Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin - Chapter 3, 1880 (part 14 of 15)

Ripon Educational Club. - The idea of forming a club of this sort was brought to Ripon by Mrs. S. F. Crosby, from Lansing, Mich., and took material shape in 1878, with the following charter members : Mrs. S. F. Crosby, Mrs. A. M. Cowan, Mrs. L. F. Chamberlain, Mrs. :M. F. Hanchett, Mrs. A. V. Everhard, Mrs. P. Thompson, Mrs. J. M. De Frees, Mrs. W. B. Kingsbury, Mrs. J. Grant, Mrs. H. H. Mead and Miss Lizzie Clark. The first officers were as follows: President, Mrs. S. F. Crosby; Vice President, Mrs. C. T. Tracy; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. P. Thompson ; Recording Secretary, Mrs. A. M. Cowan ; Assistant Secretary, Miss Lizzie Clark ; Treasurer, Mrs. A. V. Everhard ; Membership Committee, Mrs. W. W. Robinson. The object of the club is mutual mental improvement only, and it has been an unexpected success. It is on a firm foundation, and considered an established feature of Ripon.

Ripon Rifles. - This is a military company organized, drilled and equipped under the Wisconsin militia law. It was organized March 28, 1877, with Hugo Schultz, Captain; Ferdinand Thiel, First Lieutenant; Ed Kaath, Second Lieutenant, and the following privates: F. Steinbring, William Mathwig, A. Steinbring, P. Degner, M. Kruger, H. Willwock, S. Schmudlach, F. Dannalls, John Mathefes, Charles Giese, William Kohl, William Reck, Martin Wizorick, George Bishholz', G. Derizen, William Dregor, F. Butzin, William Drews, C. Bggart, M. Gartzke, G. Gehlhaar, H. Grutzmacher, F. Grutzmacher, John Haas, G. Hildebrandt, A. Hildebrandt, John Hasse, 0. Johnson, William Kaath, G. Kohl, G. Litz, R. Lubitz, Tom Lambert, John Milahn, H. Martwig, F. Manthei, H. Martin, Fred Milke, G. Otto, J. Pischke, L. Prutz, John, Prill, W. Rapp, Ed Steinbring, T. Steinbring, M. Streich, F. Schrandt, H. Schrader, A. Sauger, E. Tobolt, F. Timm, Charles Timm, C' Tobolt, G. Teske, William Wegner, A. Weishaar, John Weinke, M. Wizinske, William Zimmerman, C. Zimmerman, F. Zweiger, William Zweiger, Aug. Zick, F. Ziebart, William Quast, Henry Kohl. Meetings are held in Grange Hall, but the company has an armory in Kleifoth's block. It has a good martial band. The state donates $300 annually.

Manufacturing Interests

Wisconsin Phalanx Mills. - The first mill in Ripon, or Ceresco, was the saw-mill built by the "Phalanx or Fourierites in 1844, and run by a "flutter- wheel." The first grist-mill was also built by them a little more than two years later on the site of the Ceresco Mills. It had but one stone, with a capacity of about three bushels per hour. But this was ample for the time. Mr. Dellinger, who took charge in 1848, was the first practical miller, and he made some improvements in the wheel, which increased the capacity of the mill to six bushels per hour. The water-Avheel for driving the flouring-mill consisted of a hollow wooden " log," attached in the center to the shaft, from which the machinery received its motion. Both ends of this "log" were closed and a large hole cut in opposite sides of it near each end. The water being let into this "log" from below rushed out at these holes, and the re-action gave motion to the "log," or Avhecl. ' This quaint little mill was rebuilt by Brockway & Dellinger in 1851, who had purchased it from the Phalanx the year before. It is still standing across the street from the Ceresco Mills.

Stephen Bates was the first man to do grinding in the Phalanx Mill. In 1845, buhrs for grinding coarse flour were fixed in the saw-mill and served the purpose of something better until the grist-mill was completed.

Gothic Mill. - The "old stone mill," as it is now called, was erected on Silver Creole, where that stream crosses Scott street, in 1853, and was opened for business, in December of that year. It was a sione building, three stories high, and run by water. D. P. Mapes, the proprietor, was its builder. It was in use about twenty years, coming into the hands of G. W. Dellinger in 1862, who is the present owner of the building and the water-power. The Gothic was always a custom mill.

Treanore ^ Blodgett's Wagon Factory. - In 1853, Harvey Bodge & Son erected a twostory shop on the corner of Jackson and Blackburn streets and began the manufacture of wagons, carriages and sleighs. In 1860, the firm became Dodge & Manville, consisting of C. F. Dodge and E. Manville. They erected, as their rapidly increasing business demanded, four additional shops, three of brick and stone and one of wood. They gave employment, finally, to forty men, and turned out a large amount of work, making lumber-sleighs in lots of 100 during several yeirs. In 1874, the firm became Dodge & Mitchell; in 1877, C. F. Dodge, and, in February, 1878, Treanore & Blodgett, the present proprietors. This firm carries on the most extensive business in the manufacture of wagons, carriages, cutters, phaetons and sleighs of any in the western portion of Fond du Lac' County. This firm owns the business," but not the buildings.

Ripon Mills. - The milling operations of G. W. Dellinger, owner of Ripon Mills, extend far beyond his present mill property. He at one time owned the entire water-power of Ripon, extending from Scott street one mile west to Ceresco, and owned and had in operation at once the three flouring-mills then within its limits, gi.ving personal attention to all of them. He erected into their present shape the Ceresco and Ripon Mills, and the water-power which now drives them. In 1862, Mr. Dellinger bought the Gothic Mill and water-power of H. T. Henton, and also three-eighths of the old Ripon Mills, built in 1850 by D. P. Mapes, at the foot of Mill street. He at the same time owned and run the Ceresco Mills. In 1864, he purchased of J. B. Maxfield the balance of the Ripon Mills. In 1865, he sold half of the Ceresco Mills and purchased the woolen-mill water-power of Dodge & Manville for $1,600. In 1866 and 1867, Mr. Dellinger converted the Gothic, Ripon and woolen mills water-powers into one power, with a head of fifty feet, which is greater than that of any similar one in the State. During these two years, he also erected the present Ripon Mills at the foot of Mill street. This buildis five stories high, has six run of stones and a capacity of 1,100 barrels of flour per week. The usual product, when all the stones are running, is 1,000 barrels per week. The total cost of the mill and water-power was $36,300. The mill is one of the best in the Northwest, every stick of timber being dressed and of the best quality. The "trunk" which carries the water from the Scott street dam to the mill is ninety-four rods long and cost $3,600. It contains 40,000 feet of lumber and 19,000 pounds of iron. In 1869, Mr. Dellinger sold the Ripon Mills to A. K. Shepard, of Albany, N. Y., but was compelled to take the property back in 1879. Immediately upon coming into possession of them again, Mr. Dellinger rebuilt the Scott street dam, putting in a fine stone structure, laid in cement, at a cost of $1,000. The mills now have water enough, except during a short period in the summer, but are supplied with ample steampower for such occasions. The products of Mr. Dellinger's mills are not sold in this country alone, large orders being shipped direct to England and Scotland.

Ceresco Mills. - In 1860, G. W. Dellinger moved across the street the old Phalanx Mill and erected on its site a four and one-half story mill, with an overshot water-wheel, twenty-five and a half feet in diameter, for power. The water was carried under the street in a trunk to the wheel-house, where an elbow raised it to the top of the wheel, which was one of great power. In 1865, H. B. Bateman purchased a one-half interest in the property and immediately added another stone and purifiers. In 1870, the overshot water-wheel was taken out and four turbine wheels put in its place, which were made by W. H. Elmer, of Berlin. One is a ten-inch and three are thirteen-inch wheels. In 1875, Mr. Bateman became sole proprietor. Since he entered the mill, an addition 40x44 feet has been added, and a large steam engine and boilers for use during low water. The water-power has a head of twenty-eight feet, which affords a strong moving force. In 1879, machinery for producing " patent flour " was put in by Mr. Bateman. The capacity of this mill is 100 barrels of iiour per day.

Ripon Packing Company. - The Ripon Packing Company was organized and incorporated in 1873, with a capital of $8,000. The stockholders were J. J. Smith, C. F. Hammond, B. W. Smith and W. J. Corner, of whom J. J. Smith was President, and C. F. Hammond was Secretary and Treasurer. The buildings, located at the intersection of Scott street and the Chicago,

Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, were erected in 1873-74, and are 100x160 feet on the ground. They are equipped with all the appliances for canning cucumbers, tomatoes, horse-radish, making^ catsup, chow-chow, and putting up mixed pickles and sauces. The Company contracts with the farmers for any desired number of acres of cucumbers, or other stock, at a certain price per bushel or hundred weight, the cucumbers to be from two to three and a half inches in length and all delivered at.the factory. The Company is prosperous, transacting a little less than $20,000 worth of business per season. The present stockholders are C. F. Hammond, W. J. Corner, A. P. Harwood and D. "V. N. Harwood, of whom C. F. Hammond is President, and D. V. N. Harwood, Secretary and Treasurer.

Laning ^ Son's Planing-Mill. - This building was erected in 1874 by A. Laning, on the site of a burned structure used for a similar purpose, on Fond du Lac street. In 1879, A. Laning, Jr., became a partner in the business, under the firm name of Laning & Son. Th& machinery, which is for dressing, matching, sawing and ornamenting lumber, is driven by steam, and is of the most modern patterns. The mill has a good patronage, as there is no other similar institution in the vicinity.

Zinth's Foundry. - In 1859, Lucius Thatcher erected a two-story wooden building on Jackson street, at the crossing of the Sheboygan & Fond du Lac Railroad, for a foundry and machine-shop. Afterward, D. W. Furniss became a partner in the business with August Zinth, the present proprietor. In addition to custom founding and repairing, the "Prairie City Seeder " and horse-power threshing machines were manufactured during several years / at this shop. Harrows, plows and smaller agricultural implements are now manufactured. In 1872, Mr. Zinth became sole proprietor. All Mr. Thatcher had to begin business with was one pair of oxen. He got trusted for most of the building and the steam machinery, but, being an excellent mechanic, he soon built up a large business.

GroodaU's Carriage Factory. - In 1874, H. J. Goodall erected, on Jackson street, a brick and stone carriage factory, sixty-six front and two stories high, and began the manufacture of " light work," or carria,ges, cutters, phaetons and buggies. In 1875, W. T. Runals purchased an interest in the business, and the firm was Goodall & Runals until 1878, when the proprietary interest returned to H. J. Goodall, in whom it still remains. Fine work is a specialty, Mr. Goodall having been granted the first premium on carriages and phaetons at every competitive exhibition where his work has been entered. When running at full capacity, the factory has employed twenty .men. ,

Sazen ^ Son's Windmill Factory. - In 1871, L. Hazen invented and had patented a windmill, the manufacture of which was immediately entered upon by Hazen Brothers, on Fond du Lac street. In 1878, S. Hazen secured a patent for a geared and pumping mill, which is wholly unlike any other ever' put upon the market. The patent was upon a rotary vane, hinge and shifting works. In 1880, S. Hazen made a further improvement in the mill, which consists in a stationary vane, a hollow iron standard, and an eccentric wheel for changing the rotary to horizontal motion, which is a great saving in power and friction. These mills, together with a patent harrow, are now made by S. Hazen & Son, at their factory on Scott street, at the crossing of Sheboygan & Fond du'Lac Railway, who maintain agencies in nearly all parts of the United States and Canada, patents having been secured in both countries.

Haas' Brewery. - The only Brewery in Ripon belongs to John Haas. The building was formerly the old " woolen-mill," built in 1850, just below the Ripon Mills, by S. Ford, and run later by S. R. Patton, now of Oshkosh. It is well calculated for the brewing business. In addition to his local trade, Mr. Haas has ^large orders from the surrounding cities, to supply which he erected a substantial stone bottling-house near his brewery. Bottling and shipping beer is now one of the prominent features of his business.

Powers'' Cooper-Shop. - J. J. Powers carries on a large business. His first factory or shop was in a portion of the old Ripon Mills building, which was burned in 1879^ He erected a new shop on the old site immediately after the fire, three stories high. It is conveniently located, being connected with Ripon Mills, for which Mr. Powers does a large amount of work,.

Ripon Cemeteries

Oeresco Cemetery Association. - The first cemetery in what is now Ripon was laid out by the Wisconsin Phalanx in 1845, in the northwest corner of the village of Ceresco. The lot was deeded from the Phalanx to the Association by R. D. Mason, Jacob Beckwith, Jacob Woodruff, Carlton Lane, John Irving and Russell Smith, and contained five acres and twenty-six rods. Warren Chase, now a newspaper publisher at Santa Barbara, Cal., laid out the grounds - made a plat of them - by a rude pocket compass. The first burial in this cemetery was that of- Caroline Danks, one of the Fourierites, and the next was that of Uriel Farmin, a child. The cemetery has been little used for many years. At the first death and burial, the Phalanx people marked the sad event by appropriate demonstrations of sorrow.

Ripon Cemetery Association. - The first burial in Ripon was that of Timothy J. Mapes' wife on College Hill. The next was that of Samuel Pedrick, who died in September, 1850. A few others were buried on College Hill befcre a cemetery was set apart. These, or the most of them, were removed to the present cemetery a few years later. The original deed, which transfers from J. Bowen to D. Sabin, D. P. Mapes, E. L. Northrup, Dana F. Shepard and E. P. West, two acres and four rods of land in the northwest quarter of Section 21, is dated March 8, 1853. Although there are no records, it appears a cemetery association had been formed before this, in 1852, as J. Bowen, Avery Brown, T. J. Mapes, D. F. Shepard, J. Wilbur, S. G. West, E. P. West, A. P. Mapes, G. F. Lynch, A. B. Beardsley, M. King, J. McConnell, H. S. Eggleston, A. McStevens, William Light and A. G. Kellogg, subscribed $100 to " save the deed " of Ripon Cemetery in February, 1853. In the course of a few years, ofiScers were chosen who kept no record of the affairs of the Cemetery Association, which soon fell into a deplorable condition. From the latter part of 1859 to 1863, no oflicers were chosen at all on this account, and lots were occupied without approved record or title.

After various troubles, the remaining members of the old Cemetery Association met, March 17, 1863, to re-organize under the State laws. They therefore elected Dana F. Shepard Trustee for one year ; George N. Lyman and A. M. Skeels, for two years, and B. G. Webster and Solon G. Dodge, for three years. Ripon Cemetery, located just west of the college campus on the southwest quarter of Section 21, which had been used up to this time, without its affairs being properly attended to, was found to be in a mixed-up and unsatisfactory condition, and many conflicting claims were alive. In 1863, after these matters were adjusted as well as possible, four acres additional were purchased of J. Bowen for $500. In 1866, a lot was purchased of Mrs. Mayo for $100, and in 1869, still another of M. Lehan. Now, although the lots are mostly taken and the cemetery limits begin to show signs of being too small for a city the size of Ripon, there can be no enlargement of the grounds, on account of a statute which forbids the erection of new or the enlargement of old cemeteries within the limits of cities.

The Presidents of Ripon Cemetery Association have been Dana F. Shepard, who served six years ; E. Manville, H. T. Henton, and W. W. Robinson, the present oflScer, who has had the ofi5ce since 1871. The Secretaries have been S. G. Dodge, M. W. Seeley, B. G. Webster, Byron Kingsbury, and George L. Field, the present official, who was chosen in 1878. Samuel Sumner has been Treasurer since the beginning of 1865.

The cemetery now contains 633 lots, nearly every one of which has been disposed of. A movement to secure another cemetery lot, outside of the city, is now in contemplation.

The fire that destroyed the greatest amount of property in Ripon was in April, 1869, when all the offices and stores were burned from Zobel Bros.' present building, on the east side of Public Square to Jackson street, and then east on that street to Dodge & Manville's shop. The loss in dollars was not great compared with the number of buildings burned, as they were old wooden rookeries which were immediately replaced by substantial ones of brick and stone, thus beautifying the city. One of them, however, was of stone, and a fine structure, which Mr. Bowen, to whom it belonged, built for the post office. There were nine blocks destroyed on Public Square, entailing a loss of $45,000.

The greatest number of buildings were burned September, 1868, when all those on the east side of Broadway, or Main street, were burned from the corner of Public Square through to Blossom street. These .were also wooden buildings, and worth but little, the conflagration, therefore, resulting in beautifying the city. The loss was about $00,000.

In the winter of 1876, Samuel Sumner's large stone and brick block on the corner of Scott street and Public Square was burned, together with S. Salisbury's grocery store next to it. The upper floor of Sumner's block was occupied by W. M. Lockwood's large photograph gallery. The loss was about $10,000.

On the 10th of January, 1877, the Centennial, Block, corner of Public Square and Main street, burned from a cause generally unknown. The block was a very large one, fronting on Main street and Public Square, of brick, and two stories high.. It was built in 1876 by E. C. Kellogg. The loss was |i34,625, and the insurance about $20,000.

A very disastrous fire, in some respects, occurred February 6, 1879, when the post ofiice on West Fond du Lac street, near the Unitarian Ohurch, was burned. The entire edition of the Ripon Free Press, unnumbered letters and papers and all the stamps, money and paraphernalia of the post office were destroyed. Two brick and stone blocks, one belonging to E. L. Bunals, and the other to Rev. J. Allen, Avere burned. The Postmaster, H. S. Town, received an appropriation from the Government in 1880, to re-imburse him for the loss of money and stamps, for which he was personally, liable. At this fire the total loss was about $12,000.

The position of Ripon from the first, as regards county-seat facilities, was of a desperate character. Nor did the completion of a railroad to the city relieve her in that respect, coming as it did from Waupun. It so happened that the seat of justice of Green Lake County was on wheels, moving from Marquette- to Berlin, and to Princeton, and to Dartford, all of which was ' an aggravation to Ripon, because she felt certain that if .the city were within the limits of Green Lake County, she could capture and hold the prize with but half an effijrt. But Ripon was in Fond du Lac County, where she could no more get the county seat than she could get the State Capital. Then Ripon would bend her ener.gies to getting out of Fond du Lac County. But there, again, the State Constitution lay like a rampant lion right across her path.

An act of the Legislature could not set her out of Fond du Lac County ; it must be supplemented by a vote of the people of the county. The case looked desperate, but Ripon was bound to try. She sent a trusted friend to the Assembly, in the full belief that he could obtain the necessary legislation, and he did. At that time Fond du Lac County had one Senator and five members of the Assembly, and the whole six - except the member from the west district - were opposed even to submitting the act to the people. They fought it in every way and shape ; in the two Houses, in the newspapers, in the streets and in the saloons. The odds were fearful - five against one, but the one' carried it by a vote of sixty-eight to eighteen in the Assembly, which was so large a majority that the Senator took counsel of his prudence and did not undertake to defeat it in the Senate. It went through, so the people were to vote on the question of " detaching Ripon" at the next general election. And now commenced an agitation, the like of which probably no other county in the State ever saw. It was, in fact, Ripon against the rest of the county of Fond du Lac, for it was soon very plainly seen that there was not - outside of the city and town of Ripon - one single person that was willing to let Ripon go. The county held on to Ripon with a more desperate grip than the. Egyptians did on to the Israelites, and in the end the county was more successful than the Egyptians. Ripon selected fifteen workers, making them a campaign committee with powers to do anything, undertake anything, or promise'anything in the name of the community. Following are the names of this committee : George N.

Lyman, George W. Mitchell, William M. Taggart, E. L. Northrup, H. H. Mead, J. Bowen, William Starr, B. B. Spalding, A. E. Bovay, D. P. Mapes, A. M. Skeels, George W. Parker, T. B. Robins, J. Dobbs, H. S. Eggleston. These men raked the county over from end to end and from side to side, the whole summer through, appealing to individual voters by every consideration that could be thought of, to let Ripon go. Never was a community roused to such a degree of unanimity before. Every man made'it his own individual fight, and thus the struggle went on from the day the bill was passed until the votes were counted. It was the plan of the committee to post two men at each and every polling-place throughout the county - outside . of Ripon - on election day, and for this purpose assignments were made long beforehand, that the men might get in their work and become acquainted with their precincts during the summer. The result was that Ripon was finally defeated by an adverse decision of the Supreme Court ; not on the constitutionality of the act - for that was affirmed - but on the counting of certain crooked votes which turned the scale. It was a fierce struggle and a bitter defeat; and no man who was in it has the least desire to go through any such fight again. In fact, this campaign may be said to have ended Ripon's fighting career. Since that time, she has been gradually losing her belligerent material and settling down into the quiet ways of peace. The men who were in that struggle have gone this way and that ; some to the other world, some to the cities and some to the farther West, leaving Ripon to the possession of the shades of Academus, a quiet old age and the repose of a peaceful conscience.

Ripon was never so thoroughly and intensely excited as when Sherman M. Booth sojourned within her limits. Booth, as elsewhere related in this work, had personally aided an alleged escaped slave, named Joshua Glover, to deliver himself from prison, into which he had been thrown under the fugitive slave act. For this he was imprisoned in Milwaukee. After remaining in prison about a year, through the aid of friends he escaped and came to Ripon, where he arrived Saturday, August 4, 1860, under an armed, escort from Waupun. Notice that he would speak at the City Hall in the evening was sent out, and, at the appointed time, a large audience filled the hall to its utmost capacity, while some hundreds in the streets were unable to gain admittance.

The meeting was called to order by C. J. Allen, when William Starr was chosen Chairman, and Mr. Allen Secretary. Booth was introduced to the audience, and was greeted with hearty applause, and bouquets were thrown on the platform by several ladies.

Booth had proceeded for some time with his speech, when Deputy Marshal F. D. McCarty, of Fond du Lac, suddenly came on the platform and said, " I have a warrant to arrest you, Mr. Booth." He barely succeeded in putting one hand on Booth, when he was instantly pulled away by the bystanders. A scene of intense excitement and indescribable confusion followed. "Kill him!" "Shoot him!" "Hang him!" went up in shouts from all parts of the hall. McCarty was thrust out of the hall by the enraged people, being kicked and beaten by his pursuers, and was thrown down the lower flight of stairs, falling upon his face. Instantly regaining his feet, he fled to the Mapes House, followed by the crowd in pursuit. The Mapes House was the headquarters of the Marshal and his friends, and they appeared" at the door armed, and forbade entrance to the pursuers.

At the hall, as soon as order could be restored, a resolution was oifered by A. E. Bovay : ^^ Resolved, That Mr. Booth shall not be re-arrested in Ripon," which was adopted amid deafening shouts and hurrahs. Edward Daniels took the stand and made an impassioned speech for a few minutes, and moved that a League of Fireedom be organized, the members of which should be pledged to resist any attempt to execute the fugitive slave act. One hundred and twenty persons were enrolled as fast as the names could be written. A. E. Bovay was elected President, and C. J. Allen Secretary. A vigilance committee of twelve members was appointed, consisting of Edward Daniels, 0. H. La Grange, A. B. Pratt,. Dana Lamb, A. E. Bovay, C. D. Loper, J. S. Landon, F. R. Stewart, I. A. Norton,-F. W. Cooke, Lucius Thatcher, A. M. May,

Benjamin Pratt, L. P. Rivenburgh. The mass of the people then formed a procession, preceded by the Ripon Wide Awakes, and escorted Booth to the residence of Prof. Daniels. Some twelve or fifteen persons were put on duty as a volunteer guard to defend the residence of Prof. Daniels, and the remainder dispersed.

The vigilance committee held a meeting in the morning, and took measures to effect a military organization, to subserve the purposes of the League.

The next day, the people came pouring in from the country, and at 3 o'clock a mass meeting was held in a grove. Asa Kinney was called to the chair, and C. J. Allen appointed Secretary. A committee, consisting of Edward Daniels, A. Pickett, C. J. Allen, J. W. Sanders, I. A. Norton, P. F. Drury and J. A. Burt, was appointed to prepare resolutions. Booth then addressed the meeting, after which Mr. La Grange was called out and Spoke for a short time.

Mr. Daniels reported from the committee a series of resolutions, which were adopted unanimously. A procession then formed and marched to the City Hall - Booth going to the hall, as he had gone to the grove, escorted by a body of armed men. The hall was taken possession of, and guards stationed for its defense.

At the hall, a committee of ten was appointed to wait upon the Deputy Marshals and request them to leave town. Messrs. William Starr, A. E. Bovay, E. Reynolds, C. J. Allen, I. A. Norton, F. A. Strong, F. R. Stewart, L. P. Rivenburgh, A. B. Pratt and A. Leonard were appointed such committee, who repaired to the Mapes House and had an interview with Deputy Marshals McCarty, Henry, Stryker and Garlick. Mr. Starr conveyed to them the request of the meeting, and received from them an answer that they were L^nited States officers, that they had in their possession a warrant for the arrest of S. M. Booth, and they should depart quietly when such departure was consistent with the performance of their duties.

While the committee and Marshals were in conference, Rev. Hiram McKee addressed a large concourse of people in the streets, which were crowded with excited people, while Booth was strongly guarded at the hall, to which only known friends were admitted.

When the crowd re-assembled Monday morning, they found the hall vacant. Booth had escaped during the night, as it had been announced that a regiment of soldiers (militia) from Milwaukee was on the way to Ripon to arrest him and all engaged in preventing his capture by the Deputy Marshals. He left to avoid this anticipated addition of strength, which, however, did not appear. He went to the residence of a friend, in the edge of Green Lake County, where he remained a few days. Thence he secretly fled to the town of Rosendale, and thence to Utica, Winnebago County. Here he was discovered by agents of the Marshals,' who undertook his arrest, but were unsuccessful. Booth fled to Berlin, in Green Lake County. In these escapes, he had been powerfully aided by Prof Daniels,^ who was soon after arrested and taken before Judge Miller, of Milwaukee, who asked him to plead. Prof Daniels declared he committed the alleged crime for which he had been deprived of his liberty, and did it understandingly, after mature deliberation! He then proceeded to justify the act, making an eloquent but scathing speech, attacking Judge Miller and all who in any way upheld or sympathized with the "infamous fugitive slave act." The prisoner was fined $25, which was cheerfully paid. This ended, so far as Ripon was particularly concerned, " the Booth war."

The idea of rescuing Booth originated with Edward Daniels, now a resident of Washington. Before going on with the work, however, he conferred with Charles Sumner, who gave unexpected encouragement. He then told his plans to 0. H. La Grange, afterward Superintendent of the United States Mint at San Francisco, and these two Ripon men rescued Sherman M. Booth from the jail at Milwaukee in broad daylight.

The first bank was organized in 1856, called the Bank of Ripon, by H. H. Mead, E. P. Brockway, A. M. Skeels, B. B. Parsons, Richard Catlin, T. B. Robbins, George W. Mitchell and E. L. Northrup.

Ripon was connected by telegraph lines with Milwaukee in 1860. George England was active in securing the line by raising subscriptions, which were paid back in telegraphing after the line was in operation.

The first school on " the hill," in Ripon, before Ceresco and Ripon became one, was taught by Emily E. Turner, in a slab shanty, erected in April, 1849, by Samuel Pedrick, near the present site of the Sheboygan and Fond du Lac Railway depot, as soon as there was any organized school district.

Growth Of The City

Ripon grew with astonishing rapidity during the first ten years of its existence - more than it has since. That is to say, the portion founded by D. P. Mapes grew in new business enterprises and population more from 1850 to 1860 than from 1860 to 1880. At the beginning of the rebellion, almost as much ground was covered by hotels, shops and stores, as in 1880. More men of property, education and business experience were drawn to Ripon than to almost any other place of equal size that could be mentioned. To these it owed its rapid but substantial growth, as much as to its rich prairies and beautiful location. Productive prairies could contribute a large but limited amount ; a community of men with experience, unbounded energy and pretty liberal means, could contribute to an unlimited extent to the growth of a newborn city.

True, more money was expended in building after 1869 than for ten years before, but it was rebuilding. The two great fires were in 1868 and 1869, sweeping away almost one entire side of Main street and Public Square. The destroyed property was of wood, and too old and small to be of value. It was replaced with handsome and costly structures of stone and brick. In 1870, twenty business blocks were thus rebuilt in Ripon. This could not be chronicled as growth - enlargement ; but it showed a wonderful ability and willingness to mend the broken city, and mend it well.

Ripon, containing at the census of 1875 a population of 3,501, has justly earned the reputation of being one of the most beautiful, wealthy and pleasantly situated cities in the Northwest. It is diversified by hill, valley and stream, and thickly shaded by choice trees of more than the usual variety and beauty. It is not, in any sense of the term, a manufacturing center, owing to the limited supply of water in Silver Creek, during more than half the year. It has, however, acquired an enviable reputation as being the center of a rich agricultural district, the seat of a prosperous college, and the nearest city to Green Lake, an already famous summer resort. Its inhabitants are largely composed of men retired from their various occupations, and the place has therefore a clean, quiet, comfortable air, quite in contrast with the usual hurry and bustle of Western cities. Ripon contains good limestone for building purposes, which lies well to the surface. The three college buildings, two churches and nearly half the business blocks are of Ripon limestone, though some of them are fronted with brick. In Ceresco is a deposit of good brick clay, from which the material for several large blocks has been secured. Fuel is reasonably cheap, large forests of oak, a few miles distant, furnishing the supply.

Ripon has convenient railway facilities. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway puts the city into communication with at least five States over its own lines, and persons desiring to do business in Milwaukee or Chicago, the Western centers, find the most desirable arrangements always in force. What is quite remarkable, every one of the surrounding cities and villages is directly connected by rail with Ripon ; on the south and north by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road, and on the east and west by the Sheboygan & Fond du Lac. Since the latter road came into possession of the Chicago & North- Western Railway Company, Ripon wheat-shippers have occasionally enjoyed unparalleled transportation privileges. During several weeks in the fall of 1879, competition became so lively between the two roads that each carried wheat for nothing.

City Of Waupun

First Settlement - Meaning of the wokd - First Events - Growth of Waupun - Village and City Officers, 1857-1879^A Reminiscence - CinjiiCHES- Waupun a Quarter OF A Century Ago - Secret Societies - Waupun Pioneers - Manufactories - Banks - Old Settlers' Club - Waupun Library Association- Wisconsin State Prison - Waupun a Dozen Years Ago - Waupun Fire Company, No. 1- Dodge County Mutual Insurance Company - A Contrast - Waupun Schools - The Post Office - Waupun Agricultural and Mechanical Association - Cemeteries - Public Halls - Hotels - Fun in Ye Olden Time.

First Settlement

In the early fall of 1838, Seymour Wilcox, then engaged on the Government works near Green Bay, came to what is now the city of Waupun to locate land for a home. He did so at the suggestion of John Bannister, who had surveyed in the vicinity, and who described the Rock River Valley as the most beautiful and fertile he had ever seen. He determined to make himself a home where he afterward settled and resided, about twenty rods east of what is now Markle & Harris' flouring-mill, on Rock River. Therefore, in Febriiary, 1839, with John N. Ackerman, Hiram Walker (and another man who remained but a few days), he arrived at the spot previously visited, driving from Green Bay a yoke of oxen laden with a few boards and some provisions. Four burr-oaks were found, to which the boards were nailed for shelter. In this small shanty they lived, or stayed, until a log house was nearly finished, when Mr. Wilcox returned to Green Bay for his family. Ackerman and Walker finished the house, which was occupied by Mr. Wilcox and his family for the first time on the 20th of March, 1889. Ackerman and Walker were single men, and boarded with Mr. Wilcox, helping him to break land and raise a few oats, some eorn and potatoes and a little "garden truck," but no wheat. Pork and flour came from Green Bay, and, occasionally, $20 was paid for a barrel of the latter, which was so hard and sour that it would stand alone after the hoops and staves had been removed.

From this time up to 1841, no other persons were added to the settlement. Living in that rude hut, the days came and went without registering any very strange event. They heard no startling news to disturb their serenity ; no rise or fall of stocks broke in upon their equanimity ; there was no crash in business, no downfall of dynasties, no new fashions to attract their attention. The gray of each morning was heralded by an old, pompous-looking rooster that had been imported, who blew his clarion trumpet at 4 in the morning, one blast following another with great rapidity. Around Mr. Wilcox's home were beautiful openings ; beyond these were blooming prairies, extending he hardly knew where. These natural meadows were interlaced with silver rivulets that danced to their own music. Amid these openings - nature's mighty parks - roamed the noble deer ; and over those prairies, which were like so many gorgeous pearls in richest settings, the soft wind played.

The first day of that pioneer family can well be pictured. It was in the season of the year when frosty nights were succeeded by sunny days ; when the crows crept into the woods, as if they felt approaching May. The kittens ran round the cabin, and chased each other up the trees; and the dog wandered along the river-side, for reasons best known to himself. The woodpecker tapped his drowsy music on the decayed trunks; the turkey peered from behind the roots of the upturned trees, where she had been waiting so long to hail the blessed warmth, and inquired, "What business have you here?" The squirrel pushed his nose out of the door of his castle, and, after looking cautiously upon the intruders, threw his tail over his back, and.

with an angry chirrup, trotted to the nearest stump ; and then, as th? sunbeams pierced through the tangled woods, the bluebird broke forth, into a note of song, tuned the strings of her harp for the coming summer, and inquired when gentle May was coming, with her music and her flowers.

In after years, |;he daughters ot Mr. Wilcox would tell how they learned to get breakfast an^d wash dishes ; how, one night, they heard a wolf howl in the woods ; and how a dirty old Indian poked his head in at the door, and asked for fire-water. They would tell how they used to thrust their little bare feet into the faces of the violets, with a dainty sauciness; how they went down to the river, of a morning, to wash, and arranged their locks with a wooden comb ; how, when they milked the cows for the first time, the white current went fizz into their eyes, and shot over into a cluster of wild roses that were blushing at the performance.

There are threads of beauty that pervade every household, wherever it may be, and whatever may be its lot. There are always pleasant thoughts, kind words and happy remembrances flying to and fro. How must the hearts of this family have rejoiced when, as the long shadows of evening were stretching over the landscape, some traveler, in his Kentucky-jeans coat and stoga boots, alighted from his shaggy old horse, and, asked entertainment for the night. They looked upon it as a sort of angel- visit ; each one strived to outstrip other-s in acts of hospitality; and though they could not offer him the luxuries of life, he soon felt that he was welcome to anything they had. The old fireplace, if it was winter, was soon piled with logs up to the very throat, and shook its shadows around the room in defiance of the winds that roared without. If the traveler happened to have a paper a month old, their joy was at its height, and the younger members of the family ransacked, its columns with the greatest delight.

This little band had, as it were, severed all connection between themselves and the past. True to their purpose, they went to work in their new home as if they were going to tear down the whole forest and pile it into boards. Amid wind and storm and suffering and privation, they helped to lay the foundation of Wisconsin's greatness. Morn's early dawn, and evening's gentle hush, bore witness to their industry; and the happiness now enjoyed by the citizens of the city of Waupun is, in a degree, the product of their labor. They were firm to their purpose as flints, and the sparks struck from them are transfigured into images of beauty and romance. Their memory will ever be necessary to the loveliness of the city.

The family of Mr. Wilcox was relieved from the monotony of such complete isolation, in 1841. In that year, the settlement received an accession in the persons of C. Carrington, Mr. Town and others, who heroically enteired upon the hardships of a pioneer life, in a section of country where everything was new. But to work they went, girdling the trees, fencing,the land, raising log houses, and making the old "openings" echo with the din of their industry. From morn till night, they toiled in their new homes, and sent the breaking-plow, drawn by yokes of sturdy oxen, through the native sod. Then came the green grass, the corn and the wheat, some bearing sixty-fold and some an hundred-fold. There were no arbitrary lines drawn amongst them ; no memorable fictions in the way of their progress ; society, habit and custom hung no dead-weight on their ambitious minds. It was thus the first settlement began, in what is now the city of Waupun.

Meaning Of The Word Waupun

The Indian word Waubun {meaning ''the early day," or, perhaps, strictly speaking, "the early light or dawn"), which was intended to have been given to the town organized in 1842, in the western portion of Fond du Lac County, was, upon its first use by the early settlers, written incorrectly; and its orthography was not fully settled until some years after, when " Waupun" came into general use. The town in Fond du Lac County being called " Waupun," the name was also given to the village, although the latter was located both in Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties ; and, of course, when the place grew into a city, and was incorporated, it was still called "Waupun," which name has the merit, at least, of being unlike any other in the United States. Although the place was first called Madrid, after the native place of Seymour Wilcox, jet, when the commission of the first Postmaster arrived, it was found that the name had been changed to Waupun ; this was done by James Duane Doty, who was then a delegate in Congress ; so that to Doty belongs the honor of the name.

First Events

The first store in Waupun was opened by Thomas C. Snow, in John N. Ackerman's house, in Upper Town, in 1845. He kept a limited stock of dry goods, groceries, crockery and a few medicines.

The first Postmaster was Seymour Wilcox, commissioned in the winter of 1840 and 1841. The first sermon was by Rev. S. Smith, a Methodist, who then lived at Calumet, in the little schoolhouse erected near where the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway crosses Main street, in 1844. He had presided at informal prayer or class meetings, at the house of Seymour Wilcox, as early as 1840.

The first hotel was the log residence of Seymour Wilcox, who entertained travelers as soon as he moved into it, in 1839. The next hotel was J. N. Ackerman's, opened in 1845.

The first grist-mill was built by Forest & Smith in 1846, where Markle & Harris' stone mill now stands. The same firm built a saw-mill a few rods distant a year earlier.

The first school was opened in 1844, by Charles Cleveland, in a small frame building situ- ;ated near where the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway crosses Washington or Main streets.

The first marriage in Waupun was that of William G. McElroy to Miss Lucinda Collins, in 1841, at Seymour Wilcox's house, by Mason C. Darling, of Fond du Lac. An enthusiasticpioneer, writing in 1857, thus describes the wedding :

" The wedding day came ; the woods were a frozen poem written by invisible fingers. The was wrapt in its winding-sheet of snow, but in our little cabin the light flickered grotesquely from the fireplace on the unhewn rafters. There was no useless array among the bridal party, no satin dresses dotted with stars, no jewels spangled in the bosom of the bride, no bracelets encircled her arm, nor did any veil fall from the back of her head to hide the simple evergreen that shone in her hair. There were no dandified, white-gloved, scented, feline-looking, empty-headed scions of codfish aristocracy present ; no fashionable birds with beautiful plumage and sickly looks ; no pale pets of the parlor who had vegetated in unhealthy shades until their complexions had assumed a greenish color like a potato in a dark cellar. The ceremony throughout was characterized by Quaker-like simplicity. The building was humble. The ceremony over, I can see the white cloth placed on the table, and on it a plate or two of biscuits almost as white. Then I see a big gobbler, fattened for the occasion, and almost smell the sage with which the stufiSng was sprinkled. Then came a bowl of pickled cabbage, a dish of baked beans, a plate of boiled beets fantastically decorated with cloves, and after that the crowning dish of all - a glorious jelly-cake, well seasoned with ginger and molasses plentifully spread between the layers for jelly. * * * rpjjg ^^j following the wedding the bridal party proposed a journey to Lake Emily, where the bride's parents resided, and which lay twelve miles distant through roadless woods and prairies. And what was their chariot ? a magnificent sled. By what was it drawn ? a magnificent yoke of oxen. With what was it enshrined ? a magnificent bundle of clean straw, and on this the beautiful bride and her attendant sat as dignified as did Cleopatra when surrounded with all that wealth could purchase."

The second marriage ceremony, performed October 11, 1842, although not performed in Waupun, snatched from single blessedness one of its earliest settlers, John N. Ackerman. Mr. Ackerman, with two small Indian ponies, went to Fond du Lac and secured the services of Alonzo Raymond, a Justice of the Peace, and the two proceeded by Indian trail to Oshkosh, where the bride, Miss Hannah A. Ford, was stopping. After the ceremony, the young couple mounted the ponies and made the journey to Waupun. The trail was exceedingly rough in many places, making it impossible for the riders to stick to their ponies unless they sat astride, -which they occasionally did. Just imagine a modern belle making her bridal tour astride of a shaggy little Indian pony !

The first birth was that of a son, Ira, to Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Wilcox, April 17, 1841, The second was that of J. N. Ackerman's daughter, Marian A., in October, 1843.

The first death was that of a boy named Town, which occurred at his father's house. At Mr. Town's "barn-raising" a pail of whisky was set out for the men, and the boy, unnoticed, drank so freely of it that he soon after died.

The'first frame building was a barn built by John N. Ackerman in 1843. The next twc were Mr. Ackerman's residence and a building erected by Seymour Wilcox, where the Exchange Hotel stands.

Growth Of Waupun

The first settlement in what is now the city of Waupun was made, as we have seen, in 1839, at which time Seymour Wilcox, perceiving that here was a water-power on the west branch of Rock River - then a stream of considerable size - combined with other natural advantages, determined to locate at this point, and, in that year, removed with his family from Green Bay and became the first settler and founder of what has since become a beautiful and flourishing young city. At the same time, Hiram Walker and John N. Ackerman, attracted by the reports brought to Green Bay by Mr. Wilcox, were induced to accompany him and settle at this place, - where Mr. Ackerman still resides on the farm originally entered by him, having lived to see the silence of the prairie where he had chosen to build his home give place to a community of happy settlers, again changing to a thriving village, and, again touched by the wand of progress, transformed into a busy and ambitious little city, of which h'e had the honor of becoming the first Mayor.

In these early days, the location of but a few families in one locality was necessary to form a nucleus for others, and, in this case, but few years had passed before a small store was opened, a mill erected, and it became evident that a village must eventually grow up. To facilitate that result, Mr. Ackerman, in 1846, laid out into village lots, platted and recorded as the village of Waupun, about ten acres of land on the southeast corner of Section 31, in the town of Waupun, Fond du Lac County, since known as the "upper town." The year following, Mr. Wilcox, whose farm lay about three-quarters of a mile to the eastward, unwilling to see the prospective village grow up without sharing in its benefits, proceeded, with others, to lay out and plat into village lots about fifty acres of land, lying across the county line, partly in Dodge and partly in Fond du Lac County, and called their village East Waupun. Then commenced a lively but friendly contest between the rival villages, to determine which should be the future city. This rivalry continued until the location of the Wisconsin State Prison, adjoining East Waupun, in 1851, and the completion, to this point, of the Milwaukee & Horicon, now the Northern Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, in the year 1856. These events practically settled the question, and the " upper town " reluctantly submitted to the inevitable, and, in 1857, the rival villages were united, under the name of the village of Waupun,. by a special charter, granted by the Legislature, and approved March 6, 1857. By this act^ the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 4, the north half of Section 5, and the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 6, taken from the town of Chester, in Dodge County, and the east half of the southeast, quarter of Section 31, the south half of Section 32, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 33, taken from the town of Waupun, in Fond du Lac County, was incorporated. The village -lying thus in two counties, special provisions were required and, granted in the charter, among which, jurisdiction in both Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties was conferred upon Justices of the Peace; and the Village Marshal was given authority to serve process in both counties.

The growth of the place had been so rapid, that at the first charter election in April, 1857, -three hundred and twenty-three votes were cast, indicating a population of over sixteen hundred.

In 1858, and again in 1865, the charter was amended to provide more fully for laying out and opening new streets. In 1871, the original charter, with its amendments, was revised and consolidated by an act of the Legislature, approved March 21, 1871.

The steady growth of the place was such, that in 1878 it waa considered advisable to incorporate as a city, with a ch9,rter entirely re-written, adapted to the peculiar geographical situation of the place. A city charter was accordingly granted March 5, 1878, including within the city limits additional territory, the residents of which, having observed the economy and good judgment displayed in the management of theaffairs of the village, desired the advantages to be derived ed from a city r*ther than a town government. This additional territory was taken partly from each county. The southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 4, and the north half .of the south half of Section 5, a total of 200 acres taken from the town of Chester, and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 23, from the town of Waupun.

The growth of Waupun has been steady and constant from the beginning. Very few commercial failures have intervened, to retard its general prosperity. Its business men have, as a rule, been honorable and enterprising tradesmen. Its professional men and other citizens have generally been public spirited and liberal in everything tending to build up the place. The tone of its society and government was originally imparted, and has since been maintained, by -the sound judgment and strict integrity of its earlier citizens, many of whom still remain prominent and influential in social and business affairs, among whom W. H. Taylor, who came in 1846, Dr. H. L. Butterfield, Eli Hooker, Edwin Hillyer and B. B. Baldwif, in 1847, John Bryce, M. K. Dahl and R. L. Grahajn, in 1849, and M. J. Althouse,, about 1853, have done much in giving direction to the management of affairs, and making the city what it now is, while many other useful and valuable citizens, who were among the first to come, having performed their full share of the builders' work, have crossed the river to their homes upon the other shore.'

The prudent and conservative policy pursued by its earlier citizens has produced its natural result. No municipal debt has ever been created, and while Waupun possesses superior railroad facilities - both the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Chicago & North- Western Railways competing for its trade - and has a thoroughly equipped fire department, and all necessary buildings for a city of its size, it is entirely free from debt, and by the terms of its charter must ever remain so. Its numerous churches, schools, fine business establishments, elegant private residences, and valuable public library of about 3,000 volumes, together with its general healthfulness and the natural beauty of its situation, are constantly attracting new residents to aid in its - ifurther development. The name is in itself suggestive. The Indian word " Waubun" signifying "early light," changed to Waupun is emblematically represented by a device on the seal of the city, showing the sun just rising over a low range of hills, which may well be taken to represent the well-known "ledge" which lies a few miles to the eastward.

I Village And City Officers, 1857-1879

1860 - J. N. Ackerman, President; R. W. Wells, Treasurer; A. A. Greenman, Marshal; W. H. Taylor, Clerk ; D. E. Dingman, Street Commissioner.

1861 - A. H. Rounseville, President; R. W. Wells, Treasurer; A. A. Greenman, Mar- .^hal; Eli Hooker, Clerk; George V. Ackerman, Street Commissioner.

1878 - Under the city government - John N. Ackerman, Mayor ; R. W. Wells, Treasurer ; Simon Heath, Marshal ; S. J. Sumner, Clerk ; A. Colburn, Street Commissioner.

A Reminiscence

"It was in the summer of 1844 that I, for the first time, set my eyes on the broad prairies and pleasant openings of Waupun. Beautiful indeed was the panorama which greeted my sight. The landscape was then covered with a luxuriant growth of vegetation, the greater part of which was new and strange to me. Wild flowers of every shade and color that fancy could paint or imagination conceive were blooming on every hand, richly contrasted by the tall prairie grass, which in wild luxuriance was waving in the gentle breezes of that balmy summer afternoon. You may imagine, but can scarcely realize, with what rapture and delight I gazed on the lovely scene. Coming as I did from the bleak and rugged hills of the Empire State, it seemed to me more like a vision of fairy-land than it did a reality before me.

" The road on which I came from Watertown led past Oak Grove to Waupun. The scene as I came upon Rolling Prairie was beautiful indeed. Far away before me stretched the prairie, rolling in gentle undulations until the outlines were lost against the dark green forest. The prairie grass was broken into billows by the breeze and it looked like a sea of emerald.

" No habitation was in sight ; but once or twice I caught a glimpse of a settler's cabin nestled far away on the borders of the prairie, or the blue smoke ascending heavenward marked the home of the pioneer. As I entered the openings on the Waupun road, no sound disturbed the scene, save now and then the whir of the prairie-hen as she arose into the air, or the shrill whistle of the plover, or the more harsh notes of the sand-hill crane might be heard in the distance. The first house I passed was on the farm now owned by Mr. Cole, then owned by a man by the name of Mickle. I called at the door for a drink of water and to inquire the distance to Waupun. He sat playing on his flute, reminding one of the Arkansas traveler. I was told it was five miles to Waupun.

" The next cabin I passed was occupied by a man known as Bach Davis, standing near where Mr. Bancroft's residence now is. As I came near where the prison now stands there was a cultivated field on either hand which extended down to where Main street now is. As I came down Prison street, I caught sight of a log house on the south bank of the river, which I found to be a hotel kept by Mr. Wilcox, where the hungry were fed, where the weary found rest and where strangers were taken in.

"Most of what is now the village of Waupun was not as yet broken by the plow of the husbandman. Mr. William McBlroy was living in a small house, on the site where Mr. C. J. Bush now resides. Mr. Collins still lived a little farther west, and Col. Lyman Town lived near by. Esq. Ackerman and Esq. Hinkley were then both residing on the Walker place opposite and a little farther west from where Mr. Stanton's elevator now stands. These, together with old Elder Smith and a son-in-law by the name of Hooker, constituted the entire population of what is now the village of Waupun. There were but five families in the town of Waupun. A man by the name of White was living on the farm now owned by Mr. Atwood, near Willow Creek. Mr. L. P. Preston then resided where Mr. Gee's house now stands, oppositethe old slaughter-house, while Mr. Hawley then owned the farm now owned by Mr. Merriam. Jedediah Amadon had built his cabin on the land now owned by Mr. Ichabod Franklin. A Mr. Gould had built a house on the Corrigan place. The next house on the Fond du Lac road was about three miles beyond the east branch of Rock River, or about eight miles from this place.

" In the town of Chester, Mr. N. J. Newton then owned the farm that now belongs to his heirs, and Mr. Lyman Barrows then lived on the Sumner farm, and there were a few more settlers in that town. With these few exceptions, Waupun and the most of Chester presented to the eye an unbroken scene of timber, prairie, openings and meadow lands, which could be bought for $1.25 per acre. ,

"The nearest physician was at Fox Lake on the west and Fond du Lac on the east. There was no lawyer to stir up strife and litigation between neighbors. We had but one minister, and he was good, for he taught the people to do as they should. The United States mail was then carried on horseback from Fond du Lac to Portage and back once a week, by Mr. Wilcox. His boy would go to Fond du Lac and get it on Tuesday and back home ; then take it to Portage Wednesday and back Thursday, then take it to Fond du Lac Friday ; and if we got a letter from friends in the East, it would take from ten to fifteen days, and would cost 25 cents, which was no small sum at that time. Esq. Hinkley was then Postmaster.

" Having given you a sketch of the early white settlement, let us turn for a few moments to the aborigines. It was no uncommon sight to see a band of Indians with their squaws, papooses and ponies traveling through the country, or to see their wigwams at their favorite camping grounds, or to hear the tinkle of the bells on their ponies on a still night. On a beautiful elevation on the west side of the east branch of Rock River, about sixty rods north from where Mr. Zoelloner's mill now stands, was the remains of an old French trading-post, known as Scalp Village. A fine spring of pure water issued from the bank and flowed into the river, but is now submerged by the mill-pond. A deep, worn path led from the village to the spring. The ground for some distance around the village was literally covered with bones of deer and other game that had been slain to provide food for the red man. Still further back from the river,.

scattered here and there among the rolling burr-oak openings, were a number of Indian graves, each being protected by a miniature log house, or what more resembled the second floor of a pioneer cabin, covered with shakes as the pioneer covers his, the top being about three feet high. But the plow and the ax of the white man have swept them all away, and naught is left to mark -the spot where the red man sleeps his last sleep. About half a mile west from this village, was the Indian planting-ground, or cornfields, on lands owned by Mr. Dean and Mr. Hillebert. And about three-quarters of a mile southwest, on the lands now owned by Mr. Oleson, was the Indian sugar-bush, or sugar-camp, and from the scars the trees bore, it had evidently been used as such for many a year. From this village an Indian trail ran up the river, crossing at the place where the Fond du Lac road crosses, thence to Fond du Lac. The trails were the Indian roads leading from one trading-post to another, or from one favorite camping-ground to another, and were often worn four or six inches deep. The second trail ran in a northwesterly direction, crossing the river on the rapids above the place known as the Sheldon, deep hole, and thence through the grove and near the large oak (that one of our village lawyers in his early practice addressed with great force of eloquence as an imaginary Judge), thence through this village to Fox Lake. The fourth led in a northwesterly direction', near Mr. George Wells' residence, to Green Lake. Near this trail, on lands owned by Mr. Carpenter, on the south bank of what was then a small stream or brook, lay scattered here_and there among the tall grass a number of human skeletons ; who they were, or by what means they came to their death, is not known. Probably thev fell in battle."

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. - The Catholics of Waupun were first attended, as a mission, by Rev. James Roch, from Fox Lake, 1850 to 1853. Then by Rev. R. Dumphy, from Fox Lake, to 1855. Next by Rev. J. Haly, from Fox Lake, to 1856. Afterward by Rev. Louis Daily, from Fond du Lac, to 1858 ; followed by Rev. J. Morris, who built the present church in 1862, and attended it as a mission from Fox Lake, to 1863. Next attended as a mission by Rev. J. Smith, from Fox Lake, to 1865. Then attended as a mission by Rev. W. Doherty, from Fox Lake, to 1867. Next came Rev. G. T. Willard, first resident Pastor. Father Willard remained until 1869 ; added twenty feet to the old church. Then came, as resident Pastor, Rev. M. Hanna, who left November, 1870. The present Pastor, Rev. J. Smith, has resided here for the last nine years, and built the tower and steeple, making the church 80x30. Father Smith has presented the church with a bell weighing 1,350 pounds. It is now a very nice, convenient church, with a fine pastoral residence, has two lots nicely ornamented with trees and shrubbery, and all paid for. Rev. Joseph Smith, Pastor, is also Catholic Chaplain to the State Penitentiary for the last nine years. The Church numbers fifty-three families.

Ti'irst Congregational Church. - In July, 1845, a Church of ten members was organized in Waupun, by Rev. Stephen Peet. Of this Church Joel Norton was chosen Deacon, and Barnabas Hinkley, Clerk.

In September following its organization, the services of Rev. E. S. Peck were secured on alternate Sabbaths for one year. Services were held in the schoolhouse.

It would naturally be expected that those who differ only in their answer ,to the question whether one is more effectually rendered " clean every whit," by' the symbolical application of water to the whole surface of the body than to a part, while agreeing in their views of church government, and on all doctrinal points, as perfectly as do the Baptists and Congregationalists, would co-operate in efforts to advance a aommon cause ; and we accordingly find these two branches so drawn together that the bonds uniting Baptist and Congregationalist almost equal in strength those binding Baptist to Baptist. At times, Congregationalists have joined with Baptists in sustaining a Baptist preacher, and sometimes the reverse.

In 1850, the Congregational society took measures to secure the erection of a house of -worship. A house costing about $1,000 was accordingly built, to which an addition has since been made, not increasing the perfection of its architectural proportions, but increasing its capacity and affording a place of meeting which to those who meet seems homelike.

The pulpit has been occupied for periods of five years or more each by Revs. Mr. Ashman, Mr. Williams 'and Mr. Darling. The services also of Revs. Mr. Bradford (two years), Mr. Blake (one year), Mr. Benson (two years), and specially of Mr. Marble (two years), will not soon be forgotten.

Believing that " prevention is better than cure ;" that it is better to keep out of the ditch than to wash off its filth ; to start the young in a virtuous course of life, than to reclaim them from a vicious course when fallen, the Congregational Church has given prominence to its Sabbath school. And although other organizations may, perhaps justly, boast of surpassing it in efforts to relieve distress, it is not admitted that it has been surpassed in efforts to prevent distress. The successive Superintendents of the school have been C. C. Bayley, Josiah Drummond, L. B. Hills, Abijah Hubbard, Edwin Judd, Martin Short, Edwin Hillyer and John Bryce.

The number connected with the school at present is about one hundred and twenty-five, not differing very much from the number of members of the Church.

Methodist Episcopal Qhureh. - As Methodism has always been progressive in its nature, and always among the first to plant the standard of Gospel liberty in new countries, there has been no exception to this rule in Waupun, but, to give its history, we must go back to the first settlement of the country, and trace its working, along down to the present time.

As early as the year 1844, a class was formed in what was then called the Upper Town, consisting of the family of the Rev. Silas Miller, Eunice Miller, Henry L. Hillyar, Malvina Hillyar, Ezekiel T. Miller and Weston G. Miller (now Dr. Miller), six persons in all. The Doctor this band consisted of three officers and three privates ; his father was the local preacher, his brother the class-leader, and he the exhorter ; his mother, sister and sister's husband were the members.

During the same year, the Rev. Samuel Smith, an aged local preacher, and father of the Rev. Charles Smith, settled with his family in Waupun, and held religious services in private dwellings, whenever convenient. Father Smith and family soon identified themselves with the little class, and became efficient laborers in the Lord's vineyard. At the same time, the class was made stronger by' the addition of Dr. Brooks Bowman and wife. Others were added during the year, including S. J. Mattoon and Mr. and Mrs. S. A. L. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Sexmith, and Mrs. t'. F. Davis, the class now numbering twenty-two members. A building had been erected by the contributions of the people in the village and the country adjacent, for the purpose of a chapel and a schoolhouse, in which regular services were held, both morning and evening, and the Lord poured out His Spirit upon the people abundantly. The eldest daughter of Dr. Bowman, as the first trophy of grace, was converted. Other conversions followed, and in a short time the number increased to twenty ; among them were W. G. McElroy and wife, and several others who became leading and influential members of the Church in Waupun, many of whom have gone home to reap their reward in heaven ; but the Master has not left himself without others to take their places.

Thus the work went on for some years, growing in interest, as might have been expected under the able administration of such ministers as the Rev. J. S. Prescott, Rev. S. B. Tharp, Rev. William H. Thompson and Rev. William Shraff, until it became evident that schoolhouses and private dwellings would no longer accommodate the people.

During the winter of 1854, it was decided to build a church. A site was secured, the material was provided, and during the next summer, under the administration of the Rev. James Lawson, a building was erected and dedicated to the service of God. A revival soon followed, and the interest increased so that, in a short time, it was found necessary to add a number of feet to the length of the building ; in addition to the audience-room, it is furnished with two large classrooms.

In the year 1858, a parsonage was erected on the lot, within a few feet of the church, and is now furnished with a number of articles that are needed to make a minister and his family comfortable.

In 1877, the Annual Conference was held in this church, presided over by Bishop Peck. Its pulpit has always been supplied by some of the ablest talent in the Conference, such as the Rev. James Lawson, Rev. S. L. Brown, Rev. J. C. Robbins, Rev. Nelson Greeil, Rev. S. W. Ford, Rev. J. M. Walker, Rev. Wesley Lattin, Rev. D. W. Couch, Rev. E. S. Grumley, Rev. J. T. Woodhead, Rev. J. H. Jenne, Rev. E. D. Farnham and Rev, A. P. Mead, the present able and efficient Pastor, who is laboring earnestly for the glory of the Master and the salvation of souls.^ The Church is out of debt, and peace and harmony reigns within.

Episcopal Ohurch. - Previous to the year 1867, there were no regular services of the Episcopal Church in Waupun, although the Rev. W. C. Armstrong, the Rector of Grace Church at Oakfield. paid several visits, and encouraged the few faithful members to keep together in faith and hope. In the year 1867, the Church was organized, under the name of Trinity Mission, and the Rev. 0. Thorp, Deacon, commenced regular services on September 1. The first lay officers appointed by the Bishop, were Sam. Chamberlin, Warden; J. W. Seeley, Treasurer; G. E. Jennings, Clerk. The year 1871 saw the resignation of the Rev. C. Thorp, and the appointment of the Rev. Robert B. Wolseley, on the 23d of June. Up to this time, the services were held in the Disciples' Church, and in halls rented for that purpose; but the faithful ones rallied under the active administration of their new missionary, and, on September 11, 1871, the Bishop laid the corner-stone of Trinity Church. One year from that date, the Rev. R. B. Wolseley accepted a call to a parish in Tennessee, when the congregation nominated and the Bishop of the Diocese appointed the Rev. William E. Wright, Rector of Trinity, Berlin, Missionary in charge. At the date of writing, the Rev. Mr. Wright is still at the post, ably assisted by the following lay officers: Sam. Chamberlin, Senior Warden; A. F. Morse, Junior Warden; R. W. Wells, Treasurer; D. A. Lowber, Clerk. The Church numbered about eleven communicants in 1867, and, while losing by death and removal very many, has now,, in 1880, upward of eighty. One hundred and seventy-six souls have been baptized; ninety-seven received the Apostolic rite of Confirmation; twenty-five couples have been united in the holy bonds of matrimony, and forty persons have been committed to the earth by the Ministers of the Church since its inception.

The First Baptist Ghurch of Waupun. - This Church was organized*September 16, 1845, with a membership of eleven persons. The first business meeting was held February 14, 1846, when Rev. J. Murphy was engaged as Pastor. In 1879, active measures were taken for obtaining the means to build a house of worship. A lot was secured on Main street, and $700 were subscribed. A. K. Starkweather and N. B. Cleveland were elected Deacons of the Church. On the 1st of May, 1879, Rev. W. Look was called to the pastorate, with a salary of $250. In the winter of 1851, as the result of revival eiforts, thirty-five persons were added to the Church. In the spring of 1853, Rev. G. W. Freeman accepted a call to the pastorate. In May, of this year, the house was dedicated, it being the first church edifice erected in Waupun. Mr. Freeman's successor was Rev: John Williams, a man of sterling worth, who served the Church, as Pastor, for three years. In 1 862, Rev. W. W. Ames, the Chaplain at the State Prison, accepted, the pastorate of the Church, in connection with his chaplaincy - remaining for two years. His successor was Rev. H. S. Fish, who remained two years. Rev. J. 0. M. Hewitt served the Church in a pastorate of four years. During this time long-needed improvernents were made in the Church property, in which generous assistance was received from the citizens of the place. Rev. A. Whitman was the next Pastor, who also remained four years. Mrs. Whitman was an efficient helper to her husband in his pastoral labors, and a worker in every good cause. During Mr. Whitman's pastorate, the Church, suffered an irreparable loss in the death of Deacon Starkweather, a man who possessed the esteem and confidence of the community in an unusual degree, adorning his Christian profession by a godly life and a wellordered conversation. Rev. G. W. Lincoln remained with the Church less than two years, and was immediately followed by Rev. Victor Kutchin, tlie present Pastor. Mr. Kutchin has the esteem and confidence of the Church a,nd community. His pastorate has been marked in an unusual degree by peace and harmony. He has lately received the appointment of Chaplain of the State Prison ; but he will still continue to serve the Church, as their Pastor. The present membership of the Church is one hundred. Value of church property, $5,000.

Disciple Church. - One of the first religious societies to obtain an organization in the growing village was the Christian or Disciple society, which was established in 1848. Its first Elder was Noah Wirt, whose untiring zeal and religious fervor was at first its chief support. It was not until 1863 that the society was sufficiently numerous or wealthy to attempt the building of a house of worship. In that year, a commodious and substantial church building was erected, the society, at that time, numbering about ninety members, which has since been reduced, by various causes, to a membership of about forty. The society is entirely free from debt. '

Free- Will Baptist Church. - The Free-Will Baptists had a church organization in Waupun as eiarly as 1852, and erected their present building alout the year 1855, in " Upper Town," on the Fond du Lac County side. Its cost was about $5,000. In 1868, the structure was moved to its present site, corner of Prison and Madison streets, and a comfortable parsonage, near by, purchased. The first Pastor was Rev. Charles Smith, and the last, Rev. A. G. Brand. At present, the society is without a permanent Pastor.

Waupun A Quarter Of A Century Ago

"Our village," says a writer of 1857, "like other Western settlements, is made up of all kinds of materials, and its society is exceedingly miscellaneous. We have the inquisitive Yankee, pushing forward his new inventions ; the industrious Pennsylvanian, amassing wealth by the aid of his iron sinews ; the shrewd Irishman, digging out trenches and looking as cheerful as the blue smoke that curls up from his woodland cabin ; the deliberate Englishman, boasting the superiority of his country and its laws ; the canny Scotchman, making his few acres blossom like the rose ; and the ruddy-looking German, singing his songs of ' Faderland ' and hoarding up every little ' shiner ' that gets between his fingers. Each has brought along with him his early habits and associations ; his own views of business, laws and religion ; and, as a natural consequence, , when brought together on public questions, they are apt to boil up like a mixture of salt and soda.

" There are, in Waupun, no church steeples with bells in, that tolled our great-grandfathers to the tomb ; no long lines of graves, in which are buried the virtues of those ancestors only known from tradition ; there is no gray-headed Pastor, rising up like a sacred statue in the memory; no aged deacon, with his head resting on the side of the pew and enjoying a brief sleep as he listens to the sermori ; no old sexton, limping away to the burying-ground with his spade upon his shoulder for the purpose of making an unceremonious rattle among the dry bones. No ; Waupun has scarcely any past upon which the historian can dwell. Nature's mighty cathedral still stands, with its lofty dome of sun, moon and stars ; but its oaken pillars are overgrown with the moss of centuries. The great High Priests that worshiped at the altars and burnt incense to the Great Spirit - where are they ? The temple still stands, but the worshipers are gone. Here and there, we meet with melancholy fragments of some tribe that has wandered back from its place of exile ; but the mass are buried in yonder mounds, with their weapons of war, crumbling to dust, and their history has died with them.

" Waupun is the center of new associations. It borrows no propelling power from venerated antiquarianism, since the spot where it stands was but yesterday wrapt in solitary grandeur. Some Western settlements are filled up with bankrupts who have fled from Eastern creditors, anxious only to obtain peace of mind and bread enough to eat ; they are decayed and tempesttossed vessels, stripped of spars and rigging. Waiipuh, however, may claim a large exemption from these. Its first settlers were iron-souled and true-hearted men. They came to the banks of the west branch of Rock River determined to cut their way through the wilderness and make unto themselves pleasant homes - and they succeeded. They had a mission, and they nobly performed it. They did their work roughly, yet they did it for all time. There is a sort of romance in their history that fascinates ; there is a kind of rustic simplicity connected with them that is truly poetic. Behind them were the homes they had left, the waterfalls that danced to their childish music, and the hills that echoed back their playful shouts. Before them was the wilderness, dark and gloomy, standing in all its solemnity.

" Look at the little village now," continues the writer, " and see what a contrast it presents. It is set oif with beautiful dwellings, cultivated gardens and shaded streets. True to the progressive spirit of the age, its people have devoted themselves to the decoration of their homes. There are five dry-grods stores, fifteen grocery stores, three clothing stores, four hotels, three drug stores, five physicians, two lawyers, two hardware and tinning establishments, two gristmills, one planing-mill, one pump-factory, two printing houses, three wagOn-shops, several lumber merchants, cabinet-makers, stonemasons and painters. There are two banks - the Waupun . and Exchange - two schoolhouses and four churches. A few years ago, produce had to be drawn to Milwaukee, a distance of seventy-five miles, and disposed of for a trifle as compared with present prices. Now the Milwaukee & Horicon Railroad runs through the village. It is already completed to Berlin, a distance of forty-two miles, where it connects with the navigation of the Fox and Wolf Rivers. It is soon to extend to Stevens Point, on the Wisconsin. It was opened to Waupun on the 15th of February, 1856, to Brandon on the 15th of October, and to Ripon November 15 of the same year.

" Up to the 1st of January, 1857, the passengers going east were over 13,000 ; going west, over 14,000. The freight east was over 11,000 tons ; west, over 14,000 tons. There is in Waupun a depot building, a water- station and a turn-table. The wheat shipped from Waupun from February 18, 1856, to January 1, 1857, was 27,5,692 bushels."

Secebt Societies

I. 0. of Cr. T. - The first Lodge of this Order in Waupun, was instituted September 25, 1858, and was named Waupun Lodge. The first meeting was held at the residence of William Euen, and was called to order by G. W. C. T. Dri T. J. Patchen, of Fond du Lac. Mr. P. B. Moore, of Brandon Lodge, No. 81, was chosen Recording Secretary pro tern. The following charter members were then instructed in the work of the Order : William Euen, Mrs. C. M. Euen, Miss M. A. Baldwin, Mr. J. H. Barker, Mr. C. H. Whitney, Mr. G. G. B. McGraw, Mr. E. Y. Ridout, Mr. S. Griffith, Rev. R. W'. Bryant, William Ware and Eli Hooker.

The Lodge then proceeded to the election of the following officers for the quarter ending October 31, 1858: W. C. T., William Euen; W. V. T., Caroline M. Euen; W. R. S., Charles H. Whitney ; Assistant W. R. S., Susan Moore ; W. F. S., John H. Barker; W. Treas., Melissa A. Baldwin; W. Marshal, Byron McGraw ; Dept. Marshal, Edith Bunce ; W. L G., Ezra T. Ridout ; W. 0. G., Seth Griffith; W. Chap., Rev. R. W. Bryant; R. H. S., Mary A. Jarvis; L. H. S. Ellen M. Grandy ; P. W. C. T., B. B. Baldwin.

After the election of officers, the Lodge adjourned to meet Monday evening, September 27, at the Odd Fellows' Hall, Main street, just west from the railroad. November 1, the name of the Lodge was changed to Prison City, No. 96. February 1, 1859, some difficulty having occurred, a portion of the membership withdrew, and with the consent of the Lodge, formed a new one. Welcome Lodge, No. 112. During the following summer, both Lodges were very prosperous, working harmoniously together. The membership of the two societies was about three hundred. Prison City having a majority.

April 23, 1860, Prison City moved into a hall, owned by Phelps Moore, on Fond du Lac street, just north from Main. It continued to'flourish until the breaking-out of the rebellion, April, 1861, when quite a number of the members enlisted in defense of their country. At first, all other interests seemed absorbed in the peril that threatened the nation, and the Lodge suffered in consequence. During the war, thirty, at least, of its members entered the army, and several enlisted from Welcome Lodge. Some of these soldiers returned to take their places in the Lodge - some came home sick and maimed, while others were killed in battle or died in Southern prisons - ^but whatever their fate, their memories are cherished as brave defenders of the," old flag."

April 23, 1862, Prison City again occupied Odd Fellows' Hall. Somewhere between April and November of this year, Welcome Lodge surrendered its charter. May 13, 1863, Prison City moved into a hall on Main street, in the Amadon Block, now owned by J. W. Seely. On the following Fourth of July, the members were assigned a place in the procession which celebrated the day, and marched to " Sumner's Grove," making quite a creditable display. At the conclusion of the exercises in the grove, the Good Templars held a picnic, in which many of their outside friends participated.

Sometime between September 1 and November 1, 1865, the Lodge moved into what was then known as Dodge's Hall, over the insurance oiSce of Edwin Hillyer ; the lower part of the building W£|.s then occupied as a dry-goods store by L. B. Dodge - now occupied by Silber Brothers. The name of the hall was changed to Temperance Hall. It was occupied until March 12, 1878, when the Lodge rented a hall in Rank's Block, Main street. November 11, 1879, the Lodge negotiated with John S. Gee for the purchase of the old hall on Fond du Lac street, occupied by it from April 23, 1860, till April 23, 1862, and where it remains at this date, January 9, 1880. The hall has been considerably renovated, and tastily fitted up, and it is expected that still further improvements will be made during the year. The Lodge now numbers about ninety, and is in good working order. Its oiEcers, at present, are : Lodge Deputy, Rufus H. Oliver; W. C. T., William T. King ; W. V. T., Nellie A. Blodgett ; W. R. S. and Treas., M. Em. Rounseville ; Assistant Sec, Merton R. Wilber; W. F. S., Lawson J. Tompkins; W. Chap., Mary H. Heath ; W. Marshal, Herbert F. Gillman ; Dept. Marshal, Alvira Cornell ; W. I. G., Stena Otten ; W. 0. G., Luman J. Pryor; R. H. S., Ada M. Thompson ; L. H. S., Florence Sheldon ; P. W. 0. T., Lewis J. Althouse.

Prison City Lodge, like all kindred societies, has had its successes and its reverses. - It would be nearly impossible to estimate the number who have been connected with it during its existence - suffice it to say, that comparatively few of the inhabitants of Waupun have not, at one time or another, been numbered among its membership. Its record will compare favorably with that of its sister societies ; the Grand Secretary considers it one of the best in Wisconsin. It is proud of its career, proud of its military history, and proud of the numbers it has educated and sent out to labor in the '-'harvest fields of temperance," and it proposes to exist and to work, as long as there is a call for its existence and a demand for its services.

Advance Temple of Honor, No. 21. - This secret temperance society was organized October 9, 1875, with the following charter members: James McBlroy, R. H. Oliver, S. W. Keyes, P. M. Pryor, G. B. Durand, 0. D. Hudson, N. Raymond, J. S. Gee, S. J. Morse, E. H. Drew and P."H. Kelley. The first officers were : E. H. Drew, W. C. T.; G. B. Durand, W. V. T.; R. H. Oliver, W. R.; 0. D. Hudson, W. F. R.; James McElroy, Treasurer ; S. J. Morse, W. M.; P. H. Kelley, W.D.U.; J. S. Gee, Guardian ; N. Raymond, Sentinel; S. W. Keyes, P. W. C. T.

In June, 1876, occurred one of the greatest temperance revivals ever known in Waupun or vicinity, during which 100 members were admitted to the Temple in the week beginning June 16. In the following July, the Lodge reached the height of its strength in point of numbers, containing at that time 275 members in good standing. The present officers are : J. S. Gee, W. C. T.; L. C. Owen, W. V. T.; R. H. Oliver, W. R.; W. T. King, W. F. R.; 0. F. Stoppenbach, P. W. C. T.

A. 0. U. W. - The Order of the Ancient Order of United Workmen is purely benevolent. It was brought into existence to promote mutual benefit to its members in sickness or trouble, as an insurance to their heirs after death. Each member is assessed $1 at the death of any member within the jurisdiction. The Lodge at Waupun was 'instituted February 3, 1879, and consisted of the following charter members, who were also the first officers : W. W. Houghton,

The present officers are: H. W. Frost and W. W. Houghton, P. M. W.; J. C. Wilms, M. W.; R.L.Oliver, Recorder; C. Johnson, G. F.; John Fieldstad, Overseer ; Herman Hanisch, Guide ; Richard Goff, Financier; J. R. Viall, Receiver; August Pohuns, I. W.; W. C. Peterson, 0. W. The Lodge meets every Monday evening, at Odd Fellows' Hall. W. W. Houghton was Representative to the Grand Lodge for 1879, and H. W. Frost for 1880. The present Medical Examiner is Dr. J. N. O'Brien. The Lodge now has twenty-three members.

Telulah Lodgp, No. 33, I. 0. 0. F. - This Lodge was instituted at Waupun by Deputy Grand Master Lowther, December 25, 1848, with the following named persons as charter members : Isaac Valentine, L. B. Hills, George Howe, W. S. Post and J. Dickenson. It occupied rented rooms until 1852, when a joint-stock company was formed among the members, and an Odd Fellows' Hall was built, at a cost of about $600, which the Lodge continued to occupy for Lodge purposes until 1871, when the old hall was disposed of and a new one was greeted as a permanent home for the Order in the city of Waupun. The property is valued at |5,000. The Lodge is and has been in a prosperous condition.

Waupun Lodge, No. JjB, A. F. ^ A. M. - Ki some time during the last end of the year 1852, D. L. D. Huntington, L. B. Dodge, Milo Sikes, Andrews Burnham, Sr., Jeremiah Look, George T. Wood, C. B. Carrington, Joseph Bardwell and Charles Spoor conceived the idea of instituting a Masonic Lodge at Waupun, and for that purpose petitioned the Grand Master of the State for dispensation. On the 20th day of April, 1853, Hon. H. L. Palmer, then Grand Master, granted the petition, appointing D. L. D. Huntington to be the first Master, L. B. Dodge the first Senior Warden and Milo Sikes the first Junior Warden. August 12, 1853, the Lodge was organized under dispensation with the above named brethren as Master and Wardens. June 20, 1854, the Grand Lodge granted a charter for a Masonic Lodge, to be located at Waupun, to be known as Waupun Lodge, No. 48, appointing C. B. Carrington Master, Joseph Bardwell Senior 'Warden, and L. B. Dodge Junior Warden. The charter so granted was signed by Henry W. Billings, Deputy Grand Master, attested by William R. Smith, Grand Secretary, under the seal of the Grand Lodge. The first election for all of the elective officers of the Lodge was held June 1, 1855, when C. B. Carrington was elected Master. Since which time the following named brethren have been elected and served as Masters : Cromwell Laithe, William E. Howard, Ira Hill, Robert Cosgrove, W. H. Taylor, C. W. Henning, M. C. Short, S. J. Sumner, G. W. Stanton, C. S. Gillman, John J. Roberts and F. S. Keech. The Lodge now has an active membership of ninety-two. She has been and now is free from debt.

Waupun Pioneers

" Many of the old pioneers and our former associates are gone from our cifcle, some to other fields of toil, and others, whose prospects were as bright for a long and happy life as any of us now living, have received their discharge; their work is done ; they have been called from labor to rest ; and if, while mingling with the busy crowd, we sometimes remember them, let it be with kindness. We see many of the old veterans still with us, whose whitened locks and wrinkled brows tell us that their little bark has been tossed on the billows of life's ocean for many long yeats ; and that they were ever at their posts, fearless of the cold of winter or the heat of summer, needs no other proof. These are some of the men who left their Eastern homes to assume a life of toil and danger incident to settling in a new country, so that they might provide for themselves and their children homes of independence and freedom, and, though sometimes meeting with trials and disappointments, yet most nobly have they done their work, and why ? Because they were men of strong minds and determined wills to accomplish, as far as possible, whatever they undertook to do.