Hazel Green Village (part 2 of 2)

A subscription school was started in a private buildiug in the fall of 1843, and taught till spring. The next summer a school-house was built and in the fall a Mr. Bingham opened school in it and taught till the holidays, when he resigned and was succeeded by H. D. York, who is still a prominent resident of the place. The summer school of 1845 was taught by Mrs. Jane Clark and in the fall James A. Jones (after¬ ward a prominent and long-time resident of Lancaster) commenced teaching and taught two years, and was succeeded by Leroy Lock-, wood. In 1849, with the reorganization of the county, Hazel Green was divided into two school districts and a second school building, a frame, was built north of the Crawford residence. In 1853, the small school-house being inadequate to the demand, a two-story brick build¬ ing 40X70 was erected at a cost of $6,000. It accommodated four departments.

The Hazel Green Collegiate Institute was established in March, 1856, by Rev. J. Loughron, A. M. It was a graded school, having primary, academic, collegiate and seminary grades, with a course of seven years. Prof Loughron was assisted by I. H. Miller, Professor of Mathematics, Mrs. Mary L. Culver in the academic department, Miss Almira Culver in the preparatory department, and Miss Delia C. Sanford, teacher of music. The school gained an enviable reputation and flourished for a time; but was suspended on the breaking out of the war and never resumed, as immediately after the war graded pub¬ lic schools took the place of academic institutions.

St. Francis dc Sales Catholic Church. - The first services of the Catholic faith were held at the house of Mr. Hinch, by the Rev. Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, the society consisting of the families of Patrick Murphy, Sylvester Bryan, Timothy Brien, Michael Flynn, John Faherty, M. Heffron, J. V. Donohoo, .Thomas Neehan, and others. In

1846 the building of a church was begun and completed in 1847; It was of brick 30X50, and cost $1,500. From 1847 to 1866 the con¬ gregation was attended by Dominican Fathers, but since the latter date it has had the following resident priests: Revs. George Prendergast, 1866 - 67; J. A. Birkhaeuser, 1867 - 68; James Stehl, 1868 - 70; Joseph Kleiber, 1870 - 71. During a part of the year 1873 Hazel Green was attended as a mission from Sinsinawa, by Rev. J. Cleary, but toward the last of the year Rev. Father Andrew Ambautn be¬ came resident pastor and remained until 1875, when Rev. M. Zura came and remained until 1877, when St. Francis again became a mis. sion to Sinsinawa. In 1879 the resident pastor was Rev. Jas. O'Neil- From 1880 to the present time St. Francis has been' a mission to SinsinawaT On July 11, 1895, the corner-stone of a new St. Francis church was laid in Hazel Green and the building was dedicated November 13, 1895.

The members of this congregation maintain an Altar Society for Married Ladies and St Agnes's Sodality for Young Ladies. The pres¬ ent officers of the congregation are Thomas Brien, secretary and Jos. Rund, treasurer.

St. Joseph's Church , Sinsinawa Mound. - This parish, in the town of Hazel Green, is situated at "the Mound," four miles west erf the vil¬ lage. From 1837 until 1842 Rev. Father Samuel Mazzuchelli said mass in the houses of anumber of the settlers about the Mound. In the latter year a log church was built on the land of Kieran Murray, half a mile south of the Mound. In 1845 this building was moved to the Mound. In 1882 the present St. Joseph's church was built threequarters of a mile east of the Mound. The pastors of the church have been as follows: Father Samuel Mazzuchelli 1842 - 49; Dominican Fathers, 1849 - 66; Rev. Charles Exel, 1866 - 67; Bernard Fortune, 1867 - 69; Thomas Power, 1869 - 70; A. J. Mueller, 1870 - 72: M. J. Meuer, 1872 - 78; J.M. Cleary, 1878 - 80; Theodore Jacobs, 1880 - 90; Bernard Nuttman five months in 1890; Rev. Philip Schweitzer, 1890 to the present time.

In connection with the church will be noticed the schools at the Mound. Sinsinawa Mound College was incorporated March 11,1848, with Bishop Henhi, Revs. Samuel Mazzuchelli, Francis Maz, and Victor Jonanneault, and Messrs. Aug. L. Gregoire, Patrick Quigley, George W. Jones, and Nicholas Dowling as trustees. Sinsinawa Female College was incorporated August, 1848, with Seraphina McNulty,

Elizabeth Disney, Emeline Ruteen, Clara Conway, et al., as trustees. It was stipulated in the charter of both institutions that no religious opinion should be necessary for admission and attendance on religious worship should not be required. The Female Academy became a per¬ manent and flourishing institution. The master spirit of these insti¬ tutions, as of most of the early Catholic churches in southern Grant, was Father Samuel Mazzucbelli, an Italian and a Dominican mission¬ ary.

Christ Church. - Episcopal services were held in Hazel Green as early as 1856, but the mission was formally established in 1875, in re¬ sponse to the appeal of Dr. Kirby Kittoe, a pioneer of the place. The mission was of short duration. Dr. Kittoe removed to Darlington and no services were held from March. 1876, until June, 1878, when services were resumed by Rev. George H. Drewe, in Crawford Hall and the German Presbyterian church. In October, 1878, a building previously occupied as a bowling-alley was purchased and fitted up as a place of worship. In 1880 the congregation built a frame church 24X40, well-finished, at a cost of $800. Since then it has had the fol¬ lowing rectors: Revs. Steele, Knowlton, Green, H. W. Perkins, W. B. Magnan, D. Sutton and Octavius Edgelow.

The Primitive Methodist Church. - This congregation separated from 'the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1861. The seceding members were Thomas, Samuel, Christopher, and Robert Andrews, John Cox, John Martin, George Broderick, William Berryman, Peter Trewartha, Andrew Pierce, Joseph John, James T. Taylor, James Johns, Thomas Stillman, Richard Tregonning, and a few others. The new society bought a building put up by the Christian sect, which they occupied until it was destroyed by the cyclone of 1876. Another building 30X45 was erected on the old site at a cost of $1,500. . Rev. Henry Lees was the first pastor and he was followed by Revs. Charles Daw¬ son, Joseph Hewitt, James Alderson, Jasper P. Sparrow, John Hern¬ don, John Johns, W. J. C. Bond, J. Harrington, and Thomas Jarvis.

The Methodist Episcopal Church. - The society was organized in 1845. Services were held in the schoolhouse until 1849, whenachurch building was erected at a cost of about $1,500. In 1856 the auditor¬ ium of this church was enlarged by an addition, making the building 30x66, with a seating capacity of 350. The records of the church were lost in the cyclone of 1876. Following is an imperfect roll of the pas¬ tors since 1853: A. C. Hender, Wm. Summersides, Enoch Tasker, J.

The German Presbyterian Church. - This society was organized in 1852. Services were held in the school-house at the lower end of town until 1854, when the society built a church east of the Episcopal church at a cost of $500. Rev. John Bently preached the dedicatory sermon. The building is a frame 24x36.

The church has had the following pastors: Revs. John Bently, James Renakers, Jacob J. Schwartz, John Van Derloss, Bernard Van Derloss, Gottfried Moer, John Levier, Jacob Stark, Joseph Steinhardt, Mitchell Biddle, and Joseph Weittenberger.

Secret Societies

Sinsinawa Lodge, No. 16, I. O. O. F. - This lodge was chartered May 4, 1847, with the following members : N. Hennip, Wm. Brunt, E. W. Prentiss, G. E. Skinner, Charles G. Goff, W. H. Suttle, and Sylvanus Jessup. The meetings were held in an upper room of " the Rock Store," until that building was destroyed by the cyclone of 1876. After that in conjunction with the Masons they purchased the Crosby store and fitted it up as a lodge-roofn The present officers are: J. C. Blair, N. G.; J. H. Wills, V. G.; J. H. Cox, Sec.; W. D, Jones, Treas.

Hazelwood Camp, No. 2734, M. W. A. - This camp has the follow¬ ing officers: William Andrews, V. C.; Walter Pearce, W. A.; J.C. Blair, Banker; P. G. Pearce, Clerk; M. W. Glassen, Escort; J C. Blair, Phy¬ sician ; John H. Hillary, Watchman ; John Kohl, Sentry ; Thomas Treganza, Manager three years.

Rechabite Lodge, No. 53, 1. O. G. T. - This was for many years a flourishing and successful temperance organization. It was organized October 10, 1860, with the following officers: W. C. T., D. Purman;

Biographical Notes

The following biographical notes on some of the pioneers of Hazel Green were read by James A. Jones at a meeting of the Old Settlers* Association :

"Jefferson Crawford was a native of Pennsylvania ahd a miner and smelter in Hazel Green. He was a man of strong and marked character, with a keen and close discrimination of character and a strong sense of right and wrong; social in his habits and hospitable in his nature; independent and self-reliant.; calm, cool, and dispassion¬ ate, yet not indifferent. He was an excellent story-teller and a prac¬ tical joker, with a sarcasm so keen that his best friends would hope he might not turn the edge of his jokes in their direction. He was a friend to the poor, a standby in trouble, and a model in generosity.

"John Edwards, a native of Cornwall, England, was also a resi¬ dent of Hazel Green. At the time of ray arrival he was probably the wealthiest man in the couuty and was engaged in mining and smelt¬ ing. He had an iron constitution and an energy equal to his strength ; with a strong will, he was stable in his purposes. He conducted an immense business, keeping his own books and never making a mistake.

" Louis Rood, a native of Vermont, was engaged in merchandis¬ ing, mining and farming. He was a resident of the southern part of the county for many years, when he removed to Monroe, where he died a few months ago, leaving a large estate. He was emphatically a public-spirited man, foremost in the aid of every measure of progress. Louis Rood was a man of firm and fixed principles, a friend to the poor and needy, and one of the best of neighbors. Long-headed and a shrewd calculator, he was gifted with more ability than was accorded to him by those not not intimately acquainted with him.

"Ezra Dorman and his son Dorlin B. Dorman, natives of Vermont, were merchants of Hazel Green. The father was about sixty years of age, yet about as full of energy as most men of twenty-five. Their honesty was proverbial. By strict attention to business they acquired a fortune and went to St. Anthony, Minnesota, to engage in banking. Many a poor family in the seeming hour of despair were quietly sup¬ plied by the Dormans with the necessaries of life, and others were en¬ couraged when the world looked dark and foreboding.

"Captain Charles McCoy, a native of Scotland, also lived in Hazel Green and was probably one of the oldest citizens of Grant County. He was the owner of a large tract of mineral land. Up to an advanced age he remained a bachelor, but he finally married a ruddy young widow and seemingly lived happily, but died without issue. Although he was the possessor of a large estate, his income was so meager and uncertain that few men were more sorely pressed for ready money, yet no man in want ever appealed in vain to Captain McCoy, except when bis own pocket was empty and he failed to borrow from others to meet the demand."

Hazel Green is noted as once the residence of the noted poet and geologist Percival, and his burial place. A sketch of Percival has been given in Part I. His grave was long neglected, but at last by the efforts of some of his admirers means was furnished to provide a modest granite shaft, which was set up in the Hazel Green cemetery a few years ago. It bears this inscription :

Wisconsin 1854 1856 Died in Hazel Green May 2, 1856 Eminent as a Poet Rarely accomplished as a Linguist Learned and acute in Science A man without guile."

One of the historical manufacturing plants of the township is Lightcap's mill, two miles west of the village. The building was be* gun in 1847 and completed in 1848 at a cost of $11,000. It is a stone building 32x54, four stories high, with an addition 18x40 one story high. It had three runs of stones. Like most other mills of the county, its business has disappeared. so

The first postmaster of the place, Jefferson Crawford, was suc¬ ceeded by Allen Preston, Dr. Mills, James A. Jones, J. M. Chandler, and then Jefferson Crawford again, who, at his death, was succeeded by his son Jefferson, who held the office until 1866, when Josiah Thomas came in and held the office until it became the football of partisan po¬ litical changes.