THE WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

July 13, 1876

 

HISTORY OF FARMINGTON

 

Read by C. L. Green, at the Dayton Celebration

 

Township No. 22, North of Range No. 11 East, known as the town of Farmington, was first settled by Ambrose M. Gard, who made his claim in the month of September, 1849, on the north east quarter of the north west quarter, of Section No. 25.

 

As the tide of emigration was fast pouring into the then far West, the country soon became settled.  Among the first settlers may be named Roswell Hicks and Granville Jones, who made their claims on Section No. 27, in the fall of 1849, building the first house in the town, into which they moved about the 28^th day of December, having passed a portion of the winter in a cloth tent at Waupaca Falls, undergoing all the hardships and privations of frontier life; being surrounded by Indians and wild beasts, living for several months upon corn ground in a common coffee mill, and deprived of all of the comforts of civilization.

 

The first plowing was done by Mr. Jones, in the spring of 1850.  The nearest grist mill being at Plover, Portage County, they were obliged to take their grain there to be ground, it taking them three days to go and return, with oxen.

 

The first white child born in the town was Rollin Jones, in 1851.

 

C. O. Brown, a native of Sweden, came here in 1849.  Going to New York in 1851; he returned with about seventy families of his native countrymen, a number of whom settled in the north east quarter of the town.

 

On the fourth day of July, 1851, just a quarter of a century ago, the patriotism of the country swelled forth in the first grand celebration of American Independence held in Waupaca county, on the farm of Granville Jones, on the north side of Maple Island Lake.  The orator of the day was Wilson Holt, then residing in Waupaca.  There were fifty persons present at the celebration, coming from all directions on foot and with oxen.

 

As the land in this part of the country had not yet come into market, it could not be entered.  It was not until the year 1852, that it was offered for sale.  In that year the following persons entered land at the Land Office at Menasha:  Abigail C. Sessions, Horace Dewey, John McArthur, Robert Morrison, Roswell Hicks, Ambrose M. Gard, Merrik Barton, Caleb Preston, F. L. King, A. R. Gray, C. O. Brown, J. K. Parish, Geo. W. Ross, Jonas Nordeen, Otis Beck, John Harris, Francis Beardmore, A. E. Erickson, Alfred Godfrey, Maurice Hearn Eastman, Amie Oco Roberts, Wm. Pitt Edwards, Granville Jones, and S. Leonard.

 

On the 15^th day of April, 1853, the town was formed, the name Farmington being given it by Francis Beardmore, not because he thought it the best farming town, but because he was a farmer and thought it the most appropriate name.  Previous to that time it belonged to Waupaca.

 

The first election was held at the house of John Fisher, on the first Tuesday of April, 1854.  There were forty votes cast.  The officers elected were:  Granville Jones, Chairman; Merrik Barton and C. O. Brown, Supervisors; Francis Beardmore, Town Clerk, and C. O. Brown, Town Treasurer.

 

In 1861 an effort was made to build a railroad from Fremont on the Wolf River, to Stevens Point, on the Wisconsin, via Waupaca.  Aid was asked of the several towns along the line of the road.  Farmington responded by voting seven hundred dollars, also by subscriptions from private individuals.  The funds were used, the grading partly finished to Waupaca and then abandoned.  Since that time the Wis. Cen. railroad has been built, passing through the town, thereby giving to the inhabitants a better means of transportation.  There is now one flouring mill, one post office, a hotel, two stores, one church, three cemeteries, one railroad depot and seven school houses in the town, with about four thousand acres of land under improvement, and a population of about eight hundred.  The principal occupation of the inhabitants is farming.  The chief productions are wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, hops, and wool.  There are a number of fine residences in the town; also several beautiful lakes, which are the resort of pleasure and fishing parties.

 

One little incident may be mentioned, relating to the defenses of the country in its early days.  A large black bear having invaded the territory, the neighbors congregated together to drive him away.  He was driven across Maple Island Lake on to what is called Raspberry Island.  Roswell Hicks seizing his large sabre in his teeth, swam across the lake, drove him back to the main land where he was slain by the land forces.

 

                                                                                                            C. L. Green.