Walworth County, Wisconsin - Chapter 5: Surveys Geneva Lake Trouble Arrivals, 1912

Chapter 5: Surveys Geneva Lake Trouble Arrivals

YYhencesoever they came, the men of 1836-61 were mostly of American descent, and all of American ideas, beliefs, feelings, habits and purposes, as they well proved in their later lives as well as in the current of all their lives. It was quite natural for these men, when their most pressing home wants were supplied by their activity and ingenuity, to call themselves together to organize for local self-government; and within six years a part of the lately unbounded wilderness had been set off by mathematically determined county lines with sixteen township subdivisions, and as many new names added to the national gazetteer. Thus geographical definiteness took the place of New France and Northwest Territory, and town 3 north, range 18 east, became Spring Prairie.

Contest At Lake Geneva

He who first stands upon soil hitherto untrodden by civilized men. himself for the hour the vanguard of westward-moving empire, instinctively looks about him for water and timber. Mills must be built, and water power sites are likeliest to be soon at a premium. Hence, at first sight the attractions at the foot of Geneva Lake were irresistible. Similar, though not equal, opportunities at the lakes of Delavan and Whitewater and at the rapid places of the several creeks could not for long be overlooked. The sub-contract for establishing township lines from Beloit eastward to Pake Michigan had been let in [835 to John Brink and John Hodgson, who, with Jesse Eggleston, Reuben T. and William Ostrander as assistants, began work immediately. Taking two tiers of towns at once they readied Geneva lake early in September. They meandered ( in surveyor's sense ) the circumference of the lake and made the first official chart, showing its form and area. At the foot of the lake Mr. Brink took note, on his own and Hodgson's account, of -olden possibilities there, blazed and marked a few trees to indicate the priority of his claim to the town site and water right, and passed eastward with his compass and field notes. He was a native of < (ntario county. New York, his birthplace near Geneva, which is at the foot of Seneca lake. He may have read of Pake

Leman and the city of the Allobroges and of John Calvin. However this may have been, he did not like the name of Bigfoot, by which Mrs. Kinzie, as early as 1832. had mentioned the lake, nor any of its Pottawattomie equivalents or alternatives - all barbarously uncouth and nearly irreducible to writing. Ikthen and there named the lake for all coming time, and his good taste has never been questioned; for even the land office did nol insist upon "Gei zhich-qua-wauk." or "Kish-wau-ke-toe." The western end of this gifl of the glaciers had been passed not infrequently by officers and soldiers on their journeys between Chicago and Fort Winnebago ( Portage City). About [830 Lieut. Jefferson Davis had ridden by that route, and in his latest years recalled his pleasing impressions of his view of the lake as he passed.

In 1832, as soon as Black Hawk and his tribe were defeated and driven across the Mississippi, the bloody disturbances - killings, scalpings and burnings - about Xaperville ended forever. It was thus safe for Christopher Payne to leave the fort at Chicago and go in search of the mill site at the foot of Geneva lake, a fair description of which had been given him by a half breed trader. He reached the Xippersink valley, in Bloomfield. but for want of food for a much longer journey forward he went back to Chicago. Had he found the trail and followed it for another hour or two he would have reached the object of his search about three years earlier than Mr. Brink's arrival, and the annals of earliest Lake Geneva would have losl a long and but moderately interesting chapter. Early in 183d he set forth again, this time from Squaw Prairie, near Belvidere, and with him George \V. Trimble. his son-in-law. and Daniel Mosher. At the end of two days he found tinmill site and the unplatted city, but did not find (or be disregarded if he found) Mr. Brink's claim-marks. Having eaten their provisions, they went back, but came again in March, built a log house and returned to Squaw Prairie. Early in April they were a third time on the ground, and they began to build a dam across the outlet.

John Hodgson, of the surveying party, whose work bad been to -take section corners within Mr. Brink's township lines, ami William Ostrander had been left to occupy and improve the claim a- made in 1S35, and to prevent encroachment. They, too, had claims there. Mr. Payne came while they were at Milwaukee whither they had gone for provisions. The winter at Geneva was long and lonesome, and Milwaukee was more attractive, even in and turf-throwing would do and then sent to Milwaukee for reinforcements. In the short meantime other men had become interested. Brink's men at

Geneva had sold a quarter interest in his claim to Charles A. Noyes and Orrin Coe: and Payne's sun. Uriah, after the first defeat, had given his onethird share of his father's claim to Robert Wells Warren, for which the latter agreed to help in recovering and holding the larger remnant. Air. Warren was as bold and persistent as Payne, and much more resourceful and politic than the old frontiersman. The needs of the situation soon compelled compromise, and Air. Hodgson, acting in Air. Brink's name, sold all rights in dispute for two thousand dollars. Peace was restored, but anger and resentment were not soon soothed into forget fulness. On the one hand. Payne complained that he had been forced to "buy his own pocketbook" at an extortionate price. On the other side. Brink and Reuben T. Ostrander denied Hodgson's authority to sell more than his own claim. Other men were coming to the building of a new city, and their ears were soon tired of these complainings.

Arrivals At Other Towns In 1836-7

While this war was breaking out Palmer Gardner had settled quite peacefully on section 26 of Spring Prairie, and Gardner's Prairie was for long afterward a convenient geographical term for that part of the township. Though then unmarried, he built a cabin, broke ground, and raised a crop of grain and potatoes. He was not without neighbors, even in 1836. Ten or twelve families came that year, and a few single men besides.

In 1835 Major Jesse Meacham, a soldier of 1812-15, and Adolphus Spoor set out from Washtenaw county, Michigan, to look before leaping into a new Troy. They marked their claims, and the next year came with families and goods to stay and pass thence into local history.

Asa Blood, later of Sugar Creek, and a young man named Roberts, of whom later trace is not thus far found in records, built a cabin near the village of East Troy, on the north side of Honey creek. Mr. Roberts appears to have made and sold an earlier claim in Troy. This later act and sign of possession was in tin- spring of 1836.

James Van Slyke had first halted, with his family, at the foot of the lake; but in the fall of [836 he built bis house near Bigfoot's village in the town of Walworth. \ child, named Geneva, had been born at the other end of the lake, and Miss Van Slyke ami her parents passed the first winter of belli fe in the new house at Fontana.

Harry Kimball came late in [836 and made his claim mi section 6, of Bloomfield, within easy distance of tin.' settlement at Geneva, and went home to Cooperstown. New York. The next spring he came with bis son, Oramel, and built his house.

Col. Samuel Faulkner Phoenix entered the county, at its Spring Prairie gateway, early in July, 183d. After a few explorations of the country about Duck, Geneva and Swan lakes and Sugar creek, keeping Spring Prairie as his base of operations, he determined his settlement, early in August, by taking his movables to the bank of Swan lake outlet, and with him went Allen Perkins. About two months later William Phoenix, the Colonel's cousin, reached the new city with his family. Henry, the Colonel's brother, presently came and the two became partners in business. Having founded his city and dedicated it to perpetual temperance, the Colonel named it in honor of Edward C. Delavan, of Albany. A few years later Swan lake was renamed Delavan. Mr. Perkins soon returned to the eastern side of the county, leaving all the honors and prospects at Delavan to the house of Phoenix.

Isaiah Hamblin came earliest to Lafayette, with his wife as evidence of his intention to stay. This was in June, 1836. Rev. Solomon Ashle) Dwinnell, Elias Hicks, Alpheus Johnson, Sylvanus Langdon, Charles Chauncey Perrin, and Isaac Vant came before the year's end - at least, to mark their several claims. Mr. Dwinnell notes that the following winter was unusually severe. Houses had been built, and some of these were occupied in spite of the difficulties of place and season.

Major John Davis, though unmarried, built near Silver lake, in Sugar Creek, and lived somehow through the winter of [836-37 under his own ridgepole. The next year brought him neighbors, but he moved onward, oul of county annals.

Late in 1836 John Powers built his house in the town of I. inn. nol far from Mr. Payne's at Geneva and .Mr. Kimball's in Bloomfield. Hi- family came at next springtime, and thus perfected his citizenship of Linn.

The settlement at Elkhorn was planned in [836 by I. el '.rand Rockwell, his brother, and their friend. Horace Coleman. Early in 1S37 Mr. Rockwell and Mr. Coleman came to find the stake where the four central town-, met. At Spring Prairie. Hollis Latham joined them. Within another fortnight Mr. Rockwell, with Daniel 1-;. and Milo E. Bradley, hut without Mr. Coleman, who thought not over well of the proposed site - perhaps becausi lacked water power - were again at the pivotal stake. They built a cabin on section 6 of Geneva. Mr. Latham made In- claim in the same section, and Albert Ogden. who had come with them from Milwaukee, chose hi- I section 1 of Delavan. The elder Bradley had come in the inten >1 of Lewis J. Higbv. who afterward bought land in section 5 of Richmond. ' '(4)

The First Settler

Whatever honor may be due to the memory of the first actual settler within the county, that is the unquestionable right of Christopher Payne, a man who - to compare the smaller with the greater - was much of the texture and quality of the famous frontiersmen of the post-Revolutionary period, and a not unworthy forerunner of the men of the pioneer years. His priority of settlement, though it was by a few weeks only, is clear enough, and his easily admitted claim to such distinction may be regarded as yet stronger from his adventure in 1832. As to the great dispute. Judge Gale and Mr. Simmons, both high-minded men and good lawyers, were of opinion that Mr. Brink was wholly in the right. Had neither lie nor Mr. Payne ever crossed the county line the first settlement would have been made early in 1836, and the site of Lake Geneva would not long have been overlooked nor unoccupied. Before the end of 1837 every town was more or less settled, though neither the towns nor the county had been officially named. In earlier records, as at the land-office, these minor divisions are described as towns 1, 2, 3, 4, north of base line on the boundary of Illinois and Wisconsin, ranges 15, 16, 17, 18 east of meridian passing northward along the western line of Lafayette county.

Contested Claims

The first comers sometimes found worse to meet and overcome than the sullenly retiring Indians, hard winters and all the hardships of breaking ground for planting a new community. To mark a few trees, or even to build a hut, did not in every instance secure the actual settler in possession of his claim; though public opinion, as represented by his neighbors, was on the side of equity - that is, was favorable to the man who came to stay as against grasping speculators. Judge Gale wrote of these perniciously enterprising gentry: "The alternating prairies, openings, and groves of heavy timber, meandered with numerous creeks and small rivers having an abundance of water power, early attracted attention of explorers; and while the surveyors were at work in the spring ami summer nt'iN^o these adventurers were threading the valleys and selecting advantageous sites for imaginary villages and cities. These baseless claims were sometimes insisted on as real, when necessary to give priority over some 'intruding' actual settler who had made his claim at the same place; and the slight differences of memory between contending claimants were settled in favor of him who could rally to his aid the most pugnacious followers."

Mr. Dwinnell wrote that in [837 the settlers organized associations for mutual protection in holding three hundred and twenty acres each, - each unmarried woman one hundred and sixty acres. Fathers wen allowed one hundred and sixty acres for each minor son. Committees were chosen to tr) and to settle disputed titles. An instance of committee-justice is told. The defendant in possession was found to have a clear right, but was obliged to pay half of the costs of an unreasonahle neighbor's attempl to eject him. Few settlers had money, but such as had valuable timber claims were helped by the money lenders at the moderate rate of one hundred per cent, for three years' use. Such easy terms were quite providential for men who had soon exhausted such slender means as the cost of their westward movement had left them. To these several aids to prosperous settlement was added the longfamous currency of the period. Since wampum had just been demonetized, this paper stuff, when brought to this side of the lake, was in effect legal tender; but not so if the latest holder, who had had no choice but to accept it, should try to move it in the direction of its source at Kalamazoo or Tecumseh

Land Sales

A land sale of one hundred townships in southeastern Wisconsin was advertised by the land office at Milwaukee, to begin November i<>. 1838. The settlers, mostly unprepared to pay. asked and gained a delay until February 18. 1839. Sales began with townships 1 to 10. ranges from lake shore westward, and amounted to four or five townships daily. The lands of this count) were sold between February 25th and March 5U1. and the settlers held their own claims. Sales were made to highest bidder on each tract, starting at I government's minimum price, one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Men of Walworth would have shown themselves degenerate descendants of their eastern ancestors had they not found some useful device by- which to prevent competitive bidding. The several home associations were repre ented by agents empowered to buy for their non-attending neighbors, and these agents were numerous enough to constitute an effective physical force if. in their judgment, fair play should need such help. If the minimum price was rai an agent would follow until his bid became highest - as high, if necessary, twenty dollars. If payment was not made that day the bidding w 1 md the same land was started next day at the lowest rate, and was usually sold at that price without further annoyance from pre', ion- competitor-. If, however, a speculator was disposed 1- renev hi- bidding, the affair became the concern of all the agents. Such presumption wa >n beaten oul of the man who dared to oppose superior numbers, or was washed away in the otherwise undefiled water of Menominee river. Christopher Payne and Major Meacham were not the only ready-witted, stout-willed, rude-handed men then in Walworth.