Outagamie County, Wisconsin - The whole text, 1895 (part 1 of 6)

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The Records of the Outagamie County Pioneer Association ; also a Biographical and Historical Sketch of some of the Earliest Settlers of the County, and their Families, their Children, and Grand-children.

Introduction Or Preface

N PRESENTING the following- volume to the public it seems proper that I should explain my reasons for doing- so. I have been the secretary of the Outagamie County Pioneer Association during- the last twenty years, and now have in my possession the records and all the historical papers, documents, and annual addresses read or presented before the association during- its existence. My brother pioneers wish me to publish them. I have consented to do so, and in preparing them for the press it occurred to me that it would add to the value of book to g-ive a short biographical sketch of some of the families of the principal pioneers and early settlers of our county. Those sketches have been written or dictated either by the pioneers themselves or by some one of their families, so their accuracy may be relied upon. I have not been able to get sketches of all the pioneer families in the county, as that would make too large a volume and increase the cost of the book. It will be seen by reading the records of the association that the historical sketches of the several towns of the county have been written by a resident of the town they represent, and can be relied upon for accuracy more than any history written by one individual. It is very important that the early history of our county and of its early settlers and their families should be published in a book in a cheap form so that our children and future generations may become familiar with their history, and that we may not be forgotten as soon as we pass from the earth.

Introduction

prime fought back the wild beasts and wilder savages and claimed the virgin soil as their own heritage - is rapidly passing away ; the number remaining who can relate the incidents of the first days of settlement is becoming so small indeed that an actual necessity exists for the collection and preservation of events without delay.

The time has therefore come when the patriotic people of this region desire to perpetuate the names of its pioneers, to furnish a record of their early settlements, to relate the story of their progress, and as well to preserve the memory of those who are now carrying forward the work thus inaugurated and who are instrumental in beautifying this naturally favored section. The civilization of our day, the enlightenment of the age and the duty that the men of the present owe to their ancestors, to themselves and to posterity, demands that a record of their lives and deeds be made. E. Spencer.

Preliminary Meeting Of The

In response to a call published in the Appleton Crescent of Feb. 10, 1872, signed by John Stephens, J. M. Phinney, Harmon Jones, Geo. H. Myers, W. S. Warner, John F. Johnston, Wm. McGuire, Sam Ryan, Jr. and others, the pioneers of Outagamie County met in large numbers at the hall of J. C. Smith, in the city of Appleton, on Feb. 22, 1872, at 10 o'clock a. m. The meeting was called to order by Mr. John Stephens, and on motion of Mr. Charles Wolcott James M. Phinney was chosen temporary chairman and John Whorton secretary.

Resolved , That a committee of nine be appointed by the meetingwhose duty it shall be to arrang-e a programme of proceeding's for the day and report as early as possible; and the consideration of such report takes precedence of all other business before the meeting-.

Whereas, In an intellectual and moral, even a social point of view, that institution is of greater importance to the county than any other institution within its limits ; and,

Whereas, Not one of the faculty of that institution is by virtue of the call under which this meeting- has assembled entitled to a seat with us to-day ; therefore,

Resolved , That Rev. Dr. Steele, president of Lawrence University with his lady be invited to spend the day with us and partake of our festivities and participate in our exercises.

Resolved , That a list of the names of all heads of families in this meeting- and of all such as are here, but have no families, tog-ether with the year and month in which each one became an actual resident of the territory now embraced in Outag-atnie County, and also the postoffice address of each be taken, commencing- immediately with those now present and continuing- as they come in throug-li the day, and that a committee of three be appointed whose special duty it shall be to prepare such list.

Resolved , That a committee of five, of whom John Stephens shall be chairman, to be appointed, whose duty it shall be, without delay, to report the constitution of the Outag-amie County Pioneer Association, and that when such report shall be received the first business of the meeting- shall be to consider such report and adopt or reject the same ; that should it be adopted we proceed at once to elect officers under it and take any other steps necessary to complete our org-anization.

Fifth. Immediately after dinner each town, including the city, shall be called on alphabetically and be allowed not to exceed five speeches each.

The committee appointed to draft a constitution, throug-h their chairman, John Stephens, Esq., presented the following report, which after being- read article by article, was unanimously adopted:

Constitution

Article II. The officers of this association shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, and an executive committee of five members.

Article III. The president shall preside at all the meeting's of the association and of the executive committee, and shall have power to call meeting-s of the same and to perform all the duties usually devolving- upon the president.

Article V. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep a record of the proceeding's of all the meeting-s of the association and of the executive committee, and to give notice in one or more newspapers published in the city of Appleton, of all the meeting's of the association or executive committee when ordered to do so by the president or executive committee, and to keep and preserve all documents, read or presented to the association.

Article VI. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to collect and keep the funds of the association ; disbursingthe same only in obedience to the orders of the president or executive committee.

Article VII. It shall be the duty of the executive committee to meet in obedience to the call of the president, to give him their opinion on any question pertaining to the interest of the association, and to make or cause to be made all necessary arrang-ements for meeting's of the association, and to superintend the same and to audit all accounts

Article VIII. The funds of the association shall be used to defray the expenses incurred in making- arrangements for and in conducting- its meeting's, and to pay for printing- the notices and proceeding's of such meetings and for no other purpose unless authorized by a vote of threefourths of all the members present.

Article IX. Any person, male or female, or the husband or wife of any person who was an actual resident of Outagamie Count}r, on or before the 4th day of July, 1860, shall be entitled to membership and shall be deemed eligible to any office in the association.

Article X. Each office, except that of member of th£ executive committee, shall be tilled by a majority of the legal votes cast, but the executive committee shall be chosen in the manner following, to-wit : The presiding officer shall appoint a committee of five of the members present, which committee shall nominate as many persons as are to be elected, which nomination shall be confirmed or rejected by a majority of the viva voce votes. If confirmed the persons thus nominated shall be declared elected; if rejected, in whole or in part, said committee shall immediately fill the places of the rejected ones by a new nomination and so proceed till the committee is full.

Article XII. This constitution may be altered or amended by a vote of three-fourths of the members present at any legally authorized meeting.

On motion of Mr. McGillan the association then proceeded to elect officers for the ensuing- year. D. Huntley, John Leith, Harmon Jones, Sam Ryan, Jr., and John Dey being- appointed tellers. On counting- the votes the following- g-entlemen were elected :

President, John Stephens ; vice-president, Ethan Powers ; secretary, Sam Ryan, Jr., (Judg-e Ryan declining-, Dan Huntley was chosen in his stead) ; treasurer, John Leith ; executive council, H. L. Blood, John Dey, W. H. P. Bog-an, Edwin Nye and John McGillan.

Song Of The Pioneers

Then came the dinner, gotten up in picnic style, baskets being- so numerous that the tables were loaded with the best the country afforded. Ample justice was done to the excellent cookery of the farmers' wives and daughters, and all appeared to enjoy themselves hugely.

The fourth annual meeting- of the pioneers of Outag-amie county was held Feb. 22, 1875, as previously advertised, and despite the threatening elements a large number came in from the country to attend. The following is the secretary's report : John Stephens, president, in the chair. Secretary D. Huntley being absent, E. Spencer was elected secretary fro tem.

Moved that we proceed to elect officers for the ensuing year. A committee of five was appointed by the chair to nominate the executive council. The following officers were elected: President, John Dey ; vice-president, John H. McGillan ; secretary, E. Spencer ; treasurer, John Leith ; executive committee, James McGillan, C. Wolcott, S. J. Perry, Geo. Knowles, and Harmon Jones.

Dinner was announced at 1 o'clock p. m. The tables were well spread and about seventy-five pioneers sat down, doing ample justice to the repast in true pioneer style. After dinner the meeting was called to order when the toastmaster proposed the following sentiments :

3d. Departed Pioneers - their Work was Well Done. Responded to by R. R. Bateman, who paid a tribute to Judge Erasmus, Dr. Beach and brother, Mrs. Blood, Mrs. Randall, his own wife and daughter, Mr. Kling, Mrs. Briggs, Mrs. Sampson, the two brothers Ball, Mr. Proctor and wife, Mr. G. W. Woodard and A. P. Lewis. This was responded to further by John Dey and Joseph Rork.

5th. Outagamie County with her Beautiful Capitol, immense water powers, prolific soil, educational facilities, intelligent, industrial people, her grand old forest, magnificent prospects - who would leave and why ? Responded to by John Stephens. Capt. Powers also made a few remarks and then read a poem.

6th. Lawrence University : to it our city and county are largely indebted for their present advanced material, literary and social condition. Responded to by Prof. Hyde.

Moved that the executive committee use their influence to procure the appointment of our next annual meeting at Hortonville or some other place if sufficient interest can be got in such place.

The annual meeting- of the pioneers of Outag-amie County was held at Bertschy Hall, Appleton, Feb. 22. John Dey, president, H. Spencer, secretary.

The election of officers for the ensuing- year resulted as follows : President, John Dey, of Greenville; vice-president, John H. McGillan, Center; secretary, Elihu Spencer, Appleton; treasurer, John Leith, Center; executive committee, M. B. Johnston, Grand Chute; Edwin Nye, Freedom; Martin Gerrits, Kaukauna; Mathew Culbertson, Greenville; Georg-e Knowles, Appleton.

On this anniversary of the birth of Georg-e Washing-ton, the father of our country, a very fitting- day for us to hold our annual festival, nearly every town of our county is represented here to-day in this beautiful city of Appleton, our county seat, to enjoy a social chat with fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, children and grand children, and friends. When we look upon the careworn and wrinkled brows, they tell plainly that pioneer life is one of toil and care, and honor.

Let us look back from twenty to thirty years, then most of the pioneers were young- men and women, in some eastern state. They left home, friends, and all that was near and dear, except their little all they broug-ht with them, and with hearts full of zeal, to obtain a home in the west, they came and located in the then wild woods of Wisconsin, with scarcely means to buy land and build a house, let alone helping- to lay the foundation of one of the weal thiest counties in the state, as we have to-day.

At that time many of us had to make roads to our new houses before we could reach them. Many of us still live where we first located, while others have moved west or south to try again the pioneer life. We miss them. Our worthy ex-president of this sociey and his family have gone to the beautiful shores of California for the benefit of the health of his family. We miss them to-day. Many of the pioneers have been called home to heaven. They did a noble work while here, and we all say, may they rest in peace. At the time we commenced our new homes, we seemed happy, we were living on anticipation, really on little else. To be sure, we always had enough to keep soul and body together.

Traveling through the county in those days you would find shanties here and there, with a small clearing, occasionally one had a cow and pig, and now and then an ox team. We had very poor roads in those times, and no school houses. Very soon new comers began to erect dwellings and school houses, and every year there would be new settlers entering the field of labor. Improvements progressed rapidly, the men exerted every nerve to clear their farms, much sweat was poured out from the brows of those strong men to make happy homes for wives, mothers and their little ones. Some of those "little ones" are present to-day. Mothers had all the kitchen work and sewing to do, the cow to milk, and the pig to feed. There were no girls to do the work then. Part of the time they devoted to helping their husbands underbrush, roll logs, drive oxen, gather sap and make sugar, etc., etc. Yes, young ladies, your mothers were " guilty of all this !" In those days we used to have visitors, but they were always pleased to take such as we had, for we had no nice things to offer, such as you have seen here to-day, that the ladies have prepared and brought here on this first grand anniversary of this centennial year. There is not a person present that has taken dinner with us who will not say the ladies must be graduates in the cookery department ! You may now travel through the county, and you will find many of the pioneers surrounded with wealth, their children settling- down near them on g-ood farms, and many have graduated from the best schools. Now you will find larg-e houses of brick or wood, as g-ood barns as any in the state, herds of cattle and sheep of the best blood, scattered throug-h many parts of the county, and around the houses are fruit trees and shrubbery in great varieties, and the barns and granaries are full of wheat and oats, and the corn cribs full of corn. From nearly every direction the best of gravel roads lead into the city of Appleton, our market for all our produce. It is not now with ox teams, and two days of time, as it once was just to g-o to mill or market and much hard work to do in g-etting- throug-h. Now with our grays, bays or blacks, we g-o to mill or market and back home inside of a day, and have plenty of time for pleasure also. Are we not now enjoying- by participation what we enjoyed by anticipation in the long- ag-o? One g-lance over this larg-e assembly will answer that we are enjoying- the present, and are not ashamed of our record as pioneers. Let us continue in well doing-.

Everyone is welcome to our festival to 'day, and we hope that this friendly greeting- of pioneers and old time friends will long- be remembered with pleasure, and that our next pioneer festival will attract all the pioneers of the county to a day of delig-ht.

In conclusion, let us thank our Heavenly Father, for his mercies and g-oodness that have always followed us in this our beloved county. Many of our dear friends have been called home to a better clime to rest from their labors since last we met. But their works live after them.

Let us rally each year to the pioneer festival so long- as we have pioneers left alive in our county in the full consciousness that we have done our work nobly and well, and that it is pleasant to sing- ag-ain the loved song-s of the olden time, and to talk over the pleasing- recollections of the busy past.

J. S. Buck, one of the earliest settlers of the county, then introduced Prof. D. M. Hyde, a Badg-er boy, born just over the county line, who spoke as follows :

In behalf of the early settlers, I welcome you to this gathering. Let all rejoice for the sturdy pioneers have again assembled to exchange greetings with each other, and to relate the hardships they endured in former days. It is a reunion, a family gathering, if you please, that comes once a year to keep alive a friendship which is bound by those ties of endearment that sprang up in times of privation, and were cemented with a common interest to keep the wolf from the door.

As brave soldiers return home after the war is over and gather their families around them to recite tales of valorous deeds, so you have come together to relate your experiences and to impart lessons of wisdom.

It is to be hoped, then, that this celebration will be a profitable one to all. And as we have gathered here with the fathers of this county, let us participate in the festivities and mirth of the hour, thus exhibiting our appreciation and sanction of the day's doings.

There have been pioneers in all ages, and wherever we find them they have been the ones to take initiatory steps in actually setting all new countries. Led by the hope of gain, or to escape persecution, they have severed the ties which bound them to their own people and have pushed out into an uninhabited country. There has never been a time when there was not an opportunity for men to engage in such undertakings. The history of our own country is rich in events of this nature. Since the first settlements were made, men have engaged in this work continually, and have accomplished untold good for the nation in opening up new territory to the influences of civilization, and paving the way for others to follow and develop its resources.

Scarcely a quarter of a century ago, little bands, consisting of sometimes two or more families in the east, bade their relatives and friends an affectionate farewell, and started for the west to find a home. Some settled in this state, some in others - but it is of those who came to this county that we are called upon to speak to to-day.

Here they settled in a wild wilderness, alone, isolated from the great throbbing- world without. They built their little log- cabins here and there in the wilds, and moved into them to find a shelter after weeks of wearysome journeying-. With no roads except Indian trails, with no comforts of life and in many cases scarcely anything- to help themselves with, they started out anew to work their way up from nothing- to abundance and wealth. Deprivations and hardships beset them on every hand. At times they became discourag-ed, disheartened, irresolute, but they as often conquered such feeling- and worked on, hoped on, trusting- in an unseen hand to aid and support them. A ray of lig-ht at last streamed in upon them. Other settlers came in, the country beg-an to be settled, and gradually the forests yielded to the ax of the sturdy arm of the pioneer. Farms were cleared, roads were built, and they were able to surround themselves with some of the luxuries of life. Manufacturing- establishments sprang- up, school houses were built, churches erected, railroad communication secured, and in fact all the refining- influences of civilization were at their very doors. They could foresee all this, but would it come in their day ? Doubtless it would not, butthey were willing- to eng-ag-e in a work that would inevitably lead to such results.

It was once the custom for armed men to g-o out in quest of new territory, and when they had overcome the inhabitants of the soil, annex it by rig-ht of conquest to their own g-overnment. They were opposed to those who were not subjects of their own nation. War, rapine, plunder were the occupations of a larg-e number of these men, and they g-loried in laying- waste the fertile fields of neighboring nations or principalities. But here we find a band of men who enlisted in a cause to subdue wild lands. They did not g-o out with munitions of war, yet how effectually, have they accomplished their object. They did not g-o to lay waste the productive fields of neighbors, but to clear away g-iant forests and open the way for others to follow to aid them in making- fields. The object was not one of plunder and robbery, but to gain a livelihood, to gain a home, to build up and establish for themselves honor and wealth to the detriment of no one. The one went out to sow the seed of discord, the others to advance the cause of peace ; the one for aggrandizement of themselves at the expense of others, the other for the benefit of all ; the one to win renown for their bravery to establish a field of action where others might win renown as a scholar, or as a statesman.

As the miners and sappers precede an army to undermine and make a breach in the fortifications of the enemy, through which it can enter so these pioneers devoted themselves to the work of preparing a way through which the many immigrants could enter. In the west were vast fields of unproductive land, and they came here to reclaim them from a wild state and transform them into productive farms of utility.and value to the whole country. They had a mission to fulfill ; they may, or they may not have been conscious of it ; but the fact of their having performed it entitles them to that honor, and whatever credit there is attached to the undertaking belongs rightfully to them.

But they did not go out alone to build a city and then invite their neighbors with their daughters and wives to a feast for the purpose of slaying the men to make captive the women as did the Romans. No. They were too brave, too manly for that. Like true hearted men, they permitted their wives and children to accompany them. But these mothers were not wanting in zeal and devotion. They, too, left the places of their childhood endeared to them by a thousand ties to follow their husbands, and share with them the burdens and trials of a pioneer's life. The sacrifice was great, but they were equal to the emergency, and when the darkest days came they nursed the ray of hope, with words of encouragement, often creating a new energy, a new consecration to this work among the men. To-day I can see a mother with her two children living in a log shanty, alone, while the husband, the father, is away earning a little something to live on. How many mothers were there in those days who cheerfully consented to do the same, and when their husbands returned, greeted them joyfully, making that little home a paradise to all its in- mates. That, ladies and gentlemen, was a mother's love - it was a mother's unselfish desire to administer to the wants of her husband and children.

It is to these mothers that we owe a lasting gratitude. They Jiave assisted in accomplishing a work that never would have been successfully performed without them. True to the cause they have labored zealously for its promotion, and we look out over the county and see the happy homes and contented inmates. We cannot forget that the pioneer women have done their duty in effecting the marvelous change that has been wrought. The moral and social status of society is due to their efforts in a greater degree than to the men. They have been the civilizers. It was largely through their influence that schools were established in an early day and morality maintained. Some of the strongest advocates of culture and refinement in the county to-day are to be found among these pioneer women.

Throughout these years, her handiwork has left its impress upon all noble deeds, and never has she allowed society to relapse into that semi-barbarous state characteristic of pioneer colonies formed exclusively of men.

Yet there is another class of pioneers who may accomplish a not insignificant work. To-day we want men and women to pioneer the way for social and religious reform. The examples you have set are all we could wish to have them. You have demonstrated conclusively the results that can be opened by constant concentrated work, and have opened the way for the succeeding generations to labor for a better state of human existence ; the state of perfection to which you have raised the county leaves the rising generation the means of solving many of the social problems of the day, if the spirit and zeal you have shown is persistently adhered to. The lessons you have taught are invaluable if rightly interpreted, and there is no doubt but what they will be treasured up by the young, being a source of wealth to them in fighting the battles of life.

These reunions should be of special interest to all, and I congratulate you on having organized such an association. If one will take the trouble to examine them properly, he will find in them a design of more significant meaning than is generally supposed. There is something more to them than a mere gathering of a number of persons for a passing enjoyment. There is an object in them, both commendable and praiseworthy. I have incidentally alluded to some of the good results to be derived and trust that all will feel a deeper interest in perpetuating them, and take such steps as may be deemed advisable to secure a more general movement in this direction.

Last year there were some with you whose names have been stricken from the rolls. They have been mustered out of service by Him who holds each of our lives in His hand. Others went before them. They are all missed in this gathering, but no one would wish to have them here to-day, because they have departed this life for a better one. They have finished their labors here which they did so faithfully, and have gone to receive the reward that was in store for them in heaven. Their memories are dear to you, and may they ever be cherished with the tenderest of feelings. Their names suggest associations both pleasing and sad. Being your associates in the struggle you have passed through, you have come to regard them as brothers, and no one can appreciate their sterling qualities better than you.

The survivors have cause for congratulation that so many have been permitted to live to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Some have gone to other states, or sections of this state with the hope of improving their conditions, and some have been detained at home ; still a good number are assembled here to-day to participate in the exercises.

After another song from the little couple, short speeches were made by Sam Ryan, Jr., J. S. Buck, J. H. McGillan, Carl Breitruck, Joseph Rork, L. L. Randall, John Goodland, Samuel Boyd, and G. H. Myers, and the fun ran high.

Pursuant to announcement, Washington's birthday, the Pioneers of Outagamie County assembled at Bertschy's hall, in this city, for the purpose of holding their annual festival and celebration. The day was pleasant and the attendance was larger than usual, most of the town: being liberally represented.

The meeting was called to order in the forenoon by John Dey, president of the association. The first order of business being the election of officers for the ensuing year, a motion was made to this effect. The following named persons were chosen as such :

At 12 o'clock the association adjourned for dinner, which was served in the hall. This was not, by any means, the least entertaining feature of the proceedings. Every family represented had contributed largely in the way of edibles, and the bill of fare was quite exhausive to which there was no limit, either in quantity or variety. The way in which the dinner was prepared and served reflected credit upon the skill and the taste of the pioneer women of Outagamie County.

Mr. John Leith, Jr., was then announced to deliver the annual address, which he proceeded to do. This paper, as well as most of the others, merits publication, in full, but for the lack of space .we can do it no greater justice than to note some of the essential facts which it contains. Appropriate reference is first made to "the day we celebrate" being the anniversary of America's greatest patriot, George Washington. The obligations which succeeding generations owe to the pioneers, by reason of the work performed by the latter, are manifold.

This is true not only of the pioneers who carry civilization into the wilderness of the West but of the pioneers in science, morals, church and state. And yet it is the experience of the past that their contemporaries as well as posterity forget to pay these just debts. Indeed, it is often true that these pioneers become martyrs to the purpose of their lives. Numerous illustrations of this view of the subject were contained in this paper. The names of many who had suffered in this way were mentioned. And yet this class has never failed to make their impress upon the history of the world. Without their labors there would be no civilization, either material or otherwise.

The paper then dwelt at considerable length upon reference to the original pioneers of America, to what they suffered in the effort to establish a free government, under which all men should be recognized as equal. Proper tribute was paid to them and the labors which they performed - for establishing in this country the principles of civil and religious liberty. The work of the pioneers since the time when the successful termination of the war of the

Revolution gave to this government an independent and distinctive existence, was reviewed with considerable accuracy. The determination, the sacrifices and the privations which attended all their efforts were treated with appropriate comment, arnd proper credit was also given to these potent agents of civilization. The following is the closing part of Mr. Leith's address :

With our county I must be brief, for I fear that I intruded too much already on your time. Since the early settlement of this count)- great have been improvements. The wilderness of Outagamie has been made to blossom as the rose. A few scattering shanties have given way to beautiful frame buildings, numbering thousands. A few log school houses have increased to over a hundred, and our schools are better than they w-ere at first, better than they were under the town dispensation. And although they are far from being perfect, they are yearly amending. When I first went to school, it was scarcely possible for a scholar to go through fractions, and he could get but a vague idea of grammar ; history and constitution were unknown in schools. Now it is not uncommon for a pupil in our common school to go through the progressive higher arithmetic, the higher grammar, the constitution of Wisconsin, the constitution of the United States and the history of our own country. We have better farms, better houses, more comfort, and can perform more work in much less time, than we could twenty years ago. I will not stop to enumerate the hardships and privations of the early settlers. This has been dwelt upon in our past meetings by those who had experience in that direction. I was too young to participate in those hardships. But there is one thing I cannot pass unnoticed, that is the spirit of friendship which prevailed among the pioneers of this county. When one was sick, or in trouble, all sympathized - all were ready to do their part and did it well. No one was persecuted on account of his opinions ; no one was persecuted on account of his religion ; no one was persecuted on account of his politics ; no one was sneered at on account of his nationality - all were treated as friends, and this is the spirit we wish to renew every 22d of February. And as we meet to recall those pleasant associations of the past, we meet not as Americans and foreigners, not as Catholics and Protestants, not as Republicans and Democrats, but as friends ; and as we grasp the hand of friendship, love warms the whole soul, as by the genial rays of the sun.

As is customary at these gatherings representatives from the city and various towns in the county, previously appointed for this purpose, were then called upon to gave a brief sketch of the early history and settlement of their respective localities.

Some time since, I received a communication from your secretary, notifying- me that I was chosen to prepare a brief sketch of the early history and settlement of the now city of Appleton to be read at this your annual festival.

At one time I had concluded that I would not undertake the task on account of lack of time to pick and cull the various items, put them in their proper places, fix transactions and dates, and g-ive names and dates of arrivals. Feeling- that it would be impossible on so short a notice, and the time that I would be enabled to g-ive to it, it could not possibly be otherwise than that a great many important omissions would of a necessity occur ; but at the personal solicitation of some of my old time friends I consented to g-ive a brief outline of the earlier settlement of the place.

There had been a few settlers on the north bank of the Fox, previous to 1848, but they were not of the class termed pioneers, according- to the common acceptation of the term, at least they were not a people who went in for a development of the country, agriculturally or commercially, but they had left for other parts with the exception of the Grignon family, a branch of which still remains upon the

A Mr. Thurber and wife settled in the spring- of 1848, in what is now the Third ward of this city, near the big- cut on the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, but like the wild g-eese, they soon soug-ht a more g-enial clime.

The real settlement of Appleton should be credited to the Methodist Episcopal church of this state. It is true that Amos A. Lawrence, of Boston, tendered a donation of $10,000 toward founding- an institution of learning- in this state, but it was a qualified donation. It provided in the first place that said institution should be located on the Fox river between Lake Winnebag-o and Green Bay, and further that the sum of $10,000 additional should be raised by the parties accepting the proposition. The Methodist conference after due deliberation accepted the proposition and appointed the Rev. Wm. H. Sampson its agent to secure the requisite amount, and at the same time appointed a committee consisting of Geo. E. H. Day, H. L. Blood and Rev. Reeder Smith to make the selection which action resulted in its location where now stands the city of Appleton.

And through the munificence of Geo. W. Lawe, of Eau_ kauna, and the late John F. Meade, of Green Bay, the college received a donation of sixty or seventy acres of land in consideration of its location at this point.

It is claimed, however, by parties conversant with the matter that the college never received the avails of the Meade portion of the donation.

The first improvement in what is now the city was the clearing of some ten acres on the northwest quarter of section 26, in the season of 1848, and sowing the same to wheat by Jas. Blood, now of Kansas.

In August 1848 Col. H. L. Blood opened a road at what was known as the old Oneida road and commenced drawing lumber from the Oneida settlement for the preparatory department of the college. About this time Robert R. Bateman and Rev. A. B. Randall had made claims of land in the immediate vicinity and erected the necessary buildings for establishing said claims.

It would be arrogance in me to go into a description of the dimensions or style of the same before this association for you know how it is yourselves.

According to the best information to be obtained the settlers came in the following order : About August 25, 1848, came the large hearted and genial John F. Johnston, and his wife Janet, with a little off-shoot which we all recognize now as Hank. Their residence (people nowadays would call it a shanty) was located at what is now known as Johnston street, block 29, Second ward. That was the nucleus around which gathered the old settlers of Appleton. It was the bright spot in the dense forest that gave rest and hope to the weary and worn. None were turned rudely away from their door. If the wayfarer could recompense it was well, if not 'twas all the same. They lived the golden rule - "do unto others as you would that others should do unto you." Their dwelling was hotel, hospital, church and Sabbath school room. If a fault they had it was in their too large sympathy to all mankind.

Next came your humble servant and wife. We pitched our tent on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 27, on the first or second day of September of the same year. We paddled our own canoe from Neenah down through little lake Butte des Morts and landed at the White Heron, and plodded our way to our little shanty in the wilderness which I had erected some days before with lumber that I rafted down through the lake and landed at the point now known as Lehman's. It was said to have been the first lumber ever rafted from Neenah to that point.

In the same month came the Rev. A. B. Randall and wife, and settled at what is now the corner of Drew and North streets. During this time the contract had been let for building the basement of the preparatory department of the college to W. T. Bailey, and the superstructure to Wm. McGregor, and the first blow of preparation upon the site of the future University, let it be remembered by the members of this association, was struck by the Rev. Wm. H. Sampson, who with bush-hook and axe made smooth the way, that others might walk therein - demonstrating that he was truly a working- Christian. In his zeal for the cause he devoted some of the best years of his life, and sacrificed a competency acquired in earlier years ; but he is embalmed in the hearts of those earlier pioneers as a Christian gentleman, and the noblest work of God - an honest man.

The first sermon preached in Appleton was by the Rev. Wm. H. Sampson, followed by the Rev. A. B. Randall and Rev. Reeder Smith. But I am digressing. Next came John P. Parish and William Blake and their families, Wm. McGregor and Waterson.

Among the very first came the late J. Cortland Smith, if not before any of us. We remember him as the genial gentleman and the never failing friend of the poor and down-trodden. His monument towers over our main avenue, in the shape of the most imposing business block in the city. He was followed by his brother, Peter V. Smith, who is now a resident of Grand Chute. About this time, one Charles Wolcott came into the settlement. Charlie could turn his hand at almost any kind of business and was looked upon as a valuable acquisition ; but appearances, then as now, were deceitful ; Charlie proved to be a perfect Modoc. He raided the town in mid-winter, captured every woman, placed them upon an ox-sled and proceded west ; but through some means they escaped and returned to their homes. Afterwards it was reported that Charlie said that twelve women on one ox-sled was too big a job of sleigh riding for him, and that in the line of gallantry he was not the man he took himself to be. People in the section of country where he resides now, give evidence of good behavior.

Rev. Wm. H. Sampson moved his family into Esq. Bateman's claim shanty, and Rev. Reeder Smith and family came to board with him, some time during the winter. The aforesaid reverend vacated the premises of Esq., Bateman after a short time, for a situation on Lawrence street.

Robert R. Bateman, Esq., moved his family here in December, 1848, or January, 1849. I think the first house that was built within the present city limits, was built by

The preparatory department of the college was erected on the third day of July, on the spot now occupied by George White's house, and on the Fourth the settlers held an old-fashioned picnic celebration in the building, with John Stephens, as reader, and Rev. A. B. Randall, as orator of the day.

Among the settlers who arrived with their families in 1849 was Daniel W. Briggs, Dr. Samuel E. Beach, Deacon Wait Cross, John McPherson, Col. Theo. Conkey, Tracy P. Bingham, W. S. Warner, John H. Hart, Jas. M. Phinney, who, by the way, is the pioneer educator of Appleton, having been professor of mathematics, at the commencement of the college ; and among the young men arriving were the Hon. G. H. Myers, P. H. Smith, the late Anson Ballard, Erasmus Beach, John Moody and many others that time will not allow me to enumerate. Tracy P. Bingham erected the first saw mill this year, near the site now occupied by the Ames Paper and Pulp Mill.

The first legally laid out highway was a state road from Menasha, via Appleton to Bruce's mill, now Stephensville. Commissioners were William Rork, James Blood and J. S. Buck ; and John Stevens, surveyor.

The town of Grand Chute was organized this year from the town of Kaukauna, taking in what is now the town of Grand Chute and city of Appleton, as well as the towns of Greenville, Dale and Hortonia. Chairman of the town board, H. L. Blood ; treasurer and collector, Robert R. Bateman; town clerk, E. L. Thurber ; constable, Wm. Carter ; justice of the peace, J. S. Buck.

On the evening of the ninth of October, of this year, the first lawyer made his appearance in our little hamlet, in the person of Geo. H. Myers. There was a little coincidence in connection with his arrival, which has been heretofore overlooked by the public, and the party most par- ticularly interested. It was on the same evening- that one of the new comers of the settlement, not having- the peace and morals of society at heart, but intent only on the accumulation of the filthy lucre, landed a barrel of whisky on board of a Durham boat from Neenah. The people said that the devil in that whisky had not g-ot the face to come up the hill and think of surviving- the conflict, and such proved to be the case ; for behold, when the morning- lig-ht appeared, the whisky had slyly slid away - the barrel being- found to be empty. If fervent prayers could have tapped that barrel the Rev. Wm. H. Sampson mig-ht have been the g-uilty party, as he was a passeng-er on the same boat ; but the owner insisted that that whisky did not spring* a leak ; but its passag-e was facilitated by human hands, and yet he never charg-ed it upon Myers, as beingaccessory before the fact, notwithstanding the circumstances were against Myers.

Up to this time there was no talk of temperance or intemperance, every one was temperate - teetotalers ; in fact, intoxicating beverages with us were as though they were not. None had them and none cared for them. As a matter of course, it led to considerable discussion, and it was admitted that we had no law to protect us, and that the only alternative was to set our faces sturdily against the evil and fight it at every opportunity.

Among the arrivals of 1850 were James Gilmore, the late Amos Story, Wm. Johnson, the late Benj. Proctor, Charles Mory, W. G. and J. H. Whorton and Joseph Rork, with families.

This year the work upon the pier or crib for the improvement of the river was commenced by contractors Story & Talmadge. The work was under the supervision of Ex- Mayor Johnson.

Benj. Proctor was the builder of the wagon that bore the first load of lumber from the Oneida settlement to this place. In 1852 himself and son, Frank, built an edge tool factory, but their skill and energy were in advance of the times and locality and they threw up the business. The building is now known as the Outagamie Mill,

In the winter of 1850 and 1851 the act was passed creating- the county of Outag-amie from a portion of Brown county and making the county seat at Appleton. The officers were as follows : Treasurer, Chas. Grignon, of Kaukauna ; register of deeds, Henry S. Eggleston ; county clerk, Lorenzo E. Darling ; county surveyor, John Stevens, who were elected in November, 1851. In the winter of 1851 and 1852 the county was organized for judicial purposes and at an election held in the month of April, 1852, George H. Myers was elected district attorney ; A. B. Evarts, sheriff, and Henry S. Eggleston, clerk of the court.

Among the many settlers arriving in 1852 was a big portly fellow. He was heavy on blooded stock, pacing ponies and agricultural implements ; but the one prominent idea with him was the stump machine. Lead him off on what subject you might, back he would come to that stump machine, as regular as a tax gatherer or a setting hen on her nest. Not meeting with the success he anticipated, he went to Lake Superior. In a very short time he received a proposition from a citizen here to return and pull eight acres of stumps. That was evidently the turning point in his life, for he has been full of jobs ever since, ranging from one to thirty-two "achers" in a job. With a broad grin he exults in the fact that there are more stumps in Outagamie county to-day than ever before. From the size of the man and the implement, the association will recognize the Pioneer Dentist, Byron Douglas.

There were three notable events in the year 1853, the commencement of the present university building, the advent of Sam Ryan, Jr., and the Appleton Crescent.

The university building was completed in 1855. The first class graduating from the university was in 1857. Up to the present time there have graduated 124 gentlemen and 62 ladies - making an aggregate of 186 thoroughly educated ladies and gentlemen sent forth from what, less than twenty-nine years since, was a dense wilderness which is only one of the many proofs of the results of what earnest persistent pioneering has accomplished in this our chosen home. This year Elihu Spencer and family put in their appearance. In April of this year, a charter havingbeen obtained, there was an org-anization of the villag-e board, by the election of the following- officers : J. F. Johnston, president ; Wait Cross, Geo. Lanphear, W. H. Sampson, and Sam Ryan, Jr., /trustees ; Jas. S. Eggleston, treasurer; James Gilmore, assessor; James M. Phinney, clerk. The board met at the Clifton House, (afterwards known as the Crescent Hotel) upon the sight now occupied by the Manufacturers' National Bank.

The first church organizations were as follows: The first class of the M. E. church was formed in February, 1849, by Rev. A. B. Randall, consisting- of eleven members, with Robert R. Bateman, as leader.

During- the year 1851 the old school Presbyterian church was org-anized, with James Gilmore and Fred Packard as deacons. They held their services in the building- on the opposite side of Oneida street from the present Congregational church. It was currently reported that while Gilmore was in the woods cutting- timber for the church building- that a portion of the society g-ot tog-ether and stole the org-anization and converted it into the Congregational church. The deacons looked upon the matter as a deception and one of them at least denounced it as such. The next move was an effort to reduce Brother Gilmore to the ranks and he was notified to put in his defense. It was evident they were not acquainted with the man for his defense came in the shape of an interrogation : "Do you not claim to be a Congregational church?" "Of course we are!" "Well, I am a Presbyterian deacon, and I would like to see the power in this church that can turn me out." Well g-entlemen, he is there yet, and his church has a beautiful lot on Lawrence street, for the erection of a Presbyterian church, and from $6,000 to $10,000 ready cash to commence operations - one more evidence of persistent pioneering-.

The St. Mary's Catholic church was org-anized in 1857 by a little band of the hardy yeomanry - tillers of the soil - who rallied around their cherished altar under great disadvantages, both pecuniarily and otherwise, until to- day, they have in course of completion one of the finest edifices in the city. Could you have attended with me a temperance meeting- held in that church the past year and have seen them coming- forward by the hundred, led by the pioneer members, to take the teetotal pledg-e, you would have exclaimed : Make way for St. Mary's church in the work of reform. The first church service was held in the Second ward school house in 1853, by Rev. Father Coulter.

Death first entered the settlement Oct. 15, 1840. H. N. Day lost a child. It was buried on his farm, the farm now owned by the White family on the Freedom road. The grave is yet to be seen near the east side of the farm.

The next death was Erasmus Beach, in September, 1850. He was a brother of Dr. S. E. Beach. The next was one of Appleton's fairest flowers, Miss Amelia Bateman, who died Jan. 7, 1851. She was a daughter of Robert R. Bateman, Esq. These things remind us that pioneering, like all else, must have an end ; 'tis well. These well filled tables, these joyous reunions are well befitting to this little band of pioneers who by privation and endurance have carved a competency from this once dense wilderness ; but the bending form, the silvered head and furrowed brow proclaim in language not to be misunderstood, that it was not achieved without almost untold privations and fearful struggles.

Grand Cii ate . - Daniel Huntley appeared in the capacity of historian for the town of Grand Chute. As among the early settlers of his town he enumerated J. Rork, Harmon Jones, Chas. Wolcott, E. Spencer, Frank Vandebogart, Mr. Fairbanks, Wm. McGuire, Harrison Green, W. H. P. Bogan, Mr. Verity, Messrs. McCarthy, Craine, Broulliard, Hodgins, Randall, Murch, Woodland, Peter V. Smith, Hawthorne, Rolla A. Law.e, Gideon Wolcott, Messrs. Roudebush, Grant, and Barker. Mr. Huntley made a few remarks concerning the experience of early settlers, their privations, pleasures, etc. He said that those who originalty engaged in farming', and have continued in this business, have been successful with scarcely a sing-le exception. Some interesting- facts were given relative to the progress and improvement of the town as well as the county at larg-e. He said, however, that the progress of our common schools has not been commensurate with the g-eneral prosperity of the county in other respects. The school houses especially are not what they should be, in point of size and eleg-ance. More attention should be bestowed upon this very important matter.

Greenville . - John Dey appeared in behalf of the pioneers of Greenville. He said : I have been chosen by the committee to g-ather facts and incidents experienced by the early settlers of Greenville, and to write a sketch of the same to be read at the annual g-athering- of the pioneers at Appleton on the 22d of February, 1877.

I have only g-athered a few facts out of many. I will commence with John Hafner who lived on section 13. He came from Milwaukee to Greenville in the month of June, 1847, with an ox team. He had a family of ten, six boys and two girls. Stopped at Neenah one week, while he and his boys cut a road so that they mig-ht arrive at their home. He was the third settler in town. Went to Oshkosh with an ox team to buy nails to build a shanty. In the year of 1849 the wolves were very bad, they chased his son, William, one and one-quarter miles and came near catching- him, but instead of him did take a yearling- steer and mangied a heifer, made a great noise in howling, lost large hogs by bears. Mr. Hafner died in 1868, his son William lives on the old homestead and drove the first ox team on the Hortonville road east from section 13. The house of Mr. Hafner was a home for the pioneers moving in town.

Matthew Culbertson came in April, 1848; built the second shanty in town ; went fifteen miles to borrow an ax of St. Mary's to build a shanty ; had to carry it back inside of one week ; went to Fond du Lac to buy an ax ; kept batch three years ; cleared one acre of land ; carried one bushel of potatoes from Neenah for seed ; in 1849 had three acres of wheat, threshed it with his horses ; cut twenty-five tons of hay on the marsh ; had the second horse team ; was the first treasurer in town. He still remains on his farm, section 19, one of the wealthiest farmers in town. Pioneers are welcome at his house at any time.

James Wickware arrived May, 1848; was eleven days on the road from Wakeshaw, accompanied by James Hardacker and family, who lived with Wickware for a while, and here was born Louis Hardacker, the first white child in town. Wickware was married to the daughter of Clark Wood in October, 1850, perhaps the second wedding in town. He sold his farm for $4,000 in 1875 ; was the second treasurer in the town. Isaac Wickware came in with his brother James ; was the first chairman and justice in the town, sold his farm to Fred Miller for $4,000 ; taught school in District No. 4 ; moved to Missouri with his family with a horse team in the year 1867.

Seth J. Perry entered the first land in town ; mowed in 1849 first wheat - twenty-seven bushels per acre; had the first threshing machine, 1851, owned by Joseph Lord ; sold wheat to Neenah for fifty-six cents a bushel ; built the first frame barn ; lives on the same land, a very beautiful farm ; has the only hop yard and is one of the wealthiest men in town. Pioneers are always welcome at his house.

Miles Perry and wife came in 1849 from East Troy with an ox team ; built a shanty 18x24 ; went six miles to borrow a broadax ; carried it home at night ; was chased by drunken Indians. Mrs. Perry stayed all alone twenty-three days in her new home and only saw one white man, but plenty of red men, who were quite saucy. Mrs. Perry's oldest daughter was born Oct. 12, 1850, probably the first birth of a white female child in town ; is now the wife of A. Culbertson. Mrs. Perry drove a number of Indians out of the melon patch with a club. Her first visitors were fourteen Indians and squaws on Sunday ; they were seated on the floor ; first wheat was the hedgerow, reaped with the sickle ; owned one-third of the first fanning mill. He remains on the old farm. Call on him, you will find in him and wife the same friendly greeting as in pioneer life.

James Webley arrived April 1, 1849, from Dockge county ; was at the first town meeting. He started the first tannery to tan deer skins, his son, 4}4 years old, coming from school, strayed in the woods and was lost in the spring of 1853, three months after he was found in a sink hole by Mr. Norton who was looking for swine. Rev. Mr. Revelle preached the funeral sermon at the grave near the house.

Julius Perrot and wife came from Milwaukee in May, 1849, with an ox team ; put up at Horn's tavern ; Mrs. Perrot drove a cow from Milwaukee ; sowed one and onequarter acres of wheat in 1850, had 700 bundles ; threshed with a flail, cleaned with a hand fan, and got fifty bushels. Mrs. Perrot underbrushed twelve acres of timber and packed many thousand shingles at night. He worked two days on the road under Pathmaster Colkins, to work out road tax ; the best sugar year was in 1854, when they made over 1,800 pounds. Mr. Perrot was the best squirrel and chipmunk hunter that Greenville ever had ; he is one of our jolly pioneers ; if any of you pioneers call on Mr. and Mrs. Perrot, at their pleasant home on section 7, you will be among the many welcome guests.

John Jacquot came with Mr. Perrot and still remains on his beautiful farm on section 18. He is a first-class farmer ; His oldest son was scalded in the spring of 1854, lingered a few days and died. Rev. Vandoran preached the sermon.

A. Grant and wife came in the fall of 1850 with a yoke of three-year-old steers and an old wagon ; when they arrived they had six cents in cash, were ten days on the road from Milwaukee ; built a log house where J. Jack's orchard stands ; they lived a number of weeks on corn bread for breakfast, mush for dinner, and cold corn bread for supper with molasses. Had one pan of flour, lent half of that, and did not know where the next was coming from. I went to Appleton the day before Christmas after good things, but did not get home until late on Christmas night ; bought corn meal, dried apples, tea and coffee ; at Mr. Grant's table I ate the best sauce I ever ate in this state ; it was made out of pie plant. At that day the ladies followed the fashions of the day, eight yards of blue calico was plenty for a dress with frills and puffs. Mr. Grant now lives in Ellington.

Wilder Patch came in the spring of 1850; chopped and burned brush off three acres and planted corn among the logs ; commenced building a house but fell short of money, and took a job of Rynders July 4, and finished it September 10. He lived on what $5.00 bought while doing the work. Mr. Patch sold his farm, 1866, for $3,350 ; the sign of marriage in those days was the loved ones kissing over the gate.

April 8, 1850, the town had its first town meeting ; nineteen votes were polled; the tax for the year was $645.45. Out of the nineteen voters there are three that remain, S.

There is much that might be said about the early settlers but I must close by saying I myself came to Appleton September 10, 1848. When I arrived there I had ten cents in cash, one cow, one set of coopers' tools, wife and two - babies ; moved to Greenville in March, 1854 ; was elected the fourth treasurer of the town ; I have held the office of justice of the peace twenty years ; the happiest Christmas was when I had money enough to buy three pounds of dried apples, one gallon of black molasses, and half of a pig's head, then with my little family, happy and contented, we kept Christmas. The first meeting was in a little log school house in District No. 1 ; Eibbie Lanphear taught the first school in District No. 4, and boarded with us; got $3.00 a week and paid $1.25 for board; the first hog I bought in Greenville was bought with a four dollar gold piece paid to me for uniting two happy ones ; my first threshing floor was three planks. Mrs. Dey carried most of the water we used from a spring, half a mile from our house the first summer ; about this time several pioneers came ; among them Scott, Sweetzer, House, Lewis, Palmer,

In 1876 at the fall election there were 338 votes polled ; the tax for 1876 was $6,049.42, the value from assessment $441,253 ; number of horses, 499 ; number of neat cattle, 1,255 ; number of hog's, 657 ; number of sheep, 3,141 ; number of carriag-es and sleig-hs, 477 ; number of brick houses, 31 ; number of frame houses, 104 ; number of loghouses, 55 ; number of log- barns, 27 ; number of frame barns, 137. The first twenty-five apple trees I set out was on the 20th day of November, 1853 ; the first apples received from them was in fall 1857 ; they were boug-ht at Neenah. We have in town two institutions where liquor is sold ; two grang-e halls ; four churches ; one division of Sons of Temperence ; one Sunday school ; one insurance company of the county, started in Greenville ; one cheese factory ; one butter factory. Mrs. John Seag-er taugdit the first school in town, in District No. 1 ; John Jewell was the first superintendent of Sunday school ; first block salt was made by J. Nye and B. Mills. In conclusion I will say I love my pioneer home and expect to live and die in our beloved town.

Dale. - Philo Root presented an interesting- historical sketch of the early history of the "state of Dale." The land known as the town of Dale was taken from the town of Hortonia about the year 1850, and is bounded on the north by Hortonia, east by Greenville, south by Clayton and Winchester, of Winnebag-o county, and on the west by Caledonia, of Waupaca county, and contains thirty sections beg-inning- with section No. 6, having- an area of thirty square miles. Soil - moderately productive, being- interspersed with numerous swamps, which are mostly valuable for their timber, furnishing- a larg-e portion of the fencingon the farms between said town and Oshkosh or in fact for the larg-est portion of northern Winnebag-o county.

locating' on section 26, where Wm. Young1 now lives, Thomas Doty on section 25, where Elias and Andrew Rhoades now live, McCrary on section 24, now owned by John Stein. William Young- came the same spring- and boug-ht the southeast quarter of section 35, now owned by Sylvester Wolcott and John Young's widow. Mr. Wm. Young- claims his the first deed in the town, being- issued by James H. Polk, president of the United States.

The well known Rinehart, a minister of the g-ospel, came into this town in November, 1848, and held the first relig-ious meeting- in town. Pardon me for relating- some of his pioneer privations that we may see the contrast between then and now. He reports having- had when he came here in cash the sum of ninty-five cents which he paid out for lumber to fix a shanty to live in. Having- to chop and make shingles to buy corn meal for food, which was all he had for himself and wife and four children the whole of that winter with the exception of a round or strip of pork to start on. While the country was yet new and ministers scarce he did his Master's service by g*oing- sometimes to preach as far away as to New London and Shiocton on foot. He tells of crossing- the Rat river marsh when the water was nearly leg- deep and a thin skim of ice over the top to fill a meeting appointment. To you my pioneer friends who have assembled here to-day, we cannot fully realize the hardships endured, except we have been placed likewise, which is not likely the case with many. The first school house built it town was located some seventy rods south of Young's corner, being made of logs and having a shade roof, being sufficiently large to accommodate thirty scholars ; Mrs. H. Greenfied being the first teacher ; this being the house in which I taught my first Wisconsin school, which was in 1854. By this time the town had become considerably interspersed with inhabitants, mostly Germans from Ohio.

With but few exceptions the inhabitants are Americans and Germans. The probabilities are that no town has made more rapid progress under the circumstances. First - The forests were mostly of very large oaks. The stumps being- difficult to remove. But time, patience and a goodly degree of perseverence has had its effects, inasmuch as there are but few to be seen now. Second - There is no town in the county that has had more stone to get out of the way before machinery could be .used than this which is now mostly in g-ood condition for any machinery. We have a voting- .population of 260, and at the census of 1855 our population was, males 516, females 536, making- a total of 1,052.

Hortonia. - This town was fortunate in being- represented by Mr. Mathew McComb. He said Hortonia was first settled by Alonzo E. Horton, after whom the town was named, in the latter part of the summer of 1848. Mr. Horton built a log- shanty for his family live in. He and a number of men commenced to build a saw mill, some of his laborers he set to work on the dam, others hewing- timber for the frame for the mill, others felling- the trees and clearing- the site for the mill, and notwithstanding- the difficulties he had in getting- part of the machinery and other materials to build with, he had the mill finished and ready to saw logs, the dam built, the race and flume completed on or about the first day of August, 1849. The mill was built on the stream known by the name of "Black Otter Creek."

On the thirteenth day of November, 1848, Joel Tillison, generally known by the name of "Captain," became a settler and helped to build the, mill dam and dig the race, and has lived ever since in the town and is now 78 years old.

Alvin Owens became a settler on the twentieth day of November, 1848, lived about thirteen years in town, sold his farm and moved to the state of Michigan.

Henry J. Whicher became a settler early in the spring of 1849. Built a hotel in the summer of the same year, which was the first hotel in Hortonville, and known by the name of "Pinery House." Mr. Whicher sold his hotel and left the town soon after.

James McMurdo became a settler on third day of June, 1849, and has lived ever since on his excellent farm, and being- a man possessed with a spirit of perseverance and a fixed purpose to deal honestly with all men is now reaping the fruits of industry, honesty and integrity, has a full purse and a happy home.

Mathew McComb and Hug-h Leslie became settlers on the second day of July, 1849, they drove their team to a spot which they thoug-ht was a part of the lands of Mathew McComb and shouted "Alabama." The lived for nearly four weeks, having- nothing- but the canopy of heaven for their curtain, during- said time there was not one shower of rain, and during- that time they built a log- shanty on lands which belong-ed to Simeon A. Shepard, but when the shanty was built the question was asked, how and with what is it to be roofed ? Being- green horns and unskilled in the use of the ax, they never thoug-ht of making- troug-hs for the roof, so they concluded to wait until Horton commenced sawing- log's in the mill, which as I have already stated, was about the first of August. They lived in said shanty, in which there was neither door nor window, until about the first of September, at which time each family moved to the crude shanty, built on their #f arms, respectively.

O. A. Blackwood became a settler in the month of Aug-ust, 1849, and lived in town until the time of his death, which was about one and a half years ago.

Mason C. Hulbert became a settler in the month of August, 1849, and was the first storekeeper in Hortonville. On the twenty-seventh day of January, 1850, he sold his store, building and goods to Briggs, Pelton & Co. for the sum of $3,000 and went to California.

Thomas Ogden became a settler in the month of August, 1849, lived in town several years, sold his farm and moved to Juda, Green county, Wisconsin. And by the way I wish to state that his shanty, Julius G. Nordman's shanty, and Mathew McComb's shanty were the only settlements between Hortonville and Mukwa for several years, and were termed by the wayfaring- man, the Irishman's, theEnglishman's and the Dutchman's.

John Easton became a settler in the month of October, 1849, built a hotel and entertained travelers for some time. Thomas Easton became a settler at the same time and lived a few years in town.

Norman Nash became a settler on or about the thirtieth of November, 1849, built a hotel and had it finished, neatly furnished and ready for the accommodation of travelers about the first day of August, 1850, and named it the "Hortonia House."

David Brig-g-s, Platt Rudd, Byron Pelton and George L. Merrill became settlers on the twenty-seventh day of January, 1850, at which time they purchased the saw mill property from Alonzo E. Horton, and the store, building and goods from Mason C. Hulbert, all of whom left town at an early date except David Briggs, who still lives in the town.

Oliver Poole became a settler on the twenty- eighth day of February, 1850, and still lives in the town. His house has always been an asylum for the poor, a hospital for the sick, and a home for the homeless, irrespective of nationality or color. Mrs. Poole claims to be the mother of 391 children, how many more she will claim, let some one answer ?

Moses W. Allen became a settler in March, 1850, commenced a mercantile business and was very successful in the undertaking, was an adept in his profession. In the year 1863 he moved to Kirkwood, 111.

Andrew Cornish became a settler in May, 1850. For some time he was engaged in storekeeping, but soon gave up said business, "claiming that he was called of God to preach the Gospel." During the summer of 1850 he preached five sermons, in three of which he preached the doctrine of the Trinity, in the other two he denied the divinity of Christ, but in one of his prayers he concluded by saying-, " for Christ's sake. Amen." In one of his sermons he said that "the locust in the days of John the Baptist was as larg-e as turkeys are in these days." For the first time in my life I learned the size of locusts in those days. At the close of his last meeting he carried away under his arm Tom Paine's work on infidelity, and the Rev. Cornish preached no more. He soon afterwards left Hortonville and it was the general belief that he had joined the Mormon church.

Ira Hersey settled in town in the fall of 1850 and lived in town until some time in the fall of 1872, when he sold his mill property and dwelling house and moved to Kansas. Mr. Hersey was loved and respected by all.

George Tiplear settled in town the latter part of June, 1852, lived twelve years in town, then moved to Winneconne in the fall of 1863. His removal from town was a great loss and deeply felt.

Leonard Steffen settled in town May 7, 1851, and with the exception of a few years that he lived in Appleton has lived ever since in the town.

John McMurdo became a settler on the eighth day of June, 1851, and has lived ever since in the town, and for quite a number of years was elected chairman of the Town Board of Supervisors, which office he filled humbly and efficiently, and is now postmaster in Hortonville.

A. C. Briggs settled in town in the fall of 1851. Mr. Briggs built a fine hotel and lived several years in Hortonville, sold his hotel property and moved to Clayton.

W. W. Briggs and H. B. Sanborn settled in town on the first day of October, 1852. The}7 built an excellent flouring mill, which at that time was not excelled by any other in the county. By the building of said mill they added more to the comfort and welfare of the settlers than all the settlers who had preceded them. Mr. H. B. Sanborn still lives in town, and Mr. Briggs has sold his interest in the mill several years ago and moved to Appleton.

Jacob Steffen and sons became settlers on the sixteenth day of October, 1852. He lived in town during his life and died a few years ago, being old and full of days, and was buried in the center of the Roman Catholic cemetery, on his own farm. Mr. Steffen was loved and respected by all who knew him.

There are many others whose names should be mentioned but time and space will not permit. The first town meeting was held at the store building formerly occupied by Mason C. Hulbert on the first Tuesday in April, 1850. Norman Nash was chosen chairman, Byron Pelton and Oliver Poole were chosen inspectors, and George L. Merrill was chosen clerk, and having no statutes or forms to guide them, and all being young and inexperienced in town business, they adopted the following oath for the inspectors and clerk of said meeting, not because they wished to take the n::ine of God in vain, but they considered it to be in a business-like manner. The following is the oath, viz.: You swear by God that you will support the constitution of the United States and this state, and that you will conduct this meeting to the best of your ability, so help you God. Oliver Poole administered the above oath to the chairman and the chairman to the two inspectors and clerk.

The following officers were elected at said meeting : J. Wakefield, chairman; Norman Nash and Byron Pelton, assistant supervisors; Byron Pelton, clerk; Benjamin Williams, treasurer; Wm. Benedict, assessor; J. Wakefield, town superintendent ; John Easton, J. Wakefield and Wm. Benedict, justices of the peace ; Lewis Hyde and Thomas Easton, constables. J. Wakefield resigned his office as chairman and Norman Nash was elected chairman of the town board of supervisors in the place of J. Wakefield. No bonds were required from any of the town officers. * No

The first grist mill in town was one purchased by David Briggs & Co., from Mr. Howe, of Greenville, for the sum of ten dollars. Said mill was about the size of a modern corn sheller, and a one man power, having the capacity of grinding five bushels of corn per day. The first school house was built in the summer of 1850 ; the first church was built in the year 1859 ; the first flouring mill was built in the year 1856 ; the first blacksmith shop was built in the year 1848 ; the first barrel o£ whisky sold by retail by Capt. Tillison in 1849 ; the first preacher was Andrew Cornish in 1849 ; the first school teacher was Emma B. Leach in 1850; the first pettifoggers in court were John Easton and David Briggs in 1850 ; Norman Nash was the first chairman of the town board of supervisors in 1850.

The first marriage was contracted between John Hewitt and Susan A. Sheldon, at the shanty of Mathew McComb, by John Easton, justice of the peace, in the month of April, 1850. The bridegroom and bride built a raft of float wood on the north side of the Wolf river, got on board and crossed the river, but soon learned that they could not float among the trees and willows. Not willing to return to the camp unmarried they concluded to tie the raft to a tree, they then joined hands and plunged in the water which was about two and one-half feet deep and waded forty rods or more before they reached dry land, about one hundred rods distant from my shanty. After the marriage ceremony was consummated he took his wife by the hand and said, "let us go home," and they started off on the same route they came. Merry waters did not quench their love, neither did the floods drown it.

The first birth in town was the daughter of Thomas and Lucinda Easton, who was born in the month of March, 1850. The first death was Sarah A., daughter of Norman and Matilda Nash, who died Sept. 22, 1850.

Buchanan, - The following- sketch was presented by Wm. Lamure : Joseph Lamure and family, consisting of Mary, Josephine, William and Charles Lamure, and his adopted son Amable Aslin, settled in Buchanan July 10, 1839, the settlement consisting- of four families - B. H. Beaulieu, Mons. Rentier, Raphael St. Mary, and Roland Garner. The next comers were Germans. They landed at Garner's landing- Oct. 9, 1842, consisting- of ten families, including three young- men. John J. Dietzler and family, Peter Deatrick and family, Jacob Pauly and family, Michael Kline and family, John P. Hintze and family, P. H. Rausch and family, J. P. Schumaker and family, - Frevel and family, John Kloepel and family, Anton Heuser and family, Mathias Kline, John Snyder and Jacob Snyder.

The town of Buchanan was set off from the town of Kaukauna Feb. 12, 1858. The first town meeting- was held April 2,, 1858. Town officers elected : B. H. Beaulieu, chairman; Wm. Lamure and John J. Dietzler, supervisors; Morris Ring-row, clerk; Peter Radmaker, treasurer; B. H. Beaulieu, Michael Kline and John Cabensen, assessors; John Hunt, Wm. Lamure, Daniel Cline and John Cabensen, Justices of the Peace; Peter Kline, constable. Total vote was 32.

Ellington, - The town of Klling-ton was originally composed of its present territory, together with what are now the towns of Bovina and Maine. It was organized in 1850. The first land purchased of the g-overnment was by F. Gilbert and L. Thompson, on section 20, in the year 1841, while Outag-amie was yet a part of Brown county. These g-entlemen shortly afterwards built a dam across Bear Creek, about three miles from Wolf river at which point they also erected a saw mill. This was subsequently operated by Wm. Bruce and G. D. Aldrich, until the summer 1849.

The first frame building- was put up by Mr. Bruce in* 1849. The first white family that settled in the town was that of Lewis Thompson, at a point that was known as Bruce's mills up to 1850. Thos. Callan was the first white man who settled in Ellington for the purpose of engaging in farming. This was in 1847. In 1848 and 1849 came Geo. Huse, Henry Kethroe, James Hardacker, Owen Hardy, Wm. McGee, P. H. Pew and Thomas Hillins. In 1850 came Abel Greeley, Amos Johnson, Julius Greeley, H. J. Diener and Eliab Farnham.

In the early days the settlers obtained their supplies at Green Bay, hauling them a distance of thirty-six miles. The first mail route was established through the town in 1851 from Green Bay to Stevens Point. John P. Rynders christened the town - bestowing upon it the name of his native town in New York. The first store was established in 1850, by J. D. Van Vleck; the first hotel in 1856, by P. H. Pew. The first town meeting was held at the old Block House in 1850, at which the following officers were elected: Supervisors, John H. Rynders, chairman, James Hardacker and Geo. Huse; clerk, Henry Smith; sealer of weights and measures, Geo. Huse; town superintendent, Geo. Huse; justices of the peace, James Hardacker, Thos. Hillson, Geo. Huse and John R. Rynders; constable, Frederick Hainan; assessors, John R. Rynders and Geo. Huse; treasurer, John R. Rynders. Each one received seven votes.

The first school was established in 1852; the first birth and the first death occurred in 1851, In 1856 John Stephens purchased the mill property and laid out the village which bears his name. The paper from which we glean the above facts was prepared by Ansel Greeley.

Center . - John McGillan presented some interesting facts relative to the early settlement of Center. David Barry and brother were the first inhabitants of Center, settling there in 1849, on section 27. Peter Hephner and family settled the same year on the same section. The first yoke of cattle was brought to the town by Mr. Hephner |Which he purchased from Jake Cornelius in the Oneida settlement. John Batley came to Center in 1850 and located on section 11. He was the first white man that occupied the north part of the town. James Cotter settled the same year on section 14. John Eeith next arrived and located on section 26. The first death in the town was that of a child of Mr. Leith. Francis McGillan and family settled in Center in 1851, on section 35. William Byrnes came in 1851 and located on section 13. Patrick Cannon arrived about the same time and settled on section 25. The first school meeting- in the town was held at the house of Peter Hephner in 1851. The officers elected were: Peter Hephner, treasurer; N. M. Hephner, clerk; Wm. Byrnes, director. The number of votes cast was seven. Mrs. Leith was the first teacher and taught three months for $25. The school was conducted at her house. The first school house was soon after built, the total cost of which was $40. In this building the first town meeting was held.

Kaukauna. - Mr. E. St. Louis, the representative of Kaukauna, said in substance: In reply to your invitation the following is respectfully submitted to the Pioneer Association of Outagamie County. I landed at Green Bay October 26, A. D. 1836. From reports and information obtained there, I concluded at once to move further up on Fox river. I bought a canoe, trusted all my property, family and all, in one cargo. With so much freight, the river was then very difficult to ascend and in about four days I landed at the place where I have ever since lived, then called Petite Chute.

The general aspect of the stream was then very beautiful indeed; the waters now rushing over hedges and stones forming rapids and chutes, next becoming quiet and placid, in seeming sadness to leave its pleasant shady banks; the whole valley and surrounding country proved one dense forest and unbroken wilds. I first put up a temporary dwelling and claimed a quarter section on Fox river at Kaukalin or Kaukauna. I found the following settlers, their chief business was trading with the Indians: Charles A. Grignon, Paul Ducharm, Jacque Paullier and Paul Beaulieu. In Little Chute the Rev. T. J. Van Den Broek had lived with and taught a large number of Menominee Indians for four years. His improvements then were n .log- church, bark covered, built by said Indians,

To work a farm then was very toilsome and slow work, the farms were small and unopened, and to remember the tools which we had to use then and which we now use; first compare the sickle with the best improved reaper, take the wooden fan, the old flail, etc., and then subtract the difference.

The waters teemed with life, the river then was unobstructed by dams, etc., and all kinds of fish had free access from lake to river and river to lake again. I may here add that the abundance of fish in the river then, and the various plenty of game in the adjoining valley or woods, were valuable substitutes to the pioneer farmers in early days.

Tomitah was the chief of the Menominee Indians and held his residence by turns at that place where the city of Appleton is since built. Reports spread that a murder was committed by the Indians on the person of a white man, a minister of the gospel, a stranger, a young man, etc. The day following I was summoned or ordered as one of the j urors to hold the inquest, we held the inquest with four jurors, all that possibly could be put together. We found the body fearfully mangled, the heart taken out and other marks of cruelty committed. We gave the unhappy stranger a distant burial and parted. Tomitah had three .Indians arrested and delivered them to the proper authorities at Green Bay. Soon one of their number on promise to be set free, confessed the whole crime, was however returned to jail and stabbed to death by his enraged comrades the same night. Afterwards the remaining criminals ended their lives by strangling themselves with their blankets. In general were the Menominees a quiet and peaceable race, and many among them were converted to Christianity by the missionaries. They held strict rules to protect game; hunting was not allowed except on certain days appointed by their chief, and trespasses on such orders were severely punished.

In 1836 during my first }Tear's staying here the small pox spread among the poor Indians and so many died that I have witnessed six funerals in one day. When badly

In former years many mounds of different forms and sizes were found at the Kaukauna flats and if we may trust the Indian leg-ends or traditions, were the graves of mig-hty hosts. Here one of the greatest, most fearful battles was foug-ht by their heroic fathers.

The first school house was built about the year 1844, near the new church grounds in Little Chute. The building- was put up by the settlers, and teacher's wag-es and board paid by the missionary. The settlers, few in number, could not meet the expenses, said school was attended by five or six scholars.

I cut a road all alone from Little Chute throug-h the site of Appleton to the landing-. About the year 1840, when the settlements round Lake Winnebag-o began to grow, and demand for store goods, provisions, etc., began to increase, and finding that something could be made with my ox team and cart, I chopped all alone a road from Little Chute to the Grand Chute, then I was my own supervisor, pathmaster, etc., and had no bridge fund on hand either.

In 1848 a number of emigrants arrived here from Holland with T. J. Van Den Broek who had visited said country. They have proved to be industrious farmers, and besides others, have, during their stay here, opened the largest clearing of farms in the lower Fox river valley.

Besides farming I bought a threshing machine in 1852, the first ever worked in this town. In 1854 I built a spar dam across Fox river over this place without ever breaking, it remains there still. And a second crib dam a few feet below the old dam in 1876. I have only mentioned these facts relative to my own experience, and leave it to other parties to do the same, so that the different parts may make one general good.

Seymour, was a part of the town of Osborne (which derived its name from W. M. Ausbourne), was divided in the year 1867. Its first town officers were elected April 2, 1867: C. E. McIntosh, clerk; James Rice, Louis Conklin, W. M. Ausbourne, supervisors. Seymour derived its name from Ex-Gov. Horatio Seymour, of New York. The first settlers were W. M. and John Ausbourne who settled here with their families in 1857, on the southwest quarter of section 32. The next settlers were D. W., W. H. and S. W. Hunger, who settled here in 1860.

The first child born in the town of Seymour was AdaM., daughter of Wm. and Harriet Ausbourne, March 31, 1860. The first marriage was that of Henry Becker and Tina Simnicht at the residence of the bridegroom and was conducted according to the Lutheran creed. The first death in the town was that of Wm. Ausbourne, Sr., on July 9, 1859. The Rev. Mr. Lenir, of Oneida, preached the* funeral sermon.

The first post office, Lime Rock, was established in April, 1865, and the first postmaster was S. W. Munger, who received his appointment from the government, April, 1865, with a salary of $8 a year. He will be remembered by the old settlers and among his many friends as Uncle Willis. The first mail carrier was John Wheeler who carried the mail to and from Appleton on foot, they receiving the mail but once a week. The first saw mill was built in 1868 by Geo. Anderson.

The first and only railroad that passed through Seymour was completed as far as New London, Jan. 1, 1871, and on> that day the first train passed through Seymour. The first freight train that passed over the road was loaded with lumber and shingles from Whitney's mill.

The first school was taught by Rosa McGann in a log shanty, and the first school house was built in 1862, not a brick or frame, but a low log school house.

Our only market in those early days was Appleton, and all provisions and clothing must come from that place, and, as the old settlers used to say, the merchants of Appleton knowing this would take all the advantage possible.

After the towns of Seymour and Osborne were divided, Seymour settled up very fast and now has a population of about 1,000. The City of Seymour and town were divided in 1879, now Seymour has six school districts and one church. The city has the balance of the churches, yet the town has the benefit of them. Seymour has now but one railroad, but we have the promise held out to us that in the near future the Midland Railroad will take its course through our town.

I landed in Milwaukee about the 18th day of June, 1837, lived in Milwaukee about two years. Moved with my father to the town of Muskego, Waukesha County. Lived there until the spring of 1847, then moved to Dodge County and settled on a farm in the town of Hustisford. Lived there until the spring of 1877. About May 10 of that year moved to Seymour, Outagamie County.

At that time the town and city was all one, and there was about one thousand inhabitants. There was one stave factory; one hub and spoke factory, owned and run by D. Hammel; also one hub and spoke factory, run by Heldenberg & Co. ; one saw mill, owned and run by the Northwestern Furniture Co., of Fort Atkinson, Wis. ; one grist mill, one drug store, one milliner shop, one dress maker, two tailor shops, one furniture store, two butcher shops, two hardware stores, four dry goods stores, two grocery stores, one barber shop, one restaurant, three blacksmith shops, two shoemaker shops, three hotels, two doctors and three churches. The City of Seymour was incorporated as a city in the winter of 1879. The present population is about eight hundred and fifty and they have come to stay. There is hardly any floating population here now, the most of them are good solid business men.

The manufacturing here now embraces one saw mill with shop where they turn out all kinds of chair stuffs, wagon stuffs and buggies, one roller grist mill, one planing mill with doors, blinds and sash made to order, one drug store, four dry goods stores, two hardware stores, three grocery stores, one furniture store, one undertaker, one restaurant, one milliner shop, one butcher shop, one barber shop, one dress maker, three blacksmith shops, two wag-on shops, two shoemaker shops, one deguerean gallery, one cigar factory, one printing office, one flour and feed store, five churches, one harness shop, three hotels, two saloons, one brick yard, one bank, two insurance offices, two law offices, one Odd Fellows' hall, one Sons of Herman hall, one G. A. R. hall, one temperance lodge, one fire company, one jewelry store, one livery stable, two Sunday schools, three doctors' offices, one high school with four teachers. The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul Railroad runs through the town or city, and last fall the company built a very nice depot for us; it is quite tasty and very convenient. The Midland Railroad is surveyed through the city and we understand that the Illinois Central has bought the right of way, there is a large prospect of the road being built in the near future; also one brick yard is turning out some very fine brick and there seems to be quite a feeling with the people to build brick when they do build. This, ^gentlemen, is about the history of the past and of the present time of our little city.