YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 05350 3372 THOMAS A. HOLMES. HISTORY T OF BUFFALO COUNTY, -WISCONSIN. BY L. KESSINGER. ALMA, Buffalo County, Wis. 1888. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1888, by L. KESSINGER, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. PREFACE. When, about a year ago, I commenced work on the book, which now liei before the reader, I expected to present it much sooner to the public. It would be perfectly useless to enumerate any of the causes of the delay, but it is not to be denied that the book itself has unquestionably gained by it. Such as it is I commit it to the judgment of the readers, and beyond such apologies as have been made at different points for special reasons, I do not feel in clined to make any further. The arrangement of the book is by topics. To proceed by towns would have compelled much useless repetition, and would have narrowed the horizon of investigation and history. In some cases that arrangement would have been impossible. A perusal of the index will in a very short time furnish the clue to every matter reasonably expected to be related in the book. Perfection is not claimed, but in justice it is to be supposed that I did the best I could under the circumstances. Not being myself an admirer of long preliminaries, it can not be my inten tion to inflict any such upon my readers. To the many friends, who have contributed to the work, I have, in most cases given due acknowledgment and thanks at the particular points, in which they helped and encouraged me. If, as is still possible, any one should have been omitted, I hope he will pardon the oversight, which certainly was not intentional. Alma, Buffalo Co., Wis., Dec. 19.. 1887. L. Kessinger. iv INDEX. INDEX. PAGE. AGRICULTURE 366 Table of dates when land came into market 369 Entries in Mineral Point 370 La Crosse Land Office 370 Table of land and its value 375 " of Grain products 378 " Roots and Potatoes. ; 382' " Beans and Peas and Sorghum 383' Greatest Crops 384 Table of Seeds 385 " "Fruits 386 " Bees and Honey 387 " Cattle and Calves. 389 " " Dairy Products 390 " " Sheep, Lambs and Wool. 391 " "Hogs 392 " " Horses and Mules 393 ( " " Agricultural Employees 394 County Fair 396' O Charities Public - , 519 Crime..... ^ , 516 Statistics of 517 IE Early Explorations 169 Jean Nicolet 169 Marquette and Joliet 174 Louis Joliet 179 Father Jaques Marquette S. J 180 INDEX. EARLY EXPLORATIONS (Continued.) PA«E. Louis Hennepin 183 Daniel Greysolon Du Luth 195 Captain Jonathan Carver 199 Carver's Cave 204 Carver's Grant , 204 Forts on Lake Pepin 207 Nicholas Perrot 208 LeSueur 209 Early Settlement 211 List of first settlers 216 Education 424 Superintendence at first 426 after 1861 427 Report of 1855 and 56 428 " " 1866 428 " " 1876 428 " " 1885 429 " " 1886 429 Teachers of graded scUools 430 Schoolhouses 43 Apparatus and furniture 433 Employment of teachers 434 Teachers' Institutes 437 School visitation 439 Earliest schools and their teachers 441 Table of these 443 Private schools - 444 Roman Catholic Schools 445 Norwegian Lutheran Schools 445 Other Protestant School 445 - Sunday Schools 446 Art Education 446 Graphic Arts 446 Results 447 Howard Library Association 449 Literary Societies 449 Reading Circle 450 Educational Columns 451 Vi INDEX. PAGE. Earlier Marriages 483 Early Settlers, list of 557 to 608 C3- Geology 22 Geological formation 22 Geol. Report— Range Ten West 25 Range Eleven West 26 Twelve " 27 Thirteen " 28 Fourteen" 28 Buffalo County 29 Trempealeau Mountain 30 Geological Formations 30 Geol. Periods and Epochs 31 Potsdam Sandstone 31 Artesian Wells 33 Lower Magnesian Limestone 33 Economical Products 34 St. Peters Sandstone 35 Galena Limestone 35 Quarternary Formation • 35 Glacial Period 35 Champlain Period 36 Recent Period 36 Present changes 37 Fall of Twelve Miles Bluff 38 Iron Mines new 39 " " former 40 I Indian History 87 Difficulties 88 Traders 89 Missionaries , 90 Pronunciation and Translation 93 Indians 96 Algonquins 97 Iroquois-Hurons 98 Dakotas or Sioux 98 INDEX. vii INDIANS (Continued.) PAGE. Winnebagoes 98 Indian Manner of Living 99 Want of domestic animals 100 Hunting and fishing 101 Agriculture 102 Canoe 103 Tobacco 104 Pipes 106 Houses 109 Clothing 112 Family life 114 Wyandot Government 116 Civil government 117 Its functions 119 Crimes and punishments 121 Outlawry 121 Military government 122 Reflections 122 Sickness and cures 123 Burial 125 Burial of the Chieftain 126 " " " Omaha Chief 127 Mourning for the dead 129 Wars - 131 Mode of fighting 133 Fire arms ,,• 135 Horses 136 Prisoners 136 Character of Indians 137 Sign-language 140 Upper Mississippi Confederations 141 Winnebago Confederacy.. - — 141 im: Mound Builders. - 73 General remarks 73 Capt Carver's description 74 From Randall's History of the Chippewa Valley 75 Judge Gale's opinions 75 viii , INDEX. MOUND BUILDERS, (Continued.) PAGE. Indian Graves ... . - - ---- 7o From the work of J. P. McLean - 78 Reference to Scott's Antiquary — 78 Operations, of David Wyrick 79 Relics of Mound Builders 80 Origin of Mound Builders.. - 82 Addenda. - 85 Opinions of Dr. P. R. Hoy - 85 'Manufactures - - 399 Table of capital invested. - - 401 " " " continued . - 402 " "flouring mills - - — 404 " " saw mills - 406 Wine 407 Table of breweries __ _ 408 Cigars --- - - 409 Iron and articles of it 409 Leather and articles of it 410 Wagons, carriages and sleighs. 410 Creameries and Cheese factories - - 410 Other industries 411 Map, remarks on 654 irsr Natural History.. „.„ 41 Zoology ,..: „ 41 Mammals . . - 42 Birds.. _ 43 Summer residents „ 43 Winter residents 45 Fishes „ 46 Amphibians 47 Crustaceans _ _ 48 Insects . 49 Botany— Phsenogamous plants. 54 Partial List of fungi , 66 Appendix of Cultivated plants. — A. Useful , 66 B. Ornamental „ 69 INDEX. ix PAGE. O Organization _ _ 277 Act of, Chapt. 100 Session 277 Laws of 1853— Amending it Chapt. 1 279 Session Laws of 1854. — Act to organize Trempealeau County 280 Act to divide La Crosse Co. and organize Monroe County 280 First election and voters 282 County Board of Supervisors 283 Committees ofthe same. 284 First meeting 287 Election of 1859 - 293 Contention about the county-seat - 294 Change of County Board to Commissioners 298 Return to the old system 313 Sheriffs.... -- — 318 Clerks of County Board 319 Treasurers 319 Register of Deeds 320 District Attorneys 320 Clerks of Circuit Court 320 County Superintendents ; 321 County Surveyors 321 Coroners 321 County Judges 322 Present County Officers 322 IE3 Pioneers— Thomas A.Holmes — - 216 Shakopee - — - 217 Chaska -• 227 John Adam]|Weber. - - - 228 Henry Goehrke ... 229 Andrew Baertsch — - 231 Nicholas Leisch - 231 Christian Wenger - - 232 Victor Probst - - 233 Joseph Berni - — - 235 INDEX. PIONEERS (Continued.) PAGE. John Conrad Waecker _. 236 Caspar Wild 237 Madison Wright 237 General Remarks 238 Development of Towns 239 Political History 241 Wisconsin Territory 246 Governors of the same 249 Secretaries" " " 250 Legislative sessions 251 Representation of Crawford County 252 Hon. Jos. R. Brown 253 Constitutional Conventions of Wisconsin 255 State organization 256 Sessions of Legislature 256 Senators 260 Assembly, members of 261 Present apportionment 262 State officers 263 Governors 263 Lieutenant Governors 264 Secretaries of State 264 State Treasurers.-. 264 Attorneys General 265 State Superintendents 265 Supreme Court 266 Circuit Court 266 Educational Institutions 266 Charitable, Reformatory and Penal Institutions 266 State Board of Supervision 267 United States Senators 267 Representatives 268 United States Court, Western District 268 United States Government 269 History of Politics 269 Population. 412 Enumeration of 1885 413 Classification by nativity 413 INDEX. xi POPULATION (Continued.) PAGE. Table of Census since 1855 with percentage of in crease 416 Table of annual increase 417 Character of population 418 Society 420 Press 452 Historical notes 453 Fountain City Beacon 454 " " Advocate 454 Buffalo County Advertiser 454 " " Journal • 455 " Republikaner 456 " Herald 459 Other papers 459 English, German and Norwegian papers 460 Public Health "477 Public Health Laws 479 Public Societies 494 Turners 495 At Buffalo City 495 At Fountain City 496 At Alma 496 Shooting Societies 497 at Alma 498 " Fountain City ¦ 499 West Wisconsin and Minnesota Schuetzenbund 500 Singing Societies 502 Concordia at Alma 503 Arion of Beef River Valley 506 Frohsinn of Alma "507 Germania of Fountain City 507 Harmonia" " " 508 Harmonie of Waumandee 508 Frohsinn of Lincoln 508 Howard Library Society 509 Pioneer Societies ••• 510 Old Settlers' Club of Modena 510 Base Ball Clubs 511 General Remarks 511 XII index. PAGE. Religion. — Catholic Churches 461 at Fountain City 461 Alma 462 Buffalo City 462 " Waumandee 462 " Montana , 462 Glencoe 462 Canton 464 Protestant Churches 464 Lutheran Congregations 464 Lyster Norwegian 464 Thompson Valley Norwegian 465 Bennett " " ' 465 Naples Norwegian 466 at Fountain City 466 at Buffalo City ..¦ 466 at Lincoln 467 at Waumandee 467 at Glencoe 467 Reformed Churches.. 467 at Alma.. 467 at Fountain City 467 in Beef River Valley 468 in Waumandee 468 in Eagle Valle}7 468 Churches at Mondovi 469 Methodist Episcopal 469 Baptist 469 Congregational 470 Unitarian Church at Gilmanton 470 Churches etc. in Modena 47I Evangelical Association 470 at Alma 470 " Belvidere 473 " Montana.... 473 " Waumandee 474 " Lincoln :. 474 " Fountain City ...!! 474 INDEX. xiii RELIGION (Continued.) PAGE Church in Deer Creek Valley 474 " on Beef Slough 475 General Remarks !. 485 S Secret Societies 512 Masons, Alma Lodge 512 Odd Fellows, Steuben Lodge 513 Grangers 513 United Workmen — Fountain City Lodge „ 513 Mondovi Lodge 513 Alma " 514 Grand Army of the Republic 514 Fimian Post 514 J. W. Christian Post 514 Temperance Societies 514 St. Patrick's T A. S. of Waumandee and Glencoe 514 Independent order of Good Templars 515 Sunshine Lodge 515 Knights of Pythias 515 Mondovi Lodgp 515 Alma "' 515 Societies Public — See Public Societies. Soldiers 521 of Mexican war 521 of LHte war 521 Soldiers resident in but not furnished by BuffaloCo. 523 Soldiers furnished by Buffalo Co 525 . IstRgt. Cavalry 528 2d " " 528 . 6th Battery Light Art 530 1st Rgt. Infantry 531 3d " " • 531 5th " " 531 6th " " 532 7th " " 536 8th " " 536 9th '• " •¦ 538 10th " " 541 xrv INDEX. SOLDIERS (Continued.) PAGE. 12th Rgt. Infantry 541 15th i; " 541 16th " " 541 17th " " 541 18th " " 542 21st " " 542 25th " " 542 26th '• " 552 34th " " 552 35th " " 552 36th " " 553 40th " ' 553 48th •' " 553 49th " " 555 50th " " 555 Conclusion 556 Supplementary list of resident soldiers 556 Settlers Early list of. . . : 557 T Topography. 1 Geometrical description 1 Date of Survey 3 Situation in Wisconsin 3 " on the globe 4 " in Mississippi Valley 4 Tributaries to " River ,. .. 4 Subsidiary streams 1. To Chippewa River 4 2. " Buffalo River '. 7 3. " Waumandee Creek 10 4. " Trempealeau River 12 Perpendicular Configuration 14 Climate 18 Transportation 325 First Steamboat 326 Galena and Minnesota Packet Co 327 Seasons of Navigation at St. Paul 331 do. at Winona 332 INDEX. xv TRANSPORTATION (Continued.) PAGE- Diamond Jo Boats 333 Steamer Lion 334 Robert Harris , 334 " Percy Swain 335 Green Bay Railroad 335 Chippewa Valley Road 336 Stickney's Survey 337 Winona, Alma & Northern 337 Chicago, Burlington and Northern Time-Table 340 Town Roads 341 State Roads 341 Improvements 342 Graded Roads 343 Immigrants' Travel 345 Primitive Transportation 346 Mail Service 347 List of Postoffices 350 Rafting 351 Beef Slough Company 353 First Drive 355 Mississippi Logging Company 358 Pool or Chippewa Logging Company 358 Situation of Camps 360 Scalers' Reports ._ 360 Organization of 9th Lumber Inspection District 360 Appointment of Inspectors 361 Working Organization on the Slough 361 Earlier Rafting Exploits 364 Towns, Introduction — : 609 City of Alma - 611 Town of Alma 618 " " Belvidere.— 620 City of Buffalo 623 Town of Buffalo 627 " " Cross 629 " " Dover 630 Village of Fountain City 631 Town of Gilmanton . 636 xvi INDEX. TOWNS (Continued.) PAGE. Town of Glencoe 638 " " Lincoln—.. 639 " " Maxville 640 '• " Milton _ : 642 " " Modena 643 " " 'Mondovi 644 " " Montana 645 " " Naples 647 " " Nelson 649 " " Waumandee 650 TOPOGRAPHY. SURVEY lines. The county of Buffalo, in its present extent contains the fol lowing Townships: Range 10, Township 24, full. Range 11, Range 12, Range 13, 23, do. " 22, do. " 21, do. 20, fractional west of Trempealeau River. " 19, do. and between Trempealeau and Mississippi River. " 18, do. " 24, full. " 23, do. " 22, do. " 21, do. " 20, do. " 19, East of Mississippi River. 18, do. " 24, full. " 23, do. 22, do. " 21, fractional, East of Mississippi River, " 20, do. " 19, do. " 24, full except Section 6. " 23, full. TOPOGRAPHY. " 22, fractional, East of Mississippi River. 21, do. 20, do. Range 14, " 24, fractional, East of Chippewa River. 23,. do. do. " 22, fractional, East of Mississippi River. The whole area is equal to 690.5 square miles accounting sec tions having fractions within, but boundaries full as whole, and sections fractional according to the area in acres put down on sur veyors' maps. Hence we find: Township 24 = 149.796 sq. miles. " 23 = 157.989 do. 22 = 141.115 do. 21 = 112.177 do. 20= 77.662 do. 19 = 45.731 do. 18 — 6.048 do. Total 690.518 square miles. The county is widest on the line between Townships 23 and 22 being there 27£ miles or nearly so, and it runs to a point indi cated by the junction of the Mississippi and Trempealeau rivers in Section 16, Township 18, Range 10; the northern boundary is a fraction less than 24 miles long there being only 28.50 chains of the northern boundary of Section 6, Township 24, Range 13, on the east side of the Chippewa River. All the Ranges in this county are West of the fourth principal meridian and all the Townships are North of the Wisconsin base line, which is identical with the southern boundary line, of the state, that between Illinois and Wisconsin, situated in North latitude 42° 30'. The divisions mentioned in the above are those established by what is called the Government Survey, on which not- only the calculation of areas but also the description of all lands, and the title to all real estate is primarily based. The subjoined table for which I am in debted to General J. M. Rusk, now Governor of this state, who procured it for me from the General Lund Office in 1874, when he was a Member of Congress, shows when the land in this county was surveyed by order of the Government. TOPOGRAGPHY. DATE OF SURVEY AND BY WHOM SURVEYED. NO. OF TOWNSHIP RANGE WHEN SURVEYED BY WHOM SURVEYED Tp. 18 North IOW. 1848 and 1849 D. A. Spalding. " 18 Cl 11 " 1848 do. " 19 " 10, 11, 12 1848 du. " 20 u 10, 11, 12, 13 1848 do. " 21 u 10, 11, 12 1852 John Ball. " 21 u 13 1851 and 1852 do. " 22 a 10, 11 1852 do. " 22 u 12, 13 1851 do. " 22 a 14 1850 S. W. Durham.- " 23 ,. 10 1852 John Ball. " 23 u 11,12 1851 do. " 23 u 13 1849 S. W- Durham. " 23 tc 14 1850 do. " 24 a 10, 11, 12 1852 John Ball. " 24 U 13 1849 S. W. Durham. " 24 u 14 1849 and 1850 do. SITUATION IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. Buffalo County is situated in the central western part of the state, rather a little south of the central line which is in Township 23 or a little north of the line of that Township. It is on the Mississippi River and extends along the same from the mouth of the Chippewa River to the mouth of the Trempealeau River. The Mississippi River separates it from the Counties of Winona and Wabasha in Minnesota, the Chippewa River on the western bound ary from Pepin County and the Trempealeau River from Trem pealeau County. The north line of Township 24 North is the line between Pepin and Buffalo County from the Chippewa River to the line between Ranges 10 and 11 hence to the line between Ranges 9 and 10 it divides Buffalo from Eau Claire County. The latter Range line divides Buffalo from Trempealeau County from the northeast corner of Township 24, Range 10, which is also the northeast corner of the county south to the southeast corner of Township 21, where it intersects with the Trempealeau River. From that point the Trempealeau River forms part of the bound ary down to the mouth. In the same way does the Chippewa River form the western boundary of the county from Section 6, Township 24, Range 13 to the mouth of the river in Section 4, Township 22, Range 14. TOPOGRAPHY. SITUATION ON THE GLOBE. The 44th degree of North latitude runs through the village of Trempealeau in the county of the same name and about 2 miles south of, but close enough to the most southern point of our county, to mark its geographical limit as to latitude. Hence there are 40 miles (approximately) to the northern boundary of the county, which, according 70 statute miles to one degree of latitude would be in about 44° 34' 17" of North latitude. As to longitude I find that longitude 92° West of Greenwich, England or 15° West of Washington, D. C, is about half a mile east of the line be tween Range 13 and 14 and 91° 30' West of Greenwich = 14° 30' West of Washington is about one mile east of the straight eastern boundary line of this county. SITUATION IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. Buffalo County is in the upper part of the Mississippi Valley upon the left bank of the stream, immediately below the lower end of Lake Pepin, which point is almost identical with the mouth of the Chippewa River, extending down to the mouth of the Trempealeau River. All the drainage of the County goes directly or indirectly into the great river. The main tributaries from the county or its boundaries are: 1. Chippew7a River including Beef Slough; 2. Buffalo or Beef River; 3. Eagle or Waumandee Creek; 4. Trempealeau River. The subsidiary streams of the above tributaries are: 1. TO THE CHIPPEWA AND BEEF SLOUGH. a. Big Bear Creek joining the main stream above Durand in Pepin County, but having the most considerable of its head waters in this county and draining especially the greatest part of Township 24, Range 12 to the north the same Township being known as Canton. 6. Upper Spring Creek coming from the northern part of Township 24, Range 13 flows west into Beef Slough. c. Little Bear Creek is formed by the confluence of the North < Branch coming from the southwestern part of Township 24, Range 12 flowing south, and the South Branch coming from the western part of Township 23, Range 12 (Modena) flowing north, either of TOPOGRAPHY. which might be considered as the source of the creek. After uniting the creek flows west receiving but one considerable affluent from the north, but from the south it receives Norway Creek, Center Creek, and Cascade Creek; it flows into Beef Slough. d. Schaeublin's or Bygolly Creek from the western part of Township 23, Range 13 flows southwest into Beef Slough. e. Deer Creek from the northern part of Township 22, Range 13 flows, nearly south into Beef Slough. /. Lower Spring Creek from the center of the same Township flows west into Beef Slough. g. Iron Creek flows into the swamp or lake connected with Beef River at its confluence with Beef Slough. Before proceeding further on this .part of our work we will consider the Chippewa River as far as it forms one of the natural boundary lines of our county, and Beef Slough which is in fact the eastern branch of the river and may have been in ancient times the main branch of it. A look upon the map annexed to this description will satisfy us, that the current of the Chippewa has in the northern part of Section 12, Township 24, Range 14 an apparent tendency to enter into Beef SloUgh and that the so-called main channel sets off at almost a right angle from the center line of the stream above. There is no rock or hill at the division point, and it is therefore a surprise that this abrupt turn in the river ever took place. It is not the intention of the author to speculate on the causes underlying that fact, and if in a subsequent part of the book a rather apocryphal anecdote should be given, which might show that even in modern times at certain stages of the water Beef Slough at its head has been taken for the main stream, we do not want to have that picked up as an argument. This departure from its general course is maintained by the. main Chippewa for little more than half a mile; when after another rather abrupt turn, it returns to its former direction flowing about twelve miles nearly south, deviating but three miles west in that distance. On its right bank it is closely hemmed in by precipitous bluffs, and if now and then a valley cuts in to westward from the river, it is still considerably above the stream, even where it ad joins it. The only subsidiary entering the river from the right TOPOGRAPHY. bank during this long run is Plum Creek, which comes from Pierce County. On the left bank is the delta between the River and Beef Slough known by the common name of the Chippewa Bottoms. The only considerable offset from the river on that side is Little Beef Slough, running southeast into main Beef Slough through sections 23, 24, 25 ancl 26 of Township 24, Range 14. Beef Slough is a branch of the Chippewa River setting off from the main channel at the turn in section 12 above mentioned. It then pursues, though with considerable meanderings and numerous sharp turns, a general southern course, never getting out of the eastern range of sections until down to the Township line between Townships 23 and 22, Range 14 when it enters upon Township 22 at the southeast corner of Section 2 still continuing south to the corner of Sections 1, 2, 11 and 12 when Perrin or Par- rain Slough sets off to the west, while Beef Slough begins to take a general southeastern direction, w7hich it keeps, with some deviat ions and many turns, until its confluence with Beef River a short distance above the entrance of the latter into the Mississippi. It would be difficult to decide from a study of the maps, which of the many sloughs laid down in Township 22, Ranges 14 and 13 west, was at the time of the survey (see table) considered the main slough, if. indeed, the matter received any particular considera tion. At present the one used for driving logs from Flat Bar to the rafting works is indisputably entitled to the preference. A number of points or localities along the Slough have received temporary names, invented and applied by the men working along the Slough, for their own convenience and mutual information, and communicated to the people living in the neighborhood. In the discussion of the history of the Beef Slough Company, and the development of the rafting business and its connections or relations to other industries these names may become significant and be employed. Beef Slough unites with Beef or Buffalo River in Section 26, Township 22, North of Range 13 West, and their united waters join the Mississippi River in Section 34 of the same Township near the quarter section corner between Sections 34 and 35. This part of the Slough or River is navigable for good sized stern wheel steamboats which are employed as raft tugs or push ers. In Section 21 there is a so-called cut-off by which such TOPOGRAPHY. boats may pass between the Slough and the Mississippi in the stages of high or even medium water, which has been used during the season of navigation by the steamer Lion from Wabasha, (a ferry boat carrying the mail and furnishing communication be tween Wabasha, Beef Slough and Alma.) 2. BUFFALO OR BEEF RIVER. While it may be of no consequence in regard to other rivers in or about this county, it is necessary for an understanding of some historical events to trace this river from its headwaters or sources to its mouth. Older maps use the name of Buffalo River, newer or mOre special ones call it Beef River, which latter appel lation is the one in common use among the inhabitants of this and the adjoining counties of Trempealeau and Jackson. The sources or headquarters of this river are in Township 24 North of Range 5 West of the fourth principal meridian, where it appears as a south and a north fork. The source of the south fork is about one • quarter of a mile east of 91° West longitude, that of the north fork some two or three miles farther east. Which is considered the main channel or branch I do not know, but both join in Section 10, Township 24, Range 7, West at or near the present village of Osseo. From there the river flows in a general western direction, and enters this county in Section 12, Township 24, Range 10, from which point it continues its general western course down to the present village of Mondovi, which is located at the corner of Sec tions 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Township 24, Range 11. The river flows south of, but close by the plateau on which the village is situated, but from that point it starts on its new course southwest to its junction with Beef Slough and finally the Mississippi. On its right bank it is closely followed by a range of hills and little plateaus, on the left bank the valley is usually wider, the hills more distant and more accessible. Grassy lowlands, sometimes swamps, are along it, but more of them nn the left than on the right bank. This river is not navigable, though for a venture loaded fiatboats may have descended it from Mondovi at a favor able stage of water. There are no meander points put down on the government survey maps, until the river enters Township 22, Range 13 about four miles above its mouth, from which point it seems to have been considered navigable by the surveyors. Of its affluents I will but mention those which enter it in this county. TOPOGRAPHY. A. From the Right Bank. a. Silver Creek, the only affluent from the north in Range 10 conies from the southern half of Township 25 in the same range, flows nearly south about three miles. b. Hoyfs Creek, into which Bond's Creek flows from the east near the line between this and Eau Claire County, flows southwest uniting with Hunter's Creek, which flows about two miles west of it directly south to the place now occupied by the millpond, where in by -gone times it must have formed a natural pond and waterfall. It is about six miles long and flows through Mondovi. c. Farrington's Creek. It originates in the southeastern part of Township 24, Range 12, and flowing north is joined by Dutch Creek, coming from the opposite direction, and after receiving some other affluents from the other side, flows in a southeastern direction into the river, through a depression between the plateau of Mondovi and adjoining hills. d. Gilman's Creek much smaller, without any affluent, comes out of the hills about eight miles south of the former. Its general course is south and its length about three miles with a wide valley. e. Brown's Creek takes its start at the quarter section corner in the town line of Section 3, Township 23, Range 12, flows through that section south, but afterwards southeast, it has a. cascade of 40 feet made use of for a mill. It has a length of about six miles and flows in its upper part through tamarack and other swamps. The valley is wide and undulating, and there are some tributaries. /. Jensen's Creek in the lower part of Township 23, Range 12, flows about one mile south and then about two miles east entering the river in Section 35. g. Pine Creek rises in the southwest part of the same town as the former and flows for the most part through a narrow valley the slopes of which are, with few exceptions, steep. It took its name from a cluster of pines on a high and almost perpendicular rock at the place where once it broke through the hillfi and now enters upon the river bottoms. h. Trout Creek comes from some springs and a small swamp near the quarter section corner in the northern line of Section 2, Township 22, Range 13 and flows in a general southeastern direc- TOPOGRAGPHY. tion for a distance of about five miles. The slopes of the valley are steep and close to the creek in the upper part of its course, but in the middle and lower course the hills recede and the creek runs in a narrow marshy bottom, while between that and the hills terraces intervene, which slope gradually up towards the steeper part. The creek received its name from the abundance of trout it contained during the earlier times of the settlement. B. From the left bank. a. Rossman's Creek rises in Trempealeau County in Town ship 24, Range 9 and flows northwest for about five miles. The valley of this and the creeks next following are comparatively wide and undulating, the higher hills being at the heads of the streams. b. Fifteen Creek so called because it flows through Section Fifteen, Township 24, Range 10, about two and one half miles long, course northwest. c. Adams' Creek, about one mile west of the last named, resembles it in all other respects. d. Pettingil's Creek has its headwaters among the swamps and springs in the southwestern part of the township, where the hills are steep and the valleys narrow. Its course is more directly north, than that of the foregoing, and its length about four miles. e. Dillon's Creek is but two miles long and runs through an undulating valley north. From this we come to no tributary for almost six miles, but this tributary we find entering into the river in Section 16, Township 23, Range 11, is the most considerable of all tributaries of Beef River in this county. Its name is Elk Creek. The main branch of this creek takes its rise in Section 2 of Township 22, Range 10, flows north for about three miles thence west northwest until it is joined by the other large branch, which is usually called Bennett Valley Creek its strongest affluent. Bennett Valley Creek rises in Sect. 1, T. 23, R. 10, flows west for about four miles, when it turns southwest and after a course of about two miles joins Elk Creek in Sect. 18 of said township. The main branch has one affluent of an unknown name from the east, another called Eads' Creek from the same direction, one Mower's Creek from the north, and finally Three Mile Creek from the south, each of which is equal to any of the tributaries named for Beef River under a, b, c, d and e in this division. 10 TOPOGRAPHY. The stream from its junction with its north fork (Bennett Val ley Creek) continues west, receiving Hadley's Creek, on the right Erskine and Bailey's Creek on the left side. The valleys of the main branch and of most of the different affluents are compara tively wide, bordered on the north, east and south by high hills or bluffs, from which spurs are running in different directions, and by those the surface of the country is somewhat cut up and diversified. g. Hutchison Creek is divided from Elk Creek by a high ridge, one of the spurs last mentioned, which extends in a nearly western direction to within half a mile of the main river. This Creek rises in Sect. 35, Township 23, Range 11 and receives its only affluent at the southwest corner of said section, from which point it flows nearly west through a narrow strip of marshy meadow, which is bordered on the right side by the foot of the bluffs, and on the left by a strip of prairie land nearly level up to the hills. h. Huett's and Nething's Creeks are small and short. i. Wenger's Creek coming from Sect. 28, Township 22, Range 12 is also not over two miles long and flows nearly northwest with a rolling valley. j. Mill Creek has two branches, one from the east and one from the north, whose valleys are narrow and short. They unite above the millpond and after coming out of it the creek flows out into the level bottoms of the river. In the above descriptions, as well as in those which may fol low, it will be noticed that some creeks are named after persons, usually after the first, or else some prominent one of the earliest settlers. Whether or not these names will be continued in use, we know not, but they designate to the present generation the ob jects named and also some local points of history. Where other names are given their origin if known, is mentioned. The maps, even those of the original government survey, are not always reli able, but as no person can know the exact location of every spot, they are, of course, the only thing to rely on for the purpose of description and location. 3. WAUMANDEE CREEK (EAGLE CREEK). I find in the map before me, taken from the Atlas of Wiscon sin, that this creek is called a river, but knowing, as I do, that the Topography. ii people living alongside of it call it always " the creek," I shall do the same, although there may be other streams of no greater magni tude, which are locally designated as rivers. I shall also consider Little Waumandee Creek as an affluent or tributary. The terri tory drained by this stream and its tributaries or affluents is en tirely within our county, and although the main valley is wide, yet the hills surrounding the whole basin are high and steep. The main creek rises in Sect. 4, Township 22, Range 10, from which place it flows south about two miles, thence it turns and flows southwest until joined by the Little Waumandee Creek from which place it assumes a general southern course to its junction with Mississippi, in Sect. 8, Township 19, Range 11. Its tribut aries are: A. On the right bank. ' a. Lee's Oreek, from the west short and very small. b. Schachuer's Creek, rising in some springs in Sect. 12, Township 22, Range 11, flowing south about two miles. c. Little Waumandee Creek rising in a spring in Sect. 21, Township 22, Range 11. Its upper course is sometimes dried up and for nearly a mile uncertain. At first it flows for about two miles southwest, and then turning into a southern course, which it continues until near its mouth, where for about half a mile it flows nearly east, turning south again for a short distance. It has a number of very small affluents, of which Schmidt's Creek from the West is the most considerable joining it in Sect. 36, Township 21, Range 12, and Mattausch Creek from Sect. 20, Township 22, Range 11. Its next and moot important affluent is Jahn's Creek, which comes from Sect. 22, Township 22, Range 11, entering into the larger creek, in Sect. 1, Township 21, Range 12, so near the line between Ranges 11 and 12 that it is difficult to decide about the matter. About one and a quarter miles farther down it re ceives its last affluent, Wilk's Creek from the west near the quarter section comes in the east side of Sect. 12. It receives no further affluent but joins the larger stream in Sect. 29, Township 21, Range ll. d. Keith's Creek comes from Section 24, Township 21, Range 12, is about 2 miles long and joins in Sect. 31 in the range east of the former. e. Schmidt's Creek, from the west is very short and small. 12 TOPOGRAPHY. /. Suhr's Creek, just like the former. g. Berg's Creek, about the same. These are all the affluents from the right bank. B. From the left bank. a. The first and quite a considerable one is Danuser's Creek, which has its rise in a number of springs that unite in Sect. 28, Township 22, Range 10. It flows nearly west for about five miles and enters in Sect. 36, Township 22, Range 1 1 . Danuser's Creek has a number of little affluents and, correspondingly the valley has sidevalleys, through some of which roads are leading toward Arcadia and Trempealeau Valley in general. b. Irish Creek, received its name from the circumstance of people of that nationality settling there in considerable numbers early in the history of the county. The creek comes from Section 21, Township 21, Range 10, and flows in a gjeneral western direc tion, entering the Waumandee Creek in Sect. 15, Township 21, Range 11. This creek has one considerable branch which comes from a more northern direction and joins it in the lower course. c. Schoepp's Creek comes from Sect. 26, Township 21, Range 11, and flows in a southwestern direction in a narrow valley of about four miles in length. d. The little runs from Oak Valley and from Tracutlein's Valley are of but small importance. The valleys are short and narrow. e. Eagle Creek. The western branch of this creek comes from Sect. 31, Township 21, Range 10 and flows southwest, and afterwards south to Sect. 15, Township 20, Range 11, where it re ceives the eastern branch, which rises in Sect. 6, Township 20, Range 10. From their junction the creek flows nearly south to Sect. 33 of the same township and range, from which it flows nearly west to Waumandee Creek, joining it in the upper part of what is now designated as the mill po'nd. The further course of Waumandee Creek is short and terminates as before related. 4. TO THE TREMPEALEAU RIVER. The basin of the Trempealeau River is mostly outside of this county. There are however a few small streams coming from the eastern part of the town of Montana which join larger streams flowing to the river. From about the southeast corner of Town- TOPOGRAPHY 13 ship 21, Range 10, this river forms the boundary line between our county and that of Trempealeau to its confluence. with the Missis sippi in Sect. 15, Township 18, Range 10, almost south of the point where it enters upon the boundary and about 15 miles from it in a straight line. It is, of course, very much more by the meanders of the river. With the exception of the first one, the affluents from this county are small and, in general short, though there is a bottom of meadows on our side, between them and the river; the hills are mostly high and steep. All the tributaries to Trempealeau River from this county are from right bank and are: a. Muir's Creek. A number of small streams uniting in Sect. 14, Township 21, Range 10 form this creek. From the con fluence of said streams the creek flows nearly south, without re ceiving any considerable addition and falls into the river in the northeast quarter of Sect. 2, Township 20, Range 10. b. Cowie's Creek. This creek is formed by two small streams in Sect. 35, Township 21, Range 10, flowing from there southeast about li miles into the river. c. Grover's Creek, from Sects. 13 and 24, Township 20, Range 11 flows southeast about 3 miles. d. Heutges's Creek, from two smaller ones in the western part of Section 32, Township 20, Range 10, runs nearly ea3t about 11 miles. e. Bohri's Creek, according to the map an affluent of the former, but only in its lowest course, is probably somewhat larger and combines from a number of smaller streams, which unite in Sect. 5, Township 19, Range 10. /. Piper's Creek, is the last tributary to this river from our county and flows from Sect. 20, Township 19, Range 10, about 3 miles southeast, between very steep hills. There are a small num ber of short streams which flow to the Mississippi or into some side slough directly. Of these we might name Stein's. Creek in the southwestern part of Township 21, Range 12 and Raetz's Creek about a mile below the actual village of Fountain City, but within that corporation. The enumeration of all those tributaries and affluents may seem superfluous to some of the actual residents of this county, but it will remind them of some things, which they may have had before their eyes without taking interest enough in them to form any accurate conception of them, as I know from 14 TOPOGRAPHY". experience with a great many. To those not residing here, the description of the water courses will give the only foundation for a mental picture of the surface of our county, since between these lines of drainage the elevations are situated. It is, of course, to be regretted, that the outlines and slopes of the hills are not re presented in the map, but so far nobody has undertaken the task of this delineation. Persons capable of doing this work are scarce anywhere, but much more so in a new country, where even those who could do this, are compelled to make their living by other occupations. From the horizontal configuration of the country we pass naturally to the PERPENDICULAR CONFIGURATION. By this we mean the differences in level of different points and situations. As intimated in the description of the water courses, we find a great number of valleys, some of which are wide and rather undulating in their surfaces while some of their side valleys are narrow, deserving very often in their remote parts the name of ravines rather than of valleys. This indicates that there are hills with steep slopes between the valleys. We find the surface of the county very rough or interrupted, but we have, nevertheless no mountains. No elevation in the county reaches beyond a height of 500 feet above the level of the adjacent plain or of the surface of the Mississippi river. But this ascent falls in most cases within the distance of one fourth of a mile or less, measured perpendicular to the4trend of the slope. Considering the average elevation 450 feet, it would require a uniform rise of 4 inches in every foot for 1,350 or 30 feet more than a quarter of a mile = 33J per cent, or so many feet rise for every 100 feet hori zontal distance. The slopes of our hills are no more uniform than those of others, and so we find many places where it is difficult to climb them. On the bank of the Mississippi river especially, and along the alluvial deltas called bottoms, the hills present a very bold and in many places perpendicular or otherwise inaccessible front, probably suggesting for them the name of Bluffs, which, accord ing to Webster's definition, means: A high bank presenting a steep front; a high bank almost perpendicular projecting into the sea; a description which will fit exactly if we substitute the word TOPOGRAPHY. 15 "plain" for the word "sea." Our valleys are the result of ero sion. Whether this erosion is entirely due to the continual action of heat and cold, of rain and snow, is not very easily determined, and I shall in the article on the geology of our region take occa sion to express and justify my own opinion on this matter. This erosion has been going on for ages and still continues. The intro duction of agriculture has facilitated this process of erosion by depriving the slopes of timber and by loosening the ground for the reception of the seed. Whether or not the denudation of the slopes has been carried on recklessly and too far, is another consi deration, but our observation confirms the statement above made. There are few fields and pastures on hillsides, that are not torn by fissures made by accumulating surface water, sometimes in a few hours. One of the results of this erosion are those deltas or bot toms, some of which lie between the bluff and the Mississippi and extend irregularly along Beef Slough between it and the Chip pewa and Mississippi down to Alma, where the river, for the first time within the county comes close to the foot of the bluff, flow ing parallel to it about li miles, when it turns off at an angle of about 60° to the southwest. Below the turn these bottoms begin again and continue without much interruption down to Fountain City, where the river again approaches the foot of the bluff for a distance of IJ miles. It does not deflect so much, nor for so great a distance as in the former case, as it returns to the bluff about 4 miles below Fountain City, for the last time in this county. The greatest width of the Chippewa and Beef Slough bottoms is at or near the line between Townships 22 and 23 where the distance is about 5 miles, measured from the foot of the bluff. The bottoms between Alma and Fountain City are widest in Township 20, Range 12, where they may average 3 miles. From Fountain City to the mouth of the Trempealeau river the bottoms seldom exceed a mile in width. The confluence of the Trempealeau gave occa sion for a large delta or bottom to form along and between the hills on the north and those on the south side and the Mississippi, which may be considered as belonging to either the one or the other of the two rivers. The formation of these bottoms out of the soil. carried off in the neighborhood is easily understood. Even now those bottoms 16 TOPOGRAPHY. are submerged at high water. In times long past there were large eddies in their places and in these eddies were deposited the fine materials which had remained afloat in the turbulent waters, and which could not have come very far, as they would in case of be ing coarse have been deposited before they reached these spots. In this way the prairies between bluffs and bottoms were first formed when the waters rose much higher and staid longer than in historic times. It is very seldom that the water now cuts off communications between different parts of the prairies, but I re member that only by erecting dams considerable parts of Sects. 16, 15 and 22, Township 20, Range 12 were saved from inundation, at high water both in the spring and in the fall at different times. After the prairies the islands were formed. Islands is the name given to these bottoms or their parts for the reason, that some of these parts are always, others at ordinary, and another set only at high water, surrounded by the sloughs, which in some oases, are wide and in some even navigable at a season of abundant water, while in most cases they are nothing but shallow, and often dry channels. At very high water but little land remains visible, and it is only indicated by trees, where islands used to be. The legal status of these islands, deltas, or bottoms is swamp lands or over flowed lands. These and the immediate banks of Beef and Trem pealeau rivers are the only level lands in the county. If it should be our intention to trace the principal ranges of hills and to subdivide them according to their height, massiness, or extent, it must be confessed that this would be an intricate, and very perplexing enterprise. One of the reasons for this is that the surface on the top of the hills, though not exactly level, presents so many similarities, or repetitions in its features, that distinction becomes difficult. We can nevertheless follow the principal groups. The lower group of bluffs extends from the confluence of Waumandee and Eagle Creeks down along the Mis sissippi and its sloughs to the Trempealeau bottoms a distance of about ten miles, then between the streams flowing to the Trem pealeau and those flowing into Waumandee Creek; branching off into spurs between the different smaller streams, it takes a decided turn towards -the west in the northern part of Township 22 north of Range 10 West swinging round the source of Big Waumandee TOPOGRAGPHY. 17 Creek and separating the waters flowing to Beef River from those flowing to the creek. The line between Townships 22 and 23 runs mostly on this ridge of bluffs, until it comes down between Sec tions 4 and 5 in Range 11. The bluffs separating Little Wau mandee from Beef River Valley take a general southwestern trend and finally reach the Mississippi River near Alma, from which they continue southeast towards Fountain City, the high chain only once interrupted at the opening of the Waumandee Valley. This valley is an irregular basin with a rim of about three or four hundred feet. There are but very few places affording a com paratively easy ingress or egress. The divisions between the tributary valleys are equally marked and the only interruption is at the mouth. From the northeast turn of this rim the bluffs set off to the north in the eastern part of Range 10 dividing in this extension the valley of the Trempealeau from that of the Beef River and in a westward extension through the northern tier of sections of the Township 22, Ranges 10 and 11 into 12. This might be called the southern or perhaps more properly eastern, bluff system for its trend as a whole is towards the North, and it is on this body of bluffs that in earlier times a road was laid out from Fountain City to Eau Claire, following the main chain of the bluffs until the northeastern turn of the Waumandee rim was reached when it soon descended into a ravine, and thence into the valley of Elk Creek. A northwestern, or northern and western group of bluffs might in a similar way be recognized, the east side of which lies more or less closely along the west bank of the Beef River and is only occasionally indented by narrow erosion valleys. In some places the foundation rock crops out perpendicularly, but in most others this rock is covered by the overlying drift. The north side of this group extends from the turn of the Beef River from its western to its southern course near Mondovi almost due west to the Chippewa River. The west side lies some times closely, some times more distant along Beef Slough and has a trend to the north with a swing to northeast near the Chippewa, by which swing it comes to a junction with the north side the whole mass being roughly triangular. The only basins of local importance that might be said to be enclosed within this group are that of Brown's Creek and that of Little Bear Creek, the heads of which 18 TOPOGRAPHY. are only separated by a steep and high spur. This seems to be sufficient for a general idea of the elevations covering the surface of our county and running as watersheds between our streams. In close connection with topography, as being dependent upon latitude on one side, and the situation on a continent and the presence or absence of mountains on the other hand, we must consider the CLIMATE. In regard to latitude we are so nearly situated in the middle between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle, that our climate should most nearly answer to the general description of the temperate zone, exhibiting no extremes' either of heat or cold. But in fact it is remarkable for just these extremes, rather than for its moderation. Situated between the 44th and 45th degree of North latitude, the same as the southern part of France and the northern of Italy, we experience the cold of the countries bordering on the Baltic Sea and a heat exceeding that of Italy. Our lakes and rivers are annually frozen for several months, and our hot season is but seldom less than three months in duration. Between 40 and 50 degrees below zero are not very often reached in winter time, but they do occur; so 100 degrees above zero in the shade in summer time. Our climate is as much remark able for sudden changes, as for extremes of degree. A rain in summer is usually accompanied by a perceptible reduction of temperature, and our winters seldom pass without several thaws, often occuring in the months which we must consider the coldest ones. The severity of our winters is so much more surprising, as we are not so far above the level of the sea as to find in our eleva tion a cause for this experience. According to Lapham the mouth of the Black River is only 683, Lake Pepin 714 feet above sea level, an insignificant elevation, as far as the difference of climate is concerned. We must, therefore, look to other causes which influence our climate. We find them in the total absence of large bodies of water in our immediate neighborhood, and of lateral mountain chains farther north. If there was a vast chain of mountains extending east and west, or nearly so, where the so-called plateau or height of land lies, on the divide or watershed between the system of Arctic rivers and that of the Mississippi, we would probably enjoy a climate similar to that of the valley of TOPOGRAPHY. 19 the river Po in northern Italy at the southern foot of the Alps. There would be some difference, inasmuch as our climate would even then be a continental one, unaffected by seas or oceans. Our climate is actually a continental one in all its faults and merits. Among the merits of it we may certainly mention the salubrity, which it possesses in spite of its sudden changes and occasional extremes of heat and cold. Climatic diseases, that is such as pre vail regularly at certain seasons of the year, are almost unknown here. Those which are incident to sudden changes are frequent, but not very often serious. One of the great disadvantages di rectly traceable to the peculiarities of our climate is the impos- sibity of raising fruits, with the exception of the smaller ones. I am only stating this as a fact. Of trees bearing the larger and finer fruits of a more genial climate, such as apples, plums, peaches and pears, only apple trees are a comparative success, and even those very seldom attain a long life, or a desirable size. Pear trees have for a short time been known to bear fruit, but most kinds of them are winter-killed during the first season after planting. Grapes of wild kinds are sometimes abundant, but the cultivated species are in danger of frost late in spring or early in the fall. These frosts are very capricious in making their appearance, and although it is often jocularly remarked, that it will not be quite as cold on the Fourth of July as in winter, I have nevertheless seen the leaves on the oaks and other trees, and the corn and other tender plants bitten by frost on that very same day. It is to be regretted that there are no published records of the temperature as observed at stated times within this county, and that we can only speak of it in general terms. We are in about the same predicament in regard to the other meteorological condi tions, the prevailing winds, the amount of precipitation, the fre quency of electrical disturbances, the rise arid fall of the baro meter, and similar items. Our prevailing winds are westerly; easterly winds are rare in summer, but northeast winds less so in winter, at which season they are almost always accompanied by heavy snowfall. Northwest winds always reduce the tempera ture, southwest winds are apt to raise it, but in winter there are some exceptions, at least if we judge by our feeling alone. Thunder-storms are in some summers more frequent than in others, but they are usually not of very long duration, Now and 20 TOPOGRAPHY. then they are vehement, both in the discharge of electricity, and the accompanying rain. Precipitation, consisting of rain, dew and snow, according to season, is quite variable, but usually not excessive. Some of our summers are dry, very few are actually wet, and rain continues but seldom bepond the time of two days. Dews are often heavy and in their season regular, their intermit- tance may often be relied on as a sign for rain. Of our seasons spring is usually rather wet, with a short dry spell, while fall is almost uniformly dry, though exceptions to that are not excluded, of which the fall of 1881 was a most notable one in this decade. The floods in the Mississippi river do not depend on the rains in our own locality, but on those to the northwest and northeast of us; but these rains have a natural connection with our own, and we may therefore say that the floods or rises have. The spring rise or flood begins soon after the breaking up of the ice and con tinues until May. It is probably the result of the melting of the winter's snow, accelerated by occasional showers. The second regular rise is called the June rise, though it sometimes begins earlier than in that month, and occasionally continues beyond it. At present it is often a mere delusion. Fall rises are of rare oc curence, but I know that they may occur in consecutive years. This happened, for instance, in 1869 and 1870, but is certainly excep tional. The phenomenon called a cyclone has visited our county but very little, although some damage has been done by it. The earliest I remember to have seen traces of must have occurred about 1866 or 1867, and ran across the Elk Creek Valley in the town of Dover in a northern direction. Its path was about one- eighth of a mile wide and marked by the trees twisted almost out of the ground or denuded of branches and leaves. The last one swept over the northern part of the county, unroofing houses and barns, lifting buildings from their foundations and tearing down fences and other feeble constructions. It did the compaiatively greatest damage in the northern Spring Creek Valley, containing Sections 7, 8 and 9 of Township 24, Range 13, where it struck the new school house of district No. 2 of the Town of Maxville and demolished it entirely. The old log school house close by shared the same fate, although it was a low and heavy building. After having considered our climate in general we may say something of the variations observed in different parts of the TOPOGRAPHY 21 county. These variations depend entirely on local conditions. They are more perceptible in summer than at any other season, although some of them are observed at all seasons. In regard to temperature the places along the Mississippi enjoy some advan tages over places farther from tne river. There is more circula tion of air and a greater uniformity of temperature. This may be ascribed to the width and uniform trend of the valley, and also to the amount of evaporation constantly going on upon the whole surface of the river. Frosts late in spring and early in the fall prove very often severe and destructive in the narrow valleys among the bluffs and upon the lands bordering on Beef River, while little or no damage is done along the Mississippi. The same impunity being observed, though in a less degree, upon the cleared lands on the bluffs, it can only be ascribed to the stronger motion of the air, and the advantage of the river localities over those on the bluffs must be due to the rising vapors which com municate some of their latent heat to the objects with which they come in contact. The northern, especially the northeastern part of the county being open and perhaps from one to two hundred feet above points on the Mississippi, has, on the whole, a tempera ture similar to that observed on the bluffs. But in the absence of figures based upon actual and correct observations we must be content tp state that the variations of temperature in different parts of the county are, though not imperceptible, yet not very important. As the other changes are dependent on temperature, at least to a considerable degree, we may dismiss them with the same remark. 22 GEOLOGY. GEOLOGY. There are a few difficulties confronting me in the geological description of this county, which I would rather candidly state in the very beginning, than leave to the reader to surmise in the end. 1. I am not a very deep geologist, for although I have read considerably on the subject, and have occasionally tried to apply the information thus acquired, I never had time to make this a special study. Hence some of the petrifacts or fossils which I have come in possession of, or found in other collections, have tended to shake some of the theories, that I had formed and so I find myself in a state of doubt, when I am required to be posi tive. 2. There being no mines, and up to time but few artesian wells, nor competent scientific, observations on the boring of the latter, I submit, that the chances for reliable observations are not very extensive, and but little of our supposed knowledge is ac quired by actual investigation. 3. While it might be comparatively easy to follow the example of others, and to make a bold display of scientific names, and leave it to the reader to get through it as well as he might, I consider this course rather unfair, as it seems to discourage most persons from further investigations in this matter. But I confess that it is not so very easy to write plain and popular, probably because people of plain common sense have left such matters too much to those who were in the habit of using scientific terms because these terms were to themselves perfectly clear and comp rehensible, which they are not to other folks. GEOLOGICAL FORMATION. The main features of the formation of rocks in our bluffs are: a. The rocks appear almost always in regular strata, with little or no dip in the masses. b. The same kind of rock is found at about the same relative elevation. GEOLOGY. 23 c. The formation is worn down in the interior, and more prominent along the river. d. There is drift on the top of the bluffs as well as upon the slopes. e. There are no shells in the limestone and only fragments in the sandstone at some places. /. The petrifacts or fossils found along the slopes of the hills in certain places are imbedded in a crust looking spongy, but being very hard and coarse. g. Though detached, the pieces in which these specimens are contained, are not sanded or worn to any extent by friction or rolling. h. These petrifacts are mainly gastropods; trilobites are found in some layers of sandstone that are not generally exposed. i. The principal rocks are limestone at the top and sandstone below it. The limestone is usually hard and compact, the sandstone very often soft or friable. Chemically the limestone is not pure, but contains more or less magnesia. In consideration of the above mentioned facts, which were also observed in adjacent counties on either side of the Missis sippi, it is safe to consign our hills to the Lower or oldest Silurian System. The foundation sandstone is usually called the Potsdam Sandstone; the limestone adjoining it is known as the Lower Magnesian Limestone. As the rocks occur in horizontal layers at corresponding levels, it is evident that neither during their original formation, nor since, there has been any serious or preceptible disturbance. There seems to be no disruption in the stratification, and the de position of matter must have taken place under water which was deep and therefore but superficially disturbed. As the material of the Potsdam sandstone is almost entirely quartz in rounded grains the conclusion seems inevitable, that at some place quartz or quartzite existed and was subject to disintegration. It is equally evident that the particles after disintegration must have been subject to an unlimited amount of friction or roll ing, as the grains of the Potsdam sandstone are small and worn. We also know of no natural force which could have brought them to their present location except that of gravitation. It is suggested 24 GEOLOGY. that at the time of this disintegration and deposition of particles, the temperature of the earth and atmosphere was considerably higher than at present, but whether it was fluctuating according to the seasons, is uncertain. The higher temperature, and conse quent evaporation and precipitation, much more rapid and copious than at present, would afford some explanation of the phenome na connected with the formation of sandstone, except the pres ence of animal remains in it. If these remains belonged to living organisms, it might be asked, whether these or any organ isms of their kind could exist in a temperature much higher than the present, one that would work disintegration of crystalline rocks. The next question would be of the cause of the disappearance of the water that covered the deposits. Before this disappearance, the precipitation of the limestone as a mass upon the foundation of sandstone must have taken place. Limestone is not merely a mechanical aggregation like sandstone, but a chemical combina tion. We cannot refute-the supposition that the lime must have been held in solution in the superincumbent waters for a long time. There must have been a time when the water did no longer contain this solution or when it was suddenly drawn off. But it would be reasonable enough to suppose that the deposition ceased before the draining took place, since there is still a crust of earth above the limestone, for which there seems no cause more natural than a similar deposition out of the water. As an explanation of the matter it is supposed, and very probable, that after the form ation had taken place, the whole was by slow degrees elevated to its present absolute level, that the water following the inevitable law of gravitation, flowed off to a lower place, and that thence forth erosion and abrasion began to work out the inequalities of the surface. There are many indications in this neighborhood and in other places not far away, that at some time the whole of the country was covered with a deep crust of ice, or, as we say, with glaciers. It has been found to be the nature of a glacier to move from the higher to a lower place, very much as a mass of molten metal would run down an inclined plain. The higher levels being colder, the snow and other precipitations congeal and accumulate there until they press upon those beneath or on lower levels, and push them slowly down the incline, and, unless the GEOLOGY. 25 ice be melted at the lowest point, it may be pushed up an oppos ing declivity. The force of this moving weight was irresistible, and even the hard rocks had to succumb. It is said that two such operations happened and were instrumental in shaping the sur face of the country. We find it remarkable that there are no act ual traces of the second one of these ice-floods, as we might call them, in the opposite hills along the Mississippi in our immediate neighborhood. But in the eastern and northern part of the county we find traces of its agencj' in the rounded form of ridges and even of higher hills, in the flattening of the surface and the absence of high continuous bluffs, while we meet more frequently with drift-hills, instead of solid bluff spurs. A glacier in its movements among hills and mountains would shove along masses of fractured rock and of earth, while it very often carried on its surface boulders, detached pieces of outcropping rock formations, which at the disappearance of the ice were left scattered about. In the foregoing I have endeavored to present a few of the ideas prevalent among professional men, by whom I mean such as have made geology their particular study. For myself and most other people, who had no particular opportunities in such matters, the conclusion that the repetition of certain forms or shapes of hills or mountains may be caused by the similarity, both of elements and arrangement, of their constituent parts, is almost inevitable. This repetiton of forms is strikingly prevalent among our bluffs, and, as far as actual explorations go, they con firm this conclusion. It must, however, be admitted that they are not by any means so thorough, as to remove all possible doubts. In the following extracts, copied verbatim from Vol. IV of "Geology of Wisconsin," (being actually the report on the Geological Surveys of the State of Wisconsin,) I present to the readers the opinions of others, whose claim of superiority over myself in such matters I do not care to dispute, although I pro pose to reserve my own private opinion. In the course of these reports I shall have occasion to revert to the metal which at pre sent causes the chief excitement all over the Northwest, and of which a spell has come over Buffalo County also. RANGE TEN WEST. Town 18. This is a fractional township of fourteen sections, 26 GEOLOGY. lying along the Mississippi and consisting of sandy bottom land, intersected with sloughs. Town 19, Buffalo. This township is very hilly and rough; the ridges are from 300 to 400 feet above the Mississippi, and are well timbered with large white oaks, and much smaller timber of second growth. The farms are confined to the valleys and the crest of the ridges. About two-thirds of the town is covered with Potsdam sandstone, and the remainder witli Lower Magnesian limestone, which has sometimes a thickness of 200 feet. Town 20, Cross, (in part). The interior of the township is oc cupied by the valley of the Trempealeau river which is from one to two miles wide, being about one-half meadow land and one- half large elm timber. The remainder of the township is very hilly and cut up with deep ravines. The town is well watered by numerous small streams and the soil is rather sandy. The form ation is chiefly Potsdam. Town 21, Glencoe. This township is very hilly, the central part being occupied by a ridge dividing Muir Creek from the Waumandee River. The ridge is about 580 feet above the Mississippi and is capped by about 100 feet of Lower Magnesian limestone. Muir Creek occupies the eastern part of the township; it has a wide and well-cultivated valley, with rich, black soil, in some places rather swampy. The formations are Potsdam and Lower Magnesian in nearly equal proportions. RANGE ELEVEN WEST. Toionship 19. This is a fractional township through which the Mississippi runs from Section 6 to 36, bordered with high and precipitous cliffs. Nearly all of the town consists of high rolling ridge land lying from 500 to 600 feet above the river. It is well timbered with large white oak and small timber. In the north east quarter of Section 9, the geological section from the ridge to the bed of the river is as follows : FEET. St. Peter's sandstone 50. Lower Magnesian limestone 200. Potsdam sandstone 350. Total from ridge to bed of river 600. The Lower Magnesian is the principal surface rock. GEOLOGY. 27 Town 20, Cross, (in part.) This town is well watered by Eagle Creek and its branches in the central part, and by the Wauman dee River in the western part. The other parts of the town are very hilly, and consist of dividing ridges lying about 550 feet above the streams. The soil on the ridges is clay, which in some places is suited to the manufacture of brick. One brick yard was seen in the southeast quarter of Section 32. The valley of the Waumandee is from a mile to a mile and a half wide, and well settled; the soil is largely of quaternary origin, and is very fertile. The formations are Portsdam one-third Lower Magnesian two-thirds. Town 21, Waumandee, (in part.) The valleys of the Wau mandee and its tributaries occupy a large part of this town and afford much good agricultural land. The hills are not so high or so steep as in the country further south. The ridges are well tim bered. Formations, Potsdam two-thirds, Lower Magnesian one- third. RANGE TWELVE WEST. Town 20, Milton, (in part.) This is a fractional town lying along the Mississippi, which runs from Section 6 to 34. There is a strip of flat sandy land about two miles wide lying between the river and the inclosing, which is cultivated next to the bluffs; the soil there containing more clay. About one-fourth of the township has the Lower Magnesian for the surface rock, and the remainder is Potsdam. Town 21, Belvidere, (in part.) This town consists chiefly of high ridge land, much intersected with ravines.' The divide be tween Beef River and the Waumandee passes through the town and has a pretty uniform elevation of about 600 feet above the Mississippi. The ridges are wide and well settled, with clay soil and white oak timber. The Lower Magnesian is the principal formation. Town 22, Alma (in part.) The southern half of the town is similar to Town 21. Beef River flows through the town from Sec tion 2 to 19. Its valley is about a mile and a half wide, rather swampy and chiefly devoted to hay meadow. The farms are on the terraces which form the foot of the bluffs on either side of the xiver. The town, is well watered by numerous small streams. The. formations are Potsdam and Magnesian in riearly equal parts. 28 GEOLOGY. Town 23, Modena. The greater part of the town is valley land, with high ridges in the western and northern part. It is not as thickly settled as the country farther south, and the soil is much more sandy. The height of the dividing ridges in this town is about 530 feet above the Mississippi, and they are well-timbered with white oak. The formations are Potsdam, covering two-thirds of the town, and Lower Magnesian the rest. Town 24, Canton. There is a high narrow dividing ridge of Lower Magnesian in the southern part of the town. The rest of the town is covered with a sandy soil, and slopes to Bear Creek, which has a yery wide and swampy valley, consisting chiefly of meadow land and some tamarack. There is some very good farm ing land. RANGE THIRTEEN WEST. Town 22, Nelson (in part.) The southern and western parts are occupied by the wide sandy valleys of Beef River and Beef Slough, in which the soil is very poor except at the foot of the bluffs. Trout Creek, which runs through the northeast part of the town, has a long and well cultivated valley, from a quarter to a half mile in width. There are some high limestone ridges in Sections 2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 22, which are timbered with white oak ; the rest of the town has the Potsdam for the surface rock. Town 23, Nelson (in part.) This town consists of high lime stone ridges in the central and southern parts ; the northern part is occupied by Little Bear Creek and its tributaries. The soil is very sandy in the valleys but clay on the ridges. The formations are Potsdam and Lower Magnesian in nearly equal parts. RANGE FOURTEEN WEST. Towns 22, 23 and 24, Western parts of Nelson and Maxville. This particular situation is not mentioned in the Geol. Report as far as these towns lie in Buffalo County. There is indeed nothing to be said about them, except that no part contains any coosid-- erable hills, and that in fact so much of them as is contained within this county is on the sandy prairies along Beef Slough and adja cent bottoms, and in these bottoms themselves. remarks : Any one conversant with the situation ofthe towns mentioned GEOLOGY 29 will know that whoever reported the above may have been a com petent geologist, but was rather at sea concerning the towns. A glance at the county map will show, that Sect. 9 of Township 19 North of Range 11 West, is just east of the Village of Fountain City, its southwest corner reaching down into the same. As there is a specification for this section differing from the common reports on the bluffs in the county, I found it advisable to refer to the sit uation. The Geol. Report further says : BUFFALO COUNTY. There are two small outliers of St. Peter's sand stone in the southern part of the county on the ridge between Eagle Creek and the Trempealeau River. 1. This is a large outlying area, comprising parts Sects. 2, 3, 10, and 11 in T. 19 R. 11 equal to one square mile. It only manifests its presence by making the soil more sandy, in occasional bould ers and fragments of sand stone, and in a few outcrops in place. 2. There is a small area, equal to about half a section, on the same ridge, and a short distance north of area No. 1. The greater part of it lies in Section 35, T. 20 R. 11. Remarks:— By consulting the " Atlas of Buffalo County " we find that area No. 1 above described is between the east and west branches of Eagle Creek in the town of Cross. Area No. 2, immediately north of the other, is somewhere close to the sources of Schoepp's Valley Creek in the town of Wau mandee. The report continues: The above are new discoveries, and serve as connecting links between the outcrops south of the La Crosse River and those in Pierce County. The following table shows a section of a mountain not too far from our county: SECTION NO. 1. TREMPEALEAU MOUNTAIN. Feet. 1. Heavy bedded, unfossiliferous sand stone 40. 2. Intercalations of magnesian limestone and sand 20. 3. Sandstone layers, with lines of cross stratifications 19. 30 GEOLOGY. 4. Layers of yellowish concretionary sandstone 3. 5. Heavy bedded, yellow sandstone. Layers 2 to 6 feet thick 45. 6. Thin bedded, brown, yellow and white sandstone 11. 7. Thin, yellow, argilaceous shales, with traces of dicello- cepalus 10. 8. Soft and friable green sandstone 12. 9. Heavy bedded, red and yellow sandstones 20. 10. Hard and compact sandstone, containing considerable lime 9. 11. Concretionary sandstone, containing green sand 3. 12. Thin bedded, yellow sandstone, with frequent green layers 33. 13. Band of green clay 1. 14. Alternations of green and red sand stone 6. 15. Compact green sandstone 5. 16. Soft and friable green sand 9. 17. Sandstone containing scales of mica, and indistinct fossils 3. 18. Ferruginous sandstone 20. 19. Thin bedded, soft green sandstone, with intercalations of green clay from two to four inches thick 30. 20. Heavy bedded, brown, calcareous sandstone 10. 21. Soft and friable sandstone, with mica and green sand 12. 22. Friable sandstone, with indistinct trilobites ; 6. 23. Loose green sand 2. 24. Heavy bedded, yellow and gray sandstones, containing large quantities of finely comminuted white Lingula shells 80. 25., Slope of hill, sandstone to water in the Mississippi'. 25. Total Thickness of Section 434. From Vol. IV, " Geology of Wisoonsin: " GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS. The formations of the territory described in this report are confined to the Lower Silurian age, with the exception of the Quaternary. The following general section, taken from Prof. Dana's Manual, embraces the present received order of geological periods and epochs in North America, and to it is added another GEOLOGY. 31 column, showing the order of the epochs in the territory under consideration: PERIODS. EPOCHS. EPOCHS IN WESTERN WISCONSIN Quaternary. Recent Champlain Glacial Cincinnati Utica Trenton Chazy Quebec Calciferous Potsdam Acadian Archaean Recent. Champlain. Glacial. 03 Trenton Wanting. Wanting. Galena, and Blue and Buff limestones. S 02 Canadian St. Peter's sandstone. Wanting. Lower Magnesian sandstone &o Primordial or Cambrian Potsdam sandstone. Wanting. Archaean Not exposed. From the above table it will be seen that there are but seven epochs to be considered, the remainder being either denuded, never deposited, or unexposed. They will be considered in the natural order of their deposition, beginning wiih the oldest and lowest, which is the Potsdam Sandstone. Note: In the following descriptions I have been obliged to abbreviate those in the Geol. Survey and have given a prominence to those epochs of which we find examples in this county. POTSDAM SANDSTONE. The territory covered by the Potsdam forms a large part of the district examined (Western Wisconsin.) It is found in the val leys of all the streams, and in the northern part it becomes the surface rock of the entire country. The strata of the Potsdam emerge from the valley ofthe Mis sissippi a short distance above Prairie du Chien, and rise gradu ally in ascending the river until they attain their maximum ele vation of 470 feet above the river, between La Crosse and Trem pealeau. From this point, continuing to ascend the river, the ele vation diminishes irregularly; being 350 feet at Fountain City, 270 feet at Alma, 320 feet at Buffalo City, 200 feet at Maiden Rock, 32 GEOLOGY. 80 feet at Bay City, 120 feet at Diamond Bluff and sinking below the level of the Mississippi a few miles below Prescott. Trempealeau Mountain, of which a section is given above, is the most noteworthy specimen of this formation. Of other points as lithological character, stratification and such things it is the place to speak in a compendium on geology, but not here. One thing almost escaped my notice. The Geol. Survey, Vol. IV, page 49 gives a sketch of the Cascade in NE \ Sect. 7, T. 23, R. 13. The locality is well known in the northwestern part of the county, and presents a very good exposure of Potsdam sandstone. The sketch is only' remarkable for its clumsiness and general want of exactness and artistic execution. The " Economical Products " of this formation are summed up as follows: 1, Iron; 2, copper; 3, building stone; 4, artesian and mineral wells. • 1. Iron. This mineral, says the Geol. Survey, is quite abun dant in the counties of Richland, Crawford and Vernon. But since the publication ofthe work this mineral has been discovered in many places in Dunn, Eau Claire and Chippewa counties, and, last but by no means least, in several places in Buffalo county. So far, May 1887, we have abundant excitement, but no reported re sults. If, however, such results should be published before this book has gone through the press, they will be either included in, or annexed to it. 2. Copper. No discovery was ever made of this mineral up to present time. 3. Building Stone. A very good article of building stone is obtained from the dolomite layers of the Potsdam, which are usu ally found about one hundred feet below the surface of the forma tion. Numerous quarries exist every where in the county, but the exact or chemical nature of the stone has nowhere been ascer tained up to the present time. Sand suitable for mortar, plastering, etc., can be obtained readily from any part of the Potsdam formation. The only ob jection to it is that it is sometimes of too fine a grain for some kinds of mortar. Much of this sand is perfectly white and very pure and probably adapted to the manufacturing of glass. 4. Artesian Wells and Mineral Waters. Until lately there were no wells of this character in this county. During the year 1886 GEOLOGY. 33 some were based upon the bluff between Alma and Little Wau mandee, of which I obtained the following two reports: 1. On the farm of John Wilk, on the NE i of the NW i of Section 16, T. 21, R. 12, in the town of Belvidere. Clay or drift 17 feet. Limestone 50 " Sandrock 59 " Flintstone (Chert?) 42 " Limestone 75 " Sandrock 62 " Total depth '. 305 feet. 2. On the farm of George Muehleisen on the SW i of NW 1 of Sect. 23, T. 21, R. 12, in the same town: Clay or drift 43 feet. Hard sandstone 3 " Sand (soft stone or loose) 16 " Hard limestone 63 " Black volcanic rock. (Perhaps Iron?) 15 " Soft limestone 102 " Sandstone 63 " Total depth 305 feet. Notes: — a. The water does not rise above the surface of the earth, but is pumped up by a windmill. b. Well No. 1 is on a higher part of the bluff about 2.3 miles northwest of No. 2. c. The report was made by the owners who are not experts. d. No. 1 reports 28 feet of water, but nothing of tubing. LOWER MAGNESIAN LIMESTONE. The composition of the Lower Magnesian is somewhat liable to variation in different parts of the formation. Usually, however, it is a highly magnesian limestone, and its average composition is as follows: Carbonate of lime 51. Carbonate of magnesia 41. Water, insoluble matter, oxide of iron and alumina... 8. Total • 100. In the country bordering on the Mississippi, above the Trem- 34 GEOLOGY. pealeau River, the Lower Magnesian does not contain nearly so much chert and other silicious material as in the southern part of the state. Calcite is, however, of more frequent occurrence. In the bluffs near Fountain City, in Buffalo County, (and near Alma ako,) it exists in small irregular layers and masses of a few inches in diameter, quite transparent and cleavable, filling cavities of the rock and sometimes giving it a brecciated appearance. The north ern outcrop of the Lower Magnesian forms an extremely irregular line. Beginning with Township 16, Range 1, East, it may be traced westward nearly to the mouth of the La Crosse River, about 6 miles. From here to the Trempealeau River is a wide tract of country from which the formation has been nearly eroded, and remains only in thin and widely separated outliers. On entering Buffalo County in its southeastern part, on ac count of the increased height ofthe country and the gradual slope of the strata to the northwest, the Lower Magnesian limebtone ap pears in a thickness of from 100 to 200 feet, forming high cliffs and escarpments along the Mississippi from the Trempealeau to the Chippewa River. The northern outcrop of the formation in Buffalo County lies parallel to the Mississippi and about 18 miles distant from it. (Where?) On approaching this line a marked change is seen in the topography of the country. The valleys are much wider, and the hills not so high or so steep as near the Mississippi. Probably this appearance results from the original thin deposit of the lime stone near its line of outcrop; which being worn away sooner than in the south part of the county, the subsequent erosive action took effect on the softer Potsdam; thus in the same period of time mak ing wide valleys in the northern part of the county and narrow ones near the Mississippi where the thickness of the Lower Mag nesian Limestone was greater. THE ECONOMICAL PRODUCTS of this formation are as follows: 1, Copper; 2, lead; 3, building stone; 4, lime. 1. Copper. There is no known indication of this mineral being present in this county. 2. Lead. The same may be said of this mineral, all rumors to the contrary notwithstanding. This formation, however, is said to contain the lead mines of Missouri. GEOLOGY. 35 3. Building Stone. Wherever the Lower Magnesian is ex posed, there is always an abundance of good building stone. The lower beds of the formation are usually found in regular heavy ledges, very suitable for quarrying. Quarries of this kind are quite numerous, especially on the western side of the bluffs, so that there is no need for special mention of anyone. 4. Lime. The Lower Magnesian formation affords lime with as much facility as building stone. There are numerous lime kilns all along the bluffs, but the stones for the same are seldom quarried from regular beds, much oftener from large rocks which have come down from the cliffs at some time and been buried more or less in the drift. Those engaged in lime burning usually select the stone by its surface appearance and its fracture, and could not tell to what bed of limestone-formation it belongs. Owing to the large percentage of magnesia in the Lower Mag nesian, the lime obtained from it is somewhat hydraulic and slakes slowly. This quality may be regarded as rather advantageous than otherwise. It is scarcely necessary to enumerate the kilns, but it may be remarked that they are usually of very primitive construction with imperfect mechanical appliances. An exception to this I noticed on the bank of the slough in the upper part of Fountain City, where the stone used for lime also comes from a regular quarry. st. peter's sandstone. From the preceding pages the reader will find a notice of the occurrence of St. Peter's Sandstone in this county. Its very lim ited occurrence excuses the neglect to mention any economic pro ducts derived from it in other localities. GALENA LIMESTONE. As there is probably none of this variety in our county, it is barely mentioned here, to complete the discussion of the epochs. QUATERNARY FORMATION. Glacial Period. The glaciers mentioned above have left some deposits in their places characteristic of their former presence. Vol. IV of Geo logical Survey says: "The most southerly glacial deposit observed (in western Wisconsin) is situated in Buffalo-County on he SW quarter of Sect. 14, Town 19, R. 11, at aa elevation of 380 36 GEOLOGY. feet above the Mississippi River. It consists of a small isolated patch — not over 400 feet in its longest dimension — of small gravel containing the usual drift materials, such as granite, quartz, trap, etc., but no large bowlders. It lies on the side of a small ravine, near the summit of the ridge, and is exposed for a short distance by a road excavation. A similar deposit of fine gravel is found in S W quarter of Sect. 3 of the same township, on the slope towards Eagle Creek. From these points northwestward, to the Chippewa River, patches of drift gravel are found at numerous points, but bowlders are rare. Beyond the Chippewa bowlders and larger deposits occur, but the glacial deposits are nowhere in this district very large. Champlain Period. It is characterized by the Valley drift of the Mississippi and the Wisconsin River. There are numerous places in the valley of the Mississippi, on both sides of the river, where heavy deposits are found of materials foreign to the adjacent formations. The deposits consist chiefly of silicious sand, with some clay, and a large percentage of small gravel. The gravel is chiefly composed of smooth rounded pebbles of quartz, granite, trap, and fragments of other Archean rocks. The pebbles seldom exceed a few ounces in weight The deposits are, for the most part, stratified, although this can not always be readily observed. They are not continuous, being found only in suck places, where circumstances prevented their removal by the streams. There are, of course, numerous deposits of this kind in the county, but none are specified in the Geol. Survey. Swamps are frequently caused by impervious beds of clay and gravel belonging to this formation. This, however, must not be taken for an assertion, that all swamps rest on such beds, although the same cause is usually expected to produce the same effect. Recent Period. During this period, the last, but not by any means so very young a period, there was a general elevation of the country, which resulted in bringing up the Champlain deposits of the river val leys to their present elevation, gradually increasing the velocity of the rivers and removing the greater part of the drift fillings of GEOLOGY 37 the last named period. Sometimes this was only a change in the distribution of materials, such as is at present constantly progress ing. I have heard of no scientific section of the country showing the thickness of its layers, and we have so many differences in that matter, that but little would have been gained by one invest igation. Among the remarkable features of this period there are two, Calcareous Deposits and Sinks. By calcareous deposits are meant those layers of carbonate of lime that are found in caves on the floor or else on the roof or ceiling. These are stalagmites and stalactites. This occurrence in the county is possible and prob able but not proven. Sinks we call those almost circular, funnel-shaped depres sions, often unexpectedly met with on the level summit of most of our bluffs. They very seldom contain any water, even after a copious rain, which, considering that they have usually a diameter of ten to fifteen feet, shows that there must be some rather capaci ous opening in the deepest spot to let the water escape. This al ways was the case in the few I ever examined; sometimes there were loose stones between which the water could easily escape. As there must be some place to which the water can descend, it is natural to connect the sinks with caves, but other fissures may answer the same purpose. A close investigation of some large sink might therefore lead to the discovery of a cave, of which we have riot at present any instance in this county. Having now come through the periods, (or rather up) usually accepted by scientific men in such matters it remains to speak of some occurrences going on before our own eyes. One of them is the undermining of the cliffs on the crest of our bluffs close to the edge of the slope. Wherever the soft sand stone of the Potsdam formation is exposed we find that the harder .ledges are jutting out over the foundation and when we examine the condition of the soil of the slope close to the rock, we find it to consist of the same coarse sand as the foundation. We can also perceive, especially after the winter frosts have thawed out, that the foundation stone is peeling off. This, in course of time, de stroys the support of the superincumbent rock, and it comes down usually in heavy masses that are horizontally divided, and separate when they strike the ground, and bound down the slope, bury themselves by the force of their weight and momentum in the 38 GEOLOGY. soft debris or reach sometimes the very foot of the declivity. The most considerable of these disruptions must have happened many years ago on the west side slope between Deer Creek and the Nor wegian road. Precisely how long ago I would not assert, but that oaks and other trees grew between the horizontal fissures of such rocks, can be seen in traveling along the Alma and Durand road. One rock, sandstone, is split in two parts by the roots of a birch, which stands upon it, the roots reaching down into the soil for nutrition. The fissure is widening from year to year, and will continue until one day one or both of the two pieces will fall, or break near the ground. The last occurrence of a similar disruption was the coming down of the pinnacle on the northwest corner, of the once cele brated Twelve Mile Bluff, at Alma, right opposite to the turn of the river to the southwest, and above Lane's sawmill. The impres sion made by the detached piece on the ground where it fell was 124 feet long; the top piece, measuring about 15 feet in the three main directions came nearly down to the road, the remainder scat tered, but did not roll very far away from the steepest part of the slope. Excavations bring out some of the rock, and reveal the depth of the drift or detritu3 lying over it. At one place in the city of Alma in an excavation of about 26 feet down to the level of Main Street, the detritus consists of about 16 feet of mixed gravel and clay, with a great many blocks of stone, sandstone and limestone, and possibly some other material, as granitic and sim ilar bowlders. The two former kinds are of any possible shape, small and large, and but little, if any, worn. At some place, about a mile below town, we find coarse gravel, pebbles and bowlders, largely of the granitic character. Along the Mississippi, and, (so I have heard) along the shores of Lake Pepin, and especially a"t the mouth of the Chippewa River, Carnelians of very good qual ities, also rounded pebbles of white quartz are found, intermixed with many different other kinds, pf red, or reddish color, some translucent others dull, also some pudding stones, and some stones showing on the surface the cavities in which other material once must have been contained. Several times I noticed when digging on the surface of the prairie, where the soil belongs to the GEOLOGY. 39 most recent period, splinters or small rounded pebbles of very translucent reddish color, probably small carnelians, without veins. All these finds are accidental, but where did the material come from? To answer these and a few other questions which have been asked in the course of this geological description, I would have to write and the reader would have to peruse a com pendium, or perhaps several, on geology, mineralogy, and litho- logy, a task which we will defer into eternity. As a supplement to what has been said in the foregoing geo logical sketch I -have to add the following report made by Mr. L. P. Hunner of Alma, one of the incorporators of the Buffalo County Mining Company. IRON MINES. The iron was discovered May 25th, 1887. The mines are located on Sections 19 and 20 of Township 23 North of Range 13 West. So far nine shafts have been sunk varying in depth from 10 to 50 feet. The successive layers ot material above the iron are: Sandstone, Limestone, Soapstone, Kaoline, and Clay. Daven port Fisher, chemist in Milwaukee, gives the following analysis of the specimen of ore sent from these mines: Iron 62.72 per cent., Manganese 3.04 per cent., Silica 2.91 per cent., Phosphorus .035 per cent. (July 11, 1887.) Remarks. — Being no expert in this matter I refer the reader to page 613, part III of Vol. I of the Geology of Wisconsin, where he will find a full and correct description of ores and a general scale of their relative values. The presence of iron in the locality described in the above report was surmised some years ago by Mr. Berlinger, the proprietor, who informed me of it when I sur veyed his land. Rumors of the discovery of Iron in many other localities in this county were diligently circulated for a while, but actual investigations have only been carried on in the locality in dicated. The conclusion that, because Iron has been found in one bluff of our very similar formations, there may be some in other bluffs, is not unnatural, but, of course, by no means incontrover tible. The operations are not yet extensive enough to warrant any decisive judgment as to the commercial value of the mines, whether favorable or otherwise, and so I will dismiss the matter with the wish that those engaged in the enterprise and the com munity at large may be benefited by the new discovery. 40 GEOLOGY. But these discoveries, though certainly new, were by no means the first of their kind in this county. As early as 1855 there was mining for ore in the neighborhood of the old schoolhouse at Fountain City. Mr. John G. Kammueller, now deceased, who had been a foreman of miners in an iron mine in the Grand- duchy of Baden, and his three sonsWilliam, Frederick and Leopold, who had also from boyhood been employed at the same business, were even at that early time convinced that metals would be found in our bluffs. Being, however, like most settlers of those early times, without the necessary means for the required investigations, they had to give up their diggings, although signs for ultimate success appeared to be favorable. The following year, 1856, the above named gentlemen, in company with John Martin and Lud wig Martin again tried their fortune with a new mine. This time they began to dig upon the bluff north of Fountain City, upon the Northeast Quarter of Northeast Quarter of Section 8 of. Township 19. Range 11, where the depression, left after the caving in of the shaft, can still be seen. They dug down about 100 feet and found different metals. Towards spring they built a furnace, and smelted out about eight hundred pounds of metal. During the thaw in spring heavy rains prevailed, and the water flowed into the shaft, partly ruining it, so that it was impossible to descend into it. In this enterprise they had received some aid from such citizens of Fountain City as were well inclined towards the matter. During the process of smelting there was considerable excitement in the neighborhood, and everybody went to have a look at it. Mr. William Kammueller, who is still living in that neighbor hood, holds to the opinion, that if they could have persevered, they would have found lead. The misadventure of their shaft tumbling in, burying their tools, etc., prevented further attempts ever since. For this information I am indebted to Mr. Jacob Meili of the Town of Milton, who is a son-in-law of Wm. Kammueller. . The reader has already been directed to the study of such sources of geological information, as are now accessible and certainly of more weight and authority than any opinion of mine. NATURAL HISTORY. 41 NATURAL HISTORY. The following sketches or rather enumerations can not be ex pected to be scientifically accurate or complete. Indeed it may be objected by some people that they are too systematic and dry for many readers, but it must be observed that the description of Buffalo County could not have been complete without this chapter, and that we should not reject any object of fact or history merely because it is dry. The chapter on Natural History may, moreover, serve for reference with those who do not have the time or much inclination to investigate such matters closely, and would probably not have thought of buying a separate work on natural history. I am convinced that there are a great many such who, nevertheless have a latent desire to learn something of it,' especi ally what may relate to their own surroundings. This should bo encouraged especially among young folks. It was not considered necessary to add anything on Mineralogy, since all the materials of that branch of natural history had to be discussed under the head of Geology, to which the reader is hereby referred. ZOOLOGY. It goes without contradiction that a book like this, though it aims at an accurate and somewhat minute description of the country and its natural productions^can not go any further in the latter part than an enumeration of those productions, which are indigenous, that is, existed without and before settlement and cul tivation. This is especially the case with animals of all kinds, or the province of Zoology, the description of the Animal Kingdom. The following lists, which I made up from those given in Vol. I of the Geological Survey of Wisconsin, have been submitted to the inspection of Prof. F. H. King of the Normal School in River Falls, and corrected according to his suggestions. The list of Birds may be said to be his work entirely, as he indicated by numbers corresponding to those in , his exhaustive article on. the same subject in the volume of the survey above stated, what birds he considered likely. to occur at the different. seasons of the year 42 NATURAL HISTORY. in this neighborhood. Perhaps it is not my particular vocation to make up some of these lists, as I am no hunter, nor a fisher, but I tried to do as well as circumstances permitted. MAMMALS. Cats : Panther. None killed since settlement. Lynx (Canada). Scarce since settlement. Wild Cat, (Red Lynx.) Frequent and injurious. Dogs : Prairie Wolf. Not yet extinct. Red Fox. Not very frequent; small. Weasels : Weasel, (white and little.) Frequent in these parts. Mink.- Not very frequent. Skunk. Rather numerous of late. Otter. Possibly on sloughs and Mississippi. Badger. Rather scarce, unless the ground hog be its represen tative. Bears : Black Bear. Scarce, but not extinct. Racoon. Not rare; sometimes tamed. Deer: Elk. Formerly quite frequent, but now extinct. Common Deer. Not rare, nor very frequent. Moles : Common Mole. Common, but owing to habits not frequently seen. Shrews : Similar to moles, and sometimes called such; probably present, but not frequent. Bats : Common Bat. Said to be of eight Bpecies, which are not usually distinguished. Mice : The name is significant of habit and structure. Common Mouse. Very frequent. Rat, black and brown. Very frequent. Prairie Mouse. Likes prairies, but may occur in this county. Muskrat. Quite frequent in swamps and small streams. NATURAL HISTORY. 43 Beaver : Common (Am.) Beaver. I have heard of only one pair, which was said to have lived in Bull's Valley, and doubt its pres ent existence in this vicinity. Squirrels: Fox Squirrel. Not numerous. Gray Squirrel. More numerous; the black variety occurs some times. Red Squirrel. Abundant; small. Chipmunk. The little fence-mouse, so-called. Striped Gopher. Quite numerous. Pouched Gopher. Perhaps a few. Gray Gopher. Not numerous, but large and voracious. Woodchuck. Mistaken for others. Porcupines : Canada Porcupine. Not numerous. Rabbits : Northern Hare. Changeable fur; rare. Gray Rabbit. Frequent in some years. Nujnber BIRDS. Y?1-*'" A. Summer Residents : 1. Common Robin. 2. Wood Thrush. 6. Veery; Tawny Thrush; Wilson's Thrush. 8. Catbird. 9. Brown Thrush; Sandy Mocking Bird; Thrasher. 10. Eastern Bluebird. 20. House Wren. 22. Long-billed Marsh Wren. 24. Horned Lark; Shore Lark. 26. Black-and- White Creeping Warbler. 41. Chestnut-sided Warbles. 48. Golden-crowned Thrush. 49. Water Thrush; Water Wagtail. 52. Maryland Yellow Throat; Black-masked Ground Warbler. 59. Scarlet Tanager. 61. Barn Swallow. 62. White-bellied„Swallow. 44 NATURAL HISTORY. 63. Cliff Swallow; Eave Swallow. 64. Bank Swallow. 66. Purple Martin. 68. Cedar Waxwing; Cherry Bird. 69. Red-eyed Vireo; Red-eyed Greenlet. 71. Warbling Vireo; Warbling Greenlet. 72. Yellow-throated Vireo. 76. White-rumped Shrike. 85. American Goldfinch; Thistle-Bird. 90. Bav -winged Bunting; Grass Finch. 95. Song Sparrow. 98. Chipping Sparrow; Hair-Bird. 100. Clay -colored Sparrow. 103. Lark Finch. 107. Rose-crested Grosbeak. 108. Indigo Bird. 110. Ground Robin; Chewink. 111. Bobolink; Reedbird; Ricebird. 112. Cowbird. 11 3. Red winged Blackbird. 114. Yellow-headed Blackbird. 115. Meadow Lark; Field Lark. 118. Baltimore Oriole; Golden Robin; Hangnest. 121. Purple Grackle. 123. Common Crow. 125. Blue Jay. 127. King Bird; Bee Martin. 134. Traill's Flycatcher. 135. Least Flycatcher. 137. Whippoorwill; Night-Jar. 138. Night-Hawk; Bull-Bat. 139. Chimney Swift. 140. Ruby-throated Humming-bird. 141. Belted Kingfisher. 142. Black-billed Cuckoo. 143. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 151. Red-headed Woodpecker. 152. Golden-winged Woodpecker. NATURAL HISTORY. 45 154. Great Horned Owl. 155. Red Owl; Mottled Owl; Screech Owl. 156. American Long-eared Owl. 159. Barred Owl. 164. Marsh Hawk; Harrier. 171. Sparrow Hawk. 175. Broad- winged Buzzard. 179. White-headed Eagle. 180. Turkey Buzzard. 181. Wild Pigeon; Passenger Pigeon. 182. Carolina Dove. 185. Pinnated Grouse; Prairie Hen. 186. Ruffed Grouse; Partridge. 188. Quail; Bob White. 191. Killdeer Plover. 200. American Woodcock. 201. American Snipe; Wilson's Snipe. 220. Bartramian Tattler; Upland Plover. 226. White Crane; Whooping Crane. 227. Northern Sandhill Crane. 228. Great Blue Heron. 230. Green Heron. 232. American Bittern . 233. Least Bittern. 236. Carolina Rail; Carolina Crake . 238. Florida Gallinule. 240. American Coot. 257. Blue-winged Teal. 259. Wood Duck; Summer Duck. 288. Black Fern. 295. Red-billed Grebe; Dab-Chick. Winter Residents : 14. Black-capped Chickadee; Titmouse. 16. White-bellied Nuthatch. 67. Bohemian Waxwing. 75. 'Butcher Bird; Northern Shrike. 77. Evening Grosbeak.' 78. Pine Grosbeak. 46 NATURAL HISTORY. 80. American Red Crossbill. 81. White-winged Crossbill. 82. Red-poll Linnet. 86. Snow Bunting; Snow-Flake. 87. Lapland Longspur. 125. Blue Jay. 145. Hairy Woodpecker. 146. Downy Woodpecker. 154. Great Horned Owl. 155. Red Owl; Mottled Owl; Screech Owl. 160. Great White or Snowy Owl. 162. Richardson's Owl. 163. Acadian or Saw-whet Owl. 168. American Groshawk. 178. Golden Eagle. 179. White-headed Eagle, 185. Pinnated Grouse; Prairie Hen. 186. Ruffed Grouse; Partridge. 188. Quail; Bob White. FISHES. Perches : Yellow Perch. Abundant. Wall-eyed Pike. Abundant. Gray Pike Perch. May be the same fish. White Bass. Numerous. Large-mouthed Black Bass. Abundant. Small-mouthed Black Bass. Common. Six-spined Bass. Probably in lakes. Rock Bass. Said to be caught. Common Sunfish. Frequent in places. Common Spotted Sunfish. Frequent in places. Trouts: Brook Trout. Once abundant, but now decimated. Pikes : Muskallunge. True Pike; seldom caught. Pickerel. Abundant. Blunt-jawed Minnow Silvery Minnow. Blunt-nosed Minnow Shiner. May be common. Minnows : niunt-jawed Minnow. ) Silvery Minnow. i .. l am not aware that minnows are dis- Blunt-nosed Minnow. S tin*uished b* P^* name.. NATURAL HISTORY. 47 Suckers: Common Mud Sucker. Abundant. Red Horse. Common. Buffalo Carp, j Very common, but not distinguished from each Buffalo Fish. J other. Cat-Fishes : Blue Cat Fish. Abundant in Mississippi. Yellow Cat Fish. Abundant in Mississippi. Bull Head. Common in brooks. Eels : Western Eel. In Mississippi, but rare. Dog-Fishes : Dog Fish. Abundant in places. Gars : Gar Pike. Numerous in Mississippi. Sturgeons : Shovel-nosed Sturgeon. Not very common. Lamphreys : Small Black Lamphrey. AMPHIBIANS. I. Reptiles. Turtles: — Common Snapping Turtle. Abundant. Common Soft-shelled Turtle. Abundant. Leathery Turtle. Common. Western Painted Turtle. Common. Serpents: — A . Non- Venomous Snakes. Adders:— Hog-nosed Viper. Doubtful. Blowing Adder. Doubtful. Water Snakes: — Spotted Water Snake. Abundant ; dangerous to fishes. Striped Water Snake. Probably common. Red-bellied Snake. Constrictors: — Fox Snake. Common on prairies. Green Snake. Common. Common Garter Snake. Common. All common. 48 • NATURAL HISTORY. B. Poisonous Snakes. . Yellow Rattlesnake. Common. Massasauga. Rare. II. Amphibians. Frogs: — Leopard Frog. Green Frog. Wood Frog. Bull Frog. Common Tree Toad. \ Pickering's Tree Toad, v All found but not very abundant. Striped Tree Frog. J Toads: — Common Toad. Common. Tritons: — Spotted Triton. Occasionally found. Salamanders: — Red-lined Salamander. In heavy timber; doubtful here. Mud-Puppies: — Mud Puppy. Probably abundant in streams, ponds and sloughs. Dangerous to the spawn of fishes. CRUSTACEANS. Of this family of animals only very few members are of in terest or importance, or generally known to those who have not made the study of natural history their special object. The Crawfishes are the most obvious representatives of the Crustaceans and the varieties living in Wisconsin may be distin guished as such that live in running waters, and such as live in sluggish waters and burrow in the adjacent soft or swampy land. Of the first kind we have: Cambarus Virilis: Greenish Crawfish. Cambarus Propinquus: Crowding Crawfish. These two varieties are quite abundant, but not much used for any purpose that I know of. Of the second kind we have only one variety, Cambarus Obe- sus, the Thick or Flat Crawfish, but whether it is used for food or o ther purposes by anybody but the cranes, I can not attest. Fresh water crawfishes are sometimes used for bait to catch larger sorts of fish. NATURAL HISTORY. 49 The list of Crustaceans in Vol. I of Geological Survey con tains many more names but all in Latin, and from this we might conclude that the species enumerated are known only to scientists of that stripe, that they have no current, popular or vulgar names, and do not want to make the acquaintance of any but the most distinguished zoologists. To all of which we have no objections to offer. INSECTS. Insects, in a restricted sense, are six-footed articulates. (Now we know it!) Wisconsin is rich in insect life, among which are many southern forms. The presence of these southern insects may be satisfactorily accounted for, in part, by the warmer sum mers that occur west of the Great Lakes, than are experienced in the same latitude east of these great bodies of water --a curving north of the summer isotherm. (P. R. Hoy.) Owing to the fact that the names of insects occurring in Wisconsin, which are enumer ated in Vol. I of the Geological Survey are all in Latin', and there are only names lor the most obvious forms in use among the people at large, I had concluded to arrange this matter differently, and follow in the main the plan of a little treatise on " Our Com mon Insects "by A. S. Packard, Jr., which seemed much better adapted to the purposes of a book like this. But there is neither system nor consistency in its arrangements, and except for philo sophically inclined entomologists the book is of but little use. I then procured " Insects at Home," which styles itself a " popu lar account of all those insects which are useful or destructive." It is a ponderous book, and certainly a very useful book for those who can devote three-fourths of a long life to the subject, but for me it had t.he one great fault, that only English specimens were treated of. I marked out a long list, but the longer it became, the ; more I was bewildered, and then I gave it up. Of course, there are numerous insects common to all latitudes of the temperate zone, but which of them, besides the most familiar ones, were to be found iii our region was so much more difficult to find out, as almost every naturalist seems to have a peculiar systeni of nomen clature, with the one aggravation, that common or popular names seemed. to be equally abhorred by all of them. It occurred to me that I could make a system of my own for my own purpose and that this would be rather more comprehensible than those I had SO NATURAL HISTORY. taken so much time and trouble to adopt. There was once a botanist of renown who proposed to divide all plants into two classes, viz: Those which smell sweet, and those who do not. Similarly I propose to divide the immense swarm of insects into two classes, Useful and Noxious. I am well aware of the difficul ties of arranging the different species into the two classes and may state two objections to the system. The first is that genera must be divided', since one species of a certain genus may be useful, while others are decidedly noxious. The second is, that the first class will be infinitely small compared with the second in every respect, not only in the number of species, but still much more in the number of individuals. The recom mendation of the system is, however, this, that most people natur ally make the same distinction, and prefer not to recognize others. BENEFICIAL INSECTS. They may be divided into two divisions: A. Such as are beneficial by the productions of their labor; B. Such as are useful by destroying noxious insects. A. Insects beneficial by their labor. The only one of this class is the Bee. Bees are divided into domesticated and wild. To the domesticated kind belong also those swarms, which desert at swarming time and build their dwellings in hollow trees. The wild ones number many species among which the Bumble Bee is perhaps the most extensively known. All of them to enumerate would take too much time and space. B. Insects useful by destroying noxious insects. This is done either by catching and destroying these insects for food, as is done by the Spiders, or it is done by depositing eggs into the bodies of other insects, on which the larva from the egg will feed and destroy them. Such insects may be called useful parasites in distinction to other parasites, which are noxious, either by annoyance or destructiveness. ..- -'-Everybody knows the Spiders,,but to distinguish the different species which are indigenous with us, may be left to future nat uralists. Among the Useful Parasites there are some wasps and some bees of lower order, and in some cases the ants may be considered as belonging to this clasB. NATURAL HISTORY. 51 NOXIOUS INSECTS. Insects are noxious by reason of the annoyance which they cause, as for instance flies, mosquitoes and such, or by reason of their destructiveness, inflicting actual loss or damage to crops or other things. It is not very easy to say of some insects whether they are more annoying or more destructive, and not a few are both. Hence I think it will be best to enumerate the different kinds with short remarks. Wasps and Hornets. These are noxious by eating up grapes and probably other sweet berries and fruits. They are also very annoying by their sharp and poisonous stings. Although some of the numerous species are rather beneficial by the destruction of noxious insects, I think most of them must be considered as belonging to this class. Mosquitoes. Everybody is much more intimately acquainted with this singing and stinging little pest, than can be considered pleasant, and it is somewhat comforting to think that there is but one species of it in this part of the country. Flies and Gnats. By this combination I do not mean to indicate any scientific relationship between the two annoyances named, though probably everybody will admit a superficial similarity. Of both kinds we have not only a superabundant multitude, but also quite a num ber of species. Of flies we may enumerate the Housefly, the Meatfly or Blue Bottle, the Brown June fly or Deer fly, the Gadfly, etc. Bugs and Beetles. These two are here named together because they are very often mistaken or miscalled for each other. So, for instance, is the potato-bug unmistakably a beetle. Of beetles, we have a very great number of species some of which live in the water, others in the ground, others on trees and under their bark. Many of these kinds are probably neutral, that is neither beneficial nor noxious ; others like the ten-dotted Colorado beetle, alias potato-bug are very destructive on the leaves of plants in the larva state; others are destructive by their larva, boring in the wood and bark of trees, The larva of the May 52 NATURAL HISTORY. Beetle or June Bug is very destructive to the roots of vegetation in fields and gardens, but the insect is'not so very numerous here. Of bugs we may mention the Chinch bug so enormously numer ous and destructive to all kinds of grain, and many grasses; the Bed-Rug, a nauseous annoyance, of which there is also a super fluity. Butterflies. The unsophisticated may resent it as a slander if they see these most beautiful creatures arranged among the noxious in sects; but it is none the less true that they all lay eggs, and cater pillars are hatched from these eggs, and these creatures are fear fully destructive to everything of vegetable origin, especially in its green state. After they have done the mischief they become "good," like some people, who are never so good as when they sleep. This transition state is called pupa. After it follows the " imago," the " true picture," in which most butterflies do nothing but lay their eggs, preparations for a new series of the same old mischief. To begin enumeration of all kinds of butterflies is im possible in this book. Grasshoppers and Crickets. • Grasshoppers must live on something and hence, as they are not known to be of any visible use, we must put them down among destructive insects, though in our neighborhood the da mage done by them is insignificant. The same is to be said of crickets'. The field cricket has proved an annoyance to farmers hy destroying the bands on the sheaves bound by harvester twine, thus causing much trouble and probably also loss. Lice, Ticks, and Fleas. They are here named together because they are parasites upon the body of living animals. Disgusting as the subject may be, we must remark that these parasites change in their form and nature according to their habitation, and as lice, for instance, are found upon men. quadrupeds and birds, there is a vast variety of them. This is analogous with ticks and fleas, but in our climate the tick is neither so numerous nor so large and strong a7 in warmer regions. The flea, though found upon dogs and perhaps other animals, has not yet infested the human species in this region. NATURAL HISTORY. 53 Mites and Weevils. The very small insects which are destructive to many things, cause irritation of the skin, actual itch and mange are caused by mites. Weevils are destructive to seeds of all kinds. They are not always, but in some cases, so small as to be microscopic, like the mites. Ants. TTaturalists distinguish a great many species and varieties of this very remarkable insect. It is my opinion that the most highly developed species are not indigenous here, there being in fact but fow species present. Ants, may be, and are undoubtedly, useful in many ways, but they are an annoyance wherever they have taken up their residence in gardens or houses, and for that reason I have classed them among the noxious insects. Parasites of all kinds belong mostly to insects, but do not form a particular class of' them. They belong to' a great many classes or species and are only mentioned here to indicate that though they might form the objects of a separate study, they could not be made much of in this place. CONCLUSION. I am aware of the many objections to the mode in which in sects have been treated here, and most of these objections I have already met in the introduction. Those, who wish for a more satisfactory instruction in this branch of Zoology are referred to the book " Insects at Home," and others. I would be glad to refer especially the young people to some expert in this branch, but I know not where to find one in this vicinity. Indeed there is pre cious little of actual knowledge afloat among us on this and many another similar subject; there is no lack of hearsay evidence and some are adroit in arranging what they are not even superficially acquainted with, andthink they understand arrangements or classi fications made by others. We must leave them to their notions, but we will have a chance to discuss the matter under the head of "Education." BOTANY. In the following enumeration of indigenous plants I have en deavored to accept only such as I have observed in this neighbor hood or else thought very probable of occurring. I have given 54 NATURAL HISTORY. the popular or vulgar name, as near as I was able to do so, but whether I was always correct in this, or whether the name given will be accepted in every locality, I cannot now assert. The names as well as any evidences of a probable occurrence of the plants in our vicinity I have taken from Wood's Class-Book of Botany, edition of 1856, and Gray's School and Field Book of Botany, edition of 1868, the arrangement being the same as in Vol. I, Geological Survey of Wisconsin, from page 377 to 395 incl. The names of families and genera of plants are given in Latin, for the purpose of assisting those who may have a desire for consult ing the books mentioned, or some equivalent treatise. It was how ever not deemed advisable to put in the names of species and varieties, as these could not be of any interest to the general reader, and could easily be found in books devoted to the subject by the curious and those especially interested. In the appendix I have tried to give the best enumeration of cultivated plants separately. It is much to be regretted that bot any is not a branch of instruction in the common schools, since it would not be so very difficult to make'pupils acquainted with the general appearance of numerous plants, and afterwards to instruct the higher classes in the scientific arrangements of the same. PHJENOGAMOUS PLANTS. Indigenous. Ranunculacese. Crowfoot Family. Clematis. Virgin's Bower. Anemone. Wind Flower. Hepatica. Easter Flower. Caltha. Marsh- Marigold. Cop tis. Goldthread. Aquilegia. Wild Columbine. Cimicifuga. Black Snakeroot. Delphinium. Lark Spur. Actea. Baneberry. Menispemaceae. Moonseed Family. Menispermum. Moonseed. Berberidacese. Barberry Family. Podophyllum. May Apple. Caulophyllum. Papoose Root. NATURAL HISTORY. 55 Nymphacece. Brasenia. Nymphea. Nuphar. Sarraceniacese. Sarracenia. Papaveracese. Papaver. Argemone. Sanguinaria. Fumariacese. Adlumia.- Dicentra. Corydalis. Fumaria. Cruciferse. Nasturtium.Dentaria. Cardamine.. Arabis.Erysimum. . Sisymbrium.Capsella. Lepidium. Violacese. Viola. Citacese. Lechia. Droseracese. Drosera. Caryophyllacese. Saponaria. Silene. Arenaria. Stellaria.Cerastium. Portulaccacese. Portulacca. Talinum. Water-Lily Family. Watertarget. Water Lily. Yellow Pond Lily. Pitcher-Plant Family. Sidesaddle Flower. Poppy Family. Poppy. Horn Poppy. Blood Root. Fumitory Family. Mountain Fringe. Dutchman's Breeches. Golden Corydalis. Fumitory. Mustard Family. Cress (5 var.) Pepper Root. Bitter Cress. Sickle Pod. Wall Flower. Hedge Mustard. Shepherd's Purse. Wild Peppergrass. Violet Family. Violet (6 var.) Rock Rose Family. Pin weed. Sundew Family. Sundew. Chickweed Family. Soapwort. Flytrap. Sandwort. Chickweed. Mouse-ear. Purslane Family. Purslane. Wire-leaved Talinum. 56 NATURAL HISTORY. Malvacem. Malva. Filiace.x. Filia (Americana.) Geraniacex. Geranium.Erodium. Impatiens.Oxalis. Rutacece. Zanthoxilum. Ptelia. Anacardiacece. Rhus. Vitacece. Vitis.Amphelopsis. RhamnacecB. Rhamnus. Ceanothus. Ilicinea. Ilex.Nemopanthes. Celastraceos. Celastrus.Euonymous. Sapindacece. Staphylea. Acer. Negunda. Polygalacece. Polygala. Leguminosce. Lupinus. Trifolium. Melilotus. Medicago.Psoralea. Mallow Family. Mallow. Linden Family. Linden or Lime Tree. (BasswOod.) Cranesbill Family. Cranesbill. Heronsbill. Touch-me-not. Sorel. Rue Family. Prickly Ash. Shrubby Trefoil. Sumach Family. Sumach. Vine or Grape Family. Grapevine. (3 var.) Woodbine. Buckthorn Family. Buckthorn. Jersey Tea. (Red Root.) Holly Family. Holm Oak. Holly. Staff-tree Family. Staff-tree. Spindle-tree. Soap-berry Family. Bladderwort. Maple. (4 var.) Box Elder. Milkwort Family. Milkwort. Pulse Family. Lupine. Clover or Trefoil. (4 var.) Sweet Clover. , None-such. Indian Potato. NATURAL HISTORY. 57 Amorpha. Lead Plant. Robinia. Locust tree. Tephrosia. • Hoary Pea. Astragalus. Milk Vetch. Desmodium. Tick Trefoil. Lespedeza. Bush Clover. Vicia. Vetch. Lathyrus. Sweet Pea. Apios. Ground Nut. Phaseolus. Bean. (Sand Bean.) Amphicarpoea. Pea Vine. Baptisia. False Indigo. Cassia. Am. Senna. Gleditchia. Honey Locust. Rosacea. Rose Family. Prunus Am. Wild Plum. Cerasus. Wild Cherry. Spirea. Meadow Sweet. Agrimonia. Agrimony. Geum. Avens. Waldsteinia. Dry Strawberry. Potentilla. Cinquefoil or Five Fingers. Fragaria. Strawberry. Rubus. Raspberry (6 var.) Rosa. Wild Rose (3 var.) Crataegus. Crimson Fruit Thorn. - Amelanchier. June Berry. Saxifragtz. Saxifrage Family. Ribes. Currant. Grossulariam. Gooseberry. Saxifrage. Saxifrage. Heuchera. Alumroot. Mitella. Bishop's Cap. Tiarella. False Mitrewort. Chrysoplenium. Water Carpet. CrassulacecB. House-leek Family. Sedum. Stone Crop (Live-for-ever.) Pentorum. Ditch Stone Crop. 58 NATURAL HISTORY. Hamamelacea* Hamamelis. Halloragea. Myriaphyllum. Proserpina. Hippuris. Onagracetz. Circaea. Epilobium. Oenothera.Ludwigia. Melastomaceae. Rhexia. Lythraceae. Ly thrum. Ficoidece. Mollugo. Gucurbitacece. Sicyos. Echinocistus. Umbelliferce. Hydrocotyle.Sanicula.Eryngium. Daucus.Pastinaca. Heracleum.Archemora.Archangelica. Bupleurum. Cicuta.Sium.Cryptotaemia.Onorrhiza.Conium. Araliacea. Aralia. Cornaceee. Cornus. Witch Hazel Family. Witch Hazel. Water Milfoil Family: Water Milfoil. Mermaid. Mare's Tail. Evening Primrose Family. Enchanter's Nightshade. Willow Herb. Evening Primrose. Bastard Loosestrife. Melastoma Family. Meadow Beauty. Loosestrife Family. Loosestrife or Grass-poly. Carpetweed Family. Carpetweed. Cucumber Family. Star Cucumber. . Prickly Bladder Cucumber. Parsley Family. Penny-wort. Sanicle. Button Snakeroot. Carrot. (Run wild.) Parsnip. (Run wild.) Cow Parsnip. Water Drop. Angelica. Thoroughwax. Water Hemlock. Water Parsnip. Honewort.Sweet Cicely. (Wild.) Poison Hemlock. Ginseng Family. Spikenard a©d Wild Sarsaparilla. Dogwood Family. Dogwood. NATURAL HISTORY. 59 CaprifaUacee. Linnea. Symphoricarpus. Lonicera. Diervilla.Triosteum. Sambucus.Viburnum. RubiacecB- Galium. Cephalantus. Houstonia. Mitchella. ValerifinacecB. Valeriana. (Paucifl.) Fedia. Dipsacece. Dipsacus. Composite*. Vernonia.Liatus.Eupatonium. Aster. Erigeron. Solidago. Silphium. Inula. Polymnia. Iva.Ambrosia. Hantium. Rudbeckia. Helianthus. Helianthus Tuberosus. Coreopsis. Bidens. Helenium. Anthemis. Honeysuckle Family. Twin-Flower. Snowberry. True Honeysuckle. Bush Honeysuckle. Feverwort. Elder. Arrow-wood. (Snowball.) Madder Family. Bedstraw or Cleavers. Button Bush. Bluet or Dwarf Pink. Partridge Berry. Valerian Family- Wild Valerian. Cornsalad or Lamb's Lettuce. Teasel Family. Teasel. Aster Family. Iron weed. Blazing Star. Thoroughwort or Boneset. Aster. (28 var. of which many grow wild.) Fleabane. Goldenrod. (24 var.) Rosin Weed. Elecampane. Leafcup. Marsh Elder. Hay weed. Clotweed. Cone Flower. Sunflower. Jerusalem Artichoke. Tick-seed. Beggar Ticks. Sneezeweed. Camomile, m NATURAL HISTORY. Achillea. Millfoil or Yarrow. Leucanthemum. Ox-eye Daisy. Tanacetum. Tansy. Artemisia. Wormwood. Gnaphalium. Everlasting. Immortelle. Cacalia. Wild Caraway. Senecio. Groundsel. Lappa. Burdock. Cnicus. Thistles. Chicorium. Chicory. (Wild.) Hieracium. Hawk weed. Nabalus. Rattlesnake Root. Taraxacum. Dandelion. Lactuca. Lettuce. (Wild and cult.) Sonchus. Sow Thistle. Lobeliacece. 'Lobelia Family. Lobelia Indian Tobacco. Campanulaceoe. Bellflower Family. Campanula. Bellflower or Harebell. Specularia. Venus' Looking-glass. Ericacece. Heath Family. Vaccinium. Whortleberry or Huckleberry. Oxycoccus. Cranberry. Arctostaphylos. Bearberry. Epigaea. Trailing Arbutus. Gaultheria. Wintergreen. Cassandra. Leatherleaf. Ledum. Labrador Tea. Pyrola. Wintergreen Dr Shineleaf. Kalmia. Mountain Laurel. Chimaphila. Prince's Pine. Primulacece. Primrose Family. Primula. Primrose or Cowslip. Dodecatheon. Shooting Star. Lysimachia. Loosestrife. Plantiganacece. Plantain Family. Plantago. Plantain or Ribgrass. NATURAL HISTORY. 61 LentibulacecB. Utricularia. Orobanchacece. Epiphegus. SchrophulacecB. Verbascum. Linaria.Scrophularia.Collinsia.Chelone. Pentstemon. Mimulus. Gratiola.Veronica.Gerard ia. Castilleja. Pedicularis. Melampyrum. VerbenacecB. Verbena. Lippia. Phyma. Labiatce. Teucrium. Isanthus.Mentha.Lycopus. Pycanthemum.Hedeoma.Collinsonia.Monantha. . Blephilia. Nepheta.Dracocephalum . Brunella. Scutellaria.Marubium. Galeopsis. Stachys. Bladderwort Family. Bladderwort. Broomrape Family. Beech Drops. Figwort Family. Mullein. Toad Flax. Figwort. Collinsia. Snakehead. Beard Tongue. Monkey Flower. Hedge-Hysop.Speedwell. Gerardia.Painted Cup. Lousewort. Cow- wheat. Verbena Family. Verbena. (Wild and cult.) Fogfruit. Lopseed. Mint Family. Germander. Blue Gentian. Mint. Water Hoarhound. Mountain Mint. Pennyroyal. Horse Balsam. Horse Mint. Hairy Blephilia. Catnip. Sinandra.Bluecurls. Scullcap. Hoarhound. Hemp Nettle. Hedge Nettle. 62 NATURAL HISTORY. Leonurus. Larnium. Borraginaceas. Symphitum.Ly thospermum . Echium.Myosotis.Echinaspermum.Cynoylossum. Hydrophyllaceae. Hydrophyllum. Convolvulacese. Convolvulus. Cuscuta. SolanacecB. Solanum.Physalis.Datura. Gentianacex. Frasera. Helenia. Gentiana. Menyanthes. Bartonia. Asclepiadacex. Asclepias. - Acerates. OleacecB. Fraxinus. Aristolochiacece. Asarum. Nyctaginacece. Oxybaphus. Phytolaccacece. Phytolacca. ChenopodiaceCB. Chenopodium.Blitum.Atriplex. Motherwort. Henbit. Bor.rage Family. Comfrey.Gram well. Viper's Bugloss. Scorpion Grass. Burrseed.Hound's Tongue. Waterleaf Family. Waterleaf. Bindweed Family. Bindweed. Flax Dodder. Nightshade Family. Nightshade. Henbane or Groundsel. Thornapple. (Jimsonweed.) Gentian Family. Columbo. Felwort.Gentian. Buckbean. Screwstem. Silkweed Family. Silkweed. Green Silkweed. Olive Family. Ash. (5 var.) Birthwort Family. Wild Ginger. Four-oi'clock Family.. Vinegar Saucer. Pokeweed Family. Pokeweed. Goosefoot Family. Goosefoot. Blite.Orache. NATURAL HISTORY. 63 Salsola. • Soda Plant. Amaranthacece. Amaranth Family. Amaranthus. Pigweed. PolygonacecB. Buckwheat Family. Polygonum. Knotgrass. Tagopyrum. Buckwheat. Rumex. Dock. Liur^cece Laurel Family. Sassafras. Sassa.ras. Thymelacece. Mezereum Family. Dirca. ¦ Leatherwood. Urtieece. Nettle Family. Ulmus. Elm. Celtis. Hackberry. Urtica. Nettle. Laportea. Wood Nettle. Humulus Hop. (Wild.) Cannabis. Hemp. (Run wild.) Platandcece. Planetree Family. Platanus. Sycamore. (?) Juglandacex. Wabmt Family. Juglans, ( jinerea. ) nigra. J Butteruut. Juglans, i Black Walnut. Carya. Hickory. (4 var.) ¦ Cwpuliferce. Oak Family. Quercus. Oak. (11 var.) Corylus. Hazlenut. Ostrya. Ironwood. Caspinus. ¦ Hornbeam. " Betulacese. Birch Family. Betula. Birch. (5 var.) Alnus. Alder. Salicacece. Willow Family. Salix. Willow. (17 var.) Populus. Poplar. (5 var.) ConifsrsB. Pine* Family. Pinus. Pine. (3 var.) Abies. Spruce or Fir. (4 var. including Hemlock.}1 64 NATURAL HISTORY. Larix. Tamarack. Thuja. Arbor Vitae. Cupressus. White Cedar. Juniperus. Juniper and Red Cedar. Taxus. Ground Hemlock. Aracex. Arum Family. Arisaema. f Dragon Root. 1 Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Calla. Northern Calla. Symplocarpus. Skunk Cabbage. Acorus. Sweet Flag. LemnacecB. Duckmeat Family. Lemna. Duckmeat, Typhacex. Cat-tail Family. Typha. Cat- tail. Spargamium. Burr Seed. Naiadacece. Waternymph Family. Naias. Water Nymph. Zannichellia. Horn Pondweed. Potamogetan. Pondweed. Alismacece. Water Plantain Family. Triglochia. Arrowgrass. Alisma. Water Plantain. Sagittaria. Arrowhead. Hydrocharidacex. Frog's Bit Family. Anacharis. Waterweed. Valisneria. Tape Grass. OrchidacecB. .Orchis Family. Orchis or Habenaria. Orchis. Spirianthes. Ladies' Tresses. Calopogon. Grass Pink. Liparis. Tway-blade. Corallorhiza. Coralroot. Aplectrum. Puddygrass. Cypripodium. Ladies' Slipper. Iridacece Blue Flag Family. Iris. Blue Flag. Sissyrinchium. Blue-eyed Grass. SmMaceee, Green Briar FamUy. NATURAL HISTORY. SmUaceat. Smilax. Liliacea'. Trillium. Ovularia. Convallaria. Streptopus. Erythronium. Lilium. Allium. Juncus. Luzula. Juncacece. Cyperacex. Cyperus. Eleocharis. Eriophorum.Rhynchospora. Carex. Green Briar Family- Green Briar. Lily Family. Trillium. Bell wort. Solomon's Seal. Twistfoot. Erythronium,Lily. (Red and Yellow ; Wild.) Garlic. Rush Family,* Rush. (15 var.) Field Rush. Sedge Family. Sedge.Club Rush. Cotton Grass. Bog Rush. Carex. (78 var.) Of Sedges proper (Carex) there are about 160 species, several of which contribute, more in bulk than value, to the hay qf low coarse meadows and half-reclaimed bo.gs. (Gray.) Gramkiex, Leersia.Zizania. Alopecwrus. Phleurn, Agrostis. Qrizapis. Stipa. Aristida.Dactylis.Poa. Triticum (caninum.) Hosteum (juratum.) Elimus. Avena (stirata.) Holcus. Hierochloa. Grass Family. Cut Grass. Indian Rice. Foxtail Grass, Timothy, White Top- Mountain Rice. Feather Grass,, ¦, Poverty Grass. Orchard Grass. Spear Grass. Dog's Couch Grass. Squkreltail Grass. Wild Rye. Animated Oats. Soft Grass. : Seneca Grass. 66 NATURAL HISTORY. Phalaris.Milium. Panicum. Setaria.Genchrus. Sorghum. Zea. Equisetacecs. Equisetum. Filices. Polypodium. Adiantum. Pteris.Asplenium. Aspidium.Woodsia. OphioglossacecB. Ophioglossum.Botrychium. LycopodiacecB. Lycopodium. Canary Seed. Millet. Finger or Crab Grass. (12 spe.) Wild Timothy. Burr Grass. Broom Corn. Maize or Indian Corn. Horsetail Family. Horsetail. (Scouring Rush.) Fern Family. Poly pod. Maidenhair. Brake.Spleen wort. Shield Fern Flowercup Fern. Adder's Tongue Family. Adder's Tongue. Rattlesnake Fern. Clubmoss Family. Clubmoss. A PARTIAL LIST OF THE FUNGI OF WISCONSIN. is omitted advisedly, since all those who might profit by it must be in possession of much more knowledge about them, than could be conveyed here, or would interest. the general reader. In the following "Appendix " I will endeaver to enumerate the most important of such plants as are cultivated or domestic ated here, not because there are none who are informed on that subject, but to point a road for the information of those who are yet deficient in that kind of knowledge. Appendix PH-ffiNOGAMOUS PLANTS. CULTIVATED. A. Useful. CrucifercB. Mustard Family. Cochlearia. Horseradish. Brassica. Turnip and Cabbage. Raphanus. Radish. NATURAL HISTORY. 67 Nasturtium. Sinapis. Linacece. Linum. Vitacece. Vitis Vinifera. LeguminoscB. Pisum. Trifolium. Phaseolus. Rosacecs. Prunus.Cerasus. Malus Pyrus Coronasia. Rubus. Fragaria. Cucurbitacece. Cucumis.Cucurbita. (See Saxifragaceae above.) Ribes (rubum and nigrum.) Ribes Grossularia. UmbellifercB. Carum.Petrosilenum.Pastinacca. Foeniculum. Daucus. Coriandrum. Pimpinella.Apium. HelianthuB. Helianthus Tuberosus. Anthemis.Artemisia. Tanacetunq, Cress. ¦Mustard. Flax Family. Common Flax. Vine or Grape Family. Wine Grape. Pulse Family. Pea.Clover. Bean. Rose Family. Plum. Cherry.Apple.Crab Apple. Raspberry. Strawberry. [Cucumber Family. Cucumber and Melon. Pumpkin and Squash. Gooseberry Family., Currant. Gooseberry. Parsley FamUy. Caraway. Parsley. Parsnip. Fennel. Carrot.Coriander. Anis. -Celery. Aster Family. ¦ Sunflower. Jerusalem Artichoke, Chamomile. Wormwood. Tansy. 68 NATURAL HISTORY. Cicorium. Lactuca. Labiates. Salvia. Thymus. Origanum. Borraginacece. Borrago. Solanacece. Nicotiana.Capsicum. Solanuru Tuberosum. Solanum Lycopersicum. Polygonacece. Fagopyrum. Urticcm. Cannabis. Crocus. IMacete. Allium. Asparagus. GraminecB. Alopecurus.Phleum Pra tense. Milium.Panicum.Avena. Poa. Hordeum.Sorghum. Sorghum Sacharinum. Triticum. Secale. Zea. Chenopodiacese, Beta. Atriplex. Chicory and Endive. Lettuce. Mint Family. Sage. Thyme. Marjoram. Bbrrage Family. Borrage. Nightshade Family. Tobacco. Cayenne Pepper. Potato.Tomato. Buckwheat Family. Buckwheat. Nettle Family. Hemp. Iris Family. iSaffron. Lily Family. Onion, Leek^ Garlic, eta- Asparagus. Grass Family. Foxtail Grass. Timothy. Millet and Hungarian Grass, Finger Grass. Oat. Spear Grass. (Blue Grass.) Barley * Broom Corn. Sugar Corn. Wheat. Rye. Maize or Indian Corn. Goosefoot Family. Beet. (Diff. kinds.) Orach. NATURAL HISTORY. 69 ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. Names taken from the catalogue of Jas. Vick. Arranged by families. Umbelliferes. Absonia, Didiscus. Rannuculacees. Adonis, Delphinium, Aquilegia. LabiatCB. Alyssum, Asperula, Molucoa Balm, Perilla, Salvia. Composites. Ageratum, Aster, Brachycom*, Gentaurea, Cacalia, Calendula, Calliopsis, Crepis, Double Daisy, Gaillardia, Helianthus (Sun flower), Kaulfussia, Marigold, Obeliscaria, Oxyura, Palafoxia, Sca- biosa, Zinnia (Everlastings), Apocilium, Ammobium, Gomphrena, Helichrysum, Helipterum, Rhodanthe, Waitzia, Xeranthemum, Dahlia. Primufacex. Anagallis, Primula. CaryophyllacecB: Agrostemma, Catchfly, Saponin, Dianthus, Gypsosphila. Amaranthus, Celosia. Scrophulariaceee. Alonsoa, Antirrhinum, Oollinkia,, Mimulus, Salpiglossis, Mau- randia, Digitalis, Browallia. Papaveracex. Argemone, Poppy, Esscholtzia. Bartonia. Balsam. Callirhoe, Malope, Hollyhock. ScitamimeB. Canna. Candituft, Erysimum, Ten Weeks Stack. Calandrinia, Portulacca. 70 NATURAL HISTORY. Campanulacex. Campanula. Valerianacew. Centranthus. Caparidacex. Cleome. Solanacees. Datura, Nolana, Petunia. Euphorbiacece. Euphorbia Marginata, Ricinus. Hydrophyllaceez. Eutoca, Nemophila, Whitlavia. Onagracea. Godetia, Oenothera. Polymoniacece. Gilia, Phlox, Phacelia, Cobea. LobeliacecB. Lobelia. LeguminoscB. Lupinus, Medicago, Sensitive, Dolichos Pea, Viburnum. ResedacecB. Mignonette. PedaliacecB. Martynia. BorraginacecB. Forget-me-not. NyetagimacecB. Four o'clock. MesembryacecB. Mesembryanthemum. MagnoliacecB. Nigella, Paeony. Violacex. Pansy, Violet. Crassulacex. Sedum. TropseolaceOB. Tropaeolum, Minus and Major. NATURAL HISTORY. 71 Verbenacex. Verbena. Apocynacex. Vinca. ConvohulacecB. Convolvulus. Ipomcea. BignoniacecB. Calampelis. SapindacecB. Cardiosperrnum. CucurbitcB. Gourds of all kinds \. LoasacecB. Loasa. AcanthacecB. Thunbergia. PlumbaginacecB. Statise. SaxifragaceCB. Hydrangea. Caprifc-Macece. Honeysuckle. LiliacecB. Hyacinthus, Lilies of all kinds, Yucca Tulipa. AraliacecB. Ivy (engi.) Jasminactce. Jasminum. Rosacea;. Roses of all kinds, Spirea. • Oleacece. Syringa or Lilac. Nymphacece. Waterlilies. Passifloracece. Passion-Flower. Geraniacece. All kinds of Geraniums. My object in using Vick's Catalogue for the basis of the enurfl. 72 NATURAL HISTORY. eration of ornamental plants was two-fold. 1. It was sure to contain the most important and withal a generous number; 2. It was in the hands of not a few of the population, by which at least some of the names in the list were already familiar to many read ers. I might have swelled the list to a great extent by repeating the names of some plants which appeared among annuals and perennials, but I think it is sufficiently large. It occurred to me while writing out these lists, that I really know but very few inhabitants of this county, who ever showed to me a considerable acquaintance with the vegetable kingdom or of any special part of it. Though not by far as well informed on the subject myself, as I would wish to he, thislaek of informa tion in others surprised me as being extraordinary for people yet in neighborly contact with objects under consideration, and other wise mostly intelligent and some of considerable accomplishments. Not the least of my aims in giving this very extensive list of plants, was to arouse among the younger generation a more intense curiosity in regard to the knowledge of the Vegetable Kingdom. THE MOUND BUILDERS. 73 THE MOUND BUILDERS. This is the name of a race, of which numerous traces remain, mostly in the shape of larger or smaller mounds, conjectured vari ously to have been the ancestors of the Aztecs; the original immi grants from Asia by way of Behring Strait; the descendants of the Welshmen, who crossed the ocean with a fleet under a Captain Madoc; some people saved by forethought or accident when the Atlantis, the supposed connection of Africa and America was sunk beneath the water of the ocean; the lost tribes of the Israel ites; and so forth, as fancy or prejudice may lead people in their explanations of the indisputable relics of a race, of which its mysterious disappearance is not the least perplexing character istic. To enter at length upon the subject and the different hypo theses concerning that people and its monuments can not be my intention, so much the less, because we have no authenticated mo numents of its presence in this county, or its immediate neighbor hood. One thing seems to be conceded: the Mound-builders were not the ancestors of that Indian race, which was in possession of the country at the time of its discovery by the Europeans. The reasons for this assertion or belief are two: 1. The Indians had no traditions of a race that was in possession of the land before their own race, and knew nothing of the purposes for which the monuments or mounds seem to have been constructed. 2. The mounds or monuments contain almost • incontestable proofs of a higher civilization than that of the Indians, to have been prevalent among the mysterious Mound-builders. It might be said that this civilization was lost in the lapse of a long time, as there are instances of whole nations receding from the high standard of a civilization once attained, but these instances are not very numer ous nor the changes quite so marked and radical. The French, the earliest pioneers in the northern and north western part of this continent, seem to have taken no special notice of these mounds. Their missionaries had seen among the Hurons how such hills originated, and probably concluded that all of them had the same origin. To Captain Jonathan Carver the 74 THE MOUND BUILDERS. credit seems to belong, to have first called the attention of civilized or educated men to the existence of the monuments in question. He had no propensity for rooting among them, nor was archaeo logy at that time addicted to the use of the spade as it now is, or perhaps this science did not not form any part of his stock of in formation. Among such monuments described by him one is within the horizon of our county, at Wabasha, Minnesota. For that reason I will transcribe his description, without, however, vouching for the perfect reliability of the source, from which, for want of a better, I had to take it. He says: " One day I walked some miles below Lake Pepin to take a view of the adjacent country. I had not proceeded far, before I came to a fine, level, open plain, on which I perceived, at a little dis tance, a partial elevation that had the appearance of an intrench- ment. On a nearer inspection I had greater reason to suppose that it had really been intended for this many centuries ago. Notwith standing it was now covered with grass, I could plainly discern that it had once been a breast work about four feet in height, ex tending the best part of a mile, and sufficiently capacious to cover five thousand men. In form it was somewhat circular, and its flanks reached to the river. Though much defaced by time, every angle was distinguishable and appeared as regular, and fashioned with as much military skill, as if planned by Vauban himself. The ditch was not visible, but I thought on examining more curi ously, that I could perceive there certainly had been one. From its situation, also, I am convinced that it must have been designed for that purpose. It fronted the country, and the rear was covered by the river; nor was there any rising ground for a considerable way that commanded it; a few straggling oaks were alone to be seen near it. In many places small tracks were worn across it by the feet of the elks and deer, and from the depth of the bed of earth by which it was covered I was able to draw certain conclu sions of its great antiquity. To show that this description is not the offspring of a heated imagination, or the chimerical tale of a mistaken traveler, I find on inquiry since my return, that Mons. St. Pierre and several traders have, at different times, taken notice of similar appearances on which they have formed the same con jectures, but without examining them so minutely as I did." The statement appears to be highly colored by the captain's THE MOUND BUILDERS. 75 military enthusiasm, especially as to the extent of the supposed fortification, for which according to the Indian mode of warfare there seems to be no occasion whatever. It might also be asked, how far his knowledge of the system of fortification introduced by Vauban extended, since there is no probability that any extensive works after that model existed in America. In opposition to Carver's view we may be allowed to quote the opinion of a modern observer, Mr. Thos. E. Randall, in his " History ofthe Chippewa Valley." He says: " I have frequently passed over, and examined the "earthworks" spoken of by Carver and Featherstonehaugh as vast, ancient fortifications, situated on the west bank of ,the Mississippi between the village of Wabasha and what used to be known as the Grand Encampment, and must say a great stretch of the imagination is required to make any thing more of them than the formations of nature's own handi work. And until further excavations shall disclose more con vincing evidence of human agency in their construction, I shall be slow to accept their conclusions." This opinion of Mr. Randall's is entitled to some considera tion as he had, according to his statement, some previous experi ence in the matter. Judge Gale in his work entitled "The Upper Mississippi", after enumerating monuments of the Moundbuilders in different other states of the Union says : "Wisconsin can scarcely dignify any of her old earthworks into fortifications." After describing the most important one at Aztalan, in Jeffer son County, more extensively, he still comes to the following conclusion: " But what destroys the probability that the Aztalan works were a fort, is the fact that it was commanded by a ridge on the west side, and the bank on the opposite side of the creek, both within an arrow-shot of the enclosure." The judge then discusses the other kinds of mounds, especially those supposed to have been used for religious purposes, and which in the main consist of trun cated cones or pyramids, which he finds to be much less in size than in other states, and to have been noted only at three locali ties; viz: at Aztalan, Ontonagon River and Trempealeau Village. The mound at Trempealeau is about seven feet high, with a level surface at the top about twenty five by fifty feet, with graded ways 76 THE MOUND BUILDERS. from each of the four sides, about twenty -five feet .long, with the full width of the sides. Others may yet be discovered. This is the nearest authentical structure of the kind. The works at Aztalan are mentioned and described in the work of I. A. Lapham on Wisconsin, printed 1846. He is not very positive in regard to the purposes for which they were erected, but seems inclined to the Aztek origin of it. As the subject is too extensive, and as there is really no proof of any such structure existing or having existed within the terri tory under consideration, we may dismiss all speculations on the subject. While there are no mounds or hills of the kind we have hit h- erto considered, there are still some others, quite numerous in some localities, especially along the lowlands of the Mississippi, yet but rarely on the prairies. The locations are frequently at the entrance of the valley of some creek or river from the main val ley. Some of them are near the mouth of Beef River, or rather its junction with Beef Slough in clayey soil. The next collection is on the level space above Deer Creek, on the east side of the road branching off from the Alma and Durand road, near the school- house of Dist. No. 3 Town of Nelson. There these knolls are quite numerous, but partly obliterated. Another considerable group we find in the neighborhood of Misha Makwa, on the prai rie plateau close to the foot of the bluff near the junction of the north side road of Little Bear Creek Valley with the Alma and Durand road. These latter mounds seem to distinguish them selves from the other two groups, by being, even down to the surrounding level spots, composed of a very dark sandy loam, quite in contrast with the soil in the next vicinity, while in the others no other s*oil appears, but such as is similar to the next surrounding. There is no order or arrangement among those knolls, and it seems evident, that, though they were erected within a short time of each other, and long ago, they were not erected at the same time, nor any of them for another purpose than the remainder. Their form tends somewhat to the elliptical cone, the slopes are moderate, and there is usually no level space on the top, and their depth is not often four feet, though, possibly, sometime that or more. It is very probable that small collections of such hills are THE MOUND BUILDERS. 77 to be found at other places, and they are indeed to be looked for in locations similar to those described. Some knolls to be seen at different places along sloughs or along places reached by high water, one or two at a place may also occur. These knolls I consider Indian graves. They occur in greater number where it is most probable that Indians would congregate for purposes connected with their mode of life,fas for hunting, fish ing or fighting. Especially the latter seems to have given a cause to start up these grave-yards. As far as I have learned there has no evidence been found, which might controvert my opinion, but I think that all articles found in or about such grave-yards, as ar rows, stone-hatchets, pipes and stone implements in general, have been such as are known to have been used by the Indians before their contact with civilization. Nor is it to be supposed that these knolls are so very ancient. It is less than three hundred years since the first permanent set tlements along the Atlantic and almost to a year but two hundred since the first explorers entered upper part of the Mississippi Val ley. This seems more then time enough to efface almost any knoll of so small a size. Hence, we are not justified in ascribing these monuments to any race anterior to the Indians. The possibility of their having remained as perceptible eleva tions is due to their situation, almost always a dry one, not swept by occasional surface currents of any considerable force, with a dry and solid substratum. They also indicate the Indian mode of burial, which was not by digging a grave, but by heaping earth upon and around the body until it was not -only covered or- hid from sight, but also from the scent of beasts of prey. This seems to have been a good deal of work, yet it was much easier for a people without spades, mattocks and shovels, than to dig a ditch. Many of these burial spots were probably intended to be but temporary, and knolls would assist in the finding of the place, and earth heaped up would be drier and less difficult to remove for the recovery of the remains. About implements and other objects obtained from any of these graves or burial-knolls, we shall speak in the chapter on Indians. The foregoing was written down a short time ago and laid aside for future consideration, experience having taught me, as well as others, that it is sometimes necessary to change our opini- 78 THE MOUND BUILDERS. ons. I have also, in the meantime, procured a book on the sub ject, entitled, " The Mound-Builders, being an account of a re markable people that once inhabited the valleys of Ohio and Mis sissippi, etc., by J. P. MacLean." This book is, like all books on such subjects, rather enthusiastic, though on the -whole fair and candid. In the chapter on Preliminary Observations the author says of the " Distribution of the Works : These works are very irregularly distributed, being found principally along the river valleys. They are only occasionally met with in the hill or broken country, and when thus found are always of small size. Their number is very great; in Ohio alone there are not less than thirteen thousand, including both mounds and enclosures. Within a radius of fifty miles from the mouth of the Illinois River in the State of Illinois, there are about five thousand mounds. All the mounds located in the territory occupied by the Mound-Builders do not belong to that ancient people, for many of them have been constructed by the Indians, and doubtless many in Ohio have been assigned to the epoch of the former, when in reality they belonged to the latter." This has always been my opinion, although, to tell the truth, I have not made this a special study either theoretically or prac tically. Mr. MacLean, in his book above named, has also discussed at length a number of frauds which have from time to time come to light in such investigations. It reminds me so forcibly of the following scene from the "Antiquary" of Sir Walter Scott, that I cannot resist the tempta tion to transcribe the latter or at least part of it. We find Monk- barns or Oldbuck explaining to his young friend Lovel the situa tion of the' whole and of the different parts of what he chose to believe, and to declare to be, a camp of Julius Agricola and he had come to say : . "And from this very Prastorium — A voice from behind interrupted his ecstatic description — ' Prsetorian here, Praetorian there, I mind the bigging o't. ' (It was Edie Ochiltree, the beggar, or Blue-gown.) ¦ ..-.5 What is that you say, Edie?' said Oldbuck hoping, perhaps THE MOUND BUILDERS. 79 that his ears had betrayed their duty : 'What were you speaking about?' 'About this bit bourock, your honor,' answered the un daunted Edie; 'I mind the biggingo't.' 'The devilyou do! Why, you old fool, it was here before you were born, and will be after you are hanged, man!' ' Hanged or drowned, here or awa, dead or alive, I mind the bigging o't.'" Antiquary Chapt. IV. Well, we can not exactly say that we mind the "bigging o't" but we dare say that we find that great enthusiasm is often very much mistaken, and though we would not feel like disputing the views of others in this matter, we would hesitate to credit all the stories, inferences, theories and speculations connected with anti quarian researches of this and of every other kind. I cannot omit a laughable fraud committed by a man entirely unprepared, as most people must have thought, to have produced the results of it, but who, owing to the ignorance of his neighbors, was considered to have actually made his pretended discoveries. OPERATIONS OF DAVID WYRICK. David Wyrick, of Newark, Ohio, was an uneducated man, but on the subject of mathematics he possessed decided ability. He had held the office of county surveyor until he was forced to retire on account or long continued attacks of rheumatism. He was regarded as an eccentric character and incapable of deliberate deception. He had adopted the idea, that the Hebrews were the builders of the earthworks of the West, and as often as his disease would permit, he sought diligently for proofs of his theory. His first discovery was made during the month of June 1860. This dis covery consisted in what is known as the "Newark Holy Stone," and was found about a mile southwest of the town, near the center of an artificial depression common among earthworks, As soon as he found it, he ran away to the town, and there with exultation exhibited it as a triumphant proof of his Hebrew Theory. Upon examination it proved to be a Masonic emblem, repre senting "the Key Stone," of an arch, formerly worn by Master Ma sons. The Hebrew inscription has been thus rendered into Eng lish: " The law of God, the word of God, the King of the Earth, is, most holy." The stone did not have the appearance of antiq- qity, and probably was accidentally dropped into the depression 80 THE MOUND BUILDERS. and then covered over by the accumulation of loam and vegetable matter continually washed into the center of the cavity. Wyrick continued his researches and soon made a startling discovery. During the summer of 1860, with three other persons, he repaired to the spot where the stone mound had stood, and there dug up the trough, which had been re-entombed by the farmers in 1850. In the following November Wyrick, with five other men, met at this spot and made still further examinations. They found several articles of stone, among which was a stone box, enclosing an engraved tablet. Upon one side of the tablet there is a savage and pugnacious likeness of Moses, with this name in Hebrew over his head. Upon the other side of this stone is an abridgment in Hebrew of the ten commandments. Archaeologists never had much faith in the Holy Stone, and the discovery of Moses and the Ten Commandments soon established Wyrick's character as an impostor. Not long after he died, and in his priv ate room, among the valuable relics he had so zealously collected, a Hebrew Bible was found which fully cleared up the mystery of Hebrew inscriptions "even in Ohio." This had been the secret and study of years, by a poverty stricken and suffering man, who in some respects, was almost a genius. His case presents the human mind in one of its most mysterious phases, partly aberra tion, partly fraud. There are numerous other instances of fraud and several of doubts and contentions as to the genuineness of certain relics also mentioned in Mr. MacLean's book. In consideration of these, and in the absence of any specific object to disagree about I am wil ling to assent temporarily, to any plausible theories about the mounds in Buffalo County. I do not, however, wish to have it understood, that I deny the existence of mounds of the ancient race prior to the Indians, but that I am inclined to be cautious in my own assertions about them. Mr. MacLean says: "It is a fact that a person may start out with a theory, and soon he will be overwhelmed with proof- Relics of Mound-Builders and relics of Indians, that is arte-facts ascribed to either of the two races do not to unpracticed eyes present such differences as to distinguish them very easily from each other, although experts assert that they can do so very readily. Pipes, supposed to be of Mound- builder origin the reader will find described under the head of THE MOUND BUILDERS. 81 Indians, where I mention the use of tobacco among them; at the same time some remarks as to those pipes which are claimed to belong to the one or the other of the two consecutive races that have preceded the white race upon this continent. Other .imple ments found in prehistoric mounds and in the neighborhood of such are: Arrow-Heads, of which Mr. MacLean mentions eight sorts, each different in shape. Spear-Heads, of three different kinds according to their uses and purposes. Rimmers, that is instruments for perforating stone implements. They are of flint or quartz. Knives, instruments for cutting by hand, in combat or ordinary employment. Axes or Hatchets, cutting by blows, employing weight to exert force. Not abundant in the mounds, and mostly found along paths in the valleys. The best specimen ever seen by me was the one dug up in running the deep cut on the sandprairie, near Fred Richter's place. It was large, well-shaped, and sharp, of a greenish glassy stone. Some of the axes were adze-shaped and used in digging out troughs, canoes and similar things. Hammers or Mauls. They were furnished with an indented rim at or near the middle for fastening the handle in the manner described under the head of Indians. Pestles or Mullers. The only specimen I saw is in possession of Wm. Finkelnburg, Esq., of Winona, Minn. They were used for disintegrating corn and other grain more or less minutely. Wedges or Fleshers. They are mostly of a hard, close-grained and almost polished black stone, sharpened at one end, from one to two inches in diameter, the body cylindrical but rounded off on top. They were probably used for separat ing the hides from the carcasses, and bark from the trees. They may also be called chisels, and are from two to six or more inches in length. Sinkers. They are usually triangular, with rounded points, and may have served as weights for sinking fishing nets, also for Stretching yarn in making nets and mats. Mr. MacLean 82 THE MOUND BUILDERS. considers them as badges of authority, worn in a conspicu ous place, possibly on string around the neck as they are nicely perforated near the smaller end. Pottery. Pots used for cooking and other purposes, made of a darkish clay, sometimes mixed with fragments of small shells. Probably formed inside a basket which was burnt in the baking. Pipes were the objects upon which the Mound-Builders expended the greatest skill and labor, and I am inclined to say the same for Indians. As pipes and smoking naturally relate to tobacco, I have said as much about them in speaking of that weed, as I thought proper. Sculptures with the exception of pipes have not, as far as I am aware, been discovered of that origin in this county. Be sides the attempt at an exact representation of natural ob^ jects according to their understanding, nothing seems to have been attempted, and .the most wonderful thing about it is, that they succeeded so well without any proper tools and arrangements for their work. After having, as I may say, re-opened this subject I suppose the reader wants to know the opinions as to who these Mound- Builders were, what became of them, and why they did not re main in the countries, where the testimonies of their former exist ence are yet found. ,1 have above remarked that it is usually conceded that the Indians were not their descendants and I gave the reasons above • for this concession. But it must also be conceded that the habit of smoking tobacco, and providing implements for. this process, is common to both Mound Builders and Indians. The other similar ity is that of their tools and instruments for different purposes. It is true that experts say that there is a difference, but I can not believe that anyone, however enthusiastic, wil) insist on this dif ference being generic. I do not mean to say that the Indians are the descendants, or otherwise near relations, of the Mound Build ers, but there is a remarkable similarity in some essential points. Mr. Mac Lean, like many others, leans to the opinion that the Toltecs of Mexico, the predecessors of the Aztec population found by the Spaniards in that country, were the descendants of the Mound Builders. There are perhaps enough similarities between THE MOUND BUILDERS. 83 them to cause such a belief, but how about the dissimilarities? Do we really know enough of either Mound Builders or Toltecs to decide upon the point? The possibility can not be disputed, there are even some foundations of probability, but whether it is a fact, we may doubt. This involves the necessary supposition that the Indians drove the Toltecs out of this country, but if so, why did they not follow them into the one which must have appeared to them decidedly the better one? The Toltecs could not have pre vented it. It is true that the Aztecs might intervene, but who drove the latter out? The theory that the Mound Builders were the descendants of the " Lost tribes of Israel" is met by the objection, that there never were any tribes of Israel lost. That the Israelites were scattered among the nations of Asia and Europe we know, but that they were lost, whole tribes of them, across any ocean, is not only impos sible, but there is not the slightest evidence for it. When the Israelites were scattered among other nations they had a knowl edge of Iron and other metals, and probably know how to work and procure them. Nothing beyond copper, known to have been found pure, even up to the time of European discovery and after wards, has been found of metals in mounds and monuments of this departed race. This theory rested on the crude and fanciful interpretation of some verses in the New Testament, upon which' a system was built up, that was not only erroneous, but very often intentionally fraudulent, as we see from the operations of David Wyrick related above. The theory of these prehistoric remains belonging to the de scendants of an almost mythological prince or captain of Welsh origin, Modoc, and his followers, has not so much as a shadow of demonstrability, even admitting their legendary existenca. It may not be very flattering to our pride, and archaeologists and enthusiasts of that ilk may be offended at the conclusion, but I mean to be honest, and with special application to the case on hand, I say: " All that we know is, nothing can be known." (Childe Har old, Canto II, VII.) If now, in apparent contradiction with the above, I continue speculation on the origin of the Mound Build ers, the reader will excuse it, because where there is no cer tainty, not, perhaps, even sufficient ground to build a consistent 84 THE MOUND BUILDERS. hypothesis upon, there is naturally so much more room, and an irresistible inclination to speculate, that is to find some plausible explanation for existing facts, and because I have not yet said anything concerning another theory of the origin of that mysteri ous race, which I have already alluded to at the beginning, viz: Their descent from some people or race that once inhabited the supposed Atlantis, the great island or group of islands, some are inclined to call it a continent, located in the north central part of the great Atlantic Ocean. Ancient writings mention this land complex, some even indicate that the Carthageniens, the greatest maritime explorers of ancient times, had made commercial voy ages to these happy islands, and the existence of this Atlantis had a great influence pro and contra, in the discussions connected with the propositions maintained by Columbus at the Spanish Court before his first voyage. It was then supposed to have sunk below the water, as it certainly had passed from the actual knowl edge of the civilized nations of that period. Some theorists main tained that there was a strong probability of a remnant of the in habitants having escaped westwards, as they certainly must have possessed such knowledge of navigation as was common to their supposed age, and probably also were acquainted with the exist ence of a western continent. Admitting for the sake of argument all I have stated of this departed race, it is nevertheless entirely improbable, that they were the Mound Builders or their ancestors. Their civilization, if they had any, was most probably, similar to the European or at least to the Carthagenian of their time, includ ing a knowledge of iron and other metals, and also of such grains as were cultivated around the basin of the Mediterranean Sea during the time when the power of the Carthagenian Republic or Kingdom was at its undisputed height. But we find nothing of the kind among the mounds, nor among the Indians, and it is al most impossible that no such traces should have been preserved. The universal custom of smoking tobacco, which must be attri buted to Mound Builders as well as to Indians, was entirely un known to the nations of antiquity; so also was maize and its use and culture. This seems to be decisive against that theory or hypothesis, and the reader may take his choice, in doubting either the existence of Atlantis, or the transmigration of its inhabitants to the Western Continent. Tradition, indeed, does not favor the THE MOUND BUILDERS. 85 transmigration, insisting that the land or islands had been sud denly swallowed up by the ocean, even maintaining that the sea by this engulfing of land had become so thick with mud as to be unnavigable; a superstition prevalent at the time of Columbus and only dispelled by the discoveries of tfje Portuguese and Span iards shortly before and after his own discoveries, probably finally by the voyages of Vasco de Gama to the East Indies and that of Magellan around the world. I think I have now exhausted the subject as much as could be expected in a book not specially devoted to that purpose, and after recurring to it so often, might close. But the matter would hardly be properly disposed of without mentioning the fact that the weapons, implements and pottery found in ancient monuments of prehistoric races in the Old World, that is, in Europe, Asia and Africa, bear a close resemblance to those found in mounds here. This, however, cannot be construed into any connection of the two worlds, or their inhabitants in prehistoric times, but may easily be accounted for by the common necessity of all mankind of making the. best of circumstances, and using for tools of any kind such materials as were to be found, and could be shaped for certain pur poses. In fact it was the discovery of stone implements, especi ally axes, in the valley of the river Somme in France by Boucher de Crevecceur de Perthes, which gave the first impulse to prehis toric investigations in Europe. Note: — The river Somme, from which a department of France has its name, rises in one of the northern valleys of the Ardennes, north of the Oise, and flows in a northwesterly direction into the English Channel southwest of Dover Strait. ADDENDA. The reader may already have noticed that I am* inclined to consider the Indians, or some of them, as the originators of the monuments usually ascribed to the so-called Mound Builders, and will excuse addition of some new proofs that others, and quite respectable authorities, sustain this view of the matter. Dr. P. R. Hoy of Racine in a paper read before the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, and contained in Vol. IV of the Transactions, after giving numerous proofs to sustain his statement, says : "Then the mode of burial is still the same, mostly in a sitting THE MOUND BUILDERS. posture, surrounded by their worldly wealth, and supplied with a sufficiency of food to feed the hungry soul on the long road to the happy hunting ground. I should like to see that anatomist who can distinguish the crania (skulls) taken from mounds from those procured from Indian graves. The skulls from mounds differ just as much and just as little as do those of the present tribes of Ind ians. I obtained a skull of a Pottawatomie chief (it is now in the U. S. A. medical museum at Washington) which is one of the largest known. It is very symmetrical also, the capacity being 1785 cubic centimeters (about 114 cubic inches); maximum length, 188.9 (millimeters), maximum breadth 163.9 mm., circumference 555.6 mm., facial angle 75 degrees; measured and photographed by order of the Surgeon General. I had a second Pottawatomie cran ium that is as unlike the above as possible, the capacity being 40 cubic inches less, facial angle 70 degrees. In view of the foregoing evidence, the legitimate conclusion must follow, that the " Mound Builders " were Indians, and nothing but Indians, the immediate ancestors of the present tribes as well as many other Indians that formerly were scattered over this country. Differing in habits of life and language, just as the Indians of the several tribes did before the white man changed them, they continued to build mounds after they had communication with Europeans, since which time mound building, together with many many of the arts of the red man, such as making wampum, flint, stone and* copper implements, pottery, etc., have declined and finally nearly or quite ceased. ON INDIAN HISTORY. 87 ON INDIAN HISTORY. Mankind in general have an irresistible desire to pry into the past and into the future, and it is only sensible, slow, prosaic and unimaginative people that can sometimes suppress this morbid curiosity. The historian, being obliged to narrate what is usually called history, that is past events, things gone by, having been enacted in times more or less remote, feels it his duty to descend into the sepulcher of the past, and look after the peoples and com munities, tribes and nations, generations and centuries that are buried there. Some of these have left marks and monuments, or writings and documents, from which themselves and their actions, their accomplishments, their fate and destiny may be known. I do not mean to speak of these here, although- the common accept ance is, that we have marks and monuments of a race, of which even the long-lived, much cherished, and greatly coveted tra ditions of the Indians do not tell us a single word. Within this county, or within the visible horizon of the highest bluff in this county, we have an acknowledged mark or monument of this race and if the Mound Builders find any place in this history, it is rather to explain the significance of their name, than the traces discovered of them here. But I want to speak of the Indian, of that species of the genus "Homo," of which we have seen numer ous individuals in times yet scarcely past, and of which we even now sometimes meet the stragglers and laggards of an armyj which, as far as our own neighborhood is concerned, has disap peared, has vanished, never to return. I cannot mention this fact without admitting and deploring that this annihilation of a whole race, so to speak, is largely if not exclusively due to the aggres sions and encroachments, open and secret, of another race, the one to which we ourselves belong. According to the laws and customs of our own race the Indian was the rightful owner and possessor of the whole of the American continent no matter whether any one, or none, of the several tribes or nations had a title or estab- ON INDIAN HISTORY. lished right to the precise spot upon which they were met by the intruders. It cannot be my intention, nor is it possible in this book, to discuss the Indian question. Although the Indian has scarcely disappeared from our im mediate view and although even long ago white men, the more or less acceptable or reputable representatives of a civilization, of which the nations to which they belonged were unquestionably proud, have been among the Red men, yet we have comparatively few books or documents relating to this intercourse, and of these only a small portion possess any authority or deserve credence. Not that there is not a multiplicity of works on early explorations, on life among the Indians, on their character and circumstances, their habitat and history (supposed), but the great majority of these works are simply copies, real or pretended, of the few origi nal ones, interspersed with anecdotes and adventures very often totally irrelative of the subject pretended to be discussed in the work. Hence it is uncommonly difficult to give something on the interesting subject of the "Indians" deserving the name of history- As an example of the way history is sometimes treated or mal treated I need only refer to the history attached to the "Atlas of the State of Minnesota" published in 1874, in which there is per haps sufficient information of the Dakotas or Sioux, but not a word of the Chippewas. It is true that Hole-in-the-day (Jr.) did fortunately, not make such an extraordinary disturbance, as his treacherous and bloody contemporary, Little Crow, but why it should be forgotten, that the former remained the steadfast friend of his white neighbors, while the latter carried murder, rapine and destruction among those on his side of the line, I do not un derstand. This is only one instance. We might go to our own state atlas, issued in 1876 by Wal ling, and find that all of the history given relates to Green Bay and Prairie du Chien, and to the Langlades and Grignons. The historian, who is honestly and diligently exploring the fountains of his narrative, must therefore be excused, if he grows cautious even to the verge of scepticism. DIFFICULTIES IN THE HISTORY OF INDIANS OF NORTHWEST. We can not know anything about the Indians, except from early explorers; hence the questions arise: 1, Who were these early explorers ? ON INDIAN HISTORY. 89 2. What capacity and preparation for the work did they possess? 3. What reliance may be put in their reports ? 4. What reasons may be alleged for or against their cred ibility ? In answer to the first question, we must say that they were, first and last, Frenchmen, and that they must be divided into two classes: Traders and Missionaries. Each of these classes had many peculiarities, of capacity, education, opportunity and pur pose of investigation, and of rendering a full or a more partisan reports. I think it is well to consider them under separate heads. TRADERS. As the name implies they came to trade with the Indians, that is to exchange com modi ties for which the Indians might show a desire for the productions of Indian industry. The trader had to look to two essential conditions, profit and security. The ven ture was great, the profit might be enormous, ¦ but that depended on the security of life and property. The trader was usually a man of considerable means, of corresponding influence, and neces sarily surrounded by a crowd of adventurous dependents, who traveled into remote parts to procure the desirable articles. The principal articles for which the trade was undertaken were the furs of different animals, especially the beaver. From this fact the trade was called the fur-trade. Other articles were incidental aggregations, but the trade in Beaver-skins was for a long time of such importance, that these skins became the standard of value for every thing bought, sold, or exchanged. In order to procure the articles of trade, to conclude bargains, gain possession of ad vantageous posts and for intercourse in general, it was necessary to learn something, at least enough for the purposes of trade, of the language of every tribe. On this knowledge depended much more than the mere traffic, and it may be imagined that every possessor of a trading post had at least one person about him, who was a competent interpreter. The necessity of remaining sometimes for years at the same post, as well as amorous propen sities, soon led to family relations between the trading people and the Indians, that is, most traders and dependents married Indian women. We may differ in our opinions about the morals involved in such marriages, but we must all agree, that they afforded op- 90 ON INDIAN HISTORY. portunities of acquiring a through knowledge of language, man ners, conditions, traditions and all the more obscure facts about Indians, such as would not, or but imperfectly, be observed in any other position. As far as opportunities were concerned, the trad ers were in the most favorable situation; they were among the Indians, they had time, and their very existence depended mostly upon their intimate knowledge of Indian characteristics. But as to rendering a report on their experiences and observations the traders and their ¦ dependents were, as a class, but little fitted to produce anything reliable. Most of them were illiterate, some to the lowest possibility. We can not be surprised at that, when we consider that in the sixteenth, seventeenth and even the eight eenth century popular education in France can not possibly have had any existence, that all literary education was confined to the higher classes the nobility, the clergy and the rich, and not even very creditable among the majority of these. The trader, that is the actual merchant, we may call him "Bourgeois," or "Sieur," or " Seignieur," had some knowledge of mercantile affairs, and may be generally credited with the accomplishments of reading and writing, though it was notorious that some of the class did not possess, and did not even value these accomplishments, which, at lea it in the immediate traffic, were of but little consequence. Another cause, which prevented the reports from traders, was the natural tendency of mercantile operations to court secrecy, in order to elude competition. Possibly, though perhaps there was scarcely any occasion for it, reports from this quarter were sup pressed by the national jealousy between the French and English, which was especially active in the French government of colonies, and for which there was cause enough, on account of the adjoin ing New England colonies. So we find that those who were in the best position to know, did not furnish much information, which is the more to be regretted, as there were numerous causes of prej udice animating the other class of explorers, but which were less potent, or entirely absent among the traders. MISSIONARIES. Of these we must remember that they were French, Catholics, Clericals, and Celibates- The first two of these qualifications they had in common with the traders and their dependents, and these same qualifications placed the Missionaries under the gov-' ON INDIAN HISTORY. 91 ernment and protection of the Representatives of the Royal Power of France. The missionaries being professedly non-combatants, had to rely on that protection much more extensively than the traders, who were supposed to provide for themselves in cases of emergencies, and whose arms and combativeness probably furn ished as much protection to the Lilies of the Bourbons, as the same flowers could be expected to afford to them. The character of the missionaries as Clericals and Celibates seems to have made them more independent of worldly affairs than the traders, and to have put them on a basis of impartial judgment. Yet, while they were on one point put on a more independent basis, they were, especially by being celibates, put at a disadvantage as far as observation was concerned. They were, in a somewhat opprobri ous sense considered as intruders, who could not share, but might misrepresent, family life among Indians. Their aim was not so much to reform, but to overturn the entire fabric of what may have been superstitions, but were, nevertheless, actual parts, traits and motives of Indian life. How could they have reformed, what was to them an abomination? For many of these disadvantages their zeal and devotion supplied remedies, and if their theory was austere, their practice has been found to have been accom modating itself to circumstances. A number of them had been people of the world and had made different kinds of experience before entering their orders; and such frequently found occasion to utilize their experience in the council of their convict, in their own conduct, and in regulating the conduct of their converts, and their zeal was not altogether without that discretion, which made them not only obedient instruments, but also close and able ob servers. Yet, when we contemplate their preconceived ideas, their doctrinal obstinacy, and their ascetic tendency, according to which they sometimes condemned the most innocent manifestations of nature, we will feel inclined to look upon their reports and rela tions of Indian life and manners with an eye of caution, if not actual suspicion. As far as their own personal sincerity is con cerned, at least as it relates to the earliest Jesuits in the New World, I am inclined to agree with Parkman, and concede the point. We find, however, that some of these monks, Jesuits and Franciscans, were not above a desire of appropriating to them selves the achievements of others. Examples of this you will 92 ON INDIAN HISTORY. find in the histories of La Salle and Du Luth. In regard to liter ary capability and preparation for their labor and especially the task now under consideration, they were widely different, the Jes uits as a rule far superior to the Franciscans. The Jesuits being known and acknowledged as superior scholastics, we may turn to their opponents, the Franciscans, who were of the two peculiar degrees or sub-orders called Capuchins and Recollects. The Cap uchins were professed " ignorantes," that is, they considered sec ular knowledge as detrimental to supernatural virtue. They were an order of mendicants, subsisting ostentatiously upon charity. The Recollects or Recollets were similar, though probably of a different habit or mode of clothing. Of the latter we find that Hennepin, who belonged to that order, was the author of a book, hence they probably were themselves or admitted to their ranks, men of scholastic acquirements. Their religious tenets being alike, we may omit their discussion. It is worthy of remark, that there was a pronounced disinclination on the part of the traders towards the ecclesiastics, but more so towards the Jesuits than the Fran ciscans. Devout Catholics they all were, at least professedly, and educated in the veneration of the priests or monks, and this dis tinct antagonism is well worth contemplation, though the causes have nothing to do with this matter. As it was, it certainly in fluenced their mutual relations to each other and the Indians, and possibly colored some of the narratives from either side. And, since the ecclesiastics were almost the only historians, we must bring this antagonism into account in the formation of our judg ment regarding the Indians. What has been said relates mainly to the very earliest peri ods of exploration, and does not locally extend to our part of the country. It is, nevertheless, important as the most reliable source of a knowledge ofthe original Indian character, and ofthe habitat of some of the Indian tribes or nations, who subsequently were domiciled upon, or claimed prescriptive possession of, the very soil upon which we are now living. There was always a wide dif ference in these reports, and although the older ones are certainly preferable, yet we must come to the conclusion, that most of them were written to support certain theories, and that the remarks of Parkman in regard to later writers on the subject might to a cer tain degree be applicable to all these histories andlhot only to the ON INDIAN HISTORY. 93 particular investigations concerning the religion of the Indians. He says: " Many observers have interpreted the religious ideas of the Indians after preconceived ideas of their own, and it may safely be affirmed that an Indian will respond with a grunt of acquies cence to any question whatever touching his spiritual state. Loskiel and the simple-minded Heckewelder write from a mis sionary point of view; Adair to support a theory of descent from the Jews; the worthy theologian, Jarvis, to maintain his dogma, that all religious ideas of the heathen world are perversions of revelation; and so, in a greater or less degree, of many others. By far the most close and accurate observers of Indian superstitions (and character) were the French and Italian Jesuits of the first half of the seventeenth century. Their opportunities were un rivalled; and they used them in a spirit of faithful inquiry, ac cumulating facts, and leaving theory to their successors." With this quotation I may dismiss the missionaries as ex plorers. I think that in the above the 2d, 3d and 4th of my ques tions have been, incidentally, but fully, answered. PRONUNCIATION AND TRANSLATION. We come now to a source of trouble originating in the dif ference of languages, the French and the English on one side, and the different tongues and dialects of the Indians on the other. In the transitions from the Indian into the French and from that into the English the names of Indian tribes or nations have been so much disfigured, that it may be set down as a fact, that very often authors spoke of what they did but imper fectly know, and what might have been something or some body else. The Indians having no written language in ^the modern acceptation of the term, the French in writing about any particular nation or about its location and other things con nected therewith, tried to imitate the sounds of the Indian names and as their language is almost devoid of any gutturals, they could not express such sounds very closely. It does not possess, for instance, the sound or letter of W, but we find them trying to represent that sound by ou, which, how ever, in most words of their own language has not a consonant but a vowel sound, the same as oo in boots, and was certainly a poor substitute in such words as Wisconsin = Ouis-con-sin. In 94 ON INDIAN HISTORY.1 the same word the last syllable, according to their own language must be pronounced sang. We find in this one word an example of the transmission of Indian names, which convinces us that our present pronunciation of them is not at all reliable. We find another familiar instance in the word Sioux, in which even ac cording to their own orthography the letter i is without any func tion, and that Soux would answer the purpose as to pronuncia tion, admitting the x as a silent sign of the plural. The difficulty thickens when we come to the interpretations. In such cases, however, the French circumvented the difficulty frequently by adopting the names suggested by localities or by the language of adjoining tribes. They, for instance, called the Winnebagoes, whose name in their own (the Winnebago) language is Ochunk- osaw, by a translation, or may be perversion, of the Algonquin word " Winebeg," meaning fetid water, naming them " Puants," that is " Stinkers," and, as the Winnebagoes at first lived near Green Bay, they called the place " Baie des Pua.nts," though per haps also "Baie Verte" Such instances might be multiplied. After the conquest of Canada and its surrender to the English these names existed and were forthwith represented in English orthography, always with the evident intention of rendering them pronounceable, or rather easy of pronunciation. Naturally they were subjected to further transformations or disfigurations. French and English orthography having during the term of a century un dergone numerous changes, some of which were probably extended to proper nouns, we are at a loss to say which is which in the pro nunciation of Indian names, and also in regard to their meaning or significance. Another great difficulty in the study of Indian history is the constant displacement of the tribes. So, for ins tance, we find that after having established a temporary trading post at Green Bay, and having named the locality by the name they chose to give the first inhabitants they had met in the neigh borhood, we find the French engaged in desperate feuds with the Foxes, a tribe not at all related to the Winnebagoes, but living upon the country actually occupied by the latter at an earlier date, these, the Winnebagoes, still occupying adjoining parts of the country, but whether in league with the Foxes, or with the French, we have to guess. Similar to these dislodgements, and usually the cause of them ON INDIAN HISTORY. 95 were the warlike excursions of some of the preponderating Indian nations. The most conspicuous of these were the Iroquois of New York, a confederacy of five distinct nations, who came shortly after the visit of Jean Nicollet, up to Wisconsin and defeated the Winnebagoes. and, at the same or some later time, also the Foxes on Rock River. The same powerful confederacy had driven the Sacs and Foxes from their ancient possessions in the southern peninsula of Michigan. These incidents are cited to give an idea of the tangled mass of facts, reports and traditions, of which what we term Indian history consists. Speaking of the three tribes or nations, which afterwards claimed or, after the Indian custom possessed the soil which now is within the boundaries of our county, and the adjac ent parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, I shall find occasion to point out other instances of uncertainties and contradictions. Some of the above remarks might have been made in the recital of specific explorations and settlements, and of lives of individual explorers, but in such cases we are in danger of wronging those who were probably sincere and might have been misrepresented, and we would not have established a standard of judgment or crit icism by merely questioning individual assertions or character. I shall, therefore, apply but little criticism to the narratives of such authors, as have written about our own part of the country, un less as far as they can not be included in the classes here enumer ated. Of these exceptions are Du Luth,;La Salle, and Capt. Jon athan Carver the most conspicuons. 96 THE INDIANS. THE INDIANS. Whenever anybody begins to speak of Indians, that is of the population, which as an aggregate, was found in actual occupa tion of the islands as well as of the continent of North America, it is supposed, mentally and unconsciously, that he is speaking of a homogeneous body, in which every individual is simply an Ind ian, a barbarous, undeveloped being, who, for the very want of development, must be like every other individual of his nation and can not possibly be different. Some people, at least, have an idea, or pretend to know, that in Europe we have Russians, Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, Dutch, Germans, English, French, Spaniards, Italians, Greeks and Turks, Hungarians, Croatians, Bohemians, and Polanders, besides a number of small national ities, such as Irish, Gseles, Basques and similar, but for most peo ple it seems to be incomprehensible that there should be as many if not more, Indian nations as there are European ones. In the same way it might occur to most people, from analogy, that the Indian nations might be grouped by some common distinction of certain ones of them, not possessed by certain others. Without going any deeper than the most obvious differences, we find in Europe three or four principal groups of peoples or nationalities, distinguished from each other mainly by their languages.' Philol ogists may have conclusive proofs of a common origin of most European languages, but the distinctions still exist, between Rus sian, Polish, Bohemian, and Croatian, as one group, the Slavonic; and the German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, another, the Germanic or Teutonic; the French the Spanish, the Italian and the Greek, as the Grecco-Romanic; the Hungarian or Magyar, Turkish and Finnish as the Tartaric; with several languages, each made up principally of elements thrown together from two groups, as the English, from Germanic and Romanic elements, with a few others not conveniently to be arranged into either group. In a similar manner the Indian languages of this continent may be grouped and the tribes or nationalities arranged into the groups THE INDIANS. . 97 principally according to their languages or dialects, for in our stage of actual knowledge possessed of any of the Indian languages, defunct, or still existing, it is probably not safe to draw a very sharp line between language and dialect. In the investigations incident t'o procuring a sufficient knowledge of those Indian tribes or nations, whom I shall have to mention at some length, I have discovered, that in this as in every other matter " doctors disagree." In regard to such disagreements there is but little chance for a successful appeal, as the material for investigation is rapidly disappearing, and I have therefore concluded to adhere to such distinctions for the formation of the groups, as are least disputed and easiest of understanding, and shall use for the different na tions or tribes such names as are generally accepted. Leaving out the Southern Indians, those who usually dwelt below the line drawn from the headwaters of the southern branch of the Ohio River, the Monongahela, to the northern end of Chesapeake Bay, and designating those who dwelt up North from that line, and a line formed by the Ohio, the Missouri and the Platte River, and between the Atlantic Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, as Northern Indians, we may, by affinity of language, divide them into the following four groups: I. Algonquins, originally along the coast of the ocean, along both sides of St. Lawrence River up to the Sorel, thence only on the northside and thence on the eastside of the lakes, probably in the northern peninsula and the greater part of the southern pen insula of Michigan, thence to the Wisconsin River and below that on the east side of the Mississippi, down to the Ohio and up the Alleghany River to the mouth of French Creek, thence up that creek to Chautauqua Lake not far from the southern shore of Lake Erie, about one fourth of the whole length of that shore west from Buffalo, and from that point east parallel to the former line. The tribes or nations belonging to that group were the following: a. In the East: Abenakis, Mohigans, Wampanogs, Pequods, Narragansetts, and Micmacs. b. Upon the St. Lawrence: Montagnais, (somewhere on the lower Stream on either side,) Ottawas, on that river and its islands, the Nipissings around the lake of the same name, and further north on the east side of the lake the Ojibways of Sault Ste. Mary. c. On the Upper Lakes, that is, Lake Superior and Lake Mi- 98 THE INDIANS. chigan: North of Lake Superior and towards Hudson's Bay the Knistenau, on the Upper Peninsula some Ojibway s, and on the river of the same name the Menomonees. On the Lower Peninsula the Sacs and Foxes and possibly the Miamis. On the westside of Lake Michigan, south along shore, the Patawattomies, and further west the Mascoutins and Kikapoes, south of them the Illinois, who are supposed to have been a con federation of numerous tribes speaking Algonkin dialects; farther east in Indiana and Ohio were probably the original quarters of the Miamis. d. From the headwaters of the Ohio to the Atlantic east, were the Shawanese, the Powhattans and the Leni Lenape or Dela wares. II. The Iroquois-Huron-Nation. They were located within the circle formed by the Algonquin tribes enumerated above, and distinct from them in language, manners of living, government and customs. They consisted of five distinct tribes, the Mohawks, Onondagas, Oneidas, Cayugas, and Senecas. The Eries and the Kat-Kaws or Neutrals spoke the same language or some dialect of it, but did not belong to the confederacy. The same may be said of the Hurons, who lived beyond the Iroquois boundary, on the eastern shores of the straits connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie, mostly on the shores of Georgian Bay. This group does not materially interfere with Indians living on or in the neighborhood of our territory, and are only remarkable as furnishing a precedent of Indian government and clanship which repeated itself among other groups, notably among the Dakotas. III. The Dakotas or Sioux. This group of which there will be occasion to speak at length hereafter, was situated mostly on the westside' but contiguous to the Mississippi. \ IV. The Winnebago Confederation. XEiiis nation may be said to have occupied, in general terms the country between the Wisconsin, the Chippewa, and the Mis sissippi rivers.7 Xhey called themselves O-chunk-o-saw and claimed relationship withXhe^ Iowas, the Omahas and the Ponkas. By some writers they are classed with the Dakotas, but they denied the relationship. I find that by a late philologist they are classed with the Dakota stock, their language being by him called Hot- THE INDIANS. 99 can'gara, a name not too remote from the other to confirm their own appellation of O-chunk-o-saw, the word Hotcan'gara. being a Dakota corruption. This nation being one of the three demand ing especial notice, it may here be passed over. In the above enumeration I do not mean to claim I exhausted the subject, nor that I could not have made some mistakes. The location of most Indian tribes was uncertain. The weaker ones especially s were constantly wandering, and in their continual warfare they some times made astonishing excursions, gained and lost in one short summer campaign sometimes more land than is included in our whole state. It is, however, to be remembered, that Indians of any name but seldom went to war for the purpose of acquiring or extending territory, unless entirely expatriated by a superior force. INDIAN MANNER OF LIVING. According to accepted definitions the Indians were savages; they lived by hunting and fishing almost exclusively. That they were roving and had no permanent habitation was but the result of their mode of subsistence. Game of any kind will become scarce if constantly exposed to destruction. Some of the game animals are regular migrators, as for instance, the buffalo, others shifted their haunts to elude pursuit and destruction. This mode of life and way of subsistence, however, was more compulsory on the 'northern Indiaus than on those farther south. Not only was game more abundant in the genial climate, more prolific and less ex posed to suffering from want of nourishment, but the productions of the soil were more numerous and various, more reliable in their annual crops, and vastly more abundant in these. But how could Indians, savages as they were called, have any crops ? Beyond any question or doubt they did have crops, not only of such fruits and grains as might be considered growing wild, such as berries, plums, nuts, and wild rice, but they also had crops of Indian corn or maize. Not only in the warmer parts but also in the most northern latitudes inhabited by them, did they cultivate this kind of grain, in the high latitudes with very many risks and failures. They also raised other crops, some for subsistence, as squashes and pumpkins, and one, notably, for mere enjoyment, a crop of tobacco. Maize and tobacco were unquestionably of American origin, though perhaps ' native to the warmer climes to Central- America 100 THE INDIANS. and the West-Indies. The cultivation of both extends far back of the discovery of the New World by Columbus or by the North men. But though roving, the Indians were never truly nomadic. With them the usual order of development had been reversed, or interrupted. The Indians were still hunters and fishers when they practiced agriculture, and they never were herdsmen. Their only domestic animal was the dog, and even this one they had not yet learned to use for many things. Although hunting and war led the Indians sometimes far away, the feeble attempts at agriculture made by them, or for them by their women, induced them always to return to certain localities. It is strange that the cow and the horse were entirely absent when the Europeans began to plant colonies along the coasts. Thus the Aborigines missed the one in termediate step between the savage hunter and the cultivator of the soil, who is at the foundation of civilization. The use of the milk of certain animals, which leads to the care and protection of such animals, and to the dependence upon the products afforded by them, they had never known. Nor had they ever learned to domesticate and to propagate an animal which exceeded them selves in strength, and which could transport themselves and their effects with a speed exceeding their own greatly. It may be ques tioned whether the buffalo could have been domesticated and the milk of the cows might have been used in the same way as that of the common cow; if possible, it was never attempted, or at least no trace of such an attempt is known. There is no question, how ever, in regard to the horse and its congeners; none of them were present at the first landing of eastern people. As to means of subsistence the Indians had yet to rely almost entirely upon prim itive and natural resources, and as to transportation, they had to rely upon the means furnished directly by nature, their own legs and the waterways. It is a remarkable fact, that, though the Indians were by dint of constant and exhaustive practice, very fleet walkers and runners, they still preferred the travel in canoes, whenever it was possible to make use of them. This sort of loco motion, which can hardly claim the title of more than the lowest degree of navigation, coasting, in fact afforded to them the only convenient mode of travel and of transportation. Not that it was in itself an easy task, but it relieved one pair of limbs by em ploying the other. THE INDIANS. 101 In the chase, in fishing, in the building ancl propelling of the canoe, and in the practice of their rude and limited agriculture the Indians were naturally compelled to use implements. The implements for the chase before the introduction of European art icles of any kind, were bows and arrows, stone hatchets and stone knives, and lances, which like the arrows were tipped or headed with stone. The shape of these lance-heads and arrow-heads is familiar to the present generation in our part of the country; knives also, and hatchets, and axes were found at numerous pla ces. The stone hatchet resembled the hatchets of our days only in having a sharp edge on one side and a hammer on the opposite, but was essentially different from them in the way of attaching or fastening the handle to it. In our hatchets the handle goes through the hatchet, in the stone hatchet the hatchet went through the handle, that is through an opening in the same, and the handle was fastened to the hatchet by the parts fitting into a rim all round the hatchet. Considering that the only implements for making a suitable opening in the handle consisted of stone knives, some of which might occasionally serve as saws, it is quite reason able to think that the handle consisted of two parts for at least most of its length and that these parts were fastened by the cords or sinews of animals killed in the chase. To the hammer or the axe the handle had to be fastened in the same way. The club, which might be as serviceable in the chase as in a fight, was a more secondary implement, which sometimes might be found ready- made, or requiring but little preparation. For fishing the implements were the hook, the spear and the net. Hooks were made of bones. The bones of fishes and the antlers of deer furnish some natural shapes for these hooks and they were extensively used. As we do not find that the Indians used any fibres of other plants, except the bast of trees or roots finely divided, and possibly some long and fine grasses, we must come to the conclusion" that the lines used for angling and for weaving or knitting nets were of the same materials. Hiawatha in his fishing used a line of cedar, which must have been exceed ingly strong, since it could not be broken by the pike, nor by the sunfish strong and heavy as they must have been, making the birch canoe stand on end as each in turn pulled on the line. But to come down to well authenticated facts, we find that the Hurons 102 THE INDIANS. used nets for fishing in their lake, and may reasonably conclude that these nets were large. It is also certain that they had nets before the French came among them, for though theNmissionaries were the first to give the necessary testimony in the matter, they already found a custom among the Indians, which was immed iately connected with the net-fishing and certainly very ancient. This custom, annually performed for the propitiation of the man itou of the lake or of the fishes, was the marriage of two virgins to his mightiness. The missionaries, well aware of the almost promiscuous intercouse of the sexes among the Hurons very sagely intimate that the brides were always very young, in fact mere children, in order to make sure of the imperative condition of the charm. This marriage, however, was merely symbolical, the young brides each taking hold of one end or corner of the net until the address to their supposed bridegroom by some chief was over. The ceremony indicates the antiquity of the use of nets. The spear used by the Indians for fishing is at the present day, and seems to have always been a single one, not a pronged instru ment, as used for similar purposes by white men. It was prob ably made of the antlers of deer, and arranged in a manner to come off its pole, if the fish made unexpected resistance, the hook being then held by a very strong line or thong of tough leather, allowing the fish the necessary play to exhaust itself, until finally secured. It may be added that one authority says the Huron women manufactured out of the fiber of hemp the lines or the twine for nets, and most probably for angling, by the most primitive way of spinning, that of rolling it on their exposed thighs. This may have been after their acquaintance with the French, or else the hemp here mentioned is a different plant. The common hemp, (Cannabis sativa,) is certainly a plant of eastern origin and of late introduction. There are, however, some species of urtica, or nettle, indigenous, and the toughness of their fibres may have been discovered accidentally. In their agriculture the Indian women used the fire for clear ing the space to be cultivated. Trees were felled by the same agency, and the ground partially loosened by the burning was worked by pronged limbs of trees, by hoes made of the breastbone of large quadrupeds, or of horns, pronged and otherwise, of such animals. Plowing was out of the question, though dogs, which THE INDIANS. 103 they had in abundance, might have been trained for running some scratching wooden instrument in a line or furrow. The result of their labor was a crop of corn, some of which was roasted in the ear, while yet fit for eating in that way, the rest being garnered in different ways, among which the process of hanging the ears, prob ably by the husks, to the poles immediately under the ridge pole is mentioned to have been practiced by the Hurons, and was prob ably common among northern nations. Much of this crop seems to have been kept in barrels or similar vessels around the house, and some of it may have remained in the fields, when there was no apprehension of any warlike incursions. The Illinois, we find, buried their supplies in the earth for security. All these labors were done by women, and besides the exertions, required consid erable skill and experience, and if it had not been for the want of working animals and cows and sheep, the Indians would have made a respectable figure among semi-civilized nations, even before the advent of Europeans. The corn which was dried had to be used in different ways. Hunters and war-parties took it along parched, to be used when needed. Some, and probably the most of it, had to be ground or pulverized in some way for use as mush, along with meat or vegetables. I can not find any positive state ment that they made bread of it, at least not in earlier times. The grinding, pounding or pulverization was done in wooden mortars, which were hollowed out by alternate burning and scrap ing, sometimes perhaps on fiat stones, with other stones that were thick and heavy on one end and rounded off by continued use. All the farmwork, the housekeeping, cooking and spinning and such knitting and weaving, and perhaps sewing, as might be re quired, was done by the women, also the gathering of firewood. Besides the chase, the fishing, and the care for the arms and wea pons, the building of the canoe was the work of the men. Most Indians built bark-canoes. The Algonquins especially used the bark of the white or paper birch for the body of the canoe, the Iroquois had to use the bark of elm trees; other tribes substituted the bark of the spruce. Besides the advantage of lightness and suppleness the bark of the birch presented the further one of ad mitting of being stripped from the tree at almost any season, while other barks were very seldom to be had out of the season when the sap was in full circulation. 104 THE INDIANS. Longfellow says in Hiawatha: "" Down the trunk, from top to bottom, Sheer he cleft the bark asunder, With a wooden wedge he raised it, Stripped it from the trunk unbroken." But I have seen wedge shaped stones much better adapted and unquestionably used for the purpose. For a further descrip tion of the proceedings, which must have been much the same in every case, the reader will please consult the chapter entitled " Hiawatha's Sailing.'' There is some doubt in my mind concern ing the use of bark canoes in the hotter parts of the continent, on account of the softening and final melting of the balsam or pitch necessary to make the seams waterproof, and also, because the rapid and very large growth of some of the trees of that part of the country naturally suggested substitutes for the bark canoe. The latter had some advantages in the ease of management over wooden canoes or dug-outs, and where the paper birch existed and grew large enough, remained the favorite until now among the aborigines. From the building of the canoe the most natural transition leads to the building of the tent, lodge, hut or house, which was a task for the men. But as this subject is closely connected with the family life or social habits of the Indians, I will postpone its consideration until I reach that topic. Among the crops enumerated above we find one which would surprise us, did we not know, that the use of tobacco, met every where on the continent and on the islands among Indians, when ever Europeans first came in contact with them, was universal, both as an article of enjoyment, and as an indispensable requisite in the propitiation of the okis and manitous, for the councils of war and peace, and especially in the expression of a favorable dis position to strangers, or other visitors in an Indian encampment. For that reason I will go back to the first observation of the use of tobacco made by Europeans among inhabitants of Cuba. Wash ington Irving says in his " Life and Voyages of Christopher Col umbus ": " On their way back, they for the first' time witnessed the use of a weed, which the ingenious caprice of man has since con verted into a universal luxury, in defiance of the opposition of the senses. They beheld several of the natives going about with THE INDIANS'. 105 fire brands in their hands, and certain dried herbs which they rolled up in a leaf, and lighting one end, put the other in their mouths, and continued exhaling and puffing out the smoke. A roll of this kind they called a tobacco, & name since transferred to the plant of which the rolls were made." This is the general sense of what Las Casas says in Hist. Gen. Ind. as quoted by Irving. The first thought of any unprejudiced person in reading this would be, that smoking was .invented to protect the face against the attacks of insects of the kind of mos quitoes and gnats. But the smoker knows from experience, that after the nauseous feelings and the nervous prostration incident to the first attempts are overcome, the cigar, (as we may call the " tobacco " of the Cubans,) and the pipe afford a gentle excitement often quite welcome after hard labor of any kind, and a stimulus for mental labor to numerous persons. I can not enter into a dis cussion of the merits and demerits of the weed, and the different uses it is applied to, but I must state, that the smoking of tobacco was common among all Indian tribes yet discovered, and that in consequence of this habit the planting and further manipulation of tobacco formed an important item in their agriculture and in dustry, simple as they both were. Still more remarkable than the prevalence of the use of tobacco is the fact, that there was one nation of Northern Indians who not only smoked tobacco, and raised it for their own consumption, as probably all other tribes did, but cultivated it as a crop for export, as we might call it now-a-days, that is, for the purposes of barter and trade with friend and foe. This nation was called the Tobacco Nation, but in the Huron-Iroquois they were called Tionnontates. The French name " Nation du Petun," gave by literal translation the English appellation, but neither of them necessarily agrees with the one in their own language. The habitat of this nation was between Lake Ontario on the south and Nottawassaga Bay, the southern bay of Lake Manitoulin, now Georgian Bay, the eastern part of Lake Huron. Towards the northeast the Hurons were their neighbors, to the southwest the Neutrals held possession of the country between them and Lake Erie. The latitude is 44° to 46° north, but the climate is more equitable than in our own part of the country, which in some measure explains the success in culti vating tobacco. The nation was, like the Hurons, the Neutrals 106 THE INDIANS. and the Eries, all of them kindred by language, destroyed by the fury of the Iroquois, but the remains of the nation, exiting at different places, among kindred and even hostile tribes^ exercised a powerful influence among Indians, and were the most inflexible foes of the English in the Pontiac confederacy and to the United States at later times. They called themselves Wyandots. But to return to tobacco, we regret being unable to say how the Indians prepared the weed for smoking, though perhaps drying was the only process it was ever subjected to. We know it was smoked, and we find that it was smoked in pipes, and that the use of the pipe was a habit of the Indian men at their leisure, in the council and on different ceremonial occasions. Like most other people I imagined once, that the pipes of the Indians were made of the red pipestone, a notion in which I was confirmed by the descrip tion in Hiawatha and different other writings. But I have come to the conclusion that all this was fabulous, and the reader will agree with me, when he considers the immense distance, the con stant wars of the different nations, and the impossibility of ap proaching the Pipestone Quarry by any mode of travel and trans portation usual with the Indians. This, of course, applies more especially to Indians east of the Mississippi and most forcibly to those near to and even east of the Great Lakes. But more conclu sive than any arguments are the ocular proofs consisting in an almost unlimited number of pipes found in Indian burial mounds. Most of them are of an entirely different kind of stone, some of them even of a sandstone, which looks gritty but scarcely hard enough; others are of baked clay. Of those that have come under my observation, some two or three were remarkable for not look ing like common pipes, being rather blocks of sandstone, into the top end of which two holes were bored, the small ends of them meeting at a common point. Of these holes one may have been considered the bowl, the other may have served for the insertion of a stem. One can not but admire the workmanship of these im plements of sacrifice or pleasure, the point of contact of the holes being exactly at the apex of the cone or conical hollow of each opening. The work is quite smooth, and considering the want of metal for the purpose of hollowing out the stone, must have taken considerable time and perseverance in its execution. But while contemplating it, I was struck with the smallness of the bowl and THE INDIANS. 107 its very limited capacity, being from its conical shape the least compatible with the surface opening. I am almost tempted to think that the tobacco was inserted in it in the shape of a cigar, though that may simply be a fancy of mine. William Finkelnburg, Esq., of Winona, Minn., who is an enthusiastic collector of Indian relics as well as of geological specimens, showed me two pipes of the kind here described, one of which was found in this county opposite Winona, the other somewhere in Minnesota. One of them was marked on one of its faces by a crude figure^ probably intended as a bird or animal, and possibly the totem of the maker or owner. Mr. Finkelnburg ascribes this kind of pipe to the Moundbuilders, insisting that real Indian pipes were always of pipe stone. As the pipestone quarry is between the Mississippi and the Missouri, my argument against that proposition is certainly not as valid as with the nations heretofore enumerated. His pro positions are here given as by him stated, and as he is probably a better authority On the point, than I, it would be of no use to argue against them. A third pipe ofthe same kind is certainly the most remarka ble relic of ancient times ever found within this county, be it now of Indians or Moundbuilders. It was found in Bohri's Valley, on level ground, and accidentally picked up, not dug out by an ex plorer. It has the shape of an animal sculptured with great exactness out of a hard sandstone. The hind part of the right side has been damaged by the plow, most probably at the time of the first breaking of the soil, as after that it would probably not have resisted enough to be torn. A few scratches, as if made by the tooth of a harrow, are also found, but nothing to mar the form and execution. The head is entirely free all round and the eyes and eye-slits are very clearly marked. The head is broad on its base and not very long, but sharply flattened at the snout, so that the face looks somewhat like that of a frog, for which the figure might be mistaken, were it not for the long tail, the position of the eyes, and the prominent, well formed, but short ears, which were, how ever, somewhat longer at first, and .are worn down. The position of the animal is standing; the legs are well carved, but the mate rial between them is not entirely removed, yet enough of it to make them appear in good relief. On the right fore-foot the toes may be counted, and the execution of the work is as fine and cor- 108 THE INDIANS. rect as the material would allow, which would hardly admit of much finer workmanship even with our perfect steel tools. The tail is quite prominent and though one side adheres to the total figure, the other sides are distinct and well rounded. The figure has been claimed to resemble a bear, on account of the thick head, and general massiness of appearance, but the length of the tail and the tapering of the fore-feet seem to contradict this notion. The comparative bulkiness is easily explained by considering that the holes for the bowl and stem of a pipe are on its back, which required not only room for themselves, but also enough material around them to make reasonably sure of durability. This valuable relic is in possession of George Schwcebel Esq. of Fountain City. The description may seem long to some peo ple, but does no more than justice to the interesting object. Other pipes might be described, but they are differing almost altogether from the kind above mentioned. The leading form is substantially the same as in our common clay-pipes, that is the suction tube or stem is joined at about a right angle to the center- line of the bowl which is an inverted hollow cone. Pipes of that shape would natuially be ascribed without reserve to the Indians, inasmuch as the pipes found in actual use among them were, and are now of this description. But in writing out this chapter I suddenly remembered that I had a collection of pictures of pipes, published inthe "Illustrated World", (German, and printed in Stutt- gard and Leipzig) containing seventeen numbers or specimens of pipes, all in the main of the last described construction. The most remarkable is number one, of which a front, and a side-view are given. The bowl is a well carved human head with hat-like extension above, and the stem connected therewith at a right angle and being of the same piece, has a length of about three times the" diameter of the bowl, tapering slightly towards the end opposite. The material is clay, the workmanship is said to be very artistic, but the most remarkable thing about the specimen is the fact, that it was found in a mound which had been opened by the command of the unfortunate Maximilian, the emperor of Mexico, who was shot at Queretaro in 1867, and it is said to have been in his own hands and possession. The collection in which this pipe was exhibited for sale by a Mr. Wareham at London, contained many specimens, and a short historical sketch was attached to each. THE INDIANS. 109 Considering the publicity of this exhibit, it might reasonably be inferred that these sketches would not deviate too far from the facts in each case, and reasoning from, this supposition, this pipe overthrows all theories of distribution of pipemodels among Moundbuilders and Indians. But it is enough of tobacco and pipes, and if it were not for the fact that a majority of our mascu line population is in some way and degree or other addicted to the consumption of the weed, I would scarcely have said so much. From the means of subsistence we turn to the means of shelter and bodily protection in use among Indians. The most important means of shelter in all climates, but more particularly in our northern latitudes, is a house. But the idea of a house is susceptible of very great variations and its building dependent upon so many circumstances that the most important question will be: What kind of houses did the Indians build? From our standpoint we would deny that the Indians built houses. We would call them hovels, or perhaps tents or huts. There Were, however a great variety of structures intended to do duty as houses among the Indians. Something all of them had in common; they were rude, frail and insufficient for the purpose of such shelter as human nature seems to demand in a climate in which the winter season is neither short nor mild. The houses of the strolling Mon- tagnais in their winter hunt in the mountain region between the waters of the St. Johns River running south and the tributaries of the lower St. Lawrence running north, were of the most unsatisfac tory kind. Their construction is described by Paul Le Jeune, the first Superior of the Jesuit Mission at Quebec, who had joined a band of them on such an occasion, as follows: "The Squaws, with knives and hatchets, cut long poles of birch and spruce saplings; while the men, with snow-shoes for shovels, cleared a round or square space in the snow, which formed an upright wall three or four feet high, inclosing the area of the wigwam. On one side a passage was cut for an entrance, and the poles were planted around the top of the wall of snow, sloping and converging. On these poles were spread the sheets of birch-bark; a bear-skin was hung in the passageway for a door; the bare ground within and the surrounding snow were covered with spruce boughs, and the work was done." These Montagnais Indians were of the Algonkin family and lived in a latitude corresponding to 110 THE INDIANS. that of the country around Lake Superior, in a climate prover bially severe. We may conclude that the temporary winter wig wams of the tribes of their kindred were of the same description, and can imagine that their summer tents were not much more solid or comfortable. The houses or dwellings of the Hurons, the Iroquois and all the tribes or nations of the Iroquois lineage were much more pre tentious, more solid and permanent. Usually these structures were thirty or thirtyfive feet long and wide. That they were as high may be doubted, though it is asserted. But in some ofthe villages there were dwellings two hundred and forty feet long, though in width and height these did not exceed the others. In shape they resembled an arbor overarching a garden walk. Their frame was of tall and strong saplings set or stuck in opposite rows to form the opposite sides of the house, bent till they met, and lashed together at the top. To these other poles were bound transversely, and the whole was covered with large sheets of the bark of the oak, elm, spruce or white cedar, overlapping like shingles on a roof, upon which for better security, split poles were made fast with cords of linden bark. At the crown of the arch, along the whole length of the house an opening a foot wide was left for the admission of light and the escape of smoke. At each end was a close porch of similar construction; and here were stowed casks of bark filled with smoked fish, Indian corn, and other stores not liable to -injury from frost. Within, on both sides, were wide scaffolds, four feet from the floor, and extending the entire length of the^houses, like the seats of a collossal omnibus. These were formed of thick sheets of bark, supported by posts and transverse poles, and covered with mats and skins. Here in summer was the sleeping place of the inmates, and the space beneath served for storage of firewood. The fires were on the ground, in aline down the middle of the house. Each sufficed for two families, who, in winter, slept closely packed around them. Above, just under the vaulted roof, were a great number of poles, like perches of a henroost, and here were suspended weapons, clothing, ekins and ornaments. Here, too, in harvest time, the squaws hung the ears of unshelled corn, till the rude abode, through all its length seemed decked with a golden tapestry. In general, however, its only lining was a thick coating of soot from the smoke of fires with neither draft, chimney, THE INDIANS. Ill ' ; \ — — ¦ or window. So pungent was the smoke, that it produced inflam mation of the eyes, attended in old age with frequent blindness. Another annoyance was the fleas; and a third, the unbridled and unruly children. Privacy there was none. The house was one chamber, sometimes lodging more than twenty families. This is Parkman's description, after the delineations given by the Jesuits in their " Relations. " The building and maintenance of such houses, [rude and uncomfortable though they were, required con siderable time and labor, and could only be undertaken by tribes, whose families, at least, were sedentary. Consequently we do not find such houses, or rather barracks, among the roving Ojibways nor among the Dakotas. The former lived in such a cold region that agriculture was but seldom successful, the latter in a country largely destitute of the heavy timber, which had to furnish, if not the wood, still the bark for the houses described. One point is remarkable; the Indians do not appear to have taken to digging into the -ground for shelter, and had evidently not yet experienced the protection of stone walls. Hennepin described the habitations of those Sioux he had to stay with as bark-lodges of a conical shape, and his description of the hunting tents tallies well with the tipee of those vagabonds, known among us at the present day as Indians, most of which are of Dakota stock, more or less mixed with Caucasian of French and other nationalities. It seems that Nicolet did not find any surprising novelty in the way of build ings among the Winnebagoes of Green Bay, but one hundred and thirty two years after his visit, Capt. Carver admired their log- houses in the region between the Wisconsin above its elbow and the Mississippi. We can account for this change by remembering that during that time the Indians had provided themselves with steel tools and grindstones, and if they had not yet introduced" draught cattle, they had certainly witnessed the proceedings of white men in building log-houses, and had found them to be not only more comfortable, but also in the end much easier of mainten ance. In fact, we must ascribe the construction of houses of up right posts, as related above, to the inferior condition ofthe im plements that had to be used for the purpose, since it is indisput able, that a log laid flat, unless in a very damp place, lasts at least as long, and very often longer, than the fence post that might be made of the same tree, 112 THE INDIANS. From the stationary shelter furnished by a house, or what, for want of something better, we call so, it is quite natural to pro ceed to that shelter, which we carry with us as we go. This shel ter we call clothing, dress, or habiliments. The poet Heine says: " Among ourselves the weather's change, Morality, and law's behest, Strictly demand that every one Shall decently be dressed." He did not allude, to be sure, to the Indians or other savages. That kind of people knew nothing of the tyranny of fashion. Paper collars, tight boots, stove-pipe hats and other ornamental articles, not perhaps of civilization, but of dudeism, were unknown to the happy children of the forest and the prairie. Vanity, how ever, was about as rampant among them as among other mortals, and they spent as much time at the preparation of their orna ments as any polished nation at theirs. And how happy so many of them were to be presented with the cast off finery of some white man, and especially the uniform of an officer or even soldier. Don't laugh at the poor Indian for that, because the Indian might in all seriousness believe it was the uniform that conferred the ability to command and to conquer; and how often are all the merits of a man encompassed by the badges of authority he wears ? But to be serious about the matter, we must investigate the kind of clothing Indians did commonly wear at different seasons of the year, and at particular occasions in the routine of their lives. We must also inquire into the means for furnishing such clothing, or habiliments. The men, we are told, wore little or no clothing in summer, but in winter they wore tunics and leggins. Thus the Hurons; the Neutrals wore absolutely nothing but moc casins when they were visited by the Jesuits Bribeuf and Chau monot. More northern tribes were compelled to wear more cloth ing on all occasions, but the breech-clout seems to have been the summer vestment of all the western Indians in the summer ex cursions for war and chase. On solemn occasions, such as their Numerous public feasts, at the reception of an embassy from the Whites, or the conclusion of a treaty with them, or with some powerful tribe of their own kind, they wore long robes of beaver or otter skins, which were sometimes very valuable. Their medi- THE INDIANS. 113 cine men performed their function in similar habiliments. The material for all their dresses was skins prepared by the well known method of smoke-tanning, if the hair was off, and by some other process if the hair or fur was left on. Moccasins and other art icles of clothing were ornamented by the quills of the porcupine dyed in various colors. The inside of their robes of ceremony were painted with figures, usually in a red color, possibly some charm for the protection of the wearer, or a picture record of some of his deeds among the enemies of the tribe. Among the Iroquois the council, at least that of a clan or family was not a ceremonial affair, as Father Isaac Joques assures us that they were lying on their bellies, or on their backs or squatting on their haunches, al most naked, and smoking their pipes, calmly deliberating on af fairs of state. He adds that even the Roman senate would not be insulted by the Iroquois council being compared with it. As the Roman senate departed this world about a thousand years before the worthy Father wrote that comparison, and as the Iroquois would not read it, the assertion was safe and harmless. We find, however, that the Iroquois wore beaver skin robes in battle, even in summer time, since in one of Champlain's battles with them, it is remarked that after the defeat of the Iroquois certain traders, who had not done much fighting, robbed the carcasses of the dead warriors of their robes, amid the derision of the surrounding sav ages. The dress of the women, (among Hurons,) according to the Jesuits, was more modest than that " of our most pious ladies of France." We will not doubt it, but might reasonably dispute the authority of the " Fathers " in this matter. An exception to this modesty in dress was made by young girls on festal occasions when they wore nothing but a kilt from the waist to the knee and wampum decorations on breast and arms. The long black hair was gathered behind the neck and sometimes decorated with disks of native copper, probably polished by scouring for the occasion; some gay pendants obtained from the French were used for the same purpose. They all slept in the cloths they wore during the day, and as in winter time they crouched closely around the fire during the night, we may readily conclude, that their clothing was none too warm. The making of these pieces of clothing out of skins was as 114 THE^INDIANS. difficult a performance as any that might be required in connec tion with this article. The cutting, for instance, of the tunic of the males from svtch parts of the skins as would prove strongest and require least sewing, the connection of the different parts and the placing of the seams so as not to chafe, were considerations of importance. Very little more than straight cutting and plain sewing would be required for female dresses, except regarding the sleeves. There was one essential point which lightened the diffi culty; the tunics, robes and such things were made loose, and held together by a belt or girdle about the waist. There is no doubt but that ornaments of painting and embroidery were employed, but as the material of the dresses was very durable, and these often laid aside for a considerable time, it was not very difficult to find time for making new ones. The material for sewing w7as in most cases the sinews of the animals killed in the chase, and the process must have resembled the work of the saddler rather than that of the tailor, at least before the introduction of steel needles. It may also be suggested that the heavier leather was softened by soaking and greasing before being sewed together. The sinews used for thread had to be dried in most cases before they could be used and the filaments were probably separated by soaking, or else by beat ing while dry. Champlain mentions the use of a fibre, which, on account of its being the envelope of some seed, he calls cotton, but it is for obvious reasons not probable that it was employed in sew ing garments of skins. Whether it was worked irffi& garments or parts of such by itself or perhaps in connection ^fW Bast or tough rushes, or possibly fibrous roots, we may '!§u1pr^&s%y''but it is not proven. More probable is its use for netting? 'Tft^Itoil&fes of our day or the next preceding generation-dMIriiffi'7t(?8a'hty ^t^alt extent adopt the fashions of the White-'M&^ta'ifi&ja ^WnSSliftials for clothing which might be prdeMedW^rStfflc?"0^^!^, HWact but little left of the original' Jteffigfi 4WW9¥e^ik¥Mt%«ifl|^a%out among us, and wh^everl^hfe^ife^a^^qto'^a^SfiaM^lreir habits in the wa/ o^qfWi^^tffifig feflMft t^ffi^^le^arHS^d ( themselves of' ^^^My.9ri^^te%py€ry^4Sin,-9%^JFq<^^%f ' whiskey and^th^qlSnifefeflS'fiaF.^iags^ '&$Bi'Earrel of ball cartridges. The Dakotas occupied the right 146 THE INDIANS. bank of the river, and Capt. Lindsay and his men were on their guard against any attack from them ; but they had no apprehen sion of any attack from the Winnebagoes, who occupied the left bank of the Mississippi. The village of Wabasha, the site of the present city of Winona, was the lowest point on the river at which they expected to encounter the Dakotas. Having passed this point in safety> and a strong wind having sprung up, the boats parted com pany, and one of them, the 0. H. Perry, by the time it reached the mouth of the Bad Axe, was several miles in 'advance of the other- In the mean time thirty -seven Winnebagoes, inspired by the same common feelings of vengeance, cruelty and hate, which had led to the murder of Methode and his family, and which had on that very day instigated the invasion of the peaceful home of Gag nier and the murder of its inmates by Red Bird, Chi-hon-sic, and We-kau, had, in pursuance doubtless of a common purpose to ex" terminate the whites, concealed themselves upon an island in the Mississippi near the mouth of the Bad Axe, between which and the left bank of the river, it was known, that the two keel-boats would pass on their return from Fort Snelling. These boats, in model and size, were similar to ordinary canal boats, and furnished considerable protection from exterior attacks with small arms, to those on board, who concealed themselves below the gunwales. As the " Perry " approached the island where these hostile savages were concealed, and when within thirty yards of the bank, the air suddenly resounded with the blood- chilling and ear-piercing cries of the war-whoop, and a volley of rifle balls rained across the deck. Of the sixteen men on board either from marvelous good luck, or because they were below deck, only one man fell at the first fire. The crew now concealed themselves in the boat below the waterline, suffering it to float whithersoever the current and the high east wind might drive it. The -second volley resulted in the instant death of one man, an American named Stewart, who had risen to return the first fire, and his musket protruding through a loophole, showed some Win nebago where to aim. The bullet passed directly through his heart, and he fell dead with his finger on the trigger of his undis charged gun. The boat now grounded on a sandbar, and the Indians rushed THE INDIANS. 147 to their canoes intending to board her. The crew having recovered from their panic, and seeing that the only escape from savage butchery was vigorous war, seized their arms and prepared to give the enemy a worm reception. In one canoe containing several savages, two were killed, and in their dying struggles upset the canoe, and the rest were obliged to swim ashore, where it was some time before those who were not disabled by wounds could restore thier arms to fighting order. Two of the Indians succeeded in get ting on board the keel-boat, both of whom were killed. One fell into the water, and the other into the boat, in which he was car ried down river, but in this hand-to-hand conflict the brave com mander of the crew, named Beauehamp, was killed by the first of the two boarders, who in his turn was killed by a daring sailor named Jack Mandeville — called " Saucy Jack " who shot the rash warrior through the head, and he fell overboard, carrying his gun with him. Mandeville now assumed command ofthe crew, whose numbers had been reduced to ten effective men. He sprang into the water on the sand bar for the purpose of shoving off the boat and escaping from their perilous position, and was followed by four resolute men of his crew. The balls flew thick and fast about them, passing through their clothes; but they persisted and the boat was soon afloat. Seeing their prey escaping, the Winneba goes raised a yell of mingled rage and despair, and gave the whites a farewell volley. It was returned with three hearty cheers, and ere a gun could be reloaded, the boat had floated out of shooting distance, and the survivors were safe, arriving at Prairie du Chien about sunset the next day, the 27th of June. The casualties of this engagement were, two of the crew killed, two mortally and two slightly wounded, while it was supposed that ten or more Indians were killed and a great number wounded. The other keelboat, under the command of Capt. Lindsay himself reached the mouth of the Bad Axe about midnight. The Indians opened fire upon her, which was promptly returned; one ball only hit the boat, doing no damage; the others passed harm lessly in the darkness through which she pursued her way, and arrived safely at Prairie du Chien on the 28th. In this narrative of the attack of the two boats, I have copied from M. M. Strong's " History of Wisconsin Territory, " who in turn took most items from an anonymous article on the " Winne- 148 THE INDIANS. bago Outbreak of 1827 " of which Mr. Wm. J. Snelling, a son of Col. Snelling, who had come down from the fort with Capt. Lind say on this trip, ia supposed to have been the author. The inhabitants in and about Prairie du Chien were generally and greatly alarmed. They left their farms and houses and crowded into the old dilapidated fort, where, however, they speedily established a very effective discipline, and organized a force of about ninety effective men and women. They repaired fort and block house as well as they could, brought out and mounted a swivel-gun and the wall-pieces left by the troops, and all the blacksmiths were brought in requisition to repair the condemned muskets. Judge Lockwood fortunately had plenty of powder and lead, which he liberally furnished, so that matters began to look like defense. An experienced voyageur crossed the Mississippi and succeeded in reaching Fort Snelling, whence, upon the report of the situation Col. Snelling, after some delay, came down with two companies of U. S. infantry. An express having been sent to Galena, the people there were greatly alarmed and confused, but no attack followed. On the fourth of July Gov. Cass arrived at Prairie du Chien. Having ordered into the service of the United States the company organized by McNair, the governor hastened in his canoe to Ga lena. Here a company of volunteers was raised under Capt. Abner Fields, to whom the command of Fort Crawford was assigned, and who proceeded to Prairie du Chien in a keel-boat and took posses sion of the barracks. The two companies were mustered into ser vice by Martin Thomas, Lieutenant of the U. S. army. On the arrival of Col. Snelling he assumed command of the post. In the meantime Gov. Cass proceeded to St. Louis and conferred with Gen. Atkinson, the commander of Jefferson Barracks and of the western military department. Gen. Atkinson moved at once with all his disposable force up the Mississippi. During the interven ing time the miners in the lead region had organized a company of mounted volunteers, which numbered oyer one hundred men, well mounted and armed, commanded by Col. Henry Dodge. Their peculiar duty being the protection of the settlers in their own region against any attack of the savages, they were also ready to pursue them and to give battle. Red Bird and the other Winnebagoes having fled up the Wis consin, Gen. Atkinson moved his army up that river in boats, THE INDIANS. 149 being flanked on either shore by a detachment of Dodge's mounted men, who drove the Indians out of every hiding place. Major Whistler, in (Jommand of Fort Howard moved up Fox River with his force, being joined at Little Butte des Morts by about sixty Oneida and Stockbridge Indians under Capt. Ebenezer Childs and Joseph Dickinson. His force arrived on the 1st day of September on the high bluff, on which in the following year the erection of Fort Winnebago was commenced, where he encamped by order of Gen. Atkinson to await the arrival of the General and the forces with him. The Winnebagoes were now in a desperate plight, being con fronted with such forces and Col. Snelling being in command with another strong force at Prairie du Chien. There was no alternative but to appeal to the mercy of their pursuera. Mr. Strong devotes nearly three pages to the description ofthe ceremonies, but the facts were, that Red Bird and his accomplices were surrendered to Major Whistler by an unarmed deputation of about thirty Indians led by Car-i-mau-nee, a distinguished chief. Soon after the surrender of these captives Gen. Atkinson and the force of Col. Dodge arrived in the camp. The prisoners were de livered over to Gen. Atkinson, who sent them to Fort Crawford. He met the gray-headed De Kau-ray, who, in presence of Col. Dodge disclaimed for himself and the other Winnebagoes any un friendly feelings against the United States, and disavowed any con nection with the murders on the Mississippi. Gen. Atkinson then discharged the volunteers, assigned two companies of regulars to the occupation of Fort Crawford, and ordering the other regulars to their respective posts, he returned to Jefferson Barracks. Thus ended the Winnebago outbreak. It might be said that an extraordinary display had been made to put down a rather insignificant ebullition, made by a part of an insignificant tribe, yet, when we reflect on the Indian mode of warfare, on the cause of this outbreak, which rooted in the contempt of the forces among the Winnebagoes, and on the fact, that since the evacuation of the country by the British in 1816 no actual dis play of the forces of the United States in the West had been made, we cannot but bestow merited praise upon the action of General Cass, Gen. Atkinson and all other commanders in this war. This was the last open outbreak of the Winnebagoes, although their 150 THE INDIANS. loyalty was more than suspected in the Black Hawk war in 1832, and they were actually compelled to surrender eight of their war riors for having killed white men in the last named war. I have in the above delineated the boundaries claimed by the Winnebagoes, but it must not be supposed that they respected them very closely. It seems that most of the time they were on unfriendly terms with the Sioux, but from a. note I found in the old Minnesota Atlas it appears that they often crossed the Missis sippi, and roved about in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota and even asserted their supposed rights by molesting white settlers In a treaty concluded at Prairie du Chien August 1st, 1829 the tribe ceded their land south of the Wisconsin and west of a line running south from Lake Puckaway by Duck Creek, Fourth Lake near Madison, Sugar river, and Pee-kee-tol-a-ka, by which the United- States secured the Winnebago interest in the lead mines. By the treaty of September 15th 1832, after the Black- Hawk war, the Winnebagoes ceded to the United States all their land south of-the Wisconsin and Fox River, for which, besides the . consideration expressed in money, the tribe received an interest in the neutral land beyond the Mississippi. In the next treaty they surrendered all their land in Wisconsin and" their claims in Minne sota, for which they received land on the Minnesota river. Owing to injudicious selections, to remonstrances by the people of Minnesota, and other obstacles, they did not settle down in any permanent location until spring 18-55, when their chiefs had sel ected land on the Blue Earth River, south of the Minnesota River. Here they did extremely well in agriculture, had comfortable houses and prospered generally, until the Sioux outbreak in 1862, in which, however, as a tribe they did not participate, though in dividuals may have been involved. This event, however, was of very serious cousequences to the Winnebagoes, as the people of the state, after the disastrous experiences they had had with Indi ans in the midst of the white population, naturally objected to the presence of any of the race among them. So the government transported Winnebagoes as well as Sioux to a desert on the Mis souri, above Fort Randall. They suffered greatly and very un justly. In their new reservation on Crow Creek, Dakota, they could not practice agriculture, because the ground was a barren waste; they could not hunt for fear of the other tribe. They left THE INDIANS. 151 as fast as they could for the Omaha reservation, where, finally, they were settled more favorably and yet remain. It, appears, nevertheless that a remnant of Indians and half-breeds of this tribe never removed from this state, and some of these are yet in the neighborhood of Black River, and receive yet, or used to re ceive but a few years ago, some annuities. When in 1863 the government threatened to remove the tribe, the old chiefs, De Carry (Kau-ree,) Winneshiek, Dandy , and their families, and some others, fled to Wisconsin. De Carry was the grandson of Ho-po- ko-e-kaw, the Morning Glory, mentioned above as the chieftess of the tribe about a hundred years ago. He died in poverty in the fall of 1864. He was undoubtedly loyal to the government, and a sincere friend to his white neighbors, at least as far as they de served it, which they probably not always did. As he had cap tured Black Hawk and the Prophet in 1832, the United States ought to have given him at least land enough to subsist upon. The numerical strength of the tribe was variously estimated at 230 warriors in 1736, at 360 in 1763, and by Capt. Carver at about 200. The census of the tribe 1859 was 2,256 souls, but in 1865 it was only 1,900, in which, however, the stragglers in Wis consin do not seem to have been included. They were as a tribe, vigorous and athletic. The Sioux called them O-ton-kah, said to mean a large and strong people. They appear to be doing better than any other tribe in their new location, and furnished, during the war a number of soldiers, of whom about one hundred returned to their relations in 1866. They have adopted the dress of white men, and possibly given up tribal organization by this time. Note. — There are yet in this state about 1400 Winnebago In dians, who are mostly living in Jackson and Adams county. Most of them have homesteads of about forty acres each; about one- third have houses of logs or boards, but they prefer their wigwam which is to be found on every farm. Every Indian in the state is entititled to a homestead on some place'upon the public lands, but some can not be reconciled to stationary life. They hunt and fish and remain poor, which however may also be said of those who have settled down, as corn, their only crop, is hardly sufficient for their most urgent necessities. [From late newspapers.] Of the other members of this so-called confederation not one 152 THE INDIANS. was domiciled within one hundred miles of the boundaries of our county and a very short mention of them is sufficient iu this place. Menomonees. The eastern neighbors of the Winnebagoes, though not of their race, being Algonkins. Even their name, which in the Algonkin means " Wild Rice ", indicates that. Iowas. A small tribe, although the state of Iowa took its name from them. They are now in Kansas. They furnished 43 soldiers. Akansea or Quapaws. I have my doubt about the propriety of including this tribe in the O-chunk-o-rah family or Winnebago Confederation. They are also in Kansas. Osages or Wa-saw-see. They were located on the Osage river before the rebellion, and some sympathized with it, but the majo rity remained loyal. They are now in the Indian Territory. Missourias and Ottoes. They "were neighbors to the Iowas, and may be so now on their reservation. Kansas or Kaws. They are down in Indian Territory. Some traits in their history induce a lingering doubt whether this tribe is not descended from the remnant of the Kaw-Kaws or Neutrals, of the Iroquois relationship, but exterminated, or at least nearly so by the latter. They furnished about eighty soldiers for the Union. Omahas. This is the tribe with whom "the Winnebagoes are now united on the same reservation. They are similar in language and habits, and I think they have given up tribal organization. Ponkas. They are on the Missouri River in the state of Nebraska. Mandans. They are on the Missouri, associated with Aricka- rees and Gros-Ventres, but it is doubtful, whether they belong to them, or to the O-chunk-o-raws. This finishes what I thought proper to relate about Winne bagoes and their relations. Like all Indian history theirs is in volved in doubts and contradictions, which to clear away or dis solve requires much time, patience, and ethnological research, which can not be expended in a local history. 2. DAKOTA OR SIOUX CONFEDERACY. If I begin the history of this powerful confederacy, or rather extensive and numerous ethnological family, with the outlines of the territory claimed or possessed by them atthe time of the treaty of Prairie du Chien in the year 1825, it is not because they entered THE INDIANS. 153 history first at that time, but to establish their claim to our atten tion, and to a place in this book. We have seen that the boundary between them and the Winnebagoes, as established by the afore said treaty, ran along the bluffs on the east side of the Mississippi river as far as Black River. From that point the boundary be tween them and the Chippewas began, and ran in an indefinite, though probably intended to be direct, line, to a point on the Chip pewa River, half a day's march below Chippewa Falls, a point not very far from Eau Claire, thence to the Red Cedar River immedi ately below the falls; thence to the St. Croix River, which it strikes at a place called the Standing Cedar, about a day's paddle in canoe above the lake; thence passing between two lakes, called by the Chippewas " Green Lakes ", and by the Sioux " the lakes they bury the eagles in "; thence to the standing cedar that "the Sioux split," thence to Rum River, crossing it at the mouth of a small creek called " Choking Creek ", a long day's march from the Mississippi; thence to a point of woods that propels into the prairie, half a day's march from the Mississippi ; thence in a straight line to the mouth of the first river which enters the Mississippi on its west side above the mouth of Sac River; thence ascending the said river (above the mouth of Sac River) to a small lake at its source; thence in a direct line to a lake at the head of Prairie River, which is supposed to enter the Crow Wing River on its south side; thence to Ottertail Lake Por tage; thence to said Ottertail Lake and down through the middle thereof to its outlet; thence. in a direct line so as to strike Buffalo River, half way fiom its source to its mouth, and down said river to Red River thence descending Red River to the mouth of Outard or Goose Creek. The southern boundary line, between the Sioux and Sacs and Foxes, was at the same time established as follows: Commencing at the mouth of the Upper Iowa Riyer, on the west bank of the Mississippi, and ascending the said river to its left fork; thence up that fork to its source; thence crossing the fork of Red Cedar River (in Iowa) in a direct line to the second or upper fork of the Des Moines River; thence in a direct line to the lower fork of the Calumet River, and down that river to the Missouri. Within the first boundary lines were included in Wisconsin the •western part of La Crosse county, the southern part of Jackson pounty, and a great part of Eau Claire county, all of the counties 154 THE INDIANS. of Trempealeau, Buffalo, Pepin and Pierce, and parts of Dunn and St. -Croix county, as they are now constituted. In Minnesota it included the Mill Lacs country, the ancient seat of the Dakotas, who claimed to have been created on that lake, and who were still in possession of it, when Hennepin was a prisoner among them in 1680. Judge Gale enumerates the following bands: Wapahkoota } Resided in Minnesota and originated the mas- Medawakauton j sacre in 1862. w, , ) Resided in Minnesota and were called "upper bands." wanpaton f Thege four bandg are often called Santees_ Re_ toisseton ^ servation at Fort Randall. Yankton Yanktonai BruleTwo Kettle or Teton 1 Reside in Dakota Teritory and will no further be Blackfeet f mentioned in this history. MlnnecongouOucpapas Sans Arc Ogallalas Assiniboins From a note in the Minnesota Atlas it appears that the three original tribes of the Dakotas were the Isanti, on the east side of the Mississippi, the Yanktons on the Minnesota, and the Titon- wans west of the Yanktons. From the earliest reports we have of the Assiniboins as to their situation, we must suppose that they belonged to the Isanti, from which name that of Santee was de rived, but for some time the Assiniboins had joined the Algonkins against the Dakotas and made war upon their own relations. In fact the Sioux were originally situated much farther east and made during the earlier times of the French explorations several excur sions nearly up to Sault St. Mary. The Knisteneaux, or Kriste- neaux, between Lake Superior and Hudson's Bay, the ancesters of the Crees on the Saskatchewan, prominent in the Riel Rebellion, had become armed with guns by the English traders on the Bay, and forming an alliance with other Algonkins, notably the Chip pewas, and with the Assiniboins, had begun war upon the Santee Sioux, driving them slowly westward, occupying, the Kisteneaux to the north, and the Chippewas south of Lake Superior the land of the Sioux. This was the origin of the hereditary war between THE INDIANS. 155 Sioux and Chippewas, existing before the time of the first mission on Lake Superior, which, however, was still in danger from an attack by the Sioux. Nicolet heard of them in 1634 when he was at Green Bay and upon the Fox River, but did probably not see any of them. Marquette and Joliet do not mention them. Hen nepin however does not seen to have been the first white man among them for he was preceded as early as 1654 by two young Frenchmen, employees of the fur-trade, who adapted themselves to the mode of life among the Indians and were about two years with them. He was also preceded by Du Luth, who had visited several of the Sioux villages about 1678. From the facility with which he procured the release of Hennepin and his compan ions we must conclude that he had acquired the language and a certain respect and influence among the Sioux. After the return of Du Luth to Quebec and to France, Gov. De la Barre, who suc ceeded to the first administration of Frontenac, sent one Nicholas Perrot with a small force, and he took formal possession of the country by proclamation and other ceremonies at the Falls of St. Anthony. He erected Fort St. Nicholas on the westside of Lake Pepin, but soon returned to Quebec. In the year 1695 Le Sueur built a fort on one of the islands near the mouth of the St. Croix, but he also returned to Quebec and afterwards to France, from which country he returned in 1700 with thirty workmen, coming by way of the Mississippi river direct, but he proceeded up the Minnesota River, and built a fort at Blue Earth. The Sioux con tinued on friendly terms with the French, but trading and explo ration were discouraged by the government for about twenty years after Le Sueur's second enterprise. In 1727 the Sieur de la Perriere built a fort on the east side of Lake Pepin, in the neighborhood of Stockholm. He named it after Gov. Beauharnois of Canada. With true French ostentation La Perriere celebrated the governor's birthday at the fort with a feast and such fireworks as he had on hand. This is related by Father Guignas, a Jesuit missionary who was present. The great ¦flood of 1728 drowned out Fort Beauharnois, and the party re turned. It seems that the fort erected by Perrot was from time to time occupied and continued to be used as a trading post, chang ing its name /With the occupants. We now come the-period ofthe final struggle between France 1S6 THfi INDIANS. and Great Britain for the sole possession of the northern part of the new world. The French called on all the friendly tribes of In dians for assistance, and most tribes, even the far-off Winnebagoes, responded to the call, with the exception of the Sioux. Whether they had war enough at home, or whether the distance alarmed them, as it well might, they staid about home. During that time there were probably few traders among them, the delivery of goods from France, and even from Canada had become risky. At the termination of the struggle the English were slow to take posses sion of the distant posts, and abandoned Green Bay two years after taking possession, to prevent the garrison from falling into the hands of the Pontiac conspirators. Prairie du Chien had pro bably no garrison. The Sioux, though not on British territory to any great extent, did not join the Pontiac conspiracy, but are said to have offered Col. Johnson, general Indian Agent of the British government five thousand warriors against this conspiracy. We find no notice of any participation of Dakotas in the struggle be tween England and the Colonies. As they were always at war with the Chippewas and very often with Sacs and Foxes and others of their neighbors, they did unintentionally good service to the cause of the United States by preventing large detachments of their enemies to be sent to aid the British. They also seem to have remained neutral during the Ohio troubles, which terminated in the defeat of the Indians by General Wayne at the Maumee in 1794. It appears, however, that as early as 1780, Joseph Aird and Duncan Graham, both Englishmen, traded with the Sioux at Prai rie du Chien, spending the winter among them, and the summer at the village. Some time later, perhaps inthe beginning ofthe present century, Col. Robert Dickson engaged in the same trade in the same locality. He, also, was an Englishman, and a very shrewd and able officer. How he he got into possession of the in formation, can not be told, but he collected a body of two hundred Sioux, one hundred Winnebagoes, some Chippewas, and most of the Menomonees, and with some Canadians, attacked and took the fort at Mackinaw, being the first person to inform Lieutenant Hanks, the American commander of that post, of the declaration of war between the United States and Great Britain. The leading .spirits at Prairie du Chien, among them Joseph Rolette, who had commanded the Canadians at the surprise of Mackinaw, planned THE INDIANS. 157 an expedition to Prairie du Chien, for which as early as 1813 can nons and other materials of war had already been forwarded to the portage between Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. In 1815 the United States had sent up a company of regulars, and some gun boats, also some militia recruited in Missouri. Gen. Clarke went up with them, but returned again to St. Louis, leaving Lieut. Per kins in command ot the regulars .and of the old Fort Crawford, which had been hastily repaired. The commander of Fort Macki naw sent the two hundred Sioux, the hundred Winnebagoes, and some Chippewas and Menomonees to Green Bay, together with two companies of fur-trade engages raised by Rolette and Anderson. Here they were joined by about seventy-five of the Canadian set tlers, and then ascended by the common route the Fox and de scended the Wisconsin. Their first attack was directed against the gun-boats, which moved down the river, carrying with them pro visions and ammunition. Lieutenant Perkins defended the defective fort for four days, until Col. McKay, the commander in chief of the British party, began to shoot red-hot cannon balls against the wooden stockade. A surrender was then arranged, and the Ame rican troops were after a few days shipped to St. Louis, not without having been in great danger of being massacred during the time of their detainment, and followed by the Indians as far as Rock Island. This was the first open hostility of the Sioux against the United States. After the treaty of Prairie du Chien, the Sioux had no part in any war with the United States, though they were some what restless during the Winnebago war. During the Blackhawk War the Sioux, at least some of them, assisted in the fights against the Sacs and Foxes, especially at and after the battle of the Bad Axe. This was partly a quarrel of their own, since they had been at war for a long time with the same tribes, and had in 1830 killed seventeen of them in the neighborhood of Prairie du Chien. The United States had as early as 1806 established a peace with them, through the agency of Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike, who purchased of them in 1805 a tract of land of about six miles wide and ten miles long above the mouth of the Minnesota River, on a part of which Fort Snelling was built in 1820, and maintained as a permanent military station, until the war of the Rebellion broke out. We have seen where the Sioux were located about sixty years ago, At that time the Medawakautons being the nearest to our 158 THE INDIANS. own location, consisted of seven bands, gentes or clans, each under a chief, the tribe being under a head-chief. We have no authentic records regarding the succession of these chiefs. Among the eastern Indians this succession was not hereditary as we have seen in the abridgement on " Wyandot Government," although a certain class of chiefs was always taken from the same gens, clan, or band. For want of better information, and because it agrees with some experiences and traditions among the earlier settlers, I will here insert what the " Minnesota Atlas " says about the matter. " Wabasha was the leading hereditary chief of the People of the Leaf, (or M'day-wa-kautons,) and in all intertribal affairs of importance his word was law. He was living in 1819, and visited Major Forsyth at Prairie du Chien, on his expedition with Col. Leavenworth, to establish the post at 'Fort Snelling. Major For syth was the first Indian agent who ever visited Minnesota, and has been considered good authority on Indian matters. He also states that he had a visit from Red Wing, another noted chief, dur ing the same expedition. Red Wing was then an old man about sixty years of age, which would show that he was born about 1759. The " Atlas " mentions another chief, who seems to have been appointed as such by Governor Clark, of St. Louis, but seems to have been a chief only in title. This is Ta-ha-ma, the " Rising Moose." He was one of the most remarkable men of his nation, a great orator and diplomatist, and a character of great influence among the Dakotas. He was born at Prairie aux Ailies (Alliers ?) now Winona, and in his younger days was noted for his intelli gence, daring and activity. During a game in boyhood he lost one of his eyes, which circumstance caused the French afterward to call him " Bourgne," or " One-Eyed " a name by which he was commonly known, though he was sometimes called the "'Old Priest." He figured prominently in the treaty between Pike and the Dakotota Chiefs in 1805. Pike refers to him in terms of res pect and confidence as "my friend." During the war of 1812 he rendered valuable service to the American cause. Governor Clark of St. Louis employed him as a scout and messenger, in which capacity he braved many dangers and hardships. The governor gave him in 1816 a commission as Chief of the Sioux nation, together THE INDIANS. 159 with a captain's uniform and a medal. He was very proud of these and kept them to the day of his death. His services in the American cause, his ability and intelligence, high sense of honor and noble bearing made him highly esteemed by the white people. He died in April 1860, probably about one hundred years of age. It seems to me, and must appear to a number of other per sons, who happened to have been resid ents of this county before 1860 that this Indian was the one, who came, as soon as the weather permitted, every spring along the banks of the Missis sippi, with a small crowd of women and younger men, setting up their te-pees on certain places more or less frequented by them every year at the same time. The people called him Tomahaw, which they interpreted as meaning One-eyed. I think, also, that I was told, that the old man was a priest, but could never connect these stories. I am inclined to think that he lived yet in 1862, but as he never appeared afterwards, we began to think he might have been transported with the othe r Sioux in 1863. His partici pation in the outbreak of 1862 was a physical impossibility, as he was not only old but also very feeble and emaciated. I find by comparing notes that others agree with me regard ing Ta-ha-ma or To-ma-ha having lived beyond 1860. Mr. M. Polin, who lived in Wabasha in 1861 and knew the old chief quite well, says that the captain's uniform presented to Ta-ha-ma by Gen. Clark, as mentioned above, was very useful to its owner by reminding steamboat travelers, at that time a very numerous class, of his presence, his services, and his old age and infirmities. He would meet the boats at some landing or woodyard, go up into the cabin, show his papers, and beg for money among the passengers. These were at that time a numerous and usually well-to-do class, each giving the old chief according to inclination, either for the fun of his appearance, or out of compassion, or perhaps to get rid of his importunities. Sometimes the gift would be a drink of whiskey, and being repeated by others inclined to make sport of the Indian, the old man, then probably nearly one hundred years of age, would succumb to liberality and temptation. Often, how ever, he collected a sum quite considerable for an Indian to pos sess, and which furnished him with some necessities of life, and usually with a spree for several days, after which he was ready to 160 THE INDIANS. display his blue coat, brass buttons, shoulder-straps, and beaver hat again on a new raid on the compassion, etc. of travelers. Another chief of prominence was To-way-a-ta-doo-tah or Lit tle Crow. There were two of the same name, father and son. The old chief was very anxious that .his people should be taught to rely for subsistence upon the products of the soil, rather than the precarious fruits of the chase, and set them a good example by working industriously in his own field. It would have been well for the whole tribe if his oldest son, who succeeded him in the chieftainship, although the father was very sorry, that he had no other son left, on whom the dignity could be bestowed. Gen. H. H. Sibley, who relates his last visit to the old chief, in company with Alexander Faribault the interpreter, mentions his admoni tions to the young man, but forgets to state when the event hap pened. Little Crow, sr., died the next day. Originally the power of the chiefs was very great, but from the date of the first treaties with the government it began to decline, until finally the chief was merely considered as the mouth-piece of the Soldiers Lodge, the members of which constituted the only real power in the bands. We must now return to events next following the often men tioned treaty of 1825. Sept. 29th 1837 a treaty was concluded by which the Sioux ceded to the United States all their lands East of the Mississippi. This included all the land they had in what is now Wisconsin and a larger tract in Minnesota between the St. Croix and the Mississippi including, among other things the sites of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Two treaties, one in 1830 and the other in 1836 relate almost exclusively to changes in the southern boundary line. In the treaty of 1851 the Sioux, or those bands of them that were parties to the treaty ceded all their lands in Iowa and Minnesota to the United States, receiving instead of it a reservation, from the west boundary line of the tract ceded along the Minnesota River, to Yellow Medicine River on the south side and Tchay-tam Bay River on the northside, being not less than ten miles on each side of the general course of the river. The treaty was changed by the Senate of the United States. This change was a radical one, as it involved the removal of the Indians to the westside of the line where the reservation was to begin. The Indians being dissatis- THE INDIANS. 161 fied, they were allowed to stay -on a smaller reservation, the re mainder being sold for their benefit. From about that time dates the effort made for the civilization of the annuity Indians. This was Strenuously opposed by most of the tribes and their members, because it involved some ceremonies, that cast an indirect reproach on their mode of life and their ancient legends and traditions, be sides conferring upon individuals some benefits, to which the greedy crowd also considered themselves entitled. To tell the truth, the annuity system was corrupting the Indians more and more and their- idea was that each of them had a right to claim all the desires of his sr.vage heart, and some one to do his biddings besides. His money he squandered and gambled away, and when he suffered he charged it to the government, and, as that was way off, he hated the white people, because they were under that gov ernment. This, of course, was the state of mind among other Indians besides the Sioux. But the latter being a numerous, and as they thought, powerful nation, were proud and testy, and although under such agents, as understood their ways and notions and at ordinary times, when payments were made punctually, they remained manageable and quiet, yet it was only because there was a sufficient military force among them to keep some order and subejction. Hence, when in 1861 the war began, and troops had to be called to the defence of the nation's capital even from the most distant posts, and when whole regiments of men were enlisted and sent off, tlie Indians began to become restless. Emissa ries from the rebellious states or from the sympathizing British settlements ofthe Northwest, came among them and told them of the danger ofthe government, of its financial embarrassments, and that their annuities would not be paid. The government has always been proverbially stupid in the selection of its Indian agents, and in displacing those, who did well enough in such agen cies, for partisan reasons. Hon. Joseph R. Brown, who had been among Indians for almost forty years, and understood their ways, and how to manage them, was dismissed in 1861, and one Gal- braith appointed in his place. The latter was a stranger, and, as his actions show, a sort of an erratic character, in whom the In dians had no confidence. There being no military guard to subdue the Indians, and no confidenfte, but numerous causes of complaint, true and imaginary, it needed but the £park to explode the whole 162 THE INDIANS. powder-magazine. This was done by the outbreak commencing August 18th 1862, and lasting until about October of the: same year. None ofthe actions of this struggle having happened on our soil we may refer the curious to other sources of [information about it. But we cannot omit to mention the effect this outbreak had on the people in this neighborhood. In Minnesota every one was scared out of his wits, even sometimes fifty or hundred miles from the point of danger, and well they might be. Of course, some resistance was soon organized, but if one-half of the men who ran away, would have united in small squads, armed as they probably all were, they would soon have found themselves superior in num ber and equipment to those Indians, who were actually engaged in the. work of destruction either from their own choice or by com pulsion. Yet I do not want to cast any doubts upon their cour age, considering that in Wisconsin, perhaps two hundred and fifty miles from the outskirts of the depredations so many sensible per sons were scared out of all powers of reasoning. I was at that time mayor of the City of Buffalo in this county. Knowing the distance between our place and the Indians, and the fact that the most populous part of Minnesota lay between them and the Mississippi, I laughed at the idea that the war would ex tend to us. But then there were a few hundred Chippewas up somewhere above Eau Claire, who in the imagination of some of my valiant fellow-citizens could be expected every moment. So one evening two men, both of them friends of mine, but neither of them fit for military service, rushed into our house, where my wife lay in confinement, clamoring about the supposed danger, scaring every one in the house, excepting myself. I did not attempt to allay their fears, but told them to go to — drilling their company, if they wanted to do so. The company was never formed, nor attempted fo be formed, the only effect of the rude intrusion was a more or less serious attack of sickness of Mrs. Kessinger, caused by fright. But it was not only at Buffalo City that people were scared, for in the words of T. E. Randall 'in his history of the Chippewa Valley: " Many other villages were equally alarmed, and just as prompt to defend their homes; and all that seems wanting to make a bright page in our valley's histoVy is the enemy. " This last out break of the Sioux was, among other things the cause of the THE INDIANS. 163 twenty-fifth regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry being sent up into Minnesota, In this regiment quite a number of young men from this county had enlisted, as will be seen by reference to the tables on Volunteer Militia. Before we take final leave of the Dakotas we will take a look into their tepees and see what sort of a life they led in them. The very first report we have of them asserts that they were polyga- mists, at least those among them who could afford to buy and support a plurality of wives. That almost unrestrained sexual in tercourse and disregard of all decency chargeable to some tribes of the Iroquois-Huron relationship, has never been charged against the Sioux, but there seems to have been a feeling of jealousy dan gerous to any intermeddler, and preservative of family connec tions. Their government did most probably in ancient times have a similar organization to the one related in the "Wyandot Gov ernment," and this organization was destroyed by the corrupting influence of the many treaties. The " Soldiers' Lodge" took its place, without formally superseding it. -This process of disintegra tion was encouraged by the government in the attempts of civiliz ing the individual members of the bands nearest to the civilized - people. Knowing that uncultured minds are greatly influenced by outward appearances, the government demanded the adoption of civilized dress, and the cutting off ofthe long hair, inclusive of the scalplock, as an outward sign of separation from the tribe an'cl renunciation of its customs. This offended the Indians of the old style, and the blanket was made the honorary distinction of those who professed to be unmitigated savages. The half-breeds, of whom therere was, and still is, quite a number across the river in our immediate neighborhood, were seldom so savage, but always as careless and improvident as their relations of the full blood. As they were in many ways cared and provided for by the govern ment by gifts of land and money, and had the selection of the best land in a fertile district, each of them might be well off, if they had been as willing to work, as they generally were to live very econ omically. The Sioux after their transportation to the Wild West, are no longer of much interest to us as citizens of this |county or state. ' The last time the nation made itself somewhat formidable, was, When " Sitting Bull " the chief of the " Ouc-pa-paws" defeated Gen, Custer in the Big Horn district. 164 THE INDIANS. We now turn to their ancient and constant enemies: THE OJIBWA CONFEDERATION. Indian government, including what might be called "' foreign affairs," which in this case means simply the relations to neighbor ing and related tribes, was largely based on, and probably influ enced by kinship. On tliat basis we might expect to hear of an Algonquin confederacy, but when we reflect on the relative situation of the tribes belonging to the great Algonquin relationship, we need not be surprised at the absence of a confederacy based on the common stock of language. lam rather unwilling to admit the stories told of the Ojib was and much inclined to think it one of shallow accounts ofthe French, who never entered into the original meaning of a nation's name, but substituted one of their own, ex pecting every other nation to submit to this incougruous nomen clature. Their ancient prestige having departed, we take the lib erty to reject the name of Sauteurs, Jumpers in English, lor the Ojib was. They, or at least a tribe of their name, were first noticed as dwelling on the east side of the straits connecting Lake Superior with Lake Huron, said straits being called, from the falls and rapids in the same, Sault St. Marie. This circumstance induced the superficial French to call them Sauteurs. Their nearest of kin were the the tribe of Missasaguas, though the latter name never became popular. They were also by language related to the Me- noinonees, or People of the Wild Rice, and to the Kinisteneaux, Kilistinaux, Cristineaux, or Oris, written Crees, who are yet exist ing in Manitoba and the adjoining British possessions. It appears that the Menomonees, who gave their name to one of the rivers in tiie northeastern boundary of our state, were really never a very strong or numerous nation, and their habitat was east of the Me nomonee River toward Little Bay de Noquet, and that at some time the Ojibwas began a movement toward the Gitchi Gummee, the Shining Big Sea Water, as it is called in Hiawatha, and that they thereafter occupied the southern shores of Lake Superior. They were the neighbors of the Dakotas, probably of the Assini- boin band of them, and found reason to call them " Nadonussioux " tliat is enemies, a name naturally reduced to Sioux (Soo) for con venience. It seems that the Kristineaux and the Assiniboins were also at fighting terms, and that about 1679 Capt. Daniel Greysolon Du Luth negotiated the first peace between the contending parties, THE INDIANS. 165 who lived about the southwest corner of Lake Superior. Some Sioux ofthe southern bands found Kristineaux among'the Assini boins, and killed them, which exasperated the latter so much that they separated from the Dakota confederacy and made common cause with the Ojibwas and Kristineaux. There was, after the Indian manner, a continued state of war, the issue of which was" the extension of the Chippewa power and the gradual forcing of the Sioux towards the Mississippi. At -the treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825 almost every one was astonished at the claims of Hole-in-the-day regarding the boundary line between his people and the Dakotas. Being questioned in regard to it, he raised him self up in his full dignity and said: "We conquered it!" This boundary line is fully described in the history of the Dakota Con federation . The Chippewas, like most other Indian tribes or na tions bartered away their lands in Wisconsin to the United States, and but very few of them remain in Wisconsin on reservations, some located on the shores ofthe lake, others on the headwaters of the river, which bears their name and drains a very considerable part of our state. There is no evidence of their ever having held possession of any part of this county, but it is very probable that they made frequent incursions into the land claimed by the Da kotas. These incursions continued even after the Sioux had sold their lands east of the Mississfppi to the United States which hap pened in 1837. Both sides acted in perfect disregard of this treaty. In 1841 a party of Sioux came up to Eau Claire by invitation of the Chippewas to hold a friendly meeting arid to smoke the pipe of peace. A still more formal meeting was held in October 1846, when 150 braves, all mounted on ponies, came up to the Falls, and thence to Chippewa City and held a treaty of peace with their hereditary ibes. Thomas E. Randall, the historian of the Chippewa Valley , was present on the occasion and describes it as follows: Among them were the great chiefs, Wabasha, Red Wing and Big Thunder. Their first meeting took place at the Falls, about sunset, and was rather informal, owing to some misunderstanding as to the place of meeting. The writer, (Mr.Randall) was present and heard part of the Reception Address, and subsequently learned from Ambrose— one of the— interpreters the substance of what was said on both sides. The Sioux remained mounted on their ponies during 166 THE INDIANS. the entire interview. The Chippewa chiefs and braves were painted after their mode indicating peace, and the head chief advanced toward their guests with a large red pipe, made of stone from Pipe stone mountain, in one hand, and in the other a hatchet, which wa£ thrown with considerable force, so as to partially bury it in the earth; then raising the pipe to his mouth, and taking a whiff or two, and, turning the stem toward the Sioux Chief, presented it to his acceptance. All was done in silence; the Sioux Chief re ceived the pipe of peace also in silence, smoked a few whiffs, bowed respectfully as he handed back the pipe, reined his pony to the right, and awaited the next salution. The substance of it was: " Friends, we are glad you have come; we are anxious to make peace with the Sioux nation. As you have seen us throw down > and bury the hatchet, so we hope you are inclined to make peace." The Sioux Chiefs then threw down whatever arms they held, and declared their purpose to maintain permanent peace. They said, their great father, the President, with whom they had never been at war, had requested them to conclude a lasting peace with the Chip pewa nation; and although they had sold their lands on the east- side of the Mississippi, they still wanted to hunt there, and were glad that in future they could do so without fear." — This was all done through interpreters, several of whom were present on each side, and closed every sentence they repeated with the expression: "That's what we' say." The delegation met a much larger number of Chippewa Chiefs and braves the next day at Chippewa City, where the ceremonies were still more~imposing, and a dinner was served, of which both parties partook. These demonstrations were so earnest, and seemed so sincere, that outsiders really supposed these hitherto mortal enemies had become fast friends. But in the summer bf 1849 an event occurred that showed that one party to this treaty reposed very little confidence in the faith of the other. This event, which Mr. Randall details fully, was the hanging of an Indian by some lawless ruffians at Chippewa Falls, for hav ing wounded a Frenchman in defense of his home and honor. ' Hole-in-the-day, the Chippewa Chief, demanded the punishment of theparties? and they were arrested and sent to Prairie du Chien to jail under a guard of eight Chippewa braves, who volunteered for the purpose. But as the party approached that point on the THE INDIANS. 167 Chippewa "half a day's march from the Falls," alarm and terror seized the brave escorts, and nothing could induce them to go an other rod, in such constant dread were they of the Sioux, who tw.enty months before had promised eternal friendship. ..This treaty is probably a fair sample of treaties made in the latter days between the contracting parties in question. They remind one forcibly of the proverb of the pot calling the kettle black. — It is almost iihpossible to locate the smaller bands of the Chippewas by the descriptions of the multifarious treaties between them and the United States, and as none of them live near our own borders, we are not specially interested in them. The nation has become more and more dependent upon annuities, and in the course of time its character has been corrupted, so that but little good is to be expected of them. The earlier records, however, de scribe them as brave and tractable, and more reliable than some of their neighbors. There was from very early times a large number of half-breeds among them, the French voyayeurs, coureurs de bois and traders having intermarried with them, as also many of the early settlers. Thomas E. Randall, who from his early settle ment in the Chippewa Valley knew of numerous cases of such in- marrying, speaks in terms of praise of such of the Chippewa women, as had the good fortune to .get decent husbands among the white settlers. He says they were faithful wives, tender mothers and careful housekeepers, remarking that if the males of the tribe would have shown themselves as capable of being civilized as those women, the problem of Indian civilization would have been easy to solve. He also mentions the custom of carrying about on their travels wooden representations of deceased children by the mothers, as the reader may remember to have found a description of the custom of widows of this nation. Their burial customs were much like those of the western tribes in general. Scaffolds were usually the first receptacles for the corpses, after which inhumation may have followed if con venient. A friend of mine tells me that he has seen in the pin eries of the Upper Chippewa and its tributaries many burial lodges, small log huts, in which dead bodies wercdeposited. It seems that at the report of the Sioux outbreak of 1862> Pug-o-na-ke-shik, or Hole-in-the-day, (Jr.,) at that time located at Sandy Lake, Minnesota, some distance above St. Paul, also began 168 THE INDIANS. to plunder and to kill cattle among the white settlers near Fort Ripley. The agent Wanted to arrest the chief, but the latter was inclined to fight. Commissioner Dole from Washington, then at St. Paul, ob tained two companies of volunteers and advanced to Fort Ripley, where he held several councils with the chief, without any further result than dividing the Indians, and thus diminishing the strength of Hole-in-the-day. The chief, seeing that his support had melted away, restored his plunder and delivered up his war-club, as a token of peace. He even offered Gen. Pope the whole force of his tribe against the Sioux, but the offer was not accepted. It has always been a policy of insufficient measures, what the government did in such cases, more calculated for the profit of interested parties, than the benefit of the people at large. This refusal to employ Indians against Indians, when every man detained in Minnesota was needed at the front against the rebellion, is a striking instance of conscientious scruples not much in harmony with com mon sense. The government not always did, nor could it do, what its agents found politic to promise to the Indians in concluding a treaty; but who was to blame for that? Certainly not those who suffered from Indian outbreaks, and that the one of the Sioux was the fault of the government can hardly be denied, inasmuch as it had withdrawn all the safeguards against its occur rence. But why should not the merciless Sioux be punished to the full extent ? And the gratification of the ancient grudge of the Chippewas against them could have been the only adequate means for punishing the treacherous nation, and to teach them the lesson they needed so much. But an annihilated tribe would no longer need an agency, and the party, expecting to be in it soon again, would lose an opportunity to place a number of adherents into comparatively lucrative positions, and to retain them in their ranks for partisan services in the expectation of that remunera tion. EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 169 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. The earliest discoveries in the Mississippi Valley had no rela tion to the northern parts of it. As far as they formed a basis for claims made by European powers to the ownership or possession of the great river, they must be considered in the chapter on " Political History." Later discoveries directly in and about our own part of the valley must be related in this and every similar history. To do this I consider the best plan to be the biographical one, since these discoveries were the direct result of individual explorations, not withstanding the fact, that they were carried on by order, or under the protection, of the French Government, at that time represented by the governor of Canada. The biographies of Nicolet, Mar quette and Joliet, Hennepin, Du Luth, Perrot and Le Sueur and Capt. Carver, will give the history of the explorations, and at the same time satisfy a laudable curiosity in regard to the further life of these men. JEAN NICOLET. This man, to whom unquestionably belongs the honor of hav ing been the first white man who set foot upon the soil of Wiscon sin, and penetrated to the very center of it, was born in Cherbouig, in the province of Normandy ofthe kingdom of France, and came to Quebec in the year 1618. Samuel Champlain, the founder and governor of New France, with his profound insight into affairs, and likewise into human nature, had as early as 1615 sent some young Frenchmen of his colony among the surrounding Indian tribes or nations, to stay with them, to learn their language, acquire and adopt their mode of life, or, as we now would say, to study them thoroughly, at the same time to learn also all that could be found out about the country, the land- and water, and the ways and means of traveling, and oftrading in the places they, visited, and for the time inhabited. Nicolet was added to the number of these young men and the station assigned to him was with the Algo n- /lllino f>n lUiimntto Tola,-,rl in ihe Clttarxia Rjyer. TheSe iS^AC IS, 170 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. for there seem to have been two, were situated about halfways be tween the St. Lawrence River, and Lake Nipissing, which, how ever, has no connection with Ottawa River, but was then reached by going up a tributary and making a portage between it and the lake. The Algonquins of the Isles were an important nation, for they commanded the passage between the upper lakes and the St. Lawrence, which on account of being much shorter, and not ex posed to the incursions of the Iroquois, must be kept open at all hazards, and it was of vital interest to the young French colony to keep on good terms with them. Nicolet remained with them for two years. He acquired great influence among them, as may be judged from the fact that he went with four hundred of these sav ages upon a mission of peace to the Iroquois and the mission was successful, he returning in safety. Afterward he took up his resi dence among the Nipissings, who adopted him into their nation, and among whom he remained eight or nine years. The notes or memoirs written by him were afterwards presented to one of the missionaries, (Jesuits) who undoubtedly made good use of it for the order. It is immaterial for our purpose, whether he visited Quebec during his long residence among the Nipissings, but he was not at that place^ when in 1629 the English took possession of it, and occupied it until 1632. It appears, however, that in the sum mer of 1632, when the French resumed possession, Nicolet came down to Trois Rivieres, then the camping place. of the nations from the upper country at their annual trading voyage. There was not any town or even fort et the place then. He remained on the St. Lawrence as a clerk and interpreter in' the service of the Hundred Associates or of Governor Champlain. The governor having in the course of time, and partly during his military excursion against the Iroquois, learned many things of countries, lakes and nations, beyond the limits of the country so far explored by missionaries and others, and among other things he had heard of the nation of the Winnebagoes. He determined to extend the influence of his .power to this distant nation, of whose whereabouts he had no de finite ideas, but who sometim.es carried on war against nations of his acquaintance. For this purpose he selected, and as the event proved very judiciously, his protege Jean Nicolet. Nicolet accor-' dingly went up the Ottawa River to the Algonquins thence to his nation of Nipissings and from these to the Hurons whose station* i EARLY EXPLORATIONS'. 171 was then at the south end of the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. He was specially accredited to this nation by the governor, and was to take some of them as companions of his intended voyage beyond the confines of the lake which bears their name. He set out from their nation accompanied by seven of its warriors in canoes and after a voyage of about four hundred miles reached the St. Mary's River, the outlet of Lake Superior. There the voyagers rested for some time, and ascended the river to the vicinity of the Falls. Descending by the Western Detour channel they coasted along the northern shores of Lake Michigan and after entering Green Bay came to the Menomenees on the river still bearing that name. From these they proceeded further up the bay and Nicolet dispatched one of his Hurons in advance to announce his approach and the purpose of his visit. The Winnebagoes received his mes senger well and sent some of their young men to meet and to assist him. They escorted him and carried his baggage. He was clothed in a large garment of Chinese damask, sprinkled with flowers and birds of different colors, which he had brought with him all the way from Quebec. Whether it was because he anticipated to meet Chinamen or Tartars, as some writers seem to suppose, or whether he had learned among the Indians that anything extraordinary in appearance was sure to produce a profound and favorable impres sion, I will not decide. It might be wrong to ascribe this surpris ing attire to the inborn vanity of the young Frenchman, but not entirely improbable. As he neared the land he discharged with each hand a pistol and it is no wonder that women and children fled affrighted. But he had accomplished his journey, and he and his Hurons rested among the Winnebagoes, who were located around the head of Green Bay, contiguous to the point where it receives the waters of Fox River. He found the Winnebagoes a numerous and bedentary people, whose language was radically different from the language of any of the Algonquin nations, as well as from that of the Hurons. He considered them to be of Dakota stock, substi tuting what he had heard for what he knew. There were the feastings, ceremonies and speeches unavoidable among Indians on such occasions, and Nicolet, being perfectly " au fait " on such matters, saw, and diligently and successfully improved, the chances offered for the accomplishment of his purpose. The Win- i72 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. nebagoes agreed to keep the peace with the Hurons, the Nez Perces of the Lakes and probably some other tribes. They were, of course, instructed in the advantages to be derived from com mercial intercourse with the young colony, of which they received the first instalment in the shape of presents distributed by the am bassador. But this was not sufficient for Nicolet's ambition. He ascended Fox River to Lake Winnebago, and thence entered the river again above the lake and proceeded to the Mascoutins, a na tion which had become known.to the French by having 1615 been in war with the nations of the Neutrals and Ottawas in Canada. Among the Mascoutins he heard of the Wisconsin River, but the accounts given him of this tributary of the Mississippi seem to have been very confused. His report on his return to Canada, is claimed to have been that he was within three days journey to the Great Sea, of which even then, one hundred and forty years after the discovery of America, no nation seems to have had any precise knowledge. That he did not believe any such thing may be in ferred from the fact that he did not proceed any further in that direction, which he certainly would have done, had he believed what he is said to have reported, since a journey of three days only, seems a trifle compared with what he had already accom plished. But prudence forbade the embassador of the governor, what the ambition and the audacity ofthe explorer might have at tempted. He had done his work and had done it well, but to secure its results he had to return, to acquaint the nations on his way of the peace concluded, and to report to the governor. This he did. In the spring of 1635 he departed with his seven dusky com panions from the Winnebagoes, reversing the course he had steered before, came up to Mackinaw and along the south shores of Mani toulin Island to the Ottawas who had made their home thereon, from which place he proceeded to the Hurons, to which tribe or nation his companions belonged. He returned to Quebec by way of French River, Lake Nipissing and the Ottawa River, journeying in the lower end of his return voyage with the savages upon their annual trading voyage to the French settlements. There were some disputes in regard to the time of Nicolet's mission, and most books, (schoolbooks especially), s#y that it hap pened in 1639, but there are abundant proofs that lie went out in 1634 and returned in 1635, having been absent about ten months EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 173 or perhaps one year. These proofs have too remote a bearing upon the subject of this present .work, but they can be found most dis tinctly exposed and stated in the work of Prof. C. W. Butterfield, of Madison, Wis., entitled "History ofthe Discovery Df the North west by John Nicolet in 1634, with a Sketch of his Life." I ack nowledge my indebtedness to this work for the above sketch of Nicolet's performances upon Wisconsin soil, and his journey to it and return. A few passages I have copied in the course of the narrative. The reader may reasonably be curious about the fur ther fortunes of the bold adventurer. He returned to his old posi tion of clerk and interpreter and was married in October 1637 at Quebec to Marguerite Couillard, a god-child of Champlain. He resided at Trois Rivieres (Three Rivers) where his only child, a daughter, was born. In 1642 he was called to Quebec to take the place of his brother-in-law Mons. Olivier le Tardiff, who was Gen eral Commissary (Chief Clerk) of the Hundred Partners, and who sailed for France on the seventh day of October of that year. Nicolet was drowned on the 27th of the same month below Sillery in the St. Lawrrence River. He accompanied Mons. de Savigny from Quebec to Trois Rivieres for the purpose of rescuing a pri soner taken by a band of Algonquins, who were slowly torturing him. Near Sillery a squall upset the boat and Nicolet and three others, unable to swim, sank after having clung to the boat for some time. They were near shore, but the pitchy darkness pre vented their knowing it. Mons. de Savigny being an expert swim mer saved his life. Nicolet's death under the circumstances may be considered a heroic end of a heroic life, but his loss was deeply felt and lamented not alone by his countrymen, but as much, and perhaps more, by the Indians of the neighborhood. We know of two of his brothers, Pierre, a navigator, and Gil- les, a priest of the secular ordination, that is, belonging to no reg ular order of ecclesiastics. Pierre returned to France some time after Nicolet's death; Gilles Nicolet, the priest, returned to the same country in 1647. His daring expedition to Green Bay had opened the road for the fur-trader, the voyageur and the missionary to the Far West, and even before his death, in 1641, the Jesuit fathers received an invitation to occupy the country "around a rapid, in the midst of the channel by which Lake Superior empties into Lake Huron." 174 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. I conclude with the words of Prof. Butterfield: History can not refrain from saluting Nicolet as a disinterested traveler, who, by his explorations in the interior of America, has given clear proofs ot his energetic character, and whose merits have not been disputed, although they were temporarily forgotten." MARQUETTE AND JOLIET. We have seen in the history of Nicolet that even under the first governor of New France, the renowned Champlain, there was a strong desire to explore the country west of the Great Lakes and more especially the great river of the Far West, of which at the time the name even was unknown. The discoverers of those latter times seem to have labored under the same delusions which had possessed the mind of Columbus, and to have expected at every considerable step westward to meet the people described by Marco Polo, Rubriqui and other travelers of past centuries, the Tartars and the Chinese. Every river of which they received any information was sure to flow into the South Sea, the mysterious ocean of which they knew that it was on the eastside of Asia, but of whose situation and extent they had but vague notions. As early as 1670 La Salle had traveled in that direction and had dis covered the Ohio and the Illinois. The intendant of the colony under Governor Courcelles, whose name , was Talon, had in 1669 sent out two parties, one furnished by the Jesuit Seminary of Quebec, the other by La Salle. They did not proceed by the usual route already described, that is by the Ottawa River, but ascended the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario, from which they went to the Seneca village. Owing to different adverse circumstances they could get no guide to the Ohio, and were in danger of being killed. They left for an Iroquois colony at the head of Lake Ontario, which they reached on the twenty-fourth of September and there La Salle received the present of a Shawano prisoner, who told them, that the Ohio could- be reached in six weeks. They were about setting out when they met with Louis Joliet, who by the orders ef Talon had been up at Lake Superior to dis cover and explore the copper-mines. He had failed in the at tempt and was now returning. He showed the priests a map of such parts of the Upper Lakes as he had visited and gave them a copy of it. By this and by other representations he induced the Seminary party to change their plan, and La Salle protested in EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 175 vain against the prosed change. He wanted to go to the Ohio, but not to the northern lakes. He pleaded an attack of fever and staid, when they left. Instead of returning to Montreal, he went to the Ohio, but for two years 'afterward there is nothing definite known of him. The priests, who were of the order of Sulpitians, returned to Montreal the following year, having effected nothing. In the mean time Talon was superseded, not however before a new governor had taken the place of Courcelle. This new governor was Frontenac. He approved of Talon's plan, and appointed Louis Joliet as the leader of the expedition at Talon's recom mendation. Joliet had studied with the Jesuits of Quebec for the priesthood, and, though he had renounced it, he still was par tial to the order, and one of its members, Jacques Marquette, was to accompany him. He was then stationed at Point St. Ignace on the north side of the strait of Mackinaw, where Joliet found him in the month of May 1672. The outfit ofthe travelers was ac cording to the mode of travel then exclusively used in the western wilderness. They procured two birch canoes and a supply of smoked meat and Indian corn, embarked with five men, and be gan their voyage on the seventeenth of May. They had made a species of map of their intended route by means of the informa tion obtained from the Indians about it. They passed the straits of Mackinaw and coasted along the northern shores of Lake Michigan, landing at evening and building their camp-fire at the edge of the fores!, drawing up their canoes on the strand. They visited the Menomonees some distance up the river still bearing that name. These Indians tried to dissuade the travelers by tel ling them of the ferocious tribes inhabiting the region to which they meant to go, and of other dangers awaiting them there. But Marquette ridiculed their fears. The travelers next reached the mission of Green Bay, ascended Fox River, crossed Lake Winne bago, entered the upper part of the river and on the seventh of June reached the Mascoutins and Miamis, who since the visit of Dablon and Allouez had been joined by the Kickapoos. Mar quette was delighted with the country, but much more with the sight of a cross planted in the midst of the town. A council was called and Joliet informed the assembly of his commission of dis covery by the governor of Canada and Marquette's from God to teach them the true faith. He prayed for guides to show them 176 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. the way to the waters of the Wisconsin. The guides were readily furnished and on the tenth the Frenchmen embarked again with two Indians to conduct them. All the town assembled to witness their departure and to marvel at their daring to undertake an en terprise so hazardous. The river twisted among lakes and marshes choked with wild rice, and they had great need of their guides. Finally they reached the portage. After carrying their canoes a mile and a half over prairie and marsh they launched them on the Wisconsin, and, bidding farewell to the waters that flowed to the "St. Lawrence, committed thomselves to those that were to bear them they knew not whither, perhaps to the Gulf of Mexico, per haps to the South sea, or the Gulf of California. The season of high water for the Wisconsin River was past, and this voyage was quiet and regular. Finally they came to the point where the meadow stretched away indefinably between bluffs, near the place where now stands, and w'here perhaps even then stood the first rudimentary beginnings of the city of Prairie du Chien. They knew nothing of it, and could not perceive it, and with the singular directness which characterizes this remarkable expedition, they passed on until their canoes shot out upon the whirling eddies ofthe confluence of the Wisconsin and the Missis sippi. They do not appear to have entertained any desire to ascend the large river, perhaps they had no instructions to that effect, at any rate they began to descend. Game and fish abounded and Joliet's experience as a woods-man manifested itself in the precautions observed with regard to the night-camps. They landed in the evening built a fire, cooked and ate their supper and then de scended some leagues further, anchoring in the stream and having one man keeping guard during the night. Nobody was met, un til one day they discovered foot-prints and landed. Marquette and Joliet went along a track which finally brought them to a village of the Illinois Indians, in what is now either Missouri or Iowa, on the west bank of the river, some distance from it. This commu nity dwelt in surprising security, and the travellers had to shout to make their presence known. They were well received, and as the Illinois were of the Algonquin stock. Marquette, and most prob ably Joliet also, was able to converse with them, and they were most honorably entertained according to the fashion ofthe people. It would be tedious to describe the proceedings; but after some early explorations. 177 days the travelers bade farewell to these friendly Indians, of whom almost the entire tribe had followed them to the river. After a while they passed the mouth of the Illinois River and soon after the rocks worn by the changes of temperature and weather into what seemed to be Ruined Castles, by which name they were designated by Marquette on his map and on many maps after him. The place is between Grafton and Alton in Illinois. Before they reached the site of the latter city, and before the rocks began to depart from the river in a southeastern direction they met, what seemed to them pictures of his Satanic Majesty, though in thern- selves these pictures were inoffensive enough, as pictures usually happen to be. It was not very long afterward that the pictures were almost effaced, and as the copies made by Marquette were lost, and he was accused of exaggeration by subsequent travelers of his own cloth, it is not material what the pictures were. A few miles further south the travelers met something more substantially alarming, the muddy and turbulent waters of the Missouri, carry ing trees and stumps along, and mixing with the clear and placid waters of the river on whichthey had come down so far. Soon after they passed the shelving hights on which the city of St. Louis is now located, probably then covered with a dense forest. As they proceeded, the heat became more intensive, and after they had pas sed the mouth of the Ohio the temperature became almost unen durable. Innumerable swarms of mosquitoes tormented them by day and night, and there was little rest for any of the travelers. They had been led to believe from what they had learned of the Illinois Indians, that they were much nearer to the mouth of the river than they realty were and expected to see the gulf very soon. Near the mouth of the Arkansas River they met the next Indians and were at first threatened, but soon safe. These people belonged to the Akanseas, which some have considered as a branch ofthe Illinois Algonquins. The fact that Marquette had to make use of -a stranger who happened to be present, and who understood some Illinois, puts this assumption into a doubtful position. In the second town of the same nation the conversation depended on the same conditions, and as'the interpreter was more competent it was more animated, but the necessity of the interpreter is expressly mentioned. From these Indians the travelers learned that it was fdangerous to proceed any further. Though similar warnings had 178 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. once or twice been given before without intimidating them or stopping their progress, they now concluded to return. They had learned that some ofthe Indians in the lower country were trading with the Spaniards, or with tribes who had received guns and horses from that nation, and they were naturally afraid of losing the fruits of their arduous labors by being either killed by the savages, or made prisoners by the Spaniards. Accordingly they commenced to ascend the river on their return voyage on the seventeenth of July, just about one month after having begun to descend it. They had established one fact to their own satis faction, that is, that the Mississippi did not discharge its waters into the Atlantic or Virginia Sea, nor into the Gulf of California or the Vermillion Sea, but into the Gulf of Mexico. Their upward voyage was slow and tedious, and Marquette expecially was almost exhausted by the climate and an attack of dysentery. At length they reached the Illinois, where the current was less rapid arid the country in every respect more pleasant, especially as the hottest part of the summer was almost past. They stopped at a toWn of the Illinois Indians which Marquette calls Kaskaskia, a name afterwards transfered to another locality. Here they were offered guidance and probably further assistance, enabling them to reach Lake Illinois, now Lake Michigan. They went to the lake, and, coasting along reached Green Bay at the end of September, hav ing paddled their canoes more than two thousand five hundred miles in about four months. Marquette was obliged to remain on account of his feeble health, but Joliet went to Quebec to report the result of his expedition to Count Frontenac. After having been favored with more than common good luck during all his voyage he was nearly drowned in the St. Lawrence River at the rapids of La Chine whereby two of his men and a boy were lost, and also all of his papers. It seems, however, that Marquette made also maps and reports probably incorporating both in the " Relations," which according to the rule of his orders he had to make at stated times to his superiors. After some consideration I have come to think it a little suspicious, that Joliet met with his accident and lost his papers, never attempting any restoration of them, though as a surveyor probably quite competent to do so, while Marquette, who had the reputation of a linguist and a preacher, on this occasion turns up as a cartographer, and reporter EARLY EXPLORATIONS- 179 of what in part he could hardly have very closely observed on ac count of his malady. There were secret causes, which made it de sirable that Count Frontenac should not learn too much of the western country, and Joliet was almost as much under the control of those who might have acted according to the circumstances in dicated, as Marquette or any other member of the order. This fin ishes the story of the exploration of the Mississippi between the mouth of the Wisconsin and that of the Arkansas. It will how ever be desirable for most readers, to learn a little more of the lives of the two persons who had carried this hazardous undertak ing to such a successful end. Louis Joliet was the son of a wagon-maker in the service of the Company of the Hundred Associates then owners of Canada. He was born at Quebec in 1645 and educated by the Jesuits. When still very young, he resolved to be a priest, and received the minor ordina tions at the age of seventeen. Four years later he distinguished himself at what seems to have been a public examination. Soon after he renounced his clerical vocation and turned fur-trader. He remained a protege of the Jesuits, and paid for their preference in kind. There was nothing extraordinary about the man, but he filled his. place as a fur-trader, a merchant in general, well, and it must be admitted that the expedition undertaken and carried out with Marquette was very prudently managed, and, with the exception of the capsizing of his canoe, remarkably successful. In October 1675 Joliet^ married Claire Bisset. His father-in-law traded with the northern Indians and Joliet made a journey tq Hudson's Bay in 1677:, where he found three'English forts, also an armed vessel of twelve(guns, and several smaller trading crafts. On -his return to Quebec. he sounded, the alarm on account of, his observations, and a company was formed tq. compete in the northern trade with the English. During the. year of this journey Joliet received the grapt ofthe islands of Mignon and in 1680 that of the large island of Anticosti.inthe.Gulf of St. Lawrence. In 1681 he was -established here with his. wife and six servants- He, was engaged in fisheries and rnade a chart of the St. Lawrence. In 1790. hjs wife and mother-in-law, were, t$ken; Kroner ^^ ni& establishment bnrrjt, by anrE^glish.'fl^et unde,r. Sir. Wrn. phipps, In, 1694, Jpliqt explored i86 EarlY explorations. the coast of Labrador in the employ of a company formed for whale and seal fishery. He was made royal pilot of the St. Law rence and hydrographer of Quebec. It is supposed that he died poor in 1699 or 1700 and was buried on one of the Mignon islands, which lie north of Anticosti near the main land. Like those of Nicolet, so were Joliet's services forgotten, and his fame partially eclipsed by that of his companion, and some what tainted by his subserviency to the Jesuit factions, which in volved ungratefulness to Count Frontenac. The labors of Shea in this country and Margry in France have rescued his tame from oblivion. Father Jaques Marquette, S. J. Marquette was born in 1637 of an old and honorable family at Laon in the north of France. He joined the Jesuits at the age of seventeen, his motives being purely religious. In 1666 he was sent to the mission of Canada, where his first station was at Tadousac on the Lower St. Lawrence, where he studied the Montagnais language, a branch of the Algonquin. In 1668 he was sent to the Upper Lakes, where he remained until his voyage with Joliet. He was for some time at Esprit the station of Allouez at the Apostle Islands, afterwards at Green Bay, then again at Point St. Ignace, from which he started, but to which he never returned. We have seen that at the termination of the voyage of discovery he stayed, or had to stay, at Green Bay, where his malady still continued to trouble him, until about a year after his return he felt himself well enough, and was permitted by his superiors, to return to the Illi nois river and nation. During his stay at Green Bay he must have written his report of the expedition and made those maps, which were afterwards published as. his. He himself never published anything, and if in the report published as his there was anything calculated to throw his companion into the shade, we may excul pate himself entirely. On the twentyfifth of October Marquette set out with two Frenchmen, named Pierre and Jaques, one of whom had been with him on his great journey of discovery, and a small band of Pottawatamies and one similar one of Illinois In dians. They followed the east shore of Green Bay, made the por tage at Sturgeon Cove, now Sturgeon Bay, to the lake and thence proceeded southwards. The lake was stormy and they consumed more than a month in coasting along the western shore. They EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 181 reached Chicago River and ascended it about two leagues. His malady had returned, and it was impossible to proceed any fur ther. The two men builta log hut by the river, and there the win ter was spent. There was no scarcity of provisions, such as the country and the season afforded, nor were the three companions without neighbors. Although these were not very close, one being an encampment of Illinois, distant two days travel, the other one of" coureurs des bois," those freebooters of the fur-trade, who in spite of proscription and persecution flourished to the great annoy ance of the intendant, or financial agent of the crown in the colony. One can not help being pleased with the behavior of the Indians and of the Coureurs des Bois towards Marquette and his men. Both parties not only visited them, but assisted them each in its own manner, to the best of their power. The rest and shel ter afforded by winter quarters had produced an abatement of Marquette's disease, and on the thirtieth day of March they left their hut, carried their canoe and their baggage to the head of Des Plaines River, a tributary to the Illinois, upon which they then descended to the Indian town, which Marquette calls Kaskaskia. Here they were well received, and Marquette worked diligently in the line, of strictly missionary labors. After he thought the minds of the Indian .-; prepared, he called them to a council, which was attended by five hundred chiefs and old men, fifteen hundred youths and warriors, and all the women and children of thetribe. He preached to them and found willing hearers, who begged him to stay among them. This he could or would not do, for he felt that his life was fast ebbing away and he wanted to die under the con solations of his religion. A fews days after Easter a crowd of Indians escorted him to Lake Michigan. Here he embarked with his two companions for Mackinaw, and followed the eastern shore being the shortest route and involving no long crossing. As his men were urgjng along their canoe, Marquette was lying with dimmed sight and prostrated strength communing with the Virgin and the angels. On the nineteenth of May, he felt that his hour was near, and, as they passed the mouth of a small river, he re quested his companions to land. They complied, built a shed of bark on a rising ground, and carried thither the dying Jesuit. Perfectly resigned to, and glorying in his fate of having been allowed to - die a minister of the Faith, and a member of 182 EARLY EXPLORATIONS- the brotherhood of Jesuits, he gave directions about his burial and sent his companions to sleep, until he would call them. Two or three hours after they heard his feeble cry, and, hastening to his side, they found him at the point of death. He expired calmly ? murmuring the names of Jesus and Mary, with his eyes fixed on the crucifix which one of his followers held before him. They buried him according to his directions, and then set off for Macki naw to bear the tidings to his brethren atthe mission of St. Ignace. In the winter of 1666 a party of Kiskakon Ottawas were hunting on Lake Michigan and in the spring on their return, under the observance ofthe customs of their people in such cases, took up Marquette's bones and bore them, in a procession of thirty canoes, to St. Ignace of Michillimackinac (Mackinaw.) As they ap proached, priests, Indians and traders, all thronged to the shore. The relics of Marquette were received with solemn ceremony, and buried beneath the floor of the little chapel of the mission. The river where he died is a small stream in the west of Michigan, some distance south ofthe promontory called the "Sleeping Bear." It must be confessed without hesitation, that his actions in all that is known of him, were singularly disinterested, and if, as he must have known from the beginning, he was simply an instrument in the hands of his superiors, for the glory and the benefit of his order, his personal character was eminently free from personal ambition and the almost fanatical zeal of some of his contempo rary confreres. Being a superior scholar and especially an accom plished linguist he might reasonably hope for the highest distinc tions his order could confer on any of its members, but this ambi tion seems never to have influenced his actions. Tradition has long since enveloped the events of his last voyage into a veil of obscurity, but it is remarkable that his fame attained q, marked preponderance over that of his companion, and that for a long time he was considered, if not declared, the commanding spirit of the enterprise, while in fact Joliet held both the commission for and the, command of it. To me it is as clear as noon-day, that its success was owing to the decision and perseverance of Joliet who had no inclination to be detained by any excuses of, the necessity of converting t^e nations, visited, and who knew that delays are the most dangerous foes to any such enterpfjise. EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 183 LOUIS HENNEPIN. The subject of this sketch, probably the fii-st man Who wrote a book, which related, at least in part, to those regions on the Mis- sissippi that were left unexplored by Marquette and Joliet, was by his vocation a missionary. He was not a Jesuit, nor did he ever like or praise that order; he was a Recollect, a bare-footed Franciscan of the gray habit. He was not a Frenchman by na tionality, and among Frenchmen was called a Flamand, or in English, Fleming, which means a native of Flanders. I can find no authentic statement which gives his birthplace, and it is im possible to decide, whether he was not actually born under the scepter of Louis XIV, since during the reign of this monarch some parts of Flanders may have been, either permanently or tempo rarily, annexed to France. Nor is this point incontrovertibly de cided by his admission into Canada, where only Frenchmen and Roman Catholics were to be admitted, since the fact of having been in a French monastery may have been considered equivalent to naturalization. It is certain that he spoke Dutch, for he says that himself, ahd that he died in Holland, and it may be re marked that his mother-tongue may have been the Flemish, which is not a dialect but a near relation of the Dutch. Hennepin had been in a convent in the province of Artois, between Flanders and Picardy in the north-eastern part of the kingdom, and being sent by his superior to Calais to solicit alms, as was the custom of his order, he fell into the company of sailors, who, being on shore were to be found in taverns, and indulged largely in their habit of telling yarns, to the great edification of the friar, who, according to his own narrative, sometimes even hid for hours behind tavern doors, in order to listen unobserved. His credulity seems to have been equal to his curiosity, and the adventures he heard related at Calais, and at Dunkirk stirred up his disposition, which seems to have been naturally of a restless complexion. He set out on a roving missipn through Holland, probably only the Catholic parts of the Netherlands ahd he recounts various mishaps which befell him "in consequence of my zeal in laboring for the salvation of souls." Having returned to his convent he got leave from his superiors to go to their, missions in Canada. He sailed in the same ship with La Salle and by his meddlesomeness incurred the cen sure of the latter, agaihst whom he took a spite, which, though 184 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. sometimes dissembled, often came to the surface, and which waB gratified, after La Salle's death, in the second edition of Henne pin's book, 1697. On arriving in Canada he was sent up to Frontenac, La Salle's fort on Lake Ontario. This afforded .a most convenient opportunity for the study of Indian languages, especi ally Algonquin and Iroquois, a colony of the latter being situated under the protection of the fort. His restless disposition mani fested itself in his many excursions both by canoe in the summer, ancl on snow-shoes in the winter. Of these excursions one is re markable for its extent, as during the same he visited the Onon- dagas, the Oneidas and the Mohawks, three of the Iroquois na tions, and met three Dutchmen from New York colony, who in vited him to visit the settlement of Orange, now Albany, which, however, he declined. They were pleased with him, he says, be cause he spoke Dutch. On the eighteenth of November, 1678, he went with La Motte, an officer of La Salle's, and twenty -three men to the mouth of the Niagara River, where La Salle intended to build a fortified post and storehouse. This was the expedition which resulted during the same winter in the building of the schooner Griffin, the first vessel that ever sailed on the Upper Lakes, and in the following summer or autumn brought La Salle and his party to Green Bay. The description and enumeration of the disappointments, dangers, labors and adventures of La Salle and his followers, or companions, among them three Recollect fathers or friars, of which Hennepin was one, is not a part of this friar's history, as far as it belongs to the discovery of the Upper Mississippi, although related by him at length. After great hard ships the party reached the mouth of the St. Joseph's River in what is now Michigan where they were joined by Tonty and such of his men as had not deserted. A fort had been built there called Miamis, probably after the Indians of the neighborhood. From this fort the party set out during the winter, made the por tage to the Kankakee River, which may be considered as one of the headwaters of the Illinois, which they reached a few" days before New Years Day 1680. Four days after the celebration of that day they reached Peoria Lake, then called Pimitoui. The next day they reached the town of the Illinois. Their adventures there. and their construction of the fort called Crevecoeur, are interesting to a degree, but space is wanting for the relation of them in this EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 185 place. So far Hennepin had acted no very prominent part, except perhaps by frequently attending to what was none of his business. He had abundant time for the purpose, since beside his occasional preaching, which could and would sometimes be done by the two other friars, there certainly was nothing that he could do, or could be expected of him. La Salle had tarried so long on the shores of the lake to receive tidings of the Griffin, which had been sent to the fort at the entrance to Niagara River with furs and hides and was to bring material, rigging and anchors for a vessel to be built on the Illinois River, to be used in the descent of the Mississippi and final departure from the mouth of the river to the French possession in the West Indies. The Griffin was never heard of again. Her loss finally compelled La Salle to return to Canada by way of marching through the wilderness as chances might offer, to Lake Erie, thence by canoe to Niagara and finally to Frontenac, This voyage had however nothing to do with the subject of this sketch, except that La Salle before his departure for Canada sent Micheal Accau, and Antoine Anguel nicknamed Du Gay or Picard, because he was from Picardy to explore the Illinois River to its mouth and also to explore the Mississippi. It may be sup posed that La Salle and Tonty knew of the voyage made nearly seven years before by Marquette and Joliet, but exactly how much is not stated. The purpose of the expedition despatched by La Salle seems to have been an exploration of the Upper Mississippi though instructions can not have been very definite. This expe dition Hennepin was requested to join. After its return he wrote its history and arrogated to himself all the credit it deserved, and in subsequent editions of his narrative much more than was due to its actual achievements. But when requested to join it, he was not very willing. He wanted the younger one of his two confreres, Zenobe Membre to go in his place, but the latter refused; to send Ribourde, then sixty-four years old, was out of the question. So Hennepin made a virtue of necessity and on the last day of Feb ruary the expedition started, well provided with arms and ammu nition and with such goods as might be suitable for trading, and making presents to Indians on their route. Hennepin, with his usual modesty, says: "Anybody but me would have been very .much frightened at the dangers of such a journey; and in fact, if 186 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. I had not placed all my trust in God, I should not have been the dupe ofthe Sieur de la Salle, who exposed my life rashly." It is most probable that La Salle, who had determined to leave Tonty in Command at Crevecoeur, while he himself had to go to Canada, took the precaution to send the officious monk out of Tonty 's way. The canoe of the three travelers, heavily laden as it was, de scended to the mouth ofthe Illinois, about two hundred and fifty miles- As they had to hunt, and to cook on shore, it is not proba ble that they exceeded twenty-five miles per day on an average. Being unacquainted with the river they could not have traveled at night. They would naturally rest and investigate at the junc tion of the two rivers, and then,, when they began the ascent of the Mississippi, they could not expect to make much progress against its current. Hennepin seems to insinuate that Accau and Du Gay intended to use the merchandise of La Salle for trading to their own advantage, but there seems to have been but little or no chance for such a scheme. One thing scared the self-confident friar, and his prayer was constantly that he might escape from it, or that it might happen in daylight and not in the night-time. This was a meeting with the Sioux. The word Nadewessioux, of which Sioux is an abreviation, was of Ojibway or Chippewa origin and meant enemies. That it was only applied to the Dakotas is not probable, nor certain, but that with the French of that time it was, or shortly became syno nymous with Dakota is equally sure. To. the extent of meeting them in daylight Hennepin was gratified. For on the twelfth day of April, while they stopped in the afternoon to repair their canoe, they were surprised and surrounded by a war-party of one-hund red and twenty Sioux. Hennepin held out the peace-pipe, but some one snatched it from him. He then offered some Martin ique tobacco, which was better received. They told that they were on their way to attack the Miamis, but Hennepin made them understand by signs, and marks which he drew with a stick, that the Miamis had gone acrosse the Mississippi, beyond their reach. This can only mean, that a party of the Miamis had crossed to the eastside within the knowledge of the three Frenchmen, and ascended the Wisconsin River to join their tribe, whom we found on the Fox River seven years previous. (Marq. and Jol.) If so, the capture of the three men took place above the mouth of the EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 187 Wisconsin. The Sioux, who were great hypocrites, and otherwise cruel like most Indians, extorted from Hennepin's fears all they wanted. It seems that a proposition had been made to kill the prisoners, but it was rejected, because the Sioux, having already seen some of the French and being desirous of having them come and trade among them, deemed it unwise to kill the prisoners of this trade. At length a young chief asked for the pipe, which Hennepin gladly gave him. He filled it, smoked it, made the war riors do the same and having thus given the customary assurance of safety, told the Frenchmen, that, since the Miamis were out of reach, the war-party would return home and that they would have to accompany it. Whether Hennepin agreed to the proposition or not there was no chance to escape the opportunity for the pro posed exploration of the upper river, although the circumstances were not very fortunate. This the friar soon became aware of, for when he opened his breviary and began to mutter his morning- devotion, his new companions in great terror gave him to under stand, that he would not be allowed to have any intercourse with the bad spirit, as they called the book. The. Indians thought he was invoking their destruction. Accau and Du Gay also remon strated, that he was endangering the hVes of all three of them, but Hennepin boasts that he meant to repeat his prayers at all hazards, though he asked the pardon of his two friends for imperiling their lives. It seems that he stopped his mutterings and began to sing his prayers with a loud voice, whereupon the Indians, being more . amused than terrified, did no longer object. These Sioux, it may be observed, were the ancestors of these who committed the massacres of 1862. Hennepin complains bit terly of their treatment of him, but considering general Indian customs, one might be surprised, that it was no worse. To enable him to keep up with them, as his canoe was heavy and slow, some of the warriors had to assist him and his companions in paddling. They kept on their way from morning till night, building huts for their bivouac when it rained, but sleeping on the open ground in fair weather. The three Frenchmen slept near the young chief, who had been the first to smoke the peace pipe, and who seemed to be their protector. But there was another chief, Aquipaguetin, a crafty old savage, who had lost a son by a fight with the Miamis, considered himself cheated out of his revenge and made Hennepin 188 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. believe that his life was wanted to atone for the lost revenge. Aqui paguetin and some other old savages kept up an unearthly howl over Hennepin, who was thereby induced to believe that his life was in danger. One night the three captives had to build their fire at the end of the camp, where they were beset by a Crowd of the Indians, who told them that Aquipaguetin had finally resolved to tomaha ,k them. Hennepin hastened to appease them with presents, and the old rogue Aquipaguetin, having found the way to extort what he was prevented by others from stealing, practiced on the credulitv and cowardice of the friar. On one occasion Aquipaguetin killed a bear, and invited the crowd to feast upon it. Alter that feast they danced the " medicine dance " and the pipe of war was handed round and smoked, while the old chief harangued them in order to induce the killing and robbing of the captives. He did not, however, succeed. Every morning they started at daybreak, some times without breaking their fast. Sometimes they stopped for a buffalo hunt on the prairies, and provisions were plenty. They passed Lake Pepin, which Hennepin called Lake of Tears, for it seems that Aquipaguetin and his confederates had done something extra by way of howling in that neighborhood. Nineteen days after their capture they landed near the pres ent site of St. Paul. It seems that the moment of parting was too much for the generosity of the band of Sioux, and that the pris oners and their goods were divided, without any particular quar rel, however. Even the priestly vestments of Hennepin were divided. Whether the savages admired their splendor, as Henne pin says, or not, matters but little, since his chasuble was used in the conveyance of some bones of a dead Indian, as soon as they had appropriated it. From the place of landing they began their march towards their villages, to the northeast, to the neighborhood of Lake Buade, now and probably soon after, called Mille Lacs or a thousand lakes. The Sioux, being tall and active, marched very rapidly, and Hennepin could not have followed, or kept up with them, if they had not sometimes assisted him. The ice of the marshes and ponds, which formed every night, although the month of May had begun, cut his bare feet, and after swimming the cold streams, he nearly perished from cold. His French companibns being finable to swim, were carried across streams on the shoul ders of the Indians. Being both 'rather* small men, they neVerthe- early explorations, igg less showed considerable endurance. Hennepin c6mplains~that he was very faint from hunger, as they gave him but a small piece of smoked meat every day, probably, however, as much as they had themselves. On the fifth day they reached their homes, whieh were to be those of the captives also. Though they Were not tor tured, it seems they were made fun of, as Du Gays had to sing and dance for the amusement of the crowd, which Hennepin took for an intention of killing his comrade. They Were presently seated in the lodge of a chief and there fed with a mess of wild rice'aUd whortleberries, the best thing Hennepin says, he received since their captivity. The distribution of the three captives resulted in a vehement dispute among the Indians, but ended with givibg the friar to his old enemy Aquipaguetin, who adopted him on the spot as a son. Du Gay, afraid of being sacrificed confessed himself to Hennepin, but Accau did not have any great fear, or but little con fidence in the friar. The latter had to accompany his self-styled father to his village, not very far off. Five of Aquipaguetin's wives conveyed them to an island in Lake Buad'e. At the entrance of the chief's lodge Hennepin was met by a decrepit old Indian, who offered him the peace-pipe and placed him on a bear-skin spread before the fire. A small boy anointed his limbs with the (jat of a wild- cat, to relieve his fatigue. The chief fed him with fish, covered him with a buffalo robe, and showed him to his six or seven wives, who were told to i egard him as a sOn. Little as the new relationship pleased the friar, it was his only safety, and, much against his temper,he submitted with some grace. The Indians notic ing his feebleness, prepared sweating baths for him, by which he was very much benefited. The fare of the whole band was scanty, and the squaws attended to their natural children, in preference to an adopted son, who was old enough to take care of himself. Hen nepin was something of a medicinal practitioner, administering brvietan, which Was at that time considered as a famous panacea, bled asthmatics, and shaved the heads of the children, according to the fashion of the tribe. He was regarded as a man of occult powers, for which he seems to have been indebted to a pocket compass and a small metal pot the feet of which resembled the heads of lions. His missionary labors did not oppress his con. science much, and the only thing indicative of any exeiftiotts fh that direction was the beginning of a vocabulary of the Sioux 190 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. language. He attributed his ill success at conversion to the na tion stupidity of the Indians. The love between him and his Indian father was not very great, but Ouasicoudi (Wassicoody) the principal chief of the Sioux of this region was the friend of the three Frenchmen, and told Aquipaguetin and the rest, in full council, that they were like a dog who steals a piece of meat from a dish and runs away with it. When Hennepin complained of hunger, the Indians promised him that early in the summer he should go on a buffalo hunt with them, and have food in abundance. But when the time came he objected, partly for fear of Aquipaguetin's revenge for what the great chief had said, partly for other reasons. He gave out that he expected " spirits," that is Frenchmen, to meet him at the mouth of the Wisconsin, bringing a supply of goods for trading with the Indians. He insists, and letters of La Salle seem to confirm, that the latter promised to send traders to that place- The Indians believed him and by good luck the assertion answered its purpose and was verified, at least as far as the ap pearance of Frenchmen was concerned. The Indians went down Rum River, the outlet of Mille Lac, and encamped across the Mis sissippi near the junction of the two rivers. Hennepin, afraid of being left alone, begged the Indians, as they passed him, canoe after canoe, to take him along, but they would not do it. Neither would Accau and Du Gay do so, and the former told the mis sionary, that he had paddled him long enough already. Finally two Indians took compassion on him and brought him to the en campment, where Du Gay tried to excuse himself but Aecau did not. In spite of its being a hunting camp starvation reigned in it, and the three white men had nothing to live on but unripe ber ries, which made them sick. By the favor ofthe chief Ouasicoude already mentioned, Hen nepin and Du Gay were permitted to look after the expected Frenchmen; Accau preferred to stay with the Indians. The two men were furnished with a gun, a canoe and a knife, also a robe or cover of beaver-skin. The two travelers soon reached the falls, which Hennepin named after the patron saint he had selected, St. Anthony of Padua. Hennepin's description of the falls is brief but sufficiently accu rate. In the first edition of his book he estimates their height as EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 191 from forty to fifty feet, but in that of 1697 he adds ten feet to that estimate. As the situation changes rapidly, on account of the softness of the underlying stone, we may concede Hennepin's first estimate, since 1821, according to Schoolcraft, the perpendicular fall was still forty feet. He ancl Du Gay paddled down the river for sixty leagues, in the heat of July without killing any large game except one deer, the meat of which soon spoiled in the hot air. The turtles, on which they had to rely, did not often wait to be caught, and so there was considerable fasting. One day they had caught a large turtle of the snapping kind. Du Gay went in pursuit of buffalo on a neighboring prairie, and the friar, while watching the turtle, suddenly saw his canoe out ;n the current. He put the turtle on its back, pulled off his gray habit of St. Francis, put it upon the turtle and some stones on it to keep it down, and then swam for the canoe, which he had to push to the shore, as it would have upset, if he had attempted to get into it in the river, and then paddled back. • About the time of his return to the turtle he saw buffalo coni ng down to the river when he called for Du Gay and both pursued the game of which they killed a young cow, which they had to cut up in the water near an island where she had fallen. Itis rather surprising that they did not know enough of wood craft to smoke the meat of the cow, which, of course, soon spoiled. They had fish-hooks but were not alway successful in their operations, though one day they caught a very large cat-fish. At other times the fishing eagles dropped them their prey, and one day they lived on the remainder of a shovel-nosed sturgeon from which they chased an otter. Hennepin does not seem to have had much of an eye for beauty, since he never mentions the picturesque landscape through which the Mississippi flows at the places they had to pass. But he had at least some occasion to think of other things than the beauties of the scenery. One day they were overtaken by old Aquipaguetin and ten Indians. The old chief wanted to be the first to meet the expected traders. He stopped with the two travelers for a short colloquy. Three days after he returned in ill humor having found no traders on the spot indicated. He gave Hennepin a severe scolding but offered no further violence. 192 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. They now resolved to join a party of Sioux hunting on what they call the Bull River, now the Chippewa. By this they would avoid falling in with straggling parties of Indians, and secure a supply of meat. Accau, their companion, was with this party, whom they followed on their hunt along the Mississippi. The hunt proved successful. One day an alarm was given. The warriors rushed toward the supposed point of danger, but found only two women of their own tribe, who brought some news. A war-party of Sioux on their way towards Lake-Superior had met "five spirits" that is five Europeans. The curiosity of the white men to find out to what nationality each of the separate parties belonged was mutual. Hennepin and Du Gay returned with the Indians up the river, and near St. Anthony they. met Daniel Greysolon Du Lhut with four well-armed Frenchmen. As I shall devote an extra chapter to Du Lhut, I will here say but so much of him as relates to his meeting with Hennepin and his companions. While the latter were in June, 1680, in the Sioux village at Mille Lac, Du Lhut set out from Lake Superior with four men, by ascending the Bois Brule or Burnt Wood River and after having cut some trees and opened about one hundred beaver dams reached the head of navigation, (by canoe of course), made a portage to what was most probably the Upper St. Croix Lake, descended its outlet and came to the St. Croix River, which he de scended, and where he must have met the war party mentioned above. He was afraid that the three white men, of whom he had heard were either Spaniards or Englishmen, who were rivals with the French in the Indian trade. When he saw Hennepin, his mind was at rest, and the meeting was mutually cordial. They followed the Indians to their villages where a feast of honor was given to them, at which one hundred naked guests were seated and where Ouasicoude placed before Hennepin a bark dish contain ing a mess of smoked meat and wild rice. The travelers staid for some time, but with the approach of Autumn they departed. The Sioux did not object, since they were now reasonably sure of their return with goods for trading. As the party passed the falls of St. Anthony, the men stole two buf falo robes hung up in honor of the spirit (wa-kon) of the cataract. Du Lhut reproached them because they endangered by this fool ish act the safety of the whole party, but the men pleaded their EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 193 need and were refractory. The party proceeded in ill humor but were soon diverted by the excellent hunting on the way. But once they were scared, when, some distance above the mouth of the Wisconsin they saw a war-party of the Sioux approach, while the French were just smoking the meat of a buffalo they had killed. On this occasion Hennepin, according to his own state ment, displayed his habitual officiousness by instructing Du Lhut, who knew much more about such matters than the meddlesome friar, how to behave towards the Indians. Everything, however, passed off peaceably and the Sioux went down the river after some enemy or other without even mentioning the stolen buffalo robes. After various minor adventures Green Bay mission, a station of the Jesuits, was reached. Its existence is wholly ignored by Henne pin, who was too much bigoted in favor of his own order> to men tion the rival missionaries, although it is very probable that he enjoyed their hospitality. Equally ill-mannered he behaved in regard to the Jesuit establishment at Michillimackinac, Which they soon after reached and where they spent the winter. Of those stationed there he mentioned only the Jesuit Pierson; who was a Fleming like himself and who skated with him and kept him com pany in fishing through a hole in the ice. In the spring Henne- pih descended Lake Huron, followed the Detroit to Lake Erie, and proceeded thence to the Niagara, where he made a closer examina tion of the falls, and then proceeded to Lake Ontario; ahd then finally to Fort Frontenac. His brother missionary there, Buisset, had been told Hennepin had been hanged with his Owh cord of St. Franciscus. From Frontenac he went to Montreal; where he met Count Frontenac, the governor, who treated the friar, Whom everybody seems to have considered as lost, with great eivility and condescension. To quote Parkman, "La Salle and the discovery of the Great West:" " And here we bid farewell to Father Hennepin. " Prov idence, he (Hennepin) writes preserved my life, that I might make known my great discoveries to the world." He soon after went to EilrOpe, where the story of his travels found a host of readers, but where he died at last (1699) in deserved obscurity. But although We might also part with this man, who certainly once and possibly oftener, set foot upon the soil of this county at least pne hundred and seventy years before it bore its name, we can not 194 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. do so without giving credit to those whom he forgot to mention, or slandered and wanted, in the second edition of his book espe cially, to deprive of the honors unquestionably due to them, but arrogated to himself. The man's great fault was an inordinate self-esteem or conceit. I quote from Parkman: "When the later editions of his book appeared, doubts had been expressed of his veracity. 'I here protest to you, before God,' he writes, addressing the reader, that my narrative is faithful and sincere, and that you may be lieve everything related in it.' "And yet (says Parkman) we shall see, this reverend father was the most impudent of liars; and the narrative he speaks of is a rare monument of brazen mendacity.'' It is however not so much his first book in which he did not claim much more than what might have been true, only ignoring Accau and Du Gay and making himself the sole actor, almost of all the adventures, for which Parkman accuses him as quoted, but the later editions of the same in which he claimed to have descended to the mouth of the Mississippi, and returned to the place of his capture within the time of forty-tree days, counting from the time of his beginning the voyage down the Illinois, the last day of February to the twelfth da}' of April. It would certainly not be worth mentioning the fabrications of the conceited monk, if it were not for the fact, that this monstrous fable is even now repeated as truth by some authors. The refutation by Parkman is before me, but is too long and too much interwoven with other parts of - the work to be understood by itself alone. I will try and state the matter in such a way as to make it understood by every in telligent reader. 1. The exploration for which Hennepin arrogates all the merit was part of the enterprise of La Salle, without whose muni ficence Hennepin would never have seen either the Illinois or the Mississippi. 2. The expedition was not under the command of Hennepin but under that of Accau. The latter had been selected because he spoke several Indian languages. He and Du Gay were of higher rank than the common followers of La Salle. 3. In the first edition of his book Hennepin, though failing to do justice to the others, still did not tell anything very surpris- ik ing or improbable, and that edition, though by no means faultless. EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 195 is on the whole reliable. When he wrote it Marquette's book and maps had just come out ofthe press and were not generally known and could not be used for Hennepin's purpose, if he had that pur pose at that time. 4. In 1697, about two years before his death Hennepin had all the possible chances for manufacturing any story. In 1682 La Salle had descended the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, and had on the ninth day of April of that year taken possession of what he called Louisiana, and which meant all the land drained by the Mississippi, and any and all of its tributaries. On this ex pedition he was accompanied by Zenobe Membre who described it chronologically. His book or manuscript was used by Le Clerk and from Le Clerk Hennepin Stole whole passages without any alterations except fitting the story to suit his own circumstances. Le Clerk had accompanied La Salle on his last expedition, in which the great leader was murdered by a gang of his men. After his return to France, or at least to civilization, Le Clerk wrote a book called " Etablissement de la Foie," in which he had violently attacked the Jesuits. This book was suppressed by order of the king but some copies escaped destruction. Parkman in criticizing Hennepin had compared it with Hennepin's work, second edition, and he says: " The records of literary piracy may be searched in vain for an act of depredation more recklessly impudent." 5. What I have related above, coming from historians who had direct accession to the original work, and which is but a con densation of what I found, may be considered as nearly true as I could make it, seeing- there was considerable controversy in the matter. 6. Hennepin dedicated his later editions to William III of England, and was not allowed to return to Canada, nor, probably, to France. This protected him among those with whom he staid, the Dutch, and as it gave him an air of being a presecuted man contributed not a little to procure readers for his book. Those more curious may consult: La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West, by Francis Parkman. Little, Brown & Co., Boston (1886.) Discovery of the Mississippi, by J. G. Shea, New York, 1852. DANIEL GREYSOLON DU LUTH. This man, whose name has become familiar to the present 196 Early explorations. generation by the fact that the great- " Zenith City" of the central northwest, the metropolis of the Lake Superior country, was named after him, has some not too remote connection with the history of our county and its neighborhood. We find him in 1680 rescuing Hennepin and his two companions from their captivity among the Sioux, and returning with them by way ofthe Mississippi, the Wis consin and the Fox River, to Green Bay and to Mackinaw. At that time it is most probable that he hunted for Buffalo, as he and his men needed provisions, either on this or the opposite side of the river, but it is more probable that he kept to this side, as affording better opportunities from Lake Pepin to Trempealeau for avoiding the Sioux, whom he had reason to believe to be offended at the theft of two buffalo robes, taken by two of his men from some arrangement sacred to the wa-kon, or spirit, of the Falls of St. Anthony. A war party of that tribe did indeed overtake him some distance above the mouth of the Wisconsin, but they were probably ignorant of this grave offense, as they said nothing about it, and did not molest the Frenchman. This appears to have been the only time that he was on the Mississippi, and we may now look into the other parts of his biography as far as they are known to us. In the following narrative I thought it best to transcribe from " La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West," one of the vol umes of a work entitled " France and England in North America " a Series of Historical Narratives by Francis Parkman (Little, Brown & Co,, Boston.) I do this first because I can not find any reliable short account of the adventures of Du Luth in this coun try anywhere else, second because I consider the work of Mr. Park- man impartial, candid and critically reliable beyond any others on the subject that I had the good fortune to get acquainted with. Mr. Parkman says of Du Luth: This bold and enterprising man, stigmatized by the Intendant Duchesneau as a leader of coureurs de bois, was a cousin of. Tonty born at Lyons. He belonged to that caste of lesser nobles, whose name was legion, and whose admirable military qualities shone forth so conspicuously in the wars of Louis XIV. Though his enterprises were independent of those of La Salle, they were at this time carried on in connection with Count Frontenac and certain merchants in his interest, of whom Du Luth's uncle, Patron, was EARLY EXPLORATIONS. IO!? one; while Louvigny, his brother-in-law, was in alliance with- the governor, and was an officer of his guard. Here, then, was a kind of family league, countenanced by Frontenac and acting conjointly with him, in order, if the angry letters of the Intendant are to be believed, to reap a clandestine profit under the shadow of the gov ernor's authority, and in violation of the royal ^ordinances. The rudest part of work fell to the share of Du Luth, who with a per sistent hardihood, not surpassed, perhaps, even by La Salle, was continually in the forest, in the Indian towns, or in remote wilder ness outposts planted by himself, exploring, trading, fighting, rul ing lawless savages, and whites scarcely less ungovernable, and on one or more occasions varying his life by crossing the ocean to gain interviews with the colonial minister Seignelay, amid the splendid vanities of Versailles. Strange to say, this man of hardy enterprise was a martyr to the gout, which for more than a quarter of a cen tury grievously tormented him, and which even the intercession of the Iroquis saint Catherine Tegah Kouita failed to cure him. He was, without doubt, a habitual breaker of the ordinances regulating the fur-trade; yet his services were great to the colony and to the crown, and his name deserves a place of honor among the pioneers of American civilization. When Hennepin met him, he had been about two years in the wilderness. In September 1678 he left Quebec, for the purpose of exploring the region of the Upper Mississippi and establishing relations of friendship with the Sioux and their kindred, the Assiniboins. In summer 1679 he visited three large towns of the eastern division of the Sioux, including those visited (involunta rily), by Hennepin in the following year, and planted the king's arms in all of them. Early in the autumn he was at the head of Lake Superior holding a council with the Assiniboins and the lake tribes, and inducing them to live at peace with the Sioux. In all this he acted in a public capacity, under the authority of the governor; butfit ia not to be supposed that he forgot his. own interests, or those.of his associates. The intendant- angrily complains that he aided and abetted the coureur de bois in their lawless courses and sent down in their canoes great quantities of beaver-skins consigned to the merchants in league with him, under cover of whose names the^governon reaped his share ofthe profits. 198 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. What relates to Du Luth's actions in the rescue of Hennepin and his party, lias been related under that head. The following is from an annotation in the book of Mr. Parkman above named: The facts concerning Du Luth have been gleaned from a variety of sources, chiefly the letters of his enemy Duehesneau, who always puts him in the worst light, especially in his despatch to Seignelay of Nov. 10th, 1679, when he charges both him and the governor with carrying on an illicit trade with the English of New York. Du Luth himself in a memoir dated 1685 strongly denies these charges. Du Luth built a trading fort on Lake Superior called Cananistigoyan or Kamalastigouia. It was on the Northside, at the mouth of a river entering Thunder Bay, where Fort William now stands. In 1684 he caused two Indians, who had murdered several Frenchmen on Lake Superior, to be shot. He displayed in this affair great courage and coolness, undaunted by the crowd of excited savages, who surrounded him and his lit tle band of Frenchmen. The long letter, in which he recounts the capture and execu tion of the murderers, is still extant. Duehesneau makes his con duct on this occasion the ground of a charge of rashness. In 1686, Denonville, then governor of the colony, ordered him to fortify the Detroit, that is, the strait between Lakes Erie and Huron. He went thither with fifty men and built a palisade fort, which he oc cupied for some time. In 1687, he, together with Tonty and Du- rantaye, joined Denonville against the Senecas, with a body of In dians from the Upper Lakes. In 1689, during the panic of the Iroquois invasion of Montreal, Du Luth with twenty-eight Cana dians, attacked twenty-two Iroquois in canoes, received their fire without returning it, bore down upon them, killed eighteen of them, and captured three, only one escaping. In 1695 he was in command at Fort Frontenac; In 1697, he succeeded to the com mand of a company of infantry, but was suffering wretchedly from the gout at Fort Frontenac. In 1710, Governor Vaudreuil in a dispatch to the Minister Ponchartrain announced his death as occurring in the previous winter, and added the brief comment, " e'etait un tres honnete homme," (he was a very honest man.) Other contemporaries speak to the same effect. Mr. Dulhut Gen- tilhomme Lionnais, qui a beaucoup de merite at de capacite. (La Hontan I, 103 (1703.) " Le Sieur du Lut, homme d'esprit et d'ex- EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 199 perience." (Le Clerk II, 137.) Charlevoix calls him " one of the bravest officers the king has ever had in this colony." His name is variously spelt Du Luc, Du Lud, Du Lude, Du Lut, Du Lhut and Du Luth; a great compliment, by the way, to the schooling of the Canadian French of his times. I have adopted the last of these spellings, because it is the One agreeing most closely with the common spelling cf the name of the city of Duluth. Park- man spells the name Du Lhut, which is probably the better French. On a contemporary map by the Jesuit Raffeix, representing the routes of Marquette, La Salle ancl Du Luth, are the following words, referring to the last named discoverer, and interesting in connection with Hennepin's statements: Monsieur Du Luth was first among the Sioux in 1678, an.d came near the source bf the Mississippi, where he went afterwards to rescue Father Hennepin, who was a prisoner among the Sioux. (Translated from the French by myself.) One of his (Du Luth's) men was named Pepin; hence, no doubt, the name of Lake Pepin. CAPTAIN JONATHAN CARVER. Among the early explorers of this particular part of the New World, the Upper Mississippi Valley, there was one who was not prejudiced by the sordid desire for gain, nor by any fanatical no tion of how good the world would be, if it had only been formed on his own particular model, but who seems to have expected the Indian to be nothing but an Indian, a savage sort of mankind, yet still not to be blamed for what he could not help being. If Carver was colored or tainted with some of the prejudices of his Puritan ancestors, he did not expect everybody to share the same. His previous career as an officer in a colonial regiment during the French and Indian war, in which he had served during the whole period until the surrender of Canada in 1760, by which all the country to the Mississippi came into the possession of Great Brit ain, seems to have expanded his mental horizon, and directed his attention to things entirely different from those contemplated by the traders and missionaries, who had previously penetrated to the Sioux, and other Northwestern Indians. The following is a short sketch of his life and his explorations: Jonathan Carver was a lineal descendant of John Carver, the first governor of Plymouth colony. His grandfather was William 200 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. Carver, of England, who was a captain in the army of King Wil liam during the campaign in Ireland, and afterwards an officer in the colony of Connecticut. His father was a justice of the peace at Canterbury, Connecticut, where Jonathan was born. When Jonathan was fifteen years old, his father died. At the age of eighteen he purchased an ensign's commission in one of the Con necticut regiments. He had before studied medicine, but his rov ing disposition led him to abandon that profession, the study of which seems, however, to have put him in the possession of literary accomplishments. He served with distinction under Abercromby and Amherst, and very narrowly escaped being killed in the mas sacre of Fort William Henry in 1757, and was present in the battle at the Heights of Abraham, and at the surrender of Montreal and all Canada. He left Boston in June, 1776, and arrived at Macki naw, then the most distant post of the British, in August following. Having made arrangements with Col. Rogers, the governor or com mandant of that post for having certain articles for the Indian trade or for presents to the Indians sent ahead of himself to the Falls of St. Anthony, he sailed to Green Bay, and thence up Fox River. While on this river he stopped at the principal town of the Winnebagoes where for four days he was hospitably entertained by Ho^po-ko-e-kah the widow of a Frenchman named De Kaury, who had been mortally wounded at Quebec and died at Montreal. She was at that time the principal chief of the tribe, and her des cendants retained that dignity for several generations. From there he proceeded to the town of the Sacs at Prairie du Sac, which he describes as the largest and best built Indian town he ever saw. It contained; he says, 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. Before the doors were placed comfortable sheds in which the inhabitants sat, when the weather would permit, and smoked their pipes. The streets were both regular and spacious, appear ing more like a civilized town than the abode of savages. Mr. Strong thinks this description somewhat exaggerated, since in less than thirty years afterwards only a few remains of fire-places and posts were to be seen. Without disputing Mr. Strong's remarks, it may as well be confessed that Carver must have seen many In dian towns before the one he here describes, and if he was so much EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 201 struck with its appearance, those he saw before must have been of the usual description among Indians. Capt. Carver says: "Whilst ' I stayed here, I took a view of some mountains, that lie about fifteen miles to the southward, and abound in lead ore (probably the Blue Mounds.) I ascended on one of the highest of these, and had an extens ive view of the country. For many miles nothing was to be seen but lesser mountains, wbich appeared at a distance like hay -cocks, they being free from trees. So plentiful is lead here that I saw large quantities of it lying about the streets, in the town of the Saukies, and it seemed to be as good as the produce of other coun tries. On the 10th of October we proceeded down the river (Wis.) and the next day reached the first town of the Ottigamies (Outa- gamies — Foxes). The town contained about fifty houses, but we found most of them deserted, on account of an epidemical disorder that had lately raged among them, and carried off more than one half of the inhabitants. The greater part of those who survived had retired into the woods to avoid the contagion." This town was probably near Muscoda. The next village which, he says, was deserted thirty years previous, and in ruins was about five miles above the mouth of the Wisconsin on that river. He thinks the inhabitants had removed to Prairie des Chiens, which he calls a large town of about three hundred fami lies and the great mart where furs and peltries were brought an nually about the last of May from the remote branches of the Mis sissippi, for transporting them either to Mackinaw or Louisiana. It is a remarkable circumstance, that the traders with him did not stop at that town, but made their winterquarters about ten miles up the river, on the opposite side, and near the confluence of the Yellow River. Although the season was considerably advanced, he with one voyageur and a Mohawk Indian pushed on in his canoe towards the Falls of St. Anthony. . On the first day of November he reached Lake Pepin, where he observed the ruins of the French factory, where Capt. St. Pierre had formerly resided and carried on a great trade with the Nau- dowissies (Nadowessioux or Sioux). Here he staid for some time .and among other things he observed and to a certain extent ex- 202 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. plored some ancient earthworks which he, however, seems to have considered as fortifications. His description will be found under the- article of " Moundbuilders" because there seems to have been a disposition of claiming these earthworks as " pre-historic tumuli," and also an entirely opposite one, of considering them of no im portance or significance whatever. Near the mouth of the St. Croix River he came in contact with the Dakota Indians, and in some way mediated a truce or local and temporary peace between them and the Chippewas, at the time of an imminent battle, and was treated with great con sideration by both parties. At the mouth of St. Peters River he had to give up navigation (Nov. 17,) and to walk to the Falls of St. Anthony. These he describes very accurately and must have made some sketch, as his book contains a copper-plate engraving of them. He proceeded northward a^ far as the St. Francis or Elk River but returned and commenced, on tbe 25th of Novem ber, to ascend the St. Peters, now Minnesota River, which he was able to ascend about 200 miles,' without being prevented by ice. There dwelt at that time the Naudowissies, whom Mr. Strong is inclined to consider as Western Dakotas, though it is notorious that the Dakotas were called Sioux everywhere, and that the name of Dakota is of comparatively modern use. Among these people Carver remained five months and was well treated. He learned their language, ancl acquired all the geo graphical information they could impart. He went with them in the latter part of April to their grand national council, which was held at or near their cave on the Mississippi River, a description of which is given below. It has also been claimed; that on this occasion he received of two of the chiefs of these same Naudo wissies a grant of land or territory, of which we will speak some where else. It appears that, having first ascertained that the goods promised him by Gov. Rogers had not arrived at the Falls of St. Anthony, he determined to return to Prairie du Chien and not to proceed any further northwest for the time being. Having procured some goods from traders at Prairie du Chien, he started for Lake Superior by way of the Chippewa River and a number of tributaries and lakes, but during the summer seems to have wandered off towards the St. Croix on some branches of which he claims to have seen "mines of virgin copper." After finally EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 203 reaching the shores of Lake Superior and coasting round to the Western extremity of the lake, he discovered that he could not get the necessary goods, he was compelled to give up the one great object of his travels, and to return to Mackinaw, where he spent the winter, and returned to Boston the following spring, having been absent two years and five months, and traversed seven thous and miles. He wrote a book in which he laid down his adventures ancl his ideas of the future prospects of the country he had visited. He is regarded as the first writer who called attention to the an cient monuments in the Mississippi Valley. His visit to the Da kotas had the effect of bringing them into better acquaintance and friendly relations with the governor of Mackinaw. He expressed many intelligent opinions respecting the country, and thought, from its beauty and fertility it would attract many settlers. Speak ing of its future population and their ability to convey their pro duce to seaports with great facility by the Mississippi River, he adds almost a prediction of the Erie Canal with its present lake and river connections: "This might in time be facilitated by canals or short cuts and a connection opened by water to New York by way of the lakes." He also thought of a route to the Pacific as a means of communication with China and the English possessions in India. Carver went afterwards to England, probably for the publica tion of his book, and for the purpose of interesting people of in fluence in his ideas concerning the future occupancy of the coun try, and it was proposed to build a fort on Lake Pepin and to carry out the enterprise. All these schemes were destined to come to nothing, for only seventeen years after his visit to this country the whole eastern part of the Mississippi Valley passed from the possession of Great Britain to that of the United States. Carver, who seems to have been more English than American, did not take any part in the American Revolution, but died in England, poor and neglected, in 1780. He left a family, consisting of his widow, two sons, and five daughters in Connecticut, and one child, by an other woman in England. As related above, he attended the na tional council of the Dakotas and at that time was made ac quainted with a cave, some thirteen miles below the Falls of St. Anthony on the Mississippi. It has since been known as 264 SaRLY EXPLORATIONS. Carver's Cave. The following is his account of it: About thirteen miles be low the Falls of St. Anthony, at which I arrived on the tenth day after I left Lake Pepin, is a remarkable cave of an amazing depth. The Indians term it Wakon-teebe (Wakan-tipi). The entrance to it is about ten feet wide, the height is five feet. The arch within is nearly fifteen feet|high, and about thirty feet broad; the bottom consists of fine clear sand. About thirty feet from the entrance begins a lake, the water of which is transparent, and extends to an unsearchable distance, for the darkness of the cave prevents all attempts to acquire a knowledge of it. I threw a small pebble towards the interior part of it with my utmost strength; I could hear that it fell into the water, and notwithstanding it was of a small size, it caused an astonishing and terrible noise, that reverbe- ted through all these gloomy regions. I found in this cave many Indian hieroglyphics, which appeard very ancient, for time had nearly covered them with moss, so that it was with difficulty I could trace them. They were cut in a rude manner upon the in side of the wall, which was composed of stone so extremely soft, that it might be penetrated with a knife — a stone everywhere found near the Mississippi." (Potsdam Sandstone.) I have studied diligently to find out the exact location of this cave, but had to give it up. Schoolcraft seems (1820) to have consid ered Fountain Cave near St. Paul as the one described by Carver, but Mr. Strong considered that opinion erroneous. He does not locate it, but says, that it has been materially altered by the ele ments, the roof has fallen in and the entrance choked up by rock and earth. The track of a railroad runs along the bank of the river directly in front ofthe cave, in the construction of which the cave is virtually destroyed, andthe stream which flowed through it now supplies a watertank, while the subterranean lake has disap peared. Visitors from this county do therefore not need to try to satisfy their curiosity in hunting up this cavern. Carver's Grant. It has been claimed by the descendants of Captain Carver, and their actual or presutnptive representatives, that atthe national council of the Naiidawessies to which Carver was admitted as related above, a grant of land was giveri to him by two ofthe Chiefs EARLY EXPLORATIONS, 205 Hau-na-pau-je-tin or Snake, and O-gou-si-gum-lith-go or Turtle, The description of the land contained in this grant is as follows: From the Falls of St. Anthony along the eastern bank of the Mississippi River to the lower end of Lake Pepin and the mouth of Chippewa River, thence due East five day s travel at twenty miles a day, thence North six days travel at twenty miles a day, thence in a straight line to the Falls of St. Anthony. This is an item of interest to the citizens of Buffalo County, especially those residing in the northern part of it. It so happens, that the line between townships twenty -two and twenty-three north, crosses the Chippewa River, but a very short distance above its mouth, and therefore alfof township twenty- three and twenty-four located in this county lies within the tract described, which formerly on maps of Wisconsin and Minnesota was designated as the Carver Tract. We will subsequently discuss the ultimate fate of the claim, but may as well relate here that sales have been made of lands in this county by Dr. Wm. -Pea body and Hannah his wife, then residents of the city of Chicago under a color of title based on a pretended abstract of the Carver Tract. I think it was in 1868 when Mr. DeGroff, then County Clerk, and the writer of this, then County Surveyor, and engaged in entering names in the plat-books, had a good deal of amuse ment in the perusal of a printed copy of such an abstract. I took a copy ofthe document, which was rather lengthy, but cannot find it any more. As it related to land in township twenty-five north, it could not be recorded in this county, but I remember the contents and some of the peculiar expressions quite well, and will give them here, as nearly as possible in the original language. The instrument was in good imitation of what may have been the more ancient form of a deed in Great Britain and the Colonies. By it the above named chiefs ofthe Naudowessies granted to their very much honored friend, Captain Jonathan Carver, "a subject of George the Third, King of the English and other nations" the above described tract for his great services to the nation of the Naudo wessies. The nature of these services was not expressed. The abstract proceeded to relate, that the original grant signed by the above named chiefs was deposited in the "Plantation Office in the ' Oity of London in England." There was more of it, mainly relating ' to the pedigree of Mrs. Hannah Peabody, who was represented to 206 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. _ be a lineal or collateral descendant of the renowned captain. The paper looked as if it had been cut out of a book or pamphlet, prob ably a printed report of some Congressional Committee on the claim. I can not dismiss this subject without giving the objections to the claim and its history and final rejection by Congress. In the first place the deed or grant is not mentioned by Car ver in the " Journal " of his travels. The objection of Mr. Strong to the validity of the grant, if made, because the Naudowessies or Sioux were not in possession of the land granted, is not conclusive, because it is almost impossible to prove pro or contra in the matter. But if we were willing to concede the authenticity of the deed, its validity is still seriously impaired by the fact, that the king had by express proclamation forbidden, that any private person should presume to make any purchase of any land from any In dians. This proclamation, having been made three years previous to the date of the grant, must have been known to Capt. Carver. It would, also, have prevented his acceptance or solicitation of the grant. Another very serious objection is that not any of his surviving children seem to have known anything of this supposed wealth or at least did not lay any claim to it in a legal way. The first trace of the intention of getting possession of the property appears to have come to light in 1817, thirty-seven years after the death of Captain Carver. That year two young men (names not given) left the Green Bay settlement, in a bark canoe, for Prairie du Chien, by way of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, at which place they met Major S. H. Long, and proceeded with him up the Mississippi to the Falls of St. Anthony, with a view to es tablish their right to lands claimed to have been granted by the Indians to their grandfather Jonathan Carver. The claim had, while under English supremacy been refused confirmation by the king and council. But it appears that the first claim had been made to Congress in 1806 with no result. In 1823 Mr. Van Dyke, from the commit tee on public lands reported to the senate adversely to the claim. In a report of 1825 Mr. Campbell of Ohio, also from the com mittee on public lands, demonstrated, after an exhaustive discus- EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 207 sion of the questions involved, that there was no foundation for the pretended claim, and that it was utterly worthless. In a letter from Lord Palmerston, dated Feb. 8, 1834 to Hon. Aaron Vail, charge d' affaires of the United States to Great Britain, is the statement in reference to this claim, that "No statement has been found of any ratification of the grant in question by His Majesty's government." Finally by the treaties made with Sioux and Winnebagoes all their title to lands in Wisconsin and adjacent parts of Minnesota became vested in the United States, which was the final extinction of any hopes, that the " Carver Grant" would ever be recognized. All this, however, did not prevent the transactions of Dr. Pea body above stated, which he must have known to be fraudulent. ¦The reader is now left to his own judgment in the matter. In the " History of Minnesota " by Rev. E. D. Neill, I no ticed among the headings of a chapter the item : "One of Carver's sons killed," but could not find a description of the deed. It is improbable that it happened in Minnesota or in the West. The only trace of relatives of the captain who made actual inspection were the two grandsons mentioned above. THE FORTS ON LAKE PEPIN. The reader has in the biographies of Hennepin and Du Luth, and in the narrative of- Captain Career, noticed the proximity of Lake Pepin to the County of Buffalo. After the return of Henne pin to Canada a change in the government was made. In the place of the Marquis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, a certain De la Barre, a French officer of some public credit, and what accounts for it, a favorite of the Jesuits, was appointed in his place. We cannot from our impartial standpoint exonerate the Count of Fron tenac from the formal charges brought against him by his enemies, for he was certainly arbitrary and despotic, but he was a ruined nobleman and bent on mending his desperate fortunes. He would have been an exceptional Frenchman, if he had been troubled with many pangs of conscience in the choice of the means to that end. But he was wiser than his king and the court surrounding the lat ter, ancl, had he been left in power, it is a question, whether in after times it would nave been possible to wrench the province of Canada from the grasp of the French. His policy, selfish as it may have been in several ways, was neither narrow nor short- 208 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. sighted. He was the friend of La Salle, and his removal^ was equivalent to the destruction of La Salle's colony on the Illinois river. The incapacity of De la Barre was so apparent that after three years he was superseded by the Marquis de Denonville. Within the three years of his reign falls the sending of Nicholas Perrot to the Mississippi for the purpose of establishing a trading- post on Lake Pepin. This Nicholas Perrot was one of the many interpreters, who were in government employ, sometimes under the direction of the governor, but oftener under that of the intendant of the colony. Most people have a very confused idea of the French government of Canada. It would appear to anybody but a Frenchman of the old regime (ancien regime) that the govern ment was a sort of military despotism, arbitrary enough, but highly concentrated. So it was in all, except the finances. The King did not consider the government as a machine to extend his power so much, as to increase his revenues. Kings like Louis XIV, and Louis XV, and the intervening regency, needed money, and not a little of it. Hence an instrument was created to make sure of that money everywhere. The intendant was this instru ment. Canada was, according to the view of King and court nothing but a large trading station; colonies were out of the question for they might cost money, and might wish to get rich themselves. The fur-trade was yet the ruling interest and the governor, then in accordance with the intendant, selected Perrot to open up a new source of it among the Sioux. The character of Perrot is not without suspicions. One of his name attempted to poison La Salle, but it may not be possible to identify the two as the same. Certain it is that any enemy of La Salle was sure of favor and promotion under De la Barre. It was, however, late under his government that Perrot was dispatched to the new post, for in 1685, the year of Perrot's expedition, De la Barre himself was superseded by Denonville. The post established by Perrot was near the lower end of Lake Pepin on the Westside and may have been at Frontenac. He seems to have remained less than two years, for he went down to Quebec or Montreal during 1687, and took part in the war against the Iroquois in company with Du Luth and Durantay. It is reported that Indians, of the tribe of the Miamis, brought lead to his trading post. Circumstances make it improbable that this should have happened, though it is quite. EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 209 possible that about that time the Miamis, who dwelt upon the lower part of the Wisconsin, worked some of the lead mines in their neighborhood. The intervening space, a distance of perhaps two hundred miles (160 from Prairie du Chien to Frontenac) was occupied by Winnebagoes and Sioux, and probably by Sacs and Foxes. In 1689, the same year in which Denonville was sup planted again by Frontenac, Perrot, after convening all the neigh boring nations at Sault St. ' Marie for a general treaty of peace among themselves and submission to the French government, re turned on the 8th of May to his abandoned post with forty men. But he must soon have left again, and was afterwards among the Miamis. With him was Pere Marest of the Jesuits. It is not known what became of him and his post afterwards. After the reinstatement of the energetic Frontenac there seems to have been more enterprise in the Canadian government. The first adventurer on the Mississippi was Le Sueur, said to have come in 1683. His first post was upon an island in the Mississippi opposite or below the mouth ofthe St. Croix River. Le Sueur was eminently a pioneer of Minnesota. It does not ap pear that he established any' post on the Lake, nor that he found Perrot's post occupied. His life and achievements are quite inter esting, but not of any importance for our purpose. He came again in 1695, took some Sioux and Chippewas to Montreal 1696 and went to France 1697, was captured on the high sea by the English, released 1698, and came up the Mississippi 1700. Abandoned his fort on the Minnesota in 1702, after which he was in Louisiana or in France. His associate Penicau" left some papers about their ad ventures. If Le Sueur should have been at his first post in 1683, he would in that case have preceded Perrot. The next fort on the lake was built by. Boucher de la Perriere, who arrived at the place on the 17th of September 1727. It was near Stockholm on the eastside of the lake. With him was the Jesuit Father Guignas, who gives a glowing description of how the birthday of Charles de Beauharnois, then governor of Canada, was celebrated at the fort, which was named after him. In the follow ing spring, after a winter remarkable for the want of snow or the _gmall quantity of it, the greatest flood on record occurred, but it 210 EARLY EXPLORATIONS. is an error to suppose that the fort was abandoned on account of it, for the flood did only reach to the floor of the buildings. The narrative of Guignas makes it probable that it was evacuated on account of the hostility of the Foxes or Outagamies, though it is rather odd to think, that at that time they should have had the power to molest a post in a country so near the Sioux, and after ward claimed by that nation. It is however certain that the Foxes were at that time a powerful nation, and almost always at war with the French. The trading posts and forts on Lake Pepin must have been occupied, and have probably been repaired from time to time, although Capt. Carver says nothing of them. One thing is strange, that is, that of all the places on the Lake, or on the river for some distance above it, none retained a French name, except Frontenac. It is hardly necessary to caution the reader not to confound this Frontenac with the fort of the same name built by La Salle on Lake Ontario, on the site of which now stands the city of Kings ton, near the outflow of the St. Lawrence from the lake. Fronte nac in Minnesota is in Goodhue County, on Lake Pepin, opposite Maiden Rock. There were several forts, which in this case always means trading-posts surrounded with" palisades, in the neighbor hood, one at Point au Sable or Sandy Point, and one on Prairie Island, which the French called Isle Pelee, but where these points really, or exactly, were, is not now to be found out very easily. Charlevoix who wrote in 1721 placed Isle Pelee above the Lake. The history of French forts is almost as puzzling as that of Indian tribes. The influence of these temporary possessions was almost nothing, except that in later or more modern times the trading posts were much more numerous and important on the Minnesota side than on that of Wisconsin. This may be ascribed to the fact that the ancient trading posts attracted the Indians, and the In dians in turn attracted the traders, most of whom were of French extraction, pure or mixed. Prominent examples of these later traders in this neighborhood were La Bath and Alexis Bailey, but in their times the necessity of forts was no longer very urgent ex cept for military establishments. EARLY SETTLEMENT. 211 EARLY SETTLEMENT. The early settlement of the western country in general and our portion of the Mississippi Valley in particular, had to con tend with difficulties which are unknown to the present genera tion. Similar conditions may still exist in frontier settlements, as existed in our neighborhood forty years ago, but in general the obstacles to tb*e rapid settlement and development of any new country are now-a-days much less numerous and formidable. At that time the western part of our state was, for all intents and pur poses, much farther from Milwaukee or Chicago than it may now be considered to be from New York, or any city on the Atlantic. Railroads, which are now crossing all the states and territories west of us, began just about to be thought of in the East. The rivers, those natural highways, of course, were here, but the steam boats, which afterwards became of such importance in the march of settlement, were not yet built, or employed in more favored localities.. Transportation and intercourse were slow and difficult. From the table given in the chapter on " Transportation " we find that as late as 1844 there were but 41 arrivals of steamboats at Fort Snelling or Mendota, and ten years later there were not yet ten times as many, and all of the boats of very small size, com pared with the floating palaces of later times. How it was before the era of steamboats I can but refer the reader to the chapter on " Transportation," for it would be tedi ous to repeat what is said there. But in retrospection I have come to doubt, whether the matter of transportation was of more influ ence on early settlement and political history, or the reverse. For, the mode of transportation being given, it is evident that settle ment, and political history as its consequence, will accommodate themselves to it; but a settlement existing, transportation might seek it. We must look back to the first adventures of white men upon our soil to trace the incipient steps of settlement. The In dians were no settlers, although they were the occupants of the 212 EARLY SETTLEMENT. country. It is true they had villages and cultivated some land, but their tenure was not intentionally permanent, and not pro prietary. The same might be said of the traders, that came among them, and it is a matter of history that the French Government of Canada as well as of France discouraged colonization or perma nent occupation, in another word — settlement. A few depots or entrepots, however, were absolutely necessary, and the aggregation of some settlers around such posts of trade could not be pre vented, though it might be discouraged. The missionaries, afraid that they would have to share influence, power and profit with permanent settlers, instigated the government to its narrow policy of anti-colonization. Thus we find, that during about one hund red and fifty years of nominal, and of eighty years of virtual pos session of Wisconsin by the French, there was only one, still un certain, settlement within its present boundaries. This was at Green Bay, the place first visited by an embassador of the French governor to the Winnebagoes in 1634. This visit is described in the chapter on Jean Nicolet. The next settlement was at Prairie du Chien. The evidence for this is not very direct, and it is rather due to the advantageous situation of the place, near the mouth of the Wisconsin River, that we are inclined to believe in a very early settlement at this point, than to any documentary testimony in regard to it There are, indeed several circumstances, which seem to contradict this assumption. The first is that under the administration ol De la Barre, the governor, who succeeded to Frontenac, an enemy to La Salle, and opposed to all colonization, sent Nicholas Perrot (not Parrot as the Blue Book says) to the Mississippi to establish a trading post on the river, which was erected on the westside of Lake Pepin, 1683. Other forts were subsequently erected by Le Sueur, Laperriere and others, and, according to the opportunities of trade and other circumstances, occupied or abandoned, while yet there was nothing said of a post at the mouth of the Wisconsin River. It seems that an offi cial document relating to taking possession of the Upper Missis sippi country by the French dated May 28, 1689, has among its witnesses " Monsieur De Borieguillot " commanding the French in the neighborhood of the Ouiskonche on the Mississippi. This points to an establishment of some kind, perhaps only a stockade or trading fort, intended by the government to be occupied but EARLY SETTLEMENT, 213 certainly not by a garrison. It is true that in the same year the active Count of Frontenac had been reinstated in the government of La Nouvelle France, and there was some hope of better times, but there had been a period of inactivity for about seven years, and there were no arrangements for garrisoning so distant a post. In the same year King William's war began and lasted about eight years. The energies of the Canadian government were largely engaged in this, and distant enterprises could hardly be thought of. There were certainly always some adventurers, who preferred living at peace with the Indians of the West to fighting the English and the Iroquois in Canada; there was more gain and more fun in it. Such may from time to time have congregated at the mouth of the Wisconsin or the most favorable point of settle ment near it, and some kind of establishment, intermittent though and unreliable, must have been at the place. It is not very im portant whether one Cardinelle and his wife settled at the place in 1728, the year of the great flood, but the establishment of a French trading post in 1737 with a stockade for protection seems to indi cate some settlement previously unprotected. Another account, however, places the establishment of that post in 1755 and con nects it directly with the village of Prairie du Chien. All this is called in question by a circumstance mentioned by Captain Jonathan Carver, who visited these parts in 1766. He mentions a large Indian town, but no fort, and the merchants who had come with him, did not winter at the mouth of the Wis consin, but on the other side of the Mississippi, on the Yellow River, about ten miles above Prairie du Chien. As for the last circumstance, which seems by many to be considered as proof positive, that there was no accommodation for the traders at Prai rie du Chien, I can see nothing of the kind in it. The winter sea son was on hand, and Captain Carver himself found his progress prevented by ice about five weeks after he had left his fellow trav elers. The traders, perhaps, knew more about the conditions of a successful winter establishment than the Captain. In fact we find that long afterwards it was a custom of traders in that neighbor- , hood to live during the winter among the Sioux, and during the summer at the Prairie du Chien. This clinching proof against the existence of a settlement at the latter place is therefore not so very decisive. Another circumstance must come into consideration, 214 EARLY SETTLEMENT. Prairie du Chien was within the territory claimed by the Winneba goes and their confederates. Traders were most probably abundant among them, and new ones would naturally go to the Sioux, across the river. It is, moreover, probable, that Carver's companions were Englishmen, or Yankees, who might have found it uncon genial among the Frenchmen. French tradition says that the Prairie du Chien was bought of the Fox Indians probably in 1755, the purchase being confirmed in 1802 by a Fox chief. The name of the Prairie was derived from another Fox chief, whose Indian name was " Ahin," whic the French translated by " chien," which in English means " dog." In the history of the " Indians," and in " Political History " much ofthe events connected with Prairie du Chien had to be related. In this chapter we propose to consider its relation to the extending settlements. In this regard it must be regretted that the inhabitants of the place were French. They were very good pioneers, or rather adventurers, but lacked one essential quality of settlers or colonists. They did not want, and could not be expected, to settle, that is to make up their minds to stay in a certain place, and to improve that place, so as to make their stay pleasant and profitable; they wrere too mercurial for that by inheritance, and spoiled by the allurements of the Indian trade, a trade which was a game at hazards rather than anything else, and thus just suited to French dispositions. Their farming operations were crude and limited. Hence there wa3 no ambition for improvements in tools and implements, and the emigrant, who wanted to settle down in such a neighborhood, found, that there was no dependence on the people for many of his most urgent wants. Nevertheless, the place could not help becoming a basis of supplies for the advancing settlements as well as for Indian traders. As late as 1781, under British rule, the population being still overwhelmingly French, the more reliable history of the place begins. Four years previous, says the French tradition, the old fort had burnt. In 1781 the first purchase of land, which looked like an intention of founding an actual settlement, was made for three traders, by Governor Patrick Sinclair of Mackinaw. Its extent was six miles up and down the river, probably from the mouth of the Wisconsin six miles up the Mississippi, at an average width of six miles from that river on the east side. In 1796 the United States took formal possession, which, however EARLY SETTLEMENT. 215 was quietly ignored by the French in this remote region, and it was not until nine years later that they were reminded of their political connection by the advent of Lieut. Pike's party of explo ration, and one year after that by the appointment of an Indian agent. The population did not fancy their new sovereign, the United States, and took the first opportunity for showing their preference by piloting the British forces across the state in 1814. After peace and restoration the town continued to grow, especially after the defeat and expulsion of the Sacs and Foxes, and later the Winnebagoes. The development of the mining country did per haps not really injure Prairie du Chien, but reduced the import ance of it to the level of facts, from the inflation of French vapor ing. Galena began to be a formidable rival in spite of the disad vantages of its situation. It had never been French; that counter balanced all! The " ancien regime," the only one they knew or cared to know, in'this country, is yet sticking to the early French settlements, like the egg-shell to the newly hatched chicken, only it can't be dropped. For a time the old burg revived, when the railroad terminated in it, but when the bridge was built, and the train departed, the spirit of enterprise left on it for St. Paul and other places. In the meantime La Crosse had started up. Nathan Myrick came in 1841, but others may have located there and left, before that time. Certain it is that the permanent settlement of La Crosse is not any older than the uninterrupted settlement of Fountain City, at which place Thomas A. Holmes located in the fall of 1839. La Crosse, however, with the advantages of a convenient site, and being at the mouth of Black River, upon whose banks very soon a considerable lumber interest developed, outstripped every place above it and first of all the old French village of Prairie du Chien. It could not compete with St. Paul and Minneapolis, but has kept ahead of all the other places that started in the race at about the same time. The county of La Crosse was organized in 1849, including all of Crawford County north of Bad Axe, now Vernon|County, hence all of Buffalo County below Beef River: Some settlers were present in this county, es pecially in that part of it, which then belonged to La Crosse county. The'following list gives the names of those known to have been residents of that part: 216 EARLY SETTLEMENT. List of Settlers in the lower part of the County when La Crosse County was set off: J. Adam Weber Frank Weber AnTL^Ssch Ut Holmes' Landing or in the neighborhood. Claus Liesch | Caspar Wild J Victor Probst ) John C. Waecker [ At Twelve Mile Bluff. Joseph Berni J PIONEERS. But the original first settler had left for the country farther up the river. It was: THOMAS A. HOLMES. From the moment that I had concluded to write the history of Buffalo County, I was anxious to learn as much as possible of the life and circumstances of the man, whose name precedes this article. Authorities on hand were exceedingly reticent on the sub ject, and demonstrated their ignorance not less by contradicting themselves than by silence. That very important personage, the oldest inhabitant, even after Holmes was not on hand, and every body told a different story. It is asserted in one place that in 1841 when Johann Adam Weber arrived at Holmes' Landing, the original proprietor or possessor of that place had been there 15 years, having come in 1826. It was further asserted that no one knew where Mr. Holmes went after leaving his late residence £but it was darkly hinted at that he had gone " To the land of the Dacotahs, To the land of handsome women; Striding over moor and meadow, Through interminable forests, Through uninterrupted silence." — (Hiawatha.) In the course of time I wanted to study the manners of the Sioux or Dakotas, and as Minnesota had been their latest abode in our neighborhood I borrowed of my friend Emil Leonhardy an old Atlas of Minnesota, expecting to find all about the Sioux, of which I was rather disappointed but in listlessly turning over the leaves, I was attracted by the article headed: PIONEERS. 217 SHAKOPEE. Having thirty or more years ago heard of that town, and of the Indian Chief for whom it was named, I examined closely and found the following: • Early History. The first settlement was made in Shakopee, while the Indians were yet present in undiminished numbers on the Minnesota. Thomas A Holmes, a native of Pennsylvania, who had been a pio neer in Milwaukee and Janesville, Wisconsin, 1835 to 1838, and a trader among the Indians at Fountain City, St. Paul, Sauk Rapids and Itasca, came in 1851, and located the land where Shakopee is situated. He was one of the original proprietors of the town, as he had also previously been of Milwaukee, Janesville, and several other towns in the Northwest. Here, then, were several pointers which were diligently made use of. The first step was to find out whether Mr. Holmes was still alive, and whether he was, in that case, at Shakopee or some other place. Not having any acquaintances in Shakopee, Icon- eluded to appeal to the liberality of the Press at that place. RoWell's Newspaper Directory showed that that there were two papers at that place : " The Shakopee Courier " and the " Scott County Argus," both of which were addressed and replied as fol lows: Shakopee, Minn., Jan. 22, 1887. Office of Shakopee Courier, C. A. Stevens, Publisher. Mr. L. Kessinger. Dear Sir: Thomas A. Holmes now lives in Culman, Alabama, Where he went some years ago to help built up that section ofthe sunny South, having completed his labors in that direction here away in the North. You might write him, but I understand he saVS he can only just about write his name now, but " can skin a rritiskrat quicker than an Indian." I had a pretty long acquaint ance with Uncle Tommy, and always found him " straight as an arrow " and full of fun. He Was a general favorite in this section Respectfully, C. A. Stevens. 218 PIONEERS. Office ofthe Scott County Argus,Wm. Hinds, Editor and Publisher. Shakopee, Minn., Jan. 27, 1887- L. Kessinger, Esq., Alma, Wis. Dear Sir: — Thomas A. Holmes was the founder of this city, as well as Helena, Mont., and some thirty ofher towns, and is at present living at Culman, Alabama, to which place he moved six or eight years ago. He is as young as he was forty years ago, but as I was born some ten years after he had settled here, I can give you but few particulars of his eventful career, although there are many here who could. Yours truly Wm. Hinds. This led to a direct correspondence with Mr. Holmes, which on his part was carried on by Mr. J. A. Johnson, Publisher of the " Alabama Tribune " of Culman, Culman Co., Alabama. The first letter is as follows: Culman, Ala., Jan. 23, 1887. L. Kessinger, Esq. Mr. Thomas A. Holmes, of whom you write, is now a resident of this place. He will be 83 years old in March. Though quite old, he is enjoying good health, and is as earnest in building towns as he was forty years ago. He is married, and his wife is a de scendant ofthe Woodbury stock of Vermont, though much youn ger than he. He does not recollect Buffalo County. I presume it has been formed since your state. He refers you to Milo Jones, now living at Fort Atkinson, on Rock River, above Janesville and near Watertown. Mr. H. is a remarkable maa and has seen much of border life among the Indians as a trader. J. A. Johnson . ! On February 7th, I addressed another letter to Mr. J. A. John son, into which I included a more or less accurate and elaborate description of Holmes' Landing as it was, such names of places and persons as Mr. Holmes could not fail to remember, and which I had learned from an extended study of local histories of our neighborhood. I also suggested the gift of a photograph of Mr. Holmes for a frontispiece picture. This brought the following reply : Culman, Ala., March 5th, 1887. Dear Sir:— In reply to yours of February 7th, Mr. Holmes says, that he landed there late in the fall of '39 with Robert Ken- PIONEERS. 219 hedy and family, the whole party consisting of thirteen. Intended to go to the mouth of the St. Croix River, but met the ice at that point and stopped. Rev. Stevens, a Presbyterian Missionary was on the other side of the river at the prairie of Wabasha, the head of the Wabasha band of Indians. He moved him to the landing and built him a house. Says the sketch is about correct, remem bers the names mentioned, also Major Hatch, who came up to. run an opposition trading establishment. Major Hatch is now living at St. Paul, and could probably be of some service to you. (See note.) I enclose a photograph taken from a picture of some thirty years ago. Mr. Holmes looks older now, of course, but is well pre served for one of his age. He still champs the bit to be on the border, and points with pride and pleasure to his early and rough life. Mr. Holmes is now sitting at my side while I pen these lines. Hoping that I have answered your demands and been of some service in your efforts to present a true history, I am Yours truly J. A. Johnson. In consequence of having received the above mentioned pho tograph, I procured from our photographer in Alma a few copies, one of which I presented to Mr. C. A. Stevens at Shakopee, and inquired as to the faithfulness of the likeness. This I thought a necessary precaution, because the photograph was not from life directly, and the picture might not have been sufficiently recog nizable, but I was assured by the following letter: Shakopee, Minn.. May 12th, 1887. Office of Shakopee Courier. Mr. L. Kessinger. Dear Sir: — I have been unable to answer your letter before. The uncle Tom Holmes picture looks like him in his old age. His friends here recognize it at a glance. Wishing for your success in your biographical sketches, and thanking you for the picture, I remain, etc, C. A. Stevens. To the former letter, as far as it relates to Major Hatch, and the annexed letter of Mr. Jones as far as it relates to Robert Ken nedy, I have to make the following note; 220 PIONEERS. June 1st, 1887, I addressed to the Pioneer Press of St. Paul a short note, inquiring, whether the above named gentlemen,, or either of them, were still alive and in St. Paul. To this I received the laconic answer: "They are both dead." From a footnote in the History of Winona County I learn that Major Hatch died at St. Paul Sept. 14th, 1882, of cholera morbus. The subsequent letters grew out of suggestions already related above, and such as occur in Mr. Jones' letter Letter of Milo Jones: Fort Atkinson, Feb. 26, '87. L. Kessinger, Esq. Dear Sir: — -Yours of 17th re ceived and contents noted and in reply would say, from memory: In Sept. 1835 on my return from a survey in the north, I met T. A. Holmes in Milwaukee, who in formed me he had purchased a piece of land on Rock River un- sight and unseen, — thought he had a town-site, and water-power, and wished me to locate it for him. At that time the Rock River valley was unknown, as there were no settlements above Rock ford. (111.) A party was organized consist ing of T. A. Holmes, William, John and Joshua Holmes, John Inman, Geo. Fulmer and your humble servant. After 2 or 3 days cutting and clearing in Mil waukee woods, we succeeded in getting to what was then called Prairieville with our teams, and I think the -first one through the timber to openings and prairie Remarks. This agrees with the state ment of Mr. J. P. McGregor as to Mr. Holmes' residence at Milwaukee, but contradicts the statement of Mrs. Atwood as to her brother's removal to his land on Rock River in 1835, since it is highly improb able that the removal took place so late in the season. The name of Prairieville sug gests an embryo settlement be fore the expedition related by PIONEERS, 221 and in due time reached the Rock and located the land, running some levels. Laid a village plat, and named it Rockport from the fact of a Big Rock on the right bank of Rock River, near where the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad now cros ses, and now a part of the present city of Janesville. On our return to Milwaukee with the new city in embryo, and with the glowing description of the beautiful Rock River country, all eyes along the lake were turned in that direction. Janes of Racine made his way out, and, I think, bought John Holmes' claim on the left bank of the river, where the Meyer's house now stands, and when the land was surveyed and sold, purchased it, and platted and named it Janesville. As to the time of Holmes going up into your coun try I will refer you to Mrs. Kate Atwood of Janesville, and Robert Kennedy of St. Paul, who are the only 2 (two) in that early settle ment of this state in the Rock River valley. Robert Kennedy was a brother of T. A. Holmes' first wife. From either of them I think you can ascertain- T. A. Holmes' residence which,. I believe, is in Alabama. I should have replied to your note soonei- , but hMe. been absent on a suivey, Mr. Jones, and would so far contradict his assertionthat.no settlements were known above Rockford, 111. It must be re membered, that during the Black Hawk War (1832) the Rock River Valley had been considerably marched over by the volunteers, and that they had been encamped on the Catfish Creek, which enters Rock River about ten miles above Janesville. By the Government. See letter of Mrs. Atwood, Mr. Kennedy died at St. Paul. 222 PIONEERS. If I have written anything to help you along with your history I shall be thankful, and excuse a 79 year correspondent. Truly yours Milo Jones. P. S. — I think you may safely say T. A. Holmes was the Pio neer of the Rock River Valley in this state. Notwithstanding this P. S. I was strongly inclined to doubt Mr. Thomas A. Holmes' residence at or near Janesville, until assured by the letter of | his sister. The doubt was reasonable enough, first on account of the let ter of Mr. McGregor, and second on account of a map of Milwau kee supposing to represent the situation of that place in 1836, in which there is put down the house of Thomas Holmes on what must have been Lot 1, of Section 29 of Township 7 North, Range 22 East. The house was situated on the eastside of East Water Street and but little south of Wisconsin Street. On the same day that Mr. Milo Jones wrote the above letter, the following letter was written by Mr. McGregor: Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 26th, 1887. L. Kessinger, Esq., Alma, Wisconsin. Dear Sir: — In reply to your favor of 25th inst., I have to say that Thomas A. Holmes settled in Milwaukee in 1835 and built a frame dwelling on what is now East Water Street about No. 382; and this is said to have been the first frame dwelling erected in what is now the city of Milwaukee. See Buck's Pioneer History of Milwaukee, Vol. 1. page 24. He is thought to have left here in 1839. His present location, (if still alive), is not known. Very truly yours John P. McGregor, Prest. Mil. Co. Pioneer Association. This letter does not require any special remarks. It confirms in part the remarks made on the letter of Mr. Milo Jones, but seems to contradict the following letter of Mrs. Atwood. As Presi dent McGregor is, however, not positive as to the removal of Mr. Holmes from Milwaukee, the different statements may easily be reconciled, PIONEERS. 223 Letter of Mrs. C. A. Atwood or Mrs. Volney Atioood : Janesville, June 12, 1887. Mr. Kessinger: • Your letter written June 2d, directed to Mrs. Kate Atwood, and by no one claimed, was finally brought up to me. After reading the contents I concluded it was intended for rae although that is not my name. It was once Cath erine A. Holmes, and is now Mrs. Volney Atwood. However I will endeavor to give all the informa tion I can. I had five brothers who came here, and around here, in thirty-five and four of them ^ are dead. Thomas A. Holmes is all that lives, and he is now in his 84th year. He never lived in Rock-Port, but lived just opposite, in or on his claim, that he called St. George, opposite (probably adjacent to) St. George Rapids, Rockport being situated on the west side (right bank) of Rock River, and the other on the south side (left bank after a turn west.) Their families arrived here the 1st of May, 1836. Some of my brothers came in 1835, Thomas was one of them; but his family did not come until '36. Previ ously he lived in Milwaukee. Mr. Janes arrived at his claim with his family on the 19th of May, 1836. He was here in January, and made his claim. He never had any share in Rockport, and Remarks: The first impulse of a lady might be to resent a supposed offence to her dignity; but the supposed misdirection was nothing more, nor less, than the stumbling of that bright and shining light of intelligent civil service, the postmaster of Janesville. Of Mrs. Atwood's^e broth ers four are named in Mr. Jones' letter. William died at Jordan, Scott Co., Minn., after a residence of about 16 years in Rockport — Janesville or its neighborhood. This settles the presence of Thomas A. Holmes at or near Janesville, but not the more important points, when and why he left there. This has reference to the ex pedition described by Mr. Jones. In regard ^to" Mr. [Janes of Racine, I am inclined to de pend on Mr. Milo Jones, for explanation of his so-called claim. It is most probable 224 PIONEERS. that John Holmes did not con sult his sister in making sales and purchases. never owned anything on the westside (right bank) of Rock River; his claim was on the east side (left bank) of the river. My father's family lived in Rockport three years, and then moved on his farm, one mile from Rock port. I am the youngest of the family and have remained here ever since. If this is of any ac count, you are entirely welcome. Please remember that I do not answer to the name of Kate. Respectfully, Catherine A. Atwood, or Mrs. Volney Atwood. Having now marshaled up all the obtainable evidence in the matter I shall try to give a connected sketch of the life of Mr. Thomas A. Holmes. It is stated, probably on his own assertion, which we have no reason to doubt, that he was born in Pennsyl vania in March 1804. Whether Thomas was the oldest of the five sons of the family we can not tell, but we know that he was eight years older than his brother William, who was born in Marion, Ohio, in July 1812. This fact indicates that the family had moved West into the northwestern part of Ohio. Whether they moved any further during the next twenty-three years we can not tell, but at the end of that time we find four of the members of the family at Milwaukee, and the next year down at Rockport and St. George, all of which is now included within the city of Janesville, in the county of Rock, in this state. From the letter of Mr. Milo Jones it appears, that the land on Rock River claimed by Thomas A. Holmes and his brothers was not yet surveyed by the government and could therefore not be purchased. The land in that vicinity was offered for sale to private purchasers in 1839, at wbich time, according to the statement of Mrs. Atwood, her father's family moved on their farm about one mile from Rockport. At the same time Mr. Janes laid out his claim on the left bank of Rock River, which he had about three years before purchased of John Holmes, and called his new city by the name of Janesville. PIONEERS. 225 We find, also, that in the same year Thomas A. Holmes attempted togo up the Mississippi to the mouth of the St. Croix River, but was detained at the mouth of Waumandee Creek by the ice. Several circumstances then indicate, that he must have sold out his claim, or property at St. George or St. George Rapids, now within the limits of the city of Janesville. He could not have undertaken to make the voyage without considerable means, nor could he have begun his settlement and trading-post at the place of his detention without such means. The party consisted of thirteen persons. We know that Holmes had a family and that his wife was a sister of Robert Kennedy, who probably also had a family. How many, if any, children there7 were in each family we do not know, but we find from an interview with Mr. John Adam Weber, that in 1840 Holmes' first wife left him, and that he afterwards married a girl of Wabasha's band of Sioux Indians. Weber positively asserts that he never knew Mr. Holmes' first wife, and that she had left the trading post at Holmes' Landing, or as it was then called by the Indians Wah-ma-dee, some time before he, (Weber) arrived there. It is very probable that her brother, Robert Kennedy left before her. All the parties whom I had a chance to consult with in regard to the particulars ofthe life of Thomas Holmes, himself in cluded, were persistently silent on this one point, and so, after nearly half a century since the event took place, it may be well to imitate their example. Concerning the rival trading establishment of Major Hatch at the Wah-ma-dee, commonly called Holmes' Lan ding, Mr. Weber knows nothing, and, as Mr. Holmes' own state ment does not express more than an intention on the part of the Major, it must be left to conjecture what there was of it, and how long it continued. The fact that Holmes married an Indian woman being estab lished, a curiosity as to who she was must be excusable. Not putting too much faith in individual remembrances, I consulted the " History of Winona County " published in 1883, written by a number of gentlemen, all, or most of them, at the time of the pub lication residents of Winona either of the city, or the county. It is unfortunate that the different articles of that book were not as signed by name to each of the different authors. The one who wrote the chapter on earliest settlement, or perhaps the pre-histor- c al times, must have been as confused in his recollections as in 226 PIONEERS. his English style. Wabasha and his residence on the Winona Prairie, the gradual withdrawal to Minnesota City or Rollingstone Valley, and finally to the site of the present city of Wabasha, one can deduce from that chapter as well as the operations of La Bath and his subordinates and the doings of the last but one of the chiefs of the name of Wabasha. Something is also related of Thomas Holmes and of Major Hatch, some trivial occurrences, which must have happened in the life of every trader. The Reeds, Charles and James, two Kentuckians, who contrasted themselves with the mercurial Frenchmen and Canucks of French and other extractions by the absence of bluster, and a cool contempt of dan ger, are also mentioned. We-no-na, called the oldest sister of Wa basha, in reality his first cousin, was married to James Reed, the same who is mentioned in the chapter on Indians as having been unable to learn the O-chunk-o-rah or Winnebago language. Of this James Reed it is related, that once he remarked that it must have been a very poor dog,' for which Prairie du Chien had been named, and in retaliation for this sage remark, the principal tra der at the Prairie, probobly Lockwood or Dickinson addressed the letters which he sent to Reed by steamboats as follows; " Mr. James Reed at the Rattlesnake Bluff," when that gentleman kept his trading post at what is now Trempealeau village. His wife had a daughter, but whether of him or some former husband, I could not find out. This daughter's name was Witch-e-ain, whose beauty and virtue are described in glowing colors. It is unnecessary to repeat it here, especially as it is impossible to learn from the story whether or not the girl was really married to Thomas Holmes, al though this is more than probable, and I am inclined to consider it as certain. In a treaty of 1837 the Sioux had surrendered their land east of the Mississippi to the United States, but continued to reside on the adjoining west side, while they still roamed over the land ceded, though it was considered by the Chippewas and Win nebagoes as neutral ground, into which they all ventured occsion- ally. Numerous batttles were the result. It would have been highly impolitic for a trader at this post tomarry into either ofthe two other nations. There is some confirmation of Mr. Weber's assertion in Mr. Holmes' removal from the Wah-ma-dee trading post up the river right into the heart ofthe Dakota country. The "History of W % PIONEERS. 227 nona " says he moved to Shockpay, a place which I have been unable to find, though it may have existed, and still exist under another name. I was at first inclined to consider it a corruption of Shakopee and to think that Mr. Holmes settled at that place immediately after leaving Wisconsin. The fact is that he sold out his establishment at the Wah-ma-dee to Henry Goehrke and Adam Weber in 1846 and moved up the river, evidently intending to continue his trade with the Indians. It is not improbable, that for a while he did not settle down. But according to Neill's His tory of Minnesota he was elected a member of the first territorial legislature of Minnesota, from the 6th district, and was at that time living at Sauk "Rapids. This was in 1849, only about three years after he had left Holmes' Landing. Although there were then but few people living in that country, it is still improbable that a man would hare been elected to that position, who had not been a resident long enough to be known and appreciated, which would take two or three years. It is, therefore, reasonable to sup pose, that Sauk Rapids or neighborhood, was the first permanent station of Mr. Holmes after he had left Wisconsin. Next after this we find him at Shakopee. Above I have given a quotation from the Minnesota Atlas concerning his relations to that town. It continues: "An original pioneer by instinct and habit, he kept ahead of the railroads for many years, enjoying the excitements of frontier life. He came here to trade with the Indians, but they being soon removed, he concluded to start a town, and has ever since remained a permanent citizen. When the county-seat was located at Shakopee, he and D. L. Fuller donated the land needed for the purpose. In the same relations as to Shakopee Mr. Holmes stood to Chaska, the county seat of Carver County, Minnesota, except that he never resided there permanently. The often quoted Minnesota Atlas says in regard to the early history of that place: "The village was platted and recorded in 1852. Thomas A. Holmes and George Fuller were the original proprietors." What may have induced Mr. Holmes in his old age to leave a place in which he was, according to the statement of Mr. C. A. Stevens, a general favorite, and probably well enough to do, I can 228 PIONEERS. not imagine, unless it was his indomitable restlessness, which led him away from so many places, that are now much larger than any new place in Alabama will be in a century from date.. One should, in looking over the map of Milwaukee in 1836, think, that it must have been wild enough to look at, just then; how it now is we need not add. Janesville with its 10,000 inhabitants, its splen did situation for all kinds of manufacturing establishments, is also a place one might regret to have left. There are St. Paul and Min neapolis, which offered the very best of chances when Mr. Holmes left Wisconsin. Shakopee. also, I have been told, is a very agree able place, though it will probably never be a very large one. I have to mention the fact that Mr. Holmes stopped at Fountain City, once at least, since he had left it, when it was called Holmes' Landing. Mr. Weber, who could not have been mistaken in the man, states that he saw and recognized him there at that time. The life of Thomas A. Holmes was certainly eventful enough to make it interesting, but to us it is much more so on account of his prolonged residence at the mouth of the Waumandee Creek, thus giving the first start to Fountain City. There can not be many more years for the old piom er, and I know every one of my read ers will concur in the wish, that he may pass them in peace and prosperity, and find an easy transition to eternal repose. JOHN ADAM WEBER. The next in point of time of our pioneers was John Adam Weber, a native of Waldmichelbach in the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt, now a part of the Empire of Germany. As he was born in 1821 he must have been quite young, when he emi grated, since he came to Holmes' Landing with his brother Frank Weber in the fall of 1840, about a year after Mr. Holmes had ar rived there. The two brothers Weber chopped and banked as much wood on the islands as they possibly could, perhaps with the assistance of a yoke or two of oxen. In the summer Mr. Weber says, we had nothing to do but to watch for steamboats, for the purpose of getting money, or the value of it in provisions and other necessaries, for our wood. I imagine that at that time this watching must have been a very tedious job, to say nothing of the peculiar annoyances connected with it, since steamboats upon this part of the river were indeed " few and far between." Calculating 1 the season at 32 weeks, the steamboats at 40 trips up and as many 1 PIONEERS. 229 down, there was, on an average little more than one boat a week, but as their passage was quite irregular, constant watching was required. Provisions and other things were bought at Galena, which at that time, and for more than twenty years later, was the grand depot, first for the squatters, and then for the settlers of this region. Mr.. Weber and his brother made their annual visits to that place, from which they had originally come to Holmes' Land ing. In 1845 they met there Henry Goehrke, and persuaded him to come up with them to their residence, and in pursuance of this visit they seem to have, in company with Goehrke, bought out Mr. Holmes and afterwards have carried on his establishment on their own account. Mr. Weber says, that he afterwards resided for some time at Galena but this can not have been for a long period, since we find him to have bought Lot No. 6 of Section 8 of Township 19, Range 11, the land on which the principal part of Fountain City is laid out, on the 11th day of July, 1849, onthe same day that Christi u Wengert bought the adjoining Lot No. 1 of Section 17 of the same township and range. This was the first land purchased of the government within the limits of Buffalo County, the purchase being made at the land-office at Mineral Point, about three weeks after the land had come into market. After that time Mr. Weber must have been living about 20 years in Fountain City (six years of it in Holmes' Landing), as he says he was 15 years on his farm in the Eagle Valley (Creek Thai,) and three years in Winona. Of the 20 years he was 9 years and four months janitor of the public schools at Fountain City. In point of the length of residence in this county there will be few or none to excel him at present. The brother of Mr. Weber, who had come with him to Holme's Landing afterwards went to California where he died. Another brother, Peter Weber, much younger, went to the war in Company H of the sixth Wisconsin Infantry, and died at Frederick, Maryland, of wounds received in the battle of Antietam. Adam Weber was a justice of the peace in the Town of Eagle Mills 1859. HENRY GOEHRKE was born on the 4th day of October, 1809, at Abtenrode in the Electorate of Hessen, Germany. According to dates furnished by Mrs. Bodenstab, formerly Mrs, Goehrke, he came to this country 230 PIONEERS. in 1845, about which time he must have come to Galena, where he made the acquaintance of Adam Weber and was by[ him per suaded to come up to Holmes' Landing, where they bought out Mr. Holmes and began to trade with the Indians on their own account. In 1847 Goehrke was married. He continued in the same busi ness until 1854 when he sold out to Henry Teckenburg. In the same year he built the sawmill on Waumandee Creek about two miles above Fountain City at the so-called Milldam. At first Frederick Binder was associated with him, and afterwards Ferdi- nan Fetter and Ferdinand Mehrmann. The latter being a prac tical machinist, they erected the Eagle Mill, of which the sawmill was only a dependence of little importance. Goehrke, although called a butcher, never engaged in the butchering business at Fountain City. He died at that place on the oth day of Septem ber 1863. He had the reputation of liberality and fairness in his dealings and as a patron of every enterprise which seemed likely to benefit the place. Mrs. Goehrke, though not the first white woman to settle, was the first one to remain for ever after her ar rival in this county. From the history of Winona County it ap pears that Thomas A. Holmes among other things kept a sort of tavern, and Mr. Goehrke after he had succeeded to Mr. Holmes' business, continued that practice, this being the only place of the kind between Wabasha and La Crosse. The next arrivals known of having landed at Holmes', as it was called for short, were sturdy sons of the Alps, both from the Canton of Grisons, Switzerland. They were: 1st. Andrew Baertsch who with his family arrived at Holmes' Landing in October 1847. 2d. Nicholas Liesch with his wife and family early in 1848. In 1848 in the month of November, Caspar Wild, a soldier of the Mexican war, came up and found the last named, his country men, though not from the same canton, already present. Christian Wenger, also a Swiss, of the Canton of Bern, must have arrived at the place about the same time, since he purchased part of the townsite in July of the following year. At about the same time there were at Twelve Mile Bluff, now Alma, the following persons, all of them from Switzerland: 1. Victor Probst, from Biberis't in the Canton of Soleure, a carpenter or joiner by trade, PIONEERS. 231 2. Joseph Berni of the same place, a cooper by trade, a sol dier of the Mexican war. 3. John C. Waecker from Unter-Hallau in the Canton of Schaffhausen. Neither of these three had at that time any family, and Berni used to make fun of their isolation. The above named persons having thus as the earliest perma nent settlers, become prominent in the history of this county, we will give a short sketch of the life of each, as far as known. ANDREW BAERTSCH was born at Trimis Canton of Grisons in Switzerland in the year 1824. He mairied in 1844 and emigrated to the United States in 1846 where he settled for the time at Galena, 111. and came to Holmes' Landing in the fall of 1847. He supported himself at that place by the sale of wood to steamboats, like all, or most7 of the residents. Provisions and other necessaries had to be pro cured from Galena, to which place every year two visits had to be made. In spring 1853 he moved upon his farm in a sidevalley of the Eagle Creek Valley, where he has ever since resided. He raised and decently supported a numerous family of children, ten of whom are living, two having died His son Anton was the first child of white parents born in this county. Andrew Baertsch is honest and fearless, and he and his whole family enjoy the respect of their neighbors, among whom they7 have been so many years in uninterrupted mutual content and good feeling. Andrew Baertsch, senior, as heis now called, to distinguish him from his son of the same given name, was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace and other offices in his town, in which he performed his duties to satisfaction, but for which he never otherwise cared much. NICHOLAS LIESCH, or, as he was familiarly called, Claus Liesch, was born at Schiers in the Cantfin of Grisons in Switzerland in the year 1820 and came to this country in 1846, stopping for a time at Galena. Having been a near .neighbor to Ancl. Baertsch in the old country, he soon followed him to Holmes' Landing with his wife, his daughter Magdalena, and his son Anton, where he was present at the time Caspar Wild arrived in November 1848. After several years res idence in Holmes' Landing Liesch removed to a place farther up 232 PIONEERS. the river towards the head of what is known as Pomme-de-Terre Slough where he laid out the Village-of Buffalo, and in company With one Sharp the City of Belvidere, both of which have since been vacated. It was at this place he was living in 1859 when I became acquainted with him. His business was still selling wood to steamboats. When in 1862 the twenty-fifth regiment of Wis consin Infantry was formed, Liesch enlisted in the same and served in Company K. He died in 1863 of dysentery, while the regi ment was stationed near Helena, Ark., in the neighborhood of which place he is buried with a great number of his comrades and old neighbors. CHRISTIAN WENGER was born in 1815 at Wattenwyl in t Canton of Berne, Switzeiland. He must have emigrated when quite young, and being of an ad venturous turn of mind, he roved into Texas and the western ter ritories, where he chased the Buffalo. Afterwards he stayed in Highland, 111., where he was in the service of the Kcepfle Bros., Joseph and Solomon. Besides doing his work, he indulged very often in the excitement of chasing the deer, which were at that period quite numerous in that neighborhood. Exactly at what time Wenger left Highland, and began his expedition up the Mississippi, we can not now tell. But he followed his countrymen Baertsch and Liesch from Galena to Holmes' Landing. He did not enlist in the Mexican war, which is somewhat to be wondered at, as he has always been proud of his excellent marksmanship. Up to Holmes' Landing he must have come in 1848, since in July of the following year he bought the land designated as Lot No. 1 of Sec. 17, T. 19, R. 11, the same on which the residence of Hon. A. Finkelnburg and a number of other buildings now stand. In 1854 he was married to Ursula Miller, daughter of John Mueller (Engel- hans) of Belvidere and soon after he removed to Alma, which place he helped to found, being one of the proprietors of Probst and Wenger's Addition, consisting of Blocks 23, 24* and 25. On Block 24 there are now Bcehme's and Tritch's stores, on Block 24 the Sherman House and other brick buildings. On Block 25 is the Court House, the old school house etc. Soon after the founding of Alma Wenger moved upon his farm in Section 28, Township 22 Range 12, in which section he owned 360 acres, besides quite a number of forties in adjoining sections. Here he carried on farm- PIONEERS. 233 ing, occasionally indulging in his old passion of hunting! He is living there yet, but is now sick, and feeble with old age. "Chris tian Wenger, ih common with most passionate hunters, is gifted with a lively imagination, especially in regard to his favorite sport. He is honest and straight-forward, peaceable and obliging, and much respected by his neighbors. His large family of children are now all grown up and some of them have children of their own. VICTOR PROBST. From -an extract of the register of baptism of the parochial church of Bieberist, Ganton of Soleure, Switzerland, I find that the subject of this sketch, Urs Victor Probst was born on the 14th day of February 1815, in the place named. An itinerary and passpor^ issued in German and French, still in excellent preservation, as is, also, the above cited certificate of birth, shows that Probst entered upon the life of an itinerant journeyman cabinet maker on the 9th day of May 1833. Most Americans and the younger genera tion of Germans have no conception of this itinerary episode of a craftsman or mechanic and as this occasion is one which seems to require the appropriate explanation, I will give it. A mechanic of any kind had to serve an apprenticeship of three years, and after having been duly absolved of this obligation, he became a companion journey-man. If he aspired to the title and the priv ileges of a master, among which the right to establish himself on his own account in his trade or business was the most important, he had to travel for at least three years on his trade, working wherever he found employment, as long as it suited him, or his -services were wanted. To keep a control over this peregrination an itinerary was handed to the traveling mechanic, Which he was obliged to carry " with him when traveling, to show to policemen and gensdarmes at their request, and to deposit with the local chief of police, wher ever he wished to stay or work, or in any ^considerable place through which he passed. He was allowed to choose his own route, but it being once entered of record in his passbook, he was not allowed to change it, except for good and sufficient reasons, or in case of having worked in an intermediate place on his route. These wwe the general ideas of the system, the cause of this journeying ibeing originally to compel those mechanics who would nnt of their «c-wn impulse try to improve their acquirements by 234 PIONEERS. working among and learning from strangers, to do so. Guilds and their privileges having been almost everywhere abolished, this traveling is no longer compulsory. But to return to Victor Probst, we find that after traveling a little over a year he returned home, and in 1814, March 15th, passed through Basel on his way to Havre, where he embarked on the 23d of the same month. Of his adventures in America before he settled down at the Twelve Mile Bluffs we know nothing, and I am inclined to think that they were not much to his taste, for it is otherwise scarcely compre hensible, how a man in his best years, a skilful mechanic, and of a clear and liberal mind, could have, been content to live in a place so lonesome as the one named above must have been at that time. At exactly what time he settled here is uncertain, but it is certain that his countryman Joseph Berni could not have ar rived before 1848 as he was in the Mexican war. In 1853 Victor j Probst entered Lots J, 2, 3 and 4 of Sect. 2 Tshp. 21 R'ge 13 in the month of October, 14 days after the land had come into mar ket, about the same time when Christian Wenger entered Lot 1, of Sect. 11, Tshp. 21, Rge. 13. These purchases were evidently made with a view to laying out a townplat, which was done in 1855, when he and W. H. Gates laid out the plat of Alma. Afterward Victor Probst's Addition and Probst and Wenger's Addition were added. In the same year Victor was joined by his brother Franz j Martin Probst and his family. In the course of time Victor Probst j accumulated considerable real estate including the West Half of the Northwest Quarter of Section 1 of Tshp. 21, Rge. 13 and many pieces of valuable woodland in the islands about Beef Slough, in the sections west of it, near its confluence with the Mississippi. Mr. Probst was by no means indolent, nor a spend thrift, but being a bachelor, and not specially attached to any body, he grew in time negligent and indifferent of his money and other possessions, and did not leave much of wordly goods, though he never was in real want or indigence. He died on the 2d day cf April 1882. There is one nephew, Ottmar, the son of Martin Probst liv ing in this place, and there are in this county the children of his other brother, Urs, who died as a soldier of the 25th Regiment of Wis. Inf. at Madison of sickness. All three brothers were . excellent mechanics. Martin was a PIONEERS. 235 turner in wood and ivory, Urs was a wagon-maker. A characteristic trait of Victor Probst is the preservation of i the documents above referred to, one of which, his itinerary or passbook, being now 54, the other 46 years old, and still as clean and entire as on the day when they were made out. JOSEPH BERNI was, like Victor Probst and his brothers, born in the parish of Biberist in the Canton of Soleure, Switzerland. He learned the trade of a cooper and traveled on it in the manner related in the history of V. Probst. Among the countries he visited on that errand he has often named to me the strip between the Rhine and the Black Forest from Basel northwards to Freiburg (Baden). In that part of the Grand-Duchy the celebrated Markgrafler wine is grown and abundant. Of Berni's adventures and experiences in this country we know nothing until his enlistment in the army at the time of the Mexican war. Of that he often spoke, and accord ing to his statement he was in the city of Mexico. After the dis- bandment of the army of volunteers he received his honorable dis charge and probably his land warrant. He came to the Twelve Mile Bluff in 1849, probably from Galena, where he fell into the company of Victor Probst and possibly of John C. Waecker. They were all three unmarried, and Berni, who was always ready for fun, used to speak about the lonesomeness and other trials of their solitary life in a very amusing manner. After a while he settled on the Southwest Quarter of Section 9, Township 20, Range 12, one of the most desirable locations in the county, about half-ways between Alma and Fountain City, and two miles east of Buffalo City by the road. The purchase was made partly in October 1855 and partly in January 1856. The schoolhouse site situated between the Alma and Fountain City and the Probst Valley Roads was sold to School District No. 1 of the Town of Belvidere in the earlier part of 1856, the whole quarter section being on the 21st of October of said year sold to Henry Klein for the sum of $2600. While on his land, on Which he probably lived before entering it, Berni was married, and after the sale of the land he returned to his former habitation at lAlma. They tell a story on him relating to his residence in the ftown of Belvidere. Berni had been elected justice of the. peace. A neighbor was owing him some money, and in virtue of the power jn him vested by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, as he under- PlONEEftS. stood it, he summoned the negligent debtor before .his own court, passed judgment in his own favor and , was only prevented .from levying execution by some one, I think it was Jacob, Bronnenkant of Fountain City, expostulating with him on the error of his pro ceedings. In Alma Berni built himself a shanty on a hill, both of which have since disappeared, but were close to the present railroad de pot. In the lower part of the ravine north of his shanty he began , to manufacture brick, which he probably continued for three years, when, his money being gone, he had to quit the business. After wards he supported himself and his family by teaming. He died in 1878 and left quite a family, all of whom are now grown up. He was very honest, but also very improvident. In the laying out of Alma and its additions he had no part or interest., JOHN CONRAD WAECKER. Of this one of the early pioneers I know more than of most of the others. I did not know him in the old country, although by accident I might have seen him when we were boys. John C. Waecker was born in Unterhallau, Canton of Schaffhausen, Switz erland. He was left an orphan or otherwise unprotected, and was educated at an institute under the control of some missionary so ciety at the village of Buch, less then two English miles from the birthplace of the author of this book. The education he received at "that place was probably limited to common elementary branches, and not much enlarged by his subsequent transfer to another of similar character at Beuggen near Basel. His experience from that place to the Twelve Mile Bluff we do not know, but it appears that he had parted from the missionaries and their labors, and learned to think and live like other mortals. He was some what eccentric and unreliable. His land he selected in Sec tions 19 and 30, of Township 21, Range 12, about 4 miles be low Alma, between the bluffs and the slough and erected upon it a claim shanty, over which in course of time the government, surveyors ran a section line. He built his house near the line again, but entirely north of it, In 1853 he married Sabina Keller. This .was one of the earliest marriages consummated ,in Belvidere.. Waecker. lived on his first farm until 1872, when he bought .the property of Henry NeulfpmjD, about on,e mile nearer tP Alma, He remained upon that untiLl879, when he removed to Ada, Norman PIONEERS. , 237 County , Minnesota,, where he died in consequence of a kick from a horse in the year 1885. He left two daughters and one son. CASPAR WILD. He was born at.Gossau, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, in the year 1815. He is -therefore now 72 years of age.. Of his life before he settled in this country, we know but little. He enlisted in the volunteer army for the war with Mexico, and after the disband- ment of that army came to Galena, and soon after to Holmes' Lan- dingj.where he arrived on the 7th of November 1848. He found in that place Henry Goekrke, Adam Weber, Andrew Baertsch and Claus, Liesch, the two last named .being his countrymen. He re- removed from the settlement about three miles to the southeast locating near his present place of residence, the well-known Stohe House, at the angle of the river, where it turns for about three . miles straight towards Winona. Here he maintained himself and reared, his family by dint of hard work. During last spring he made application for and received his pension as a veteran ofthe Mexican war. , He was undoubtedly the first settler in the present town of Buffalo, although he did not enter any land previous to 1854, at which time, and soon after, he entered land in Sections 23, 26, 27, and 35 of Township 19, Range 11. MADISON WRIGHT. The foregoing were the most generally known of the pioneers of Buffalo County, being for the most part connected with the two central points of settlement, Holmes' Landing, now Fountain City, and Twelve Mile Bluff, now Alma. Of pioneers located in the up per part of the county before it attained political . existence I remember but one, Madison Wright of Missouri, who located in 1848, as a squatter upon the land that was afterwards owned by Andrew Wright, his brother, who did not, however, reside upon it. The situation of it is in Section 11, Township 22, Range 14, oppo site Wabasha, :a short distance above the ferry landing. The land was entered in 1858. In 1868 when I surveyed the land, of Mr. Wright, he was an old gentleman, living in a loghouse in primitive woodrcamp. style, nor do I think he ever departed from this until- his death on the 19th of August, 1879. The place of his residence being, somewhat separated from, thongh situated in the town of NelsOn, Madison Wright never meddled much in the politics of his town or the county, -being more attached to Wabasha: *He 238 PIONEERS. lived and died a bachelor. It is a remarkable fact that after his death an account for burial expenses, coffin etc., was presented to the county of Buffalo by the firm of Lueger Bros, of Wabasha which account was rejected as a piece of impudence, since it was well known, that, if Madison Wright had really died in poverty, it was because he had spent all of his means at. Wabasha, or had been done out of them by boon-companions or others ofthat place. General Remarks on Pioneers. The name of pioneer is mostly synonym with first permanent settlers, though occasionly persons who merely make a temporary stay for some purpose in an unsettled country are called by the same name. In the latter sense we might claim the early French as pioneers, though they never intended to be such. Indeed they did iittle or no pioneer work, and all theii. attempted settlements or actual trading posts have disappeared from this neighborhood, although traces of them remain in some names, as for instance: Prairie du Chien, La Crosse, Trempe-a-l'-eau, Eau Claire, Pepin, Frontenac, St. Croix, St. Paul and a whole number of others too tedious to mention. The French were adventurers, which is not to be wondered at, as the country itself had passed out of the pos session of their nation 130 years ago, and they could not hope to build up a French community, colony or state. It was similar with Englishmen or Scotchmen after 1783. Entirely different it was with Americans of every description Yankees, Southerners or from the Middle States. And it is true that Americans after a while were very efficient pioneers. At first, however, they assimi lated themselves much with Frenchmen, English and Scotch ad venturers, and even Thomas A. Holmes, considered as the pioneer of this county, was rather an adventurer, who left after the situa tion ceased to answer his purpose. The real pioneers of our county those who stayed and opened roads, built* bridges, cultivated lands, founded homesteads for themselves and induced others to come and do the same, were Germans or Swiss of German nation ality. I do not mention this because they were of the same na tionality with myself, but simply as a matter of fact. Neither do I wish to say they were the pioneers of every town of the county since some of the towns were settled much later than the county as a whole. In the above biographies, which are all that could be given at PIONEERS. 239 so much length, I have endeavored to find the most reliable sour ces of information, of which gossip or tradition is none, although this also mu3t be consulted. A few of the pioneers are yet alive, and others I had known for many years previous to their death, ancl so the chances were not entirely unfavorable, although the compilation of the present chapter was slow and tedious work. Of others, such as came a few years later, perhaps invited or attracted by pioneers or their friends, I propose to say a few words in the separate historical sketch of every town, and names of all the early settlers who reported, or of whom I had the necessary information by other means, will.be found in the list, at the end of this history. Of arrivals during the year 1850 I could obtain no connected intelligence. In 1851 the town of Belvidere, then, of course in cluding the City of Buffalo, seems to have been the most favor ed region for settlement. As the banks of the river began to fill up with population, the newcomers began to penetrate farther into the interior, and after the organization of the county towns began to form rapidly, all of which will be found in the chapter on "Or ganization." The annexed table will give a summary ofthe forma tion of towns, which to a certain extent and especially in earlier times is indicative of the progress of settlement: 1854. The whole county was included in the town of Buffalo. 1855. The town of Belvidere was organized Febr. 5. 1856. The towns of Alma and Waumandee were set off March 3d, organized at next town meeting. 1857. The following towns were set off: Bear Creek, (cont. T. 23 and 24, R. 13 and 14,) March 10. Naples, (cont. T. 23 and 24, R. 10 and 11,) March 10. Glencoe, (Cold Springs,) June 8. Cross, July 20. Gilmanton, (Elk Creek, cont. T. 23, R. 10, 11 and E. 112,) July 20. Nelson, South part of Bear Creek, July 20. Bear Creek changed to Bloomington July 20. "240 PIONEERS. n 'Milton, (changed to Eagle Mills 1858,) July 20. 1861. Madena, November 12. 1867. Canton, May 8. Montana, July 8. 1870. Dover, November 18. 1871. Lincoln, at the Annual Meeting of the County Board. Alterations of towns or boundary lines after that date had no connection with settlements. POLITICAL HISTORY. 241 POLITICAL HISTORY. Whether there was any political organization connected with the supposed civilization of the Mound Builders, and what that organization was or seems to have been, can hot now be told with any certainty. As we have no authentieal monument of their presence within this county, it does not appear necessary to mention them in this connection. The discovery of America, accomplished as it was under the Spanish flag seems to have, according to cus tom and tradition, made all of it a part of the Kingdom ofSpaiiij at least nominally. But if the country at that time had been lost to the Spaniards, and discovered by some Other nation, it would have been very difficult 'for the former to prove property, or even possession, for they could hardly have given any description of it, by which it could be known and recognised. We find, therefore, other maritime powers follow, not in the wake of the Spanish ships, but their example and discover parts of a new worid, to the whole of which Spain might have laid claim by right of priority. But as early as five years after the first landing of Columbus in the West Indies, Cabot discovered, under the English flag, the coast of North America. Cortereal under Portuguese flag discovered and ex plored -another considerable part of the eastern coast of the same continent. He was followed by the Verrazanis under the French flag as early as 1523, though the French seem to claim that their fishermen visited the banks of Newfoundland as early as 1504. In the mean time the Spaniards, being in possession of the West India Islands began to explore the neighboring continent. The first seems to have been Grijalva 1510, but more important was the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon in 1512, for on this Spain founded its subsequent claim to the whole continent. His own attempt and that of Narvaez to take possession of and hold in subjection that country, as well as the attempt of Ayllou to subdue Chicora (South Carolina), though abortive still proved the claim, 242 POLITICAL HISTORY. This was strengthened by the expedition of Hermando de Soto in 1538, the principal result of which was the discovery of the Mis sissippi River in 1541, and the subsequent navigation of his sur viving followers to the mouth of this river. After the failure of his expedition we find that for twenty four years nothing of conse quence was attempted in Florida or or any of its dependencies, but 1565 San Augustin was founded by Melendez. But in the mean time the French had sent over Cartier in 1534. He sailed up the St. Lawrence, spent the winter in Canada and discovered and named Montreal island. Six years later De la Roque and Cartier tried with but little success to plant colonies of French on the St. Lawrence. Further attempts are not on record until 1598, but no success attended the different enterprises of the French, whether supported by the crown or the Huguenotts, until Samuel Champlain came to Canada in 1603, though the first colony ofthe French was not made by him nor on the St. Lawrence but by De Mouts, first at St. Croix Island at the mouth of St. Croix River, afterwards at Port Royal, now Annapolis, the spot being selected by Poutrincourt, who served under him. In 1608 Champlain came in the employ of an association of private persons, incorporated by the government, and began to occupy and improve the present site of Quebec. We find therefore, that Spain had made the first permanent settlement on what was properly considered the North American Continent. The English, whose marine was even then rivalling the marines of France and Spain, had not been entirely idle. After the discoveries of Cabot an attempt was made to find the Northwest Passage by Martin Frobisher, 1576, in which he dis covered on the coast of Labrador what was supposed to be gold, which occasioned another expedition 1577, and still another with the intention of planting a colony for the purpose of working the supposed gold mines. In the mean time Sir Francis Drake had explored the Western coast of the continent up to Lat. 43° North in 1579. In 1579 Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a stepbrother of Sir Walter Raleigh, made the first, and 1583 they both sent out a second ex pedition with the intention of colonization. This expedition took possession of Newfoundland for the Queen of England, and on its POLITICAL HISTORY. 243 return Sir Humphrey Gilbert was shipwrecked. The next attempt was made, after the exploration of the coast of Carolina and Al bemarle and Pamlico Sounds in 1584 by Ralph Lane under the authority of Raleigh, to plant a colony at Roanoke Island, but in 1586 the colonists, being in danger of extermination by the Na tives returned with Sir Francis Drake to England. The renewal of the attempt in the following year ended in the destruction of the colonists. During the next twenty years no serious attempt at colonization had been made, though the voyages of Gosnold 1603 and Pring 1603 and 1606 were undertaken during that period, re sulting in a direct seaway to the North American coast, the dis covery of Massachusetts Bay and a considerable part of the neigh boring coast. Weymouth in 1605 discovered and entered the Penobscot River. Though the claims and discoveries of the three most important maritime nations overlapped, each other accident ally, it began to appear that the Spaniards would demand the South, the French would insist upon the possession of the North, and the English would stake off their claims and posts of occupa tion between them. The following period of general settlement verified or justified previous expectations. Though the Spanish settlement dates as early as 1565, and the French had one in 1605, when the English had as yet none, the number and development of their settlements soon exceeded those of other nations both in extent, and prosperity. Our purpose cannot be to enter into particulars of the history of the English colonies, but we may remark, that from that of Jamestown, Virginia, 1607 to which that at Plymouth followed 1620, that of Boston and other places in Massachusetts soon after, until, in 1664 the settlement of the Dutch having been surren dered to them, to the settlement of Georgia by Oglethorpe in 1732, the English occupied in numerous strong settlements, all the land along the Atlantic from the river St. Johns between Florida and Georgia as the southern and the river of the same name, between Maine and New Brunswick, a distance to which that occupied at that time by either the French or the Spanish is hardly worth comparing. - All the English settlements were chartered by the government and in most, if not all, of the original charters were the utmost western, limit-s of the colonies extended to the Pacific ocean. The claim of the Spanish government was limited by £e> 244 POLITICAL HISTORY. same ocean and unlimited towards the north. In a similar man ner the French considered that, de jure, the possession of the St. Lawrence River and its basin and dependencies extended the same distance. The territory now forming the State of Wisconsin was involved in all of these conflicting claims. Its western half be longs undeniably to the valley or basin of the Mississippi, to which Spain laid claim by virtue of the discovery of that. river in: the authorized expedition of De Soto and the possession of the adjacent countries of Texas and Florida. The same part of coun try lies entirely between the latitudes of 42° 30' and about 47°, or the latitude of the present states, at that time colonies, of Massa chusetts, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and . Maine, and hence within the charter limits of them or some one or the other. Finally, its eastern and northern part belonged to the basin of the Great Lakes, the unquestionable dependencies of the St. Lawrence System of drainage, to whiGh the French had established their claim by discovery, exploration, settlement and military posses sion. This was the position of affairs at the time of the earliest settlements on the Atlantic coast. We find that the first permanent occupation of the St. Law rence valley by the French happened one year after the English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. From and after that time they secured and extended their power, at first under perpetual oppo sition of the Indians, of which the Iroquois, (Mingoes or five Na tions) were the most formidable. The company of Frenchmen, of whom Champlain was the representative and principal agent, soon surrendered their charter to the King andaroyalgovernment was instituted. The governors extended the dominion of France gradually and we find that as early as 1665 there was a post at Mackinaw and soon after there was one at Green Bay in this state. In the year 1680 the discoveries of Marquette, Joliet, La Salle and Hennepin extended the knowledge, if not the actual possessions, of the French to the Mississippi and its eastern tributaries. La» Salle went down the river to its mouth, and although he finally returned to Green Bay, Mackinaw and Quebec, he occasioned the first voyage from France to the Mississippi. Though this expedi tion was a failure, and disastrous to himself, it- must nevertheless be considered as a legal acknowledgment- of his action in claiming ¦¦ {jh|fl\IissisBippi country for the crown of France and naming it . POLITICAL HISTORY. 245 Louisiana. The latter was soon after settled by Bienville at Biloxi and afterwards at New Orleans, and other places and the claim of France to Louisiana, which at that time included the whole basin of the Mississippi, remained thereafter undisputed according to the law of nations. As far as Wisconsin was concerned the claim appears thus to have become a double one. We shall find more of the above named men and their achievements under the head of early explorations. The attempt of the French government to connect New France, as Canada was then called, with Louisiana by a continu ous chain of fortified posts led to the French and Indian war, the old French war of revolutionary times. The special events of this war, although otherwise very interesting, can not expect any place in this narrative. The final result of the war, however was most important for the country now within the limits of Wisconsin. This result was nothing less than a total surrender of New France including Canada, and the country around the Lakes as well as all the eastern part of 'the Mississippi Valley with the exception of a small tract near the mouth bf the river, to England. At that time, that is in 1763, the French posts or settlements in Wisconsin were limited to two, at Green Bay and Prairie du Chien, though other temporary posts had probably existed and been abandoned. The English took possession of Green Bay in 1769. Whether they took formal possession of Prairie du Chien is not of record. The war of the Revolution, which terminated with the peace of Paris on the 30th of November, 1783, secured not only the independence of the United States, but also the surrender to them by England of all the claims, rights and titles the latter had to any lands, or territories in the Mississippi Valley. The United States did not, however, assume actual possession of posts established there until 1796, after the ratification of Jay's treaty. By the ordinance of 1787, which may be considered the Magna Charta of this western country, the several colonies relinquished the claims, which they had to this part of the newly acquired territory in favor of the United States or th% general government. This important docu ment not only provided fundamental laws for the land north of the'OMo River but provided also for a division -of the same into five-States; Wisconsin to be the fifth, but it must not be imagined' ¦that that name was used. This particular pro vision. of the great 246 POLITICAL HISTORY. ordinance will turn up at the time of organizing the state of Michigan, and, as a consequence thereof the separate territory of Wisconsin. As it was, the country north of, and bordering on the Ohio was organized into the Northwest Territory embracing the present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, besides that part of Minnesota situated on the east side of the Mississippi River, to which the limits of the territory unquestion ably extended. The first governor of this vast, but very imperfectly known territory, was Gen. Arthur St. Clair, appointed 1787 and the first delegate to Congress from the same was Gen Wm. H. Harrison (old Tippecanoe) and afterward President ofthe United States. Gen. Harrison was appointed 1798 secretary and ex-officio lieu tenant governor of the territory, in place of Winthrop Sargeant, and held that position until 1802, when, Ohio having been admitted as a state, and the remainder of the Northwest territory having been organized as the Territory of Indiana, he was. appointed the first governor of the latter. In 1805 Indiana Territory was divided and the Territory of Michigan formed, which embraced also Wis consin, designated at that time as the part west of Lake Michigan. In 1809 Illinois Territory was organized in that part of the Territory of Indiana lying west of the Wabash River and Lake Michigan and from the Ohio northwards to the boundary line be tween the United States and Canada. Indiana and Illinois having been admitted as states in 1817 and 1819 respectively, Wisconsin was again united with Michigan into one territory and remained in that dependence until July 4th 1836, when it was organized as a separate territory. Its first governor was Henry Dodge. The Territory embraced at that time all the land north of the line of the state of Missouri between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, hence all of Iowa and Minnesota with some parts of Dakota as well as the part now enclosed by the limits of the state. As a sum mary of the political history I shall give the condension of much more than I intended to give from the History qf Wisconsin Terri tory by Moses M. Strong page 214 and 215. 1. From 1512 until 1627 claimed by Spain as a part of Flo rida,' which was discovered by Ponce de Leon. This claim, even allowing its validity, was never more than ideal, as far as Wiscon- POLITICAL HISTORY. 247 sin was concerned, and crossed by that based on La Salle's discov eries and exploration in regard to the remainder. 2, From 1627 until 1762 dominion was claimed and to a con siderable part exercised by France. 3. From February 1763 (Treaty of Paris) legal authority belonged to England, which continued to hold it de facto until 1796. 4. From 1783 (second treaty of Paris) the legal ownership of the Northwest Territory must be conceded to the different states which had their colonial limits extended over it by their charters. The rights of these states were formally surrendered to the United States by the compact contained in the ordinance of 1787- As the English held possession of most, if not all the fortified places until 1796 this claim was more orless dormant. 5. From 1787 the United States were the nominal owner of the land and became the actual one at the evacuation of the posts held by the British. 6. Civil and military authority were vested in 1800 in the government of the Northwest Territory by the United States. 7. In 1802 the same authority was vested in the Territory of Indiana, 8. In 1805 the Territory of Michigan including Wisconsin was created with the same authority. 9. Wisconsin was in 1809 attached to Illinois Territory. 10. 1819. Reunited to Michigan Territory. 11. In 1836 it was organized into a separate Territory with limits much extended. In 1838 the parts west of the Mississippi were detached. 12. In 1848 it became a state. The above, beginning with a condensed history of discoveries, settlements, wars and treaties, and transfers from one hand to an other is much longer than might have been thought necessary for a history of so small a spot as one county, yet it may be considered laudable curiosity to inquire into the circumstances by which finally the establishment of the county came to be a legal and well authorized act. It is true, the place, or the people inhabiting it, did not have any action and influence in all these matters, but the developments related above, various and intricate, had a con- troling influence over the destinies ofthe state of which the county is now and has been since its organization a recognized and dis- 248 POLITICAL HISTORY. tinct part. An essential part of political life and history is the administration of laws, but laws suppose the existence and pres ence of civilized persons acknowledging them. Itis not necessary nor is it sometimes possible, to ask the consent, but it is always important, to demand and compel, if need be, the submission to the laws. Confining ourselves now to the history ofthe precise spot, of which we intend to Speak, we may dismiss the period of the supposed Spanish possessions with the remark that there were no laws, nor any persons, to whom, and by whom, they could be administered. Whatever may have been the legal or actual period ofthe possession aforementioned, there is notiace left of any man ifestation of power or authority having been exercised in this country by the Spanish with the exception of the settlement at St. Augustin. Long, nearly half a century, afterwards, the French power was established permanently in Canada, and began to ex tend itself like a thread, along the waterways and we find in 1634 the first civilized man penetrating into a locality which now is in cluded within our state. During the 26 years which elapsed be tween the permanent settlement by Champlain at Quebec and the visit of Jean Nicolet to Green Bay an intermediate post had been established at Mackinaw, though not on any other point in the chain of lakes and rivers of which the St. Lawrence forms estuary. The French as well as the Hurons and other Indians went from Quebec by way of the Ottawa River to Lake Nipissing and Lake Huron and thence to Sault St. Marie and Mackinaw. Dur ing all these times of French supremacy but little if any, law was observed by the traders in transactions with the Indians, but in their dealings among themselves and with their dependents they were generally considered as amenable to the "Coutume de Paris," that is, the common law of Paris or of France. By the Quebec Act of 1774 the criminal law of England was introduced into the newly acquired possessions, in civil matters, however, the law of Canada was to prevail. The constitution and the laws of the United States may be considered to have been in force from and after the organization of the Northwest Territory, and such special laws as may have been enacted from time to time by the legislatures of the territories to which Wisconsin be longed in succession as related above. Having now brought down the political history of the state POLITICAL HISTORY. 249 to the time when Wisconsin, under that name and title, was established as the " Territory of Wisconsin" we must bring in a synopsis of the history of that territory, containing the names of the two representative officers of it, that is of the governors and secretaries, and the time during which each of them held his position. Governors and secretaries of territories are appointed by the President of the United States, and the secretary was the acting governor in the absence of the governor, or his disability to perform the duties of his office. He was not in the sense of the state constitution lieutenant governor, since he was not ex-officio president of the Council. The latter was elected by districts ac cording to an apportionment of the territory by the governor. The number of its members was regulated by the number of members of the Assembly. This also was an elective body of about twice the number of members of the council, similar to the proportion which has been adopted into the constitution of the Btate. The legislative sessions of the territorial times were some times rather stormy on account of disagreements with governors and secretaries acting as such. They were, also, occasionly agit ated or excited on account of disagreements with Congress, who had the supreme jurisdiction in all matters, and not only annulled laws passed by the territorial legislature, but also sometimes neg lected to 'provide for the necessary expendituresto carry on the ter ritorial government. Nevertheless it seems to have been a pre judice of the population of the territory, that it was better to be dependent upon the general government, than to depend upon themselves. The growth of the population Was not so very rapid as in territories organized at some later times, and its spread was, even after the adoption of the state constitution, very slow in the western parts lying north of the Wisconsin river, or its lower course. The following is the list of governors: Governors of Wisconsin Territory: Henry Dodge from July 4, 1836 to Oct. 5, 1841. James Duane Doty „ Oct. 5,1841 to Sept. 16,1844. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge , Sept. 16, 1844 to May 13, 1845. Henry Dodge „ May 13, 1845 to June 7, 1848. The first of these governors was a Missourian by birth, and had distinguished himself by his services both at the time of the Winnebago outbreak, and in the Black Hawk war. He was the 250 POLITICAL HISTORY. representative man of the Mining Region, which, at the time of his appointment, was probably the most populous part of the territory. Governor Doty was also an officer in the Black Hawk war, but having been severely wounded by an accidental shot fired by one of the volunteers, he had to return home before any decisive battle had been fought. Before his appointment as governor he had been twice, 1838 and 1840, elected as the delegate of the territory to Congress. Governor Tallmadge was less than one year in office, and was succeeded by Henry Dodge, who had been delegate to Congress since the appointment of Gov. Doty. All of our territorial governors were Democrats, the democratic party being then in the ascendancy. Gov. Doty, appointed by President Tyler was the only governor, who had any serious trou ble with the legislature. Secretaries of Wisconsin Territory: John S. Horner May 6, 1836. William B. Slaughter Feb. 16, 1837. Francis J. Dunn.... Jan. 25, 1841. A. P. Field Apr. 23, 1841. George R. C. Floyd Oct. 30, 1843. John Catlin Feb. 24, 1846. Of the above named gentlemen John S. Horner, a Virginian, was before the organization of the territory of Wisconsin acting governor of Michigan territory, of which Wisconsin then was a part. There was some disagreement between him and the legis lature on account of his proclamation for convoking the latter. The result of this was a resolution to request the President to revoke Horner's commission, which, however, did not produce the desired removal. The following table shows the sessions of the Territorial As sembly from year to year until the State Organization went into effect. The Council represents the Senate, the Representatives or House as it is commonly called answering to the Assembly ofthe state constitution, POLITICAL HISTORY. 251 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS During Territorial Organization. < 1836 1837 1838 183818391839 18401840 1841 18431843 18431845 184618471847 1848 TIME OP MEETING October 25th.... November 6th... June 11th November 26th. January 21st... December 2d. .. August 3d December 7th.. .. December 6th... March 6th March 27th December 4th... January 6th January 5th January 4th October 18th.... February 7th ... ADJOURNMENT Dec.9 1836 Jan. 20 .1838 June 25 1838 Dec. 22.... 1838 March 11 1839 Jan. 13 1840 Aug. 14.. 1840 Feb. 19 1841 Feb. 19 1842 Mar. 25 1843 Apr. 17 1843 Jan. 31 1844 Feb. 24 1845 Feb. 3 1846 Feb. 11 1847 Oct. 27 1847 March 13 1848 LENGTH OP SESSION 4676 15 275043 12 7576 2022 5950 30 39 10 36 days.; days..days..days. days.days..days. days.days.days. days. days. days.clays. days.days. days. 3939 38 373939 3939 393939 3939393939 39 It cannot be expected that in this book an extended history of territorial legislation should be given, but so much of it as relates to the part of the state in which our county is situated may be very interesting and acceptable. As a preliminary we must remark that all the western, part of the territory north of the Wisconsin River was still the county of Crawford, reaching up to Lake Superior, west to the Mississippi and east to the Wisconsin in its general southern course. The county as then constituted was in itself large enough for a respect able state, but the bulk of the population was near Prairie du Chien. These limits had been established by the government of Michigan Territory. The first division took place in 1840 when the northern part of Crawford county was organized as the county of St. Croix. The division line was north of the Chippewa River and the present county of Pierce was the southern part of the new county, while all south of it was still Crawford county. Crawford county had been an assembly district with two members in the assembly, biit 252 Political history. none in the council, and the two counties still remained one dis* trict, but a member of the council was apportioned to them. The legislature of 1845 set off the upper part of Crawford county, and organized Chippewa county with the Buffalo or Beef, River as the boundary line between them. In the same session the northern part of St. Croix county was set off under the name of La Pointe County. The four counties into which the original county of Crawford had been divided still formed one assembly district, now (1846) entitled to one member of the Council and one of the Assembly. This apportionment prevailed: YEARS MEMBERS OF COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES 1836 None. Jas. H. Lockwood, Jas. B. Dallam. 1837 None. Ira B. Brunson, Jean Bennet. 1838 George Wilson. Alexander McGregor. 1839 do. AlexanderMcGregor,IraB.Brunson 1840 Jas. Bribois (1 session.) Chas. J. Learned, extra The same. session. do. 1841 Chas. J. Learned. Alfred Brunson, Jos. R. Brown. 1842 do. do. do. 1843 Theophile La Chapelle. John H. Manahan. 1844 do. do. 1845 Wiram Knowlton. James Fisher. 1846 do. do. 1847 Benjamin F. Manahan. Jos. W. Furber. Ext. Sees ion. do. Henry Jackson. 1848 do. do. The above list together with preceding remarks will give a clear idea of the representation of the northwestern portion of the territory. The loss of a member of representatives depended on the much larger increase of the population in the eastern and southern parts during the time between the first and some later apportion ment. The denial of a member of council in the first legislative assembly created quite a hubbub at Prairie du Chien, an indigna tion meeting was held, and Thomas P. Burnett ehosen as a mem ber ofthe council. But his petition to the legislature for a seat in that body, could not be granted, since the governor had only exer cised his right and performed his duty in the apportionment POLITICAL HISTORY. 253 of the members of either body of the legislative assembly to the different counties, and the legislature could not interfere with it. Among the representatives from this district was one remark able man, whose career seems to deserve particular notice. This man was Joseph R. Brown. He came to the notice of the people and the territorial legislature of Wisconsin in the year 1840 when he and his wife applied for a divorce, as mentioned in .Strong's History of Wisconsin Territory in the following words: "A very anomalous divorce act was passed at this session, which recited that Joseph R. Brown and Margaret Brown a half- breed Chippewa woman, were legally married and were mutually desirous of dissolving the marriage contract in consequence of the danger they both incur of the destruction of their lives and prop erty by continuing to live together, at the place where they now reside, on account of the hostile incursions of the Sioux Indians." That it should be lawful for them by a written article of sep aration, under their hands and seals, to dissolve the marriage con- taact existing between them, provided that the articles of separa tion contain a provision for her of one-third of all his property. Whether the separation actually took place, I do not know, but as Mr. Brown still continued to reside in the same place, it may be presumed that it did. The following is a short summation of the biographical sketches that appeared in St. Paul newspapers at the time of his rather unexpected demise: "Joseph Renshaw Brown was born on the 5th of January 1805, in Hartford county, Maryland, where his father was a local preacher of the Meth. Episcopal church. His mother died in his infancy, and his father removed to Pennsylvania, where Joseph was brought up on a farm. In his 14th year he was appenticed to a printer, from whose harsh and unjust treatment he ran away, enlisting in the U. S. service as a drummer boy. With his com pany he came 1819 to Fort Snelling, Minn., where he served out his capitulation and was probably in 1825, discharged. He now set up for an Indian trader, acquired a perfect knowledge of the Dakota tongue, and established himself at Gray Cloud, about 12 miles below St. Paul, where he was commissioned as a Justice of the Peace by Gov. Dodge of Wisconsin, to which territory all on the east-side of the Mississippi now included in Minnesota did at that time belong. He was granted the above divorce in 1840. At 254 POLITICAL HISTORY. that time he must have been located at Stillwater, as most of his claim there is now included in the city, and a3 he agreed to pro vide the necessary buildings for the newly created county of St. Croix. In 1841 and '42 he was a member of the house of Repre sentatives of Wisconsin Territory, whose sessions he attended faith fully. When at the admission of Wisconsin as a state the St. Croix River had been established as the western boundary of that new state, Mr. Brown with others, endeavored to induce Congress to grant territorial organization to Minnesota, for which purpose the so-called Stillwater Convention in August 1848 was held. He remained a citizen of Minnesota until the time of his death, was Secretary of the territorial council in 1849 and 185 1 , clerk of the house 1853, territorial printer in 1853 to '54, member of the con stitutional convention of 1857, where he led the democratic party, and was appointed one of the commissioners to canvass the vote taken on the adoption of the constitution and the election of the first state officers under the same. He had much influence in the matter of legislation both during territorial and subsequent times, and dictated the policy of his party of whose conventions he always was a prominent member. He also was a Journalist and proprietor of the St. Paul Pioneer from 1852 to 1854, and of the Henderson Democrat, established by himself, from 1857 to 1860 or 61. About that time he must have been government agent to the Lower Bands of the Sioux, from which position he was removed in 1862 for party consideration. We find nothing on record of, him during the outbreak of 1862, during which time he must have been at his establishment on Big Stone Lake, the last one he ever set up. The Indians being removed his trading with them was at an end. Like most men of his class he made and lost more than one for tune, but bore his losses with great equanimity, being always good humored, cheerful and social. His last venture, or as we might term it, his pet hobby, was the building of a steam traction engine, a wagon, that could be propelled by steam alone over the hard roads of the prairies. This wagon was in the course of construc tion in New York when he was called away from the dreams and speculations of this world, with which inventors of every class are so largely endowed, and to which they but too often sacrifice every thing they possess. Mr. Brown had also expended large sums in experiments and in the construction of his steam wagon, which POLITICAL HISTORY. 255 goes far to account for his leaving but a small estate when he died. As drummer boy, soldier, Indian trader, lumberman, pioneer, speculator, founder of cities, legislator, politician, editor, inventor, his career has been a very remarkable and characteristic one, not so much for what he achieved, as for the extraordinary7 versatility ancl capacity which he displayed in every new situation. So say those who knew him well. He died in New York on tbe 5th day of November 1870. He may be considered as the pioneer of the two neighboring states and might have remained in Wisconsin if Wisconsin would have received all the territory to which it was entitled. I related so much of his history because his character struck me as that of a model pioneer, just restless enough to be ready at any moment for a new enterprise, always hoping for suc cess, but undismayed by reverses. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS. First Convention. The first Constitutional Convention assembled at Madison on the 5th day of October, 1846, and adjourned on the 15th day of December, 1846, having framed a Constitution, which was sub mitted to a vote of the people on the first Tuesday in April, 1847, and the same was rejected. President — Don A. J. Upham of Milwaukee. Secretary— La Fayette Kellogg. Second Convention- Thin Convention assembled at Madison on the 15th day of December, 1847, and adjourned on the 1st day of February, 1848, having framed a Constitution which was submitted to a vote of the people on the second Monday in March following, and the same was adopted. President — Morgan L. Martin of Brown. Secretary — Thomas McHugh. The first of these conventions consisted of 124 delegates, most of the counties then organized having at least one representative. This number was entirely too large for the purpose, and led to never ending debates on every trifle. Chippewa County, bounded on the south by Beef River, was represented along with Crawford County by Peter A. R. Brace. But why it should not have been entitled to a separate representative as well as La Crosse County I can not understand. 256 POLITICAL HISTORY. The second session did not labor under the same disadvantage. Perhaps that accounts to a certain extent for the fact that the first constitution was rejected, while the second was adopted. In the second convention Chippewa and Crawford counties were repre sented by Daniel G. Fenton. The following table is a short repetition of the main circum stances relating to the CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS. First Convention. tt H>< TIME OF MEETING ADJOURNMENT LENGTH OP SESSION . -n O fc tt 1846 December 16, 1846... Second Convention. February 1, 1848 73 days 48 days 124 1847 December 15th 65 STATE ORGANIZATION. First Session- — The first session of the State Legislature was held at the Capital at Madison, on Monday, the 5th day of June, A. D. 1848, pursuant to the constitution, which had been adopted by .a large majority of the people. The apportionment of Senators and Representatives was under constitutional provisions, until other wise declared by law. It convened June 5, 1848, and adjourned August 21, 1848, seventy -eight days. There were eighty -five members. Second Session — Convened on the 10th of January, 1849, and adjourned April 2, 1849, eighty -three days, eighty-five members. Third Session — Convened January 9, and adjourned February 11, 1850, thirty -four days, eighty-five members. Fourth Session — Convened January 8, 1851, and adjourned March 17, 1851, sixty-nine days, eighty-five members. Fifth Session — Convened January 14, 1852, and adjourned April 19, 1852, ninety-seven days, eighty-five members. Sixth Session — This Legislature convened on the 12th of Janu ary, 1853, and adjourned on the 4th day of April, 1853, until the 6th day of June, following, for the purpose that the Senate might sit as a Court of Impeachment, and the Assembly be present to prosecute the trial qf Levi Hubbell, Judge of the Second Judioial Circuit, against whom Articles of Impeachment had been exhibited, POLITICAL HISTORY. 257 charging him with acts of corrupt conduct and malfeasance in office. For this purpose the Legislature again convened" on the 6th day of June, and adjourned finally on the 13th' of July, 1853. The legislative session amounted to one hundred and twenty-one days, with one hundred and seven members. Seventh Session — Convened January 11, 1854, and adjourned April 3, 1854; eighty-three days, one hundred and seven members. Eighth Session — Convened January 10, 1865, and adjourned April 2, 1855, eighty-three days, one hundred and seven members. Ninth Session — Convened January 9, 1856, and took a recess from March 31 , 1856, to September 3, 1856, and adjourned Octo ber 14, 1856, one hundred and twenty-five days, one hundred and seven members. Tenth Session — Convened January 14, 1857, and adjourned March 9, 1857, fifty-five days, one hundred and twenty -seven mem bers. Eleventh Session — Convened January 13, and adjourned May 17, 1858, one hundred and twenty-five days, one hundred and twenty-seven members. Twelfth Session— Convened January 12, 1859, and adjourned March 21, 1859, sixty-nine days, one hundred and twenty-seven members. Thirteenth Session — Convened January 11, 1860, and adjourned April 2, 1860, eighty-three days, one hundred and twenty-seven members. Fourteenth Session— Convened January 9 and adjourned April 17, 1861. Reconvened May 15, and adjourned May 27, 1861, a total of one hundred and twelve days, one hundred and twenty- seven members. fifteenth Session— Convened January 8, 1862, and adjourned April 7, 1862. Reconvened June 3, 1862, and adjourned June 17, 1862. Met in extra session September 10, 1862 and adjourned September 26, 1862, a total of one hundred and twenty-two days, one hundred and. thirty-three members. Sixteenth Session— Convened January 14, 1863, and adjourned April 2, 1863, seventy-nine days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Seventeenth Session— Convened January 13, 1864, and adjourned 258 POLITICAL HISTORY. *. . April 4, 1864, eighty-three days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Eighteenth Session— Convened January 11, 1865, and adjourned April 10, 1865, ninety days, one hundred and thirty-three mem bers. Nineteenth. Session — Convened January 10,^1866, and adjourned April 12, 1866, ninety-three days, one hundred ancl- thirty-three members. Twentieth Session — Convened January 9, 1867, and adjourned April 11, 1867, ninety-three days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Twenty-first Session— -Convened January 8, 1868, and adjourned March 6, 1868, fifty -nine days, one hundred and thirty -three mem bers. Twenty-second Session — Convened January 13 and adjourned March 11, 1869, fifty-eight days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Twenty-third Session — Convened January 12, and adjourned March 17, 1870, sixty-five days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Twenty-fourth Session — Convened January 11, 1871, and ad journed March 25, 1871, seventy-four days, one hundred and thirty- three members. Twenty -fifth Session — Convened January 10, 1872, and adjourned March 26, 1872, seventy-seven days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Twenty-sixth Session — Convened January 8, 1873, and adjourned March 20, 1873, seventy-two days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Twenty- seventh Session — Convened January 14, 1874, and ad journed March 12, 1874, fifty-eight day's, one hundred and thirty- three; members. Twenty-eighth Session — Convened January 13, 1875, and ad journed March 6, 1875, fifty-three days, one hundred and thirty- three members. Twenty-ninth Session — Convened January 12, 1876, and ad journed March 14, 1876, sixty-three days, one hundred and thirty- three membeis. POLITICAL HISTORY. 259 Thirtieth Session — Convened January 10, 1877, and adjourned March 8, 1877, fifty-eight days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Thirty-first Session — Convened January 9, 1878, and adjourned March 21, 1878. Met in extra session June 4, 1878, for the pur pose of completing the revision of statutes, and adjourned June 7, 1878. Officers same as at regular session. Seventy-six days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Thirty-second Session — Convened January 8, 1879, and adjourned March 5, 1879, fifty-seven days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Thirty-third Session — Convened January 14, 1880, and ad journed March 17, 1880, sixty-four days, one' hundred and thirty- three members. Thirty-fourth Session — Convened January 12, 1881, and ad journed April 4, 1881, eighty-three days, one huncked and thirty- three members. Thirty-fifth Session — Convened January 11, 1882, and adjourned March 31, 1882, eighty days, one hundred and thirty-three members, Thirty-sixth Session — Convened January 10, 1883, and adjourned April 4, 1883, eighty-five days, one hundred and thirty-three members. Thirty-seventh Session — Convened January 14, 1885, and ad journed April 13, 1885, eighty-nine days, one hundred and thirty- three members. During the state organization the two houses of the legislature were called the Senate and the Assembly. For the first five sessions, (1848 to 1852 inch) there were 19 senators and 55 members'of the Assembly. For the next four years, (1853 — 56 inch) there were 25 sena tors and 82 members of the Assembly. For the next five years, (1857 — 62 inch) there were 30 senators and 97 members of the Assembly. Ever since, beginning with 1863 there were 33 senators and 100 members of the Assembly. Redistricting for members of either . house is done after the census taken every ten years by the United States, and every five years after that by the State of Wisconsin. As the sessions of the 260 POLITICAL HISTORY. legislature are now biennial and fall upon the odd numbered years, redistricting will be performed in the first and the seventh year of every decade. It now remains to be seen by whom this county has been represented in the two houses of the Legislature. SENATE. 1848 2nd District D. G. Fenton of Prairie du Chien. 1849 do. do. James Fisher of Eastman. 1850 do. do. James Fisher of Prairie du Chien. 1851 do. do. Hiram A. Wright of Prairie du Chien. 1852 do. do." Hiram A. Wright of do. 1853 19th District Benjamin Allen of Pepin. 1854 do. do. Benjamin Allen of Hudson. 1855 do. do. Wm. J. Gibson of. Black River Falls. 1856 do. do. Wm. J. Gibson of do. 1857 30th District Wm. T. Price of Black River Falls. 1858 do. do. Wm. H. Tucker of La Crosse. 1859 do. do. Wm. H. Tucker of do. 1860 do. do. B. E. Hutchinson of Prairie du Chien. 1861 do. do. B. E. Hutchinson of do. 1862 31st- District Edwin Flint of La Crosse. 1863 do. do. Angus Cameron of La Crosse. 1864 32d District Carl C. Pope of Black River Falls. Carl C. Pope of do. J. G. Thorp of Eau Claire. J. G. Thorp of do. A. W. Newman of Trempealeau. A. W. Newman of do. Wm. T. Price of Black River Falls. Wm. T. Price of do. Orlando Brown of Modena. Orlando Brown of do. R. C. Field of Osseo. R. C. Field of do. Mark Douglas of Melrose. Mark Douglas of do. Wm. T. Price of Black River Falls. 1879 i29th'District.H. E. .Houghton of Durand 1880 do, do. H. E. Houghton of do. 1865 do. do. 1866 do. do. 1867 do. do. 1868 do. do. 1869 do. do. 1870 do. do. 1871 do. do. 1872 do. do. 1873 do. do. 1874 do. do. 1875 do. do. -1876 do. do. 1877 do. do. 1878 do. do. POLITICAL HISTORY, '¦' 261 1881 do. do. Augustus Finkelnburg of Fountain City. 1882 do. do. Augustus Finkelnburg of do. 1883 do. do. N. D. Comstock of Arcadia. 1885 do. do. N. D. Comstock of do. 1887 do. do. John W. DeGroff of Alma. Senators were formerly elected for two years, but are now elected for four years or two sessions. ASSEMBLY : District consisting of the counties of Chippewa and Crawford. 1848 Wm. T. Sterling of Mt. Sterling. 1849, James O'Neill of Black RiverFalls. 1850, Wm. T. Sterling of Mt. Sterling. 1851, Wm. T. Price of Black River Falls. District consisting of the counties of Bad Ax, Chippewa, Crawford and La Crosse: 1852, Andrew Briggs of Bad Ax. District consisting of the counties of Chippewa and La Crosse: 1853, Albert La Due of La Crosse. District consisting of the counties of Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Jackson and La Crosse: 1854, Wm. J. Gibson of Black River Falls. District consisting ofthe counties of Buffalo, Chippewa and La Crosse: 1855. Chase A. Stevens of La Crosse. 1856, Dugald D. Cameron of La Crosse. District consisting of the counties of Buffalo, Jackson and Trempealeau: 1857, Samuel D. Hastings of Trempealeau. 1858, Harlow E. Prickett of Black River Falls. 1859, Jesse Bennett of Fountain City. 1860, Romanzo Bunn of GalesviUe. 1861, Calvin R. Johnson of Black River Falls. District consisting of the counties of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau: 1862, Orlando Brown of Gilmanton. 1,863, Alfred W.Newmanj of Trempealeau. 1864, Fayette Allen of Durand. 1865, John Burgess of Nelson. 1866. Wm. H. Thomas of Sumner. . Dist/rict consisting ¦ of, the oounkf of- Buffalo : 1867, Conrad Moser Jr. of Alma. - -1868,' Conrad > Moser Jr,- 1 of. Alma, 262 POLITICAL HISTORY. 1869, Robert Henry of Anchorage. 1870; James L. Hallock of Burnside. 1871, Ahaz F. Allen -of Gilmanton. 1872, George Cowie of Glencoe. 1873, Robert Lees of Gilmanton. 1874, A. Finkelnburg of Fountain City. 1875, Edward Lees of Cross. 1876, Edward Lees of Cross. District , Consisting, of Buffalo County in part : 1877, J. J. Senn of Fountain City. 1878, J. J. Senn o'f Fountain City. 1879, John W. DeGroff of Alma. 1880, Franklin Gilman of Gilmanton. 1881, Richard R. Kempter of Alma. 1882, M. W. McDonnell of Alma. 1883, John A. Tester of Alma. 1885, S. D. Hubard of Mondovi. 1887, Joseph V. Jones of Canton. Members of the Assembly are elected for one session, form erly for one year, now for two years. The assembly district7 consists again of the whole county of Buffalo since 1882 ; the towns of Maxville, Canton and Mondovi (now Naples and Mondovi) belonged for some years to the Pepin County Assembly district. According to the apportionment or redistriction performed by the last legislature Buffalo County remains a separate assembly district and forms the 29th senatorial district in conjunction with Pepin and Trempealeau, according to the " Act to apportion the state into senate and assembly dis tricts, Chapter 461 General Laws of 1887," • where we read: "The counties of Buffalo Pepin and Trempealeau shall constitute the twenty-ninth senate district; " and again: " The county of Buffalo shall constitute an assembly district." Which settles the present position of our county as to elec tions for the state legislature. Looking over the list of the members of the Assembly one POLITICAL HISTORY. 263 piust be struck by the continual changes of the district. Much of [this is however only apparent, depending upon the organization of new counties from territory formerly included in the large old counties. To the State Organization belong not only Senate and Assem bly but also the whole state government. Considering that our county, like every other one, is an organic part of the state, I thought proper to introduce a list of all such state offices as are now recognized, and in fact were created by the constitution, giv ing names of incumbents and their time of service. Offices created by subsequent legislation, and by the same abolished, were Bank Comptroller. Created 1852, abolished 1868. State Prison Commissioner. Created 1853, abolished 1873. State Commissioner of Immigration. Created 187 1, abolished 1874. Besides these three there are still two offices of the same nature: Railroad Commissioner. Created 1873, made elective 1881. Insurance Commissioner. Created 1867, elective since 1881. These offices may be continued or not; the»present incumbents are: Railroad Commissioner: Atley Peterson. Insurance Commissioner: Phillip Cheek, Jr. ¦This concludes the roll of State officers. Though the others follow after these two, the force of what has been said above will by this accident not be diminished. governors: Nelson Dewey, June .1845 to Jan. 1852 Leonard J. Farwell Jan. 1852 to ": 1854 Wm. A. Barstow Jan. 1854 to March 1856 Arthur McArthur ...March 1856 to March 1856 Coles Bashford March 1856 to Jan. 1858 Alex. W. Randall 1858 to 1862 Louis P. Harvey Jan. 1862 to April 1862 Edward Solomon April 1862 to Jan. 1864 James T.Lewis 1864 to 1866 Lucius Fairchild 1866 to 1872 C.C.Washburn 1872 to 1874 William R. Taylor., 1874 to 1876 Harrison Ludington '. 1876 to 1878 264 - POLITICAL HISTORY. Wm. E. Smith... 1878 to 1882 Jeremiah M.Rusk ;.- 1882 to 188$ lieutenant governors. John E. Homes June 1848 to Jan. 1850 Samuel W: Beall 1850 to 1852 Timothy Burns.: 1852 to 1854 James T. Lewis 1854 to 1856 Arthur McArthur 1856 to 1858 E.D.Campbell 1858 to 1860 Butler G. Noble 1860 to 1862 Edward Solomon Jan. 1862 to April 1862 Gerry W. Hazelton Sept. 1862 to Sept. 1862 Wyman Spooner 1863 to 1870 Thaddeus C. Pound 1870 to 1872 Milton H. Pettit Jan. 1872 to March 1873 Charles D. Parker 1874 to 1878 James- M. Bingham 1878 to 1882 Sam. S. Fifield 1882 to 1887 Geo. W. Ryland....? 1887 to 1889 SECRETARIES OF STATE. Thos. McHugh June 1848 to Jan. 1850 Wm. A. Barstow 1850 to 1852 C. Di Robinson.. 1852 to 1854 Alex. T. Gray 1854 to 1856 David W. Jones 1856 to 1860 Louis P. Harvey 1860 to 1862 James T. Lewis 1862 to 1864 Lucius Fairchild 1864 to 1866 Thomas S. Allen 1866 to 1870 Llywelyn Breese 1870 to 1874 Peter Doyle 1874 to 1878 Hans. B. Warner 1878 to 1882 ErnstG. Timme 1882 to 1889 STATE TREASURERS. Jarius C. Fairchild, Jan. 1848 to Jan. 1852 Edward H. Janssen, 1852 to i§56 Charles Kuehn, 1856 to 1858 Samuel D. Hastings,. 1858 to 1866 William E. Smith, 1866 to 1870 POLITICAL HISTORY. 265 Henry Baetz, 1870 to 1874 Ferdinand Kuehn, 1874 to 1878 Richard Guenther, 1878 to 1882 Edward C. McFetridge . . . . : 1882 to 1887 Henry B. Harshaw 1887 to 1889 ATTORNEYS GENERAL. James S. Brown June 1848 to Jan. 1850 S. Park Coon 1850 to 1852 Experience Estabrook 1852 to 1854 George B. Smith 1854 to 1856 William R. Smith 1856 to 1858 Gabriel Bouck 1858 to 1860 James H.Howe • Jan. 1860 to Oct. 1862 Winfield Smith Oct. 1862 to Jan. 1866 Charles R. Gill 1866 to 1870 Stephen S. Barlow 1870 to 1874 A. Scott Sloan 1874 to 1878 Alexander Wilson 1878 to 1882 Leander F. Frisby "i 1882 to 1887 Charles E- Estabrook 1887 to 1889 STATE SUPERINTENDENTS. Eleazer Root Jan. 1849 to Jan. 1852 AzelP.Ladd 1852 to 1854 Hiram A Wright Jan. 1854 to May- 1855 A. Constantine Barry Jnne 1855 to Jan. 1858 Lyman C. Draper 1858 to 1860 Josiah L. Pickard Jan. 1860 to Sept. 1864 JohnG. McMynn Oct. 1864 to Jan. 1868 Alexander J. Craig 1868 to 1870 Samuel Fallows 1870 to 1874 Edward Searing 1874 to 1878 William C. Whitford 1878 to 1882 Robert Graham 1882 to 1887 Jesse B. Thayer 1887 to 1889 Among the powers necessary in every well regulated state, and hence provided for in the constitution of the state of Wiscon sin, is the Judiciary, co-ordinate to the Legislature and the Execu tive. Jt consists, as far as the state is concerned, in the Supreme 266 POLITICAL HISTORY. Court and the different Circuit Courts, the number of the latter being changed according to the respective increase in the popula tion of the different districts. SUPREME COURT: Name. Title. Term expires. Orsamus Cole Chief Justice 1st Monday of Jan. 1892. Wm. P. Lyon ....Associate Justice 1st Monday of Jan. 1894 David Taylor do 1st Monday of Jan. 1896. Harlow S. Orton...... do 1st Monday of Jan. 1888. John B. Cassoday do 1st Monday of Jan. 1890. Judge Orton has been reelected last spring. (1887.) The Su preme Court was organized as a separate court in 1853, until which time the Judges of the Circuit Courts were ex-officio Justices of the Supreme Court. circuit court: 1, Judge George Gale of GalesviUe. 2. Edwin Flint of La Crosse. 3. Romanzo Bunn of GalesviUe. 4. Alfred W. Newman of Trempealeau. 5. Egbert B. Bundy pf Menomonie. Our Circuit at present is the " Eighth " consisting of the coun ties of Buffalo, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce and St. Croix. The State Institutions of Wisconsin are the following: EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS : The University of Wisconsin at Madison. State Normal School at PlatteviUe. do. do at Whitewater. do. do. at Oshkosh. do. do. at River Falls. do. do. at Milwaukee. Farmers Institutes, at different places. CHARITABLE, REFORMATORY AND PENAL INSTITUTIONS: State' Board of Cha,rity\and Reform. It has charge of the following: 1. Private Institutions for the Insane. 2. Prisons. 3. Reformatories. 4. Institutions for the Poor. POLITICAL HISTORY. 267 5. Institutions for Defectives-. 6. Private Benevolent Institutions. State Board of Supervision. Institutions under its charge: State Hospital for the Insane at Mendota. Northern Hospital for the Insane at Winnebago. State Public School at Sparta. School for the Deaf at Delavan. School for the Blind at Janesville. Industrial School for Boys at Waukesha. State Prison at Waupun. After enumerating these state institutions, we come to the representation of the state itself, and our district in particular, in the National Legislature commonly called Congress. The state as such is represented in the Senate, each district in the House of Representatives. UNITED STATES SENATORS, SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT. NAMES. , WHEN ELECTED. Isaac P. Walker June 8, 1848. Henry Dodge June 8, 1848. Isaac P. Walker Jan, 17, 1849. Henry Dodge Jan. 20, 1851. Charles Durkee Feb. 1, 1855. Jas. R. Doolittle Jan. 23, 1857. Timothy O. Howe Jan. 23, 1861. Jas. R. Doolittle Jan.*22, 1863. Timothy 0. Howe Jam 24, 1867. Math. H. Carpenter Jan. 26, 1869. Timothy O. Howe Jan. 21, 1873. Angus Cameron Feb. 3, 1875. Math. H. Carpenter Jan. 22,1879. Philetus Sawyer Jan. 26, 1881. Angus Cameron March 10, 1881. John C. Spooner,.. Jan. 28, 1885. Philetus Sawyer Jan. 26, 1887. The county of Buffalo entered into political life in 1854, pur suant to an act of the legislature. Before that it belonged to Craw- 268 POLITICAL HISTORY. ford, then to Crawford and Chippewa, then to La Crosse and Chippewa, but it belonged during that time always to the sec ond Congressional District. REPRESENTATIVES. Second District: 30th Congress 1847—49..... Mason C. Darling. 31st do. 1849—51...! .....Qrsamus Cole. 32d do. 1851—53..' ! Ben. C. Eastman. 33d do. 1853—55...... Ben. C. Eastman. 34th do. 1855—57 Cadwallader C. Washburn. 35th do. 1857—59 Cadwallader C. Washburn. 36th do. 1859—61 Cadwallader C. Washburn. 37th do. 1861^-63 Luther Hanchett (Died 1862) Succeeded by Walter D. Mclndoe. Sixth District: 38th Congress 1863—65 Walter D. Mclndoe. 39th do. 1865—67 Walter D. Mclndoe. 40th do. 1867—69 Cadwallader C. Washburn. 41st do. 1869—71 Cadwallader C. Washburn. 42d do. 1871—73 Jeremiah M. Rusk. Seventh District: 43d Congress 1873—75 Jeremiah M. Rusk. 44th do. 1875—77 Jeremiah M. Rusk. 45th do. 1877—79 ,Herman L. Humphrey. 46th do. 1879—81 Herman L. Humphrey. 47th do. 1881—83 Herman L. Humphrey. Eighth District: 48th Congress 1883—85 William T. Price. 49th do. 1885—87 William T. Price (Died Dec. 1886). Succeeded by his son Hugh H. Price. 50th Congress 1887— 89 Nils P. Haugen. Beyond this enumeration of our Senators and Representatives much else does not seem to belong to a local history except the division of our state into United States District Courts. There are two such courts in the state, one for the Eastern and one for the Western District. Buffalo County belonging to the latter, I will give its present organization : WESTERN DISTRICT: Judge — Romanzo Bunn, Madison, POLITICAL HISTORY", 269 District Attorney — A. R. Bushnell, Lancaster. Assistant District Attorney — W. H. Rogers, Madison. Marshal — D. C. Fulton, Hudson. Deputy Marshal — T. Scott Ansley, Mineral Point. Terms of Court: At Madison — First Monday in June. At La Crosse — Third Tuesday in September. Special Term: At Madison — First Tuesday in December. I think it would be rather tedious to enumerate the Presidents of the United States in order of succession, especially as the aver age schoolma'm has had the habit, for the last fifty years, to make the urchins repeat the table ad infinitum, considering this " teach ing elementary history." But we may, nevertheless, give a synopsis of the present government. president: Grover Cleveland of New York. VICE-PRESIDENT : Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana. (Died 1886.) The President pro temp, ofthe Senate is his constitutional suc cessor. THE CABINET. Secretary of State — Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware. " " Treasury — Daniel Manning of New York. Re signed; succeeded by Fairchild. Secretary of War — Wm. C Endicott, of Massachusetts. " " Navy— Wm. C. Whitney of New York. " " Interior — Lucius Q. C. Lamar of Mississippi. Postmaster General — Wm. F. Vilas of Wisconsin. Attorney General — Augustus H. Garland of Arkansas. Having now recited all of the important political events, ar rangements and organizations with which our county was or is now connected as a part of the country at large, of Wisconsin Ter ritory and of the State of Wisconsin, it will be proper to say some thing of the history of politics. I have in the foregoing refrained from mentioning anything relating to the internal administration, government and judiciary organization of the county, considering, that such matters are more properly related under the head of " Organization," under which they will be fully discussed. 270 POLITICAL HISTORY. The county of Buffalo was ushered into political existence at a time when party ties were extremely loose, and a complete revo lution was effected, in which one old party, the Whigs, was left without a name, the other, the Democrats, very much diminished in numbers and influence, especially in the northern states, and a new party, the Republican, was formed, and marshalled its forces for the first time in the presidential contest of 1856, in which Wis consin gave Fremont, Republican, 66,090 votes against 52,843 for Buchanan, thus, for the first time in its history declaring its oppo sition to the party which had become notorious for favoring the extension of the institution of slavery over all the remaining ter ritories of the United States, making it legal in all the future states. In the memorable struggle of 1860, which was followed by the War of the Rebellion, the stand of Wisconsin was still more de cided as it cast 86,110 votes for Lincoln against 65,021 for Douglas. The split in the Democratic party did not manifest itself greatly in this state, Breckinridge receiving only 888 votes, while that last shadow of the Whig-Knownothing-Union pretense, John Bell, re ceived only 161. The vote, then, was a vigorous protest against Proslavery preponderance, as well as that vacillating policy, which at any moment might take a summersault in the same direction. We must injustice to the Democratic party, as it manifested itself in this state, assert, that the great majority of them were subse quently war-democrats, and setting aside minor distinctions be tween themselves and the Republicans, supported the government as counsellors and as soldiers. Of this we will have occasion to speak afterwards. The election of 1864 giving Lincoln 83,458 against McClellan 65,884 showed some reaction in favor of democ racy, based, no doubt, on the mistaken notion, that " the war was a failure." Nevertheless Wisconsin was not willing to " Swap horses in the middle ofthe stream." The strength of the Repub lican party was displayed in 1868 in the first election of Gen. Grant to the presidency, he receiving 108,587 votes, against 84,710 for Horatio Seymour. Nor was his majority very much dimin ished in the second election, in spite of the opposition ofthe Lib eral Republicans who voted for Greeley. The vote stood 104 992 for Grant against 86,477 for Greeley. The increased democratic vote, however, ought to go to the credit of the Democrats inas much as it shows, that they were liberal enough to support a man, POLITICAL HISTORY. 271 who had fought the party in former times with all his force and power. The contest between Hayes and Tilden was very much closer, and stood Hayes 130,068, Tilden 123,927. The scales were, however, turned the' other way in 1880, when Garfield received 144,397, against Hancock 114,634. At the same election Weaver, the Greenback candidate, recsived 7980 votes. The last election showed a considerable falling off in the Republican majority, Blaine receiving 161,157, and Cleveland 146,477 votes, besides St. John, Prohibition candidate, 7,656, and Butler, People's Candidate 4,598. Of the votes cast outside of the regular parties we may ascribe the votes of Butler to a general dissatisfactian with the Republican nomination, to which, also, a considerable portion of the increase ofthe Democratic vote may be ascribed. Party feel ings ran high in this county, as elsewhere, in some of the presi dential elections, but we can not remember that they ever led to any serious excesses. From this most important, and also most exciting phase of our elections we turn to the gubernatorial contests, which some times, also, waxed rather hot. The list of Governors of this state shows a succession of Republicans, only once interrupted by the election of William R. Taylor in 1873, from the election of Coles Bashford in 1855 to the present incumbent Gen. Rusk. The Congressional District in which our county is situated, has been represented by a Republican at least since the 31st Con gress, and will be so in the 50th. Most of the State Senators from this district were Republicans, with the exception of the first few, who were probably Democrats. The Members of the Assembly during the time, when Buffalo County formed an Assembly Dis trict in conjunction with other counties were also Republicans, but since Buffalo County became in 1867, either as a whole, or in part, an Assembly District for itself there were quite a number of the members Democrats. This shows that party lines in local con tests were not always rigidly observed, and that personal prefer ences very frequently overruled them entirely. The policy of mak ing nominations for offices held in the county or for the county, dependent on party fidelity, or, as it is often the case, on obedience or submission to the dictates of party leaders, has been tried, and some times successfully, in this county as well .as in almost every other pjace in the Union, but it can not be relied , on at present. 272 POLITICAL HISTORY. Of course, during war times political feelings were hot, and the battles fought down south found their microscopic counterparts in every corner of the land. The missile weapons were words, and some bitter denunciations from either side were bombshells ; the itinerant stump-speaker was on a raid, local committees were on skirmish lines, and it was impossible to prevent the irregular forces from discharging their pop-guns. But the people of this county were unquestionably patriotic, and in an overwhelming ma jority Republicans, during that time, so that there was little chance for any serious encounters. Before the war some skirmishing was done on account of county-matters, the history of which will be given under the head of County Organization, as it would be a euphonistic exaggeration to call it politics, when the horizon of our perception of right and justice is limited by the view we take from our own threshold. This also applies to the little irritations caused by the contact of different nationalities, which, like every other contact, can not always be accomplished without more or less friction. These frictions were sometimes felt in the earlier years of our intercourse with each other, but have disappeared very largely, especially since the children of different nationalities have for years attended the same schools. We may now be in clined to look upon the manifestations of patriotism, of the party stripe, or of a local description, or of the nature of national preju dice, as upon something foolish or unjustifiable, yet it must be ad mitted that it was never considered as a reproach, and if sincere has its origin in generosity towards those, with whom nearer ties, accidental though they may be, have connected us from the time when impulses were stronger than reason, and we sometimes still use the reasoning faculty more for a weapon, than for a moderator. If, however, I admit, that prejudices of that kind have largely disappeared among our fellow-citizens, I am nevertheless aware of the fact, that they are occasionally stirred up by unprincipled politicians for their own selfish objects. Political education, though it has made great progress amongst us, is certainly not yet perfect, nor will it ever be. It would have been easy enough to bring up entertaining re miniscences of ebullitions belonging into this category, and allu sions, especially to some local animosities can not be entirely sup- POLITICAL HISTORY. 273 pressed, but of all such things we may; truly say: '^Tshe less said, the sooner mended." Perhaps it would be well to apply this proverb to a review of the present status and future prospects of the existing , political parties. These parties are : ; Republicans, Democrats, ' Prohibi tionists, Socialists, who divide into Labor Union Men, Land: Re formers and Anarchists. The Republicans and Democrats' are well organized, have their acknowledged leaders, * and also -their reliable followers. They are, however, languishing- for want of live issues. The Democrats accuse the RepuMieans at the least alluskon to the " late onpleasantness " and its still existing consequence, of swinging the " bloody shirt." The> Republicans retaliate by allu sions to the "Rebel Yell." For the balance, both parties want to be in office, which is not very likely to happen,, and will not last very long, if it should come to pass. So far the great*, body of voters in this county has been marshaled in these two camps by the force of habit rather than by any decided partisanship ftifcfaer way. There is among our fellow citizens no great ambition to fight over fossil issues. Tariff reform seemed. s always, that the districts could not be arranged to suit the various interests of the different towns. Of course, a member would have to be from one particular town, and the other towns belonging to the district might feel slighted and jealous, although they had nothing to say against the member elect personally. With regard to the busi ness to be transacted, I think it was almost too much for three oi even five men, but I have not heard that any serious complaints were made as to the administration of affairs, although there was always dissatisfaction for the reasons already mentioned. The di vision itself was made as follows: District No. 1. Waumandee, Glencoe, Cross and Gilmanton, District No. 2. Buffalo, Eagle Mills, Belvidere and City ol Buffalo. District No. 3. Nelson, Naples, Maxville, Modena and Alma, The Town of Modena was established at this session and tc consist of Township 23, Range 12 with the northern tier of sec tions of Township 22, Range 12. The salary of the county superintendent of schools, of which the first one had been elected that year, and was to enter into office in January 1862, was stipulated at $400 per annum. The numerous mistakes occurring in assessments, especially by assessing land not yet entered, could not be remedied until an abstract of entries was procured from the land office of the dis trict, and it was ordered that this should be procured. ORGANIZATION. 299 In this session Conrad Moser, Jr., who was deputy for J. D. Lewis acted for the first time as county clerk. The three supervisors for the newly created districts had al ready been elected and held a special meeting. January 3d, 1862. The districts were represented as follows: 1st district by John Maurer of Waumandee; 2d " by John Buehler of Buffalo; 3d " by John Burgess of Nelson. John Buehler was elected chairman for the year. Sections 4 and 5 of Township 19 Range 11 were detached from the town of Buffalo and annexed to that of Eagle Mills. The county court, F. Fetter, Judge, was permitted to be held at Fountain City, until the new court house would afford the necessary accommodation. Arrangements were made to procure the necessary furniture for the new court house. Another special meeting was held June 2d, 1862. County Treasurer L. F. Binder having died, it had become necessary to appoint his successor, and Peter Polin was destined to fill the vacancy. Section 36 of Township 21 Range 12 was detached from the town of Belvidere and annexed to that of Waumandee. It was ordered that the proceedings of the board should be published in the Alma " Journal " and the Buffalo County "Republikaner " at one half of legal rates. The citizens of Alma were allowed to hold town meetings at the court house. A special meeting was held September 1st, 1862. In this meeting it was resolved to petition the Governor of the state to cause all Indians to be removed. There were none in Buf falo County, and hardly a handful in any county within fifty miles from it, but at that time the outbreak of the Sioux in Min nesota took place and everybody was scared. Panics aie always unreasonable, for the Indians in our neighborhood, if any there were, had more reason to be scared than the white population, of Whom there were perhaps many hundredfold more, who on sus picion might have made rough work with the poor redskins. §00 ORGANIZATION. In this session it was resolved that the following registered town plats should be vacated: City of Belvidere, Buehler's Addition to Fountain City, the City or Village of Upper Fountain City. Annual meeting held November 11th, 1862, John Burgess was elected chairman. The treasurer was authorized to exchange tax certificates on village lots in his office for such certificates on land. It was re solved to vacate Bishop's Addition, the Lower Addition and Pat terson's Addition to Fountain City. The salary of the county clerk was fixed at the sum of $800 annually. Up to that time he had his fees on redemption of tax certificates and other transac tions. The County Judge was requested to move his official quart ers to the court house. At the special meeting December 1st, 1862, the making up of the jury list was the main transaction. Another special meeting was held March 24th 1868, in which Sections 6 and 5, and the West Half of Section 4 of Township 21, Range 12, were detached from the town of Belvidere and annexed to that of Alma. Some discussion was held on the subject of altering the Foun tain City and Alma road in such a manner as to avoid building a bridge at the mill dam in Eagle Mills. At the special meeting held July 6th, 1863, the re-establishment of the supervisor districts was the order of the day. No changes were made in them. There is something said in the proceedings of this session about a petition to the Attorney General of the State, or rather an inquiry, concerning a supposed mistake on the part of J. A. Tester, Deputy County Treasurer in signing tax certificates without first signing the name of County Treasurer Polin. This was about the time when everything began to be scrutinized by the piercing eyes of our lawyers, and flaws, real or supposed, were made capital in the industry of politics, though this particular case did not afford yery much opportunity for that. I can not now remember how ORGANIZATION. 301 he matter terminated, which affords me sufficient reason for sup- •osing that the alleged mistake finally was no mistake at all, and t the worst only the omission of a customary but not essential ormality. The board met • July 13th, 1863, or the purpose of equalization ef assessments. The annual meeting convened November 10th, 1863, nit was adjournedto November 16th. It was resolved that the County Superintendent of Schools: should receive a salary of $400 per annum, provided that he furn- sh from the teacher or teachers of every school district a certificate >f having spent two whole days in the school. In case of such cer- •ificates not forthcoming the fourth quarter of said salary should be withheld and he should receive but $300.00. Did it not occnr to the gentlemen : 1. That the law prescribed the duties of the^ superintendent, and gave them no authority whatever in the mat ter? 2. That they virtually made the superintendent dependent- upon those, who by law were under his jurisdiction? 3. That a superintendent (or any other officer) who needed such a whip to- be driven to perform his duty, was not worth having under any circumstances ? This was a most unwarranted and gratuitous insult to the su perintendent elect, Mr.. C. F. Kingsland, and the only excuse, Buch is it is, for this resolution might be, that it was only intended to »ive the people at large a favorable impression of the severity of the county board in official matters. The salary of the District Attorney was fixed at $400.00; that- )f the County Treasurer at $600.00. $100 were appropriated for the purchase of a safe of Mr. Fin- selnburg. The Treasurer was required to give $16,000.00 offi cial bonds. Sections 25 and 36 of Township 22, Range 12, were detached from the town of Alma and annexed to that of Waumandee. Adjourned to November 21st, probably to give the clerk and ¦reasurer time to make up their reports. Why they should have :equired so much extra time, does not appear . One matter, how- iver which had been allowed to go on and to grow into an accum-- 302 ORGANIZATION. ulated nuisance may have been at the bottom of it. This was the issue of illegal tax certificates, a large per cent, of which were on land not entered at the time of assessing it, and another large per cent, originating in the inexperience of those, who had to do the preliminary work, the balance being due to other accidental neglects or errors, which will happen under the most rigid system and scrutiny. The abstract of entries, of which to every town such a part was sent in copy, as contained all the original descriptions of the entered land had been in some degree applied to the correc tion of the increasing evil, and the mass of the certificates had to be separated and decisions made as to what should be done with the separate lots of them. The matter was, of course, very import ant, but whether it required all the fuss and feathers, in the way of public notices and such things that was made about it, I am, at this distant day, inclined to doubt. There was a plain chance for somebody to show his superior knowledge' and consequent import- tance, that could not very well pass unimproved. At the specal meeting March 21st 1864, the supervisors were: 1st District — John Maurer, Waumandee. 2d District— Ferdinand Huefner, Buffalo. 3d District — John Burgess, Nelson. It was resolved, that the certificates on lots in the vacated town-plats should be sold at auctiomduring an advertised period of four weeks, and afterwards at the option of the County Treasurer. An appropriation was made for the construction of a bridge across Trempealeau River, provided that the town in which it was situated was to appropriate the same sum. The bridge was to be erected in Section 10, T. 20, R. 10j -which, I -think, is about six miles out of the way. A report on the county road to the bridge in question was de manded, from Fountain City across the bluffs. The jail builtby the City of Buffalo was to be inspected with regard to its fitness for a county jail. $150.00 were appropriated for extra work performed in -the office of county treasurer,- most or all of it with regard to abstracts of entries and illegal certificates probably also for getting -up the plat-books and making the entries in the same. ORGANIZATION. 303 Special meeting, July 11th, 1864. Board consisting of John Burgess, Ferdinand Huefner and John Ochsner. Mr. Burgess was elected chairman, possibly at the preceding meeting, and it may also be that John Ochsner was present at the same. It was resolved that the road across or upon the mill dam in Eagle Mills should be surveyed, field-notes and plat filed in the office of the county clerk, and right, of way secured. Specifications to be made, and contract advertised for the construction of the road. $500.00 were appropriated for the road from Fountain City to La Crosse (via Trempealeau River bridge, I suppose). Might as well have been appropriated for a road to the moon, although, if intelligently expended, it was a proper application of money. $150.00 were appropriated for improvements in the Buffalo City and Waumandee road. It was resolved to furnish the County Superintendent of Schools with revenue stamps to put upon teachers' certificates. The County Clerk was ordered to procure an official seal for the Register of Deeds. The Treasurer was ordered to advance the necessary money to defray expenses in the prosecution of the case of the State of Wis consin against Christian Brucker, to be tried on a change of venue in Pepin County. The District Attorney to account for the proper use of the money advanced. A special meeting was held September 12th, 1864. A proposition was received of Ferdinand Mehrmann to build the dam (for his own mill) and the bridges for crossing (mill stream and waste flues) for $1500.00. The clerk was empowered to make a contract, and the necessary sum was appropriated for the purpose. At the annual meeting November 15th, adjourned to 16th, the salary of the County Clerk was fixed at $1000.00 and he was required to give bonds in the sum of $5000,00. It was resolved to publish the. delinquent tax lists in the Eng lish and German newspapers published in the county, as before. 304 ORGANIZATION. An appropriation was made for repairing the bridge across Beef River, above and near Alma. License was granted to A. G. Remondino of Wabasha for a ferry across the Mississippi at that point and to John Creese for one across Beef Slough at some connecting point. Special meeting held July 10th, 1865, mostly for the purpose of equalizing assessments. Mr. Remondino required to appear September 2d before the board to have his ferry-charter amended. $150.00 were appropriated for planks on the Beef River bridge near Alma. At the special meeting September 11th, 1865, Mr. Remondino surrendered his ferry-charter, and the same was transferred to Levy Deetz and one McClarney at reduced rates for the time from May 1st to November 1st in each year, charges for other times according to old rates. Resolved not to issue county orders for illegal tax certificates until after annual meeting. At the annual meeting November 14th 1865, (adjourned to 15th,) the salaries of the county officers were determined as follows: Treasurer $800.00, and to give a bond of $16,000.00; District At torney $400.00, and County Superintendent $400.00. The county treasurer's office having been plundered some time before, the clerk was ordered to procure a burglar proof safe. Appropriations were made to: The town of Alma for alterations on Beef River Road $500.00 The town of Eagle Mills to improve Waumandee Road 300.00 Robert Lees to pay expenses of Quo warranto suit 150.00 Orders wercto be made out for illegal certificates. A reward of $20.00 was voted to Otto Furrer who had found the county orders formerly stolen from the Treasurer's office. $25.00 were appropriated for the construction of an " ice breaker " on the Trempealeau River bridge, to which the county had contributed money. The meeting was adjourned to December 18th, 1865, ORGANIZATION. 305 At this adjourned meeting Sections 13 and 24 of Township 21, flange 12, were taken from the town of Belvidere and annexed to hat of Waumandee. The petition for establishing the town of Elizabeth (now Canton) was laid over until next meeting. The Register of Deeds (at that time Jacob Wirth) was re vested to write plainly . To understand this, it must be remem- Dered that the Register of Deeds for the past four years had been 3tis F. Warren, considered to be the best penman in the county at ;hat time. Jacob Wirth, the Register elect, was a one-armed vet eran, who could, with his left hand write quite well and legibly, out could not be expected to handle the books of the registry, nor ;o write much into them as he would be tired out by the position -ie would have to assume for the purpose. He was also much ad- licted to hard drinking, and unreliable for the actual business of ;he office. It was a foregone conclusion, that he would have to smploy a competent deputy, and the resolution above quoted was perhaps a strong hint to be careful in the selection. But there was still another notion in the injunction. Our lawyers, and other ¦juibblers, had determined that, according to law, and the deci sions of "ze Supreme Court," the Register of Deeds must actually " write " every word of an instrument to be placed on record, and should not, on pains of rendering the record " void " use any blanks, that is, no part of the record should be partly printed and partly written. Thus the emphasis of the sentence is to be put upon the verb "write" and not upon the adverb "plainly." As •his was the last meeting in which C. Mose'r, jr., was to act as bounty Clerk, the board passed resolutions of thanks for his able md courteous conduct in the office. Although in general such com- oliments are as hollow and meaningless as most other compli- nents, and as I am afraid that they who passed xthe vote did not exactly realize the situation, yet I must say, that Mr. Moser did generally speaking, deserve the compliment of having been a capable, attentive and courteous officer. The system he introduced nto everything connected with the administration of county iffairs, though perhaps not perfect, was certainly superior to prev ious ways', and in fact simple and comprehensible, and worked irery well for a long time. Even at present time we see some effects of it, although they can not be traced out by every one, 306 ORGANIZATION. The new board elected at the general election in fall, held a special meeting February 10th, 1866. The members were: 1st District — George Cowie of Glencoe. 2d District — Henry Roettiger of Buffalo. 3d District — Harvey P. Farrington of Naples. Mr. Cowie was elected chairman. The petition for establishing a town of Elizabeth was again postponed; also, an application of the City of Buffalo relating to the purchase of tax certificates upon lots in the place. $500.00, probably due on milldam contract, was appropriated to the town of Eagle Mills. The clerk was ordered to turn over to the County Surveyor plat and field notes on the survey of the road on the mill clam. A special meeting was again held July 9th, 1866, probably on. account of equalization of assessments which was duly performed. Other business was transacted as follows : Resolved to pay tax certificates to towns for such taxes returned unpaid as they w7ere entitled to; Appropriation made for the Trempealeau bridge, and $23.05 for costs in the case of the State of Wisconsin ex relat. Gates, against Ferdinand Fetter. Annual meeting November 13th, 1866. Account of Pepin County in the case of State vs. Christian Brucker, $140.00, allowed. $200.00 appropriated for the road from Fountain City to Black River Falls, and the same amount on the Trempealeau bridge. The salary of the County Clerk was fixed at $1000.00 and his bond at $5000.00. Resolved to fine the member from the third district Harvey P. Farrington $50.00 for non-attendance at this session. Special meeting January 21st, 1867. The several supervisor districts were represented by the fol lowing members: 1st District — George Cowie of Glencoe. 2d District — Lawrence Kessinger of Belvidere. ORGANIZATION. 307 3d District — James L. Hallock of Maxville. Resolved not to allow any accounts against the county until the annual meeting. This resolution was rescinded in the next meeting. The abstract of entries was ordered to be completed to the time being. A strip, one mile wide, being the northern tier of sections in the Township 23 of Ranges 13 ancl 14, was detached from the Town of Maxville and annexed to that of Nelson. The town of Page (now Canton) was set off containing Town ship 24 of Range 12, ancl elections ordered to be held at the schoolhouse at Walker's Corners in April. Special meeting held May 8th, 1867. Account of the Town of Eagle Mills for improvement on the Milldam road rejected. Also to make an appropriation for the Trempealeau bridge, the matter represented being too indefinite. $200 appropriated for repairs on Beef River bridge above Alma. $200 appropriated to the town of Nelson for bridges. The town of Eagle Mills was vacated, but not divided. The name of the Town of Page was changed to Canton. The West Half of Section 33 and the East Half of Section 34 of Township 24, Range 13, were detached from the Town of Max ville and annexed to that of Nelson. Ordered a desk to be purchased for the use of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Resolved to build a Jail adjacent to the Court House and to begin the necessary excavation forthwith. Special meeting July 8th, 1867. Resolved to publish, that at the annual meeting the Town of Eagle Mills would be divided, and petitions for the formation of the Towns of Altoona and Montana would be heard. Resolved to charge the amount, of illegal tax certificates against the town from which, by any mistake or neglect of officers of the same, it originated. The salary of the County Treasurer was fixed at $1000.00, and his bond at $42,000.00 on account of the large amount of money to §08 ORGANIZATION. be collected for building the jail.' The salary of the District At torney to be $500. The Sheriff was authorized to hold his office in the same room as the County Treasurer. At the annual meeting November 15th, 1867, the town of Eagle Mills was distributed as follows: To the Town oi Buffalo, all that part in Range 11, in Town ship 19 and the South half of Township 20, all of Town 19, Range 12 and the eastern tier of Sections 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 36, 35, and 34 of Township 20, Range 12. To the Town of Waumandee the northern half of Township 20, Range 11, and such parts of Sections 1, 12 and 13 of Township 20, Range 12, as had belonged to Eagle Mills. To the town of Belvidere the Sections 20, 21, 22 and 23 of Township 20, Range 12. Besides this division there was ageneial change of boundaries for the better accommodation of the occupants of the parte trans ferred from one town to another. The east halves of Sections 2 and 11 of Township 20, Range 12 from Belvidere to Waumandee. Sections 5, 6 and 7 and North Half of Section 8 of Township 22, Range 11, from Waumandee to Alma. The Town of Montana consisting of Township 22, Range 10, with the next adjacent two rows of Sections of Township 22, Range 11, was set off, the first election to be held at the schoolhouse in Dannuser's valley. The meeting adjourned to December 2d, 1867. Certain roads were designated as county roads, as required by a law of the preceding legislature, and a special county road tax levied. Specifications of jail-building settled, and advertisement for bids to be published, the bids to be opened February 3d, 1868. Supervisor Kessinger was to act as the agent of the board in this matter. Wolf bounty ordinance of 1857 repealed. There was a rather animated discussion in regard to the pub lication of delinquent taxlist and proceedings of the county board organization. 309 in the German language as had been customary, which resulted in a resolution of continuing the custom. Special meeting held lebruary 3d, 1868. The board consisted of the same supervisors. L. Kessinger was elected chairman for the year. An admonition was given to the County Superintendent to be diligent in visiting schools. Resolved to publish a new advertisement with regard to the building of the Jail. County Roads selected in Gilmanton and Naples. The NE i of SE J of Section 33, Township 20, Range 11, was detached from the town of Buffalo and annexed to that of Cross. At the special meeting March 16th, 1868, the proposals for the building of the jail were opened and accepted, and the work contracted with Messrs. Oenning and Giesen, and Henry Roettiger of Fountain City. Some further corrections were made relative to the distribu tion of the territory of the former town of Eagle Mills. It may be as well to say something here about the causes which led to the discontinuance of the political organization of this town, which now has so often been mentioned in these pages. There was at the time some dissatisfaction in regard to it, and even political reasons were asserted to have caused the action of the county board, but I think the following reasons were the leading ones- in the action of the board : I. The town was a small one, containing a considerable amount of land that was not very productive in the way of taxes actually paid, hence whenever any improvements had become necessary of roads or bridges the inability of the town to effect them was the ever ready plea, for doing little or nothing in the matter. Especially the Milldam road was a continual source of complaints and of appeals to the county for help. 2. The transportation of the towns of Waumandee and Mon tana to their customary market at Fountain City had of necessity to pass through this town, making it imperative that something should be done for the improvements of roads, the town of Wau mandee being willing to do the work, if it could get the control 3lO ORGANIZATION. over the roads, which could only be done by annexing some terri tory from Eagle Mills. 3. The town of Buffalo, of which Fountain City was then a part, was also largely interested in the serviceable condition of the roads in Eagle Mills, and willing to take care of those in the ad joining parts, but could do nothing to the purpose unless these parts came under its control. 4. A division of the town was legally impossible, would not have been ratified by the inhabitants, and would only have enfee bled the town so much more. There was, then, nothing else left but what was clone. The subsequent establishment of the^ Town of Milton out of part of the former Town of Eagle Mills by the legislature in the act of incorporating the Village of Fountain City does not prove anything against the reasons alleged above, especi ally as most of the parts assigned -to the Town of Waumandee were left in, and still- constitute part of, that town, relieving the Town of Milton of the care of the most expensive roads. Annual meeting November 10th, 1868. There was only the routine business before the board, but an adjournment had to be taken in order to give County Treasurer Beely time to make up a new report, the first one having been found very deficient. Adjourned annual meeting November 23d, 1868. At this meeting the settlement with the County Treasurer was finally concluded. A special meeting was held January 11th, 1869, in which the new board, consisting of: . 1st District — George Cowie of Glencoe. 2d " —J. B. Oenning of Buffalo. 3d " —J. L. Hallock of Nelson; organized by electing Mr. Cowie its chairman for the ensuing year. A resolution was passed to request, that the County Superin tendent should discontinue to publish school reports at public expense. lt was further resolved that the Member of the Assembly from ORGANIZATION. 311 this district be requested to oppose any changes in the boundary of towns and supervisor districts by the legislature. Another special meeting was held April 2d, 1869, and a rule established that in future any contemplated change in the boundary line of towns had to be duly published in the papers, at least six weeks previous to acting upon them in the county board. The Beef River bridge above Alma having been carried out by the ice in spring, a ferry had become necessary in the place of it, and a charter for the purpose was granted to Thomas Lawrence. The meeting was adjourned to May 25th, 1869, in which it was resolved to transfer the land on the west and north side of Beef River in Township 22 Range 13, which had hitherto belonged to the Town of Alma, to the Town of Nelson, as being contiguous to, and having the same interests, as the town to which it was annexed. A set of abstracts of title, which had been begun by Moser and Hunner, was purchased of the firm for $1,100.00, to be car ried up to time by them, and then continued by the Register of Deeds in future. A special meeting was convened July 12th, 1869, in which the principal business was to divide the county into five supervisor districts, according to a law passed by the last legisla ture. The partition was made as follows: 1st District — Town of Alma, Village of Alma with the towns of Modena and Nelson. 2d District — Towns of Gilmanton, Glencoe and Montana. . 3d " " of Cross and Buffalo inch Fountain City. 4th " " of Waumandee and Belvidere and City of Buffalo. 5th " " Naples, Canton and Maxville. Annual meeting November 9th, 1869. A petition had been presented from the city of Buffalo to be granted a tax-deed for all the lots on which taxes had not been 312 ORGANIZATION. paid for a number of years, so as to keep them out of further as sessment, and to insure the payment of taxes from the remaining lots, the county board ordered L. Kessinger to examine the certi ficates involved in the proposition, and to report on the matter at the next meeting. It was also agreed that L. Kessinger should make the entries of transfers, and of newly entered land and homesteads into the plat books from time to time. The settlement with county-treasurer Beely, which was to be final, as he went out of office, was found to be a very complicated affair and took considerable time, but was finally concluded, and everything straightened out, to turn over to his successor. A special meeting was called on January 8th, 1870, in which the following members appeared: 1st District: James L. Hallock ofthe town of Nelson. 2d " J. G. Senty of the town of Montana. 3d J. B. Oenning ofthe town of Buffalo. 4th " John Ochsner of the town of Waumandee. 5th " J. H. Aiken of the the town of Maxville. A petition, to annex part of the town of Nelson to that of Alma was laid over in order to publish it. At the next special meeting March 14th, 1870, no proceedings were had, as some lawyers insisted that according to a decision of the Supreme Court the board was not legally or ganized. The board adjourned pending an inquiry into the mat ter, but assembled again March 22d, 1870. The petition to return the northern mile-strip of the Town of Nelson to' Maxville, was refused. The town of Buffalo was organized according to a provision in the charter of the Village of Fountain City, to consist of all the parts of Township 18, Ranges 10 and 11 situated within this county, and of Sections 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36 of Town ship 19, Range 11, and all the part of Township 19, Range 10, situ ated in this county. Anotly meeting was held March 30th, 1870, ORGANIZATION. 31 3 in which the Town of Milton was organized, pursuant to a provi sion of the charter of the Village of Fountain City, to consist of the West Half of Section 3, and the North Half of Sections 4 and 5, of Township 19, Range 11, the South Half of Sections 16, 17 and 18, and all the sections from 19 to 33 of Township 20, Range 11; also all of the sections from 20 to 36 of Township 20, Range 12. There seems to have been something in the rumor of a deci sion of the Supreme Court, adverse to the existence of the County Commissioner or District Supervisor System, for in the special meeting May 23d, 1870, the board met according to the old custom, each town represented by its chairman, Peter Polin representing the Village of Alma. Mr. Geo. Cowie of Glencoe was elected chairman. In this session Section 23 of Township 22 Range 13 was annexed to the town of Belvidere as in some former sessionSections 24 and 25 of the same Township and Range had been annexed to the same town, which however, must be a blunder in the number of the township, mean ing 21 instead of 22, the respective sections of 21 lying contiguous to Belvidere below the corporate limits of the village, now city of Alma. The special meeting of June 20th, 1870, was mainly devoted to the equalization of assessments. The annual meeting November 15th, 1870, adjourned to the following day, in token of respect to Mr. Peter Polin, a member of the county board, who had suddenly died on the 6th day of November. R. R. Kempter had been chosen in his place, Resolutions of condolence were passed. The Town of Dover was established * consisting of the entire [Township 23 of Range 10, the town to organize at the ensuing townmeeting, to be held at the house of W. H. H. Amidon in Bennett Valley. The salaries of the county officers were fixed as follows: County Clerk $1000, Treasurer $800, County Superientendent S4.00 per diem, limited to 200 days, but only $500 appropriated to the purpose. At a special meeting 314 ORGANIZATION. May 30th, 1871, an appropriation was made to the Village of Alma, of $2,000, con ditioned on $3,500 being expended by said village and the town of Nelson, to aid in the construction of a road and several bridges, across Beef River and the adjoining swamps toward the peninsula between the swamp and Beef Slough. Mr. Harvey Brown, chairman of the town of Naples, and the chair man of the town of Nelson, together with some person appointed from the village of Alma to be a committee for the supervision of the expenditure. Annual meeting November 14th, 1871. Chapter 67, General Laws of 1871, required a dog-license to be levied. The county board determined on $1.00 each for male, $2.00 for female dogs. Mr. Lees was opposed to it, and Mr. Schaettle wanted $2 and $3 respectively. Bond of Clerk fixed at $5,000, that of Treasurer at $32,000. The town of Lincoln was laid out in parts still belonging to Waumandee in Little Waumandee Valley, parts belonging to Bel videre and others to Montana. In this delineation the convenience of settlers as to roads and schools was the great motive considera tion. At the annual Meeting in November 1872, an appropriation was made to the Buffalo County Agricultural Society of $300 to enable it to make preparations for an exhibi tion the year following. The South Half of Section 14, Township 20, Range 12, was detached from the town of Belvidere and annexed to that of Milton. The County Treasurer was appointed agent for the purchase and distribution of stationery for the county officers entitled to such by law. At the annual meeting in November 1873, Section 9, Township 19, Range 10, was detached from the town of Buffalp and annexed to that of Cross. The bond of the County Treasurer was fixed at $40,000. The lot adjoining the court house lot on the northside was purchased for the county from Mr. Moser. for $150.00. ORGANIZATION. 315 A memorial was adopted to pray the legislature to abolish the charter of the City of Buffalo. Also a vote of thanks to J. W. DeGroff whose official career as County Clerk would close after New Year's. Mr. De Groff had held the office of clerk of the county- board for a considerable period, and had distinguished himself in it by ability, courtesy and a spirit of accommodation- very com mendable. At the annual meeting in November 1874, the East Half of the Northeast Qnarter and of the Southeast Quarter of Section 27 Township 22 Range 11 was detached from the town of Lincoln and annexed to that of Montana. At the annual meeting in November 1875, the boundaries of the village of Alma were extended across Beef River to include parts of Section 25 all of sections 26, 27 and 28 of Township 22 Range 13 which were detached from the town of Nelson. This was done to give the village the taxes of the sec tions in which it had made so expensive improvements which had to be maintained at considerable expense. At the annual meeting in November 1876, ' Mr. Orlando Brown moved a memorial to the legislature to unite the towns of Naples, Canton and Maxville again with Assembly District consisting of Buffalo County in part. The SE i of SE i of Section 4 Township 21 Range 11 was transferred from the town of Lincoln to that of Waumandee. $175 was appropriated to C. Moser, Jr., for work in the county judge's office which had accumulated during the last illness of Judge Fetter deceased. At the annual meeting November 1877, District Attorney Finkelnburg informed the board that, by a decision of the Supreme Court, tax certificates on which a govern ment stamp had been affixed according to the laws of the United States (now repealed) were illegal, and that tax-deeds issued upon such certificates, and also stamped in the same manner, were void, This was the post festum rumination upon a subject, for which §16 ORGANIZATION. there had been superabundant cause for about 12 years, but which had been allowed to go on without serious opposition until the mischief was done. Or was, perhaps, the decision itself the mis chief ? I could not yet make up my mind upon the matter. Another tax had been decided to be unconstitutional, by the same authority, that upon dogs. If anybody wanti to learn the reason '• why," let him ask a lawyer, if he is not one himself. But whether he will be much wiser by the answer, I could not say, probably, if he is not, it is his own fault. The annual meeting in November 1878, brought nothing before the board that might not be strictly con sidered as " routine business." The annual meeting in November 1879, witnessed some of those changes of town boundaries, to which I have alluded at the introduction to the proceedings of the county board, as being the result of a, denser settlement of the country, by which the inconvenience of belonging to a certain town, and not to the one next adjacent, is clearly demonstrated. The SW i of SW i of Section 7 Township 19 Range 10, and the South Half of SE i and SE i of SW i of Section 12 Township 19 Range 11 were detached from the town of Cross, and annexed to that of Buffalo. The NE 1 of Section 16 and the South Half of SE i of Section 9 Township 201 Range 11 was detached from the town of Waumandee and annexed to that of Cross. Also the West Half of SE J of Section 4 Township 19; Range 11 from the town of Cross to that of Milton. The proceedings of the annual meeting in November 18S0S show nothing but routine work. At the annual meeting in November 1881, the name of the town of Naples, was changed' to Mondovi, prepara tory to a division of the same, so that its western half, Township, 24, Range 11, should be organized into a new town with the same name, while the eastern half, Township 24 Range 10 should at the ensuing town meeting become organized as a new or separate town by the old name of Naples. Mr. S. D. Hubbard was the chair- ORGANIZATION. 317 man of the yet united town in this meeting and carried these changes. At the annual meeting in November 1882, the East Half of Section 34 and West Hall of Section 35 were re united with the town of Maxville, much to the gratification of the old settlers of that town. A petition was brought for a road to be laid out from Misha . Mokwa to North Pepin, and commissioners appointed for the pur pose. The land of Henry Lorenz situated in the town of Alma was transferred to the town of Lincoln, and the land of A. J. Beisel situated in the town of Waumandee was also transferred to Lincoln. Annual meeting in November 1883, some land lying in the town of Lincoln was exchanged for some other land of the same extent, belonging to the town of Montana, the chairman of each of the two towns requesting the alteration. At the same meeting the so-called mile-strip which is described in some other place in these proceedings, was re-annexed to the town of Maxville from which it had been detached some fifteen or more years ago. In the annual meeting in November 1884, nothing but the routine work has been done. At the annual meeting in November 1885, there was considerable excitement on account of a road proposed to be laid out from the middle part of the Little Waumandee Valley towards the Beef River Valley. As far as the Town of Alma was concerned, the road was already laid out to the boundary line of the town of Lincoln, but the latter town by its chairman, and by a petition of numerous of its citizens protested against extending it to the main road in the valley, while other citizens of the town had made an application for its extension. The county board con sidered the road useful and necessary and requested the town board of Lincoln to lay it out, and determined to lay it out by a committee, if the supervisors would refuse or- neglect to act in the 318 ORGANIZATION. matter. After some delay the order of the county board was exe cuted. At the annual meeting in November 1886, there was no other work but the usual routine. General Review. In the above I have given au abstract of such work of the ad ministration and legislature ofthe county that was not of common occurrence in every meeting. Much of that even may only be in teresting to a few readers, or only a few items may be worth look ing at by one person, and some others by other persons. It will be observed that from the beginning there were many special meetings, and towards the end there were none. The rea son seems to be that it required much deliberation at first to set things right, to organize new towns and to change their limits ac cording to circumstances, which were developed by experience. The time had to come when important changes would no longer be necessary, and when out of the unavoidable conflict of interests some harmony would result, which though not entirely, perfect, would be satisfactory to most of the citizens, and would, at least be given a fair trial. In every well regulated community there must be persons empowered and commissioned to execute the laws. Such persons we call officers, and we have state officers, county officers and town officers, etc. The following is a table of the incumbents of the different county offices, with the time when each person was elected for the first time, or as the case may be, for the only time: SHERIFFS. NAMES. YEAR OP ELECTION J6hn Buehler 1853. Jesse Truman 1855. J. R. Hurlburt , 1857. John Buehler 1859. Andrew Hemrich 1861. W. H. Gates 1863. John Beely 1865. Wm. R. Turnbull 1867. Nic Philippi 1869. ORGANIZATION. 319 Harlow P. Farrington 1871. Nic. Philippi 1873. John Buehler 1875. J. M. Leonhardy 1877. M. W. McDonnell 1879. Joseph Thoeny 1881. Jason M. Pratt .". 1884. John Leonhardy 1886. CLERKS OF COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. NAMES. YEAR OF ELECTION. Chas. Bipes 1853. Thomas G. Hake 1855. John D. Lewis , 1857. C. Moser, jr 1862. John W. De Groff 1866. John Moser 1873. W. W. Wyman 1875. John Burgess 1877 Edward H. Waelty 1886. Henry Teckenburg served under appointment by the county board instead of Chas. Bipes, and Mr. Finkelnburg after the resig nation of Thomas G. Hake. C. Moser, jr., was for more than a year the deputy of J. D. Lewis. The regular term of this office is two years, but on account of changes in the time of election, there were two terms of three years each, which makes the years of service of some of the incumbents of odd numbers. This remark applies also to the other offices, and need not be repeated. TREASURERS. NAMES. YEAR OF ELECTION. L. F. Binder 1853. Christian Bohri, jr...- 1855. L. F. Binder 1861. Jacob Wirth 1863. J. J. Senn 1865. John Beely 1867. J. J. Senn 1869. Auren Rockwell 1871. 320 ORGANIZATION. G. M. Reinhardt 1875. Samuel Davis 1877. Erik Aime .. . 1879. Halvor A. Lee 1884. REGISTER OF DEEDS. NAMES. YEAR OF ELECTION. James M. Pierce 1853. W. H. Gates 1857. Frederick Binder 1859. Otis F. Warren 1861. Jacob Wirth 1865. Otis F.Warren 1867. J. P. Schnug 1869. Nic. Philippi 1871. Henry Bechmann 1873. J. M. Leonhardy 1879. Lutze Tscharner 1881. DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. NAMES. YEAR OF ELECTION. J. Adam Raetz, 1853. Wesley Pierce, 1855. L. Seals, 1857. Edward Lees, 1859. JohnW. McKay, 1867. Augustus Finkelnburg, 1869. Edw. Lees, 187 1. A. Finkelnburg, 1875. J. W. McKay, 1877. Theodore Buehler, 1881. Schuyler G. Gilman, 1884. CLERKS OF CIRCUIT COURT. NAMES. YEAR OF ELECTION. J. B. Alder matt,, ' 1853. Thos. G. Hake, 1855. Ferdinand Fetter, 1857. Ferdinand Hellmann, 1861. Richard R. Kempter, 1863. Fred Hohmann, 1865. Math. Fetzer, 1873, ORGANIZATION. 321 J. W. DeGroff, 1875. Nic. Philippi, 1877. J. W. DeGroff, , 1879. Fred Hohmann, 1886. county superintendents of schools. names: year of election: Augustus Finkelnburg 1861. C. F. Kingsland 1863. Robert Lees (to fill vacancy) 1864. James Imrie 1865. Robert Lees 1869. Lawrence Kessinger 1871. John C. Rathbun 1877. L. Kessinger 1871. Geo. Schmidt 1876. county surveyors. names: year of election: Henry Goerke 1855. Robert Strohmann 1857. Hiram B. Merchant, 1859. Robert Strohmann 1 861 . Emil Haeusser, 1863. L- Kessinger, 1865. A. W. Miller, 1869. John Buesch, 1871. Wm. Finkelnburg, 1879. John F. Schlossstein, 1884. coroners. names. year of election. Geo. Zimmermann 1853. Edmund Bishop 1855. Dr. Wm. Spuehr , 1857. Jacob Iberg 1863. Dr. A, Bodenstab 1866. Barney McDonough 1871. Dr. J. Ehing 1877, Dr. Newton McVey 1879. Jas. L. Hallock 1881. Barney McDonough 1884, 322 ORGANIZATION. Jas. L. Hallock -1886. COUNTY JUDGES. NAME. YEAR OF ELECTION. Marvin Pierce 1853. Ferdinand Fetter 1861. Augustus Finkelnburg 1865. Ferdinand Fetter 1869. Conrad Moser, jr 1877. Robert Lees 1881. Judge Fetter died Oct 16, 1876, and C. Moses, jr., was ap pointed by the governor to fill the vacancy. The following persons represent at present the county of Buf falo in an official capacity for the time annexed to each name: Robert Lees, County Judge, to January 1890. John Leonhardy, Sheriff, to January 1889. Edw. H. Waelty, County Clerk, to January 1889. Halvor A. Lee, Treasurer, to January 1889. Lutze Tscharner, Register of Deeds, to January 1889. Schuler G. Gilman, District Attorney, to January 1889. Fred. Hohman, Clerk of Circuit Court, to January 1889. Geo. Schmidt, Superintendent of Schools, to January 1889. J. F. Schlossstein, Surveyor, to January 1889. Jas. L. Hallock, Coroner, to January 1889. Jas. V. Jones, Member of Assembly, to January 1889. J. W. De Groff, Senator for Buffalo and Trempealeau County, to January 1891. A closer examination of the above tables will disclose the fact, that a considerable number of our county officers have been re elected for the next term, or several consecutive terms, or, as in the case of sheriff, where a consecutive term is prohibited by law, after an interval of one or two terms. This shows that the men thus honored must have given satisfaction in the discharge of their official duty. : It also shows, that the people appreciate a faithful servant and mean to express their sptisfaction. The county has been especially fortunate in never, during the 33 years of its ad ministrative existence, having been compelled to go into litigation with any of its officers for any reason whatever; , There are some doubts in my mind whether the number of votes in the earlier elections might not be more properly discussed under the head of ORGANIZATION. 323 " Population," but the few notes 1 have taken on the subject may also stand here. In the election 1853 there were 18 votes, most of the candi dates receiving all of them. The same number of votes was cast for prohibitory liquor law, a vote taken under Chapter 101 of the General Laws of 1853. This was not intended to be an amend ment to the constitution of the state. At the next election 120 votes, probably all, or nearly all of them, were polled for Coles Bashford as Governor. Tw7o years later the vote amounted to 526, and in 1859, 690 votes, 790 in 1861, and 790 besides the votes of the soldiers in the different camps in 1863. In 1864 Moser received 803 votes, but I think there were more between Robert Lees and myself. After that I did not find it very interesting to note all the combinations of votes cast at the different elections. There is al ways a greater number of votes at a spring, than at a fall election, which, among other instances, may account for the majority of about 960 Robert Lees carried off in his first contest for the county judgeship. An essential part of a county organization is the description of every town in the usual way. These descriptions have been given incidentally in the proceedings of the county board of sup ervisors, but it can not be expected that every reader should take the trouble to combine the pieces detached from one or more towns annexed to one or another. For the purpose of giving an accurate 1 idea of the extent and figure of each town, as now organized, the description will be prefixed to the separate history of each town, village or city, and it is also accurately delineated upon the ac companying map. 324 TRANSPORTATION. TRANSPORTATION. We find in the chapter on Indians that the canoe was the first vehicle for the transportation of persons ancl of burdens. Its building, the materials necessary or customary for the purpose and its general utility are sufficiently described in the same place. Its capacity for commercial transportation was indeed very limited, yet not so much so as to jDrevent its general use. From the narra tives of early explorers it clearly appears that a canoe of ordinary size was capable of carrying from two to five men with their arms and implements, and sometimes a considerable stock of provisions or merchandise also. La Salle carried a blacksmith's forge and the necessary iron along with him in canoes perhaps divided up, but still consisting of heavy material. It being clearly impossible to man very many canoes, as one man could not be expected to manage a very large weight with safety and dispatch, and an ex pedition of that kind requiring tools for building fortifications and houses, besides a heavy stock of goods for trading and presents, and a plentiful supply of arms and ammunition, we can form an estimate of the weight each of these canoes must have been cap able of floating. There were, however, some limits to that capac ity not dependent on size even in those primitive times, when the demands of commerce were as a grain of sand beside a mountain compared with those of modern times. The first advance from the canoe, for the same purposes, and still with a view to propell ing by the use of paddles, was the batteau or Mackinaw boat of the French traders ancl voyageurs. Its peculiar construction af forded some advantages over the canoe, especially greater capacity deeper draught, steadier course, and perhaps greater strength, which. were set off by a want of portability and the necessity of having boards for the construction of it. The canoe and the batteaux re mained the craft for the. coasting trade and private communica tion, as well as in fishing, until in quite recent times, and those TRANSPORTATION. 325 living on Beef Slough will not fail to remember the fleet of bat teaux brought down by the crews of the first log-drive in 1868. The skiff has superseded this ancient craft entirely at least on the Mississippi. On the Lakes, where there was more room for ma- noeuvering, sailing craft, with or without decks, with temporary or fixed masts and rigging soon became a necessity, but nevertheless increased very slowly, fast enough, perhaps, for the demands of commerce and the traffic of the past, but infinitely out off all pro portion with present necessities or accommodations. On the rivers the capacious keel boat, or as we now would style it, the barge, in tended to be propelled by poles stuck in the bottom of the river, the men leaning with the shoulder against the upper end, shoving the boat along by seemingly walking on the deck or on a plank, was used for the transportation of heavier goods, or larger quanti ties. These barges were, at least partially, provided with an upper deck, partly to walk upon, partly, for the protection of the men and the cargo against rain or other inclemencies of the weather. Most of them were also provided with temporary masts and sim ple tackle and rigging for using the same when the wind and the water-space, or rather the width and comparative straightness of the channel, presented a favorable opportunity. This poling or pushing of boats or barges against the current was not only a toil some and tedious, but also a very unsatisfactory way of transpor tation. High water, required for boats of deep draught, could not be made available, as it was impossible to provide poles long enough to reach to the bottom, ancl still not too heavy for managing by the men. At the times of low water, sandbars and rapids were almost unconquerable obstructions. Days, and sometimes weeks were consumed in lightening these barges and conveying part of the goods above the rapids by land on very rough roads, or by the use of scows on the water. This difficulty was overcome by the building of fiatboats, where it was not intended to proceed against the stream for long distances. The application of steam power to the navigation of vessels which now is such a matter of everyday occurrence, that nobody takes much notice of it, had to contend, not only with the usual prejudices against new ideas in general, but also, quite naturally, with the obstacles created by the want of experience in the enter prise, ancl which could only be overcome by venturesome experi- 326 TRANSPORTATION. ments, requiring untold time and money. We know that the problem was solved, and if we should be surprised at anything we should be surprised by the rapidity by which the invention or its application spread to all the navigable waters from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains. The first successful trip of the Clermont, having proved the feasibility and the advantages of the invention in 1807, we nevertheless find but little mention of its application before or during the war of 181.2, yet there must have been some progress. One of the great obstacles to navigation in general, and steam navigation in particular, on the western rivers, was that shifting of sand bars from one location to another, which made the progress of a boat or vessel extiemely hazardous, the more so the greater the force propelling the craft was. The model of a ship, or even a canal-boot, or anything drawing as much water as was considered indispensable for the rivers, and bays in the East, was clearly out of place on the western waters, and more especially upon the Upper Mississippi, which could not be reached without passing over the rapids of the Des Moines, and the still more in tricate and shallow ones at Rock Island. The question was clearly, whether the boats used for the navigation of the Lower Mississippi could be used for that of the upper part ofthe same river, for never did it enter into the brain of any captain or pilot running upon the Mississippi at that time, that there would ever be, and not so very far off, either, a period, when it would not only be necessary and possible, but also very profitable, to con struct boats for the express purpose of Upper River Navigation, and run regular lines of them, not merely to Keokuk near the Lower Rapids, but up to the Falls of St. Anthony. At all events it was the great surprise among river men, and not less among other sojourners upon the river, that in May 1823, the steamer Virginia, drawing six feet of water, ascended to Mendota, opposite Fort Snelling, below the junction ofthe Minnesota and the Missis sippi, just as the fort is above it. She was freighted with provi sions, ammunition and other stores, and perhaps, also, with a re lief for the garrison of Fort Snelling. She was the first steamer of any kind, which ascended so far, but from that time steamboats in government employ came up every year, making however, seldom more than one trip, always of course, at high water. At first I suppose, the crew went into the woods, where they were accessi- TRANSPORTATION. 327 ble, to procure the necessary fuel. It did not, however, take many years, until wood-yards began to be established at convenient points along the river banks. Pioneers of different kinds, some of them bent on traffic with the Indians, others for the love of adventure in hunting and trapping, others again with a distant expectation of settling down for the remainder of their days in some pliice -in this wilderness, that would suit their fancy or their means, began to string themselves along the great natural highway, putting in a winter's work to take their rest in spring and summer, when they sold their wood to the boats and bought of them such provisions as they eould not procure by hunting and fishing. It is not to be supposed, however, that this was done in a hurry, in one or two years, nor that the practice of poling keel-boats up the Missis sippi in the manner described was, or could be immediately abandoned. Thus we find in 1827, at the time of the Winnebago outbreak, two such boats upon the river, returning from the very top and head of navigation, Fort Snelling. How slow, indeed, the progress of navigation must have been, when even as late as 1844, the first year, in which a count and record of steamboat arrivals was kept at Mendota, these arrivals did not exceed 41 in number. From 1844 — 47 the little steamers Otter, Rock River and Lynx were the principal boats in this trade. In 1847, July 8th, the Ga lena and Minnesota Packet Company was organized at Galena by the following persons. Capt. Orrin Smith, Henry Corwith, B. H. Campbell, Capt. M. W. Lodwick and Capt. R. Blakeley, all of Ga lena; Col. H. L. Dousman and B. W. Brisbois of Prairie du Chien; Gen. H. H. Sibley and Hon. H. M. Rice of St. Paul. The first boat purchased by this company was the "Argo" of only sixty tons burthen, which was run in the St. Paul trade until October of the same year, when she ran against a snag, and sunk a little above Winona. The next boat was the " Dr. Franklin," purchased in the win ter 1847 — 48, and put into the trade in spring 1848. In 1849 the " Senator " was added to the line, but in the fall she was sold and replaced by the " Nominee " which was run by Capt. 0. Smith, the late president of the company. She was not run as a Sunday boat, for Capt. Smith would, at 12 o'clock Saturday night tie her up to an island, or whatever place he was near, and remain until 12 o'clock Sunday night. If convenient and possible, he would 328 TRANSPORTATION. have preaching on the boat on Sunday forenoon. The Nominee, however, suffered the fate of its more unchristian brothers and was snagged and sunk in the fall of 1854, forty miles below La Crosse. The " Ben Campbell " was built in the winter of 1851-52,' and put in the trade in the spring, but drew too much water, and was ssld in the fall 18-52. During this season an opposition boat, called the " West Newton," was put into the trade from Galena to St. Paul, as an about equal match for the Nominee. The latter in May 1852, made the round trip, from Galena to St. Paul and back in two days, seven hours and forty-nine minutes, a distance both ways of eight hundred miles. In the fall of the same year the Harrises, to whom the West Newton belonged, were admitted into tbe Galena company and their boat afterwards run in the line. In the spring of 1854, the " War Eagle," " Galena " and " Royal Arch" were added to the line, and in 1855, the "Golden Era," "Alhambra," "Lady Franklin," and "City Bell" were added. In June 1856, the opening of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad gave a great impetus to the business, and the company added to their line of boats the " Northern Bell," " Ocean Wave," " Granite State," " Greek Slave," and " Black Hawk." Some boats besides the Nominee were sunk during this time; namely, " West Newton " in the fall of 1853, near the place still called by the same name, but formerly " Yellow Banks," where since then a few houses were built and inhabited, and in 1862 abandoned; " Dr. Frapklin," seven miles above Dubuque by col liding with the " Galena " in June 1854. In 1856 the " Galena " was burned. 'Trade fell off considerably in 1858, and subsequently, but in 1861 the packet company increased its number of incorporators to about one hundred, and its capital to $400,000, and run the fol lowing boats in the upper trade: "War Eagle," "Alhambra," " City Bell," " Fanny Harris," " Northern Light," " Key City," " Northern Bell," " Golden Era," " Ocean Wave," " Flora," "Grey Eagle," -'Milwaukee," and "Itasca." Some of these boats were of the first class, and might well have been called " floating pa laces." The " Milwaukee " cost the company $39,000, " Grey Eagle " $43,000, and the " Key City " and " Northern Light " each about the same. TRANSPORTATION. 329 The "Key City" was built at Cincinnati in 1857, was 250 feet long, 35 feet wide, 360 tons burthen, and 51 state rooms. The "War Eagle" and "Galena" were of a smaller class of boats, the former being but 296 tons burthen, with 46 state rooms. She was built in Cincinnati in the winter of 1853-54, and wai 219 feet long and 19 feet wide. The Galena Packet Company finally reorganized in February' 1864, under the laws of the State of Iowa, with a cash capital of $400,000, under the name ofthe "Northwestern Packet Company," with general powers to run steamers, and do passenger and freight business between Dubuque and St. Paul. The company was bound by contract with the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien Rail road Company to carry freight and passengers for that company between the latter place and St. Paul. In the fall of 1865 the Northwestern Company were running the following steamers in the trade: "Milwaukee," "Itasca," " Northern Light," " Key City," " War Eagle," all first class pas senger steamers. They also run three light-draught boats for I6w water, and three additional steamers for freight and towing barges. On the first day of October 1858 the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad was completed, and opened through to the Mississippi at La Crosse, and much of the business of the boats passed over this road. In 1860 an independent, or opposition, line of steamboats was run from La Crosse to St. Paul by Mr. Davidson and others, which the Galena Packet Company made a spirited but unsuccessful ef fort to run off; failing in this they compromised, by forming with Davidson and others, a combination on the 17th of August 1861, which has since done a large business. In 1863 the LaCrosse and St. Paul line ran in connection with tthe La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad the following boats: "McLellan," Capt. P. S. Davidson; "Keokuk," Capt. J. R. Hatcher; "Northern Bell," Capt. John Cochran; "Frank Steele," Capt. Martin; "Clara Hine," Capt. J. Newton; "G. H. Wilson," Capt. Wm. Butler; -'Aeolian," Capt. Sencerbox. On Chippewa River: "John Ramsey," Capt. N. Harris; "Chip pewa Falls," Capt. L. Fulton. On the St. Croix: "Wenona," Capt. L. Brown. 330 TRANSPORTATION'. On the Minnesota: "Pomeroy," Capt. Bell; "Stella Whipple," Capt. Norris — in all 14. The combination ofthe steamboat interest proving unsatisfac tory, the new Northwestern Packet Company and the La Crosse line, generally called "Davidson's Line," on the 1st of May, 1866, consolidated into a new company, under the general laws of the State of Iowa, at Dubuque, and organized a company which they called the "Northwestern Union Packet Company." The general office of the company was located at Dubuque, Iowa; and the com pany organized with a capital of $1,500,000, and put immediately into the trade thirty steamers and seventy-three barges. NAVIGATION AT ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. The following table will show the time ofthe opening and closing of navigation at St. Paul Minnesota, the number of arrivals at that point in every -year, and the length of the season of navigation. RECORD OF FIRST ARRIVALS . Year. 181118-151846 1817 1818 18-191851 1 1S511852 185:: 185-11855 1N56185"18581851) 18(1(118H11862 I si;:: 1864lNiiC I Mill 18071868INK! I 187(118711872187:1 First Boat. Otter Otter Lynx Clarie Senator Highland Mary.. Highland Mary. . Nominee Nominee West Newton — Nominee War Eagle Lady Franklin. . . Galena Grey Eagle Key City Milwaukee Ocean Wave Keokuk Keokuk Hawk Eye State. Burlington Sucker State Itaska Sheridan Sucker State Tom Jasper Diamond Joe S. S. Merrill [Northwestern Captain. Harris Harris Atchison Throckmorton . . . Harris Atchison Atchison Smith Smith Harris Blakeley Harris Lucas Laughton i Harris Warden Cochran Webh Hatcher Hatcher Mason Rhodes Hight Webb Hutchison Hight West J. Sherwood Davidson Davidson Arrived, April 6. April (i. March 31. April '7. April 7. April 9. April 10. April 1. April 16. April 11. April 8. April 17. April 18. May 1. March 25. April 19. March 2)3. April 8. April 18. Aoril 5. April 14. April 15. April 19. April 21. April 4. Aprtl 19. April 11. April 10. April 23. April 17. NUMBER OF BOATS, LENGTH OF SEASON AND LAST DEPARTURE Number Kiver Navigation. Year. of Last Boat. Boats. Closed. Open. Closed. ISH 41 Nov. 23. 231 131 1845 1816 48 24 Nov. 26. Dec. 5., 234245 13112(1 (Longest Season.) 1847 47 Nov. 29. 236 129 „ „ 1848 63 Dec. 4. 241 121 „ tt 1849 85 Dec. 7. 242 123 Nov. 19. 1850 104 Dec. 4. 239 126 Nov. 18. 1851 119 Nov. 28. 238 127 Nov. 2(1. 1852 171 Nov. 18. 216 141 Nov. 10. 1858 235 Nov. 8ii. 233 132 1854 310 Nov. 27. 293 142 Nov. 23. 1855 563 Nov. 2(1. 217 149 Nov. .9. 1856 887 Nov. 10. 212 153 Nov. 1". 1S57 flfifi Nov. 14. 198 167 Nov. 14. 185S 1(168 Nov. 16. 236 12S Nov. 16. 185(1 SOS Nov. 29. 222 143 Nov. 2!l. 186(1 776 Nov. 23. 240 125 Nov. 23. 1861 927 Nov. 26. 232 133 Nov. 26. 1.S62 1015 Nov. 15. 211 154 Nov. lo. 18 6 731 Nov. 24. 223 142 Nov. 24. 1864 630 Nov. lo. 211 154 Nov. 10. 1865 9 Dee. 1. 231 134 Dec. 1. IS6G 9 Nov. 23. "10 146 Nov. -»3. 1867 9 Nov. 20. 222 143 Nov. 2' >. 1868 9 Dec. 10. 225 140 Nov. 30. 1869 9 Dec. 10. 226 139 Nov. 20. 1N70 ? Nov. 21. 233 132 Nov. 21. 18,1 9 Nov. 28. 239 128 Nov. 2U. 1872 Nov. 20. 216 14,9152 Nov. 12. 1873 Nov. 28. 213 Nov. 15. 332 TRANSPORTATION. As all the boats that reached St. Paul must have passed by Buffalo County, and through Lake Pepin, this table gives the open- . ing and closing of the regular steamboat season for the years enum erated. But occasional trips were usually made, even by boats of regular lines, from 10 to 20 days earlier from points below as far as Reed's Landing, though perhaps never any later, as it is a pecu liarity of the river to close about as early at La Crosse as at St. Paul, and much earlier than at Alma and Wabasha. At the latter place it has never been known to be reliably closed during a whole winter, so as to admit of crossing with teams, while it usu ally opens one or two weeks earlier at Alma, than at Fountain City, Winona and La Crosse, a fact ascribed partly to the influence of Chippewa River and partly to the water of the lake from below the ice coming to the surface and expending its latent heat in the distances named. From the year 1867 the railroads in Minnesota began to come into active competition with the steamboats, and the latter grew fewer in number and smaller in tonnage from year to year, until at the present time, with the exception of small stern-wheelers, but few boats are to be seen, and none at a low stage of water. The following table will show the opening of navigation at Winona during the years from 1875—1882, according to the His tory of Winona County : YEAR. FIRST BOAT. DATE OF ARRIVAL. 1875 — Lake Superior April 12. 1876— Dubuque April 10. 1877— Red Wing April 11. 1878— Penguin March 12. 1879 — Maggie Reanie April 4. 1880— Belle of Bellevue March 22. 1881— Josie April 24. 1882— Robert Harris. With the exception of the Dubuque and the Josie these early arrivals were all small boats, and from this we may safely conclude that navigation did not improve much in number or size of boats, and that especially early ventures were considered superfluous. In August, 1866 the Minnesota Valley Railroad reached West St. Paul; in 1869 the railroad bridge was built and the railroads crossed over; in 1872 the West Wisconsin road reached St. Paul Transportation. 333 from the east side and the- trade of the steamboats passed to the railroads forever, with the exception of that on the eastern bank of the river. It did no longer pay to run so many boats. The pas senger business was insignificant, especially after the river division of the Milwaukee & St. Paul road had been built. People of this county wanting to go up or down the river crossed to Winona or Wabasha, and the question had now become, how to reach these stations conveniently. There being, however, yet Considerable freight to be forwarded to and from points on the East side, the old lines still kept up a show of activity, and a new line of the "Diamond Joe Boats" started in. Joseph Reynolds, of St. Louis, a speculator in wheat on a large scale, found it convenient to trans port his own wheat in his own boats, and. as the wheat went only one way, down the river, there was every inducement to transport other freight not only up, but also down the river. Passengers could also be accommodated. The prospectus of the '' Old Reliable Diamond Jo Boats," for 1887 claims that boats of this line have been in operation for nineteen years between St. Louis and St. Paul. The line has its general office in Dubuque, Iowa, and Mr. Jo Reynolds is its presi dent. During the present season the following boats are run : Mary Morton. Libbie Conger. Pittsburgh. Josephine. Sidney. Josie. They are in fact what the prospectus claims for them: "Ele gant stern-wheel steamers." In the paper referred to the distance between the two cities one forming the southern, the other the northern terminus of the line is given at 729 miles by the river. In the mean time the other problem of regular communica tion with railroad stations across the river began to be solved by the employment of small steamers one from Alma to Wabasha and one from Fountain City to Winona that made daily trips dur ing the season of open navigation, and one from Alma to LaCrosse making trips, one day down and up the next. The Steamer Lion, Captain Hiram Wilcox, began to run as a ferry-boat between Alrn^, and Wabasha, in spring 1873 and continued in this line until the close of navigation in 1886. Partly to encourage this enterprise, 334 TRANSPORTATION. partly on account of some dissatisfaction with the management of the mail-service by land from Fountain City, the people of Alma petitioned Congress to transfer the mail-service with the exception of local connections to the Wabasha — Alma line, the mail to be carried by land in the winter time, which arrangement continued from 1876 to spring 1887, when the mail-service was transferred to the Chicago, Burlington and Northern Railroad. As the Lion passed through Beef Slough as far up as the cut-off, it afforded to the company as well as the men many conveniences. Remark 1. The steamer Lion was preceded by the propeller ''Comet" belonging to Levy Dutz and run by him during the sea son of 1872; sold to Capt. H. C. Wilcox and displaced by the "Lion" in the following year. Between Fountain City ancl Winona, Wm. Heck of Fountain City, and Capt. Peter Schneider of Winona ran the steamboat "Express" from 1876 to 1880, when thej' sold her to parties in Galena, where she was to run on Fever River; in her place the "Robert Harris" was put the same year, and run until now, 1887. Circumstances for the present favor her opposition with the Chi cago, Burlington & Northern Railroad upon this distance. The circumstances favoring the -'Robert Harris" in its opposi tion with the C. B. & N. R. R. in the local traffic between Fountain City and Winona are: 1. The cheapness of rate, that of the railroad being 40 cents each way, while the boat does not charge more than 35 cents both ways. 2. The chance of longer time for business with the boat and return leaving out of seven hours fully one half foi a stay in Winona. 3. The acquaintance of the officers and owners of the boat with the business men of Winona as well as of Fountain City, which enables them to carry out orders in each place without the need of long writing and explanation. Similar advantages were enjoyed by Capt. Jacob Richtmann, who ran several boats partly from Fountain City to other points, partly in regular trips from Alma to La Crosse and back. But as with the longer distance the chance for a sufficient time for busi ness, and a return on the same day became impossible, the com petition of the new railroad proved too strong for his enterprises. TRANSPORTATION. 335 The first of Captain Richtmann's boats was the " Penguin," which was followed by the " City of Alma," a very nice looking craft, but drawing too much water for this part of the Mississippi. She was sold below, and sunk. The last boat was the " Percy Swain." The " Belle of Bellevue " was occasionally engaged on the line in cases of accidents to the other boats, but usually as a tug. We come now to the time when railroads began to be talked of in onr county. Especially in the northern part the people amused themselves persistently with schemes and projects, an oc cupation for which they yet find time and opportunity, since there is yet (1887) no railroad in that part of the county. The first road crossing a very small part of our county only, from Trempealeau River to Bluff Siding opposite Winona, was the Chicago & North western Railroad, which at that place crosses the Mississippi. — Some time previous there had been much speculation with regard to a railroad from the Mississippi to Green Bay, agitated more particularly by Gen. H. Sharpe of Wabasha. This must have been about 1867 — -68, for I remember he wanted me, (then county surveyor,) to accompany him in his expedition, to be undertaken during the winter up Beef River, and thence on until a party from the other direction was met somewhere. Mr. Sharpe, being very profuse of promises, and very unreliable regarding performances, did not succeed in getting my services, but I think he was accom panied by A. W. Miller of Durand, who was certainly better quali fied than I was at that time for such work. The general, as we styled him, was very anxious to persuade everybody that the road was going to be built up the Beef River Valley, and that it would cross the Mississippi at Alma, or at least below the mouth of the Chippewa River. He tried his persuasions in Buffalo City and probably in other places, for instance in Waumandee, but people failed to see how a road could be built up Beef River and at the same time through Waumandee and other places, not in the valley of that river. The main party of his prophecies, however, became true, the Green Bay and Mississippi Railroad was, in course of time, built, but it did not come down, or go up Beef River Valley nor cross anywhere near Wabasha, for it struck the Mississippi in the neighborhood of the mouth of Trempealeau River and crossed on the bridge belonging to the Northwestern line. There is but little of the road, and only one station on it, in Buffalo County, 336 TRANSPORTATION. but it exerted, at first especially, considerable influence on the transportation of produce from certain parts of the county. Ar cadia and Independence, already established, but languishing be fore, received the customary " boom " during the construction and the working of the new line. Everybody wanted to have a slice of the big fortunes to be realized by settling in these newly devel oped centres of trade, which, also, received their best support from adjacent parts of Buffalo County, especially the towns of Glencoe, Montana and Dover, with the upper parts of Waumandee and Lincoln. As long as, for the sake of attracting trade, prices were kept up at fair positions, the other advantages, the short haul in some cases even better roads, could not but be appreciated by the farmers. Merchants from everywhere became very anxious to establish themselves especially at Arcadia, where even old establ- lished business firms from Fountain City were eager to establish branch-stores. Fountain City was indeed deprived of much of its former territory of commercial contribution, but events have not justified or verified the great expectations once excited by the situation of Arcadia. The next enterprise in railroad construction within our county was that of the Valley Division of the Milwaukee and Omaha Road, connecting Eau Claire with Wabasha, and running through the western part of the Chippewa bottom for over twelve miles within this county. By this the village of Durand, which up to that time, had had but very unsatisfactury commercial connec tions, rose at once to the rank of a local trading center. This cir cumstance made itself felt in some degree in the trade especially that of wheat, at Alma. In former times Mondovi, for instance was about half-ways between Alma and Eau Claire, and especially before the latter had railroad connections, the former was the bet ter place for shipping wheat, though for other produce, Eau Claire on account of its large floating population and manufactories and its intimate connection with the lumbering interests had been at all times a better market. But after the construction of the Chip pewa Valley road this was changed at once, since Durand was much nearer than either Alma or Eau Claire, with almost level roads to it. Prices at Durand were booming up the place, and people from that neighborhood, who formerly had come with their wheat to Alma, naturally went to Durand, which was so much TRANSPORTATION. 337 nearer, and where they could not only sell wheat, but all other kinds of produce, and where most of them had their postoffice. The market in cattle and hogs, those on the hoof especially, also went largely to Durand, if not to Independence or Arcadia. Though the loss was less severely felt, because the provision for the Beef Slough workmen required a large number of cattle during spring and summer, yet people who were thoughtful about such matters became anxious to be connected with the outside world by that line of modern communication called a railroad. For something over six months every year, we had water communication and transportation, the latter cheaper than by railroad, but the advan tage of cheaper transportation by the river was greatly diminished by the necessity for accumulating great quantities of staple articles during winter, and sflso merchandise for the same season. There was a prospect that this desire might be gratified some six years ago, when Mr. Stickney, a gentleman quite well known in railroad circles even then, put a corps of surveyors or engineers upon the eastern bank of the river, and promised that the road would be built within one and one-half year. Contracts were entered into, reading in the usual way, stipulating a time for commencing grad ing, and also for the actual opening and subsequent continuous operation of the road. All that was, of course, solemnly promised, but just as carefully avoided, so that, about three years afterwards all the contracts had expired, and nothing remained but a very natural distrust in the promises of railroad projectors of any kind. The Stickney concern had not acquired any right of way in this county by actual purchase, and when, some three years ago, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company sent an agent for purchasing, or contracting for, the right of way between Alma and Winona, under the Winona, Alma and Northern charter, in which Hon. A. Finkelnburg ancl Hon. R. R. Kempter figured as resident stockholders and incorporators, the work was comparat ively easy, and progressed favorably and rapidly, in general, while in particular cases then, as usually, those came to the surface, who did not care to see the improvement proposed, but saw, neverthe less very clearly the personal advantage to be derived from the necessity of certain pieces of land having to be purchased of them by the Railroad Company. In this age and this country we are perhaps not warranted in criticising acts of- selfishness, nor would 338 TRANSPORTATION. it be prudent to do so, since by the selfish actions of some one else we might be thrown into a position, in which appearances might be decidedly such, that it would be impossible for us to clear ourselves from the imputation of egotistic motives for our own actions. It must also be remembered that railroad companies are not in the habit of building their lines for the sole and exclusive benefit of others, but rather of themselves. We cannot perhaps, deny, that unfair advantage appears, and has been claimed, to have been taken of individuals in procuring contracts for right of wayland other privileges by the railroad company and its agents, but yet we must admit, that all agreements as far far as money is concerned, have been honorably discharged as incurred, or if incurred even to the controlling of contractors and subcontractors in their payments for work and material, and also for boarding their workingmen. That some errors, or even worse than that, should have happened in spite of all precautions, may have been unavoidable in the execution of a work of such magni tude. Was the construction of this railroad line an undisputable, unqualified benefit to Buffalo County? We could fill a much larger book than the one before you with the arguments pro and con in answering this question, and it is doubtful whether after reading such a book, we would be much wiser than now. It may also be objected that we are not yet fully competent to answer the'question, and that it is fair to wait and to see. One thing is sure, that the railroad is the great developer and civilizer of our modern time, and, whatever may be the result for individual persons and single localities, the benefit for the community at large can not be denied, though we may have to bide our time and to digest new proposi tions and possibilities, not heretofore presented. As a historical reminiscence we may recount the following facts : First contracts for right of way at Alma were made in Sep tember 1882. First definitive survey and platting of line finished about the middle of October 1883. First contracts or subcontracts for grading were given out forth with, as soon as the line was established. Track-laying com menced in November 1884 at the Chippewa and finished to La Crosse about January 1st, 1885. This line was operated since and TRANSPORTATION. 339 regular trains were put on at first between La Crosse and Trevino in March 1885. The annexed time tables give an idea of the passenger trains and the regular freight trains but the number and extent of through freight trains can only be estimated, and must for the present and ever since the introduction of through-trains be ad mitted to have been a surprise to all. Although the annexed time-table has been changed since writ ing the above, it may still stand here for a testimony of the enter prising spirit of the company. 340 TRANSPORTATION. CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & NORTHERN RAILROAD. Time Tables Alma Station. TRAINS GOING SOUTH STATIONS. NO. 2. No. i. No. 6. 8 35 a.m. 9 15 " 12 06 p. m. 12 38 " 2 15 " 4 20 " 5 45 " 8 00 " 1 10 P. M. 1 50 " 4 43 " 5 16 " 7 05 " 9 25 " 11 00 " 1 05 A.M. 8 00 p. m. " St. Paul 8 40 " " Alma 11 03 " 11 26 " 1 05 A.M. 3 04 " 4 15 " 6 15 " 3 10 A. M. 7 05 " 9 25 a.m. 12 45 p. M. Ar. Fulton 8 38 p. m. 2 15 A.M. 7 05 " 6 45 a. M. " Peoria 11 40 " " St. Louis 5 00 p. M. Way freight passes Alma at 1:08 p. m. TRAINS GOING NORTH. STATIONS. Lv. Chicago " Peoria " St. Louis Ar. Oregon " Savanna " Dubuque " Prairie du Chien. " La Crosse " Winona " Alma " St. Paul " Minneapolis. No. 1. 2 15 A.M. 8 30 p.m. 8 05 9 45 11 15 1 25 3 00 3 30 6 25 7 05 A.M. P. M. No. 3. 3 00 p. m. 6 30 8 25 10 30 11 55 P. M. Way freight passes Alma at 10:25 a. m. 00 A.M, 00 " 11 " 05 " 42 " No. 5. 10 30 p. m. 4 50 " 10 30 A.M. 40 3530 50 9 00 10 30 10 58 2 00 2 40 P. M. Trains 3, 4, 5 and 6 run daily; 1 and 2 daily except Sunday. Through tickets to ail points in the United States and Canada on sale at Alma. Baggage checked through to destination. Peerless dining cars and Pullman sleepers on all through trains, No change of cars to Chicago, Peoria or St. Louis. For tickets, sleeping ear accommodations, local time tables, and other information, apply to J. B. WLOVER, Agent, Alma. TRANSPORTATION. 34l TOWN ROADS. In the preceding pages we have treated Transportation from the commercial standpoint, and as far as it is connected with export and import, and regulated by production of staple articles and the demand for such articles as can not be produced upon the spot, but are nevertheless wanted for use and consumption. Ex port and import select some central points, at which articles of the former are collected, and articles of the latter are distributed. These points in our county must be looked for on the bank of the Mississippi, as long as we were almost exclusively dependent upon that river for transportation. Accordingly we find Fountain City and Alma to be the earliest centers of trade in the county as they remain the most important up to the present time. The found ing and further progress of these two places must be considered in another chapter, in this we have to relate how from them roads began to spead themselves in every direction, at first with a dis tinct intention of reaching other places, and directing the settle ment of the adjacent country so as to connect with the starting points. Petitions to the legislature resulted in the appointment of commissions for laying out state roads. From Fountain City, then the " defacto " county -seat, a road was laid out in a general north ern direction, keeping for about thirty miles upon the ridge of the bluffs, which divide the waters of the Trempealeau river from those of the Waumandee Creek, and descending into the valley of Elk Creek near the source of the south branch of the same, at the township line between townships twenty-two and twenty-three thence northwards in the vallev to the westward turn of the creek thence about six miles in a western direction to near where Gilman ton is now situated, thence in a general northern direction to Mon dovi and beyond to Eau Claire or Chippewa Falls. Prudence at that time demanded that crossings of streams should be avoided, since there was no immediate prospect for bridging them. This accounts for the persistant progress of the road uponthe " ridge," for which it still bears the name ofthe "Ridge Road." Another road was laid out from Fountain City to Alma, following the foot of the bluffs where the wide prairie did not invite a deviation for the purpose of straightening out the road. This same road was after wards extended to Durand and Eau Claire. Another road intended to connect with the Fountain City Ridge Road at some place was 342 TRANSPORTATION. laid from Alma to the Little Waumandee Valley, substantially where the present road on the Belvidere Bluff is situated. Aftei crossing Little Waumandee Creek it kept on the east side of it and crossed the intervening ridge into the Loomis' Settlement near the line between Sections 35 and 36 of Township 23 North of Range 11 West. These roads, although yet extant as far as general direc tions are concerned, have been materially altered in numerous places, as convenience, necessity and other causes have suggested One of the earliest roads required for intercommunication was the Beef River road. True to the notion or instinct that the crossing of a creek or river should, if possible, be avoided, the first road ir. that valley ran up and down the steepest grades, through ravines and finally also up into the Loomis' Settlement. The road from Fountain City to Waumandee Valley was also urgently called for, On the northern point of the sand prairie, towards the foot of the bluffs the state road turned in a western direction and from this point the Waumandee Valley road branched off in a direction al most opposite, then again, as the trend of the bluffs required, in a more parallel direction. This road, also, kept as nearly as pos sible along the bluffs, avoiding the crossing of swamps and streams. It must be evident to every one who even at the present time, after the labor of thirty years and large sums of money have been expended upon it, how difficult, and even hazardous the traveling on this road must have been at the start, since in spite of all improvements there are streetches in the road, disagreeable and dangerous to pass during the spring thaw, which in these places lasts a long time. The obvious advantage of running a road nlong the ridge of a serie3 of hills is strongly counterbalanced by the difficulty of getting into the valleys, or out of them to the main trunk road. But in this county, as probably in all similar situations, the first settlements were made in valleys. The cultiva tion ofthe comparatively level places on the top of the hills or bluffs was for many years confined to lands situated near the cen ters of trade, or other favorable locations, that is such, where the wood cut down in the process of clearing could be conveniently dis posed of at a remunerative price. These settlements in valleys necessitated the opening of roads to the bluffs and down the same. These roads were bnt too often located into ravines, which seen from below appeared to ascend sufficiently in their narrow ends TRANSPORTATION. 343 but such appearances are very often deceitful, not to say anything about the frequent accumulations of bowlders in the narrow ends of almost all of our ravines. Some, who came later into our coun try, or some of our young people, may be inclined to ridicule the earlier settlers for adopting such foolish roads, and perhaps some people more philosophical than practical may suggest, that it would have been wiser, to make roads and settle along of them, ahd to extend settlements in this manner gradually. But the ne cessity of earning a living, of procuring some shelter, of putting in a crop for the season and for next year, and to make fences, was so urgent with almost everyone, who arrived in those days, that it mattered little how many times they had to stumble in going to and from the towns, or visiting neighbors for business or other wise. Every one admitted the necessity of better roads, and it must not be supposed that the people were unwilling to work on .them, and to improve the old or build new ones, but everything could not be done at once. It was about ten years after the first considerable influx of settlers, that I became county surveyor, and as this was twenty years ago, and I have since traveled all over the county, I had as good a chance as any person to notice the actual condition of roads during this poriod. To single out any particular road, or pretence of one, as an ex ample of bad, or as worst, would now be considered as spiteful, but I may be allowed to cite some instances of early improvements, judiciously managed, though perhaps superseded by better struct ures, when time and means were at disposition for the purpose. A very early attempt in this direction was the construction of the old bluff-road from Alma in the direction towards Wauman dee. It was not by any means perfect, but then I remember, that the first travelers in that direction had to clamber over the huge boulders in the end of the ravine, that they had to carry their articles of furniture, of provisions etc. on their backs to the top of the ascent, and that it was only with the greatest exertions and considerable danger, that the empty wagons could be hauled up by the cattle, and that in some instance it was even necessary to take the wagons apart and haul up each half separately. As I do not remember the building of this road, I think it must have been done before my arrival, (in 1859.) In 1859 the Bluff Road from Buffalo City to Waumandee was finished with some pecuniary as. 344 TRANSPORTATION. sistance from the Colonization Society, not by any means a very good road, but one much better than those formerly traveled in that direction. The first road, laid out according to a uniform grade throughout, was the one from Glencoe in the direction to Fountain City. It used to be known as the "Dug way" and was originally laid out, and some years subsequently improved, by Mr. David D. Davis, who had a deserved reputation as a surveyor and civil engineer. The old gentleman had an advantage over the younger class of the same profession by having in former times acquired a sound stock of information as to the probable cost of such undertakings. The town of Glencoe has probably the great est comparative number of graded roads of any town in the county, all planned with excellent judgment. It came, after some time, to be understood generally, that graded roads were desirable in every respect, and though some of them might cost more than those laid out otherwise, to begin with, a much greater amount would be saved in the future repairs, not to speak of the saving on wa gons and teams, and the greater comfort for every one who had 1,0 travel. A new impulse to the construction of graded roads was given by that of the road leading from the bluff east of Fountain City to the lower part of the town or village. This road was also laid out by Mr. Davis in 1871. One from the upper part of the village followed 1872. In 1876 the village of Alma laid out a road of the same kind from Laue's house to the bluff, joining the old road at the boundary line between Alma and Belvidere. The first regularly graded road in the town of Nelson was the one up Spring Creek ravine, by which a numerous population, on the bluffs between Trout Creek Valley and the Chippewa or Beef Slough Bottoms was accommodated. This was followed by the grading from Centre Creek Valley to the bluff in a general south ern direction. Then came the grade up from the Norwegian church near the Southeast Corner of Sect. 12 in Township 23 North of Range 13 West, all of which was executed by myself, as well as some smaller operations, one of which was the equaliza tion of the grade on western decline of so-called Norwegian road. In 1877 the eastern descent of the Alma and Waumandee road was planned and built, and the crossroad from the upper part of Little Waumandee Valley to Montana. Numerous other graded roads have since been built, but it is to be hoped, that many more TRANSPORTATION. 345 will yet be planned and finished. The introduction of the railroad necessitated the dislocation of some roads along of it, which in cases led to decided alterations. So for instance, was the road from Rieck's house in Section 24, Township 20 North of Range 12 West, changed towards the east, to avoid the Sand Prairie. There had been a road in that direction for a long time, but on account of some difficulties in the proper construction, it was only occasionly used. A similar dislocation took place between Alma and Beef River bridge. Something ought to be said of the way the immi grants arrived in the northern parts of the county, in most cases transporting all the necessary furniture for kitchen and house. Some of them came by way of Mississippi and landed at Fountain City or Alma, and moved to their respective locations as the roads were beginning to be marked out. Others came directly by land by the old road, from La Crosse to Black River Falls and then, keeping together in groups for mutual assistance, not against In dians, but on account of difficult roads, wending their ways to their several destinations. One of the earliest pioneers of that region, Mr. S. S. Cooke, moved in 1856 in the month of June to his place in Section 27, Township 23 North of Range 10 West, in the south ern part of the Town of Dover, where his oldest son Chauncey C. Cooke, Esq., still resides. It took the family two days to reach their destination, but they already found an intermediate stopping place at Patrick Mulcare's house in Glencoe. Of prominent people at or near Mondovi I know from accidental mention in my pres ence, that they came by the landway, as indicated, and it stands to reason that they did not always have a roof to go under when night arrived, being obliged to camp ont. One who has never seen the " Prairie Schooner " creeping thiough the valleys and over the hills, followed by the passengers who might also be called its crew, and by the few domestic animals that could be driven, or followed voluntarily, would not realize this once most prominent mode of travel ancl transportation. It was seen by myself as late as 1886, when out surveying a few miles from Mr. Cooke's place. The disadvantages of this way of traveling through an unimproved country, destitute of roads and bridges, and of places of shelter, present themselve - so vividly to the mind of every reader, as not to require particular description; but the advantages, at least those who adopted it, were almost equal to the inconvenience. They 346 TRANSPORTATION. could live on what they had along with them, or what they were able to purchase cheaply at some cultivated station; they therefore needed but little or no money. Against rain they were in some measure protected by the cover of the wagon, ancl fuel to start and maintain the necessary fires was in most places in- this- county abundant, and had not to be carried along, and this life in the wilderness was, after all, not so very different from that which many of the travelers had been leading in the frontier settlements from which they came, and which they would probably have to live for a time in those they intended to plant, It must especially be re membered and considered that most of this kind of travel was per formed .during the later spring or during summer and early fall. This was necessary especially on account of cattle ancl horses, for which even steamboats, as far as they might be employed, had but very7 unsatisfactory arrangements. But on land grass cost no more than the cutting, while water of the purest kind was to be found everywhere along the roads or trails across the country. The ranks of old settlers who came to their homes in this primitive manner, are now sadly thinned, and soon no one will remain to tell the tale of the mingled hardship and enjoyment of these expeditions, but all of them that I had the pleasure to get acquainted with, looked back upon their adventures with much more satisfaction than regret. We have mentioned all kinds of transportation but one, which I know from personal observation, sometimes was executed. This is the transportation of flour, and veiy likely of other things, occasionally, upon the backs or shoulders of early pioneers. Even as late as 1859, most of the provisions were brought into the county by steamboat from Galena, although a, mill had been started at Fountain City and one at Eagle Mills, possibly also the one at Gilmanton, then Mann's Mill. There were still some set tlers who had either no wagons, or no passable roads to their ca bins, but bread was needed, and flour must be brought, so the most natural, though at the same time most primitive, tedious ancl exhaustive, way of transportation had to be resorted to.- It is well to mention this, if for no other purpose than to show our posterity to what toilsome expedients their predecessors were sometimes reduced for the maintenance of themselves and their families. TRANSPORTATION. 347 My friend Chas. F. Eager, now a banker at Volga, Dak., among the remarks in the report on his own early settlement says: When we first settled near Mondovi our postoffice was Eau Galia, and I remember of father carrying groceries in a basket from Alma (24 miles) to our place, one mile south of Mondovi. MAIL SERVICE. Civilized communities require the opportunity of regular in tercourse, not so much in person, as by letters, or by commissions sent orally. We find this exemplified in the history of the great Roman Empire, in which regular posts were organized, originally for gubernatorial, administrative or military purposes, but by de grees extended to the transmission of messages in general, and of letters in particular, and, perhaps by private enterprise, and un der special privileges granted by the government, the transporta tion of passengers and of merchandise. The destruction of the Empire, and the insecurity of the roads during the turmoil of the Dark Ages from the fifth to the fifteenth and sixteenth century made it too hazardous to keep up regular commnnications of any kind, and a postal service such as had been established in the Roman Empire, and as we have now developed in modern states or governments could not be thought of. Concealment afforded the almost single chance for security, and a messenger, once sus pected to be such, was deprived of his best protection. Hence all transmission of important intelligence had to be effected by spec ial messengers, who had to be armed themselves, and frequently also accompanied by armed companions. At about the same time in which America was discovered, a regular postal service began to be instituted in the " Roman Empire of German Nationality," as it was styled, by the granting of a monopoly to a nobleman, Francis von Taxis by name. He organized a mounted mail be tween Vienna and Brussels in 1516, and having exclusive privileges for establishing similar lines throughout the Empire, probably ex tended his connections, as he might find it profitable. It is a mat ter of history that this monopoly continued until about 1870 in most of the German states, and although much modified, and con trolled by legislation, must still have been considered valuable, since it was bought out by the governments for a considerable sum. I have mentioned this as the model, on which postal service was organized in most modern states, and to show how it had to ac- 348 TRANSPORTATION. commodate itself to circumstances wherever it was introduced, until from the solitary postillion, mounted on a stout horse, and armed to the teeth, it gradually metarnorphosized into the stages, still sometimes accompanied by guards, lumbering along slowly and heavily on poor roads, finally on carefully constructed ones, until to-day it comes along at railroad speed in comfortable quar ters. It is one of the most interesting phases in modern develop ment, how out of such a small and unsatisfactory arrangement in the course of time the gigantic service was developed, which now is ramified into the farthest corners of the world and by which a letter is brought across an ocean for the insignificant sum of five cents, and for two cents is carried through thousands of miles in the United States. It is impossible to follow the march of im provement in all the details connected with this important factor of modern public life but I imagine it must have been about thus: 1. Regularity, dependent on security and reliability of ex ternal provisions and arrangements, such as roads, bridges and relays. 2. Speed, requiring great improvements of roads and bridges more and extensive relays, hence a greater number of stations, horses and vehicle's. 3. Cheapness. Establishments having to be kept up, they could only be remunerative, if used by the public in general, and the public could only use it, if prices were reasonable, and would use it the more in proportion to cheapness. Of course this does not apply to our own country and present time, as far as development is concerned, yet it may not be amiss to call attention to it, since to a certain extent this development must occur in about the same successive steps in every country and may be traced from colonial times to the present. Experience has demonstrated the necessity of retaining the mail or postal service as a government monopoly, though in this country it is modified by the contract system. The extension of mail routes is concommitant to the extension of population, and the means of transportation used are determined by circumstances. Below I shall give a table showing the successive establishment of post-offices in this county. As every one knows, we received the mail at first by steamboat at the regular landings, and from these it was distributed to the interior offices as soon as such were estab- TRANSPORTATION. 349 lished. In the intermission between the seasons of navigation the mail was carried by stage coaches or wagons, frequently sleighs, from some places already reached by railroads, to every interme diate point, a mode of conveyance still necessary and practiced for the interior offices not on railroads. In these cases the passenger transportation is independent of the mail service, and has never been connected with it here, except as the arrangements for mail ser vices would furnish regular opportunities of conveyance. The following table shows the names and most other things of interest concerning the post offices of Buffalo County. Names of consecutive incumbents of these offices will be found in the de scription of the several towns. POSTOFFICES IN BUFFALO COUNTY. Names. Alma Anchorage Beef Slough.... Buffalo Cochrane Gross Fountain City. Gilmanton Glencoe- Lookout Marshland Misha Mokwa. Modena Mondovi Montana Nelson Urnes Waumandee . . Location. In the city Sect. 30, T. 21, R. 11. Camp No. 1 In the city . Near station Sect. 5, T. 10, R. 10. In the village. Sect. 14, T. 23, R. 11. Sect. 28, T. 21, K. II). I could not get any repor At the R. R. station. In the village Sect. 23 T. 23 R. 12 . . . In the village Sect. 36 T. 22 R. II . . . In Fairview Village Sect. 8 T. 23 R. 12 . . . . Sect. 21 T. 21 R. 11 . . . Time of Establishment. Feb. 12. 1868 May 9, 1887 March 185S June 14, 1887.... Aug. 23, 1872.... 1854 1858 Sept. 1858 tfrom this office 1874 1871 18H3 1858 First Postmaster. 1870. 1872. 1857. W. H. Gates Robert Henry George Scott Charles Schaettle. Jos. L. Rohrer Gotlieb Bohri Marvin Pierce Wm. Loomis Geo Cowie which may possibly be J. Zatsch Jas. W Kelley Beuj F Babcock. . Robert Nelson Fred. Zeller Ernst Warner Ole P. Urnes J. H. Manz Present Postmaster. M. W. McDonnell.... Robert Henry Geo. Scott Nicholas Weinandy. Jos. E. Rohrer Gottlieb Bohri John B. Ouuning J. vv. Howard Phil. Smith abandoned soon. Lawrence Schneider. Wm. Chafey H. J. Canar J. D.Pace Aug. Helwig, Jr John F. Butler s. s. Braford Chas. Kirchner Time of taking Charge. ..Sept. 21, ...Feb. 12, ....May 8. . ..June 16, ...June 14, . ..Ausr. 23, ...Jan. 13, ...May 1.5, Spring ...April 8, ....Oct. IS, .March 22, July SS, Dec. 6, '77 and July 20, In iss., 181,8 1887 1SSH 18871872ISSlilSlili 18S7 1878 1887 188618871X811 ISSli 18831871 TRANSPORTATION. 35i The following postoffices that once existed in this county have been discontinued: Maxville, formerly situated at the store on Max ville Prairie; Burnside, situated in Sect. 3 T. 23 R. 13, at the house of J. L. Hallock; Eagle Creek, situated in Section 7, T. 21 R. 11, near the crossing of Little Waumandee Creek; Urban, situated at the house of Henry Hauenschild in the upper part of Little Wau mandee Valley, Eagle Branch Sect. 36 T. 21 R. 11, kept by Fred Morgan. The mail is carried by the C. B. & N. R. R. along its line and delivered once a day in each .direction, north and south. From Waumandee and Montana to Fountain City and the reverse, mail is carried three times a week, also from Alma to Modena, Gilman ton and Mondovi, and return. Some connection seems to exist between Waumandee and Montana on one side and Gilmanton on the other. The mail for Buffalo City P. O. is carried by team from Alma, three times a week. A tri-weekly line is still in exist ence between Nelson and Durand, although there is but one post- office, Misha Mokwa now situated on this route. How Urne and Cross are supplied I do not know. There must be a mail route between Gilmanton in our, and Independence in Trempealeau County, on which Lookout P. 0. is situated in the town of Dover, but precise accounts are wanting. RAFTING. Along the Chippewa River and its numerous tributaries there was anfalmost inexhaustible supply of Pine Timber that had grown up from times immemorial. Settlements began to encroach upon the margin of this immense tract of land, but they only made it evident, that the timber would not be needed, nor could it be pro fitably utilized upon the spot. It had long been wanted some where else. The question was how to transport it. Easy enough one should think. But although logs would float, and rafting had been practiced long ago, much had to be learned, contrived and arranged to make the wood in the log a profitable piece of merch andise, an object of wholesale traffic. The most natural idea was to reduce the pine to lumber. Waterpower was not wanting in places to which logs could at the annual freshets be floated and after the subsidence of these, could be conveniently manufactured into lumber, which would sell along the Mississippi River like hot cakes. As early as 1828 the first attempts at carrying out this 352 TRANSPORTATION. idea were made. The permission of the Indians being necessar for settlement and establishment of any factories or posts, Judg Lockwood of Prairie du Chien obtained that permission of Waba sha, the chief of the Sioux, to build a saw mill on the Red Cedai now Menomonie River. Gen. Street, Indian Agent at Fort Craw ford was his partner in the business. It would be tedious to fo. low up the development of the trade thus begun, but after the es periences of almost forty years after the first beginning, durin which time the valleys of the Chippewa and the most importar of its tributaries had become settled and were finally inhabite almost exclusively with white men, the Indians being expellee cities like Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire founded, it became a{ parent that the transportation of the pine timber had- become nc only necessary for the wants of the people dwelling below alon the Mississippi, but that it would no longer be profitable to ha\ all the lumber manufactured upon the spot, thus submitting th: immense interest to the exclusive control of a comparatively na: row strip of country and the few men it, who had the means i build and run saw mills, and who virtually had the monopoly ( the pine lands. It is true, that the establishment of mills ha been attended with risks and dangers, with losses and disaster, but it is just as true that many of these losses and disasters coul and would have been avoided if the experience of the past coul have been made available in the beginning. The owners of pin land had an indisputable right to dispose of their timber as suited themselves, and navigation upon the Chippewa for their log could not be prevented nor prohibited. The question was to fin some safe reservoir for the reception, storage and manipulation ( these logs. This reservoir was found in the Beef Slough and ii connections and ramifications. There are rumors of quiet explor; tions of the slough by several men even in the earliest times of th settlements. Victor Probst, one of the earliest settlers at Alms used to relate that a stranger, whom he met somewhere on Be< Slough, almost directly told him, that this would in no ver distant days be used for the very purpose for which it now serve! I have under the head of Topography given a description < Beef Slough and its relations to the Chippewa, the Beef River an the Mississippi so that it will not be necessary to say more abov, that. The obvious connection of the Slough with the Chippew TRANSPORTATION. 353 Rtyer was known to pilots and if they also knew the difficulties and intricacies of it, they were quite excusable, if they preferred the main channel, though it did look smaller at the parting from the slough. This circumstance was illustrated in the following anec dote: In the year 1835, Jefferson Davis, then a young lieutenant in the United States service, stationed at Fort Crawford, was sent up to the mills on the Menomonee to get lumber to rebuild the fort or make some addition to it. The order had been filled, and Davis and the soldiers were coming down the Chippewa under the command of an old voyageur who acted as pilot. At the critical point where Beef Slough sets off to the left, or rather seems to go on straight, while the main river turns to the right, the French man, well aware of the situation, called out: "To de right, hard." "What's that," said the West Pointer, "you're going to run this raft right to hell? I tell you to pull to the left where the main river is." It was done and the lumber lost in Beef Slough. The crew of the raft returned to the mills for more lumber, and the officers to the fort in a canoe to report the raft broken. Though we cannot vouch for the truth of the anecdote, it still illustrates the relative situation of the parts concerned. As times wore on, and about thirty -two years after Jeff Davis' adventures on Beef Slough and two years after the explosion of his confederacy, the initial steps were taken to put the idea of creating Beef Slough a log harbor into operation. On the 27th day of April 1867, in the village of Alma the Beef Slough Manufacturing, Booming, Log-driving and Transportation Company was organized by the following persons: M. M. Davis, M. D. of Appleton (now of Baraboo,) Wis.; Jas. H. Bacon of Ypsilanti, Mich.; Elijah Swift of Falmouth, Mass.; C. Moser, Jr., Jno. Hun- ner, Jr., and Fred Lane of Alma, Wis. The first meeting of the stockholders was held at Alma, May 23d, 1867, and the following Board of Directors were elected: M. M. Davis, T. E. Crane, Elijah Swift, Francis Palms, Jas. H. Bacon, Fred Lane, and Jno. Hunner, Jr. At a meeting held the same day, the directors chose M. M. Davis, President; C. Moser, Jr., Secretary; Elijah Swift, Treasurer; and T. E. Crane, Superintendent. Violent opposition to this organization was manifested on the 354 TRANSPORTATION. Chippewa River and its tributaries by the lumbermen of the region, who had until then enjoyed a virtual monopoly of the lumbering business, not only by being the only ones in the business, but by dictating their .own price in the purchase of logs cut upon land not their own. Most determined in this combined opposi tion was the firm of Knapp, Stout & Company, whose mills were On the Menomonee, but who were also largely interested in the village of Read's Landing, Minn., where at that time the coupling ancl combining of lumber and lografts from the Chippewa was car ried on, and which on account of the large number of men em ployed in that business and other items connected with lumbering was a very thriving place, but has since dwindled down to insig nificance. This opposition did not manifest itself in idle words only but went to work to create obstacles, which, if not removed, would render it impossible to get logs into the Slough. A clam was thrown in at the head of the slough, where Knapp, Stout & Co. owned the land on both sides. The Beef Slough Co. secured an entrance to the place by having a road laid out from a place on the Durand road close to the Chippewa, along the river and the slough, which road was an open higway as soon as recorded. The people from Alma and along Beef Slough were all in favor of the new enterprise, and when called upon to assist in the removal of the obstructions put in by the Menomonee firm, assembled in large numbers, armed and equipped in various ways. I never at tended any of these gatherings, but I had laid out the above men tioned road, and so was acquainted with the locality, and as excite ments are never silent, I learned much of what happened from acquaintances, and on one of these occasions Mr. Thomas B. Wil son was brought before me in my office of Justice of the Pea.ce, then residing in the town of Belvidere, about nine miles belcrw Alma. He had come down in company with Mr. A. Tainter who with Wilson was the Co. attached to Knapp and Stout, and with a force of their men to prevent the removal of the obstructions they had placed into Beef Slough at the head of it. In course of lively debates carried on in the choicest English of river-men with appropriate retorts from the other side, Mr. Wilson, accord ing to complaint, seized an axe and cut a cable, ancl threatened summary vengeance upon all who dared to oppose his sovereign will, whereupon he was arrested by a constable of Buffalo County TRANSPORTATION. 355 Capt. Beely, and sent down to be put under bonds to keep the peace, which was done and bonds furnished by parties in Alma. I don't remember that any harm was done, nor that anything was demolished, with the exception of some melons, in whch beneficial work Mr. Wilson was faithfully assisted by his attorney, Mr. Camp bell of Wabasha. At this juncture it will not be amiss to introduce some testi mony from the opposite side. This I find in the work of T. E. Randall, called the " Early History of the Chippewa Valley " page 143 and following. " At first all the mills on the river joined in the opposition to this gigantic rival as against a common enemy. Two of the ablest men on the river were chosen to represent the two districts in the Assembly ; in Chippewa and Dunn, T. C. Pound, and for Pepin and Eau Claire, Horace W. Barnes, who, aided by a strong lobby, defeated the bill (for granting the Beef Slough Co. a charter) on a direct vote in the Assembly; but another bill was subsequently introduced, a copy of an old Portage City charter, changing the names of persons and localities — merely a working charter — it was claimed, embodying no specific privileges except corporate powers, but which was afterwards found to contain nearly everything asked for; and the work went on in spite of opposition. Disastrous as the success of this new organization was consid ered by the mill men, a considerable class of our citizens favored the innovation. They were the class known as loggers, who, while the mills on the Chippewa were the only purchasers of logs, saw themselves completely at the mercy of a dozen or twenty monopolists. What cared they, whether cities grew up at Daven port, Clinton and Muscatine, by the manufacture of our pine into lumber, if they could only get fifty cents more per thousand for logs with the promise of cash in the place of trade for pay. But most of the mills were illy prepared for the new order of things. Subjected to annual losses by floods and short supply of logs for want of storage, few of them were able to erect sorting works and keep sufficient force to sort out and pass the logs below going to other parties, and secure their own, and therefore had re course to exchanging marks, as the practice was called. About fifty million feet of logs were contracted by the agent for the Slough Co., this year, 1868, and on opening of spring a driving force of 125 men was placed on the river, and a watchman at every boom 356 TRANSPORTATION. and mill to guard the interest of the new company. A moderati freshet favored the drivers this spring, and it was well into Jum before the main force of the Beef Slough Company reached th( Slough, who on their w7ay down had cut or opened almost evei-3 boom on the river, and taken out, indiscriminately, whatever logs they contained. It seemed as though the agent of the new com pany aggravated every hardship by ruthless, unnecessary and ar bitrary destruction of property, and loud and bitter were the de nunciations against him. It had been a doubtful problem ever among the friends of the measure, whether logs could be success fully driven over the broad sand bars of the lower Chippewa, and cost what it would, its feasibility must be demonstrated now, oi the stockholders, already assessed for the last dollar on their stock would abandon the undertaking; the drive was therefore contin ued after the water got so low, that the cost of driving was more than the logs were worth. But the drive was a fixed fact, and henceforth the Chippewa pinery must furnish its quota of logs, for the mills, and build up the cities on the shores of that great river, whose tributaries span two-thirds of a continent. The next -ession of the Legii-Jatuie, iS69, witnessed a renewal of the struggle for charters, but it was a tri-party fight, with a leaning of Chippewa Falls interests towards Beef Slough, and a final coalition of the two to defeat the Dell's bill. It w7as not until the season of 1870 that the final charter tor the Beef Slough Companybecame a law." I omit some remarks of Mr. Randall, which, though perhaps not entirely without foundation, are stated in his book with the zest of partisan spirt, excusable with him, who could not but be prejudiced against the Beef Slough Company. But he was fair- minded enough to add the following: " Although stoutly opposed, and the establishment of those works much deprecated by a large share of our people as deroga tory to our manufacturing interests, their existence has not been without its benefit, even to its most strenuous opposers. For in 1869 the Company at the Falls having planted some immense piers directly in the channel in the big eddy just below Paint Creek Rapids, a jam of logs of vast proportions was formed against them during the spring drive, filling up the entire river for several miles with logs, piled by the force of the current twenty or thirty feet high, totally obstructing the passage of logs and rafts, — and TRANSPORTATION. 357 presenting a grand, almost sublime spectacle to the beholder — which jam, when broken in the July following, by the aid of two steam engines and a great force of men, filled the river for miles in extent with floating logs, pouring down in such rapid profusion, that any force the mills below could command was powerless to arrest their onward course, or to secure a hundreth part that be longed to them. Millions on millions of feet of logs would have gone into the great river, and been lost in its thousand lagoons and bayous, which were saved to their owners by the Beef Slough boom." In connection with this we must relate the history of the first drive, as far as our county and especially the village of Alma were concerned. The drive came clown, under the command of Mr. Bacon, almost down to Alma, the Jam-Boom in Nelson not being established, or else not capable of holding the logs. The crew having been told, that they were to be paid off at Alma, they came there, and waited in vain for their money. -That the/ grew impatient, was quite natural. It had been asserted before, that the most desperate characters had been engaged in the dangerous work to force the drive through. At first they were patient enough, but when the means for gratifiying their sharpened appetites failed to come forth, they grew riotous, and committed acts, which finally led to the arrest of six of the most desperate characters and lodg ing them in the jail at La Crosse. Sheriff Turnbull, residing in Fountain City had but little inclination to keep order anywhere else. A company of militia was organized and armed, and the crew being at length paid off, the danger passed and has not re turned. Even I, not a resident of Alma at the time, was stopped and insulted in coming through the street, and it was only owing to the interference of Mr. Thomas Kennedy, whose acquaint ance I had made at the survey of the above mentioned road, that my surveying staff was returned to me and worse was prevented. Cleaning out this "one horse town " was a favorite phrase among the " boys." I do not mention it as a grudge against- anyone, not even the said "boys" for I think the whole trouble and disturbance would have been prevented, if the money, which, I understood to have been provided for the purpose, had been properly -applied, and not, as was said -afterwards, used for speculating in logs, in which, as rumor had it, it was lost. The company had the morti- 358 TRANSPORTATION. fication to have its own agent after a while turning against it, try ing to run a lumber raft through the slough to the manifest annoy ance of its legitimate operations. The attempt was, however, made only once, and was unprofitable. Secretary Irvine of the Mississippi Logging Company says as follows: " The first effort was not altogether successful or satisfactory to the stockholders; there were only 5,785,000 feet rafted the first season." In fact the old Beef Slough Company had become bankrupt. At a meeting of the Mississippi River Logging Company held at Winona in September 1872, a proposition was made to them by the Beef Slough Company to sell them a controlling interest in the Beef Slough Co.'s stock. The proposition was accepted, and a new organization was formed with F. Weyerhaeuser of Rock Is land, 111., as President; Artemus Lamb, Clinton, Iowa, Vice Presi dent; and Thos. Irvine of Muscatine, Iowa, Secretary and Manager, which persons have continued in their respective offices to the pre sent time. ¦ Elijah Swift, James Jenkins and M. M. Davis of the old Beef Slough Company still hold some stock and are directors in the new company. The M. R. L. Co. is a corporation organized nnder the laws of the State of Iowa, having its headquarters at the City of Clinton, Iowa, with a branch office at Chippewa Falls, and one at Beef Slough, Wisconsin, run in conjunction with the office of the Beef Slough Boom Company, and having the same staff of of ficers. To harmonize the conflict of interests between the Chippewa mill men at Eau Claire and the Mississippi mill owners, operating the Beef Slough Boom, a third organization was formed in the year 1881, which united the two parties under the corporate name of the Chippewa Logging Company, commonly called the "Pool." Under this arrangement the logs are all bought in common, and the Eau Claire parties take out of the promiscuous lot a suf ficient amount to supply their mills, and let the balance pass on to Beef Slough. The Chippewa Logging Company has its prin cipal office at Beef Slough. As a matter of course there are many arrangements necessary to catch and manage the logs that are coming down on the drive and are to be rafted. The first arrangements are the shear-booms TRANSPORTATION. 359 at Round Hill, one of them directing the logs to the Buffalo County side, the other compelling them to enter Beef Slough. There is also one at the head of Little Beef Slough, for directing stragglers that escaped the upper booms into the little and main slough. Two new ones will be added this year. The logs are stopped at the Jam Boom located between lots 4 and 5 of Section 24, Township 23 Range 14. They are let out at an opening in it according to the demand of the working force below, pass by old Farmer's Home, down the Devil's Elbow, by Flat Bar, Perrin Slough, Wabasha Bridge and other stations until they come out of the swampy precincts to the open deep water along the bluffs bi section 16 Township 22 Range 13, where they are assorted, passed down the pockets arranged into a compact mass, the joints over lapped like those in the front of mason work. Formerly the logs were rafted, that is each log was fastened at least in two different places to poles by lock-downs and plugs. The poles extended across the 10 feet strings. The strings again were coupled by similar poles to each other, to the number of from 2 to 14 or more according to requirement. But before that they had to be drop ped down to some convenient place for this coupling. This has still to be done, but actual rafting is almost dispensed with. The logs are now brailed. A brail is a combination of logs in the same way as a raft, but these logs are not separately connected or secured. There is a boom around the whole mass, the logs of this boom being fastened by iron links, ancl prevented from spreading by galvanized wire lines at a distance of 50 feet from each other. A brail is 550 feet long by 45 feet wide. Six of these brails coupled together constitute a full Mississippi raft. Rafts con structed after the old method had as many oars in bow and stern as there were strings in the raft. They floated down the river guided by these oars. At present these oars have become unne cessary ; a steamboat hitched to the stern of the raft manages the same by making use of the currents, and sometimes suspends the forward motion until the proper channel has been reached by the bow swinging round. Formerly it took as many men as there were oars to manage a raft, each working his oar. It was necessary to have a cook with his utensils and materials upon the raft, and the whole was com manded by a pilot, who sometimes had an assistant. All the crew 360 TRANSPORTATION. now required is that of the steamboat, re-enforced by a few hands to help in landing the raft and in securing stray logs in case of an accident. To carry on the operations on the Beef Slough there are about six hundred men engaged during the rafting sea son, but during the remainder of the season about one hundred are retained for different kinds of M'ork. For the accommodation of these men there are several camps: Camp No. 1 on SE i of NE I of Section 27, T. 22, R. 13. At this camp or near it the office of the company is located, there are also different other buildings, among them a storehouse for cables and other things required in the operations of rafts and boats. Camps No. 2, No. 3 and No. 3£ are strung out along the bank in Sections 21 and 16. Camp No. 4 was out in the swamp west ofthe mani Slough. Camp 5 is a short distance above in Sect. 16, all in Township 22, Range 13. Camp No. 6 is in Sect. 12, T. 22, R. 14 at the head of Perrin Slough, Flat Bar Camp is in Sect. 36, T. 23, R. 14. A small crew camps-at the Jam. Boom, some are also at the Shear Booms, and occasional camps are formed at other places, especially by the Rear Drive Crews. "All these camps are furnished with victuals and cooks, with beds and blankets by the company. The permanent camps are large and well ventilated houses, affording such com fort as may be or is usually afforded under similar circumstances. Meat and vegetables are usually supplied fresh, of good quality and sufficient quantity, procured from the butcher at Alma, and from people on farms in the neighborhood of the slough. Something is yet to be said about the amount of logs handled by the Beef Slough Company and the other companies working with it as above explained. It is neither necessary nor particu larly entertaining to make a table of every year's output. We find that in 1868 it was: 5,785,000 feet. In 1875 : 129,066,630 " In 1885 535,000,000 " In 1886 463,847,560 " The output for the present season is expected to be even larger than that of 1885, which has been the largest so far. The necessity of inspecting the logs and lumber passing through the Beef Slough led to the organization of the 9th Lum ber Insnection District. This wras done bv Chanter 90. Laws nf TRANSPORTATION. 361 1870, and the first inspector appointed was Maj. J. F. Hauser from Mareh 19, 1870, until May 20, 1871 when he resigned, John A. Mc Rae being May 31, 1871 appointed to fill the vacancy. He was succeeded by Geo. W. Gilkey who held the office from March 19, 1872 until April 27, 1874. Martin W. McDonnell held the office from April 27, 1874 to the same date 1878. Mr. D. J. McKenzie has held the office, ever since. For some of the information regarding the lumber inspectors ¦of this district I am obliged to Mr. Henry Casson, Private Secre tary of Gov. Rusk. Those who are specially curious regarding the extent ofthe 9th inspection district are referred to the chapter of the laws of 1870 above mentioned. The office of the Lumber Inspector has nothing to do with the Beef Slough Company or the Mississippi River Logging Co., the latter in fact scaling their own logs. Lumber Inspector M. W. McDonnell says in his report for 1875, that less than one-fourth of the output of that year had been scaled by him, the balance by the M. L. C. Lumber Inspector D. J. McKenzie reports that in 1885 he scaled 148 of the 535 millions and in 1886, 168 of 463 millions. The operations at the Slough, as well as the necessary offices and other arrangements are under the direct superintendence of Mr. Irvine, the Secretary and Manager of the Mississippi River Logging Co. But, it being manifestly impossible for any man to supervise these extensive works, some points of whieh are so far apart, and the operations so multifarious, there are superin tendents or bosses appointed, who are in their places and for cer tain purposes .the temporary authorities. At Round Hill, the northern picket of the grand encampment, Mr. A. B. Gilmore is in command, at the Jam Boom Mr. Mike Hawley, and over the Rafting Works, and the operations connected with them, Mr, Edw, Douglas has the superintendency. As a matter of course there must be some discipline among so many people of all sorts and so many new ones every season, and as there never was any serious disturbance or interruption on account of refractory men, the dis cipline appears to be satisfactory. To this the regulation, that no liquor of any kind is to be brought and drank upon the premises belonging to the company, has assisted in a great measure. The description of the assorting and rafting works, and so 362 TRANSPORTATION. many minor arrangements would take too much room and could hardly be understood without plats and drawings. The same might be said in regard to the construction of a large reservoir for logs adjacent to the lower end of the Slough or rather the junc tion of Beef River and Slough. In this the causeway across the swamp built by the village of Alma with some aid and assistance of the Town of Nelson and the county, has been utilized as a dam and the course of Beef River changed by putting locks into it at the eastern bridge. The above naturally calls to mind the times and per ons of the pioneers of this enterprise. They are mentioned in the course of the narrative, but those who at that time lived in, or had to come to and remain at Alma will especially remember Dr. M. M. Davis and his son, Mr. James H. Bacon, who for the time was the leadei and motor of the whole; with him we saw his son, and his nephew Edgar Warner, who built a little cottage near Camp No. 1. Elijah Swift was at that time frequently at Alma, also T. Crane. The American House then kept by J. A. (Squire) Hunner and afterwards by S- S. Cooke was the headquarters of the Beef Slough folks in general, though the office -was kept, together with the law- office of Moser and Hunner, in the building now occupied by Ja cob Burkhard as a saloon and residence. After the management of the rafting works had been in differ ent hands, the company engaged Mr. Charles Hewitt, under whose vigorous administration the extensive rafting works at and near Camp No. 2 were commenced, which were altered and enlarged as experience required. Mr. Hew7itt, or, as he liked to be called among friends, Charley, lives now on his farm in the town of Ona laska, in La Crosse County. His successor was Mr. George Stiles, who did not stay very long. He is now in Minnesota. Mr. Stiles' successors were suc ceeding each other so rapidly, that we could not keep up the rec ord, though we caught the last of them. At first it was customary to employ only old hands, that is such, who had been on the Slough from the start. Very soon this was impossible, as the supply gave out, and it was no longer neces sary, since the work had become greatly changed and simplified. In course of time, therefore, the number of original hands dwin dled down to about one dozen, all of them put into positions re- TRANSPORTATION. 363 miring attention rather than exertion. The supply of men for the preparatory work was drawn largely from the adjacent country ind gradually from a larger area, extending occasionally to Mon- lovi and Glencoe, with a more or less considerable contingent from Alma. Many of the young men who had grown up along the slough earned good wages at odd times or at steady work. Like every enterprise of such a magnitude as that connected with Beef Slough and the different companies or combinations concerned, this establishment conferred upon the people of the adjacent country some considerable advantages, which are perhaps not always fully appreciated, but which may also at times have been exaggerated in the minds of some people. The company is utilizing a natural privilege which otherwise could not have af forded any benefit to anyone. To do so there bad large sums of money to be expended in procuring shore rights, buying real estate and for work in fitting the slough and its different parts and positions for the purpose of the business intended to be carried on. Most of this money went to parties living in the neighbor hood. Then, with the recurrent season of activity there was the regular outlay for carrying on the general work. Of the amoun, so paid out to the hands of all kinds a part went directly and i other, and at times a more considerable part, went indirectly into the pockets of the people of the neighborhood. It is also to be acknowledged that roads and bridges along the parts of the shore most often passed by teams in the employ of the company /vere better taken care of and improved than in other parts in the leighborhood. Some of these improvements were effected by the rrder of the company through their employees, others were paid or by taxes assessed upon the company. There are certainly two ides to every thing and some disadvantages may have resulted rom the establishment of this enterprise. Some private damages vere claimed to have been inflicted upon some of the property tdjacent to the log-channel by the deposition of logs, sand and ubbish upon lands previously useful. Where any institution of his magnitude is concerned, and so many people's land has to be >assed by workmen and exposed to extra overflow on account of ogs obstructing to a certain extent the passage of the water, it is o be expected that some grumbling, with and without sufficient :ause, will occur. But these are private grievances. Public dis- 364 TRANSPORTATION. advantages we had but few to apprehend. The first experiences- with the "boys" as most of common employees of the company were called, could hardly encourage any hope of favorable rela'- tions between the new company and the citizens of the neighbor'-' hood. During the nineteen years which have since elapsed, mat ters have gradually improved, especially under the administration of the resident officers and managers of the Mississippi Logging Company, and it is a fact that a good understanding exists be tween the company and its regular employees on one hand and the authorities and the citizens on the other, which goes to the credit of either party. That there are exceptions to this, and occasional acts of vio lence and disturbance occur, can not be denied, nor that it is some times necessary to apply the law to refractory individuals. Yet. considering all the circumstances, I think there is but little cause for actual complaint. The company owns very much real estate and numerous shore rights along the Slough. These parcels of land have been carefully mapped, first in a book in separate sections eight inches square, then in a continuous map about seven and one-half feet long, containing all the land from Sect. 35, Tshp. 22, Rge. 13 up to Sect. 31, Tshp. 25, Rge. 13, in which Round Hill is situated, or from Alma to within two miles of Durand, in which the company or some individual members of the same have any claim or property. Incident to the subject of rafting, the old style of which I have above described among the earlier operations of the Beef Slough Co., we ought to remember the time, when more than 30 years ago, till a much later time, until after the establishment of this institution, not a few of our citizens earned money by the hard work connected with the management of an oar and other man- nual labor incident to rafting after the old method. For a time there was quite an amount of trading done with crews of rafts that were landed at Twelve Mile Bluff, or at Holmes' Landing. All this was quite desirable during a time when the resources of the country were yet entirely undeveloped. It is many years since shipping as a hand upon a raft was a habitual summer employ ment with any of our fellow citizens, and but few of the younger generation know anything about it. Usually the shipping was TRANSPORTATION. 365 done at Read's Landing, that place being a sort of rendezvous for pilots. The rafts went sometimes as far as St. Louis, and the voy age down and return consumed a considerable part of a summer. The work was hard, the treatment rough, the wages often small,, payment not always secure, so that he who managed to save a few dollars out of a trip, might consider himself fortunate. But at- home there was nothing to do and nothing to earn, so that any prospect for improving the situation, was eagerly accepted. For mally the rough work and life had its charms and they followed rafting during the summer and went into the logging camps, or the pineries, as it was usually called, in the winter. The rafters, as. a class, were rather dreaded along shore, and if now they have almost disappeared, it is not to be deplored. It was but too often the character of the regular rafthands, those who followed rafting for a business that made the existence of the accidental hands upon the rafts disagreeable and even perilous. Long as the chapter on " Transportation " has grown, it can not be supposed, that the incidents and accidents still stored in th memories of the earlier settlers have been exhaustively related, but it is believed that the main points have been carefully enough collected, so as to give a picture of how things once were, how the}' gradually changed and how they now appear. 366 AGRICULTURE. AGRICULTURE. The varied surface of Buffalo County, for the description of which I refer the reader to the chapter on "Topography" destined it for an agricultural community. The changes of hill and dale, of highland and lowland, combine manj7 advantages and disad vantages, which are to be taken into general consideration before entering into particulars. The great advantage of this configura tion is that it affords chances for manifold uses in an agricultural sense, that is. the country is as well adapted to the cultivation of the different cereals usually cultivated in corresponding latitudes, as to the successful propogation and development of those do mestic animals found with all civilized nations, and forming one of the great staples of life in the shape of meat and dairy pro ducts and the uses to which wool and hides are devoted for ar ticles of clothing and other subordinate appliances. There can be no question that a hilly country affords to live stock of any kind a natural protection, which is not to be found in a country essenti ally level for many miles, open and subject to sweeping winds, and apt to experience periods of long continued droughts. The hills are the natural reservoirs from which springs derive their water, and the rills and creeks affording moisture for plants and drink for man and animals are certainly a most desirable provi sion for the cultivator of the soil. It is true that in a hilly coun try there must be some land which can not be brought under cul tivation, but as wood is one of the necessaries of life, and natur ally grows upon those places where the plow can not be employed with advantage, this seeming disadvantage is no detraction from the general usefulness of the land. Of disadvantages we must mention the difficulties of inter course or travel, which are occasioned by ascents and descents, and by swampy places which are the results o imperfect natural drainage, and compel the inhabitants to spend much time and AGRICULTURE. 367 labor, or their equivalent — money — in the building of roads, and in keeping them in proper condition. Another disadvantage is the liability of slopes which admit of cultivation, to be torn up and denuded of the most valuable soil. We must leave it to the judgment of every person to form their own estimate on the balance of these advantages and disad vantages, whether they are about equal, or which of them pre ponderates. But we may, or must, admit that we know of no country in which everything is endowed with only favorable pro perties and conditions, and if there is one, in which no favorable conditions whatever exist, there is little or no danger, that it will become and remain the dwelling place of civilized people. One advantage, not, of course, to. agriculturists alone, is af forded by our hills, which is not yet pr-perly appreciated, tha* is the building material, which we can get out of them in most parts ofthe county, not entirely without exertion, but comparatively easily, and without being compelled to transport contradict itself, but is plainly incompatible with facts. The most glaring mistake, or perhaps misprint, is of the town of Dover. This town consists of a regular government township containing 36 sections or 23,040 acres, exclusive of township fractions on the northside and range line fractions on the west side. The first named fractions amount to about 36 acres for each of six sections — 216 acres, the last named are insignificant in this case. We may then set down the area of Dover as 23,260 acres. Of these the report says that 6,914 acres are improved, 3,115 acres are wood land and 43,618 acres unimproved. It is hardly probable that this mistake originated in the town, but where it did originate I can not tell. Even after a deduction of 30,000 acres the farmland in the report exceeds the surface of the whole town by about four hundred acres. If we cut off the last figure, reducing the number of acres of unimproved land to 4,361, we find the farmland to amount to 14,390 leaving 8,870 acres to be accounted, more than one-third of the whole surface, which is to my certain knowledge impossible. Of the town of Nelson no " Wood Land " is reported, yet every one acquainted with that town must admit, that there is as much woodland in it, proportionately, as can be found in any town of the county. It being now the largest town, it certainly ought to report most wood land. Other criticisms might be given but as this would make the chapter tedious, I will stop here, hoping, however, that these remarks are studied by townclerks, and aspirants for this important office, before another state census is to be taken. The county containing 690 square miles or 441,600 acres, there are 64,490 acres, or adding the 30,000 acres of an error in the town of Dover to it 94,490 acres, or .more than one-fifth of the whole surface still to be accounted for. These must be distributed into three classes: 1. The swamplands along the Mississippi and Chippewa Rivers, that could not figure very extensively as farm lands, but might have been booked to some extent as woodlands, at least as far as they are owned and held by farmers or others for that purpose. This class covers a very considerable part of the above amount. 2. United States or government land, to which might be added railroad indemnity land not yet sold or taken II AGRICULTURE. 377 possession of by farmers. This class I consider the smallest of the three classes. 3. Accidental errors, or actual misstatements made by farmers, not often purposely, but unconsciously. Some, who know, or at least pietend to know, every square inch of their land, will sometimes make guesses at the proportions or the amount that would astonish themselves, if they ever would take the trouble to practice a little addition and subtraction in the matter. 378 AGRICULTURE. GRAIN. TOWNS, VILLAGES)! AND CITIES. Alma Alma, city Belvidere Buffalo Buffalo, city Canton , Cross Dover Fountain City. Gilmanton Glencoe Lincoln Maxville Milton , Modena Mondovi Montana Naples Nelson Waumandee .... Total. WHEAT. "Bushels. 3,242 105 3,228 1,483 132 1,343 3,0072,092 189 2,5873,4773,771 873 1,476 2,2581,392 4,601 1,741 2,161 4,088 43,247 55,416 1,945 52,890 23,382 2,110 24,528 46,390 31,887 3,190 38,916 49,403 54,122 14,122 22,419 25,60619,481 73,476 26,63036,903 64,796 667,612 Value. $ 32,907 1,247 31,40315,581 1,329 17,164 28,023 19,439 2,220 22,969 31,996 28,99110,35415,640 22,95710,921 44,655 13,287 24,784 44,450 $420,267 CORN. Acres. _605 20 447 268 SO 938 514 599 37 1,046 987 414 1,160 225 1,1311,105 641 1,452 897 1,119. 13,687 Bushels. 17,810 690 10,700 ' 7,875 2,635 29,575 14,130 14,257 1,810 26,125 23,842 10,215 43,805 6,480 29,143 26,090 20,567 38,64530,386 34.800 389,580 Value. , $ 5,650 248 3,241 3,067 894 11,217 4,220 4,437 540 7,766 7,536 3,035 20,301 1,943 8,840 6,7396,130 10,249 7,981 10,486 $125,520 AGRICULTURE. 379 GRA I N. TOWNS, VILLAGES OATS. BARLEY. AND CITIES. Acres. Bushels. Value. Acres. Bushels. Value. Alma 1,120 44 960 1,075 79 1,353 1,0031,404 93 1,711 1,676 980 1.220 416 1,448 1,914 1,614 2,240 1,341 1,821 46,207 1,635 39,99023,733 1,726 48,92635,52136,439 3,240 50,441 45,803 36,498 42,102 13,910 45,486 44,16550,78562,45544,67660,961 $ 9,215 248 6,558 5,787 561 12,233 7,173 8,521 927 10,169 11,537 9,376 10,651 4,013 10,935 8,470 11,045 12,526 11,01612,418 258 2 161 193 7,976 40 3,703 5,078 $ 3,111 16 Alma, citv Belvidere 1,254 2,357 Buffalo Canton 107 295 219 15 273353 291 84 124 280273 336 266 134 520 2,657 7,423 4,378 412 6,6028,4537,1811,9081,927 6,0414,9458,6355,634 3,006 16,294 1,063 2 933 Cross Dover 1,652 225 2,090 Fountain City Gilmanton Glencoe 4,230 3,967 748 Lincoln Maxville Milton 1,292 2 536 Modena Mondovi 1,947 3 469 Montana Naples 2 111 Nelson 1,170 6,628 Total 23,622 734,099 $163,618 4,187 101,343 $42,799 380 AGRICULTURE. GRA I N. TOWNS, VILLAGES RYE. Buckwheat. AND CITIES. Acres. Bushels. Value. Acres. Bushels. Value, Alma 36 665 $ 249 5 71 $ 51 Belvidere Buffalo 181 2918 73 2 89 4 96 9139 115 300 18 189299 26 70 2,510 439 361 1,124 32 963 60 1,045 1,329 710 1,212 4,467 185 475 1,444 1,082 360 1,591 1,003 185 182562 16 390 30 413658 342595 2,222 92 208 584 508 152 710 $ 9,101 5 1 75 23 49 18 Canton 10 1315 167198 174 83 8695 Cross 14 44 205 193 65 166 Glencoe 106 15 2434 9 5433 1,114 210 291 391 77 416 436 681 95 151 102 3584 285 Milton Modena Montana Naples Nelson Total 1,398 20,054 385 4,041 $ 2,046 AGRICULTURE. 381 After having given the table of acreage, I think it most nat ural to let the tables of crops follow immediately, as crops are es timated by the number of acres devoted to each. The number of acres of cultivated or improved land is 128,585, of which 88,245 are reported to have been devoted to crops of all kinds, leaving 40,340 acres unaccounted for. This number, not much less than one-third of the whole amount, must be credited to meadows, cul tivated grasses, pastures and clover fields. It is not a bad propo sition, nor do the crop reports present such very great variations and contradictions as I had to criticize in the reports on the gen eral acreage. Incongruencies, of course, there are, but not of suf ficient importance to affect general results. The next preceding tables treat of the grain crops. The number of acres of grain of all kinds is 86,526, while the other crops occupied not more than 1,719 acres. Of the grains wheat occupied 43,247 acres, only 16 acres less than one-half of the whole area. Next to it comes oats 23,622 acres, or 1,999, in round numbers 2,000, acres more than one-half of the wheat area. Corn figures with 13,687 acres, or 729 ares less than one-third of the wheat area, which seems to me somewhat exaggerated, but may nevertheless be true. Corn, as everybody knows, must be reckoned among the risky crops in 'our climate requiring, as it does, a warm summer and exemption from late frosts in spring, and early ones in fall, to be successful. It is cer tainly interesting to know, how much was realised, on the average from each acre of the different grains. The following is a state ment according to the Tables: (Fractions of cents are omitted.) Wheat 69.70; Corn $9.82; Oats$6.50; Barley $10.22; Rye $6.51; Buckwheat $5.34. Thus it appears that barley was the best paying crop, while corn was 12 cents per acre ahead of wheat, oats and rye nearly equal, and buckwheat least. But in the emuneration of the last named there is one item, which differs so much from the others as to suggest a mistake somewhere. 44 acres in the town of Glen coe are reported to have yielded only 193 bushels valued at $166.00. The yield in all other towns shows over 10 bushels to the acre while in Glencoe it is less than 5 bushels. On the other side the valuation per bushel runs all the way. from about one-third of a dollar to about two thirds," in Glencoe it reaches 85 cents. Where the mistake is, I can not say, but the enumeration of the value 382 AGRICULTURE. must be nearer right than that of the bushels. Both, however may be wrong. I have already expressed my opinion, that these $ tables, and consequently the averages derived from them, are not absolutely reliable, yet they are the latest to be had, and must answer our purpose for want of better ones. TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES. Alma Alma, city Belvidere Buffalo Buffalo, city Canton Cross Dover Fountain City. Gilmanton Glencoe Lincoln Maxville Milton Modena Mondovi Montana Naples Nelson Waumandee... . Total ROOTS. Acres. 17* 23* 21 27 9 13*21* 2 12* 1*9 5 15 91 168* Bushels. 99 700 215 1,448 1,700 556 909200 714368 Not stated. 180 360 865 9,205 N^alue. $ 244 7045 302 245 202 182 30 148 92 Not stated. 29 57 140 1,796 POTATOES. 75* 5 110 84J 1511 80186 44,56 Not statt d 769870* 43* 47*751 97* 77* 76 71* 74* 1308* Bushels. 7,406 355 8,830 10,583 2,0928,463 9,063 5,318 365 7,202 9,1075,910 5,047 4.710 5,653 8,115 5,670 6,612 7,759 8,012 Value. 126,272 $ 2,248 142 2,6403,929 n 699 3,285 2,741 1,593 129 2,313 2,585 1,893 1,262 1,3431,732 1,527 1,721 1,679 2,632 3,214 $39,307 AGRICULTURE. 383 TOWNS, VILLAGES BEANS AND PEAS. SORGHUM. AND CITIES. Acres t Bushels Value. Acres 'Gallons. Value. Alma 27 $45.00 Belvidere 1 2* 1045 10.0065.00 14* 890 $253.00 Buffalo 5* 12 * 5* 787 706 27 563 424.00 11 451 45.75 282.40 11.00 Dover 61 105 122.75 184.00 61 105 203.00 39 4,655 1,390.00 Lincoln 161 i 2* 14* 8 40J 41 770 59 118 1,292 549 2,190 14.00 7* 1 14* i 6* 22* 50 46 109* Not stated 52* 362 89.00 46.00 141.00 Not stated. 49.65 382.50 318.00 Milton 30.00 44.00 Mondovi 351.20 257.00 Naples 905.00 711 921 J 158* Total $1,080.85 12,647 $4,463.60 This concludes the enumeration of field crops, or such as are estimated by the acre. A careful examination will show that the tables on Beans and Peas, ' on Roots and on Potatoes are capri ciously contradictory, so that a digest of them is not worth while. Something similar we must say of the table on Sorghum, when 384 AGRICULTURE. we find that 5* acres in one town yield 787 gallons, while 12 acres in another yield only 706 gallons. Differences there are and must be in the yield per acre, of this or any other crop, but for such glaring ones we can not account by anything reasonable, hence we refuse to believe them. Taking, however, the reports as they are and for what they may be worth, we find that the greatest amount for any town in the different crops is distributed as follow: CROP. TOWN. BUSHELS. ¦ Wheat. - - .... ..Montana 73,476. Corn Maxville 43,805. Oats Naples 62,455. Barley Waumandee 16,294. Rye Milton 4,467. Buckwheat. Maxville 1,114. Beans and Peas Naples 326. Roots Gilmanton 1,700. Potatoes Buffalo 10,583. Sorghum Gilmanton 4,655 Gallons. In the next following table we will bring the more important Beeds raised in the fields and converted into commercial articles. AGRICULTURE. 385 SEEDS. TOWNS, VILLAGES CLOVEE SEED. TIMOTHY SEED. FLAX SEED. AND CITIES. Bushels. Value. Bushels. Value, Bushels. Value. Belvidere 4 $ 20.00 Buffalo 18* 74.00 30 $ 30.00 Dover 2* 9.00 33* 43.00 14 71.00 48 63.00 6 2* 23.00 12.50 62*38* 93.0054.00 144* 9* 10 3 8 772.00 35.00 36.0012.00 40.00 37* 3 16 66 20 45.00 3.00 21.3068.0037.00 Montana 30 $ 60 Total 222* $1104.50 357 $ 457.30 30 $ 60 These seed crops, though raised in the fields, are more or less accidental, and can not be considered as regular. There is, how ever, no reason, why flaxseed should not become a regular crop. It is also to be regretted, that flax should not be Cultivated for 386 AGRICULTURE. its fiber, as well as for its seed, and that there is not in our neigh borhood any establishment, in which they are utilized as raw ma terial for manufacturing purposes. FRUITS. TOWNS, VILLAGES APPLES. GRAPES. BERRIES. AND CITIES. Bushels. Value. Pounds. Value. Bushels Value. 60 $ 53 300 $ 21 5 $ 5 Belvidere 200310 7 17 196 235 5 8 13,510 4,000 676245 Buffalo... Canton 1,300 130 Dover 171252260102 7267 142 188 118151 211 102 72 34 116 105 Fountain City 17,400 1,090 Gilmanton 112 433 Glencoe Maxville 620 40 Milton Modena 5 115 20 Mondovi 250 214 10 145 135 9 71 $ 1,621 Naples 383 5 625 847 Nelson.. 2,200 154 20 Total 2,217 39,330 $ 2,356 $1,575 AGRICULTURE. 387 Before I could believe the report >n this table as to the amount of bushels of apples, I would insist on accurate measure ment, although I wish that the actual amount might be a hundred times as large as the one reported. It is one of the well founded objections to our section of country, that the larger fruits are not to be depended upon, no matter what care is taken with the trees. Some few localities seem to be almost created purposely for fruit trees and and apple trees do for a while grow finely, but all at once they wilt and wither, and nobody seems to be any wiser for the experience. The report on grapes is more reliable but seems to be incomplete, as some towns report nothing, that to my certain knowledge produce a creditable amount. So for instance, there seem to be neither apples, nor grapes, nor other berries, in the City of Alma, which is not true espeaially with regard to grapes. BEES. TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES. No. of Colonies. Value. Pounds of Wax. Pounds of Honey. Value. 20 $ 113.00 60 390 $ 49 Buffalo 10 59.00 io Canton 21 5 125.00 25.00 100 Cross Fountain City 69 54 24 30 140 6 28 13 2 104 344.00310.00 212.00143.00 1,049.00 31.00 140.00 71.55 10.00 544.00 145 1220 215 6 " 25 637 Gilmanton Glencoe 3,0502,400 750954 2,700 413 Lincoln 376 Maxville 215 Milton 95 405 40 375 100 4,435 4 49 12 573 1,230 Total .' 526 $3,169.55 15,194 $ 2,191 388 AGRICULTURE. After the study of Buffalo County statistics I suppose a man should not be surprised at anything not even if the town of Wau mandee produces 4,435 pounds of honey without keeping any bees, or five towns containing together 159 colonies, do not produce an ounce of honey. But statistics say so! Must be true, then. I can not close the account of crops in this county without some further reflections. Among other things I have omitted the table on Tobacco, see ing that there was only one item in it of 2 acres, estimated crop 2,000 pounds, valued at $200. This crop, I understand, is on the increase, and may become profitable in certain situations, and in seasons long enough to permit of its maturing properly. It is, however, an exhausting crop, which requires heavy manuring and a strong soil. I find a tabulation of the "Value of all other products not hereinbefore enumerated." I can't imagine what these products might be, unless pumpkins, squashes, cabbages and other garden truck is meant, which, 1 regret to say have been inadvertently omitted on the list. Whatever may be the material, the amount of sjuch products is $4,515 for the whole county, reported from only three towns. Whether there were not " some pumpkins" in the other towns, who knows? The list of men employed in agricultural pursuits will be found as the last of the tables and its remarkable statements and other merits duly considered. The census, of course, in its bril liant arrangement; put it close to the table of implements, probably because " men " are only live implements. The most important branch of civilized husbandry, after the cultivation of cereals, is the care of the domestic animals, be the same for the ultimate use of the flesh as meat for food, or for the purpose of assistance in the necessary work of tillage, or any other work required on a farm, for transportation or other purposes. Neat Cattle including the bull and cow and their offspring, are most important domestic animals, inasmuch as they afford a more various utilization than any other class. Oxen are a very useful class of draught-animals, which, especially during the earlier years of the settlement of this region, were deservedly esteemed. At the present time working oxen are scarce, and steers are only kept three or four years, that is, as long as they grow, and their flesh AGRICULTURE. 389 accumulates and matures rapidly. Cows are but exceptionally used as draft animals in this country, but in many others it is dif ferent. Cows we keep for their milk, of which, as far as is not used fresh, we manufacture cheese and butter, and for breeding, converting their carcasses into beef, whenever they do not, or no longer, prove profitable alive. 'Calves are not very frequently sold to the butcher for veal so that even the local demand for that kind of meat is seldom sufficiently supplied. The subjoined table would be more interesting if it would present specific columns in stead of the gross aggregation of cattle under one name, all the distinction being between those living and those killed. CATTLE AND CALVES. TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES. Alma- Alma, city Belvidere Buffalo Buffalo, city... Canton Cross Dover Fountain City Gilmanton . .. Glencoe Lincoln Maxville Milton Modena Mondovi Montana Naples Nelson Waumandee . Total... ON HAND. No. 1,660 41 1,336 1,006 155 1,3431,357 1,350 160 1,515 1,7251,401 869 853 1,469 1,618 2,242 1,5391,122 2,912 15,213 Value. 17,835 590 14,66312,765 2,490 15,998 19,749 20,828 2,815 28,04021,127 15,44015,550 10,960 21,644 21,60520,955 23,729 16,838 25,314 $ 392,347 SLAUGHTERED. No. 73 35 29 7 268 25 380 117 223 73 132 21 146 62 100111 159 379 2,280 Value. $ 1,308 516565 146 6,315 430 8,838 3,333 5,384 1,729 4,295 400 3,804 1,306 2,273 2,4503,594 9,442 $ 56,057 390 AGRICULTURE. D I iIRY PRODUCTS TOWNS, VILLAGES CHEESE. BUTTER. AND CITIES. Pounds. Value. / Pounds. Value. 4,575 $ 175.00 '8,205 % "976 2,110 211.00 8,620 9,415 3,785 23,635 15,825 26,705 6,345 20,510 23,14018,52914,875 6,630 34,87524,63024,602 23,37332,63086,450 862 Buffalo 1 524 Buffalo, city 150 15.00 559 2 398 4,380 200140 6,825 400 2,960 411.00 18.0015.00 983.00 29.00 326.00 i;647 4,453 1,144 4,038 2,9652,950 2,299 961 5,6372,463 3,566 3,787 4,7658,856 Dover Fountain City Glencoe Lincoln Milton 795 230 32,684 3,775 79.00 25.00 3,595.00 332,60 Mondovi Montana Naples 1,1502,500 117.00 285.00 The inconsistencies in the tables of " Cattle and Calves " are not so apparent as in some ofthe preceding tables, although the critic acquainted with the situation of the different towns might find some reasonable objections to make, or questions to ask. With regard to the tables of Dairy Products I think that that of Butter is more accurate than that of Cheese but that both are not accurate enough. That in the City of Alma neither butter nor cheese should be produced, may cause the impression that it is a factory town, with nothing rural about it, while in fact we have several farms within our corporation, and we know that on at least one of them not only butter but also cheese is produced for sale in town. A glaring error in the printed tables giving 60,825 pounds of cheese for Gilmanton, I corrected by striking out the 0, as I found that then the amount of value would give about 14 cents per pound, which would not be an unreasonable average, or about as much as a fair quality of cheese should bring in market. AGRICULTURE. 391 SHEEP . LAMBS AND WOOL. • TOWNS, VILLAGES ON HAND. SLAUGHTERED WOOL. AND CITIES. No. Value. No. 96 Value. Pounds. Value. Alma 623 $ 1,382.00 $ 285.00 2,346 $ 342 Belvidere 331 386 331.00, 770.00 35 16 56.0045.00 1,225 1,217 127 Buffalo 187 Canton 1,242 459 1,194 51 829 1,082 483721 162 1,0651,306 831519 519892 1,879.50 894.00. 2,392.00, 93.03; 1,527.00, 1,846.001,022.00, 1,532.00 450.00; 2,158.00 2,522.00 1.708.00 878.00, 1,013.00,2,015.00 148 322.00 4,194 1,572 4,189 165 3,210 5,8741,837 2,901 735 2,831 4,128 2,658 878 2,834 3,125 670 Cross 332 Dover 202 570.00 899 Fountain City. Gilmanton 33 72 286 28 74 7 119 69 595362 141 217.00 738.00 82.00 220.00 20.00 323.00 162.50169.00 125.00 181.00 465.00 638 Glencoe 928 Li ncol n 342 Maxville 376 Modena 146 555 Mondovi 654 Montana 518 Naples 135 708 Waumandee 695 Total 12,700 $24,442.50 1467 $3,980.50 45,919 $ 8,286 .The tables on Sheep and Lambs were entirely separated from the table on Wool, but I thought proper to unite them, since there can be no sheep without producing some wool, nor any wool with out sheep to grow upon. The table of these animals "on hand" rather surprised me, as I had no idea that there were so many sheep, nor ca-n I yet imagine that not more than 1467 of these ani mals were slaughtered during the 3'ear, since this number would afford only four heads per day for the whole county. I do not, however, pretend to be very accurately posted on the point. The tables on "Hogs" "on hand," and "slaughtered" do not present any contradictions beyond those common to similar tables with the exception of the fact, that no hog should have been slaughtered in the City of Alma, when it must be clear to any one acquainted there, that about as many hogs must have been 392 AGRICULTURE. slnughtered as there were on hand, as probably none were ever kept, except for the purpose of being slaughtered within the year. My nose disputes this assertion, but although it always leads, it still is not supposed to possess much judgment. HOGS.' TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES. Alma Alma, city. . . Belvidere .... Buffalo Buffalo, city . . Canton Cross Dover Fountain City Gilmanton . . . Glencoe Lincoln Maxville Milton Modena Mondovi Montana Naples Nelson Waumandee . • Total . . ON HAND. No. 727 20 554448 153 1,649 687 1,187 62 1,809 1,376 760 1,196 569 1,241 2,0972,127 868 1,1832,427 21,140 Value. 2,994 73 1,483 1,892 484 3,580 2,030 2,897 243 5,235 3,913 2,2515,729 1,529 5,0536,094 5,916 3,8545.328 7i052 $ 67,627 SLAUGHTERED. No. 892 537 475 145 1,164 619892 36 985 1,212 289 1,019 297 1,359 595 1.281 812 1,234 1,370 15.213 Value. 6,583 2,0874,784 1,304 9,907 5,447 6,735 383 9,317 10,674 2,554 9,856 2,902 12,062 6,032 11,262 6,856 10,416 . 14,076 $133,347 AGRICULTURE. 393 HORSES AND MULES. TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES. No. Value. Remarks. Lima 436 13 353259 31 395 350308 41 405386 375254192 373 523522 380360530 $ 26,535 945 18,73020,800 2,795 26,80822,595 30,545 3,655 36,46034,47025,88522,205 14.990 32,45048,825 42,086 28,430 54,30543,030 ielvidere Very inaccurate. Buffalo Rather highpriced, compar atively. Buffalo, city Canton 3over There is some doubt about it. fountain City Too low in price VI ax ville Compareths last three towns. j do. the last two. Montana Compare Naples and Nelson! vVaumandee. Total 6,486 $ 536,544 —$82.72 per head. I know as well as anybody else that in no kind of domestic .nimals there is such a difference in value as in horses, but such , difference as we find between the valuations of some towns and ithers can not, and do not exist among horses in our county. The ;reater number of our horses are common stock, kept for common mrposes, and only very few animals can be rated at fancy priees, tallions for breeding always excepted. The average price per head or the whole county is, according to my estimation, rather low, but \ find that just where we might expect a high price in the sche- lule we find a rather low one, and the reverse. My remarks in he table point to some surprises, rather than actual errors, which, lowever, are not only possible but highly probable. A most istonishing revelation, I think, is the statement that there are but .3 horses in the city of Alma. I am not quite sure, but there are nore than that in the first ward, and were in 1885. 394 AGRICULTURE. The following' table is given at the ^end of all the others! as relating to the " hired help " required in all the different branches enumerated in the preceding ones, ££ The calculation per head dur^ ing the wholelyear I have made myself from the statements given on'the left side. This is the most astonishing of all the tables relating to the agricultural statistics of Buffalo County, and it seems impossible to explain the statements. AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEES. TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES. Alma.. Alma, city Belvidere Buffalo Buffalo, city. . . Canton Cross Dover Fountain City. Gilmanton Glencoe Lincoln Maxville Milton Modena Mondovi Montana Naples Nelson Waumandee . . Men employed. 23 Total ¦ 198 27 119 1320 43 11 5232 50 19 34 23 22 63 1120 35 Wages includ ing board. $ 576'. 50 815 3,770.001,760.00 516;00 1,540.00 262.00 3,050.002,313.00 11,681.00 4,689.007,675.004,095.00 1,305.00 3,652.00 2,430.00 8,096.002,840.00 312.00 7,760.00 Wages per man during the year. $ 68,322.50 $ 25.04 19.04 65.18. 4.33 118.46 13.15 70.93 210.27224.63146.53 153.50 215.52 38.08 158.78110.45 128.50 258.18 15.60 232.12 $ 116.75 It is impossible to reconcile the statements upon any princi ple whatever, nor is it possible to explain how such differences as the above could be reported. As I can not here quote the instruc tions under which these statistics, or any of the preceding ones were supposed to be collected, I do not want to throw the blame on any one in particular, but know from experience that the in- AGRICULTURE. 395 structions sent to town clerks were liable to misinterpretation. Though I had nothing to do with them, and had neither time nor inclination to study them, I was asked more than once, what I thought to be the meaning and import of certain points in tnem. Having -for many years handled the '¦ Educational Statistics" of this county, I know how difficult it is, to make some people com prehend distinctions that seem to us unmistakable. Having already apologized for the short-comings of the sta tistics 'given, I will only add my general opinion of statistics of all kinds. That they are necessary and useful no one will deny, always provided that they are correct. This proviso is, however, seldom regarded. Not that those collecting them are necessarily wanting in intelligence or honesty, but the means for obtaining facts are usually, and more especially, if the collection has to be made among all kinds of people, not adequate to the requirements. Take for instance a farmer, required to state, how many acres of im proved bnd he possesses, and you will find that in nine out often cases he will exceed the fact. I know that almost every farmer whose cultivated land I had to survey, was astonished to find that he had less than he supposed. Then again as to woodland, unless it is a forty or a definite fraction of it, there is a notorious uncer tainty. These are only instances. Accounts of produce are also very loosely kept, if at all. Sums are estimated on the spur of the moment, and the town clerk can not wait for the reflection, that might greatly modify state ments, which for him it is almost impossible to contradict or to correct. Another inherent fault of statistics is that they are frequently collected for one purpose and finally used for another, or that the purpose for which they are wanted is misunderstood and inquiries directed the wrong way. I will say nothing of the possibility of using statistics to prove the very opposite assertions, but that they are sometimes so used, or attempted to be used, should of itself render everybody cautious in the handling of them. But it is most cextain that a critical study of even imperfect statistics would lead to a better understanding of principles on which they are collected,. and the purposes for which they may and should be used. Any well settled and duly organized county 396 AGRICULTURE. would feel it as a disgrace, should anybody write about its agri culture and forget to mention its fair, that annual show of pump kins, squashes, cabbages and other greens, besides stock of blood and grade, not to say much of horses and races, the latter always being made sufficient noise about, so as not to be overlooked. The Agricultural Society of Buffalo County was organized during the summer of 1872 with Robert Henry as President, John Hunner, jr., as Secretary, and J. W. DeGroff as Treasurer. It held its first annual fair on the 9th, 10th and 11th of October of that year, on the fair grounds at the town of Lincoln, on Sec. 12 T. 21 R. 12, southwest of the bridge crossing Little Waumandee Creek in front of the Lincoln House. The first three fairs were moderate successes, but the next showed very strong decline. The site of the fair grounds had been selected for its central location, and its ac cessibility from all points of the compass. But there were, never theless some considerable objections to them. They were situated rather low, and on rich loamy land, on which the slightest rain was sure to make walking diragreeable and racing impossible. But the loudest complaint was on account of a want of accommoda tion for the visitors. There was at that time only one tavern within six or eight miles of the grounds, and although this was closely adjacent, it could accommodate but very few persons at best. It is true the farmers in the neighborhood extended their hospitality on the occasions very ' generously but there was still much dissatisfaction. After the filth, fair it was concluded to remove the exhibition, buildings and appurtenances, to Alma, where accommodations for visitors were certainly sufficient, but those for the fair were not very easily found. After some disputes the buildings were located on John Hemrich's meadow close to the northern line of Section 13 of T. 21, R. 13. The buildings were on the slope between the Alma and Fountain City road and the level part, on which the race-track was laid out. The site chosen was about one mile below the center of the village. It was rather damp at any time, but once it was submerged and the horse-racing was converted into a logrolling match. The hall usually presented a very fine exhibition, but the stalls for cattle, horses and other animals were often empty, or filled with very indifferent animals. Unpropitious circumstances diminished the attendance very much the institution did not pay, subsidies from private persons were AGRICULTURE. 397 collected almost every year, and the people, of whom some had cherished the most sanguine expectations, became disgusted, and when in 1884 the people of Mondovi proposed to transfer the ex hibition to their village, there was no regret at Alma for losing it. The next exhibition, being the first one in Mondovi, was actually a greater success than any of the preceding ones, perhaps in everything, but more especially in cattle and horses. There may be some inclination to inquire into the reasons why the county-fair did not succeed any better in the lower part of the county . An almost sufficient answer may be found in looking at the shape of our county, and by remembering that the narrow part of it is also the hilly part, while the wider northern part, although not entirely level, is rather rolling than hilly, transporta tion being more easy and not so circuitous. The northern part is also contiguous to parts of Trempealeau, Eau Claire and Pepin Counties of similar formation, and from which Mondovi can draw stock of all kinds. Mondovi, however, does not occupy a central position with regard to this county, and in fairness is not the* place to hold any assembly consisting of the people of the whole county. We concede the fact that the most ambitious, or most of the am bitious people do live in its vicinity, and that this gives it a per fect right and title to the county-fair. If we wish that our imme diate neighbors should be more ambitious, and not quite so jeal ous of the merits of their neighbors, we hope it is no sin, but fear that our honest wish will not be verified. Public assemblages in this country will not be allowed to pass without considerable noise. Some of this noise is made by a band, and sometimes is music, but always called such by the crowd, not for courtesy so much, but because of the similarity with the sounds proper to the crowd. — The other specific noise is made by pub lic speakers. What applies to assemblages in general, must, of course, apply to county -fairs. At our fairs we had different speak ers almost every year, of whom I remember Elder Morse, Hon. Ed. Lees, Hon. Conrad Moser jr., Auren Rockwell, Esq., Hon S. D. Hubbard, Hon. E. W. Keyes, Hon. Wm. T. Price, Hon. A.' Finkelnburg, all of this state and Major Doughty of Lake City Minnesota. During the time the fair remained in the lowerpart of the county, where the people of German nationality form the majority of the inhabitants, addresses were on most fairs delivered 398 AGRICULTURE. in German, for which the author of this history was usually en gaged. It would hardly be of sufficient interest to the readers to in sert premium lists, or award of prizes especialty as we could not give all of them. So we may content ourselves with the notice that the fair for 1887 will be held at Mondovi on the 26, 27, and 28th day of September, and that the officers of the Buffalo County Agricultural Society for the present year are: J. W. Whelan, Mondovi, President; Alexander Lees, Gilmanton, Secretary, and. Ryland Southworth, Mondovi, Treasurer. MANUFACTURES. 399 MANUFACTURES. In the preceding chapter on " Agriculture " I have already expressed my conviction that, ours is an agricultural community md that in fact almost every part of manufacture practiced in the ;ounty is directly connected with agriculture, be it for depending )n the raw material on agricultural products, or finding in agri culturists the bulk of costumers for its own products. In general ve find the conditions for manufacturing enterprises in this county lot very favorable, and new industries will hardly spring up in >ur midst. We do not possess any surplus quantity of raw mate rial, which would want to be an object of manufacture, nor do we lave a great abundance of natural mechanical force. Our water Dowers are almost all occupied by the existing mills, wood is no onger superabundant, coal w7e have none, at all, and if the discov- ;ry of Iron is in any degree satisfactory, it will have to be shipped ibroad for smelting, to points where fuel is abundant; though, of spurse, it is simply a question, which of the two, the ore or the uel, will cost least in transportation. Some explanations may be useful in the distinction between nanufacturing and" common mechanic's operations. In former imes "manufacture" meant what the word expresses, "something nade by hand." In later and in modern times it means some- hing produced by the aid of machinery, and by a minute div- sion of operations. The work of a mechanic, or artisan, a man /orking at his trade, might embrace all the operations necessary a turn out a certain piece of work, but it very seldom does. Then gain two mechanics, as we often see in the familiar example of lacksmiths and wagon makers, might unite, and by their joint ,'ork produce a wagon, a plow, etc., each doing the work of his rade. This would not usually be regarded as manufacturing nless nothing but wagons, etc., would be made. But it would ive a similar establishment the character of a factory as soon as 400 MANUFACTURES. there would be a greater number of men, who would either by hand alone or by the assistance of machines, work together for the construction of wagons, plows, and other agricultural implements requiring the same materials and much the same mechanical oper ations. That such combinations of men and machines and of ma terials and means of applications to specifical purposes is also called a factory, although the peculiar character of the work is not at all mechanical, and why such a combination of processes should be called manufacturing, is probably understood by all. Something ought to be said as an introduction to the statist ical tables on the " Manufacturing Interests of Buffalo County " from the census of 1885. — Manufacturing of any kind can not be carried on without room and housing, hence there is real estate con nected with it. There must be raw material, or stock, and there must be tools and machines, or fixtures. All this can not be spe cified, but possesses a money value, and this money value is, at least to a certain extent, if correctly stated, an indicator of the ex tent of the business carried on. Then there are assistants needed and must be paid, which is another indication of the extent of the business. In introducing these tables I would be glad, if I could recant the remarks made with regard to the reliability, or rather unreliability, of such tables in the chapter on agriculture. I can not conscientiously do it, but I will defer special criticisms until after the production of the tables themselves. TABULAR STATEMENT OP CAPITAL INVESTED AND VALUE OP PRODUCTS DERIVED FROM MANUFACTURING INTERESTS, BUFFALO COUNTY! TOWNS, VILLAGES AND CITIES. -a 3 • « h 0, t- « 3 » 3 CD ^ -a 3 ¦ w 00 ft •a 0> >>ofta w d fe 67 7 22 1 3 ^ >o 0.arovement in their attainments we must mention the Teachers' Institute. The law organizing the county superintendency requires every superinten dent to hold at least one Teachers' Institute during each year. I have heard of but one short institute having been held previoue 438 EDUCATION. to 1871. The great impediment to these institutes was that neither superintendents nor teachers in the new western counties had much of an idea what was to be done. It was found neces- cary to assign the lead in the institutes to some persons who had been practically engaged at normal school work. In 1871, in the first institute I ever attended, and which was held at the schoolhouse at Fountain City, Prof. Charles Allen was the conductor. The attendance was, notwithstanding the location not being very central, still considerable. The following year Prof. Allen was again assigned to our county, but, owing to his pending removal to California, did not come, and I had to shift for myself. The institute remained in session for about three days when it disbanded. In 1873 Prof. D. McGregor, then as now of PlatteviUe Normal School, was our leader; in 1874 Prof A. O. Wright, now Secretary of the State Board of Charities. During the ensuing three years Prof. Albert Earthman, then of River Falls Normal School, was the conductor of our institute. During the first year ,of Mr. Rathbun's administration of the office Prof. J. B. Thayer, then of River Falls Normal School, conducted the institute. The following year Prof. Troining was the conductor and State Superintendent Whitford delivered a lecture. I think Prof. Thayer came again the two years afterwards, as also in 1882 ancl 1883. In 1884 Prof. Barker, formerly county superintendent of Pepin County, con ducted the institute. He was followed the next year by Prof. C. H. Keyes, who wa3 then principal of _the public schools at River Falls, and in 1886 Prof. Thayer came again. Mr. Rathbun had introduced institutes of two weeks duration, but under my next administration we returned to those of one week for the reason that the attendance, though perhaps not more numerous, was more regular, so that probably as much efficient work was done as would have been accomplished in two weeks. The attendance at the institute was not uniform as to num bers. It was sometimes held at inconvenient dates, during har vest, or when teachers were prevented by other occupation during vacation months. The highest number was reached in 1884 when the ladies expected to be entertained free of charge by the citizens of Alma, an expectation largely realized for some years. This prac tice being finally abandoned, the attendance declined to little more EDUCATION. 439 than one half of the highest number, ranging from forty upward to sixty or sixty-five. The regular custom was to have one evening during the week for lectures, one of which was delivered by Mr. Geo. Harper and one by myself, as long as I was superintendent. Sometimes Dr. Seiler volunteered an essay especially on hy giene connected with schools, a theme not only very interesting but also of great practical importance, especially after the legisla ture went into converting people by temperance lectures to be de livered by the teachers. The institute of 1887 was conducted by Prof. Brier, principal of the Sauk City High School, Superintendent Geo. Schmidt as sisting. I attended every afternoon, but did not take part in any thing except History. I consider Prof. Brier well qualified for the position of institute conductor. The lectures were on Tuesday Aug. 30, by Dr. Seiler on Instruction in Physiology and Hygiene in the Schools. The Doctor forgot to touch on some articles of stimulation in general use, especially upon tobacco. He probably thought it was not necessary to teach the boys to smoke and there I agree with him. Mr. Harper read on "English as she is spoke." The lecture was remarkable for quotations of far-fetched word-derivations by sundry authors, among them Prof. Stephen Carpenter, late of the State University. But there was one good point in it, of which some of the young wielders of the birch might take note — (of course, I know they won't) — about the Scotchman who prided himself on his English — or rather not Scottish — accent but was told by a drunken "Cockney" that he was "a bloody Scotchman." Among the wonders happening at this institute was the appearance of l5r. Stearns and his delivering a lecture. The "Doctor" is competent, though missing it in some of the details, when speaking about. future certificates. Regarding the principle of not employing any one who had no experience, I will not say anything; but I thought of the fellow,, who would not go into the water, until he had learned to s'wim. Dr. Stearns lectured on the "Teacher" on Thurs day night. The attendance at the institute was 57 all told. Among the duties of the Superintendent is the one that he should visit every school once in each year and oftener if required. This duty is not specifically imposed upon him by the law of 440 EDUCATION. 1861 above referred to, but simply that he should "visit and in spect schools." I wonder whether the legislature thought he could inspect without visiting them! In practice, however, it was the reverse, the superintendent was expected to visit, but not to in spect the schools. At least he ought not to show any marks of his inspection; though he might praise, he was not expected to criticise. Some schoolboards who were so ready to resent the shaking of a finger at their school and its fixtures, were almost as sensitive at the most casual neglect to visit their district. It has before been remarked that the powers of the superintendent were not adequate to the enforcement of the laws in their apparent strictness. He soon found that the people were applying the law against himself, much more punctiliously, than they were tolerant to his application ofthe laws as the same were directed against the carelessness, negligence and obstinacy of some school boards. But the law was probably obeyed by every superintendent according to his estimate of the necessity of the visits. It was no easy task to visit from 76 to 93 schools during a winter term, and to the latter number had the schools grown in 1882, considering that the visits had to be made during the months of December, January and February. Winter schools, graded ones excepted, began about the first of November or later. Giving the teacher about one month to get his school into working, condition, would put the beginning of visitation to about December 1st, which would leave three weeks in that month, since vacation was as sure as holidays. To delay beyond the 1st of March would often make travel dangerous if not impossible. To merely look in at the schoolroom, without observing or having time to observe, any great part of the work going on, might be a visit, but certainly no inspection or visitation, and would amount to scarcely more than nothing. To spend more than half a day or the better part of it in any school was out of the question, since, even with the greatest caution and diligence not more than eight schools per week on an average could be visited, allowing for interruption by impassable roads or extremely cold weather. Summer schools were usually between 50 and 60 in number and travel easy enough, if not al ways delightful. The short terms and the scattered situations of the schools very often prevented a visit to all, and might have ex cused ocoasional slights. The,question whether the official visits EDUCATION. 441 of the County Superintendent were of any considerable benefit to schools and teachers, must be answered affirmatively, although now and then they were time and tiouble wasted. I introduced a system of term reports, not to be made monthly, but delivered to the Superintendent at the time of his visit, and by him com pleted, criticised, accepted or rejected. A copy being usually left with the teacher and by him or directly by the Superintendent delivered to the district board, -served at once as a notice of the visit and its result, and as an admonition for desirable improve ments. Though partially abandoned by Mr. Rathbun (78 to 82) it has found favor with the people as an honest attempt of giving them the desired information. We have seen from the foregoing that in 1856 there were but three districts, one of them a joint dis trict. I have diligently inquired into the location of that joint district, and found that even the first chairman of the town of Bel videre from which the said district was reported, could not en lighten me on the subject. So we have only two authentical dis tricts, in which school has been taught during the winter term of 1855 — 56. The district in the town of Buffalo had its schoolhouse in Fountain City. The following were the teachers before 1861: 1855 — 56. A Mr. Mead, a young man, who left again. 1856 — 57. A Miss Steuben, who came from and returned to Ohio. 1857 — 58. I have no report. 1858 — 59. A photograph artist who had his gallery on a flat- boat. 1859 — 61. Henry Kessler, who afterwards went to the war with Comp. H. of 6th Inf. He returned and taught again in Fountain City and other places. The district No. 1 of the Town of Belvidere, in which school was taught as early as at Fountain City, had then and has now its schoolhouse on the northern line of the Southwest Quarter of Sec tion 9 of Tshp. 20, Rge. 12, at the fork of the Alma and Fountain City and the Probst Valley Road. The first teachers, from 55 to 59 were: 1855 — 1856. Miss Fannie Bishop, daughter or niece of Collins Bishop, then a resident of the district. 1856 — 57. Mr. Samuel Hardy, then working for John Linse. 442 EDUCATION. 1857—58. Robert Strohmann, afterwards County Surveyor. Went to the war,and did not return toBuffaloCounty. 1858—59. Thomas More, brother of Mr. John More of Cross in this county. Died. It is, of course, imposible to give lists of teachers of all districts as they were successively established. One instance, however, may find a place here. The town of Alma is not mentioned in the first report on the schools of this county. But during the winter of 1856—57 the first school was taught by Dr. John Ehing, who received his certificate of Mr. Philipp Kraft. Both of these gentle men are yet living, Dr. Ehing at the city, Mr. Kraft in the town of Alma. After Dr. Ehing, C. Moser, jr., kept the school and was suc ceeded by Mr. Weisshaupt, who, I believe started the first Singing Society in the village. In the following table I have endeavored to give the first or pioneer districts in every one of the present towns and corpora tions. This was an extremely tedious and in its results very un certain undertaking, since it is now more than twenty, sometimes nearly thirty years since schooldistricts were formed, and twenty- six years since the old proceedings were abandoned, so that the people have forgotten all about these old occurrences. The same may be said in regard to first or pioneer teachers in the towns. Few or none of them are at present residents of the county. Further remarks will be found after the table. EDUCATION. 443 PIONEER TEACHERS IN PIONEER DISTRICTS. TOWNS AND CORPORATIONS. Alma, City Alma, Town Belvidere Buffalo, City Buffalo, Town Canton , Cross Dover Fountain City, Village. Gilmanton Glencoe Lincoln Maxville Milton Modena Moodovi Montana Naples Nelson Waumandee CO Year of Begin ning. 1 1856—57 2 1858—59 1 1855—56 1 1859 1 1861 1 2 1858—59 1 1866 1 1855—56 1 1858 1 1857—58 1 1863 1 1858 1 1858 1 1859 1 1858 1 1867 1 1858—59 1 1858 1 1857 NAME OF FIRST TEACHER. Dr. John Ehing., J. IC. Benedict. . . Fannie Bishop. . . L. Kessinger. George Harper . Unknown John Burt Miss Emily A. Turner.. (Mrs. W. H. Church.) A Mr. Mead Miss Olive Hatch ., . Mrs. Dan. Gilman. . A Mr. Stone John Muir Unknown John J. Senn Miss Elizabeth Gilman Thomas Fisher J. P. Remich f Miss Achsa Hilliard . 1 Mr. H. Adams | Miss Rachel Evans. . . | Mrs. J. Burgess Miss Minna Kirchner. . Mrs. Chas. Hohmann. See above. In Mill Creek Valley. At Klein's. REMARKS. In Lenhard's old log house. At Walker's Corners. . . On Baertsch's land. ... In Bennett Valley. See above. Near the mill. On Cowie's land. Then Dist. No. 3 of Waumandee. On Sect. 30 T. 21 R. 13. Near the mill. In the present village. ...Waste Valley Dist. Dauuser Valley. 1 Pace's Dist. In Cascade. . . On Baechler's land. Most statements in the above table were made up from in quiries of . old residents. In some places nothing could be ob tained, except the statements in the Atlas of Buffalo and Pepin County, a very unreliable authority, having been hastily compiled by strangers from hearsay, as far as the historical part is con cerned. In the town of Gilmanton, for instance, the "Atlas" says as stated in the table. But all inquiries on the point leave it to be inferred that, possibly the first school might have been taught on the west side of Beef River in Gilman Valley. One authority says that Miss Dora Cook, now Mrs. John Hunner of Eau Claire, taught the first school on the east side in a little loghouse between Mr. R. E. Fuller's and J. M. Hutchinson's. (This is now in Dist. 444 EDUCATION. No. 4 of Gilmanton.) Afterwards the little schoolhouse was built near Gilmanton and a Mr. Peso taught there first; after him Miss Georgiana Lockwood, afterwards Mrs. G. W. Gilkey; after her Albert Southworth of Mondovi, brother of Ryland Southworth, and after him Miss Louisa Lockwood. I can and will not dispute any authority, but quote the in stance as one of the perplexities experienced in collecting informa tion. So I was in doubt about the first school in the Town of Lincoln, it being possible that the School District at Mattausch's having existed at about the same time, if not earlier than the lower district, now called No. 1. I have, however, good authority for stating that in 1863 Mr. John Muir taught the first school in the latter district, the schoolhouse standing on the land of F. F. Schaaf between his own house and that of M. Profitlich. In District No. 2 the first school was taught in the house now belong ing to M. Hammer, and the first teacher was Miss Henrietta Ainsworth. In consideration of the above circumstances, which must be applicable to most towns I beg the pardon of every reader, who might feel slighted or neglected by being omitted from the table. It will not be expected that I should give the time of formation and the first teacher oi, every district. So far we have been considering public education, or educa tion in the public schools with all its concomitant arrange ments. There are, however, some schools not of a public char acter in regard to their support, though, perhaps, not exclusive with regard to the admission of pupils. We designate all schools not public in our sense of the word as private schools. In this county the private schools are all denominational, but may be divided into three classes; 1. Those with a full course of instruc tion, similar to that of the public schools, including religion as one of the important branches of this course. 2. Those entirely devoted to religious instruction, cultivating a foreign language for the purpose of instruction in religion and using rituals and songbooks. 3. Sabbath Schools of different denominations, some using the German, others the- English -language; instruction being mostly of a religious kind. Of the first class are the EDUCATION. 445 ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AT FOUNTAIN CITY AND IN WAUMANDEE, These schools have a full course of instruction, using, how ever, books which do not conflict with the doctrines ofthe church. I believe that there is, at least for girls, a course of instruction in such manual labor as may be useful in households, as sewingy knit ting and ornamental work. There has never been any complete and reliable report on the attendance of these schools, and in the absence of such 1 forbear further discussion. Trie German lang uage, I understand, is an essential branch of instruction in these schools. A boarding institute is connected with each school. Temporary private schools are held every year during the latter part of the winter and in early spring in all the churches of this denomination for the instruction of those who desire to go, to the first communion. These latter schools do really belong to. the second class. Of the second class are the NORWEGIAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SCHOOLS. Rev. F. A. Moeller who furnished me the history of the Nor wegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregations of which an extended account will be found under the head of ''Religion," says of these Bchools : "The above mentioned four congregations are divided into school districts according to local convenience. In these districts there is annually a religious school taught for a few weeks or everi for three months." He names as Teachers in those schools S. Odegard, John Am- dal, Lars Kjos, John T. Ness, A. Hillestad, E. N. Bloom, and M. Garthe; he also mentions some others, but not by name. These schools begin by teaching reading and writing the Nor wegian language, as all the religious books used are in that lang uage. Sometimes it happens that these Norwegian schools, as they are popularly called, interfere with the attendance in the public schools, and I remember at least once that I blundered into one of them, intending to visit the public school in the-school house in which it was kept. To the same class belong. OTHER PROTESTANT SCHOOLS. They may be found in all the churches of the denomination about Easter time, and serve as preparations for the confirmation 446 EDUCATION. of those members of such churches, who desire to pass through this ceremony. I think that Rev. Nommensen, when he was in charge of his church at Fountain City, maintained a school with a more extended course of study, but I am not precisely informed about the facts in the case. The third class comprises the SUNDAY SCHOOLS. They are fully delineated above. ART EDUCATION. There is one kind of instruction, which though found in all parts of the county to a certain extent, is not furnished by schools, and not usually in classes. This is the instruction in Music. Bands and their members usually receive instruction by their leaders, at least in the performance of a limited number of pieces, further instruction being only incidental, notes and musical nota-' tion being only used as an auxiliary for the special purpose. But everybody is aware that all the music is not made by the bands. Instruction in playing the piano and the organ has become necessary and is performed by numerous persons. Form erly these instructors, almost exclusively ladies, came from abroad and staid only for a short time. At present " home talent " is patronized. Some of this home talent has been improved and developed by a course of instruction at Milwaukee and other places. Instruction in playing the violin, the flute and the guitar and other instruments is sometimes given by gentlemen having ac quired some skill in performing on the instruments named. Of the " Arts" music is the one most practiced, the number of performers being very numerous, especially among the ladies. Of other arts, especially the GRAPHIC ARTS, we can not boast of much progress. The only success in quality is in Photography. In former times this art was practiced mainly by itinerant artists, who with their outfits went from place to place, and whose performances were, to say the best of them, mediocre. In 1876 Gerhard Gesell established his gallery at Alma, he being even at that time a man of taste and ambitious of improvement, and he may now be ranked as as a first-class artist, who would certainly compare favorably with those of his profession in much larger places than we can boast of in our county. It might be EDUCATION. 447 questioned what photography had to do with education, but as it is one of the graphic arts, and as it has considerable influence in educating the taste of the public. I think I need not apologize for introducing it in this place. Drawing and painting have not yet made any progress among us, though the first should and could very well be introduced into the public schools as a regular dis cipline or branch of study. In both of these arts I have endeav ored to transmit what little of knowledge and accomplishment I possessed, and there have been a few willing to learn. Of late a number of dilettanti, mostly working up patent processes, have done their best to spoil the public taste, if possible. They were all "professors," a title with which the people of this country are very ready to decorate any one, who knows something, or pre tends to know, what not everybody has learned. Typographic art will be considered in the chapter on the " Press." To the question : "What is the result of all our educational endeavors, establishments and arrangements ?" We may fairly an- wer: "Success." It is true we have not yet produced any intel lectual prodigies, no genius in art or science has been awakened among us, but we have thoroughly formed the common mind and prepared it for the purposes of a c mmon life, and we have opened the road to higher pursuits. It is true that our young men have still to attend business colleges to acquire a business education but it is also true that they enter these colleges so well prepared that they are soon able to graduate with honor and to assume res ponsible situations. It might be objected that some one or another discipline or branch of study has not always been properly taught, or even totally omitte in the schools. This complaint has frequently been made with regard to writing, or, as it is usually styled, pen manship, but our schools are not to blame for the prejudice of the people of some sections of the county, who, for instance, delight to see the itinerant writing master come among them to dazzle them with his curvatures and flourishes, with his birds and other impossible animals on paper, and who always insist that writing was not, and could not be, well taught in school. Where such prejudices do not exist the people demand, that the teacher should 448 EDUCATION. both by precept and example teach writing, and they have their will and results are as good as in other branches- Higher schools than the highest departments in our graded schools not existing in our county, such schools in other counties were frequently attended by pupils from this county, and in former times GalesviUe University had some influence on Buffalo County education, as being the preparatory school of a number of our teachers. My first contact with pupils and graduates of said university produced a very unfavorable impression upon me? which has not yet been entirely eradicated, although a few in stances have come to my knowledge, which prove, that the school might produce good results. "Very similar impressions were produced upon me by what I saw of some of the pupils of the Arcadia High School. I hope to be spared a similar experience with the pupils of our own incip ient high school at Alma. I really think that this chapter on education, as far as schools are concerned, is long enough. But, as I have already intimated, education does not end in the schoolroom. It is continued through life involuntarily and intentionally. All must and do learn invol untarily, but only the dull and stupid learn in no other way. In tentional study and self-education take so many devices, ways and means, that no book could ever account for all. But the greatest factor in education after school years is certainly the " press." Of this we will speak in an other chapter as far as our own publications are concerned, and perhaps a little, also, on other pa pers most in circulation among our people. Other factor are the Pulpit, Debating Societies, Lectures, Ex hibitions, Theaters and Concerts, and finally Libraries. Of the first, the pulpit, we' will speak under the head of "Religion." Debating"Societies have from time to time been started and kept up at different points "with some temporary success, but being usually the fruits of some enthusiasm and rivalry among young people of a town or school district, they always expire naturally by .the changes that are taking place among the participants, who are either scattered by emigration or become dissatisfied with their juvenile efforts. Lectures do not seem to take gieatly among our people, which may also belaid of exhibitions. Theaters and concerts are some- EDUCATION. 449 times well patronized, especially those gotten up by home talent. None of our larger places -are, however, large enough to encourage troupes of the better sort to venture into them, and so we can hardly pretend to an educational character in theatrical perform ances by traveling combinations. Of public libraries we have in fact but one deserving any particular notice. It belongs to the HOWARD LIBRARY ASSOCIATION of Gilmanton. The idea of starting a library in that town seems to have originated with Mr. Sidney Howard, who donated the sum of $500.00 as a fund the interests of which were to be used for the purchase of suitable books. It is stated that the scheme went into operation in 1864, and I think there is also a membership fee of one dollar to be paid by each , person who wishes to be entitled to the privileges of the institution. The use of books is put up at auction if there is a particular demand for certain works, other fees are not collected. This library is doing much for the dissem ination of good literature. Ten years ago there were about five ¦hundred volumes, but there must now be more. LITEEARY SOCIETIES existed at different times and places, some merely for social inter course and as a means of acquiring fluency in expressing thoughts and opinions, others with a view to permanency and to furnishing materials for instruction. All these societies labored under the mistake that a "Budget" was a necessary appendage to each of them, and that the said "Budget" could be kept free from gossip and annoying small talk. The people of the present time, especi ally young people, see, and have seen, all their lives, a newspaper in every nook of the country, and as everybody is more compe tent than any editor to get up a paper, a paper, yclept "Budget," is gotten up, and edited in turn by every member. The Budget soon manages to stir up a rumpus, and society and literary effort collapse together. We had such a society here in Alma, for some time quite a creditable affair, and of laudable intentions. After it had met its fate, the books accumulated in its library were de posited in the library of the school district, where, I hope, they will be properly taken care of and used to advantage. A similar society was lately in operation at Fountain City. It was founded in 1879, Miss Cora Clark, president. From a program before me 450 EDUCATION. it appears that the customary exercises were practiced, including singing, reading, declamation, news of the week and debates. It continued for five or six years. Some of the singing societies have also small circulating libraries for their own members. See "Public Societies." The professional lecturer has, as previously stated, not met with any marked success among us, whether he spoke in English or in German. One kind of lectures, however, has found attentive listeners among the class for whom it was intended. This is the Agricultural Institutes, which perhaps should have been mentioned under the head of "Agriculture" but may also find its place here. These institutes are always kept in Mondovi, and as I am not now a farmer and living about twenty-five miles from the place named, I may be excused from saying much about the matter. Having always maintained, that, as the teacher, so is the school, I am naturally interested in everything calculated to im prove the intellectual standard of the teachers. The last import ant movement in that direction was the " Reading Circle." Its main intention was to furnish to teachers suitable books at re duced prices, and to induce them to assemble at convenient pla ces and times to discuss the matters contained in these books. It was in the fall of 1885 when operations were first begun in this county and some progress was made during that winter, which was continued during the winter of 1886 and 87. The severity of the two winters, the particular configuration of our county, and, it must be said, though it may be disagreeable) the indolence of many teachers, especially those who were most in need of the pro posed improvement, prevented the success to which the scheme seems to be fairely entitled. With some of our teachers there is little or no danger that it wiil ever be said of them, as of Horace Greely: " He is a self-made man and admires his creator," although I wish that every one of them were entitled to the vanity implied in the quotation. For, say whatever you may, every educated person is to a certain ex tent or degree " self-made" in mentality, and to that degree he or she is useful or at least original. Perhaps [ ought to apologize for the personal, or as some peo ple may be pleased to call it, egotistical, remarks in this chapter. EDUCATION. 451 The reader, however, will excuse, if he should notice, this personal tone or color, if he remembers that I was educated for a school master, and that for so many years I have stood at the head of educational affairs in this county. I do not care much for politics, being therein of a most uncomfortable independence, but on edu cation, public, private or otherwise, I am very earnest and decided,. without wishing to impose upon others. With the above I meant to close the chapter on Education, but I found that something important had been overlooked, that is the "Educational Column " in the Alma Express, afterwards and now the Buffalo County Journal. More or less regular com munications appeared in, that paper soon after Mr. J. C. Rathbun had entered into the office of County Superintendent. By this I do not mean official reports, which as a matter of course had been published before as occasion required, but articles on educational subjects suggested by official experience or otherwise, but not actually of an official nature- On my return to the office in 1882 I continued the practice, at the same time extending it by trans lating the articles into German and publishing them in the " Re- publikaner." These articles had a tendency to keep the people posted on educational matters, to rouse dormant energies in b°th teachers and people, and to keep interest in schools and school- matters alive. Mr. Schmidt also continues the practice. 452 PRESS. PRESS. The press of Buffalo County consists at present of three news papers, viz.: The Buffalo County Journal of Alma; The Buffalo County Herald of Mondovi; The Republikaner of Fountain City. I shall accord every one of these papers a separate article, and will in these introductory remarks only speak of the relation of the press in general to our population. It is usually conceded, that, other things being equal, the number of newspapers in a country is directly proportional to the number of those who are able to read, hence inversely propor tional to the number of illiterates. There are some apparent ex ceptions to that rule. They are not real, since other conditions are different. I have seen it stated, and I believe it to be approx imately correct, that in Germany there is but one newspaper to every six thousand inhabitants, while there is one to every five thousand in France. But France at present is a republic, while Germany is a monarchy, or a combination of monarchies under a central government. This is one reason why more papers are is sued, proportionally, in France. Another reason is the different character of these two nations; the Germans being rather slow, solid and conservative, while the French are rather quick, super ficial and revolutionary, and have from time immemorial been 0 remarkable for loquacity and gossiping. Of course, the newspa per is not the only standard by which the intelligence of a nation is to be judged, and even if it were the question would still be perminent: In which of the two countries are proportionally the most readers of papers ? It must be remembered that in France there are many active political parties, each having its organs, and each party-fraction having the same, while in Germany there are but two great parties, and the papers of the opposition and its fractions are considerably bridled. PRESS. 453 But, to come back to our own county, we have a population of 16,483 and so there would be one paper for every 5,494 per sons. This would not be a very bad proportion under any cir cumstances, but it neither indicates the proportion of educated and illiterate persons, nor the general culture and intelligence of our population. Local papers like ours, though useful, and even nec essary can not compete with papers published in large cities and' cannot furnish all the news and other information desirable to so many different persons. The proportion of actual illiterates is very small among us, and as we are in a free country, and parties, and fractions of such are not wanting, but rather as abundant as other weeds, it can readily be understood that the three county papers are by no means all the papers subscribed for and read among us. But in relation to these latter I think that the German population does comparatively more for them, taken together, than the other parts, since many Germans do not only keep the paper printed in their native language, but also one or both of those printed in English. They are in a measure compelled to do so, while Americans and others, who can not read German, are naturally excused from sup porting papers printed in that language. Historically considered, the Press received attention and sup port in this county at an early period of its political existence. The "Beacon" must have been established at Fountain City in 1856. Citizens of Fountain City assure me that they had a paper in their place before there was one at Winona. The oldest copy of the "Beacon" which I had access to, is in possession of Mr. John Clarke of Fountain City, and dated March 20, 1858. It was Republican in politics. Among advertisements I noted, those of R. W. Feigel and Schuster & Bro., Merchants, A Finkelnburg, Surveyor and Court Commissioner, Robert Strohmann County Surveyor, Marvin Pierce Attorney and Counsellor at Law; of tav erns and hotels: Fountain City House by H. M. Hamann, Wis consin House by Ehler Schumacher, Washington House by J. P. Behlmer, all at Fountain City; Alma House by W. H. Gates at Alma. Buehler & Clark advertised the Fountain City flour mill, etc. The number also contains the list of the Grand and Petit Jury. 454 PRESS. In consideration of the Tax-List, then, and for many years afterwards, a lucrative job, which was worth contending for, the Fountain City "Advocate" was started in 1857, but it did not live to get a chance at the tax-list, which in 1858 had to be published in the "Trempealeau Times." Its successor was the "Buffalo County Ad vertiser " published by Marvin Pierce an C{ Bohri, jr. It lived from 1860 — 61. The Beacon having expired in 1858 and the press and material been removed to Eau Claire, Fountain City was for several years without a newspaper. For those who may think there is something in a name, I will give a synopsis of the con secutive proprietors and editors of the above named papers, al though none of them with the exception of Mr. Bohri is at pres ent alive or known to the younger generation. FOUNTAIN CITY BEACON. July 18, 1856 to Oct. 1858. PROPRIETORS : EDITORS : L. M. Rose and R. Beeson. Dr. T. G. Hake. L. M. Rose and Wheelock. " L. M. Rose. " Ketchum Averill. " Stock Company. Chas. Patterson. FOUNTAIN CITY ADVOCATE. From Sept. 1 857, about six months. Proprietor: Ketchum Averill. BUFFALO COUNTY ADVERTISER. From 1860 to 1861. Proprietors: Marvin Pierce and C. Bohri, jr. The " Advocate " was the successor of the " Beacon," and the " Advertiser" was required in order to obviate the publication of the tax-list in an adjoining county. After having accomplished this special purpose it expired. The county-seat having been re moved from Fountain City to Alma, (see Organization) the latter place offered the better chance for a newspaper enterprise. This brings us down to the papers yet in existence. But before enter ing upon their separate history I must mention a venerable relic not of the press of this county, but still preserved within it. This is ,a number of the Ulster County, N. Y., Gazette, published January 4th, 1800. It contains an account, at considerable length, of the PRESS. 455 death and burial of President Washington. Also some correspond ence between Congress and President John Adams. Besides1 these items it contains a deseription Of the battle of Zurich, in which an army of Russians under Gen. Korsakoff combined with another army of Austrians under Gen. Hotze, was defeated by the French under Gen. Massena, and some rumors about actions between the French and Dutch in the Netherlands. Mr. Clarke has this paper pasted on glass, so as to offer a go d chance for reading both sides of the sheet, in a substantial frame. THE BUFFALO COUNTY JOURNAL. Though in point of time the Buffalo County Republikaner was probably published a few weeks earlier, we will take the Journal first. It was established at Alma in April 1861 by Jas. M. Brackett and one Rockwell, as a six column folio under the name of "Alma Journal." It existed since under the following proprietors: Brackett and Rockwell, 1861—1863. Dick Copeland, 1863—1865. Jacob Iberg and Co., 1865 — 1866. John Hunner, jr., 1867. Moser and Hunner, 1868. Perkins, McBride and Ostrander, 1869. Change of name to " Alma Journal and Beef Slough Advocate," probably to match the lengthy name of the firm. The next proprietor, Geo. W. Gilkey found it advisable' to change the name again, and the paper became the " Alma Weekly Express." It passed into the hands of Hunner and DeGroff, 1871. Hunner and C. L. James, 1871. DeGroff and James, 1872. DeGroff and A. Rockwell, 1873. J. W. DeGroff since 1874. In 1879, when Mr. DeGroff enlarged the paper to an eight column folio, he also changed the name to " Buffalo County Journal." According to his own statement he has been " wedded and devotedly attached " to the paper, ever eince he became sole proprietor of it, which we do not doubt, although at times he manifests some un easiness, and has occasionally run away from it, to Madison and other places, the last time as the Senator from this district. 456 PRESS. Whether or not the paper would have a case against the editor and proprietor for a divorce on account of " wilful desertion," we are not lawyer enough to decide, but we know that it still adheres to him, as it always did, and still does, to -tlie Republican party and its principles. Although Mr. DeGroff is not a practical printer himself, he has a very effective job printing office, both in English and in German, though not as complete in the latter as in the former; yet, with the assistance of some of his German friends he would get along swimmingly by simply asking for advice. It is not, of course, to be expected that one man should do everything, but what he does, ought to be done creditably, and I believe that applies to our friend John as his accomplishment- His shadow did not grow less for a number of years, and we hope it will never, until he enters that blissful realm, where there is too much light to admit of shadows. With this I intended to dismiss my friend DeGroff and his paper from the pages of this book, but as both have some excel lent qualities I found that I should say something more. The "Journal" has in course of time, and especially under Mr. De Groff's editorship considerably improved, and is a very readable and interesting paper, especially as a chronicle of passing events of the neighborhood. Liberal space has been granted for the last nine years to an "Educational Column" edited by the different county superintendents who held office during that period. Other interesting correspondences have also from time to time found a place in it. It is, also, the official paper of Buffalo County and deserves to be patronized, by subscription as wrell as by advertise ments. THE BUFFALO COUNTY REPUBLIKANER. About two years after the incorporation of the City of Buffalo in this county, during the contest between said city and the vil lage, then still a part of the town of Alma, for the county-seat, a German newspaper w7as considered to be a necessity and Mr. Christian Lohmann was induced to come to the place and to un dertake the publication of said paper. Mr. Lohmann was a prac tical printer and had had various experiences in the way of edit- in papers. The outfit, I think, originally belonged to him, and subsidies were furnished to induce him to come. The first num ber of the paper was issued on the 15th day of March, 1861. It PRESS. 457 was then, as now called the "Buffalo County Republikaner," not so much because the editor was Republican in politics or sentiment, but because the leading people of the place were so. The start of the paper, too, fell into that period, when the "irrepressible con flict" had begun to assume the shape and dimension of serious war. This would have given an ambitious man of honest Repub lican sentiments a fine chance for making the paper interesting and successful. But there was no ambition about Mr. Lohmann, and I do not remember that he had any decided opinions in re gard to politics, although I was daily in his office during the months of May and June. About the beginning of the next month the financial basis of Mr. Lohmann's establishment had disappeared and he departed, leaving the press and other materials in possession of the corporation. About that time 1 took a notion to become the editor and proprietor of the abandoned paper, but failing to secure the desired partner, desisted from the attempt. Some time afterwards, about the 1st of October, 1S61, Mr. G. G. Oppliger, a practical printer, and until then employed at the Nordstern of La Crosse, purchased the concern, at a bargain, but conditioned for remaining in Buffalo City for about three years. Mr. Oppliger possessed the necessaay energy, experience and am bition to make the enterprise a success. He had by his former residence in this county acquired sufficient local discrimination to begin with. He issued the paper at Buffalo City until May 28th, 1864, when for better facilities of communication and otherwise, he transferred it to Fountain City, where it is still in existence. Mr. Oppliger sold the Republikaner to Major John F. Hauser on the first day of April, 1869. Major Hauser sold to Joseph Leicht Nov. 4th, 1871. Up to that period the politics of the paper had remained Republican and agreed with the title. Mr. Leicht, not having passed through the struggle of the Civil War, listened to the seductive voice of those, who would have annihilated the me mory of that struggle, and paralyzed its results, if they had been able to do so, and the paper become by degrees democratic, partly perhaps, in deference to the sentiment of a majority of the citizens of Fountain City. Like Mr. Oppliger, in his time, Mr. Leicht had to work very hard, and, like Oppliger, must be credited with the laudable ambition of making the paper a success in every respect, which he accomplished to a remarkable degree. After having had 458 PRE??. the property and management of the paper for over ten years, and having put in a power press, he conceived the idea of entering a larger field of labor, and began the issue of the • Westlieher Her- old" at Winona, Minn. The •¦Republikaner" he sold to Frederick Hepp and John L. Utermoehl, of whom the latter became the editor and manager of the paper, in which position he remained until a short time ago. After his retirement from it Mr. Hepp as sociated himself with Mr. Jacob Meili. who now acts as editor and manager. There being a great many Germans especially iu the lower part of the county, some of whom have never had time or opportunity to acquire a sufficient knowledge of the English lang uage to render the reading of newspapers in it an easy matter, it was quite natural that the Republikaner should acquire a consi derable circulation, and it must be admitted that under the dif ferent managements it has always been conducted with considerate moderation, has always done as well as could be expected under the circumstances with regard to general news, and has been a faithful chronicle ofpsssing events in the county without descend ing to gossip and unwarranted reflections. It may not be said to be absolutely perfect, but it deserves the patronage it holds and receives. In connection with this German paper we can not omit to mention, that it received in course of time the emoluments connected with the county printings and that the tax-lists are also published in it, and were, for a number of years past. There were now and then some objections raised to this official support to a paper not printed in English, but the general good sense of the community finally acquiesced in the practice, conceding the fact that citizens and tax-payers should not be deprived of official in telligence merely because their opportunities for acquiring as suf ficient knowledge of the so-called official language of the country- had not been very extensive. Personally I have always been on good terms with the editors oi this paper, and have written for it every Xew Years Greeting or Carrier's Address since its existence, with the exception of one. and have assisted as the intermistic editor of it on several occasions. I have. also, edited the Educational Column of it during my last two terms of office as County Superintendent. With the Republikaner office is also connected a job-printing establishment which does not remain behind any similar one in PRESS. 459 any place ofthe size of Fountain City, and is equally well pro vided for printing in the English as well as the German Language. Auction Sales are often published in both of these languages on the same page. THE BUFFALO COUNTY HERALD. This paper is published at Mondovi, It was founded by the present publisher, Mr. Walter L. Houser, in 1876, the first issue appearing February 4th. It has since changed proprietors, having been conducted by Geo. E. Gilkey, W. H. and C. E. Edes and John C. Rathbun respectively. Publication was suspended, though only for one week, in 1879 when Messrs. Edes sold the material to Hon. J. W. De Groff, and took one of the imposing stones and wrote an epitaph upon it: "Died for want of support." It was resur rected by Mr. Geo. E. Gilkey, who bought an entire new outfit. Since that time the paper has been prosperous. It is Republican in politics, devoted to the cause of temperance, and the interests of Buffalo County. The above is a copy, almost "verbatim et literatim " of the sketch written by Mr. Houser, the founder and present proprietor of the paper. It remains to be added that the office is also pie- pared to do job work in a satisfactory manner. The Herald is a four page seven column paper, and is said to have gained much in circulation since Mr. Houser resumed the editorship. OTHER PAPERS. Although these are all the papers published, they are by no means all the papers read in the county, and if is not a part of the history of the press, it is certainly a part of the general history of the county, to say something about the most prominent papers imported from other places. As a matter of course the papers published in adjoining coun ties are taken in the neighborhood of their places of publication. such papers are the Pepin County Courier of Durand, the Herald of Wabasha, the Eau Claire Free Press, Eau Claire News, the In dependence News, and the Arcadia Leader, the Winona papers Republican, Westlicher Herold and Adler. Those papers which are published at a farther distance, but circulate here in noticeable numbers, we might for conspicuity divide into three classes, according to the language in wbich they are printed. 460 PRESS. ENGLISH PAPERS. Pioneer-Press and Globe of St. Paul; Republican-Leader and Chronicle of La Crosse; Tribune, World and perhaps Puck of New York; Tribune, News etc. of Chicago. GERMAN PAPERS. Nordstern of La Crosse; Herold and Germania of Milwaukee; Illinois Staats-Zeitung of Chicago; Staats-Zeitung of New York; Christliche Botschafter of Cleveland, Ohio; Cincinnati Volksblat; Volkszeitung and Freie Presse, St. Paul and Minneapolis. NORWEGIAN PAPERS. I have noticed, accidentally, several papers in this language, of which Fardrelandet og Emigranten is the principal one. In this sketch no notice could be taken of papers devoted to special purposes. With the exception of one, the papers named are newspapers in the general acceptation of the word. Some pa pers, and especially periodicals from other countries, the most from Germany, are also taken, but space does not allow of their enumeration. Papers and periodicals for special purposes are naturally as much diversified as specialities always happen to be. Papers in other than the languages named may also be kept, but with the exception of "Slavie," published at Racine by Chas. Jonas, I do not remember to have seen any. The "Slavie" is pub lished in Bohemian. There is now a paper published at Winona in the Polish language and probably circlulates in some, especially the lower eastern parts of the county. RELIGION. 461 RELIGION. Civilized people have religion and means of manifesting the same. For the latter purpose those of about the same opinions or doctrines unite and form congregations or churches, which accord ing to their means erect houses of worship, also called churches, temples, synagogues, and so forth, according to the usage of their predecessors. The historian can but note the existence of the dif ferent congregations and of their arrangements -for regular religious services, for the instruction of children and others in the respective tenets of the church and in morals and manners according to these, besides which, or included in which, their beginning and growth may be properly mentioned. With doctrinal or disciplin ary differences between the different churches, or their origin, he has nothing to do. In this aversion to the discussion of the above named points the author is confirmed by the habits of most people in this county with regard to said objects. There is a general dis inclination among the people to meddle with things that may con cern others, but do not interest themselves. This, Of course, does not exclude an interest in the doctrines of one's own church or creed and in the prosperity of the same, it only means that each person should be held responsible to his own conscience with re gard to religious matters. The Christian churches of this county may be divided into two main classes, Catholic and Protestant. The Catholic church is a unit in doctrine as well as in name. Not so the Protestant church, which appears even in our limited territory in several de nominations. ROMAN CATHOLIC CONGREGATIONS OR CHURCHES. 1. Congregation ofthe Immaculate Conception at Fountain City. It was formed in 1856 and built its church edifice in 1858. This is the oldest congregation of any denomination in this county, 462 -RELIGION. existing now over thirty years and maintaining divine service for about twenty -nine uninterruptedly. At present it consists of about 100 families. Regular services Sunday and Feast-day except sec ond Sunday in each month. With the Church is connected a Catholic school with a full common school course of study, and a boarding institute, attached thereto. The following Reverend gentlemen have been in charge of this congregation or church: Reverends: Tappert, Schraudenbach, Seif, Kleiber, Joerger, Rasch, Spitzlberger, Schmidt, Koke, Moder, Geyer, Pfaller, Loserez, Stroehle, Uiker, Schaller, Klein and at present Rev. W. A. Hack- ner to whom I am indebted for the information above put down. This congregation is in a sense the mother church of the other churches in the county, more especially of those at Alma and Buffalo City. 2. St. Lawrence's Church at Alma. The congregation was formed and the church built in 1868 under the pastorate of Rev. Lawrence Spitzlberger. About 45 families belong to it, and it has been, and is yet under the charge of the resident priest at Fountain City, who. holds regular services at Alma every second Sunday of each month. The Reverend gentle men in charge of this, church are above enumerated, beginning with Rev. Spitzlberger. 3. St. Anna's Church at Buffalo City. This, like the next preceding, is a dependence to the church at Fountain City, as far as religious services are concerned. These are regular once a month on a week day. The congregation num bers about 20 families. It was originally formed in 1868 and built its church the same year, under the pastorate of Rev. Spitzlberger, from whom beginning the Reverend gentlemen in charge are named above. Having been a resident of Buffalo City from Spring 1859 I can testify that mass was celebrated and probably a sermon or short exhortation preached long before the. congregation was formed and the church built. This was usually performed in the house of Henry Erding, who is now a resident of Wabasha County, Minn. 4. St. Boniface's Church in Waumandee. The congregation was probably formed in 1860 or '61, if not earlier, but religious services of any kind were performed at first RELIGION. 463 by the priest residing at Fountain City. A chapel had been built some little distance above the present one, but was probably re moved down to near the place of the latter in 1867, the time of Rev. Lawrence Spitzlberger's pastorate, and of the building of the manse or parsonage house attached to the church. Considering that Rev. Spitzlberger during his pastorate 1867 to 1869 also built the churches at Alma and Buffalo City in 1868, and was at one time pastor of the Fountain City church, it is not quite clear, whether he was the first resident priest in charge of this church, or it was simply a "filiale" to that of Fountain City. But after removal the old church was enlarged by being made longer, and in 1877 under the pastorate of Rev. L. Lay, a new, and for the situation splendid, church of brick w7as erected. Services are re gularly held three times a month, the fourth Sunday being ap pointed for service at the church in Montana. There is a parochial school attached to the church, and accommodations for boarding some of the pupils are also provided. The number of families belonging to the congregation has not been reported to me. The following Reverend gentlemen were in charge of this church and congregation: Rev. L. Spitzlberger, 1867 — 1869; S. Seif for two months in 1869; L. Lay, 1869—1878; Theodore Beau, 1878—1880; Ig. Schaller, 1880—1881; L. Lay, 1881—1883; Seb. Rohr, 1883— 1887; Rev. J. M. Uiker being the present incumbent. 5. St. Peter's Church in Montana. The church is situated on the ridge between the valley of the Waumandee and that ofthe Trempealeau, in Sect. 11 of Township 22 Range 10. The people from these parts used to attend church at the Waumandee, but the distance, 10 — 12 miles was too great, and in 1874 they formed a congregation of their 'own, building a nice brick church in 1878- Church and congregation are attended from Waumandee, regular service being held once a month. For the information regarding the churches in Waumandee and Montana I am indebted to Rev. J. M. Uiker of Waumandee. 6. St. Joseph's Congregation in Glencoe. This congregation was formed 30 years ago and a church, if I am not mistaken, built somewhere near the Trempealeau River about 2 — 3 miles from the present one, which is situated on a nice level space between the residences of Henry Wuertemberger and Geo. Cowie, and was built about 20 years ago. Service is held 464 RELIGION. every alternate Sunday, and sermons preached in English and in German, a custom also practiced in Waumandee. The congrega tion consists of 65 families. The church was at different times attended from Waumandee, as appears by the names of Reverends Spitzlberger and Lay, but was mostly independent or attached to the church in Arcadia. Rev. A. Mendel, P. Schmid, Flamang, Jos. Baur, B. Klein, were in charge, the present incumbent being Rev. Wekes, to whom I am indebted for the above information. All these churches are situated in the lower part of the county. In the upper part is but one church of this denomination. 7. St. Patrick's Church in Canton. This church is situated in Section 12, Township 24, Range 12, about 6 miles west of Mondovi and 12 — 13 miles east of Durand. It is in charge of the priest residing in the latter place. The con gregation was formed in 1867, the church built in 1868, and regu lar services were held from 1869 till now, but I can not state how often. The church is situated on a hill and can be seen from a considerable distance on the east ancl north side. Reverends J. B. Smedinck, John Meurs, Father Fagan, Froehlich, Wirz, Keller, Mendel and Flamang have been in charge. At present and dur ing six years past Rev. Jos. M. Baur is, and was, pastor. To him I am indebted for the above information. It would be wrong to omit the expression of my obligation to the Reverend gentlemen named in the above sketches for the prompt and explicit answers I received from them to the circulars forwarded to each. PROTESTANT CONGREGATIONS OR CHURCHES. LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS. Of these the Norwegian churches are the strictest, the most numerous, and closely connected by a Synodal Union with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. 1. Lyster Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. The members of this congregation live mostly in Little Bear Creek Valley and in the valleys of tributaries to that Creek, in the towns of Nelson,' Maxville and Modena. Some -of the members from Modena live in the central and southern part of the town, east ofthe hills separating Brown's and Jensen's -creeks from Bear Creek. The congregation was formed in 1866 and the church built RELIGION. 465 about the same time or soon after. The church is situated at the southwest corner of Section 12, Township 23, Range 13, in the Town of Nelson, close to the line of Modena. Its first pastor was Rev. K. Thorstensen, from the beginning until Sept. 7, 1873, since which time Rev. F. A. Moeller is in charge. The congregation has very much increased in the course of time and in 1885 num bered about 120 families, or about 650 persons, of whom 341 were confirmed members ancl hence communicants. In 1885 the con gregation was divided into two congregations, the one in charge of Rev. F. A. Moeller, being in Synodal Union with the Norwe gian Ev. Lutheran Church of America, and building a new church this year. (1887.) Of the other I have no report. Regular serv ices were at first held every fourth week but now are held every third week. 2. Thompson -Valley Norwegian Ev. Lutheran Congregation. This congregation was formed in 1867, and came under the ministry of Rev. K. Thorstensen until 1871, then under that of Rev. L. Sherwen till 1873, and from that lime until now is in charge of Rev. F. A. Moeller. Its regular services are every third or fourth week, and its church stands near the center of Section 20 Township 24 Range 11, near the Thompson Valley schoolhouse in the Town of Mondovi. It numbers 73 confirmed members. 3. Bennett Valley Norwegian Ev. Lutheran Congregation. This congregation was organized May 23d, 1867- Its church stands in Elk Creek Valley on Section 22 Township 23 Range 10 in the Town of Dover. In the beginning it had no regular service and but little of any kind since there were at that time too few i Norwegian ministers of the genuine Lutheran creed, and the con gregation was poor. In 1867 Rev. K. Thorstensen of Dunn Co., Wis., held some services; in 1868—69 Rev. 0. Valdeland of Trem pealeau Co., until 1870; Reverends Jensen and S. Swennungsen also of Trempealeau Co. in 1871, and after that Rev. L. Sherwen of the same county regularly once a month. In 1873 this con gregation united into one parish with the Lyster and Thompson Valley congregations with Rev. F. A. Moeller as minister, and since that time enjoys regular services every third week. A church was built in 1879, quite a pretentious affair for its situation, but subsequently the tower of it was blown down by a storm, 466 RELIGION. 4. Naples Norwegian Ev. Lutheran Congregation. This small congregation was organized in 1877, Dec. 15. Rev. F. A. Moeller has been ever since, and is now, the pastor of it, and it belongs to the Synodal Communion of the Norwegian Evan gelical Lutheran Church of America. It consists of 14 families only. In regard to schools connected with these congregations the reader may satisfy his curiosity in the chapter on Education. There is a Norwegian church situated in Sect. 24 of Township 24 Range 10, close to the line of Trempealeau county, belonging pro bably to a congregation of which many inhabitants of the eastern parts of the Town of Naples may be members. This church, a large edifice, is not put down in the Atlas of Buffalo County, and may have been built since its publication. I saw it in 1882 when hunting up a schoolhouse in the same section. The pastor whose name I do not know, resided right across the line in Trempealeau County. For the information regarding the four Norwegian congrega tion in this county and the religious schools connected with them I am indebted to Rev. F. A. Moeller of the Lyster Norwegian church. 5. German Ev. Lutheran St. Michael's Congregation of Fountain City. It was formed in 1860 and built its church in 1862. The members reside in and about Fountain City. There is regular service every Sunday, a sermon in the forenoon, religious instruc tions in the afternoon. There is a Sunday and a parochial school connected with the church for the instruction of confirmands. The pastors of this congregation were Rev. Ernst Strube 1860 — 1874; John Hacker 1874—1881; P. B. Nommensen 1881—1887. From and after October 9th, 1887 the Rev. Augustus F. Nicolaus will be in charge of it. 6. German Ev. Lutheran Congregation of Buffalo City. This congregation was formed in 1858, its church was built in 1860, at that time on Southwest corner of the Southeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 6 of Township 20, Range 12 ad joining Herman Street of the City of Buffalo. On account of some disagreement with the grantor of the property Mr. J. J. Mueller, the church building was removed to a lot in the city. Regular services are held at 10 a. m. on alternate Sundays. The pastors of this church were; Rev, Er St/rube 1860 to 1873, RELIGION. 467 Rev. J. Koehler 1873 to 1876, Rev. B. P. Nommensen 1876—1883, Rev. J. Freund since 1883. He is the present pastor, and to him I am indebted for the information given about this church and the one next in number. 7. German Ev. Lutheran Church in Lincoln. The time of organizing this congregation is unknown to me, but the church was built in 1878. It stands on the east side ofthe road going up the valley of the little Waumandee, on the North west Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section 7, Township 21 Range 11. The first pastor was Rev. P. B. Nommensen and its present is Rev. J. Freund, residing at Buffalo City. 8. German Ev. Lutheran Congregation or Church in Waumandee. Of this congregation and its church if it possesses one, I know nothing, but Rev. J. Freund named it as one of the charges con nected with the pastorate of Buffalo City. 9. German Ev. Lutheran Congregation of Glencoe. This congregation exists now for a long time, as I remember having heard of it perhaps twenty years ago. Its church stands in Sect. 36 Township 21 Range 10, about half a mile east of the Catholic church. I have never yet learned of the name of any pastor in charge of this congaegation, and this must excuse my neglect to make inquiries of the present one. REFORMED CHURCHES. 1. St. Paul's Ev. Reformed Church at Alma. The congregation for this church was formed in 1859 under the leadership of Christian Lehmann, gun-smith. They finally felt strong enough in 1871 to build a church, which is situated in the lower part of the city. During 1886 the congregation built a new and handsome tower to the church and furnished it with a bell. The services in this church were not always regular, since there were not always resident pastors. A Sunday-school is con nected with it. At present and for some time past regular services were held twice a month. The resident pastors were: Reverends Kenter, Huecker, Ziegler and Fuehrer; Reverends Haeusser and R. Fricke were non-residents, and Rev. Albert Maerz officiated at intermittent times during his stay in Waumandee. 2. St. John's Ev. Reformed Church at Fountain City. This is a young congregation, although it numbers in its ranks some of my oldest friends, who are also of tha earliest iet- 468 RELIGION. tiers of this county. It was formed in 1SST and built its church in the same year, the dedication being performed in the last Sun day in August 1SS7. It has regular services on alternate Sundays. Rev. Richard Fricke was the first pastor. 3. Evangelical Congregation in the Beef River Valley. This congregation, of which Rev. John Leonhardy, sen., was for many years pastor de facto, consists of residents of the valleys of Beef River and its tributary creeks within the town of Alma. Its ancient place of meeting was in the schoolhouse of School Dist No. 3 of the town of Alma. But in 1SS6 they determined to build a church, for which purpose they purchased land in Section 17, Township 22, Range 12, of Mr. James Bates, for a church site and a cemetery. The church, a handsome brick veneered building stands on the southside of the Beef River road near the old house of Mr. Chauncey Bates. It was built during the summer of 1886. The first pastor was Rev. R. Fricke. 4. Ev. Reformed Congregation of Waumandee. The first traces of this congregation reach back to 1859 or 60, but about that time the organization collapsed on account of, troubles with the preacher. When it reorganized I could not tellt but sometime about 1S75 Rev. Albert Merz, a native of Neften- bach, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, was its pastor, and a church was built on a hill in Section 29, near the junction of the main road up the Waumandee valley and that leading into Ulrica's Val ley. After the departure of Mr. Merz the congregation seems ta have become dormant. 5. Ev. Reformed Congregation in Eagle Valley. This congregation, which I know to exist, is quite numerous, and for some time they have had a resident pastor, but at the present, time I am not sure of there being one in the valley. Their meetings are held at the schoolhouse of Joint District No. 3 ofthe town of Cross, where I found the song books used at their devo tional exercises, at which some one, very often mv friend Leon- hard Fried, plays the organ. In the absence of any public inform ation in regard to this congregation I appealed to him for a historv of it, but received no answer. Knowing Irom practical demonstra tion his friendly interest in my work, I can only ascribe to some untoward accident, that an answer failed to reach me. Rev. Haeuser, who for some time acted as pastor of the Reformed RELIGION. 469* church at Alma resided for sofale years inn Eagle Valley,, near the scbotjlhouse named, ain'd acted as pastor of this congregation. Whether Rev. Friefce ever did the same- 1 could not learn. I can not now wait for further-' developments. CHURCHES AT; MONDOVlJ.. I. Methodist Episcopal Church. Present Pastor: Rev. Thos W. Stamp. Services': Sunday 11 a. m. Sunday School 12 ni., evening service 7 p. hi. Tuesday class meeting 7 p. m., Wednesday 2:30 p. in. arid Thursday 7 p. m. prayer meeting, Saturday 3 p. m. Bible meeting. Althougfi application was made, no report' was receivecliarf' Rev. Mr. Stamp. From reports furnished by $ev. A. Kiddar-I give the following general data regardifig the cdrn'mon history of the three churches. Congregations of Methodists and Baptists' were formed pre vious to 1861. They held their services in the schoolhouse ac cording to ¦ agreement among thenis'elves and in that year the Congregationalists entered into these agreements. In 1867 the Methodists finished their church with ah assistance 'of $150' from each of the two other congregations. In 1870 the union estab lished by this agreement was dissolved. But during its continu ance it was productive of harmony and especially beneficial for the Sunday school. The congregations had how grown too numerous - not to wish for separate accommodations.' 2. Baptist Chufch. Present pastor, Rev. A. C.Robinson. Services': Sunday, 11 a. m- Sunday school, 12 m. On alternate Sundays evening service 8 p. m. Prayer meetings Wednesday evenings: Although application has been made, no report was received fro'm Rev. A. C. Robinson. From memory and from notes of others T stfpply the following: Rev. B. F. Morse must be considered the father of the Baptist Congregation at Mondovi. He came in 1856J and says: "For the first ten years of my ministry my field of labor extended' over parts of three counties, Buffalo, Pepin and Eau Claire. I sup ported myself principally by farming." The "Elder," as Mr. Morse was familiarly called, was a favorite with numerous Chris tians of all- denominations. He was highly respected for his sin cerity and unaffected affability towards all persons. For many years he was the' pastor of this church, and 'during' his "pastorale 470 RELIGION. the congregation built a splendid new church and furnished it neatly and comfortably. On several occasions he was the speaker at agricultural fairs and always did meet expectations. For some years age and infirmity compelled him to quit the ministerial ser vice. I regret to learn that he is about to move to the farther West, but he takes with him the best wishes of the writer among those of a host of others. To resume the history of the church, it appears that this con gregation, in common with that of the Congregationalists, extended assistance to the Methodists for the furnishing of their church, and that it occupied the same church with them and the Congregation alists for about three years. According to the statement in the Buffalo County Atlas their new church was built in 1873 at a cost of $5,000. It stands at the corner of Main and Franklin streets. 3. Congregational Church. This was in point of time the last of the congregations organ ize! at Mondovi. Its "present pastor is Rev. Alberoni Kidder. Services: Sunday 11 a. m. and 7 p. m. Sunday school at 12 m. Tuesday class meeting 7 p. m. Wednesday prayer meeting in the evening. With the history of this church the name of the Reverend Al beroni A. Kidder is intimately connected, and I am enabled to give from notes furnished by him the following sketch of his life in which I introduce such points of the history of this church as he was connected with and were furnished by him. Rev. Alberoni A. Kidder was born at Wordsboro, Vt., Feb. 13, 1814, as the youngest son of Nathaniel Kidder, a farmer. He lived at home until 22 years of age, and had but limited opportun ities for education. He taught school when 19 years of age, mar ried in 1836 and began to study for the ministry in 1844, received license to preach in 1847, was pastor at Alexander, Genesseo Co., N. Y., and at Friendship, N. Y., for five years. Came to Eau Claire 1856 and organized the first Congregational Church in that city, being its pastor for six years. In 1861 he visited Mondovi and on the 17th of August organized the Congregational church of that place, of which Messrs. Thomas Dillon, Samuel Newton and wife, Luther Eager and wife, Mrs. Susan B. and Miss Hannah A. Waste were the first members. Public services were held on the following day, Sunday, August 18th, in the sohoolhouae. In this school- RELIGION. 471 house all three congregations used to meet as related above. For about six months Mr. Kidder held services on the Sundays allotted to his congregation until in Nov. 1862, Rev. J. M. Hayes, then at Durand, was commissioned by the Am. Home Missionary Society to take charge. Mr. Hayes resigned in 1864, Rev. Kidder resumed charge in 1866. The Methodists having with the assist ance of $150 from this and the same amount from the Baptist Con gregation, finished their church, the Congregationalists occupied it for the first time on January 11th, 1868, Mr. Duty B. Allen acting as clerk. In 1869 the following persons were received into mem bership: Misses Mary A. Fleming, Lizzie Rowe, Anna and Ida Hunter, Bertie Neal, and Anna M. Allen. Mrs. Martha Barrows, Messrs. Hiram Barrows, Joseph Fleming, Chas. F. Eager and F. H. Dillon. In 1870, the congregation built its church which was dedicated on the 30th of December of the same year. The follow ing gentlemen were pastors after that: Rev. Kidder for six months, Rev. Wm. Lemon for three months and Rev. S. P. Wil der for three months; Rev. Wm. Gordon 1872, Rev. J. S. Norris 1873, Rev. R. R. Radcliff 1875, Rev. W. B. Williams 1877 to 1880, Rev. A. Doremus 1881 to 83. From 1883 to 85 the church had no pastor, but since that time Rev. Kidder has acted as such. Rev. Kidder preached at Durand from 1873 until 1883. He now resides at Eau Claire 324 Lake Street. I hope that other churches in Mondovi and elsewhere will not accuse me of partiality for having given such an extended history of the Congregational Church and its spiritual founder. I do not want to excuse myself about it, but wish to express my thanks to Rev. Mr. Kidder for the materials furnished to the same, only re gretting that I was not so liberally supplied with similar materials by some other reverend gentlemen. UNITARIAN CHURCH AT GILMANTON. The corporate title of this church is "Unitarian Society of Gilmanton." Its church edifice was completed in 1886, pursuant to the organization of the society in January of the same year. Its pastor is Rev. N. C. Earl. Regular services every Sunday at 11 p. m. The Gilmanton Temperance Union is connected with the Church, Rev. Mr. Earl, says in his report: The church is a Union Church, built by the people, and free for all dominations. 472 RELIGION. The Methodists haye ,held services in it once in two weeks for •nearly a year." -CHURCHES, CONGREGATIONS AND RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES IN MODENA. Although it would have been exceedingly gratifying to me to ireqeive information of religious establishments in this town, I (Could not, in the absence of any public arrangements, apply for ¦ official information to any one. What I here state must, there fore, be considered , as true, only as far as my casual information ¦ extends, and any error should be charged rather to the want of authentic sourqes of information than to any other cause. The Norwegian part of the population belong all to the same religious denomination, of whose churches we spoke above. The German part seem tp be satisfied with private religious meetings and exercises of a Christian Evangelical character, but they have mo close qongregation and no church edifice. The American fam ilies belong, as usual, to different denominations, of which the Me,thodist Episcopal seems the most numerous. For some time a ipi;eacher of this denomination was resident in the town. Ofthe incumbents of this pastorate I remember only a few by name, as IRev. John Holt, Rev. Massce, Rev. Yokoin etc. Noticing that 'Rev. Nott had held religious services in Modena, I supposed that ;at present, or for some time past, no resident pastor had been ap pointed for Modena, but I hav>s learned from inquiry that there is :a Modena Circuit for which at a late meeting of the West Wiscon sin Conference Rev. Robert Smith has been appointed as the pas tor of this circuit, and that he resides at Misha Mokwa. Possibly the towns of Maxville, Nelson and Canton are included in this cir cuit. Some families belong to the Baptist Church, but have no res ident pastor. Other denominations may exist, but I am not informed about it. Having always held that statements in regard to churches and religious associations should be based upon authentic statements, I hope to be excused for being as brief as possible in oases where such information is not procurable, and no pubiio records in re gard to such exist. In the same condition are the sources of in formation concerning religious matters in the towns of Maxville, Canton and Nelson, There are no churches in any of these three RELIGION. 473 owns, except those already mentioned among Catholic and Luth eran churches. I know quite well, that services or meetings of a distinctly religious character are held in schoolhouses, but whether regular or occasional, by what denominations, and other particu lars I have been unable to leslrn. As places of such meetings I may designate the schoolhouses in the Cascade Valley, at Burn side, and in the North Branch Valley. Of the churches existing in this county all have now been mentioned, except those ofthe EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION. They are Protestant Churches and should have been enumer ated as such, nor is there any other reason for delaying to do so, except that I waited for direct communications in regard to some of them. But I have now to finish this chapter, and shall give- such information as I possess, regretting that I am perhaps rather short in this matter. 1. Salem's Church of Alma. This congregation was formed in 1859. Its church was built in 1869. Regular services are held about every two weeks. A Sunday school and a Missionary Society are connected with the church. Its pastors were: Rev. Seder, Von Eschen, Linse, Um- breit, Ausmann P. Speich, Held, John Dietrich, U. Elmer, C. Mueller, G. Schwantes, J. W. Hennemann, H. Best, who is the present pastor and has my thanks for the information given in re gard to it. 2. Church in Belvidere. The building is situated near the Northwest Corner of the Northeast Quarter of Section 16, Township 21, Range 12, in a very .conspicuous place, and a grave-yard attached on the eastside. This .church and congregation is attached to the foregoing, and services are held as in the former, every two weeks. Its pastors -were always the same, as enumerated above. There is a camp- meeting ground in Sec. 10, not very far from the church. 3. Church in Montana. This congregation is one of the oldest in this county, not only -of this denomination. Its founders were the first settlers in the upper part of the Waumandee Valley, and its membership is nu merous. Its first church, which was a frame building of dimen sions and .execution that were very creditable, considering the 474 RELIGION. times and other circumstances. But in 1884, the old building having been insufficient for several years, a much larger and more pretentious church was built of brick. I regret that although blanks for reporting have been sent to the present and also to the former pastor, no answer was received, and I had to rely on my own recollection alone. 4. Church in Waumandee. The building is situated in Section 30, Township 21, Range 11, at the fork of the Fountain City and Buffalo City Road. It was built in 1874, and i3 a frame building, brick-veneered. The services in this church are held by the resident pastor of the above. , 5. Church in Lincoln. This church, which is a frame building, is situated on Section 2, Township 22, Range 11, and was built in 1880 or 81. It isa dependence to the church in Montana whose pastor probably holds regular services once a month. Each of the -three last named churches has a graveyard, which in No. 4 and 5 surrounds the church, but in No. 6 is separated from it on a hill south of it. At Montana there is a good dwelling house for the pastor, and there are also sheds or stables for the horses of those from a dis tance attending service. 6. Trinity Church at Fountain City. This congregation was formed in 1866, and built the church j in 1874. Services are held every two weeks, except at the time of quarterly meetings. Sunday school and prayer meetings are held when there is no other service. The pastors of this church were the Reverends V. Umbreit, Pfefferkorn, Held, Wittenwyler, who dedicated the church, Field, Habermann, Werner, Eilert, Best, and Clement, the latter being the present pastor. The church is under the pastorate of Arcadia. For the report on this church I am indebted to Mr. Jacob Meili, There is a CHURCH IN DEER CREEK VALLEY, situated near the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of Sec tion 4, Township 22, Range 13. I think the congregation belongs to the Methodist Episcopal denomination. Rev. Hemshemeier, of Wabasha has been holding services in the same, but at what stated times I am not informed. RELIGION. 475 There is also, what is popularly called the CHURCH ON BEEF SLOUGH. In regard to this so-called church I take the liberty of copy ing the letter of Mr. Thomas Irvine, secretary of the Mississippi River Logging Co. Beef Slough, Wis., Oct. 15th, 1887. L. Kessinger, Alma. Dear Sir: — In reply to yours of 14th inst. I have to say, that the building to which you refer was not erected for church services exclusively but was intended for a " Workmen's Library'1 and a comfortable place for them to spend their Sunday in reading and writing. It has no corporate title and is entirely free to any Christian denomination that may wish to hold religious services therein. The building was erected in the year 1881. In 1882 and 83 minis ters from various localities and of different denominations held regular services here. In 1884 and 85 Rev. Benj. Nott, Methodist, held regular services In 1885 Rev. Mr. Stronime, Reformed Lutheran, held regular services and preached in the English and Norwegian languages. In 1886 Rev. J. H. Avery, Methodist, oc cupied the place and preached regularly, but on Oct. 1st he was removed to Viroqua, and for the coming season no arrangements have been made for a permanent pastor. There is a suitable Library furnished by the Company besides writing material for the use of the workmen, and a goodly num ber spend their Sundays here in reading and in writing letters to their friends at home. Yours truly ; Thos. Irvine. Mr. Irvine has been the originator of the scheme indicated in the above letter, and he is yet the liberal and active patron of the institution. Lectures and exhibitions for the entertainment of all who might attend have been held, and were sometimes assisted by musical talent from Alma. Though not strictly and exclus- I ively religious, the institution has done much good to a number of workmen and others, and Mr. Irvine should receive the credit for it. GENERAL REMARKS. In the above I have endeavored to enumerate and describe the different churches and other religious institutions existing in 476 RELIGION. this county. It was my desire and intention to do justice to all equally, but as I was furnished with means for my purpose by some and these means were withheld by others, there could be no uniformity in the production. Having tried to give everybody the same chance to be heard, and to speak for themselves, I wish to decline the responsibility for accidental omissions and errors. It may be remarked also that these public arrangements, though accommodating the majority, do not include the whole body of our people. There are, in fact, numerous persons, origin ally of one or the other of the denominations mentioned above, who do not consider themselves members of any church. These have, so far, not especially organized in opposition to any mode of worship, and are, practicalty, a moral, intelligent and influential element of our population. Although we have so many churches of so many different denominations, there has been, and still is, an uninterrupted social intercourse, in which religious differences or distinctions are entirely ignored. It is to be hoped that this spirit of toleration and mutual respect be continued during com ing generations as it has existed up to and during present times. PUBLIC HEALTH. 477 PUBLIC HEALTH. Although this point might have been discussed" along with the "Climate" ofthe county, there are yet so many items connected with it that, it appeared necessary to devote a particular chapter to it. There are also such relations between public health and pub lic policy that the latter name might have been adopted instead of the former, but as numerous points of our public policy, such as rocords of births, marriages and deaths, are yet in a very unsatis factory condition, while public health, being under the direction of recent laws, and otherwise of great importance, was chosen. The following questions were formed and submitted to phys icians : 1. What are the effects of our climate in regard to health in. general? 2. What seasons of the year are noted for a prevalence of certain maladies? 3. What maladies are observed at these particular periods? 4. What diseases have occurred as epidemics during the time-' of your practice in this county? 5. What is the usual extent of the practice1 of vaccination? 6. What is'the probable rate' of mortality? 7. Of births? 8. Other remarks. The following answers to- these questions were submitted by Dr. Seiler, of Alma: 1. The climate of Northwestern Wisconsin is considered by physicians as a tonic and stimulating one, because of its latitude and the comparative dryness of its atmosphere. 2 and 3. Spring and early winter months are noted for the* development of pneumonia, catarrhal inflammation, off the air-' nasaatres, such as croup and bronchitis, and inflammation of the 478' PUBLIC HEALTH. throat. The months of hot summer and the fall are noted for the different types of malarial fevers, and in the fall and early winter typhoid fever appears either sporadic or epidemically. 4. In the winter of 1870 an epidemic of measles prevailed in a considerable part of the county; in the winter of 1872 — 73 inter mittent fevers in the Mississippi Valley, especially in the northern parts of it. In the winter of 1873 the only epidemic of small pox occurred in this county. The disease was imported into Buffalo City by emigrants from Germany, who were probably ignorant of its ex- istance among themselves. Hygienic precautions were totally neg lected, and the disease spread to Alma and Fountain City, however only in isolated cases. This was followed by an epidemic of whooping cough. Ejjidemics of scarlet fever occurred two or three times. Diphtheria occurred epidemically at Fountain City in the winter of 1880, and at Gilmanton in 1882. Epidemics of measles and of whooping cough w7ere observed in 1886 and 1887. 5. The practice of vaccination is in general badly neglected. 6. The rate of mortality is probably from 5 to 7 per cent. 7. Don't know. These are all the answers I received. They are explicit enough as far as they go, but as not any one physician can know so precisely what happened in all places in the county, I have to de pend on recollection for some of the statements. With regard to epidemics I remember the occurrence of ty phoid fever, which carried off a number of young people at Mon dovi. This must have been some twenty years ago. A similar epidemic occurred in the Big Waumandee Valley in 1873 and '74, during the time when Dr. Franz Ferragut lived at Alma. He attended most of the cases. Having been for two years the president of the Committee on Health of the Common Council of ihe city of Alma, I am natur ally interested in the laws passed by different legislatures. I think it would be well if every citizen should become acquainted with the regulations in regard to public health, and in order to do myshare towa rds promulgating the knowledge of these laws and regulations, I here insert them in full. PUBLIC HEALTH. 479 PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS. TO LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH AND ALL OTHERS CONCERNED. The State Board of Health respectfully calls attention to the amendments to Chapter 167 of the Laws of 1883, made by Chap ter 291 of the laws of 1887. For the better information of all con cerned the unrepealed portions of the original act, together with the amendments thereto, are here reprinted in their proper rela tions to each other. The present requirements of the law are as follows: 1. That in every Town, Village and City in the state there shall be duly organized a Board of Health, which may be composed in part of persons who are not members of the Town or Village Boards or City Councils, and that every Board of Health shall appoint and Constantly maintain a health officer. 2. That the names, occupations and Postoffice addresses of all the officers of such Boards shall be reparted to the State Board of Health when organized, and also whenever for any reason a new Health Officer is appointed. 3. That cases of contagious disease shall be reported by all Physicians or when no physician is in attendance, by heads of families to the respective local Boards of Health, and that Health Officers shall report the same to the State Board of Health in such manner and with such frequency that the State Board shall be fully informed with regard thereto. chapter 167, laws of 1883, as amended by chapter 291, laws of 1887. An Act for the Better Protection ofthe Public Health. Section 1. The town board, village boaid or common coun cil of every town, village or city in this state shall hereafter, within thirty days after each annual election organize as a board of health, or shall appoint wholly or partially from its own members a suitable number of competent persons who shall organize as a board of health for such town, village or city. Such organization shall include the election of a chairman and a clerk, and every .board of health organized as provided in this act shall immedi ately after its organization appoint a health officer for the town, village or city, who shall be ex-officio, a member of the board of health and its executive officer; and the board of health as thus •480 PUBLIC HEALTH. (constituted shall, until their" successors in office are duly organ- iized, perform all the duties and have all the powers that are given ito boards of h«alth by the general statutes of the state. Every ihealth officer appointed under the provisions of this act shall be, whenever the same is practicable, a reputable physician, and shall Jhold his office during the pleasure of the board, and until his suc cessor shall have been duly appointed and qualified, and in case ¦ ofthe occurrence of a vacancy in his office, the board of health ;shall immediately fill the same by a new appointment; provided, that the foregoing provisions shall not apply to any town, city or village in which a health board is organized and a health officer appointed under the provisions of a special charter, but every lo cal board of health, whether organized under the provisions of this act or otherwise, shall immediately after each annual or other or ganization report to the State Board of Health the names, post- office addresses and occupations of the chairman, clerk and health officer thereof, and shall make a similar report whenever, for any reason a new health o'fficer is appointed. Section 2, It shall be the duty of every health officer, ap pointed under the provisions of this act, or by the provisions of special charters, upon the appearance of small pox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, Asiatic cholera, or other dangerous contagious disease in the town, village or city under his supervision, immediately to investigate all the circumstances attendant upon the appearance of such disease, and to make full report thereof to the board of which he is an executive officer, and also to the state board of health, and it shall be the duty of such health officer, at all times promptly to take such measures for the prevention, suppression and control of the diseases herein named, as may in his judgment be needful and proper, subject to the approval ofthe board of which he is a mem ber, and it shall be the duty of every health officer to keep and transmit to his successor in office a record of all his official acts; ancl the salary or other compensation to be paid to every health officer appointed under the provisions of this act shall be estab lished by the board of health by whom sugIi officer shall be ap pointed. The term dangerous contagious disease, as used in this act, shall be construed and understood to mean such diseases as the State Board of Health shall designate as contagious and dangerous PUBLIC HEALTH. 481 to the public health; and health officers shall make report to State Board of Health concerning the progress of such diseases and con cerning the measures used for their prevention and control, with such frequency as to keep the board fully informed with regard thereto, or at such intervals r-s the said board may direct. Section 3. Whenever any physician, residing and practicing in the state shall know that any person whom he shall be called upon to visit is sick with small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, Asi atic cholera, or other dangerous contagious disease, he shall imme diately give notice thereof to the board of health of the town, vil lage or city in which such sick person shall be at the time, and any physician who shall refuse or neglect to give such notice for a period of forty-eight hours shall, on conviction thereof, be liable to a penalty of not less than five nor more than twenty-five dollars for each clay of such refusal or neglect after the expiration of said forty-eight hours; provided that the notices herein required may be sent by mail, or except in the case of cities may be given to or left at the residence of any member of the board of health, and notices so mailed or given within the time specified shall be deemed a compliance with the provisions of this section. When any person is sick with any of the diseases named in this act, and no physician is in attendance, all the provisions of this section shall apply to the responsible head of the family or the person in charge ofthe building in which such person may be. Section 4. All expenses incurred in carrying out the provi sions of this act, or any of them, shall be paid by the town, village or city by which, or on behalf of which, such expenses shall have incurred. Section 5. Upon complaint being made under oath by any •citizen of the state before any magistrate or justice of the peace, .charging the commission of an offense against any of the provi sions of this act, it shall be the duty of the district attorney of the county in which the offense shall have been committed to prose cute the offender, and all sums recovered under the provisions of this act shall be for the benefit of the school fund. Section 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the passage and publication thereof, and all acts or parts of acts, inconsistent with the provisions of this act, are hereby re pealed. 482 PUBLIC HEALTH. Original act approved March 27, 1883, published March 31, 1883. Amendments approved April 2, 1887; published April 29th, 1887. Besides the local boards of health there", is] a state board of health, of which J. F. Reeve, M. D., of Appleton, is the secretary. In the absence of public information with regard to other towns or corporations I can but state that the provisions ofthe law demanding the organization of boards of health have tbeen carried out at Alma and at Fountain City. At Alma the result of the action of that board has been a moderate success, a nd there was less cause of complaint this year than last, though, of course, there is always some grumbling about such matters- I presume there were similar results and experiences at Fountain City. It can not be denied that in general there is little inclination to apply precautionary measures for the preservation jof public health. Everybody seems to think that he will not be attacked by epidemic diseases, and to care but little if others become vic tims of such. Experience, says the proverb, keeps a very severe school, but it is the only one in which fools will learn anything, i hope we will not be quite so negligent as to require instruction in that school. The subject having now received attention from the legisla ture, it is to be hoped that the people will, through the laws and their application, be educated to the proper, understanding and appreciation of the importance of this subject. Earlier marriages. 4sb EARLIER MARRIAGES. The following is an abstract from the earliest record extant of marriages that took place in this county. It is sometimes so very difficult to ascertain dates of such events, even of those who ought to know, as the magistrates or clergymen, or of the parties them selves. To be sure it is now a long time since these events, and most people have short memories, yet as that event happens to most persons but once in their lives, and is certainly important enough, an exception might reasonably be claimed for it. On ac count of the difficulty above alluded to, I concluded to investigate the record, which by law was formerly required to be kept in the office of the clerk of circuit court. I was not just very greatly surprised to find this record far from complete, but otherwise it must be correct as far as it goes. The justices of the peace and the clergymen of the various denominations were evidently not afraid of the penalty imposed for neglecting their duty of filing a ,copy of each marriage certificate issued, or a full length notice performed by them. Accidental losses might also happen at a time when communications, were not very perfect, and people might trust to accidental accommodations for sending such docu ments to the proper places. A word is to be said in explanation of the abstract. The numbering of the items is according to the ,'yace in which each was found, not always according to the date of ] the event. This disagreement explains itself from the fact that jjbme certificates were not immediately filed and others were. Only the names ofthe contracting parties are given, with the date of the jmarriage. Whenever a name underneath does not appear with {the syllable "Rev." before it, the performance was by a justice of < the peace. The initials P. J. after a name mean Police Justice of I the City of Buffalo. Where the syllable "Rev." stands before a name it signifies that the name of a clergyman follows: 484 EARLIER MARRIAGES. 1. Wm. Achenbach to Christiana Lautenbach, Jan. 20, '56. J. P. Stein. 2. Wm. H. Gates to Elizabeth Marti, Feb. 23, '56. J". P. Stein. 3. John Waecker (sr.) to Barbara Rahm (widow,) June 27, '56. J. P Stein. 4. Christian Brucker to Fridericka Gesswein, Sept. 10, '56. J. P. Stein. 5. Leonhard Schwoebel to Friderica "Schoepp, Aug. 27, '56. John Linse. 6. Jacob Huber to Maria Nordholz, Oct. 19, '56. Andr. Baertsch. 7. Anton Fink to Mary Brangenberg (w. Fink,) Nov. 8, '56. John Linse. 8. Claus Liesch to Magdalena Waecker, Nov. 16, '56. J. P. Stein. 9. Friederick Richter to Elizabeth Eder, Nov. 24, '56. Gottfr. Huber. 10. Wm. Ashton to Elizabeth Faulds, Nov. 26, '56. Andr. Baertsch. 11. Wm. McFarland to Helen Fuller, Oct. IS, '-36. J. P. Stein. 12. Abraham Schmoker to Maria Haug, June 7, '56. W. H. Gates. 13. Mathias Hammer to Verena Regli, Aug. 2d, 1856. W. H. Gates. 14. Gottlieb Zacho to Magdalena Fettig, Feb. 11, '57. John Linse. 15. David Jost to Ursina Kuentzler, Feb. 24, '57. John Linse. 16. Claus Kuhrt to Anna Ulrich, Feb. 28, '57. J. P. Stein. 17- Gustav Acloolf Kretschmer to Sophie Ginzkey, May 5, '57. Marvin Pierce, Co. J. 18, John F. Hauser to Fridericke Hesselbarth, May 15, '57. Ferdinand Fetter. 19. John Haeussinger to Elizabeth Beyer, May 6, '57. John Clarke. 20. Gustav Adolf Koch to Paulina Spuehr, June 22, '57. Ferd. Fetter. Earlier marriages, 485 21. Joseph Richard to Anna Maria Marky, July 1, '57- John A. Hunner. 24. Andreas Armsto Mrs. Anna Jennell, July 12, '57. Martin Joos. 25. Jacob Blum to Henrietta Scheiner, Aug. 4, '57- Ferd. Fetter. 26. Jacob Botzet to Elizabeth Beyerlein, July 20, '57. John Clarke. 27. John Marshall to Margareth Schneider, July 30, '57. John Clarke. 28. George Friedrich to Maria Schwing, July 30, '57. John Clarke: 29. John Baumann to Theresa , Sept. 28. John Linse. 30. Joseph Rohrer to Barbara Miller, Sept- 29. John Linse. 31. John Hill to Marion Dobbie, Oct. 1, '57. Andrew Henry. 32. R. W. Feigl to Mrs. Maria Thorwarth, Oct. 6, '57. Ferd. Fetter. 33. Martin Joos to Magdalena Arms, Oct. 7, '57. Herman Altmann. 34. Henry Case to Mary Gumbert, Nov. 24, '57. Wilson Crippin. 35. John Jacob Moham to Ursula Gadiand, Oct. 27, '57. H. Altmann. 36. Geo. Bull to Malvina M. Polly, Sept. 7, '57. H Altmann. 37. Michael Schnipp to Marg. Kritzenthaler, Jan. 23, '58. John Clarke. 38. Chas. Hohmann to Wilhelmina Kirchner, Dec. 17, 57. And. Henry. 39. John Lafferty to Mrs. Mary Myers, Feb. 16, '58. R. K. Nichols, J. P. 40. Henry Bechmann to Wilhelmine Fratsean, Feb. 26, '58. /. Linse. 41. Jacob Gangnagel to Theresa Stuber, Feb. 8, '58. John P. Stein. 42. Andreas Hoch to Anna Maria Mueller, Jan. 11, '58. J.F. Haisch. 43. Heinrich Keller to Mrs Anna Benker, April 9, '58. Martin Joos, 486 EARLIER MARRIAGES. 44. Math. Johr to Louise Egbert, May 1, '58. Ferd. Feller. 45. Friedrich Hepp to Sophia Multhaupt, May 1, '58. F. Fetter. 46. Edward Berger to Sally Jane Fuller, April 2, '58. J. F. Haisch. 47. Benedict Moy to Mrs. Anna Maria Haug, May 13, '58. J F. Haisch. 48. Chas Lesly to Anna Lindes, May 21, '58. J. F. Haisch. 49. Seb. Petz to Amalia Foltenauer, July 10, '58. B. Leerburger. 50. Michael Damm to Maria Anna Kargthaler, May 31, '58. /. P. Stein. 51. J. Geo. Vollmer to Margaretha Hosang, July 2d, '58. John Clarke. 52. Jacob Duff to Elizabeth Multhaupt, July 10, '58- John Clarke. 53. Adam Schuster to Elizabeth Grover, Aug. 26, 58. Rev. D. Marogna. 54. Otis Russell to Margareth Enright, Sep. 24, '58. Wilson Crippin. 55. Geo. Schroeder to Albertina Rieck, Sep. 27, '58. /- Linse. 56. Geo. Gottlieb Oppliger to Annie Ebner, Oct. 16, '58. John Clarke. 57. John J. Gasser to Lina Spuehr, Oct. 18, '58. J. Linse. 58. George Haag to Victoria Ey, (Ay?) Nov. 13, '58. B. Leerburger. 59. Henry W. Dewey to Susan M. Shelley, Nov, 18. '58. B. Leerburger. 60. Joseph Segar to Rebecca Gardner, Nov. 28, '58. Jos. Scafe. 61. Chas. Segar to Sette Myers, Nov. 28, '58. Jos. Scafe 62. Lorenz Arms to Ursula Jenall, Feb. 6, '59. Martin Joos. 63. Christ. Schweizer to Franiska Ulrich, Dec. 11 '58. J- F. Haisch. 64. Joachim Guettinger to Fridericka Lautenbach, Dec. 4 '58. John Linse. EARLIER MARRIAGES. 487 65. Casp. H. Keckeforth to Ellen Katharina Take, March 2, '59. B. Leerburger. 66. Oliver M. Olds to Sarah Lafferty, March 30, '59. Jos. Scafe. 67. Conrad Christ to Margaretha Florin, May 2, '59. Ferd. Hellmann. 68. Andreas Florin to Susanna Schamaun, May 2, '59. F. Hellmann. 69. Vincent Hurlburt to Mary Ann Springer, May 14, '59. Benj. Babcock. 70. Fred Sonnemann to Mrs. Salome Hilbeber, May 28, '59. B. Leerburger. 71. Martin Nick to Theodora Pforti, June 7, '59. Ferd Hellmann. 72. Gottfried Waelty to Elizabeth Ochsner, June 14, 59. Ferd. Hellmann. 73. Julius J. Gobar to Elizabeth Kaiser, June 20, '59. Frederick Metger. 74. L. N. Plemon to Delia Pritchard, June 20, '59. John Legore. 75. John Buchmueller to Anna Ellers, May 16, '59. J. A. Hunner. 76. Frederick Schaub to Amalia Huebsch, June 13, '59. /. A. Hunner. 77- Carl Dinger to Fiedericka Kuhbach, June 16, 59. Edw. Gunkel. 78. Johann H. Kendler to Margaretha Thira, April28, '59. J. F. Haisch. 79. Christian Schoepp to Margaretha Hochgrefe, Aug. 14, '59. Adam Weber. 80. William Fiedler to Carolina Brandhorst, Sept. 4, '59. B. Leerburger. •81. Jacob Hentges to Anna Maria Rith, Sept. 16//59. Rudolph Ritscher. 82. Christian Buehler to Margareth Truog, OcU 20, '59. Rudolph Ritscher. 83. John Neukomm to Rosina Scherz, Oct. 31, '59. Leopold Arnold. EARLIER MARRIAGES. 84. William Becker to Augusta Ecke, Jan. 30, '60. John Linse. 85. William Kammuller to Anne Maria Henni, Feb. 4, '60. Fred Kammueller. 86. Fred Hohmann to Clarisse Annette Johnson, Feb. 19, '60. F. Hellmann. .87. John Simerson to Caroline Doughty, March 19, '60. Benj. Babcock. '88. Hartman Kohelhepp to Elizabeth Regli, Feb. 21, '60. Wilson Crippin. 89. Benjamin Green to Mary E. Myers, April 15, '60. Jos. Scafe. "90. William Vodegel to Louise Brandhorst, April 14, '60. Rev. F. W. Pahl. 91. Bernhard Jacobson to Betsy Thompson, June 19, '60. Ernst A. Warner. ¦92. Joseph Elder* to Sarah Mills, June 10, '60- Jos. Scafe. '.93. John P. Pearce to Martha Hilbun, July 26, '60. Jos. Scafe. 94. Jacob Herold to Anna Maria Leinhos, July 6, '60. John Ellers. 95. John Halbeis to Antonia Spuehr, July 28, '60. Conrad Walter. 96. Haver Stoffer to Caroline Pfeffer, May 28, '60. F. Lane, P. J. ,97. Wm. Silkworth to Fannie S. Fordham, April 26, '60. J. A. Hunner. 98. John Cruse to Anna Heerman, Dec. 28, '59. J". A. Hunner. 99. John Ellers to Anna Thurer, July 2d, '59. /. A. Hunner. 100. Chas. Meinzer to Anna M. Schlossstein, Aug. 16, '60. J. A. Hunner. 101. Erick Aime to Ellen Erikson, Aug. 15, '60. E. A. Warner. 102. Robert Aitkin to Mary Sharp, Sept. 12, '60. Rev. Sam'l Elliott. 103. Caspar Grob to Wilhelmina Kurtzwey, Oct. 1, '60. J. A. Hunner. 104. Philipp Hartmann to Anna Schwinn, Sept. 16, '60. Rev. John H. Westerfield. 105. Andrew Hemrich to Elizabeth Schneider, Nov. 12, '60. /. K, Benedict. EARLIER MARRIAGES. • 489 106. Marshal Wier to Catharine Lacy, Nov. 14, '60. J K. Benedict. 107. James J. Bushnell to Martha J. Ford, Oct. 24, '60. Rev. Woodley. 108. Geo. Schmidt to Margareth Karbe, Nov. 13, '60. Rev. J. H. Wester field. 109. John Burgess to Rachel Evans, Oct. 24, '60. Jos. Scafe. 110 Herman A. F. W. Schroeder to Florentine Fischer, Dec. 2, '60- Wm. Rieck. 111. John Kammenstrahl to Elizabeth Cabucod, Dec. 1, '60. , m. Burt. 112. Andrew Barth to Mary Sulltyan, Dec. 22, '60. Wm. Burt. 113. John A. Tester to Mathilda Binder, Feb. 21, '61.. Wm. Rieck. 114. Hy. Wm. Sieker to Mary E. Brandhorst, March 3, '61. Rev. E Strube. 115. John Brenner to Louise Lautenbach, March 3, '61 Wm. Rieck. 116. J. Geo. Ulrich to Mary Bertud, Mar. 24, '61. E. Gunkel. 117. John Schatz to Catharina Weibel, Mar. 24, '61. E.Gunkel. 118. Henry Adams to Achsa C. Hilliard, May 9, '61. Rev. J. L. Anderson. 119. Geo. Kochendorfer to Anna Oertli, April 21, '61. Rev. Len. v. Wald. 120. John J. Senn to Elizabeth Weibel, May 8, '61. J. Linse. 121. Henry Dreyse to Barbara Flitsch, May 8, '61. J. Linse. 122. Caspar Witwen to Mrs. Anna M. Richards, June 1, '61. E. A. Warner. 123. Wm. Liebenberg to Dorothea Schoepp, May 15, '61. Ferd. Hellmann. 124. Wm. Brueggeboos to Ursula Meuli, June 1, '61. Ferd. Hellmann. 125. Wieland Allemann to Catharina Wald, June 29, '60. Joel C. Ford. 126. Herman Hoevel to Elizabeth Mom beck, July 5, '61. Franz Ginzkey. 127- Conrad Ochsner to Elise Hugendobler, July 18, '61. F- Hellmann. 490 EARLIER MARRIAGES. 128. Archy Lee to Miranda Gardner, Aug. 4, '61. Jos. Scafe. 129. Geo. Gray to Sidney Barnard, Aug. 27, '61. R. Kempter, P. J. 130. Jacob Regli to Elizabeth Paul, Aug. 29, '61. R. Kempter. 131. Oliver Milton Olds to Elizabeth Garvin, Sep. 10,61. Rev. M. Woodley. 132. Nels H. Kins to Anna Maria Dragnil, Oct. 12, '61. E. A. Warner. 133. Geo. Amann to Anna Hepp, Sep. 28, '61. Ld. Wegelin. 134. Balth. Carish to Christina Schamaun, Oct. 22, '61. M. W. Hamann. 135. Math. Fetzer to Catharina Ulrich, Aug, 1, '61. J. A. Hunner. 136. John*Heerman to Maria Werli, Oct. 31, '61. J. A. Hunner. 137. Gust. Reinhardt to Augusta Kornemann, Nov. 18, '61, E. A. Warner. 138. Silas Hutchins to Jerusha Gray, Jan. 1862. J. Scafe. 139. Thos. W. Glaspoole, jr., to Susan Ann McGwin, Dec 20. '61. Geo. M. Tuttle. 140. John Timblin to Isabel Dicken, Feb. 20, '62. E. A. Warner. 141. John Jurison to Mary Christenson, Feb. 20, '62. E. A. Warner. 142. August Kurzweg to Mary Wilk, March 8, '62. Franz Ginskey. 143. Michael Mallinger to Sophie Richtmairn, March 22, '62. John George Senty. 144. David Davidson to Else Olson, March 15, '62. JBernhard Jacobson. 145. Geo. Bertzle to Berline Bertz;el, March 14, '62. E. A. Warner. 146. L. D. Farrington to Alsine J. Swift, March 9, '62. Geo. M. Tuttle. 147. John Fitzgerald to Mary Moon, May CM, '62. Geo. M. Tuttle. 148. Louis Zeizinger to Rosetta Kuchlein, A,,pril 27, '62. Geo. M. Tuttle. Earlier marRiagEs. 491 149. Jacob Rowel to Emily Gordon, May 25, '62. Geo. M. Tuttle. 150. James M. Cathcard to Mary Min. Warren, May 27, '62. Rev. B. F. Morse. 151. Peter Polin to Magdalena Liesch, May 15, '62. Peter Wald. 152. Ole Christenson to Mrs. Eblegan Syverson, June 6, '62. Bernhard Jacobson. 153- Chr. J. Sorum to Martha Siverson, June 6, '62. Bernhard Jacobson. 154. Jacob Schanck to Anna Burt, May 16, '63 (2). Thomas Courtney. 155. Theodore Schaaf to Mrs. Regina Wasmer, July 3, '62. Rev. C. J. Frank Schroudenbach. 156. Frederick Linse to Anna Berg, June 15, '62. Rev- H. E. Linse. 157. Ely Heerman to Frances Marion Little, Aug. 21, '62. Rev. Fr. Grochtenmeier. 158. John Hemming to Mary Jane Little, Aug. 21, '62. Rev. Fr. Grochtenmeier. 159. Jos. Kaufmann to Sophie Michaels, Sept. 17, 62. Jos. Schlumpf. 160. John G. Brethauer to Mary Hohaus, Sept. 18, '62. Gottlieb Kurtz. 161. Mathias Elm to Christina Wasmer, Sept. 4, '62. Rev. C. J. Schrondenba.ch. 162. Lawrence Kessinger to Mrs. Mary Zingg, Sept. 13, '61. John A. Hunner. 163. Jacob Meyer to Mrs. Mary Hagen, Nov. 10, '62. Joseph Rohrer. 164. Henry Brinkmann to Lisetta Leder, Dec. 31, '62. Gotd. Kurtz. 165. Benjamin Hajrison to Henrietta Sims, Dec. 21, '62. Jas. W . Kelley. j 66. Michael Fiedler to Sarah Schmidt, Feb. 10, '63. Jos. Grossell. 167. Henry Stirn to Mary Rosenow, Jan. 25, '63. Fred Laue. 168. Adam Auer to Barbara Bullinger, Nov. 16, '62. J. A. Hunner, 492 EARLIER MARRIAGES'. 169. Henry Wilk to Hannah Massen, March 21, '63- John Ellers. 170. Wm. Harvey to Mary Reed, April 27, '63. Elijah Warren. 171. John M. Hcmrich to Catharine Hartwig, May 1, '63. J. A. Hunner. 172. Judson J. Joiner to M. Caruthers, Dec. 25, '61. Rev. Sylvester A. Watson. 173. Andrew Beck, jr., to Anna Catherine Knecht, June 8. '63. Jos. Glotzbach. 174, J. F. Schultz to Emilie Schoepp, June 26, 63. Fred, Laue. 175. August Schoepp to Mathilde Schultz, June 25, '63, Fr. Laue. 176. Ole C, Sorum to Mary Johannson, Aug. 8, '63. Bernhard Jacobson, 177. Richard Kempter to Julia Huebsch, Sept. 14, '63. Fred Laue. 178. Jaspar Kingsley to Margareth Murphy, Sept. 1, '63. John Hill. 179. Ferdinand Walter to Mary Ristow, Sept. 27, '63. C. A. Boehme. 180. Fred Hohmann to Christina Schmidt, Nov. 15, '62. Wm. Robertson. 181. G. P. Austin to Alice P. Higgs, July 8, '63. Rev. J. S. Peregrine. 182. Christian Kindschi to Menga v. Wald, Nov. 22, '63. Rev. E. H. Linse. 183. Thomas L. Hill to Jane M. Higgie, Jan. 1, '64. Rev. H. Richter. 184. C. A. Boehme to Leonora Kempter, July 10, '62.John Linse. 185. Henry Guyer to Marie Wegelin, Oct. 8, '63. J. B. Altermatt. 186. Otto Badmer to Anna Ochsner, March 24, '64. Jos. Glatzbach. 187. Carl Theodore Schlevoigt to Mrs. Anna Meinzer, Mar. 15 '64. F. Laue. 188. Conrad Eitel to Fredericka Loetz, April 26, '64. Rev, H. E. Linse, EARLIER MARRIAGES, 493 189. August Uebel to Amalie Ludwig, May 2, '64. Rev. H. E. Linse. 190. Geo. Schlossstein to Anna Rahm, July 1, '64. F. Laue. 191. John Brinkley to Dora Cook, May 22, '64. J. J. Senn. 192. Daniel Gumbert to Sarah Butler, Dec. 1, '63. Jos. Schlumpf, (to be 181.) 193. Herman Redake to Rosa McGionly, Sept. 28, '64. John Burt. 193. John F. Korb to Mina Kurzweg, Nov. 14, '64. Chas. Jeihn. 194. Michael Walsh to Minnie Schemer, Nov. 5, '64. John Burt. 195. Beat Keller to Margareth Waecker, Jan. 11, '63. J. A. Hunner. 196. William Marquart to Henriette Walter, Feb. 3, 63. F. Laue. 197. Henry Becker to Mrs. Mary Mohr, March 4, '65. J. P. Stein. 198. Alfred Streen to Mrs. Jane Curley. May 1, '65. ") ? J. P. Stein, j ' 199. Adam Weber to Catharina Raus, May 25, '65. Jos. Grossell. Abstract made from the transcript of R. R. Kempter, clerk of circuit court, Sept. 16, 1865. 494 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. PUBLIC SOCIETIES. Public Societies we consider such associations, as have no in tention or pretension of witholding their constitutions from pub licity, and have no ritual, nor passwords or other distinguishing marks or signs, by which their members may be assured of the connection of other members to which the parties belong. These public societies are nevertheless of a private character, and there are conditions of membership, and also obligations of members to the society and to each other, usually, however, not of a very rig orous kind. Meetings of such societies, although often of a pri vate character, are by no means secret or exclusive, and at other times rather public, having at such times many features of an ex hibition. All of such societies have a distinct trait of sociability in it; although the particular purpose may not always be the cultivation of this sociability. So, for instance, is the particular purpose of Turner Societies the practice of such gymnastics as may tend to general development of the body for strength and agility. The particular purpose of singing societies is the cultiva tion of vocal music, especially of the quartette. Shooting Society are intent on perfection of markmanship with the rifle, and sd with every other society in a similar way. In the present chapter I shall treat of these societies in chronological order, but may oc casionally vary the same for cogent reasons. It is noticeable that most of the public societies exist among the German part of our population, an out-growth of the general disposition for social in tercourse. It must be confessed that the descendants of the early immigrants are not quite so prominent in upholding this partic ular characteristic of their ancestors. Many of the latter too have acquired an inclination to be members of secret societies formerly almost unknown among them. I am not prejudiced for one or the other kind of societies, having never belonged to a secret PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 495 and belonging in fact at present to but one public society. What I intend to state here must be taken as a mere historical relation of facts, not as a criticism. The oldest of our public societies were TURNER SOCIETIES. These societies were founded nearly thirty years ago, when the old settlers were fresh from Germany and Switzerland, in both of which countries such societies then existed. Many of the early settlers had either in the old country or during a previous sojourn in larger cities in this country, become members of Turner so cieties, and at that time the National Turners' Union of America was a numerous and well organized body, in which, however, not all the scattered societies were united. A Turner's pass admitted every member of a society belonging to the National Union into any society belonging to the same as a member, with all the priv ileges of other members. Many of these societies cultivated sing ing, theatrical performances and general mental culture, and those who could afford it had good libraries of instructive books. But in our own county the means for such things were missing, and be sides gymnastics, singing aud sociability were the only purposes recognized. The oldest of these societies in this county was prob ably organized at BUFFALO CITY. It must have been established in 1858. In 1859 it had, by re port, some 30 members, but dissolved the same year, the members having become scattered. It did not belong to the Union, but pe titioned for admission, when an opposition society was started un der the name of Turngemeinde of Buffalo City: This society at first consisted of seven members, five of whom are still living in this county, three at Alma, one at Belvidere and one at Buffalo City. It organized on the 20th day of May 1859, and placed itself at once under the jurisdiction of the National Turner's Union. The highest number of members at any time was 18, of whom 8 or 9 belonged to the "Singing Section." Five mem bers enlisted in the army, Chas. Kessinger, Joseph Kessinger in the fifth regiment, R. R. Kempter, Gerhard Damm and Wm. Dreusicke in the ninth regiment, Wisconsin Infantry. Of these only R. R- Kempter and Wm. Dreusicke returned. The society 496 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. continued until 1863, although the proceedings show the last meet ing to have been held July 6th, 1862, and was never formally dis solved. The members removed to other places, ancl since, on ac count of the war. almost all local interest had begun to flag, this society shared the effect of the general indifference. At FOUNTAIN CITY a Turner Society had been founded on the 6th day of March 1858. This is the oldest of these societies of which we have the exact date of organization, and it may have preceded the first society of this sort at Buffalo City by some months. The principal organizer was G. G. Oppliger, who was elected Speaker or President, J. J. Senn was elected Secretary, Michael Pistorius Treasurer, Joseph Halbeis Instructor, and Anton Burch Overseer of Property. Like most of the societies this also became in time inactive, partly on account of removal of members o other places, partly because of other reasons. It was, however, formally kept up, and revived, until it united with the Germania Society on the 26th of May 1872. Some members of the latter society form what is designated as the Turner Section This section has been periodically active whenever it found a good and enthusiastic instructor, as for in stance in Mr. William Finkelnburg, but at present is reported as dormant. No actual Turner Society existed at ALMA at any time, at least not under that name. There were certainly some among the younger men who had received the necessary training, and might have acted as instructors, but no energy was expended in the formation of a society. Only once there was an attempt, but it was a little late in the day, so to speak, because the patriotic spirit of which Turner societies had formerly been born had largely evaporated in the older men, and never existed in the younger men and the boys. It should not, however, be left unre corded that Mr. John Brueger, while he was a clerk in the store of J. A. Tester, and afterwards, did instruct the youngsters of the vil lage in gymnastics, and that he was very systematic and also very successful. For the purposes of exhibition many things were learned which did not really belong to the gymnastics of the Turners, but served their purpose and animated the participants. Like other exertions this needs some stimulant, and ambition fur- PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 497 nished it in this case. Some of our young men, who were then but big boys, even carried off prizes at gymnastic tournaments. Roller-skating and base-ball struck our place, as they struck every other, and it will require another equally disinterested and energetic young man like John Brueger to again put life and mettle into the enterprise. Provisions for the purpose have been made in the constitution ofthe Concordia society. This closes the account of Turner Societies. Gymnastics will always be attractive to young people, and exhibitions of skill in them will always at tract a full house once or twice every year, but material for an old- fashioned "Turn-Verein" will after a while be wanting entirely, if it is not so already. Next after the above, partly because of the partial relationship, partly on account of the proximity of the time of starting them, come the SHOOTING SOCIETIES. It must be remarked, that these two words do not very closely translate the German words "Schuetzen," "Verein." The word "Rifleman" or "Marksman" is the closest translation of the word "Schuetze," whieh by consent has come to mean one who shoots and hits, not merely something, but a given target or point. As the special purpose of these societies we may designate the prac tice of rifle shooting for the purpose of improving and reaching, as near as possible, perfection in it. There is something of a military character about it, as we might infer from the constitutions of the different societies, but all the resemblance their exercises and tournaments have with military camps is that plenty to eat and to drink is required on both occasions, for which fact I do not wish to blame, but to commend them. Unquestionably these so cieties originated in the fact that there were a goodly number of men living in the county who had come from Switzerland, a country, which not only furnishes sharpshooters of proverbial ex- ellence, but in which shooting matches and preparatory exercises or practice occur every Sunday during the milder seasons, in everv village and valley, and where the management of such societies is perfectly understood. My old friend John Buehler, now the landlord of the Sher man House in Alma, thinks that the organization of the two prin cipal societies and their union as Buffalo County Riflemen's As- 498 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. sociation dates from a picnic, connected with a shooting match at Mr. Schaettle's place, called Spring Lake, where he had a brewery at that time. John, who was 25 years younger than he is now, was moved by the spirit, and mounting a stump made a speech to the participants in said shooting match, in which peroration he vividly and with his peculiar force drew a mental picture of tbe advantages, enjoyments and profits, which would accrue from regular organization and confederation. This picnic happened on the fifth day of May 1862, at least I find in the record of proceed ing of the Turner Society that a picnic and shooting match was to be held on that day and place, and that afterwards a committee was appointed to settle up the matter. In the year following the societies at Alma and Fountain City were organized, almost on the same day. Arrangements were made for an annual tournament, to be held alternately in one of the two places, and the first one was held at Fountain City on the 16th and probably 17th of Aug ust, 1863. We will now proceed to the history of the separate societies: " Alma Shooting Society." It was originally founded on the 24th day of May 1863, and consisted of 28 members, of whom three, Christian Lehmann, J. A. Tester and John Hemrich still live and remain members of tbe society. Seven of the original members live outside of Buffalo County, seven have died and eleven are still residents of this county, though no longer members of the society. Such affairs do from time to time begin to .flag, members remove, become dissatis fied, the others, though remaining, become discouraged, ancl some times even the whole fabric dissolves into nothing. There were languishing times in this society also, until in 1874 it was reor ganized and duly incorporated. At the time of the incorporation or soon afterwards, the number of members was 36, and it increased very fast, so that on the 17th of February 1878, when the West Wisconsin and Minnesota Schuetzejibund was founded, it num bered 58 members. But before that event, especially before reor ganization and incorporation, it had no settled place for its prac tice and tournaments. For some time it held them in the ravine that comes down on Cedar Street near Polin's, then at the Probst property now owned by Louis Mueller, then on vacant lots in Block 13, Lower Addition, the targets being on the hillside near the PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 499 eastern terminus of Swift Street. The incorporation was sug gested by the offer of C. A. Boehme to sell the society its present park, which is situated but a very short distance below the actual town, comparatively level, but sloping slightly towards the Alma and Fountain City road and the river generally. An unpretentious shooting hall was at first erected, but after a few years was found to be inadequate for the attending crowd and a new and large one was built near the old, by which the society managed to involve itself into liabilities which are still encumbering it. The present membership is 34, certainly less than nine years ago, yet still suf ficient to maintain the society as an independent unit, who would not be submerged by joining, as proposed, the Concordia Society. The park is a beautiful spot, and has been more than once selected for picnics and other excursions by the German and Norwegian societies of La Crosse, who always find a cordial welcome, not only by the members of the society, or its corporative representa tives but by the people of Alma altogether. This is the last so ciety of which I remain a member. I have never fired a shot in practice or in tournament and have for sufficient reasons refused to hold any office in the society. I do not want to grumble or croak, but would give fair warning to my friends, that if some of their overbearing practices are not abandoned the membership will be reduced to nobody. Or do some of them really aim at that ? Well, the city will then acquire a piece of desirable pro perty. The Fountain City Schuetzen Verein was originally founded in the year 1863, at about the same time as the society at Alma. What was its numerical strength at the start I can not say, but I know some of those who always were members of it, as Christ Bohri, Jr., Fred Hepp, Arnold Giessen, R. W. Feigel, J. B. Oenning, J. J. Senn, who are yet members of the same, or at least of the Germania. In 1872 this society lost its separate identity by becoming, May 26th, incorporated with the Germania. In 1870 the tournament of the Wisconsin District of the United States Sharpshooters' Union was held at Fountain City, in which riflemen from all parts of the state participated. In 1878 when the society became a member of the West Wisconsin and Minnesota Association it numbered 62 members. In becom ing a part of the Germania Society, and forming within it the 500 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. shooting section, the club had, in fact, lost its claim to the mem bership of those who were not active participants, but supported the society by paying their annual dues, and by rendering neces sary services on occasions when such were required. Hence only those are now counted as members of said section as actually take part in the practice and tournaments. Fountain City" set the ex ample of inviting ladies to try their skill with the rifle, and the custom was adopted at Alma in the same direction. The present number of active members is only 20, but as the membership of the Germania is 50, they may be considered quite numerous. The first place of practice was in the lower end of the town, but after wards in the upper, where in 1879 they built a nice hall and where they still have their station. The West Wisconsin and Minnesota Schuetzenbund. This union of societies was founded on the 17th day of Febru ary 1878 by a convention of delegates from the societies of Alma, Fountain City, Winona Germania, and La Crosse. G. G. Oppliger was elected President and Christ. Florin, Secretary of said con vention. After working out a constitution and rules for practice and tournaments the convention passed the following resolutions: 1. That until differently resolved the shooting tournaments or festivals should be held by the original societies in turn and by no others; 2. That Alma should be the first head-center of this new union, and the first festival should be held at that place; 3. That the societies having now joined, should pay their initiary fee of $3.00 each forthwith, the amount of 10 cents per ¦member, however, not before the meeting of the next diet. Further resolutions were, to have the constitution printed in 250 copies, also rules of practice 100 copies on cardboard for post ing up in the shooting halls; also that no members of societies not in the union should be admitted, and the customary vote of thanks to the Fountain City society and its president. The object of this union is defined as follows: To improve the members of the union in the use of firearms and to effect a greater harmony in regard to rules and arrange ments; also to advance the interests of social intercourse and friendly relations among the members of the different societies. Everything was promising welland there was the most cor- PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 601 dial intercourse among the members, especially as long as the four original societies were the only ones. But at the tournament at La Crosse the representatives of St. Paul were admitted without asking the consent of the diet and this numerous and by ils representation powerful, society began to create trouble. Not that the members attending our festivals were not very cordial compan ions, but the society itself, especially at the tournament at St. Paul exceeded the previous and reasonable expectations on which the union had been founded by admitting into it the society at Monroe, Green County, Wis. This society, rather small, was situ ated in a distant part of the state, which could not be reached ex cept by a circuitous and expensive voyage. The union had been founded by four societies so located, that each could be reached by short and cheap transportation. The accession of St. Paul did not materially change this condition, since that place could at least be reached by all with convenience, though a visit to this capital of Minnesota was rather a heavy tax upon the less opulent members. Nevertheless there was a considerable attendance from this place, as also from all other societies at the festival at St. Paul. The St. Paul attendance at Winona was by no means very satis factory , but at the next festival the attendance of St. Paul at Alma consisted of no more than three men out of a membership of 115 — 120, and only one of these was a genuine member of the St. Paul society, although the two otheis, one an American, the other a Swede, had to be admitted upon the assurance that they were members. The excuse of the former frequenters of the festivals was that the game season had opened and that they preferred to go hunting. This prejudiced the Buffalo County members against those from the larger places, and it was remarked that these festi vals had lost their ancient character as popular enjoyments, and that this could only be restored by returning to the old Buffalo County Association, in which a neighborly regard could be ex tended to any members of societies from Winona or La Crosse if these societies would reciprocate the favor. This put an end to this West Wisconsin and Minnesota arrangement, which might yet well continue, if it had for ever been confined to the five— or rather four — societies, since the fifth, that of Wabasha never actually ac- eeded to the union, although it had sent a written application, and paid the initiary fee for entering into the confederation. 602 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. The former harmony between the societies of Fountain City and Alma still continues, and the festivals afford an annual oppor tunity for a convivial meeting of old friends and comrades, not only of those who have so often met in the friendly contest of arms, but also of a number of others, who have either never joined in, or have for various reasons abandoned the sport. There are at these festivals usually some friends from La Crosse and Winona, and they are always cordially welcome, but others are not seriously missed. Rifle clubs have been at odd times started at other places, but did never continue long enough to acquire any particular history. We now come to the SINGING SOCIETIES. They do not depend upon any weapon for their practice or amusement, and do not waste any powder ancl lead. The cultiva tion of one of the most precious gifts of nature and civilization to mankind, the gift of song, is the objeet of their association and of their meetings. That the members are jovial fellows and know how to enjoy life reasonably, and are always ready to contribute to the enjoyment of others, goes without saying. That they are almost exclusively Germans or Swiss by birth or descent is equ ally true, and that in their songs they are often prone to cherish the memory of their fatherland, will not detract from their char acter of good, loyal and useful citizens of this country. We have a German rhyme, a piece of a whilom popular song which says: "Where they sing you may tarry long, Bad men never love a song." But they need neither apology nor recommendation from me. Singing societies have a history of more than twenty-five years in this county. I would bespeak the one connected with the Buffalo City Turngemeinde, organized in 1859 as the first, but I think there was one at Fountain City at or before that date, pro bably connected with the Turner society in the same way. All these societies have their tips and downs, for human enthusiasmus does not last forever, and there is a longing after variety in every human breast. One of the difficulties in this case is to find a suitable leader, somebody ambitious and patient, with just enough capacity for the work, a modicum of self-assurance and at the same time politeness and forbearance enough to conciliate the tardy and PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 503 unskilful. If he does not get tired, some one else will, perhaps several of the choir, and one or the other of the four voices will be crippled or enfeebled, perhaps entirely missing. What is to be done in such a case but to wait until the elements become settled •again? But for all that there is so much fascination about the endeavors, especially in the admiration of a public exhibition, when every thing goes as straight as a string. And so it happens that some of these societies have managed to exist for a long period, and do exist and flourish yet. Of these I intend to give as much of a history as I am able to, from documentary evidence and re collection. Concordia at Alma. There may have been attempts at founding a singing society in this place before 1863, for I could name a few enthusiastic de votees to this noble pursuit who were citizens of the place several years previous, but in that year the teacher of the public school, a Mr. Weisshaupt, became the leader and an organization was ef fected. Mr. Weisshaupt was a Swiss and if I am not mistaken, came from a stock, that had already given evidence ot particular fitness for the task he undertook. I am not informed of the num ber of singers or active, nor of that of passive members, who did not sing. After Mr. Weisshaupt's departure I remember but one leader, who was also the teacher of the public school, Mr. Bubeck. Whatever may have been his faults, he was certainly an accom plished musician, and fully qualified for his position in the Con cordia. After him Hon. John A. Tester assumed the leadership, which he has held with a few intermissions ever since. The choir consisted of male voices only for a long time, but in after years, when the young ladies of the place had growir up, and some of them had acquired considerable skill and taste in music a so-called mixed choir was organized, consisting of soprano and alto, which are female, ancl tenor and bass, which are male voices. The lea dership of this choir was for some time divided between Mr. Tester and Dr. George Seiler, who also is a great enthusiast. In 1877 the Concordia undeiwent a total reorganization. A formal act of asso ciation was entered into September 14th, and recorded in Vol. I of Corporations pages 35 and 36- Forthwith the building of a hall was undertaken, which was finished the same season and formally dedicated on the 2d day of December. It was a small unpreten- 504 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. iious structure, which after a few years was considered insufficient and inconvenient, but tlie members ofthe society of that time will remember with pleasure, if not with regret, the good nature and sociable disposition of the entertainments held in it. But ambi tion is never satisfied, and so a new hall was built, the little house sold to the schooldistrict for a Kindergarten, or rather a primary department. After it had been found too small and otherwise un fit for that purpose, and after the building ofthe new schoolhouse was finished, it was sold to John Buehler, sr., and a basement story added thereto, and is now inhabited by Theodore Buehler,Esq. During the winter of 1881-82 some members began to agitate for the building of a larger ball, which also meant an extension of the operations of the society in the direction of dramatical per formances and other exhibitions, a consolidation with the Turner society, (though no such existed) and probably with the Shooting Society. As usual Mr. Chas. Schaettle, senior, was the moving spirit in the matter, and his views were extensive and liberal. It must be confessed that he was always liberal enough in the sup port of this and almost every other society of the kind. Yet it can not be denied, that his calculations were always woefully short of actual expenses, and realization about as much short of his ex pectations. Admitting the several defects of the old hall, the ques tion is even now pertinent, whether it would not have been wiser to endure them a few years longer, than to go over head and heels into debt. The pretense of fostering German national customs and sociability by transplanting them into larger quarters has not by any means been realized. The financial condition of the so ciety ma}7 be its own private affair, but to destroy the harmony among the members of a well organized and contented society by taking away its accustomed place of meeting, and offering a splen did receptacle, in which no one feels at home, may still be open to advertence by those who were members before that event and might still be willing to do their share towards the pretended ob ject of the society, if the old conditions had prevailed. The so ciety was never intended to be a money-making institution, and as much as we admire the splendid financial talents of some men, we can not suppress a candid wish that they might be employed in some other enterprise, in which we wish them the most gratify ing success. But to come back from reflection to facts and history PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 506 it must be remembered that the extension of the quarters brought with them an extension of views and an elaboration of a new con stitution. The building was raised in due time and dedicated during the month of December. There was a large attendance of citizens and visitors among the latter former members of tbe so ciety. Everything was yet rather unfinished and it required still considerable sums for fitting up a suitable stage and rendering the lower story of the building habitable. The hall itself is actually a large one, and the several dependencies as bar-rooms, cloakroom, galleries, are convenient enough, and quite a crowd can be accom modated and entertained. The stage is ample and acoustically well placed, which means that words spoken upon it can dis tinctly be heard in any part of the hall. The objects of the society have been already referred to, and it is to be conceded that they are in general carried out as far as singing, instrumental music, theatricals and kindred performances are concerned. The male choir still exists, as also the mixed one, and their performances are .always creditable, and sometimes exceptionally good. I am con versant enough with the general workings of such institutions to appreciate thoroughly the manifold difficulties that have to be overcome by the director and instructor of the choirs, and the sac rifices of time and comfort required of him and the other members of the choirs, and those who are occasionally called upon for as sistance. Their exertions are so much more disinterested, as they have to pay a monthly assessment of twenty-five cents, and at all performances in which they do not take any special part, have also to pay for admission. Ofthe financial success I can not say anything beyond what has been above indicated, as I am not a member of this society. At present there is a janitor with his family living in the lower story, and one of the large rooms has been fitted up as a supper room for the occasion of balls and festivals held by other societies in the building. The upper part, under the roof, which formerly served as a supper room is now fitted up as lodge rooms and occupied for meetings of the Knights of Pythias and the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic. The number of actual members is stated at 33, of which some are of the passive denomination. To give a list of the members of this society would require to do the same for every other society, which, requiring too much space, is out of the question; to name 506 PUBLIC SOC 1 ETI ES . some and omit others might seem partial. Besides these consid erations it must be remembered that absolute correctness is not very easily obtained, as I know now from experience. In the above sketch it was impossible to go into all the details ancl to record occurrences, which may have had a transient or individual inter est, but which did not materially influence the general course of events. The next society in point of time and proximity of loca tion is the Arion, of Beef River Valley. Its original organization may fall into nearly tbe same period as that ofthe Concordia, although I think that some of the older members ofthe Arionwere at first, ancl at 'odd times members of the Concordia. It was at the time when I became a member of it in 1870, a numerous society, the members of which resided in the towns of Alma, Nelson and Belvidere, and some of them atthe village of Alma. Its first recorded meeting was held in 1888. The central point of interest was in Mill Creek, where the meetings for practice in singing were held every Sunday, if the weather permitted the assembling of a complete choir. The locality of the meetings was sometimes the schoolhouse of Dis trict No. 2 of the Town of Alma, sometimes the house of Jacob Wald, and sometimes in the open air in the neighborhood. These meetings were notable for the cordiality of intercourse among the members, and a general spirit of conviviality distinguished especi ally the monthly7 meetings which were at that time held at the house of some member who had invited the society to a visit. This latter practice was after a while abandoned, but otherwise there were no preceptible changes in the meetings. At present the society is remarkhble for the advanced age of some of the members, of whom J. Thomas Lanigga is 74, Jacob Leonhardy 74, and Jacob Wald over 61 years of age. A number of other members are over fifty and others very near to the half century station. There is also a number of younger members, who seems to enjoy the company of their seniors quite well. The old veterans named are still active members, and as enthusiastic as ever, and very frequently forget the failings of old age in their enthusiasm. The society is also remarkable for its adherence to popular songs, and its abstinence from attempts of producing more artificial pieces, thus avoiding those stilted performances, which are very PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 507 seldom satisfactory, but are always a source of useless squander ing of time, and often of dissatisfaction among the members. In a measure the society is compelled to this course, because of the comparatively small number of members and of meetings. Another commendable feature of this society is the chance of the members to get good books from its library, which, however is not eery extensive, and ought to be replenished. Considering that the members are all farmers, laborers and mechanics, for whom the only leisure time occurs on Sunday, it is truly surpris ing that the society could so long exist and prosper. The singing is under the direction of Mr. Gottfried Huber since 1870 or before that time, and a very efficient and judicious director he is, beloved and respected by the members of the society. The number of members is 35, of whom twelve are active or singing members, though the choir sometimes musters more than that many. What ever may be the cause, the ver}7 appearance of the choir of this society has never failed to produce attention, and their perform ance has always elicited the merited applause. Somewhat similar in its tendency, but of a very much later and entirely different origin w7as the Frohsinn Singing Society of Alma. The members, of whom I certainly know every one personally and perhaps intimately were largely seceders from the Concordia, and it surprised me that the leading spirits were usually of those, w7ho did not appear to be refractory, when in that society. There seems to have been no very close association, and when one of the leading members, Mr. Lutzi Meili was called by circumstances to other parts of the country, the society dissolved, probably in a formal way, and the books, musical in thier contents, were turned over to the Arion, the society next preceding. During its existence it was devoted to vocal and instrumental music, affording oppor tunity of instruction to some, especially the younger, members. Germania Society of Fountain City. This society is a combination of the Turners, Sharpshooters and Singers of the place into one body, the principle of sociability underlying the combination. Reference to the Turners and Sharp shooters will be found in the preceding parts of this chapter. The part to be treated of would then be the ''Singing Society," or rather "Singing Section " of the Germania. But a few words about 508 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. the origin and practical convenience of the combination are not out of place. As in other places, there existed the societies named above, each separate, but members of one w:ere frequently mem ber of one or both of the others, either active or passive. This was a somewhat embarassing position in some cases, and at any rate cost more than necessary, and it was easy enough to convince any one that by uniting expenses might be lessened ancl results made more satisfactory. Hence the three societies united, and, consisting almost entirely of Germans, naturally adopted the name of Ger mania. This was done on the 26th day of May 1872, the 14th anniversary of the founding of the Turner Society. The society was incorporated September 14th, 1872. It consists at present of 50 members, and Christ. Florin is the president, Chas. R. Bechmann Treasurer of it, the post of Secre tary being temporarily vacant. I am not informed as to the do ings of the Singing Section at present, but during the first ten years it seems to have been quite active. Harmonia Singing Society of Fountain City. What causes led to the founding of this organization in Nov ember 1882, I am not informed of, but being acquainted with most of the members, and aware that they are still members of the Germania, it would seem that some dissatisfaction at either the conduct, or the neglect of the singing in the latter society was at the bottom of the new departure. I think that the 15 members of this new society are all enthusiastic devotees of the noble art, and know that they have made very creditable progress in it. Christ. Florin is the President and Henry Roettiger, jr., the Secre tary of this society, which meets for practice about twice a we<-k usually in Feigl's hall. J. L. Utermoehl was the instructor during his stay at Fountain City. Harmonie, qf Waumandee. This society was organized among the Germans of the Wau mandee Valley as early as 1861. It is supposed to be chartered, or to have been so, when Hon. C. Moser, jr., was a member of the Legislature, which was in 1868 and '69, but there seems to be some doubt about it. It holds meetings every first Sunday of each month. The purpose of this society is the entertainment and general mental improvement of the members, discussion of im portant topics of local, political and general importance and PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 509 interest. Those inclined to do so form a singing club, for their own amusement and for social purposes. It has a library of 321 volumes, containing works of most of the prominent Goinian authors, especially ofthe past, a very commendable feature of any similar society. There are at present 20 menjbcrs, but I think that formerly there were more. President is Charles Hohmann, Treasurer JohnFarner, Secretary and Libiaiian, (.harks Kirclmer. It is to be wished that similar societies were formed in every locality w hich affords an opportunity for it. They are not only of benefit for the present, but also for the rising generation, both by afford ing a chance for instruction and by creating habits of reflection. and mental recreation. Frohsinn, of Lincoln. This society was organized somewhat after the model of the next preceding one in 1877 and incorporated in 1878. A majority of the older members used to belong to the Harmonie, but as they all resided in the Little Waumandee Valley and cauld come to the meetings of that society only by traveling a distance of eight miles or more, they found it more advantageous to have a society of their own. They named it Frohsinn, which means merriment, hilarity, or good humor, things which never fail to be duly cultivated among the members, at their meetings. It must not, however, be supposed that they did not make preparations for serious things, as they have a small library containing some good books. At the time when Mr. Julius Otto resided in Little Waumandee the society contained a considerable singing club ofwhieh he was the director, so that during that time it might be considered a singing society. Since his removal to Alma this has changed, and a term of languishing seems to have overcome, the society. It contains at presentj20 members. Franz Schieche is Secretary and Librarian. Howard Library Association of Gilmanton. Of'this society I took occasion to speak in the chapter on Education, but have since sending that chapter to the printer received further or at least fuller information which is given as follows: The^founder of the association was Mr. Sidney Howard. It organized in 1866, has prosperously continued ever since, and counts 164 members, with a library of 1630 volumes. These are mostly standard works of science, travel and fiction. The condi- 510 PUBLIC SOCIETIES. tions of membership are an age of at least 16 years and a recom mendation from som other members. Points of management are: Quarterly meetings, and sale of the reading for ensuing quarter, and annual election of officers, who do not receive any compensa tion for their services. For this information I am indebted to Mr. Alexander Lees, who has been for years, and is at present, the secretary and librarian of the association. Necessary repetition in this notice of what was said before will be pardoned. PIONEER SOCIETIES. They are sometimes called "Old Settlers' Clubs." It is very natural that those, who have born the hardships and deprivations of the original settlement, should feel kindly inclined towards each other, and like old soldiers, should feel a desire to fight over the battles in remembrance. Almost every neighborhood in our western country contains people of that sort, who in these better times remember those obstacles, which had to be, and are now, overcome, and. also remember the neighborly feelings, which ex isted when mutual dependence was more forcibly felt than now. It is for them a regular treat to gather those still surviving at a festival for the rehearsing of old time experiences, and to renew the old ties so often formed under circumstances of trial and ad versity. Then, too, the ranks are sadly thinned and soon there will be none left of the old pioneers, who found a wilderness with out roads and bridges, and to whose perseverance and indomit able industry more than to anything else we owe the improve ments of which we are apt to be proud, and which go so far to make our lives so easy ancl comfortable. Not that every thing is now perfect, but what a contrast to how it w7as thirty years ago! There is only one regularly organized society of this kind in the county, which is the OLD SETTLERS' CLUB OF MODENA. I think that Hon. Orlando Brown is President and Mr. Frary the Secretary of this organization, and they hold their annual fes tival some time in Spring every year. There may be, or have been, similar associations in other towns, but I am not informed of any of them. There was once a meeting of " Old Settlers " at Fountain City, but I am not aware of any permanent organization resulting therefrom. If I should have made a misstatement in re gard to this matter, I beg pardon, but it would indeed be strange PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 511 if on my extensive and often repeated excursions through this county, and from reading weekly all the papers printed in it, I should have remained ignorant of a movement, which has my my sympathy, ancl in which I might be expected to participate) as I am one of the "Old Settlers" myself. There is one kind of societies, of whose activity, I have cer tainly read much, although I never had the pleasure of witnessing it. These are the BASE BALL CLUBS. Such clubs are and have been for some time in different local ities, in Alma, on Beef Slough, at Nelson, at Gilmanton and at Mondovi, perhaps also at Modena. I remember that one or the other of them played at County fairs, but once in my presence, and I had really forgotten that, when I wrote the above. Having not the profound understanding necessary to an enjoyment of this exhibition of gymnastics the reader will pardon the shortness of this notice. GENERAL REMARKS. It would have been gratifying to me, if I had had more expli cit information of some of the societies mentioned in this chapter, but the collection of such information has proved a slow and un satisfactory operation, so that in many cases I have been glad to content myself with what I knew ancl what I got. So much more I am obliged to those who have furnished materials especially John Buehler, sen., Peter Ibach, Christ. Florin, Chas. Kirchner and others. 512 SECRET SOCIETIES. SECRET SOCIETIES. The adjective "secret" is applied to such societies, as prescribe certain ceremonies in the initiation and advancement of members to established degrees, have signs of recognition, symbols of mem bership and degrees, and meetings by closed doors, to which none but the initiated, or'those who are going to be, are admitted All of them have some kind of ritual, designed for occrsions to which it may be applicable within the lodge or at public occasions, es pecially at the burial of a member. The model of this ritual is that, which in tbe course of time has been accumulated in the order of Free Masons, but it is modified in each society to suit times and circumstances. On public occasions the members ap pear in Regalia, "if the ritual or a resolution of the lodge requires them to do so. The aim and general tendency of these secret societies, though not publicly expressed, is not so much a secret, and may be stated to'be brotherly love, mutual assistance in case of necessity and general benevolence. Old superstitions, formerly entertained against Free Masons especially, have been dissipated by the light of education in latter times, and have probably never struck very deep roots in this country, at least not since the clays of "Salem Witchcraft." By the time it became possible to organize secret'societies in our county the Anti-Mason movement had also diecFout, and so there was among the great majority of the people no objection to the existence of such societies, or to joining the same. That I have not joined myself, must not be construed into an objection to'have others join. All of these societies claim an ancient origin, but as long as this origin does not manifest itself by antediluvian principles or practices, there can be no reasonable objection to the claim. The enumeration will be given, as near as known, in a chronological order, more however, with regard to their introduction into this county, than to other points. FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS. Alma Lodge No. 184 Meets on the 1st ancl 3d Saturday of each month at Masonic Hall in Boehme's Block. The lodge was organized and chartered June SECRET SOCIETIES. 513 12th 1872. It has forty members. • John Buesch is W. M. and John Burgess Secretary. To the latter I am indebted for particu lars given. Most of the members reside here, a few reside out of town, in Modena and other places. This is the only lodge of Free Masons in this county, though Masons in good standing in the order are living in different parts, who are probably members of other lodges. INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS. There is but one lodge of this order in our county, the Steuben Lodge. No. 280 at Fountain City. It was founded, organized and chartered on the 8th day of March 1878. It has now 67 members and its officers are; L. Bram- stedt, N. G.; J. L. Utermoehl, V. G.; H. Friedel, Secretary; F. H. Bitter, Treasurer. It is the latter to whom I am indebted for par ticulars. GRANGERS. Their official name, if I am not mistaken, is "Patrons of Hus bandry," and ladies are entitled to membership. Lodges of this order were quite numerous throughout the county, but of late they have not manifested any public activity. In the times of their flourishing they had organizators, of whom Jas. Imrie, Esq., of Misha Mokwa was a prominent one. Granger Halls are in the towns of Canton and Glencoe. Stores under the control of the order there are none. Within only a few years I noticed that some members received goods, for instance fencing wire, through some general agency. Not knowing to whom to apply for further information, I could not do more than mention what I knew from remembrance. ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN. Of this order there are three lodges in the county. In chron ological order of organization these lodges are as follows.7 Fountain City Lodge No. 13. Probably organized in 1877- Owing to a failure to report, no further particulars can be given except that Peter Schwoebel is Master Workman ancl J. J. Senn Recorder. A report was prom ised by a prominent member, but failing to be received in time, I had to proceed as above. Mondovi Lodge No. 23. The request to the Recorder for a detailed statement not hay- 514 SECRET SOCIETIES. ing received any response,' I can but repeat the public advertise ment, according to which they meet on every Monday evening at Wyman's Hall. W. W. Wyman is Master Workman and Ryland ' Southworth, Recorder. Alma Lodge, No. 52. It was organized on the 14th of January, 1879, and has now 70 members, who meet on every second ancl fourth Thursday in each month. Master Workman, G. M. Reinhardt, Recorder Joseph Schlumpf, who furnished particulars here given in regard to this., and the two other lodges. GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC. This organization consists entirely of veterans of the late war ] for the Union. No other persons are admitted. There are two | posts of this organization in the county, which, of course, belong] to the Department of Wisconsin. The following are the posts: Fimian Post No. 196, at Alma. It was organized or mustered in May 1885. Its roster con tains 41 names. Of these two are names of deceased comrades, ; one of a discharged one. Of the 38 remaining there are four of; Comp. H. 6th Reg., 8 of the 9th Reg., 2 of the 17th, 3 of the 25th, j 4 of the 48th, 3 ofthe 50th, Wisconsin Infantry, the others of dif-1 ferent other regiments and military organizations. Post Com mander is Hon. Robert Lees, Adjutant Gerh. Gesell, Surgeon Dr. N. McVey. The post has issued a printed roster. John W. Christian Post No. 9, at Mondovi. It was organized or mustered in July 14, 1883. Its roster con sists of 37 names. Post Commander is W. W. Wyman, Adjutant and Surgeon Dr. Chas. Hebard. I am obliged to the Post Com mander for particulars. TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES. These have probably been more numerous at some times previously, but I can only report what I know of. St. Patrick's Total Abstinence Society bf Waumandee and Glencoe. It was organized March 5th, 1872, is not chartered, but ad mitted into the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of Wisconsin. It bears on its banner the inscription: St. P. T. A. S. of Waumandee and Glencoe. There are, all told, about 65 members. M. L. Tier- ney of Waumandee is President, M- h Cashel of Glencoe, Vice. SECRET SOCIETIES. 515 Pres., J, E. McCabe, Secretary, and J. J. Hynes of Waumandee, Treasurer. Thanks to Mr. Austin W. Tierney for particulars. INDEPENDENT ORDER OF GOOD TEMPLARS. Sunshine Lodge No. 125, at Alma. It was organized Aug. 4th, 1887, and contains 35 charter mem bers. G. M. Miles is Chief Templar and J. B. Glover Secretary. Particulars obtained in an interview with the Secretary. • KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS. Chronologically their lodges or castles are: Mondovi Lodge No. 37. It was organized in 1882 with 20, but now has 65 members, and meets every Saturday evening at 7:30. L. A. Merritt, C. C, W. L. Houser, K. R. and S. To the latter thanks are due for par ticulars. Alma Lodge, No. 48. Organized and chartered March 23, 1886. Number of mem bers: A. Williams, C. C, Dr. N. McVey, K. R. and S. Meetings every Thursday evening in their Castle Hall in Concordia Block. Particulars furnished by the K. R. and S. Thanks! This finishes the chapter on Secret Societies. My obligations to those who furnished material to it, have been expressed, and I only regret that in some cases I was left to the meagre informa tion of public advertisements. If in the above enumeration any society has been omitted, I am inclined to think, that is so "secret" that "a fellow can't find out," you know! 516 CRIME. CRIME. It may well be doubted whether a discussion of the causes of crime should find a place in a local history, ancl th-? omission of it is, therefore, excusable. That everywhere, where mankind dwells, crime also would be present among the many, is an experience, which, though not very flattering to our pride, must be admitted. There is, however, a difference of its quantity and quality, that is in the number of criminals and the gravity of the offences. As it would not be judicious, and perhaps would be impossible, to relate in any book all the events occuring even in a very limited territory, so it would be injudicious to relate all the circumstances and events connected with violations of law, that are considered criminal, be they actual crimes or minor misdemeanors. Some people have a theory, that criminals and other offenders and their misdeeds should be held up as frightful examples, so as to scare others into morality. But success in that method of moral edu cation is more than doubtful, and it might even be asserted, that the effect of such exhibitions is rather depraving than elevating, although some people might feel as the Pharisee: "0, Lord, I thank thee, that I am not like these." During the thirty -three years, which have elapsed since the organization of this county no very startling crime, which in its details and in its conception and execution showed a very marked degree of depravity and law lessness, has been committed. Detailed relation of circumstances of such crimes, as were committed, or of which people have been accused, would, therefore, in no instance be very interesting, and I should refuse it for the following reasons: 1. Persons merely accused, or even indicted, but who were for an insufficiency of proof, or because they really were innocent released from processes of law, may well claim to be let alone about circumstances, which unfortunately had incriminated them and for which they had to suffer, perhaps unjustly. 2. Even those, who, by a regular process of law, had been found guilty and upon whom the penalty prescribed by statute CRIME. 517 has been imposed and put in execution, have at least a construc tive right to exemption from persecution. 3. The crimes of which the law has taken cognizance in this county, were, in some important cases, committed in the heat of passion, or under erroneous impressions, that became the ultimate cause which animated the offenders, who sincerely repented after having come to a clear conception of the wrong they had commit ted. Such people have, aside from punishment meted outtothern, their conscientious regrets, which need not be aggravated. I have, therefore, concluded to give merely general statistics, or rather a tabulary enumeration of the more important crimes, which were objects of proceedings in the circuit court. For this table I am indebted to my young friend Edward Lees, jr., who was a short time ago deputy clerk of the circuit court, and is a lawyer by pro fession. CRIMINAL STATISTICS OF BUFFALO COUNTY. NAMES OF OFFENSES. Murder (any degree) Manslaughter, do Rape Forgery Grand Larceny Assault with dangerous weapons.. Assault with intent to kill Embezzlement , — Seduction Arson Perjury Incest Bigamy Counterfeiting (under Statute law) No.Con victed. To go into an analysis of this table is for reasons alleged not practicable, but a reference to the first item may be made in the remark that the judgment in the only conviction for murder was reversed at a second trial in the case, and the culprit convicted for manslaughter. A reference to the tables of population may be instructive. Our present population is 16,483 and for about twenty years, the 518 CRIME. population was over 10,000, with a more than usual floating popu lation for about the same period, which was larger from 1868 to about ten years later, than even at present. A part of this float ing population is justly chargeable with some of the crimes of the character of violence. I have no statistics on hand to make com parisons with places of about the same population, but as I think that the showing is on the whole favorable, it can be ascribed in part to the absence of large cities in which there is a chance for congregating of criminals, either for activity or concealment. It must also be observed that the number of law-suits of all kinds in the courts of Justices ofthe Peace and in Circuit Court has greatly decreased in the course of time, and that criminal proceedings fol low in proportion. PUBLIC CHARITY. 519 PUBLIC CHARITY. The growth of any community in pupulation can not be sepa rated from a comparative growth of claims upon public charity. The influx of persons who eventually become a charge upon a town can not always, or but seldom, be prevented. Nor does the law furnish sufficient safe-guards against those who squander their means foolishly while they are yet able to obtain such means by labor. There are, also, some people everywhere who do not per ceptibly, squander anything, but yet are always poor ancl finally become dependent. Yet it could not be said that our towns are very heavily taxed for the maintenance of dependent persons. The county has to come to the assistance of towns for the maintenance of such paupers as are not legal residents of any towns, and it is quite natural that the two principal places on the river and on the railroad, Alma and Fountain City should figure prominently in such accounts as relate to the relief and other disposition of tran sient paupers. The most deplorable objects of public or private charity are those, who are those persons, who on account of mental aberation, want of hearing and of speech, of eye-sight, or of mental capacity, are unable to maintain themselves. The state census of 1885 gives the following list of such persons for this county: Insane, 15. Deaf and Dumb, none. Blind, none. Idiotic, none. This table may be correct, with the exception of the last item. The city of Alma has to contribute to the maintenance of one per son, who is, if not absolutely idiotic, yet too weak minded to be left to bis own care. As I have not the means of comparing the present number of insane persons and the proportion they bear to the population, with former proportions of the same kind, I will compare our situ ation in this respect to that of other localities in this state. 520 PUBLIC CHARITY. Brown County, in which the city of Green Bay is located has according to the census 36,921 inhabitants, or about 2i times as many as our county. In regard to unfortunate persons there are Insane 90, or com paratively 21 times as many as in our county; Deaf and Dumb there are 32, Blind 16, Idiotic 9, while of the three latter classes we have none at all. Our situation is therefore much better than that of Brown Oounty. In the adjoining county of Trempealeau the population is 19,112 or about one-fifth in excess of ours. There are reported Insane 23, Deaf and Dumb 15, Blind 5, and Idiotic 8. We may congratulate ourselves on our good fortune in this respect, although there is certainly no occasion for pride in it. Whether there are all of the insane now in the asylums pro vided by the state, or any of those reported in 1885 have since been declared as restored to reason, I can not tell. Incurable cases have been returned to their families, but how many, I can not find any authority for telling. I do not share -the apprehen sion of those who insist that insanity is oh the increase, nor do I consider the organization of county asylums a necessity. It might even be questioned, whether it would be judicious under any circ umstances. SOLDIERS. 521 SOLDIERS. Among our fellow citizens we have not a few who have served their native or adopted country in wars wliich it had to wage with foreign or domestic enemies. The only war against a foreign en emy within the memory of the older people of the present time, was the war with Mexico, which commenced with t^he battle of Palo Alto, on the 8th of May, 1847, the declaration of war follow ing it on the 11th oi that month, and virtually ended at the sur render of the city of Mexico September 14th of the same year, al though the treaty of peace was not concluded until the 2d day of February, 1848. SOLDIERS OF THE MEXICAN WAR. There were at any time but few of them in this county, and living at the present time are: Caspar Wild. (See Pioneers). Geo. Gall, of Lincoln. Franz Freisheim, at Alma. Deceased are: Joseph Berni. (See Pioneers). Samuel Hefti died 1885. These are all I have ever met and heard of, and probably all that there have been, but if there should be, or have been, any others, it is certainly not from any intention that their names are here omitted. SOLDIERS OF THE LATE WAR. This is the designation of the State Census. These soldiers, all, or most of them, volunteers, may for the purpose of this book be divided into two distinct classes. I. Volunteers or soldiers at present residing in, but not fur nished by this county. II. Soldiers, both volunteers and drafted men, furnished by this county. When, after the firing on Fort Sumpter by the Rebels, and the formal secession of most of the Southern states, it became apparent to every citizen that the Union could only be preserved by the force of arms, and when President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 volunteers, patriotic enthusiasm rose to the highest pitch, and four times as many men were actually enrolled within a few days. Af ter the disaster of the first Bull Run fight, the enthusiasm, which 522 SOLDIERS. had been somewhat subdued by the slow preparations for the campaign, rose higher than ever, and the determination to put down the rebellion assumed the practical form of heavy enlist ments in all parts of the loyal states. When after a struggle of four years the war was over and the armies had disbanded, and peaceful pursuits taken up by those who survived it, the usual in termingling of people from all states extended to those who had during the times of the war remained in the regiments in which they enlisted, and which were distinguished by the names of the states in which they were organized, so that after a short time sol diers of the Eastern states emigrated to the West, ancl some from the West went to the East or to other places. Hence we have a considerable number in this county who served like our own men, and frequently side by side with them, ancl who have settled among us since the war. The same patriotism, the same faithful service, the same sufferings, belong to the credit of all of them alike, and the distinction between the two classes above named does not imply any preference between them. Those who were furnished by this county, either by enlistment or by draft, how ever, had been among us before the war, and they themselves, as many as returned, have lived or do yet live, and they, and those who never returned, have relations living among us. But more will be said about them in the proper place. With regard to the first class I must remark, that the list has been made up from a diligent research in the appendix to the census of 1885, entitled: "Enumeration of Soldiers and Sailors of the Late War, residing in Wisconsin June 20, 1885." As in this enumeration, name, rank, company, regiment and state or vessel are given, but the postoffice omitted, since in most cases it ap peared to be unnecessary. The enumeration in the census is by no means complete, and I know at least one omission, and there may be more, in the city of Alma. If, therefore, any name should be missing, in my list, it is highly probable that it will not be found in the enumeration of the census, or if found there, the postoffice ofthe soldier is not in this county, in which case I could not always decide, whether he lived in this or in Pepin or Trem pealeau County. Unless another service is specified a soldier served in the regi ment of infantry stated. SOLDIERS. 523 SOLDIERS NOW RESIDING IN BUT NOT FURNISHED BY BUFFALO COUNTY. NAME. Aurandt Jonathan., Becker Henry Becker, Wm Bielefeld John F.... Bohlinger Frank.... Bradley Wm. B Braford, Sylv. S.... Briggs Isaac Brown Chas Brownlee Jas. T Butler J. F Carroll, Peter Devaney, Thomas . Duhlmann, Henry, Dutter, Dan Ellenberger, W. P... Farrington, V. S... Finley, Patrick- Fres, Reuben H Friedel, Henry Gebhardt, August.. Geissbuehler, John Gesell, Gerhard t ... Goodermatz, Wm... Gross, Jacob Hebard, Charles Hettrich, David Geo Peter Hill, Claus Hoefling John E .., Holcomb, Frank... Holstein, S. V. Horst, Gustav Husong, D. W Kammueller, Fred Kenyon, W. H Kill, Jacob Knoll, Chas a 0 RANK. p, a ft bo o o 03 Private I 5 do. C 101 do. • — 2 do. G 29 do. B 58 do. C 151 do. H 4 do. A 9 Sergeant I 1 Private F 6 do. A 155 do. E 5 1st. Lieut. I 5 Private A 2 do. F 202 Corporal B 139 Private A 1 Sailor — Private K ¦10 do. H 123 Sergeant G 9 Private H 82 do. A 1 Sailor — Private A 1 Hosp. Stew. H 92 Private C 103 do. c 103 do. c 103 Musician — 10 Private B 48 do. E 47 Sergeant 1 1 Private L 6 do. A 187 Bugler 1 2 Private ? ? do. K 3 do. E 2 STATE OR VESSEL. I i I Pennsylvania. do. Battery, Wis. Artillery Indiana. do- New York. Michigan Cavalry. Vermont. Minnesota Light Art. Vermont.Pennsylvania.New York Cavalry. Minnesota. Iowa.Pennsylvania. do. Minnesota. Hunts ville. Pennsylvania. do. Ohio.Illinois. Minnesota Cavalry. New York (ship.) Minnesota Cavalry. New York. Pennsylvania. do.do. Wisconsin.Pennsylvania. Iowa.Minnesota. Kentucky.New York. Missouri.New York. Colored Cavalry. Wisconsin. 524 SOLDIERS. SOLDIERS NOW RESIDING IN BUT NOT FURNISHED BY BUFFALO COUNTY. NAME. Kohlhepp, Wm Kramer, Chas. F La Point, Wm Liesch, Anton McCumber; Geo.,. McDonnel, M. W McVey, Newton Milbrandt, Audi- Meyer, John Meyer, Wm Newhart, C. W Newton, S. L Nagle, H. N Nolden, Jacob Pember, Dan. B Polin, Martin Powers, Morris Pratt, J. M Raetz, John B Rathbun, R. A Richards, Chas , Robinson, M S Rouser, Phil Rudy, Jacob Rummels, Adolf. Schammel, Nic Schlossstein, Joseph. Schneider, Jos. N Short, Peter.. Spring, John Stoll, J. G Talbot, H. P Thompson, Chas. M.. Uetz. Chas " Joseph Von Pelt, Dan Weissenberger, Ph... Zabel, Christian RANK. Private Sergeant Sailor Private do.do. Ai usician Private do. Corporal Private Sergeant do. Private Sergeant Private do. Corporal Private do. do.do.do. do. do.do. , do. Sergeant Private do. do. 1st Lieut. Com. Sergt Private do. do. do. do. 6 30 STATE OR VESSEL. U. S. Cavalry. New York. — Cow Slip. 4 Minnesota. 5 U. S. Battery. 36 Wisconsin. 47 Indiana. 1 Ohio Battery. 63 Pennsylvania. 1 Minnesota Cavalry. 39 New Jersey. 2 Minnesota- 143 Pennsylvania. 9 Wisconsin. 2 Vermont. 38 New York. 1 Minnesota. 9 Illinois Cavalry. 2 Missouri. 2 Illinois. 8 Vermont. 10 New York. 8 Vermont. 66 Indiana. 82 Illinois. 1 Minnesota Battery. 11 Missouri. 11 Indiana. 17 Wisconsin. 6 U. 8. Regulars. 2 Minnesota. 13|IUinois Cavalry. 1 01. Pennsylvania. 9j Wisconsin. 9j do. 50, Pennsylvania. 58 2S Indiana.Wisconsin. SOLDIERS. 525 It is now over two years since the census, from which the above table was made up, has been taken. Some of those who are named in this list have moved away, one I know to have died, but I concluded to adhere to the authority I had selected, and not to notice individual accidents. I have stated above that I searched that census very carefully, and not only once. The ap pendix which contains the names of the soldiers consists of 383 full pages, each containing about 80 names, or something over 30,000 in all, hence it is quite excusable if in picking out 77, one or another may be overlooked. II. SOLDIERS FURNISHED BY BUFFALO COUNTY. It -has in the chapter on Political History been related, how, during a period of about six years the political ideas of the people of Wisconsin had undergone a decided change, which was mani fest in the election of 1856, when Fremont carried the state by a considerable majority. This change was still more decided in I860 when the state cast its vote for Lincoln with an increased majority of popular vote. Everybody expected some hostile de monstrations, but no one in the northern states could or would be lieve, that the southern states had for years been preparing for the separation from the Union. To see the southern states almost supreme in Congress and in the Government, people had become accustomed, and even the criminal negligence of Buchanan's ad ministration, during which the means of resistance were dimin ished, and those of aggression placed almost at the disposition of the expected aggressors, had for some time aroused no very pro found suspicion. The Democratic party was devoted to the South though the greater part of it did neither wish for a disruption of the Union, nor did it really expect it. In our state the Breckenridge ticket received so very few votes that the general loyalty of the party could hardly be impeached on that account. After the inauguration of President Lincoln the Douglas wing of the party in the North largely imitated their leader in acquiescing in the result of the election, and in support ing the legal government. The Republicans, although not wish ing for war, were determined to maintain the government, to which they had elected the head in Mr. Lincoln. As yet the anti-slavery element in the party was not predominant, and although excite ment ran high when South Carolina and other southern states 526 SOLDIERS. passed ordinances of secession, and in February organized the new government of the Confederate States of America, and seized upon the forts and important posts within their territory, made the gar risons prisoners, it was yet uncertain whether they would not finally recede from their position and quiet would once more be restored. But when it was found necessary that the newly elected president should exercise all possible precaution on his journey to the place to which the loyal people had elected him, when on the 12th of April fire was opened upon Fort Sumpter, the only post of defence in Charleston Harbor, and the place had to be sur rendered, the call ofthe President for 75,000 volunteers for the de fence of the National Capital found a response so enthusiastic, so patriotic, that enlistments were at once begun in every part of the land. The attack of an armed mob on Massachusetts regiments passing through Baltimore, when the first blood was shed in the war of the Rebellion, the surprise of the arsenal at Harper's Ferry by Confederate troops, and other portents, roused the people of the North to a clear perception of the danger, and to a fierce determi nation to punish the offenders, ancl to save at all hazards and ex pense the government and the Union., In our county, which had then a population of only 4,000, the sentiment was as strong as anywhere, and Republicans and Democrats alike thronged to en listment. By June 1st Comp. H of the 6th Regiment of Wiscon sin Volunteers was organized, and went to the rendezvous at Camp Randall on June 25th. During the time of enlistment of that company two of my brothers went, on the 5th of May, to Milwau kee, where they entered Comp. C of the fifth regiment. After the answer to the first call of the president for volunteers, there was a rumor that no more troops would be needed or accepted. The battle of Bull Run June 21st, however, verified the prediction of those who had deplored the short-sighted policy of the govern ment, ancl were for a rapid demonstration of the full strength of the country. But this does not concern the county of Buffalo in particular, and the reader is referred to the history of those regi ments in which a considerable number of men from our county served . The war had begun, and for four years the patriotic spirit of the people of the North supplied men and money for a. vigorous prosecution of it, Our county did not perhaps distinguish itsel SOLDIERS. 527 ibove others, but, after all, only a few men had to be drafted, per- laps none would have been due, if the county had at tbe time re vived credit for all who enlisted from it. It may be well in con- lection with this to revert to the fact that many of those whose :iome was in this county, were credited to La Crosse County, be cause they enlisted at La Crosse, others were credited to Pepin Dounty for the same reason, but it was not at the time known, md could hardly be remedied. Out of this circumstance a diffi- 3ulty arose for me in making up the lists of those actually fur- aished from, but not always credited to. Buffalo County. Fortu nately I could in most cases decide from personal acquaintance tvhat was true, but in some cases, when this acquaintance had lever existed, or become dulled in the course of time, the decision was by no means easy. The lists of soldiers to which this is an introduction, have been made up from the Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, Vol. I., which contains the Cavalry, the Artillery and the first fifteen regiments of Infantry. Beyond that I had to rely on what chance furnished, as I asked those who had served in the different regiments of which I knew that some of our men had served in. That this is a satisfactory method of ascertaining the desired information, I will not maintain, but after a correspon dence with the Adjutant General's Office of this state, I was con vinced, that the second volume of the roster would not appear in time for being used in the compilation of this work, and then I turned to such sources as were available. For any deficiency in such records, this must be a sufficient explanation, which must not be regarded as a mere excuse. Concerning the history of the liferent regiments, in which men from this county served I wish ;o say that it will be given, in abbreviated form, for any regiment .n which the number from this county was considerable enough, ;o make it worth while. To give the history at any length, of i regiment in which only two or three men from this county were jnrolled, can not reasonably be expected, although I have been at the trouble and expense to procure the v\.djutant General's Report if 1865. a work formerly scattered broadcast over the whole state, 3ut now only procurable at considerable expense, and by mere mance at that. This report contains the military history of each regiment as far as then known, but it is rather profuse than reli- lble, and withal an awkward compilation, often contradicting in 528 SOLDIERS. the tables of those killed in action and lost by wounds and disease what had been stated in the narrative. At best I could only give what I got, and this must be my excuse for those possible and even probable errors and omissions that attentive examination may discover. I have in the arrangement been following the ex amples of the "Roster" published by State Authority. FIRST REGIMENT WISCONSIN CAVALRY. In this regiment only- three men from this county are known to have served: Charles Jahnke, Comp. A "I Enlisted Oct. 14, 1864. August Jahnke, " A J Mustered out July 19, 1865. Herman Spuehr, " D Nov. 17, 1863, Drafted. Mustered out July 19, 1865. The regiment was mustered into United States Service May Sth, 1862, Col. Edw. Daniels commanding. It served principally in the West, and part of it went after Jefferson Davis, when he was a fugitive, on which occasion there was a collision with the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, who captured the train and Mr. Davis. Regiment mustered out July 19th, 1865. SECOND REGIMENT WISCONSIN CAVALRY. The following men from this county served in this regiment: Company D. Church, Wm. H, Private. Company H. Angst, David, Private. Farner, Conrad, do. Farner, John, do. Reinhardsberger, Bernard, do. Company L. Brose, Carl, Private. Doelb, Engelhard, do. Heber, Louis, do. Heck, Wendelin, do. Kuiffin, Lewis, do. Miller, Simon, do. Miller, Fred, Farrier. Morgan, Jas., Private. Pauline, Ernst, do. Richtmann, Jacob, do, SOLDIERS. 529 Uebersetzig, Joseph, Privare. Walsch, Michael, sen., do. Walsch, Michael, jr., do. Zittel, Anton, do. Of the twenty above named two died of disease, Simon Mil- er and Ernst Pauline. History of the Regiment. It was organized under supervision of Col. C. C. Washburn md mustered in from Dec. 3, 1861, until March 12, 1862, came to st. Louis March 26, and took quarters at Benton Barracks, where 'he men were mounted and equipped. Came to Jefferson City, Mo., May 19, to Springfield, Mo., on the 28th. From there the 2d and 3d batallions went with Gen. Curtis through Arkansas and ar rived at Helena July 12th, where they remained until the end of January 1863, when they moved to Memphis, Tenn., and remained there until the middle of June. They then moved down to Vicks burg, went with Sherman's Expedition to Jackson, Miss.,- returned to Black River, moved to Redbone Church and in April to Vicks burg. The first batallion remained in Missouri until Sept. 1864 when they joined the other batallion at Vicksburg. It was sta tioned at different points in the neighborhood of Rolla and Spring field. The whole regiment remained at Vicksburg until Nov. 4tb, when they went on an expedition to Gaine's Landing, Ark., re turning on the 10th. They took part in an expedition against the Mississippi Central R. R. thirty miles of which were destroyed, besides the large bridge across Big Black River, and buildings stores and cotton. Returning by Benton they inarched to Yazoo City, and a detachment had a fight with rebels, w7here 5 men were killed, 9 wounded and 25 missing. The regiment returned to camp at Vicksburg Dec. 5th, embarked on the 8th for Memphis, Tenn. On the 21st they went with Gen. Grierson on an expedi tion, during which long stretches of the Mobile and Ohio R. R., immense stores, cars and bridges were destroyed, the rebels de feated at Egypt Station and many prisoners captured, of whom the Second Wisconsin Cavalry took charge as a provost-guard. The expedition then turned towards the Mississippi Central R. R., where at Winona Station many locomotives and other rolling stock, as well as stores were destroyed, and the regiment returned 530 SOLDIERS. to Vicksburg, Jan. 13, 1865, thence on short expedition into Louisiana and Arkansas, and after return one of several days to Ripley, Miss. A detachment of 330 men was sent under com mand of Maj. De Forrest to Grenada, Miss., as a garrison. On June 15th the balance of the regiment moved by Missis sippi and Red River to Alexandria, La., where they were joined by Maj. De Forrest's detachment July 6th. From this place they marched across the country to Hempstead, Tex., where they ar rived Aug. 26th, and proceeded October 30th to Austin, Texas, where they arrived Nov. 4th, were mustered out Nov. 15th, and thence started for home on the 17th, marching one hundred miles on foot to Benham and proceeding thence by rail and steamer, arriving at Madison December 11th. and were paid off and dis banded on the 14th. After the promotion of C. C. Washburn to Major General, Col. Thomas Stevens of Dodgeville commanded the regiment, but seems to have been lacking in that spirit of inde pendence necessary for the protection of his men, who complained bitterly about the unnecessary rigor, with which they were treated by some martinets of the regular army during their stay in Texas, Gen. Custer, for instance, who disregarded the rights ofthe men to receive their discharge. This caused a complaint to be made to Governor James T. Lewis, which resulted in the mustering out of the regiment. Cavalry service is notoriously arduous, and the drill and other rigors exacted at Hempsted were entirely super fluous and simply the result of Westpoint arrogance. I can find no more names of men who served in the cavalry, or artillery, but in the SIXTH BATTERY OF LIGHT ARTILLERY one man from this county served, and he is still living among us, my friend, William W. Wyman, of Mondovi. The battery organized by the name of "Buena Vista Artillery" under the direction of Capt. Henry Dillon, and was mustered into service at Camp Utley, Racine, Oct.. 2d, 1861. It served at Island No. 10 in charge of a siege battery, and afterwards on Tennessee River, at Corinth, afterwards in the Vicksburg campaign, etc. As Mr. Wyman was discharged Nov. 18th, 1862, he did not partici pate in further actions and movements. The battery was mustered out at Madison, Wis., July 18th, 1865, SOLDIERS. 531 FIRST REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. In this regiment only two men from this county served, viz: Michael Bandli, Priv., Co. H, and A. E. Pecso, of whom the company is not named, and whose name after a diligent research was not found in the roster, which is presumable evidence that he was reported in the wrong regiment in the "Enumeration" of the census. Mr. BandH, of whom the.roster makes "Bentley," was a drafted man, joined the regiment Nov. 18, 1863, and was trans ferred to Comp. D, 21st regiment. The first regiment was origin ally a three months regiment, but was, after the expiration of its term of service, mustered in as a three years' organization Oct. 19, 1861. During the time of Mr. Bandli 's presence with it, the regi ment was stationed at and near Chatanooga and vicinity. Of the 21st regiment I have to say that about the time he joined it, it was engaged in the Atlanta campaign, then marched with Sherman to the sea, and partook in the further movements of his army. The 21st was mustered out June 17, 1865. THIRD REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company A. Henry Harget, Private. Henry Habersaat, do. Geo. Raell, (sen.) do. Company E. Andrew Hoch, Private. John Miller, do. Company H Becker, William, Private. Graepp, Herman, do. Rieck, Gustav, do. Schlossstein, Jacob, do. All of these men were drafted, and joined the regiment dur ing August and September 1864. Some of them went with the regiment on tire march to the sea and with Sherman's army to the end of the war, while others remained in Tennessee under Gen. Thomas. They were mustered out in July 1865. FIFTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company C. Kessinger, Charles, Sergeant. Kessinger, Joseph, Private. 532 SOLDIERS. Company K. Glasspoole, Henry, Private. Reorganized Company E. Burbank, Jacob M., Private. Carroll, Robert J., do. Meolosson, Mutty, do. The two in Comp. C. were my brothers. They left Buffalo City, May 5th, for Milwaukee, having personal objections to serv ing under Capt. J. F. Hauser, who was then organizing Comp. H. of the 6th regiment. They joined the Turner Company being Company C, ancl the color company of the regiment. Charles was wounded by a shot in the knee at Williamsburg, May 5th, 1862, ancl died at Fort Monroe, May 31st. Joseph went went through the Peninsular Campaign, was removed to the hos pital in York, Pennsylvania, reported convalescent, came to Con valescent Camp near Alexandria, Virginia, was exposed to frost without sufficient protection, relapsed into his former malady, dysentery, was in Alexandria Seminary Hospital, then in West Philadelphia Hospital, where he died February 6th, 1863, not yet 23 years old. Henry Glasspole probably enlisted at Eau Claire, Menomonee or Durand. But the names of the men, said to be from Waumandee, en rolled in reorganized Company E were a genuine surprise to me. Such names, I dare say, were never found in that town, and they need no more attention than has been bestowed upon them. SIXTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company H. John F. Hauser, Captain, (prom. Major.) John D. Lewis, 1st Lieutenant. J. A. Tester, do. John Beeley, do. Peter Polin, 2d Lieutenant. Hiram B. Merchant, do. Enlisted Men: Augustine, Geo. H, Corporal. Bader, Rudolph, Private. Behlmer, Henry, Sergeant. Brehl, Valentine, Private. Bugbee, John, do, SOLDIERS. Baertsch, John, Private. Cook, Atwell, Sergeant. Degenhard, Lee, Corporal. Ecke, Henry, Private. Eckhard, Wm., do. Eder, Philipp, Corporal. Fimian, Christopher , do. Fuchs, John, Private . Fuchs, Sebastian, do. Fugina, Michael, do. Garwood, Warren C. , Quarter Master Serg, Hafner, John, Private. Herdeg, John, do. Hynes, James, do. Jenson, John, do. Kaeser, John, do. Keller, Balthasar, do. Keller, John, do. Kelly, Dennis, Corporal. Kessler, Henry, Sergeant. Kiel, Frank, Private. Kleffner, Charles, Corporal. Koffier, Joseph, Private. Kohlhepp, Henry, do. Korte, William, do. Kumli, Urs, do. Kurz, John, do. Lees, Robert, Corporal. Lewis,> Theodore, Private. Martin, Ferdinand, do. ¦ Marty, Nicholas, do. McGiveney, John, do. Menzemer, John, do. Molitor, Paul, do. Moy, Frederick, Private. Moy, John. do. Mueller, Louis, do. Obrecht, Leonhard, do. Prentiss, Louis, do, 533 534 SOLDIERS. Raetz, Chas. A., Private. Schirlitz, August, . Corporal. Shirenborken, Ernst, Private. Schlossstein, Frederick, do. Schneider, Adam, do. Schneider, Jacob, do. Schneider, Nicholas, Sergeant. Senn, John L., Private. Spuehr, Herman, do. Stager, John G., do. Sutter, Geo., do. Taylor, Samuel, do. Waecker, John, do. Wehrli, John, do. Wehrmann, Henry, do. Weber, Peter, do. Wirth, Jacob, Cor j) oral. The roll contains 67 officers and men, all of whom enlisted at about the same time. There is but one man besides those who were enrolled in the 6th Regiment, Carl Roloff, Private, Comp. D. He was a drafted man from Belvidere. With regard to the latter, I have to remark, that he entered the sixth regiment Nov. 16, 1864, at a time when of the original company H but very few, if any remained in the regiment. The roster says that he was wounded at Five Forks, Va., in the neighborhood of Petersburg, ancl that he was absent wounded at the Muster-Out of the regi ment. He is not in the register of those who died of wounds, in the Adj. Gen. Report of 1865, and in fact has never returned. HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT. The several companies composing the sixth regiment were or dered to rendezvous at Camp Randall about the 25th of June, 1861, and the regimental organization effected under the direction of Col. Lysander Cutler, It was mustered into United States ser vice July 12th, and left for the field on the 28th of the same month, under orders to proceed to Harrisburg, Penn., where they remained until August 3d, going then to Baltimore, Md., thence to Washington on the 7th, where they encamped on Meridian SOLDIERS. 535 Hill, and joined the command of Gen. Rufus King of Milwaukee, vhich has since become justly celebrated under the name of the 'Iron Brigade of the West." From that time until Gen. Grant's novement against Richmond in 1864 they remained in the "Iron Brigade," and it is sometimes difficult to find the particulars ofthe ictions of the single regiments in the brigade. For a history of ;he Iron Brigade there is no room in this book. It occupies in lie report of the Adjutant General of 1865 the pages from 51 to f3, inclusive, some of them in nonpareil. Originally the brigade consisted of the following regiments: Fifth Wisconsin, Sixth Wisconsin and Nineteenth Indiana, to which the Second Wiscon sin was joined in a short time. The Fifth Wisconsin was soon ietached from it, and at the arrival of the Seventh Wisconsin that regiment was added to the brigade. The following table will give the loss of the Sixth Regiment n the principal actions it which it participated : ACTIONS AND TIME. Battle 'of Gainsville and Bull Run, Aug. 26-31, 1862 Battle of South Mountain, Va., Sept. 14, 1862 Battle of Antietam, Md., Sept. 17, 1862 Actions at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 12-16, 1862 Actions at Fitz Hugh Crossing and Chancellorsville, Va., April 29 to May 6, 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-4, 1863 Total losses 99 91 79 114 4 13 113 414 11 23 34 119 90 152 4 16 166 547 This was more than one half of the regiment. During this ime Comp. H was still in organization and had to bear its pro portionate share of the losses. On the 20th of October, 1862, the ?wenty-fourth Michigan was added to tbe Iron Brigade. After he promotion of General King to the command of a division Col. Sutler commanded the brigade, then Gen. Gibbon and after him Sren. Meredith. " December 31, 1863, two hundred and twenty- even of the Sixth Regiment re-enlisted and were sent home on -eteran furlough by Jan. 7th, 1864, rejoining the regiment Febru ary 28th. In the organization ofthe army for the summer cam- 536 SOLDIERS. paign of 1864 the Iron Brigade was assigned to position as the First Brigade, Fourth division, Fifth army corps, and during that campaign was commanded by Gen. Cutler, formerly Colonel of the Sixth Wisconsin, the regiment being commanded by Col. Bragg. The regiment participated in all the principal actions of the cam paign, after which it took position on the left qf Petersburg to wards the Weldon railroad. The veterans of Comp. H had been transferred to other companies. The regiment participated in the final capture of Petersburg and Richmond, and the pursuit ofthe Army of Virginia until its final surrender. After the grand parade at Washington the regiment was sent to Louisville, Ky., where they were mustered out on the J4th of July, 1865, and returned to Madison on the 16th. Long as this history has grown it is but a brief sketch of what the regiment performed in the service of the Union. Of the 67 enumerated above as volunteers in Comp. H from this county, five were killed in action, four died of wounds, and two of disease. SEVENTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. This regiment formed like the Sixth, a part of the Iron Bri gade. Only one man from this county served in it, Gottfried Oertli, Comp. D. He joined the regiment Oct. 15th, 1864, and was killed in ac tion at the battle of Five Forks, Va., April 1st, 1865. EIGHTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company C. Aaron, Jacob, Private. Brown, Nathaniel K., do. Fuller, Solomon, do. Fuller, Dana S., do. Goddard, Marshall N. do. Loomis, Geo. A., do. Loomis, Harrison B., do. McLain, David, do. Prine, Elijah H., do. Segar, Charles, do. This was the "Eagle Company" so named because of the eagle accompanying the colors ofthe Eighth Infantry, wherever it moved. This bird, well known to friend and foe during the war, and from which the regiment received the name of " Eagle Regiment," was SOLDIERS. 537 captured by an Indian on Flambeau River, a tributary of the Chippewa. The Indian sold it, and it was made a present to the company, which was enlisted principally in Eau Claire. He re mained perched above the colors fastened by a chain, with the regiment for three years. In action he showed the highest inter est and excitement, often jumping up and down, spreading his pinions, and uttering his wild eagle screams. At the battle of Corinth a ball cut the eagle's chain and he flew off over the ene mies, but returned in time to accompany the regiment on its re" treat, and found his perch in the middle of the melee. In the fall 1864, about three years after marching out, the eagle, who had been named " Old Abe," in honor of President Lincoln, was by the veter ans of the regiment taken home on furlough, and then presented to Governor Lewis for the state of Wisconsin. His photograph being sold at the Sanitary Fair in Chicago, at 25 cents a piece, re sulted in the receipt of $10,000 or more which were expended for the benefit of soldiers in different ways. The eagle was kept for a number of years at the capitol in Madison, but some years ago he died, probably from some mismanagement in feeding. This com pany was at first commanded by John E. Perkins who died of wounds received at Farmington, Miss., w7hen the command rever ted to 1st Lieut. Victor Wolf, who kept it to the end of the service. I should not have mentioned this, but for the circumstance that neither J. E. Perkins nor any other captain of this regiment is re ported as having died of wounds by the Adj. Gen. Report, nor does the sagacious "Roster" give any account how V. Wolf all at once became captain of the company, as he is not in the list of 1st Lieutenants of the same. A shining example, each case, of the superior reliability of public documents. The Eighth Wisconsin went from this state to St. Louis, Mo., being the first Wisconsin Regiment to arrive at that place, and the " Eagle " was the sensation of the event. The field of service for the regiment was in the West, in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, at Corinth and at Vicksburg and in the latter time at New Orleans and Mobile, in Alabama, where they were discharged when in camp at Uniontown, mustered out at Demopolis, Ala., Sept. 5, and returned to Madison Sept 13, 1865. 538 SOLDIERS. NINTH REGIMENTiOF INFANTRY. Original Organization. Company D. Lautenbacb, Gottlieb, Private. Katipolt, Caspar, do. Company E. Duerkopp, Henry, Private. Fiedler, Valentin, do, Company F. Bohri, Jacob, Regimental Band. Bringolf, John, Private. Dittmar, Edward, do. Drensike, William, Sergeant Major. Fetzer, Jacob, Private. Fetzer, Mathias, do. Gaisle, John, do. Haug, Jacob, do. Hemrich, J. M., do. Huber, Henry, Corporal. Kaeser, John, Private. Kempter, Richard, 2d Lieut. Comp. D. Mallinger, Peter, Sergeant. Marchion, John, Private. May, Frederick, do. Mevy, Jacob, do. Schneiter, John, do. Tscharner, Lutze, Sergeant. Ulrich, Charles, do. Walter, August, do. Weibel, Peter, 1st Lieut, reorg. Comp. B. Zehren, Peter, Private. Company G. Becker, Moritz, Private. Neukomm, Conrad, do. Company H. Giesen, Joseph, Private. Koch, Gustav A., do. Mawinkel, Ernst, do. Senn, J. J., do. SOLDIERS. 539 Voegele, Tobias, Private. Company K. Marchion, Thomas, Private. REORGANIZED REGIMENT. Company A. Keller, Beat. Private. Stuber, Jacob, do. Schmidt, Jacob, do. Company B. Haertel, Heinrich, Private. Philippi, Philipp, do. Schatz, John, do. Company C. Brosi, Christian, do. Company D. Damm, Gerhard, Private. Ellers, John, do. Korte, Henry, do. Schwarz, Peter, do. In the above enumeration I did not wish to repeat any name nerely because of a transfer to another company, hence I entered mly new names in the reorganized companies. As to rank I gave he highest attained, it being understood that the intermediate anks were passed through. HISTORY OF THE NINTH REGIMENT. This was purposed to be a German Regiment, and I found on ts roster only one decidedly American name. The order for its irganization was issued August 26, 1861 , its rendezvous was Camp Sigel, Milwaukee, and it was mustered in Oct. 26th, under com- nand of Col. afterwards Gen. Frederick Solomon of Milwaukee. They left for field service Jan. 22d, 1862, went by rail to Quincy, 111., crossed the river on the ice, marched to the St. Joseph and Hannibal R. R., and arrived on the 29th at Leavenworth Ks., also frossing the Missouri on the ice. They joined the " Southwestern Expedition," went to Fort Scott, Ks., thence to Humbold, thence :o Shoal Creek Camp and to Baxter ville. After some service in he Indian Territory and about the frontiers of Missouri and Kan- las, which resulted in bringing the Cherokees and other Indians back ;o allegiance, and suffering greatly from the heat, the expedition 540 SOLDIERS. under command of Col. Salomon (Col. Weir having been placed under arrest) returned July 11th to Ft. Scott. About the middle of the month the expedition was placed under the command of Gen. Blunt, the Ninth in the First Brigade, which was commanded by Gen. Salomon, and moving through several counties in Missouri they encamped Sept. 22d at Sarcoxie, Jasper Co., Mo., where Col. Charles E. Salomon joined and took command of the regiment. On the 29th .of September a reconnoissance was undertaken in force against Newtonia which led to a battle, in which the enemy succeeded in capturing most of the infantry engaged. On a second attack on Newtonia the place was evacuated without resistance and the wounded prisoners recovered. From Newtonia they marched to Indian Creek, where they camped until Oct. 11, thence to Hazel Bottom and afterwards to Pea Ridge, Harmony Springs and to Maysville, Ark. Nov. 27th, the First division crossed the Ozark Mountains, to Rhea's Mills which were occupied and worked. They were in danger of being surprised and were ready to move on a moment's warning. They joined the division'at Crane's Hill, ex pecting a battle, when it was found out that the enemy had made a flank movement on Rhea's Mills and the Ninth ordered back to protect the trains. In the nick of time Gen. Herron arrived from the North, checked the enemy's advance and the battle of Prairie Grove ensued. The regiment was ordered with the train to Fay- etteville and back to the battlefield, but the hostile army had re treated, Rhea's Mills was again occupied and worked until Dec. 27, when the regiment went on a raid to Van Buren, during which they crossed Cove Creek thirty-nine times, and reached Van Buren late in the evening, returning in four days to Rhea's Mills and celebrating New Years day on Prairie Grove battlefield. The regiment was almost constantly on the march and finally reached Rolla, proceeding thence to St. Louis where they went into Camp Gamble, July 8th, 1863. From St. Louis the regiment was trans ported to Helena, Ark., where it remained until Oct. 10, when it marched by Clarendon, Duvals Bluff and Brownsville to Little Rock, and went into camp. There it remained until the 3d of February, 1864, when it moved southwards to co-operate with the Red River Expedition of Gen. Banks and Smith. The main event of this expedition was the battle of Jenkins' Ferry. This expedi tion, though giving proof of the good fighting quality of our troops, SOLDIERS. 541 was not successful arid the regiment returned to camp at Little Rock. There it remained with the exception of some excursions one to Pine Bluff and Mount Elba, the other to Camden by steamer and return by land. The regiment had been under command of Lieut. Col. Jacobi since reorganization, and when he was promoted to'Provost Marshal General and Judge of Provost Court for the Department of Arkansas, the command reverted to Capt. Eckhart of Company A. The regiment was mustered out Jan. 30th, 1866, at^Little Rock, reached Madison Feb. 12th, and was paid and dis banded on the 14th. TENTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company D. Webster, Jackson E., Private. TWELFTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. There were some of our men in this regiment but only by transfer from the 25th regiment, where the names of those I could find out will be enrolled. FIFTEENTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company H Erickson, Lars, Private. He is credited to Buffalo City, but it may be an error. SIXTEENTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Lewis, John, 1st Lieutenant, Comp. H, is reported a resident of Mondovi 1885, but whether he belongs into this or the previous list I can not say for sure. SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY, Company E. Keller, George, Private. Mueller, Simon, do. Rosenow, John, do. Schoepp, Herman, do. They marched with Sherman through to the sea and to Washington. Geo. Keller was lost, probably killed by bushwhack ers in South Carolina. Regarding John Rosenow I am not quite sure whether he be. longed to this regiment and company. 642 SOLDIERS. EIGHTHEENTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company D. Newton, Rowland H, Private. Sweet, Eri P., Sergeant. TWENTY-FIRST REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. The men from this county enrolled in the 21st were trans ferred from the 1st Inf. which see. TWENTY-FIFTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company F. Latsch, John, Private. Schaffner, Jacob, do. Uebersetzig, Arnold. do. Company G. Brackett, Joseph W., 1st Lieut. Gurley, Ben, Sergeant. LeGose, John, do. McKay, J. W., do. Bump, Menzus R., Corporal . Doughty, Wm. J., do. Parr, Julius, do. Webb, Orlando, do. Bull, Barney L., do. Adams, Orlando, Private . Austin, Isaac, do. Ball, Franklin, do. Bollinger, Jacob, do. Brobest, J. F., do. Bump, Gile O., do. Bump, John, do. Caste, (Kaste), Henrj 7, do. Coleman, Edwin C, do. Cook, Chauncey, do. DeGroff, John W., do. Eager, Nathaniel, do. Fitzgerald, John S., do. Graham, Horace, do. Hackney, Wm. L., do. Hadley, Dan, do. Harmon, Joel, do. SOLDIERS. 543 Harvey, Alex, Private. Hewitt, Alfred, do. Hilliard, Obed, do. Haunschild, Henry, do. Hurlburt, John R., do. Hurd, Charles P, do. Hudson, Alonzo, do. Hunter, James, do. Jayncs, Judson, do. Knowles, Phil. C, do. Kniffen, Robert, do. Lafferty, William, do. Linse, Wm., do. Markodant, John, do. Meuli, Caspar, do. Morse, Henry L., do. Nibs, Cleaveland O, do. Oertly, Conrad, do. Pratt, Thompson L., do. Rosenow, Charles, do. Regli, Baltbasar, do. Richtmann, Phil., do. Riddell, Chas. E., do Ristow, John, do. Springer, Samuel, do. Steward, Edwin, do. Thompson, Ira E., do. Thomas, W. P., do. Wilcox, Wallace, do. These belonged to the company originally. The following RECRUITS joined the company at Moonville, Alabama, March 1864, ancl were after the mustering out of the original enlistment transferred to Comp. F, 12th Regiment: Bell, Archibald, Private. Campbell, Wm. A., do. DeGroff, Allen H, do. Green, James B-., do. Jones, Jos. V., do. 544 SOLDIERS. Kezar, Luther, Jr., Private. Schoults, Seymour, do. Sinclair, John, do. Smiley, James B., do. Smiley, Wm. C, do. Webster, Homer, do. Wright, Chas. M., do. Company K. Baumann, Jacob, Private. Conrad. Vincent, do. Diegel, 'Martin, do- Guettinger, John, do. Kochendorfer, John. do. Liesch, Nicholas, do. Kelly James, do. Probst, Urs, do. The whole number in all companies above enrolled is 77, but there may have been a few. more in the regiment. At the request of Hon. J. W. DeGroff is inserted in the place of any further history of the Twenty-fifth Infantry the speech of Governor ancl General J. M. Rusk, held at the reunion ofthe regi ment at Sparta, June 8th and 9th, 1887. " Twenty-two years ago yesterday, our term of service in the Union Army closed, and we were mustered out ofthe service ofthe United States. After the lapse of all these years, we meet to-day in our first re-union. I cannot describe to you my feelings in meeting the survivors of the gallant regiment w7ith whom my lot was cast during the war, many of whom I have not met since we were mustered out. "The 25th regiment was recruited in 1862 in the counties of Buffalo, Pepin, Monroe, Juneau, La Crosse, Vernon, Richland and Grant, and went into camp one thousand and eighteen strong at La Crosse, September 4, 1862. We were ordered soon after our or ganization to report to General Pope at St, Paul, to aid in suppres sing Indian outbreaks in Minnesota. We were scattered through out the state performing post duty till November, when we were ordered to assemble at Winona. A majority of the companies had three hundred miles to march to reach that place. On the 13th day of December, the last company arrived, and the regiment pro- SOLDIERS. . 545 ceeded to La Crosse, where we remained till the 18th, when we were ordered to Camp Randall, remaining at the latter place till Febru ary, 1863, when we were ordered to report to Cairo for active duty. From thence the regiment went to Columbus, Ky., where it re mained till the 31st of May; from there down the Mississippi, touching at Memphis. On the 2nd of June the regiment was or dered to Young's Point, and from thence to Chickasaw Bayou, up the Yazoo river to Satartia, Miss., leaving Satartia on the 6th, marching down the Yazoo river, making one of the most trying marches the regiment ever experienced. Nearly thirty miles were made in one day, in intense heat, many of the comrades being prostrated by sunstroke. "The regiment went into camp at Haine's Bluff, but the camp was soon removed to Snyder's Bluff on the Yazoo river, forming the left of the line investing Vicksburg. We remained in this po sition till the 25th, when we were ordered up the Mississippi, for the purpose of assisting in the protection of the river from guerril las, arriving on the 27th at a point below Greenville, Miss., where the cavalry accompanying us disembarked and crossed the coun try. From Greenville the regiment proceeded to Spanish Moss Bend, a few miles above, on the Arkansas side, at which place a steamer had been burned by guerrillas a few nights before. At this place, we disemh/uked and marched across the country about five miles, when we came upon the enemy's pickets. Here we drove the pickets, and pursued the enemy about four miles; we were ordered to return to our transport, re-embarking to return to Vicksburg. While on our w7ay we received news that the enemy had attacked Lake Providence. The speed of the boat was in creased, and the regiment arrived there just in time to save the place. At the garrison there were but six hundred Union troops under command of Gen. Reed. Ten thousand of the enemy were pressing upon this point. Gen. Reed's entire force was on the skirmish line, with no reserve force, when we landed. We imme diately moved to his support, and the two gun boats accom panying our fleet at once shelled the enemy, who fell back in re treat. Returned to Snyder's Bluff next day, and resumed our position in the rear of Vicksburg, where we remained until after the capture of that city. It was while we lay at this sickly point — for the Yazoo riyer means the river of death — that so many of 546 SOLDIERS. our brave boys succumbed to disease, At one time less than one hundred of the one thousand splendid men who had left their northern homes strong and able-bodied, were fit to report for duty. "On the 25th of July we proceeded np the river and went into camp at Helena, Ark. Here the regiment remained doing garri son duty, varied by frequent expeditions into the interior and down the river, till the 29th of January, 1864, when we re-em barked and proceeded down the Mississippi river again to Vicks burg, where we joined the celebrated Meridian raid, commanded by Gen. Sherman. Leaving Vicksburg on the 3d of February, we marched to Meridian, where we tore up the railroad track, and from there to Canton, Mississippi, a distance of 27-5 miles, reach ing there on the 26th. We left Canton on the 1st day of March, returning to Vicksburg via Livingstone, Brownsville and Big Black river. From thence up the Mississippi river to Cairo, up tbe Ten nessee river to Crump's Landing, from thence to Waterloo, Ala., ancl marching thence via Florence ancl Athens to Mooresville; next to Decatur, Ala., where we engaged the enemy ancl repulsed. Here the regiment remained doing garrison duty till May 1st, when we proceeded to Chattanooga by way of Huntsville, rejoin ing forces under Gen. Sherman. Marched by Gordon and Mad- dock Gaps, to a point near Resaca, Ga., where we were continually in front of the enemy until the 14th, when we were ordered to support Gen. Logan, whose column was giving away. Here, my comrades, you will recollect our first introduction to the 20th Iowa at the foot of the hill; we formed our lines in the rear of them, and charged over their depleted lines and drove the enemy from the crest of the hill. This was at 7 o'clock in the evening. The official reports show that there were two rebel brigades in our front firing at that portion of our line. The conflict lasted about two hours, in which our loss was twenty -seven. We held this position until Resaca was evacuated the next day, and Gen. Jo. Johnson in full retreat towards Atlanta. From this time till the capture of Atlanta, I think I may say, we were almost continually engaged with the enemy. It was one continual skirmish from Resaca to Atlanta. You will all recollect Adairsville, Lingston, VanWert and at Dallas, where we were three successive days and nights on the skirmish line. We then marched to Allatoona Pass, Pumpkin Vine Creek, passing through A ck worth, and participated in break- SOLDIERS. 547 ing through the rebel lines between Kenesaw ancl Pine Mountains. " The regiment will distinctly recollect the charge made in establishing our line when we were charged by the enemy in the night. Our loss in this action was fifteen. On the 17th of June we advanced across the rebel works towards Kenesaw Mountain, establishing our position on the crest of the hill, throwing up a line of works. Here we remained, constantly exposed- to the enemy's fire, till the morning of July 3, when we again resumed the march w'ith the Army of the Tennessee, between Kenesaw and Lost Mountains, continually reaching out to the right, until we reached the Cattahoocb.ee river, by the Sandtown road. Forded the river at Roswell Mills, ancl immediately advanced our lines through Decatur, encamping on the right of the Army of the Ten nessee, within a mile of Atlanta. On the morning ofthe2lstwe were ordered, with the 2d brigade and a section of artillery, to move to Decatur to guard the flank and the trains. "On the morning ofthe 22d — my comrades, you will all recol lect the 22d of July, the day McPherson fell — the cavalry which had been occupying our flank was ordered to Augusta, leaving our flank exposed. The enemy being aware of this, moved rapidly around Lost Mountain, striking our army on the flank ancl rear It was about 11 o'clock when the battle in front of Atlanta opened. Soon McPherson, Our grand leader, fell, and Gen. Logan succeeded to the command. Had we lost this battle, in my judgment it would have produced the most disastrous results of any of the war. Here, Logan, the greatest of volunteer generals, endeared himself to the hearts of the soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee. In this terrible conflict the 25th played its part. We occupied the extreme left of the line, covering the trains five miles from Atlanta. The enemy attacked us a little afternoon, and continued the fight upon us till nearly five o'clock. Here the regiment's loss amounted to one-fourth of the whole number engaged. The list of casualties shows fifteen killed, fifty-seven wounded, twenty-five missing, and three prisoners. After the war, ancl during my service in congress, I met Col. Price, a member of congress from Alabama, who com manded one of the rebel brigades in this fight, and when I told him we had less than a brigade of infantry and a company of ar tillery he could hardly believe it. He stated that when he at tempted to cross around to the rear of Decatur, he met reinforce- 548 Soldiers. ments in large numbers coming up from Roswell Mills. I in formed him that it was only one regiment of our brigade, the 43d Ohio, Under Col. Swain. He stated that two brigades ol cavalry One brigade of infantry, and two companies of artillery formed the rebel forces at Decatur, and that had they known their superior numbers, would have captured the Union troops. " On the 26th we passed from the left flank in the rear of the army to the extreme right, a distance of twenty-four miles. Again meeting the enemy on the 27th, in the evening, drove him from his position and took the crest of the hill fronting Atlanta, which we held under heavy fire during the battle of the 28th. On the 30th we moved a short distance to the right, where we remained until the 9th of August, when we advanced our line under heavy fire to a point within five hundred yards of the rebel lines, which position we held until the 26th, when we moved with the Army of the Tennessee in the rear of Atlanta, tearing up the rebel railroads at East Point, and thence moved to Jonesboro, participating in the battle of Jonesboro, fought on the 31st, which gave us Atlanta. "On the 2nd of September, we moved forward in pursuit of the enemy, at Lovejoy Station, but finding them in retreat, returned to Atlanta and went into camp. Thus ended the great battle, lasting nearly continuously from the 14th of May up to this time. The regiment remained at East Point, near Atlanta, until October 4th, when they again took up the march following the enemy towards Chattanooga, passing through Resaca and Snake Creek Gap to Rome, Ga. From Rome the regiment returned to Atlanta, where they remained till they started November 15th on the memorable march to the sea. Passed through McDonough, Montello, Gordon Junction, where we halted to tear up the track ofthe Milledgeville and Eastern Georgia Central R.R. , crossed the Oconee river at Millen, striking the railroad again at Marlow Station and were ordered . to tear up the track. Again we encountered the enemy at Long Swamp and drove them back, pushing forward to Railroad Station No. 1, and continuing to follow them to within a few miles of Savannah, where we came upon their works. "On the 10th of December, we forded the Ogeechee canal. Our position here was very much exposed, being within five hundred yards ofthe enemy's fortifications. The 25th was the first regi ment formed, occupying the left of the line, and the remainder of SOLDIERS. 549 the division formed on its right. Gen. Mower instructed me, as soon as the division was in line to charge on the enemy's works. Just as the line was formed, and we were waiting for the signal to make the charge, Gen. Sherman came across the canal on foot un accompanied by any of his staff. He approached me and inquired where Gen. Mower was, and I replied that the General was on the extreme right of the line. Gen. Sherman then asked me what my orders were. I informed him that I was ordered to charge the enemy's works as soon as the division was in line. He replied: that Gen. Mower didn't understand him. Immediately I directed my orderly to notify Gen. Mower that Gen. Sherman was on the' left of the line, and desired to see him. In a few minutes Gen. Mower rode up, and the following conversation occurred. "Mower, what are you going to do? " asked Sherman. " Charge the enemy's works and carry them," replied Mower. " Gen. Sherman replied that he did not want the enemy dis lodged from that position, and directed Mower to move his line as near as possible, and throw up a line of works, which was done and we remained under cover till night when we advanced our picket posts within two hundred yards of the rebel works, where we remained until next evening. "The investigation made that night and the next day proved that had we made the charge there would have been but few here to-day to tell the story. No doubt the majority of us would have fallen in front of the abatis, where we would have been exposed to a murderous fire. " On the evening of the 11th we were ordered to quietly aban don this position after building camp fires. Moving around to the right towards the Gulf Railroad, we here halted near Dillon's Bridge. On the morning of the 12th, -we found our troops in pos session of the Gulf Railroad, and during the day Gen. Hazen charged Fort McAllister and captured it. Our fleet was in sight, waiting to get to us with our mail and supplies, but owing to the torpedoes placed by the rebels in the river, it was impossible for the vessels to reach King's bridge, the place of arrival, for several days. My comrades, you will all recollect that it was at this time that we were all on equality with the mules — officers, men and ani mals all having the same rations issued to them of rice in the sheaf. On the 20th our fleet arrived at King's bridge and again 550 SOLDIERS. we had a bountiful supply of rations Savannah was ours, and the famous march to the sea was ended. On the 3d of January, 1865, we marched through Savannah and embarked at Thunderbolt for Beaufort, South Carolina, where we encamped a few days before we started on the memorable march through the Carolina. On the 13th the march began, crossing the Pocataglio river, baiting at Pocataglio a few days, when we again started on the march. "On the 2nd of February we again encountered the enemy at River's bridge, on the Salkehatchie river. You will all remember the terrible swamp through which we charged on that occasion. It was in that charge that Sergeants Tomlinson and Church fell, and Bugler Knudson had his head blown off by a cannon ball. The swamp was nearly impenetrable, so much so that Gen. Mower and his staff could not reach the front of his command We reached the Salkehatchie river, which was so deep and rapid that we could not make tbe crossing, and remained until dark. The next morning we pushed forward rapidly and made the crossing by chopping pine trees and piling tree upon tree, until the bridge was made upon which we crossed. We then charged through the swamp on the left of the road, up to within a few rods of the bat tery, when the enemy evacuated, leaving in our hands a great many prisoners and their artillery, thus making the crossing of this river complete and enabling us to make the successful march through the Carohnas. The enemy had made a stand at this river, protecting it for over forty miles, and here they expected to stop our march. All of the commands of Sherman's army were attempting -to cross this river at different'points, but our division was the first to make the crossing* On the 6th of February we again started on the march. On the 9th we encountered the enemy in force at South Edisto river. Here we charged through a swamp which was very difficult and dislodged the enemy On the 11th we resumed our march, pas sing through midway, on the Charlestown road and Augusta Rail road, crossing Roberts' swamp, through Orangeburg to a point op posite Columbia, camping on the grounds previously occupied as a rebel prison, wliich had been abandoned and our prisoners re moved. On the 27th of February, we crossed the Bush and Broad rivers and entered Columbia, marching through the city to the ubur bs, where we went into camp. The next day was occupied SOLDIERS. 551 in tearing up the railroad tracks, going into camp eight miles east of Columbia in the evening. Here the regiment received orders to return to Columbia for duty as provost guards. We remained on duty till the 20th of February, when we again resumed the march northward on the Charleston and South Carolina Railroad, passing through Winnsboro and Wilkes Mills, reaching Cheraw on the evening of March 3d. Here the regiment was detailed as provost guard and remained on that duty two days. On the 5th we crossed the great Pedee river, passed through Bennettsville, and on the Sth entered North Carolina. On the 11th passed through Fayetteville, and again encountered the enemy at Cape Fear river. On the 15th we passed through Blockersville, where we again engaged the enemy and routed them; proceeded by way of Clinton and Dudley, to a point on the Goldsboro & Fayetteville road, where the 25th was detached from its brigade and ordered to the support of Gen. Tillson's brigade. We moved to the left five miles, and joined Tillson's brigade, and participated in the last battle of Sherman's army at Bentonville, North Carolina. From Bentonville w7e moved to Goldsboro, reaching that point on the 23d, ancl going into camp. This closed a campaign of fifty - two days through the Carolinas. On this campaign we only drew rations of coffee, sugar and salt. Fifteen days' rations of hardtack were issued to the various commands when they started. The re mainder of the time we had to do the best wre could. It was a feast or a famine. On the 10th of April we. again started after Jo. Johnson, reaching Raleigh on the 14th. Here we received infor mation that the rebel army had surrendered. We remained here till the 25th, when the news reached us that President Johnson had refused to ratify the terms of the surrender, and we were or dered the next day to move on the enemy, which we did, but soon received word that they had surrendered unconditionally, a result which closed the wrar of the rebellion. "On the 1st of May we started on our homeward march, pas sing through Richmond. At Fredericksburg, Gen. Sherman re viewed us. We reached Alexandria on the 23d and went into camp near the Potomac river. "On the 24th of May we crossed the Potomac into Washington ancl participated in the grand review. On the same day we went into camp at Crystal Springs, four miles from the National Capital, 552 SOLDIERS. where we remained till the 7th of June, when we received our final muster out, and started for home, arriving at Madison, June U, 1865, twenty-two years ago, having marched over seven thousand miles and done service in fifteen different states. The regiment's loss was: killed and died of wounds, fifty-seven ; died of disease, four hundred and fourteen: a total of four hundred and seventy -one, which is the largest death roll of any regiment that left the state. This closes a brief but necessarily imperfect sketch of the service of the 25th Regiment. In every trying position in which it was placed, it did its duty. It was composed of patriotic men who cheerfully took up the burdens and clangers of war that the Union might be preserved. Their patriotism and valor are a part ¦of the history of the war. I have no greater pride than to be able to say that I was a member of that regiment. Twenty-two years ago we abandoned our guns and knapsacks and returned to our homes. Today, for the first time- in twenty-two years, many of us meet and renew our friendship cemented by a three years' brotherhood in a glorious cause. I need not tell you, my com rades, how glad I am to greet you all to-day." TWENTY-SIXTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company I. Story, Albert, Private. (Fro :i the Census and somewhat doubtful as to having en listed from this county.) THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Comp. G. John Schneider Private. Robert Strohmann, 1st Lieutenant. THIRTY-FIFTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company A . John Bringolf, Private. Robert Strohmann, Major. Bringolf was at first in Company F of the 9th infantry, but was discharged, and possibly returned and enlisted with Strohmann for the sake of company. He died Oct. 12, 1864 at Natchez, Miss. and his name is in the record of losses of the 35th Regiment in Adj. Gen. Report. SOLDIERS. 553 THIRTY -SIXTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company I. Bremer, Anton, Private. (Taken from the Census.) FORTIETH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company E. Sturzenegger, Jacob, Private. (From Census.) FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company G- George Koeppel, Private. (From Roster Fimian Post G. A. R.) Comp. K. John D. Lewis, Captain. Peter Mallinger, 2d Lieutenant. Michael Mallinger, Sergeant. Charles Irmscher, do. Bernard Baures, do. Mathias Litscher, do. Henry Sanders, do. Leopold Kammueller, Corporal W. J. Cooke, do. Adam Ehehalt, do. Christian Veraguth, do. Frank Treitlein, do. Christian Schweizer, do. Edward Linse, do. Wm. Achenbach, Musician. Jabez Collier, Teamster. Geo. Ammann, Private. John Bolz, do. Henry Brinkmann, do. Anton Baures, do. Michael Downey, do. Martin Ehehalt, do. William Farral, do. Leonhard Florin, do. Anton Fisher, do. Adolf Fetting, do. 554 SOLDIERS. Anton Fruch, Private. Wm. Henry, do. Thomas Henry, do. Wm. Kammueller, do. Jacob Keller, do. Jacob Lehmann, do. John Martin, do. Christ. H. Miller, do. Jacob Maier, do. Patrick Mulcare, do. J. B. Rivers, do. Conrad Rahm, do. Geo. Schlossstein, do. John F. Schlossstein ;, do. Frank Schmidt, do. William Spuehr, do. John Schwoebel, do. Jacob Wismolek, do. Fridolin Zwicki, do. Reinhard Zeller, do. Adam Klingel, Sergeant. Joseph Stein, Musician. Thomas Fimian, Private. Robert Meier, do. F. A. Schenk, Hospital Steward. Conrad Schneider, Private. Jacob Haag, do. Arnold Ganz, do. Ernst Moeckel, Sergeant. Gottlieb Bohri, Corporal. Wm. Brose, Private. Geo. Baumann, do. Carl Becker, do. Henry Berg, do. Wm. Herold, do. George Haag, do. William Loetz, do. Bernhard Wolters, do. SOLDIERS. 555 HISTORY OF THE 48TH REGIMENT. The regiment was organized at Camp Washburn, Milwaukee, during February and Maach 1865, left on the 22d of March for Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Mo. From this place they were or dered to Paola, Ks. The eight companies forming the regiment were stationed at different points and were joined by companies I and K at Fort Scott, Ks., April 28th. The regiment was scat tered in companies in that neighborhood, doing some fighting with guerillas and general service work, thence they were ordered to Lawrence, Ks., in August, and expected to be mustered out, as the war was over, but they were ordered to western frontier posts, company K to Fort Lyons, Colorado, then a territory. Their du ties were escorting mail and government trains, as protection against roving bands of Indians, garrison and fatigue duty. In December 1865 the mustering out of the regiment was com menced by ordering the nearest companies to march towards Leavenworth and Company K and C were, the last, mustered^out March 28th, at Madison. FORTY-NINTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company I. Sweet, James, Sergeant. (Taken from census, no other source being known or avail able.) FIFTIETH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Company I. Haldon D. Englesby, Sergeant, Joseph Graf, Corporal. Peter Bley, Private Geo. T. Davie, do. John Hosang, do. Charles Ott, do. Martin F. Wohlwend, do. Wm. Averbeck, do. Mathias Braem, do. Adam Garvin, do. Thomas Litchfield, do. Miles Lindsley, do. Micheal Meuli, do. Wm. M. King, do. Rudolf Reiner, do. SOLDIERS. HISTORY. The 50th regiment was organized a few days before the ter mination of active war. They w7ere consequently detached for service in the western frontier forts, where they remained until their discharge which took place in June 1866. CONCLUSION. The list of "Soldiers Furnished by Buffalo County," must close here. I have in the introduction called attention to the means, and the want of them, for compiling such a list reliably, and have but to say that I made the best use I could of existing opportu nities. I have now to remark, that all these soldiers were, of course, early settlers of the county, and if the names of some of them do not appear on the list of "Early Settlers," while some do, it must not be attributed to any neglect or partiality on my part, but to favorable opportunity of learning particulars, which did not exist for all, but it will appear, that they received in this book their rightful place and title as "Defenders of their Country," which in my estimation is equivalent to the highest honor any history or historian can bestow. A renewed and protracted revision of the Census List of "Soldiers of Late War" has led to the following additions to the "List of Soldiers now residing in, but not furnished by Buffalo County :" Mengelt, Geo., Private, Comp. G, 9th Wisconsin; Sanford, E. C, Private, 9th Battery Wisconsin Light Artillery; Schachner, Frank, Private, Comp. K, 2d Illinois Artillery; Schwedes, Chris topher, Sergeant, Comp. C, 2d Virginia Mounted Infantry; Sever- son, S. T., Comp. K, 3d Wisconsin; Spring, J. B., Comp. B, United States Regulars; Short, Peter, Comp. E, 17th Wisconsin. LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS- 557 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. There is a chapter on Early Settlers and Pioneers, in which reminiscences are given of the early times of this county, when it was quite young and just began to try standing on its own legs. In that chapter biographies of some of the pioneers were given, but this practice can not be extended to every one, nor can the enumeration of early settlers be indefinitely extended down to the present time. As the limit must be drawn somewhere, I set it down at the year 1865, which is about 25 years after the first known settlement, and 11 years after the actual organization of the county. It may be permissible to say something about the diffi culties encountered in collecting the names and a few particulars with each, and the methods employed in this collection. Not a few of the older settlers have died, some without leaving families or relations , others have moved away to unknown places, and although they are not really forgotten, it is often impossible to learn anything of their birthplace, their precise time of settlement, their occupation or their present residence. It would at the first first glance appear very easy to collect the names and desirable particulars of those who are alive and still residing here, but in fact this was a difficult and often a provoking enterprise. It was impossible for me or any one person to make personal calls upon everybody, and in these times of universal education it might reasonably be supposed that a blank with the necessary sugges tions would in most cases be filled out and returned, especially as the purpose of this blank had been explained in English and in German in the papers published in the county. Accordingly such blanks were sent out, sometimes with the request of depositing them at some store or office where their recipients would be sure to call. This plan did but seldom work well, and other expedients had to be thought of. Some friends were requested to lend their assistance and I am under obligations to the following gentlemen in this matter: 558 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. Leonhard Fried, Gottlieb Bohri and Louis G. Barth of the Town of Cross, Martin Schulte of Buffalo, Geo. Schuster of Foun tain City, Mayor Nic. Weinandy of Buffalo City, Mr. Geo. Harper of Waumandee, Christ. Kindschi of Montana, Allen H. De Groff and Erich Aime of Misha Mokwa; also to Geo. E. Gilke of Gil manton, to Mrs. Claflin of the same town, and to W. W. Wyman, and Elder B. F. Morse of Mondovi. Of course, I had a good opportunity for collecting material of this kind myself at Alma, ancl was assisted by an extensive personal acquaintance, and by the frequent visits of people from all parts of the county to the capital of it. As above indicated, this list is not intended as a biographical sketch of each person entered in it, but as a record of those who happened to make their home in this county during the period of its incipiency and development, whether they are here yet, or have departed. There was in the blanks a call for "Other Re marks," which have sometimes been made and oftener omitted. As the list must for obvious' reasons assume a tabulary form, there will be a close uniformity in regard to the entries made in it. Re marks of some particular importance will be brought in an ap pendix, connected with the names of the persons having made such remarks. For convenience and perspicuity I have divided the subject into four classes: 1. From 1839 to 1855 inclusive. 2. " 1856 " 1860 do. 3. " 1861 " 1865 do. 4. After 1865, which contains names accidentally reported beyond the limit above mentioned. With regard to the table itself it will be noticed that some abbreviations have been used, especially as to the name of coun tries that figure in the column of birthplaces. These abbrevia tions are frequently not omissions of letters, but of words, for ins tance instead of "Grand Duchy of Baden" I shall say "Baden," instead of Kingdom of Prussia, Bavaria, Wuertemberg etc., only the name of the country will appear. With regard to Switzerland I prefer to give the name of the canton, abbreviated Cnt., with its name. The birthplace of Americans, if known, will be given by the name of the state, otherwise by United States. With regard LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 559 to Germany I similarly prefer to give the name of the separate country or state, without its title, because the tittle is not used in common conversation for the country, but regularly for the mon arch. The town, city or village, if reported, is inserted in the col umn, if not too long, but as it is the least interesting for the general reader, the omission will be pardoned. The same applies to the omission of the subdivisions of a country or state. The list of each of the above specified classes will be followed by an " Ap- pendix "of particular remarks made by settlers, who have reported, and whose names appear in the class preceding the appendix. 560 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. NAME. Arms, Lawrence Ahrendt, Henry Angst, Jacob Altmann, Hermann. - Altmann, Julius . . . Arpagaus, Joseph. . - . Achenbach, Wm Adams, Henry Aaron, Michael Baertsch, Andrew, Sr. Benker, John Buesch, Wm. C Buesch, John. Bohri, Christian, jr. - Bohri, Christian, sr- Bohri, Frederick Bohri, Jacob Bohri, Gottlieb Behlmer, John P- . . Brinkmann, Henry . Burt, Robert D Burt, John Burt, William Barth, Andrew Buchmueller, Jacob . Buehler, John, sen. . Brown, Harvey Baertsch, George . . - Buehler, Christian - . Brugger, Ferdinand. Berni, Joseph ' Brueggeboos, Wm . - Bronnenkant, Jacob. Brown, Orlando Baechler, John BIRTHPLACE. Switzerland Wernigerode, Prussia . . . Canton Zurich Berlin, Prussia do Canton Grisons Westphalia. Prussia Susquehanna Co., Pa United States Trimish, Canton Grisons. Switzerland St. Charles, Mo DATE OF SETTLEMENT do. Burgdorf, Canton Berne. . do.do. do. do. Hannover Harbarsen, Hannover Lanarkshire, Scotland do. do. Alsace, France Durmersheim, Baden Seis, Canton Grisons Naples, Ontario Co., N.Y Fountain City Canton Grisons Eichsel, Baden Biberist, Canton Soleure. Brunswick, Germany.. . . Baden Erie County, N. Y- Canton Berne Spring 1855. Oct. 1854.... Spring 1854. 1855 1855 1855 1855 1855 1855 1847 1855 1855 1855 Sept. 11, '54. do. do.do. do. Spring 1854.. 1855 June 1855 - - do. do. May 1853.-.. 1854 Oct. 1852 . . .. June 1855. - - \ Born Jan tilth 1850. Sept. 1854. . . 1855 1849 1855 1852 June 1855.... Summerl855 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 561 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. FIRST LOCATION. Cross FountainCity Waumandee do. do. Alma Belvidere.. . . Naples Maxville FountainCity Eagle.Mills.- Belvidere . . . do. FountainCity Cross FountainCityCross Cross FountainCity Belvidere - - - Cross do. do. FountainCityBelvidere. - - - FountainCityNaples FountainCity Cross do. Alma do. FountainCity Gilmanton.'- - Waumandee PRESENT LOCATION. Cross Fountain C. Waumandee do.do. Lincoln d.87 Belvidere.. - Naples Died Cross Died 1856 . . fountain C. Alma do. Died 1887-. Fountain C Died TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Cross Fountain C. Lincoln . . Cross do do. Cross Belvidere., Alma ( Died June 1 10, 1886 Cross Cross do. DiedNov.'87Alma Died there... Modena Died Farmer Farmer, Saloonkeeper Farmer do do do do do do do do | Farmer, dealer in { feed and flour ( Surveyor & Insur- { ance Agent Farmer, Merchant etc. Farmer Merchant Farmer j Farmer, tavern- { keeper etc Hotelkeeper,. Farmer do do do do do Hotelkeeper Farmer REMARKS. See Waumandee .See Appendix - - -See Pioneers SeeOrganization. .. See Appendix. SeeOrganization. ...See Appendix. Carpenter & Farmer... Farmer do Cooper, Farmer etc... Woodmerch't, Brewer Woodtraffic Farmer Farmer & Gen. Agen* .See Pioneers. [ See Pol. Hist. ( and Appendix 562 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. NAME. Clarke, John- . Cowie, George. Claflin, Lyman J. Camastrahl, John Cheeseborough, Wm. Curtis, John Curtis, Wm. Danuser, Joseph Danuser, John ...... Danuser, Emmanuel. Danuser, Math Duenger, Carl. . . . Doughty , Ed ward . Enderle, William . Eykamp, Wilkie. Erne, Gerhard. . . . Fluetsch, J. G Feigl Richard W. Frei, Michael Fink, Anton, sen Faulds, James, sen. . . . Finkelnburg, August. . Gilman, Daniel Gartmann, Anton Gartmann, Zacharias.. Grest, Nicholas BIRTHPLACE. Fuller, Rufus E Farrington, Harvey P. . . . Farrington, Putnam Farrington, L. D Farrington, Harlow P. . . . Gilman, Franklin ., DATE OF SETTLEMENT England Midlothian Co., Scotland Braintree, Vt Massein, Canton Grisons... New York state Hesse-Cassel , Ger r n an v . . . . do. Canton Grisons do. do.do. Niedernhall,WuertembergNew England Baden Netherlands Muensterthal, Baden Canton Grisons Bohemia. Wuertemberg Rhenish Prussia jLankashire, Scotland i Rhenish Prussia .... Braintree, Vt. . . New York state do.do. do. April 17., '55 April 14, '55 1855 AuS. 1854.... 18-rv2 1854 18:54 1855...: 1855 1855 1855 1X53 1855.1 854. 1855. 1853.. 1848.. 1855. 1855 1854 Spring !855. Mav 1855.... 1855 1855.. 1855 1855.. 1855 Lisbon, Grafton Co., N. Y. 1855 Woodbury, Vt. - Canton Grisons do. do, June 1855. 1854 1854 1855 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 363 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. FIRST LOCATION. FountainCityGlencoe ..... Gilmanton .. Cross ... Nelson.. do. do. Cross . do. do. do. Belvidere Maxville .... Nelson...Belvidere FountainCity do. do. Cross Waumandee Glencoe FountainCity Gilmanton.... Mondovi- . . . do. do.do. Gilmanton.... do. Cross ¦--• do. Eagle Mills,.. ^PRESENT LOCATION. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Fountain C. Glencoe .... Died there Nov. 10,78 Cross D'd at Aim ^ Nelson do. Cross do.do.do. Lincoln . . . Unknown do. Lincoln . . Belvidere.. - Died at St. Cloud, M'n Fountain C. [Millwright & Farmer Miner, Farmer Cross....Died 1887... Died 1876... Fountain C. Gilmanton... Mondovi do. do. do. Di--d Dec. 1880 Gilmanton.. Cross Died Died 18S6... Farmer do Making Sleighs etc Tailor & farm laborer Farmer, now Saloon keeper Farmer do do Farmer and Saloon keeper Farmer Farmer & Minister Farmer & Hunter . . . Farmer do REMARK;7:. ...See Appendix. See Pol. Hist. Org.&Append. .79 years old. do Merchant, Saloon keeper, restaurant etc Farmer do do Surveyor & Lawyer... Farmer do do. do Tavernkeeper, Farmer Farmer do. do. do.do. . See Pol. Hist. & Organization. SeeOrganization. ...See Pol Hist. 564 list of Early settlers. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. NAME. BIRTHPLACE. Grob, Caspar Horgen, Canton Zurich.. Gates, W. H . Giesen Arnold .... Giebel, Edmund C. Cayuga County, N. Y — . Weiher by Achen, Rhen ish Prussia Fulda, Hessen Electorate.. Gumbert, William Pennsylvania Hepp, Frederick W ] Marlscheit, Prussia - ante do. Hofer, John B IjBiberist, Canton Solvere. Hofer, Joseph. - Henry, Robert- Heinrich, John M. . Hammer, Math. - - . Habersaat, Henry Hart wig, Joseph. . . John R. Hurlburt. Hunner. John A. Heinrich, John. Hallack, Jas. L. Hill. John Harvey, Robert... Huber, Gottfried. Holmes, Thomas A. Joos, John Jochem, Martin Joos, George Joos, John Martin... Joos, Martin Joehr, Mathias Jost, David Jaeger, Edward Keller, Henry, sen.. Scotland Near Boxberg, Baden . Oestingen, Baden Holstein, Germany. . . Au an Rhein, Baden. . New York State Rhenish Bavaria. Ifingen, Baden. . Luzeern Co., Pa.. Scotland. . . Canada Switzerland Pennsylvania 1839 . Canton Grisons do. * do. do. do. Grosswallstadt, Bavaria... Secvis, Canton Grisons Prussia Canton Schaffhausen DATE OF SETTLEMENT 18551852.. 1855 1854., 855 Fall 1855. 1855 1855.. 1854 July 2, 1855, 1851 1855 1854 1855 1855.. July 2, 1855. Nov. 17, 1855 1855. 1855. 1854 1854 1851 1855 May 1855 ... May 1854 ... Nov. 1854 ... Oct. 19, 1852 Summerl855Spring 1854, LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 565 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. FIRST LOCATION. Alma (Town) Nelsons Ldg. FountainCity Belvidere Nelson. FountainCity Belvidere do. Waumandee Alma do. Nelson Belvidere Alma do. PRESENT LOCATION. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Alma Gary, Deue> Co., Dak... Fountain C. Nelson Farmer. Ret. to Pa., is prob. dead Fountain C. Cochrane Belvidere. Waumandee Alma Maxville Cross Naples FountainCity do. Cross FountainCity Cross do. do. FountainCity do. Buffalo City- Cross Alma Lincoln . . Nelson... - Belvidere Modena. . Died at Eau Claire. . . - Alma .... Maxville REMARKS. Merch't, Physician etc Mason, Bricklayer and Farmer Bookbinder, General Merchant ; See Organization and Appendix Woodtraffic Teamster Farmer, Tavernkeep- er etc ..... Farmer and Vintner. Shipcarp'ter & Farmer Saloonkeeper Farmer do do Hotelkeeper, now Far mer Carp'ter, Squire, brew er, hotelkeeper etc. Brewer Farmer See Press & App. See Pol. Hist. Transp. and other chapters. .See Appendix. Cross Died 1886. St. Cloud Minn .... Culman, Ala. Cross. . - - In prison Cross do. do. Buffalo .. Alma I do Waumandee( do. Died. do. do.do Hotelkeeper. Indian Trader Farmer do. do do do do See Pol. Hist. & Organization. .See Appendix. -See Pioneers. 56(1 list of early settlers. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. NAME. Keller, Henry, jr Keller, John Keller, Wm Kortum, Chas. R Kammueller, Georg Kammueller, Fred Kammueller, Wm Krause, Robert Kirchner, John. Knecht, Ulrich Kindschy, Christian, sen.. Kindschy, Christ., jr Kohlhepp, Hartmann,sen. Kaiser, John, sen Kaiser, Jacob A Kaiser, John, jr Kraft, Phillipp Kirchner, Albert Kirchner, Chas Lees, Edward Lees, Robert Lees, Alexander Lees, George Lees, John Liesch, Claus Liesch, Anton Lehmann, Jacob Lehmann, Christian Lewis, John D Loomis, Abijah P LeGore, John Mueller, Simon Mueller, Jacob J., sen Murr, Jacob Murr, Michael Milan, Martin Meyer, George Manz, J. H Meuli, Theodore Meuli, Nic BIRTHPLACE. Canton Schaffhausen .... do. • .... do. Schleswig Holstein Baden do do Prussia Freyen waide, Prussia Canton Zurich Canton Grisons do Mutgers, Hesse-Cassel .... Biberist, Canton Soleure . . . do. do. Rhenish Bavaria Bangor, Maine Freienwalde, Prussia .... Scotland do do. do Wisconsin Canton Grisons do. AefHiggon, Canton Berne Worb, Canton Berne .... DeRuyter,Madison Co., N.Y. Roxbury, Vt Ontario*Co., N.Y Lochningen, Cut. Shaffhausen .. do. Switzerland Bodensweier Clare Co., Ireland Wangenfeld, Hannover.. Canton Zurich Nufenen, Canton Grisons do. DATE OF SETTLEMENT Spring 1851. do. 1854. do. 1854: June 25, 1855 do. 1855... do. 1855. . . do. 1855. . . Fall 1855. . . April 4, 1855 1854 June 1855 . . do. 1855 . . 1855 1855 1855 1855 1855 1855 1855 June 4, 1855 do. 1855 do. 1855 do. 1855 do. 1855 Summerl848 do. 1848 1855 1855 1854 1855 1855 May 1852.... do. 1852... 1854 May 15, 1854 1855 Sept. 1854. . . Fall 1854.... 1853 1853 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 567 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. FIRST LOCATION. Cross do. do. FountainCity Eagle Mills.". do.do. Waumandee do. do. do. do. Nelson Belvidere . - - do. do. Alma Waumandee. do. Cross do.do. do.do. FountainCity do- Belvidere FountainCity do. Gilmanton.. . Naples Belvidere . . . . do. Eagle Mills-. FountainCity Waumandee FountainCity Waumandee do-do. PRESENT LOCATION. C. Cross do. Died. FountainMilton ... do. do. Dakota .. Waumandee do. Died Oct. 1884.... Montana - - - Alma ..Died Jane 1871. Belvidere Buffalo City Alma, (Town.) Fountain C. Waumandee Gilmanton... Alma Gilmanton... do.do. Died in the war . - Alma Belvidere - . Alma Arcadia ... Died Nov, 1884. . - Naples Buffalo City Belvidere . . Died Fountain C. Died 1884... Fountain C. Waumandee Died Washington Ter, . . TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. REMARKS. Farmer do do Carpenter and Cabinetmaker . . . Miner and Farmer.. do. do. do. do. Farmer & Hotelkeeper Farmer do do do do do do Laborer Hotelkeeper, now Farmer Farmer, now Merch't.. Farmer Lawyer and Farmer Teacher, Farmer, Lawyer Teacher and Farmer... do. do. Woodtraffic Merchant Farmer Gunsmith Farmer etc do do Blacksmith & Machinist Farmer do Ropemaker Farmer Lumber Merchant.. Farmer do do. & Hotelkeeper See Geology ..See Waumandee & App. .See Appendix. See Education. See Pol. Hist. & Organ do. .See Pioneers. See Org. & App. See Appendix. 568 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. NAME. Meuli, Michael Michaels, Carl, sen. . . Mose, John Mose, Thomas Mueller, Henry • Marchison, Joseph... Marty, John Meter, Jacob Maurer, John Mulcare, Patrick .... Niemann, Charles . - - Oenning, J. B Ott, Charles Ott, Joseph Obermeyer, Michael . Pistorius, Michael - - Probst, Urs Probst, Victor Probst, Franz Martin Profitlich, Mathias . Rahm, Conrad Rahm, John Rieck, Carl, sen Rieck, William Rieck, Herman J . . . . Rieck, Albert A Runkel, J. P Reitz, Lambert Raetz, John Adam ... Richtmann, Jacob ... Rail, Fred Regli, Caspar Regli, Conrad Stein, John Peter Stoll, John G Schank, Jacob Schulmeier, Benj Stoll, Jacob Schlosser, Nicholas... Sigrist, Henry , BIRTHPLACE. Nufenen, Canton Grisons Bulletin, Prussia Lanarkshire, Scotland do. Rhenish Prussia Canton Grisons Canton Berne Ba vari a Canton Zurich , Ireland Mecklenburg Prussia Baden ... Wuertemberg Fronberg, Bavaria Rohrbach, Baden Biberist, Canton Soleure. do. do. Rhenish Prussia Canton Schaffhausen do. Claushagen, Prussia do. do. do. Prussia Stotsheim, Rhenish Prussia.. Gondelsheim. Baden Ransdorf, Rhenish Prussia Herrenberg, Wuertemberg. Canton Schaffhausen do. Hessen Darmstadt Wuertemberg Romstein, Bavaria Beberstadt, Prussia Canton Schafthausen .... France Basel, Switzerland DATE OF SETTLEMENT Summerl854 1855 1855 J1855 1853 1854 1855 1855 Spring 1855. 1855 Spring 1855. Fall 1855 1855 1853 1853 May 5. 1855- 1855 1848 1855 1853 1852 1852 1855 1855 1855 1855 Fall 1854 .... 1855 1851 1855 1855 1853 1852 1851 :... 1853 1851 1852 1855 October 1851 1854 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 569 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. FIRST LOCATION. Waumandee Belvidere Cross do. Waumandee FountainCity Alma Alma (Town) Waumandee Glencoe FountainCity do. Buffalo City- Nelson Milton FountainCity Belvidere...... Alma do- Waumandee Belvidere do Eagle Mills do. do. do. Waumandee FountainCity do. Waumandee Alma Belvidere do. do. On the Chippewa.... Cross Milton FountainCity do. Cross Alma (Town) Belvidere Cross PRESENT LOCATION. C. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. do. Lincoln .. Cross Died. Died Dec. 1885 Arcadia . Died. Fountain do. Buffalo City Nelson Milton Died Nov 11, 1887 Died '61 at Madison Died 1882... Died 1876. Died in Lincoln.... Fountain C. Died 1877.... Milton Modena Died Ang.25, '87 Alma Waumandee Died Act. 1877, . . Fountain C. Milton Nelson Died do. Belvidere . - Nelson Fountain C. Milton Fountain C. do. Cross REMARKS. Farmer & Hotelkeeper Farmer do Teacher Farmer do. Tailor Farmer Farmer, now Merch't.. Fanner Farmer, Saloonkeeper Contractor & Builder Mason & Plasterer . . - Farmer do Carpenter etc Wagon maker & Farmer Cabinetmaker Turner in wood etc-- Farmer Saddler Farmer Wagon maker, Farmer etc. Farmer Carpenter, Saloonkeeper etc do. do. Farmer Millwright Farmer Merchant, Steamboat Captain etc. Carpenter, Farmer. - . Farmer do. Blacksmith & Farmer Farmer Farmer, Grain Dealer- do Blacksmith, Hardware Merchant. . Farmer do ...See Appendix. ...See Appendix. See Alma. See App. & Org. ...See Appendix. .See Pioneers. .See Appendix do.do. do. ...See Appendix. . . See Appendix do. 570 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. NAME. Stirn, Henry Schnug, J. P., sen Schnug, J. P., jr Schwarz, Peter Schoenfeld, Frederick.... Schmoker, Abraham Schultz, Martin Fr Schilling, Daniel Senn, J. J Schwy, Melchior Schwoebel, George Schank, Anton Schank, Peter Sutter, John Spehn, Severin Spuehr, Wm. Dr Swim, Alexander Schoepp, Christian, sen. Schoepp, Chr., jr Schoepp, August Schoepp, Ferdinand Schoepp, Carl , Schoepp, Herman Schoepp, Frederick Suhr, Carl Schaeublin, Christ Sonnemann, Fred Schaaf, Franz Theod. ,. Tuemmel, Fred Turnbull, Wm. R Teckenburg, Henry Tierney, Peter Ulrich, Anton Ulrich, Melchior Ulrich, Meinrad Ulrich, Conrad, sen Ulrich, Conrad, jr Ulrich, Jacob Ulrich, William Von Wald, Ulrich BIRTHPLACE. Niedernhall, Wuertemberg Dreifeld, Nassau 1853 Sent. 1854 ... do. do. ,.. St. Ingbert, Rh. Bavaria .. Keupenhagen, Prussia. . . Interlaken, Canton Berne. Pommerania, Prussia, . . Canton Schaffhausen Canton St. Gall en Hessen-Darmstadt Romstein, Bavaria do. Mav 1855 October 1854 [850 1855 1851 Mav 1855 . . June 1851.... June 1855 . . 1851 1851 Canton Berne Inglingen, Baden Aug. 1854.... 1854 Thekla, Saxony. 1855 ... Illinois 1S54 Ukermark, Prussia do. 1854 1854 do. 1854 do. 1854 do. 1854... do. 1854 do. 1853 do. 1853 Canton Zurich 1851 Thuringia 1854 Rhenish Prussia Neustadt, Anglo-Saxony . St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. . . Sarkwitz, Oldenburg Clare Co., Ireland Fall 1854 . March 1855. Dec. 1So3 July 1855 ... 1855 1855 1855 . Kuessnacht, Cnt. Schwyz. do.do. Canton Zurich do '. 1855 do. 1855 . Canton Grisons 1855 1855 DATE SETTLEMENT LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 571 EARLY SETTLERS. CLASS I. FIRST LOCATION. Belvidere do. do. do. FountainCityAlma Belvidere do. FountainCityBelvidere — Cross Milton do. Cross do. FountainCity Nelson Waumandee do. do.do.do.do.do. Eagle Mills- Nelson FountainCity Waumandee FountainCity do.do. Waumandee Alma do. do. Waumandee do.do. do. do. PRESENT LOCATION. Belvidere.. .. do. do. do. Alma (Town.) Alma Lincoln .... Belvidere . - - Fountain C. DiedJune'81 Fountain C. Milton do. Cross. ...... do. Died 1863.. Unknown. . . Died WaumandeeLincoln Dakota Lincoln .... Alma Waumandee Milton Died Buffalo Died Buffalo Independence . . . Fountain C. Waumandee Died 1875 .- Alma do. Fountain C. Died 1887... Died WaumandeeDie.l 1872.- TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Farmer do do Blacksmith & Farmer Farmer Limekiln Farmer do Teacher, Insurance A . Farmer Farmer, dealer in Grain k Agr. Impl Farmer do do. do Physician Farmer do do do do do Laborer Farmer do do Carpenter & Farmer... Farmer ... do Builder, Hotelkeeper. General Merchant. . . . Farmer Farmer, Musician. - - - Laborer, Fisherman - - Farmer Farmer and Vintner do. do. do.do.do REMARKS. See Appendix. See Org. & App .See Appendix. SeeOrganization. do. ...See Appendix. . -See Appendix. do. do. 572 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. NAME. Von Wald, Caspar Wieland, Ulrich Westerkamp, J. H Waegele, Leonhard Wald, Jacob Wald, Conrad Wald, Ulrich Wald, Peter Wild, Caspar Wolters, Bernhard Wanger, Christian Wenger, Christian Waters Mathias Wirtemberger, Henry . Winter, Henry, sen. ... Wright, Madison BIRTHPLACE. Canton Grisons do Hagewede, Hannover Diesseuhof'en,Cnt.Thurgau Canton Grisons do. do. do. Canton Zurich W esterh a nderspan , Netherland Wattenwil, Canton Berne do. Clare County, Ireland Hessen-Darmstadt Netherlands Missouri DATE OF SETTLEMENT 1855 1855 1854 1855 1854 1855 1855 1855 1848 October 1855 1855. 1848 1854 1855 1855 ;1848 APPENDIX to the list ofthe "First Class" of Early Settlers. This Appendix is intended to contain Special Remarks made by settlers who have reported. Such remarks were solicited with the understanding that they should be short, and that I reserved the privilege of condensing and remodeling, or of leaving them out altogether. Of this privilege I intend to make but limited use and I suppose the authors of remarks will recognize them again when they see them in the book. Some persons have expressed a desire that / should make these remarks, saying that, I could do it better and knew all about it. I protest; for although I might know some points suitable for presentation, I do not mean to become responsible for the per formance implied. What a man does not care to say himself, I do not care to say for him. The appendix will be arranged alpha betically. Henry Adams, born 1833 in Susquehanna Co., Pa., came to Naples June 1855, went back home and returned to settle 1856 in LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 673 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS I. FIRST LOCATION. Waumandee Cross FountainCityMilton '. Alma (Town) do. do.do. FountainCity Belvidere . . . Cross Alma Waumandee Glencoe Belvidere - - - Nelson PRESENT LOCATION. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Unknown. .. Missouri Fountain C. Milton Alma (Town.) Died do. Alma (Town.) Fountain C. Alma Cross Alma (Town.) Died 1881... Glencoe .... Died 1869... Died there... Farmer do Shoemaker & Merch. Farmer do do do do do do.' do do do do do Woodtraffic REMARKS. -See Appendix. ....See Pioneers. .-See Pioneers. -See Pioneers. May; selected land in Sect. 16 T. 24 R. 10 and lives upon it yet. He says: "Lived on bread and milk the first two years. I bought (once) a loaf of bread in Alma, cut a hole in it and put in some butter, and started up Beef River. It lasted me until I got up to Farrington's. The first meal I ate at L. D. Farrington's. I asked him for something to eat, and he told me to go down to the house, he bad some flour and water, and I could mix me up some cakes." Andreiv Barth says: "I acted as interpreter at the first lawsuit in Buffalo County." Hon. Orlando Brown says. "Came to Wisconsin 1842 with my father Walter Brown and family, lived for one and a half year at Elkhorn, Walworth Co. Indians, deer, wolves and other wild ani mals were plenty. May 1844 removed to the town of York, Dane Co., Wis., when there were but two families in that township. In 1852 made the overland journey to Oregon and California by ox- train which consumed six months, returned with my father's family in 1854, and settled with them in La Crosse Co., Wis. In June 1855 I came with my brothers Harvey and Carlton and Grove Wood to Buffalo Co. The winters of l855-'56, and '56-'57 were 574 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. severe, and the few settlers in the northern part of the county ex perienced many hardships. Mrs. Caroline Brown was born in Crawford Co., Pa., and settled here May 8th,. 1860. Her husband Harvey Brown, brother of Orlando, was born in the town of Naples, Ontario Co., N. Y., and settled in Buffalo Co. June 6th, 1855 in that part of the town of Naples, which is now the town of Mondovi. He always lived on his farm, where he died June 10, 1886. I take the liberty to add that Mr. Harvey Brown was by pro fession a printer, and withall a man of strong common sense and liberal views. John Clarke says: Came from Fond du Lac to erect the Steam Saw Mill for Bishop and Carpenter in April 1855. In 1857 and '58 in company with John Buehler put up the Fountain City flouring mill, grinding the first grain in the county in 1858. Es tablished the City Agricultural Works in 1867- Hon. Geo. Cowie, born in Lasswade, Co. of Midlothian, near Edinburg, Scotland, whose first occupation was mining, sailed 1848 from Glasgow to Pictou, Nova Scotia, went from there to Pottsville, Pa., 1849, thence to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama 1851, returned to Lonacening, Md., in 1853, from which place he went to Wisconsin 1855, W. H. Geites came 1852 to Nelson's Landing, 1855 to Alma, was married to Miss Elizabeth Marti, February 23, 1856 and ap pointed postmaster the same year. He built the first house in the place 1855, and the same year J. A. Hunner, John Heinrich, Phi- lipp Kraft, John R. Hurlburt and E. E. Heerman built their houses the same year. The first stopping place was John Marty's, who came to Alma in 1851. The first sermon, (Methodist) was preached in 1856 in the dining room of the Alma House; the first wedding was Abraham Schmoker to Maria Haug, June 7th, 1866, Gates performing the ceremony. The first birth was a child of Mrs. Wengert, wife of the pioneer of that name. Mr. Gates gave some further items which with the above may be used in the special history of the City of Alma. Ired. W. Hepp: Drove first stage from Fountain City to St. Croix Falls. LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 575 Robert Krause: The only settlers (in Waumandee) \ure the two Altmann, Chas. Hohmann, John Kirchner, John Bringolf, Meuli's family Von Wald ancl Kindschy. (1855). John C. Richt- mann, J. P. Runkel, Levi Card, Ulrich and Jos. Knecht were here already. All then lived in flat-roofed shanties, very uncomfort able. In spring 1856 a camp of about 300 Indians staid several das s on land now occupied by C. Ochsner, selling blackberries and hunting; behaved well. In 1856 Bringolf and Jul. Altmann raised first grain; first visit of a Methodist preacher. In 1857 the first schoolhouse. was built on land formerly owned by Levi Card and a Mr. Fitzgerald was the first teacher in this (Irish Valley) District. Hartmann Kohlhepp, sen.: One of Alma's first settlers, there were but eight houses in the place. John D. Lewis: Lived at first in the North half of Truemann's loghouse, then bought of Bronnenkant a fraction of Section 16 where he lived 13 years at the lower end of Fountain City. He continues: " At present I am farming, and have been, for the last 20 years. Previous to this I was a carpenter, painter, musician' civil and military office-holder, common laborer at anything I could make an honest dollar at, ancl a very fair judge of good beer." John Le Gore: Was one of the first settlers in this valley; there were but two other settlers in the town at that time; moved my family into the town the following spring. John More, born in Scotland, Parish of Lismahago, Lanark shire, at Hazelbank, near the falls of the Clyde. He says: " Started on the 10th of May 1855 from Waukesha Co., Wis., with a yoke of four year old steers with my wife and children, in a covered wagon one cow and one heifer, all our earthly possessions with us, with Edward Lees and family, William Burt and family, also others that joined us on the way, not to forget my brother Thomas More. Henry Mueller, was, with Mathias Profitlich, the first settler in Little Waumandee Valley in 1853. , John Maurer, born in Oberstammheim, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, came to Fountain City in June 1855, moved to Wau mandee March 1856, sold the farm to Fred. Schoepp and moved to Fountain City in 1864. Kept the Eagle Hotel until 1873, when I sold out, kept the postoffice for some time and moved to Arcadia 1874, residing there ever since. 576 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. Charles Niemann ran the first stage line between Alma and La Crosse. J. Philipp Runkel: Only two settlers in this neighborhood, when we came here, Theodore and Nicholas Meuli, who had come a few months previous. Lambert Reitz of Statzheim, Rhenish Prussia, settled in Spring 1855 and resided at Fountain City until his demise 1877- Left a wife and three children. John Adam Rn.elz of Gondelsheim District of Bretten, Grand Duchy of Baden, left the old country, arriving July 10th, 1847 in Stevenson Co., 111. He landed at Wild's Landing, May 18, 1851, burnt the first lime at Fountain City, which sold at $1.00 a barrel. At Wild's Landing three families were crowded into one house, until after a considerable time they made a path to Holmes' Land ing, from which he started claim hunting. Built a little house on what is now Schumacher's farm October 1851 and passed a very severe winter in it. Here they had the not very welcome visits of Indians and were often scared, but never hurt. He ascribes this escape to providence. Lost his cattle in Spring and had generally a hard time of it. Capi. Jacob Richlmann, came to Wisconsin 1848, then five years old. He gives a number of removals, of which, however, only those in this county are of interest in this place. He came to Buffalo Co. in 1855 and staid with his father on the farm in Wau mandee until 1859, when he went to work for Doty in Pine Creek, whom he considers the pioneer of that region. He worked then on Mississippi rafts until the outbreak of the Rebellion, when he enlisted in the Second Regiment of Wisconsin Cavalry, and after his discharge 1866 went on his father's farm, started a store in 1873 at Fountain City and in 18S3 began running his own boats, as related iu the chapter on Transportation. John Peter Stein. The notes taken at an interview with him will be used in the. article on Belvidere. * Jacob Stoll, born in Guntmadmgen, Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, came to America in 1850, to Fountain City in 1855 where he engaged in his trade as Blacksmith, built wagons in company with Mr. Sexauer, etc. and finally founded a hardware business, in which his son-in-law, Christ. Florin is associated with him. LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 577 Henry Sigrist of Cross is remarkable for still living in the first house he built about 33 years ago. Henry Stirn says he could relate many things, but must be asked for them. John J. Senn, born in the Toggenburg, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, wasa laborer, teacher, and is now an insurance agent. Plis name is in the chapters on Political History and Organization, also in Ed-ucation. He now lives at Fountain City as Secretary and General Agent of the Fountain City Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Peter Tierney, of the Irish Valley, Waumandee, claims in cor rection of the Buffalo Co. Atlas, that his son John Tierney was the first child bom in Waumandee, Feb. 25th, 1856. Conrad Ulrich, born in Stammheim, Canton of Zurich, Swit zerland, has besides the three sons mentioned in the list two others, John, a teacher in the schools of Milwaukee, and Charles, Super intendent of German instruction in the La Crosse schools. Mr. Ulrich deserves mention for many good qualities, and especially for his constant and successful enterprises iu the cultivation of the grape. J. H Westerkamp, born in Hagewede, Amt Lemfoerde, of the old" Kingdom of Hannover, in J 818, is a shoemaker by, ancl now for many years a merchant in the articles of, his trade. He came to Fountain City in 1854. It was then still Holmes' Landing and contained about four log houses. Omitted from Class I: Fetter, Ferdinand, 'lawyer, was born in Prussia, settled 1855 in Fountain City; died 1876. See Organization. 578 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. NAME. Allison, William Amidon, W. H. H.... Arms, Christian Arms, Andrew Aime, Erik Ashton, Wm Averbeck, Henry Averbeck, Theodore , Allemann, John Peter. Allemann, Wieland,... Baader, Anton Bucher, Leonhard .... Bandli, Michael Bandli, Christian .... Buecker, Adolph .... Brenner, John Berg, Caspar Buehler, George Baertsch, Anton Brandhorst, Fred J,.., Baertsch, John Blei, Peter Braem, Jacob, Sr. . . . Bailey, S.W Bump, J. W Busdicker, Henry , Sr. Brugger, Christian ... Bechmann, Henry ... Burt, Robert Burgess, John Cooke, Samuel S Cooke, Chauncey C... Castle, James Callahan, John Church, W. H Creese, Joseph Carish, Balthassar ... Christenson John ,... Cashel, Michael J. . . , Scotland BIRTHPLACE. Braintree, Orange Co., Vt. Canton Grisons do. Lyster, Bergens Stift, Norway Liverpool, England Westphalia, Prussia .... do.' ........ Heinzenberg, Cnt. Grisons do. Fuessen, Bavaria Canton Zurich Canton Grisons do. Hannover Wuertemberg Hebel, Hesse-Cassel .... Canton Grisons do. Hannover Canton Grisons Dettingen, Wuertemberg.. Engi, Canton Clarus Burlin, Washington Co., Vt, Hartford, N. Y Hannover Lauffen, Wuertemberg ... Thuringia Dumferline, Scotland. . . . Lockerbie, Scotland DATE OF SETTLEMENT 1858. 1858 1858 1856 July 1856 ... Spring 1857. 1860 Winnebago Co., Ill Cork Co., Iieland ...... Madison Co., N. Y Gloucestershire, Engl . . Ilauz, Canton Grisons. . Lyster, Norway Ireland 1860 1857 1S57 1858 1856 1860 1857 1859 1858 1858 1858 1856 Sept. 1815... 1856 1856 1856 1860. .--'-.. June 1856 ... 1857 1856 Aug. 1857 ... 1858 1856 1856 1856 April 1860... Dec. 1856 ... October 1860 1857 1857 June 1858 ... April 1857... LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 579 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. FIRST LOCATION. Maxville- . . . Gilmanton....Cross do. Nelson Milton Belvidere do. Alma (Town) do. Nelson do. Buffalo City. do.do.do. Eagle Mills... Cross Milton Buffalo Eagle Mills Alma (Town) Lincoln Gilmanton.- . Naples Buffalo City. Belvidere FountainCity Glencoe Nelson Gilmanton.... do. do. Naples Mondovi .... Nelson FountainCity Modena Glencoe PRESENT LOCATION. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Died. Dover Died. Cross Nelson Died in Glencoe. Belvidere. . . do. Alma (Town.) do. Nelson.. . . do. Buffalo City Lincoln . . . Died. Belvidere.. - Buffalo City Died in Arcadia, Died. Buffalo Milton Alma (City) Alma Dover Mondovi ... Winona. Minn Belvidere.. .. Fountain C. Glencoe Alma Dover do. Gilmanton...Mondovi . . . Gilmanton. . Nelson Alma Modena. . . . Glencoe Farmer do do do do do do do do do Hunter and Farmer Farmer Carpenter Carpenter & Farmer... Sawmill & Lumberman Blacksmith & Farmer Farmer do do do do Miller ancl Farmer.... Farmer do do Carpenter, now Hotelkeeper ... Farmer Bricklayer nowDruggist Miner, Farmer Farmer Saddler, Farmer, Hnnter Farmer do do do Carpenter, Farmer...., Farmer, Wheatbuyer Farmer do REMARKS. Member of Legislature for Pepin Co, Dist. 1880, See Org. & App. See Organization See Pol.His.&Org ...See Appendix. .See Appendix. 680 List of early settlers. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. NAME. Courtney, Thomas H. Christ, Conrad DeGroff, John S DeGroff, John W DeGroff, A. H Doelle, Engelhard - - - Drcisc, Henry Duff, Jacob Elima, John Engel, Anton Egbert, Gerhard Ellers, John Errling, Henry Eager, Luther Eager, Chas. F Fetting, Ludwig Faulds, James, jr Fisher, Anton Fried, Leonhard Fried, John Fried, Ulrich Fugina, Marcus • . - - . Fugina, Joseph .... Fiedler, Michael Fimian, George Fox, Thomas Fetzer. Mathias Florin, Andrew Ginzkey, Henry Ginzkey, Franz Ginzkey, Julius Grover, William Grover, Henry Grover, John Guettingcr, Joachim . Ganz, J." C Goll, George . Gasser, Thomas Huber, Caspar Hershleb, Caspar BIRTHPLACE. Linlithgowshire, Scotland Kueblis, Canton Grisons JOneidaCo., N. Y New York state [Dodge Co., Wis | Heiligenstadt, Prussia. . . . Erfurt, Prussia [Sum wicks, Switzerland Bade.n Canton Grisons Lemfocrde, Hannover. - - Emden, Hannover Westphalia, Prussia ... Vermont Derby, Vt iHammelspring, Prussia . I .anarkshire, Scotland . . . Ruemicon, Canton Argau Jenatz, Cnt. Grisons . . . do.do. .Austria do toietero-le, Prussia Zillis, Canton Grisons. . . . Ireland - - - - Reutlingen, Wuertemberg Si-rneus, Canton Grisons Maifersdorf, Bohemia. . . . do. do. Hannover .... do DATE OF SETTLEMENT Ober Winterthur, Canton Zurich Canton Zurich [Hellsheim, Baden jHaldenstein, Cnt. Grisons iNendingen, Wuertemberg Erfurt, Prussia April 1857... October 1857 Fall 1857 ... 1857 1857 Mav 1856 . . 1859 1856 1856 1857 Sept. 1857 ... Fall 1858 . .. 1858 April 1856 . . 1856 1858 1856 1857 . - Mav 1856 . . 1856 1856 Xov. 1860 . 1860 April 1856 . . 1857 May185718581856 1855 1857 1856 Mav 1856 1856 Mav 1857 .. 1856 May 1856 . April 1857 . 1850 1857 1857 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 581 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. FIRST LOCATION. PRESENT LOCATION. Glencoe do. Kelson do. do. Cross Belvidere FountainCity Alma Cross ....* ¦ • ¦ do. Belvidere Buffalo City.. Mondovi do. Eagle Mills... Glencoe Belvidere Cross do.do. FountainCity do.do. Alma Maxville Alma Glencoe Alma Waumandee Alma Cross do. do. Buffalo City.. Waumandee do. Glencoe _ Buffalo City.. ' Canton. .. . Arcadia. . . . Montana Nelson Alma Nelson.. .... Cross Albany, Pepin Co . Bufialo Alma Milton Cross Belvidere .. . Minueiska.Minn... Died Volga, Dak, Ter Died 1874 .. Died Belvidere ... Cross Died Fountain C. do do. do. Alma (Town) Maxville ... Alma Montana Alma Died Alma , Cross do. do. Belvidere.. . Died 1878. . Lincoln ... Montana.... Belvidere - • Canton TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Farmer do do Chairmaker, Editor.... Merchant Farmer do Blacksmith, Farmer... Physician Farmer do Sailor, Miner, Farmer Tailor, Farmer Farmer Banker Farmer do do Farmer and Teacher Farmer Farmer, dealer in Agricult. Impl. Merchant do Teamster Farmer do Tailor Farmer Merchant and Banker Farmer Saddler, Saloon Farmer do Farmer, Teacher etc... Farmer do do do Shoemaker, Farmer... Farmer See Appendix. Ses Pol, Dist., Org. &Press REMARKS. .See Education. ¦ See Appendix. ..See Appendix. .See Appendix ..See Appendix. ...See Appendix. 882 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS, EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. NAME. Hohaus, Joseph Huestel, Jacob Harget, Henry Harrison, Eve Hoch, Andrew Horst, Ferdinand Hentges, Jacob, sen. . . Hentges, Jacob, jr Hellman, Adam Hellman, Jacob Huebsch, Anton Huebsch, Franz Hutchinson, J. M Henry, Andrew C Herrmaan, Ernst Hoe vel, John Hoevel, Herman Harry, Victor Harry, John Harry, Fred Harmon, Joel ... Herbert, Henry Hohmann, Frederick . . . Hohmann, Chas Hanson, Ole Hooland, Jens J Hunger, Benedict Hunger, John P Herold, Wm Hemrich, Andrew Heyden, William Helwig, August Harvey, Alexander Heck, Eustach Iberg, Gottlieb Johnson, Count Pulaski Johnson, Mordecai Jensen, Peter Jahn, Julius Jahn, Joseph. ..,...,... BIRTHPLACE. DATE OF SETTLEMENT Wuenschelburg, Silesia . . Rhenish Bavaria Hessia Michigan or Ohio Simonswald, Baden Luedenscheidt, Prussia . Rhenish Prussia do. Rhenish Bavaria Cincinnati, Ohio Dobern, Bohemia do. East Braintree, Vt Bothwell, Scotland Gamesfeld, Wuertemberg Westphalia, Prussia do. Biberist, Canton Soleure do. do. Andover, N.Y Silver Spring, Pa Hesse -Darmstadt do. Lyster, Norway Norway Sils, Canton Grisons .... do. .... Thuringia Uifhngen, Baden Dersevvitz, Prussia . ...... Hesse- Darmstadt Horton, Nova Scotia . Durmersheim, Baden. Canton Aargau Erie Co., N. Y. .... do. Schleswig Holstein . Maffersdorf, Bohemia, do. 1858 1858 1857 1859 1856 Aug. 1857 . . May 1857 . . do. 1858 ... 1857 May 1857 - - Nov. 1858 ... Fall 1857 ... May 1856 .. April 1856... May 1857 ... 1859 1859 1856 1856 1856 1859 1860 1856 1856 July 1856 do. 1856 .. Spring 1859. June 1857 . June 1860 . May 1856 . . Nov. 1860 . . 1856 1856 Apr. 1858 ... May 1856 ... Sept. 1857.. do. Spring 1856. 1860 1857 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 583 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. F1RSTJ LOCATION. Waumandee Nelson do.do. Belvidere Buffalo City.. Cross FountainCity Buffalo City.. do. do. do. Gilmanton ... Waumandee Belvidere . ... Waumandee do. Alma do.do. Naples Glencoe Waumandee do. Nelson do. Cross . , FountainCity Belvidere Alma Waumandee do. Naples Belvidere Alma Waumandee do Modena Waumandee do. PRESENT LOCATION. Lincoln — . Nelson do. Unknown . . . Belvidere .... Independence Cross Fountain C. Buffalo City do. do.do. Gilmanton... : Fountain C. Belvidere ... Buffalo City Lincoln Died Alma do. Naples Glencoe Waumandee do. Nelson do. Cross do. Belvidere Alma do. Montana. ... Naples Belvidere ... do- Alma (Town.) Redwood Co., Minn. Modena Lincoln do. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Farmer do do Claimhunter Farmer Machinist, Hardware Farmer and Vintner... Teamster Mason , , Farmer Shoemaker & Dealer Shoemaker & Saloon Farmer Farmer, Hotel do do do. do Woodtraffic, Wkeallmyer . . do. Farmer do do do do do do do do Butcher Farmer do do do Carpenter, nowFarmer Teacher, Farmer, Blacksmith. . . . Carpenter, Farmer Farmer do ' do REMARKS. -See Appendix. do. SeeOrganization. ..See Appendix ..See Appendix. 584 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. NAME, Jahn, Charles Jahn, William Jung, Fred Kessler, Henry, sen. . . . Kessler, Henry, jr Keith, Robert Kretschmer, Gustav . - - Kuehn, Frank Kirchner, John Kerkering, Henry Kirschner, Frederick . . . Klein, Henry Kempter, Riciiard R . . Keller, Beat Keller, Franz Keller, Balthasar Kappus, Jacob F Knabe, Bernhard Kurtz, John Kurtz, Gottlieb Kaste, Fred, sen Kaste, William Kaste, Fred, jr Kessinger, Lawrence . . - Kessinger, Charles Kessinger, Joseph Laue, Fred . Lawrence, Thomas . . . . Lutzi, Lutzi Loomis, Daniel Morse, B.F., Rev Mueller, F. Wm Muth, Gottfried Moeckel, Ernst Moser, John Moser, Conrad, sen Moser, Conrad, jr Maerky, John Meuli, Christian Meuli, Caspar, sen DATE BIRTHPLACE. OF SETTLEMENT Maffersdorf, Bohemia. - - - 1857 do. 1857 Wuertemberg 1856 1857 do. 1857 Caithness Co., Scotland . . 1856 Gablonz, Bohemia October 1856 Bavaria 1857 Wuertemberg 1858 1858 Prussia I860 Lauffen, Wuertemberg ... 1856 Rottweil, do. August 1858 1856 do. 1856 do. 1856 Wuertemberg 1859.... 1860 Highland, 111 1857 Canton Berne 1856 Harbassen, Hanover 1856 do. 1856 do. 1856 Gottmadingen, Baden 1859 do. 1857 do. 1859 Schaumburg, Lippe 1859 .. . Sintoga Co., N.Y 1856 Jenaz, Canton Grisons 1856 1856 Utica, N.Y 1856 Gera, Reuss 1856 1856 Schneeberg, Saxony 1858 Canton Zurich 1856 do. 1856 do. 1856 Canton Aargau 1857 1858 do, 1858 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 585 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. "FIRST LOCATION. Waumandee do. Nelson ' Milton do. Waumandee do. Nelson do. Buffalo City.. do. Belvidere Buffalo City.. Belvidere do. do. Nelson Alma (Town) Belvidere Alma Belvidere do.do. Buffalo City.. do. do. do. Alma FountainCity Gilmanton....Naples Alma Nelson Buffalo City- Alma (Town) do.do. Nelson Waumandee do. PRESENT LOCATION. Lincoln • . . Died. do. Milton Fountain C. Died 1877. .. Lincoln Nelson do. Buffalo City Waumandee Belvidere.. . Alma Belvidere - . do. do. Nelson Belvidere ... Alma do.do.do.do.do. Died 1862... Died 1863.... Alma Dakota Ter. Alma Gilmanton.. Mondovi .... Eau Claire... Died Ashland, Wis. do. Alma San Francisco, Cal, Nelson Montana Died TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Farmer do WoodtrafHc Farmer Teacher Farmer do do do Butcher Farmer do Watchmaker, now Wheatbnyer etc, Farmer do do do do do do do do Carpenter etc Teacher. Surveyor Carpenter Laborer Lumberman Farmer do do Minister, Farmer Tinsmith, Hardware.. Farmer Ins. & Real EstateAgt. do. do. Farmer and Vintner... Lawyer Farmer .... ........ do do. .... REMARKS. .See Appendix. ....Author of this Book. .See Appendix. ..See Religion. See Org.&Pol.His 086 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. Mauly, Caspar, jr Malles, Malcolm, sen Malles, Malcolm, jr Maier, J. M Mossiman, Christ., sen... McDonough, Barney Mattausch, Joseph sen Mattausch, William Mattausch, Stephen Mattausch, Frank Mattausch, Joseph, jr Mattausch, Edward Mathieu, Peter Muir, James Neukomm, Henry Neukomm, Conrad Neukomm, John Oertly, John, sen Oertly, John, jr Oertly, Jacob Ochsner, Conrad Ochsner, John Pfeffer, Frederick Polin, Martin Polin, Peter , Protz, Herman Protz, Rudolf Pratt, J.i son M Pratt, Mathew R°gli, Melchior Richter, William Ranch, Adolph C. G Roesch, Christoph Ruehlmann, Ernst Rathbun, Chauncey Roell, George Rohrer, Joseph M Rowe, William Richtm ann, Joh n Risser, Fred J Canton Grisons Scotland Makesport, Pa 0. A. Esslingen, Wrtbrg. Canton Bsrne Ireland Bohemia . ... do. do.do.do. do. 1858 18581858 Ottenhausen, Rh. Prussia Lanarkshire, Scotland .. Canton Schaffhausen do. do. Canton Zurich do do do do. Schmalkalden, Germany. Zillis, Canton Grisons. . - do. Fehrbellin, Prussia do. Orange Co., Vt clo. Canton Schaffhausen — . Templin, Prussia Schwarzburg, Sondershaiisen Besigheim, Wuertemberg. Prussia Tolland Co., Conn Hesse-Cassel Saxeln, Cnt. Unterwalden Moscow, Luzerne Co., Pa. Prussia Freiburg, Baden 18571850 1856 1858 . 1856 . 1-S57 1S57. 1857 1859 1856 .... 856 ... .. 1856 ...... 1856 1857 1857 .... 1857 , 1S59 1S56 1-858 1857 1857 ---- 1858- I860 i860 1X60 1856 1858 1858 1857 1858 1856 1857. .-.- 1856 1859 |1856 Uuly 1856 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. FIRST LOCATION. PRESENT LOCATION. TRADE. BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. REM AUK Waumandee Cross do. Belvidere .. . Waumandee Maxville..-. Waumandee do. Buffalo City.. do. do. Waumandee Alma Glencoe Belvidere do. Waumandee do. do.do. do do. Buffalo City.. Alma do. Buffalo City- do. Gilmanton.- - do. Belvidere Buffalo City- do. Glencoe Cross Gilmanton....Nelson Belvidere Mondovi .... Waumandee Buffalo Montana ...-: Farmer Cross ! do. do. i do. Belvidere ... do. Waumandee do. Maxville ... do. Lincoln do. do. do. do. do. do. Miller, Fountain C. Lincoln . . . Nelson Glencoe Died. Washington Ter, . . , Minnesota. .. Dakota Ter. Montana. ... Buffalo | Farmer Waumandeei do. & Mason .See Appendix. Carpenter etc. Blacksmith etc Farmer etc do do Cooper and Farmer Carpenter Farmer do General Merchant.... .See Appendix do. Buffalo .... Alma Died 1870... Alma do. Gilmanton... do. Eau Claire. - Wabasha Co., Minn. Buffalo City Glencoe .... Died 1881 . . Odessa, Tex. Nelson .... Belvidere.- - Eau dure... Waumandee Buffalo .... do. and Miller Locksmith Merchant, Wheatbuy'r do. Joiner and Carpenter. do. Farmer do-do. -..- j Mason | Machinist etc j farmer , do ' do do do. & Dairyman Merchant ,i Farmer & Merchant- - ' Farmer .-.,--! See Anp. & Org. See Buffalo City. See Pol. Histoiy & Alma. ...See Appendix. SeeOrganization. 588' LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. NAME. BIRTHPLACE. DATE OF SETTLEMENT Ruf Peter Schneider, Nicholas Hesse-Darmstadt Mecklenburg, Schwerin . . Donomeschingen. Baden. Hellmeringhausen, Prussia Omenhausen, Wrtbrg.... Canton Grisons Wittlich by Trier Luxemburg 1858 1859 Schwinn, Philipp 1856 1858 Schwark, Christ October 1857 Scherer, Albert Schuster, Herman Schaefer, John Smith, Paul 1857 1856 1856 April 1860... 1856. 1856 Schultz, Christopher .... Scheiner, Henry Schmidt, Frank 1858 Stern, John 1856 Schlumpf, Joseph Wasselnheim, Alsace .... Ruemendingen,Cnt. Berne Zimmerwald, do. Wichmamesdorf, Prussia 1860. 1858 .... 1858 Schulz, Herman Schlossstein, John 1857 1858 Schaettle, Charles sen. . . . Sisson, Fred. A Oberndorf, Wuertemberg. Geauga Co., Ohio Fountain Citv, Wis 1858 1860 1856 Sieker, William Melle, Westphalia 1858. .. Schweizer, Christian .... Thun, Canton Berne Ukermark, Prussia 1856 Schroeder, George 1856 Schroeder, Herman do. Biberist, Canton Soleure . Karbach, Bavaria 1857 1859 Sendelbach, Michael .... Schirlitz, August 1856 . 1857 1858 1856 1857 Stammheim, Cnt. Zurich Prussia 1856 1859 . . . Schaub, Frederick .... Trautvetter, Ferdinand ... Lippe-Detmold * 1857 . 1858 Traenkle, John Thompson, William Kleinaspach, Wrtbrg.... Fuerstenau, Cnt. Grisons Lincolnshire, England . . Rongellen, Canton Grisons Lancashire, England 1859 1857 1858 1856 1859 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 589 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. FIRST LOCATION. Waumandee Buffalo FountainCityGlencoe FountainCity do. do. Belvidere Waumandee do. FountainCityBelvidere Nelson do. Alma do. Milton Belvidere . ... Buffalo City.. Modena FountainCity Cross Alma Buffalo City- do. Nelson Belvidere Waumandee Maxville. . . - Nelson Cross Waumandee do. do. do. Buffalo City.. FountainCity Waumandee Alma {Waumandee PRESENT LOCATION. Gilmanton.., Died 1871, a?e 83.. Lincoln Glencoe Fountain C. do.do. Died 1879... Dover Lincoln Alma Belvidere. ... Unknown. .. Alma do. do. Belvidere ... Died 1883... Alma Modena. . . . Fountain C Cross. Alma Died 1862. Lincoln - - - Nelson Belvidere ... Waumandee Since 1866 in Mo. Texas ¦ . . Buffalo . Died. . - do do California . . Buffalo City Alma Waumandee Alma... Waumandee TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Farmer Storekeeper Farmer do ' Laborer Baker & Hotelkeeper General Store Farmer do do do. do do Farmer, Saloonkeeper Shoemaker, Laborer... Laborer Farmer do Merchant Farmer do do Carpenter & Farmer.. Carpenter Carpenter & Farmer... Farmer do do do Bridgebuilder Blacksmith, Farmer- - Farmer REMARKS. ...See Appendix. See Buffalo City. do do do Joiner Farmer, Register of Deeds. Farmer Merchant , Farmer See Organization See PolvHistory. 590 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. NAME. BIRTHPLACE. Thompson, Thomas Tritsch, John A Tritsch, Franz Xaver Tacke, William Unzel, John Vollmer, John G Waters, Michael , Wilk, Christopher Wilk, John Wilk, Fred Walter. Ferdinand ... Wai ter j Gottlieb Walter, August, Walter, John Walter, John, sr- - . . Waelty, Henry Wyman, W. W Weibel, Peter Weibel, John Weinandy, John Weinandy, Nicholas Waites, Joseph Warner, Ernest A... Wirth, Jacob Zierzow, Fred Zittel, Jacob Zi t tel , Anton DATE or SETTLEMENT Lyster, Norway Oetigheim, Baden .... do. Melle, Hannover Wuertemberg jThusis, Canton Grisons . ; Waumandee Wiercnv, Prussia jWodarg, Prussia do. iBriesenhorst, Prussia .... do. do. do. do. Canton Zurich Canada Valendas, Canton Grisons. do. Faha near Trier, Prussia Alma (Town) Luxemburg, United States Stammheim, Cnt- Zurich Pomerania, Prussia Muggensturm, Baden Durmersheim, do f 1858 . 1856 . 1856 .. 1860 . 1856 . 1857 .. Feb. 15, 1856 1860 1860 18601858 1858 1858 1S58... 18581856 I860... 1858 . 1856 ... 1857 ... 1858 ... 1856 .. 18591858 ... 1856 . 1858 1858 ... APPENDIX TO CLASS II. Erick Aime, born in Lyster. Bergens Stift, Norway, came to this county Jnly 3d, 1856, settled in Norwegian Cooley ancl re mains on the old homestead now 31 years. He was one of the first ofthe Norwegians, who settled in this county. The winter of 1856-57 was remarkable for the deep snow, Indians were plenty during tbe first year. Samuel Cooke, who, though not one of the earliest pioneers of the whole county, was the first, and for about two years the only settler in what is now known as Ihe town of Dover. The follow- LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 591 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS II. FIRST LOCATION. Nelson Alma do. FountainCity Nelson..Alma (Town) ''Vaumandee Belvidere do. Alma Buffalo City- do.do. do.do. Waumandee Modena Cross do. Alma (Town), do. Nelson j do. Waumandee j Belvidere do.do. PRESENT LOCATION. Nelson Alma do. Buffalo .... Wabasha, Minn.... Alma (Town) Waumandee Lincoln Belvidere ... do. Alma (Town.) 'Buffalo City ICrookston ... TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Farmer Blacksmith & Merch't do. do Farmer Musician Farmer do do do do do do Brewer La Crosse ... Saloon Died Waumandee Mondovi . . . Winona do. do. [Buffalo City jNelson j Nebraska ... JDied Lincoln .... Died 1874 .. do. Farmer do Jeweler & Pharmacist Farmer & Hotelkeeper Farmer & Carpenter... Farmer Teacher Farmer — do. Tailor Farmer do clo REMARK .See Appendix. SeeOrganization. ing notes are from answers to questions sent to his son Chauncey H. Cooke, who now lives on his father's homestead. Samuel Cooke was the lineal descendant of Samuel and Hope Cooke, who came from Kent, England, and settled in Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1667. He was born in Franklin County, Ohio, in December 1818, and became a saddler and harnessmaker by trade. He first came to this county in 1855, when he purchased the land in Elk Creek Valley in Township 23, Range 10. In June fol lowing he brought his family and settled on his land. A born hunter ancl lover of the chase, he followed the trail of the elk and 592 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. bear with a zest as keen as that of an Indian, and a rifle as un erring. He always kept a lot of pets. Bears, deer and common sand hill cranes were domestic animals at his house. Wolves were frequent and sometimes attacked his cattle. Mr. Cooke claimed to have owned the most noted bear dog in Wisconsin. The deep snow of 1856-57 completely isolated the family in their new home, and it was not until March 1857 that they learned of Buchanan's election. Within two years there was an accession of only two settlers to the population, Geo. Wooster below and Ed ward Cartwright above Mr. Cooke's, in the same valley. At first he considered Patrick Mulcare of Glencoe, 15 miles away, his next neighbor, but soon discovered the Loomis Settlement, about seven miles west of him. In 1868 Mr. Cooke bought the American House in Alma, and remained its landlord until 1874, when he moved back to his farm, where he died, April 10th, 1879, at the age of 60 years and four months. Four of his children, Dora, Chauncey, Warren and Kit, came with him from Ohio; two, Samuel and Eva, were born in this county. Probably I ought to apologize on two sides, first, to my friend Chauncey, for having mercilessly lopped off the ornaments of his narrative, second, to the readers for the long story, which, I trust, is interesting enough, nevertheless. I hope this apology will be accepted in good faith. Some of the material furnished by Mr. C. H. Cooke will be more appropriately employed in the history of Gilmanton and Dover. John Callahan of Cork Co., Ireland, came to New York, 1848, ancl to this county Dec. 1, 1856. He says: 'T paid one hundred dollars cash from Dunleith for me and wife, cabin passage. The anchor ice was running so that we had to stop at Winona, Minn., and paid fifty dollars for team to Wabasha; found out on the way that we could get across at Alma, and paid fifteen dollars for cross ing in skiff at Alma, to a gentleman named Spany, now dead." Traveling under difficulties, I should say! John S. DeGroff, who came in the Fall of 1857, remarks: 'First election in Nelson (which was then Nelson and Maxville combined) the ballot box was an old boot." LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 593 Chas. F. Eager, son of Luther and A. M. Eager, was born in Derby, Vt., Sept. 28, 1852, and came to this county in April 1856. His father located on the old Eager farm IJ mile southwest of Mondovi. • He says: "My mother was one of the first three women who settled in the northern part of Buffalo Co., the other two were I think, Mrs. E. B. Gifford and Mrs. James Hunter. When we first settled near Mondovi our postoffice was Eau Galia, and I re member of father carrying groceries in a basket from Alma. Wild game was plenty, bears, deer and wolves. I have seen many a bear in broad daylight in the valley now a part of the old farm, and I have seen the deer hauled in by sleigh loads, like a large load of wood. I lived in Buffalo Co. 21 years." My friend Charles will permit me to add, that I know him as one of the best informed teachers of that part of our county where he resided. Mrs. A. M. Eager resides in Dayton, Washington Ter., and James T. Eager, his brother, in Gera in the same territory. James Fauldsjr., born at Banliston, Lanarkshire, Scotland, came to this county from Pennsylvania in the spring-of 1856. He was a miner, engineer and farmer in succession, and but 50 years old when he died. Landed at Fountain City 16 miles from his destined home, on which his family still resides. Leonhard Fried, has been Town Clerk of the Town of Cross for three years, Justice of the Peace for six, and Chairman of the town for four years. He has also been for' many years a successful teacher, and for some considerable time treasurer of the Fountain City Mutual Insurance Co. John C. Ganz came in May 1857. His son Edwin F. reports: Theodore Meuli built the first cabin in the upper Waumandee Valley on Sec. 2, T. 21, R. 11, which was afterwards occupied by the above settler. Ferdinand Horst, born at Luedenscheidt, Westphalia, Prussia, settled at Buffalo City in August 1857, took a homestead and set tled upon it in 1863 in the town of Belvidere, where he lived until 1878, when he removed to Independence, Trempealeau Co. He was a machinist and sawyer, and is now a machinist, blacksmith and merchant of hardware in the last named place. Jacob Hentges, sen., born at Merl on the Moselle, in 1818, came to this country in 1852 and to this county May 1st, 1857. He was in the old country a farmer and cultivator of the grape, which 594 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. latter pursuit he is engaged in yet on his farm in Cross, adjoining the Trempealeau valley. Caspar Huber of Nendingen, Wuertsmberg, is the only one of the citizens of this county whom I remember to have known in the old country. This was in 1839-40, when I was not quite 14 years old, and he was a young journeyman shoemaker in the city of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He came to Buffalo City, April 24, 1857, and when two years later I came to that place, he was, be sides working in his trade, carrying the mail between it and Foun tain City, mostly on foot, in high water times, however, in a skiff'. Alexander Harvey, born in Horton, Nova Scotia, came to this county in 1856. His name also appears in Class I, among the sons of Robert Harvey deceased. I really had no reliable informa tion in regard to his father's advent into this county and this may serve as a correction of previous statements. Count Pulaski Johnson, born at Sardinia, Erie Co., N. Y. settled with his father's family in 1857 in September, in the Eastern part of Waumandee on the bluff. He says: I am the oldest living son of Mordecai Johnson, formerly known as "Johnson on the Bluff," the first and for a while the only settler on the ridge between the Waumandee and Trempealeau Valleys, from John Burt's near Fountain City to Cook's Valley, five miles by nearest wagon road to next neighbor. Saw some tough times in opening up a settle ment. We had to camp in the woods until we could build a house and had no stove to cook with for three months; we subsisted mostly on roasted potatoes and milk, when we could find our cows and get the potatoes. The latter we had to get in Waumandee Valley and carry them tfiree miles, and up the bluff, on our backs. For two days I had nothing to eat but acorns and milk, as it stormed so, that we could not go for potatoes. We were the only family on the bluff, that did not desert the place in the big Indian scare at the time of the Minnesota massacre in 1862. My father was born in the same place as myself and now lives in Redwood County, Minn. Henry Klein,' born at Lauffen a. N. Ober- Amt Besigheim, Wuertemberg, arrived at Belvidere Sept. 6th, 1856 and bought the land, then owned by Joseph Berni, on which four acres were un der cultivation and of buildings a very small log-house. The road from Fountain City to Alma, what there was of it, was still very LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 596 bad. Mr. Klein is one of the most extensive growers of grapes in this county. He has three sons, Gottlieb, in Bohri's Valley, Fritz in La Crosse, and Gottfried on the old farm. Thomas Lawrence of Sintoga Co., N. Y., came to Buffalo Co. March 12, 1856. He is now living in Brown Co., Dak., and is do ing well, which, I am sure, will please many of his old friends and acquaintances. There were some shady sides in his career in this county, but after all, I think he did not take any grudge with him when he left, nor did he leave any among his neighbors. Christian Mosimann, sen., reports: "I took up the land I now occupy in 1852, September 24. It was the first land taken up in the town of Waumandee. John Baechler took up his land the same day." James Muir of Fauskin, Lanarkshire, Scotland, a coal miner before, but farmer since living here reports: "I came here with father, William, and mother, Grace Muir, and brother John and sister Jane. We were the first settlers in this valley, buying 160 acres, a forty in each of Sections 25 and 26, 35 and 36." Peter Weibel, of Valendas, Canton of Grisons, came in June 1858 to the Eagle Valley in the town of Cross. In the winter fol lowing we moved the house of Jos. Marchion from the town of Buffalo, on the sloughs, to the Eagle Valley. Lives now in Wi nona, keeping a hotel. 596 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. NAME. Allen, Ahaz F Bond, Jos. S Bodenstab, G. A. Dr.. Blank, Geo. Leonard Bach, Elizabeth Brose, Fred Brose, Chas Brose, William Becker, Math Benker, Christian Bielefeld, John. Balk Charles Butler, Isaac Boehme, Chas. A. . . . Brenner, Anton Barth, Louis Cochran, George Cody, Mathew Cody, James Duerkopp, Carl. Danuser, Florian Durish, John Ehrich, William Ender, Jacob Eberwein, Adam Foster, Anton ¦ Fluri, John Fluri, Florian Fluri, George Grotjahn, Christ Geissbuehler, Ulrich. . Graf, Joseph Guelzow, Frederick Gebus, Michael Heuser, Michael Hynes, Thomas Hunner, John Hebard, Charles Dr. . . Haigh, John Hunner, Louis P. . . . . BIRTHPLACE. Ellisburg, N. Y Monroe Co., Pa Diederson, Hannover Wuertem berg Rhenish Prussia Ukermark, Prussia do. do. Luxemburg Canton Berne Pommerania, Prussia do. Pennsylvania Muegeln, Saxony Neidingen, Baden Born in the county Randolph, Vt New YorkCity do. Brunswick, Germany ^elsberg, Cnt. Grisons Maton, Canton Grisons - Mecklenburg-Schwerin Lichtenstein Vaihingen, Wuertemberg. Andelfingen, Cnt.Thurgau Canton Grisons do. do Dahlum, Hannover Lamperswyl, Cnt. Berne- . Lichtenstein Gross-Tetzleben, Prussia. . Batzendorf, Alsace Baden Ireland Buffalo, N.Y Randolph, Vt Yorkshire, England Buffalo, N.Y , DATE OF SETTLEMENT June 1862.... October 1864 August 1864 Spring 1865 1862 1863 1863 1863 1865 Sept. 1862 . 1862 1863 1864 1861 1862-3 1861 1865 1864 Oct. 1864 . . 1861 1860 1861 1861 1860-61 1860-61 1862 1862 1862 1862 1862 1863 1862 1865 1864 1862 1863 April 1862... June 1866 . 1863 June 1864 . LIST OP EARLY SETTLERS. 697 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. FIRST LOCATION. Gilmanton. ... Naples FountainCity Waumandee do. do. do. do Alma Nelson do. Lincoln Nelson Buffalo City.. PRESENT LOCATION. Gilmanton.. . Naples Fountain C. Waumandee do. do. do. do. Alma Died 1870 . . Alma (Town.) Lincoln Died Alma TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Canton Canton.J. Cross ! Gilmanton.... do.do. Alma Glencoe do. Alma Nelson do. FountainCity Glencoe do.do. Modena Nelson do. Alma (Town) Waumandee Cross Waumandee Alma Mondovi Lincoln Alma REMARKS. Fountain C. Gilmanton.., do. do. do. Montana Arcadia. . . • Alma (Town) NelsonDied..Cross.Montana. ... do.do. Modena Nelson Ellsworth, Wis Alma (Town).. Montana Cross Waumandee Eau Claire.. Mondovi ... Lincoln Alma Farmer do Physician Carpenter & Farmer Farm, Saloon & Store. Farmer do. do Farmer, etc Carpenter & Farmer.. Farmer do do Merchant Farmer Farmer, Teacher, Machine Agt... Farmer Farmer, Carpenter... do. and Miller... Farmer do do Waggonmaker, Farm'r Farmer'etc do. ". Brickmaker, Farmer Farmer do do do do do. do do do do Merchant, etc Physician & Surgeon Farmer Drnggist, Merchant, Banker ete, See Pol. History. -See Appendix. .See Appendix. ..See Appendix .See Alma. 598 LIST OP EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. NAME. Hadley, Daniel Hunter, Peter Hoefling, William Horbach, Jacob Huett, Adolph Imrie, James Iberg, John Jackson, Walter Kindschi Paul Kindschi, Nicholas .... Kohlhepp, William.... Kochendorfer, John.... Korb, John Kent, Wm. E Kins, Herman Jenson. Kins, Jens Kins, Henry H Kins, Nels Kins, John Leonhardy, Jacob Lee, Halvor A Litchfield, Thomas . . . Lee, Cornelius Lengert, Geo Leonhardy, John S... . Leonhardy, Emil Leonhardy, J. M Leonhardy, John Mathys, Christian Mathys, Christian- . . Morgan, Frederick Morgan, Vesper Muehleisen, Geo McCabe, James Meisser, Michael Mecklenburg, John Mecklenburg, Charles.. Mann, Anton Merritt, M. S Merritt, Loren A BIRTHPLACE. Hartford, Vt Clackmannanshire, Sctld. Fulda, Hesse-Cassel Dit weiler, Rhen. Bavaria Nassau, Germany Scotland Canton Aargau Fifeshire, Scotland Canton Grisons do. Hanau, Hesse-Cassel Wuertemberg Coelln in Pommerania .... Warren, Vt Norway do do do. .". do Canton Grisons Valders, Norway Springfield, Vt Ireland Erfurt, Prussia Schwanden, Cnt Glarus.... Parpan, Cnt. Grisons do. Canton Grisons do do. West-Randolph, Vt- . . do. Wuertemberg Ireland Canton Grisons Mecklenburg do Dornstadt, Wuertemberg Canada Ohio.. DATE • OF SETTLEMENT 1861 May 1865 . Fall 1863 . Feb. 1865 . 1863 1864 1863 Mav 1862 . 1865 1864 1861 1865 1862 1864 ... ¥... 1861 1861 1861 1861 1861 1861 1864 Sept. 1864 . 1865 1864.'. July 1863 . July 1863 . 1863 March 1863 Summerl864 May 1863 . Sept. 1862 . 1862 1865. 1861 1865 1864 1865 1865 1861 1861 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 599 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. FIRST LOCATION. PRESENT LOCATION. Gilmanton... Glencoe Alma do. Alma (Town) Maxville .... Nelson Glencoe Alma (Town) do. Nelson Waumandee Belvidere Gilmanton - - Nelson do. do. do. do. Alma (Town) Modena Gilman ton... . Waumandee Alma (Town) do. do.do. do. Nelson Cross Waumandee do. Belvidere Glencoe Alma (Town) Alma.: . Belvidere. .. Buffalo City Naples do. Gilmanton. .. Glencoe Fergus Falls, Minn. Died 1866... Alma (Towu).. Maxville ... do. Glencoe .... Alma (Town).. do. Alma Waumandee Belvidere. .. Dover Died 1870.. Dakota Modena. • . Nelson Alma Alma (Town). Modena. -,- Gilmanton. Waumandee Alma (Town).. do. Alma Colorado Alma Nelson Cross Died 1879... Chippewa Falls . . . Belvidere .... Glencoe. . . . Alma (Town).. Alma Belvidere . . . Alma Naples do. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Carpenter & Farmer... Farmer Teacher and Agent Hotelkeeper Farmer Farmer, Storekeeper . - Farmer Blacksmith & Farmer Farmer do Butcher, Laborer Farmer do do do do do do Clerk Farmer do I do do do Minister Farmer, Agent, Hotelkeeper do. do. Farmer do do do Teacher etc Farmer do do Mason, Blacksmith... Farmer Shoemaker Farmer Farmer & Teacher... REMARKS. SeeOrganization. See Org. & App. See Appendix. See Org. & App. See Appendix. -See Appendix. do. 600 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. NAME. Nold, Gottlieb Newton, Roland H Newton, Sylvester L Nally, Walter Owen, Louis Patzner, Joseph Preston, Curtis O Philippi, Nicholas Philippi, Philipp Pfund, Adolf Pember, Dan. B Rosenow, Fritz Rockwell, Auren Ripple, Mathes Riple Gregory Rosenow, John Reinhardt, G. M Rabbas, Fred Rabbas, Henry Ruppert, Charles Rebhan, P. V Rupp, Caspar Schneider, Franz Schneider, Fred Sendelbach, Jos Shane, Thomas-..- Sweet, Eri P Sweet, W. H Schulte, Martin Steinke, F '. Steiner, David Schultz, J. F Schwedes, Christopher Serum, Nels Schwendimann, John. . . . Sexauer, G. Jacob Semling, Anton Schmelzer, Jacob Scharr, Ulrich Trowbridge, Charles H BIRTHPLACE. Wetzlar, Pru sia Cateraugus Co., N. Y Alleghany Co., N. Y Ireland England Silesia, Prussia Providence, Rhode Island Near Trier, Prussia .... do. .... Canton Schaffhausen .... Randolph, Vt Prussia Canaan, Conn Unadmgen, Baden .... do. Liepen, Prussia Schwarzbach, Saxe Meiningen Doehren, Prussia do. Bavaria do Seis, Canton Grisons Bohemia Diesbach, Cnt. Berne. .. . Bavaria Montour Co., Pa New York state do. Oesdorf, Prussia Starkhuette, Prussia Goeppingen Wuertemberg Briesenhorst, Prussia Hesse-Cassel Norway Canton Berne Koenigshaffhausen, Baden Wuertemberg Pennsylvania Vaihingen, Wuertemberg Cataraugus Co., N, Y DATE OF SETTLEMENT 1864 1864 1862 1862 1861 1865 May 1861 1861 April 1863... Fall 1863 Oct. 1865. ... 1862 March 1862.. May 1863- . . May 1863.-- May 1862 April 1864 1862 Dec. 1861. ... Spring 1862 Spring 1862 May 1865.... 1863 1865 1862 Aug. 1861. Oct. 1863.... 1865 Novem. 1864 May 1864 Oct. 1865 1862 1865. 1861 1862 1862 May 1865- . . 1864 1861 1863 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 601 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. FIRST LOCATION. PRESENT LOCATION. Nelson Canton GilmantonGlencoe . . . Canton.. . . Milton Canton Glencoe . . do. Modena . . GilmantonBuffalo City.. Modena Glencoe do. Waumandee Nelson Alma do. Waumandee do.do. Alma do. Waumandee Modena do. do. FountainCityCanton Belvidere . do. Alma Nelson do. Glencoe.-. • • Alma (Town) Nelson.. do. Mondovi TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Nelson Canton - - . Gilmanton Glencoe . . . Canton Milton Canton Alma do. Modena . . Died 1865 Belvidere Modena . Montana,.Arcadia....Montana..Alma Died 1886.... Alma Waumandee do. Montana .... Died. Alma WaumandeeModena Died 1887. .. Modena Buffalo Canton Belvidere ... Lincoln Alma Modena Dodge Center, Minn Fountain C Alma (Town) Nelson do. Mondovi . • Farmer Printer. Farmer. Farmer do do do do do Wheatbuyer .etc Farmer Sailor, Blacksmith, Teacher, Fanner Farmer do do do. Saloon do Farmer, Ins. Agt. etc.. Wheatbuyer etc Graindealer, Veterinarian.. . - Farmer - - do do do Butcher Farmer • • do do do do do do do. Tailor Farmer Carpenter etc . Wagonmaker. Farmer do do [Carpenter ..... REMARKS. ..See Appendix. do. SeeOrganizati on. ...See Appendix. See Org. & App. See Organization .See Appendix. 602 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. NAME. BIRTHPLACE. Tester, J. W Thoeny, Christian... Thoeny Jacob Thoeny, Henry Wismolek, Jacob Walker, Jas. E Weisenberger, Jacob. Woblwend, Martin-. Wohlwend, Frank Walker, Matson Dinger, Charles Liefering, John Rongellen, Cnt. Grisons,. Canton Grisons do do Poland England Baden Lichtenstein do Huntington Co., Pa... . .Gera, Germany Herzig, Luxemburg . . , . DATE OF SETTLEMENT 1861 ........ 1863 1865 1865 Summerl861 Nov. 1863.... April 1863... 1863 1863 1861 1865 1865 APPENDIX TO CLASS III. Mrs. Elizabeth Bach and her first husband, Caspar Schmitz kept the first store and saloon in the Waumandee. John Durish now of Arcadia, but formerly of the Town of Montana, says he is well pleased with the country, especially Buf falo County, ancl thinks that those who think differently have to blame themselves for their dissatisfaction, especially in view of the advantages of present times over those of the early pioneers. John Hunner, now of Eau Claire, the brother of L. P. Hunner of Alma, gives the following narrative: "First business after land ing was hauling wood. In the fall of 1862 engaged with Iberg Bros. Was with them about two years and bought them out. In buying them out I also bought the Alma Journal and published it until the summer of 1872. After purchasing Iberg Bros.' inte rest in the store, conducted the business for two or three years and then sold out, Became one of the charter members of the Beef Slough Co., was elected Secretary and Treasurer, which position I held two or three years, and at the same time formed a part nership with Conrad Moser, jr., in the law business; was admitted to the bar in 1865, I think. Sold out my interest at Alma in 1872, and moved to Eau Claire, and in partnership with Jas. M. Brackett, the former publisher of the Alma Journal, started the LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 603 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS III. FIRST LOCATION. PRESENT LOCATION. Alma Alma Alma (Town) Nelson do. Waumandee Canton Waumandee Nelson Alma (Town).. do. Waumandee Montana Died do. Maxville .... Alma Dakota . . . Maxville. ... Died 1886 . . Canton TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Hardware Merchant... Farmer do do Mason and Farmer Farmer do do do do * Gardener Farmer REMARKS Daily Free Press." The further adventures of Mr. Hunner do not relate to this county. Thomas Litchfield remarks: "Mrs. Litchfield's first husband was Ezra Hutchinson, who bought 80 acres of land on the East side of the Beef River at the same time as B. J. Claflin and A. P. Loomis. He settled in Hutchinson Valley in 1856, and died in 1860, of diphtheria, being the first victim of that terrible disease in this county." John Leonhardy, our present Sheriff, has the following to say : "Went to Colorado in April 1868 returned December 1869, to the town of Alma, where I was engaged in farming until 1887, when I entered upon my office, hold the farm in the town of Alma yet." Frederick Morgan was farming while fn Waumandee, but practiced medicine in Illinois and New York state. His son Vesper Morgan wrote such a lengthy history of the family and of every individual member of the same, that it would fill more than three pages of common print, and compels me in justice to my readers and myself, to decline its publication. Mr. V. Mor gan himself says that not a single member of the family now lives in the county. He himself, however, will be remembered by many persons, especially in Waumandee, as a teacher and occasional bookagent, also as a candidate for County Superintendent of Schools in the election of 1879. He is now studying law at Chip pewa Falls. 604 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. Rowland H Newton says: "Came from Ravenna, Portage Co., Ohio, to Durand in the fall of 1861, moved to Lima, Pepin Co., in spring 1862 ancl about the first of April 1864 to my persent place of residence." Sylvester L. Newton, was a Lumberman before settling in this county, and a Sergeant in Company D ofthe Second Regiment of Minnesota Infantry. Auren Rockioell came to Alma March 16th, 1862, and bargained for the land where we now reside. Returning to my native place in Connecticut, I brought my family out here, but finding that J. K. Benedict, brother of Mrs. Rockwell had gone to Wabasha, I brought them to that place, where they lived until Oct. 20, 1864, on which day they moved into the house I had built on the farm. They have ever since been living there. I was eight years in the Agricultural Implement business, but am now living with my family and expect to remain here. Stock and horses are our spe cialities. Eri P. Sweet, reported by Mrs. Sarah C. Sweet: "Eri came from New York to Burns, La Crose Co., where we were married; moved from there to Modena. He enlisted for the first time in Nov. 1861, and the second time in 1865." TO THE LIST OP CLASS IV. INTRODUCTION. I have to remark that my intention was at first to draw a rigid line at 1865, but a few beyond that period having accumulated, I did not want to destroy them, and had, therefore, to extend the time to 1870, beyond which I did not enter any. There are some reasons for that: 1st. As not all citizens could be named, nor all were Early Settlers in our sense of the term, the older ones had, of course, a precedence. 2d. Of those who came later the natural chances are for being still alive, and present, and their acquaintance could be made read ily enough, and much better than from a book. It is true the natural chances do not always hold true in ex perience, and many of the later settlers have died, or left for other parts, while many of the earlier ones are living and still present. Indeed there seems to be more endurance and a firmer attachment to their homes among the old settlers, at which we should not be LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 605 surprised, considering the many privations and hardships they had to pass through in acquiring them, which on one side makes these acquirements more dear to their hearts, while a repetition of the process in other qiw~ters is not so very desirable, 606 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS IV. NAME. Auer J. G Auer, Jacob Brunkow, David Bitzan, Thomas Beissei, Anton Breuer, Fritz Clark, David Hass, Lutzi Kleiner, Peter Latschaw, Jacob K Michaels, Carl jr Moser, Fred Meili, Jacob Pelunek, Charles , Schladinsky, Chas.' Schmidt, August Schneider, Lawrence — Unser, Simon Walker, Silas ^ White, John Ziebertowsky, Albert. . . Cnt. Schaffhausen '1867 . do |1867 Doelitz, Prussia ' ji869, Cecha-Hadka, Bohemi ....J1868 . Heppingen, Rh. Prussia. ..11867 BIRTHPLACE. DATE SETTLEMENT 18661870 1866 186718701866 Canton Berne 1868 , Deinet, Hannover. Herkimer Co., N. Y.. Canton Grisons Baden Berks Co., Pa Prussia Bonstetten, Switzerland.... Wranan, Bohemia Altflies, Prussia Prussia Oberschlages, Bohemia.... Rastadt, Baden Greenville, Mercer Co., Pa Twidale, Kent, England.. Berent, Prussia 1866 18661866.1866. 1867 1866.18661866,1S68 CONCLUSION. Looking back upon the tedious labors, the many disappoint ments in collecting the reports, which had to form the basis of this list, and the weary task of making it up, I can not but regret that they are not more complete, and that they are in many respects not as accurate as I imagined them to be when I set out upon their compilation. There are about 650 names in the different classes, and about 630 of them in the three most important ones, yet they would be fuller if my arrangements had everywhere found the desired co-operation. Starting out I had 700 blanks printed in English, and 500 in German, and was obliged after wards to have 200 more printed in the former language. These blanks were sent out to individuals, to friends and to agents, as it was impossible for me to visit every one, especially during the time of writing up the whole book. Personally I have, neverthe- LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. 607 EARLY SETTLERS, CLASS IV. FIRST LOCATION. Alma do Nelson Lincoln Alma Buffalo Modena Cross Alma MishaMokwa Alma (Town) Gilmanton.- . Milton Alma Bluff Siding.. Waumandee Marshland - - Canton Modena do. Marshland ... PRESENT LOCATION. TRADE, BUSINESS OR OCCUPATION. Alma Durand. - Nelson Lincoln .... do. Buffalo .... Modena Died 1882... Alma (Town).. Misha Mokwa ... Alma (Town). . Gilmanton. .. Fountain C. Alma Bluff Siding Waumandee Marshland. .. Canton Died Modena Marshland. . Carpenter & Furniture Saloon Farmer do do do do do Miller Carpenter & Builder, at pres. Hotel Farmer Farmer&Cheese dairy Teacher, now Editor... Saloon & Machine Agt Farmer do. ' Farmer do. do. do. do. now Dotelkeeper & Carpenter... REMARKS. less, collected fully one-half, if not more, of the names, but I owe thanks and acknowledgment to many friends in this matter as well as in others connected with this work. Foremost in this stands my friend, Leonhard Fried, of Eagle Valley, in the Towu of Cross, in which town Mr. Louis G. Barth, Mr. G. Bohri, and John More exerted themselves for me. In Fountain City, Mr. Geo. Schuster collected about thirty, Mr. Harper a good number in Waumandee and Montana, Mr. Geo. E. Gilkey in Gilmnnton, Mrs. Claflin in the same town, ancl Mr. W. W. Wyman in Mondovi, Mr. A. H. DeGroff iu Maxville, and Erick Aime in Nelson. Concern ing the remarks contained in the appendix to the different classes, I have cut off all the more exclusively personal matters, unless they were illustrative of some particular experience of a more gen eral order. In the column of "Remarks" in the tables I gave refer ences to some previous chapter in which the name reported would 608 LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS. be found, either as a county officer, or a member of the legislature of this state in the senate or assembly. But it is not necessary to waste more words about it. I have conscientiously endeavored to collect the matter, and if I have not succeeded to perfection, I must beg every one who should happen to have been omitted to ask himself the question, whether he has exerted particular dili gence to be inserted. TOWNS. 609 TOWNS. I am aware of the chance that some people will be a little dis appointed with the history of the "Towns." Those, especially, who have been reading such books as the "History of Northern Wis consin," or the "History of La Crosse County," may have become somewhat amused, if not fascinated, by the stories told there about who settled first, or built the first house in a town; who was the first to be born in it, who contracted the first marriage, and finally who was so unexpectedly accommodating to die first. All that may be, or may have been, a merit, ancl should, perhaps, not be omitted or forgotten. Yet, after the lapse of so many years, it is sometimes very uncertain, at least I have found it rather difficult, to find satisfactory evidence of these and similar matters. I have come to think that so many people did not take interest enough to remember things that happened much later, ancl therefore but ¦ little reliance could be placed upon stories about things which hap pened so much earlier. I have also found that now and then those knew the most of such things who had no chance whatever to testify from actual experience. Another feature of the books named is the large number of biographies, going at times into the minutest details of a person's history, which could not be of any interest whatever to any one, not even to the subject of the sketch himself, as it was put clown in print. Not that I would accuse those, upon whom these descriptions were inflicted, of vanity. They would answer questions, and the agent of the compilers would note down the answers and assume the wish of having it printed. But, while a few were thus supposed to be favored, how many were forgotten? No one will deny the importance of certain indi vidualities in the development of certain towns or localities, but w7e should never forget that frequently by fa.vorabie conditions and opportunities persons have acquired a certain local and tem porary prominiscence, who under different circumstances might 610 TOWNS. have been entirely overlooked, and that many an individuality was overlooked, or at least undervalued, which under more favor able circumstances might have shone out brilliantly. This book pretends to be a history of Buffalo County, and as each town and corporation is an integral part of the county, each is entitled to as much consideration as any other. The older towns have the longer history, and this will not be overlooked, but as all new towns have once been parts of the older ones, the events before the separation can not be repeated intelligibly in the history of the newer ones, and would certainly no longer be inter esting, if repeated. Instead of biographies I have introduced an impartial list of " Early Settlers " to which I refer the reader. In the history of a town the interesting points seem to be: 1. A topographical description, including extent, horizontal and perpendicular configuration and adjoining towns. 2. Time of setting off, organization and important alterations and their causes. 3. History of settlement and develpoment; causes of the latter. 4. Population. The number of the present population and its increase during the years between the census of 1880 and that of 1885 are found in the respective tables for the Whole county. 5. Schools and other improvements. Much of this is related in the chapter on Education and that on Transportation. In all these respects I intend to be as brief as possible, and not to repeat those statements, which had to be made in the pre ceding chapters. In the following the towns and corporations will be mentioned in alphabetical order. Adjoining towns of Pepin and of Trempea leau Counties will be named on the authority of the Atlas of Buf falo and Pepin County published 1878 as to Pepin Co,, and the Atlas ofthe State of Wisconsin by F. H. Walling published 1876. as to Trempealeau County. There is a possibility of changes hav ing been made in the names of towns in the latter county since the time, but I am not aware of any official information of it. TOWNS. 611 CITY OF ALMA. The city of Alma comprises the following territory : A. In township 21, Range 13, Sections: 2, 11, 12, 13, and 14 all of which are fractional . B. In Township 22, Range 13, Sections: 25 West of Beef River, 26, 27, 28, 34 and 35, all of which are also fractional. It has a length of five miles in a straight line north and south, but consideraly more along the Mississippi. Its width is greatest on the northern boundary line, and, least on the line between Sections 2 and 11, the corner of Sections 1 and 2, 11 and 12 being close to the Court House, only 6. 80 chains from the Mississippi. It is bordered on the West by the river, the course of which at that place is fully described in " Topography ." On the Eastside it joins the Towns of Alma and Belvidere, the former of which comes into the actual city on the corner above described, a few lots having been laid out around the Southwest corner of Section I. On the South the Town of Belvidere also adjoins, while along the Northern boundary line the Town of Nelson extends. For about five miles high and steep bluffs extend, there being no level land between them and the river and sloughs, except the bottoms or islands. The city proper, is situated on the slope of the bluffs, and has but two streets running in the direction of the river, though quite a number crossing them, of which, however, but few are practicable, though some of them have been put into such a condition between Main and Second Streets as to afford communi cation. Second Street is from 50 to 60 feet above the level of Main Street. The railroad, running close to, or in fact upon part of Main Street in the Lower Addition, it was found necessary to build a graded road from the junction of Main Street with North Street, to the junction of Hill Street with Second Street in order to prevent accidents to teams becoming frightened by the approach of trains, Of the founders of the place a lengthy ac count has been given in the chapter on Early Settlement and Pio neers. What wat> the Village, and is now the City, of Alma, was part of the Town of Alma, which was organized in March 1856, or rather by the Annual Town meeting and election in April ofthat year. This election was held at the house of John Marty accord- to resolution of the county board. In 1868 it was found desirable to dissolve this. connection and the place was incorporated as a 612 TOWNS. village. Owing to some defects in the charter, which could not readily be amended, the citizens applied for a city charter, which was granted by the legislature ot 1885. The first- Mayor ofthe new city was Martin Polin; he was succeeded by Charles Schaettle, jr. The present Mayor is Hon. John W. DeGroff. The different parts of the city were laid out as follows: Plat of Alma May 1855, recorded in Vol. 4, page 57. Victor Probst's Addition May 6, 1855, recorded in Vol. 4, page 67- Probst and Wenger's Addition May 8, 1855, recorded in Vol. 4, page 61. All these parts were laid out by A. W. Miller, who is now a resident of Durand, Pepin Co. The Lower Addition was laid out July 9, 1855, recorded Vol. 1, page 389. This was surveyed by Mr. Finkelnburg. Beiner's Alteration and Addition was laid out Feb. 26, 1859, recorded in Vol. 4, page 562. This was surveyed by Robert Strohmann. Moser and Hatcher's Addition was laid out April 14, 1871, re corded in Vol. 17, page 147. Louis Mueller's Addition was laid out April 19, 1877, recorded in Vol. 23, page 556. Becker's Addition was laid out June 30, 1877, recorded in Vol. 24 Page 7. All these were laid out or platted by L. Kessinger. The Upper Subdivision consists of different parcels of land laid out at different times, all situated in Lot 2 of Sec tion 2 Township 21, Range 13, lying East of Main Street and North of Walnut Street. This plat was recorded for the convenience of describing these parcels by numbers, thus obviating the long descriptions in assessing the same, into which errors would almost unavoicladlv have crept at sometime or other. See Vol. 34, page 198. Within the corporation, but about two miles north of the actual city is the Village of North Alma, situated in Section 26 and 27 of Town ship 22 Range 13. It was laid out April 1, 1870, recorded in Vol. 16 page 417. This village was laid out by L. Kessinger, by order of Francis Palms of Detroit, Mich., who was one of the principal stockholders of the Beef Slough Co. Camp No. 1 and the offices of the Mississippi River Logging Co. are situated upon lots. The TOWNS. 613 railroad depot of Beef Slough station, and Beef Slough postoffice are also located within its limits. The lives of the pioneers of Twelve Mile Bluff, as the place was called in former times are described in the chapter on Pioneers. After their time others began to arrive. One of the most impor tant families was that of John Marty, consisting of himself and wife and one daughter. The latter was married to W. H. Gates, February 23d, 1856, the second marriage on record. The Martys, John and his brother Nicolas, arrived in 1851. There seems to have been but little activity in any thing until the place was laid out in lots. The business of the early settlers was making shingles and getting out cordwood. About the same time with the Martys Mathias Hammer, now of Lincoln, arrived. They got their mail from Reeds Landing, Minn., and did all their dealings of store goods at Galena, 111., giving their orders to the steamboat captains, who would bring the goods on the next trip up the river. The goods needed at that time included provisions of all kinds, flour pork, etc. besides articles of clothing and tools for work carried on. The first business opened at Alma was a saloon, kept by a man named Beyer, who had come from Keokuk, and it was lo cated in a shed adjoining the house or shanty of John Marty. In 1855 the following houses were built: By Gates, J. A. Hunner, John Hemrich, Philipp Kraft, J. R. Hurlbuit and E. E. Heer man. They were all along Main Street, above Olive Street, except that of J. R. Hurlburt which was on the corner of Second and Orange Streets. Hurlburt and Kraft opened hotels, the former the Alma House, the latter the Wisconsin House. The brewery of John Hemrich was also built the same year. About a year or perhaps two before that time Rudolf Beiner had arrived and taken "lodging in the old shanty built originally b V. Probst and J. C. Waecker, and in company with John Marty he laid out the Lower Addition. Most of the above information I have received from Mr. Gates, who was for a long time a prominent citizen of Alma. He was of versatile talents, and undertook a great many things, without, however, achieving any decided success in any particular one. Among other things he kept hotel in both, the Alma House and after that the Sherman House, after the latter had been built. He was elected Register of Deeds in J 857 and Sheriff in 1863. I think he kept the 'first store in the place in the house on the corner of 614 TOWNS. Orange and Main Streets, which is at present occupied by Mathias Ruben as a bakery and fruit store. Mr. Gates was also elected to many local offices, and, I think, was the first chairman of the Town of Alma. He is now a practicing physician at Gary, Deuel Co., Dakota Territory. He was also the first postmaster of this place, the office having been established in 1856. This office, the establishment of which shows, that the place had become of some consideration, has since its establishment been administered by the following gentlemen: W. H. Gates, 1856-57- Peter Polin, 1857-63. C. A. Boehme, 1863-69. Mathias Fetzer, 1869-72. Julius Ginzkey, 1872-76. L. P. Hunner, 1876-1885. M. W. MacDonnell, 1885 to present time. About the time of the establishment of the postoffice there was some population present. Of the arrivals of 1854 we may name Abraham Schmoker, Nic. Gilomen, Anton Ulrich, Gottlieb Iberg, Gottlieb Kurz and others. Hon. Jonn A. Tester arrived Aug. 9th, 1856, and commenced mercantile business in company with Peter Polin, who did not, however, arrive until 1857. This firm did in spite of the small beginnings, soon command the con fidence of the settlers far andnear, and did very great service in the development of the country. The late Lyman J. Claflin, one of the very first settlers of Gilmanton in a conversation which I had with him nearly twenty years ago, called them the fathers of the upper part ofthe county, without whom the settlement would have lang«ished and have been crippled for many years. The sudden death of Mr. P.olin in Nov. 1870 led to a dissolution of the firm in 1873, Mr. Tester establishing a new business in his present place in Nov. 1874. Speaking of the development of the place, we find, that after the first period of pioneer times, and a gradual increase of the population in the village as well as in the surround ing country, the place grew rapidly, and soon did much more business, especially in the grain line, than would be supposed from its apparent size. It was especially the integrity, diligence and perseverance of the above named firm in the disposition of farm products, to which Mr. Claflin alluded in his remarks above TOWNS. 615 cited. This rapid development attracted competition ancl a few years later Iberg and Bro. established their business and in 1861 erected the brickbuilding, which was afterwards their store and dwelling house, until they sold out their interest and Tester and Polin took possession of it and the warehouse opposite on the bank of the river. The situation of Alma for shipment of wheat and other staple products and the distribution of all the commo dities of trade was not surpassed by any place between La Crosse and. St. Paul on the eastern bank of the river, as long as there were no railroads in the neighborhood. At the time when wheat- fields were rapidly extended, the yield was heavy, and occasion ally prices extremely high, the whole of this staple produced in the Beef River Valley up to Mondovi and vicinity, from Canton Nelson and Maxville, poured into our warehouses, as also a con siderable share from Big Waumandee, all of Little Waumandee and the greater part of Belvidere. It will not be necessary to go into detail in regard to our man ufacturing enterprises as they are sufficiently described in the proper chapter. The same may be said in regard to roads lead ing to the city and from it- I refer the reader to the chapter of transportation. With regard to schools, public and secret societies and churches and the press, the reader is also referred to the proper chapters. The incidents of the struggle for the county-seat, or as the fastidious would say, metropolitan honors, will be found in their proper place in the chapter on Organization. There is, in deed hardly any topic not entirely local, that has not already been discussed in previous chapters, and these need not be repeated. What is said here in regard to the City of Alma applies with more or less force to almost every town and especially to Fountain City. Hence there is nothing left to relate than the few local events. — Turning back to pioneer times, I have to state on the authority of Mr. Gates, that the first birth of a child of white parents was that of Mr. and Mrs. Wengert, which was probably in 1852. The first marriage was that of Mr. Gates himself and the next that of Abra ham Schmoker. Until 1855 the population was all in and about Alma, especially in summer time, but inthe winter it was scattered about the different islands, engaged in chopping wood and haul ing it, mostly on hand sleds, to the bank ofthe Mississippi. Christ. 616 TOWNS. Wenger and Joseph Richard were the first to attempt farming. Wenger moved to his farm in a canoe up Beef River. Richard took his stove to pieces, and carried it with all his household goods on his back to his location. There were at that time no practicable roads. New arrivals, wlio settled outside of our limits will be mentioned in the Town of Alma. It was about this time that the name of Twelve Mile Bluff was exchanged for that of Alma. The story of Mr. Gates finding this name in an Atlas is absurd. He told me many years ago, that about the time when the plan for laying out a village plat was maturing, the news of the battle on the Alma in the Krimean war arrived in-this part of the country, and the name took his fancy and was proposed and adopted, for its shortness and easy spelling, I suppose. I defy any one to find that name in any common school atlas even atthe present time, except in Wisconsin, to say nothing about times more than thirty years "ago. Even in Mitchell's School Atlas of 1858, which gives a very accurate map of Wisconsin the name is not mentioned. — As in many other places the wheat business be gan to assume its gigantic proportion early in the sixties, and the credit of its thorough organization in this place belongs to Fred Rabbas and his brother Henry, wrho had' made their preparatory experiences at Milwaukee and Two Rivers in the eastern part of this state. Of course, they were not alone, but for a time they prevailed. Neither of them acquired a fortune out of it, but that does not concern any one else. The year 1861 brought the war. Among those who enlisted in Company H, of the sixth Wisconsin were many Alma boys, or rather men, among them both members of the firm of Tester and Polin, but seeing that one at least must stay at home, the lot fell on Mr. Polin to do so. Mr. Tester went to the field. A fair start had been made, and the village as well as the town advanced rapidly. The separation and consequent incorporation has already been mentioned. The further progress of the place does not offer any salient points. We must, however, except the organization and subsequent operations of the Beef Slough Co. and its eventual successors. But this is sufficiently re lated in the chapter on Transportation of which the history of Beef Slough Co. etc. is a subdivision. That the event contributed very much to the development of the village, then just incorpor ated, no one will deny, but that at present the management of TOWNS. 617 affairs tends to a diminution rather than an increase of the benefits the city might receive from the presence of so many persons at work etc., is also manifest. In 1858 or perhaps '57 the first schoolhouse was built, which very soon proved to be too small. In 1868 a new one of brick was erected, a model of inconvenience in its arrangements, which were, as necessity soon demanded) gradually improved. For nineteen years this schoolhouse had been used when in 1887 a new one was erected, of which I spoke in the chapter on Education. Our streets, that is those two, which especially deserve the name, were, of course, laid out for the convenience of those who lived here at the time, and as they did not need much, and never expected the expansion of business of future times, the situation of these streets was not remarkable for a very judicious selection. In many places Main Street was overflowed at every annual freshet and it took in the course of time many thousands of dol lars to raise it above highwater mark. Even the infringement of the railroad upon a considerable part of Main Street in the Lower Addition would have been entirely avoided, if that street had been laid on the hillside instead of close to, or rather into the river. Such things are more easily avoided, than they are remedied. The population of Alma is German as to nationality or descent, there being less than one-fourth of American or other ele ments intermixed, though more, perhaps, at the present than at any previous time. In going, however, along the streets and hearing the young folks talk, you would doubt that assertion. And what an English one hears, especially what grammar! — In relating incidents of early settlement everybody seems to think of commercial estab lishments first and last. But mechanics are a class as useful and respectable as any other. I can not give a very extensive list of such among the early settlers. John A, Tritsch and his brother were probably the first blacksmiths, William Mueller was the first tinsmith and hardware dealer. John Marty was a tailor, but I doubt whether his services were much required at first. Beiner was a cooper, but little of that trade was in demand. The first shoemaker was John Hornung, probably the best employed mechanic in the place. Other mechanics were probably present, but they did not find very constant work. Fritz Rail now of the 618 TOWNS. town of Nelson was the first carpenter of any renown. John Spany built the old brewery for John Hemrich, a log concern, and when done he remembered, so the story goes, that he had forgotten to put in windows. Andrew Hemrich was the first and for a long time the only butcher, who had at first about as much trouble to - find cattle for butchering as he had to find people to sell meat to. The article on the City of Alma has grown long, but, as I have pointed out before, much more than related here may be found in other chapters concerning thii place. I may close with the re mark that we now have all arrangements of civilized life usually found in places of the size and situation of our own. There are dissatisfied people everywhere, hence here also, ancl improvements might be suggested, and may in course of time be effected. The historian is not a prophet, and the light he attempts to throw on the future is only the reflection of the past, ancl lie is not expected to apply too much of that upon things in existence. So much of this article as relates to the combined history of City and Town of Alma will not be repeated in the history of the town. TOWN OP ALMA. The town of Alma comprises at the present time the following territory : Township 21. Sections 6, 5, and west half of 4 in Range 12, and Section 1 in Range 13. Township 22. All of Range 12, with the exception of Sect. 25 ancl 36, and a small part of Section 24. Sections 5 and 6, the N. i of 7, and the N. W. 1 of 8, in Range 11. Also Sec. 36. and all of Sect. 25 situated south of Beef River in Range 13. The parts in Range 11 formerly belonged to the Town of Wau mandee, and were added to Alma on account of their position, which demanded an outlet through adjoining parts of Alma. But with the exception of these, the Town of Alma ran from the East line of T. 22, R. 12 to the Mississippi and included all of T. 21, R. 13, at first and much more than now everi at the time of the in corporation of the village in 1868. The surface of the town is very much interrupted and consists of the Beef River Bottoms and the side valleys of Hutchinson Creek down to Mill Creek on the left bank, and the lower part of Trout Creek and all of Pine Creek TOWNS. 619 Valley on the right bank of Beef River. The slopes are generally quite steep toward the creeks but. there are terraces between these steep slopes and the higher bluffs. On these terraces the best farms are situated. Some farms are also situated on the top of the bluffs. The town is in general well watered. The Beef River Bottom is, especially close to the river, wooded. The other parts of it consist of swamp meadows interpersed with dry stretches, on which very good grass is grown. Part ofthe laud in Hutchi son Valley is sandy, but where the declivities permit cultivation, the soil is excellent and produces abundant crops in all the other valleys. The history of the town and that of the village were one and the same, until the valleys branching off from Beef River began to be settled. The first two settlers Wenger and Richard have already been mentioned. It must be remembered that land could not be bought or pre-empted before the middle of Sept. 1853 in any township north of 20. Naturally this prevented attempts of settlement, and may be considered as one cause, why there was no exodus into the coun try from the village before 1855. In that year there were a num ber of new arrivals, among them Jacob Meter, Ulrich Wald, Peter Margreth and Jacob Wald, all of whom settled in the Mill Creek Valley. They were followed in 1856 to 1858 by John Mahlmann, John Weinandy, Jacob and Peter Wald, Conrad Moser, sr., and David Jost, all of whom located upon the branches of Mill Creek Valley. Theodore Meuli came from. Waumandee and located in Section 16, Math. Hammer on Pine Creek, and Victor Hery across Beef River. In the course of time the town filled up and schools and other necessary institutions were organized. As to the first school see table in the chapter on Education and as to the mill see Manufactures. Of the singing society " Arion " I have said enough in the chapter on Public Societies. The first marriage in the town is claimed the one of Joseph Richard to Anna Maria Marky July 1st, 1857; see No. 21 of Earlier Marriages. This, how ever, is doubtful, since that of Math. Hammer to Elizabeth Regli precedes it by almost a year, and Hammer was at that time a resident of the town. (See 13, E. M.) Whether or not the daughter of Theodore Meuli said to have been born in 1857 and having died about a year afterwards may be considered as the 620 TOWNS. first birth and the first death we can not now determine to a cer tainty . I am inclined to think that a man by the name of Marolf, who died by his own hand, was the first person, wdio died in the Town of Alma. He lived on John Alleman's place and died in 1857. In regard to Agricultural statistics the reader is referred to the chapter in which I treated of the Agriculture of the whole county. The population of Alma belongs almost exclusively to the German nationality either by immigration or descent. The main artery of travel and transportation is the Beef River Valley Road, and on this there are at present two taverns situated, one at the entrance to Trout Creek Valley, kept by Andrew Joos, and the other about two miles Northeast of it, the Halfway House kept by Michael Meuli. I take the opportunity here to say that it is en tirely superfluous to discuss in these short histories the points that must occur in every town alike, such as roads, schools, agri culture, manufactures, churches, population and such things, since the same have been sufficiently treated of in their appropriate chapters. This rule will be applied to the history of any town. TOWN OP BELVIDERE. The Town of Belvidere was set off by resolutions of the County Board of Supervisors first on the 5th clay of February, 1855 and organized at the next town meeting. It consisted then of Townships 20 and 21, Range 12. The following year it was re modeled. Some sections were taken to Waumandee and some to Alma, the southern part to Milton and in later ' times other parts. were taken to form the town of Lincoln. It now consists of the following territory : Township 21: Sections E i 4, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 of Range 12, some few of them fractional. Sections 23, 24 and 25, all of them fractional, of Range 13. Township 20: Sections WJ 2, 3, 4 and 5 except 40 acres, also the E i of SE 1 and SE i of NE £ and the two surplus frac tions on the correction line in Sec. 6, E i and E i of W J of Sec. 8, 9, 10, 11, N£ 14, 15, 16, and N i of NE i and SE £ of NE £ of Sec. 17, of Range 12. Section 1, entirely fractional and but little of it in Range 13. The second correction line of the Wisconsin survey runs be tween townships 20 and 21, in which there are two different sets TOWNS. 621 of section and quarter section corners, which are however depend ent one on the other. The surface of the town is level in the west ern part, especially in township 20, and the parts adjoining of township 21, but the whole northern, central and eastern part is hilly, although on the top of the bluffs the land is gently rolling. With the exception of some sandy patches on the level land, most of the town contains good farming land, but is not so well pro vided with water as the town of Alma. The first settlements in the town were made in the level part, and two of the first settlers were of the pioneers of Alma, John C. Waecker and Joseph Berni, whose biographies are to be found in the chapter on Pioneers. The next settler of some importance was John Peter Stein, who came from Wabasha April 17th, 1851. At that time there was no dwelling house between Fountain City and Alma to speak' of, although Stein took up the claim of one Guetle, who had built the little log hut which went by the name of the old blacksmith shop in after times and served Stein and his family as a dwelling house for some years. Stein claims to have raised the first crop of wheat, also the first barley and the first potatoes in the town. The seed for wheat he procured from Galena, 111., the barley, about a gallon, of Mr. Buisson of Wabasha, and his potatoes were dug by the Indian squaws, who carried to their tepees every evening the wages of the day in potatoes, the bucks standing by and grunting their approval. A resident of Buffalo City assured me that Indians as late as 1857-58 used to land their canoes at that place and strike a bee-line for Stein's house. Stein being a black smith made himself useful to the aborigines, who were of the Sioux nationality, by tinkering their guns, and other hunting tackle and lived in good harmony with them. He acquired some considerable property, which in course of time was lost, much of it by a law suit, into which he found himself involved on account of having been security for Valentine Brehl, when that gentleman kept store in the village or city of Belvidere, which was within the town, and not very far from his residence. An attempt to build a mill on his premises also proved ruinous. But whatever his fort unes, he and his family were always kind and hospitable to every one, and sometimes to whole crowds especially at election times. He had built a new house and for some time kept also a tavern and saloon, which was the place of meeting for the whole neigh- 622 TOWNS. borhood on Sundays. He and his wife are still alive and as cheerful as ever, though now considerably advanced in years. Stein was for many years a Justice of the Peace in the town. About the same time with Stein there came a number of set tlers, among them Daniel Schilling, Sebastian Neukomm, Henry Neukomm ancl Melchior Schwy, all of them from tbe Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and their number was increased in 1852 and '53 by J. J. Mueller, Caspar Regli, Bollinger, John Muel ler, and probably John Rahm, also another family by the name of Rahm. It is remarked that atthe building of the house of John Rahm there were -eleven men assembled, who came all of them from Unter-Hallau in the above named canton. Mr. Bol linger was the first death in the town. The first couple married who resided in the town were John O Waecker to Sabina Keller, the knot was tied by Marvin Pierce, who had been elected county judge in September 1853. He also married Mrs. Bollinger to Henry Keller, but I find no record of the e marriages. Possibly there were no arrangements for it at the time. About that time there was a man by the name of Marolf living on the Southeast quarter of Section 25 T. 21 R. 12 which was included at the first organization in the town of Belvidere. He lost his claim, it is said by an intrigue of Marvin Pierce. This, Mr. Stein thinks, was the first settlement beyond the bluffs. It was bought by Robert Keith and of him by Edward Jaeger, who now lives upon it. This Marolf is the same mentioned in the town of Alma. In his career of Justice of the Peace, Stein solemnized the first four marriages on record. About the year 1855 John Linse arrived, and we find him a Justice of the Peace in 1856. John Linse was a native of the Province of Saxony of Prussia. He was quite a politician and a man of general enterprise, and made his settle ment on the northern tier of forties of Sect. 16 T. 20 R. 12 near the junction of the lower Buffalo City Road with the Fountain City and Alma Road. After having sold out in Spring 1865 he built a house about IJ miles farther south on the same road and died, in the winter of 1866-67- He kept tavern and saloon as long as he lived in his old place, and will be remembered by a great many of the remaining old settlers. The first chairman of the town was J. P. Schnug, jr., who owned the farm on which the railroad station Cochrane is now located. In 1859 the City of TOWNS. 623 Buffalo which had hitherto formed a part of the town was incor porated. The City of Belvidere which at first was called the vil lage of Buffalo was laid out about three miles above Buffalo City on Pomme de Terre Slough. The plat of the village of Buffalo was recorded May 5th, 1856, in Vol. I of Deeds, that of the City of Belvidere, April 23d, 1858, in Vol. 4. The first settler upon the land on which these two plats were laid out was Claus Liesch, whose biography is to be found in the chapter on Pioneers. The city was long ago vacated, and some years later also the so-called village, but -old settlers will still remember Squire Frederick Schmid, nicknamed Speculation-Schmid, Valentine Brehl, who kept a general country store, and Michael Kuehn, who now lives in Wabasha and kept in 1859 a saloon in Belvidere. In 1856 Henry Klein settled on his place, Joseph M. Rohrer, John Kaiser, Jacob Stirn, Ernst Hermann and others are all of the earliest settlers, as also Jacob Stuber, and Caspar Huber, who was in 1859 yet a resident of Buffalo City. Urs Scheidegger, Rudolf Kochwelb, Henry Winter and Carl Duenger also were of the earliest settlers, and there were some more, as for instance Peter Schwartz, Joseph Hofer, etc., but it would take too much time ancl room to name all. For other things I have to refer to the chapters to which they belong, as indicated in the history of the city and the town of Alma. This sketch would not be complete without giving some account of the nationality or descent of the people. They are all Germans, nor have there ever been more than two families not of German descent in the town. The first was Collins Bishop's, now of Arcadia, an American, I believe, the other that of John Ander son, a Scotchman. Both lived on the place now owned and occu pied by Jos. M. Rohrer. Perhaps the reader is surprised at the unexpected length of this sketch, but to me it seems quite natural • to know and say so much of a town in which I have lived ancl held office for five years, and with whose citizens I have ever since 1859 been so well acquainted. CITY OF. BUFFALO. The territory lying within the corporate limits of the city is not very easily described, nor is the description of some of it very easily understood, since some perfect forties are described as lots with numbers. The reason for this is that the surplus on the correction line was made into two lots, which necessitated the 624 TOWNS. numbering of the northern half of the section as lots, there being 10 of them in perfect sections, as for instance in Section 5, adjoin ing the city. Town 20, Range 12: Sec. 5, Lot 3, a full forty, laid out in five acre lots. Sec. 6, Lot 6, also laid out in five acre lots and forming with the above Subdivision B. Lots 4 and 5 are laid out in 80 acre lots. W £ of SE £ and lots 8 and 9 and some of the smaller lots along the slough are laid out in lots and blocks as far as they consist of dry land. Sec. 7. E i of NE £ and fractional lots 1 and 2 are laid out in lots and blocks, The remainder of Sec. 6 and 7 consists of islands. Sec. 8, the W i of the W i. Sec. 17, fractional along the slough, entire on the east side. Three forties belong to the town of Belvidere. Town 20, Range 13. Some islands between Pomme de Terre Slough and the Mississippi River. The large island between the Buffalo City Channel and Pomme de Terre Slough on the one, ancl the Mississippi River on the other side, has never been officially surveyed and the greater part of it would fall into Range 13. It is not in the corporation. A survey by Robert Strohmann has never been accepted by the government. The land is entirely level, some of it cultivated as farmland, and some of it overflowed at high water, partly woods, partly meadows. The plats of the city are recorded as follows: Plat of Buffalo City Vol. 1, p. 276, May 12, 1856. 1st Addition, Vol 1, p. 521, April 27, 1857. 2nd Addition, Vol. 4, p. 355, June 1858. Outlots Subd. A, do. " B. do. The city was incorporated by Chapter 197, Private and Local Laws of 1859. The charter was amended by Chapter 178 General Laws of 1861. The official name is City of Buffalo. The history of the city begins with the Colonization Society of Cincinnati, Ohio. This society was founded by a number of b o ring men and others in said city, with the intention of procur- TOWNS. 625 ing homes to themselves in the Far West, and attempted in 1854 a settlement in Kansas, which, hpwever, was abandoned on ac count of the troubles of the times in that territory. After this it was concluded to go to a more northern state, ancl, as appears from records, land had been purchased and part of the plat laid out in 1856. A proposition had been made to buy land close to Alma, but it was never ratified. Frederick Pfeffer and J. P. Moessinger acted as commissioners of the society, the latter being a surveyor, The colonization society had in 1854 as many as 178, and later at the division of the lots 228 members. There is a peculiarity in the lots of Buffalo Cit.7, that they are all laid out at right angles and conformable to the cardinal points of the compass, which oc casioned along the slough on Front Street a number of inconven ient little corners, that could not very well be utilized. Mr. Pfef fer, who has been for many years the President of the Society and is now since 1858 a resident of the city, explained this curiosity by saying, that there were too many .surveyors in the society, who abhorred any deviation from government^ survey lines. The plat, I believe was begun by J. P. Moessinger and finished by Rob. Strohmann, who came up from Cincinnati for that purpose and remained in this county until he enlisted in the 34th Reg. of Infantry. In 1858 the society built the saw mill which is mentioned in the chapter on Manufactures. In the same year Mr. Schaettle built a store ancl came with stock for the same, the brewery was also started. A number of houses were also built, and quite a number of settlers, partly from Cincinnati, partly from other parts, had arrived, as I found when in March 1859 1 came to the place. Fred. Laue had been there during the winter and had fixed on the site for the saw mill of Buecker & Co. for which April 10th, 1859, he brought up the machinery. Edward Gunkel kept saloon and boarding house. Joachim Guettinger, Caspar Huber, Her man Protz, Ferdinand Horst, Adolf Rauch, Adam Hellmann, Henry Busdicker etc. had come from Cincinnati, Henry Erding from Baltimore, others from other places. The island at the cor ner between the Buffalo City Channel and the Mississippi was in habited by Andrew Vogt, and Peterson Bro. It would be too te dious to mention all the citizens. High hopes were entertained by most of them for the future growth and prosperity of the city 626 TOWNS. and the society expended, among other things, a considerable sum of money to build a road across the Belvidere Bluff to the Wau mandee. The surrounding country began to fill up. In 1859 Mr. Schaettle built a large house, designed for a store, dwelling house, saloon and dancing hall, and the lower sawmill went into opera tion. The representation of the place by two members in the county board of supervisors brought out a decided opposition against the place, as may be learned from the chapter on organiza tion. The city, however was always in funds, as the taxes were at that time regularly paid by almost every one of the owners of lots, most of whom resided at Cincinnati- In the mean time it was demonstrated by experience that navigation could reach the place only at high water. This was very inconvenient, but a ferry was established between the city and the settlement at Mount Vernon, Minn., about two miles below Minneiska, wbich in some measure remedied the deficiency. But although the number of settlers increased from timeto'time, there was also by and by a sensible decrease. In 1861 the city made some exertions to get the county seat, but with what result may be seen in the chapter on organization. In the course of time the owners of lots began to refuse or neglect the payment of taxes and houses began to be moved out of the town to neighboring farms. The want of com munication by water crippled every enterprise, and of the orig inal settlers but very few remain, while, however the population is now more numerous than twenty years ago. The charter is still in . force, though the representation has been reduced to one member in the countyboard. The city has a good and large schoolhouse, a Catholic and a Lutheran church, one store, blacksmith shop etc. It is situated about one mile from the railroad station at Cochrane, but has a postoffice of its own, receiving its mail from Cochrane by special messenger, just as previous to 1860 from Fountain City. Long as this sketch has grown, it might have easily been made much longer, but many items of interest may be gathered. from other chapters, and from personal remarks in the appendices to the tables of Early Settlers and' the lists of soldiers. The popu lation of the city is now, as it has always been, entirely German, the few stragglers of other nationalities never staid long enough to deserve particular attention. TOWNS. 627 TOWN OF BUFFALO. The town of Buffalo contains at present the following land: Township 19: Sections 10, J4, 15, 23, 26 ancl 35 on Trempea leau River, fractional, Sec. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30 31, 32, 33 and 34 entire in Range 10. Sections 13, 14, 23, 24 and 25 are entire, 26, 35 and 3'6 frac tional on Mississippi and sloughs in Range 11. Township 18: Sections 3, 10 and 15 along Trempealeau River and 6, 8, 16 and 17 along the Mississippi are fractional, 4, 5 and 9, cut up by sloughs, are also fractional, in Range 10. Section 1 in Range 11 is on the Mississippi and fractional. Adjoining towns are Cross and Village of Fountain City in this, Trempealeau in Trempealeau County. The town is very hilly, rolling on the top of the bluffs, and well watered in the val leys of which there are two Piper's and Plath 's. The town of Buffalo was at first the" whole county, as may be seen from the act establishing the latter. It naturally grew smal ler and finally, after the establishment of the town of Milton or Eagle Mills was reduced to the present size, if we add to it the land contained in the village of Fountain City. Within the present - limits Charles Bippes was the first settler, first on the bluff, after wards in the valley, which was named after him, but by a cor ruption of the name is now called Piper's Valley. He came with his brother-in-law, Adam Raetz, in 1851, was at the first election chosen clerk of the county board, but never served, and has not lived in this county for many years. Henry Plath and Henry Heuer settled in 1854, Gottlieb Keller, Gottlieb Krause and Jacob Botzett in 1855 ¦ also Alfred Street, Fritz Thuemmel, Christian Diener, Andrew Risser, William Multhaupt and Michael Schniep. The settlement after this was quite rapid. The Greenbay Railroad runs through the eastern and southern part of the town, which occasioned the establishment of Marshland Station and postoffice. The first marriage is said to have been that of Jacob Botzett to Christina Simon in 1856. The first death was the father of Wm. Multhaupt. The first birth was Henry Street, son of Alfred Street in the winter of 1857- The population of the town is mostly German, but there are some Scotch, Irish and Polish families and one American family. The southern part of the town is opposite the city of Winona, and 628 TOWNS. much of the trade of the town is done in that place, a well built road leading across the bottoms. There is within the limits of this town a village plat near the railroad station of Bluff Siding, called Town of Colbert, which is recorded in Vol. 17, page 216, with which I am not further acquainted. TOWN OF CANTON. The territory contained in this town is Township 24 of Range 12. Before its organization the east half of it belonged to Naples the west half to Maxville. The surface of the town is full of hills^ between which there are several valleys, from which the -treams run to the Big Bear Creek excepting North branch of Little Bear Creek. The soil in these valleys and on the slopes is well suited to agriculture. There are but few farms on the bluffs, where the soil is the same as usual in similar situations. It appears that the northern part, adjoining Big Bear Creek was first settled, it being level and the soil rich. The so-called Tuttle farm is said to have been occupied by a man named Quackenbos in 1855. When Geo. Tuttle came is not known, but in 1862 he was a Justice of the Peace. I never knew him and the farm is now owned by David Gifford. In 1860 Lewis Kniffin and Julius Parr settled in North Branch, T. W. Glasspool, sen., in the Glasspool Valley, Earl Ward and Thomas Inschcoe in the Big Bear Creek Valley. In 1861 Louis Owen, L. W. Keezar and J. V. Jones opened farms in North Branch Valley, in 1862 Geo. Kees in the same neighborhood. The first death is said to have been that of a daughter of Lewis Kniffin in 1862. After several fruitless attempts the town was set off by the County Board in 1867 ancl organized in 1868, electing Jas. E. Walker chairman and T. W. Glasspool Townclerk The name of Page, or rather Paige, suggested by the leading advocate for the organization, was soon changed to Canton at the request of citi zens and the suggestion of Mr. Glasspoole. The population is about equally divided, consisting of Ger man, Irish, Norwegians and Americans. Since the completion of the Chippewa Valley Railroad the trading of this town is mostly done at Durand, Pepin Co., where the settlers also have their post- office. Formerly most of the wheat went to Alma, sometimes by way of Modena, sometimes by way of North Branch and across the bluffs. TOWNS. 629 TOWN OF CROSS. The following land is at present contained in tbe Town of Cross : Range 10: Sections 17, 20, 29, 32 and 33 on Trempealeau River fractional, 18, 19, 30 and 31 entire in Township 20. Sections 3 and 4 on Trempealeau River fractional, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 entire in Township 19. Range 11: Sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11 and 12 of Township 19. Sections 1, 2, 3, E I 4, E i 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, NE I 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36 of Township 20. There may be some errors in regard to one or two forties, ad joining the town of Milton or that of Buffalo, such small alteration having escaped my attention. This town was set off, July 20fh 1857, at the same time as the Town of Milton, of parts until then belonging to the Town of Buf falo. Hon. Edward Lees, now of Gilmanton, was the first Chair man, John Burt the first Townclerk. The surface ofthe town is very much broken up. The bluffs are steep and most of the valleys narrow. Eagle Valley in the western part begins in the town of Glencoe, crosses a corner of Waumandee and finally ends in the town of Milton. There are in fact two valleys, one east of the last named, also beginning in the town of Glencoe. The two streams and the valleys join in Sec 15, T. 20, R. 11, where the joint valley is widest. The valley next in size is Bohri's Valley, also consisting of Iwo different valleys with a stream in each, the streams uniting a short distance before flow ing out into Treampealeau bottom. Other, but smaller valleys are, Buehler's, Barths's Grover's etc. The soil in these valleys is rich black loam, on the bluffs it is more clayey. Peter Schank is considered the first settler within the limits of the present town of Cross and also the first farmer in the county, having settled on his farm in 1850, remaining for three years without a neighbor. In spring 1853 Andrew Baertsch settled in the town, where he yet lives, the oldest in regard to settlement, of any man now living in the county, having come in 1847- In 1853, Philipp Menzemer and Geo. Zimmermann also settled. Rev.- John Aldermatt also came in 1853. In 1854, Christ. Bohri sr. and his family, John Sutter, J. Camastral, Christian Buehler, Henry Keller ancl Fred. erick Binder came, in 1855 Ed. Lees, John Burt, Wm. Burt and 630 TOWNS. John More arrived, and in 1856 another numerous influx of set tlers took place. The first marriage was that of Caspar Wald to Anna Ambuehl, the ceremony being performed by Andrew Baertsch in German. The first two deaths were those of Ambuehl and Camastral, who died in summer 1854 of cholera which they had contracted in their journey from the East, where this disease was then raging. The first child born in Cross was Christian Baertsch, son of An drew and Mary Baertsch. He was born Sept. 1st, 1853. There is a postoffice in, and of the same name as, the town, situated in Sec. 5, T. 19, R 10, keptbyGottlieb Bohri, who also keeps a tavern. There are some six or seven Scotch families in the town, the re mainder are Germans, except a few Polish families. TOWN OF DOVER. The territory of the town of Dover is Township 23 of Range 10. The town is bounded on the north by Naples on the' east by Burnside, Trempealeau Co., on the south by Montana, on the west by Gilmanton. It was set off from the town of Gilmanton, of which it had been a part, at tbe annual meeting of the county- board of 1870, and organized at the next spring election, with A. J. Nims as chairman and W. H. Edes as townclerk. The surface ¦ ofthe town is very much varied, steep bluffs on the southern ancl northern boundaries with some hills through the center running east ancl west along Elk Creek ancl Bennett Valley Creek, north and south on Three Mile Creek. These creeks and valleys are de scribed in Topography. The soil on both sides of Elk Creek in its middle course is sandy, but some of the side valleys even of the distance are productive. Bennett Valley is considered the best part of the town for agricultural purposes. This Valley received its name from the fact that Dr. Jesse Bennett, formerly of Foun tain City had selected considerable land in it, for which he em ployed Hon. Noah D. Comstock. The first settler in this town was certainly Samuel S. Cooke, a native of Franklin Co., Ohio, who came up in 1855 and purchased the Southeast quarter of Sec tion 27. moving upon if with his family in June the year after. He Hved in a perfect/- solitude, considering Patrick Mulcare of Glencoe as his nearest neighbor, until after a while he found the " Loomis Settlement," as Gilmanton was then called, about seven miles west of his own location. Mr. Cooke was a great hunter TOWNS. 631 ancl, although at times he and his family had to subsist on the products of the chase, he did not bunt for that alone, but also for the gratification of his passion. The reader is referred to the ap pendix to Class II, List of Early Settlers, for further particulars. The brothers Marvin and James Pierce owned a considerable piece of land, north and east of Mr. Cooke, ancl spent two or three sum mers upon it, but never remained during winter. This was be tween 1856 and 60. The sec ind actual settler was George Wooster, who located farther clown, the next Edward Cartwrigh who located farther up Elk Creek, at the head of it. The first set ler in Bennett Valley was W. H. H. Amidon, followed by Paul Smith, S. W. Bailey, Roderick J. Bailey, Squire Loomis, Theodore Lockwood and others. The Edes brothers held the Jan d on which Jos. Rast now resides long before they moved upon it. My first acquaintance with the surface of the town dates back to 1866-67, when I explored with the compass the eastern valleys. There were at that time but two Norwegian families about two miles ancl a haif to the north from Mr. Cooke's, John Paulsen and Ole Ever- son, and in Bennett Valley the Bartletts were the only family who lived above "Paul Smith, that is east of him. I remember also that when out surveying with John Hunner, jr., we met a caravan of Norwegian immigrants, who were clambering across the bluffs and hills with their wagons and cattle. About that time the Davis relationship, quite numerous, began settlements on Three Mile Creek. The town afterwards filled up rapidly and finally set up for separate existence. At present the population consists largely of Norwegians with a few Americans ancl others. VILLAGE OF FOUNTAIN CITY. The territory included in the corporate limits of the village is as follows: Township 19, Range 11: Sections 8, 16, 17, 21, .22 and 27 fractional on river ancl sloughs, 9, 10 ancl 15 entire. In making out this description I discovered that Sect. 27 of this township is not included in the map of Fountain City, nor in that of the Town of Buffalo. (See Atlas.) In writing the history of this village I propose- to follow the same rule, which I have in general observed in all local histories, not to repeat what has been before related. Fountain City, under its first name of Holmes' Landing, was certainly the place where 632 TOWNS. settlement and political organization of this county began, and up on which it was for some time concentrated. I think, however, that in previous chapters on Organization, Settlement, Pioneers, Manufactures, Education, Press, etc., I have related all that is interesting. Among those who arrived soon after the pioneers, whose biographies will be found in the proper chapter, John Adam Raetz was one of the first. He is still a resident of the corporation. He was born in Gondelsbeim, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and came to America in 1847, first settling in Stevenson Co., 111. He and his family landed on the 18th of May, 1851, at Wild's Landing, where now the stonehouse stands. For some time three families were crowded together until after some time they made a path to Holmes' Landing. He burnt the first lime at that place, which sold at $1.00 a barrel. At Holmes' Landing he lived together, or in the same house, with old man Peter Schank, and then made a settlement on what is now called Schumacher's Farm, where he built a small house in Oct. 1851, ancl passed a very severe winter. In the coming spring he lost all his cattle except two yoke of oxen, his money was gone, and with the exception of some thousands of fence rails and a few cords of wood, he had to relinquish his claim. Indians seem to have bothered them considerably, so that they were often scared, and many a night they could not go to bed. So far his own narrative. It strikes me as somewhat singular that not one of the early settlers still rem .lining in the place relates any thing of the Indian fight of which Hon. Augustus Finkelnburg gives such a vivid description in his centennial oration. I would not, of course, deny the truth of the story, and the informant of Mr. Finkelnburg may have drawn on his imagination, but it is also singular that even Thomas Randall in his History of the Chippewa Valley has little to say about the Indian fights and hostilities in the extensive region of which he treats. It must, however, be remembered that Sioux and Winnebagoes were quite near together in this neighborhood, and were as much at war as Sioux and Chippewas who lived further north. Adam Raetz was elected District Attorney at the election in November 1853, but it is reasonably certain that he never acted as such. It is impossible now to ascertain the precise time when every individual settler arrived, but of the eighteen men who voted at TOWNS. 633 the first election, the following fourteen were residents of Holmes' Landing at the time: John Buehler, Christ. Wenger, Caspar Wild, Andrew Barth, John Haeussinger, Jas. M. Pierce, Marvin Pierce, Adam Raetz, Henry Goerke, Adam Weber, Lawrence Dres- sendoerfer, Ulrich Kritzenthaler and Henry Funke. They must have arrived during 1851, '52 and '53, except those who were there before that time, for whom see Pioneers. The year 1854 witnessed the arrival of Ferdinand Fetter, who afterwards became a leading citizen of the county, Justice of the Peace, Clerk of Circuit Court, and County Judge. Tony Burk, who came up from Le Claire, Iowa, told me about Mr. Fetter, when he returned for his family. Henry Teckenburg, who established the first regular and properly equipped store, after having bought out the stock of Henry Goerke, came in the fall of 1853. Gottfried Huber kept saloon and tavern in 1855 and later, and was in1 1856 a Justice of the Peace. It takes everybody and everything to make the world, and it takes a great many to make even a village, and only very few of them will be afterwards remembered, and will remember much of their own life and circumstances during their young years, when they have grown old. The inquiries of the historian are sometimes baffled by this forgetfulness; some times, too, he grows cautious, and even suspicious, in listening to stories, which in fact, or at least in appearance, seem to contradict each other. The village proper was laid out as follows: Plat of Fountain City recorded Vol. 1, p. 121, May 5, 1855. Plat of Waumandee " " 1, p. 62, May 7, 1855. Goerke's Addition " " 1, p. 187, May 11, 1855. Pierce's " " " 1, p. 176, April 2, 1855. Truman's " " " 1, p. 155, April 18, 1855. Buehler's " " " 1, p. 177, Dec. 29, 1855. Patterson's " " " 4, p. 159, Jan. 27, 1858. Fountain City Lower Addition, recorded Vol. 4, page 138, Feb. 11, 1856. Bishop's Addition, recorded Vol. 4, p. 139, Jan. 1, 1858. Behlmer's " " " 15, p. 391, June 22, 1869. Barbara Fuch's Addition, rec. Vol. 27, p. 137, April 23, 1880. Some of these additions have been vacated, leaving however the more important ones still in force. The situation of Fountain 634 TOWNS. City is very similar to that of Alma, but more favorable in having at least in the upper part abetter chance for building ancl concentra tion, and in having numerous springs which issue out of the bluffs on the slope instead in the bed of the river. The valleys as well as the bluff lands adjoining the village are settled by farmers. I have in the chapter on Transportation called attention to the graded roads leading to different parts of the village. The village was, as long as it belonged to the town of Buffalo the natural cen ter of it. In the division of the town of Eagle Mills, Buffalo re ceived the greater part, because it was in the interest of Fountain City to control the roads over which the trade of the Waumandee Valley had to come to the place. The incorporation of the village disconnected the lower and the upper part, and the legislature of 1870 in granting the incorporation also reorganized the town of Milton and defined the limits of the town of Buffalo. A postoffice was established in the place in 1854 with Marvin Pierce as the first postmaster, who kept the office in Block 18, on lot 121. In the course of time the following gentlemen have held the office: M. Pierce, Henry Teckenburg, M. W. Hammann, F. Moeckel, R. W. Feigl, A. Finkelnburg, S. Karth, John Maurer, Tobias Voegele and the present postmaster J. B. Oenning. The postoffice is now, and has been for a long time, on lot 78, Block 11 in the center of the upper village. Before the construction of the Green Bay railroad Fountain City commanded the trade of the Waumandee, Montana, Glen coe, Cross, Milton, the southern part of Belvidere, and of Buffalo. Even from the town of Arcadia I remember to have seen farmers, who brought wheat and other products to Fountain City to market. The construction of that road and the inevitable boom of the new stations of Arcadia and Independence diverted much of the Mon tana, some of the Waumandee and all of the Glencoe trade in that direction at least for some time. The Burlington and Northern railroad put the place like Alma, on a new footing. The results of it can hot yet be positively stated. But so far the people have taken advantage of this new means of transportation and commu nication by establishing new enterprises, which may make good use of it, and which are more extensively mentioned in the chap ter on Manufactures. There is one institution located at Fountain City which is TOWNS. 635 ike a credit and an advantage to the citizens of the whole uinty, that is the Fountain City Mutual Farmers' Fire Insurance Company. Not having mentioned this company at any other place in ds history, I give here the report of the Secretary, furnished at iy urgent request, in full. The Fountain City Mutual Farmers' Fire Insurance Company •ganized May 16, 1874, with 27 members, who were then insured i the aggregate of $28,630.00. On that clay the first boaid of di- ictors were elected as follows: John B. Oenning, Conrad Ulrich, Richard R. Kempter, Mathias Dehr, Leonhard Fried, Carl Rieck, Nicholas Philippi, Fred Hoh- lann and J. J. Senn. This board of directors elected officers as follows: J. B. Oenning, President; Leonhard Fried, Treasurer; John J. ann, Secretary. Each of these officers occuj)ies the same position yet. The inual report of the Secretary shows the condition of the company i follows: Amount insured since organization $3,014,181.70. Amount of insurance in force on that date $1,403,451.00 Amount of losses paid since organization to that date L0,921.47, with 886 members at the close of the year 1886. The cost of insurance in this company averages since organi- ,tion about 15 cents per one hundred per annum. Its business is iread over the whole county ; it insures farm property of all de- riptions, except dwellings not provided with brick chimneys. ive stock is insured for every member in the whole county; that , wherever the insurance law of the state permits it; implements ieded away from the owner's farm are also insured everywhere. uildings are insured at two-thirds of their value; personal prop- ty at its value. When losses occur and the treasury is empty, i assessment is made, and nine such assessments have been made ace the day of organization. Aim and object of the company >pear from the above. Fountain City also has a well regulated fire department. is also the headquarters of an association for improvement of e breed of horses. This ought to have been mentioned in the lapter on Agriculture, but I am not informed about particulars. 636 Towns. There is one trait in the character of the people of Fountain City, which I can not leave unnoticed. Of course, the population, though mostly German by nationality, is composed of many ele ments, which do no more harmonize naturally than in other- places, nor, for aught I know, any less. But whenever any im provements or new new enterprises are suggested it is remarkable how soon the means are found. One cause of this, I think, lies in the fact that every one is requested to contribute and to be come a shareholder, even those who could contribute only their labor, so that all become interested. Socially the people of Fountain City also seem to agree very well, notwithstanding the presence of differences in politics, reli gion, and other accidental trifles, which are so often the cause of dissensions everywhere. TOWN OF GILMANTON. The territory of the Town of Gilmanton is described as Town ship 23, Range 11. It consists of the western parts of Elk Creek Valley, part of the Beef River Valley and the Gilman Valley. Tributary to the Elk Creek is Hadley Creek, which comes from the north-east part of the town and flows through a valley whose slope on the east side is gradual but rather abrupt on the west- side. Erskine Creek comes from the southern part and flows nearly north, Bailey Creek and O'Hara Creek flow in about the same direction, all these fall into Elk Creek below the mill-pond. The surface of the town is very variable. Some steep bluffs are in the southern part, hills in the central part, and bluffs again in the northern part of which a spur comes down towards Elk Creek, terminating in Mount Tom. The most prominent peak of the southern range, nearly detached from it, is Eagle Peak. Some of the soil is light and even sandy especially south of Elk Creek. On the westside of Beef River the country is rolling, rising, how ever, towards the north into steep bluffs. Almost all of the land is heavy clay loam ancl well suited for agricultural purposes. Gil manton is bounded by Mondovi on the North, Dover on the East, Alma and Lincoln on the South and Modena on the West. The valleys must have been very inviting to settlers, yet at a time, when Alma and Fountain City were already laid out, there was yet not a single settler in this town. The late Lyman J. Claflin more than once related in my presence, how he and one or two TOWNS. 637 companions, one of them Ezra Hutchinson, came from Beef River Station, now probably Osseo, went down Beef River Valley pros pecting for settlement, how they came down to the very spot where Mr. Claflin afterwards settled, without having had any thing to eat for two days and finally managed to get to Alma, and how glad they were to get under the hospitable roof and to the well supplied table of John R. Hurlburt, who had just begun to keep tavern in the old Alma, afterwards American, House. Mr. Claflin went to La Crosse and borrowed a compass, for which he paid one dollar per day, returning it after a use of five days. This was in June 1S55 at which time he and Ezra Hutchinson entered the first land on the eastside of Beef River. It appears that soon after Samuel Gilman and his four sons, Franklin, Edson, Andrew J. and Daniel, took up land in Sections 8 and 17 in the so-called Gilman valley, building cabins and cut ting hay for their stock. Philo Englesby settled in the fall of 1855 in what is called now Allen's Valley. In spring 1856 came with Mr. Claflin, who had returned East, the Vermonters, Wm. Loomis, Dan Loomis, Abijah P. Loomis, Ezra Hutchinson, W. H.H. Ami don, M. E. Ferry and T. C. Bailey, forming the so-called "Loomis Settlement," on the east side of Beef River. Chauncey W Rath- bun came about the same time, also Frank Hatschboth, settling in Gilman Valley. In June of that year the first child was born, Wealthy J. Rathbun, who grew up a lovely girl, and was married and died in the valley. The first religious meeting was held by Rev. B. F. Morse at the house of Mr. Rathbun. For schools see chapter on Educa tion. The first marriage was J. A. Bush and Almira Hatch in Spring 1857. Mrs. Bush died about two years after her marriage, and this was the first death. The town of Elk Creek was set off July 20, 1857, and then embraced Dover, Gilmanton, and the east half of Modena. The name was changed to Gilmanton May 25, 1858, and the part in Range 12 taken off Nov. 12, 1861. The mill was built 1861, for which see Manufactures, where some other re marks will be found. In 1862 the first volunteers went from Gil manton and the big scare on account of the Sioux outbreak in Minnesota led to the formation of a company of homeguards, Capt. Lyman Stiles, Ltnt. Judson Hutchinson. The scare soon subsided. 638 TOWNS. The post-office was established in 1858, with Wm. Loomis as the first postmaster. He kept the office at his house in Sect. 22, until 1865. It was then removed to the bouse of R. E. Fuller, who was postmaster until May 15th, 1866. Since then J. W. Howard is postmaster, and keeps the office as an annex to his store. There is a plat of what is usually called the "village" of Gil manton, formerly called "Mann's Mill." This plat was recorded in Vol. 33, page 247, June 9th, 1S76. In this village we find the mill, three common country stores, one drugstore, two blacksmith shops, one tavern, the school house and a church. The population of Gilmanton is American, some Scotch, and quite a few Germans. TOWN OF GLENCOE. The territory of Glencoe consists of Township 21, Range 10, and of Town 20, Range 10, the following sections 2, 3, S, 9 ancl 10 onTrempealeau River fractional, 4,5, 6 and 7 entire. The surface is very broken in all parts of tlie town, and contains a number of valleys of which the Muir Valley in the Eastern part has a length of over six miles with a number of side valleys in all of which we find streams. Muir Creek flows South into Trempealeau River. Cowie's Creek takes the same course, west of the former. Eagle Creek has its source in Sec. 31 and flows through Cross and Mil ton into the Waumandee Creek. Irish Creek has its sources in Sec. 17 ancl flows West into Waumandee Creek. The slopes are everywhere steep, but on the top of the bluffs there is a rolling woodland, which has in many places been cleared and is very well adapted for agriculture. The land in the valleys is rich and there is but very little poor farming land in the town. The town is bounded on the east by the town of Arcadia in Trempealeau Co., on the west by Waumandee and Cross, on the North by Montana, and on the south by Cross. The town was at first known as Cold Springs and was organized as such June Sth, 1857, but the name was changed to Glencoe in 1859, at the suggestion of Hon. Geo. Cowie who set tled in 1855 and still resides there. Until the organization of the town of Montana Township 22, Range 10, also belonged to Glencoe. The first settier was Patrick Mulcare who came in 1854; he is now clead. In 1855 George Cowie and Jas. Faulds, sen., arrived. Henry Wirtemberger also* arrived in 1S55. James Faulds jr., William Muir, David J. Davis anrl J. P. Fernholz came and com- TOWNS. 639 menced improvements in 1856, Thomas Courtney ancl Andrew Cashel in 1857. The first marriage was that of William Ashton to Elizabeth Faulds solemnized by Andrew Baertsch, then a Justice of the Peace. The first child born in the town was George M., son of George and M.u'gareth Cowie. This was Oct. 10, J 856. The first death was that of Mrs. Cashel, wife of Andrew Cashel. The town of Glencoe is, as remarked in the chapter on Transportation, remarkable for its graded roads, of which it had the first, and has now the most of any town iu the county. At first the trade of Glencoe was mostly with Fountain City, but since the building of the Green Bay railroad Arcadia affords the most convenient market. A postoffice was established in the town of Glencoe Sept. 4th, 1858 with Geo. Cowie as postmaster, which office he held until Nov. 1SS5, when he resigned. After some time of interruption J. J. Smith was appointed, who on his removal from town left it to his brother Phil. Smith. The population of Glencoe consists of Germans, Scotch and Irish. In regard to schools and churches see the chapters on Ed ucation and Religion. TOWN OF LINCOLN, The following is a description of the land in the town: Township 21: Sections 4, 5, 8, 7, W I and N £ and SW £ of NE £ of 8, and N £ of NW £ of 18 of Range 11. Sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of Range 12. Township 22: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, S £ 7, S £ and NE £ 8, 9, W £ and W £ of E £ ancl NE 1 of NE I of 10, N £ of NW £ 11, SW i of S W £ 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, NW £ of NW £ of SW £ 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, N £ and SW £ of NW £ 34 of Range 11. Sections 25 and 36 and some forties in 24. A mistake about some forties is possible, since I did not keep informed precisely as to any alterations except the last. The town of Lincoln is of such an irregular shape, as to occasion questions about it, but those who have seen the country, readily understand that it was intended to give the town the command, and care of such roads as by necessity the inhabitants have to travel in going to their customary markets and about other business. The town is bounded on the north by Gilmanton and Alma, on the west by 640 TOWNS. Alma and Belvidere, on the south by Belvidere and Waumandee, on the east by Waumandee and Montana. The town of Lincoln was the last town organized in this county up to present time. It was set off at the annual meeting of the county board in 1871 and named for President Lincoln at the sug gestion of Charles Jahn. It consists of parts of Waumandee, Belvidere and Montana, the two sections, 25 ancl 36 in Range 12 having also at the time belonged to Waumandee. The surface is hilly and the principal part of the town consists of the main and tributary valleys of Little Waumandee Creek, which are described in Topography. The first settlers within the limits of the present town were Henry Mueller and Mathias Profitlich who came in 1853. The following year Jacob and Anton Fink, Andrew Hueller and Franz Theodore Schaaf came directly from the Rhine country. In 1855 Franz Jahn, Gustav A. Kretschmer, Franz Ginzkey, Fred Schmidt, Christian Schoepp, sr., and Fred Schaub arrived. Fred Zirzow, Joseph Hohaus, Jacob Braem, Joseph, Charles and Wil liam Jahn, and George Goll came in 1856. The first marriage was that of Gustav A. Kretschmer to Sophia Ginzkey, who were married at Fountain City by Marvin Pierce, then County Judge. The first birth was a son of Franz and Theresa Jahn. The first death was that of Jacob Fink, who was killed by a falling tree on his farm. There were once two jiostoffices in the town, one at the Lin coln House, kept by G. A. Kretschmer, and one in the upper part of.the valley, kept by Henry Haunschild. Both are now aban doned. The town contains ftwo taverns, one shoeshop and one blacksmitbshop. In regard to schools, churches and the mill see the chapters on Education, Religion and Manufactures. The pop ulation is at present entirely German, with the exception of John Haigh, the first, and also the present chairman. He is an Eng lishman. TOWN OF MAXVILLE. The territory of the town of Maxville consists of Township 24, Range 13 and of that part of Township 24, Range 14 which lies on the east, side of Chippewa River. The course of Chippewa River and Beef Slough has been so extensively described, that a repeti tion would only be tedious. The town also contained some times the much discussed and disputed " Mile Strip " 'that is the north- TOWNS. 641 ern tier of Sections in Township 23, Ranges 13 and 14, about 8 square miles, but this bone of contention has been at the last meet ing of the county board of supervisors returned to the town of Nelson, and may be left out of tbe description of this town. The surface is hilly in range 13, the few sections on the prairie do not materially change the character. Range 14 consists largely of swampland or overflowed lands and some meadows. The prairie is sandy as is also the main part of Spring Creek Valley. Bluff- lands, and side valleys are usually of a good quality of soil. The settlement of Maxville was not very early in the history of this county, although the prairies formerly had a very inviting appearance. In 1855 William Bean, John Lafferty, Geo. King, Abbott Reed, Michael Aaron and Rev. Edward Doughty came to settle. The following year Barney McDonough, William Allison, Jas. Mair and Herman Fuller came, but the most promising ar rival was that of Coleman and Maxvell in 1857, with cattle, horses and household goods. They were deceived by the- blooming ap pearance of the prairie, its easy cultivation, and for a few years, abundant crops. The town of Bloomington was set off from Bear Creek at the same time with Nelson July 20, 1857 and organized at the next town election. At the annual meeting of the county- board in 1858 the name was changed to Maxville as a compliment to Mr. Maxvell. Joe Scafe was then living at the place now owned and occupied by Barney McDonough. Some pretended to him that they could not spell the name of the town. Joe was ready for them. It is spelled with a hem, a hai, a hex, a ve, a hi, a double hell and he. He was English, you know! He lives now in Missouri. After a while the prairie was exhausted, and Cole man and a number of others left in course of time, but in about the same measure as the prairie became deserted, the bluffs be came cleared and cultivated. Barney McDonough and some of Wm. Allison's family are still residents. Of old settlers I may mention Johnson, Yarrington, Jas. B. Green and others, also J. B. Mace, Morrris Powers, the Carrolls in Mosquito Hollow on the other side of the bluffs etc. Some few remain, others have taken the places of those who left. There was once a postoffice on the prairie, near the schoolhouse of District No. 1, and once there also was a good country store. Both are things of the past. The pop- lation is American and Irish, The northern part of the town is 642 TOWNS. not very far from Durand, Pepin Co., and does its trading there, where they also have their postoffice. The southern end is adja cent to Little Bear Creek, and trades at Misha Mokwa, Nelson and some times at Wabasha. TOWN OF MILTON. The original town of Milton was laid out July 20, 1857, and was much larger than the present one. In May 1858 the name was changed into Eagle Mills, a cheap advertisement of Fetter's and Mehrmann's mill, or perhaps because this mill and the dam necessary for the mill, and at the same time a highway, caused so much noise and contention. This con tant drain on the county treasury and consequent dissatisfaction finally resulted in the vacation and distribution of the town of Eagle Mills, in which the Town of Waumandee received the northern part, that of Buffalo the remainder. All this is, however, sufficiently explained in the chapter on Organization. When the village of Fountain City was incorporated the town of Milton was reorganized, embracing, how ever, only those parts which had fallen to Buffalo in the distribu tion above mentioned. These are described as follows: Range 11 : Sections 4, 5, 6, fract- parts of 7 and 8, also N £ of NE£ 8, NW £ of N W £ 9, of Township 19. Sections S £ 16, S £ 17, S £ 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 of Township 20. Range 12: Sections 1, 2 and 12 all fractional of Township 19. Sections S £ 13, S £ 14, fiact. 20, 21, 22,^23, 24, 25, 26, fract. 27, fr. 28, fr. 33, fr. 34, fr. 35 and fr. 36 of Township 20. The western part is level and swampy, the soil sand with a shallow layer of arable earth, the eastern and southern part is hilly and contains the lower parts of the valleys of the Wauman dee Creek and of Eagle Creek, containing a notable portion of swampy meadows, but good soil on the slopes and on top of the bluffs. Adam Weber, one of the pioneers, settled finally in 1853 at the entrance of Eagle Creek Valley, Michael Obermeier in the same year north of him. Soon after and before 1856, Benedict Haney, Henry Kessler, sen., Jacob Blum, Sebastian Klett and Ludwig Moehlenpah came. The brothers Kammueller must have been among the earlier settlers. Carl Rieck and family came Oct. 1855 and so the town filled up. The first election in the original town was held in 1858 in the house of Fred. Binder, resulting in TOWNS. 643 election of Ferd. Fetter for chairman and Fred. Binder for clerk. There never was a postoffice in this town. Regarding the mill, see chapter on Manufactures, regarding first school see Education. The population of Milton is all German. TOWN OF MODENA. The description of tbe Town of Modena is Township 23 of Range 12. The surface is hilly with the exception of some small parts in the western boundary line. The same parts are also sandy, while valleys as well as the surface of the bluffs consist of excellent agricultural lands. The town was set off at the annual meeting of the county board in 1861 and organized next spring. The land had previously belonged to two adjoining towns, the east half to Gilmanton, the west half to Nelson, which now are situated as described. On the north is Canton, on the south Alma. The settlement of this town was somewhat delayed in comparison with adjacent towns and the first was made by Wm. Odell sr., and bis sons. David White and Wm. Odell jr., in 1858. The following year J.W. McKay settled, Fred. Sisson, and R. P. Goddard came in 1860, David Lamphers, Thomas Shane, probably Orlando Brown and others came in 1861 or settled in Brown's Valley at that time. But the great influx of population was about and after the pas sage ofthe homestead act, which was taken advantage of by differ ent people, especially by Norwegians in the western half of the town. A postoffice was established in 1863, ancl was kept on what is called the Carpenter place, then belonging to Benjamin F. Babcock, the first postmaster. The office was since that time held by B. F. Babcock, O. Brown, E. P. Sweet, W. H. Dunham, L. Hanan, E. J. Carpenter, B. F. Babcock again, Miss M. Babcock, M. N. Goddard, Chas. Ducklow and now is held by N. J. Canar at his house. There is something like a village in Section 23, not, of course, incorporated, nor regularly laid out, containing stores, schoolhouse, two blacksmithshops, the mill etc. and also, the postoffice. The plat is not recorded, but is in the Atlas. There is another post- office in this town called Urne and situated on .Section 6 which was established 1872 for the accommodation of the people of the upper valleys of Little Bear Creek. The postmasters of that office are named in the table in the chapter on transportation. With regard to first school, the mill, religious societies etc. see the pro- 644 TOWNS. per chapters. The population of the town consists of a majority of Norwegians, a considerable number of Americans and some Germans. The trade of this town is yet largely with Alma to which place the road is mostly level. TOWN OF MONDOVI. The territory of the town of Mondovi is Township 24 of Range 11. It is bounded onthe north by the town of Albany in Pepin Co., on the east by Naples, on the south by Gilmanton ancl on the west by Canton. Beef River flows through Section 13 in a western, through Section 14 in southwestern and through other sections in a generally almost southern direction. The northern part is comparatively level and adjoins the valley of Big Bear Creek. From the hills of this plain and those in the town of Albany flow some streams which form what has been named Far rington's Creek. From the heights in the southern part of the town Dillon's Creek flows toward Beef River. The soil in the corner between this latter creek and the river is largely sandy up to the foot of the hills and there is some* sandy land west of the village near the river, but otherwise the land is of as good quality as in most towns. The southwestern part of the town is very hilly, with many valleys between the bluffs. The original town of Naples, of which Mondovi is the western part was set off in the shape it had for so long a time on the 20th day of March 1857, and in 1881 at the annual meeting of the county board the separation of the two towns into Mondovi and Naples was resolved upon. The first settlers in this town came in 1855 and were H. P. L. D. and P. Farrington, Wm. Van Waters, Thos. Glasspool and Harvey Brown. Rev. B. F. Morse came in 1856. Luther Eager and family came the same year, also John Callahan. At the first election Orlando Brown was chosen chairman, Harvey Brown town clerk, J. W. Bump treasurer and L. D. Farrington assessor. It must be remembered that at this election, and only this, the town of Naples consisted of Townships 23 and 24 Ranges 10 and ll and that Hon. 0. Brown then lived in Township 23 R. 11. There were only 19 votes at this election, which does not seem to indicate a very dense population for such a large town. The first marriage was that of Mr. and Mrs. Billings and the knot was tied TOWNS. 645 by Rev. B. F. Morse in a shanty belonging to John Callahan. The first child was born in 1856; his name is John Gifford. The village of Mondovi is laid out about the corner of Sec. 11, 12, 13 and 14 and the plat recorded in Vol. 4, page 560, May 17, 1859. It is situated upon a level plateau, perhaps fifty feet above the surface of Beef River. It has a very handsome situation and contains numerous stores, two hotels, three churches, a handsome schoolbuilding, two mills, one newspaper etc. Of the churches I have given a lengthy history in the chapter on Religion; the mills are mentioned in the chapter on Manufactures. The village has, according to the census- of 1885, 340 inhabitants almost exclusively Americans from the New England and other eastern states. Some vears ago, especially before the construction of the Chippewa Valley railroad, the trade of this region was principally tributary to Alma, as present but very little of it, if any, goes in that direc tion. Eau Claire ancl Chippewa Falls furnished always a very good market for cattle, hogs, eggs and butter and do so yet, though somewhat divided with Durand as a nearer shipping place. The population outside of the village is mostly American in the neighborhood of the village, but largely Norwegian in the southwest part of the town. There are also a number of Irish families in different parts of the town. TOWN OF MONTANA. The town of Montana contains the following land: Township 22, Range 10, with the possible exception of two forties in Section 6, adjacent to the town of Lincoln. Township 22, Range 11: Sections E£ SEI arid SE£ of NE £ 10, 11 except N £ of NW £, 12, 13, 14 except SW £ of SW £, 23 except NW 1 of NW £ of SW £, 24, 25, 34 except N £ and SW £ of NW 1,35 and 36. The surface of the town is very rugged, but Bull's Valley and its continuation southwards along Waumandee Creek are wide, and most of Danuser's Valley is also wide, while the side valleys are located between steep bluffs, the northern range of which divides the Elk Creek Valley from Bull's Valley oi rather the upper valley of Waumandee Creek. The eastside of the town be longs to the basin of Trempealeau River. There are numerous swampy places along those creeks that cannot be used for any thing but meadows. The land which admits of profitable tillage 616 TOWNS. in the valleys as well as on the bluff, is of good quality. Mon tana is bounded on the north by Dover, on the east by the town of Burnside in Trempealeau County, on the south by Glencoe and Waumandee, on the west by Lincoln. The first settlers within the limits of the town were in that part which is in Range 11 and formerly belonged to Waumandee. The families of Ulrich Von Wald and Christ Kindschy sen., were the first, and came in !856, also August Helwig, ancl they settled on adjoining sections. They were for two years the only settlers. A Mr. Bull settled at the entrance ofthe valley which wis named after him. His place was on the turn of the old state road westwards. John Bugbee w7as for a long time the only -settler in Bull's Valley, but as he went to the war in 1861, 1 can not say whether he settled before or after that. In Danuser's Valley Conrad Christ and Andrew Florin set tled in 185S, Florian Schneller and Balthasar Carish in 1S59. A Frederick Schmidt also settled there, receiving from a small tamarack swamp near his residence the sobriquet of Tamarack Schmidt. At the time when I first got acquainted with that neighborhood Florian Danuser, Thomas Gasser, J. G. Senty, George, John and Leonhard Flury, Martin Nick, Wm. Pieper, Carl Koenig, Gregory Ripley, Geo. Dascher, John Durisch, Christ. Veraguth and others were all living in Danuser Valley or some side valleys, but Bugbee was still alone in Bull's Valley. Henry Wiemer, Carl Herzfeld and the brothers Henry and Ludwig Pabe were the first residents beyond the mountains. This was as late as 1866. So far the eastern part still belonged to Glencoe, the west ern to Waumandee. On the Sth of July 1867 the new town of Montana was set off, and organized 1858 at the town meeting held in the log school- house on Danuser's land, Peter Theissen was elected chairman and J. P. Remich clerk. Both of them had come but the year before and hailed from the eastern part of Wisconsin. Before that time Caspar Meili, sen., Math. Hansen, Caspar Rupp, Michael Gebus ancl Jacob Weisenberger and Fred Zeller had been settlers for some time. The railroad land in the town had become open to entry and homesteads were taken up rapidly, so that in a s.iort time the town was well peopled. The first marriages in town were Conrad Christ to Maggie Florin and Andrew Florin to Susanna Schamann. Ferdinand TOWNS. 647 Hellmann, Justice of the Peace, performed the ceremonies on the same day and place. The first child born in the town was George Kindschy, son of Christ, and Elizabeth Kindschy. About schools, churches, etc., see the appropriate chapters. A postoffice was established in 1870. The first postmaster was Fred Zeller, after him Christ. Kindschy, jr., John Kindschy, John Meuli, Aug, Hel wig, jr., and Mrs. C. Walker. The population of Montana is mostly German, with some few Irish, Norwegians and Poles. TOWN OF NAPLES. The Town of Naples is contained in Township 24, Range 10. It is in the northeast corner of the county, ancl bounded on the north by the town of Drammen in Eau Claire Co., on the east by the town of Albion in Trempealeau Co., on the south by Dover, on the west by Mondovi. The surface of the town is hilly along the southern boundary and these hills or bluffs send their spurs northwards towards Beef River, where they are rounded off, and the valleys between them shallow ancl wide. Along the northern boundary tbe hills are continuous and one spur extends to the neighborhood of Mondovi. Between this spur and the higher bluffs Bond's Valley is situated, which extends partly into the town of Mondovi. Along Beef River, more or less on both sides sandy plains extend, among the hills there is some swampy land, and the soil is only in a few places rich. The present town of Naples is the eastern half of the old town of that name, from which the town of Mondovi was separated by a resolution of the countyboard at its annual meeting in 1881. By its organization at the town meeting in spring 1882 the new town with its old name went into its independent existence. The first chairman was Henry Adams, the first clerk L. A. Merritt. The settlement of the town began at about the same time as that of Mondovi. Henry Adams came in 1855 ancl returned to settle in 1356- John LeGore also came in 1855. They were for some time almost the only settlers east of Mondovi and south of Beef River. Both are yet living in the town. It is unfortunate, that there are no more autiientic reports about other settlers, of whom many may have come soon after the above. In the absence of these reports I can only give the names of those whom I know by report to have been there a long time. Among them are John Pace, Obed Hilliard, M- S. Merritt, L. A. Merritt, Alexander 648 TOWNS. Harvey, Joseph Bond, W. B. Rowe, H. Knapp, S. E. Hawscome, Adam Alt, J. E. Rosman and others, who came at different times. From the great number of Norwegians in the town, most of whom weut on homesteads, it may be concluded that before 1863 the population was not very numerous. Most of the earliest settlers were Americans. With regard to schools, churches etc. see the chapters on Education, Religion, Agriculture etc. -TOWN OF NELSON. In the town of Nelson we find the following land: 1. All of the fractional Township 22, Range 13, from section 1 to 24, as far as the sections exist. 2. The whole Township 22, Range 14, of which th-'re are but few sections, mostly fractional. 3. All of Township 23, Range 13. 4. All of Township 23, Range 14, that is situated east of the Chippewa River, The eastern half of the town, and almost all of Township 23, Range 13, is very hilly, with deep valleys, frpm which Trout Creek flows to Beef River, the other Creeks flow partly to Beef Slough, partly to Little Bear Creek. The western part, though level, is mostly swamp land, through which Beef Slough and its many ramifications extend. In Township 23, Range 14, there is a strip of sandy land, which is high above the slough and between it and the hills. Bluff lands ancl valleys show the same character as elsewhere in the county, but there is quite a considerable area of woodland in the town. The town of Nelson was established in July 1857, probably in about the same shape and extent which it now has, except that the western half of the present town of Modena also belonged to it. The northern mile strip, as it is now called, seems to have been apportioned to Maxville, but was added to Nelson in 1867, separated from it again in 1883, and returned to Nelson by a reso lution of the county board at its last annual session. The town is bounded on the west by the Chippewa and Mississippi Rivers, on the south by the city and the town of Alma, on the east by the towns of Alma and Modena, on the north by the town of Maxville. It is the largest town in the county. Settlements of a desultory kind were probably commenced early along the Mississippi and possibly on the Chippewa, but the first settler of whom we know is Madison Wright, who came in 1848 and about whom see chap ter on Pioneers. Next after him came Christian Schaeublin prob ably in 1851.' From a statement of Mr. W. H. Gates it appears TOWNS. 649 that in 1852 he came to Nelson's Landing, but settled in Alma 1855. The greater part of the early settlers came in 1855 among them Hon. J. L. Hallock, Hon. John Burgess, Andrew Dewitt, Ira Lawrence, Hartman Kohlhepp, Peter Mathew. In the follow ing year Erick Alma, Ole Hanson, John Christenson, Wilson Crip pin and others began settlement; in 1857 J S. DeGroff, Luther Hewitt, Archibald Bell and H. H. Hurlburt, and others. After this period it would be tedious to enumerate all the new arrivals, but a good number of them will be found in the lists of early settlers. The first birth is said to have been a child of Christian and Barbara Schaeublin. The earliest marriage on record to have been solemnized by Wilson Crippin, Esq., was that of Henry Case to Mary Gumbert Nov. 24, 1857, which would precede that of E. A. Warner and Mrs. Dickens by some weeks or months. Among the first deaths was a daughter of Ira Lawrence, who died of the bite of a rattlesnake. The first election was held at the house of E. A. Warner on Sec. 8, T. 22, R. 13. There were only eight votes, and Wilson Crippin was elected chairman, John Burgess clerk and treasurer; this was in 1858. One ofthe most influential men of the town, though not one of the earliest settlers was Alexander Swim, a native of Illinois, who lived on the land afterwards owned and oc cupied by Isaac Butler. There are at present two postoffices in the town, Nelson and Misha Mokwa. The exact date of the establishment of Nelson post office I was unable to to learn, but as E. A. Warner was the first postmaster, it was not established before 1858 as he had come but a short time before. Nor can I give the exact date when it was transferred to Ed.Giebel, who at that time kept store near the old Farmers' Home Tavern. J. F. Butler, the present postmaster, was appointed July 28, 1886. The office is now kept in the village of Fairview near the railroad station of Nelson. Misha Mokwa postoffice was established in 1871. Jas. W. Kelly was the first postmaster. After him the following gentlemen succeeded each other in the office: J. K. Latschaw, Robert Aitkin, J. B. Green, Jas, Imrie, Allen H. DeGroff and Wm. Chafee, who was'appointed March 15, 1887. The office is kept in the village 650 TOWNS. of Misha Mokwa, of which the plat was recorded April 10. 1873 in Vol. 20, page 22. Besides this village there are now two others laid cut in this town besides an addition. The first in point of time is Fairview, about half a mile northwest of Nelson station, the plat of which was recorded Sept. 5, 1884, in Vol. 33, page. Smeltzer's Addition to this was recorded April 20, 1886 in Vol. 33, page 592. The Village of Nelson is laid out adjacent to the station of the Burlington and Northern railroad. Misha Mokwa contains a gristmill, one store and one hotel besides other houses. Fairview has several saloons, one store and one blacksmith shop, Nelson one store, one hotel and two saloons, besides warehouses, depot, coal- magazine, and, I think, the schoolhouse of Dist. No. 5 and a Cath olic church, which is not yet completed. The plat of Nelson was recorded in Vol. 33, page 617,Ju ne 3, 1886. The population of this town is very much mixed, but Germans and Norwegians constitute the majority of it, with the rest Americans, and some Scotch. TOWN OF WAUMANDEE. The territory constituting the present town of Waumandee is described as follows: Township 20: Sections W £ 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, W £ 9, N 18, N£ 17, NW £ 16 of Range 11. Sections 1, E £ 2, 12 and N £ 13 of Range 12. Township 21: Sections 1, 2, 3, E h 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 except N £ NW £, and thence all to 36 in Range 11. Sections SE £ of SE £ 13, 24, 25 and 36 in Range 12. Before the formation of the towns of Montana in 1867 and Lincoln in 1871, the town of Waumandee embraced the Town ships 21 and 22 of Range 11 with the eastern tier of sections in T. 21, R. 12 except Sec 13, and also Sec. 25 and 36 of T. 22, R. 12. The two entire townships constituted the original town, the sec tions on the west were annexed in the course of settlement in order to afford settlers communications on legal roads, which could not but lead into Little Waumandee Valley or telse in the direc tion to the main Waumandee Valley road. The northwest part of T. 22, R. 11, lay across the bluffs in Hutchinson Valley and Sec. TOWNS. 651 6 and 6 were annexed to Alma, for similar reasons, as the sections on the east side of Belvidere had been annexed to Waumandee in former times. In the organization of the above named towns the northern township has been entirely taken away, but at the discontinuance of the town of Eagle Mills the parts in township 20 were added and retained at the reorganization of the town of Milton in 1870 by the legislature. The cause of this is stated in the chapter on Organization. Bluffs and valleys are described in •Topography, but it is to be remarked that it. is principally the lower course of the two Waumandee Creeks, which lies within the limits of the present town. The land in the immediate neighbor hood of the creeks is frequently smampy though at present less so than formerly. Most of the soil in the valleys is excellent and ;as the valleys constitute the greater part of the town, it may by rights be said that in regard to agriculture this town ranks first ;of all towns of the county. A few farms within the limits of this =town are on Bluffs principally in the southern and southeastern Ipart of Township 21. They are of the usual quality of bluff lands. IWood is comparatively scarce within the town, but certainly not as much as in some towns farther north. Settlements within the town in its former extension began in 1853 with Henry Mueller and M. Profitlich, but in 1854 the first settlers began work in the Big Waumandee Valley. Theodore Meuli seems to have been the first to build on the place now occu pied by the family of J. C. Ganz. A few months later J. P. Runkel ^settled on his place and Ulrich Knecht in the same neighborhood Mso J. H. Manz. Robert Henry settled on Scotch Prairie, Carl Suhr and Fred. Schoepp in T. 20. It is possible that John Brin- ^golf came the same year- The following year Conrad Ulrich and his brother George and their brother-in-law John Schmidt, settled in the town, also John Kirchner and family, and Herman and Julius Altmann, Peter Tierney, Mathias Waters, M. Milan, and ^JohnMaurer and perhaps Christian Schoepp, sen., and family, also Robert Krause. I think Jacob Angst, sen., and family came also in that year. In 1856 John Benston, Adam Klingel, Christ. |Mosimann, sen., John Richtmann, Chas. Hohmann, Henry Waelty, John Ochsner, Jacob Wirth and John Oertly. The latter settled in T. 22. In 1857 Robert Keith settled with a numerous family on Section 25, T. 21, R. 12, Jacob Hauert about half a mile south- 652 TOWNS. west of him, John Neukomm in Schoepp's Valley, J. C. Ganz on Theodore Meuli's place, Mordecai Johnson on the bluff and Fred. Morgan in Eagle Valley, Peter Ruf in Little Waumandee, Zacha rias Thaldorf in Oak Valley. Michael Sendelbach, Aug. Karnath and John Farner also came. In 1858 John Baer may have come to Waumandee, but I remember of his having in 1859 a small clearing just north of the line of Buffalo City on the slough, where he lived. Wm. Thompson came the same year, John Turton the next, also Conrad Ochsner and Wm. Heyden. To enumerate later arrivals would make this sketch tedious. The first birth was John Tierney a son of Peter Tierney. He was born Jan. 25, 1856. John Waters makes the same claim. The first marriage was that of Herman Altmann to Caroline Kirch ner in 1855. The deata of Joseph Knecht occurred in the same year, so the Atlas says. At the first election Robert Henry was elected chairman and town superintendent and Levi Card town clerk. At that time there was no mill in operation in this valley or neighborhood and the earliest settlers were obliged to go to Rol- lingstone to get their grain reduced to flour. That they also had to get groceries and other necessary things in Fountain City or Alma was a matter of course. In 1862 Caspar Schmitz and his wife, now Mrs. Bach, came to the Big Waumandee ancl began to keep store and saloon near the Catholic Chur-ch, and things began to assume an air of civilization. The organization of the town was begun by a resolution of the county board March 13th, 1856 and perfected at the election a few weeks afterwards. It filled up rap idly and about 1870-80 could boast of two stores, two taverns, sev eral blacksmith shops in different parts etc. These were the flush times when crops were large and prices good. But though crops are not so abundant as in those times, farming is still remunerat ive in the town, only it is more diversified. There are two post offices in this town, Waumandee and An chorage. Waumandee postoffice was established in 1857. J. H. Manz was the first postmaster and held the office until 1865 when he turned it over to John Kirchner, who in turn was followed in 1871 by his son Charles Kirchner, the present postmaster. An chorage postoffice was established Feb, 12, 1868. Hon. Robert TOWNS. 653 Henry was the first and is the present postmaster, having served now nearly twenty years. A village plat of Waumandee is recorded in Vol. 20, page 120, which was done June 27th, 1871. Concerning schools, churches, mills, roads and other things see the chapters on Education, Religion, Manufactures, Agricul ture, Transportation etc. Conclusion. The history of each town is, as I am well aware rather short, and may to some people be unsatisfactory. But, after having treated elaborately of the county as a unit, I could afford to be short in regard to separate towns. Errors and ommissions may also be detected, but for some of them corrections may be found in the " List of Early Settlers," in the lists of " Soldiers," and some seeming contradictions may without much trouble be rectified by slight allowances one way or the other. It is impossible to men- tien every one, and some have perhaps been omitted, because I was afraid of falling into errors in regard to them. The reader will find that on the whole I have endeavored to be as impartial as possible. This is one of the reasons why the histories of the sep arate towns were made so short. From some of the towns very little information was furnished to me, but if I had made the history of one town so much longer than that of others, there would have been some of the citizens of the seemingly neglected towns who would have ascribed the dif ference to partiality. Little as I am influenced by clamors of that sort, I wanted to remove the cause for it. In the compilation of these histories I have now and then been obliged to consult the AtlaB of Buffalo County on historical points but have done so re luctantly. I hsrve characterized the kind of information in the Atlas as well as the History of Northern Wisconsin before, as col lected by strangers and often of persons who overlooked the fact that their own knowledge was only traditional. Experience has taught me a lesson, during the compilation of this book, a lesson of caution, which increased my natural disposition to criticism, not for the purposes of rebuke and punishment but for the single and superior interest of truth. 654 REMARKS ON MAP. REMARKS ON MAP. The map of Buffalo County annexed to this book is intended to show the general features, especially the creeks and rivers. The boundaries of the towns are incidentally introduced as well as the names. The numbers of the sections have been omitted so as not to crowd or darken it. Those who have been living here for some time must be supposed to have some understanding of the ar rangement of sections in a township, and also of the relations of townships and ranges to each other. For these the explanations in the chapter on Topography is certainly sufficient. The num bers of ranges will be found on the top, along the northern boun dary line, those of townships on the right hand, partly close to the eastern boundary. The lines indicating railroads were only in tended to give the approximate situation, since in a map on so small a scale much more could not be expected. The boundary lines are indicated by lines consisting of dashes and dots between them. Latitude and longitude are indicated according to the statements in "Topography." The County Board of Supervisors of this county has, on ap plication of a majority of residents, restored the much discussed Mile Strip, that is the northern tier of Sections in the Township 23 of ranges 13 and 14 to the town of Nelson, so that now the boundary line, indicated by dots and dashes, should be one mile north of where it is indicated on the map. This change could not be foreseen at the time when the map was made or when it was printed. I had not even a suspicion of it, or I might have taken courage to effect it on paper at once. I may be permitted to give a hint to those who may wish the lines of town boundaries a little more conspicuous. One way of making them so is to follow them with red ink, filling the spaces between dots and dashes; another way is to follow them with dry colors in pencils red, blue etc., those, who understand the appli cation of them, will use water colors. ERRATA. 855 ERRATA. It seems impossible to get any book printed without some er rors of the typographical kind, especially if the author is not pres ent to supervise the proof-reading personally. But in nothing is the occurrence of such errors more annoying than in the misspell ing of the names of persons. So, for instance, I find the name of Fred. Laue in almost every place where it occurs, perverted into Lane. Having, with the exception of only a few sheets, written all the manuscript with my own hand, and having revised every chapter twice ancl often three times, and being conscious of writ ing unusually plain, I am disposed to charge all errors of the kind named to the printers, and request the readers to do the same, and he may be assured to do no wrong. In the following list of errors I have collected only such as might pervert the meaning or inten tion of what I wished to say, and what I have written. Consider ing the circumstances and the number of pages in the book I think yet that the number of " Errata " is not too large, but wish it were smaller. a after the number of lines means from above; b means from below. READ rounded Schachner's corner , Laue's or Tiliaceas Tilia Plantaginaceae -. Cynoglossum convent Rock River Brebeuf paint or the quarrel "in power, and the one" is to to be inserted after the word -'party" pioneers patent counties, . ¦ genus C. H. ancl asterisk are not wanted L. Kessinger 1881 Geo. Schmidt 1886 men in it INSTEAD OF sanded , Schachuer's comes Lane's , of Filiacese Filia Plantiganacea? Cynolossum . convict Black River Bribeuf point as tha quarral prisoners potent committe game L. Kessinger 1871 - Geo. Schmidt 1876 men it Page. Line 23 11 11 384156566062 91 144112 118121 129 139168187 275286291297321 321 352 11 a 24 b 7b 16 a 7a 25 a 4a9b7a 13 a 15 a 16 a 4b7a5 a 17 b 11a 18 a 656 ERRATA. READ Deetz Fred. Laue W. Laue do permanent since became Volksblatt Faedrelandet for it Keckefoot. . .". Schamaun Xaver Bollinger Bodmer those persons Street Goll Doelle Brenner Hemrich, J. M Hemrich, John Ehing Hovland John A. Tester laboring I Edward Cartwright . INSTEAD OF Dutz Fred Lane F. Lane do. perminent eince become Volksblat : - Fardrelandet forit Keckeforth Schamann Haver Bullinger Badmer those, who are those persons. Streen Gall Doelb Bremer Heinrich, J. M Heinrich, John Elima Hooland Jonn A. Tester bo-ring 1 Cartwrigh... Page, 334353 406 406452455457 460 460475487 487 488 491492519493 521528553564564580582614624625 631 Line. Ha 9b 5& b lb 6b4b6 b 8a 12 a 4b No.65No.68 No.96 No 168 No 186 1.16 b No 198 M S Co. L fo. I 19 a lb 12 b Correction to Transportation p. 336. The Chippewa Valley R. R. does not not belong to the Mil waukee and Omaha but to the Milwaukee and St. Paul Company. Correction to Soldiers. Seventh Regiment of Infantry Company H. John Rosenow. Additions: Christian Wenger (see page 232) died on his farm m the town of Alma on the 7th day of December 1887, nearly 72 years of age. Addition to City of Buffalo, page 626: The postoffice in Buffalo City was established March 1858, with Chas. Schaettle, sen., as the first postmaster. The mail wa, carried by Caspar Huber, once a week, on foot, or in a skiff to and from Fountain City until regular service upon the route was instituted, which was probably in 1860. The subsequent postmasters were: C. F. Klein, Julius Brandecker, Aug. Gebhardt, John A. Stein and Nic. Weinandy the present postmaster. A. j "•? 0) Si ** ^H-* ^ £ ^ ^ ci =5 4* Co 3 ** § h b SS ¦£ S*