THE WAUPACA POST

March 15, 1894

 

PIONEER LIFE IN WAUPACA

How Waupaca Secured the County Seat

 

            There were lively days in Waupaca county in 1853, ‘4, ‘5.  The nights were lively too.  The county was in a ferment.  Waupaca wanted the county seat.  Little Mukwa from her nest in the marshes down in the southeastern part of the county squeaked out on the balmy air:  “I am going to have the county seat, and if you don’t give it to me I’ll divide the county and have a county of my own,” and true to her word little Mukwa erected a Bear county on Wolf River, but she could not bear two such wild names very long and Bear county went into hibernating quarters that have lasted until the present day.

            Weyauwega heard the wee bird singing of her prowess, and demanded that she also have the coveted county seat to beautify her desert sands.

            The circuit court had been held once at Mukwa.  It was the first court held in the county and Mukwa also had retained her tenacious hold on the county records. Waupaca concluded that from her geographical location she was entitled to the rich plum the Gods were about to bestow and laid her plans accordingly.

            Elections were in order and several queer pranks were played by the respective towns and villages.

            Something had to be done to break the triple dead lock and Waupaca had the man to do it.  E. I. Putnam, a wiry little-sized man, quietly moved about and informed the citizens that the village of Waupaca was roughly platted for the purposes of selling the lots to the highest bidder by the United States commissioner appointed for that purpose; that every man bought lots until his money was gone, and that one lot was left; that there being no one to buy it the commissioner in the name of the United States presented it as a public lot or park to the village; and that the land being available it would be a good thing to secure the county seat by building a court house on it.

            Putman, or as he was usually called, “Old Put”, cautioned silence and subscriptions for the erection of a Hotel de Justice, and whenever the matter was mentioned to simply say “the new hotel”, and leave the “de justice” off.

            Subscriptions began to come like snow flakes:  Silas Miller wrote down 5,000 feet of lumber and afterward increased it to 10,000; Truman B. Rich shaved the shingles; Dana Dewey furnished the stone and delivered it; he also tended the mason work; others put in money and work as they were able, and all observed silence as to “Put’s Hotel”.

            When Mukwans and Weyauwegan’s came to Waupaca on business or pleasure bent, they invariably congratulated “Put” on the progress of his hotel.

            Meanwhile George Washington Cate was, in 1854, elected judge of the seventh circuit, and presided in his judicial capacity for the first time in Waupaca county.  Court was held in the Methodist church which at that time was in an extremely unfinished condition.  Whether Judge Cate had any inkling that “Put’s Hotel” was destined to be the “Hotel de Justice”, I do not know, but I do know that when he was offered American Hall in Weyauwega, and promised suitable accommodations in Mukwa, he declined with a Chesterfildian grace, saying that he had decided to hold his second term of court where he held his first one – in Waupaca, especially as the accommodations were such as he wanted.

            When in 1855 the county clans had gathered for their semi-annual bout, and the Mukwan’s and Weyauwegan’s were ushered into “Put’s Court House”, they realized that after a three year’s contest they had been fairly out-generaled.  They yielded gracefully, as true men always yield, and since that time Waupaca has been the queen of the county.

                                                                                    CHARLES ROLLIN BRAINARD.