Oakfield Town

Oakfield Town

This is a rich, prosperous and pleasant town. It was erected into the town of Lime by an act approved February 2, 1816, and the name changed to Oakfield February 10, 1847. The extensive and rich quarries of limestone afforded by the " Ledge," in Township 14 north, of Range 10 east, suggested the name of Lime, and the beautiful oak openings suggested the present name of Onkfield. It is about equally divided between the high oak openings and prairie. That portion of Iloricon Marsh which extends into Oakfield has been drained, and is now mostly tillable land. The Ledge is very prominent in this town. It furnishes lime, building material, delicious springs and picturesque scenery - Darling's Gap," a wild spot near the village of Oakfield, being the most notable and attractive. Its winding crevices, deep caverns, overhanging precipices and vast domes of disintegrated rocks attract thousands of tourists and picnickers.

The first settlement was begun in 1810, south of the present village of Oakfield, by Russell Wilkinson, who came with his family from Rensselaer County, N. Y., early that year, and built a log house. The Winnebago Indians were very numerous about the Ledge then, owing to the abundance of game in its retreats, and were highly displeased by the invasion of the paleface. They stole nearly everything he possessed that was movable, and finally burned bis home with all its contents. Mr. Wilkinson then procured a yoke of oxen and removed his wife, who was in delicate health, to the house of Edward Pier, at Fond du Lac. The Indians then held undisputed sway in that section until October, 1813, when Mr. AVdkinson and his brotlier Robert recurned to the farm and made a permanent settlement. They were for some time the only white denizens of the town, but were joined not much later by John Wilkinson, John Beirne, S. Botsford and Messrs. Silvernail, Ilubbard and Ilazen. When once the richness and^warmth of the soil, the beauty of the location ami the healtlifulness of the climate became generally known, tiie town settled with wonderful rapidity, and has always maintained itself in the front rank of prosperous and populous towns.

The first town election was held in April, 1846, at Russell Wilkinson's house, at which C. T. Rich was chosen Supervisor, and Lorenzo Ilazen, Clerk.

In 1844, Lorenzo Hazen was one of the leaders in forming the Washingtonian Society, the first regularly organized temperance society in the county.

The first death was that of John Wilkinson, killed by the fall of a tree in 1 846. The neighbors, meager in numbers and poor as they were, massed their means, and paid for the "forty " which Mr. Wilkinson had entered, but not paid for, and gave it to his stricken family. Russell Wilkinson died suddenly May 4, 1847.

The first school was taught in 1845, by Mariah Moore, afterward Mrs. A. Hubbard, in a schoolhouse built that year on Section 14. The town now contains eight schoolhouses.

The first sermon was preached in February, 1845, by Rev. Harvey Bronson, at Russell Wilkinson's house. The first church was not erected until 1852, bv the Congregationalists, on Section 22. ' ,

The first post' office was established at Avoca, one mile east of what is now the village of Oakfield, on Section 13. Isaac Orvis was the first Postmaster. Henry Cornell is the present Postmaster of Oakfield, as it has many years been called.

The first mill was a saw-mill, built in 1844 by J. Allen. In 1851, Col. Henry Conklin built the first flouring mill, at a cost of $12,000, on the East Branch of Fond du Lac River, near the village of Avoca.

The Journal of September 15, 1848, said : " A fragment of a bowl or vase was presented to us last week, which was found in the town of Oakfield, ten inches under ground. It is about a quarter of an inch thick, marked with pai-allel lines and dots. The curve indicates the vessel to have been fourteen inches in diameter. The substance appears to be a brown clay burned." i\Iany other similar relics have been found in the town.

Oakfield Village

The first village in the town of Oakfield was called Avoca, and was situated on Section 13, on the "old plank road." Here were opened the first mill and established the first post office. When the Rock River Valley Union Railway was put through the town the center of trade was transferred to the present site of Oakfield, one mile west of Avoca. It is one of the most pleasant inland hamlets in the county. From the residences on the hill. Fond du Lac, Lamartine, Mount Calvary Monastery, the whole sweep of Lake Winnebago and a stretch of thirty miles of hill and prairie can be seen, and the Ledge, only a few rods back of the village, is a resort of all pleasure parties in the vicinity.

The Vermont House, so named because its builder came from Vermont, is owned and managed by William H. Brown. It is the only hotel in Oakfield. Since coming into possession of the house in 1876, Mr. Brown has enlarged and improved it.

The physicians are William Moore, J. W. Burns and G. B. Durand. Burns Bros., of which firm Dr. J. W. Burns is a member, have the only drug store.

Oakfield Lodge, No. 158, A. F. & A. M., was granted a dispensation February 22, 1866, and a charter June 13 of the same year, with the following charter members : William Moore, N. Filby, H. Cornell, 0. Hatch, S. G. Pickett, D. H. Spencer and Theodore Conklin. The

Wide-Awake Lodge, No. 504, I. 0. G. T., was organized in September, 1879, P. E. Gilson being the first Worthy Chief. The Lodge is wide-awake in more than name. It now has thirty-five members, with frequent additions. P. E. Gilson still holds the office of Worthy Chief.

Oakfield Grange, No. 55, was organized in 1872 with H. D. Hitt as Master. The lodge has a fine hall over the cheese factory, and holds regular meetings at which all farm, fruit and dairy topics are discussed in their season. The lodge now numbers forty thrifty fiirmers, with Levi Large as Master. The Patron's Aid Society is a branch of the Grange, which secures for the family of any member at his death an assessment of $1 from each member in the State. H. D. Hitt, who is one of the Directors of this branch, was also one of its originators.

The Union Church was built in 1867, by a stock company, at a cost of $4,000 for buildincr, site and furniture. The organization consists of about one hundred members who are stockholders. The building is free to be used by any denomination, and was erected with that plan in view. The first officers were: H. D. Hitt, President; J. T. White, Treasurer, and E. A. Putnam, Secretary. The present officers are : H. D. Hitt, President ; William Worthing, Secretary, and Henry Cornell, Treasurer.

Grace Episcopal Church had its origin in an Episcopal Sunday school started in 1857 in District No. 10, by Mrs. L. Russell and T. J. Wood. A school teacher named Palmer then began lay-reading, and a sermon or two by Rev. George B. Eastman, of Fond du Lac, increased the interest, and Mrs. Russell and Mrs. N. Filby began the collection of funds for the erection of a church edifice. They were aided by Mrs. Robert Kinninment, in Brooklyn, N. Y. Finally, a meeting for organizing the church was held, and the gathering lacking one of the number required by law to complete the legal formation, Mrs. L. Russell crossed the field and asked in William Butler, who then donated the site for the edifice. The consecration of the building, erected on Section 13 but moved to its present location in Oakfield Village in 1868 or 1869, took place in 1861, by Bishop Kemper. The first Pastor was Rev. Turner ; present Pastor, Rev. W. E. Wright, residing at Waupun. The first officers were N. Filby, Senior Warden, and Robert Palmer, Junior Warden.

Avoca Cemetery, platted in 1856, on Section 13, by H. D. Hitt and N. Filby, covers two and one-quarter acres of ground, and is an unusually neat and well-kept burial place. It is beautifully shaded by deciduous and evergreen trees. The first officers were H. D. Hitt, N. Filby and Jacob Avery. The present officers are W. W. Wheeler, H. D. Hitt and A. H. Steen.

The first elevator in Oakfield was built in 1868 by George W. King. It burned, and he erected in its place the present fine steam elevator, which some seasons is compelled to run night and day. The proprietors are George W. King & Son.

M. R. Hubbard & George W. King erected a large steam hay-press which began a thriving business eaidy in 1880. It is the only steam press in the county.

Willard & Morgan built a steam saw-mill in the winter of 187U-80. It is also fitted with mach-inery for turning out materials for various kinds of hardwood work.

The Henry Conklin mills, built in 1851, run now by H. Hanson and owned by C. K. Pier ; the Avoca mills, built by Mr. Large and run by Charles Frensel, and ttie Stroup mills, built by Isaac Orvis, are flouring-mills near Oakfield Village, all situated on the East Branch of the Fond du Lac River.

Source changes here: from Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, Past and Present, by McKenna, Maurice, published 1912; 712 words in this source stream.

Oakfield Town

The first settler in Oakfield was Russell Wilkinson, who located south of the present city of Oakfield in 1840. At the time it seemed that he was very unfortunate in his selection of a home, for the Winnebago Indians were numerous about the Ledge and game was plentiful, but ignoring the things that were ready to the hand, they stole everything movable from Mr. Wilkinson, and ended their relations with him by burning his house and its contents. This drove Mr. Wilkin¬ son with his family to Fond du Lac, where they remained as occupants in the house of Edward Pier, until 1843, when Mr. Wilkinson with his brother Robert, returned to his Oakfield farm and made a permanent settlement. By an act ap¬ proved February 2, 1846, this town was organized under the name of Lime, but it was changed to Oakfield, February 10, 1847. Flere were found by the early settlers extensive and rich quarries of limestone, which suggested the name Lime, but beautiful oak openings suggested the name finally adopted. The lay of the land is equally divided between the high oak openings and prairie, and most of the marsh has been drained and is now tillable. The Ledge, which is very prom¬ inent, furnishes lime and splendid building stone. Here are also to be found beautiful springs and picturesque scenery, among the following being "Darl¬ ing's Gap,'' a wild spot near the village of Oakfield. It is most notable and at¬ tractive, having winding crevices, deep caverns, overhanging pricipices and vast domes of disintegrated rocks,

Russell Wilkinson, who had come to this county from Rensselaer county, New York, in 1840, afterward returned with his family to Fond du Lac, where he remained until the fall of 1843. He and his brother Robert were for some time the only white settlers in the vicinity. Eventually they were joined by John Wilkinson, John Beirne, S. Botsford and Messrs. Silvernail, Hubbard and Hazen. At the home of Russell Wilkinson, in April, 1846, was held the first town election on which occasion C. T. Rich was chosen supervisor and Lorenzo Hazen, clerk. Mr. Hazen was one of the leaders in forming the Washingtonian Society, a tem¬ perance organization, with branches scattered all over the United States.

Martha Wilkinson, daughter of Robert Wilkinson, whose birth occurred in May, 1844, was the first person born in the township. The first death was that of John Wilkinson, who was killed by a tree in 1846, and it is said that the neighbors, poor as they were, paid for the forty acres which Mr. Wilkinson had entered and gave it unincumbered to his family. In a year thereafter Russell Wilkinson died.

The first school was taught in 1845 by Marie Moore, afterwards the wife of A. Hubbard. The pupils gathered in a schoolhouse built the same year on section 14.

Avoca was the name of the first postoffice, which was established at the home of Isaac Orvis, who was appointed by the department to preside over it.

The first sawmill was built in 1844 by J. Allen, and in 1851. Henry Conklin built the first flouring mill on the east branch of the Fond du Lac river near the village of Avoca, the enterprise costing $12,000.

The village of Oakfield, which was first called Avoca, is situated on section 14 on the old plank road. Here the first mill was opened and the first postoffice established. The Rock River Valley Union railway, now a part of the North¬ western system, enters the town. The village was incorporated in 1903 and has a population of 522. There are three churches - Methodist Episcopal, Free Bap¬ tist and St. Mary's Episcopal. There are a number of industries, such as cream¬ ery, cheese factory, manufacturing of pressed brick, wagon-making, machine and blacksmith shops. There are grain elevators, a number of stores and a good hotel. For a town of its size the Oakfield public library, presided over by Kate E. Orvis, as librarian, is a credit. There is a bank, physicians and a well con¬ ducted public school. The fraternal societies of Oakfield are Oakfield Lodge, No. 158, A. F. & A. M., Oakfield Lodge, No. 174. I. O. O. F. and Oakfield Camp, No. 1814, M. W. A.