Winnebago County, Wisconsin - Chapter 26, 1880

Madison Selected as the Site of the Seat of State Government - Recollections of (Jne of the Members of ihe First Session at Madison - Population of the Territory on its Organization - Population of State in 1850 - First State Officers.

!T the first session of the Territorial Legislature, held at Belmont, several rival places contended for the possession of the seat of Government; but Madison carried off" the prize, and the site of the "City of the Four Lakes" was selected, and a more lovely spot could not be found.

Commissioners were appointed to contract for the erection of suitable buildings, and on the tenth of June, 1837, the acting commissioner, with a party of workmen, arrived at the site of the future Capitol. They were ten days on the route, from Milwaukee.

" The new Capitol edifice was not yet in suitable condition to receive the legislature : so we had to asseinble in the basement of the old American House, where Governor Dodge delivered his first message at the new seat of government. We adjourned from day to day, until we could get in the new Capitol building. At length we took possession of the new Assembly Hall. The floors were laid with green oak-boards full of ice. The walls of the room were iced over ; green-oak seats, and desks made of rough boards, one fireplace, and one small stove. In a few days the flooring near the stove and fireplace so shrunk, on account of the heat, that a person could run his hand between the boards. The basement story was all open ; and James Morrison's large drove of hogs had taken possession. They were awfully poor; and it would have taken two of them, standing side by side, to have made a decent shadow on a bright day. We had a great many smart members in the house, and sometimes they spoke for Buncombe. When members of this kind became too tedious, I would take a long pole, go at the hogs, and stir them up; when they would raise a young Pandemonium for noise and confusion. The speaker's voice would become completely drowned ; and he would be compelled to stop, not, however, without giving his squealing disturbers a sample of his swearing ability. The weather was cold ; the halls were cold ; our ink would freeze : so, when we could stand it no longer, we passed a joint resolution to adjourn for twenty days. I was appointed by the two houses to procure carpeting for both halls during the recess. I bought all I could find in the Territory, and brought it to Madison, and put it down, after covering the floor with a thick coating of hay. After this, we were more comfortable. We used to have tall times in those days - days long to be remembered. Stealing was carried on in a small way. Occasionally a bill would be fairly stolen through the legislature ; and the legislature woidd get gouged now and then. "

The population of the present limits of Wisconsin, in 1836, was: In Milwaukee County, 2,893; Brown County, 2,706; Iowa County, 5,234; Crawford County, 850; total, 11,683. In 1850, the population of the State was 305.391.

The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin was adopted by the people on the second day of March, 1848; and at the election of State officers, held on the eighth day of May, of that year, Nelson Dewey was elected Governor; John E. Holmes, Lieutenant-Governor; Thomas McHugh, Secretary of State; J. C. Fairchild, Treasurer; and James S. Brown, Attorney-General .