Friendship Town

Friendship Town

This, one of the most level and unbroken towns in the county, was, previous to being erected into its present proportions, a portion of Eldorado. An act by the Legislature, approved February 1, 1849, set off so much of the territory of Eldorado as was in Township 16 north. Range 17 east, into a separate town called Friendship, the first election to bo held at Lyman Walker's house. Friendship lies along the west shore of Lake Winnebago, and contains but seventeen full sections of land, the balance being shore-marsh and lake. In this town the State owns some overflowed lands in Sections 3 and 10. The town contains but few springs and streams. Its soil is very deep and rich ; its timber tracts of excellent quality ; its crops varied and profitable, and its inhabitants, being near a good market, generally well to do.

The first election was held at Lyman Walker's house April 12, 1849. The first settler was Champion Wilson, who came in 1845. In 1846, L. Forbes, Russell McCarty, Edwin Roberts, C. B. Matteson and, perhaps, others settled in the town.

In 1848, Friendship Post Office was established - Jackson Pritchard, Postmaster. Van Dyne is the present post office, and D. N. Morgan, Postmaster.

In 1860, the German Methodists built a church edifice on Section 17. The town now contains two churches - the German Methodist, P. Limber, Pastor, and German Lutheran, John Rosenthal, Pastor.

In 1879, a cheese factory was built in the town. The Chicago & North-Western Railway extends across Friendship from south to north, maintaining a station at Van Dyne. In 1851, the inhabitants along the lake shore began to be uneasy when, without any apparent reasonable cause. Lake Winnebago began to steadily advance upon their shore lands. As the waters continued to advance, they continued to be more uneasy. Nearly one thousand acres were overflowed at this time, caused by the erection of dams at Neenah and Menasha.

In 1854, the cholera made its appearance in Friendship, causing greater consternation than the sudden rise in Lake Winnebago. The disease appeared in August, and resulted fatally in six instances.

Champion and Elinor Wilson, soon after the first settlement of the town, began the manufacture of chairs, which they continued until the larger factories made the business unprofitable. Whether Minor Wilson settled within the town limits in 1844, the year before the accepted time of permanent settlement, is a matter of question. There seems to be more than a probability that he did.

The Chairmen and Town Clerks, since the town was separated from Eldorado, have been : In 1849, Henry Bruce and Edwin R. Roberts ; 1850, Henry Bruce and Edwin R. Roberts ; 1851, Charles Wheton and Edwin R. Roberts ; 1852, Minor Wilson and Hector Munro ; 1853, Adolph Henning and Hector Munro; 1854, Adolph Henning and Hector Munro; 1855, Ebenezer Austin and Hector Munro ; 1856, John Stoddart and Hector Munro ; 1857, Charles Carberry and Hector Munro ; 1858, John Stoddart and Hector Munro; 1859, John Stoddart and Hector Munro ; 1860, John Stoddart and Mitchel Perrizo ; 1861, Charles Carberry and John Stoddart ; 1862, Joseph Kinsman and Mitchel Perrizo ; 1863, Joseph Kinsman and Mitchel Perrizo; 1864, Joseph Kinsman and Mitchel Perrizo; 1865, Charles Carberry and Mitchel Perrizo ; 1866, Charles Carberry and Mitchel Perrizo ; 1867, Charles Carberry and Hector Munro ; 1868, Charles Carberry and Hector Munro ; 1869, Charles Carberry and W. J. Raycraft ; 1870, Joseph Kinsman and William Lumly ; 1871, Joseph Kinsman and William Lumly ; 1872, Hector Munro and Fitch Kinsman; 1873, Hector Munro and Fitch Kinsman; 1874, Charles Carberry and Fitch Kinsman; 1875, Joseph Kinsman and Hall McCourt ; 1876, Patrick McMonagle and Hall McCourt; 1877, Joseph Kinsman and Hall McCourt; 1878 and 1879, Theodore Herrling and Hall McCourt.

This town, lying directly west of the town and city of Fond du Lac, Township 15 north, of Range 16 east, was named after Alphonse de Lamartine, the French poet and historian, who sprang into such wonderful popularity during the French revolution of 1848. Before that time the town had been called Seven Mile Creek, an awkward name, derived from the settlement on the creek about seven miles from Fond du Lac, and an act of February 11, 1847, erected it into a learal town, the first election being held at Peter V. Sang's house. The name was changed to Lamartine (Lam-ar-teen) by an act approved August 8, 1848. The first settlbr was John Parker, Jr., though the first location and claim of land were made by Edward Beeson in 1837, and perfected by Peter V. Sang in 1840. The former began residing upon the latter's farm early in 1842, and, in August, 1842, Mr. Sang became a boarder in the Parker family. The next settlers were John Parker, Sr.. J. M. Loomis, Samuel Bacon and, soon after, others. The first child born in the town was Martha Parker, in February, 1843.

The first death, John Parker, Sr., in September, 1844. In January, 1847, S. Westfall, aged forty-five, was frozen to death while crossing Lamartine to his home in Oakfield (then called Lime) with a yoke of oxen.

The first school was taught in the fall of 1847, by Russell Northrup, in a schoolhouse erected that year on Section 34. The town now contains eight schoolhouses and twelve districts, the schoolhouse at the little village of Seven Mile Creek being the largest in the town.

The first sermon was preached by the Rev. Morgan L. Noble in 1844, in Peter V. Sang's house. The town now contains four church edifices - one Baptist, two Methodist and one Catholic, the Methodists erecting the first on Section 34, about 1859 or 1860.

The first post office was established in 1845, called Seven Mile Creek, and Peter V. Sang was the first Postmaster, which position he retained twenty years. George H. Ferris is the present Postmaster, his office being now called Lamartine.

The first town officers were : A. C. Everest, Chairman ; Thomas Magee and C. H. Warren, Supervisors ; P. V. Sang, Clerk ; J. H. Fancher, Treasurer ; William Magee, Assessor, and C. E. Stowe, Justice of the Peace. A. D. Nash is now Chairman ; George H. Ferris, Clerk ; H. Gilbert, Assessor ; James Galland, Treasurer, and George H. Ferris, Justice of the Peace.

The first hotel was opened by Peter V. Sang, as soon as he had made a settlement. He did a large business, but now there is little hotel business done in the town. The Lamartine House, built in 1860, is kept by Charles De Voe, at Lamartine.

The soil of Lamartine is somewhat different from that of other towns. It is of a whitish clay mixed with black loam ; the lowlands are deep, rich and dark, while several large marshes are unfit for cultivation. Section 17 is largely a marsh, and the Lamartine Peat Fuel Company's tract of peat is in this town. The northern portion is the most heavily timbered. Sheep-raising, dairying and raising grass form almost as important branches as grain-raising in Lamartine.

There is neither mill nor water-power in the town, though the West Branch of Fond du Lac River flows across the northeast corner, and a branch of the East Branch takes its rise in the center of the town.

The Sheboygan & Fond du Lac Railway crosses the northeast corner, but only a flagstation, called Woodhull, which is also a post office, is maintained. This office was named after John Woodhull, for nearly twenty years Deputy Postmaster of Fond du Lac.

Lamartine Post Office, or Seven Mile Creek, is the business center of the town. Orchard Brothers have a wagon factory ; G. H. Ferris and the Wisnoms stores ; besides blacksmithshops, cheese-factory, schoolhouse, two churches, a Good Templar's Lodge and shoe-shop. In May, 1848, Peter V. Sang wrote as follows to one of the Fond du Lac papers :

" Just look at it ; it is but five years since Sang moved into this town, and was then the only landholder in it ; in fact, the only resident between Fond du Lac and Waupun, remaining such for nearly two yeai-s ; and now there are not over eight sections of vacant land in the town not owned by actual settlers. We have, in the vicinity of Sang's place, a tavern, blacksmithshop, weaver, wagon-maker, tailors and mechanics, post office, land agency, schoolhouse, and a number of other buildings. Arrangements have been made to open a dry-goods and grocery store during the coming summer. Nearly one-third of the inhabitants of the town and its immediate vicinity have experienced religion, of different denominations, and the revival is still progressing. The credit for this is due to the Revs. Card, Elwell, Burgess, Elsberry and other preachers of the Gospel." -

The M. E. Church, first formed by Rev. Henry Requa. in 1856, has a good edifice for worship and a good parsonage. The first meetings were held in the schoolhouse, but in 1859, the first building, costing $7i)0, was erected. In 1867, it was rebuilt at a cost of §1,600. The first Trustees were P. V. Sang, D. E. Hutchins, Asher Williams, C. H. Warren, Ezra Stearns and E. Humiston. The present Trustees are J. Jackson, B. R. Harrington, G. W. Jackson, William Warner, J. Fisher, F. Orchard, George Lang, E. Gibson and D. Walters ; Pastor, Rev. J. B. Coe.

The Baptist Church was organized April 15, 1848, at Cyrus E. Stowe's house. The first services were held in 1847, by Elder Burgess. Services were held in the schoolhouse on Section 34 until 1861, when the church was built on land donated by William Townsend, at a cost of §1,500, and dedicated in 1863. The first Trustees were A. L. Bobbins, J. Fairbanks and E. E. Crowe. Present Trustees - Samuel Wells, William Quick and James Walters.

THEODORE HERRLIIVG, flirmer, Sec. 4 ; P. 0. Fond du Lao ; born in Germany, near Leipsio, Jan. 3, 1840; came to this county with his parents in June, 1854; worked at farming and his trade (that of engineering), until the breaking-out of the rebellion. Enlisted in Fond du Lac Sept. 14, 1861, as a private in Co. K., 1st W. V. I., under Capt. Thomas H. Green; was at the battle of Perryville, Ky., Oct. 8, 18G2 ; at Jefferson's Crossing, Dec. 29, 1862, and at the six days' fight at Stone River, lasting from Dec. 30, 1862, to January 6, 1863 ; went to the hospital at New Albany, Ind., and remained there until mustered out, Oct. 15, 1863; was a member of the Union League at Greenbush, Sheboygan Co., Wis. Married, Nov. 9, 1868, to Antoinette Kinsman [see Kinsman] ; they have no children living. He attends the German Lutheran Church, and is a Republican in politics ; is now, and has been for two years, Chairman of the Town; is Treasurer of School District No. 1, and Secretary of Friendship and Fond du Lac Protection Association ; he is now a pensioner, by reason of injuries received at Stone River.

JOSEPH KINSMAIV, farmer, Sec. 4; P. 0. Fond du Lac; born in Genesee Co., N. Y., Dec. 23, 1818; his parents, Aaron and Diana (Croft) Kinsman, were formerly residents of Framingham, Mass.; when the subject of this sketch was 15 years of age, they emigrated to Huron Co., Ohio ; settled near East Norwalk, where Joseph remained on the farm with his father about six years; he then learned the painter's trade, which he followed six years; he then kept the hotel known as the Stewart House about three years. Married, Feb. 17, 1843, Julia Ann Beckwith, daughter of Richard and Anna (Champion) Beckwith, she being then 18 years of age; they were married by Elder Phillips, Baptist minister at East Norwalk ; the parents of Mrs. Kinsman were from Hartford, Conn.; Mr. K. came to this State in April, 1848 ; was on the road twenty-seven days with a horse team, and settled on Sec. 5 ; removed to present location on Sec. 4, three years later; has 770 acres of land in Sees. 3, 4, 5, 9 and 21, of which about 250 are under cultivation, and the balance in pasture and timber ; has four dwellings and eleven barns, with sheds and other buildings to accommodate his stock, which consists in part of 6 horses, 52 head of cattle, 250 sheep, etc., the stock being watered by means of reservoirs, pipes, and a windmill pump ; has also a fine herd of deer in a park of 15 acres ; has a daughter, Antoinette, born Oct. 28, 1846, who married Theodore Herrling [See T. Herrling, Sec. 4], and one son. Fitch R., born June 28, 1849, who is unmarried and works the land with bis parents. The subject of this sketch is a Republican in politics, liberal in his religious views a hearty, jovial, well-preserved gentleman, surrounded by all that tends to make life pleasant; and that he enjoys, to the fullest extent, the respect and esteem of his townsmen, is evident from the fact that, in a town giving one-third Democratic majority, he has been a Supervisor several j'ears, being Chairman of the Town during the war six or eight years, also an Assessor fifteen years (one year acting in both capacities), and for twenty years a Justice of the Peace.

ROBERT McCwOW AN, former. Sees. 16 and 21; P. 0. Fond du Lac; was born near Calais, Me., Dec. 25, 1823; his parents, John McGowan and Bridget, nee Murray, came to this country fifty-eight years ago from the northern part of Ireland, and settled in New Brunswick, where they both died at the re.spective ages of 84 and 50 years. He came to this county twenty-nine years ago, and lived in the city of Fond du Lac about eight years, engaged in lumbering, ''jobbing " in shingles, etc. About twenty-three years ago, he married Margaret Coughlin, whose parents (Patrick and Mary, nee Con nel) were from County Cork, Ireland ; her mother, Mrs. Mary Coughlin, is still living in the city of Fond du Lac, aged 73 years, her father having died in New York shortly after his arrival. His wife is now 43 years of age (June, 1879) : they have ten children living, one having died very young - Mary Ann, born Aug. 30, 1858; John, born June 1, 1860; Bridget, born March 2, 1862 ; Margaret, born March 29, 1864; Robert, born April 11, 1866 ; William, born Nov. 29, 1869 ; Edward and Erwin (twins), born Dec. 17, 1872; Ellen, born Nov. 29, 1874, and Catharine, born Feb. 1, 1878. All attend St. Patrick's Church, in this city. He has 85 acres of cultivated land and 5 acres of timber land ; keeps four working horses, twenty head of cattle, ten of sheep, and ten hogs ; makes a specialty of feathers, and has a large number of geese, ducks, turkeys and hens. Mr. McGowan began life with no capital, and has by honest industry acquired a competency and the reputation of a man whose word is as good as his bond. He stands six feet two inches in his stockings, and weighs 200 pounds.

DANIEL N. MORGAN, Postmaster and station agent, Van Dyne; born in the town of Trenton, Oneida Co., N. Y , April 30, 1824. His father, Nathaniel Morgan, and his mother (maiden name Deming), Lydia, are dead. He was thirteen years a teacher in the public schools of New York, and is now Justice of the Peace. Married Susan JI. Greenman, who was born in Brookfield, Madison Co., N. Y., May 15, ISoO; daughter of Samuel Greenman, of Stephontown, Ren.sselacr Co., N. Y.; mother's name Abisrail Bliss (daughter of Capt. Jeremiah Itiss, of Newport, R. I.); have one son - Herbert Greenman Morgan, born in Russia, Herkimer Co., N. Y., May 7, 1854; married, Nov. 16, 1877, to Lucy Colman, of Waukesha, Wis., and is now station agent, express agent. Postmaster and telegraph operator at Pensaukee, Wis. Jeremiah Greenman. Jr., a brother of Mrs. Morgan, loft Janesvillc, Wis., about twenty-six years ago, visited California and Western Territories, then went to Limi, Peru, went into the country with a Jlr. Brown, of New York, on a prospecting tour, carrying a considerable sum of money, and has not been heard from since that time.

JACOB THEWALT, fanner, Sec. 17; P. 0. Fond du Lac; born Oct. 15, 1819, at Nau- Art (or New Earth), Prussia. Married in 184(3 to Catharine Dhilel, at Gen-Ters-Blom ; one son died at 1 1 months of age in Chicago, twenty-eight or twenty-nine years ago ; soon after his arrival in this country, his wife was drowned in a well, into which she accidentally fell. Lived in Chicago about three years. Married to Sophia Steady in December, twenty-six years ago ; had by second wife five children, of whom two died; Sophia, aged 22 Dec. 27, 1879; William B., aged 19 April 8, 1880; Annie M., aged 12 May 2, 1880, are living with parents. Settled two miles south of the city eight or ten years, then three miles south; owned a brewery at JIayvillc, Wis.; rents eighty acres on Sec. 17 at $300 per year, cash in advance, in companv with C. W. Finn, of the city of Fond du Lac, he has been engaged in pressing hay, threshine and lumbering for several years, and also Assistant Deputy Revenue Collector for this dis.rict under W. C.'Osden.

Source changes here: from Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, Past and Present, by McKenna, Maurice, published 1912; 409 words in this source stream.

Friendship Town

This township originally formed a part of Eldorado but in 1848 was set off as a separate town. The first settlers were Miner Wilson, who came in 1844, and Champion Wilson, in 1845. The town was organized in 1848 and the first election was held at Lyman Walker's house, April 12, 1849. Henry Bruce was chairman and Edwin R. Roberts, town clerk. This is one of the most wealthy and unbroken towns in the county. It lies along the west shore of Lake Win¬ nebago and contains but seventeen full sections of land, the balance being shore marsh and lake. There are but few springs and streams but the soil is very deep and rich and the timber tracts of excellent quality. The cereals are raised here in profusion. The farms are among the best in the county, with build¬ ings, fences and roads in keeping with the ideas of the people of the twentieth century. As has been said, the first settler was Champion Wilson, who came to the town in 1845. Many others followed in 1846, among them being L. Forbes, Edwin Robbins, Russell McCarty and C. B. Patterson.

Soon after the first settlement of the town Champion and Miner Wilson began the manufacture of chairs, which they continued for some time. Among others who came early in the history of the town may be mentioned Henry

A school was taught as early as 1847 on section 28, by Elias Worden, and in 1848 a school building was erected on section 21, in which Mrs. Robinson taught the first lessons.

Friendship postoffice was established in 1848, with Johnson Pritchard as postmaster. Later the office was discontinued and changed to Vandyne, on sec¬ tion 5, nine miles northwest of Fond du Lac on the Wisconsin Central and Chicago & Northwestern railroads.

In i860 the German Methodists built a church edifice on section 17, where it is to this day. In 1902 North Fond du Lac village, a suburb of the city of Fond du Lac, was incorporated from parts of Fond du Lac and Friendship towns. A more extended notice of the village will be given in the chapter de¬ voted to the city of Fond du Lac.

The village of Vandyne is quite a trading center for that portion of the town and has well conducted Methodist and Lutheran churches, hotel, cream¬ ery, a lumberyard, general stores, feed mill, blacksmith shop, cheese factory and a resident physician.