Buffalo County, Wisconsin - The whole text, 1888 (part 12 of 13)

List Of Early Settlers

Robert Krause: The only settlers (in Waumandee) were the two Altmann, Chas. Hohinann, John Kirchner, John Bringolf, MeuU's family Vou Wald and Kindschy. (1855). John C. Richtniann, J. P. Runkel, Levi Card, Ulrich and Jos. Knecht were here already. All then lived in flat-roofed shanties, very uncomfortable. In spring 1856 a camp of about 300 Indians staid several days on land now occupied by 0. 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 wa.s built on land formerly owned by Levi Card and a Mr. Fitzgerald was the first teacher in this (Irish Valley) District.

John D. Leivis: Lived at first in the North half of Truemann's loghouse, then bought of Bronnenkaut 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, and a very fair judge of good beer."

John Le Gore: Was one of the first settlers iu this valley; there were but two other settlers in the town at that time; moved my family into the town the fallowing spring.

John More, born in Scotland, Parish of Lismahago, Lanarkshire, 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.

John Maurer, born in Oberstammheim, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, came to Fountain City in June 1855, moved to Waumandee 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.

/. Philipp Eankel: Only two settlers in this neighborhood, when we came here, Theodore and Nicholas Meuli, who had come a few months previous.

Lambert Reitz of Statzheiin, Rhenish Prnssia, settled in Spring 1855 and resided at Fountain City until his demise 1877. Left a wife and three children.

John Adam Ra.elz of Goudelsheim District of Bretten, Grand Duchy of Baden, left the t)ld country, arriving .July 10th, 1847 in Stevenson Co., 111. He landed at- VVild's Landing, May 18, 1851, burnt tlie 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' Landing, from which he started claim hunting. Built a little house on what is now Schumacher's farm October 1861 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.

Capt, Jacob Richtmann, 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 Waumandee 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 1883 began running his own boats, as related in the chapter on Transportation.

Jacob Stoll, born in Guntmadiugen, 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.

John J. Senn, born in the Toggenburg, Canton of St. Galien, Switzerland, was a laborer, teacher, and is now an insurance agent. His name is in the chapters on Political History and Organization, also in Education. 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 correction of the Buffalo Co. Atlas, that his son John Tierney was the first child born in Waumandee, Feb. 25th, 1856.

Conrad Ulrich, born in Stammheim, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, has besides the three sons mentioned in the list two others, John, a teacher in the schools of Milwaukee, and Charles, Superintendent of German instruction in the La Crosse schools. Mr. Ulrich deserves mention for many good qualities, and especially for his constant and successful enterprises in 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, and 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.

Appendix To Class Ii

Erich Alms, born in Lyster, Bergens Stift, Norway, came to this county July 3d, 1856, settled in Norwegian Cooley and remains on the old homestead now 81 years. He was one of the first of the Norwegians, who settled in this county. The winter of 1856-57 was remarkable for the deep snow. Indians were plenty during the 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 1 he town of Dover. The folloiv-

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 following he brought his family and settled on his land. A born hunter and lover of the chase, he followed the trail of the elk and

He always kept a lot of pets. Bears, deer and common sandhill cranes were domestic animals at liis house. Wolves were frequent and sometimes attacked his cattle. iMr. 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 Edward {}artwright 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 milea 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.

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.

John Callahan of Cork Co., Ireland, came to New York, 1848, and to this county Dec. 1, 1856. He says: ''I 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 crossing in skiff at Alma, to a gentleman named Span^', now dead."

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."

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 postofHce was Eau Galla, and I remember 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 apart 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.

James tauldsjr., born at Banliston, Lanarkshire, Scotland, came to this county from Pennsylvania in the spring of 18.56. 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.

Lecrahard 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 0. 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 settled 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

Caspar Ruber 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 oM, 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, besides working in his trade, carrying the mail between it and Fountain 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 information 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 settlement. 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 three 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. Wewere 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 under cultivation and of buildings a very small log-house. The road from Fountain Citj^ to Alma, what there was of it, was still very 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 doing 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 ucres, a forty in each of Sections 25 and 26, 86 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 following we moved the house of Jos. Marchion from the town of Buffalo, on the sloughs, to the Eagle Valley. Lives now in Winona, keeping a hotel.

Appendix To Class Iii

John Durish now of Arcadia, but formerly of the Town of Montana, says he is well pleased with the country, especially Buffalo County, and thinks that those who think differently have tc blame themselves for their dissatisfaction, especially in view o the advantages of present times over those of the early pioneers.

John Uunner, now of Eau Claire, the brother of L. P. Hunnei of Alma, gives the following narrative: "First business after land ing was hauling wood. In the fall of 1862 engaged with Iber^ Bros. Was with them about two years and bought them out. Ir 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 anc then sold out, Became one of the charter members of the Bee Slough Co., was elected Secretary and Treasurer, which positior I held two or three years, and at the same time formed a part nership with Conrad Moser, jr., in the law business; was admittec to the bar in 1865, I think. Sold out my interest at Alma ir 1872, and moved to Eau Claire, and in partnership with Jas. M Brackett, the former publisher of the Alma Journal, started the

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 ofiice, hold the farm in the town of Alma yet."

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. Morgan 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 Chippewa Falls.

Rowland H. Newton saysl "Came from Ravenna, Portage Co., Ohio, to Durand in the fall of 1861, moved to Lima, Pepin Co., in spring 1862 and^ibout 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 of the Second Regiment of Minnesota Infantry.

Auren Rockwell 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 specialities.

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 Of Class Iv. Inteoduction

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 readily enough, and much better than from a book.

It is true the natural chances do not always hold true in experii;nce, 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 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 quarters is not so very desirable.

Looking back upon the tedious labors, the many disappointments 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 6.50 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 afterwards 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- 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 Town 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, and Mr. W. W. Wyman in Mondovi, Mr. A. H. DeGroff in Maxville, and Erick Alme in Nelson. Concerning the remarks contained in the appendix to the different classes, I have cut off all the more exclusively personal matters, unJess they were illustrative of some particular experience of a more general order. In the column of ''Remarks" in the tables I gave references to some previous chapter in which the name reported would be found, either as a county ofBcer, 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 diligence to be inserted.

TOWNS. I am aware of the chance that some people will be a little disappointed with the history of the "Towns." Those, especially, who have been reading such books as the "History of Northern Wisconsin," 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, and 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 mlich later, and therefore but little reliance could be placed upon stories about things which happened 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 down 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 individualities in the development of certain towns or localities, but we should never forget that frequently by favorable conditions and opportunities persons have acquired a certain local and temporary prominiscenee, who under different circumstances might have been entirely overlooked, and that many an individuality was overlooked, or at least undervalued, which under more favorable circumstances might have shone out brilliantly.

This book pretends to be a history of BuSalo 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 interesting, if repeated. Instead of biographies I have introduced an impartial list of " Early Settlers " to which I refer the reader.

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.

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 preceding chapters.

In the following the towns and corporations will be mentioned in alphabetical order. Adjoining towns of Pepin and of Trempealeau Counties will be named on the authority of the Atlas of Buffalo and Pepin County published 1878 as to Pepin Co., and the Atlas of the State of Wisconsin by F. H. Walling published 1876. as to Trempealeau County. There is a possibility of changes having 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.

City Of Alma

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 1. 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 communication. 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 account has been given in the chapter on Early Settlement and Pioneers. What wa 5 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 of that year. This election was held at the house of John Marty accordto resolution of the county board. In 1868 it was found desirable to dissolve this connection and the place was incorporated as a 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 of the 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 Ahia May 1855, recorded in Vol. 4, page 57. Victor Prohsfs 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.

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 Section 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 desciiptions in assessing the sarnie, into which errors would almost unavoidadly 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 Township 22 Range 13. It was laid out April 1, 1870, recorded in Vol. 16 page 417. This village was laid out by L. Kessinger, b}^ 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

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 important 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. beside^ 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 located 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. Heerman. 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

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:

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 confidence of the settlers far andnear, and did very great service in the development of the country. The late Lyman J. Clafiin, 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 of the county, without whom the settlement would have languished and have been crippled for many years. The sudden death of Mr. Polin 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 surrounding 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 produ<;ts, to which Mr. Clafiin alluded in^his remarks above cited. This rapid development attracted competition and 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 commodities 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 wheatfields were rapidly extended, the yield was heavy, and occasionally prices extremely high, the whole of this staple produced in the Beef Eiver Valley up^to Mondovi and vicinity, from Canton Nelson and Maxville, poured into our warehouses, as also a considerable 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 manufacturing enterprises as they are sufficiently described in the proper chapter. The same may be said in regard to roads leading 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, indeed, 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 Abraham Schmoker. Until 1855 the population was all in and about Alma, especially in summer time, but in the winter it was scattered about the different islands, engaged in chopping wood and hauling it, mostly on hand sleds, to the bank of the Mississippi. Christ.

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, who 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 abo.ut 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 at the 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 began 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, who 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 subs'iquent operations of the Beef Slough Co. and its eventual successors. But this is sufficiently related 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 incorporated, p.o one will deny, but that at present the management of 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 Bchoolhouse 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 dollars 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 elements 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 establishments 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 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 remark 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, and 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, and he 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 Of Alma

The parts in Range 11 formerly belonged to the Town of Waumandee, 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. 'l3, at first and much more than now even at the time of the incorporation 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

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 of the land in. Hutchison 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 br.mching 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 country from the village before 1855. In that year there were a number 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, however, 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 first birth and the first death we can not now determine to a certainty. I am inclined to think that a man by the name of Marolf, who died by his own hand, was the first person, who 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 entirely superfluous to discuss in these short histories the points that must occur in every town alike, such as roads, schools, agriculture, 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 Belvideke

The Town of Belvidere was set off by resolutions of the County Board of Supervisors first on the 5th day of February, 1855 and organized at the next townmeeting. It consisted then of Townships 20 and 21, Range 12. The following year it was remodeled. 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 : of section and quarter section corners, which are however dependent one on the other. The surface of the town is level in the western 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 provided 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 blacksmith 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 fortunes, 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- 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 settlers, among them Daniel Schilling, Sebastian Neukomm, Henry Nenkomm and Melchior Schwy, all o-f them from the Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and their number was increased in 1852 and '53 by J. J. Mueller, Caspar Regli, Bollinger, John Mueller, and probably John Rahm, also another family by the name of Rahm. It is remarked that at the 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. Bollinger was the first death in the town. The first couple married who resided in the town were John C. 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 settlement 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 1} miles farther south on the same road and died in the winter of 1866-^7. 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

Buffalo which had hitherto formed a part of the town was incorporated. The City of Belvidere which at first was called the village 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 6th, 18-56, 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 Glaus Liesch, whose biography is to be found in the chapter on Pioneers. The 3ity was long ago vacated, and some years later also the so-called village, but old settlers will still remember Squire Frederick 3chmid, 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 ilso 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, md there were some more, as for instance Peter Schwartz, Joseph Hofer, etc., but i,t would take too much time and room to name ill. For other things I have to refer to the chapters to which they oelong, as indicated in the history of the city and the town of A.lma. This sketch would not be complete without giving some iccount of the nationality or descent of the people. They are all aermans, nor have there ever been more than two families not of j-erman descent in the town. The first was Collins Bishop's, now )f Arcadia, an American, I believe, the other that of John Anderson, a Scotchman. Both lived on the place now owned and occu- 3ied by Jos. M. Rohrer. Perhaps the reader is surprised at the inexpected length of this sketch, but to me it seems quite natural ;o know and say so much of a town in which I have lived and leld office for five years, and with whose citizens I have ever since L859 been so well acquainted.

City Of Buffalo

The territory lying within the corporate limits of the city is lot very easily described, nor is the description of some of it very lasily understood, since some perfect forties are described as lots vith numbers. The reason for this is that the surplus on the lorrection line was made into two lots, which necessitated the numbering of the northern half of the section as lots, there being 10 of them in perfect sections, as for instance in Section 5, adjoining the city.

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 J of 8E i 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 conuist of dry land.

The large island between the Buffalo City Channel and Pomme de Terre Slough on the one, and 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 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.

ing homes to themselves in the Far West, .and attempted in 1854 a settlement in Kansas, which, however, was abandoned on account of the troubles of the times in that territory. After this it was concluded to go to a more northern state, and, as appears from records, land had been purchased and part of the plat laid out in 18.D6. 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,', that they are all laid out at right angles and conformable to the cardinal points of the compass, which occasioned along the slough on Front Street a number of inconvenient little corners, that. could not very well be utilized. Mr. Pfeffer, 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 and 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 Cmcinnati, 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, Herman Protz, Ferdinand Horst, Adolf Ranch, Adam Hellmann, Henry Busdicker etc. had come from Cincinnati, Henry Erding from Baltimore, others from other places. The island at the corner between the Buffalo City- Channel and the Mississippi was inhabited by Andrew Vogt, and Peterson Bro. It would be too tedious to mention all the citizens. High hopes were entertained by most of them for the future growth and prosperity of the city and the society expended, among other things, a considerable sum of money to build a road across the Belvidere Bluff' to the Waumandee. The surrounding country Ijegan to fill u[>. In 1859 Mr. Schaettle built a large house, designed for a store, dwelling house, saloon and dancing hall, and the lower sawmill went into operation. 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 organization. The city, however was always in funds, as the taxes were at that time regularlj'- paid by almost every one of the owners of lots, most of whom resided at Cincinnati. In the mean time it was demonstrated bj' experience thi»t 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, which in some measure remedied the deficiency. But although the number of settlers increased from time to 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 communication by water crippled every enterprise, and of the original 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 postofiice 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 population of the city is now, as it has always been, entirely German, the few stragglers of other nationalities never staid long enough deserve particular attention.

Town Of Buffalo

Township 18: Sections 3, 10 and 15 along Trempealeau River and 6, 8, 16 and 17 along the Mississippi are fractional, 4, 6 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 valleys 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 smaller and finally, after the establishment of the town of Milton or EJagle 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, afterwards in the valley, which was named after him, but by a corruption 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, G-ottlieb Keller, Gottlieb Kranse 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 ofWm. 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 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 m 1862 he was a Justice of the Peace. I never knew him and the farm is now owned by David Gifford. In I860 Lewis Knifiin and Julius Parr settled in North Branch, T. W. Glasspool, sen., in the Glasspool Valley, Earl \Var<l 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 Knifhn in 1862.

After several fruitless attempts the town was set off by the County Board in 1867 and 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 citizens and the suggestion of Mr. Glasspoole.

The population is about equally divided, consisting of German, Irish, Norwegians and Americans. Since the completioli of the Chippewa Valley Railroad the trading of this town is mostly done at Durand, Pepin Co., where the settlers also have their postoince. Formerly most of the wheat went to Alma, sometimes by way of Modena, sometimes by way of North Branch and across the bluffs.

Town Of Cross

There may be some errors in regard to one or two forties, adjoining the town of Milton or that of Buffalo, such small alteration having escaped my attention.

This town was set off, July 20th 1867, at the same time as the Town of Milton, of parts until then belonging to the Town of Buffalo. Hon. Edward Lees, now of Gilmanton, was the first Chairman, John Burt the first Townclerk.

The surface of the 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 two different valleys with a stream in each, the streams uniting a short distance before flowing 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. Zimraermann 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 and Fred, erick Binder came, in 1855 Ed. Lees, John Burt, Wm. Burt and

The first two denths were those of Ambuehl and Camastval, 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 Andrew 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, kept by Gottlieb Bohri, who also keeps a tavern. There are some six or seven Scotch families in the town, the remainder 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 b}^ 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 the annual meeting of the countyboard of 1870, and organized at the next spring election, with A. J. Nims as chairman and W. H. Edes as townclerk. The surface of the town is very much varied, steep bluffs on the southern and northern boundaries with some hills through the center running east and west along Elk Creek and Bennett Valley Creek, north and south on Three Mile Creek. These creeks and valleys are djescribed 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 Fountain City had selected considerable land in it, for which he employed 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 Section 27, moving upon it with his family in June the year after. He lived 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 iind, although at times he and his family had to subsist on the products of the chase, he did not hunt for that alone, but also for the gratification of his passion. The reader is referred to tiie appendix to Class II, List of Earlj' Settlers, for further particulars. The brothers Marvin and James Pierce owned a considerable piece of land, nortii and east of Mr. Cooke, and spent two or three summers u^jon it, but never remained during winter. This was between 18-56 and 60. The sec)nd actual settler was George Wooster, who located farther down, the next Edward Cartwrigh who located farther up Elk Creek, at the head of it. The first setler 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 land 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 and a half to the north from Mr. Cooke's, John Paulsen and Ole Everson, 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 separiite existence. At present the population consists largely of Norwegians with a few Americans and others.

Village Of Fountain City

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.)

settlement and political organization of this county began, and upon 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 Gondelsheim, 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 11.00 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, and passed a very severe winter. In the coming sj)ring 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 werfe 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 Novembei' 1853, but it is reasonably certain that he never acted as such.

the first election, the following fourteen were residents of Holmes' Landing at the time: John Buehler, Christ. Wenger, Caspar ' Wild, Andrew Earth, John Haeussinger, Jas. M. Pierce, Marvin Pierce, Adam Raetz, Henry Goerke, Adam Weber, Lawrence Dressendoerfer, 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 in 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; sometimes, too, he grows cautious, and even suspicious, in listening to stories, which in fact, or at least in appearance, seem to contradict each other.

City is very similar to that of Alma, but more favorable in having at least in the upper part a better chance for building and concentration, and in having numerous springs \vhich issue out of the bluffs on the slope instead in the bed of the river. The valleyb 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 center of it. In the division of the town of Eagle Mills, Buffalo received 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 postofl&ce was established in the place in 1854 with Marvin Piefce 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 ojB&ce: M. Pierce, Henry Teckenburg, M. W. Hammann, P. Moeckel, R. W. Feigl, A. Finkelnburg, S. Karth, John Maurer, Tobias Voegele and the present postmaster J. B. Oenning. The ppstoffice 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, Glencoe, 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 Montana, 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 not yet be positively stated. But so far the people have taken advantage of this new means of transportation aixd communication by establishing new enterprises, which may make good use of it, and which are more extensively mentioned in the chapter on Manufactures.

Not having mentioned this company at any other place in this history, I give here the report of the Secretary, furnished at my urgent request, in full.

The Fountain City Mutual Farmers' Fire Insurance Company organized May 16, 1874, with 27 members, who were then insured in the aggregate of $28,630.00. On that day £he first'boaid of directors were elected as follows:

The cost of insurance in this company averages since organization about 15 cents per one hundred per.annum. Its business is spread over the whole county; it insures farm property of all descriptions, except dwellings riot provided with brick chimneys. Live stock is insured for every member in the whole county; that is, wherever the insurance law of the state permits it; implements needed away from the owner's farm are also insured everywhere. Buildings are insured at two-thirds of their value; pei'sonal property at its value. When losses occur and the treasury is empty, an assessment is made, and nine such assessments ha've been made since the day of organization. Aim and object of the company appear from the above.

Fountain City also has a we'd regulated fire department. It is also the headquarters of an association for improveiiient of the breed of horses. This ought to have been mentioned in the chapter on Agriculture, but I am not informed about jjarticulars.

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 elements, which do no more harmonize naturally than in other places, nor, for aught I know, any less. But whenever any improvements 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 become 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, religion, 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 Township 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 westside. 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-po.(id. 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 prominpnt 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, however, towards the north into steep bluffs. Almost all of the fand is heavy clay loam and well suited for agricultural purposes. Gilmanton is bounded by Mondovi on the North, Dover on the East, Alma and Lincoln on the South and Modena on the We it. 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 companions, one of them Ezra Hutchinson, came from Beef River Station, now probably Osseo, went down Beef River Valley prospecting for settlement, how they came clown to the very spot where Mr. Claflin afterwards settled, without having had anything 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. Clafiin 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 1855 at which time he and Ezra Hutchinson entered the first land on the eastside of Beef River.

It appears that soon after Samuel Gihnan 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 cutting 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. Amidon, M. E. Ferry and T. C. Bailey, forming the so-called "Loonris Settlement," on the east side of Beef River. Chauncey W. Rathbun 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. Eathbun. For schools see chapter on Education. 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 remarks will be found. In 1862 the first volunteers went from Gilmanton, 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.

The post-office was established in 1858, with \Vm. Loomis as the first postmaster. He kept the office at his house in Sect. 22, until 1865. It was then removed to the house of R. E. Puller, 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 Gilinanton, formerly called "Mann's Mill." This plat was recorded in Vol. 33, page 247, June 9th, 1876. In this village we find the mill, three coaimoa country stores, one drugstore, two blacksmith shops, one tavern, the school house and a church.

Town Of Glencoe

The territory of Glencoe consists of Township 21, Range 10, and of Town 20, Range 10, the following sections 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 onTreiupealeau River fractional, 4, 5, 6 and 7 entire. The surface is very broken in all parts of the 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 Milton into the Waumandee Creek. Irish Creek has its sources in Sec. 17 and 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 8th, 1857, but the name was changed to Glencoe in 1859, at the suggestion of Hon. Geo. Cowie who settled in 1855 and still resides there. Until the organization of the town of Montana Township 22, Range 10, also belonged to Glencoe. The first settler was Patrick Mulcare who came in 1854; he is now dead. In 1855 George Cowie and Jas. Paulds, sen., arrived. Henry Wirtemberger also arrived in 1855. James Paulds jr., William Muir, David J. Davis and J. P. Pernholz came and com- tuenoed improvements in 1856, Thomas Courtney and Andrev Cashel in 1857- The first marriage was that of William Ashton t( Elizabeth Faulds solemnized by Andrew Baertsch, then a Justic( of the Peace. The first child born in the town was George M., soi of George and M.irgareth Cowie. This was Oct. 10, J 856. Thi first death was that of Mrs. Cashel, wife of Andrew Cashel. Thi town of Glencoe is, as remarked in the chapter on Transportation remarkable for its graded roads, of which it had the first, and ha; now the most of any town in the county. At first the trade o Glencoe was mostly with Fountain City, but since the building o the Green Bay railroad Arcadia affords the most convenien market. A postoffice was established in the town of Glencoe Sept 4th, 1858 with Geo. Cowie as postmaster, which office he held unti Nov. 1885, when he resigned. After sonie time of interruptioi J. J. Smith was appointed, who on his removal from town left i to bis brother Phil. Smith.

The population of Glencoe consists of Germans, Scotch anc Irish. In regard to schools and churches see the chapters on Ed ucation and Religion.

Town Of Lincoln

A mistake about some forties is possible, since I did not keej informed precisely as to any alterations except the last. Thetowi of Lincoln is of such an irregular shape, as to occasion question about it, but those who have seen the country, readily understani that it was intended to give the town the command and care c such roads as by necessity the inhabitants have to travel in goin, to their customary markets and about other business. The towi is bounded on the north by Gilmanton and Alma, on the west b;

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 suggestion of Charles Jahn. It consists of parts of Waumandee, Belvidere and Montana, the two sections, 25 and 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 Topograph}'. 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 William 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 postoffices in the town, one at the Lincoln House, kept by G. A. Kretschmer, and one in the upper part of the valley, kept by Henry Haunschild. Both are now abandoned. The town contains [two taverns, one shoeshop and one blacksmithshop. In regard to schools, churches and the mill see the chapters on Education, Religion and Manufactures. The population is at present entirely German, with the exception of John Haigh, the first, and also the present chairman. He is an Englishman.

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 fiiver and Beef Slough has been so extensively described, that a repetition would only be tedious. The town also contained some times the much discussed and disputed " Mile Strip " that is the north- 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 meeting of the county board of supervisors returned to the town of Nelson, and may be left out of.the 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. Blufflands, and side valleys are usually of a good quality of soil.