Vernon County, Wisconsin - Chapter 14: Civil Sub-Divisions of Vernon County, 1884

When the territory now comprising the county of Vernon was organized as Bad A.x county, in April, 1851, it constituted one civil town. This was called by the same name as the county - Bad Ax. Its oiganization was effected at the same time as was that of the county.

In this shape the county remained until tlie 29th of March, 1853, when the board of supervisors got together and divided the county into four civil towns. These towns were named Bergen, Jeflferson, Bad Ax and Kickapoo.

The town of Bergen was made to embrace the territory now comprising the towns of Hamburg and Bergen, and all of Harmony and Genoa lying north of the dividing line between townships 1-2 and 13. It was further ordered that the first to^vn meeting in Bergen be held at the house of John Warner.

The town of Jeflerson embraced the territory of townships 13 and 14, range 5 west, now com]>rising the civil towns of Jefferson and Coon. The creating resolution provided that the first town meeting of Jefferson be held at the school house in the village of Springvillc

The town of Bad Ax was the largest in the county. Tiie records state that its boundaries were as follows : "Beginning at the norlhwest corner of township 14, of range 4 west ; running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of township 13, range 4 west ; thence west on the township line between townships 12 and 13, to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river ; thence down the river to the southwest corner of the county; thence east on the county line to the southeast corner of section 15, township 11, range 4 west; thence north on the section line to the northeast corner of section 21, township 12, range 4 west; thence east on the section line to the southeast corner af section 24, township 12, range 3 west ; thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of township 12, range 3 west; thence east on the township line between 12 and 13 to the southeast corner of township 13, range 1 east; thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of township 14, range 1 east ; thence west on the township line, between townships 14 and 15, to the place of beginning." Thus it will be seen that the town of Bad Ax embraced about sixteen Congressional townships.

The town of Kickapoo embraced exactly the same territory as it does to-day. Its boundaries were described by the supervisors as follows: "Beginning at the northwest corner of section 20, township 12, range 4 west, thence south on the section line to the southwest corner of section 14, township 11, range 4 west, thence east on the section line to the southeast corner of section 13, township 11, range 3 west, thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of section 25, township 12, range 3 west, thence west on the section line to the place of beginning." This made in all forty sections. It was ordered that the first town meeting of Kickapoo be held at the house of Orrin Wisel.

The indebtedness of the town of Bad Ax was apportioned in fair ratio between the new towns, and the records and documents belonging to the original town were to remain with Bad Ax.

In a few months it became apperant that the town of Bad Ax was altogether too large. From the northeast to the southwest corner was a distance of over sixty miles. On the 29th of

November, 1853, the board of sapervisors made another division, and created the town of Farwell. This change threw the town of Bad Ax into the southwest corner of the county. Its boundaries were described as follows: Commencing where the township line between 12 and 13 intersect the Mississippi river, thence down the river to the southwest corner of the county, thence east along the county line to the southeast corner of section 15, township 11, range 4, thence north on the section line to the northeast corner of section 15, township 12, range 4, tlience west on the section line to the range line between ranges 4 and 5 west, thence north to the southeast corner of township 13, range 5, thence west to the place of beginning. The town of Farwell was created from the remainder of the territory which had constituted the town of Bad Ax, according to the division of March, 1853. The first town meeting for the new town of Bad Ax was ordered to be held in "the school house near the postofKce of Bad Ax," wherever that was. The iirst town meeting for Farwell was to be held at the court house in Viroqua.

O the 3d of July, 1854, section 1 of township 12, range 5 west, was detached from the town of Bad Ax and made a part of Viroqua. This section adjoins the village of Viroqua upon the southwest, and the change was made through the influence of that place.

A special session of the board of supervisors was held on the 9th of May, 1855, at which the town of Viroqua was divided, and Forest and Hillsborough were created. Forest embraced four congressional townships; described as township 14, ranges 1 and i west, and township 13, ranges 1 and 2. This territory is now embraced in the towns of Forest, Union, Stark and Whitestown. The first town meeting in Forest was ordered to be held at the house of James F. Brown.

The town of Hillsborough embraced the territory of congressional townships 13 and 14, range 1 east, which now comprises the towns of Hillsborough and Greenwood. The first town meeting in Hillsborough was ordered held at the house of Albert Fields.

In this shape as to sub-divisions the county remained until the 13th of November. 1855, when a general reconstruction was ordered by the board of supervisors. The act of May 9, 1855, creating Forest, was repealed, and the boundaries of most of the other towns were materially altered. The new towns created at this time were Union, Webster, Christiana, Forest, Greenwood and Harmony.

The town of Webster then embraced the same territory that it does to-day - township 13, range 3 west. The first town meeting was ordered to be held at John Richardson's residence.

The town of Christiana embraced the territory which now comprises the towns of Clinton and Christiana; or, in other words, township 14, ranges 3 and 4 west. The board provided that the first town meeting be held at Hunt & Olson's mill on the west branch of the Kickapoo'

The town of Forest was re-created, embracing, under this act, the territory of township 13, ranges 1 and 2 west, which is now civilly organized as Forest and Whitestown. The first town meeting was ordered held at the house of Benjamin Van Vleet.

14, range 1 east. It still retains that shape. From the south half of what had before constituted Hillsborough was created Greenwood. As to-day, it then comprised township 13, range

Harmony was another of the towns created in November, 18.55. The territory, as then embraced, is probably best described by tracing its boundaries as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of township 13, range 6 west; thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of said township; thence south on the range line to the northeast corner of section 13, township 13, range 7; thence west on the section line to tlie main channel of the Mississippi river; thence down the river to a point opposite the southwest corner of section in, township 12, range 7 west; thence east on the township line to the southwest corner of section 13, township 12, range 6; thence north on the range line to the place of beginning. The first town meeting for Harmony was ordered held at the house of John Ruwalt.

The indebtedness of the original towns was appropriated out among the new towns created. This made eleven towns in the county - Bad Ax, Bergen, Jefferson, Kickapoo, Forest, Hillsborough, Union, Webster, Christiana, Greenwood and Harmony.

5 west, be detached from Bad Ax and attached to Jefferson. Section 1, township 12, range 5, was taken from the town of Viroqua, and made a part of Jefierson.

On the 28 of March, 1857, the towns of Wheatland and Masterson were created, and ordered organized. Provision was made for holding the first town meeting of Wheatland at the house of Jonathan Law, April 7, 1857. The first town meeting of Masterson was to be held at Hunt

Tiie town of Wheatland then embraced the following territory: The north half of township 11, range 7 west, and the south half of township 12, range 7; also sections 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, township 12, range 6; and sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17 and 18, township 11, range 6 west.

Whitestown was created at the same time, embracing township 14, range 2 west - the same as at the present time. The first town meeting was ordered held at Prentice's store, April 7, 1857.

On the 27th of March, 1857, an important act was passed by the board of supervisors. It changed the name of the town of Bad Ax to Lockhaven. Thus it remained until the 24th of November, 1857, when the name of Lockhaven was abolished, and Franklin took its place. At the seme time the name of the town of Masterson was changed to Clinton.

On the lOlh of November, 1857, C. W. Lawton and others, presented a petition to the board asking that Kickapoo be divided, but it was rejected.

The town of Bergen was divided Nov. 10, 1857, and Hamburgh was created, embracing the territory of township 14. range 6 west. It still embraces the same territory, although the final "h" has been discarded, the name now be- ing f5penefi "Hamburg." The residence of Andrew Nelson was designated as the place for the first town meeting, and April, 1858, was set as the time for it. It was ordered that the town of Bergen retain all the records and pay its own indebtedness.

The town of Coon was created at the same time, composed of township 14, range 5 west, formerly a part of Jefferson. The first town meeting was ordered held at the house of H. Gelbrunson, in April, 1858.

On the 28th of December, 185T, the lown of Viroqua was divided, and Liberty was created. Liberty still letains the size and shape it then did, embracing the first twenty-four sections of land in township 12, range 3, west. The first town meeting of Liberty was to be held at the school house on section 9, in April, 1858.

On the 10th of November, 1858, township 13, range 2, was set off from Union, and its organization, as the town of Stark, was authorized. The first town meeting was to be held at tiie house of Morrison Wilson, in April, 1859.

At the same session the organization of Coon was again authorized. It seems that Coon had failed to take advantage of the former act of the board, and had not elected town officers. This matter is treated at length in the chapter upon county government.

On the 23d of November, 1859, the board of supervisors ordered that the south half of township 13, range 7 west, be taken from the town of Bergen and annexed to Wheatland. And further that the north half of congressional township 14, range 1 west, be taken from the town of Bergen and attached to Hamburg.

On the 12th of November, 1861, the town of Genoa was created. The territory embraced by Genoa is probably best described by tracing the boundaries, commencing at tbe southwest corner of section 16, township 12, range 6 west, thence south of the west line of the town of Sterling to the northeast corner of section 29, township 12, range 6 west, thence west on the section line to the Mississippi river, thence up the river to the north line of section 19, township 13, range 7, thence east on the section line to the northeast corner of section 24, township 13, range 7, thence south on the line to the township line between townships 12 and 13, thence east along that line to the northeast corner of section 5, township 12, range 6 west, thence south to the place of beginning.

During the same session of the board of superrisors, at which Genoa was created, changes were made in the l)Oundaries of several towns. Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the north half of sections 9, 10, 11 and 12, township 12, range 6 were detached from the town of Wiieatland and attached to Harmony. Sections 13, 14, 15 and 16, and the south half of sections 9,10, 11 and 12, township 12, range 6 west, were detached from Wheatland and annexed to Sterling. The committee which recommended these changes was composed of John T. Brinkmann, Joseph M. Waddell and J. O. Parker.

At the November session of the board of supervisors in 1873, it was ordered that the following question should be submitted to the voters of the town of Genoa: Whether all the territory belonging to Genoa, lying on tlie south side of the Bad Ax creek should be taken from Genoa and attached to Wheatland. It seems that the proposition was rejected at the polls, for the change never went into effect.

All these creations and alterations have been necessary to bring the county into its present shape - as to sub-divisions. The county now has twenty-one civil towns. They are as follows, commencing at the northeast corner:

Franklin, sixteen sections of township 12, range 4 west; fifteen sections of township 12, range 5 west; twelve sections of township 11, range 4 west; and nine sections of township 11, range 5 west.

Kickapoo, the north half of township 1 i , range 3 west; twelve sections of township 12, range 3 west; four sections of township 12, range 4 west; and six sections of township 11, range 4 west.

Wheatland, four sections of township 12, range 6 west; six sections of township 1 1 , range 6 west; the north half of township 11, range 7 west, lying east of the Mississippi river; and the two southern tiers of sections of townshiji 12, range 7, lying east of the river.