Dane County, Wisconsin - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 2 of those read), 1880 (part 5 of 5)

Monday, July 1, 1839. - At a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Dane County, held at the Commissioner's office, in Madison, Present Eben Peck and Simeon Mills, Bsqs; two of said Commissioners. Complaint having been made and satisfactory evidence produced by persons feeling aggrieved by the value which the Assessor and Appraiser have set to their lands and town lots, it is therefore ordered by the Commissioners that the Clerk so alter and amend the assessment-roll that first-rate lands be valued at $6 and second rate at $4 per acre, and that such alterations be made in the value of town lots as have been designated and marked on the "assessment roll.

Ordered, That the Clerk make a copy of the assessment roll containing such alterations and amendments as will be suitable for the use of this office. Board adjourned until to-morrow at 9 o'clock.

Ordered, That the county of Dane be divided into two Road Districts, and that Ranges 6, 7 and 8 constitute District Number 1, and Ranges 9, 10, 11 and 12 constitute District Number 2.

Ordered, That the following-named persons act as Supervisors in the two districts, to wit : In District No. 1, Edward Campbell ; in District No. 2, Horace Lawrence.

Ordered, That Horace Lawrence, Charles S. Peaslee and Isaac Atwood act as Commissioners to lay out a county road, to commence at some point on the United States road, east of the Catfish Bridge (so called), and running thence north in the direction of Fort Winnebago, on the most convenient and practicable route, to the north line of the county, and make returns of the survey and location of said road to this office, on or before the first Monday in October, next.

Ordered, That the rates of tavern licenses shall be as follows to wit : In Madison, $20 each ; in other parts of the county, $12 each, and that rates for grocers to sell liquors in quantities not less than one quart, be $30 each. Board adjourned until to-morrow at 9 o'clock.

Ordered, That the rates of tax for the current year be established as follows, to wit : For county purposes, one-half cent per centum, and for school purposes, one mill on each dollar.

Ordered, That the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners be authorized to receive proposals for the erection of a County Jail, in the town [village] of Madison, until the first Monday in August next, at 10 o'clock, A. M., at which time such proposals will be opened and read publicly by the Commissioners. Said jail to be 24 feet long by 18 feet wide ; to be divided into two equal apartments or rooms, one story high, to be constructed of square timber, the walls to be eight inches in thickness, and that notice of this order be published in the Wisconsin Miquirer, up to the said first Monday in August.

Ordered, That Simeon Mills, Esq., be authorized to make a loan of $1,000, to defray the expenses of building the jail, in such manner as he shall think fit.

Monday, July 22, 1839. - R. L. Ream was appointed Clerk of the board, vice L. F. Kellogg, resigned, who appeared and was duly qualified to act as such.

Upon examination, it appeared that Jarius S. Potter was entitled to the contract, he having offered the lowest bid (No. 3), but, failing to offer sufficient bonds, it was ordered that the contract be let to the next lowest bidder. Whereupon N. T. Parkinson, having offered the next lowest bid (No. 9), appeared and entered into contract with the Commissioners.

A.ugust 23, 1839. - Nathaniel T. Parkinson filed bond with the Clerk of^the Board of County Commissioners, for building the jail, with the following- named persons as securities : Prosper B. Bird, A. A. Bird, A. Lull, William N. Seymour, Darwin Clark.

Berry Haney and H. F. Crossman having complied with the law, in relation to ferries, by giving bond, license is this day granted them in words and figures as follows, to wit :

Know ye that Berry Haney and H. F. Crossman, Having complied with the act entitled an " act to regulate ferries," approved March 6, 1839, are hereby licensed to keep a ferry across the Wisconsin River, from Section 6, town 9, Range 7 east, on the southeast side of said river, to a point directly opposite, on Prairie du Sac, for three years from the date hereof They are to provide and keep in repair, good and sufficient boats for the accommodation of passengers and teams. Said ferry is to be kept open from sunrise in the morning, until sunset at night. The following are the rates of ferriage established by the Commissioners, to wit : For every foot person, 25 cents ; for every horse and rider, 50 cents ; for every one horse and wagon, 75 cents; for every one span of horses and wagon, $1 ; for every yoke of oxen and wagon, $1 ; for each additional horse, ox or cow, not to exceed six in number, 25 cents ; for any number of horses or cattle, exceeding six in number, each, 12i cents; for sheep and hogs, i-if cents.

Tuesday, August 20, 1839, the following persons presented their bonds with security, which were approved of and filed in the Clerk's office, to wit :

Adam Smith, as Collector ; George Vroman, as Assessor ; William N. Seymour, as Assessor ; William N. Seymour, as District Surveyor ; Mahlon Blaker, as Assessor.

Saturday, August 24, 1839. - This day a duplicate of the assessment roll completed and placed in the hands of the Collector, containing precept under seal, and the amount of the assessment handed to the County ^Treasurer, it being two thousand nine hundred and seventyfour dollars, seventy-one cents and nine mills.

Monday, September 30, 1839. - At a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Dane County, held at the Commissioner's office in Madison, present -Simeon Mills and Jeremiah Lycan, two of said Commissioners.

Ordered, That, according to the, act entitled " an act to provide for the destruction of wolves," three dollars to be allowed as a bounty on each and every wolf scalp, but no charge will be allowed for affidavit or certificate of the same.

Ordered, That, according to the provisions of the act entitled " an act for assessing and collecting county revenue," the county of Dane be divided into three districts, as follows, to wit: Townships 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, of Ranges 6 and 7, and townships 8 and 9, of Range 8, constitute district No. 1.

Ordered, That the order passed on Monday last in relation to wolf scalps, be so amended that one dollar only be allowed on each and every wolf scalp as a bounty.

Ordered, That John Stoner, County Treasurer, be required to appropriate and apply the first moneys that may come into his hands for county purposes, in payment of order No. 55, drawn in favor of S. Mills, for money by him advanced in the purchase of books and stationery for the use of the county.

Ordered, That John Stoner, County Treasurer, be required to appropriate and apply the first moneys that come into his hands for county purposes (after paying order No. 55), in payment of order No. 56, drawn in favor of S. L. Rood, in payment of books and stationery purchased for the use of the county.

Ordered, That the Commissioners accept of lot No. 10, in block No. 113, donated by Messrs. Pritcbette & Mason as the property of the county,. and that the jail be erected thereon. Ordered, That the contract made with N. T. Parkinson for the building of the jail be extended until December 1, 1839.

Wednesday, October 16, 1839. - James S. Alban having complied with the law in relation to fences, by giving bond, license is this day granted him in words and figures as follows, to wit:

Know ye that James S. Alban, having complied with the act entitled " An act to regulate fences," approved March 6, 1839, is hereby licensed to keep a ferry across Wisconsin River, from Sec. 7, Town 9, Range 7, to a point directly opposite, on Prairie du Sac, for three years from the date hereof; he is to provide and keep good and suflBcient boats for the accommodation of passengers and teams, said ferry to be kept open from sunrise in "the morning until sunset at night. Rates of ferrying established.

Monday, November 11, 1839. - A meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Dane County, held at the Commissioners' office ; present, Eben Peck and Simeon Mills, Esqs. Ordered, That John Stoner be appointed School Inspector, 10* fill ^he vacancy of John Catlin, and the Clerk notify him of his appointment. Satisfactory evidence having been established that Sec. No. 5, in Township No. 7, of Range 10 east, has been unreasonably taxed, it is therefore ordered that $11 and 25 cents of the same be remitted, and that the Collector be credited in settlement for the amount.

Saturday, December 24, 1839. - License has this day been granted to William T. Herling to keep a tavern for one year, he having complied with the law in relation to taverns and groceries. License has this day been granted to Lloyd & Nichols to keep a grocery for one year from the 1st day of December, 1839.

County Board From 1840 To 1880

The members of the Board of Commissioners from 1840 to 1846 inclusive, were : 1840-41, Simeon Mills,* Eben Peck, Prescott Brigham ; 1842, Prescott Brigham, Horace W. Potter, P. W. Matts; 1843, William D. Daggett, William A. Wheeler, Solomon Shafer ; 1844, W. A. Wheeler, A. W. Dickinson, W. H. Hubbard ; f 1845, E. Brigham, L. S. Augur, William A. Webb ; 1846, William A. Wheeler, J. R. Larkin, L. Stone.

The Board of Commissioners was, by a law of 1846, changed to a Board of Supervisors, made up of the Chairman from each town in the county. This law was as follows :

An Act to Change the Fokm of Government of the County of Dane. Be i( Enacted by the Council and Bouse of Representatiues of the Territory of Wisconsin .- and f ^'^(T"? ""^ ""' entitled an act to provide for the government of the several towns in this Territory, in fnr/. =K K«JiS'on of County Government, approved February 18, 1841, and other acts amendatory thereto, now

S^n 9 rl '° """"^ ^""^ ^^^ effect i° the County of Dane on and after the first Tuesday of April next, the »«er,,i t~ lirst town meeting to be held in said county shall be held at the places hereinafter designated in Commi8Binn«r''7° -5^ ^"' ^"^"^*y "^ ^P"l °«^'' '^"'l " =''^" ''e *e duty of the Clerk of the Board of County l^'^'o^efs of said county, at least twenty days prior to said day of election, to place in the hands of the

Sheriff of said county three written notices, to be posted up in each town of said county, specifying the time when and place where said town meeting is to be held for the election of town officers, and the said Sheriff shall post up said notices in three of the most public places in each town at least fifteen days previous to said election.

Sec. 3. - At the time and place of holding such town meeting, the electors present shall, between the hours of 10 A. M. and 12 M., organize such meeting by choosing a Moderator and Clerk to conduct such meeting, and thereafter, such meeting shall, in all respects, be conducted in the manner provided by the acts and amendatory acts mentioned in the first section of this act.

Sec. 4. - That the official duties, and liabilities of the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, and Treasurer, now in office in said county, shall extend to the expiration of the present year ; Provided, the said Clerk shall file with the Treasurer of said county, on or before the first Tuesday of April tiext, a bond, to be, approved by said Treasurer in conformity with the acts now in force relative to Clerks of the Board of Supervisors ; And Provided, also the said Treasurer shall, on the day of the first meeting of said County Board of SupervisoBS, give bond to the said Board of Supervisors of said county, in accordance with the provisions of the above-mentioned act and the act amendatory thereto ; in default of which, in either case, the Board of Supervisors shall appoint some other suitable person to discharge the duties of said officers, respectively, until others are duly elected and qualified.

Sec. 5. - That Township 5 north, of Range 10 east, shall constitute a separate town by the name of Rutland, and the first town meeting shall be held at the house of Sereno W. Graves.

Sec. 6. - That Townships 5 and 6 north, of Range 9 east, and Township 6 north, of Range 10 east, shall constitute a separate town by the name of Rome ; and the first town meeting shall be held at the house of William Quivey.

Sec. 7. - That Townships 5 and 6 north, of Range 12 east, shall constitute a separate town by the name of Albion ; and the first town meeting shall be held at the house of Jesse Saunders.

Sec. 8. - That Town [ship] 5 north, of Range 11 east, shall constitute a separate town by the name of Dunkirk; and the first town meeting shall be held at the house of Mr. Lyons.

Sec. 9. - That Townships 8 and 9 north, of Ranges 11 and 12 east, shall constitute a separate town by the name of Sun Prairie ; and the first town meeting shall be held at the house of John A. Peckham.

Sec. 10. - That all of the remaining townships in said county shall constitute a separate town by the name of Madison ; and the first town meeting shall be held at the Madison Hotel, in the village of Madison : Provided, That the Supervisors of said town may establish one or more precincts in said town for the purpose of opening the polls at th« general election, and in said precincts the Supervisors shall appoint Judges of Elections, and the votes shall be canvassed and returns thereof made in like manner as from the several towns in the county.

Sec. 11. - That the' several towns set off and organized by this act shall each be entitled to and enjoy all the rights and privileges which are granted by law to the other towns of this Territory.

Sec. 13. - The three Supervisors of the town of Madison shall each be entitled to a seat in the County Board of Supervisors, and lo have a vote in the transactions of county business.

By one of the sections of the " Act to provide for the government of the several towns" in the Territory, passed February 18, 1841, and referred to in the above act as being "now in force" and to "take effect in the county of Dane," it is made the duty of the person chosen Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the town, to attend to the annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the County..

The first session of the Board of Supervisors was held on Monday, the 14th of September, 1846. The members of that year and of those following, down to and including the year 1861, were :

1846-47 - William C. Wells, Chairman ; Ed Campbell, James R. Larkin, S. Head, A. Barlow, J. Lawrence, R. Boyce (William Quivey acted as substitute for Mr. Boyce, during his sickness, until January 4, 1847).

The boundaries of Dane County remain as established December 7, 1836 (the date of the formation of th.e county). By the Revised Statutes of Wisconsin, of 1849, were confirmed, as follows :

-'Beginning at a point in the center of the main channel of the Wisconsin River, wherethe range line between Ranges 5 and 6 east of the meridian aforesaid, crosses said river; running thence south, on said range line, to the southwest corner of Township 5 north, of Range 6 east ; thence east, on the line between Townships 4 and 5 north, to the southeast corner of Township 5 north, of Range 12 east ; thence north, on the range line, between Ranges 12 and 13, east, to the northeast corner of Township 9 north, of Range 12 east ; thence west, on the Hne between Townships 9 and 10 north, to the middle of the Wisconsin River ; thence down the middle of the main channel of said river to the place of beginning."

Census In 1842

In July, 1842, the census of Dane County was taken by A. A. Bird, Sheriff, noting the heads of families and giving the number of males separate from the females in each family, as follows :

Lawrence Prairie. - C. S. Peaslee, 6 males, 2 females ; H. Lawrence, 6 males, 4 females ; G-eorge Spaulding, 2 males, 4 females ; William Lawrence, 2 males, 2 females. Total, 28.

Sun Prairie. - John Myers, 2 males, 1 female ; Charles H. Bird, 2 males, 1 female ; H. W. Potter, 2 males, 1 female; E. Slingerland, 5 males,. 4 females ; George Anderson, 5 males, 1 female ; David Adams, 3 males, 5 females ; Nathan Soaper, 2 males, 1 female ; Volney Moore, 6 males, 5 females; A. W. Dickison, 1 male ; David Jones, 6 males, 4 females ; David Brasee, 5 males, 2 females ; Thomas Brasee, 3 males, 5 females ; Robert W. Davidson, 2 males, 2 females ; Sheldon Nichols, 2 males, 2 females ; W. W. Patrick, 3 males, 4 females ; Eleazer Moore, 1 male, 1 female ; Henry Padeford, 3 males, 2 females ; William Varnham, 2 males, 1 female ; ihomas Marks, 2 males, 2 females ; W. G. Van Bergen, 3 males, 4 females ; J. Winslade, 1 male, S^females; D. C. Butterfield, 5 males, 3 females; John F. Sweet, 3 males, 5 females.

Norway Settlement. - M. Hodgerson, 1 male ; 0. Anderson, 2 males, 3 females ; John Smith, 1 male, 1 female; G. Olson, 1. male, 2 females; G. Comneton, 1 nlale, 2 females- C. Telliffson, 1 male, 1 female ; N. Comentson, 1 male ; Thomas Nelson, 1 male ; B. Anderson 3 males, 4 females ; D. Oley, 1 male. Total, 26. ^

Township 5, Range 2. - B. N. Rice, 2 males, 1 female ; F. Sweet, 4 males, 3 females - R. S. Ensign, 2 males, 4 females ; S. F. Stuart, 2 males, 2 females ; Jessa Sanderson, 8 males 4 females; Duty J. Green, 6 males, 3 females; Mason Burns, 5 males, 2 females; Burkley Runey, 5 males, 5 females ; Garland Thomas, I'male, 1 female. Total, 50.

Township 6, Range 9. - William Quivey, 6 males, 1 female ; Harvey Bush, 3 males, 2 females ; George Dyke, 4 males, 3 females ; Joseph Vroman, 5 males, 1 female. Total, 25.

Sugar River. - George McFadden, 3 males, 3 females ; George Kindriek, 2 males, 2 females ; Samuel Taylor, 2 males ; Thomas Stuart, 3 males ; Patrick Davidson, 4 males, 3 females. Total, 22.

' Highland Springs. - B. Campbell, 3 males, 5 females ; A. Potter, 3 males, 4 females ; Isaac Harlow, 4 males, 4 females ; John Campbell, 3 males, 2 females ; Total, 28.

During the summer of 1837, with the exception of one or two families, the entire white population of the county was living in Madison,' and consisted of three or four families, some thirty or forty workmen, more or less, on the basement of the capitol, and a few transient guests. There had never been any religious services held in the county, and nothing distinguished the first day as different from all others, unless perhaps the gun was more frequently heard, and ducks and prairie chickens were more abundant at night than at any other time during the week.

Unfavorable as this state of society may be looked upon in after years, the truth must be told, and so it was, that while the Gospel was being preached to the heathen in the "uttermost parts of the earth,"

In early autumn, it was announced, one Saturday afternoon, that the Rev. Mr. K^ - , a Methodist minister from Illinois, had arrived, and, if some convenient place could be had, he would preach for the benefit of this benighted people, at 10 o'clock Sunday morning. Arrangements were soon made, and the coming morrow promised to be the grand era oi a " new departure."

After breakfast Sunday morning, the reverend gentleman discovered with great amazement and sorrow, that his horse, which he had been compelled to ride without its having been shod, had, from gravel in the foot, become so lame as to make further progress on his journey for some days apparently quite impossible. As John Catlin and myself had early made his acquaintance, he naturally came to us for advice and assistance. We owned a very serviceable pony, though not remarkable in appearance, while the lame beast of the dominie was evidently

He was '' very anxious " to proceed to Fort Winnebago at once, and should return in three or four days, and the only thing practicable seemed to be for us to lend him our pony, and keep his horse until his return, he paying us for the use of the pony and the care of his beast. At length, Mr. Catlin said : " Suppose we trade horses, how would that suit you ?" At this proposition his down-cast eyes were slowly raised, his sorrowful countenance brightened up, and he meekly admitted that it would be the best thing to do, if we could agree upon terms.

Negotiations commenced and lasted some timg^ with but little prospect of a favorable result. I almost blush to confess that it looked sometimes as though my partner was driving a sharp bargain, but as I knew little or nothing about the good or bad points of a horse, which the honest parson modestly showed oif, or adroitly concealed as occasion required, I did not attempt to interrupt proceedings by any impertinent interference.

The trade was finally completed, Mr. Gatlin paying him $15 as the agreed difference between the present value of the animals, secretly calculating, however, a prospective profi't of at least $50.

Soon after the consummation of the trade, we joined in escorting him, with a borrowed Bible under his arm, to the place where divine service was to be held. His congregation was of course, the entire population, and some of the " boys " who had not entirely forgotten the hymns learned of their pious mothers, helped out with appropriate music. When, however, he arose and read his text in the following words : " I was a stranger, an^d ye took me in," the reader may readily imagine, that at least two of his congregation "took in the situation " at once. The sermon of course was eloquent and full of interest, and he let us off easy, making no pointed allusion to his having been badly cheated that morning in a horse trade. That we might not be lacking in the amenities and customs of more advanced Christian communities, A. A. Bird passed the hat, and we all " chipped in, " making up a" stake " of about $20, which was emptied into his pocket, to swell the honest earnings of the morning's work. Meeting being over, he was in a "great hurry " to depart, because it was " necessary " that he should be at Fort Winnebago as soon as practicable, and, as no reason was urged why a minister of the Gospel might not travel from one place of preaching to another, or at least part of the way, on the Sabbath, he mounted his pony after dinner, without opposition, and went on his way " sowing the good seed," which should spring up and bear fruit, some sixty-fold and some a hundred-fold.

The sequel is soon told : This desirable animal that we had so fortunately obtained, by reason of founder or some other cause that escaped observation, was a confirmed and hopeless cripple, not worth half the boot money paid, to say nothing of our valuable pony, which had carried the good man forever from our sight. The development of disease in the poor brute took an unfavorable turn, and in less than three days he lay dead at our feet, an awful warning against the wickedness of trading horses o§ Sunday, unless it is done by a good man, in aid of a good cause, and as a traveling necessity.

A Dark Deed

On the 11th of February, 1842, Charles C. P. Arndt, a member of the Legislative Council from the county of Brown, was killed, in the capitol in Madison, by J. R. Vineyard, a member from Grant County. A discussion had arisen in the Council on a motion to re-consider a vote by which the nomination of E. S. Baker, as Sheriff of Grant County, was rejected a few days betore. During the progress of the discussion, violent words passed between the two parties. Arndt, conceiving himself to have been insulted, approached Vineyard, after the adjournment, for the purpose of seeking an explanation. A slight rencontre then took place, when the latter drew a pistol from his pocket and fired. Arndt reeled for a few paces, then sank on the floor and almost instantly expired, having been shot through the heart. The funeral services were held at the Council Chamber, and the remains taken to Green Bay for interment.

Vineyard surrendered himself to the Sheriff of Dane County, waived an examination, and committed to jail. After a short confinement, he was brought before the Chief Justice of the Territory on a writ of habeas corpus, and admitted to bail. He was afterward indicted for manslaughter, and tried and acquitted. Immediately after the homicide, Vineyard sent his resignation to the Council, which refused to receive it or even have it read. He was at once expelled. ^ No occurrence ever happened in the Territory that caused more excitement than this event. Vineyard subsequently removed to California, where he died.