|
|
|
|
YE
BROWN BOOK Souvenir
of WAUPACA COUNTY - 1924 Compiled
By Orrin A. Rice Weyauwega,
Wisconsin 1925 INTRODUCTION In offering this
little publication to the public the writer has endeavored to give to the
younger, as well as the older, population an idea of what our country was 80
years ago. With due thanks to
Wakefield’s History and what we have from some of the old-timers, this
production is submitted. Waupaca County is
thirty miles in length from north to south and twenty-four miles in width from
east to west except in the northern tier of townships where the addition of
Matteson gives it a width of thirty miles. The territory now
included in Waupaca County, was, at the advent of the first white settlers,
occupied by a quiet, inoffensive race of Indians. Comparatively, it has
been but a few years, since the Indian title to the lands in Waupaca County was
extinguished, the final surrender being made to the whites on June 1st, 1852. The government survey
on the east side of the Wolf River was made in 1848 by the Hon. Theodore
Conkey; others helping in the survey of the county were Samuel Perrin, A. V.
Balch, Ira Summer, Mr. Huntington and Mr. Mumbrue. As in all new
territory there was much “jumping of claims,” the settlers finally formed an
organization or league, the object of which was to protect one another’s
rights. A committee of three
men was chosen before whom all complaints were made. The first committee consisted of Alonzo Rand, Benjamin Birdsell
and Claudius F. Eaton. Upon receiving the decision
of this committee the league proceeded, usually with much tact, to dislocate
the jumper. The County of Waupaca
was organized by legislative act approved February 17, 1851; the county seat
being temporarily established at Mukwa.
April 1st of that year the first election was held. The officers chosen being Chairman, David
Scott; Supervisors, Tyler Caldwell, and Peter Meiklejohn; Town Clerk, C. L.
Gumaer; Justices of the Peace, Moses Chandler, Albion Brandy, S. F. Ware and
John Boyd. The first meeting of
the new Board was held at the home of H. Ralph, in the village of Mukwa. At this meeting, a bounty of $5.00 was voted
for each wolf killed in the county; also, the county was divided into eight
road districts, overseers for these districts being, R. Nichols, Ira Summer, B.
F. Phillips, G. W. Taggart, Aaron Forkes, W. Chandler, Benjamin Birdsell and
John Boyd. At the second meeting
of the Board, held at Mukwa, October 7th, 1851, two voting precincts were
established, one at the home of W. G. Cooper in Mukwa, the other at the home of
A. Tibbets of Weyauwega. The report of Simon C.
Dow, Town Superintendent of Schools for Waupaca County for the year ending Aug.
31st, 1851, is as follows: Whole number districts set off in
towns - 8. Number of districts from which
reports were made - 4. Number of months taught in each
district - 3. Public money raised - none. Number of male children in said
districts - 90. Number of female children in said
districts - 75. Average wages paid to lady teachers
- $6.00. Amount raised and expended - $72.00. Whole valuation of school houses -
$350.00 At the meeting of the
County Board, held in Mukwa, March 5, 1852, six towns were set off, as follows: The town of Lind, the first town
meeting of which was held at the home of Thomas Spencer. The town of Weyauwega, where the
first town meeting was held at the home of R. Baxter. The town of Waupaca, where the first
town meeting was held at the home of Mr. Macintosh. The town of Centerville, with its
meeting at the home of Peter Meiklejohn. The town of Embarrass, the first
town meeting being held at the home of Mr. A. Wheeler. At the meeting of the
County Board in Mukwa, November 10, 1852, the following assessments were made
and taxes levied: Weyauwega, equalized at $11,639.50 -
3-1/2 mills. County and School -
$407.38. Mukwa, equalized at $292.26 - 3-1/2
mills. County and School - $1022.91. Lind, equalized at $3590.00 - 3-1/2
mills. County and School -
$125.68. Waupaca, equalized at $10,000.00 -
3-1/2 mills. County and School -
$350.00. A county seal was
ordered and the ordinance giving a bounty of $5.00 on wolves was repealed. The first order
issued, of which any record can be found, was dated November 10, 1852, and was
given to James Smiley for $99.74. The total number of
votes cast in the November election in 1852 was 187. The following officers were elected: Register of Deeds - Seth Warren; Treasurer - Simon Dow; Clerk of the Board - Melzor Parker. At an adjourned
meeting of the County Board, held December 7, 1852, the Town of Dayton was set
off, the first town meeting to be held at the home of Lyman Dayton. At this meeting, the Town of Centerville,
was assessed at $3500.00. The Clerk of
the Board and the Register of Deeds, were allowed $3.50 for stationery for
their respective offices. At a special meeting
of the County Board of Supervisors, held at the village of Waupaca, April 15,
1853, a motion was carried requiring the Sheriff, Register of Deeds, Clerk of
the Court, and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to remove their several
offices to the Village of Waupaca.
Gothic Hall was the place designated for holding the Circuit and County
Courts. At this meeting, the
Town of Scandinavia was set off, the first town meeting to be held at the home
of Hans J. Eleason. The town of Farmington
was also set off, the first town meeting to be held at the home of Mr. John
Fisher. It was resolved at
this meeting: “that in the opinion of this Board the votes cast in the several
towns of this County, at the late election for county officers in said county,
for the permanent location of the county seat of said county, were in
accordance with the provisions of the act setting off and organizing the county
of Waupaca and for other purposes; that said vote was in all respects according
to law; that by the said vote the County seat of Waupaca County is permanently
located at the village of Waupaca, and that the action of the Board in ordering
the Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to hold
their offices at said village, and the Circuit and County Courts to be held at
said village, is based upon the belief that such vote was legal, and that
Waupaca is the County seat of Waupaca County.” The resolution was
passed by the following vote: Yeas, J. J. Jones, Carr, A. P. Jones. Nays - Bostedo Smiley. The Board at that meeting accepted the
proposal of the citizens of Waupaca to furnish offices for the different officers
without any charge to the county. By legislative act of
February, 1853, Waupaca County was organized for judicial purposes, and
attached to the Third District. The
same act ordered an election, to be held on the first Thursday in April, 1853,
to elect a sheriff, clerk of the Court, and Register of Deeds, who were to hold
their offices until January 1st, 1854.
At this election, held April 5, 1853, the following officers were
elected. County Judge, S. F. Ware;
District Attorney, B. F. Phillips; Sheriff, W. C. Carr; Clerk of the Court,
James Smiley; Treasurer, Seth Warner; Clerk of the Board, Lucius Taft; County
Surveyors, Ira Summer; Coroner, Mr. Chamberlain. The results of the vote taken for the County Seat were as
follows: for Waupaca, 114; for Mukwa,
51; for Centerville, 14. At an election held
November 8, 1853, John Fordyce was elected District Attorney; and A. V. Balch,
County Surveyor. At this same election,
the question of Prohibition came before the voters of the county. The vote in favor of Prohibition, 279,
against Prohibition, 125. Waupaca
county was thus early placed squarely in favor of Prohibition. At this time, another vote was taken for the
permanent location of the county seat with the result that Waupaca Falls
received 256 votes, all other towns, 196. At a meeting of the
County Board held at Mukwa, November 15, 1853, the town of Royalton was set
off, its first town meeting to be held at the home of O. A. Rich, also, the
Town of Caledonia, its first town meeting to be held at the home of James
McHugh. At this meeting the
following resolution was passed - “Resolved that the vote taken for the
permanent location of the county seat, at the general election last fall, was
illegal, as no point had been designated by the legislature to be voted for,
and no notice given to the different towns in said county that such vote be
taken at that time.” It was further
“Resolved, that Mukwa is the County seat, and that all County Officers for
Waupaca County are hereby notified and required to hold their offices at such
place.” The resolution was passed by
the following vote, Yeas- Bostedo, A. F. Jones, Boyden, Smiley; Nays -
Sessions, J.J. Jones, Carr. It was further
resolved: “That all action taken by the
Board of Supervisors at their meeting at Waupaca, on the 15th day of April,
1853, concerning the removal of the County Seat from Mukwa to Waupaca, was
hasty and without due consideration, and that all acts and resolves passed at
that meeting, relative to the removal of said County Seat to Waupaca are hereby
rescinded.” This resolution was passed
by the same vote. By vote, the salary of
the Clerk of the Board was fixed at $75.00 a year, and that of the District
Attorney, at $150.00. It was further
resolved “That the building known as Miller’s Store Building in the village of
Mukwa, is hereby provided for the use of the Circuit and County Courts, of the
County, and it is hereby directed that the courts of the County hold their
sessions in said building until other buildings are provided. Resolved, “that the Clerk of the Board is
hereby directed to notify Judge Lamabee officially of the action of this Board
in this matter, and inform him of the provision.” These resolutions were
carried by the same vote: Yeas -
Bostedo, A. P. Jones, Boyden, Smiley.
Nays - Sessions, J. J. Jones, Carr. It was ordered that
the proceedings of the meeting, be published in the “Oshkosh Democrat” and “The
Waupaca Spirit.” In April, 1854, George
W. Cate was elected Judge for the seventh Judicial Circuit. At the annual session
of the County Board at the tavern of J. J. Jones, Waupaca, November 13, 1855, a
license was granted to C. H. Mack to run a ferry across the Wolf River at
Fremont, for the term of ten years. The County Seat was
located on the public square in the village of Waupaca. The Board rescinded “all orders or
resolutions and ...... of said Board, passed and signed November 15, 1853,
concerning the removal and location of the County Seat of Waupaca County. A Building Committee
of six men chosen, three from members of the Board, and three from citizens of
Waupaca, to superintend the building of the Court House. W. C. Carr, A. P. Jones and William Benedict
were chosen on the part of the Board and Wilson Holt, B. F. Brown and B. C.
Sessions on the part of the citizens. On November 6, 1855, a
vote was taken for the removal of the county seat to Weyauwega, of 1096 votes
cast, only 75 were in favor of the removal. Two other votes were
taken on the same question; it is told that only the jealousy of Fremont
prevented the removal of the county seat to Weyauwega, its vote being in favor
of Waupaca. At the meeting of the
County Board held at Weyauwega, in November, 1856, the following resolution was
passed: “Resolved, that the County
Board of Supervisors of the County of Waupaca assembled at Weyauwega, will not
accept or entertain any motion, resolution, or determination, which has a
tendency to bring in question the claims of either Waupaca or Weyauwega to the
County Seat.” The town of Iola and
St. Lawrence were set off in 1854, the town of Bear Creek in 1855. At the annual meeting of the Board at
Weyauwega, in November 1860, Township 25, Range 15, was declared to be one of
the towns of Waupaca County, according to the decision of the Attorney General, and was made a new
town to be called Matteson. The towns of Helvetia
and Larrabee were set off at this time. It was decided that
the erection of a Poor House and the purchase of a Poor Farm would be submitted
to the voters at the town meeting in 1861.
At a special meeting of the Board held April 10, 1867, a contract for building
a county jail was let to S. R. Sherwin and R. R. Roberts for the sum of
$7,725.00. In 1873, a building
committee was appointed to erect suitable buildings to accommodate the Poor of
the County, said buildings to cost more than $2,000.00. A committee was also appointed to locate and
purchase the grounds at a cost not to exceed $400.00. The location was made at Little Wolf. In November, 1873, the building committee reported that James
Meiklejohn had offered a donation of $100.00 provided the building was completed
within two years; this offer was accepted and the additional appropriation of
$2000.00 was recommended and adopted.
Mr. Meiklejohn also donated forty acres of land to the county as a Poor
Farm. In 1880, the Board
voted $15,000.00 to build a Court House.
The building to be completed before January 1, 1882. The city of Waupaca was to raise $7000.000;
$3000.00 was to be raised by taxation and the balance to come from the sale of
county lands and from donations. The
building commissioners were J. W. Bingham, W. A. Weisbrod, and A. S. McDonald. In 1881 steam heating
apparatus was ordered for the Court House. In 1882 the chairman
and Clerk of the Board were authorized to borrow $10,000.00 to settle county
indebtedness for building Court House and to issue bonds bearing 8 per cent
interest. A direct tax was to be levied
in 1883 to pay such indebtedness and interest. The first school
taught in the town was in 1852, at Mukwa, by Mrs. Stevens. The first school house
was built in 1852, at Mukwa. The first church
(Catholic) was built at Northport in 1857. The first marriage was
William McDonald and Miss Nichols. The first death was
Mr. McCorrison, in 1851. The first birth was a
child of W. N. Davis, of Mukwa, in 1851. The first saw mill was
built by Robert Grignon, in 1848. The first grist mill was built at New London, in 1857,
by Mr. Hale. The first post office
was established at Mukwa, in 1851, with C. E. P. Hobart for postmaster. It was on the route from Green Bay to
Stevens Point. The first store was
started at Mukwa, in 1850, by C. E. P. Hobart. H. Rolph started the
first hotel and saloon, at Mukwa, in 1849. The town of Mukwa was
organized by act of the County Board, at a special meeting held in March, 1852;
and at the organic election, held April 6, 1852, W. N. Davis was elected
Chairman, and James Smiley Town Clerk. The first apple trees
were planted by James Smiley, in 1851. VILLAGE
OF MUKWA The Village of Mukwa,
which obtained such notoriety during the “County Seat War”, was platted in 1851
by B. F. Phillips and August Grignon.
It was formerly a great trading point for the upper Wolf River
country. Charles Carron, a half-breed,
had his trading post here from 1838 to 1846.
It afterwards became the County seat, -- and what a wonderful advance in
the price of village lots! But a change
came; the County Seat was moved elsewhere, and the bubble burst. VILLAGE
OF NORTHPORT This village was
platted by J. S. Stoddard and S. Burbank in 1855. It was first called Stevens Point, then New Boston, and finally
given its present name. Its population
is about 350. It is situated in the
northern part of the Town of Mukwa, on the Wolf River, three miles below the City
of New London. It has 1 general store,
2 saloons, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 saw mill and lumber yard, 1 planing mill, 2
churches, and 1 hotel. The first settler was
a man named Stevens. William Patrick
came early in 1851, and Elijah Humes and his son Alden came in the same
year. Patrick built a warehouse. In 1874 a substantial
draw bridge was built across the Wolf River at this place. In 1857 a Catholic
Church was built; but it was burned.
The present structure was built in 1866. The Methodist Church was built in 1864. SMILEY’S
ANECDOTES James Smiley, to whom
we are under many obligations, was a hale, hospitable gentleman, living quietly
in his pleasant home near Northport. He
took a prominent part in our County affairs at an early day, and enjoyed
telling about being taken to jail because he refused to give up the books and
papers in his office to those who he thought had no legal right to them. He was born in
Ireland, June 20, 1915. He came to this
country in 1837, and had resided in Waupaca County since 1851, having held
several important offices. He was one of the
oldest Odd Fellows in the State, having been a member of the order for
forty-five years. CITY
OF NEW LONDON The City of New London
is located on Sections 1, 12, and 13, of the Town of Mukwa, and also on a
contiguous portion of Outagamie County.
Like many Western towns, its growth from an insignificant hamlet to an
important city has been truly phenomenal; and we can not think that New London
has seen its bet days. Its natural and
acquired advantages, its capital, its push, all will combine to save it from
the fate of so many mushroom prodigies of the West. In 1853 Ira Millerd
started the first store within the present limits of New London. In 1856 the first post office was
established, with William McMillen as postmaster. In the year 1848 the Lutsey
family left Shalersville, Portage County, Ohio, which was about forty miles
from Cleveland, and came to the clearings which is now known as New London. They located on the
North side of the river. They built
them a shack of hand sawed slabs stood on end and the cracks between these
slabs were plastered with a mixture of clay, ashes and salt. The bottoms of these
slabs were sunk into the ground to a depth of about four inches, and the tops
were pinned to a frame work which also supported the roof which was made of
raved out being about sixteen inches wide and four feet long. These roofs leaked at times, but to these
settlers this was of small consequence. The Lutsey home was
about 12 feet by 18 feet. Furniture
consisted of the bed in the corner, deal table at one side and the cook stove,
the only means of heating and cooking, located nearly in the center of the
room. This house was well banked with
earth in the winter and when summer came this banking was turned down and
honeysuckles and morning glories were planted. The Lutsey family then
built a log house about a mile from Water Street and cleared some land. In this log home Elwood Lutsey was born June
25th, 1851, being the first white child born in New London. From this home Lutseys
moved to Maple Creek on a clearing, and from there back to New London in
1856. They built the Angier House which
stood on the corner opposite the present Elwood Hotel. Mr. Lutsey, Sr., died
in 1857, Mrs. Lutsey continuing the management for a couple of years, then
renting for a while, Elwood Lutsey taking possession April 4th, 1879. This hotel burned January 17, 1892. Elwood Lutsey operated
this Hotel until 1883, then buying the New London House, operating this Hotel
until November 28, 1887, when this Hotel burned. He then moved back to the Angier Hotel, staying there until 1892,
when the hotel burned. He then built
the present hotel, starting April 1st, 1892, and operating same at the present
time. Numerous bands of
Indians were located on the banks of the Wolf river, making their living by
fishing, trapping, hunting, gathering wild rice, picking berries and trading
these with the settlers for pork and Crown whiskey, the latter being brought in
overland and costing about a dollar a gallon. There was an Indian
burying ground across the street from the Central House on Division
street. A great many Indian relics were
buried in this mound, such as beads, brass wristlets, arrow heads, breast
plates, bows and arrows, etc. In these
mounds only those of one tribe would be allowed to be buried. Today New London is a
city of 4667 population and is rapidly growing. CITY
OF WAUPACA The Village of Waupaca
was incorporated in 1857. The first village
officers were: President - D. Scott;
Trustees - James Chesley, W. C. Lord, E. T. Miller, W. Scott, C. L. Bartlett;
Clerk - W. Scott; Treasurer - G. V. Mooney (chosen by the Trustees in place of
C. F. Hutchinson, who was elected, but failed to qualify); Street Commissioner
- G. V. Mooney. Waupaca was
incorporated as a city in 1875. The
first city officers were: Mayor -
Charles Wright; Aldermen - G. L. Lord, C. S. Ogden (First Ward); J. W. Evans,
W. Wheeler (Second Ward); M. R. Baldwin, B. F. Brown (Third Ward); Clerk - F.
F. Wheeler; Treasurer - Edwin Selleck; Assessors - George Howlett, A. H.
Chandler; Chief of Police - Edgar Bangle; Police Justice - Samuel Bailey;
Street Commissioner - K. T. Chandler. The city is situated
in the western part of the town, on the Wisconsin Central railroad, and on the
Waupaca River, which furnishes excellent power. The water power is pretty well improved though its capacity is
far from being fully utilized. Business
men are beginning to appreciate its great advantages. Waupaca is one of the
best markets for the farmers in Northern Wisconsin. The chief product for shipment is potatoes. The city is the County
Seat of Waupaca County, and the Court House and Jail are located here. It is lighted by electricity, has well made
streets, numerous fine residences, and is in many respects a desirable location
for the man of business or leisure. WEYAUWEGA The first settlement
was made by Henry Turtellott, Amos Dodge, and M. Lewis, in 1848. The first church
(Presbyterian) was built in the village in 1854. The first saw mill was
built at Evanswood, in 1848-49, by Townsend, Powell & Lincoln. It has since burned. The first grist mill
was built at Weyauwega, by Weed, Birdsell & Co., in 1855. The first post office
was established at Weyauwega, in 1859, with Benjamin Birdsell as postmaster. The town was organized
March 5, 1852/ After leaving Fremont
and driving over seven miles of fine concrete road we come to the village of
Weyauwega. This village at the present
time has a population of 938. This modern little
village has concrete streets and walks, also an excellent street lighting
system. It has a weekly newspaper, The Weyauwega Chronicle, with a large
circulation, and one of the finest equipped printing outfits in the
County. Mr. A. J. Rieck, the editor is
not only a prime mover in the interests of the village, but is secretary of
“The Waupaca County Agricultural Association,” and puts up a Fair that is
second to none. A complete history of
the fifty years of this association is given elsewhere in this book. Weyauwega has a large
condensery, potato warehouses, hotels, general merchandise and grocery stores,
two banks, two “up-to-date” meat markets, two jewelry stores, a modern drug
store, two restaurants, a modern high school, in courses of construction, and
numerous other business places which it takes to make a modern village. It is also well to say that Weyauwega has
one of the finest opera houses in the state. HISTORY OF
WAUPACA COUNTY FAIR Compiled and Published
by the Secretary, Mr.
A. J. Rieck According to our
information the Waupaca County Fair was held at Waupaca for several years and
was then discontinued. A number of the
progressive and wide awake residents of Weyauwega, realizing the benefits to be
derived from an agricultural fair, held an informal meeting to talk fair, with
the result that a general meeting was called for October 3, fifty years ago
this last October. At this meeting it
was decided to hold a fair that year and the dates were set for October 15th
and 16th. To make a go of it 134
dug down in their jeans for $1.00 a piece (and remember a dollar was a dollar
in those days) and thus was started what has been built up to one of the most
successful fairs in the state. The records are not
quite clear, but by what we can glean from them, 60 gentlemen later took life
memberships at $10.00 each. Fifty-three
paid their memberships in full while 7 paid part cash and the balance later. Following is the list
of the names of the life members: F. W. Sackett, A. V. Balch, H.
Steinberg, Jas. Rice, P. L. Van Epps, C. M. Fenelon, C. Vincent, W. C. Potter,
J. Ennis, A. Schroeder, Jas. H. Whitney, T. H. McCourt, W. A. Weisbrod, R. M.
Lovejoy, C. B. Morehouse, J. D. Puffer, John Mack, H. Stillman, A. R. Harmon,
W. Woods, E. Hennig, Jacob Becker, Frank Conrad, M. Munsch, Jas. Meikeljohn, E.
Lindsay, L. L. Post, C. Neidhold, A. J. Van Epps, E. Wrightman, Jerome Crocker,
W. H. Weed, W. G. Gumaer, A. Gardner, A. L. Bostedo, Selah Cornwell, J. A.
Mathews, I. C. Alden, Eli Pettit, Jacob Burke, John C. Whitney, Konrad Gerold,
Fred Glocke, Benj. House, J. S. Walbridge, W. Springer, C. G. Tousley, Benj.
Dean, M. Roach, N. Anspach, John Baxter, W. Crane, W. Conselus, O. A. Rich, Wm.
Bauer, H. Stier, Abner Lewis, H. Young, J. Borngesser, Thos. Smith. Of the original 60
members, four, Jas. Rice, P. L. Epps, W. W. Crane, and A. Schroeder are still
alive and of the four mentioned only one, A. Schroeder, is still a member of
the association. The first officers of
the association were: President - J. Baxter, Lind. 1st Vice President - E. Mather,
Royalton. Treasurer - W. A. Springer. Rec. Secretary - E. W. Brown. Cor. Secretary - F. W. Sackett.. Vice Presidents - Isaac Hana, St.
Lawrence. Mr. Churchill, Waupaca. Theo. Spangler,
Caledonia. J. Wakefield, Fremont. S. H. Ashman, Dayton. Hollis Gibson, Lind. F. King, Farmington. Jas. Meiklejohn, Little
Wolf. Ira Millard, New London. J. A. Matthews,
Weyauwega. The first fair was
held in the turner garden and at the annual meeting when a lease for ten years
was presented, it was turned down and the association bought what was the first
part of the present fair grounds, from January Carpenter. Following is the
report of the financial secretary presented at the first annual meeting: Receipts. From Memberships
.................................. $132.00 From admission fees
............................... 183.25 From Subscriptions
................................ 32.25 From cash advanced to
pay premiums by F. W. Sackett 5.29 ----------- Total
................................... $352.79 Number of entries made
.......................... 1065 Disbursements. For Premiums
...................................... $211.00 *For Fair expenses
................................ 141.79 ----------- $352.79 *This item includes
lumber, nails, and labor in preparing ground, cost of brass band for two days,
hay for stock, ten assistant marshals and night watches to guard the fence and
property, printing and all other incidentals of the fair. Although the entries
numbered only 1065 it must be conceded that that was a splendid showing for the
first fair and for the times. In 1922 the
association paid for police and night watch $143.10, a greater amount for this
one item than the entire expense of the fair of fifty years ago. Like all other fair
associations the organization had its ups and downs but from the very beginning
the association steadily progressed and from a small beginning has built up a
wonderful fair. Many improvements and
additions have been made in the past fifty years and this is especially true in
the past eight years during which period the association put up many new
buildings, bought more land, the fair grounds at the present time comprising
about 22 acres and built a fine new race track. The present officers
are: President - H. W. Glocke. Secretary - A. J. Rieck. Treasurer - E. E. Bratz. Directors - E. F. Timm, Claude
Hinchey, A. C. Ewald, E. F. Munsch and A. W. Ritchie. Directors Representing County Board
- Fred Fisher, Waupaca; Geo. H. Dobbins, Fremont; Fred Fuchs, Marion. CLINTONVILLE The first post office
was established in the Spring of 1858.
It was Clintonville, with U. P. Clinton for postmaster. The mail was carried once a week from
Menasha to Shawano, through Clintonville.
Edward Decker was the carrier. The first school house
was built of logs, in 1857. Charles Matteson built
the first frame house and barn. July
7, 1885, he broke the first land,
planting it to potatoes. Clintonville was
organized as a village in 1879. The city was organized
in 1887. U. P. Clinton kept the
first hotel, in 1857. The first paid
preacher was Elder Peet, a Congregationalist, who came once a month from New
London. OGDENSBURG The first settlement
was made in 1852, by Erick Hermansen, G. Hermansen, and M. A. Oleson. In 1854 C. S. Ogden, S. Waite, H. Collier,
and others, moved in. The first school was
taught in Ogdensburg, by Mrs. Sarah Merry, in 1855. The first school house was built in 1855. The first saw mill was
built in 1854, by Judge Ogden. It was
burned in 1859. The first post office
was established in 1856, at Ogdensburg, with N. Livermore for postmaster. The
mail was carried at first from Waupaca, by C. S. Ogden. O. E. Druetzer carried it a few weeks. The town was organized
in 1855. The first town meeting was
held at the store of C. S. Ogden, April, 1855.
The following officers were elected:
Chairman - O. E. Druetzer; Clerk - C. S. Ogden; Treasurer - S. M. Waite;
Justices of the Peace - H. Collier, C. S. Ogden. Judge Ogden started
the first store in 1854. Ogdensburg is a
village of 237 population located on the Green Bay and Western Railroad. The surrounding country is devoted to
dairying and potato raising. The
Village has a bank, drug store, several general stores, modern garages, fruit
and candy stores, hardware and machinery dealers. It boasts of a modern new school house, and the churches are all
that could be desired. MARION The Village of Marion,
in this town, is one of the most prosperous villages in the County. It is situated in Section 2, on a good water
power of the North Branch of the Pigeon River, and on the Milwaukee, Lake Shore
& Western railroad. Marion was for years
known as “Perry’s Mills”. TOWN
OF IOLA The Town of Iola
consists of Township 24 north, Range 11 east.
It is bounded on the north by the Town of Harrison, on the east by
Helvetia, on the south by Scandinavia, and on the west by Portage County. The first settlement
was made in 1853, by Knud Erickson and J. Gundersen. In 1854, Colonel J. W.
Chandler and S. S. Chandler moved in.
M. R. Baldwin came in 1855. The first block house
was built in 1854, by S. S. Chandler.
In 1855, M. R. Baldwin built the first frame house. The first hotel was
started by J. B. Bennett, in 1856. The first store was
started in 1855, by C. K. Blandin. The first saw mill was
built in 1854, by S. S. & J. W. Chandler. The first grist mill
was started by Baldwin, Wipf & Shannon, in 1860. The first post office
was established in 1856, with C. K. Blandin as postmaster. The first school was
taught by Miss Mary Taggart, later Mrs. Caldwell, in 1855. The first school house
was built in 1856. The first marriage was
that of Judge Osborne and Miss Sarah Chandler, in 1855. The first death was
that of Mrs. McIntire, in the Spring of 1856. The first child born
was Maria Gunderson, in 1856. The first town meeting
was held in April, 1855. The first town
officers were: Chairman - M. R Baldwin;
Supervisor
- John Gunderson; Clerk - S. S. Chandler. The first sermon was
preached by Rev. J. J. Hatch. The first law suit was
before J. B. Bennett, Justice of the Peace. The first apple trees
were set out by G. Sterns and H. Farley, in 1856; but S. S. Chandler raised the
first apples. Portions of the town
are hilly, but the soil in the valleys is good, a black lam in many places, and
very productive. There is yet considerable pine in this town. The officers for 1899
were: Chairman - Jacob Wipf;
Supervisors - Ole Solum, C. F. Solum; Treasurer - O. G. Fraquin; Clerk - J. C.
Johnson; Assessor - John Olson; Justices of the Peace - S. Jameson, A. Weinman,
G. W. Smith. FREMONT Fremont was one of the
first settled towns in the County. The
first settlement was made in the Spring of 1849. The first post office
was established in 1853 on the east side of the river, with Ira Sumner for
postmaster. It was subsequently moved
to the west side, where it remains. The first bridge
across the Wolf River was built by Abel Neff, of Oshkosh. It was a toll bridge. After a few years it was purchased by the
town, and made free. The early days of
Fremont were lively ones, particularly in the spring and summer months when the
logs would be brought down by river from the lumber camps. They would be brought
in large rafts with a colony of shanties in which the river-men lived. These “drives” were eagerly watched for by
the residents and the men always took time for a stop at Fremont. Among the early
business men of the village are remembered the names of Harvey Randle, Steiger,
and “Doc” and “Ike” Kinsman, merchants, G. I. Smith, R. M. Hubbard and Levi
Bergstresser. At this time, Fremont
boasts button factories, a bank, an up-to-date school house, a modern hotel,
drug stores and several fine business blocks.
The present population of Fremont is 374. The laying of the
concrete road between Fremont and Weyauwega in the summer of 1923 will mean
much to both villages. Today Fremont is one
of the most up-to-date villages in the county, with its bank, factories,
hotels, lumber yard, drug store, hardware, general merchandise, farm machinery,
garages, confectionery, in fact everything you might want to find in an
up-to-date village. The fact that Fremont
is situated on the Wolf River makes it an ideal summer resort, for the Wolf
River has a larger variety of fish than any other stream in the United
States. This is a well-known fishing
resort for in the fishing season the hotels and boarding houses are packed,
besides the people that have their own camping outfits. Horace C Pitt came to
what is now known as the Village of Fremont with his parents on the 16th day of
October, 1854. At that time there were
only four or five families living here, namely; Ira Sumner, W. A. Springer,
Alvin Sherburne, a man by the name of Spicer, and all were living in log houses
except Sumner. VILLAGE
OF NORTHPORT The Village of
Northport located about three miles from New London on the Bank of the Wolf
River is a very pretty place. It has a
general store which supplies the surrounding country with a nice clean stock of
merchandise. The school is the best
while the churches are the best that could be desired, in fact Northport is a
very desirable place to live. SCANDINAVIA Scandinavia is located
on the Green Bay and Western Railroad, and has a population of nearly 400 at
the present time; in fact, it ranks among the best for agricultural pursuits,
especially for dairying and stock raising.
Fruit does well, where cultivated. The first post office
was established in 1853. TOWN
OF ROYALTON There is much
first-class farming land in the town; in fact, it ranks among the best for
agricultural pursuits, especially for dairying and stock raising. Fruit does well, where cultivated. The first post office
was established in 1853. TOWN
OF FARMINGTON Township 22 north, of
Range 11 east, known as the Town of Farmington, was first settled by Ambrose M.
Gard, who made his claim in September, 1849. The first white child
born in the town was Rollin Jones, in 1851. C. O. Brown, a native
of Sweden, came here in 1850. Going to
New York in 1852, he returned with about seventy families of his countrymen, a
number of whom settled in the northeast quarter of the town. TOWN
OF LIND The first settlement
was made in the Spring of 1849, when Simon C. Dow and Colonel John W. Chandler
moved in. The first post office
was established in 1850, with George W. Taggart for postmaster. Mr. Taggart named the town in honor of the
famous Swedish singer, Jenny Lind. TOWN
OF LITTLE WOLF The first settlement
was made in 1848, by William Goldberg. The first post office
was established in 1853. It was on the
mail route from Green Bay to Plover. The first town meeting
was held in April, 1852, at the house of Peter Meiklejohn. The town was then called Centerville. The Village of Manawa
is situated near the center of the town, and near the center of the County, on
the Little Wolf River. TOWN
OF UNION The first settlement
was made by Isaac Ames, in the Fall of 1855. The first child born
in town was a daughter of E. C. And Betsy Scott, October 11, 1856. Union is a good
farming town, but heavily timbered. The
soil is mostly a dark, deep loam. It is
capable of producing fine crops. TOWN
OF ST. LAWRENCE The first settlement
was made in 1852, by Edick Hermansen, G. Hermansen, and M. A. Oleson. In 1854 C.
S. Ogden, S. Waite, H. Collier, and others, moved in. The first school was
taught in Ogdensburg, by Mrs. Sarah Merry, in 1855. The first school house was built
in 1855. The first saw mill was
built in 1854, by Judge Ogden. It was
burned in 1859. The first post office
was established in 1856, at Ogdensburg, with N. Livermore for postmaster. The mail was
carried at first from Waupaca, by C. S. Ogden.
O. E. Druetzer carried it a few weeks. The town was organized
in 1855. The first town meeting was
held at the store of S. S. Ogden, April, 1855.
The following officers were elected:
Chairman, O. E. Druetzer; Clerk, C. S. Ogden; Treasurer, S. M. Waite;
Justices of the Peace, H. Collier, C. S. Ogden. Judge Ogden started
the first store in 1854. The first law suit was
held before H. Collier, in 1855. The
parties were C. S. Ogden vs. O. E. Druetzer. EARLY
REMINISCENCES OF WAUPACA COUNTY Read
at the Old Settlers’ Meeting at New London, February
19, 1874, by
W. F. Waterhouse, Historian The history of Waupaca
County seems naturally to divide itself into three distinct epochs. The first embraces the period of savage
ownership and occupancy, reaching from times far back of the historic age to
the conclusion of the treaty of cession from the Menominee tribe to the
whites. The second epoch embraces the
period from the date of the treaty to the final surrender of possession by the
Menominees. The third epoch embraces
the events of the succeeding years, reaching to the present time. The events of the
first epoch are, in the main, a sealed book.
Many a wild epic of savage loves and hates, of nomadic conflicts and
savage vengeance, may have been enacted on the soil of Waupaca County, the
story of which passed into tradition, then into fable, and finally died out of
memory and left no trace to guide the pen of the historian. It is probable that
the earliest Indian tribes, those first seen and named by the Jesuit explorers,
had their principal villages on the Fox River and the lower Wolf, and that the
district embraced into Waupaca County was a favorite hunting ground, much
frequented by roving bands. The rich
soils of the chase were carried home in their light canoes, on the many streams
that thread this while region. Sites of
Indian villages of moderate antiquity are common in many parts of the State,
especially near the mouth of the Wolf River; but no evidence remains of any considerable
Indian village in the region now embraced within Waupaca County. On an island in White
Lake is an ancient Indian clearing, of about one acre in extent. This was, as I have learned from
conversation with some of the Indians since I have been in the County, for a long time the permanent home of a small
and of Menominees, who cultivated here a little corn to supplement the
precarious dependence upon the bow and spear.
This band had, since the occupancy of the whites, a chief or patriarch
named Wey-au-we-ga, from whom the village of Weyauwega derives its name, and
whose skull, thanks to the archeological enterprise of Dr. Bliss, of Royalton,
now reposes in the archives of the Smithsonian Institute, at Washington. Evidences everywhere
exist of the occupancy of this while region by the Mound Builders. Nearly every lake and stream in the County
exhibits along its banks those conical structures which so puzzle the
archeologist and antiquarian. But
nowhere in this County do these mounds reach such size and elaborateness as
they do in regions farther south. This fact is supposed to indicate a northern
(and perhaps Asiatic) origin of the Mound Builders, and a southward movement of
the horde, with constantly increasing numbers, power and civilization. But the territory of Waupaca County seems to
have been prized most as a hunting ground by the Indian tribes who followed the
Mound Builders, and who paid it periodical visits. The second epoch may
be considered as commencing with negotiations of the treaty of cession with the
Menominees, in October, 1848, (although the Indian title to that portion of the
County lying east of Wolf River was extinguished several years before), and
extending to the final surrender of possession by the Indians, on the first day
of June, 1852. This period is eminently
the period of settlement, and the time intervening between the first of June,
1852, and today, may be classified as the period of growth and progress. So far as I have been
able to ascertain, but one white settlement was made in the County of Waupaca
previous to the year 1848. Alpheus
Hicks, father of “Steve” Hicks, of New London, made an exploring trip up Wolf
River from Oshkosh, and landed in the County of Waupaca, somewhere near the
present site of Fremont, in 1843. The
next year he went up the river as far as Shawano Lake. He returned to Oshkosh, but finally settled
at Fremont, where he now resides. There
are quite a number of ladies now residing in the County, who claim the honor of
being the first white woman residents in the territory of Waupaca County; but,
if I have obtained correct information, Mrs. Elizabeth Hicks, step-mother of
Stephen Hicks, can justly claim that honor. A provision was
inserted in the treaty of 1848, granting to Robert Grignon one quarter-section
of land on which his mill was established, near the mouth of the Little Wolf
River. This provision of the treaty was
ratified, and patents were issued to Robert Grignon. Previous to the ate of the treaty, he and his associates had
built a saw mill. During the winter of
1848-49, Eliphalet Gordon and his don “Dud” Gordon, of Little Wolf, put in a
large amount of logs. In the Summer of
1849, they leased the mill, and sawed and rafted down the Wolf River a large
amount of lumber, which found a slow market at $4 per thousand feet. During the Winter of 1848-49, Philetus
Sawyer worked here as a common laborer. A girl who worked at
the mill boarding house that Winter (I have been unable to ascertain her name)
was no doubt the second white woman resident of Waupaca County. In the Spring of 1849,
several mill enterprises were under-taken within the present limits of Waupaca
County, and settlements for agricultural purposes were commenced. The first furrow
turned in the County was in June, 1849, by some person whose name your
historian has thus far been unable to obtain.
It was on a bit of sandy prairie near the farm of Simon C. Dow, in Lind,
but prior to Mr. Dow’s settlement there. Before the close of
1849, settlers’ cabins had begun to dot the plains in the southern part of the
County. Billington, Tibbetts, Van
Ostrand and others had settled near Weyauwega; S. C. Dow, Colonel Chandler, and
J. M. Vaughn, between Weyauwega and Waupaca; E. C. Sessions, J. and W. B.
Hibbard, Dana Dewey, Captain Scott, Judge Ware, W. B. Cooper and others, at
Waupaca; C. Caldwell and Jason Rice, on the Wallawalla, at Lind Center; Mr.
Nordman, at or near New London; R. Eastman, at Springer’s Point; Mr. Wilcox,
near the mouth of the Waupaca River; and Charles Edwards, at Little River. This list, it is believed, embraces nearly
all the settlements existing in the County in the year 1849. It is worthy of remark
that all these settlements were made in violation of law. Mr. Bruce, then Indian Agent of the
Menominees, amused himself by forbidding these settlements. ever and anon he made fearful threats of
expulsion and punishment. But the tide
of emigration had set in, and the pioneer, with his face set towards the
“Indian Lands,” was not to be intimidated or checked in his progress by any
threats of Government officials. The
glowing descriptions of this country that reached Eastern people would fill
volumes. In 1850, Judge Beal,
from Indiana, made a claim, embracing a quarter-section of land lying east of
the Village of Weyauwega, and opened a general variety store in a log house,
part of the remains of which may be found standing in Weyauwega now. However, the firm of Brickly &
Bergstressor have the honor of establishing the first white trading post in the
County. It was at Fremont. Your historian at that
time was plodding along on his farm in the State of Michigan, and corresponding
with Judge Beal, who, by the way, was an old acquaintance. From the glowing descriptions of the country
received through that correspondence, he became suddenly enamored with the
prospects of a bright future before him, packed his “traps,” and in the Summer
of 1852 was on his way to the Indian Lands of Waupaca County. Arriving at Oshkosh,
our progress was impeded by the non-arrival of the steamboat then making
tri-weekly trips from Oshkosh to Mukwa, then the terminus of Wolf River
navigation. After staying at Oshkosh
one day and night, we embarked on the famous steamer Peggy, Captain Sherwood,
bound for Mukwa. A break in the
machinery occasioned some delay at Winneconne, where I came across an old
acquaintance and school chum, William B. Mumbrue, who gave me such a glowing
history of his pilgrimage to the “Indian Lands,” that I could hardly wait for
the boat to start up the river. [While waiting at
Winneconne, Mr. Mumbrue gave Mr. Waterhouse, an account of the preliminary
survey he had made westward from Wolf River in 1849, mention of which has been
made in another part of this history.
He also related some of the experiences of his first trip up the Wolf
River, incidents of which are embodied in the following pages:] In July, 1849, there
came to Winneconne a party of explorers, consisting of J. M. Vaughn, Alonzo
Vaughn, W. B. Cooper, and John Taylor, from Plymouth, Sheboygan County, and a
doctor from Erie County, New York. Some
two or three weeks before, another party, consisting of W. B. and Joseph
Hibbard, and E. C. Sessions, had started northward from Plymouth. Moving northwest on the east side of Lake
Winnebago, by devious wanderings, they crossed the Wolf River at or above
Mukwa, and stumbled upon the magnificent water power and beautiful village site
of Waupaca. A portion of the party
returned to Plymouth for supplies, and carried news of the rich discovery. General Taylor and party were in search of
the “Vermonters’ Camp,” as Waupaca was then called. The country thereabouts was then known as the “Tomorrow River
Country.” This latter party Mumbrue
joined. They hired two Indians and a
birch bark canoe, it being agreed that the Indians should serve both as guides
and paddlers. Arranging themselves very trimly and cautiously in the bottom of
the frail and treacherous little craft, six men in all, they started up the
Wolf River. The day was consumed
in making the distance to the mouth of the Waupaca River, where the little
party landed at dark, having seen during the day not a sign of human
habitation, save an occasional collection of Indian graves on the bank of the
river, to some of which their attention was called by little white flags,
floating over the small roofs with which the Indians are accustomed to cover
their dead. From the landing place
at Gills Landing, the party followed their dusky guides through the dim,
mysterious forest of giant pines which then flanked the Waupaca River, near its
junction with the Wolf, out into an orchard-like belt of oak openings - site of
the Village of Weyauwega. Here the
party came in view of a white tent, the only human habitation then at Weyauwega. This was occupied by Henry Tourtelotte, with
his Indian wife, Ke-mink, a woman well known and respected by the early white
settlers of this portion of the County.
Passing this tent, the party turned down to the river, where dim lights
were visible, and crossed on a rude foot bridge to the boarding house of the
mill company, who had already commenced getting out timber for their saw
mill. The party obtained food and
lodging at the boarding house. Serving
as cook at this house was a woman who, the same Summer, became the wife of
Washington Hogle. She was the first
white woman in Weyauwega. After breakfast,
payment for the entertainment being courteously but indignantly declined by
their hosts, the party, under guidance of one of the Indians, passed southward
over Gallows Hill, and, striking a trail in the valley, reached Simon C. Dow’s
cabin in time to assist in demolishing a vast pile of slapjacks and molasses. Dow and Chandler had
been in occupancy of this cabin about ten days, and were the first settlers of
the Town of Lind. Here the party met W.
B. Hibbard, who had come down from the “Vermonters’ Camp” for some flour. Following Mr. Hibbard’s lead, partly by an
Indian trail, and partly by a line which the Vermonters had blazed, crossing
the South Branch on a fallen tree, near its junction with the Waupaca, the
party reached the [note: section
missing] Waupaca County. Here the
travelers rested from their journey, sheltered by an awning of bushes supported
by four poles, and backed by a granite ledge.
This was then the nearest approach to a building at Waupaca. The Vermonters soon had a fire crackling merrily on the
greensward. Flour was kneaded in a
trough, hollowed out with an ax. The
contents of the trough, without leaven or baking powder, was transferred to
chips and placed in the glowing embers, and “dough gods” were the result! As etiquette seemed to require, the
strangers were served first, and then another batch placed in the ashes for the
hosts themselves. But it was not until
the travelers had feasted, that they learned to their infinite mortification
that some of the Vermonters’ party had not tasted food for two days. That night, although in July, proved chilly,
and the whole party, eleven in number, stretched on the ground like a row of
pins, shivered beneath the twinkling stars, or, in uneasy slumbers, dreamed of
softer beds in more civilized lands. Morning came at
length, and with it the startling news that the larder was empty! The riotous feasting of the night before had
exhausted Bill Hibbard’s small stock of flour, and breakfast was quite out of
the question. The Indian was dispatched
to “Tourtelotte’s Camp” (Weyauwega) for supplies, while the party straggled off
in desultory explorations, not without hopes that some fat buck would
considerately come within range of their guns.
At noon no such circumstance had occurred, nor had the Indian returned,
and the party, owing to certain strenuous promptings of the inner man, were
compelled to set about their return. In chronicling events incident to the first settlement of
Waupaca County, the historian is relieved from the excitement occasioned by
accounts of hair-breadth escapes of the whites from the tomahawk and scalping
knife of the ruthless and hostile savage; because here there seems to have been
reciprocal feelings of friendship and hospitality between the settlers and the
Indians. Many a settler took for his
life partner a dusky maiden of the forest, with whom he lived in peace and
harmony. There were some exceptions, of
course; for instance, one man living near Shawano, in 1852, who was so mean
that his squaw finally refused to live with him. |