Farmington Town

Farmington Town

There is no positive knowledge of an earlier settlement in what is now the town of Farmington, than that made by Timothy Johnson in 1838, two years after he had located at Watertown. Charles Dunning settled at an early day in the eastern portion of Farmington, and is said by some to have built the first log house in the town. Johnson and Charles Goodhue made a joint claim where the pretentious village of Johnson's Creek now stands, and built a cabin on ground over which the track of the North-Western Railway now runs, and nearly opposite the present residence of G. C. Mansfield. A dam and saw-mill were also built by Messrs. Johnson and Goodhue. This mill property afterward came into the possession, at various times, of the following individuals : Samuel Ward, a Mr. Thomas, Ansel Bullis, Mr. Currier and Benjamin Douglass, the latter of whom rebuilt it. When Mr. and Mrs. Douglass came to Johnson's Creek in 1842, there were but two houses in the place, one being occupied by Samuel Ward, and the other by his nephew William. The nearest post office was Aztalan. Provisions were to be obtained at no nearer point than Janesville and Milwaukee. Mrs. D. remembers being obliged to send to the latter place for 2.5 cents' worth of thread.

Johnson's Creek was known as Belleville as late as 1873, but always bore its present name as a post office. It was called Belleville in honor of Charles Bell, who owned a considerable portion of the land whereon the village stands. It is situated on the town line between the towns of Aztalan and Farmington, and was formerly on the old Military or Territorial Road.

In 1861, there were at Johnson's Creek two stores (A. J. Snell's general merchandise and William Dodge's grocery) and two first-class stave-mills. One of these mills was the property of G. C. Mansfield, and stood on the site now occupied by his store ; the other was built and operated by John Rose, and was twice destroyed by fire. The stave manufacturing business was abandoned simultaneously by both in 1864. There was also a brick hotel, kept by Charles Bell, known as the Vermont House. A dozen other small habitations completed the village of Johnson's Creek. After the railroad was finished to this point in 1859, the place grew rapidly. There are now two large stores, two churches, three saloons, two blacksmith-shops, two shoe-shops, two wagon-shops, one agricultural implement dealer, one cheese-factory, one commission warehouse, with one run of stone for grinding feed, two hotels, one lumber-yard, one district school and one drug store.

The first religious services were held in 1841, by Rev. Mr. Allen,aMethodistdivine, who walked from place to place through the woods and preached in the different log houses on his way. The Rev. Mr. Lathrop was the first circuit preacher. He was followed by Elders Willard and Pease. The " little red schoolhouse," until it was burned down, afforded a place for religious worship in later years, the Methodist and United Brethren alternating on Sabbath mornings and evenings. The Methodist minister was the Rev. Mr. Farnum, while the Rev. Mr. Hamilton, who, it will be remembered, was a great exhorter, furnished spiritual sustenance for the United Brethren. Mr. Hamilton was of ajockeyish disposition, and, after a brief period of preaching, he resumed his original profession, that of trading horses, in which he is said to have been an e.xpert. In 1866, the two denominations commenced the construction of a joint or union church, but before it was completed the discovery was made that they could not worship beneath the same roof, and the Methodists accordingly withdrew from the compact and built a church edifice of their own. The spring of 1875 witnessed a suspension of Christian effort on the part of the United Brethren, and, in 1848, their church property was purchased by the German Methodists.

The school district was first laid out in 1849. School was taught by Harriet Esselstein in the log residence of Alvin Wood, about a mile west of the creek. The place enjoys at the present time unsurpassed educational facilities, whose history is not unlike that pertaining to public schools everywhere.

The first Postmaster at Johnson's Creek was Dr. Burgett. Charles Bell, Albert Bennett. Gerry Van Viet and G. C. Mansfield have been the Doctor's successors. Mr. Mansfield, the present Postmaster, was appointed in 18G5. July 1, 1878, it was made a fourth-rate moneyorder office, the first order being issued by John Siebert, in favor Charles L. Currier, for §8. Three orders were issued that day, one of them being Mr. Mansfield's subscription to the national campaign fund. The postage reveniie to the Government amounts to about $50 per quarter.

The North-Western Railway reached Johnson's Creek in the fall of 1859. Among those who have held the office of agent may be mentioned Charles Bell, Charles Melio, G. C. Mansfield, Leander Gosselin, F. E. Bingham, James Clemmow and S. F. Antes. A branch office of the American Express Company was established at the creek in 1867, with G. C. Mansfield as atrent. He has held the position to the present time. A telegraph office was established in 1878.

Johnson's Creek lays claim to being second in importance as a stock-shipping point on the line of the North-Western road. G. C. Mansfield commenced the purchase of cattle, hogs, sheep, grain, etc., twelve years ago, and the business has increased beyond the most sanguine expectations of those interested.

The Spring Brook Cheese Factory, also the property of Mr. Mansfield, is one of the features of the Creek. It was established in the spring of 1877. The annual consumption of milk amounts to over five hundred and fifty thousand pounds, and, in 1878, fifty-five thousand two hundred and fifty-seven pounds of cheese were manufactured. Shipments are made to Liverpool and New York.

The first marriage of which there- is any record was that of Richard Rose to Elizabeth Pike. The ceremony was performed by Hiram Wheeler, Justice of the Peace, at the house of Mr. Wait. It is believed that Albert Rose was the first white child born in the town of Sullivan. The first death was that of a stranger, who departed this life at the house of Mr. Rose. The next was that of old man Alger, whose son, it will be remembered, was murdered by Mayberry, near Janesville, 1856. The first physician was Dr. Burgett. The Doctor also sold the first dry goods at the Creek. Nelson Reed sold the first sugar and liquor.

In 1869, the Johnson's Creek Cemetery Association was incorporated, with G. C. Mansfield as President; John D. Bullock, Secretary; and H. C. McMillan, Treasurer. The officers are the same at the present time.

HelenviUe Post Office is situated in Sections 2 and <^, town of Jefferson. John Walther, Chr. Horn, " Old Man " Haag and Bernhard Keller were the principal early settlers in the vicinity of HelenviUe. The landed property in and about HelenviUe belongs to John Keller, Carl Bullwinkle, John George Stenge and George M. Haag. The first church was built of logs, and stood on the site of the present Lutheran Church. Rev. George Reinsch is the present Pastor. In 1850, a parochial school was organized in conjunction with the Church society, and it has grown to be a prosperous institution. Six years ago, a district school, under the public-school system, was established. There are three stores in HelenviUe, namely : Mrs. Weber's, established by Chr. Lory thirty years ago; Carl Bullwinkle's, established about the same time by his father ; and John L. Keller's, the leading institution of the kind in the ham-i let, established in 1873. John Moser and J. P. Schoeffel each carry on a blacksmith-shop.

HelenviUe became a post office in 1845, the first Postmaster being 0. Bullwinkle. Hel died in 1873, and John L. Keller was appointed to the office. The people of HelenviUe confidently believe that their village will soon become a railway station ; and, doubtless, it will, if recent railway surveys mean anything.