Little Falls Town

Little Falls Town

There is no record of the organization of the town of Little Falls in the proceedings of the county board of this county. It seems that at the time of the organization of this county the territory comprised in the towai of Little Falls and wdiat was then known as the town of Eaton on the east of it was supposed to be in Jackson county, and these two towns were originally orgaiiizi'il iiiid their tirsl nicetiiigs held as a part of that county, l)ut subsequently the mistake was discovered and the chairman of the town board of Little Falls appeared at the annual session of the county board of iMonroe county in November, 1856, claiming a seat as a member of that body. Objection Avas raised to this, but the reason for it does not appear upon the record. After some discussion and consideration of tlic; matter the board tinally voted to give the supervisor from the town of Little Falls a seat with all the rights of a member, and AV. \V. Benton wa.s duly sworn in as the first member of the county board from the town of Little Falls on Xovemlx-r 11, 1856. Settlers canie into the town early and ])egan developing its farm and timber lands and water i)owers. Perhaps the oldest settlor in point of time was AVilliam Printz. who came in 1852, being some two years before the county itself Avas organized, and the {)oint near Cataract Avas, in fact, one of the first localities in Avhich settlers ])egan to take up land. He Avas folloAved by Thomas Richards in 1854, and the other pioneers in order in Avhieh they came Averc George Walters, 1855: ^Ir. Ilovey, 1855, Avho kept a store; Bert :MatheAvs, 1856; :\[. P. Matteson, 1856; C. AV. Johnson. 1857; John ir. Brackett, 1864.

There Avere many other settlers betAveen 1856 and 1860, but it has been impossible to mention them all. It is sufficient to say that they Aver(^ men of sturdy character and lielped to build uj* the early industries of the toAvn, laying the foundation for the future, Avhieh has surely proved their Avorth. There is a fin(! Avater poAver at the present site of the village of Catarait Avhich has been in use for a great many years and at one time furnished the poAver for a Avoolen mill. Avhich Avas erected there and has since run vni-ious institutions, including saw mills and a grist mill.

BetAveen the years 1850 and 1860 the tOAA'u of Little Falls saAV some A'ery lively times. There Avas no railroad then at Black River Falls, as Sparta liecame the first railroad point. Little Falls being situated on the Avay betAveen these tAvo toAvns there Avas considerable teaming done, not only from Sparta up to the lumber Avoods, but also in the other direction. Freight Avas hauled back and forth and a stage made daily trips each Avay betAveen Cataract and Sparta and to Black Riv(M' Falls, another line running also from Sparta and Cataract up to Eau Claire, and during this period and later these stage lines and freight hauling companies did an inunense amount of travel. Th(» toAvn being situated as it Avas, became a sort of center for a stopping place for ti-MvcU'is, and at one time there were six hotels in the town, two at the village of Cataract, one at ]\lax Craig's, one at !Sam Bacon's, one at Hugh Gallagher's, and one at Pett's tavern.

At the breaking ont of the Civil War the citizens of Little Falls came forward handsomely to take up the gun for their country. On the call for three months' men Ilarold AValker and George Pomeroy were the first to enlist, and at the second call David Douglas, Perry AValker and Alonzo Barr were the first to i)ut down their names and enter the service, and all tJiree were subsequently killed. All of the men who went to the front from this town volunteered, and none had to ho drafted. LaRoy Farr, then eighteen years of age, left his home as a first lieutenant, was taken prisoner at his first battle, which was Pittsburg Landing, and was put in prison at Andersonville. Later he was sent to IMacon, Ga., and when he was finally released his health was broken down. The veterans Avho enlisted in the various military organizations in the rebellion from the town of Little Falls were as follows : Samuel Janes, Warren Pomeroy, George Pomeroy, Anthony Trumbly, Thomas McCumber, Samson LaBew, William Henry Washburn, Robert A. Duws, II. PI. Atchison, John Baker, Isaac i\Iatteson, Charles Matteson, LeRoy Farr, Albert IMatthews, C. AV. Johnson, Austin S. Beemer, David Douglas, Perry AYalker, Harold AValker, John Locke, AA^illiam Dodson, Adam ("arnahan, Archie Carnahan, Andrew Carnahan, Charles Edwards, Chub Sanders, T. P. Loyd. John Alartin, DeLos Head, Mr. Birge, Bert Matthews, Alonzo LaBarr. Robert AIcLain, George Cross, Pliilo AValker, ]\Ir. Brennan, Henry Crossen, Cummins Sprout and Rushbrok Sweet.

Most of the town is now well developed and the village of Cataract has become quite a little settlement, situated as it is near a good Avater power and is a convenient trading point for the farmers living in the vicinity. The town has furnished from its citizens several men who have acquired prominence in the county affairs, among Avhom may be named the Seantletons, father and son ; a\Iyron Brackett, who for a number of years was a member of the county board and later served as supervisor of assessment until the office was abolished ; A. J. Carnahan, who now resides at Sparta, but who was elected as sheriff while a resident of the town ; Hugh Gallagher, who was chairman during the railroad agitation, when the now defunct Sparta-Melrose railroad was cutting a good deal of figure, and many others who have helped manage the affairs of their town and county.

oiil tile town over llir ])on(liiig: of it to aid in lniiUliiig tlie Sparta- ]\lt'lrosc' railroad, whii-li was then undt-r consideration, and a rather warm meeting was held upon the proposition at which the citizens took sides, whidi finally culminatetd in a lawsnit to declare the l)onds illegal. The town lost the litigation Init in the course of time the railroad bond limit exi)ired and the Sparta- ]\Ielrose railroad has become a matter of history, and it may also be said that it never made any history, it being a project on paper, principally. I'l-oin start to finish.

The present officers of the town are: D. R. Richards, chairman; Jacob "Walters and Obert Isensee, supervisors; X'eil Hanson, clerk; J. T. Scantleton, treasurer; AV. V. Schmelling. assessor, and G. S. Greeno. justice of the peace.

New Lyme

This is one of the later towns, the territory endiraced in it being originally' a part of LaFayette. ajid its early history, therefore, is that of the latter towu. ft was organized in 1872 and the toAvn was also at one time included in \^hat was known as the town of Eaton, no longer in existence, but the sketch of its early history being given later on in this chapter.

The present town officers are : L. R. Hoard, chairman ; Ezeb Veir and David Fletcher, supervisors; Robert Prescott, clerk: John B. JMeyer, treasurer; Leo Richmond, assessor; L. D. Prescott, justice. Population, 281.