Grant County, Wisconsin - Chapter 12: Millville Amd Mount Hope, 1900

Chapter 12: Millville Amd Mount Hope

The first settlers in the present town were EKhn Warner, Jared Warner, Isaac Revel, and Henry Poster, who came with their families in April, 1838, from Ohio, in a large keel-boat, by way of the Ohio, Mississippi, and Wisconsin Rivers. EKhn Warner brought with him a house all framed and ready to be pot up. It was mostly of black walnut and endured to a recent day. It eras put op on Section 26. In 1839 Lewis B. Dewey settled in the neighborhood. William Kidd came from Ohio in 1844 and settled on Section 2, Town 6, Range 5, and Norman Washborn settled on Section 1 in the same town in 1846. William Morse and Joseph Horsfall came in 1849. The latter lived there until his death a few years ago. The first saw-mill was built by Jared Warner in 1840, on Section 34. It had a capacity of only 1,000 feet a day. In 1844 Mr. Warner built a second saw-mill with a capac¬ ity off about 2,500 feet a day. The same year William Kidd built a flouring miD on Section 2. In 1845 C. C. Drake, a son-in-law of BDbu Warner, put up a (hair and bedstead factory, which did a good busi¬ ness for many years. In 1850 Joseph Horsfall built a small woolen miD. In 1865 he erected a large building 32X44 with two wings, each 15X24 and equipped it as a woolen mill. This was burned in 1869. Mr. Horsfall rebuilt the miD in 1871, but misfortune again attended bis enterprise, for the mill was swept away by the flood of 1876 de¬ scribed on page 62. Nothing daunted, Mr. Horsfafl erected a fourth mill- woman died and some of the women who visited her, among them Mrs. Manchester, took the disease and died. The whole Dj'er family* six or seven persons, died of the epidemic. Sylvester Webb, a nephew of Jared Warner, died. Henry F. Young, now a well-known resident of Bloomington, was attacked but recovered.

In 1845 a horse-ferry across the Wisconsin was established by a Mr. Manchester, who ran it until 1861, when the boat sank. George Schlund then put on another boat and ran it until 1865, when it was discontinued.

The post-office was established in 1855, with C. C. Drake as post¬ master. He was succeeded by William Kidd, Jr., who died soon after¬ ward and his widow was appointed and held the office until 1867, when Joseph Horsfall was appointed.

In 1853 a Methodist church was built on Section 35. The dedica¬ tory sermon was preached by Rev. Alfred Brunson. Previous to this meetings were held at the residence of William Kidd and in the schoolhouse. The place was in the Patch Grove circuit.

The first school was taught in 1847 in the dwelling of Jared War¬ ner, by Cassanna McDonald. In 1848 a school-house was built and paid for by subscription.

Millville, Town Organization And Officers

Millville was made a precinct in 1844 with the boundaries shown in the map on page 135; but in the reorganization of 1849 it was in¬ cluded in the town of Patch Grove. The town was organized in 1853, including the present town, the towns of Mount Hope and Wood¬ man, and the northern part of the present towns of Patch Grove and Wyalusing. In 1854 Wyalusing wascut off, in 1864, Woodman, and in 1865, Mount Hope, reducing the town of Millville to its present dimen¬ sions. Since that time the population has been: in 1865, 231; in 1860, 223 ; in 1875, 206; in 1880, 204; in 1885, 176; in 1890, 197; in 1895, 222. The town includes Sections 1 to 18, inclusive, of Town 6, Range 5, and Sections 25, 26, 34, 35, and 36, of Town 7, Range 5. The land, except the bottom of the Wisconsin River, is very rough and broken. The town officers have been as follows :

1859 - Supervisors, Levi Brown, J. A. Kingsley, John B. Lynn; clerk, treasurer, and supt. of schools same as in 1858; assessor, James Weeks ; justices, John B. Lynn, S. A. Quincy; constables, Allen Garvin, Alfred Brunson, Cornelius Nice.

1861 - Supervisors, Joseph Horsfall. James Trainer, R. G. Hum¬ phrey; clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1860; supt. of schools, George R. Garvin ; justices, C. W. Grimesey, John B. Lynn ; constables, Richard Keating, Joseph Tomlinson, Silas B. Simpkins.

1867 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1866; justices, C. W. Grimescy, George Winsworth; constables, Franklin Austin, George Coufllaid.

1871 - Supervisors, B. I. Kidd, L. B. Dewey, Jacob Creager; clerk, A. H. Mumford; treasurer, I. H. Gibbons; assessor, A. R. Poster; jus¬ tices, R. R. Spraggon, James Poster; constables, B. A. Hackett, Jer¬ ome Perry.

1875 - Supervisors. B. I. Kidd, A. R. Poster, L B. Dewey; clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1874; justices, Joseph Horslall, A. R. Foster; constables, Jcflerson Day, Samuel Goan.

1877 - Superrisore and clerk same as in 1876; treasurer, Joseph Horsfall; assessor, Jerome Perry; justices, Joseph Horsfall, Jorome Perry ; constables, Bd ward Hall, Edward Beider.

1879 - Supervisors and clerk same as in 1876; treasurer, I. H. Gib¬ bons; assessor, T. B. Anderson; justices, Joseph Horsfall, Jerome Perry ; constables, Luther Perry, Edward Beider, Edward Hall.

1881 - Supervisors, B.I. Kidd, L. B. Dewey, James Beadle; clerk, treasurer, assessor, and constables same as in 1880; justices, Joseph Horsfall, Jerome Perry.

1887 - Supervisors, Edward Wiseman, T. B. Anderson, H. C. Farnsworth; deric, Joseph Horsfall, Jr.; treasurer. L H. Gibbons; as¬ sessor, A. R. Foster; justices, Joseph Horsfall, W. L. Sdkeric; consta¬ bles, William Posten, A. L. Horsfall, L. A. Tyler.

1896 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1895; justices, Jerome Perry, Harry Horsfall, John Beitler; constables, Wm. Posten, Frank Vance.

The first settler within the limits of the present town was perhaps the most prominent, Hon. Thomas P. Burnett. In 1836 he entered the east half of the northeast quarter and the southeast quarter of Section 19, Town 6, Range 4. He afterward added considerably to this purchase, and in 1840 he built a double log cabin. An account of his homestead has been given on page 119. The next settler was Ira W. Brunson, who settled in 1841 upon the farm which became his life¬ long residence. In 1842 William Whiteside located on the Military Road and opened a hotel. B. L. Loomis settled on Section 8 in 1850. Ezra Abraham settled in the town in 1855. The village originated in the effort to establish an academy. In 1856 William Whiteside and Thomas Taylor donated twenty acres of land each and William Harlocker twelve acres, which was laid out in lots to be sold and the pro¬ ceeds to be given to found an academy to be called the Brunson Insti¬ tute. The first house in the new Village was erected by W. H. Gilliard in 1856. He also put in a blacksmith shop the same year. In 1857 Jonathan Heberlin opened a small stock of goods in his dwelling. The same year another store was put in by Herman Clark. Dr. Clark, and Bluford Stone moved into the place before the war. A. L. Stratton established a wagon-shop in the place about the close of the war. In 1867 George W. Nevins established a harness shop in the vil¬ lage. About the same time A. B. Lynn and Oswald, Nathan & Co. put in stores. The latter firm withdrew in a few years. The former continued in business until his death in 1897. In 1881 J. G. Snider and A. S. Osborn started a creamery half a mile south of the village, the churns of which were run by water-power. The village contains at present two stores, one by Anthony Abraham and the other by R. M. Day. Mr. Abraham in 1899 finished a large new store building. There is also a hotel, blacksmith shop, and creamery. Dr. E. D. Orr attends to the needs of the sick and wounded.

shot himself with a revolver near the house of E. Carr, April 16, 1867. On June 22, 1886, David Tyrell, residing about two miles east of Mt. Hope village was killed by his wife, Sarah. He was about 75 years old and Sarah was his third wife. She was the daughter of Travis Day, an old pioneer. He was a harsh man and she was not of a meek and forgiving spirit, and she had a good deal of muscle; consequently in the many quarrels they had she held her own pretty well. This time they fought to a finish, using firewood and furniture as weapons. She came out with a few bruises, leaving him with his skull broken in two or three places. He soon died of his injuries. She was tried, con¬ victed of manslaughter, and sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

Schools. - The Brunson Institute before mentioned was built up with difficulty and misfortune. The building had been erected slowly during the war and was hardly completed in 1867, when it was burned. It was insured for $1,800. The debts of the Institute were paid with this money and the remainder given by the trustees to the school district. A high-school building was erected, since which time Mount Hope has enjoyed very good School privileges. The town has always prohibited liquor-selling.

The village has two churches, a Methodist Episcopal and a Sev¬ enth Day Adventist. Both buildings were erected shortly after the war. Rev. G. Bird is pastor of the Methodist Church.

St. Lawrence O' Toole's Catholic Church. - Until 1860mass was oc¬ casionally said in farmers' houses in the neighborhood, but in that year a small church was built. In 1844 Mt. Hope was made a separ¬ ate parish. The corner-stone of the present church was laid July 4, 1883. It is located in the northwest comer of Section 11, Mt. Hope Township, about three miles from the railroad station of Werley. Father M. H. McNulty has been the pastor ever since Mt. Hope became a separate parish.

The village has a lodge of Odd Fellows with the following officers: George Zimmerman, Jr., N. G.; J. Snider, V. G.; U. T. Schneyer, Sec.; A. E. Cooley, Treas.; and a Rebekah Lodge with the following officers: Mrs. Lucy Lynn, N. G.; Mrs. Ida Cornell, V. G.; Mrs. Vieva Lynn, Sec.; Mrs. U. T. Schneyer, Treas.

The town was organized in 1865 and held its first town meeting April 4 of that year. The town comprises all of Town 5, Range 4, ex¬ cept Sections 1 to 6 inclusive - or thirty square miles. A considerable part is fine prairie land, while part is broken by the valleys at the headwaters of Little Grant and Green Rivers. The population of the town has been: in 1870, 758; in 1875, 781; in 1880, 742; in 1885,

1867 - Supervisors, Ezra Abraham, Samuel Braudt, L. A. Town¬ send; clerk, Charles Soward ; treasurer, Thedore Taylor; assessor, J. A. Kingsley; justices, Johnson Casler, D. D. Casler; constables, A. Hazen, R. E. Rouse, James Whiteside.

1876 - Supervisors, treasurer, and assessor, same as in 1875; clerk, William Taylor; justices, John Taylor, Ira W. Brunson; constables, William Keating, John Lawless.

1888 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1886; justices, P. F. Walsh, William Culkins; constables, John Day; A. L. Snider, A. N. Crow, Frank Place.

1889 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1886; justices, Alex. Cairns, L. F. Ransom, William Proudfoot; constables, John Day, Henry Cull, A. N. Crow, Frank Braudt.

1890 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1886; juotices, William Culkins, John Lawless constables, John Day, Henry Cull, Frank Brapdt, Frank Place.

1891 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1886; justices, John N. Day, William Alderson ; constables, Frank Braudt, Fred Schnever, L. Ransom.

1892 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1886 ; justices, George N. Baker, William Culkins, E. F. Walsh; constables, Fred Schneyer, Frank Braudt, Henry Cull, John McKichan.

1897 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1896; justices, John Carmody, Benj. McCormick, Harry Snider; constables, U. T. Schneyer, Frank Collins.

1899 - Supervisors, John Harrower, Frank Place, Frank Braudt; clerk, treasurer, assessor and constables same* as in 1898; justices, John Carmody, B. F. McCormick, Thomas Roseman, Fay Parks.