Alto, Wisconsin

Alto is the southwestern township in Fond du Lac County. It is bounded north by JMetomen, east by Waupun, south by Trenton, in Dodge County, and west by Mackford, in Green Lake County. It is Township 14 north, in Range 14 east. It contains 2.3,153.'31 acres, wliich is 93.31 acres more than thirty-six full sections. It was subdivided by John Brink in November, 1834, and in his field notes he wrote: "This township is second rate, and rolling, save its marshes. It is thinly timbered with burr oak, white oak, yellow and black oak, except its prairies and marshes, where trees are wholly wanting. The soil is of a yellow, ashy color, of clay loam and sand. The streams are sluggish and have a muddy channel." Fully one-fourth of its area is marsh, most of which yields valuable hay product. Nearly one-half was openings and timber land, which is highly prized by wheat-raisers. The remainder is prairie, rolling, warm and rich. The South Fork of the Rock River passes through the entire width of the town in its southern part, having two principal branches coming in from the north. Tliese, with brooks and springs, give abundant supply of water. Notwithstanding the United States Surveyor marked tbe soil of the town "second rate," it is, in fact, rich and highly productive. Wheat and woo'd are the chief exports. Waupun and Brandon afford convenient markets.

Passage source: The History of Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, published 1880.

Frances D. Bowman, formerly of Rochester, N. Y., was the first settler in Alto, having located on Section 36 late in 1841, and for more than two years, was the "monarch of all he surveyed" in the town. His daughter, born in 1842, was the first birth, and his son, born in 1844, was the second child ia the town. After spending a season there, he went to Ohio and bought a flock of sheep and drove them to Alto, while he was still the " Robinson Crusoe" of the town. William Talcott was probably the second settler, and came early in 1844. Silas JMiller, a lay preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church, came the same year; he named "Alto." Marcus Thwing, Dr. Green, iMr. Ilillyer and perhaps a few others came with their families in 1844. Martin Grider is undoulttedly the earliest settler who still lives in the town ; he moved his family into Alto in May, 1845, but he had entered land and sowed wheat in the fall of 1844. Mr. Bowman sold his claim in 1845 to F. F. Davis. Mr. Davis was afterward Sheriff of the county. His daughter, Cornelia C, died of consumption on the 7th of December, 1845. In the summer of 1846, Miss An^reline Booth taught the first school in Alto in the house of Mr. Davis, and the first i-cli(rious mcctinii; in the town was also at his house - preaching by Silas Miller, the father of Rev. W. G. Miller, who is now so favorably known in Wisconsin., Silas Midler built a saw-mill on a branch of Rock River, in the southeast part of the town, in 1845. /The first advent of a Hollander (said to have been a JSIr. Mcenk') into Alto was in 1845, and now threfiJiiiiutlis of the population are of that nationality"^ I'olitically, Alto is the banner Republican town of the county. In 1875 the inhabitants numbered 1,430. The Chicago, JMilwaukcc & St. Paul Railway passes through the noi-theast corner of this town, but the nearest station is, on the north, Brandon, and on the south, Waupun.

Passage source: The History of Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, published 1880.

The first school district wa^. organized March 18, 1850, at a meeting, of which George W. Sexmith was Chairman and Z. Miller Secretary, held for that purpose. The first oflicers were: George AV. Sexmith, Director; A. McMasters, Clerk, and John L. Sargent, Treasurer. The first schoolhouse, a frame building, 24x18 feet, was erected, that season, on Section 23, and Clara F. Pierce taught the first school in it, during three months, at $5 per month. The tax first raised amounted to $85 for all purposes. In 1877, a building costing $1,400 was erected. Alto now has nine schools, of which three are in union districts.

Passage source: The History of Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, published 1880.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Alto Town - it names this place 45 more 45 times.