Jamestown Town

Settlement Of The Town And Village

A number of miners from Hardscrabble came into the vicinity of Jamestown in 1827. In that year James Boyce discovered mineral near the present village and James Gilmore with his family came and opened a farm in the same neighborhood. Boyce is said to have dis¬ covered the lode by noticing a large growth of mineral weed or Ma¬ sonic weed as he sat down to rest, and digging down five or six feet, he came to a fine body of mineral, which eventually yielded 1,150,000 pounds.

The McKnightmine in the "Lower Diggings" was discovered that year. It yielded 1,200,000 pounds. Most of the miners and prospect¬ ors went away on the approach of winter. In 1828 Silas Brooks and Benjamin Kilbourn settled near the village site. A few years later the latter opened a farm. In the spring of 1832 Horace Smead opened a farm on the Mississippi bottom a few miles above Dunleith. When the Black Hawk War began he took his family to Galena. In 1846 he ' opened a farm a few miles northwest of Fairplay where he lived until his death, December 27, 1876, aged 82. He was long a prominent cit¬ izen of the town. In 1833 Kiren Murray settled on his farm near Sinsinawa, where he died in 1874. In 1835 Bartimeus White, who has long been a resident of Lancaster, settled in Jamestown. Cuthbert Bradwell came the same year. About 1838 Thomas Webb came into the town and in 1840 he built a log house which afterward formed part of the residence of Warden Anderson. It was the first house built on the site of the present village. About the same time James Gilmore built a residence a short distance north of Webb's and Henry Van Vleck a residence a little south of Webb's. In 1836 Warren Hannum settled in Section 23, and Abner Merrill in Section 14. David W. Jones came into the town in 1837. Thomas Dudley, afterward a well known resident of Beetown, came to Jamestown about 1840. George W. Babcock settled in the northwestern corner of the present town¬ ship in 1839.

In 1840 Peyton Vaughn established a ferry across the Mississippi at a point called Vaughn's Landing a few miles above what is now East Dubuque. Allen Taylor came to the mines in 1840 and remained until 1849, when he went to California by way of Cape Horn. He returned in a few years and became quite prominent. He was sev¬ eral times elected to the legislature and was noted there for his incor¬ ruptibility at times when railroad companies were free with bribes. He died October 11, 1886.

The mines about the future village continued to produce large quantities of mineral. They were called the Menomonee Diggings. An account of the yield of these mines will be found in Part III. In 1837 a post-office called Menomonee was established at the mines of that name. The name was afterward changed to Jamestown, after James Gilmore, the first postmaster. When the county was organized this part was made the precinct of Menomonee. In 1843 it was divided into Jamestown and Fairplay precincts (see map on page 135). In 1839 it had filling the humble office of constable quite an eminent man -

George W. Jones, who had been Dele¬ gate in Congress from the Territories of Michigan and Wisconsin, and was afterward U. S. Senator from Iowa.

In 1844 Sylvester Gridley, of Platteville, put in the first store, which was located opposite the Webb place. Among the new comers that year was James A. Jones, afterward of Lancaster, who came there to teach. The residents of that time, ex¬ cluding those already mentioned, were Rufus Hannum, Benjamin Kilbourn, James Kilbourn, Alexander Gilmore, G. W. Bruce, Isaac Williams, George Liddle, Warden Ander¬ son, J. B. Johnson, Jason Lothrop, Lysander Gilmore, Lewis Reynolds, Peter Saddler, James Saddler, John H. Barton, William Richardson, Harlow Howe, Enoch Robinson, George Babcock, Michael Casey, and perhaps a few others. In 1845 Thomas Laird, afterward a prominent citizen of Wingville, came in. In 1846 H. H. Howe built the James¬ town Hotel on the stage road from Dubuque to Platteville. It is a large double house, a story and a half high. The same year Abraham Wood and John Matthews built a large frame building on the Cape and Taylor lot, which was considered a notable improvement.

It 1848 Al. Gregoire and George W. Jones established aferry across the Mississippi River at Boat Yard Hollow, a little north of the State line.

In 1855 Jamestown contained two lar^e stores kept by Skinner & Brother and M. & L. Van Vleck, two cooper shops, one blacksmith shop, one shoe shop, and a hotel. In 1856 Van Vleck 's store was burned.

In 1850 South Jamestown, or " Pucker ville," on the line between Sections 1 and 12 and farther south, began to be built. The same year Thomas Beasley and N. Ritchie built residences in North James¬ town.

Shortly after the war James Floyd built the Jamestown House on the Fairplay road, and the Union Hotel was opened in a building erected by Decatur Peyton as a residence just before the war.

Town Organization And Officers

The town of Jamestown was organized in 1849. It is Town 1, Range 2, and contains about thirty-two square miles in the south¬ western corner of the county. As the land is generally quite hilly, little of the town is first-class farming land ; consequently since agriculture has superseded mining as the leading industry of the county Jamestown and its included villages have declined. Its population was in 1850, 666; in 1855, 1,141; in 1860, 1,403; in 1865, 1,362; in 1870, 1,114; in 1875, 1,194; in 1880, 1,215; in 1885, 1,149; in 1890, 961 ; in 1895, 1,002.

1858 - Supervisors, Jason Lothrop, Horace Smead, Jacob Hunsaker; clerk, D. Maxwell; treasurer, Thomas Pallett; assessor, Bar¬ timeus White; supt of schools. Arch Sampson; justices, Warden An¬ derson, George Heiflner, Henry Mann.

1860 - Supervisors and treasurer, same as in 1858 ; clerk, B. C. Hugins ; assessor, James D. Saddler ; supt. of schools; Samuel Merrick ; justices, B. C. Hugins, Warden Anderson, P. P. Stone; constables, J. M. Anderson, William Pallett.

1861 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and supt. of schools same as in 1860 ; assessor, B. White ; justices, George Hei£fher, John R. Bush ; constables, John D. Bainbridge, Lawson P. Carley.

1878 - Supervisors, clerk, and treasurer, same as in 1877; asses¬ sor, Joseph Murray ; justices, Franklin Lyster, Arch Sampson, J. Shef¬ field ; constables, A. J. Brandt, Robert Phillips.

1883 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1882; justices, Robert Allison, Joseph Schwerdt ; constables, Emerson Lid¬ dle, Edward Jewell.

1893 - Supervisors and clerk, same as in 1892 ; treasurer, Edward Carey; assessor, Thomas Larkin; justices, Frank Murray, John Schroeder ; constable, Frank May.

1894 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1893; justices, Franklin Lyster, L. A. Schroeder; constables, Albert Lyster, Emerson Liddle.

1900 - Supervisors, clerk, treasurer, and assessor same as in 1899 ; justices, Frank Lyster, Joseph Quinlan ; constables, Bert Bainbridge, Frank Ballew.

The first school was taught in 1840, or soon afterward, in a house on the White place west of Jamestown. This building was afterward moved to South Jamestown and occupied until 1875, when a new frame two-story school-house was built at a cost of $700.

Post-Office

The post-office called Menomonee was discontinued for a time and reestablished with the name Jamestown. James Gilmore was reap¬ pointed postmaster. He was succeeded by Benjamin Kilbourn, Chauncey Skinner, and Warden Anderson. The last-named, who was ap¬ pointed early in the forties, was removed in November, 1866, and J. Collogan, a saloon-keeper, was appointed in his place. There was much popular dissatisfaction and Mr. Anderson was soon reinstated and held the office until his death, January 12, 1885. The office has since been conducted by Joseph Schwartz, Mrs. Emily Works, and E. D. Peake.

Congregational Church . - The society was organized at Fairplay, where it built a church, but in 1858 it removed to Jamestown and built a frame church 32X35, at a cost of $900. The building was oc¬ cupied alternate Sundays by the Methodists. The following ministers have served since 1843: Revs. J. C. Holbrook, A. M. Dixon, Loren Robbins, William Hassell, G. F. Strong, William Stoddart, Nicholas Mavne. No services are held in North Jamestown now.

families of these, as members. Services were held in the residences of members until 1868, when a frame church was erected in South James¬ town. It is 20X30 and cost $1,200. The pulpit is supplied by minis¬ ters from Dubuque.

the country near the village. Services were held in the school-house until 1860, when the society made arrangements with the Congregationalists to occupy their church on alternate Sundays. The church has had the following ministers: Revs. Smith, Robert Langley, John Murrick, William Snmmersides, John Bean, B. S. Bunce, Stephen Pike, John Tresidder, William Cook, James Sims, William Howarth, James Jeffer¬ son, William Shepard, and J. T. Lewis. For about twenty years there has been no residedt minister, the pulpit being supplied by ministers resident at Cuba City.

Old Jamestown has ceased to exist as a village. The Jamestown Hotel remains, and there are half a dozen residences in the vicinity of "the Junction," but there is no store, nor shop, nor even a saloon. "Puckerville" still exists, but as "Louisburg." It has a post-office, kept by Wm. E. Merrick, a store, a feed-mill, two hotels, two or three saloons, and fifteen or twenty residences. Not only is it true of these villages, but of the whole region - the old settlers are dead, their chil¬ dren have gone West, and their places have been filled mostly by Ger¬ man immigrants.

This village is situated in Section 25 of the town of Jamestowri, on the road from Dubuqueto Platteville and Hazel Green. In 1838 John Roddan built a cabin on the present site of the village and lived there some years. In 1840 Charles Bainbridge came from Vinegar Hill, built a cabin, and went to prospecting. "Big strikes" were made in June, 1841, and in a little while several hundred miners were crowded into the narrow valley in all sorts of rough shanties and tents. The mine which gave the name to the village was discovered in 1841 and was the subject of a quarrel between contendingclaimantsthat threat¬ ened to result in bloodshed, when one of the miners who had gathered to see the fight that promised to occur between the claimants appealed so strongly for "fair play" that the matter was made the subject of arbitration and the mine awarded to the original discoverers. The same year the "Journey Range " and the "Ten Strike Lead " were discovered. A historian fresh from the East, in writing up this place about a score of years ago, said that the latter lode was so called be¬ cause it was struck by ten men ! He bad evidently never played ten¬ pins. In 1843 the shanties and tents of the transient miners had given place to some substantial improvements. A school-house and a church were built, the latter by popular subscription and as a sort of free-for-all building.

Rood in 1843, Thomas Dudley in 1844, J. B. Penn in 1845, James W. Everett and James Ritchie in 1846. The village was incorporated by act of the legislature approved February 12, 1845. It then contained about 800 inhabitants. Allison's Tavern was then built and was occu¬ pied by Henry Gilbert as landlord. Another tavern stood on the site of the later American House. Opposite this was Chisholm's "light¬ house," the scene of many a high revel and much high betting, inter¬ spersed with an occasional knock-down and drag-out. J. B. Johnson and Alfred Woods were the two merchants of the place. Dr. Arch Sampson was the only physician. There were several lawyers, among them Amasa Cobb, afterward member of Congress for this district, and later still Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nebraska.

In 1846 Fairplay was the theater of a duel which was appointed but did not come off. Two miners of Hazel Green had got into a dis¬ pute about a mine, located about a mile north of that village, and one of them, Henry Ray, challenged the other, Conrad Burns. The latter accepted the challenge and named rifles as weapons, and spent the time intervening between the challenge and the appointed meeting in target practice. John H. Rountree and Charles McCoy were the sec¬ onds. Efforts were made to reconcile the parties. Burns was impla¬ cable and demanded an apology or blood. Ray, having a family to which he was much attached, was induced to yield and offer the re* quired apology, which was accepted and the affair was closed.

In 1856 there were some especially large mineral discoveries by Hugins, Stone, Clise, Patrick Murray, Jacob Hunsaker, and Thomas Pallet. The place revived a little from the decadence which it had suffered during the California gold excitement, but it soon declined again. In 1861 B. Cornelison, later a landlord of Hazel Green, built a stone hotel, the Wisconsin House, and that was about the last notable improvement.

A murder occurred in the village September 2, 1873. John James shot Edward Iverson, his mining partner, in a drunken quarrel. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to four and a half years in the penitentiary.

The Harney Murder

One of the most terrible crimes in the annals of the county was committed at Fairplay September 25,1865. Dr. Harney, an old resi¬ dent of the place, and a man of good character (except that he was subject to fits of almost insane anger), killed his step-daughter and seriously injured his wife. The daughter of Mrs. Harney by a former marriage had married one Joseph Hunsaker, who, at the time of the murder, Was in Idaho. Mrs. Hunsaker had lived in the Harney family, but a few months before the murder occupied a house by herself near the Doctor's house. Dr. Harney became offended with his step-daugh¬ ter and ordered his wife to have no communication with her. Mrs. Harney continued to visit her daughter without her husband's knowl¬ edge at the time. He probably learned of it, and one day when his wife returned from a visit he knocked her down and beat her with the butt of a revolver. Ellen Harney, the Doctor's daughter, interfered and got her father to desist.

When Mrs. Hunsacker, at her house, heard her mother's screams she ran over to the house and found her mother lying on the floor. She kneeled down beside the injured woman, but hardly had she done so when the Doctor sprang upon her and trampled her, breaking her skull in several places, and then shot her in the head, killing her. Ellen Harney had meanwhile been trying vainly to draw her father away from his deadly work. While the Doctor was trampling Mrs. Hun¬ saker, his wife got up and ran out into the street, crying for help. Harney followed her and fired two shots at her, then caught her and began to beat her with the revolver, when his son Harrison took away the revolver and brought his mother back to the house. The Doctor passed through the same room where the murdered woman lay, revil¬ ing her as he did so, went into his office, took a lancet and cut his throat. He did not die, but was arrested and taken to jail. There he tore the bandages from his wound and endeavored to bleed himself to death, but without success. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The murder created the greatest excitement in the little village and the surrounding country. The murderer (who had evidently become to some extent insane by indulgence in fits of anger) had many friends who made repeated efforts to obtain a pardon for him. These were at last successful, but the Doctor was warned not to return to Fairplay and he did not do so.

Murder Of Christian Kelly

Christian Kelly, living nearly two miles east of Fairplay, was murdered on the night of November 15, 1869. On Tuesday morning, the 16th, his wife got up and went out and found the body of the murdered man lying near the house covered with the snow which had skull was crushed in. He was seen by a neighbor doing the chores that night, and was also seen in bed between nine and ten o'clock. His wife said she felt cold in the night and missed him, but supposed he had gone to sleep in another bed. Mrs. Kelly, John Murray, her son-in-law, and Murray's wife were arrested and tried for the murder, but were acquitted, and the mystery as to who were the murderers and what was the motive of the crime was never solved.

Post-Office. - The post-office of Fairplay was established in 1841 with Franklin Z. Hicks as postmaster. He was followed by Alfred Wood, J. B. Johnson, Matthew Van Vleck, B. Cornelison, Arch Samp¬ son, Mrs. Allison, and H. R. Smith.

Schools. - A school-house was built in 1843 and James Johnson was employed as teacher, and taught for several years. In 1851 a new school-house 20X30 was built at a cost of $600. It had, when the place was flourishing, two departments, but now has only one, con¬ ducted by Henry R. Smith.

Churches. - A church was built by popular subscriptions in 1843. It was occupied simultaneously or successively by the Presbyterians, Methodist Bpiscopals, and Primitive Methodists.' The place has at present no organized church society.

Jamestown Lodge, No. 43, I. O. O. F. - The original lodge was organized in February, 1850, with Dr. Mills, Samuel Virden, Henry Van Vleck, James Saddler, and H. H. Howe as charter members and officers. -It first met in Howe's Hall in Jamestown. During the war the charter was surrendered. In October, 1869, a new charter was issued and the lodge prospered so much that in 1878 it erected, in Fairplay, a lodge-room 28X40 at a cost of $650. With the death and emigration of the old settlers and their descendants, the lodge went down, and the hall is used as a residence.

The village of Fairplay has lost its old-time importance and nearly all of its old settlers. Of its former institutions only the post-office, school, one hotel, and two saloons remain. It has not even a store.

This village was started about 1835. It was located on Section 6 of the present town of Jamestown. It became quite an important river port, but was soon superseded by Potosi and Dubuque, and in the winter of 1842-43 the buildings were all moved down the river on the ice to Dubuque - all except one, a stone building which could not

This is a small hamlet on- the corner of Sections 3 and 10, town of Jamestown. Its principal institutions are the post-office and the Catholic church, the latter 45X85, built in 1869 at a cost of $6,000.