launches her — The First Vessel on the Lakes — Her Trip up the Lakes to Michilimackinac and Green Bay — His Voyage to the Country of the Illinois — Builds Fort Crevecour, on the Illinois River • — Massacre of the Illinois by the Iroquois — La Salle Organizes the Illinois and Other Tribes, Taking the Leadership — Builds a Fort on " Starve Rock," — Attempt to Found a Colony at the Mouth of the Mississippi — Lost in the Wilds of Texas — Two Months Fruitless Search for the Mississippi — Assas sination of La Salle — Destruction of the Colony. ITH the accession of Frontenac to the Governor-Generalship of New France, commenced a new era in its |§j| history. That enterprising official infused a new life into the colony, the fortunes of which had been waning since the death of Champlain. He at once took measures for opening up and pro tecting the lines of communication with the interior; so as to secure as far as possible an uninterrupted communication through the great water arteries leading to the Mississippi. In accomplishing this, he found an able ally in La Salle who had conceived the plan of establishing a fortified post at the mouth of the Mississippi, with intermediate ones between that point and Quebec; so as to hold the con trol of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys. La Salle was of a wealthy French family, and from his rich relations he obtained the pecuniary means for prosecuting his vast enterprises. He laid his plans before Frontenac who embraced them with great avidity. Those men were well matched in all the elements of vigorous, daring enterprise, and they began an attempt for the occupation ofthe interior, which, for persistent effort, comprehensive aim and bold daring, eclipses the exaggerations of fiction. They determined first to establish a fort at the head of the St. Lawrence, on Lake Ontario, to pro tect communication with that lake, and as an aid in keeping under control the Iroquois who had obtained fire-arms from the Dutch traders on the Hudson. They purposed, also, to make thispointatrading post and means of communi cation with that nation, and check, as far as pos sible, their intercourse with the English colonies. Frontenac, therefore, set out in June, 1673, with a grand expedition to that point; first sending La Salle to the Iroquois country, requesting them to send delegates, to meet him at the appointed rendezvous. The expe dition consisted of himself, staff officers and soldiers of the garrison, and four hundred armed militia, with a large body of Indians. The flotilla was composed of a hundred and twenty canoes and two barges. Reaching Montreal, the new Governor-Gen eral was received with much pomp and cere mony, in which mingled the polished courtesies of the court circles of France, with the rougher hospitalities and rude surroundings of frontier life. From thence the expedition proceeded up the St. Lawrence to the point of its destination, now the site of Kingston. Here they landed and encamped; the Iroquois having arrived before them and now occupying an adjoining site. The next morning at beat of drum, they were drawn up in martial array. The Indians had never before witnessed such a grand mili tary display as here, in this wild solitude, here tofore a stranger almost to the presence of man, other than the passing hunter, or war party, now dazzled their eyes with its imposing splendor. Two lines of armed men were formed, which 1673-79] EARLY HISTORY OF. THE NORTHWEST. 37 reached from the Governor's tent to the Indian encampment, and between them filed the sav age representatives to Frontenac's headquar ters. The splendors of the uniforms and the long files of soldiers, with their glistening arms in all the precision of dress parade, elicited from the Indians their highest admiration. Frontenac now addressed them in a decisive, arrogant manner which, comporting with the military bearing and dignity of the man, com manded their respect. He addressed them as children whom the great French father would treat kindly; but he required on their part implicit obedience. He was now going to build a fort "to keep the road open between the lakes and rivers, and woe be to those who should break the peace. He then proceeded in a more conciliatory tone, showing them the advantages to be derived from a peaceful intercourse with the French, who would prove benefactors to them in the event of their meriting it. He next gave them presents, winding up the business of the day with a feast and entertain ment in the evening, in which he paid them the most polite attention, all of which gave them a high opinion of the new Father. The fort was then built, and garrisoned by a body of soldiers; when Frontenac returned to Quebec, and for the first time in its history, New France held the control of the head of the St. Lawrence. La Salle, who had made~extensive explora tions and had rendered great service to the country, went to France and petitioned for a patent of nobility, which he received from the King; and also a grant in seigniory of Fort Frontenac, which he covenanted to garrison at his own expense, and to form a colony around it. He returned and took possession, and the commerce between the posts of Green Bay and Michilimackinac with Quebec was now by way of the lakes. With Fort Frontenac as a base, La Salle began to push forward his enterprise for obtain ing possession ofthe mouth ofthe Mississippi. The next step in advance was to build a palis aded trading post at the mouth ofthe Niagara. While this was in process of erection, La Salle commenced the building of a vessel on the Upper Niagara for the navigation of the Upper Lakes. She was finished under the greatest difficulties and obstacles, the hostilities of the Indians not the least, and in due time she was launched and called the Griffin. It must be remem bered that her cordage, anchors and equip ment had to be carried long distances overland. It required four men to carry -the anchor around Niagara Falls. On the seventh of August, 1679, the Griffin weighed anchor, and with a good breeze filling her canvas, sailed out of the river, and for the first time, the keel of a sail vessel plowed the waters of Lake Erie. They sailed up the lake and entered the Detroit River, and for the first time the site of the future metropolis of Michi gan met the eye of civilized man. They were enraptured with the lovely and fertile country, in which they, landed and supplied their com missariat plentifully with game, of which they found an abundance, killing, among other animals, several bears. Qn Lake Huron they encountered a severe gale, which they weathered, and in due time reached Point St. Ignace, near Michili mackinac. The arrival was a great event to the inhabi tants of this remote post. The Griffin fired her cannon, and, as its echoes reverberated through the forests, the Indians yelled their astonishment and delight. The little craft swing- . ing gracefully at anchor was soon surrounded by a swarm of canoes, with wondering and admiring inmates. The little chapel of St. Ignace and its mission houses surrounded with palisades on the near shore; the Huron village adjacent; the dark back ground of the forest; the blue waters of the lake and the little vessel at anchor, formed a picture and theme to inspire the pencil of an artist. Here was the metropolis of the early Northwest, and the beginnings of that commerce which has since grown into such vast proportions. The Griffin set sail for Green Bay, where a large quantity of furs had been collected; with those she was laden and started for Niagara, with orders to return to the Illinois. La Salle then, with fourteen men, in four canoes, which were laden with a forge, tools and merchandise, among other things, started for the mouth of the St. Joseph River, at the head of Lake Michigan. They were overtaken with a severe gale, and, with the greatest difficulty, managed to make the mouth of a little inlet, where they found shelter. Here they were obliged to remain five days, when, the storm having sub sided, they re-embarked. In a few days they again encountered heavy weather, and were obliged to run ashore, where they passed two days in a drenching rain. Setting forth once more, they reached a Pottawattamie village; a heavy surf was rolling on the beach, and came near swamping the canoes. Father Gabriel, sixty-four years of age, was unable to resist the undertow, when Hennepin took him on his lusty shoulders, and carried him through the breakers, the old friar laughing heartily as I Hennepin staggered under his load. La 38 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1679. Salle, being distrustful ofthe Indians, at once posted his men in readiness for action, and, being sorely in need of food, sent three men to the village. In the mean time a number of warriors approached, LaSalle presenting the peace pipe, when friendly negotiations fol lowed, which resulted in the exchange of goods for corn and venison. At one period in their journey, they were, for some days, nearly famished for want of food, Father Gabriel fainting from exhaustion; but when they reached the vicinity of the present site of Waukegan, they found game in abund ance, and, with their guns, obtained a plenti ful supply of venison and bear meat. Here they encountered a party of Outagamies, who kept hidden from them, and, when discovered, pretended to have mistaken them for Iroquois; but, on recognizing them, professed friendship. They, however, during the night, stole a coat and some other things, and La Salle, knowing that he must adopt bold measures or greater aggressions would be made, posted his men in position, and sallying forth, seized a young warrior and brought him to the French camp. He then sought an Outagamie chief, and told him that unless the stolen goods were restored or compensation made he would kill the Indian prisoner. The Outagamie party numbered a hundred and twenty; the French fourteen. The Outagamies, in a body, now stealthily approached the French for the purpose of res cuing their companion, a portion keeping in the shelter of the trees. The French, how ever, were resolute, which the Indians perceiv ing, offered to parley. A conference ensued, which resulted in full compensation being made for the stolen goods, and an additional remu neration in the form of a gift of beaver skins. Re-embarking, they passed around the head of the lake and reached St. Joseph's River in safety. Here he resolved to wait for the arrival of the Griffin, that was to bring a reinforcement of men and stores. In the mean time he built a fort at the mouth of the river. Week after week passed, but the Griffiin did not appear. At last he abandoned all hope of her return. As she was never afterward heard of, it was supposed that she foundered in a gale on Lake Huron. In December, La Salle and his party, embarking in their canoes, ascended the St. Toseph's River as far as the present site of South Bend. Here was the portage to the head of the Kankakee. Carrying their canoes across this portage, they descended the Kankakee to its junction with the Illinois. At last they arrived at a large Indian town, in which Hennepin counted four hundred and sixty lodges. The inhabitants were all absent. Pushing forward they entered Peoria Lake, which they crossed, and again followed the river. They soon came to a place where each bank ofthe river was occupied with wig wams,. La Salle now had the eight canoes placed in line abreast of each other, and the men, seizing their guns, were soon borne by the current opposite the Indian encampment. The inhabitants, surprised at their sudden appearance, yelled and snatched up their weapons; while La Salle and his little band of intrepid followers jumped ashore, ready for the alternative of peace or war. The Indians, recovering from their panic, sent forward two chiefs with the peace pipe. The offering of friendship was accepted, and they were then hospitably entertained. La Salle then told them his purpose of building a fort and trading post in their country. His proposition seemed to be well received, but that night an enemy appeared in the" camp — a Mascoutin chief — who warned them against the plans of La Salle; that he was in leauge with the Iroquois, and, with them, intended to destroy the Illi nois. Having aroused their suspicions by his harrangue, he left the camp: La Salle importuned the Illinois to send for him that he might refute the stories, but in vain. To add to his discomfiture, six of his men deserted; they were nowhere to be found. He imme diately mustered the balance of his force, and in the strongest terms, denounced the coward ice of those who had deserted him in his peril; adding that if any more were afraid to proceed on the voyage to the Mississippi, he would give them leave to return in the spring to Canada; and that he should now go into win ter quarters. In the middle of January he selected a site for a fort, a little below the present site of Peoria. Here he erected some small buildings and enclosed them with a palisade. His forge tools and goods, which had been transported to this distant point, were now in requisition. The Griffin, as a means of transportation from Fort Niagara to the St. Joseph river, was one of the main stays of his enterprise, and the painful conviction that she was lost now preyed upon his hopes. At this point he intended to build another vessel, in which to descend the Mississippi ; and her equipments were to be brought to St. Joseph's in the Griffin; her loss, therefore, seemed to threaten the ruin of his enterprise. In this emergency, he determined to get the hull of his proposed vessel .well under way, and when she was' on the stocks to start for Fort Frontenac, at the head of the St. Law- 1679-80.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 39 rence, and travel directly across the country to that point, for the purpose of obtaining his necessary supplies. In a few weeks the hull of a vessel, of forty tons burden, was nearly constructed; and, on the second of March, with a trusty Indian guide that he had brought with him from Canada, and four Frenchmen, he started on his perilous voyage for his distant goal, Fort Frontenac. At places the progress of their canoes was intercepted by sheets of floating ice, through which they made their way with the greatest difficulty. Reaching the Des Plaines,they found the river so blockaded with ice that they abandoned their canoes, and started across the country for Lake Michigan. They must now furnish their own subsistence with their guns. The prairie was a mire of slushy snow and wet ground, over which they traveled with almost superhuman effort. The marshes were filled with water, and the soft prairie soil was like a saturated sponge. They at last reached Lake Michigan, and, traveling on the shore, arrived at the fort they had formerly built at mouth of the St. Joseph. From this point they struck directly across the country in the direction of Detroit River. They now found an abundance of game, deer, bears and tur keys, which furnished the camp-fire with most savOry viands; but this territory was infested with war-parties of tribes hostile to each other. and, one night, while sitting around their camp-fire, they were aroused by the war- whoop of a party surrounding them. Seizing their guns and seeking the shelter of protect ing trees, they awaited the attack; but the prowlers, seeing their readiness for a valorous resistance, withdrew, and left in peace. On reaching Detroit River, they made a raft and crossed over to the peninsula, the former country of the Hurons, over which they trav eled to a point on Lake Erie, where they made a canoe and proceeded to Niagara. Here La Salle met some of his men that he had left to hold that position, and from them learned that he had not only lost the Griffin, but that a ship, from France, laden with a valuable cargo for him, was wrecked at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. Leaving Niagara, he soon reached his base, Fort Frontenac, after a journey of more than a thousand miles. For sixty-four days he had endured hard ships and perils that would put to the severest test the courage and fortitude of the bravest; and now his goal was reached, only to find his enterprise surrounded by difficulties which would seem insurmountable to any one but this indomitable and unconquerable hero. When he left his post on the Illinois River, he placed Tonty in charge. He was a man after La Salle's own heart; trustworthy and brave in the highest degree, and a man of education and executive capacity. At Fort Frontenac, La Salle received a letter, brought to him by messengers from Tonty, informing him, that, after his departure, most ofthe men deserted, carrying off the goods that were available to them, and destroying much of the rest; also destroying the fort and throwing the powder that the magazine contained into the river. The vessel was still safe on the stocks, and the forge and tools were preserved. Tonty, and the few faithful ones who remained with him, now took up their abode in the great village of the Illinois, which was situated near "Starve Rock," on the Illinois River. To this place he had conveyed the forge and tools, with what goods had been pre served. Under these disheartening circumstances, that would have crushed almost any one else, La Salle renewed his efforts for a vigorous prosecution of his enterprise. His credit was threatened with ruin and his friends hopeless; but his courage and confidence never failed him, and now he would rebuild his shattered enterprise. He rested his hopes on his efficient and faithful lieutenant, Tonty, who was still spared him. They would hold the point they had gained on the Illinois, build and equip the vessel and secure the possession of the mouth of the Mississippi. In August, 1680, he once more embarked for the Illinois, taking with him ship-carpenters, laborers and voyageurs (courriers des bois), twenty-five men in all, with srpplies, goods, and the material for rigging and fitting out his vessel. After the long journey they arrived at the site of the great town of the Illinois; but here a sight met them to blanch their cheeks with terror. The plain which had been formerly covered with Indian Lodges, and populous with human life, was now a scene of blackened desolation. On the charred skele tons of the wigwams were stuck human skulls. The planting-grounds were laid waste and havoc reigned supreme. The Iroquois had again taken the war-path. They had long enjoyed a profitable trade with the Dutch and English traders; fur-bearing animals were scarce in their country, and they must have recourse to the resources of the distant West; and here the French were cutting them off. Their cupidity and ambition was aroused, and they resolved to invade the terri tory of the Illinois, and either destroy them, as they had the Hurons, or make them tribu- 40 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1680. tary to them; and so become the factors in the exchange of their furs with the Dutch. La Salle and his companions camped on this scene of horror, and all night long the wolves, attracted by the remains of the carnage, con tinued their dismal howling, which resounded far and near. They descended the river, passing a number of abandoned camps of the Illinois, and also the camps of the invading Iroquois. At last they reached the site ofthe fort. The works were demolished, but the vessel was still on the stocks. After a diligent search for Tonty and his companions, in which La Salle failed to obtain any intelligence of his where abouts, he retraced his steps and in due course of time reached Fort Miami, at the mouth of the St. Joseph. Here he found his lieutenant, La Forest, and the men he left to occupy the post. They had repaired the fort and were getting out the timber for a new vessel for the lakes. Here he was glad to find a little rest and safety. It seems that after the destruction of the Illinois villages by the Iroquois, Lieut. Tonty and his companions went to Green Bay, where they found refuge among a band of Potta- wattamies. La, Salle passed the winter at Fort Miami, and notwithstanding the last terrible catas trophe which seemed enough to shatter his last hope of success, he now conceived a new plan for furthering his scheme. Since the Iroquois threatened all the western tribes, he would now unite with the latter in a common defense, and assume the leadership, establishing a cen tral point in the Illinois country. Wisconsin and Western Michigan contained many remnants of tribes, that had fled there from their old homes, on the invasion of the Iroquois; these he would rally around him. Near Fort Miami were a lot of fugitives from the English colonies; to those he first appealed; They gladly embraced the offer. Next came a Shawanoe chief from the Ohio with a hundred and fifty warriors, who promised to join him in the Illinois country. He then with a party set out to the village of the Miamis, at the Kankakee portage. Here he found a band of marauding Iroquois, who had been putting on the air of conquerors, declaring that all the tribes were tributary to them, and expressing contempt for the French. When La Salle unexpectedly appeared with his little armed band, and dared them to speak disparagingly of the French, they looked shamefaced and terrified. The Miamis were astonished at the bravery of the ten Frenchmen, which could quiet a large war-party of Iroquois; and the latter, when night came, fled with all haste from the place. Here was an auspicious beginning and it was peculiarly fortunate that there were other Indians in the town from the east; so La Salle called a council of these, and promised them a new home in the west under his protection, where there were the richest planting and hunt ing grounds, and asked them to aid him in making peace between the Miamis and the Illinois; they promised their concurrence, and he called a council of the Miamis. They met in the lodge of their chief, and La Salle addressed them. His imposing presence and bold decisive manner had great charms for the Indians. He was, also, well skilled in forest eloquence and understood all the needs and interests of Indian life. He urged them to make peace with the Illinois, and, under the leadership of the French, join in quelling the murderous Iro quois. The result was all he could have wished; they acceded to all he requested. While on this journey he learned from a party of Outagamies, whom they met, that Tonty and his companions were at Green Bay; this greatly rejoiced him. His affairs in Canada now required his pres ence and thither he repaired. On the way he met Tonty and his friends at Michilimackinac. It was like the meeting of those who had risen from the dead; and here La Salle heard the particulars of the horrors of the Iroquois invasion. From this point they all embarked for Fort Frontenac, which, after a perilous voyage, they reached in safety. La Salle's heavy pecuniary losses had involved him deeply in debt, and he was greatly dis tressed with his embarrassments; but Count Frontenac and other friends came to his rescue and obtained means to appease his creditors, and for the further prosecution of his enter prises. In the fall of 1681, he again, with a fleet of canoes and supplies, started for the St. Joseph River, and duly arrived at Fort Miami, where the little band in occupancy were glad to receive him. From here he set out for the Illinois River, in the latter part of Decem ber, with Tonty, twenty other men and a number of Indians, the whole force numbering fifty-four persons. Asit waswinter, thestreams were frozen and they dragged their canoes on sledges. Below Peoria they found open waters and launcning their canoes, descended the river to the Mississippi, which they followed to its mouth; here La Salle with due ceremony took possession in the King's name. 1 679-80.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 41 He now returned to Michilimackinac, intend ing to go to Quebec, but, learning that the Iroquois were aboutto again invade the Illinois, he determined to go to their protection, as the ravages of the former, if allowed to go unchecked, would be ruinous to his hopes. He had observed the cliff on the river, now called Starve Rock, and this place he selected as a site for a fort Hither he repaired with Tonty and a force of men. The top of this rock is a level surface of about an acre in extent, and is over a hundred feet above the level of the river. Three sides are perpendicular, and it is accessible only from one point. Here on this summit they erected buildings and enclosed them with a palisade, and called it Fort St. Louis. The Indian village lying near it, that had been depopulated by the Iroquois, was now again teeming with life, the Illinois having returned to their former home; other tribes had also located in the vicinity, and their villages could be seen from the fort, around which they had gathered for protection, like the retainers of a feudal castle. The aggregate population of the several adjacent Indian villages was about twenty thousand, capable of enrolling four thousand warriors; these, under the management of La Salle, constituted a formidable force, suffi cient to give him control ofthe country; and success at last attended his efforts. But now new difficulties assailed him. His friend, Count Frontenac, was called to France, through the intrigues of rivals in the fur trade, who considered La Salle and Frontenac's enterprise for opening up an outlet at the mouth of the Mississippi, and the establishment of the central post on the Illinois, as a monopoly, endanger ing the commercial prosperity of the colonies on the St. Lawrence. La Barre was commissioned as Governor- General of New France. He was surrounded by the enemies of La Salle, and he at once began to thwart the efforts of the latter, by withholding needful men and supplies. In this direful emergency there was no alter native other than for La Salle to at once repair to France, and appeal to the King for an enlargement of his authority. He therefore went thither, and ably seconded by Count Frontenac, related to the crown his achieve ments, and the great advantages which would enure to France through the success of his scheme. His diplomacy was highly successful, and La Salle's lieutenant of Fort Frontenac, who had been ejected and was now in France, was dispatched by the King to Canada, with orders instructing La Barre to at once surren der to him the possession of Fort Frontenac and Fort St. Louis. The King also wrote a letter to La Barre, in which he severely repri manded him for his conduct. La Salle was now furnished with four vessels, and all the needful supplies for a colony at the mouth ofthe Mississippi. He embarked with a large number of persons including several families. In due time they entered the Gulf of Mexico, but sailing too far westward misSed the mouth ofthe river. After a fruitless search La Salle determined to land at the Bay now called Matagorda, in Texas, and search for the river by an overland route. After sounding for a passage over the bar at the entrance to the bay, one of the vessels got underway. La Salle who had formerly landed with a party of men, was standing on the shore watching her, when one of the men approached him, with the information that a party of Indians had just attacked him and his companions, who were felling trees, and that they had taken several of them prisoners. In this emergency he must act promptly; so taking a few of his men, he proceeded in haste to the Indian camp, a few- miles distant, where he found fifty lodges. As he reached the camp he heard the report of a cannon, which paral yzed the Indians with fear. It was to him a sound ofill-omen;heturnedhiseyes in thedirec- tion of the vessels. The Aimable was furling sails; she had struck on the reef, and, as she was laden with the principal stores for the colony, he felt overwhelmed with distress at her probable loss. He dashed into the chief's lodge and peremptorily demanded the restora tion of his men. The frightened Indians, impressed with his fearless manner, at once delivered the prisoners and loaded them with buffalo meat, when they returned to their camp. On their arrival, the Aimable was careened on the reef, and the sea was breaking over her. A lot of gunpowder and flour was safely transported to the shore, but the wind increasing to a gale, broke the vessel up, and her precious freight soon strewed the shore. The Indians came in swarms, intent on pillage; but all night the colonists guarded their injured goods, the sentinels walking their dreary rounds till morning. On the voyage a hostile feeling had sprung up between La Salle and the naval commander; and the latter, having landed the colonists, now determined to return to France. He set sail, and they were left in an unknown land. The situation was desolate, but they set to work to make the best of it. A rude fortifica tion was made, and a few huts erected; and here were huddled together a band of 42 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1687. dejected men and women, Surrounded by hordes of savages that they must resist at every step of their progress. The Mississippi now must be found at all hazards. It was their only way of communica tion with friends. In fact, their only hope of prolonged life. La Salle, therefore, at once commenced his explorations. On one of his trips he found a more favorable location for a temporary refuge for his colony, on a small river which entered the Bay, , and thither he removed it. On this site buildings were erected and enclosed with palisades. Their animals were provided with pasturage, and then ground was prepared and seed sown. The adjacent country abounded in game; deer, buffalo, turkeys, waterfowland partridges were without end, and they shot them at their pleasure. The waters of the river and bay were well stocked with fish and turtle; so their larder was well supplied. In November, La Salle, accompanied with thirty men, started in search ofthe great river. For months they traversed the plains and water courses of Texas, encountering hostile tribes through which they had to fight their way; but the search was fruitless, and they returned to the fort in a sad plight, wearied and in rags. To add to their misfortunes, their only remaining vesse', the Little Belle, was wrecked in coasting along the shore. In this emergency, La Salle determined on the desperate expedient of a trip to the Illinois and Canada, as a means of obtaining succor for his colonists and of communication with their friends. He, therefore, set out, with twenty others, on the long and hazardous jour ney. They would have to be self-sustaining — forage their way. So each one, with a pack on his back, bid adieu to those who were left behind, and took up the line of march. After six months' absence, La Salle appeared at the fort, having again failed to reach the Missis sippi, by which he intended to travel to the Illinois. Only eight of the twenty men that went with him returned. They had lived two months in an Indian village, where La Salle and some ofthe others were prostrated with a fever. The little colony was now in the extremest despondency. Of their whole num ber only forty odd were remaining; disease and the Indians were rapidly depleting their thinned ranks. The journey to Canada was imperative, and La Salle again took his depar ture. It was a sad parting, and foreshadowed in its ominous presentiments the terrible calam ities that were to befall them. In their company were two or three desper adoes, who had formerly been guilty of mutinous conduct; and, after having been on the route for some weeks, they quarreled with some other members of the party, about the division of some buffalo meat, and, in a fit of revengeful passion, killed three of the party. It seems that a number had left the main camp on a buffalo hunt. Not appearing in due time, La Salle went in pursuit, apprehending some' evil, and found the murderers skulking and endeavoring to hide from him. As he drew near, he asked for the missing ones, and received an insolent answer from one of them; he stepped forward to chastise him, when two shots were fired by parties in the grass, and La Salle dropped dead. The travels and enterprises of the great explorer of our West ern wilds was ended. One of the desperadoes, Duhaut, then assumed command of the camp. In a few days they packed their goods on their horses, and started for the Cenis villages. Among the party was a friar, and a brother and nephew of LaSalle; the latter only seventeen years of age. These, with two or three others, who were attached to their leader, were inconsol able and heart-broken with grief, and expected from day to day to be assassinated; as it was evident that the mutinous crew, who were now in power, intended to live among the Indians. Arriving at the Cenis village, they entered into trade with the Indians, and here they found two men who had formerly deserted from La Salle, living among the savages; hav ing adopted the dress and mode of life of the latter. Here the desperadoes quarreled with each other about a division of the plunder; some having determined to remain with the Indians, and others intending to go to the fort, with the intention of building a vessel with which to cruise to the West Indies. One of them, a German named Heins, drew his pistol and fired at Duhaut, who fell dead. Another, at the same moment, shot three balls into the body of Liotot. The death of these two left the faithful few in the majority; so, obtaining guides from the Cenis Indians, they started for the Mississippi. Reaching the Arkansas, they Were descending that stream, when they were gladdened by the sight of a tall, wooden cross, and a small hut near it. They approached, and were raptur ously welcomed by two men, whom Tonty, ever thoughtful, had sent out in search of La Salle, With them they journeyed to the Illi nois and arrived at the Fort on Starve Rock in September, 1687. Tonty was absent, engaged in an encounter with the ubiquitous Iroquois, who had again taken the war-path. i68o.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 43 After a long sojourn, the survivors of La Salle's band started for Quebec, where they arrived in safety, after making one of the most perilous journeys on record. Tonty made an attempt to reach the aban doned colony in Tfexas, for the purpose of removing them to the Mississippi, but failed; and shortly afterward a Spanish cruiser, stopping at Matagorda Bay, the crew ascended the river and discovered the neglected dwellings and ruined palisades of the French fort; but no human sound was heard. All was as silent as the grave, and desolation reigned supreme. At an Indian camp, near by, the Spaniards found two Indians who spoke French. They were deserters from LaSalle, and from them learned that the Indians had massacred the entire colony. Thus ended the first attempt at colonization on the Mississippi. In the meantime, the Missions, forts and trading-posts at Green Bay and Michilimacki nac, surrounded by friendly Indians, were in a prosperous condition and in uninterrupted communication with Quebec. CHAPTER XIII. Hennepin Explores the Upper Mississippi — Captured by the Soiux and Taken to Their Country — His Rescue and Arrival at Green Bay. jHEN La Salle made his first journey to the Illinois, in 1680, he sent Hen nepin to explore the upper Missis sippi. This intrepid and adventur ous traveler, with his canoe well laden with presents for the Indians, and with two companions, started on his voy age. They kill deer and wild turkeys, which are plentiful, and proceed pleasantly up the great river, charmed with the beautiful and fertile country. At one of their camping places, while repairing their canoe — Henne pin engaged in daubing on the pitch — his nostrils regaled with the savory smell of a wild turkey that is roasting before the fire — a fleet of canoes suddenly appear, containing a war party of Sioux, numbering over a hundred. With yells, they paddled for the shore, and quickly surrounded the surprised Frenchmen. Hennepin presented the peace-pipe, but one of them rudely snatched it from him. Then he made an offer of tobacco, which was more agreeably received. After some further dem- tmstrations, the Indians compelled them to embark and cross- the river, where they encamped, allowing the French to make their own camp-fire and cpok their turkey. The warriors then seated themselves in a circle to consider what disposal to make of the prisoners. One of them signed to Hennepin that his head was to be split with a hatchet. This was an intimation that presents might avert the threatened calamity. Hennepin therefore, hastened to appease his captors by taking from his canoe several articles highly prized by Indians, and presented them, while at the same time he bent his head to receive the blow and offered a hatchet. His compli ance seemed to satisfy them, and they gave him and his companions some beaver meat. The Indians were of divided councils; some in favor of killing them and taking their goods; others, desirous of encouraging French traders to come among them to supply their wants, were in favor of treating them kindly. In the morning they were greatly relieved by a young warrior asking them for the peace-pipe, which was gladly given, when he filled it, smoked it, and passed it to another, who did the same; and thus it passed fronvhand to hand through the whole assemblage. They then informed their captives that they intended to return to their homes, and that they must accompany them. This exactly comported with their desires, as they would now have the protection of a band of friendly Indians. But in the morning, when the friar opened his breviary and began to repeat his devotions, they gath ered around him and manifested their super stitious fears of the book, which they thought was a bad spirit, that he was invoking to destroy them. He was therefore obliged to resort to the expediency of singing the services, which seemed to gratify them, as they sup posed he was singing for their pleasure. Day after day they paddled up the river, camping on the shores and occasionally stop ping for a hunt, which never failed to give them a bountiful supply of provisions. After nineteen days they arrived at the site of St. Paul, and here theirsorrows commenced. As the Indians belonged to different bands, each claimed a share ofthe captives and of their goods. They succeeded, however, in amicably dividing the spoils, and started across the country for their villages near Mille Lac. They travelled with such speed that it was torture to keep up with them, and as they swam the large streams, Hennepin suffered much from immersion in the cold waters. He was also nearly famished w^h hunger, receiving from them only a small bit of smoked meat twice a day; but the rations were the same as their own. On the fifth day of March they 44 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1680. reached an Indian town, and Hennepin was in a village of the Sioux. Here they were feasted, and afterwards the debate was renewed about the distribution of the captives. This being settled, they were compelled to part company; Hennepin fell to the lot of an old chief, who adopted him as his son, and whom he accom panied to his village; here he was well treated, and as they perceived that he was weak after his exhaustive travels, they made for him a sweat bath, where they steamed him three times a week, and which he thinks was beneficial. In the summer a large body of the Indians went on a buffalo hunt, Hennepin and his two companions accompanying them. While on this hunt, he induced his captors to permit him to start for the mouth of the Wisconsin, where he expected to meet some French traders, with goods for the Indians. He was furnished with a canoe, and Du Gay accompanied him. On this trip he discovered the Falls of St. Anthony, which he named, and where he saw a number of Indians making their votive offering to the Spirit of the Waters. Sometimes they were short of food. At one time while Du Gay was in pursuit of buffalo, Hennepin, who had a large turtle in his charge, discovered that his canoe had floated off; turning the turtle on his back he covered it with his habit, on which he ¦ placed a number of stones, and plunged into the river in pursuit of the canoe, which he recovered and brought safely to the shore; shortly after, a herd of buffalo approached the shore, when DuGay killed a young cow, which replenished their larder. As they were reduced to ten charges of powder, they would run the risk of starvation if they attempted to reach Green Bay by the Wisconsin. There was no alternative, but for them to join a hunting-party of Sioux, who were not far off; they did so and while with them met five Frenchmen, near St. Anthony's Falls. It was Du Lhut and a party of courier de bois, engaged in the fur trade and now commissioned by Frontenac to establish friendly relations between the Sioux and a kindred tribe, and to explore the Upper Mississippi. In the fall, this party having satisfactorily arranged their business, started for Green Bay; Hennepin and his companions in captivity accompanying them, which place they reached in safety. CHAPTER XIV. War Between the French and English Colonies — The Aggres sors — Destruction of Port Royal — Terrible Massacre of English Settlers on the Frontier — Frontinac Ravages the Iroquois Country — That Nation Sues for Peace with the French — Detroit Founded — The French in Possession of the Country from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. T is not within the province of a work of this kind, to discuss the European com plications, which were partly the cause of the war between the French and English colonies in North America; a war which exposed the innocent and defenseless frontier settlers of both colonies to all the horrors of savage warfare; but those subjects of the strife, involving historical events in the Northwest, are very pertinent to our present inquiries, and will be briefly considered. It has been shown in the preceeding pages, how the daring enterprise of the French com menced the settlement of the Northern part of the country, prior to any other people. In the language of Parkman: "Long before the ice-coated pines of Plymouth had listened to the rugged psalmody of the Puritans, the soli tudes of Western New York and the shaddowy wilderness of Lake Huron were trodden by the iron heel of the soldier and the sandalled foot of the Franciscan friar. France was the true pioneer of the Great West. They who bore the Fleur de lis were always in the van, patient, daring, indomitable; and foremost on this bright roll of forest-chivalry, stands the half-forgotten name of Samuel de Champlain." The French, as has been shown, endeavored to peaceably occupy the country conjointly with the Indians, and to raise the savages from the depths of barbarous brutality to the plane of Christian and civilized morals; to release them from the terrible tribal wars that were continually desolating the land with their ravages, and to unite them in the blessed bonds of peace and brotherly amity. Their efforts were peaceful, benign and nobly magnani mous, and furnish, at least, one chapter in the cruel history of the world that sheds a luster reflected from the nobler and better qualities of the human heart. Seventy years after Jaques Cartier and Roberval's attempted colonization on the St. Lawrence, we find a little French colony at Anapolis, Nova Scotia (then called Acadia). There were then no other civilized beings on the continent north, ofthe Spanish possessions in Florida. The little colony peacefully occupying their new possessions, and enjoying the friendship of the Indians, lived for several years in the greatest tranquility. They cleared up and cul- 1607.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 45 tivated large tracts of ground. The bountiful waters yielded an ample supply of fish, and the forests abounded in game. The beautiful Bay of Anapolis and its charming slopes of verdure, with its cozy little hamlet, was a scene of peaceful content. They joined the Indians in hunting and fishing parties, and the lodges of the latter were always found in neighborly proximity to their white friends. The weather' was. so mild in the winter of 1607, that Lescar- bot says: "I remember that on the fourteenth day of January, on a Sunday afternoon, we amused ourselves with singing and music, on the river Equille, and that in the same month we went to see the wheat-fields, two leagues from the fort, and dined merrily in the sun: shine." But this peaceful scene was now to be con verted into one of havoc and desolation. One Samuel Argall, commander of a large English armed vessel, the same who afterward treacher ously kidnapped Pocahontas, after she had saved the life of Smith, suddenly appeared in the harbor of Anapolis. She carried fourteen guns and sixty men, and was accompanied by two other small vessels which she had formerly captured from the French, and was now sent by the Governor of Virginia, who claimed the territory as a British possession. The invasion was unauthorized by every law of nations; for the two powers were at peace, and the French had been in possession long before the English had a settlement in America. The settlement at Port Royal was tenantless when Argall's ships sailed into the harbor. Biencourt, the Commander, with a number of. his men, was at the village of a neighboring tribe. The balance of the men were reaping their harvest in the fields, two leagues from the fort. The assailants found no one to resist them. They first captured the animals and killed them, carrying the carcasses on board the ships. They then plundered the fort and buildings, and afterwards applied the torch, laying the whole in ashes. They then went in boats up the river, and destroyed the grain fields. They were re-embarking when Biencourt and his small band arrived on the scene of destruction. Although largely outnumbered, he tried to lure Argall and his followers to the shore, but his efforts were vain. His word of honor being given, an interview was obtained. Biencourt, who was a young man, raved furiously, and threatened future reprisal on the English. The following spring, Poutrincourt, the founder of the colony, came to Port Royal (Anapolis) and found Biencourt and his men houseless in the forests. They had endured great privations through the winter, sustaining life frequently for days at a time on roots dug in the woods. Port Royal was rebuilt and again occupied by the French. This was the beginning of the strife between the French and English, The latter were the aggressors again, in the capture of Quebec, when it was in a most forlorn and defenseless condition, and surrendered by Champlain and his little half-starved band. But this rapacious power was obliged to disa vow the acts of its agents, and restore the con trol of the country to its lawful posessors. The continued aggressions of the English Gov ernment at last involved the colonies in war, which resulted in the expulsion of the Acadians from what is now Nova Scotia. One of the most merciless and malignantly cruel acts recorded in history, and of which Bancroft says: "I know not if the annals of the human race keep the record of sorrows so wantonly inflicted, so bitter and perrennial as fell upon the French inhabitants of Acadia. " This piti ful event is the theme of Longfellow's beautiful poem, Evangeline. The two great powers that attempted to hold this continent as a fuedal dependency, were both destined to lose the prize they grasped at; for the very forces which England invoked to assist her, viz., the English colonies, were the mixed races inhabiting the sea coast; and if these, through superior numbers and resources, did overcome the French, it was not that the flag of St. George might wave trium phant, but that it should be supplanted by the new banner representing a free people; a flag which France helped to crown with victory at the glorious battle of Yorktown. If the Fluer de lis had to yield its supremacy in America, and bend to remorseless destiny, it was not to see the flag of its hated rival take its place, but it was to be gloriously associated forever with the great event which gave birth to a mighty Republic. In the struggle between the French and the English colonies, the French labored under such disadvantages that the result of the con test could not be doubtful. Bancroft declares: "If the issue had depended on the condition of the colonies, it could hardly have seemed doubtful. The French census for the North American continent in 1688 showed but eleven thousand two hundred and forty-nine; scarcely a tenth part of the English population on its frontiers. " The aim of the French to preserve peace between the Indian nations had been thwarted from the very beginning of their occupation of 46 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1689. the country, by the Iroquois, and the French had largely exhausted their energies and resources in endeavors to suppress those ene mies to peace, and in protecting the other nations. They had been partially successful and several times had brought that war-like nation to submission; and now all of their work was to be "overthrown, by the English making an alliance with the Iroquois, and furnishing them with arms and means to resist the French and the Algonquin allies ofthe latter. In the vast territory to be guarded, there were only three or four defensive posts west of Montreal. Those were Forts Frontenac, Niagara, St. Louis, on Starve Rock, in the Illinois country, St. Ignace, near Mackinaw, and the Mission at Green Bay. The English had sent the secret wampum belt, not only to the Iroquois, but their emmis- saries had passed as far west as our Fox River, and tampered with the troublesome Foxes and Sauks, the only Algonquin tribes against which the French ever waged war. It was expected by the English, that through the instrumentality of the Foxes, a league might be effected with the other nations ofthe West; but the attempt failed, and the other Algonquin nations remained the steadfast friends of the French. The desperate situation of the French was not only discouraging, but seemed absolutely hopeless. They did not number one-tenth of the compactpopulation of the English colonies, which were comparatively safe, except on the frontier, while the French were exposed on all points, except at Quebec and Montreal. On the twenty-fifth of August, 1689, fifteen hundred Iroquois, well armed, secreted them selves, during the night, on the Isle of Mont real, and at daybreak attacked La Chine. The inhabitants were awakened by the noisy war- whoop, whose ominous sound foretold their fearful doom. The houses were set on fire, and a general slaughter ensued, in which neither age, sex or condition was spared. In an hour over two hundred were massacred and the place reduced to ashes. They next attacked Montreal, and, after a struggle, obtained possession of the fort, and became masters ofthe island. In this emergency, a band of brothers, De Sainte Helene and D'Iberville, came to the rescue. They distinguished themselves through marvelous exploits and heroic adventures that have made- their names famous. In 1686 they had conquered the English posts from Fort Rupert to Albany River; and now, at the head of a force of French and Indians, they marched for the English settlements. Cocheco was first reached. At this point, thirteen years before, some three hundred Indians had been treacherously captured by the English, and shipped to Boston, where they were sold into foreign slavery. The memory of this wrong rankled in the breasts of the remainder of the nation, and they were eager for revenge. As usual, in such instances, the innocent, unoffending frontier settlers suffered for the atrocious wrong done by the guilty parties. The settlers at this point were all slain or captured. The stockade at Pemaquid, on the Penobscot, next captured, and the Indians, dividing into war-parties, scoured the country, and mercilessly massacred the English settlers. In September, commissioners from New England met the Mohawks in council, for the purpose of perfecting the alliance between them. The Indians boasted of their service able achievements in behalf of the English. "We have burned Montreal," they saidj "we are allies of the English and will keep the chain unbroken. " A party of a hundred French, and Indians after twenty days travel reached the vicinity of Schenectady. At midnight they stealthily entered the picketed enclosure, and the sleep ing inhabitants were awakened by the yells of the invaders. A dreadful scene of massacre ensued. " The party from Three Rivers, led by Hertel, and consist ing of but fifty-two persons, of whom three were his sons, and two his nephews, surprised the settlement at Salmon Falls, on the Piscataqua, and, after a bloody engagement, burned houses , barns, and cattle in the stalls, and took fifty-four prisoners, chiefly women and children. The prisoners were laden by the victors with spoils from their own houses. Robert Rogers rejecting his burden, was bound by the Indians to a tree, and dry leaves kindled about him, yet in such heaps as would burn but slowly. Mary Furguson, a girl of fifteen, burst into tears from fatigue, and was scalped forthwith. Mehetabel Goodwin would linger apart in the snow to lull her infant to sleep, lest its cries should provoke the savages: angry at the delay, her master struck the child against a tree, and hung it among the branches. The infant of Mary Plaisted was thrown into the river, that, eased of her burden, she might walk faster." * * * * * * " While the people of New England and New York were concerting the grand enterprise of the reduction of Canada, the French had, by their successes, inspired the savages with respect, and renewed their intercourse with the West But, in August, Montreal became alarmed. An Indian announced that an army of Iroquois and English was busy in constructing canoes on Lake George ; and immediately Frontenac himself placed the hatchet in the hands of his allies, and, with the tomahawk in his own grasp, old as he was, chanted the war- song, and danced the war-dance." — Bancroft. Military expeditions were now fitted out in New England and sent to Canada, and a large fleet from Boston started to aid in the reduction of Quebec. These were repulsed, 1 699-] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 47 and the English colonies, found themselves even unable to defend their own frontier. Their borders were scenes of sorrows, horrors, cap tivity and death. The heart sickens in the contemplation of the terrible massacres of the defenseless settlers. The Algonquins were exasperated at the former treachery and bad treatment they had received at the hands of the English author ities. From Virginia to Acadia, the Indians regarded the English with implacable hatred. The kidnapping of Pocahontas by Argall; his destruction of Port Royal; the treacherous capture of friendly Indians by the hundred, for the purpose of selling them into foreign slavery, and the many wrongs they had sustained, rankled in their breasts as bitter memories. It must be remembered, too, that the Indian is a bloodthirsty savage, in time of war, who neither asks nor grants quarter. He is a bitter, relentless foe, with neither pity nor remorse. The French have been censured by some writers, for the atrocities committed by their Indian allies; but.it ought to be remembered that the course of the French had been peace ful up to the time of the aggressions of the English, and that the French forces did not number one-tenth of those of the English; that the latter first instigated the Indians to make war on the French, and armed the Iroquois, preparatory to their massacre of La Chine. The French were, therefore, compelled to have recourse to their Indians allies, as a means of self-defense. There is no question that the English authorities, knowing the defenseless situation of the French, the paucity of their numbers, the weakened condition of the Algonquin allies, and the formidable power of the Iroquois, which threatened them at every point, believed that they could make an easy conquest ofthe whole French possessions. That they did not do so, under such circum stances, must be a wonder to every discrimin ating reader ofthe history of that struggle. The policy of England was the conquest of New France, and then the extermination of the Indians. English historians, in commenting bitterly on theconduct ofthe French, seem perfectly obliv ious of the fact, that after England's conquest of the country, through the valorand enterprise of the mixed races who inhabited the English colonies, and who suffered untold miseries and horrors, on account ofthe perfidy and incom petency of their aristocratic rulers, she next attempted to subject them to her unjust demands; and when they resisted her tyran nous authority, she set the Indians, upon her own people, in the frontier settlements, even offering bounties for their scalps. Having defeated the English and driven in the frontier settlers, Frontenac next turned his attention to the Iroquois. La Motte Cadillac, GovernoratMichilimakinac, had, at the head of the Chippewas, Pottawattamies and Ottawas, made a vigorous resistance to the Iroquois, in the West, routing them at all points, and driving their marauding bands out ofthe country; and now, that the English had been repulsed, the French, as victors, were exalted in their eyes. Frontenac, therefore, resolved to pursue his" advantage, and teach them a lasting lesson. At the head of a large body_of French and Indians, he marched for the country of the Five Nations. He was at this time seventy- four years of age, but he conducted the army in person. From Fort Frontenac he proceeded to Oswego, and ascended the river; arriving at the rapids, the canoes were carried over the portage at night by torch-light. The next day they found the Indian defiance — two bundles of reeds suspended in a tree — signifying that fourteen hundred warriors defied them. When they reached the villages of the Onondagas it was night. The inhabitants, on their approach, applied the torch, and the invaders witnessed the conflagration of the village. The Iroquois fled in all directions, and the invading army ravaged the country, destroying the growing crops and taking many prisoners. The army then returned to Montreal. The Indians had been humbled, and left to suffer from the effects of famine. They were now experiencing some of the evils they had so mercilessly inflicted on their Algonquin neighbors. By the year 1700, the Five Nations were glad to seek for peace. They sent envoys to Montreal, "to weep for the French who had died in the war," and a treaty of peace and alli ance was concluded. In 1 701 , LaMotte Cadillac, with one hundred Frenchmen, built a fort and trading-post at Detroit, and took possession of the beautiful surrounding country. Two years previous to this, D'Iberville set sail for the mouth of the Mississippi, at which place he subsequently established a colony. The French were now in the possession of the country from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico, and the trade with the Northwest, through the lakes and rivers was uninterrupted. 48 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1649. CHAPTER XV. The Fox River and Lake Winnebago Country — Traders and Voyageurs— Beautiful Scenery — The Busy Channel of Aboriginal and Frontier Life, Trade and Travel — Game and Fur-bearing Animals — Here Occurred the First Inter course Between the Indians of the West and the Whites — Captain Jonathan Carver at Doty Island, in 1766 — Loca tion of the Several Indian Nations — The Hostile Sauks and Foxes — Siege of Big Buttes des Morts, by De Louvighy, in 1716 — Official Account of the Expedition from the Archives of France — De Lignery's Expedition to the Fox River, and Lake of the Winnebagoes — Official Documents from the French Archives, Relative to Affairs in the Fox Valley. SHE Fox River country had now become the initial point in the traffic and travel m™«mi of the Northwest. The traders and ft* voyageurs were generally mere birds of ' » passage, leading like the natives a nomadic life, which was but a slight modifica tion of the aboriginal. The whole country bordering these great water-courses, from Green Bay to the far-off land ofthe Dacotahs, on the one hand, and the Spanish possessions on the other, was their home. They set out in their canoes from Green Bay to make voyages to distant lands, like vessels sailing for foreign countries, and that place became the great point of Western travel, and the first perma nent habitation of civilized man in the North west. These pioneers, after traveling from Michili mackinac, along the dreary coast extending from the straits to Green Bay, were enamored, after entering the Lower Fox, with the beau tiful scenery of that broad river, which, from its mouth to Lake Winnebago, is a succession of lovely views; its high sloping banks, in some places quite open, in others covered with a dense forest; the river for distances sweeping along in placid flow, and at some points foam ing and tearing along in rapids and falls, which in one place are over half a mile in width. The head of the river is divided by a large island at the outlet of the lake; the present beautiful site of the manufacturing cities of Neenah and Menasha. Here the broad waters of Lake Winnebago break on the view, stretch ing away as far as the eye can reach. A few miles travel along its shores, and the great prairie and opening country of the West is reached. Here is the beginning of the beau tiful tract now known as Winnebago County. Its broad rivers and lovely lakes, the pic turesque surface, with its distant views of rolling prairie, like vast, smooth, grassy lawns, inter spersed with groves and stretches of dense forest; the rank, luxuriant vegetation of its fertile soil; and the vastness of that great agri cultural territory which stretches from here away to the South and West, for an almost illimitable distance, in all the wild loveliness of a state of nature, formed a scene well calcu lated to inspire the grandest emotions and the most glowing visions of the future civilized development of this favored region. Here was the great, busy channel of frontier and aboriginal life, trade and travel. The abundance of game, fish and fur-bearing ani mals, the wild rice which grew luxuriantly in the shallow portion of its waters, the rich, warm soil of its planting-grounds, its facilities for canoe-travel, and the easy portages between the great water-courses, made it the center of Indian population, arid one of the chief seats of Indian diplomacy and power. Here dwelt some of the most powerful tribes of the Sacs, Foxes or Outagamies, Winnebagoes and Menominees, and their noted chieftains, famous in Indian song and legend. On these lakes and river-banks were the picturesque sites of their villages and planting-grounds, their coun-' cil fires and war-dances; and here occurred great tribal wars and some of the most sangui nary conflicts of Indian warfare, in their strug- with a race which was destined to supplant them. Here the first intercourse took place between the two races in the west; andhere the French men met the diplomats of the Indian tribes to form treaties of alliance to facilitate that nomadic traffic which pioneered the earlier civili zation ofthe country; and here, for a century and a half, the two races mingled alternately in friendly intercourse or deadly conflict. Captain Jonathan Carver, of the English army, ascended the Fox River in 1766. Arriv ing at the Island, now the site of Neenah and Menasha, he found a great Indian town — ' Winnebagos. The tribe was ruled by a queen, who received him with great civility and enter tained him sumptuously during the four days he remained there. "The town contained fifty houses. The land," he says, "was very fertile; grapes, plums, and other fruits grew abund antly. The Indians raised large quantities of Indian corn, beans, pumpkins, squashes, watermelons and some tobacco. " On the Wisconsin River he found the largest and best built Indian town he ever saw. "It contained about ninety houses, each large enough for several families, built of hewn planks, neatly jointed, and covered so completely with bark as to keep out the most penetrating rains. * * The streets were both regular and spacious, appearing more like a civilized town than the abode of savages. The land was rich, and corn, beans and melons were raised in large quantities. " Many of the planting-grounds on the banks 1760-16.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 49 ofthe lakes were lovely spots, and jn the corn- husking time, or in the wild-rice harvest, when multitudes of canoes were engaged in gather ing the grain, presented a cheerful scene. The voyageur's camping-ground was fre quently adjoining; and many a festive summer night has echoed with the song and mirth of the backwoods frolic, in which both races have enjoyably participated. An Indian summer scene on these lakes, when nature was garlanded in all the gorgeous colors of her autumnal beauty, was an enchant ing sight. The weird-like hush, the softened outlines and shadows, the distant vistas fading in the hazy air, the reflections in the placid waters of the flitting figures in the silently gliding canoe, and the picturesque groups of wigwams on the banks, all mingled harmon iously in the exquisite picture. The wild-rice, which grew spontaneously in the shallow waters, in tracts of a thousand acres, or more, in a place, furnished great quantities of nutritious food. When this grain was ripe, the squaws paddled their canoes into it, and, bending the stalks in bunches over the canoe, threshed off the grain by beating it with small sticks, the kernels, of course, falling in the bottom of the canoe, which, when loaded, was paddled to the place of deposit on the shore, and the process repeated until the harvest was gathered. The grain grew so abundantly that it was a staple article of food with the Indians inhabiting this section ; hence the name Menominees ( wild rice men). Myriads of wild water-fowl frequent these rice marshes; deer and other wild animals con gregate around these lakes and rivers, and the waters abound in fish, among which is the sturgeon, generally weighing from fifty to a hundred pounds — a valuable fish for food, its flesh being very thick and rich — great quan tities of which are captured in the season of running up the streams. White and black bass and pike are also plentiful. The soil of theplanting-grounds was very fer tile, and corn, beans and squash were raised with comparatively little labor; and the maple forests yielded them a supply of sugar. It was, therefore, a land of plenty for the Indian — an aboriginal paradise. But their improvi dence and wretched habits of indolence often induced great suffering and want, which was frequently aggravated by tribal wars. When the French first came to this country, the Indians of this vicinity were the Mascou- tins, on the Upper Fox; their village occupy ing the site of Buttes des Morts (Hills ofthe Dead); the Winnebagoes, inhabiting the tract south of the Upper Fox, and also what is now Doty's Island and the site of Menasha and its vicinity. The Ou-ta-ga-mies, or Foxes, at the foot of Lake Winnebago, and on the Lower Fox, their principal village on the western shore of Little Buttes des Morts, near the site of Neenah; the Sauks at the mouth of the Lower Fox, and the Menominees (wild rice eaters) occupying the tract from the mouth of the Lower Fox to the Menominee, and the land adjacent to the latter river.* These tribes were all, except the Winneba goes, originally from Canada. Black Hawk, the great Sauk chief, said that his people were originally from the country near Quebec. The original occupants of Wisconsin were the Sioux, who were dispossessed of this terri tory by the Chippewas and other Algonquin tribes, and driven across the Mississippi. The Sauks and Foxes were united by so close an alliance, as to be practically one nation. In the early days ofthe French traders, they were the strong tribes of this valley, warlike and hostile to the whites, resisting all the allure ments of civilization and continually making predatory incursions on the Menominees and other tribes. Their warlike and marauding habits kept the country, in constant disturb ance; they were the dominant power, and seemed determined to compel all others to yield to their snpremacy. One of their prin cipal villages was at Petite Buttes des Morts, on the handsome rise of ground, on the expan sion of the Fox, below Doty's Island. Some time after Allouez 's visit to the Mascoutins, in the village at Big Buttes des Morts, they seem to have come into possession of that place; for in 17 16, they were fortified at that point in resistance to the French and were in possession of the Upper Fox. The rivers were named after the Foxes, they being the occu pants of the country. They were the only Algonquin tribes against which the French ever made war. The French expelled them from this valley and their country came into the possession of the Menominees. War having broken out between the French and English colonies, the Foxes leagued with the English against the former power. In 1712, the Sauks and Foxes attempted the destruction of Detroit, the garrison at that place numbering only thirty men. The garri son being reinforced by a number of friendly Indians, who opportunely came to its rescue, then attacked the Foxes, who had entrenched themselves in earthworks. After nineteen *Note — For more specific boundaries of these Indian nations, see subsequent page in History of Winnebago County. 7 50 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1716. days desperate fighting the Sauks and Foxes adroitly escaped in the darkness of the night, but being pursued and overtaken at Presque Isle, they were attacked, and suffered great loss. This was the beginning of a series of battles between these tribes and the French which resulted in the expulsion of the former from the valley of the Fox. The most noted of these are the battles of the Big and Little Buttes des Morts, the sites of two of their chief villages. Charlevoix, the historian of New France, in his relations of De Louvigny's expedition against the Sauks and Foxes in 1716, says: "The Outagamies (Foxes) notwithstanding the blow which they had received at Detroit in 1 7 12, were more exasperated than ever against the French. They collected their scattered bands on the Fox River of Green Bay, their natural country, and infested all the communi cations between the colony and its most distant posts, robbing and murdering travelers, and in this they succeeded so well that they brought over the Sioux to join them openly, while many of the Iroquois favored them clandes tinely. In short, there was some danger of a general confederacy amongst all the savages against the French.". "This hostile conduct on the part of the Foxes induced the Marquis De Vaudreuil, who was then governor-general, to propose a union ofthe friendly tribes with the French, in an expedition against the common enemy; the other tribes readily gave their consent; a party of French was raised and the command of the expedition was confided to M. De Louvigny, the King's Lieutenant at Quebec. A number of savages joined him on the route, and he soon found himself at the head of eight hundred men, all resolved not to lay down their arms while an Outagamie remained in Canada. Every one believed that the Fox nation was about to be entirely destroyed, and so the Outagamies themselves judged, when they saw the storm gathering against them, and there fore, determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible. " De Louvigny proceeded with his forces to Big Buttes des Morts, where the Foxes with five hundred warriors and two thousand women and children had surrounded themselves with three ranges of oak palisades, with a deep ditch in the rear. The following is the official account of the battle, a copy of which was procured by General Lewis Cass, while officiating as Ameri can minister in that country: October 14, 1716. I have the honor to thank very humbly the Council for the Lieutenancy of the King, which it has pleased them to grant me, and I will endeavor to fulfill my duty in such a way that they will be satisfied with my services. I will also have the honor to render to them an account of the expedition I have made against the Foxes, from whence I returned the 12th of this month, having started from here the 14th of March : ".After three days of open trenches sustained by a continu ous fire of fusileers, with two pieces of cannon, and a grenade mortar, they were reduced to ask for peace, notwithstanding they had five hundred warriors in the fort, who fired briskly, and more than three thousand women; they also expected shortly a reinforcement of three hundred men. But the prompti tude with which the officers who were in this action pushed forward the trenches that I had opened at only seventy yards from their fort, made the enemy fear, the third night, that they would be taken. As I was only twenty-four yards from their fort, my design was to reach their triple oak stakes by a ditch of a foot and a half in the rear. Perceiving that my balls had not the effect I anticipated, I decided to take the place at the first onset, and to explode two mines under their curtains. The boxes being properly placed for the purpose, I did not listen to the enemy's first proposition ; but they having made a second one, I submitted it to my allies, who consented to it on the following conditions : That the Foxes and their allies would make peace with all the Indians who are submissive to the King, and with whom the French are engaged in trade and comrnerce ; and that they would return to me all the French prisoners that they have, and those captured during the war from all our allies. This was complied with immediately. That they would take slaves from distant nations, and deliver them to our allies to replace their dead; that they would hunt to pay the expenses of this war; and, as a surety of the keeping of their word, they should deliver me six chiefs, or children of chiefs, to take with me to M. La Marquis De Vaudreuil as hostages, until the entire exe cution of our treaty; which they did, and I took them with me to Quebec. Besides I have reunited the other nations at variance among themselves, and have left that country enjoying universal peace. " " I very humbly beseech the Council to consider, that this expedition has been very long and very laborious ; that the vic torious armies of the King have been led by me more than five hundred leagues from our towns, all of which has not been executed without much fatigue and expense ; to which I ask the Council to please give their attention, in order that they may allow me the gratification they may think proper, as I have not carried on any kind of commerce. On the contrary, I gave to all the nations which were with me, the few beaver skins that the Foxes had presented me with, to convince them that in the war the French were prosecuting, they were not guided by motives of interest. All those who served in the campaign with me can testify to what I take the liberty to tell the Council. Louvigny. The following is M. De Vaudreuil's letter, dated Quebec, October 30th, 1716, relative to the services of M. De Louvigny: " By my memorial of the sixteenth of this month, I informed the Council ofthe manner in which the Sieur De Louvigny put an end to the war with the Foxes. " " I now feel it my duty to call the attention of the Council to the merits of that officer. He has always served his country with much distinction ; but in his expedition against the Foxes, 1716-28.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 51 he signalized himself still more by his valor, his capacity, and his conduct, in which he displayed a great deal of prudence. He urged the canoes that ascended with him to make all possi ble speed, and he obliged those in Detroit to accompany him. He showed the Hurons and other Indians of that place, that he was going to the war in earnest ; that he was not a trader, and he could dispense with their services. This brought them back to their duty. But it was especially at Michili mackinac, where he was anxiously expected, that his pres ence inspired in all the Frenchmen and Indians a confidence which was a presage of victory. Again; he made the war short, but the peace which resulted from it will not be of short duration." " I shall be obliged to dispatch him in the very commence ment of next spring to" return to Michilimackinac to confirm this peace, embracing in it all the nations of the Upper Coun try, and to keep the promise he made to the chiefs of the Foxes who are to come down to Montreal, that they would find him at Michilimackinac. All these movements are not made with out great labor and many expenses, and I cannot omit saying ' that this officer deserves that the Council should grant him some favor." Signed : Vaudreuil. On the margin is written : Approved by the Council, Feb ruary 26, 17 17. Signed : La Chapelle. Notwithstanding the assurance of peace on the part of the Foxes, and the hopes enter tained by the French that quiet would prevail between them and the neighboring tribes, still they had committed so many depredations when on the war-path in times past, that they were regarded with the greatest hostility by other tribes, who only waited an opportunity for revenge; and while a party of Foxes were on a summer hunt, they were attacked by a party of Illinois, a tribe that they had long aggrieved, who surrounded them, killing and capturing the entire band. Hostilities now broke out afresh and the various tribes were in commotion. English emmissaries availed themselves of the general disturbance among the Indians to incite them against the French. Secret wam pums were sent by the English to the tribes of the Upper Country, and the Foxes once more took the war-path against the French and their allies. An expedition was, therefore, sent against them under the command of M. De Lignery, in 1728, composed of 1,000 Indians and 450 French. The expedition proceeded up the Fox River; but the Foxes and Winnebagoes, who were then in alliance, having been apprised of the formidable force moving against them, fled, deserting their villages and planting grounds in the greatest possible haste. The French destroyed the four principal Indian villages on the Lower and upper Fox; and also the growing crops on their planting grounds, and their stores of Indian corn, peas, beans and gourds, of which they had a great abundance. The following is an account of De Lignery 's expedition in 1728: * # * * * * " The tenth of August we left Michilimackinac, and entered Lake Michigan. As we had been detained there two days by the wind, our savages had had time to take a hunt, in which they killed several moose and elk, and they were polite enough to offer to share with us. We made some objections at first, but they compelled us to accept their present, saying that since we had shared with them the fatigues of the journey, it was right that they should share with us the comforts which they had found, and that they should not consider themselves as men if they acted in a different manner toward others. This dis course, which one of our men rendered in French for me, affected me very much. What humanity in savages ! And how many men might be found in Europe to whom the title of bar barian might much better be applied than to these inhabitants of America. " " The generosity of our savages merited the most lively gratitude on our pait; already for some time not having been able to find suitable hunting grounds, we had been compelled to eat nothing but bacon ; the moose and elk which they gave lis, removed the disgust we began to have for our ordinary fare. " " The fourteenth of the same month we continued our journey as far as the Detour de Chicagou, and as we were doubling Cap a la Mort, which is about five leagues across, we encountered a gust of wind, which drove ashore several canoes that were unable to double a point in order to obtain a shelter; they were broken by the shock ; and we were obliged to dis tribute among the other canoes the men who, by the greatest good foitune in the world, had all escaped from the danger. The next day we crossed over to the Folles Avoines, in order to entice the inhabitants to come and oppose our landing ; they fell into the trap, and were entirely defeated. The following day we camped at the mouth of a river called La Gasparde. Our savages went into the woods, but soon returned, bringing with them several roebucks. This specie Of game is very com mon at this place, and we were enabled to lay in several days provisions of it. " " About mid-day, on the seventeenth, we were ordered to halt until evening, in order that we might reach the post at the Bay during the night, as we wished to surprise the enemy whom we knew were staying with their allies, the Sacquis, whose village lies near Fort St. Francis. At twilight we com menced our march, and about midnight we arrived at the mouth of Fox River, at which point our fort is built. As soon as we had arrived there, M. De Lignery sent some Frenchmen to the commandant to ascertain if the enemy were really at the village of the Sacquis ; and having learned that we ought still to find them there, he caused all the savages and a detachment of French troops to cross over the river, in order to surround the habitation, and then ordered the rest of our troops to enter the village. Notwithstanding precautions that had been taken to conceal our arrival, the savages had received information of it, and all had escaped with the excep tion of four ; these were presented to our savages, who, after having diverted themselves with them, shot them to death with their arrows." " I was much pained to witness this spectacle ; and the pleasure which our savages took in making those unfortunate 52 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1728. persons suffer, causing them to undergo the horrors of thirty deaths before depriving them of life. I could not make this accord with the manner in which they had appeared to think some days before. I would willingly have asked them if they did not preceive, as X did, this opposition of sentiment, and have pointed out to them what I saw condemnable in their pro ceedings; but those of our party who might have served me as interpreters were on the other side of the river, and I was obliged to postpone until another time the satisfaction of my curiosity." " After this little coup de main we went up Fox River, which is full of rapids, and is about thirty-five or forty leagues in length. The twenty-fourth of August we arrived at the village of the Puants (Winnebagoes) much disposed to destroy any inhabitants that might be found there ; but their flight had preceded our arrival, and we had nothing to do but to burn their wigwams, and ravage their fields of Indian corn, which is their principal article of food. " " We afterwards crossed over the little Fox Lake, at the end of which we camped, and the next day (day of St. Louis,) after mass, we entered a small river which conducted us into a kind of swamp, on the borders of which is situated the grand habita tion of those of whom we were in search. Their allies, the Sacquis, doubtless, had informed them of our approach, and they did not deem it advisable to wait our arrival, for we found in their village only a few women, whom our savages made their slaves, and one old man, whom they burnt to death at a slow fire, without appearing to entertain the least repugnance towards committing so barbarous an act. " " This appeared to me a more striking act of cruelty than that which had been exercised towards the four savages found in the village ofthe Sacquis. I siezed upon this occasion and circumstance to satisfy my curiosity, about that concerning which I have just been speaking. There was in our company a Frenchman who could speak the Iroquois language. I entreated him to tell the savages that I was surprised to see them take so much pleasure in torturing this unfortunate old man — that the rights of war did not extend so far, and that so barbarous an action appeared to me to be in direct opposition to the principles which they had professed to entertain towards all men. I was answered by an Iroquois, who in order to justify his companions, said, that when they fell into the hands of the Foxes and Sacquis, they were treated with still greater cruelty, and that it was their custom to treat their enemies in the same manner that they would be treated by them if they were vanquished. " * * '"' " I was about to give him some further reasons, when orders were given to advance upon the last stronghold of the enemy. This post is situated upon the borders of a small river which empties into another called the Ouisconsin, which latter dis charges itself into the Mississippi, about thirty leagues from there. We found no person there, and as we had no orders to go any farther,we employed ourselves several days in destroying the fields, in order to deprive the enemy of the means of sub sisting there. The country here is beautiful; the soil is fertile, the game plenty and of very fine flavor; the nights are very cold, and the days extremely warm. In my next letter I will speak to you about my return to Montreal, and of all that has happened to me up to the time of my embarking for France." * * * Your affectionate brother, Emanuel Crespel, Recollet. From Messrs. De Beauharnois and DeArge- mait, September 1st, 1728, to the French Ministers of War: " It having been signified to them that his Majesty wished that they had awaited his orders before commencing this undertaking, they answer, that the information which tbey received from every quarter, of the secret wampums which the English had sent among the nations of the Upper Country, to cut the throats of the French in all the posts, and the war parties which the Foxes were raising every day, did not allow them to defer this expedition for a year, without endangering the loss of all the posts in the Upper Country. " ¦' They learned with great regret that the Foxes had fled before the army had arrived in their country. They will do all they can to prevent any results from this, and will attentively observe all the movements which any of those nations who could enter into the interests of the Foxes might make, so as to prevent any surprise. " " The Marquis De Beauharnois, by a private letter of the same day, sends the instructions which he had given to M. De Lignery for this expedition, and the letter which this officer entreated to enclose in his dispatches, and by which he attempts to justify himself. This letter states, that he made use of all his skill to succeed in the expedition ; but it was impos sible for him to surprise the enemy, not being able to conceal from them, any further than the Bay, the knowledge of his march. " " He took at this post, before day-break, three Puants of the Foxes, and one Fox, who were discovered by some Sakis whom he had brought from Mackinac. These four savages were bound and sent to tribes, who put them to death the next day. He afterwards continued his march, composed of 1,000 savages and 450 French, as far as the village of the Puants, and afterwards to the Foxes. They all fled as soon as they heard that we were at the Bay, of which they were informed by some of their own people, who escaped by swimming. They captured, however, in the four Fox villages, two women, a girl and an old man, who were killed and burnt. He learned from them that the tribe had fled four days before; that it had a collection of canoes, in which the old men, the women and children had embarked, and that the warriors had gone by land. He urged the other tribes to follow in pursuit of them, but there was only a portion of them who would consent, the others saying the enemy had got too far for them to be able to catch up with them. The French had nothing but Indian corn to eat, and this, added to the advanced season, and a march of 400 leagues on their return, by which the safety of half the army was endangered, decided them upon burning the four Fox villages, their forts and their huts, to destroy all that they could find in their fields — Indian corn, peas, beans and gourds, of which they had great abund ance. They did the same execution among the Puants. It is certain that half of these nations, who number 4,000 souls, will die with hunger, and that they will come in and ask mercy. Major De Cavagnal, who has been in the whole expe dition, and has perfectly performed his duty, is able to certify to all this." * * This expedition had the effect of keeping the Sauks and Foxes in check for a number of years; but the Foxes, who had their chief vil lage and stronghold on the banks of Little Buttes des Morts, again became troublesome i73o.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 53 to the traders by stopping their boats, and compelling them to pay tribute for the privil ege of passage, and this and other griev ances committed by them, caused the French authorities to determine upon their expulsion. The Sauks, whose principal village was opposite the French fort at the Bay, had for some time been conducting themseves better than their allies — the Foxes; and they were ordered to deliver up the Foxes living among them. A difficulty occurred aboutthis demand, in which De Vielie, the commandant of the fort, killed two chiefs, when a young Sauk, only twelve years old, named the Black Bird, shot the officer dead. A severe battle followed this encounter, in which many French and Indians were killed. It ended disastrously to the Sauks, who fled from the country, and located at Sauk Prairie, on the Lower Wisconsin River. CHAPTER XVI. Battle of Little Butte des Morts — Sanguinary Engagement — The Most Populous Village of the Foxes Destroyed — The Expulsion of the Foxes from the Fox River Valley — -The Menominees Take Possession of the Fox Country — Tomah, the Great Menominee Chief. 2APT. MORAND held an office in the French Indian Department, and had control of several important posts; one near Mackinaw and one on the Mis sissippi. His boats, in their passage up the Fox, had been frequently stopped at the " Little Butte," and compelled to yield to the exactions of the Foxes. A young Canadian trader, in command of one of Morand's fleets, refused to pay the tribute demanded at the "Little Butte," and in the encounter which fol lowed, was killed with some of his men, and his boats plundered. This raised the ire of Morand; and the French authorities, having determined on the expulsion of the Foxes, a large force of men were placed under his com mand, and he commenced the preparation of his expedition. A number of large Mackinaw boats were got in readiness, and Morand then opened up negotiations with the Menominees to take part in the enterprise of expelling theii enemies from the Valley of the Fox; declaring his intention of not leaving one of the tribe in that section, and promising the former the possession ofthe Fox hunting grounds. The Menominees replied, that what was said was "good talk;" but a little of their fathers' skoo- tay wawbo would help to quicken their thoughts and make them more favorable to the proposition. Morand complied with these demands, and a general Menominee drunk was the conse quence; after the termination of which, the expedition, composed of a large force of Menominees and a body of French and half- breeds, proceeded up the Fox to the belliger ent village. The morning sun shone pleasantly on the bark and mat wigwams ofthe Little Buttes des Morts. The inhabitants reposed in fancied security; the squaws moved about in the per- fomance of their usual duties; the dogs quar reled over their bones and refuse; the papooses played at their juvenile games, and the war riors lolled about dreamily, comfortably con templating their next foray on the boats of the voyagers, which should furnish them a gener ous supply of the white man's delicacies, and especially tobacco, and their favorite skootay waubo. They had not long to wait for their expected opportunity. Morand's fleet was rapidly nearing their village. It was com posed of bateaux and canoes, covered with oil cloths, such as the traders used to protect their goods from the weather. Under these oil cloths were concealed armed men. When the expedition approached to within a mile of the village, a large detachment of the French and the Menominees was sent from that point to take a position in the rear, and cut off the retreat of the Foxes. Morand's fleet then pro ceeded up the river. As soon as it hove in sight of the village, the dogs barked, the squaws screamed with delight, and the war riors proceeded in a body to the shore, eagerly expectant of the rich booty. When the foremost boats came opposite to the Indians congregated on the shore, the lat ter commenced to violently gesticulate, and demand their stoppage; which, not being com plied with, a number of balls were fired across their bows — a peremptory demand for them to heave to. The rowers immediately stopped their further progress, when Morand asked what they required? Skootay waubo was yelled by hundreds of voices. "To shore with with the boats ! " ordered Morand; and they were immediately along side the river banks, the swarming savages rushing forward impetu ously to board them. "Back! Back! Don't touch the boats", warned Morand; but on they came. "Ready!" shouted the commander. In an instant the oil cloths were thrown off, and a hundred men, with guns at their shoulders arose, as if by magic. "Fire!" shouted Morand. 54 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1730. A hundred muskets were simultaneously dis charged, and scores of dark forms dropped on the river bank, and writhed in the agonies of death. The suddenness of the unexpected attack sent the Indians howling and panic stricken from the shore. They hastily retreated towards their wigwams. Here a more terrible foe approached them. They were now greeted with the war-whoop of the Menominees, with tomahawk and scalping knife in hand, and the appalling sight of their blazing wigwams and their fleeing squaws and papooses; for the Menominees who had come up in the rear, had industriously applied the torch. Then came a desperate hand to hand conflict; the Foxes fighting bravely, but compelled at last to retreat to the woods. Here the unfortunate wretches were met by the detachment of French that formerly landed, and a discharge of musketry checked their flight. The pur suing Menominees again came upon them, and tomahawk and bayonet completed the bloody work. Morand endeavored to stop the terrible carnage; but "no quarter" was the revengeful war-cry; and they perished, man, woman and child — almost the entire village, which had contained the most numerous bands ofthe Fox tribe. A few escaped and fled to the upper Fox. The populous village that, an hour before, reposed in the enjoyment of peace, was in that short time transformed into a scene of utter desolation. There was nothing left but the dead bodies of the slain. The storm of war had swept over the Petite Buttes des Morts like a besom of destruction, and annihilated the greater portion of a tribe. Such is the history of the memorable battle of the Little Buttes des Morts (the hills ofthe dead ) ; a spot com memorative of the overthrow of the supremacy of the Fox Indians, in the Valley of the Fox. The few Foxes who had escaped during the battle, joined other bands of the tribe, and congregated at a point on the south side of the river, about three or four miles above Big Lake Buttes des Morts, near the present site of Winneconnee, where they were again attacked by Morand, and defeated with great loss. Augustin Grignon, in his " Seventy Years Recollections," says " My grandfather, De Langlade, and aged Indians told me that the second battle of Morand with .the Foxes took place about three miles above the Great Buttes des Morts. " This tribe next concentrated its remaining force near the mouth of the Wisconsin, where Morand subsequently followed and again defeated them. They then fled, and took refuge with the Sauks, on Sauk Prairie, across the Wisconsin. The united tribes must have recuperated rapidly after their settlement at Sauk Prairie; for they had several desperate encounters with the Sioux, and became pow erful enough in time, to deprive the Kaskaskias of their possessions on the Rock River, where Black Hawk, their distinguished chief, was born. The discovery of the lead mines, in 1822, on the territory then occupied by them, brought American settlers into that section, and they again were routed from their posses sions, by what Black Hawk alleges to have been a fraudulent treaty. They were removed across the Mississippi, and here came into conflict with the Sioux, their hereditary foes. The Foxes and Sauks seem to have affiliated with no other tribes. For over a century they were known to have been continually on the war-path. The other tribes held them in great awe. Their children, for generations, may be said to have been born on the battle-field, with the sound of the warwhoop ringing in their mothers' ears. No Indians ever surpassed them in bravery or devotion to the cause of the red-man in resenting the encroachments ofthe whites; and, as the Black Hawk war was the closing scene of the strife of the Sauks and Foxes, who had been so long the domi nant tribes of this valley, which will be forever associated with their fame, a sketch will be given, on a subsequent page, of that last struggle of these tribes against the fate closing so remorselessly around them. After the expulsion of the Sauks and Foxes, the Menominees came into the possession of the territory formerly occupied by the former tribes. As they remained the firm allies of the French, and p-ursued a peaceable course in their relations with other Indian nations, they rapidly increased in numbers and power; and when the Americans commenced the set tlement of this country, the Menominee lands included the tract north of the. Upper Fox, extending from one of the branches of the Wisconsin, on the west, to a point on Lake Michigan, north ofthe Menominee River, and from there south to the mouth of the Milwau kee River; embracing the tract between Lakes Winnebago and Michigan, the Lower Fox country and the Wolf and its tributaries. The French seem, from the first, to have affiliated very closely with the Menominees, intermarrying with them to such an extent that at one time the population of the Lower Fox country was composed largely of people of mixed blood. About the year 1812, they had a very remarkable man for a chief, the great Tomah; i8i6.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 55 a man of great abilities and virtues. He was held in the highest esteem by the neighboring nations, and is spoken of by the whites as one of Nature's noblemen. James W. Biddle, who had the contract for supplying the troops at Green Bay and other western posts, in 1816, thus speaks of him in his published " Recollections of Green Bay. " "When at Mackinaw, early one morning in the latter part of May, or early in June, 1817, I had come out of my lodgings and observed approaching me one of the many Indians then on the Island; and taking a look at him as he emerged from the fog, then very heavy, I was struck as he passed, in a most unusual manner, by his singularly imposing presence. I had never seen, I thought, so magnificent a man. He was of the larger size, perhaps six feet, with fine proportions, alittle stoop-shouldered, and dressed in a somewhat dirty blanket, and had scarcely noticed me as he passed. I remember it as distinctly as if it was yesterday. I watched him until he disappeared again in the fog, and remember almost giving expression to a feel ing which seemed irresistibly to creep over me, that the earth was too mean for such a man to walk 011 ! This idea was, of course, dis carded the moment it came up, but existence it had, at this, my first view of Tomah. I had no knowledge, at the time, of who he was, or that Tomah was on the Island, but while stand ing there, before my door, and under the influ ence of the feeling I have described, Henry Graverat, the Indian interpreter, came up, and I enquired of him whether he knew of an Indian who had just passed up. He replied, yes, that it was Tomah, chief of the Menom inees." "When Tecumseh visited the Indians at the Bay, and addressed them in council, advocating a union of tribes against the Americans, his eloquent recital of his success in the many battles he had fought, was well calculated to arouse a war-like spirit in the Indians. Tomah, desirous of allaying this, replied, 'that he had heard the words of Tecumseh — heard of the battles he had fought, enemies they had slain, and the scalps he had taken,'" "He then," says Biddle, "paused; and while the deepest silence reigned throughout the audience, he slowly raised his hands, his eyes fixed onthem, and in a lower, but not less proudatone, contin ued: ' but it is my boast that these hands are unstained with human blood!" "The effect is described as tremendous; nature obeyed hei own impulse, and admira tion was forced, even from those who could not, or did not, approve of the moral to be implied, and the gravity of the council was disturbed, for an instant, by a murmur of approbation — a tribute to genius, overpowering, at the moment, the force of education and habit. He concluded with remarking, 'that he had ever supported the policy of peace, as his nation was small and consequently weak; that he was fully aware of the injustice of the Americans in their encroachments upon the lands of the Indians, and for them feared its consequences, but that he saw no relief for it in going to war, and, therefore, as a national thing, he would not do so; but that if any of his young men were desirous of leaving their hunting grounds and following Tecumseh, they had his permission to do so. ' His prudent councils prevailed. " The Menominees became partially civilized at a very early period of their known history, through the christianizing influence of the missionaries and intimate association with the French, whom they regarded as their greatest benefactors. CHAPTER XVII. Wisconsin the Border Ground in the Long Contest Between the Algonquins and Dacotahs — The Historic Ground of the Northwest — The Sioux the Original Inhabitants of Wisconsin — The Sioux Expelled by the Chippewas — Hole-In The-Day, his Exploits and Influence — The Win nebagoes, their Villages and Chiefs — Ludicrous Encounter Between the War Chief of the Pottawattamies and the Head Chief of the Menominees — ¦ The Defeat and Discomfiture of a Bully — Hoo-Choup Attempts to Control the Entrance to Lake Winnebago. S this State was the border ground where the great Algonquin and Dacotah races first met and came into conflict, and as the Fox and Lower Wisconsin valleys were the scenes of the earliest intercourse of whites and Indians of the West, and of the sanguinary battles between the French and Sauks and Foxes, it is, therefore, the chief his toric ground of the Northwest; and its early history is replete with important occurrences incidental to the earlier civilization of the coun try. The Indian tribes that inhabited this region, at the time ofthe advent ofthe French missionaries and traders, were the Chippewas, Pottawattamies, Sauks, Foxes, Menominees and Winnebagoes. They were all recent immigrants from Canada except the Menomi nees, who had emigrated from the east at a more remote period, and the Winnebagoes, who came from Spanish America, in the Southwest. 56 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1600-70. The earliest known occupants ofthe territory now included in the limits of Wisconsin were the Dacotahs, or Sioux. Their hunting grounds and possessions included the now States of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and parts of Iowa and Illinois. They were the sole inhabitants of the country up to about the year 1600, when this district began to be invaded by tribes of the Algonquin or Algic race, that great branch of the Indian family which inhabited Canada and what is now the Eastern and Middle States. The Chippewas, a branch of the Ojibwa, one of the most powerful nations ofthe Algon quin race, were originally from Canada. They traveled by the way of the Lakes, in their birch bark canoes, and first met the Sioux at the straits of Sault St. Marie. The-period of their invasion ofthe south shore of Lake Michigan, is, according to tradition, about the year 1600; and then began that struggle between the Algonquin and the Sioux, which made Wis consin the great battle ground in the long con test between the Dacotah and Algic races. By the year 1650, the Chippewas had pushedtheir way to the mouth of our Fox River; and to the northwest as far as the head waters of the St. Croix, But, in 1670, the Sioux had driven them back to the Sault St. Marie and the mouth ofthe Fox. The Chippewas, receiving accessions to their numbers, and also, getting additional forces from the Hurons and Ottawas, who migrated to the Northwest after the destruction of their country by the Iroquois, eventually recovered the ground they had lost, and drove the Sioux back to the prairies of the Southwest, beyond the Mississippi; and forever after maintained their supremacy and the possession of the country. From the tradition of the Chippewas, and what is known of their history by the whites, they seem to have obtained permanent posses sion of what is now Northern Wisconsin, about the year 1700. After that time, they dispos sessed the Sioux of the large tract, since occu pied by the Chippewas ofthe Mississippi. For over two centuries these hostile tribes waged war against each other, and after the Americans had settled in the country, those hereditary foes had many a sanguinary conflict. .No Sioux and Chippewa could meet without a trial to obtain a scalp. The following is related by the Hon. James H. Lockwood, of Prairie du Chien, in the published collections ofthe State Historical Society: " In the fall of 1818, a severe fight took place on the prairie, -between Lac Traverse and the head waters of the Mississippi, under something like the following circumstances, as related to me, immediately after, by some Indians who had participated in the action. I was then at my wintering station near Lac- qui-Parle, on the St. Peters. During the summer a Yankton chief, who generally resided near Lac Traverse, called by the French the Grand Sinore, had met with some Chippe was, with whom he had smoked the pipe of peace, and after the council had broken up, and the Chippewas were wending their way, as they supposed, safely to their homes, when a party of Grand Sinore's band followed them and killed some of the men, and took one woman prisoner. Upon this, eleven young Chippewas armed, provisioned, and provided with moccasins, started for the Sioux country, declaring that they would not return until they had avenged the insult and outrage. They traveled in the Sioux country about a month without falling in with any Sioux, and were apparently on their way home, when, on the prairie between Lac Traverse and the head waters of the Mississippi, they discovered a large camp of Sioux, of about five hundred lodges. As they were in the neighborhood of the camp, they were discovered by some Sioux on horseback, who immediately gave notice to the camp. The Chippewas, finding that they were discovered, and that their fate was sealed, sent one of their number home to carry tidings of their probable destruction, and the other ten got into a copse of timber and brush on the prairie, and commenced throwing up breast works by digging holes with their knives and hands, determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible, knowing that there was not the remotest hope for their escape. "In a short time the warriors from the Sioux camp surrounded them, and, it would appear, made the attack without much order or sys tem, and fought something like the militia in the Black Hawk war, at the attack near Kel- logg's, where each one attacked and fought on his own account, without orders'. To show their bravery, the Sioux would approach the entrenched Chippewas singly, but from the covert and deadly fire of the Chippewas, they were sure to fall. They continued to fight in this way until about seventy of the Sioux were killed or wounded, when one ofthe Sioux war chiefs cried out, that the enemy were kill ing them in detail, and directed a general onset, when they all, in a body, rushed upon the Chippewas with knives and tomahawks; and, after a severe struggle, overpowered and exterminated them, wounding in the melee many of their own people. The brave Chip pewas had exhausted their ammunition, and I825.J EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 57 now fell a sacrifice to superior numbers. Thus perished ten as intrepid warriors as ever entered the battle field. . The eleventh pur sued his way, and carried to his people the news ofthe probable fate of the others. The Sioux, exulted in their mournful victory, which was purchased at the cost of the lives of between seventy and eighty of their warriors. " In 1825, Gov. Cass assembled the Sioux, Chippewas, Winnebagoes, Menominees, Sacs and Foxes, for the purpose of determining the boundary lines of the territory of the respective tribes. The Sioux and Chippewas got into a violent dispute about their respect ive claims; the Sioux claiming territory to the south shore of Lake Superior. When the Governor asked the Sioux upon what ground they founded their claim, they answered: "By the occupation of our forefathers. " He then asked the Chippewas the same question, when Hole-in- the-day, the celebrated chief of the Chippewas, arose, and in his usual impetuous manner, said: "My father, we claim it upon the same ground that you claim this country from the British King — by conquest! We drove them from the country by force of arms, and have since occupied it. " Then said the Governor: "You have a right to it." Hole-in-the-day was at this time the great head chief of the Mississippi Chippewas. He was not a hereditary chieftain, but had risen to that position through his great ability in the field, and council, and his acts of daring and bravery. .His oratory was of the highest type of savage eloquence, electrifying his auditors by its force and grandeur. He pos sessed all the elements of a great leader; was a terror to the Sioux, and none among his own people dared to question his authority. William W. Warren, an educated descend ant ofthe Chippewas, says that "Hole-in-the- day and his brother, Strong Ground, distin guished themselves in the warfare of their tribes with the Sioux, and by their deeds of valor obtained an extensive influence over their fellows of the Mississippi. By repeated and telling blows, aided by others, they forced the Sioux to fall back from the woods on to their Western prairies, and eventually altogether to evacuate that portion of their former country lying north of Sac River, and southeast of Leaf River to the Mississippi. Strong Ground was as fine a specimen of an Indian as ever trod the soil of America. He was one of those honor-loving chiefs, not only by name, but by nature, also, and noted for his unflinching bravery. * * Hole-in-the-day, his younger brother, was equally brave, * * * had not the firmness of his brother, Strong Ground, but was more cunning, and soon came to understand the policy of the whites. He was ambitious, and through his cunning, stepped above his more straight-for ward brother, and became head chief. He had a proud and domineering spirit, and liked to be implicitly obeyed. * * * Notwith standing his harsh and haughty temper, there was in the breast of this man much of the milk of human kindness, and he had that way about him that induced the few who really loved him to be willing even to die for him. During his life time he distinguished himself in eight different fights, where blood was freely shed. At St. Peters he was almost mortally wounded, a bullet passing through his right breast, and coming out near the spine. On this occasion his daughter was killed; and from this time can be dated the blood-thirstiness with which he ever after pursued his enemies. He had married a daughter of Bi Aus Wah, a chief so distinguished among the Chippewas, that he may be said to have laid the foundation of a dynasty of chieftaindom, which has descended to his children, and the benefits of which they are reaping after him. His bravery was fully proved by his crossing the Mississippi, and, with but two brave com rades, firing on the large Sioux village, Ka- po-sia, below the mouth of the St. Peters. They narrowly escaped the general chase that was made for them by many Sioux warriors, crossing the Mississippi under-a shower of bul lets. There is nothing in modern warfare to surpass this daring exploit. " " His son who succeeded him in the chieftain ship became even more distinguished than his father. He ruled like a prince, and declared that he was a greater chief than his father, because he was equally brave in the field and able in council, and had the additional merit of birthright. He was imperious and brave in the highest degree. The St. Paul Press, at the time of his death in a notice of him says: * "Hole-in-the-day has been accustomed to play a conspicuous part in all treaty negotiations with the Mississippi Chip pewas, and from long practice had become a cunning and unscrupulous intriguer, skilled in all the mysteries of -Indian diplomacy. * * There was something almost romantic in his reckless daring on the war-path. He was the Chippewa Cid or Coeur de Lion, from the gleam of whose battle-axe, whole armies of saracen Sioux fled, as before irresistble fate. His exploits would fill a book. "The first appearance of theyoungerHole-in- the-day in public council was at Fond du Lac, in 1 * * 58 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1700. Lake Superior, in July, 1847. At that time the Upper Country of the Mississippi, extend ing to Lake Superior, was owned by the Chip pewas of Lake Superior, and the Chippewas of the Mississippi. .The former- were repre sented in force. The Chippewas of the Missis sippi, headed by Hole-in-the-day, owing to the great distance they had to travel, had but a small delegation in attendance, and Hole-in- the-day was late in reaching the council ground. "Prior to his coming, several talks were held with the Indians, in which they admitted that they had allowed Hole-in-the-day 's father to take the lead in their councils, but said that were he then alive they would make him take a back seat; that his son was a mere boy, and were he there he would have nothing to say; consequently it was useless to wait for him. The commissioners, however, thought differ ently and waited. After his arrival the council was formally opened. The commissioners stated their business and requested a reply from the Indians. Hole-in-the-day was led up to the stand by two of his braves and made a speech to which all the Indians present gave hearty and audible assent. The change in the face of things at the appearance of Hole-in-the-day showed his bravery and commanding influence; but was also somewhat amusing. Here were powerful chiefs of all the Chippewa tribes, some of them seventy or eighty years old, who before his coming spoke of him as a boy who could have no voice in the council; saying there was no use in waiting for him; but when he appeared they became his most submissive and obedient servants; and this in a treaty in which a million of acres of land were ceded. The terms of the treaty were concluded between the commissioners and Hole-in-the- day alone. Thelatter, after this was done, with drew, and sent word to the chiefs ofthe Mis sissippi and Lake Superior bands to go and sign it. After it had been duly signed by the commissioners, the chief head men and war riors, and witnessed by the interpreters and other persons present, Hole-in-the-day, who had not been present at these little formalities, called upon the commissioners with two of his attendent chiefs and had appended to the treaty the following words: " ' Fathers: The country our Great Father sent you to purchase, belongs to me. It was once my father's. He took it from the Sioux. He, by his bravery, made himself head chief ofthe Chippewa nation. I am a greater man than my father was, for I am as brave as he was, and on my mother's side, I am hereditary head chief ofthe nation. The land you want belongs to me. If I say sell, the Great Father will have it; if I say not sell, he will do with out it. These Indians you see behind me have nothing to say about it. I approve of this treaty and consent to the same. Fond du Lac, August 3d, 1847. Po-Go-Ne-Shik, His X Mark. Or, Hole-In-The-Day. ' " "He made his influence in negotiations tell to his own personal advantage. He spent with profusion, for he was as great a prodigal as he was a warrior. Disdaining the humble bark wigwam of his tribe he lived in a good house, near Crow-Wing, and kept horses and sur rounded himself with luxuries. He kept posted in national affairs by taking the St. Paul Press, of which he was a regular subscriber, and other papers which he had read to him by an interpreter every day of their arrival. " Although the advanced bands of the Chip pewa nation had reached the western extremity of Lake Superior as early as 1668, they were not, as before stated, insufficient force to main tain possession, and it is supposed that they did not permanently occupy the country until about 1700. Since that time they drove the Sioux from the territory lying between the St. Croix and Mississippi. In 1843 there were over 5,000 souls in one agency in that district. While the Sioux were fully engaged in resisting the encroachments of the Chippe was, the Sacs, Foxes and Menominees, who were also Algonquin tribes from Canada, obtained permanent possession of the country bordering Green Bay, and from the lower to the Upper Fox. Outagamie county takes its name from its former occupants, the Outa gamies (Foxes). Bands of other tribes were met there by the Missionaries, but these were only temporary sojourners. The Bay seems to have been a favorite place of rendezvous for the various tribes of the Algonquin race. For after the Sioux had driven the Chippewas from the mis sion of La Pointe a large number ofthe latter congregated around the newly established mis sion, at the mouth ofthe Fox, in 1669. Nicolet, at the time of his visit to the Bay, 1639, found the Pottawattamies in that locality. In 1652, bands of the Hurons were moving through the country between Green Bay and La Pointe. These, and a band of Ottawas were driven out of the country by the Sioux, and the Pottawattamies were at the Sault St. Marie, in 1641, to which place they had fled from the pursuit ofthe Sioux. From which it would appear that it must have been after the exploration of Nicolet that the Sacs, Foxes, and Menominees obtained permanent posses- i7°o.J EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 59 sion ofthe Fox River and Green Bay country. The Menominees are first mentioned in the Jesuit Relations in 1669, the time ofthe estab lishment of the mission at La Baye. The Winnebagoes inhabited the district west of Lake Winnebago and south of the Upper Fox, and a large portion ofthe southern and western part of Wisconsin. They also occupied . the small tract between the head of Lake Win nebago and the Lower Fox, bounded on the east by a line from Little Kaukauna to the east shore of Lake. Winnebago. This included Doty's Island and East Menasha. They are called by some authorities a Daco- tah tribe; but this is undoubtedly an error; for their traditional history is, that they came from Spanish America, and Carver, the Northwest ern explorer, says: "The Winnebagoes most probably came from Mexico on the approach ofthe Spaniards; and that they had an unal terable attachment to the Sioux, whom, they said, gave them the earliest succor duringtheir migration." "Which attachment," says Alfred Brunson "has continued to this day, there never having been a war between them. " "Their dialect is neither Algonquin nor Dacotah, and is," says Mr. Bronson, of Prairie Du Chien, who is good authority, "totally different from every Indian nation yet discovered; it being a very uncouth, gutteral jargon, which none of their neighbors will attempt to learn. They converse with other nations in the Chippewa tongue, which is the prevailing language throughout all tribes, from the Mohawks of Canada, to those who inhabit the borders of the Mississsippi, and from the Hurons and Illinois to such as dwell at Green Bay." The French seem* to have agreed pretty well with the Winnebagoes, but the early American settlers, while they generally speak well of the Menominees, had a very unfavorable opinion of the former tribe. Their principal village was at Doty's Island. It was here that Capt. Jonathan Carver was so hospitably entertained by the princess of this village, Ho-po-Ko-e-Kan, (Glory of the Morning). She was the daughter of the head chief of the Winnebagoes and the widow of a French trader, De Kaury, and the mother of the celebrated De Kaurys, powerful Winne bago chieftains. Pesheu, or Wild Cats' village, was on Garlic Island, and Black Wolf, the distinguished head chief of the Winnebagoes, had his village at the point of that name, on the lake shore, about eight miles south of Oshkosh. The corn hills of their planting grounds were plainly visible a few years ago. Mitchell & Osborn's History of Winnebago Connty, published in 1856, gives a very humorous account of the manner in which this shrewd old chief adroitly shifted a bit of disagreeable business from his own hands to that of another. Pow-wa-ga-nieu was a very celebrated chief of the Menominees. His great strength was only equalled by his bravery and nobleness 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 Pot tawattamies of Chicago, was a great brave, and, like some successful white braves, somewhat of a bully. Among other of his habits was an ugly one, of insulting the greatest brave of any tribe he might be visiting, and such was the awing effect of his reputation that none, as yet, resented it. As was his wont, he sent one of his young men to Black Wolf, 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-nieu, to assist in dispensing his hospitalities to the Pottawattamie. Therein he showed his great wisdom. The Illinois Chief made his appearance at Black Wolf's village with three hundred war riors, 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 Pe-e-shan.- 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 Pottawottamie tongue, 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 as great as he, sitting by his side ?" " That's Pow-wa-ga-nieu, the great Menominee." Cut Fnger'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; before the young men arose he started and 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? he must be a great Indian.' 'This is the bravest Menominee, Pow-wa- ga-nieu.' 'Ah, is that the great Pow-wa-ga-nieu, who fills the songs of the nations ? let me look at him.' He walked all round the chief, examining him with the critical air of a horse jockey. Pow-wa-ga-nieu, all this time keeping profound silence, having a good idea 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. I think you must have got a great deal of your reputation by your size. You don't look brave — you look sleepy. You have no tongue, you don't speak.' Then, telling the young Menominees that he was going to satisfy himself as to the courage of their chief, he took hold of the bunch of hair the old warrior always kept on 60 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1800-29. his crown for the convenience 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 aborignal banter. Pow-wa-ga nieu, aided by his strength and a neck that could withstand anything but rum, sustained but little damage from this, and submmitted 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. " Pow-wa-ga-nieu 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 admon ished him to ' do nothing rash.' One glance of Pow-wa-ga- nieu's eye and an emphatic ' I'm mad now ! ' sent that respect able Menominee to his seat, excusing himself by saying that Pow-wa-ga-nieu ' knew what a fool he always made of him self when he got a-going.' Stretching himself up to his full height, he stalked toward the Pottawattamies in a style that excited the universal admiration of his friends , especially 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, and know you are brave ; 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 I 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 as this. He shook him with all his might, 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 performance of an evident and 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 borne his own. Satisfied at last, he raised his enemy 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 men,' which, being unattended to, he went back to his seat at the right hand of Black- Wolf, who had been all this time 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-nieu eyeing him all the time, and when the Pottawatta mie 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 getttng 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-nieu is a brave, 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-nieu 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. I am a great traveler. I am going to all the tribes of the south. I will tell those 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. Let us shake hands and be friends.' Pow-wa-ga-nieu, who was a good fellow at bottom, reciprocated the good feelings of the now friendly chief, and a lasting friendship sprung up between them, and showed itself in the interchange of presents every year, as long as they both lived. " The war-eagle cap, which contributed so much toward this victory, is, now in the hands of Pow-wa-ga-nieu's son, and can be seen any time by those who doubt the truth of the fore going." Hoo Choup, or Four Legs, had his village at the outlet of the lake. He was ambitious to effect a distinguished alliance for a very ugly daughter, and proposed to confer on John H. Kinzie, of the American Fur Company, the distinction of being his son-in-law. This honor was declined by Mr. Kinzie, his affections being pre-engaged. When General Leavenworth, with a body of United States troops, passed up the Lower Fox, in 1 8 19, he was hailed at Winnebago Rapids by Hoo Choup, who appeared before him in all the overpowering grandeur of Indian ornamentation, and in the most pompous man ner stalked forward and announced "that the lake was locked." General Leavenworth drawing his rifle up to his shoulder, said to his intrepreter, "tell him this is the key that I shall unlock it with." Hoo Choup, being impressed with this very practicable and sum mary method of opening the lake, and deem ing discretion the better part of valor, with drew his opposition, and the expedition pro ceeded unmolested on its way. In 1 829, the Winnebagoes ceded to the gov ernment, all the lands to which they laid claim eastofthe Mississippi. They however, remained in the country for many years after; but the tribe has dwindled to a mere remnant of its former strength and was finally removed across the Mississippi. 1750.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 61 CHAPTER XVIII. The French Posts and Settlements in the West — The Coureur de Bois — His Mode of Life and Canoe Voyages — French Officers Trained in Forest Warfare, in the Campaigns of the Fox Valley — De Beaujeu at the Battle of the Monon gahela — • De Langlade, the Pioneer Settler of Wisconsin, Plans and Executes the Defeat of Braddock — The Opening and Closing of the French-Indian War — De Lang lade Attempts to Repeat his Exploit in the Battle of the Monongahela, by an Ambuscade of a Large Division of Wolf's Army before Quebec — De Langlade Returns to his Home in Green Bay — Pontiac's War — Massacre of the English Garrison at Michilimackinac. ¦ FTER the expulsion of the Sauks and Foxes from this valley, the greatest harmony prevailed between the French and Indians of the West. The whole net-work of lakes and rivers west of the Alleghanies, was now in the possession of New France, and a series of posts extended from Montreal to the Mississippi. One at Niagara guarded the entrance to the lakes. One at Detroit controlled the passage between Lakes Erie and Huron. Another at the Straits of St. Marys, and one at Michilimackinac com manded the entrance to Lakes Superior and Michigan. The post at Green Bay secured the mouth of the Fox, which was the chief entrance-way to the great Mississippi valley. One at the mouth ofthe St. Joseph, controlled the route from the head of Lake Michigan to the Illinois, by the Kankakee portage; while posts on the Wabash and Maumee, with Fort Du Quesne on the Ohio, secured the control of the Ohio valley, and completed the circuit from Quebec and Montreal through the Great Lakes, the Fox and Wisconsin, to the Missis sippi, and up the Ohio to its tributaries on the Western slope of the Alleghanies. Little French settlements sprang up adjacent to many of these posts, which constituted in 1750 the only settlements in the whole interior. Their communication with each other was by canoe, navigation, and the chief business was the fur trade. The Indians and French were now being rapidly merged into one people, and a class of men came into existence who were vastly the superiors ofthe Indians in for est craft, and in all the skill of savage life — whites and half-breeds — and known as coureurs de bois. Many of these were born on the frontier posts and inured from childhood to hardship and danger. No Indians could surpass them in the chase or in shooting the rapids in the light canoe. In mode of life they conformed to that of the Indians; they were in fact simply superior savages, leading a half civilized life. Dressed in buck-skin hunting- frock and leggings gaily ornamented with porcupine quills and beads, with eagle feathers in his hair — the emblem ofthe warrior — the coureur de bois freely roamed the wilder ness from the Labrador to the Southern Mississippi. He explored the most remote' recesses ofthe interior, was as familiar with its trails and lines of travel as the denizen of a city with its streets. He read his way by the moss and bark on the trees — by the stars at night, and by all those signs so familiar to those accus tomed to forest life. In his canoe, laden with furs, and in the enjoyment of the companion ship ofthe congenial Indians, he, cheerily pad dled it along the silvery stream, enlivening his toil with song and banter. For a thousand miles — from the far-off land of the Dacotah, or Illinois, he guided the frail bark through river and lake, through foaming rapids and stormy seas; through great stretches of dense forests, where the sinuous stream was almost hidden from the light of day — and again through countless leagues of prairie, where herds of buffalo, antelope and deer browsed unscared at the sight of man, and then over the transparent waters of the great inland seas. But when his frail canoe shot like a startled deer through the milky foam and tear ing rapids, and rushed madly by the jagged rocks, then, holding his life in his hands, and dependent on his skill and intrepidity, the coureur de bois was in liis glory. If his life was one of hardship and danger, it was one of pleasurable excitements and of free dom from the cares of civilization. It had its fascinations, too, and the camp fire at night' was always a festive scene, where song and merry jest or story, pleasantly whiled away the evening hours. In the war-dance, or at the dog-feast — by the side of his dusky mistress in the wigwam — on the war-path or in the chase, he was to all intents, Indian — " native to the manor born. " The other classes in the French-Indian set tlements were the traders, missionaries, mili tary officers and soldiers. At the most remote posts were found scions of the French nobility mingling in the dusky circle of the wigwam — those who were reared amid the elegancies and luxuries of the court circles of Versailles and Paris. And here were found military officers whose earlier years had been passed in the feudal camps of Europe. Many a gallant, young French officer who distinguished himself in the long French-Indian war that had its closing scene in the fall of Mon treal, took his first lessons in forest warfare in the sanguinary contests of the Fox valley. Here the heroic Beaujeu, who fell at the fam ous battle of the Monongahela, organized, with 62 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1745-54. De Langlade, of Green Bay, the Indian forces who defeated Braddock in that memorable open ing scene in the great drama, whose closing act was the English conquest, in itself, but the pre lude to that great contest which established the standard of self-government in America, and the overthrow of both French and English feu dalism. The post at Green Bay was, up to 1745, but a military and trading post with the Mission attached. In that year was commenced the permanent settlement of Wisconsin by August ine and Charles De Langlade, who settled at that point and whose descendants still reside there. Augustine De Langlade, born in Three Rivers, 1703, was of patrician extraction — a descendant ofthe house ofthe Count of Paris. He established a trading post among the Otta was at old Michilimackinac, where he married Dometilde, widow of Daniel Villeneuve, the sister of the principal chief of the Ottawas, King Nis-so-wa-quet. Charles Michel De Langlade, the issue ofthe marriage, was born at Michilimackinac, in 1729, and, with his father, Augustine, removed to the Bay des Puants (Green Bay) in 1745, and established there the first permanent white settlement in the country. After the termination ofthe French and Indian war he married Charlotte Bourassa and returned to his home with her, at Green Bay, The sur viving child of this union was Dometilde, who was married to Pierre Grignon. A large fam ily sprung from this union, and they and their descendants constitute the pioneer settlers of Wisconsin. Charles De Langlade is one of the historical characters of this state. After he had settled at "the Bay," England declared war against France. From the accession of William of Orange to the throne of England, and the espousal of the cause of King James by France, the English and French colonies were at strife; but in 17 54 the great drama known as the French and Indian war, and which involved the political destinies of a continent, had its opening scenes at the Great Meadows and Fort Du Quesne, and its closing at the fall and surren der of Montreal — the last stronghold ofthe French. By the treaties of Utrecht and Aix la Cha- pelle, Acadia had been ceded to Great Britain, but a dispute sprung up between the two powers, respecting the boundaries of that ter ritory. While the question was still pending and the courts of Versailles and London were holding diplomatic intercourse, so inevitable seemed the impending conflict, that both sides made vigorous preparations for war. The French sent a force to take a position on the head waters of the Ohio. They fortified themselves at the mouth of the Monongahela, and constructed Fort Du Quesne, destined to become memorable in American History. A large English army, under the command of Braddock, now marched for Fort Du Quesne for the purpose of its reduction. So confident was Braddock of his success, that he said to Franklin, "After taking Fort Du Quesne I am to proceed to Niagara, and after taking that, to Frontenac. Du Quesne can hardly detain me above three or four days, and then I see nothing to obstruct my march to Niagara. " When Franklin replied that the Indians and French were skillful in forest war fare, Braddock answered, "They may be for midable to your raw American militia, but upon the King's regulars and disciplined troops it is impossible that they should make any impression. " De Beaujeu, the brave young officer who had served in the campaigns in the Fox valley, had been sent with reinforcements . to Fort Du Quesne; and Charles de Langlade, of Green Bay, marched to its defense at the head of six hundred Indians. Arriving there, they camped in bark lodges in the surrounding forests, and sent out their scouts to watch the approach of the enemy. The grand army of the English was slowly pushing its way through the unbroken forest. So slow was its progress that it was determined to push forward with twelve hundred chosen men and the light artillery. On the eighth of July this advance body reached the Mononga hela, at a point twelve miles from the French fort. The imposing appearance of the formidable forces of Braddock, surpassing in military grandeur anything the Indians had ever before witnessed, discouraged them, for scouts had been bringing in accounts of their numbers and appearance — exaggerating the force, as usual with Indians. It was plain, not only to the Indians but to Contrecoeur, the commander of the fort, that their numbers were insufficient to cope with the powerful and well equipped army moving upon them, and their only alternative seemed retreat, when Beaujeu and De Lang lade proposed an ambuscade. Twice in council the Indians refused to go on the hazardous enterprise; but at last inspiring confidence from the urgent appeals of their brave leaders, they started. . Their number was two hundred and thirty French soldiers I7S4-S9-J EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 63 and six hundred Indians. Before reaching the place chosen for an ambuscade, they found themselves suddenly in the presence of the English army. De Langlade, who saw the necessity for immediate action, urged an attack, when Beujeu, at the head of his French forces, suddenly struck the advancing colnmn. The English were taken by surprise. The advance saw the gallant Beujeu in his fringed hunting shirt, wave his hat to his followers and bound forward, when in an instant the woods seemed filled with screeching fiends. While the French opened a brisk fire on the head of the English column, the Indians under De Langlade, attacked both flanks. The brave Beujeu fell in the first encounter, and the British seemed to rally from their consternation and madeaspirited fight; butDe Langlade's tactics were something they were unable to meet, as his Indians would suddenly attack their flank on both sides and disappear; at times the English could hardly see an enemy, although a deadly storm of lead was continually poured upon them. At last every tree and bush was flash ing 'with a deadly fire and the troops fell by scores. Washington with his Virginians was cool throughout, and they made a violent resistance, but it was of no avail. The British troops wasted their fire, shooting over the heads of the Indians. The officers behaved with great gallantry. Fifty-three out of eighty- six were killed or wounded, Braddock him self receiving a mortal wound after five horses were shot under him. Two horses were also shot under Washington, while four bullets pierced his clothes. Seven hundred soldiers out of the twelve hundred who crossed the Monongahela were killed or wounded. After the slaughter had continued nearly three hours the survivors, panic-stricken, precipitately fled to the rear division. The soldiers of this division, catching the infection, destroyed their cannon and stores and fled in dismay. Washington with a handful of men covered the disgraceful retreat, feeling chagrined at the calamitywhich had been brought upon them through the incompetency and obstinate pride of Braddock. The English general, Burgoyne, in a letter written by him in 1777, says: " We are expect ing M. de Langlade, the person who at the head of the tribe which he now commands, planned and executed the defeat of General Braddock. " In another letter he speaks of De Langlade as "the very man who, with these tribes, pro jected and executed Braddock's defeat. " De Langlade acted a most distinguished part in the subsequent battles of the war, and had his importunities for support been heeded he would have repeated, on the army of the heroic Wolf, a similar disaster, and turned the tide of American empire. The Plains of Abraham were the Waterloo of America. "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at its flood, leads on to greatness, glory, and renown." In 1759, on the ninth of July, the largest division of Woll's army established itself on the left bank of the river, below the falls of Montmorency, and, on the twenty-fifth a detachment of two thousand men pushed a reconnoisance across a belt of forest, almost to the French entrenchments. De Langlade and his Indians watched theirevery movement, unseen by the English, and, ascertaining their great number, determined on an ambus cade. He succeeded in placing his Indians in ambush, so as to surround the English force; and then sent to the Division General, acquainting him with the situation, and urging him to send a support of French to aid him in an immediate attack. The General hesitated to do so, without orders from head quarters. At last M. De Levis ordered a force of French forward, but it was too late. For five hours the Indians had remained crouched in the grass and bushes, impatient for' the attack, when an English soldier discov ered one of them and fired his piece. The Indians could restrain themselves no longer, and prematurely commenced their engage ment, when the English effected a retreat to their main body. In the War Archives at Paris the following relation of the affair is recorded. "After having lain flat on the ground for five hours in the face of the enemy, without observing the slightest movement among our troops, the Indians, carried away at last by their impatience, and seeing, moreover, that the enemy was profiting by it, by bringing fresh troops into the woods, decided to make the attack alone. They were so impetuous, as we were subsequently told by a sargeant, who had deserted to the enemy, and two Canadi ans, their prisoners, that the English were obliged to fight, retreating more than two hundred paces from the place of combat before they could rally. The alarm was communicated even to the main camp, to which Gen. Wolf had returned. The savages, seeing themselves almost entirely surrounded, effected a retreat, after having killed or wounded more than a hundred and fifty men, losing only two or •three of their own number. They met at the ford of the River Montmorency, the detach ment coming to their support, which M. De 64 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1760-73. Levis had been unwilling to take the responsi bility of sending, until he received an order from M. De Vaudreuil. The whole army regretted that they had not profited by so fine an opportunity. " The conte'st which began at Du Quesne lasted for five years. The celebrated battles of Lake George, Ticonderoga and the others of this long French Indian war, are matters of standard history. The memorable battle on the plains of Abraham, where the heroic Wolf won imperishable laurels, and where the gal lant Montcalm struggled against adverse fate, virtually ended the contest. The subsequent surrender of Montreal closed thejwar; and French empire in America was ended. It was now a century and a half since Cham plain commenced at Quebec, that French occupation, which in time embraced the whole interior from the Alleghanies to the Missis sippi. But during that period a mighty host who peopled the sea coast was gradually accumulating a power before whose resistless forces, both French and English ascendancy were doomed to yield. Just before the surrender of Montreal, De- Langlade received the following commission from Louis XV: " By the King : " His majesty, having made choice of Sieur Langlade to serve in the capacity of half-pay lieutenant in connection with the troops stationed in Canada, he commands the Lieutenant General of New France to receive him, and to cause him to be recognized in the said capacity of half-pay lieutenant by all those and others whom it may concern. "Done at Versailles, February first, 1760. " Louis." After the surrender of Montreal, Vaudreuil, Governor General of Canada, sent to De Lang lade the following communication: "Montreal, Ninth of September, 1760. " I inform you, sir, that I have to-day been obliged to capitulate with the army of General Amherst. This city is, as you know, without defences. Our troops were considerably diminished, our means and resources exhausted. We were surrounded by three armies, amounting in all to twenty thous and eighty men. General Amherst was, on the sixth of this month, in sight of the walls of this city, General Murray within reach of one of our suburbs, and the army of Lake Champlain was at La Prairie and Longueil. '' Under these circumstances, with nothing to hope from our efforts, nor even from the sacrifice of our troops, I have advisedly decided to capitulate with General Amherst upon conditions very advantageous for the colonists, and particularly for the inhabitants of Michilimackinac. Indeed, they retain the free exercise of their religion ; they are maintained in the possession of their goods, real and personal, and of their pel tries. They have also free trade, just the same as the proper subjects of the King of Great Britain. " The same conditions are accorded to the military. They can appoint persons to act for them in their absence. They, and all citizens in general, can sell to the English or French their goods, sending the proceeds, thereof, to France, or taking them with them if they choose to return to that country after the peace. They return their negroes and Pawnee Indian slaves, but will be obliged to restore those which have been taken from the English. The English General has declared that the Canadians have become the subjects of His Britannic Majesty, and consequently the people will not continue to be governed as heretofore by the French Code. " In regard to the troops, the condition has been imposed upon them not to serve during the present war, and to lay down their arms before being sent back to France. You will there fore, sir, assemble all the officers and soldiers who are at your post. You will cause them to lay down their arms, and you will proceed with them to such sea-ports as you think best, to pass from thence to France. The citizens and inhabitants of Michilimackinac will consequently be under the command of the officer whom General Amherst shall appoint to that post. " You will forward a copy of my letter to St. Joseph, and to the neighboring posts, in order that if any soldiers remain there, they and the inhabitants may conform thereto. " I count upon the pleasure of seeing you in France, with all your officers. " 1 have the honor to be, very sincerly, Monsieur, your very humble and very obedient servant, " Vaudreuil. " Signed in the original draught." De Langlade returned to his home at Green Bay. He had married a Miss Charlotte Bourassa, and with her now returned to the enjoyments of domestic life. As before stated, his daughter, Domirilde, was the first white child born in the limits of Wisconsin, and her descendants still live at Green Bay. By the treaty of Paris, 1763, France ceded all her territory east of the Mississippi. The English took possession of all the Western posts, and the control of the country passed into the hands of that power. But the Indians were irreconcilable; they were unalterably attached to the French, and hated the Eng lish. The great Pontiac, an Ottawa chief, planned a conspiracy. He declared that "the English are dogs, disguised as men in garments always stained in blood. " He united the various nations in an attempt to take the several forts by stratagem, and then by a general uprising to drive the English out of the country. Capt. Etherington was commandant of Michilimackinac; and De Langlade, who had remonstrated with the Indians against the use less bloodshed, hastened to acquaint Ether ington of his danger. But this officer, blinded by the treacherous professions of Indians, gave no heed to the warning. On the birthday of King George, June fourth, 1763, there was a grand celebration at the fort, and the Chippewas and others were invited to participate. The Indians proposed I8I2-20.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 65 to play their game of ball, called la crosse. They managed to throw their ball over the palisades of the fort, several times, when the soldiers threw it back to them. Etherington, becoming much interested in the game, and desiring to give the Indians all possible facili ties, ordered the gates ofthe fort to be thrown open. The ball was soon thrown inside, when the Indians rushed after it. The squaws fol lowed and handed the warriors the weapons, which were concealed under their blankets. The war-whoop was now yelled, and the unsuspecting soldiers fell under the murderous blows ofthe savages. Seventeen were massa cred, and the survivors taken prisoners, Eth erington and Lieut. Leslie among the latter. When they were found outside ofthe fort after the massacre, they were taken and stripped of their clothing, and fire was prepared to burn them at the stake. De Langlade, in anticipa tion of this fearful event, had come to the fort with a number of friendly Ottawas from l'Arbre Croche. He now hastened to the succor of Etherington and his companion, who were bound to stakes; and at once cut the cords, saying to the Chippewas in a resolute tone: "If you are not satisfied with what I have done, I am ready to meet you." They knew the man and yielded to him their prisoners, whom De Langlade subsequently sent with an escort of Ottawas to Montreal. Nearly all the Western posts fell into the hands of the Indians, and Pontiac maintained a long siege of Detroit. At length a general pacification of the Indians was effected, and the posts were again garrisoned by the English. CHAPTER XIX. The Early French Settlers — Judge Porlier and the Grignons — Society of Green Bay in the Early Day — The New Comers — The Americans. !FTER Pontiac's war, no very import ant events occurred in the North west, until after the Revolution. The little French settlements at Michilimackinac, Prairie du Chien and Green Bay, cut off from associa tion with the mother country, were left like out-casts or abandoned waifs in the midst of the wilderness. Among this, isolated people were a number of the descendants of noble French families, like the De Langlades and Grignons, the latter lineal descendants of Gov ernor Grignon, of Bretagne, France. Judge Advocate Storrow, of the American. army, in his interesting narrative of Explora tions in the Northwest in 1817, in speaking of the little settlement at the Bay, says: "In con versation with this outcast people, I was sur prised at their devotion to the land of their fathers; although the memory of no man living reached to the period of the connection. " The lapse of half a century which has made them the property of two different nations, affords nothing to obliterate the tradition ary remembrance of France, their primitive country. " There is something peculiarly attractive and fascinating in the history of this old place and its romantic associations, more ancient than many of the renowned ¦ revolutionary towns. Its whole history is interwoven with the leading events of American civilization from its remote beginnings, and is contemporaneous with the rule of three distinct goverments. Two hundred years ago it was the advanced outpost of French colonization, and for a cen tury was the local point of the explorations, trade and travel of the Mississippi valley; while around it clustered all those ambitious hopes and aspirations of French empire in the West. By the treaty of Paris it was abandoned to English domination, and its inhabitants made the subjects of a foreign power, but the English conciliated them by practically leaving local control in the hands of the inhabitants, and by wise forbearance made them firm allies. After the' American revolution, the officers stationed at the fort and their families, and the families of the American traders arid settlers introduced a new social element. But the new comers found many of the old French families to be people of elegant manners, some of whom had received a liberal education, and whose homes had many evidences of taste and refinement. Many of the American settlers, too, of that place were men of culture and' talent — enterprising professional and business men, who came to lay the foundation of a state; and Green Bay soon came to be noted for its genial social manners, gaieties and warm hearted hospitality; and it is said still bears the impress of the social eclat of its ancient times. It is a pleasure to call to remembrance the warm friendships, kindly intercourse and gen erous hospitality of pioneer days in Wisconsin, where in the midst of the wilderness were found little communities comprised largely of men and women of cultured minds and courte ous manners, and warm hearts full of kindness and earnest purpose. General Ellis, one of Wisconsin's honored 9 66 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1822-36. pioneers and a resident of Green Bay in 1822, in his published recollections, in State Histori cal Collections, gives a glimpse ofthe pleasant social life of the times. He says, speaking of the old French settlers: " The residents on the River, except some half a dozen Ameri cans, were retired French voyageurs, and half-breed French and Menominees ; they had without let or hindrance, taken up the whole shore of the River above the fort, for six miles ; divided it off into little strips of one or two French arpents in width, which they called their farms ; they claimed back at right angles from the River eighty arpents, about two and three-fourths miles in depth. They had reduced most'of the fronts for an acre, or two, or three, some more, some less deep, to a state of cultivation ; and had growing at the time of our arrival; the first of September, very fair crops of potatoes, maize, oats, peas, spring wheat, pumpkins, melons, cabbages, onions, and other common garden vegetables. Most of them had, teams of native oxen, and a kind of implement claimed to be a plow, with which they broke the soil. This plow went on wheels, one of which was twice the size of the other, the larger one going in the furrow, the smaller one going on the land. The plow beam was fourteen feet in length ; the chip, on which the share was fastened, was four feet long, and altogether, when in motion was drawn by six or eight bulls, it was a formidable object, and answered well the end of its construction. The furrows were nearly two feet in width, but quite shallow. The style of plowing was what is known as " back furrowing," and only two each way, to a land, forming ridges eight feet wide, with a dead furrow between, which insured thorough drainage. The breaking was commonly done in June ; then leaving it till the next spring, when as soon as the farmer could get at it, even before the frost was fairly out of the ground, it was thor oughly harrowed, and if for wheat, the seed put in without waiting for warm weather. " These bull-teams were a curiosity to a raw American. The animals were unblemished — the yoke was a straight piece of hickory, worked off smooth and bound to the bulls' necks just back ofthe horns, with a strip of raw hide, to which stick was fastened the pole of the cart, on which rested the. plow beam. Besides these bull -teams for plowing, these set tlers had ponies of a hardy kind, with which they managed to propel a rude cart in summer ; and a kind of sled, called a train, or another called a cariole, in winter ; the ponies were always worked singly — no two were ever harnessed abreast. With thesctrains, loaded with ten to fourteen hundred pounds, they would undertake journeys in winter to the Rocky Moun tains, if required. It was the common mode of moving mer chandise long distances in winter — taking the place of boat in summer. Mr. Daniel Whitney usually employed a caravan of these ponies and trains with their French drivers every winter to transport supplies from Green Bay to St. Peters. " These native settlers of Green Bay lived in primeval simplicity ; of all people, they seemed the most innocent, honest, truthful and unsuspecting. They had, moreover, a most perfect immunity from want; their little fields were pro ductive; the River was alive with fish and fowl; summer and winter '.heir food was of ihe best, and in greatest abundance, and only required the taking. A narrator would not dare state the truth of the abundance of wild fowl, fish and game, with which the country abounded, on pain of being held by the listener, an unmitigated Munchausen. Their habiliments were obtained with equal facility. Both sexes, for the most part, arrayed themselves in garments procured from the chase ; those of the male were almost entirely of deer skin, while the females indulged in a few cotton stuffs obtained from the traders. AH wore the moccasin ; not a boot or shoe was to be seen among them. "These simple people inherited their manners from their fore fathers, the French of Lower Canada ; and politeness and strict "good-breeding" was the rule, from the highest to the lowest. It gave them ease and gracefulness of deportment, often a sur prise and reproach to the brusque, abrupt Yankee, rendering their company acceptable and engaging with the most cul tivated and polite, and insuring, in their intercourse with each other, the preservation of friendly feeling and good will. They had been sought out by the Catholic ministers, their children were all baptised Christians, had been taught the creed and commandments, and grew up simple-hearted, trusting people. They were strict observers of the seasons of festivals and feasts. From- Christmas to Ash-Wednesday, the whole settlement was rife with feasting, dancing, and merry-making; but, on the approach of Lent, it was suddenly suspended till Easter. * - * * * * * "The Easter festival was the most joyous of the calendar; with the most of them it was celebrated in the deep forests; where they had before repaired, for one of their chief indus tries, the making of maple sugar; which requires a little more special notice. It was a source ofthe greatest amusement, as well as profit, occupying two or three months of every year, and engaged nearly the whole population, male and female, chil dren and all. They probably got the art from the Indians, and greatly improved on the savage mode. About the first to the fifteenth of February, preparations were made throughout the settlement for repairing to the sucrerie, or sugar-bush — for moving from their home cabins on the River bank, into the deep wood, often many miles distant ; taking generally most of their household treasures, even lo their chickens ; and they made the business worthy of their preparations. Some of them had as many as five hundred, eight hundred, and some one thousand trees tapped. A few of their sugar-houses were quite large, and as good as those at the River, well furnished, with buckets, store troughs, kettles, etc. The ground was neatly cleared of underbrush, and roads made to every part of it. The first business of the season, after arriving at the sucrerie, was to provide a good store of fuel for purposes of boiling; next to overhaul and repair the buckets, which had been carefully stored in the sugaivhuuse the spring before. These buckets were made from the birch bark — nothing else would suffice. This bark, it may be added, is taken from the tree by the Indians in June, and made an object of merchandise; like peltries, by traders. These various preparations would consume perhaps a month before ihe commencement of the sap- running season. ****** '' As before stated, the Easter festival was generally observed at those sucreries ; for this reason, those who had the chickens, and could do it, took them into the woods, made houses for them, and saved a store of eggs for this festival. Then it was that their friends at the settlement, the Americans and army officers, were invited to visit them, and the invita tions were rarely declined. The American citizens, the gen tlemen and ladies of the army, found no greater enjoyment than one of these spring festivals, celebrated among their French 1822-36.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 67 and half-breed entertainers in the depth of the great maple woods, in their commodious sugar-houses. There was never- failing good cheer, somewhat enlarged, perhaps, by their visit ors in a pic-nic style ; which was followed with strains of the merry violin and the dance, and at length the guests retired with pleasing, vivid recollections of the Easter festival among the French, at the sucreries. These frolics were often enlivened by an old fashioned " candy-pull, " when the French girls presented their sweet-hearts, on parting, with a cake of candy folded in a strip of birch bark, which they called their 'billet doux.' "Augustine Grignon was notedforhis almost princely hospitality. No man, woman or child ever met a frown at his door, or went away hungry. His home was indeed one to the weary wayfarer; and we would invariably say, "Only let us reach Augustine's and we shall be happy," and so, indeed, we were. His house was often crowded at night to the great incon venience of himself and family; but the cordial welcome, the bland smile and the bountiful good cheer, never failed, and all without fee or reward except that rich one felt by every good man, conscious of a generous action. "Of all men of French origin at the Bay when I arrived there, Judge James Porlier stood foremost. He was known as Judge of Probate * * * Mr. Porlier was a man of education, in the enlarged sense. * * * He was well-born, ofthe French nobility, and received corresponding advanta ges in his youth. A very few moments in his company assured you ofthe presence of a man of culture and fine taste. His possession of these was acknowledged by all. On his appear ance in the social circle — and none, either French or American, was considered complete without him, all mirth and impertinence sub sided, and the company — the highest in it — deferred to, and awarded him the post of honor. He was very gentle in his manner; and his con versation remarkable for the purity and elegance of his language, and not less so for the high moral tone of his sentiment. The regard awarded him by his French neighbors was universal and sincere. He commanded the same admiration from the American citizens, as well as gentle men of the army, all of whom tendered Judge Porlier every evidence of esteem and respect. " "Pierre Grignon had the manners of a court ier, was not wanting in intelligence, and was liberal, free-hearted and generous; of a tall, commanding figure, and open and ingenuous countenance, he was calculated to command the respect and good will of a stranger. To Williams, he was very attentive, and through his Indian retainers kept his table bountifully supplied with game — venison, fish and fowl. Louis Grignon was most active in taking measures fot securing educational advantages for his family and neighbors, and several of his children finished their schooling in Montreal." In speaking of a marriage, General Ellis says: "This was not the first essay of for a wife among the fair damsels of Green Bay; for only a few days before, he had laid himself, his fortune and his fame at the feet of one ofthe daughters of Louis Grignon, a young lady of great personal charms, good education in the French language, obtained at Montreal, and irreproachable manners and character. The lady, her father and friends had a correct appre ciation of the distinguished suitor; and in a manner as inoffensive as possible, declined the alliance. " Miss Grignon was the grand-daughter of Charles De Langlade, the first settler in Wis consin; and the personal sketches above given are interesting exhibits of the character ofthe leading French families, who constituted the first settlers in the State. Most ofthe ancient land marks of Green Bay are swept away by that remorseless progress that obliterates all but the record of the past, and the old straggling French settlement along th'e mouth of the river has been transformed into three thriving modern cities — Green Bay, Fort Howard and Depere, marts of trade, com merce and manufacture; with stately buildings and shipping, and with railroads stretching away in every direction. At the close of the Revolutionary War, the territory of the Northwest was to have been surrendered to the United States; but the formal delivery of the forts was not made for many years after, and the posts continued to be occupied with English officials and fur traders, conjointly with the French and Indians. By the treaty of peace of 1783, and by Jay's treaty of 1795, it was stipulated that the Northwestern Territory, with its forts and trading posts, should be transferred to the authorities of the United States. The English, however, remained in actual possession ofthe country until after the war of 18 12. During that war the greater portion of the Northwest was under the control ofthe British. After the conquest of New France by the English, the French inhabitants and the Indians considered themselves subjects of the English government. They had no associa tions with the Americans, and being under the control of English influence, they adhered to that. power in the war of 1812. The post of Green Bay was one ofthe few places relinquished by the English to the United States prior to that war. 68 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1812. The Americans had built a fort on Macki naw Island. This was attacked and taken by the English, under command of Col. Robert Dick son, aided by a party of Winnebagoes and Menominees. Oshkosh was in this expedition. In 1 8 1 3 , _Souligny, a Menominee war-chief, and fifty of his braves, participated in the hard fighting under Tecumseh, at Fort Meigs. Tomah, who had started later with the chiefs Grizzly Bear, Iometah and Oshkosh, went under Proctor, and joined in the attack on the fort at Sandusky, which was so gallantly defended by young Crogan. The Winnebagoes also, took part in this campaign under the lead of Pesheu, or the Wild Cat, and Black Wolf, De Kaury and others. The distinguished pioneer, Henry S. Baird, of Green Bay, says: "The Menominees were always friendly to the whites, and gained the confidence and friendship ofthe latter. It is true, that during the war of 1812, this tribe, together with all the Northern and Western tribes, joined the British and fought under their standard; but this must be attributed to the fact, that the whole of this portion of the Northwest was at that period in subjection to that power, rather than the inclination ofthe Menominees, who were induced to believe that the Government of the United States was entirely unable to keep possession of the country and protect them in their rights." It ought to be remembered too, that the Menominees regarded themselves as one people with theFrench, andthatthey considered them selves with the French the subjects of the new power, (the English) whose King had become their new father. They also began to perceive the dangers to them of the encroachments of the Americans, who, unlike the French and English traders, were occupying the land and absorbing the Indian territory. "But," says Henry S. Baird, "the descend ants of some ofthe old American settlers, well know that their families were not only rescued from the scalping knife, but subsequently protected by different individuals of the Menominee tribe. " The Wisconsin Indians, with the exception ofthe Sauks and Foxes, and a few of the Win nebagoes, never made war on the whites — except as allies in war between the whites, waged by the whites themselves. In the Black Hawk war they promptly went to the defense ofthe Americans. After the capture of Mackinaw, an expedi tion went under the command of Lieut. Col. Wm. McKay, for the purpose of taking the American fort at Prairie du Chien. McKay's forces arriving at Green Bay, were joined by a military company, of which Pierre Grignon was captain, and Augustin Grignon and Peter Powell, Lieutenants. James B. Porlier, now a resident of Buttes des Morts, and then a youth of eighteen, was commissioned as lieutenant of a company of regulars. They proceeded by the Fox Rivers, Lake Winnebago and the Wisconsin in barges and canoes. The American forces at the garrison num bered about sixty men. It was Sunday when the expedition reached Prairie du Chien, and as it was a pleasant day, the officers were intending to go on a pleasure excursion. Nicholas Boilvan was American Indian agent at that place; he had sent his man out to drive up his cattle, when the man, discovering the enemy, hastened back and told Boilvan of their presence. Boilvan and all the citizens now fled from the town, some taking refuge in the fort, others going into the country. The English and their Indian allies now invested the fort, and a flag was sent in demanding its surrender. The demand was promptly declined. A six pounder was now got in position which fired upon the American gun-boat lying in the river. The boat returned the fire, but as both fired at long range, it was for some time ineffectual. At last the gun-boat was struck so as to cause leakage, when she was compelled to drop down stream. As she was starting, the inmates ofthe fort called to her to remain; but as she moved off despite of the summons, they fired on her. She was struck twice afterward by the shot of the English, and was leaking badly before she got out of harm's way. During the contest with the gun-boat, McKay got his regulars in position near the fort, and a brisk fire was kept up till night. The siege lasted four days without any very decisive occurrence, when McKay resolved on more effectual measures. While these were in preparation, the garrison raised a white flag, and its surrender was agreed' upon. It seems it had a scanty supply of ammunition — its chief stores being in the magazine of the gun-boat. When the beleaguered garrison marched out to deliver up their small arms, some of the Indians made hostile demonstrations, but they were promptly suppressed, as McKay had given the strictest orders to his men and the Menominees to guard the Americans from any assault that the Indians might meditate. One of them, a Winnebago, who was loitering by I8I2.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 69 the palisades, induced a soldier to put out his hand through a port hole to shake hands, when as quick as thought he whipped out his knife and cut off one ofthe man's fingers and fled. After the surrender, the Winnebagoes made an attempt to plunder the citizens; when McKay resolutely told them, that if they did not immediately go to their homes he would turn his troops upon them. After they left, he and his forces departed for Green Bay. The contest was a bloodless one. After the close of the war, Col. McKay went to Montreal. Col. Robert Dickson remained for some time in this country. He had been an English trader, and had a Sioux wife, and four children by her. He was highly esteemed by the Americans for his humanityto prisoners dur ing the war. One of the most terrible events of the war of 1 812, was the massacre of the garrison at Chicago. The fort was situated on the south bank of the river, at a point where the old river, before the harbor was built, made a sharp curve before entering the lake. On the north shore of the river, right opposite the fort, was Mr. Kinzie's residence and trading post. The writer, when a small child, often played on the old place. There were only two other resi dences on the river within a distance of two miles. These, with the fort, and a few families of discharged soldiers and half-breeds, living ¦just outside its palisades, constituted all there was of Chicago at that day. On the seventh of April, 1812, while Mr. Kinzie's children were dancing to the music of his violin, Mrs. Kinzie rushed into the house breathless, exclaiming that the Indians were at Lee's place, killing and scalping. The family now immediately repaired to the fort; and as another family was in peril — the Burn? — no time was to be lost in going to their rescue. A gallant officer, with a party, started in a small scow. They reached the place in time, and moving Mrs. Burns, with her infant, only a day old, on a bed, placed it on the scow and brought her and her family safely to the fort. A party of soldiers who were out fishing, hear ing the report of a cannon which was fired to warn them of danger, stopped at the Lee place on their return, and found the mutilated bodies of two men. It was afterwards learned that the act was committed by a party of Winnebagoes. On the seventh of August, a Pottawattamie chief arrived at the fort, with despatches from Gen. Hull, informing them that war was declared; that Mackinaw was taken by the British; and. with orders to Captain Heald to evacuate the fort and distribute the goods to the Indians. The Pottawattamie chief, who knew the nature of the instructions, obtained an interview with Mr. Kenzie, and advised against such a measure, as one fraught with the greatest danger; that it would be better to. remain until reinforcements could be sent to the relief of the garrison. Mr. Kinzie and the officers ofthe garrison urged the same course; but Captain Heald determined to evacuate and distribute the stores. The Indians were daily becoming more defi ant, passing in and out of the fort, contrary to orders. The greatest gloom prevailed among the little hopeless band, who nightly retired expecting to be awakened by the war-whoop. A council was held with the Indians, at which the commandant informed them, that he intended to distribute among them the goods and munitions in the fort. He then asked them for an escort of safety to Fort Wayne. This they promised with the greatest professions of friendship. Mr. Kinzie and the officers protested against giving them the ammunition, arms and liquor, and Captain Heald perceiving the impolicy of it himself, determined to destroy all of the ammunition, except the amount required by his own force. The goods were delivered to the Indians, and in the evening the liquor was poured into the river, and the ammunition destroyed. Not withstanding the greatest secrecy had been observed, the Indians became aware of the destruction of what they coveted, and mani fested their indignation. The day fixed for evacuation — the fifteenth — arrived. In the morning, Mr. Kinzie received information from a friendly Indian, that mischief was intended, and urging him to accompany Mrs. Kinzie and the children in the boat that was to carry them to St. Joseph's. He declined, thinking his presence would protect the doomed band, so highly was he esteemed by the Indians. The troops left the fort, the band playing the dead march. Mr. Kinzie and his eldest son accompanying them, while Mrs. Kinzie and her four children were in the boat. Captain Wells, who had come from St. Joseph's with a band of fifteen friendly Indians to aid in their protection, blackened his face before leaving the garrison, in anticipation of impending doom. The procession mournfully filed along the shore of the lake. After proceeding a short distance, Capt. Wells suddenly announced, "They are about to attack us. Form and 70 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1812. charge upon them. " The words were hardly uttered, before a shower of lead was poured into their ranks. The carnage was frightful. The troops fought with desperation, but encumbered with women and children and contending against such vast odds, there was no hope. Still they fought in desperation and despair; several ofthe women making a heroic resistance. The terrible scenes that were enacted are almost too horrible to be related. Mr Kinzie and the members of his family were saved; also, Lieut. Helm, and his wife, a step-daughter of Mr. Kinzie. The following is a part of her narrative ofthe massacre: * # * # # # " At this moment a young Indian raised his tomahawk at me. By springing aside, I avoided the blow which was intended for my skull, but which alighted on my shoulder. I seized him around the neck, and while exerting my utmost efforts to get possession of his scalping-knife, which hung in a scabbard over his breast, I was dragged from his grasp by another and an older Indian. " The latter bore me struggling and resisting to the lake. Notwithstanding the rapidity with which I was hurried along, I recognized as I passed them, the lifeless remains of the unfortunate surgeon. Some murderous tomahawk had stretched him upon the very spot where I had last seen him. "I was immediately plunged into the water and held there with a forcible hand, notwithstanding my resistance. I soon preceived, however, that the object of my captor was not to drown me; for he held me firmly in such a position as to place my head above water. This reassured me, and regarding him attentively, I soon recognized, in spite of the paint with which he was disguised, The Black Patridge. " When the firing had nearly subsided,' my preserver bore me from the water and conducted me up the sandbanks. It was a burning August morning, and walking through the sand in my drenched condition was inexpressibly painful and fatiguing. I stooped and took off my shoes to free them from the sand with which they were nearly filled, when a squaw seized and carried them off, and I was obliged to proceed without them. " When we had gained the prairie, I was met by my father, who told me that my husband was safe and but slightly wounded. They led me gently back towards the Chicago River, along the southern bank of which was the Pottawattamie encampment. At one time I was placed upon a horse without a saddle, but finding the motion insupportable, I sprang off. Supported partly by my kind conductor, Black Patridge, and partly by another Indian, Pee-so-tum, who held dangling in his hand a scalp, which by the black ribbon around the queue I recognized as that of Captain Wells, I dragged my fainting steps to one of the wigwams. " The wife of Wau-bee-nee-mah, a chief from the Illinois River was standing near, and seeing my exhausted condition she seized a kettle, dipped up some water from a stream that flowed near, threw into it some maple sugar, and stirring it up with her hand gave it me to drink. This act of kindness, in the midst of so many horrors, touched me most sensibly, but my attention was soon diverted to other objects. " The fort had become a. scene of plunder to such as remained after the troops marched out. The cattle had been shot down as they ran at large, and lay dead or dying around. This work of butchery had commenced just as we were leaving the fort. I well remembered a remark of Ensign Ronan, as the firing began : ' Such, ' turning to me, ' is to be our fate — to be shot down like brutes ! ' " ' Well, sir, ' said the Commanding Officer who overheard him, * are you afraid ? ' " ' No, ' replied the high-spirited young man, ' I can march up to the enemy where you dare not show your face ; ' and his subsequent gallant behavior showed this to be no idle boast. ' " As the noise of the firing grew gradually less and the stragglers from the victorious party came dropping in, I received confirmation of what my father had hurriedly com municated in our rencontre on the lake shore ; namely, that the whites had surrendered- after the loss of about two-thirds of their number. They had stipulated, through the interpreter, Peresh Leclerc, for the preservation of their lives, and those of the remaining women and children, and for their delivery at some of the British posts, unless ransomed by traders in the Indian country. It appears that the wounded prisoners were not considered as included in the stipulation, and a horrible scene ensued upon their being brought into camp. " An old squaw infuriated by the loss of friends, or excited by the sanguinary scenes around her, seemed possessed by a demoniac ferocity. She seized a stable-fork and assaulted one miserable victim, who lay groaning and writhing in the agony of his wounds, aggravated by the scorching beams of the sun. With a delicacy of feeling scarcely to have been expected under such circumstances, Wau-bee-nee-nah stretched a mat across two poles, between me and this dreadful scene. I was thus spared in some degree a view of its horrors, although I could not entirely close my ears to the cries of the sufferer. The following night five more of the wounded prinsoners were tomahawked. " The Americans, after their first attack by the Indians, charged upon those who had concealed themselves in a sort of ravine, intervening between the sand-banks and the prairie. The latter gathered themselves into a body, and after some hard fighting, in which the number of whites was reduced to twenty-eight, this little band succeeded in breaking through the enemy, and gaining a rising ground not far from the Oak Woods. The contest now seemed hopeless, and Lieutenant Helm sent Peresh Lecerc,. a half-breed boy in the service of Mr. Kinzie, who had accompanied the detachment and fought manfully on their side, to propose terms of capitulation. It was stipulated that the lives of all the survivors should be spared and a ransom permitted as soon as practicable. " But, in the mean time, a horrible scene had been enacted One young savage, climbing into the baggage-wagon containing the children of the white families, twelve in number, toma hawked the children of the entire group. This was during the engagement near the Sand-hills. When Captain Wells.who was fighting near, beheld it, he exclaimed : " ' Is that their game, butchering ihe women and children ? Then I will kill too !' " So saying, he turned his horse's head, and started for the Indian camp, near the fort, where had been left their squaws and children. " Several Indians pursued him as he galloped along. He laid himself flat on the neck of his horse, loading and firing in that position, as he would occasionally turn on his pursuers. At length their balls took effect, killing his horse, and severely 1712.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 71 wounding himself. At this moment he was met by Winnemeg and Wau-ban-see, who endeavored to save him from the savages who had now overtaken him. As they supported him along, after having disengaged him from his horse, he received his death-blow from another Indian, Pee so-tum, who stabbed him in the back. " The heroic resolution of one of the soldier's wives deserves to be recorded. She was a Mrs. Corbin, and had, from the first expressed the determination never to fall into the hands of the savages, believing their prisoners were always subjected to tortures worse than death. " When, iherefore, a party came upon her, to make her a prisonei, she fought with desperation, refusing to surrender, although assured, by signs, of safety and kind treatment, and suffered herself to be cut to pieces, rather than become their captive. " There was a Sergeant Holt, who, early in the engagement, received a ball in the neck. Finding himself badly wounded, he gave his sword to his wife, who was on horseback near him telling her to defend herself — he then made for the lake to keep out of the way of the balls. Mrs. Holt rode a very fine horse, which the Indians were desirous of possessing, and they therefore attacked her, in hopes of dismounting her. " They fought only with ihe butt-ends of their guns, for their object was not to kill her. bhe hacked and hewed at their pieces as they were thrust again>t her, now on this side, now on that. Finally, she broke loose from them and dashed out into the prairie. The Indians pursued her, shouting and laugh ing, and now and then calling out : " ' The brave woman ! do not hurt her ! ' " At length they overtook her again, and while she was engaged with two or three in front, one succeeded in seizing her by the neck behind, and dragging her, although a large and powerful woman, from her horse. Notwithstanding that their guns had been so hacked and injured, and even themselves cut severely, ihey seemed to regard her only with admiration. They took her lo a trader on the Illinois River, by whom she was restored to her friends, after having received every kind ness during her captivity. "Those of the family of Mr. Kinzie, who had remained in the boat, near the mouth of the river, were carefully guarded by Kee-po- tah and another Indian. They had seen the smoke — then the blaze — and immediately after the report of the tremendous discharge sounded in their ears. Then all was confusion. They realized nothing until they saw an Indian come towards then from the battle-ground; leading a horse on which sat a lady, appar ently wounded. " 'That is Mrs. Heald,' cried Mrs. Kinzie. ' That Indian will kill her. Run, Chandonnai,' to one of Mr. Kinzie's clerks, ' take the mule that is tied there, and offer it to him to release her. ' "Her caplor, by this time, was in the act of disengaging her bonnetfrom her head, in order to scalp her. Chandonnai ran up, offered the mule as a -ransom, with the promise of ten bottles of whiskey, as soon as they should reach his village. The latter was a strong temptation. " ' But, ' said the Indian, ' she is badly wounded — she will die. Will you give me the whiskey, at all events?' "Chandonnai promised that he would and the bargain was concluded. The savage placed the lady's bonnet on his own head, and after an ineffectual effort on the part of some squaws to rob her of her shoes and stockings, she was brought on board the boat, where she lay moaning with pain from the many bullet wounds she had received in both arms. # # # * * # "When the boat was at length permitted to return to the mansion of Mr. Kinzie, and Mrs. Heald was removed to the house, it became necessary to dress her wounds. "Mr. Kinzie applied to an old chief who stood by, and who, like most of his tribe, pos sessed some skill in surgery, to extract a ball from the arm of the sufferer. " 'No, father,' replied he, ' I cannot do it — it makes me sick here ' — (placing his hand to his- heart.) "Mr. Kinzie then performed the operation himself with his penknife. "At their own mansion the family of Mr. Kinzie were closely guarded by their Indian friends, whose intention it was to carry them to Detroit for security. The rest of the prisoners remained at the wigwams of their captors. " The family of Mr. Kinzie was subsequently taken to Detroit. An Indian released Captain Heald, that he might accompany Mrs. Heald to St. Joseph ; but this Indian's intended kindness was thwarted, and they were sent to Mackinaw and delivered up as prisoners of war to the British. The soldiers and their wives and children who had survived the massacre, were held as prisoners in the Indian villages on the Illinois, Wabash and Rock rivers, until spring, when they were carried to Detroit, where they were ransomed. In 1816, after the close of the war, Mr. Kinzie and family returned to Chicago. Fort Dearborn was constructed that year on the site of the old fort, and the tract of land now occupied by Chicago was ceded to the govern ment by the Pottawattamies. The story of Mrs. Kinzie's life, as related by her daughter-in-law, Mrs. John H. Kinzie, is a most romantic one. Herfather, Mr. Lytle, and family, lived on a tributary of the Alle ghany. In 1779, a party of Iroquois came' to their house, during the absence of Mr. Lytle, and took her and her mother and two of the other children, captives. Two ofthe younger escaped by hiding in the bushes. The captives 72 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1783. were taken by the Indians- to a Seneca village near Lake Ontario. Mrs. Lytle discovered, on their arrival, that her captor was the head chief. They were taken to the principal lodge, occupied by the chief's mother, where, taking the eldest girl, a child of nine years of age (afterwards Mrs. Kinzie), by the hand, he presented her to his mother, saying: " My mother, I bring you a child to supply the place of my brother, who was killed by the Lenape, six moons ago. She shall dwell in my lodge and be to me a sister. Take the white woman and her children and treat them kindly; our father will give us many horses and guns to buy them back again. " The captives were accordingly treated with the greatest kindness and consideration, When the father returned to his house and found what had occurred, he was frantic with grief, and summoning his neighbors went in pursuit. He soon found the two children who had escaped from the Indians ; but they could give no tidings of the mother and the others. He now applied to the commander of Fort Pitt, who furnished him with a detachment of soldiers to aid him in recovering his family. With these he proceeded to the Seneca vil lages, when he found his loved ones. An arrangement was readily entered into for the restoration of Mrs. Lytle and the children except little Eleanor the eldest girl. The chief said " she was his sister, she was dear to him and he would not part with her. " Every offer was unavailing to obtain her release, and the grieved parents were obliged to give up their darling child, and to take their departure without her, trusting that some means might be yet devised for obtaining her release. Having placed his family in safety at Pitts burg, he again went to the Seneca village, accompanied by the British Agent, Colonel Johnson, who offered valuable presents for her ransom; but nothing could induce the chief to give her up. Years passed, and she became more and more endeared to her Indian brother and his tribe. She was so petted, and treated with such affectionate consideration, that she became attached to them, and, getting accustomed to her new mode of life, was comparatively happy. " From her activity and energy of character, qualities for which she was remarkable to the latest period of her life, the name was given her of ' The Ship under Full Sail. ' " The principal seat and choicest food were always reserved for her, and no efforts were spared to promote her happiness and render her forgetful of her former home and kin dred. " Four years had now passed since the cap ture of little Nelly. Her heart was by nature warm and affectionate, so that the unbounded tenderness of those she dwelt among had called forth a corresponding feeling of affection in her heart. She regarded the chief and his mother with love and reverence, and had so completely learned their language and customs as almost to have forgotten her own. " So identified had she become with the tribe that the remembrance of her home and family had nearly faded from her memory; all but her mother — her mother whom she had loved with a strength of affection natural to her warm heart and ardent character, and to whom her heart clung with a fondness that no time or change could destroy. " "The peace of 1783 between Great Britain and the United States now took place. A general pacification of the Indian tribes was the consequence, and fresh hopes were renewed in the bosoms of Mr. and Mrs. Lytle. " They removed with their family to Fort Niag ara, near which, on the American side, was the great Council Fire ofthe Senecas. Colonel Johnson readily undertook a fresh negotiation with the Chief, but in order to ensure every chance of success, heagainproceeded in person to the village ofthe Big-White-Man. "His visit was most opportune. It was the "Feast of the Green Corn," when he arrived among them. This observance which corres ponds so strikingly with the Jewish feast of Tabernacles that, together with other customs, it has led many to believe the Indians the descendants of the lost ten tribes of Israel, made it a season of general joy and festivity. All other occupations were suspended to give place to social enjoyment in the open air, or in arbors formed ofthe green branches ofthe trees. Every one appeared in his gala dress. That ofthe little adopted child consisted of a petticoatof blue broadcloth, boidered with gay- colored ribbons; a sack or upper garment of black silk, ornamented with three rows of sil ver brooches, the centre ones from the throat to the hem being of large size, and those from the shoulders down being no larger than a shilling piece, and set as closely as possible. Around her neck were innumerable strings of white and purple wampum, an Indian orna ment manufactured from the inner surface of the muscle-shell. Her hair was clubbed behind, and loaded with beads of various colors. Leg gings of scarlet cloth, and moccasins of deer- 1712-16.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 73 skin embroidered with porcupine quills, com pleted her costume. "Colonel Johnson was received with all the consideration due to his position, and to the long friendship that had subsisted between him and the tribe. "Observing that the hilarity of the festival had warmed and opened all hearts, he took occasion in an interview with the chief to expatiate upon the parental affection which had led the father and mother of his little sister to give up their friends and home; and coihe hundreds of miles away, in the single hope of sometimes looking upon and embracing her. The heart of the chief softened as he listened to this representation, and he was induced to promise that at the Grand Council soon to be held at Fort Niagara he would attend, bringing his little sister with him. "He exacted a promise," however, from Col onel Johnson, that not only no effort should be made to reclaim the child, but that even no proposition to part with her should be offered him. "The time at length arrived when, her heart bounding with joy, little Nelly was placed on horseback to accompany her Indian brother to the Great Council of the Senecas. She had promised him that she would never leave him without his permission, and he relied confi dently on her word thus given. "As the chiefs and warriors arrived in suc cessive bands to meet their father, the agent, at the council-fire, how did the anxious hearts of the parents beat with alternate hope and fear! The officers of the fort had kindly given them quarters for the time being, and the ladies, whose sympathies were strongly excited, had -accompanied the mother to the place of council, and joined in her longing watch for the first appearance of the boat from the Alle ghany river. "At length they were discerned, emerging from the forest on the opposite or American side. Boats were sent across by the Command ing Officer, to bring the chief and his party. The father, and mother, attended by all the officers and ladies, stood upon the grassy bank awaiting their approach. They had seen at a glance that the little captive was with them. "When about to enter the boat, the chief said to some of his young men, 'stand here with the horses, and wait until I return.' "He was told that the horses should be fer ried across and taken care of. " ' No,'" said he, " ' let them wait.' " He held his darling by the hand until the river was passed — until the boat touched the bank — until the child sprang forward into the arms of the mother, from whom she had been so long separated. " When the Chief witnessed that outburst of affection, he could withstand no longer. " ' She shall go,'" said he. " 'The mother must have her child again.' I will go back alone.' " With one silent gesture of farewell, he turned and stepped on board the boat. No arguments or entreaties could induce him to remain at the council, but, having gained the other side of the Niagara, he mounted his horse, and, with his young men, was soon lost in the depths of the forest. "After a sojourn of a few weeks at Niagaia, Mr. Lytle, dreading lest the resolution of the Big-White-Man should give way, and meas ures be taken to deprive him once more of his child, came to the determination of again chang ing his place of abode. He therefore took the first opportunity of crossing Lake Erie with his family, and settled himself in the neighbor hood of Detroit, where he continued after ward to reside. "Little Nelly saw her friend, the Chief, no more, but she never forgot him. To the day of her death she remembered with tenderness and gratitude her brother, the Big- White-Man, and her friends and playfellows among the Senecas. " CHAPTER XX. The White Settlements in the Northwest at the Close of the War of 1812 — The Americans first take Possession — First American Vessel at Green Bay— The Settlement of the Northwest by the Americans Virtually Commenced with the Working of the Lead Mines — The Winnebago Out break in 1827, ^ISFTER the close ofthe war, 18 16, the SkW« only white settlements in the North- dSiisSbi west, at this period, were those of I Detroit, Mackinaw, old Michilimack inac, La Pointe, Green Bay, Prairie du Chien, Chicago, Kaskaskia and Vin- cennes, with two or three trading posts on the Mississippi. The population of these consisted principally of French and half breeds; the few Americans were generally connected with the American Fur Company, at its agencies, or with the mil itary forces, in occupation ofthe forts. This enumeration, of course, does not include the more southern settlements ofthe West. After the termination of the war, formal possession was taken of the Northwest by the 74 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1820-27. American troops. In August, 1816, the first vessels flying the American flag arrived at Green Bay, laden with troops and supplies. The troops were under the command of Col onel John Miller, who immediately, on, his. arrival, visited Tomah, the chief of the Menomi nees, and asked him to consent to the erection of a fort ; when Tomah replied : My brother! how can we oppose your locating a council fire among us? You are too strong for us. Even if we wanted to oppose you, we have scarcely got powder and shot enough i to make the attempt. One' favor we ask is that our French brothers shall not be disturbed, or in any way molested. You can choose any place you please for your fort, and we shall not object. " The colonel thanked Tomah and his people for their friendly compliance, and presented them with- some flour and pork. Some ofthe Indians then requested Tomah °to ask their new father for a little broth to use with the pork and flour. This was also given in small quantities. A stockade fort was then built, about four miles above the mouth of the river, and gar risoned. Fort Howard was afterward erected, in 1820, on the site ofthe city now bearing its name. The settlement of the Northwest, by the so- called American settlers, virtually commenced with the discovery ofthe lead mines. For many years the Indians had worked the lead mines, unknown to the whites. At last, the rich treasures were discovered by the lat ter, and the most glowing accounts were given of the Fevre River Mines, (Galena) which were discovered and worked by an Indian called Old Buck. The Government having determined to lease the mines, sent a detachment of troops to accompany a number of miners employed by Colonel Johnson to work them. The men belonging to the mining company, and the troops arrived at Fevre River in July, 1822. The Sacs and Foxes were then in occu pation of the lead region in northern Illinois. They having driven off the Kaskaskias, had been for a long time in possession ofthe Fevre River and Rock River country. They must have possessed themselves of this tract shortly after their expulsion from the Fox Valley, for the distinguished chief, Black Hawk, was born on Rock Island, the site of one of their princi pal villages. At the time of the arrival of the miners, they had been the occupants of this beautiful country for at least two or three gen erations; and having been routed by the French from the Fox River valley, and after their removal to the Lower Wisconsin fought by the Sioux, they felt very jealous of any intrusion on their new domain. They, therefore, deter mined to resist the landing of these miners, whom they regarded as the pioneers of a migra tion of whites, who would dispossess them- of their homes. The sequel proved that their fears were not unfounded. When the troops arrived, the Indians were awed by their formidable appearance, and, abandoning theiropposition, concluded to make a virtue of necessity by allowing the whites to work the mines with them. In the course of a few years a large settle ment sprung up in the lead region. In 1823 there were twenty-four persons, exclusive of the Indians; of these, there were about five hundred who worked the, mines with the whites, or rather, the squaws did. The squaws were considered the most industrious and successful miners. In some places they had made drifts forty or fifty feet deep. "While Colonel Johnson's men were sink ing their holes or shafts, in some instances, the squaws would drift under them and take out all the mineral ore they could find. When the men got down into the drift made by the women, the latter would have a hearty laugh at the white men's expense. " The miners and first settlers in the lead regions were generally from Cincinnati, Ken tucky and Missouri, from which places they came in keel boats, or barges and canoes. Their supplies were brought from those places, and their lead shipped to Cincinnati and St. Louis. By the year 1826 the miners had extended their diggings to what is now known as the Southwestern part of this State, which was then Winnebago territory, the Winnebagoes being the neighbors ol the Sauks and Foxes, with whom they were on amicable terms. A miner, in prospecting on what is now the site of Hazel Green, commenced sinking a shaft; when at the depth of four feet, he found block mineral. In one day he took out ofthe hole seventeen thousand pounds ofthe mineral, a feat that has not been equalled by one man since, By the year 1827 the lead mines had become famous, and a belief in their great wealth created an intense excitement in various parts ofthe Union, and immigration began to flow in. At this period occurred what is known as the Winnebago outbreak. In 1825 a grand council was held at Prairie du Chien by Governors Cass and Clark, at which was assembled a large number of the tribes of the Northwest. It had for its chief 1827.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 75 purpose the establishment of friendly relations between the several Indian nations, as their belligerent feelings towards each other kept the country in disturbance and endangered the safety of the whites. They concurred in the proposed boundaries, feeling that they were obliged to do so: but the Sioux were dissatisfied, as their territory was greatly abridged. The other tribes com plained that they did not receive such pres ents as the British agents bestowed on them, and were especially indignant at the small allowance of whiskey. To show that the liquor was not withheld on account of stinginess, the Commissioners had two barrels of it brought on the ground. The Indians were now in great glee; but when the Commissioners stove in the heads of the casks and suffered all the liquor to run to waste on the ground, their disappointment and indigna tion knew no bounds. "It was a great pity," said old Wakh-pa-koo-tay, speaking of the ever-to-be-remembered event; "there was enough wasted to have kept me drunk all the days of my life. " This council was attended with very bad results, as the Indians dispersed for their res pective homes in an ugly state of mind. The next year a band of Chippewas, on a visit to the American Agency at St. Peters, were treacherously assailed by a band of Sioux, who killed three or four of the former. In the spring of 1827 a Frenchman by the name of Methode went to his sugar camp, two miles from Prairie du Chien, to make sugar; he was accompanied by his wife, a most beau tiful woman, and his five children. One of his friends went on a visit to his camp, and found that the whole family had been murdered by Indians. A party of militia now went to the nearest Winnebago camp, and found what they sup posed to be one of the assassins. Colonel Morgan next caused two Winnebago chiefs to be seized, and informed the tribe that they would not be released until the murderers were delivered up. They were brought in and sent to St. Peters, for safe keeping. While there, a band of Chippewas were encamped on the grounds of the agency. A party of Sioux made a visit to their wigwams, and was friendly received. Just as they took their departure, they suddenly turned, and discharged their pieces at the Chippewas, reclining in their lodge, killing several of the latter. The com mandant of the fort immediately sent out a party of a hundred soldiers, which captured some thirty Dacotahs, whom they brought in. Among these the survivors of the Chippewas recognized two of the assassins, which were delivered up to them. "You must not shoot them under our walls;" said the officer. The Chippewas led theirprisoners a short distance, and one of them struck up his death . song. The party halted, when the Dacotahs were told to run for their lives. They were given thirty yards start, when, six guns were dis charged, and they dropped dead. The chief culprit was afterwards captured and suffered a similar death. The Dacotahs were now incensed at the whites, and, as they and the Winnebagoes were like kindred people, and felt as if they had mutual grievances, the former, therefore, determined to instigate the Winnebagoes to acts of hostility against the common enemy. Red Bird one of theWinnebago war chiefs, had just returned from an unsuccessful expedition against the Chippewas, and was peculiarly susceptible to the impressions his Dacotah friends desired to make. They succeeded in arousing in him a feeling of revenge. "You have become a by-word and a reproach among our people," said they. "Your kindred have been taken by the Big Knives, and killed, and you dare not avenge their deaths. . The Chip pewas scoff at you, and the Big Knives laugh at you. " Red Bird was a noble specimen of an Indian — young and brave, and had heretofore enjoyed a high reputation among the whites for his good qualities. He was one of the last who would be suspected of any treacherous act; but he brooded over the supposed injuries of his people, until his nature seemed changed. The Winnebagoes, too, were in a state of great excitement, caused by the intrusion of the whites upon their territory. A large num ber of whites were over the prescribed lines, and the aspect of affairs was threatening. A farmer by the name of Gagnier, with his wife and three children, lived about three miles from Prairie du Chien. Whither repaired Red Bird with three other Indians. They were hospitably received and entertained, when suddenly they leveled their pieces and shot Gagnier and his man; both dropped dead. Madam Gagnier turned to flee with her infant, when a wretch snatched it from her, stabbed and scalped it, and then threw it on the floor. She seized a gun, and presenting it at the cowardly brute, he jumped aside, when she fled and made her escape to the village. Her eldest son also escaped. A party of armed men now repaired to the scene of massacre, but the Indians had fled. Red Bird and his companions in crime imme diately proceeded to a rendezvous, where a 7(1 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1827-32. number of warriors were assembled. A keg of whiskey which they had obtained, gave zest to the proceedings. For two days they con tinued their revels, concluding with the scalp dance. They were now ready for a contem plated attack on keel boats which were expected down the river from Fort Snelling. These were in charge of Mr. Lindsley. When they reached the mouth of the Bad Axe, they observed the Indians, and their hostile appear ance. The Frenchmen on the boat advised keeping out in the stream; but the Americans, more ignorant of the Indian character, urged the boat with their sweeps towards the camp; when suddenly the woods echoed with the yell of the war-whoop, and a shower of balls rattled on the sides and deck of the boat. The first fire disabled one man, and the second volley another. The Winnebagoes now took to their canoes and attempted to board the keel boats, when a severe engagement occurred in which several ofthe Indians were killed. They were repulsed, but continued their efforts. For three hours a most desperate encounter was kept up. At last, the boat escaped under cover of the darkness of night. Seven Indians were killed, and fourteen wounded; of the whites, two were killed and two mortally wounded. The arrival of the boats at Prairie du Chien with the news of the encounter, created the greatest consternation. The settlers in the country fled from their homes and took refuge in the fort, and large numbers in the mining districts left the country. Bodies of volunteers were now formed, and the frontier assumed an aspect of war. Gen eral Atkinson arrived with a regiment and a force of volunteers from Galena. He pro ceeded to Portage, where Red Bird and his associates voluntarily presented themselves as prisoners, and thus ended the Winnebago out break. Emigration now poured into the country, and encroachments on the lands of the Sauks and Foxes began to occasion new trouble. CHAPTER XXI. The Black Hawk War — It's Origin— Black Hawk's State ment — The Battle of Sycamore Creek — Massacre of Three Families — Battle of the Wisconsin — Battle of Bad Axe — Defeat and Capture of Black Hawk. °S stated in the preceding pages, the Sauks and Foxes, after their expul sion from the Fox River Valley by the French, settled near the mouth ofthe Wisconsin, and gradually extended their possessions southward until they embraced what now' constitutes the Southwest ern portion of Wisconsin and Northwestern part of Illinois. One of their principal villages was on Rock Island, and there Black Hawk was born. Two or three generations must have been born there at the time the whites commenced to settle in that country. In 1829 the Indians complained that the whites were encroaching on their territory. A collision seemed imminent, when a treaty was made by which it was alleged that the Indians had relin quished their claims to the Rock River country. This treaty Black Hawk declared to be fraud ulent, and that his bands were not parties to it. They were, however, induced to move across the Mississippi; partly through induce ments, and partly through compulsion. In 1 83 1, Black Hawk, with a large body of his warriors, crossed back to the east side, declaring that they were unjustly deprived of their possessions, and that it was their inten tion of again taking possession of their old homes. They were induced,, by the payment of a lot of corn and other provisions to recross. Black Hawk says: "The trader, Colonel Davenport, explained to me the terms of the treaty that had been made, and said we would be obliged to leave the Illinois side of the Mississippi, and advised us to select a good place for our village and remove to it in the spring. He has great influence with the principal Fox chief, (his adopted brother,) and persuaded him to leave his village and go to the west side ofthe Miss issippi River and build another, which he did in the spring following. "We learned, during the winter, that part of the lands where our village stood had been sold to individuals, and that the trader, Colonel Davenport, had bought the greater part that had been sold. The object was now plain to me why he urged us to remove. His object, we thought, was to get our lands. We held- several councils that winter to determine what we should do, and resolved in one of them to return to our village, in the spring, as usual; and concluded that if we were removed by force the trader, agent, and others must be the cause, and that if found guilty of having driven us from our village, they should be killed." In 1832 the entire band of Black Hawk with the women, children and old men, crossed to the Illinois side ofthe Mississippi, declaring their intention of settling on their old possess ions. Although they made no warlike demonstra tions, the white settlers fled from their homes and took refuge in the fort. Before any actual hostilities commenced, a large body of Illinois militia, under Colonel Stillman, marched to 1832.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 77 the Indian encampment, which was on the Sycamore, a small stream bordered with a heavy growth of timber. Having approached the vicinity of the Indians, the regiment, late in the afternoon, halted and prepared for encamping for the night. While engaged in their work they partook liberally ofthe whiskey with which they were abundantly supplied, even knocking in the heads of the barrels to facilitate the filling of their canteens. Suddenly, three Indians were seen approach ing them across the prairie, who had been sent by Black Hawk to procure an interview for the purpose of avoiding a collision; he alleging that he intended no hostilities, and only con- • templated peaceably returning to his old home, the truth of which would seem to be confirmed by the fact of his being accompanied by the women and children. As soon as Black Hawk's messengers were seen approaching, a shout was raised "Every man draw his rations of Sauk; " Then a rush was made for the horses, and without any order or discipline they gave chase. Two of the Indians were overtaken ai\d killed. At length, the rear of the regiment reached the timber. Here they met the whole van in rapid retreat with Black Hawk's whole force in pur suit. A company under Captain Adams stood their ground and endeavored to cover the retreat, or rather, stampede. They lost about one-fourth of their men and were obliged to fly. The regiment, panic-stricken, fled in dismay for Ottawa, where they arrived in about four days, many of them without hats, coats, guns or horses. Black Hawk was now unable to control his young men, so exultant were they with their victory, and so exasperated at what they deemed an uncalled for attack, that they divided up into war parties, scoured the country and attacked the poor, defenseless settlers. Fortunately, most of them had fled to places of safety. Three families living near each other, Hall's, Pettigrew's and Davis', were assembled at Davis's house when a party sur rounded it. After a desperate encounter, they were all killed except young Hall, who escaped and reached Ottawa, and the Misses Hall who were taken prisoners, but were subsequently delivered up; having sustained no injury except that arisingfrom the terror ofthe occurrence, the fatigue of their rapid march, and their ago nized feelings at the terrible fate of their rela tives. A large force was now organized to take the field against Black Hawk. It was com posed of Illinois and Wisconsin militia, and a few companies of U. S. regulars. Black Hawk, having failed in his attempt to form a confederacy of the Northwestern tribes, now commenced his retreat up the Rock River, with his women and children, intending to cross the Mississippi, and find an asylum for the latter. From April till July, the Indians had evaded the force sent against them, by sometimes scattering into small parties, taking separate trails and rendezvousing at someplace difficult of approach. During this time they had been driven from Sycamore Creek in Illinois, to Lake Koshkonong, in Wisconsin. For a period of over two months, they had been so- closely pursued and harrassed that they had but little time for hunting or fishing. They suffered fearfully from hunger, and their women and children were exhausted from fatigue and want of food. Their dead bodies were frequently found on the trail. They endured famine rather than to kill and eat the ponies on which their squaws and pappooses rode. There are not many instances of greater devotion to a cause and leader, than that exhibited by this warlike tribe, under the terri ble discouragements that surrounded them. Encumbered by women and children, har rassed by a superior force, they still desper ately gave battle when overtaken, and then pushed forward again, in their effort to reach and cross the Mississippi. The command having been divided, one brig ade proceeded to Koshkonong, but the Indians apprised by their scouts, had moved up the Rock River. Dodge & Henry's commands, on the nine teenth of July, struck the trails of the fugitives and followed in rapid pursuit. On the bank of Third Lake, the advance guard killed an Indian who was sitting on the newly made grave of his wife, who had probably died from exhaustion. He boldly opened his breast and invited the shot that killed him. The discon solate creature had resolved to die on the grave of his squaw — resolutely facing his implacable foes. The next Indian shot was a Winnebago, about five miles west of the lake. From this point the scouts were continually chasing Indians, and on the twenty-first inst. , came upon a large body of the enemy, secreted in the undergrowth of the Wisconsin bottom. They attacked the scouts, driving them up the slope of a ridge, on the other side of which the advance forces of Dodge's .com mand were rapidly coming up. They there fore met, near the top, when the Indians com menced firing; this was returned by the 78 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1832. whites with deadly effect. The Indians then took shelter in the underbrush, when a vigor ous charge destroyed them, and they fell back to the main body on the Wisconsin bottom. It having rained, and being nearly dark, the pursuit was not pushed any further. It was ascertained that the Indians lost some sixty — killed and wounded. The whites one killed and seven wounded. Black Hawk states that the Indians who participated in this engagement — the battle of the Wisconsin, were his rear guard, and that they only fought to gain time, to get their squaws, children and old people across the river. That night the camp was startled, by the clear high sounding voice of an Indian on an adjoining height, addressing his braves, pre paratory to a night attack, as was supposed. It was afterwards ascertained that the Indian was offering terms of peace; which was to sur render, if prdtection was offered their women and children. Receiving no answer, they con cluded that no mercy was to be expected, and under cover of the darkness rapidly took up their line of retreat. When the command learned that the Indians had effected a crossing, it marched to the Blue Mounds, and on the twenty-sixth of July, the entire army rendezvoused at a point on the Wisconsin, and from there set out again in pursuit ofthe enemy. After striking the trail, dead bodies of Indians were found at intervals, who had died from wounds. They also lost a number of women and children, who died from exhaustion, produced by fatigue andhun- ger. On the second of August, the Indians were overtaken near the mouth of the Bad Axe, collected together on the bank of the Mississippi. The command opened a fire of musketry on them, and while the battle was in progress, the Steamer Warrior came up from Prairie du Chien, and kept passing back and forth, running down all who attempted to cross the river. The cannon on the Warrior poured into the ranks of the Indians, three discharges of canister, with fearful effect. On board the Warrior was a squad of regular troops and a body of Menominee Indians, who kept up a rapid fire of musketry on them. The Indians fought desperately, returning vigor ously the fire of the boat, and that of the attacking party on the shore. It is said that many of them, naked to the breech-cloth, slid down into the river, where they laid with only their mouths and nostrils above water. But bravely as they fought, there was no chance for them. It was wholesale slaughter. The forces of Black Hawk were annihilated. He managed to escape after the battle, but was captured by a Winnebago chief and deliv ered a captive to the whites. It is related by John H. Fonda, the veteran pioneer, and a participant in the battle, that "after its close, a little Indian boy, with one of his arms most shot off, came out ofthe bushes and made signs for something to eat. He seemed perfectly indifferent to pain, and only sensible of hunger; for when he carried the little naked fellow on board the boat some one gave him a piece of hard bread, and he stood and ate it, with the wounded arm dangling by the torn flesh; and so he remained until the arm was taken off. " The wretched creatures must have have suf fered fearfully with hunger in their rapid march to the Mississippi; and cruel and hostile as they had been, their fortitude, bravery and suffering somewhat relieves the obloquy that rests on their name. But a small remnant of these once powerful tribes was now left in existence. From the early days of the French traders they had struggled against their fate. They were once the dominant tribes of this Fox River valley, with which their name is inseparably asso ciated; and the Battle ofthe Petite Buttes des- Morts and those of the Black Hawk War, will make their name ever memorable in the historic annals of Wisconsin. CHAPTER XXII. The American Fur Company — Social Circles in the Early Day — Adventurous Journey from Fort Winnebago to Chi cago by a Lady on Horse-back — Lost and nearly Famished — Relief Found in an Indian Wigwam. »P to the close ofthe Black Hawk War the chief business in the Northwest was the fur trade; first by French Com panies, then English, and lastly by the American Fur Company, estab lished by John Jacob Astor. The agents and traders, and the military officers ofthe several garrisons, with their res pective wives and families, constituted the elite of the society of those early days; but if it was an aristocracy, it was not snobbish, and merit, cultivation and good breeding, were always duly appreciated. The social circles of those times embraced in the range of intimate acquaintances and neighbors, those who lived fifty or a hundred miles apart, and included many distinguished names. Colonel Zach Taylor, in command at Fort Crawford, which was constructed under his superintendence in 1829-31. J EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 79 1829-30, and who afterwards became famous as the hero of the Mexican war, and was ele vated to the presidency; Jeff Davis, noted at Fort Crawford for his mechanical handiwork; General Harney, then a Captain at Fort Win nebago, afterwards second in command in the American army, and famous among the Indians as the great Indian fighter. Mrs. John H. Kinzie found a son of Alexander Hamilton, a hghly educated gentleman, living in a log cabin in the lead mines. The social pleasures of the times were entered into with great zest; parties visiting one another from great distances, the long canoe voyages and camping out on the route, or the trip by land with pony trains, afforded novelty and enjoyment. Those who never lived among the scenes ofthe early West — the West of thirty-five or forty years ago, can have no full comprehension ofthe picturesque beauty, the wild loveliness of the country in its primeval condition, fresh from the hand of nature. Its broad, unbroken expanse of prairie, dotted with openings and groves like islands in a sea of emerald, with its profusion of wild, flowers and luxuriant vegetation, all blending into one harmonious picture, the vista of which was only limited by the encircling horizon. The Indian fires then kept down all undergrowth except on the margins of the streams, whose meandering course was marked by a fringe of dense foliage gracefully outlin ing the domain of prairie. Sometimes those long journeys across the country were not journeys of pleasure, and the relation of one from Fort Winnebago to Chicago in the spring of 1831, made by Mrs. John H. Kinzie, wife ofthe agent of the Amer ican Fur Company, will serve to illustrate life in the West in those days. Mrs. Kinzie was from New York city, and a lady of much cul ture, as her writings clearly indicate. She was young, and this was during the first year of her married life. Major Twiggs, the com mandant ofthe fort, endeavored to dissuade her from making such a journey at such an inclement season of the year, but the resolute and high-spirited young woman would not be deterred. "Having taken a tender leave of our friends, the morning of the eighth of March saw us mounted and equipped for our journey. The weather was fine; the streams already fringed with green, were pparkling in the sun; everything gave promise of an early and genial season. In vain, when we reached the ferry at the foot ofthe hill, on which the fort stood, did Major Twiggs repeat his endeavors to dissuade us from commencing a journey which he assured me would be perilous beyond what I could anticipate. I was resolute. On reaching Duck Creek, we took leave of our young friends, who remained on the bank long enough to witness our passage across — ourselves in the canoe, and the poof horses swimming the stream, now filled with cakes of floating ice. Beyond the rising ground which formed the opposite bank of the stream, extended a marsh of, perhaps, three hundred yards across. To this the men carried the canoe which was to bear us over. The water was not deep, so our attendants merely took off the pack-saddle from Bruner, and my side sad dle from Le Gris, for fear of accidents, and then mounted their own steeds, leading the two extra ones. My husband placed the furniture ofthe pack horse and my saddle in the cen tre ofthe canoe, which he was to paddle across. " 'Now, wife,' said he, 'jump in, and seat yourself flat in the bottom ot the canoe.' " 'Oh, no,' said I; ' I will sit on the little trunk in the cen tre. I shall be so much more comfortable, and 1 can balance the canoe exactly.' 'As you please, but I think you will find it is not the best way,' " A vigorous push sent us a few feet from the bank. At that instant two favorite greyhounds whom we had brought with us, and who stood whining upon ihe bank, reluctant to take to the water as they were ordered, gave a sudden bound, and alighted full upon me. The canoe balanced' a moment — then yielded — and, quick as ihought, dogs, furniture and lady were in the deepest of the water. "My husband, who was just prepaaing to spring into the canoe when the dogs thus unceremoniously took precedence of him, was at my side in a moment, and, seizing me by the cojlar of my cloak, begged me not to be frightened. I was not, in the least, and only laughed as he raised and placed me again upon the bank. " There my husband insisted on my putting on dry shoes and stockings, and (must I confess it) drinking a little brandy to obviate the effects of my icy bath. He would fain have made a halt to kindle a fire and dry my apparel and wardrobe properly, but this I would not listen to. I endeavored to prove to him that the delay would expose me to more cold than rid ing in my wet habit and cloak, and so, indeed, it might have been; but along with my convictions upon the subject, there was mingled a spice of reluctance that our friends at the fort should have an opportunity, as they certainly would have done, of laughing at our inauspicious commencement. "Soon our horses were put in order, and our march com menced. The day was fine for the season. I fell no incon venience from my wet garments, the exercise of riding taking away all feeling of chilliness. It was to me a new mode of traveling, and I enjoyed it the more from having been secluded for more than five months within the walls of the fort, scarcely varying the tenor of our lives by an occasional walk of half a mile into the surrounding woods. " We alighted at an open space, just within the verge of the wood, or, as it is called by western travelers, 'ihe timber.' My husband recommended to me to walk about until a fire should be made, which was soon accomplished by our active and experienced woodsmen, to whom ihe felling of a large tree was the work of a very few minutes. The dry grass around furnished an excellent tinder, which soon ignited by the sparks from the flint — there were no loco—focos in those days — and, aided by the broken branches and bits of light wood, soon produced a cheering flame. "The bourgeois," in the meantime, busied himself in setting up the tent, taking care to place it opposite the fire, but in such a direction that the 80 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [18: wind would carry the smoke or'flame away from the opening or door: Within upon the ground were spread, first a bear skin, then two or three blankets, of which each equestrian had carried two, one under the saddle and one above it, after which, the remainder of the luggage being brought in, I was able to divest myself of all my wet clothing and replace it with dry. Some idea of the state of the weather may be formed from the fact that my riding habit, being placed over the end of Ihe h.uge log against which our fire was made, was, in a very few minutes, frozen so stiff as to stand upright, giving the appearance of « dress out of which a lady had vanished in some unaccountable manner. " It would be but a repetition of oui experience upon the Fox River to describe the ham broiled upon the 'broches,'lhe toasted bread, the steaming coffee, the primitive table furniture. There is, however, this difference, that of the latter we carry with us in our journeys on horseback only a coffee pot, a tea kettle, and each rider his tin cup and hunting knife. The deportment at table is marked by an absence of ceremony. The knife is drawn from the scabbard ; those who remember to do so, vouchsafe it a wipe upon the napkin. Its first office is to stir the cup of coffee, next to divide the piece of ham which is placed on the half of a traveling biscuit, which is held in the left hand, and fulfills the office of a plate. It is an art only to be acquired by long practice, to cut the meat so skillfully as not at the same to destroy the dish. "March ninth. Our journey this day led us past the first of the Four Lakes. Scattered along its banks was an encampment of Winnebagoes. They greeted their 'father' with vociferous joy. 'Bon-jour, bon-joicr, Shaw-nee-aw-kee. Hee-nee-karray- kay-noof (How do you do?) To this succeeded the usual announcement, ' Wyi-kap-rah tshoonsh-koo-nee-nor (I have no bread.) " This is their form of begging, but we could not afford to be generous, for the uncertainty of obtaining a supply, should our own be exhausted, obliged us to observe the strictest econ omy. " How beautiful the encampment looked in the morning sun ! The matted lodges, with the blue smoke curling from their tops, the trees and bushes powdered with a light snow which had fallen through the night, the lake shining and sparkling atmosl at our feet — even the Indians, in their peculiar costume, adding to the picturesque. " When we reached Morrison's, I was so much exhausted that, as my husband attempted to lift me from the saddle, I fell into his arms. " 'This will never do,' said he. 'To-morrow we must turn our faces towards Fort Winnebago again.' "The door opened hospitably to receive us. We were wel comed by a lady with a must sweet, benignant countenance, and by her companion, some years younger. The first was Mrs. Morrison; the other Miss Elizabeth Dodge, daughter of Gen eral Dodge. " My husband laid me upon a small bed, in a room where the ladies had been sitting at work. They took off my bonnet and riding dress, chafed my hands, and prepared me some warm wine and water, by which I was soon revived. A half hour's repose so refreshed me that I was able to converse with the ladies, and to relieve my husband's mind of all anxiety pn my account. Tea was announced -soon after, and we repaired to an adjoining building, for Morrison's, like the establishment of all settlers of that period, consisted of a group of detached log houses, or cabins, each containing one, or, at most, two apartments. " The table groaned with good cheer, and brought to mind some that I have seen among the old-fashioned Dutch residents on the banks of the Hudson. " I had recovered my spirits, and we were quite a cheerful party. Mrs. Morrison told us that during the first eighteen months she passed in this country, she did not speak with a white woman, the only society she had being that of her hus band and two black servant women. ¦'The next morning, after a cheerful breakfast, at which we were joined by the Rev. Mr. Kent, of Galena, we prepared for our journey. I had reconciled my husband to continuing our route towards Chicago, by assuring him that I felt as fresh and bright as when I first set out from home. " 'Whose cabins are these,' asked Mr. Kinzie of a man who was cutting wood at the door of one. " 'Hamilton's,' was the reply ; and he stepped forward at once lo assist us to alight, hospitality being a matter of course in these wild regions. ''I soon contrived, with my husband's aid, to disembarrass myself of my wrappings ; and, having seen me comfortably dis posed of, and in a fair way to be thawed after my freezing ride, he left me, fo see after his men and horses. " He was a long time absent, and I expected he would return, accompanied by our host ; but when he reappeared it was to tell me, laughing, that Mr. Hamilton hesitated to pre sent himself before me, being unwilling that one who had been acquainted with some of his family at the east, should see him in his present mode of life. However, this feeling appar ently wore off, for before dinner he came in, and was intro duced to me, and was as agreeable and polite as the son of Alexander Hamilton would naturally be. "The housekeeper, who was the wife of one of the miners. prepared us a plain, comfortable dinner, and a table as long as the dimensions of the cabin would admit, was set out, the end nearest the fire being covered with somewhat nicer furniture, and more delicate fare than the remaining portion. "Mr. Hamilton passed most of the afternoon' with us, for the storm raged so without that to proceed on our journey was out of the question. He gave us many pleasant anecdotes and reminiscences of his early life in New York, and of his adven tures since he had come to the western wilderness. When . obliged to leave us for a while, he furnished us with some books to entertain us, the most interesting of which was the biography of his father. " Could this illustrious man have forseen in what a scene — the dwelling of his son, this book was to be one day perused, what would have been his sensations ? "The next day's sun rose clear and bright. Refreshed and invigorated we looked forward with pleasure to a recom mencement of our journey, confident of meeting no more mis haps by the way. " At length, just at sunset, we reached the dark, rapid waters ofthe Rock River. The 'ferry,' which we had traveled so far out of our way to take advantage of, proved to be merely a small boat or skiff, the larger one having been swept off into the stream, and carried down in the breaking up of the ice the week previous. "My husband's first care was to get me across. He placed me with the saddles, packs, etc., in the boat, and, as at that late hour, no time was to be lost, he ventured, at the same i73i-] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 81 time to hold the bridles of the most docile horses, to guide them in swimming the river. "All being safely landed, a short walk brought us to the house of Mr. Dixon. Although so recently come into the country, he had contrived to make everything comfortable around him, and when he ushered us into Mrs. Dixon's sitting room, and seated us by a glowing wood fire, while Mrs. Dixon busied herself in preparing us a nice supper, I felt that the comfort overbalanced the inconvenience of such a journey. ¦ ( "^A most savory supper of ducks and venison, with their accompaniments, soon smoked upon the board, and we did ample justice to it, Traveling is a great sharpener of the appetite, and so is cheerfulness, and the latter was increased by the encouraging account Mr. Dixon gave us of the remainder of the route yet before us. " 'There, is no difficulty,' said he 'if you keep a little to the no,rth,-and strike the Sank trail. If you get too far to the south you will, come upon the Winnebago Swamp, and once in that there is no telling when yourwill ever get out again. • As for the distance, jt is. nothing at. all to speak pf. Two young men came out here from Chicago, on foot, last fall. They got here the evening of the second day; and, even with a lady in your party, you could go on horseback in less time than that. The only thing is to be sure and get on the right track that the Sauks have made in going every year from the Mississippi to Canada to receive their presents from the British Indian Agent.' "The following morning, which was a bright and lovely one fort-hat season of the year, we took leave of Mr. and Mrs. Dixon in high spirits. We traveled for the first few miles along the beautiful, undulating banks of the Rock River, always in an easterly direction, keeping the beaten path, or rather road, which led to Kort Clark, or Peoria. :., The Sauk trail, we.h'ad been told; would cross this road at the distance of about six miles. , "After having traveled, as we judged, fully that distance,we came upon a trail bearing northeast, and a consultation was held as to the probability- of its being the one we were in seardiof, •"' * '' Mr. Kinzie was of opinion that it tended too much to the north, and was, moreover, too faint and obscure for a trail so much u^ed, and by so large a body of Indians in their annual journeys. " Plante was .positive as to its being the very spot where he and 'Piche, ' in their journey to Fort Winnebago the year before, struck into the great road. 'On that very rising ground at the point of woods, he remembered perfectly stopping to shoot ducks, which they ate for their supper.' " But Monsieur Plante was convinced of his mistake, when ihe trail brought us to the great bend of the river, with its bold, rocky bluffs. , .. ",'Are you. satisfied, now, Plante?' asked Mr. Kinzie. "By your leave, I will now play pilot myself,' and he struck off frum the trail, in a direction as nearly east as possible. ¦' The weather had changed and become intensely cold, and we felt that the detention we had met with, even should we now be in the right road, was no trifling matter. We had not added to our- stock of provisions at Dixon's, wishing to carry as much forage as we were able for our horses, for whom the scanty picking, around our encamping grounds . afforded an •insufficient meal. But we were buoyed up by the hope that we were in the right.path at last, and we journeyed on until night, when we reached a comfortable 'encampment,' in the edge of a grove near a small stream. "Oh, how bitterly cold that Jiight was ! The salted provis ions, to which I was unaccustomed, occasioned me an intoler- erable thirst, and my husband was in the habit of placing the little tin coffee-pot, filled with water at my bed's head, when we went to rest, but this night it was frozen solid long before midnight. We were so well wrapped up in blankets that we did not suffer from cold while within the tent, but the- open air was severe in the extreme. " March fifteenth. We were aroused by the 'bourgeois' at peep of day, for starting. We must find the Sauk trail this day at all hazards. What would become of us should we fail to do so ? It was a question no one liked to ask, and certainly one that no one could have answered. " We pursued our way, however, and a devious one it must hav.e been. After traveling in this way many miles, we came upon an Indian trail, deeply indented, running at right angles with the course we were pursuing. The snow had peased, and, the clouds becoming thinner, we were able to observe the direction of the sun, and to perceive that the trail ran north and south. What should we do? Was it safest to pursue our easterly course, or was it probable that by following this new patjh, we shoul fall into the direct one we had been so long seeking ? If we decided to take the trail, should we go north or south ? He was of opinion we were still too far north — somewhere about the. Grand Marias or Kish-wau-kee. Mr. Kellogg and Plante were for taking the northerly direction. The latter was positive his bourgeois had already gone too far south — in fact, that we must now be in the neighborhood of the Illinois River. Finding himself in the minority, my husband yielded, and we turned oiir horses' heads north,, much against his will. After proceeding a few miles, however, he took a sud den determination. 'You may go north, if you please,' said he, ' but I am convinced that the other course is right, and I shal I face about — follow who will.' "So we wheeled around and rode south again, and many a long and weary mile did we travel. " The road, which had continued many miles through the prairie, at length, in winding around a point of woods, brought us suddenly upon an Indian village. A shout of joy broke from the whole party, but no answering shout was returned — not even a bark of friendly welcome — as we galloped up to the wigwams. All was silent as the grave. We rode round and round,! then dismounted, and looked into several of the spacious huts. They had evidently been long deserted. Nothing remained but the bare walls of bark, from which everything in the shape of furniture had been stripped by rne owners, and carried with them to to their wintering-grounds; to be brought back in the spring, when they returned to make their corn fields arid occupy their summer cabins. "Our disappointment may be better imagined than described. With heavy hearts we mounted and once more pursued our way, the snow again falling and adding to the discomforts of our position. At length we halted for ihe night. We had long been aware that our stock of provisions was insufficient for another day, and here we were, nobody knew where, in the midst of woods and prairies — certainly far from any human habitation, with barely enough food for a slender evening's meal. "The poor dogs came whining around us to beg their usual portion, but they were obliged to content themselves with a 82 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1831. bare bone, and we retired to rest with the feeling that if not actually hungry then, we should certainly be so to-morrow. "The morrow came. Plante and Roy had a bright fire and a nice pot of coffee for us. It was our only breakfast, for on shaking the bag and turning it inside out, we could make no more of our stock of bread than three crackers, which the rest ofthe family insisted I should put in my pocket for my dinner' ) was much touched by the kindness of Mr. Kellogg, who drew from his wallet a piece of tongue and a slice of fruit-cake, which he said he had been saving for the lady since the day before, for he saw how matters were a-going. "Poor man! it would have been well if he had listened to Mr. Kinzie, and provided himself at the outset with a larger store of provisions. As it was, those he brought with him were exhausted early the second day, and he had been boarding with us for the last two meals. " We still had the trail to guide us, and we continued to follow it until about nine o'clock, when, in emerging from a wood, we came upon abroad and rapid river. A collection o' Indian wigwams stood upon the Opposite bank, and, as the trail led directly to the water, it was fair to infer that the stream was fordable. We had no opportunity of testing it, however, for the banks were so lined with ice, which, was piled- up tier upon tier by the breaking up of the previous week, that we tried in vain to find a path by which we could descend the bank to the water. ''The men shouted again and again, iw hopes some strag gling inhabitant of the village might be at hand with his canoe. No answer was returned, save the echoes. What was to be done ? I looked at my husband and saw that care was on his brow, although he still continued to1 speak cheerfully. 'We will follow this cross-trail down the bank of the river,' said he. 'There must be Indians wintering near in some of these points of wood.' "I must confess that I felt somewhat dismayed at our pros pects, but I kept up a show of courage, and did not allow my despondency to be seen. All the party were dull and gloomy enough. "We kept along the bank, which was considerably elevated above the water, and bordered at a little distance with a thick wood. All at once my horse, who was mortally afraid of Indi ans, began to jump and prance, snorting and pricking up his ears as if an enemy were at hand . I screamed with delight to my husband, who was at the head of the file, "Oh John ! John ! there are Indians near — look at Jerry.' At this instant a little Indian dog ran out from under the bushes by the rcjtdside, and began barking at us. Never were sounds more welcome. We rode directly into the thicket, and descending into a little hollow, found two squaws crouching behind the bushes, trying to conceal themselves from our sight. "They, appeared greatly relieved when Mr. Kinzie addressed them in the Pottawattamie language : " 'What are you doing here ?' " 'Digging Indian potatoes' — (a species of artichoke.) " 'Where is your lodge ?' " 'On the other side of the river.' " 'Good- — then you have a canoe here. Can you take us across ?' " 'Yes — the canoe is very small.' They conducted us down the bank to the water's edge, where the canoe was, It was, indeed, very small. My hus band explained to them that they must take me across first, and then return for the others of the party. " 'Will yon trust yourself alofie over the river ?' inquired he, 'You see that but one can cross at a time.' " 'Oh ! yes ' — and I was soon placed in the bottom of the canoe, lying flat and looking up at the sky, while the older squaw took the paddle in her hand, and placed herself on her knees at my head, and the younger, a girl of fourteen or fifteen, stationed herself at my feet. There was just room enough for me to lie in this position, each of the others kneeling in the opposite ends of the canoe. " While these preparations were making, Mr. Kinzie questioned the woman as to our whereabouts. They knew no name for the river but Saumanopg. This was not definite, it being the generic term for any large stream. But he gathered that the village we had passed, higher up, on the opposite side of the stream, was Wau-ban-see's, and then he knew that we were on the Fox River, and probably about fifty miles from Chicago. "The squaw, in answer to his inquiries, assured him that Chicago was 'close by.' " 'That means,' said he, 'tjiat it is not so far off as Canada We must not be too sanguine.' " The men sat about unpacking the horses, and I, in the meantime, was paddled across the river. The old woman immediately returned, leaving the younger one with me for company. I seated myself on the fallen trunk of a tree, in the midst of the snow, arid looked across the dark waters. " We followed the old squaw to her lodge, which was at no great distance in the woods. I had never before been in an Indian lodge, although I had occasionally peeped into one of the many clustered around the house of the interpreter at the Portage on my visits to his wife. "This one was very nicely arranged. Four sticks of wood placed to form a sqare in the center, answered the purpose of a hearth, within which the fire was built, the. smoke escaping through an opening in the top. The mats of , which the lodge was constructed were very neat and new, and against the sides depending from the poles or frame work, hung various bags of Indian manufacture, containing their dried food and other household treasures. Sundry ladles, small kettles, and wooden bowls also hung from the cross poles, and, dangling from the center by an iron chain, was a large kettle, in which some dark suspicious looking substance was seething over the scanty fire. On the floor of the lodge; between the fire and the outer wall, were spread mats, upon which my husband invited me to be seated and make myself comfortable. " Two little girls, infiiates of the lodge, sat gazing at me with evident admiration and astonishment.which was increased when I took my little prayer book from my pocket and began to read. They had, undoubtedly, never seen a book before, and I was amused at the care with which they looked away from me, while they questioned their mother about my strange employment and listened to her replies. " While thus occupied, I was startled by a sudden sound of 'hogh !' and the mat which hung over tbe entrance of the , lodge was raised, and an Indian entered with that graceful bound which is peculiar to themselves. It was the master of the lodge who had been out to shoot ducks, and was just returned. He was a tall, finely-formed mah, with a cheerful open counte nance, and he listened to what his wife, in a quiet tone, related to him, while he divested himself of his accoutrements in the most unembarrassed, well-bred manner imaginable. i83i.] Early history of the northwest. 88 "Soon my husband joined us. He had been engaged in attending to the comfort of his horses, and assisting his men in making their fire, and pitching tfyeir tent, which the rising storm made a matter of some difficulty. •'From the Indian he learned we were in what was called the 'Big Woods,' or 'Piche's Grove,' from a Frenchman of that- name living not far from that spot — that the river we had crossed was the Fox River — that he could guide us to Piche's, from which the road was perfectly plain, or even into Chicago if we pre ferred, but that we had better remain encamped for that day, as there was a storm coming on, and in the meantime he would go and shoot some ducks for our dinner and sup per. He was accordingly furnished with some powder and shot, and set off again for game without delay. "I had put into my pocket on leavinghome a roll of scarlet ribbon in case a stout string should be wanted, and I now drew it forth, and with the knife which hung around my neck, I cut off a couple of yards for each of the little girls. They received it with great delight, and their mother, dividing each portion into two, tied a piece to each of the little clubs into which their hair was knotted on the temples. They laughed and exclaimed, •Saurn!' as they gazed at each other, and their mother joined in their mirth, although, as I thought, a little unwilling to display her maternal exultation , before a stranger. "The tent being all in order my husband came for me, and we took leave of our friends in the wigwam with grateful hearts. "The storm was raging without. The trees were bending and cracking around us, and the air was completely filled with the wild fowl screaming and quacking as they made their way southward before the blast. Our tent was among the trees, not far from the river. My husband took me to the bank to look for a moment at what we had escaped. The wind was sweeping down from the north in a per fect hurricane. The water was filled with masses of snow and ice, dancing along upon the torrent over which were hurrying thousands of wild fowl, making the woods resound to their deafening clamor. "Had we been one hour lateri we could not possibly have crossed the stream, and there seems to have been nothing for us but to have remained and starved in the wilderness. Could we be sufficiently -grateful to that kind Provi dence that had brought us safely through such dangers ? "The storm raged with ten-fold violence during the night. We were continually star tled by the crashing of falling trees around us, and who could tell but that the next would be upon us? Spite of our fatigue, we passed an almost sleepless night. When we arose in the morning we were made fully alive to the perils by which we had been surrounded. At least fifty trees, the giants of the forest, lay pros trate within view of the tent. "When we had taken our scanty breakfast, and were mounted and ready for departure, it was with difficulty we could tread our way, so completely was it obstructed by the fallen trunks. "Our Indian guide had joined us at an early hour, and after conducting us carefully out of the wood, and pointing out to us numerous bee-trees, for which he said that grove was famous, he set off at a long trot, and about nine o'clock brought us to Piche's, a log cabin on a rising ground, looking off over the broad prairie to the east. "A long reach of prairie extended from Piche's to the Du Page, between the two forks of which Mr. Dogherty,our new acquaintance, told us we should find the dwelling of a Mr. Hawley, who would give us a comfortable dinner. "The weather was intensely cold. The wind, sweeping over the broad prairie, with nothing to break its force, chilled our very hearts. I beat my feet against the saddle to restore the circulation, when they became benumbed with the cold, until they became so bruised* I could beat them no longer. Not a house or wigwam, not even a clump of trees as a shelter offered itself for many a weary mile. At length we reached the west fork of the Du Page. It was frozen but not sufficiently so to bear the horses. Our only resource was to cut a way for them through the ice. It was a work of time, for the ice had frozen to sev eral inches in thickness during the last bitter night. Plante went first with an axe, and cut as far as he could reach, then mounted one of the hardy little ponies, and with some difficulty broke the ice before him, until he had opened a passage to the opposite shore. "We were all across at last, and spurred on our horses, until we reached Hawley's, a large, commodious dwelling, near the east fork of the river. "The good woman welcomed us kindly, and soon made us warm and comfortable. We felt as if we were in a civilized lahd once more. "We found, upon inquiry, that we could, by pushing on, reach Lawton's, on the Aux Plaines that night; we should then be within twelve miles of Chicago. Of course, we made u EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [18.16-32. no unnecessary delay, but set off as soon after dinner as possible. "A very comfortable house was Lawton's, after we did reach it — carpeted, and with a warm stove— in fact, quite in civilized style. Mr. Weeks, the man who brought us across, was the major-domo during the temporary absence of Mr. Lawton. "Mrs Lawton was a young woman, and not ill-looking. She complained bitterly of the loneliness of her condition, and having been 'brought out there into the woods, which was a thing she had not expected when she came from the East.' We did not ask her with what expectations she had come to a wild, unset tled country; but we tried to comfort her with the assurance that things would grow better in a few years. She said she did not mean to wait for that. She should go back to her family in the East if Mr. Lawton did not invite some of her young friends to come and stay with her and make things agreeable. "We could hardly realize, on rising the fol lowing morning, that only twelve miles of prairie intervened between us and Chicago le Desiree, as I could not but name it. "We could look across the extended plain, and on its farthest verge were visible two tall trees, which my husband pointed out to me as the planting of his own hand when a boy. Already they had become so lofty as to serve as landmarks, and they were constantly in view as we traveled the beaten road. I was con stantly repeating to myself: 'There live the friends I am so longing to see! There will ter minate all our trials and hardships!' "A Mr. Wentworth joined us on the road, and of him we inquired after the welfare of the family, from whom we had, for a long time, received no intelligence. When we reached Chicago he took us to a little tavern at the forks of the river. This portion of the place was then called Wolf Point, from its having been the residence of an Indian named 'Moa- way,' or 'the Wolf.' " 'Dear me,' said the old landlady, at the lit tle tavern, 'what dreadful cold weather you must have had to travel in ! Why, two days ago the river was all open here, and now it's frozen hard enough for folks to cross a-horse- back!' Notwithstanding this assurance, my husband did not like to venture, so he determined to leave his horses and proceed on foot, to the residence of his mother and sister, a distance of about half a mile. " We sat out on our walk, which was first across the ice, then down the northern bank of the river. As we approached the house, we were espied by Genevieve, a half-breed ser vant of the family. She did not wait to salute us, but flew into the house crying: " 'Oh! Madame Kinzie, who do you think has come? Monsieur John and Madame John, all the way from Fort Winnebago on foot!' "Soon we were in the arms of our dear, kind friends. A messenger was dispatched to -the 'garrison' for the remaining members of the family, and for that day. at least, I was the wonder and admiration ofthe whole circle, 'for the dangers I had seen.' CHAPTER XXIII. Indian Boundaries and Extinguishment of Indian Titles in Wisconsin. HEN the Government of the United States took formal possession- ofthe Northwest in 1816, councils were held with the various Indian tribes, for the purpose of establishing ami cable relations between them, and of defining the boundaries of their respective territory. A treaty had, however, been previously concluded with the Sauks and- Foxesj at a council held in St. Louis, Feb. 21st, 1805, defining their limits as follows: On the east and southeast, by the Fox River, in the south, to its confluence with the Illinois; thence down that stream to its mouth; thence down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Missouri; and on the southwest by that river. The boundary on the north, between them and the Winnebagoes and the Sioux, is rather indefinite. The Chippewas and Sioux having long made conflicting claims to territory, in 1826, a coun cil was held for the purpose of amicably adjust ing the boundary lines between the several tribes in the Northwest. At this council a treaty was made by which the Sioux relin quished all territory east of the Mississippi. The Chippewas of the North were limited on the south and east by a line running from the mouth of Black River, in a northeasterly direction to a point between Big and Little Bay de Noquet, north of the mouth of Green Bay. This made a line across the State and was the southern boundary line of the Chippewas, and the northern boundary of the Menominees and ofthe Winnebagoes. The Winnebago country was bounded as follows: Commencing at Grand Kaukauna on lower 1829-36. J EARLY 'HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 85 Fox River and along that stream to Lake Win nebago by" the south channel; thence along the west shore of the lake to the inlet ofthe Fox River (Oshkosh), following that river to the "portage ofthe Fox and Wisconsin," and across that portage to the Wisconsin River; thence up that stream to the mouth of the left fork, and along the fork to its source; thence due west to a point on Black River, and down that stream to the lands of the Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottawattamies of Illinois; thence southeasterly to a Winnebago village on Rock River, about forty miles above, its mouth, (leaving a strip of land not well defined between this line and the . Mississippi River belonging to the last mentioned tribe); thence up Rock River to. its source near Lake Winnebago; thence northerly by aline along the east shore of that lake to the place of beginning, includ ing all of that lake and the island at its outlet. The Menominees not conversant with metes and bounds at remote points of their territory, the limits were not as definite, but for the purposes of this treaty they were fixed as fol lows : Beginning at a point on the lower Fox near Little Kaukauna, and following the boundaries of the Winnebagoes along the Fox, Wisconsin and left fork of the Wisconsin until it reaches Black River, and North by the Chippewa country. across to Green Bay, along the west ern shore of the Bay to the mouth of Fox River, .and up that stream to the place of ; beginning. Also that tract lying east of Green ¦Bay and the Winnebago nation, to Lake. Mich igan on the east, from the mouth of Green ' Bay, on the north, to a line drawn from the south extremity of Lake Winnebago to the source ofthe Milwaukee River; thence by that stream to its mouth on the south. The Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottawata mies, of Illinois, were limited by the Milwau kee River on the north, Lake Michigan on the east, Rock River and the eastern boundary line ofthe Winnebagoes on the west, extend ing south into Illinois. The Sauks arid Foxes relinquishing allclaims east ofthe Mississippi, that territory seems to have been divided between these bands and the Winnebagoes. In 1 83 1, the Menomonees ceded to the United States for the occupation of the New York Indians a tract of land described as follows, to-wit: Beginning on the Fox River at the dam near Little Kaukauna, thence north west forty miles; thence northeast to Oconto Creek, falling into Green Bay; thence down 3-36.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 87 sgj: CHAPTER XXIV. The Several Territorial Organizations of the Soil, now Included in the Limits of Wisconsin — The Old Northwestern Terri tory — The Organization ofthe' Territory of Wisconsin. HE territory now included in Wiscon sin, it will be seen from the foregoing pages, remained under the govern ment of France till 1763; when, by the Treaty of Paris, it was ceded to Great Britain, who. held it until after the acknowledgement of the independence of the United States, in 1783, when it was claimed by Virginia, as territory conquered by her forces, under Colonel George Rogers Clark. Great Britain, however, remained in posses sion until the ratification of the Jay Treaty, 1796, which settled the boundary questions; and in that year the United States first came into actual possession. Prior to this, Virginia ceded all her territory Northwest of the Ohio River to the Govern ment. By the famous ordinance of 1787: a Govern ment was established over the region known as the Northwestern* Territory, and Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor. By his proclamation in 1796, a county was formed, which included with other territory, what is now Eastern Wisconsin, and all.of the State of Michigan. It was called Wayne County. In 1800, the Northwestern Territory was divided into two territorial governments; the Western one called Indiana, and embraced what is now Wisconsin. The seat of government was Viricennes, on the Wabash. Illinois territory was organized in 1809, and what is now Wis consin formed a part of it. When Illinois became a State in 18 18, the region west of Lake Michigan was made a part of Michigan territory. General Lewis Cass was Governor, and by proclamation he established in 181 8, three counties, including all the present terri tory of Wisconsin, viz: Michilimackinac, Brown and Crawford. The County of Michilimackinac, embraced all the district, north of a line running east and west, from Bay de Noquet to Lake Huron on the east, and to the Mississippi on the west. Its county seat was Michilimackinac. Brown County, which included the territory of what is now Winnebago, embraced the tract east of a line running north and south, through the middle of the Portage, between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. Green Bay was designated as its county seat. Crawford County included the area west of that line to the Mississippi; with Prairie du Chien for its County seat. In Brown and Crawford counties, courts were established, immediately on their con struction. In 1823, an act of Congress created a Dis trict Court, for the Counties of Brown, Craw ford and Michilimackinac; James Duane Doty was appointed District Judge; and one term of court was held in each county, each year. In 1824, Judge Doty held his first term in Green Bay; Henry S. Baird, the first practic ing lawyer in Wisconsin, officiating as District Attorney. In 1836, the Huron District of Michigan was organized into the territory of Wisconsin, which had its birth-day July Fourth, of that year. It included within its territorial limita tions, the whole region from Lake Michigan, westward to the Mississippi River, and the head waters of the Mississippi. Its southern boundary was the northern line of Illinois, and of Missouri. General Dodge was appointed the first Governor and also Superintendent of Indian affairs. The Territorial Secretary was John S. Horner; and the first Legislature was convened at Belmont, Grant County. It will be seen, from the foregoing, that the territory, now embraced in the limits of Wis consin, was under the Government of France for ninety-three years; of Great Britain for thirty-one years; of Virginia for six years; and for short'periods under the jurisdiction of Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, respectively. CHAPTER XXV. On Extinguishment of Indian Title to all the Territory North of Chicago and South and East of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers in 1833, Immigration to the New Purchase Set in — Lines of Steamers and Sail Vessels are Placed on the Lakes — Roads Begin to be Used Instead of Indian Trails — Frink & Walker's Line of Stages — First Land Sales — Hard Times of '37 and '38 — Wheat Shipments Begin — Wisconsin in 1838. JHE close of the Black Hawk war left no further apprehensions for any serious Indian troubles, and closed one epoch in the history of Wisconsin The of this beautiful country, and of its rich mineral and agricultural resources, had gone abroad, and immigration now began to pour in. The settlement of the Northwest might almost be said to have begun with the close of that war; for previous to it, there were no white inhabitantsto speak of, other than those of the little hamlets in the lead region, Prairie du Chien and Green Bay. Milwaukee and Chicago were but little more than trading posts. In iSjj the first frame house was built in fame EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1834-40. Chicago, only^ three years before the family of the writer, then a small child, moved to that city. The extinguishment of the Indian title to ¦the territory of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin in that year, opened that tract to white settlement, and the "New Purchase" attracted great attention. By the spring of 1834, immigration increased to such an extent that lines of steamers and sail vessels were put on the lakes to run from Buffalo to Chicago. These were loaded to their fullest capacity with freight, and passengers. "Frink and Walker's Line" of stage coaches next made their appearance, and roads began to be used inplace of Indian trails. Captain Knapp and others, in 1834, laid claims and commenced the settlement on Root; River, afterwards Racine; and in 1835 a company, from -the East settled at -Pike River^now Kenosha. In 181 8 Solomon Juneau settled at Milwau kee. 1-n 1834 a number of settlers arrived, among them Geo. H. Walker, Byron Kilbourn, Daniel Wells and the Do-usmans; and in 1835, Milwaukee-was on the high road. to prosperity and fame, and in 1836 was 1 a promising rival of Chicago. In this year an immense immi gration poured into the country. Steamers arriving at- Milwaukee and Chicago w.ould be crowded -With passengers, which sometimes numbered as high as eight hundred on one boat. -Business was at high, pressure;, specu lation ran high, ,;and the laying out of new cities and selling city lots was a leading branch of business. Solomon Juneau, the founder of Milwaukee, was supposed to be worth $100,000, consid ered vast wealth at that time. The value he put on money may be seen from the fact of its being his habit of taking the money out ofthe drawer of his store, after business hours, and putting it loose in his hat; which being once knocked offin a< playful crowd, $io,OQO in bills flew in every direction. He subscribed. most liberally to every public and charitable enter prise.- After seeing others getting rich on the property he sold at such low figures, he com menced buying .back some ofthe lotSj paying in one instance, $3,900 for a lot he had ;$oid the year previous for $475- He was a man loved and. esteemed by all who knew him. ' In 183.7. a revulsion set in, and "hard times" continued through 1838. Jackson had issued his "specie circular," requiring coin in pay ment for Government bonds.. He also removed the Government deposits from the. Bank of the United States to the Government Treasury, The bottom fell out ofthe "wild-cat banks" and brought ruin to. hundreds ofthousands. A general business depression pervaded the whole country, east and west. In 1840 flour sold in Chicago for $3 a barrel, pork from $1.50 to $2 per hundred, butter six cents a pound, etc. In 1836 flour sold in Chicago for from $10 to $15 a barrel, and we had to pay a shilling a quart for milk. The territory, of Wisconsin was set off from" Michigan and organized the fourth day of July,' 1836. ." ... ._*.. 0^ Although . times, continued dull up to 1 84©-^ 41, immigration continued to.pour in and rapn idly settled. the southern portion of the. State*;. The .Indian trails now., gave w.ay to wagon roads, and log houses dotted the country in.' every direction. Long trains of Warns daily1. left the lake shore towns carrying the immigrants', - and their goods out .into the country. Soon the. fertile prairies . began to ship their prod^- ucts east, and the long trains of teams would load both ways— hauling wheatinto Milwau kee., Racine and Southport, and carrying goods. and immigrants back. . ; Winter wheat then was the staple, yielding forty bushels per acre, and was a never-failing. crop. The various insects that have cojne in with all the other, demoralizing influences . of a. higher civilization, were unknown. The festive potato bug, the chinch bug, and alLthe numerous variety of pests that prey upon- the- labor of the husbandman, never troubled the early settlers. An abundance of everything that can be grown in this latitude was raised with comparatively, little labor. Winter wheat was brought to Milwaukee fro.m forty to one hundred miles in the interior, by teams and sold for. fifty cent's a bushel. With the fall frosts came the prairie fires,-, which for weeks would keep the sky aglow and light up the nights. It was one of the features ofthe early day. Night after night we could see in every direction the long lines of flame,- and its lurid reflection in the sky. The first sale of Government lands in Norths ern Illinois was held in Chicago in 1835. The tract offered extended only to the North line ofthe State. . . The next lands coming into market were in the Southern .part of the territory of Wiscon sin. The. land sale took place in Milwaukee in 1839. . , The settlers, apprehensive that the land spec ulators would attempt to bid in their lands, organized and appointed committees to take forcible, means to prevent it, if deemed ; nec essary. -. At the sale, a party made a bid. against a;set- tler, when, he was seized by the comffiittee, but he escaped from them and fled into the i 838. J EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 89 country. They followed and captured him and brought him back to Milwaukee, where threats failed to make him withdraw his bid. The settler, however, got his land, as all the pre-emptors did. The opening and prairie lands in Wisconsin lookedlike a paradise to the Eastern immigrant, The writer can remember the rapturous excla mations of the new-comers. When a young child, I went on a visit with a friend of our family, who had formerly been a merchant in Chicago, and was then living on a beautiful place west of Southport, as Kenosha was called. We took the lake steamer at my home, Chicago, and in the forenoon arrived at Southport. It was in the fall of 1838. The village contained one store and a half dozen other buildings, all "wood-colored," unpainted. All the boys from a large distance seemed to have congregated on the arrival of the steamer. Nearly every boy was barefoot, and I thought I never before saw such a large number, . for so few houses. We started on foot for my friend's place, some twelve miles out, and had to ford a small stream — the Aux Plaines, which was bor dered by a dense growth of rushes: It was evening when we reached it and the prairie fires were burning some distance from us, but approaching at a rapid rate. I was not alarmed, for I was familiar with them. Mr. M. simply set fire to the dry grass where we stood. In a moment the fire spread to the tall rushes, which, blazing to a great height, made a noise like a continuous discharge of small arms. When a sufficient space was burned, we crossed in safety. Our trail was yvell lighted, for the whole country seemed in a blaze. I noticed that my companion was a little apprehensive that his home was in danger; but we found everything safe on our arrival. A comfortable log house on a beauti ful elevation, and surrounded by a number of huge oaks, presented every appearance of thrift and comfort. A sumptuous supper was soon prepared; broiled partridge forming part of the bill of fare. The next morning the lovely country presented a scene of picturesque beauty; not another house was in sight. The country was rolling prairie and timber inter mingled. The nearest house, hidden in a grove of trees, was two miles distant, the occupant, a sea captain and his family. The next was a young physician, formerly of Chicago. The next, a former store-keeper of Chicago, who was closed out by the "hard times." Not one of these had ever "farmed" before, and yet they became successful in their new vocation. The country was full of game; partridges were especially plentiful, and the table was kept well supplied. A band of Pottawattamies from Rock River, encamped near by, afforded the only small boy companions. I saw the same country a few years after wards, but with all the "improvements" it did not look so beautiful as when I first saw it, untouched by the hand of man. Nothing was ever seen before to equal the progress in wealth, population and improve ment, that the West made lrom 1843 t0 1850. Immigration poured in a continuous tide and overspread the whole country. It was esti mated that sixty thousand persons settled in Wisconsin in 1843. The settlers up to the year 1842, were principally from the South and East. In 1843 the immigration was more largely European, and that to Wisconsin was largely composed of Germans. By the year 1846, the southern part of this State was well settled; villages sprang up, that in a few years became great cities, the marts of a vast trade and commerce. The splendid steamers on the lakes were floating palaces, elegantly furnished and provided with all the luxuries of life. The Southern travel to Northern summer resorts was via the lakes, from Chicago to Buffalo. In time came the railroads, with all the attendants of modern civilization, and the "far West" moved five hundred miles toward the setting sun. CHAPTER XXVI. Madison Selected as the Site of the Seat of State Govern ment — Recollections of One of the Members of the First Session at Madison — Population of the Territory on its Organization — Population of State in 1850 — First State Officers. T the first session of the Territorial Legislature, held at Belmont, several rival places contended for the posses sion ofthe seat of Government; but Madison carried off the prize, and the the "City of the Four Lakes" was and a more lovely spot could not be w site of selected, found. Commissioners were appointed to contract for the erection of suitable buildings, and on the tenth of June, 1837, the acting commis sioner, with a party of workmen, arrived at the site of the future Capitol. They were ten days on the route, from Milwaukee. In 1838, the Legislature assembled at Madison. Colonel Ebenezer Childs, a member of the Legislature, in his "Recollections of Wiscon- 12 90 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1838-48. sin," published in State Historical Collections, says: " The new Capitol edifice was not yet in suitable condition to receive the legislature : so we had to assemble in the base ment ofthe old American House, where Governor Dodge deliv ered his first message at the new seat of government. We adjourned from day to day, until we could get in the new Cap itol building. At length we took possession of the new Assem bly Hall. The floors were laid with green oak-boards full of ice. The walls ofthe room were iced over; green-oak seats, and desks made of rough boards, one fireplace, and one small stove. In a few days the flooring near the stove and fireplace so shrunk, on account of the heat, that a person could run his hand between the boards. The basement story was all open ; and James Morrison's large drove of hogs had taken possess ion. They were awfully poor; and it would have taken two of them, standing side by side, to have made a decent shadow on a bright day. We had a great many smart members in the house, and sometimes they spoke for Buncombe. When mem bers of this kind became too tedious, I would take a long pole, go at the hogs, and stir them up; when they would raise a young Pandemonium for noise and confusion. The speaker's voice would become completely drowned ; and he would be compelled to stop, not, however, without giving his squealing disturbers a sample of his swearing ability. The weather was cold ; the halls were cold ; our ink would freeze : so, when we could stand it no longer, we passed a joint resolution to adjourn for twenty days. I was appointed by the two houses to procure carpeting for both halls during the recess. I bought all I could find in the Territory, and brought it to Madison, and put it down,, after covering the floor with a thick coating of hay. After this, we were more comfortable. We used to have tall times in those days — days long to be remembered. Stealing was carried on in a small way. Occasionally a bill would be fairly stolen through the legislature ; and the legislature would get gouged now and then. " The population of the present limits of Wis consin, in 1836, was: In Milwaukee County, 2,893; Brown County, 2,706; Iowa County, 5,234; Crawford County, 850; total, 11,683. In 1850, the population of the State was 30S-39I. The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin was adopted by the people on the second day of March, 1848; and at the election of State officers, held on the eighth day of May, of that year, Nelson Dewey was elected Gov ernor; John E. Holmes, Lieutenant-Governor; Thomas McHugh, Secretary of State; J. C. Fairchild, Treasurer; and James S. Brown, Attorney-General. The State was admitted into the Union, May 29th, 1848. CHAPTER XXVII. The Fox and Wisconsin Rivers Improvement — Lands Granted to Wisconsin to Aid the Same — Transfer to a Company — Purchase of the Improvement by the United Slates. i)T will be seen from the foregoing pages that the water-courses in this State, viz.; the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, and Lake Winnebago — the links which connect a chain from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico — were the very earliest channels of the travel ofthe West, and that they are associated with the leading events of the earlier civilization ofthe continent. In all periods of our history this water communi cation has figured as an important national feature of the country. In 1838, the improvement of this route was recommended to Congress by the Secretary of War, for the purpose of facilitating the trans portation of troops and munitions of war to the frontier. In 1839, a preliminary survey was made by Captain Cram, under direction of the Secre tary of War. In 1846, Congress granted for this purpose, and for the construction of a canal connecting the two rivers, a tract of land "equal to one- half of three miles wide on each side of Fox River and the lakes through which it flows, from the junction ofthe canal with Fox River at Portage, to Green Bay, and along each side of the canal. " On January 29th, 1848, an act was passed by the Legislature accepting the grant. August 8th, 1848, an act was passed to provide for the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, and to connect the same by a canal, and providing for the election of five commissioners to be called the "Board of Pub lic Works;" J. B. Estes, A. S. Story, John A. Bingham, Curtis Reed and H. L. Dousman were elected. The State elected to take the odd numbered sections, which amounted to 306,039.98-100 acres. September 4th, 1848, at a meeting of the Board, held at Madison, Mr. C. R. Alton was appointed chief engineer, and instructed to make a survey of the proposed route. In his report of January, 1849, his estimate of cost for a canal and the improvement of Fox River from Portage City to Green Bay, was $373,- 706.09, with a depth of four feet at usual low water, which was then thought sufficient. This estimate included the cost of superinten dence and salaries of officers. The Board of Public Works in their report of same date take occasion to say "The grant of land, (less waste land from which little or 1849-71 •] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 91 nothing will.be realized,) will, at $1.25 per acre, amount to $350,000." April 2nd, 1849, a land office was opened at Oshkosh for the sale of these lands, with the Hon. Joseph Jackson, Receiver, and Jedediah Brown, Reg ister: During this year a survey was made of the Wisconsin River by Chief Engineer Alton, and resulted in a recommendation that the improvement of the river be confined to cutting down trees overhanging the river, and removing snags at a cost of $3,500, mak ing the entire estimated cost of improvement of both rivers and canal, including "Superin tendence and salaries of officers," $377,206.09. In the early part of the summer of 1850 the lock at Depere was brought into use. In 1853, the Legislature passed an act con ferring all the rights, franchises and property of the State in and to the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement, together with all lands hereto fore granted by Congress for that purpose, and remaining unsold, to a corporation styled "Fox and Wisconsin River Improvement Com pany. " This act provided for completion of the work in three years from date. In 1855, Congress passed an act enlarging the grant formerly made to Wisconsin, which gave to the State an additional 277,140 acres, makinga total of land granted for this improve ment of 639,100 acres. The additional grant was claimed by the Company, and obtained by act ofthe Legislature. In 1856, the Lower Fox had been improved so as to admit the passage of steamers from Green Bay to Lake Winnebago, and the first passage of a steamer between those points was made in June of that year. The time having expired, as fixed in the contract for the completion of the work, the Company transferred all their rights and fran chise to a new company called the Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company, which was chartered by the Legislature in 1861. In 1867, General Warren, under instructions from United States Engineer Department, made a survey of the rivers and an estimate of the cost of improving the same. The following is an extract from his report: "To secure five feet of navigation at low water, all to be canal, 118 miles. Canal sev enty feet at bottom, eighty feet at top. Locks, 160x35. Total lock lift, 175 feet. Sides of canals in cuts paved to allow the use of steam boats, $4,194,270. In order to finish in third year, will require $2,082,130 the first year, the remainder the second year, and $60,000 annu ally thereafter. " In 1 87.1, the Government proposed to pur chase the work and complete it, and the Com pany consenting to sell, an act of Congress was passed the same year, providing for a Board of Arbitrators, to be appointed to apprise the value of the property. By this Board the value was fixed as follows: Locks, dams, franchise, etc., . Water power, . Personal property . . Total ... .... From this was deducted, value of lands, at $1.25 per acre, Value of water power . Personal property Balance . . $ 868,070.00 140,000.00 40,000.00 $1,048,070.00 $723,070.00 140,000.00 40,000.00 $903,070.00 $145,000.00 Which it is supposed the Government has paid. Since the Government took possession of this work in 1872, there has been more accom plished toward an available and permanent improvement, than in the twenty-four years preceding, and the improvement of the Fox River and canal may be considered virtually completed, although some of the old works are continually being replaced by new. This is the great natural outlet of the heavy products of the Northwest. The annual ship ments of wheat alone from points west of Lake Michigan eastward, that would natur ally ship over this route, would average 50,000,000 of bushels, and the estimate cost of transportation by rail over that of water is on the single item of wheat alone, about $5,OO0,O0O, being a saving in one year of more than the entire estimated cost of the work in its most permanent and substantial form. The importance of this work in its relation to the interests of the whole country cannot be overestimated, as it unites the only break- in the chain of the incomparable water com munication, which is one ofthe grand physical features of this, continent. The completion of this work by perfecting the navigation of the Wisconsin, would do more to stimulate the inter-trade and com merce of the country than any other project, and the amount of grain, cotton and other bulky products that will eventually pass over the route will far exceed the highest estimate of the most sanguine prophecy. That portion of the great agricultural empire of the North west, comprised of the states of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, with three hundred thousand square miles of grain fields, would pour a continuous flow of their products through this channel, thus cheapening the 92 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. [1836-46. bread stuffs of the Eastern consumers and increasing the profits of the Western grain raisers. CHAPTER XXVIII. Early Settlement of Winnebago County — Its Transformation from a Wilderness into the Abodes of Civilization — The First Settlers — The Beauty and Rich Resources of the Country — Several of the Principal Cities of the State Clus ter Around these Water Courses — Oshkosh, Neenah and Menasha — Lake Winnebago and its Beautiful Surround ings. "LTHOUGH a century and a half had passed since the French estab lished their trading posts in this coun try, it was, up to the year 1846, but a comparatively unbroken wilderness. The little straggling French settle ments on the Lower Fox — the Government agency at Neenah — half a dozen families at the mouth of the Upper Fox, the present site of Oshkosh — the trading post of Augustin Grignon and James Porlier, near the head of Big Lake Butte des Morts, comprised nearly the whole civilized inhabitants, with the exception of the troops and traders at Fort Winnebago. But this country was soon to witness a won derful, sudden transformation. The age of rail roads and steam machinery was coming on; the beaver, otter, mink and their contemporaries, the French voyageur and the Indian, were to be superseded by that advancing civilization which has spread its conquests far and wide, and whose forces have opened up the broad West to that wave of immigration which rolls ceaselessly across the continent, people- ing its most remote solitudes with a race which takes permanent possession, and before whom the Indian hopelessly flees, disheartened and overwhelmed by the destiny which closes remorselessly around him, and leaves him an alien and outcast in the lands of his nativity. That vigorous civilization which sprung up on the Atlantic sea-coast of America had now developed greater social forces than the world had ever before witnessed. The vast physical resources of the continent in the possession of a free people, opened up an unbounded field of enterprise; while the opportunity for gain and personal advancement stimulated ambi tion and progress. In 1836, the advance guard of that migration, which has since overspread the country, made its appearance in two families, one of which settled at Fond du Lac — the Piers — the other, the Gallups and Stanleys, on the pres ent site of Oshkosh; these, at that time, were the only settlers between Neenah and Milwau kee, a distance of over a hundred miles. This was the period of the early migration to the Southern part of the State, and while that was being peopled, immigration to this section was light. In 1842, the County of Winnebago was organized, and in 1846, there were but 732 persons in the whole County; but this inviting field was now attracting more general atten tion. The fame of this beautiful lake and river country, with its rich prairies arid splendid woodlands, began to spread, and immigration poured in with a rapidity unprecedented in the settlement of a country. It surpassed that even of the more Southern counties of the State. In one year the population of the County increased from 732 to 2,787. Thirty-five years ago an unsettled wild, now the Counties of Winnebago, Green Lake and Fond du Lac present one continuous expanse of cultivated farms, with commodious and elegant farm houses and suburban villas, sur rounded with all the adornments of wealth and taste, with spacious barns and out-buildings, as the illustrations in this work serve to show, giving evidence of the wealth, thrift and prosperity ofthe inhabitants. Cities have sprung up along these water courses; steamboats and sail crafts ply the waters in every direction; railroads checker the whole face ofthe country; and the scene is one of vigorous industrial activity and business enterprise. The great business, manufacturing and agri cultural resources of the valley of the Fox, is plainly seen in the growth of its cities, and the rapid development of their business industries. Clustering around Lake Winnebago and the Lower Fox, are five of the principal cities of the State. Oshkosh, at the mouth of the Upper Fox, the second city in the State in wealth, business and population. Twelve miles to the north of Oshkosh, at the outlet ofthe lake on, one of the greatest water powers of the continent, are the manu facturing cities of Neenah and Menasha, with their long lines of manufactories. These cities are delightfully situated on either sides of the river, and the shore ofthe lake. Being on a relia ble line of watercommunication.affordingthem cheap transportation for the products of their manufactures; with a water power measured at three thousand horse-power; a fine agricultural' district surrounding them, they are destined to maintain their position as two of the chief manufacturing centers ofthe State. The many splendid residences here are indi cative of the wealth and taste of the owners- 1829-36.] EARLY HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST. 93 and the beautiful park on the lake shore, Nee nah Point, is a delightful resort in the summer months. The Lower Fox is the great manufacturing district of the State. Its water reservoirs are inexhaustable; there are no freshets, the flow of the water being gradual, and its volume so large that no formations of ice ever interrupt the workings of its machinery. The central commercial point on these great water courses, is the city of Oshkosh, delight fully situated on a handsome plateau, between lakes Winnebago and Buttes des Morts; the surrounding country is surpassingly beautiful. The main business portion of the city, having been destroyed by fire, one mile of its main street is composed wholly of handsome new business blocks. This is one of the finest looking business streets in the state — com pactly built with fire proof structures of brick and stone. Its palace stores are models of elegance, and its handsome residence streets are most attractive. The city is compactly built up from the shore of Lake Winnebago to that of Lake Buttes des Morts, a distance of three miles. The residences on its best streets 'are beautiful structures. One street of two miles is almost wholly composed of whatmight be called palace residences, embowered in the luxuriant foliage of great oaks and shade trees, with well-kept lawns and tasteful surround ings. There are twenty-five miles of graveled streets, the material of which cements into a smooth, hard surface. The Fox River, connecting the two lakes, bisects the city, and has an average width of five hundred feet and a depth of thirty. The river shore, for two miles, is lined with manu facturing establishments run by steam power. There are some sixty of these, and among them are foundries and machines shops, which manufacture steam engines, boilers and mill machinery; sash and door factories, with a capacity of one thousand doors, two thousand windows, and four hundred pairs of blinds per day; saw and shingle mills, whose products have, in good seasons, loaded sixteen thousand cars per year; threshing machine works; a match factory, which employs three hundred hands; grist mills; a large trunk factory, and woolen mills. These, with the steamboats and sailing crafts plying the river and lake, the moving railroad trains and the busy streets present a scene of great business life and activity. This place is the seat of the State Normal School, an institution of a high order of excel lence. There are also a Business College, two Academies, and the Oshkosh High School, which, with the ward schools, employ about one hundred teachers. A favorite amusement of the place is yacht ing. The Oshkosh Yacht Club has a fleet of twenty yachts, finely modeled crafts, and the lake is famous as the best yachting waters in the West. Fond du Lac, Neenah and Mena sha also have fleets of yachts; these all join in regattas, which make a most attractive sight, and one which never fails to delight the vast crowd of spectators which always assembles to witness it. Lake Winnebago, bounding the eastern side of Winnebago county, a-nd indenting it with deep bays and capacious harbors, forms with its handsome sloping shores of prairie, open ings and woodland, one of the finest natural scenes to be found. It has no overtowering mountains, but this lovely expanse of water. stretching away as far as the eye can reach, and glittering like a gem in its emerald setting of undulating banks and leafy groves until the view fades away in the dim distance, among the hazy points and headlands, is a scene of picturesque beauty that is seldom equaled. This lake and its surroundings, possess great attractions for the summer tourist. The coun try affords delightful drives over good roads, with fine views of lake and river scenery. The climate is healthful. The air pure and dry. Artesian fountains abound, furnishing the best of water; there is good shooting in the season; the game is principally wild water fowl, largely teal, mallard and wood-duck. The fishing is excellent, the water abounding in white and black bass and pike. The shores and harbors are accessible at all points, making safe boat ing for ladies, who largely participate in that amusement. The shores of the lake have most delightful camping-grounds, and steamboat and yachting excursions are frequent; parties. sometimes camping out for a week at a time. A favorite place of resort is Island Park, a beautiful wooded island on the west shore. Another charming place is Clifton, on the eastern shore, in Calumet County; a bold promontory, rising abruptly from the lake to the height of about two hundred feet. Here are caverns and grottoes and precipitous ledges of limestone, affording many interesting nat ural subjects for the geologist and lover of natural studies. The wooded hills of Clifton overlook ing the lake are lovely camping-grounds and' a favorite resort of excursionists. The view of the lake from the summit is magnificent. The lovely expanse of water, dotted with steamers and white sails; while on either hand, in the dim distance, may be seen the smoke arising from the manufacturies of two ofthe principal cities 94 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. ofthe State; and the track of railroad lines on both shores, may be traced by the smoke of the locomotive. What a spectacle is here afforded of the wonderful progress ofthe age! Twenty-eight years ago this location was one ofthe frontiers of Western civilization; and the Indian title not then extinguished to the tract lying west ofthe Fox River, only ten miles distant from Oshkosh, then a frontier village. Now popu lous cities, marts of trade and commerce, with educational institutions, and all the luxuries, and elegancies of modern social life, cluster around these waters — highly cultivated farms cover the whole face of the country — railroads stretch away in every direction ; and the empire of modern progress holds undisputed sway. The Indian wigwam and the pioneer's log cabin are supplanted by the stately mansion and tower ing steeple — the bark canoe and the voy- ageur's bateau have given way to the magni ficent steamer and graceful sail craft; and the generous hospitalities of the pioneer — his hearty welcome — his kindly manners and his brave enterprises that opened up the pathway of progress, are among the things of the past. And now, if the writer, who has endeav ored to sketch the country on the line of these great water courses, and the outlines of its eventful history of two centuries, with its transformations from a wilderness into the pop ulous centers of busy life, has succeeded in drawing the picture, that portion of his task is ended, and the next subject will be the his tory of Winnebago County, and its several cities and towns. WINNEBAGO COUNTY. CHAPTER XXIX. The Fox River Valley and Central Wisconsin — Indescrib ably Charming in its Picturesque Beauty of Commingled Prairie, Woodland, Lakes and Rivers — The Lovely Water Scenery an Especial Feature — The Richest Fertil ity of Soil, with Good Water and a Healthful Climate The Fox Valley a Conjunction of Three Distinct Types of Country, with Great Natural Elements of Productive Wealth, and One ofthe Chief Business Thoroughfares of . the State. ?Y an examination of the map of Wis consin, it will be seen that the Wis consin, and Upperand Lower Fox Riv ers, form a water-line through the entire breadth of the State, whosemain direction is nearly northeast from, the mouth of the Wisconsin, on the Mississippi, to that of the Lower Fox, at Green Bay. This line is the dividing point between two dis tricts of very distinct physical features. The territory lying south of this river line, com prises the great rich prairie and opening dis trict of the State, which stretches from Win nebago county to its southern and western limits. This vast tract, with the exception of the strip of timbered land in the counties bor dering Lake Michigan, constitutes the north eastern section of that great agricultural empire of fertile prairie and openings, which extends to the south and west for distances that include whole States in their vast limita tions, and presenting in almost one continuous body a tract of agricultural country, whose territorial immensity and fertility is unparal leled in the wide world. That portion of it included in the limits ofthe State of Wiscon sin is more diversified with openings and detached bodies of timber, and consequently does not present those great monotonous stretches of level prairie, which largely abound in the more southern portions of the district. The face of this prairie and opening country of Wisconsin is indescribably charming in its picturesque beauty of commingled prairie, wood land, lakes and rivers; forming vast rural landscapes of the most exquisite loveliness. Here are lakes rivaling the finest in the world, with handsome sloping banks rising in the most graceful undulations. The rolling prairie, in a succession of smoothly rounded ridges, stretching away as far as eye can reach, dotted with picturesque openings and bordered with the dense foliage of the more heavily wooded slopes, affording views, whose distant vistas fade into a per spective that resembles some enchanting mir age of wooded hills and grassy lawns, with glimpses of water flecking the whole scene in artistic light and shadows. But in all this magnificent countiy, there is no tract that can surpass, and but few that can equal, that embraced in the counties of Winnebago, Green Lake and western Fond du Lac. These now present one expanse of highly cultivated farms, with farm houses that, in many instan ces are elegant rural villas; spacious barns and good fences, giving every evidence of the wealth and thrift of their occupants. In Green Lake and Winnebago counties, the beautiful water scenery is an especial fea ture, which gives additional charms to the contrasting varieties of prairie and woodland These large bodies of water modify the heat of summer, and purify the air, which is delight fully exhilarating and healthful. These lakes -¦v A' i\w l^fc ' , - m* .-¦-¦'.«r. ' I '¦:'" .. ^¦'V' vji-es-ss- iftes r';^sSp^*^*"- V" '/ #MI : <-v // ,-2;~. ,-: *' .. .5 '¦^¦'.. _± 1 ,- : ,. ¦<-, , ...... ..... / /jj/.'-i.*:!.-".,, il •'Vri«Uj>' « ' V ¦ '¦'- 'i,"tfe'"'-jfev.iy-.-"' ."* . & f;, rr- . .. . "v^ '¦'"¦'! ? ;."-X^-.''-!-'-''^ -^ *- ; *: u i879j HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 95 and rivers, too, form a great water-course through the heart of-the country, which is nav igated by steamers, and upon whose banks have arisen some of the chief cities of the State. Here, then, is a country ofthe richest fertility of soil, with a healthful climate, in which malarial diseases are almost unknown; with pure air and an abundant supply of the best of water; while every portion of it is in close proximity to business centers, and abounding in great physical resources of agri culture and manufacture. Immediately adjoining this country is the heavily timbered region, of northeastern Wisconsin, traversed by navigable streams, and possessing the greatest water-power on the continent, with a capacity, at a number of points, for miles of mills and factories; at one point on the lower Fox the capacity being one hundred and fifteen thousand horse-power. This "timbered" country of northeastern Wisconsin is also a fine agricultural district, in addition to its great manufacturing resources. The thirty large flouring and paper mills, many of them mam moth establishments, in Neenah and Apple- ton, and the extensive iron works and manu factories of wooden ware, at various points on the river, already give evidence of the giant proportions of its manufacturing Capacity, but which is yet in the very infancy of its develop ment. The country, collectively, constitutes the Fox River Valley; the Upper Fox, prairie and openings of the richest fertility; the Lower, hard-wood timber lands, with a good, strong clay soil, while to the northwest is the belt of sandy district, which terminates in the great forest lying beyond. This country, to the north and west of the Upper Fox, with the exception of a portion of Winnebago county, is one distinctively different in its physical fea tures to that lying to the south and east, as stated in the beginning of this article. The vast prairie countrv to the southwest has its northeast boundary in the beautiful valley of the Upper Fox, in which the face of the country, the soil and general features, are similar to those ofthe'best part ofthe southern portions of the State, with the additional fea ture of numerous bodies of navigable waters. A short distance to the north, after crossing the Fox, the character of the country changes, and the region called Northern Wisconsin here has its beginning. The soil changes from the rich, black loam ofthe prairie, and clay of the wooded land into a sandy soil, which very generally prevails in Waushara and northern Marquette counties, and the southern half of Portage and Waupaca, with variable degrees of fertility. After crossing the belt of open, sandy country, the pine and hardwood forests of Northern Wisconsin are reached. The vast region lying beyond the Fox Valley, and and extending north to the shore of Lake Superior, is one of great variety of soil, resources and face of country, embracing small, sandy plains, handsome openings of-fair fertility, extensive cranberry marshes, grass lands, cedar and tamarack swamps, pine lands, and rough, rocky districts, and mineral lands. It is well watered by innumerable lakes and rivers. There are also in Northern Wisconsin large tracts ofthe very finest sugar-maple land, com prising nearly whole townships in a body, with a rich, warm, black soil — as fine farming land as can be found in the West. There is a wide belt of this maple land mixed with other hard wood timber, and an occasional patch of pine, extending through Oconto, Shawano and Mar athon counties. Some townships are already well settled, and large tracts in a good state of cultivation. This whole tract is well supplied with the purest of running water, spring brooks, rivers, and in many locations, beautiful lakes. The country to the north of this is more bro ken, rough and rocky, and constitutes a por tion of the great mineral tract, which extends to Lake Superior. It will be seen, therefore, that this region has a great variety of natural resources in its timber materials, mineral deposits, agricultural lands, navigable streams and water-power. The Wolf River and its large tributaries, flowing from this region, empties into the Upper Fox,, and is navigable for one hundred and fifty miles or more, thus giving the Fox River Valley country water communication and easy accessibility to its vast material resources. It is this conjunction of the respective natu ral elements of three distinct types of country, which constitutes the great manufacturing and business capacity of the Fox River Valley, where Nature, with the most prodigal hand, has scattered the richest elements of productive wealth; and it is this which makes the beautiful country on the line of these water-courses a populous thoroughfare, on which have sprung up thriving cities — the busy centers of modern enterprise and manufacturing activity. 96 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN, [1879. w CHAPTER XXX. County of Winnebago — Tts Area — Face of the County — Altitude — Water, Timber, Soil and Productions. j HE county of Winnebago, comprising sixteen townships, four of which are fractional, constitutes one of the finest tracts in the Fox Valley. It is situ ated west of Lake Winnebago, which bounds its entire eastern border. The tract embraced in its limits forms the northeastern extremity of the great prairie and opening country of Wisconsin; and one more lovely and picturesque cannot be found in the West. Its surface is generally rolling; the more level districts being on the margin of the streams. The greatest altitude is one hundred and seventeen feet above the level of Fox River. The country, in its natural state, resembled avast park, in which prairie, wood land, lake and river combined in one diversi fied scene of natural beauty. It is one of the best watered districts of the State, being intersected by three navigable rivers, the Upper and Lower Fox, and the Wolf, and bordered by Lake Winnebago, a body of water thirty-five miles long and ten to twelve wide. The lovely water scenery of the county is one of its charming features. In nearly every direction the scene embraces dis tant views, disclosing vistas, in which lake and river, prairie and forest are blended together in exquisite harmony. The mouth of the Upper Fox forms one of the most spacious harbors in the State. This stream, between Lake Butte des Morts and Lake Winnebago averages five hundred feet in width. It empties into a handsome bay, on the shores of which Oshkosh is situated. The mouth of the river is a half mile in width, and, with the handsome point that forms the northern out line, and the steamers and numerous sailing crafts moving on its surface, forms a most attractive scene. The shores ofthe lake were originally forest, a belt of "timber" extending inland from two to five miles, which was composed chiefly of oak, sugar-maple, hickory, elm andbasswood. Adjo'ining this were heavy burr-oak openings, which, in some places, approached the shore ofthe lake. Along the shore, in the town of Black Wolf, were what were called "timber openings," and Indian planting grounds; being very large, tall oaks scattered at intervals through open spaces, with occasional thick ets of hazel brush, plum and crab-apple. The undergrowth was so kept down by the annual fires, that large tracts presented the appearance of great, well-kept parks. At some points the lake could be seen through the trees from a distance of one or two miles back from the shore. The Indian planting grounds were mere open spaces, with an occasional tree or clump of bushes, and were the sites of the Indian villages that previously occupied the most eligible points on the lake shore. On Lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poy- gan were also many large Indian clearings, the sites of villages and planting grounds; for, as stated in previous pages, this county was the center of a large Indian population. A large proportion of the shores of the lakes is handsome, undulating land, frequently forming points with gravel and sand beaches. In some places on the margin of the streams and lakes, were extensive hay marshes, with a luxuriant growth of red top and wild pea vine. The bottoms of the smaller streams and the "interval lands" also furnished natural meadows. The soil, though varying much in different localities, when taken as a whole, is nowhere surpassed, — from a deep, purely vegetable mold to a vegetable loam, clay and sand, all resting upon a sub-soil of clay, and small areas of sand mixed with ochre, which makes the earliest and richest soil known. The pre vailing rock is of limestone, which is found in extensive quantities, supplying an abundance of hard, durable building stone, and superior grain growing qualities to the soil. Sand stone is also found to a limited extent. Good water is everywhere abundant; the lakes and streams meandering through the country from various directions, with innumer able springs as feeders, furnish a lavish and never failing supply, while excellent wells are ' readily obtained at a depth of from ten to thirty feet, and by drilling from fifteen to one hnndred feet (generally within forty-five feet), constant flowing fountains of purest water are produced, discharging from two to five feet above the surface, in any part of the county, the deeper fountains supplying water of remarkable medicinal qualities. The lakes and streams abound in a great variety of the finest fish, of which the black bass, rock bass, pickerel, pike, perch and sturgeon, are prominent, affording rare sport to those whose inclination leads in that direc tion; and added to these are the sucker (red horse), buffalo fish, cat-fish, and other varieties. In the northeastern, as in some other por tions, extensive beds of brick clay of superior quality are found and largely utilized, produc ing the cream-colored brick. *.-•*¦' iflw y; .v.*., "$m* W£3I 'il Vi^ nifi iiiuv . ;& Residence of CHARLES MORGAN , Sec. 18 Town of Black Wolf Wis. $#4 "Waukau flouring mills" bean & Palfrey, props, waukau, wis i8i8-35] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 97 The notable products of the county are wheat, rye, oats, corn, barley, buckwheat, hops, potatoes, butter and cheese, horses, cat tle, sheep and hogs; apples, plums, pears, cherries, grapes, and a profusion of the smaller fruits, with an abundance of hay, both natural and cultivated. As evidence ofthe inexhaustible fertility of the soil, Mr. Commodore Rogers, of the. town of Oshkosh, pointed out a field of wheat, just harvested, the twenty-fourth consecutive crop on that piece of land; which was equal to the average of this year's growth within the town. CHAPTER XXXI. Early French Settlers of Winnebago —J- The Trading-Post at Butte des Morts — L. B. Porlier — The Grignons — The Business Center of the Upper' Fox — Trading- Post at Coon's Point, Algoma — Captain William Powell — William John son, the 1 nterpreter — Charles Grignon and Family — Jam es Knagg's Trading Post and Ferry, Near the Site of Algpm a Bridge — Government Agency for the Instruction and Civil ization of the Indians, Established at Winnebago Rapids (now Neenah) — Mills and Buildings Erected for the Use of the Indians at that Place in 1835-36 — Archibald Caldwell — The Abandonment of the Enterprise and Sale of the Site and Buildings to Harrison Reed. iN 1818, Augustin Grignon and James Porlier established a trading post, just below the present village of Butte des- "^f5^. Morts, on the bank of the lake. Mr. ¦H. Grignon was at that time a resident of Kaukauna, and Mr. Porlier resided at Green Bay. Robert Grignon had charge of the post for a time, but subsequently went to Algoma, and started another. In 1832, Mr. L. B. Porlier took charge of the post at Butte des- Morts, and for many years did an extensive business at that point. He still resides at that place, which is one of the oldest historical land-marks of the country; while he is a sur viving representative of the old French-Indian occupation. This place in its day was the business center of the Upper Fox; the Indian trail from Green Bay to Fort Winnebago crossed the Fox at this point. The opposite shore, now a wet marsh, afforded solid footing for a horse. A ferry was kerit and a public house for the accommoda tion of travelers. At times a large number of Indians were congregated at this post, trading their furs for Indian goods, and many a festive backwoods frolic has occurred there. Augustin Grignon, a man most highly esteemed by the old settlers, also kept a pub- Ik house at Kaukauna, which was a favorite resort of officers from forts Howard and Win nebago, who on great occasions used to assem ble with their ladies, to trip the light fantastic toe. General Cass, Governor Dodge, and other high dignitaries, even, have participated in these festive occasions. Another early settler was Peter Powell. He built a place on the shore of the lake in 1832. His son, Captain William Powell, who lived with him at that time, acted a conspicuous part in the early day, and was very popular with both the white settlers and the Indians. He was noted for his fine address and pleasing, genial ways, and for being one of the dryest jokers in the country. In 1835, another trail was adopted for the mail route between forts Howard and Winne bago. This trail crossed the river just below the foot of Lake Butte des Morts, near the present Algoma bridge, and in that year, George Johnson, father of William Johnson, well known to the old settlers, as the Indian interpreter, built on what was afterwards known as Coon's point, two log houses, estab lished a ferry, and opened a tavern. He sub sequently sold the whole establishment to Robert Grignon and William Powell. They afterwards sold the same to James Knaggs, a half-breed, who immediately opened up at this point, a trading post, with a large stock of Indian goods. This was the first business concern within what is now the limits of Oshkosh. In 1839, Charles Grignon, with his family, settled on what is now known as Jackson's Point. .A band of Menominees soon joined him, and an Indian village, with adjacent planting-grounds, sprung up on that site. In 1 83 1, a treaty was concluded with the Menominee Indians, which provided for the payment to them from the Government, of $5,000 per annum, for four years, and after the expiration of that time, $6,000 for twelve years; $4,000 of this latter yearly annuity was to be expended in arms and ammunition; and in pursuance of a plan adopted by the Gov ernment for the civilizing of the Indians, it was agreed upon, that an agency should be established at some suitable place, a Govern ment grist and saw mill erected, and log dwell ing houses for the use of such Indians as would live in them. It was also provided that five farmers should be established atthe agency, at a salary of $300 each per annum, five female school teachers, at $60 each per annum, and mechanics, tools and farming implements. In 1834, Winnebago Rapids (the site of Neenah), was selected for the location of the agency, where the Indians were to be instructed in the arts of civilized life; and in that year Nathaniel 98 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1836-44. Perry, appointed by the Government, as one ofthe farmers, came to this site and erected a log house,, into which he moved with his family. In 1835, the Government made con tracts for the building of the saw and grist mills, and the erection ofthe log houses, with William Dickenson and David Whitney of Green Bay. These parties, with a large num ber of mechanics, entered upon the work, and erected the mills and the bodies of some thirty odd log-houses. The mill occupied the present site of the Winnebago Paper Mills, Davis, Ford & Co., and adjacent to them were the residences of the miller, Colonel David Johnson, and of the blacksmiths, Jourdan & Hunter. The saw mill had one upright saw and the gristmill two runs of stone. Four log houses in different localities were occupied respectively by Nathaniel Perry, Clark Dickenson, Robert Irwin and Ira Baird, who were appointed by the Government to act in the capacity of instructors of the Indians in the art of agriculture. Some thirty odd log-houses in three rows, were in various stages of completion, and par tially occupied by the Menominees, who seemed to be generally averse to living in them; preferring to pitch their wigwams outside. About this time, Richard Pritchett settled at the Rapids, and was allowed to occupy one of the houses. Archibald Caldwell came about the same time and lived with a Menominee woman as his consort. He took a deep inter est in the welfare of the Indians and was highly esteemed by them. The Indians, not proving very apt pupils in anything requiring very steady application and industry, the project was soon abandoned; and the whites, who were in the employment of the Government, left the place. Clark Dickenson moving into the southern part of the County, finally settled at Oshkosh, and was at one time Register of Deeds. In 1838, the small pox broke out among the Indians at the Winnebago Rapids agency, and the Government surgeon was sent from Kau kauna, by the agent at that place; but on his arrival, instead of visiting the patients, he sought out Caldwell, left his medicine chest with him, gave him instructions for treating the disease and fled to a place of safety. Cald well and his wife faithfully administered to the sick ones, and were untiring in their exertions, until they were at last stricken themselves with the contagion. Caldwell's wife died, but he recovered, and continued to reside in the vicinity of Neenah for many years, and finally removed to Shiocton. The buildings at the Rapids fell into neglect and decay, and the Government advertised for sale the land, buildings, tools and imple ments. In 1844, Harrison Reed purchased the same, and commenced the permanent set tlement of Neenah. CHAPTER XXXII. First Permanent Settlers in Winnebago County —The Stanleys and Gallups — The First Houses in Oshkosh — Henry A. Gallup's Interesting Narrative — New Accessions to the Population in the Arrival of the Wrights and Evanses — First Matrimonial Event in the County — Joseph Jackson Sets a Good Example to the Bachelors. HE first permanent settlers in Winne bago, County,, in its American occu pation, were the Stanleys and the Gallups,- who settled at the present siteot Oshkosh, in 1836. Those who preceded them were temporary occupants, either connected with the old French-Indian occupation, or in the employment of the Gov ernment, and moving with the Indians from place to place. That settlement which pro duces substantial results in the progress and improvement of a country, was now to com mence. Webster Stanley, while in the employment ofthe Government, engaged in transporting supplies from Fort Howard to Fort Winne bago, in 1835, observed, as he passed this place, its natural beauty and great advantages, and was So favorably impressed with it that he resolved to settle on the same. In 1836, he was engaged in the construction of the Government buildings at Winnebago Rapids, and, on their completion, he procured one of the agency's Durham boats, and load- - ing it with a year's supply of provisions, lum ber, tools and such furniture as he was posses sed of, he and his family embarked, and were on their way to the foot of Lake Butte des Morts, a locality that had particularly charmed him. They reached Garlic Island the first night, where they remained till morning, when they again started and reached the mouth of the Fox in the afternoon. They landed on the south side, and Mr. Stanley, and his son Henry, thoroughly explored the location, and then encamped for the night. The next morning they started for the locality afterwards known as Coon's Point, now in the Fifth Ward of the City of Oshkosh, where they duly arrived and unloaded their goods. The crew assisted him 1836.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 99 to erect a shanty, into which the family moved, and then the former took their departure. Stanley's nearest neighbor was one Knaggs, an Indian trader on the opposite side of the river. With him Mr. Stanley soon became acquainted, and accepted an offer to take the ferry and tavern business of Knagg's, on shares. He therefore moved the establishment to his side of the river, and comm'enced his new vocation. During that year the Government made a treaty at Cedar Rapids with the Menominee Indians, Governor Dodge acting as com missioner, which resulted in the cession to the United States of about four million acres of land, lying north of Fox River and west of Lake Winnebago. The" Governor, while on his return home from the treaty-coun cil, was ferried across the river by Mr. Stan ley, whom he informed of the result. Our pioneer then lost no time in availing himself of the knowledge of the purchase, and being joined by Mr. Gallup and the sons of the lat ter, they made claims to the tract lying on the north side of the mouth of the river. Mr. Gallup's claim embraced the beautiful point formed by the mouth of the river and Lake Winnebago; and contained one hundred and seventy acres. Mr. Stanley's tract adjoined Mr. Gallup's to the west, one hundred and seventeen acres. They erected a house on Mr. Stanley's claim, in which both families lived until the following November, when Mr. Gallup built a log house on his own land, and the future city of Oshkosh had its first perma nent residents. These two families led the way in the present occupancy of the country. We find them here in the midst of an unsettled wilder ness, the nearest point of intercourse with civ ilization being Green Bay and Milwaukee, some fifty and seventy-five miles distant, respectively; with no lines of travel, and the nearest settler at Neenah, thirteen miles dis tant, and the Piers at Fond du Lac, the only white settlers and civilized habitation between here and Milwaukee. But this part of the early history of Oshkosh is best told in the following very interesting and- well-written narrative, from the pen of Henry A. Gallup. After mentioning their arrival at Green Bay, and describing that place, he says: " When we left Ohio our destination was Lake Winnebago, and leaving our father, and mother, and sister, in good quar ters, myself and brother started for that particular locality without making any inquiries, except as to the direction and distance. We started on foot, our course being up the Fox River. A sandy road oT five miles, thickly settled by French and half-breeds, with quaint-looking houses, many of them sur- ¦ rounded by palisades and' the windows secured by shutters, brought us to Depere, u. rival of Green Bay. Here we found quite a number of houses, and extensive preparations for build ing more. We were told here it was necessary to cross the river, and were accordingly ferried over in a skiff, an Indian trail pointed out to us to follow, and were told it was ten miles to the first housei Five miles carried us beyond civilization. We expected to find a new country, but were quite unprepared to find it entirely unsettled, and a foot path ten miles in length struck me as remarkable. Our trail led us directly along the river. Sometimes we were on the top ofthe hill, and then our path would wind down to the very water's edge to avoid, some .deep ravine, as nature seldom makes bridges. The scenery was beautiful, the side of the river we were upon was quite. open, while the other side was heavily timbered. The waters of the broad river undisturbed, except by an occasional Indian canoe, which seemed to float so beautifully, we were sorry we had not adopted that mode of travel. Our trail would some times pass through a grove of wild plum or crab apple trees with scarcely room enough for a person to pass, which sug- dested to us ambuscades, and we were always glad when we were through with them. Indian file was the mode of travel- ¦ ing in those days. Our ten miles was soon over ; when we came down upon a low natural prairie, covered with a luxur- ¦ iant growth of grass; the river had quite an expansion, and in it were several little grass islands. This was Petit Kackalin, and here was the house spoken of; a log house with the usual lay-out buildings, and surrounded by a dozen Indian wigwams. This was the residence of Eleazer Williams. The veritable Dauphin of France ; but he was as ignorant of the fact at that time, as we were ourselves. As we approached the house, we were beset by an army of Indian dogs, and their bark was as intelligible to us as anything we heard on the premises. The Indians looked their astonishment at seeing two Kich-e-ma-ka- man boys in. their encampment. We made many inquiries of them, but got laughed at for our pains. As none of Williams' family could be found, it seemed like seeking information under difficulties ; and finding the trail that led up the river, we pushed on, feeling satisfied that if we had gained no inform - - ation, we had not .imparted any, so the Indians and we were even. Our next point, we had been told, was Grand Kack-a- lin, which, for some reason — perhaps the name — we supposed was quite a place. About sundown, we came down from the high bank upon which our trail had been, upon the most beau tiful flat of land I ever saw, covered with a tuft of short grass and dotted all Over with little groves of crab-apple and plum trees. The flat contained perhaps a hundred acres, the hill enclosing it in the shape of a crescent, and the boiling rapid river in front, which here is more than half a mile in width. Here we found several large springs, very strongly impreg nated with sulphur, at which we drank. Upon th,is flat we discovered a large pile of buildings which consisted of a large dwelling-house and trading-post, with the necessary out build ings, and belonging to Mr. Grignon, an Indian trader. This Was the Grand Kackalin, but the name is applied to the rapids in the river. "Our greeting here was still more cordial than at our last place of calling, as there were more dogs. At this house we applied for food and lodging, but without success. Things began to have rather an unpleasant look, and we began to think we were too far from home — twenty miles from Green Bay and fifteen from any place. • "On looking about the premises we discovered, for the first 100 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1836. time after crossing the river, something that wore pantaloons ; and on accosting him, found that he could speak English. He was half negro, and the balance Stockbridge Indian. He informed us that Mr. Grignon was not at home, and there would be no use of trying to get accommodations in his absence. That he lived directly on the opposite side ofthe river — that his canoe would not carry us — but he would get an Indian to take us over, and that we should be his guest over night. To all these propositions we readily consented, and procuring an Indian to take us across, we got into a log canoe, when our ferryman, an old Indian of perhaps eighty or ninety years, tak ing his position in the stern with a shoving pole, shoved us safely through the boiling waters. Passing the night under the hospitable roof of our mixed friend, we hailed our native ferryman, and were again soon upon our march. "At a point five miles from the Grand Kack-a-lin, called Little Chute, we found a Catholic Mission in course of erection, to which Nym Crynkle gives a very ancient origin. The man ner of building was a very curious one, which was by setting up posts about eight feet apart, and then filling up between with small logs and pinning through the posts into the corners of the logs. There were but one or two men at work upon it. It was afterwards occupied by a Catholic priest, who was also a physician, and administered to one band of the Menomonee Indians, both bodily and spiritually, with very beneficial results. Five miles further brought us to the Grand Chute, now Appleton. Here was a perpendicular fall in the river of seven feet, but close to the shore the rock had worn away so that a boat could take the plunge in going down, and be led up by ropes if quite light. Here the Durham boats, which did all the freighting at that time up and down the river, were obliged to discharge their freight and roll it along under the bank on poles to above the falls. The boats were then lifted and dragged up by a large party of Indians and reloaded above. The amount of freighting was then considerable. All the Government supplies for Fort Winnebago were passed up this way and detachments of soldiers often passed in the same manner. Nothing could exceed the grandeur of the scenery at this point, everything at that time being in its wild and nat ural state, and no habitation within miles. Just below the falls, at the mouth of a little ravine, was a little plat of grass turf among a grove of plum and forest trees, entwined with wild grape vines, which was the favorite camping-ground, and a more enchanting spot was never fonnd. lhad the pleasure of camping here two nights that same fall, in the month of Novem ber under most unfavorable circumstances — a crew of drunken Indians with nothing but the canopy of Heaven above us. But still the place had attractions for me. Following the bank of the river a short distance above, our trail suddenly diverged from the river, and we found ourselves floundering through the woods and mud of Mud Creek. This was the first place we had found but what had some attractions. This was dis mal enough. A few miles and we emerged into another enchanting spot of ground known as Little Bntte des Morts, or Mounds of the Dead. Here on a rising piece of ground are several large mounds where the dead of some Indian battle had been buried. An expansion of the river here is called Little Butte des Morts Lake, at the upper end of which appears to be quite a village. This was Winnebago Rapids, (now Neenah.) Here the Government had built a grist and saw mill and had commenced the building of a large number of small log houses for the Menominee Indians, which were in different stages of completion, when the work was stopped by the Indians con senting to sell the land to the Government. Some of the houses the Indians had taken possession of by tearing out the floors and pitching their tent on the ground inside the walls. They were also furnished with four farmers to instruct the Indians in farming, at a salary of $300 per annum, which the Indians paid. These farmers were the only inhabitants of the place, at the house of one of whom, Mr. Clark Dickinson, we were welcomed and furnished with our dinner. We could make but-a short stay, as we still had sixteen miles to travel without a habitation. " Our trail now ran across the country, through prairies and openings, to Knagg's Ferry, now in the Fifth Ward of the City of Oshkosh, and just above Algoma Bridge. I do not suppose I could, at this time, trace that trail through all the highly cultivated fields between these two points. But at that time it was a lonesome journey, indeed; all the low ground was covered with water a foot deep, and grass up to our arms, and in the whole distance we did not see a living thing with the exception of a few prairie chickens. Arriving at the river at the point mentioned, we found a log house belonging to Mr, Knaggs, a half-breed, and owner of the ferry, but which was then run by Webster Stanley, who lived on the opposite side of the river in a board shanty, and who, in answer to our call, came over for us. We were once more among friends. Mr. Stanley had, about two years before, left Ohio and went to Green Bay, and then to Winnebago Rapids, and had, within thirty days previous to our arrival at the ferry, moved to thjs point. We now learned that our journey, from where we had crossed the river five miles from Green Bay, had all been through Indian territory, and that we were now for the first time on Government land. " We had at last arrived at our journey's end, and our next object was to bring up the family. There were just two ways to do it. One way was on horseback, by land ; the other by wacer. We adopted the latter, and, procuring a large bark canoe and an Indian, we started. Passing down the river we stopped at an Indian encampment on what is now Jackson's Point, and procured another Indian, which was thought to be sufficient crew — respectively named No-to-kee-sleek and Kish-e-quom — two fellows who were full of fun and frolic, and who, if we could have talked with them would, no doubt, have been very companionable. We then saw, for the first time, the spot on which the City of Oshkosh now stands. Our Indians worked with a will, and we very soon passed through Lake Winnebago, and were in the rapid waters ofthe Lower Fox. Here the Indians laid aside their paddles and taking long poles confined themselves entirely to steering the boat clear of rocks, the sharp points of many of which were above water. We were leisurely enjoying the beautiful scenery of the river when we were startled by the sudden velocity of 0111 canoe and the wild whoop of our Indians. On looking about us we found ourselves on the very brink of the falls. The Indians had, from a. listless manner and sitting posture, sud denly sprang to their feet, one in the bow, and the other in the stern, and every nerve was strung, for their energies were to be tried to the utmost. Their manner was really terrifying. We had hardly time to notice so much before we had taken the fearful leap and were in the breakers below. One false set with the steering pole and we were surely lost. I watched the Indians closely — they were as pale and stern as marble stat ues. The bow of our canoe, whep we descended into the breakers, struck a rock, which stove considerable of a hole through it, when our leeward Indian, with the qufckhess of i836.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 101 thought, had his blanket over the hole and his foot upon it. We were going with the speed of a race-horse. About a mile below the falls we were enabled to make a landing and repair damages. We again encountered very rapid and rough water at the Kack-a-lin, but the Indians were masters ofthe situation and we passed through in safety, and arrived at Green Bay towards night ofthe same day. Taking the family and a few necessary articles into our frail craft, the next day we started on our return, which we accomplished in two days; the Indians using paddles in still water, poles in moderately swift water, and walking and leading the canoe when it was very rapid, "The appearance of the country on the west shore of Lake Winnebago, from Neenah up, was beautiful to look upon from our canoe — heavily timbered from Neenah to Garlic Island, and the balance of the way openings. "We had now arrived at the point started for when we left Ohio — the veritable Lake Win nebago. Now the questions to decide were: Where to locate? Who to buy of? Should we buy? The country from Oshkosh to Nee nah then belonged to the Menominee Indians. From Oshkosh (or Fox River) south to where Fond du Lac now is, and around on the east side of the lake as far as Calumet, belonged to the Government. Then came- the Brother- town Indians' land, fronting six miles on the lake ; and, adjoining them north, the Stock- bridge Indians, with the sameamount of front age ; the Government owning the balance of the country around to Menasha. "We now decided to make the circuit ofthe lake, so as to better understand the situation, which we accomplished in about a week's time, using a pack-horse to carry our baggage, and encountering but one white family in the round trip, which was Mr. Pier, who had just built a log house on the Fond du Lac Creek. After getting back and comparing notes, the follow ing was the summing up of all we had seen and heard : First from Green Bay to this point of our sojournment on the west side of the river and lake belonged to the Indians, and but three white families the entire distance of fifty miles, and but one family between us and Fort Winnebago (now Portage City) and Mr. Pier's the only house between here and Mil waukee and Sheboygan. Being better pleased with the west side ofthe lake than any other place we had seen, and learning that the Gov ernment intended trying to purchase it of the Indians the coming fall, we decided to await the issue, in the meantime amusing ourselves with hunting and fishing and explorations. In September I had the pleasure of ferrying Gov ernor Dodge and suite over the river myself — the ferryman being absent — who was on his way to the annual Indian payment then held at Cedar Rapids, near the Grand Chute, (now Appleton.) The entire party (six I think) were on horseback, the Governor armed to the teeth. He had two pairs of pistols, and a bowie knife on his person, and a brace of large horse pistols in his saddle holsters, I suppose to impress upon the Menominees, what he told the Winnebagoes a few years before — that he was as brave as Julius Caesar. At this pay ment then held, the treaty was formed, ceding to the Government the territory from here to Green Bay, and although the treaty could not be ratified until December, we did not choose to wait — never doubting but what the old vet eran Governor knew what he was about. Accordingly in the month of October, 1836, we commenced the erection of two log houses on ground now within the city of Oshkosh. The Indians were quite plenty here at that time and manifested some curiosity as to what we were, doing, but were perfectly friendly. Mr. Webster Stanley was the owner and occu pant of the first house. About the first of Novem ber we had to make another trip to Green Bay for our goods. We hired a boat called a lighter, this time, of about six tons capacity, and with a crew often or twelve Indians we made the trip up in seven days, arriving at home on the evening ofthe sixteenth of November. Camp ing out and cooking rations for that trip was anything but pleasant at that season of the year. It was the last day that a boat could have passed through, the lake freezing entirely over that night. "Although liking the excitement of a new country, I must confess that that first winter was rather tedious. Our two families were the only ones nearer than Neenah or Fond du Lac, with no roads but the Lake, and surrounded by Indians, no less than five hundred' winter ing within what is now the City of Oshkosh. The next summer was passed rather more pleasantly, the monotony being relieved by an occasional Durham boat passing up the river with supplies for Fort- Winnebago, and fre quently a company of United States soldiers. "We had made some little progress in the way of farming, and in the fall of 1837 had raised some few crops, and sowed the first acre of winter wheat ever sowed in Wisconsin, and only to have the most of it stolen by the Indians, the next summer, as soon as harvested, they carrying it off in the sheaf in their canoe. "In the winter of 1837 we had the first accession to our population by the arrival of two more families, Messrs. Evans and Wright, and from that time the country began to set tle slowly on both sides of the river — that upon the north side not coming into market until 1840. We had given this point (the mouth of the river) the name of "Athens," and -goods were so marked at Green Bay des- 102 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1836-77. tined for this place; but at a meeting of the inhabitants, called for the purpose of choosing a name for this particular locality, which was held at the house of George Wright, and which was attended by all the French and half-breeds from as far up the river as Butte des Morts, and who, in fact, had no interest in the place or its name, it was decided by an even vote that the place or locality should be known hereafter and forever as "Oshkosh." But it came nearer to universal suffrage than any election I everattended, and smoking was par ticipated in to that extent that you could not recognize a person across the room, the smoke was so dense — plug tobacco and kinnikinick (the bark of a bush by that name) mixed in about equal quantities. Such was the christen ing of Oshkosh. " In 1837, Mr. George Wright Sr., and his family, and David and Thomas Evans, settled on land adjoining the Gallups and Stanleys. These four families now comprised the set tlement, which was called Athens (rather more classical than the present name), and they are to be regarded as the early founders of the city of Oshkosh. They have all taken an active part in advancing its enterprises, and have proved useful and valuable citizens. In the following spring, an event of much local interest occurred, chronicled in the Green Bay papers as follows: Married — At Athens, March 8, 1838, at the house of Chester Gallup, Esq., by the Rev. S. Peet, Mr. Joseph Ja'ckson, and Miss Emeline Wright, daughter of George Wright, Esq., all of that place. Mr. Jackson and wife shortly after went to Green Bay, where he resided for a short time, and came to Oshkosh again in 1839. Mr. Stanley lived to see the transition from a wilderness to a populous and thriving city; but he derived but little benefit from his fron tier enterprise, having, in one way or another, lost all his property, and removed from here a few years since, one of the numerous exam ples ofthe pioneers who endure the hardships and privations incident to the early settlement, and the fruits of whose labors are enjoyed by those who come into after-possession. Mr. Chester Gallup, an enterprising and deserving man, highly esteemed in the new community, died in 1849; leaving to his chil dren the inheritance of a good name, and the possession of valuable lands. This land, hav ing become desirable for village lots, the Gal lups sold the same, and moved on to farms adjoining the present city limits. But Henry and John were always identified with Oshkosh and its interests, and although a large portion of their early years was passed among the rough scenes of frontier life, yet they were gentlemen of much culture, fine address and courteous manners, and had acquired, through contact with leading minds and events, and the incongruous social elements which surrounded them, that intimate knowledge of men and things which rather characterize men of varied experience in the great channels of business life. They will be kindly remembered for their hearty and generous hospitality; for their unremitting kindness to neighbors and friends, and their pleasant, companionable qualifications of heart and mind. The writer of this could not pass in this connection with out paying the above trifling tribute to their worth. Amos Gallup, who will be well remembered by the old settlers as an enterprising and intelligent man, a kind and good neighbor, moved from here to Missouri, about the year i860, and died a few years subsequent. John continued to reside in Oshkosh till the time of his death, which occurred in 1876, and Henry lived on his place adjoining the city limits until 1877, when he moved to California. Mr. George Wright, Sr., died in 1841, uni versally lamented. His sons, George F., W W. , and P. V. Wright, who succeeded to the estate, have ever taken a prominent part in advancing the interests of the city, and have been among its honored and influential citi zens, George F will be remembered for his efforts, in conjunction with Albert Lull and others, to build a railroad to the southwest via Ripon. He was the first County Clerk of this county, and held other responsible offices. He died a few years ago, lamented by a large cir cle of friends. W. W. Wright was the first County Treas urer, and was associated with Joseph Jackson in the survey ofthe first village plat. P. V. Wright also took an active part in improving and building up the city. A year ago he moved to California, on account of failing" health. I837-44-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 103 CHAPTER XXXIII. Early Settlement of Winnebago County — More Accessions to the Population — Chester Ford— Milan Ford — Jason Wilkins — J. C. Coon — J. L. Schooley — Stephen Brooks — Samuel Brooks — W. C. Isbell — Doctor Christian Linde— Carl Linde — Wm. A. Boyd — Jefferson Eaton — Simon Quai- termass — Clark Dickenson — C. B. Luce — G. H. Mansur — Harrison Reed Commences Operations at Neenah — Governor Doty and Curtis Reed Commence Work at Menasha — The First House Built at that Place — L. M. Parsons Commences the Settlement at Waukau — First Set tlers in the Several Towns of the County. gHE next settlers in the county were Chester Ford and his son Milan, who arrived in the fall of 1837 Mr. Ford soon assumed prominence in public affairs, and was a leading member of the Board of Supervisors, and one of the chief business men of Oshkosh. His son, Milan-, has risen to the dignity of an "Hon.," and is now serving his second term as a mem ber of the Legislature. The next settlers in this county were Jason Wilkins,. who arrived in the fall of 1837, and took up a claim on the lake shore, north of Miller's point, and Ira Aiken., who settled on the lake shore, near the site ofthe asylum. Joseph Jackson, after his marriage, returned to Green Bay. He moved to Oshksoh from that place ini839,and built a log house on the pres ent site of Kahler's brewery. In 1 844he '-built the first frame house in Oshkosh; it occupied the present site ofthe Beckwith. In 1846, in con nection with W. W Wright, he surveyed and platted a tract into village lots, now the west side of Main street. He contributed liberally toward the growth ofthe city; was elected the second mayor; re-elected, and has held many other offices of trust and honor. Mr. C. J. Coon arrived in 1839, and pur chased land from Robert Grignon. It is the site of the Sawyer and Paine property. He built his house near the site of the Paine mill. Mr. Coon was looked upon as a substantial addition to to the infant settlement, and was a man of much influence. Joseph L. Schooley made a claim the same year in what is now the town of Oshkosh. He worked, at times, as a printer on the Green Bay Intelligencer, the first newspaper printed in Wisconsin.Stephen Brooks and family came in 1839, and took up land near the site ofthe asylum. Samuel Brooks came in 1842, and subse quently settled at what is now called Brooks' Corners. He was a surveyor, and run out the first roads which were opened in the country, and was the first County Surveyor. W C. Isbell came next, and took a very prominent part in public affairs, and was a member of the first Board of Supervisors, the members of which were Chester Ford, W. C. Isbell and L. B. Porlier. William A. Boyd, son-in-law of Chester Ford, settled on what is now the Roe farm, about a mile from the city limits, in June, 1840. He brought with him twenty-one sheep, the first ever brought into this county. He shipped them by water from Cleveland to Green Bay, and drove them from that place, on an Indian trail. He also brought in the first stock of leather, and manufactured the first boots and shoes ever made in this county, and was one of the first mail carriers. His route was semi-monthly, on an Indian trail, from Green Bay to Stanley's Ferry. When Mr. Boyd was moving into the country he met, at Green Bay, Mr. Clark Dickenson, who was intimately acquainted with Mr. Boyd's friends, at the mouth of the Fox; and that gentleman kindly proffered to Mrs. Boyd the loan of his saddle horse as a means of convey ance, which offer was thankfully accepted; and, seated on the horse with an infant in her arms, she made the trip" from the Bay to this place, Mr. Boyd on foot driving the sheep. Doctor Christian Linde, now a resident of the city of Oshkosh, emigrated' from Denmark to this country in 1842. He was accompanied by his brother Carl, and, on the seventeenth of July they purchased from Col. Tullartwo hun dred and eighty acres of land, now occupied by the Northern Insane Asylum, on which they built a log house, very nearly where the Asylum now stands, into which they imme diately moved. In 1843 the doctor married a daughter of Clark Dickinson. In November, 1844, Carl Linde, under the necessity of obtaining flour, crossed the lake to the mill at Stockbridge (the only accessible mill then in operation) in a small boat with a grist. Arriving at the mill, he was unable to obtain his grist in time to return the same day, and as it was very cold, with every prospect of the lake freezing over, he left his boat, and, procuring a canoe, started for home. After leaving the Stockbridge shore, he was not seen again until his body was found by Col onel Tullar and some Indians, near Grand .Chute, the following spring; but the day after his departure from Stockbridge, his canoe could be seen from that shore, and, sufficient ice having formed during the night to enable the neighbors to walk out to it, they found it had not been upset, but judged from appear ances that he had endeavored to convert his blanket into a sail, and in the attempt had lost his balance, and fallen overboard. The sides of the canoe gave ample evidence that he had 104 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i843-5o. clung to it until exhausted with cold, and in his efforts had cut his hands with the ice, the gunwales being covered with blood. Doctor Linde remaining on the farm until 1846, removed to Green Bay, where he prac ticed his profession for about one year, during which time his son, Doctor Fred Linde, was born, March twenty-ninth, 1847. the only child ofthe first marriage. Returning to Oshkosh, he traded his farm to Colonel L. M. Miller, for one and a half acres where the First National bank now stands. In 1850, he moved to Fonddu Lac, practic ing his profession for some two years. In 1853. tired of his profession, and longing for a "life in the woods," he, in partnership with Colonel L. M" Miller, Edward Eastman, Nel son Davis, and Caleb Hubbard, purchased a site and laid out a town at Mukwa, on Wolf River, where he built a comfortable frame house, and for six years dispensed a generous hospitality to his numerous friends, particu larly to those who, like himself, derived great pleasure from the use ofthe rod and the gun. Here he was assisted by the embryo physician and surgeon Fred, (we never called him doc tor in those days), who did the honor of the house in his father's absence, and acted as pur veyor general. Mr. Jefferson Eaton migrated to Wisconsin in 1843. Arriving at the Fond du Lac settle ment, he left his family at that place, and took the trail for Oshkosh, where he duly arrived. In the fall he moved his family on to the tract of land, in the town of Oshkosh, where he has since resided — two hundred and twenty acres, one hundred of which he has since sold to the Northern Insane Asylum. He acted as one of the commissioners in laying out the first roads in the county. Mr. George H. Mansur and family settled at Neenah in 1843 — the first white family per manently settled at that place. For particu lars, see " History of Neenah," in this work. Harrison Reed, in 1844, purchased from the government the five hundred and sixty-two and forty-four-one hundredths acres of land, which constituted the agency ground at Win nebago Rapids, with the buildings on the same, tools and implements, moved his family there that year, and commenced laying the foundations ofthe future city of Neenah. (See history of that city on subsequent pages.) Governor Doty, in 1845, built his log house on the island, and took up his residence in the same. Governor Doty was a man who acted a very conspicuous part in the history of Wis consin. In 1820, he was secretary to the expedition of Governor Cass, and with him traveled through the great lakes, the Fox and Wisconsin, and ascended to the sources ofthe Mississippi in birch bark canoes. In I823 he was appointed United States District Judge for the northern district of Michigan, which included the northern part of the present State of Michigan, all of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. This year he was married, and moved, with his wife, to Prairie du Chien, traveling from Green Bay to that place in a birch bark canoe. The next year he moved to Green Bay. In 1836 he donated the land for the site of a State Capitol. In 1841 he was appointed Governor ofthe territory of Wisconsin, which position he held three years. It seems that in all his travels, he found no place more attractive to him than the beautiful island at the foot ofthe lake, called after him, for he continued to reside there from 1845 till he was appointed, in 1861, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Utah. He died at Salt Lake City, in 1865. His cosy looking cottage on the island is in a good state of preservation, and one ofthe attractive features of John Rob erts' Summer Resort, being a historical relic of the early times. Curtis Reed, associated with Governor Doty in the ownership ofthe water power at Menasha and of the adjoining land, went to that place in June, 1848, forthe purpose of improv ing the water power and starting the future city of Menasha. He built a log house at the head of the canal which was used as a tavern and boarding house. At this time the site'of the present city of Menasha was a wilderness, untouched by the hand of man. He next erected another log building which he occu pied as a store, and then commenced the con struction of the present dam. Before the close of the year some eight or ten families had set tled in Menasha, so called by Mrs. Governor Doty. L. M. Parsons, still a resident of the town of Rushford, made the first settlement in that town March 7th, 1846, erecting at that time a house ten by twelve, in which he afterwards accommodated the travelling public to the extent of its capacity. The same year J. R. and Uriah Hall, the Stones, Deyoes, John Johnson, J. Mallory and the Palfreys settled in the vicinity. Mr. Par sons erected a saw-mill the same fall, and in 1850 completed a grist mill which was very popular in its day. The present fine mill of Bean & Palfrey, celebrated for the superiority of its flour, now occupies the site. The first settlers in the Town of Winneconne, after the old French settlers, were Samuel Champion and his son John, Samuel Lobb and Residence and Cheese Factory of John Ryf Sec.33,TownofOshkosk,Wis. ^ j; "^Mmmm . ,vsV;M 'SW ,-S© *^t^i':*v''"teK?».v)i i> f'-JTml ¦Yr-'>M 4#r» ?'* »\tF i 846.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 105 George Bell and family, who located here in the spring of 1846. Mrs. Bell was the first white woman in the town, and in the fall when the fever and ague prevailed to such an extent that she was the only well person in the settlement, she har rowed in a field of winter wheat. The same fall, having lived for some time on boiled wheat, she yoked the oxen, and loading a grist on the wagon started for Neenah, twelve miles dis tant, with no road but an Indian trail. Return ing in the night with her grist she was enter tained with the howling of the wolves, and arrived home about midnight. About a month after the advent ofthe Bell's, Mr. Greenbury Wright accompanied by Dr. A. B. Wright, now of this city, located on the present site of Buttes des Morts, and now enjoys the distinction of being the oldest resi dent family in town. In that year the settlement received acces sions in the arrival of George Cross, J. Ashby, L. McConifcr, Stephen Allen, William Cau'lk- ins, Edwin Boulden and George Snider. Mr. George Cross was engaged at a very early day in Western explorations, having vis ited Wisconsin in 183 5, and was engaged in running the line ofthe Fourth Principal Merid ian; he also accompanied Governor Doty in his explorations. (See history of Winneconne.) Joseph H. Osborn and John Smith built houses on their present farms in the now Town of Algoma in 1846. Mr. Osborn took a prominent part in the early affairs of the County, for which see history. C. L. Rich migrated to this County in 1845. On reaching Cereseo, he took the Indian trail for Stanley's ferry, and reaching his destination, was ferried across and put up at Stanley's tavern, which, with Amos Dodge's little store and a few log houses, comprised all of the beginning of the future City of Oshkosh. About two hundred Indians were encamped on the river shore at the time. In that year he selected his present fine farm in the Town of Oshkosh. The country was almost an unset tled wilderness, there being only three or four log houses between his place and the Neenah settlement. The Town of Utica had its first settler in the person of Erwin Heath, afterwards post master of the City of Oshkosh. In February, 1846, Mr. Heath selected a claim in the now town of Utica, and built a log house on the same. On the first of April, of that year, he started from Jefferson County, Wisconsin, where he had been living, for his new home in Winnebago. He took with him four yoke of oxen, hitched to a wagon, loaded with household goods, farming tools, feed and provisions; and also, drove a lot of live stock, composed of neat cattle, sheep and hogs. He was compelled to ford the streams, there being. no bridges this side of Beaver Dam, and in fact, no road cut for a long portion ofthe distance. Arriving at his place on the tenth of April, he found himself monarch of all he sur veyed; the nearest house being at Cereseo, the Fourierite settlement, eight miles distant. The next, were the settlers near the mouth of the Fox, Oshkosh. On the night of his arrival, a heavy snow storm set in, and snow fell to the depth of fourteen inches. In the morning, Mr. Heath set two men, who were with him, to work chinking and mudding up the house, and then started with an ox team and sled for Daikens, near Green Lake, twelve miles distant, to procure a load of hay. A heavy crust had formedthat would hold a man, but the cattle broke through at every step, which made very painful and tedious traveling. He arrived at Daikens that night, got his load of hay, and reached home with it the next night. While he was gone the men had fed all the feed they had to the stock, and when Mr. Heath approached his place, all the stock came running to meet him, bellowing a wel come, and commenced to help themselves, eating as he moved it along. Leaving it over night on the sled where they could feed at their pleasure, he found it all gone in the morning. The snow disappeared as suddenly as it came, and the stock found abundant feed on the Rush Lake marshes, from that time on. E. B. Fisk was the next settler in Utica, locating on the beautiful place now known as Fisk's Corners, where he dispensed a bountiful hospitality in the early day. Armine Pickett and David H. Nash arrived in May, 1846, with their families, and settled on places which they had selected the previous fall. George Ransom and family were also among the very earliest settlers in this town, having settled on the beautiful farm near Fisk's Cor ners, now occupied by one of his sons, E. B. Ransom, in the same month of Heath's and Pickett's settlement, viz: April, 1846. These were soon followed by C. W. Thrall, T. J. Bowles, H. Styles and others. The first settlement in the Town of Nepeuskun was made by Jonathan Foote and family, in March 1846. The Footes, after living in their wagon some weeks, finished a shanty, thirteen by sixteen feet, in which they entertained new comers. In May, of that year, Lucius Townsend and 14 106 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-50. brother arrived and took up claims. On the day of their arrival, they took a_ plow from their wagon and turned the first furrow ever plowed .in the soil of Nepeuskun. Before the close of the year they received as accessions to the settlement A. B. and J. H. Foster, Samuel Clough, Jerome Betry, S. Van Kirk, J. Nash, D. Barnum, T. F. Lathrop, George Walbridge, W C. Dickerson, L. B. Johnson, H. F Grant, John Van Kirk, Solomon Andrews, H, Stratton, and Alonzo J. Lewis. The first settlement made in the Town of Vinland was in the spring of 1846, by N. P. Tuttle, followed immediately by Horace Clem- ans, who settled on Section twenty-five, now Clemansville, and Jeremiah Vosburg on Sec tion fifteen. The same year came W. W. Libby, Charles Scott, W. Partridge, Silas M. Allen, Samuel Pratt, Jacob and Walter Weed, William Gumaer, and Thomas Knott, Jr. In 1849 came A. T. Cronkhite, L. Beemis, Chas. Libby, Henry Robinson, and others. The first settlers in the Town of Clayton were D. C. Darrow and William Berry, who came in 1846. They were followed by Alexander Murray, John Axtell, William Robinson, Ben jamin Strong. L. H. Brown, William M. Stew art, George W. Giddings, W. H. Scott, L. Hinma-n, J. F. Roblee,and others as early set tlers. The Town of Omro was first organized under the name of Buttes des Morts; it had for its first permanent residents, Edward West, A. Quick and Hezekiah Gifford, who settled there in the spring of 1846. The town filled up so rapidly after this that it is difficult to determine the respective priority in settlement of the next new comers. At the town election held the following year, April sixth, 1847, Edward West, John Mon roe and Frederick Tice were elected Supervis ors; Nelson Olin, Clerk, John M. Perry, Treas urer, Barna Haskell Assessor, and Isaac Ger main, Justice. Among the earliest settlers were John R. Paddleford, M. C. Bushnell and S. D. Paddleford. The plat of the Village of Omro was recorded September fifth, 1849, Dean, Beckwith, and others, proprietors. The first settler within the limits of the Town of Nekimi was A. M. Howard, who located on Section two, in the summer of 1846. A large number followed so soon after that it is difficult, at this day, to fix their respective pri ority of settlement. Among the early settlers were Hiram B. Cook, who moved on his farm in 1S47; Wm. .Abrams and his brothers, in the same year. John Joyce, John Ross, the Lords and Powells were among the early settlers. The first settlers in the Town of Algoma were Chester Ford and his son-in-law, W. A. Boyd, and Milan Ford. J. H. Osborn next followed in the spring of 1846. During the same spring came J. Botsford, E. S. Durfee, John Smith, Noah and Clark Miles, Elisha Hall and Doctor James Whipple. By 1848 the land in this town was very generally taken up. The first permanent resident of the Town of Black Wolf was Clark Dickenson, who built his house and moved into the same in 1841. He was soon followed by C. B. Luce, Ira Aikens, Wm. Armstrong, Charles Gay, T. Hicks, Henry Hicks, Frank Weyerhorst and others. Armstrong and Gay settled there in 1845- The first settlement in the Town of Win chester was made by Jerome Hopkins in the winter of 1847-8, followed in the spring by Samuel Rogers and family, and James H. Jones. This town was organized in 1852. The first settlers in the Town of Poygan were Jerry Caulkins, George Rowson and brother, Thomas Robbins, Thomas Mettam, Thomas Brogden, Henry Cole, Richard Bar ron, the Maxons and Reed Case. The first settler came in the spring of 1849, and most of the rest mentioned came during that year. The first white settler within the limits of the Town of Wolf River was Andrew Merton, who settled on what has been known since as Merton's Landing, Wolf River, in the fall of 1849, and was immediately joined by Albert Neuschaefer and Herman Page. These few persons, for several years, con stituted the only white inhabitants in that town. The population is now almost exclu sively German. The foregoing shows the progress of settle ment in the various localities of the county, at the dates mentioned.* * Note.— For full details of the history of the several towns, cities, and villages of this county, see their respective histories in subsequent pages of this work. ,r.\ "i; ' r^mi I839-43-J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 107 CHAPTER XXXIV. The only White Settlers in the County, in 1842, were Those Located in the Vicinity of Oshkosh — Products of the County in 1839 — Naming the Place — Post Office Estab lished — The County Organized — Population — First Births and Fi rst Death of White Persons — Fourth of July Cele bration — Religious Services — School — Ferry Established — First Roads — First Stores — First Village Plat of Osh kosh — Large Migration from 1846 to '50 — The Villages of Neenah, Menasha, Waukau, Omro and Winneconne, in 1848-50. ¦ S will be seen from the preceding pages, the only white settlers within the present limits of Winnebago County in 1842, were those located in the immediate vicinity of Oshkosh, which, at that date was merely a little settle ment of a few log houses on the farms of their respective owners. From among the letters written from here in the years, 1838 and 1839, one writer, a lady, says: "We have little ofthe world's goods, but the promise of a hereafter shines brightly here." Another says: "We are working hard, with but few enjoyments, but the progress of the settlement, the rich soil promising food in abundance, the go.od health enjoyed by all, and the care of our families, keep us from repining, and fill us with hope for the future." One writer says: "I have two heifers worth fifty dollars a piece, and two pigs, and shall get a yoke of oxen, if they can be found, as they are scarce and dear." Another says he "has raised one acre of spring wheat, yielding twenty-eight bush els, and three acres of winter wheat, produc ing thirty bushels to the acre, and one acre of buckwheat. Flour here is $12; mess pork $30; potatoes 25 cents; beans $3; corn$i.5o; wheat $2." The products of Winnebago County in 1839; were 362 bushels of wheat; 446 bushels of oats; 21 bushels of buckwheat; 1,000 bushels of corn; 1,960 bushels of potatoes; 200 tons of hay; 4,400 pounds of maple sugar; 2 barrels offish, and $9,000 worth of furs. About this time a meeting was held at the house of George Wright, for the purpose of voting a name. The names proposed were Athens, Fairview, Oceola, Stanford, and Osh kosh; but Robert Grignon and associates from the river at Buttes des Morts, were the strong party, and formed a majority in favor of the name ¦ of Oskosh, in honor of the Menominee chief. The orthography of the original word was, by some mischance, changed to its present form, Oshkosh. The original was pronounced without the "h" in the first syllable, and was accented on the last, Os kosh. There is a difference of opinion about the signification of the word, many claiming that it means brave. In 1840, a post office was established, and J. P. Gallup appointed postmaster. The first mail from this county was made up by J. P. Gallup, done up in a piece of brown paper, and carried by Chester Ford, mail contractor , in his vest pocket, whose route was semi monthly, from Wrightstown to Fond du. Lac, on an Indian trail. In 1842, the County of Winnebago was organized. An idea of the public economy ofthe time may be formed from the fact ofthe first Board of Supervisors voting to raise a tax of fifty dollars for County expenses. The num ber of inhabitants at this time was 135, and in 1845, the population ofthe whole County was but 500. The first birth of a white child in the county was that of George W. Stanley, on the 26th of August, of 1838. The first female white child born in the County was Elizabeth, daughter of Chester Ford. In 1840, the first Fourth of July celebration was held. The entire population assembled in grand array on the lake shore, at the foot of Merritt street. A procession was formed in which a number of Indians joined, who seemed to enjoy this outburst of enthusiasm as fully as their white neighbors. John P. Gallup delivered the oration, and Joseph H. Osborn read the Declaration. In 1 841, a religious meeting was held at Mr. Stanley's house, at which a sermon was preached by Jesse Halstead, of Brothertown. Religious services were frequently held in the settlement, at which Clark Dickenson exhorted. Miss. Emeline Cook, a sister-in-law of Jason Wilkins, taught a school for some time; but Henry A Gallup, regardless of the educational interests of the community, married the school ma'am, and selfishly appropriated her services to his education in the science of domestic life. In 1842, Webster Stanley was authorized, by act of the Legislature, to maintain a pubr lie ferry. It was located at the present site of the gang mill. In 1843, the town of Winnebago was organized, comprising the whole county, and the Legislature passed an act requiring that "all elections shall be held at the house of Webster Stanley. " In 1843, Jefferson Eaton, with Amos Gallup, and Stephen Brooks as commissioners, and Samuel Brooks as surveyor, laid out the first road in the County, the same being from Stanley's Ferry to Neenah. In 1844, the second road in the County was. 108 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1843 -So. laid out on the town line, between townships eighteen and nineteen, from Lake Winnebago to Lake Buttes des Morts. The lack of a grist mill was a want severely felt by the earliest settlers, and large coffee- mills were frequently brought into requisition for grinding wheat. The nearest available mill for a long time was the one at Manchester (Stockbridge), across the lake; and, as there were no sail crafts or large boats, the grist had to. be carried in canoes, in the summer time. In the winter the ice afforded a good road. Until roads were cut out, the settlers had to pack in on their backs groceries, flour and such other necessaries as they needed from Green Bay; and many a load of sixty to eighty pounds of flour or pork has Doctor Linde and others, packed on their backs over an Indian trail from Green Bay to this place. The doctor's muscle was pretty good then, and if any one were to question its tension now, . he would feel a little indignant. Green Bay was the great emporium of this section in those days, from whence all the sup plies of civilized life, except home productions, had to be obtained. In 1844, Joseph Jackson built the first frame house in the County on the present site of the Beckwith. In the same year the first store was opened by J. H. Osborn, and the second by Smith & Gillet, and the third by Miller & Eastman, in 1846. The first store, that of Osborn's, was in a little addition to Stanley's house — that location was the business center then. In the spring of 1844 Mr. Osborn united with Amos Dodge under the firm name of Dodge & Osborn. They also had a trading post near the present site of Montello, and in that year put a sail boat on these waters. In 1844 Joseph Jackson and W. W. Wright platted a tract into village lots — the west side of lower Main Street. Up to the year 1846, the progress of the settlement was slow, and the population of the County was but 732, butthis inviting field for immigration was now attracting general atten tion. The fame of this beautiful lake and river country, with its rich prairies and wood lands, had gone abroad and immigration began to pour in with a rapidity almost unprece dented in the settlement of a country. A con tinuous stream rolled in and overspread the County. In the spring of 1846, Lucas M. Miller and Edward Eastman, attracted by the apparent advantages of the site of Oshkosh and the rich surrounding country, purchased a tract of land from Joseph Jackson, and erected a store near the present site of Hutchinson's store. Business was now to commence in earnest. They also bought a frame building opposite, which had been erected a short time before for a tavern, and which Manoah Griffin after wards bought from Miller and converted into the Oshkosh House. The " business center of Oshkosh then consisted of those two build ings opposite each other — the store on one side of Pa-ma-cha-mit Road and the country tavern on the other. The residence portion was the one frame house occupied by L. M. Miller for a dwelling, and which stood on the present site of the Beckwith House. This was the Oshkosh of 1846 — the store, the tavern the dwelling house, and the ferry consti tuted all there was of Pa-ma-cha-mit (the crossing) except the little store on the present Gang Mill site. Its suburban district was extensive, composed of the adjoining farms and their log houses, with a plentiful supply of Indian wigwams. Miller & Eastman did a rushing business in groceries, provisions, dry goods and Indian notions. The growth of the county in population, might now be said to have commenced, ten years after the advent of the first settlers (the Stanleys and Gallups, in 1836). The popula tion ofthe county increased in one year from 732 to 2,787. Hotels, stores and dwellings were erected in Oshkosh and Neenah, saw mills and grist mills were built, various branches of industry were established; and the year 1850, found Oshkosh a thriving frontier village, with a population of 1,392; and Nee nah also a promising village, with stores and several branches of industry started; among others, the pioneer flouring mill ofthe place, Kimberly's, known after as the Neenah Mills. In j 847, the first store for the sale of gen eral merchandise, in Neenah, was opened by Jones & Yale, and in the fall of that yearDan- iel Priest put in operation a carding mill. The town of Neenah was organized the same year, and a company chartered to construct dams across both channels of the river. In that year the first village plat of Neenah was recorded by Harrison Reed The dam was built, but not fully completed, that fall, and the same year the first two frame buildings (excepting the old Government mill) were erected by James Ladd, the same being the Winnebago Hotel, still standing, and the barn of the same, which was first built and used for a boarding house. In 1850, the village of Winnebago Rapids (Neenah) was incorporated by the Circuit u DC 1850.J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 109 Court of Winnebago County (See history of Neenah, on subsequent pages.) Menasha, which was commenced in the erection of two log houses, by Curtis Reed, in 1 848, was beginning, in 1 850 to assume the pro portions of a village. The first frame house was erected by Elbridge Smith. The first store was opened by Curtis Reed, in 1848. In 1849 the first mill — a saw mill — was built by Cornelius Northrup and Harrison Reed; and the dam, which was commenced in 1848, was completed in 1S50, the saw mill set in operation and Menasha started in that career of manufactur ing enterprise which has since distinguished the place In 1850, Waukau was also a promising vil lage, and at that time, cpuld claim no mean pre tensions. The first saw mill in the county, excepting the government mill at Neenah, was put in operation by L. M. Parsons, in 1S47. It was a small concern, but it has the honor ofpriority. In 1847 the first store was opened there by Elliott & White; and James Deyoe' erected the first frame house. In the same year a log school house was built, and a school opened, In 184S a postoffice was established, another store opened by Lester Rounds, and mechanic shop started. A plat of the village of Wau kau was made, and the same recorded December 30th, 1S48, and in 1850 a grist mill was completed. (See history of Rushford.) The village of Omro was started later than Waukau. A plat of the village was recorded in 1849, and in 1850 the place commenced to make that growth which has since developed the stirring and prosperous village of Omro, for full history of which see subsequent pages. In the early day, the village of Butte des Morts was the rival of Oshkosh, for the pos session of location of county seat. In 1849 the first frame building was erected by F T. Hamilton, and the first store, for the sale of general merchandise, opened by the same party. A post office was established the same year. The second frame structure was erected by Augustine Grignon, for a hotel. In 1850 a saw mill was completed and set in operation, and quite a village had sprung up on the site of Buttes des Morts. E. D. Gumaer completed the first frame building in Winneconne, in 1849. The same year Charles Gumaer and John Atchley con structed buildings, and the Mumbrues erected a frame building for a hotel. In 1850, H. C. Mumbrue built a chair factory, and, during the same year, the Hyde Brothers constructed a saw mill. John Scott, in 1S49, opened the first store, followed the same season by H. C. Rogers; and, in 1850, Winneconne was a vil lage of much promise. (For full history of these places see subsequent pages.) CHAPTER XXXV. Wolf River Pineries — First Logging Operations — First Logs in the Pineries Cut on Rat River in 1835 — First Saw Mill on These Waters Built at Shawano in 1843-44 — First Saw Mill in Oshkosh Built in 1847 — The Beginning of the Great Lumber Industiy of Oshkosh and Its Rapid Growth — First Flouring Mills — First Steamboats, the Manchester and Peytona — First Boat Through the Portage Canal — Bridges Across the Fox — Telegraph Line — The First Newspapers — The Condition of the County in 1850. (HE Wolf River, a large stream, and navigable for one hundred and fifty miles, flows from the pine forests of ^jIm Northern Wisconsin, and traverses J * I this county to its outlet, in Lake Winnebago. This fine river, with its numer ous tributaries, is one of the best lumbering streams in the State; and gives this county the readiest means for floating the products of the pineries to the many mills engaged in the manufacture of lumber. Winnebago County, therefore, although not a pine grow ing country itself, being one of the richest prairie and opening districts- ofthe State, is, through its water communication with the pine forests, one ofthe chief lumber manufacturing centers of the Northwest; Oshkosh alone man ufacturing one hundred million feet of lumber, and more, per annum, in good years, and over a hundred million shingles, which, with its sash and doors, are sufficient to load over fif^- teen thousand railroad cars. The first saw logs cut, in the Wolf River pineries, were those got out by David Whit ney, of Green Bay, to be used in the construc tion of the Government buildings at Neenah. They were cut on the shores of Rat River, in 1835, The next "logging " was done by one, Clark, of Taycheedah, and Thomas Evans, of Osh kosh, in the winter of 1843. The next winter, Gilbert Brooks, Milan Ford and Phillip Wright, all of Oshkosh, cut 30,000 feet, on Rat River, which they sold to Harrison Reed for $2.50 per M. The first saw-mill on the Wolf River waters was built at Shawano, in 1843, by Samuel Farnsworth, and lumber from that point was floated in rafts to Oshkosh during the same year, and sold for $5.00 per M. The beginning of that lumber industry of Oshkosh which developed into such vast pro portions, was the building of the two steam 110 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1847-60. saw mills by Morris Firman and Forman & Bashford. In 1847, Morris Firman built a mill near the present site of the gang mill. Forman & Bashford constructed one at the same time at Algoma, and succeeded in completing it a short time before that of Firman's was finished. The third mill was built by Geer & Co., which was followed by those of Ebenezer Hubbard and L. P. Sheldon. By the year 1852 the lumber business was overdone. The supply was greater than the demand; lumber that would now be called good second clear, sold for five dollars per thousand. For several years the manufacture of lumber was not a very profitable business, and that interest struggled against serious difficulties. The buiding of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad to this point in 1858, opened up a wider market and afforded a means of trans portation to the great prairie conntry to the southwest. Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, as well as Southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, now became a great market ground for the Oshkosh mills. New mills were now con structed on a large scale with improved machinery and with circular and gang saws; and in 1871 there were in Oshkosh twenty- four large saw mills, sixteen shingle mills and seven sash and door factories — employing from twenty to eighty hands each. In this year there were sixty odd establishments in Oshkosh run by steam. The first flouring mill was built at the vil lage of Algoma, now the Fifth Ward of Osh kosh, byD. W. Forman & Co. in 1848. This and the Waukau mill supplied a want that had long been severely felt. The first steam boat navigating these waters was the little Manchester, built on the oppo site shore of the lake, and which made her first trip in 1844. She was the only boat on this lake until the Peytona made her appearance in 1849. The Peytona was a fine boat, built at Neenah by Captain Estis, who also sailed her for some time. She had a very successful caree'r. The old settlers will remember the crowd of passengers she used to carry on her daily trips from Fond du Lac to this place. In 1 85 1, the Portage Canal was so far con structed that two steamers passed from the Fox into the Wisconsin. The fine steamer, Menasha, made her appearance in 1852, and in 1853 the passenger and freight business on these waters had increased to such an extent that daily lines of steamboats were run to various points. The travel and immigration to the "Indian Land " was at that time, and previous to it, via Oshhosh and the Wolf River. The fine water communications branching from Oshkosh in different directions made it a central point in travel, and in the transporta tion of freight to various points. The steam boats, therefore, did a good business, and the docks presented a scene of great business activity. In 1850, a telegraph line was completed from Milwaukee to Green Bay, passing through this county and connecting with its business points. In 1847, Stanley's Ferry, which had been removed from its original location, at the site of the Gang Mill, to the present location of the bridge, was superseded by a float bridge, on the third day of July, 1847, the first team passing over it on that day. In 1850, Messrs. Weed, Gumaer & Coon built a bridge across the river at Algoma. At that time Algoma was a rival of Oshkosh, and confidently expected to outstrip the latter place in growth, business and population. The county, at this time — 1850 — was pretty well settled, and plentifully dotted with log houses, with an occasional frame house and frame barn. The land was so easily brought into cultiva tion and was so productive, that a large area was soon under cultivation, and large crops were raised. The county now began to assume the appear ance of a settled country; and, as building material was cheap, large frame barns began to spring up in every direction. Soon a better class of farm houses were built, and by the year i860 no county in the State surpassed, and few equaled Winnebago, in the appearance of highly cultivated farms, with handsome dwell ings and spacious barns and out-buildings. The well-painted, substantial farm buildings, giving an air of thrift and comfort, were a matter of surprise to the new-comers from the East. The building of school-houses and churches also kept pace with other improve ments; every community had its district school, and its educational interests well attended to. The population of the county had in this year, 1850, reached 10,167. The population of Oshkosh was 1,392. It contained twenty odd stores, and hotels, mills, mechanic shops, etc. , and was making a rapid growth. The first newspaper in the county was the Oshkosh True democrat, first published on the ninth day of February, 1849, in the vil lage of Oshkosh by Densmore & Cooley. The next was the Winnebago Telegraph, by Mor ley & Edwards (Hiram Morley). Then came 1 i 1844-46.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. Ill the Oshkosh Republican, by Morley & Hyman. Then the Fox River Courier by McAvoy and Crowley, first published in June, 1852. About the same time the Anzeiger des Nordwestern by Kohlmann Brothers. The Menasha Advocate was started by Jere Crowley at Menasha in 1853, and the Conservator and Bulletin, the- first by Harrison Reed and the latter by W. H. Mitchell, were published in Neenah in that year. CHAPTER XXXVI. Incidents in the Early Day — Recollections of Early Settlers — The Partridge Child Alleged to Have Been Stolen by the Indians — Great Excitement and Trial for the Recovery of the Child — Recollections of Sam Clough and of Doctor Linde — Desperate Encounter Between Walter James, Son of G. P. R. James, the English Novelist, and Three Indians — An Old Time Scrimmage at Omro with a Lot of Young Winnebago Bucks — C. L. Rich Witnesses an Encounter at Stanley's Jerry. jR. Samuel Clough, at the present time a highly respected citizen of 'i-.;-«pFB^a Nepeuskun, started, in 1844, for what ¦ cv^p ' was then considered the out-posts of civilization, and in his peregrinations reached Rock Prairie in the vicinity of Janes- ville, Wisconsin; remaining in that neighbor hood about one year, during which time he made explorations as far north as Seven Mile Creek in Fond du Lac County. In 1845 he started with a view of making a permanent settlement, and made a purchase about one and a half miles west of his present residence on land now owned by T. McLelland and M. Thomas, this being the first land entered in the town of Berlin. Mr. Clough after making his selection set out for Green Bay to purchase; but on his arrival at the farm of John Bannister, about two miles south of Fond du Lac, he learned that Mr. Bannister was acting as land agent, and to save the walk to Green Bay and back entrusted his money for entering the land to him, retaining only one dollar and eighteen cents as the sum of his worldly possessions, with anticipations of a patent for 160 acres of Uncle Sam's domain, and again turned his face toward Rock Prairie about one hundred miles distant. Weary and footsore, with his shoes in his hand and traveling in his stockings, he was soon overtaken by a gentleman with a horse and comfortable buggy, who asked him if he would like to ride. He replied he would but was short of money. "How much have you got," was asked. "One dollar and eighteen cents," was the reply. "Good; that's more than I've got; where are you going? " "To Rock Prairie. " "Well, get in here; I am going to take this horse to Racine and have got just one shilling. If you will pay for feeding the horse at Wau- pun I will carry you to Watertown." Arriving at " Wilcox's " at Waupun, the stranger took the horse to the stable, and, see ing a barrel of barley there, very dexterously transferred a peck to the manger; then walk ing into the house, he saw a pan of cookies in an unoccupied room and filled his pockets. Rejoining Mr. Clough in the kitchen, Mr. C. proposed to invest in a bowl of bread and milk, each involving an outlay of twenty cents. / This the stranger declined, and after Mr. C. had relieved the inner man in manner aforesaid, and resting the horse sufficiently as the stranger expressed it to Mr. Wilcox, they started again and arrived in Watertown before five o'clock. Here Mr. C. discovered the well- known mule team of uncle Jo Goodrich of Prairie du Lac (Milton) and from thence con tinued his journey on foot Working here through harvest, he went to Metomen, Fond du Lac County, and after splitting 16m rails started for his Berlin estate. , Arriving there he sold out in April, 1846, and takingthe pro ceeds started for Green Bay, where he purchased 200 acres, his present farm. Returning from Green Bay, he, with an acquaintance, set out for Oshkosh with the intention of purchasing a boat, and with the requisite provisions as freight, proceeding to Wolf River to procure logs, which when floated ' down the Wolfand up the Fox to a point most convenient to his purchase were to be con verted into shingles. Reaching Omro on his way to Oshkosh, he found Jed Smalley (at the time an Indian merchant), where he stopped for dinner which consisted of boiled peas, the only solids obtainable. Arriving at Oshkosh they found Webster Stanley, George Wright, P V. Wright, Amos Dodge, two Gallups, and what was supposed to be a town site. Unable to procure boat or provisions, the expedition to Wolf River was abandoned, and while considering the next best thing, Mr. Sam Farnsworth (who had built a dam and saw mill at Shawano the year before) made his appearance in search of - assistance to rebuild his dam which had been washed out, and a millwright to repair the mill which had been badly damaged. Mr. C. and nine others enlisted. Purchasing three or four barrels of pork and beef at Fond du Lac, and 1LJ HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1847-56. some thirty bushels of potatoes, Mr. Farns- worth's boat was loaded, and with eight oars the boat was rowed to Shawano, the dam and mill completed and the party returned to Osh kosh in six weeks, arriving on the evening of July 2d. Immediately on arrival Mr. C. was accosted by a young gamin with, "we're going to have a celebration here to-morrow. " There being no settlers in the region where Mr. C. left he very naturally asked the boy, "where are the folks coming from?" "Oh, the country is full of folks!" "But," says Mr. C. "to-morrow is not the Fourth of July. " "Well, we've got to celebrate to-morrow, 'cause the steamboat (the old Manchester) is going to celebrate at Fond du Lac the Fourth. " And they did celebrate, Amos Dodge and a key bugle comprising the band, and Mr. C. was greatly interested to see the increase of population during his absence of a few weeks. The same year Mr. C. had fourteen acres broke at a cost of two dollars per acre, and in the spring of 1847 purchased twelve bushels of seed wheat (of William Daikin of Green Lake) at fifty cents per bushel, and with it sowed six acres of his breaking from which he harvested 126 bushels. Up to this time he had purchased his flour and pork on Rock Prairie. The flour was manufactured at Whitewater from wheat that cost thirty-nine cents per bushel, (first quality of wheat.) Pork and beef were purchased at one and a half cents per pound. Having raised the wheat the grinding was the next consideration. Joining with a neigh bor each put in twenty-two and a halfbushels, making forty-five bushels, which was taken to Watertown, a distance of fifty-three miles, ground and returned, feeding the bran on the way home. In the winter of 1848-9, Mr. C. contracted with Messrs. Brand & Sawyer, of Algoma, for sixteen thousand feet of pine lumber at eight dollars per thousand, to be one-third clear stuff, and drawing it home erected his present residence in the spring of 1849. ENCOUNTER WITH INDIANS. Doctor Linde gives the following recital of a most tragical event which occurred near his place at Muckwa, 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 Muckwa, with his canoe, for the purpose of night-hunting deer. Fortunately he took the doctor's hunting-knife, a formida ble weapon, made ofthe best steel, and weigh ing two and a half pounds. He found plenty of deer, but they would not take to the water on account of the carousals of three Indians, who with their families were encamped, near the lake. James, being familiar with the Indians, and not anticipating any trouble, then 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 drank just about whiskey enough to make them excitable and quarrelsome, then attacked him. One grabbed him by the throat; when James pulled out his big hunting knife, and 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 seconds. 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 antagonist on the right arm with the intention of crippling him. The blow severed the bone between the shoulder and the elbow, 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 his knife, the other grasped 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 the reach of the knife, holding the gun by the barrel, while James held it by the breech. Seeing that be could not get within reach of the Indian without 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, which partly cut four of the ribs, and expended its force on the wrist, cutting deeply into the bone. The Indian then fled with the gun and James followed in close pur suit, knowing well that it was a race for life; for if the Indian could get sufficient distance to turn and get a shot at him, he was gone. After running a short distance, in which the Indian barely succeeded in keeping but a little more than 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 contained twenty-four buck-shot, he felt, i850.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 113 for an instant, that his chances for life were narrow. The Indian, however, failed to dis charge the gun, and James, quickly compre hending the reason, which was that the gun was at half-cock, jumped up and plunged down the bank ofthe 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 in the lake, trusting that. the obscurity 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, occu pied 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 on 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 Indians were making such a racket, he had lain down in his canoe to rest, till the noise subsided; and had fallen asleep, unconscious ofthe trag ical events transpiring so near him. James paddled out to him and awakening him, related, what had occurred, and requested him to go to the wigwam and see what condi tion the wounded were in. He went, came back and reported to James, who immediately started for Doctor Linde, feeling that his surgical 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 occurred. He showed the marks of the encounter; his neck still retaining the indentations of all the finger nails of the hand which had grasped it. On their arrival at Mukwa, the Doctor took his surgical instruments and accompanied by James, went immediately to the wigwam. The Indian, whose skull was cleaved, was still alive, but unconscious, and beyond the reach of surgical skill. He soon died. The one whose arm was nearly severed was attended to. The bone 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 having been severed, caused paralysis of the arm and left 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 occasioned by the injury. The fatal quarrel caused great excitement among the Indians, who flocked from all direc tions, to the scene of the tragedy; and congre gated in large numbers, in the vicinity of Linde's, assuming a most threatening attitude. The settlers were in such great fear from appre hension 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; they having in the night and the phrensy ofthe moment mistaken James for Linde; as the latter had caused the arrest and fine of some parties who had been selling whiskey 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 excite ment which for a time ran very high. One of his neighbors deserves to be remembered 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 demonstration were made, it would be immediately; so the night he had sent Fred away, he determined to keep a vigilant watch. Knowing that his dogs would give 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 dis turbance, and in the morning Linde decided to empty one of his revolvers, that had been. loaded a long time, and, forgetting his arrange ment with Thorn, 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 discov ered 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 ofthe conditions of the settlement requiring James to consent to be adopted by the tribe as one of its members, taking the place ofthe one who was killed. He therefore became a Menominee by adoption. Many who read the foregoing statement of James' desperate struggle on that, io him, mem- 114 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1844. orable night, may deem it an exaggeration, but the people who were living here at the time, know the facts to be as they are here substan tially stated, and will distinctly remember the circumstances. There were, it is true, some differences 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 intentions, to a wigwam of three able-bodied Indians; and that the rea sonable 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 intoxication, construed the visit into an attempt to drive them off, and feeling belli gerent, attacked him. INDIAN SCRIMMAGE AT OMRO. Among the Indian scrimmages, which the Doctor participated in, was one which threat ened serious consequences. Captain William Powell had a trading-post near the present site of Omro; and in the sum mer of 1844, the Winnebagoes were encamped, two hundred strong under old Yellow Thunder, at the outlet of Rush Lake. Yellow Thunder's boy, with eleven other young bucks, came down to Powell's to rob him of his whiskey and have a spree. There happened to be at Powell's shanty, at the time, three other whites: Jed Smalley, Leb Dickinson and Charles Car- ron, a Menominee half-breed. They resisted the attempt of the Winnebago bucks to get the whiskey, and a general fight ensued; but both whites and Indians, well knowing the consequences of using any deadly weapon, con fined themselves to their fists and clubs. Just as the struggle was at its full height, and after Captain Powell had his right arm broken, but was still using his club with his left, Doctor Linde, who happened to come on a visit, appeared on the scene. The combatants were so engaged that neither party observed the accession to the force of the whites. The Doctor quickly comprehending the situation, and the necessity of prompt action, as the whites were getting the worst of it, threw down his pack, cocked both barrels of his rifle and laid it down on his pack, and went into the scrimmage with his tomahawk. He first struck Yellow Thunder's boy; the Indian turning his head as he received the blow, the tomahawk peeled the skin entirely across the forehead. He fell senseless, when Linde struck another Indian. The fight now proceeded so vigor ously that the Doctor had no time for observa tion, until a cessation of hostilities revealed to the sight twelve Indians hors du combat. Things now looked more serious than ever, for if one Indian was killed the band at Rush Lake would seek revenge in an attempt to kill the whole party; whereas, if no life was lost, it would only be looked on as deserved pun ishment, and the whites entitled to the highest respect for their victory oyer such superior numbers. Measures of safety now had to be taken until it was ascertained whether any of the Indians were killed. Charley Carron was, therefore, sent out to a point, about a mile dis tant on the trail to Rush Lake with orders to shoot any Indians that were en route for Pow ell's. Then the party of whites proceeded to pack their goods into their canoes and get everything ready for a sudden start, for if one Indian out of the lot did not recover, they must, with all dispatch, get out ofthe Winne bago country into the Lower Fox region and down to Green Bay. If all proved well, Carron was to be notified with a signal of two shots. Powell's arm was next dressed and set, and then the Indians were attended to, most of them getting upon their feet, having received no serious injury. The wounds of some had to be dressed, but one by one they came out all right : that is, alive; a broken arm or a badly gashed head was no very serious matter. So the young bucks very gratefully partook of the hospitalities, including a little whiskey, which concluded the ceremonies of the occa sion; only regretting that their plan forgetting on a big drunk had miscarried, and laughing at the affair as a bad joke on themselves. Old Yellow Thunder laughed at the discomfiture of the Indians, who, when they returned, sadder, but wiser Indians, had to own up that the good joke of stealing Powell's whiskey, though well conceived, had materially failed in its practical execution. Doctor Linde was well acquainted with Cha-ka-mo-ca-sin, war chief of theMenominees. From the Doctor we learn the following inci dents in his career. Like all the war chiefs of Indian tribes he arose to the position through an established reputation for bravery and skill on the war-path. He once made the trip alone from here to the Pacific Coast, stating that he crossed mountains whose tops were covered with snow, and went from the land of sweet waters to those of bitter. This was before the days of over-land travel, when travelers had to be self-sustaining. He was a man of great physical strength and great power of endur- i 842.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 115 ance. On one occasion, when lying drunk in his lodge, an enemy stabbed him, the knife passing through the lung. His friends discov ering him lying dead, as they thought, put on their mourning paint and were singing around him, when, to their surprise, he rose up and asked who was dead. On being informed that he was, and what killed him, he immediately took his knife and went to the lodge of his enemy who was sitting down with his blanket drawn over his head in expectant retribution. Cha-ka-mo-ca-ein pulled off the blanket and told him to "look up if he wanted to see a man. " The Indian stared as if at an apparition. Said Cha-ka-mo-ca-sin : "Do you supposej/ Utica — The organic election of this town was held April 4, 1848, in pursuance of the act ofthe Legislature of March II, 1848. Winneconne — The organic election of this town was held April 4, 1848, in pursuance oT act of the Legislature of March II, 1848. County Boards were authorized to set off, organize and change names of towns by virtue of act passed by the Legislature August 21, 1848. Vinland — Organized by election held April 3, 1849, in pursuance of act of Legislature approved March 15, 1849. Clayton — Organic election held second Tuesday in April, 1849, in pursuance of act of Legislature passed March 21,1849. Nepeuskun — Set off from Rushford by act of County Board November^, 1849, Organic election held first Tuesday in April, 1850. Algoma — Organized in pursuance of act of County Board, February 5, 1850. , Organic election April 5, 1850. Black Wolf — This town was set off from Nekimi by act of County Board, November^, 1850. Organic election, April, 1851. Winchester — This town was organized in pursuance of act of County Board of Novem ber II, 1851. Organic election April 6, 1852. Poygan — This town was organized by act of County Board, November 11,1852. Organic election April, 5, 1853. Wolf River — This town was organized under the name of Orihula in pursuance of act of County Board of January 4, 1855. Organic election April 3, 1855. The name was changed to Wolf River by act of County Board, July 6, 1855. Menasha — This town was set off from. Nee nah by act of the County Board January 6, 1855. The organic election was held April 3, 1855. 126 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1843-79- JUDICIAL. County seat located at Oshkosh by act ofthe Legislature of February 8, 1847, which act also organized the county for judicial purposes. Term of Circuit Court held in the school- house in the village of Oshkosh, commencing October 16, 1848. Court house built and term of court held therein April 9, 1849. Present court house built in 1859. CITIES INCORPORATED. The City of Oshkosh was incorporated 1853; City of Neenah incorporated 1873; City of Menasha incorporated 1874. CHAPTER XXXIX. List of County Officers and County Supervisors from the Date of Organization to 1879. IHE first sheriff was N. P. Tuttle, elected September 6, 1847; succeeded p> byM. N. Moulthrop, elected in Novem ber, 1848; A. B. Cooley, in November, 1850; A. F. David, in 1852; John P. Gallup, in 1854; Jeremiah Hunt, in 1856; Josiah Woodworth, 1858; C. R. Hamlin, i860; Erwin Heath, 1862; A. J. White, 1864; A. B. Smith, 1866; J. S. Cavert, 1868; Josiah Wood- worth, 1870; O. P. White, 1872; Ebeneezer Stevens, 1874; W D. Harshaw, 1876; Frank Morgan, 1878. CLERK OF THE COURT. Edward Eastman was appointed by Judge A. G. Miller, January 12, 1848, and was fol lowed by Dudley C. Blodgett, who was appointed by Judge A. W. Stowe, October 16, 1848. E. R. Baldwin was elected to the office at the general election, November, 1848 re-elected 1850 and 1852; Charles A. Weis- brod, in 1854; Jedediah H. Smalley, 1856 George Gary, in 1857 and 1858; W. G. Rich in i860 and 1862; H. B. Harshaw in 1864 retaining the position by successive elections every two years, until his resignation, January 1, 1878, when T. D. Grimmer was appointed to the vacancy, and elected in 1878. JUDGE OF PROBATE OR COUNTY JUDGE. A. A. Austin was first elected November 7, 1848; Jedediah Brown, September 3, 1849, and May 6, 1850; Edwin Wheeler, May 29, 1852; Dudley C. Blodgett, September 3, 1853; Alexander P. Hodges, April, 1857 and 1868; In November, 1868 Mr. Hodges was elected State Prison Commissioner, when G. W Wash burn was appointed to fill the vacancy until 1865 (the term of County Judge being four years), but on the fifth' of April, 1864, Judge Washburn was elected Judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, arid J. B. Hamilton was appointed to succeed him. In the meantime it was claimed that A. P. Hodges, having resigned in 1868, a new election should be held in April, 1862, and in accordance with that belief of a few, Earl P Finch and J. A. Bryan became candidates for the office. There were but few votes polled, of which E. P. Finch received the majority, but never qualified. J. B. Hamilton was elected in April 1864, for a full term; George Gary in 1869-73-77. An act ofthe Legislature approved April 2, i860, constituted this a court of record equal in jurisdiction with the Circuit Court in all civil actions for all sums not exceeding $500. DISTRICT ATTORNEY. The first District Attorney was J. J. Bar- wick, elected November, 1848; J. B. Hamil ton in 1850, Elbridge Smith in 1852, Edwin Wheeler in 1854, A A. Austin in 1856-58-60, H. B. Jackson in 1861, A. A. Austin in 1864, H. B. Jackson in 1866, A. A. Austin in 1868-70, G. W. Burnell in 1872, A. A. Austin in 1874, G. W. Burnellin 1876-78. CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. George F Wright was elected in 1843 and retained the office until 1848, inclusive; Silas M. White elected November 7, 1848, entered upon the duties January 8, 1849; William Den- nison was elected in November, 1849, E. A. Rowley in November, 1850, J. H. Osborne in 1853-54, Wm. M. Greenwood in 1856-58, A. H. Read in 1860-62-64, O. F Chase in 1866, and. has continued to officiate since that time. REGISTER OF DEEDS. Clark Dickenson performed the duties of Register in 1843, although we find no record of election; Wm. C. Isbell was elected in Sep tember, 1844; S. L. Brooks in September, 1845, and September, 1846; Henry Dickenson in 1847, but died before the expiration of his term and his brother, Clark Dickenson, was appointed to the vacancy, elected in 1848 and '50; E. A. Rowley in 1852 and 1854, Edgar Cronkhite in 1856; James H. Foster in 1858 and i860, Andrew Merton in 1862 and 1864; Robert McCurdy in 1866, 1868, 1870; William Gudden in 1872 and 1874; Gunder Larsen in 1876, Carl Krabyin 1878. COUNTY TREASURER. W. W. Wright was the first County Treas urer, elected in 1843, and again in 1844, suc ceeded by Chester Ford, elected in 1845, I843-79-J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 127 Edward West in 1846, Conrad J. Coon in 1847, F. F. Hamilton in 1848 and 1849, W. W. Wil cox in 1850, W. P. McAllister in 1858, Jona than Dougherty in 1852 and 1854, butdyingin March, 1856, Barna Haskell was appointed, and at the election the same fall was elected; J. M. Ball, 1858 and i860, S. N. Bronson, 1862, James H. Jones in 1864-66-68, R. D. Tor- rey in 1870-72—74, Stephen Bowron in 1876 and L. W. Hull in 1878. MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY. 1848— Erasmus D. Hall. 1819— L J. Townsend. 1850 — Leonard P. i rary. 1851 — Edward Eastman. 1852— Dudley O. Blodgett. 1853— L . M Miller. Curtis Reed 1854 — Corydon L. Rich, George G-ary. 1855— E S. Welch, George Gary. 1856 — John Anminson, L. B. Town- send. 1857 — Philefcus Sawyer, John Annun- son, W P McAlliBter. 1858— S. M. Hay, William Duchman, W. P McAllister. 1859— R. P. Eighme, John D. Bush, G. W. Beckwith. 1860— Gabriel Kouok, G. B. Good win, Geo S. Barnum 1861 — Philetus Sawyer, ( 'urtis Beed, Armine Pickett. 1862— William E. Hanson, Michael Hogan, David R 1-iean. 1863 — William E. Hanson, Michael Hogan, Emory F. Davis. 1864 — Richard C Russell, .1 eremiah Hunt, George S. Barnum. 1865 — William A, Knapp, Nathan Cobb, William Simmons 1866— William H. Doe, John Proc tor, William Simmons. 1867— Henry (J- Jewell, John Proc tor, Milo O. Bushnell. 1868— Luther Buxton, George W Trask, Milo U. Bushnell' 1869— Luther Buxton, Geo w! Trask, James H. Foster. 1870 — James E. Kennedy, William P Bounds, James H Fos ter. 1871— .Russell J. Judd, William P. Bounds, Fredrick A.Mor gan. 1872— T. D. Grimmer, A W. Patten, N. F Beckwith, Alson Wood. 1873 -Tom Wall, Thomas McCon- nelLCarlton Foster,Alson Wood. 1874— Gabriel Bouck, -W. P. Peck- ham, < 'arlton Foster, Frank Leach. 1875— Asa Rogers, N. S. Robinson, Leroy S. Chase, Frank Leach. 1876— Tom Wall, Eric McArthur, 1878 — James V. Jones, John Potter Leroy S. Chase, Sydney Jr.. L. E. Knapp, Milan A. Schufelt. Ford. 1877— Tom Wall, H. P. Leavens, 1879— Milan Ford, Jno. Potter, Jr., Levi E. Knapp, Sydney William Wall, Hiram A. Schufelt. W. Webster. SENATORS. 1853-4-5— Coles Bashford. 1867 — George Gary 1856 — John Fitzgerald. 1868 — William G Eich. 1857-8 —Edwin Wheeler. 1869-70 — Ira W . Fisher 1859-60 — a. W. Washburne. 1871-2 — 1 ames H . Foster. 1861 — H. O. Crane, 1873-4 — Bobert McOurdy. 1862 — S. M Hay. 1875-6 — William P. Bounds. 1863-4 —J. B. Hamilton. 1877-8 — E. D Torrey. 1865-6 — George S. Barnum 1S79 — Andrew Haben, Note — In the early days of the organization of the county it was attached to Brown or Fond du Lac county for judicial purposes, and with Calumet, Fond du Lac and Marquette counties, forming a probate district. Under this order of affairs, Mason C. Darling of Fond du Lac County was voted for for Probate Judge ; in 1843 Seth Reese and John J. Driggs, (prob ably from Brown County), for the office of Sheriff at the same election, May 1, 1843. ^n r^44 Samuel L. Brooks was a can didate for District Attorney. In 1846 Henry Conklin and John Bannister, both of fond du Lac County, were candidates for the office of Probate Judge, and in 1847 Walter H. Weed, of Oshkosh, for the same office. These were all voted for in this county, but as we have no record from other counties we are unable to determine whether they were elected. Under the territorial form of government this county was attached to several others in forming senatorial and assembly districts, but at the first session ofthe State Legislature in 1848, Winnebago County sent one Member of Assembly. LIST OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS. Winnnebago County. Winnebago Butte des Morts. Rushford Neenah Brighton Utica Winneconne .... Clayton Vinland Nepeuskun Algoma Black Wolf Algoma Bloomingdale Black Wolf Clayton Nepeuskun Neenah Nekimi Rushford Utica Vinland Winnebago Winneconne Winchester Poygan 1st Ward, Oshko.; 1 — 2d " " 3d " Menasha Orihula Algoma Black Wolf. Clayton ... Menasha . . Neenah .... Nepeuskun.Nekimi OBhkosh . . . Omro Orihula Poygan — Rushford . . 1843 W. 0. Isbell, Chairman Chester Ford, Sup'rvs'r L. B. Porlier, " 1847 Edward Eastman Edward W est Erasmus D. Hall Cornelius Northrup. . . . Noah Miles 1852 Josiah Woodworth. G. W. Beckwith Wm. A. Boyd G. W. Giddings . . . D. C. Barnum ... . E. B. Ranney ... . Geo: Jackson J. A. C. Steele J. H. Woodruff ... Watson Bowron . . . A. F. David J. Dougherty 1856 Elihu Hall Henry Schintz, Sr. W. M. Stewart Jeremiah Crowley. J. M. Ball Bobert S. Morth. . . John Joyce Corydon L. Rich. . W. P. McAllister. . Lyman Pomeroy. . James Crays H. W. Nicholson . . 1844 Harrison Beed, Ch'm'n Win. C. Isbell, Supr'sr O. B. Luce, " 1848 G. W. Washburn.. Edward West ... L. B. Townsend . . C. Northrup . Noah Miles David H. Nash . . . James Fisk 1853 H C. Jewell . . . Lewis F. Arnold . Theo. Schintz .... Benjamin Strong. . Wm. Elliott Ed. V. O'Connell . M. D. Newell D. Hall J. H. Woodruff . . Silas M. Allen . . . Eli Stilson .... S. A. Gallup .... John Amrunson Thomas Brogden Wm. G. Gumaer . . Anton Andrea Seth Wyman . 1857 Elihu Hall D. B. Ford J. S. Roblee M. Hogan G. P. Vining B. S. Morth B. Bennett Eli Stilson N. Olin L. Page James Crays H. W. Nicholson . 1845 C. J. Coon, -Chairman A. Grignon, Supervisor C. W. Gay 1849 John P. Gallup . . . Nelson Olin L. B. Townsend .... C Northrup I. S. Clapp D. H. Nash William E. Cross Geo. W. Giddings . . 0. B. Reed 1854 B. C. Wood . . . W. P. McAllister . David B. Ford . . Ira Baird .... L. B. Townsend . . Jeremiah Hunt. .. Ebenezer Tibbitts . Chancey Bromley Armiue Pickett. . . Wm. H. Scott ... Ell Stilson Charles Church. .. J. Amrunson Orson Case E. R. Colton Albert G. Lull E. Hubbard 1858 Josiah Woodworth Charles Rauer Benjamin Strong . . PBilo Hine W. S. Hubbard P. Randall Owen Hughes Ell Stilson N. Olin Benj. .Brickley James Crays H. W. Nicholson . . 1846 Joseph Jackson Ch'm'n C. Ford Supervisor, Wm. C. Isbell, " 1850 A. A. Austin W.W.Wilcox E. D HaU H. N. Bosworth Milan Ford D. P. Babcock m. E. Cross W. M. Stewart Watson Bowron L. B. Townsend E.g. Durf ee 1855 Josiah Woodworth W. P. McAllister... H. Schintz, Sen W. M. Stewart L. B. Townsend J. B. Hamilton Sam'l Stanclift E. D. HaU A. Pickett m. H. Scott Eli Stilson James Fisk J. Annunson Michael O'Rieley . . . A. B. Smedley C. A. Weisbrod Ebenezer Hubbard . Jeremiah Hunt Andrew Merton. . 1859 C. P. Houghton. . . . James Sanderson.. W. Robinsou John Potter, Jr . . . . G. P. Vining P. Randall Owen Hughes Eli Stilson H. W. Webster W. B. Snyder R. B. Barron J. A. C. Steele 1851 A. F. David John Munroe J. A. C. Stsele E. B. Ranney p. Chamberlain .... Armine Pickett Stephen Allen G. vV. Giddings Watson Bowron . . . D. C. Baruum Josiah Woodworth. J. W. Crosby 1HS0 John S. Smith . . . Charles Morgan . . W. M. Stewart . . . 0. J. HaU G. P. Vining H. C. BatteU Charles Sweet. . . . EU Stilson H. W. Webster. . . W. B. Snyder .... R. B. Barron H. W. Nicholson. 128 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1856-74. LIST OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS — CONTINUED. Utica Vinland Winneconne Winchester 1st Ward, Oshkosh . . 2d " " 3d " 4th " 5th " " City of Oshkosh Menasha Village . . . Neeenah village Omro Village Winneconne Village. Algoma Black Wolf Clayton Menasha Neenah Nekimi Nepeuskun Oshkosh Omro Poygan Rushford Utica Vinland "W inneconne "W inchester Wolf River Menasha Village Neenah Village Omro Village Winneconne Village. 1st Ward, Oshkosh. . . 2d " « 3d " " 4th " 5th " Algoma Black Wolf Clayton Menasha " Village Neenah " Village Nekimi Nepeuskun Oshkosh Omro " Village Poygan Rushford ... Utica Vinland Winneconne " Village. Winchester "Wolf River 1st Ward, Menasha . 2d " " 3d " " 4th " " l8t " Neenah . 2d 3d " " 1st " Oshkosh 2d3d " " 4th " " 5th " " 6th « Algoma Black Wolf Clayton Menasha Neenah Nekimi Nepeuskun Oshkosh Omro " Village Poygan Rushford Utica Vinland Wolf River Winchester Winneconne " Village. 1st Ward, Menasha. . 2d " " 3d " " 4th " " 1st " Neenah — 2d " " 1856. George Miller Horace Clemens Levi Morton James H. Jones Wm. Markham Chas. A. Weisbrod . Lorenzo B. Reed. . . G. W. Washburn. . J. F. Mills 1857. J. A. Story. . . y. . . Horace Clemens . . L. A. Stewart James H. Jones. . Wm. Markham. . . C. A. Weisbrod. . . L. B. Reed G. W. Washburn J. F. Mills Joseph Jackson.. Cu-tis Reed J. B. Hamilton. . . 1861 J. C. Wheeler Charles Morgan . . . W. M. Stewart.... John Potter, Jr... Edward Smith E. F. Davis H.C. Battell Eli Stilson , . . H. W. Webster... R. B. Barron D. R. Bean H. C. Knapp Charles Church... John Scott J. Annunson Joseph Hofbergcr. Charles Doty Charles Packard. . J. B. Taylor A. Mclntyre D. L. Libby M. Strong J. H. Osborn .... Wm. "Wagner H. C.Jewell 3870 James Caldwell Charles Morgan A. B. Brien A E Bates Elbridge Smith.. O. L. Olmstead. . A.W. Patten,.. E. F. Davis Samuel Atkins . Eli Stilson Peter Samphier . E D. Henry Wm.Tritt A. Matteson A. Pickett Rufus Robie . . . A. J. Decker John Annunson. J. Hofberger E. M. Danforth . Jesse Scott Ira Griffin F M. Powers . . . H. C. Jewell 1875 Wm. C. Hubbard.... Charles Morgan M. R. Babcock A. Fredrickson , . . Joshua Kurtz William Simmons . . T. P. Chappel Eh Stilson C. W. Bushnell E. D. Henry M. O. Reiley A. S. Trow T. A. Lockhart J. M. Emmons Joseph Hildebrand. . . JameB H. Jones J. H. Merrill J. D. Rush Silas Bullard Phil. Sensenbrenuer . Tyler Phillips Curtis Reed J. B. Hamilton H. E. Gustavus George Miller. . . Charles Church. James Fisk James H. Jones. J. L. Mead John Fitzgerald. W. N. Peaslee... James Murdock H. C. Jewell S. M. Hay Curtis Reed D. R. Pangborn . C. Bigelow 1859. Armine Pickett. J. B. Russell... A. V. Dudrey . . John Blust J. L. Mead W. L'. Williams. O. L. Lane G. Arnold P. Sawyer S.M. Hay J. A. Bryan L. A. Marsh C. Bigelow J. D. Rush 1860. H. Knapp J. B. Russell W. G.Caulkins John Annunson . . . W. B. Bray Theo. Schintz O. L- Lane Sam'l Schaub Charles Kbhlmann. B. S. Henning J. A. Bryan D- C. VanOstrand. . A. B.~Cady A. Mclntyre ^. CHANGE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COUNTY BOARDS. By an act approved March 8th, 1861, it was provided that Boards of County Supervisors should consist of three Supervisors in each County, except where there are three or more Assem bly Districts in each County, when one Supervisor shall be elected from each Assembly District. Under this law the following were elected : BIENNIAL ELECTION. 1862. Eli Stilson, 1st district; Edward Smith, 2d district; Samuel Stanclift, 3d district. 1864. Stephen Bowron, 1st district; H. P. Leavens, 2d district; H. "W. Webster, 3d district. 1866. Stephen Bowron, 1st district; H. P. Leavens, 2d district; H. W. Webster, 3d district. The law was now changed, the term of office being three years, one member elected annually. 1867. H. P. Leavens, elected from the 2d district. 1868. C. Bromley, from the 3d district. 1869. Stephen Bowron, from1 the 1st district. By an act approved March 16, 1870, -the law of March 8th, 1861, was repealed and the Revised Statutes of 1858, revised, constituting the chairman of the various Town Boards as County Board. 1871 A. G. Cusick . . '. Chas. Morgan E. D. Matteson Frederick Schuellen. Elbridge Smith H. P. Leavens J. B. Hamilton E. F. Davis Samuel Atkins Joseph Bowron H. W. Webster E. D. Henry Michael O'Reiley — A. Matteson Evan L. Jones Rufus Robie A. J. Decker 1872 A. G. Cusick James Sanderson M. K. Babcock. . . Fred Schuellen Elbridge Smith . . D. L. Kimberly... J. B. Hamilton E. F. Davis Samuel Atkins . . . Joseph Bowron . . Peter Samphier . . M. C . Bushnell . . M. O'Reiley D R, Bean Evan L. Jones. . . C. C. Vosburg . . . J. H. Merrill Wesley Mott. . Charles Hahn. E. M. Danforth . . . J. F. Gruenhagen. Ira Griffin L.M. Miller H. C. Purell J. H. Osborn . . 1876 T. C. Little Carles Morgan C. F. Brown A. Fredrickson G. P. Vining Wm. Simmons . . . J.W.Fridd C. L. Rich C. H. Marshall. ... H. W. WebBter... Thos. Mettam D. R. Bean -T. A. Lockhart.... J. M. , Emmons Jos. Hofberger John Annunson . . . J. D. Rush G. S. Barnum R. M. Scott Philo Hine John Harbeck Curtis Reed Stephen Bowron.. M. E. Sorley 1873 B. L. Cornish James Sanderson.. M. K. Babcock O.J.Hall Elbridge Smith . . . G. P.' Vining Richard Bennett . . . Thos P. Chappell . Stephen Bowron . . . P. Samphier E. D. Henry M. O'Reiley H. H. G. Bradt . . Frank Leach C. C Vosburg . . . . E. M. Harney John Annunson. Chas. Hahn ... . D. L. Libby M, Strong Ira Griffin CM. Miller H. C. Jewell L. E. Knapp 1877 R. C. Wood Charles Morgan . . C. F. Brown Phillip Verbeck . . F. S. Tullar Richard Bennett. J. W. Fridd 0. L. Rich C. H. Marshall... H. W. Webster.. Wm. Tritt Alson Wood T. J. Bowles Rufus Robie J. Hofberger Jas. H. Jones G. W. Trask H. T. Henton R. M. Scott M. C. Fisher John Harbeck Silas Bullard J. B. Hamilton. . . H. E. Gustavus . . 1874 J. "W. Cross .. Chas. Bauer . . . M. K. Babcock A. Fredrickson . G. P. Vining . Wesley Mott . . harles Hahn. John B. Russell A. W. Patten A. H. F. Krueger . D. L. Libby C. S . Weston Ira Griffin L.M.Miller H. 1 '. Jewell L . E Knapp 1878 C. "Whiting Charles Morgan Jacob Howard . . P. Verbeck F. S. Tullar Milan Ford J.W.Fridd C. L. Rich J. M. Beals Piatt M.Wright.. M. O. Reiley Alson Wood T. J. Bowles ( '. O. Vosburg J. Hofberger Jas. H. Jones. . . John Scott J. D. Rush R. M. Scott , Thos. Mitchell... P. V. Lawson, Jr. . Henry Fitzgibbon. Wm. Krueger Geo. Schmith E.F. Davis T. P. Chappell. ... Stephen Bowron. . H. W- Webster.... E. D. Henry . . . . Thomas Mettam A S. Trow Frank Leach C. C- Vosburg J. H. Merrill ¦. J. D Rush J. H. Jones Charles Hahn . . A E. Bates Thos. Mitchell, D. Phillips I, "W. Fisher H. P. Leavens . M. E. Sorley M.J. O'Brien Orville Beach C. S. Weston M. Kremer L. M. Miller H. C. Jewell L E . Knapp 1879 Robinson Henry... Chas. Bauer Jacob Howard P. Verbeck Geo. Harlow Milan Ford George SlingBby . . . Eli Stilson J. M. Beals Michael Morris Wm. Tritt Alson Wood T..J. Bowles Anthony Bowers... Jos. Hofberger WeslyMott J. D. Rush T. S. Wood C. P. Northrop.... M. (J. Fisher L. C. Shepard Silas Bullard J. B. Hamilton D. C. VanOstrand. 1850-60.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 129 LIST OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS — CONCLUDED. 3d Ward, Neenah . 4th " " .. 1st " Oshkosh. 2d " 3d " 4th " 5th " 6th " City of Oshkosh. 1875 Wm. Hewitt. . . J. W. Tdbey. . O. Beach C. S. Weston. Ira Griffin L. M. Miner: . . H.C. JeweU... L. E. Knapp . . . 1876 0. N. Herrick Jerome Bailey. . .. O. Beach 0. S. Weston Theo. Damn L. M. Miller H.C. JeweU Montrose Morgan. CHAPTER XL. The Period from 1850 to i860 — The Cheapness and Abund ance of Building Material Greatly Facilitates the Construc tion of Buildings — Breaking up Land — Fertility of the Soil and Large Crops — Prices for Farm Produce — Market Report for 1858 — The Big Crop of i860 — Improved Methods of Farming — The Cultivation of Tame Grasses — County Agricultural Society • — Stock Growers' Association — The Growth of Native Timber that has Sprung Up Since the Settlement ofthe County — First Effort at Fruit Raising — Improvement of Roads. • S will be seen by preceeding pages, the county was, in 1850, making rapid progress in improvement and popula tion. The cheapness of building material greatly facilitated the erec tion of comfortable farm buildings, and a better class of farm houses began to take the place ofthe primitive log structures. The breaking of new lands and fencing in the same, was one ofthe chief occupations of the pioneer farmer, and this work went on in every direc tion. The breaking was generally done in the months of June and July. The land was very productive and abundant crops rewarded the labor ofthe farmer; good wheat soil yielding from twenty-five to thirty bushels ol spring wheat per acre; large crops of corn and oats were also raised. The pre vailing varieties of wheat for some years was the CanadaClub and Hedgerow. Up tol858, small grain was principally cut with a cradle. Farm machinery was gradually introduced until the reaper and mower very generally took the place of cradle and scythe. The price of wheat was from fifty to sixty cents per bushel. The market report for April, 1858, gives the following prices at Oshkosh: Wheat, 45@52 cents; oats, l8@20 cents; pota toes, l8@20; beans, 5°@75 cents; butter, l6@20 cents. Occasionally an enlarged foreign demand raised the price of wheat, but the general price price, for some years, was fifty to seventy cents. In 1849, the large immigration created a demand beyond the supply of home produc tion, and wheat was $LOO per bushel; flour, $4.o6@$5.oo; pork, $5.00 per cwt, and beef, $4.00; but the large area that was soon brought under cultivation, reduced the prices of farm products. 1877 John Roberts W. H. Dudry G. H. Gile F. A. MneUer Theo. Da am Jas. Gillingham . . . H. 0. JeweU Montrose Morgan. A. Haben, Mayor. . 1878 G. H. Albee J. Bailey G. H. GUe H. Morley Geo. H. Buckstaff L. M. Mttler 0. Kahler A. Gebauer .. S. M. Beckwith, Mayor. 1879 Jas. W. Brown E. B. Ranney...'. . G. H. GUe Pat. KeUey Geo. H. Bucksteff . L. M. MUler . . . . M. Prock A. Gebauer H. B. Dale, Mayor. THE BIG CROP OF i860. In i860, an immense crop was raised. In some instances, ten acre fields yielded fifty bushels per acre of number one wheat. Oats was also a very large crop. Wheat made such a growth that much of it lodged ; but even the lodged grain gave a good yield. The season was a peculiar one; the spring very early, and wheat nearly all sown in March. Timely rains occurred all through the growing season, and the weather was moderately cool, nearly up to the time ofthe ripening ofthe grain. In the earlier years in this country, the tame grasses were very generally a failure; herds grass killed out badly, and the native grasses were the principal resource for hay; but of later years, timothy has been more successfully raised, and with red clover has become a very important crop; red top, too, on the moist land, mixed with timothy, now grows luxuriantly. In the earlier times, wheat formed a much larger proportion of the farm products of the county, than at the present, and the straw accumulated in such large quantities, that the practice prevailed of burning it. The more provident system of converting it into manure; is now practiced, and no farmer is anxious to get rid of his straw. A system of mixed farm; ing has been gradually introduced, and stock raising has been more largely engaged in. White and red clover does well and affords good pasturage. Wool has become one of the staples of the county, and cheesemaking one of the leading agricultural industries; cheese factories on an extensive scale, are found in many ofthe towns. Those of George Rogers, of Oshkosh, and James Pickett, of Utica, are famous for their choice productions. John Ryf, of Oshkosh, has a large factory, in which Swiss cheese is exclusively made. The pro ducts of this factory stand high in the market, and there is a good demand for it for foreign shipment. Hop raising was, a few years ago, largely engaged in with expectations of great profit, but the supply soon so largely exceeded the demand, that prices became ruinously low, and occasioned great loss to those engaged in its cultivation. 130 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 1850-60.] COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. A County Agricultural Society was formed in 1856, and held the first fair in the county on the tenth and eleventh of October of that year at Oshkosh; and afterwards, fairs were held yearly at that place, until the organization of the Northern Wisconsin Agricultural and Mechanical Association, which took theirplace. The exhibitions at these county fairs were highly creditable to the county in the fine display of fruits, vegetables, grain and live stock. STOCK GROWERS ASSOCIATION. A Stock Growers Association was formed, which purchased a large tract of land adjoin ing the City of Oshkosh and fitted up the same for exhibitions, with a fine mile track for races. The grounds are now appropriated to the use of the Northern Wisconsin Agricultural and Mechanical Association. The raising of blooded stock has received much attention, and there are several fine herds in the county. THE GROWTH OF NATIVE "TIMBER." In the early day, the prairie and openings portion ofthe county was more open even, than at present. The annual fires kept down the young growth. Since they have been stopped a native growth has sprung up on the unculti vated ground, and especially in the towns of Utica and Nepeuskun that, used to be con sidered prairie towns, large groves of good sized trees have grown up within the past twenty-five years. The writer has seen many places that were but little more than mere cop ses of hazel brush and grubs through which a wagon could be driven, that are now covered with a dense growth of trees which, in many instances, have attained a heighth of from thirty to forty feet, composed principally of oak and poplar with an occasional hickory. The tim ber growsso rapidly thattwenty acres, formerly grub land, furnishes a farm with an ample sup ply of fire-wood. FRUIT RAISING. In the earlier years of the settlement of this county the apple trees that were planted were generally the old favorite varieties of the East, and the method of culture the same as of that section. The orchards that were planted very generally proved failures, and abelief generally prevailed that it was "a poor fruit country," and the fact greatly deplored. It was soon ascertained by the more observing that the richness of the soil occasioning too rank a growth, and the bright, clear, dry air causing a rapid evaporation, were among the circum stances inimical to the health ofthe apple tree. Persistent investigation and effort to produce slower growing and harder wooded varieties, soon discovered kinds better adapted to the rich soil and climatic conditions of the North west, and ascertained more judicious methods of culture. The consequence^was, that the cul ture ofthe apple tree was more successfully conducted, and several varieties producing a fine quality of fruit have become very popular. Before the year i860 a large portion of the farms had bearing orchards; many of them small, it is true, and in many instances in a poor condition, but in the aggregate produc ing quite a large yield of apples and making a a very promising show of fine fruit at the County Fair. Small fruits, from the first, have been culti vated with the highest success; strawberries, currants and especially grapes of the choicest quality have been grown in profusion, ROADS. In the early day the roads in the timbered portions of the county were, in rainy periods^ almost impassable; and many of the small streams had, in the absence of bridges, to be forded; but the roads were rapidly improved, streams bridged, and, by the year i860, the roads throughout the county were compara tively good. During the last ten years, great progress has been made in the improvement of roads; and this county can now boast of as good roads as can be found in the West. Gravel beds are found throughout the county at short intervals, which furnish an abundance of bank gravel, which has proved an excellent material for road-making. This has been largely utilized, and in every direc tion is found excellent, hard-surfaced roads, extending from one extreme of the county to the other. This bank-gravel cements into a hard surface, and makes most enduring roads, over which it is a great pleasure to drive, and view the beautiful lake and river scenery. THE GROWTH OF CITIES AND VILLAGES IN THE COUNTY. In 1853, Oshkosh had attained sufficient size to be incorporated as a city, and in 1855 had a population of 4,1 18. Her manufacto ries, in 1856, consisted of fifteen saw, shingle, planing mills, and sash and door factories. The aggregate of lumber manufactured during the year was about thirty million feet. There were two grist mills, a machine shop, two plow fac tories, two steam boiler factories, and a large number of mechanic shops. The village of Neenah, in 1856, had about twenty-five stores, four flouring mills, and another in process of construction. Three saw mills, a planing mill, sash and door fac- 1850-60.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 131 tory, barrel factory, machine shop, two furni ture factories.' The population in 1855 was 1,074. The village of Menasha, in 1856 had four dry good stores, one hardware store, two clothing stores, two drug stores, five grocery stores, a tub and pail factory — an extensive establishment, three saw mills, two flouring mills, three furniture factories, two sash and blind factories, a pottery, one turning shop, and a number of mechanic shops. The Gov ernment Land Office was in this place. Its population was 1 ,700. The village of Omro, in 1856, had nine stores, three saw mills, one planing mill, one flouring mill, and mechanic shops. The village of Winneconne, in 1855, con tained five stores, a saw mill, and several mechanic shops. The village of Buttes des Morts had two or three stores and shops. The village of Waukau had, in 1855, three country stores, a flouring mill, and several mechanic shops; and had a population of five hundred. In 1856, Eureka had one store, two steam mills and mechanic shops. In 1855, the population of the county had reached 17,439. GREAT FIRE OF 1 859. In 1859, May 10, occurred the first great fire in Oshkosh, which destroyed almost the entire business portion of the city. For the particulars of this, see history of Oshkosh in this work. During the same year the Chicago & North- Western Railroad reached this county in the course of its construction, and the first through passenger train arrived at Oshkosh. This was an event hailed with much joy, and the county now, for the first time, had railroad connection, and a new outlet for the products of its farms and manufactories. CHAPTER XLI. War Times— Business Prosperity After the Close of the War- Prices of Commodities— Manufacturing Stimulated by an Incieased Demand— The Progress in Improvements in all Parts of the County— New Factories and Mills Constructed —New Railroad Lines through the County— The Great Fire in Oshkosh in 1874 and 1875— Big Crops in 1875. HE war which broke out between the North and the South, in 1861, con vulsed this county with the excitement common to all other sections of the country. the first call for troops, the county promptly responded, and companies were formed and assigned to various regiments, which marched to the scene of action. The first company formed in Oshkosh became a part of the famous Second Wisconsin, which acted so distinguished a part in the campaigns of the Iron Brigade. In 1862 a regiment was in camp here. Its quarters were in the old fair ground, and the place had a very martial appearance. The bodies of armed men passing through here, from other points, to the seat of war; the new companies forming, the soldiers home from time to time on furlough, the return of the wounded, and sometimes the remains of those who had perished in battle, gave evidence of the trying scenes through which the country was passing. In 1862 the prices of all kinds of commodi ties had advanced fifty per cent., and more, and continued to advance, until calicoes and sheetings, that formerly sold for eight and ten cents, brought twenty-five to forty cents. Woolen goods doubled in price. Boots that used to be sold for five dollars, advanced to ten dollars. Groceries, in common with every thing else, went up to high figures, and farm products also took an upward bound. During the first year of the war, times were dull, but after that, improved. Mechanics' wages were three dollars a day, and laborers' wages two dollars. The close of the war ushered in a long period of business prosperity. The vast expenditures stimulated business; the exten sion of railroad lines opened up new sections of country to settlement, and the lumber busi ness received great impetus from foreign and local demand. Farm products, of all kinds, commanded good prices, and all branches of industry flourished. The manufactories of Oshkosh, Neenah and Menasha, and the villages in the county, were in the full tide of prosperity. There was an enlarged demand for their products, money was plenty, and in rapid circulation; trade brisk, and business of all kinds good. The progress in improvement, in all local ities, was rapid. New farm buildings and barns sprung up in every direction; while in the cities and villages, handsome structures were erected by the hundreds. At Neenah, new mammoth paper and flouring mills were constructed. At Menasha new works erected and old manufactories enlarged. At Oshkosh, new mills were built on an enlarged scale. The capacity of sash and door factories increased, and new ones were constructed. New branches of manufacture were also established, 132 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1850-79. and businesss blocks and costly residences were rapidly added, increasing the comely appearance of the city. The Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad extended its lines to this county as far as Win neconne, giving the county another railroad connection. This gave a great impetus to the growth of Omro and Winneconne; and new manufacturing establishments sprang up in those towns. In 187 1 , the Wisconsin Central completed its line to Stevens Point, passing through the northern portion of the county, and gave Nee nah and Menasha another railroad outlet. In 1 87 1 the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad was constructed as far as Ripon, and the road let to the Milwaukee & St. Paul, which imme diately put on the rolling stock, and thus extened its lines to Oshkosh. The first reg ular passenger train from Milwaukee reached Oshkosh December 14, 1871. The city of Oshkosh has, this year (1879), issued its bonds to the amount of seventy-five thousand dollars, in aid ofthe construction of a Northern railroad. This will be one of the lines ofthe Milwaukee, Lake Shore and West ern Railroad, from Milwaukee to Lake Supe rior. It is expected that this road will be com pleted next winter, giving the county another direct connection with Lake Superior. GREAT FIRES. Among the notable events of the county- were the great Oshkosh fires of 1874 and 1875, the particulars of which are given in the history of Oshkosh, in this work. The fire of July 14, 1874, destroyed all the compactly built portion of Main Street above the Beckwith House, and, spreading from there, burnt nearly every building in its course for a distance of more than a mile from the point of its origin. During this year, between six and seven hundred structures were erected in Oshkosh. The fire of April 28, 1875, was a still greater disaster. This fire destroyed the business center ofthe city, and, spreading from there, extended for over half a mile through the Sec ond Ward, burning every thing in its track, but the court house and one dwelling, in a tract over a quarter of a mile in width. This fire was followed by the immediate rebuilding of the city. REBUILDING OF OSHKOSH. The enterprise and vigor which characterized the rebuilding of Oshkosh, added to the fame of the city, and was a matter of favorable comment by the newspapers of the country. Oshkosh astonished the outside world by the wonderful recuperative force she exhibited. Her courage and enterprise under such dis heartening circumstances excited universal admiration. AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY IN 1 87 5. [From the Oshkosh Northwestern.] The year 1875 was a bounteous one to the farmer, and sel dom, if ever, in the history of this section of country, have the harvests yielded so plentifully. The spring set in rather later than usual, the snow not melting away until the second of May. The excellent summer weather, especially propitious for grain and vegetables, quickly repaid with interest the back wardness of the season, and the harvest rounded up with the fullest store. The early frosts in Atlgust nipped and stinted the corn crop, which, however, is of but secondary import ance in this section, and the crop was exceedingly light, and almost a failure in some places. Everything else .developed and yielded to its fullest measure. The wheat and oat crops were never better, and reports ac threshing time came in thick and fast from every locality, of immense yields, which were considered astonishing. It was a common occurrence to find wheat turning out thirty to forty bushels to the acre, and in some instances fifty bushels to the acre has been claimed. The oat, barley and rye crops were proportionately up to the wheat. The vegetable crop surpassed anything in the history of the country. The exhibition of vegetables at the Northern State Fair, held in this city in October, was the the theme of remark and wonderment by all who visited it. The crop of potatoes, which had been destroyed each season for several years previ ous by the potato bug, came through without a scratch, and with an enormous yield. Potato vines that season were entirely relieved from the usual pest; where for several years before potatoes had sold at an average price of one dollar per bushel, the ruling price since the crop of 1875, is thirty cents. CROPS. There was raised in Winnebago county, in 1875, the follow ing cereals, according to the best estimates : Wheat . Oats . . Corn, poor in quality Barley Bushels. i,5oo,65o 600,000400,000 27,900 LIVE STOCK. According to the assessment returns of 1875, there was in the county of Winnebago the following live stock. Horses . Neat Cattle SheepSwine .... Mules and Asses 8,119 18,533 36,885 6,418 122 THE COUNTY IN 1 879. The navigable water courses traversing thii> county, with its beautiful lakes, are one of its most attractive features. They also give it great commercial advantages, in affording steamboat communication with Lake Michigan on the one hand, and the Mississippi on the other; but above all, the Wolf River, flowing from the pineries, affordingthe best of facilities for floating their products to this county, has, from the beginning, been largely tributary to i879.J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 133 its prosperity. For the last twenty years, from one hundred to two hundred million feet of pine logs, per annum have been got out in these pineries, and floated down the Wolf, and the great portion of it manufactured at that point into lumber, shingles, sash and doors. The magnitude of these manufactures may be comprehended, when it is stated, that the products of the Oshkosh mills and facto ries, have, in some seasons, loaded fifteen thousand railroad cars. A large force of men have found employ ment in this business. In the fall, supplies, are first hauled to the camps, and, on the first fall of snow, hundreds of men take their departure for the woods. In the spring the logs come down, and the boom, which is situated about twenty miles from Oshkosh, where the logs are rafted is a scene of great activity. Here, large crowds of men are seen in every direc tion, engaged in sorting and rafting the logs, which, when formed into fleets, are towed by tugs to Oshkosh, and other points. The stir and bustle at Boom Bay, which is a lively place in the rafting season, is further increased by the noisy little steam tugs, coming and going, and by the passenger steamers, arriv ing and departing daily. MANUFACTURES. Winnebago County, in the value of its man ufactured products, is second on the list of the counties of the State. The immense timber products ofthe Wolf pineries, have formed one ofthe staple materials of manufacture. In the whole county, there has been for a long series of years, about forty odd saw and shingle mills — twenty-five to thirty of them in Osh kosh — one running gangs of sixty saws, and the others, large establishments, manufacturing yearly from 1 50,000,000 to 200,000,000 feet of logs into lumber and shingles, and aggre gating not far from two million dollars. SASH, DOOR AND BLIND FACTORIES. The manufacture of sash, doors and blinds is carried on very largely, there being in Osh kosh alone, eight large factories, several of them employing seventy to a hundred hands each, and with a daily capacity for making 1,000 doors, 2,000 windows, and 450 pair of blinds. They manufacture per annum, 200,000 doors, and 600,000 windows, besides a vast amount of blinds, dressed lumber, prepared casings, mouldings, etc. FOUNDRIES AND MACHINE SHOPS. The vast amount of steam machinery run ning in. the county has created a large demand for machine work; the manufacture, therefore, of steam engines, steam boilers, castings/and machinery of various kinds, is large, and car ried on by several extensive establishments. FLOURING MILLS. The manufacture of flour ranks in import ance next to that of lumber, and is an immense production. The fine water power at Neenah, makes that point a great flour manufacturing center. Here are some ofthe finest mills in the State. There are also large mills at Osh kosh, Menasha, Waukau and Omro. Their aggregate productions are estimated to be about six hundred thousand barrels per year.* MISCELLANEOUS. The manufacture of print paper is a leading industry. The mammoth establishments at Neenah, averaging a daily production of twenty-two thousand pounds. The match works of J. L. Clark, of Osh kosh, employ about three hundred and fifty hands, and its products amount to about half a million dollars per year. Webster & Lawson's hub, spoke and bent work factory, at Menasha, is another mammoth concern, the works covering some ten acres of ground. (See history of Menasha.) The brick and lime works, of Cook, Brown & Co., of Oshkosh, employ a large force, and a steamboat and two sail vessels, of their own, in the transportation of material. The trunk factory, of Schmit Brothers, Osh kosh, is another large concern. The tub and pail factory, of Menasha, is a large establishment. The carriage works, of Parsons, Neville & Company, of Oshkosh, is on a large scale, employing over a hundred hands. Thompson & Hayward's carriage works, of Omro, is also a large concern. The manufacture of furniture, wagons, leather, soap, clothing, woolen goods and other miscellaneous branches is extensively engaged in, and produce, in the aggregate, an amount of much value. RAILROADS. The railroads traversing the county are the Chicago & Northwestern, from Chicago . to Lake Superior. The Milwaukee & St. Paul, with two lines, one to Oshkosh, and one to Waukau, Omro and Winneconne. The Wis consin Central, from Milwaukee to Lake Superior via Neenah and Menasha. The Mil waukee Lake Shore and Western is now pur- *NoTE — For statistics of manufactures of each place in the county, see History of Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha; and the other places. 134 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. chasing the right of way for a line from Osh kosh to Hortonville, which is to be com pleted the present season. STATE INSTITUTIONS. These are the State Normal School, in Osh kosh, and the Northern Hospital for the Insane, an immense structure. (See view of same in this book.) PUBLIC BUILDINGS. These are, the court house, Exposition build ing of the Northern Agricultural and Mechan ical Association, and the various fine school structures, for some of which see views in this work. CHURCHES. There are a great many fine church edifices in the cities; and in many of the county towns, neat, tasty structures of various denomina tions. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. F. A. Morgan. County Superintendent of Schools, appeared before the Board of Super visors, and read and submitted his annual report, for 1878, as follows: To the Hon. Board of Supervisors of Winnebago County: Gentlemen : — My annual report to the State Superintendent of Pub lic Instruction, a copy of which is on file with the County Clerk, shows the following facts concerning the schools of the county : 0 0 A 0 m O 13 a 00 w CD p. O tio PM n< 0 Z K a: In bo a) H 2 aj Q) m 3 60™ 3 s o 1 h g, n ?SSjs.S c ° 3 g-f; n a ?5- p-jr- O H S g g s g. -;«•-" s^s -° 0 g'i 8 s~l sS 0 g. d- c S ST *f ^ . S = . ""H.B-ffa^p H2 5= ^' 0 S;'? o. _p£--p-<- Sen ^fS'S*" " ' - • ¦ !z! . - . ^ . . . ¦ 0 Poygan, Poygan. Ring, south-east part of Town of Utica. Snell Station, south part of Town of Neenah. Vinland, north part of Town of Oshkosh. Waukau, south-part of the Town of Rush ford. Winchester, Winchester. CO "to OO Co OOtO tO 4* 4=>- Co On On O* M MOJ -^ -f* to to OnOo OO Oo 4^. 4*. O N <-t OO •-< Co On On ™ 00 O0--J to O to On vOM O OOOn mh^^.ohOvO^'O to 10 to O -1 ¦z0 OwM 4- jo to 4- nO f H m N M mOJ MOJ U)H|0M-1HM-IH j^1 nOjCo to O "" «WLn\D OUi^-^ h (0^OW\O J— . * Winnebago, east part of Town of Oshkosh. Winneconne, Winneconne. to p 00 On O 4^ Oo Oo Oo 4^- muivjvi -1 CO 10 O no On4^ Onno ¦ W O 00w On~-4 nJ\OOj OnnO -¦J to 1-1 OOtONO CO W Oo CO tO Oo On O ONOn 000 20 W>H f. >HHt-w Zoar, south-east part of Town of Wolf River. POPULATION OF COUNTY. to 4* On _ w hhhhKJ'-'M'-'i-ii-" tO « fiT* no On on on Oo CO^nO 0 O ¦- On4^- On^-I "-J O *-J O [ i~- "(0 nj i\ « "-. OOOJ '<-> oono "to "to 'bo *On"-< do 00" VO 4*- On tO On on ^4 CO O NO "*4 *i f" O O 00«WLn 0 n> ft 1855 . 17.439 ;t i860 . . . 23,770 1865 . . 29,767 1870 ... . . 37.325 1875 45.043 to 10 hH f. MM 4^ ON~-J (OtO,-'<-n<-'iJ-i4i.4i. tO M m M 0 S >r %D JON"bo to0 h ' 4^0J M HOJUiLn MLn toi-i' mOOn (_n . lO^Ln O OM-n 00 00 00<-n iyi4> O O Oo 00 O O-iLnOOU^'-nUiOOOOO O^^OO < TOTAL VALUATION OK ALL PROPERTY. 1848 . . . $ 258,545-07 to bo --1 OJ STtnLnLnUn ON*-" OJ Oo On ONOJ LnOiLa^ ¦^J. OW OnO M mOj OCCO NUi . O^O-J O dn Oodn bob^iONHHOONbdnb O h M O O O0^lH-O4^* « COON^JLa^ (_r, i_i MVOUvO i-i La 1-1 h 4» OJ ONOOtO ONOn \D On O ON O 0O*wf3 1865 . . . . . . 3,668,237 OO 187O . . ... 12.356,816.00 1875 ¦ • • 12.454,287.00 OnOi b 0 00 10 N hW MO\hUi h O^ n to to w 4^ <-a lo "O 4^- OOO do on "to On">-i n© Oo 00 "w OOj i-i hoj f. t04^Oo hhnOA oono O * ONOn 4^. On "*a On OnOo ^4 On ** h in J> oj - t-i^-pk 1-1 MNO N--i iiOjOn^ tONO 11 tO"^OI 0£. < SR n> rt Editors. Oshkosh Telegraph, Kohlmann Brothers, Editors. Oshkosh Greenback Standard, Morley & Kaime, Editors. Oshkosh Early Dawn, M. T. Carhart, Editor. Omro Journal, P. M. Wright, Editor. HWWNlOtOMOJOJHMMtoOiMMOJtOM On4». 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OONO Oo CO >-i OnnO tONO OCoOCo totoootocooo OM O^ OnnO NO tO CO'--J On .4>. on do O O tO to-J> NO "-J O O no 00 OOsi O to CNON>-iOo to O O La La p on ON OndoNO O M NO ooj> >-* to i-iooi-iO-' On . 00 ¦ . . . MD si ON*-4 1-1 tO ON OnCo 4> ' On " si ' -1 ON^l -P- OJ ^-1 "4> N4, O ' O " E. B •<|C O E «! Co 4* w 4> to On OiCo w C 4^ to to Ol O ONC 4^ 4^ Oivp ONOn - Or N On M NO Oi -^ lyj Om O101 ono tO ON si Ol OlNO C j*NON0*ii-iNO4*La4* tO hoiOJ J> n OnOnO i-tNOOnNOCoNO 00 00^-4 ¦> 00 O 4^ J-* -p- ** 4* si on OOOn 4^. J nh OOoCOCJvbco^H *ON--J "tO NO iCoCo O 1-1 OOJsjno O 0000ON ) h to dO ONLa Co tO OOLa no 4^ H0< a » r 12 ^ 2 z >¦ j > z r* 1-1 0 STATE GOVERNORS FROM WINNEBAGO COUNTY. This County has had among its residents, some who have taken a very distinguished part in State and National affairs. First on the list is Governor Doty, whose residence was on Doty Island, now part ofthe City of Neenah, and a brief sketch of whose career is given on Page 105. He took a most distinguished part in the public affairs of the Northwest and its early explorations, naming many of its localities, examining the country and its resources, and collecting valu able information in regard to the same. He took a part in the making of treaties with the Indians, and held the first court west of the lakes. He also donated to- the State the present site ofthe State Capitol, and in 1841, was appointed Governor of the Territory of Wisconsin. He was a man highly esteemed for his valuable public services and for his ability, and integrity of character. Governor Coles Bashford, now of Arizona, was Governor of the State of Wisconsin, in 1856 arid 1857. He reached the executive chair through one of the most exciting political contests in the State, and his title to the office was obtained through a decision of the Supreme Court. His administration involved questions which occasioned bitter party strife; and some local and individual dissensions, on account of the disposal of the large land grant, which eventually fell into the possession of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. He was a man of very fine address and genial manners, of much culture and ability, and had many warm friends. HON. PHILETUS SAWYER. Probably no one, for the last ten years, has been more influential in the public affairs of the Northwest, than Hon. Philetus Sawyer, of this city, a man whose whole business and political career has been one long series of successes. Mr. Sawyer commenced his business career as a manufacturer of lumber, in 1850, in the village of Algoma, now the Fifth Ward of the City of Oshkosh, and soon became the leading manufacturer of that staple from the Wolf River pineries. His business energy, promptness, and prac tical efficiency and sagacity, have led to the highest success in the accumulation of great wealth, and in an unremitting business pros perity which still attends his efforts. Mr. Sawyer's integrity and practical ability soon attracted the attention of his townsmen, who called him from private life to public I849-79-J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 137 position. He commenced his long and successful political career, as Member of the State Legis lature in 1857, was again elected in 1861, was Mayor pf Oshkosh in 1863 and 1864, was elected Member of Congress from this District in 1.864, and was re-elected for four consecutive terms; making a continuous term of service as Member of Congress ten years. His political career has been as successful as his business one, having neverlbeen defeated in any election in which he was a candidate. His ten consecutive years in Congress, gave him an experience, which, added to his prac tical ability, caused him to be regarded as one of the most influential members of that body, and as one of the leaders in the public affairs of the Northwest. After the close of his fifth Congressional term, he declined a renominatidn, and has since devoted his energies to the pursuit of his personal affairs. He has since been frequently and persistently urged to accept nominations for the highest positions, but has invariably and positively declined. But few men of such a long political career, are so universally esteemed as Mr. Sawyer, and whatever bitter things may have been said in the heat of party strife, his morals and integrity of character have never been impeached. He has been very liberal in his donations to benevolent associations and churches, and many of his benefactions will be known only to those he has kindly assisted in their pecuniary troubles; and if Mr. Sawyer is energetic in his struggle for wealth, he has been liberal in assisting those whom he considered worthy, and has contributed largely to the business success of many, who, without his assistance would have failed in their enterprises. HON. GABE BOUCK, Of Oshkosh, now Member of Congress from this District, was elected Attorney-General of the State of Wisconsin in 1857 and served for the term of two years. In .i860 and again in 1864, he was elected to the State Legislature, and in 1876 was elected Member of Congress, carrying this district by a large majority. In 1878, he was re-elected. Mr. Bouck came to Oshkosh in 1849, and entered upon the practice of his profession — Attorney at Law, in which he has attained great success, having had an extensive and successful practice, from which he has realized much wealth. His professional career has been signalized by the closest attention to business entrusted to his hands, and by his promptness, efficiency and professional integrity. He has been known as a political leader since his first arrival in the State and has exercised much influence in political circles. HISTORY OF OSHKOSH. CHAPTER XL 1 1. The Embryo City — First Settlers — First Houses, Stores and Hotels — Description ofthe Place in 1846 and in 1S49 — First Saw Mills — First Grist Mill — Steamboats — Busi ness Films in '49 and '50 — "The Days of Auld Larig Syne" — Items from the Oshkosh Democrat in the Early Day — Market Reports — High Water — The Country Flooded — A Historic Bell — Oshkosh becomes a City — Items from the Oshkosh Courier — Organization of First Fire Engine Company — Work Commenced on the Win nebago Railroad — Bonds Issued to the Chicago & St. Paul Railroad. H E history of the city of Oshkosh, from the advent of the first perma nent settlers, the Stanleys and Gallups in 1836, up to 1846, is related in the early history of the county. Up to this period, the progress ofthe settlement was slow, and the place consisted simply of a few log houses on the farms of their respective owners, and the little stores of Osborne & Dodge, Smith & Gillett and Miller & East man. This was the embryo city of Oshkosh in 1846, destined to become the second city in wealth, business and population in the State of Wisconsin. In 1846 Mr. Stanley opened the first public house, a small structure, on the corner of High. and Main streets, opposite the present Union National Bank. The next public house was opened by Manoah Griffin on the site of Stroud's oil store, and nearly opposite to this was the store of Miller & Eastman. These two estab lishments constituted the business center of Oshkosh at that time. The following article, copied from the Osh kosh Democrat of March 2, 1849, gives a very good description of Oshkosh in its earlier days. Oshkosh was so named in honor of Oshkosh, the principal chief of the Menominee Indians, whose lands, in and adjoin ing our immediate neighborhood, were lately purchased by the General Government. The villagers located on the north side of the Neenah, or Fox River, near its. confluence with Lake Winnebago, about twenty miles north of Fond du Lac, and fifty south of Green Bay. No steps were taken towards the formation of a village until the summer of 1846. At that time there were no dwelling*, 138 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1849-79- except one store or trading post, owned by Mr. A. Dodge, and four or five farm houses within a circuit of as many miles. Dur- ng the summer settlers began to arrive, and Messrs. Wright & Jackson surveyed oft a portion of their lands into lots, and these met with ready sale, and almost instantaneously buildings of every grade were erected, although there was then the greatest difficulty in procuring the necessary materials. But the pio neers went to work with a persevering determination, hewing the whole of their frame work, studs, beams and rafters, from the woods, and obtaining lumber as best they could, so that in the month of September there was one tavern, three stores, one shoe shop, shingle factory, and about twenty dwellings finished or in progress, and settlers were arriving every day, and most interesting scenes of bustling excitement and industry were to be seen at all times. Early in the winter an addition to the village was surveyed out from a purchase of Messrs. Miller & Eastman from Colonel Conklin, of Taycheedah, and in an incredible short time, the whole ofthe principal and best lots were sold, and through the winter building was going on lively, rafts of timber having arrived from the pinery before the season closed, but it sold a exorbitant prices. t A new interest was given to the village, while the territo rial Legislature was in session, by the passage of a bill removing the county seat from an isolated and unsettled point to Osh kosh, at which the good citizens took occasion to rejoice liber ally. Such was the first settlement of Oshkosh, and since that time its growth has exceeded the most sanguine hopes and expectations of every one. At the present date the village con tains a population of four hundred and eighty-six, of which two hundred and seven are females, and two hundred and sev enty-nine males. There are six extensive dry goods stores, four groceries, seven lawyers, two shoe shops, two taverns, one recess, one steam saw mill, one tin shop, one sash, shingle and furniture factory, two cabinet makers, one physician, one watch maker, one gun smith, one harness maker, three black smith shops, employing eleven hands, and one newspaper establishment. Besides these there are a good assortment of mechanics, and the necessary offices and county buildings, etc., and every day witnesses the arrival of some one or more families, and since the census was taken for this article, several large families have come amongst us. It is also computed that not less than one hundred of our male population are at the time engaged in the lumbering business in the pinery. In the spring of 1847, the Fox River Bridge Company was incorporated for the purpose of building a bridge from thefoot of Ferry street. The incorporators were Edward Eastman, Chester Ford, S. H. Farnsworth, John Smith, G. F. Wright, L. M. Miller, Albert Lull, and others. They commenced work on the bridge, but it was finally completed by Abel Neff on the third day of July, 1849; and on the day following (the Fourth of July), a celebration being held, the procession marched across the bridge to the hotel of Otis & Earl. FIRST SAW MILLS. In 1847 two saw mills were erected at about the same time; one by Morris Firman near the site of the present gang mill, and one by For man & Bashford at Algoma. The latter, it is claimed, sawed the first lumber. The third mill was built by Sheldon & Hubbard; the fourth by Reed, Wyman & Company. These were soon followed by the building of mills by J. P. Coon, Geer & Company, Stilson & Chase, and Joseph Porter. The firm of Brand & Sawyer, in 1848, came into the possession of the first mill, built at Algoma the year'pre- vious. This was the beginning of that vast lumber industry of Oshkosh that has since grown to such great proportions. FIRST GRIST MILL. The first grist mill was built by Forman & Company at Algoma. This supplied a want that had been badly felt; for previous to the building of this mill much of the grist of the county had to be sent to Manchester on the east shore ofthe lake; and in the earlier days, flour had to be packed in from Green Bay on an Indian trail. STEAMBOATS. The first steamboat plying these waters was the little Manchester. She was the only boat until the Peytona made her appearance in 1849. This fine boat had a most successful career, and for years plied regularly between Fond du Lac and Oshkosh The roads were frequently impassable, and for months at a time the only means of communication between the places -was by steamers. From '49 to '53 an imihense immigration was pouring in, and the Peytona was loaded with passengers on her daily trips. The D. B. Whitacre, another steamer, was put on the lake about the same time, and in 1852, the Menasha, a splendid-looking boat, eclipsing in appearance anything yet seen in these waters, commenced making regular trips. The Jenny Lind, Oshkosh, Badger State, A. W. Knapp, John Mitchell and Berlin were soon added to the marine force, and Oshkosh had daily lines from her docks; one to Fond du Lac, one up the Wolf to Gill's Landing'and New London, one up the Fox to Berlin and one via the Lower Fox to Green Bay. The coming and going of these steamers, with the tugs which were soon introduced to tow the rafts and the sail craft which began to multiply in numbers, imparted a very business-like appearance to the place, and added much to its commercial importance. FIRST NEWSPAPER. On the ninth day of February, 1849, the first newspaper published in the County, the Oshkosh Democrat, made its appearance. This was hailed as a great event. 1849-50.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 139 BUSINESS FIRMS OF OSHKOSH IN 1 849. In the advertising columns of the Oshkosh Democrat, the following named firms appear. If there were any others, they will not be handed down to posterity, from the fact of not having advertised in their local paper: Dry Goods, Groceries, Etc. — Weed & Baldwin, Andrea & Papendick, J. Davis, Whitacre & Langworthy, W. A. Knapp & Co., David & Ford, M. J. Baker, James A. Chesley, who also included drugs, paints and oils; J. C. Hayes, Eastman, Cottrell & Ames, George Warren. Clothing Stores — Samuel Eckstein, David Robinson & Co. Boot and Shoe Store — Petersilea & Geschwender, Henry Priess. Hardware Store — Hay & Hall. Books and Stationery — E. R. Baldwin. Groceries and Provisions — P. V. Wright, B. F. Phillips, J. K. & J. Hicks. Jewelry Store — J. W. Scott. Storage,, Forwarding and Commission — Gordon & Dodge. Hotels — Oshkosh House, by Manoah Griffin; Winnebago Hotel, by A. Olcott. Liquor Store — -A. Sittig. Shoemaker — Edward Edwards. Blacksmithing — Edward Eastman, C. T. Kimball, C. A. Garrett. Oshkosh Steam Saw Mill — M. Firman. Fox River Iron Works — G. S. Olin, Pro prietor; Grist mill and saw mill gearing, steam engines, etc., made to order. Sash Factory — John J. Fort. Furniture Dealer — J. Y. Davis. Architect and Builder George Williams. Harness Maker — Albert Pride. Gunsmith — J. Craig. Livery Stable — J. Harris. Attorneys-at-Law — Rowley & Austin, G. W. Washburn, L. P. Crary, Buttrick & Spaul- ding, Blodgett & Hobart, Gabe Bouck, Eighme & Onstine. Physicians — A. B. Wright, B. S. Henning, G. H. Kleffler. Notaries — Clark Dickenson, E. A. Cooley. In 1850 the additional firms advertising are as follows : Steam Saw Mills — D. W. Forman & Co., Reed & Wyman, Chase & Stilson, Gere & Co.; Planing mill, Hubbard & Ridlon, and Firman. Foundry — Williams. Flouring Mill — D. W. Forman & Co. Clothing Houses — McCourt & Marks, Anton Andrea. Dry Goods, Groceries, etc.. — G. C.Ames, Gruenhagen & S.on, A. H. Read; H. Hicks & Brother, L. H. Cottrill, Reardon & Brother. Groceries and Provisions — R. Vessey. Wine and Cigar Store — Theodore Frentz. Drug Store — M. J. Williams. Iron and Hardware Stores — A. N. and A. H. Raymond. Sash, Door and Blind Factory — Chapman & Abbott. Tannery — G. D. Bullen. Oshkosh Brewery — Scheussler & Freund. Furniture Warerooms — Henry Reynolds. Tobacconist — A. H. L. Dias. Wagon and Carriage Shop — Barnes & Moody. Stage Line from Oshkosh to Fort Winne bago. Furniture — Samuel Schaub. Eagle Hotel — ]. F. Mills. Algoma House — Cooley & Moody. Meat Market — Conrad Ernst. "THE DAYS OF AULD LANG SYNE" ITEMS FROM THE OSHKOSH DEMOCRAT IN THE YEARS '49 AND '50. The Democrat announces the breaking out of the California gold fever, and has an article on the "Importance of the Wilmot Proviso," and the great merit of the Free Soil Party. The issue of July 6, 1849, says: "In our tramp last week we passed through Omro, a new town started on Fox River five miles above the junction with the Wolf. It is not a town yet, but its proprietors tell us that it is a central place, that several new leading roads cross the river at that place and that it cannot fail to grow. Dean, Beckwith & Co. are building a steam saw mill there. " September 21, 1849. "Mr. Edwards, School District Clerk, last Tuesday took the census of this district to ascertain the number of school children between the age of four and twenty. He also, while doing this, numbered the whole population of our town. The census shows 187 school children and 1,032 inhabitants. There are in Oshkosh six dry goods stores, nine grocery stores, three taverns and another nearly completed, five shoe establishments, three meat markets, one brewery, one bakery, two forwarding houses, one tin manufactory, one silversmith, one saddler, four blacksmiths, one wagon shop, two tailoring establishments, etc. Of professional men in town there were four doctors, eight lawyers, two money lend ers and several others whose professions are rather precarious. " A stage is advertised to run between Osh kosh, Fond du Lac and Winnebago Rapids. , The steamer Manchester it is announced will 140 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. i849-5o.] ply between Fond du Lac and Oshkosh. For freight or passage apply to P. Hotaling. The True Democrat, of October 26, 1849, has at the head of its columns the following county ticket: For Senator — L. M. Miller. Clerk of Board — Frank Powers. Treasurer — Edward Edwards. Surveyor — Joseph Osborn. Independent Candidate for Member of Assembly — John P. Gallup. "The Board of Public Works met here last week, to receive proposalsfor contracts for the works at the Rapids and Grand Chute. "The Board were all present, together with Governor Dewey. "The work at the Rapids was let to Curtis Reed. The conditions ofthe contract are that Mr. Reed binds himself in good and sufficient sureties to build the work without charge to the State, and to pay to the State, in addition, $5,000 for making it. In consideration of this, the Board permits the work to be made on the north channel (the Menasha side). "The work at Grand Chute was not let, as the bids in the aggregate amounted to more than the Board are allowed to expend at this time. "Thus it willbe seen that the Board are push ing everything just as fast as they can. And what is more, it will be seen that every circum stance seems to work favorably to the State. All interested can congratulate themselves on the good luck that seems to attend the progress ofthe Improvement." November 9, 1849. "Last week we were down to those growing towns at the foot of the lake after an absence of a little more than two months, and things new and almost strange, (we say almost, because we have learned to call nothing strange in these times of progress), met our gaze on all sides. New houses and new stores going up at Neenah, and since the letting a new rush is. setting in to Menasha. Two saw mills are already in operation there, two more are about commencing, and other manufacturing establishments are to be com menced immediately. These two towns will soon eclipse all around them." WAUKAU. "This town shows an improving appearance. Parson & Bocker's flouring mill is in rapid process of completion. The appearance is that it will be a great advantage to the town and surrounding country, and will add much to its prosperity. " WINNECONNE. "This place is rapidly improving. Its loca tion is beautiful, the ground being high and the landing one of the best on the river. It is but a few months since the village was laid out, but quite a number of good buildings have already been erected and everything there wears a business-like appearance. " May 31, 1850. The arrival of the new steamer, Peytona, is announced. "Provisions are very high here now, and the indications are that a scarcity pervades the entire West. " MARKET REPORT. May3i,l8So. "Wheat, SOc@s6c; flour, $4 per barrel; hams, 12c; pork, $20 per barrel; butter, 18 and 20c; cheese, $.12; eggs, 12c; beef, $5@$5.5o; potatoes, 87c; oats, 75c; corn, 56c; lard, iOc@llc." August 9, 1850. "The new steamer, Bad ger State, is announced to run to Strong's Landing. " THE WEATHER. September 6, 1850. "In all our experience we have never seen such long, uninterrupted, continued and excessively wet and cold weather, for the time of year, as we have had since the first of July. The whole country is a perfect ocean. It is useless to think of trav eling; the oat and potato crops are ruined. During the week past it has rained almost incessantly, and has been so cold as to require overcoats. " January 3, 185 1. Raymond's select school is commended as a praiseworthy institution.) January 12, 185 1 . "It is announced that the Legislature elected Dr. B. S. Henning qf this place Register of the Land Office, and James Murdock, of Dodge County, Treasurer." January 17. 185 1 . "We are requested to give notice that the Right Reverend Bishop Kemper, D. D., Bishop of the Protestant Epis copal Church for the diocese of Wisconsin, will hold service in the rooms over A. N. and A. H. Raymond's hardware store on Tuesday evening next." January 24, 1851. "R. P. Eighme will lecture before the Young Men's Association. Subject, Knowledge and its Exercise." ALGOMA AND LIBERTY PRAIRIE PLANK ROAD. January 24, 1851. "We learn that $8,000 has been taken of the stock of the Company, and that preparations are making for the rapid progress ofthe work." February 7,1851. "The German concert, Wednesday evening, went off to the satisfaction of all who were present. Mrs. Andrea sang 'The Ship on Fire' with exceeding taste and beauty." March 28-, 1851. "The new steamer, John Mitchell, we learn is completed and will be I85I-53-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 141 here on Wednesday next. W. A. Knapp & Co. have finished their wharf." FLOURING. "We think no enterprise in this town would pay better than a good flouring mill. The whole country up the Wolf River gets its flour from this place, which we have to get mostly from Dodge County," "The Board of Public Works (Fox and Wis consin Improvement) held a session here on Monday last. The members were all present. The Land Office is now open for entries." April 4, 185 1. "The weather here during all March was fair and delightful." April 25, 1851. "The weather the past week has been most beautiful. The steamer Badger State has made a trip up the Wolf. Last Saturday the John Mitchell started on a trip to the Little Wolf. "Our neighbors on the south side of the river must be prospering. We noticed several new grocery stores started and preparations for more, and any quantity of new buildings. Prosperity seems to be the word with all. "The circular steam saw mill of Arnold & Gates is doing most excellent work." May 2, 185 1. "Samuel Eckstein is receiv ing a large stock of clothing." May 16, 185 1 . "The steamer Oshkosh is expected here to-morrow. " May 23, 1 85 1 . "On Monday evening we were visited with another deluge. It com menced about three P. M and continued until nine, and the whole country was nearly sub merged. " May 30, 1 85 1. "Mr. Rowley informs us that a couple of companies commenced the survey of the Indian Land west of Wolf River and north of the north line of this county a few days since." May 30, 185 1. "Flood! Flood! We men tioned last week the excessive rains we had been visited with. No sooner had we got to press, than it commenced raining again, and continued for an entire day, harder than ever. Again, on Monday of this week, itcommenced and continued almost incessantly until Wednesday. The river is higher than we have ever seen it before by many feet. The whole county is afloat and it is utterly impossible to get about. We have been building a shanty on a lot which we thought to be high and dry, but we have had to build a raft to get from the door to the woodpile. " This was the season of the high water which will be remembered by the old settlers. The writer sailed a boat that drew about three feet when loaded, from Fond du Lac, and came into the river here with a good strong sailing breeze, and sailed directly up to the platform of the Oshkosh House^ which occupied the present site of Stroud's oil store. Between this point and the river it was flooded all the season, the water from two to four feet deep. Meadow lands on the Fox and Wolf Rivers, and on Lake Winnebago, that had formerly been fine hay marshes were destroyed. The writer sailed over a cornfield on Long Point, and also sailed a boat drawing two feet of water from Partridge Lake directly across the large meadow between that lake and Gill's Landing. Large tracts of timber on the low lands were destroyed; for the high water pre vailed all the season, and only partially subsided the next. It was thought that the dams at Neenah and Menasha were partially the cause, and meetings were held and an organized effort made to compel the corporations to lower them. The Democrat of August 31, says: "On Thursday last five steamers were leav ing this place at the same time. The Menasha and Peytona for foot ofthe lake, the Oshkosh and Badger State for Berlin, and the Mitchell for Mukwa." INDIAN PAYMENTS. One of the events ¦ofthe early day was Indian payments. One took place on October 30, 185 1. It was held at the "Pay Grounds" on Lake Poygan, and a great concourse of people flocked thither with all those articles that I Indians are likely to purchase. Indian trad ers from all directions, and merchants from the several villages came with their goods. Eating shanties were erected and every means resorted to to tempt the Indian to squander his money. For full description of these pay ments see history of Town of Poygan. In 1852 the continuance of high water created much excitement. The river and lake had risen about two feet above the usual high water mark, and a belief prevailed that it was occasioned by the Neenah and Menasha dams. Meetings were held and counsel employed to commence an action against the corporations at the foot of the lake, but nothing effective was accomplished. A HISTORIC BELL. May, 1853. "Oshkosh glories in a new bell, and we feel so proud of it that we keep contin ually ringing it, as a boy blows upon his new whistle." This bell had an eventful record. It was cast in Oshkosh and it is claimed that it was the first bell cast in the State. After it was cast it was found that there was not material 142 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1853- enough to form the yoke, when more bell-metal was procured and it was recast. It was little thought when the new bell first rung out its joyful peals, that it would give warning ofthe dreadful fire calamity of 18.59. In this fire it was fused into a mass of metal which Hon. Samuel Hay, then Mayor, shipped to Troy, where it was recast and sent back to Oshkosh to be hung in No. 1 Engine House, where it did service for many years, and its ominous tones frequently startled our citizens, as it gave warning ofthe many fires that des olated the city. May, 1853. "Business opens in a very flat tering manner this spring. There is more build ing, more life and activity all around town than formerly. Last season untenanted houses abounded here; they are occupied now, and the demand for houses exceeds the supply. All our dealers are receiving heavy stocks of goods in their respective lines o.f trade, and prosper ity and activity is apparent on every side." March 25, 1853 "J. H. Osborn is compil ing an abstract of the titles to all the real estate in the county. OSHKOSH BECOMES A CITY. "In these progressive days, when boys are 'young men' at fifteen, and girls 'young ladies' at twelve — in an age when everything is decidedly 'fast' — we do not know why a burg of two or three thousand inhabitants may not shake off the reproach implied in the word village, and assume a place among the mature characters ofthe age. Is there any good rea son why Oshkosh should not be a city. A majority of our citizens believed that no such reason existed, and on last Friday the City charter was adopted by 177 majority. The charter election has been held, and mayor, aldermen, etc., have been chosen. Oshkosh is a city. " " The two houses of the Legislature met. in joint convention on the 28th of March 1853, when the nominees of the Democratic caucus were elected: Board. of Public Works — L. M. Miller, Ben jamin Allen, A. Proudfit. Register — R. P. Eighme, Treasurer — James Murdock. May 6, 1853. "Mr. Ames, we hear, has just purchased of Mr. McNeil, eighty feet on Ferry Street for two thousand dollars. Twenty five dollars a foot. This tells something for the growing business ofthe place." The Democrat, of May 13, 1853, contains the following extract from an article in the Milwaukee Sentinel, in favor of a railroad from Oshkosh to Milwaukee: "Here are two large rivers — the Wolf a very large one — converging at Oshkosh, the central point of Winnebago County, and emptying by a common mouth into Lake Winnebago, the one a hundred and twenty miles long from the southwest, and the other a hundred and twenty miles of navigable water from the north, and sending their united business to their common business center — Oshkosh. On the Fox are the thriving villages of Omro, Delhi, Eureka, Sacramento, Berlin, St. Marie, Princeton, Marquette and Montello. South of this, bordering on it, is the county of Colum bia, and parts of Marquette and Winnebago. On the Wolf are the villages of Algoma, Buttes des Morts, Winneconne, Fremont, Mukwa, Benton and Shawano. East of the Wolf are the counties of Oconto and Outagamie, and part of Winnebago. In the angle formed by the two rivers, are the entire counties of Wau shara, Waupaca, and Shawano, and parts of Marquette and Winnebago. These rivers are the outlet of this whole extent of country, and Oshkosh is the key and commanding mart of the whole. " For quite a period at this time — 1853 — the Maine liquor law seems to have been the great sensation. Number after number ofthe paper contains temperance articles and notices of temperance meetings. The organic election under the charter organization ofthe city of Oshkosh, was held on the fifth day of April, 1853; and on that day, Oshkosh commenced her career as a full- fledged city, having adopted the city charter by 177 majority. The following named persons for the first municipal officers made city, viz: Mayor — Edward Eastman. City Clerk — William Luscher. Treasurer — W. H. Weed. Marshal— E. Neff. School Superintendent — E. R. were elected of the newly Aldermen — First Ward: H. Swart. Assessor — D. Dopp. Justice — C. Coolbaugh. Constable — James Ray. Aldermen — Second Ward: A: Andrea. Assessor — W. A. Knapp. Justice—]. R. Forbes. Constable — F. M. Crary. Aldermen — Third Ward: Wyman. Assessor — F. Leach. Justice — L. B. Reed. Constable — M. Moody. W. Baldwin. G. Gumaer, Manoah Griffin, A. Neff, Seth 1853-57] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 143 The Council, in May, 1853, passed a resolu tion granting licenses for the sale of spirituous liquors to hotels for $20, and to saloons for $25, and fixing the salary of watchman at $20 per month, and an additional $5 a month, to be paid him for his services in ringing the city bell at nine a. m., twelve m., and six p. m. - February 10, 1854. The concert of the Oshkosh Glee Club is favorably noticed, and Mrs. Voellner's solo singing is especially praised. February 17, 1854. The city is stirred to its profoundest depths on the subject of a railroad to Milwaukee. Same date, a Free Bridge meetingwasheld. MARKET REPORT. Oshkosh, February 24, 1854. Flour, $6.00 ©6.50; corn Meal $2.00; winter wheat $1.00 @i.IO; spring 95 c@$i. 05; oats 25c; barley 4Qc; ,beans 62@75c; corn shelled, 45c; porkperbbl., $n.oo@i4.oo; fresh $4. 2504.75; beef, on foot $4.75@5.oo; butter I2@i5c. At same date wheat is quoted in Milwaukee: Winter $i.20@i.30; spring $i.io@i. 20. In 1855 Mr. John Fitzgerald purchased the entire steamboat force on the lake and rivers, and systematized the business, running regu lar lines. The passenger and freight business was very large and highly remunerative. In this year the present cemetery was pur chased by order of the Common Council. Mayor Jackson, in his inaugural of this year, states that there is six hundred and seventy- five rods of plank side-walk in the First Ward, four hundred rods of street, which has been graded. In the Second Ward, 950 rods of side-walk, and 80 rods of graded streets. That the whole amount expended since the organi zation of the city, is about six thousand dol lars; this sum includes the amount paid for the bridge. ITEMS FROM THE OSHKOSH COURIER. " The transportation business on the waters of Lake Winnebago, and the Wolf and Fox Rivers, is beyond all precedent this season, and is. far- exceeding he anticipations ofthe most sanguine of our business men. The amount of travel and emigration to, and through this place is astonishing.. This fore noon no less than five steamers cleared from our docks, bound for various places on the lake and rivers. The 'Oshkosh City' for Menasha, the 'Queen City' for Berlin, the 'Eureka' for Gills Landing, the 'Menominee' for New Lon don, and the 'Shioc' and 'Peytona' for Fond du Lac. All had full loads of passengers, and as much freight as could be stowed upon their decks. Two of them had barges in tow, heav ily loaded with merchandise, mill machinery, and the furniture and baggage of emigrants. Oshkosh is the liveliest town of its size in the State, and is growing, both in business and population, at a rate which those who are igno rant of her unrivalled location, and command ing position would hardly believe unless they were here to witness it." , (May 13th, 1856.) May 28th, the Courier announces that "The contractors have gone to work in earnest on the Winnebago Railroad between this city and and Ripon." FOX RIVER IMPROVEMENTS. June 11, 1856. "The work on the Lower Fox between this city and Green Bay has been so far completed that two boats, the Ajax and Pioneer, have passed successfully through the locks and canal from below Appleton. The steamer Aquila has for some weeks made regular trips between this city and Appleton, passing through the lock and channel at Nee nah, so that our water communication with Green Bay is now open. It is hardly possible to over estimate the importance to Oshkosh of the completion and successful operation of this great enterprise. " October 31, 1856. "At a meeting held October 23, at Mark's Hall, for the purpose of the organization of an Engine Company, Mr. O. Cook, was called to the chair, and after a few remarks the company was enrolled as the Pioneer No. 1, ofthe City of Oshkosh, Foreman, Wm. Wall; Assistant Foreman, Rob ert Howell. " November 25, 1856. "No Eastern mail since night before last, and we are compelled to go to press without late news of any kind. It has rained every day for four days, and the roads between here and Fond du Lac are impassible. " "January 6, 1857. "Milwaukee market report: Flour, $5.5o@$6.oo, Wheat, winter, .95® $l.OO, spring, .88, Pork, $6.00." February 4, 1857." "Niagara Company, No. 1, paraded yesterday for the first time, with their new engine, escorted by the Osh kosh City Band. The appearance ofthe Com pany was highly creditable to the public spir ited young men of which it was composed. * * * The Company has been fortunate in the selection of its officers; Wm. Wall, Fore man; Robert Howell, Assistant." * * * February 4, 1857. "We understand that an arangement has been concluded between the Wisconsin & Superior Railroad Company, and the proprietors of the land on the south side ofthe river, opposite the foot of Broad street, in the Third Ward, by which the Com- 144 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1857. pany are to have the right of way, and the free use and occupancy of about twenty-eight acres for depot grounds, and other purposes con nected with the business ofthe Company. The Company stipulate to establish and maintain both passenger and freight depots upon the land so ceded, and that they are not to estab lish any other depots, either for freight or pas sengers, in any other part ofthe city. The work on the line of the road between this city and Fond du Lac is progressing finely; about one-third ofthe entire distance is already graded, and if the balance of the sea son should be ordinarily favorable for opera tions of this nature, the whole route will be ready for the iron by the first of June. " February 9, 1857 "The Common Council of the City of Oshkosh have received the nec essary securities and will immediately issue the city bonds to the Ripon & Oshkosh Rail road. " February 11, 1857. * * * "Real estate is advancing steadily in value and will con tinue to advance with the increase of popula tion and business. Among the buildings and other improve ments contemplated, are the new church edi fices, to cost from $6,000 to $10,000 each, a new court house, a railroad bridge across the Fox River, a new bridge at the foot of Ferry street, and another at the foot of Jackson street. " * * * February 26, 1857. "Germania Fire Com pany, No. 1. This Company paraded this afternoon, for the first time, with their new engine This Company is composed of about forty active young men, who made a fine appearance in their neat uniforms, and looked as if they were capable of doing good services in case of an emergency. We. have now two as good fire companies as any town of our size can boast of. " May 1, 1857. "Our City. Never, since Oshkosh was first laid out, has its prospects been so encouraging as at present. Although navigation has hardly commenced yet, there are more new buildings in course of erection than ever before. Six or seven stages arrive daily, filled with passengers, most of whom remain permanently. Mechanics of all kinds are in demand at good wages, and day labor ers can choose between two railroads and street grading, as all these works are going on. The Fond du Lac Railroad is graded to within four miles of our city, and the remain der will be done early, while the iron for the road is already on its way from New York. The work will undoubtedly be finished by the first of September. The Winnebago Railroad Company are making arrangements to finish their road as far as Ripon by the first of December, and to Portage City during the next season. , The people along the line from here to Portage City are anxious to take hold of the matter with a will, as it offers them their most favora ble route for a railroad. When this road is finished, it cannot fail to be of great help to our city in a commercial point of view, as it passes through the most productive portion of our State, which will take this route for an outlet, making this a place for transhipment. The offices of the road are to be located at this place, and with the business of building arid repairing would build up quite a town of itself. Already there are two lumber yards at Portage City, furnished with Wolf River lumber, and in Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam, &c, on the completion of this road, a largelumber market will be opened up; not only at Portage but the whole line ofthe road will have to be supplied. Our steamboats are all prepared to do a large business, and they will all be needed. There are eight steamboats owned at this place, all of which run from or to this point each day, besides one or two more owned at different places. During the boating season our docks present quite a city like appearance on the arrival and departure of boats. Emi grants from all parts of the world center here on their way either to the north, via Lake and Lower Fox River; north-west, via Wolf River; or west, via Fox River. Our lumbering business is immense and increasing each year; acres and acres of logs are coming down Wolf River, and are either used-up at our mills or are disposed of for the mills below us. The amount of lumber m'anu^ factured and the capital employed in this city alone, would astonish even our own citizens. There are eighteen saw mills, running near one hundred saws altogether, besides shingle, lath and sash machines; two grist mills kept constantly going with custom work; two heavy foundry and machine shops; two large shops for the manufacture of agricultural imple ments, besides a host of other manufacturing mechanical establishments. Our population has increased from four thousand one hundred and eighty-four, on the first day of June, 1855, to over eight thous and at the present time, as ascer tained by Messrs. Kohlmann & Brother, who liEve been engaged in taking the census pre paratory to getting out a city directory. Take 1856-59.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 145 it all in all, Oshkosh is far ahead of any of its rivals, and is bound to take its position as the second city in Wisconsin. " CHAPTER XLIII. Fires — Bonds Issued to St. Paul & Fond du Lac Railroad — Oshkosh in '56 — Great Fire of 1859 — Northwestern Rail road Built — Railroad Accident — Items from The North western — War Times —Oshkosh Volunteers — The Draft and Filling the Quota — The Close ofthe War — Good Times — Progresss in Improvements — The Fire of 1856 — Nicholson Pavement —High School Building and other Structures Erected — Improvement of the Streets. ;N February 6, 1856, the planing mill of Phelps, Carlton &.Co.,and the saw mill of Joseph Porter was destroyed by fire. At the charter election April 6, 1856, Thomas A. Follett was elected Mayor; J. R. Forbes, City Clerk; D. C. Hicks, Treasurer; John La Dow, Marshal, and Edwin Wheeler, Superintendent. The corner stone ofthe Episcopal Church was laid June 30, 1856. Another fire occurred July 1, 1856, destroy ing the foundry of Williams & Stearns, and several other buildings. The loss was esti mated at $12,000, and was severely felt at that time. The Common Council, on the sixth of Aug ust. 1 856, authorized the Mayor and City Clerk to issue the bonds of the city to the amount of $150,000, and to deliver them to the Chi cago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Railroad Com pany, on the condition that said Company pledge to the City of Oshkosh $200,000 of its first mortgage bonds as security for the faithful performance ofthe conditions on which such bonds were issued, and conditioned that the said Company shall expend the proceeds aris ing from the. sale of such bonds, in construct ing the road from Fond du Lac to Oshkosh; that they shall pay the interest on said bonds as the same may become due, until the road is completed to Oshkosh, arid shall make cash dividends to the city sufficient to pay the inter- es^bn said bonds, if the earnings ofthe road be sufficient to enable it to do so; and that the Company shall deliver to the city certificates of full paid stock of said Company to the amount $150,000; and provided, that the Mayor and Clerk shall not be authorized under the reso lution authorizing the issue of said bonds, to deliver any of the same to said Company, until all -the conditions above are fully complied with. Oshkosh, in the year 1856, was making rapid progress; real estate was rapidly increasing in value, and improvements were visible on every hand. The future was promising, and every body hopeful. It was a busy little city and made a good deal of noise and bustle even in that day. The market report in the Courier of April, 1858, was as follows: "Flour, $3@$3.25; wheat, 45c@52c; oats, 18c to 20c; potatoes, 18c to 20c; beans, 50c to 75c; butter, 16c to 20c; sugar, lie; Rio coffee, 12c to 15c. In 1859 S. M. Hay was elected Mayor, Geo. Burnside, Clerk and J. H. Osborn, Superin tendent of Schools. THE GREAT FIRE OF I 859. On the night of May 10, 1859, the startling fire alarm aroused the citizens of Oshkosh. An unoccupied barn in the rear of the Oshkosh House was in flames, which soon communicated to other buildings and speedily spread until beyond' all control. It was plainly seen that the city was doomed to destruction. A terri fying scene now ensued as the flames spread with frightful rapidity, sweeping everything before them. Every building on both sides of Ferry street, from Ceape to Washington and Algoma Streets, were destroyed. This was almost the entire business portion of the city, which was in a few hours converted into a field of smoking ruins. The courage of the strongest wavered under the disheartening effect of such wide-spread destruction, and for a moment the hope ofthe whole community was paralyzed at the inevit able ruin which stared them in the face, as only a small part of the loss was covered by insurance. But the courage and energy ofthe people proved equal to the emergency. They were not a people to sit mourning in hopeless imbecility; and so, with praiseworthy effort, they set themselves resolutely to work to rebuild the city, and in twenty-four hours after the - flames had subsided, the work of restoration had commenced. So rapid was the progress that in six months nearly the entire burnt dis trict was rebuilt with a better class of buildings, and Oshkosh resumed her place in the business world. Such recuperative force, even in the West, excited general surprise, and established the fact of the great strength of her resources and expansive power, which the most disast rous circumstances could not repress. THE CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD BUILT TO OSHKOSH. The next great event was the completion to this point of the Chicago & Northwestern. Rail- 19 146 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1859-61. road. The first through passenger train arrived on October 13, 1859. RAILROAD ACCIDENT. Shortly afrer the completion of the road, an excursion party comprised principally of per sons from towns on the line of the road, started on a trip to Chicago. There were four cars from this place filled with residents of this city and vicinlfy, the excursionists little anticipat ing the tragical termination of their pleasure trip. The train while going at full speed near Watertown ran over an ox that attempted to cross the track, when a number of cars were thrown from the rails and wrecked. A large number of persons were killed and wounded. Five from this place were among the number killed, and several more of our citizens were wounded. This heart-rending disaster plunged our entire community in the deepest grief; and following so soon alter the fire that destroyed the city, seemed to fill the chapter of calami ties. Among the killed were some ofthe most highly esteemed members of this community — E. R. Baldwin, Charles Petersilea and John Lunt. Their funerals were attended by an immense concourse of people. In one year from the time of the fire, the burnt district was entirely rebuilt, and all traces of the fire had disappeared. In the spring of i860, the new court house was completed, and, at the time, was said to be the finest in the State. In May, 1861, a fire occurred on the South Side, which burnt every building on the south side of Kansas Street, from the Seymour House to the river. In i86i,the Northwestern Railroad bridge was built. MARKET PRICES. February 5, 1861. Wheat, club, 68 to 70c; No. 2, 64 to 65c; rejected 45 to 52c; corn 20 to 25c; oats 17 to 20c; potatoes 18c. Retail market: Flour $3 . 75 to 4.00; salt pork 10c; hams 11c; butter 16c; beef, dressed, $3.25 to 3.50; pork $4.00 to 5.50. WAR-TIMES. The breaking out of civil war now plunged the country into excitement. War meetings were held, and military companies formed and daily drilled. As the war progressed, it largely decreased the population; real estate shrank in value, and, at first, times were dull. Soon prices of all commodities began to advance, business improved, and the day wages of working men rose to two to three dollars. ITEMS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN. April 13, 1 861. "Yesterday saw the com mencement of Civil War in this republic. " The surrender of Fort SuTnter is announced, and the President's Proclamation, calling out 75,000 ofthe militia, to suppress sedition, and execute the laws. April 17, a war meeting is called in Osh kosh; the call signed by John Fitzgerald, S. M. Hay, Edward Eastman, Joseph Jackson, William R. Kennedy. The Northzvestern says: " We are informed that preliminary measures have been taken for a grand demonstration at ' Washington Hall to-morrow night. Let the hall be crowded to its utmost capacity, and make its walls echo with our renewed pledges of devotion to the Union. The country is stirred to its profound- est depths. " April 19, 1861. "Last evening saw the greatest and most enthusiastic gathering which ever assembled in Oshkosh. John Fitzgerald was called to the chair, and resolutions were reported by Chas. E. Pike, George Gary and others, which were adopted with great applause." The war spirit was now fully aroused and the subject monopolized public attention. April 22, 1 86 1. "The meeting of Fire Com pany No. 1 at Washington Hall Saturday was a rouser. Large numbers were unable to gain admission. Short, stirring speeches were made. The Company volunteered their ser vices to the Governor and then enrolled their names. The list is headed by Gabe Bouck, Ex-Attorney General, and John Hancock, Circuit Court Commissioner." "The Oshkosh volunteers were accepted for the Second Regiment, and received orders to be in readiness for marching to place of ren dezvous at any moment. " "The drill in the city grove by Captain Bouck's Company is going on every day, and the success of the officers is very great. A finer set of men than the Oshkosh volunteers can rarely be seen anywhere, and we don't believe a better company will go from Wis consin during the war. " ^ DEPARTURE OF THE OSHKOSH VOLUNTEERS. " The events of to-day have marked an era in the history of Oshkosh. Soldiers, enlisted from among our best citizens, have left their homes to take upon themselves the hardships of a campaign. Men of high character and position in society have gone to vindicate the honor of the National Flag, and to fight for the maintenance of the National Government. They have gone under no compulsion but that of duty. Their depart- i86i.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 147 ure, at any time, would be an occasion for remark ; but, at such a time as this, and going upon such an errand as they do, the great heart of the whole community was deeply moved, and the multitude filled the public square and streets, and pressed the railroad^station to give them a sincere God-speed and Fare well. The place of rendezvous, this morning, was the City Grove. At an early hour the people began to come together there, and at nine o'clock there were several thousand gathered to witness the ceremony of presenting the Flag which had been prepared by the ladies of this city for the volunteers under command of Captain Bouck. About nine, the German Rifles, Captain Scherff, made their appearance ; and though few in numbers, showed their usual military excellence in theirappearance and maneuv- res. Soon after, the Scott Volunteers came upon the grounds with full ranks , followed immedtately by the Fire Companies No. I and 2, and by the Hook and Ladder Company. AH these did escort duty for the day. As soon as the Oshkosh Volunteers were formed in line, the united German and American brass band played " Hail Colum bia, " followed by the "Red, White and Blue, " sung by a sel ect choir under the lead of Mr. Chandler, assisted by a part of Weidnei's Orchestra. A committee of ladies was then introduced, bearing a beau tiful banner made of silk and surmounted by an eagle. Miss Carrie Weed here came forward and spoke as follows : "Gentlemen: It is with mingled feelings of sadness and joy that we meet you to day ; sadness that our beloved country should be so rent by treason as to make our parting with friends necessary; joy that, at the first call, so many bravely volunteer to defend what is dear to us all, our Constitution and Union. Our hopes and prayers go with you ; and may you be incited to go forth earnestly and with dependence upon Him, who only can reward your efforts and save our country. We now, in behalf of the ladies of this city, present to you the flag of our Union — firmly believing it will never be dis graced by you, and fervently hoping that it may ever remain the proud emblem of an undivided, free and happy people. '' The banner was then presented, and received with a military salute. After which Captain Bouck replied as follows : Ladies of Oshkosh . " On behalf of the Oshkosh Volunteers I receive with many thanks the flag you have presented to them this day. It is the flag under which most of us were born ; the flag under which most of us have received protection from our birth ; the flag to which we have all sworn allegiance ; and whether born beneath its protecting folds or not, it is a flag which we shall always defend to the utmost of our ability. And while doing all in our power to maintain the Govern ment of which this flag is the emblem, we shall never forget that those whom we leave behind us are as generous as they are patriotic. To those who have friends and relatives among these volun teers, I wish to give the assurance, that I shall not only be their commander in the field, but everywhere, and at all times, especially in time of sickness and casuality, I shall be their personal friend. " The "Star Spangled Banner" was then sung by Mr. Chand ler, all the people present joining in the chorus, and also in singing the last verse of that admirable song. The proceedings were occasionally interrupted by demon strations of applause, but the prevailing sentiment was too apparent to permit anything like levity ; and the countenances of friends and relatives gave unmistakable evidence of the depth of their emotion." OSHKOSH VOLUNTEERS. The following isa correctlist of the names of the officers and men of 'Oshkosh Volunteers,' Company E, ofthe Second Regiment of Wis consin Militia: Captain— GAB. BOUCK. 1st Lieutenant— J ohn Hancock. 2d " — H. B. Jackson. 1st Sargeant—1,. H. Smith 2d " — James N. Ruby. 3d " —Joseph \V . Roberts. 4th " — John J. Sprague. 5th " —John B. Thompson. 1st Corporal— A. M. Thombs. 2d " — M. R. Baldwin. 3d ¦' — W. S. Roubc 4th " —J. Wait. 5th " — Reuben Ash. 6th " —I. W. Potter. 7th " — C. E. Ford. 8th " — Charles Graves. Leader of Regimental Brass Band—H. S. Chandler Drummers — Ed. Finney and Hiram Ming. Fifer — Wm. Taylor. PRIVATES. Thos. Hudson, Geo. Abrams, Henry Adams, John Berch David T. Buswell, E. L. Billings, James Bartlett, John Banderof, John Barton, Wm. Boyd, Wm. Brene, Wm. Bryant, Wellington Bridge, Alvin Bugbee, John Callahan, Gilee. Carpenter, John Cary, George Cowardine, Oilman Clendenin, Augustus Clark, Edwin Cooper, Nicholas Coslow, Oscar. F. Crary, James Daugherty, John B. Davids, William G. Davis, Louis Defoe, William Dillon, E. T. Ellsworth, D. J. Ellenwood, Luke English, Lotridge Firmin, Vincent Flanegan, Matthew Ghenson, Charles Graves, Steve Graham, B. B. Hart, M. Hay, S. F. Hackett, Chester Hugunin, J. H. Hamlin, S. M. Hays, Henry Heth, John Holland, Charles Howe, "William Holland. C. M. Hugenon, H. J. Jacory, S. Karbach, Wm. liellock, Jonas Leach. Richard Lester, J. Lull, A. P. H Martin, L. L. Mcintosh, H. McDaniels, Pat. McDennouth, J. F. Miles, J. L. Miller, Pat Merty, Charles Montgomery, Edward Moscript, George Nutter, Isaac Oatman, Ole Oleson, S. Osterday, L. J. Perry, E. P. Perry, S. D. Pitcher, R. J. Richard, Henry Scovial, Louis Schintz, John Sexton, George E. Smith, James Spencer, P. Simson, Horace Stroud, S. Stever, Robert Stever, O. D. Taplin, S. A. Turner, James Vanscork, H. C. Weed, L. C. Wood, Benjamin Whitney, N. H. Whittemore, Abraham White, E. B. Wing, F. A. Zahn. GENERAL NEWS ITEMS. "June 5, 1861. At this date the bills of 148 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1861-65. many ofthe Wisconsin banks were quoted at fifty and sixty cents on the dollar. " "John Fitzgerald, Mayor, issues a proclama tion iu regard to the number of incendiary fires, and calls attention to the burglars infest ing the city. " "Scott's Volunteers were sworn into the ser vice on the sixth, instant, the members taking the oath kneeling. " OSHKOSH AND GREEN BAY BOATS. June 11, 1861. "The Fountain City, of this line, left on her first trip on Saturday, the 8th instant, having on board 104 tons of flour and wheat. Captain J. Lapham is in command, and we have no doubt that this boat will soon become a great favorite with the community." "The Fannie Fisk alternates with the Fount ain City every other day, in making trips between this city and Green Bay, affording an opportunity to passengers to ride easily from the terminus ofthe Chicago & N. W. R. R. to Green Bay, which no one will attempt to do the second time over the wagon road between those points. July 23 to 27. "The greatest excitement and anxiety prevails in regard to the news of the battle of Bull Run. A letter received at this date gives a list of the killed, wounded and missing ' from this place. The fears of some are confirmed, and those of others par tially relieved." August 14, 1862. "Two more military com panies are now forming in this city. These two companies make seven that have been organ- in Oshkosh for the war, up to this date. "We have paid our war tax (of this sort) in advance all along. " "Our city committee collected and paid out to volunteers, as bountymoney, $6,600 in two days last week. " "The Twenty-first Regiment at Oshkosh was the first regiment reported as full under the new call for volunteers." "At a meeting it was voted to recommend to the merchants to close their stores at two o'clock, and devote their time to raising recruits." Febrary 5, 1863: The unexpected death of the Hon. John Fitzgerald, long a prominent citizen of Oshkosh, occasioned universal grief in this community. His remains were brought here from New York, and the funeral services were conducted by the Masonic societies, with a large representation from abroad. February 19th: A fire occurred which destroyed seven stores on lower Main Street. January 22, ig63: Prices advancing, the market reports are: Wheat, Club, extra, 1.00 to 1.08; No. 1, 1.00 to 1.05; No. 2., 1.00 to 1.04; Retail Flour, 5.25 to 5.50; Butter 16 to 18; Potatoes, 30 to 40; oats, 40 to 45, corn, 44. May, 1864. Wheat, 1.15; corn, .85; oats, ,58; potatoes, .80; pork 25.00 per bbl. ; flour, 6.00; butter, .20@.25; lumber, clear, 25.00; lumber, common, 10.00. August 1866. Wheat, 1.7001.71; corn, 1.35; oats, .90; pork, per bbl , 40.00; flour, 9.00; butter, .30®. 35, lumber, clear, .35.00; lumber, common, 12.00. BANKS. In 1852, the firm of Darling, Wright & Kellogg, opened the banking business in one side of Scott's jewelry store. In 1856, the firm was changed into that of Kellogg, Fitzgerald & Co., with a capital of $30,000, and in the following year organized under the general banking law ofthe State. In 1863, this bank reorganized as the First National Bank of Oshkosh, with a capital of $50,000. In 1865, Mr. Samuel Hay became President and has held the position to the present time. In 1872, the capital ofthe bank was increased to $100,000. The average amount held on deposit is $500,000. . The First National Bank building is one of the finest structures in the city; (see view of same in this work.) It was erected after the great fire in 1875, and with the site cost $40,000. President S. M. Hay; Vice-President, P. Sawyer; Cashier, Chas. Schriber; Directors, P. Sawyer, S. M. Hay, Robert McMillen, Sumner Bartlet, J H Porter, R. B. Kellogg. The next bank established was the Oshkosh Commercial Bank, in 1856; capital $50,000. Nelson Fletcher, President, and Henry Strong, Cashier. In November,' 1858, Reeves & Roe succeeded Fletcher & Strong, and have continued to the present time. Thomas T. Reeves, President, and G. W. Roe, Cashier. The Union National Bank was organized in 1 87 1, with a capital of $100,000, with D. L. Libbey, President, and R. C. Russell, Cashier, and who still remain in those positions. After the great fire of 1875, the bank erected its present fine building, on the corner of Main and High streets, at a cost of $25,000. CLOSE OF THE WAR. In 1863, the draft and filling the quotas were the great events. Prices were still advancing, and all kinds of commodities at high figures. The close of the war, in 1865, brought relief, and filled the country with renewed hopes. The return of a vast multitude of peo ple to the vocations of peace, with the great First. National Bank of Oshkosh. cor. Main and Washington Sts. V' i-865 -7 1. J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 1£9 expenditures of the government, which brought into circulation a large amount of money, stimulated business. The extension of railroad lines opened up new sections of country to settlement; improvement and progress were the order of the day; new buildings went up in every direction in the city and country; farm pro ducts commanded good prices, and all branches of industry were prosperous. Elegant resi dences were erected in this city; business blocks were constructed, and Oshkosh was in the full tide of business prosperity. THE NEW BRIDGE. Among the improvements of 1865 was the new bridge, which replaced the old float bridge, which had done service since the year 1849. The draw is a Howe Truss, and is one hundred and fifty feet long. The whole bridge is six hundred and odd feet in length, and cost $21,100. The contractor was David McCartney. The engineer was Edward Sar gent. " THE FIRE IN 1 866. , In May, 1866, occurred another great fire. It commenced on the west side of Main Street. and swept the whole block, from High to Algoma Street, and, crossing to the east side, destroyed nearly the whole block from Wau- goo to Washington. It then crossed to the north side of Washington, and burnt all the buildings on that street from Main to Jefferson Avenue, including the postoffice and public hall. This left a large burnt district in the center of the city, and was the second time this tract had been swept over by fire. The desolate appearance of the place, 'and the impending danger which continually threatened the city with destruction, were sufficient to dishearten the most courageous. But Oshkosh, with her characteristic energy and pluck, would not yield to any discouragements, and in a few months both sides of Main Street were rebuilt with, a better class of buildings than those destroyed; the west side being exclusively of briek. BOILER EXPLOSION. In this year, February 24th, a sad calamity occurred. The boiler in the machine shop of J. F. Morse & Co. exploded, killing four men. It was a heart rending scene, when the lifeless remains were exhumed from the ruins, and the robbing relations, frantic with grief, stood by in heart-broken expectancy. THE NICHOLSON PAVEMENT. The streets of Oshkosh, in rainy periods, were in a most deplorable condition, and especially so in the spring, when the frost was coming out of the ground; for at that season the streets were sometimes almost impassable. The necessity for improvement ofthe streets was imperative. The building of the new bridge seems to mark an epoch in the advancement of this city in the line of public improvements; for it was followed by street improvements that have resulted in giving us as fine streets as can be found in any city in the State. In the fall of 1866 the city contracted with William Sharp and Michael McCourt for the paving of Main Street with the Nicholson pavement. The work was done with dispatch and to the full satisfaction of the city, being completed and accepted early in December. HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING. This fine structure was erected in 1857; a view of which is given in this work. When it was erected, it was the best High School building in the State, and cost over $40,000. Its size is eighty-five by seventy-one feet; and height from base to top of tower is one hun dred and thirty-one feet. The first story is sixteen feet high, and is divided up into school and recitation rooms; the former thirty- four by forty-four each. The building is admirably constructed throughout, and is an institution in which our citizens take a just pride. STATE NORMAL SCHOOL. This fine structure was erected in 1871. It occupies a beautiful site on Algoma Street, and is an architectural ornament to the city. The opening exercises took place September 15th, 1871, under the supervision of President Albee and an efficient corps of assistants. A large addition was constructed in 1877, increasing the capacity of the school about fifty per cent. MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL RAILROAD. The next great event in the history of Osh kosh was the completion of the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad, to Ripon, in 1871. The road was then leased to the Milwaukee & St. Paul Company, which immediately put on the rolling stock, and thus extended its lines to Oshkosh. The first regular passenger train from Milwaukee reached Oshkosh December H, 1871. The splendid bridge of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was also constructed the same year, and is about 600 feet, in length. This makes three fine, massive bridges crossing the river. A fourth bridge for wagons and foot- 150 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1869-74. passengers across the river from Light to Ore gon St;eet is now being built .at a cost of $27,000. STREET IMPROVEMENTS. Shortly after the laying of the Nicholson pavement, on Main Street, the question of improving the other thoroughfares of the city began to be agitated. The result was an experiment on Algoma Street of putting on twelve inches of gravel, which was found to. make an excellent and enduring road. The plan was then adopted of graveling streets, at the expense of the adjoining property; and several of the main thoroughfares were grav eled to the depth of twelve inches. This sys tem of improving the streets was followed up, until the present time, at which there are some thirty odd miles of graveled streets in this city, with a smooth hard surface, and always in excellent condition. These streets, in their cleanly appearance, add much to the attractiveness of the city. NORTHERN HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE. . This immense structure, which covers about three acres of land; is located about four miles from Oshkosh, on a delightful situation, on the Jake shore. It was completed and accepted from the contractors on the nth day of Janu ary, 1875. The cost of construction was $49S.484-8o, and for land, out-buildings and furnishing, $129,765.20, making a total of $625,250.00. Additional appropriations have been made for enlargements, and new wings have been added. It is a mammoth pile of imposing architectural proportions, and admirably man aged under the superintendence of Doctor Walter Kempster. For view of this institution, and history, and statistics of same, see subsequent pages, per index. GAS WORKS. In 1869. Mr. J. B. Davis, constructed gas works, and laid mains through the principal streets, and on the 5th of December, of that year, gas was turned on, and the city lighted. It will be seen from the foregoing that the city made rapid progress during the period from 1865 to '73, the date we have now reached in its history. During that time great changes and many improvements were made, many new mills and sash and door factories were erected, and other branches of manufacture were established. Hundreds of elegant resi dences and massive business blocks were built. The High School and Normal School building, and several fine churches added to the archi tectural ornaments of the city. Two splendid bridges were built, Main street paved With the Nicholson, and between twenty and thirty miles of street graveled; the streets lighted with gas, and another railroad added to its lines ofcommunication. It was now in the full tide of prosperity, when a series of fire calamities commenced, -which completely transformed the city. Probably no other place, except Chicago, was socompletely changed in so short a period. The two great fires which occurred in 1874 and '75, arid not a year apart, destroyed nearly the whole bus iness portion ofthe city, and manyentire streets of private residences. CHAPTER XLIV. The Great Conflagrations of 1874, and of April 28, 1875 — Destruction of the Business Portion of the City — Rebuild ing of Oshkosh — Rebuilt Oshkosh — List of Structures Erected in 1875. $||§f&N May 9, 1874, a fire broke out in a MrajK litter pile of straw and manure adja- ®§!§®r cent to a barn belonging to Spalding & Peck. The fire was discovered when the blaze first started, but before it was reached with water, it ignited the barn, and as a furious wind was blowing, the flames rapidly spread to lumber piles and adjacent dwelling houses. It soon became uncontrolla ble, and the sheet of flames swept everything before them. The fire crossed Warren Street, burning up the buildings on two entire blocks, then leaped across Pearl Street, sweeping everything comubustable in its track. Then crossed High Street, to Algoma Street, where its further progress was arrested. Thirty odd structures were consumed in the conflagration, and the loss was estimated at $45,000. Insur ance on the same, $32,900. It was followed by the great fire of July 14, in the same year, (1874). This fire broke out in a stable in the rear of McCabe's Block, on upper Main street, and laid waste all the compactly built portion of Main street above the Beckwith House, and all of North Division street. From there it spread, burning nearly every building in its course for a distance of more than a mile from the point of its origin. Several persons were so overcome with the intense heat and their exertions to save life and property, that they were carried nearly lifeless from the scene. One ofthe saddest occurrences during this fire was the death of William P. Taylor, City Treasurer, who was internally injured by his I&7S-J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 151 efforts to assist a crippled woman to save her property. Oshkosh, with her usual energy, built up the entire portion of Main street that was burned, before the winter set in, and about half ofthe residences. During this year, 1874, some seven hundred structures were erected vo. various parts of the city, and it was . demonstrated that although fires might burn up Oshkosh, they could not paralyze her energies or courage, nor check her rapid growth, which continues with undiminished vigor in the face of the greatest discouragements. She now set herself to work resolutely to meet her old enemy with oppos ing forces, and fire-proof structures took the place of the combustible wooden buildings that had so long menaced the safety of the city and invited the devouring elements. All the com pactly-built portion of upper Main street was. rebuilt, during the same year of the fire, with fire-proof buildings. The progress that Osh kosh made in building during that year sur passed anything of the kind that ever occurred before in the history of cities! Over 700 struct ures were erected in one summer in a city of a population of 17,000. But she was destined to distinguish her capacity on a still grander scale; for the next year was to witness the complete transforma tion of the city by the destruction and rebuild ing of its chief business centre. This was the GREATEST OF THE GREAT FIRES. It was a turning point in her history, and is undoubtedly the concluding chapter of her great fire calamities — for the new Oshkosh is built on a foundation of safety. The old wooden buildings have disappeared, and her business center is now exclusively brick and stone, with metal roofs. The following description of the great con flagration of April 28, 1875, is from the Osh kosh Northwestern, written by C. W, Bowron, city editor: THE BEGINNING. It was about one o'clock P. M., and while the wind had reached its greatest fury, that the startling whistles screamed out the alarm of fire all along the line of mills and steam factor ies. It was a fearful day, and ten thousand souls started in wild excitement as they heard those first peals of the alarm whistles, and well they. might. The deep volume of smoke, thick and black, that rolled up from Morgan's mill, showed too plainly what danger might be expected. Hardly had the great crowd gath ered from all directions, when the spreading flames were already coiling and winding around the huge lumber piles that lay adjoining the mill. The wind was too strong, and the vol ume of flame too sudden for effective opera tion on the part of anybody. Great chunks of burning cinders came floating over into the lumber piles more adjacent to Main street, and they quickly caught. A fierce fight was waged among these piles; but the cinders became too numerous, and the ignitions too frequent to be baffled. The wind was blowing from the south west. On came the rushing tide of flame, more furious than the - descending floods of Mill River. The steamers seemed powerless to check such a fearless adversary. No sooner could they get set at work than the enemy would charge with bayonets of fire, and drive them from their work. It boon became apparent that it would sweep everything before it, and the merchants on Main street began to more seriously con sider the situation. In less than twenty min utes the fire had swept from Morgan's mill to the Milwaukee. & St. Paul depot and freight house, and they were swept away- like leaves in a blast furnace. The fire ripped through the planing, sash and blind mill of Lines, Lib- bey & Co., leaped to the sash, door and blind factory of Geo. Williamson & Co., taking the mill and yard of James & Stille in its course, and swept down to the planing mills of Bell & Rogers aud Ben Henze, on Market street.* In the meantime it had veered to the. northward, up Light street to High, taking the North western House and the large frame buildings opposite. The grocery store of W. H. Ballou, corner of High and Light streets, caught fire, and the flames swept along eastward, demol ishing the handsome brick residence of J. C. Spalding, corner of High and Bond streets. THE FIRE REACHES MAIN STREET. Thompson & Sprague's livery stable finally caught fire, and being a large wooden structure filled with hay and combustible matter, served to scatter fires all over the buildings on the west side, of Main street. The first point of contact on Main street was in Wright's wooden block, next to S.. M. Hay's brick building, and directly to leeward of the livery stable. From this building the flames traveled with terrible swiftness in each direction, burning up tow ards the Northwestern office on the north, and spreading to the row of wooden buildings south from Hay & Brd's. store: THE SIGHT ON MAIN STREET. When the flames swept over Main street, the sight on that and on adjoining streets beg gars descprition. For a time those having stores and business places along Main street, had great hopes that the fire would bear to the 152 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1875. river, and would be kept from crossing Divis ion street. When at length there was no doubt upon that point there was no time to be lost. Everything was in the wildest confusion. There was running to and fro in not haste. Teams were eagerly sought for, empty vehicles were ravenously seized, and the sacking of those beautiful stores, and the piling of goods pro miscuously into wagons, carts or any available conveyance, commenced in good earnest. The clerks in R. L. Bigger's had the omnibuses employed in removing their goods, and every available truck was employed by the dry goods interests in that vicinity, to remove their goods to a place of safety. But, in spite of their untir ing efforts, the dry goods men suffered large losses. The smoke became blinding, and the strife along Main street was terrible. Unbridled horses let loose from the livery stables, came dashing through the' crowded streets; running teams came tearing by, while the yelling from man to man became perfectly terrifying. It was a wild scene which pen cannot picture. MAIN STREET NORTH OF HIGH. The part of Main street north of High street was attacked in a different direction, and from an entire different source than that south of High Street. The doom of the Postoffice was What settled the fate of that part of the street. From the Postoffice the fire quickly crossed to the rear of the fine brick rows between High and Algoma, consigning them to the general ruin. The rear end of the Beckwith House caught from the burning of Mrs. Bailey's build ing, corner of Algoma and Division streets, and this, together with the Cottrill Block next to it, were totally destroyed, the walls falling with a terrible crash. The upper story of Cot- trill's block was used as a lodge room by the . Good Templar lodge of this city, and by For ward Grange, P. of H. HARDING OPERA HOUSE. With the destruction of the Beckwith House came the fall of the Harding Opera House. The fire first caught in the large windows of the Temple of Honor, and the wooden balcony which projected in front. It was sad to see this finest place of amusement in the city, and one which the citizens of Oshkosh had so long desired and so lately got, fall among the gen eral ruin; but there was no water or any facil ities to work with to save it, aud the heat from the tall brick buildings opposite was very intense. The Temple of Honor, which occu pied the large front hall, saved everything but their billiard table. THE LIMITS. Curiously enough, the fire went northward just far enough to meet the line of the burnt district of last July, as though the fates had decreed that none should go unscathed".. Boles' blpxk marks the south limits of the fire on Main street on the west side. It was hard work to check it here, but the building being fire-proof, about fifty men with buckets, succeeded in saving it. Undoubtedly thesav- ing of this block was the means of saving the city offices, the Revere House and "all that por tion of Ceape street not burned. EAST OF MAIN STREET,. The fire swept onward east of Main street as far as Bowen, taking everything in its path between Washington and Ceape streets, includ ing the north side of Washington street for about two blocks, with all the beautiful and costly residences on that fashionable thorough fare. . :. •-; The Presbyterian church on Jefferson Ave nue, in the rear of Harding's Opera House, followed suit, and Dr. Barber's residence -and those of Marshal Harris, Dr. Goe, W. B. FelT ker, C. E. Weston and a score of others soon followed them. ¦ • The fire raged with tremendous fury down Otter street, spreading from the Adams House to the German Church, and swept through, laying everything waste with fearful rapidity, till it reached Court House street. The resi dences of Dr. Wright and J. E. Kennedy were burned, and Wm. Hume, Henry Bailey, next east of the Court House, were also reduced to ashes. The fire kept on its furious raid unchecked until it reached Bowen street, where it turned northward, and on Waugoo street went a block beyond. BIRD'S EYE VIEW. A view ofthe great conflagration from the top of a tall building, presented a sublime, yet an awful picture. Standing to the north ward of the fire, on Main street, the scene was grand in the extreme. The whole area ofthe burnt district was burning at the same time. The buildings west of Main street had not yet burned down, while the flames had already spread far to the eastward, and the whole sur face of the scene was one lurid glare of writh ing, twisting, mocking flames. To the west, the farther buildings were mostly gone, while the tall walls along Main stood for a moment tottering and swaying, then fell with terrible roar and crash. Far to the eastward, the house tops seemed but the playground of a thousand dancing demons reveling in the dire destruct ion of the hour. The steeple ofthe German church on Otter street, and the dome of the Adams House shone up amidst the blaekness i875.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 153 ofthe upper smoke, glowingin columns of solid crimson, like the faint flickering of the setting sun through a dark storm-cloud. Small dwellings afar to the eastward, looked like so many bon-fires in some exciting cele bration, while men, women and children, away down beneath, looked like pigmies in frantic gesture, hastening to and fro. The scene was wild, awful, grand. Chaos ruled monarch of the hour, and man was dumb with awe. AFTER THE BATTLE. Night came on, and as darkness stole grad ually upon the footsteps ofthe retreating sun, the scene was changed. Excitement and anx ious fear gave way to quiet despair and resig nation. Tired humanity, relaxed and weary, began to seek a rest and refuge from the toils and fatigues of that awful day. Woe-begorie and half discouraged, the outcast and the homeless began to gather their little store about them and seek a shelter from the raw night air. Where the hundreds went to, and Where they found a roof to shelter them, is a mystery. Even before the fire, house room was scarce, butnow it seemedalmost an impos sibility to find it. But the unpleasantness of the circumstances was relieved, in a measure, by the kindness and sympathy of those who were among the more fortunate. All who had a corner of room freely offered it to the sufferers. VIEW BY NIGHT. The view of the city by night from a dis tance was picturesque. The night itself was fearfully dark, and the red reflection from the ruins lit up the hazy atmosphere with a soft radiance, making a most beautiful sight. The thin smoke curling up from the heated mass of brick and mortar, looked like incense burning upon some mighty altar. The long line of light, half vivid, and half smothered in the darkness, gave a distinct outline ofthe burnt district. The tall, black buildings still remaining, loomed up in perfect outline upon the light beyond, like dark and solemn spec tres upon a moonlit sea. The ruin was over. Destruction had wrought its work, and the great day died like a Dolphin. . DEATH'S DOINGS. One of the saddest things connected with all the sad things of the great fire was the death of Thomas J. Davis, who yielded up his life in heroic efforts to avert what proved in the end to .be the greatest conflagration we have ever seen. At the time the fire broke out, Mr. Davis, with another, man, was load ing lumber near the mill of Morgan & Bro. Thinking of the chemical fire extinguisher, which was generally kept in the office, he has tened to it, strapped it on his back, and mounted the high platform that fronted the mill. At this time Mr. Morgan was on the .roof of the mill. The front doors of the mill hung like great flaps, being hinged at the top. Mr. Davis, with the help of his companion, > succeeded in raising the door sufficiently to admit him and the extinguisher, and he disap peared amidst the smoke within. Nothing was seen of him for several minutes, although the flames and smoke began to belch out of the doors and the gable-end ofthe mill above. The door was raised and propped up with a stick, when out rushed the unfortunate man, the extinguisher gone from his back, panting, choking, writhing in the agonies of his terri ble suffering. His clothes were almost wholly burned off, and his body under his arms horribly burned. His sufferings were awful to wit ness. He could but barely tell those who crowded around him, that after getting into the mill the flames broke out in terrible volumes behind and all around him, and he was forced to run a horrid gauntlet of flame and- fire. Before reaching the door he was obliged to leap through solid volumes of roaring flame. He was removed to Dr. Russell's office, and when it became evident that that, too, must burn, he was carried on a mattrass to his resi dence. He was about unconscious when he reached there, and lingered until about half- past nine o'clock in the evening, when death put an end to his misery. Mr. Davis was a Welshman, about thirty-five years of age and an exemplary man in every particular. He left a wife and five children. A purse of over $300 was made up among the friends of the afflicted family. Another death was that of Charles Dunn, an old man, who was crushed to death by the falling of the walls of the Harding Opera House. He was squeezed into jelly, his head being crushed into a shapeless mass of flesh and bones. His body was carried to String- ham's Elevator, where it was viewed by crowds of curious people. THE BURNED DIRTRICT. The burned district consists of a strip over a mile long and something over a quarter of a mile wide. Its boundaries may be briefly stated as follows: Starting from Morgan's Mill, on the river, it runs northeast to the cor ner of Pearl and Light streets, thence north on Light to High Street; east on High to Bond; north on Bond to Algoma Street, thence north easterly across the corner of Main and Algoma 20 154 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [I875- streets, taking in the southern portion of the block north of Washington Street, between Main and Mount Vernon streets; east on Washington Street, taking in several houses on the north side of the street, till it reaches Bowen Street; making a circle southeast, it comes back to Bowen on Otter Street; thence back on Otter, to Mill Street; down Mill to the alley between Otter and Ceape streets; thence west to the Court House; the line then contin ues on Ceape to Main Street; thence north to 43 Main Street and the Eagle Foundry, and along Marion Street to place of beginning. THE LOSS. The loss, as near as can be estimated, will reach nearly $2,500,000. The assessed valu ation of the property destroyed was about $1,750,000. LIST OF BUSINESS HOUSES BURNED. Hotels. — Adams House, C. P.&G. Adams, proprietors; Beckwith House, E. & F. Blood, proprietors; Tremont House, Joseph Stauden- raus, proprietor; Northwestern House, J. Wagner, proprietor; Carter Boarding House, G. T. Carter, proprietor. Banks. — First National, Union National, Commercial. Churches. — Universalist, Salem Church, Lutheran, German Methodist, Norwegian and parsonage. Schools. — Otter Street, two buildings, and the German and English Academy. Public Halls. — Harding Opera House, Cas- sino Hall, Gewerbeverin Hall. Printing Offices. — Allen & Hicks, North- western and stationery store; Fernandez & Co., Times; Kohlman & Bro., Telegraph and book-bindery; Kaime & Livermore, Indepen- dent; Sarau & Weidner, job office and book- bindery. Dry Goods Dealers. — Clarks & Forbes, R. L. Bigger, Jones Bros., Kuehmstead Bros., McKey & Folds, E. L. Hughes. Millinery, Etc.— A. M, Weber, Mrs. John son, Mrs. Nash, Miss Turner, A. Rodgers, Kittie Neis, Miss Tarrant. Harness Shops. — A. P. Allen, Henry Bar low and C. F. Shroeder. Grocers. — R. Ash & Co., J. Fowler, G. J. Hatch, Jones Bros., Newton & Keen, Snell & Bliss,, Koch & Nehoda, H. Sherk, K. Dich- mann & Son, B. Gores, W H. Ballou, Maine & Reed, Charles Quinlan, E. W. Viall, Voigt & Wendorff, F. Hermann, L. Mayer. Furniture. — Badger Bros. Jewelry. — S. B. Boynton, I. G. Hatch, J H. Shourds, V. E. Dake. Cigar Dealers. — H. Bammessel, J. Baum &Co., W. G. Brauer, Neumann Bros., T. V. Dercksen & Son, N. S. Robinson. Boots and Shoes. — N. T. Stickney & Co., R. F. Farrington, J. M. Rollins & Co., Geo. Henkle, J. B. Stone, Richard Lawless, C. A. Johnson, M. C. Rock, I. Barta, Carl Rehs, A. Baumgartner, F. Runger, C. Bowen, C. Pohl. Sewing Machines. — J. H. Barr & Co., Remington; C. W. Bloss, Domestic; L. C. Sessions, Singer; A. P. Bailey, Wheeler & Wilson; W. Lake, Victor. Music and Musical Instruments. — F. A. Beckel, G. R. Lampard, W. G. Brauer. Drugs and Medicines. — J. Bauman & Co., R. Guenther, J. R. Forbes, M. J. Williams, W L. Williams & Co. Fur Dealers. — T. H. Bishop, Frank Percy, F. Thrall, A. Richter. Flour and Feed. — Blissett & Son, H. M. Woodworth, F LaBudde. Real Estate. — C. D. Church, O. H. Harris, A. Norton. Hardware.— -S. M. Hay & Bro., W. H. Crawford, P. Z. Wilson, L. Dimpsey & Co., Geo. Kelley. Insurance. — Daniel & McCurdy, Gary & Harmon, Creutzburg & Schintz, L» S. Tuttle, A. Norton, Palmer & McLaren,. King & Law- son, O- E. Carrier. Book Stores.— Allen & Hicks, G. F. & L. M. Eastman, W. G. Brauer. News Rooms. — R. Hellard, Mrs. W. B. Smith, Meat Markets.—]. Muller, Wakeman & Son, Conrad Ernst, C. Herrmann, Pitcher & Woodworth, John Hcerning, Lochman Bros. Hides and Leather. — Metz & Schlcerb, Hcehne & Jaenicke. Painters and Paints and Oil Dealers. — D. B. Alverson, A. Benedict, A. E. Chase, G. M. Hasbrouck, James Willock, T. Frazer, H. M. Harmon, Lord & Kelsey, L. Schwalm & Co., C. H. Maxwell, S. C. Spore. Carriage Shops. — P. L. Smith & Co., Clem ens & Wayland, J. Litfin, W. Griffith. Blacksmith Shops. — A. Sanford, P. Char- boneau, J. F Corrigal, James Kane, D. M. Schoonover. Clothiers and Tailors. — McCourt & Cam eron, J. T. Masse, F. Anger. Pump Works. — W. Clough, C. Carter. Hats and Caps. — J. B. Last, A. Richter. Boiler Works. — M. T. Battis. Wholesale Liquor Dealers. — Masse & Bes- nah, A. Meisner, J. Nicholson. Livery Stables. — Hobart & Holmes, Cole & Forbes, G. W. Athearn & Co. (Omnibus Line), Thompson & Sprague, C. P. Mallett. i875.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 155 Stencil Works.— -W '. C. Wheeler, J. H. Johnson. Crockery Dealer. — J. F. W. Decker. Willow Ware. — John Bismark. Bakers. — L. Mayer, Heisinger Bros., J. Nicolai. Saw Mills. —Morgan Bros., James & Stille. Planing Mills, and Sash, Door and Blind Factories. — Lines, Libby & Co., G. M. Wil liamson & Co., Kitz, Newell & Brown, Bell & Rogers, Ben Henze. Gun Shops. — Frank Percy, George Schlcerb. Miscellaneous. — I. J. Hoile, seed store; H. S. Janes, glazed sash, Jones & Frentz, abstract office; J. R. Loper, soap and candles; Bur- dick, Roberts &Co., rotary harrow; Alfred Chappie, stone works; J. H. Ward, plow shop; Daniel Pratt, cooper; Wm. Waters archi tect; Bell & Rogers, architects; Mrs. Billings, patterns; Mrs. Davis, hair goods; C. R. Ham lin, United States Deputy Marshal; A. K. Osborne, Collector United States Internal Revenue; United States Postoffice; City Library; Alf Ford, fruit and confectionery; W. D. Curtis, match factory; Northwestern Telegraph Office; V. E. Dake, plated ware; Pratt & Son, spring bed factory; Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad depot; police station; Germania engine house; Wolf" River Boom Company; City Surveyor's Office; S. Nash, auctioneer. Between 200 and 300 residences were destroyed. THE OSHKOSH FIRE, APRIL 28, I 875. BY GUS O'BRIEN. A fair city smiling lies Underneath, the April skies, Rears aloft its steepled crests, "Where the swallows build their nests. MasBive blocks of brick and stone Show what enterprise has done ; Tasteful homes and gardens fair Show that wealth resideth there. Mills stand on the river's side, Lumber floats upon the tide ; Eises smoke from furnace throats, Loaded are the passing boats ; While, like hum of monster tops, Sounds the labor of the shops. Gazing up at April skies, This fair city smiling lies, Rears aloft its steepled crests, Where the swallows build their nests. Through the hum of busy trade, growing, nearer, rising higher, Speeding on the wings of fear comes the dreadful cry of fire. Past the shops where labor toils, through the mart where Mammon reigns, In the doors of happy homes, down the misery-haunted lanes, Presage of destruction dire, Swells and roarB this cry of fire. Peal on peal of wild alarm, ring forth from each brazen bell, And shrieking mill and whistling boat the mournful story tell, While crashing through the crowded streets the ponderous engines go, To mingle in the flaming fray, and battle with the foe, Who every moment sendeth higher His breath of smoke and tongues of fire. The hurrying crowd, with gleaming eyes and faces pale as death, Sweeps on to where the Demon stalks, in all his fiery wrath. They see his thousand lurid flames, in triumph spreading faster, And vainly strive to beat them back, for Fire to-day is master, And slaves who bondage break, The worst of tyrants make. He shakes on high his crested head, in scorn at man's endeavor, Breaks every bound and rushes by, a swollen, flaming river, Which, gathering strength as it rolls o'er blocks of wood and stone, Becomes a mighty molten flood, whoBe fiery breath alone, To tree and house became Presage of death and flame. Rushed the towering flames, like torrents breaking from a mountain's source, Hissing, roaring, whirling, leaping on their blazing course, Melting granite, as a furnace melts a heap of softest, wax ; Sweeping through the sternest iron, as through walls of driest flax, Flooding loftiest roof and spire With deluge of consuming fire. Stately mansion, humble cottage, block of brick and wood ; Buildings that were half completed, buildings that for years had stood ; Lowly workshop, mill gigantic, feeble store and massive bank, All beneath the flood of lava, in one common ruin sank ; For raging fire, like death, is quite Too powerful to be parasite. Swept this flood of fiery ruin on that fearful, fatal day, Seized with fury unrelenting, on its unresisting prey, Happy homes reduced to ashes, haunts of vice in ruin fell, And the place in smoke and cinders, glowed with all the fires of hell, Or what is much the same, Glowed with a burning sea of flame. And while on its broad and blackened pathway countless homes in ruin lie. Overhead the flood had painted flaming colors on the, sky, Flags triumphant, banners crimson, showing all the victor's glow, O'er the blazing triumph gathered in the siege below ; For 'twould be a species of insanity If every victor didn't show a little vanity. And tthe flames kept up their scourge, onward rolled their moulten surge, 'Till their blazing column's gathered at the very river's verge. There they faltered in confusion — fiery strength and fury gone — Turned to sparks and smouldering embers, and the day of wrath was done. Thus Heaven, in kindness, has decreed One element may stay another's greed. Where the fiend found strength and beauty, left he but a blackened plain, Like some field of bloody battle covered with its thousand slain ; Smoke and ashes, frowning ruins, crumbhng walls on every side, Marked the place where splendid buildings once had towered in their pride. Gone were all the grace and beauty of the structures man had made, All the pride of this fair city in the tomb of ashes laid ; Gone, the labor years had taken, gone like fleeting of a breath, Wealth and splendor, grandeur, glory, swallowed up in fiery death. For Fire, like Death, his brother shark, Is prone to "love a shining mark." While the past is desolation, in the future Hope is flying; Spilt our milk is, therefore let us waste no time in useless crying, Gird our loins up, seize the hammer, sound forth labor's cheering cries, Till once more we see our city in its strength and beauty rise. For who will spend his time in weeping over home and fortune slain, When his tears, though like a torrent, will not bring them back again ? Who will idly gaze distracted on the' scenes of fiery strife ? Folded hands and eyes of anguish cannot bring the dead to life. "Let us then be up and doing, with a heart for every fate, 'Still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labor and to wait." Remembering that 'tis said the Heavenly Host Givethhim the greatest help, who helps himself the most, A sad city, wailing, lies Under mournful April skies, 156 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i875. Fallen are its steepled crests, Where the swallows had their nests ; Massive blocks of brick and stone Into dust and ashes gone. Tasteful homes and gardens fair Scenes of desolation are. Mills upon the river's side, Swallowed up by flaming tide, Furnaces that poured forth smoke ¦Into sombre ruins broke; Workshop's hum, that went and came, Vanished in a sheet of flame. Like some fair garden of the Lord Hewn and hacked by fiery sword ; Under mournful April skies Our sad city walling lies, Fallen are its steepled crests, Where the swallows had their nests. REBUILDING OF OSHKOSH. [Special Correspondence of Chicago Tribune . 1 A visit to the City of Oshkosh, now so vig orously springing up from the ashes of its late fire, discloses to the most casual observer the fact of its recuperative force, and the great vitality of its business resources. The work of rebuilding is being pushed for ward with great vigor, and everything indi cates that spirit of enterprise and business activity for which Oshkosh has been distin guished. The courageous enterprise manifested must arise from the firmest faith in the future pros perous career of the place — a faith that is not only well sustained by the splendid progress in the past, but which a knowledge of her unbounded resources for trade and manufac ture will conclusively show to be well founded. Two months have not elapsed since the fire, and during that time several brick blocks have been erected; many more are well advanced in their construction; and on nearly every other site of the business portion of the burnt dis trict, foundations are being laid and building material stored in readiness for immediate work. Bricklaying is an extensive business in Osh kosh at the present time, and the incessant click of, the hundreds of mason's trowels adds a new chord to the music of Oshkosh, and mingles sonorously with the noisy chorus of her machinery and business hum. It would be naturally supposed that such a fire would have paralyzed the hopes of a com munity; but no sign of despondency is to be seen in Oshkosh. These people are determined to build up a city here worthy of the beautiful and advantageous site it occupies. They will succeed even beyond their highest anticipa tions, for nothing can check the progress of a place like this. No one can become familiar with the beau tiful and fertile country surrounding Oshkosh, and look at its magnificent river, 600 feet wide at this point, flowing from the great forests of Northern Wisconsin, and floating to this city their timber products, and the splendid sheet of water, Lake Winnebago, and the steamers and sail craft which ply in every direction, to the Mississippi on the west and Lake Mich igan on the east — without seeing the plainest evidences that Nature has laid here the found ations for a city of large proportions, and one that must necessarily be a great manufacturing and business center. The immense quantities of commercial timber, in the shape of hard wood, as well as pine, in the country to the north of Oshkosh, on its tributary rivers, and the vast deposits of iron ore, which can be shipped south on the line of its demand through the forests which furnish the fuel for its man ufacture, must ever make this region one of GREAT MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY. This tract of forest land also comprises large bodies ofthe finest grass and grain lands in the West. The country is well watered and not subject to droughts. There is every variety and character of soil and face of country, from the sandy, and rough, and rocky, and mining lands, hay-marsh, cranberry bog, cedar and tamarack swamps, to the very finest sugar- maple lands, comprising nearly whole town ships in a body — the latter as fine farming lands as-can be found in the West, with all the coveted advantages of rich soil, best of timber, plentifully supplied with the purest of running water — spring brooks, large rivers and beau tiful lakes; with railroads, business and manu facturing facilities, and a healthful climate. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. This country has but just been opened up to settlement by the railroads. Its trade and business are developing with wonderful rapidity; villages and manufacturing ham lets are springing uo along the lines of the railroads, The manufacture of pine lumber and hard wood lumber, staves, spokes, wagon and furniture timber, now consti tute the principal articles of manufacture, to which must soon be added iron works and the various staple iron manufactures: for, let it be understood, that the railroads run from the iron and copper mines southward, through the great tract of timber and farming lands, by which the ore can be moved to meet the fuel on the very lines of it's natural shipment and ultimate demand. The lines of road travers ing this country must necessarily become a continuous hive of industry, and pour an immense trade into the first available business center; and Oshkosh is the point. This is plainly foreshadowed. Here is the splendid river flowing from this ¦:v.v.:T Residence of Genl.ThomasS: Allen, Jackson St. Oshkosh, Wis.. i875l HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 157 great forest tract and uniting at this point with Lake Winnebago and its continuous water communications east and west. The flow of trade from the North naturally runs to the west side of Lake Winnebago. This is the line ofthe direction ofthe demand of its products, and here is the natural center of trade and busi ness between it and the beautiful prairie and open country which stretches from here away to the south and west. The country immediately surrounding Osh kosh, and, in fact, the adjoining counties, is among the most fertile and beautiful in the West — prairie and woodland commingled with lakes and rivers. The resources of Oshkosh stimulate a growth which no disaster like her great fire can suppress. Last year over seven hundred buildings were erected, and this year, although the great fire destroyed the business portion of the city, its rapid progress is unchecked. SAFETY FROM FIRE. The danger of fire, so long menacing Osh kosh, is now, in a great degree, removed. The large quantities of combustible material which were stored in such dangerous proximity to the business portion of the city, are now ior- ever banished by a city ordinance to that effect. The- old wooden buildings are all destroyed in that locality, and nothing but fire-proof struc tures are to be permitted to take their place. The safety ofthe city from further conflagra tion can be very readily secured, for very few cities have better natural facilities for protec tion. The splendid river, 600 feet wide, which bisects the city, forms an effectual barrier of non-communication and gives an immense water frontage, with an ever ready and most available supply of water at the immediate points of greatest danger. There is no doubt that Oshkosh will profit by her experience and avail herself of her superior advantages to secure immunity from any further extensive conflagrations, and that the city is rebuilt on a foundation of safety. DELIGHTFUL RESIDENCE SITES. It is rare to find a place with such fine busi ness facilities, possessing so many attractions as a place of residence The wealthier classes, the business and professional men, of large cities, are glad to find pleasant places of resi dence from ten to twenty miles, from their places of business, where their homes are exempt from the stifling, impure air, heat, dust and smoke of the crowded marts; while the citizens of Oshkosh have, within ten or fifteen minutes' carriage-drive of their busi ness center, the most delightful sites for sub urban residences, embracing* a lake front of surpassing beauty. The drive to Winneconne discloses a most picturesque view of lake and river, and beautiful slopes of prairie, groves and cultivated fields. The shores of Lake Winnebago, a most magnificent sheet of water, and the finest yachting waters in the West, are among the most beautiful situations for suburban residences to be found in the country. The shore in the immediate vicinity of Oshkosh, and for several miles, has a fine gravelly or stony beach, with many beautiful points and bays. Steamboats, sail craft and pleasure yachts ply its waters, and add addi tional attractiveness to the lovely scene. No finer location can be found for a delightful watering-place and summer hotel. It is sur passing strange that such an opportunity should have been so long over-looked, and I call the attention of those who are looking to enterprise in that direction to this most attrac tive place. R. J. H. REBUILT OSHKOSH. [Special Correspondence Chicago Times.] " I saw from out the wave her structures rise, As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand." A year ago, Oshkosh built up a half mile of upper Main Street, which had been formerly destroyed by the great fire of that year, and this year she performed a similar operation on a scale of greater magnitude, being the whole business part of the immense burnt district which was laid waste by the memorable con flagration of last April. She now enjoys the distinction of being the only bran new city, with all the modern improvements, that was ever built in the short period of one year. Although so terribly scourged by the two great fires which, in one year, burnt up two miles of the densely populated portion of the city, including nearly the whole of its business buildings, hardly a trace of the fire can now be seen on the business streets. Her fire scars were healed over in a single season, and her calamity is forgotten in the prosperity which attends her vigorous enterprise. THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED. The structures erected in Oshkosh during the summer of 1875, were: One hundred and twelve fire-proof stores, two first-class hotels, twelve manufacturing establishments, two school buildings, one elegant opera house, two bank buildings, five churches, fifty-six build ings comprising frame stores, mechanic shops, livery stables, etc., and 284 dwelling houses — being 476 buildings in all. Nearly ten miles of sidewalk have been laid, and upper Main 158 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1876. street has been graded and graveled, and long lines of sewers constructed. Ofthe residences, over half are elegant and costly structures. The business streets are metropolitan in appear ance, with their palace stores and magnificent plate-glass windows ofthe largest size. Main street, for nearly a mile, is compactly built up, there being but three vacant spaces on lower Main, the scene ofthe spring fire. It presents a splendid appearance in its long line of hand some new structures. The change effected by the fire has com pletely transformed the place. The old wooden structures were all swept away, and the old familiar landmarks have disappeared forever. It was hopefully predicted, early in the sum mer, by the local papers, that half of the busi ness portion of the burnt district would be rebuilt by fall. The progress of Oshkosh in this instance, as in all others, has surpassed the most sanguine expectations. Instead of half the space being filled up, it is nearly all rebuilt, and more than fifty ofthe finest structures have been erected on iots formerly vacant or occu pied by frame buildings. In fact, a building mania prevailed, that seized upon every avail able place with a determination to fill the whole thing up, and it has accomplished its purpose. One remarkable feature of this unparallelled rebuilding is that it is very generally paid for. There is but a trifling indebtedness as the busi ness property in the burnt district is princi pally owned by men of ample means. LOCAL WEALTH. • The local wealth of Oshkosh is rarely equalled by cities of its size. The average deposits in its three banks is nearly $1 ,000,000. This, in connection with the heavy capital invested in some seventy manufacturing estab lishments and the large class of mercantile houses, makes a sum total which plainly tells the story ofthe business capacity ofthe place. Oshkosh, therefore, renews her business career under the favorable circumstance of freedom from burdensome indebtedness. Her business firms, with one or two exceptions, all resumed business immediately after the fire, and although there were individual losses involv ing large amounts, their solvency was unshaken. There was probably never another instance of such a wholesale destruction of property attended with so few failures. The business men of Oshkosh asked no compromise with creditors, and amid the loss and wreck of their property, and the great discouragements ofthe interruption of their business and lack of facil ities, they promptly met their demands. MUNICIPAL DEBT. The municipal indebtedness is compara tively nothing, being only some $70,000. The city has invested largely, too, in local improve ments, but they are paid for. Her school buildings are among the finest in the State. One of them is the State Normal School, towards the erection of which Oshkosh contrib uted some $30,000 — and the Oshkosh High School buildings, which cost about $40,000. Several of the Ward Schools are fine buildings, costing from $10,000 to $20,oooteach. In the construction of two magnificent bridges, 600 feet long, the width of the river, which bisects the city, $50,000 was expended. There are over twenty miles of graveled streets. Algoma and Washington streets are almost one contin uous line of three miles of elegant residences. The value of manufactured products for the year 1875, is over $4,000,000. Although Oshkosh is a great lumbering center, rough lumber now constitutes but little over one- third of the value of her manufactures. R. J. H. Oshkosh, April, 1876. BRICK AND STONE BUSINESS AND MANUFAC TURING STRUCTURES ERECTED IN 1 875. McKey & Folds $ 4,000 J. M. Hollins. 4,000 Wm. Hill & Co 15,000 P. Kelly 4(000 Moses Hooper and George Mayer 9,000 Mrs. McCabe 4,000 Wolcott's Block 10,000 R. Guenther . .' . .. 5,000 Mrs. Carter 4,500 J. F. W. Decker 4,500 A. B Wright '....-._ 8,000 G. F. & L. M. Eastman ; 4,000 Alf Ford 4,000 Mrs. Watts 4 500 R. L. Bigger 16,000 E. W. Viall and James Jenkins 10,000 Clarks & Forbes 3 500 H. Kuehmsted 4,500 S. M. Hay 10,000 C. M. McCabe 4 000 Cameron & McCourt 4,000 Williams & Froehlich 4,000 LaBudd & Haben 6 000 L. Mayer & G. W. Hewman 6,000 Haben & Buck 7 000 Voigt & Wendorff 7,000 Wm. W akeman 7 000 Mrs. Hardy 4,000 David Evans 6,000 J. Horning & J. Baumgartuer 5,000 Heisinger Bros 7 000 Jul. Heisinger 5,000 K. Dichmann & Son g 000 Kaerwer & Henkle 3 q00 Peters & McKenzie . . 5 000 F . Hermann 10 000 Metz & Schloerb q q00 J. M. Weisbrod 3 000 L. Bridge 3,000 H. Bammessel 10 000 W.R.Kennedy 4,000 R. McKenzie 5,000 Herrmann's Block.Cor. Main and Waugoo Sts. Oshkosh 1876,] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 159 H. B. Jackson 6,000 P- Kelly 7?000 Jos. Stringhaih 4,000 A. Andrea .... 3,000 C Ernst 3,000 E. Hubbard 7,000 M. Griffin l5j000 A. Meisner 3,500 Wm. Klotsch and E. W. Tilton 7,000 M. T. Battis .- 6,000 Nelson Gill in qoo Mrs. Bailey 5,000 Voigt & Weudorff 10,000 E. Luhm 3,000 George Condie 4,000 A. Tietzen . . , 1 500 H. Peck 3,000 C. Kohlman & Bros 7,000 F. Herrmann 2 000 T. J. Kelly 3,000 C Spore 3,5Co Dichmann's Block 8,000 Hancock's Block 8,000 J. "Willock : 4,000 Beckwith. House 25,00;) Tremont House 20,000 Union .National Bank 12,000 First National Bank 22,000 Wm. Suhl's Steam Bakery 7,000 Postoffice block ... 18,0 0 Masonic Hall 15,000 M & St. P. R. R. Depot 18,000 Fraker's Opera HouBe 1 5,000 Jail and Vaults 25,000 Bell & Rogers, Planing Mill 15,000 Williamson, Jones & Co 16,00 1 Perry Ransom 10,000 J. R. Loper 6,000 M. T. Battis 3,000 Coles & Forbes ; 2,000 First Baptist Church 15,000 St. Peters Catholic Church 20,000 In the above list are included 112 fire-proof stores. FRAME BUILDINGS. Griffith and V akefield $ 7,000 Schmidt Bros 5,000 Oshkosh Wool ja Mills 6,000 B. J. Musser & Oo J. N. Arnold German-English Academy 4,5 <0 Evangelical Church 6,000 Danish Church 3 000 German Methodist Church 10 000 Fifty other frame structures were erected during the season, comprising frame stores, livery stables, barns and mechanic shops; also "five mechanic shops of brick. RECAPITULATION. Fire proof sfcoros 112 First class hotels 2 Banks - 2 Manufacturing Establishments 12 School Buildings 2 Opera House 1 Churches 5 Dwellings 284 Mechanic shops, brick 5 Frame stores, shops, etc 51 Total 476 The actual amount .expended in the con struction of buildings, between the time ofthe great fire, of April 28, 1875, and the 12th of January following, was $1,050,490. CHAPTER XLV The Business Firms of Oshkosh After the Fire in Board Shan ties — The City Protected Against Further Extensive Con flagrations — A new Impetus in Progress and Improvement — The Public and Private Enterprises in Oshkosh in 1879/ — Nicholson Pavement on Kansas Street — New Bridge in Course of Construction — New Iron Railroad Bridge — Another Railroad Added to the Communications of Osh kosh — The Construction of the Grand Exposition Build ing — New Branches of Manufacture — The Government Ship Yard — State Editorial Convention — Popular Gather - ings and Amusements — The Northern State Fair — Geo. Peck's Comments on Oshkosh. H E burnt district was a desolate look ing tract immediately after the fire. One vast field of ashes and debris — the remains ofthe wreck of a city; but it soon began to assume the appear ance of life and activity. The rapidity with which firms resumed business was a mat ter of surprise to people at home and abroad. Little shanties began to spring up before the ashes were cold. In fact, the erection of tem porary structures began the day after the fire, and in a few days many of the business- firms were in new quarters — rough board structures which were erected principally on the side streets and intended for temporary occupancy. There probably was never another instance of such a wide-spread confiagrati on attended with so few failures and so slight an interruption to business. Oshkosh, arisen from the ashes of her late' conflagration, was, in 1876, a newly-made city. The immense district, over a mile in length, of bran new buildings, was a sight that- is seldom witnessed. Donned in her new attire she was now ready to renew her career in the race of progress. This was the third time that a large portion ofthe burnt district had been rebuilt, and this time it was wholly composed of fire-proof buildings. The danger of fire so long menac ing Oshkosh, was now, to a great extent, removed, as all the wooden structures that for merly endangered the business portion of the city were destroyed, and an ordinance pro hibiting the erection of wooden buildings in the newly prescribed fire limits enforced. The fires that have occurred since that time in that portion ofthe city have been rare, and have not spread beyond the building where they originated — in fact, no building on Main street since it was rebuilt has been wholly 160 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 1877-79. destroyed, the fire simply consumingthe inside finish. The business center of Oshkosh is, therefore, placed on a foundation of safety, and the danger which so long menaced the place removed. . Although times were unusually dull through out the country at the time of the great fire, many ofthe business and manufacturing firms enlarged their facilities, and this was especially the case with the mammoth sash and door fac tories. EVENTS IN 1877, 1878 AND 1 879. In 1877-8 a number of fine residences were erected, and some additional business buildings. On Wednesday morning, January 24, 1877, the Revere House was destroyed by fire. This was a sad calamity as it involved the loss of life. Jefferson Murdock in attempt ing to find egress from the burning building was intercepted by the flames and perished. His untimely death caused a wide-spread grief, as he was a young man of much promise, whose untimely end was mourned by a large circle of relatives and friends. Among the events of the year was the Northern State Fair, which is held annually in this city. It was attended by an immense con course of people and was universally pro nounced one of the finest agricultural exhib itions ever held in the Northwest. In 1878 the Schmit Brothers erected the new trunk factory, which employs from forty to fifty hands, and is quite an accession to the manufactures of the city. A SPIRIT OF PROGRESS AWAKENED. The year 1879 ushers in an awakened spirit of progress and marks a new epoch in the advancement of this city. The spirit of improve ment and enterprise is fully aroused, and Osh kosh is making rapid strides in public and pri vate enterprise, giving her future an appearance ofthe brightest promise. Among the public improvements of the year is the new Nicholson pavement on Kansas street. This fine piece of work was done by William Sharpe.with his usual dispatch and thoroughness, and adds very much to the handsome appearance of that main business thoroughfare. The new brick block just constructed on that street is an addi tional improvement. Kansas street, with its fine brick blocks and Nicholson pavement crowded with teams, wears a decidedly busi ness-like look and is a credit to the city. The new bridge, now in course of construct ion, to cross the river from Oregon to Light street is to be a massive iron structure, and is contracted to cost $27,000. Henry Schneider is the contractorforbuildingthe stone supports, which is sufficient warrant that that part of the work will be well done. Theexpositionbuilding ofthe Northern Wis consin Agricultural and Mechanical Associa tion was completed in August. This is an immense structure, and is the largest agricul tural exposition building in the Northwest. Oshkosh may well feel proud of her achieve ments in the year 1879, and this and the new railroad are the crowning glories. This mammoth building is four hundred feet long and sixty feet wide, and is another evi dence of Oshkosh enterprise. A grand har vest ball was held in the building on the sec ond of September, The building was lighted with over one hundred lamps and presented a gay scene. Over 600 persons were dancing on the floor at one time. THE NEW NORTHERN RAILROAD. In May, 1879, the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railway submitted to this city a proposition in substance as follows, viz: To issue to said Company its bonds to the amount of $75, 000, bearing interest at the rate of seven per cent, and payable $15,000 fifteen years from date of issue, and that amount annually thereafter until the whole is paid; and said bonds to be placed in the hands of Alexander Mitchell in escrow, to be delivered to said Company when they shall build and fully com plete a road from Oshkosh to connect with the road at Hortonville; and at the time of deliv ery of said bonds, that the Company deliver to said City of Oshkosh certificates of stock in said road to the amount of $75,000, the said proposition to be binding on the City of Osh kosh if approved by a vote of the people of this city. The above proposition was submitted to avote of the people on Tuesday, June 24th. The election resulted in an almost unanimous vote in its favor, nine votes out often being cast for the proposition. The route was immediately surveyed and the right of way purchased. The construction of the road is now in progress, and it is expected that it will be completed early in the coming winter. This gives the city a direct road to the Northwest and is a much needed connection. The summing up of public improvements in this city for the year 1879, as will be seen from the foregoing, are the Nicholson pave ment on Kansas street, the new bridge to cost $27,000, the exposition building, the northern railroad and the iron bridge of the Chicago & Nothwestern Railroad. Residence of Hon. S.M. HAY, Algoma. St-., oskoshWs. Pete rsi lea , H o m estead , 1853 Oshkosh. Wis. 1 879.] HISTORY OF WIN.NEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 161 . PRIVATE ENTERPRISES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN 1879. The manufactures of Oshkosh have received an important accession in the establishment of the extensive carriage works of Parsons, Nev ille & Go. This firm was doing a heavy busi ness in Chicago, but believing that this city was a favorable location for their business, they moved their works to this place last spring. They occupy the-building formerly known as the Vulcan Iron Works, which has been remodeled and is to be further enlarged. One hundred hands are employed and the force is to be largely increased, The moving of a grist-mill to this place from Winneconne is one of the novel events of this season. It was floated on barges and is prob ably the only instance of a large building being moved in this manner. The handsome residence and grounds of J. J. Moore have been purchased for the pur pose of turning it into a hospital by the Broth ers of Mercy. Among the business and manufacturing structures erected the present season are the large saw-mill of Geo. W. Pratt, Horn's large brewery, the brick block on Kansas street, Geo. Cameron's livery and sale stable, and_ several fine residences. The inside construction ofthe Fraker Opera House is to be remodeled on a grand scale, so as to convert that splendid building into a first- class opera hall. The Government ship-yards were in full blast last winter. A large steam dredge and steamboat were built to be used in the improve ment of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. This work in the ship-yard gave employment to a number of men. The favorable weather last winter for lum bering operations gave full employment to a large force of men, and the log crop is esti mated at 120,000,000 feet. POPULAR GATHERINGS, AMUSEMENTS, ETC. Among the events of the season was the assembling of the State Editorial Convention in this city, the regatta of the Oshkosh Yacht Club, the rendition of the operetta ofthe Naiad Queen, which was given for seven successive nights to crowded nouses; the Pinafore also raged extensively. The Hess Opera Company also gave two entertainments. These drew large crowds here from neighboring cities. Oshkosh is, in fact, becoming quite a center for popular amusements. - The annual fair of the Northern State Agri cultural and Mechanical Association was attended by an immense assemblage, the attendance one day being estimated at 12,000, and the fair is unanimously declared to be the best ever held in the State. George Peck, during his attendance at the editorial convention sent to his paper, the Sun, the following communication: They took the crowd of editors and their wives, and other female relatives all over town, through the busy streets, around the residence streets, where some of the houses and yards would do great credit to Grand Avenue, or Cass, or Marshall, or Division streets in Milwaukee. We could see the outside of the fine homes reared by hard labor of rich men who com menced life riding a saw-log, and are now honored by the state and by the nation. We passed mills that turn out the best of lumber in quantities to suit, and we drove to the bank of Lake Winnebago, where one day Oshkosh will have as fine a park as there is in the State. We passed the stores where men have been burned out so often that when they smell pine burning they put their insurance policies in their pocket and go to pack ing up their goods, in the belief that they will soon have to put up a board shanty to do business in. Every business man has ' the appearance of a man who is prepared for any emergency, be it from fire, flood, chinch-bugs, grasshoppers or the devil. Oshkosh has a crowd of men that know no such word as fail. If I were asked to pick out a hundred men that would illus trate Western pluck and enterprise, I would go to Oshkosh, pick up the first man with a slouch hat on, and ask him to ring a fire bell and get the boys together, and the hundred men could be picked out in four minutes by the watch. OSHKOSH MARKET REPORTS. March, 1868 — Wheat, No. i,$r.9o; flour, $10; oats, 60c; corn, 90c; potatoes, 70c; pork, per barrel, $24. March, 1869 — Wheat, No. 1, $1.9001.95; flour, 10.50; oats, 62c; corn, 65c; pork, mess, 32.00; potatoes, 75c; hay, tame, 14.00 to 18.00; lumber, common, 10.00; dimension, 12.00; cleasboards, 30.00; clear plank, 40.00; sugar, 16c; coffee, 25 to 40c; tea, 1.00 to 1.80; June, 1870 — Wheat, No. 1, $1.8501.90; flour, 9.50; corn, 90c; oats, 50c; potatoes 60c; hay, tame, 10.OOO12.OO; pork, mess, per bar rel, 32.00; butter. 20c; cheese, 16c; coffee 25 to 35c; sugar, 11 to 14c; tea, i.ooto 1.60; lumber, common, 9.00; clear boards, 28.00; plank, first clear, 35.00 December, 187 1 — Wheat, No. 1, $1.10; flour, spring, 6.50 per barrel; flour, winter, 8.60 per barrel; corn' 7'5c;T'dats, 45c; pork, mess, 13.00; hay, tame, 12.00; potatoes, 80c; butter, 18020c; eggs, 15c; coffee, 25 to 35c; sugar, 10 to 12c; beans, 1.00 to 1.50; lumber, common boards, 12.00; dimension, 12.00; fencing, 14.00; siding, clear dressed, 20.00; clear boards, 25030.00; plank, first clear, 30 03S-00. January, 187 3 — Wheat, $1.12 to .1.1.5; wheat, winter, 1.26; flour, per barrel, 5.50; corn, 46c; oats, 35c; potatoes, I.OO; butter, 20 to 22c; pork, mess, 13.00; lumber, com- 21 162 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. mon boards, 12.00; clear boards, 2 5. 00 to 30.00; first clear plank, 40.00. April, 1874. — Wheat, No. 1, $1.20; flour, 6.50; pork mess, per barrel, 17.00; beans, navy, 2.50; potatoes, 1.00; corn, 70c; oats, 50c; butter, 35c; coffee, 25 to 40c; sugar, 10 to 12c; cheese, 18c; lumber, common, 10.00; clear, 25.00 to 40.00. August, 187s — Wheat, No. 1, $1.05 to 1. 15; corn, 75c; oats, 55 to 60c; flour, spring, 6.00 per barrel; winter, 7.00 per barrel; but ter, 1 8c; cheese, 14c; potatoes, 55 to 60c; pork, mess, 18.00; lumber, common, 11; clear, 25.00 to 40.00. June, 1876 — Wheat, No. 1, $1.10; corn, 55c; oats, 35c; potatoes, 20c; butter, 20c; pork, dressed, 9.00; beef, by the quarter, 5 to 7.00. May 18, 1877 — Wheat, No. 1, $1.85, corn, 60c; oats, 45c; flour, per cwt., 5.00; patent, 5.75; potatoes, 90c; butter, 15 to 16c; beans, 1. 75; pork, mess, 16.00; beef, by quar ter, 4.50 to 6.00; hay, tame, 9.00, lumber, common, 9 to 10. 00; clear, 20 to 30.00. January, 1878 — Wheat, No. 1, $1.00; corn, 40c; oats, 28c; potatoes, 30c; beans, 2.00; beef, dressed, 3 to 4.00; pork, dressed,, 3.25 to 4.00; tame hay, 9.00; lumber, com-' mon, 8.00; clear, 20 to 30. OO. April 14, {879 — Wheat, No. 1, 88 to 90c; corn, 32c; oats, 28c; flour, spring, 2.38 per cwt., patent, 3.75; beef, dressed, 3.50 to 5.00; pork, dressed, 4 to 4.25. August 1, 1879 — Wheat, No. 1, $.98 to 1.00; corn, 35c; oats, 33c; flour, per cwt., common, 2.50; patent, 3.50; pork, dressed, 3.50 to 4.00; tame hay, 6 to 7.00; potatoes, 35 to 40c; wool, 25 to 28c; butter, 11 to 12c; cheese, 7c; coffee, 25 to 35c; tea, 50c to 1.00; sugar, 8 to 1 ic. CHAPTER XLV I. The City, of Oshkosh — Its Situation, Tributary Country, Local Surroundings — Water and Railroad Communications — Description ofthe City — Its Manufacturing District — Busi ness Streets — Elegant Residences and Grounds — Oshkosh as a Summer Resort and Watering-Place — The Yachting Center of the Northwest — The Oshkosh Yacht Club — Pub lic Buildings. HE City of Oshkosh is situated on one of the finest commercial sites in the Northwest; at the mouth ofthe Upper Fox river on the western shore of Lake Winnebago, a magnificent sheet of water thirty-five miles long and ten It is a situation of great natural beauty- wide. overlooking the picturesque lake and river scenery of the vicinity. It attracted the at tention of the early explorers and adventurers who made it their favorite stopping place in their travels from the great lakes to the Missis sippi. Lake Winnebago a'nd the Fox and Wisconsin rivers formed the great commercial highway of the northwest, before the age of railroads, and many a glowing description was then written of the beautiful lake and river country now called Winnebago county — of its lovely prairies, openings and woodlands, its magnificent lakes and broad rivers, its fertile soil and salubrious climate, and it has well maintained its early reputation, and is regard ed to day as one of the most favored spots for the habitation and enjoyment of man. SURROUNDING COUNTRY. The adjacent country and that stretching away from here to the south west, for hund reds of miles is the richest agricultural district to be found in the habitable world. Its sur face is undulating prairie and openings, with its rivers and lakes skirted with timber. The scenery of this combined woodland, prairie, lakes and rivers is surpassingly beautiful ; dis closing picturesque views which stretch away -in the far distance, like the varying pictures of a lovely panorama. The rivers and lakes abound in fish and water-fowl, the woodlands in game. The facilities for rural and aquatic sports have already made the locality famous for those enjoyments. The well cultivated farms, spacious barns, and comfortable, well painted farm houses, with their tasty surroundings and orchards, very plainly indicate the general wealth and thrift of the farming community. This county has taken the first premium at state fairs on its apples and grapes, and many of its agricultural products, and is famous for the excellent quality of its choice grapes, which are grown in profusion. At the World's Industrial Exhibition at Paris, it took the first premium on wheat, against the, com petition of the world. THE " UP-RIVER COUNTRY, " NORTHERN WIS CONSIN. The tract of country lying between Oshkosh and Lake Superior, and east of the Central R. R., embracing the valleys ofthe Wolf and Wisconsin, is about eighty miles in breadth and a hundred and fifty miles in length. This territory is naturally tributary to Oshkosh, and is one of the most valuable timbered tracts in the west, pine and hardwood inter spersed. It is a country of vast resources — timber, mineral and agricultural. There is Residence of Robert M9Millen,WAlgomaSt. Oshkosh,Wis. e*$f8 ResofW^T Ellsworth Algoma St Oshkosh Wis. ,,^*fc^^BgMKatg^^ R ES OF J U DGE D J. Pu LLI N G, JACKSON St. OSH KOSH Wl S . I879-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 163 every variety of character of soil, and face of country, from the sandy and rough and rocky, to the very finest sugar-maple lands, compris ing whole townships in a body. The latter are as fine farming lands as can be found, with all the coveted advantages of rich soil, best of timber, plentifully supplied with the purest of running water — springs, brooks, large rivers and beautiful lakes. Some portions of this, country are already well populated and in a high state of cultiva tion, with fine farms, good houses and barns. Villages and manufacturing hamlets are spring ing up on its water-powers and natural thoroughfares, and its resources are develop ing with wonderful rapidity. This is the country of the new railroad from Oshkosh north; a country that can pour into the lap of Oshkosh a flood of trade and busi ness if railroad facilities are provided. There is a large section of this country, as yet comparatively unsettled, but immigrants are rapidly occupying it, and it soon will be one ofthe populous portions ofthe State. The building of a railroad through this ter ritory, which is large enough for twenty-five counties of the size of Winnebago, would facilitate its rapid settlement and conversion into farms and manufacturing villages, which would necessarily pour a copious trade on the line of their outlet. Fortunately for Oshkosh, the richest and finest tract of Northern Wisconsin is open to the channels of her trade. WATER COMMUNICATIONS OF OSHKOSH. The Wolf river, flowing from the great pine and hardwood timber regions ofthe north, for a distance of over two hundred miles, forms a junction with the Upper Fox, about twelve miles from this city. The Wolf is navigable for steamers as far as Shawano, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. A daily line of fine, commodious steamers run from Oshkosh to New London, a point on the Wolf river, seventy miles distant. Another daily line of steamers run from here to Berlin, on the Upper Fox. Steamboats also ply between here and Green Bay, making steamboat con nection with Lake Michigan, while others run transiently to the different ports on Lake Win nebago. Numerous sail vessels also ply between here and the east shore of the lake, engaged in freighting lumber, timber, building stone, sand and brick. The best of building stone, and the finest quality of material for brick-making is abundant on the opposite shore, and the trade in the same is an exten sive one. This unrivaled water communication is one of the commercial features of this city, as it occupies a commanding situation on that great chain of rivers and lakes, which is one of the grand, distinguishing characteristics of this continent, and of which Fox river and Lake Winnebago are important links in the connection ofthe Mississippi with the Great Lakes. It is, in fact, the great natural water thoroughfare of the continent, and the de mands of our inland commerce have induced the Government to make the improvement of the rivers a national work. It will be seen, therefore, that the city has steamboat com munication north by the Wolf River, southwest by the Fox and Wisconsin to the Mississippi, and east by the Lower Fox to Lake Michigan. These intersecting lines of trade, center here into a natural distributing point. It is here where the immense products of the pine and hard wood timber region of the Wolf river and its tributaries are brought to be manufactured and distributed through the agricultural districts bordering us on the south and west. A large portion of this " up-river " country is good farming land, and is rapidly " settling up. " This city is the natural outlet of its trade, from whence it obtains its supplies, and where its products find their most acces sible market. RAILROAD COMMUNICATIONS. These are the Chicago & Northwestern, with its southern and western connections, and ' by the same, north to Green Bay, on Lake Michigan, and thence to Lake Superior; con necting with the inexhaustible iron mines of that region; the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad, connecting with the eastern and and western lines of the Milwaukee & St. Paul. The Milwaukee, Lake Shore and West ern Railroad is now in process of construc tion. THE SITE OF OSHKOSH Is a tract with an elevation from twelve to twenty feet above the level of the lake. The city extends for a distance of nearly three miles from the shore of Lake Winnebago up the Fox River to Lake Buttes des Morts, occupying the tract between the two lakes and covering a territorial area of nearly eight square miles, about half of which is closely built over, the balance suburban. The river connecting these two bodies of water, and bisecting the city, is about 600 hundred feet wide, forming, a spacious harbor, and being of slow current and not subject to freshets, affords great facilities for steamers, vessels and rafts. It is spanned at .this point with four 164 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. magnificent bridges, each about 600 feet long; two of which are the respective railroad bridges of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and-the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad ; the others for the accommodation of city travel — structures involving a cost of $100,000. Another bridge is now in process of construc tion — an iron structure to cost $27,000, The river shore for a distance of nearly three miles, is an almost unbroken line of saw-mills, foundries and'machine-shops, plan- ing-mills. sash and door factories, grist mills, elevators, ship-yards, lime and stone yards, shipping docks and depots of the Chicago & Northwestern, and Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroads. The constant hum of this machinery, pro pelled by over seventy steam engines — the steamboats, tugs and sail-craft, plying the river and lake — the long line of railroad trains coming and going, and the crowded and busy streets adjoining, present a scene of businesslife and activity, which clearly proclaims the manu facturing and commercial character of this lively and thriving city. The main business street presents a fine appearance and extends for nearly a mile, and is compactly built up with business blocks, of brick and stone. It is paved with the Nichol son, and lighted with gas, as are all the other principal streets. Kansas Street, on the south side_of the river is also a fine business street, containing a large number of business blocks, built of brick. Several of the streets devoted to private residences are not excelled in the State, and are rarely equaled by eastern cities of the same size. Among the most beautiful are Algoma and Washington streets, which are practically one street, extending from the lake shore of Winnebago almost to Lake Buttes des Morts, a distance of nearly three miles; and which are built up for their whole distance with tasty residences, many of them being beautiful and costly structures, with the. sur rounding adornments of wealth and taste. The High School building and State Normal School, with their spacious grounds, are on this street. The luxuriant shade trees and original forest trees are among not the least of its attractions. It is graveled with a mater ial which cements into a smooth, hard surface, and affords a beautiful drive. Irving, Merritt, Waugoo, Otter and Ceape streets extend from Main street to the lake shore, a distance of a mile, and with High, Jackson, Church and Jefferson Avenue, and the principle streets on the south side, are al'l attractive, well graveled, and built up with fine residences; many of them spacious buildings, with beautiful grounds and ornamental surroundings. The lake shore locality is one of the beautiful fea tures ofthe city, which attracts the admiration of all, and which affords delightful sites for surburban residences. Oshkosh is justly proud of the ^distinction she enjoys in having thirty odd miles of beau tiful smooth streets of cemented gravel, afford ing delightful drives and lovely views of her lake and river scenery. The many beautiful illustrations in this work, of the palatial residences and handsome surrounding grounds, and especially the attractive water scenery fully confirms the description here given. These views are all sketched from nature by G. W. Salisbury, for this book and are correct representations. AS A SUMMER RESORT AND WATERING-PLACE. This city possesses a rare combination of natural features for a delightful summer resort and watering-place. The climate is not sur passed in healthfulness; the air ispure and dry; the invigorating breezes from the lake temper the heats of summer, while the adjacent large bodies of water, to a great extent, have the effect of preventing those sudden extreme changes of temperature to which nearly all western localities are much subjected. The water is wholesome, artesian fonntains abound, the scenery is lovely, the lake the most mag nificent sheet of water, with beautiful shores and good harbors that are accessible in every direction, thus affording the best of yachting facilities. The surrounding country is beautiful, with excellent roads, affording delightful drives and picturesque views of the lake and river scenery. Wild game is abund ant in the vicinity, and is composed of blue and green-winged teal, mallard and wood-duck, snipe, wood-cock, quail and prairie chicken. The waters abound in black and white bass and other fish; brook-trout are plentiful in streams within a day's travel; therefore, steamboat excursions, picnics; yachting, fishing, shooting and pleasure drives are among the available recreations of the place. Thissecures immunity from that monotonous routine of tame and insipid pleasures which prevails in so many celebrated watering-places; for the range of exciting and attractive out-door enjoyments, is here so extensive and varied, that the tastes of all can be gratified; combining the gaieties, public amusements and social enjoyments of city life, with the most delightful rural pleasures. The market is well supplied with wild game, and with the choicest fruits and vegetables of northern latitudes, fresh from the gardens and sr Bl HE. 11mm \Awffi3&&i^ hsr;-\f-»--ri:^./f'f,'„ ¦ .#.v ..,:¦ IIP "jfeai ¦.¦'• .&'« 4 ¦ S>iSi^ f&«! .'VtW . • -J. JH ' -- ' ~, * » v iP> ?v \'*^^^^^^ .'^ 1879-1 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 165 orchards of the vicinity which are very differ ent to the stale products shipped from long distances. The choicest varieties of American grapes are grown in profusion; apples, plums, and small fruits are abundant in their season. The market is. also kept as well supplied as those ofthe larger cities, with foreign fruits and delicacies, and shell fish from the sea board. The same local circumstances also make Oshkosh a most desirable place for a residence, and it would be difficult to find another, where people of limited means can avail themselves of so many of the enjoyments and comforts of life — the amenities of society, the opportuni ties for mental culture, public amusement and the best of advantages for the education of their children. For instance, a family with a capital of $20,000 would be wealthy here, and could live in princely style, if their taste lay in that direction. They could possess a home here with the greatest comforts and luxuries of life and ample means for the gratification of cultivated tastes, and maintain it on the income, $2,000. The children could have good social and educational advantages, while oppor tunities for a profitable investment of the cap ital in industrial business are abundant. The same capital in a city like Chicago, could afford its owner but a very ordinary home- place, requiring the practice of a very rigid economy, the closest attention to business, and a stinted enjoyment ofthe pleasures of life. THE YACHTING CENTER OF THE NORTHWEST. Oshkosh has become famous as the yachting center of the Northwest. The superior facili ties of Lake Winnebago for yachting purposes has created a great interest in that sport in this locality. The fine harbors on the lake, the accessibility of its shores, the steadiness of the winds and the long sailing distances offered by the broad expanse of water, give peculiar advantages. The interest in yachting seems to be increasing from year to year, and attracts many from abroad who are interested in that amusement. THE OSHKOSH YACHT CLUB. This club was organized in 1870, and ranks as the leading club west of the Hudson in num ber of membership and the size and sailing qualities of its fleet. Its members number one hundred and twenty odd, and its fleet con sists of some thirty beautifully-modeled and elegantly-equipped yachts. The officers of the club are Geo. W. Burnell, Commodore, Geo. F. Stroud, Vice-Commodore; John Dickinson, Fleet Captain; Frank Heilig, Treasurer; Frank Clark, Secretary. An annual cruise takes place in June, in which the whole fleet joins, making a beautiful sight. The cruise generally lasts a week; dur ing which the party visit the many attractive points on the lake. Camping-out, sailing and fishing vary the amusements. The annual regatta forms a most attractive scene, and is witnessed yearly by large crowds of delighted spectators. The facilities for' yachting and steamboat excursions are among the attractive features of Oshkosh, and Lake Winnebago as a summer resort; and the lovely wooded points on the lake shore afford delightful camping-grounds, which are generally occupied through the sum mer months. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. These are the Northern State Hospital, State Normal School, Oshkosh High School, one ofthe finest school structures in the State; eight ward school buildings, three of which are massive brick edifices and two of which cost over $12,000 each; the Court House, Masonic Temple, Fraker's Opera House, Post Office building, three public halls, St. Vincent de Paul School, English and German Academy; three large hotels, the Beckwith, Seymour and Tremont; and the exposition building of the Northern Wisconsin Agricultural and Mechan ical Association. In church architecture, Oshkosh partic ularly excels. The First Congregational, First Methodist, First Baptist, St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic, and St. Peter's Catholic are fine structures, and many of the others are of a large and handsome' design, and taken as a whole are highly ornamental to the city. There are in all twenty-four church edifices. CHAPTER XLVJI. Oshkosh Business Houses — Factories — Statistics of Manu facture — Importance and Facilities of Oshkosh as a Manufacturing Center. HERE are three banks, the First National, the Union National and the Commercial. The last is not a bank of issue. The average deposits of the First National are $500,000. DRY GOODS HOUSES. In nothing has Oshkosh made greater advancement since the fire than in that of enlarging the facilities for the dry goods trade. The magnificent store of Wm. Hill & Co., of which a view is given in this work, is a palace 166 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. * [1879. store in finish and proportion. It has a front age of forty feet and is a hundred and ten in depth. The interior presents a grand and imposing display with its lofty ceiling and rich and elaborate finish, and mammoth stock of elegant goods in endless profusion. Carswell & Hughes is another splendid establishment, doing an immense business. D. R. Forbes, A. Leach, Josslyn Brothers and Jones Brothers, also make an imposing display.' These elegant stores with plate glass windows rivalin appearance the finest stores in metropolitan cities. They are divided into departments devoted to the vari ous branches of the trade, and are filled with goods from the basement to the second story. The inducements they hold out to purchasers in quantity, variety and price of goods, draws a large patronage from the suburban towns and villages, and Oshkosh now has the facili ties for competing successfully with the larger cities in prices. Every style and quality of dress goods, and fancy and domestic goods are in large stock and sold at the closest figures of the central markets of the trade. There are six stores dealing exclusively in dry goods, and taken collectively they are a credit to the city. The carpet warerooms, especially, are not excelled in the State. MILLINERY AND FANCY GOODS. There are four leading millinery and fancy dry goods stores, elegant establishments, carry ing large stocks of fashionable goods in great variety. CLOTHING HOUSES. There are nine clothing stores. For the firm names, see classified directory in this work, and their advertisements. From an early day Oshkosh has been a great center for the clothing trade for a large stretch of country, and has been famous as the place to buy clothing at the lowest figures. The very best of business men have long been engaged here in that line, and long expe rience and ample capital has enabled them to offer their customers the greatest advantages in purchases. They have now enlarged their facilities, and the great number of first-class firms in this city afford a wide range to the purchaser. The most recherche fit and style are made to order; artistic cutters are employed, and all varieties of cloths are held in large stock. The manufacture of clothing in this city is an industry of no small propor tions. It furnishes work to a large number and adds greatly to the business of the place. HARDWARE HOUSES. There are twelve stores under the above head. The large amount of machinery run ning in Oshkosh and in the "Up-River" country has made Oshkosh the center of ¦ a large trade in iron and mill-furnishing goods and mill machinery, and there are consequently some heavy houses here, of large capital and with ample facilities for this special trade, and there is not another place of the size of Osh kosh that does a larger business in this line. In hardware, nails, stoves, iron and tin-ware, the business is also large, and the several firms are augmenting their trade. BOOT AND SHOE STORES, There are thirteen of these stores, exclusive of the smaller shops. A number of them are large concerns, doing a heavy business, some of them wholesale, with large stock in great variety. GROCERS. There are sixty odd grocery stores. The leading houses in this line occupy some ofthe handsomest stores on the street, and which are filled up with large stocks. All the luxur ies of the eastern and southern markets, in their season, including fruits, shell-fish and other delicacies, are kept on sale, making a most tempting display. The market gardens of the vicinity also furnish fruits and vege tables. DRUG STORES. The number of these is ten, and there is not to be found in the City more beautiful fronts than those of some of the drug stores which ornament Main Street. These stores are models of elegance in all their appointments. MUSIC STORES. Two of these, with a large stock of pianos, organs and a general assortment of musical instruments and merchandise. These stores make a fine display of instruments, and are conducted by gentlemen of experience in the trade. STATIONERY, ETC. There are four book stores in this line, with large stocks of books, wall paper and station ers' goods. FIVE WATCH AND JEWELRY STORES. Several of these are largely stocked with rich ornamental goods, embracing silver and plated ware of the most beautiful design and finish. CROCKERY, GLASSWARE, ETC. One large establishment whose stock em braces everything in the trade. Several grocers are also dealing in the articles. .'"'"-'¦ •'. "':: ¦:"¦¦¦'¦ ¦¦ ¦¦".¦¦¦••' . • ¦ WM,HiLL&Co.Nos.l49&i5l Main St. Oshkosh, Wis. George Mayer, Oshkosh, Wis . *N0' '6-'Z ^/aeff^gA-?6TLFTRl,NKMANIUFACTURY,$CHMIT BROy.PR0P'-S. OSHKOSH. WIS NO? 2tt AND 213 MAIN ST. i879-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 167 MISCELLANEOUS. There are three hat cap and fur stores. Five furniture warerooms, two of which are large establishments that can suit the most fastidious tastes in the articles of their trade. One wholesale oil, paint arid glass house, which does a heavy business, and two retail oil, paint and glass stores. Two houses in leather and shoe findings, which have an extensive trade, locally and with the northern country. Eleven flour and feed stores. Four dealers in agricultural implements. Two dealers in brick, lime and stone. This is a large business in Oshkosh. One of these firms, Cook, Brown & Co., does an annual business of $70,000. Three wholesale and retail liquor stores. Five dealers in harness and saddlery hard ware. In addition to the above are a proportionate number of confectionaries, baker's shops, tobacconists, meat markets, etc. For agents, professional men, and other branches of business and manufacture, see classified directory in this work. MANUFACTURES OF OSHKOSH. FOUNDRIES AND MACHINE-SHOPS. C. C. Paige, John F. Morse, Perry Ran som, Chas. Avery. These establishments manufacture steam engines, circular mills, por table engines, mill machinery and castings of various kinds. STEAM BOILER WORKS. Martin Battis, A. Burns. These establish ments do a large. business, viz: the manufac turing of steam boilers. SASH, DOOR AND BLIND FACTORIES. Foster & Jones, R. McMillen & Co., Conlee Brothers, G. M. Williamson & Co., J. P. Gould, Hume & Washburn. These large establishments employ, in the aggregate, four hundred and fifty hands. These factories manufacture yearly 360,000 doors, 700,000 windows and 150,000 pairs of blinds. Their daily capacity is 1,200 doors, 2,500 windows, and 600 pairs of blinds. This is the largest manufacture of doors and win dows in any one place in the United States. They also manufacture wood mouldings to the value of $100,000 per annum, and dress large quantities of lumber. The yearly aggregate value of their manufactures is $625,000. STAR MATCH WORKS. J. L. Clark proprietor, employs 350 hands. The value of its manufactures for the year 1878 was #488,945,83. CARRIAGE WORKS. Parsons, Neville and Goodfellow. Number of hands employed, one hundred; and the force is to be increased when an additional building now in course of construction, is com pleted. This firm commenced fitting up their works last March, and before six months elapsed they had manufactured over one thousand vehicles. These are shipped by the car-load to various places where they find a ready sale. Rudd & Holden also carry on an extensive establishment, and turn out first-class work. There are five wagon shops. FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS. Robert Brand, E. S. Thompson, E. S. Hay- den, Wm. Spikes & Co. B. H. Soper. PLANING MILLS. Bell & Cole, Foster & Jones, James P. Gould, Williamson, Libby & Co., C. R. Par sons, C. N. Paine & Co., R. McMillen & Co. BRICK AND LIME WORKS. Cook, Brown & Co. employ a large force of men, and run one steamer and a sail vessel of their own in their business, and employ two other sail crafts. OSKOSH SOAP WORKS. J. R. Loper, manufactures a popular brand of soap in large quantities. ' BREWERIES. There are five of these whose products aggregate a large amount. SHIPPING-BOX FACTORY. Manufacture cheese and fruit boxes. TRUNK FACTORY. Schmit Brothers. Employ sixty hands, OSHKOSH CHEMICAL WORKS. B. J. Musser & Co. Baking powder, per fumery, etc. TANNERIES. Metz & Schloerb, Hoehne & Jaenicke. FLOURING MILLS. Foote Brothers & Co., H. C. Gustavus & Co., F. W. Mase. SHIP-YARDS. There are two of these and a large business is done in the building of steamboats, yachts and sail vessels, and in the repairs on the same. LUMBER MANUFACTURERS. Buckstaff Brothers & Chase, Campbell, Libby & Co. , Conlee Brothers, Foster & Jones, 168 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 1879. Marshall Harris, R. McMillen & Co.., John Laabs & Co., Morgan & Brother, C.N. Paine & Co., Oscar D. Peck, Geo. W. Pratt, S. Rad ford & Brother, Ripley & Mead, P. Sawyer & Son, Jas. H. Weed. SHINGLE MANUFACTURERS. Buckstaff Brothers & Chase, Campbell, Libby & Co., James L. Clark, Conlee Broth ers, Derby & Curran, John S. Fraker, G. C. Griffith, R. McMillen & Co., Morgan & Brother, Geo. W. Pratt, S. Radford & Brother, Ripley & Mead, Andrew Thompson, George Van Every, Webb & Albert, James H. Weed. The lumber business of Oshkosh is an indus try of vast proportions. In prosperous sea sons, from a hundred to a hundred and fifty million feet of logs have been manufactured into lumber and shingles. The log crop this year on the Wolf and its tributaries is esti mated at one hundred and twenty millions of feet. This will furnish an ample supply for our mills and sash and door factories which are now beginning to recover from the depres sion that for the past two years has affected all branches of business. The advance in the price of lumber is also stimulating production, and Oshkosh has taken a new start in the race of progress and begins to assume her old-time appearance of business and manufacturing activity. The prediction that the railroads which are being built into the pine forests ' would facili tate the production of pine lumber in the up- river country to an extent disastrous to our lumber industry, has proved groundless, for it was soon ascertained by practical experience, which is the best teacher, that the timber can be more profitably manufactured in Oshkosh than in the woods, for many reasons, some of which are that the lumber, when sawed, mustbe moved by rail over the same distance that Oshkosh is from the pineries in transporting it to market, so that if the logs be brought by rail to this place, the lumber is practically moved that distance toward its ultimate market The transportation ofthe offal, or material wasted in sawing, is no additional expense; for the slabs and even the sawdust have a cash value, and are worth more than the cost of transportation. Another thing, the proximity to machine-shops, affording the best facilities for promptly repairing mill machinery, is a great advantage. Oshkosh, too, has long been the great lumber center of central Wisconsin, and it has its established lines of trade and offers greater inducements to purchasers in quantity and variety, and in the number of mills. Outside purchasers often find it difficult to get long timber, joist, scant ling and other dimension stuff. Here they know that they can readily have their orders filled by reliable firms who have every facility. The place also manufactures the largest quan tity of doors, sa'sh, blinds and dressed lumber, of any place inthe Northwest. In fact, every thing can be furnished for a building from raw material to a cornice — inside finish, brackets, mouldings, etc., all ready to be nailed in their places. Consequently, the purchaser by car loads will go where he can get his whole bill readily filled. Confidence in the future is shown in the fact that in late years several of the mills which were burnt have been replaced by larger ones, viz: Campbell & Libby's, Morgan Brothers and Geo. W. Pratt's, just constructed. In passing, attention may be called to the fact that several who have gone from here to other points have been disappointed, and have learned to justly appreciate the local advanta ges of this place. One of our heavy shingle manufacturers who tried his fortune at another place, was glad to get back and rebuild his shingle mill here, and has since been doing a successful business. It is true that the inter ests of Oshkosh were criminally neglected by those who ought to have known better than to have looked on while railroads were being built from other points to tap the pineries and cut ting off her supplies; but she has awakened from her lethargic indifference and the prize threatening to slip from her grasp has been secured through connection with the Milwau kee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad. This road will be finished early this winter and gives direct connection with the other roads tapping the pineries, thus securing ready access to pine lands remote from driving streams, and to a new source of supply for our mills and sash and door factories. The favorable weather of last winter for logging has furnished a large supply of logs and will bring the lumber business here, up to some thing like its old-time proportions. Other man ufactories are being enlarged and new ones established. Oshkosh is therefore started once more on the high road ofprosperity.andthe out look for the future is hopeful. IMPORTANCE AND FACILITIES OF OSKOSH AS A MANUFACTURING CENTER. No place ever obtained a more sudden celebrity as a manufacturing point than Osh kosh, which, from a little obscure village in 1852, with three or four saw-mills, arose in the short space of ten years, to the distinction of being one of the greatest lumber manufactur- ..__^,_,Tr-r^-M-„ - v TTffTjp' ^ril iffi; ;!....f[', i !¦' .-.'ST ¦:¦¦<¦ f!s; ' ' mVJ: 1 879, J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 169 ing centers in the Northwest, with twenty odd saw-mills, producing over one hundred million feet of lumber per annum — sufficient with her shingles, sash and doors, to load fifteen thous and railroad cars, and aggregating, with the lumber products, a value of over two million dollars. This immense business and that inci dental to it, the manufacture and repairing of steam machinery, the building of steam tug boats, the shipping .of lumber,, the manufac ture of sash, doors and dressed lumber, the products of the iron foundries, and machine shops, the traffic of the resident population, and the farming community, and the trade and travel by railroad and steamboat lines, have made Oshkosh the liveliest center in the state outside of Milwaukee. The din of the machinery of her mills and factories, with their sixty steam engines, the steamboats and sail craft plying the lakes and rivers, the long lines of railroad trains bearing abroad the products of her manufactures, and her crowded thoroughfares, combine in a scene of business life and activity that is no where surpassed in this country by any city of its size. The first branch of manufacturing here was naturally that of pine lumber, and the machin ery incident to its production. The unsur passed facilities for remunerative business in that line rapidly absorbed the chief capital of a new community like that of Oshkosh, to the exclusion of other manufactures; but it has created a wealth here, and established a manu facturing prestige of success and practical experience that must ensure confidence in entering the new fields of manufacturing enterprise that are now awaiting her occu pancy. The first work in her destiny was to make available the immense pine lumber re sources. This work has been partially accom plished, and now a step in advance is marked by the greatly increased manufactures of sash and doors, which has become the leading branch of our industries. Glazed sash is another, which, from a small beginning, is rapidly developing into importance. Oshkosh has the most ample resources and enduring facilities, for manufactures of hardwood material. Her proximity to the source of supply, with her central location, and the great market ground of the rich agri cultural territory, which stretches from here away to the south, and west, gives local advantages which promise the most hopeful manufacturing future for this city. Oshkosh from her earlier years, has been accustomed to the din of machinery. . She has served a most thorough apprenticeship; and can proudly point to a practical success in the past, which presages her future triumph. CHAPTER XLVIII. Notices of Manufacturing Establishments Illustrated in this Work, and of Business Houses and Residences. STAR MATCH WORKS OF JAMES L. CLARK. jHIS mammoth establishment is one of the largest manufactories of any kind in the State. The value of its products for the past year amounted to the sum of $488,945,83 and at the rate it has increased will far exceed that amount in the present year. Its rapid growth may be seen in the fact that the value of its matches manufactured in 1872, was $90,000; in 1875, it was $374,000; while for the year ending 1878 it reached the sum of nearly half a million of dollars. The works, and storage ground for lumber, occupy some ten acres, and the buildings have a frontage of nearly five hundred feet. For the purpose of obtaining a full supply of the best of straight-grained timber, for splints, Mr. Clark erected last year, a saw mill, in addition to the works proper. The following exhibits the business for the year ending January 1st, 1879: Number of hands employed, 350; two million five hundred feet of timber; two hundred and ten tons of straw-board and paper for making boxes; seven thousand pounds of phospho rus; sixty tons of brimstone. Average monthly wages paid to hands, $5000,00; ag gregate yearly payment to hands $60,000,00. Value of products for the 1878, $488,945.83. One of the advantages possessed by this factory is the facilities for obtaining the very best of straight-grained timber, for splints, which ensures with other qualities, the superi ority for which these matches are distinguished. The large amount of complicated machinery running in these works would astonish any one who had never witnessed the details of the manufacture of matches. There is in the first place, the steam engines, and the complicated system of belting for connecting power with the endless machinery in the various depart ments. . Next comes the lathe in the machine shop, where the repairing is done to disabled machinery. Then the circular saws that cut the timber into the proper dimensions — the 170 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. match-splint machines, of which there are eight, with a capacity of making 115,400 match-splints per minute. In the racking room are five racking machines, which place the matches in proper fixtures for dip ping. In another room are six cutting machines which cut the splints, which are made double-length, in two. Another depart ment contains the heating furnace and dipping machines. But the most ingenious machinery, working with the precision of an intelligent being, is that of the paper-box machines. There are four of these, which cost $10,000, and which turn out 4,200 paper • boxes per hour. No description can do jus tice to these wonderful, ingenious, and beauti ful contrivances. There are other machines in the same room, which cut at each move ment about 100 pieces of paper into the proper shape for making the boxes. These are placed, several hundred at a time, in the box machine, which rapidly manipulates them into the finished box. There are ten separate machines in this department. There are, including engines, saws, racking and splint machines, box machines, etc, over forty separate machines in the various departments; so it will be seen, that to make so small a thing as a match, with profitable facility, avast amount of complicated machinery is necessary, involving multifarious details, requiring the nicest accuracy in their practical management. This busy hive of human industry works like some vast machine, performing the details of its complicated movements with the pre cision of clock-work. Its management requires the greatest practical skill and a clear headed comprehension of all its various move ments, and there are but comparatively few persons competent to perform the task. The history ofthese works shows at least one instance in which the highest success is not accidental. In the fall of 1863 Mr. Clark perfected a match-splint machine. He was previously engaged in filing the saws in Mc- Millen'smill. At thattimeDaniel Ruggleswas engaged in the manufacture of splints, and at a cost of about $500 procured a round-splint machine, which worked so imperfectly that he sold the same to Mr. Clark for $30. The latter finding this machine impracticable, con structed a new one which worked -so success fully that he engaged exclusively in the manu facture of splints. At that time his capital was less than a hundred dollars. At first he took the splints to his house for the purpose of sorting them, and employed only one hand for the work. In time, every room in the lower part ofthe house was used by occupants sorting splints. The business had increased to such an extent that .Mr. Clark determined to start a factory, and conse quently erected a building, now a part of the works, in 1864. In "1868 he commenced the manufacture of matches, on a small scale. From these small beginnings the business so rapidly increased, that in seven years the product of the factory reached the amount of $374,000' in one year. In the building up of -this very successful business, Mr. Clark was very ably seconded by his wife, who evinced great executive ability in the management of its details and especially in organizing the help, and Mr. Clark attributes much of his success to the very valuable assistance of Mrs. Clark. The management is now so systematically organ ized that the various departments work like some vast machine, each of which is dependent on the other. The superiority of these matches has secured for them a widely extended popularity, and at the rate in which the product of the works is increasing it will soon reach a million of dol lars per annum, giving employment to six or seven hundred hands. The benefit of this factory to the city cannot be over-estimated. It has never received or asked for one cent of bonus, or any municipal favors, being self-sustaining from the first, and is the result of dilligence, well directed enterprise, good business management and honest dealing. The work is all done by the piece. By this system each hand gets all that he earns, and it seems to give the fullest satisfaction to em ployer and employed; as the hands all seem cheerful and interested in their work and habits of industry and good morals are incul cated by the admirable management. This institution has graduated a new man ager in the person of Mr. Clark's son, Herbert M. Clark, who is said to be fully competent to the post he now occupies, that of general superintendent; The book-keeper, cashier and general corres pondent, is Mr. Arthur W. Jones, and this department is in the hands of a faithful and competent manager. FOSTER & JONES, Sash, Door and Blind Manufacturers. Among the illustrations in this work will be found that of the sash and door factory, and planing mill of Foster & Jones. This is one of the heaviest manufacturing concerns in this city, and its proprietors stand in the front ranks of its business men. The firm was estab- IP Coo^Brown^Co.Manufacturers^ Dealers in ¦¦Ljme,Brick,Cement, Stucco.Land Plaster^DrainTile «, NO.I3,MARiONST.pSHKOSH,WIS. '• ' Saw and Planing Mill of Star Match Works Oshkosh Wis. Star Match Works,Oshkosh,Wis.-Jas. L.Clark Prop. 1 879-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 171 lished in 1865, and has since that time been enlarging its facilities. Their business is conducted with that vigor and enterprise for which Oshkosh men have long been distinguished. This factory contains all the best improved machinery and every facility for the manufac ture of their products at the lowest possible cost, enabling them to successfully meet any competition in the market. They employ from seventy to eighty hands and have a capacity for manufacturing yearly 80,000 doors, 200,000 windows, and 40,000 pairs of blinds, besides wood-mouldings and dressed lumber. The actual manufactures fall but little short ofthe capacity ofthe works. They manufac ture wood-mouldings to the value of $25,000 per annum, which they ship by the car-load. They dress over 5.000,000 feet of lumber on an average each year. Their yearly products aggregate a value of $150,000. The members of this firm have always been foremost in aiding every public enterprise for the benefit of this place, and both have received from their townsmen the compliment of the highest official position within the gift of the city. Hon. Carlton Foster, who is a skillful mill wright, moved from Essex County, New York, his native place, to Oshkosh in 1855; in 1859 he purchased a saw-mill in this place and engaged in the manufacture of lumber, which business he conducted very successfully. In 1865 he formed a partnership with Hon. Jas. V. Jones in the manufacture of sash, blinds, doors and mouldings. Mr. Foster rapidly grew in the esteem ofthe people of this city and was elected mayor for two terms and chosen to serve two terms in the State Legis lature, acquitting himself in both positions to the fullest satisfaction of his constituency. He is conservative in politics and of rather anti- partisan tendencies, and is a man of sound judgment and of the strictest integrity. His handsome residence is situated just outside of the city limits in the Town of Algoma on a handsome tract of eighty acres. A view of the same is given in this work. Hon. James V. Jones moved from his birth place, Oswego, New York, to Oshkosh in 1855, and though poor in pocket vigorously com menced that business career in which he has been so successful. First, as a building con tractor, which he followed for some years, and next as a partner of Carlton Foster. Mr. Jones, in his new business, soon gave evidence of that executive force, business vim and spiritof enter prise for which he has since become dis tinguished, being one of those men who act with great vigor and force in whatever they undertake. He is a strong partisan and has taken an active part in political strife, and has the aggressive qualities of a leader. He has received from his townsmen the highest marks of their favor and esteem, having been three times elected mayor, and once chosen to rep resent his district in the Legislature. In both capacities he served with much distinction. He is a man of much public spirit and a will ing leader in all public enterprises, ready to do all in his power to promote the interests of the city. As a business man he possesses fine qualifications, and his dealings are character ized by the strictest integrity. COOK, BROWN & CO. Brick, Lime and Drain Tile Works. The members of this firm are Ossian Cook, R. C. Brown, F. E. Waite and B. F. Carter. They manufacture, on a large scale, drain tile, brick and lime; and employ eighty hands, and have a large steamer and a sail vessel of their own, which are kept engaged in transporting material. They also employ two other sail vessels in freighting brick, stone and wood. Their two large brick-yards are on the east shore of the lake, where a fine quality of brick-clay exists in inexhaustible quantities, and from which they manufacture superior cream-colored brick and drain tile. Their stone quarries are also located on the . east shore, from whence they ship the stone which is here manufactured into lime. They have two patent kilns, situated near their shipping dock, which is always a scene of great business activity. The greater part of the handsome buildings on Main Street have been built of brick of their manufacture. Among these are the Beckwith, Fraker Opera Hall, Masonic Temple, Wolcott and other business blocks. Their lime and drain tile are of such super ior quality that there is a large demand for shipment to other States; and they ship large quantities to Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota. Their average yearly manufactures are 3,000,000 of brick, 30,000 barrels of lime and 200,000 drain tile. They also do a large busi ness in cement, stucco, land-plaster, sewer pipe, fire-brick and hardwood; of the latter, about 5,000 cords pass through their hands yearly. One ofthe firm, Hon. B. F. Carter, resides on the east shore, and represents that district in the State Legislature. The others are regarded as among the most enterprising and thorough-going business men of this city, who contribute largely to its prosperity. On an- 172 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879- other page will be found a fine view of their lime works and shipping docks. ROBERT MCMILLEN & CO., Manufacturers of Lumber, Sash, Doors and Blinds. Attention is called to the fine view of this mammoth concern; one of the largest in this city. It consists of a saw-mill, shingle mill and sash, door and blind factory. The capacity of the saw-mill is 50,000 feet per day. The sash and door factory turns out on an average, 200 doors, 400 windows and 100 pairs of blinds per day. One hundred odd hands are employed. The members of the firm are Robert McMillen and C. W. Davis. Their present saw-mill was built in 1868, and in 1873 they constructed their mammoth sash, door and blind factory, which has been en larged from time to time to meet the increas ing demands of their business. This is one of the establishments that gives Oshkosh her reputation abroad, as the greatest sash and door manufacturing point in the West. They have the facilities in the best of machinery for promptly filling the largest orders, and turn out work which, for quality, is not excelled. The cars are continually at their shipping house, in the process of loading with their wares, which are shipped by the car-load in various directions. This firm enjoys a high business reputation and conduct their affairs on the principles of the strictest integrity. Mr. McMillen came from Warren County, New York, to Oshkosh in 1854, and by dili gence and business sagacity has successfully pushed his fortunes. He is one of the direc tors ofthe First National Bank, and is regard ed as a man of first-class business ability, and kind and generous in his relations with all. A view of his beautiful residence and grounds on Algoma Street, is given in this work. It was formerly the residence of Governor Bashford, and is one ofthe handsomest places in the city. Mr. Charles W. Davis moved to this place in i860, and was for some years in the foundry and machine-shop business. He superintends the manufacturing department, and it is in energetichands. Mr. Davis is highly esteemed as a useful business man and good citizen. In 1868 he was elected mayor of this city, and filled the position satisfactorily to the public. SCHMIT BROS. The Eagle Trunk Factory A view of this establishment will be found on another page. It gives employment to some 60 hands, and contributes largely to this city's business and prosperity. The enter prising proprietors have enlarged their works from time to time so as to increase the facili ties, for meeting the general demand for their trunks, which they ship by the carload. Their facilities enable them to enter the market successfully against all competitors in price and quality. The value of such a factory as this to Oshkosh cannot be over estimated, as it gives employment to so large a number of hands throughout the year, and is the means of putting in circulation a large amount of money. The Schmit Brothers exhibit that push and energy in the management of their affairs which is so essential to success, and have proved a valuable accession to the manu facturing interests of this city. WILLIAMSON, LIBBEY & CO., Planing Mill, Sash, Door and Blind Manufacturers. This is another of the leading manufactories of this city, and is the oldest sash and door factory in Oshkosh, having been established in i860. The members of the firm are Geo. M. Williamson, D. L. Libbey, J. R. Jones and J. J. Cameron. They are all men of life-long practical expe.r ience in their business, having graduated in the Oshkosh School of Lumber Industries. The factory of this firm was destroyed in the great fire of i860, but, with undaunted courage, they immediately rebuilt on a larger scale. Their main building is 125 feet by 75, and in addition to this are dry-houses and ware-houses of large capacity. Their factory is supplied with all the best machinery, for the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds, and wood-mouldings, and for the dressing of lum ber, which is an important branch of the business — the planing mill dressing not less than 6,000,000 feet per annum. They employ sixty hands, and manufacture, per week, on an average, 1,000 doors, 2,000 windows and 400 pair of blinds. They have the best of shipping facilities, and, like the other factories, ship by , the car load. Their work has a high reputation in the market, and is well known from Wisconsin to Texas. See view of factory on another page. Geo. Williamson is the business man ager, a gentleman of good business capacity, and well-known integrity. J. R. Jones and J. J. Cameron superintend the manufacturing departments; as both are practical mechanics and of large experience in their line, their work has a high reputation in a widely extended market. H. C. GUSTAVUS & CO. Flouring- Mills. The members of this firm are H. C. Gus- G.M.. Williamson , j.j . Ca meron j . R . JONES, SASH DOORS BUNDS 8 MOULgTNBg"1 'BADGER PLANING MILL', G.M.WILLIAMSON & CO. PROP., OSHKOSH, Wis . £;&$& ^i^^M^^^S^&^^^m^Ssm^& OOOR & SASH FACTORY. WARE-HOUSES. GLAZING SHOP. SAW MILL. OFFICE- WARE-HOUSES. R.M9 MILLEN & CO. Manuf.^Lumber, Doors, Sash, Blinds, Mouldings &c. N9I77 High St. Oshkosh Wis 1879-1 HISTORY. OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 173 tavus and Casper Smith. They have lately remodeled their mill machinery, and the mill now contains seven run of stone and a patent middlings purifier. Their grades of flour rank high in the market, and especially their " straight " and patent flour, which is unex celled. These gentlemen are determined to build up a successful business, by straight dealing and by furnishing their customers with a superior article. The capacity of the mills is ioq barrels a day; and about one third of the product is shipped to the East. The members of this firm are stirring, enterprising men, who keep pace with the progress of the age. They purchased their mill, known as the South Side Flouring Mills, in 1875, since which time they have put in the modern improvements, and brought the mill up to a high rank. A view of it. is given in this work. MARTIN T. BATTIS, Proprietor Union Steam Boiler Works. Attention is called to a fine view of these works, which will be found among the illus trations in this book. Oshkosh is justly proud of her manufacturing institutions, and this is among the most useful. The large amount of steam machinery in Oshkosh, and in Northern Wisconsin, and the number of steamboats plying its water-courses, creates a large demand for steam boilers. When we consider the important function they perform, and the danger to life and property involved in defective boilers, it will be seen how neces sary it is that mechanical skill, thorough experience and a sense of great responsibility should be the qualifications of those who superintend their manufacture. Martin Battis through the uniform superiority of the boilers he has manufactured in his long years of experience has given the fullest evidence of these qualifications; for during the twenty odd years he has been engaged here in the manufacture of boilers, not an accident has occurred with a boiler of his own make. Mr. Battis has followed this business from boyhood, and is a mechanic of acknowledged skill. He is regarded as one of the most en terprising business men of this city, and ever ready to do all in his power to advance its interests. Suffering, with many others, in the heavy losses and interruptions of business by the great fire, he nevertheless entered with much vigor into the rebuilding of Oshkosh, and immediately erected his well-appointed boiler works, and two elegant brick stores. He is one ofthe men who have the fullest faith in Oshkosh, and who help to give life and vigor to its enterprises. WILLIAM HILL & CO. , Dry Goods Store. This magnificent store is forty feet wide and one hundred and ten in depth. The lower story front is plate-glass and iron. The inside is of rich finish and design, with lofty ceilings, handsomely frescoed. It is divided into dif ferent departments of the trade, and makes a most imposing display of rich goods. In the second story is the carpet wareroom, with an immense stock of various qualities and design. The individual members of the firm are, William Hill, J. M. S. May and A. F Baehr, names of the highest business standing in this community. They are all gentlemen of life long experience in the dry goods trade, and the senior partner has been engaged in the business in this city for twenty-four years. Attention is called to the view of this fine store which is one of the largest dry goods establishments in the State. HON. SAMUEL M. HAY. The beautiful residence of Hon. Samuel M. Hay, a view of which appears among the illus trations in this book, is one of the finest in this city. Mr. Hay is one ofthe pioneer business men of Oshkosh, having established his pres ent house in 1848. His is, in fact, the only surviving business house of that day. He commenced with the very beginning of the growth of Oshkosh, has kept pace with her progress and been identified with her interests from the start. On his advent here the place was but a little hamlet of twenty or thirty houses scattered through the stumps and trees. Mr. Hay, then a very young man, opened a stove, tinware and hardware store, in partnership with a Mr. Hall. They did a most successful business. After a time, Mr. Clark took the place of Mr. Hall in the firm; and on the death of Mr. Clark he was suc ceeded by Mr. Hay's brother, the firm now being S. M. Hay & Brother. The large amount of mill machinery running in Oshkosh and the "Up-River" country created a great demand for mill-furnishing goods, belting, etc., and the firm entered largely into this branch, in addition to iron, tin ware, stoves and hardware. This opened up an immense business, involving a large outlay of capital; but this firm had the pecuniary forces to handle it, and prosecuted it with the greatest vigor and success until the house became one of the heaviest firms of the kind in the State Mr. Hay's fine business quali fications and integrity have given given him a very high standing, and he is widely an pop- 174 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. ularly known as one of the representative men of the city. His brother, Wm. Hay, now has the chief management ofthe business ofthe firm; as much of Mr. S. M. Hay's time is largely occu pied in the affairs of the First National Bank of Oshkosh, of which institution he is president. He is also one ofthe Regents ofthe State Nor mal School, and has held many high public positions, among others that of mayor ofthe city for two terms, State Senator and repre sentative in the Legislature from this Assembly district. Mr. Hay's career, since he came to Oshkosh in 1848, has been one long, continued success, and furnishes an instance of one who, by faithful attention to business and a sagacious use of opportunity, has earned a sub stantial reward. D. L. LIBBEY. Among the fine illustrations in this work is that ofthe handsome residence and grounds of D. L. Libbey. This gentleman is one ofthe most enterprising of our citizens, and one of our heaviest manufacturers, being associated in three different firms. Mr. Libbey has for a long series of years been one of the largest manufacturers of lumber, and is now one ofthe partners in the sash and door factory of Wil liamson & Co. He is also the owner of much real estate in the city, among which is the property occupied by the carriage works, and which he is now enlarging. In addition to his other branches of business he is President of the- Union National Bank. Mr. Libbey is a man of great business capacity, quiet and unostentatious, but ener getic and thoroughgoing, and is recognized as one ofthe leaders in public enterprise, and as one who is deeply interested in the prosperity ofthis city. His business career has been highly successful, and he stands high in the esteem ofthe community as a good and useful citizen. OSSIAN COOK. One ofthe finest residences in this city, as will be seen from a view of the same in this work, is that of Ossian Cook, on Church Street. Mr. Cook moved to this city from Chicago in 1855, and engaged in his present business in 1859, and is now the senior member of the firm of Cook, Brown & Co., a description and view of whose works and shipping dock is given on another page. Mr. Cook is regarded as one of the most prominent leaders here in all enterprises having for their object the advancement ofthe city. He has been par ticularly zealous and active in his efforts to obtain a new railroad route to the north, and was one of the leading advocates ofthe road now being built from this city to Hortonville. He is one of the stirring and enterprising busi ness men who have given Oshkosh the name and fame she now enjoys, and who are deter mined to push her fortunes to the farthest limits of success. FERDINAND HERMANN. The handsome block of F. Hermann, cor ner of Main and Waugoo, is among the fine illustrations here presented. This building was erected immediately after the great fire, and is one ofthe finest business blocks in the city. Mr. Hermann emigrated in 1850, from Sax ony to Milwaukee, where he resided until 1853, when he came to Oshkosh and engaged in the business of building contractor, which he fol lowed until the year 1862, at which time he went into the grocery business on the site of his present block; and from small beginnings has built up a large and constantly increasing business. His house nowjranks among the leading ones of the city and he is recognized as one of its best business men. Mr. Hermann has every element of a popular dealer, and is a man of unquestioned integrity. H. C. GUSTAVUS. Mr. Gustavus is an old resident, and widely and popularly known, having resided in this city from 1851 to 1867. At the latter date he went to Neenah and had several years practi cal experience in the milling business, after which he moved back to Oshkosh and in part nership with Mr. Caspar Smith purchased the South Side Flouring Mill. Shortly after his. return to this city he built his elegant residence on Oregon street, one of the handsomest in the Third Ward, and is now one ofthe estab lished leading business men of the city. A view of his residence is given in this work. GEN. THOS. S. ALLEN, Managing editor of the Oshkosh Northwestern, is one of the early western pioneers, having moved from his native place, Alleghany County, New York, to Chicago in 1846, and being a practical printer, engaged as foreman on a daily paper. His vocation proving inju rious to his health, he went to Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and engaged in mining and land surveying. In 1857 he was elected to repre sent that district in the State Legislature. ^ In i860 he was appointed assistant chief clerk of the State land office, and on the breaking out of the late war he resigned his position and enlisted as private in the Governor's Guards. He was soon after chosen Captain of the Miners' Guards from Mineral Point, and 1879] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 175 received a commisioh from Governor Randall. The company was assigned to the Second Reg iment, which afterwards became famous for gallant conduct and hard service. After the battle of Bull Run he was promoted to the rank of Major, and subsequently to that of Lieutenant-Cdlonel. In 1863 he received a commission as Colonel ofthe Fifth Wisconsin, and was brevetted Brigadier-General in March, 1865. General Allen participated in several of the most sanguinary engagements of the war, and became conspicuous for his gallant and heroic conduct. He was twice wounded in the battle of Gainsville, when he was Major of the Second Regiment, but did not leave the field; and was again wounded at Antietam, while commanding the regiment in the absence of Colonel Fairchild. In that engagement he had his right arm broken. While Colonel of the Fifth, his regiment took the lead in the fam ous charge on Mary's Height. At the charge at Rappahannock Station, as his regiment was crossing the parapet of that redoubt, his hand was so badly shattered by a ball as to unfit him for duty, and he was complimented for his gallant service in that action by a general order of Major General H. G. Wright. After the time of his regiment had expired he returned to Wisconsin, raised seven new companies, and went with them to the seat of war and served in the campaign of the Shenan doah Valley under General Sheridan. In an attack on the enemy's lines on the second of April, 1865, he led the advance and again dis tinguished himself for gallant conduct. After the close of the war he returned to his home in Wisconsin, and was shortly after wards elected Secretary of State. In 1870 he moved to Oshkosh and became a partner in the Oshkosh Northwestern, and has been since that time its managing editor. As a writer he wields a vigorous pen, and his varied experi ence has given him a large fund of general information which is invaluable in an editor. His paper takes a high rank among the pub lications of the State, and he exercises much influence in the councils of his party. GEO. F. STROUD. A' view of the residence of Geo. F. Stroud will be found among the illustrations. Mr. Stroud is one of the old settlers, having come to this place in 1851, when in his boyhood, and has been ever closely identified with the interests of this city. No one is more untiring in efforts to promote its prosperity than he, and to lend a willing hand to any enterprise which is calculated to advance its interests. He is one of our most successful busines's men, and his oil, paint and glass house is one of the popular institutions of this city, and stands in the front ranks of our heaviest business houses. Mr. Stroud's sagacity, and energy is well attested by his great business success; for he has in a few years, from small beginnings, worked up a wholesale trade in oil, paints and glass, that is not exceeded by that of any other house in the State. JUDGE D. J. PULLING. The beautiful residence of Judge D. J. Pul ling, corner of Church and Jackson streets, as will be seen by the illustration, is one of the finest in the city. Judge Pulling is now serv ing his second term of six years, as Judge of this Judicial Circuit; and was elected two years ago by an immense majority. He is regarded as one of the ablest judges in the State, and is noted for his prompt rulings, his punctuality, order and expeditious despatch of business, and for the remarkable clearness and comprehensiveness of his diction in charges to the jury. He stands very high in the esti mation of the members of the bar, and his general popularity is well attested by the heavy majorities with which he was elected. HON. ANDREW HABEN. Among the leading business men of this city the name of Hon. Andrew Haben stands prominent. Mr. Haben came to Oshkosh in 1855, and established his present business house in 1862. He has been remarkably suc cessful in conducting his financial affairs, and through a long series of years has kept his house continually on a sound basis. He is a heavy real estate owner, being the possessor of several brick stores on Main Street. He has been twice elected mayor of this City, and is now State Senator, representing this county in the Legislature. Public honors seem to shower upon Mr. Haben, as he has received from his party the nomination for State Treas urer. A view of his handsome residence on Washington street is given. E. L. AND GEO. M. PAINE. The beautiful residences and grounds of the above-named gentlemen are on West Algoma Street. They are associates in the firm of C. N. Paine & Co., one of the heaviest lumber manufacturers in the city, and have been engaged in the business since an early day. C. N. and George M. Paine are among the most enterprising and thorough-going oi our business men. They employ a large force of hands and have contributed very materially toward the business prosperity of this city. 176 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 1879. Their mill is one of immense capacity and contains all the best improved machinery, and their business is conducted with the most systematic precision. COL. L. M. MILLER. One of the most beautiful places to be found is that of Colonel Miller's, on the Lake Shore. This lovely place possesses every feature for making one of the most attractive watering- places in the country; as will be seen from the fine view to be found in these pages. It affords one of the most delightful drives', with fine views of the Lake scenery. Skirting the shore is a thicket of native forest trees, which adds much to its attractiveness. Col. Miller has been identified with the interests of Oshkosh almost from the very starting of the place, having come here in 1846, at which time he opened a store which was the third store started. He has, from the beginning, been one of the heaviest real estate owners in Oshkosh; and, as will be seen by a perusal of these pages has taken a conspic- ious part in its history. He has held many public positions of trust and responsibility, and has always proved faithful and capable in the discharge of their duties. He has repre sented this district in the State Legislature, and is at present chairman of the County Board of Supervisors. He proved particu larly efficient as chairman of a committee to procure and dispense aid to the sufferers in the two great fires. HON. TOM WALL. One of the most widely known and popular men in Oshkosh, is the genial Freight Agent of the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad — the Hon, Tom Wall. He is also superintendent of the Wolf River Line of Steamers, and is one of the most energetic thorough-going business men in this community. A view of his fine residence will be found among the illustrations in this work.' Mr. Wall came to Oshkosh in 1857, and shortly after, took the position of clerk on one ofthe Wolf River Line of Steamers. In a few years he became one of the large stock holders, and finally was intrusted with the general management of the line. He has also for years engaged in extensive lumber ing operations, and has dealt largely in pine lands. He is a young man' ©f great executive ability and of fine business capacity, as his career well attests. He came here a mere boy, and unaided, has pushed his way to distinct ion. He has been three times elected by large majorities, to represent the Oshkosh District in the State Legislature, and served as a mem ber of Assembly, with much credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituency. PETERSILEA HOMESTEAD. This pleasant place was a part of the estate of Charles Petersilea, deceased, a man who was highly esteemed in the community as one of its most useful and enterprising citizens, and whose untimely and melancholy end was greatly deplored- He met with his death in the terrible railroad accident near Watertown in 1859. The widow resides on the place, and a nephew, Edwin Petersilea, who very credit ably represents the name. Mr. Edwin Petersilea is a young lawyer of fine ability and much promise. He has become quite notorious for his extreme political views, and is one of the most bold, energetic and aggressive leaders of the Greenback-Labor party, and one of the most able advocates of its doctrines. GEORGE MAYER. Among the former business men of Osh kosh the name of George Mayer stands prom inent. He emigrated from Bavaria to Mil waukee, Wisconsin, in 1849, and in 1850, he moved to Oshkosh where- he immediately opened a watch-making and jewelry store, in which business he continued until the spring of the year 1879, when he closed out his estab lishment here and, moved with his family to Cottonwood Falls, Chase County, Kansas, near which place he had purchased a large tract of land for the purpose of stock raising. His store was the pioneer jewelry store, and was one of five of the surviving firms of the early day. After the great fire of 1875 he erected his fine store on upper Main, and fin ished the interior in elegant style, which he filled with an immense stock of jewelry, watches, silver and plated ware, pianos and other musical instruments, making an impos ing display of rich and costly goods, and one which is seldom surpassed by the leading houses of the larger cities. Mr. Mayer was a popular dealer and did a large and successful business, and his many friends here regret his leaving, which is a loss to this city of one of its enterprising business men and one of its best and most useful citizens, who has helped to build it up to its present comely proportions. Mr. Mayer built two brick stores on Main Street and an elegant brick residence on Ceape. This is a delightful place with spacious grounds and commanding a fine view of the lake. A view of it and ofthe jewelry store is given in this work. C. W. FELKER. Among the illustrations in these pages is RESIDENCE OF AUGUSTUS HAI6HT , WASHINGTON, ST, OSHKOSH, Wis. 18790 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 177 that of the handsome residence of C. W. Felker, on Washington street. This is a most attractive-looking place, with spacious lawn, shaded with fine forest trees. Mr. Felker came to Oshkosh at an early day, and, in 1856 and '57 was engaged in the publication of a newspaper, the Oshkosh Democrat. He subsequently adopted the profession ofthe law, in which he has risen to eminence, and is now enjoying a large and lucrative practice. During the war he went to the field, and served as Captain of Com pany A, Forty-Eighth Regiment. At its close he resumed the practice of his profession and through his energy,, application and natural ability has pushed his way to distinction, and now ranks among the most eminent lawyers of State. Among the public positions he has held is that of City Superintendent of Schools, which he filled with great efficiency, HON. H. C. JEWELL. H. C. Jewell was born December 181 1 , in Sal isbury Litchfield County Connecticut, and emi grated to Wisconsin in 1843, settling first in what is now Green Lake County, then apart of Marquette County — there being buteleven fami lies residing at -that-time in Marquette County. He was the first Register of Deeds ofthe County, and the second Postmaster. He removed to the Village of Algoma (now included within the city limits of Oshkosh), in 1848, and with his brother, the late G. N. Jewell, engaged in the mercantile and lumber business, which he followed for many years. He has frequently held offices of trust and has ever been noted for his integrity. Was alderman of the Fifth Ward for seven years, and mayor of the City of Oshkosh in 1862, and a member ofthe Legislature in 1867. He has lived to see great changes in Winnebago County; particularly in schools and churches, in beautiful homes, and increased and im proved facilities for travel. Then, merchant- dise was brought by team over almost impass able roads, from, the Lake via Green Bay, She boygan or Milwaukee. Mr. Jewell has been a member of the Win nebago County Board for eight successive terms, and for two terms has held the position of chairman of said board. In 1849 a postoffice was established at the Village of Algorna, and Mr. Jewell was subse quently appointed Postmaster. This office was discontinued in 1856, at which time the village merged into the Fifth Ward of this city. PETER NICOLAI. One ofthe finest places on Otter Street is the handsome residence of Peter Nicolai, a view of which is among our illustrations. Mr. Nicolai is one ofthe financially solid men of this city. He commenced here at a very early day, 1849, as building contractor, which business he followed for five years and has seen this city grow from a little village into its present handsome propor tion, and reach the distinction of the second city ofthe State, in wealth and population, and having joined in its fortunes when it was poor he has the satisfaction now of enjoying its prosperity. He was burned out in the great fire of 1859, and again in 1875, andisone of those who largely helped in the rebuilding of the city, by furnishing money to those who had not sufficient means to rebuild. Mr. Nicolai is a man of good business capacity and of the strictest integrity. GUSTAVUS TESCH. Among the residences which illustrate this work is that of Gustavus Tesch, on Algoma Street. Mr. Tesch migrated from Germany in 1859, and settled in Oshkosh in that year. On the outbreak of the war he volunteered and served in the field during its continuance. On its conclusion he returned to this city, and Shortly, afterward engaged in the grocery business, which he has conducted very success fully to the present time. He ppsesses every qualification for a successful business man; being energetic, prompt, diligent and enter prising, while his pleasing and obliging ways makes him popular with his customers. Gus is one of those who will always give good weight and measure, and his store is the pic ture of neatness and order. He passed through the severe ordeal of four of the great fires; in each of which his1 property was totally destroyed. His heavy losses reduced his resources to a very limited amount, but des pite of the most disheartening circumstances, he never yielded to discouragement, but man fully struggled against his misfortunes, and is now reaping the reward of his courageous efforts; standing on a solid financial basis, and ranking among the sound business men of this city. He has received the compliment of being appointed Deputy United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Mr. Tesch has a large vinyard, in the cul ture of which he takes a great interest This is cultivated with the same thoroughness with which he does everything, and the luxuriant growth of the vines, their fruitfulness and thrifty appearance, give every evidence of good management. AUGUSTUS HAIGHT. Among the fine residences on Washington 23 178 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [I879- Street is that of Augustus Haight, and which is one of the illustrations in this work. Mr. Haight came from his native place, Saratoga County, New York, to this city in 1856, and engaged largely in the purchase and sale of pine lands, and in logging operations. Shortly after this a depression in the lumber business occasioned heavy losses to those engaged in that industry, Mr. Haight suffering in common with others; but by energetic effort and good management he recovered from his losses and soon became one of the financially substantial men of this city. Though nota lumber manu facturer he has been connected intimately with that industry, having carried on heavy logging operations and fitted out crews to work on contract. Mr. Haight has taken a very active part in the business life of this city, and his pecuniary means have been almost wholly used in help ing to carry on its industries. He is a lawyer by profession, a man of good ability and much culture. He has always taken a great interest in educational affairs, and has been one of the most persistant advo cates for enlarged school facilities in this city. He has taken especial pains in the education of his children. In Jurie, of this year, his son James, a native of this place, graduated, atthe age of twenty, in the Cornell University, with the highest honors, receiving the endorsement of the president as one of the best scholars in the institution. He has adopted the profession of the law and gives promise in his industry and talent of attaining eminence. Among the names mentioned in the preced ing pages, in connection with the early history of Oshkosh, some ofthe following appear more or less conspicuous: EDWARD EASTMAN. A name that occupies a prominent place in that history is that of Edward Eastman. He was one ofthe pioneer business men, having started the third store in Oshkosh. He was also the first mayor of the city, and among other public positions held that of postmaster. He was highly esteemed in the community, and his name will be held in affectionate and respectful remembrance by the old settlers. GEORGE H. READ. The present Superintendent of Schools came to this city in 1853, and engaged in the publi cation ofthe Oshkosh Courier, of which he was editor for ten years, and took high rank among the ablest writers of the State. His style is peculiarly terse, pointed and comprehensive. He has been closely identified with the inter ests ofthe city as one of its large real estate owners, and has contributed much in building it up. He was a joint owner in three of the additions to the city, and among other build ings erected by him are three brick stores on Main Street. Mr. Read is now serving his third term as Superintendent of City Schools, a position he fills with the greatest efficiency. His able school reports are distinguished for the ability with which he advocates reform in the present system — claiming that the present higher departments in our public schools detract from the usefulness and capacity of those which are devoted to what are called the common Eng lish branches; that the latter departments of the common schools are the only ones avail able to the masses ofthe people, and that those ought to be brought up to the highest possible degree of efficiency, instead of having their capacity lessened, in order to create special advantages that can only necessarily be avail able to those whose means enable them to devote their time to the higher branches. He claims that it is anti-republican to sacrifice the usefulness of the common schools, which arethe schools for the people, by using means that could be profitably employed in their behalf for purposes foreign to their object. Mr. Read has expressed his convictions on this subject in a very emphatic manner; and his reports, which are very ably written, have attracted much attention throughout the State, and have been the subject of very flattering comment. He will probably modify his views somewhat; as he must see when he fully investigates the subject, that the Normal School is certainly a powerful adjunct ofthe common school, while if some branches were eliminated from the studies of the High School, it would be made yet more instrumental in effecting the end and aim ofthe common-school system. RICHARD P. EIGHME Came to Oshkosh in 1850, and engaged in the practice of his profession, that of the law, in which he had a large and successful practice. He has held many important public positions, among others that of representative from this district in the State Legislature, and city justice, the respective duties of which he performed ably and faithfully. THEODORE FRENTZ Came here in 1849, and a few years after ward engaged in the compilation of an abstract of real estate title, and has followed that busi ness to the present time. He has for a long series of years been connected with the edu cational interests of the city as school com- i879.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 179 missioner, and is the veteran member of the school board. Mr. Frentz is widely and pop ularly known, and among his other achieve ments was that of publishing and editing a paper here at an early day, of which due men tion is made in the history of the press. As a compliment to him for his faithful services as school commissioner, the handsome build ing in the Second Ward is called the Frentz School. ANSEL JONES Is a partner with Mr. Frentz, and com piled the first abstract of real estate title in this county, and is one of the most clear-headed men in this community, and of unquestioned authority in real estate title; a man of fine business ability and of the strictest integrity. PETER MCCOURT Opened the third clothing store in this place, and in the early day was one of the most enterprising of the business men of Osh kosh, and a devoted friend to the interests of this city. He was eminently successful for many years, but suffered heavily from a series of fires which seriously crippled his resources. He is still in his old business. ALBERT LULL Is one of the very early settlers. He came here when the present site of Oshkosh was a wilderness, with the exception of a few scat tered clearings and a half dozen premature structures. He helped to build the second saw-mill in this place, and was head sawyer in the same, and sawed some of the first lumber manufactured. He subsequently' invested largely in real estate, and became one of the prominent and influential men of the city, in which he is to-day a very heavy real estate owner. Mr. Lull took a leading part in the early enterprises which developed the energies of Oshkosh, and has always been a devoted friend to its interests. He was one of the large stockholders in the original Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad, and labored energetically to further that enterprise, which was, unfortu nately for the interests of the place, nipped in the bud, through adverse circumstances. He has held many important public positions, among other, that of acting County Treasurer. He is a man of great natural ability, and of the best of business qualifications. EDWARD LULL Is another of the old settlers, and a man highly esteemed. He has also held important public positions, and among others, those of Alder man and School Commissioner, and has always proved a faithful and efficient recipient of pub lic trust. He is an influential member of the present Common Council. SAMUEL ECKSTEIN Came to Oshkosh in 1849, and opened the second clothing store and merchant tailoring establishment in the place. His name will be found mentioned among the business firms in our early history. He is still doing a large and successful business. His house and that of Hon. S. M. Hay are the only two surviv ing firms which were doing business here in 1849. Mr. Eckstein has ever held a high place in the popular estimation, and is one of our most respectable citizens, and one of this city's leading business men. His establishment is one of the popular institutions of the place, and is always well stocked with a large assort ment of cloths. Mr. Eckstein is always fortu nate in securing the services of the most artis tic cutters. Mr. Michael Maloney has offi ciated in this house, in that capacity, for eight years, and gives the fullest satisfaction to their many customers, in the most recherche fit and style. THE BECKWITH HOUSE. One of the most popular houses with the traveling public is the Beckwith. It is the largest among the elegant structures of rebuilt Oshkosh, and supplies a want which was long felt in this city, namely, enlarged hotel facilities. Immediately after the great fire of 1875, Mr. Beckwith commenced the enterprise of con structing this elegant building, and the result is a hotel that will rank with the very first-class houses ofthe larger cities. Our splendid lake and yachting facilities and delightful summer climate are attracting the attention of summer tourists, and the Beckwith furnishes the most ample accommo dation for the entertainment of guests. The building has a front on Main Street of 180 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. 132 feet, and on Algoma of no. It contains seventy-five rooms, which are high, airy and well ventilated. The house is constructed on the modern hotel principles. The inside finish and embellishments are elegant, the furniture new throughout, and every pains taken to make this house a credit to the city. Mr. Beckwith's pleasant manners and kind attention to his guests, the comforts of the house, its scrupulous neatness, and its well spread tables, have already earned for it a wide-spread popularity. DOCTOR H. B. DALE. Among the most prominent citizens of Osh kosh is Doctor H. B. Dale, the present popu lar mayor of the city. He moved from Steu ben County, New York, his native place, in i860, which was the year he graduated, and immediately entered upon the practice of his profession. He attained so rapid a popularity here that in 1867 he was elected from his ward, where a strong party majority existed against him, as alderman, and was the first Democrat elected from that ward. At the same election he was elected as city superintendent of schools, and was re-elected for eight consecutive terms. He was then nominated by both political parties for the ninth term, and declined. He proved a most efficient superintendent, as his popular ity as such attests, and devoted much of his time in attending to the interests ofthe schools, which were in the most flourishing condition during his long term of service. When he commenced there were eighteen teachers, and when he surrendered the office there were fifty-six. The Dale school building, a magnificent brick structure, was named in compliment to him for his long, faithful and competent service. He also received the high compliment of a nomination for State Superin tendent of schools, but was defeated with the balance of the Democratic state ticket. Last spring, 1879, he was elected mayor of this city, a position he fills very creditably. HON. GEORGE HYER. But few men have left a more enduring impression on this city than the late Hon. George Hyer. He was one of the early Western pioneers, and came to Milwaukee in 1836, and was engaged in printing on the first newspaper published in the Territory of Wisconsin. The following year he carried the first mail to the Rock River settlement that was sent west from Milwaukee. In 1838 he set the first type on the Wisconsin Enquirer, the first paper published in Madison. After a long newspaper career, in which he was closely associated with public life, and during which he took a very prominent part in territorial and state affairs, he retired to a farm near Beloit; but longing for his old vocation, he came to Oshkosh in 1867, and purchased the Democrat, refitted the office, and commenced the publication of the Oshkosh Times, which, under his able editorial management, became one of the leading papers of the State. George Hyer, from his very earliest man hood having been associated with that spirit of enterprise, progress and improvement, for which the early settlers of the State were distinguished, was imbued with that feeling, and soon became recognized, in Oshkosh as one of the champions of public and private enterprise. The Times soon exercised a great influence, and aided very much in awakening a renewed spirit of progress and improvement in this city, with which the name of George Hyer will be long associated. He was a great advocate of a northern railroad — a consuma- tion now reached — and was chiefly instru mental in establishing the Northern State Agri cultural and Mechanical Association. His death, which occured in the spring of 1872, was greatly deplored_by this community and a wide circle of friends extending through out the State, and deprived this city of one of its best friends. FORMER EDITORS. Among the former newspaper editors in this city now engaged in other vocations the names of Geo. H. Read, C. R. Nevitt, Geo. Gary, C. W. Felker, Hiram Morley and C. E. Pike, are prominent. Their connection with the press is fully related in the history ofthe newspaper press of Oshkosh on another page. Of Mr. Read full mention has been made. Mr. Charles Nevitt was his associate in the Courier and the business-manager of that paper, and was one of the chief originators of the North western. He was regarded as one ofthe best printers in the Northwest, being master of his profession, and was and is now a very active business man. Hon. Geo. Gary, now County Judge, was for many years in the editorial harness. He was an able writer, and the papers under his management took a high rank among the pub lications of the State. Mr. C. E.Pike came to Oshkosh, from Bos ton, in November, 1859, and joined Mr. Nev itt in the publication of the Northwestern, and was editor-in-chief of that paper during the first three years of the war — a stormy period for a newspaper editor. Mr. Pike proved to be a very polished and vigorous writer, and RESIDENCE OF C.W. FELKER, WASHINGTON , ST. OSHKOSH, WIS. ¦v.\'- !>!^vic Union Steam Boiler Works, M.T.BATTIS.Prop. ManuF.oF Steam Boilers, Smoke Stafcks, Britchens .Tanks & c. Market, St.. Oshkosh, Wis. i 879. J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 181 made his paper a very able champion of the measures of the Government. In the fall of 1864 he ended his connection with the North western and shortly afterwards removed from this city. In the spring of 1878 he returned to Oshkosh, and engaged in the practice of his profession — that of the law. Mr. Pike is a man of fine natural abilities cultivated by a lib eral education,- foreign travel and wide expe rience, with a fine address and pleasing manners. Hiram Morley, although mentioned as a former editor is still in his old vocation, and is now editor of the Oshkosh Standard. He s one ofthe earlier settlers and came to reside in Oshkosh in 1848, at a time when the site of this city was covered with trees and stumps. His connection with the early newspaper press is fully related in a separate article. As will be seen, he was engaged here in the publication of papers in 1849-50-51, at which time he removed to Fond du Lac, where he published a paper until 1863. In 1863, he becameoneof the proprietors of the Oshkosh Courier, and in 1 864 merged that paper into the Northwest ern and joined in the publication of the lat ter. He has held many public positions in this city, among others that of alderman for five years, and member of the Board of Super visors. He is a master of his profession, and has a wide circle of friends. Marcellus Strong was, for a few years, an associate of Mr. Read, in the Courier. He is a good printer, and a man highly esteemed. Jere Crowley will be remembered by the old settlers. He edited the Gourier in the first years of its existence, and after he sold it to Read & Nevitt, went to Menasha, where he published the Advocate. Jere was at home in a printing office, "native and to the manor born," and knew how to get out a "live paper. " In 1878 and 1879 he was Assistant Attorney General of the State, and subsequently went to Manitowoc, where he published a newspaper up to the time of his death. Jere was warmly attached to a wide circle of friends, who will ever hold in fond remembrance his many good qualities. Charles G. Finney, now of California, and whose connection with the Oshkosh North western is related in the article on that subject, conducted that paper very ably. He met with an unfortunate accident through the premature discharge of a gun, which badly shattered his hand and left his life in a very precarious con dition. He is a man of very warm attach ments and had a host of friends here, by whom he is held in kindly remembrance for his many genial and generous qualities. OTHER EARLY SETTLERS. Among the early business firms of Oshkosh will be found the name of M. J. Williams, who opened the first drug store, and who is now one of the surviving firms of that day, and still as flourishing and popular as ever. Alexander Read, who kept a dry goods store, and afterwards was clerk of the County Board, and now deputy clerk of the court, is a man very popular with the early settlers. . Henry Hicks, who in the olden time was one of the leading business men, is one ofthe numerous instances of those who have been overtaken by reverses — a kind neighbor and true friend, and liked by all who know him. Among the early settlers George Cameron's name appears conspicuously. He is still here and maintains his old-time popularity; he has held the office of assessor for several terms and has lately resumed his old business, having this year erected a large livery and sale stable. William D. Stroud is one ofthe early set tlers. He moved with his family from Ver- gennes, Vermont, to this place in 185 1, and purchased a tract of 160 acres, now within the city limits, on which he resided till 1866, when he sold the same and moved into his handsome residence in the Third Ward. He has contributed his quota towards building up the place, and is one of its most respected citizens. Jefferson Bray is one of the honored names of the olden time — a man highly respected by all who know him. Among the physicians of the early day Doc tor Schenich will be long remembered for his kindness of heart and the many generous qual ities that so endeared him to all who knew him. Doctors A. P. Barber, Thomas Russell and A. B. Wright, old practitioners, are still here and in the possession of a large and successful practice. Among . the attorneys of the early day still here are the names of W. R. Kennedy, who has for several terms held the position of city attorney; A. A. Austin, who came here in 1849, and has held for several terms the office of district attorney, and G. W. Washburn, who also came in 1849 and held many import ant public positions, among others that of judge of this judicial circuit. Among those who have disappeared from the arena of human action are the names of C. Coolbaugh, who long enjoyed a successful practice; L. P. Crary, one of the most elo quent speakers in the State in his day, and C. R. Weisbrod, who also held many important public positions, and was a man of great influ- 182 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 1 1879, ence, and built up a large and successful law practice to which his son Albert succeeds. A. B. Bowen, still a resident and the occu pant of one of the most beautiful places in the city, was among the earlier residents, and one of the most enterprising of the business men of the place. Abram Sawdy will long be remembered by the old settlers as one of nature's noblemen. Matt Kremer, now in the grocery business, came here in 1852. He is still flourishing and always has a kind spot in his heart for the old settlers. William Greenwood, who has just returned here from Chicago, and commenced the prac tice of his profession, first came to this county in 1850. Reverses overtook him, but full of energy, even in his old age, he is trying to redeem his fallen fortunes, and his old friends are glad to welcome him back. "Bone" Millard, thepioneer of the Wolf River pineries, is still here, and is the same energetic and generous-hearted man and kind friend that he was thirty years ago. A. F. David, now a resident of Oregon, was one of the leading business men of the early days, and very popular in his time. He was at one time sheriff of this county. A. K. Osborne, late United States Collector and now a resident of this place, is one ofthe early settlers. He has long held important public positions, among others, Judge of the Waupaca County Court, member of the State Legislature and United States Collector. He is a man of the strictest integrity, and has proved faithful to every trust reposed in his .hands. James Murdoch, Doctor Henning, and other early residents, have been fully mentioned in the pages on the early history of Oshkosh. Other prominent business and professional names of the present time will be mentioned in connection with the classified business direc tory in the subsequent pages of this work. CHAPTER XLIX. City and County Officers — Courts, Judges — Fire and Police Departments — Schools, Churches and Societies. CITY OFFICERS. 5AYOR, H. B. Dale; Superintendent of Schools, George H. Read; City p Clerk, Josiah B. Powers; Treasurer, -tjF"" ^ij° John H. Loper; Attorney, Manzo H. Eaton; Chief of Police, Allsworth Ford. ALDERMEN. First Ward — R. A. Spink, Leander Choate, M. T. Battis. Second Ward — Jos. Staudenraus, R. J. Weisbrod, Jas. Kenney. Third Ward — Joseph Kilp, John Laabs, Bruno Martin. Fourth Ward — J. C. Noyes, Wm. Wake- man, Sr., A. M. Brainerd. Fifth Ward — James McNair, Loren Tyler, Thomas Polley. Sixth Ward—E. M. Lull, Patrick Flynn, James Rankel. SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS. James D. Campbell, Theodore Frentz, Ira Griffin, H. L. Lawson, Milton Prock, Wm. Lueck. These constitute the School Board, with Superintendent Read, President, ex-officio. ASSESSORS. Geo. Cameron, R. W. Ryckman. Gus Thorn. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. Joseph Jackson, Chris Sarau. POLICE FORCE. Allsworth Ford, chief; assistants, S. F. Cutts, J. C. Merton, J. B. Raggatz, Cornelius Gorman and Wm. Hogan. Merchant Police, John Blake, Joseph Burster. FIRE DEPARTMENT. This department is noted for its efficiency and sees much hard service. It is so well disciplined and constantly ready for any emergency, that on the first sound of the alarm the steamers are on their way to the scene of disaster, every man in his place and ready for the most arduous duty. There are three fire steamers, one hand engine, five hose carts and a hook-and-ladder truck. There is an ample supply of hose, and excellent water facilities are now provided. Henry P. Schmidt is chief engineer and Chas. Rief first assistant. Steamer Phoenix, No. 1 , is located on Main Street, near Merritt. Anson W. Farrand is engineer, and one of the best machinists in the State. His assistants are Lewis Sweet, James D. Lewis, David Montgomery, John Dickinson, John Sargent, Samuel Chambers and Albert Farrand. Steamer W. H. Doe, No. 2, is located at 134 High street. Harvey C. Nash, engineer; assistants, Cornelius McCusker, James Kellet, John O'Brien, Pliny Yount, Frank Rief and Geo. H. Prine. Steamer Brooklyn, No. 4, is located on Sixth Street, near Kansas. Thomas Roach. 1879-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 183 engineer; assistants, Anson Littlefield, Michael Monahan, John Monahan, Louis Ganzer, John Cowling, Robert Brauer, Albert Brauer, Lathrop Littlefield and Geo. H. Robinson. COUNTY OFFICERS. Sheriff, Frank B. Morgan; Register of Deeds, Carl J. Kraby; Treasurer, L. W. Hull; Clerk ofthe Board, Otis Chase; Clerk of the Court, Thomas D. Grimmer; District Attor ney, George W. Burnell; County Surveyor, H. W. Leach. CIRCUIT COURT. Hon. D. J. Pulling, Judge Third Judicial Circuit. Terms of Court — Tuesday next after the second Monday of April, and Tuesday next after the fourth Monday of November. By statute, the terms in this county are the special terms, for all the other counties in the circuit, and the court is open for the trans action of business at any time when the judge is present. COUNTY COURT. Hon George Gary, County Judge Probate Terms — Regular terms, first Tues day in every month. Special terms when ordered, on other Tuesdays. Civil Jurisdiction — Regular terms, second Monday in February, May and October. Special terms, first Monday in each month, except February, May, October, July and August. CITY OFFICERS FROM DATE OF INCORPORA TION TO PRESENT TIME. Mayors — Edward Eastman, 1853. Joseph Jackson, 1854-55. Thomas A. Follett, 1856. Joseph Jackson, 1857. S. M. Hay, 1858-59. B. S. Henning, i860. John Fitzgerald, 186 1. H. C. Jewell, 1862. Philetus Sawyer, 1863- 64 Carlton Foster, 1865-66. J. H. Porter, 1867. C. W. Davis, 1868. J. H. Porter, 1869. Joseph Stringham, 1870. James V. Jones, 1871. James Jenkins, 1872. James V. Jones, 1873-74. Joseph Stringham, 1875. Andrew Haben, 1876-77. Sanford Beckwith, 1878. Dr. H. B. Dale, 1879. City Clerks — Wm. Luscher, 1853-54. M. A. Edmonds, 1855. John R. Forbes, 1856. Wm. Luscher, 1867 to 58. George Burnside, 1859. J. B. Powers, i860 to 1880. City Treasurers — Walter H. Weed, 1853- 54-55. D. A. Hicks, 1856. A. H. Read, 1857. M. E. Tremble, 1858-59-60. James Lankton, 1 86 1. Benj. Granger, 1862. Robert Mc- Curdy, 1863-64-65. Wm. H. Boyd, 1866. F. X\ Haben, 1867. W. P. Taylor, 1868 to 1874. John H. Loper, 1875 to 1879. City Attorneys — Wm. R. Kennedy, 1853. T. L. Kennan, 1854. B. Rexford, 1854. C. A. Weisbrod, 1857-58. B. Rexford, 1859- 60. N. Whittemore, 1861. H. B. Jackson, 1862. Wm. R. Kennedy, 1863-64. H. B. Jackson, 1865-66. E. P. Finch, 1867. James Freeman, 1868. John Hancock, 1869. Jeff Murdock, 1870. James Freeman, 1871. Wm. R. Kennedy, 1872 to 1876. James R. Mer rill, 1877-78. W. S. Wheeler, 1879. M. H. Eaton, 1879. City Marshals— E. M. Neff, 1853. James A. Rea, 1854. E. M. Neff, 1855. John La Dow, 1856-57. N. T. Merritt, 1858. Joseph Jackson, 1859. John La Dow, i860. Joseph Jackson, 1861 to 1867. Chief of Police — Joseph Jackson 1868. Asa Worden, 1869-70. Joseph Jackson, 1871 to 1876. Horace Stroud, 1877. Alsworth Ford, 1878-79. SCHOOLS. The achievements of this city in providing enlarged facilities for the education of youth, reflect upon it the highest credit. No city in in the State, in proportion to its population, can compare favorably with it in elegant school .structures. The people have taken the deepest interest in the welfare of our schools, and have been most lavish in their expenditure, and Oshkosh, with all her other social advantages, has become one ofthe educational centers of the State. Her public schools and spacious school buildings, are nowhere surpassed in the West, and only equaled by much larger cities. The High School building is a magnificent structure, erected at a cost of $43,000. The Dale School building is another elegant brick edifice, costing $16,000, exclusive of the land. The Frentz School building, a fine brick edifice, cost $9,000, and the Read School building, now in course of construction, will cost, when completed and furnished, about $10,000. These are all buildings of imposing proportions and of much architectural beauty, as the view ofthe High School on the opposite page plainly shows. The Sixth Ward School is another large brick structure, and in addition to these, are the two large frame buildings in the Third Ward, and three other frame school houses; making five brick structures and five frame. There are also, the State Normal School, the Business College, the St. Vincent de Paul Academy, the German and English Academy, five denominational schools and the " Kindergarten. The public school system of this city is the graded plan, with a prescribed course of study from the primary up to the higher departments. 184 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. Semi-annual examinations in scholarship are made for the purpose of grading the pupils, and by which they progress, as fast as qualified, into more advanced classes. The course of instruction is, Second Primary, First Primary, Second Inter mediate, First Intermediate, Grammar Department, ClassB, Class A; and High School Department. The course in the Grammer Department includes reading, oral spelling, geography, arithmetic, English grammer and writing. There are three courses in the High School: The Full course, the English course and the Latin course. The number of children in the city between the ages of four and twenty, as per the school census of 1879, is 5,409. The following from the very able report of School Superintendent Geo. H. Read gives very full information in regard to the present condition of our public schools: * * -x- "The general conduct of the children in the observ ance of discipline and good order, has been very praiseworthy. There have been not more than six cases of misconduct requiring temporary suspension ; and but one where expulsion was deemed necessary. This, considering the average enroll ment in all the schools approximates two thousand in number, is very creditable, as well to the children as to the teachers who have them in charge. It proves that our free public schools can be schools for inculcating proper habits of deportment and manners, as well as for intellectual cultivation. In this matter of orderly conduct, there has been a noticeable improvement within the past two or three years ; and the complaints of peo ple living in the vicinity of school-houses, of improper and dis orderly behavior during the recesses, and before and after school hours, have almost entirely ceased. I attribute this improvement mainly to the adoption of the system of employ ing male teachers for the principals of the Ward Schools, and making them responsible for the discipline and government of the entire school, in all its departments. When the principal is firmly supported by the school authorities in the exercise of his rightful power as the governing head of the school, he secures respect and obedience, and has no difficulty in main taining discipline and decorum among the pupils. SCHOOL EXPENSES. I congratulate the Board on the very favorable exhibit of the condition of the school finances, as shown by the annual finan cial statement, which has already been published in the official paper, as required by the city charter. The account of expen ditures is brought down to April I, 1879, and includes all sal aries of officers, teachers and janitors to that date.> The total cost of supporting the schools for the official year ending on the 31st inst. is $27,358 02. This includes all sums paid for repairs of buildings and for school-room equipments. It is a less amount by $2,002.87 ,nan was expended for the same pur poses for the year ending March 31 , 1878, and $8,301.88 less than the like expenditures for the year ending March 31, 1877. The disbursements on account of current expenses for the three next preceding years were as follows : Tor the Year 1875-6 $34,831.63 For the Year 1876-7 35;659.90 " " 1877-8 29,360.89 " " 1878-9 27,368.02 The balance on hand in the treasury April 1. 1879, 's $22r 243.88, a sum more than sufficient, with prudent management to meet all ordinary liabilities on account of the school ser vice, until the next tax levy is realized. There was on hand in the Treasury, at the beginning of the School Year, September 1, 1878 $16,552.90 The amount on hand at the beginning of the preceding school year was 7,321. SO Total amount of salaries paid to male teachers at the present time 4,760.00 Total amount paid to female teachers 15,880 . 00 Number of male teachers employed 6 Number of female teachers employed 44 Number of Public School buildings in the city 9 Number of Pupils the houses will accommodate 2,500 Number of schools in the city with three or more departments 6 Number with two departments 1 Number of ungraded sehools of one department 2 The whole number of children in the city, who are are inca pacitated for instruction in the Common Schools from defect of vision, hearing or intellect, iB reported at 13 HIGH SCHOOL EXPENSES AND MANAGEMENT. The current expenses for the High and Grammar schools for the yearending March 31, 1877. were $13,881.62 And the pro rata share of General Expenditures 458.08 Total $14,339.70 For the year ending March 31, 1878, the same expenditures amount to $ 9,240.95 For the year ending March 31, 1879, the same aggregated. . . . 7,959.01 Included, however, in the expenses for the year ending March 31, 1877, is an item for $1,023, f°r the outside iron stairway, attached that year to the building, which should not be regarded as part of the current expense, it being more in the nature of a permanent investment. The cost per capita for educating the pupils of the High and Grammar schools, based on the average attendance and- the current expenditures, was for the year just closed, $38.08 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING EXERCISES. The graduating exercises at the High School, at the close of the last school year, were more than usually interesting, and drew a large audience to witness the ceremonies. The essays and orations of the graduates were all creditable, and some of them of more than ordinary merit, exhibiting much originality of thought and grace of composition. The ceremonies were conducted by Prof. Wood, who closed the exercises by con ferring the diplomas and delivering a short but appropriate address. The following paragraph is well worthy of republication, and is creditable to Mr. Read's head and heart. In connection with these graduating exercises, it will not, perhaps, be considered out of place if I make a suggestion in regard to the style of dress and adornment proper to be dis played by the graduates on such occasions. Setting aside the question of taste involved at such times, in the parade of elab orate and expensive costumes, it should be borne in mind that our public schools are established for the use and benefit of the children of all the people ofthe city — rich and poor alike. A showy and costly style of dress, indulged in by those who'are in circumstances to afford it, tends to discourage those who are not so well situated, from completing their studies to the grad uating point. It seems to me that good taste and good feeling should rather dictate the adoption of a style, plain and inex pensive, such as would become all conditions and be equally i879-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO CO.UNTY, WISCONSIN. 185 within the reach of all ; thus preserving the self-respect of all by subjecting none to mortifying contrasts on account of a dis parity of conditions. TE4CHERS — HIGH SCHOOL. E. Barton Wood, Clara Everett, Mary E. Murdock, Sarah J. Ellsworth, Anna L. Wood, Vanie Doe, Jennie D. Adams, Mary E. Blackburn, Myra Manning. PRIMARY AND INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS. Albert Evans, Ella F. Jackman, Jessie Goe, Jennie Harshaw, Mary Cambum, Katie A. Glynn, Georgie Ellsworth, Lucy Rafferty, Henry C. Thom, Libbie Sprague, Ida Webster, Mary Marble, Carrie Lamb, Lillie Kimball, Carrie Lawrence, Katie C. Grady, James Brainerd, Alice Gill, Mary Turner, Grace Lindsley, Cora Griffin, Ida Jutton, Angie L. Greenlaw, Flora Gill, Maggie Hawthorne, A. A. Spencer, Libbie Watts, Minnie Williamson, Genie Murdock, Rilla Sanders, Ella Jones, Ellen Brainerd, Mary Schenich, Nettie Freeman, Maggie Mason, Mary E. Prock, J. F. Hyer, Rosa C. Quinn, Martina O'Hanlon, Carrie E. Stroud, Cora B. Wyman. . .STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, OSHKOSH. Geo. S. Albee, President. The Normal School building is one of the finest. structures in this city, and the school, under the management of its efficient faculty, has reached' a high standard of excellence. It is, in fact, conceded to be one ofthe best educa tional institutions in the State. The President, Mr. George S. Albee, is a gentleman eminently qualified for the respon sible position which he holds; and the faculty generally have given the fullest evidence of their qualifications, in the successful discharge ofthe duties of their respective positions. The scholars in this school are noted for thoroughness in their acquirements, and for their generally -correct deportment — the discipline requiring the strictest conformity to the requirements of good morals. There are two courses of professional instruction; thcelementary, especially intended to prepare students for teaching in the com mon district schools; the advanced, which pre pares teachers for the higher grades of our public schools. The model department is organized as a school of observation, for the exemplification ofthe best methods of instruc tion, and is a,lso a school of practice, in which the students are trained in the business of teaching. Its appointments include a good library, a well-equipped chemical and physical laboratory, and ample cabinets of natural his tory. AIMS OF THE SCHOOL. "In giving the needful academic culture in the higher courses, a correct method of dealing with mind is impressed by a care ful unfolding of mental processes in the pupil's experience 24 with each branch, so as to substitute habits of correct and def inite thinking for thoughtless memorizing. Certain branches are dwelt upon until a clear understanding of the processes by which they are built up is gained ; while others, because of limited time, are treated more briefly.and with special reference to the information which they contain. In the former class are the elementary, or " common school' branches ; those natural sciences which most nearly concern daily work and life, and those branches which tend most directly to cultivate logical thought and definite expression. RECORDS OF STUDENTS. A record of each pupil's standing in Recitation and Written Examination is kept, and the pupil's fitness to pass from any branch is determined by the combined average of his class standing and final examination. DISCIPLINE AND SUPERVISION. Experience has proved that knowie(jge and method ' in instruction are of little worth without prompt and close atten tion to school duties on the part of every pupil. The discipline of the school is, therefore, closely observant of all departures from needful regulations. The student is expected to exhibit in his deportment all those qualities which he would have displayed by pupils in his own school. His character for courtesy, industry and integrity will, beyond mere scholarly attainments, mark his fitness for the teacher's work, and be made an imperative condition of certificate or gradu- tion." Thirty-nine counties are represented in the enrollment of the school. The Normal School was organized in 1871. Its growth is well indicated by the following ; table of enrollment in the Normal Depart ment: School year 1871-72 . " 1872-73 . " 1873-74 • " 1874-75 • " 1875-76 . ¦' 1876-77 . " 1877-78 . " 1878- 79 • 158 224262 293 325374 374 427 FACULTY. George S. Albee (President), School Man agement, Didactics and ^Mental Science; Robert Graham, Vocal Music, Reading and Conductor of Institute; Waldo E. Dennis, Natural Science; L. W. Briggs, Book-Keep- ing; Anna W. Moody, History and Civil Government; Mary H. Ladd, Mathematics; Helen E. Bateman, English Grammar and Composition; Emily F. Webster, Latin; Lucy C. Andrews, Geography; Amelia E. Banning Drawing and Penmanship; Fannie Tower, Mathematics and Grammar. Preparatory Classes — Mrs. L. L. Cochran. Model Department — L. W. Briggs, director; Maria S. Hill, Teacher and Critic, Grammar Grade; Frances E. Albee, Teacher and Critic, Intermediate Grade, Elizabeth B. Armstead, 186 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. Teacher and Critic, Primary Grade; Carrie E. McNutt, Vocal and Instrumental Music. OSHKOSH BUSINESS COLLEGE. W. W. Daggett, Principal. This is one of the institutions that Oshkosh is proud of, and which draws a large number of pupils from abroad and has the reputation of being one of the best-conducted Commercial Colleges in the Northwest. It has acquired a national reputation for possessing unequaled facilities in every department for imparting a sound, practical business education. This educational institution is designed to supply the constant demand for thorough practical training in studies essential to business. It is so organ ized as to accommodate either regular stu dents, or those having but a few hours to spare from business pursuits during the day or even ing. To accomplish this the instruction is individual, and adapted to the needs of each pupil who advances as fast as his abilities will allow, without the embarrassments of class organizations. Persons whose education is deficient, are thus, without regard to age, enabled to remedy the defect speedily, without publicity, and fit themselves for lucrative and responsible positions. Young men, on leaving the ordinary public or private schools, can here obtain what is usually omitted or imper fectly taught in such schools, and become qualified to assume advanced positions on account of their superior attainments. This college was organized by E. C. Atkin son in September, 1867. Professor W. W. Daggett took charge ofthe school in Septem ber, 1870, and became its sole proprietor in 1 87 1. Mr. Daggett has that natural aptitude for teaching which is one of the essential requirements for the attainment of success in his calling, and possesses the most eminent qualifications for imparting to his pupils the most thorough knowledge of the branches taught. All branches of a full academical course are taught, and the most competent assistants are employed. The general estimation in which the institution is held will be seen in the fact, that over three thousand students ofbothsexes have attended it since it Was first organized. GERMAN-ENGLISH ACADEMY. This school was founded in 1858, and its special object is teaching the different branches in reading, grammar, arithmetic, history of the United States and ofthe world, geography, penmanship, drawing, singing, rhetoric, etc., in both the German and English languages; and to give, thereby, the scholar not only a per fect English education, but also a thorough knowledge of the German language. Gym nastics is also one of the exercises. In connection with the school proper is a Kindergarten, conducted on Froebel's system, for children from three to six years, and also a department for instructing the girls in handi work. The school is in a flourishing condition and the present teachers are: Professor Bareuther, Principal; Miss Helen Crary, Assistant; Miss Bertha Leist, teacher of Kindergarten; Miss Bates, Assistant; Mrs. Streuver teacher in female handiwork. The management of the school is intrusted to the following officers: H. Bammessell, pres ident; Val. Kohlmann, secretary; Ferd. Her mann, treasurer; J. Staudenraus, Henry Zinn, Wm. Dichmann, A. F. Baehr, trustees. The school building was destroyed by the great fire of 1875, but the society, by the liberal aid of the citizens of Oshkosh and of other cities in Wisconsin was enabled to erect a much larger and more commodious one, containing, besides the school-rooms, a fine hall for recita tions. It is located on Court House Street. ST. VINCENT'S ACADEMY. St. Vincent's Academy and Parochial School, situated on Twelfth and Oregon streets, was built in the year 1874, and opened on the twenty-seventh of January, 1875, and is con ducted by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and combines both the academic and paro chial courses in its system of instruction. Small in the beginning, it flourished as time passed, until at the close of the session, July '5. r879, it averaged about two hundred pupils. The parochial course embraces the common branches of study in the English and German languages. The academic course for young ladies comprises all the higher branches of a complete and refined education. Music taught on piano, organ and the'stringed instru ments, with painting, drawing and fancy needle work, form part of the optional course of study in this school. Religious instruction constitutes the basis of the educational plan of this school, but differ ence of religion forms no obstacle to the admission of dissenting pupils. Originally intended as a school for day pupils, provisions have since been made to accommodate board ers at moderate rates. Among the incentives to study are the monthly bulletins to parents and guardians, and the Gold Cross of Honor at the annual commencement, held at the close of the sum mer session. I879-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 187 ST PETER'S SCHOOL. St. Peter's parochial school on Pearl Street, conducted by the Sisters of St. Dominic, has an attendance of about one hundred and thirty scholars. ST. MARY'S SCHOOL. St. Mary's church school, on Merritt Street, in charge of Sister Superior Mary Regis, has about the same number of scholars as St. Peter's school. GERMAN LUTHERAN SCHOOLS. The school of this denomination, on Fifth Street, Second Ward, is in a flourishing con dition, and has an attendance of one hundred and thirty-five pupils. J. D Fredk. Meier is principal. The school of the above donomination, on Eighth Street, Third Ward, is also in a pros perous condition, with an attendance of one hundred and forty-six pupils. John L. Gru- ber is principal, and Herman Grule, assistant. CHURCH HISTORY OF OSHKOSH. CONGREGATIONAL. One of the first church organizations in Osh kosh was that of the Congregational. On July u, 1849, a number of persons assembled in the village school-house for the. purpose of effecting an organization of that denomination; among them were Joseph Jackson, Emeline Jackson, Martha Anderson, Nodiah Sackett, Homer Barnes, Fanny B. Kellogg and others, assisted by the Rev. C. Marsh and Rev. H. Freeman. The first pastor was the Rev. H. Freeman, who remained in that position until January, 1856, when the Rev. William H. Marble took his place, which he retained until July, 1862. In 1850 the society commenced the erection of a house of worship, which was completed in June, 185 1. This building was afterwards purchased with the lot on which it stood, on Upper Ms.in Street, and was subsequently converted by C. McCabe into three stores. In the spring of 1857, the society purchased the site of their present edifice, and com menced the construction of a large church, which, in time was completed. It was destroyed by fire on the tenth of July, 1872. The present edifice was completed on the 14th of December, 1873, but services were held for some time afterwards in the basement, as it was determined not to have the dedica tory service- until the church was out of debt. On the 24th of October, 1875, the dedication took place. The sermon was preached by the Rev. F. B. Doe; the Rev. W. A. Chamber lain, and the Rev. Thos. G. Grassie, pastor of the church, assisting in the ceremonies. It is an elegant structure and one ofthe chief archi tectural ornaments of the city. Its cost, in cluding pipe organ and furniture, was $30,- OOO, and the church is out of debt. METHODIST-EPISCOPAL. The first religious meeting' held in Oshkosh was in 1841, at the house of Webster Stanley, on which occasion a sermon was preached by the Rev. Jesse Halstead, of Brothertown. Afterwards, religious meetings were frequently held, at which Clark Dickinson exhorted. In 1850, the Methodist Episcopal Society erected the edifice on Church Street, which they occupied as a place of worship until 187S, when they purchased their present handsome building on the corner of Main and Merritt Streets, and converted it into one bf the finest churches in the city. ST. PETER'S, CATHOLIC. In 1850, St. Peter's Catholic Church was erected. It was a small structure, afterwards enlarged, and occupied the site of the present St. Peter's. Before the construction ofthe former build ing, divine services were held in Peter McCourt's house, and the first mass was celebrated in a small house on Ceape Street, although it is highly probable that the Jesuit missionaries, in' the days ofthe French-Indian occupation, held divine services within the present limits of the city. The first Catholic clergyman officiating here was the Rev. F. J. Bonduel, who was sta tioned for twelve years with the Indians at Lake Poygan. The present fine edifice of St. Peter's is now approaching completion, and adds much to the church architecture of the city. ST. VINCENT DE PAUL'S, CATHOLIC. - Thi.s is one ofthe largest and handsomest churches in the city, and was erected in the year 1867 when the diocese of Milwaukee, at that time comprising the whole State of Wisconsin, was divided into three dioceses, viz: Milwaukee, La Crosse and Green Bay. That portion of Oshkosh on the south side of Fox River remained in the Milwaukee diocese. The church therefore belongs to that jurisdic tion. The parish house was erected the next year. The Rev. J. B. Reindl is the parish priest. A view ofthe church and the St. Vincent de Paul Academy will be found among the illustra tions in this work. CONGREGATIONAL, WELCH. Among the earlier church organizations here is the Welch Congregational, which was organ- 188 HISTORY .OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. ized in the fall of 1849 with the Rev. David Lewis as pastor. TRINITY, EPISCOPAL. As early as 1850, religious services were held here by visiting clergymen of the above denomination. On January 17, 1851, the Right Reverend'Bishop Kemper, D. D. , Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church for the Dio cese of Wisconsin, held divine service in the rooms over A. N. and A. H. Raymond's store. In 1853, the Rev. S. G. Callahan officiated here for a time, and in 1854 the Rev. D. A. Talford became the resident clergyman. In 1859 the present handsome church was built, and in 1866 enlarged and improved. FIRST BAPTIST. In March, 1854, six persons met in the Court House to unite as a conference. In the following May a number of representatives of Baptist churches met in the Congregational Church of this place, as a council of recogni tion, when eleven persons who were present were recognized under the name of the First Baptist Church of the City of Oshkosh, and in June of that year Rev. E. C. Sanders became its resident pastor. In 1859, the society erected ; a meeting-house on Jefferson Avenue, which \ was destroyed in the great fire of 1874. In 1876, the present beautiful edifice on the cor- ; ner of Church and May streets was completed. CHURCH DIRECTORY. After the date of these earlier organizations, ' churches of various denominations rapidly , multiplied. They will all be found in the fol lowing list: Baptist Church — (First), 26 Church Street; Rev. H. O. Rowland, pastor. Baptist Church — (Second), 31 Ninth Street; \ no regular, pastor. .Calvinist Methodist Church — (Welch), 19^ Division Street; Rev. D. Davies, pastor. Catholic Church — (St. Peter's), 59 High Street; Rev. J. O'Malley, pastor. ''"Catholic Church — (St. Mary's), 66 Merritt Street; Rev. J. Jaster, pastor. Catholic Church — (St. Vincent de Paul), corner of Oregon and Thirteenth streets; Rev. J. B. Reindl, pastor. Congregational Church — (First), corner of Algoma and Bond streets; Rev. K. C. Ander son, pastor. Congregational Church — (Welch), corner,; of Church and Franklin streets; Rev B. J.I Evans, pastor. Episcopal Church — (Trinity), corner of, Algoma and Light streets; Rev. F. R. Haff, rector. Episcopal Church — (Grace Chapel), corner of Eleventh and Minnesota streets; no regu lar rector. Episcopal Church — (St. Paul's), 9 Melvin Street; Rev. J. Blyman, rector. Evangelical Reform Church — 49 Eighth Street; Rev. J. H. Boesch, pastor. Evangelical Society — Corner of Bay and Washington streets; Rev. A. Tarnutzer, pas tor. Lutheran Church — (Danish), Bay near Otter Street; Rev. T. H. Wald, pastor. Lutheran Church — (German), 55 Eighth Street; Rev. P. Brenner, pastor. Lutheran Church — (German), 36 Bowen Street; Rev. J. L. Daib, pastor. Methodist Episcopal Church — (Algoma Street), corner of James; Rev. A. J. Mead, pastor. Methodist Episcopal Church — (First), cor ner of Main and Merritt streets; Rev. D. J. Holmes, pastor. Methodist Episcopal Church — (German), 15 Tenth Street; Rev. A. H. Kopplin, pas tor. Methodist Episcopal Church — (Second), corner of Eleventh and Minnesota streets; Rev. J. W. Olmsted, pastor. Methodist Episcopal Church — (Wesleyan) , Knapp, south of Ninth; Rev. C. C. Holcomb. pastor. Presbyterian Church — (First), 16 Church Street; Rev. F. Z. Rossiter, pastor. Presbyterian Church — (United), 21 Church Street; Rev, Wm. K. Ferguson, pastor. Union Church — Punhoqua, north of Gra ham Street; no regular pastor. MISCELLANEOUS SOCIETIES. MASONIC ASSOCIATIONS. Oshkosh Lodge, No. 27 — Instituted April 23, 1849- Centennial Lodge , No. 205 — Instituted April 12, 1876. Tyrian Chapter, No. 15 — Instituted in 1856, and reorganized February i860. Oshkosh Commandery, No. 11 — Was insti tuted July 3, 1873- ODD FELLOWS. Winnebago Lodge, No. 120 — Was organized February 15, 1868. Oshkosh Encampment , No. jr. Ivy Lodge, No. j8 — Daughters of Rebecca, was organized in 1874. I879-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 189 Union Lodge No. 179 — Was organized Jan. 19, 1871. TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES, Oshkosh Lodge, No 28, I. 0. G. T— Was organized Feb. 8, 1858. Reform Lodge, No. 2, I. 0. G. T. — Organ ized Aug. 16, 1877. ' "'Brooklyn Lodge, No. 26 — Organized Nov. n, 1869. Sons of Temperance, Oshkosh Division, No. 27 — 'Organized June 4, 1873. Winnebago Lake Division, No. 136 — Organ ized March 27, 1876. Oshkosh Temple of Honor, No. 9 — Organ ized Nov. 4, 1874. Iron Clad No. 38 — Organized May 20, 1S76. Fidelity Council, No. 2, T. of H. & T. — Organized July 1876. St. Peter's Temperance Association, {Catholic) — Organized 1872. Oshkosh Union, T. of H. Sr. T. — Organized Sept. 22, 1877. Woman's Christian Temperance Union — Was organized April 14, 1874. ANCIENT ORDER UNITED WORKMEN. Oshkosh Lodge, No. 51 — Organized Jan. 1879. Brooklyn Lodge, No. 57 — Organized March 1, .1879- ' t KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS. St. John's Lodge, No. p — Organized March 22, 1879. Oshkosh Lodge, No. 23 — Organized March 22, 1879 MISCELLANEOUS. Young Men's Christian Association — Reor ganized May 22, 1879. Knights of Honor, [Crescent Lodge) No. J82 — Organized 1876. German United Brothers — Organized in December 1853. Druids, Columbus Grove, No. 6 — Organ ized March 22, 1867. Sons of Herman Lpdge, No. 2 — Organized in 1849. Sons of Herman, (Detmold Lodge), No. 29- — Organized Nov. n, 1875. Royal Arcanum, {Oshkosh Council), No. 213 — Organized Dec. 1878. Casino Society — Organized in 1864. Oshkosh Shooting Club — Organized in 1873. Oshkosh Yacht Club — Organized in 1868. Oshkosh Stock Growers Association — Incor porated in 1872 with a capital of $15,000. Northern Wisconsin Agricultural and Mechanical Association — Organized March 1870. .Oshkosh Library Association — Organized in 1868. Oshkosh Turnverein — Hall corner Merritt and Jefferson Avenue. St. Aloysius' Benevolent Society, {Catholic), — Organized in 1872. St. Joseph's Society, {Catholic) — Organized in 1867. MILITARY. Oshkosh Post No. 10, G. A. R. — Reorgan ized 1873. Oshkosh Guards — Organized 1875. CHAPTER L. History of the Newspaper Press of Oshkosh — Municipal Finance — The Several Issues of City Bonds — Amount Expended in Permanent Public Improvements. |H E history of the newspaper enter prises of Oshkosh presents a theme of interest, in a historical point of view, and is a subject of curiosity as exhibit ing the vicissitudes and rapid changes, the rise and fall, the struggles, and suc cesses as well as failures, in the more early journalism of the now metropolitan city, with its vigorous and enterprising newspapers, filled with news of the latest events, even to the hour of going to press, from not only all parts of this country but also by cable from the most remote parts ofthe Old World. The various issues, local and political, which gave rise to the earlier newspapers of Oshkosh, were too complicated to be of any interest, or even admit, in a brief chapter, of thorough explanation. Suffice it to say, that the editor ial fire and the heated controversies of those days were only commensurate with the feeling engendered by the issues involved. It must be said of early journalism in Oshkosh that, although the newspapers were compara tively small and meager, some of them were exceedingly bitter in their editorial tone, and the warmest rivalry existed between opposing publications which too often resulted inpersonal encounters between the editors and parties affected by the hot-headed articles that often appeared. In early times, newspapers were started almost in a day, generally in the advocacy of some leading question or issue which absorbed special attention, and seldom outlived the settlement of the questions involved. To the large number^of these questions, principally local, which, in fact, appertain to almost any newly settled and rapidly developing country, 190 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i879. is due the multiplicity of newspapers that had their origin in the support of one faction or another engaged in those controversies. One fact is a matter of mention, that the first paper ever started in Oshkosh exists, in its lineal descendency to this time. The Oshkosh Northwestern is the direct lineal outgrowth of the Oshkosh True Democrat, established in 1849. The antiquated material of 'the latter was burned in the Northwestern office in the great fire of April 28, 1875. - OSHKOSH TRUE DEMOCRAT. The first number of the Oshkosh True Democrat, which was a free-soil paper, appeared on February 9, 1849, bearing the names of Densmore & Cooley, publishers, and James Densmore, editor. It was heralded with great expectations by the people of the village, being the first newspaper ever pub lished here; and the people naturally took some pride in the distinction of possessing a " home paper. " Moreover, the citizens and business men, as an inducement towards start ing a paper here, had advanced the money for the printing material., and office outfit, agree ing to be reimbursed in subscriptions and job printing, so that many of the citizens had a direct interest in the success of the under taking. Densmore was the prime mover and leading spirit in the enterprise, and managed and edited the , paper, while Mr. Cooley superintended the mechanical part ofthe work. About eighteen months after the paper was started, Densmore bought out Mr. Cooley and shortly afterwards sold the paper to George Burnside, and went to Milwaukee. He returned in about three months, however, and again assumed the editorship of the paper, although, it is thought, he had no further pro prietary interest in it. The name of the paper was then changed to the Oshkosh Democrat, and the announcement made that henceforth it would be independent in politics. On April 1, 1853, Mr. Densmore retired from the paper, and Chauncey J. Allen took his place, having purchased an interest, the style of the firm being George Burnside & Co. On July 8th. of that year Mr. Jonathan Dougherty, of Oshkosh, who was at that time the candi date for lieutenant governor on the free soil ticket, became a partner in the concern and assumed the duties of business manager, the style of the firm remaining the same. On March 10, 1854, Mr. Allen withdrew from the firm. Just a year afterwards Mr. Martin Mitchell became the editor and manager. In August 1856, Mr. Markham andC. W. Felker purchased the paper and changed it to Republi can in politics, that party having by this time se cured a strongfoothold throughout the country. January 20, 1857, Mr. Markham sold his interestto Charles G. Finney Jr. and the firm was changed to Finney & Felker and continued so until April 1858 when Mr. Felker disposed of his interest to B. F. Davis, and the firm then became Finney & Davis. In the same month that Markham & Felker became proprietors of the paper, they started a daily issue and continued it until December 1857, when it was discontinued simultaneously with the discon tinuance of its rival contemporary, the Daily Gourier, both dailies ceasing publication on the same day, by a mutual agreement between its editors who had carried on a bitter warfare for some time and had continued their daily issues at a pecuniary loss to both offices. On July 21, i860, George Gary became sole pro prietor of the paper, and conducted it until Oct. 3rd. following, when he sold out to. Nevitt & Pike, proprietors of a new paper called the Northwestern, started the spring previous, and the two papers were consoli dated under the title of the Northwestern. OSHKOSH COURIER. The second leading newspaper started in Oshkosh was the Courier, which was founded in June 1852 by J. H: McAvoy, who issued but a few numbers and sold it to Jere Crowley who conducted it until August 17, 1853, when he disposed of it to George H. Read and Charles R. Nevitt, who had just settled here from Buffalo, New York. Mr. Nevitt was a practical printer, direct from one ofthe leading newspaper offices of that city. Mr. Read, a writer of acknowledged ability assumed the position of editorial manager, and the Courier soon became a substantial and influential paper, noted for its force of . character and independence. It became the leading Demo cratic paper in the vicinity. In .August 1857. Mr. Nevitt sold his interest in the business to Marcellus Strong, and the firm became Read & Strong, and so continued until the spring of 1863, when Hiram Morley and B. F. Davis bought it and conducted it until August 12, 1864, under the firm name of Morley & Davis. The Courier printed the first daily paper ever issued in Oshkosh The Daily Courier was first issued on July 10, 1854, andwas published until December 1857, when it was dis continued on the same day that its rival, the Daily Democrat, sank to rest, as previously noted. As before stated, the weekly Courier was continued by Morley & Davis until August 12, 1864. On thatdate it was merged 1 879. J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 191 into the Northwestern, then conducted by Nevitt & Co., a new firm was formed, (see history of the Northwestern) and the Courier, as a distinct publication, ceased to exist. THE NORTHWESTERN. In May i860, two years and a half after Mr. Nevitt withdrew from the Courier, he associ ated himself with D. C. Felton, F. C. Mes senger, and C. H. Messenger, under the firm name of D. C. Felton & Co., for the publi cation of the Northwestern. On the 18th. of that month the first number was issued. This firm continued the publication until October 3rd. of that year. Upon the 1st. of October, i860, we find three leading and well estab lished English newspapers in Oshkosh, the Democrat and Northwestern Republican papers, and the Courier, a Democratic paper. On the third of that month an arragement was consummated whereby Mr. Gary sold out the Democrat to the Northwestern, ' thus consoli dating the two Republican papers, and at the same time the firm of D. C. Felton & Co., then conducting the Northwestern, was dis- olved, and a new firm formed, consisting of C. R. Nevitt and C. E. Pike, under the style ofC.R. Nevitt & Co. On January 12th. following, a daily issue was started and con tinued until August 28th. of the same year, when, like its daily predecessors, two years previous, it was discontinued as an unprofitable undertaking. In 1863, R. C. Eden purchased a third interest in the Northwestern and became the local editor, the firm still retaining its former title of C. R. Nevitt & Co. On August 12, 1864, another important consoli dation took place. The Courier, then con ducted by Morley & Davis, on that date merged into and was consolidated with the Northwestern, and a new firm was formed. Nevitt & Co. withdrew and Morley & Davis remained, taking in George Gary with them, forming the firm of Gary, Morley & Davis, which continued until November of that year when Mr. Morley withdrew leaving the firm, Gary & Davis. In March 1866, Mr. Gary sold out to C. G. Finney Jr. and the firm became Finney & Davis. In the spring of 1870 Mr. Finney sold out to Mr. Davis who conducted it, with John Hicks as local editor, until October 13, 1870, when Mr. Hicks and Thomas S. Allen, of Madison, whose term as Secretary of State bad expired the January previous, bought out the concern and have since conducted it under the firm name of Allen & Hicks. In April, 1873, the Northwestern absorbed the Oshkosh Journal, then being published by Rounds & Morley. Thus the Northwestern is the consolidation and embodiment of four of the leading news papers started in Oshkosh. On January 6, 1868, the dailywasre-established.andhas con tinued until thistime inaflourishing condition, being enabled, by the liberal patronage given it, to ,take the regular associated press dis patches, and maintain reporters and corres pondents in all the cities and villages in this part of the state. In the great fire of April 28, 1875, the entire office was swept away, none of the material being saved. This, however, did not deter it from issuing its regular daily edition with a stroke of enterprise which deserves to be related. Before the office had fully succumbed to the flames, a new location was rented in Moore's block, just outside the fire limits; and even while the fire was burning on Broad Street, and the eveningtrain southward had to run the gauntlet of flame and smoke on that street, Gen. Allen, the senior partner of the firm, taking the foreman of the office with him, boarded the train for Chicago, to purchase a new outfit. The city editor, Mr. C. W. Bowron, taking with him several compositors went by the same train to Fond du Lac, where a printing office was rented temporarily, and the small force set determinedly to work to get o-ut a paper on the following morning. All night long, after a day of hard work fighting fire, they strove like heroes, and the early morning train to Oshkosh brought back the Daily Northwestern on the streets, with a full and detailed account of the great conflagra tion, and an accurate diagram of the burnt district, and bearing, in a conspicuous line beneath the heading of the paper, the cheer ing words: " We still Live. " The paper was issued in this manner for four days, the city editor collecting his news and further details of the great calamity through the day, going to Fond du Lac in the evening, writing out his copy and having it set during the night and returning to Oshkosh with an enormous edition in the morning. Four days after the fire, a new office was in full operation; and the daily never missed an issue, except the one that was burned upon the press the afternoon of the fire. REVIEW. — DEMOCRAT. — TIMES. In the fall of 1862, a democratic paper, called the Review, was started by A. P. Swineford, and conducted with much ability for some thing over a year, when it was discontinued. In the summer of 1864, Mr. Robert V. Shirley purchased the material and revived the paper under the name of the Oshkosh Democrat. 192 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. Mr. Shirley, who was one ofthe best printers in the northwest, published a very interesting local paper. He was very popular and was building up a good busines, when his office was burned in the fire of May 1866. His insurance had run out, and he lost very heavily. In the following June he started the paper anew and continued its publication until the fall of 1867, when it was bought by George Hyer and D. W. Fernandez, formerly of Madi son, who changed the name of the paper to the Oshkosh Times, and on October 1, 1867, issued the first number. Mr. Hyer, who was widely known as one of the leading journalists of the west and one of the ablest writers, soon brought the paper up to a high standard, and it became one ofthe most influential journals in the State. Mr. Hyer died April 20, 1872, and in the summer of that year S. D. Carpenter, of Madison, became associated with Fernandez in the publication, under the firm name of Carpenter & Fernandez. After the close of the campaign of that year, Mr. Carpenter retired, and in the spring following Mr. Gus O'Brien became the editorial writer of the paper, which post he held until the summer of 1874, when he ended his connection with it, and Mr. Fernandez continued the publication alone, until the 28th. of April, when the office was destroyed in the great fire. Shortly after wards new material was obtained and the republication of the paper commenced by Fernandez and A. T. Glaze — the latter a gen tleman long identified with the press of Fond du Lac and Ripon — under the firm name of Fernandez & Glaze, and so continues to the present time. WINNEBAGO TELEGRAPH. The ¦ Winnebago Telegraph was a paper started in the fall of 1849, by Dr. B. S. Henning. He shortly sold out to Morley & Edwards, who, after publishing it a short time, discon tinued it, Mr. Edwards taking the material to Appleton, where it was burned the first night of its arrival. DELEGATE . — REPUBLICAN . In August 1850, by an effort ofthe leading whigs of this city, a paper was started here called the Oshkosh Delegate, under the man agement of M. P. Shipper. Shipper issued but a few numbers when he abandoned the project and G. W. Washburn and Dudley Blodgett assumed control, and edited the paper until it could be disposed of. In the fall ofthe year the paper was sold to J. D. Hyman, and its name changed to the Oshkosh Republican. Hiram Morley shortly became interested in the business and after continuing the paper about a year they removed the office to Fond du Lac. OSHKOSH REPUBLICAN. On January 24, 1861, B. F. Davis started a paper, called the Oshkosh Republican, but dis continued it in the following May. OSHKOSH TRANSCRIPT. The Oshkosh Transcript was started in March i860, by Thomas A. Harney, who disposed of it the following June, to John A. Ferrell. Mr. Ferrell continued it but a short time, when he removed the office to Beaver Dam, and it merged into the Argus of that place. OSHKOSH JOURNAL. In July, 1868, the Oshkosh Journal, a Republican paper, was started by H. E. Rounds and Hiram Morley, and continued successfully until April 1873, when it was sold to the Northwestern and consolidated w7iththat paper. This was a well conducted paper, and presented a very neat typographical appear ance. TRADE REPORTER. Amonthlyjournal, called the Trade Reporter , was published and edited by E. C. Atkinson, during the year 1871-72, but was discontinued about the close of 1872. REAL ESTATE BULLETIN. In May 1872, a very readable business monthly, called the Real Estate Bulletin and Trades Journal, was commenced by O. H. Harris, and very acceptably conducted for just one year, when it was discontinued. THE INDEPENDENT. In the fall of 1874, anew paper called the Independent , was started by G. S. Kaime and F. F. Livermore. It was continued until the great fire of April 28, 1875, when the office was entirely destroyed; and the paper was never resurrected. GREENBACK STANDARD. In February 1878, the Greenback Standard was started by Levy & Ryckman. It so con tinued until the fall of that year, when Hiram Morley and his son Edward bought out Ryckr man's interest and the name ofthe paper was changed to the Oshkosh Standard. In the spring of 1879, Mr. Levy retired from the firm and shortly afterwards E. G. Waring bought in. In the course of a few weeks Mr. G. S. Kaime bought out Edward Morley and the firm became Morley, Kaime & Waring, and so continues at this time. I879-J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 193 WESTERN MONTHLY PICTORIAL. In January 1878, was issued the first number of a monthly illustrated journal, called the Western Monthly Pictorial, with Albert Norton as publisher, and Mary J. Norton as editress. Just six numbers were issued when the publication was discontinued. THE EARLY DAWN. In May, 1876, the Early Dawn, an amateur weekly publication devoted to religious and Sunday School matters, was started by Eddie E. and Minnie T. Carhart, children of J. W. Carhart, the presiding elder of the Methodist churches for this district, and continues at this time, being edited with a considerable degree of ability. THE GERMAN PRESS. The history of the German newspapers of Oshkosh does not present so wide a range, or so much of variation, as that of the English. Fewer papers printed in the German language have existed, although most of them found the same experiences as their English contempo raries. ANZEIGER DES NORDWESTERNS. The first German newspaper ever pub lished in Oshkosh was the Anzeiger des Nord- westerns, issued in May, 1852, by Charles and Valentine Kohlmann. It was edited mainly by Charles Roeser, who also conducted the editorial department of a paper in Menasha, and divided his time between the two papers. The paper was discontinued in the fall of 1854, and Messrs. Kohlmann & Brother removed their office to Sioux City. y THE PHCSNIX. The Phoenix was the name of a paper started ' in the spring of 1855 by Gustav Grahl. He continued the publication of it until the spring of 1857, when he discontinued it and removed the office to Dubuque, Iowa. OSHKOSH DEUTCHE ZEITUNG. In December, 1856, Theodore Frentz started the Oshkosh Deutsche Zeitung , and con tinued it until the summer of 1857, when he sold it to Charles W. Erb, who conducted it but a short time, and disposed of it to Theo dore Friedlander. The office was burned in the great fire of May 9th, 1859, but was immedi ately re-started, and continued a few months, when it was removed to Fond du Lac. WISCONSIN TELEGRAPH. In April, 1858, Messrs. Kohlmann & Brother returned to this city and started a paper called the W&chter am Winnebago, with Henry Cor- dier as editor. Tt was discontinued in Octo- 25 ber, i860, and a monthly magazine, styled the" Deutsche Volkblaetten, started by the same firm with Carl Rose as editor. This publication was continued until October, 1866, when it gave place to the Wisconsin Telegraph, pub lished weekly, by Kohlmann & Brother, with Carl Rose as editor, and so continues, the only German paper published in Oshkosh. The lelegraph has a large circulation, and is ably conducted by Mr. Rose, who has had much editorial experience. RECAPITULATION. From the foregoing history of the newspaper press of Oshkosh, it will be seen that at the present time the newspapers of Oshkosh are as follows: The North-western, daily and weekly, Repub lican in politics, published by Allen & Hicks. The Times, weekly, Democratic in politics, published by Fernandez & Bright. The Wisconsin Telegraph, German, weekly, Democratic in politics, publishedby Kohlmann & Brother. The . Oshkosh Standard, weekly, Greenback in politics, publishedby H. Morley & Company. The Early Dawn, weekly, religious, pub lished by E. E. and M. T. Carhart. PERSONAL. Full mention has been made in another chap- of several of the editors connected with the Oshkosh press. The others are: John Hicks, now business manager ofthe Northwestern, who first commenced his con nection with the press in 1867, as city editor ofthe Northwestern. In 1870 he became a partner with General Allen in the publication of the Northwestern, which office they pur chased at that time, since which he has been the business manager. Mr. Hicks is a man of fine business qualifications, energetic, prompt and enterprising, and manages his department in a very efficient manner. Charles W, Bowron, city editor ofthe North western, commenced his connection with that paper in February, 1872, He is a very ready and able writer as the article from his pen descriptive ofthe great fire of 1875 so well attests. The local columns ofthe Northwestern also give the fullest evidence of his ability and vigorous style. • Dud Fernandez, of the Times, as will be seen, has been associated with the manage ment of that paper from the first. As a good practical printer, and an experienced editor, he is fully competent to the business or edi torial management. Mr. A. T. Glaze is an editor of wide expe rience, and an able writer. He is also a prac- 194 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i879- tical printer, and ha? had long association with the press of Wisconsin. Mr. Kaime, now ofthe Standard, formerly edited the Omro Journal very creditably. CHAPTER LI. Municipal Finance — The several Issues of Bonds given by the City of Oshkosh — Amount the City has Invested in Permanent Public Improvements — Present Indebtedness. jHE following is a list of bonds issued by the City of Oshkosh at various . .,. wvo times, and the amount of the same. ^v Also, a full statement of the present indebtedness of the city. BONDS ISSUED. In 1854, in payment for the old float bridge . . $ 2,000 In 1858, in payment for building new floatbridge . 8,000 In 1S65, in payment for the draw bridge at the foot of Main Street . 21,000 In 1871, in payment for the Algoma bridge, $6,000, cash, and bonds . . 19,000 In Ig56, to aid in the construction of the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac railroad, now the Chicago & Northwestern . ... . 150,000 In 1857, to aid in the construction of the Winnebago railroad 20,000 In 1871, to aid in the construction ofthe Oshkosh & Mississippi railroad . .... 75,000 In 1879, to aid in the construction of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad 75,ooo Total . . . . $370,000 Of this amount all has been paid and cancelled, except outstanding bonds, which represents in September, 1879, the entire bonded indebtedness ofthe city, to the amount of . ... . . .$120,500' Previous to the bonds just issued to the new Milwau kee, Lake Shore & Western railroad, the old bonded debt was all paid, except 45,5co The city has invested and paid for other permanent public improvements as follows: In 1870, toward the Northern State Hospital for Insane . . 19,000 In 1870, toward State Normal School . 30,000 Up to the year 1865, the city expended in erecting frame school buildings, something over 27,000 Since that time, in the construction of brick school- houses, their equipments, and the purchase of sites a sum amounting to about . . 97,000 In making water reservoirs, and the purchase of hand and steam fire engines, hose-carts, and in the construc tion of engine buildings, and the purchase of sites for the same, an amount approximating to . 62,000 Expended in hose about . . 20,000 Total Expenditures to the yeai 1879, including those for which bonds were issued . $631,000 This, of course, is exclusive all the ordinary yearly expenses of the city government, street improvements, expense? of schools and fire departments; and to the credit of the city, it can be said that her improvements are paid for, and that her amount of municipal indebt edness is comparatively small. CITY OF NEENAH. [COMPILED FOR THIS WORK BY WM. WEBSTER.] CHAPTER LII. The Early History of Neenah — The Government Agency, for the Civilizing of the Menomonees — A Mill, Shops and Block Houses, Built in 1835-36, at Winnebago Rapids, the Present Site of Neenah — Harrison Reed, in 1844 Pur chases the Site, 562,44-100 Acres, and all the Improve ments on the Same, from the Government — In 1843, Mr. Geo. H. Mansur and Family Arrived, and Became the First White Family Permanently Settled within the Pres ent Limits of Neenah — In 1845, Gov. Doty Builds His House on the Island — Gorham P. Vining, George Har low, Ira Baird and the Rev. O. P. Clinton, Settle in Neenah, during the Same Year — First Birth — First Marriage — First Death — First Religious Services — The Joneses Become Proprietors — More New Comers — In 1847, a Company Chartered for the Improvement ofthe Water-power — In 1847, First Village Plat Recorded,; by Harrison Reed — In Same Year Mr. Ladd Erects , the Winnebago Hotel — The Firm of Jones '& Yale" open, "a Store, 1847 — In 1848, the 'Kimberley's Purchase 'Prop erty, and Commence Improvements — 1850,. Board .of Village Trustees Elected — Kimberley Build the Pioneer Flouring Mill — Canal Lock Completed — Steamers Bar low and Jenny Lind Built — Another Flouring Mill Com pleted — Saw Mill Constructed — Another Manufacturing Establishment in Operation j and Two More Flouring Mills Built — The Village Plats of Winnebago Rapids and Neenah[Consolidated under the Corporate Name of Neenah — In 1856, the First Passage of a Steamer Between Lake Winnebago and : Green Bay, was Made — The Aquilla Passed Through the Neenah Lock. O L L back the wheels of Time less than half a century, and we find the present site of the City of Neenah in the quiet possession of the Indian, " native, and to the manor born. " In all negotiations between France and England, England and the United States, quit claims to a vast extent of territory were passed from one to the other, which were " simply intended to decide which one of these great powers should possess the exclusive right to rob the native of his heriditary title to the soil. The United States, fully vested with this power, adopted ascheme in 1831 rfor the civil izing, Christianizing and general improvement ofthe Menomonee tribe, who had selected this place for their principal village; and who were owners of the contiguous country. w. . ¦ •assDfj-. CD I83S-43-J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 195 In pursuance of this plan, a grist mill, saw mill, blacksmith shop and several block houses about sixteen by twenty feet in size, were erected in 1835-6; also, five larger block houses for the use and occupation of the offi cers and teachers in charge, the smaller ones for Indian residences, and models after which the Indians were to build for themselves as required. One of the large and one of the small houses were built on the point near the head of the channel and the old Council Tree; a large one on the lake shore at the east end of Wisconsin Avenue, long the residence of Harrison Reed, one near the grist mill, which has given place to the Winnebago Paper Mills; another on the Blair farm, and the other on the Neff farm; the last two being near the mounds of Buttes des Morts, on the west shore of the lake, the smaller ones being located conveniently within the same area. Upon the completion of these buildings in 1836, Clark Dickinson, Nathaniel Perry, Robert Irwin and Mr. Baird, father of the late Hon. Henry S. Baird, were appointed to supplythe place of teachers in farming; Col onel David Johnson as miller, Joseph Jourdan and a man named Hunter as blacksmiths; a clergyman by the name of Gregory, and his brother, for teachers of religion and morals. Water, for supplying the mills, was provided by the construction of a wing dam some two hundred feet in length. The Indians, informed that they were at liberty to occupy the smaller houses, at once removed the floors and pitched their wigwams on the ground within, or erect ing wigwams outside, stabled their ponies within. For a long time previous to 1833, the Win nebago Indians had owned and occupied the Island and a small tract north ofthe Lake and east of Fox river. (See Indian boundary lines. ) On the Island was situated their headquarters, the village of "Four Legs," a prominent Win nebago chief, commmanding this channel and where tribute was often exacted for passing. This had given it the name of "Winnebago Rapids," which naturally attached to the soil. These two prominent villages being separated only by the stream, the Menomonees and Win nebagoes had long lived on the most intimate and amicable relations — often intermarrying. In September, 1836, at the annual payment, then held at Cedar Rapids, the Menomonees ceded to the United States all lands lying within the present limits of Winnebago County (and much more, see Indian boundary lines), except that portion previously ceded by the Winnebagoes. In 1839, this treaty having been ratified, orders were issued to Surveyor General Ellis, and this acquisition was surveyed, and October 2nd, 1843, all of Township 20, north, Range 17, east, lying west of Lake Buttes des Morts, was offered for sale, except ing and reserving such as was declared con nected with the improvements; and the Chris tianizing enterprise was abandoned. HARRISON REED PURCHASES THE SITE. By an act of Congress approved March 3, 1843, the war department was authorized to advertise and sell this reservation, with the improvements, utensils, etc. In the meantime Mr. Harrison Reed visited this locality, in the winter of 1842-3, and became so favorably impressed with its advantages that he came again in the spring for the purpose of selecting a site and establishing a permanent home — leaving his family in Milwaukee. Finding this reservation advertised he sent in a bid, which was approved by the Secretary of War in 1844. This sale included 562 44—100 acres of land, and the price paid was $4,760. When Mr. Reed came in the spring of 1843 he was accom panied by Charley Weseott, now residing at Shawano, who worked for Mr. Reed that sea son, and was succeeded, in 1844, by Gil Brooks. Mr. Reed brought his family here in the winter of 1843-4. Mr. Reed's purchase included 562 44-100 acres of land, all buildings, a quan tity of logs and timber, wagons, carts, farming implements, a supply of building material and a stock of iron in the blacksmith shop. His residence was the block house on the lake shore, which he occupied for many years. FIRST SETTLER IN NEENAH. In June, 1843, George H. Mansur left Buf falo with his family on the steamer Black Hawk, owned and commanded by Captain P. Hotaling, and coasting along the lakes, arrived at Green Bay in the latter part of that month. With the intention of running the rapids of Fox River to Lake Winnebago, the Black Hawk was taken to the foot of the Rapids at Grand Kaukauna. Here, her wheel, a stern wheel, was taken off, placed upon the shore and cov ered with a large canvas, and Mansur's family moved into the wheel, where they resided for three weeks. Meanwhile, the boat was drawn out on rollers, and an attempt made to con vey her around the rapids in this manner; but after progressing about three-fourths of a mile the project was abandoned, the boat restored to her natural element, and the wheel replaced. Captain Hotaling and Mansur now started to make a trip around Lake Winnebago, and on their return by Winnebago Rapids, met Mr. •Reed, who wishing to obtain the services of just such men, soon induced Mansur to locate 196 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1843-46. here. After making arrangements for a Dur ham boat, whenever he should send for it, Mr. Mansur, with Captain Hotaling returned to Kaukauna, arriving about noon. About the middle ofthe afternoon he sent his son, Jeff, then a lad of thirteen years, back to Mr. Reed's for the boat. Jeff started out through the woods, without a road except the Indian trail which frequently branched to the right or left, barefooted and alone, but was soon overtaken by Captain Powell and some one else on horse back. Inquiring the way of them, he found their destination was Winnebago Rapids, and at once resolved to keep them in sight, which he succeeded in doing, and reached his desti nation before night. The next morning he was fitted out with a Durham boat manned by seven Indians, with which he arrived safely at Kaukauna, where the family effects were soon loaded, including one additional member in the person of Esther, a daughter born July 17th, during their sojourn at Kau kauna, Before leaving this point, it may be well to state that they here found the families of George Law and Augustin Grignon, old French traders from whom they received very hospitable treatment in the absence of Mr. Mansur. * Poling and pulling the boat, they reached the foot of the Grand Chute, a per pendicular fall of seven feet; but the rock hav ing been worn away near the shore, unladen Durham boats were drawn through the rapids by the use of tow-ropes. Here they camped for the night, unloaded their cargo, carried it along the bank past the rapids, towed the boat to a point above, and reloaded. Leaving their encampment in the morning, they arrived at Mr. Reed's, the block house before mentioned, during the day, August 9, 1843, the first white family permanently settled within the present limits ofthe City of Neenah. Mr. Mansur was soon set to work repairing the old mills, and managed them until the spring of 1844. April 10, 1844, he made the claim of his present farm. Thus early in the season, the family inform me that the wild plum trees were in full bloom. There being an endless profusion of this fruit, and the crab- apple along the shore of the lake and rivers, they became, when in blossom, very conspic uous. In June, following, Mr. Mansur removed his family to this claim, where he has ever since resided, and claims he can still hoe a man's row, while Jeff, the lad of thirteen sum mers, has developed a muscle capable of sus taining twenty-five pounds, in each hand, at arm's length, but Jeff has alwaysbeen careful 0? his strength, reserving it to fill his father's place. Gilbert Brooks, still a resident of the county, was here, in the employ of Mr. Reed, this season. March 14, 1844, a postoffice was established, and Harrison Reed appointed postmaster. GOVERNOR DOTY, AND OTHER EARLY SETTLERS. In 1845, Governor Doty, having built the log house on the Island during this and the preceding year, now took up his residence here. August 28, Gorham P. Vining and George Harlow declared their intention of becoming residents, and, by an arrangement with Mr. Reed, made some repairs on the mills and wingdam, and run them through the winter, and are now residents of the town. They kept bachelor's hall the first winter in the block house near the mill. Ira Baird and wife also arrived in December, and in the same month Rev. O. P. Clinton made a short visit, but of sufficient length to decide upon this as a place for future residence. In March, 1846, he removed his family to one ofthe block-houses near the Council Tree. In the fall, finding the other house vacant and more comfortable for a winter's campaign, he made some repairs, and moved his family into it. Mr. Clinton settled here under the auspices of the American Board of Home Missions; his circuit for that year included Oshkosh, Rosen- dale, Springvale, Waukau, Rushford, Strong's Landing, now Berlin, Fond du Lac and Nee nah. The payment for Mr. Reed's purchase from the United States having become due, and being unable of his own means to pay the required amount, he, through the instrumen tality of Mr. Clinton, had opened negotiations with Mr. Harvey Jones, of Gloversville, New York. L. H. Jones, abrother of Harvey, and Perrin Yale, a nephew in business at Wauke sha, acting in the capacity of agents for Har vey Jones, came here in the spring and exam ined the property. Upon a favorable report from these agents, Mr. Reed went to Glovers ville, where an arrangement was made by which Mr. Jones furnished the money, and Mr. Reed, in July, satisfied the demand. The terms of this contract will, probably, never be known, as the statements in reference to it are extremely conflicting. In March, James Ladd, Samuel Mitchell and L, S. Wheatley arrived, the former locating west of Lake Buttes des Mort, and the two latter near Mr. Reed's. 1846-47-1 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 197 FIRST MARRIAGE, BIRTH, DEATH. The first marriage occurring within the pres ent limits of the city was at one of the block houses near the Council Tree, the residence of Elder Clinton, in May. The victims were John F. Johnston and Jeanette Finch, a sister of Mrs. Clinton, the Elder officiating. The first white child born within the present limits of the city, and the first female in the town, was a daughter of Harrison and A. Louisa Reed, in August, and was named Nina, a near approach to Neenah. The first death was that of Stephen Hart- well, September fourth, at one of. the block houses near the Council-tree, the remains with those of Jenson, who died the next day, (see Town of Menasha,) were buried nearthe Buttes des Morts mounds. RELIGIOUS SERVICES. There seems to be a difference of opinion as to the time " regular " religious services we're instituted. During the stay of Mr. Gregory, United States Missionary to the Menomonees, divine services w^s no doubt conducted by him. It is also stated that a religious meeting was held at the house of Harrison Reed in 1845, by a Methodist Minister, who in his travels happened tostop at Mr. Reeds, but it is probably safe to say that the first " regular " meeting was conducted by the Rev. O. P. Clinton, at his residence, the Sabbath after his arrival, in March 1846, which was attended by Governor Doty and wife, Harrison Reed and wife and his aunt, a Mrs. Griswald, Thomas Burdick, John F. Johnston, Henry Finch, Jeanette Finch and Mr. and Mrs. Clin ton, a large majority of the settlers at that time. HARVEY JONES. In September, Mr. Harvey Jones came on, with his wife and son, Gilbert C., now a resi dent of the city, and for the first time exam ined his purchase. Remaining here during the winter, he employed several men in making improvements about the mills. Nelson Dan forth was employed as miller. Loyal H. Jones and Perine Yale seem to have settled here during the winter, also Asa Jones, another brother who became a promin ent resident, for maay years occupying a farm near the West shore of Buttes des Morts Lake. LANDS COME INTO MARKET. During the year, the lands in this vicinity on the South and West were placed in market, and many tracts claimed or entered, initiating the first settlement for purposes of agriculture. NEW COMERS. Among the new comers of 1846, were Lucius A. Donaldson, Cornelius Northrop, Corydon Northrop, Phillip Brien and Milton Huxley, with their families. John F. John son, Henry C. Finch, Stephen Hartwell, A. B. Brien, and one Jensen. IMPROVEMENTS OF THE WATER-POWER — ORIGIN OF NAME. February 8, 1847, by an act ofthe Legisla ture, approved this date, a company was chartered, consisting of Governor Doty, his son Charles, Curtis Reed, Harrison Reed, and Harvey Jones, with authority to construct and maintain a dam across each channel. It would seem that at this time the parties were all mutually interested in producing a water- power at the foot of Lake Winnebago, that should be second to none on this continent, all advantages considered; and there is little doubt that if amicable relations had continued, the energies of the entire company would have been devoted to that end, and the improvements confined to the South channel, the State canal included, except so far as might be necessary, from the nature of the case, to maintain a dam on the North Side. The charter obtained, differences at once sprung up between the parties; and the Doty's with Curtis Reed, were driven to the North Side, when Jones and Reed, unable to work together for their mutual benefit, the latter was compelled to follow. Jones on one side, the Doty's and Reeds on the other, were soon arrayed in perfect hostility. Law-suits were at once instituted, implicating the title on the South Side and were for years an obstacle to investments. In the fall of 1847, Daniel Priest put in operation a carding-machine, which was run for several years, when Mr. Priest, having become a resident of Menasha, removed the . carding-mill to that side. This was the pion eer institution of its kind in this county and vicinity and was the nucleus, of the present Menasha Woolen Mills. The Town of Neenah was organized February 11, 1847, (see Town of Neenah). This reminds us of an old story, occasionally revived relating to this word " Neenah; " to the effect that Governor Doty once asked an Indian Chief, pointing to the river. " What is that ? " The chief replied, supposing that Doty meant the water, "Neenah" — Hence the name of river and town. We wish to say that no white man better understood the language, customs or character of these people than Governor Doty, and to accuse him of ignorance ofthe name of 198 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1847-48. Fox River in any Indian language spoken upon its banks is simply absurd. FIRST VILLAGE PLAT — HOTEL BUILT. September 8, 1847, the first village plat of Neenah was recorded by Harrison Reed, pro prietor. The dam was built this fall, though not completed; in fact it was not completed for many years. It being difficult to obtain boarding-places for the men engaged on the dam, and a necessity existing for a house of public entertainment, Mr. James Ladd, who had, in October previous, taken up his resi dence in the Government block-house, which stood on the present Blair farm, was induced to erect a building that wauld serve the double purpose; and proceeded at once to put up a building which might be considered a very good barn or an inferior residence. Choosing it for the latter purpose, he accommodated fifty boarders and all travelers that might apply. His son Christopher informs us that at one time there were thirteen different languages spoken under that roof. Where is Babel now ? This was the first frame building erected in Neenah, except, the Government mills. In the fall, Mr. Ladd commenced the erection of the Winnebago Hotel, now standing on the southwest corner of Walnut Street and Wisconsin Avenue. This he completed the same season, converting the boarding-house into a barn — it having been located and built with that intention. For obtaining lime, Mr, Ladd built a kiln in the bend of the river, above the house, took the stone from the bed ofthe river and burned them. When the old Government buildings were erected, in 1835-6, a brick yard was started at the foot of the island, and here he dug out enough for chim neys. To supply the lumber and shingles, pine logs were cut, in the northwestern part of the present Town of Menasha, taken to the old Government mill and sawed, or shaved into shingles. FIRST CHURCH — FIRST SCHOOL. Early in the season Mr. Clinton, with the assistance of some members of his congrega tion, fitted up a log house, built by Smith Moores, in 1845, for religious services. Here Miss Caroline Northrup opened a private school, and in the fall, the first public school was inaugurated, with one Lambert for teacher, an itinerant dancing, singing and general teacher, but after about a month, an extended furlough was granted him, and his place supplied by Wm. Dennison. The follow ing summer Miss Northrup officiated as teacher. We have incidently spoken of. Smith Moores, whose name seems somewhat con nected with those of Col. Fuller, Robert Irwin, Archibald Caldwell, and probably some others, who were located here at an early day, as Indian traders, without any intention of makr, ing this a permanent residence, excepting* perhaps Moores, who might have become more fully identified with the place, but for his death, which occurred in 1851, from small pox, contracted at the, Indian payment that fall, instead of 1853, as has been represented. FIRST STORE OPENED. During this season, 1847, Jones & Yale already mentioned, opened a stock of general merchandise and Indian goods, in one of the block-houses, which the early settlers found a great convenience, and which was the first mercantile undertaking, except such as had been established for Indian traffic. From this time the new arrivals, with the many changes, - came crowding upon each other in such rapid succession, that we are unable to give a detailed account of each and every person, and event, but shalL endeavor to record each as fully and accurately as space and circumstances will admit. Thus, far we. have endeavored to give a history of the increase in population, the preparations for an extended business in the future, and the dis advantages encountered. If any names have been omitted it has been wholly unintentional, on our part, and in many instances they will probably be found in connection with the towns with which they afterwards became more closely identified. KIMBERLEY'S — JONES. In the spring of 1848, Harvey Jones became a permanent resident, having, as proprietor, caused a plat of the village of Winnebago Rapids, in the town of Neenah, to be recorded January 6, 1848. Soon after his arrival, he commenced the erection of a saw mill, Charles Lindsly being associated with him in the enterprise. In June, Mr. Harvey L. Kimberly came here and made an agreement with Mr. Jones, which gave him the privilege of purchasing two lots in each block of the plat of Winne bago Rapids. Mr. Kimberly now returned to his home in New Haven, Connecticut, and at once made arrangements accordingly. Forming- a part nership with his brother, John R. Kimberly, then a resident of Troy, New York, their native place, and leaving their families behind, they arrived at Neenah in September, having shipped a stock of merchandise from Buffalo to Green Bay, by schooner, which they char- 1848.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 199 tered in connection with Jones & Yale, for that purpose. On reaching Neenah, they then announced their readiness to fulfill their agree ment with Jones, and carry out their business intentions, but here a difficulty arose. When ever they made a selection of any lots, they were either disposed of or reserved. At last, unable to obtain suitable lots for- their pur pose, they began to talk of accepting some very favorable offers proposed by Reed at Menasha, which soon produced its effect, and they were permitted:. to make their own selection, for building a residence, a store and mill. It now became necessary for one of them to go to Green Bay, to forward their goods, shipped from Buffalo, Jones & Yale were also expecting the arrival of their goods at the Bay. H. L. Kimberly and L. H. Jones, accord ingly, started on horse back over the only road — the old Government road — rciit through the woods many years prior, and now grown, full of underbrush, leaving a mere bridle path. Mr. Jones being, obliged to return home ..immediately, Mr. Kimberly remained to. look after the interest of both, in the coming freight.. At the end of a weeks, delay, the necessary arrangements completed, Mr. Kim berly set out on his return, accompanied by H. L: Blood, then proprietor of'fhe Astor House, at the Bay, bound for Gr^nd Chute. Arriving at the present site of Appleton,' fhey found John F. Johnston, before mentioned, living in a board shanty, the only resident of the place. This being' the point of Mr. Blood's destination, and unable to find lodging for both, Mr. Kimberly was advised, and in fact compelled; to push on a mile and a' half to a Mr. Murch's. Scarcely had he resumed . his way, when the sky became overcast, and he found himself in almost total darkness, obliged to depend entirely upon the instinct of his horse, which at least brought him to a barway at the road side. Opening this, arid unable to see anything, he again seated him self in the saddle with unlimited confidence in his four footed companion and soon found him self at the house, where he was informed that they had no accommodation for man or beast, but, pointing to a light at Mr. Crafts, some half a mile across the field, he could probably "find what he was in search of, there. Making his way toward the light, he met with no better success, but was advised to make another effort at Murche's. Retracing his steps, he this time found Mr. Murch, who granted his request, and entertained him with perfect pioneer hospitality. On the arrival of the goods they were dis played in a building erected for the purpose, that year, by Benjarnin .Paddock, who occu pied the upper story as a residence, situated across the street from the present barrel factory, and which may be seen at the present time. MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES. S. R. Kellogg also came in the spring, and " viewing the prospect o'er " with very satis factory results, returned for his family,- with which he returned in August, accompanied by Mr. Benjamin Simmons. In the mean time Lucius A. Donaldson and John B. Lajest had commenced the erection of a building, on the water-power, near where Patton's paper mill now stands, for a planing mill, sash, door and blind factory. Messrs. Kellogg & Simmons, owners of machinery for the manufacture of bedsteads and chairs, soon after formed a partnership with Donaldson & Lajest, setting up their machinery in the same building, and the entire business was conducted under the firm name of Donaldson, Lajest & Co. This was the first building completed on the water power, always excepting the Gov ernment enterprise, and was also occupied by a wool-carding machine, owned and operated by Daniel Priest, which had been running in another building. MORE ARRIVALS. A. T. Cronkhite opened the first drug store in the place in September. Captain J. M. Ball, born at Southboro, Worcester County, Massachusetts, ¦ in - 1816, removed to Boston in 1834, to Chicago in 1847, and to Neenah in the spring of 1848. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. At this time, and extending back as far as the memory of man, the great thoroughfare for all territory lying contiguous to the Fox, the Wolf and Wisconsin rivers, was via. Green Bay, along the Fox River, by Durham boats. These boats were from eighty to one hundred feet in length, decked over for the protection of their cargo, and would carry from fifteen to twenty-five tons. They were propelled usually by four, but sometimes six men, with setting poles, and a helmsman. Tow ropes were used whenever occasion required the passage of any of the numerous rapids of the river, and in such cases they were unloaded and their freight rolled or hauled around the rapids; the usual way, however, being to run from Green Bay to Kaukauna, unload and return, leaving their freight to be transported around the rapids, when it was taken on another boat which proceeded to the next 200 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1848-51. rapid, unloaded, and loading with a cargo destined for the opposite direction, returned. Wm. H. Bruce, of Green Bay, seems to have been the first to engage in this enterprise on private account, establishing a line from Green Bay to Fort Winnebago. Another line was eventually started, by Daniel Whitney, also an early resident of Green Bay. Soon after Captain Ball arrived at Neenah, he contracted with Mr. Bruce to run that part of the route between Grand Chute and Neenah, including the portage at the latter point. Large quan tities of flour were at this time sent from Mackford, Dartford, Kingston and Neenah, to the fisheries and pineries of Green Bay and the East. ACCESSIONS TO THE POPULATION. In 1853, Captain Ball was elected treasurer of the town of Neenah, which office he held until 1855, when he became associated with another pioneer, an employe in the Bruce line, Reuben Doud, in the transportation between the head of steamboat navigation, at Kaukauna, and steamboat facilities at Menasha, employing one hundred teams, which made daily trips both ways. In 1856, Captain Ball was elected chairman of the Town Board of Supervisors, and in 1867, County Treasurer, and was re-elected in 1859. He is now a resident of Oshkosh. In 1849, Hugh Sherry, Charles A. Leavens, Marvin R. Babcock, Robert Hold, Melancthon Burroughs, Edwin Wheeler and N. S. Emmons, became residents. In March 1849, Mr. D. D. Dodge located here, purchasing the corner now occupied by Pettibone block, where he erected a hotel known as " Dodge's Hotel, ' which was destroyed by fire in 1852. Jones and Yale also built a large frame building, still standing, on the corner opposite and directly East of the Winnebago Hotel, this they occupied for mercantile purposes, the second story was fitted up and long occupied as a place for religious worship. This building has since undergone many changes, and served many purposes. A building known as the Old Foundry was erected on the water-power this year, by Giles S. Olin, and when completed, supplied with the necessary machinery for a foundry and machine shop. DEATH OF HARVEY JONES. November 8, 1849, occurred the death of Harvey Jones, principal proprietor of the place, leaving, so far as known, no will or provision for the future management of his estate, which consequently fell to three minor heirs. This with the pendinglaw-suits, proved a death-blow to further substantial progress of this primitive settlement for a time, and greatly retarded its growth for many years. Mr. Jones, although unsuccessful in ingratiat ing himself with those mutually interested, had before his death made extensive arrangements for the improvement of the water-power and the place generally. The location of the State canal had during the summer been made upon the other side, but a canal being necessary for a supply of water to the mills, he had determined to con struct it large enough for purposes of navi gation, with the necessary lock to overcome the fall between the lakes. IMPROVEMENTS. During this fall, 1849, Messrs J. R. and H. L. Kimberly commenced the erection of a dwelling and the brick store, still extant, on the corner opposite and directly North of the old Winnebago Hotel building, now along side the railroad track. Robert Hold estab lished himself in the furniture business. A little later in the year and near its close, was laid the keel for the steamboat Peytona, on the present stave yard, which was completed in spring of 1850, the second steamboat known to these waters, and for many years the favor ite. WINNEBAGO RAPIDS INCORPORATED. April 10, 1850, the village of Winnebago Rapids was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Winnebago County, and M. N. Bosworth, E. B. Ranney and -J. Keyes, probably Joseph Keyes, Inspectors of Election ofthe Town of Neenah, appointed inspectors of an election to be held, for the purpose of submitting to a vote of the people the question for and against incorporation, pursuant to chapter fifty-two ofthe Revised Statutes. This order of incorporation may be found recorded in the County Registers office, vol ume H. of mortgages, on page four hundred and seventy six, under date of March 15th 1 85 1. We find no record ofthe election mentioned, or of the election of the village officers, although such elections undoubtedly occurred, as a record exists of the proceedings of the Board of Trustees of Winnebago Rapids, at office of J. B. Hamilton, June 11, 1850, at half-past seven o'clock. Present — Smith Moores, president; D. D. Dodge, A. B. Brien, J. S- Bloom, L. H. Jones and H. L. Kimberly, trustees. J. B. Hamilton was by the board unanimously elected clerk and Robert Thompson, marshal. At an adjourned 1850-72. J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 201 meeting, June 17, Perine Yale appeared and took the oath as trustee, and was elected vil lage treasurer. At a meeting, July 5, the American half-dollar was adopted as the seal ofthe corporation. VILLAGE OFFICERS, TRUSTEES. In 185 1, Smith Moores was re-elected pres ident, but it was soon discovered that the pro ceedings at the organic election were some what informal, and the incorporation, there fore, invalid; this was wholly ignored until 1856, when the village was re-organized, as > hereafter explained, with the following officers: J. B. Hamilton, president; A. G. LaGrange, clerk; J. R. Kimberly, Jeremiah Cummings, Ed Smith, D. R. Pangborn, H. O. Crane and A. H. Cronkhite, trustees. In 1857, the officers were J. B. Hamilton, president; Samuel Roberts, clerk; J. H. Town- send, S. G. Burdick, J. R. Davis, E. S. Welch, Ed Smith and H. O. Crane, trustees. In 1858, D. R. Pangborn, president; J. Clitz Perry, clerk; George H. Clement, Ira How ard, James W. Weeden, I. H. Torrey, J. H. Peckham and J. E. Shattuck, trustees. In 1859, D. C. Van Ostrand, president; Moses Hooper, clerk; JohnW. Williams, New ell Demerrit, Abner Smith, O. T. Walker, Jno. A. Welch and L. Milton Marsh, trustees. Two hundred and sixty-one votes were cast at this election. In i860, D. C. Van Ostrand, president; I. W. Hunt, clerk; Charles A. Leavens, J. L Clement, A. E. Cross, S. G. Burdick, Robert Hold and W. M. Moore, trustees. In 1861, Edwin L. Hubbard-, president; I. W. Hunt, clerk; C. J. Packard, P. R. Wil liams, Hugh McGregor, E. P. Marsh, James Smith and Charles A. Leavens, trustees. In 1862, Charles A. Leavens, president; Samuel Roberts, clerk; I. L. Doton, Hugh McGregor, John Jamison, John Hunt, Hiram Shoemaker and Theodore Brown, trustees; In 1863, Charles A. Leavens president; H. P. Leavens clerk; Hugh McGregor, John Jam ison, I. L. Doton, Lovel Stowe, John R. Ford and Henry Wildfang, trustees. In 1864, H. P. Leavens, president;' J, N. Stone, clerk; L L. Doton, Hiram Smith, S. J. Maxwell, John R. Ford, Joshua Kurtz and Lovel Stowe, trustees. In 1865, Wm. Pitt Peckham, president; R. D. Torrey, clerk; D. L. Kimberly, Hugh McGregor. W. R. Jones, Martin Gavin, U. C. Wheeler and J. L. Clement, trustees. In 1866, Samuel Galentine, president; W. W. Daggett, clerk; Henry Clark, Alexander Billstein, R. D. Torrey, Robert Hold, C. B. •Manville and Alexander Moore, trustees. In 1867, Samuel Galentine, president; W. W. Daggett, clerk; W. B. M. Young, Newell Demerritt, G. C. Jones, John Bergstrom, S. E. Ford and A. E. Cross, trustees. In 1868, J. N. Stone, president; W. W. Daggett, clerk; G. C. Jones, Henry Clark, Hugh McGregor, John Bergstrom, W. P. Peck ham and A. K. Moore, trustees. In 1869, Wm. Pitt Peckham, president; W. W. Daggett, clerk; D. C Van Ostrand, Hugh McGregor, Alexander Billstein, M. Hayward, John Bergstrom and John Hunt, trustees. In 1870, Alex. Billstein, president; W. W. Daggett, clerk; Hugh McGregor, John R. Davis, A. H. F. Krueger, A. E. Cross, Mar tin Gavin and Evan Johnson, trustees. In 1871, Robert Shiells, president; D. E. Markham, clerk; Hugh McGregor, Theodore Brown, Franklin Pickard, D. L. Kimberly, A. E. Cross and Harold Nelson, trustees, Four hundred and thirty-two votes were cast at this election. In 1872, Alex. Billstein, president; D. E. Markham, clerk; Martin Gavin, A. E. Cross, M. E. Sorley, Theodore Brown, Daniel Barnes and S. G. Kellogg, trustees. MISCELLANEOUS. During the seasons 1850-51, the steamer made daily trips from Fond du Lac to Nee nah, and return, supplying a necessity long felt. The Cronkhite warehouse was built in 1850, on, or very near, the site of the present barrel works, and was burned in the spring of 1864, or 1865. A telegraph line was also constructed from Fond du Lac to Green Bay, with a local office in the Jones and Yale store already mentioned. This line was built and supplied on what was considered the strictest principles of economy, rf nning nearly its entire length through a dense forest; the tops of trees were cut off and the wire passed from tree to tree, but in the absence of trees, poles were substituted, the average time required for the transmission of a message being greater than by stage, with an even chance that it would remain tangled among the tree tops along the way. The writer having occasion to communicate with Fond du Lac, endeavored for a whole day to get a mes sage over the line. Failing in this, he took the stage at two o'clock the next morning at the old Winnebago Hotel, Dud Cronkhite, pro prietor, and reaching Oshkosh at eight o'clock, went immediately to the telegraph office, and asked the telegraph operator if he could get a message to Fond du Lac. He replied, "Yes, if I can get the d — d machine thawed out. " 26 202 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1850-59- The subscriber took his breakfast in time to continue his journey to Fond du Lac, deliber ating upon the convenience and importance of telegraphy, for which he had ample time, arriving at Fond du Lac at dark. The machine was not thawed out when we returned, and the line became inoperative in 1852. During this year the Kimberlys completed their residence and store, and occupied them both. They also commenced the erection of the pioneer flouring mill, ever since known as the "Neenah Mills." The timber, white oak, for the frame, was cut on the north shore of Lake Winnebago, for other parties who failed -to take it, when it was purchased for these mills, and drawn on the ice to their place. The machinery was shipped from the East, via Green Bay, and the entire work superintended by H. A. Burts, millwright. It was completed the next year, and operated by S. G. Burdick, head miller. Running for a long time under the management ofthe original owners, H. L. Kimberly at last became sole owner, who leased it for a few years, after which it became the property of his son, D. L. Kimberly, who has successfully conducted it for several years. It contains five runs of stones, and daily per forms its allotted task, having been lately over hauled and rebuilt. The death of Harvey Jones necessitated the appointment of administrators, and L. H. Jones and John R. Kimberly were soon chosen; but Kimberly refusing to serve, another was appointed, Erastus W Drury, of Fond du Lac. L. H. Jones was also appointed guar dian of the heirs. The canal lock was commenced this year, 1850, under the administration of L. H. Jones, Marvin R. Babcock, contractor. The Jones' saw mill was completed this year, and pur chased by Robert Hold, Wm. L. Lindsley and Asa Jones. The frames for the steamer Van Ness Bar low were also set up on the shore of Lake Buttes des Morts, for Townsend Brothers, who completed her in the summer of 185 1, and run her on that lake the balance ofthe season. BRIDGE TO THE ISLAND — CANAL LOCK COMPLETED. The bridge leading to the Island was also built, and the road across the Island cutout; but the corresponding bridge across the north channel was not completed until 1852. In the spring of 1852, the lock being com pleted, the Barlow was taken through as soon as the ice disappeared, an upper cabin added, and she was run this season on the Fox river above Lake Winnebago. A building was erected at the south end of the bridge and east of Cedar Street, by John and Eben Welch, and supplied with barrel machinery, which proving unsuccessful, was replaced for a lathe for turning wooden bowls, a planing mill, and, at last, sash, door and blind machinery. IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. The plank-road, completed this year from Menasha to Kaukauna, added greatly to the shipping facilities of both Neenah and Menasha. Connecting with steamboat navigation at both extremities, it soon superseded the line of Durham boats, which are now known only in the recollections of old settlers. This was the first passable road to any place. There is, perhaps, no one obstacle so diffi cult to overcome in the settlement of a new country, as the lack of facilities for communi cation with the world, but even this is a thou sand times intensified when a deep, clay -. soil with a heavy growth of timber is encountered, and none but early settlers can, fully appreciate all that is implied in the term "bad roads." The incident of a trip to Fond du Lac in, the stage, before related and literally true, Fof thirty-four miles in seventeen hours, is a fair illustration. The steamer Jenny Lind' was built during the winter and spring, east',, and near the brick store of the Kimberly 's, by Dr. U. Peake and Patrick Tiernan, but being too large for this trade, was taken to the- Mississ ippi River the same season. This boat was commenced in 185 1, the third steamboat built at this place. This year, 1852, preparations were made for the second flouring mill. Edward Smith, who had been engaged here in mercantile pursuits since 1850, HughSherry, who had settled here in 1849, and who had been connected with the "old government mill," and Hiram Wheeler, associated themselves together, and during the winter sent a crew of men to the pineries of the Wolf River, where they cut the timber, rafted it down the river in the spring, and, in the summer of 1853, built the "Winnebago Mill," on the bank ofthe stream and west side of Cedar Street. Mr. Wheeler, as millwright, superintended its construction and Mr. Sherry the running. Mr. John Proctor became the owner, with Mr. Smith, in 1857, and the names of Smith & Proctor have become as familiar as any household word. The plank-road completed the past season from Menasha to Kaukauna, in the spring, 1853, A. H. Cronkhite, who came here a law yer in 1848, but had abandoned the profession* 1.850-60.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 203 and engaged in various enterprises, now, in connection with D. C. Van Ostrand, who had resided here since May, 1850, established a line of teams on the road for the transfer of freights between these two termini of steamboat navigation. Ed Smith also built a brick block of two stores, which were completed in the summer. The corner store was occupied by Mr. Smith and his brother, Hiram Smith. This block, known as Smith's block, is still standing, northeast corner of Cedar Street and Wisconsin Avenue. A large brick building, called the Weeden House, was also built in the southeast corner of Cedar Street and Wis consin Avenue, by R. C. Weeden. This, after wards known as the Dolsen House, and still later as the Russell House, has, at last, given place to the present handsome structure of that name. B. F. Moore, having purchased the steamer Peytona, run her. this season from F°nd du Lac to Menasha, in connection with the plank- road, divesting Neenah of all direct steamboat communication, another link in the chain of misfortune, which, for a long series of years, fettered the energies and unfaltering perseve- rence of her citizens. SASH, DOOR AND BLIND FACTORY. The planing mill, sash, blind and door fac tory- of C. O. Page was put in operation this year, and after various changes is still in oper ation, next east ofthe Island City Mill. Very little seems to have occurred in 1854, to mark the progress of events. Many strang ers came, but few invested. Occasionally, one more venturesome would lease or purchase such title as was attainable, open up in some mer cantile branch, or manufacturing, in a small way, get discouraged, and sell out; while others, with more confidence in the future, resolved to remain to the end. The Cronkhites opened a small exchange office, an embryo bank, which, at a later date, expanded into a bank of issue, and continuing to expand until 1 861, it was past contraction, and the result was a collapse. About this time, Mr. John R. Davis, who commenced the manufacture of wagons here in 1849, purchased an interest in the govern ment mill, which he retained until its destruc tion by fire in 1874. TWO MORE FLOURING MILLS BUILT. In 1854, Cronkhite and Burdick purchased the Donaldson and Lajest building, and con verted it into a flouring mill, being the third mill constructed. The Fox River mill, fourth on the list of flouring mills, was added in 1856. This was erected by Hugh Sherry, and was soon after' sold to W. E. and J. R. Ford, who retained the ownership until its site was required for other purposes, when it was again sold and taken down. WINNEBAGO RAPIDS CONSOLIDATED WITH NEENAH. March 28, 1856, the village plats of Winne bago Rapids and Neenah were consolidated, and the corporate name, Wmnebago Rapids, changed to Neenah. Although we have here-- tofore more commonly used the word Neenah, it should be remembered that no such incor porated village existed until now. THE FIRST PASSAGE OF A .BOAT THROUGH; THE LOCK. An event, considered at the time, of unpar- alelled importance, occurred in June, 1856, the passage of the steamer Aquila through the Neenah lock to Green Bay, and return, the first passage between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay. TWO MORE FLOURING MILLS AND A FOUNDRY BUILT. The flouring mill known as the Brick or Atlantic mill was commenced by J. Mills in 1856, and before its completion in 1857, E. W. Peet became interested, and it was com pleted and run for several years by the firm of Mills & Peet, while the walls of the stone mill adjoining were probably built at the same time, and the machinery added soon after, built and operated for a time by Smith & Lisk. These last two mills, being the fifth and sixth in order, are at this time combined under the name of Falcon Mills, with eight runs ofstones, owned and operated by Clement & Stevens, who have long been residents and engaged in this business. The iron foundry out on the bank of Buttes"" des Morts lake, at the inlet ofthe big slough, was built this year, 1858, by Moore & Wells, (W. N. and A. K. Moore, and B. W. Wells), with the expectation that in the immediate future, steamboats would unload the raw mate rials on the premises, taking away the prod: ucts ofthe foundry in return. This establish ment-was eventually confined, almost exclus ively, to the manufacture of stoves, and then became the property of Smith, Van Ostrand & Leavens, and later of George C. and D. W. Bergstrom, who still retain it. 1858 and 1 859 seem to have been quite bar ren of important events. BARREL FACTORY. In i860, Theodore Brown commenced the manufacture of barrel stock, and has steadily 204 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1860-65. increased the business to the present time. Mr. Brown also turns out a very large amount of flour barrels, consuming a great portion of his stock, in supplying the various mills of the place. CHAPTER LIII The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Constructed to Nee nah — Banks Established — The Seventh Flouring Mill Built — The Youngest of the Heirs of Harvey Jones Attains his Majority — Final Settlement of the Estate — Additional Flouring Mills, Planing Mills, and Sash and Door Fac tories Erected — First Paper Mill — The Wisconsin Central Railroad — Neenah City incorporated — List of City Officers from Date of Icorporatioi — More Paper Mills Constructed — Hotels — Public Halls — Schools — Churches. EAR the close of the year i860 the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad extended their line from Oshkosh to Neenah and Appleton, and for some unaccountable reason was run around both these water-powers, the depot situated a mile west from the Neenah power, and two from the Menasha side, with a clay road which in a short time by the heavy teaming became almost impassable. All parties becoming disgusted, a new line was adopted across the Island, as at present, and the depot located between. The first line was completed in January 1861, and the cars running across the Island on the new line in December 1862. BANKS ESTABLISHED. September 1, 1861, an exchange and bank ing office was established by Messrs. Smith & Sheills, called the Neenah Bank, David Smith, president, and Robert Sheills, cashier. Mr. Smith being interested in an institution of the same character at Appleton, devoted his time there, and Mr. Sheills conducted the one at this place. In 1865, a charter was obtained, and the National Bank of Neenah organized, Nov. 12, 1865. The stockholders and incorporators were Henry Hewitt Sr., Alexander Syme, John Hewitt, A. W. Patten, Alexander Bill stein, Edward Smith, Moses Hooper, W. P. Peckham, H. Babcock, J. R. Davis Sr., J. A. Kimberley, J. W. Williams, N. S. Robinson and Robert Sheills. Henry Hewitt Sr., presi dent; Robert Sheills, cashier. These officers have held their positions to the present time, Another exchange office was located here the same year by Ansel Kellogg, of Oshkosh, which continued business about a year. THE SEVENTH FLOURING MILL BUILT. In 1862, A. W. Patten purchased the Page building, and substituting flouring mill machin ery, run it for some years as the Keystone Mill, when it was sold to A. D. Gustavus, and subsequently remodeled into a planing mill, sash, door and blind factory again, and so remains at present. The steamboat St. Paul was built this year, by Tremain, May & Co. The fourth enter prise of the kind undertaken here. SETTLEMENT OF JONES' ESTATE. In 1863, Willard Jones, the youngest ofthe heirs of Harvey Jones, attained his majority. The Rev. James Bassett called to preside over the Presbyterian Church, soon after married Miss Abigail Jones, also one of the heirs, when he became interested in the condition of the estate, and consequently made a thorough examination of the past management by the administrators, who were still acting in that capacity. Satisfied that the grossest injustice had been done, that a princely estate had been depreciated by mismanagement and mis appropriation to scarcely a tithe of what its value would have been, if properly cared for, he resigned his pastorate and devoted his ener gies to collecting together what might possi bly be saved from the ruins. Demanding, by the most summary means, an account of the stewardship of these agents, they found them selves unable to produce any statement that even they could look upon as the slightest justification or extenuation and to avoid unpleasant consequences, one of them fled the country in the night, while the other shielded himself behind the assumption that the court having appointed administrators once had exhausted its power in that direction, and therefore, he was not a legally appointed administrator under obligations to render an account as such, and, ergo, his share of the booty was legal plunder. It was now found that in many cases deeds had been given by said agents without author ity, and the consideration paid to them; and in some instances, the purchasers were com pelled to pay the second time. These diffi culties were however amicably settled, lands upon the Island side platted and offered for sale, and Neenah, relieved of this- incubus that ' had weighed upon her for fifteen years, started upon a career of prosperity fully realizing all reasonable expectations. THE PETTIBONE BLOCK — MERCANTILE FIRMS. In 1863, the block known as Pettibone I&53-73-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 205 block, was erected by Wm. E. and J. R. Ford, on the southwest corner of Cedar Street and Wisconsin Avenue, who, soon after its completion, sold it to C J. Pettibone. Mr. Pettibone occupied the corner store with a stock of merchandise, and J. A. Kimberly, son of John R. , with Havilah Babcock occu pied the next. This firm of Kimberly & Babcock had for a number of years been promi nently known in mercantile circles and had carried on a successful business at the old brick store of John and Harvey L. Kimberly, where they commenced business in 1857- This block is three stories high, and contains on the ground floor three stores on Wisconsin Avenue, and one on Cedar Street. FIRST PAPER MILL — ANOTHER PLANING MILL. In 1866, the first paper mill was erected near the lock, on the site of the Jones' saw mill, which was removed for the purpose, by a stock company, consisting of Nathan Cobb, president;. Hiram Smith secretary and treas urer; Dr. N. S. Robinson, Edward Smith, John Jamison and Moses Hooper, as the Neenah Paper Mill Company. The first two years after its completion, it was run under the management of Dr. N. S. Robinson, the first year as lessee, and the second as superin tendent for the company. It was then sold to Hiram Smith and D. C. Van Ostrand, who in 1874, sold it to Kimberly, Clark & Co., J. A. Kimberly, Havilah Babcock, F. C. Shattuck and C. B. Clark. The same year William Pitt Peckham, who had resided here since 1855, built the Island City Stove Foundry, on ground now covered by the Globe Paper Mill, and which was a promi nent feature in the business of Neenah for some ten years. The Island City Flouring Mill, the eighth in number, was built in 1868, a substantial stone structure, thirty-four feet by sixty, four stories high, erected by A. H. F. Krueger and Carl Stridde, under the Supervision of John Jami son. After the death of Mr. Stridde, which occurred in 1877, Mr. Krueger leased that interest and has since that time managed and controlled the business. TWO MORE FLOURING MILLS BUILT. In 1868, we find uncle John R. Kimberly, senior partner in the first undertaking of the kind, engaged in a new venture, with his son J. A. Kimberly and H. Babcock, which soon resulted in 1869, in the completion of a com modious and ornamental stone building, with six run of stone, known as the Reliance Mill. The millwright was H. A. Burts, who was also pioneer millwright in the Neenah Mill. Forty by seventy-five feet on the ground, it is the ninth in numerical order. In 1877, John R. Kimberly having sold his interest, it has since been conducted by the firm of J. A. Kimberly & Co. A. W. Patten having sold his mill to Mr. Gustavus, now purchased the Welsh sash, door and blind factory, and converted it into the tenth flouring mill. This mill became the property of Howard & Davis in 1877, and is still owned by them. ANOTHER SASH, DOOR AND BLIND FACTORY. During 1867-8, Mr. James Bassett moved a building which was standing near the race and railroad track, originally intended for a grain elevator, to the river bank adjoining the Neenah flouring mill on the North, and directly in front, on the bank of the canal, erected a shingle mill. The elevator building was soon after purchased by J. A. Sanford, who added the necessary machinery for a planing mill, and for the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds and mouldings, still owning and occupying it. Henry Sherry became the owner of the shingle mill, which with a full set of machinery for a first class saw mill, he is still running to its fullest capacity. THE WISCONSIN CENTRAL RAILROAD. In 1 87 1, the Wisconsin Central Railroad, completing its track to Stevens Point, com menced running its cars over that part of the road, with the depot near the Northwestern depot, on the Island, but obtaining posession of the Milwaukee 6k Northern Railroad, it removed its business to the office of that road at Menasha, soon after. Having now enumerated the long list of mills and manufactories that have heretofore occupied important positions on the water power, and many changes connected with them, we now turn to their final disposition and changes of a later date. THE GLOBE PAPER MILL. In 1872, Messrs. Kimberly, Clark & Co., proprietors of Neenah Paper mill, purchased the old Fox River Mill, and removing the building, erected a part of the present Globe Paper Mill, and in 1876, bought the Island City Stove Foundry, and added to the Globe Mill, making a total length of two hundred and ten by eighty-height feet, of brick. NEENAH CITY INCORPORATED. March 13, 1873, an act of incorporation was passed by the Legislature, constituting Neenah a city of three wards, and on the 31st 206 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COTJNTY, WISCONSIN. [1873-79.- of the same month, was held the organic elec tion. LIST OF OFFICERS FROM DATE OF ORGANIZA TION. Edward Smith, mayor; William Kellett and John B. Russell, aldermen ofthe First Ward; Ansel W. Patten and Andrew Michelson, ald ermen ofthe Second Ward; A. H. F. Krueger and John Bergstrom, aldermen of the Third Ward. At the first meeting ofthe Council, April 5, Carl J. Kraby was elected city clerk; J. B. Hamilton, attorney, and J. L. Mathews, chief of police. James Conlan was at the charter election, chosen police justice; George Donelson, treasurer, and Lovel Stowe justice ofthe peace, for the Frst Ward. In 1874, Edward Smith, mayor; Carl J. Kraby, clerk; H. P. Leavens, William Kellett, A. H. F. Krueger, J. O'Brien, A. W Patten and M. E. Sorley, aldermen. The charter was now amended, providing for four wards. In 1875, Alexander Billstein, mayor; Carl J. Kraby, clerk; G. C. Jones, H. P. Leavens, Hugh McGregor, J. O'Brien, Charles Petz- hold, William Robinson, M. E. Sorley and J. W. Tobey, aldermen In 1876, A. H. F. Krueger, mayor; C. J. Kraby, clerk; Martin Gavin, M. H. P. Haynes Wm. Kellett, Hugh McGregor, William Pitt Peckham, Charles Petzhold, J. W. Tobey and G. C. Jones, aldermen. In 1877, D. L. Kimberly, Mayor; C. J. Kraby, clerk; John R. Davis, Martin Gavin, M. H. P. Haynes, J. W. Hunt, Andrew Jager- son, William Kellett, W. P. Peckham and Henry Sherry, aldermen. In 1878, A. H. F. Krueger, mayor; C. J. Kraby, clerk; G. Christenson, J. R. Davis, J. W. Hunt, A. Jagerson, John Roberts, Henry Sherry, E. L. Sawyer and J. W. Tobey, aldermen. In 1879, Wm. Kellett, mayor; C. J. Kraby, clerk; Andrew Michelson, treasurer; J. R. Davis Sr., N. Demerritt, G. Bergstrom, G.- Christenson, G. A. Whiting, John Roberts, A. Guldager, J. O. Tobey, aldermen. CITY SEAL — THE COUNCIL TREE. The seal adopted by the Council was very appropriate, being a representation ofthe old Council Tree. This old elm tree is one ofthe institutions of Neenah and is claimed to have been the scene of frequent councils among the different tribes of this vicinity. Gov. Doty is the authority for this, while it is contra dicted by those who say they never heard of any councils there. We will take the statement of the man who has heard, and regard it as a relic of the past, under whose wide spreading branches perhaps the fate of Indian nations has been decided. A. W. PATTEN'S PAPER MILL. In 1874, A. W. Patten purchased the old Empire Flouring Mill, took away the building and in its stead built a paper mill, one hundred and fifty feet long and forty feet in -depth, of brick. In digging the wheel pits for this institution Mr. Patten discovered a relic of antiquity, which we will endeavor to describe, but leave for the more scientific to account for. About four or five feet below the surface of the ground, and corresponding very nearly with the bed of the river, a bed of hard clay and coarse gravel was struck, which produced numerous large blocks of a fine grained, hard, blue limestone, very closely resembling in appearance, the stone obtained at the Oshkosh quarries. At a depth pf about eight feet below the bed ofthe fiver and twelve feet or more below the original surface, one of these blocks was found of unusual size. Mr. Patten availed himself of the use of these stones thus taken out for the foundation of his mill, and in splitting this large block for that purpose, an implement of flint was found imbeded in the fractured surface; it was about twelve to. fourteen inches in length, two inches in great est width, and three-eighths of an inch in thick ness, tapering gradually for four inches to a point, and double-edged; about eight inches from the point, it slightly diminished in width, with rounded edges, forming a handle nearly one third its entire length. In the eudeavor to remove it, it was broken, but about four inches of the pointed end was secured and is now in Mr. Patten's possession. WINNEBAGO PAPER MILL. In February ofthe same year, the old Gov ernment grist and saw mills were destroyed by fire; but, phoenix-like, arose from the ashes the fine brick building, known as the Winne bago Paper Mill, built by John R. Davis, Sr., president; J. R. Ford, secretary; H. Shoe maker, treasurer; C. H. Servis, C. Newman, Mrs. E. A. Servis and S. M. Brown. The main building is forty by seventy, machine room thirty by ninety, and boiler room sixteen by twenty two. In 1876, George A. Whiting purchased an interest and became secretary of the company. The Neenah, Winnebago, Reliance, Island City, Falcon, Howard and Davis mills, the Hooker & Wieckert and the Sanford planing mills are still in operation. Of the new and elegant brick blocks and •1.875-79- ] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 207 single stores along the streets, they are too numerous to mention, with their respective dates, and it is unnecessary, as it can be said, for each one and all, that they are in the high est degree ornamental, substantial and cred itable to the city and proprietors, and are occupied by a class of business men who with her manufacturers have built up a reputation for strict business integrity.and stability second to no equal numbers in the West. HOTELS. We now come to the crowning glory of Nee nah enterprise — her hotels. The Russell House, erected by John B. Russell, owner and proprietor, in 1875, on the site of the old Weeden House, is not only a chief ornament, but is a substantial benefit, of which the city may and does feel a commendable pride as .shown by the liberal assistance extended in its construction. The Roberts House, although not a hotel of -the city, ,is situated within its limits, was, com pleted in 1877, by John. Roberts, favorably known in this section, as landlord at the* National Hotel, at Menasha. Situated on the old homestead of Governor Doty, on the south bank of the Neenah channel, it commands a delightful view of Lake Winnebago, and would prove a desirable acquisition to any locality. The Page Hotel, for many years a popular house, is still open, and C. O. Page, one of the early settlers, is always happy to shake hands with the weary and hungry and ever ready to cater to their wants and pleasure. The Neenah Hotel, Wm. Hess, proprietor, the Union Hotel, by A. Pfeiffer (both Ger man), two commodious structures on Cedar street, and the Island City House, Mrs. Lach- man, proprietress, long and favorably known, at the depot, offer comfortable quarters to the traveler. SHIPPING FACILITIES — PUBLIC HALLS. In 1875 the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company constructed a side track the entire length of the water-power, by which each mill is enabled to load and unload cars direct from their own doors, thereby saving the enormous transfer bills between the mills and depot, and affording conveniences for shipping by railroad nowhere excelled. The handsome and commodious hall of the Schuetzen Bund, was erected in 1875, and dedicated in November, which, with the large hall in Pettibone Block, affords ample accom modations forpublic entertainments and amuse ments. The steam bakery of A. Loos, and omnibus manufactory of G. Olds, have also became permanent institutions ofthe place. EARLY RESIDENTS. Of the early residents not particularly men tioned we still find George Rogers in the jew elry and watch business. Mr. Rogers came here in 1847. Gotfredt Christensen, a settler of 1852, dealer in dry goods, notions, etc. Charles A. Leavens and James Callaghan, who both commenced business in the grocery trade in 1853 and still doing a successful business. James Monahan, who settled in Neenah in 1 85 1 , still running his blacksmith shop. The first Catholic service in Neenah was celebrated at his house, and he was largely instrumental in procuring the site for the church edifice, after ward erected. His wife was a woman highly esteemed by a large circle of acquaintances, and her death, which occurred in 1858, occas ioned the deepest grief in the community. Her family was an influential one, and one of her brothers represented the City of Drogheda, in the British House of Commons. John Hunt, still in business here, and one of Neenah's sub stantial and most reliable business men, with a wide circle of acquaintances and highly esteemed by all, for his kind heart and integ rity of character. Carl J. Kraby, who came to Neenah in 1849, and was subsequently appointed United States Consul to Norway, which position he held for several years, and returned to his old camping grounds, where he has long held the office of City Clerk, and was last year elected Register of Deeds of Winnebago County. Other old settlers and business men will be mentioned in connection with the business directory on subsequent pages. SCHOOLS. As has ' been stated, the fiist school taught within the present limits ofthe town of Neenah was in 1847. In 1855 there were two schools within the town, attended by one hundred and fifty-one scholars (number of teachers not given). In 1875, the public schools of the city were organ ized under a special act of the Legislature, dur ing the winter previous, and the "Free High School Act," the first of which provided for the election of a superintendent, by the quali fied voters of the city, who was also consti tuted president ex-ojficio of the Board of Edu cation, which was composed of one commis sioner from each ward, to be elected by the Common Council, In pursuance of this law, T. T. Moulton was elected superintendent, and the following persons commissioners: 208 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1875-79- Robert Shiells, Edward Smith, Jacob Bell and E. Giddings. The first meeting ofthe board was held July 10th, 1875, at the Council Room, and L. J. Dunn was elected clerk. September 1st, the schools were opened under this organization. At that time there were six school houses (two of brick); three of these were devoted to different grades in the High School department. The teachers were thirteen in number, of which H. A. Hobart was principal, and Miss F E. Hobart, assist ant. E. S. Starkweather, Jennie Jaquith, Carrie P. Emery, Anna Jones, Delia Darrow, Mattie Quinn, Marion L. Smith, Delia Meigs, Ella E. Hayward, Amy Warnes and Maria Bergstrom, as teachers in the various depart ments of the High and Ward schools. The total number of children between the ages of four and twenty years, was 643 male, and 636 female; total, 1,279. Of these 660 attended the public school. Since that time a new brick school house has been added to the number, in the Fourth Ward. Substantial additions have been made to others and the school grounds generally enlarged and improved. The present officers of the Board of Educa tion are as follows: J. B. Russell, superinten dent, and William Krueger, W. P. Peckham, G. H. Albee and George Danielson, commis sioners; Carl J. Kraby, clerk. The teachers are: H. A. Hobart, principal; Miss M. G. Van Olinda, assistant; Julia Bacon, Anna Jones, J. M. Montgomery. Maria Bergstrom, Delia Meigs, Jennie Wheeler, Mary Mcintosh, Mary Ager, Miss Ager, Amy Warnes and Isa E. Brown. There are at this time seven school houses — three in the High School department and one in each ward. The number of school children, that is those between the ages of four and twenty, residing in the city, was, according to the Superinten dent's report of 1878, 1,294. These schools are graded under a system requiring ten years for a full course, but a very important feature is added to this system, termed a "mixed school," permitting the pupil to take up any study, or drop it at pleasure, thereby giving such as can only attend a por tion of the year, an opportunity of educating themselves in such branches as may be deemed most suitable and desirable. The High School Building, now in course of construction, will be completed in time for the ensuing spring term, and will then take the place of four of the present buildings. This is a fine brick structure, and will cost, with furnaces and equipments, $25,000. See view of same in this work. The following description is from Superin tendent Barnett's report: " In largest dimensions it is one hundred feet square ancl contains eight class-rooms — five on the first floor, three on the second. Excepting the high-school room, they have a uniform height of thirteen feet. The former is fifteen feet high. On the first floor, on each side of the main corridor, in the front part of the building, is a class-room 27x33 feet in size, with two closets off each. Back of the cross corridor are three class rooms, each 27^x35. These corridors are respectfully 9 and 9^ feet in width. On the second floor, just above the first named class-room, are two more of like diminsions. Back of these is the high-school room, 36x52 feet in size, having two recitation rooms, 15^x28. Near these and in opposite sides of the building, are the Superintendent's office and library, each 11^x15 feet in size. " The arrangement of stairways at the ends of the cross cor ridor, with double-swinging doors lo intercept sound along the halls, is the best possible, to reduce to a minimum the noise of children passing up and down. The architect has been equally thoughtful in more important things, admitting light only from the rear and one side of the class-rooms, thus guarding the eyes of the pupil from the injury of direct light and of multiplied and angular shadows, caused by crossing rays of light. '' The heating of the building is the most perfect possible, J short of the most expensive system of steam heat. As the latter must have cost us very nearly twice as much, and as it has no corresponding superiority, it had to be left out of consideration- Three large furnaces are made to supply a sufficient amount of warm (not hot) air, to maintain that in the several class rooms at a temperature of 700, and to renew it every twenty minutes. The admission of hot air is made impossible by the construction of the furnaces, which, being of double thickness, never permit the outer surface to reach a red heat. " The air warmed is pure, because admitted to the furnaces directly from out-of-doors. It flows to the. several rooms through flues so large, that injurious currents within are obviated. " The system of ventilation is, I believe, as perfect as the present state of sanitary science will admit of." * * ****** " The report of the Finance Committee, appended, shows that there was on hand at the beginning of the school year $5,032.65. There has been received from all sources, includ ing $1,230 in outstanding orders, $19,301.92; giving atotal of of $24,334.57 . Of this there has been expended for all purposes, including contract payments upon new school building, and for heating apparatus, $13,939.70, leaving a balance in the treas ury of $10,394.87." CHURCHES. The first church organized in Neenah, was the Congregational, in 1847, with Rev. O. P. Clinton, pastor; followed by Revs. C. A. Adams, J. M. Wolcott, A. Lathrop, Hiram Marsh, J. E. Pond. In 1848 a Presbyterian Society was organ ized by Rev. H. M. Robertson, succeeded by Revs. J. H. Russell. H. B. Thayer, A. A. Dins- more, and J. C. Kelly, which brings the latter to 1870, and the Congregational to i860, when i8so 78. J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 209 it was reorganized as the Second Presbyterian, with Rev. J. E. Pond, pastor; after him came Revs. H. G. McArthur, James Bassett, J. H. Walker. In 1870, they were united under the name of First Presbyterian; Rev. J. E. Chapin became pastor, and still remains. The Methodist Society was organized in 1849, under Rev. Wm. H. Sampson, suc ceeded by Revs. Albert Baker, C, G. Lathrop, Samuel Lugg, C. W. Brooks, T. C. Wilson, L. L; Knox, J. H. Gaskill, J. H. Waldron, M. G. Bristol, W. J. Olmstead, J, T. Wood- head, N. J. Aplin, the present incumbent. The Baptist Church was organized in 1851, by Rev. Peter Prink, followed by Revs. James Anderson, James Follett, Luke Davis. In 1867, the Baptists ofthe two towns united in a church on the Island, Rev. O. W. Babcock presiding, followed by Revs. Benj. Freeman, H. T. Gilbert and T. T. Palmer. Trinity Episcopal, organized 1866, by Rev. Wm. D. Christian; services having been previ- ously'held by Rev. Simon Potter and Rev. Geo. Gibson. In 1869, the present church building was commenced under Rev. E. Peake, next after him was Revs. Geo. N. James, J. A. Deaven- port, H. M. Thompson, George Verner, J. W. Tays, and Geo. Gibson, officiating at the pres ent time. The organizations in 1878 were as follows: Presbyterian Methodist Baptist Episcopal ¦ Uuiversalist : Gertnan Evangelical Lutheran Evangelical Association of North America Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Danish German Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran (Trinity) Welsh Calvanistic Welsh Congregational Danish Baptist Seventh Day Adventists Norwegian Methodist -d m bo s s 1847 298 184S 70 I860 67 1866 21 1866 56 1865 80 1856 76 1871 70 1872 181 1874 45 1873 35 1«48 14 1861 18 1866 44 1870 27 1877 35 John E. Chapin W.J. Aplin Thomas T. Potter. . George Gibson ._. . . . C. L. Lombard Otto Hoger S. Kortemier O: C. Anderson N. Thompson J. Haach 3. C Jaoobsou . No resident Pastor. it a Lars Knudson. .... J. P. Jaspereon .... Henry Danielson . . . Making a total of sixteen religious societies, of .which fourteen have good houses of worship and resident pastors. CIVIC SOCIETIES OF NEENAH. Masonic — Island City Chapter No. 23, R. A. M. Kane Lodge, No. 61., F. & A. M. Odd Fellows — Neenah Lodge, No. 41. Rebekah Lodge, Doty Island Encampment, No. 43- Temperance — Crystal Lodge, No. 75, Good Templars; Neenah Temple of Honor; Neenah Division, Sons of Temperance, No. 154; Coral Workers, Juvenile Temple, No. 40: Miscellaneous- — Neenah Grange, No. 109, Scandinavian Library Association; Knights of Honor, Relief Lodge No. 383, Schuetzen Society. NEWSPAPERS. The first newspaper started on this side of the river was The Conservator , issued May 21, 1856, by Harrison Reed, editor and proprie tor, and was thus continued until 1858, when it was sold to B. S. Heath, and removed to Menasha. Republican in politics, it was largely devoted to the interests of this section. Mr. Reed was also a pionee reditor of the Milwau kee Sentinel and a popular writer. At the same time, May 21, 1856, W- H. Mitchell issued the first number of the Neenah Bulletin, which, however, was published but a short time, the place being then too small to sustain two papers. This was succeeded by the Neenah Democrat in 1858, published by D. Hyer, editor and proprietor; ably conducted but very unfortu nately located for that name. The next was the Island City Times, the first number appearing October 22, 1863, con ducted by J. N. Stone, in a very satisfactory manner, until July 15, 1870, when the press and materials were sold to Messrs. Tapley & Ritch, both editors of some experience. The name was changed to Winnebago County Press , and, in 1871, it was again sold to Menasha parties, and called The Menasha Press, and edited by Thomas Reid, until 1877. In 1871 or '72. Verbeck Brothers commenced the publication of a small sheet, called the Nee nah Times, which they enlarged and conducted until February 6, 1876, when the materials were purchased by Bowron & Maxwell, and a new name, The leetotaller, adopted. This lasted about eighteen months. , Upon the removal of the Winnebago County Press to Menasha, in 1 871, a new paper was started here by Charles H. Boynton, owner and editor, and called The Neenah Gazette. In April, 1874, G. A. Cunningham became asso ciated with Mr. Boynton, as owner and editor, and in August, 1875, purchasing the interest of Boynton, became sole proprietor, and thus continued until May 25, 1878, when, on account of failing health, he was compelled to dispose of the paper and sold to H. L. Webster, the present editor. Mr. Cunningham died within a few days (less than two weeks), after relinquishing his editor ial labors. After an interim of about five years, Mr. J. N. Stone, having conducted a paper at Appleton during that time, returned to Nee- 210 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. nah, and October 15, 1875, issued the first number of a new paper, under the name of Neenah News, and, upon the sale of the Nee nah Times, and change of name February 6, 1876, adopted the title Neenah City Times, under which it still continues to make its accus tomed rounds, and with the Gazette is all that remains to this place of the forgoing list. In the early part ofthe year 1879, Frank S. Verbeck removed his printing office from Win neconne to Neenah, and started the Neenah Herald, which he still publishes, making three newspapers in Neenah. IMPROVEMENTS. In the summer of 1878, the Neenah and Menasha Gas Company, J. D. Patton, Thomas and Henry Higgins, proprietors, commenced the construction of gas works, and on the twenty-fifth of December of that year the city was lighted. As this was the anniversary of the opening of the Schuetzen Hall, the events were celebrated by a grand illumination ofthe hall, and befitting festivities. In 1879, another flouring mill was erected, being that of Wolf, Walker & Co., on the site of the Sherry saw mill. Another improvement of the present year, is the enlargement of Patten's paper mill. The mill-race is also being enlarged and deepened at a cost of about seven thousand dollars. An event that will resound to the lasting credit of Neenah is the building of the fine High School building, now in course of con struction — a structure which will rank with the finest common school edifices in the State. See view of same in this work. Neenah is now making a substantial growth in business and population, while prosperity, business activity and progress is visible on every hand. CHAPTER LIV. [BY B. J. HABNEY.J Description of Neenah — Scenery, Location aud Historical Associations — Summer Resort — Water and Railroad Com munications — Manufactories — Business Houses — Illus trations and Personal Notices. »S«NE of the most charming localities in WffifB t'le West is tin: outlet of Lake Winne- ^^^P> bago, which, in addition to its pic turesque scenery, can claim the most interesting historic associations, with the very earliest events in the civilized occupancy of the continent. At this point, over two hundred years ago, was made the first treaty with the Indians of the West, and that, at so early a date, that the English set tlers on the sea coast had not penetrated the interior beyond the ranges of the Alle ghanies. Here Nicollet met the Winnebagoes and other tribes in council, in the year 1634 — nearly a hundred and fifty years before the American Revolution. Through this outlet Marquette and Joliet paddled their canoe in their famous voyage in 1673, which resulted in the discovery ofthe Upper Mississippi; and here, on the banks of the Little Buttes des- Morts, was fought the decisive battle between the French and the Foxes and Sauks — one of the most sanguinary encounters in Indian warfare, and which resulted in the expulsion of those tribes from the Fox valley and the occu pancy of this tract by the Menominees.* The head of the outlet is divided into two channels by Doty's Island, which is something over a square mile in extent. This Island and the shores of the mainland rise in a gentle elevation, and were originally covered with a luxuriant growth of native trees, includ ing oak, maple, elm, linden and hickory. A large portion of those have been preserved and the leafy verdure of grand oaks and elms on the shores of the lake and river form a charm ing contrast with -the sparkling waters of Lake Winnebago. The view of this outlet expand ing into the broad open lake, with its hand some wooded points, and the distant shores of Calumet is lovely beyond the power of description. On the mainland and Island is situated the City of Neenah, with a population of about four thousand. Its main business street presents a very handsome appearance, and is largely built up with fine substantial brick structures, as the view of the same in this work exhibits. Its larger mercantile establishments do a heavy business and -carry large stocks of goods. The residence streets are very handsome, and there are a large number of elegant resi dences, with tastefully laid-out grounds. One of the attractive features of the place is the original forest trees, embowering the houses and grounds in luxuriant foliage. Shade and ornamental trees have been largely planted to give additional adornment, and it is rare that a place can be found with so large a pro portion of palatial residences and which give *NoTE — See Pages 10 and 11 of " Early History of the Northwest, " in this work, for Nicollet's voyage to the Win nebago Country. Pages 32, 33, etc., for Discovery of the Mississippi. Page 48, for the Fox River Country, and Page 53, for the Battle .of Little Buttes des Morts. i879. 1 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 211 evidence of the wealth and taste of their occu pants. FACILITIES FOR A SUMMER RESORT. River Side Park, a view of which will be found in this work, is one ofthe loveliest spots in the West, and affords a delightful retreat in the summer months. This locality is now one ofthe most popular summer resorts, and attracts many visitors from abroad. The lake affords the finest yachting facilities and good fishing. The air is salubrious and exhilirating, and the adjoining country, and especially the lake shore, furnish most delightful carriage drives. John Robert's summer resort on the Island, the old home of Governor Doty, is famous as one of the most popular watering-places, and is well patronized. The Russell House, a fine commodious structure, and one of the best kept hotels in the country, affords comforts and conveniences to satisfy the most fastidious guests. Views of both these places will be found in this wdrk. WATER AND RAILROAD COMMUNICATIONS. The situation of the place on the line of water communication, so fully described in these pages, gives it steamboat communication with Lake Michigan to the East, and with the tributary waters of Lake Winnebago, in west ern and northern directions. Its railroad and shipping facilities are unexcelled, through the medium of the Chicago and Northwestern and Wisconsin Central. MANUFACTORIES. The crowning glory of Neenah is its fine water power, with Lake Winnebago for an exhaustless reservoir and feeder. There are no freshets, the flow of water being gradual and regular, and its volume so large that no formation of ice ever interrupts the working of its machinery. This city is now one of the chief manufac turing centers ofthe State; its river shore is one continuous line of mammoth manufactor ies, and its manufactures of flour and paper are industries of immense magnitude, as the following list of mills and statistics of manu factures will show. FLOURING MILLS. There are seven flouring mills. The names of the firms are as follows: Krueger & Davis, Smith & Proctor, D. L. Kimberly, J. A. Kimberly & Co., Clement & Stevens, C. W. Howard, Wolf, Walker & Co. These seven mills manufacture on an average per day, an aggregate of 1,425. barrels of flour. Their actual yearly manufacture reaches the immense amount of 427,500 barrels, with an average value of six dollars per barrel — amounting to the sum of $2,565,000. At the present prices, the yearly product of the Neenah flouring mills would aggregate over three million of dollars. These mills are chiefly large, substantial structures with all the modern improvements in flouring mill machinery, to which within the last two years, has Jaeen added the new patent machinery for the manufacture of patent flour. Patent flour now constitutes about eighty per cent, of their product. In connection with the mills, are a number of large cooper shops, in which are employed about 150 hands, and with the product of the barrel factory, turning out about 1,500 barrels per day — in itself an industry of large propor tions. About ninety hands are employed in the flouring mills, which with the number engaged in cooperage, make about 240 hands in connection with that industry. PAPER MILLS. Another branch of vast importance is the manufacture of paper. There are four large paper mills, viz: The Winnebago Paper Mills, (a stock company); A. W. Patten's mill, the Globe Mill and the Neenah Mills. These employ some fifty hands each, making two hundred in all, and produce in the aggregate, twenty-two thousand pounds of print and book paper per day, amounting to 6,600,000 pounds per year, and aggregating a value of $495,000. The receipts of paper rags per day are over twenty tons. FOUNDRIES There are two foundries, those of Wm. Aylward and Bergstrom Bros. & Co.'s Stove Works; the latter an extensive concern, em ploying about twenty moulders, and about fifty hands in all. STAVE AND BARREL STOCK FACTORY Of Theodore Brown, is another large establish ment, turning out twenty thousand dressed staves per day, and employing forty-five hands. He also employs about twenty hands in making flour barrels. PLANING MILLS, AND SASH AND DOOR FACTORIES. E. F. Weickert, J. A. Sanford. The aggre gate yearly value of the manufactures of these two factories, is about $20,000. MISCELLANEOUS. Among the miscellaneous branches of manufacture are the machine shop of John^ 212 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879- son & Jamison, omnibus factory of G. Olds, Adam Ergot's Brewery, two brick yards and the various mechanic shops. MERCANTILE HOUSES OF NEENAH. Banks — One bank of issue, the National bank of Neenah. Dry Goods — The number of dry goods houses is eight. Some of these deal exclusively in dry goods and others in mixed merchan dise, and several of them are spacious, well stocked establishments, doing a very large business. Drugs — There are four drug stores and some of them are elegantly fitted up. Hardware — Four hardware stores, large concerns, and well stocked. Clothing — There are three clothing stores, some of them in connection with merchant tailoring. Boots and Shoes — Two boot and shoe stores well stocked. Groceries — There are fifteen grocery stores, several of them fine establishments with large stocks and doing a good business. Jewelry — Two stores in this branch. Musical Merchandise — One music store. Stationery and Books — One stationery store. Agricultural Implements — Two houses doing business in this line. Furniture — Three furniture warerooms, carrying fine stocks. Flour and Feed — Two stores. Harness and Saddlery Hardware — Four in this line of business. Wholesale Liquor Store — One establish ment. There are in addition to the above, the pro portionate number of millinery, confection eries, tobacconists, bakers, meat markets, etc. For agents, professional men and names of all business and manufacturing firms, see classified business directory of Neenah in last pages. ILLUSTRATIONS. On another page will be found a view of the fine residence of Hon. A. H. F. Krueger. Mr. Krueger emigrated from Crivitz, Mecklen- burgh-Schwerin, to the State of New York in 1848, and resided there until the fall of 1850, when he moved to the town of Clayton, in this county, where he settled on a tract of new land, which he cleared and converted into a fine farm, and on which he resided eighteen years. In the fall of 1868, he moved to Nee nah, and in partnership with Mr. Stridde erected the Island City Flouring Mill, and has since that time been engaged in the milling business. The product of his mill averages two hundred barrels of flour per day. Mr. Krueger is regarded as one ofthe most prominent and public-spirited citizens of Nee nah, and among the foremost in promoting public enterprises. He has served in several public capacities; first, as a school commis sioner, which position he held for nine years; next, as one ofthe village trustees, then as alderman, under the city organization, during the years 1874 and 1875. In 1876, he was elected Mayor of the city, and again elected Mayor in 1878, and is now the nominee of his party for Member of Assembly. He was chiefly instrumental in securing the erection ofthe Schuetzen Hall, which gives Neenah a fine and capacious hall for public entertainments. He was also one of the most zealous and persistent of those who advocated the construction ofthe New High School build ing, which is a credit to the city. . Mr. Krue ger is also noted for his generous benefactions to the poor and unfortunate, and for his readi ness to aid all who merit assistance. It is such-men who leave enduring monu ments of their existence, and who, when they have passed away from the scenes of their earthly labors, linger in the memory as a pleas ant recollection. Mention has already been made ofthe Rus sell House, which is illustrated in this work. Mr. J. B. Russell, the enterprising proprietor, came from St. Lawrence County, New York, his native place, to the town of Clayton, in this county, in the spring of 1 85 1 , where he set tled on a new farm, which he improved and on which he lived till 1868, when he moved to the village of-Neenah, where he has since resided. In Neenah he first engaged in the mercan tile business, which he followed for six years. At the end of that time he purchased the Dol- sen House, a brick hotel on the present site of the Russell House, which he had taken down brick by brick, and in 1875, built the present elegant hotel, the Russell House. Mr. Russell is one of Neenah 's most( enterprising citizens, and a very popular landlord. He has fre quently served in capacities of public trust, and is now City Superintendent of Schools, and the nominee of his party for Member of Assembly. Among the illustrations in this work is that of John Roberts' Summer Resort. This delight ful place has been mentioned in the general description of Neenah. It is the Governor Doty place, which Mr. Roberts purchased, and on which he erected, in 1877, the present fine hotel. It is now one of the most popular resorts in the country. The facilities for boat- .MkiJ — ? ;;?.; jy: V i L-^ m y> Wm;- Sifc*S* ferjlb^ ¦« am — 31 If S- ./.9k >M, ... T^.v*<.r-n - ""itk<«ia*^r/ ^ ' my mm v:v'v. il .'. -N...-_ ' k.-2'-v. •'',''•.# ™- ittf '" "'"¦ ^7***s^? Ii ii'I #1 :' K ?f»fc; - «-s? m. ;-•//. ^fv ^--i'^^v^-^-vv^-: V v-.-!: -V r-v v": v V- '-:-¦¦ ; ¦ ¦ -:v -'. :V -; . -..V :-V ..-.-V-v:; - .?:.;-.: r .; v v : '-Vvw V-; ... .. • VW-J .^ ifS ': -t„ ffll*iJ last.. -isaL«K***«*.**f '**¦.» • -*mm« jgfij^v-^^#iEfe _¦_ :v__ _j __ ¦"¦';' . Roberts', Summer Resort, on Dorrs Island,Neenah, Wis. Jno. Roberts,Prop. OLD COUNCIL TREE .1836-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 213 ing and fishing are unexcelled, and the delight ful surroundings afford the greatest attraction for the summer tourist. Mr. Roberts has represented his Ward in the County Board of Supervisors to the full est satisfaction of his constituents, and is now serving his third term as alderman. Among the early settlers of this county is Doctor I. H. Wright, now ofthe City of Nee nah. Doctor Wright moved from Ohio to Oshkosh, in August, 1847. There was at the time no passable road from Fond du Lac to Oshkosh, and he came from the former to the latter place in a row-boat. Shortly after his arrival in Oshkosh, he commenced the prac tice of his profession, which he followed for over twenty-five years in that place, and then went on a tour through the southwest, passing about two years in traveling and sojourning in that section, arid during which time he opened up a farm near Salina, Kansas. He traveled extensively in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and other sections, but found no locality so attractive and desirable as a place of residence, as his much-loved Wiscon sin, and he returned to his old home with an enlarged appreciation of its delightful and healthful climate, its picturesque scenery and material advantages. His family having resided in Oshkosh dur ing his travels, he remained in that place about a year after his return, and in 1875 removed to Neenah, where he he has since resided, fol lowing the practice of his profession. There are few men more widely known in this county than Doctor Wright, who is highly esteemed by a host of friends who have known him for more than a quarter of a century. TOWN OF NEENAH. [COMPILED FOB THIS WOBE BY WM. WEBSTER.] CHAPTER LV. Early History — Physical Description — Organization — Early Settlers — First Births, Marriages, Etc. gHE Town of Neenah, organized Febru ary 11, 1847., by an act ofthe territor ial legislature, embraced Township Twenty (20), Ranges Sixteen and Sev enteen (16 and 17), and the north half of Township Nineteen (19), Ranges Sixteen and Seventeen (16 and 17). In 1849, it was reduced by the setting off and organiza tion ofthe towns of Vinland and Clayton; and in 1855, the Town of Menasha was taken from her limits; so, that at the present time, the Town of Neenah comprises about seventeen sections and a half, of which eleven sections are in Township Twenty (20), north, Range Seventeen (17), east, and nearly six and a half sections in Township Nineteen (19), Range Seventeen (.17). It is bounded on the north by Menasha, east by Lake Winnebago, south by Vinland, and west by Clayton. Originally covered by a heavy growth of hardwood timber, along the eastern and southern portion, consisting of oak, hard maple, ironwood, hickory, elm, bass- wood, ash and butternut, with oak openings in the northwest. It is now largely under a good state of cul tivation, with a rich vegetable soil, overlying a deep subsoil of clay, producing fine crops of wheat, rye, oats, barley and hops; is well adapted to grazing and most kinds of fruit are successfully raised. Watered by the lake and river on the north and east, a good supply of water is obtained at a depth often to twenty feet below the sur face. Limestone is readily obtained along the lake shore in the eastern portion of the town, and a good quality of clay for brick-making on the shore of Lake Buttes des Morts, which is being utilized to a 'considerable extent. The surface, well elevated above the water courses, is sufficiently rolling to afford good and inexpensive drainage and a pleasing variety to the eye. The land lying south ofthe south channel of Fox River was first obtained from the Menom- onee Indians, by treaty at Cedar Rapids, Sep tember, 1836, ratified by Congress and pro claimed February 15, 1837, and surveyed by Gerret Vliet, under the direction of A. G. Ellis, Surveyor-General, in 1839. October 2, 1843, it was offered for sale at the United States Land Office, Green Bay (except the reservation at Winnebago Rapids), the offer remaining open until October 14, when it was withdrawn (such as was not sold). The reservation comprised so much of the following sections as was lying west and south of Lake Buttes des Morts and the south chan nel, to-wit: sections 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 21, 22, 26, 27, 34 and 35. The lands offered for sale October 2, 1843, as already mentioned, were again offered, sub ject to private entry, on the twelfth day of January, 1846. In the meantime a portion of the reserva tion had been sold to Harrison Reed, which 214 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [ 1 844.-48. sale was fully consummated in July, 1846, (see City of Neenah.) This sale included all south of the lake in Sections 21 and 22, north half of Section 16, the north fraction of Section 26, and all of Section 27, except the south half of the south west quarter, and the south half of the south east quarter. The remainder of the reservation was subject to private entry, on or after December 28, 1846. As already stated the town was organized by the Legislature in 1847, and the first elec tion was held at the mill house of L. H. Jones, April 6, 1847. Cornelius Northrup was chosen chairman and Harrison Reed, secretary. After some preliminary business, the proceedings were certified to by Northrup, chairman, and D. M. Montgomery, town clerk. The polls were then opened for the election of town officers, and sixty-five votes were cast, resulting in the election of James D. Doty, chairman; James Ladd and Salem T. Holbrook, supervisors; D. M. Montgomery, town clerk; Perine Yale, treasurer; Henry M. Filley, Cor nelius Northrup and L. H Jones, Assessors; L. B. Brian, collector; Milton Huxley, Eras- tus Seymour and John T. Sanborn, school commissioners, Lucius A. Donaldson, Samuel Mitchell and Alfred Hubbard, Justices of the Peace. At a special election held at the house of James Ladd, in the Town of Neenah, Septem ber 18, 1847, the following town officers were elected, Cornelius Northrup, chairman, and H. C. Finch, supervisor. Although no record seems to exist showing cause for this election, it is probable that James D. Doty and Salem T. Holbrook neg lected to qualify; and Northrup and Finch were elected to fill the vacancies. At a meeting of the supervisors September 30, 1847, it appearing that there is a vacancy in the office of town clerk, by the removal of Montgomery from the town, Herbert Reed was appointed to fill the vacancy. At this meeting the town was divided into five school districts. The same number of road districts having been established at the organic election. October 6, 1847, Herbert Reed resigned the office of town clerk. November 29, 1847, Lucius A. Donaldson seems to have acted in the capacity of town clerk, and continued to do so, although no record is found to show by what authority. The first white family making a permanent settlement within the present limits of the town was that of George H. Mansur, in June, 1844. (For a complete history of his advent see City of Neenah.) Mr. Mansur's family seems to have been the only population within the present limits, until 1846, when G. P. Vining, George Harlow (both without families), Ira Baird, Stephen Hartwell and Salem T. Holbrook, selected farms and moved on to them. From this time the growth of population was rapid and very largely composed of young, industrious and energetic men from the Eastern States. Many of these early settlers we have noticed in the early days of the city, and unable to ascertain the date of their settlement in the surrounding country, can only say, that, while numbers eventually moved out, others remained until they suddenly found themselves within the limits of a city. In 1847. a building was erected for a store, on the south east quarter of Section 20, near the present residence of Mr. William Tipler; but after a year's experience the enterprise was abandoned, and, in 1848, a school was opened in the same building — the first public school within the limits of the town, and was taught by Miss Caroline Boynton, that year and 1849. Miss Boynton soon after became the wife of Deacon Samuel Mitchell, of whom mention is made in the sketch of the city, as a pioneer, in 1846. The first birth in the town was that of Greenville K., son of George H. and Mary Mansur, August' 3, 1845. The first female child born here was Helen, daughter of Asahel Jenkins, in June, 1848. The first death occurred in December, 1849, that of Mrs. H. Houghton. The first post-office was established March 14, 1844, being long prior to any town or vil- village organization. Harrison Reed was appointed postmaster, and Simon Quatermass, now residing in Vinland, was the first mail car rier. Mr. Reed held the office until April 1, 1847, 1 when he was succeeded by John F. Johnston, who, at the expiration of six months, resigned in favor of H. C. Janes, and he, in turn, gave place to H. C. Finch in 1848, when the office was removed to the store of J. R. and H. L. Kimberly, the latter and Earl P. Finch (now residing at Oshkosh, but at that time a clerk in the store), served as deputies. The next office, and the only one within the present lim its of the town, was established at Snell's, a station on the Northwestern Railroad, May 4, 1876, and called Snell's Station. David Reed was appointed postmaster. 1835-48. J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 215 The track of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was laid through the town in i860, and passing through the hardwood belt in the eastern portion of the town, afforded an excel lent market for wood. / Soon after the completion of the road, an establishment for the manufacture of barrel stock was erected, and a side-track laid for con venience of shipping. After running for a year or two, this manu facturing establishment was blown up, and so far destroyed that no attempt was made to rebuild, but the place became a railroad sta tion, situated on the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section Eight. A comparative statement of population, schools and valuation, would be oflittle impor tance here, in consequence of the frequent changes of boundaries prior to 1862. The present town officers are, Geo. Hallow, chairman; George ZemlockandA. W. Collins, supervisors; C. A. Tuller, clerk; G. P. Vin ing, assessor; Frank Heigel, treasurer; G. H. Mansur, David Doyle and David W. Thomas, justices. HISTORY OF CITY OF MENASHA. [COMPILED FOB THIS WOBK. BY WM. N. WEBSTER.] CHAPTER LVI. The Early History of Menasha — Purchase of Site — Com mencement of ) mprovemen ts — First House Built — First School, and First Rtligious Services — First Birth — Rivalry between Menasha and Neenah for the Location of the State Canal — Menasha Secures the Prize — Store Opened — Post Office Established — Dam Completed — First Saw-mill in Operation — First Grist Mill — More Manufactories Established — Steamboat Built — • Plank Road and Bridge Constructed — Government Land Office Established at Menasha — The Village Incorporated — Distinguished Residents — Captain McKinnon's Blooded Stock — Increased Transportation Facilities — Completion of Canal. jHE soil upon which the City of Menasha now stands, was first offered for sale by the United States, August 31, 1835, and was bid off at prices ranging from five to ten dollars per acre, evincing an unusual confidence in the future import ance of this locality. The Hon. James Duane Doty, long acquainted with this section, became the owner of a large portion of the present site. By an act approved February 8th, 1847, the Legislature granted authority for the construc tion of a dam across each channel of the Fox River from the Island to the mainland. This authority was obtained through the efforts of Gov. Doty, who had long foreseen the import- tance and value of this immense water power, associating with himself Harvey Jones and Harrison Reed, who had become owners of the property on the south side, and Curtis Reed who was particularly identified with Doty on the north side. Disagreements soon sprang up between the two interests, in consequence of which Doty and Reed, through Mr. Reed, procured a new charter, March 10, 1848, and the repeal of the old charter, so far as it related to the dam on the north side. COMMENCEMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS. In June 1848, Mr. Reed came here for the purpose of improving the water power, and locating a village thereon. He at once com menced the erection of a log house, near the head of the present canal, which when com pleted was occupied by Clark Knight as a tavern and boarding house. About this time the place was named by the wife of Governor Doty, " Menasha," signifying " an island. " At this time that portion of the present town, lying north and east of the lake and river, was an unbroken wilderness, untouched by the hand of man, except that two months prev iously Mr. Cornelius Northrup had erected a slab house, by placing two vertical courses of slabs with their flat sides together, and was occupying it. This stood in the center of what is now known as Milwaukee street, at the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section fifteen, within Reed's addition to the city of Menasha. The same year Mr. Reed put up a log building which he occupied as a store, and commenced the construction ofthe present dam. Before the close of the year, Philo Hine, George Stickles, Thomas and William Brother hood, Henry C. Tate, I. M. Naricong, Wil liam Geer, J. H. Trude, Uriah Clinton, Henry Alden, John B. Lajest and Jeremiah Hunt, had settled here. The latter, and some ofthe others had brought their families. Elbridge Smith also came in October, and immediately commenced the erection of the first frame building, situated on Canal Street, and which was so far completed at Christmas, that a dance was held within its walls. FIRST FRAME BUILDING — FIRST SCHOOL — F'IRST RELIGIOUS SERVICES — THE MENASHA HOUSE. The first frame building was also the first devoted to the practice of the legal profession; in it was .also, taught the first school within 216 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i 848:49- the present limits of the town. This was a private school, taught by Miss Hettie Frost, the pupils, "as in duty bound," each bringing their mite to the extent of one shilling per week, as tuition fee. This building has a long unwritten historical record of the early day which we are compelled to omit for want of space. The first divine services was conducted during the fall, in the log tavern, by Rev. O. P. Clinton, the bar and sitting room being thrown open for the occasion. During the services several persons came into the bar room for spiritual consolation of a different order; such as they had heretofore sought every day in the week, and probably had never been so disappointed. Mr. Clinton noticing their anxiety, gave them a lesson of patience and self-denial, by extending his discourse to an unusual length. A Lyceum was organized during the winter, at what has ever since been known as the Menasha House, commenced in the fall of 1848, by H. C. Tate, occupied during the winter and completed in the spring of 1849, the first frame hotel in the place. At this first meeting of the Lyceum, Jeremiah Hunt was elected President. This, so far as now known, was the initial point of Jeremiah's political aspirations. During the fall of 1848, the Rev. O. P. Clinton moved to his present residence on the Island. ACCESSION TO THE POPULATION — VILLAGE SITE SURVEYED AND PLATTED. In 1 849, the census of Menasha was increased by the arrival of A. D. Page, S. L. Hart, Ed O'Connell, Wm. Hughes, Henry Axtel, Abel" Keyes, L. A. Donaldson, Lyman Fargo, Jos. W. Thombs, J A. Sanford, W. P. Rounds, and Ed. Decker. This year the first mill was commenced, a sawmill on the north side ofthe dam, built by Cornelius Northrop and Harri son Reed, completed 1850. The village having been surveyed and platted, the first plat recorded was on the 28th day of May, 1849, Charles Doty, proprietor. The hotel now standing on the north side of the public square, was commenced this year by Ed. Decker and Henry Axtel, completed the next year, and called the Decker House. FIRST BIRTHS — FIRST DEATHS. The first birth within the little settlement was that of Lydia M. Hunt, a daughter of Jeremiah Hunt, February 22, 1849. The following July, a family by the name of McCollum, was increased in numbers by the birth of a daugher, who was named Menasha. The first death also occurred in the same fam ily, iniMiay, 1849, that of Fannie McCollum. STRIFE ON THE LOCATING OF STATE CANAL. During this year occurred the memorable strife between the proprietors of the north and south sides for the location ol the. State canal, which was to connect the navigable waters of Lake Winnebago and Buttes des Morts. Har vey Jones, as one of the proprietors of Nee nah, offering to complete the work without expense to the State in consideration of its location on that side, while Curtis Reed, in behalf of the proprietors ofthe Menasha inter est, made the same offer with the further inducement of $5,000 to be expended in repairs of canal, locks and dams, as it became necessary. During the year Mr. Reed's offer was accepted, and the work commenced. It has been stated as a matter of "history and inter est, fully appreciated by early settlers, that Mr. Reed not only failed to pay the $5,000, but by some sharp management, afterward received pay for the work done, all of which had been offered as a free gift. " This is unqualifiedly, false, as the records fully show. In 1853, the entire improvement was turned over by the State to a company, as is well known. At the request of the company, Mr. Reed's contract was relinquished. Mr. Reed had originally contracted with the State to construct a canal sixty feet wide on the bot tom, and a lock thirty- five feet wide by one hundred and thirty feet in length. At a later date the State enlarged the plan ofthe canal to one hundred feet width on the bottom,, and the lock to one hundred and sixty feet in length. Much of this additional excavation had been completed by Mr. Reed, which was to be deducted from the $5,000, or paid for. And now comes the Improvement Company to set tle with Mr. Reed, in place ofthe State. In lieu of the balance of the labor and the $5 ,0oo, Mr. Reed and his associates conveyed the right of way for the canal, which had before only been conveyed by implication, and transferred the dam, reserving the right to all surplus water for hydraulic purposes which -they had never parted with, and the right to which had never been disputed by the State or the com pany. STORE OPENED — POST-OFFICE ESTAB LISHED — DAM COMPLETED — FIRST SAW-MILL PUT IN OPERATION — FIRST GRIST MILL. ' John McCune engaged in trade this sea son, 1849, with a stock of general merchandise. 1 8.49-79-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 217 In the fall of 1849, a post-office was estab lished, and James R. Lush appointed post master. The office was carried in Jimmy's hat, and it wasn't a large hat, either. In the winter of 1849-50, was instituted the first public , school, taught by Mrs. Henry Alden. In 1850. the dam was completed, and the Reed and Northrop mill placed in successful operation. H. A. Burts, having, on the first of Febru ary, removed from Neenah to his present resi dence, soon interested himself with H. Reed, built an addition to the mill, and starting on foot for Milwaukee, one hundred miles, con tracted for machinery for a grist-mill, and returned as he went (on foot), the only method of travel at the time, making the journey in one week. This was the first grist-mill built here. Lyman Fargo and J. W. Thombs com menced the erection of a foundry and machine shop this year. The Slocum saw-mill was completed within the year, and Potter and Duchman commenced their saw-mill, which was completed the next season ;this, in 1877. gave place to the paper- mill at the south end ofthe dam. The old pio neer saw-mill of Reed & Northrop, and grist mill of Reed & Burts, have long since passed away, and on the same ground stands the com modious three-story flouring mill of A. Symes, containing eight runs of stones, while the Slocum mill having fulfilled its mission, is only known among the things that were, the site being occupied by the planing-mill of Rohrer & Co. , NEW. ARRIVALS — STEAMBOATS BUILT — MORE MANUFACTORIES ESTABLISHED. In the spring-ot 1850, S. S. Robymade his advent, following mercantile pursuits almost continuously to the present time. Soon after the organization ofthe town, Mr. Roby was elected its treasurer, a position which he filled acceptably until honors became a burden. A large dredge-boat built here during the past spring and winter was put in commission early in the season by the State, and engaged in dredging the Upper Fox River. June 25, of this year, the Hon. John Potter became a resident and hung out his shingle as attorney and counselor, where he resided until the time of his death, which occurred in January, 1879. Honors were lavishly bestowed upon him, having filled the office of Justice of the Peace continuously since 185 1 with the exception of one term. that of village clerk many years, supervisor of the town, chairman of the Town Board of Supervisors andby virtue of which he became a member of the County Board. He was also twice elected Member of Assembly, from the Second District of Winnebago County. Charles Roeser opened a grocery store this this year on Tayco Street, near the canal. The steamboat John Mitchel was built here this year, by Captain James Harris, and was the first steamboat to make the passage of the Upper Fox River to Fort Winnebago, which she accomplished in the spring of 185 1. Ira C. Eldridge also, located here and at once, with his sons, established the first furni ture factory, and after a long and laborious life, has at last yielded to nature's call, even while these lines are being penned. Late in the fall, E. D. Smith and J. B. Doane opened a general store a short distance West of Tayco Street, fronting on the street running along the north bank of the canal. A pail and tub factory commenced the past winter, was put in operation by Beckwith, Sanford and Billings, and, connected with this enterprise, we find a relic which we quote here verbatim: Menasha, June 19, 1850. For value on demand, we jointly and severally promise to pay Marsena Temple, or bearer, one hundred arid fifty dollars, to be paid in one year from date, with interest at fifty per cent. per annum, until paid. [Signed] Nathan Beckwith. Joseph A. Sanford. C. W. Billings. And this was secured by a mortgage on the pail factory property, and the residence of One ofthe signers. Joseph Keyes, with his son Abel, erected a, saw-mill, now owned and occupied by Web ster & Lawson, after changing hands many times. Carlton and Cleveland B. Bachelder located here, and commenced the. construction of a kiln for burning potter's ware, which they put in full blast in 1850, obtaining clay from Ohio. In March 1850, George. Cameron, now- residing in Oshkosh, and L. ,M. Taylor, engaged in some kind of mercantile enterprise, whether dry goods, groceries or hardware, we are not informed, but probably as was usual in those days, a general stock. William Smith, better known as " Billy Smith," came here May 1st, and opened a large stock of clothing, the first establishment of that kind. In 1852, he had two very good frame buildings, one of which he occupied as i a store, when some drunken men in an adjoin ing building carelessly set it on fire, and Smith's worldly effects were all involved in the general 28 218 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i85o-53- destruction. He was the second German that settled here, Joseph Dudler having pre ceded him by about two weeks. He has always been active in politics, though never seeking honors for himself. And still another: Melancthon Burroughs, after officiating in the Winnebago Hotel at Neenah one year, and getting out the frame for a warehouse in the meantime, took up his residence here, in the Decker House, June 15, 1850, and with that frame erected the first warehouse in Menasha. It was burned in the summer of 1852. Adler & St. John, erected the house soon after purchased by Mr. Burroughs, and by him long occupied as a hotel, and to this time as a residence. Water communication was up to this time the only connection with the outside world during the summer, with the exception of an occa sional fording of the two channels near the upper end of Doty Island, and even this at times had a very strong resemblance to water communication. A skiff was run around the foot of the Island, serving as a ferry between Menasha and Neenah. This was conducted by Edward Lull, who has since passed through successive promotions until he is now a cap tain in the United States Navy. This ferry was continued through the season of 185 1. In 1-851, Thomas Price built a cabinet fac tory, about three hundred feet west of the lower bridge, leading to the Island. An attempt was made in the spring to con struct a bridge across the Neenah channel, just above Governor Doty's residence. Cribs were placed in position and stringers laid, but the ice soon demolished the whole fabric. The same year, Thomas Armstrong and George Stickles erected" a saw mill, long since passed away. The site is now occupied by a turning shop. The steamer Menasha was built here during the past winter and spring, by Doty, the Reeds and others, for the express benefit of this locality, The Peytona, running, the sea son previous, to Neenah, with an occasional trip to Menasha, as suited the captain; but the building ofthe Menasha soon brought about a different state of things, the Peytona run ning regularly to both places, and this again created a competition in the Menasha trade, in consequence of which, Reed and James Doty constructed a dock and warehouse during the fall. History can never do justice to these old relics of by-gone days. Where, now, are O'Connell, Decker, Roby, H. Smith, E. Smith, and others, of that day? During this season the mails were trans ported between Menasha and Appleton by sailboat, under the command of Gabe Capron, and this was the only means of conveyance for passengers. From and after about August 1st, the steamer Van Ness Barlow was put in commission, and run the balance of the season between Menasha and Grand Chute, in connection with the steamer Menasha; the distance from Grand Chute to Kaukauna, eleven miles, was made by stage, and from thence to Green Bay by steamboat. The Fargo flouring mill, on the bank of Lake Buttes des Morts, was commenced this year by Lyman Fargo and J. W. Thombs. This mill was completed in 1853, but was not supplied with water until 1854, when it was run until 1865 or 1866, and abandoned. In 1852, Elisha D. Smith purchased the pail factory, before mentioned, built around it and over it, supplied new machinery and added largely to its capacity. PLANK-ROAD AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTED. Captain L. B. McKinnon, of the Royal English Navy, came here this year, and pur chased largely of Menasha property, also, a farm, near Clifton, at the north end of Lake Winnebago, and made arrangements for'build- ing a plank-road to Appleton, and furnished the means with which it was completed this season. A bridge was also constructed across the Menasha channel, from Tayco Street to the Island, the Neenah people having built across their channel, on the present site, the year previous. A road had also been cut through the woods, across the Island, in 1851. LAND OFFICE — VILLAGE INCORPORATED. October, 1852, the United States Land Office was removed from Green Bay to this place. Alex. Spaulding was the register, and Edgar Conklin, the receiver of the office, at' this time. An act of the Legislature, dated July 5, 1853, incorporated the Village of Menasha, dividing it into two wards. The first election for village officers was held the same month, of which no record is found, but, on the twenty-fifth of the month, the first meeting ofthe trustees was held, at which we find officiating.: Curtis Reed, president; Leon ard Williams, Isaac Hough and Urial Clinton, trustees ofthe First Ward; Lyman Fargo, Wal ter Cranston and Carlton Bachelder, trustees ofthe Second Ward. At this meeting J. W. Thombs was elected clerk. 1853-71 ¦] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 219' Being too late in the season for the collec tion of taxes by village authority, there seems to have been no assessors or treasurer elected this year. The succeeding officers were as follows: Z854 — Curtis Reed, president; John Potter, Jr., clerk; J. L. Bishop, treasurer; Edward Freeman, S. S. Roby, J. Hough, trustees First Ward; H. A. Burts, R. Hampson, N. Clinton, trustees Second Ward. 1855 — Josesph Turner, president; John Potter, Jr., clerk; J. L. Bishop, treasurer; Curtis Reed, J. Hough, Chas. Doty, trustees First Ward; Cleveland Bachelder, H. A. Burts, G. W. Stickles, trustees Second Ward. 1856 — Joseph Turner, president; Elbridge Smith, clerk; C. Bachelder, treasurer; Isaac Hough, Chas. Doty, O. J. Hall, trustees First Ward; H. A. Burts, Wm. Fuss, Calvin Bach elder, trustees Second Ward. 1857 — Joseph Turner, president; Henry Decker, clerk; G. W. Fay, treasurer; O. J. Hall, G. H. Clark, W. R. Ellis, trustees First Ward; H. Hewitt, W. F. Bauer, Abel Keyes, trustees Second Ward. 1858 — Curtis Reed, president; Geo. B. Goodwin, clerk; G. W. Fay, treasurer; E. D. Smith, Elbridge Smith, John H. Fuss, trustees First Ward, Able Keyes, Michael Hogan, Pat O'Malley, trustees Second Ward. 1859 — John A. Bryan, president, Geo. B. Goodwin, clerk; G. W. Fay, treasurer; S. M. Bronson, E. Ward( John H. Fuss, trustees First Ward; Abel Keyes, F. Loscher, B. G. Mathewson, trustees Second Ward. i860 — Jobn A. Bryan, president; A. N. Lincoln, clerk; G. W. Fay, treasurer; E. D. Smith, John Potter, Jr., Ignatz Trilling, trus tees First Ward; Abel Keyes, F. Loscher, Chas. Colborne, trustees Second Ward. 1861 — Charles Doty, president; Charles Gercher, clerk; G. W Fay, treasurer; E. D. Smith, Curtis Reed, I. W. Fisher, trustees First Ward; M. Hogan, Abel Keyes, Phillip Sensenbrenner, trustees Second Ward. 1862 — Charles Doty, president; G. H. Clark, clerk; H. B. Eldridge, treasurer; E. D. Smith, O. J. Hall, Julius Fieweger, trustees First Ward; Thomas Mitchell, P. V. Lawson, A. Nuesbecker, trustees Second Ward. i86j — E. D. Smith, president; G. H. Clark, clerk; S. S. Roby, treasurer; R. M. Scott, E. Ward, Ignatz Trilling, trustees First Ward; P. V. Lawson, T. Mitchell, Wm. Rabb, trus tees Second Ward. 1864. — E. D. Smith, president; Elbridge Smith, clerk; H. B. Eldridge, treasurer; R. M. Scott, I. W. Fisher, W. N. Webster, trustees First Ward; J. A. Sanford, T.Mitchell, P. Sensenbrenner, trustees Second Ward. 1865 — Curtis Reed, president; Jos. Turner, clerk, H. B. Eldridge, treasurer; Wm. Fuss, Norman Thatcher, I. W. Fisher, trustees First Ward; T. Mitchell, H. A. Burts, P. Sensen brenner, trustees Second Ward. 1866 — Curtis Reed, president; L. P. Boyd, clerk; Chas. May, treasurer. No record of election and none of any action, except by John FitzGibbon, trustee First Ward; P. Sen senbrenner, trustee Second Ward. 1867 — No record of election, but same officers continued to act. 1868 — John Potter, Jr., president; L. P. Boyd, clerk, F. Schuellen, trustee First Ward; John FitzGibbon, trustee Second Ward. 1869 — No record of election. Clerk at each meeting merely announcing "full board present. " 1870 — A. E. Bates, president; D. J. Ryan, clerk; John Potter, Jr., trustee First Ward; Henry Trilling, trustee Second Ward. 1871 — Fred Schuellen, president; D. J. Ryan, clerk; A. D. Page, trustee First Ward; P. Fogherty, trustee Second Ward. 1872 — Fred Schuellen, president; E. G. Bell, clerk; A. E. Bates, trustee First Ward; Pat McFadden, trustee Second Ward. 187 j — O. J. Hall, president; G. N. Sanford, clerk; H. Merz, trustee First Ward; Pat McFadden, trustee Second Ward. In 1853, the first bridge across Lake Buttes des Morts was built, giving direct communica tion with the farming country to the west. This bridge was replaced by a float bridge with draw, in 1856, and in 1861, a pile bridge was constructed, which is still standing, but for the past "two or- three years has been impassable. DISTINGUISHED ARRIVALS — LIGHT-HOUSE. G. P. R. James, the well known novelist, H. B. M. Consul at Norfolk, Virginia/visited the place and made quite an investment in real estate, and his two sons, Walter and Courtney, took up their residence here. In the winter following, Walter, as chief engineer, with a party of men, run a prelimin ary survey, for the Manitowoc 6k Mississippi Railroad, from Menasha to Manitowoc. Congress having appropriated the means for a light-house, at the head of this channel, a substantial stone building was erected on a small island near the head of the channel, and supplied with all the necessary appurtenances, and Dennis Crowley was appointed keeper. A light was kept here several years, when it 220 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1853-78- was abandoned and nothing now remains but the dilapidated walls. The appropriation for this was. obtained through the influence of Governor Doty, then Member of Congress, from this district, with the view of eventually getting it so modified that the means might be expended in removing a ledge of rock at the upper end ofthe channel, which could not be accomplished by direct appropriation, as the improvement ofthe river was under the control of the State. CAPTAIN MCKINNON'S IMPORTED BLOODED STOCK. In 1854, Captain McKinnon, on his return from England, brought some of the finest stock ever imported to this country. The horse, King Cymri, thoroughbred short horn Durham bull, full-blood Southdown sheep, and some fowls, all from the best stock of England, such as would, at this time, prove a fortune to any man; but, at that time, wholly unappreciated, our farmers not having been educated to the difference between that and native stock, but who have become painfully aware ofthe oppor tunity neglected. This horse, "The King," entirely unappreci ated and neglected by breeders in this country, was sold and employed in common labor, where he soon broke down — about the same time the stock from which he sprung, became the most noted on the English turf, and anything of that blood was eagerly sought for. A prom inent horseman was dispatched to the United States to search out "The King, "and if found, uninjured, not to return without him, at a cost of anything within ten thousand English pounds — equal to about fifty thousand dollars. He was found, a peasant of the lower order, instead of a king, broken down and entirely unfit for stock-raising, Lo! how had the mighty fallen. Probably no finer specimen of the horse kind ever trod American soil. About this time, Captain McKinnon pur chased the farm now owned and occupied by Ed. Mathewson, at the upper end of Doty Island, and commenced making improvements thereon, taking a deep interest and investing money freely for the welfare of the place, he had selected for the future of his sons, at the same time devoting considerable means to the improvement ofthe Clifton farm. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES TION OF CANAL. ¦COMPLF- During this year, the steamboat facilities of Lake Winnebago were limited to the Peytona, under the ownership and management of B. F. Moore, of Fond du Lac, and John Fitzgerald, of Menasha. In the winter of 1 8 5 2 and 1853, the Peytona had passed into the hands of Mr. Moore, who monopolized the entire lake trade during the season of 1853, running his boat from Fond du Lac to Menasha and return, daily, except Sunday, and in the winter of 1853 and 1854, Moore & Fitzgerald controlled the entire fleet of the lake and Fox and Wolf Rivers. In the season of 1853, large quantities of railroad iron were landed at Green Bay, for the Rock River Valley Union Railroad (now Chi cago & Northwestern), brought to Kaukauna by water, thence over the plank-road to Menasha, where it was loaded on barges, and, by the Peytona, towed to Fond du Lac. In 1854, John Fitzgerald established an exchange office here, with Charles Schaffer as cashier; Mr. Fitzgerald being absent a greater portion of the time, the responsibility rested mainly with "Charley," and never was trust more faithfully dis charged. Possesssed of rare qualities of head and heart, he had acquired business habits of a high order; he soon made many warm friends, and will be remembered with none but kindliest feelings. Although but a boy when here, in less than ten years he became the owner of a bank at Stillwater, part owner and president of a prominent bank at St. Paul, and Treasurer of the State of Minnesota, all at the same time. They are both gone, but not forgotten. In 1855, there were two channels of com munication only, between this section and the business centers of the continent, and each of limited capacity. One over the plank-road to Kaukauna, fifteen miles, thence to Green Bay, by steamer; the other by steamer to Fond du Lac, and over a plank-road, some forty miles, to Sheboygan. An unusual yield of wheat this season, with prices unheard of before in this country, reach ing one dollar and forty to one dollar and forty-five cents per bushel, taxed these two routes to their utmost capacity, each convey ing away all that their respective termini — Green Bay and Sheboygan — could hold or ship, with return freights to nearly an equal amount. One hundred teams made daily trips to Kau kauna and return; and added to this was a supply for the numerous mills at Neenah and Appleton. The Star Flouring Mill was erected in 1855, by W. R. Ellis, purchased by R. M. Scott in 1857, and by Eli Butler and T. D. Scott in 1878, and is still running. The great event of 1856, and marking a new era in the history of this locality, was the 1857-61.J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 221 opening of uninterrupted navigation between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay, which was accomplished in June, and, immediately after, a line of boats was placed upon the route. In the early part of this year, the Rock River Valley Union Railroad, running south, from Fond du Lac, was extended to Minnesota Junction, connecting with the Milwaukee and La Crosse Railroad, thereby opening another route, very important to this entire section,. and it at once took the lead in travel and freights. The Methodist brick church was built this season. CHAPTER L V I I . Doty's Island — Its Lovely Scenery — Chicago & Northwest ern Railroad — More Manufactories — The National Hotel Built — Menasha Bank — Incorporation of the City — List of City . Officers and Aldermen from Date of Incorporation to the Present Time — The Wisconsin Central Railroad and Milwaukee Northern Railroad. O R the four years succeeding, very little seems to have transpired here, out ofthe usual course of events. The vil lage had steadily increased in popula tion, business and general importance, no evidence of over-growth, or any branch of business overdone. Frequent addi tions to the original plat had been made, and October 28, 1857, a plat of the "Town ofthe Island" was recorded, James D. Doty, L. B. McKinnon, Charles Doty and D. J. Pulling, proprietors. This plat was confined entirely to the Island, as the name implies, being an addition to both Neenah and Menasha, and covered a large amount of territory. It seems pertinent in this connection to say that no lovelier place exists, of the same extent, for city residences, than this Island, consisting of about seven hundred acres, where Nature has lavished every favor with unstinted hand, and whatever may now be wanting, is justwhattheruthlesshandof man has destroyed. The writer can wellrecollect this landscape as it appeared over a quarter of a century ago; its wide-spreading white oaks and lofty maples, huge beeches and towering elms, a carpet of Nature's richest patterns, with an occasional glimpse of lake and river and the far-off cliffs of Calumet, Clifton and Stockbridge beyond. Can we, for a moment, wonder that this should be the favorite haunt ofthe red man? Here, even to this day, may be found marks of his rude cultivation. Could he more forcibly express his feelings than by the free and vol untary gift of all this to Governor Doty, as a tribute of respect, unbounded confidence and esteem? And yet it has been stated in the public press, within a few weeks, that the wife of Governor Doty was taken captive by these same Indians. Some one must have possessed more credu lity than sense. CORAL FLOURING MILL — FURNITURE FACTORY. In 1859, the Coral Flouring Mill was erected, at the centre ofthe dam, by H. A. Burts, millwright and proprietor, and after passing through many hands is now owned and oper ated by McGinty, Wahle & Koepfel. In i860, the old furniture factory of Thomas Price, having been purchased and carried on by Charles Doty, was converted into a factory for the manufacture of flour barrel stock by Doty, Abel Keyes, and Charles May. In 1861, the' latter sold out to his partners, and the bus iness was continued until the fall of 1865, when the building and power were leased to Andrews & Underwood, who commenced the manufacture of children's carriages, sleds, etc. In 1869, the building was abandoned, though still standing. CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD. In January, 1861, the old Rock River Val ley Union Railroad, now called the Chicago & Northwestern, was extended to Appleton, run ning about a mile west from the Neenah water-power, where a depot was located, which was about two miles west from the Menasha water-power. The road from Neenah to the depot over a bed of clay, was, by continued heavy teaming, almost impassable, and absolutely unsafe for man or beast. A side-track was now laid at the west end of Buttes des Morts bridge, about one mile from the water-power of Menasha, of which the bridge formed a large portion of the distance. It had been intended to cut Menasha off from the benefit ofthe road, but the directors of the road, making a trip of inspection, enquired of an officer why the road had been run around these water powers; he replied that it had been located by the chief engineer. The directors then requested the business men of Menasha to send a delegation to Chicago for a conference relative to a change of route. Curtis Reed, Charles Doty, and Reuben Scott were accordingly chosen, and returned with the directors to Chicago, where an arrange ment was made to change the track to itspres- 222 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN, 1862-78 ent location, Neenah agreeing to pay the expense of grading and ties south of their channel, and of building the bridge across that channel, and Menasha to do the same from the north end of that bridge to the old line west of Lake Buttes des Morts, including the bridges across the lake and north channel, the depot to be located near the line dividing the two places on the Island. This change was accomplished in December, 1862.' MORE MANUFACTORIES. In 1862, Charles May, having sold his inter est in the first barrel stock factory, this year built an establishment ofthe same kind, sup plied with steam power, near the bank ofthe river and the old Reed & Doty warehouse; the latter he soon after devoted to a cooper- shop. In 1864, Alex. Syme became associated with him. May afterwards sold his interest, but Syme has retained his to the present time. In 1863, Lum Hart, having settled here in the fall of 1849, had, until now, been~engaged in gunsmithing, repairing, and all kinds of light machine work, now erected a small foun dry and machine-shop on the water-power near the east end of Block 49. This he enlarged as necessity required, and a few years later sold out. In the fall of 1865, G. R. Andrews, ^from New England, and J. R. Underwood, from Aurora, Illinois, leased the barrel stock fac tory belonging to C. Doty, and the water- power connected therewith, and commenced the manufacture of children's sleds, and during the succeeding winter added the necessary machinery for the manufacture of children's carriages and carts. This might have proved a profitable enter prise but for the hostility of the business men of the place, but after frequent changes in ownership and an existence of some four years, the machinery was removed and the property vacated. NATIONAL HOTEL — NATIONAL BANK. In 1867, a stock company was organized for the purpose of building a hotel on the corner north of the public square, and some labor per formed to that end; but in 1868 it was par tially abandoned, and again revived in 1869, when the present National Hotel, a credit to the city, was commenced. During the process of construction, the stockholders, one after another, sold out, or forfeiting the amount paid in, dropped out; until, at its completion, only R. M. Scott and Charles May remained as owners. It was com pleted in 1870, and formally opened Novem ber 4, of that year. Soon after the opening, May disposed of his interest to Scott, who having superintended its entire construction, now became sole owner, and so remains to this day. November 1, 1870, a national bank was established here with H. Hewitt, Sr. , J. W. Williams, J. A. Kimberly, H. Babcock, J. R. Davis, Sr., Robert Shiells, Moses Hooper and A. G. Galpin, Jr., as stockholders. Robert Shiells was elected president, and H. Hewitt, Jr., cashier. This institution has continued business to the present time, and we believe under the direction of the same officers. INCORPORATION OF THE CITY. By act ofthe Legislature, approved March 5, 1874, the city was incorporated, and at the organic election held soon after, O. J. Hall was elected mayor; H. Hewitt, Jr., and C. P. Northrup, aldermen ofthe First Ward; Julius Fieweger and Pat McFadden of the Second Ward; John Harbeck and Joseph Mayer of the Third Ward; C. H. Watke and H. B. Taylor of the Fourth Ward; John Planner, treasurer; assessors, Carlton Bachelder, First Ward; E. Wold, Second Ward; L. D. Bryan, Third Ward; William Koepfel, Fourth Ward; justices, Silas Bullard and John Potter, Jr., constables, Thomas Jourdain and James Schu felt; city clerk, Charles Colborne. 187 J — P. V. Lawson, mayor; C. Colborne, clerk; John Planner, treasurer; H. Hewitt, Jr., C. F. Augustine, aldermen of the First Ward! P. McFadden, C Koch, aldermen ofthe Sec ond Ward; H. Hewitt, Sr., E. D. Smith, aldermen ofthe Third Ward; Curtis Reed, Frank Engles, aldermen ofthe Fourth Ward. 1876 — P. V. Lawson, Mayor; Charles Col borne, clerk; John Planner, treasurer; H. Hewitt Jr., C. F. Augustine, P. McFadden, P. Sensenbrener, E. D. Smith; A. J. Webster, Curtis Reed and Frank Engles, aldermen. 1877 — P. V. Lawson, mayor; E. G. Bell, clerk; E. Wold, treasurer; John Schubert, P. O'Malley, John Harbeck, Elbridge Smith, L. H. Brown, Leonard Brugger, J. F. Mayers and Frank Engles, aldermen. 1878 — P. V. Lawson, mayor; E. G. Bell, clerk; E. Wold, treasurer; John Potter Jr., P. McFadden, T. D. Phillips, Martin Beck, John Schubert, John Schneider, J. F. Mayer and J. C. Underwood, aldermen. WISCONSIN CENTRAL RAILROAD. In December, 1871, the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company opened its road and com menced running trains from Menasha, or more properly speaking, from Doty's Island, to 1850-79- ] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 223 Stevens Point, and in anticipation of the com pletion of the Milwaukee and Northern Rail road, in 1872, the Wisconsin Central erected a depot in the northern part of the city, removing its business to that point. In 1873, the Milwaukee and Northern was completed and opened from Milwaukee to Green Bay, with depot and grounds adjoining the Central. The same year the Wisconsin Central, while negotiating with the .Lake- shore and Western Railroad, then running from Appleton, via Manitowoc, to Milwaukee, for a lease of that road, constructed a track from their line at Menasha to Appleton, con necting with the Lake Shore & Western at that place, but obtaining control of the Mil waukee & Northern, negotations with the Lakeshore & Western were broken off, and subsequently the track to Appleton taken up. „ This gave the Wisconsin Central a con tinuous line from Milwaukee and Green Bay to Lake Superior at Ashland, whenever they should complete their contemplated line from Stevens Point to the latter place, which was consumated in 1877. In the meantime, the Wisconsin Central Railroad had constructed side tracks the entire length of the water power at this point, which with that of the Chicago & North western Railroad and the facilities for shipping by water from any point on the water power, gave this point advantages nowhere excelled, if ever equaled, in this particular point, and there is no place to-day that has greater advan tages for manufacturing and general bnsiness, or more of them, if properly improved and made available, than Menasha. What its future will be rests entirely - with its business men, and, whatever the result, they can always have the satisfaction of knowing that nature and outside influences, have done all that could be done anywhere. MENNSHA WOODEN-WARE COMPANY. The following account of the commencement and progress of the wooden-ware manufacture at this point, has just been obtained from Mr. E. D. Smith, under whose management its present proportions have been attained. The original pail factory was commenced in the spring of 1850, by Messrs. Sanford, Beckwith & Billings. A two story building, 24x36, and one small dry-house was the extent. The timber for the frame of the building was cut on what is now the canal, and stood so thick on the ground, that when the shop was done, one of the firm could not see his house, which stood directly opposite the factory, across what is now a canal, one hundred feet in width. They- manufactured the original machinery, including a sheet-iron stave-saw, with steel on the edge for the teeth, and a wooden head. Their entire outfit of machinery would, at the present day, prove as great a curiosity as the original locomotive. They were delayed in starting their machinery, until a small race could be completed to supply the water. Strug gling along for six months, with little means and paying high rates of interest, (as the note drawing fifty per cent, interest, before quoted, gives ample evidence), their entire production was 1,500 pails — this being the only article manufactured. In 185 1, Joseph Keyes and Lot Rice became the owners, but with similar success. In 1852, E. D. Smith purchased the estab lishment, and has been connected with it to the present time. Additions were at once made to the building, the old machinery taken out to give place for that which was more suitable, and fur ther additions with all the later improvements in machinery have, from time to time, beensup- plied, until at the present time two large fac tories and three saw-mills are kept busily engaged, with twenty-four dry kilns, extensive paint shops, cooper shops, and several large warehouses, requiring the services of from two hundred to two hundred and fifty persons. The daily product of pails far exceeds that of the first six months, besides the manufacture of wash tubs, keelers, churns, measures-, butter tubs, fish kits, covered buckets, horse pails and barrel covers, consuming annually, about six million feet of timber. The first ware shipped to Chicago was carted to Kau kauna, shipped thence by boat, via Green Bay, subsequently by boat to Fond du Lac, thence by railroad, and still later to Oshkosh, by boat, and from there by rail, until 1862, when the cars run through to Menasha. The present wooden-ware company own their cars and have the choice of two railroads, or water transportation, and their wares are pretty generally distributed throughout the Northwest. CHURCH HISTORY — CATHOLIC. During the Government occupancy of the improvements at Winnebago Rapids, 1836-7-8, Father Vanderbrook, then stationed at Little Chute, held services at the Rapids once or twice a year, for the benefit of the few resident employes. In 1848, a mission was established among the settlers, about four miles West of the present city of Menasha, by Father Vander brook. In 1849, he was succeeded by Father Faran-^ .- 2'2l4 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1854-66. aticii, who inaugurated the erection of a log church, and officiated until 185 1, when he gave place to Father Colton, now residing at Fond du Lac. The congregation at this time was composed of some twenty-five families, largely from the Irish settlement in the western part of the present Town of Menasha. Father Fusseder was the next in succession, and uniting the Catholics of the two towns, and different nationalities, the society, under his administration, was considerably increased. In 1854, Captain L. B. McKinnon presented the society with one acre of ground, on the Island, where the church now stands, and the present building was at once erected, although it has since been enlarged. Fathers DeBreca, Cieppe, Dale, Wilkins and Uhlmire, now succeeded each other in the order named, and under the latter, the society was divided in 1867, the German portion purchasing the building first erected by the Congregationalists of Menasha (mentioned elsewhere), and under the lead of Father Uhlmire, organized a separate church. The order of Servite Fathers, at this time, took the original church under their charge, and Father Morini was installed, and succeeded by Father H. Venturi, who still remains at the head of this organization. In 1868, a substantial brick school house was erected on the same lot occupied by the church and parsonage (the latter having been built soon after the church). This school was opened by teachers of the order of Servite Sisters, from London, and connected with the school were one hundred and forty scholars. In 1877, the Servite Sisters removed to Chicago and were succeeded by teachers from the order of "School Sisters of Notre Dame," five in number. One hundred and seventy scholars are now connected with the school, and one hundred and fifty -five in daily attend ance. This congregation now numbers one hundred and twenty-five. The German organization was presided over by Uhlmire until 1871, when he was succeeded by Father Joseph Neusspaum, the next in order being Father John Yaster, who in turn was followed March, 1875, by Father Andrew Seubert. the present incumbent. In 1868, this society also built a commodious brick school house, having purchased lots adjoining the church property, until their posessions covered twelve lots. The school was opened with about ninety scholars, by teachers from the order of School Sisters of Notre Dame. In 1876, a large brick parsonage was con structed upon the grounds, and at this time a brick building is in process of construction, designed for a residence for the teachers. Five teachers are employed. The German language is taught in the morning, the English in the afternoon. The common branches are taught in English. There are now connected with the school three hundred scholars, two hundred and forty of whom are in daily attendance. It is conducted under the super- vison . of the resident priest and trustees. There are now two hundred and seventy fami lies in this congregation. CONGREGATIONAL. The First Congregational church was organ ized in 1851, and for the first two years they worshipped in a rough board school-house, in "Roby's Hall" the next five years, and in 1858, commenced the building now occupied by the Catholics, near the Central Railroad depot. The Winnebago District convention • had appointed a meeting at Menasha, in Decernber, and it was desirable that the church should be completed previous to that time. This wish being expressed to Deacon Northrup, he declared he would "eat all the plastering they put on that fall," nevertheless the church was plastered, and the convention held there, at the appointed time. All were too happy over their success to require a fullfillment of the Deacon's promise. The cost of the house was three thousand dollars, built with great personal, sacrifice on the part of a few. After some eight years, the necessity for a larger building became apparent, and the present edifice was constructed, at a cost of ten thousand dollars. Commencing with a dozen members the organization now consists of one hundred and twenty-five members, with an active sabbath school, and efficient church work in various ways. The present pastor is the Rev. S. V. S. Fisher. METHODIST. The Methodist church of Menasha, was organized in 1850, although circuit preachers of this denomination had frequently held divine service. In 1856, the present handsome church was erected. The present pastor is the Rev. G. H. Moulton. UNIVERSALIS!1. The Universalist society of this place was organized in 1866. The Rev. C. L. Lombard is resident pastor. LUTHERAN. The Lutheran, (German), Church of Menasha was organized in 1856, and the 1853-79-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 225 church built in 1859. The present pastor is the Rev. Otto Heuer. EPISCOPAL. St. Stephen's Church, Episcopal, was built in the year 1859, under the auspices of the Rev. Mr. Edmunds, who was the first rector. The first regular services of the Episcopal Church held in the village of Menasha were commenced by the Rev. Charles C. Edmonds, who began them «i the month of November, 1857. F°r six months, services were held once a month, and afterwards, up to September, 1858, twice a month. On the 27th of August, Mr. Edmonds moved from Green Bay to take up his residence in Menasha. The regular services were then held every Sunday morning. During Easter Week, i8"59, a parish was duly organized under the name of- St. Stephen's, by the election of two wardens and three vestrymen. The Rev. Mr. Edmonds, being the missionary in charge, was chosen as rector. The parish was duly incorporated under the provisions of the stat utes of Wisconsin '. and a constitution adopted during Easter Week, 1859. At a meeting of the wardens and vestrymen of St. Stephen's parish, the rector presiding, held August 8, 1859, it was unanimously resolved to build a church edifice in Menasha, and to take immediate steps to that end, ground was broken for the foundation of the church September 13, 1859. The corner-stone was laid by Bishop Kemper, assisted by the rector, and the Rev. F. Haff, of Oshkosh, Sep tember 20th. The first service was held in the church, April 28, 1861, while it was in an unfinished condition, Charles C. Edmonds officiating. Rev. Mr. Upjohn is present rector. METHODIST EPISCOPAL. The earliest record of this organization bears date of October 10, 1853, and this is a record of the appointment of the first Board of Trustees, consisting of Charles France, Norr man Woolcott, Samuel L. Hart, Charles Puffer and James Gamble. Elmore Yocum was the first pastor. A move was soon made toward building a church, and, in 1856, under the pastorate of Rev. E. Cooke, D. D., a fine brick edifice was com pleted and dedicated. The lots on which the church was built, was a donation from Gov ernor Doty. About 1867, a good parsonage was pur chased. The first stewards were, Thomas Price, James Gamble, N. Woolcott and C. Puffer. The first leaders, Charles France, Samuel Ryan, Sr. First Sunday School Superintend ent, Amos Robinson. The society now has a membership of about seventy, a good church building and comforta ble parsonage. In the twenty-six years it has never been without a pastor. The present pastor is the Rev. G. H. Moulton. The above churches are in a flourishing con dition, and their affairs are managed with much efficiency. Good Sabbath Schools are main tained, and well and regularly attended. MENASHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. In 1855, there were three schools in the Town of Menasha, with an attendance of 243 scholars. The population at the time was 1,625. The report of the School Superintendent, Silas Bullard, for the year 1879, shows that there are in the city, alone, six commodious and creditable brick school-houses, including the denominational. The teachers employed in the public schools are one male and nine female. Their names are as follows: E. A. Williams, Delia Darrow, E. C.Tait, Emma S. Nelson, Nettie E. Howard, Mary P. Donaldson, Mary E. Geer, Mary P. Whipple, Minnie Hart, Amy Grandine. The number of the children in the city over four and under twenty' years of age, is 1,140, of which 374 attend the public schools, and 470 the denominational schools. The present School Board consists of a superintendent, and one commissioner from each ward. Their names are as follows: Superintendent of Schools, S. Bullard; Com missioners, C. P. Northrup, G. W. Dodge, E. L. Mathewson, S. S. Roby. SCHOOL FINANCE. From the School Board's financial statement, in report of 1879. it appears that there was received as follows: Money on hand, August 31, 1878 From special tax for building and repairing . From special tax from teachers' wages . From general tax, for school purposes . From tax levied by County Supervisors From income of State school fund . From all other sources . Total amount received during the year . . Disbursements were as follows: For building and repairing For services, to teachers For school furniture . For all other purposes . . Money on hand August 31, 1879-. . . #5,250 83 A good school library is maintained which contains 325 volumes. 29 . #2,210 11 1.310 00 3.250 00 540 00 600 00 462 54 32 75 . #8,405 40 . $ 824 88 3.55° 00 293 50 582 45 226 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1853-79- CITY OFFICIALS. The present city officials (1879) are: A. J. Webster, mayor; J. W. Ladd, city clerk; Edward Wold, treasurer; A. Dillmore, Mar shall; J. Armstrong, superintendent of streets; J. W. Ladd, overseer of poor; L. D. Bryan, C. P Northrup. assessors; S. Bullard, M. M. Schoetz, justices of the peace; M. Thompson, John Harbeck, constables; John Harbeck, John Marx, Patrick O'Malley, John Schneider, H. A, Burts, L. J. Noble, Frank Engles. and Elbridge Smith, aldermen; John Harbeck, president of the council; S. Bullard, superin tendent of schools. FIRE DEPARTMENT. M. Kraus, chief engineer; A. Wennege, first assistant; George A. Rasler, second assistant; August Ebert, secretary; J. Schu bert, Jr. , treasurer; C. Lahman, chief fire warden; Martin Arno, assistant fire warden; Ed. Smith, trustee. CIVIC SOCIETIES. Masonic — Island City, Chapter No. 23, R. A. M: Bryan Lodge, No. 98, F. & A. M. Odd Fellows — Doty Island Encampment, No. 45, I. O. O. F. Menasha Lodge, No. 187, I. O. O. F. Ida Lodge, No. 30, Degree ofRebekah. Island City Lodge, No. 197, I. O. O. F., (German.) Knights of Honor — Centennial Lodge, No. 391, K. ofH. German Societies — Menasha Turnverein, Concordia Benevolent Society, St. Joseph's Benevolent Society. MENASHA NEWSPAPER PRESS. The Menasha Advocate, was first issued by Jeremiah Crowley, in November, 1853, Demo cratic in politics. This was a good local paper. Crowley remained editor and proprietor until 1857, when the press and materials were sold to E. P. Morehouse, a deaf mute, who con ducted it for a while, when he disposed of if. The Conservator, first published by Harrison Reed in 1856, at Neenah, was in 1858, pur chased by B. S. Heath, and removed to Menasha, where it was continued, and in i860, Goodwin & Decker became the editors and proprietors. The Manufacturer, was started at Menasha about i860, by William M. Watts, editor and proprietor, who conducted it about one year. The Menasha Press, first published at Nee nah, by J. N. Stone, as the Island City Times, later by Ritch & Tapley, as the Winnebago County Press, until 1871, when it was pur chased by Menasha parties, removed to that place and conducted by Thos. B. Reid, as the Menasha Press, until 1877, when it was again sold, to Geo. B. Pratt, present editor and pro prietor. The Menasha Post (German), started in 1 87 1, by Mussans & Hein, and after an exist ence of about eighteen months, the press and materials were taken to Shawano County. The Winnebago Observer (German), was first published in 1873, by John C. Klinker, its present editor and proprietor, and on the last of June, 1879, closed its sixth volume. CHAPTER LVIII. Description of City of Menasha — Location — Historical Associations — Summer Resort — Water Power and Water Communications — Manufactories and Resources for Man ufacturing — Statistics of Manufactures — Business Houses — Notices of Illustrations. H E City of Menasha is delightfully sit uated on both sides of the north chan nel of the outlet of Lake Winnebago. The site, embracing the mainland and a large part of Doty Island, rises at both sides of the river in a gentle ele vation, and affords most, charming sites for residences. Indeed, it is rare to find a love lier spot than Doty Island, with its grand old forest trees and fine views of water scenery, and which is well illustrated in the view here given of Edward Mathewson's place, showing the mouth ofthe river, the lake shore, and the distant view of Calumet, Clifton and Stock- bridge. The mainland, from Lake Winnebago to the Little Buttes des Morts, and on which is situ ated the business portion of the city, is also a handsome site for a city with fine locations for suburban residences. Many of those are occu pied by handsome buildings with tastefully ornamented grounds, of which illustrations are given in the views in this work of the resi dences of Messrs. A. J. Webster, R. M. Scott, E. L. Mathewson and Elbridge Smith. Shade trees have been largely planted, and add much to the attractiveness ofthe streets. SUMMER RESORT. This place, in common with Neenah, has ¦ great natural advantages as a place of summer resort, and attracts many visitors from abroad. Lake Winnebago and its delightful surround ings possess great natural attractions; and Menasha has the advantage of being on the navigable channel of the outlet. The canal and locks connecting the navigation of the lake and river are on this channel, and the frequent passage of steamers enlivens the scene. The r 856 -79-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 227 facilities for pleasant steamboat excursions, for fishing and pleasure sailing to the various places of resort on the lakeshore, are unex celled. NATIONAL HOTEL. The fine hotel, the National, is a handsome, commodious structure, and an architectural ornament to the city. It possesses all the modern comforts and conveniences for the accommodation of fastidious guests, and keeps an extensive boat-house and a number of boats, for the use of summer visitors. WATER-POWER, AND WATER COMMUNI CATION. The situation of the place, on the line of the water communication, connecting the interior of the State with Lake Michigan, gives it, in connection with its fine water- power, a combination of commercial and manufacturing advantages that are seldom equalled. It is at the beginning of that series of mag nificent water-powers^ of the Lower Fox val ley, which make that region the great manu facturing district of the State, and one of its greatest business thoroughfares. The two cities of Neenah and Menasha are practically but divisions of one place, and are frequently called the Island City. The center of a street on the Island is the dividing line; so that a single step takes one from one city to the other. The houses on one side of the street are in Menasha, and those of the other in Neenah. The places, though rivals from their infancy, have really a community of interest, as is well shown in the location of the Northwestern Railroad depot; and col lectively they form one of the greatest manu facturing centers of the State. The water- power of both places is estimated' at ten thousand horse-power, and the resources for manufacturing are ample and enduring. MANUFACTORIES. The railroad penetrating the pine and hard wood forests of Northern Wisconsin, and the iron mines of Lake Superior, gives ready accessibility to those regions, for the procure ment of raw material. The hardwood timber in a large extent of adjoining country, also furnishes an abundance of material for manu factures of hardwood. The water-power, from the dam along its entire length, is one continuous line of manu facturing establishments, among which are the mammoth works of Webster & Lawson, and those of the Menasha Wooden-ware Com pany. MENASHA HUB AND SPOKE FACTORY. The Menasha hub, spoke, bending and gen eral wagon and carriage stock factory of Web ster & Lawson, was established in 1856, by A. J. Webster, the senior member of the firm, in a small way. The original factory was a small building located on the dam, on the present site of the Coral Mills. Early in May of that year the high water carried away a portion of the dam, and also a part of the canal bank, leaving the embryo spoke factory cut off from the mainland, and without power to do anything; thus necessitat ing a removal to some other locality. There being no available building in Menasha, it was decided to remove to Neenah. The con tents ofthe factory were, therefore, loaded on a small scow and towed to Neenah, where it remained but one year, doing a small and unsatisfactory business. At the expiration of one year the machinery was moved from Nee nah back to Menasha, into the Bowman Build ing, where it remained one year, when another break in the canal caused a suspension for the season. It was then moved into the large Wil liams building, in the fall of 1858. Here it remained until the year 1861, when Mr.. P. V. Lawson, who had been engaged in the manu facture of sash, doors and blinds, for some time, selling out his business, entered into a partnership with Mr. Webster, under the firm name of Webster & Lawson. During that year, the firm built, on the site now occupied by their extensive works, a small factory, which was found to be inade quate to the wants of their increasing business, when additions were made to the buildings, and steam power added. The business con tinued to grow and extend, requiring enlarged manufacturing facilities. More land was, there fore, purchased, buildings erected, and new machinery put in the same. The works have since then been enlarged, from time to time, until they now occupy some ten acres of ground, with extensive shipping-docks, store rooms, and railroad side-tracks. This mam moth factory now employs throughout the year one hundred and seventy-five men, and manufactures 2,500,000 spokes, 120,000 hubs, 520,000 sawed felloes, 15,000 sets of bent fel loes, and large quantities of shafts, poles, bows, sleigh and cutter material, and hard and soft wood lumber, aggregating a value of $175,000. The manufactures of the firm are widely known, being shipped over a wide extent of country, from New York to Oregon. The material used is oak, hickory, ash, elm and maple, of which 6,000, ooofeet are required per annum to supply their works. Their network 228 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [I879- of railroad side-tracks and shipping docks give every facility for shipment, both by land and water, and the business ofthe concern is conducted on the most systematic principles, by thoroughgoing and energetic business men. A view of the works will be found in these pages. FLOURING MILLS. There are three flouring mills, viz: The Eagle Mills, a fine stone structure, with six runs of stones, and three sets of patent crush ers; the Coral Mills and the Star Mills. They manufacture in the aggregate four hundred and fifty barrels a day, or 135,000 barrels in a year, aggregating a value, at $6.00 per barrel, of $810,000 MENASHA WOODEN-WARE FACTORY. This is an immense establishment, giv ing employment to two hundred and fifty hands, and manufacturing daily 2400 pails, 600 tubs and IOOO butter tubs, fish kits, churns, etc. Their yearly product is 720,000 pails, 180,000 tubs and 300,000 pieces of other ware; aggregating a value of $200,000. See history of the works. MENASHA WOOLEN MILLS. Chapman & Hewitt's woolen mills, employ forty-five hands, and manufacture, per year. one hundred and sixty thousand yards of cloths and flannels, and about twelve thousand pounds of yarn, aggregating a value of about seventy thousand dollars, and consuming about one hundred thousand pounds of wool. MENASHA PAPER MILLS. These mills employ twenty hands, andhave a capacity for making five tons of wrapping paper per day. The works have just started up. The yearly capacity is 1 500 tons, which at present prices would aggregate a value of $37,500. SASH, DOOR AND BLIND FACTORIES. Leonard Rohrer & Co., and Mitchell & Co.; number of hands employed, twenty. Aggre gate value of yearly manufactures, $25,000. EXCELSIOR WORKS. Manufactures filling and packing material. Five hands employed. FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOPS. Fox River Iron Works, James Little & Sons; manufacture the Globe Feed Cutter; also, cast ings and general machine work. Menasha Iron Works, Howard & Jennings; manufacture castings, steam engines, spoke and hub machinery and general machine, work. Number of hands in both concerns, thirty. Aggregate value of their yearly manufactures, $32,000. SAW-MILL Of Menasha Wooden-ware Company cuts eight million feet of logs per annum, of which six million is cut into wooden-ware stock and two million into lumber. BROOM HANDLE FACTORY. Charles R. Smith employs fifteen hands, and manufactures yearly two million handles; value of same, $20,000. BARREL FACTORY. This concern employs some thirty-five hands, in the manufacture of barrels. BRICK-YARDS. .There are two brick-yards, which manu facture a very superior quality of brick, and employ, in good seasons, about twenty hands. This is an industry that might be developed into large proportions, as brick clay of the finest quality is here found in exhaustless quantities. MISCELLANEOUS. There are also a plow manufactory, a furni ture factory, two breweries and machine shops, marble works, and the various mechanic shops. BUSINESS HOUSES. Bank — The Bank of Menasha. Dry Goods — There are seven establishments dealing in dry goods and mixed merchandise. Some of them include clothing, hats, caps, boots and shoes, and they are generally well- stocked and doing a good business. Hardware — There are two stores dealing exclusively in hardware, tin and iron ware, stoves, etc., etc., carrying good stocks in large variety. Clothing — There is one store dealing prin cipally in this class of goods. Drugs — Three drug stores. Groceries — Six grocery stores, some of them well stocked. Jewelry — One jewelry store. Flour and Feed — Two concerns dealing in flour and feed. Boots and Shoes — One boot and shoe store. Harness and Saddlery Hardware — Two concerns in this line. Furniture Wareroom — One well-stocked establishment. In addition to the above are the usual num- bery of milliners, confectioneries, tobacconists, bakers, meat markets, etc.. etc. NOTICES OF ILLUSTRATIONS. On a previous page, in History of Menasha, '.'¦¦ CO CO< z CO >•I- CTui>¦ o UI S o o uh (I) QU au uZ' UIa to ui "'.(:. .¦¦.-. ...,-,.• ... - 1848-79- J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 229 will be found a full description of Webster & Lawson's hub, spoke, and general carriage stock factory, a view of which will be found among the illustrations of Menasha, A. J. WEBSTER. A view of the fine residence and grounds of A. J. Websteris given in these pages. Mr. Webster came to Menasha at an early day, and established the hub and spoke fac tory, which has since grown into such large proportions, and a history of the progress of which is given under the head of Menasha man ufactories. In this enterprise, which originated in a fee ble beginning, he has achieved the greatest success, and can now enjoy the credit of origi nating and. pushing to the highest limit of suc cess one of the leading manufactories of this part of the State, and an institution of the greatest benefit to Menasha. As a business man of capacity and integrity, Mr. Webster stands high in the estimation of his townsmen, and now occupies the responsi ble position of mayor ofthe city, which he fills efficiently. His elegant residence is one of the finest in the city, and an ornament to that part of the city. R. M. SCOTT. R. M. Scott migrated from' Vermont to Menasha in the fall of 1852, and purchased a tract of land in the now Town of Menasha. From this .land he had all the cordwood cut, which supplied the Fitzgerald & Moore line of steamers, at this point on the route, for three years. His first contract was for a thousand cords. The proceeds and profits from the tran saction furnished the means which started Mr. Scott in his continuously successful business career; and from thattime he has been engaged in real estate transactions, contracting, lumber ing and milling; in all of which he has been uniformly successful. In the work of building up the city and opening up its public and pri vate enterprises, Mr. Scott has taken a leading part, having erected a large number of dwell ings and business buildings; among others, the Star Flouring Mill, his fine brick residence, of which a view is here given, and the National Hotel, the finest building in the city. In 1871, he built, on contract, the first sixty-four miles ofthe Wisconsin Central Railroad in one hun dred and twenty-one working days, a feat in railroad building which surpasses anything heretofore done in the State. In 1872, he built the part of the Milwaukee & Northern Railroad from Menasha to Hilbert Junction — seventeen miles — and in the same season, six miles of railroad for the Wisconsin Central, to connect Menasha with the Milwaukee & Lake Shore Railroad at Appleton. In 1873, he built all the side-tracks in this city for the Mil waukee Northern and the Central. E. L. MATHEWSON. One of the handsomest illustrations in this work, is that of E. L. Mathewson's place, on Doty Island, showing a view of the mouth of the river and Lake Winnebago, and the dis tant shore. This place was formerly the resi dence of Captain McKinnon, of the English navy, who settled here at an early day, and imported a lot of choice blooded stock, of which full mention is made on previous pages. Mr. Mathewson came to Menasha at an early day; and shortly after attaining his majority, engaged in active business pursuits, among others that of the manufacture of flour, in which he was eminently successful. After selling out his milling interest, he embarked in the business of dealing in live-stock, which he has since conducted on a large scale, shipping by the car-load to Lake Superior and other points, and is now known as one of the lead ing dealers in this part of the State Mr. Mathewson's business capacity is shown in his business management; and but few are more highly esteemed in a wide circle of acquaintances, tor integrity of character and genial qualities of heart and mind. ELBRIDGE SMITH. Among the illustrations in this work, will be found that of the handsome residence and grounds, of Elbridge Smith. This fine place occupies a delightful site, and commands a fine view of the lake and river. Mr. Smith is one of the very earliest settlers of Menasha, and commenced his residence there in less than six months after the advent of the first settler; having moved there in October, 1848. Immediately after his arrival, he commenced the erection of the first frame building, in which he opened a law office, and commenced the practice of his profession, which he has followed uninterruptedly to the present time. Mr. Smith has taken a very conspicuous part in the history of Menasha, and has been regarded from the time of his advent, as one of its representative men, and closely identified with its interests, of which he has always been an untiring advocate. He has held many public positions, and among them, that of representative of his district in the State Legislature; a position which he filled to the satisfaction of his constituency. 230 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN [1849-53- TOWN OF MENASHA, [COMPILED FOB THIS WOEK BY WM. N". WEBSTER.] CHAPTER LIX. Soil, Face of Country — Timber, Water and Productions — Little Buttes des Morts — Organization of the Town — First Births — First Marriage — First Death — First Settlers. HE Town of Menasha, including the city ofthe same name, being the northern half of Township Twenty, north, Range Seventeen, east, is situated in the north-east corner of the County, and is bounded, north by the Town of Grand Chute, in Outagamie County, east by Lake Winnebago, and the Town of Harrison, in Cal umet County, south by Neenah and the lake, west by Clayton, comprising, after deducting for Little Buttes des Morts Lake, some sixteen sections, which, lying above the lakes, is gen erally level, with slight undulations. Its surface, originally covered with a dense growth of timber, principally sugar-maple, white and swamp oak, beach, hickory, ash and basswood, interspersed in the northwest por tion ofthe town, with groves of pine, has been, to a large extent, cleared of timber and con verted into excellent farming lands. The soil is a rich vegetable mold, with deep clay sub-soil, and a lime-stone base, producing a fine growth of wheat, oats, rye, or barley, and is particularly adapted to grazing. Nat ural meadows are abundant, and, in fact, all varieties of grasses seem natural. Little Buttes des Morts Lake and Fox River running north, through the town, divide it nearly equally, and with several small streams, afford an abundance of water. Along the shores of Buttes des Morts, an unlimited amount of clay, ofthe finest quality, for brick-making, is found, and this branch of industry is extensively followed, producing annually, immense quantities of brick, which are now used extensively in the vicinity and shipped abroad. Good lime-stone is also abundant. In 1849, Mr. James Ladd constructed a lime-kiln on his present farm (west side of Lake Buttes des Morts) , from which he supplied this entire section of country, including that used at Lawrence University, which he deliv ered on the ground, at fifteen cents per bushel. The stone being generally located below the surface it was found much less expensive to obtain the raw material from the immense range on the east shore of Lake Winnebago, which is much lighter in color and has almost entirely taken . the place of stone from local quarries. Buttes des Morts, literally "Hills of the Dead," — this name designates two- points within the county of great historical interest. The Grand Buttes des Morts is situated nine miles above Oshkosh, upon a delightful eleva tion, where the village ofthe same name now stands. Commanding an extensive view, including the junction of the Fox' and Wolf Rivers, which, mingling their waters at its foot, spread over a surface some two miles in width and about seven in length, called, Big Buttes des Morts Lake. The other, Little Buttes des Morts, below Lake Winnebago, and directly west ofthe City of Menasha, across a smaller expansion of Fox River, called Little Buttes des Morts Lake. The ground here, rising high above the lake, was surmounted by several large mounds, which, within the past few years, have been almost entirely removed, and on the same spot we now find the tracks, depot and crossing of the Chicago & Northwestern and Wisconsin Cen tral railroads. In excavating for these tracks, quantities of human bones, implements of iron and copper were unearthed. Some two hundred years ago, these two points were the headquarters of powerful Indian tribes, the location of their principal villages, their theatre of action, the scene of desperate conflicts between different tribes, their final destruction by the French, and finally their last resting-place. The Town of Neenah, of which this was once a part, was divided January 6, 1855, by order of the County Board of Supervisors, and the Town of Menasha organized. Previous to this division, a rivalry had sprung up, very naturally, between the two sides of the river. The place of holding town elections had, long prior to this date, been established, by act of the Legislature, at Neenah. The Village of Menasha had for some time agitated the subject and claimed that the elec tion should be held alternately at that place, and, until April 5, 1853, the question was to be contested at the polls, but Neenah out-voted the Town of Menasha. The question being upon the place of holding the next election, and of dividing the town, one hundred and eighty-two votes were cast for holding the next election at the Winnebago Exchange, in Nee nah, and the same number against a division, 1 846-79. J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 231 and one hundred and sixty votes for the other side. April 2, 1854, at the next annual town meet ing, a vote was again taken to decide where the general election of 1854 and the annual town meeting of 1855, should be held. Two hundred and thirty-nine votes were cast for the Decker House, in Menasha, and one hun dred and forty-seven votes for R. C. Weeden's brick hotel, in Neenah. Neenah, expecting no mercy from the other side, made application to the County Board for a division and Menasha as strongly opposed it, but the town was divided conformable to the application. On the 3rd of April, 1853, Menasha held an organic election at the Decker House. Cornelius Northrup was elected moderator; Elias Bates and George W. Fay, inspectors; L. S. Fisher, clerk. The first business before the meeting, seems to have been the adoption of a preamble and resolution, setting forth the illegality of the division of the Town of Neenah, and organization of the Town of Menasha, contrary to the expressed wishes of three-fourths ofthe voters ofthe old town and of every voter in the new town, and protesting against such division. They then proceeded to the election of town officers, resulting in the election of Jeremiah Hunt, chairman; Isaac Hough, and Wells E. Blair, supervisors; Elbridge Smith, clerk; Geo. W. Fay, treasurer; Charles Whipple, superintendent of schools; A. K. Sperry, Samuel Neff and Edmon Free man, assessors; Elias Bates, Israel Naricong and George Watson, justices. Wells E. Blair, failing to qualify as super visor, the board met on May 5th, and appointed Cleveland Bachelder to fill the vacancy. The first birth occurring within the present limits of the Town of Menasha, was that of Delos Haight, son of Moses Haight, in the spring of 1847. The first marriage was that of Mr. L. S. Wheatley and Miss Caroline Northrup, Octo ber 27, 1848. Miss Northrup was a daughter of Mr. Cornelius Northrup, a pioneer in both Neenah and Menasha. The first death was that of one Jenson, a Dane, who died September 5, 1846, in one of the Government block-houses, on the west side of Lake Buttes des Morts, and was buried near the mounds. The funeral services were conducted by Elder O. P. Clinton. The first permanent settler with the present limits of the town, was Mr. James Ladd, who, with his family, located near his present resi dence in the fall of 1846, occupying one ofthe block-houses erected by the Government. Born at Sudbury, Vermont, the 16th of May, 1799, hej with his parents, removed to the State of New York, at an early age, where he resided until 1845, when he emigrated with his family to Beaver Dam, in Wisconsin. In March, 1846, Mr. Ladd made a claim of his present possessions, and leaving his son Christopher to hold the claim, returned to his family at Beaver Dam, and in the fall moved his family to one of the Government block houses, near his present residence. Mr. Ladd relates that in the spring of 1847, one of his family was taken sick, and, it became necessary to send across Lake Winne bago to Stockbridge, for a physician. The only way to get there was in a skiff. Mr. Cory don Northrup made the trip, and returned with Dr. Marsh. Thomas Jourdain was born at Green Bay in 1823, the youngest of a family of eight. In 1837, his father was employed by the Gov ernment, as blacksmith for the Indians, at Winnebago Rapids, and Thomas was appointed assistant; here he worked six years. In 1848, he purchased a farm on the west shore of Lake Butte des Morts, which, in 1855, became a part of the Town of Menasha, where he resided until 1 87 1, and is now a resident of the City of Menasha. Mary H. Jourdain, his sister, became the wife of Rev. Eleazer Williams, in 1823. Asahel Jenkins and family settled within the town, in 1846. Wells E. Blair came to Neenah in the fall of 1845, but only remained some two weeks, and returned again, in 1848. In 1850, he pur chased a farm on the west side of Lake Buttes des Morts, within the present limits of the Town of Menasha, where he has since resided. TOWN OFFICERS. Chairman, P. Verbeck; Supervisors, A. D. Page, Michael Lockbaum; Clerk, George H. Keyes; Treasurer, M. J. Creedon; Assessor, John Fitzgibbon; Justices, Waldo Kittel, Lewis Neff. 232 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i839-43- TOWN OF OSHKOSH. [COMPILED FOR THIS WOBK BY WM. N. WEB9TEE.] CHAPTER LX. Situation, Soil and Face of Country — Productions — Organi zation and First Election of Town and County Officers — Early Settlers — First Roads in the County — Incidents in the Early Settlement — Changes in Boundaiies — Northern Hospital for the Insane —County Poor Farm. {HE Town of Oshkosh is bounded north by the Town of Vinland, east by Lake Winnebago, south by the City of Osh kosh and Lake Buttes des' Morts, and west by Lake Buttes des Morts, and comprises about six sections in the northern portion of Township 18, north, of Range 16, east, a fraction of Town 18, Range 17, of about one section, a fraction of Town 19, Range 17, of about three sections, and some five sections of the southern portion of Town 19, Range 16, making a total of not far from twenty sections. The surface is well elevated above the lakes, and, in the southern part, quite level, slightly undulating through the middle, and more rolling and broken in the north; but no promi nent elevation. The soil is also varied; in the south-east is a deep clay, generally covered with a rich vege table mold; in the south and west, clay and loam predominate with small areas of loam and sand. Ridges and knolls of gravel are frequent, as indicated by a thorough system of hard gravel roads in all parts of the town. The crops are, wheat, oats, corn, barley, some rye, potatoes, and the various grasses, all of which are successfully raised. Horses, cattle and sheep are also important items in the list of productions. Many large farms are devoted to dairying, and the cheese factories annually produce great quantities of cheese ofthe best quality. At the time of the early settlement, the tim ber was burr-oak, in the form of "openings," which had attained an enormous size, and, as is common with burr-oak "openings," forming a landscape unrivaled for beauty in the west ern world. The shores of Lake Winnebago. were fringed with a narrow strip of forest, of the usual varieties of hard wood timber. Since the settlement and the consequent prevention of annual fires, other varieties of timber have sprung up and now occupy the place made vacant by the general destruction of those old monarchs that had withstood the storms and the elements for centuries. Black and white oak, hickory and many smaller kinds are now- found in small groves or belts. ORGANIZATION. March 8, 1839, the Territorial Legislature passed an act as follows: "Townships Eighteen and Nineteen, Ranges Fifteen and Sixteen, and fractional Eighteen and Nineteen, in Range Seventeen, shall be a separate town by the name of Buttes des Morts, and the election in said town shall be holden at the house of Webster Stanley. " The present Town of Oshkosh is within those limits. We find no record of any further organiza tion, no election or town meeting until the fol lowing, viz: First meeting in Town of Buttes des Morts, April 4,. 1842. On motion, Chester Ford was chosen chairman, and sworn by T. Lee, coro ner, and Jason Wikins, clerk, and sworn by the same. On motion, all candidates shall be by elected by ballot; there shall be two assessors, two constables, and three fence- viewers; the supervisors and commissioners of highways shall have one dollar per day, for actual service, and no more. The chairman adjourned until one o'clock on the fifth of April. Signed by Jason Wilkins, clerk. Tuesday, April 5, 1842. Met according to adjournment, and the clerk, Jason Williams, declining to serve, Clark Dickinson was appointed and sworn in. Attested -by Clark Dickinson, clerk, signed by Chester Ford, chairman. The result of the election on the fifth was declared as follows: Chester Ford, chairman; Chester Gallup and Wm. C. Isbell, supervis ors; John Gallup, town clerk; Thomas Lee and Louis B. Porlier, assessors; Webster Stanley, treasurer; Thomas Evans, collector; Robert Grignon, Ira F Aiken and Shipley A. Gallup, commissioners of highways; John P. Gallup and Clark Dickinson, school commis sioners; Henry A. Gallup and Louis B. Por lier, constables; Jason Wilkins, sealer of wrights and measures; Ira F. Aiken, Henry Moore and Archibald Caldwell, overseers of highways; Robert Grignon, Chester Ford and Chester Gallup, fence viewers. David Johnson, Wm. Powell, James Knaggs, Augustine Grig non, William W. Wright and Wm. A. Boyd, were also candidates, or, at least, received some votes for these offices. At this election there were twenty-three votes polled, or that number of voters present, who voted; there were twenty-one offices distributed, and yet six got away with out any office; probably they did not adhere to strict party lines. Minutes of town meeting of Buttes des Morts, April 4, 1843: On motion, W. C. I84Q-45-J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 233 Isbell was chosen chairman, and sworn in by W. A. Boyd, clerk. (Query: By whom was the clerk sworn?) Onmotion, that a committee of three be appointed, S. Brooks, Ira F. Aiken and C. Dickinson, said committee to examine the current expenses for the ensuing year, and we jointly approve of the first and third appropriations of the current expenses, and also the contingent expenses for the ensu ing year, amounting to fifty dollars. On motion, the compensation of officers the ensuing year be fifty cents per day, not other wise provided by law; that there shall be two constables and two assessors. On motion, that a lawful fence shall be four and a half feet high. The result of the election was declared as follows: W. C. Isbell, chairman; L. B. Por lier and Chester Ford, supervisors; John P. Gallup, D. Allen and Clark Dickinson, school commissioners; Shipley A. Gallup, Stephen Brooks and Milan Ford, commissioners of highways; G. F. Wright, town clerk; Wm. A. Boyd and J. Wilkins, assessors; H. A. . Gal lup, collector; Wm. W. Wright, town treas urer; Thomas Evans, sealer; Webster Stanley, overseer of highways; James Knaggs, J. P. Gallup and W. Stanley, fence-viewers; Milan Ford and H. A. Gallup, constables; C. J. Coon was also a candidate voted for. High est number of votes cast, eighteen; number of offices to be filled, twenty-one. At the date of the setting off of this town in 1839, it was included in Brown County. July 6, 1840, an act of the Legislature was approved, setting off Winnebago County. February 18, 1842, by an act of the Legis lature, the counties of Winnebago and Calu met, were organized for the purpose of county government; but to remain attached to Brown County for judicial purposes. This act to take effect from and after the first Monday in April, 1843, the first election to beheld at the school-house in Manchester, Calumet County. An election was, however, held on the first Tuesday, April 5, 1842, (which see) which, being contrary to this act, and in fact, wholly unauthorized ( as this act did not take effect until a year later), was legalized by the Legis lature, March 29, 1843. The first legislature of the territory of Wis consin passed an act, amendatory of certain acts passed by the Territorial Legislature of Michigan, dated April 1 7.-22, and March 6, 1833, which was approved, December 6, 1836, as follows: - Be it enacted, by the Council and House of Representatives ofthe Territory of Wisconsin, That- each county within this erritory, now organized, or that may hereafter be organized, and the same is hereby declared one township; for all purposes of raising taxes and providing for defraying the public, and neccessary expenses in the respective counties, and to regulate highways, and that there shall be elected, at the annual town meeting, in each county, three supervisors, who shall perform, in addition to the duties assigned them as a county board, the duties heretofore performed by the township board. It also provides that the clerk shall act as both tow-n and county clerk. In conformity with that law, the Legislature passed an act, which was approved April 1, 1843, as follows: The Town of Buttes des Morts shall hereafter be known by the name of Winnebago, and said town shall embrace all terri tory within the limits of Winnebago County. All future elec tions shall be held at the house of Webster Stanley. As already shown, an election was held for the Town of Buttes des Morts, on the 4th, of April, at which William C. Isbell was elected chairman; L. B. Porlier and Chester Ford, supervisors; George F. Wright, clerk, who by virtue of the act of December 6, 1836, were constituted the county board, in which capacity they acted, as will be seen by reference to the organization of Winnebago County. April 2, 1844, the annual town meeting for the Town of Winnebago was held at the house of Webster Stanley, when Harrison Reed was elected chairman; Wm. C. Isbell and C. Luce, supervisors; C. Ford, G. F. Wright, Jason Wilkins and W. C. Isbell, justices. December 13, 1845, it was voted unani mously, that the place of holding town meet ings for the Town of Winnebago at the house of Webster Stanley be discontinued, and here after be held at the house of Augustine Grig- .non. August 7, 1848, at a special town meeting, at the school-house in the Village of Oshkosh, a tax of two hundred dollars was voted, for the completion of the Town House. August 28, 1849, a special town meeting was held in the Town House. At a meeting of the Town Board of Super visors, convened January 27, 1846, at the house of J. Jackson, present, Joseph Jackson, chairman; Chas. andW. C. Isbell, supervisors; ordered that there be a poll opened for the reception of votes, at the next annual town election, to be held on the first Monday in September, 1846, at the following places, to wit: At the house of H. Gifford, section 22, Town 18, Range 15 (present Town of Omro), at the house of Ira Baird, Section 20, Town 20, Range 17 (now Neenah), also at the house of Webster Stanley. The last meeting of the Board of Supervis ors of the Town of Buttes des Morts, under the law of 1839, was held April 3, 1845, and May 234 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1843-56. 6, 1 843 , the same board met as the town board of the Town of Winnebago, in pursuance of the act of April 1, 1843. February 11, 1847, by an act of the Legisla ture, five towns were set off. (See Winnebago County.) The Town of Winnebago comprising Township 19, Range 15, north of Fox River, the south half of Township 19, Ranges 16 and 17, and fractional Towns 18, Rang'es 16 and 17; the first town meeting to be held at the house of L. M. Miller, "and for temporary township purposes, Township 20, Ranges 14 and 15, be attached to the Town of Winne bago." At the first election in pursuance of this act, held April 6, 1847, Edward Eastman was elected chairman; James H. Ward and Wil liam N. Davis, supervisors; J. H. Smalley, clerk, and Greenberry Wright and Wm. C. Isbell, justices. By an act dated March 11, 1848, the Town of Winneconne was set off from the Town of Winnebago, and temporarily organized, by which the fractional parts of Township 18, Ranges 16 and 17, lying north of Fox River, fractional Town 19, Range 17, Sections 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,27, 28,33,34, 35 and 36, Town 19, Range 16, comprised the Town of Winne bago. G. W. Washburn was elected chairman; Wm. C. Isbell and J. L. Brooks, supervisors; H. A. Gallup, clerk By act of March 22, 1849, Township 18, north, Range 16, east, constituted the Town of Winnebago, the first election to be held in the Village of Oshkosh the first Tuesday in April, 1849. (Fractional Town 18, Range 17, seems to have been overlooked.) February 5, 1850, it was ordered by the County Board of Supervisors, (in pursuance of an act of August 21, 1848, authorizing county boards to set off, organize and change the names of towns), that all of Township 18, Range 16, lying south of Fox River and west of the west line of Sections 24, 25 and 36, shall be organized as the Town of Algoma, leaving to the Town of Oshkosh all of Town ship 18, Ranges 16 and 17, lying north of Fox River, and fractional Sections 24, 25 and 36, Township 18, Range 16, south ofthe river. -November 10, 1852, by order ofthe County Board, the name of the Town of Winnebago was changed to Oshkosh. By resolution of the County Board, dated February 8, 1856, all that part of Township 19, Ranges 16 and 17, lying south ofthe south line of Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, was taken from the Town of Vinland and attached to the Town of Oshkosh, establishing the boun daries of the latter as they now exist, except such changes as may have resulted from the various limits assigned to the city. The officers ofthe town in 1878 were, C. L. Rich, chairman, (and by virtue of that office a member of the County Board); Nelson Allen and John Ryf, supervisors; J. B. Alcott, clerk; Thomas Grundy, assessor; Isaac S. Cox, treasurer. The first white settler in the town was Mr. J. L. Schooley, who located on Section 1, Township 18, Range 16, in the. fall of 1839, that is, within the present limits. Ira F. Aiken located the same fall near the present Asylum dock. The earliest permanent settlements in the county were made in this vicinity, but not within the boundaries of the present town. Mr. Schooley is now a resident of Neenah. . In 1840, or 1841, Wm. C. Isbell settled on fractional Section 6, Township 18, Range 17, and was for many years quite prominent in the official circles of the town and county, and we are informed is now residing at Fremont, on the Wolf River. Dr. Christian Linde, now a resident of the City of Oshkosh, a native of Denmark, emi grated to the United States in 1842, and came directly to this town. A brother, named Carl, had accompanied him from their home, and on the 17th of July they purchased from Colonel Charles Tuller two hundred and eighty acres of land, now occupied by the Northern Insane Asylum, and built a log house very nearly where the Asylum now. stands, Section 31, Township 19, Range 17. Samuel Brooks, who became a resident in 1842, locating a farm on Section Twenty-five, Town Nineteen, Range Sixteen, which he retained until 1846, making improvement, but erecting no buildings. In 1846, disposing of this place, he purchased his present residence. Mr. Brooks states that, on the fifteenth of April, 1843, he crossed the lake to Stock- bridge, on the ice, with a team, and that the team returned again the same day, and making another like trip on the sixteenth; but, when within about six rods ofthe western shore, on their return, the team broke through, but the water being shallow, they were rescued with little difficulty. Gilbert Brooks and Jason Wilkins were with the team. Mr. Brooks was a land surveyor, and as such, had unequalled opportunities of acquainting himself with the surrounding country. In 1843, Jacob and Fredrich Heinson settled on Section Thirty, Town Nineteen, Range Seventeen, where Fredrich still remains, his brother having died. Mr. Jefferson Eaton was born in Herkimer 1 839 49-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 235 County, New York, in 1820, where he resided until 1843, when, with the prevailing fever of emigration he came to Milwaukee, thence to Fond du Lac, by team, over a road just cut through that season. Leaving his family at the first hotel built at that place, and kept by Thomas Green, he started on the trail for Osh kosh. Directed to keep the main trail, he was led far to the west, which he discovered too late to reach either place, but, returning to where he had left his course, he laid down beside a log until morning, when he resumed the direct trail which led him to Chester Ford's (present residence ofWm. Wright), where he stopped a short time, after which he crossed Fox River, at Stanley's ferry, and proceeded on his'way, to the neighborhood where he has since resided; removing his family onto a tract of eighty acres, that fall. Adding one hundred and forty acres to his farm, he subsequently sold one hundred acres for the Northern Insane Hospital. In December, 1843, Mr. Eaton, with Amos Gallup and Stephen Brooks, as commissioners, and Samuel Brooks, as surveyor, laid out the first road in the county — being from Stanley's ferry to Neenah, and called Road Number One. In 1844, the second road was laid out on Town line, between Townships Eighteen and Nineteen, from Lake Winnebago to Lake Buttes des Morts; Road Number Two. About 1846; he assisted in laying a road from Oshkosh, via present Algoma Street, to Winneconne; Road Number Three. Also, the road from Oshkosh (at Main Street bridge) to Waupun; this was Road Number Four. Mr. Stephen Brooks, father of Mrs. J. Eaton, was born in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1781. At sixteen years of age, he removed to the State of New York, and in May, 1837, to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Residing here and at Neenah, he assisted in cutting out the road from Fort Howard to Fort Winnebago, and in May, 1839, located at Clifton (north end of Lake Winnebago); but, purchasing a farm in Section One, Town Eighteen, Range Sixteen, where he removed his family in 1842, and after hold ing many places of public trust, and receiving a full share of public confidence. He died Feb ruary 26, 1 864. Charles Derby was born in Downpatrick, seat of County Down, Ireland, in August, 1 8 19, and emigrated to the United States (by himself, having lost both parents), at the age of eighteen, in search of two uncles, who had preceeded him by many years. On his arrival in this country, his first sojourn was in Massa chusetts, where he worked at his trade (that of machinist), at three dollars per day, but by working overtime, he was much of the time enabled to earn five dollars per day. In 1849, about eight years from his arrival, having accumulated about fifteen hundred dol lars, and, with the desire to secure a home, he migrated to this country, and purchased a pre emption right to his present farm. Here he found the logs rolled up for a house. This was June 11, 1849. The first year of Mr. Derby's farming he cleared twenty acres, and the same fall (1849) he sowed nine acres to winter wheat, without plowing, and the next season harvested three hundred bushels p-1 wheat, which he sold for thirty cents per bushel, on ninety day's time. Oliver Libbey, S. S. Keese and Mr. Derby were the principal men in this school district at this time, and caused a school house to be erected. Mr. Derby now owns a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres, well provided with buildings, Mr. E. W. Allen was born in Wayne County, New York, in 18 14; removed to Michigan, thence to Wisconsin, residing for a time in the southern portion ofthe State, and, in 1846, purchased a farm adjoining the Town of Oshkosh, where he resided until 1856, when he sold to Mr. Eli Stilson, and purchased a farm about one mile further north, where he resided until 1876, when he retired to the city, where he still remains, leaving his son Albert, as successor on the farm. Corydon L. Rich purchased his farm in 1845; commenced work in spring of 1846. (For incidents in Mr. Rich's settlement, see page 118.) T. J. Townsend and R. S. Lambert also settled in 1846. The northern portion ofthe town, including two miles in width, was, from 1849 to 1856, a part of the Town of Vinland, and the first set tlements in the original town were within the present limits of the city; the reader is there fore referred to the history of the city for early . incidents and experiences, not here alluded to. The lands in this town were included in the purchase from the Menomonee Indians, of September, .1836; and were surveyed by David Giddings, in 1839, offered for sale in April, 1840, and along the shore of Lake Winnebago were generally purchased by non-residents, as a speculation. COUNTY POOR FARM. The County Poor Farm, comprising one hundred acres, with commodious and substan tial buildings, is on Section 36, Town 19, Range 16. 236 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1847-79- POST-OFFICES. The first post-office in the county was estab lished in 1840, within the present limits of the city, prior to any town organization, and John P. Gallup was appointed postmaster. June 2, 1847, the Vinland Post-office was established, and Samuel Brooks appointed postmaster, a position he has ever since retained. This office is within the present limits of the town ( north east corner Section 26, Town 19, Range 16). A post-office was also established at the Insane Hospital, June 26, 1876, and Wm. W. Walker appointed postmaster. This office was named Winnebago. In 1855, the town comprised only that portion of Town 18, Range 16, lying north of Fox River, and the fraction of Town 18, Range 17. exclusive of the city, and then contained one school, seventy-seven scholars, and three hun dred and forty-five inhabitants. Population in 1875, eleven hundred and twenty-four; in 1878 there were three schools and two hundred and seventy-six scholars. ILLUSTRATIONS. This town contains many elegant farm resi dences, as shown by the views of the same in this work. COMMODORE ROGERS. Commodore Roger's beautiful farm, which is situated on the shore of Lake Buttes des Morts, in the Town of Oshkosh, contains 312 acres, and is one of the best wheat soils in the country. His wheat crop in 1877, aver aged twenty-two bushels per acre. One piece of land in this farm, has been cropped with wheat for twenty-three successive years, and has frequently yielded from thirty to forty bushels per acre; and last year, which was the twenty-second crop, yielded thirty bushels. This is particularly remarkable, from the fact that the crop last year was unusually light throughout the country, The same piece of land this year has produced its usual large .crop. On that portion of the farm, sloping to the lakeshore, there is an admixture of shell lime (marl) one of the best wheat fertilizers, and which is probably one of the causes of its great productiveness. Mr. Rogers moved from Crawford County, Ohio, and settled on this farm in 1854, and is one of the most successful farmers in the county. By judicious management and well directed industry, his farm has been made to yield bountiful crops, and reward him with a substantial prosperity. His farm is most eligibly situated, being only two miles from the business center of Oshkosh, and commands a fine view of Lake Buttes des Morts and the surrounding country. A view of the place is here given. C. L. RICH. Among the illustrations of the Town of Oshkosh will be found a view of the farm of Hon. C. L. Rich. As Mr. Rich was one of the first settlers of the county, a description of his fine farm, and a relation of his settle ment is given on pages 1 18 and 119, in His tory of Winnebago County, in this work. THE LATE MARK PLUMMER. Mrs. Mark Plummer, the view of whose residence is here given, is the relict of the late Mark Plummer, who was one of the well known and highly esteemed pioneer settlers of Winnebago County. Mr. Plummer was a native of England, from whence he migrated at eight years of age, to the State of New York. From the latter state he moved to Illinois, in 1841, where he resided until 1846, in which year he settled in this county. He was for some time in the employment of Webster Stanley, and acted in the vocation of ferry-man at Oshkosh. In 1847, he settled on the beautiful farm, which he has left as an inheritance to his family. This place was at this time a wilder ness, and settlers were just building their log houses. Neighbors were from one to two miles apart, with a plentiful supply of Indian wigwams. Mr. Plummer, through his enter prise and well directed industry, soon became one ofthe leading and substantial farmers of this county, and left as the result of his labor, this highly improved farm of four hundred acres. He died in December, 1874, greatly lamented in the community in which he had so long and usefully lived. Six of the children are now living with Mrs. Plummer, on the homestead. This is one of the finest farms in the county, and its appearance gives every evidence of good management and thrift. The residence is a very handsome brick structure, and is the home of an orderly and well conducted family, who are making a good use of the advantages which surround them, and are held in high esteem by their neighbors and a large circle of acquaintances, GEORGE ROGERS. The farm of George Rogers, a view of which is here given, is situated on the shore of Lake Buttes des Morts, in the Town of Oshkosh. It contains 400 acres of as fine land as can be found in the county, in a high state of cultiva tion This is one of the leading dairy farms of the county. The cheese factory supplied exclusively with milk from the cows kept on the farm, produces from eight to ten tons of Residence of Geo.IVI .Wakefield , Oshkosh, Wis. 1 849.-79 -J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 237 cheese, and one thousand pounds of butter, per annum; all of which finds a ready home market in Oshkosh. The wheat crop on this farm has, for late years, averaged over twenty bushels per acre. It contains an inexhaustible supply of one of the best of fertilizers, in the large deposits of shell lime (marl) on the lands adjacent to the lake. The location affording a fine view of Lake Buttes des Morts and the distant perspective, is one of the most beauti ful in the county. Mr. Rogers settled here in June, 1853. The country was comparatively new at the time, and the settlers in the immediate vicinity had for some years felt discouraged at the failures of the wheat crop, occasioned by a luxuriant growth of wild sun-flower, which choked the wheat growth and destroyed the crop. After Mr. Rogers purchased, it was frequently remarked among the knowing ones that the weeds would soon starve him out; but he was not that kind of a farmer, and as soon as the sun-flowers appeared in full force and asserted possession of his wheat-fields, it occurred to him that to mow off their heads would check their enterprise. He did so, and a splendid crop of wheat was the result — over thirty bushels to the acre. His neighbors adopted the same process, and wheat-growing became a success; this section having now the reputa tion of being one of the best wheat districts in the State. JOHN RYF. A view is given in these pages of the fine farm and cheese-factory of John Ryf, in the Town of Oshkosh. This farm contains 240 acres, and is kept in a high state of cultivation. Forty milch cows are kept on the place, the milk from which is used in the cheese-factory. A large quantity of milk is also purchased of the neighboring farmers. Mr. Ryf manufac tures 28,000 pounds of Switzer cheese per annum, which finds a ready sale; as the pro duct of this factory stands high in the market, and much of it is purchased for foreign ship ment. Mr. Ryf emigrated from Switzerland to Rome, New York, in 1853, and from the latter place to this county in i860, when he settled on his farm in this town, which he has con verted into one of the best dairying farms in the county, and is now enjoying a substantial prosperity. He has a fine little vineyard which he cultivates very successfully, and from the product of which he makes an excellent wine for home consumption. The farm is a very handsome one, with excellent soil and good buildings, and is a place where the visi tor is received with the heartiest welcome, and the most generous hospitality. Mr. Ryf is highly esteemed by a large circle of friends, as a generous-hearted man, a kind neighbor, and useful citizen. GEORGE M. WAKEFIELD. One of the early settlers of this county is George M. Wakefield, whose parents moved to the now Town of Nepeuskun in the fall of 1849, and were among the early residents of that section, and also among the most highly respected and influential. In 1866, Mr. George M. Wakefield embarked in business in Eureka, where he had a wheat elevator and a store — dry goods and mixed merchandise. He conducted those branches of business until 1869, when he moved to the City of Oshkosh and purchased the flouring mill on the site of the present Wakefield Mills. This was destroyed by fire in May, 1870, and shortly after this occur rence he erected the fine large brick mill on the same site, now known as the Wakefield, and engaged largely in the manufacture of flour. Having subsequently purchased a large quantity of pine and mineral lands, among others a large tract on the Ontonagon, he engaged on a large scale in the manufacture of lumber, and in dealing in pine lands; and had an extensive milling interest in Ontonagon. This so much occupied his attention that he sold out his flouring mill in Oshkosh. In addition to his lumbering and pine land 'busi ness, he entered largely into mineral land oper ations, and became possessed of many valua ble tracts. The late business revulsion depre ciated the value of mineral, and pine and hard wood lands, to such an extent that it involved him in serious losses; but with a most com mendable energy and courage, that deserves the highest success, he has struggled manfully against the tide, and bids fair to recover his lost ground. No man is more highly respected where known, than George Wakefield, for his integ rity and all those qualities that constitute true manhood. His beautiful residence, a view of which is here given, is situated in the Town of Oshkosh, a short distance from the city limits, and is one of the many handsome places on the outskirts of the city. NORTHERN HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE. This mammoth pile of buildings is situated on the lakeshore, in the Town of Oshkosh, four miles north of the city, on a handsome tract of land belonging to it, and which con tains three hundred and eighty acres. The frontage of the buildings, on a straight line 238 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN [i879- measurement, is one thousand feet; and the total cost of the land, buildings, improvements, furniture, apparatus and fixtures of all kinds, is $658,300. The trustees and officers are as follows: Trustees — T. D. Grimmer, Oshkosh, term expires November, 1878; D. W. Maxon, Cedar Creek, term expires November, 1879; Peter Rupp, Fond du Lac, term expires Novem ber, 1880; W. P. Rounds, Menasha, term expires November, 1881; N. A. Gray, M. D., Milwaukee, term expires November, 1882. President, D. W Maxon; Secretary, N. A. Gray, M. D.; Treasurer, Thomas D. Grim mer; Medical Superintendent, Walter Kemp- ster, M. D.; First Assistant Physician, Wil liam H. Hancker, M. D.; Second Assistant Physician, John R. Thomson, M. D.; Stew ard, Joseph Butler; Matron, Mrs. L. A. Butler. The following reports give the history and description of its construction: Office of Trustees, Northern Hospital for the Insane, Oshkosh, Wis., October 19, 1876. To His Excellency, Harrison Ludington, Governor ofthe Stale of Wisconsin : Sir — The trustees of the Northern Hospital for the Insane have the honor to present their fourth annual report. This hospital is situated about four miles north of the City of Oshkosh, on a farm embracing about three hundred and sixty- seven acres, bounded on the east and south by Lake Winne bago, and extending westward near to the track of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. The bill which authorized the location and commencement of the work, was approved March 10, 1870; it appropriated $125,000, but provided that not more than $40,000 should be expended during that year. Subsequent appropriations were made to complete and fur nish the hospital, gas-works, water supply, sewerage, barns, and out-buildings, which, including the first appropriation, amount in the aggregate to $571,700. On the twenty fifth day of November, 1870, the site for the hospital was fixed on the most accessible and highest point on the farm, being one thousand seven hundred feet west, and twenty-one feet above Lake Winnebago. It is constructed on the most approved plan, consisting of a series of transverse and longitudinal wings on both sides of a center building, the latter being connected with rear buildings by a brick corridor, eighty -seven feet in length; the wings and center building extending north and south en echalon about eight hundred feetj cover one and three-quarters acres of land. The basement is constructed of quarry stone; the superstructure and partition walls of brick; the water-table, belt-course, door and window- sills, caps and quoins of Cleveland sand-stone, an iron veran dah, galvanized iron cornice, and a slate and tin roof. It is well lighted with coal gas, has an ample supply of water, a perfect system of heating and ventilation, which is now being imitated in public buildings in our own and other States. It has been constructed with the highest regard for econ omy, health, convenience, and safety from fire. It was completed and accepted on the eleventh day of Jan uary, 1875, within the amount appropriated therefor, and has a capacity for the care and treatment of five hundred and fifty patients. The construction of the hospital has cost the State $495,484.80; for farm, outbuildings, and furnishing $129,- 765.20. Total cost, $625,250. The apparent small cost compared with the magnitude of the work, has been the subject of common remark by those who have examined it, with a view to building similar institutions in other States. This has been achieved by extensively adver tising for proposals, awarding contracts to the lowest bidder, in all cases requiring adequate security, and, above all, ignoring materials controlled by monopolies, and by arranging and pub lishing specifications, so as to admit the greatest freedom in the purchase of materials consistent with the character of the work. For boldness of design, workmanship, economy of con struction, strength and durability, this institution is second to none ; for those more unfortunate than others it provides a safe and often times curative home, of which every citizen in the State has reason to be proud. During the brief period the hospital has been in operation, its progress in usefulness has been most gratifying. Under the treatment of the present skillful superintendent, a large per centage of the patients have been sent to their homes restored to reason. The whole number of admissions up to the date of this report is seven hundred and fifty-seven, of which number seventy have been discharged fully recovered ; sixty-six dis charged so that in many instances their recovery has been com pleted at home. Its usefulness in the future depends upon the generous sup port of a competent superintendent. The school for investigating the cause and treatment of insanity, now conducted by the medical superintendent of the hospital, gives assurance that it will yield important results so long as it has a competent head to guide its progress and direct its course. After the completion of the south wing, the governor and the presidents of the boards of trustees of the two hospitals, met in the executive office, on the twenty-fourth day of November, 1875, and changed the bounds ofthe districts. The list of counties assigned to the northern district, with the quota of patients, may be found in the accompanying report ot the medical superintendent. This hospital was constructed for the purpose of the treat ment and cure of the more hopeful cases of insanity ; there are, however, a large number of chronic cases now in the hospital, which might be comfortably cared for by the erection of two additional wings as recommended in our last annual report ; the plans and estimates, therefore, may be found in the office of the Secretary of State. Such wings would accommodate two hundred and thirty of this class, and the estimated cost of construction does not exceed $115,000. We ask for an appropriation for this purpose, and earnestly recommend the subject to your favorable consid eration. Our charitable institutions are built from the wealth and capital ofthe State ; their doors should be open to all our unfor- tuuate, without discrimination. The insane ought to be treated as the wards of the State. The people are able and willing to care for all the unfortunates. No complaint has been made 1 879.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 239 against the economical expenditure of money for public charity ; on the contrary, we have heard of no instance where counties have charged patients or their relatives with the main- tainance authorized by law ; we therefore recommend the abolition of the law which authorizes the State to charge counties with a portion of the maintainance of patients, and recommend that the insane be supported at the expense of the State, without discrimination. We especially call your attention to the elaborate and inter esting report of Dr. Walter Kempster, medical superintendent of the hospital. The advanced rank which this hospital holds among other similar institutions, is largely attributed to his eminent services. As an instance of the wise policy of the State in fostering the scientific investigation inaugurated by him, we call your attention to the fact, that the work which he has accomplished in the laboratory of this hospital, was made the subject of an address, prepared at the request of the Centennial Medical Commission, and delivered before the International Medical Congress, held in the City of Philadelphia in September last, which address was published in the transactions of that body. It shows that the work thus begun is fully appreciated by the highest medical authorities, and should be regarded as a direct compliment to the people of the State, and is worthy of their continued support. Accompanying this report are the reports of the secretary, and treasurer, showing the receipts and disbursements of the hospital during the year, and also the reports of the committees of the board. The following is an estimate for current expenses and appro priations asked, for the commencement March I, 1877 : Money on hand and subject to order of trustees to March 1, 1877 $ 84,103. 86 It will require to pay for completion of the purposes for which special appropriations were made — $ 3,050 . 00 There will be an average of 540 patients to be sup ported from October 1, 1876. until March 1, 1877 52,418.57 55,468.57 Leaving balance on hand March 1, 1877 $ 28,635.29 Cost of maintaining 550 patients from March 1, 1877, to March 1, 1878, at $4.50 per week $129,054.00 Less balance on hand March 1 $28,635.29 Due from counties ¦ - 35,109.17 63,744.46 Leaving to be appropriated for current expenses $ 65,309 . 64 Tor purchase.of land between hospital and railroad depot — $ 300.00 For additional wings for chronic insane, as recommended in reports of 1874 and 1875 115,000.00 For changing water-closets of the north wing to correspond with those of the south wing 1,000.00 For additional material for changing heating apparatus of north wing 2,500.00 For Boilers 8,000.00 For improvements on grounds and for farm purposes 2,500.00 For building pier and tramway, which is necessary as pro tection against exhorbitant freight rates 3,500.00 For laboratory 500.00 For lamp-posts 250.00 Experience has demonstrated to us that the lead-safes placed under the water-tanks afford no protection from the drip caused by the condensation from the atmosphere, the drip being the same from the safe as it is from the tanks. It will be neces sary to have this remedied, as the water destroys all plastering through which it passes. Therefore, for this purpose we ask $600. Total appropriation asked, $199,549.54. Respectfully submitted. D. W. Maxon, Peter Rupp, N. A. Gray, Thos. D. Grimmer. The following extracts are copied from Superintendent Kempster's report: The hospital proper consists of a central building with wings on each side. The central building is one hundred and six feet long, and sixty feet wide, and is four stories high. The building is used for administrative purposes and contains the business offices and apothecary shop, the living-rooms of the house-staff, and rooms for subordinates; it also contains a. room fifty-seven by thirty-six feet which is used as a chapel and lecture-room. In the attic of this building there is an iron tank of three hundred barrels capacity, into which water is pumped to supply this building and some of the adjoining wings, and from which there is a pipe having outlets on the several floors for hose connections. The wings on each side ofthe center building are so nearly alike that the description of one will suffice for both. Adjoining the center building is a section of the wing, one hundred and seventeen feet long by fifty-two feet wide ; each story contain ing fourteen single rooms and two associate sleeping-rooms. The single rooms are twelve feet high, nine feet wide, and eleven feet six inches deep. Each room contains one or more windows, seven feet six inches high, by three feet' wide. At one end of this section there are rooms for visitors to see friends in, and at the other end a sitting-room, twenty-two by twenty- five feet. At right angles to this section, and connected with it, is another section one hundred and eighteen feet long and forty feet wide, which contains dining rooms, twelve by thirty feet ; bath-rooms nine by thirteen feet ; and water-closets,, rooms for clothing, and the attendant's room. Connecting with this building, and running parallel to the first section, is another building sixty-five feet long by forty-two feet wide, which contains eleven single sleeping-rooms and two associate dormitories, the single rooms being all the same size as those above described. The next section runs at right angles again, and is eighty-eight feet long by thirty-six feet wide and con tains dining-rooms, bath-rooms and water-closets. Then comes another section parallel to the first, sixty-six feet long and thirty feet wide. This has six single rooms and an associate dormitory. Then comes another section, again at right angles, which is seventy-two feet by thirty-six, containing eight single rooms and one associate room, also containing bath-rooms and water-closet. All the longitudinal wings aie three stories high; two transverse wings are four stories and one transverse three stories high. The fourth stories of the transverse wings have been arranged to accommodate patients and are as light and cheerful and comfortable as any part of the building. In each of the bath-rooms there is a full-length bath-tub, hand wash-bowls, and in appropriate places sitz baths, and a needle-bath, all being arranged for hot and cold water. Near the bath-rooms are situated the water-closets, so arranged that each hopper is connected with an independent waste-pipe, this iron pipe, five inches in diameter, is connected without bends or elbows directly with the sewer-pipe, where it is properly trapped to prevent the return of gases ; the same five-inch pipe is continued directly upwards into the foul-air 240 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879- flue, where it has free opening to discharge all foul odors into the foul-air duct, which empties itself out of doors. There is but one hoppei on each pipe, so that there is no possibility of bad air finding an exit on some other floor; the only opening into the pipe from sewer to foul-air duct is the one where the hopper opens into it ; the pipe is trapped at the bottom in the catch-basin, by bending it upon itself so that there is always three inches of water standing in the pipe, and in addition to this the opening of the pipe is underneath two inches of water in the catch-basin. Into the hopper-pipe all the water used in the bath-rooms, wash-basins, etc., discharges, and each hopper has in addition its own flushing-pipe so that a great quantity of water constantly passes through the hopper-pipe, thoroughly cleansing it. The branch sewers into which the catch-basin empties, are also trapped before they enter the main sewer; all traps are provided with hand holes so that they can be cleansed readily without the necessity of tearing away masonry or digging up the ground. Water-closets are sometimes great sources of discomfort, and even diseases in hospitals, and no pains or expense should be spared to make them sweet, and prevent the noxious gases likely to arise from them, from entering the wards and sleeping rooms. Recent researches demonstrate conclusively that emanations from sewage are prime factors in the causation of a class of malignant diseases embraced in the term Typhoid. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary to procure entire exemption from this evil, if we want a healthy hospital. In the arrangement above described it is believed that we have provided thoroughly against sources of contamination from this direction. Each water-closet has its own independent system of ventilation, both upwards and downwards, without aid from the system of forced ventilation, to be described hereafter. Each ward has its own dining-room thirty-one feet long by twelve feet wide, accomodating all the patients on that particular ward. In each dining-room there is a closet to keep crockery and table-ware in; there is also hot and cold water, and an iron steam-table three feet long by twenty-two inches wide, which has a hollow bottom, into which steam may be turned from the steam pipe, so that the meat, vegetables, etc., which are cooked in the kitchen, can be kept as hot during the meal as when it left the range. Underneath the hot table there is a small shelf, made out of one-half inch steam pipe, on which all plates, dishes, etc., can be warmed, and in which extra diet for the sick can be kept hot during the day, as well as to give additional warmth to the dining room. This little contrivance, which is inexpensive, adds materially to the comfort of all concerned. A person is on better terms, with himself and everybody else after a hot meal, served well in a warm room, and it tends to allay irritability among the insane, no less than among the sane. The dining room tables are furnished in all respects the same as the tables of any well-regulated household, knives and forks being made use of as freely here aselsewhere. There are but very few patients who cannot use knife and fork, and these are so insane as not to be intrusted with anything. These dishes are the white ware in use in all families. It is the aim to make the table cheerful and comfortable. * * * Connecting with each floor of the hospital there are two pairs of iron stairs, with doors opening into the landings from two sides, so as to facilitate escape from the building, should we ever be obliged to pass through the terrible ordeal of fire. On each ward, or in fourteen places in the new south wing, there is a three inch pipe devoted especially to fire purposes. The pipe is connected with a pump directly- in the engine room, which is especially adapted for use in case of fire. The supply of water to this pipe is controlled by a valve in the basement, so that any part of the building may be flooded in a few moments. At least one hundred feet of hose should be attached to each hose con nection on the different floors, thus providing every safeguard with which to fight fire, should it ever befall us. This matter I would particularly urge as one of the gieatest importance. Nothing more dreadful can well be conceived than a fire in an institution devoted to the care of the insane. The rooms occupied by the patients are all warmed by warm air registers, and well venti lated. A hall is devoted to amusements, in which concert and dramatic exhibitions are fre quently given, for the entertainment of patients, and these diversions are attended with the most beneficial results. The law provides that the wards of the hospital shall be carefully inspected each month, by a competent physician, accompan ied by one of the trustees. The reports of those physicians who have visited the insti tution for the purpose of inspection, invariably declare that they find every evidence of the most skillful and faithful management; and the trustees in their report of 1868, say: The report of the medical superintendent, Dr. Walker Kempster, is full of instruction. It speaks for itself. He needs no eulogy from the board of trustees, for his success as. super intendent is demonstrated by the high rank this hospital holds among other similar insti tutions. Reports of his scientific investiga tions instituted in the laboratory of this hos pital are not confined to the limits of this country. They have been made the subject of discussion by the International Medical Congress, and their utility conceded by men holding the highest rank in the medical pro fession. " The number of patients in the hospital on November 1, 1879, was five hundred and sixty-one, and the number of employes, including officers, average one hundred and twenty. A large piece of land is cultivated, on which is raised field crops; and twenty acres is cultivated as a vegetable, garden. Large crops are produced, as the result of skillful tillage. Among the productions for the year 1878 were: Two thousand five hundred and fifty-one bushels of beets; ninety- four bushels of green beans; seven hundred and fifty bushels of dry corn; three hundred, and thirty-nine bushels of green corn; one thous and nine hundred and twenty-one bushels of carrots; one thousand four hundred and eighty- 1879-1 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 241 two heads of cabbage; one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight heads of celery; three thousand seven hundred and twenty- seven bunches of onions; five hundred and fifteen bushels of dry onions; one thousand three hundred bushels of oats; one thousand one hundred bushels of potatoes and twelve tons of winter squash. These, with other productions, furnish the chief portion of the vegetable used in the establishment. There was raised and slaughtered on the place in 1878, 17,839 pounds of pork. Among the animals kept on the place are, forty-seven milch cows; two hundred swine, large and small, and three hundred fowls. Those of the inmates who are able and willing to assist in any of the departments of the farm, garden, kitchen or laundry, etc., are permitted to do so, care being taken that only a limited amount of work is permitted. From the Superintendent's report it appears, that there are, on an average, more than sixty male patients who come in and go out as they choose, without being accompanied by attend ants, and as many more who are permitted to go in and out a part of each day, without attendants accompanying them. The grounds about the institution, especially along the lakeshore, are admirably adapted for pur poses of recreation, and the advantages thus enjoyed by the patients are fully appreciated. Nearly all summer long, the woods on the premises are filled with wild flowers, and the wards, dining-room tables, and sick rooms, contain ample evidences of floral beauties, gathered by our patients in their daily rambles. Much taste is often displayed in the decor ation of the walls with autumn leaves, varie gated grasses and ferns, abounding hereabout, furnishing tasteful and agreeable enjoyment for many hands that would otherwise be idle, perhaps destructive. In the autumn and winter months, the humble structures, which have been dignified with the name of green houses, have afforded great enjoyment to a majority of the household. The most dis turbed among them enjoy a visit to the "green house," and rarely have they even touched a flower. One of the structures furnishes let tuce, etc., in the winter for those who are unable to leave their beds, and the daily visit of the gardener with the relishes supplied, and a flowering plant for a sick room, are hailed with delight by many who hardly ex press an emotion at any other time. " The matron's report shows that 3,650 articles of clothing, bedding, etc., have been manu factured in the institution during the year. The hospital is lighted with gas manufac tured on the place, at a cost of $1.98 per one thousand feet. The trustees estimate the current expenses and appropriations needed for the year com mencing March 1, 1879, at $85,057.60. TOWN OF NEPEUSKUN. | COMPILED FOR THIS WORK BY WM. N. WEBSTEB.J CHAPTER LXI. Situation — Pace of the Country — Soil, Timber and Water — Early Settlers — Incidents of the Early Settlement — First Births — First Marriages — School-house and Post-offices — Town Organization — Organic Election — First Town Officers — Advent of Other Early Settlers — - First Crops and Large Yields of Grain — Notices of ) llustrations. |HE Town of Nepeuskun is bounded on the north by Rushford, east by Utica, south by Cereseo, in Fond du Lac County, and west by Berlin, in Green Lake County, comprising all of Town ship 17, north, Range 14, east, except the north half of Section 1 , attached to the Town of Rushford. The general surface is high and rolling, often rising into abrupt elevations, affording extended views of the surrounding country, and of unusual beauty. Rush Lake, in the eastern part of the town, is about two miles in width by five in length, lying north and south, divides the town. Its shores, slightly above its surface, are generally level, extending away from one-fourth of a mile to two miles, afford ing ample meadows and pasture lands, but equally adapted to the raising of grain. Natural meadows are abundant. The soil, in the northern part, is a rich black loam, with a subsoil of red clay, and more southerly, a marshy loam, with lighter clay. A desirable admixture of sand is generally found, while in some portions the sand pre dominates, but, overlying clay, it produces good crops. The early settlers were attracted to the vicinity of the lake by a heavy growth of forest timber on the west, more especially the hard or sugar maple, while in other parts are burr, white and black oak, in the character of open ings, which afforded sufficient timber for ordi nary purposes. These tracts were frequently diversified with small prairies. Limestone is the prevailing rock, with an occasional ridge of sandstone. There are no streams of note, except the outlet of Rush Lake, which, running north through the Vil lage of Waukau, where it affords considerable 242 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-76. water-power, makes its way thence into the Fox River. At the time of the early settle ment, several small streams were found con tributing to the supply of the lake and were supposed to be the main source on which the lake was dependent; but as the timber van ished and the land became cultivated the streams all became dry a greater portion of the year, without any perceptible effect upon the lake; and the fact became patent that the lake was fed by springs within its borders and in the vicinity. The chief products of the town are wheat, corn, oats, horses, cattle and sheep, although by no means confined to these; its capacities being fully as varied as those of any town of nearly the same latitude. The population is composed mostly of peo ple from the Eastern States, and largely of the early settlers or their descendants, who have ever been noted for their industry, economy and excellent morals. There is not at this time, and never has been, within the limits of the town, a place where spirituous liquors are sold. EARLY SETTLERS. The first settlement in the town was made on the arrival of Mr. Jonathan Foote, wife, daughter, and a nephew, W. H. Foote, who in March, 1846, selected their future homes near the center of Section Eleven; more par ticularly (as before mentioned) on account of a fine grove of hard maples, and a profusion of never-failing springs. The uncle and nephew still retain their first purchase. The Footes, after living in their wagons some weeks, had procured lumber and built a shanty, thirteen by sixteen feet in size, where they not only lived but entertained many strangers, who were seeking locations for homes, often to the number of sixteen or eighteen at a time; W. H. Foote devoting a wagon to the purpose of a sleeping-room all summer. In the following May, Mr. Lucius B. Town- send, family and brother, arrived; and the day of their arrival, taking a plow from their wagon, turned the first furrow in the soil of Nepeuskun. They then set two crotches in the ground, and laying a pole in these, formed a shelter by resting boards against the pole, under which they lived during the summer, "breaking-up" some sixty acres in the mean time. Before the close of the year, their numbers were increased by the arrival of many new set tlers, among them Aashel B. and James H. Foster, Samuel Clough, Sidney Vankirk, John Nash, Dan Barnum, T. F. Lathrop, George Walbridge, W. C. Dickerson, Lyman B. John son, H. F. Grant, John Vankirk, Solomon Andrews, H. Stratton and Alonzo J. Lewis, making quite a neighborhood, although scat tered over a great portion of the town. In 1847, they were further reinforced by Elisha Percival Foote (father . of W. H.), wife, four daughters and two sons, Darius Rosa, Martin Eager, A. Y. Troxell, D. C. Vedder, G. McLaughlin, G. Slingsby and Julius Keep. FIRST BIRTHS — FIRST MARRIAGES — POST OFFICE. The first birth in this town, was that of Marshal, son of Sidney Vankirk, which occurred July, 1846. The first marriage was that of George Marsh and Elvira Nash, daughter of John Nash, at the residence of Edward Noble, east half of northeast quarter of Section 3, and was conducted by Asahel" B. Foster, Esq. We are unable to give the exact date of this marriage; but can state that it was but a few days previous to the first day of September, from the fact that on that day occurred the second marriage in the town, that of Ira R. Lathrop and Miss Avis Alvira Foster, daughter of Ashael B. Foster. This ceremony was performed at the residence of A. B. Foster, on the spot where James H. Foster now resides, by Lyman B. Johnson, Esq. On the 26th of the same month, a notable event occurred, at the close of divine service, on Sunday, at the residence of George Wal bridge, residing on the east half of the south east quarter of Section 18, the double wedding of Abraham Devore and William C. Smith to Misses Mary and Sarah Foote, twin daughters of Elisha Percival Foote, soleminized by Rev. Hiram McKee. The log house built for this newly married quartette, the same fall, is still seen near the Free Soil School-house, cen ter of Section 8. The first death was that of Mary E., daughter of L. B. and M. Johnston, Novem ber 15, 1847. A log school-house was erected the same year, near the center of Section 8, and a public school instituted for the winter, with Asahel B. Foster as teacher, and before the close of the year, religious services were held here by Elder Manning, a Baptist Minister. A post-office was established in 1850, on the northeast quarter of Section 8, present residence of James H. Foster, named KorOj and J. H. Foster appointed postmaster. In 1858, Mr. Foster was elected Register of Deeds, and his father succeeded him in the postoffice. At the death of his father, Octo ber 19th, 1862, J. H. Foster was reappointed. Elected to the Legislature in 1869, he resigned the postoffice and his eldest daughter, Miss' A. 1847-75- 1 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 243 Florette Foster, was duly commissioned; holding the position until her marriage, May I, 1872, when the honor was again bestowed upon J. H. Foster, who was nominated for Presidential Elector in 1876, and thereby compelled to abdicate for the third time, and is now anticipating a fourth appointment, upon the marriage of his youngest daughter, Miss Jennie, who received the appointment upon his last retirement, and has to the present time most satisfactorily conducted the office. I. Hasbrouck, an early resident of Oshkosh, was the mail contracter between Oshkosh and Berlin, at the time this office was established. In September, 1849, a postoffice was estab lished near Rush Lake, named Nepeuskun, and James J. Catlin appointed postmaster. It is now located at Rush Lake Junction, Sec tion 21. TOWN ORGANIZATION. In 1847, the Town of Rushford was set off (which see), and included in this township. November 17, 1849, Nepeuskun was set off by the County Board of- Supervisors. In pursuance of the order of the County Board, the organic election was held the first Tuesday in April, 1850, at the house of Lyman B. Johnson. Johnathan Foote was chosen chairman; George S. Barnum, clerk; E. P. Foote and George Walbridge, inspectors; resulting in the election of L. B. Townsend, chairman; Lyman Pomeroy, second, and A. A. Vedder, third supervisor; George S. Bar num, clerk and assessor; Jonathan Foote, treas urer; George S. Barnum, superintendent of schools; Samuel Clough) constable; A. Y. Troxell, L. B. Johnson and Jonathan Foote, justices. April 13th, pursuant to notice given, the justices elected, met at the house of L. B. Townsend, to draw lots for their terms of office. A. Y. Troxell and Jonathan Foote drew two years, and L. B. Johnson one year term. At the annual town election, held at the school-house, in District No. 2, April 1, 185 1, Daniel Barnum was elected chairman; A. A. Vedder and Philester Randell, super visors; A. Y. Troxell, clerk; Jonathan Foote, treasurer and superintendent; George Stock ing and James Deyoe, justices; Samuel Clough, constable; James P. Wakefield, sealer. In 1857, the Milwaukee & Horicon Rail road Company completed their line to Berlin, passing along the western shore of Rush Lake and through the entire length of the town, with a station on the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 21. In i860, a railroad was constructed from this station to Winneconne, via Waukau and Omro. These roads are now owned and operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company. A postoffice, telegraph office and grain elevator are located here. The present town officers are, Geo. Slingsby, chairman; Chas. Jordan and Jerome Vankirk, supervisors; George Brigham, clerk; D. P. Morrison, treasurer; Saml. Atkins, assessor; Jonathan Foote and H. F. Grant, justices. In 1855, Nepeuskun contained six hundred and eighty-four inhabitants, six schools and two hundred and six scholars. In 1875, the population was 1,123, and in 1878, there were six schools, four hundred and forty-five children, over four and under twenty years of age. INCIDENTS IN THE EARLY SETTLEMENT. As previously stated, W. H. Foote settled in the town, in March 1846, and his father, Elisha P. Foote, in the spring of 1847. During the latter season they erected the first frame barn in the town, which is still standing. the shingles, rived and shaved from oak tim ber, are still doing service. The residence of W. H. Foote was destroyed by fire, with all its contents, July 10, 1870, . in the absence of the family. In two weeks Mr. Foote had a good, substantial frame house so far completed, that he moved his family into it, and is still in possession, Within the door-yard is a most beautiful and copious spring, populated with myriads of minnows, while several smaller springs in close proxim ity, discharging into the same stream, form a brook of liberal dimensions. John Edward Sheldon, a native of Frank lin County, Vermont, located at Berlin, in 1848, and in 1856, married Miss Orlena Foote, daughter of E. P. Foote, when he took up his residence on the southeast quarter of Section 10 in this town. Mrs. Sheldon has a distinct recollection of making a trip to Neenah with her brother, W,. H., accompanied by a sister, the fall after their arrival (1847); crossing the ferry at Oshkosh, stopping at the hotel of M. Griffin (just opened), their visit with a friend at Neenah, who was engaged at the time in the wool-card ing machine of Daniel Priest, a short excur sion in a row-boat while there, and the return home; and very prominent among these recol lections is the entire lack of roads at that time. The carding-machine mentioned was the first machinery on the water-power at Neenah, the Government mills only excepted; and we are indebted to Mrs. Sheldon for confirmation of views otherwise obtained in relation to that fact. 244 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79- Sidney Vankirk, a native of Oneida County New York, settled in Nepeuskun in 1846. As early as 1835, Mr. Vankirk was employed in lumbering on Menomonee River. In the fall of 1836, he with one man, each in a bark canoe, the two canoes lashed together, came down to Green Bay, thence by the Indian trail to Milwaukee and Chicago, camping by the way. In 1838, he made a land claim at Burlington, Wisconsin, which he sold in 1846, and having married during his residence here, he con structed a truck-wagon, the wheels being made by sawing off from logs and tapering from center to circumference; and loading their worldly effects, with his wife, started north, a term fully as definite as his ideas, at the time, of his destination, which, however, turned out to be the southwest corner of Sec tion Seventeen, Nepeuskun. In their course they traveled through the Watertown woods, requiring three days between Aztalan and Watertown (we believe a distance of eleven miles). Samuel P. Button, a native of Vermont, came to Strong's Landing, Berlin, in 1847. On his arrival he found there was quite a demand for pine shingles, which could only be procured by cutting logs on the Wolf River, sawing them into bolts, and loading them on flats; they were then floated down the Wolf River, poled up the Fox, and eventually con verted into shingles by the old method of riv ing and shaving. Mr. Button, havingpurchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, entered into a contract to manufacture one hundred thousand shingles for one hundred dollars. Mr. Button also laid the first railroad ties in the townships of Berlin, Nepeuskun, Rushford and Omro; built all the culverts on the Winne conne Railroad, and laid the iron through the Town of Rushford and to Omro station. T. J. Lathrop, born in Burlington, Vermont, came to Nepeuskun, in September, 1846, and at once purchased eighty acres, where he still resides, and built a small house, obtaining lumber from Strong's Landing (Berlin). This old house is still standing. The energies of the early settlers were principally devoted to raising wheat and getting it to Milwaukee, the nearest market. Mr. Lathrop, however, always sold his wheat on the farm, sometimes as low as three shillings per bushel; being better sat isfied with this than by investing the entire pro ceeds in making sundry trips to Milwaukee for its sale. Darius Rosa, born in the State of New York, emigrated to Belvidere, Illinois, in 1839, where he suffered almost continually for seven years with ague and fever, when he was driven to the more healthful climate of Nepeuskun, where he purchased his present farm, in Sec tion 31, and soon fully regained his health. John Rosa, a son of Darius, was born at Belvidere, in 1845, also resides in Section 31, where he purchased his farm in 1870, and in October of that year, married Miss Ella Tusten, a daughter of J. G. Tusten, who was among the first settlers at Strong's Landing, where Mrs. Rosa was born in 1849. Martin Ream was born at Wittenberg, Ger many, in 1 81 8, and emigrated to the United States in 1837 Landing at New York, without means, he struck out for the West in search of employment; working for a time on the Mau- mee Canal, in Ohio, he was next engaged on the Illinois and Wabash Canal. In 1850, he purchased a farm and settled in Waushara County, and in 1866, located on the northeast quarter of Section 9, in Nepeuskun, where he is now the owner of two hundred and twenty acres of land, with a handsome residence and out-buildings. Martin Eager was born in Orleans County, Vermont; after spending many years in Indiana, was compelled to leave on account of ill health, and, in 1846, came to this section, when, after some month's residence, he became satisfied that this was the place he was looking for, and, in 1847, purchased the farm where he now resides. Gabriel Kleiber was born in Germany, in 1832, emigrated to the United States in 1854, and, in 1869, to Nepeuskun, purchasing eighty acres, where he now resides, subsequently adding twenty acres. In 1864, he enlisted in the First Independent Battery of Heavy Artil lery of Pennsylvania, and was stationed at Fort Delaware, until the close ofthe war. In 1866, he visited the old country, and, in 1876, the American Centennial. H. F. Grant was born in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in 1822, came to Milwaukee in 1844, and in June, 1846, entered eighty acres, where he now resides. Built a log shanty the same year, and broke up nine acres, which he sowed to winter wheat, and in 1847 harvested twenty-six bushels per acre. In the winter of 1846 and 1847, he cut oak logs on his farm, drew them to Waukau (ten miles), and the lumber home, and in 1847, built a frame-house. Mr. Grant, in common with other settlers of that day, has a distinct recollection of drawing pork to Milwaukee (one hundred miles), and selling it at one dollar and fifty cents per one hundred weight. And wheat drawn the same distance often sold as low as fifty cents per bushel, for the best. A trip to Milwaukee and i 846.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 245 return required from seven to ten days, and thirty bushels of wheat was a good average load, forty bushels the outside. John Vankirk was born in Oneida County, New York, in 1795, emigrated to Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1845, and, in 1846, located on the farm now owned by Mr. William Vankirk, in this town, where he died May 25, 1868, leaving three sons; one of whom, William, died at the old homestead, June 3, 1873. Jerome and Horace, the two remaining, are still resi dents of the town; also, a daughter, the wife of W. H. Foote. Edward Barker, with five sons, Edwin, James, Henry, William and Thomas, natives of England, emigrated to this country in 1844, and in 1850, settled on the shores of Rush Lake, where they at once erected a small shop on the southwest quarter of Section 15, for the manu facture of pocket cutlery; each having learned his particular branch of the trade in England, the father and Henry making handles, James forging blades and backs, Edward grinding and polishing, the others working at odd times as helpers. The machinery was run by horse power. The best quality of goods was turned out here, but the market was very uncertain The merchants of Oshkosh, Ripon and other places, became liberal patrons, but the sales were too limited to make the business renum- erative, and, upon the death of Edwin, in 1868, it was abandoned. John Nash was born in Berkshire, England, January, 1800. One day, in 1830, while at work at his trade (a ship-sawyer) a mob of "strikers" compelled Mr. Nash to join them, when they proceeded to destroy machinery and domestic implements indiscriminately. Mr. Nash endeavored to dissuade them. At last he, with several others, were arrested, tried and banished to Van Diemen's Land, for seven years, where he served out his time, working at his trade. For meritorious behavior he was granted a full pardon, just before the expiration of the term, when he settled at Melbourne for seven years more. Lumber was in great demand at that time and Mr. Nash was enabled to make five or six dollars per day. He sawed the lumber for the roof of the first bank in Australia. When he left Melbourne there were three banks. He relates that dur ing his banishment, many barbarous and cruel scenes were witnessed. Many desperate char acters are transported from the cities of Eng land, and often in a morning, six or eight are brought out, stripped and whipped, until life is almost extinct. In one instance one Robbin Nutman, an overseer of a chain- gang, caused the gang to be punished with fourteen hundred lashes, distributed, for complaining that they did not receive the full allowance of rations to which they were entitled. Mr. Nash has traveled forty-four thousand miles on the water, and a correspond ing distance by land. In 1844, he left Australia and rejoined his family, and March 10, 1846, emigrated to Salem, Wisconsin, andin Septem ber of the same year, located on his present farm in Nepeuskun, where he has since resided, and no man is held in higher esteem, or more universally respected, than Mr. John Nash. Mr. Solomon Andrews, one of the pioneers of 1846, was born at Homer, Courtland County, New York, and emigrated to Racine County in 1837, and in May, 1846, settled in Nepeuskun, where he died in August 18, 1866. Mr. A. Y. Troxell was born in Northumber land County, Pennsylvania, inMarch, 1807, and in 1837 lemoved to Indiana, to Nepeuskun in 1847; having the year before spent some time in the vicinity, and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. The log buildings first erected in 1846-7 are still standing, and near by a fine, commodious residence, embow ered amongst a profusion of evergreens and native oaks. It is related by settlers of 1846—7 that the winter of 1847-8 was similar to that of 1877-8, being mild in the extreme, and little or no snow. Mr. Troxell, of Nepeuskun, states that they finished planting five acres of corn on the 1 8th of April, 1848. It is also generally recollected by the early settlers of that town, that on that day (April 18th) occurred the heaviest snow storm of the season, correspond ing with our rain and hail storms of the 1 8th and 20th of April, 1878. On the first of May Mr. Troxell says his corn was ready, for cultivating, and at harvest they gathered five hundred bushels of ears from the five acres, which was broken up the year before, and on the same breaking was raised in 1848. a crop of spring wheat which harvested forty bushels to the acre. The following winter was one of great seve rity, with several months of uninterrupted sleighing and a great depth of snow. From 1840 to 1850 a rainstorm during the winter was almost unknown, and it was a well estab lished fact that farmers could at any time in the winter open their grain and hay stacks without fear of damage from wetting. Grain and hay was then universally stacked for want of barns, and a large portion of the grain was threshed on the ground, or a floor laid upon the ground, sometimes by the use of the flail, but more generally treading it out with horses 246 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN [1846. or cattle; this was necessarily a long and tedi ous method, frequently keeping stacks open for weeks. Hay was also fed from day to day, directly from the stack, which was left entirely unprotected until consumed. The atmosphere seemed much dryer and clearer than at the present, and twenty-five or thirty degrees below zero was far less to be dreaded than ten or fifteen below now. The Fourierites had a grist-mill in operation at this early day, at Cereseo, which was built for their exclusive benefit, and when the first crops were harvested in their vicinity they absolutely refused to grind for the settlers, which compelled them to take their grain to Watertown. At last "forbearance ceased to be a virtue," the settlers held an indignation meeting at which they denounced the action of the Four ierites in unmeasured terms. A conference was then held, and the asso ciation consented to set apart two days in the week (Mondaysand Saturdays) for the accom modation of the outsiders. On account of a great rush to the mill on those days, a strife arose as to who should get there first, "first come, first served," being the motto. On one occasion Mr. C. left home at daylight. Arriving at the mill he found a num ber of teams in waiting, and among them a neighbor who had driven farther than himself, of whom he inquired, "How did you get here? I started as soon as I could see." "Oh! I started last night," was the reply. JEROME BETRY. Mr. Jerome Betry, the view of whose farm residence is here given, moved from Leroy, Genessee County, New York, in 1846, and settled in the now Town of Nepeuskun. In company with his brother, he made a claim of land now embraced in the McCauley farm. Imigration was, at this time, pouring in, and taking possession of the land. From Milwaukee Mr. Betry started on foot with all the energy and hopefulness of youth, for the promised land. He fell in with a teamster who was moving goods to Fond du Lac, and who, being sick with the ague, offered Mr. Betry the privelege of riding if he would help him to drive and take care of the team. This proposal being, under the cir cumstances, very satisfactory, was acceded to, and our foot passenger was elevated to the dignity of a teamster. Arriving at Fond du Lac, Mr. Betry hastily looked over the dimensions of what is now one of the principal cities, of the State. It then consisted of one small hotel and three little stores and a few scattering dwellings and mechanic shops. From here he started for Cereseo, the old Fourierite settlement, and here met a man who was acquainted with his brother, who had preceded him, and was now located on a claim. This party remarked to Mr. Betry that he seemed tired out, and that a lady who was there with a team, was bound for his destination, and that he would procure him a chance to drive. He did so, and Mr. Betry then drove the team as far as his brother's shanty, which was a small log build ing with a bark roof. The inmates were all out at the time, and he peeped in at the win dow and surveyed the interior, the furniture of which consisted of a small rough board table and a bunk; on the table„was a dish of cold potatoes. The reception not being very invit ing for a hungry man, he proceeded to search for the house-keeper, and hearing the sound of an axe in the distance, he started in the direction indicated by the sound, and soon came upon his brother and a companion who were engaged in splitting rails, which, at that time, with breaking, constituted the chief occu pation ofthe settlers. After a cordial greeting they all repaired to the shanty, where the new-comer was regaled on potatoes and cold-water short-cake. Mr. Betry was soon initiated into the ways of pioneer life and the mysteries of bachelor cooking, and especially the science of pan cakes, and soon learned to be very adroit in turning the same; which process was accom plished by throwing the pancake off the griddle and reversing the side. In performing one of these feats, too much force having been given, the pancake was lodged against the roof of the shanty. The early settlers depended largely on their guns for furnishing them a supply of meat. Wild game was plentiful and especially prairie- chickens. Grease was a scarce but needed arti cle, a luxury highly prized but not readily obtainable, although pork was sold in the more settled parts of the State for one dollar and fifty cents per hundred; but many ofthe early settlers were in the condition of the man who said, after the city of St. Paul had become the metropolis of a great State, that he once was offered the claim to the land for a pair of cow hide boots. "Why did you not take it?" was asked. "Because I did not have the boots," was the reply. Many of the old settlers will remember how they valued an old pork rind for greasing griddles. At one time when scarce of meat, the chick ens having become very shy, a large flock alighted around a rail corn-crib; for fear of 1846 79- ] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 247 frightening them, by opening the door, Mr. Betry took out a piece of the chinking, mak ing an opening through the side of the house, through which he could fire his shot-gun, and much to the discomfiture and astonishment of the chickens, dropped them off one by one, and largely replenished his larder. After much hard labor in working by the day and month, Mr. Betry earned enough money to enter a piece of land. He subse quently borrowed a sum at twenty-five per cent interest, to pay for another piece, and, having earned enough to discharge the obliga tion, proceeded with a joyful feeling, to pay the debt, and find relief from twenty-five per cent interest. After counting out the principal and accumulated interest on the same, to Mr. Isaac Corliss, that gentleman, much to the honor of his memory, and the astonishment and gratification of Mr. Betry, handed back a part ofthe interest, saying: "You are a hard working boy, and have earned your money by hard labor, and I will charge you but twelve per xent interest." This act, Mr. Betry bears in grateful remembrance. The first wheat he and his brother raised, was a five-acre piece of hedgerow, on the old claim, and which harvested forty-three bushels per acre. His brother went to Watertown, to -mill, with a portion of this grain, consuming a week in making the trip. During this period Mr. Jerome Betry, who remained at home, had for his stock of provisions, a four-quart pan of flour. In 1852, Mr. Betry purchased his present farm which is now in a high state of cultiva tion. The elegant residence and substantial barns have supplanted the log-houses of his pioneer days, and a comfortable competency rewards him for his early years of hardship and industry. ANDREW SUTHERLAND. One ofthe handsomest places in the Town of Nepeuskun is the farm of Andrew Suther land. The fiae residence, capacious barn and pleasant surroundings, furnish a creditable illustration of the better class of farms in this county. This place is most eligibly situated, being less than a mile from the Village of Waukau, a railroad station on the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. The surrounding country is a delightful one, and the Village of Waukau, with its schools, churches and stores, adds largely to the ordinary social advantages of country life. Mr. Andrew Sutherland, a native of the State of New York, moved from Connecticut to Waukau, in this county, in 1855. and settled on his present farm in 1862. Although not one of the earliest settlers, a visit to his home will remind the guest ofthe generous and hearty hospitality of pioneer days. Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland being people of culture, and of good early associations, their home has an air of refinement and cultivation. Andrew Sutherland is a man highly esteemed for his good qualities of heart and mind, and is one of those who conform their conduct to the requirements and convictions of duty. As the result of industry and good manage ment he is now in the enjoyment of a comfort able home, and a productive, well stocked farm, and is deserving of continued prosperity. CHARLES WILLIAM KURZ. One of the finest farm residences in Nepeus kun is that of Charles William Kurz, of which a view is here given. The farm is, also, one of the best, and in the highest state of cultiva tion. The face of the country here is lovely, and the place commands an extensive view of as delightful a country as the eye of man ever rested upon. The view embraces a tract stretch ing away for ten or fifteen miles in every direc tion — the spires of the City of Ripon, some seven miles distant, being plainly visible. The soil of this farm is very rich, and being underlaid with limestone has the best of natu ral drainage. Under the skillful and thorough culture of Mr. Kurz it produces abundant crops. The stock embraces some of the best blooded animals, and are such as any farmer would feel proud of. The site of the dwelling is a beautiful elevation, and the house is elegant in its inside as well as outside construction. A few feet below the surface is a limestone formation, into which an excavation of several feet was made for the cellar. The cellar is nine feet in the clear; its floor is the solid limestone rock, and it is as dry and airy as an upstairs room. Mr. Kurz is a native of Bavaria, and came to this country with very limited means. Although he has raised a large family, he has, by well directed industry and thrifty manage ment, secured a competency and become the possessor of one of the best farms in the county, and as an honest man and good neigh bor • has earned the respect and good-will of the community where he resides. Among the fine farms of this town are those of E. D. Corliss, one of the old Townsend places, and that of Henry Coffman. There are two very neat church edifices in very sightly locations. The roads are good and the farms generally 248 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79- in a high state of cultivation, with good dwell ings and spacious barns, presenting every appearance of a thrifty and prosperous com munity. TOWN OF RUSHFORD. CH A PTER LXII. Situation — Soil — Timber — Water — Face of the Country — Village of Waukau — Its Flouring and Woolen Mills — Stores, Railroad Depot, Etc. — Village of Eureka — A Steamboat Port — Mills, Stores, Etc. — First Settlement in the Town — First Religious Services — First Births, Mar riages, Schools, Etc. — Grist-Mill Erected — Ferry Estab lished — Bridge Constructed Across the Fox River — Town Organization — Organic Election — Change in Boundaries of Town — Early Settlers and Incidents in the Early Settle ment — Illustration of Wauk au Mills, Bean & Palfrey. U S H F O R D (Township 18, Range 14), one ofthe western tier of towns, is bounded north by Poygan, east by Omro, south by Nepeuskun, and west by Aurora, in Waushara County. This town is divided by Fox River, which, entering near the southwest corner, runs east by north through its entire length. The gen eral surface on the south of the river is low and level, except along the southern line, where the ground rises to a considerable height; while north of the river it is high and sufficiently rolling. A deep alluvial soil is found along the mar gin ofthe river, affording ample hay marshes, which often extend back from the river for some distance. South of the river, sand is freely mixed with the soil, and often predominates. It is well adapted to grazing, stock-raising and dai rying. The higher grounds were originally covered with "oak openings"consisting of burr, white and black oak, which have been suc ceeded by thickets of black and white oak and poplar. Heavy timber, consisting of hard maple, butternut, hickory, basswood, etc., was a prominent characteristic north of the river, affording the usual vegetable mold with clay sub-soil — producing excellent crops of grain or grass, and fruit. Running water is supplied by Fox River and the outlet of Rush Lake; good wells areobtained at little expense, and flowing fountains are frequently met with. In the northwestern portion of the town are some very productive cranberry marshes. Good and comfortable residences and farm buildings are everywhere observable, with all evidences of thrift and prosperity. WAUKAU. Near the southeast corner of the town is situated the thriving village of Waukau, a station on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, on the outlet of Rush Lake which supplies a water-power that runs two flouring mills and a woolen mill. The place also con tains several stores and mechanic, shops. The site is a beautiful one, and is surrounded by a delightful country, with highly cultivated farms and handsome farm residences. It maintains a school, affording excellent educational facilities, and has two very neat church edi fices, with a congregation composed in part of the adjoining farming population. The place wears an air of thrift and prosperity in its neat, well- painted dwellings and tasty sur roundings. Its whole appearance is pleasing, cheerful and cosy. This place at an early day was one of the chief business points in the county, and made no mean pretentions for supremacy. As early as 1850, Parsons & Bocker erected a good grist-mill, which was in great favor, and a much needed con venience. EUREKA. About three miles west by north of Waukau, beautifully situated on the banks of the Fox River, is the Village of Eureka — a steamboat port, with a grist-mill, saw-mill, several stores, mechanic shops, a good school and church buildings. This is also a pleasant place, with many handsome residences, and adjoin ing a fine country. Some three miles down the river, is the site of ancient Delhi, one of the early French trad ing posts, known as "Labordes," subsequently a rival of Eureka and Omro, for steamboat honors and general trade, but long since depopulated. EARLY SETTLEMENT. The first settlement in the town was made at Waukau, March 7, 1846, by L. M. Parsons, still a resident, who, on that day, erected the * first house, ten by twelve feet in extent, one story high, the main posts driven in the ground; and here he accommodated the trav eling public to the utmost of its capacity. During the same month, Mr. J. R. Hall located here, and, during the summer, was joined by a brother, Uriah Hall, and two cousins, E. D. and J. M. Hall. R. Stone, John Johnson and family, and Mr. Pinrow, came the same spring. James Deyoe and family, with Joseph Mallory, were also added to the number in October, living in a board shanty for a few days, while engaged in constructing a log house, which they roofed with "shakes," and, unable to obtain lumber, they lived on the ground dur- i«46-5 1.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 24;9 ing the winter. Richard, Thomas and John G. Palfrey, with their parents, settled here the same fall. Upon Mr. Parson's arrival, he at once set about the erection of a saw-mill, which was in operation the same fall or early winter. Religious exercises were first observed by Rev. Hiram McKee, in the summer or fall of 1846. FIRST BIRTHS — MARRIAGES — SCHOOLS, ETC. The first birth in the town occurred at Wau kau, in June, 1846, a son in the family of John Johnson. In the spring of 1847, the population increased rapidly, and, being fourteen miles from a post office (at Cereseo), the settlers began to devise means for obtaining a regular mail, and it was accordingly arranged that they should make a trip- to Cereseo once a week, each in turn performing the service. During the summer of 1847, Messrs. Elliott and White built the first store in the place, and James Deyoe erected the first frame house. In October, of that year, occurred the first death among their number, that of Samuel R. Manning, a twin brother of Elder William R. Manning, and in November, following, that of Mr. Pinrow; funeral service by Elder Pills- bury. In the winter of 1847 and 1848, the first marriage ceremony was performed by Elder William R. Manning, the candidates being Mr. Henry Bixby and Miss Mary Palfrey. During the fall of 1847, a log school-house was built, and the first school taught by Elder Manning, the following winter. In 1848, the Elder was elected school super intendent, and held the position for several years. In the fall of 1847, Mr. O. E. Loper made a claim on the north side of the river, then known as the "Indian Land." This was the first set tlement on that side, if we except the trading post of Luke Laborde, a Frenchman, who had been here some time, engaged in trade with the Indians. July I, 1848, a postoffice was established at Waukau, and William H. Elliott appointed postmaster. The same year, Lester Rounds opened a general store, and W. L. F. Talbot engaged in the business of blacksmithing, which he still continues. A plat of the Village of Waukau was laid out and recorded December 30, 1848; S. W. White arid G W. Woodworth, proprietors. GRIST-MILL BUILT — FERRY AND OTHER EVENTS. In 1849, Mr. Parsons commenced the con struction of a grist-mill, which was completed in 1850. A settlement having been made at Delhi, a license to maintain a ferry across Fox River was obtained from the County Board of Supervisors, in November, 1849. In 1850, Mr. Lester Rounds removed his stock of goods to the present site of the Village of Eureka, and was joined by Walton C. Dick- erson, from Nepeuskun, the first settlers arid founders of that village, a plat of which was recorded July 24, 1850, Rounds, Dickersoh and Starr, proprietors. A ferry was also established across Fox River, at this point, during the season, arid, July 16, the Eureka postoffice was located, Lester Rounds, first postmaster. January 14, 1851, a plat of the village of Delhi [was recorded \inder the proprietorship of Luke Laborde. A dock and warehouse were also constructed at Eureka, by Walton C. Dickerson, for the accommodation of a daily line of steamboats, established that season, between Oshkosh arid Berlin. A bridge across the river at Eureka, Was substituted for the old ferry, in 1854, and Eureka, had become an important village. Saw-mills at various points along Fox River (Omro, Delhi, Eureka and Berlin) were sup plied with logs from Wolf River, and towed tip the Fox, by the slow and tedious moverriehts of horseboats. TOWN ORGANIZATION — ORGANIC ELECTON-. The Town of Rushford was organized by an act of the Legislature, approved February 1 1, 1847, comprising, in addition to the present town, Township 17, Range 14, (now Nepeus kun), and Township 17, Range 15, (now Utica). The first election was held at the house of L. M. Parsons, Waukau, April 5, 1847. Erasmus D. Hall was chosen chairman, L. K. Stone and Armine Pickett, inspectors, Silas M. White and George S. Barnuni, clerks; resulting in the election of E. D. Hall; chairman; E. P. Foote and Nathan Ripley, supervisors; Ebenezer Martin, town clerk; J. M. Hall, treasurer; Geo S. Barnum, assessor; Lyman B. Johnson, Asahel B. Foster arid Armine Pickett, justices. March 11, 1848, Township 17, Range 15, (Utica, which see), was set off. At the annual town election, held April 4, 1848, at the house of Elisha P. Foote, the suc cessful candidates were, Lucius B. Townsend, 32 250 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79- chairman; George Hawley and Lyman B. Johnson, supervisors; Silas M. White, clerk; J. M. Hall, treasurer; George S. Barnum, assessor; Lyman B. Johnson, Asahel B. Foster, and Erasmus D. Hall, justices. Mr. Uriah Hall has a tax certificate for taxes on southwest quarter of Section 35, Town 18, Range 14, dated December 22, 1846, signed, "J. H. Smalley, collector of Winnebago County. " Annual election, April, 1849, at the school- house, Section 8, Town 17, Range 14, elected Lucius B. Townsend, chairman; George Clark and J. P. Wakefield, supervisors, Lester Rounds, clerk, J. U. Mallory, James M. Garlic and R. B. Vanmeter, justices; Jonathan Foote, treasurer; J. M. Hall, constable. In November, 1849, Nepeuskun (which see) was set off and Township 18, Range 14, con stituted the Town of Rushford. At the annual town election in April, 1850, the town officers met at the same school-house, Section 8, Nepeuskun, and adjourned to the school-house in the Vil lage of Waukan, where the voting took place, which resulted in the election of E. D. Hall, chairman; L. K. Stone and Alexander McPherson, supervisors, Silas M. White, clerk; John M. Hall, treasurer; Lester Rounds, J. U. Mallory and Edward Manning, justices. Lots were drawn for the respective terms of the justices, when Rounds drew for one year, Manning, for two years and Mallory, for three years. Walton C. Dickerson was elected constable. At the election in April, 1851, the following officers were elected: J. A. C. Steele, chair man; Lester Rounds and Leonard J. Cassman, supervisors; A. S. Bolster, clerk; J.W.Becker, treasurer; E. D. Huntley, justice, (Mallory and Manning holding over). The election of April 6, 1852: J. A. C. Steele, chairman; Lester Rounds and L. K. Stone, supervisors; A. S. Bolster, clerk; W. H. Hyatt, assessor; Justus Showers, treasurer; J. A. C. Steele and J. U. Mallory, justices. The present officers are, Alson Wood, chair man; G. F. Williams and Geo. Bradt, super visors; J. D. Chamberlain, clerk; Chancey Bromley, assessor; R. M. Lincoln, treasurer. CHANGE OF BOUNDARIES. January 8, 1850, by action of the county board, the south half of Section 31, in Town of Bloomingdale (Omro), the north half of Section 6, in Utica, and the north half of Sec tion 1, in Nepeuskun, were all set off and attached to the Town of Rushford, and Novem ber 13, 1856, the north half of Section 31, in Omro, was in like manner attached to Rush ford, Subsequently, Sections 1, 12. and the north half of 13, in Rushford, were attached to the Town of Omro. SCHOOLS AND POPULATION. In 1849, there were, in the town, two hun dred and twenty-one scholars between the age of four and twenty years; in 1855, six hun dred and twelve, and at the present time, seven hundred and ninety. There were 1207 inhabitants in 1855, ar>d 2,083 in 1875. There are now nine school-houses, and twelve teach ers are employed. EARLY SETTLERS. Lester Rounds was born May 11, 1805, resided in Berkshire, Franklin County, Ver mont, Niles, Cayuga County, New York, and in 1839, emigrated to Southport (Kenosha), Racine County, Wisconsin. In 1844, having been enrolled in the "Wisconsin Phalanx of the Fourier Association," he removed to Cer eseo with the first company that encamped at that place. Warren Chase was their tempo rary president, and Mr. Rounds temporary secretary. In the following winter a charter was obtained, and under it the association was fully incorporated, and Messrs. Chase and Rounds were re-elected as permanent officers. In 1844, a post-office was established at Cer eseo, and Mr. Rounds was appointed post master. At the annual election, April, 1845, he was elected chairman of the Board of Sup ervisors, which office he held for two years, and by virtue of which he was a member of the County Board of Fond du Lac County; and he was also elected chairman of that board. While acting in that capacity, he signed the contract for the erection of the present court house in that county In 1848, Mr. Rounds settled in Waukau, as previously stated. Since that time, he has held the office of Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace, and Supervisor, several terms; notary for many years, and was the first postmaster at Eureka. Mr. Rounds is still engaged in mercantile pursuits at Eureka. Mr. O. E. Loper was born in Schoharie County, New York, January 17, 1818, residing there until 1844, when he placed himself under the standard of the Fourier Association, and emigrated to Cereseo, Wisconsin. In the fall of 1847, he located a claim on the north side of Fox River, within the present Town of Rushford, then known as the "Indian Land," and his family were the first to settle on that side of the river, where he still resides. Mr. Chester Gilmore was born in Williams- town, Orange County, Vermont, in 1807, removed to Lamoille County, thence to Wash- i 846-79-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 251 ington County, and in 1849, emigrated to the Town of Rushford, where he selected his future home, on the north side of Fox River; the title of the Menomonee Indians having been acquired by the Government at the Poy gan treaty, the year previous. Mr. Gilmore was among the first settlers in this part of the town. Mr. J. R. Hall, born in Rochester, Windsor County, Vermont, November 8, 1815, antici pating the advice of Horace Greeley, "Go West, young man!" came to Illinois in 1844, and in the spring of 1846, settled at Waukau, about two weeks later than Mr. Parsons, who was the pioneer. For many of the incidents in the early history of the town we are indebted to Mr. Hall, who is still a resident of that place, and relates that upon his first arri val he was entertained for the night at the house (shanty) of L. M. Parsons (the only one in the vicinity), where he found a large num ber of strangers, who, like himself, required accommodations. At that time it would not do for a man to say, "my house is full; you can find accommodations at the next;" but every applicant must be fed and lodged, in some manner; the latter, as in this case, often proving the more difficult. In the absence of a sufficient supply of bed-clothes, they placed two beds side by side, which were occupied by eight persons, with ample covering for all. Mr. L. M. Parsons, who is still a resident of Waukau, and was the first in the town, was born at Goshen, Massachusetts, in 1795; removed to Vermont while quite young, sub sequently to Ohio, and in the fall of 1844, to Fox Lake, in Dodge County, Wisconsin; or, as he more forcibly expresses it, he passed childhood in Massachusetts, his boyhood in Vermont, his manhood in Ohio, and his dotage in Wisconsin. Remaining at Fox Lake about one year, he came to Cereseo in 1845, and in the spring of 1846, commenced improvements and made a permanent settlement at Waukau, which is more fully explained in its appropri ate place, the Early History of the Town of Rushford. Mr. Parsons' ambition has never run in political channels; but, in building up a town, making improvements of public neces sity, and for the general welfare of the com munity, he has labored incessantly. -Mr. W. L. F. Talbot, born in Piersons County, Ohio, October 19, 1828, removed, with his parents, to Michigan Territory, in 1 836,. and settled at Waukau in July, 1848, where he has since resided, engaged in the business of blacksmithing. Mr. Walton C. Dickerson was born on Prov idence Island, Massachusetts, June 9, 1809, where he resided until 1837, when he emi grated to Salem, Racine County, Wisconsin. In September, 1846, he removed his family to the present Town of Nepeuskun, and in the spring of 1850, with Mr. Lester Rounds, he settled at Eureka. Mr. Dickerson was appointed Justice of the Peace at Salem, by Governor Dodge, the commission dated Min eral Point, November 4, 1840. He also holds numerous commissions as Notary Public, dat ing from 1 85 1 to 1864; also authority from Governor Lewis to recruit volunteers for the Fifth, Forty-second and Forty-fourth Wiscon sin Regiments; was appointed post-master at Eureka, June 15, 1853, and has been an active participant in the early events of the settle-. ment of this portion of the county. A silver- leaf poplar tree, which he set out in 1852, measures nine feet and five inches in circum ference, at the ground, and, six feet above the ground, seven feet and three inches. Verily, there is some virtue in sand. Mr. E. B. Thrall, born in St. Lawrence County, New York, in 1825, removed to Crawford, Pennylsvania, where he remained about eighteen months, and from there to the present Town of Utica, where he arrived June 9, 1846, selecting a location adjoining Armine Pickett's, who had arrived a short time previ ously. The journey was made from Pennsyl vania to Wisconsin in wagons, the family con sisting of nine persons, the father, John Thrall, five brothers and three sisters. Taking the covers from their wagons, they set them against the log house of Mr. Nash, and, going to the woods for the logs, they built a house; hewing logs (puncheons) for floors, splitting oak shakes for the roof; and, unable to procure lumber for door or window, they occupied the domicile until fall without, when they obtained a small amount of oak lumber, at Dartford, some twenty miles away. March 21, 1866, Mr. Thrall, having sold his farm, purchased the one he now occupies, in Rushford, and moved into the log house erected at an early day, and which Mr. Thrall has replaced with a handsome, modern residence, and has added commodious and substantial barns, out-build ings, and all conveniences of a prosperous farmer. John G. Palfrey, of the firm of Bean & Pal frey, proprietors of the Waukau flouring-mills, is one of the well known early settlers of the town. Mr. Palfrey, with his brothers, Richard and Thomas, and their parents, moved from the State of New York, and settled in Waukau, in the fall of 1846, and took an active part in pioneer life, and in reclaiming the county from a wilderness, into the abodes of civilization. 252 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-7^ George Hawkes, station agent at Waukau, is an early western settler, although not an early resident of this county. His life has been a varied and eventful one; and a large experi ence in the wider channels of social life and extensive travel, has given him a fund of interesting information. Mrs. Geo. Hawkes moved, when a child, with her parents, from New York City to Rockford, Illinois, in 1840, where they settled on a farm. The country, at the time, was so unsettled, that the nearest house, in a western direction, was twenty miles distant. She remembers seeing the remains of Big Thunder on an elevated scaffold, at Belvidere. Warren Leach settled in Waukau, in 1849, and opened the first tavern in that place. Mrs. Lucy L. Leach, the pioneer landlady, will be held in kindly remembrance by the old settlers. Her house was a home for the weary way-farer, where he was sure to find a hearty welcome and the kindest treatment. D. W. Safford, miller in Waukau Mills for the last twelve years, moved from Vermont, and first settled in the now Town of Poygun, in 1852. Alson Wood, chairman of the Town Board, moved to Waukau, in 1858, and is now with V. H. Wood and R. M. Lincoln, the proprietors of the Empire FlouringMills. This mill was constructed in 1857, by Bean & Becker, and has a capacity of one hundred barrels of flour per day. WAUKAU FLOURING MILLS. Among the illustrations in this work will be found that of the Waukau Flouring Mill, Bean & Palfrey, proprietors. The mill occupies the site of the old Waukau Mill, built by L. M. Parsons, in 1848, and which was the first grist mill in the county, except the old Government mill at Neenah. Its construction was hailed as a happy event, for it supplied a need which had been keenly felt. In 1874, the present Waukau mill was built. Its capacity is one hundred and twenty-five barrels. per day, and its flour takes high rank in the market. HON. D. R. BEAN. D. R. Bean moved from Vermont to Wau kau, in 1856, and purchased an interest in the water-power. He immediately commenced improvements, and, in the following year, built the Empire Mills, and, in 1874, as above stated, built the Waukau Mills. Mr. Bean is one of those energetic enter prising men, who infuse business vigor and activity into a community, and has proved a valuable accession to Waukau. He is very popular, and is widely known as a man of ability and of kind hearted, generous impulses.. He was elected to represent his district in the State Legislature in 1861, and re-elected in 1862, and has been again elected this fall. He is one of those who will make his influence felt wherever he is, and will follow his convic tions of right without fear or favor. TOWN OF UTICA. CHAPTER LXIII. Situation — Topographical Description — Lovely Face ofthe Country — The Young Growth of Timber which has Sprung up since the settlement of the Country — Soil and Water — Farms and Buildings — Railroad Stations, Pickett's and Fisk's — Social and Educational Advantages — First Set tlements in the Town — Early Settlers — Erection of the First Houses — Organization of Town Government — First Town Officers— First Birth— First Marriage — First Death — Recollections of the Early Day in Utica, by James G. Pickett — Illustrations and Personal Notices. JHE Town of Utica, situated on the southern boundary of the county, and one township east of the west line of the county, is one of the most beaur. tiful and picturesque tracts of country to be found in the State. Its surface is high and rolling — not broken; but rising and falling in graceful undulations. It was originally what is called rolling prairie, skirted with openings. In a state of nature it was a scene over which the eye could sweep for- miles — its vision only intercepted, in- some directions, by the encircling horizon; while prairie and grove, and scattering trees, formed' a landscape of indescribable loveliness. Since the settlement ofthe town, the annual fires, that used to sweep over the country, des troying the incipient undergrowth, have been- checked; and the consequence is, a luxuriant? growth of forest trees have sprung up in many- places, forming, in some instances, large groves, in which many of the trees have attained a large size. The country, therefore, does not present so open and prairie-like an appearance as in the day of its early settle ment. The old settlers of Utica can now point out tracts of dense forest, where, in the early day, they could drive a wagon without meeting any obstruction. The soil is a deep, rich loam, with a clay subsoil, mixed with lime-stone gravel. Its base is lime-stone, which in places crops out at the surface; and occasionally gravel-beds and lime-stone knolls are found. These fur nish the best of material for making roads, and- CHEESE FACTORY & STORE OF J.G.PICICETT . PlCKETTS fmrim .v»,, ,W/- - iliSIlt, -«'¦ tf Or Residence of J.H .Maxwell, Sec. 29, Town of Utica 1846-79- ] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 253 are largely utilized. The town is traversed by a small stream called Fisk's Creek; and in many places copious springs are found. Excel lent water is obtained at various depths, by digging; and, in some localities, by drilling through the rock. The farms in this town are generally on a large scale, and in a high state of cultivation, with fine dwellings, barns and out-buildings, as the several views of Utica places in this work give evidence. The population of this town is composed principally of people from the Eastern States, and their descendants. In the southeastern part of the town the inhabitants are chiefly Welsh, and the location forms a part of what is called the Welsh Settlement, which also embraces a large part of the western portion of the Town of Nekimi. These are also thrifty and fore-handed farmers, and very gen erally with fine dwellings and large barns. This town, in fact, presents in every direction an appearance of thrift and prosperity, in its handsome, well-painted dwellings, barns and well-cultivated fields. The Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad trav erses the town. There are two railroad sta tions — one at Fisk's Corners, and one called Pickett's Station,, at both of which places depots are established,, that make large ship ments of wheat and other farm produce. Pickett's Station is quite a business center, with a store well-stocked with mixed merchan dise, and which does a large business. It is > also the location of Pickett's cheese-factory, and has a feed-mill. The town has gqod social and educational facilities — its several localities being from six to. nine miles distant, respectively, from the cities of Ripon and Oshkosh;. while good school-houses are found at convenient dis tances. At Utica Center is a very neat church edifice and fine parsonage, of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. The resident pastor is the Rev. Mr. Wanless; a gentleman of much ability and of liberal education. He was for some years in the missionary service in Turkey, and is very zealous, devoted and energetic in promoting the interests ofthe church. Here is also a store, post-office, town hall and mechanic shops. There are four post-offices in the town, viz: Elo, at Utica Center, Pickett's Station, Fisk's Corners, and Ring. There are seven school-houses, and three hundred and seventy-one children between the ages of four and twenty years. The population of the town was given in the State census of 1875, as 1,078. The present town officers are as follows: T. J. Bowles, chairman; Albert Sanders and O. R. Jones, supervisors; F. L. Newell, clerk; James Walker, treasurer; L.J. Miller, assessor; James G. Pickett and T. J. Bowles, justices. EARLY SETTLEMENT. The first settlers in the town were Erwin Heath, Armine Pickett, David H. Nash, Seth Harris, and their families, who located near what is now Pickett's Station, April, 1846; and E. B. Fisk and George Ransom, and their families, who settled in the same month, near Fisk's Corners. In February, 1846, Mr. Heath selected a claim and built a log house on the same, and, on the first of April, following, started from 1 Jefferson County, where he had been living,, for his new home, with four yoke of oxen and ; a wagon loaded with household goods, provis ions, farming tools, ete. ; and, also, drove a lot of live-stock. He was compelled to ford streams, there being no bridges this side of Beaver Dam, and no road cut out for a long portion ofthe distance. Arriving at his place on the tenth day of April, he found himself monarch of all he sur veyed; there being no house nearer than Cereseo, eight miles distant. On the night of his arrival, snow fell to the depth of ten inches, but' in less than two days it all disappeared, and the cattle found feed on the Rush Lake marshes. Messrs. Pickett, Nash and Harris, with their families, immediately joined Mr. Heath, who was Mr. Nash's son-in-law. The log houses of Mr. Heath and Mr. Harris were the first com pleted, and these were soon followed by the erection of the dwellings of Mr. Pickett and Mr. Nash. While this little colony was getting fixed in their new homes, another settlement was being made in the northeastern part of the town by E. B. Fisk, who commenced the erection of a log house in the same month. He was soon followed Mr. Geo. Ransom, and family, who settled near Mr. Fisk. The Rev. Hiram McKee, John Thrall and. others, settled here the same season. Mr. McKee was the first settled minister in the town, and was quite noted for his energetic style of preaching. C. W. Thrall, L. Hawley, T. J. Bowles, L. J. Miller, George Miller, Henry Styles, J. M. Little, Wm. Hunter, Philo Rogers, W. S. Catlin, James Adams and Walter Houston are among early settlers; and, prominent among the later comers, as substantial thrifty farmers, 254 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN [1846-47- are D. R. Lawrence, Wm. Parks, James R. Williams, Ira Walker, W. H. Clark, A. B. McFarland, J. H. Maxwell, Wm. Griffith, Jas, Robinson, A. Stone and F. J. Bean. GROWTH OF THE TOWN. Within two years after the arrival of the first settlers, the land in this town was nearly all occupied, and was dotted in every direction with the primitive log structures of the early settlers. The land-was so productive and eas ily cultivated, that the settlers soon became fore-handed; and good frame barns and dwell ings rapidly superseded the original log-cab ins; and in almost every portion of Winne bago County may now be found many elegant farm-residences, that equal the finest city mansions, and provided with all the luxuries, conveniences and comforts of modern social life. INDIAN SCARE. During the fall of 1847, the settlements in this vicinity were thrown into great excite ment by the arrival of some four or five hun dred Indians, who encamped near the bank of Fox River, on the north side, nearly opposite LaBorde's trading post, (Delhi), decked out in war-paint and feathers, and all the para phernalia of war, well armed with gleaming muskets, tomahawks and war-clubs. Here they proceeded to hold a series of councils, a sort of "protracted meeting," from which every one, not strictly belonging to the brotherhood, was excluded. Rumors became rife that the Indians were preparing for a general massacre, and a general alarm pervaded the little com munities. At last an appeal was made to Mr. LaBorde, the great mediator and pacificator, who" informed the chiefs that he must know the meaning of all these secret councils; that the whites were preparing for an attack on the Indians. In the mean time, those of the settlers who possessed horse teams, had, with their families, fled for safety to Fond du Lac, Cereseo, and other places, while those remain ing, for want of transportation, met together in the best houses, for mutual protection. Mr. LaBorde was informed they were only settling some difficulties between themselves; but, fear ing in turn that the whites were about to com mence hostilities, left with greater precipitancy and less ceremony than the whites. And, of such is pioneer life. THE EARLY DAY IN UTICA, BY JAMES G. PICKETT. In June, 1845, Mr. David H. Nash, then a resident of Jefferson 'County, this state, contracted with Samuel Brooks to transport his family and household goods from Milwaukee, to what is now the Town of Vinland. The road from Milwaukee to Watertown passed through Rock River woods, then an almost unbroken wilderness for fifty miles, and usually consumed a week in making the dis tance. Mr. Nash and his load of emigrants, found no settlers north of Watertown until they reached Oshkosh, .excepting at Waupun and Fond du Lac, where a few families had recently located. At Oshkosh they found the families of Webster Stanley, and the half dozen families who had joined him'there. The immigrants were ferried across the river by Mr. Stanley, in a frail ferry-boat, assisted by his Indian helpers, the team and wagon making two loads. Eleven days had been con sumed in coming from Milwaukee, and on the following day Mr. Nash set the Brooks family down on their claim ; this being the first settlement in the Town of Vinland. Mr. Stanley had been through on the Indian trail to Fort Winnebago, and gave a glowing description of the country southwest of Oshkosh; and as he had not settled permanently, Mr. Nash determined to return to Oshkosh, at an early day, and explore the country. Mr. Armine Pickett had immigrated to the territory in 1840, and was a neighbor of Mr. Nash, in Jefferson County. Not being entirely satisfied with his location, he concluded to accompany Mr. Nash on his exploring trip to Winnebago County. Accordingly, about the middle of August, 1845, accompanied by their wives, and taking with, them the con veniences for camping-out, when necessary, they started for Oshkosh, where they arrived with out anything of note occur- ing on the way. Stopping with Mr. Stanley over night, they engaged him to pilot them over the country to Cereseo, ( now Ripon.) It would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful and pic turesque country, than that lying southwest of Oshkosh, at that time. Following the Indian trail, leading to Fort Win nebago, the party for eight miles, passed through oak open ings, entirely destitude of underbrush, and reminding them of the old orchards they had left at the East. Eight miles from Fox River they crossed the first stream of any note, shown on the map as Eight Mile Creek ; but known after the settlement of the country, as Fisk's. Creek. The stream divided the oak openings, and as beautiful prairie country as ever was created ; and is the most northern limit of the great prairies of the state. Four miles further, the party halted by a spring brook for dinner. They were charmed by their surroundings. There was not a sign to indicate that civilized man had ever traveled. over this route, and the country was, in fact, just as it came from the hands of the Creator. They could not wish for any thing nearer their ideal of a perfect country, and Mr. Nash decided to locate on the spring creek, upon which they haltedi which was in a strip of openings a mile wide, separating the two prairies. While dinner was being prepared, Mr. . Pickett went back half a mile, and a few rods from the trail found another spring, on the edge of the prairie, and there drove his stake for his future farm. At Cereseo they found a colony of four hundred, who had lately arrived, and were operating under the co-operating plan of labor and capital. At Cereseo the party took the line of Government survey and followed it back to their claims in Utica, and thus established the boundaries of their future farms. ¦ Mr. Pickett entered four hundred and eighty acres, and Mr. Nash one hundred and sixty acres of land. Mr. Pickett's being the first entry in town, and the first between what is now Ripon and Oshkosh. 1 846-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 255 On the following October, Mr. Pickett returned to his new purchase with a half dozen of his neighbors, hoping they would locate farms, and thus continue the old associations. The party arrived on the ground on the evening of a beautiful October day, and built a camp, by felling a large burr oak tree aud building a camp-fire against the body. The railroad depot at Pickett's Station now occupies the ground upon which the little party had encamped. It would have required a stretch of the widest imagination for that party . of land-lookers, to see in the distant future, long trains of heavily loaded cars freighted with the grain grown upon the ' thousands of acres which was then lying in a state of nature. There were then no railroads in operation West of Buffalo; but on the 18th day of October, 1 87 1, exactly twenty-six years from the evening that camp-fire was built, the construction train of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, rolled up to the spot and sounded a whistle, which was indeed music to the ears of the large concourse of citizens who had met to welcome' the visitors, whose coming had been so long and anxiously looked for. It may be worthy of note to say that it is believed that the cutting down of that burr oak tree, was the first stroke of civilization in the settlement of the town, and to Hon. H. W. Barnes — then a young man, and now a judge of the circuit court of the State of Kansas, belongs the honor of wielding the axe which felled the first tree. To the visitors at the station is shown the stump of the first tree cut, which several years ago was taken up and carefully preserved, as a relic of the early settlement of the town. The settlement of the town really began the following spring. In March, 1846, A. Pickett, Seth Harris, D. H. Nash and his son in-law, Erwin Heath, arrived in town and began its settlement. During the previous winter they had brought portions of their goods, including a years supply of pork, etc., and left them by the side of the trail, with no protection but a covering of boards, until their arrival in the spring. The depot had been daily passed by scores of Indians, but remained unmolested. It is now a rare sight to see an Indian, but the civilization of the times would hardly warrant such an exposure of property. The log dwellings of Mr. Heath and Harris were the first erected, but as they were in process of erection at the same time, neither could claim priority. There was during the spring, probably a dozen families resided temporarily in these dwellings, until their own was completed. Mr. Pickett and Mr. Nash finished their dwellings in April. At the raising of Mr. Nash's. house, after the last round of logs had been placed in position, the Rev. H. McKee, who had arrived at the settle ment the day before, mounted the building and proposed then and there, that the town be given a name. The names of several settlers were proposed, but as each declined the honor. Utica was proposed and adopted. The name Liberty Prairie was also given, to that portion of the prairie included in the town limits. . By midsummer the population of the town had increased to about twelve families, and from that time forward immigration poured in rapidly, and within two years there was but little Government land to be had. The first law-suit occurred in the spring of 1846 — an assault and battery case between S. Harris and A. M. Darling ; but there being no officers in town, the suit was held before Justice A. H. Howard, in his premption shanty, three miles southeast of Oshkosh. Every male citizen of the town attended court, either as witnesses or as advisory committee. The plaintiff was assisted by A. Pickett, and the defence by " Jed, " ( after wards Judge) Smalley, of Oskhosh. The court, after patiently listening all day to the evidence and arguments of the learned counsel, decided that it appeared to him that the parties were equally to blame, and that in the set-to they were equally used up, and he would fine them each one dollar, and divide the costs equally between the parties, which seemed to give entire satisfaction. This is believed to have been the first law suit in the county, south of the river. Hiram McKee was the first settled minister. A man of indomitable energy, both as a minister and an advocate of anti- slavery principles, for which he battled both in and outside the pulpit. His eloquence though not always refined, was of that power, that he became known far and near as the sledge hammer preacher. During the infancy of the Free Soil Party, he received the nomination of congressman in opposition to Governor Doty, who was elected. T. J. Bowles settled in the town in 1849, aI>d none of its citizens have taken a more active part in the affairs of the town. He has for more than twenty years, been an acting magistrate, and has repeatedly represented the town in the County Board of Supervisors, and has nearly always held other important trusts of honor conferred by his townsmen. During the early settlement of the town, the nearest post- office was Cereseo, which was supplied by a weekly mail. In 1847, a mail-route was established from Oshkosh to Cereseo, and three post-offices located in this town ; at .which D. H. Nash was postmaster at Welaunee; L. Hawley, at Hawley's Corners ; E. B. Fisk, at Fisk's Corners. The history of the town would be incomplete, were we to omit mentioning an incident connected with its eaily settlement, and which at the time created quite a sensation : The propri etors of the mill-power at Waukau, three miles below Rush Lake, on its outlet, in the fall of 1846, erected a dam across the stream, a few rods below the lake, for the purpose of mak ing a reservoir of the lake. While the dam was in process of construction, a deputation of the settlers waited upon the proprietors, and made a protest against the raising of the water -in the lake, fearing that not only the health of the town would be imperilled, but that a great deal of valuable meadow land, bordering on the lake, would be ovei flowed. The proprietors, however, gave assurance that the lake should only be raised one foot, and that only in the fall and winter months. This agreement, however, was not respected, and in the Spring of 1847, the settlers found a dam of five feet in height erected, and the lake gradually encroachiug npon the low lands, until in June, the lake had grown to nearly' double its original size, and daily spreading out. The dam having been erected without legal interference, it was claimed by the proprietors that they had a legal right to maintain it. A public meeting was called, at which it was resolved: First — That the dam was a nuisance; second — That the nuisance should be abated ; third — It should be done immediately. Accordingly, on the night of June 15, there was standing on the bank of the outlet of Rush Lake, about forty men, which included nearly all the men in town, with the minister.- A large bon-fire was built at one end of the dam, which threw a lurid glare into the forest, bringing into relief about one hundred Indians, who had come out of their camps a few rods distant, and standing as spectators of the unusual proceedings, and awaiting further developements. The elder having taken off his coat, mounted a large maple stump, and made a short address, recounting the history of the dam aud justifying the resolutions adopted by the meeting. His closing words were: " Friends — the exercises of the evening will 256 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79. begin by making a hole in the dam." But the hole was not so easily made, the structure being what is called a log and brush dam, covered with dirt and gravel. Going out to the middle of the dam, a crow-bar was worked down through the cover ing and between the logs, until an opening was made the size of a man's arm, when the water found an opening, and after a deal of labor, a log was loosened and the water poured through. The logs on each side of the opening were pried out, and the flood which momentarily grew into a torrent, poured through. Logs, drift-wood and floating islands, drifted down from the lake, and passed down stream with the flood. The destruction of the dam was complete, and although the lake has at times been temporarily damned since, yet no particular damage has resulted from it. A period of thirty-four years marks great and important ehanges in a country, and especially in its inhabitants, and it is with feelings oi sadness that the writer looks about, him and while witnessing the marvelous improvements made in his town since when a boy, he became a resident in 1846, and reflects that among the earliest band of pioneers, he stands compara tively alone. Since its settlement, the town has seen a generation born and arrive at middle life. Our friends of youth are scattered over the earth, while our parents are resting in the silent city of the dead. TOWN ORGANIZATION — ORGANIC ELECTION. The Town of Utica was set off from Rush ford, and organized as a separate town in pur suance of an act of the Territorial Legisla ture, approved March 11, 1848. The organic election was held April 4, 1848, at the house of Lucius Hawley; and David H. Nash was elected chairman of" the board, and Edwin B. Fisk and Lorenzo McCauley, super visors; Eli N. Hyde, clerk; Jeremiah Mericle, treasurer; Andrew Farrand and George Ran som, assessors. At the next annual town meeting, April 3, 1849, held at the same place, David H. Nash was elected chairman of the board, and Geo. N. Burrows and Erwin Heath, supervisors; Wm. H. Hyatt, clerk; Henry Knapp, treas urer; Daniel S. Storey, assessor, Armine Pickett, Joel Waterman and Sam'l N. Dodge, justices. In 1850, D. B. Babcock was chairman. In 1 85 1, and in many subsequent years, Hon. Armine Pickett was chairman. FIRST BIRTH — MARRIAGES — SCHOOLS. The first birth in the town was a daughter of Lucius Hawley, born in May, 1846. The first death, a daughter of Mr. Parsons' in the fall of 1846. The first marriage was that of John Thrall and Rhoda Adams, which happy event occurred in the winter of 1846 In 1846, the first year of the settlement of the town, a private school was taught by Mrs. Alfred Thrall, near Pickett's. In 1848, a log school-house was built near Fisk's Corners, and a school taught by a Miss Kimball. Liberty Prairie Cemetery Association was organized on January i, 1849, and the site was donated by Armine Pickett. The first burial in the cemetery was that of Laura, wife of H. W. Barnes, which event occurred in 1850. No spirituous liquor? have ever been sold in the town, and none of its citizens convicted of a capital crime. INCIDENTS IN THE EARLY DAY — CROPS, ETC. Mr. T. J. Bowles informs us that the first fall of his arrival, in 1849, on election day, which would be in the early part of Novem ber, a heavy snow-storm set in, and snow fell to the depth of eight inches, remaining on the ground for three days, with prevailing cold weather. At the expiration of that time the weather came off fine, and remained open and mild the greater part of the winter; so much so, that farmers were plowing as late as Christ mas, and the roads were muddy nearly all winter; the weather being similar to that of the winter two years ago, viz: 1877—8. The first two seasons that Mr. Bowles lived in Utica, 1850 and 1 851, were what was known as the wet seasons. The lowlands throughout the country were flooded, and the rain poured in a deluge, frequently for days at a time. The superabundance of rain and heat made a tropical climate, and the wheat made a rank growth and generally rotted. From 1852 to 1858, the wheat crops were good, yielding from twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre of the first quality of grain. Oats were an abun dant crop, and sold for fifteen cents per bushel. The second winter of his residence here, he threshed oats with a flail all winter, for every eighth bushel. This was the usual way of threshing out grain in pioneer days, when they earned their bread by the sweat of their brows> In 1859, the wheat made a rank growth of straw; and untimely heat and rains caused considerable rust. This was followed by the BIG CROP OF i860. This year was one of the most favorable for wheat ever known in the history of this county. The spring was unusually early, and in the last of February and first of March the soil was in many places in good condition for seeding. Dry weather prevailed through March, fol lowed by a succession of timely rains and cool weather, until after the middle of July. Such a yield of wheat and oats was never known here, before nor since; and although on the rich black soil, the straw made a very rank growth, and the grain in places lodged badly, still, even the lodged grain yielded immense 1846-55-1 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 257 crops ofthe first quality. Whole fields pro duced thirty to forty bushels of wheat per acre, and in some instances, ten-acre fields yielded forty-five bushels per acre. August and September were very warm months, and brought the corn to perfection. The pernicious practice prevailed, for a long time, in this county, of burning the straw; but the better husbandry of the present con verts it into manure, in which shape it is returned to the soil. About the year 1854 or 1855, some parties set fire to a lot of grain stacks belonging to Armine Pickett, and destroyed some two thousand bushels of grain. A very exciting trial took place., before. Justice Bowles, which lasted a week. One of the parties accused was bound over, but was afterwards acquitted in the higher court. E. B. FISK. E. B. Fisk was the first settler in the north ern part of the town, occupying the beautiful property since known as' Fisk's Corners. Mr. Fisk had resided in Waukesha County, from the year 1838, to the spring of 1846, when he moved to this county. On the thirteenth of April, 1846, occurred one of the heaviest falls of snow ever known in the history ofthe country. The snow fell to the depth of from a foot to a foot, and a half. Availing himself of the splendid sleighing, Mr. Fisk and wife and Mr. Chamberlain and wife started with an ox-team and sled for the new home Mr. Fisk had formerly ^elected, in this county. This was the same snow storm that greeted Mr. Erwin Heath on his arrival. Arriving at his place, they found the whole face of the country covered with snow to the depth of a foot or more, and no place of shel ter, except the body of a log cabin on an adjoining place. This had no roof or floor and did not present a very inviting appearance; but they shoveled the snow out, setup a stove, hung up blankets, and made themselves as comfortable as circumstances would permit. The next day they sent their wives back to Rosendale. They next proceeded to build a log house on Mr. Fisk's place. After getting up the body, Mr. Fisk went to Rosendale to bring their wives to the new home, leaving Mr. Chamber lain to put on the roof, which he expected to have completed by the time Fisk returned, The day after Mr. Fisk started, Mr, Chamber lain was taken suddenly with typhoid fever, and was compelled to take to his bed. There was no roof on, and there he lay in a violent fever under the canopy of the sky. A heavy rain-storm set in, coming down in tor rents, and deluged his bed. In this emer gency, Mr. Winters, who was looking land, called at the shanty for shelter and food. He did what he could for Mr. Cham berlain, who requested the stranger to pro ceed with all dispatch to Rosendale, and acquaint Mr. Fisk with his situation, and to ask him to come on as quickly as possible, with his family. Mr. Winters, after taking some refresh ments, started for Rosendale, where he found Mr. Fisk, who immediately started, accom panied by Mrs. Fisk and Mrs. Chamberlain, and traveling in a rain storm, arrived in due time at the. shanty, where they found Mr. Chamberlain in a violent fever and the bed clothes drenched with water. Mr. Fisk imme diately commenced to put on the roof, and accomplished the- work in one day. Then, after getting Mr. Chamberlain into a dry bed, and making the house comfortable, he started for Stanley's Ferry and Algoma, in pursuit of a doctor. He blazed his way, for the purpose of guiding his return, and had quite a search to find Oshkosh; which at that time was hardly visi ble to the naked eye, and which consisted of the little trading post of Osborn & Dodge and* the residence of Webster Stanley. Procuring a physician at Algoma, they took the back track, and in due time reached Mr. Fisk's shanty, and administered to Mr. Cham berlain, with benefical effects, who notwith standing his long exposure to a cold rainstorm, rapidly recovered. It was the opinion of the physician, that the rain was rather beneficial than injurious in the first stages of the dis ease, while the fever was high, and that the rain had the effect of cooling and checking it. The pleasant, warm spring weather rapidly changed the former dreary, wintry aspect of the country which was soon dressed in all the graces of the early summer, and presented a lovely appearance. During the summer new-comers began to flock in', and Mr. Fisk's house was crowded with people seeking temporary accommoda tions. Mr. Fisk states that, at the time of the Indian scare, mentioned on a former page, he was in town, serving on the first circuit court jury empanelled in this county, and that on his return home, he' found that his wife had secreted their valuables in the bushes, among which were a clock and saddle, and had fled with her child to a place of safety. Mr. Fisk says that the settlers in every direction loaded their- effects on sleds and wagons, and taking their families, went to Cereseo and other places of safety. The panic subsided as 258 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79. soon as the whites discovered that the Indians were as badly scared as themselves. Mr. Fisk has been one of the most pros perous farmers in the town one of its largest land owners, and ranks among its most influ ential citizens. While still owning his hand some place in Utica, he has a fine residence in the City of Oshkosh, where he resides in the enjoyment of the reward of his early years of industry. E. B. RANSOM'S RECOLLECTIONS OF THE EARLY DAY. Mr. Edward B. Ransom migrated with his father's family from Cattaraugus County, New York, in the spring of 1841, to Milwaukee, from whence he moved to the Town of Wau kesha, and was one of its first settlers. His father, George Ransom, not being suited with that location, moved his family to Lowell, Dodge County, in 1843, and there settled on a small farm, and was the first to break the soil in that vicinity. Having three sons on the verge of manhood, desiring to engage in farming and stock-rais ing, he again sold out. and, in October, 1845, made one of the first selections of land in the now Town of Utica. MR. EDWARD B. RANSOM, in company with his father, started from Dodge County, in the fall of 1845, passed up the Fox River from Cereseo, and examined the various localities on the borders of Green Lake and Democrat Prairie, returning to Cereseo,- and thence home, his only company being his ox-team, dog and gun. From Cereseo, his father took the Indian trail for Oshkosh and Green Bay, for the purpose of examining the country on the route. In traversing what is now the Town of Utica, he was charmed with the lovely and fertile country, and selected for his future home the northeast quarter of Section 14, the present res idence and farm of E. B. Ransom, which he entered. In the following spring — 1846, he moved his family to the place, and, on his arrival, found Mr. E. B. Fisk nicely located on adjoining land, in a log house, with good accommodations and anxious to see new settlers. Mr. Ransom soon raised a double log house, twelve by sixteen, with hall in the center, which was often filled with new-comers. Fish, venison and prairie-chickens were plenty, and often helped to make a good meal for the hun gry and weary traveler. The Winnebago and Menomonee Indians camped on what is now called Eight Mile Creek, while on the way from Green Bay to Fort Winnebago and other points. This creek takes its name from its length. Its head is a large spring. Numerous other springs are found along the creek which affords the best of stock water. Near the town line of Nekimi and Utica, this creek looses itself, running underground, for the distance of a mile, where it breaks out into a beautiful stream; its course being in a northwesterly direction for a distance of about three miles, where it again runs underground, until near Rush Lake, where it empties. The Menomonees and other Indians, often camped here, hunting and trapping; and a Winnebago once called at the house of Mf. Ransom, and asked for bread and meat, say ing that he " had no money, but would come in three .days and pay. " Mrs. Ransom gave him a loaf, and told him to go, and that he was welcome. He said, "No, me good Indian." But he took the loaf, set his gun in the corner of the room, and went his way. In just three days he returned with some venison, and took his gun, seeming well pleased with the trade. The yield of wheat was forty to fifty bush els per acre. The crops of other grain and vegetables were correspondingly large. The produce found a ready market among the settlers who were fast coming in. The nearest mill was at Cereseo, which was sometimes so crowded with grists that it was two weeks behind its engagements. Mr. E. B. Ransom once took a load of wheat to mill, as. far as Beaver Dam, forty-five miles distant. ILLUSTRATIONS. A fine view is here given of the Pickett homestead, the residence of the late HON. ARMINE PICKETT. This place is one of the historical landmarks of the early times. This building and a fine frame barn, were erected by Mr. Pickett in 1847, and were, with the Hawley dwelling, the first frame structures built in the town of Utica. The original building, a fine large farm-house, is shown in the view as the Pickett homestead, now occupied by Mrs. O. P. Lane, a daughter of Mr. Armine Pickett, who inherited this portion of the estate. This is one of the most beautiful locations in the county, and was selected by Mr. Pickett when he had the opportunity to select from all the lands in the town. " His relict, Mrs. Armine Pickett, resides with her daughter at the old homestead. Mr. Pickett, from the very first settlement in the town, was always prominent in its public 1 846-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 259 affairs, and occupies a conspicuous place in its history. He was a public spirited man, and among the foremost in advocating and sub stantially aiding improvements and enterprises beneficial to its interests. He was universally esteemed by his townsmen; and for the last forty-two years of his life, he- was continuously an acting magistrate, with the exception of the first year of his residence in the town. He was chairman of the Town Board nearly one-half of the time, after its organization, and was a member of the State Legislature in 1 86 1 and 1862, representing the South Assem bly district of Winnebago County. In 1872, he was a candidate for the State Senate, and was defeated by only a few votes. He was also postmaster at Welaunee, now Pickett's Station, for twenty-five years, and died in 1875, at the age of seventy- five years, uni versally lamented by a large circle of friends, relatives and acquaintances. JAMES G. PICKETT. Mr. James G. Pickett, son of the subject of the foregoing sketch, came to Utica with his parents, at the time of their settlement, viz: in the Spring of 1846, and is one of the very first settlers in the town which he has seen transformed from an unsettled wild into its present highly improved and cultivated con dition. Mr. Pickett is one of the prominent and influential citizens of the town, taking a leading part in its affairs, and is generally recognized as a man of much ability and cul ture. He is proprietor of the cheese factory at Pickett's Station, and also of a large tract of real estate. The cheese factory is a large stone structure, as shown in the accompanying illustration. We are indebted to Mr. Pickett for the very interesting and well written sketch of the early day in Utica. One thing worthy of mention, in connection with the history of Utica, and, in fact, of all the towns of this county, is that the education of youth received the attention of the early settlers, as something of the first importance; and the evidence of this is found in the very general intelligence of the people of the sev eral towns, among whom are found many of .much culture and of considerable proficiency in literary attainments, of whom Mr. Pickett is an example. DAVID R. LAWRENCE. Mr. David R. Lawrence, the view of whose fine farm is given in this work, came to Wis consin in October, 1847, and settled in Dodge County; from there he moved to Spring Vale, Fond du Lac County, in 1850, and having improved a farm and erected fine buildings, sold the same, and moved to Outagamie County, in June, 1858, where he subsequently settled on a farm in the Town of Grand Chute, from which place he moved on his present farm in the Town of Utica, in this county, in 1855. This is the fourth farm in the West that Mr. Lawrence has opened up and erected buildings on, having been engaged for thirty years in making improvements on new places. He has also contributed, with a spirit of West ern liberality and enterprise, to the building up of the country, and the opening of its lines of trade, haying subscribed six hundred dollars toward the construction of the first railroad from Milwaukee to the northwest, and one hundred and twenty-five in aid of the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad. This beautiful farm is most eligibly situated, being only half a mile from Pickett's Station, and about six miles from the City of Ripon. His yield of wheat, on an average, one year with another, has been about twenty bushels to the acre. Thefarm, with a detached timber and meadow lot, contains one hundred and seventy-four acres. The publisher of this work is indebted to Mr. Lawrence for the kind interest he has taken in its success. WILLIAM H. CLARK. The beautiful farm of William H. Clark, which furnishes one of the illustrations of the Town of Utica, is situated about a mile south of Pickett's Station, and on the southern boundary of the county. It contains one hundred and seventy-eight acres, and is in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Clark is one of those public spirited men who take a commendable interest in his town, and was instrumental in having it well represented in this work; being one of the first in the town to extend it the necessary patronage, and give aid and encouragement. Without the assistance of such men, a county history could not be published. Mr. Clark migrated from his native place, Jefferson County, New York, with his father, to Dodge County, Wisconsin, where he arrived on the 25th, of December, 1844. This was in the beginning of the first settlement of Dodge County, and before roads were laid out or bridges built. Mr. Clark is, therefore, one of the western pioneers, and has experi enced, in the fullest sense, the various inci dents and privations of pioneer life. He helped to move the Pottawattamies of Rock River to their Western reservation — the rem nant of the once powerful nation that inhabi- 260 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79- ted the southeastern portion of the State and Northern Illinois. In the spring of 1862, he moved . on his present farm, and is one of the prominent men of his town — a highly respected citizen, and in the enjoyment of a comfortable com petency. W. S. CATLIN. W. S. Catlin, of Utica, is probably the earliest Western settler living in the county, he having moved into -the wilds of Michigan in 1833, and witnessed that rush of Western immi gration that took place after the Black Hawk war and the subsequent Western speculation, with its wild-cat currency, that culminated in the grand crash of 1837 and 1838. He moved from Michigan to Illinois in 1842, and from the latter place to Utica, this county, in 1850. He, therefore, passed the earlier years of his man hood on the frontier of civilization, and is one of those who have helped to pioneer Western settlement and progress. Mr. Catlin's experi ences in pioneer life would furnish material for a volume. He has seen the county changedfrom a wilderness, into the populous abodes of the highest type of civilization and has contributed his share toward its development. Mr. Catlin is a man of wide information in the school of prac tical life, and one of the successful and fore handed farmers of this county. His fine farm, a view of which illustrates this work, is situated in the central part of the town, about a mile and a half from Pickett's Station, and is among the best farms in the county. R. J. WILLIAMS. Mr. Williams, though not- one of the earli est settlers, is worthy of mention as one of the prominent and highly respectable citizens of the town. His is another of the beautiful farms of Utica, with a handsome, commodious dwelling, fine barns, and all the conveniences of farm-life; and his house is one where the guest is received with a well-bred cordiality and a hearty and generous hospitality. THE LATE GEORGE MILLER, Among the old settlers, and one of the most highly respected citizens of the Town of Utica, was the late George Miller, who left to his relict, Mrs. Mary Miller, and his children, the large - farm of which a view is given in this work. Mr. Miller was born in Northampton, York County, New Brunswick, June 21,1817, and married Miss Mary Esty, in 1838. He migrated to Wisconsin and settled in Palm/ra, Jefferson County, on the first of September, 1845, where he resided until 1850, when he moved to the Town of Utica, Winnebago County, where he spent the remaining years of his life, and died on the seventh day of September, i860. Mr. Miller left to his family, not only a fine property, but the valuable inheritance of his good name; for he was one who was held in the highest esteem by his neighbors, from whom he received the highest marks of their confidence, and he will be long remembered in the town as one of its most worthy citizens. He was elected several times chairman of the Board of Supervisors, was one ofthe most efficient and influential members of the County Board, and was one of the Building Commit tee under whose direction our fine court house was built. He was a man of the strictest integrity, and of great efficiency in whatever public business was entrusted to his hands. His death was not only an irreparable loss to" his family, but, also, to the town whose inter ests he was always ready to promote, and the burden of whose enterprises he was always ready to share. The farm, now in the possession of his family, is one of the finest in the county, and contains three hundred and ten acres. It has yielded, in good seasons, 1,500 to i;8oo bushels of wheat, and 1,200 to 1,800 bushels of corn and oats, with other crops in propor tion. JAMES H. MAXWELL. James H. Maxwell, a native of Pennsyl vania, came to Utica, with but small means, in 1855. By industry and sagacious management he has acquired a competency, and is now one of the largest land-holders in the town. Mr. Maxwell, in addition to being a most skillful farmer, is a man of fine natural capacity and business ability, as his success well attests. His fine' farm contains nearly three hundred acres, and is one of the best tracts of land in the town, and is well stocked and provided with spacious barns and outbuildings. No illustration can do justice to this beauti ful and sightly place and its handsome sur roundings. It is situated a half mile south of Pickett's Station, and has all the modern con veniences and appliances for farm cultivation and stock-raising. EDWARD B. RANSOM. A view of Mr. Ransom's fine farm is given on another page. The history of his advent in this county, is related in the " Early Recol lections of E. B. Ransom." He is the youngest son of the late George Ransom, who was one of the early pioneers, and whose death was caused from the effects of being gored by a cross bull, in August, 1861. i 846-79-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 261 After the death of his father, Mr. E. B. Ransom came into the possession of the farm, where he has since resided, and by industry and perseverance, has converted it into one of the best stock-farms in the county. It con tains one hundred and sixty acres, with good buildings, and is in a high state of cultivation. Mr. B., although brought up to the vocation of a farmer, also took high rank as a school teacher, having taught for ten successive winters. He is now one of the most prosperous and fore handed farmers in the town; the owner of a valuable property, and in the enjoyment of a comfortable competency. T. J. BOWLES. Mr. Bowles, who settled in Utica in 1849, had a varied experience in all the trying inci dents of pioneer life. The first year of his residence, he entertained new-comers and travelers, in his very limited quarters, and fre quently had a house filled with guests. He was hardly settled in his new home, when official duties were thrust upon him, and he was immediately appointed school district clerk, and officiated as acting town treas urer. In the spring of 1851, he was elected justice of the peace; and has acted in that capacity with but few short intervals, from that time to the present. He has also represented the town in the County Board for six or seven terms, and is now acting in that capacity, and is recognized as one of the leading and most efficient members. Mr. Bowles' large experience in town and county affairs, and his natural ability, has given him much local prominence. His long experience as justice of the peace, has given him an intimate acquaintance with law prac tice, and he does much business in the justice courts; in which he is very successful. In March 1864, he enlisted in the Eighth Wisconsin, Company B., and served till' the close* of the war. While he was in the service, and during a period of severe sickness, he was detailed as counsel for the defense of eleven soldiers, who were tried before a court mar tial.' This was a new practice for Mr. Bowles, and he was very reluctant to attempt it; but after much entreaty on the part of the accused, and of officers, he undertook the task. At the end of a protracted trial, which lasted a week, he succeeded in obtaining the acquittal of the prisoners — and modestly and blush- ingly carried off his new honors. TOWN OF WINNECONNE. CHAPTER LXIV. Situation — Lakes — Soil — Timber — Face of the Country — Early Settlers — Plats of the Villages of Winneconne and Buttes des Morts Recorded — Indian Villages' — Town Organization — ¦ Town Election — First Births, Marriages arid Death — Schools Opened — Post Offices Established — Mills Built — Other Improvements — Store Opened — Settlement of the Indian Land — Church Organization — Water and Railroad Communication — Population, Schools, Etc. — Farms and Improvements — George Cross' Recol lections of the Early Day. (HE Town of Winneconne is bounded north by Winchester, east by Vinland % and Town of Oshkosh, south by Omro,' and west by Poygan. In the north west corner of the town, Lake Winne conne, formed by a broad expansion of Wolf River, covers some six sections within the limits of this township. This is a beautiy, ful sheet of water, bordered by bold, wooded shores on the east, and on the west by natural meadows and fine groves of timber. The river again contracting in the center 'of the town, flows south and east some three :rfiiles, where, on Section 26, it forms a junctionrwith Fox River, which, coming from the west and south, monopolizes the name; and, emerging from the town on Section 25, by expansion, forms Lake Buttes des Morts. The surface, south and west' of lake and river, is generally level, and was originally covered with a forest of hardwood timber, except along the shore and in the vicinity of the streams, where extensive marshes abound, of little value-, save some which aresufficiently firm to produce good crops of grass and hay. South and east of Fox River is an extensive marsh, only adapted to the raising of wild rice and-muskrats. The latter enterprise hav-_ ing been successfully conducted for several years. A Buttes des Morts trader once remarked, "Money will be plenty as soon- as the muskrats begin to come in!" The greater part of this tract lying south and west of the river is fine farming land, of enduring fertility, with a rich soil, and generally in a state of good cultivation, with good farm' buildings. North and east of the lake and river, the sur face is entirely different. Rising abruptly from Fox River, some forty or fifty feet, and thence northwardly: by a succession of low hills and gradual undulations, a greater eleva tion is attained; until, near the north line, an altitude of one hundred and seventeen feet above the river is reached: when, looking" to the right or left, several elevations of about the same height are seen, with a most mag nificent panorama of rich valleys and smaller 262 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN [1846-47. eminences on every hand — the very acme of rural loveliness. And this is "Ball Prairie," occupying the northeast portion of the town, and stretching away into Vinland. On one of the prominent elevations just mentioned, in Section 1, is the residence and farm of Mr. George Cross, and adjoining (within the same section), those of John, Will iam and James Cross. Here at- the very sum mit is a series of thirteen mounds, within a distance of nine hundred feet, which, in 1848, were about four feet high, and conical in shape. At the time of the early survey, these mounds, prominent at a great distance, resembled so many balls, from which the surveyors gave the name, "Ball Prairie." These mounds are situ ated on a bed of gravel and coarse sand, in distinct alternate layers, and formed of some three feet of black earth. There are several apple-trees in the orchard of Mr. George Cross, which were brought from Brighton, New York, thirty years ago, looking healthy and sound, except where the limbs were dismembered by a tornado in 1871. One of these trees measure three feet ten inches in circumference. A soft-maple, in his yard, grown from seed planted in 1853, meas ures forty-seven feet in heighth, and four feet two inches in circumference, with several oth ers about the same size. Near his residence, in a wheat-field, is a very singular out-crop of limestone, an exposed area of about fifteen by forty-five feet, terminating at either end in a sharp angle, and not the slightest evidence of the existence of any stone outside ofthe well- defined limits at the surface. The plow passes without the least obstruction, and the grain grows equally well up to the very line. The soil throughout this portion of the town is a deep, black loam, gravel and marl subsoil, based upon limestone, with frequent expos ures. Fine springs are common. South and west of the streams, a rich vege table soil, overlying red clay, predominates, with considerable sand in the extreme west and southwest. The extensive marshes men tioned were, in an early day, traversed by teams, and afforded great quantities of excel lent hay; but at the present time they are gen erally submerged. The original thoroughfare, from Green Bay to Fort Winnebago, crossed Fox River at Augustine Grignon's place, northeast corner of Section 30, Town 19, Range 16; and thence, following the south bank of the river, around to the trading-post of Robert Grig non, near the section-line between Sections 34 and 35, and the quarter-line of Section 35, Town 19, Range 15, and from there directly south. This distance over four miles from the ferry at A. Grignon's, good, solid footing for horses then, is now under water a greater por tion of the year. Good wells are obtained in the western part of the town at a depth of from twelve to twenty feet; and by boring from thirty to sixty feet, copious fountains result, the water rising from one to three feet above the surface. The usual grains and grasses of this region, when properly cultivated, produce a bountiful return in any part of the town. The plat of the Village of Buttes des Morts was recorded July 5, 1848, Augustine Grignon, proprietor; and on October 15, 1849, a plat of the Village of Winneconne was also recorded, Hoel S. Wright and E. Gordon, proprietors. March 24, 1871, the Village of Winneconne was incorporated by act of the Legislature. THE FIRST SETTLERS. It has been claimed that the first white set tler in this town was Augustine Grignon, in- 1 8 1 8 . This we very much doubt, as Mr. Grignon was a resident of Kaukauna, if we are rightly informed, until after the general settlement commenced; but the fact that Mr. Grignon established a trading-post in the adjoining town at a very early day, with James Porlier as partner, is unquestioned. Early in March, 1846, Samuel Champion and his son John, with Samuel Lobb, located here, and, in May following, Mr. George Bell and family arrived from Toronto, Canada West. Mrs. Bell was the first white woman in the town, and in the fall, when fever and ague prevailed throughout the State to an extent never known before or since, her husband suf fering with the rest, she harrowed in a field of wheat; and in September, when she was the only well person in the town, after living on boiled wheat for some time, she yoked the oxen and, loading a grist into the wagon, started for the mill at Neenah, twelve miles distant, with no road more than the Indian .trail; and, returning in the night with her grist, she was entertained on the way with the music of the wolves, often in uncomfortable proximity. She reached home a little before midnight.. About three weeks after the advent ofthe Bell family, Mr. Greenbury Wright and family, accompanied by his brother, Dr. Aaron B. Wright, better known as "Little Doctor Wright," arrived, and selected a farm on the present site of the Village of Buttes des M°rfs This was the second family to make a settle^ ment in the town and now enjoys the distincr tion of being the oldest resident family here. During the year, quite a settlement was formed, consisting of Julius Ashby, Lafayette 1 846-50. "I HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 263 McConifer, Stephen Allen, William Caulkins, Edwin Bolden, George Snider, and George Cross, who made a claim to the farm he now occupies. Prominent among the early settlers of 1847, 1848 and 1849, we find the names of Mr. John Cross, A. and O. Rice, E. J. Lean, Mr. Fish, F. Hamilton, Walter Clark, William B. Cross, Richard Cousins, Charles and E. D. Gumaer, John Atchley, the Mumbrues, (the father and two sons, William and Henry), Col. C. R. Ham lin,' J. Pritchett, Reuben Tucker, Ira Avery, Rowell Kellogg and John Scott. These settlements were all confined to that portion the of town lying north of the Fox and east of the Wolf Rivers; that on the west of Wolf River being still known- as the Indian Land; but, during the year 1849, there were some claims made on that side. J. R. Sumner, a native of Bristol. Addison County, Vermont, where he was born June 9, 1804, with a family of five children, and Samuel Smith, were amongst the number. INDIAN VILLAGES. The present sites of Winneconne and Buttes des Morts had long been occupied as promi nent Indian villages and headquarters, and the forests in the vicinity, their favorite hunting and camping-grounds; while about the openings and prairies, there existed evidences of a primitive cultivation in the form of corn- hills and drills. As a natural consequence, the population at this time consisted of a large majority of the natives, who were far from being the wor^t of neighbors. Quiet and peace able, they were the last to inflict any wanton injury, often supplying the little communities with fish and game, when provisions were dif ficult to obtain. Of all the offences charged against these long-suffering people, rare . indeed was the occurence of an unprovoked injury, or one which was no' directly or indirectly attributable to that bane of both whites and Indians — whiskey. TOWN ORGANIZATION — TOWN MEETINGS. From 1843 to 1847, the County of Winne bago comprised but one town, called Winne bago. (See organization ofthe County.) In the latter year, five towns were organized, butthetown now under consideration, remained a portion of the Town of Winnebago, untih by an act of the Legislature, approved March 11, 1848, Township 20, Ranges 14 and 15, Township 19, Range 15, and the two west tiers of sections in Townships 19 and 20. Range 16, were set off and organized as the Town of Winneconne. In March, 1849, the two tiers of sections in Townships 19 and 20, Range 16, were set off to Vinland and Clayton; Township 20, Range 15, as part of Winchester, in 1850, and a part of Township 20, Range 14, as Orihula, in 1855, leaving the present limits. At the first election for the Town of Winne conne, held at the house of Augustine Grignon, April 4, 1848, it was "voted to organize into a town by the name of Winneconnah. " "Voted, that Greenbury Wright be chairman of this meeting; that Greenbury Wright, Ira Avery, and William N. Davis, serve as judges of elec tion; and that Timothy Allen and Charles . Shoemaker, serve as clerks of election." They were qualified according to law. "Voted, that town officers that are paid by the day, receive seventy-five cents per day for services." "Voted, to raise forty dollars for district schools, and one hundred dollars to pay town officers and incidental expenses." "Voted, that the next election be held at the house of Dr. Preston. " The polls being opened, the following result was declared: James Fisk, chairman board supervisors; Stephen Allen and Hiram Wilcox, supervisors, Timothy Allen, clerk; John Cross, treasurer; Avin Partridge, Stephen Allen and Silas Allen, assessors; Alfred Hubbard, Green bury Wright and Horace Clemence, justices; Wm. G. Caulkins, Charles E. Scott and Wash ington Manuel, school commissioners; Ah/in Pride, collector. At the election of April 3, 1849, at the school-house, near John Catton's, Fish Hamil ton was elected chairman; George Bell and D. Lafayette McCorpin, supervisors; Edmund J. Lean, clerk; John Cross, treasurer; Lucius Clark, James H. Jones and John Annunson, assessors; Wm. G. Caulkins, superintendent of schools; Greenbury Wright and Ira Avery, justices. Election at the same place, Tuesday, April 2, 1850: Wm. Cross, chairman; Jerome Hop kins and George Bell, supervisors; Edmund J. Lean, clerk; John Cross, treasurer; John Annunson and Edwin Balden, assessors; F, F.' Hamilton, Elias D. Gumaer, John Boyd and O. E. Loper, justices. The highest number of votes cast at the election of 1848, was forty-three; in 1849, thirty-nine; in 185b, one hundred and one. FIRST BIRTH — FIRST DEATH — SCHOOLS. The first white child born within the present limits of the town, was M. J. Ashby, a son of Julius Ashby, on September 10th, 1840. The first religious services were also held this fall, at the house of Greenbury Wright, 2U HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-50. the Rev. Dinsdale, a Methodist clergyman, officiating. The first death within the town occurred in the spring of 1850. Miss Mary Wait, a sister of Mrs. C. R. Hamlin, who being of a con sumptive tendency, came with Hamlin's family from Ohio, in the fall of 1849, for the restor ation of health; but too late to be benefitted. Mrs. Booth, mother of Mrs James Barber, also died July 3rd, of this year. It is said that the first death was at an earlier date, a daugh ter of Samuel Pratt, but we have been unable to ascertain the exact date. In 1848, the first school-house was built at Catton's Corners, but we have no information relative to the first school; but in 1850, the settlers at the Village of Winneconne, erected a board shanty, sixteen by twenty-eight, for a school-house, and the first .school within the village was opened that fall, with William Mumbrue as teacher. This school-house was also used for religious and other gatherings, for some two years, when a good substantial frame sehool-house was erected, which in turn, a few years later, made way for one of still greater pretentions, and was itself removed to another site, where it was converted into a Catholic church. FIRST MARRIAGE. In 1847, at the annual town meeting for the Town of Winnebago, held in April, Greenbury Wright was elected justice of the peace, and, as such, performed the first marriage cere mony, between Amos Buck and Elvira Pierce, the same fall, having previously offered to unite the first couple free of charge. June 7, 1848, Mr. Wright also officiated at the marriage of William Caulkins and Miss Salina Lean. POST OFFICE ESTABLISHED — MILLS BUILT — OTHER IMPOVEMENTS. The first post-office within the present town, was located at Buttes des Morts, in June 1849, with Augustine Grignon as postmaster. Mr. F. F Hamilton had previously built the first frame building in the town, and was at this time occupying it with . a stock of merchandise. That building is still standing, and devoted to the same purpose, and across the street from it, is the second frame structure of the town, which was erected for Augustine Grignon, and for many years served as a hotel. The same fall, Messrs. Smith and Bennett procured from Wolf River, the timber for a saw-mill, and in February, 1850, the mill was commenced, completed and set in operation in August. The machinery for this mill was obtained from Detroit, and transported via Green Bay, thence by Durham boats and teams, to its destination. Bennett dying soon after the completion of the mill, a Mr. Vib- berts became associated with Smith, and the name of Smith & Vibberts became familiar. On February 21, 1850, another post-office was established at Winneconne Village, and Joseph Edwards commissioned as postmaster. This office was located at the instigation of Gov. Doty, who gave it the name of Wane- kuna; but by the illiterate in Indian literature, it has become perverted to the present style. In 1850, H. C. Mumbrue built and oper ated a chair factory, the motive-power of which was horse. The Hyde Brothers also built a steam saw mill at this point, during the season, and this proved " the feather that broke the camel's back;" a saw- mill at Oshkosh, one at Algoma, one at Buttes des Morts and this one, in these" primitive times, when log houses were alj the style, and barns, if any, of the same material, were more than the country could support. This venture proved unsuccessful, and the mill after various changes, became the property of Henry Swartz, who will be remembered by all the old settlers of this region. This mill was eventually destroyed by fire. STORE OPENED — MORE BUILDINGS ERECTED. John Scott was the first to engage in mer cantile business, in 1849, followed the same season by H. C. Rogers. E. D. Gumaer erected the first frame build ing, or perhaps, it should be said, completed the first; for during its construction, Charles Gumaer and John Atchley, were also building, and the Mumbrues were, at the same time, erecting a frame building, intended for a hotel. This was all in 1849, and at the present site of Winneconne Village, on the east side of the river. On the west side the Indian trod his native heath; and looking back upon the home of his childhood, his youth and his manhood, from which he had but recently been driven by that tidal wave of immigration, whose course ever onward and westward, now checked only- for a moment by the stream which lay winding at his feet; and contemplating, that within a few months at most, this would no longer prove a barrier, and that the dreaded fiat would be announced, removing him forever from these early associations, he knew not whither. At this time the natives were in full possession of the country on the west of the Wolf River, and here the Government had erected a blacksmith shop for their con- 1834-50.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 265 venience. Two smiths were employed here, the only whites on this side. Across the river whiskey was easily obtained in amount only limited by the ability to pay. Thus easily enabled to gratify their inordinate appetite, drunken revels and noisy carousals were of constant occurrence, and often extending far into the night, or, perhaps lasting all night, accompanied by the usual whooping, howling, singing and dancing, with the ceaseless mono tony of the Indian drum and flute. CHURCH ORGANIZATION. In the spring of 1850, a Presbyterian church was organized by Rev. Mr. Robinson, and dur ing the same year, the Methodists organized under the leadership of Rev. J. C. Simcox, an English Wesleyan Methodist. THE INDIAN LAND. In November, 1852, the Indian land lying on the west side of Wolf River, was placed in market, and was settled up rapidly by an industrious and energetic class of farmers, who are to-day in no wise behind those of neighboring towns, in the quality of the farms, their improvements or building; being sur rounded by all the comforts and conveniences of a farm life. WATER AND RAILROAD COMMUNICATION. The Town of Winneconne, divided by the Wolf and Fox rivers, has from the first, possessed all the commercial advantages of water navigation, giving it communication with the pine and hardwood forests of the Wolf and its tributaries. , The construction of the Winneconne branch of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, to the Village of Winneconne, gives it railroad con nections with the leading through lines. POPULATION, SCHOOLS, ETC. The population of the town in 1855 was eight hundred and thirty, with four schools and two hundred and thirty-one scholars; in 1875, the population was two thousand five hundred and seventy-nine. There were in 1878, six school-houses, eleven teachers and seven hundred and ninety-two children, between the ages of four and twenty. TOWN OFFICERS. The present town officers are: John D. Rush, chairman, Daniel Martin, L. M. Sum ner, supervisors; J. Ulrich, clerk; G. E. Lean, treasurer; A. Lock, J. Ulrich and J. Starks, justices; Charles Miller, assessor; T. S. Wood, village supervisor. FACE OF THE COUNTRY — FARMS AND IMPROVEMENTS. The face of the country in this towp is very handsome, and there is no richer farming land in the State. The farms are generally in a high state of improvement, and there are many very fine farm residences. The roads are excellent, many of them being graveled. Good well and spring water is found in every locality, and the town possesses additional social and educational advantages, in its proximity to cities and villages. RECOLLECTIONS OF THE EARLY DAY FROM GEORGE CROSS. Mr. Wilson Cross, ancestor of the families of that name, now residing in the Town of Winneconne, was born in the City of York, Lancashire, England in 1777, and emigrated to the United States in 1831, and resided at Rochester, New York, one year, during which time he met an acquaintance from England, who had visited White Pigeon Prairie, Michi gan, and from glowing accounts of that country, related by this friend, was induced to start at once for this Eldorado of the west, with his family, consisting of five sons and six daughters. In 1834, William, the eldest of these sons, a young man of superior ability and educa tion, in company with Bishop Philander Chase, an uncle of the late Salmon P. Chase, whose diocese extended over the entire Northwest,. made an exploration in Illinois, and the more western portion of the diocese. Arriving at a small trading-post, at the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, now called Chicago, he concluded to remain for a time, and was installed assistant to Bishop Chase. During the year the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas settled here, and soon became a mess mate and chum with Mr. Cross. These two soon became prominent, and with others endeavored to perfect a political organization, with the view of establishing some rules and forms of government. In the fall of 1835, a Mr. Bond, on his way north with a drove of cattle, induced Mr. Cross to join him, and following the shores of Lake Michigan, they crossed the southern boundary line of Wisconsin. These cattle brought here for the supply of the Government troops, were wintered near where Kenosha now stands, and here Mr. Cross selected a location for his father, in Town One, Range Twenty- two, to which the family moved in 1836, and here the father died in 1840. The family now became somewhat separated, choosing resi dences at Eagle Prairie, English Prairie, Delavan, etc. In 183.8, George Cross started on a tour of observation through the Galena lead region, 34 266 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. Li 839- 50. where he met Governor Doty, and with him dis covered very rich leads of lead and copper. Arrangements were completed for a survey of the line ofthe Fourth Principal Meridian, from the mouth of Fever River, near Galena, to Lake Superior, in which Mr. Cross was engaged, and the party were accompanied by Governor Doty throughout the entire survey. One of the party, a Frenchman, died near the crossing of the Iron Ridge; the body was wrapped in birch-bark and buried on the spot, the burial service was read by Governor Doty. During this entire trip they were dependent for transportation upon Indian ponies, and packing upon the backs of men. This survey completed, Mr. Cross returned home, where he remained but a short time, and again set out for the present side of Madison, when he again met Governor Doty, in whose employ he traveled the greater portion of the time, for three years. It was at this time that Governor Doty selected the present location for the seat of Government. Mr. Cross, now had the opportunity of visiting nearly all sections of the State, and of all points that came under his observation, the Wolf River country seems to have taken preference in his judgment, as indicated by a letter to Harrison Reed, then editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel. He says: " The Wolf River is a most magnificent stream, and with the removal of some insignificant obstructions, is navigable for one hundred - and fifty miles, and through the finest belt of pine and hard wood timber I have ever seen." The Fox River Valley was also highly spoken of, and no doubt had much influence on Mr. Reed, in making the purchase at Winnebago Rapids, and these letters from Mr. Cross, only intended for Mr. Reed's benefit, were published in the Sentinel, thereby thoroughly advertising this entire section. These letters were written by an arrangement with Mr. Reed before the writer left home, in 1839, but with no expect ation that they would be published. In 1846, Mr. Cross, in crossing the ferry at Oshkosh, found but a scow, capable of car rying two Indian ponies, and at once went to work and built a ferry-boat that would carry a pair of horses and loaded wagon; after which he assisted Mr. Webster Stanley in building a shanty on the southwest corner of High and Main streets. He next commenced the erec tion of a building near the present site of S.M. Hay's store, for Mr. Stanley, which, in the spring of 1847, was purchased by M. Griffin, moved across the street to the present site of Griffin's Block, and, with sundry additions and improvements, was opened as a hotel during the summer. Mr. Cross was also employed by John Ban nister, a land surveyor and agent at Fond du Lac, and was often sent to Green Bay with large sums of money, for entering land for settlers from all parts of the country. These land agencies were quite prominent and important institutions in the early days of the settlement of this country, and were fre quently considered as a sort of sub-agency of the Government Land Office, which was a mis taken idea. Any one disposed to establish a land agency could procure diagrams of the several town ships in the vicinity of their agency, showing the Government sub-divisions, the streams, lakes, marshes, and the general character of the surface, and, thus provided, open an office, where, having made themselves familiar with the locality, and the diagrams representing all lands sold, pre-empted or reserved, they were ready to recommend desirable selections to those inclined to purchase, and to take them on' to the ground, pointing out the boundary line and all the attractions; and when the selec tions were made, receive the money for its purchase, which they forwarded to Green Bay by a messenger, in whom they had confidence, and, on his return, receive the duplicate (title) which the purchaser could obtain by calling for it. These trips to Green Bay were made once, twice or three times each week, as the amount of business required. The Government assum ing no responsibility until the money was deposited in the land office. This obviated the necessity of each pur chaser making a trip to Green Bay over the most villainous roads, impassable much of the time to anything but a foot-man or horse-man. By accumulating the money for numerous entries at one agency, one trip was sufficient for the whole number, and by frequent trips the agent was kept at all times advised of the lands sold within his limits. We have wandered, somewhat, from our sub ject as this seemed a fitting place for this explanation. In the fall of 1846, Mr. Cross made a claim of the farm on which he at present resides, and, consummating the purchase in due time, rented it until 1859, when he took up his resi dence here, meanwhile working at his trade, that of miller and mill-stone dresser. In the spring of 1847, he induced his brother, Mr. John Cross, to take up a farm adjoining his, and, in 1848, Mr. William Cross joined them, with his .family. William was killed a few years later by the kick of his horse. 1846-47] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN 267 Mr. George Cross, who related the forego ing recollections, is a gentleman of scholarly attainments, an extraordinary memory of per sons, dates and events, a sound judgment, com bined with a happy faculty for relating his experiences and observations, in fact a perfect oracle or animated history. The entire family seem to have been pos sessed of iron constitutions, a perfect embodi ment of health, and in every way most hap pily constituted for the struggles* of a pioneer life. The father, William Cross, before leaving England, was, on account of an excellent judg ment and fine taste in stock-raising, employed by Lord Allerthorpe, to select the finest Durham stock to be obtained, and, while thus engaged, Mr. Cross bred and raised a short horn Durham bull for his employer, which became quite noted, under the name of Wild Comet, and which was sold for fifty guineas. Henry Clay afterward secured this animal and brought him to Ashland, the first imported stock introduced into the West. Still later, Governor Trimble, of Ohio, purchased Wild Comet from Mr. Clay; and from Governor Trimble, Governor Doty obtained the short horn stock well known in this county. EARLY SETTLERS. Mr. Greenbury Wright emigrated from Ohio, in 1846,. to Wisconsin; came directly to Osh kosh, and, following Fox River as far as Buttes des Morts, selected a location on Section 24, the present site ofthe village of that name. In 1865, Mr. Wright sold his farm in Section 24, and purchased eighty acres in Section 13, where he still resides. At the time of his arrival, there was but one white family in the township, that of George Bell, who had pre ceeded him by about three weeks. Having made a pre-emption claim in 1846, he was compelled the next year to go to Green Bay, to enter the land, and says that on this trip there were no signs of a habitation on the present site of Appleton, but he there found several persons who were then about locating the site for the present Lawrence University. At Little Chute he recollects seeing- an apple orchard, well loaded with fruit. Mr. Richard Cousins was born in Maine, July 22, 1823, and in September, 1846, emi grated directly to Wisconsin. Landing at Milwaukee, he took the trail forthe Northwest, and finding short sections of roads cut through the woods, he continued his course until he arrived at Fond du Lac; thence, by trail only, to Oshkosh, crossing the river on the ferry at the present location of Main street bridge. Here he found an embryo village, but pushing his way still westward found the object of his search, in the form of a satisfactory location, six miles from Oshkosh, on the present road to Buttes des Morts, on Section 28, Town 19, Range 16. In 1849, he removed to the vil lage of Buttes des Morts, then just starting. Mr. Cousins was employed in the erection of the first hotel at Algoma, the second frame building in that place, built by C. J. Coon, in the spring of 1847. He was also engaged in the building ofthe first saw-mill at Algoma, the same season, for Forman, Daggett & Co., and in 1849-50 on the saw-mill of Smith & Bennett, at Buttes des Morts. He subsequently settled at Winneconne, where he now resides. William G. Calkins was born in Steuben County, State of New York, August 20, 1823, emigrated to Illinois in the fall of 1845, and, in the spring of 1846, selected his present farm, only purchasing forty acres at the time. Here, he built a log shanty, but, with no one but him self to occupy it, he rented it to Mr. S. Allen, with whom he boarded. In 1848, finding a co-tenant, they took exclusive possession of the shanty, which they retained until it was replaced by an elegant brick residence which now ornaments a farm of 330 acres, unsur passed for beauty or fertility. During the winter of 1847-8, Mr. Calkins, with Stephen Allen, Richard Cousins and one other, went to the cut-off, above Lake Poy gan, and procured pine timber, which was drawn by team to Winneconne, and some as far as Oshkosh, for a market. George Snyder, born in the town and county of Onondaga, New York, October 4, 181 2, removedto Cattaraugus County in 1823, and in 1846, having read in the newspapers ofthe day; very flattering accounts of the country about Oshkosh, written by Wright, Gallup and oth ers, determined to examine for himself, arriv ing* at Milwaukee about the fifteenth of April, and at once started westward. At Watertown he changed his course to Waupun, and thence to the ferry of Grignon (Buttes des Morts). Here he made choice of his present farm, and pre-empted it, but, having no family, he, with others in like condition, organized a "bachelor's hall" in a shanty about a mile east of his pres ent residence. Wheat, flour and vegetables, they obtained in the southern part of the State. Fish they could help themselves to, or purchase of the Indians. Indian sugar, common brown sugar, tea, coffee and tobacco, they could obtain at Grignon's. In the fall of 1846, Augustine Grignon har vested a crop of wheat on the ground now occupied by the Village of Buttes des Morts. 268 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-50. George Cross assisted at the harvest. George Bell raised the first crop of wheat raised in the town by the white settlers, in 1846. Mr. M. Kittell emigrated from Switzerland to the United States in 1861; resided in the State of New York for four years, and in 1865 located in the Town of Oshkosh, where wi.th a Mr. Preuss he rented a farm of Mr A. Rich, and at once commenced the manufacture of Limburgher and Switzer cheese, whichhe con tinued until 1872. In 1873, Mr. Kittell leased the farm of Julius Ashby, containing 160 acres, about half a mile north of the Village of Buttes des Morts, where he continues the same busi ness. The product of this factory is about 400 pounds per day during the dairy season, con suming the milk of 120 cows, of which Mr. Kittell owns fifty. VILLAGE OF BUTTES DES MORTS. One of the loveliest localities in Wisconsin, is the site of Buttes des Morts, with its beauti ful surroundings of river and lake, and hand some undulating prairie and openings. It is also the scene of famous historical events in the days of French:Indian occupancy. It was here that Marquette, while on a visit to the village ofthe Mascoutins and Miamis, was told ofthe Great River — the Mississippi; and had pointed out to him the Fox River, which, near here, forms a junction -with the Wolf, as the channel of travel to the great water; and, it was here that he conceived the idea of making the trip, which he afterwards did, for the pur pose of discovering the Upper Mississippi. This was in 1673, more than a century before the American Revolution. Marquette describes the place as a most charming one — a handsome elevation rising from the river, while adjoining it stretched away the prairie, as far as the eye could reach, interspersed with groves of trees (oak open ings). Here, also, occurred the famous seige of Buttes des Morts — one of the encoun ters between the French and the Fox Indians, in the long struggle, which resulted in the expulsion of the latter from the Fox Valley. * Just below the present site of the Village of Buttes des Morts, was the trading-post of Augustine Grignon, established in 1818. This place, in the early day, was a business center, and here was the crossing place on the Fox River for the travel on the Indian trail, from Green Bay to Fort Winnebago. In the early part ofthe American settlementof this county, this place first secured the location of the *Note. — See page 34, for Marquette's visit to Buttes des Morts and Discovery of the Upper Mississippi, and page 50, for Siege of Buttes des Morts and official account of same. county seat, and was at first, a formidable rival of Oshkosh — for which see early history of Winnebago County. The village now contains two stores and mechanic shops, a post-office, and a very handsome church edifice, which, with the handsome residence of L. W. Hull, adjoining, forms a lovely rural scene. P. C. Peterson, dealer in dry goods and mixed merchandise, and S. L. Odell, in the same line, do a prosperous business. VILLAGE OF WINNECONNE. The Village of Winneconne is most delight fully situated on both sides of the Wolf River. and at the foot of Lake Winneconne — a beau tiful sheet of water, with handsome, bold, wooded shores. The site rises in fine eleva tions from either shore of the river; and the adjoining country is like that of Buttes des Morts — lovely prairies and openings ofthe richest fertility, now in a high state of cultiva tion. Much of the early history of the place will be found in the foregoing history of the Town of Winneconne, and will here be but briefly recapitulated. The first settler on the site of the Village of Winneconne, was Jeremiah Pritchett, who, in 1847, built a log house very near where his present residence now stands. In 1849, C. R. Hamlin, from Ohio, settled there, and found on his arrival but two primi tive log structures, one of which had been erected by the Government for the residence of a blacksmith, employed by the Government for the benefit of the Indians, and which Mr. Hamlin fitted up and converted into a tavern. In 1849, E. D. Gumaer built the first frame house, which occupied a site near the present residence of Captain N. Cobb. While this was in process of construction, Charles L. Gumaer and John Atchley were also building frame structures, which were completed the same season; and the Mumbrues in the same year erected a frame building, in which they opened a hotel. In 1849, John Scott opened a store, which was the first mercantile establishment in the place. H. C. Rogers opened the second store in the village, during the same season. Mr. Rogers is now Assistant Internal Revenue Commissioner at Washington. In 1850, C. R. Hamlin erected a frame structure for a hotel, the Winneconne House, which Mr. Hamlin kept for many years, and which is still standing. In this year, a post-office was established, 1853-79] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 269 with Joseph Edwards as postmaster; and the same year, C. Mumbrue built a chair factory, and the Hyde Brothers built a saw-mill. In 1853, a float bridge was built across the Wolf River by a stock company, under the management of John D. Rush. This^ was located on the site of the present bridge, which is a fine truss structure, built in 187 1, at.a cost of about $18,000. In 1855 the village had attained good pro portions and contained three stores, a saw mill, mechanic shops and two hotels; and had a population of between three and four hundred. VILLAGE PLATS — INCORPORATION. The original Village of Winneconne, was platted, and recorded October 15, 1849, Hoel S. Wright and E. Gordon, proprietors. The plat of what is now known as Williams- port, was recorded in 1866; and the plats of Ripon addition and Scott's addition were platted and recorded in the fall of 1868. The Ripon addition was platted by a company of capitalists from Ripon, who purchased the land from John L. Williams, and the plat was recorded in the name of J. Bowen, proprie tor. Scott's addition was platted by John Scott, R. H. Wellington, J. D. Rush and N. Cobb. Up to the year 1868, the village was con fined to the east side of the river, with the exception of two saw-mills on the west side, one of which was Eric McArthur's, and the other belonging to a Mr. Cooper. RAILROAD COMMUNICATIONS. In the fall of 1868, the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was extended to the Village of Winneconne and the first through passenger train arrived on the first day of September. The railroad depot was established on the river-bank, on the west side. A SPIRIT OF PROGRESS AWAKENED. New comers now began to flock in and pur chase lots on the west side, which rapidly rose in value, and sold readily from a hundred to a thousand dollars each. Buildings were so rap idly constructed, that, in the year 1872, forty- four structures were erected; among, others, several business blocks, and the west side began to assume the appearance of quite a bus iness center. The place continued to make a rapid growth up to the year 1875, when the general depres sion prevading the whole country, checked its expansion. In 1874, the population of the place was something over 1,800, according to a census taken at the time. THE. LAKE VIEW HOUSE. One of the attractions of the place is the Lake View House, and its handsome surround ings — with the beautiful Lake Winneconne. This is a favorite resort in the summer months, and is frequented by people from abroad and especially by those who are fond of boating and shooting. Lake Winneconne and the adjoining Lake Poygan are visited by myriads of wild water fowl, that feed on the wild rice. Among them are found, in large numbers, blue and green winged teal, mallards, wood-duck and other varieties. BUSINESS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, ETC. The place now contains a saw-mill, a saw and shingle-mill, a cheese-factory, two hotels, seven stores, dealing in general merchandise, a drug store, an exchange bank, two millinery shops, two boot and shoe shops, a meat mar ket, two livery stables, and a number of mechanic shops. There are five churches — the Baptist, Meth odist, Presbyterian, Norwegian Lutheran and Catholic. The Baptist is a fine brick structure and the others, handsome frame edifices. There are two fine school buildings — one brick, which cost $8,000; the other, frame, costing $4,000. They are both graded schools and employ five teachers. TOWN OF VINLAND. CHAPTER LXV. Situation and Description — Farm — Buildings and Roads — Soil, Timber and Face of the Country — Social and Educational Facilities — Churches, Schools and Population — Town Officers — Early Settlers — First Schools — First Religious Services — Organization of the Town — Organic Election — The Lost Partridge Child — Interesting Relicts of French Indian days. jHE Town of Vinland, lying east of Winneconne, and with its southeastern portion bordering on Lake Winne bago, comprises the north two-thirds of Township 19, Range 16, and nearly five sections in Township 19, Range 17. The western two-thirds of the town was originally prairie and openings/ its surface beautifully undulating and entirely free from waste lands. The soil is a rich, deep black loam, with limestone clay base, and is remark ably productive, and of exhaustible fertility, with proper tillage. In its present highly improved state, it is a lovely tract of country; and it would be difficult to find in the State 270 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79- any town that can surpass it in the number of fine farm buildings, highly improved farms, and good roads. The eastern part of the town was originally covered with a heavy growth of maple, oak, hickory, butternut, elm, basswood and other varieties of forest trees. The soil of this portion is a rich vegetable mould, overlying clay. While the whole town is well adapted to grain raising, it is also one of the best for stock raising and dairying. Good well-water is readily obtainable, in all localities, by digging or drilling. The inhabitants of this town are composed largely of people from the Eastern States, and their descendants, with some Germans, Irish and other European nationalities. The houses, many of which are very fine residences, and the large barns and tidy appear ance of the farms, give every evidence of a very general thrift and prosperity. Many of the homes in this town are luxuriously fur nished, and the farms are provided with the modern conveniences of agriculture. The town has also good social and educa tional facilities, being well provided with school-houses and churches, and is also in proximity to the cities of Oshkosh and Nee nah. CHURCHES — SCHOOLS — POPULATION. There are three churches within the town, and two joint churches across the highway, in adjoining towns. The free-will Baptist church, on Section 8; another of the same denomination, on Section 13. TheMethodistEpiscopal, at Clemansville, one of the same denomination across the line in the Town of Clayton, and one on Section 20, in the eastern part of the town. There are eight school-houses in the town, four hundred and five children, between the ages of four and twenty. There is one post-office in the Town of Clemansville. The population, given in the state census of 1875, was one thousand one hundred and forty one. TOWN OFFICERS. The present town officers are: Anthony Bowers, chairman; James P. Davis, W. S. Frazier, supervisors; A. T. Cronkhite, Clerk; L. B. Bemis, treasurer; J. F. Libby, assessor; A. Bowers, Hiram Miracle, Sr., S. B. Doty, G. M. Beardsmore, justices. FIRST SETTLERS. The first settlement in the town was made in the spring of 1846, by N. P. Tuttle, and immediately after, Horace Clemans located on Southeast corner of Section 21, (now Clemans ville); Jeremiah Vosburg, on Section 15. In June, William W. Libbey settled on Section 13; about the same time came Charles Scott, on Section 8; Wakeman Partridge, Section 21; William Swan, Silas. M. Allen, Jacob and Wal ter H. Weed, William G. Gumaer and Thomas Knott, also came the same year. In 1847, the number was largely increased, and among the arrivals of this year were: Luther and Henry Robinson, I. W. Mears, Seth Wyman, George Clark, Charles Libbey, William Mer- riman, Lorin. B. Bemis and A. T. Cronkhite. FIRST SCHOOLS RELIGIOUS SERVICES. The first school-house was a frame building erected in 1847, on the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of Section 9, under the supervision of Jeremiah Vosburg. Miss Lucy Alden was the first teacher in this town, com mencing the same fall. In 1849, a joint school district was set off in the northeastern part of the town, and the southeastern part of Clayton, and the first public school-house erected, on the northeast corner of Section 2 (now known as Gilling- ham's Corners ) , and here Miss Elizabeth McLean taught the first public school, in the summer of 1849. The first birth in the town, was a son of N. P. Tuttle. At the time of the organization of the town, in 1849, it included two tiers of sections on the South, which were subsequently set off to the Town of Oshkosh. and for this reason the leading incidents of the two towns were so intimately connected, that it is found impos sible, at the present time, to distinguish between the two. Divine services were held in various parts of the original town, at an early period, by Rev. O. P. Clinton, then residing at Neenah, and Rev. Slingerland, from Stockbridge, probably as early as 1846. ORGANIZATION OF TOWN ELECTION. ¦ ORGANIC The organization of the town was consum mated April 3, 1849, at an election held by virtue of an act of the legislature, approved March 15, 1849, Said election was held at the house of Samuel L. Brooks, now within the Town of Oshkosh. Horace Clemans was chosen chairman; Orlando B. Reed, clerk; Thomas Kimball and Charles Scott, inspectors. It was voted to raise a tax of twenty-five dollars, to pay supervisors; twenty dollars to pay clerk and six dollars to pay school super intendent. There were fifty-seven votes cast, electing 1 846-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 271 Orlando B. Reed, chairman; Corydon L. Rich and Hiram Wilcox, supervisors; Jacob Weed, clerk; Isaac W. Mears, treasurer; A. T. Cronkhite, assessor; Watson Bowron, Dan Emery and Luther Robinson, justices; Samuel Brooks, Superintendent; Gilbert Brooks, Jerry Bemis and J. C. Nutter, constables; Samuel Brooks, sealer. At the election April 2, 1850, there were one hundred and ten votes cast, electing Wat son Bowron, chairman; Timothy Allen and David Murray, supervisors; William T. Merri- man, clerk; Thomas Kimball, collector and treasurer; Corydon L. Rich, assessor; Charles E. Scott, superintendent; Horace. Clemans and Dan Emery, justices; Joel C. Nutter, F. L. King and Joseph Langley, constables. Sixty-five votes were cast for the removal of the county seat to Buttes des Morts, and forty- three against removal. This town was the scene of a very exciting event, in the early day. A little son of Mr. Alvin Partridge, living in the northern part of the town, mysteriously disappeared, and was never found. The poOr little fellow wandered off from a sugar-camp in the woods, where he was staying with his parents, who were making maple-sugar. When night came and the parents had failed to find him, they were frantic with grief. The whole community then turned out and scoured the woods; but their search was fruitless. It is now thought that he wandered off to the marshes, which were partly frozen, and escaping observation perished; for the remains of a small child were afterwards found in the vicinity. The history of this occurrence, and the supposed discovery of the child among the Indians, is fully nar rated on pages one hundred and seventeen and eighteen, of this work. Mr. D. C. Church is now the owner of the Partridge farm, on which he resides. It is a beautiful place, and Mr, Church is the possessor of several very interesting relics of Indian- French days, in this section; among them the pipe of peace, or calumet of Chief Oshkosh; and the hatchet-pipe of Augustin Grignon. He also presented to the Lawrence University, a medal from George the Third to Wildcat, a Pottawattomie chief, and which Mr. Church obtained from Louis B. Porlier^ One of the fine farms of Vinland, is that of Mr. Samuel Pratt, one of the pioneers who settled there in 1847, and prominent among the old settlers and prosperous farmers of the town are, L. B. Beemis, A. B. Devins, J. F Libby, Levy P. Worden, William Demhart. the Vosburgs, J. Whitacre, H. Clemans, C. Newman, A. Bowers, S. A.March, J. Ihrig. G. M. and J. B. Beardsmore, William Thayer and W. H. Scott. The publisher of this work is indebted to Mr. A. T. Cronkhite, long prominent in the town affairs, for kind attentions and generous hospitality. Mr. Cronkhite migrated from Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1846, to Wisconsin, and in June 1847, settled in what subsequently became the town of Vinland. In 1848 he moved to the Village of Winnebago Rapids, now Neenah, and opened the first drug store in that place. He subsequently became mine host of the Winnebago Hotel; and among the recollections of the earlier settlers, and travelers of Northern Wisconsin, the name of " Dud " Cronkhite will be associated with the Winnebago Hotel — a hearty welcome and a generous entertainment. In 1855, he returned to his much loved occupation, that of farming, and has been on his farm in Vinland from that time to the present. Among the illustrations in this work will be found a view of the farm of E. L. Bartlett. This handsome place is most eligibly situated, and is one of the finest farms in the town, with good buildings and all the conveniences of farm life. The publisher of this work is indebted to Mr. Bartlett for aid and encourage ment in its publication. TOWN OF CLAYTON. CHAPTER LXVI Situation — Face of the Country — Soil — Timber — Produc tions — Early. Settlement — First Schools — Town Organi zation — Organic Election — Present Town Officers — Pop ulation — Schools — L. Hinman's Farm. jLAYTON, one ofthe northern towns of the county, is bounded north by Green ville, in Outagamie County, east by Menasha and Neenah, south by Vin land, and west by Winchester, compris ing all of Township 20, Range 16. The surface is generally undulating and occas ionally quite rolling, entirely free from any prominent elevations, it is high above the neighboring lakes and is susceptible of easy drainage. The soil is a rich loam, with an admixture of sand, and, in some places along the western border, the sand predominates. Few towns present a soil and surface better adapted to all branches of agriculture than this. The original timber was, to a great extent, 272 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-49- burr-oak, in the form of "oak .openings," but the northern part, some two miles in width, was covered with a forest of oak, maple, elm, basswood and hickory; and along the eastern portion the same varieties are found to a small extent. There are no streams of note. Rat River, in the northwest, is a small stream meandering through low natural meadows, arid, after pass ing through the Town of Winchester, empties into Boom Bay, in the Town of Wolf River. All the grains, vegetables and grasses of this latitude are successfully raised in Clayton, and the usual varieties of fruits are readily pro duced. Owing to the topographical formation, natural meadows are abundant, and stock- raising and dairying are among the important industries. EARLY SETTLERS. The first settlement in the town was made in the fall of 1846. D. C. Darrow and William Berry were the first settlers. About the same time came Alexander Murray and John Axtell, followed soon after by Benj. George, William Robinson and Benj. Strong. In the spring of that year, William M. Stewart, Salem Holbrook, D. C. Darrow and Asahel Jenkins made selections of farms in the town. In June, L. H. Brown purchased the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 15. Geo. W. Giddings, W. H. Scott, J. S. Roblee and Truman Thompson also made settlements during that year. Some brought their families during the fall; the others in the following spring. Darrow settled on the south side of Section 36, Giddings on the south half of Section 14, Roblee, northeast of Section 15. Immediately after their arrival, in the fall, Berry and Axtell built a shanty, which they occupied in common, and which, for want of lumber, they had covered with marsh hay.'. They had barely got settled in their new quar ters, and, as the saying is, had hardly got "the hang ofthe barn," when the treacherous roof took fire and the entire fabric was consumed with nearly all its contents. The men were at work but a short distance away, and discov ered the fire when it first issued from the roof, but could do nothing to extinguish it. Mrs. Axtell picked up a trunk which had contained their money, as she was driven from the shanty, and was, of course, very thankful that the money was saved; but Mr. Axtell soon realized the fact that he had put the money in a pocket of a pair of pants, which were hang ing the shanty, and were consumed. In January, 1847, L. H. Brown drove to the little settlement of Algoma, where he met C. J. Coon, who offered him twenty dollars if he would carry him (Coon) to Green Bay, before the closing of the land office, that day. Twenty dollars being, at that time, a great inducement, Mr. Brown accepted the offer, and, sending word to his wife, by a neighbor, informing her where he had gone, as she was alone, he started at about eight o'clock, with the horses and sleigh he had driven from home. They arrived at Green Bay, a distance, all told, of fifty-six miles, with no roads until they crossed the Fox River at Wrightstown, and struck the military road. Arriving at Green Bay, a snow-storm set in which detained them four days. On Mr. Brown's return home he learned that his wife had only received his message from Algoma a few hours before, and had been entirely ignorant of his whereabouts. The same spring, 1847, Mr. Brown brought the boiler for Foreman & Daggett's saw-mill, at Algoma, from Milwaukee. He went to Milwaukee with four horses, but find ing these insufficient, started on his return with six, and was often compelled to add two more. During the summer, Mr. Brown being at work just out of sight of the house, five Indians came along, and finding Mrs. Brown alone, demanded something to eat; being somewhat timid, she set everything eatable before them, which they soon devoured and directed her to make a good fire, as they wished to run some bullets. , Stepping outside the door for wood, she caught sight of her husband and beckoned him to the house, where he found they had taken the spider to melt lead; but he very soon convinced them that it was not a desirable place to run bullets. FIRST SCHOOLS. The same year, G. W. Giddings and. Mr. Roblee erected a private school-house, and Miss Elizabeth McLean was employed as teacher. In 1849, a joint school district was set off in the southeast of Clayton, and northeast of Vinland, and a school-house erected at what is now known as Gillingham's Corners. Miss McLean here taught the first public school in the summer of 1849, although the school- house was, strictly speaking, in Vinland. In 1849, a school-house was built in District number two; Giddings and Roblee neighbor hood. This was literally the first public school-house in the town, and Miss Amanda Hicks was the first teacher here, in 1850. TOWN ORGANIZATION — ORGANIC ELECTION. By an act of the legislature, approved March 21, 1849, Town 20, Range 16, was setoff from 1847-75 •] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 273 Neenah, and organized as the Town of Clay ton, the first election to be held at the house of G. W. Giddings, the first Tuesday in April next. The organic election Was held in pursuance of the law, the second Tuesday in April 1849, George W. Giddings was chosen chairman; Benjamin Strong arid Henry Bashford, inspec tors. Thirty-six votes were polled, which resulted in the election of George W. Giddings, chair man; Benjamin Strong and Cyrenus Baldwin, supervisors; James Balfour, i clerk; Lewis H. Brown, treasurer; Benjamin George, assessor; James Balfour, superintendent of schools; •Alfred Hubbard, Daniel C. Darrow, Thomas Conneff and William S. Hubbard, justices, William T- Beattie, Jerome Bailey and Biley Bashford, constables. [These justices and constables were prob ably not all elected, but, were all voted for, and the record does not show who or how many were elected, or to be elected.] The second town election was held at the house of William T. Beattie, April 2, 1850. William M. Stewart was elected chairman; Henry Bashford and John Lester, supervisors; Daniel Nugent, clerk; Benjamin Strong, col lector and treasurer; Daniel C. Darrow, assessor; Henry C. Janes, superintendent of schools; John Halverson, Alfred Hubbard and Williarn Bailey, justices; William Hubbard, Truman Thompson and Jerome Bailey, con stables. PRESENT TOWN OFFICERS. Jacob Howard, chairman; James Brien, Peter Walter, supervisors; Emanuel Jones, treasurer; Charies Ludermann, clerk; Harlan P. Giddings, assessor; Jacob Howard, Benjamin Strong, justices. The population of the town in 1855, was seven hundred and seventy-five; in 1875, one thousand three hundred. In 1 879 there were ten schools and five hund red and twenty-three scholars. L. HINMAN. The illustration here given of the handsome farm of Mr. L. Hinman, serves to show the appearance of the better class of farms in this town. This beautiful place is located on the south line of the town, and is about seven miles from the city of Neenah. It contains three hundred and fifty acres of haridsome, undula ting land, formerly openings, now in a high state of cultivation, with commodious out buildings and barns, the largest of which is fifty by one hundred feet; and the farm is well provided with the modern conveniences of agriculture. This farm has produced in some seasons, among other crops, one thousand eight hundred bushels of grain, and one hund red to one hundred and twenty-five tons of hay. The residence is a handsome one, and with its picturesque surroundings, forms a pleasant rural scene. Mr. Hinman is one of the earliest settlers in that part of the county; having settled on this farm in 1847, and has helped to redeem the country from a wilderness— experiencing the hardships and privations incident to pion eer life, and now, as one of the influential and highly respected citizens of this county, is enjoying the fruits of his earlier years of toil. Mr. Hinman's house is one where the guest is received cordially, and with a kindness and hospitality that reminds one of the generous manners and customs of pioneer days. TOWN OF WINCHESTER. CHAPTER LXVII. Face and Character of the Country — Soil — Timber — Peculiar Geological Formation — Character of the Population- — Early Settlement — First Births, Schools and Religious Services- Town Organization — Organic Election — Change in Bound aries — Churches — Town Officers. |HE town of Winchester, one of the northern towns, is bounded north by | the Town of Dale, in Outagamie County, east by Clayton, south by Winneconne, and west by the Town of Wolf River. The northern part is generally low and level, ¦ with occasional low hills and ridges, and frequent marshes, which in se>me places produce cedar and tamarack; but are generally of little value. Rat River, running through this part of the town from Section 1 , in the northeast, a little south of west, to where it leaves in the north ern part of Section 18, is bordered by extensive meadow lands of inferior quality. The center part from the east is higher, often breaking into hills and ridges of considerable altitude, with smaller marshes and low-grounds between, while in the south it is somewhat rolling, but generally low and level. The soil, principally of clay in the low- grounds, is frequently covered with a deep vegetable mold, or in many places with peat throughout the marshes of the northern part, while the arable portion of this section is little else than clay. In the west and south the 274 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1847-79. clay is overlaid with a sandy loam, arid in some places a black vegetable mold, of the character usually found in timbered land. Through the middle and eastern portion is found a singular formation. In ascending the ridges and small hills, which here abound, from the clay of the lower level, a pro'minent outcrop of limestone is crossed, the lower hills formed entirely, of yellow sand, and rest ing immediately thereon, while the higher hills are surmounted by a deposite of clay and gravel overlying the sand. This clay and gravel makes the finest of carriage roads, when placed upon the muddy flats or sandy hills. These sand hills are often conical and quite small in size, resembling mounds, and although the sand has in some places washed from above and concealed the rock from sight, it is seldom wanting at a certain height. In the western part of the town, two quarries of sand stone have: been found of very good quality and have been worked to some extent. The timber on the sand-hills is of black or pin-oak; in the low-lands elm, basswood, popular, etc., with scattering areas of oak openings. The usual crops are . raised here, but the soil is not as desirable as in other parts of the county, and the grasses although in great abundance, are poor in quality. Springs and small streams are common. The population is composed largely of Nor wegians, with a settlement of Germans in the west, and a few families of Welch and Ameri cans. EARLY SETTLEMENT. The first settlement in the town was made by Jerome Hopkins, in the winter of 1847-8, followed in the spring by Samuel Rogers and family; James H. Jones came soon after and selected the farm where he still resides, also the one occupied by his father, Charles Jones; and both moved their families in the same fall. FIRST BIRTHS — SCHOOLS — RELIGIOUS SERVICES. •• '-The first birth occurred in the family of Mr. Hopkins, the same season. A schooldistrict was set off in 1849, and a log school-house erected. The first religious services were held in June, 1850, Rev. Fredrick Partridge officiating, and, during the year, Rev. Mary became the .first resident clergyman; Mrs. Mary teaching the first school in the log house mentioned. The first death was that of Samuel Rogers, father of the present resident of that name, September 1, 1850, at the age of ninety-two years. TOWN ORGANIZATION — ORGANIC ELECTION. The Town of Winchester was. set off and organized by the County Board, by an order dated November 11, 1851, to take effect April 6, 1852, and comprised all of Township 20, Range 15, and fractional parts of Townships 19 and 20, Range 14, lying east of Wolf River. At the organic election, April 6, 1852, S. R. Hopkins was chosen chairman; Ole Oleson and George Hopkins, inspectors. Whole number of votes cast, forty-seven, electing John Annunson, chairman; George Ohler and Anders Jergerson, supervisors; S. R. Hopkins, clerk; Halyer Annunson, assessor; Ole Hal- verson, treasurer; S. R. Hopkins, George Ohler and John Annunson, justices, William Hall, Perry Hopkins, and Ole Hanson, con stables. The Winchester post-office was established October, 1852, and Sherman R. Hopkins appointed postmaster. S. N. Clark is the present incumbent. January 4, 1855, the Town of Orihula (Wolf River, which see,) was set off, including the ter ritory lying east of Wolf River and west of the section line, between Sections 22-and 2jjTown 20, Range 14. SCHOOL POPULATION. In 1855, Winchester contained one school with forty-eight scholars, and a population of one hundred and eighty-four. Population in 1875, 1,101. In 1878, four schools and four hundred and seventy-seven scholars. Total valuation of taxable property" in 1855, $29,592. In 1877, $290,435. CHANGE. OF BOUNDARIES. January 8, 1873, the two tiers" of, sections lying west of section line between Sections 22 and 23, were set off and attached to the Town of Wolf River, and the. present boundaries established. On the northwest corner of Section 24, two comfortable and substantial looking brick churches have been erected, both belonging to the same persuasion — Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran, and in the northern part of Section 19, in the German Settlement, is a church for their accommodation. PRESENT TOWN OFFICERS. Wesley Mott, chairman; S. Knudson, and Herman Neihring, supervisors; P. N. Lund, clerk; Ole H. Uvaas, treasurer; Ole S. Oleson, assessor, Wesley Mott and Ole S. Oleson; justices. 1 849-79- J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 275 TOWN OF WOLF RIVER. CHAPTER LXVIII. Situation— Lake Poygan— Wolf River— Boom Bay — Rafting Logs — Physical Character — Soil — Timber — First Settlers — First Births, Marriages and Schools — Indian Neighbors— Town Organization —Organic Election— Change of Name, and Boundaries— Churches— Post-office— Schools — Town Officers. y - gHE Town of Wolf River is the north western town in the county; embracing Township 20, Range 14, and is bounded on the north by the Town of Caledonia, in Waupaca County; east by Win chester; south by Poygan, and west by Bloomfield, in Waushara County. Lake Poygan, extending the entire length of the town, on the south, occupies nearly four sections. Wolf River, entering the town on Section 5, runs some six miles in a south easterly direction; thence southwesterly about four miles,' where it empties into Lake Poy gan,' on the -southwest corner of Section 33. Rat River, rising to the eastward, in the Town of Clayton, running through the Town of Winchester, enters the town in the northern part of Section 13, and making its way to the south and east, some three miles, empties into Wolf River in Section 23. BOOM BAY — RAFTING LOGS. Boom Bay is also situated in the southeast part of the town, and is connected directly with the Wolf River by an artificial channel three-fourths of a mile in length, which leaves the river some four miles above its outlet to the lake Upon this bay, and for a distance of ten miles along the river above, are stored, sorted and rafted, the immense products ofthe pineries of the Wplf River and its tributaries, including pine, hemlock, bass and oak logs, cedar logs, telegraph poles, fence pos'ts and square timber, averaging nearly or quite, two hundred million feet per annum. During the rafting season, the surface of this bay and the river above, is literally cov ered with the above named commodities, almost to the exclusion of steamboat naviga tion, and requiring a small army of men for their care, and to prepare them for distribution; but no written account can convey an idea of the magnitude and importance of this busi ness. ',, A trip to Boom Bay and up the river to Fremont, during the rafting season, will repay any one who has never been there. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. The surface of the town is generally low and level. In some portions sufficiently high and undulating to afford good cultivation. The southern portion in the vicinity of Wolf and Rat Rivers, and from the confluence of these streams to the north line of the town, on the east side of the Wolf, is principally marsh land. The predominating soil is sand to a depth as far as explorations have been made, and some portions are clay soil ; and limited tracts are found of black loam. Small tamarack, and cranberry marshes are frequent. The more elevated lands of this town were originally covered with a dense forest growth, composed of hard-maple, hickory, ironwood, various kinds of oak, elm, white-birch, bass- wood, poplar and a few small bodies of pine, while scattering pines are quite common. A large percentage of the original timber is still standing. The chief products are: Wheat on new lands, rye, corn in favorable seasons, and vegetables; good wild hay is cut on some of the marshes, and small tracts of marsh have been purchased for raising cranberries ; although to the present time with but indiffer ent success. An extensive muskrat plantation has for several years proved as profitable as any branch of agriculture in the town. The standard of health would seem to be fully up to the average of Wisconsin, notwith standing the comparatively large amount of low and marshy land, which has long been attributed to the fact that the extensive drainage of Wolf River, is largely from the pine, tamarack and cedar country of the north. FIRST SETTLERS. Mr. Andrew Merton was the first white settler within the limits of the present town. Residing at Plymouth, Sheboygan County, and desirous of locating a home on some large stream or body of water, he explored the k unbroken wilderness along the Lower Wolf River, and selected a site on the bank of that stream, in the northwest quarter of Section 16, since known as " Merton's Land ing," and here he built a shanty and located his family in the fall of 1849, and was imme diately joined by Albert Neuschaeffer and Her man Page, who came from the same neighbor hood in Sheboygan County. Charles Boyson and family, also settled in the southwesternpart of the town, in the same fall. These few persons were for several years, the only white residents in the town. A long distance from the habitation of man, without roads or bridges, cut off from intercourse, except with each other and their Indian neigh bors, unless from some pressing necessity, 276 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i849-79- some one of their number was compelled to make the trip to Oshkosh, their privations and sacrifices must have been in the extreme, in fact, far greater than under ordinary circum stances of pioneer life. Until 1852, their condition seems to have met with but little change. Dependent upon Oshkosh for such necessaries as they could not raise or produce at home, and upon the pioneer grist-mill of D. W. Forman & Co., at Algoma, for converting their small crops of grain into edible form; and these places could only be. reached by a journey of some twenty- five miles on foot (fifty miles to go and return). During some six or seven months of the year that the river and lake were free from ice, a boat for the transportation of supplies became a necessity, This being the only means of obtaining anything too heavy to be carried on a man's back, Messrs. Neuschaeffer and Page set about the construction of a "dug-out" (canoe) from a large pine log about eighteen feet long, but not being familiar with this sort of craft, their efforts were not crowned with perfect success; however, such as it was, it was com pleted and served many a good turn. On one trip they were freighted with three thousand shingles, which they were taking to market, at Oshkosh, and manned by three men, when a storm overtook them at the head of Lake Buttes des Morts, with great difficulty they reached the point above the foot of the lake, where they found still greater difficulty in landing. In the fall of 1 85 1 , the steamer Berlin made a' very few trips up the river. During the season of 1852, steamboat arrivals at Merton's Landing were frequent and from that time they became daily. FIRST BIRTHS — MARRIAGES — SCHOOLS, ETC. The first birth was that of Mary, a daughter of Charles Boyson, in the early winter of 1849- The first marriage, Mr. Neuschaeffer and Miss Emily Hahn, in October, Ira Sumner, officiat ing. The first death, that of Jacob Ketecer, Jr., a son of Jacob Ketecer, Sr., which occurred in the fall of 1857. There being but few settlers in the town and those considerably scattered, very little atten tion was paid to the cause of education, and no attempt was made in that direction until the spring of 1858, when Mrs. Mary Hagersopened a school at her house, and, in 1859, the first public school-house was erected. There are at this time eight school-houses in the town, and three hundred and ninety-three scholars enrolled, of which two hundred and twenty attend school. INDIAN NEIGHBORS. Mr. Merton states, that for several years his neighbors were almost entirely Indians, and that he has never found a more honest or quiet people. In the fall' of 1862 Mr. Merton was elected Register of Deeds for Winnebago County, when he removed to Oshkosh, upon taking the office in 1863; was re-elected in 1864, and, upon the expiration of his second term, returned to his old home, after which he again becarne a resi dent of Oshkosh, where he will doubtles's spend the remainder of his life. TOWN ORGANIZATION — ORGANIC ELECTION. By order of the County Board of Super visors, dated January 4, 1855, all that part of Township 20, Range 14, lying west of Wolf River, and that lying east of Wolf River and west of the cut off, and west of the section line, between Sections 22 and 23, was set off from the town of Winneconne and Winchester, and organized as a separate town, to be called Orihula; the first election to be held at the house of Andrew Merton. The organic election was held on Monday, April 3, 1855. Lyman Pomeroy was chosen chairman, Lewis Braun and Henry Spindler, inspectors, and Andrew Merton, clerk. The total number of votes polled was six, of which A. Merton and Benj. Brickley each received (for the office of chairman) three; Lewis Braun and Aquilla Eastman, for supervisors, each three votes, and Lyman Pomeroy and Andrew Merton, each three votes, for the same office. Thus far a tie. Lyman Pomeroy was elected clerk; Gottleib Spindler, Sr. , treasurer; Aquilla Eastman, assessor; Albert Neuschaeffer, consta ble; Andrew Merton superintendent of schools. Thomas Eastman, Lewis Braun, Andrew Mer ton and Lyman Pomeroy were all candidates for the office of justice of the peace; who or how many were elected is not for me to decide, and, as the record is silent upon the subject, we may reasonably conjecture that they all qualified and acted. On the succeeding day, April 4th, the officers of the election again met, and the can didates for chairman and supervisors being present, lots were drawn, which resulted in the election of Andrew Merton, chairman, Aquilla Eastman and Lewis Braun, supervisors. At the election April 5, 1856, the officers elected were Lyman Pomeroy, chairman; Her man Page and Leonard Waterman, super visors; C. Hulton, clerk; A. B. Whigtman and Herman Page, justices; L. Waterman and i 849-79-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 277 Benj. Brickley, assessors; C. Pitt, treasurer; G. Spindler and John Hickman, constables. Highest number of votes cast was twenty. CHANGE OF NAME AND BOUNDARIES. January 9, 1861, the name of Orihula was', by order of the County Board) changed to Wolf River, and, January 8, 1873, the two tiers of sections in the eastern part of Town ship 20, Range 14, were detached from Win chester and added to this town. CHURCHES — POST-OFFICE — SCHOOLS. There are at the present, two churches in the town, both German and Protestant. September 29, 1865, a post-office was estab lished at Merton's Landing, and called Orihula; George Theby was appointed the • first post master. A post-office was also located at Spiegle- berg's Landing, on Boom Bay, Section 36, and called Zoar, May 22, 1871, the first post master was William Spiegleberg. In 1875, the population of the town was eight hundred and seventy-nine. At the present time the town contains eight school-houses and three hundred and ninety- three children between the ages of four and twenty years. TOWN OFFICERS. Joseph Hoffberger, chairman, Charles Dub- berphul and Dominic Sieger, supervisors; Albert Neuschaeffer, clerk; John Hoffberger, treasurer; Gotthelf Metzig, assessor; Frank Gruenhagen, CarlDobberphuI and FredRadke, justices. TOWN OF POYGAN. CHAPTER LXIX. Situation— Originally Forest Land— Face of the Country— Soil — Timber — Water — Farms — People — Population — Schools , — Church — Menomonee Pay Ground — First Birth — First School— Post-office — Organization of the Town— Organic Election — Present Town Officers. |HE Town of Poygan, situated on the western border of the county, and south of Lake Poygan, which forms its entire northern border, comprises Fractional Township 19, Range 14. It was originally-forest land, covered with a fine growth of oak, maple, hickory, basswood and other varieties. It formed a portion of what was once known as the. Indian Land, and was included in the Menominee purchase of 1848. The face of the country is generally undu lating. In some of the western portions of the town it is more level, and extensive hay marshes are found in that location. The town, as a whole, is fine farming land, the soil of which varies from a rich black loam to a clay soil, with small areas of sandy soil, and is generally very fertile; good water and timber are abundant. The land is generally cleared, with the exception of wood lots, which have been preserved, and which add very much to the handsome appearance of the town. The main traveled roads are good, and a great portion of the cultivated fields are ! cleared of stumps. The farms are generally •; in a good state of cultivation, with comfort- i able dwellings and large barns, and the people thrifty, intelligent, and surrounded with the comforts and conveniences of farm life. The population is composed principally of Americans, Irish and Germans; the Irish pre dominating,. and the people, as a whole, are as hospitable and courteous a community as can be found in this county. The educational interests have been well looked after. In 1855, there was a popula tion of four hundred and one, with five schpol- houses and one hundred and eighteen scholars. In 1875, there were six hundred and eighty- eight inhabitants; and there are now six school- houses and three hundred and forty-seven; scholars. There is also a town-hall and a neat Catholic Church, with a resident ' priest and a large congregation. ' INDIAN PAY GKOUND. On the southern shore of the lake, in Sec tion 16, is the site of the old Memomonee " Pay Ground," where annually from 1838 to 1 85 1, about October in each year, were assembled the rapidly-diminishing bands of this once formidable tribe. Here they were met Jay the Government agents, whose duty it was to deal out a small quantity of rusty pork, a few pounds of damaged tobacco, with blankets, and some money. A company of soldiers were generally on duty to guard these treasures from the avarice and cupidity of the hundreds of white men who congre gated here as promptly as the natives them selves. White and half-breed traders, who for the year past, had been scattered over the country trapping with the Indians for furs, peltries, maple sugar and cranberries, would invariably manage to be on the ground at pay day. Merchants from all parts of the country, from Green Bay, Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Milwaukee, Prairie du Chien, Chicago, Detroit and elsewhere, would each lay in a stock of Indian goods, which about the appointed 278 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1849-79. time were shipped to the pay ground. About this time, gamblers in flocks, like wild geese and ducks, were seen flying northward. Eating-houses were distributed over the ground in profusion. The only thing prohibited here was spiritu ous liquors, consequently large quantities were offered for sale upon the outskirts of the forbidden ground, and sub rosa. under the very droppings of the pay^house. The agent, having distributed the goods brought for that purpose, and everything in readiness, he proceeds to pay out the money, specie. As the interpreter calls the name of the head of a family from the roll, the indi vidual so called enters the pay-house, walks up to the counter, reports the number com prised in his family, and if this corresponds with the number on the roll, he receives the amount for the entire family, and secreting it as far as possible under his blanket, he emerges from the building, at the end opposite the door he entered, and passes along between two files of soldiers, who protect him for a considerable distance from the mob of traders, who are greedily awaiting an opportunity to pounce upon him. He no sooner passes" the last soldier than he is seized by two, three or, perhaps a half dozen of this motley crowd, each one claiming to have an old account against him, and each striving to get the first chance at the pittance just drawn from. the pay table. ' In an instant he is stripped of every thing that could' hide a dime, and each of his captors taking an amount sufficient to satisfy his rapacity, the victim is released and left to gather up his scanty clothing, and depart with the small amount, if anything, he has left. In the meantime another debtor has been turned loose from the pay-house, to run the same gauntlet, and another set of traders are relieving him' in the same manner. The true definition of " Indian trader " is.: A man to whom the Indians are always indebted. " This constitutes the main differ ence between that class and merchants, or peddlers. Having escaped this debtor's court, from which there is no appeal, he is now beset at every step, with temptations to part with what remains. Blankets, broadcloths,, cali coes, saddles, fancy bridles, beads, brass but tons, ear-rings and finger-rings, areeverywhere conspicuously displayed. Pint bottles of whiskey, two-thirds water, are offered him at about the price of a gallon, and are seldom declined. At last the payment is over, the eating- houses have received a considerable money for a small amount (in value) of provisions, the gamblers have reaped a rich harvest,, the whiskey-dealers have figured up a profitable trip,, the merchants have taken a great deal of money, and have a large proportion of their goods left, and the spectators have been hand somely remunerated in amusements, and all in the space of three or four days. There is one more feature of the payment which should not be omitted. After it is all over and the natives have taken time to figure up their gains and losses, it is found that some persoris, or perhaps families, are, either from age or infirmity, in need, of assistance, where upon the young men of the nation, ornamented with paint and feathers, proceed to the wig wam of some more fortunate family, where a peculiar dance for their purpose is performed at the door, at the end of which the head of the family, perhaps a chief or prominent man of the tribe, appears and responds in an elo quent address, and again stepping inside brings out his donation of pork, flour, tea, coffee, or whatever he may be disposed to give, which is gratefully received by the party, with a few words from their speaker, and they proceed to the next wigwam that promises success, where the same forms are repeated. ¦-.,', Having completed their rounds they now proceed to distribute their charities- in the same manner, and with the same forms, the speaker of the party delivering the address and the recipient responding; the music and dance are varied somewhat, beingmore or less afterthe order of the "Dead March in Saul;" and this, the only creditable act in the "grand scheme" is the finale of the payment, the Indians returning to their hunting-ground and winter quarters. This was also the site of an Indian village, the headquarters of a chief called Grizzly Bear and his band. A Catholic mission was estab lished here for the Indians, in 1844, by Father' Bonduel, and a trading-post about the same time by George Coustaugh (Cowen). EARLY SETTLERS. The first move toward a settlement of the town by white men was in the spring of 1849, when John Keefe, then residing at Waukau, located a claim, but for the time continued his labor and residence as before. In the fall, Mr. Thomas Mettam came here with his family, and found Messrs. George Rawson and Brother, Jerry Caulkins and Thomas Robbins, who had all arrived withiri'a few weeks. Mr. Thomas Brogden and Henry Cole, with their families, Richard Barron, George Bur- lingame, Joseph Felton, Jonathan and David Maxon and Reed Case, followed immediately ¦ after, and John Keefe returned with his family 1846-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 279 before the expiration of the year. In 1850, Philander . Hall, James Heffron, James Barron, William Johnson, G. and S. Wiseman, H.. Scofield, William Tritt and E. B. Wood, became residents of the town. Michael O'Reiley came in. the spring of 185 1. FIRST BIRTH — FIRST SCHOOLS — RELIGIOUS SERVICES — POST-OFFICE. The first religious services .were held by Mr. Charles Duro, at the residence of Henry Cole, in the winter of 1849 and 1850. The first birth was that of Charles, son of John Keefe, in February, 1850. In 1853, a log school-house was erected in the, northeast corner of southeast quarter of southeast quarter of . Section 35, and, in the winter following, Miss Julia Jordan officiated as teacher therein. In the spring of,. 1854, a school-house was erected in the Mettam neighborhood — ; Dis trict Number 2. March 29,, 185 5-, occurred the -first death, that of Hugh Mongan. Regular. religious exercises were instituted -by Rev, Maxon, in i85L at the house of Thomas Brogden. A post-office called Powaiekam was estab lished July 8, 1852,. and William S. Webster appointed postmaster. The name of the office was subsequently changed to Poygan. organization of town — organic election: The Town of Poygan was set off. and organ ized as a separate town by action of the -County, Board, November 11, 1852, compris ing Town 19, north, Range. 1 4, east. At the first annual town meeting, held at the house of Jonathan Maxon, April 5, 1853, William Hammond was chosen chairman, B. •Wilkinson, clerk, William Tritt and William Johnson, inspectors. There were' forty votes polled, resulting in the election of. Thomas Brogden, chairman; Edmond Cain and David ¦ Safford, supervisors;. . Charles B.Wilkinson, cLerk; William Tritt, treasurer; Benedict Ham ilton, Willianx,.Johnson, Jonathan Maxon and James Broderick, justices; Michael O'Reiley, Orson Cass, and Thomas Kenney, assessors. At the election of April 4," 1854, the success ful candidates were: Orson Case, chairman; Joseph Felton and Henry Cole, supervisors; C. B. Wilkinson, clerk; William Tritt, treas urer; 'Thomas Brogden and Edward S. Thomp son, justices; Thoma_s Mettam, assessor. " ;' The above names of candidates for -justices in 1853 and 1854, and of assessors iil 1853, were voted for, but we find no record showing the number elected or to be elected. PRESENT TOWN OFFICERS. Wm. Tritt, chairman;. J antes Heffron and Frederick Tegtmyre, supervisors; David Blish, clerk; Michael Broderick, treasurer; Bernard Mongan, assessor; A. B. Blackburn and G. K. Whitney, justices. TOWN OF BLACK WOLF, CHAPTER LXX. Situation — Face of the Country"— Handsome Tract Border ing the Lake — Beautiful Wooded Points — The Camping Grounds of Summer Excursionists — Indian Neighbors of the Early. Settlers — Soil -r- Timber — ¦ Water — Streams — Good Gravel Roads — We\l Cultivated Farms —'Inhab itants — Early Settlers — Society in • the Eariy Day — Humorous Incidents — Town Organization —r- Organic Election, — Schools — Population. fLACK WOLF is situated in the south east corner of the county and on the shore of Lake Winnebago, which forms its entire eastern boundary. Itxom- prises Fractional Township 17, Range "17, and the eastern tier of sections of Town ship 17, Range 16, the whole being about half of a township. That portion of the town embracing a tract, a mile to two miles in width, bordering the lake-shore, is very- handsome undulating land, indented with bays, which form beautiful wooded points. These.points are the favorite camping-grounds of excursionists during the summer months — parties frequently camping there for weeks at a time. The shores are generally gravelly and stony, with handsome sloping banks, which were originally covered with' a fine forest growth. In many places enough trees have been preserved to .retain much of the original appearance; in others the timber has been cleared off. _ Along the shore in this town were what was called "timber openings, "and Indian pianting- grounds; being very large, tall -.oaks, with an occasional- tree of hickory, bass, elm, and other varieties. These trees were scattered at inter vals with open spaces a.nd thickets *of hazel brush, plum and crabTappJe. The under growth was so kept down by the annual fires, that large tracts presented the appearance of great well- kept parks. So open was the coun try that in some places the lake could be seen through the trees for a distance of a mile or more from the shore. The Indian planting-grounds were more 280 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1841-79- open spaces, with an occasional scattering tree and clump of hazel-brush, and were the sites of Indian villages that formerly occupied the more eligible points on the lake-shore. On one of these points, called Black Wolf Point, was the village of Black Wolf- — a famous and shrewd Winnebago chief, who' was skilled in all the arts of Indian diplomacy, and who exercised much influence in Indian affairs. The town was named after him. The signs of Indian cultivation were plainly visible in many places on the lake-shore, in this town, up to within a very recent period, and probably the corn-hills can yet be seen in some places. These old Indian- planting-grounds are lovely spots, with the great spreading oaks and greensward in handsome contrast with the sparkling waters of the lake, and were once the homes of a dense Indian population. For many years after the white settlement of the county, the Indians made this locality a favorite resort — living on very friendly terms with the early settlers, and in many instances, preserving the latter from starvation. An old acquaintance and friend of .the writer — Wm. Armstrong, who settled on the lakeshore, in this town, in 1845, at which time . there was only one other house between his place and Fond du Lac — a distance of twelve miles, stated that on several occasions, when his family were out of food, the Indians who were very friendly to them, brought them corn, wild-rice, maple-sugar and venison. The Indians were, of course, very frequently the recipients of the bounty of the whites. That portion of the town lying west of the tract just described is more level, and was originally covered with a forest growth of maple, oak, ironwood, bass, elm, poplar, hick ory and other varieties. In the southeastern part of the town are found large hay marshes. The soil varies from a black loam on the lower land to a clay loam, and is generally fertile and highly productive. The town is noted for the superior quality of its wheat, which took the first premium at the Paris Exposition, in competition with all other countries. Three small streams traverse the town, and empty into the lake, forming good harbors for sail craft. Good well water is readily obtained, by digging or drilling. The soil is largely impregnated with decayed or disintegrated limestone, and portions of the land are stony, abounding in " hard heads," large boulders, and limestone. The base is limestone, and the soil is generally a good wheat soil. Bank-gravel is found at intervals in thelake-shore district, and furnishes an excel lent material for roads. The roads on the lake-shore are now among the best in the county, although at an early day they were execrable, in fact almost impass able during wet periods. In the days of the early settlement of the town, a party of travelers on their way from Fond du Lac to Oshkosh, after dragging all day through the mud — in some .places hub- deep, brought up at a settler's house, on the roadside, glad to avail themselves of an oppor tunity for a little rest and refreshment. It happened that this settler's family were then experiencing their first year of back wood's life, and were people who were brought up in a city where they had been formerly surrounded with' the luxuries of life, and moved in the cultured circles of society. Some of the travelers, in a pompous, rude manner, made disparaging remarks about the country and its roads; expressing a sort of supercilious pity for backwoods people, and enquired: " What possessed them" to settle' in such a place(?)" The lady of the house, amused at the vulgar pretentions, and rudeness of her interrogators, laughingly replied: . " That the fact was, they had straggled off here, hardly knowing where they did want to go, and had traveled through the mud as far as they could get, and were glad to stop. " The early-day traveler through Black Wolf would hardly recognize the excellent roads, delightful scenery, and highly cultivated farms of the present day, as the same place; although in a state of nature it was very handsome, the chief drawbacks being the bad roads, with which all new countries are afflicted. A large portion of the cultivated land is now cleared of stumps, and • the farms generally present a fine appearance, with good buildings and all the comforts and conveniences of farm life. The inhabitants of the lake-shore are prin cipally Americans. In the interior part of the town they are chiefly Swiss and German. EARLY SETTLERS. The first settler in the town was Clark Dick inson, who moved on a piece of land in the northern part of the town, in the spring of 1 841. He was followed by C. R. Luce, Ira Aiken, Wm. and Thos. Armstrong, Chas. Gay, T. and H. Hicks. The Armstrongs came in 1845, and settled near Black Wolf Point. The country at that time was an unbroken wilderness, and their near est neighbors four miles distant. No road had been cut out and the only line of travel was Indian trails, or by canoe on Lake Winne- 1843-79-] HISTORY QF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 281 bago. The Armstrongs were gentlemen of fine address and polished manners. — having passed their earlier years in the most polished and cultured circles of society. They were Irish by birth — their father a surgeon in the British Army— but leaving home at an early day, they passed many years with a wealthy uncle at New York City, ahd, subsequently went to Santa Cruz, one of the Dutch West India Islands, where they lived for some time with another uncle, on a sugar plantation. In 1836, they came to the then Eldorado of the West, Chicago, where they lived several years, when Thomas returned to Santa Cruz; and William, in connection with Gurdon S. Hubbard, of Chicago, engaged in looking up choice lands for purchase. While making his explorations, he visited the Lake Winnebago country, and was charmed with this lake and its delightful surroundings. In the winter of 1843, accom panied by Charles Gay, a cousin of his wife, and formerly a midshipman in the British Navy, he went to the now town of Black Wolf, and selected for a home the former planting grounds and village site of Black Wolf, since known as Black Wolf Point, and near this point, on the lake shore, built a log house. He then returned for his family, con sisting of wife, one child, and his wife's young brother and sister. They started for their new home, and in due time reached Fond du Lac, where they took the ice, the lake being yet frozen, and reached their place on the 4th of March, 1843.* It was truly a home in the wilderness, the nearest neighbors being set tlers in the vicinity of Fond du Lac, some eight miles distant, and-Clark Dickinson, five miles, with no means of communication but an Indian trail or the lake. It was a dreary, cheerless season of the year, and there was no one but Mr. Gay and a band of Menominee Indians encamped near by, to welcome them to their new home. The Indians were very friendly ¦ and neighborly, and they became quite intimate with them. The melting snows and the rains soon filled the sloughs, and the trails became impassable; while at the same time the broken ice in the lake made canoe navigation impracticable. In -this emergency their provisions gave out, and for three days they lived on maple-sugar procured from their Indian friends, who were making that article at a sugar camp near by. The Indians told them that the fish would soon begin to run up the creek; so, after living for three days on *Note. — It is .erroneously stated in the former part of this article that Armstrong settled in Black Wolf in 1845. It should have been 1843. sugar, the Indians brought them fish, which varied the bill of fare for two more days, at the end of which time Mr. Armstrong, who had gone to Fond du Lac for flour, returned with a fifty-ppund sack, which he had backed from that point, through the sloughs, by the Indian trail. The warm spring days soon changed the face of nature; and their surroundings assumed a more cheerful appearance. They prepared a small piece of ground, which they planted, and then set to work preparing more land for breaking. In the early summer they were regaled with strawberries, which grew abun dantly in the vicinity. The band of Indians which they found on their arrival, continued to camp near them for several seasons, and they found them quite companionable, and in time regarded them as old acquaintances. Wild game and fish were plentiful, and they easily supplied themselves with an abundance of meat and fish. The Indians used to trade two measures of maple-sugar for one of flour. In a few years settlers began to flock in and occupy the adjoining land. This town, in the early day, presented apecu- liar social phase. On the lake shore were con gregated a number of persons, many of whom had mingled in the world's widest currents of social life, and in its aristocratic circles. Wil liam Armstrong and wife; Dr. Carey, a grad uate of Edinburg College, his wife the daugh ter of an Irish Baronet; Charles Gay, form erly a midshipman in the British Navy; Old Mr. John Harney and William Greenwood, the last three natives of the City of Halifax, all men of cultured manners, and of professional or business antecedents. Old Mr. Harney was particularly noticeable for his well-bred, courteous manners, and was held in the high est esteem. He had been for many years engaged with his father in conducting a heavy business — that of contracting for the supplies of the army and navy, at Halifax. On the death of his father, he moved with his young family to Chicago, in 1836, where he engaged in the wild speculations -of the day, making considerable money, only to lose it again, in the financial crash of 1837-8. In 1843, he moved to Racine, and from there to Black Wolf, where his friends, the Armstrongs, were living. Like many others, he never recovered from his fallen fortunes, and died in Blaek Wolf on the 14th of May, 1877, at the advanced age of 82. William Greenwood, educated as a lawyer, came to Black Wolf in 1850, where he settled on a farm, and soon became an adept in pio neer farming. In his earlier years he had 282 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79. mingled in the aristocratic circles of St. Johns, New Brunswick, but having a passion for farm life, he visited his relatives, the Arm strongs, and being attracted with the hand some locality, purchased a farm and gave up Blackstone for the plow. Frances Weyerhorst, a native of Holland, came to Black Wolf, then called Brighton, in April, 1846, and settled on section 12, entering the land direct from the government. In 1847, he started a tan-yard, on what was known as Dickinson's Creek. In 1848, he was joined by his sister and father, Mr. Hermann Weyerhorst. In 1855, Mr. Weyerhorst was married to Miss Henrietta Eversz; and they still reside on the spot where the old log cabin stood, a fine, tasty house having superceded the old log house. At one time, during the first years of his resi dence in the town, he took his sister to visit the Indians, who were encamped on the shore near the south line of the land now owned by Wm, B. Knapp. The Indians were Menomi nees and numbered about five hundred. They were holding one of their annual feasts, and large quantities of game and fish had been secured for the occasion. A very long lodge or wigwam, nearly two hundred feet long, faced the lake, while hundreds of canoes, many of birch bark and gaily ornamented, covered the beach. On landing from their canoe, Mr. W.'s sister was received by a party of well- dressed squaws, who conducted her through the lodge and exhibited specimens of their weaving and fancy bead work, with as much grace and politeness as could have been expected from a civilized people, The Indians were well behaved and there was no drunken ness or disorderly conduct, but everyone seemed intent on having a good time. Alexander Bangs was born in Denmark in 1814, and was married in 1844, to Miss Char- lotta Rendliff, at Copenhagen. In 1848, they moved to the United States and settled, that year, on Government land in the then town of Brighton (now Black Wolf), where he still resides. Mr. Bangs' son, Henry, now owns a large part of the old homestead, on which he resides, and another son, Nicholas, owns the Arm strong place. Mr. Bangs has ever been regarded as one of the substantial men of the town, and one of its most successful farmers and respected citi zens, and his sons are young men of most industrious and exemplary habits. Mr. Nicholas Bangs settled in this town in 1845. The Armstrongs and one other family were the only settlers between him and Fond du Lac, a distance of twelve miles. While making a trip to Fond du Lac in a sail boat, in company with Mr. Murphy and a Mr. Strang- man, all residents of the town, the boat was capsized, between Long Point and Fond du Lac, and all three were lost. Mr. Bangs was a man of much culture, and highly esteemed for his many good qualities. Milton Cleveland came from Oswego County, New York, in 1849, and settled in the Town of Brighton (now Black Wolf), on Section 7, and resides yet on the same location where he first stuck his stakes. His finely cultivated farm is one that he has hewed out of the wilder ness, and its creditable appearance well attests the industry and successful management of its prosperous owner. Henry C. Morgan moved to Black Wolf in 1 85 1, and built a large saw-mill at the mouth of Murphy's Creek, and also a steamboat dock. The mill was run very successfully for several years, and shipped large quantities of lumber. Steamboats landed daily at the dock, while vessels were almost constantly loading lumber. The hard times of 1857, and the general depres sion of the lumber business, made the manu facture of lumber at this point unprofitable, and the mill stopped. A few years afterwards the enterprising proprietor died, and thus passed away a man of remarkable energy, fine business ability, great public spirit and of unquestioned integrity. After Mr. Morgan's death, the mill was moved away and the little hamlet that sprang up around it disappeared. Mr. Warren Morley moved, in 1849, into the now town of Black Wolf, and settled on Section 21, where he still resides. In 1850, he built a steamboat dock on his bay, where steamboats daily landed, to wood. Qn the breaking out of the war, his sons were among, the first to enlist; and seven of them were in the service — Isaac, Aden, Arual, Asahel, Rich, Francis and Albert. Two died in the service — Isaac and Rich — and Francis died a few days after his return home. Asahel received a gunshot wound in the knee at the battle of Winchester. Daniel Madden, with his father, moved to this town in 1849, and settled on-Section 18, where he continued to reside until a few years since. By industry and good management he converted the tract on which he settled into a highly productive farm, and became one of the most thrifty and successful farmers in the town, having acquired a comfortable compe tency. Charles Morgan was born in Allegany County, New York, in 181 3, and was engaged in early life in farming and lumbering. He was mar ried, in 1836, to Mary P. Medbury and moved Res.of A.BangS.Sec.28,Town of Black Wolf. 1 847-79-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 283 with his family, to Black Wolf, in 1857, where he engaged with his brother, H. C. Morgan, in the lumbering business, they having a saw mill located near the mouth of Murphy's Creek, at the village of Perryburg. After two years spent in this business, Mr. Morgan sold out to his brother, and then purchased the farm which he now occupies, What was then a rough, stumpy tract of land, is now a farm of. broad, smooth fields, well fenced. A pleasant resi dence, called Lone Elm, with large barns and well appointed outbuildings, forms one of the illustrations of this work. Mr. Morgan's stock pd grain barns compare very favorably with - J(te largest and most convenient in the County. '*>. Morgan was elected chairman of , the Town of Black Wolf in 1861, and has held the same ¦ffice eleven years since, while seven years of .ris time he has been a member of the County Board. At one time, while a candidate for member of Assembly, in the third district, he lost his election by only five votes; and at >npther time, while candidate for State Senator, " s defeated by only forty votes. Lone Elm will always be remembered by the numerous friends of the family for the overflowing kind ness and generous hospitality of its .host and his family. George Fleming was born in Hampshire County, Virginia, in 18 19, and removed with his parents, when eight years old, to Crawford ^County, Ohio. At the age of eighteen, he 'name to Milwaukee; and four years later shipped as a sailor before the mast, on the lakes. In three months he was mate of the vessel, and within two years was half owner and master of the schooner called the Milwau kee. Mr. Fleming followed the lakes for thir teen years, eleven years of which time he was master of the vessel. At the age of thirty- five, Mr. Fleming quit sailing and opened a hotel at Milwaukee, where he remained till 1857, when, with his family, he removed to Black Wolf, and settled on his present farm, Section 20, an illustration of which appears in this work. ' Mr. Fleming, though raised a sailor, has proved to be one of the most suc cessful farmers of the- county. In 1847, Mary Sweikert, now Mrs. Endress, then a young woman, came, without relatives or friends, from Germany to the United States. She made her way to the Town of Brighton (now Black Wolf) and made a pre-emption claim on Section 20, chopping the logs herself, and, with the assistance of her neighbor Pat. Murphy, put up a small cabin. She was poor and was obliged to work out to support herself. Taking advantage of her absence from her claim, certain parties tried to dispossess her. Her things were thrown out of doors, and the cabin burned. The indignant neighboring set tlers made it so warm for the claim-jumpers that they withdrew. By the help of friends, Mary soon had a larger and better cabin in place of the burned one. A second attempt was made to rob her of the claim by a party named Covey, who built a shanty on the south side of her land. Mary, having had some experience in fighting for her rights and feeling pretty confident of the support of her neigh bors, made an attack on the intruder. Armed with a hand-spike, she advanced on the enemy; finding the shanty unoccupied, she removed the door and windows and such boards as she could get at, and then burned the dismantled shanty to the ground, removing the plunder to her own cabin as contraband of war. From this out she was allowed to remain in peace able possession. In 1848, she was married to Joseph Endress. His health was not very good, so the bulk of the work devolved on Mary. She chopped the wood, split rails, held breaking-plow, cradled grain and drove her own oxen to Oshkosh, hauling wood in the coldest winter weather. Mary's husband died in 1871, and the same year she built a good frame house in place of the old log one, where she still lives with her son Joseph, enjoy ing the fruits of her enterprise and hard labor. Captain Nehemiah Merritt came to Oshkosh in 1849, where he owned forty acres of land, which is now in the heart of the city. In 1851, he purchased a farm from Jackson Swift, on the lake shore, on Section 1, Black Wolf, where he settled -with his family. Mr. Merritt, in early life, was a seafaring man, and just pre vious to coming to Oshkosh, was engaged in the lumber trade at Kenosha, Wisconsin. George Merritt was born in Oswego, New York, in 1832, and came with his parents to Grand Haven,- Michigan, in 1835, where his father kept the light-house eight years. He went to South Port, Wisconsin, in 1847, where the family remained till 1849, when they moved to Oshkosh. In 1864, George was married to Miss Emma Boyd, and settled on his present farm, and the same year was elected chairman of the Board of Supervisors. James Sanderson migrated from England, in 1 85 1, to the Town of Black Wolf. Mr. San derson took an active part in town affairs, and was elected chairman of the Board of Super visors in 1859, and again in 1865, 1866, 1872 and 1873. On the night ofthe 23d of March, 1875, Mr. Sanderson was killed at Vandyne Station, near the south line of the town, by the night train going south. Mr. Sanderson was a passenger on that train and was to have 284 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1849-79- got off at that station. The conductor had refused to stop the train at Vandyne, as it would be contrary to orders, and it is supposed that Mr. Sanderson attempted to jump from the train and was caught by the cars. By his public spirit and obliging disposition he had endeared himself to his neighbors and towns men, who sincerely mourn his loss. James Howlett was born in 1805, at Bram- field, England, and came to Prince Edward's Island in 1827 In 1849, he came, with his family, to the Town of Brighton (now Black Wolf) and settled on Section 29. He lost his first wife in 1852, and was married to Mrs. Morse in 1855. He had nine children, John, Ann, Sarah, Jonah, Alfred, Mary, Martha, James and Ella. Of these three are dead, Jonah, Sarah, and James, who was a soldier and died at Cairo in 1865. Wm. Howlett, Sen. was born in Bramfield, England, in 1809, and moved to Prince Edward's Island at the age of seventeen. In 1849, with his family, he moved to Wisconsin, settling on Section 28, Town of Brighton (now Black Wolf) where he now resides. Of his children, William, James, Miriam, Melvina, Jonah and Richard, all are living but Jonah, who was killed by a fall from a building at Pike's Peak, in 1861. Wm. Howlett, Jr. was born in Prince Edward's Island, in 1832, and came to the United States, with his parents, in 1 849, making his home in what is now the town of Black Wolf, following the business^ of farming and lumbering. In 1868, he was married to Miss Hattie Carlisle, and still resides on his farm on Section 29. Mr. Z. C. Skinner was born in Sherburn, Chenango County, New York, in 1830. He received a common school education, and was married in 1853 to Miss Eveline C. Fowler. In 1856 Mr. Skinner and family moved to Wisconsin, purchasing a farm on Section 20, Town of Black Wolf, where they still reside. W. B. Knapp was born in Chenango County, New York, in 1822. He was mar ried to Miss Betsey White in 1842, and in the year 1858, he moved, with his family, to Osh kosh. After a residence of one year in the city, they moved to Jefferson, Wisconsin, liv ing there four years, when they returned to Oshkosh. A year later Mr. Knapp purchased the farm where he now lives, situated on the lakeshore in Section 1, Town of Black Wolf. Mr. Knapp's brothers, George, Andrew B., Levi, Elias and Frederick, have been long and favorably known as citizens of "Winnebago County. George A. Randall's place, of which a view is given, is one of the loveliest places in the county. It was formerly the residence of the late John Harney, Mr. Randall's father-in-law. Mr. Randall is a civil engineer by profession, and of the highest proficiency in his calling. He was chief engineer of the Green Bay & Mississippi Railroad, the construction of which he superintended from its beginning to its terminus. He also acted in the capacity of engineer in the old Fox and Wisconsin Im provement Company. A few years since he moved on to his beautiful place in Black Wolf. Edward and James O'Beirn settled in this town at an early day. James is now a resident of Oshkosh. They are both men of high cul- ' ture, and of much travel, both on the Conti nent of Europe and also in this country, in cluding trips to Panama, California and Ore gon. James was, for a period, a resident of New Orleans, where he acted in the capacity of professor in a college. John Hicks and family were among the ear lier settlers, and were much esteemed by their old neighbors. All the members of this fam ily have removed from the town. William Colburn moved to the town at an early day, and is well known as a most esti mable man and a good neighbor. William Bowen came a little later, and pur chased William Greenwood's farm, which is now in a state of high cultivation, with good improvements. Mr. Bowen is one of those hospitable men whose latch-string hangs out. Hans Matteson is a native of Denmark, and came to the United States in 1847, stopping at Kenosha. He moved to Nekimi in 1849, and thence to Black Wolf in 1858, settling on Section 29, where, with his family, he still resides. James O'Connell settled in Black Wolf in 1849, on a quarter section of land, where his widow and three of his sons, William, James and Maurice, now reside. Doctor Gudden, a man of much ability and thorough culture, settled in the southeastern part of the town in the fall of 185 1 He exer cises great influence, not only in town matters, but in county affairs, and has held the office of county register of deeds, and was for a period editor of the Wisconsin Telegraph. The Germans now form a considerable part of the population of the town. THE SWISS SETTLEMENT. In 1845, a party consisting of Frederick Zentner, Sr., John Zentner, Joachim Rhyner and Felix Geiger, with their families, left Switzerland for Wisconsin, and made a tempo rary stay at Waukesha, where they were joined 1846-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 285 by John U. Elmer and Fred Marty. In 1846, John U. Elmer and Fred Marty came to the Town of Brighton (now Black Wolf), looking for a place to make their homes. They were so well pleased with this town that they returned to Waukesha and induced their Swiss friends previously named in this sketch, to return with them to this place. Here they bought land of the Government and of the Fox River Improvement Company, in the interior of the town. In 1848, Oswald Geiger, Beat Rhyner, Albert Elmer, Abram Swiefel, Rodolf Hcesley, Peter Elmer, John Zentner, Sr., John Pfeiffer, Martin Wooster, Rudolf Eisley, Peter Babler, and others, coming from the same canton in Switzerland, attached them selves to the young settlement. These hardy pioneers had cast their lot in a wilderness of heavy' timber, without roads, schools or churches, the nearest settlement being several miles distant. Log houses were built and clearings made. The growing village of Osh kosh, about seven miles to the north, soon became a good market for wood, and one of the peculiar sights of the early days was the long line of ox-teams, loaded with wood, on their way from the Swiss Settlement to Osh kosh. When the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was completed through the town, in 1858, the railroad company purchased thou sands of cords of wood from the settlers. From the sales of wood and the produce from their farms, the settlers soon became fore handed, the log buildings were replaced by good frame houses and barns, roads were made, school houses and churches were built, while the ox-teams gradually disappeared and good horse-teams took their place, and at this date (1880) there is not an ox-team to be found in the town. Prosperity has rewarded the sturdy industry and frugality of this people, and the Swiss, at this time, are reckoned among the best farmers of the county. Oswald Geiger is one of the early settlers, having come to this town in 1848. He was elected justice of the peace at the first town election, and his brother Felix one of the first supervisors. In 1854, Oswald was elected town clerk, and has filled the office up to the present time. He is one of the best town Clerks in the county, the records and papers being kept in a very creditable manner. John Rhyner came to this town, with his fether Joachim Rhyner, in 1848. He was married to Helena Mohlsted in 1856, and set tled on Section 29. He lost his wife in 1873, and the next year was married to Judith Zwicky, and still resides on his old farm. Chas. Rauer, a native of Prussia, came to Black Wolf in 1851, and settled on his present farm. He soon became prominent in town affairs and was elected chairman of the Board of Supervisors in 1858, 1874 and 1879, being the present chairman. TOWN ORGANIZATION. The Town of Brighton was organized in pursuance of an act of the legislature, approved February 11, 1847. The organic election was 'held April 5, 1847. The Town of Brighton included in its limits the present towns of Black Wolf, Nekimi and part of Algoma. In 1850, the name of the Town of Brighton was changed to Nekimi; and on the fourteenth of November, 1850, the County Board set off the Town of Black Wolf. ORGANIC ELECTION. The organic election of the Town of Black Wolf was held in the log school-house of Dis trict number 2, now known as the Fleming district, on the second day of April, 1851. John Mandeville acting as chairman and Nicholas Bangs clerk. Forty-four votes were cast and the following named persons were elected town officers: Warren Crosby, chair man; Felix Geiger and Hiram Hutchinson, supervisors; Josiah P. Swift, clerk; Oswald Geiger, Nicholas Bangs and Ira Aiken, jus tices of the peace; Edward Waite, assessor; Seth G. Gates, treasurer; Nicholas Bangs, superintendent of schools; Miles Baker and Joseph Koplitz, constables; David Ford, sealer of weights and measures. On September 13, 185 1, Wm. R. T. Armstrong was appointed superintendent of schools to fill vacancy occas ioned by the drowning of Nicholas Bangs. SECOND TOWN ELECTION. At the town meeting held April 6, 1852, William Boyd was elected chairman; William Howlett and Joseph Koplitz, supervisors; War ren Morley, Elisha Bennett and John Mande ville, justices; Wm. M. Greenwood, clerk; Seth G. Gates, treasurer; John Harney, super intendent of schools; John Harney, assessor. TOWN OFFICERS. The present town officers are Chas. Rauer, chairman; August Beduhue and Fred Zentner, supervisors, Oswald Geiger, clerk, Albert Koplitz, treasurer; Casper Zwickey, assessor; Chas. Rauer, Alfred Howlett and Jacob Elmer, justices. SCHOOLS. The first school district established was joint district number 1 ; which embraced part of the now towns of Black Wolf, Nekimi and Algoma ; and a log school house was built near the site of the present Boyd school-house 286 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-79- in the fall of 1 846, and a school taught that win ter by Miss. Eliza Case. The first school, in the present limits of Black Wolf, was taught in dis trict number 2, now known as the Fleming school district. A log school-house was built in 1850, on the site of the present frame build ing and the first school taught by Warren Crosby, who received, for his services, twelve dollars a month. According to the School Superintendent's Report there were, in 1878, five school houses in the. town and 343 children of school age. FIRST BIRTH — FIRST DEATH. The first white child born in the town, was William' Armstrong, son of Wm, R. T. and Catherine Armstrong, in 1845. The first death was that of Jessie, a child of Alpheus and Mrs. Hicks, in 1846. The sec ond was Ed. Swift, in 1849. FIRST MARRIAGES. The first marriage in the town was that of Joseph Endress to Mary Sweikert, in 1848. Others among the earlier marriages were those of Warren Crosby to Miss Delilah , and Captain William Powell to Miss Ann Howlett. TOWN OF NEKIMI. CHAPTER LXXI. Face ofthe Country — Soil — Timber — Water — Early Set tlement — First Schools — Early Residents — Town Organ ization — First Elections — The First Road Laid in the Town — First Marriages, Births and Deaths — Schools — History of the Welsh Settlement ti::;.. ,.'L ¦ __/v_:^^fr*^^^**;; Residence of E. HUBBARD Sec 35 Town nr Air.nMA Wic w1™ Residence of HIRAM B.COOK, Sec. 6 Town of Nekimi Wis. 1 846-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 293 This Town of Winnebago included the pres ent Town of Algoma(Township 18, Range 16). ORGANIZATION OF TOWN OF ALGOMA. The Town of Algoma was" organized in pur suance of act of County Board, of February 5th 1850; and the organic election was held April 5th 1850. At the election, H. C. Jew ell was elected chairman; R. C. Wood and William Sloan, Supervisors; N. W. Pierce, clerk; John Smith, treasurer; Philetus Sawyer, assessor; Patrick J. Hannah and O. Starks, justices. The population of the town as per census of 1875, was 799; and its territory includes Town 1.8, Range 16, excepting that portion of the township which is included in the limits of the City of Oshkosh. ILLUSTRATION. Among the illustrations in this work will be found that of the handsome residence and farm of Carlton Foster in this town. EBENEZER HUBBARD. Among the earlier pioneers of this county is Mr. Ebenezer Hubbard, a view of whose fine far.m and residence, in the Town of Algoma, and adjoining the limits of the City of Osh kosh, is here presented. Mr. Hubbard is one of those who laid the foundations of the city, having built the third saw-mill that was erected in the City of Oshkosh, and was thus one of the founders of that immense lumber business which made Oshkosh one of the greatest lumber manufacturing centers of the northwest. Mr. Hubbard migrated from the State of Maine, in the spring of 1847, and landed at Sheboygan. After traveling about four months through the various localities of the northern part of the State, and thoroughly examining their respective advantages and resources, he was impressed with the beautiful site of Osh kosh and its magnificent surrounding country; and particularly with its ample water communi cation with the great pine forests of the north, and saw in it the promise of a large business center, he therefore settled in Oshkosh, a few months after his arrival in this State; and the next winter engaged in the lumbering business, in which he has been engaged to the present time. In 1849, he erected the third saw-mill built in the city of Oshkosh, and manufactured lum ber in the same for five or six years, when it was destroyed by fire, since which time he has dealt largely in pine lands, and at various times has engaged in extensive logging opera tions. , In 1874, Mr. Hubbard purchased a saw-mill in Pensacola, Florida, and some five thousand acres of pine land in its vicinity; and has, with the assistance of his son, E. H. Hubbard, and E. F. Skinner, his son-in-law, manufactured and shipped from four to five million feet of lumber per annum. This lumber is shipped to various American ports and also to England, France, Germany, and points in South America. In 1875, Mr. Hubbard erected one of the fine brick blocks of stores which grace Main Street, and in 1877, he erected the handsome residence on the farm adjoining the city. He has thus contributed to the growth and pros perity of the place with whose interests he has been so thoroughly identified for nearly a third of a century; and has witnessed the trans formation of Oshkosh from a frontier village to the metropolis of Central Wisconsin. Mr. Hubbard in all his business transactions has maintained a reputation for the strictest integrity. Through his enterprise, business dilligence and sound judgment he has accumu lated a large property, provided amply for the success of his children, and in his old age is enjoying the benefits of a well spent life; and takes great enjoyment in the cultivation of his farm which consists of 160 acres of fine land in a high state of cultivation, well stocked and highly productive. Mr. Hubbard was married to Miss Mary Thompson of Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine, on December 27, 1836. Their children are Martha, now Mrs. James Johnston, Ellen, Mrs. E. F. Skinner now in Florida, and an adopted son, E. H. Hubbard, the son of Mr. Hubbard's deceased brother. R. C. WOOD. Among the illustrations in this work will be found that of the beautiful farm of R. C. Wood, in the Town of Algoma. Mr. Wood is one of the early residents of the county, and has, since his advent, been prominent in county affairs. He moved on this farm in the spring of 1851, having previously come from Madison County, New York. Mr. Wood, for many years, held the positions of town superintendent of schools and justice of the peace, the duties of which he discharged very creditably. He also represented his town in the County Board, as chairman of Algoma in the years 1854 and 1877, and was regarded as one of the most efficient and influential mem bers of the Board. His fine farm is one of the best in the county, and delightfully situ ated on a handsome elevation which commands a view of the city. EARLY RESIDENTS. Among the old settlers of this town, not 294 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-80. heretofore mentioned, are Frederick H. Smith, who came to this county in 1850; C. Vessey, E. and N. Perry, Wm. Bedient, J. Caldwell, R. J. Judd, T. D. Melcher and F. Owens. One of the finest farm residences in the county is an elegant brick structure belonging to Daniel Fitzgerald, on the town line road. Another beautiful place is that of J. W. Kiel, on the shore of Lake Buttes des Morts. John Leonard's fine farm is also a lovely place, delightfully situated on the shore of the same lake. The Rev. John P. Roe's farm is one of the historical land-marks of the county, it being the site of Wm. Boyd's log-house, built in 1840. Mr. Roe was born in Orange County, New York, in 1834, was a graduate of Auburn Seminary, and ordained a Presbyterian minis ter in 1864, and was chaplain of the Ninety- seventh Regiment, New York volunteers. After the close of the war, he was appointed pastor of the Congregational Church, at Oshkosh. On account of impaired health, he was com pelled to resign, and in the summer of 1868 purchased the John P. Gallup place, where he has since been extensively engaged in growing small fruits, making a specialty of grapes, in the culture of which he has been very successful. TOWN OFFICERS. The officers of the town, elected in 1879, are, Robinson Henry, chairman; J. W Cross and John Athearn, supervisors; M. V. Spur- beck, treasurer; E. D. Davis, assessor; C. P. Houghton, clerk.' TOWN OF OMRO. CHAPTER LXXIII. Situation, Soil and Face of the Country — Water Communica tion — Roads — Water — Railroad — Social and Educa tional Advantages — Schools — Resources of Agriculture, Manufacture and Commerce — Early Settlement — Names of First Settlers — Town Organization — Organic Election — First Roads — Schools — Religious Services — Flood in . 1846 — ¦ First Frame Houses — Early Births, Marriages and Deaths — Flowing Wells — The First Fountains Opened — Notices of Early Settlers — Village of Omro — Its First Settlers — The Invention of the Tug-boat Grouser ~- The Village Platted — Erection of First Buildings — First Stores Opened — First Steamer Through the Fox to Berlin — Accessions to the Population — More Stores Opened — Building of Mills — Growth of the Place — War Times — Extension of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad — Descrip tion of the Village — Its Manufactures — Business and Com mercial Advantages — Prominent Business Men, Etc. {HE Town of Omro, situated in the central part of the county, is one of the finest agricultural districts in the habitable world. The face of the country is undulating and indescribably beautiful, the elevations affording dis tant views of the most picturesque scenery. The soil is a rich dark loam of the greatest fertility, varied with occasional areas of a rich clay soil. The base is limestone rock and the subsoil is a snuff-colored clay, impregnated with particles of disintegrated limestone. There is a very small amount of waste land in the town, the interval land being the best of meadows. The country was originally openings, with the exceptions of small tracts in the north ern part of the town, which were forest lands, and the bottom land on the margin of the Fox River. This stream which is one of the com mercial highways of the country, passes through the northwestern portion of the town, giving steamboat communication with the other navigable waters with which it is connected. The town is densely populated; and fine farm residences and spacious barns, in every direc tion, give evidence of agricultural prosperity. The population, in 1875, as per the State cen-, sus, was 3,312. ROADS — WATER. Gravel beds, similar to those found in other parts of the county, furnish the best of material for making roads; these have been utilized and many of the roads have been graveled and are kept in an excellent condition. Good well and stock water is readily obtain able, by either digging or drilling, and in some placas flowing fountains are found. I 846-47-] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 295 RAILROAD — SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES. A branch of the Milwaukee 6k St. Paul Rail road traverses the town, giving it railroad con nection with main lines. According to school superintendent's report, there were, in 1878, ten school-houses in the town, including those in the Village of Omro, and 1,011 children of school-age. The Villages of Omro and Waukau, and the City of Oshkosh, give additional social and educational advantages, which are possessed to an extent seldom met with in rural com munities. It has, also, superior commercial advantages, through the navigable water course' which connects it with an endless chain of water communication, and with the pine and hard wood forests of the Wolf and its tributaries. Building material — pine, hard wood, limestone, sand and brick — are obtained cheaply, and this fact has very much facilitated the construction of the very creditable build ings- with which the town abounds. Among other resources, is found an inexhaustable sup ply of the best quality of sand for glass making and which will yet be utilized. "EARLY SETTLEMENT. For some years before the white settlement of Omro, a trading-post was established on the present site. of the village, by Charles Car ron. Jed Smalley and Captain William Pow ell were, also, temporarily located at this point and were engaged in trading with the Indians. The place was known as Smalley's trading-post. FIRST. PERMANENT SETTLERS. In the spring of 1845, Edward West, now residing in Appleton, made the first permanent settlement in the limits of the town, having purchased some five hundred acres of land and put up two log houses, one of which was located near the center of Section 23, and which is one of the most lovely localities in the county. The following is copied from printed extracts of a letter from Mr. West to Kaime & Wright, of the Omro Journal, and which the latter have kindly permitted the author of this work to use in this connection: •I marked out and cut, where it was necessary, a wagon road from Rosendale, Fond du Lac County, to my land in Butte des Morts (Omro), before I could move my family. Rosendale and the " Fourierite " settlement, south and southwest, and Oshkosh on the east were the nearest neighborhoods. There was an old block -house a short distance above where the Village of Omro is now located, and a few families — the Wrights, Galloupesj Stanleys and Fords — were trading with the Indians and farm ing a little wheie the City of Oshkosh now stands. The coun try far to the south; and for a great distance north of the Fox River, and westerly from Lake Winnebago, was uninhabited, except by Indians. There were two or three very wet seasons in succession about that time, and the general appearance of the country was low and wet, and of a very spongy nature. After wading some distance through water and tall grass to reach the south shore of Fox River, at Oshkosh, near where the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company's freight depot now stands, I, with the rest of our exploring company, ( Hon. R. B. Hinckley, Dr. Story and Edwin B. Fisk, all of the West Milwaukee County, now Waukesha County, )were taken out in Indian canoes by Mr. Stanley, who offered to sell his claim for a small sum. I think the County buildings now stand on part of the land. Our little party, all practical farmers, were unan imous in the opinion that Oshkosh did not present a very invit ing field or prospect for farming on an extensive scale. The same opinion was entertained of the site where your flourishing village — soon to be a city — now stands. So I was saved by the timely counsel of my friends, together with force of circum stances, from becoming by chance, or otherwise, a proprietor of the village of Omro, or part proprietor of the city of Oshkosh. But I have not escaped so well since. The Indians of the four tribes, Winnebagoes, Menomonees, Chippeways and Pottawat tamies were there in force, and held possession and occupancy of the country lying between the Wolf river on the east and the Mississippi on the west, and using and occupying at their pleas ure all the country north and south of Fox river for hunting grounds. Most kinds of game were scarce, on account of the Indians either killing it or driving it off, excepting wolves and prairie hens; which the red men were too superstitious to molest. Prairie hens were very plentiful — so numerous that I killed them in large numberes with a shot gun and with "dead falls," to save my grain; and what could not be used in the family were fed to the hogs. Strangers exploring the country, were accustomed to call upon me and make inquiries about the land, and they were generally loaded down with the wild chickens, part of which they ate themselves, as they generally stopped with me, and the rest generally found their way to the pig sty. FIRST SETTLERS. The next settlers after Mr. West were Abram Quick, now of Utica, Hezekiah Gifford, John Munroe, R. M. Buck, John R. Paddleford and John S. Johnson, all of whom were residents in the spring of 1846. In the summer of 1846, came Barna Haskell, Myron Howe, Leuman Scott, Walter Stewart, Nelson Olin, Frederick Tice, Gilman Lowd, Smith Jones, and Musgrove, all of whom settled in the present limits of the town. In 1847, the town received the following accessions to its population : M. C. Bushnell, A. C. Pease, Nelson Beckwith, David Humes, Richard Reed, James Reed, Bela Beals, Theo dore Pillsbury, Thomas Palfrey, David Mink- ler, John Pingrey, Isaac Hammers, James Hoaglin, F. B. Bunker, Austin Clark, William Remington, John L. Bidwell, John Perry, Sumner Wilson, Jude F, Rogers, William Thrall, Calvin Bigelow, James M. Olin, La Fayette Lamb, G. W. Beckwith, Isaac Ger main, George Stokes, Nathan Wolverton, Alvin Beals, Nelson Tice, N. J. Forbes, John Perry, and others. 296 HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1839-56. In 1848, this town was well settled ; for this lovely tract of country was so attractive to immigrants, that, in less than three years after the advent of the first settler, the land was very generally occupied. TOWN ORGANIZATIONS. By an act of the Territorial Legislature, approved March 8, 1839, a town was organized from Townships 18 and 19, Ranges 15 and 16 and fractions of 17, and named Buttes des Morts. This included the present towns of Omro, Winneconne, Algoma, Oshkosh, Vin land and part of Neenah. At that time the above described tract was a part of Brown County. Winnebago County was set off from Brown by act of the Legislature, approved January 6, 1840. An election was held at the house of Webster Stanley, on present site of City of Oshkosh, on the 4th and 5th of April, 1842, and officers for the town of Buttes des Morts were elected. This was the first election within the county ; but, not being conducted conformable to the requirements of law , was legalized by the Legis lature March 29, 1843. TOWN OF WINNEBAGO. By act of April 1, 1843, "The Town of Buttes des Morts, County of Winnebago, shall hereafter be known as Winnebago, em bracing all territory within the limits of said county ; and future elections shall be held at the house of -Webster Stanley." * TOWN OF BUTTES DES MORTS. Act of February 11, 1847, provided for the organization of five towns within the County of Winnebago, viz : Winnebago, Buttes des Morts, Brighton, Neenah and Rushford. The Town of Buttes des Morts comprised the present Town of Omro, lying south of the Fox, and the southeast corner of the now town of Winneconne, lying southeast of the Fox, viz: " all of Townships 18 and 19 in Range 15, lying south of Fox River." ORGANIC ELECTION. "At an election held at the house of Edward Wrest, in the Town of Buttes des Morts, Win nebago County, Wisconsin Territory, on the 6th day of April, 1847, Nelson Olin was chosen Moderator, and N. W. Wolverton, Secretary " "Resolved, First, That we elect our town officers by ballot . That town officers shall receive seventy-five cents per day; *Note. — See pages 119, 120 and 121 for further particulars of county and town organization, and see History of Town of Oshkosh for first election, page 232. That we raise the sum of twenty-five dollars to defray necessary expenses of the town." From the records it appears that the highest number of votes polled at this election was nineteen ; but this does not indicate the popu lation at the time, for a number of the residents were not legal voters. At this election the following named persons were elected town officers, viz : Edward West, chairman; John Monroe, Frederick Tice, supervisors ; Nelson Olin, clerk ; Barna Haskell, assessor ; Isaac Ger main, justice ; John H. Perry, treasurer ; Alvin Bealls, collector ; Nelson Olin, Gilman Lowd, George Stokes, commissioners of high ways ; Edward West, Barna Haskell, Nathan Wolverton, commissioners of schools ; Alvin Bealls, constable ; Abram Quick, sealer ; Nel son Tice, Edward West, overseers of high ways ; Isaac Hammers, N. J. Forbes and Myron Howe, fence-viewers. It appears that at this election seven votes were cast in favor of the adoption of the State Constitution, and fourteen against it. Five votes were cast in favor of giving right of suff rage to colored persons, and sixteen against the proposition. Eleven votes were also cast on the license question ; the eleven being against the granting of licenses. On March 11, 1848, Winneconne was set off, taking from the Town of Buttes des Morts the fraction of the southeast corner of town 19. By act of March 15, 1849, the name of the Town of Buttes des Morts was changed to BLOOMINGDALE At the town meeting held April 3, 1849, the following were elected officers for the Town of Bloomingdale, viz : Nelson Olin, chairman ; Jude F. Rogers and John Nelson, supervisors ; J. M. Olin, clerk ; John Paddleford, treasurer; Milo C. Bushnell. assessor; Asahel Rogers, Richard Reed, Barna Haskell and C. C. Bigelow, justices. OMRO. In 1852, the name of the Town of Bloom ingdale was changed to Omro, by act of the County Board. In 1850, the south half of Section 31, ofthe town of Bloomingdale, was attached to Rush ford ; and in 1856 the north half of the same was attached. Subsequently Sections 1, 12 and north half of 13, in Rushford, were attach ed to Omro, leaving the town of Omro with its present boundaries. OPENING ROADS. May 15, 1847, the commissioners of high ways laid the Town Line Road on the line between the present towns of Utica and Omro. 1847-50.J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 296 (a) April 26, 1847, the commissioners laid a road from the quarter line of Section 23 to Lake Buttes des Morts. April 29, 1847, they laid the Section Line Road, commencing on the west line of the town, and on section line between Sections 30 and 31, and running east of said section line, six miles to the east line of the town. SCHOOLS — RELIGIOUS SERVICES. One of the first things to claim the atten tion of the community was school facilities for the education of their children. "In 1848, during Mr. Myron Howe's absence from home, his bachelor quarters were taken possession of, and a school opened with Mrs. Abram Quick as teacher." In 1848, Mrs. George Beckwith taught a school in her own' house: A private school was taught in 1848, by Hannah Olin, in the Gilman Lowd neighborhood. The school-house was built by subscription. These seem to have been the first schools opened in the town. The -first record of school district organiza tion is that of a meeting of the school com missioners of the towns of Buttes des Morts and Rushford, held October 22, 1847, at which two school districts were organized in . the southern part of the town. One was the '• West 'School District," now Number One. The first town school superintendent was George Beckwith, who organized most of the school districts in the town. The first male teacher was George . Herrick, who lived on Section 9. FLOOD IN 1846. Mr. John- S. Johnson states that a great flood occurred in March, 1846. He had just settled in the town, and -had built a preemption shanty on Section 30, in March ; and on the 14th of the month a heavy snow storm set in, and a heavy -fall of wet snow continued for four days and nights without cessation. It then cleared up and remained clear weather for twenty -four hours; at the expiration of which time it commenced to rain. The rain continued to fall for forty-eight hours, and con verted the former fall of snow into water. The streams ran in torrents ; and the country was so flooded that half its surface was under water. The country resembled a vast lake dotted with islands. Large portions of the present towns of Omro, Rushford, Algoma, Oshkosh, Nekimi and Black Wolf, were under water. Nothing like this ever occurred before in the recollection of the Indians. Old Osh kosh, Chief of the Menominees, said he never saw anything to compare with it; and an old squaw, Madam Rabbit, over eighty years of age, and who had lived near Omro the greater part of her life, said that there never was, in her remembrance, anything that would bear a com parison to it. A number of the settlers aban doned their claims. In a short time the water dissappeared, except in the low, flat lands, and the settlers who had left, returned to their pre emption shanties The spring and summer of 1 85 1 was a period of high water. The low lands were flooded by long continued rain storms, but no great permanent damage was done, for the conforma tion of the country is such that no damaging freshets occur. Since the early day there has been no similar occurrences, the natural water courses convey ing the water away harmlessly as fast as it accumulated, while the cultivated land, absorb ing the rain fall, prevents any sudden flow or rapid accumulation. The opening of water courses and artificial drains has also afforded ample facilities for its conveyance. FIRST FRAME HOUSES. Elder Pillsbury built the first frame house in the town, in 1848. The second was a good, well-finished dwelling, erected by George Beckwith the same year, and is the building that of late years was occupied by Crego near the "Junction." The third or fourth was built by Milo C. Bushnell, and was the first house painted in the town. The paint was put on by George Wrightson. The first frame barn was built by David Minkler, on the Richard Tanner place, in 1849: EARLY BIRTHS — MARRIAGES. The first white child born in the limits of the town was George Johnson, son of John S. Johnson, born June 2, 1846. The second white child, born in the town, was Maria Scott, daughter of Leuman Scott, born in October, 1846. The third was Jane Augustine Olin, daughter of Nelson Olin, born on the 23rd of March, 1847. One of the earliest marriages was that of Albert Hall to Miss Julia Jones, in April, 1 848. Mrs. Hall died the following July. On the Fourth of July, 1848, Daniel Ingalls and Miss Elizabeth Jones were married, and at the same time Asa Kennedy and Mrs. Harriet Dunning. EARLY DEATHS. Among the earlier deaths was that of Mrs. Albert Hall, in July 1848. On the 10th of May, 1849, William Parker was drowned in the Fox River. FLOWING WELLS. A belt of the artesian fountain strata is found in this town, and there are many flow- 296 (b) HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-49- ing fountains, furnishing an unlimited supply of the best of water. The first flowing, well or fountain was opened by Stephen Johnson, in 1847, who was then " keeping bach. " In digging a well he had dug some thirty feet without obtaining water. During the night the water broke through; and in the morning the well was flowing over, and the ground all around his house was flooded. He at first, on looking at it, thought that it was an illusion, and that he was in a dream; but on putting his foot in the cold water he learned it was a reality. This fountain is on Section 36, now the Parks place. The second was obtained by Nelson Olin. While digging a well on his place, in January, 1848, they had reached thirty-three feet when Mr. Richard Reed, who was picking in the hard-pan, struck his pick through to the handle, and on prying out a chunk of the hard- pan, the air and water burst through the aperture with great force. They immediately raised him to the surface. This well, six feet in diameter and thirty-three deep, filled so rapidly, that in an hour and a quarter from the -time Mr. Reed struck the vein with his pick, the well was flowing over at the surface, and has flowed to the present time. The third fountain was struck by Mr. Rich ard Reed, on his own place, in 1848. They had reached fifty feet, in digging this well, when, one morning, the water broke through, and flowed so rapidly, that by nine o'clock at night, the well, fifty feet deep and six in diameter, was filled and overflowing. The well has never been tubed, and remains in the same condition as when dug; and flows with undi minished volume, to the present time. It is cold, soft water, and the most wholesome drinking water. He built a curb and covered the surface, so as to keep out the surface water, and enclosed the curb with a small building in which he kept meat, butter, and such perishable articles in the cool air. In 1852, he sunk two more wells for stock water, and at a depth of forty feet in both,. struck flowing fountains. In the "fountain belt," which is from one to two miles in width, a never-failing supply of flowing water is obtained by boring from fifteen to thirty-five feet. From Mr. H. W. Webster we obtain the following recital of a MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE. In 1848, a Frenchman was living on a piece of land on the bank of Fox River, just below the present Village of Omro. In the fall he went with an ox team, to bring to his place some produce that he had raised near Waupun. He returned one night, his wife says, about nine o'clock, and after she had gone to bed. She heard him drive up to the house with his oxen, which he turned out, and then came to the door and asked for a pail to wash his feet in. She told him where he would find it; and that was the last heard of him until the following spring, when the Indians reported that they had found the remains of a body on the edge of the river. Mr. H. W Webster, now of Omro, and other persons, brought the remains, which proved to be those of the missing man, to the widow's house, where an inquest was held and a verdict rendered, "of death by some unknown means. " The event occasioned much excitement. RELIGIOUS SERVICES. The Rev. Mr. Sampson held services in the grove, near the West place, in the summer of 1847. In the winter of 1847-48, meetings were held in a shanty on Section 27. In 1848, meetings were, held in Mr. Richard Reed's house. This, a log building 18 by 22 feet, was called the "big house." The first sermon was preached by Elder Pillsbury. EARLY SETTLERS. Of the early settlers, Mr, West and several others have already been fully mentioned/ Nelson Olin is one of the earliest Western ¦ settlers, having come to Milwaukee on the 27th of June, 1835. He then helped to put up the first frame store in Milwaukee, and to dig the first cellar in that place, which was under the Juneau storn, on the, corner of Wisconsin and East Water streets. He also built the first dock in that place, and graded Wisconsin Street, from Spring Street bridge to the lake. He lived in Milwaukee over two years; from there he went to Waukesha; and from the latter place moved to the present Town of Omro, on the 20th of November, 1846, and settled on Section 27 He -was elected the first town clerk, and has served as chairman of the town for five years. He, also, as road commissioner, helped to lay all the roads in the town which were opened during the first three years of its organization. He is still a resident. Gilman Lowd settled on Section 33, in this town, in July, 1846, at which time he built a log-house, in which he kept "bach." In 1849, he was married, and has since, with his family, lived on the same place. He was road com missioner, and directed the laying of the first roads in the town, among which are, what are called, the Section Line Road and Town Line Road. The town had voted twenty-five dol- 1846-50. ] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 296 (c) lars for town expenses, and the actual amount expended during the first year of the organi zation did not exceed thirty dollars. Myron Howe is one of the earliest settlers of Omro, having settled in this town in July, 1846, at which time he built a log shanty on the southeast quarter of Section 9, in which he kept "bach. " His nearest neighbor was two miles distant. He built a frame house in .1851, at which time he assumed matrimonial relations. His present residence is a fine brick structure, which was erected in 1870. Mr. Howe migrated from the State of New York to Wisconsin, in 1844. When he landed in the Territory, his worldly possessions consisted of his clothes, a chest of joiner's tools and ten dollars in cash. From these small beginnings, by industry and good management, he has become one of the most prosperous farmers of this county. He helped, in 1847, to cut out what is known as the Section Line Road. , John R. Paddleford built a pre-emption shanty on the northeast quarter of Section 14, in February, 1846, and is, therefore, one of the very earliest settlers in the town. In the spring of 1847, he moved his family to this place, where he has since resided. He helped to open the first roads in the town, and took a prominent part in its early organization and improvement. His fine farm is among the best in the county, and he ranks as one of its promi nent farmers. Milo C. Bushnell came from Vermont, to Wisconsin, in 1846, and in that year entered the northwest quarter of Section 27, in this town. In 1847, in company with A. H. Pease, he built a log shanty on adjoining land, in which they kept "bach" for a number of years. In 1849, he built, on his own place, a frame building 16 by 24, which was the fourth frame building put up in the town. Mr. Bushnell was elected chairman of the town in 185 1, and has served for several terms since in that office. He was United States Assistant Assessor from 1862 to 1870, and member of the Legislature in 1867 and 1868. Richard Reed, with his family, consisting of his wife, five sons and one daughter, settled in this town, on Section 22, in the fall of 1848; he having, in the fall of 1847, entered the land and built a log-house on the same; his family, in the meantime, living in Waukesha. Mr. Reed continued to reside on this place until 1872, whenhe moved into the Village of Omro, where all his sons are engaged in various busi ness occupations — Richard, Jr in mercantile business, and with whom the old gentleman resides. Mr. Reed was justice of the peace for nine years, and has served in many other official capacities. He is called, by the old settlers, "Uncle Richard," and they claim that he merits the title on occount of their affec tionate regard for him, as one in whom they ever found a kind friend and a generous and hospitable neighbor. He is now one of the patriarchs of the town, in his eighty-third year, and in vigorous health. On his eightieth birth day, some sixty of his neighbors made up a surprise-party; at which they presented him with a cane, roeking-chair, secretary and other keepsakes. He was obliged to kiss all the ladies, but being unused to this mode of salu tation, he was at first a little awkward, but at last, in a very spirited manner, did full justice to the requirements of the occasion. Among the pioneer settlers of the Northwest are Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pew, who purchased their present farm, in the Town of Omro, in 1847.. Mr. Pew migrated from St. Lawrence County, New York, to Green Bay, in 1837. Mrs. Pew is among the oldest settlers in the Northwest, having lived at Green Bay in 1828. She remembers the Black Hawk War, and h%s a great fund of recollections ofthe early days. At nine years of age, in 1832, she passed up the Fox River and down the Wisconsin, in a birch-bark canoe, paddled by Indians, one named We-au-we-ya, after whom -the Village of Weyauwega was named. From Prairie du Chien, she went to New Orleans, and. from that place to Alexandria, on the Red River. Her father was connected with the troops sta tioned on the frontier. In 1835, she returned to Green Bay, where-she lived until 1846. In 1843, she was married to Frank Pew, and moved with him to her present residence in this county, in 1850. Mr. Frank Pew drove the first wagon that had ever passed down the west side of the river, from Neenah to the Oneida Settlement. The road was only partly cut out, and, in many places, .he 'had to cut fallen trees. One of the memorable instances of Mr. Pew's pioneer days was, when a young •man of twenty-three engaged in a mill on Manitowoc River. He, and a companion, were left to protect the mill from the depreda tions of Indians, while the proprietor was absent to Milwaukee to obtain provisions. The ves sel! having been driven by a storm to Mackinaw, failed to bring them a supply at the expected time; and, although out of food, except the growing corn and potatoes in the field, they did not desert their charge; and for four weeks they subsisted on the green corn and potatoes. The corn soon ripened, so that they could grind it in a coffee-mill, when mush and musk- rat stew afforded sumptuous living. As the 296 (d) HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1848-80. corn and potatoes were their chief resources of living, they were not a little alarmed when they found that the Indians were most adroitly and cunningly hooking the potatoes out ofthe hills and leaving them the growing tops, which compelled them to keep up a vigilant watch; and between them and the Indians the crop was successfully harvested. Mr. Pew is now the owner of one of the finest farms in the county, and in the enjoyment of a comfortable competency. William O. Giddings settled on Section 8, in this town, in the spring of 1848. He built a log house, into which he moved with his family, at that time, and continued to reside there until 187S, when he moved into the Vil lage of Omro, where he now lives. He served as supervisor for two terms, and helped to organize the first district school in the Village of Omro; and also to build the first school- house. S. D. Paddleford came to this town in Janu ary, 1849, and in March, the same year, entered the southeast quarter of Section 10, where he now resides. Mr. Paddleford is one of the prominent men of the town, and has taken an active part in its improvement from the days of its early settlement. He is the present assessor. Alfred Robinson is one of the early settlers, having located on Section 16, in April, 1848, where he still resides. George H. Hatch came to Omro in 1865. and purchased the M. C. Bushnell farm, which was one of the first farms opened in the town. Thomas Palfrey is one of the old settlers, having moved with his parents to Waukau in 1846, and now resides on his farm in this town. Mason Campbell is a later accession. His fine farm of 160 acres is on Section 26. The names and location of all the farm own ers in the town will be found on pages 305, 306 and 307, 'with the number of acres in their respective farms, and the post-office address of each. TOWN OFFICERS. The town officers, in 1879, are as follows: J. M. Beals, chairman, G. W. Minckler and L. J. Silverthorn, supervisors; J. H. Caswell, clerk; Robert Webb, treasurer; S. D. Paddle ford, assessor. VILLAGE OF OMRO. The Village of Omro occupies a most lovely and eligible site on the Upper Fox River. The land, on either side, rises in handsome elevations, affording most delightful sites for residences. From the higher elevations, exten sive views can be had of the beautiful sur rounding country, dotted with fine farm houses and large barns; and no richer or more lovely country can be found, than that surrounding the village. The place contains something over two thousand inhabitants, and has twenty odd stores; two steam saw-mills, one a large, first- class mill (H. W. Webster's), which manufac tures some four or five million feet of lumber per annum; a foundry and machine shop (Geo. Challoner's) 36 by 170 feet, one of the princi pal articles manufactured being Challoner's famous patent shingle-mill machinery. There is also a large carriage manufactory and sev eral smaller waggon and carriage works; a sash and door factory; a barrel factory, employ ing a large number of hands; grist mill, cheese factory, and a number of mechanic shops of various kinds. A stock company has also built a very fine brick structure for a woolen-mill. The main business street is quite a busy mait of trade, and presents a lively appearance, and is frequently thronged with teams. It is a well built street, and contains several fine brick blocks. There are also two good hotels, the Larrabee House and the Northwestern. A weekly newspaper, The Omro Journal, is published by Piatt M. Wright, and is a zealous and useful advocate of the interests of the place. The village, with its many handsome resi dences and tastily ornamented grounds, pre sents a very attractive sight. A large number of the native trees have been preserved, and many shade trees have assumed large propor tions. MANUFACTURES AND BUSINESS. The Village of Omro has a most advan tageous location for trade and manufacturing. The country surrounding and tributary to it is one of the richest agricultural districts to be found in the State, while its location on a navigable stream, giving it water communica tion with pine and hardwood forests, affords access- to manufacturing material. Among the resources of the place is an inexhaustible sup ply of the best of sand for glass-making. The place enjoys, in common with other points on these navigable water-courses, the many resources for business and manufacturing which the Fox Valley so largely possesses, and which are fully treated of in other pages of this work. A branch of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, gives railroad connection with main lines, and a daily mail. SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES. As will be seen by a perusal of the subse quent historical sketch ofthe place, the people 1 846-79.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 296 (e) of Omro, have, from the beginning, considered educational facilities as something of para mount importance, and have made ample pro visions for the education of youth. ' The schools of the village are established on the graded system, with a high-school, inter mediate and primary departments. There are three school buildings, two brick and one frame. There are four church structures, very neat and tasty edifices. These have large congre gations and well attended Sunday-schools. The leading denominations are, Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists. CIVIC SOCIETIES. There are several civic societies, temperance' and benevolent, with well attended meetings. Among the noted institutions of the place is a brass band, which takes high rank, and whose playing, at the Northern State Fair, was highly praised. VILLAGE OFFICERS. Board of trustees, W H. Cain, Robert Crawford, Almond Grey, S. D. Gilman, J. E. Lindsley; treasurer, John D. Treleven; clerk, J. H. Caswell; justices ofthe peace, N. Frank, D. W. McLeod, A. B. Russell, D. W. Reed.* HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE VILLAGE. The first settler on the site of the Village of Omro, was David Humes. In the spring of 1847, he embarked on the Fox River, at Mar quette, and came from that point in a skiff. Arriving at what is now Omro, he landed and selected for his future residence a portion of Section 16, now called "Beckwith Town. " He built a log-house on his new possessions, and this was the first structure on the site of the Village of Omro.. The following extracts are copied from a publication issued by the Omro Journal: " It was Mr. Humes' ambition to build up a thriving town_ He settled here for that purpose, and laid every plan for the accomplishment of that end. He had a plan of his own, and in the following Spring he proceeded to carry it out. Taking his axe, he proceeded to the north side ofthe river, which was then known as the " Indian Land?' and selecting his trees, he struck the first blow toward the building of the " Grouser," or upright anchor boat, for towing logs against the current. The Grouser was a new idea — one of Mr. Humes' own invention, and predictions of failure were many. But he had faith in it, and persevered. " I am going to build a boat which will tow logs up this river, and there will be saw mills built here, and a town will grow up," was his reply to all attempts to discourage him. Swimming his oxen across the stream, he drew the tim ber to the river bank. He went on with the work, and soon had the satisfaction of making it a complete success. The tim- *Note— For list of business, manufacturing and profes sional firms, see classified directory, on last pages. ber of the boat was all hewed in the woods across the river, and framed and put together under Mr. Humes' own super vision. The boat was propelled by horse power — four horses on a sweep, and was known as the " Humes Horse Boat." When the first fleet of logs was brought up, Mr. Nelson Beck with, a son-in-law of Mr. Humes, went down the river in a skiff to meet the new boat. He paddled around the raft and boat and watched operations for some time, and then said: " Well ! well ! he will be a Fulton yet ! " Mr. Aaron Humes a son of David, built the first steam grouser boat. It was called the Swan. Mr. Humes ran it but a little while, then sold it to parties in Neenah, after which he put up a store near where Richardson's house stands in Beckwithtown. " As soon as it became certain that the boat which Mr. David Humes had invented would be a success, steps were taken by certain parties toward building saw mills. .Mr. Nelson Beck with, B son-in-law of Mr. Humes, proposed to his father-in-law to put up a mill, if he would give him ten acres of land on the river. Mr. Humes agreed to it. About the same time, Mr. Elisha Dean went to Mr. Humes on a similar errand. As the best mill site had already been promised to Mr. Beckwith, Mr, Dean did not accomplish anything, but Elder Theodore Pills- bury, who owned land this side of Beckwithtown, extending to what is now West Division Street, and who built the house now occupied by W. C. Dean, near the Fair Grounds, offered forty acres of land to Mr. Dean. He accepted, and by some understanding, the nature of which we do not know, Mr. Nel son Beckwith joined him and commenced a mill on the site of the present woolen mill. Messrs. Dean and Beckwith confinued in partnership but a short time, and Mr. Dean associated with himself Mr. Joel V. Taylor. Meantime Mr. Beckwith erected a mill in Beckwithtown, on the site of the present slaughter house of Mr. Towers. This was in 1849. Mr. Beckwith's residence was on the site of the one now owned by John Douty. Among the other settlers who came to the village about 1847 to 1849 we mention the names of Col. Tuttle, Dr. McAllister, Andrew Wilson, L. O. E. Manning, A. Corfee, William Ham mond, Mr. Peck and John Wilson. " Col. Tuttle purchased the fractional seventy acres of Sec tion 7, on the south side of the river, commencing at Lot I, Western Addition, and extending south and wes-t. Near the site of the old Exchange Tavern was an Indian camping ground. The original plat of the village was laid out in 1849, by Joel V. Taylor, Elisha Dean and Nelson Beckwith. The plat of the Western Addition was laid out the year following. " Previous to 1850, the river was crossed by 1 ferry, but in that year Col. Tuttle built a float bridge across the stream at lhe foot of Main Street, where Thompson & Hayward's Car riage Works are situated. "The fiist well dug in the village was by William Parker • and Alexander Allen, near the old Compound building. "We find by the records that in 1850 there was quite an accession to the population of the village, and the business of the place. N. Frank and C. Bigelow came in that year. N. Frank came up the river on the steamer " Badger," the first steamer, so far as known, that ever came up the river so far as the bridge. At that time the bridge was not finished. The freight was unloaded on the end of the bridge in the north channel, and plank laid down to get it across to the south shore. The south channel was then very shallow, and many supposed it would never be navigable ; but Mr. Frank and some others were of a different opinion, and put a yoke of cat tle and a scraper at work dredging it out. After the current 296 (/) HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1846-80. got fairly started through, the water deepened, and it soon became the main channel. Mr. Frank put up a. building at the south end of the bridge — the same building which Thorn p son & Hayward have been using for a paint shop and office, and built a dock. Mr. C. Bigelow became associated with him, and they opened the first store of any n. te in the place, although a Mr. Terwilleger had previously been in trade here in a small way. To show the extent of the business done during Mr. Terwilleger's time, and the prices, we mention a little inci dent which happened : A certain gentleman brought a load of wood to town, and tried to sell it After trying for several hours he gave it up, and started for the river to throw it in, rather than to haul it home again. Mr. Terwilleger saw him, and came out and offered him a pint of whisky for the load. The trade was made, and the seller went home with the pro ceeds. Tradition doesn't say what became of the w — ood. " Mr. C. Bigelow built the Goodwin house, Lots 97 and 98, Western Addition, just south of Sam Shaw's. " In the' same year, 1850, the first hotel in the village was built — what is now the Larabee House, except that it has been enlarged and improved until there is scarcely anything left of the original structure. The old Exchange Hotel was also built the same summer, but a little later. "In 1 85 1, the saw mill on the north side of the river, known as " Johnson's Mill," was built by Hiram Johnson and a gentleman by the name of Bump. The mill was burned in 1866, and the present one erected on the same site. " Educational matters were not neglected in those early days. The first public school teacher in the village was Mr. Henry Purdy. He taught in the winter of 1850-51, in the first school-house erected in the village in the year 1850. It was situated nearly on the spot on which Mr. H. Carter's barn now stands, just west of the present high school building. " Mr. L. A. Reed soon after taught a school in the building now owned and used by A. J. Dickerson ; and there was also a school on the north side, in Patterson's building, nearly on the site of Pelton's store, with Miss Peabody as teacher. " The first record we have of a school meeting is on the 7th day of May, 1850. This meeting was called by G. W. Beck with, Town Superintendent of Schools. The meeting was held at the house of George Gallatin, at 2 o'clock p. m., and W. P. McAllister was elected Director, James Peck Treasurer, and W. W. Wilcox, Clerk. The meeting adjourned to meet at the same place on the following day at 7 o'clock p. M., for the purpose of designating a site for a school house. At the adjourned meeting it was decided to raise $200 for the school house. "This year — 1851 — was not a very flourishing one for Omro. Nevertheless, the people stayed and struggled through the best they could, and there were some new comers. Among those who came in that year, and the year previous, we men tion, L. O. E. Manning, the Wilsons, Wilcoxes, L. Andrews, J. Waterman and the Pattersons. According to the recollec tion of N. Frank, Esq., there are not now ten men living in the village, who were men at that time, although many of the boys of those days are now residents of the village. "In 1855 the Methodist church building was commenced. The foundation for the church was laid, and the frame work put up and inclosed, but it was not finished off until the follow ing season. The Baptist church was not commenced until 1866, but it was finished before the Methodist church. "In 1855, the 5th District voted to have a new school house, the old one not being large enough to meet the demands, and $600 was appropriated for the purpose. At a special meet ing held December 15, 1855, a proposal of E. C. Matoon for building the house was accepted, the price being $1,500. At a subsequent meeting, March 3, 1856, Mr. Matoon was released from his contract, and a proposal to build the school-house of brick, from George Stokes, was accepted, the price to be $2,140. The building was put up the same season, but was not finished until the following summer. " In the year 1856, the grist mill was built by Mr. McLaren. This was quite an event for the place, and was the means of drawing considerable trade into the village. " In the same year Andrew Wilson built his mill on the north side of the river. The float bridge which occupied the place of the present structure was also put across the river the same season. A compromise between the two sections of the village had been effected, and the bridge was located on the line between the two. It was constructed by a company, and opened as atoll bridge "In 1857, we find among the new residents of the village, Dr. McCall, W. Ames, Dr. Gibbs, Benj. Sadwy and W. Lara- bee. The first village charter was granted that year, and the first charter election was held on the 13th of April. The whole number of votes cast was 105. W. P. McAllister was elected President, and Chancellor Johnson, A. C. Patterson, J. Gibbs and W Larabee, Trustees. W. B Holcomb was elected Clerk; J. V. Taylor, Treasurer; Benj. Sawdy, Assessor; and A. J. White, Marshal. " The village expenses during the year were $234 21. There were 457 rods of sidewalk constructed,' at an expense of $1,108.75. " The building on the corner, now occupied by Berkley & Cain, was erected during the summer, by N. Frank, and rented to Joel V. Taylor, who put in a general stock, and continued business here for several years. " The project of a railroad to Omro was first brought into definite shape during this year. In the spring and summer the stock was all taken, $90,000 in cash and bonds being the amount which the Town and Village of Omro pledged or paid. " In 1858, the float bridge across ihe Fox was purchased by the town for $800, on condition that the Bridge Company put it in repair, and that the village maintain and keep it in repair. The village, at their annual meeting the same year, empowered the Board of Trustees to take action in the matter, and the proposition of the town was agreed to. The. purchase was made, and the bridge declared free to the public. G. W. Sha- fer came to Omro this year and commenced business where the Northwestern House stands. Grading and tieing the rail road was commenced this year, and progressed steadily but not very rapidly. In the following year the work went on, and the grading was nearly completed through to Winneconne. The first depot was built by private subscription, and was located on the bank of the river, on the west side of the track. " Track laying was commenoed in i860. In the early part of the winter of that year the iron was laid as far as Waukau, and on Sunday, the 1st of January, 1861, the last rail was laid . at the bank of the river in Omro. "The spring of 1861 was ushered in with the first dread notes of war. * * * Company C, of the Fourteenth Infantry, was recruited in Omro in the fall of 1861, mustered into the United States service, January 30, 1862, and left the State on the 8th of March. * * * David Hinman, a son of J. L. Hinman, now residing tn the village, was the first sol dier from Omro who was killed. * * * * 1848-80.] HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 296 {g) " Tht Fourteenth was under fire from the time it reached the front until it was mustered out. * * * Company A, of the Forty-eighth Infantry, was recruited here, and was composed almost solely of Omro men. * * * The Third Cavalry, which was recruited in 1861, and mustered into service in Jan uary, 1862, also contained many citizens of Omro. * * * The Eighteenth Regiment also had one company from Omro, Company F. ******** " It was during the year 1863 that Mr. George Challoner built the shingle mill now occupied by Thompson & Hay ward. He put in a shingle machine of his own invention, and did a good business. " In May, 1865, the first permanent newspaper, 7 he Omro Union, was established. The opening of the spring of 1866 witnessed a general increase of business in Omro. The soldiers had nearly all returned to peaceful pursuits, and the feeling of joy that the Rebellion had at last been crushed seemed to encourage every body. Improvements were commenced, new enterprises talked of and started, and the busy hum of industry was heard from one end of the village to the other. All who wanted work found plenty of it, and at good wages and prompt pay ; and workmen from other places flocked here for work, the reputa tion of Omro as a live, growing town having gone abroad. Both Wilson's and Johnson's saw-mills were run " for all they were worth," and then could not supply the demand ; and when they shut down in the fall there was no lumber left in the yard. It had all been shipped green from the saw. Johnson's mill unfortunately butned down in the busiest time, and, although it was immediately rebuilt, much of the best part of the summer was lost. George Challoner put up a large shop on the site of the present foundry and machine shop. " Lewis & Thompson's shingle mill was then running on full time, and making money. "A" shingles sold for $5. Good- enough & Utter put up a spoke and hub mill just above where Webster's saw-mill is located. It did not succeed very well. It Was burned and not rebuilt. Sheldon & Allen put in a broom handle factory in a building about on the site of Lan sing's barn. It did not prove a success financially, and was finally abandoned. Scott's shingle mill was built near where the woolen mill is, and run for awhile. That, too, was burned and not rebuilt. The first brick store was put up that summer — the Gibbs building. The Webster saw mill was put up that season by L. B. Lewis and Ellis Thompson. The Catholic church was built that summer; and Drew & Hicks put up their carriage shop, now forming a part of the Thompson & Hayward works. "The following year, 1868, was not so favorable for Omro; but there was considerable building during the year. Putnam's Block was put up, A Pelton's brick store on the North Side, and many dwellings ; and the highway bridge across the Fox was also built that year. The Omro Agricultural and Mechan ical Association grounds were fitted up and enclosed during the summer and fall, and the fair held there. The Great Western Compound Company was organized, and the building erected the same year. G. W. Shafer built his fine brick building on the corner of Water and Division streets. '¦ The year 1869 was not marked by any great changes. David Blish put up and run a planing mill on the North Side, and the manufactories already built were kept running. "1870 showed some improvement. The Christian church, now occupied by the Methodist Society, was also put up, besides many fine dwellings. The American House, formerly known as the Exchange Hotel, and by several other names, on the corner south of Putnam's Block.'' In 1 87 1, the foundry and machine shop of George Challoner was destroyed by fire; loss, $20,000. Mr. Challoner immediately rebuilt the works. On the 14th of September, 1871, some workmen, while excavating near the residence of John Wilson, found the remains of a Mas todon. The following account was published in the Omro Union. "The tusks Were the first portion:, exhumed; they Were mistaken for petrified wood, and the end of one that projected into the ditch was consequently struck off with a spade; soon, however, their true character was discovered, and by a little farther digging two enormous molar teeth were thrown out. Subsequently the two huge tusks were removed from the soil, getting somewhat mutilated, however, by rough handling. They were of the enormous length of ten feet each, and one, was eight inches in diamater. The teeth, of which four in all have been found, are of immense size, and in a perfect state of preservation, the enamel looking as hard and bright as if but yesterday they were taken from their sockets. They measure on the crown nine inches in length and five in width, and nine inches from the crown to the end of the fangs. Each weighs eight pounds. The teeth of this animal show that it belonged purely to the herbiverous species They have the peculiar mastoid or nipple-like elevations on their grinding surface, from which the animal takes its name." Among the later business structures erected, are the fine brick blocks of W. W. Race, Andrew Wilson and Treleven & Orchard. These buildings, and the Northwestern Hotel, a substantial brick edifice, are ornaments to the street. The destruction of George Sha- fer's three-story brick block is a great loss to Omro, and one much deplored. The general business depression which has prevailed of late years somewhat checked the progress of the place, but Omro, in common with other towns, is rapidly resuming the appearance of its better business days, and bids fair to make rapid strides in the march of improvement. PROMINENT BUSINESS MEN. One of the live, enterprising men of the place, is Andrew Wilson, who settled on the site of Omro in 1849. He subsequently engaged in lumbering, and, in 1856, built a saw-mill, and continued in the lumber business for sixteen years. His beautiful residence is 'one of the best in the place. The publisher is indebted to him for the kind interest he has taken in the publication of this work. H. W. Webster, one of the leading men of the place and a heavy lumber manufacturer, settled in the present Town of Omro, on Sec tion 15, in December, 1848. In 1870, he pur chased the large saw-mill which he now oper- 296 (A) HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1850-80. ates. He is one of Omro's representative men and has served as chairman of the Board for six terms, and now represents that district in the State Legislature. N. Frank, who is fully mentioned in the fore going historical sketch, came to Omro July 15, 1850, opening the first store, and has taken a prominent part in the history of the place. He has acted as justice of the peace for twenty- two years. Andrew Lansing is another prominent name. He moved to the Village of Omro, February 12, 1853, and bought the American House, which he kept for a number of years. He also opened the first livery stable in Omro. He is one of the early western settlers, having lived in Rosendale in 1847 — in the days of Indian trails. Robert Crawford settled in the now Town of Omro in the fall of 1849, and was, conse quently, there at the very beginning of the village, in the building up of which he has taken an active part. Geo. Shafer came to Omro in 1858, and has been one of its most enterprising citizens. He opened a large drug store, and built the finest business block on the street. Geo. Challoner, proprietor of a large foundry and machine shop, has been one of the most prominent manufacturers. He settled in Omro in 1849, and is the inventor of Challoner's shingle-mill. He is frequently mentioned in the foregoing sketch. C. C. Morton is one of the proprietors of the sash and door factory, arid Almond Grey is proprietor of a large barrel factory. J. M. Beals, present chairman ofthe Board, settled in this town in 1857, and is now a resi dent of the village. He has served as chair man for two terms, and is an efficient and influential member of the County Board. M. G. Bradt, now express agent, is one of the old settlers of this county, having lived at Delhi and Eureka in 1849, where he was engaged in mercantile business. Among the leading business firms are Trele-' ven & Orchard, whose enterprise gives Omro one of its finest business blocks. Richard Reed, Jr., is one of the most popu lar dealers in general merchandise. W, W Race, one of the enterprising men of the place, and a heavy dealer in hardware, etc., and whose finely stocked store is a credit to the place. Leighton & Gilman, who keep a finely filled store, well stocked with groceries, crockery, boots and shoes, etc. S. N. Bridge, dealer in musical instruments and musical merchandise. J. T. Russell, dealer in harnesses and sad dlery hardware, has a well stocked store. C. C. Covey & Co., dealers in groceries, crockery, boots and shoes, etc., also carry a large stock. A. W. Larabee, the popular landlord of the Larabee House, is one of the old settlers, and widely known. Captain Baldwin has lately become landlord of the Northwestern House, and knows how to keep a hotel. Charles Chase keeps a well-appointed jewelry store. A. B. Tice has a well-stocked meat market. Alexander Gadbaw deals in farm machinery, and is a collecting agent. F Bunker deals in hardware, stoves and tinware. Robert Webb deals in groceries and pro visions. James H. Caswell is an insurance agent, town and village clerk. ' POPULATION. The population of the village is something over two thousand. i88o.J HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 296 (*) CITY OF OSHKOSH. CHAPTER LXXIV. Oshkosh Taking a New Start in the Race of Progress — New Factories and Mills Erected in the Winter of 1879-80 — Another Large Sash and Door Factory Built — Four more Saw-mills Built —Another Machine Shop and a Flouring Mill Erected — The Oshkosh Carriage Works, a Mammoth Concern Employing One Hundred and Fifteen Hands, Started during the past Year — Two Large Additional Buildings Added to the Trunk Factory — Other Factories Enlarged and their Capacity Increased — Glazed Sash an Industry of Immense Magnitude — Twenty-six Car Loads of Glass Ordered, During one Week, by the Glazed Sash Factories — Oshkosh the Greatest Sash and Door Manu facturing Center in the United States. §0 rapidly are the manufactures of this city increasing, that in the few months that have passed, since the comT pilation of manufacturing statistics were made, which appear in the former pages of this work, several new establish ments of large proportions have been built. Among them is the large SASH AND DOOR FACTORY OF RADFORD BROTHERS. This factory was erected in the spring of 1880, and is one of the largest in the city, being 66 by 184 feet, and two stories high. It contains forty-five different machines, among which are two heavy planers, two flooring and siding machines, one heavy moulder, four morticers, one large diagonal planer, innumerable circular saws, etc. The capacity, per day, is four hundred doors, four hundred windows, and one hundred pairs of blinds; besides dressed jumber. Number of hands, eighty. ENLARGEMENT OF SASH AND DOOR FACTORIES. The mammoth sash and door factory of Foster & Jones has been enlarged the present season by an addition 120x20 feet, and two large additional buildings for warehouses; additional machinery has also been put in which will largely increase its capacity. The large works of Williamson, Libbey & Co. have also increased their facilities, and this enterprising firm are now pushing their manufactures to the fullest capacity. R. McMillen & Co. have increased the num ber of their hands to ninety-two, and this immense establishment is turning out doors, sash and dressed lumber in quantities almost exceeding belief. An addition to the sash and door factories of this city is the new firm of Hume & Wash burn, which has enlarged the old Neff fac tory to more than double its former capacity; having enlarged the building by an addition of 20x152 feet and 30x40, making its present dimensions 60x152. They have also put in twenty new machines. See views in this work of the factories of Williamson, Libbey & Co., Foster & Jones and R. McMillen & Co. There are now seven large sash and door factories in this city, and another is to be con structed the coming summer. Their product last year was largely in excess of that of any other place in the United States. Their aggre gate capacity per day, then, was one thousand two hundred doors, two thousand five hundred windows, and six hundred pairs of blinds. The enlargement of the capacity of Foster & Jones' mammoth works, and the additional large factory of the Radford Brothers, will greatly increase the product for the present year. A fair estimate for the present year's product, at the rate they are turning out work, is 450,000 doors, 800,000 windows and 160,000 pairs of blinds. The several establishments are as follows: R. McMillen & Co., employing . . 92 hands Foster & Jones, employing 90 hands Williamson, Libbey & Co., employing . 70 hands Conlee Brothers, employing 60 hands James P. Gould, employing . . . . 70 hands Radford Brothers, employing . . . . 80 hands Hume & Washburn, employing ... .56 hands These factories contain all the best and latest improved machinery — some of them having from forty to fifty different machines — run by powerful steam engines. Their management, too, is in the hands of men of lifelong experi ence, and this, with their facilities for obtain ing the best of stock, gives them the means for manufacturing their products at the lowest possible cost; thus enabling them to success fully meet any competition in the market. The completion of the new "Northern" Railroad, gives a new line of access to the pine forests and its lumber resources. The sash and door factories of Oshkosh con stitute one of its hopes of continued progress, as it is a branch of manufacture which gives every promise of rapid increase. GLAZED SASH. An industry of immense proportions is that of glazed sash, and in this no other place can compare with Oshkosh. Its magnitude may be seen in the fact that George F Stroud, of this city, wholesale dealer in glass, oils and paints, received orders from these factories, in one week, for twenty-six car loads of glass. These aggregated eleven thousand two hundred boxes; and was but one shipment of several in the year. 37 B 296 {j) HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1880. NEW SAW MILLS ERECTED. Four new saw mills have been built daring the past year. They are those of Geo. W. Pratt, whose old mill was destroyed by fire in May, 1879; Foster & Jones, who have built on the site of the old Sheldon mill; Badger & Gould, whose new mill occupies the site ofthe old Stevenson mill, and the new mill of O. Beach, now nearly completed. These are all first-class and ranking with the very best. They have all the latest improvements in steam saw mill machinery, and are of large capacity, averaging about seven millions of sawed lum ber in a season, with large quantities of shin gles and lath. These additional new mills will largely increase the lumber manufacturing capacity of this city. OSHKOSH CARRIAGE WORKS OF PARSONS, NEVILLE & CO. This extensive factory, a view of which is given in this work, is a large contribution to the manufactures of this city, and to that renewed manufacturing impetus that is now v pushing her forward in the race of progress. This establishment started up February of 1879. They employ one hundred and fifteen hands, and turned out two thousand finished carriages during the year. They are increas ing their facilities, and, large as the works are, they give promise of greatly increased propor tions. These carriages are shipped by the car load, even to California, Texas and the Eastern States. Their sales for the past year amounted to $140,000; and they expect to manufacture, during the present year, three thousand carriages. Orders are flowing in about as fast as they can fill them. EAGLE TRUNK FACTORY ENLARGED. Among the manufactures of Oshkosh which have sprung into enlarged proportions during the year 1879, are those of the trunk factory of Schmit Brothers. These works have been more than quadrupled in proportion since the view was engraved which illustrates them in this work. Since then a building 40 by 100 feet and three stories high, in itself much larger than the old works, has been built; another one has been added 35 by 75 feet, two stories high, and an engine room 18 by 26 feet. These buildings are all supplied with the latest improved machinery, and the number of hands has been increased to seventy, while more are needed. These works are turning out trunks at the rate of thirty-two thousand a year, and are the largest trunk factory in the Northwest. At the rate it is increasing its proportions, it will soon be a mammoth concern. This is one of the institutions which gives Oshkosh its prosperity. ENLARGEMENT OF CLARK'S STAR MATCH WORKS. This factory, which is now said to be .the largest match factory in the world, has been enlarged since the view was taken which illus trates it in this work, by the addition of two buildings. Additional machinery has also been put in, and the number of hands, which amounted to 350, has been increased. These works are continually increasing their proportions. For details of the working of a concern which turns out 34,444,800 boxes of matches per year, and which consumes, in making paper boxes, two hundred and twenty tons of paper, see page 169. ANOTHER STEAM FLOURING MILL. Another flouring mill has been added to-the list during the season of 1879, making three flouring mills. A NEW MACHINE SHOP ERECTED. A new machine shop is now being con structed by Chas. Avery; the building is nearly completed. This makes the fifth machine shop in this city. HORN & SCHWALM'S BREWERY. A three-story brick building of large dimensions was built during the season. It takes the place of the old frame brewery, which was destroyed by fire. A NEW BRANCH OF INDUSTRY. A business that has lately developed into large proportions, is that of pulling up ice for Southern shipment. In this industry about 200 hands have been engaged, and a large number of mammoth ice houses have been erected. One firm, Geo. Cameron & Co., have put over up over twelve thousand tons. METROPOLITAN CORSET MANUFACTURING COMPANY. This company was established the past win ter and employs some sixty odd hands. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. ' Among the achievements of the past year is the building of the Exposition Building for the Northern State Fairs, and which is the largest agricultural fair building in the Northwest: The iron bridge across Fox River, is in course of construction. The Nicholson pavement on Kansas Street, was laid during the year. Business blocks and CARRIAGE WORKS OF PARSONS & GOODFELLOW, OSHKOSH, WIS. [88o.j HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 296 (k) many fine private residences were also erected. NEW RAILROAD. The crowning glory is the new Northern Railroad, now completed, and towards the construction of which Oshkosh contributed $75,000. This. gives access to a new pine land district, and ah enlarged supply of material to supply the constantly increasing demands of our mills. A NEW START IN THE RACE OF PROGRESS. It will be seen, therefore, that Oshkosh has taken a new start in the race of progress, and once more assumes her old-time appearance of business and manufacturing activity. All the saw and shingle mills are being fast put in readiness for running up to their fullest capacity, as the log crop on the Wolf and its tributaries will approximate to one hundred and thirty millions. The sash and door factories are running at their highest capacity. The foundries and machine shops are also crowded with work ; all other branches of manufacturing are in the fullest activity, and there is every indication that the ensuing season will be one of as great business and manufacturing activity as Osh kosh has ever witnessed At no time in her history has this city made a more substantial growth than she is making at the present, and her manufacturing capacity is being increased more rapidly than at any other period of her existence ; which statement is well attested by the list ofthe new mills and factories given in this article. Oshkosh has now become the greatest man ufacturing center in the Northwest for build ing material. Purchasers and jobbers from abroad can be furnished on the shortest notice, by the car-load, with all the wood material for building, from rough lumber, shingles and lath, to dressed lumber, dimension stuff, sash, doors, blinds, mouldings, . cornice, brackets and inside finish, all ready to be nailed in their places. The proximity of Oshkosh, and her means of ready access to pine and hard wood forests by water communication and railroad, with her immense manufacturing facilities, her estab lished lines of trade, and her central and com mercial advantages of location, all give the brightest promise for her future .prosperity and rapid -growth. STATISTICS OF LUMBER BUSINESS OF OSHKOSH FOR 1879. The amount of logs rafted through the boom in 1879 was 120,646,000 feet. NAMES OF FIRMS. 13 QJ?1O&a © 00s St d 435350 275034 3032 60 MANUFACTURED IN SEASON OF 1879 LUMBER MILLS. Lumber. Lath (ft). Shingles. Morgan Bros Buckstaff Bros. & Chase Radford Bros 5,820,787 4,800,000 6,800,000 1,300,0004,000,000 2,500,0004,000,0002,500,0004.224.307 672,000 400,000 500,000 100,000500,000 4,398,000 2,500,000 4,000,000 Campbell, Libby & Co J.H. Weed 2,250,000 1,000,000 J. R. Scott 447,750 925,000500,000 1,000,000 306,000 500,000 1,897,750 5,500,0002,000,0003,000,0005,272,000 2,500,000 R. McMillen & Co G W. Pratt, (in 3 months) C. N. Paine & Co Ripley & Mead 0 D. Peck 40 6,500,000 40 3,000,000 125 6,000,000 45 6,000,000 75 4,600,000 NEW MILLS BUILT IN 1879-80. G. W. Pratt; run three months in fall of 1879. Foster & Jones; mill built in winter of 1879 and 1880. Badger & Gould; mill built in winter of 1879 and 1880. O. Beach; mill built in winter of 1879 and 1880. NAMES OF FIRMS. SHINGLE MILLS. J. L. Clark Derby & Curran.. J. S. Fraker Webb & Albert . . . A. Thompson J C. Griffith . . Ii. W. Van Every 0 g . John 27 Omro 160 Whitmarsh, M. 23 do 140 Reed, D. W. 20 do 40 Wright, H. S., estate 17 Omro 15 Robbins, Samuel II do 40 Young, H. 5 do 67 Robbins, William II do 80 Robinson, Alfred 16 do IOO Rogers, A. 24 do 40 TOWN OF POYGAN. Rogers, Jude F. 35 do IOO Rogers, F. T. 35 do 80 NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. Ross, John 19 do 58 Angel, Daniel 16 Poygan 40 Rpss, A. & H. 28 do 80 Ashley/ Luther 22 do IO Ross, Reuben 29 do 160 Alger, Joseph 23 do 50 Root, Elisha 32 do 160 Alger, Nelson 26 do 122 Rumery, J. P. 13 Oshkosh 60 Baster, Robert 35 Omro 65 Rumsey, George, 5 Omro 60 Baster, W. E. 34 do 60 Rumsey, Richard 5 do 95 Byrne, Peter 33 do 50 Rumsey, Mrs. 0. 8 do 25 Blackburne, A. B. 35 do 190 Russell, J. T. 7 do 49 Brogden, Thomas 36 do 80 Rush, James 33 Waukau 78 Birsch, Philo 35 do 50 Stanton^ H. E. 19 Omro 55 Birsch, Hiram 35 do 60 Stanton, — . 20 do 40 Birsch, John, Sr. 24 Winneconne 80 Starr, John 32 Waukau 80 Birsch, Nicholas 24 do 50 Starr, Joseph, estate 32 do 80 Burke, Thomas 1 1 do 157 Stancliff, Samuel 20 Omro 60 Broderich, Bartholemew 21 Poygan 40 Seeber, Frank I I do 10 Broderich, James 23 do 80 Simpson, W. W. 21 do no Broderich, Michael 26 do 90 Silverthrone, L. J. 19 do 78 Broderich, John 23 do 80 Stever, J. 36 Oshkosh 40 Bohn, Martin 18 do 127 Stevens, William, estate 34 Omro 160 Bauer, Adolphus 20 do 40 Stearns, Henry 9 do 86 Brown, Gallus 20 do 63 Stipp, F 4 do 5 Bills, Walter M, 21 do 60 Sheldon, E. T. 5 do 84 Bowker, George 22 do 40 Sheldon, Mrs. T. S. 17 do 49 Bowker, C. W. 22 do 45 Slocum, R. 27 Waukau 60 Bowker, Charles 22 do 42 Sullivan, P. 0. 6 Omro 80 Blish, David 26 do 12 Stone, Thaddeus, estate 34 do 80 Bills, Walter L. 28 do 40 Spaulding, T. 10 do 120 Berry, J. E. 29 do 40 Taylor, J. R. 19 do 79 Carter, Amos 26 Omro 40 Taylor, S. R. 21 do 70 Case, R. W. 33 do 120 Tanner, R. 22 do 70 Case, Irvin 33 do 40 Terrell, J. K. 12 Oshkosh 90 Case, Franklin 29 Poygan 40 Thorpe, N. 7 Omro 20 Conlin, Owen 15 do 40 Thompson, T. J. 9 do no Carroll, Michael 16 do 42 Thrall, William 15 do 80 Clausen, Henry 16 do 190 Thomas, Thomas 26 do 89 Cav'anaugh, Michael 20 do 80 Tripp, Hiram 5 do 67 Cronk, S. E. 21 do 80 Treleven, Joseph 16 do 160' Cronk, Martha 21 do 20 Vessey, Robert 22 do 160 Cronk, Eber 29 do 27 Wagstaff, S. M. 16 do 80 Challoner, Frederick 33 Omro 40 308 DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. NAME. s. POST-OFFIOE. A. Dearing, John G. 13 Winneconne 80 Lee', James . 19 Poygan 200 Dolan, Michael H do 120 Lee, John 30 do 120 Deahn, John 16 Poygan 10 Lee, H. B. 36 O'riiro 120 Durfee, E. S. 29 -do 480 Lawler, John 36 do 54 Disbrow, Erastus 36 Omro 40 Lavin, Thomas 15 Winneconne 40 Dutcher, H. W. 36 do 80 Marin, John 13 do 40 Eckhert, August 10 Winneconne 40 , Maher, Martin 13 do 80 Eserhut, John 15 Poygan 80 ' Mongan, Bernard 24 do 40 Ellis, William 19 do 60 Mongan, Hugh 24 ¦" do ¦•¦¦ 40 Farnen, Michael H Winneconne l60 Mongan, James IS Poygan 69 Flannigan, John, Sr. 15 Poygan 8l Mongan, Timothy 22 '" do 120 Flannigan, John, Jr. 15 do 40 Mongan, Michael 22 do 80 Fenwick, Theodore 21 do 80 Murphy, John 17 do: ' 149 Freleigh, L. 0. 22 do 40 McAssay, George 16 do 40 Fink, Jeremiah 22 do 5 Market, Antone 19 do 40 Fink, Peter 28 do 138 Muscovitch, Joseph 21 do 120 Fowler, W. H. 36 Omro 40 Morrison, Richard 21 dd: 80 Gavin, Dominick 14 Winneconne 80 Mettam, Mrs. Sarah 23 do 127 Grinnell, James 19 Poygan 136 Neary, Patrick 10 Winneconne 64 Giddings, James 20 do 1 20 Neary, John 10 do 66 Gilbert, Eli 22 do 40 Nigle, Joseph 20 Poygan 80 Gilbert, H. A, 22 do 40 Nickel, Herman 27 do no Graves, E. V. 34 Omro 180 O'Neil, Catherine 13 Winneconne 90 Hart, Mariette 16 Poygan 80 O'Reiley, Alexander 24 do . 40 Herbert, Albert 17 do 60 O'Reiley, Michael 25 do no Herbert, Ludwig 17 do 60 O'Reiley, Dennis 24 do 4o Herzberg, Ernst 19 do 80 O'Reiley, Thomas 25 do 80 Herzberg, Henry 3o do 130 O'Connor, Michael 21 Poygan 40 Herzberg, August 3o do 200 Oliver, Charles W. 21 do 40 Hough, William 22 do 120 Oliver, William 22 do 92 Hammond, Edwin 22 do 30 O'Rourke, Patrick 34 Omro 70 Hammond, John 22 do 85 Peterson, Ole H. 21 Poygan 80 Hyland, Lawrence 23 do 57 Pierce,. Charles 16 do 85 Hart, Horace 27 do 80 Pierce, Myron L. 16 do 60 Hull. Henry 32 do 80 Pierce, J. G. 16 do 20 Hoyer, A. & S. 13 Winneconne 80 Putnam, David 20 do 120 Hendershott, James 36 Omro 40 Quigley, James 24 Winneconne 160 Hall, Philander 36 do 80 Ryan, William 17 Poygan IOO Hefferon, James 25 do 256 Robinson, Henry 22 do 40 Johnson, 0. P. n Winneconne 190 Rase, William 23 do 120 Jungwisth, Paul 17 Poygan 80 Redmond, Patrick 33 do 40 Jones, 0. S. 23 do 42 Redmond, Benj. 33 do 40 Johnson, William 35 Omro 64 Ross, W. C. 34 do 80 Kinney, James 14 Winneconne 141 Schultz, Gottlieb 15 Winneconne 115 Kinney, Thomas 13 do 38 Sullivan, Jeremiah 24 do 120 Kinney, John 13 do 40 Sullivan, Thomas 25 Omro 40 Kenneally, Patrick 13 do 3i7 Shelton, M. G. 33 do 37 Kleber, Christian 24 do 5o Safford, David 35 do 60 Killilea, Mathew H do 120 Schofleld, Horace 35 do 200 Killilea, Michael 22 Poygan 40 Schufelt, A. C. 34 do So Kelley, Edwin 15 do 40 Schufelt, S. 34 do 50 Keefe, John 23 do 210 Schufelt, S. A. 26 Poygan no Kealy, John 25 Omro 40 Schufelt, Orin 26 do 90 Kavanah, J. P. 36 do 80 Safford, Reuben 19 do 20 Knoll, W. R. 34 do 100 Tallent, Edward 13 Winneconne 40 Larsen, Phillip 22 Poygan 17 • Tritt, Zenas C. 26 Omro 40 Lawler, Thomas 16 do 40 Tritt, William, Sr. 26 do 220 Luce, H. G. 27 do 65 Tritt, William, Jr. 27 do 80 1879.] DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 309 NAME. s. POST-OFFICE A. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE A. Tegtmyer, Frederick 33 Omro IOO Cleveland, S* J. 17 Eureka 80 Wagen, Charles 15 Poygan 6o Cole, A. R. 18 do 80 White, Wm., Jr. 24 do 8o Cota,.Paul 18 do 80 White Adelaide 29 do 8o Crego, Jared 15 Omro 250 Whitney, G. R. 29 do 74 Coates, Thomas 11 do 77 Whitney, Isaac 29 do 40 Cook, T. C. 1 1 do 120 Wiseman, Phillip 32 Omro 60 Carpenter, A. 21 do 40 Wiseman, J, S. 33 do 23 Canway, A. R. 28 Eureka 25 Wiseman, Stephen 34 do 80 Clark, Elijah 20 do 32 Wiseman, Geo. 34 do 80 Clark, W. H.. 31 Waukau 5o Wilber, C. R.\ 35 do 30 Craig, Sylvester 34 do 140 Curtice, William Curtice, D. 36 1 do do 32 '- - 73 TOWN OF RUSHFORD. Dana, H. A... 32 Eureka 40 : "''..' Dabert, Frederick 4 Omro 40 NAME. s. P OST-OFFICE. A. Dunn, Richard, estate 7 Eureka 40 Abbott, D. N; 5 Eureka 60 Dunn, Leonard 7 do 40 Allen, Mrs; ' 24 Omro 80 Delang, Isaac 8 do 80 Allen, William 8 Eureka 60 Daggett, H. 9 do 80 Alger, John 6 do 40 Davidson, Robert 10 do 135 Allerton, O. H. P. 28 do 179 Dyer, Edwin . 14 Omro 65 Ammerman, T. A. 26 Waukau 69 Duchine, A. 23 do 40 Avery, L. G. 26 do 80 Dearstine, M. 23 do 30 Avery, Elbridge 3i do 80 Dearstine, Hannah 23 do 15 Apply, L. M., estate 23 Omro 8 Dearstine, C. H. 23 Eureka 1 Barnett, John 33 do 37 Ellis, E. & H.C. 30 do - 170 Barnett, Henry 32 . do 40 Fellows, George 20 do 74 Barnett, Robert 5 Oshkosh 187 Frise, Frederick 20 do IOO Bailey, Eli 6 Eureka 205 Franklin, J. M. 20 do 20 Barden, H. P. 16 do 120 Fitzpatrick, James 22 do 70 Bradley, J. W. 15 do 40 Fitzpatrick, H. C. 22 do 70 Bradley, John IO Omro IOO Fitzpatrick, J. S. 23 do .7 Bradley, George IO do 40 Fisk, J. L. 24 Omro 61 Bradley, David IO do 5o Farrell, John 30 Eureka 45 Bradley, Samuel IO do 90 Garish, L. 22 do 168 Baldry, John J. 9 Eureka 80 George, Nicholas 20 do 40 Baster, A. 3 Omro 40 Gillman, C. & D. E. 29 do 165 Best, Martha 26 Waukau 32 Getchell, Mrs. S. 30 do 80 Beardsley, John 25 do 40 Henshaw, James 2 Omro H5 Bennett, Peter 30 . do 40 Ham, Frederick 33 Eureka 80 Brown, J. P. 3i Eureka 40 Hanson, David 30 do 198 Brown, William 16 do IOO Hill, J. H. 25 Omro 40 Brownell, R. F. 5 do 80 Hale,.Q. C. 24 do 72 Bromley, M. J. 29 do 7 Harvey, Robert 3 Eureka 240 Brooks, Chas. 9 do 140 Harvey, C. H. 4 do 70 Bishop, J. N. 25 Waukau 68 Harvey, Wm. 4 do 80 Buck, Wm., estate 26 do 155 Hess, Jas. 8 do 20 Bullis, T. H, 36 do 36 Hess, J. W. 8 do 75 Bussy, J. 24 Omro 40 Hess, Howard H. 8 do 25 Butler, L. M. 19 Eureka no Hess, Bartlett 8 do 80 Blake, L. E. 3i Waukau 20 Hackney, William 8 do 20 Covey, H. W. 6 Eureka 28 Hackney, Peter 17' do 2 Carpenter, Ira 8 do 30 Hoffman, John 8 do 10 Carter, Hiram 15 do 80 Havens, Nancy 17 do 1 Crawford, Joseph 17 do 40 Haner, G. M. 19 do 80 Carley, Walter 17 do 30 Haner, — , estate 19 do 40 Carley, Milo 17 do 20 Headt, Mathias 10 Omro 118 Carley, S. H. 17 . do 30 Hyde, H. W. 23 do 94 310 DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. NAME. S. POST-OFFICE. A. Hyde, Norman 23 Omro 20 Morenus, Henry 18 Eureka 22 Hughes, Samuel 23 do IOO Morrison, John B. 35 do 140 Henderson, Thomas 24 do 40 Mosely, Chas. 6 do 47 Halkney, Andrew 24 do 107 Newber, Susan 28 do 30 Hotchkiss, George 31 Waukau 80 Nicholson, H. W. 30 do 185 Hall, Uriah 35 do 185 Nicholson, B. F. 21 do 51 Hicks, Oliver 34 Eureka 160 Noble, Edward 6 do 66 Ingalls, Earl 20 Eureka 160 Noble, John 28 do 62 Jenkins, H. J. 10 Omro 50 O'Rourke, John 4 do 77 Jordan, Frederick 19 Eureka IO O'Rourke, James 4 do 88 Johnson, E. P. 3i do 40 Palfrey, Richard 35 Waukau 160 Jager, J. P.. 32 do 140 Parsons;- L. M. 31-36 do 167 Jones, J. Z. 3i Waukau 53 Parsons? Samuel 9 Eureka 40 Knoll, F. E. 3 Omro 150 Perry, M. H. 9 do 80 King, Charles 10 do 90 Perry, S. H. 10 do 40 King, B. F. n do 101 Perkins, F. 36 Waukau 1 King, L B. 1 1 do 119 Potter, Albert 20 Eureka 14 King, Mary 1 1 do 98 Potts, H. 22 Omro 9i King, Julius n do 40 Potts, O. F. 22 do 98 Krough, John 1 1 do 20 Ramsdale, Robert 18 Eureka 80 Kennedy, David 19 Eureka 30 Rasmussen, S. M. 24 Omro 30 Kurz, David 28 do 10 Ransom, E. M. 20 Eureka 80 Kinsley, George 28 do 15 Rahde, — 19 do 10 Kafer, George 33 do 166 Reed, James 2 Omro 152 Knapp, P. M. 36 Wankau 60 Redd, Nathaniel 28 Eureka 12 Lanford & Hagil 28 Eureka 73 Rilling, F. 4 do 5o Loper, 0. E. 15 do 73 Rounds, G. W. 33 do 284 Loper, Edgar 15 do 20 Rounds, E. R. 33 Eureka 165 Lee, William 5 do 60 Rounds, E. B. 29-34 do 217 Lee, Thomas 6 do 40 Rounds, Lester 29 do 18 Loker, Edgar 16 do 497 Rounds, J. M. 3i do 20 Liddle, Thomas 21 do 40 Ross, Geo. 24 Omro 5o Liddle, R. 20 do 80 Rockwell, J. W. 13 do 153 Lowther, Wm.. 21 do 105 Robinson, L. 4 Eureka 40 Lowther, Thos. 21 do 80 Ryan, Wm. 3 Omro 80 Lowther, James, estate 21 do 40 Sage, Philo, estate 15 do 88 Lafevre, John 32 do 40 Sage, A. A. 16 Eureka 90 Lafevre, Amable 9 do 240 Saindon, Alphons 17 do 160 Lafevre, David 27 Waukau 80 Silverthorne, Levi 25 Omro 180 Lafevre, D. L. 27 do 60 Silsbee, E. W. 26 Eureka 130 Lyons, M. 1 do 52 Stanton, Sarah 20 do IOO Lanning, Wm. 3 Omro 1 12 Stell, William 24 Omro 20 Lanning, John 3 do 89 Steele, J. A. C. 26 Waukau 78 Laborde, Louisa 23 do 38 Stevens, V. W. 2 Omro 135 Mallory, E. J. 34 Waukau 60 Stone, Alfred A. 17 Eureka 160 Mallory, L. J. 84 do 80 Starks, — 3i Waukau 40 Mallagh, August 32 Eureka 49 Steps, John 33 Eureka 140 Martin, James 2 Omro 160 Schermerhorn, C. 5 do 160 McGivern, Patrick 4 Eureka 80 Smith, Miles 32 do 65 McGivern, Hugh 9 do 130 Smith, Catharine 32 do 40 McGoorty, Jas. 28 do 120 Smail^W. R. 10 Omro 145 Merrill, J. R. 1 Waukau 106 Shove* Francis 35 Waukau 240 Miller, C, H. 6 do 160 Spencer, S. M. 3i do 40 Mority, Jas. 11 Omro 63 Sullivan, Terry 26 do 10 Morrow, Jas. 10 do 60 Talbot, W. T. F, 3i do 47 Morrow, Patrick 15 Eureka 160 Tario, Samuel 19 Eureka 20 Morenus, Willard i7' do 60 Tennant, W. H. 5 do 5o Morenus, Thomas 18 do 5i Thompson, J. 29 do 7 i 879-j DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 311 NAME. S. Thompson, Geo. 35 Thomas, Henry 25 Thomas, Griffith 24 Thrall, E. B. 1 Trow. Isabel 21 Trow, A. S. 31 Turner, H. B. 11 Turner, W. H. 11 Tryon, Geo. 21 Vedder, Chas. 8 Warner, E. D. 32 Washburne, H. 37 Wehster, James 4 Weller, Seth 3 Wilber, Ransom 2 Williams, J. S. 5 William, John 8 Williams, G. 8 Williamson, Manly 23 White, S. D. 27 Wright, J. H. 6 Wynn, Jas. 10 Wyman, R. T. 25 Young, Robert 7 Young, Adam 32 POST-OFFICE. Waukau do Omro WaukauEureka do Omro do Eureka do do Waukau Omro do do Eureka do do Omro Eureka Waukau Omro Waukau Eureka do 4 80 119 257 40 133 48 40 183 1 no 120 79 60 97 40 no. 100 70 6090 40 40 79 140 TOWN OF UTICA. Allen, L. Anklann, Adolph Anklann, Julius Bahning, George Beans, Hugo Beans, Edward B.eans, Robert Beans, Thomas R. Beans, Thomas Bean, Frank Bennett, Noah Beglinger, Peter Blake, Norman Bowles, T. J. Bbughton, J. W. Bradley, Job Bradley, Edwin Catlin, W. S. Cadman, John Chaffee, Elizabeth Clark, Wm. H. Clinger, Frederick Cook, Mrs. Asa Caulson, J. R. Caulson, J. Cornish, Sanford Conners, John Conners, Martin S. POST-OFFICE. A. 2 Fisk's Corners 40 19 Elo 80 19 do 120 12 Fisk's Corners 20 34 Pickett's Station 270 25 Ring 350 25 do 170 25 do 80 27 Pickett's Station 60 32 do 80 25 Ring 47 12 Fisk's Corners 120 n do 86 16 Elo 80 1 Oshkosh 40 8 Elo 40 8 do 457 21 do 120 4 Waukau 80 1 5 Elo 1 1 9 32 Pickett's Station 178 1 1 Fisk's Corners 1 1 Oshkosh 80 1 do 40 1 do 120 10 Fisk's Corners 80 16 Elo 40 16 do 40 NAME. Corsaw, R. H. Connaroe, William Davis, S. Davis, Hugh Davis, Thomas, E. Davis, Rowland Dalke, John Edwards, John Evans, D. E. Fisk, E. B. Fisher, John Frees, R. W. Garlic, R. Goodwin, John Griffith, William Green, R. W. & N. S Hale, C. B. Hale, Mrs. S. A. Haley, Mrs. Ham, Samuel Hawley, A. W. Hallman, Frederick Hines, Mary A. Holden, C. R. Houstan, Walter Hughes, Hugh Hughes, Henry Hughes, John H. Hunter, J. S. Huffman, John Humphrey, Isaac Hyde, Mrs. Susan James, David Jones, R. A. Jones, Robert Jones, Thomas N. Jones, William J. Jones, W. A. Jones, E. T. Jones, David Jones, D. C. Jones, A. R. Jones, William O. Jones, William H. Joslyn, L. B. Kerker, W. J. Krumbrie, John Krumbrie, August Lane, O. P. Lawrence, D. R. Lauham, John Lewellyn, Mary Lewellyn, John T. Lewellyn, Wm. Leonard, John Little, William Lloyd, John Lloyd, Robert S. POST-OFFIOE. A. 21 Elo 58 25 Ring 80 1 Oshkosh 98 35 Pickett's Station 80 35 do 80 36 Ring 116 32 Pickett's Station 130 23 Elo 263 35 Ring 120 1 1 Oshkosh 283 15 Fisk's Corners 80 16 Elo 42 5 Waukau 160 34 Pickett's Station 22 Elo 200 .31 Pickett's Station 85 4 Waukau 70 4 do 90 10 Elo 40 3 Waukau 80 4 do 160 33 Pickett's Station 40 31 do 80 16 Elo 145 2 Fisk's Corners 200 36 Ring 4 27 Elo 40 27 Pickett's Station 160 20 do 479 34 do 40 1 Oshkosh 118 9 Elo 120 13 Fisk's Corners 40 10 do 80 22 Elo 70 23 do 47 23 do 37 23 do 65 27 do 280 24 Ring 25 24 do no 25 do 93 25 do 80 26 do 180 15 Fisk's Corners 167 16 Elo 134 34 Pickett's Station 40 27 do 120 29 do 258 33 do 160 34 do 40 20 Elo 80 19 do 80 14 Fisk's Corners 80 n do 3 1 2 do 79 36 Ring 14 36 do 76 312 DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. Li879. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. Lloyd, C. 24 Ring 80 Stone, Stillman 1 1 Oshkosh H4 Lockhart, T. A. 9 Elo 120 Stone, Edmund 14 Fisk's Corners 40 Lockhart, E. 9 do 200 Stone, Alpheus 10 do 280 Lockhart, B. F. 9 do 120 Stead, E. 10 do 80 Marks, Walter 3i Elo 308 Shay, Jeremiah 16 Elo 94 Maxwell, J. H. 29 Pickett's Station 279 Skinner, Enoch 30 Pickett's Station 80 Matthews, George 5 Waukau 80 Skinner, 0. L. 29 do 81 McFarland, A. 3i Pickett's Station 224 Swallow,. Benjamin 2 Fisk's Corners 40 McFarland, John 3i do 240 Thomas, J. J. 3 do 40 Miller, L. J. 3i Elo 170 Thomas, John S. 13 do 119 Miller, Mrs. Mary 20 do 3IO Thrall, A. J. 20 Elo 120 Miller, John 34 Pickett's Station 120 Thrall, C. W. 28 Pickett's Station 117 Miller, C. 34 do 40 Thada, John 30 do 160 Miller, Arnel 34 do IOO ¦ ' Price, Nelson 5 Waukau 80 Mitchell, Mrs. J. N. i Fisks Corners 34 Vance, Thomas 30 Pickett's Station 240 Morris, D. R. 33 Pickett's Station 80 Vaugh, John 22 Elo , 60 Morris, John D, 37 Elo. 40 Vandoren, J. D. 14 Fisk's Corners 105 Morgan, Owen 35 Ring. IOO Washburne, Isa 15 Elo 3 Munsell, W. F. 21 Elo 151 Washburne, E. W. 28 Pickett's Station 61 Munsell, Rufus 21 do 65 Walker, Isa 25 Ring 80 Murphey, Martin 27 do 40 Walker, J. H. 25 do 80 Nesbitt, Ann 12 Fisk's Corners 120 Weeks, William 1 Oshkosh 100 Nesbitt, A. 13 do 114 Weise, William 19 Elo 40 Newell, M. D. 15 Elo 82 Weise, Lewis 19 do 40 Newell, F. L. 21 do I Welch, John 2 Fisk's Corners 40 Newell, J. H. 21 do Webster, David 9 Elo 160 Ochler, Henry 13 Fisk's Corners 131 Wilson, George 8 do 102 Oliver, Mrs. S. 3 Waukau 80 Williams, James R. 22 do 130 O'Neil, Lewis 3 do ' ' IOO Williams, J. W. 23 do 155 Owens Thomas 23 Elo 60 Williams, John E. 24 Ring 80 Parks, William 33 Pickett's Station 130 Williams, Ellis 24 do 90 Partridge, William 28 do 80 Williams, John 26 do 60 Pickett, J. G. 29 do 272 Wlliiams, R. J. 26 do 80 Price, William H Fisk's Corners 80 Williams, Henry 35 do 160 Price, David 13 do 80 Williams, Hannah 36 do 165 Prichard* 36 Ring 80 Pugh, Elizabeth 26 do 80 Quick, A. 15 Elo 33 TOWN OF VINLAND. Ransom, E. B. 14 Fisk's Corners 160 Ransom, L. H. 11 do 76 NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A Reese, John 36 Ring 80 Arndt, F. 2 Neenah 85 Rhoda, William 12 Fisk's Corners 46 Allen, Charles 7ButtedesMortt 120 Rolph, A. L. 4-10 Waukau 360 Allen, T. R. 8 do 118 Rogers, Philo R. 26 Ring 80 Atkins, Edward 24 Vinland 40 Roberts, John 21 Elo iS7 Atkins, J., estate 24 do ¦ 10 Roberts, Robert 26 Ring 160 Alden, 0. N. 24 do 120 Roberts, Elizabeth 36 do 75 Bartlett, E. L. 8 Butte des Morts 1 95 Roberts, J arrett 35 do 120 Boulden, E. 20 do 160 Robinson, James 3i Pickett's Station 80 Black, J. F. 21 Clemansville 200 Rosenthal, Charles 2 Fisk's Corners 40 Bowers, A. 22 do 180 Sanders, A. T. 1 1 do 80 Beardmore, J. B. ] 5 do 120 Sharp, J. S. 32 Pickett's Station 9 Beardmore, G. M. 10 do 160 Smith, C. R. 2 Fisk's Corners 160 Bemis, L. B. 9 do 120 Snyder, J. S. IS Elo 94 Brown, V. 1 Neenah 96 Snyder, David i5 do 107 Bricker, J. 4 do 117 Stiles, William 30 Pickett's Station 120 Bear, H. 3 do 55 Stiles, Richard 16 Elo 20 Barker, William, estate 1 4 Vinland 20 Stiles, Henry 28 Pickett's Station 320 Baird, J. 7 do 117 I879-] DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 313 NAME. Bonnett, J. Baird, S. Bennett, J. C. Bennett, E. M. Bennett, William Behrend, J. Behrend, F. Cross; R. Chrisenden, Mrs. H. Cronkhite, A. T. Cole, Mary A. Church, C. Church, D. C. Coats, D. Coats, H. E. Clemans, H. Courtney, D. Courtney, William Care, E. Clements, William Clark, Mrs. G. Clark, James Cowliri, G. Doty, S. B. Durkee, D. L. Davis, J. P. Devens, A. Dane, — Dubbeke, G. Delemater, H. Enos, E. W. Emery, D. Erdman, D. Fitzpatrick, B. Frazer, W. S. Ferson, J. L. Gillingham, F. Gibson, 'J. Gibson, William Gibson, William, Jr. Gunnell, B. Gustavus, F. Grunske, G. Grunske, J. Hohn, C. Haber, P. Higle, J. ¦ Hart, J. Haber, J. Haber, Wm. Haase, F. L. Herron, T. Hephler, P. Hughes, John Hooton, Wm. Ham, J. D. Hawkins, H. Hoffman, F. S. POST-OFFICE. A. 1 8 Vinland 140 18 do 78 19 do 60 19 do 10 19 do 120 20 Winnebago 40 20 do 40 6ButtedesMortsn6 8 do "5 8 do 398 8 do 22 5 Neenah 1 1 5 5 do 129 1 do 40 1 do 52 21 Clemansville 159 1 5 do 240 14 do 60 9 do 123 16 Snell Station 40 23 Vinland 153 19 do 20 18 do 117 i9ButtedesMorts 116 18 do 120 20 do 80 23 Vinland 80 23 do 80 12 do .70 3 Neenah 85 17 Butte des Morts 1 60 5 do 162 12 Vinland 160 3 Neenah 80 12 Vinland 162 14 do 80 2 Neenah 85 3 do 140 2 do 80 3 do 60 13 Vinland 79 14 do 80 18 do 60 1 8 do .80 1 Neenah 50 10 do 90 12 do 5° 12 do 200 14 do 60 10 do 40 1 1 do 78 20 do 61 7 Butte des Morts 60 19 do 140 21 do 170 16 Clemansville 120 17 Snell Station 92 18 do So NAME. Hallgarth, J. Ihrig, L. I.hrig, J. Jenkyns, Wm. P. Jenkyns, J. Jenkyns, W. H. Jenkyns, C. Knott, J. Knott, T. ^ ' * Kellett, Chas. Kelly, M. Kelly, J. Lindsay, O. O. Louber, Chas. Little, A. & J. Libby, J. F. Lord, J. W. Lord, Wm. March, S. A. Marshall, Geo. Maxwell, J. Maxwell, David Manuel, W. Manuel, H. E. Manuel, E. A. Madole, S. A. McCarty, J. McCoal, Wm. McCarter, J. McAllister, D. McDonald, S. McFetridge, — Merkley, Albert Merkley, J. Merkley, H. Mears, J. W., estate, Miracle, H. Miracle, J. Newman, C. Nickle, J. Nolty, T. C. Parks, M. Payne, E. Peels, J. Petford, T. R. Pheneuf, D. Pratt, L. S. Pratt, S. Peller, J. Quartermass, S. Race, Wm. Randsloven, C. Ranke, Wm. Ranke, Chas. Reed, Jas. Richardson, A. Rogers, H. N. Robie, Rufus S. POST-OFFICE. A. 17 Snell Station 133 4 Neenah 100 14 do 160 16 Snell Station 104 16 do 46 16 do 40 17 do 40 21 Clemansville 80 6 Butte des Morts 120 7 do 146 19 Vinland 70 19 do 10 6 Butte des Morts 120 7 do 100 1 1 Neenah 80 13 Vinland 120 24 do 80 24 do 80 20 Clemansville 200 15 do 80 9 do 150 16 do 80 5 Neenah 80 5 do 40 5 do 40 5 do 70 8 Butte des Morts 80' 19 Vinland 38 3 Neenah 100 3 do 44 18 do 80 19 Vinland 10 2 Neenah 85 17 Snell Station 60 17 do 40 24 Vinland 179 15 Clemansville 140 14 Vinland 80 22 Clemansville 160 12 Neenah 20 19 Vinland 77 16 Snell Station 142 16 do 170 24 Vinland 80 1 9 Butte des Morts 80 3 Clemansville 95 19 Butte des Morts 80 17 do 61 19 Vinland 77 5 Neenah 130 10 Clemansville 60 18 Vinland 50 12 Neenah 20 1 do 45 23 Vinland 100 9 Neenah 60 6 Butte des Morts 46 2 Neenah 280 314 DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [i879. NAME. s. POST-OFFIOE. A. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. Robie, A. F 2 Neenah 180 Cowen, Mrs. G. 16 Winneconne 12 Robinson, T. 20 Vinland 120 Cusick, A. G. 21 do 102 Rosenthal, R. ri do 80 Clapp, E. 20 do 60 Rosenthal, C. 11 do 160 Crouse, William 19 do So Sargent, J. H. 8 Butte des Morts 39 Corn, Mrs. L. 19 do 79 Scott, C, 19 do 76 Costello, P. J. 31 do 40 Scott, W. H. 1 Neenah 146 Costello, C. 31 do 80 Smart, Wm. H Vinland 40 Cheney, E. 20 do 80 Stanford, J. 14 do 80 Clark, Lewellyn 4 do 75 Stry, Frederick 3 Neenah 40 Daughty, A. 15 do 50 Stenke, H. 17 Snell Station 10S Davis, D..S. 1 1 do 160 Thayer, Wm. 20 Oshkosh 158 Erb, Jacob 19 do 5o Tiel, Chris. 2 Neenah 45 Elliot, P. 3i do 60 Tippler, J. 1 1 do 200 Flynn, R. 3i do IS Vosburg, Jeremiah 16 Oshkosh 280 Fowler, F. 3i do 4i Vosburg, C. C. i5 Clemansville 80 Fisher, Joseph 20 do 120 Vosburg, Frank 10 do 120 Gilrain, P. 19 do 40 Vosburg, G. H. 16 do 265 Grignon, Andrew 18 do 102 Wallace, J. 20 Oshkosh 155 Gullickson, S. 3 do 40 Wenzell, G. 12 Neenah 80 Galliger, J. 3i do 40 White, G. , estate, 6Butte des Morts 120 Goggins, J. 3i do 20 Whitacre, J. 23 Clemansville 160 Gable, J. 19 do 80 Webb, L., estate, 19 Winnebago 40' Gunderson, J. 22 do 109 Wilcox, C. H. 7 Butte des Morts 120 Gove, J. M. 14 do 172 Woolidge, H. H. 1 Neenah So Gallighan, J. 24 Butte des Morts - 38 Worden, L. P. 20 Oshkosh 40 Hesch, William 2 Winneconne 20 Yost, N. 13 Vinland 120 Hoffman, H. 3 do 90 Zemmerly, S. 21 Clemansville 80 Helms, Williams 29 do 57 HaU, B. 29 do 40 Ham, A. 32 do 40 TOWN OF WINNECONNE. Hammond, Augustus 29 do 160 Hull, L. W. 24 Butte des Morts 192 NAME. s POST-OFFICE. A. Hawley, N. 29 Omro 40 Allen, Stephen 1 1 Winneconne 250 Hartzem, Stephen 3i do 20 Avery, S. 28 do H3 Henderson, H. 18 do 60 Alyea, John 18 do 89 Husmiller, C. 18 Winneconne 40 Anderson, Nels 17 do 80 John, Lewis H do 68 Blake, G. 31 do 145 Jayer, E. P. 18 do 5i Barber, J. 2 do 160 Kayser, J. M. 20 do 80 Breicer, George 23 do 125 Kilmartin, J. S. 18 do 40 Bliss, Charles 15 do 5o Korth, William 30 do 60 Bollum, John 17 do 40 Kellogg, J. 33 Omro 65 Bersch, Louis 19 do 40 Kaley, J. 30 Winneconne 40 Brunson, J. C. 30 do 60 Leicher, J. 20 do 120 Benedict, B. 13 Butte des Morts 80 Ladd, Moses 8 do 131 Blake, C. 32 Omro 60 LaBelle, F. 18 do 40 Cross, John 1 Butte des Morts 536 Lean, E. 2 do ' 120 Cross, William 1 do 80 Lee, R. 2 do 40 Cross, George 1 do 165 Larson, Onon, 22 do H5 Cross, James 1 do 80 Lean, E. J. 12 do 120 Cross, Dexter 13 do 100 Lesley, Mrs. L. 10 do 182 Cross, Hannah 2-12 do 78 Lightfoot, F. 23 do 82 Cross, E. H. 32 Winneconne 33 Leidenberg, William 19 do 80 Church, William 2 do 120 Locke, A. 29 Omro 80 Carey, Patrick 23 do 160 Ledwell, Richard 3o Winneconne 100 Catton, E. 13 do 80 Manuel, Washington 1 do 80 Caulkins, Wm. G. 11 do 338 Mantor, M. S. 2 do ISO Champion, J. 10 do 354 Miller, Sophia 3 do 177 I879-J DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 315 NAME. S. POST-OFFICE. A. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. Miller, C. E. 3 Winneconne 148 Yost, P. 2 * Winneconne 240 Martin, Daniel 23 do 129 York, S. 28 do 147 McColly, Oscar IS do 75 Zellmarr, C. 3 do 60 McColly, Wills IS do 5 McCabe, Eve 30 do 40 Miller, Charles, Jr. Miller, Charles, Sen. 22' 12 do do i77 240 TOWN OF WINCHESTER. Miller, T. C. 15 do 105 NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. Miller, William C. 18 do 40 Anderson, Ole 34 Winchester 80 Miller, John 19 do 135 Anderson, Andrew 15 do 40 Miller, Tobias 15 do 55 Anderson, Jas. 20 do 105 Morton, S. 20 do 40 Annunson, Helger 21 do 172 McCugo, M. 18 do 103 Annunson, Kittle 22 do I84 Madden, Daniel 3i do 69 Annunson, John 24 do 349 Miracle, Joseph 1 1 do 160 Annunson, Halver 25 do 484 Olson, A. 10 dd 80 Austin, A. 34 do 120 Olson, Ole 22 do 40 Brightman, Damon 28 do 98 Peterson, Augustus IO do no Clark, Jas. 3i Zoar 49i Pillman, Chris. 22 do 20 Cross, Sylvester 35 Winneconne 40 Pritchett, H. l6~ do 40 Christiansen, Jens 1 Winchester 117 Peterson, C. 18 do 40 Christiansen, Peter 1 1 do 174 Parker, Thomas, 31 do 20 Christiansen, H. C. 12 do 258 Pingry, William 32 Omro 132 Christiansen, Jacob 22 do 30 Pingry, John 32 do 20 Charnley, C. 24 do 100 Pierson, Thomas 22 Winneconne 18 Clark, J. N. 24 do 38 Place, F. W. 34-35 Omro 59 Cooney, John 27 do 62 Rasmussen, C. 3 Winneconne 29 Davidson' C. 35 do 40 Reif, John 3 do 20 Danielson, 0. C. 34 do 50 Revoir, Joseph 17 do 45 Dallstram, John 23 do IOO Race, Fred 30 do 60 Dalen, John Olsen 21 do 40 Snider, G. 24 Butte des Morts 200 Draeger, Wm. 18 do 120 Stultzman, N. 13 do 80 Dallman, C. 3 do l6o Stultzman, V. 12 do 40 Doughty, Thos. -1 do 80 Strong, A. 29 Winneconne 80 Drews, Frederick, Sr. 5 do IOO Sharp, George 29 do 40 Drews, August 6 do 80 Sumner, L. M. 30 do 60 Drews, Carl 6 do 178 Sumner, Z. M. 30 do IOO Drews, Frederick, Jr. 7 do 120 Sumner, C. 30 do 80 Eastonsen, Thos. 17 do 170 Smith, S. F. 20 do 120 Engle, Daniel 18 do . 140 Smith, Samuel 20 do 40 Erickson, Ole 26 do 40 Smith, W. A. 33 Omro 61 Enos, L, B. 26 do 40 Steiner, F. 29 Winneconne 80 Falk, Otto 16 do l6o Sullivan, Jerry 19 Poygan 40 Ford, Chas. 27 do 21 Sullivan, T. H. 30 do 40 Furman, Wm. 28 do 80 Stipps, F. 34 Omro 40 Gotfertson, Hans 26 do 30 Thomas, L. 2 Winneconne 90 Henrickson, John 34 do 40 Tipler, George H do 140 Hanson, R. 34 do 30 Tucker, R. 15 do 35 Hanneman, Frederick 30 Zoar 240 Tucker, J. 19 do 40 Halverson, Jens. 28 Winchester IOO Tonnesson, T. 32 do 96 Hawkinson, Ole 27 do 60 Vredenburg, D. H do 140 Heidcke, Carl 9 do. IOO Vredenburg, E. & P. -i5 do 177 Hanson, Jens 11 do 80 Wright, Greenbury 13 Butte des Morts 80 Helgerson, H. 13 do 209 Wetson, H. 20 Winneconne 80 Halverson, John iS do 96 Wilbur, Ed. 30 do 80 Hanson, John 16 do 205 Williams, W. H. 32 do 160 Hanson, Hans 17 do 171 Wilcox, H. 3 do 20 Haralson, Kittle 19 do 280 White, J. 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P5 n C 3 — O cr3 o 3 tOtOtOOOtOtOtOi-i •— ' >— ' •— 1 >— ' 1— 1 1— 1 t0(0MtOC>JC>0(-O!jJi-HtOi-H CotOtJi-Hi-Hi-HtOi-ii-H +^^1 ooooh^ i-vo O oovo e3si^i<-n-f^CMC>jtA> i-h i-h^jCjj oomvOui OSCJs(3s^Jh^ OSh>.oj c?\h^ to^t OsOs^i OsOSC>s<-"VO ooto O.OhD.O-.OhCi.D.OhCuO-D-D.D-D-0-D.O-O-D.D-DhCi.D.D.D.D.D.D.ClO^OOOOO. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOO' to M h M N h tOtO tO Ol-n tO tO^J^J<-n<-"VOVO en 3 aaaaaaD.afiD.f' oooooooooocr rt enc-f rt O H6MMOW vo ^1 O ~-J 00 tO I- H> -(S. O O >-" O O « M H M W +. >H to ^t 1- to to (3ovo vC^JOsOOH>.to-ti. OVO too^ivovo O 0<-"0 O O VO O HH l-H W l-H tO 00+. O " M OJ O O to <-n O O ^ (J\O0 M UnN OOO i-h (»0 OOcXltO H^JiOJ^VO'^ls. c>Dh>.^J O0h>. ooto to O<->iOOO'-Ht0O^JO0-|i.OOOvOOOi-HUi^itj-iOOvoOO'-"00i-O I879-J DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. 317 NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. Torgerson, Ed. 12 Winchester 3 Torginson, Torginson IS do 380 Torkelson, Ole 20 do 160 Tolifson, A. 21 do 79 Torbjornson, Ole 21 do 200 Torgrinson. John 29 do 120 Uvass, Ole Halverson 24 do 140 Vradenberg, E. & P. 34 Winneconne 10 Wackholz, Chris. H Winchester 140 Winkleman, Frederick 10 do 170 Westofer, Margarette 15 do 20 Westofer, Ole A. 3i Zoar 40 Winnegar, Frederick 17 Winchester 97 Wilson, Mrs. Martha 21 do 8 Young, Betsy 27 do 18 Young, Azro 27 do 22 Zelmer, David 13 do 80 Zelmer, Lewis 19 do 232 Zejmer, Christian 19 do 20 TOWN OF WOLF RIVER. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A, Backer, Carl IO Orihula 150 Burgener, Chris 8 do 209 Bauer, Fredrich 12 do 80 Bohren, Fredrich 16 do 103 Bartel, William 18 do 106 Bartel, Reinhart 18 do 83 Bartel, Julius 19 do l60 Braun, Herman 19 do 120 Babertz, Daniel 21 do 200 Burgliard, Carl BairTWilhelmina 21 do SO 1 Redfield IO Bruss, Martin 2 do 11S Backer, August 5 Fremont 20 Backer, Johann 6 do 40 Blair, Isaiah 6 do 4i Boyson, Charles 3i Tustin 200 Dorrow, William 1 Redfield 40 Dorrow, Franz 12 do 80 Drews, Carl 1 do 180 Drews, Carl, Jr. 2 do 25 Durky, August 4 Fremont 96 Dsegener, William 16 Orihula 77 Draeger, William 21 do 60 Dobberphul, Carl 25 Zoar 80 Eaton, Charles 6 Fremont 180 Fuhrman, Fredrich 1 Redfield 20 Farmer, Racine 6 Fremont 4o Fenner, Fredrich 19 Orihula 90 Finke, August 20 do 120 Freer, Charles 3i Tustin 75 Gabert, Caroline 30 Orihula 47 Gruenhagen, Franz 16 do 81 Geshke, William 18 do 90 Gruning, Christoph 29 do 90 POST-OFFICE. Grath, August Gorgas, Carl Geittenger, Fredrich Grosch, William Hasse, August Hickman, Jerry Haf, Christopher Hoffberger, John Hoffberger, Joseph Hahn, Carl Hildebrand, Joseph Hildebrand & Thorn Houer, Henry Jager, Fredrick Jager, Ferdinand Jager, Herman Jager, Emil Jung, Louis Jung, Fredrich Julius, Fredrich Kreutzer, Johann Kreuger, August Kapitzky, Michael Krause, Fredrich Krehnke, Carl Krehnke, William Kleinsmith, Rudolf Kerschng, Emil Koepp, August Kraemer, Adam Knoke, John Kieson, Edward Leutke, Carl Labudde, Rudolph Leutejibach, Fredrick Luzow, Martin Morehouse, P. C. Manhart, Joseph Miller, Carl Margwert, Michael Much, Carl Merten, Fredrick Much, Franz Metzig, Benjamin Meszig, Gothelf Metzig, August Mastzelt, Fredrick Meirhcefer, Fredrick Nimoth, George, Sen. Nimoth, George, Jr. Nimoth, Jacob Nimoth, Franz Nimoth, August Neuschaeffer, Albert Neubauer, John Neubauer, Thomas Oesterich, Carl, Jr. Oesterich, Ferdinand 2 Redfield So 12 do 80 13 do 80 23 Zoar 122 I Redfield 80 6 Fremont 43 6 Orihula 40 9 do 214 20 do 80 21 do 120 29 do 120 33 do 154 25 Zoar 401 14 Redfield 80 14 do 80 23 do 70 24 do 100 7 Orihula -80 18 do 86 1 Redfield 80 6 •Fremont 40 12 Redfield 80 7 Orihula 80 7 do 40 17 do 139 17 do 269 20 do 80 21 do 169 28 do 50 21 do 80 24 Zoar 95 25 do 120 12 Redfield 80 18 Orihula 60 20 do 190 32 Tustin 62 6 Fremont 95 8 Orihula "9 9 do 40 17 do 64 19 do 80 20 do 80 1 1 Redfield 136 13 do 265 13 do 80 14 do 140 23 Zoar 140 30 Orihula 40 1 1 Redfield 140 1 1 do 70 1 1 do 184 1 1 do 40 0 do 120 28 Orihula 160 4 do 213 17 do 95 17 do 120 17 do 79 42 318 DIRECTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN. [1879. NAME. s. POST-OFFICE. A. Otto, August 17 do H9 Prebbenow, William 1 Redfield 80 Prebbenow, Fredrich 1 1 do IOO Posselt, Carl 12 do I IO Posselt, Fredrich 13 do IOO Peter, Charles 4 Fremont 135 Pitt, Charles 5 do 90 Pitt, Harris 6 do 40 Piperkorn, Bernhard 7 Orihula 40 Prellovitz, Fredrich, Sr 19 do 80 Prellovitz, John 19 do 138 Prellovitz, Martin 30 do 93 Quant, August 1 Redfield 30 Reidel, Henriette 2 do 80 Raatz, Fredrich 14 do IOO Radke, Fredrich 8 Orihula 79 Restan, Herman 18 do 80 Raess, William 20 do 80 Sawall, John 1 Redfield 80 Stravensky, Julius 5 Fremont IOO Spindler, Hermon S do 168 Spindler, Henry 5 do 68 Schmand, Martin 5 do IOO Schulke, Gottlieb 7 Orihula 120 Schulke, Michael 8 do 102 Schmidt, William 10 do 160 Schcenrock, Franz 16 do 79 Schmidt, Joseph 16 do 78 Sasse, Hermon 29 do 120 Sieger, John 29 do IOO Sieger, Lorenz 29 do IOO Springer, Chris. 3o do 40 Shierland, Charles 30 do 80 NAME. S. POST-OFFICE. A. Shierland, Fredrich 30 Qrihula 80 Steiger, Gottlieb 9 do 141 Steiger, Jacob 4-5 do 74 Schmidt, Charles 24 Zoar 120 Spiegleberg, Carl 25 do 80 Spiegleberg, Fredrich 25 do 160 Spiegleberg, William 36 do 90 Spiegleberg, Ferdinand 36 do 71 Sieger, Dominicus 31 Tustin 40 Tews, August 1 Redfield 80 Telluck, John 9 Orihula 80 Telluck, Carl 10 do 80 Telluck, Jacob 30 do 120 Tokassky, Rudolph 18 do 100 Theby, George 21 do 40 Ulrich, Chris. 17 do 80 Ulrich, Louis 28 do 12 Ulrich, Dora 28 do ¦-. 80 Ulrich, Julius 28 do 80 Ulrich, Daniel 29 do 40 Voigt, Emil 1 Redfield 65 Voigt, Joseph 28 Orihula 224 Velte, Chris. 31 Tustin 125 Velte, Adam 31 do 80 Wamke, William 4 Fremont 140 Wishow, Gothelf 13 Redfield 120 Vendland, William 13 do 106 Wentzel, August 16 Orihula 142 Wentzel, Ed. 28 do 80 Wohlrabe, Fredrich 30 do 80 Zitlow, Fredrich 17 do 40 Zeim, Fredrich 24 Zoar 120 Zelmer, Albert 26 do 263 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIEECTOEY. CITY OF OSHKOSH. ABSTRACTS OF TITLE. Jones & Frentz, Waugoo, e. of Main. AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. Luce, C. G., 23 Kansas. Mears, J. H., I Main. Schomer & Gallinger, Eighth, e. of Kansas. Stroud, W. D., 2 Main. Architects. Bell & Cole, cor. Pearl and Market. Waters, William, over Post Office. AMERICAN. EXPRESS OFFICE. Colvin, Wellington, agent, 2 Main. BANKS. Commercial Bank, 60 Main. First National Bank, cor. Main and Wash ington. Union National Bank, cor. Main and High. BAKERS. Gunz, Edward, 36 Kansas. Heisinger Bros., cor. Main and Washington. Nicolai, M., II Eighth. Schmidt, Henry, II Main. Zinn, Henry, Main, cor. Polk. BAKING-POWDER MANUFACTURERS. Musser, B. J., & Co., 300 Main. BLACKSMITHS. Brown, W. S., Mill, n. of Main, (Algoma). Charbonneau, Peter, Shonaon, cor. Otter. Corrigall & Wyland, rear 221 Main. Froehlich, August, Nebraska, cor. Eighth. Genal, Christian, 70 Oregon. Gillingham, James, & Son, 3 Marion. Gunz, John'G., Kansas, cor. Eleventh. Jones & Pryne, Eighth, e. of Nebraska. Kane, James, Division, s. of High. Leininger, Peter, Nebraska, s. of Sixth. Mierswa, Daniel, 8 Ceape. Mierswa, Gotleib, Eighth, w. of Kansas. Morehouse, C. B., & Son, Pearl, cor. Light. Sandford, Albert, Shonaon, n. of Ceape. Schoonover, D. M., Shonaon, cor. Waugoo. Streich, A., & Bro., Oregon, cor. Sixth. Wyman, G. D., 6 Ceape. BOILER WORKS. Burns, Alex, 17 Ceape. Union Steam Boiler Works, Martin T. Battis, prop., Market, cor. Pearl. BOOK BINDERS. Hellard, Robert, 10 Washington. Kohlmann, & Brother, 16 and 18 Waugoo. Sarau & Weidner, over 98 Main. BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS. Allen & Hicks, 141 and 143 Main. Fernandez & Bright, Hand 16, Washington. Kohlmann & Brother, 16 and 18 Waugoo. Morley, H., & Co., Main, cor. Washington. . Sarau & Weidner, over 98 Main. BOOKS AND STATIONERY. Allen & Hicks, 143 Main. Brauer, Wm. G., 106 Main. Carhart, E. E. & M..T. Fraker Block. Claggett, F. B., & Co., 140. Eastman, Geo. F., 97 Main. Huhn, Jacob, 26 Kansas. BOOTS AND SHOES — MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS. Barta, I. S., 92 Main. Baumgartner, J. A., 122 Main. BegMnger, J. M., 28 Main. Farrington, R. F., 129 Main. Gienke, Fred, 13 Kansas. Henkel, Geo., 94^ Main. Jenkins, J. E., 160 Main. Jenson, Theodore, 24 Main. Johnson, C. A., & Co., 125 Main. Kartheuser, William, 38 Kansas. Kinsley John, 83 and 155 Main. Meyer, H. A., 7 Kansas- Rehs, Charles, 1 Ceape. Rollins, J. M., & Co., 145 Main. Stone. J. B., Neffs Block, Kansas. Thayer, P. S., 161 Main. BREWERIES. Glatz & Elser, Doty, s. of city limits. Horn & Schwalm, 13 Doty. 320 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1879. WILLIAM HILL & CO., JOBBERS AND RETAILERS OF js3<&&-~- 1JM -s^feL ^raPfl0IiPE]^00D^C*^ M®mB X4,S' swaA lOl Mala Pfeset, OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. 1 879-] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 321 Kaehler, Christian, 160 Algoma. Kuenzl & Walter, foot of E. Pearl. Rahr, Chas., & Bro., Rosalia, opp. Fifth. BRICK AND LIME MANUFACTURERS. Cook, Brown & Co., also dealers in stone, land-plaster, drain tile and cord wood, 13 Marion. Kusche Brothers, Ceape. CARRIAGE MANUFACTURERS. Parsons, -Neville & Co., Carriage Works, office and warerooms 1, 3 and 5 Main. demons., H. H., Division, s. of High. Rudd & Holden, Church, near Main. CHEESE AND BUTTER-BOX MANUFACTURERS. Wisconsin Man'f'g Co., River, cor. Bay. CHEMICAL WORKS. Musser, B. J., & Co., 300 Main. CIGARS AND TOBACCO — MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS. Bammessell, L. H., 76 Main. Dercksen, Herman, 152 Main. Mehlmann, A., 18 Waugoo. Messner, John, 72 Main. Neumann Bros., 20 Waugoo, opp. Tremont. Schuer, Anton, 106. Main. CIVIL ENGINEERS. Leach, H. W., office, Court House. Palmer, Cornelius, 124 Main. CLOCKS, WATCHES, JEWELERY, ETC. Allen, John A., 74 Main. Austin, Frank S., 125 Main. Birley & Son, 135 Main. Hatch, Irving G., in Main. Kelly, Wm. J., 56 Main. Mayer, Max, 108 Main. CLOTHING. Eckstien Samuel, 29 Main. Haben Andrew, 55 Main. Leard William, 77 Main. Haben M., 157 Main. , COAL & SALT. Colvin Wellington, 2 Main. CONTRACTORS AND BUILDERS. Bell & Cole, cor. Pearl and Market. Lull E. M., Sixth, cor. Dakota. Polley Thomas, 84 Algoma. Schneider Henry, Thirteenth, w. of Knapp. Seely, Eli T., 21 W. Polk. Sharpe William, 9 Jefferson av. Stevens E. E., 82 Merritt COOPERS. Hilke August, 44 Seventh Pratt Franklin, e. s. Division, n. of Church. Scherck Charles, 6 Eleventh. Sperlich August, 10 Ninth. CROCKERY STORE. Decker J. F. W., 103 Main DENTISTS. Decker William, over cor. Main and Algoma. Eddy E. S., over 105 Main Kezertee Ira, over 137 Main Lawrence Amos, over 145 Main, DRUGGISTS. Bauman J. & Co., Beckwith House corner. Bealls D. M., 48 Kansas. Claggett F. B. & Co., 140 Main. Froehlich, J. A., 63 Main. Griffiths P. A., 28 Kansas. Guenther Richard, 109 Main. Osborn Samuel J., 48 Kansas. Schmidt J. F. W., 175 Main. Williams M. ]., 153 Main. Williams Wm. L. , 59 Main. DRY GOODS. Carswell & Hughes, 105 Main. Forbes D. H., 79 Main. Hill Wm. & Co., 149 & 151 Main. Jones Brothers, 101 Main. Josslyn Brothers, 93 Main. Kimpall Mrs. E. A., 112 Kansas. Leach, A., 107 Main. Moody S. D., 8 Kansas. Keumstead, Wm., 77 Main. FLORISTS. Miles Isaac, 21 Franklin. Nelson John, 157 Ninth. Struever William, 162 Ceape. FLOUR AND FEED. Bennett R. E., 60 Kansas. Blissett & Son, Merritt, 1. e. Main. Bornshine William, 16 Eleventh. Eilers Deiterich, 330 Main. Foote A. D. & Co., 15 Algoma. Frey C, 298 Main. Gittins John, 5 Church. Harnish, J. F., 62 Kansas. Rasmussen, C. C.,4 Ceape. Ives & Son, 155 Algoma. Labudde Fred, 53 Main. Williams John J., 50 Kansas. Winters Wm. G., 187 Main. FLOUR MILLS. Gustavus H. C. & Co., Sixth, cor. Nebraska. Wakefield Mills, Foote Brothers &Co., props., Broad, cor. River. Laab & Brother, cor. Fifth and Minn. 322 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1879. 1X1 A. XJGHTENBERGER & CO. -DEALERS IN- A}>. M NOTIONS, CROCKERY, &C, 254 anta. 25S ^Tain. Street, ?©£ - DEALERS IN - ^>i x*A3r,i>wax^e: 1 -v: ^2V STOVES. T1NWA] ALSO, MANUFACTURERS OF TIN, SHEET IRON f COPPER WARE, AGENCY OF THE No. 25 Main-st., OSHKOSH, WIS. I879-] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 323 FOUNDRIES. Morse John F., 16 and 18 Ceape. Paige C. C, 8 Marion FURNITURE. Banderob & Co., Ceape, cor. Court House. Brand, Robert, 25 Ceape. Hiller, George, 30 Main. Hayden & Young, cor. High and Black Hawk. Hoaglin, J. N., 11 and 13 Church. Konrad, William, 33 Main. McCorison, Orrin. 182 Main Thompson, E. S., cor. Seventh and Nebraska. Soper, B H., 37 Main. Spikes, Wm. & Co., Seymour House Block, Kansas St. GROCERS. Ash, Ruben,' 12 Washington. Beglinger, J. M., 28 Main. Bennett, R. E., 60 Kansas. Browning, C, 18 Washington. Caldwell, W. E., 177 Main. Dalton, Joshua, M. E. Church block. Davis, Jerome, Kansas. Defoe, John M., 22 Main. Derby, W H., 164 Main; Dichmann, K. & Son, 100 and 102 Main. Eilers, Gustav, 126 Main. Fowler, Jabez, 128 Main. Gores, B. & Son, Main n. of Church. ¦ Hatch, Geo. J., 73 High. Herrmann, Ferd, 88 Main, cor. Waugoo. Hirtzel, JohnV., Oregon, cor. Seventh. Hoaglin, J. N., n and 13 Church. Holmes & Van Doren, 17 Main. Houer, Matt, 74 Merritt. Ives &- Son, 155 Algoma. Jabusch, Chas. A., 56 Kansas. Kellett, Robert, cor. High and Light. Kelly, Martin, 170 Main Kennedy, James E., 95 Main. Kische, Robert, Ceape, Cor. Rosalia. Kitz, Frank, 62 Merritt. Koebler, Frank, 71 Merritt. Koplitz, Edward, cor. Oregon and Four teenth. Kremer, Mathias, 44 Kansas. Kuebler, Andrew, Oregon, cor. Twelfth. Laflin, J. W. & Co., 158 Main. Lankton & Clark, 139 Main. Laubach,. Michael, Main, cor. Irving. Leitz, Fridolin, 30 Kansas. Lichtenberger, A. & Co., Main, eor. Polk. Lueck, John, 120 Sixth. Maine, A. J., 97 Algoma. . Mayer, Leonard, 49 Main. McKune, T., 38 Main. (Algoma). McWilliams, Job, Oregon, between Ninth and Tenth. Miller, F. August, 98 Waugoo. Monahan, James & Co., Oregon, cor. Eighth. Mueller, Fred. A., 88 Waugoo. Newton, Wm. L., Church, w. Main. Ostertag, Sebastian, 40 Kansas. Paige, R. F. & Co., 147 Main. Pommerening, R. F., Oregon, bet. Eighth and Ninth. Qninlan, Chas., 45 Main. Raedler, F. X., Mt. Vernon, cor. Polk. Reinhardt, Mrs. F. A., Kansas, cor. Eleventh. Scherck, Herman, 27 Ceape, Schmidt, Henry, 1 1 1 Oregon Schmidt, Julius C, 109 Oregon. -Schroth, Mrs. Lena, Waugoo, cor. Bay. Snell, A. &G. W. 80 Algoma. Snell & Bliss, 5 Algoma. Strehlendorf, A., 131 High Streich, John F., Oregon, cor. Seventh. Tesch, Gustavus, 183 Algoma. Thielen, Frank, 154 Main. Thielen, Paul, Main, cor. Irving. Tietzen, A. G., Shonaon, n. Waugoo. Vial, E. W., 81 Main. Voigt & Wendorff, 3 Ceape. Weitzel, Mathias, 86 Kansas, cor. Tenth. Weston, C. S., 15 Main. Williams, E., 48 Jackson. Williams, John J., 50 Kansas. York, J. W., 17 Algoma. GUNSMITHS' Percy, Frank & Co., 84 Main. HARDWARE. Hay, S. M. & Bro., 69 Main. Hutchinson, K. M., 39 Main. Krippene, Herman, 90 Main. Leach, Frank, 22 Kansas. Schmidt, Emil, 29 Kansas. Wille & Ploetz, 25 Main. HARNESS AND SADDLERY HARDWARE. Allen, A. P., 74 Main. Barlow, Henry, n. s. Otter, e. of Main. Jackson, F. J., 40 Main. Newman, James, 21 Kansas. Stier, Chas. & Bro., 31 Kansas. HATS AND CAPS. Richter, A., 131 Main. Snell, J. C, 137 Main. HACK AND 'BUS LINE. Athern, George, Shonaon, 3. s. Waugoo. HOTELS. Beckwith House, S. Beckwith, prop., Main, cor. Algoma. Fowler House, Wm. Perrin, prop., High, cor. Light. 324 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. L1879. iREMEMBER THAT AT. CARSWELL & HUGHES, »U,5?-&S?)QiW^l?;'SEliiS I?Q>H« m *\\\m\\\\\\v5MS m\\\\\V 8 © /« YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND THE CHOICEST ASSORTMENT OF DRESS GOODS, NOTIONS, AWLS, OLOAK8 9 MANTL1 AND BUY THE SAME AT VERY LOW PRICES. Our .Aim is not to be undersold, Our Jk\m is to deal in reliable goods, Our Jkim. is always to please our customers, Our ^Lim is to secure and keep your trade. ® ABSWiaXJL dk ITOIIi mm ALLAN CAHSWELL, EDWARD I. HTJGBMS. ¦i879-] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 325 International, H. Bammessell, prop., Kansas, cor. Seventh. Kansas House, Chas. Maass, prop., 88 Kansas. Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad House, Frank Larie, prop.-, cor. Pearl and Light. Phcenix House, J. Schneider, prop., 218 Main. Seymour House, Jos. Stringham, prop., 55 to 63 Kansas. Saratoga House, Theo. Week, Kansas, cor. Eleventh. Tremont House, Jos. Staudenraus, prop., cor. Waugoo and Shonaon. Winnebago Hotel, 68 Kansas. ICE DEALERS. Searl, M. A., 5 Algoma. Winnebago Ice Co., Dobson & -Tiernouth, prop's, River, e. of Bowen. INSURANCE AGENTS, Baker & Tuttle, over Union National Bank. Carrier, O. E., 103 Main. '• ' > Daniel & Gile, Fraker Hall. Gary & Harmon, under First National' Bank. Lawson, H. L., 96 Main. Nevitt, C. R. , s. e. cor. Main and Otter. Palmer & McLeran, 124 Main. Suhl, William, 106 Main. LAWYERS. Austin, A. A., 72 Main. Bailey, Henry, 90 Main, cor. Waugoo. Bouck, Gabe, 88 Main, cor. Waugoo. Burnell, Geo. W., over First National Bank. Cleveland, C. D., 103 Main. Eaton, M. H-, 55 Main. Eighme, R. P., Washington, cor Main, Felker, Chas. W., 81 Main. Felker, Wm. B., 81 Main. Finch & Barber, 83 Main. Freeman, Jas., 84 Main. :. Hooper, Moses, 131 Main. Hume, John W., 88 Main, cor. Waugoo. Jackson & Thompson, 60 Main. Kennedy, Wm. R., 72 Main. Merrill, J. H., Washington, opp. Post Office. Norton, Albert, Main, cor.fAlgoma. Petersilea, Edwin, 70 Main. Pike, C. E., over. Post Office. Randall, A. G., 46 Main. Stroud, A. E.,60 Main. Van Keuren, B. E., over First National Bank. Washburn, G. W., over Union National Bank. Weisbrod & Harshaw, over First National Bank. Weisbrod, J. M., 84 Main. Wheeler & Stewart, 129 Main. LEATHER AND FINDINGS. Jsenicke & Roenitz, 43 Main. Metz & Schlcerb, 86 Main. LIVERY STABLES. Athearn, Geo. W., Shonaon, s. of Waugoo. Cameron, Geo., High, near Bond. Forbes, Moses, 22 Washington. Hobart & Holmes, Waugoo, cor. Shonaon. Little & Ryley, 202 Main. Siewert, D. F., 17 Seventh. Thompson & Sprague, 225 and 227 Main. LUMBER MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS. Beach, Orville, s. s., near M. & St. P. R. R. Buckstaff, Bros. & Chase, Fifth, w. of Kansas. Campbell, Libbey & Co., s. s. river, n. M. & St. P. bridge. Conlee Brothers, 5 Kansas. Foster & Jones, Sixth, cor. Oregon. Gould, James P., Tenth, near depot. Harris, Marshall, e. end Eighth. Laabs, John, & Co., Fifth cor. Oregon. McMillen, R., & Co., 177 High. Morgan & Brother, Marion, e. of Jay. Paine, C. N., & Co., e. end Algoma bridge. Peck, Oscar D., 64 Marion. Pratt, Geo. W., Marion, w. of Wisconsin. Radford, S. & Bro., 77 Marion. Ripley & Mead, foot of Blackhawk. Sawyer, P., & Son, High, n. of Blackhawk. Weed, James H.. e. end of Tenth. MACHINE SHOPS. Avery, Chas. H., 9 Marion. Morse, John F., 16 and 18 Ceape. Paige, C. C, 8 Marion. Ransom, Perry, Eighth, w. of Kansas. MARBLE WORKS. Heim & Abrams, Sixth, w. of Kansas. Moore, J. J., 141 Main. MATCH WORKS. Star Match Works, J. L. Clark, prop., cor. Pearl and Osceola. MERCHANT TAILORS. Boles, Joseph, cor. Main and Algoma. Duane, Thomas J., m Main. Eckstein, Sam'l, 29 Main. Forbes, D. H., 99 Main. Haben, Andrew, 55 Main. McCourt, Peter, 62 Main. Quinn, Thomas, cor. Main and Otter. Leard, William, 77 Main. Schuchert, Valentine, 160 Main. MEAT MARKETS. Baumann, Gusav, 52 Oregon and 34 Kansas. Ernst Brothers, 50 Main. Hennig, Carl, Main, cor. Polk. 43 326 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [i879. MERCHANT TAILOR. m -AND DEALER IN bMd, tftyaddt'tneied , ^vedA^md, H tt ir^J H W X- UX TRUNKS, VALISES,; H ATS, C APS I FUES, No. ap Main Street, OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. I879-J CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 327 Hoerning, John, 120 Main. Kiel, Julius H., 58 Kansas. Lehmann, Charles, 53 Sixth. Leland, S. H., 71 High, and 7 Church. Lenz & Haase, Oregon', between Ninth and Tenth. Mittelstadt, Edward H., Main, near Irving. Mueller, Joseph M., 104 Main. Neis, Mathias, 31 High. Pitcher & Sprague, High, cor. Division. Utz, George, 167 Main. Wakeman, Wm., Jr., 150 Main. MILLINERY. Cooper, Mrs. J. R., 9 Main. Davis, Mrs. M. E., & Co., 113 Main. Perry, Mrs. S. M., 2 Algoma. Weber, A. M., 87 Main. MUSIC STORES. Lampard, G. R., 124 Main. Wille, Frank, 26 Main. NEWS DEPOTS. Hellard, Robert, 10 Washington. Irvine, William, uuder First National Bank. Ryckman, M. A., 28^ Kansas. NEWSPAPERS. Early Dawn, Fraker's Block. Oshkosh Northwestern, daily and weekly, 143 Main. Oshkosh Standard, Main, cor. Washington. Oshkosh Times, 14 and 16 Washington. Wisconsin Telegraph (German), 16 and 18 Waugoo. NURSERY. Brainerd Brothers, Polk, cor. Evans. PAINTERS. Harmon, H. M., Washington, next to Post Office. Hasbrouck, Geo. M., 36 Waugoo. Spore, S. C., Waugoo, cor. Shonaon. Wagner, James R., Market, cor. High. Willock, J., Shonaon, s. of Washington. PAINTS, OILS AND GLASS. Bealls, D.. M., Kansas. Claggett, F. B., & Co., 140 Main. Guenther, Richard, 109 Main. Schmidt, Emil, 29 Kansas. Schwalm, Louis, 18 Main, Stroud, George F., 36 and 38 Main. Williams, Wm. L., 59 Main. WHOLESALE PAINT, OIL AND GLASS HOUSE. Stroud, George F., 36 and 38 Main. PERFUMERY AND EXTRACT MANUFACTURERS. Musser, B. J., & Co.'s Chemical Works, 300 Main. PHOTOGRAPH GALLERIES. Ely & Paris, Leach's Block, Kansas. Peterson Brothers, 155 Main. Robinson, W. H. H., 103 Main. Spink, R. A., 129 Main. Webster, W. F., 45 Main. Yount, Alexander, Main, cor. Church. PHYSICIANS. Ault, A., Washington, n. e. cor. Broad. Barber & Gordon, Main, cor. Algoma. Clapp, S. Lewis, 211 High. Dale, H. B., 5 Algoma. Eaton, L. H., 122 Main. Lawrence, Linda, 145 Main. Linde, C. & F. H., Main, cor. Waugoo. Noyes, J. C, Washington, n. e. cor. Mt. Vernon. Patton, Olive M., 56 Main. Russell & Steele, cor. Main and Algoma. Titus, W. H., Main, cor. Algoma. Wilke, Frederick J., 28 Kansas. Wright,' A. B., 99 Main. PLANING MILLS. Bell & Cole, cor. Pearl and Market. Foster & Jones, Sixth, cor. Oregon. Gould, James P. , Tenth, near depot.' Hume & W'ashburne, Fifth, near Iowa. McMillen, R. & Co., 177 High. Paine, C. N. & Co., e. end Algoma bridge. Parsons, C. R., cor. Pearl and Osceola. Williamson, Libbey & Co.,, Marion, cor. -Jay. PLOW MAKERS. Ward, J. H., Waugoo, cor. Shonaon. REAL ESTATE AGENTS. Church, C. D., Fraker's Hall. Harris, O. H., 126 Main. Nevitt, C. R., s. e. cor. Main and Otter. Sarau, Christian, 8 Kansas. RESTAURANTS. Arnold, Fred C, s. of C. & N. W. R'y depot. Arnold, Joseph, 35 Main. Buck, A. D., 47 Main. Burton, P., 22 Main (Algoma). Heisinger Brothers, 112 Main. Hine, D. H., 127 Main. Mentch, Abraham, 15 Ceape. Schmidt, Henry, 11 Main. SALOONS. Besnah, Phillip, 113 Main. Bly, Charles, 96 Main. Fiss, Charles, 32 Main. Hahn, Ferd., 82 Main. Heath, Charles D., opp. Post Office. Hicks, P. C, 33 Kansas. Heinze, Herman, 147 Ceape. Kloeckner, Joseph, 37 Kansas, 328 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1879- UNION IRON WORKS, OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. Stationary and Portable Engines, BOILERS, Mill and Steamboat WORK, Wrought Iron Pipes, Steam Fittings, Iron Castings, &c, &c, &c, &c. OSHKOSH STEAM ROAD WAGON AGENT FOE J. LEFFEL'S csi § Complete $tOdk of kll $tkple Gfaodjgf, -AND A FULL ASSOBTMENT OF- NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA FINE WORK. I879-] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 329 Kruko & Schild, 54 Kansas. Larie, Frank, cor. Pearl and Light. Lerch, Stephen, 172 Main. Luhm, Edward, 7 Ceape. Masse, Nelson, 98 Main. Meusel, Oswald, 24 Kansas. Mueller & Barlow, 27 Kansas. Neis, Mathias, 33 High. Neuman, G. W., 51 Main. Overton, C, under Beckwith House. Rasch, Chas., 21 Main. Schmitt, Henry P., 19 Main. Schneider, J. H., 19 Kansas. Schneider, Joseph, 218 Main. Schuri, Conrad, 48 Main. Staudenraus, Roman, 70 Main. Stelzel, John W., 52 Kansas. Summerfield, Fred W. , 15 E. Tenth. Thielen & Faustgen, 80 Main. Thielen, Paul, Main, cor. Irving. Thielen, Peter, 204 Main. Weinke, Herman, 15 Kansas. Zdlinger, John C, 16 Main. SASH, DOOR AND BLIND MANUFACTURERS. Conlee Brothers, 5 Kansas. Foster & Jones, Sixth, cor. Oregon. Gould, James P., Tenth, near depot. Hume & Washburn, Fifth, w. of Iowa. McMillen, R. & Co., 177 High. Radford, S. & Bro., 77 Marion. Williamson, Libbey & Co., Marion, cor. Jay. SAW SHARPENER MANUFACTURER. Miller, John A.', 9 Marion. SEWING MACHINES. Bailey, A. P., 14 Washington. Haber, Wm.' P., 3 Algoma. Powers, Geo. A., 168 Main. Session, L. C, Gill's Block, High. Smith, John W., 124 Main, SHEET-IRON WORKERS. Bassler & Goe, 27 Main. Battis, Martin T., cor. Pearl and Market. Gillingham, James & Son, 3 Marion. Hasbrouck & Monroe, 9 Kansas. Hay, S. M. & Bro., 69 Main. Hutchinson, K. M., 39 Main. Schmidt, Emil, 29 Kansas. Wille & Ploetz, 25 Main. SHINGLE MANUFACTURERS. BuckstafF, Bros. & Chase, Fifth, w. of Kansas. Campbell, Libbey & Co., s. s. river, n. M. & St. P. bridge, Clark, James L., Pearl, cor, Osceola. Conlee Brothers, 5 Kansas. Derby & Curran, Marion, w. of Blackhawk. Fraker, John S., 60 Marion. Griffith, G. C, Ceape, near Broad. McMillen, R. & Co., 177 High. Morgan & Brother, Marion, e. of Jay. Pratt, Geo. W. , Marion, w. of Wisconsin. Radford, S. & Bro., 77 Marion. Ripley & Mead, foot of Blackhawk. Thompson, Andrew, cor. River and Bay. Van Every, George, 25 Marion. Webb & Albert, Marion, foot of Market. Weed, James H., e. end Tenth. SHOEMAKERS. Brown & Connelly, Main, cor. Washington. Barta, Ignatz, 92 Main. Eldridge, L., High, cor. Division. First, Joseph, 215 Main. Henkel, Geo., 94^ Main. Havemann, D., 161 Algoma. Hitchler, J. J., Oregon, cor. Eighth. Hubertus, Joseph, 21 y2 Kansas. Kock, Anton, 100 Kansas. Kruko, Albert, Oregon, s. of Ninth. Lawless, Rickard, 205 Main. Levy, Patrick S., 187 Main. Mason, George, 8 Eighth. Meyer, H. A., 7 Kansas. Miller, John, 41 Seventh. Murray, Thomas, Beckwith House Block. Reis, Cornelius, 274 Main. Uder, Frank, e. s. Main, n. of Polk. Van Ness, S. P., 7 Sixth. Villnow, Otto, w. s. Oregon, 4. s. Fourteenth. SIGN WRITERS. Harmon, H. M. , Washington, next Post Office. Hasbrouck, Geo. M. 36 Waugoo. SOAP MANUFACTURER. Loper, J. R., propr. of Loper's Soap Works, cor. Marion and Market. STONE CUTTER. Chappie, Alfred, Marion, opp. Cook, Brown & Go. STONE QUARRY. Last, Frank, Thirteenth, w. of Knapp. STOVES AND TINWARE. Bassler & Goe, 27 Main. Bedient, H. L., 189 Main. Crawford, W. H., 34 Main. Dempsey, L., Division, near High. Hay, S. M. & Bro., 69 Main. Hasbrouck & Monroe, 9 Kansas. Krippene, Herman, 90 Main. Pratsch, John, 23 Main. Schmidt, Emil, 29 Kansas. Wille & Ploetz, 25 Main. TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES. McKenzie & Crawford, Ceape, cor. Court House. 330 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1879. [ BEAD CAREFULLY,] VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS ON PAINTING. BTT GEO. IF1. SrTJROTJlS. Outside Work — To do a first-class job on the outside of a building, use nothing but the best strictly pure white lead and boiled linseed oil, for the first two coats, then for finishing and last coat, use French zinc and boiled oil. Never use turpentine or benzine for outside work. Rule for Quantity — 100 fes. of strictly pure white lead will cover 1200 feet surface, two good coats, with 5 or 6 gallons of oil. 50 lbs. of zinc will cover as much as 100 lbs. of lead. Inside Work — For gloss finish use one-half French zinc, one-half lead, three-fourths turpentine, and one-fourth boiled oil. This leaves a flat white; varnish over with Damar var nish, and job is complete. Floor Paint — To paint a floor 16 feet square — Two good coats of the most durable and handsome paint, use the following: 4 lbs. French ochre, cost 20c, 2 lbs. white lead, 20c; 1 lb. red lead, 15c; 1 pint Japan, 20c; 2 qts. boiled oil, 45c. Total cost, $1.20. Agricultural Implements, Wagons, Etc. — Use one-half Venetian red; one-half orange mineral, with boiled oil. One pound of each, with a quart of boiled oil, will do a good job on a double wagon. Varnish with a pint and a half of coach varnish. To Prepare a Wall for Painting— Use one pound of glue, dissolved in from two to three gallons of water, and size the wall over; also use the same proportions in sizing wall paper, when you wish, to paint or varnish over it. A wall sized with the above can be painted as well as if boarded. To Restore Furniture — Apply some of Stroud's Oil Finish with a brush, and old fur niture will become as new. Remarks — A little money judiciously invested in paint is never regretted. Nothing beautifies nor preserves from the weather more than paint. There are so many worthless brands of white lead sold to those who are not judges of its merits, that when you have an institution that you can rely upon for the quality of the goods sold, don't go anywhere else. Remember, it -costs no more to put on good paint than worthless stuff, and bear in mind the motto, "The best is the cheapest." Having established a business exclusively of Paints, Oils, Varnishes, Glass, Brushes, Etc., I have endeavored, by fair dealing, to satisfy my customers. This was the first institution of the kind in Wisconsin; this line of goods having previously been handled by druggists. The great success of my endeavors to suit customers is a sufficient encouragement that the people appreciate fair dealing. I879-] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 331 Wolf River Transportation Co., Tom Wall, Superintendent, dock 2 Main. TRUNK MANUFACTURERS. Schmidt Brothers, office 211 and 213 Main. VINEGAR MANUFACTURERS. Fugleberg & Metz, 93 Doty. Young, John, 91 Doty. WAGON MAKERS. Corigall & Wyland, rear 221 Main. Daum, Theodore, Nebraska, cor. Eighth. Littfin, John, 9 Ceape. Mierswa, Charles, Eighth, w. of Kansas. Mierswa, Daniel, 8 Ceape. Neubauer, John, 6 Ceape. Sawtell, William, 32 Main (Algoma). WINES AND LIQUORS. Kloeckner, Joseph, 37 Kansas. Meusel, Oswald, 24 Kansas. WOOD TURNERS. Ball, J. M., Ceape, w. of Broad. Banderob & Co., Ceape, cor. Court House. Bell & Cole, cor. Pearl and Market. Brand, Robert, 25 Ceape. WOOL MERCHANT. Kennedy, J. E., 95 Main. JAMB© B. 1I1H1DT, Ho. 95 Main Street, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL mm TEAS A SPECIALTY. -ALSO FOE- SEED, BEANS, BUTTER, CHEESE, ETC., ETC. mmtm, -DEALER IN- -^$^@&-*!^&^ "*** S OiF&OOEIRIIEiSi -^*v PROVISIONS, FRUITS # VEGETABLES, 46 &W u. \% 332 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1879. J"_ TZ. LOPER, MANUFACTURER OF SUPERIOR BRANDS OF Laundry^ Toilet Soaps, REFINED CYLINDER TALLOW, Strictly; Pure Me&tsfbot Oil Oi S1XTT3 £fif Wisconsin Use Loper's Upper Ten Soap for the Toilet, Bath and Laundry. It is the Great Unexcelled. \ Among the manufactures of the city which have started, into new life, with enlarged pro portions, since the fire, are the new Soap Works of J. R. Loper. Mr. Loper has .been burnt; out three times, meeting with heavy losses, and has built up larger than ever, and furnishes another instance of Oshkosh enterprise and business vigor. , The new building is a fine fire-proof structure, with largely increased facilities for the man ufacture of the superior article of soaps, which are rapidly winning their way into popular favor. He guarantees low prices, according to the times, and warrants goods just as represented. i88o.J CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 338 VILLAGE OF OMEO. AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY, ETC. Alexander Gadbaw. BARREL FACTORY. Almond Grey. BOOTS AND SHOES. C. C. Covey & Co. Leighton & Gillman. P. Samphier & Bro. B. H. Whitman. BOOKS AND STATIONERY. Piatt. Wright. BLACKSMITHS. C. W. Bushnell. C. A. Coe. William Cundy. E. T. Sheldon. COLLECTING AGENT. ' Alex. Gadbaw. CLOTHING. Treleven & Orchard. COMMERCIAL SCHOOL. S. R. Manning. DRY GOODS. Brookman & Co. Peter Cole. Pelton & Kutchins. DRUG STORES. Geo. W. Shafer. C. S. Douty. Henry & Charlesworth. DENTIST. H. Sheerar. EXPRESS AGENT. M. G. Bradt. FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOP. George Challoner. FLOURING MILL. E. G. Woodworth, FURNITURE. Geo. H. Charlesworth. GROCERIES, PROVISIONS, CROCKERY, ETC. Richard Reed, Jr. Leighton & Gilman. C. C. Covey & Co. Robert-Webb. H. L. Waite & Co. John W. Rice. Thompson & Hay ward. Mrs. Garrity. HARDWARE, TINWARE, ETC. W. W. Race. F. Bunker. HARNESS AND SADDLERY HARDWARE. J. T. Russell. W. B. Chapman. HOTELS. Larrabee House, A. B. Larrabee, prop. Northwestern House, Capt. W. D. Baldwin, prop. RICHARD REED, JR., -DEALER IN- Groceries i Provisions, CROCKERY, GLASSWARE, &c. OMRO, WISCONSIN. INSURANCE AGENT. James H. Caswell. LUMBER MANUFACTURER. H. W. Webster. LAWYERS. D. W. McLeod. A. K. Brush. J. A. Banks. LIVERY STABLES. Andrew Lansing. Joseph Lyons. A. B. & A. J. Larrabee. MEAT MARKETS. Aaron B. Tice. W. E. Wheeler. MILLINERY. Mrs. C. W. Jones. MISCELLANEOUS. Omro Cheese Factory. Omro Woolen Mills. NEWSPAPER. Omro Journal, Piatt Wright, publisher. PHYSICIANS. Jonathan Gibbs. R. L. Cook. P. H. Patten. G. C. Green. PIANOS, ORGANS, ETC. S. N. & R. W. Bridge. POSTMASTER. E. D. Henry. PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY. E. A. Thompson. MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL RAILROAD. C. W. Jones, Station Agent. RESTAURANTS. Mrs. Ann E. Martin. W. A. Clifford. SASH, DOOR AND BLIND FACTORY. Morton & Small. SHOEMAKERS. E. Gummer, DemmonBros., W. H. Shuttuck, W. R. Pettingill. SALOONS. Geo. Mitchler. H. L. Jasscen. Baxter Logan. 334 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1880 1. BABIOBD & BIO -^gJMANTJFACTUBEBS OF|§J f — ^? — 9 (5— 4J iffiSiUHI GLAZED SASH, SIDING, FLOORING, CEILING, -AND ALL KINDS OF- 288BD LU: '*^» @s was' Oshkosh, Wisconsin. -DEALEB IN- _jl|=g^ /_r^ SsSSw wwwwswwwWJs SSS WWWWWWVtt \\VVWSSSS d^OCE^^Y, C^KjsfSjf) $001)0, id. dort\ei< 3&uif&f* &qd >fintli gt0. •JEIImk'l ¦M-.f WIS* t88o.] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 335 WAGON AND CARRIAGE WORKS. Thompson & Hayward. G. W. Drew. J. E. Lindsey. A. B. Hall. WATCHES, CLOCKS AND JEWELRY. Chas. Chase. VARIETY STORE. Fanny McAllister. 3iTE!EiNr^^.Ei s-xott-e-wo^isis. CITY OF NEENAH. AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. O. J. Hall & Bronson, Wisconsin Ave. J. F. Mayer, Wisconsin Ave. AGENTS. C. & N. W. R. R., I. W. Hunt. Wis. Cent. R. R., Frank S. Verbeck. American Express, John Bryan. BANKS. National Bank of Neenah, Wisconsin Ave. STAVE AND BARREL STOCK FACTORY. Theodore Brown, Wisconsin Ave. BAKERIES. A. Loos, Commercial St. W. H. Longhurst, Wisconsin Ave. Fred Michaels, Cedar St. BEEF AND PORK PACKER. John Hunt, Canal St. • BLACKSMITHS. Kcepsel & Schuman, Main St. John Neary, Wisconsin Ave. Hans Oleson, Wisconsin Ave. James Monahan, Canal St. L. J. Butterfield, Canal St. Johnson & Mhyre, Cedar St. Chas. Bergstrom, Cedar St. BOOT AND SHOE STORES. Ernst Elwers, Wisconsin Ave. Henry Wildfang, Wisconsin Ave. J. Stilp, Wisconsin Ave. Seaver & Co., Wisconsin Ave. BOOKS AND STATONERY. E. P Marsh, Wisconsin Ave. S. F. Henry, Wisconsin Ave. BREWERY. Adam Ehrgott, near Main St. BRICK MANUFACTURERS. Albert Eisenach, Main St. Jerome Bailey, Main St. BUILDING CONTRACTOR. Watkin Gittins, builder of Neenah High School. BERGSTROM BROS. & CO., MANUFACTURERS OF Cook, Parlor and Heating Stoves, MAIN STREET, NEENAH, WISCONSIN. CIGAR MANUFACTURERS. George Schmid, Cedar St. C. Neustetter, Cedar St. CIGAR AND TOBACCO DEALERS. George Schimid, Cedar St. CLOTHING STORES. Frank E. Hubbard, Wisconsin Ave. L. Ganz, Cedar St. CLOCKS, WATCHES AND JEWELRY. George Rogers, Wisconsin Ave. L. H. Kimball, Cedar St. P. H. Sperry, Wisconsin Ave. — Haertel. COOPER SHOPS. L. J. Mathews, Canal St. Chas. Sutton, Canal St. John Lusty, Canal St. CONFECTIONERY. George Schmid, Cedar St. Gus Bonner, Wisconsin Ave. COMMERCIAL SCHOOL. Rev. T. T. Potter, Wisconsin Ave. DENTISTS. Enos & Schooley, Cedar St. A. L. & C. J. Bradley, Cedar St. DRY GOODS. L. Haas, Wisconsin Ave. Wm. Kellett, Wisconsin Ave. Henry Wildfang, Wisconsin Ave. Hart & Co., Wisconsin Ave. Francher Bros., Wisconsin Ave. DRY GOODS, GROCERIES, ETC. Alexander Billstein, Wisconsin Ave. G. Nimmer & Co., Wisconsin Ave. Clausen, Simpson & Co., Wisconsin Ave. Gotfredt Christensen, Main St. Lagner & Paul, Wisconsin Ave. Stridde & Brown, Wisconsin Ave. DRUGGISTS. E. P. Marsh, Wisconsin Ave. Wildie & Gleason, Wisconsin Ave. Barnett & Crane, Cedar St. S. F. Henry, Wisconsin Ave. 336 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. |_l88°- WM. SPIKES & CO. t ^JDEALEBS IN®J- ¦?-< ritRNtTURE MARBLE TOP TABLES, SECRETARIES, SPRING BEDS, JVIattresses, Children's Carriages, J2tc. UNDERTAKING A SPECIALTY. WE KEEP CONSTANTLY ON HAND -A FULL SUPPLY OF W60D 1 JMflHC C@FFI^ 1 C^KETft A Good Hearse Always in Readiness. WAREROOMS, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, KANSAS ST., Seymour House Block. OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN i88o.] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 337 FARM MACHINERY. Geo. E. Scott, Cedar St. FOUNDRIES. Bergstrom Bros. & Co. Wm. Aylward. FURNITURE. Hold & Smith, Wisconsin Ave. H. C. Jorgensen, Wisconsin Ave. — Thorneson, Wisconsin Ave. K. Brunson, Wisconsin Ave FLOUR AND FEED STORES. J. M. Thompson, Cedar St. N. Peterson, Wisconsin Ave. FLOURING MILLS. Smith & Proctor, Water-power. D. L. Kimberly, Water-power. C. W. Howard, Water-power. Krueger & Davis, Water-power. Wolf, Walker & Co., Water-power. J. A. Kimberly & Co., Water-power. Clement & Stevens, Water-power. GROCERIES. PROVISIONS, CROCKERY, ETC. Whitenack & Mitchell, Cedar St. McGillis & Bissell, Wisconsin Ave. Johnson Bros., Wisconsin Ave. Henry Wildfang, Wisconsin Ave. Chas. Paepke, Main St. Gotfredt Christensen, Main St. t L. Tauesen, Wisconsin Ave. Chas. A. Leavens, Wisconsin Ave. Emil Neudeck, Wisconsin Ave. John Irwin, Wisconsin Ave. Coats & Murray, Cedar St. Mrs. E. Hawley, Main St. Lagner & Paul, Wisconsin Ave. Clausen, Simpson & Co., Wisconsin Ave. HARDWARE, STOVES, ETC. W. P. Peckham, Wisconsin Ave. Krueger & Willard, Wisconsin Ave. L. W. Stowe, Wisconsin Ave. W. Thielecke, Wisconsin Ave. HACK AND 'BUS LINE. Jas. W. Brown, prop., Canal St. HARNESS SADDLERY, HARDWARE, ETC. Ferd. Faas, Wisconsin Ave. Cook & Hansen, Cedar St. John Clark, Wisconsin Ave. Henry Shimpf, Wisconsin Ave. HOTELS. Russell House, Wisconsin Ave. Roberts' Summer Resort, Doty Island. Page House, Wisconsin Ave. Island City House, Commercial St. Neenah House, Cedar St. Union Hotel, Cedar St. WHITENACK k MITCHELL, DEALERS IN Groceries @ Provisions CROCKERY, ETC., Cor. Cedar and Canal Sts., iTeeaa.a.33., T^7"is. INSURANCE AGENTS. Carl J. Kraby, Wisconsin Ave. Robert Shiells, Wisconsin Ave. Willard Jones, Cedar St. Henry E. Gustavus, Caroline St. ISLAND CITY MARBLE WORKS. Bishop & Cooke, Wisconsin Ave. LAWYERS. J. C. Kirwin, Wisconsin Ave. W. F. McArthur, Wisconsin Ave. J. B. Hamilton, Wisconsin Ave. Geo. W. Todd, Cedar St. LIVERY STABLES. Jas. W. Brown, Canal St. Thos. Hurley, Canal St. Kellogg & Coats, Cedar St. LUMBER MANUFACTURER. Henry Sherry, office, Wisconsin Ave. MACHINE SHOP. Johnson & Jamison, Canal St. MERCHANT TAILORS. Wm. Kellett, Wisconsin Ave. Alex. Billstein, Wisconsin Ave. Lagner & Paul, Wisconsin Ave. Frank Sheerin, Cedar St. Stridde & Brown, Wisconsin Ave. MINERAL WATER. Henry Wildfang, Wisconsin Ave. MEAT MARKETS. John McLelland, Cedar St. A. Loos, Commercial St. J. Kellett, Wisconsin Ave. F. H. Miller & Co., Commercial St. Fredrick Ulrich, Wisconsin St. Jacob Faas, Main St. MILLINERY. Mrs. H. B. Gile, Wisconsin Ave. T. Tippins, Wisconsin Ave. Miss M. E. Lansing, Cedar St. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. E. P. Marsh, Wisconsin Ave. NEENAH AND MENASHA GAS WORKS. J. D. Patton, Thomas and Henry Higgins, proprietors. 338 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1880. xt. c i3:oi-jvr^s. t. zs. -vjlj/t DoraxaiT. t No. 17 MAIN STREET, RED TOP, TIMOTHY it CLOYER § WHOLESALE W RETAIL ALL KINDS, 1 Constantly on Sand. FRUIT DEALERS, Ganned Goods, Grockery, Glass, Stone, Wood f Willow Ware, OSHKOSH, WIS. JOHN 8* FRA MANUFACTURES AND DEALER IN awtd Shiiudes and brabes. IAIUFACTUBES TIE CELEBRATED "GILT EBGE SHUGLES.' MARION STREET. n, rr R. E. BENNETT, DEALER IN First-Class Groceries 1 Provisions, TEAS, FLOUR, FEED AND CROCKERY. -»- -.CASH 0P-&.I3D I^OK. F^-I^I^ PROD-CTCB.*- -*- 3KP©= ©O Igaiaisias P-fe3?@@%9 Corner of IfcTlzitla. Street: i.88o.J CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 339 I£TSTT£S,:E3 -5TOTTE3. ZPttO^^ttTIT O. J. KRABY, AGENT FOR THE FOLLOWING Pirst Class Companies. .ETNA, of Hartford; HARTFORD, of Hartford ; QUEEN, of Liverpool and London ; COMMERCIAL UNION, of London. Rates as low as consistent with security for the insured. PASSAGE TICKETS sold to all parts of Europe. Also tickets over the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad. Also, Notary Public. Office in City Council Rooms, Neenah, Wis. MILLERS. Millers, in Krueger & Davis' Mill — H. C. Krueger, Nelsjansen, Hans Rasmussen; E. Lachmann, Bookeeper. NEENAH STOVE WORKS. Bergstrom Bros. & Co. , Main St. NEENAH ASHERY AND SOAP FACTORY. Wm. Grau, near Main St. OMNIBUS MANUFACTORY. G. Olds, Canal St. NEWSPAPERS. Neenah City Times, J. N. Stone, publisher, Cedar St. Neenah Gazette, Webster & Bowron, pub lishers, Canal St. PAPER MILLS. Winnebago Paper Mills, J. R. Davis, Pres't; Geo. C. Whiting, Sec'y. Patten's Paper Mills, A, W. Patten. Globe Paper Mills, Kimberly, Clark & Co. Neenah Paper Mills, Kimberly, Clark & Co. PLANING MILLS — SASH DOOR, AND BLIND ¦FACTORIES. E. F. Wieckert, Water-power. J. A. Sanford, Water-power. , PUMP MANUFACTURER. G. H. Ladd, Cedar Street. PRINTING OFFICES. Neenah City Times, j. N.' Stone, editor. Neenah Gazette, Webster & Bowron. PAINT SHOP. C. L. Webber, Wisconsin Ave. PLOW MANUFACTURER. Wm. Aylward, near Main St. PHOTOGRAPH GALLERIES. A. Michelson, Cedar St. Chas. Martens, Wisconsin Ave. PHYSICIANS. J. R. Barnett, Wisconsin Ave. E. W. Clark, Cedar St. I. H. Wright, Wisconsin Ave. N. S. Robinson, Commercial Ave. S. Galentine, Cedar St. N. J. Lund, Wisconsin Ave. RESTAURANTS. George Schmid, Cedar St. Gus Bonner, Wisconsin Ave. IlJ. P. Nelson, Wisconsin Ave. SALOONS. Frank Ehrgott, Wisconsin Ave. Joseph Monahan, Cedar St. L. G. Dubois, Cedar St. N. P. Nelson, Wisconsin Ave. Charles Paepke, Main St. John Pingel, Wisconsin Ave. Felix Murer, Wisconsin Ave. John Sturm, Wisconsin Ave. Michael Roland, Wisconsin Ave. E. Halverson, Wisconsin Ave. SEWING MACHINES. J. P. Smith, Wisconsin Ave. Hans Nelson, Wisconsin Ave. SHOEMAKERS. Charles Martens, Main St. Henry Paschen, Main St. R. H. Klinke, Wisconsin Ave. Carl Clausen, Wisconsin Ave. Michael Deal, Wisconsin Ave. C. Eeisenach, Wisconsin Ave. A. Amenson, Wisconsin Ave. — . Schwartz, Wisconsin Ave. WAGON- MAKERS. Kcepsil & Schuman, Main St. — . Thompson, Cedar St. PERSONAL. Among the list of business firms of Neenah will be found that of Whitenack & Mitchell, gentlemen who have extended the greatest courtesy and the kindest attention to the pjib- lisher of this work, and for which he returns his thanks. The members of this firm are both stirring business men who have secured a large trade, and enjoy a wide popularity, as the large num ber of customers who flock to their store well attests. They were among the first in Neenah to extend aid and encouragement in the publi cation of this work. 340 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1880. ii Builder. STONE AND BRICK WORK AND PLASTERING. Will furnish Estimates for the erection of Stone or (Brick Structures, (Plastering, dec. THIRTEENTH STREET, COENEE O^ ZE^IST-A.^5^. hsa3ksisp ikz-.wA'^e isr mMMmsmmmm^- No. 37 Main Street, Warerooms Oyer 31, 33, 35 ana 37 Main Street i88o.] CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. 347 © © ^*' ' >F iJA mmdaM tmd ' (y^e/a^, 1THE OLDEST GROCERY HOUSE IN THE CITY, ESTABLISHED IN 18571 -AND DEALER IN- •^\A^ ^V ZV/^ and Green Fruits, Canned Goods, Etc. 'ead a No. 81 MAIN STREET. OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN 348 CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY. [1880. GEO. F. EASTMAN, «0m W» Wimkhnmegg •fW^LlK-P^PE^v^PvWINDeWvgPPE^ Itf"o. ST ^*£a.iri Street, OSHKOSH. WISCONSIN. OR©E W» PHATT, MANUFACTURER OF mw& """ B '© c#l^/ o^f ^W y Wucon&m Qfoeet, WM. J. KELLEY, 56 MAIN, COR. OTTER ST., HAS THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPLETE STOCK OF Sine J^afetjes, ]|ie[j JevPefr^ ||ifyentfarc? |}[e., Suitable for Bridal^ Birthday and Holiday Presents. REPAIRING OF FINE WATCHES A SPECIALTY. &*ibu£& of kfaa (Hzk. 56 MAIN, COR. OTTER ST., OSHKOSH. Rooms fitted expressly for the business, with improved Skylight, Backgrounds, Instruments, etc. ARTISTIC WORK A SPECIALTY. For Family Groups and Children's Pictures light unsurpassed in the country. Old Daguerreotypes, Tintypes and Photographs copied and enlarged to any size, and finished in India Ink. ALL WORK WARRANTED. Photographs made only from retouched nega tives. A fine line of Black Walnut and other Frames constantly on hand. ¦UTo. 12© 2x£j&.T2>r S'TI&EE'r, Weisbrod & Harshaw, Office Over First JTdtional (Bank. oshkosh, wis.