Hebron Town

Hebron Town

In pursuance of an act of the Legislature of 1847, Hebron was organized, taking the south half of Township No. 6 north, of Range 15 east, and all north of Bark River and Scup' ernong Creek, of Township 5 north, of Range 15 east. The north half of Township No. ( (Tunbridge). was attached to Jefferson, and the name Tunbridge dropped. The town of Cold Spring, was to include all of Township 5, Range 1 5 east, south of Bark Biver, and the town name of Bark River dropped. The first town meeting was held April 7, 1847, and the followingnamed persons were elected to fill the respective offices :

Supervisors - Samuel T. Clothier, Chairman ; Enos J. Higbee and Seth Patee. Town Clerk, Seth Patee ; Treasurer, John Burnham ; Collector, Samuel M. Jones ; Commissioners of Schools - Samuel T. Clothier, Vinson Covley and Elias Reynolds. Commissioners ol Highways - Daniel Marble, Gideon Leavitt and Corydon Culver. Constables - Elijah Higgins and W. R. Case.

A resolution was passed fixing the salary of the officers elect at $1 a day ; it appropriated §25 for the support of the poor and $75 to inclose cemetery grounds. The first official act oi the Commissioners of Highways was to lay out a highway from what is now known as the Water Street road to intersect the highway running from the village of Hebron to Fort Atkinson, May 4, 1847. The Commissioners of Schools districted the town into districts for school purposes. There were eighty-seven children of school age ; $111.34 school money to apportion. The first highway laid out and established through the town of Hebron was in 1842. The Legislature of the Territory passed an act making Cyrus Curtis, James Y. Watson and William A. Barstow, Commissioners, and authorized them to lay out and establish a Territorial road, commencing at Prairie Village, in Milwaukee County, and running thence westerly on the soutli of the heavy timber-lands lying between Prairie Village and Rock River, by the nearest and best route, crossing the Scupernong Creek in Township 5, Range 10 east, and terminating at Fort Atkinson, in Jeflerson County. Hon. Milo Jones was the surveyor, and Cyrus Cushnian, one of the chain-men.

The village of Hebron was laid out by Joseph Powers, in 1847, John Fish, surveyor. Mr. Powers never recorded this plat, and, in 1856, he caused an additional survey to be made and additional ground platted by F. J. Starin, which was recorded.

The first schoolhouse in town was the log or block schoolhouse of District No. 2. and known as the Munro Schoolhouse for years. It was built in 184-3. The first school tauglit in town was by Miss Lucy Ann Wakely, afterward the wife of Col. L. A. Winchester, of Whitewater. Miss Wakely commenced her school in the chamber of the dwelling of William Reynolds, but on the completion of the schoolhouse, her class was transferred to it. Miss Wakely was taken sick before completing her terra and Willard Grant employed to finish it. The next schoolhouse was the log one built in the Burnham neighborhood (District No. 4) in 1846. Luther B. Green was employed as teacher. District No. 1 (the Whitney District) completed a schoolhouse during the year 1846, E. H. Hubbard being employed a-s teacher. The village schoolhouse was built in 1850. The Wright (or District No. 6) Schoolhouse was built in 1856. Cushman's (No. 5) in 1854. The schoolhouses built in 1843 and 1846, have given way to fine brick structures that will compare favorably with a like number in any rural town in the State.

History Of Jefferson Coukty Hebron And The War

The town of Hebren raised its quota of men under each call of the President of the United 3tates for volunteers. At a special town meeting, held September 12, 1862, the following res- )lutions were adopted :

Resolved, That there be raised, on the taxable pvoperty of the town, $200, to be expended as provided in Sec. ! of Chap. 2 of an act entitled "An act to provide assistance for volunteers."

Previous to this, the citizens of the town contributed liberally, both in money and provisons, to such of the families as stood in need of aid. On March 2, 1862, the Town Board -eported that they had expended of the " family relief fund," in relieving the wants of the famlies of volunteers, the sum of $98.77. March 3, 1863, the Town Board reported, as being ine.xpended, the sum of $37.77. Without going into details, it is sufficient to say the vouchers md evidences are among the archives of the town ; that the town paid in bounties, by tax and lubscription, and in aid to families of and for volunteers, the sum of $22,000, and this by a )opulation only a little in excess of one thousand. Of the number that went into the service it the call of their country, was Bailey Hutchins and Norman Morton ; both died in the Anderonville prison-pen. Thomas Duffy was shot and killed at the assault on Port Hudson. James kl. Burnham and Renselaer Burnham were both prisoners of war, but strong constitutions mabled them to survive the horrors and privations of prison life in "Dixie." Ansel Strong ras for a considerable space of time in Libby Prison. Of those who served in the army during he rebellion and are residents of the town, we recall the names of John Garlock, A. F. Winlau and H. C.Westphall, of the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment; Jedediah Carnes, James \i. Burnham, Ansel Strong, Walter P. Hall, Martin Van Duser, Charles C. Brown, George S. ^ase, George Coppins, De Witt Wilcox, Charles F. Klityke, W. G. Palmer and Henry Carnan were members of different infantry organizations. W^. F. Reynolds, First Cavalry ; Alfred Uooley, M. H. Blakely, Robert Krause, William E. Evans and John Van Lone were members if the heavy artillery, stationed at Washington. Americus W. Jones and William Hall lelonged to and served in a battery; James Fryer ^\as also a member of a battery ; Walter B. 'rimer served in an Illinois regiment ; Benjamin P. Tubbs was also in an Illinois regiment. Phere are three persons in receipt of pensions, namely : Ansel Strong, for a gunshot wound ; 'Valter B. Primer, the same, and Henry C. Westphall, general disability. Mrs. Philena Huner receives a pension on account of the death of her son, William Hunter, a member of the rwenty-eighth Regiment, who died of disease while in the service. The town purchased a plat if ground for a cemetery, which was duly laid out into lots in 1868, and four lots in the center eserved for a soldiers' monument, which the people of the town intended to erect ; but it is now . little doubtful about its ever being completed, at least for a number of years to come.

Churches And Societies

The Rev. Mr. Frink, of tlie Methodist Episcopal Church, organized the first Church socity in 1889. The church edifice was commenced while the Rev. Hilton was in cliarge of the ociety, in 1854, and completed and dedicated a year or two later. The .society and Church lave had for Pastors, Revs. Mills, Ilazeltine, Hilton, Hollock, Rowe, Ross, Moffet. Chamberain, Frink, Lyman, Parsons (three years). Potter, Wanless, Chapin, Cooley, Cole, Fisher (two 'ears). Porter, Bristol, Garvin and l)ale.

T/ie First Baptist Church. - Rev. William Dye moved to Hebron in November, 1857, and ommenced preaching, but, previous to his coming, a few Baptist believers had been duly organze<l and recognized as a branch of the Whitewater Baptist Church, with the privilege of holdng covenant meetings. The preaching of Elder Dye was attended with success, a great revival leing the result. April 29, 1858, at an adjourned meeting of the Baptist Churches of White- water, Palmyra, Edgerton ami Aztalan, the First Baptist Church of Hebron was established am recognized as an independent body. It adopted twenty articles of faith and had forty-sevei members, the Rev. William Dye, Pastor, the number of members ultimately reaching fifty-six Preaching was kept up till 1862. Mr. Dye was a man of good native talents, and well calcu lated for the pioneer work he found ready for his hands among the hard}' settlers of "' Barl Woods." He died at the Insane Hospital, at Madison, in 1863. The Church, since his death has been without preaching, other organizations absorbing its members.

Rev. E. P. Dye settled in the town in 1845, and with his calling - that of a preacher c the Gospel - he engaged in farming. He was a resident of the town about twenty years, bu during the time he received a call from a Church in New York, whither he went and stayed abou three years.

Of the young men who have resided in the town and have become ministers, the Rev. E. L Eaton, of the M. E. Church, is one of the most successful young ministers in the Wisconsi Conference, and is at Beloit for the third year. Austin and D. J. Whitney, sons of Davi Whitney, belong to the United Brethren, and are quite successful in their calling.

Resolute Lodge, No. 191, I. 0. G. T.. was instituted July 9, 1864. It prospered finel for a time. It had upward of two hundred members, and owned its own hall and a library c standard works, which cost over ^200, but finally ceased to exist in 1874.

The Gentennial Lodge, No. 23S, was organized in May, 1876, and now (November, 187^ is stronger than ever before. Its work is mostly among the young, while efforts are put forth t save the downfallen among those of mature age.

The Hebron Lodge, I. 0. 0. F., was organized November 24, 1876, by Grand Worth Master J. W. Ostrander. The cliarter members were Lorenzo Dow Abbey, Robert Krause Daniel P. Elmendorf, Milton Henry Blakely, George W. Case and Myron Ilollis. The follow have been Noble Grands : L. D. Abbey, William Henry Miner, James B. Miner, Charles C Brown, Barber W. Miner, Silas G. Westphall and J. Osborn Stevens. The total membership i fifty-two. Twelve have withdra\tn and organized a Lodge at the village of Rome.

An Anti-Tiiief Society was organized October 26, 186-3, and, at one time, had upward c seventy-five member.'!. The first President was John Burnham ; Vice President, D. D. Burring ton ; Treasurer, Joseph Powers ; Secretary, John G. Kidlcy. At the present time, it has §-3 in the treasury. H. J. Munro is Treasurer.

The Jefferson County Agricultural Society. - Tlie Jefferson County Agricultural Societ was organized in Hebron, in 18.52. The first officers of the Society were elected here and thei names will be found in the Society's history, in another part of this work.

The Hebron Mutual and Farmers' Life Insurance Company, was organized during th year 1875, Jonas Folts, President, and L. B. Green, Secretary. Mr. Green has been the Sec rctary since the organization of the Company. The Company has upon its books about 3120 000. Its first loss occurred in October, 1879, and necessitated an assessment of 4 mills on th valuation of the property insured.

The first physician who settled in the town was Joel Higgins, in 1847. The next was Di W. H. H. Drake, in 1848. Dr. D. D. Burrington settled here in 1853, and lived here until hi decease, in 1872. Dr. S. G. Picket came in 1868. and still resides here. Dr. J. Sanborne sel tied here in 1874, and remained one year. Dr. D. W. Case came in the spring of 1871 and remained till the spring of 1878 ; and Dr. J. Mahan came in May, 1879, and is still resident.

The first bridge built across Bark River was at Prince's Point, and the work was done and the material furnished voluntarily by the inhabitants, without taxing the town, and the sixty rods of corduroy across the marsh to get to the bridge was built in the same way.

The next bridge across the river was three-fourths of a mile below the village, and w'as built without tax. The people, after getting the frame up, were too poor to buy plank, got out poles and spotted them down, which answered the purpose of a plank covering for six #r eight years. In 1877, the town built an iron bridge across the river< on the site of the pole bridge, It a cost of §1,200. After the mail route was established, the people took hold and put up a bridge across the river just below where the dam now is, and it is needless to add that it was lone by voluntary labor.

W. 11. Case hauled the first load of maple-wood to Whitewater from the town. Hon. S. ft'^akely was- the purchaser, giving a pair of stoga boots for two cords of maple-wood. Case jroke down two wagons in hauling it.

Horace Churchill and Hamilton McCuUom were in charge of the saw-mill in 1837 and 1838. William Reynolds moved to Wisconsin in 1836, and to Hebron in 1838, and settled on :he farm adjoining the one where he lived for twenty years previous to his death, which occurred n September, 1878. Samuel M. Jones and Darius F. Jones settled in town during the sumner of 1838 ; Harrison P. Willard, in 1839. William Whapples and David Bartlett came luring the summer of 1836, and to Hebron in 1841, and opened up farms on Sections 3 and 4. Fonas Folts came to Wisconsin in 1835, made his first purchase of property in Milwaukee and nade a tour into the interior, going as fiir as Janesville, or where Janesville now is. There was lot a single house between Milwaukee and Rock River at that time. He returned East in the "all, was married, and came to Milwaukee with his wife in the spring of 1836 and erected a louse. During the summer, he moved to the town of Summit, Waukesha County, and opened ip a farm, where he continued to reside until 1841, then moved to the State of New York, yhcre he remained until his return to Wisconsin in the spring of 1843, when he bought out David Rartlett, and, by other purchases, he had a farm of 500 acres, and here he made his home iiitil his death, June 24, 1876, except one year at Jefferson, in 1847, when he was Register of Deeds.

Holsey J. Munro and David S. AVilcox settled on the farms where they continue to reside, n 1842. William Grant made a claim near Cushman's Mill in 1842, but sold it and purchased I farm, the one on which he has continued to reside since 1843, except the years he was Register )f Deeds and County Treasurer. His settlement dates from 1842.

AVilcox, James St. John, Amos H. Burnham, George Burnham and their father James Burn him, Jesse Wright, Adin Reynolds, Daniel Case, Orin Clark, Richard Rhodes, H. M. Johnson. E. H. and Jabez Hubbard and Sylvester Fox, came and made settlements in 1845 and 1846 Enoch J. Higbee, Freeman Martin, William Noyes, with his sons William H., Simon H., Henr) and Wilder, and the Hays family, came in 1847.

The following are the names of those who have lived in Hebron and have been called tc honorable positions in public life : Samuel T. Clothier. First Constitutional Convention, in 184(5 Jonas Folts, Second Constitutional Convention, in 1847 ; George Trucks, H. K. Zimmermar and Al^nzo Brown, Sheriffs of Jefferson County ; Jonas Folts, Willard Grant, Registers o Deeds ; Charles T. Clothier, Clerk of Circuit Court ; D. F. Jones, Willard Grant, County Treasurers; Edward Vincent, Samuel T. Clothier, H. D. Barrow, Willard Grant, Jonas Folts members of the Wisconsin Assembly : Harrison Hutchins, Joseph E. Atwater, members of tli( Minnesota Legislature.

Daniel Bullock, the manager and Superintendent of the Wisconsin Manufacturing Com pany, made his first settlement in Hebron, and was employed by Mr. Powers, as a wood-turner

Dr. F. B. Brewer, of Fairbury, 111., has met with great suc'cess in the practice of his profession, and his wife, the daughter of J. B. Miner, has achieved great popularity as a concert singer throughout Wisconsin, and being well known, her services, as a singer, are frequently called in requisition in the cities of Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison. There might be main incidents related of early times, but want of space precludes it.

A Woman For A Doi,Lar

Walter Searls sold his wife to George Orcutt, the consideration being $1, he (Searls] releasing all his right, title and interest in the " jroods." Searls was a shiftless sort of a fellow, with a disposition to appropriate other people's property to himself, while Orcutt was a self reliant, wide-awake man - a blacksmith ; the woman, spirited and not .satisfied with her lot, was pleased to have the bargain consummated. Mr. and Mrs. Orcutt have been prosperous, and are respected citizens of a thriving town in an adjoining county.

H. J. Munro brought with him a dog, a cro-!S of the Newfoundland and bull terrier. " Cease " was fiimous as being the only dog that would give battle to the big gray wolf. He would close in with a wolf or wolves, no matter how great the odds were against him, and many a battle he had. At one time, a large, gray wolf was trapped, taken to a stable and let loose. Dogs were put into the stable with the wolf, but one snap from the animal would send them howling to a corner. Finally, old " Cease " was put in, and immediately closed with the wolf, and would have killed him had he been let alone. " Cease " would follow unerringly the tracks of a wounded deer. When he caught a deer, he would make a meal, then lie down, and witli howls, let his master know of his whereabouts. He was as well known as any of the old pioneers in the " settlement." His death was caused by the falling of a tree. His owner, Robert Wilson, mourned his death almost as he would one of his children.

D F. Jones and his brother Samuel kept ''bach" for ten years, and their shanty was the place where the weary wayfarer could find shelter and food. D. F.'s culinary acquirements were famed from Rock River to the lakes. The brotiiers owned a single-barreled shot-gun. and, when pointed at game, would, like Crocket's coon, come right down. When loaded too heavy, its recoil was simply immense, and it was the custom of the last one that used it to leave a charge in it, then find some game that needed shooting and call for some one to come and ihoot, tlie result being that the shoutist would be prone upon the c^round with a painful shoulder )r fiice, most likely both. Willard Grant was at one time making the ferry of Bark River in a, canoe, the gun being placed the nearest to him intentionally, and, as some ducks were flying )ver, his companions called on him to shoot, the result being a man overboard and " Plausam " the name of the gun) to the bottom, where it remained some months. It is needless to add that when the wet man gained the shore, there was no one near enough for him to vent his wrath ipon. Many and many the joke that was played upon the unsophisticated with '' Old Plausam."

Mrs. Mark Curtis is the oldest native-born person that was born in Wisconsin. She was jorn October 3, 1838, in the town of Summit, Waukesha County.

Dr. S. G. Pickett is one of the oldest practitioners of medicine in the State. He came to iVisconsin in 1836 and has been in active practice of his profession ever since.

Lyman Doud, the owner of the Hebron Flour-Mills, has been in business since 1842, his irst settlement being at Kenosha, and was one of the founders of the village of Port Washing- ;on, Washington County.

Henry Carey's theory seemed to hold good in the settlement of the town of Hebron, that uen never opened up the richest part of the country first, for it took more means where the soil was very rich than where it was poor - not that the soil of the timbered land is necessarily poorer m quality than on the openings or prairie, but that it took less to make a start in the tiraberands than on the prairie. The timber was at hand, and a man could cut enough for a fair-sized ;og house in two days. Another day with the help of neighbors would roll it up, and a week's work of one man would get out the " shakes " and put on the roof, and if the settler was very poor, and a long ways from a saw-mill, he would get out logs and spot them down for the floor. Often, when unable to own a stove, the chimney and fire-place were made of mud and sticks, riius a comfortable dwelling would be erected by an outlay of a trifle for glass, and, in many instances, oiled paper, taking the place of glass. So, in clearing and fencing, a single yoke of 3xen suiBced for all the team-work. Three or four acres were usually cleared the first year and planted to corn and potatoes, and, after a year or two, enough would be cleared for wheat,and as the country settled, there sprung up a demand for portions of the timber, first being for the better 3lass of saw-lo2S and hewing timber, then staves for barrels. After awhile there came a limited demand for cord-wood. Charcoal burning was one of the industries that engaged quite a number, md in time the timber would pay for clearing the land, as it became worth something, and For the last ten or fifteen years the standing timber has been worth from $25 to $75 an acre. As timber became scarce men turned their attention to farming, and for the past few years dairying has occupied their attention. During the year 1878, there were nearly five hundred thousand pounds of cheese made in the town, and, in 1879, about the same amount. The assessed valuation of the town in 1878 was over half a million dollars. The total number of acres of land is 18,318 ; almost one-third is marsh. Of the balance, which was heavy timber, but comparatively little yet remains save in a few instances. Cyrus Cushman has some two hundred acres - the estate of Jonas Folts fifty acres, and the estate of A. H. Burnham fifty acres; H. J. Munro, fifty acres ; estate of John Evans about the same amount. The town has not one dollar of corporate indebtedness. Only one school district is in debt, and this year it has made the necessary provisions for paying it. The farmers throughout the town are free from debt as a general thing. The habit of running in debt at the stores has never prevailed to any great e.xtent ; perhaps, for the reason that the first settlers were limited in resources, consequently their credit was the same, and the habit formed of paying for what they bought has been adhered to.

There is one grist-mill, three run of stone, Lyman Droud, proprietor ; one mill for grinding feed, one run of stone, and a saw-mill belonging to the Wisconsin Manufacturing Company, of Fort Atkinson. Cyrus Cushman owns a saw-uiill and has in connection with it a run ol stone for grinding feed. Two general stores, A. F. Windau and Robert Krause, proprietors; two shoe-shops, Herman Rohde and Frederick Sipperb, proprietors ; one repair-shop, run bj F. B. Stiigg ; two blacksmith-shops, Bernard Grogan and Michael Grogan, proprietors ; Chris topher Grogan manufactures wagons ; one sorghum manufactory, L. B. Green, proprietor : foui cheese- factories, one of which is owned and managed by the Cold Spring Cheese Company, Of the other three - the Whitney and the Schleickenraair - Messrs. Clark and Reynolds are the proprietors. The Excelsior Cheese Company, of Oakland, are also interested in the management. There are three practicing physicians in the toivn. Alonzo McDaniels (Eclectic), S. G. Pickett and James Mahan (old school). The estate of John A. Wilcox owns a cider-mill, and some years manufactures six to eight hundred barrels of cider.

William Reynolds was the first permanent settler in Hebron, Cyrus Curtis the first one in the town of Sullivan. He built the first house. Cyrus Cushman was the first man to wintei in the town of Sullivan, being the winter of 1837-38. Cushman built the second house am] Crowder the third. Alexander Henderson was the first settler of the town of Cold Spring (1837), and Abram Brink, of Brink's Mill, the second (1838). The people who first settled in Hebron, came from many different States, some from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Xew York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. Each came with strong convictions that the customs and laws from the locality from which he emigrated were the best, and men with wills and courage enough to hew homes for themselves out of the solid forest, were not ready to yield and give up without a struggle their long-established opinions. There was the usual bickering aboul roads and bridges, which are incident to the settlement of a new country. Their necessities caused them to form habits of concession. Men that backed a set of drag teeth or a plow, were not slow in coming to an agreement as to where was the proper place to locate a road or bridge. Those who have resided in Hebron are now to be found in as many different States as the States from which they came. Many of them live in Oregon, California, Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, Washington Territory, etc. The unrest that brought them here impels them to move on, buoyed up by the hope that the El Dorado will be reached at last. The fortitude and pluck exhibited by them in the years 1843 and 1846, when families were prostrated by the ague, is worthy of all praise. These years are still spoken of as the "sickly seasons." In many neighborhoods, there was not a person to be found who was not afllicted with the "shakes." There was but little homesickness, all having faith that cold weather would efl'cct a cure.

Of the old settlers, but few remain, and of these, the silvered heads, beards flecked with white and the stooping forms admonish us that their work is nearly done, and these few have been called upon to mourn within a few years the following who make up the roster of the old settlers' "honored dead," to wit: Edward F. Hutchins, Rufus H. Parker, Billings Baldwin, Spencer Thayer, Mrs. John Burnham, William Wliapj)les, David Bartlett, John Vanderwater, Amos Gibbs, John Hutchins, John Porter, Giles Porter. James R. Dye and wife, Mrs. Enoch P. Dye, Johnson McCune, James AVenham, Sr., Philadelphia, his wife, William Noyes and wife, Hartly M. Johnson, Elias Reynolds, his wife, Clarinda C. Reynolds, Mrs. Ruth Edwards, Dr. Jason Cushman, Jonas Folts, John A. Wilcox, A. E. Fuller, William Reynolds. Chancy N. Torrey, Amos H. Burnham, George Burnham. James Burnham, Sr., and wife, Josepii (ircen, Charles Johnson, Jason Rockwood, Alexander Graham, Robert Wilson, Dr. D. D. Burrington, Ebenyer H. Hubbard, Sylvester Fox, Samuel T. Clothier, J. R. Van Norman, A. S. Stevens, Jonathan Marsh, Sylvester Miner, Mrs. A. R. Eaton, Milton Blakcly, Seth Patee, Mrs. Nancy Patee, Mrs. D. F. Jones, their daughter, Elijah Higgins, the first merchant; Charles T. Clothier,